The program had served about 420,000 households in August, up from 340,000 in July, and distributed about $7.7 billion since the beginning of the year, officials added. The most promising signs of progress come from New Jersey, New York and South Carolina, all places where the program initially faltered, the Associated Press reported. Spending in Florida went up from $60.9 million in July to $141.4 million in August, and in South Carolina, $10....

This brain-gut connection has prompted the use of various mind/body treatment options as potential treatments for IBS. The Mind/Body Connection in IBS Research efforts have attempted to better understand how illnesses interplay with both our bodies and our minds. In the case of IBS, researchers have focused on the brain-gut axis, a back-and-forth communication system between the brain and intestines. Within this axis, communication occurs through neurotransmitter chemicals and hormones found throughout the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord), endocrine system, and the enteric nervous system (the gut) as part of the autonomic nervous system that handles digestion....

But when he hit his 70s at the turn of the century, Perkins became obsessed with creating the world’s biggest, fastest, highest-tech, most self-indulgent sailboat—what he described as “the perfect yacht.” He fantasized about a modern clipper ship, as long as a football field, 14 meters wide, with three masts each rising 20 stories toward the heavens. So he had it built. The $130 million square-rigger—the Maltese Falcon—evokes the era of magnificent vessels that raced across the oceans in the 19th century....

The U-18 trials are scheduled from May 26 - May 28 at the Lt. Col. Deol’s Minerva Academy Football Grounds in Chandigarh. Whereas, the U-15 trials are set to be hosted from May 23 - May 25 at the same venue. Notably, Minerva Punjab have clinched the U-15 Championship for a record three times. The U-13 trials will be held from May 19 - May 21. Aspirants must carry their original birth certificate along with their original Aadhar Card or Passport for age verification....

If Mickey and Minnie are more your speed, the Disneyland Half Marathon runs through Disneyland and California Adventure amusement parks for the first four miles and then on to Angels Stadium, where runners’ names appear on the JumboTron when they cross home plate. In its second year, the Sept. 3 race already has 13,000 registered runners (disneyworldsports.disney.go.com). Run enough half-marathons, and soon you’ll be ready for the real thing.

That's right, a buzzer-beating hockey goal to earn a spot in the national championship game. The Golden Gophers will face Union College, who defeated Boston College 5-4, on for the national championship.

What Coyle could say without condition during a Friday morning press conference were these two things: “Yes, Reggie is a member of our basketball team.” But … “Reggie Lynch will not be playing tomorrow. He is suspended … from athletic competition.” DeCOURCY: Kevin Stallings’ sideline behavior is still the pits The University of Minnesota’s Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action office found Lynch responsible for an incident that occurred in April 2016, near the end of the academic year in which he did not compete in intercollegiate basketball after transferring from Illinois State....

Kill had a seizure last Saturday morning and was unable to coach the team in its game against Michigan. Defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys, who's been on Kill's staff for 19 seasons, will be the team's acting head coach. The Gophers are off this week and play Oct. 19 at Northwestern. "My wife Rebecca, myself and our two daughters want to thank everyone for their prayers and concerns during the last few weeks," Kill said in a statement....

Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer, has been charged with unintentional second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter after he pressed his knee into the neck of George Floyd, a Black man, for close to 9 minutes during an arrest on May 25. The incident was caught on camera and sparked protests against police brutality and Black Lives Matter demonstrations around the world. The phrase “Defund the police” became a progressive rallying cry and put law enforcement at the forefront of the political agenda in the months after Floyd’s death....

Superior National Forest officials said the Greenwood Lake fire is still uncontained. It has destroyed 12 homes and cabins as well as 57 outbuildings, authorities said. The Greenwood Lake fire was detected on August 15 and has caused the evacuation of 280 homes and cabins. The Minnesota National Guard said its aviation crews continued to provide “aerial fire suppression capabilities” to combat wildfires in the state on Wednesday. Three more homes or cabins were burned, Minnesota Public Radio News reported Wednesday....

Officials extended the closure of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness on Wednesday, disrupting the plans of visitors to the area. The closure of the one million-acre Boundary Waters will last until at least September 3. Forest Service lands along upper Gunflint Trail, including the campgrounds and the Magnetic Rock Hiking Trail were also closed, which will last at least a week. The road for Gunflint Trail itself will remain open, as well as the resorts along it....

Still, the Nets forward posted a 24-point third quarter, which was a career high in points. He finished the night with 34 points on 12-of-18 shooting with seven made 3-pointers in the Nets' 107-106 win. This could be the moment in Teletovic's career that outweighs his troll of LeBron James, but that's highly unlikely. 

Three naughty dogs were found waiting for their owner in their living room with bright pink stains all over their fur and fruit juice all over the floor, besides a sofa which had been torn to pieces. After discovering the group of pooches had been misbehaving, their owner, who posts under the username mjutrdgji5, shared footage of the discovery on TikTok—which racked up over 312,000 views and nearly 5,000 likes....

Aside from their common funding source, these organizations also have refused to engage with members of the public health community who dare suggest that vapor products—and other non-combustible tobacco products, such as smokeless tobacco, snus and alternative nicotine products—might provide a solution to the long-term and shared goal of reducing health risks and other harm caused by cigarette smoking. Their well-intentioned but misguided and unscientific beliefs, however, may actually reap a consequence they certainly do not intend: increased youth cigarette smoking....

Both Fox and Telemundo will air the event live from the 330-acre venue, which has 12 soundstages and opened in October. For those without TV, and a live stream of the event will be available from Fox, however there will be no live stream on the Miss Universe website. Viewers can tune in at 7 p.m. EST. Comedian Steve Harvey will host the event as the pageant’s contestants go head-to-head in the long-standing evening gown, swimsuit and personal statement categories....

With the first round games in the books Thursday and Friday — a handful of double-digit seeds advanced — the first day of the second round took place on Saturday. I’m not saying it was dusty in here, but there was plenty of chalk. Breaking down the voting from Round 2, Day 3: MISSING MARCH MADNESS: Playing out full schedule, scores for 2020 NCAA Tournament MIDWEST REGION No. 1 Kansas vs....

Such was the drama last week in the theater of the absurd also known as the Congress. For many Americans, the government shutdown was not a calamity, unless they were trying to vacation at the Grand Canyon or wanted to get a passport. Most essential services, from air-traffic control to mailing social-security checks, went on as usual, and it seemed likely that some kind of stopgap legislation would restore the rest before Thanksgiving....

The First Pentecostal Church of Holly Springs on Highway 178 was destroyed in a fire in the early hours on Wednesday, WMC reported. According to the station, investigators found evidence that the fire was intentionally set, including graffiti in the church parking lot that said “Bet you stay home now you hypokrits (sic).” Jerry Waldrop, who has been the church’s pastor for more than 30 years, told the WMC that the church has “no enemies that we know of....

This Friday, Brennan Pugh plans to do it again. “It’s definitely different. I would absolutely prefer to be [there] and be able to look at the players in their eyes and them see me on the field,” the Vardaman High School head football coach told Newsweek. Pugh is in his second week of quarantine for COVID-19, a necessity after someone close to him tested positive for the novel coronavirus. However, Pugh said once he got the news he began thinking of ways to coach his team without being close to them....