Americans

ESPN analyst Paul Carcaterra participated in a Q&A Monday. The former Syracuse All-American midfielder, who can be followed on Twitter via @paulcarcaterra, also answered a few questions about No. 4 Maryland, No. 7 Loyola, No. 13 Johns Hopkins, Towson and UMBC. A month ago, many people would have said that Maryland is the heavy favorite to win the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. Are the Terps still the favorite? No, I think it's a three-horse race between Maryland, [No. 1]

A Baltimore Fire Department division developed to increase recruitment among black city residents and combat racial tensions within the department's ranks is set to be eliminated in a planned round of budget cutbacks. The move has caused concerns among African-American leaders in the department. Lloyd Carter, the deputy chief for recruitment, who would be reassigned under Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's budget for the next fiscal year, said he believes his position and the small division built around it should be saved.

Senior attacker Jasmine DePompeo scored the game-winning goal 41 seconds into double overtime as No. 12 Navy captured the Patriot League regular-season title by defeating American, 11-10, in Washington Sunday afternoon. The Midshipmen (16-1, 6-0 Patriot League) will host the four-team Patriot League tournament next weekend. The Mids took a 3-2 lead on goals by sophomore attacker Loren Generi, sophomore midfielder Casey Brown and junior attacker Aimee Gennaro. But the Eagles (8-9, 5-1)

Who says American politics is gridlocked? A tidal wave of politicians from both sides of the aisle who just a few years ago opposed same-sex marriage are now coming around to support it. Elected officials who had been against allowing undocumented immigrants to become American citizens now want to "chart a path" for them. Even those who were staunch gun advocates are now sounding more reasonable about background checks. It's nice to think logic and reason are finally catching up with our elected representatives, but the real explanation for these changes of heart is more prosaic: public opinion.

There are many obstacles along the path to becoming a ninja warrior. One must dash up the steps, slanted at 50 degrees, to reach the platform above, or perhaps run along the 14-foot curved wall - all without falling into the pool of water below. "If your foot skims the water, you're done," said 30-year-old Tony Torres. Torres, will be one of hundreds trying to land a spot on the TV show "American Ninja Warrior," which holds tryouts Friday and Saturday at Rash Field in the Inner Harbor.

Lelisa Desisa and Rita Jeptoo have won the 2013 Boston Marathon. Desisa, as 23-year-old from Ambo, Ethiopia, ran past a pack that at various times included 2012 winner Wesley Korir and American Jason Hartmann. Hartmann, the best hope for a United States win after the three top-seeded Americans dropped out, repeated his 2012 placement of fourth.  

Nyani Hawkins, 9, a Riverside Elementary School student, has been chosen as a state finalist in the National American Miss Maryland Pageant to be held Aug. 8 to 10 at the Hyatt Regency Reston in Reston, Va. The National American Miss pageants are held for girls ages 4 to 18 and have five age divisions. Nyani will be participating in the Jr. Pre-Teen age division, along with other young ladies from across Maryland. The winner of the pageant will receive a $1,000 cash award, the official crown and banner, a bouquet of roses and air transportation to compete in the national pageant in California, where she will receive an exciting complimentary tour of Hollywood and two VIP tickets to Disneyland.

A dozen inmates at the Patuxent Institution in Jessup have been working for months to help bring back the American chestnut tree, and in the process give themselves a bit of a comeback as well. This week inmates and administrators at the prison handed over 603 chestnut seedlings, grown in a greenhouse on the institute grounds, that they have raised from chestnuts to 12-inch sprouts. The seedlings were accepted by representatives from the American Chestnut Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to restoring the tree species.