What’s new The Nationals didn't make many moves in the offseason, but there are still some important changes in the nation's capital. Firstly, rookie manager Matt Williams takes over for Davey Johnson, who retired after leading the club to an 86-76 record in 2013, good enough for second place in the NL East but not good enough for a wild-card spot. Williams inheirits a club that returns many of its key pieces....

Juan Soto is seemingly on his way out of Washington, but when that end is coming is up in the air. The MLB trade deadline is on Aug. 2, the first mile-marker in a breakup between the Nationals and their young superstar. Reports that Soto rejected a 15-year, $440 million contract sparked those trade rumors: Certainly, the sticker shock paints Soto as the bad guy in the court of public opinion, giving the Nationals a little bit of the benefit of the doubt surrounding the situation....

NATO is at the heart of Turkey’s grand strategy. A marriage of convenience, NATO membership gives Turkey the freedom to pursue its national interests by being a bad partner to its allies instead of a direct opponent to the Alliance. In exchange for insulating Turkey from the spread of communism during the Cold War, Turkey has provided NATO with a foothold at the intersection of Europe and Asia since 1952....

Kaczynski, who leads the ruling national-conservative Law and Justice Party, also urged NATO to “do more” in Ukraine—in particular, a peacekeeping mission and delivering President Volodymyr Zelensky the weapons he asks for—and said he is “very dissatisfied” with Germany. “The eastern flank must be much better protected in the future than before,” Kaczynski told Germany’s Welt Am Sonntag newspaper, asking America to station 50,000 more troops—a 50 percent increase—with most of the total in the Baltics and Poland, which are NATO allies....

NATO’s secretary-general said Wednesday the alliance’s members were united in the decision not to deploy forces on the ground or in the airspace of Ukraine as Russia’s invasion of the eastern European nation intensifies. Jens Stoltenberg warned that doing so would be a pretext for a “full-fledged war” between NATO and Russia. But on Thursday, the Associated Press reported that Lithuania’s parliament unanimously approved a resolution calling for a no-fly zone over Ukraine—joining other NATO members Estonia and Slovenia in the appeal....

Causes Cigarette smoking is the most common cause of emphysema. Chemicals found in cigarettes are thought to attack your air sacs (as well as the fibers that support them). Air pollution (both indoors and outdoors) and exposure to chemical fumes, irritants, and secondhand smoke may also increase your risk for emphysema. In a small number of cases, emphysema may result from the inherited deficiency of a protein that protects certain structures in the lungs....

The dryness, scratchiness, and stinging that you feel can be caused by factors in your environment (like the humidity in your home or the position of your computer monitor) or by underlying medical conditions. Symptoms Tears play a key role in promoting clear vision, warding off infection, and keeping the front surface of the eye clean and moist. Symptoms of dry eye can include: Stinging, burning, or gritty feeling in the eyeExcess watering of the eyes, followed by periods of drynessStringy discharge from the eyeBlurry vision, double vision, or vision lossLight sensitivityRedness of the eyeDecreased tolerance of activities requiring prolonged periods of visual attention (such as reading or working on the computer)Eye fatigueDiscomfort when wearing contact lenses...

The project is now undergoing a 30-day wait period where members of the public can submit comments. The final environmental impact (EIS) statement outlines three alternative plans (as well as a no-action alternative), which propose expanding the base and increasing the amount of land controlled by the Navy from 232,000 acres (approximately 360 square miles). Under its preferred scenario outlined in the document, the Navy would request up to 602,216 acres of added federal land for a term of 25 years, more than tripling its current size....

The No. 6 Cougars fell in the rain and wind under a relentless push by the physical Midshipmen, 46-40. The loss almost surely ends Houston’s chances of making the College Football Playoff. MORE: Best images from Week 6 The matchup pitted Houston’s high-octane passing attack against Navy’s dangerous triple-option running attack. Each team moved the ball. Houston quarterback Greg Ward passed for 361 yards and three touchdowns, but also committed three costly turnovers....

Robert O’Neill, who says he was the one who actually shot and killed Bin Laden during a raid in 2011, was criticized after he posted a photo online of him not wearing a mask while on board a flight. “I’m not a p***y,” tweeted O’Neill alongside the selfie of him smiling while sat at his seat. A number of people criticized O’Neill for the tweet, including those who thought it was it was in reference to an elderly man wearing a United States Marine Corps hat, who is seen in the background wearing a mask....

For the first time in over 20 years, Dirk Nowitzki did not have to prepare for another NBA season this summer. SPOX and DAZN host Alex Schluter talked to the 41-year-old about his new life at the “Nike Basketball Festival” in Berlin. MORE: How Nowitzki went from unknown to unparalleled After everything I’ve read, I’m quite surprised to see you in decent shape. Dirk Nowitzki: Being seven feet tall, it’s a bit easier to hide....

MORE: Who made the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team? From George Mikan to Giannis Antetokounmpo, the list contains players who have made widespread contributions since the league’s inception, ensuring the story of the NBA could not be told without their chapters. NBA 75 team revealed: Insights from full list of players From the active players who made the cut to the franchises that have had the most all-time greats, there is plenty to take away from the list of players announced....

We'll refrain from making "schooled the kids" puns. Instead, we'll just show this dime to WNBA sensation Skylar Diggins (H/T giphy.com): Duncan, who played at Harvard, was the game's MVP with 20 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. PHOTOS: All-Star Celebrity Game

Las Vegas bookmakers, though, are taking a wait-and-see approach with their Cavs’ futures odds. Listed at 2-to-1 odds at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, Cleveland remains the second favorite to win the NBA title, behind the Warriors. Either the Bulls or Bucks are next up for the Cavs, as Chicago holds a 3-2 lead in the first-round series with Game 6 set for Thursday in Milwaukee. “(We’re) still waiting to find out the extent of the injury and expected time missed from the MRI before overreacting,” SuperBook assistant manager Jeff Sherman said in an email to The Linemakers on Sporting News....

Here’s the full NBA schedule for Christmas Day, including channels, tipoff times and what’s worth watching in each game. MORE: Remembering when Kawhi had no time for Christmas cheer NBA Christmas schedule 2019: What games are on today? LIVE SCORES: Keep up with Christmas Day action NBA Christmas TV channels, live stream Celtics vs. Raptors Time: Noon ET TV channel: ESPN Live stream: Watch ESPN Worth watching: Which rising forward will stand out?...

NBA DRAFT: Combine process is key for many in 2017 class Notre Dame small forward V.J. Beachem chuckled when the price tag for Ball’s shoes came up. Come on V.J., it’s only 495 bucks. “No, not now,” Beachem said. “Hopefully, I am getting paid to wear shoes now. I mean, if someone is giving them to me, I will wear them then. “ The good news is that there are plenty in stock, according to the Big Baller Brand website....

Ahead of Thursday’s draft, the Panthers posted a Tweet wishing Zion Williamson good luck with a handwritten letter and some Carolina gear. They referenced the fact Williamson is from the Carolinas and played for Duke, but they didn’t post anything on their account about the Hornets. The Pelicans called out the Panthers for the tweet with a hilarious and witty message: The Saints also joined in on the fun:...

Now, it’s onto figuring out how each team did with its full collection of picks. NBA DRAFT WINNERS & LOSERS:Pelicans, Grizzlies build bright futures; Suns, Wizards reach Atlanta Hawks: D+ Atlanta managed to find good value at No. 10 with Cam Reddish and No. 34 with Bruno Fernando. Reddish is a nice upside play whose median outcome should still be useful. Fernando is a skilled big man with NBA athleticism....

Each lottery team will send a representative to the event, and they will then be presented with their pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. MORE: Death of the draft combine | Bucks send 10,000 ping-pong balls to fans Because we have yet to reach the draft lottery, draft order can only be determined based on the probability teams have to land in each spot. A little less than a week out, this is where the pick order stands: Pick, Team, Probability...