I'll Have Another's trainer in swing with Mets cap

NEW YORK (AP) — Doug O'Neill knows how to play to a New York audience.

The morning after Johan Santana pitched the first no-hitter in New York Mets history, the trainer of Triple Crown hopeful I'll Have Another showed up for his Belmont Stakes news briefing sporting a Mets cap.

A security guard at his colt's barn gave him the cap Saturday morning, and O'Neill popped it right on his head.

"A good friend of mine, Keith, gave it to me," said O'Neill, who lives in southern California. "He was pumped up. It's a historical event. Their first no-hitter. The Kings are trying to win their first Stanley Cup and there's this 34-year deal (without a Triple Crown winner). I'll do anything that keeps the positive mojo going."

O'Neill said I'll Have Another went through his normal routine of a half-mile jog, one-mile gallop over a sloppy track at Belmont Park, which received 1½ inches of rain overnight.

"We were on a very nice, safe, fresh track, and I'll Have Another galloped like a champ over it," he said.

The Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner will attempt to become racing's 12th Triple Crown winner in the Belmont Stakes on June 9. The last horse to sweep the Derby, Preakness and Belmont was Affirmed in 1978.

Before Sunday's gallop, O'Neill plans to have I'll Haver Another walk from his barn through the tunnel leading to the paddock area, where the horses will be saddled before the 1½-mile Belmont.

Mario Gutierrez, the colt's jockey who has never been to the track, is scheduled to arrive Monday night, and may get a chance to ride in a race Friday over the same Belmont distance.

O'Neill's Boxer Des Rues might run in the Brooklyn Handicap, but is recovering from a right front foot bruise and his status is uncertain. A trip over the track could be helpful to a rider who is new to big-time racing.

"The fact that the race starts at the same spot where the Belmont starts, I think it would be a great help for Mario to get it under his belt," O'Neill said. "If the horse is not right, he won't run, but as of this morning, so far so good."

Once the 25-year-old jockey arrives, he'll be making several off-track appearances as well. He will be at the Empire State Building on Tuesday, and is scheduled to appear on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" on Thursday night, according to Equispone, a marketing company arranging Team O'Neill's schedule.

Dullahan, perhaps I'll Have Another's top challenger, had his work out postponed Saturday because of the muddy track. The third-place finisher in the Derby jogged instead, and will have his workout Sunday.

Trainer Dale Romans is confident his colt can be the spoiler.

"I think we're the horse to beat," he said.

Dullahan will have a new rider in Javier Castellano, who replaces Kent Desormeaux. The Hall of Famer lost the mount after he failed a breath test May 18.

Washington Residents Have More Booze-Buying Options, But Are Paying More For It

Until now, buying liquor in Washington state had meant you needed to go to a state-operated store. But that monopoly has now ended after residents voted to open up liquor sales to a wide range of retailers. Unfortunately, this now means that some folks are now paying a lot more to get tipsy.

SeattlePI.com looks at the wildly varying prices that have popped up in the few hours since the new rules went into effect.

For instance, while the $20 bottle of Absolut at Fred Meyer has a sticker price $3 less than what people would have paid at a state-operated store, but at the cash register, taxes bring that price up to almost $27, significantly more expensive than before.

See, while the state store prices included all taxes, stores are leaving those out of their sticker prices. So consumers in Washington have to figure the additional cost of a $2.83/liter tax and a 20.5% spirits tax before they know what the end result will be.

Additionally, retailers are trying to find a profitable price point, which may be difficult when they have to pay a 10% distributor fee and a 17% retail fee to the state.

It's hoped that once retailers start tracking what the others are charging for similar products, the prices will come down and people won't be spending more just to have more options for where to by their booze.

Santana tosses first no-hitter in Mets' history

NEW YORK (AP) Johan Santana was past 130 pitches and fans at Citi Field were high-fiving with every out, hoping this was finally the night the New York Mets had waited for.

All those famous arms - Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver, Dwight Gooden, Pedro Martinez, Tom Glavine - and not a single no-hitter in more than 50 years of baseball.

Not until Santana finished the job Friday night.

The two-time Cy Young Award winner pitched the first no-hitter in team history, aided by an umpire's mistake and an outstanding catch during an 8-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

After a string of close calls over the last five decades, Santana went all the way in the Mets' 8,020th game.

''Finally, the first one,'' he said. ''That is the greatest feeling ever.''

He needed a couple of key assists to pull it off.

Carlos Beltran, back at Citi Field for the first time since the Mets traded him last July, hit a line drive over third base in the sixth inning that hit the foul line and should have been called fair. But third base umpire Adrian Johnson ruled it foul and the no-hitter was intact - even though a replay clearly showed a mark where the ball landed on the chalk line.

''I saw the ball hitting outside the line, just foul,'' Johnson told a pool reporter.

The umpire acknowledged that he saw the replay afterward, but declined to comment.

''It was in front of his face, and he called it foul. I thought it was a fair ball,'' Beltran said. ''At the end of the day, one hit wasn't going to make a difference in the ballgame.''

With the next batter at the plate, though, Cardinals third base coach Jose Oquendo twice got in Johnson's face for heated arguments - the two even appeared to bump each other. Rookie manager Mike Matheny also came out to protest, but nobody was ejected.

''It's not like there's going to be an asterisk by it. That's the way the game goes,'' Matheny said.

Hometown kid Mike Baxter then made an extraordinary catch to rob Yadier Molina of extra bases in the seventh. Baxter crashed into the left-field wall full force, injured his shoulder and left the game.

''I'm glad I had a chance to be part of it. It's a great night for the Mets,'' said Baxter, who grew up 10 minutes from where Citi Field stands.

Santana certainly appreciated the effort.

''He saved the game,'' the pitcher said.

Making his 11th start since missing last season following shoulder surgery, Santana (3-2) threw a career-high 134 pitches in his second consecutive shutout. Relying on a sneaky fastball and the baffling changeup that's always been his signature, he struck out eight and walked five with wind gusting up to 30 mph.

''Amazing,'' Santana said after tossing the majors' third no-hitter this year. ''Coming into this season I was just hoping to come back and stay healthy and help this team, and now I am in this situation in the greatest city for baseball.''

Before the game, Mets manager Terry Collins said he planned to limit Santana to 110-115 pitches all season. Collins practically sprinted to the mound after a two-out walk in the eighth, drawing boos from the crowd of 27,069, and then hustled back to the dugout after a brief chat, bringing cheers.

Santana, traded to the Mets by Minnesota before the 2008 season, was at 122 pitches going into the ninth. He finished with the most by a major leaguer since Brandon Morrow threw 137 for Toronto on Aug. 8, 2010, according to STATS LLC.

''I just couldn't take him out,'' a choked-up Collins said afterward, acknowledging he won't feel good about it if the left-hander's arm hurts in five days.

Prior to Santana's gem, there had been 131 no-hitters in the majors since New York began play in 1962, including Roy Halladay's in the playoffs, STATS said. None of them belonged to the Mets.

''I'm really happy for them,'' said Boston manager Bobby Valentine, who managed the Mets from 1996-2002. ''That's been an albatross over the pitching in that franchise forever, since '62. One of the best pitchers they've ever had threw it and that also gives credibility to it.''

Ryan, Seaver, Gooden and David Cone are among the seven Mets pitchers who tossed no-hitters after leaving the team.

Philip Humber is another one. He pitched a perfect game for the Chicago White Sox at Seattle on April 21, and Jered Weaver of the Los Angeles Angels no-hit Minnesota on May 2.

Following the game, Santana addressed his teammates in the clubhouse and thanked them.

''Tonight we all made history,'' he said. ''Yeah, baby! Believe it!''

Back home in Venezuela, Santana's achievement was big news. President Hugo Chavez congratulated the pitcher in a message on Twitter, calling him a ''golden left-hander'' and ''Giant Johan.''

''What pride! Long live Venezuela!'' Chavez said in the message.

Santana got a warm hand as he headed to the mound for the ninth. He quickly retired Matt Holliday and Allen Craig on shallow fly balls as the roar picked up and fans captured video of it all on their cell phones.

''I was manicuring third base like I was getting ready to make a putt to win the Masters. You don't want to be the guy who kicks one,'' David Wright said.

With the crowd on its feet, World Series MVP David Freese went to a 3-2 count before his foul tip was caught by Josh Thole, just activated from the disabled list earlier in the day.

Santana pumped his left fist, slammed it into his glove and shouted as Thole showed the ball to plate umpire Gary Cederstrom and then ran toward the mound to hug Santana.

''That was awesome. Short of Tom Seaver, I couldn't think of a better person to pitch the first one,'' Wright said. ''I thought there would be no chance he could finish, based on his high pitch count early on. I don't think anyone had the courage to take the ball from him.''

The Mets rushed out of the dugout and mobbed Santana as security guards tackled a fan who ran into the pile. Moments later, the pitcher raised his right arm and saluted the crowd, which chanted his name from the eighth inning on - then again as fans filed out of the ballpark.

The big scoreboard in center field flashed Santana's picture and read ''No-Han.''

Lucas Duda hit a three-run homer off Adam Wainwright (4-6) and drove in four runs, tying a career high. Daniel Murphy added three RBIs.

The San Diego Padres, who started play in 1969, are now the only team without a no-hitter.

The Mets' seemingly endless pursuit had become something of an infamous quest, with at least one website dedicated to counting off their total number of games without a no-hitter each day during the season. Radio announcer Howie Rose often did the same when the opposing team got its first hit.

Seaver came within two outs of a perfect game in 1969 and fell one out shy of a no-hitter in 1975, the previous time a Mets pitcher had made it into the ninth without yielding a hit. In the past decade, Glavine and John Maine both got within four outs.

NOTES: Santana's previous high was 125 pitches on Sept. 23, 2008. ... The last Mets pitcher to throw consecutive shutouts was David Cone in May 1992. ... It was the eighth no-hitter pitched against St. Louis, the top-hitting team in the NL this season, and first since Fernando Valenzuela for the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 29, 1990.

Despite Economic Woes, Americans Are Still Getting Their Kicks At Theme Parks

Some Americans might be cutting back in tough economic times and tightening purse strings on big splashy purchases — but skip checking out Hogwarts in Harry Potter World? Not gonna happen. Despite financial woes across the country, theme park attendance was up for 2011, partly due to the boy wizard wonder and his magical, imaginary land.

The Los Angeles Times cites attendance figures estimated by Themed Entertainment Assn., a trade group for the theme park industry, which says attendance increased by 2.9% last year.

The uptick was led by the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Fla., which made up about half the rise in numbers. That number is based on an annual estimate of theme park crowds by AECOM, an engineering and consulting firm. And even without that bit of theme park magic that Harry Potter inspires in fans, attendance would've been up 1.6%.

At the home of Harry Potter's park, Universal's Islands of Adventure, attendance hit 7.7 million, which was an increase of 29% over the previous year. Alohamora, indeed.

It wasn't just the magical gang raking in the numbers, as all of Southern California's major theme parks saw an uptick in visitors as well, including Disneyland, SeaWorld San Diego and Universal Studios Hollywood.

Merkel Rejects Debt Sharing As Obama Urges End To Crisis Cloud

German Chancellor Angela Merkel hardened her opposition to joint debt sharing in the euro region as President Barack Obama singled out Europe’s leaders for not doing enough to stop the financial crisis.

With Europe’s debt crisis cited last week for canceled IPOs, weaker-than-expected Chinese manufacturing figures and a rise in the U.S. jobless rate, Merkel rejected joint debt issuance in the 17-nation euro area as a solution, saying “under no circumstances” would she agree to Germany-backed euro bonds.

Now, some “come along and ask for euro bonds, saying all we need are equal interest rates and everything will turn out all right,” Merkel said in a speech to members of her Christian Democratic Union in Berlin today. Instead, what’s needed is an economic overhaul to tackle the lack of competitiveness in Europe, she said.

Merkel, the head of Europe’s biggest economy and the largest contributor to bailouts for Greece, Portugal and Ireland, is the pivotal player in efforts to resolve the crisis now in its third year. As Spain struggles to avoid becoming the next country to call for a rescue and the euro slides near a three-year low against the dollar, Obama added to pressure from the European Central Bank, France and Italy to do more to halt the spread of contagion.

European ‘Cloud’

Obama, speaking at a Chicago fundraiser yesterday as he bids for re-election in November, said that a report showing the slowest month of U.S. employment growth in a year was in large part “attributable to Europe and the cloud that’s coming over from the Atlantic.” The “whole world economy has been weakened by it,” he said.

“Europe is having a significant crisis in part because they haven’t taken as many of the decisive steps as were needed to deal with the challenge,” he said at a separate event in Minneapolis.

The president’s point person for the European crisis, Lael Brainard, Treasury undersecretary for international affairs, ended a three-day tour of Europe’s crisis capitals yesterday as work continued on erecting a financial firewall to stem contagion. The European Union is targeting July 9 as the start date for its permanent rescue fund, the 500 billion-euro ($620 billion) European Stability Mechanism, an EU official said.

Spanish Storm

Brainard held closed-door meetings with government officials in Athens, Madrid, Paris, Frankfurt and Berlin in a week when investors flocked to the perceived safety of German and U.S. bonds. The euro fell to almost a three-year low against the dollar and an 11-year low against the yen as uncertainty over the outcome of Greek elections on June 17 shifted to take in Spain, where Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s government is struggling to shore up banks amid a recession.

“The storm hasn’t disappeared but we aren’t going to sink,” Rajoy said in a speech today in Sitges, near Barcelona. “We are not on the edge of a precipice.”

Rajoy called on analysts and investors to moderate “irrational” views of Spain’s financial situation, saying that Spain “will emerge from the storm under its own efforts and with the support of our European partners.”

Spanish 10-year yields ended the week at 6.51 percent, approaching the 7 percent level that triggered previous euro- area bailouts, though below a euro-era record of 6.78 percent on Nov. 17. Germany’s equivalent 10-year bund rate was at 1.17 percent after reaching 1.127 percent, the lowest since Bloomberg began collecting the data in 1989. German two-year yields slid below zero for the first time.

Stocks Decline

Irish backing for Europe’s fiscal pact yesterday failed to halt a decline in European stocks for the fourth week in five, with the Stoxx Europe 600 (SXXP) Index dropping 3.1 percent to 235.09. The benchmark measure has plunged 14 percent from this year’s high on March 16.

Merkel lauded Rajoy’s efforts “for the first time to undertake sweeping labor market reforms,” tackle the real- estate crisis and Spanish banks, where she said the situation is “fragile.”

“That’s why it’s important to create transparency quickly over what that means for the banks, what the situation is for recapitalization,” she said. Germany and Spain are in close contact over those efforts “as we must tackle the problems of the past and start the future with a clean slate.”

Italian Critics

The German chancellor, who was besieged over her crisis- fighting policy last week by Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti and ECB President Mario Draghi, took aim at Italy as she cited a “missed opportunity” offered by the euro’s introduction for Europe to overhaul uncompetitive economies. The cheaper borrowing that came with the euro meant “countries like Italy became virtually on a par with Germany in terms of interest rates,” she said.

Now “what we have is a situation that we didn’t want,” Merkel said. “The freedom created by this situation wasn’t exploited to improve long-term competitiveness. Instead, the time was used to spend too much money in consumption and too little time in tackling reforms.”

Greece, where the crisis first emerged in late 2009, came back into the spotlight as Moody’s Investors Service lowered the country’s highest possible credit rating yesterday, saying there was an increasing risk the country may exit the euro region.

Alexis Tsipras, head of Greece’s biggest anti-bailout party Syriza, appealed to voters to give him the power to start anew by canceling the terms of the country’s international bailout and restore pensions and wages.

The domestic pressure facing Merkel on her crisis response was underscored by an editorial in Germany’s best-selling Bild newspaper today, saying that Greece is reaching the endgame as soon as next week, regardless of the election outcome.

Greece “is unravelling,” and ever-more aid cannot deliver the new beginning that Greece needs, said Nikolaus Blome, Bild’s chief political columnist. The Greek state “must be rebuilt, like in a developing nation,” he said. “Someone among the euro- zone leaders must finally tell the Greeks the truth: this fresh start can only be achieved with a radical first step. And that means leaving the euro.”

U.S. Retailers’ May Sales Beat Estimates

U.S retailers’ same-store sales topped analysts’ estimates this month as warm weather and lower gasoline prices boosted consumer spending.

Sales at Target Corp. (TGT), the second-largest U.S. discount retailer, climbed 4.4 percent, beating the average projection for a 3.3 percent gain from analysts surveyed by researcher Retail Metrics Inc. TJX Cos. (TJX), the owner of the T.J. Maxx and Marshalls retail chains, posted an 8 percent increase in same- store sales, topping the 5.1 percent estimate.

Shoppers hit the mall in large numbers this past weekend as retailers offered Memorial Day promotions and warm weather in the Northeast drove purchases of summer apparel. Same-store sales for the more than 20 retailers tracked by Swampscott, Massachusetts-based Retail Metrics rose 4 percent in May, beating estimates of a 1.8 percent increase.

“It shows a real resiliency of the consumer, and generally speaking, it’s a positive sign for the state of the retail economy,” Joel Bines, a Dallas-based managing director in the retail practice at AlixPartners, said in a telephone interview.

Target, based in Minneapolis, rose 0.2 percent to $57.91 at the close in New York. TJX, based in Framingham, Massachusetts, increased 2.7 percent to $42.46.

Confidence among U.S. consumers climbed in May to the highest level since October 2007, according to a Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan index, as gasoline prices retreated 7.6 percent from an 11-month high in April.

“Traffic trends have picked up as hot summer weather spread over the majority of the nation,”Adrienne Tennant, an analyst at Janney Montgomery Scott LLC in Washington, wrote in a note before today’s report.

Warmest Since 2007

The month of May in the U.S. this year was the warmest since 2007, with the hottest Memorial Day in more than 50 years, according to Planalytics, a weather data provider.

Bon-Ton Stores Inc. (BONT), the department-store operator that hired the former head of Lord & Taylor LLC as chief executive officer in January, rose after reporting same-store sales advanced 1.5 percent, compared with the average estimate for a 2 percent decline. The shares increased 13 percent to $5.26.

Ross Stores Inc. (ROST) posted an 8 percent increase in same-store sales, topping the 5.2 percent average of estimates.

Limited Brands Inc. (LTD), the Columbus, Ohio-based operator of the Victoria’s Secret lingerie chain, said sales advanced 6 percent, beating estimates for a 5.4 percent gain.

Department-store chain Kohl’s Corp. (KSS) tumbled 6.2 percent to $45.82 after reporting same-store sales that fell 4.2 percent, worse than the estimate for a 1.1 percent decline. TheMenomonee Falls, Wisconsin-based company said second-quarter sales will be “modestly negative” as a result.

Gap Inc. (GPS) fell 0.6 percent to $26.50 after reporting a 2 percent gain in same-store sales that missed the estimate of a 3.3 percent increase.

Most chains count locations open at least a year to tabulate same-store sales. The revenue is a key indicator of a retailer’s growth because new and closed sites are excluded.

Justin Bieber pays $6.5 million for Calabasas home

The price that first-time homeowner Justin Bieber paid for his new digs in Calabasas has wended its way into the public record: $6.5 million.

Set on 1.3 acres in a gated community, the 10,000-square-foot main house is described as "transitional French" in style. Features include a high-ceiling foyer, library, a movie theater with stadium seating, a wet bar and a wine cellar — just what every 18-year-old pop singer needs. Including a guesthouse, there are seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms. A swimming pool and expansive lawns are among outdoor amenities.

The recent high school graduate, who catapulted to stardom through YouTube videos, has recorded the albums "My World 2.0," "Under the Mistletoe" and "Believe," and sold more than 15 million copies. At the middle of last month Bieber had more than 20 million Twitter followers.

His North America "Believe" tour will stop at Staples Centerin October. He performed his single "Boyfriend" on "The Voice" this month.

The house, which was built in 2005, had been listed at $8.75 million. Among the previous owners was Eddie Murphy's former wife Nicole Murphy, who sold the property last year for $5.515 million.

Tomer Fridman and Isidora Fridman of Ewing Sotheby'swere the listing agents.

Britney Spears moves on from Studio City

After several years of on-again, off-again marketing and repeated price drops — during which its owner's personal turmoil was widely publicized and her affairs placed into the hands of a conservator — the Studio City house of Britney Spears has been sold for $4.253 million.

The pop star's house had been priced as a high of $7.9 million in 2008 and was most recently listed at $4.466 million. Spears paid $6.75 million five years ago for the Italian Renaissance-inspired villa.

The home, built in 2001 in a gated neighborhood, has five bedrooms and six bathrooms in about 7,453 square feet. Features include marble, hardwood and mosaic tile floors, carved millwork, maid's quarters and a three-car garage. The master bedroom has a fireplace, a loggia and dual bathrooms. The landscaped grounds of more than a third of an acre include a swimming pool and a gated motor court.

Spears, 30, released her first album, "Baby One More Time," in 1999 and rose to become one of the bestselling artists in the country. She released her seventh studio album, "Femme Fatale," last year and joins "The X Factor" as a judge this year.

Nancy Sanborn of Prudential's Beverly Hills office was the listing agent. Josh Altman and Matthew Altman of Hilton & Hyland represented the buyer.

Screenwriter seeks a closing on Westside

"Chinatown" writer Robert Towne has listed his estate on the Westside at $12.995 million.

Built in 1926 and designed for grand entertaining, the restored English country-style mansion and guesthouse have seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms and 10,000 square feet of living space. The nearly three-quarter-acre property is wooded and includes a swimming pool, a rose garden and a spice garden.

Towne, 77, won an Oscar for original screenplay in 1975 for the film starring Jack Nicholson about land and water rights disputes. He wrote the screenplays for "Days of Thunder" (1990), "Mission Impossible" (1996) and "Mission Impossible: II" (2000).

Public records show he bought the property in the 1980s for $2.495 million. Towne is selling because he is ready to downsize. He plans to stay in the Los Angeles area.

Nick Segal and Rick Ojeda of Partners Trust in Beverly Hills are the listing agents.

Memorial Day 2012: President Obama Offers Prayer for Peace

PRAYER FOR PEACE, MEMORIAL DAY 2012

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Our Nation endures and thrives because of the devotion of our men and women in uniform, who, from generation to generation, carry a burden heavier than any we may ever know.

On Memorial Day, we honor those who have borne conflict's greatest cost, mourn where the wounds of war are fresh, and pray for a just, lasting peace. The American fabric is stitched with the stories of sons and daughters who gave their lives in service to the country they loved.

They were patriots who overthrew an empire and sparked revolution. They were courageous men and women who strained to hold a young Union together. They were ordinary citizens who rolled back the creeping tide of tyranny, who stood post through a long twilight struggle, who saw terror and extremism threaten our world's security and said, "I'll go." And though their stories are unique to the challenges they faced, our fallen service members are forever bound by a legacy of valor older than the Republic itself.

Now they lay at rest in quiet corners of our country and the world, but they live on in the families who loved them and in the soul of a Nation that is safer for their service.

Today, we join together in prayer for the fallen. We remember all who have borne the battle, whose devotion to duty has sustained our country and kept safe our heritage as a free people in a free society.

Though our hearts ache in their absence, we find comfort in knowing that their legacy lives on in all of us -- in the security that lets us live in peace, the prosperity that allows us to pursue our dreams, and the love that still beats in those who knew them. May God bless the souls of the venerable warriors we have lost, and may He watch over the men and women who serve us now. Today, tomorrow, and in perpetuity, let us give thanks to them by remaining true to the values and virtues for which they fight.

In honor of all of our fallen service members, the Congress, by a joint resolution approved May 11, 1950, as amended (36 U.S.C. 116), has requested the President issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe each Memorial Day as a day of prayer for permanent peace and designating a period on that day when the people of the United States might unite in prayer. The Congress, by Public Law 106-579, has also designated 3:00 p.m. local time on that day as a time for all Americans to observe, in their own way, the National Moment of Remembrance.



NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim Memorial Day, May 28, 2012, as a day of prayer for permanent peace, and I designate the hour beginning in each locality at 11:00 a.m. of that day as a time to unite in prayer. I also ask all Americans to observe the National Moment of Remembrance beginning at 3:00 p.m. local time on Memorial Day.

I request the Governors of the United States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the appropriate officials of all units of government, to direct that the flag be flown at half-staff until noon on this Memorial Day on all buildings, grounds, and naval vessels throughout the United States and in all areas under its jurisdiction and control. I also request the people of the United States to display the flag at half-staff from their homes for the customary forenoon period.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.

Memorial Day Ceremony Monday at the Washington Riverfront

Washington will honor and celebrate fallen soldiers during the annual Memorial Day ceremony at Rennick Riverfront Park.

The ceremony is cohosted by the Washington VFW Post 2661 and the Washington American Legion, Post 218.

The Washington Brass Band will perform at 9:30 a.m. and the ceremony will begin at 10 a.m.

This year’s guest speaker is U.S. Army Col. Walt Hatcher (retired), who served 30 years in the U.S. Army including more than 15 years overseas.

During the ceremony, military personnel in the audience will be recognized by Dave Anderson, commander of the Legion.

A remembrance of fallen members this past year and a bell-ringing ceremony will follow.

A wreath will be placed in the river to honor fallen comrades, followed by a rifle salute and taps.

A flag review by the Washington Boat Club and a prayer will close the ceremony.

The public is invited to attend the event.

Space weather expert has ominous forecast

A stream of highly charged particles from the sun is headed straight toward Earth, threatening to plunge cities around the world into darkness and bring the global economy screeching to a halt.

This isn't the premise of the latest doomsday thriller. Massive solar storms have happened before — and another one is likely to occur soon, according to Mike Hapgood, a space weather scientist at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory near Oxford, England.

Johan Santana Pitches Mets' First No-Hitter

New York –  Johan Santana was past 130 pitches and fans at Citi Field were high-fiving with every out, hoping this was finally the night the New York Mets had waited for.

All those famous arms — Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver, Dwight Gooden, Pedro Martinez, Tom Glavine — and not a single no-hitter in more than 50 years of baseball.

Not until Santana finished the job Friday night.

The two-time Cy Young Award winner pitched the first no-hitter in team history, aided by an umpire's mistake and an outstanding catch during an 8-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

After a string of close calls over the last five decades, Santana went all the way in the Mets' 8,020th game.

"Finally, the first one," he said. "That is the greatest feeling ever."

He needed a couple of key assists to pull it off.

Carlos Beltran, back at Citi Field for the first time since the Mets traded him last July, hit a line drive over third base in the sixth inning that hit the foul line and should have been called fair. But third base umpire Adrian Johnson ruled it foul and the no-hitter was intact — even though a replay clearly showed a mark where the ball landed on the chalk line.

"I saw the ball hitting outside the line, just foul," Johnson told a pool reporter.

The umpire acknowledged that he saw the replay afterward, but declined to comment.

"It was in front of his face, and he called it foul. I thought it was a fair ball," Beltran said. "At the end of the day, one hit wasn't going to make a difference in the ballgame."

With the next batter at the plate, though, Cardinals third base coach Jose Oquendo twice got in Johnson's face for heated arguments — the two even appeared to bump each other. Rookie manager Mike Matheny also came out to protest, but nobody was ejected.

"It's not like there's going to be an asterisk by it. That's the way the game goes," Matheny said.

Coming into this season I was just hoping to come back and stay healthy and help this team, and now I am in this situation in the greatest city for baseball.

- Johan Santana, Mets Pitcher

Hometown kid Mike Baxter then made an extraordinary catch to rob Yadier Molina of extra bases in the seventh. Baxter crashed into the left-field wall full force, injured his shoulder and left the game.

"I'm glad I had a chance to be part of it. It's a great night for the Mets," said Baxter, who grew up 10 minutes from where Citi Field stands.

Santana certainly appreciated the effort.

"He saved the game," the pitcher said.

Making his 11th start since missing last season following shoulder surgery, Santana (3-2) threw a career-high 134 pitches in his second consecutive shutout. Relying on a sneaky fastball and the baffling changeup that's always been his signature, he struck out eight and walked five with wind gusting up to 30 mph.

"Amazing," Santana said after tossing the majors' third no-hitter this year. "Coming into this season I was just hoping to come back and stay healthy and help this team, and now I am in this situation in the greatest city for baseball."

Before the game, Mets manager Terry Collins said he planned to limit Santana to 110-115 pitches all season. Collins practically sprinted to the mound after a two-out walk in the eighth, drawing boos from the crowd of 27,069, and then hustled back to the dugout after a brief chat, bringing cheers.

Santana, traded to the Mets by Minnesota before the 2008 season, was at 122 pitches going into the ninth. He finished with the most by a major leaguer since Brandon Morrow threw 137 for Toronto on Aug. 8, 2010, according to STATS LLC.

"I just couldn't take him out," a choked-up Collins said afterward, acknowledging he won't feel good about it if the left-hander's arm hurts in five days.

Prior to Santana's gem, there had been 131 no-hitters in the majors since New York began play in 1962, including Roy Halladay's in the playoffs, STATS said. None of them belonged to the Mets.

"I'm really happy for them," said Boston manager Bobby Valentine, who managed the Mets from 1996-2002. "That's been an albatross over the pitching in that franchise forever, since '62. One of the best pitchers they've ever had threw it and that also gives credibility to it."

Ryan, Seaver, Gooden and David Cone are among the seven Mets pitchers who tossed no-hitters after leaving the team.

Philip Humber is another one. He pitched a perfect game for the Chicago White Sox at Seattle on April 21, and Jered Weaver of the Los Angeles Angels no-hit Minnesota on May 2.

Following the game, Santana addressed his teammates in the clubhouse and thanked them.

"Tonight we all made history," he said. "Yeah, baby! Believe it!"

Back home in Venezuela, Santana's achievement was big news. President Hugo Chavez congratulated the pitcher in a message on Twitter, calling him a "golden left-hander" and "Giant Johan."

"What pride! Long live Venezuela!" Chavez said in the message.

Santana got a warm hand as he headed to the mound for the ninth. He quickly retired Matt Holliday and Allen Craig on shallow fly balls as the roar picked up and fans captured video of it all on their cell phones.

"I was manicuring third base like I was getting ready to make a putt to win the Masters. You don't want to be the guy who kicks one," David Wright said.

With the crowd on its feet, World Series MVP David Freese went to a 3-2 count before his foul tip was caught by Josh Thole, just activated from the disabled list earlier in the day.

Santana pumped his left fist, slammed it into his glove and shouted as Thole showed the ball to plate umpire Gary Cederstrom and then ran toward the mound to hug Santana.

"That was awesome. Short of Tom Seaver, I couldn't think of a better person to pitch the first one," Wright said. "I thought there would be no chance he could finish, based on his high pitch count early on. I don't think anyone had the courage to take the ball from him."

The Mets rushed out of the dugout and mobbed Santana as security guards tackled a fan who ran into the pile. Moments later, the pitcher raised his right arm and saluted the crowd, which chanted his name from the eighth inning on — then again as fans filed out of the ballpark.

The big scoreboard in center field flashed Santana's picture and read "No-Han."

Lucas Duda hit a three-run homer off Adam Wainwright (4-6) and drove in four runs, tying a career high. Daniel Murphy added three RBIs.

The San Diego Padres, who started play in 1969, are now the only team without a no-hitter.

The Mets' seemingly endless pursuit had become something of an infamous quest, with at least one website dedicated to counting off their total number of games without a no-hitter each day during the season. Radio announcer Howie Rose often did the same when the opposing team got its first hit.

Seaver came within two outs of a perfect game in 1969 and fell one out shy of a no-hitter in 1975, the previous time a Mets pitcher had made it into the ninth without yielding a hit. In the past decade, Glavine and John Maine both got within four outs.

A wild start for NCAA tournament

Teammates celebrated a Florida pitcher's milestone by shoving a whipped cream pie in his face, Kentucky and Kent State played the second-longest game in postseason history and two No. 1 seeds were upset at home.

All in one day.

The 2012 NCAA baseball tournament couldn't be off to a more compelling start. Here's a rundown of some of the more notable moments and performances from Friday's opening-round games -- and also a look ahead to few key Saturday matchups.

Game of the day

Kent State and Kentucky played 21 innings before the Golden Flashes emerged with a 7-6 victory in Gary, Ind. An RBI triple by Alex Miklos in the top of the 21st proved to be the game-winner for Kent State, which used five pitchers in the win. Kentucky's Thomas McCarthy struck out looking with runners on second and third to end the game. The Wildcats also squandered a golden opportunity in the bottom of the 20th when J.T. Riddle hit into a 1-2-3 double-play with one out and the bases loaded. Kentucky's A.J. Reed pitched nine innings in relief in a contest that lasted six hours and 37 minutes. The game was the second longest in NCAA postseason season history, as Texas beat Boston College in 25 innings in 2009.

Star performances

Florida's Jonathan Crawford threw the NCAA's first postseason no-hitter since 1991 in Friday's 4-0 victory over Bethune-Cookman in Gainesville. Crawford, who wasn't even on the Gators' postseason roster last season, used a 95 mph fastball to strike out five hitters while walking only one. Seventy of his 98 pitchers were strikes. "Around the eighth inning, it just hit me," Crawford said of the potential of throwing a no-hitter. "I couldn't sit down because I was so nervous."

New Mexico's D.J. Peterson went 4-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs in the Lobos' 4-0 win over San Diego in Los Angeles.

UCLA got a complete game effort out of starting pitcher Adam Plutko, who struck out seven and allowed just two hits in a 3-0 win over Creighton.

Also tossing a complete game was Stanford's Mark Appel, who struck out 11 in a 9-1 win over Fresno State.

North Carolina State's Ryan Matthew was 3-for-5 with four RBIs in a 16-5 win over Sacred Heart in Raleigh.

Dallas Baptist's Joel Hutter was 3-for-5 with five RBIs in a 10-0 win over Texas-Arlington in Waco.

South Carolina's Colby Holmes struck out nine and allowed just one hit in eight innings in the Gamecocks' 7-0 victory over Manhattan in Columbia.

LSU's Aaron Nola struck out 10 in eight innings in a 4-1 victory over Louisiana-Monroe in Baton Rouge.

Biggest surprise

It's not unheard of for No. 1 seeds to lose opening-round games -- but rarely do they suffer thumpings like the one No. 4 seed Stony Brook doled out on host Miami in Coral Gables, Fla. The big blow occurred in the top of the eighth, when William Carmona gave Stony Brook a 9-2 lead by belting a three-run homer.

Biggest upset

Oral Roberts' 4-2 victory over No. 1 seed Baylor in Waco snapped the Bears' 22-game home winning streak. The Bears had two runners on base in the bottom of the ninth when Logan Vick grounded out to end the game. Baylor -- the tournament's No. 4 overall seed -- will face Texas-Arlington in an elimination game today. Steve Smith's Bears were ranked as high as No. 2 less than a month ago. But the Big 12 regular season champions have now lost seven of their last 12 games, with five of those setbacks coming against Oklahoma.

Other notables

Two-time defending NCAA champion South Carolina won its 17th consecutive postseason game Friday, an NCAA record. The Gamecocks haven't lost in the postseason since falling to Oklahoma to open the 2010 College World Series.

Samford hit four home runs in a 5-0 upset of Mississippi State in Tallahassee.

Oregon, the tournament's No. 5 overall seed, needed two runs in the bottom of the ninth to escape with a 6-5 victory over Austin Peay in Eugene.

Georgia Tech won its season-best sixth straight game by defeating the College of Charleston 8-4. The Yellow Jackets are hitting .329 as a team in their last five contests.

Saturday's intriguing matchup

Oregon coach George Horton will be facing his former team when the Ducks host Cal State Fullerton. In Horton's 11 seasons (1997-2007) as head coach, the Titans won eight Big West championships and made six appearances in the College World Series. They captured the NCAA title in 2004.

Elimination gates to watch 

No. 1 seeds Baylor and Miami could both go home early if they don't turn things around today. The Bears host UT-Arlington in Waco while Miami faces Missouri State in Coral Gables.