Having ended their playoff drought this season by finishing wit the top seed in the Western Conference, the Lakers snapped the longest streak in franchise history without a trip to the Western Conference Finals by defeating the Houston Rockets in five games in the conference semifinals. After missing the playoffs for the first in 14 seasons during his maiden campaign in L.A., LeBron James now has the chance of reaching a ninth NBA Finals in 10 years....

About $6.5 billion was spent during the 2016 election cycle—a record itself at the time. “When you compare to previous cycles, it’s just astounding,” Ben Taber, an account manager at Advertising Analytics, a firm that tracks ad spending, said in an analysis of the spending. Based on Advertising Analytics’ review, about $3 million from the 2020 cycle has been spent on TV, radio and digital ads in this year’s race for president....

Headlined by the blockbuster trade between the 76ers and Nets that sent All-Star guard James Harden to Philadelphia in exchange for a package centered around All-Star guard Ben Simmons, the trade deadline sent shockwaves across the NBA. How did all of the movement affect future odds for the 2022 NBA title? Take a look at the updated odds below. How did the trade deadline affect 2022 NBA title favorites? According to DraftKings, the title odds did shift following the blockbuster Harden-Simmons deal....

In that time, 12,700 people left via U.S. military aircraft, and 8,900 were evacuated by partner aircraft. Taylor said the military and partner aircraft operators are working “around the clock,” with a plane leaving Kabul about every 45 minutes. Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby followed Taylor’s announcement by stating “there’s been no change” and that the U.S. remains set on completing evacuations by the August 31 deadline. He said any Americans who want out of the country will be evacuated but did not provide a specific figure of the number of U....

Dog rescues owner who suffered from a stroke Bryan Myers, from New Jersey, rescued Sadie, a six-year-old German shepherd, but didn’t know that just months later, she would be rescuing him. After recovering from COVID-19, 59-year-old Myers suffered from a stroke while he was sleeping. Myers collapsed and couldn’t control his muscles. Sadie went up to her owner, laid next to him, and kissed his face. Myers reached for Sadie’s collar, and the dog instinctively started pulling backward, helping Myers slide across the floor and out of the corner he was trapped in....

Kienan Moore, 21, from Queensland, was diagnosed with cancer last year after finding a lump behind his knee. According to a GoFundMe donation page set up for Moore, he first noticed the lump after struggling to climb a ladder at his work as an electrical apprentice. The pain eventually drove Moore to see a doctor. After being referred to a hospital, Moore was diagnosed with cancer behind his knee. After surgery, Moore was able to live his life again but the cancer soon returned and spread to his lungs, brain, spine and leg....

From Thursday, January 13 until Thursday, February 3, those who believe in astrology may find themselves in a state of confusion, frustration, tiredness, and restlessness. These are just some of the emotions and situations people who are susceptible to mercury in retrograde may feel for the first movement of the year. If you are an Aquarius, Taurus, Leo, or Scorpio —there’s a high chance you may be feeling it the most....

“Today’s pit bull is a descendant of the original English bull-baiting dog—a dog that was bred to bite and hold bulls, bears and other large animals around the face and head. When baiting large animals was outlawed in the 1800s, people turned instead to fighting their dogs against each other,” American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). Here we look at 25 myths about pit bulls....

Police in Bedford County said Tuesday they had received tip offs from the Central Virginia Crime Stoppers and Humane Society about the possible hoarding and mistreatment of animals at an address in the Goodview area of Bedford. When Animal Control officers with the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the property, they found approximately 26 dogs living in squalid conditions and badly malnourished. The Sheriff’s Office posted images of the operation to Facebook that showed emaciated dogs with their skeletons clearly visible....

In his 11 years with the Cardinals, Pujols hit .328 with a 1.037 OPS and 445 home runs in 1,705 games. He averaged 40 homers, 41 doubles, 121 RBIs and 117 runs scored in a St. Louis uniform. He won three NL MVP awards — and had seven other top-five finishes, including second four times — and helped lead his team to two World Series titles. He was the best hitter in baseball....

You can purchase a basic gutter-cleaning attachment for around $30. You may also be able to find these accessories at your local hardware store or home improvement center. [2] X Research source If you don’t already own a wet/dry vacuum, you can get one of these from your local home improvement center, as well. They typically cost about $100 brand new, and around $20 per day to rent. Depending on the height of your gutters, it may be necessary to connect your vacuum extension to one or more extension wands to make sure it will reach....

Kapwing’s Video trimmer is easy to use and considers their “Standard” quality 720p—this technically qualifies as HD, although it’s not Full HD. The drawback is that the service will add a watermark to the video unless you create an account. With an account, you can crop up to three 720p watermark-free videos, with a paid upgrade available. Streamable allows you to download standard definition video clips of up to 10 minutes from YouTube for free....

If you are using more than 2 colors, wrap 1 strand around another that is on the opposite side of it. You don’t have to pull this knot tight yet. Keep it loose so you can work with the other strands. If you are working with more than 4 strands, your knot will be slightly bulkier. Make sure your knot is tight enough that the strands won’t fall apart, but not so tight that it makes your lanyard pucker or warp....

Many newer computers and laptops don’t have a CD or DVD drive. You can purchase an USB DVD ROM drive to connect to your computer, or ask the photo lab if they can provide your prints on a USB thumb drive. You may need to purchase a USB thumb drive or provide one of your own. Open the CD/DVD/thumb drive location in Windows Explorer or Finder on Mac. Press Ctrl + A (PC) (or Command + A (Mac) to select all the photos....

Generally, all public agencies, including federal, state, and local government agencies and schools, are covered by FMLA. Private companies are covered if they have at least 50 employees. [3] X Trustworthy Source US Department of Labor Federal department responsible for promoting the wellbeing of workers Go to source Even if your employer recently had massive layoffs, they’re still covered by the law if they had at least 50 employees for at least 20 workweeks of this year or last year....

It may feel foreign to stop getting touchups but commit to going natural and resist the temptation to do anything to your hair that involves a chemical treatment of some kind. Instead, give yourself a manicure or do something fun to treat yourself. Heat styling tools include things like hairdryers, curling irons, straighteners, and hot combs. If you have a hard time not air-drying your hair, consider showering at night and then wrapping your hair in a silk scarf....

The website Omniglot has a chart with the Kannada alphabet that you can download and use to practice. Go to https://www. omniglot. com/writing/kannada. htm and click the link to download the chart. To memorize the alphabet, choose 4 or 5 letters each day and practice until you’ve got the hang of them. The next day, go back and practice the letters you already know, then try to pick up another 4 or 5 letters....

If you find that your muscles are getting really sore, start by swimming 3 times a week and then increase the frequency of your swims once your muscles get used to the routine. If you are unable to swim 100 metres (330 ft) when you start out, try swimming 25 metres (82 ft) or 50 metres (160 ft) until your fitness increases. These laps are the same as the ones that you complete during your workout; however, they are designed to be swam more slowly....

Your thumb and middle finger won’t connect or wrap all the way around the ball, so imagine an invisible straight line between them. The grip is critical to throwing a tight spiral, which will help you increase the speed of your throw. If your elbow is lower than your armpit, you’ll be pushing the ball more than throwing it, which means the ball will travel slower. Pointing the nose forward increases the rotation of your shoulder and stretches your chest muscles, adding more power and speed to your throw....