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McLaurin, Young absent for Commanders’ 1st offseason workout | Football

Kenny Gretsch 2 days ago

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Terry McLaurin was a no-show for the Washington Commanders’ first on-field workout of the offseason while negotiations on a contract extension are ongoing for the team’s top receiver.

McLaurin and pass rushers Chase Young and Montez Sweat weren’t on the field when voluntary organized team activities resumed Tuesday, along with receiver Cam Sims who was excused for the birth of a child.

Coach Ron Rivera said Young is still rehabbing his surgically repaired right knee and could be around soon, and he expects Sweat back as soon as Wednesday, but McLaurin’s absence could last much longer.

“He’s got to handle his business,” defensive captain Jonathan Allen said. “We’re trying to build a lot of great things here, but he has to do what’s best for him, first and foremost. We get that and we understand that and we all know what kind of guy Terry is, so we understand that.”

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Rivera confirmed talks are actively happening with McLaurin’s camp about a new contract for the 2019 third-round pick who has led the team in catches and yards receiving each of the past three seasons.

“We’ve had communications with them, we’ve been working with them and it’s just a matter of time,” he said.

McLaurin, who turns 27 in September, has 222 catches for 3,090 yards and 16 touchdowns since making his NFL debut. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to see Washington letting him hit free agency after next season.

“Terry’s a guy that you want to build a team around,” said Allen, who skipped a week of voluntary workouts a year ago in the same situation before agreeing to a new deal on the eve of training camp. “He represents everything we want to build here, so I’m confident we’ll get something done.”

McLaurin is the team’s best offensive player, and his presence will be crucial for new quarterback Carson Wentz, who practiced in a Commanders uniform for the first time Tuesday. Wentz was intercepted by reserve cornerback Corn Elder during one drill but largely impressed Rivera and the coaching staff with a solid first impression.

“I thought he did some really good things, got some pretty good rapport with his guys,” Rivera said. “The thing I like is it’s about making good decisions. You’re seeing a lot of good decisions out there right now.”

Young’s decision to skip voluntary workouts a year ago raised questions, especially after the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year got off to a rough start to the 2022 season. He had just 1½ sacks in nine games before tearing the ACL in his right knee.

As recently as late March, Rivera said Young told him he was going to attend these workouts. He’s now expected to be around next week or not long after.

“Chase, for the most part, is working (on) his rehab,” Rivera said. “He’s met with the doctors, they’ve formulated a plan (and) he’s completing

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Is Real Estate Heading For Another Crash?

Kenny Gretsch 1 week ago

Founder of Vive Funds, a unique multifamily investment firm specializing in curating high-quality assets for our investors.

Does anyone still remember the financial crisis of 2008? Too Big to Fail, bankruptcies, insider trading, junk mortgages, ninja loans and other esoteric terms were in the headlines this financially brutal year. It was a year many longed to forget, but also a year to remember valuable lessons learned. But have we learned those lessons, or are we forging new pathways to the same calamitous endpoint? Time will tell.

The Pandemic Housing Market

The pandemic lockdown resulted in many new habits, including working from home and homeowners’ resulting desire to improve the places where they were now spending significant time. This led to increased remodeling rather than buying or building. However, once the pandemic loosened its grip, the housing market took off. The classic supply vs. demand conundrum fueled by factors the world had never experienced before resulted in home prices moving upwards rapidly.

Labor and supply shortages coupled with cash flow issues put a damper on new construction, while delayed permitting, cash flow, loan approvals and inspection delays all churned up the perfect storm of supply lagging behind demand. While traditionalists would jump to a bubble view, I would urge caution in labeling this as a bubble.

Is this another 2008?

In 2008, predatory loans were the leading reason for bubble-like conditions. As demand increased, financial institutions loosened lending criteria, leading to some very unqualified buyers securing loans. Lenders and agents were underwriting loans for lucrative fees with little thought for borrowers’ ability to repay. Thus, many new borrowers flooded the market, leading to demand outstripping supply. Prices rose sharply, and all the conditions for a speculative bubble were in place. This artificially driven growth was not sustainable, and the bubble burst.

Current conditions are not driven by artificially created demand. New lending regulations following the 2008 bubble are strict, and demand is now fueled by the desires the pandemic kept bottled up for so long. Thus, rising prices, while initially seeming irrational, are not. I believe price rises will start to rationalize and will be sustainable over a long period.

My Take On The Real Estate Market In 2022 And Beyond

In my opinion, the current supply issues are due to pandemic delays rather than a market trying to achieve parity between supply and demand, as indicated by prices skyrocketing initially and moderating as the gap narrows. This is a discernible trend in the single-family market, one that I believe will continue through 2022.

As the owner of a multifamily syndication firm, I pay careful attention to trends in both the single family and multifamily market. In our experience, the multifamily market has been much more bubble resistant, and supplies, while disrupted, have not been as impactful as in the single-family market. Price increases have largely been driven by the creation of new well-paying jobs, the reluctance of the younger generation to be saddled with mortgage debt and a

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How far can Sylvia Fowles lead the Minnesota Lynx in her farewell season?

Kenny Gretsch 2 weeks ago
May 11, 2022

  • Mechelle VoepelESPN.com

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      Mechelle Voepel covers the WNBA, women’s college basketball, and other college sports for espnW. Voepel began covering women’s basketball in 1984, and has been with ESPN since 1996.

Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve is used to hearing the knock on the door. Each morning during the WNBA season as she meets with her staff, Reeve knows Sylvia Fowles will drop by for a visit.

“She comes in, bangs on the door, we know who it is,” Reeve said. “She gives me a hug, says hi to everybody. It doesn’t matter if Syl was upset or disagreed with something in a game. She always stops by … she just gives off such great energy all the time.”

It’s a ritual between them, a pairing of coach and player that clicked from the first day Fowles — who has thrived under Reeve to cement her place as one of the best centers in women’s basketball history — joined the Lynx in July 2015. Fowles will retire when their eighth and final season together ends this fall. How long will that final journey last? Long enough for a lot more morning pop-ins, is the hope.

The Lynx will need Fowles’ consistency and energy. They are off to an 0-3 start in a 2022 WNBA season that is less than a week old. And although losses at Seattle and at home to Washington were not necessarily that alarming, Minnesota falling at Indiana on Tuesday has to prompt some worries. Reeve and Fowles know the Lynx will need to navigate challenging waters in the legend’s final season.

Fowles’ fellow 2021 Olympian, forward Napheesa Collier, is due to give birth this month and her timetable for return to the Lynx remains uncertain. Forwards Damiris Dantas (foot) and Natalie Achonwa (hamstring) are out with injuries, and guard Kayla McBride is still competing overseas. Guards Layshia Clarendon and Crystal Dangerfield (who had 10 points and six assists Tuesday for the Fever against Minnesota) were both released as the Lynx had to make difficult roster cuts. Only two of Minnesota’s top seven scorers from last season — Fowles and guard Aerial Powers — were in the Lynx lineup on opening weekend. And, of course, forward Maya Moore isn’t officially retired but hasn’t played since 2018 after leaving basketball to work on social justice issues.

Fowles knows her responsibilities in 2022 will go beyond simply playing the game.

“In the last couple of years, a lot of the joy I’ve gotten has been in teaching,” said Fowles, the league’s all-time rebounding leader. “Cheryl has given me that space to say the things I need to say. Instead of everything needing to come from her, some of it can come from me. And my teammates respond well.”

“With this younger generation of players, you do need to talk to them, and not in a negative way. The WNBA is so much faster, and when they get to this level, you need

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Diamond DeShields Opens Up About Career-Threatening Surgery in 2020

Kenny Gretsch 2 weeks ago

Mercury star Diamond DeShields knew going into her surgery on Jan. 17, 2020 that there were risks to remove the grape-sized tumor on her spinal cord, she told ESPN’s Holly Rowe.

The biggest risk was possible paralysis because the surgeons were working near her spinal nerves, and the tumor could be intertwined with nerves.

Her surgery was predicted to take three hours, but ended up taking nine hours. In the end, DeShields’s tumor was removed, but her nerves were damaged. When the surgery was over, she had tremors and involuntary spasms and wondered if she would be able to control her body again.

In a story reported by Rowe, DeShields opened up about the impacts of the surgery, including the tremors that made her have full body seizures. At one point, she wondered if her WNBA career was over.

“I remember being in so much pain,” DeShields said. “My whole body went into contraction. I had no control over my arms.”

She stayed in the hospital for six days, followed by nine days in a rehab facility so she could relearn how to walk, for example. But, that wasn’t DeShields’s end goal.

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“I’m not trying to learn how to walk,” DeShields said. “I’m trying to learn how to run and jump and defend and do all the things that, you know, a basketball player is supposed to do.”

Then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, followed by the WNBA bubble. DeShields had to decide if she wanted to rejoin her team at the time, the Chicago Sky, in Florida even if she wasn’t sure she could play yet. She decided to travel to Florida in order to have support from her coaches and teammates. 

She continued to participate in her rehab exercises. The guard hadn’t publicly shared the story of her surgery, so she did her best to conceal her secret during the televised games. At times, shoes weren’t comfortable for her because her feet were still numb, so she would be seen just in socks on the bench.

DeShields ended up playing in 13 games during the 2020 bubble.

Fast forward to Oct. 17, 2021, and DeShields helped the Sky win their first franchise WNBA title. As she celebrated with her team, she said he focused on how far she’s come since her back surgery. Not only was she celebrating her team’s success, but she was celebrating her own journey, too.

“I have a lot of expectations moving forward and kind of getting this off me now,” DeShields said. “I’ve been sitting with this for a long time, you know? And it’s time that I put it behind me. I’m healthy now. And I expect a lot.”

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The refinancing boom is ebbing as mortgage rates rise.

Kenny Gretsch 2 weeks ago

The mortgage refinancing boom is winding down and household debt levels are creeping up as consumers edge past the worst of the pandemic’s economic shock.

Mortgage originations dropped sharply in the first quarter of 2022 compared with their 2021 peak, according to a quarterly report on household debt that the Federal Reserve Bank of New York released Tuesday.

Last year’s spike was fueled by refinancings from homeowners chasing exceptionally low rates; as rates have risen, demand has cooled. But the overall amount of mortgage debt for new purchases is generally rising, with soaring home prices forcing buyers to borrow more for their homes.

Consumers are comfortably managing their bills, and the deepest distress signals are hovering at historically low levels, the report said. Around 6 percent of consumers have an account in collections listed on their credit reports, far lower than the double-digit rates that were common in the wake of the Great Recession.

And bankruptcy filings are at a two-decade low: New bankruptcy notices in a national sample drawn from Equifax credit reports hit their lowest level since the New York Fed began tracking them in 1999.

Credit card balances fell $15 billion from the previous quarter — a typical seasonal drop after year-end holiday spending — but were $71 billion higher than a year earlier, as consumer spending stayed strong. And lenders are eager for still more: The total amount of credit Americans have available on their cards rose last quarter to $4.12 trillion, nearly 6 percent higher than its prepandemic level.

American Express said last month that spending on its cards set a record in March, driven especially by pent-up demand for business and leisure travel. In the year’s first quarter, banks eased their standards for card and auto loans and reported stronger consumer demand for credit, according to a Federal Reserve survey released on Monday.

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As Celtics must overcome 3-2 deficit to Bucks, Boston’s blueprint to a comeback begins with Milwaukee

Kenny Gretsch 2 weeks ago

MILWAUKEE — The Celtics can say all the right things after they collapsed in Game 5 against the Bucks. They can say they blew a “golden opportunity,” that they have no one but themselves to blame and that they’re not going to panic despite heading into an elimination game.

All the pressure is on the Celtics as they travel back to Milwaukee for Game 6 at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Fiserv Forum. Ironically enough, their opponent knows exactly what type of adversity the C’s are going through.

Long before the Bucks were reigning champions, they were the perennial playoff chokers. They lost to the Heat in five games in the bubble; they blew a 2-0 lead to the Raptors in the 2019 NBA playoffs.

So when the Bucks squandered a 17-point second-half lead to the Nets in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals last season — similar to the Celtics — the detractors and critics were at their loudest. Giannis Antetokounmpo wasn’t considered a winner and there was real speculation Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer would be fired.

Of course, winners get to write their own narratives. The Bucks put together an improbable comeback from down 3-2 to overcome the Nets, including winning Game 7 in overtime (with an assist to Kevin Durant’s toe at the end of regulation). That’s the exact blueprint the Celtics will look to piece together down 3-2 to the Bucks.

“We’re going to be down,” C’s coach Ime Udoka said after the loss. “Guys are going to be pissed about the outcome, knowing we outplayed them for 3-and-a-half quarters. And so we talked about showing our resolve and we made it tougher on ourselves now. It’ll make it sweeter when we bounce back.”

The Celtics get to write their own script starting Friday, but they’re trying to get to where the Bucks are. Milwaukee has shown its championship mettle throughout the series, and that was on full display when it came back from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit in Game 5.

The Bucks were a recent poster child of postseason failure despite great regular season success. They earned their championship aura because they captured the elusive title last postseason. And every deep playoff run needs some sprinkles of luck. The Bucks were fortunate when Durant’s toe was on the 3-point line in what would’ve been a go-ahead bucket. They also got some injury luck along the way.

But when Milwaukee reflects back on its rings, all the Bucks will remember is the thrill of the victory. That’s where the Celtics are trying to get as they can only focus on Game 6 and nothing else beyond that.

“I just think we didn’t do what we were supposed to do,” Marcus Smart said of Game 5. “The mentality was there to go win the game, and just fell a little short. Didn’t execute, like I said, when we were supposed to. When it mattered the most. They did.”

Comparing the Bucks’ situation last season and the

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Rapper Residente makes case for Latinos to reclaim ‘America’

Kenny Gretsch 2 weeks ago

Throughout his 20-year music career, the Grammy-winning rapper Residente has established a reputation for challenging the status quo through piercing lyrics, often considered controversial or uncomfortable, that make people question their preconceived notions and political views.

And with “This Is Not America,” his first single in over 18 months, the Puerto Rican performer does just that. He disputes the assumption that the term “America” refers just to the United States instead of two continents making up of 35 countries (23 in North America, 12 in South America) — including many Spanish-speaking ones.

“America is not the name of a country, it’s the name of a continent,” Residente told NBC News. “The title of the song, ‘This Is Not America,’ is from their point of view, not my point of view,” he said about people who refer to the United States as “America.”

Residente in the music video for

Residente in the music video for

“What it represents is that you live in a bubble and you don’t know what’s happening outside,” the artist added.

In collaboration with the French-Afro Cuban duo Ibeyi, Residente seeks to burst that bubble with a mix of thought-provoking lyrics and historical references, arguing that the American continent is rooted in a long history of colonialism and slavery, systems that have contributed to the erasure of the continent’s Black and Indigenous heritage.

While such systems are considered a thing of the past by many, the United States has exploited both in recent decades through its interventions across Latin America, a practice that has helped the nation co-opt the term “America” as its own, Residente said.

The song comes four years after musician Childish Gambino released “This Is America.” From Jim Crow to police brutality, Gambino’s track criticizes the oppression Black people in the United States face and questions the country’s promise of freedom for all.

Residente said his new song is not a diss to Gambino, adding he is actually a fan of his work. But after hearing that Gambino was using “America” to mean only the United States, Residente said his idea “was to complete the song by including the rest of the countries in the continent.”

This becomes particularly evident when Residente sings, “Gambino, my brother … this is America” and reminds him that “America is not just U.S.A., bro. This is from Tierra del Fuego to Canada.”

“I just needed to express what I think is the definition of America, part of the definition,” Residente said.

But even more piercing than the song’s lyrics is the music video that goes along with it.

A clip of “A Logo for America,” an animation art piece by the Chilean artist Alfredo Jaar in 1987, sets the tone for the message Residente seeks to convey in the video — which is similar to the one Jaar communicated decades ago.

Jaar’s 42-second animation sequence sought to challenge “the ethnocentrism of the United States, which habitually claims the identity of the entire American continent

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Shop these thoughtful last-minute gift ideas

Kenny Gretsch 3 weeks ago

Amina Khan, Marah Eakin, Camryn Rabideau, Madison Durham, Elsie Boskamp, Susan Yoo-Lee, Jeaneen Russell

— Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed’s editors. Purchases you make through our links may earn us a commission.

Mother’s Day 2022 is just a few days away (it’s on Sunday, May 8), so time is running out to get that perfect present. You can save yourself a trip to the mall, though: There are still plenty of amazing, thoughtful gifts with quick delivery or even no shipping required—and we’ve rounded them up.

There’s a lot more where this came from. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get all our reviews, expert advice, deals and more.

Whether your favorite mother figure is a fashionista, loves to cook or cherishes her morning cup of coffee, there’s something here for every kind of mom—and they’re all set to be delivered by the big day.  

Mother’s Day 2022 shopping guide

1. For the mom who deserves the best: A KitchenAid mixer

Best Mother's Day gifts 2022: stand mixer

For many budding bakers, a KitchenAid mixer is the holy grail. It’s not cheap, and buying one means you’re committed to mastering your cooking craft. This Mother’s Day, get quick shipping with Prime delivery and treat your mama to one of the finest stand mixers money can buy. Fans rave about KitchenAid’s 4.5 quart mixer, which has a bowl that can hold enough dough to make two loaves of bread. It’s got 10 speeds and comes with a wire whisk, flat beater and dough hook.  

Shop the KitchenAid’s 4.5-Quart Stand Mixer at Amazon for $299

2. For the mom who needs a morning pick-me-up: Nespresso VertuoPlus

Best Mother's Day gifts 2022: Nespresso VertuoPlus.

For many moms, self-care starts first thing in the morning with the help of a little, or a lot, of coffee. Say bye-bye to the barista and hello to the Nespresso VertuoPlus to make the perfect, frothy cup of coffee. This versatile machine that ships within two days because of Prime delivery, topped our list of best single-serve coffee makers. It also comes with a starter set of capsules in a variety of flavors (some of our favorites are fav are Vanilla Custard Pie and Melozio), and if your mom needs an extra caffeine kick, it also makes single and double espresso.

Shop the Nespresso VertuoPlus by Breville at Amazon for $142

3. For the mom who cooks up a storm: A Staub Dutch oven

Best Mother's Day gifts 2022: Staub

Whether mom likes to braise meats and veggies or simmer hearty soups and pastas in the kitchen, this iconic cooking accessory is a great gift to help her do it. We highly recommend Staub’s Dutch ovens, even naming the 5.5-round cocotte as our top pick, so we have no doubt this cast-iron beauty would perform up to the high standards we’ve all come to expect from Staub, and hey, it’ll look great doing it, too.

Shop the Staub 4-quart Cast Iron Cocotte with Glass Lid at Amazon for $100

4. For the new mom: Mama necklace 

Best Mother's Day gifts 2022: Mama Necklace.

With Prime delivery, this sweet necklace

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Royal Family news – ‘Real fear of tension’ at Queen’s Jubilee with fears Netflix crew could cause ‘MAJOR distraction’

Kenny Gretsch 3 weeks ago

Kate criticised over silence on Meghan

Kate Middleton has been criticised by Meghan Markle fans after she did not comment publicly on Meghan’s mental health claims in the Royal Family.

On Friday, Kate was unveiled as the royal patron of the Maternal Mental Health Alliance. The Duchess said: “It is crucial, therefore, that all those who might be struggling are given the right support at the right time.”

But some royal fans criticised the Duchess of Cambridge for failing to publicly address comments made by Meghan about her pregnancy experience as she told Oprah Winfrey last year that she experienced suicidal thoughts before Archie was born in 2019.

The Duchess of Sussex told Oprah: “I went to the institution, and I said that I needed to go somewhere to get help, that I’ve never felt this way before, that I needed to go somewhere.

“And I was told that I couldn’t, that it wouldn’t be good for the institution.”

Responding to the Duchess of Cambridge’s Twitter announcement, Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu wrote: “Agreed Duchess Kate so when Meghan Markle was suicidal/needed mental health support during her pregnancy why didn’t she receive ANY from Royal Family?”

Another person wrote: “Right. It’s alright unless it’s your family, in which case, protect the image at all costs.”

And a third replied to the announcement with a picture of Meghan while pregnant, with the comment: “Where was your support back then?”

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WEEKLY WATCH: Conference tournaments coming up in baseball, softball | High School Sports News

Kenny Gretsch 3 weeks ago

The calendar has flipped to May, which brings conference tournament time for most area high school baseball and softball programs. Girls soccer is in the final two weeks with the conference championships coming into focus. Track and field athletes compete in their respective conference championship meets.

Also up this week, the first state titles of the spring will be won in boys tennis, while lacrosse playoffs begin and boys golf holds its regional rounds. Those events will have previews published throughout the coming week.

Northwestern 3A/4A Conference Tournament

Seeds: 1. Alexander Central; 2. South Caldwell; 3. Watauga; 4. Hibriten; 5. Freedom; 6. Ashe County.

Schedule: Monday: Ashe County at Watauga, 6:30 p.m.; Freedom at Hibriten, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday: Semifinals at South Caldwell — Ashe County or Watauga vs. South Caldwell, 4:30 p.m.; Hibriten or Freedom vs. Alexander Central, 7 p.m. Thursday: Championship at South Caldwell, 7 p.m.

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What matters: Hibriten (11-12 overall, 4-6 NWC) has clinched the 3A bid from the split conference. However, the Panthers need a strong tournament to help their state tournament seed. For a team from a split conference to be seeded as a “No. 1” seed form the league, it must finish in third place overall in the conference or have an overall record of .500 or better. Otherwise, the teams are seeded among the other second place and at-large teams by RPI rankings. The difference for Hibriten is a 10th seed or a 31st seed.

Meanwhile, Alexander Central (19-4, 8-2) and South Caldwell (14-7, 8-2) will have byes in the first round and appear headed for a showdown. However, Watauga could be the fly in the ointment, as the Pioneers split with South Caldwell this season and are 5-2 against the Spartans since 2019. Should the Cougars and South Caldwell make the tournament finals, it will break the tie for state tournament seedings, as the teams split their regular-season meetings.

The highest finisher of the two gets a huge advantage for state tournament placement, especially for the Spartans. With an RPI ranking of 24th, a tournament win would bump South Caldwell around a sixth or seventh seed. Likewise, the difference for Alexander Central would be approximately a fifth or 11th seed.

Freedom and Ashe County would have to win the conference tournament to make the state tournament.

Western Foothills Athletic 3A

Schedule: Wednesday: No. 4 at No. 1 seed, 7 p.m. No. 3 at No. 2 seed, 7 p.m.; Friday: Championship at highest remaining seed, 7 p.m.

What matters: Only the top four seeds will play in the tournament and those schools are set: North Lincoln (16-4 overall, 11-2 WFAC), Fred T. Foard (14-5, 10-3), East Lincoln (16-4, 10-3), St. Stephens (18-5, 9-4). However, some seeds are still to be determined.

The WFAC wraps up the regular season Monday with North Lincoln going to East Lincoln and St. Stephens hosting Foard. The easy part is this: North Lincoln will get the tournament’s No. 1 seed.

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