Health care workers in Baltimore listen to Archbishop William E. Lori and other interfaith leaders during a blessing at the Baltimore Convention Center April 20, 2020. (CNS photo/Kevin J. Parks, Catholic Review)

By Tim SwiftCatholic News Service

BALTIMORE As the coronavirus pandemic paralyzed the country and filled hospitals with patients suffering from COVD-19 symptoms, hundreds of people in the Archdiocese of Baltimore turned to Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori asking for prayers on a new prayer request page launched March 25 on the archdiocesan website.

Their appeals offer a window into how Baltimore Catholics are coping in this unprecedented time. The pandemic bleeds into every prayer however indirectly. For others, its at the forefront.

One woman asked for prayers for her husband who works in a nursing home fighting an outbreak of COVID-19. A man reached out for help for a friend struggling with addiction and domestic abuse all while sheltering in place. A mother wrote about her daughter who had expected to go to college in the fall but now is filled with uncertainty about her future.

As we go through anguish now. People might be sick wondering, Wheres God? But hes still here with us. Hes all around us. Hes keeping us, breathing and moving and helping others. Hes never gone, said Father Jack Lombardi, pastor of two Baltimore parishes: St. Peter and St. Patrick. Jesus said, I will never leave you orphaned.'

The priest, who has written several books on prayer, said as the world has slowed down and distractions have been replaced with uncertainty, it is natural for fears to dominate. The key is to fill that vacuum with prayer to establish a connection with God, he said.

Dr. Gina Magyar-Russell, an associate professor at Loyola University Maryland, often bridges the spiritual and scientific worlds when it comes to prayer. Shes a licensed clinical psychologist and leads the department of pastoral counseling at Loyola.

We found that life events like family conflict, health issues, catastrophes like natural disasters introduce and exacerbate mental and physical health problems for certain, Magyar-Russell said. So one of the basic things that psychologists and other mental health professionals suggest is having effective regimens for coping, such as prayer.

Although the pandemic has caused hardship and loss, Father Lombardi said it has created some new opportunities, namely for meditation.

People have a little bit more time than usual, he said, advising people to Take 10 minutes. Sit in your chair. Read a Bible verse or the Mass of the day reading and take time for meditation.

He recommends keeping it simple conversational prayer and short meditations.

A lot of people want instant stimulation gratification, Father Lombardi said. But even in the silence, God is still working with us and being with us and being present.

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Prayers pouring into Baltimore Archdiocese offer window into pandemic - The Record

Spending more time at home these days? Wondering which improvement projects you can tackle? Or, which repairs you might want to call in a professional? Handyman expert Larry Romick of Portland-based Neil Kelly remodeling company, has some advice.

When having work done on your home, cost is usually a big factor, says Romick. Sometimes a bit of maintenance or smaller repair makes more sense. It can give you more time to save up for a necessary larger repair or full replacement.

Bottom line: Dont put off needed repairs and enjoy making improvements.

Here are 10 home upgrades and repairs you can do yourself:

Bins Trays and Boxes For Parts and Tools Storage in Shelf. Photo provided by Neil KellyGetty Images/iStockphoto

Clean the garage: This is the perfect time to organize your garage. Make sure the garage door opener or mechanism is in good working order. Use stackable bins and totes to corral unneeded items until you can hold a yard sale or donate them. Put away any tools that could cause a safety hazard, including power tools. Unplug chargers and coil up electrical cables that arent in use. Put away automobile accessories that arent in use. Dont forget to hang bicycles.

Clean gutters and roof: Always remember safety first. Do not get on a ladder or roof unless you are capable and confident, and always tie off to an approved anchor. Contact a handyman who can get the job done in a safe and effective way. Use a broom or brush to gently remove the large pieces of moss, then apply a moss deterrent. Using a pressure washer or aggressive brushing can cause more damage to the roof and shorten its life.

Close up of a man cleaning a barbecue during a picnic day. Photo provided by Neil Kelly Co.Getty Images/iStockphoto

Inspect and clean grill: Prepare for the outdoor cooking season. Clean your grill with soapy water and use a brush with brass bristles. Remove accumulated grease from lava rocks and ceramic briquettes by turning them over and ignite the burners for 10 minutes on high heat.

Inspect garden hoses for leaks: Damaged ends can be easily replaced or leaks can be repaired with parts from a hardware store.

Inspect the crawl space or basement: This is a dirty job, but someone has to do it. And this is a good example of a project you might prefer to outsource to a handyman. After a heavy rainfall, suit up to inspect your crawl space or basement for water accumulation or excessive moisture. Look for signs of water damage on the sub floor and joists beneath bathrooms, kitchen and laundry. Find and fix the leaks now or pay the price later.

Photo provided by Neil KellyGetty Images/iStockphoto

Build a doghouse: This is a fun, family project. Make sure to provide adequate roof ventilation to allow hot air to escape. Do not use pressure-treated wood in any area where your dog might chew it up. Furnish it with cute canine accessories. And dont forget a screened, enclosed catio for felines.

Wash windows: Clean windows inside and out, and use either a squeegee or newspaper to avoid streaking.

Clean window screens: If you go through all the work of washing your windows, it only makes sense to clean the window screens too. Lay them flat on a picnic table or saw horses, and scrub them with a soft bristle brush and a mild detergent solution. Rinse with a garden hose and allow to dry completely.

Inspect outdoor structures for deterioration: Its important to look for signs of dry rot. A professional handyman can use a small awl tool to probe posts, railings and windowsills for soft spots and plan to replace or repair them as soon as possible.

Clean swimming pool or spa: Now is the time to inspect and service pool liners and spa filters so you and your family can enjoy them all summer long.

--As told to the Homes & Garden staff

Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072

jeastman@oregonian.com | @janeteastman

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DUNCAN, S.C. (WSPA) Several people in Duncan are now cleaning up and looking for repairs after their homes and cars were damaged in Monday nights storms.

7 News learned what you need to do if you have hail damage.

In fact, our own Todd Summers was a victim to the storm.

We didnt think that we had gotten a whole lot and then, we woke up this morning, came outside and looked, and we have a cracked window, Todd said.

His wifes car was also pelted by hail. But his family wasnt the only one to see significant damage.

Im standing in the window, just watching it, and its progressively getting worse and worse, and the hail is getting bigger and biggerto the point where youre like Okay, this can stop now. This is getting to be a little too much,' Shawna Fly-Gregorio said.

Many in Duncan will need to have their cars resurfaced and their roofs replaced. Some folks already have windows boarded up from the golf-ball-sized hail.

If you drive up and down these streets, almost every house has a broken window, Fly-Gregorio said.

The first thing you should do if you have damage like this is contact your insurance company.

Tell them what happened, the experience that you had, insurance agent Clyde McNeill said. If it was wind damage, hail damage, storm damage, lightningwhatever the case may be.

Clyde McNeillwho offers home, auto, life, commercial, and farm insurancesays the next thing you should do is take pictures of the damage.

He told 7 News homeowners should only make repairs that are necessary to prevent further damage.

McNeill said your insurance company will send an adjuster out as quickly as possible, and he said you will know who is coming and when theyll be there.

Do not take the advice of anybody coming to your house, calling you on the phone, anybody whos not associated with your company, he said.

Impacted neighbors told 7 News theyre just grateful that things werent worse.

You can get mad and you can be frustrated, but thats not going to do you any good. You cant control it. Its Mother Nature, Todd Summers said. Ive got two boys, theyre both fine. Ive got a wife, shes fine. Im fine. My two dogs are fine. Thats what matters.

If you have hail damage, and need more information on what to do, you can call Clyde McNeills agency at (864) 219-7500.

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After the Storm: What to do if you have hail damage - WSPA 7News

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the White House will phase out its coronavirus task force and likely replace it with a group focused on "reopening" the U.S. economy.

When asked why he was winding down the group, even as health experts warn of a recurrence in cases later this year, Trump said, "Well, because we can't keep our country closed for the next five years."

If a recurrence does happen, "It'll be a flame," Trump said at a roundtable event in Phoenix, Arizona, "and we'll put the flame out."

The gradual phaseout of the group would come as states begin relaxing their strict social distancing measures even as some regions see an uptick in Covid-19 cases.

Vice President Mike Pence, who oversees the task force, confirmed in a meeting with reporters Tuesday that the administration is having conversations about transitioning the coronavirus response to other federal agencies.

"We've already begun to talk about a transition plan with FEMA," said Pence, who suggested the wind-down is "all a reflection of the tremendous progress we've made as a country."

The administration is looking at starting that transition as soon as late May, Pence said.

"I think we're starting to look at the Memorial Day window, early June window as a time when we could begin to transition back to having our agencies begin to manage begin to manage our national response in a more traditional manner," the vice president said.

Trump said at the roundtable Tuesday afternoon: "Mike Pence and the task force have done a great job, but we're now looking at a little bit of a different form, and that form is safety and opening, and we'll have a different group probably set up for that."

The task force, which includes response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci, has already been moved out of the spotlight. On-camera press briefings with the task force, once a near-daily occurrence, have not been held since April 24, and a source told CNBC that the operation has been meeting less frequently.

But Fauci told CBS in an interview Tuesday afternoon that the task force is not winding down.

"That's not true, I've been in every task force meeting, and that's not what they are doing," Fauci said, CBS reported.

The New York Timesfirst reported earlier Tuesday that the task force would be wound down in the weeks ahead, and that itmay never be formally disbanded.It is unclear if any other group might replace the current task force.

Pence advisor Olivia Troye and other top White House staff have told senior officials involved in the group to expect it to wind down within weeks, the Times reported.

With the U.S. economy tanking amid the outbreak, President Donald Trump has expressed an eagerness for governors to begin the process of "reopening" their states by lifting some of the restrictionsdesigned to try to slow the spread of the disease.

A self-described cheerleader for the country amid the pandemic, Trump has predicted a sweeping economic rebound by the end of the year, when he is up for reelection. "We'll open it up and I think your fourth quarter is going to be very good," Trump said in a New York Post interview published Tuesday morning.

But experts say that new Covid-19 infections and deaths could start to rise as states reopen for business.

More than 1.1 million cases and at least 70,115 deaths from the coronavirus have been confirmed in the U.S., according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

Before the task force's daily press events at the White House were apparently scrapped, Trump had assumed a starring role in the briefings, which became marked by his lengthy and often combative exchanges with reporters.

Critics had accused Trump of co-opting the briefings and turning them into de facto reelection campaign events, since social distancing measures prevented him from staging the massive rallies that he previously held on the campaign trail. Even some of Trump's allies reportedly questioned whether his extended appearances were doing more harm than good.

Trump's use of the briefings appeared to come to an abrupt end on April 23 when, in apparently off-the-cuff remarks, he speculated about whether injecting disinfectants could work as a treatment for the virus.

"I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in a minute. One minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning," Trump said. "Because you see it gets in the lungs, and it does a tremendous number on the lungs. So it would be interesting to check that."

Trump tried to walk back the remarks the following day, claiming he was being "sarcastic." The president took no questions at the briefing later that evening. No on-camera press briefings with the task force have been scheduled since.

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Trump defends coronavirus team phaseout: 'We can't keep our country closed for the next 5 years' - CNBC

The Windows 10 May 2020 Update will be rolling out this month.

Microsoftis rolling out the Windows 10 ($120 at Walmart) May 2020 Update this month, bringing new features to help with productivity, security and speed. The update -- also known asWindows 10 versions 2004 and 20H1, and formerly referred to as the April 2020 Update -- is expected to start rolling out to mainstream users on May 28.

Read more: How to upgrade to Windows 10 for free

Windows 10 is now on more than 1 billion devices worldwide, Microsoft said in March. Now that support for Windows 7 is officially over, Microsoft is encouraging users to either upgrade their PC to Windows 10 to keep it running smoothly and securely or buy a new computer.

Major refreshes to the OS come about every six months, with the most recent being the November 2019 update. Early reports from our sister site ZDNet are that the latest update -- currently available as a preview release -- takes anywhere from 7 to 17 minutes to install.

Here's what we know so far about the Windows 10 May 2020 update.

Read more:The best antivirus protection of 2020 for Windows 10

For those in the Windows Insider Program, the May 2020 Update has been available as a preview release for about a year (again, it was originally referred to as the April 2020 update, but given the coronavirus pandemic, its release was pushed back).

The final version is expected to roll out to developers on May 12, and to mainstream users starting May 28, ZDNet reported.

If you want access to the preview release now, you can join the Windows 10 Insider Slow Ring, and toggle the Stop Getting Preview Builds option to On. (This allows you to use the current preview and keeps it from being replaced by future ones as they arrive.) Otherwise, you can wait until the update's general release.

The Windows 10 May 2020 update includes a number of changes for users, according to Microsoft, such as:

Read more: You have a new PC or laptop. Here's how to set it up the best way

Microsoft will end support for Windows 10 1809(also known as the October 2018 update) Home, Pro, Pro Education and Pro for Workstations editions in November of this year (this was originally scheduled to happen in May, but again, Microsoft delayed it due to the impact of coronavirus). Enterprise and Education editions support will last until May 2021.

You can still use version 1809, but the loss of Microsoft support means you will no longer get important security patches or other updates.

Read more:20 pro tips to make Windows 10 work the way you want (free PDF)(TechRepublic)

Nope. Microsoft recommends that you update, of course, but it's not mandatory -- unless you're about to hit an end-of-service date for the version you're currently running. You can find out more about the update process onZDNet.

To see which version of Windows 10 you have, go to Settings > System > About and scroll to Windows Specifications, where you'll find the edition and version number.

If you have version 1903 (released in May 2019) and want to keep it, you have until December 2020 before support ends. And if you have version 1909 (released in November 2019), you have until May 2021 to update.

In a Monday blog post, Panos Panay, Microsoft's chief product officer of Windows and devices, gave an update on the Windows 10X operating system. The OS was announced last year, and designed to work with new dual-screenSurface Neodevices, which are not yet available. However, given the changes in the world and the fact that most people are sticking to more typical laptops and two-in-one devices right now, Microsoft will pivot the focus of Windows 10X to single-screen devices instead, Panay wrote.

"With Windows 10X, we designed for flexibility, and that flexibility has enabled us to pivot our focus toward single-screen Windows 10X devices that leverage the power of the cloud to help our customers work, learn and play in new ways," Panay wrote in the post. "These single-screen devices will be the first expression of Windows 10X that we deliver to our customers, and we will continue to look for the right moment, in conjunction with our OEM partners, to bring dual-screen devices to market."

For more, check outWindows 10 tips and tricksand6 simple security changes all Windows 10 users need to make.

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Windows 10 Sticky Notes allows you to store short notes and reminders that can be referred to over and over. Backing up those notes can be simple or complicated.

The most current version of Microsoft Windows 10 includes a note-taking application called Sticky Notes. Just like the pads of paper that inspired it, Sticky Notes gives users a place to store short notes and reminders that can be referred to over and over again. The beauty of this digital version of the system is that your sticky notes can be synchronized across all your devices.

However, Microsoft has chosen to obscure the inner workings of the Sticky Notes system from users, which caused a bit of frustration for reader dacostam, who asked for help with backing up his notes. In general, there are two ways to back up and restore Sticky Notesone easy and one much more complicated.

Disclosure:TechRepublic may earn a commission from some of the products featured on this page. TechRepublic and the author were not compensated for this independent review.

This how-to tutorial explains where Windows 10 Sticky Notes are stored and shows you how to back up and restore your notes and reminders.

SEE: Research: SMB IT stack decisions based on fulfilling business needs (TechRepublic Premium)

The easiest and most effective way to back up your Sticky Notes is with the built-in synchronization of the app itself. The first step in this process is to log into Windows 10 with an active Microsoft account set of credentials. Then, with Sticky Notes open, click the gear icon in the upper right corner to open the Settings screen, as shown in Figure A.

Figure A

Scroll down to the Sync now button and click it. Now, all of your Sticky Notes will be available to any device that logs in using that same Microsoft account. A simple but useful application of cloud technology. Click the arrow to get back the Sticky Notes app.

SEE:How to sync Sticky Notes across devices in Windows 10(TechRepublic)

In Windows 10, Sticky Notes are stored in a single file located deep in the user folders. You can manually copy that SQLite database file for safekeeping to any other folder, drive, or cloud storage service to which you have access.

Log in to Windows 10 using your Microsoft account credentials, then open File Explorer. Navigate to this file folder:

C:UsersUsernameAppDataLocalPackagesMicrosoft.MicrosoftStickyNotes_8wekyb3d8bbweLocalState

In that folder (Figure B), you will find a filed named: plum.sqlite. That is the SQLite database file we are looking for. Copy that file to another location to back up your Sticky Notes.

Figure B

When it comes time to restore your Sticky Notes, log in to Windows 10 using your Microsoft account credentials and then open Task Manager. Find Sticky Notes in the list of running applications (Figure C), click it and then press the End task button to close it out. That will release the current plum.sqlite file.

Figure C

Close Task Manager and open File Explorer. Navigate back to the same folder as before and paste your backup plum.sqlite file. When asked, say "yes" to replacing the current file by that name in the destination folder.

Close File Explorer and restart Sticky Notes. Your restored notes and reminders should not be displayed.

SEE:How to use Microsoft's Sticky Notes in Windows 10, on the web, and on your mobile device(TechRepublic)

Obviously, the complicated process for backing up and restoring Sticky Notes is not the preferred method. Opting to let Microsoft Windows 10 do the heavy lifting and synchronize your Sticky Notes to all your devices is the most efficient method. Under normal conditions, you will not even notice the synchronization process as it happens.

However, while the complicated method may be used as an option of last resort under extreme circumstances, there is one important caveat: Restoring from a saved plum.sqlite file will completely delete all the Sticky Notes stored in the current file, so proceed with caution.

Be your company's Microsoft insider by reading these Windows and Office tips, tricks, and cheat sheets. Delivered Mondays and Wednesdays

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Having looked over 28 years of transfer data for my list of the 100 best Premier League transfers -- 100-51 here and 50-1 here -- it is time to go in the opposite direction. Say goodbye to Thierry Henry and hello to Bebe. It's time for the 50 worst transfers in Premier League history.

2 Related

I tried to keep the rules for determining the worst transfer simple. In short, I wanted to measure the impact a player had on a club versus the impact he would have been expected to have when he signed originally. I paid special attention to anyone whose story or impact off the pitch was particularly notable. And while I considered only a player's performance as a Premier Leaguer in the best transfers piece, in this feature I factored in what he did after relegation if it continued to make the transfer look worse, most notably with anyone whose wages continued to drag down his team.

One more note: All the transfer values in this column are from Transfermarkt. Some of that data might be at odds with what was publicly reported at the time.

Eric Djemba-Djemba (Manchester United) is the patron saint of these sorts of lists, but I really think it's more about his name than anything else. The Cameroonian cost only 4.1 million when he was signed by United in 2003, and as a 22-year-old, he was more of a prospect than a realistic replacement for Roy Keane. If he were named Eric Stevens and arrived from Bradford City, Djemba-Djemba would not get the same sort of attention he has since leaving United.

Several strikers who flamed out in a short time span miss out, including Ricky van Wolfswinkel (Norwich City), Jozy Altidore (Sunderland) and Andreas Cornelius (Cardiff City).

I'm not quite prepared to rule on most of the transfer flops of the 2019-20 campaign given the unique position we find ourselves in because of the coronavirus outbreak, so Tanguy Ndombele (Tottenham) Joelinton (Newcastle) and Moise Kean (Everton) get a pass, at least for now.

- Stream new episodes of ESPN FC weekdays on ESPN+- Stream every episode of 30 for 30: Soccer Stories on ESPN+

Signed from Real Mallorca (Spain) for 6 million, 1999

At a time when English football was still relatively insular and distrustful of foreign players, Marcelino became the caricature of what could go wrong if a team dared look outside the British Isles for talent. The Spain international couldn't stay healthy early in his tenure on Tyneside, and after Ruud Gullit was sacked, Sir Bobby Robson simply didn't trust him.

Having developed a reputation as a "bottler," he spent four years with the club but played just 17 matches, including zero across his final two years in the Premier League. While Marcelino helped Rafa Benitez prepare for his time managing Newcastle and returned to watch his old team play, supporters still asked about the finger injury that cost the defender more than two months on the sideline.

Signed from Chelsea for 3.2 million, 2001

Signed as a 35-year-old to replace Neil Lennon in midfield, Wise immediately presided over Leicester's relegation from the Premier League. He then showed up to training camp the next summer in Finland and punched teammate Callum Davidson in a card game spat, breaking the Scottish player's cheekbone. The punch cost Wise the 3m remaining on his Leicester deal and is likely the best thing he ever did for the club, which soon entered administration.

Signed from Monaco (France) for 5.9 million, 2011

When does the transfer window reopen? Karlsen: Possible coronavirus impact Best ever transfers: 100-51 | 50-1 This summer's top free agents January transfer grades Latest completed major transfers

The South Korea international was one of several signings Arsene Wenger seemed to make in a panic at the end of the 2011 summer transfer window, just days after his club had been ripped to shreds in an 8-2 defeat at Old Trafford.

While the club signed future manager Mikel Arteta and academy boss Per Mertesacker, they also added overmatched left-back Andre Santos and striker Park over the two-day span, with the latter leaving his hotel in the middle of a medical with French side Lille to sign for the Gunners. While Santos had his own issues, Park played a total of eight minutes in the Premier League over two-plus seasons with the club.

Signed from PAOK Salonika (Greece) for 2.4 million, 2000

Also known as Tyson Nunez, the Honduran made just one substitute appearance during his time on Wearside, which is fitting for a player whom Sunderland signed by accident. Sunderland manager Peter Reid was reportedly attempting to sign 6-foot-0 future MetroStars striker Adolfo Valencia to his team, but he mistakenly ended up with 5-foot-4 Nunez instead.

The whole situation ended up in a lawsuit, although Nunez wasn't totally sidelined during his time with the Black Cats. He scored a brace in a 3-2 Honduras road win at RFK Stadium against the U.S., which was the last World Cup qualifier the U.S. lost on home soil for 15 years.

Signed from Crystal Palace for 26 million, 2016

While Everton's recruitment in the Farhad Moshiri era has been inconsistent at best, few would have argued with the signing of the 27-year-old Bolasie from Crystal Palace when it happened. Sadly, the winger tore his ACL months after arriving and hasn't been the same player since.

The Congo international missed nearly a full year and has made just 29 appearances over four seasons at Everton, with the club loaning him to Aston Villa, Anderlecht and Sporting Lisbon. Bolasie, reportedly earning something close to 80,000-per-week, has produced more loans (three) than league goals (two) during his time at Goodison Park.

Signed from Real Madrid (Spain) for 67.5 million, 2014

One of the most significant examples of United's habit of getting the least out of world-class players, Di Maria got off to an impressive-enough start at Old Trafford after being signed for a British transfer record. The Argentine was named club Player of the Month in October but, after missing time with a hamstring injury, never seemed to regain his old form.

His family was understandably unsettled by an attempted robbery in February, while the star winger was scapegoated for Louis van Gaal's uninspiring debut season. He was sold to PSG after one season at a loss of 10.8m, at which point Di Maria returned to his old self.

Signed from Heerenveen (Netherlands) for 15.3 million, 2008

Sometimes, you mine the Eredivisie for its top scorer and come away with Ruud van Nistelrooy. Other times, you end up with Alves, who had scored 44 goals in 39 matches for Heerenveen before joining Middlesbrough in the winter transfer window. He was actually decent in his first half-season with the club, scoring six goals in 651 minutes, but the subsequent year was a disaster.

In 2008-09, Alves scored just four times in 31 appearances for a Boro team that netted just 28 goals all season, the fewest of any Premier League club. Gareth Southgate's team unsurprisingly went down, with Alves taking much of the blame before leaving for Al-Sadd.

Signed from Udinese for 6.1 million, 2005

Few players have had briefer Premier League careers than the Denmark international, who joined high-flying Everton in summer 2005 and immediately suffered a groin injury. When he recovered, manager David Moyes inserted him into the lineup for a Boxing Day fixture against Aston Villa, which Everton lost 4-0.

After one January appearance as a sub in the FA Cup, Everton cut their losses and sold Kroldrup to Fiorentina for 3.6m. The 6-foot-4 defender had a fine career outside of England, but even he admitted he couldn't cope with English football.

Signed from Middlesbrough for 15.2 million, 2018

When Sean Dyche shelled out a club-record 15m to sign Gibson, Burnley thought they were signing an emerging central defender on the fringes of the England team. Over nearly two full seasons, though, Gibson has made a total of one Premier League appearance, scoring in a 5-1 defeat at the hands of Everton. He was last seen training with Middlesbrough and has likely completed his Clarets career.

Signed from Lokomotiv Moscow (Russia) for 16.1 million, 2016

Another recent Everton flop, Niasse has had a tenure with the club that has been downright bizarre. Signed by Roberto Martinez during the winter transfer window, Niasse played only 131 minutes over five matches before being told he had no future with the club by new boss Ronald Koeman.

After outlasting Koeman on Merseyside, Niasse became a bit of a cult hero and scored eight times in 22 appearances. Since then, though, he has played just 77 minutes over two seasons, mixing in a scoreless loan spell at Cardiff. His Everton career will end this summer.

Signed from Ternana (Italy) for 10.2 million, 2001

With the days of Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton gone, you can understand why the recently promoted Rovers made their move to sign the 25-year-old Grabbi, who had finished second in Serie B after scoring 20 goals for lowly Ternana the prior season.

Graeme Souness was hoping to come away with a budding star, but Grabbi failed miserably in England and scored just once in his debut season, losing his place to Andy Cole. Grabbi finished his run in England with two Premier League goals in 950 minutes across three seasons before returning to his home country.

Signed from Liverpool for 52.7 million, 2011

Most of the players on this list have not been up to the standards of the Premier League, but Torres is a different sort of problem. While he was one of the best strikers on the planet during his time at Atletico Madrid and Liverpool, he was surprisingly ordinary after signing for Chelsea.

Torres scored 65 league goals in 7,856 minutes for Liverpool, or about once every 120.8 minutes; after signing for Chelsea, he netted a mere 20 league goals in 6,824 minutes, which was closer to once every 341 minutes. He was 26 upon his arrival, so it wasn't as if Chelsea signed a player who should have been past his peak. It just never seemed to come together in West London for the World Cup winner, who scored just once in his first half-season and never topped eight Premier League goals in his time with the club.

Chelsea eventually let Torres, the most expensive player on this list, leave on a free transfer. His tenure didn't live up to expectations, but fans still have some fond memories of his time with the club, most notably his goal at Barcelona that sealed a place in the 2012 Champions League final.

Signed from Newcastle United for 36.9 million, 2011

The player signed to replace Torres didn't turn out too well, either. There was understandable shock when Liverpool broke their club record for the second time in a matter of hours, but while the 22.8m move for Ajax's Luis Suarez turned out to be a work of genius, Carroll's signing proved to be a misstep.

The 22-year-old had really spent only one half-season as a starting striker for Newcastle in the top flight, scoring 11 goals in 19 games, but injuries and coaching changes marginalized the lanky striker. He scored just six goals in 44 matches for Liverpool before being shipped off to West Ham.

Signed from Lazio (Italy) for 38.3 million, 2001

Dan Thomas is joined by Craig Burley, Shaka Hislop and a host of other guests every day as football plots a path through the coronavirus crisis. Stream on ESPN+ (U.S. only).

In hindsight, it does seem a little curious that Sir Alex Ferguson attempted to break up that famous midfield of Ryan Giggs, Roy Keane, Paul Scholes and David Beckham by making Veron the most expensive transfer in English history at the time. Veron was a more complete player than any of the four, but as Gary Neville said with the benefit of hindsight, he wasn't a like-for-like replacement for either of United's central midfielders.

Ferguson saw Veron as a unique difference-maker and famously defended the player in an expletive-filled rant to the media, but despite winning Player of the Month in his first full month with the club, Veron seemed to wither by the end of his first season and never seemed to find the right role with the club. United cut their losses after two years and sold him to Chelsea for 19.3m.

Signed from Torino (Italy) for an unknown fee, 1995

One of the top scorers in Serie A in 1994 and a one-time Italy international, Silenzi was unfairly positioned as the replacement for Stan Collymore, who had just been sold to Liverpool. Ostracized as the first Italian in Premier League history, Silenzi failed to score in 12 appearances, only three of which were starts. Forest then sent Silenzi back to Italy on a loan from which he never returned.

Signed from Lorient (France) for 18 million, 2016

Signed from Chelsea for 8.6 million, 2016

I'll link these two players because they both went through a similar saga. Sunderland signed Ndong and Djilobodji in summer 2016. Neither impressed as Sunderland finished with just 24 points and were relegated. Ndong was a much better player than Djilobodji, but both of their Stadium of Light careers ended the same way. They each went on loan during Sunderland's infamous follow-up season, when they were relegated for a second consecutive campaign. Both were released after failing to report for training over the summer, a tactic the club likely preferred to get their respective wages off the books.

Signed from Venezia (Italy) on a free transfer, 1999

Other sources have suggested Taibi cost 4.5m, but at any price, his brief run as United goalkeeper was a disaster. Ferguson signed Taibi to compete with Mark Bosnich and Raymond van der Gouw as the Scot tried to replace Peter Schmeichel. The Italian started only four matches for United, allowing 11 goals in the process, most notably that famous gaffe against Southampton's Matt Le Tissier.

That came in Taibi's third appearance, and while the 6-foot-3 keeper blamed his studs, there were no such excuses when Taibi allowed five goals against Chelsea in his fourth and final appearance for United. Ferguson's other keepers allowed only 34 goals across their other 34 games, though, as United comfortably won the league.

Signed from Everton for 13.8 million, 2001

Arguably the first significant transfer misfire of the Wenger era, the 20-year-old Jeffers was famously signed to serve as the "fox in the box" for an Arsenal team that had only the likes of Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp to rely upon for scoring. Jeffers had some injury issues even before signing for the Gunners, but the reality is that he just wasn't a great player. He scored six Premier League goals in three consecutive seasons for Everton as a teenager, then never topped that mark in any season at any level afterward. He scored just four goals in 548 minutes for Arsenal before beginning the itinerant phase of his career.

Signed from Olympiakos (Greece) for 13.7 million, 2014

With Fulham attempting to avoid relegation, the addition of Mitroglou seemed like a coup. The Greece international had scored 30 goals in his prior 36 appearances for Olympiakos, which led the Cottagers to shell out a club-record fee to sign him in January.

But if you don't remember Mitroglou's career at Craven Cottage, well, you aren't alone. Fulham sacked Rene Meulensteen and replaced him with Felix Magath, whose hyper-emphasis on fitness led the German to omit Mitroglou from the team. The striker played just 153 scoreless minutes for relegated Fulham and never appeared for the club again. He went back to Olympiakos on loan and then to Benfica before being sold to the Portuguese club for 6.3m in 2016.

Signed from Sparta (Holland) for 653,000, 1995

Things started bad and didn't get much better for Boogers, who was sent off in his second appearance for the Hammers after an attempt to saw off Gary Neville's leg at the knee. Boogers would make just two more appearances for West Ham and finished his Premier League career with 100 total minutes on the pitch.

When he returned to Netherlands during his four-game suspension for the Neville tackle, a misheard quote from West Ham's press officer led the Sun to publish a headline suggesting Boogers had left the club to live in a Dutch caravan. The story wasn't true, but, after a knee injury, he did return to his homeland to finish his career.

Signed from Valencia (Spain) for 6.3 million, 2010

Six-foot-7 Zigic scored the opener in Birmingham's 2-1 Carling Cup final win over Arsenal, but the rest of his Birmingham tenure was less notable. He scored five goals in his first season as the club were relegated, and while he managed 28 goals over three years in the Championship, Birmingham simply couldn't get rid of the Serbia international.

Zigic was reportedly on 50,000-a-week and had no clause to reduce his wages in the case of relegation. With no takers, he lingered for years. It peaked with what manager Lee Clark called "the worst training session I have ever come across" in 2013.

Signed from Real Madrid (Spain) for 22.5 million, 2005

Here are the top 100 players and managers in men's soccer, as rated by our experts.

You can't fault Newcastle for trying. With Alan Shearer entering his final year at the club, they tried to sign the best possible replacement for their club legend by bringing Owen back to England. Injuries had blunted his impact during a lone season in Madrid, but the pacey English star was still only 25 and had scored 70 goals across his final four seasons with Liverpool.

Everything went wrong for Owen during his first two seasons with the club, when he suffered thigh and foot injuries before tearing his ACL in the opening moments of England's 2006 World Cup game against Sweden. Owen played just 14 games over those first two years on Tyneside and, while the next two were better, he still managed only 19 league goals over 4,073 minutes and a total of 26 over his four years in black and white.

Signed from Bayern Munich (Germany) for 22.5 million, 2007

While Hargreaves had battled injury issues before making his move to England in summer 2007, nobody could have anticipated just how badly the England international would fare in his struggle to stay healthy. Hargreaves won the double in his debut season for United, but his career was basically over at 27.

The Canada-born midfielder would make just five more appearances in the Premier League, four of which came over his final three seasons with United. After one subsequent 14-minute appearance for Manchester City, Hargreaves retired.

Signed from Derby County for 10.4 million, 2001

Another English midfielder whose career was cut short in his 20s by injury, Johnson is most famous for the perhaps-apocryphal story surrounding his signing with Leeds. As it goes, Johnson arrived for his negotiations with Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale hoping to come away with 13,000-per-week. Ridsdale's initial offer was 30,000-per-week, and when Johnson gasped, Ridsdale misconstrued the sentiment and upped his offer to 37,000-per-week. It became the perfect encapsulation of how Leeds' spending spree at the turn of the century went disastrously wrong.

Johnson struggled to stay healthy, and once the club entered administration and were relegated to the Championship, they were stuck in an impossible situation. He had made 59 appearances for the club, but with the 60th set to trigger a 250,000 payment to Derby that Leeds couldn't afford, Johnson sat on the bench for the remainder of the season. He would return to Derby on a free transfer, in part because he was impressed with the club's training facilities. They had been funded by Johnson's sale to Leeds.

Signed from Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine) for 16.2 million, 2000

Rebrov was part of a famous strike partnership with Andrey Shevchenko at Kyiv. While Shevchenko starred at Milan before disappointing at Chelsea, Rebrov went directly into the anonymous English phase of his career.

Spurs were hoping to see the striker who scored 10 times in the Champions League during his final season with Kyiv, but Rebrov managed just 10 Premier League goals over 59 appearances, including one in 30 during his second season. Spurs then loaned him to Fenerbahce for the remainder of his contract.

Signed from Espanyol (Spain) on a free transfer, 2019

The only player signed in the present season on this list, Roberto's career with the Hammers was short but disastrous. Taking over for injured Lukasz Fabianski, calamitous performances saw Roberto allow 14 goals (including an own goal) across his seven starts. West Ham claimed just one point from those matches, and Roberto's struggles led the club to sack manager Manuel Pellegrini and director of football Mario Husillos.

The Hammers had a 31% chance of going down when the Premier League season was stalled and, given they were averaging 1.2 points per match without Roberto, it would be fair to pin a significant amount of blame on him if they do go down. Other players have cost more and failed to live up to much higher expectations, but very few players can inspire total regime change and open up the possibility of relegation in 686 minutes of football.

Signed from Porto (Portugal) for 21.8 million, 2016

Stoke aren't the sort of club who would typically spend this much money on any one player, so there was a lot of pressure on club-record signing Imbula to make an immediate impact after Stoke signed him away from Porto. Charlie Adam compared Imbula to Patrick Vieira when he signed for the club in 2016, and given that Vieira was 40 years old at the time, it was probably fair.

Imbula became the symbol of Stoke's rapid decline and departure from the Premier League, as the midfielder made just 26 appearances over his two years with the club. He was dropped to the U-23 team and loaned out as Stoke were relegated. Imbula then helped Vallecano get relegated from La Liga before being sent home from his loan in Serie A with Lecce after three appearances. Stoke cancelled Imbula's contract by mutual consent with 18 months to go.

Signed from West Bromwich Albion for 12.5 million, 2017

I would argue that once-promising Berahino did more to consign Stoke to the Championship. In 28 matches and 1,214 minutes for Stoke in the Premier League, he failed to score even once. After scoring three goals in the second tier the next season, the club terminated Berahino's contract after he was arrested on charges of driving drunk.

Signed from Porto (Portugal) for 40.5 million, 2014

Mangala looked to be a rising superstar when City spent more than 40m to buy him from Porto, but Mangala was inconsistent under Manuel Pellegrini and frozen out under Pep Guardiola.

The defender started just four more league matches under the former Barcelona manager and was loaned to Valencia and Everton. Mangala was allowed to leave for Valencia on a free transfer this summer and has the third-largest gap between his transfer fee and subsequent sale return of any player in Premier League history.

Signed from Manchester City for 11.3 million, 2014

It's unclear whether the one-time England international simply stalled after his rise at Everton or really wasn't all that good in the first place. Sunderland signed Rodwell after a two-year spell at Man City and gave him a contract worth 70,000-per-week, crucially leaving out a clause that would have reduced his salary if the Black Cats were relegated to the Championship. When Rodwell's indifferent play and struggles with injury helped push Sunderland into the second tier, they were stuck with one of the most expensive players in the division.

That would have been one thing if Rodwell were a key member of the club, but he played just 105 minutes as Sunderland were relegated again. Facing a 43,000-per-week salary in League 1, they were able to convince Rodwell to cancel his contract. He became the symbol of Sunderland's fall down the league as an overpaid, uninterested mistake. You can criticize him for taking the money, I suppose, but Sunderland are the ones who handed him the contract.

Signed from Necaxa (Mexico) for 5.2 million, 2002

It should be telling that Southampton were more surprised when Delgado showed up in 2003 than they would have been if he had stayed home. Then one of the club's biggest signings, Delgado got on Gordon Strachan's bad side after seemingly prioritizing trips back to Ecuador for his national team over playing for the Saints.

He played just 65 minutes and trained five times in his first season after joining Southampton in 2002, only to then play all three matches for Ecuador in the World Cup. Delgado made just two starts and played a mere 303 minutes over his three years in England, scoring once. His time ended with Southampton threatening to block him from signing with another club until his contract expired, seemingly out of frustrated spite.

Read more:
Ranking the 50 worst Premier League transfers of all time - ESPN

Tom Thibodeau's intense, old school style will probably return to an NBA bench next season. Should ... [+] it? Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Tom Thibodeau knows how to win.

He won as an assistant under head coaches like Doc Rivers and Jeff Van Gundy and as a head coach with the Chicago Bulls and, to a far lesser extent, the Minnesota Timberwolves. But after a tenure as a coach and lead executive in Minnesota ended after two-and-a-half underwhelming seasons, Thibodeau is reportedly ready to jump back into coaching.

The New York Post reported Monday that while the New York Knicks will get the first crack at Thibs, the Brooklyn Nets and Houston Rockets would also be interested. But there are significant questions whether Thibodeau can adjust and adapt to a modern NBA that is more player-centric than ever before.

Tom Thibodeau is not for everyone.

Though he made the playoffs in each of his five seasons with Chicago, advancing twice to the second round and once to the conference finals led by excellent defense, he often clashed with management (which now looks like a good thing based on how things went with Gar Forman and John Paxson) and had a reputation for demanding a ton from his players. He had a reputation for playing his guys heavy minutes and not resting them enough, but players like Jimmy Butler, Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, Derrick Rose and Taj Gibson swore by him.

Thibodeau was able to get a lot out of the Bulls during his five seasons in Chicago, though he was ... [+] criticized for playing his core guys too many minutes. Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images

Chicago had a trademark style of strong defense and hard-nosed play under Thibodeau, and he tried to re-create that with Minnesota. But he inherited an extremely young Wolves team prior to the 2016-2017 season, with the main core of Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine all in their age-21 season and rotation pieces like Ricky Rubio, Gorgui Dieng, Shabazz Muhammad, Nemanja Bjelica and Kris Dunn all under 30. They went 31-51, finishing 27th in defensive rating.

So Thibodeau the executive tried to create Bulls 2.0 in Minnesota by swinging a blockbuster trade for Butler, signing veterans like Gibson and Jeff Teague and eventually Rose. The Wolves finished 27th in defense but fourth in offense in 2017-2018, making the playoffs for the first time in 14 years by beating Denver on the final night of the regular season. After a quick first round exit against Houston, things went off the rails.

Though Thibs kept the team mainly intact, re-signing Rose, making a sneaky good move in inking Josh Okogie, bringing in Deng and maxing out Towns after doing the same with Wiggins the year before, Butler demanded a trade and things got out of control. Thibs couldnt convince his prized pupil to stay and eventually traded Butler to Philadelphia.

Minnesota majority stakeholder Glen Taylor saw that the young group wasnt responding to Thibodeau, a season after Towns, Wiggins and Gibson all finished in the top 14 in the NBA in total minutes played. As Berman notes in his piece, no Thibs-coached team has ever finished in the top half of the league in 3-pointers made per game. In an era of threes, player empowerment, rest and load management, Thibodeau relied on the opposite and it backfired.

Thibodeau couldn't connect well enough with young players like Towns, and things fell apart quickly ... [+] in the 2018-2019 season despite a decent record. Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images

Can Tom Thibodeau change his ways to reflect the modern game?

Hed have to with a young team like the Knicks, who are reportedly looking at options to replace interim head coach Mike Miller, who in turn replaced the fired David Fizdale, who was given a poorly-fitted group to work with and an unrealistic set of expectations from ownership to attain. But Thibodeau worked with new team president Leon Rose while at CAA and there could be a fit in that regard.

With cap space to burn and a top draft pick coming, can Thibodeau work with and develop young players like R.J. Barrett, Mitchell Robinson, Frank Ntilikina, Kevin Knox and whoever else is on the New York roster when next season begins, rather than hinder their growth in favor of young players in a misguided quest for mediocrity? Though those players would do well learning some defense, toughness and tenacity, they also shouldnt be run into the ground, either. It sure seems like he would be a better fit for a veteran squad closer to winning now.

Brooklyn and Houston would certainly qualify. The Nets championship window is as open as its ever been the next couple of seasons, and Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and company could benefit from a coach with pedigree and gravitas. But he needs to improve the way he allocates minutes to players and how he rests them, things he was reportedly working on when he made visits to teams like the Clippers, coached by former mentor Doc Rivers.

How would Kyrie Irving respond to a tough-minded coach like Thibodeau? Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty ... [+] Images

But would the Nets stars bristle at a disciplinarian like Thibodeau and eventually either tune him out or outright rebel? Its why I think Mike DAntoni would make a better fit for Brooklyn than Thibs.

However, DAntoni is coaching the Rockets right now, but he may not be for long. If either he or Houston decided not to renew his expiring contract, Thibodeau could be an interesting fit for a veteran Rockets team constructed to win now. Hed have to manage two superstars in James Harden and Russell Westbrook and would have to embrace the Rockets fast pace and its 3-point-centric offense. Houston wouldnt be what it is without that identity, and trying to change that style would lead to disastrous results.

In a modern NBA thats an adapt-or-die kind of league, Thibodeau has yet to prove that he can change with the times. But with a big name and a winning reputation, it sure seems like some team is going to give Thibs a chance to prove us wrong pretty, pretty soon.

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Does Tom Thibodeau Fit In The Modern NBA? - Forbes

Last year, the US Department of Commerce blacklisted Huawei. After that, the company announced the development of its OS HarmonyOS. Now, we know that Huawei plans to release computers with its own operating system.

According to Huaweicentral, referring to an insider post in the Chinese social network Weibo, computers with HarmonyOS 2.0 can enter the companys home market. Devices will also run on Kunpeng processors.

An insider reports that several provinces, cities, and regions are already helping Huawei to set up PC supply chains.

Recall that Huawei already reported that HarmonyOS will be a cross-platform solution. This means that the operating system can be flexibly deployed on different devices including smartwatches, personal computers, cars, and others.

Despite the problems associated with the inability to work with Google, Huawei continues to launch new flagship smartphones with Android OS and Huawei mobile services instead of Google mobile services. The company keeps developing its own AppGallery application store and the HarmonyOS operating system, while not forgetting to release full-fledged flagships. But there are times when its representatives are a little odd for example, the head ofHuaweisaid that the company will need no more 300 years to catch up with Google and Apple.

Sales of devices on Android and Apple operating systems in the world are huge, and Huawei is late. Its hard for consumers to accept other operating systems. Thus, the Huawei OS can take a long time to surpass Android and Apple, but no more than 300 years, said the CEO of the company Ren Zhengfei in an interview with Dragon Magazine.

These statements are frustrating for the employees and fans of the giant company. And it is more strange that it comes from the founder of the company.

According to Richard Yu, the CEO of Huawei consumer business. HMS (Huawei mobile services) currently is in more than 170 countries and regions. With more than 400 million monthly active users and more than 1.3 million developers and partners. It is already second only to Google Android and Apple iOS, ranking the top three globally.

At present, Google Play has more than 2.1 million apps, while Huawei AppGalery currently has only 55,000 apps. In the short term, GMSs leading position is undoubtedly difficult to shake, let alone replace Android with Hongmeng OS.

See the original post here:
Huawei to replace Windows 10 with HarmonyOS 2.0 in its PCs - Gizchina.com

Date published: Sunday 3rd May 2020 1:56

Adrien Rabiot has once again emerged as a transfer target for Manchester United, who reportedly hope to sign the midfielder as soon as the summer transfer window opens.

At this stage it remains uncertain when that window will open, given that all major leagues currently remain suspended, but the majority of teams are continuing to identify their top targets.

And the latest reports suggest that the Red Devils are back in for a player who they having been chasing for more than two years, in Juve ace Rabiot.

According to Tuttomercatoweb, United scouted Rabiot earlier this season, and have made plans to swoop for him when the football world gets back to normality.

The 25-year-old could have moved to Old Trafford on a free transfer last summer but opted to head to reigning Serie A champions Juve instead.

The France international has gone on toestablish himself in Maurizio Sarris first XI but despite that, the Turin outfit are still said to be ready to listen to offers for Rabiot.

Juve are conscious of the fact that they could make a small fortune by selling a player that cost them nothing, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is still said to be looking for an upgrade on Nemanja Matic despite the club picking up the one-year option to extend the Serbians contract.

Before joining Juventus, Rabiot spent his entire career with PSG after progressing through their academy, making 227 appearances for the French giants and winning a whopping 18 trophies.

His potential arrival in Manchester could lead to shake-up in Uniteds midfield, with Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard continuing to be linked with moves away from the club and Solskjaer also said to be in the market for the likes of Jack Grealish, James Maddison and Donny Van de Beek.

Meanwhile, United, Liverpool and Chelsea target Victor Osimhen is reportedly the subject of a shock transfer bid from an unnamed club.

According to French outlet Telefoot, Lille have received an offer of 75million including bonuses for their 21-year-old striker, who has also been linked with Tottenham and Inter Milan.

However, another report on Sunday claims that the mystery bidder could be Newcastle, who are expected to be very active in the summer transfer market if their Saudi takeover is allowed to go through. Read more

Read more from the original source:
Man Utd reignite interest in Matic replacement with imminent bid expected - Teamtalk.com