By Randy Yagi

Summer has arrived and there is no time to waste when planning your next vacation. For something new and different, why not try  visiting a destination that’s steeped in American history? Some are fairly obvious, such as Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. For a different and broader perspective, here are five of the best American history vacation spots in five different sections of the country.

Green Bay

With a history as a trading post that dates all the way back to 1634, Green Bay is the oldest settlement in Wisconsin and among the oldest in the Midwest. Located along the western shores of Lake Michigan, Wisconsin’s third largest city was once a part of New France during the pre-colonial period, which covered a large swath of the Midwest and as far south as Louisiana and as far east as Newfoundland. Today, the city is best known as the home of the 13-time world champion Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL), the third oldest franchise and America’s only professional sports team that operates as a non-profit and is owned by its faithful legion of fans; often affectionately referred to as Cheeseheads. The Packers’ Lambeau Field is one of the world’s most revered sports venues and easily the city’s top attraction for visitors, in addition to the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame, Hinterland Brewery in the new Titletown District and the must see Packers Heritage Trail, which connects many of the city’s historic sites. Green Bay also has a wealth of other historical attractions to consider, such as Heritage Hill State Historical Park, a 48-acre site with over 25 historical attractions, Neville Public Museum, Oneida Nation Museum, historic Meyer Theatre and Bay Beach Amusement Park, celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. Recommended lodging in Green Bay includes the historic Hotel Northland, as well as more modernized hotels like Hyatt Regency Green Bay, the Radisson Hotel & Conference Center Green Bay and the fabulous new Lodge Kohler, opening in July.

Related: 7 Most Photogenic Cities In The US

Providence

Founded in 1636 by political and religious leader Roger Williams, Providence is among the oldest cities in America and the most important settlement of the colony of Rhode Island, a member of the original 13 Colonies. Situated along its namesake, Providence River, at the head of the breathtaking Narragansett Bay, Providence has long been a vital seaport in the Northeast and its bay waters were the setting for the Gaspee Affair, one of the earliest conflicts that led to the Revolutionary War in 1772, an event that’s also known as Rhode Island’s own Tea Party. Although much of the oldest portion of the city has been rebuilt due to storm damage and historic floods, the city that calls itself the “Creative Capital” still possesses several buildings of historical and cultural significance. This includes the First Baptist Church in America established in 1638, Providence Arcade, the oldest indoor shopping mall in the country, Providence Athenaeum, America’s fourth oldest library and Brown University, America’s seventh oldest institution of higher education and one of the eight prestigious Ivy League institutions. Other notable attractions include a tour of the city’s riverfront with Providence Riverboat Company, the magnificent City Hall building, Old State House, Johnson and Wales University, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Museum and Roger Williams Park, featuring one of the oldest zoos in the country. Among the notable places to stay in Rhode Island’s capital city include Hilton Providence, Dean Hotel and the historic Biltmore Hotel, a member of the Historic Hotels of America.

San Francisco 

World renowned for its iconic suspension bridge, a crooked street and cable cars climbing halfway to the stars, San Francisco has made a very rich contribution to American history. Founded as a Spanish mission just days before the Declaration of Independence, this historic seaport city grew rapidly after the discovery of gold in 1848 to become the largest city west of the Mississippi and remained so until it was surpassed by Los Angeles in the 1920s. More than 200 years later, several prominent structures still remain from its early days, like the Spanish Mission Dolores founded in 1776, the city’s oldest building, the 1776 Presidio of San Francisco, Old Saint Mary’s Cathedral, Lotta’s Fountain and the Civil War-era military installations at Fort Mason and Fort Point. Many of the City by the Bay’s best known attractions are also historically relevant, such as the largest Chinatown outside of Asia, featuring a blend of family-owned restaurants and contemporary establishments like the new China Live, the world’s most photographed bridge – the Golden Gate Bridge – and the infamous former federal penitentiary on Alcatraz Island, whose notorious inmates included Al Capone, Machine Gun Kelly, Mickey Cohen and the Birdman of Alcatraz. For historical accommodations, visitors can stay at surviving structures of the Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, such as the Palace Hotel, Hotel Majestic and the Fairmont San Francisco. Other prominent options located in the Fisherman’s Wharf area include the Argonaut Hotel, housed within a building built in 1907 and Fairmont Heritage Place, in addition to modernized choices nearby like Hotel Zephyr and Hotel Vitale.

Santa Fe

Founded in 1610, Santa Fe is America’s oldest state capital, the highest in elevation and the oldest European-established community west of the Mississippi. Universally acclaimed for its distinctive Spanish Pueblo and Territorial architectural styles, Santa Fe retains its 400-year history through landmarks like San Miguel Chapel, the oldest church in the U.S., and Palace of the Governors, the country’s oldest continuously occupied public building. In the 19th century, the capital city played a vital role in the expansion of the American Southwest, in part due to the opening of the legendary trade route, the Santa Fe Trail in 1821 and decades later, the emergence of the railroad into New Mexico. Within a few years, the City Different constructed several more notable structures, like Loretto Chapel, best known for its Miraculous Staircase in 1878 and Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in 1886. Important events in American history continued to follow in the 20th century, such as the development of Santa Fe’s art community, a Japanese-American internment camp erected during World War II and the testing of the first atomic bomb at the Los Alamos Laboratory, located near historic Bandelier National Monument. In addition to its wealth of historical sites, what makes Santa Fe such an exceptional destination is its world-class culinary and arts scene, impressive collection of amazing hotels and a growing number of world-class attractions, including Canyon Road, Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, New Mexico Museum of Art, the stunning Santa Fe Opera and the cutting edge art experiences at Meow Wolf.

Williamsburg 

Founded in 1632, Williamsburg served as the capital of the Virginia Colony when the Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776. Situated upon the picturesque Virginia Peninsula in southeast Virginia, Williamsburg is one of the three colonial communities that form the Historic Triangle, along with the equally important settlements of Jamestown and Yorktown. Today, the colonial section of Williamsburg is known as the “world’s largest history museum”, with 173 acres beautifully restored to its original 18th century elegance, townspeople dressed in the fashion of its day and family-friendly activities like guided tours and historical reenactments. Among other popular activities in the Williamsburg area are breathtaking tours of Berkeley Plantation, Shirley Plantation and Westover Plantation, Virginia wine tasting at Upper Shirley Vineyards and Williamsburg Winery, golf at Golden Horseshoe Golf Club, cooking demos with Chef Travis Brust at Taste Studio, bike touring with Basket & Bike, Segway excursions with Patriot Tours & Provisions and libations at Copper Fox and Silver Hand Meadery. For suggested lodging, try staying at the stunning, five-star Williamsburg Inn, Williamsburg Lodge or the superb Wedmore Place, located at Williamsburg Winery. No trip to Williamsburg would be complete without visiting the other two settlements of the Historic Triangle – Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement of the Americas established in 1607 and Yorktown, the historic site for the surrender of General Cornwallis and his British troops in 1781.

Related: The Historian’s Guide To New England

The 2017 NBA Draft is set for Thursday, June 22nd. As the stars of the college game get ready to find out where they will begin their NBA journey, CBS Local Sports’ “My Life As” series will give them an opportunity to talk about how they got to this point and what they expect from the future in their own words.

Today, we hear from Gonzaga freshman Zach Collins. Collins was a four-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas before joining the ‘Zags this past year and helping lead them to an appearance in the national championship game. Thanks to his play in that run to the title game, Collins began shooting up draft boards and decided to forgo his remaining three years of eligibility to enter this year’s draft. He spoke to us about that decision and his goals for his NBA career. 

I always enjoyed watching basketball on television when I was younger and whenever I got a toy basketball hoop or a basketball I wanted to immediately go and play, so I’ve loved the game from an early age. I played other sports too growing up, but basketball was the one I always felt the most strongly about. I remember one time I was playing baseball, and I had just gotten done with a game, my dad told me that I had just gotten a call to come and play basketball for a club team. I remember to this day how excited I felt and I just didn’t feel that way about any other sport that I played. I knew in that moment, right around the fifth grade, that basketball was the sport that I wanted to play going forward.

It wasn’t really until my junior year of high school when I realized that I could maybe carve out a career for myself playing basketball. It was around then when I thought that if I kept growing and getting better that maybe it would be a possibility for me to one day play in the NBA. But, I didn’t even know until middle school that college basketball would even be an option. For me, it wasn’t a planned thing from when I was a little kid to play in the NBA. I just enjoyed playing the game, had fun playing it and my goal was always just to keep getting better.

In high school, I didn’t start until my senior year because we had both Stephen Zimmerman (now with the Orlando Magic) and Chase Jeter (now with Duke) on the roster with me. Going against both of those guys in practice every day helped me a lot. I took every practice like it was a game because I wasn’t getting into the actual games a lot. I would just try to go at those guys every day. Even when I was getting beat and they were dunking on me or whatever, I would just keep going at them. At the time, it was tough for me confidence-wise because I wasn’t always getting the better of them, but I tell people all the time that if I could do it all over again, I would do it the exact same way.

The reason I chose to play at Gonzaga is because the coach that recruited me, Brian Michaelson, started recruiting me during my sophomore year of high school taking notice of me when no one else really was. The fact that they stuck with me from then on really showed me that I could trust them. I took a couple of unofficial visits and I saw the campus and I saw that it was a completely crazy basketball school, but also a smaller school in terms of number of students, I liked that. When I met Coach Few I knew that he was going to be a good coach for me.

In terms of the basketball fit, the way that they play was perfect for me. They use their bigs a ton and they win. It’s not a program that’s been in a rebuilding stage in a long, long time. They just keep winning, so that was very attractive.

This past season, I think I realized that we had something special going when we were rolling through the season undefeated and had beaten St. Mary’s a couple of times. Even though our conference is known for not being as good as some of the big ones around the country, we were getting wins against St. Mary’s and they were a Top 25 team all year. They were a team that had given Gonzaga trouble in the past, but we were able to handle them by a pretty good margin and that showed me we had a pretty good thing going. Obviously our conference wasn’t always the strongest, but the way we were winning, the way we were playing our style of basketball, how locked in this team was every single game, I knew that would help a lot in the tournament. I knew because of that, we’d have a chance to go as far as we did.

It was never part of the plan for me to spend just one year in college, but it was never out of the plan either. When I went to college, it was never thinking I’m going for one year and then jumping to the NBA. For me, it was just win, get better, grow as a person and as a player and whenever I felt like I was ready, that’s when I’d go. That just happened to be this year. It was never about being one-and-done or it’s a failure for me.

As I look towards the NBA, I think my experience playing at Gonzaga gives me a little bit of a head start because our offense had so many NBA-type elements in it. We ran a ton of pick-and-rolls, dribble hand-offs, down screens, flare screens and a bunch of pick-and-pops. In the NBA, I think like 90 percent of the offense is pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop, so that experience definitely helps. Obviously it’s a different game, the NBA’s faster and guys are stronger, so I still have to get used to that.

The biggest thing I’m working on as I prepare for the league is my strength and conditioning. The guys in the league are definitely stronger and it’s a faster paced game, so I want to make sure that I’m not tired on the court. I’m also working on ball-handling and shooting, really extending my range out to the NBA three point line. That was a tough transition at first, because I think with jump shots a foot or a foot-and-a-half difference can make a big difference. The longer three point line was definitely tough at first, it took me a couple of days to get used to it, but now I’m definitely comfortable with it. Now, I’m just focused on getting ready to play against men.

The two players that I’ve really tried to model my game after are Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki. With Dirk, I liked the multiple ways that he can score with his jumpshot and length even though he wasn’t the strongest guy on the court, he still got to whatever shot he wanted. Tim Duncan was the same way. His multiple moves on the block and the way that he could get to whatever shot he wanted I really tried to emulate. Neither guy was ever the strongest or most athletic guy on the floor, but they are so smart in the way that they get to their shots. That’s something I’m really trying to emulate as I go to the NBA.

The coolest part of the NBA Draft process for me was really just being able to get up and go play basketball every day. I didn’t have too many interviews to go to so being able to just worry about basketball every day was great. Getting the chance to meet with teams at the NBA Combine was pretty cool too as I got to show them what I’m about while also figuring out what they’re about too. The meetings were definitely a little nerve-wracking since I was meeting with GMs that could be in charge of my future was nerve-wracking, but cool at the same time.

I’ve set my goals pretty high for myself heading into the NBA. I think there’s no reason why I can’t be the rookie of the year, there’s no reason I can’t get the team I’m drafted by to the playoffs, I have really high goals for myself. I want to be in the Hall of Fame when all is said and done, I want to be an All-Star, I want to win championships. I definitely don’t want to be that guy that gets to the NBA and is content with getting there. I want to make a statement when I get there.

RELATED VIDEO: Metallica “WorldWired” European Tour Announcement

 
By Jon Wiederhorn

(RADIO.COM) – Metallica have, perhaps, revealed how they’re able to write music that sounds so frustrated and angry after all these years; there’s still friction between some of the band members. They have been known to travel in separate buses, spend most of their free time away from one another and still argue when they’re together.

They have been known to travel in separate buses, spend most of their free time away from one another and sometimes argue when they’re together.

“The band can still pretty much fall apart at any moment,” frontman James Hetfield admitted in a new interview with Rolling Stone. “But we don’t want that. We know too much now. It’s come with time and growing up together, going through tons of s— together and possibly maturing”.

Hetfield added that over time the members have learned how to instantly infuriate one another, but these days they try to avoid going there.

“We know where all the nuclear buttons are with each other, but we don’t push ’em,” he said. “We love what we do, and we want to keep it going.”

Sometimes, however, they can’t resist taking potshots at one another. After drummer Lars Ulrich falls off the beat on the song “Wherever I May Roam,” Hetfield snapped, “Why do you always do that?

Asked later about the incident, the vocalist and guitarist laughed. “What I said was a nice way of saying, “What the hell are you doing?” he said.

Metallica are currently in the middle of the North American dates of their Worldwired Tour, which runs through, August 16 in Edmonton. They are also headlining day two of Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival on Saturday, August 12th at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Then, the band will head to Europe. Dates are scheduled through May 18 in Helsinki, Finland.

©2017 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved.

RELATED VIDEO: 10 of The Best Celebrity Selfies Of 2017 For #Nationalselfieday

 
By Abby Hassler

(RADIO.COM) – Taking and posting photos of yourself has become a way of life online. The word “selfie” was even formally added to the Oxford Dictionary in 2013.

To celebrate here are ten of our favorite selfies from artists this year.

©2017 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A gunman acted alone when he shot and wounded a top House Republican and four other people on a northern Virginia baseball field, the FBI said Wednesday.

Tim Slater, the special agent in charge of the Washington FBI office, also said during a news conference that James T. Hodgkinson did not have any ties to terrorism.

Rep. Steve Scalise, the House majority whip, was gravely wounded in the shooting last week. He has undergone several surgeries and remains hospitalized. His condition has been upgraded to serious.

Scalise and other congressional Republicans were practicing for their annual charity baseball game against Democrats when a gunman started shooting. U.S. Capitol Police and other officers returned fire and killed the gunman, who turned out to be an unemployed home inspector with a deep animus toward President Donald Trump and other Republicans.

The gunman was identified as Hodgkinson, 66, from Belleville, Illinois, who volunteered for Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign. He was taken to a hospital, where he died of his injuries.

The FBI said in a statement the agency is actively investigating him to look at his associates, whereabouts and any activity on social media. Officials also are running a trace on two weapons, including a rifle and a handgun.

A female police officer with less than 2 years’ experience withstood a barrage of gunfire from the gunman.

Alexandria Police Chief Michael Brown lauded the heroic actions of Officer Nicole Battaglia and two other officers who were the first to arrive at a field where GOP congressmen were practicing for the game.

Officers were first dispatched to the scene at 7:10 a.m. June 14, Brown said, and Officer Kevin Jobe, a 16-year Alexandria police veteran, arrived less than two minutes later. Battaglia and another officer, Alexander Jensen, arrived around the same time.

Ryan Mayer

The football world has been searching for an answer to the concussions crisis for years. The sport has tried everything from new rules, to new high-tech helmets, with varying degrees of success in the reduction of the frequency and severity of head injuries players suffer.

While reducing concussions is the main goal, better diagnosing and treating concussions is a part of the process too. Spotters and independent sideline physicians have been introduced to sidelines at college and NFL games in recent years to try and identify players who may have been concussed during the run of play, but there are still times when standard concussion tests don’t catch a player who’s been concussed. At Stanford University, the football program has adopted a new technology that could help change the game in terms of diagnosing concussions.

The technology is called Eye-Sync, from the company SyncThink and it is the brainchild of neurosurgeon Dr. Jam Ghajar, Director of the Stanford Concussion and Brain Performance Center and a President of the Brain Trauma Foundation. Eye-Sync is a portable, VR headset that, through an objective test of the athlete’s eyes, can help sports medicine professionals determine whether an athlete needs to be removed from play within a minute.

It works on the basis of eye-tracking. As Dr. Ghajar explained, when your brain is functioning correctly, your eyes are not just providing vision, but they’re also helping you to synchronize with your surrounding environment. This process is what allows you to swing and connect with a tennis ball in one smooth process as opposed to waiting for your eyes to diagnose where the ball is and then starting your swing. When you take a hit to the head, that process can be interrupted. That’s where Eye-Sync comes in.

“Basically, people feel out of sync, their timing is off because they’re unable to predict when things are going to happen,” said Dr. Ghajar via phone interview. “That’s really dangerous, because if you send somebody back into play and they’ve got the inability, then they’ll get another concussion or another injury. Detecting that early on, on the sideline, screening somebody very quickly and accurately and reliably is really important. Fortunately, the eyes are responsible not only for vision, but they move in response to vision. So, you can actually measure how well somebody synchronizes with the outside world using eye movement.

“What we do is, we have VR glasses with a red dot going around a circle and cameras inside the glasses so you can actually see where the eyes are moving. We see how well the eyes synchronize with the visual stimulus, the dot going around the circle. The test is 15 seconds, it’s repeated twice, and then a report comes out, so the whole process is very quick, generally under a minute.”

Based on the information in that report, the sports medicine professionals can then make a determination as to whether or not the player is safe to return to play, all without having to rely on the player to report experiencing symptoms.

“The number one thing is, we’re getting out of a space where we’re relying on the student-athlete to report symptoms and coming up with a diagnosis based on subjective reporting of information,” said Stanford’s Director of Athletic Training Scott Anderson via phone. “The number one thing I think you or anyone probably experiences when you have say ankle pain or knee pain, you go to a doctor, tell them your symptoms and the doctor doesn’t just tell you what he thinks it is and send you on your way. They order a test, an MRI or an X-ray or something of that nature, and that test gives information about what the likelihood of the condition is. With this technology, we’re able to do something very similar for the brain.”

A demo of the test can be viewed on the SyncThink website to get a more visual understanding of what the test entails and looks like. The other benefit to the technology, according to both Dr. Ghajar and Anderson, is that it allows the staff to gain a better understanding of what type of concussion a player may have suffered in order to be able to target their treatment more effectively. One thing that tends to be misunderstood in the discussion surrounding concussions is that there is not one catch-all diagnosis. Concussions, like many other health complications, come in varying forms and degrees.

“That’s what we’ve been able to do is be very specific with the type of dysfunction that we’re seeing. Rather than just having someone complain and go ‘oh it sounds like you have a concussion,’ said Anderson. “We’re now able to say this is ocular-motor impairment sub-type of concussion, or this is a vestibular balance issue related to a concussion, and label those things that are specific to the cause of symptom presentation.”

One big hurdle still remains: changing the warrior, tough-guy mentality that is instilled in players from a young age so that they better understand why this type of testing matters. For Dr. Ghajar, the best way to do that is to change the conversation from one of being hurt or impaired to a more positive tone of encouraging players to strive for top-level brain performance.

“It should be, you want to have optimal brain performance. If your eye-tracking is off, guess what, you’re not going to perform properly,” said Dr. Ghajar. “If you can’t visualize somebody coming at you on the field, you’re not going to be able to catch the ball, you’re not going to be able to tackle anybody, and you’re not going to do well.”

Anderson agrees and says that Stanford has already gone down this route by removing the word concussion from their discussion with the athletes entirely.

“We don’t even use the C-word anymore,” said Anderson. “We just say your brain’s not functioning at capacity, you’re likely at risk for further injury and it’s dangerous for you to go back on the field.”

“I think initially when we rolled this out, the athletes were like, why do I have to do this?,” Anderson continued. “Then, when you show them something objective like results and say here’s normal and here’s you, they get it.”

Eye-Sync has been in use at Stanford since the 2015-16 football season and the athletic department has made it part of their concussion protocol that is submitted to the NCAA every year by schools. Indiana University is also using Eye-Sync as part of a study on subconcussions that the school is conducting. As helpful as the technology is in diagnosing concussions on the sidelines, Dr. Ghajar says it’s just one part of what needs to be a multi-faceted approach to attacking the prevalence of concussions in football and other contact sports.

“It’s an advanced neuroscience tool, it’s the future of screening people for concussions,” said Dr. Ghajar. “But, it’s just one part of screening. I think that waving one wand and saying we have a concussion or not is not possible. There’s multiple things that go wrong. But, I do think, the most important thing on the sideline is to get people who are disoriented.”

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — A fourth dirt biker who was wanted in connection with the video-taped beating of a Lyft driver on Highway 101 last March has been taken into custody, the California Highway Patrol announced Wednesday.

According to a CHP tweet, 25-year-old Quintrell Anderson was apprehended on Monday. He was booked into the San Francisco County Jail for charges of assault with a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit a crime, assault, battery, and vandalism.

Three other suspects — 33-year-old Derwayne A. Johnson, 35-year-old Gabriel Rodriguez and 19-year-old Jarrell E. Williams Jr. — were arrested last week in simultaneous raids on four homes in the San Francisco area.

Lyft beating suspects (L-R) Gabriel Rodriguez, Jarrell E. Williams Jr. and Derwayne A. Johnson (CHP)

The men were tracked down with help from the public and from San Francisco police officers, who, along with the CHP, had previously encountered them allegedly riding motorcycles wildly on highways and city streets, according to CHP spokesman Officer Vu Williams.

Johnson, Rodriguez, and Williams all pleaded not guilty in court appearances last week. They remain in custody with bail set at $1 million.

The three were arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit a crime, assault, battery and vandalism in connection with the March 9 attack, which was captured by a witness on cellphone video and widely circulated on social media.

Image from a YouTube video of motorcyclists confronting a driver on U.S. Highway 101 in San Francisco. (YouTube)

The March 9 attack occurred when a group of up to 15 dirt bikers were involved in a “sideshow” on southbound Highway 101 near the Cesar Chavez Street exit.

When the Lyft driver tried to pass the riders, they allegedly boxed him in and began vandalizing his car, according to the CHP.

When he got out of his car, the suspects allegedly beat him and then one of them ran over his leg with a dirt bike. The leg was badly broken, requiring at least one surgery to repair, Williams said.

During the arrests, officers also found several firearms, a stolen dirt bike, money and a small amount of drugs, according to the CHP.

© Copyright 2017 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

By Dave Shedloski

The Travelers Championship, after a year in which the schedule was rearranged to accommodate the Olympics, has been returned to its customary slot after the U.S. Open. It welcomes one of its strongest fields in memory, with a $6.8 million purse on the line.

Five of the top 15 players in the world are coming to TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut, just 10 minutes south of Hartford, along with six players who finished inside the top 10 in last week’s U.S. Open at Erin Hills outside Milwaukee. That group includes Brian Harman, who tied for second, and world No. 12 Justin Thomas, who tied for ninth. The others: Xander Schauffele (T5), Charley Hoffman (8), Trey Mullinax (T9) and Brandt Snedeker (T9).

In the top-15 crowd are major winners Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth, No. 2 and No. 6, respectively, in the world rankings. Each is making his debut at TPC River Highlands. It will be just McIlroy’s eighth start of the year after battling a rib injury.

Also coming is No. 3 Jason Day, another major winner, who like McIlroy missed the cut last week at Erin Hills. In his two previous appearances, Day has posted five rounds of 67 or better.

TPC River Highlands, a par-70 layout measuring 6,841 yards, is one of the toughest little courses on the PGA TOUR. Its reputation remains intact even though Jim Furyk impressively shot 58 there last year.

CBS Sports golf analyst Frank Nobilo provides his insights on the tournament’s potential storylines.

What is the one thing you like the most about TPC River Highlands?

It’s one of those courses where you can run the tables if you play well. We saw that with Jim Furyk. But you do have to play well. If you do, then you’re going to get 10-12 decent birdie looks, and maybe that can help you build some confidence. But the great thing is it doesn’t dictate one style of play.

>>MORE: Favorite Course: TPC River Highlands

Is there an adjustment for the crowd who just played 72 holes on the longest U.S. Open course in history, almost 1,000 yards longer than TPC River Highlands?

It certainly gives the players a chance after getting beat up at U.S. Open. But there’s not really much adjustment as far as playing. They have to pay attention to a few key holes. And you have to keep your nose clean on those closing holes. This is a great breather for everyone after a tough week, but they still have to hit shots.

Five of the top 15 in the world are competing this week, including No. 2 Rory McIlroy and No. 3 Jason Day, both winless this year. Day, in particular, has played well here in the past, while McIlroy is making his first start. Good chance to pick off a win?

I think so. They can take a page out of Bubba Watson‘s book. Play smart, use your power when you need to, give yourself looks for birdies. If they get the putter going, they’re going to be in position there at the end.

>>MORE: Golf Expert Interviews

Speaking of shutouts, Bubba Watson has won here twice, but is also seeking a victory after a long drought. Why does he do well on this short course?

It’s no surprise to me that he has played well there. If he wins one more, he’s one behind Billy Casper. His ability to shape it around there, but also use his power when he needs it, is a huge advantage. Bubba obviously has a game plan figured out, and he’s very creative with his shot selection. It’s actually a great golf course for him to use all his abilities.

What can we expect this week from Jim Furyk?

When you speak about that, you think of where scoring has been going. We’ve had three sub-60s in less than 12 months. In the last few years, every major scoring record has been broken. Remember, Patrick Cantlay shot 60 as an amateur there, too. As for Jim Furyk, what he did last year will be the furthest thing from his mind. The goal for him would be to shoot mid-60s and then maybe you get more opportunities that make you think you might go lower. He’ll be prepared, and he knows if he wants to win, he has to have a better start than he made last year.

Give us your favorites and dark horses please.

Marc Leishman has played well there, 43 under par the last five years. We know what Rory and Jason are capable of. I expect Bubba Watson to play well as always. I’m curious to see how those top guys do. Chris Stroud is someone to watch; he’s 41 under par there the last five years. Brendan Steele has done pretty well around there, makes a lot of birdies. And it’s a good course for Patrick Reed, too.

Journalist and author David Shedloski of Columbus, Ohio, has been covering golf since 1986, first as a daily newspaper reporter and later as a freelance writer for various magazines and Internet outlets. A winner of 23 national writing awards, including 20 for golf coverage, Shedloski is currently a contributing writer for Golf World and GolfDigest.com and serves as editorial director for The Memorial, the official magazine of the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio. He is the author of three books and has contributed to three others, including the second edition of “Golf For Dummies,” with Gary McCord. He’s a fan of all Cleveland professional sports teams, the poor fellow.

RELATED VIDEO: High-Rise London Apartment Building Engulfed In Flames

 
By Hayden Wright

(RADIO.COM) – Last week’s Grenfell Tower fire killed at least 79 people and injured dozens—hitting close to home for British recording artists.

So Simon Cowell organized a charity cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s classic “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” which features more than 50 prominent musicians, as well as survivors of the tragedy.

Roger Daltrey & Pete Townshend of The Who The Who (credit: Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images)

One Direction’s Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson have a sort-of reunion on the record, which includes icons like Outside Lands headliners Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who, Queen’s Brian May and Nile Rodgers. From the pop world, Cowell also recruited Robbie Williams, James Blunt, Bastille, Rita Ora, Geri Halliwell, Leona Lewis and more.

Proceeds from the single (released by Artists for Grenfell) aid survivors of the blaze.

Listen to “Bridge Over Troubled Water” here.

Here’s a full list of artists on the single:
5 After Midnight
Angel
Anne-Marie
Bastille
Brian May – Queen
Carl Barât – The Libertines
Craig David
Deno
Donae’o
Dua Lipa
Ella Eyre
Ella Henderson
Emeli Sandé
Fleur East
Gareth Malone & The Choir for Grenfell
Geri Halliwell
Gregory Porter
James Arthur
James Blunt
Jessie J
Jessie Ware
John Newman
Jon McClure – Reverend and the Makers
Jorja Smith
Kelly Jones – Stereophonics
Labrinth
Leona Lewis
Liam Payne
London Community Gospel Choir
Louis Tomlinson
Louisa Johnson
Matt Goss
Matt Terry
Mr Eazi
Nathan Sykes
Nile Rodgers
Omar
Paloma Faith
Pixie Lott
Ray BLK
RAYE
Rita Ora
Robbie Williams
Shakka
Shane Filan
Stormzy
The Who (Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend)
Tokio Myers
Tom Grennan
Tony Hadley
Tulisa
WSTRN

©2017 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved.

By Jane Lasky

It’s time to renovate. The only problem is, you have little time and the time you do have is spent wondering where to start. The good news, many upgrades and changes are easy enough to make and won’t eat up all your time in execution. Consider a slew of concepts that will definitely do the proverbial trick.

Artistic Endeavors

Switch up your wall art. Take down the old pictures you put up when you first moved in and weren’t sure which way you wanted to decorate yet. In their place, choose artistic renderings that suit your current style. If you like modern art, try investing in a few lithographs or prints from your favorite local artist who paints in that style. Or, if you are into early American, consider mounting an iron eagle on the face of your fireplace or some old wagon wheels in the hall wall.

Mirror, Mirror

Add large mirrors opposite large windows to reflect the outdoors. Doing so will effectively bring the outside in while keeping the temperature controlled and the vermin out. You’ll also make this particular space feel more spacious than it is with this one-step decorating tip.

Fresh Plantings

Put up window boxes as window treatments on the inside of your house. Then, plant herbs, flowers and other plants you can use in imaginative ways. Display your new plants in colorful, handmade vessels to really make them ‘pop.’ Take some old glass salad dressing bottles and spruce them up with colorful pigments for added effect.

Paint Worthy

Paint one focal wall a strong color to contrast with the others. For instance, if all of your living room walls are white or off-white, choose one of those walls to stand out by painting it, say, red. Or, contrast your light blue walls by turning one of them a primary yellow. Your new paint scheme will create an instant conversation piece, and it’s a great way to brighten up your home.

Window Magic

Perhaps the best tip of all is addressing your existing window treatments. Make your old windows shine like new by switching out heavy shades for plantation shutters. You can also opt to put in eye-catching roman shades in the kitchen, elegant roller shades in the dining room and pretty pairings of select blinds or room darkening curtains with striking draperies in the bedroom. Consider any number of new window treatments to freshen up the entire picture in every single room of your newly renovated house.

VIDEO: Ice Cube Explains His Moniker And Gives One To Stephen

 
By Hayden Wright

(RADIO.COM) – Ice Cube started music in 1984 and his rap moniker is known the world over. But have you ever wondered where “Ice Cube” comes from?

On The Late Show, Cube explained how he chose his name. As a teenager in Los Angeles, discarded refrigerators sometimes lined the streets. Cube sometimes tried putting the moves on his brother’s girlfriends, which inspired a creative threat:

“Well, my brother was like, ‘Yo, that refrigerator down the street? I’m gonna take you down there, I’m slammin’ you in the freezer and when they pull you out you’re gonna be an ice cube,’” he said.

A delighted Stephen Colbert wondered what his own rap name might be. Cube was there to help.

“You gotta lean into it, you can’t play with it,” the rapper said. “Most guys, when they do a rap name, guys like yourself, they’ll say ‘my name is SC,’ or something real weak like that. But I’mma call you Daddy Colbert. Daddy Colbert, that’s dope. And if you really wanna lean into it, you go to Pimp Daddy Colbert.”

©2017 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved.

By Abby Hassler

(RADIO.COM) – Kanye West and Kim Kardashian’s family may be growing by one more, but this time, People reports the couple has hired a surrogate to carry their third child.

West and Kardashian are already parents to their 4-year-old daughter North and 18-month-old son Saint, but they have made it clear they want another child. However, Kardashian suffers from placenta accreta, which makes it extremely dangerous for her to carry another baby.

After being warned about her health risks, they began considering a surrogate. On her family’s reality show, West told her mother Kris Jenner, “I’ve come to the conclusion in my mind that I can’t carry another one. So now I want to explore surrogacy.”

There is no official word yet on who their surrogate might be.

©2017 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved.

BERKELEY (CBS SF) — A small magnitude 3.3 earthquake centered in the East Bay rattled Berkeley residents Wednesday afternoon, according to the US Geological Survey website.

The quake reportedly happened right at 12 p.m. with a preliminary magnitude of 3.3 just over a half a mile west of Kensington and about 1.2 miles east-southeast of El Cerrito.

The quake had a depth of just over three miles and was centered near the Hayward Fault.

Elena Tenaka, who lives a mile from the Hayward Fault, was awaken while taking an afternoon nap.

“It actually woke me up, I was taking a nap,” she told KPIX 5. “It kinda scared me and I’ve been through a lot of earthquakes. I got a chill from it. It felt bigger (than a 3.3).”

Tenaka characterized the quake as a “quick shake.”

Diane Boe was in the H&R Block building near the epicenter in El Cerrito when the quake hit.

“I was sitting at my desk and all of a sudden it felt like a freight train ran into the building,” she said. “The computers were shaking. It felt like whiplash. There was a sound like a boom. My ears are still ringing. It was pretty bad.”

So far there have been no reports of injuries or damage from the earthquake, but there were a number of reports of the quake on social media.

(CBS SF) – It might be hotter outside than Daenerys’ dragons, but according to HBO, #WinterIsHere.

On Wednesday, the network released the second trailer of the seventh season of ‘Game of Thrones,’ and it’s freaking out everyone in social media.

This time around, there’s even more all-new action footage than the previous season 7 trailer. Check out the tweet from one GOT fan that features Beric Dondarrion’s “Star Wars” moment.

In the preview, Kit Harington’s Jon Snow calls for unity:

“For centuries, our families fought together against their common enemy, despite their differences — together,” he says. “We need to do the same if we’re going to survive, because the enemy is real. It’s always been real.”

The trailer ends with Sophie Turner’s Sansa Stark saying “When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies — but the pack survives,”

The season 7 premiere of ‘Game of Thrones’ arrives Sunday, July 16th.

©2017 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved.

BERKELEY (KPIX 5) — Protesters clashed with police in Berkeley Tuesday night over the city’s participation in the controversial “Urban Shield” program.

The violent confrontation broke out during a City Council vote in Berkeley. Wednesday morning, police were defending tactics that left some protesters bloodied and hurt.

73-year-old protester Lew Williams told KPIX 5 he left the Berkeley City Council meeting bleeding from his head.

He says police got rough. Video from the confrontation shows people on both sides can see pushing and shoving.

“My glasses got knocked off, so I reached down to get them. And as I was reaching down, one of them popped me in the head with his baton,” said Williams.

Hundreds gathered at the meeting to protest the Berkeley Police Department’s participation in the Urban Shield program.

The council voted to continue the SWAT team training. Supporters say the program is focused on emergency preparedness, but the hundreds who demonstrated against the training argue it promotes police militarization.

“They were holding banners peacefully. The police just treated us like we were enemy combatants,” said Williams wife Ellen Brotsky. “And this is exactly why we want police to withdraw for the Urban Shield.”

Brotsky said her husband is OK, but that they will be filing a complaint of excessive force.

“They were hitting other people with batons. Many people were hit with batons!” said Brotsky.

Berkeley police defended their actions.

“We were trying to effect an arrest and, when you have a crowd that was trying to obstruct our ability to make an arrest, we can use the minimum amount of force to effect the arrest,” said Berkeley Police Sgt. Andrew Frankel. “In this case, that was moving the crowd out of the street.”

Police arrested two individuals for disrupting the city council meeting.

Berkeley police said any allegation of excessive force would typically be investigated by internal affairs.

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — NFL and Bay Area football legend Ronnie Lott stared across the line of scrimmage at some of the game’s greatest players, but none were a match for the pair of eyes returning his glaze Wednesday.

Lott was part of a contingent of NFL Hall of Fame legends who were in Rome for a private audience with Pope Francis.

“The peace of his (Pope Francis) life. The peace of his soul. We should all try to practice that,” said Lott following the meeting. “We are great competitors, but he was a great competitor of showing us peace today.”

Also joining the players was Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

“To have gotten a chance to meet Pope Francis and have him have a recognition of what pro football is and what’s behind it — it was just a magical day,” he said.

Pope Francis also showed his lighthearted side citing his love of soccer.

“As many of you know, I am an avid follower of ‘football,’ but where I come from, the game is played very differently!” Pope Francis said when he greeted the delegation.

Joining Lott, Jones and officials from the Hall of Fame were former stars Curtis Martin, Franco Harris, Floyd Little, Chris Doleman and Jim Taylor. They presented the Pope with a signed helmet and jersey.

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — From the mayor on down, a court-appointed investigator said Wednesday that Oakland city officials mishandled, downplayed and ignored sexual misconduct allegations about the city’s police department that turned into a far-reaching scandal.

In a court filing, investigator Ed Swanson put most of the blame for the bungled probe on former police chief Sean Whent, who resigned under pressure last year. But Swanson also singled out Mayor Libby Schaaf for failing to monitor the case after she vowed dramatic reforms in the police department.

• READ: Report On City Of Oakland’s Handling Of OPD Sex Scandal

Schaaf declared in 2016 that her job was to run a “police department, not a frat house” after the teenage daughter of a police dispatcher said several officers exploited her while she was working as a prostitute. Swanson credited the mayor with acting quickly when she was first informed of the scandal and a federal judge ordered an in-depth investigation.

• RELATED: Underage Sex Scandal Rocks Law Enforcement

“But after the investigation concluded, the mayor and city administrator did not do enough to determine why the department had not investigated the case more thoroughly before the court got involved,” Swanson wrote. “Although they took the appropriate step of hiring an outside attorney to investigate this issue many months passed with no investigative progress, and there is no evidence city leaders pressed to ensure this troubling and important question was being answered.”

Schaaf responded Wednesday afternoon, saying that she is prepared to implement all of Swanson’s recommendations.

Referring to the report Swanson compiled , Schaaf said, “This city is committed to being a learning organization. That will be true with or without court supervision.”

Schaaf continued by highlighting the city’s hiring of new Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick, who began her job on Feb. 27.

“Best of all, we have put in place a leader who has a track record of culture change and holding officers accountable who has the experience and moral character to lead the department through this difficult period and into a bright future,” said Schaaf.

Joining Schaaf at a news conference at City Hall, Kirkpatrick said, “I fully accept and approve this report.”

Kirkpatrick said Swanson’s report “diagnosed a problem” but also said the shortcomings of top city and police officials in dealing with the sex scandal “are repairable.”

Schaaf also said her primary focus shifted away from the investigation in December and January when she and other city officials were tied up dealing with a fire at an illegally converted warehouse that killed three dozen people. Then, she said, her primary focus was on hiring a new police chief.

Schaaf recently announced her plans to seek a second 4-year term as mayor in 2018.

Swanson was appointed by a federal judge who oversees the troubled department as part of a 2002 settlement of a civil rights lawsuit. Swanson has no authority to order changes in the department, but the judge does. Swanson recommended a number of training reforms and policy changes, including involving the district attorney in internal investigations of officers under criminal suspicion and consulting the city attorney.

The department implemented many court-ordered reforms during Whent’s three years as chief and was close to shedding the court oversight when officer Brendan O’Brien killed himself in September 2015. O’Brien’s in his suicide note denied having sex with the victim despite her claims that he did. O’Brien also implicated several officers who he said had sex with the teen victim.

“It’s a pretty devastating report,” said lawyer John Burris, who represents the victim and is the lead attorney on the 2002 civil rights case that led to court oversight. “I thought the department was making real progress.”

Swanson said Whent appeared disinterested in the case from the start and his attitude set the tone for the rest of the department.

Whent told investigators that he “misread” O’Brien’s suicide note and a lieutenant’s email message that the case was being sent to internal affairs. Whent said he read the note and the lieutenant’s email on his cellphone but did not grasp their importance, an excuse Swanson called “not credible” in his report.

Whent failed to notify the mayor, district attorney and the federal judge about the suicide note and internal affairs investigation. Swanson said it is unclear why Whent downplayed the case.

Whent retired under pressure in June 2016 after news of the scandal emerged. His phone rang unanswered Wednesday after the report was released.

Swanson also said investigators dismissed the victim’s claims because she was a prostitute.

Criminal investigators initially closed their probe after a strained, two-hour interview with the victim, who gave muddled and conflicting accounts. During that interview, they watched her delete messages on her phone sent by officers.

Swanson’s report also faulted police internal affairs investigators for lackluster work. The victim was interviewed once on the phone. And two officers implicated by the victim were considered witnesses, rather than targets.

One of those officers said he was mentoring the victim to get her out of prostitution, but then admitted he texted her a photograph of his penis.

The city paid the victim almost $1 million to settle her legal claims. Seven current and former officers face criminal charges.

TM and © Copyright 2017 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

(CBS SF) – Creator of the hit HBO series ‘The Leftovers’, Damon Lindelof is in early negotiations to bring DC Comics best-selling graphic novel “The Watchmen” to HBO.

According to Deadline, talks between the network and Lindelof are in “in the early deal-making phase” and so far, no deal has been made.

Damon Lindelof (credit: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)

Based on DC Comics’ 1986 graphic novel created by writer Alan Moore, graphic artist Dave Gibbons and John Higgins, “The Watchmen” follow a group of superheroes in 1985 who live in a world where they were once applauded. But through the course of history, has become unwelcomed members of society.

In 2009, director Zach Snyder (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice) brought the graphic novel to the big screen. The filmed starred Billy Crudup, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Malin Akerman, Patrick Wilson and Carla Gugino.

Lindelof is best known for penning Star Trek Into Darkness, Prometheus and episodes of the television series Lost.

©2017 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved.

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — Three passengers aboard a catamaran that capsized in the San Francisco Bay Wednesday were rescued by the Coast Guard and San Franciso Fire Department marine units, authorities said.

The boat capsized around 2 p.m. tossing those aboard into the water near Harding Rock in the middle of the Bay.

There was no immediate word about the passengers conditions.

More details when available.

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — Another Spare the Air smog alert has been issued in the Bay Area for Thursday by regional air quality officials.

The alert, the fourth for smog so far in 2017, is the result of light winds and triple-digit temperatures in the region that are expected to combine with vehicle exhaust to create unhealthy air quality, Bay Area Air Quality Management District officials said.

Air district officials are calling for Bay Area residents to take public transit or find other ways to avoid driving alone, and said outdoor exercise should only be done in the early morning hours when ozone concentrations are lower.

“More extreme temperatures from climate change and the resulting air quality issues are a reminder of the changes we can all make to reduce our carbon footprint and improve the air we breathe,” air district executive officer Jack Broadbent said in a statement.

Residents can find out when a Spare the Air alert is issued by registering at www.sparetheair.org, calling (800) HELP-AIR, downloading the Spare the Air smartphone app or connecting with Spare the Air on Facebook or Twitter.

TM and © Copyright 2017 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Bay City News Service contributed to this report.