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There’s no real way around that. The Indians went 49-15 (a .766 winning percentage) against the six AL teams that finished under .500 this season -- the Astros, White Sox, Twins, Mariners, Blue Jays and Angels. They went a combined 12-27 (a .308 winning percentage) against the other four AL teams that made the playoffs. Those are numbers. They’re facts. They’re not a condemnation, not a roundabout way of saying the Indians didn’t deserve to play in the 2013 postseason....

So it was that Bill Clinton, dripping wet, learned of what may be one of his greatest foreign-policy triumphs. Clinton picked up the phone and heard Sperling, his National Economic Council chief, make the bathroom-to-bathroom connection. “Mr. President, the world’s best trade negotiator has some good news for you,” Sperling said. Then he handed the phone to Barshefsky. Following a dramatic last-minute intervention by Zhu, she said, the Chinese had abruptly turned around, granting numerous key concessions....

This question originally appeared on Quora. Ask a question, get a great answer. Learn from experts and access insider knowledge. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. Answer by Laurence Shanet, Former College/Satellite Tennis Player, Tennis Coach, USRSA Certified Stringer: Like most shots in tennis, the key to a great kick serve is racquet head speed. Because many club players hit second serves that are really just half-speed versions of their first serves, many recreational players don’t realize that advanced players actually swing at least as hard at their second serves as they do at their first serves....

I have never read such a well-researched story on the positive aspects of black life in America as your June 7 cover story (“The Good News About Black America,” National Affairs). Finally, an article about black America that informs me of the successes we have had after so many losses to the crack epidemic and hopelessness. As a 33-year-old black American and director of an academic and vocational after-school program at the Southeast Bronx Neighborhood Center, I have yearned for several months to find a way to work positive accomplishments of blacks into the curriculum....

Since December, we’ve been surveying people about how they feel about the COVID-19 vaccines. In that time, we’ve seen confidence in vaccine safety and efficacy grow in fits and starts. Finally, at the end of March, 50% of our survey respondents said they have at least a great deal of confidence that the COVID-19 vaccines will protect them from the virus. This is up from 34% in our first survey in December....

"We were hoping that wasn't going to be the case," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said before Tuesday's game in Texas. "Losing two guys like that for the entire season is a difficult blow. One's a blow, two is tough. You move on, but you certainly have a lot of sympathy for the two guys that are having to go through that, because they've meant so much to this team over the last couple of years....

Need proof? On Tuesday night, the senior guard, along with his roommates, who have become internet celebrities due to their @CraftRoomies Twitter account, hosted 1,000 Ohio State students for taco night at the Schottenstein Center. From Cleveland.com: Craft had to leave the event to watch game film, but not before serving nearly 600 pounds of meat, cheese, lettuce and other taco toppings. If it's wrong to like a guy because he likes good mexican cuisine, then I don't want to be right....

The two have swapped places. Donald is one of just three players in the league to be given 99 Overall, while Watt drops to 98 Overall, sharing that designation with four others. Donald’s ratings include 96 in Power Moves, which is tied for first in the attribute with Watt, who also features 97 Strength, 90 Finesse Moves and even 78 in Catching given his occasional utilization at tight end....

Donald held Garcia at bay with his right arm, using punching movements to rock the rookie’s head back and forth before practicing what appeared to be a shed move. Moreover, the All-Pro defensive tackle placed his hands around Garcia’s neck for the majority of the drill. No other defender was seen practicing the move in this brief clip below. Instead, they were seen milling around watching Donald put Garcia through the wringer after team positional drills:...

The Packers star quarterback accompanied his girlfriend, Olivia Munn, on the red carpet prior to Sunday night’s Academy Awards. Rodgers looked a little bit lost as Munn was being interviewed by Ryan Seacrest. MORE: Ranking the worst sports movies of all time But Rodgers eventually found his comfort zone — and by comfort zone I mean photobombing Common’s interview. Never forget that Aaron Rodgers is an expert in the field of trolling....

Packers star Aaron Rodgers is so “disgruntled” with Green Bay that he has told members of the organization that he does not want to return to the team, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who notes that the Packers are “aware” and “concerned” about Rodgers’ feelings. Rodgers is reportedly unhappy for multiple reasons, including the Packers’ decision to select Utah State quarterback Jordan Love with their 2020 first-round pick. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Rodgers and the Packers have been negotiating a “long-term contract” following his 2020 MVP season....

NFL coaches and players have voted the Green Bay Packers quarterback SN’s Offensive Player of the Year for 2014. But they didn’t do it because of his league-best 99.04 overall QB rating from Pro Football Focus . To understand Rodgers’ greatness, one simply must sit back, r-e-l-a-x , watch and enjoy. MORE: 2014 All-Pro team | J.J. Watt wins Defensive Player of the Year | Arians wins Coach of the Year...

Baekgu’s owner, a 93-year-old woman suffering from dementia, was reported missing on August 25 after she fell unconscious in a field, according to The Korea Times. When the woman, identified only as Kim, could not be found her daughter contacted authorities and filed a missing person’s report. When authorities checked surveillance footage of a nearby farm, they saw the elderly woman leaving her village in ​​Hongseong county at dawn with her dog but never returning....

Abbott made border security a central theme of his reelection campaign and easily ousted Democrat Beta O’Rourke during the November 8 midterm elections. In the months leading up to the election, Abbott took a staunch stance against illegal immigrants by authorizing the Texas National Guard and the state’s Department of Public Safety to return apprehended migrants back to the Mexico border. Abbott has been one of the biggest critics of President Joe Biden’s border policies, which the White House said “is working to rebuild our immigration system after four years of chaos and mismanagement,” on its website....

“They’re trying to redefine what it means to be a woman,” Wambach told USA Today. “So many women believe … that we’re just supposed to be polite and say, ‘Thank you so much, we’re so grateful to be here.’ And you know what, that was so four years ago.” The national team that competed in France started political conversations, faced criticism about their celebrations and grew awareness around the pay gap between the women’s and men’s game — demanding a change to be made....

“Clone High USA,” the brainchild of Dartmouth graduates Phil Lord, 27, and Chris Miller, 26, is the latest animated-series bull’s-eye from MTV, the original home of “Beavis and Butt-head” and “Celebrity Deathmatch.” If “Clone High” (Mondays, 10:30 p.m., ET) isn’t as consistently funny as these now legendary predecessors, the show makes up for it with its subversive incongruities and its knowing take on high-school life. While Abe (voiced by “Saturday Night Live’s” Will Forte) lusts after the skin-deep Cleo, he doesn’t even notice that his trustworthy gal pal, Joan of Arc, has a raging crush on him....

The UC and CSU are working to provide abortion pills on all of their campuses by January 1. Currently, none of the Cal State campuses offer medication abortions and access within the UC system varies by campus. The university systems said they will implement a 2019 law that requires student health centers to provide abortion pills. According to Advancing New Standard in Reproductive Health, up to 6,228 students could seek medication abortions on UC and Cal State campuses each year....

The full-back was caught by a crude challenge from Rodrigo De Paul in Sunday’s 2-1 loss to Udinese and was forced off the pitch soon afterwards. Robinho: Real blocked Chelsea move Montella slammed the decision to award the Udinese forward only a yellow card for the foul, with Milan’s frustrations compounded when De Paul went on to score the winning goal. Reports in Italy have suggested that De Sciglio could now be sidelined for a number of weeks, and although Milan refused to put a timescale on his recovery, they confirmed that further tests will be required to determine the extent of what looks to be something of a serious problem....

Here is betting information and picks Saturday’s card in the ACC. Clemson at Syracuse (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC) Line: Clemson -30, Total: 58 Line movement: The Wynn opened Clemson -26.5, but the line moved up over the course of the week. Check out our live odds page for updated numbers from Las Vegas. Trends that matter: The UNDER is 7-3 in Syracuse’s last 10 as a home dog…The Orange are 2-7 ATS in their last nine coming off a straight-up loss…....