The Philadelphia Eagles and quarterback Jalen Hurts have agreed to a five-year extension of the star’s contract, the NFL team announced Monday.

According to reports, the extension is worth $255 million, making Hurts the highest-paid player in league history.

The contract keeps Hurts with the franchise through 2028.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network both tweeted the news, noting more than $179 million of the contract is guaranteed.

The deal was negotiated by Nicole Lynn of Klutch Sports Group, the same agency that represents National Basketball Association (NBA) star LeBron James. Earlier this year, Lynn became the first Black woman agent to represent an NFL quarterback in the Super Bowl.

Rapoport also noted the deal contains a no-trade clause, reportedly the first in Eagles history. The no-trade clause means that the team is unable to trade the 24-year-old without the written permission of both the player and his agent.

Drafted by the Eagles with the 53rd overall pick of the 2020 NFL draft, Hurts led Philadelphia to the 2023 Super Bowl, falling short against the Kansas City Chiefs in Arizona in February. He finished second in NFL Most Valuable Player voting for the 2023 season, behind Chiefs play-caller Patrick Mahomes.

Hurts spent three years at the University of Alabama, leading the Crimson Tide to consecutive College Football National Championship games in 2017 and 2018. He spent his last year of college at the University of Oklahoma after a transfer.

When was the last time something terrible led you to something incredible?

For me, that “something terrible” was suddenly developing liver failure. And although recovering from that was probably one of the most grueling experiences I’ve ever gone through, it also connected me to some of the kindest, bravest strangers I’ve ever crossed paths with.

At the top of the list is my donor – a young man I’ll never meet, who saved my life. His decision to be an organ donor allowed me to get a life-saving liver transplant in January 2022.

Since then, just about every aspect of my life has changed, including my relationship to sports and exercise. I’ve been an athlete for as long as I can remember – first as a competitive figure skater, then as a cross country runner and wrestler, and most recently as a marathoner.

I’ve raced in eight marathons – including Boston, NYC, and Chicago – and I hope to become one of a handful of US-born Black women who have completed a marathon (26.2 miles) in under three hours.

My transplant has delayed that training: I’m 40-years-old and I’m still recovering, and rebuilding strength and endurance. I often wonder if it derailed it entirely. Will I ever be as fast or as strong as I was before? No one can answer that question for sure, but I’ve been told to have patience and take it slow.

So when a colleague told me about the World Transplant Games – an Olympic-style event that promotes organ donation and encourages transplant fitness – my first thought was to cover the event as a journalist.

But the more I thought about it, the more it seemed like the perfect event for someone like me; someone who wanted to test her limits – and her new liver – in a safe way. A few months later, I applied to compete for Team USA.

After many medical tests and even more laps around the track, I’ve traveled to Perth, Australia, to take part in one of the largest gatherings of transplant athletes you’ve probably never heard of.

Competitors from more than 60 countries will converge on the capital of Western Australia to participate in the week-long event, April 15-21 – which happens to fall smack in the middle of National Donate Life Month in the US.

There are a wide variety of events including cycling, swimming and darts. I’m competing in the 5K road race, the 4 x 100-meter relay, and bowling – which I chose because it’s so fun and I wanted to participate into a low intensity event in case I was not healthy enough to race.

My goals are simple: do my best, hopefully win some medals, connect with more transplant recipients; and show a lot of love to the donor community in attendance.

There are athletic events and ceremonies to honor the families of deceased as well as living donors – people who donate a kidney, a lobe of the liver or bone marrow, for example. Even though my donor is deceased and his family is anonymous, I’ll be thinking of them during the Games, as I do most days.

What are the World Transplant Games?

The World Transplant Games is not a household name like the Special Olympics or the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. But its goals are just as crucial: raise awareness about organ donation and transplantation, and encourage transplant recipients to get fit.

The first iteration of the Games took place in Portsmouth, England in 1978 with nearly 100 athletes from the UK, France, Germany, Greece and the US taking part.

According to Chris Thomas, president of the World Transplant Games Federation, a kidney specialist started the event as a way to encourage a patient to run to aid his recovery from a kidney transplant.

The patient’s fitness improved over time and the idea to bring people together to celebrate transplantation was born. Since then, the event has expanded to include athletes from countries in Africa, South America, the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, and the research connecting fitness with better transplant management has become widely accepted.

“Whereas all of the evidence shows now that the fitter and the more active they can be around that transplanted organ, the more likely they are to actually hold onto that organ for many, many years to come.”

Who can compete?

The Games, which occur every two years with summer and winter sports taking place in alternating years, are primarily open to people who have received a solid organ transplant (liver, heart, lung, kidney, pancreas) or bone marrow transplant.

Almost everyone who receives one of these organs must take immunosuppressants for the rest of their lives; these medications prevent organ rejection, which could be life-threatening.

Because immunosuppressants affect athletic performance, the idea was to level the competitive playing field by allowing immunosuppressed people to only compete with one another.

“There was a lot of discussion about the effects of immunosuppressive drugs on the human body and on the ability of an athlete to train. They do a number on the body … so the Federation decided that the only fair way to do this would be to make sure that … it’s like apples-to-apples competition,” said Gary Green, sports manager of the World Transplant Games Federation and one of two team managers for Team USA.

WTGF President Thomas has heard questions about this approach. For starters, all organ transplants are not the same: they each come with their own particular care regimens and complications. Thomas said he’s heard suggestions to narrow the competition categories even further, so that only competitors with the same transplanted organ compete against one another.

Another proposed idea is to separate competitors by time-since-transplant (under five years vs. 5 years or more), because, generally speaking, the longer a recipient has had an organ, the stronger they are likely to be.

“We transplant people to be normal. So [after] four or five years, I wouldn’t even think that they’re a transplant recipient … I just would say they’re just a normal person … who just happened to have a major surgery back in the day,” said Dr. Jennifer Lai, a general and transplant hepatologist at the University of California San Francisco.

In comparison, she said a transplant recipient only a year out from surgery is still recovering and likely on higher doses of immunosuppressants. “So, I do think there’s probably more to the timing and the amount of time you have to train post-transplant, than there is to being on immunosuppression or not.”

Thomas called it an interesting idea but stands by the way the Games are currently organized because of its emphasis on organ donation and successful transplantation.

“You never get the playing field perfectly level … and I think the vast majority of athletes participating at the Games realize that it’s about giving thanks. It’s about celebration,” he said, getting at the inherent tension between promoting transplants and embracing a competitive edge.

Transplant recipients who don’t require immunosuppressants, such as those who receive corneas, are currently ineligible to compete in the Games. But that may change in the future.

“With all the new kinds of transplants that are going on, you want to be able to … celebrate that, and have that be part of the whole reason for doing the games,” said Green.

A few events are designated for living donors and donor families. Since you don’t need to take immunosuppressants to donate organs, they compete only against each other in categories including golf, swimming and the long jump.

There are no tryouts or qualifying competitions for any of the athletes to join Team USA. You just have to be at least six months out from surgery, have medical clearance from your doctors and be able to afford to travel and participate in the Games. This year, the team is composed of 50 transplant recipients, nine donor competitors, two team managers and 39 supporters; friends, family, fans – anyone who is not an athlete.

Teamwork makes the dream work

This will be my inaugural trip to the Games and my debut as a member of Team USA. The same is true for Allen Stancil, who plans to compete in the 5K speed walk and several sprint races. The 58-year-old from Piedmont, South Carolina, received a heart transplant last February.

“All I’ve got on my mind right now is getting stronger and getting ready,” said Stancil. The retired park ranger said getting Covid in December 2022 set back his training a bit, but he’s recovered and has been splitting his time between the track, the stair master and the weight room.

“You tell people and it just kind of blows them away, like, wow, you’ve had a transplant and you’re going to go do this? So, that’s a pretty big deal, I think.”

Phelicia Price, 43, on the other hand, has been focusing on walking and tossing exercises to prepare for the pétanque doubles and singles competition. Pétanque is a sport similar to bocce ball. Price, who received a kidney in 2016, hails from Charlotte, North Carolina and works as an economics professor and yoga instructor.

“To even just say that we’re training to represent our country. I mean, that’s just so cool,” she told me. Price is currently recovering from a non-transplant related surgery, but said she’s ready to make her second appearance at the World Transplant Games.

“I want to meet new people and reconnect with old people. That’s primarily, I would say, the goal overall every time,” she said.

Just as each athlete’s training routine is tied to their health, participation is also contingent on physical well-being. Medical approval is a requirement for participation. Additionally, athletes must submit results from blood tests that measure things like liver and kidney function. A cardiac stress test is also recommended.

In addition to being fit enough to compete in the Games, all of us have to think of our health once there. My participation was actually uncertain up until a few weeks before the Games because of some liver-related issues.

But my doctors eventually gave me the green light and advised me to bring a month’s worth of medication in case my travel plans are delayed. They also identified a liver transplant center I can go to if I need it. There will be doctors and other medical staff on-hand at the Games in case of any emergencies.

When we all arrive in Perth, we’ll be there with about 1,500 other athletes and supporters. The age range is wide – the youngest athlete this year is 12-years-old, the oldest is 81 – and so is the level of competition, according to Green.

“We [Team USA] usually end up in the medal standings … sometimes maybe fourth or fifth … we don’t emphasize the performance levels that some of the other countries do,” he said. The team representing Great Britain-Northern Ireland tends to dominate the medal count, he said.

How to train your (transplanted) organ

The last time the World Transplant Games were held in person was in 2019 because of the pandemic. The winning time for the 5K women’s race that year was 21:28 – which is more than 10 minutes faster than I am right now (emphasis on right now). To give an imperfect comparison, last year, the winning time from the Women’s 5,000 meter final at the NCAA Championships was 15:18.

My running coach Tony Ruiz believes I will get back to my pre-transplant times. He helped me train for the New York City Marathon in 2018 and the Amsterdam Marathon in 2019, and we’d started talking about what it would take to run a sub three-hour marathon a few months before I got the transplant.

He’s never worked with a transplant recipient before, but he said he has coached Special Olympians as well as athletes diagnosed with cancer and autism. His advice: don’t push too hard too soon.

“The Eryn I coach now, (post-transplant) in all honesty, has not changed much,” Ruiz wrote in an email. “You could never tell that she has gone through that type of life altering event, based on her attitude … I sense that she will one day get back to her old times!”

Pam Bloomer, the senior physical therapist at the Starzl Transplantation Institute at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pennsylvania, reminds her transplant patients to know their limits.

“I know a lot of people are anxious to get back to a prior level … you’ve just got to be patient,” said Bloomer, who works with transplant patients ranging in age from teenagers to septuagenarians.

She said only a few have identified themselves as athletes. “When you have a transplant, you’ve got to be careful to make sure you’re focusing on the correct muscles and [that] you’re not overworking your muscles.”

And managing expectations after transplant is key, according to psychologist, Dr. Jared Skillings,

“If you were a 10 in terms of athletic competition before, you need to think about what [it] would be like to be a five or a three, depending on how your body takes it,” said Dr. Skillings, who is the chief of professional practice for the American Psychological Association.

He worked with heart, lung, kidney and bone marrow transplant recipients for Spectrum Health in Michigan for about 10 years. He shared that only a few of them expressed a desire to participate in athletics. “But most of them were able to get back to performing at a pretty significant level in terms of athletics.”

Transplant athletes aren’t common. The Games welcomes all levels of fitness and athleticism, but it targets recipients who might need encouragement and support in developing a fitness routine.

“You know, if you’re training, whether you’re a good athlete or not … it’s so worth it,” said Carol “Fishie” Fitzsimons, 58, who will compete in several events including the 50-meter fly and 200 meter freestyle swim. She later added in an email: “Being there and able to travel and compete while promoting the need for organ, eye and tissue donation in a giant celebration of life is the best part!”

Fitzsimons has been swimming since she was a kid – hence the nickname – and won’t miss a World Transplant Games if she can help it. Perth will mark her 11th appearance. The retired teacher from Howard, Ohio, received a kidney transplant over two decades ago.

“I’ve come away from many games and not won anything, especially at the world level. At first, I was kind of depressed about that. But then I’m like, look at how much better transplants are going for people at the levels they can perform. It amazes me,” Fitzsimons told me.

Join us for coverage of some WTG events and participants on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. The second part of this story will feature a conversation with Sean Elliot, Spurs TV analyst and former NBA player, who shares how a kidney transplant affected him on and off the court.

To learn more about the Games and its resources for transplant and donor athletes, you can find their website here.

There was double delight for Kenya at the 2023 Boston Marathon as Evans Chebet and Hellen Obiri won the men’s and women’s races respectively.

Chebet claimed his second consecutive Boston Marathon – the first man to defend his title since Robert Cheruiyot did so in 2008 – in an unofficial time of two hours, five minutes and 54 seconds, while Obiri took the honors in only her second official marathon.

Tanzanian Gabriel Geay came in second, finishing in 2:06:04, while Kenyan Benson Kipruto placed third in 2:06:06.

More than 30,000 athletes from all 50 states and more than 100 countries participated in the famed 26.2-mile course, starting in rural Hopkinton and finishing on Boylston Street.

This year’s race marked the 10-year anniversary of the double bombings that took place near the finish line, killing three people and injuring at least 264.

Obiri won the women’s elite race to claim her first Boston Marathon title in an unofficial time of two hours, 21 minutes and 38 seconds.

An exuberant Obiri, who finished sixth in the New York Marathon in November, was greeted at the finish line by her proud daughter.

Obiri is a two-time Olympic silver medalist, coming second in the 5000 meters at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.

Ethiopian Amane Beriso came in second, finishing in 2:21:50, while Lonah Salpeter of Israel placed third in 2:21:57.

American Emma Bates finished fifth in 2:22:10.

Over the weekend, Twitter reversed course on what would have been a bad idea. And yes, it revolves around weather.

Since Elon Musk took over, the company has received mostly bad press, and this week’s Weather Brief was going to be about another controversial decision.

But over the weekend, a surprise reversal caused many in the weather community to breathe a collective sigh of relief.

In February, Twitter announced it would limit the number of tweets that can be sent from automated accounts, unless they pay extra, in a move it said was intended to “increase quality, reduce spam, and enable a thriving ecosystem.”

The change would have a huge impact on the National Weather Service and other weather entities using automated tweets to send crucial weather alerts, like tornado warnings.

“The reason the automation exists is so that the people at the office don’t have to worry about redundantly issuing a tornado warning, then going on to Twitter, and then retyping the same thing,” Daryl Herzmann explained. Herzmann is a systems analyst for Iowa Environmental Mesonet and helped create the automation software used on Twitter.

The real-time nature of Twitter is appealing to users when getting lifesaving warnings out on social media, versus a platform like Facebook which could, using algorithms, pop up a post from four days before, and cause confusion in a weather-type scenario.

Herzmann explained Twitter was going to only allow 50 automated tweets in a 24-hour period. To put it in perspective, his account issued about 16,000 automated tweets on a slow weather day and issued 28,000 on April 4, the day the Midwest was hit with nearly 30 tornado reports.

Many of the weather service offices took to Twitter, including the weather service’s tsunami alert account, explaining the situation and urging people to make sure they have other ways to receive weather warnings.

Twitter has now restricted our automated tweets and as a result this account can no longer post all watches/warnings/advisories as they are issued. We will continue to provide general updates, but ensure that you have multiple means for receiving weather information & alerts.

— NWS Billings (@NWSBillings) April 13, 2023

Twitter, which laid off much of its public relations team after Musk took over last year, did not respond to a request for comment.

“Since Elon has basically gutted all the employees, it’s impossible to interact with them at a technical level,” explained Herzmann. “It’s very frustrating.”

Twitter originally said there would be no exceptions to its ruling to limit the number of automated tweets. But in a surprising move over the weekend, Twitter has reversed course, saying in a tweet “Twitter will allow the National Weather Service accounts to continue Tweeting weather alerts without limits.” The move highlights the importance of weather alerts. Weather warnings save lives.

NEWS: Twitter will allow the National Weather Service accounts to continue Tweeting weather alerts without limits.

Great Job @TwitterDev pic.twitter.com/0inyY9QYVO

— T(w)itter Daily News  (@TitterDaily) April 16, 2023

It is a huge win for the weather community, and maybe a sign Twitter is listening.

“When the NWS issues a warning, it means there is an imminent threat of hazardous weather. Minutes, even seconds, can make a difference between life a death,” said Alexandra Kelly, a Regional Warning Coordination Meteorologist for the weather service. “The quicker that people receive weather warnings, the quicker they can take action to protect themselves and their families.”

Herzmann’s account, which sends automated tweets, still has restrictions but he remains hopeful Twitter will reconsider his accounts as well.

While Twitter is just one way people can receive alerts, it is important to make sure you have multiple ways to receive important weather information. Whichever way you rely on to get severe weather alerts, make sure they will wake you up if you are sleeping.

The two best ways to receive weather information:

Here is a look at the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season.

Follow the storm tracker for the path and forecasts of the latest storm.

Facts

The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. The areas covered include the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.

The National Weather Service defines a hurricane as a “tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 74 mph (64 knots) or higher.”

Hurricanes are rated according to intensity of sustained winds on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. The 1-5 scale estimates potential property damage.

A Category 3 or higher is considered a major hurricane.

The National Hurricane Center advises preparedness. National Hurricane Preparedness Week is May 1-7, 2022.

A hurricane watch indicates the possibility that a region could experience hurricane conditions within 48 hours.

A hurricane warning indicates that sustained winds of at least 74 mph are expected within 36 hours.

Predictions

April 7, 2022 – The Colorado State University Tropical Meteorology Project team predicts an “above-normal” Atlantic hurricane season. The team forecasts 19 named storms, including nine hurricanes, four of which will be major hurricanes. On June 2, CSU researchers increase their forecast, calling for a “well above-average” 2022 season. The team now predicts 20 named storms, including 10 named storms, of which five are forecast to be major.

May 24, 2022 – The Climate Prediction Center (CPC) at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasts a 65% chance for an above-normal season, predicting that there is a 70% chance of having 14 to 21 named storms, of which six to 10 could develop into hurricanes, including three to six major hurricanes (Categories 3-5).

August 4, 2022 – Updated forecasts released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Colorado State University show the 2022 hurricane season is still expected to be above-normal.

2022 Atlantic Storm Names

Pronunciation Guide

Tropical Storm Alex

June 5, 2022 – Tropical Storm Alex forms about 690 miles west-southwest of Bermuda.
June 6, 2022 – Weakens to a post-tropical cyclone.

Tropical Storm Bonnie

July 1, 2022 – Tropical Storm Bonnie forms in the southern Caribbean and then makes landfall near the border between Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

Tropical Storm Colin

July 2, 2022 – Tropical Storm Colin forms near the South Carolina coast. It weakens to a tropical depression late in the evening.
July 3, 2022 – Dissipates over eastern North Carolina.

Hurricane Danielle

September 1, 2022 – Tropical Storm Danielle forms in the North Atlantic.
September 2, 2022 – Strengthens into a hurricane, making it the first hurricane of the season.
September 3, 2022 – Weakens to a tropical storm but strengthens back into a hurricane later in the day.

Hurricane Earl

September 2, 2022 – Tropical Storm Earl forms south near the Caribbean, 185 miles east of the Leeward Islands with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph.
September 6, 2022 – Strengthens into a hurricane.
September 10, 2022 – Downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone.

Hurricane Fiona

September 14, 2022 – Tropical Storm Fiona forms in the Atlantic, 625 miles east of the Leeward Islands.
September 16, 2022 – Tropical Storm Fiona passes by Guadeloupe causing the death of one person.
September 18, 2022 – Fiona makes landfall in Puerto Rico as a Category 1 hurricane. The hurricane causes catastrophic flooding and at least three people are killed.
September 19, 2022 – Fiona makes landfall in the Dominican Republic. At least two people die due to the storm, according to Major General Juan Manuel Méndez García, director of the country’s emergency operations center.
September 20, 2022 – Strengthens to a Category 3 hurricane.
September 24, 2022 – Fiona morphs into a post-tropical cyclone and makes landfall in Canada’s Nova Scotia. At least one person dies due to the storm.

Tropical Storm Gaston

September 20, 2022 – Tropical Storm Gaston forms over the central Atlantic.
September 26, 2022 – Weakens to a post-tropical cyclone.

Tropical Storm Hermine

September 23, 2022 – Tropical Storm Hermine forms in the Atlantic.
September 25, 2022 – Weakens to a post-tropical cyclone.

Hurricane Ian

September 23, 2022 – Tropical Storm Ian forms over the central Caribbean.
September 26, 2022 – Strengthens into a hurricane.
September 27, 2022 – Hurricane Ian makes landfall in Cuba as a Category 3 storm, leaving at least two people dead and the entire island without power.
September 28, 2022 – Hurricane Ian makes landfall along the southwestern coast of Florida near Cayo Costa as a powerful Category 4 storm. At least 130 people are killed in storm-related incidents in Florida.
September 30, 2022 – Hurricane Ian makes landfall near Georgetown, South Carolina, as a Category 1 storm, before being downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone. Five people are killed in storm-related incidents in North Carolina, officials say.

Hurricane Julia

October 7, 2022 – Tropical Storm Julia forms in the southern Caribbean near the Guajira Peninsula in Colombia.
October 9, 2022 – Julia makes landfall near Laguna De Perlas in Nicaragua as a Category 1 storm.
October 10, 2022 – Julia moves along the northwestern coasts of Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, killing at least 27 people in the region.

Tropical Storm Karl

October 11, 2022 – Tropical Storm Karl forms in the Bay of Campeche.
October 15, 2022 – Weakens to a post-tropical cylcone.

Hurricane Lisa

October 31, 2022 – Tropical Storm Lisa forms in the Caribbean.
November 2, 2022 – Strengthens into a hurricane. Later in the day, Lisa makes landfall in Belize.
November 5, 2022 – Lisa dissipates.

Hurricane Martin

November 1, 2022 – Tropical Storm Martin forms in the Atlantic.
November 2, 2022 – Strengthens into a hurricane.
November 3, 2022 – Weakens to a post-tropical cyclone.

Hurricane Nicole

November 7, 2022 – Subtropical Storm Nicole forms northeast of the Bahamas.
November 8, 2022 – Nicole transitions to a tropical storm.
November 9, 2022 – Nicole makes landfall on Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas, and later strengthens into a hurricane.
November 10, 2022 – Nicole makes landfall near Vero Beach, Florida, killing at least five people.

As Europe sells out and hordes of tourists descend on Italy for what looks set to be a busy summer season, one region has capped visitor numbers in a bid to prevent overtourism.

The autonomous region of Alto Adige, also known as Bolzano – South Tyrol, in the north of the country, has introduced a limit on overnight visitors, capping numbers to 2019 levels and imposing a ban on any new accommodation openings – unless another has closed.

The region, which borders Austria, is one of the best-known gateways to the Dolomite mountains, with visitors pouring in to see spectacular craggy peaks which glow pink at sunset, dreamy glacial lakes, and cute Tyrolean towns, where they gorge on dumplings, drink local beer and practice their German – since the province is bilingual.

Capital Bolzano is also home to one world-famous resident: “Ötzi the Iceman,” the naturally mummified body of a local man who died around 5,200 years ago. His body – along with his almost perfectly preserved clothes – has a museum to itself in the city.

“We reached the limit of our resources, we had problems with traffic, and residents have difficulty finding places to live,” he said, adding that they want to “guarantee the quality [of life] for locals and tourists,” which has been growing harder over the past decade.

‘We had reached the limit’

Alto Adige is known as an outdoors haven, but Schuler says that its longstanding reputation has started to be put at risk by the sheer numbers of people visiting the area.

“Tourists come here to hike and to see beautiful places, not to find themselves in a traffic jam,” he said.

“The tourism sector is very important for us, for jobs and the economy, but we had reached the limit, so we took these measures to guarantee a better management of the flow of people, and to guarantee lodging for tourists.”

The law, which was enacted in September 2022, prevents anyone opening a new lodging (including an Airbnb) or adding more rooms without seeking permission from their local authority.

The number of officially registered beds as of 2019 has been set at just under 230,000. Business owners now have until June 30 to report to the authorities how many guests they were actually housing in 2019 – essentially adding sofabeds to the tally, which were not previously counted in official figures. The final number will mark the limit, which cannot be exceeded in future. Each business will have its number of rooms fixed, and each comune (local authority) will also have a set number – the total of all the businesses under its authority.

In order to help small businesses, there will be an additional 7,000 putative “beds” assigned among local Alto Adige authorities to dole out as they see fit to small businesses which have capacity for less than 40 guests. Another 1,000 “beds” have been ringfenced to assign in exceptional circumstances if, in the future, someone wants to open a business in a town with very low tourism levels.

Curbs on ‘hit-and-run’ day-trippers

Day trippers – seen as the scourge of fellow overtourism sufferer Venice – will not go unscathed, either.

Since 2021, peak season car access to Lago di Braies (or Pragser Wildsee) – an picture perfect glacial lake in the mountains, and a staple on Instagram – has been by reservation only. Schuler says the region made the move – which he calls a “pilot project” – because the situation was becoming untenable.

“You have to register to go to the lake, but that way you’re guaranteed access and we wont have too many people there,” he says. “But also, everyone who goes, can see the lake.”

Access to the Alpe di Siusi, or Seiser Alm in German – a vast Alpine meadow in the shadow of the mountains – has also previously been restricted. The road up to the plateau is closed between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to private vehicles – anybody wanting to travel must use public transport. Residents and those with hotel reservations on the plateau are exempt.

And expect these to be the first of a wider reservation system for popular spots, as Schuler says they will “certainly do it in other areas” of the region. Limiting access to the most popular places benefits everyone, he says, comparing it to museums and galleries that sell a set number of tickets every day. “It’s not just the locals that are happy, but the tourists who have less problems with access, have parking, and can find somewhere to eat.”

No houses for locals

Schuler said that the flood of tourists was also making life difficult for locals, who are finding it difficult to find housing.

“It’s growing ever more difficult to find housing because so many [lodgings] have been turned into tourist accommodation,” he said, adding that as a result, rental costs have increased.

The region has a population of around 532,000, with inhabitants outnumbering tourist beds by roughly two to one – but that average is thanks to some areas that see little tourism. “We have areas where the number of tourist beds outnumber inhabitants by a lot,” said Schuler.

The number of Airbnbs in the region has increased by 400% in the past five years, he added.

“We always said we want to be a region for tourists, but also a place where the local people live well,” he said.

Quality not quantity

Anyone wanting to open a hotel, B&B or vacation rental in the future will find it difficult, but not necessarily impossible.

If one business closes, its assignment of “beds” will go back to its comune, or local authority. They can then dole those spots out to a new opening, or someone who wants to extend their property. “That way we guarantee that the number of spots remains unchanged in the future,” said Schuler.

The move is part of a 100-page document called the “Programma provincial per lo sviluppo del turismo 2030+”, or Program for the development of tourism beyond 2030 in the province.” A 100-page document outlines the years of research that went into the program, and goes over how it intends to develop the region sustainably. Another move is to introduce a “green star” rating system to reward hotels working sustainably.

Head to Croatia’s northern Adriatic coast to discover some of the country’s most captivating regions. While Dubrovnik and other parts of southern Dalmatia get the lion’s share of attention, the Istrian peninsula and the neighboring islands and coastal ports of the Kvarner Gulf reveal other sides of Croatia’s rich culture and history.

In fact, there’s almost too much history to absorb – ancient Greeks and Romans, Venetians, Austro-Hungarians and Italians have all left their mark on the region’s architecture, the language and the food.

Ah, yes, the food. Truffles, olive oil and deliciously juicy oysters and mussels in Istria, fabulously fat langoustines in the Kvarner Gulf, gorgeously flavored lamb from Cres – and they all go beautifully with Istrian malvazija whites and teran reds, and a crisp white žlahtina from Krk.

When you’re not exploring ancient Roman ruins, Venetian villages and Habsburg towns, you’re basking on the hundreds of beaches that run along Istria’s long coastline to the neighboring Opatija Riviera and the shores of the Kvarner Gulf. Then hop on a ferry to roam the islands of the gulf – Krk, Cres, Lošinj and Rab – each accessible from the other, but all demanding a lingering look.

Istria

Work your way along the heart-shaped coast of the Istrian peninsula and you’ll wonder if you strayed across the Italian border by mistake. At various points in its long history, Istria was part of the Roman, Venetian and Habsburg empires – as well as Italy itself until after the Second World War – and you can see and taste this legacy everywhere.

In Pula at the peninsula’s southern tip, you’ll see one of the world’s best-preserved Roman amphitheaters, an atmospheric setting for concerts and the Pula Film Festival. Along the western coast is the impossibly beautiful port of Rovinj – or Rovigno, as it’s also known in this bilingual town. Its Venetian-style townhouses squeeze into narrow alleyways and tiny squares in the medieval old town where, at some point, you’ll find yourself on the cobbled steps of Grisia, one of its prettiest lanes. Taking one of the boats that regularly hop across to the small island of Sveta Katarina reveals the best view of the city.

Head inland and you enter Istria’s world of hilltop medieval villages, rolling vineyards and truffle forests. Clinging to the hillside rising above vineyards is medieval Motovun, one of the most attractive bases from which to explore the area. From here it’s a short drive to Grožnjan, scene of summertime outdoor concerts and a place to browse the artists’ studios that have opened up over the decades. One of the most appealing ways to explore inland Istria is by hiking or cycling the Parenzana Trail, which follows the winding route of a disused railway line for about 80 miles.

Opatija

When the Habsburgs discovered the mild climate of Opatija in the 19th century, they turned what had been a small fishing village on the Kvarner Gulf coast into the cradle of Croatian tourism.

Pastel-colored Belle Époque townhouses soon sprang up, many of which are now Opatija’s grand hotels. Park Angiolina near the seafront is a good introduction to this elegant town: a calm place of neat gardens, it’s also home to the 1844 Villa Angiolina, which now houses the Croatian Museum of Tourism.

There’s a small but fascinating collection of old photographs, vintage beachwear, posters, postcards and souvenirs going back more than 150 years. Look out for the park’s Wall of Fame showing giant paintings of previous visitors including Albert Einstein, James Joyce, Isadora Duncan, Gustav Mahler, Robert De Niro and the Lumière brothers.

One of the most pleasurable ways to explore the town – and other parts of the Opatija Riviera – is to follow the Lungomare. This seafront promenade winds along the coast for nearly five miles from the fishing village of Volosko north of Opatija to the town of Lovran at the foot of the Učka Nature Park.

Rijeka

Croatia’s biggest port is much more than just a jumping-off point for ferries to the islands of the Kvarner Gulf. This cosmopolitan city – 2020’s European Capital of Culture – is worth a lingering look. The Korzo is Rijeka’s main pedestrianized thoroughfare that’s the heart of the city, wandering past Habsburg-era townhouses and inviting café terraces. Then quirky PEEK&POKE Computer Museum offers a nostalgic look at vintage computers and other tech.

To go much further back in time, climb the 528 steps (or take the bus) to Trsat Castle, a 13th-century fortress on a bluff overlooking Rijeka, for glorious views of the city and the islands of the Kvarner Gulf. Trsat is also a place of pilgrimage – it’s home to the Church of Our Lady of Trsat and its neighboring park, with the Stations of the Cross along its footpaths and viewpoints.

Krk

Tied with neighboring Cres for the biggest island in Croatia, and home to Rijeka Airport, Krk is attached to the mainland via a long bridge. Many visitors make a beeline for the lively beach resort of Baška, in a sheltered spot on Krk’s southern end – but there are many more beaches along the heavily indented coast. The village of Vrbnik is the place to try Krk’s indigenous white žlahtina wine.

Krk Town, the island’s largest settlement, reveals the region’s complex history within its old town, with its medieval fortress, Roman masonry, and Venetian houses on narrow cobblestoned alleyways. Look out for hiking trails that lead you to secluded pebbly beaches.

Cres

The long, thin island of Cres snakes along Krk’s west coast. This is a relatively unspoiled part of the Adriatic where sheep roam scrubby pastureland and produce some of Croatia’s tastiest lamb. You’ll find only a handful of villages, including the tiny Venetian-style Cres Town and the considerably smaller Osor, which dates back to Roman times, and whose lanes are filled with public art.

It’s an agreeably sleepy place, with quiet pebbly coves, an inland freshwater lake and the unexpected sight of a rescue center for griffon vultures in the northern village of Beli. When you’re not relaxing on the beaches at Valun or Lubenice, you can explore more than 60 miles of hiking trails that combine the wilderness of the hinterland with the shimmering beauty of the coast.

Lošinj

Attached to the southwestern side of Cres by a swing bridge, Lošinj dangles into the furthest reaches of the Kvarner Gulf. While it can take a bit of effort to get there, it’s infinitely worth it.

Smothered in wild herbs, Lošinj is soothingly fragrant, which you’ll discover as you walk or cycle along the pine-shaded paths that frame parts of the island.

Its two main villages, Mali Lošinj and Veli Lošinj, show their Venetian legacy; in fact, Veli Lošinj’s brightly colored houses resemble those on the Venetian island of Burano. In Mali Lošinj’s Museum of Apoxyomenos, you’ll get a taste of ancient history when you gaze at a bronze statue of a Greek athlete that had been lying undiscovered in the Adriatic for more than 2,000 years.

Back in the 19th centry, the Austro-Hungarian emperor Franz-Joseph spotted Lošinj’s potential as a place to unwind completely in that gorgeously scented air. One of his favorite spots was the misshapen Čikat Bay, whose clear waters fringed by Aleppo pines are as alluring as ever.

Rab

Royalty of a different sort put the island of Rab on the map. In 1936, Britain’s short-reigning King Edward VIII and his then-lover Wallis Simpson stripped off and jumped naked into the waters off the Frkanj peninsula, sparking a tradition of naturism that has never left. Somehow this small island manages to pack in at least two dozen sandy beaches – quite a feat in a country that’s dominated by pebbly and rocky coves. Go hiking in the Lopar peninsula and you come across several of the loveliest.

It wasn’t just the clear waters of Rab that enchanted the royal visitors. The exquisite and beautifully preserved medieval architecture of Rab Town, which includes four Romanesque campaniles, is just as enticing.

Mary Novakovich is the author of “My Family and Other Enemies: Life and Travels in Croatia’s Hinterland”

University of Virginia running back Mike Hollins scored a touchdown in his team’s spring game on Saturday, five months after he was hospitalized by a gunshot wound in a shooting that killed three of his teammates.

After he scored the 1-yard touchdown, Hollins pointed to the sky and placed the ball over one of his three teammates’ names that were painted in the endzone.

The fifth-year running back also got the first touch of the game to a standing ovation, and finished with 11 carries for 40 yards in the first half.

Saturday’s game marked UVA’s first time returning to the field since D’Sean Perry, Devin Chandler and Lavel Davis Jr. were shot dead on a bus as it returned to campus from a class field trip in November.

Hollins was one of two people wounded, and spent time intubated in the hospital’s intensive care unit.

“It’s great to be back, it’s a blessing and I want to thank all you Hoos fans for coming out and supporting us,” he said in a video posted on the Cavaliers’ official Twitter account.

The deaths of Chandler, Davis Jr. and Perry left three enormous holes on a team that felt more like family than anything, University of Virginia head coach Tony Elliott said in November. He went on to describe them, calling Chandler “the life of the party,” Davis “the big man on campus” and Perry “the quiet guy everyone wanted to know about.”

Hollins said in March that it was a “miracle” that he was able to return to the practice field, adding that he had considered leaving the school to get a fresh start but decided it was best for him to stay.

“I feel like anyone would think about leaving after something like that. But I also thought what better place to re-find who I am and reestablish my mental than the place that everything took place,” he said.

The running back, who was hospitalized for days, learned about the deaths of his teammates days after the shooting.

“I’ve never cried like that before,” Hollins told ABC. “I mean, I lost a brother that day. I love Lavel with all my heart, love Devin with all my heart. But D’Sean – it was different with him.”

“That was my brother,” Hollins said, getting visibly emotional. “It was tragic hearing that he was gone.”

The suspect in the University of Virginia shooting, former UVA walk-on football player Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., faces three charges of second-degree murder and three counts of using a handgun in the commission of a felony, authorities said. Jones also faces two counts of malicious wounding, each accompanied by a firearm charge.

Jones had his first court appearance on November 16 and a court ordered that he be held without bond.

The Sacramento Kings could not have enjoyed a better start to their return to the playoffs for the first time in 17 years.

Kings guard De’Aaron Fox finished with 38 points, five assists and three steals in a dramatic 126-123 Game 1 win over the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference first-round series.

“Sacramento showed out tonight,” Fox said, according to ESPN. “But doing this for the fans, just knowing the way that they support this team through thick and thin – really thin. It’s just a testament to the way they are.”

After a close first half, the Warriors had taken a double-digit lead in the third quarter only for the Kings to come back into the game.

Malik Monk, who scored 28 fourth-quarter points, hit a pair of free throws with 2.9 seconds left and a Steph Curry heave at the buzzer fell flat.

Curry finished with 30 points for Golden State, while Klay Thompson had 21 points and five assists.

Elsewhere, New York Knicks defeated Cleveland Cavaliers 101-97. Julius Randle, returning from a sprained ankle, finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Guard Jalen Brunson added a team-high 27 points.

Boston Celtics overcame Atlanta Hawks 112-99, and a passing masterclass from James Harden, combined with electric three-point shooting from his Sixers teammates, proved enough for the Philadelphia 76ers to down the Brooklyn Nets 121-101 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

With each record that Erling Haaland breaks, the next one seems more inevitable, such is the sheer volume of goals he is scoring this season.

The Norwegian added another two goals to his tally in Manchester City’s 3-1 victory over Leicester City on Saturday, equaling Mo Salah’s record of 32 goals in a 38-game Premier League season, with eight games still remaining to surpass that mark.

He is now just two goals shy of the outright record held jointly by Andy Cole and Alan Shearer, but which was set when there were 42 games in a season, in 1993-94 and 1994-95 respectively.

And the 22-year-old’s latest goal arrived just four days after he scored his 45th goal in all competitions this season – the most ever by a Premier League player in history.

“I desire he breaks all the records possible, that means he scores a lot of goals which helps us,” City’s manager Pep Guardiola told the BBC. “I think he wants titles and we are still there but it is impressive and still eight games to play to break all of them.”

Haaland’s exploits on Saturday helped City close the gap and move within four points of league leader Arsenal, as the Premier League hurtles towards a thrilling conclusion with the title race finely poised.

City is currently in imperious form with 10 consecutive wins in all competitions and a game in hand, while Arsenal, league leaders for almost the entire season, drew against Liverpool last week and against West Ham on Sunday, after letting a 2-0 lead slip in both games.

The two teams face each other on April 26 in a game that will almost certainly decide the title’s destination.

And City is doing everything to keep Haaland fit for the decisive run of games at the end of the season, as it juggles the Champions League and FA Cup knockout stages with the Premier League title race.

“We take care of him 24 hours (a day),” Guardiola told reporters Friday. “We have incredible doctors and physiotherapists, they are behind him every second of the day.

“Today with this demanding schedule of games every three or four days we have to take care of them.

“It’s so demanding, with nutrition, rest, sleep, food… We know we have to watch him because he’s so big.”