The 2019 Pac-12 Preview with the Game of the Year, Players of the Year, top pro prospects, big-time players who deserve a bigger spotlight, and more. - Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak - CFN Preview 2019: All 130 Team Previews Pac-12 Team Previews, 5 Things To Know North Cal | Oregon | Oregon State Stanford | Washington | Washington State South Arizona | Arizona State | Colorado UCLA | USC | Utah - Ranking The Pac-12 Coaches - CFN All-Pac-12 Team & Top 30 Players - CFN Pac-12 Team-By-Team Predictions - Pac-12 Schedules Can the Pac-12 get past the rebuild? The conference was certainly entertaining last year, and it was easily the most unpredictable of the Power Five leagues overall - who saw USC and UCLA being that bad? - but when Washington lost to Auburn right out of the gate, that all but set the tone for the rest of the season. There were plenty of solid teams, but no truly great ones. The bowl season doesn't mean everything - or anything, really, if it's not the College Football Playoff - but going 2-5 with those two wins coming by a combined two points over mediocre Pitt (Stanford's win in the Sun Bowl) and Michigan State (Oregon's win in the RedBox Bowl) teams wasn't a good look for the distant fifth-best conference in the Power Five. However, UCLA starting over under Chip Kelly. Kevin Sumlin had a year to put his stamp on Arizona, Jonathan Smith was just getting going overhauling Oregon State, and Herm Edwards was getting back in the swing of things at Arizona State. All four have to be better, and they should be. - Pac-12 Game of the Year, Big-Time Players, Hot Seat Coaches, Dangerous Games, Pro Prospects, Top Shoes To Fill Colorado will absolutely be stronger under new head coach Mel Tucker, and no way, no how will USC stink like that again. If all six of those teams can be stronger, then the Pac-12 is about to be a blast. Utah is even more of a killer this season, especially if its offensive backfield can stay in one piece. Stanford quietly has a terrific team in place to do some damage, Washington State is going to be grossly underestimated - again - Cal will once again have one of the nation's best defenses, and Oregon and Washington are going to be powerhouses. The problem? If all 12 programs appear to be as good or stronger, that leads to the dreaded P word - parity. The Pac-12 needs to get off to a hot start in non-conference play, it needs to have a fun and competitive season, and it needs a superstar to bust out from the pack. It needs its own Clemson, or Alabama, or Oklahoma, or Ohio State. It needs to get out of the dark and into the College Football Playoff. That's not going to happen, but the season is about to be a whole lot of fun. Pac-12 Team That Will Surprise UCLA There's just no way a Chip Kelly-coached college team can continue to be that bad. UCLA was rolling along with mediocre year after mediocre year, but was 2018 a step back to take a monster leap forward? It might take another season to get there - it takes a while to get the lines right - but the team improved as the year went on, and the youth movement should pay off. The secondary and back seven have speed and upside, the skill talent is there on the offensive side, and the coaching really is that good. It's not going to be a Pac-12 championship season, but the Bruins will at least go bowling. - UCLA Team Preview Pac-12 Team That Will Disappoint Oregon It's all relative. The Ducks will be terrific, and it's certainly possible they could roll into the Pac-12 Championship … and it won't be good enough. As we saw last year, winning the Pac-12 title is nice, and getting there is terrific if you're Utah and you've never been there before, but Oregon has the talent returning to push for the College Football Playoff. Of course winning the conference championship and going to the Rose Bowl would be massive, but there's 12-1 upside on this year's team with the expectations to match. Anything less will fall a little flat. - Oregon Team Preview NEXT: Game of the Year, Hot Seat Coaches, Top Unknown Players & More Game Of The Year Oregon at Washington, Oct. 19 Stanford, Washington State and Cal will all have something to say about the North race, and just about everyone should be in the hunt for the South title, but the showdown in Seattle is the one game that should define the season. The Ducks took down the Huskies last season after losing two straight in the series, but this time around, if this isn't the actual Pac-12 title game, it'll go a long way to determining the champion. 5 Big-Time Players Who Deserve A Bigger Spotlight Five players who have been a bit under the radar on a national level, but should rise up and be among the season's best players. 1. DE Bradlee Anae, Sr. Utah 2. RB Eno Benjamin, Jr. Arizona State 3. LB Evan Weaver, Sr. Cal 4. LB Colin Schooler, Jr. Arizona 5. CB Darnay Holmes, Jr. UCLA 5 Pac-12 Coaches On The Hot Seat It's not necessarily about who's about to get fired. Who has to win now to avoid getting yelled at, and who could use a very big season? Who has the most pressure to deal with? 1. Clay Helton, USC 2. Kevin Sumlin, Arizona 3. Chip Kelly, UCLA 4. Mario Cristobal, Oregon 5. Jonathan Smith, Oregon State 5 Non-Conference Games The Pac-12 Has To Be Very, Very Worried About They're the landmine games. The Pac-12 should be good enough to win all five of these games against Group of Five programs, but … 1. Stanford at UCF, Sept. 14 2. Washington State vs. Houston (in NRG Stadium), Sept. 13 3. UCLA at Cincinnati, Aug. 31 4. Arizona at Hawaii, Sept. 24 5. Fresno State at USC, Aug. 31 5 Best Pro Prospects 1. WR Laviska Shenault, Jr. Colorado 2. QB Justin Herbert, Sr. Oregon 3. OT Walker Little, Jr. Stanford 4. CB Paulson Adebo, Soph. Stanford 5. OT Trey Adams, Sr. Washington 5 Biggest Shoes To Fill 1. QB Gage Gubrud for Gardner Minshew, Washington State 2. WR Brandon Aiyuk for N'Keal Harry, Arizona State 3. OT Jared Hilbers for Kaleb McGary, Washington 4. LB Devin Lloyd for Cole Barton, Utah 5. CB Elijah Molden for Byron Murphy, Washington Pac-12 Team Previews, 5 Things To Know North Cal | Oregon | Oregon State Stanford | Washington | Washington State South Arizona | Arizona State | Colorado UCLA | USC | Utah - CFN Preview 2019: All 130 Team Previews MORE: Alex Morgan made a perfect trophy joke after winning Best Female Athlete at ESPYS Chris Paul's Contract Is So Bad The Rockets Gave Up Everything in Thunder Trade After Packers pass on Jalen Thompson, focus shifts to Natrell Jamerson The Ringer believes Raiders could trade SS Karl Joseph to Cowboys NBA Depth Charts Related slideshow: Ranking the 10 best college football mascots (provided by For The Win)


Missed the the most recent top news in Philadelphia? Read on for everything you need to know. Uncle of slain 10-year-old walks from DC to Philadelphia in her honor An uncle's love for his niece, who was shot and killed in July 2018, motivated him to walk more than 100 miles. Read the full story on WUSA9 . Video shows man using baby stroller to steal TVs from The Mann Center Surveillance video shows the suspect pushing the stroller up to the gates of the music venue, grabbing three flatscreen TVs, sliding them under the fence and using a stroller to haul them away on July 9. Read the full story on CBS Philadelphia . Fashion District Philadelphia: A preview More than 50 vendors are in the lineup at the former Gallery Mall, including a handful of locals, for the opening on Sept. 19. Read the full story on Billy Penn . Shop unveils new flavor to honor Eagles Rita's Italian Ice is gearing up for football season with a "Go Birds!" flavor that just bleeds green. Read the full story on ABC Philadelphia, WPVI . New luxury hotel set to open high above Center City It's been four years since the Four Seasons Philadelphia left the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, awaiting its new home on the top 12 floors of the Comcast Technology Center. Read the full story on ABC Philadelphia, WPVI . This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle , then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Can we just take a step back here for a second and marvel at the Jimmy Butler sign-and-trade like it was hanging in the Louvre for a moment? Seriously! It's a miracle that the Miami Heat - who were stuck and looked like they will be stuck for a while - pulled this off. The franchise is in the middle of an extremely mediocre era. They're saddled with some good but not great players who are getting paid a lot of money for their services, and only the 2020 offseason looked like it would jumpstart a rebuild. For now, it looked like they would just plod through the next couple of seasons, destined to just miss the playoffs or be bounced out of the first round. But then suddenly it seemed like Butler wanted to be in South Beach . That was all fine and good, but how would Riley be able to pull the strings on an overpaid roster to get the fiery forward to Miami? This is how : Heat get Butler and Meyers Leonard 76ers get Josh Richardson Clippers get Moe Harkless and 2023 first-round pick with protections Blazers get Hassan Whiteside First off, I love that trade for everyone. The Blazers get a rim protector while Jusuf Nurkic heals. The Sixers get back a terrific guard who's a force on both ends of the floor. The Clips end up with Harkless, who can bring 3-and-D and Kawhi Leonard recruitment skills to L.A. Anybody got kawhi number?? - Maurice Harkless (@moe_harkless) July 1, 2019 The Heat giving up Richardson - their leading scorer last season - will hurt. For all of his struggles, Whiteside is a premiere rim protector, so maybe the hope is Bam Adebayo takes the next step. There's a mishmash of decisions to be made about the backcourt (does Justise Winslow continue running the point with Goran Dragic healthy?). But seriously! Riley got a star despite the hurdles presented to him by the salary cap. It's an incredible accomplishment we all need to applaud. And I kind of wonder if he's not done yet. Pat Riley shut everyone - myself included - up. Cleared dead weight. Got his guy. Kept the core assets. - Five Reasons Sports Network (@5ReasonsSports) July 1, 2019 MORE: NBA fans spent the night freaking out about no official Kawhi Leonard news Stephen A. Smith: 'Andre Iguodala is planning on joining the Lakers' Roundup: Tyler Skaggs; Total Solar Eclipse; Poison at Facebook Facility; Democratic Race Do Cowboys have horses to absorb another Ezekiel Elliott suspension? 2019 NBA Summer League Rosters Related slideshow: 2019 NBA offseason moves (Provided by imagn)


Sandwich fans, take heed: You'll find a new Earl of Sandwich location at 18080 Chatsworth St., Suite 2B in Granada Hills. Earl of Sandwich, which has locations in California, Nevada, Massachusetts, Florida and New York and more, specializes in gourmet hot sandwiches. On the menu, look for the breakfast BLT; the Earl's Club, with turkey, bacon, swiss cheese, lettuce, Roma tomatoes and sandwich sauce; or the Chipotle Chicken Avocado, with grilled chicken, bacon, cheddar, avocado, lettuce and chipotle sauce. You'll also find salads, wraps, soups and more. View the menu here . The new locale has already attracted fans thus far, with a five-star rating out of 22 reviews on Yelp. Fabien R., who was among the first Yelpers to review the new spot on June 25, wrote, "Great new sandwich spot in the valley! Earl serves the best hot sandwiches, period... The service and location is also top notch. I ordered the Full Montagu and it was delicious. Highly recommended for a casual lunch or dinner." Yelper Mark V. K. added , "This is a great new addition to the neighborhood. I had the pick-a-pair with tomato soup and the French Dip. Everything was fresh and delicious!" Interested? Stop by to welcome the new business to the neighborhood. Earl of Sandwich is open from 10 a.m. 9 p.m. on Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m. 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. 9 p.m. on Sunday. Want to keep your finger on the pulse of new businesses in Los Angeles? 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.


Valentino Rossi has spoken out against the tight Turn 10 left-hander of the Barcelona circuit where he was taken out in the Catalan Grand Prix, the Italian dubbing it "supermarket parking". Rossi, along with Maverick Vinales and Andrea Dovizioso, was collected by a crashing Jorge Lorenzo at Turn 10 on the second lap of Sunday's race. Read Also: Dovizioso: Lorenzo not thinking clearly in "big mistake" crash Vinales criticises Lorenzo for making "rookie mistakes" The corner has proven conducive to crashes in the past as well, with Andrea Iannone taking Lorenzo out in 2016. The turn was first used after Luis Salom's tragic accident that year, and was added to the layout along with the Formula 1 version of the final chicane. But while the chicane was scrapped the following year and the circuit improved the safety of the track to return to the original version of the last two corners, it never reverted to the old, much faster version of the left-hander at Turn 10. Rossi was confused why the current tight corner is still in use, which he called "not a race track corner". "I don't know what happened because we wanted to go on the normal layout for motorcycles in the last two corners, they make a lot of work for the run-off area," Rossi said. "But why we have this corner? "I try to fight to have the Circuit of Catalunya corner, the long left that is very good. But for some reason, we use this. This corner is like supermarket parking. "For me is not a race track corner. In a corner like this is easier that happen [crashes]." Marc Marquez, however, said that there are plenty of similar corners at other tracks, and said that the old Turn 10 wouldn't be safe enough. "So, about Turn 10, it's another turn. You need to know it's a hard brake point. In Austin how many turns we have like this? In Austria how many turns do we have like this? "I mean, it's another turn and you need to understand. But the most important is we change the layout for safety, and the other turn   the natural one   the wall is very close. "In 2015 I already see that I was going out, I was on the gravel and I lean the bike because if not I was in the wall. "So it's another kind of turn that everybody knows that can be like this, that can have this incident, but for me, in the calendar, we have many turns with this kind of layout." Marquez's viewpoint was echoed by Dovizioso, who was among those collected by Lorenzo in the crash. "That corner is not the best, for sure, but we did that for the safety," the Italian said. "There is not enough room on the outside, and there isn't enough possibility to increase that place because there is a mountain, downhill." Additional reporting by Oriol Puigdemont and Valentin Khorounzhiy


Tennessee Titans safety Kevin Byard is arguably one of the best defensive players in the NFL, and certainly an important piece of Dean Pees' defensive scheme in Nashville. But how does he compare to the rest of the league as a whole? He's received rave reviews from multiple analysts, and recently found himself in Pro Football Focus' Top 50 players list. Byard came in at No. 42 overall. He ranked just ahead of New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley and right behind Philadelphia Eagles edge rusher Brandon Graham. PFF's analysis team noted his high overall and coverage grades as their reasoning behind his placement on the list. "In junior and senior seasons at Middle Tennessee (2014-15), Byard earned 81.0-plus overall grades and 86.0-plus coverage grades," the team wrote. "And his collegiate success has only followed him to the NFL ranks." Byard may have started slow initially breaking into the NFL, but has since improved in a big way. "After somewhat of a slow start as a rookie (68.5 overall grade), Byard turned in 85.3 and 88.4 overall grades in 2017 and 2018, respectively. All combining for what was a career year for Byard, he earned an 89.0 run-defense grade, an 82.5 coverage grade and allowed a lowly 55.8 passer rating in coverage in 2018, logging four picks and two passes defensed in the process. Slotted as one of the better single-high safety prospects in the 2016 class, Byard has truly thrived at the position with Tennessee." On a three-season career, Byard has recorded 235 tackles, 12 interceptions, 28 passes defensed, three sacks and two fumble recoveries. Look for him to continue his recent momentum into the upcoming 2019 season. MORE: NHL fans weren't impressed with Mike Milbury's questions for Pam from 'The Office' Sleeping on Patriots WR Demaryius Thomas would be a huge mistake WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling impressing staff going into Packers minicamp Bears believe Clinton-Dix is an upgrade over Amos Roundup: Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger Get Married, Chicago Poop Vandal, Johnny Manziel Talks XFL


A student was convicted on Wednesday of manufacturing a firearm using a 3D printer, in what London's police said they believed was the first such successful prosecution in Britain. Tendai Muswere, 26, pleaded guilty to making the 3D printed gun, in a hearing at Southwark Crown Court in the British capital. Police searched Muswere's central London home on drugs grounds in October 2017. They found evidence of cannabis cultivation -- and also components of a 3D printed gun, capable of firing a lethal shot. Zimbabwean national Muswere, who does not hold a firearms licence, said he was printing the firearm for a university film project and claimed he did not know that the components were capable of firing. "He later refused to comment on what his film project was about," London's Metropolitan Police said in a statement. Officers went through his internet search history and found he had viewed videos demonstrating how to use a 3D printer to manufacture firearms which fired live ammunition. A second raid in February 2018 resulted in the discovery of further components of a 3D printed gun. "Muswere claimed that he was printing the firearms for a 'dystopian' university film project but he has not explained why he included the component parts necessary to make a lethal barrelled weapon," said Acting Detective Sergeant Jonathan Roberts, who led the investigation. "Muswere was planning to line the printed firearms with steel tubes in order to make a barrel capable of firing. "This conviction, which I believe is the first of its kind relating to the use of a 3D printer to produce a firearm, has prevented a viable gun from getting into the hands of criminals." Muswere will be sentenced on August 9.


With custom paint, a professional engine build, and more. SuperSport Classics is pleased to offer up this 2001 Chevrolet Silverado show truck for sale. If you have been in the market for a vehicle that combines form, function, and show quality, then look no further. This Silverado will take you far and impress at the local car show; be prepared to have flocks of spectators around your truck and trophies to bring home. Even if car events aren't your cup of tea, this bad boy will turn heads everywhere you go and perform as a perfect daily driver. It's gorgeous, versatile, and utilitarian what more could you ask for? At first glance, the custom blue pearl paint catches your eye with its impeccable luster and smooth lines that hug the truck so well. This Silverado pickup has been lowered with a 5/7-inch drop and sits mean on 22-inch wheels. If you thought this was a stunner from the outside, you should see the inside of this 2001 Chevrolet Silverado. The cabin features custom red leather, a touch-screen double DIN dash with Apple Car Play, Escalade gauges, ice-cold air conditioning, power windows, and power locks. What's more, this pickup comes equipped with an alarm system and remote start for those super cold winter months or hot and sticky summer months. No matter the season, you'll enter this Silverado in a comfortable manner. The engine bay on this Chevy Silverado is another work of art. It's in excellent condition, clean, and tidy. The heart and soul of this truck is a 5.3-liter engine with forged internals and Texas Speed Stage 4 cams. The full motor was professionally built by a highly reputable performance shop. It's mated to a built 4L80E transmission with a 3,200 rpm stall converter. If that wasn't enough, this show-quality truck also received an LSA supercharger. That powerhouse combination results in a whopping 597 rwhp. This truck was professionally tuned as well and is ready to go. This is a one-of-a-kind turn-key show truck that could run with some of the fastest cars on the street. Best believe that no expense was spared in building this truck. The current asking price is set at $19,900, and you can make an offer right here. Read More: Custom Chevrolet Silverado Is A Retro K5 Blazer Candy Apple Green: 1989 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Pro Mod


Spring is in full swing, and we're celebrating with a week of grilling, seasonal produce and new twists on the classics. Here's what to cook every night this week. Shopping List: 1.5 pounds extra-large shrimp 1 pound lean ground turkey 5 slices turkey bacon 1 package prosciutto 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 whole chicken 1 package hot dogs 20 ramps 1 12-ounce bag frozen shelled edamame 1 pound plus 1 cup sugar snap peas 2 cups peas 2 cups radishes ½ pound string beans 1 medium zucchini 2 ears of corn 1 white onion 6 green onions 2 romaine hearts 1 jalapeño 1 hunk ginger 1 bunch mint leaves 2 cloves garlic 1 bunch cilantro 1 bunch chives 1 bunch tarragon 2 peaches 1 pineapple (or 1 can pineapple rings) 1 package guacamole 1 pint heavy cream 1 can coconut cream ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese 4 slices pepper jack cheese 1 pound penne 1 cup quinoa 1 package whole-grain hamburger buns 1 package hot dog buns 1 log goat cheese 1 package dried cranberries 1 handful walnuts 1 beer, such as an IPA Monday: Pasta with Ramps, Edamame and Sugar Snap Peas in Parmesan Cream Sauce Ramps are in season until the beginning of June, so nab them at the farmers market while you can. They take center stage in this creamy pasta with snap peas and edamame. Get the recipe Tuesday: Coconut Lime Shrimp Packs with Summer Vegetables Hit the grill on Tuesday night with this 20-minute shrimp recipe. It's speedy, but the combo of coconut lime marinade, zucchini and mint feels way upscale for a simple weeknight dinner. Get the recipe Wednesday: Sweet and Spicy BBQ Bacon Hawaiian Turkey Burgers Why not officially make every Wednesday Burger Night? Lighten it up with a turkey burger that packs powerful flavors, thanks to bacon, barbecue sauce, pineapple and pepper jack cheese. Get the recipe Thursday: Grilled Romaine Salad with Prosciutto-Wrapped Shrimp Wrap Tuesday's extra shrimp in prosciutto for this hearty summer salad. (If anyone in your family doesn't like greens, they clearly haven't tried them grilled.) Get the recipe Friday: Tex-Mex Hot Dogs This is not your average ballpark hot dog. Pile on guacamole, grilled corn and charred jalapeños to take it over the top. Get the recipe Saturday: Beer Marinated Grilled Chicken Skewers with Spring Quinoa Salad Set up the patio you're serving a low-key weekend dinner under the stars. (Don't be intimidated by the grilling; it only takes about ten minutes.) Get the recipe Sunday: Spiced Spatchcock Chicken with Peach BBQ Sauce Peach season is just beginning, so grab a few to accent this roasted chicken slathered in a homemade barbecue sauce. Get the recipe RELATED: 7 Unexpected Grilled Chicken Recipes to Make All Summer Long


Trent Williams isn't alone in his status as a league-best player skipping his team's training camp so far. Williams is out for a few different reasons as the Washington Redskins get underway. A few other massive names share a similar status. These are the major names skipping camps so far, per ESPN's Adam Schefter : Ezekiel Elliott Michael Thomas Melvin Gordon Yannick Ngakoue Trent Williams Williams is out due to a stark divide between him and the team based around the handling of a medical situation he had this summer. On top of that, he wants a new contract. Elsewhere, Ezekiel Elliott in Dallas wants a new deal, which is complicated given the status of guys like Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper, who also need new deals. In New Orleans, Michael Thomas is due after playing like the best wideout in the league. And for the Chargers, Melvin Gordon has hinted at wanting a trade if he doesn't get paid. Williams could always end up going the Gordon route in large part because he belongs right alongside these sorts of names thanks to his skill and importance to the team. With a first-round quarterback and playoff aspirations, the Redskins would probably be wise to get Williams off this list as quickly as possible. MORE: UFC's Thiago Santos shares brutal update on injuries suffered in loss to Jon Jones Ranking the NBA's Top 10 Big Threes Chargers offensive line update during first day of training camp Greg Gaines 'trimmed down,' built up muscle ahead of training camp Lonzo Ball earns lowest NBA 2K rating since rookie season


In a newly surfaced video, a Tennessee district attorney argued LGBT people are not entitled to domestic violence protections because he does not recognize their marriages as legitimate, according to NewsChannel5 Nashville. "So the social engineers on the Supreme Court decided that we now have homosexual marriage. I disagree with them. What do I do with domestic assaults?" Coffee County District Attorney Craig Northcott said at a 2018 Bible conference hosted by Dean Bible Ministries. "The reason that there's enhanced punishment on domestic violence is to recognize and protect the sanctity of marriage. And I said there's no marriage to protect. So I don't prosecute them as domestics," Northcott added. Northcott said he believes public officials should use the Bible in their work, so he would prosecute a domestic violence case between a gay couple as a regular assault. According to Tennessee law, a victim of domestic abuse can be a former or current spouse, individuals who previously or currently have a sexual relationship or people who previously or currently live together. Chris Sanders, executive director of the Tennessee Equality Project, called Northcott a "crackpot." "When it happens, victims, survivors rely on those charged with enforcement of the law to protect them," Sanders told NewsChannel5 Nashville. "And, in this case, it looks like we have a district attorney who is willfully ignoring the marital status, the relationships of members in our community and not protecting them fully." Northcott has also drawn nationwide ire for his statements on Muslim Americans. In a Facebook Post, he wrote that Muslims are "evil because they profess a commitment to an evil belief system" and that they are not entitled to constitutional rights, even if they are American citizens, according to NewsChannel5 Nashville. "There are only God given rights protected by the Constitution. If you don't believe in the one true God, there is nothing to protect," Northcott said. The Council on American-Islamic Relations filed a complaint against Northcott with the Tennessee Board of Professional Attorneys last month.


NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- In the depths of the financial crisis, when the world was shunning debt and battening down for the worst, city officials here zagged in what seemed a preposterous direction and spent $600 million on a new convention center. A decade later thousands of new hotel rooms soar over the site, including a 33-story Marriott that is just a tiny part of the investment and jobs boom that has made Nashville an envy of other cities trying to find their footing, an image cemented when Amazon announced it would put a 5,000-job logistics center here. "Look at the skyline, see the activity -- whether it is a Monday night or a Saturday night -- the city is thriving," said Tom Turner, president of the Nashville Downtown Partnership. It is in many ways a positive story of how new winners can emerge even after a devastating recession. But it also represents a major fault line in the recovery that followed: Winning places like Nashville have won big, often for reasons that can't obviously or quickly be replicated, while much of the rest of the country has struggled to stay even or slipped behind. It is a schism that helped elevate Donald Trump to the presidency with his massive support in less populated and slower-growing areas. The divide is also preoccupying U.S. central bankers and economists worried about what happens if large portions of the country never bounce back. "The superstar cities have pulled so far away," said MIT economist Simon Johnson. He recently called for a $100 billion annual federal investment in basic research centered in cities like Rochester, New York, that have the base of universities and college graduates to compete as innovation hubs. "There is no entity other than the federal government that has the capacity to move the needle on this." WHERE THE GROWTH IS AND ISN'T The U.S. economy entered a second decade of growth this month, marking the longest expansion on record. In many ways the country has seemingly recovered from a 2007-2009 recession that was the worst downturn since the 1930s. Unemployment is near a 50-year low, household income has been rising, and the country is at a point in the business cycle when workers typically see their most robust gains. But a Reuters analysis of federal data shows just how unevenly the spoils of growth have been divided. In a ranking of 378 metropolitan areas by how their share of national employment changed from 2010 to 2017, 40% of the new jobs generated during that time went to the top 20 places, along with a similar share of the additional wages. Those cities represent only about a quarter of the country's population and are concentrated in the fast-growing southern and coastal states. None were in the northeast, and only two were in the "rust belt" interior - Grand Rapids, Michigan, and a rebounding Detroit. Nashville ranked 11th on the list, keeping company with other southern towns like Charlotte and Atlanta, and the usual fast-growth suspects like Seattle and San Francisco. Related video: Can You Now Afford to Live in These Once-Rich Cities? (provided by GoBankingRates) The drop from there is steep. The next set of 20 cities captured about 10% of the jobs created from 2010 through 2017, close to their roughly 7.5% share of the population. At the bottom, 251 cities, many spread across the heartland and in the industrial northeast, lost job share. It is a map that hews close to Trump's election results: Of 221 counties that voted for President Barack Obama in 2012 and Trump in 2016, only three are in the metropolitan areas that won the most job share. Sixty-two are part of metro areas where the share of national employment declined. MUSIC CITY MIRACLE? OR HAPPY ACCIDENT? Among the decade's winners, many have an obvious story to tell -- Houston as a long-time oil town amid a boom in U.S. energy production or San Francisco as the epicenter of all things tech. But interviews with entrepreneurs and officials in Nashville point to a mix of factors behind its success, including some that were out of the city's control, such as the state's lack of an income tax, and others associated with its unique local assets. The once-in-a-generation decision to gamble on the convention center shows the importance of political leadership, something Federal Reserve officials and economists have begun to see as central to a local jurisdiction's success. But it also depended on the city's celebrated country music roots and seven-night-a-week year-round party scene as the draw for major conferences and trade shows, something that can't simply be reproduced by other municipalities. With rock-bottom interest rates and companies competing aggressively for building work, "you could never build at that price again," said Turner of the convention center. "It gave the city a different way of looking at things. Coming out of the recession you had new momentum." For some cities, the presence of legacy companies positioned in growth industries like healthcare can give a boost. But for others, whose anchor firms may have been in industries that have fled overseas, such as textiles, the hill is harder to climb. Private sector jobs in Nashville surged 31% since national employment bottomed in 2010, from 622,000 to around 820,000 through 2017, double the national job growth rate of around 15%, according to federal data. The 40 top job-generating metro areas saw employment expand 23% during those years. Jobs in other metro areas grew around 11%, and in counties outside of metro areas the job growth rate was around 4.5%. WHAT'S LUCK GOT TO DO WITH IT? And there are quirks of history. Nashville's downtown zoning rules had been notoriously strict. When they were eased in the 1990s, the result was fast growth from a low base, as builders turned empty land into new neighborhoods. It came off as a boom, but in fact it was more "playing catch up" after years of underbuilding, said Jay Turner, whose MarketStreet Enterprises developed the now trendy Gulch neighborhood around an abandoned rail yard. Jay Turner, who is not related to Tom Turner, said Nashville "was underdeveloped because of the zoning" that had put a premium on offices and parking garages. That type of surge can only happen once, and not at all in cities that are already filled in. Turner said it created a dynamic where "people say we need exposure in Nashville." Fed officials are taking the gap in economic outcomes among cities and regions seriously. Providing time for "catch up" among lagging demographic groups and areas of the country is one of the reasons behind policymakers' decision to leave interest rates low and to consider cutting them in coming weeks. Atlanta Federal Reserve bank president Raphael Bostic has made the issue a priority in his travels and research, puzzling over why places in his district like Atlanta have surged ahead while others have not. It's not clear, he said, that there's a uniform policy mix that could easily spread the wealth. "Every city has its unique narrative as to why it got to where it got," Bostic said. "I don't think there is a general formula that if you hit each point at a certain level you guarantee an outcome."


Between charging you to check your bags, select a seat or surf the web, there are few aspects of air travel that don't come with extra fees. And it can be hard to keep up with individual carriers and their ever-changing rules. In order to get the best deal on your flight, you need to include any potential fees you'll pay to truly compare prices between carriers. What might look like a low-cost ticket can end up being pricey if you're dinged with extra charges on every step of your trip. Luckily, there are some simple ways to keep your ticket price low, according to Consumer Reports . Baggage fees U.S. airlines brought in almost $5 trillion in baggage fees alone last year , according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. That's up from $4.5 billion in 2017 and $1.1 billion a decade ago. The fees can run from around $30 to over $100, unless you're flying Southwest, which gives travelers two free checked bags per flight . Otherwise, packing light or using a travel rewards credit card, as highlighted here , are your best options to check a bag for free. Seat selection fees As more airlines adopt an a la carte pricing model, seats are the next frontier in fees. Major U.S. airlines including American, Delta and United all charge customers to pick their seat assignments ahead of the flight, with prices ranging from $9 to over $100 in some cases   potentially more than a checked bag fee. Travel analyst Henry Harteveldt, co-founder of Atmosphere Research Group, told CNBC Make It that seat selection fees generate more than half a billion dollars a year for large airlines. Though "preferred" seating can be confusing , you never have to pay extra for a seat assignment if you don't want to. One key thing to remember: A preferred seat in economy is different than upgrading to a premium economy seat. With the former, you're usually just paying to pick a standard economy seat to ensure you have a seat assignment before you arrive at the airport, whereas the latter will typically come with more leg room, free drinks and other perks. You might select a preferred seat it you think paying for a seat by a window or being closer to the front of the plane is worth the added expense, for example, or you want to avoid the dreaded middle seat at all costs. WiFi fees WiFi can cost around $7 to $8 for one hour, Consumer Reports found, to around $20 for all-day access. The sole domestic exception is JetBlue, which doesn't charge for WiFi. Delta announced that it plans to eventually offer free access and ran a test of the program on 55 domestic flights this month. CR recommends paying for a monthly package from a third-party provider if you fly often and typically need access to WiFi to work or take care of personal business. Gogo, for example, charges $49.95 for monthly access and $19 for a daily pass on participating airlines . If you use WiFi primarily to watch movies or TV shows, though, you can usually download those on to your device before take off, CR suggests, and watch for free . Or you could just unplug! RELATED VIDEO: This Airline Soars Above the Competition When it Comes to Customer Satisfaction (via Buzz60)


You can leave your umbrella at home for today, but light rainfall is in the forecast for Chicago starting on Saturday, according to drone-powered weather forecasting service Saildrone . Sunday's forecast shows the greatest possibility of rain at 74% with predicted rainfall of 0.35 inches. The coming days will also bring warm temperatures, expected to stick around through Monday. Temperatures will reach a high of 88 degrees on Wednesday. Skies will be partly cloudy today. Winds will stay fairly calm over the course of the week, with the highest speeds on Wednesday at only 11 mph. This story was created automatically using Saildrone's local weather forecast data, then reviewed by an editor. We also incorporate historic weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Curious just how far your dollar goes in Worcester? We've rounded up the latest rental listings via rental sites Zumper and Apartment Guide to get a sense of what to expect when it comes to scoring an apartment in Worcester if you've got a budget of $1,300/month. Read on for the listings. (Note: prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 332 Main St. Listed at $1,239/month, this one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment is located at 332 Main St. The unit has air conditioning. When it comes to building amenities, expect a business center and an elevator. Both cats and dogs are allowed. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. (Check out the complete listing here .) 26 Portland St. Here's a 500-square-foot studio apartment at 26 Portland St. that's going for $1,250/month. In the residence, you'll see stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and hardwood flooring. The building offers a fitness center. When it comes to pets, both meows and barks are welcome. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. (Check out the complete listing here .) 64 Houghton St. Next, check out this 1,014-square-foot three-bedroom, one-bathroom spot that's located at 64 Houghton St. It's also listed for $1,250/month. The residence comes with hardwood flooring. Cats and dogs are not welcome. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental. (See the complete listing here .) 507 Main St. Located at 507 Main St., here's a 400-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom spot that's listed for $1,275/month. The residence offers granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, in-unit laundry and a walk-in closet. Both cats and dogs are allowed. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental. (Check out the complete listing here .) This story was created automatically using local real estate data from Zumper and Apartment Guide , then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Barcelona are set to open negotiations with Lionel Messi over a new contract which could see the Argentine remain at Camp Nou until 2023. Messi's current deal expires in 2021, and he has made no secret of the fact that he would like to spend his entire career with the La Liga giants. Barcelona seemingly want the same, as ESPN claim that they will soon meet with Messi to discuss offering him a new four-year deal which would see him remain at the club until he is 36 years old. The club have the option to extend Messi's contract by a further year, but president Josep Maria Bartomeu wants to reward Messi with an entirely new contract as he nears the end of his illustrious career. While Messi is believed to be keen on seeing his worth to the side rewarded financially, he is incredibly interested to hear what Bartomeu has planned for the squad as a whole. He wants to see how club officials plan to keep them amongst the world's elite as they pursue Champions League glory once again. This is not expected to be a problem for Bartomeu, who has proven to be incredibly determined to keep improving the squad through the signings of Frenkie de Jong and Antoine Griezmann this summer. He recently admitted his desire to see Messi remain in Barcelona ' forever ', and it is thought that a new four-year contract is just the first step in securing Messi's long-term future with the Blaugrana. Since making his debut for the club back in 2003, Messi has racked up an incredible 603 goals and 242 assists in just 687 games, and that form has seen him pick up an unprecedented five Ballon d'Or awards. The 32-year-old has won countless trophies with Barcelona, including ten La Liga titles alongside four Champions League wins. However, having not lifted Europe's premier trophy since 2015, it is thought that that is one of his main goals for the immediate future.


The Buffalo Sabres have a new coach and now they've locked up one the biggest names on the roster to a long-term deal. Jeff Skinner is staying in Buffalo after the Sabres announced Friday night that he has signed an eight-year extension worth $72 million. The contract carries a $9M average annual value and runs through the 2026-27 NHL season. The cap hit is the second-highest on the team behind Jack Eichel , whose AAV is at $10M . In his first season with the Sabres following last summer's trade from Carolina, the 27-year-old Skinner set a career high in goals with 40 and tied his career high in points with 63. Of those 40 goals, 32 came at even strength. Last week, James took a look at whether a hefty, long-term deal for Skinner was worth it. The backend of the deal may not look pretty once the forward is north of 30, an age where many snipers go cold, but general manager Jason Botterill needed to lock him up and show the fanbase that they are moving in a positive direction. The second half decline in 2018-19 left a sour taste in the mouths of fans and after watching Ryan O'Reilly get traded and excel with the St. Louis Blues, seeing Skinner walk for no assets in return on July 1 and produce somewhere else was not an option. With Skinner tied down, next on Botterill's summer to-do list figure out what to do with restricted free agents Zemgus Girgensons , Johan Larsson , Evan Rodrigues , Jake McCabe , and Linus Ullmark , as well as unrestricted free agent and franchise favorite Jason Pominville . MORE: Is Jeff Skinner worth $9M to Sabres?      Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports . Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy .


Hirving "Chucky" Lozano's knee injury as a result of a brutal no-nonsense tackle during PSV Eindhoven's recent 3-0 victory over Willem II has generated a cloud of anxiety among Mexican fans as El Tri prepares for summer's Gold Cup. It's a new chapter for Mexico, which has depth in talent but has only won one of the last three Concacaf titles. Manager Tata Martino, who embarks on his first competition since taking over, knows too well that in order to deliver, he needs his best players in order for the team to redeem itself and reclaim the trophy after losing to Jamaica in the 2017 semifinal. It's a relief, then, that Lozano's injury does not appear as serious as first feared. "I don't think he should have any issues playing in the Gold Cup," Martino said at a recent news conference. "The timing allows for him to recover well and participate." Martino added that while he believes Lozano should be ready for the summer, he won't be placed in a position to rush the rehab process. "We would never attempt to make him return too soon or risk it, but we're very confident that he will be able to participate in the Gold Cup," he said. PSV, meanwhile, is currently fighting with Champions League semifinalist Ajax (they're tied at 80 points, and Ajax has +10 edge in goal difference) for the Eredivisie title and has already shut down Lozano, even though there was no ligament damage. With two matches remaining, if Mark van Bommel's side is to win the league, it will have to do it without its top scorer, who has racked up 17 league goals. "I am relieved that I have not picked up damage to my cruciate ligament," Lozano said via PSV's website this week . "But of course it's very disappointing that I will no longer be on the pitch in the decisive phase of the competition. I have begun a rehabilitation program and will do everything to return to full fitness as soon as possible." Despite Gold Cup and Dutch league title aspirations, Lozano's injury could also complicate his immediate club future. The end of this season and the summer competition were supposed to provide chances to take his promising career forward by showcasing his talent in front of European scouts. His contract with PSV expires in the summer of 2023 , and it reportedly includes a $40 million release clause. Throughout the season, as Lozano became PSV's most important attacking player, reported interest has grown, spanning from the likes of Napoli which is currently in second place in Serie A, to Arsenal, which still hopes of competing in the Champions League next season. Manchester United, which could outbid either side, has also been mooted as a potential destination, especially with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side expected to be busy in the transfer market. For his part, Lozano has made no secrets about playing on a bigger stage. Last November, after PSV lost to Tottenham in the group stage of the Champions League he spoke of his desire to one day play in England . "I hope that God, some day, gives me a shot at playing in the Premier League. "I like it very much. I think the EPL is great and it would be fabulous to play with any of the clubs, but I would love to play for one of the big teams. I hope that God gives me that chance." At only 23, time is on Lozano's side, and there is no doubt the Mexican star will eventually leave PSV for a bigger club. The question, however, is will it happen this summer, and, if it does, will the list of suitors diminish due to the injury impeding him from performing at 100%? So patience, as the saying goes, is a virtue and the best thing for Lozano is not to rush his rehabilitation process. Considered one of the most talented Mexican players of his generation, the right opportunity will come for the winger whether it's this summer or in the window after that, so it's imperative he takes his time and doesn't rush to any decisions based on the summer. Blessed with talent such as Jesus "Tecatito" Corona, Raul Jimenez, Diego Lainez and Hector Herrera, Mexico can succeed at the Gold Cup without him. As Martino looks to build a long-term project with El Tri, where the ultimate goal is achieving success at the 2022 World Cup, Lozano must be nurtured and protected along the way, keeping an eye on the bigger picture.


The Chargers, Rams and Raiders are expected to have joint practices leading up to their preseason slate, according to The Athletic's Vincent Bonsignore. #Rams are expected to have joint practices with the #Raiders and #Chargers during training camp, I'm told. - Vincent Bonsignore (@VinnyBonsignore) May 12, 2019 The exact dates and more information should come into better focus in the coming months, but if the plan comes together, football fans would have another chance to see the two Los Angeles teams practice together once again. The Chargers and Rams held practice together two years ago prior to the 2017 season after the team found out that they were going to be moving to L.A. During one of the practices, the fight that most people remember occurred between both sides, taking the slogan "Fight For L.A." to another level. The practices themselves will hopefully be a bit more under control this year, especially with one of the Chargers' rivals joining this year. It wouldn't be all that surprising to see things get a bit chirpy with there being some pushing and shoving, but it should be good competition for all sides before the season kicks off. The Bolts and Rams move into their new stadium in 2020. MORE: NBA Free Agency 2019: The top players Russell Wilson surprised his mom with a new house for Mother's Day Video confirms reports of Chris Paul's attempt to sabotage Steph Curry Lots of chatter within NBA about potential LeBron-for-Simmons swap Billy Donovan has emerged as the top choice for the Michigan job


"It's not that far off," said Dodgers reliever Joe Kelly last night after his latest rough outing. "It probably looks worse than what it really is." Kelly was referring to his own situation when he chatted with reporters (including Pedro Moura of The Athletic). "It's not that far off," Joe Kelly said. "It probably looks worse than what it really is."   Pedro Moura (@pedromoura) June 11, 2019 But he probably could have spoken in similar terms of the Dodgers bullpen as a whole. The results haven't been great, but the Dodgers actually sit in the middle of the pack as a unit by measure of both ERA and fielding independent pitching. There have been blown saves, but not a dramatic number in comparison to some other clubs. In many respects, it's not even worth thinking too hard about how this relief unit looks right now. The Dodgers are blitzing an otherwise mediocre division. At 45-21, the team is easily the class of the entire National League to this point. The relief corps hasn't been bad enough to jeopardize a seemingly inevitable march to a division crown. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman certainly isn't blind to the issues that do exist, as Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register recently covered . But he's also focused primarily on the end goal: "It's about feeling like we've got four to five 'pen arms in October that we trust and can help us," says Friedman. "That's what you need." So, can the Dodgers get to that desired handful of trustworthy hurlers? (And maybe settle upon two or three nice complimentary specialists to fill out a postseason roster?) Beyond acknowledging the potential for outside additions, Friedman says he still believes in the players currently populating the major-league roster. He also cites "other guys that are knocking on the door for an audition at some point." Kenley Jansen remains the rock. He's not what he was, but it'd be foolish to say he's washed up when he's carrying 12.5 K/9 against 1.7 BB/9. Pedro Baez has his warts but keeps getting results; he's through 28 1/3 innings this year with a 3.18 ERA. The numbers aren't as promising this year as last for Dylan Floro , as he hasn't continued to suppress home runs, but he's still managing a 3.13 ERA in 23 frames. That trio constitutes something of a core, but it's not the most intimidating of late-inning bunches. And the rest of the arms come with yet more questions. Yimi Garcia and Scott Alexander are among the team's most-used other hurlers. The former has been torched by the long ball and may be at risk if he can't find a groove. The latter is exhibiting declining swinging-strike and groundball numbers, but remains at least an interesting change-of-pace arm. Alexander is the sort of hurler that Friedman seems to be thinking of when he refers to having "enough diversified looks" in the current unit. But what is it that gives the veteran baseball exec confidence that it's "more about augmenting than tearing down" when it comes to structuring his bullpen? The sheer volume of possibilities is part of what inspires confidence. It starts with the current or future excess rotation pieces. Ross Stripling has seen a bit of a velo fall-off this year and has been better in the rotation than the pen but is an excellent swingman to have around. Lefty Julio Urias has boosted his velocity and swinging-strike rates are up in a relief role. (His future remains clouded by an ongoing domestic violence investigation, though he won't face prosecution unless he fails to meet the conditions set by authorities.) Veteran Kenta Maeda has been a flexible piece for the Dodgers in years past and will be useful in some capacity come October. There are multiple swing-and-miss guys amassed at Triple-A, including 40-man members JT Chargois (30 strikeouts in 24 innings) and Josh Sborz (34 strikeouts in 26 innings) as well as experienced former big leaguers Kevin Quackenbush (43 strikeouts in 30 1/3 innings) and Justin Grimm (41 strikeouts in 26 innings). There are a host of other plausible arms bouncing around in the upper reaches of the Dodgers farm. In addition to several hurlers with 40-man spots who've already had some prior MLB opportunities, the Dodgers have some untested prospects nearing readiness. Tony Gonsolin , Mitchell White and Dustin May are among them. So did we leave anyone out? Oh, right, Kelly … The Dodgers clearly targeted him over the offseason, drawn to his big velocity and promising peripherals. Kelly has boosted his strikeout rate to 11 per nine and run up his groundball rate to 55.4%, but he is coughing up 1.69 HR/9 on a 28.6% HR/FB rate. Opposing hitters carry a .377 BABIP and Kelly's strand rate sits at just 56.9%. There's cause to believe regression is coming, but he's also being tuned up for a 49.2% hard-hit rate. If Kelly can get things on track in the next several weeks, the Dodgers will have added confidence in their ability to trot out five strong arms late in the year. Regardless, the late-inning group looks in need of supplementation, but that's not much of a concern for an organization that has so much talent on and around the MLB roster. Friedman will have plenty of options on the trade market. With a huge division lead providing breathing room, the veteran exec sees a path to getting the unit he desires when the time comes: "We'll operate on dual tracks of doing everything we can to get our existing guys better while canvassing the market."


The Cavaliers are hiring Lindsay Gottlieb, the head coach of the University of California women's basketball team, as an assistant coach on John Beilein's new staff, reports ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski . The Cavaliers have made it official, announcing the hiring of Gottlieb in a press release . "I am excited to have a coach with Lindsay's experience as a part of the new coaching staff with the Cavaliers," Beilein said in a statement. "Lindsay truly values and embraces player development and a culture of winning basketball habits. Her success at Cal Berkeley speaks for itself and her insight in our meetings, practices and games will hold tremendous value." Gottlieb, who took over as the head coach of the women's program at Cal in 2011 after coaching at UC Santa Barbara for three seasons, had a 179-89 (.668) record over eight seasons with the Golden Bears. She led the team to seven NCAA Tournament appearances during that stretch, including a spot in the Final Four in 2013. While Gottlieb won't be the first woman who joins an NBA team's staff as an assistant coach, her hiring still represents a landmark appointment for the NBA, as Wojnarowski explains. She'll become the first women's collegiate head coach recruited to join an NBA staff. Sources tell Wojnarowski that Gottlieb will sign a four-year contract and is expected to take on a prominent role on the Cavaliers' bench alongside Beilein and new lead assistant J.B. Bickerstaff. According to Woj, GM Koby Altman had been interested in pursuing a high-level women's college coach and brought the idea to Beilein. The former Michigan coach became determined to recruit Gottlieb after meeting with her and discussing the ways she could impact an NBA coaching staff, per Woj's sources.


Looking to uncover all that Starmount has to offer? Get to know this Charlotte neighborhood by browsing its most popular local businesses, from a few Mexican spots to a music and movies store. Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top places to visit in Starmount, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of neighborhood businesses. Read on for the results. 1. Taqueria Mexico Topping the list is Mexican spot Taqueria Mexico . Located at 7001 South Blvd., it's the highest-rated business in the neighborhood, boasting four stars out of 129 reviews on Yelp. The spot offers tacos, tortas, salads and more. 2. Pollo Campero Next up is chicken shop and Latin American spot Pollo Campero , situated at 6124 South Blvd. With four stars out of 87 reviews on Yelp, it's proven to be a local favorite. The menu features fried chicken, boneless wings, desserts and more. 3. Fonda Mexicana El Paraiso Mexican spot Fonda Mexicana El Paraiso is another top choice. Yelpers give the business, located at 6105 South Blvd., 4.5 stars out of 27 reviews. On the menu, look for tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas and more. 4. Manifest Discs Manifest Discs , a spot to score music, DVDs and more, is another neighborhood go-to, with four stars out of 68 Yelp reviews. Head over to 6239 South Blvd. to see for yourself. The spot also sells vinyl records. 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.


Many were disappointed by the first of two Democratic debates that took place in Detroit last night. Viewers felt that the format "gotcha" questions followed by short answers and even shorter replies  made substantive discussions impossible , and that largely irrelevant candidates like John Delaney and Tim Ryan got too much airtime. But one thing didn't disappoint anyone: The Fox Theatre. The Art Deco masterpiece where the debates are being held has been getting rave reviews from visitors and reporters experiencing the venue's majesty for the first time. The Fox Theatre , designed by C. Howard Crane and opening in 1928, contains an eclectic and ornate mix of decorations in Egyptian, Far Eastern and Indian styles. The over-5,000-seat theatre built for the Fox Films chain became a National Historic Landmark in 1989. It's also one of the few unquestionably positive redevelopments undertaken by the Ilitch family, which bought the building in 1987. Soon after, they completed a $12 million restoration, built a new marquee, and in 2006, added the multi-story and now iconic "FOX" tower with LED lights. People took to Twitter to express their awe of the venue and share photos. The important takeaway from this debate is that Detroit's Fox Theater is one of the most beautiful theaters in the country pic.twitter.com/djgozPDRuf   Ryan Rosenblatt (@RyanRosenblatt) July 31, 2019 Quite a setting! View from the upper balcony of Detroit's historic Fox Theater, site of @CNN Democratic presidential debates. pic.twitter.com/mQiC5IXtkD   David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) July 30, 2019 The Fox Theater in Detroit is so fantastically beautiful it seems like it was built by some extinct superior species.   Peter Sagal (@petersagal) July 31, 2019 My only contribution to the talky pre-vote-ish thing tonight: the Fox Theatre is an astonishingly beautiful building. You should go see something good there. Not whatever this is. pic.twitter.com/uBRrmLT0mU   Matt (@zekebud) July 31, 2019 If you have never been to the FOX Theatre in Detroit, site of tonight's #DemocraticDebate , it is amazing. https://t.co/Ou4Kk0YQj7   Christopher Heath (@CHeathWFTV) July 31, 2019 If you want to see more, both the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News shared some photos of the Fox from their archives.


An interesting phenomenon was filmed at Inverell, New South Wales, Australia. A guy was working in his yard on a cold morning. Grabbing a rubber hose, he noticed it quickly began to spout solid ice tubes rather than water.


LOS ANGELES   Investigators scrambling to recapture a Los Angeles County murder suspect accidentally released from jail have been notifying potential targets of his freedom, interviewing those who know him best and chasing down tips from the public. Finding 37-year-old Steven Lawrence Wright is the No. 1 priority of the Major Crimes Division at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Cmdr. Keith Swensson said Wednesday. "This is a critical incident because an accused murderer is now out on the street," Swensson said, adding that dozens of investigators are focused on tracking down Wright. Wright was accidentally released from the Inmate Reception Center on Saturday afternoon. Deputies didn't realize the mistake until more than 24 hours later on Sunday night, when they launched their manhunt. Wright had been behind bars since April 2011 following his arrest in the shooting death of a 47-year-old man that year in Pasadena, California. At the time, police said Wright belonged to the Altadena Blocc Crips, and that the victim belonged to a rival gang. Wright had been found guilty of the killing in 2014 but his conviction was overturned last year after a judge found the trial wasn't fair. Wright was set for a preliminary hearing in a new murder trial next month, when he also was set to be sentenced for an attempted murder conviction. On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to Wright's capture. "Eventually we're going to catch him. We just want to catch him before something happens," said Sgt. Tim Duerr, a longtime investigator in the Major Crimes Bureau tasked with finding Wright. Duerr said investigators were able to confirm sightings of Wright in the Los Angeles area since his release but not in time to nab him. Investigators also have talked to Wright's family members, who have said all he wants to do is be with his loved ones, Duerr said. "That's what we hope," he said. "Obviously we're going to take everything at face value." Wright was released because of a paperwork error. He was in court last week after being called to testify in a murder trial but charged with contempt of court and sentenced to five days in jail when he refused to cooperate. A court clerk incorrectly wrote down the case number of Wright's murder charge next to details of his sentence, when it should have been the contempt charge, Swensson said. The clerk did write the correct information on the second page of Wright's paperwork, but three sheriff's staff members missed it, he said. The sheriff's department is conducting a review to prevent future accidental releases. Accidental releases at the department declined from 21 in 2014 to six last year, a 71 percent drop, Swensson said. Wright's attorney, Stacie Halpern, described her client as intelligent and respectful, and she said she doesn't think he'll hurt anyone while he's free. "He doesn't come off as a stupid gang-banging idiot," she said. "He's older, he's mature. He's not a typical low-level thinker." As for his accidental release, Halpern said she's still stunned. "This is one of the more bizarre things that's happened in my 16 years of practice," she said. "It's interesting the county could make such a big blunder." ___ Follow Amanda Lee Myers on Twitter at https://twitter.com/AmandaLeeAP. Her work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/amanda-lee-myers.


A Holland mansion previously listed as $5.65 million is up for an absolute auction, or no required minimum bid, next month. According to a news release, the 40-plus-acre Lake Michigan Area Estate includes a four-bedroom, seven-bathroom home located at 6479 144th Ave. in Holland. The property be open for bid at 3 p.m., June 11, through North Carolina-based Interluxe, a real estate online auction company. According to Interluxe, participants must pay a $100,000 deposit to engage in the online auction and the highest bidder will be the new owner of the house. "Online auctions are fast becoming the method of choice for selling one-of-a-kind luxury properties. There are several reasons for this," Interluxe president Scott Kirk said in the news release. "First, it attracts a wider pool of interested buyers than traditional real estate marketing. "With more people able to bid virtually, it's easier to obtain a fair market value. Both buyers and sellers appreciate that." Following the bid, the buyer will close on the house 45 days later, according to the news release. "This allows the sellers to move on with their lives, rather than wait possibly months for the right buyer," Kirk said. The home will be sold furnished. The property also includes a one-mile-long, sprinkler-equipped racetrack as well as a swimming pool, two-acre pond and trails for mountain biking, ATVs, horseback riding and cross-country skiing. Kyle Schrader, Interluxe business development director, said the owner has several collectible vehicles, one of which he plans to sell separately from the auction. Prior to the bid, anyone interested in purchasing the home can visit the property on 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on June 7-8, and 1-4 p.m., on June 9. In addition to the Holland property, a home in Superior Township in Washtenaw County will be up for auction. The 50-acre property , Dogwood Manor, is located at 8387 Ford Road . The property will be sold in an at-or-above auction, meaning that the property will sold based on who bids at or above the set amount. The house, previously listed $2.8 million, will be available at $1.675 million. Participants are required to submit a $25,000 deposit. The home features four bedrooms, five bathrooms, and two partial bathrooms. The auction for Superior Township home is set to be in June 24. The property can be viewed on June 21-23. Schrader said both properties have tunnels that lea from the homes to the garage. For more information on the property and the auctions, visit interluxe.com . More: Westin Book Cadillac's penthouse in Detroit to hit the market for $4.9M More: $2.9M Oakland Township mansion has sports bar, hidden wine room This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Holland mansion going to auction with no minimum bid required


The New England Patriots' roster may not be complete, but (for now) the team is maxed at 90 players. They have signed a handful of their draft selections, and rookie minicamp is underway, along with Phase I of the offseason program, which mostly involves conditioning. The 2019 draft should help the Patriots shape their roster for 2019 and beyond, as New England seemed to pull in an impressive group of players. Here's a look at the team's selections in the draft with grades for each pick. First round, No. 32: N'Keal Harry, WR, Arizona State Photo by John Weast/Getty Images Grade: B+ Harry has a number of qualities that should enable him to be a quick study in New England's offense. He's versatile with the ability to play in the slot or outside. He's also a strong run blocker, a quality which Bill Belichick and Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels value. Harry is also a playmaker in big moments, and he doesn't shy away from the spotlight. He wants to be the team's biggest threat. While Belichick would never admit it, he also scratched off a major need: a young receiver that can be a cornerstone piece for the future. But there are a few downsides. He may have a big frame (6-foot-2, 230 pounds), but he's not excellent at creating separation. Instead, he relies on physicality to get the ball. Second round, No. 45: Joejuan Williams, CB, Vanderbilt Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports Grade: C+ While the pick was slightly odd, you can't say you didn't see it coming. The Patriots were clearly enamored with Williams, and seemed to be considering taking him in the first round, according to NESN's Doug Kyed . Plus, Belichick loves taking unexpected defensive backs in the second round (for example: safeties Tavon Wilson, Duron Harmon and Jordan Richards). But NFL.com gave Williams a third-round grade due to inconsistent play, which included him allowing too many big plays, a no-no in New England. Williams' measurables (6-foot-4, 210 pounds) are unique for a cornerback, but it's unclear how he projects to the pros with that length. Third round, No. 77: Chase Winovich, DE, Michigan Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports Grade: B+ The Patriots headlined an impressive third round with Winovich, who had been projected to go in the first round (and sometimes to the Patriots). Winovich has freakish athleticism and motor, even if he's somewhat undersized (6-foot-3, 255 pounds) for the defensive end position. That may force the Patriots to move him off the ball to their edge linebacker role. In many ways, it's similar to a defensive end, though it requires a bit more coverage and a bit less pass rushing. Third round, No. 87: Damien Harris, RB, Alabama Tom Pennington/Getty Images Grade: C+ Sometimes, the best player on the board plays a position which you simply don't need. In this case, Harris had sat around for far too long, and the Patriots couldn't keep passing on him. They definitely didn't need more help running the ball. But if they were going to land a power runner of Harris' caliber in the third round, they're not complaining. It's just strange that they invested a first-round pick in Sony Michel last year, only to invest a third-round pick in Harris. Supposedly, running back is no longer a premium position, and yet the Patriots are treating it as such. Third round, No. 101: Yodny Cajuste, OT, West Virginia Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports Grade: A Dante Scarnecchia said he thought Cajuste could compete for the left tackle position for 2019. The Patriots like to give everyone a shot, but that's also a testament to Cajuste's talent and potential. He could be a starter in the near future at right or left tackle. He may need a year as the team's swing tackle, but Nate Solder, a first-round pick, had to do the same. The Patriots should be pleased to get Cajuste at 101st overall. Fourth round, No. 118: Hjalte Froholdt, OL, Arkansas Grade: B+ He's likely to serve as a depth option on the interior offensive line for 2019. If he can take on a starting role in 2020, when the team may lose Joe Thuney in free agency, then this selection should be considered a success. That looks possible, if not probable. Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports Fourth round, No. 133: Jarrett Stidham, QB, Auburn Grade: B The Patriots have a developmental quarterback. And make no mistake: Stidham is a project. New England bought low on him after his worst season as a college starter. Stidham was restless in the pocket after taking a ton of sacks in both 2017 and 2018. Auburn's conservative offense also may have failed to highlight Stidham's strengths, unlike Baylor's offense where Stidham was more productive. But coming out of high school, Stidham's physical abilities were highly touted. His natural throwing style remains intact. Fifth round, No. 159: Byron Cowart, DL, Maryland Grade: B- Just like Stidham, Cowart was a highly-touted recruit. Just like Stidham, Cowart didn't have the college success that many anticipated. In his first season, Cowart got buried on the Auburn defensive line, and transferred to Maryland, where he finally showed some potential in 2018. The question is whether the Patriots will be able to build on that talent. But with a fifth-round pick, it seems like an appropriate risk. John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports Fifth round, No. 163: Jake Bailey, punter, Stanford Grade: C Starting punter Ryan Allen will get some competition during training camp. Bailey has the chance to be the first right-footed punter in New England in recent memory. It doesn't hurt that the Patriots took him in the fifth round if he truly proves to be their punter of the future. If he gets cut, however, it looks less brilliant. Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports Seventh round, No. 252: Ken Webster, CB, Ole Miss Grade: C+ Belichick and Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio have had success with this brand of cornerback. Webster is a freak athlete, whose play hasn't quite matched his measurable. But the Patriots took the time to develop Jonathan Jones and Keion Crossen, who started on special teams and are developing into defensive contributors. Webster will be direct competition for Crossen. MORE: This video from behind the bench might be the best view of Kawhi Leonard's buzzer-beater Steelers looking mediocre in Peter King's latest NFL power rankings NBA Free Agency 2019: The top players Report: Cowboys DL Tyrone Crawford charged criminally for March bar fight Report: Chicago Bulls could offer top-6 pick for Lonzo Ball in trade


The PGA Tour on Tuesday announced the addition of the Bermuda Championship to its 2019-2020 schedule. The event will be staged at Port Royal Golf Club and played Oct. 31-Nov. 3, opposite the WGC-HSBC Championship in China. The tournament occupies the place previously held by the Sanderson Farms Championship, which has been moved up to September. "We are excited to add the Bermuda Championship to the PGA TOUR beginning next season," PGA Tour executive vice president Ty Votaw said. "Bermuda is an appealing year-round destination, and the players will love visiting in the fall, plus we will be hosted by an outstanding golf course. It promises to be a wonderful opportunity to showcase Bermuda - a beautiful island destination that embodies genuine hospitality - to the world." The Bermuda Tourism Authority will serve as the tournament's title sponsor through 2023. Port Royal previously played host to the now-defunct PGA Grand Slam of Golf, featuring the year's four major winners, from 2009-2014. The Tour's revamped fall schedule as currently announced appears below. Sept. 12-15: A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier Sept. 19-22: Sanderson Farms Championship Sept. 26-29: Safeway Open Oct. 3-6: Houston Open Oct. 17-20: CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges Oct. 24-27: Zozo Championship Oct. 31-Nov. 3: Bermuda Championship Oct. 31-Nov. 3: WGC-HSBC Champions Nov. 14-17: Mayakoba Golf Classic Nov. 21-24: RSM Classic


Here's the most recent top news you may have missed in Atlanta. Feds investigate Atlanta Federal authorities are investigating Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport to determine whether it illegally diverted money to the city. Read the full story on Houston Chronicle . Legionnaires' disease count rises among guests who stayed at Atlanta hotel The downtown Sheraton Atlanta hotel will remain closed at least through mid-August. Read the full story on CBS Atlanta . Sentencing delayed for ex-officer who pleaded guilty to assaulting teen The delay comes after the former officer's attorney claimed that his client had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Read the full story on 11ALIVE . Boil water advisory issued A boil water advisory has been issued for parts of Atlanta after a drop in water pressure at one of the city's distribution systems. While the system has returned to normal operation, the advisory was issued out of an "abundance of caution," officials said. Read the full story on 11ALIVE . This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle , then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Curious just how far your dollar goes in Detroit? We've rounded up the latest rental listings via rental site Apartment Guide to get a sense of what to expect when it comes to locating a rental in Detroit if you've got $1,400/month earmarked for your rent. Read on for the listings. (Note: prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 139 Cadillac Square (Downtown) Listed at $1,400/month, this 530-square-foot studio studio is located at 139 Cadillac Square. In the unit, you'll get hardwood floors and air conditioning. Pet owners, take heed: cats and dogs are allowed. Building amenities include a fitness center, an elevator and extra storage space. Walk Score indicates that the area around this address has excellent walkability, is quite bikeable and has excellent transit. (Check out the complete listing here .) 1301 Orleans Next, there's this two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment situated at 1301 Orleans. It's listed for $1,354/month for its 1,188 square feet of space. The building boasts on-site laundry, a fitness center and storage. In the unit, expect air conditioning and a dishwasher. Only cats are permitted on this property. Walk Score indicates that the area around this address is friendly for those on foot, is very bikeable and has good transit options. (Check out the complete listing here .) 4707 Third St. (Midtown) Finally, check out this 860-square-foot two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment that's located at 4707 Third St. It's listed for $1,320/month. In the unit, you'll get air conditioning and a dishwasher. The building features on-site laundry, a swimming pool and emergency maintenance. Pet lovers are in luck: cats and dogs are welcome. According to Walk Score, the area around this address is a "walker's paradise," is a "biker's paradise" and offers many nearby public transportation options. (Check out the complete listing here .) This story was created automatically using local real estate data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Rays ace Blake Snell is set to undergo arthroscopic surgery in his left elbow, as per The Athletic's Josh Tolentino (subscription required). The procedure will remove some a loose body from Snell's elbow and will cost the southpaw at least four weeks of action, though he and the Rays "are confident he will pitch again this season." While Snell hasn't been as dominant this year as he was during his Cy Young Award-winning 2018 season, Snell was still posting good numbers. In fact, as per ERA predictors such as xFIP (3.16 in 2018, 3.23 in 2019) and SIERA (3.30 in 2018, 3.50 in 2019), Snell was pitching just as well this season as he did last year. An increase in home run rate, however, has ballooned Snell's ERA to 4.28 this season, plus he hasn't gotten the strand rate and BABIP benefits that he enjoyed in 2018. Overall, the left-hander has a 4.28 ERA, 12.1 K/9, and 3.89 K/BB rate over 101 frames this year, and he has been on a particular run of good form over his last four starts. The Rays have been able to stay competitive in the wild card race even without Snell at the top of his game, so it's a particularly tough bit of news for the team that Snell will hit the injured list just as he has been getting his season on track. With Snell out, Charlie Morton now stands as the only full-time healthy starting pitcher on the Tampa Bay roster. Yonny Chirinos has started most of his appearances but has also worked as a bulk pitcher behind an opener, while Tyler Glasnow is on the IL himself with a forearm problem and there is at least some doubt as to whether he'll be able to return before season's end. Brendan McKay is probably the likeliest candidate to replace Snell, as the two-way star was optioned back to Triple-A last week following an impressive four-start beginning to his MLB career. McKay has already pitched 86 innings between the minors and big leagues this year, however, and since his previous season-high was only 78 1/3 frames (in 2018), Tampa isn't likely to push McKay's arm too much as a long-term answer this year. In theory, McKay (with some judicious innings-management and some openers picking up the slack) could fill in long enough for Snell to get healthy. As Tolentino notes, Nathan Eovaldi ended up missing three months after undergoing a similar elbow procedure earlier this season, and while situations obviously vary from player to player, Snell's four-week recovery timeline shouldn't be set in stone. As the trade deadline approaches, the Rays could seek out some pitching help, at least a second-tier veteran arm simply as an innings-eater to bail out the rotation while Snell recovers. Tampa Bay has been loath, however, to acquire such pitchers over the last two years, preferring to rely on in-house answers and their opener strategy rather than an innings-eater type. Being in the heat of a postseason race could adjust the Rays' perspective, of course, particularly if a traditional starter could be had at a relatively low price. Alternatively, the Rays could also opt to make a big splash for a front-of-the-rotation type of arm, if they're willing to give up the big prospect package such a hurler would naturally cost.


Rep. Lois Frankel is calling for Congress to launch investigations into sexual abuse and trafficking accusations against Jeffrey Epstein following the wealthy financier's death. Epstein, facing charges of child sex trafficking, died in his cell in the Manhattan Correctional Center on Saturday morning at the age of 66. Reports indicate Epstein hanged himself, though no official determination has been made. Epstein's death stops the criminal case being built against him and freezes all investigations tied to it. "The death of Jeffrey #Epstein does not end the need for justice for his victims or the right of the public to know why a prolific child molester got a slap on the wrist instead of a long prison sentence," said Frankel, a Democrat from Florida. "With the obvious end to criminal proceedings against Epstein, it is important that the US House Committee on Oversight and Reform begin its investigation." Epstein was not on suicide watch at the time of his death, according to NBC News . He had reportedly tried to hang himself in July when authorities found him on his cell floor nearly unconscious and with marks on his neck and back. No official determination as to what caused the bruising was released.


OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) The Athletics hoped to get a steady presence from right-hander Mike Fiers when they brought him back on a two-year contract with more than $14 million in the offseason. He's been rock solid. Fiers pitched three-hit ball into the seventh inning and Oakland took advantage of Baltimore's shoddy defense to beat the Orioles 3-2 Monday night. Fiers (7-3) allowed two unearned runs over 6 2/3 innings, getting into the seventh for the seventh time in eight starts - a stretch that started with his no-hitter May 7 against Cincinnati. He struck out four and walked two. After going 2-2 with an 8.28 ERA through his first six starts, the veteran right-hander has a 2.70 ERA over his last 10 outings (19 earned runs, 63 1/3 innings). ''They signed me here for a reason, to kind of be a leader and go out and win ballgames, so I had to put it on myself to really pitch better because that month was really inconsistent,'' Fiers said. ''It's just about getting back to how I pitch, and I'm doing that now.'' Oakland took a 3-2 lead in the second on catcher Chance Sisco's two-run throwing error. The A's loaded the bases with no outs when Josh Phegley was hit by a pitch, Marcus Semien walked and Matt Chapman reached on an infield hit. Shortstop Jonathan Villar then fielded Matt Olson's grounder and got the force at home on Phegley, but Sisco threw wide of first trying for a double play, allowing Semien and Chapman to score. ''Caught the ball, tagged home, looked up down the line and he was pretty close to first already but I rushed the throw,'' Sisco said. ''I just have to make a better throw in that situation.'' Chapman was initially called out at home after first baseman Chris Davis retrieved the ball and whipped it home, but the call was reversed on replay, showing Chapman slid under Sisco's tag. ''I knew it was going to be close at the plate and coming in that way I was just trying to sneak my foot in,'' Chapman said. Orioles starter Andrew Cashner (6-3) gave up three runs - one earned - in six innings of four-hit ball. Semien extended his hitting streak to 14 games for Oakland. He doubled leading off the first and scored on Olson's double one out later. The last-place Orioles suffered their sixth straight loss. Baltimore was coming off a 4-hour, 44-minute, 10-inning loss Sunday - the Orioles' longest game of the season - at home to Boston before the cross-country flight. Liam Hendriks combined with Blake Treinen on 2 1/3 perfect innings in relief of Fiers. Hendriks, who came into the game with two on and two outs in the seventh, struck out Chris Davis looking. Treinen worked the ninth for his 16th save in 18 chances. The Orioles took a 2-1 lead in the top of the second when third baseman Chapman's throwing error triggered a two-run inning. Plate umpire John Libka stayed in the game after he was struck in the neck by pitch that bounced in front of home plate in the seventh. A'S TOP PICK Oakland signed its top draft pick, switch-hitting Clemson shortstop Logan Davidson. Davidson took batting practice watched by A's brass and agent Scott Boras. He will report Tuesday to Class A short-season Vermont. ''It's a life-changing moment,'' Davidson said, joined by his family and girlfriend for the festivities. ROSTER MOVES The Orioles selected the contract of LHP Sean Gilmartin from Triple-A Norfolk and designated for assignment OF Joey Rickard. TRAINER'S ROOM Orioles: OF Dwight Smith Jr., on the seven-day concussion list since June 7, is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk in the next couple of days. Athletics: RF Stephen Piscotty received positive word Monday that the melanoma removed from his right ear is gone. ''They got all of it and it didn't spread. Great news,'' he said. UP NEXT RHP Gabriel Ynoa (0-3, 5.02 ERA) tries again for his first victory of the season as the A's counter with LHP Brett Anderson (6-4, 3.89), who earned his first win against the Orioles in four career starts April 9 at Baltimore. --- More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports


When factoring age and recent success, it's difficult to find a better coach in the NFL than Sean McVay. The 33-year-old is coming off a 13-3 season in which he led the Rams to the Super Bowl and already has a Coach of the Year award on his resume. Even without factoring age and experience, McVay is up there as one of the best in the league. Sporting News recently ranked every NFL coach and McVay received some seriously high praise with where he was put on the list. McVay checked in at No. 2 with only Bill Belichick higher than him. McVay already has a coaching tree in the NFL after just two seasons as a head coach. The 33-year-old is at the center of the youth movement in the sport. Los Angeles ranked second in the NFL with 32.9 points per game last season. McVay took his medicine to Belichick in the Super Bowl. Now we'll see what he learned. Last year, McVay ranked 12th on Sporting News' list, so he's up 10 spots from 2018. That's what happens when you reach the Super Bowl and win your second straight division title. The Rams had high expectations heading into last season, but the hype surrounding them now is even greater. The pressure is on for McVay and the entire Rams team to make a deep playoff run again next season. MORE: This flying-knee KO just 10 seconds into a PFL fight had the MMA world in awe Great News: Jimmy Butler Wants to be a Laker Spurs' DeMar DeRozan 'possibly could be on the trade block' to Lakers Former NFL great Mark Gastineau now has a GoFundMe for the fight of his life Jon Gruden ready for Raiders, new WR corps to stretch the field


Like many working women in China, Ashley Wu shops almost exclusively online. Then, last November, she booked a nonexistent domestic flight online, after a person posing as a customer service representative called and told her that her existing ticket had been canceled. The person perpetrating the fraud had access to Wu's online purchases and knew that she had recently booked a RMB 4,000 ($600) flight. The voice on the phone told her that she needed to rebook the flight immediately or risk not being able to fly. "When someone knows everything about you and you feel pressed for time, you will do anything they tell you, however irrational," says Wu, a Beijing-based teacher. Stressed, she quickly offered them her details. Chinese citizens generate huge amounts of data, which is being used to fuel China's big bet on artificial intelligence. But there are risks, and the push toward AI has raised questions about how the Chinese state, as well as private companies, will collect, safeguard and utilize the trillions of data points collected every day. Beijing's national artificial intelligence plan, implemented in 2017, provides a road map that predicts Chinese AI researchers leading an industry expected to be worth more than $150 billion by 2030. Critics warn that the proliferation of AI technology-based applications could exacerbate a threat to civil liberties. "I'm deeply concerned that AI is not going to empower the people, but instead that the government will use AI to further suppress its citizens, especially in combination with surveillance, big data and machine learning," says Lokman Tsui, a scholar and activist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. China is already home to the world's leading facial recognition companies. SenseTime, one of the world's mostly highly valued AI companies at $4.5 billion, provides software that analyzes footage from the national CCTV camera network. Start-up Face++, a company valued at more than $1 billion and backed by the Chinese state-owned venture capital fund, has provided much of the hardware for state video surveillance projects. A large population and a bureaucratic governmental system that requires large inputs of data has given Chinese AI companies advantageous economies of scale. China maintains the world's largest database of national identification photos (upward of 1 billion). Security robots equipped with facial recognition technology roam the streets. Chinese companies are already putting that data to use. Certain restaurants now allow customers to "pay with your face," while Chinese banks are incorporating AI technology, developed by the financial services group Ping An, to scan a borrower's micro-facial movements for early signs of fraud. But signs of pushback against AI initiatives are emerging. In 2018, China's central bank reined in pilot schemes run by private companies including Tencent and Alibaba to develop financial credit-like scores over concerns that private companies could improperly use customer data. In the western region of Xinjiang, China's ruling Communist Party has built a virtual police state employing tech companies such as Shenzhen-listed Hikvision, whose AI-enabled cameras monitor the region's Muslim residents around the clock. In a sign of condemnation, Washington is taking a tougher line on companies such as Hikvision that are backed by U.S. investment funds. AI can be double-edged, say researchers. It can bolster surveillance regimes and is also increasingly required by a one-party state governing a country of 1.3 billion people. "It's part of a larger effort to integrate big data, AI, and existing surveillance systems to improve command and control. But it's also to improve the communication between different government departments," says Samantha Hoffman, a fellow at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute's International Cyber Policy Centre who has studied Chinese "smart cities." The "smart cities" initiative integrates AI with urban services ranging from traffic to public health care, as well as video surveillance. Hoffman says: "It is neither a positive thing nor an extremely negative thing. It's actually sort of both and … contradictory … and I think that's an important point." Sometimes, though, China's AI capabilities fall short of the hype. Four years after the contentious social credit scheme was announced   intended to measure each citizen's trustworthiness by assigning a universal score   only Beijing and Hangzhou have launched such scores. High scorers can unlock minor perks such as lower bus fares: not quite the Orwellian system predicted by China's critics. China still lacks a financial credit system, despite its economic size. Desperate for access to financing, Chinese citizens turned to peer-to-peer lending platforms, which promised to harness big data and AI algorithms to match lenders with borrowers. After a profusion of P2P platforms, a collapse this year wiped out thousands of users' savings. For all these functions, data has limitations. "Banks want to know who can repay loans, the police want to know who's likely to commit crimes," says Jeremy Daum, a legal expert at the Yale China Law Centre in Beijing. Some of this data is attainable he says, and some is not. "A general score just won't help you find the data you need."