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Remembering Manny Chavez
(ABC 6 News) – Across the country, the opioid epidemic has claimed thousands of lives. In 2021 alone, more than 80,000 people died as a result of an opioid epidemic.
It’s the same story in Southeast Minnesota, with overdoses on the rise in Olmsted and Freeborn Counties. One life lost was that of Manny Chavez of Albert Lea.
On Friday, a group of family and friends held a memorial at the Albert Lea skatepark to celebrate Manny’s life.
“This was his comfort place so it was comforting for us a family to be here in a plcae that made him so happy.” said Marissa Leonard, Manny’s oldest sister.
Certified councilors where also there to help spread awareness of the danger of opioids, and offering emergency overdose free response kits.
Pastor G tells ABC 6 that they will continue “Manny’s Mission” by hosting monthly events at their church. | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/remembering-manny-chavez/ | 2023-07-29T05:24:30 | 1 | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/remembering-manny-chavez/ |
Southern Minnesota connection to singer Sinead O’Connor
(ABC 6 News)- An attorney with connections to southern Minnesota is mourning the loss of his friend, singer-songwriter Sinead O’Connor.
Jeff Anderson is a St. Paul based attorney. His firm, is one of the nation’s premiere law firms representing victims of clergy sex abuse. He’s been working with victims for close to 40 years.
“One of my first cases was with the Diocese of Winona and father Adamson,” Anderson said.
Adamson worked as a priest in Rochester and other small towns across southern Minnesota for decades. He’s admitted to sexual abusing multiple boys. Experts believe his number of victims could be as high as 100.
A number of years after Anderson began his quest to hold the Catholic church and abusive priests accountable, he watched a singer on Saturday Night Live do something he knew would would decimate her career.
“It was Sinead O’Connor and she ripped up a picture of the Pope,” Anderson said. “I knew exactly what was going to happen to her. It made her a Villain.”
It was a message the world wasn’t ready to hear. The backlash was swift and strong. O’Connor’s career never recovered. It wasn’t long after that, Anderson got a phone call.
“It was Sinead,” he said. “She told me she’d been following my work and she wanted me to sue the Vatican.”
Over the next thirty years, the two bonded and formed a friendship as they shared a mission to hold the church accountable and get justice for the victims.
“She was a prophet in my eyes,” Anderson said.
While O’Connor’s career never recovered from the SNL appearance, Anderson’s has thrived. He’s represented victims across the country.
“Over the years, probably as many as 10,000 I’ve known about,” he said.
A settlement reached with the Diocese of Winona in 2021 secured $28 million for victims in southern Minnesota. The most recent settlement out of New York State was worth $100 million. But money isn’t Anderson’s motivation, and he knows it wasn’t the motivation of his friend, Sinead.
“It took tremendous courage for her to be one of those early, lonely voices for the voiceless,” Anderson said. “She was a champion.”
And one he hopes the world never forgets. | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/the-legacy-of-sinead-oconnor/ | 2023-07-29T05:24:36 | 0 | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/the-legacy-of-sinead-oconnor/ |
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to $1.05 billion after another drawing without a big winner
The Mega Millions jackpot climbed to an estimated $1.05 billion after no one managed to beat the massive odds and match the lottery game’s six numbers drawn Friday night.
The numbers drawn Friday night were: 5, 10, 28, 52, 63 and the gold ball 18.
The lack of a winner of Friday’s $940 million jackpot means there have been 29 straight draws without a winner. The last time someone won a Mega Millions jackpot was April 18.
The $1.05 billion prize up for grabs in the next drawing Tuesday night would be for a sole winner choosing to be paid through an annuity, with annual payments over 30 years. Jackpot winners almost always opt for a lump sum payment, which for Tuesday’s drawing would be an estimated $527.9 million.
While no one won the Mega Millions jackpot, it has been less than two weeks since someone in Los Angeles won a $1.08 billion Powerball prize that ranked as the sixth-largest in U.S. history. The winner of the prize is still a mystery.
Lottery jackpots grow so large because the odds of winning are so small. For Mega Millions, the odds of winning the jackpot are about 1 in 302.6 million.
Winners also would be subject to federal taxes, and many states also tax lottery winnings.
Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/top-news/mega-millions-jackpot-climbs-to-1-05-billion-after-another-drawing-without-a-big-winner/ | 2023-07-29T05:24:42 | 0 | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/top-news/mega-millions-jackpot-climbs-to-1-05-billion-after-another-drawing-without-a-big-winner/ |
Ex-New Mexico police informant headed to prison after admitting 5 bank robberies to feed addiction
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico man who confessed to five bank robberies in Albuquerque last year — including one bank he robbed twice as part of what he said were desperate attempts to feed his fentanyl addiction — has been sentenced to more than two years in prison.
Jason Smeltzer, 41, made off with less than $4,000 total from the the five robberies, which took place within 6 miles (10 kilometers) of each other over five weeks in early 2022, court records show.
Each time, the unarmed Albuquerque man who once served as a confidential informant for the city’s police handed notes to tellers claiming he was a vigilante helping law enforcement and asking that they “please” place bills in an envelope, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque.
Assistant federal public defender Dennis Candelaria had argued Smeltzer be sentenced to only 18 months in prison partly because he had no adult criminal record, a lengthy work history and was actively involved in many community activities. He said Smeltzer had been suffering from a drug addiction for years trying to ease pain from an injured knee and that he was committed to rehabilitation.
In addition to being a confidential police informant, Candelaria said Smeltzer had participated in the FBI program for cyber security. He didn’t provide any additional details.
“Fentanyl took total control of his life,” Candelaria wrote in a pre-sentencing document.
“In many ways, Mr. Smeltzer is the typical bank robber. He is robbing a bank to buy drugs for his addiction. However, unlike the typical bank robber, we can look past his actions and see an individual that never intended to harm anyone,” Candelaria said.
Smeltzer “committed each of these bank robberies by passing a note and requesting the teller to ‘please’ place money in an envelope,” he said.
From Jan. 20-Feb. 23, 2022, Smeltzer stole a total of $3,856 from the four banks on the city’s northeast side, including just $136 from one. The most was $1,180 the second time he robbed the same credit union on San Mateo Boulevard in mid-February.
Acting on a call to a national tip line, FBI agents and police arrested him leaving his Albuquerque home in a car with his mother hours after the final robbery on Feb. 23.
An FBI agent said in an affidavit that Smeltzer confessed to all of the crimes and told authorities he was using the money to buy drugs for his fentanyl addiction.
“He also advised Agents he wrote the demands notes and he always asked for money politely,” the agent wrote in the affidavit last year.
In one case, the note he handed a teller claimed “I am that vigilante that helps law enforcement take down drug dealers.” Another said he was a vigilante “helping the police catch drug dealers and stop overdoses,” according to court documents.
The latter also said, “Thank you, truly I am grateful. I will repay.”
Smeltzer pleaded guilty to five counts of bank robbery on March 22. On July 18, U.S District Judge Judith C. Herrera sentenced him to 27 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/us-world-news/ex-new-mexico-police-informant-headed-to-prison-after-admitting-5-bank-robberies-to-feed-addiction/ | 2023-07-29T05:24:48 | 1 | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/us-world-news/ex-new-mexico-police-informant-headed-to-prison-after-admitting-5-bank-robberies-to-feed-addiction/ |
ATLANTA (AP) — Mega Millions jackpot climbs to $1.05 billion after another drawing without any tickets matching all winning numbers.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/us-world-news/mega-millions-jackpot-climbs-to-1-05-billion-after-another-drawing-without-any-tickets-matching-all-winning-numbers/ | 2023-07-29T05:24:54 | 1 | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/us-world-news/mega-millions-jackpot-climbs-to-1-05-billion-after-another-drawing-without-any-tickets-matching-all-winning-numbers/ |
The extreme heat wave that blasted the Southwest is abating with late arriving monsoon rains
PHOENIX (AP) — A historic heat wave that turned the U.S. Southwest into a blast furnace throughout July is beginning to abate with the late arrival of monsoon rains.
Forecasters expect that by Monday at the latest, people in metro Phoenix will begin seeing high temperatures under 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 degrees Celsius) for the first time in a month. As of Friday, the high temperature in the desert city had been at or above that mark for 29 consecutive days.
Already this week, the overnight low at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport fell under 90 (32.2 C) for the first time in 16 days, finally allowing people some respite from the stifling heat once the sun goes down.
Temperatures are also expected to ease in Las Vegas, Albuquerque and Death Valley, California.
The downward trend started Wednesday night, when Phoenix saw its first major monsoon storm since the traditional start of the season on June 15. While more than half of the greater Phoenix area saw no rainfall from that storm, some eastern suburbs were pummeled by high winds, swirling dust and localized downfalls of up to an inch (2.5 centimeters) of precipitation.
Storms gradually increasing in strength are expected over the weekend.
Scientists calculate that July will prove to be the hottest globally on record and perhaps the warmest human civilization has seen. The extreme heat is now hitting the eastern part of the U.S, as soaring temperatures moved from the Midwest into the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, where some places are seeing their warmest days so far this year.
The new heat records being set this summer are just some of the extreme weather being seen around the U.S. this month, such as flash floods in Pennsylvania and parts of the Northeast.
And while relief may be on the way for the Southwest, for now it’s still dangerously hot. Phoenix’s high temperature reached 116 (46.7 C) Friday afternoon, which is far above the average temperature of 106 (41.1 C).
“Anyone can be at risk outside in this record heat,” the fire department in Goodyear, a Phoenix suburb, warned residents on social media while offering ideas to stay safe.
For many people such as older adults, those with health issues and those without access to air conditioning, the heat can be dangerous or even deadly.
Maricopa County, the most populous in Arizona and home to Phoenix, reported this week that its public health department had confirmed 25 heat-associated deaths this year as of July 21, with 249 more under investigation.
Results from toxicological tests that can takes weeks or months after an autopsy is conducted could eventually result in many deaths listed as under investigation as heat associated being changed to confirmed.
Maricopa County confirmed 425 heat-associated deaths last year, and more than half of them occurred in July.
Elsewhere in Arizona next week, the agricultural desert community of Yuma is expecting highs ranging from 104 to 112 (40 C to 44.4 C) and Tucson is looking at highs ranging from 99 to 111 (37.2 C to 43.9 C).
The highs in Las Vegas are forecast to slip as low as 94 (34.4 C) next Tuesday after a long spell of highs above 110 (43.3 C). Death Valley, which hit 128 (53.3 C) in mid-July, will cool as well, though only to a still blistering hot 116 (46.7 C).
In New Mexico, the highs in Albuquerque next week are expected to be in the mid to high 90s (around 35 C), with party cloudy skies.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/us-world-news/the-extreme-heat-wave-that-blasted-the-southwest-is-abating-with-late-arriving-monsoon-rains/ | 2023-07-29T05:25:01 | 0 | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/us-world-news/the-extreme-heat-wave-that-blasted-the-southwest-is-abating-with-late-arriving-monsoon-rains/ |
Water is refreshing in the heat, right? In parts of Florida this past week, not so much
In the sweltering summer heat, nobody tries to cool off by jumping into a hot tub. In parts of Florida, however, that’s what the ocean has felt like.
Earlier this week, sea surface temperatures reached as high as 101.2 degrees Fahrenheit (38.4 degrees Celsius) around the state’s southern tip in Manatee Bay, according to the National Weather Service — although scientists said the context for Monday’s reading is complicated.
“It was like there was no difference between humidity of the air and going into the water,” said Chelsea Ward of Fort Myers, Florida.
Triple-digit ocean temperatures are stunning even in Florida, where residents are used to the heat and where many retirees find refuge from cold, northern winters. Several other nearby spots reached the mid-90s (about 35 Celsius). A storm finally came through on Wednesday, helping water temperatures drop back down in to the more temperate 80s (about 29 Celsius).
Humans naturally look to water for a chance to refresh. Every summer, millions grab their swimsuits for a day on the beach and a chance to cool off in the water — a break from everyday work and worry. Pools offer the same relief and a place for friends to gather. But when water temperatures get too high, some of the appeal is lost.
Ward, 47, doesn’t keep her beach bag in her car anymore even though she lives minutes away from the beach in Fort Myers. Lately, the water is just too hot. On Sunday, when her friend asked if she wanted to go to the beach, the two decided against it after discovering the water temperature was around 90 degrees (32 degrees Celsius).
When it’s hot, the body cools down by sweating, which evaporates and releases heat. Dipping into the ocean is typically so refreshing because heat efficiently transfers from your body into the water. But as water temperatures climb, that effect diminishes and you lose less heat less quickly, according to Michael Mullins, a Washington University toxicologist and emergency medicine physician at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis.
A hot tub — or a stretch of ocean water hotter than body temperature — reverses the transfer of heat into your body. That’s not a pleasant experience on a sizzling, humid, Florida day.
“It would feel,” Mullins said, “like you are swimming in soup.”
ICE BLOCKS FOR YOUR POOL? WHY NOT
People already tend not to swim that much in the Florida waters that were so extremely hot earlier this week. The water can get muddy and there are alligators and crocodiles in the area, too.
But high temperatures anywhere can make swimming less pleasant. Through Friday, Phoenix endured highs above 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius) every day this month. Pools are warm. About 150 miles (240 kilometers) to the northwest in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, Stefanee Lynn Thompson, 50, wanted to keep guests cool for a pool party she hosted Sunday. The heat had raised the pool’s temperature to 96 degrees (36 Celsius).
Her friend recommended she go buy ice blocks. She ran to the grocery store, picked up 40 of them and dumped them in the pool. She set up fans, too. All that hard work dropped the pool’s temperature a grand total of 4 degrees (7 degrees Celsius).
“When it’s 120 out, anything helps,” Thompson said.
Recently, ocean temperatures off the western coast of Florida have been a few degrees above normal, sitting around 88 to 90 degrees (31-32 degrees Celsius). It’s not just humans that suffer when the oceans warm. Sea corals are bleaching. They can be hurt when water temperatures rise above the upper 80s (low 30 degrees Celsius).
July has been so hot that scientists announced a global heat record even before the month ended. Climate change is creating a hotter world, warming oceans and making some storms more destructive. Sea surface temperatures are somewhat above average around Florida, but they are far higher in parts of the North Atlantic near Newfoundland where they are as much as 9 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius) hotter than usual.
The extremely high sea surface temperatures recorded earlier this week off Florida’s southern tip were caused by lots of sun, little wind and no storms.
“I’ve never seen temperatures 100 degrees in Florida Bay in the 21 years I’ve been in the Keys,” said Andy Devanas, science officer at the National Weather Service in Key West, Florida.
IS THE WATER THAT WARM EVERYWHERE?
And there are some questions about how representative Monday’s 101.2-degree reading in Manatee Bay were. Water there is shallow and thus heats up quickly. If there’s lots of sediment, that can raise temperatures, too, according to David Roth, a forecaster with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center.
By contrast, stop by the YMCA pools on the North Shore of Massachusetts near Boston and you’ll descend into water that’s around 78 to 80 degrees (26 to 27 degrees Celsius). The ocean nearby is cooler, too. Sea surface temperatures off Cape Cod, for example, barely touched the mid-70s (about 24 degrees Celsius) this week.
When Maria Argueta, 38, has time off from her job at an open-air decorative plant nursery in Homestead, Florida, she’ll go with her family to swim.
“This year, the heat is stronger,” she said.
The hot ocean water doesn’t bother her, but sometimes she takes her 2-year-old son and other members of the family to the Venetian Pool, a public facility in Coral Gables fed by water from an aquifer that’s always in the 70s. The very cool water, she said, is refreshing.
Florida’s humid weather makes it harder for sweat to evaporate and cool the body down. People in south Florida know the ocean doesn’t tend to offer real relief from that suffocating heat.
“You aren’t getting much cooling at all,” Roth said. “Nobody goes into the water in South Florida in the summer really except to swim, because it is comfortable to swim, but it is not refreshing.”
___
AP journalist Seth Borenstein contributed reporting from Washington, Dupuy reported from New York and Phillis reported from St. Louis. The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/us-world-news/water-is-refreshing-in-the-heat-right-in-parts-of-florida-this-past-week-not-so-much/ | 2023-07-29T05:25:07 | 0 | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/us-world-news/water-is-refreshing-in-the-heat-right-in-parts-of-florida-this-past-week-not-so-much/ |
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Aaron Judge draws 3 walks after coming off injured list for Yankees at Baltimore
BALTIMORE (AP) — The New York Yankees have been a sub-.500 team since Aaron Judge injured his toe in early June. Now they hope his return can help them rally for a postseason spot.
The Yankees reinstated Judge from the injured list Friday before the opener of their weekend road series against the Baltimore Orioles. Judge admits he isn’t fully recovered but says he’s healthy enough to play.
“It’s feeling all right, feeling good. It’s not 100%. I don’t think it’ll be 100% until the end of the year,” he said. “I think our biggest goal is just getting to a point where I could play, I could tolerate it.”
The Yankees lost 1-0 to the Orioles on Anthony Santander’s ninth-inning homer. Judge lined out to right field on the first pitch he saw in the top of the first. Then he walked his next three times up.
Judge had been out since tearing a ligament in his right big toe June 3 when he crashed into the right-field fence while making a catch at Dodger Stadium. In the eighth inning Friday, he appeared to foul a pitch off his foot, but it was his left one.
Judge played a simulated game Wednesday at the team’s complex in Tampa, Florida, and returned to New York after that. The 2022 American League MVP faced live pitching Sunday at Yankee Stadium for the first time since the injury. Manager Aaron Boone said Judge homered during a simulated game Tuesday in Florida. He also played the field and ran the bases.
Judge was penciled into the lineup as the designated hitter, batting second Friday night. Boone said he could have potentially played in the field, but that will be a day-by-day decision.
“Obviously, as much as there’s urgency for us, we’ve got to be smart about that and make sure that in talking to Aaron, making sure he’s honest with his feedback about how he’s recovering, how he’s bouncing back,” Boone said. “Obviously, how the toe’s doing, but how everything else is doing.”
New York was 19-23 since Judge got hurt in Los Angeles. After Friday’s loss, the Yankees are 30-20 with the star outfielder, who also missed 10 games earlier this season with a right hip strain.
Judge set an AL record with 62 home runs last year. He is batting .290 with 19 homers and 40 RBIs in the first season of a $360 million, nine-year contract he signed last offseason.
“I guess he’s back and he’s ready,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said before the game. “So we’ll have to pitch to him well.”
Baltimore has a 1 1/2-game lead in the AL East over Tampa Bay. The Yankees are five games over .500 but at the bottom of the ultracompetitive division. New York is nine games behind the Orioles and 3 1/2 behind the Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros for the American League’s final two wild cards.
Judge was asked if the team’s offensive struggles without him made him even more anxious to come back.
“No, I just wanted to get back,” Judge said after a noticeable pause. “Any time you’re sitting out, even if we were winning and we had an eight-game lead in the division, or we were 10 games out of it, I want to be back out there battling with the guys.”
Boone said Judge had an MRI in the last few days, and Judge indicated that was a factor in his return.
“I didn’t want to come back and make it worse, and this is something that leads into the next year and the following year,” he said. “Ligament’s stable. Last couple MRIs didn’t really show much healing, but this one did.”
To make room for Judge, the Yankees optioned infielder Oswald Peraza to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.kaaltv.com/sports/national-sports/aaron-judge-draws-3-walks-after-coming-off-injured-list-for-yankees-at-baltimore/ | 2023-07-29T05:25:19 | 0 | https://www.kaaltv.com/sports/national-sports/aaron-judge-draws-3-walks-after-coming-off-injured-list-for-yankees-at-baltimore/ |
Ohtani homers in 3 straight at-bats over 2 games before being sidelined by cramps — again
TORONTO (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit his major league-leading 39th home run — for a streak of three homers in three at-bats over two games — before being sidelined due to cramping for a second consecutive game.
Ohtani was replaced by pinch-hitter Michael Stefanic when his at-bat came up with the bases loaded in the ninth inning due to leg cramps. The Blue Jays beat the Angels 4-1 Friday.
Los Angeles manager Phil Nevin said Ohtani was removed because of cramping in both of his calves.
“We’ll evaluate it tomorrow when he gets up,” Nevin said. “It’s just cramping right now. It’s kind of in both legs. He’s done a lot of work the last two days and wasn’t able to go.”
Ohtani homered twice in the second game of a doubleheader at Detroit on Thursday before leaving with cramps. He threw an eight-strikeout, one-hitter in the opener for his first career MLB shutout.
The two-way superstar became the first player to throw a shutout in one game of a doubleheader and hit one homer — much less two — in the other.
Thursday’s performance against the Tigers came hours after the team confirmed Ohtani will stay with the Angels for the rest of the season before he becomes a free agent.
Nevin said Ohtani’s soreness developed after he grounded out to begin the eighth inning.
“He came in and was trying to get some work done and just kept cramping up,” Nevin said.
Stefanic struck out looking at a 3-2 pitch from right-hander Jordan Romano as Toronto ended the Angels’ four-game winning streak.
On Friday, Ohtani homered on the first pitch he faced, going deep in three straight at-bats. His drive to right came off Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman and traveled 397 feet.
Ohtani streak of homers ended when he struck out swinging on a 2-2 pitch from Gausman in the third. He singled off Gausman in the sixth and grounded out to shortstop against left-hander Tim Mayza in the eighth, slowing up as he approached first base.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.kaaltv.com/sports/national-sports/ohtani-homers-in-3-straight-at-bats-over-2-games-before-being-sidelined-by-cramps-again/ | 2023-07-29T05:25:25 | 1 | https://www.kaaltv.com/sports/national-sports/ohtani-homers-in-3-straight-at-bats-over-2-games-before-being-sidelined-by-cramps-again/ |
Winning numbers drawn for estimated $940 million Mega Millions jackpot
▶ Watch Video: Feeling lucky? Here’s what to do if you win the lottery
The winning numbers for Friday’s estimated $940 million Mega Millions jackpot, the fifth-largest in the game’s history, have been drawn. They are 5, 10, 28, 52 and 63, and a Mega Ball of 18.
There was no immediate word on whether any winning tickets had been sold.
The jackpot had jumped by about $120 million after no winning tickets were sold for Tuesday night’s $820 million drawing.
There has not been a Mega Millions jackpot winner since April 18.
A single winning ticket for Friday’s jackpot would have had the choice of taking an estimated lump sum payment of $472.5 million before taxes, or going with the annuity option. That consists of an immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that eventually equal the full jackpot minus taxes.
The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are approximately one in 302.58 million.
Since the last time there was a jackpot winner, at least 41 tickets matching all five white balls — which earns a prize of at least $1 million— have been sold, Mega Millions said.
A ticket sold in Texas which matched all five white balls won $4 million in Tuesday’s drawing because it included a Megaplier, which can increase a non-jackpot prize by up to five times.
There have been four Mega Millions jackpots north of $1 billion, with the largest being a $1.537 billion jackpot in October of 2018, claimed by a single winning ticket sold in South Carolina. In January, a winning ticket for a $1.348 billion jackpot was sold in Maine.
Last week, a single winning ticket was sold in downtown Los Angeles for the $1.08 billion Powerball jackpot, the sixth-largest in U.S. lottery history. The winner has yet to come forward to claim their prize.
The Los Angeles area has seen a string of lottery luck of late. The winning ticket for February’s $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot, the largest in lottery history, was sold at a gas station in Altadena, a city in Los Angeles County.
Mega Millions tickets, which are $2 each, are sold in all states except Alabama, Utah, Alaska, Hawaii and Nevada. They’re also sold in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. According to the game, half the proceeds from each ticket sold remain in the state where the sale occurred, with that money going to support “designated good causes and retailer commissions.”
Drawings take place at 11 p.m. Eastern on Tuesdays and Fridays.
According to the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries, a trade group that represents the interests of all the major lotteries, each state determines which programs its lottery profits go towards. In California, for example, all lottery proceeds go to public education, which in the 2021-22 fiscal year amounted to about $2 billion. | https://www.wsgw.com/winning-numbers-drawn-for-estimated-940-million-mega-millions-jackpot/ | 2023-07-29T05:27:08 | 0 | https://www.wsgw.com/winning-numbers-drawn-for-estimated-940-million-mega-millions-jackpot/ |
From left, in back, are Robbi (Vander Wall) Woodside, Jerry Brandt, Chad Adams, Jim Pappas and Lindsey (Horejsi) Kozelsky. In front, from left, are Emily (Bartusek) Zanon, Roy Nystrom and Bob Hatch. The eight individuals were inducted into the Albert Lea High School Hall of Fame Friday in a reception at Wedgewood Cove Golf Club. The Hall of Fame was formed in 2010 to acknowledge outstanding athletes, coaches and state championship teams that have made historical contributions to Albert Lea’s athletic program. Money raised from the Albert Lea Education Foundation event goes to lower student participation fees across all sports. Sarah Stultz/Albert Lea Tribune | https://www.albertleatribune.com/2023/07/8-inducted-into-albert-lea-high-school-hall-of-fame/ | 2023-07-29T05:27:59 | 0 | https://www.albertleatribune.com/2023/07/8-inducted-into-albert-lea-high-school-hall-of-fame/ |
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Another break or crack has been found on a North Carolina amusement park ride, weeks after the roller coaster was shut down when a visitor spotted a crack in a steel support pillar, state officials say.
The discovery of the additional "weld indication" was made during an investigation into the structural integrity of the closed Fury 325 roller coaster at Carowinds amusement park in Charlotte, according to a statement from the North Carolina Department of Labor.
The agency said the indication "could be either a break or a crack," the statement said.
The Fury 325 will stay closed until inspections and repairs happen, park officials have said. It's one of the tallest and longest rides in a massive park that straddles the North and South Carolina state line. The park says the Fury 325 takes riders to a peak height of 325 feet and reaches 95 mph.
Crack in Carowinds roller coaster may have formed 6-10 days before closure, commissioner says
Carowinds said it's not "uncommon to discover slight weld indications in various locations of a steel superstructure" when conducting a maintenance review, in a statement given to CNN. The park added that such indications "do not compromise the structural integrity or safety of the ride."
The amusement park closed the roller coaster on June 30 after visitor Jeremy Wagner took a video of the crack and said he immediately showed it to guest services before following up with the Charlotte Fire Department. The fire department called him back and said the ride had been shut down, CNN previously reported.
"I'm not an engineer, but that's not right," Wagner thought on his visit to Carowinds park, he previously told CNN.
At the park with family, Wagner knew something was wrong when he spotted the crack, he told CNN. He pulled out his phone and hit record, zooming in to show the support pillar moving slightly out of place as passengers flew by.
"My daughter and niece rode it six times," he told CNN.
Carowinds said it "continues to conduct a comprehensive series of detailed tests and inspections" to prepare for the ride's reopening.
The North Carolina Department of Labor said there is no timeline for issuing the certificate of operation and that the investigation continues.
The-CNN-Wire
& 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved | https://abc11.com/nc-carowinds-fury-325-second-crack-break/13565671/ | 2023-07-29T05:27:59 | 0 | https://abc11.com/nc-carowinds-fury-325-second-crack-break/13565671/ |
2 separate meteor showers expected to peak this weekend
(CNN) - Mother nature will be putting on quite a show this weekend.
Stargazers will just have to look up to watch it.
Two meteor showers, the Delta Aquariids and Alpha Capricornids, are expected to peak Sunday and Monday evenings.
The Delta Aquariids are best seen in the Southern Hemisphere, but they will still be visible in the Northern Hemisphere, especially in the southern part of the United States.
They will just be lower on the horizon and the best time to see them is around 2 a.m.
The only downside is that the nearly-full moon may make them harder to see.
As for the Alpha Capricornids, this shower produces just a few meteors per hour.
However, they will be especially bright and the moon shouldn’t obscure their light.
Special equipment is not needed to watch the showers, but it’s recommended to get as far away from artificial light as possible.
Copyright 2023 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.azfamily.com/2023/07/29/2-separate-meteor-showers-expected-peak-this-weekend/ | 2023-07-29T05:27:59 | 0 | https://www.azfamily.com/2023/07/29/2-separate-meteor-showers-expected-peak-this-weekend/ |
2 separate meteor showers expected to peak this weekend
(CNN) - Mother nature will be putting on quite a show this weekend.
Stargazers will just have to look up to watch it.
Two meteor showers, the Delta Aquariids and Alpha Capricornids, are expected to peak Sunday and Monday evenings.
The Delta Aquariids are best seen in the Southern Hemisphere, but they will still be visible in the Northern Hemisphere, especially in the southern part of the United States.
They will just be lower on the horizon and the best time to see them is around 2 a.m.
The only downside is that the nearly-full moon may make them harder to see.
As for the Alpha Capricornids, this shower produces just a few meteors per hour.
However, they will be especially bright and the moon shouldn’t obscure their light.
Special equipment is not needed to watch the showers, but it’s recommended to get as far away from artificial light as possible.
Copyright 2023 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wkyt.com/2023/07/29/2-separate-meteor-showers-expected-peak-this-weekend/ | 2023-07-29T05:27:59 | 1 | https://www.wkyt.com/2023/07/29/2-separate-meteor-showers-expected-peak-this-weekend/ |
Trio of Magi, past and present, competing at USA Swimming Futures Championships
Published: Jul. 28, 2023 at 11:08 PM CDT|Updated: 1 hour ago
WEST FARGO, N.D. (KMOT) - Two Magi alumni and one current Minot swimmer are currently competing at the USA Swimming Futures championship in West Fargo.
Grant Schaeffer, who graduated in 2022 and swims at University of Nebraska Omaha, Ryan Hubbard who graduated from Minot High this spring and Samantha VonBokern, an incoming sophomore at Minot High are all swimming this weekend at the Hulbert Aquatic Center.
Swimmers from 39 states are competing at the event, which runs through Saturday.
Copyright 2023 KFYR. All rights reserved. | https://www.kfyrtv.com/2023/07/29/trio-magi-past-present-competing-usa-swimming-futures-championships/ | 2023-07-29T05:27:59 | 0 | https://www.kfyrtv.com/2023/07/29/trio-magi-past-present-competing-usa-swimming-futures-championships/ |
USC still preparing for European tour as Bronny James recovers at home after cardiac arrest
LOS ANGELES (AP) — As Bronny James continues to recover after going into cardiac arrest, his Southern California teammates have been at practice to prepare for a 10-day exhibition tour of Greece and Croatia that begins next week.
The tour will run from from Aug. 5-15 and see the Trojans visit Athens and Mykonos, Greece, and Dubrovnik, Croatia. Teams are allowed to go on a foreign tour once every four years under NCAA rules.
James was discharged from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Thursday and is resting at home, according to a statement from the hospital. His father, Lakers superstar LeBron James, also posted on social media that his family is “safe and healthy.”
Bronny James will continue to undergo tests to determine the cause of his cardiac arrest, which occurred Monday morning during a workout at USC’s Galen Center.
Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart abruptly stops beating, because of a problem with its electrical activity. While uncommon in young people, sudden cardiac arrest is the leading medical cause of death in young athletes. Some studies have estimated one sudden cardiac death in 50,000 to 80,000 young athletes each year.
No information has been made public about what may have caused Bronny James’ cardiac arrest. But one of the most common causes in young athletes is an underlying problem with the heart’s structure, such as a genetic condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy that leads to a thickened heart muscle more prone to irregular electrical activity. A more rare cause is commotio cordis, which occurs when someone receives a sharp blow to the chest during a specific part of the heartbeat’s cycle — what happened to Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin earlier this year.
James was the second high-profile USC basketball recruit to go into cardiac arrest in the last year. Vincent Iwuchuwku also was stricken during a workout last July, but the 7-foot-1 center returned to the court six months later and appeared in 14 games.
It’s too soon to know how James’ playing career could be affected, especially without a lot of information being made public. Various experts point to James’ quick move out of intensive care and being released three days later as encouraging.
The upcoming trip is important for the Trojans as James recovers. USC had the nation’s fourth-ranked recruiting class, including the top-rated player in guard Isaiah Collier.
James committed to the Trojans in May after the 6-foot-3 18-year-old became one of the nation’s top prospects as a two-way point guard for Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, California.
He is the sixth McDonald’s All-American to come to USC since Andy Enfield became coach in 2013.
With his family fame and huge social media following, Bronny James also has the top name, image and likeness valuation in sports at $6.3 million, as estimated by On3.com. He is the oldest of LeBron and Savannah James’ three children.
___
AP Sports Writer Greg Beacham and AP Health & Science Writer Lauran Neergard contributed to this report.
___
AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/lebron-james
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wkyt.com/2023/07/29/usc-still-preparing-european-tour-bronny-james-recovers-home-after-cardiac-arrest/ | 2023-07-29T05:28:00 | 0 | https://www.wkyt.com/2023/07/29/usc-still-preparing-european-tour-bronny-james-recovers-home-after-cardiac-arrest/ |
April Jeppson: Positive, upbeat attitudes are contagious
Published 8:45 pm Friday, July 28, 2023
Every Little Thing by April Jeppson
We are in Charlotte, North Carolina, for a work convention, and the timing could not have been better for a little R&R. The night before our flight, I was aimlessly walking the aisles of Walmart trying to remember all the things I absolutely had to have. I wish you could see my face as I type that. For clarification, since sarcasm does not translate well, I in fact needed nothing, and yet my cart was full when I checked out.
I have been so busy lately that I have had to prioritize everything. Therefore, unless it was something that required me to handle it right now, I made it wait. Living like this only works for a short time, and thankfully, I knew a break was right around the corner.
I bought everything I was convinced I needed the night before. The morning of, I tried my best to pack intelligently, but alas, I did not. I left 45 minutes late.
Throughout the process I kept telling myself that I just needed to get to the airport and then I could unwind. Thankfully, we made it on time (without speeding) and the entire process was a breeze.
While checking in, I noticed how nice the lady at the counter was. She was calm and happy and really made the whole experience enjoyable. On the flight, our attendant was polite and animated when the person in front of us complimented her manicure. Her eyes lit up as she talked about how much she loved the color of her polish.
When our Uber arrived, he willingly picked up our luggage and acted as if our heavy bags weren’t a big deal. He was happy to tell us about his favorite restaurants in the area. The woman working the front desk at our hotel made us feel instantly at home. Every person we encountered on our journey seemed like they genuinely enjoyed serving us. I never felt like a burden.
By the time we got into our room, we were beat; however, we were hungry and needed to order some food before we completely relaxed. Once we agreed upon pizza, it was just a matter of how long it would take before it was delivered. Guess who seemed happy to deliver our food? Yes, she gave amazing service as well! Literally, every person we interacted with was awesome.
I’m currently taking up all the space in my own queen-size bed. My friend is sprawled across her bed as she flips through channels trying to find us something to watch.
Only 24 hours in, and I can already feel the stress of the world starting to melt away. I’m convinced that it’s in large part to all the positive, happy people I’ve been around lately.
I know that by the time I head back home, I’ll be refreshed and ready to handle whatever gets thrown at me. I also know that I need to do a better job of prioritizing other items in my life as well. It’s not just about which work activities require my attention, but also about who gets my attention. If I spend too much time with negative or angry people, it’s going to rub off on me. The cool thing though is that positive, upbeat attitudes are also contagious.
I should not have to fly across the country to have this realization, but apparently, I did. Sometimes you can’t see the forest for the trees, so I needed to walk away from it all for a moment. I think the other take away is this. It doesn’t matter if I spend an hour or a minute interacting with someone, I have a chance to make that moment great. A smile, a joke, a little more eye contact, it does not have to be much, but it can honestly make the other person’s day better. I want to be someone like that.
“People may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” — Maya Angelou
Albert Lean April Jeppson is a wife, mom, coach and encourager of dreams. Her column appears every Saturday. | https://www.albertleatribune.com/2023/07/april-jeppson-positive-upbeat-attitudes-are-contagious/ | 2023-07-29T05:28:05 | 0 | https://www.albertleatribune.com/2023/07/april-jeppson-positive-upbeat-attitudes-are-contagious/ |
UN says it’s forced to cut food aid to millions globally because of a funding crisis
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations has been forced to cut food, cash payments and assistance to millions of people in many countries because of “a crippling funding crisis” that has seen its donations plummet by about half as acute hunger is hitting record levels, a top official said Friday.
Carl Skau, deputy executive director of the World Food Program, told a news conference that at least 38 of the 86 countries where WFP operates have already seen cuts or plan to cut assistance soon — including Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen and West Africa.
He said WFP’s operating requirement is $20 billion to deliver aid to everyone in need, but it was aiming for between $10 billion and $14 billion, which was what the agency had received in the past few years.
“We’re still aiming at that, but we have only so far this year gotten to about half of that, around $5 billion,” Skau said.
He said humanitarian needs were “going through the roof” in 2021 and 2022 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine and its global implications. “Those needs continue to grow, those drivers are still there,” he said, “but the funding is drying up. So we’re looking at 2024 (being) even more dire.”
“The largest food and nutrition crisis in history today persists,” Skau said. “This year, 345 million people continue to be acutely food insecure while hundreds of millions of people are at risk of worsening hunger.”
Skau said conflict and insecurity remain the primary drivers of acute hunger around the world, along with climate change, unrelenting disasters, persistent food price inflation and mounting debt stress — all during a slowdown in the global economy.
WFP is looking to diversify its funding base, but he also urged the agency’s traditional donors to “step up and support us through this very difficult time.”
Asked why funding was drying up, Skau said to ask the donors.
“But it’s clear that aid budgets, humanitarian budgets, both in Europe and the United States, (are) not where they were in 2021-2022,” he said.
Skau said that in March, WFP was forced to cut rations from 75% to 50% for communities in Afghanistan facing emergency levels of hunger, and in May it was forced to cut food for 8 million people — 66% of the people it was assisting. Now, it is helping just 5 million people, he said. In Syria, 5.5 million people who relied on WFP for food were already on 50% rations, Skau said, and in July the agency cut all rations to 2.5 million of them. In the Palestinian territories, WFP cut its cash assistance by 20% in May and in June. It cut its caseload by 60%, or 200,000 people. And in Yemen, he said, a huge funding gap will force WFP to cut aid to 7 million people as early as August.
In West Africa, where acute hunger is on the rise, Skau said, most countries are facing extensive ration cuts, particularly WFP’s seven largest crisis operations: Burkina Faso, Mali, Chad, Central African Republic, Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon.
He said cutting aid to people who are only at the hunger level of crisis to help save those literally starving or in the category of catastrophic hunger means that those dropped will rapidly fall into the emergency and catastrophe categories, “and so we will have an additional humanitarian emergency on our hands down the road.”
“Ration cuts are clearly not the way to go forward,” Skau said.
He urged world leaders to prioritize humanitarian funding and invest in long-tern solutions to conflicts, poverty, development and other root causes of the current crisis.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.azfamily.com/2023/07/29/un-says-its-forced-cut-food-aid-millions-globally-because-funding-crisis/ | 2023-07-29T05:28:05 | 1 | https://www.azfamily.com/2023/07/29/un-says-its-forced-cut-food-aid-millions-globally-because-funding-crisis/ |
UN says it’s forced to cut food aid to millions globally because of a funding crisis
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations has been forced to cut food, cash payments and assistance to millions of people in many countries because of “a crippling funding crisis” that has seen its donations plummet by about half as acute hunger is hitting record levels, a top official said Friday.
Carl Skau, deputy executive director of the World Food Program, told a news conference that at least 38 of the 86 countries where WFP operates have already seen cuts or plan to cut assistance soon — including Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen and West Africa.
He said WFP’s operating requirement is $20 billion to deliver aid to everyone in need, but it was aiming for between $10 billion and $14 billion, which was what the agency had received in the past few years.
“We’re still aiming at that, but we have only so far this year gotten to about half of that, around $5 billion,” Skau said.
He said humanitarian needs were “going through the roof” in 2021 and 2022 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine and its global implications. “Those needs continue to grow, those drivers are still there,” he said, “but the funding is drying up. So we’re looking at 2024 (being) even more dire.”
“The largest food and nutrition crisis in history today persists,” Skau said. “This year, 345 million people continue to be acutely food insecure while hundreds of millions of people are at risk of worsening hunger.”
Skau said conflict and insecurity remain the primary drivers of acute hunger around the world, along with climate change, unrelenting disasters, persistent food price inflation and mounting debt stress — all during a slowdown in the global economy.
WFP is looking to diversify its funding base, but he also urged the agency’s traditional donors to “step up and support us through this very difficult time.”
Asked why funding was drying up, Skau said to ask the donors.
“But it’s clear that aid budgets, humanitarian budgets, both in Europe and the United States, (are) not where they were in 2021-2022,” he said.
Skau said that in March, WFP was forced to cut rations from 75% to 50% for communities in Afghanistan facing emergency levels of hunger, and in May it was forced to cut food for 8 million people — 66% of the people it was assisting. Now, it is helping just 5 million people, he said. In Syria, 5.5 million people who relied on WFP for food were already on 50% rations, Skau said, and in July the agency cut all rations to 2.5 million of them. In the Palestinian territories, WFP cut its cash assistance by 20% in May and in June. It cut its caseload by 60%, or 200,000 people. And in Yemen, he said, a huge funding gap will force WFP to cut aid to 7 million people as early as August.
In West Africa, where acute hunger is on the rise, Skau said, most countries are facing extensive ration cuts, particularly WFP’s seven largest crisis operations: Burkina Faso, Mali, Chad, Central African Republic, Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon.
He said cutting aid to people who are only at the hunger level of crisis to help save those literally starving or in the category of catastrophic hunger means that those dropped will rapidly fall into the emergency and catastrophe categories, “and so we will have an additional humanitarian emergency on our hands down the road.”
“Ration cuts are clearly not the way to go forward,” Skau said.
He urged world leaders to prioritize humanitarian funding and invest in long-tern solutions to conflicts, poverty, development and other root causes of the current crisis.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kfyrtv.com/2023/07/29/un-says-its-forced-cut-food-aid-millions-globally-because-funding-crisis/ | 2023-07-29T05:28:05 | 1 | https://www.kfyrtv.com/2023/07/29/un-says-its-forced-cut-food-aid-millions-globally-because-funding-crisis/ |
Arthur Fils vs. Alexander Zverev: Prediction and Match Betting Odds | Hamburg European Open
Arthur Fils will face Alexander Zverev in the Hamburg European Open semifinals on Saturday, July 29.
In this Semifinal matchup, Zverev is the favorite (-375) against Fils (+270) .
Looking to place a bet on this or other tennis matches? Head over to BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks, and sign up today with our link!
Arthur Fils vs. Alexander Zverev Match Information
- Tournament: The Hamburg European Open
- Round: Semifinals
- Date: Saturday, July 29
- Venue: MatchMaker Sports Gmbh
- Location: Hamburg, Germany
- Court Surface: Clay
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Arthur Fils vs. Alexander Zverev Prediction and Odds
Based on the moneyline in this match, Alexander Zverev has a 78.9% chance to win.
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Arthur Fils vs. Alexander Zverev Trends and Insights
- In the quarterfinals on Friday, Fils eliminated No. 4-ranked Casper Ruud, 6-0, 6-4.
- Zverev was victorious 6-3, 6-4 versus Luca van Assche in the quarterfinals on Friday.
- In his 29 matches over the past year across all court types, Fils has played an average of 21.4 games (20.7 in best-of-three matches).
- Fils has played 14 matches on clay over the past 12 months, and 22.2 games per match (21.2 in best-of-three matches).
- In his 42 matches in the past 12 months across all court types, Zverev is averaging 26.0 games per match (22.6 in best-of-three matches) and winning 53.2% of those games.
- Zverev has averaged 24.1 games per match (21.4 in best-of-three matches) and 9.7 games per set in 22 matches on clay surfaces in the past 12 months.
- Dating back to 2015, Fils and Zverev have not matched up on the court.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wkyt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/arthur-fils-vs-alexander-zverev-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-hamburg-european-open/ | 2023-07-29T05:28:06 | 0 | https://www.wkyt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/arthur-fils-vs-alexander-zverev-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-hamburg-european-open/ |
Ask a Trooper: Is proof of insurance always required in your vehicle?
Published 8:45 pm Friday, July 28, 2023
Question: I read your article last week on not having a driver’s license in possession, what about proof of insurance in your vehicle?
Answer: Every driver is required to carry proof of insurance while driving. They must also produce proof of insurance when requested by an officer during a traffic stop or an incident such as a crash. You can be cited for no proof on insurance, and the same rules apply as no driver’s license in possession penalties. The citation will be dropped if you provide proof of insurance to traffic court before the court date. If you do not, the citation turns into a no insurance citation, which is a misdemeanor violation.
Proof of insurance can be in electronic form, meaning text-based or imaged-based content that can be shown on a computer or other digital device. So a photograph of the actual insurance card or screen shot is sufficient.
Information required for proof of insurance:
(1) The insured’s name
(2) The policy number
(3) The policy dates of coverage
(4) The make, model and year of the vehicle insured
(5) The vehicle identification number or at least the last three digits of that number; and
(6) The name of the obligor providing coverage.
You can avoid a ticket — and a crash — if you simply buckle up, drive at safe speeds, pay attention and always drive sober. Help us drive Minnesota toward zero deaths.
If you have any questions concerning traffic-related laws or issues in Minnesota, send your questions to Sgt. Troy Christianson, Minnesota State Patrol, at 2900 48th St. NW, Rochester MN 55901-5848. Or reach him at Troy.Christianson@state.mn.us.
Troy Christianson is a sergeant with the Minnesota State Patrol. | https://www.albertleatribune.com/2023/07/ask-a-trooper-is-proof-of-insurance-always-required-in-your-vehicle/ | 2023-07-29T05:28:11 | 1 | https://www.albertleatribune.com/2023/07/ask-a-trooper-is-proof-of-insurance-always-required-in-your-vehicle/ |
USC still preparing for European tour as Bronny James recovers at home after cardiac arrest
LOS ANGELES (AP) — As Bronny James continues to recover after going into cardiac arrest, his Southern California teammates have been at practice to prepare for a 10-day exhibition tour of Greece and Croatia that begins next week.
The tour will run from from Aug. 5-15 and see the Trojans visit Athens and Mykonos, Greece, and Dubrovnik, Croatia. Teams are allowed to go on a foreign tour once every four years under NCAA rules.
James was discharged from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Thursday and is resting at home, according to a statement from the hospital. His father, Lakers superstar LeBron James, also posted on social media that his family is “safe and healthy.”
Bronny James will continue to undergo tests to determine the cause of his cardiac arrest, which occurred Monday morning during a workout at USC’s Galen Center.
Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart abruptly stops beating, because of a problem with its electrical activity. While uncommon in young people, sudden cardiac arrest is the leading medical cause of death in young athletes. Some studies have estimated one sudden cardiac death in 50,000 to 80,000 young athletes each year.
No information has been made public about what may have caused Bronny James’ cardiac arrest. But one of the most common causes in young athletes is an underlying problem with the heart’s structure, such as a genetic condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy that leads to a thickened heart muscle more prone to irregular electrical activity. A more rare cause is commotio cordis, which occurs when someone receives a sharp blow to the chest during a specific part of the heartbeat’s cycle — what happened to Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin earlier this year.
James was the second high-profile USC basketball recruit to go into cardiac arrest in the last year. Vincent Iwuchuwku also was stricken during a workout last July, but the 7-foot-1 center returned to the court six months later and appeared in 14 games.
It’s too soon to know how James’ playing career could be affected, especially without a lot of information being made public. Various experts point to James’ quick move out of intensive care and being released three days later as encouraging.
The upcoming trip is important for the Trojans as James recovers. USC had the nation’s fourth-ranked recruiting class, including the top-rated player in guard Isaiah Collier.
James committed to the Trojans in May after the 6-foot-3 18-year-old became one of the nation’s top prospects as a two-way point guard for Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, California.
He is the sixth McDonald’s All-American to come to USC since Andy Enfield became coach in 2013.
With his family fame and huge social media following, Bronny James also has the top name, image and likeness valuation in sports at $6.3 million, as estimated by On3.com. He is the oldest of LeBron and Savannah James’ three children.
___
AP Sports Writer Greg Beacham and AP Health & Science Writer Lauran Neergard contributed to this report.
___
AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/lebron-james
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.azfamily.com/2023/07/29/usc-still-preparing-european-tour-bronny-james-recovers-home-after-cardiac-arrest/ | 2023-07-29T05:28:12 | 0 | https://www.azfamily.com/2023/07/29/usc-still-preparing-european-tour-bronny-james-recovers-home-after-cardiac-arrest/ |
USC still preparing for European tour as Bronny James recovers at home after cardiac arrest
LOS ANGELES (AP) — As Bronny James continues to recover after going into cardiac arrest, his Southern California teammates have been at practice to prepare for a 10-day exhibition tour of Greece and Croatia that begins next week.
The tour will run from from Aug. 5-15 and see the Trojans visit Athens and Mykonos, Greece, and Dubrovnik, Croatia. Teams are allowed to go on a foreign tour once every four years under NCAA rules.
James was discharged from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Thursday and is resting at home, according to a statement from the hospital. His father, Lakers superstar LeBron James, also posted on social media that his family is “safe and healthy.”
Bronny James will continue to undergo tests to determine the cause of his cardiac arrest, which occurred Monday morning during a workout at USC’s Galen Center.
Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart abruptly stops beating, because of a problem with its electrical activity. While uncommon in young people, sudden cardiac arrest is the leading medical cause of death in young athletes. Some studies have estimated one sudden cardiac death in 50,000 to 80,000 young athletes each year.
No information has been made public about what may have caused Bronny James’ cardiac arrest. But one of the most common causes in young athletes is an underlying problem with the heart’s structure, such as a genetic condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy that leads to a thickened heart muscle more prone to irregular electrical activity. A more rare cause is commotio cordis, which occurs when someone receives a sharp blow to the chest during a specific part of the heartbeat’s cycle — what happened to Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin earlier this year.
James was the second high-profile USC basketball recruit to go into cardiac arrest in the last year. Vincent Iwuchuwku also was stricken during a workout last July, but the 7-foot-1 center returned to the court six months later and appeared in 14 games.
It’s too soon to know how James’ playing career could be affected, especially without a lot of information being made public. Various experts point to James’ quick move out of intensive care and being released three days later as encouraging.
The upcoming trip is important for the Trojans as James recovers. USC had the nation’s fourth-ranked recruiting class, including the top-rated player in guard Isaiah Collier.
James committed to the Trojans in May after the 6-foot-3 18-year-old became one of the nation’s top prospects as a two-way point guard for Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, California.
He is the sixth McDonald’s All-American to come to USC since Andy Enfield became coach in 2013.
With his family fame and huge social media following, Bronny James also has the top name, image and likeness valuation in sports at $6.3 million, as estimated by On3.com. He is the oldest of LeBron and Savannah James’ three children.
___
AP Sports Writer Greg Beacham and AP Health & Science Writer Lauran Neergard contributed to this report.
___
AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/lebron-james
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kfyrtv.com/2023/07/29/usc-still-preparing-european-tour-bronny-james-recovers-home-after-cardiac-arrest/ | 2023-07-29T05:28:12 | 1 | https://www.kfyrtv.com/2023/07/29/usc-still-preparing-european-tour-bronny-james-recovers-home-after-cardiac-arrest/ |
Fabio Fognini vs. Joris de Loore: Prediction and Match Betting Odds | ATP Challenger Zug, Switzerland Men Singles 2023
In the ATP Challenger Zug, Switzerland Men Singles 2023 semifinals on Saturday, Fabio Fognini faces Joris de Loore.
With -175 odds, Fognini is favored over de Loore (+125) for this match.
Looking to place a bet on this or other tennis matches? Head over to BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks, and sign up today with our link!
Fabio Fognini vs. Joris de Loore Match Information
- Tournament: The ATP Challenger Zug, Switzerland Men Singles 2023
- Round: Semifinals
- Date: Saturday, July 29
- Venue: Tennisclub Zug
- Location: Zug, Switzerland
- Court Surface: Clay
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Fabio Fognini vs. Joris de Loore Prediction and Odds
Based on the moneyline in this match, Fabio Fognini has a 63.6% chance to win.
Bet on tennis with BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks!
Fabio Fognini vs. Joris de Loore Trends and Insights
- Fognini advanced past Jakub Mensik 6-4, 6-2 in the quarterfinals on Friday.
- In the quarterfinals on Friday, de Loore took down No. 209-ranked Matteo Gigante, winning 3-6, 7-6, 6-4.
- Fognini has played 39 matches over the past 12 months (across all court surfaces), and 25.3 games per match (23.5 in best-of-three matches).
- In his 16 matches on clay over the past year, Fognini has played an average of 24.8 games (22.0 in best-of-three matches).
- de Loore has played two matches in the past year across all court types, averaging 22.5 games per match (22.5 in best-of-three matches) and winning 42.2% of those games.
- de Loore has averaged 18.0 games per match (18.0 in best-of-three matches) and 9.0 games per set in one match on clay courts in the past year.
- This is the first time that Fognini and de Loore have matched up in the last five years.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wkyt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/fabio-fognini-vs-joris-de-loore-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-atp-challenger-zug-switzerland-men-singles-2023/ | 2023-07-29T05:28:13 | 1 | https://www.wkyt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/fabio-fognini-vs-joris-de-loore-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-atp-challenger-zug-switzerland-men-singles-2023/ |
County’s dispatchers an essential part of public safety
Published 9:00 pm Friday, July 28, 2023
While police officers and deputies are likely the most visible parts of the Albert Lea and Freeborn County law enforcement team, their work would not be possible without the roles of other individuals who work behind the scenes coordinating their response and talking on the front lines with the public.
That group of 10 dispatchers on the telecommunications team includes Penny Gangruth, Jody Olson, Tasha Grove, Rachel Guenther, Lisa Rippentrop, Karina Kunze, Sara Schmitt, Amanda Vaith, Bobbie Attig and Amber Nuehring.
Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Tim Bennett said the telecommunicators are an essential part of the public safety sector and receive and evaluate several different calls — both emergency and non-emergency — each shift. They have to determine the severity of each call and which agencies to dispatch.
“With some calls, the telecommunicators may only have seconds to make that determination and get the information out to responding units,” Bennett said. “During the higher severity calls, the telecommunicators have to be calm and attempt to calm the caller down so they can get more information. While doing this, the telecommunicators are relaying all the information to the responding agencies.”
He said each piece of information they receive they give to law enforcement to help in their response — not only for their investigations but also for their safety.
“We appreciate that hard work that the telecommunicators do every day,” he said.
Working Wednesday in the dispatcher center was Guenther, Grove and Olson.
Guenther, who has worked for three years as a dispatcher, said she used to work with Americorps in the schools and wanted to continue in public service in a different way.
She received her certificate do be a dispatcher from Riverland Community College.
“I like being able to help the community,” she said.
The dispatchers have to have the ability to multi-task as they look at multiple screens at a time — a radio screen, a phone screen, screens for different maps and a screen where they enter in all of their calls. They even have a foot tool to use to dispatch people if needed.
The women also have to have good listening skills and the capability of working in stressful situations.
Guenther said typically there are two to three dispatchers working at a time, and they each work 10-hour shifts.
They work as a team as calls come in and can often gauge just from the tone of voice of their partners how serious a call is going to be.
Grove, who has been working in the role for 6 1/2 years, said she had a friend working in dispatch who thought she would be a good fit.
“I like getting the help out to those who need it,” she said.
Olson started working as a dispatcher 7 1/2 years ago and previously worked as an EMT through Mayo Clinic Health System.
She said she wasn’t really looking for a job but the job found her.
She also works as one of the medical examiners for Freeborn County.
Two of the county’s dispatchers are also crisis negotiators. | https://www.albertleatribune.com/2023/07/countys-dispatchers-an-essential-part-of-public-safety/ | 2023-07-29T05:28:17 | 1 | https://www.albertleatribune.com/2023/07/countys-dispatchers-an-essential-part-of-public-safety/ |
Arthur Fils vs. Alexander Zverev: Prediction and Match Betting Odds | Hamburg European Open
Arthur Fils will face Alexander Zverev in the Hamburg European Open semifinals on Saturday, July 29.
In this Semifinal matchup, Zverev is the favorite (-375) against Fils (+270) .
Looking to place a bet on this or other tennis matches? Head over to BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks, and sign up today with our link!
Arthur Fils vs. Alexander Zverev Match Information
- Tournament: The Hamburg European Open
- Round: Semifinals
- Date: Saturday, July 29
- Venue: MatchMaker Sports Gmbh
- Location: Hamburg, Germany
- Court Surface: Clay
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Arthur Fils vs. Alexander Zverev Prediction and Odds
Based on the moneyline in this match, Alexander Zverev has a 78.9% chance to win.
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Arthur Fils vs. Alexander Zverev Trends and Insights
- In the quarterfinals on Friday, Fils eliminated No. 4-ranked Casper Ruud, 6-0, 6-4.
- Zverev was victorious 6-3, 6-4 versus Luca van Assche in the quarterfinals on Friday.
- In his 29 matches over the past year across all court types, Fils has played an average of 21.4 games (20.7 in best-of-three matches).
- Fils has played 14 matches on clay over the past 12 months, and 22.2 games per match (21.2 in best-of-three matches).
- In his 42 matches in the past 12 months across all court types, Zverev is averaging 26.0 games per match (22.6 in best-of-three matches) and winning 53.2% of those games.
- Zverev has averaged 24.1 games per match (21.4 in best-of-three matches) and 9.7 games per set in 22 matches on clay surfaces in the past 12 months.
- Dating back to 2015, Fils and Zverev have not matched up on the court.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.azfamily.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/arthur-fils-vs-alexander-zverev-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-hamburg-european-open/ | 2023-07-29T05:28:18 | 0 | https://www.azfamily.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/arthur-fils-vs-alexander-zverev-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-hamburg-european-open/ |
Arthur Fils vs. Alexander Zverev: Prediction and Match Betting Odds | Hamburg European Open
Arthur Fils will face Alexander Zverev in the Hamburg European Open semifinals on Saturday, July 29.
In this Semifinal matchup, Zverev is the favorite (-375) against Fils (+270) .
Looking to place a bet on this or other tennis matches? Head over to BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks, and sign up today with our link!
Arthur Fils vs. Alexander Zverev Match Information
- Tournament: The Hamburg European Open
- Round: Semifinals
- Date: Saturday, July 29
- Venue: MatchMaker Sports Gmbh
- Location: Hamburg, Germany
- Court Surface: Clay
Watch live tennis and many more sports and shows without cable on all your devices with a seven-day free trial to Fubo!
Arthur Fils vs. Alexander Zverev Prediction and Odds
Based on the moneyline in this match, Alexander Zverev has a 78.9% chance to win.
Bet on tennis with BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks!
Arthur Fils vs. Alexander Zverev Trends and Insights
- In the quarterfinals on Friday, Fils eliminated No. 4-ranked Casper Ruud, 6-0, 6-4.
- Zverev was victorious 6-3, 6-4 versus Luca van Assche in the quarterfinals on Friday.
- In his 29 matches over the past year across all court types, Fils has played an average of 21.4 games (20.7 in best-of-three matches).
- Fils has played 14 matches on clay over the past 12 months, and 22.2 games per match (21.2 in best-of-three matches).
- In his 42 matches in the past 12 months across all court types, Zverev is averaging 26.0 games per match (22.6 in best-of-three matches) and winning 53.2% of those games.
- Zverev has averaged 24.1 games per match (21.4 in best-of-three matches) and 9.7 games per set in 22 matches on clay surfaces in the past 12 months.
- Dating back to 2015, Fils and Zverev have not matched up on the court.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.kfyrtv.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/arthur-fils-vs-alexander-zverev-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-hamburg-european-open/ | 2023-07-29T05:28:18 | 1 | https://www.kfyrtv.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/arthur-fils-vs-alexander-zverev-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-hamburg-european-open/ |
Matteo Arnaldi vs. Alexei Popyrin: Prediction and Match Betting Odds | Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag
On Saturday, Matteo Arnaldi (No. 76 in the world) meets Alexei Popyrin (No. 90) in the semifinals of the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag.
Arnaldi is the favorite (-150) in this match, compared to the underdog Popyrin, who is +115.
Looking to place a bet on this or other tennis matches? Head over to BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks, and sign up today with our link!
Matteo Arnaldi vs. Alexei Popyrin Match Information
- Tournament: The Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag
- Round: Semifinals
- Date: Saturday, July 29
- Venue: Stadium Goran Ivanisevic in ITC Stella Maris
- Location: Umag, Croatia
- Court Surface: Clay
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Matteo Arnaldi vs. Alexei Popyrin Prediction and Odds
Based on the moneyline in this match, Matteo Arnaldi has a 60.0% chance to win.
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Matteo Arnaldi vs. Alexei Popyrin Trends and Insights
- In the quarterfinals on Friday, Arnaldi advanced past No. 33-ranked Jiri Lehecka, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.
- In the quarterfinals on Friday, Popyrin beat No. 287-ranked Dino Prizmic, winning 7-6, 7-5.
- Arnaldi has played 24.5 games per match (23.2 in best-of-three matches) in his 35 matches over the past year (across all court types).
- On clay, Arnaldi has played 18 matches over the past 12 months, totaling 24.5 games per match (23.4 in best-of-three matches) while winning 54.2% of games.
- In the past year, Popyrin has competed in 47 total matches (across all court types), winning 49.3% of the games. He averages 28.0 games per match (25.3 in best-of-three matches) and 10.6 games per set.
- On clay surfaces, Popyrin has played 16 matches and averaged 26.7 games per match (26.0 in best-of-three matches) and 10.2 games per set.
- Dating back to 2015, Arnaldi and Popyrin have not competed against each other.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wkyt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/matteo-arnaldi-vs-alexei-popyrin-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-plava-laguna-croatia-open-umag/ | 2023-07-29T05:28:19 | 1 | https://www.wkyt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/matteo-arnaldi-vs-alexei-popyrin-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-plava-laguna-croatia-open-umag/ |
Editorial Roundup: State funds help ease ‘boarding’ in ERs hospitals
Published 8:49 pm Friday, July 28, 2023
Why it matters: The state has helped ease the problem of people being housed in ERs and other hospital space when they should be in nursing homes.
“Boarding” patients in ERs and other hospital spaces because of a lack of available nursing home and mental health care beds has long been a problem and one that intensified during and after the pandemic.
The state Legislature and governor have helped with the problem with an infusion of funding.
Minnesota hospitals recently reported nearly 14,000 instances this year in which patients were stuck in their emergency rooms or inpatient units because nursing homes or other step-down facilities couldn’t or wouldn’t take them, the Star Tribune reports.
Hospitals are now able to apply for $18 million in state compensation. The state funding for hospitals that have to hold patients longer than they should have to as well as funding incentives for nursing homes to accept high-need patients they might otherwise refuse will help alleviate the problem of people being stuck in hospitals when they don’t need to be.
About 580 patients were boarding in Minnesota hospitals at any point in time this year.
The problem of hospitals — and jails — holding people who should be in a mental health facility continues to be a big problem that needs to be addressed, but the recent state funding helps with mostly elderly patients who need to be in a nursing home to recover from medical issues. As the population ages, hospitals are seeing more elderly folks with complex medical needs.
The funding to compensate hospitals and to provide incentives to nursing homes almost didn’t happen. But in the last week of the session, budget negotiations freed up $300 million to support nursing homes and $18 million to compensate hospitals this year.
The average ER boarding delay lasted a day and a half, but some were longer. Mayo’s Mankato hospital is scheduled to receive $379,000 because the average delay was 20 days for the 33 patients who got stuck in its ER.
The funding helps nursing homes accept people who shouldn’t have to be boarded in ERs or other hospital rooms.
But the state and federal governments need to find ways to address the more serious need of providing more mental health beds and care for children and adults.
— Mankato Free Press, July 25 | https://www.albertleatribune.com/2023/07/editorial-roundup-state-funds-help-ease-boarding-in-ers-hospitals/ | 2023-07-29T05:28:23 | 1 | https://www.albertleatribune.com/2023/07/editorial-roundup-state-funds-help-ease-boarding-in-ers-hospitals/ |
Fabio Fognini vs. Joris de Loore: Prediction and Match Betting Odds | ATP Challenger Zug, Switzerland Men Singles 2023
In the ATP Challenger Zug, Switzerland Men Singles 2023 semifinals on Saturday, Fabio Fognini faces Joris de Loore.
With -175 odds, Fognini is favored over de Loore (+125) for this match.
Looking to place a bet on this or other tennis matches? Head over to BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks, and sign up today with our link!
Fabio Fognini vs. Joris de Loore Match Information
- Tournament: The ATP Challenger Zug, Switzerland Men Singles 2023
- Round: Semifinals
- Date: Saturday, July 29
- Venue: Tennisclub Zug
- Location: Zug, Switzerland
- Court Surface: Clay
Watch live tennis and many more sports and shows without cable on all your devices with a seven-day free trial to Fubo!
Fabio Fognini vs. Joris de Loore Prediction and Odds
Based on the moneyline in this match, Fabio Fognini has a 63.6% chance to win.
Bet on tennis with BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks!
Fabio Fognini vs. Joris de Loore Trends and Insights
- Fognini advanced past Jakub Mensik 6-4, 6-2 in the quarterfinals on Friday.
- In the quarterfinals on Friday, de Loore took down No. 209-ranked Matteo Gigante, winning 3-6, 7-6, 6-4.
- Fognini has played 39 matches over the past 12 months (across all court surfaces), and 25.3 games per match (23.5 in best-of-three matches).
- In his 16 matches on clay over the past year, Fognini has played an average of 24.8 games (22.0 in best-of-three matches).
- de Loore has played two matches in the past year across all court types, averaging 22.5 games per match (22.5 in best-of-three matches) and winning 42.2% of those games.
- de Loore has averaged 18.0 games per match (18.0 in best-of-three matches) and 9.0 games per set in one match on clay courts in the past year.
- This is the first time that Fognini and de Loore have matched up in the last five years.
Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.azfamily.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/fabio-fognini-vs-joris-de-loore-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-atp-challenger-zug-switzerland-men-singles-2023/ | 2023-07-29T05:28:25 | 0 | https://www.azfamily.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/fabio-fognini-vs-joris-de-loore-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-atp-challenger-zug-switzerland-men-singles-2023/ |
Fabio Fognini vs. Joris de Loore: Prediction and Match Betting Odds | ATP Challenger Zug, Switzerland Men Singles 2023
In the ATP Challenger Zug, Switzerland Men Singles 2023 semifinals on Saturday, Fabio Fognini faces Joris de Loore.
With -175 odds, Fognini is favored over de Loore (+125) for this match.
Looking to place a bet on this or other tennis matches? Head over to BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks, and sign up today with our link!
Fabio Fognini vs. Joris de Loore Match Information
- Tournament: The ATP Challenger Zug, Switzerland Men Singles 2023
- Round: Semifinals
- Date: Saturday, July 29
- Venue: Tennisclub Zug
- Location: Zug, Switzerland
- Court Surface: Clay
Watch live tennis and many more sports and shows without cable on all your devices with a seven-day free trial to Fubo!
Fabio Fognini vs. Joris de Loore Prediction and Odds
Based on the moneyline in this match, Fabio Fognini has a 63.6% chance to win.
Bet on tennis with BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks!
Fabio Fognini vs. Joris de Loore Trends and Insights
- Fognini advanced past Jakub Mensik 6-4, 6-2 in the quarterfinals on Friday.
- In the quarterfinals on Friday, de Loore took down No. 209-ranked Matteo Gigante, winning 3-6, 7-6, 6-4.
- Fognini has played 39 matches over the past 12 months (across all court surfaces), and 25.3 games per match (23.5 in best-of-three matches).
- In his 16 matches on clay over the past year, Fognini has played an average of 24.8 games (22.0 in best-of-three matches).
- de Loore has played two matches in the past year across all court types, averaging 22.5 games per match (22.5 in best-of-three matches) and winning 42.2% of those games.
- de Loore has averaged 18.0 games per match (18.0 in best-of-three matches) and 9.0 games per set in one match on clay courts in the past year.
- This is the first time that Fognini and de Loore have matched up in the last five years.
Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.kfyrtv.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/fabio-fognini-vs-joris-de-loore-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-atp-challenger-zug-switzerland-men-singles-2023/ | 2023-07-29T05:28:25 | 1 | https://www.kfyrtv.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/fabio-fognini-vs-joris-de-loore-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-atp-challenger-zug-switzerland-men-singles-2023/ |
Stan Wawrinka vs. Lorenzo Sonego: Prediction and Match Betting Odds | Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag
In the semifinals of the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag on Saturday, Stan Wawrinka (ranked No. 72) faces Lorenzo Sonego (No. 43).
In this Semifinal matchup against Sonego (+100), Wawrinka is the favorite with -125 odds.
Looking to place a bet on this or other tennis matches? Head over to BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks, and sign up today with our link!
Stan Wawrinka vs. Lorenzo Sonego Match Information
- Tournament: The Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag
- Round: Semifinals
- Date: Saturday, July 29
- Venue: Stadium Goran Ivanisevic in ITC Stella Maris
- Location: Umag, Croatia
- Court Surface: Clay
Watch live tennis and many more sports and shows without cable on all your devices with a seven-day free trial to Fubo!
Stan Wawrinka vs. Lorenzo Sonego Prediction and Odds
Based on the moneyline in this match, Stan Wawrinka has a 55.6% chance to win.
Bet on tennis with BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks!
Stan Wawrinka vs. Lorenzo Sonego Trends and Insights
- Wawrinka is looking to stay on track after a 6-4, 7-5 victory over No. 59-ranked Roberto Carballes Baena in Friday's quarterfinals.
- Sonego advanced to the semifinals by taking down No. 104-ranked Jaume Munar 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 on Friday.
- Wawrinka has played 27.3 games per match (24.6 in best-of-three matches) in his 40 matches over the past year (across all court surfaces).
- On clay, Wawrinka has played 11 matches over the past year, totaling 28.7 games per match (23.4 in best-of-three matches) while winning 49.7% of games.
- Sonego has averaged 25.4 games per match (22.7 in best-of-three matches) through his 55 matches played in the past year across all court surfaces, while winning 50.8% of the games.
- Sonego has averaged 27.9 games per match (23.1 in best-of-three matches) and 9.8 games per set in 13 matches on clay courts in the past 12 months.
- Wawrinka and Sonego have not played each other since 2015.
Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wkyt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/stan-wawrinka-vs-lorenzo-sonego-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-plava-laguna-croatia-open-umag/ | 2023-07-29T05:28:26 | 1 | https://www.wkyt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/stan-wawrinka-vs-lorenzo-sonego-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-plava-laguna-croatia-open-umag/ |
Editorial: Tribune Thumbs
Published 8:50 pm Friday, July 28, 2023
To the decision to not fund a new interchange on Interstate 90 at Bath Road.
We were disappointed to hear the news that Freeborn County did not receive funding to add a new interchange on Interstate 90 at Freeborn County Road 20 through the Corridors of Commerce program.
The Corridors of Commerce program, which is used to facilitate economic development across the state, utilizes money set aside specifically by the Legislature and administered through the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
The funding the county applied for would have covered the preliminary design, right-of-way acquisition, environmental documentation and final construction for the new interchange.
Though we know it will not be as easy for this project to come to fruition without that funding, we are still supportive of the idea and believe it could potentially benefit economic development.
We encourage the county and city of Albert Lea to continue looking at options.
To the upcoming Freeborn County Fair.
After months of preparation, the Freeborn County Fair will officially kick off on Tuesday and continue through the following Sunday, though some of the preliminary work will begin sooner.
If you haven’t been out to the fair in a while, we encourage you to venture out and visit one day. Between the food, rides, exhibits, entertainment, animals and people, the fair is sure to be a fun time for anyone who attends.
It’s also a good chance to catch up with friends and neighbors and to support area youth involved in 4-H and other efforts. These youth have often spent months preparing for this week, so don’t forget to send a little encouragement their way.
The fair can also be a nostalgic event for parents and grandparents to introduce to their children.
We’ll have different people out there throughout the week, so feel free to reach out and say hello if you see us!
To the extreme heat this week.
All you had to do was step outside for a moment this week and you could feel the high temperatures and humidity.
The conditions led to excessive heat advisories throughout much of the state, including in our area, where heat index values were expected to pass 100. People were advised to take extra precaution if working or spending time outdoors and to reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening.
Luckily, the extreme heat has started to move out of our region and to the east with temperatures in the lower 80s expected over the weekend and into Tuesday before things heat up again on Wednesday.
While it’s typically hot for fair week, at least it won’t be as bad as it has been this week.
Make sure to take it easy in the heat, stay hydrated and find shade if you’re out. | https://www.albertleatribune.com/2023/07/editorial-tribune-thumbs-421/ | 2023-07-29T05:28:29 | 0 | https://www.albertleatribune.com/2023/07/editorial-tribune-thumbs-421/ |
Matteo Arnaldi vs. Alexei Popyrin: Prediction and Match Betting Odds | Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag
On Saturday, Matteo Arnaldi (No. 76 in the world) meets Alexei Popyrin (No. 90) in the semifinals of the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag.
Arnaldi is the favorite (-150) in this match, compared to the underdog Popyrin, who is +115.
Looking to place a bet on this or other tennis matches? Head over to BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks, and sign up today with our link!
Matteo Arnaldi vs. Alexei Popyrin Match Information
- Tournament: The Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag
- Round: Semifinals
- Date: Saturday, July 29
- Venue: Stadium Goran Ivanisevic in ITC Stella Maris
- Location: Umag, Croatia
- Court Surface: Clay
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Matteo Arnaldi vs. Alexei Popyrin Prediction and Odds
Based on the moneyline in this match, Matteo Arnaldi has a 60.0% chance to win.
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Matteo Arnaldi vs. Alexei Popyrin Trends and Insights
- In the quarterfinals on Friday, Arnaldi advanced past No. 33-ranked Jiri Lehecka, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.
- In the quarterfinals on Friday, Popyrin beat No. 287-ranked Dino Prizmic, winning 7-6, 7-5.
- Arnaldi has played 24.5 games per match (23.2 in best-of-three matches) in his 35 matches over the past year (across all court types).
- On clay, Arnaldi has played 18 matches over the past 12 months, totaling 24.5 games per match (23.4 in best-of-three matches) while winning 54.2% of games.
- In the past year, Popyrin has competed in 47 total matches (across all court types), winning 49.3% of the games. He averages 28.0 games per match (25.3 in best-of-three matches) and 10.6 games per set.
- On clay surfaces, Popyrin has played 16 matches and averaged 26.7 games per match (26.0 in best-of-three matches) and 10.2 games per set.
- Dating back to 2015, Arnaldi and Popyrin have not competed against each other.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.azfamily.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/matteo-arnaldi-vs-alexei-popyrin-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-plava-laguna-croatia-open-umag/ | 2023-07-29T05:28:31 | 1 | https://www.azfamily.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/matteo-arnaldi-vs-alexei-popyrin-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-plava-laguna-croatia-open-umag/ |
Matteo Arnaldi vs. Alexei Popyrin: Prediction and Match Betting Odds | Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag
On Saturday, Matteo Arnaldi (No. 76 in the world) meets Alexei Popyrin (No. 90) in the semifinals of the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag.
Arnaldi is the favorite (-150) in this match, compared to the underdog Popyrin, who is +115.
Looking to place a bet on this or other tennis matches? Head over to BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks, and sign up today with our link!
Matteo Arnaldi vs. Alexei Popyrin Match Information
- Tournament: The Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag
- Round: Semifinals
- Date: Saturday, July 29
- Venue: Stadium Goran Ivanisevic in ITC Stella Maris
- Location: Umag, Croatia
- Court Surface: Clay
Watch live tennis and many more sports and shows without cable on all your devices with a seven-day free trial to Fubo!
Matteo Arnaldi vs. Alexei Popyrin Prediction and Odds
Based on the moneyline in this match, Matteo Arnaldi has a 60.0% chance to win.
Bet on tennis with BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks!
Matteo Arnaldi vs. Alexei Popyrin Trends and Insights
- In the quarterfinals on Friday, Arnaldi advanced past No. 33-ranked Jiri Lehecka, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.
- In the quarterfinals on Friday, Popyrin beat No. 287-ranked Dino Prizmic, winning 7-6, 7-5.
- Arnaldi has played 24.5 games per match (23.2 in best-of-three matches) in his 35 matches over the past year (across all court types).
- On clay, Arnaldi has played 18 matches over the past 12 months, totaling 24.5 games per match (23.4 in best-of-three matches) while winning 54.2% of games.
- In the past year, Popyrin has competed in 47 total matches (across all court types), winning 49.3% of the games. He averages 28.0 games per match (25.3 in best-of-three matches) and 10.6 games per set.
- On clay surfaces, Popyrin has played 16 matches and averaged 26.7 games per match (26.0 in best-of-three matches) and 10.2 games per set.
- Dating back to 2015, Arnaldi and Popyrin have not competed against each other.
Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.kfyrtv.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/matteo-arnaldi-vs-alexei-popyrin-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-plava-laguna-croatia-open-umag/ | 2023-07-29T05:28:32 | 0 | https://www.kfyrtv.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/matteo-arnaldi-vs-alexei-popyrin-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-plava-laguna-croatia-open-umag/ |
Taylor Fritz vs. Jeffrey John Wolf: Prediction and Match Betting Odds | Truist Atlanta Open
Taylor Fritz (No. 9 ranking) will face Jeffrey John Wolf (No. 46) in the semifinals of the Truist Atlanta Open on Saturday, July 29.
With -250 odds, Fritz is the favorite against Wolf (+190) for this matchup.
Looking to place a bet on this or other tennis matches? Head over to BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks, and sign up today with our link!
Taylor Fritz vs. Jeffrey John Wolf Match Information
- Tournament: The Truist Atlanta Open
- Round: Semifinals
- Date: Saturday, July 29
- Venue: Atlantic Station
- Location: Atlanta, Georgia
- Court Surface: Hard
Watch live tennis and many more sports and shows without cable on all your devices with a seven-day free trial to Fubo!
Taylor Fritz vs. Jeffrey John Wolf Prediction and Odds
Based on the moneyline in this match, Taylor Fritz has a 71.4% chance to win.
Bet on tennis with BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks!
Taylor Fritz vs. Jeffrey John Wolf Trends and Insights
- In the quarterfinals on Friday, Fritz beat No. 439-ranked Kei Nishikori, 6-4, 6-2.
- Wolf came out on top 6-2, 6-3 versus Dominik Koepfer in the quarterfinals on Friday.
- Fritz has played 68 matches over the past 12 months across all court surfaces, and 26.2 games per match (24.1 in best-of-three matches).
- In his 44 matches on hard courts over the past 12 months, Fritz has played an average of 25.8 games (24.3 in best-of-three matches).
- Wolf is averaging 24.5 games per match (22.3 in best-of-three matches) through his 59 matches played in the past 12 months across all court types, winning 52.6% of those games.
- Wolf has averaged 24.9 games per match (22.8 in best-of-three matches) and 9.9 games per set in 41 matches on hard courts in the past 12 months, winning 52.7% of those games.
- This is the first time that Fritz and Wolf have played in the last five years.
Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wkyt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/taylor-fritz-vs-jeffrey-john-wolf-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-truist-atlanta-open/ | 2023-07-29T05:28:33 | 1 | https://www.wkyt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/taylor-fritz-vs-jeffrey-john-wolf-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-truist-atlanta-open/ |
Guest column: Building issues didn’t happen overnight
Published 8:45 pm Friday, July 28, 2023
Guest column by Verlys Huntley
The issue of building a new school is challenging, controversial and literally taxing in any school district. Many factors must be considered when determining if it is feasible to build a new school. Enrollment, population, economy, building costs, interest rates and taxpayer base are a few. Emotions are not.
Proponents of the G-E bond referendum have appealed to the public’s emotions with pictures of cans and buckets catching water dripping from the ceilings, an old boiler, standing water on the roof and other maintenance issues inside the building.
But those issues didn’t happen overnight — they happened over years.
This raises the questions of why the buildings were allowed to get to this point and why something wasn’t done sooner?
In 2016 a thorough assessment of buildings and educational environments was completed that identified these issues. The school board considered options to address these issues but no work was completed at that time.
Meanwhile, the Long Term Facility Maintenance Fund continued to grow, and as of Nov. 22, 2022, had a balance of $319,562.
Why weren’t these funds being used to address some of the problems? They can be used for maintaining roofs, repairing building structures, indoor air quality and safety. How many students were exposed to these problems in the seven years since they were identified but nothing was being done about them?
There was also a balance of $196,449 in Operating Capital, and $44,033 in the Safe Schools Levy — bringing the total of funds available to half a million dollars. Why wasn’t the school board using this money to address some of the issues that proponents for the bond referendum are claiming to be the reasons for a new school?
Did the school board intentionally let things go so there would be no other option than to build a new school?
There are other questions that cast distrust and misgivings on the proposed referendum as well.
Who received the community-wide survey about which options to consider? I haven’t found anyone who received a survey. Perhaps that was only sent to parents of students in the building, just like other early information regarding the referendum was.
Why is the proposed building plan allowing 378 square feet per student — 89% larger than the Minnesota Department of Education’s building space guidelines of 200 square feet per student?
The school board is asking taxpayers to support a project that exceeds what is needed to educate the number of students attending G-E, when future enrollment is not expected to materially increase (per the review and comments from the Office of the Commissioner of Education).
Enrollment, specifically the issue of declining enrollment, is a major reason many people are opposed to the bond referendum.
Between 2013 and 2022 the enrollment at Glenville-Emmons declined by 109 students.
Of the 319 students who reside in the G-E school district, 155 open-enrolled out of the district in 2022-23.
With the addition of some open-enrolled students, the enrollment at G-E was 213 last year.
This issue is not unique to the G-E school district. Enrollment is declining throughout Freeborn County — and so is the population — including the population in Glenville and Emmons.
So where are the students going to come from to keep the Glenville-Emmons School open for the next 25 years?
If the bond referendum passes, every homeowner in the school district will see an increase in their property taxes for their house, garage and one acre. This tax increase will be in addition to the operating referendum currently in place. Look at your property tax statement and see what your current Voter Approved Levies amount is. It will be significantly higher if the referendum passes.
Property taxes on a house valued at $200,000 will increase from the current amount of $676 to $1,278 per year.
Ag homestead landowners will see an increase of $3/acre to $10/acre depending on the value of their land. Someone who owns 1,000 acres of land valued at $7,000/acre will be taxed $4,820 — an increase of $3,500 per year from the current tax. When offset by the Ag2School tax credit, they will pay $2,747.40 per year — an increase of $1,427.40. And ag non-homestead landowners will see increases twice that amount.
The increased tax burden to all taxpayers in the Glenville-Emmons school district, especially those with low, fixed or single incomes, is overwhelming — and not fiscally responsible. And it will continue for 25 years — whether or not the school is in operation.
Taxpayers need to keep in mind that these tax increases are in addition to all the other city, township, county and school taxes they are already paying!
People with questions about what this bond referendum will do to their property taxes should call the Freeborn County Auditor at 377-5121 before Aug. 8.
Opposition to the referendum is not a vote against the students at Glenville-Emmons. We all agree that education is important and want the best for the kids. But proponents are asking too much of taxpayers during a time of inflation and uncertainty.
Also, this is not a way to get even with Glenville for closing the Emmons School 20 years ago. That is water under the bridge.
It is a matter of financial survival.
Perhaps one of the other options should have been considered — this one is just too costly.
Vote NO on Aug. 8.
Verlys Huntley is a former Emmons school board member and resident of rural Emmons. She owns and operates Huntley Gardens and has helped run the Farmer’s Market in Albert Lea for over 30 years. | https://www.albertleatribune.com/2023/07/guest-column-building-issues-didnt-happen-overnight/ | 2023-07-29T05:28:35 | 0 | https://www.albertleatribune.com/2023/07/guest-column-building-issues-didnt-happen-overnight/ |
Stan Wawrinka vs. Lorenzo Sonego: Prediction and Match Betting Odds | Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag
In the semifinals of the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag on Saturday, Stan Wawrinka (ranked No. 72) faces Lorenzo Sonego (No. 43).
In this Semifinal matchup against Sonego (+100), Wawrinka is the favorite with -125 odds.
Looking to place a bet on this or other tennis matches? Head over to BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks, and sign up today with our link!
Stan Wawrinka vs. Lorenzo Sonego Match Information
- Tournament: The Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag
- Round: Semifinals
- Date: Saturday, July 29
- Venue: Stadium Goran Ivanisevic in ITC Stella Maris
- Location: Umag, Croatia
- Court Surface: Clay
Watch live tennis and many more sports and shows without cable on all your devices with a seven-day free trial to Fubo!
Stan Wawrinka vs. Lorenzo Sonego Prediction and Odds
Based on the moneyline in this match, Stan Wawrinka has a 55.6% chance to win.
Bet on tennis with BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks!
Stan Wawrinka vs. Lorenzo Sonego Trends and Insights
- Wawrinka is looking to stay on track after a 6-4, 7-5 victory over No. 59-ranked Roberto Carballes Baena in Friday's quarterfinals.
- Sonego advanced to the semifinals by taking down No. 104-ranked Jaume Munar 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 on Friday.
- Wawrinka has played 27.3 games per match (24.6 in best-of-three matches) in his 40 matches over the past year (across all court surfaces).
- On clay, Wawrinka has played 11 matches over the past year, totaling 28.7 games per match (23.4 in best-of-three matches) while winning 49.7% of games.
- Sonego has averaged 25.4 games per match (22.7 in best-of-three matches) through his 55 matches played in the past year across all court surfaces, while winning 50.8% of the games.
- Sonego has averaged 27.9 games per match (23.1 in best-of-three matches) and 9.8 games per set in 13 matches on clay courts in the past 12 months.
- Wawrinka and Sonego have not played each other since 2015.
Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.azfamily.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/stan-wawrinka-vs-lorenzo-sonego-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-plava-laguna-croatia-open-umag/ | 2023-07-29T05:28:37 | 0 | https://www.azfamily.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/stan-wawrinka-vs-lorenzo-sonego-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-plava-laguna-croatia-open-umag/ |
Fever vs. Storm Prediction & Picks: Line, Spread, Over/Under - July 30
The Indiana Fever (6-18) hope to stop a four-game home losing skid when hosting the Seattle Storm (4-19) on Sunday, July 30, 2023 at 4:00 PM ET.
Bookmakers have not yet set a line for this matchup.
Rep your team with officially licensed Fever gear! Head to Fanatics to find jerseys, shirts, and much more.
Fever vs. Storm Game Info & Odds
- When: Sunday, July 30, 2023 at 4:00 PM ET
- Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana
- TV: ESPN3, FOX13+, and Prime Video
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Fever vs. Storm Score Prediction
Prediction: Storm 88 Fever 77
Spread & Total Prediction for Fever vs. Storm
- Computer Predicted Spread: Seattle (-11.6)
- Computer Predicted Total: 164.9
Fever vs. Storm Spread & Total Insights
- Indiana has beaten the spread 13 times in 23 games.
- This year, 12 of Indiana's 23 games have hit the over.
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Fever Performance Insights
- The Fever's offense, which ranks seventh in the league with 81.4 points per game, has played better than their second-worst defense (85.7 points allowed per game).
- Indiana is grabbing 34.8 rebounds per game this year (fifth-ranked in WNBA), and it has ceded just 32.7 rebounds per game (second-best).
- The Fever rank seventh in the WNBA at 13.6 turnovers per contest, but they are forcing 12.5 turnovers per game, which ranks third-worst in the league.
- The Fever are averaging 6.4 threes per game (second-worst in WNBA), and they have a 32.5% three-point percentage (eighth-ranked).
- It's been a tough stretch for the Fever in terms of threes allowed, as they are surrendering 8.2 threes per game (third-worst in WNBA) and are allowing a 36.3% three-point percentage to opposing teams (third-worst).
- Indiana is attempting 49.6 two-pointers per game this year, which account for 71.5% of the shots it has taken (and 79.1% of the team's baskets). Meanwhile, it is attempting 19.8 treys per contest, which are 28.5% of its shots (and 20.9% of the team's buckets).
Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wkyt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/fever-storm-wnba-picks-predictions/ | 2023-07-29T05:28:39 | 0 | https://www.wkyt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/fever-storm-wnba-picks-predictions/ |
Stan Wawrinka vs. Lorenzo Sonego: Prediction and Match Betting Odds | Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag
In the semifinals of the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag on Saturday, Stan Wawrinka (ranked No. 72) faces Lorenzo Sonego (No. 43).
In this Semifinal matchup against Sonego (+100), Wawrinka is the favorite with -125 odds.
Looking to place a bet on this or other tennis matches? Head over to BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks, and sign up today with our link!
Stan Wawrinka vs. Lorenzo Sonego Match Information
- Tournament: The Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag
- Round: Semifinals
- Date: Saturday, July 29
- Venue: Stadium Goran Ivanisevic in ITC Stella Maris
- Location: Umag, Croatia
- Court Surface: Clay
Watch live tennis and many more sports and shows without cable on all your devices with a seven-day free trial to Fubo!
Stan Wawrinka vs. Lorenzo Sonego Prediction and Odds
Based on the moneyline in this match, Stan Wawrinka has a 55.6% chance to win.
Bet on tennis with BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks!
Stan Wawrinka vs. Lorenzo Sonego Trends and Insights
- Wawrinka is looking to stay on track after a 6-4, 7-5 victory over No. 59-ranked Roberto Carballes Baena in Friday's quarterfinals.
- Sonego advanced to the semifinals by taking down No. 104-ranked Jaume Munar 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 on Friday.
- Wawrinka has played 27.3 games per match (24.6 in best-of-three matches) in his 40 matches over the past year (across all court surfaces).
- On clay, Wawrinka has played 11 matches over the past year, totaling 28.7 games per match (23.4 in best-of-three matches) while winning 49.7% of games.
- Sonego has averaged 25.4 games per match (22.7 in best-of-three matches) through his 55 matches played in the past year across all court surfaces, while winning 50.8% of the games.
- Sonego has averaged 27.9 games per match (23.1 in best-of-three matches) and 9.8 games per set in 13 matches on clay courts in the past 12 months.
- Wawrinka and Sonego have not played each other since 2015.
Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.kfyrtv.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/stan-wawrinka-vs-lorenzo-sonego-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-plava-laguna-croatia-open-umag/ | 2023-07-29T05:28:39 | 0 | https://www.kfyrtv.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/stan-wawrinka-vs-lorenzo-sonego-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-plava-laguna-croatia-open-umag/ |
Live United: Now’s the time to put the polish on this new endeavor
Published 8:45 pm Friday, July 28, 2023
Live United by Erin Haag
At Christmas time, my sister pulled me aside. She told me she wanted to gift our mom with a girl’s trip this summer. We’d be bringing our mom and our daughters.
Since we’re trying to focus less on stuff and more on experiences, I of course said that sounded like a great idea. At the time of this writing, my niece and daughter have their noses in their new books in the backseat, and I’m in the middle while my mom and sister chat in the front. We explored Washington Island and then headed northeast. We plan to stay near Macinaw Island and then drive back to Chicago where they’ll catch a plane and my daughter and I will drive home from. Four states, two Great Lakes, two islands.
My hope for this trip is that it would give me a little bit of space to let the creative side flow. I’m at a pivotal moment right now — the moment where I need to lay some paths to follow for the remainder of the year. I have some things I’m mulling over and need to think about. I envisioned sitting by the lake on a cool morning (yep, we timed it just right so I missed the heat wave!). I thought about stretches of time of me walking up and down lavender fields with my camera. I thought about an old Nordic church and a prayer path through the woods. We found all these things of course, but the moment I’d been chasing didn’t hit until later.
My sister and I are eight years apart. She’d tell you she’s 7. If you want to talk semantics, it’s 7 years and 11 months. Now that we’re middle-aged, even across the country from each other and not talking to each other very often, we cut our hair the same, buy the same clothes and have the same reactions to things in life. This trip, we kept laughing as we said the same things at the same time. I told her she was the voice in my head speaking out loud. We found a carpet staple sticking up, and we immediately investigated the house to find the tools to fix it. My mother wondered why we were using the fireplace poker as a makeshift hammer, but it made perfect sense to us. We also mentally reorganized the visitor’s guide to showcase the island better, because we had to look on five different pages to figure out what was on one block. When we drove by Uline headquarters, we both got excited and talked about how much we love using that company for work. Apparently, I get my program development, rule following, organizational skills from her. I’m sure we called each other bossy when we were young.
We’re very different people, but family ties speak loud and clear. She knew that moment I was looking for.
Driving down a two-lane highway on a rainy morning, we saw a sculpture in the woods. Intrigued, we pulled into the parking lot and discovered a gem of Door County.
We figured we’d take a 10-minute break and see a gift shop and a couple of sculptures. It was sprinkling, and everything was fresh and clean. I stepped away from my family and found my path. Hidden from us was a whole sculpture garden, with winding paths through a quiet forest. Beautiful earthenware birdhouses, huge metal sculptures of foxes, rabbits and birds, stone owls and more. The adjoining galleries were curated very well. Best of all — there was silence. You could hear the low murmur of people, but of the most part, you were able to walk through the galleries and the paths through the woods, but it was mostly silence. In those woods, and in that art gallery, I found renewed joy in the beauty of art. The collections appealed to my daughter, too, and she had boundless joy over each new piece she discovered she loved. She found mosaic chickens (of course), hand glass blown snowman and a stone owl that fit her allowance budget and came home with her.
At United Way, we’ve been so focused on filling the basic needs — through our programs, through our Community Impact Grants, through our referrals to other nonprofits. We knew the need for beauty and art as well as the practical nature of these programs. After all, we fill our offices up with plants, and we constantly remind everyone — volunteers and staff alike — to take the moment to breathe. In our pantry, we think about how to display things, the intentional details of displaying food, the wood produce bins and the beauty of fresh, bountiful food itself. As I stood there though, I thought of our big empty walls in our office — in what has become the waiting room for people to come and shop. It’s time to bring beauty and art to the other side, because it fills a need in people’s souls that they don’t always recognize as a need, but they know it when they see it.
I’m coming home, and I’m renewed and reinspired to not only fill the practical, the organizing side of my sister and I, but I’m inspired to bring a reminder of the beauty of art. What does that look like? I’m not sure. Sadly, I don’t have the room or the budget to bring home some of those beautiful pieces. But can we marry practicality with beauty? Our local quilters do this on a daily basis — beautiful handmade quilts that bring joy to many of our shoppers and clients throughout the year. We’ve grown a lot, and I’m hoping that as we move beyond the basic “get up and going,” it’s now time to put the polish on. The house is built, the furniture has been rearranged. Now it’s time to get the art on the walls.
Erin Haag is the executive director of the United Way of Freeborn County. | https://www.albertleatribune.com/2023/07/live-united-nows-the-time-to-put-the-polish-on-this-new-endeavor/ | 2023-07-29T05:28:41 | 1 | https://www.albertleatribune.com/2023/07/live-united-nows-the-time-to-put-the-polish-on-this-new-endeavor/ |
Taylor Fritz vs. Jeffrey John Wolf: Prediction and Match Betting Odds | Truist Atlanta Open
Taylor Fritz (No. 9 ranking) will face Jeffrey John Wolf (No. 46) in the semifinals of the Truist Atlanta Open on Saturday, July 29.
With -250 odds, Fritz is the favorite against Wolf (+190) for this matchup.
Looking to place a bet on this or other tennis matches? Head over to BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks, and sign up today with our link!
Taylor Fritz vs. Jeffrey John Wolf Match Information
- Tournament: The Truist Atlanta Open
- Round: Semifinals
- Date: Saturday, July 29
- Venue: Atlantic Station
- Location: Atlanta, Georgia
- Court Surface: Hard
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Taylor Fritz vs. Jeffrey John Wolf Prediction and Odds
Based on the moneyline in this match, Taylor Fritz has a 71.4% chance to win.
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Taylor Fritz vs. Jeffrey John Wolf Trends and Insights
- In the quarterfinals on Friday, Fritz beat No. 439-ranked Kei Nishikori, 6-4, 6-2.
- Wolf came out on top 6-2, 6-3 versus Dominik Koepfer in the quarterfinals on Friday.
- Fritz has played 68 matches over the past 12 months across all court surfaces, and 26.2 games per match (24.1 in best-of-three matches).
- In his 44 matches on hard courts over the past 12 months, Fritz has played an average of 25.8 games (24.3 in best-of-three matches).
- Wolf is averaging 24.5 games per match (22.3 in best-of-three matches) through his 59 matches played in the past 12 months across all court types, winning 52.6% of those games.
- Wolf has averaged 24.9 games per match (22.8 in best-of-three matches) and 9.9 games per set in 41 matches on hard courts in the past 12 months, winning 52.7% of those games.
- This is the first time that Fritz and Wolf have played in the last five years.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.azfamily.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/taylor-fritz-vs-jeffrey-john-wolf-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-truist-atlanta-open/ | 2023-07-29T05:28:44 | 1 | https://www.azfamily.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/taylor-fritz-vs-jeffrey-john-wolf-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-truist-atlanta-open/ |
Taylor Fritz vs. Jeffrey John Wolf: Prediction and Match Betting Odds | Truist Atlanta Open
Taylor Fritz (No. 9 ranking) will face Jeffrey John Wolf (No. 46) in the semifinals of the Truist Atlanta Open on Saturday, July 29.
With -250 odds, Fritz is the favorite against Wolf (+190) for this matchup.
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Taylor Fritz vs. Jeffrey John Wolf Match Information
- Tournament: The Truist Atlanta Open
- Round: Semifinals
- Date: Saturday, July 29
- Venue: Atlantic Station
- Location: Atlanta, Georgia
- Court Surface: Hard
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Taylor Fritz vs. Jeffrey John Wolf Prediction and Odds
Based on the moneyline in this match, Taylor Fritz has a 71.4% chance to win.
Bet on tennis with BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks!
Taylor Fritz vs. Jeffrey John Wolf Trends and Insights
- In the quarterfinals on Friday, Fritz beat No. 439-ranked Kei Nishikori, 6-4, 6-2.
- Wolf came out on top 6-2, 6-3 versus Dominik Koepfer in the quarterfinals on Friday.
- Fritz has played 68 matches over the past 12 months across all court surfaces, and 26.2 games per match (24.1 in best-of-three matches).
- In his 44 matches on hard courts over the past 12 months, Fritz has played an average of 25.8 games (24.3 in best-of-three matches).
- Wolf is averaging 24.5 games per match (22.3 in best-of-three matches) through his 59 matches played in the past 12 months across all court types, winning 52.6% of those games.
- Wolf has averaged 24.9 games per match (22.8 in best-of-three matches) and 9.9 games per set in 41 matches on hard courts in the past 12 months, winning 52.7% of those games.
- This is the first time that Fritz and Wolf have played in the last five years.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.kfyrtv.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/taylor-fritz-vs-jeffrey-john-wolf-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-truist-atlanta-open/ | 2023-07-29T05:28:46 | 0 | https://www.kfyrtv.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/taylor-fritz-vs-jeffrey-john-wolf-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-truist-atlanta-open/ |
A divided district: Referendum proponents say G-E district has to focus on issues at hand, hopeful for growth
Published 10:00 pm Friday, July 28, 2023
The upcoming Glenville-Emmons bond referendum on Aug. 8 is generating much discussion on both sides of the issue.
The referendum asks voters to authorize the sale of general obligation building bonds not to exceed $37.42 million “for acquisition and betterment of school sites and facilities including, but not limited to, the construction of a new PK-12 school.”
The current high school was built almost 70 years ago, while the elementary building is over 50 years old, and school administration says the new building is needed because the current buildings were run down, citing needs for model repairs, including major systems.
Supporters of the referendum believe no matter how well-maintained the school building was, at some point age would have eventually caught up to it anyway and that a new building would be needed.
Susie Miller lives between Glenville and Emmons and supports the bond referendum.
“I’m very passionate about the school,” she said. “… my daughter had such a great experience at the school.”
Miller was also involved at the school throughout the time her daughter graduated, serving on the school board for eight years, and hoped to see her grandchildren graduate from the district.
“There’s been a lot of thought and planning put into this, so I feel confident the people that are making the decisions and doing the research, I feel confident in what they’re proposing,” she said.
Miller admitted a “Yes” vote would result in higher taxes, but said higher taxes was something people dealt with at all different levels and didn’t see an issue with it.
“I’m willing to pay a little extra to continue to have our communities thrive and retain our school district,” she said. “I think it’s important, I think, that every kid learns and adapts differently, and I think it’s important to try to retain these small schools.”
Sandra Frederickson, another Glenville resident, also supported the referendum.
“Someone paid for my education, someone paid for my children’s and someone paid for my grandchildren’s,” she said. “There’s nothing greater than to educate our children — it doesn’t matter what area you come from whether it be from Glenville or whether it be from Emmons.”
Miller also believed paying more in taxes would keep the communities thriving, especially with a small school providing more opportunities.
“There’s a misconception that people think that we won’t be paying if we were absorbed by a different district, that we wouldn’t be paying those [school] taxes that are high,” she said. “No matter what, you’re always going to be paying for a school. Why not continue to pay for a school and keep a small school thriving and keep our communities thriving and take care of the families that are here and have been here generation after generation and want to come and start new families in this district?”
Frederickson acknowledged no one wanted to see higher taxes, but noted if a new school was built it wouldn’t cost what it would cost to enroll students in Albert Lea schools, and believed the state wouldn’t allow all current students to enroll into Iowa.
Miller felt there was a reason people moved to the area: To raise a family in a small, rural area with a small school that allowed parents and children more opportunities to participate and be involved in different programs, something that wasn’t necessarily available to everyone in a larger district.
As for the argument that the district was losing students anyway and that consolidation would happen down the road no matter what, she argued that was an assumption and that something needed to happen. And she believed a new facility would attract new people.
“I’ve talked to people outside of our district that said ‘If Glenville got a new school I’d love to send my kid to that school and get them into that school district,’” Miller said, referring to parents from Albert Lea.
Frederickson felt the district already did enough consolidation, and said some people who were open-enrolled elsewhere simply didn’t accept the consolidation between Glenville and Emmons over 30 years ago.
“I firmly believe it could be a very solid district if people would work together,” she said. “The kids get along, it’s the parents that don’t.
“If the bitterness continues as is, [people who didn’t believe in consolidation] will still continue to take their kids out, whether it be Iowa, Alden or Albert Lea.”
But she did admit Glenville-Emmons hadn’t invested major money in maintaining a system of infrastructure, but she felt they didn’t because they didn’t have the money for investment.
“You have to stick major dollars in a system every so many years, but in order to do that you need to maintain numbers,” she said.
Miller believed the district did the best it could to maintain the buildings it had, and argued the responsible thing was not to put a band-aid on the problem. She also pointed out some of the issues already at the buildings, including the secondary school roof, older boilers and asbestos issues, describing the problems as issues that had to be addressed. And with a failing structure, students and families wouldn’t want to attend the district or move to the area.
At the same time, Federickson said a new building wouldn’t completely solve the problem of students leaving, but it would help. In her opinion, it would also help attract staff who would want to stay.
“The responsible thing is to build a brand-new building that’s efficient … and will be able to give these kids a safe space,” Miller said.
Building a new facility instead of maintaining what’s already in place also made sense.
“The millions of dollars that would have to be put into the school, … We can get a brand-new building where we can have our schools combined together,” Miller said. “Again, another safe space for the kids.”
Frederickson said while there were certain structures at the secondary school that could be updated, she asked why someone would want to put all that money into such an old structure.
She also felt if the referendum didn’t pass, costs would only get higher to build a new building in the future.
Worrying about the present, not what happened or what could happen, was also important to Miller.
Frederickson served on the committee that recommended a new building for the district, and believed the district was losing money because of student departures to neighboring school districts.
“How can you maintain a system, basic upkeep, if you’ve got all the money leaving the system,” she said. “That’s my frustration.”
Regarding a potential building being too big for the number of students, Miller said she left it up to the experts to determine how big the building should be. She also wasn’t worried about the district’s declining enrollment, and said there wasn’t a district that couldn’t think about the possibility of smaller student numbers. But she argued it was more important to look at the current situation.
Frederickson thought having a larger building was looking toward the future.
“I’m not going to say it’s going to happen, but what if 50 kids come back,” she said.
Miller also said she thought a new building would provide better security, especially in today’s world, and thought information presented by the district wasn’t false.
“There’s consultants preparing this information, it’s not random people that are just passionately involved in this,” she said. “The school has hired professionals to put these numbers together for the district.”
Miller’s husband, daughter and in-laws all graduated from Glenville-Emmons.
“She got a great education, she had so many opportunities, I’m just really passionate about it,” she said, noting how invested parents and students were in a district she described as “a family.”
Frederickson’s oldest son graduated from Glenville, while her younger son graduated after Glenville consolidated with Emmons.
District responds to referendum concerns
In an email, Glenville-Emmons Schools said: “Every effort was made by the Glenville-Emmons administration and school board through multiple platforms — mail, newspaper, community meetings, referendum website, asocial media and email — to ensure we were getting the facts and correct information into the hands of all people or persons who have a vested interest with this project. This current project was started during fall of 2021 in which the school district sent a letter to each district voter asking for volunteers to become part of a community-driven taskforce to determine what the recommendation to the board would be. This task force met over the course of 14 months touring schools, studying enrollment and demographic information, developed a community-wide survey, reviewed engineering assessments on our current facilities. This project has been discussed regularly in the school board meetings over the past several years.
“Since 2015, when [Long-Term Facilities Maintenance] was introduced by [the Minnesota Department of Education], we have been trying to build up the LTFM fund balance enough to allow us to have money for short-term fixes on larger ticket items as those needs would arise. So, we are spending LTFM dollars each year on projects that fit within the budget we have been receiving the dollars for. Items such as boiler repairs and asbestos abatement are examples of some projects we have used LTFM dollars for recently. Unfortunately, we are at a turning point where major systems such as our roofs, HVAC, plumbing, etc. are needing to be replaced and are too big of a cost per item to be covered by LTFM dollars we receive.
“To hire an architect firm to create the official plan or layout of our school campus costs thousands and thousands of dollars. Renderings have been created to show what our campus may look like. The square footage model of our project is based on MDE’s recommendations per student for classroom space and each type of additional spaces needed such as [career technical education], cafeteria, office, music, gymnasium, locker rooms, restrooms, etc. A misconception may be that we are building for 400 students in which we are not. We are building a building based on the industry and educational requirement recommendations. The overall square footage of the new building will not be much different than what we have today.” | https://www.albertleatribune.com/2023/07/part-1-proponents-say-district-has-to-focus-on-issues-at-hand-hopeful-for-growth/ | 2023-07-29T05:28:47 | 0 | https://www.albertleatribune.com/2023/07/part-1-proponents-say-district-has-to-focus-on-issues-at-hand-hopeful-for-growth/ |
Mercury vs. Sky Prediction & Picks: Line, Spread, Over/Under - July 30
The Phoenix Mercury (6-17) will attempt to stop an eight-game road slide when squaring off against the Chicago Sky (9-14) on Sunday, July 30, 2023 at Wintrust Arena, airing at 4:00 PM ET on ESPN3 and AZFamily.
There is no line set for the game.
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Mercury vs. Sky Game Info & Odds
- When: Sunday, July 30, 2023 at 4:00 PM ET
- Where: Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois
- TV: ESPN3 and AZFamily
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Mercury vs. Sky Score Prediction
Prediction: Sky 89 Mercury 77
Spread & Total Prediction for Mercury vs. Sky
- Computer Predicted Spread: Chicago (-11.6)
- Computer Predicted Total: 165.8
Mercury vs. Sky Spread & Total Insights
- Phoenix's record against the spread is 7-15-0.
- Phoenix has played 22 games this season, and nine of them have hit the over.
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Mercury Performance Insights
- Offensively, the Mercury are the worst team in the league (75.8 points per game). Defensively, they are eighth (83.5 points allowed per game).
- On the boards, Phoenix is worst in the WNBA in rebounds (30.7 per game). It is sixth in rebounds conceded (34.6 per game).
- In 2023, the Mercury are worst in the WNBA in turnovers committed (15.9 per game) and second-worst in turnovers forced (12.4).
- The Mercury make 6.7 3-pointers per game and shoot 32.2% from beyond the arc, ranking eighth and ninth, respectively, in the league.
- The Mercury give up 7.5 3-pointers per game and concede 34.3% from beyond the arc, ranking seventh and eighth, respectively, in the WNBA.
- Phoenix takes 33.4% percent of its shots from beyond the arc, and 24.4% of its made shots are from there. Inside the 3-point line, it attempts 66.6% of its shots, with 75.6% of its makes coming from there.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.azfamily.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/mercury-sky-wnba-picks-predictions/ | 2023-07-29T05:28:50 | 1 | https://www.azfamily.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/mercury-sky-wnba-picks-predictions/ |
Lynx vs. Sun Prediction & Picks: Line, Spread, Over/Under - July 30
DeWanna Bonner will lead the Connecticut Sun (18-6) against the Minnesota Lynx (11-13) one game after putting up 32 points in an 88-83 win over the Wings. The game is on Sunday, July 30, 2023, at 1:00 PM ET on CBS Sports Network and NBCS-BOS.
There is no line set for the game.
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Lynx vs. Sun Game Info & Odds
- When: Sunday, July 30, 2023 at 1:00 PM ET
- Where: Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut
- TV: CBS Sports Network and NBCS-BOS
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Lynx vs. Sun Score Prediction
Prediction: Sun 88 Lynx 75
Spread & Total Prediction for Lynx vs. Sun
- Computer Predicted Spread: Connecticut (-12.7)
- Computer Predicted Total: 163.6
Lynx vs. Sun Spread & Total Insights
- Minnesota's record against the spread is 11-12-0.
- Minnesota has seen 12 of its 24 games hit the over.
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Lynx Performance Insights
- On offense the Lynx are the eighth-ranked team in the WNBA (79.9 points per game). On defense they are third-worst (85.5 points allowed per game).
- Minnesota collects 34.4 rebounds per game and give up 34.5 boards, ranking sixth and fifth, respectively, in the league.
- The Lynx are sixth in the league in turnovers per game (13.1) and ninth in turnovers forced (12.9).
- In 2023 the Lynx are third-worst in the WNBA in 3-point makes (6.5 per game) and second-worst in 3-point percentage (31%).
- In 2023 the Lynx are worst in the league in 3-pointers conceded (9.4 per game) and third-worst in defensive 3-point percentage (36.3%).
- In 2023, Minnesota has taken 69.2% percent of its shots from inside the arc, and 30.8% percent from beyond it. In terms of made shots, 77.7% of Minnesota's baskets have been 2-pointers, and 22.3% have been 3-pointers.
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A divided district: Opponents of G-E referendum worry about tax impact, if the school will be around 25 years
Published 9:53 pm Friday, July 28, 2023
Editor’s Note: This is the second of two stories related to the upcoming bond referendum for Glenville-Emmons School.
Opponents of the bond referendum worry about the fiscal impact on families a new school building would have, and said given the school’s declining enrollment, even with a new building there would still be a possibility the district could consolidate and that taxpayers would still be paying for something even if it wasn’t in use.
Verlys Huntley, who lives outside Emmons, is worried about taxpayers and the increase in tax rates for residents.
“Quite a few of these older people live on fixed incomes, I’m concerned for young families — I see quite a few of these,” she said.
Through her work at the Albert Lea Farmers Market, she also saw people coming with Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children vouchers who struggled to find money to feed their families while also providing other basic necessities. And she felt any tax increase might be something these families could not handle.
Debbie Peterson, another Emmons resident and opponent of the bond referendum, said some of these people wouldn’t be able to afford the tax increases.
“We’re not talking $50 to $60, we’re talking hundreds of dollars,” she said. “I know there’s been a couple people that have expressed their concern that if this new school is built, how are they going to be able to afford it,” she said.
Huntley agreed.
“I think it was ill-conceived from the very beginning,” Huntley said. “I don’t think the Emmons people really knew what was going on when this whole thing started.”
She also felt people were unrealistic to believe a district the size of Glenville-Emmons could afford a building estimated to be 81,000 square feet, something she pointed out was “considerably bigger” than what the Minnesota Department of Education recommended, especially in the midst of declining enrollment.
She admitted there were problems at the current buildings, especially roofing issues, but she felt the roof wasn’t taken care of properly.
“Anyone knows that if you have water leakage from a roof, you probably have interior damage,” she said. “I don’t understand why this wasn’t taken care of.”
She also noted the problem could have been addressed earlier.
“Had they maybe done the maintenance on their building they may not have needed to think about building a new building,” she said.
Adding to the frustration, Lynne Langfald, a resident of Emmons, said she never received a survey regarding the potential fate of the current school buildings if the bond referendum passed. Langfald had children who attended Emmons Middle School before it closed, and Peterson’s oldest son was in the last class to graduate from Emmons. That class had 13 students.
“Naturally the people that have children in school there want to see the school continue,” Huntley said. “I understand this, but at a certain point it gets where it isn’t financially a viable option, especially with declining enrollment.”
Instead, Peterson suggested the school follow what Emmons did in 1989: Look for a new partner in what Huntley described as “pairing-and-sharing.” And that partner should be decided upon by each family.
Langfald’s biggest concern was what they would be paying.
According to a tax comparison prepared by the Freeborn County Assessor’s Office in May, a homestead (including a home, garage and one acre of land) valued at $200,000 would pay $1,278 in school taxes if the referendum passed. By contrast, the same house, garage and acre of land pays a current tax of $676.
For a $100,000 homestead including a home, garage and one acre of land, the current rate is $330 and would increase to $570 if the referendum passes. And that wasn’t including how much farmers would be taxed.
“The farmers are going to get taxed on their ag,” Peterson said. “The state is going to pick up some of it, but the operating levy that’s currently in place is for general operations of the school.
“The farmers, the ag land is not taxed, just their house, garage and one acre. But now everything will be taxed.”
Huntley was also worried about the 25-year bond issue, noting taxpayers would be liable for it regardless of what happened to the school.
“A lot of things can change in 25 years,” she said. “It has changed in the last 25 years.
“Who knows how much more enrollment will drop, what will happen. More people are home-schooling, there’s so many things.”
Peterson agreed.
“Even the state Department of Education says we’re building a building too big for the number of students that we have, square footage per student,” she said. “They recommend 200 a square foot, and we’re building one [378] a square foot per child.”
Currently, 319 children live in the district, with 155 students within the district open-enrolled in another district. Seventy-nine students are open-enrolled within the district, 78 from Albert Lea and one from Lyle.
“Parents are interested in the best education for their kids, and when you have the option of open-enrollment you have that option,” Huntley said. “They’re choosing what they feel is the best education for their children, and opportunities.”
Peterson added the “No” vote wasn’t to close the school — it’s simply to not build a new building.
She said Glenville-Emmons has a current operating levy of $2,062 per pupil unit. The next closest school in the area was Lyle, with $974 per pupil unit.
“A building doesn’t educate the children,” Langfald said. “With the teacher shortages, I still believe education’s the most important, and if I had kids in school I’d be looking at what they offer.”
A vote on the referendum will be held from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 8 at both Glenville City Hall (221 W. Main St. in Glenville) and Emmons City Hall (219 Main St. in Emmons). Those eligible to vote in Glenville include residents of Glenville, Myrtle, Freeman Township, Albert Lea Township (Precinct 1), Hayward Township, Oakland Township and London Township. Those eligible to vote in Emmons include residents of Emmons, Nunda Township, Mansfield Township and Pickerel Lake Township.
Early, absentee in-person voting is available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 5 at the Freeborn County Auditor’s Office. Absentee voting is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday through Aug. 7 at the Freeborn County Auditor-Treasurer’s Office. The office is at 411 S. Broadway in Albert Lea.
And that was Huntley’s biggest message, regardless of what side of the issue a person stood on.
“An issue this big, it would be nice to see 100% of the people in the district involved,” she said. “I think it’s a very important issue. It will impact the voters and the taxpayers in the district for 25 years if it’s passed. And I’m afraid the school won’t be able to operate that long.” | https://www.albertleatribune.com/2023/07/part-2-opponents-of-g-e-referendum-worry-about-tax-impact-if-the-school-will-be-around-25-years/ | 2023-07-29T05:28:53 | 0 | https://www.albertleatribune.com/2023/07/part-2-opponents-of-g-e-referendum-worry-about-tax-impact-if-the-school-will-be-around-25-years/ |
Sports Memories: Blyleven to All-Star game 50 years ago
Published 8:51 pm Friday, July 28, 2023
Sports Memories by Tom Jones
15 years
- The Alden Blackhawks fastpitch softball team picked up a 6-5 win over the Winona Winstars in the first game of a doubleheader. Lana Howe pitched five innings to get the win and also drove in three runs with a double. The Winstars had come into the game with a 42-8 record.
- The Albert Lea American Legion baseball team won its second consecutive game as they defeated Rochester 11-9 in eight innings to end their regular season. Joel Eisenbraun picked up the win in relief.
- Megan Pulley of Albert Lea won the girls’ 12- to 13-year-old division of the Stadheim Jewelers Junior Golf Classic played at Green Lea Golf Course. Craig Phillips won in the boys’ division.
- The Albert Lea Knights youth baseball program was hosting try-outs for 7-, 8- and 9-year-olds at Snyder Fields.
20 years
- In a swap of outfielders, the Minnesota Twins acquired Shannon Stewart from the Toronto Blue Jays for Bobby Kielty.
- Donald Graves pitched a complete game to lead the Albert Lea VFW baseball team to a 6-3 victory over the Rochester Knights in the opening round of the Western Division play-offs.
- Albert Lea’s Sophie Miller earned a first-place finish at the Elks District Soccer Shoot in Rochester to qualify her for a second straight trip to the Elks State Soccer Shoot.
- Defending champions Chris Baas and Virginia Hanson were once again favorites at the Green Lea Golf Course Club Championship.
50 years
- Paul Woodside went three-for-three as the Yankees defeated the Orioles 4-0 in Brookside Cub baseball. Jeff Stegenga picked up the win on the mound with Darris Porter taking the loss.
- Albert Lea’s Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler Gary Neist signed a contract with District 241 to be the head gymnastics coach for the Tigers and a full-time substitute teacher.
- Minnesota Twins pitcher Bert Blyleven was selected by manager Dick Williams to play for the American League in the MLB All-Star Game that was being played in Kansas City.
- The YMCA Little League was having an all-star game that was being played at Hayek Field. Dick Montei, coach of the Heilman Oil team was at the helm for the American League with Mick Kenis, coach of Country Kitchen piloting the National League.
- Jake’s Pizza won the right to represent Albert Lea in the state women’s softball tournament with a victory over the Aragon Rockettes. Margaret Bennett was the winning pitcher with Barb Willmert taking the loss.
- Phil Hanson of Albert Lea shot a hole-in-one on the 189-yard third hole at the Holiday Park Golf Course in Hayward.
- Darrel Munson hurled a one-hitter as Hayward defeated Kasson 6-1 in South Border baseball play. With the win, the team stood at 11-5 on the year.
Alumni update
Bill Dress, an Albert Lea High School graduate from the class of 1978, along with his wife, Gina, have twin daughters that are making a name for themselves in high school basketball.
Ashlyn and Dylyn Dress will be juniors this fall at Kennewick High School in Washington. They also have played on the UnderArmour circuit the past three years where they have won the tournament in July of 2021 and July of 2023.
Dress was inducted in to the ALHS Athletic Hall of Fame in 2021. | https://www.albertleatribune.com/2023/07/sports-memories-blyleven-to-all-star-game-50-years-ago/ | 2023-07-29T05:29:00 | 0 | https://www.albertleatribune.com/2023/07/sports-memories-blyleven-to-all-star-game-50-years-ago/ |
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron held discussions with his Sri Lankan counterpart Saturday on an open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region in the first-ever visit by a French leader to the Indian Ocean island nation.
As the fourth-largest creditor to Sri Lanka, France had pledged cooperation in debt restructuring to help the island nation recover from its economic crisis.
Macron arrived in Sri Lanka Friday night, following his trip to the South Pacific region, to mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations, Sri Lanka’s president’s office said.
Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe praised France’s significant role in global affairs, particularly in areas such as climate mitigation, global debt restructuring, and matters related to the Indo-Pacific region, the statement said.
“Sri Lanka and France are two Indian Ocean nations that share the same goal: an open, inclusive and prosperous Indo-Pacific. In Colombo we confirmed it: strengthened by 75 years of diplomatic relations, we can open a new era of our partnership,” Macron said in a Twitter message after the meeting. | https://www.seattletimes.com/business/french-president-macron-visits-his-counterpart-in-sri-lanka/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world | 2023-07-29T05:29:14 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/business/french-president-macron-visits-his-counterpart-in-sri-lanka/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world |
UN says it’s forced to cut food aid to millions globally because of a funding crisis
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations has been forced to cut food, cash payments and assistance to millions of people in many countries because of “a crippling funding crisis” that has seen its donations plummet by about half as acute hunger is hitting record levels, a top official said Friday.
Carl Skau, deputy executive director of the World Food Program, told a news conference that at least 38 of the 86 countries where WFP operates have already seen cuts or plan to cut assistance soon — including Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen and West Africa.
He said WFP’s operating requirement is $20 billion to deliver aid to everyone in need, but it was aiming for between $10 billion and $14 billion, which was what the agency had received in the past few years.
“We’re still aiming at that, but we have only so far this year gotten to about half of that, around $5 billion,” Skau said.
He said humanitarian needs were “going through the roof” in 2021 and 2022 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine and its global implications. “Those needs continue to grow, those drivers are still there,” he said, “but the funding is drying up. So we’re looking at 2024 (being) even more dire.”
“The largest food and nutrition crisis in history today persists,” Skau said. “This year, 345 million people continue to be acutely food insecure while hundreds of millions of people are at risk of worsening hunger.”
Skau said conflict and insecurity remain the primary drivers of acute hunger around the world, along with climate change, unrelenting disasters, persistent food price inflation and mounting debt stress — all during a slowdown in the global economy.
WFP is looking to diversify its funding base, but he also urged the agency’s traditional donors to “step up and support us through this very difficult time.”
Asked why funding was drying up, Skau said to ask the donors.
“But it’s clear that aid budgets, humanitarian budgets, both in Europe and the United States, (are) not where they were in 2021-2022,” he said.
Skau said that in March, WFP was forced to cut rations from 75% to 50% for communities in Afghanistan facing emergency levels of hunger, and in May it was forced to cut food for 8 million people — 66% of the people it was assisting. Now, it is helping just 5 million people, he said. In Syria, 5.5 million people who relied on WFP for food were already on 50% rations, Skau said, and in July the agency cut all rations to 2.5 million of them. In the Palestinian territories, WFP cut its cash assistance by 20% in May and in June. It cut its caseload by 60%, or 200,000 people. And in Yemen, he said, a huge funding gap will force WFP to cut aid to 7 million people as early as August.
In West Africa, where acute hunger is on the rise, Skau said, most countries are facing extensive ration cuts, particularly WFP’s seven largest crisis operations: Burkina Faso, Mali, Chad, Central African Republic, Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon.
He said cutting aid to people who are only at the hunger level of crisis to help save those literally starving or in the category of catastrophic hunger means that those dropped will rapidly fall into the emergency and catastrophe categories, “and so we will have an additional humanitarian emergency on our hands down the road.”
“Ration cuts are clearly not the way to go forward,” Skau said.
He urged world leaders to prioritize humanitarian funding and invest in long-tern solutions to conflicts, poverty, development and other root causes of the current crisis.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wafb.com/2023/07/29/un-says-its-forced-cut-food-aid-millions-globally-because-funding-crisis/ | 2023-07-29T05:29:14 | 0 | https://www.wafb.com/2023/07/29/un-says-its-forced-cut-food-aid-millions-globally-because-funding-crisis/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers broke for their August recess this week with work on funding the government largely incomplete, fueling worries about whether Congress will be able to avoid a partial government shutdown this fall.
Congress has until Oct. 1, the start of the new fiscal year, to act on government funding. They could pass spending bills to fund government agencies into next year, or simply pass a stopgap measure that keeps agencies running until they strike a longer-term agreement. No matter which route they take, it won’t be easy.
“We’re going to scare the hell out of the American people before we get this done,” said Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del.
Coons’ assessment is widely shared in Congress, reflecting the gulf between the Republican-led House and the Democratic-led Senate, which are charting vastly different — and mostly incompatible — paths on spending.
The Senate is adhering mostly to the top-line spending levels that President Joe Biden negotiated with House Republicans in late May as part of the debt-ceiling deal that extended the government’s borrowing authority and avoided an economically devastating default.
That agreement holds discretionary spending generally flat for the coming year while allowing increases for military and veterans accounts. On top of that, the Senate is looking to add $13.7 billion in additional emergency appropriations, including $8 billion for defense and $5.7 billion for nondefense.
House Republicans, many of whom opposed the debt-ceiling deal and refused to vote for it, are going a different way.
GOP leaders have teed up bills with far less spending than the agreement allows in an effort to win over members who insist on rolling back spending to fiscal year 2022 levels. They are also adding scores of policy add-ons broadly opposed by Democrats. There are proposals to reduce access to abortion pills, bans on the funding of hormone therapy and certain surgeries for transgender veterans, and a prohibition on training programs promoting diversity in the federal workplace, among many others.
At a press conference at the Capitol this past week, some members of the House Freedom Caucus, a conservative faction within the House GOP, said that voters elected a Republican majority in that chamber to rein in government spending and it was time for House Republicans to use every tool available to get the spending cuts they want.
“We should not fear a government shutdown,” said Rep. Bob Good, R-Va. “Most of the American people won’t even miss if the government is shut down temporarily.”
Many House Republicans disagree with that assessment. Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, called it an oversimplification to say most Americans wouldn’t feel an impact. And he warned Republicans would take the blame for a shutdown.
“We always get blamed for it, no matter what,” Simpson said. ”So it’s bad policy, it’s bad politics.”
But the slim five-seat majority Republicans hold amplifies the power that a small group can wield. Even though the debt ceiling agreement passed with a significant majority of both Republicans and Democrats, conservatives opponents were so unhappy in the aftermath that they shut down House votes for a few days, stalling the entire GOP agenda.
Shortly thereafter, McCarthy argued the numbers he negotiated with the White House amounted to a cap and “you can always do less.” GOP Rep. Kay Granger of Texas, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee, followed that she would seek to limit nondefense spending at 2022 budget levels, saying the debt agreement “set a top-line spending cap — a ceiling, not a floor.”
The decision to cut spending below levels in the the debt ceiling deal helped get the House moving again, but put them on a collision course with the Senate, where the spending bills hew much closer to the agreement.
“What the House has done is they essentially tore up that agreement as soon as it was signed,” said Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md. “And so we are in for a bumpy ride.”
Even as House Republicans have been moving their spending bills out of committee on party-line votes, the key committee in the Senate has been operating in a bipartisan fashion, drafting spending bills with sometimes unanimous support.
“The way to make this work is do it in a bipartisan way like we are doing in the Senate. If you do it in a partisan way, you’re heading to a shutdown. And I am really worried that that’s where the House Republicans are headed,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told reporters this week.
McCarthy countered that people had the same doubts about whether House Republicans and the White House could reach an agreement to pass a debt ceiling extension and avoid a default.
“We’ve got ’til Sept. 30. I think we can get this all done,” McCarthy said.
In a subsequent press conference, McCarthy said he had just met with Schumer to talk about the road ahead on an array of bills, including the spending bills.
“I don’t want the government to shut down,” McCarthy said. “I want to find that we can find common ground.”
In all, there are 12 spending bills. The House has passed one so far, and moved others out of committee. The Senate has passed none, though it has advanced all 12 out of committee, something that hasn’t happened since 2018.
Still, the difficulty ahead was evident on the House side, where Republicans gave up until after the recess on trying to pass a spending measure to fund federal agriculture and rural programs and the Food and Drug Administration, amid disagreements over its contents. They began their August recess a day early instead of holding votes Friday.
Simpson said some of his Republican colleagues don’t want to take money approved already outside the appropriations process to cover some of this year’s spending and avoid deeper cuts. For example, the House bills would take almost all of the money approved last year for the Internal Revenue Service in Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act and use the savings to avoid deeper spending cuts elsewhere.
Simpson said that without such rescissions, as they are called in Washington, he couldn’t vote for the agriculture spending bill because the cuts “would have just been devastating.”
“That’s the challenge we’re going to have when we get back in September,” he said.
Further complicating things in the House, a few Republicans are opposed to some of the policy riders being included in the spending bills. For example, the agriculture spending bill would reverse the FDA’s decision to allow abortion pills to be dispensed in certified pharmacies, instead of only by prescribers in hospitals, clinics, and medical offices.
“I had a problem with abortion being put inside an ag bill,” said Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa. “I think that’s ridiculous.”
It’s a strong possibility that Congress will have to pass a stopgap spending bill before the new fiscal year begins Oct. 1. The Senate can vote first on the measure, which would put the onus on House Republicans to bring it up for a vote or allow for a shutdown. | https://www.seattletimes.com/business/members-of-congress-break-for-august-with-no-clear-path-to-avoiding-a-shutdown-this-fall/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world | 2023-07-29T05:29:20 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/business/members-of-congress-break-for-august-with-no-clear-path-to-avoiding-a-shutdown-this-fall/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world |
USC still preparing for European tour as Bronny James recovers at home after cardiac arrest
LOS ANGELES (AP) — As Bronny James continues to recover after going into cardiac arrest, his Southern California teammates have been at practice to prepare for a 10-day exhibition tour of Greece and Croatia that begins next week.
The tour will run from from Aug. 5-15 and see the Trojans visit Athens and Mykonos, Greece, and Dubrovnik, Croatia. Teams are allowed to go on a foreign tour once every four years under NCAA rules.
James was discharged from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Thursday and is resting at home, according to a statement from the hospital. His father, Lakers superstar LeBron James, also posted on social media that his family is “safe and healthy.”
Bronny James will continue to undergo tests to determine the cause of his cardiac arrest, which occurred Monday morning during a workout at USC’s Galen Center.
Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart abruptly stops beating, because of a problem with its electrical activity. While uncommon in young people, sudden cardiac arrest is the leading medical cause of death in young athletes. Some studies have estimated one sudden cardiac death in 50,000 to 80,000 young athletes each year.
No information has been made public about what may have caused Bronny James’ cardiac arrest. But one of the most common causes in young athletes is an underlying problem with the heart’s structure, such as a genetic condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy that leads to a thickened heart muscle more prone to irregular electrical activity. A more rare cause is commotio cordis, which occurs when someone receives a sharp blow to the chest during a specific part of the heartbeat’s cycle — what happened to Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin earlier this year.
James was the second high-profile USC basketball recruit to go into cardiac arrest in the last year. Vincent Iwuchuwku also was stricken during a workout last July, but the 7-foot-1 center returned to the court six months later and appeared in 14 games.
It’s too soon to know how James’ playing career could be affected, especially without a lot of information being made public. Various experts point to James’ quick move out of intensive care and being released three days later as encouraging.
The upcoming trip is important for the Trojans as James recovers. USC had the nation’s fourth-ranked recruiting class, including the top-rated player in guard Isaiah Collier.
James committed to the Trojans in May after the 6-foot-3 18-year-old became one of the nation’s top prospects as a two-way point guard for Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, California.
He is the sixth McDonald’s All-American to come to USC since Andy Enfield became coach in 2013.
With his family fame and huge social media following, Bronny James also has the top name, image and likeness valuation in sports at $6.3 million, as estimated by On3.com. He is the oldest of LeBron and Savannah James’ three children.
___
AP Sports Writer Greg Beacham and AP Health & Science Writer Lauran Neergard contributed to this report.
___
AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/lebron-james
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wafb.com/2023/07/29/usc-still-preparing-european-tour-bronny-james-recovers-home-after-cardiac-arrest/ | 2023-07-29T05:29:21 | 1 | https://www.wafb.com/2023/07/29/usc-still-preparing-european-tour-bronny-james-recovers-home-after-cardiac-arrest/ |
USC still preparing for European tour as Bronny James recovers at home after cardiac arrest
LOS ANGELES (AP) — As Bronny James continues to recover after going into cardiac arrest, his Southern California teammates have been at practice to prepare for a 10-day exhibition tour of Greece and Croatia that begins next week.
The tour will run from from Aug. 5-15 and see the Trojans visit Athens and Mykonos, Greece, and Dubrovnik, Croatia. Teams are allowed to go on a foreign tour once every four years under NCAA rules.
James was discharged from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Thursday and is resting at home, according to a statement from the hospital. His father, Lakers superstar LeBron James, also posted on social media that his family is “safe and healthy.”
Bronny James will continue to undergo tests to determine the cause of his cardiac arrest, which occurred Monday morning during a workout at USC’s Galen Center.
Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart abruptly stops beating, because of a problem with its electrical activity. While uncommon in young people, sudden cardiac arrest is the leading medical cause of death in young athletes. Some studies have estimated one sudden cardiac death in 50,000 to 80,000 young athletes each year.
No information has been made public about what may have caused Bronny James’ cardiac arrest. But one of the most common causes in young athletes is an underlying problem with the heart’s structure, such as a genetic condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy that leads to a thickened heart muscle more prone to irregular electrical activity. A more rare cause is commotio cordis, which occurs when someone receives a sharp blow to the chest during a specific part of the heartbeat’s cycle — what happened to Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin earlier this year.
James was the second high-profile USC basketball recruit to go into cardiac arrest in the last year. Vincent Iwuchuwku also was stricken during a workout last July, but the 7-foot-1 center returned to the court six months later and appeared in 14 games.
It’s too soon to know how James’ playing career could be affected, especially without a lot of information being made public. Various experts point to James’ quick move out of intensive care and being released three days later as encouraging.
The upcoming trip is important for the Trojans as James recovers. USC had the nation’s fourth-ranked recruiting class, including the top-rated player in guard Isaiah Collier.
James committed to the Trojans in May after the 6-foot-3 18-year-old became one of the nation’s top prospects as a two-way point guard for Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, California.
He is the sixth McDonald’s All-American to come to USC since Andy Enfield became coach in 2013.
With his family fame and huge social media following, Bronny James also has the top name, image and likeness valuation in sports at $6.3 million, as estimated by On3.com. He is the oldest of LeBron and Savannah James’ three children.
___
AP Sports Writer Greg Beacham and AP Health & Science Writer Lauran Neergard contributed to this report.
___
AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/lebron-james
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wlbt.com/2023/07/29/usc-still-preparing-european-tour-bronny-james-recovers-home-after-cardiac-arrest/ | 2023-07-29T05:29:23 | 1 | https://www.wlbt.com/2023/07/29/usc-still-preparing-european-tour-bronny-james-recovers-home-after-cardiac-arrest/ |
CHAUTAUQUA, N.Y. (AP) — For a single, unthinkable moment last summer, the Chautauqua Institution was a hostile place for the freedom of expression that has been its hallmark for 150 years: As Salman Rushdie was about to speak, an audience member leapt onto the stage and stabbed the celebrated author more than a dozen times.
By the next day, Chautauqua Institution President Michael Hill recently recounted, the decision had been made not only to resume programming, but to “double down on what Mr. Rushdie stands for, what our speakers and preachers and artists stand for — which is the free exchange of ideas and the belief that society is stronger when we do that.”
A year later, Rushdie, blinded in one eye by the assault, is recovering from the attack. The Chautauqua Institution is recovering, too.
Programming and revenue for the arts and intellectual retreat in the rural southwest corner of New York was disrupted for two seasons by COVID-19. Then the attack further shattered the return to normal that regular visitors had so craved.
With a new nine-week summer season now under way, well-tended gardens are in bloom and rocking chairs are back out on the porches of Victorian- and cottage-style homes.
Security has been strengthened, though the gated compound remains open to anyone who buys a pass to enter.
“We look at the work that we do under a different lens since” the stabbing, Hill said during an interview in his office, which overlooks Bestor Plaza, a lush expanse of greenery anchoring the 750-acre (303-hectare) grounds. “The attack was an attempt at silencing, which underscores the need for institutions like ours to not stay silent.”
As an institution, Chautauqua defies easy explanation.
“NPR camp for grown-ups” is the description preferred by Erica Higbie, who owns a house on the grounds.
Located on the shore of Chautauqua Lake, the institution is a self-contained community with lecture halls, houses of worship, cafes, shops, a library, post office and bookstore, along with private homes, rentals and the Athenaeum Hotel, which served as former President Bill Clinton’s executive mansion for a week in 1996 as he prepared for his debate with Republican challenger Bob Dole.
Aside from boating and golf, the 4,400-seat, open-air amphitheater is a main draw, with a summer entertainment lineup this year offering concerts by Diana Ross and Bonnie Raitt, ballet and theater productions and performances by the house Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra.
But for Higbie and many others, the primary appeal exists in the institution’s 19th Century beginnings as a summer educational experiment in which daily lectures are curated around weekly explorations of anything from politics to infrastructure and faith to friendship.
“I am a lecture junkie,” Higbie said from her porch as people navigated the grounds on foot, bikes and scooters. The speed limit for the rare vehicle traffic is 12 mph. The retired teacher takes in a daily morning lecture and may hear two more in the afternoon at the amphitheater and the Hall of Philosophy.
Through the decades, Susan B. Anthony advocated for women’s rights at the institution and President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave his 1936 “I Hate War” speech in the amphitheater. Former Vice President Al Gore spoke about the climate crisis and Supreme Court Judges Robert H. Jackson and Ruth Bader Ginsburg are among countless others who have offered insights.
Rushdie’s appearance came during a week last year exploring home as “a place for human thriving.”
Henry Reese, co-founder of the City of Asylum Pittsburgh, was about to interview “The Satanic Verses” author about violence against writers when Rushdie was attacked as the men sat in armchairs on the amphitheater’s sunken stage.
Rushdie, the target of a decades-old fatwa by the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini calling for his death, was stabbed in the neck, stomach, chest, hand and right eye. Reese suffered bruises and a gash to his forehead.
With alleged assailant Hadi Matar awaiting trial in a nearby courthouse, Reese is scheduled to return to the institution on the anniversary of the attack, Aug. 12. His appearance is expected to kick off a week exploring freedom of expression, imagination and the resilience of democracy. Republican strategist Karl Rove and Democratic strategist David Axelrod are among other invited guests.
It would have been out of character for the institution to do anything but pick up where it left off after the assault, regular guest lecturer Eboo Patel said.
“Not a single artist or speaker canceled,” Patel, founder of Interfaith America in Chicago, said by phone.
“Chautauqua recognizes that it has a responsibility to its own community, honestly to American civilization and the human spirit, and it’s back up in 24 to 48 hours. That’s stunning,” he said.
Property owners differed on how far the institution should go to ensure personal safety, said Higbie, the president of the Chautauqua Property Owners Association.
“Everybody was in shock for a long time,“ Higbie said.
Visitors say they notice more security and protocols at events. Amphitheater patrons can bring only clear bags inside, for example, and may be scanned or asked to walk through a weapons detector.
Even so, “I never hesitated for a minute” to return, said Michael Crawford of Washington, D.C., as he chatted with Mary Pat McFarland of Philadelphia. The two sat on one of the red benches placed around the grounds to invite discussion.
A handful of musicians with violins, guitars and a small harp played an impromptu jam session beneath a tree nearby.
Hill said he sees his role as “teeing up” issues for engagement, so shying away from difficult ones would be a disservice at a time when civic discourse is in short supply.
“It’s about bringing divergent viewpoints for people to digest,” Hill said. “For us to have made the decision to stop bringing speakers who may be controversial in any way would have been for us to stop doing our mission.”
“It would have been,” he said, “to literally stop the reason this place was created.” | https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/after-an-attack-on-salman-rushdie-the-chautauqua-institution-says-its-mission-wont-change/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world | 2023-07-29T05:29:27 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/after-an-attack-on-salman-rushdie-the-chautauqua-institution-says-its-mission-wont-change/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world |
Arthur Fils vs. Alexander Zverev: Prediction and Match Betting Odds | Hamburg European Open
Arthur Fils will face Alexander Zverev in the Hamburg European Open semifinals on Saturday, July 29.
In this Semifinal matchup, Zverev is the favorite (-375) against Fils (+270) .
Looking to place a bet on this or other tennis matches? Head over to BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks, and sign up today with our link!
Arthur Fils vs. Alexander Zverev Match Information
- Tournament: The Hamburg European Open
- Round: Semifinals
- Date: Saturday, July 29
- Venue: MatchMaker Sports Gmbh
- Location: Hamburg, Germany
- Court Surface: Clay
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Arthur Fils vs. Alexander Zverev Prediction and Odds
Based on the moneyline in this match, Alexander Zverev has a 78.9% chance to win.
Bet on tennis with BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks!
Arthur Fils vs. Alexander Zverev Trends and Insights
- In the quarterfinals on Friday, Fils eliminated No. 4-ranked Casper Ruud, 6-0, 6-4.
- Zverev was victorious 6-3, 6-4 versus Luca van Assche in the quarterfinals on Friday.
- In his 29 matches over the past year across all court types, Fils has played an average of 21.4 games (20.7 in best-of-three matches).
- Fils has played 14 matches on clay over the past 12 months, and 22.2 games per match (21.2 in best-of-three matches).
- In his 42 matches in the past 12 months across all court types, Zverev is averaging 26.0 games per match (22.6 in best-of-three matches) and winning 53.2% of those games.
- Zverev has averaged 24.1 games per match (21.4 in best-of-three matches) and 9.7 games per set in 22 matches on clay surfaces in the past 12 months.
- Dating back to 2015, Fils and Zverev have not matched up on the court.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wafb.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/arthur-fils-vs-alexander-zverev-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-hamburg-european-open/ | 2023-07-29T05:29:28 | 0 | https://www.wafb.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/arthur-fils-vs-alexander-zverev-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-hamburg-european-open/ |
Arthur Fils vs. Alexander Zverev: Prediction and Match Betting Odds | Hamburg European Open
Arthur Fils will face Alexander Zverev in the Hamburg European Open semifinals on Saturday, July 29.
In this Semifinal matchup, Zverev is the favorite (-375) against Fils (+270) .
Looking to place a bet on this or other tennis matches? Head over to BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks, and sign up today with our link!
Arthur Fils vs. Alexander Zverev Match Information
- Tournament: The Hamburg European Open
- Round: Semifinals
- Date: Saturday, July 29
- Venue: MatchMaker Sports Gmbh
- Location: Hamburg, Germany
- Court Surface: Clay
Watch live tennis and many more sports and shows without cable on all your devices with a seven-day free trial to Fubo!
Arthur Fils vs. Alexander Zverev Prediction and Odds
Based on the moneyline in this match, Alexander Zverev has a 78.9% chance to win.
Bet on tennis with BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks!
Arthur Fils vs. Alexander Zverev Trends and Insights
- In the quarterfinals on Friday, Fils eliminated No. 4-ranked Casper Ruud, 6-0, 6-4.
- Zverev was victorious 6-3, 6-4 versus Luca van Assche in the quarterfinals on Friday.
- In his 29 matches over the past year across all court types, Fils has played an average of 21.4 games (20.7 in best-of-three matches).
- Fils has played 14 matches on clay over the past 12 months, and 22.2 games per match (21.2 in best-of-three matches).
- In his 42 matches in the past 12 months across all court types, Zverev is averaging 26.0 games per match (22.6 in best-of-three matches) and winning 53.2% of those games.
- Zverev has averaged 24.1 games per match (21.4 in best-of-three matches) and 9.7 games per set in 22 matches on clay surfaces in the past 12 months.
- Dating back to 2015, Fils and Zverev have not matched up on the court.
Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wlbt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/arthur-fils-vs-alexander-zverev-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-hamburg-european-open/ | 2023-07-29T05:29:29 | 1 | https://www.wlbt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/arthur-fils-vs-alexander-zverev-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-hamburg-european-open/ |
BRISBANE, Australia — Australia will accelerate efforts to make missiles for export to the United States and other countries under a plan announced Saturday by Australian officials, who also said that they had paused a joint military exercise with the United States to search for the four-person crew of an Australian army helicopter that crashed overnight.
“Our focus at the moment is with finding our people,” said Angus Campbell, chief of the Australian defense force.
The crash and the new missile agreement highlight deepening military ties between the two allies — and the risks that come with the increased tempo of training exercises led by the United States in the region to strengthen deterrence against a more assertive China.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin are both in Brisbane this weekend for bilateral meetings with Australian officials, focused primarily on expanding and clarifying how the two countries will work together on security in the region.
The gathering comes two years after a landmark deal called AUKUS, which also includes the United Kingdom and aims to build a collaborative mechanism for sharing nuclear-powered submarines and developing other kinds of advanced technology, including hypersonic missiles and quantum computers and sensors. But beyond AUKUS, the two countries have a long history of military collaboration reaching back more than a century to World War I.
For the new missiles, to be built with U.S. defense industry partners, Washington has agreed to fast-track licensing, with production expected to begin in 2025. The Australian government recently set aside $2.7 billion to acquire long-range strike missiles, which would bolster Australian stockpiles and could be exported to the United States or other countries, such as Ukraine. For Australia, it reflects both continuity and what many U.S. and Australian officials have described as a higher level of interdependence among the United States and its allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific.
“It makes such a huge difference to have close friends as we tackle the challenges that we both face around the world,” said Richard Marles, Australia’s defense minister.
Military analysts said the missile news reflected a growing realization that the defense industrial base in the United States, struggling to keep up with requests from Ukraine and the U.S. Defense Department, stands to benefit from the manufacturing support of other countries.
“As the war in Ukraine has made clear, defense industrial production is necessary to sustaining a war effort,” said Charles Edel, the Australia chair and a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “It’s also critical to deterring wars from breaking out in the first place.”
As part of the latest defense plan announced by U.S. and Australian officials, the two countries will also work together to upgrade two air bases in northern Australia for an expansion of joint training exercises.
The United States is currently leading an annual exercise called Talisman Sabre, which involves several locations and branches of the U.S. military, along with the militaries of more than a dozen countries.
The helicopter crash during training occurred late Friday, around 11 p.m., near Hamilton Island in the far north of Australia, according to military officials. It was a two-helicopter mission — when one went down, the second helicopter began searching for the missing crew members. But as of Saturday morning, they had not been found.
“Our hopes and thoughts are very much with the aircrew and their families,” Marles said. | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/australia-to-fast-track-missile-production-for-u-s-exports/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world | 2023-07-29T05:29:33 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/australia-to-fast-track-missile-production-for-u-s-exports/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world |
Fabio Fognini vs. Joris de Loore: Prediction and Match Betting Odds | ATP Challenger Zug, Switzerland Men Singles 2023
In the ATP Challenger Zug, Switzerland Men Singles 2023 semifinals on Saturday, Fabio Fognini faces Joris de Loore.
With -175 odds, Fognini is favored over de Loore (+125) for this match.
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Fabio Fognini vs. Joris de Loore Match Information
- Tournament: The ATP Challenger Zug, Switzerland Men Singles 2023
- Round: Semifinals
- Date: Saturday, July 29
- Venue: Tennisclub Zug
- Location: Zug, Switzerland
- Court Surface: Clay
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Fabio Fognini vs. Joris de Loore Prediction and Odds
Based on the moneyline in this match, Fabio Fognini has a 63.6% chance to win.
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Fabio Fognini vs. Joris de Loore Trends and Insights
- Fognini advanced past Jakub Mensik 6-4, 6-2 in the quarterfinals on Friday.
- In the quarterfinals on Friday, de Loore took down No. 209-ranked Matteo Gigante, winning 3-6, 7-6, 6-4.
- Fognini has played 39 matches over the past 12 months (across all court surfaces), and 25.3 games per match (23.5 in best-of-three matches).
- In his 16 matches on clay over the past year, Fognini has played an average of 24.8 games (22.0 in best-of-three matches).
- de Loore has played two matches in the past year across all court types, averaging 22.5 games per match (22.5 in best-of-three matches) and winning 42.2% of those games.
- de Loore has averaged 18.0 games per match (18.0 in best-of-three matches) and 9.0 games per set in one match on clay courts in the past year.
- This is the first time that Fognini and de Loore have matched up in the last five years.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wafb.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/fabio-fognini-vs-joris-de-loore-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-atp-challenger-zug-switzerland-men-singles-2023/ | 2023-07-29T05:29:34 | 0 | https://www.wafb.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/fabio-fognini-vs-joris-de-loore-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-atp-challenger-zug-switzerland-men-singles-2023/ |
Fabio Fognini vs. Joris de Loore: Prediction and Match Betting Odds | ATP Challenger Zug, Switzerland Men Singles 2023
In the ATP Challenger Zug, Switzerland Men Singles 2023 semifinals on Saturday, Fabio Fognini faces Joris de Loore.
With -175 odds, Fognini is favored over de Loore (+125) for this match.
Looking to place a bet on this or other tennis matches? Head over to BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks, and sign up today with our link!
Fabio Fognini vs. Joris de Loore Match Information
- Tournament: The ATP Challenger Zug, Switzerland Men Singles 2023
- Round: Semifinals
- Date: Saturday, July 29
- Venue: Tennisclub Zug
- Location: Zug, Switzerland
- Court Surface: Clay
Watch live tennis and many more sports and shows without cable on all your devices with a seven-day free trial to Fubo!
Fabio Fognini vs. Joris de Loore Prediction and Odds
Based on the moneyline in this match, Fabio Fognini has a 63.6% chance to win.
Bet on tennis with BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks!
Fabio Fognini vs. Joris de Loore Trends and Insights
- Fognini advanced past Jakub Mensik 6-4, 6-2 in the quarterfinals on Friday.
- In the quarterfinals on Friday, de Loore took down No. 209-ranked Matteo Gigante, winning 3-6, 7-6, 6-4.
- Fognini has played 39 matches over the past 12 months (across all court surfaces), and 25.3 games per match (23.5 in best-of-three matches).
- In his 16 matches on clay over the past year, Fognini has played an average of 24.8 games (22.0 in best-of-three matches).
- de Loore has played two matches in the past year across all court types, averaging 22.5 games per match (22.5 in best-of-three matches) and winning 42.2% of those games.
- de Loore has averaged 18.0 games per match (18.0 in best-of-three matches) and 9.0 games per set in one match on clay courts in the past year.
- This is the first time that Fognini and de Loore have matched up in the last five years.
Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wlbt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/fabio-fognini-vs-joris-de-loore-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-atp-challenger-zug-switzerland-men-singles-2023/ | 2023-07-29T05:29:36 | 1 | https://www.wlbt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/fabio-fognini-vs-joris-de-loore-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-atp-challenger-zug-switzerland-men-singles-2023/ |
CHICAGO (AP) — Leading up to the 2020 election, Facebook ads targeting Latino and Asian American voters described Joe Biden as a communist. A local station claimed a Black Lives Matter co-founder practiced witchcraft. Doctored images showed dogs urinating on Donald Trump campaign posters.
None of these claims was true, but they scorched through social media sites that advocates say have fueled election misinformation in communities of color.
As the 2024 election approaches, community organizations are preparing for what they expect to be a worsening onslaught of disinformation targeting communities of color and immigrant communities. They say the tailored campaigns challenge assumptions of what kinds of voters are susceptible to election conspiracies and distrust in voting systems.
“They’re getting more complex, more sophisticated and spreading like wildfire,” said Sarah Shah, director of policy and community engagement at the advocacy group Indian American Impact, which runs the fact-checking site Desifacts.org. “ What we saw in 2020, unfortunately, will probably be fairly mild in comparison to what we will see in the months leading up to 2024.”
A growing subset of communities of color, especially immigrants for whom English is not their first language, are questioning the integrity of U.S. voting processes and subscribing to Trump’s lies of a stolen 2020 election, said Jenny Liu, mis/disinformation policy manager at the nonprofit Asian Americans Advancing Justice. Still, she said these communities are largely left out of conversations about misinformation.
“When you think of the typical consumer of a conspiracy theory, you think of someone who’s older, maybe from a rural area, maybe a white man,” she said. “You don’t think of Chinese Americans scrolling through WeChat. That’s why this narrative glosses over and erases a lot of the disinformation harms that many communities of colors face.”
Tailoring disinformation
In addition to general misinformation themes about voting machines and mail-in voting, groups are catering their messaging to communities of color, experts say.
For example, immigrants from authoritarian regimes in countries like Venezuela or who have lived through the Chinese Cultural Revolution may be “more vulnerable to misinformation claiming politicians are wanting to turn the U.S. into a Socialist state,” said Inga Trauthig, head of research for the Propaganda Research Lab at the Center for Media Engagement at the University of Texas at Austin. People from countries that have not recently had free and fair elections may have a preexisting distrust of elections and authority that may make them vulnerable to misinformation as well, Trauthig said.
Disinformation efforts often hinge on topics most important to each community, whether that is public safety, immigration, abortion, education, inflation or alleged extramarital affairs, said Laura Zommer, co-founder of the Spanish-language fact-checking group Factchequeado.
“It takes advantage of their very real fear and trauma from their experiences in their home countries,” Zommer said.
Other vulnerabilities include language barriers and a lack of knowledge of the U.S. media landscape and how to find credible U.S. news sources, several misinformation experts told The Associated Press. Many immigrants rely on translated content for voting information, leaving space for bad actors to inject misinformation.
“These tactics exploit information vacuums when there’s a lot of uncertainty around how these processes work, especially because a lot of election materials may not be translated in the languages our communities speak or be available in forms they are likely to access,” said Clara Jiménez Cruz, another co-founder of Factchequeado.
Misinformation can also arise from mistranslations. The Brookings Institute, a nonprofit think tank, found examples of mistranslations in Colombian, Cuban and Venezuelan WhatsApp groups, where “progressive” was translated to “progresista,” which carries “far-left connotations that are closer to the Spanish words ‘socialista’ and ‘comunista.’”
How disinformation spreads
Disinformation, often in languages like Spanish, Mandarin or Hindi, flows onto social media apps like WhatsApp and WeChat heavily used by communities of color.
Minority communities that believe their views and perspectives aren’t represented by the mainstream are likely to “retreat into more private spaces” found on messaging apps or groups on social media sites like Facebook, Trauthig said.
“But disinformation also targets them on these platforms, even though it may feel to them to be that safer space,” she said.
Messages on WhatsApp are also encrypted and can’t be easily seen or traced by moderators or fact-checkers.
“As a result, messages on apps like WhatsApp often fly under the radar and are allowed to spread and spread, largely unchecked,” said Randy Abreu, policy counsel for the National Hispanic Media Coalition, which leads the Spanish Language Disinformation Coalition.
Abreu also raised concerns about Spanish YouTube channels and radio shows that are growing in popularity. He said the coalition is tracking more and more YouTube and radio personalities who are spreading misinformation in Spanish.
A 2022 report by the left-leaning watchdog group Media Matters tracked 40 Spanish-language YouTube videos spreading misinformation about U.S. elections. Many of these videos remained on the platform, despite violating YouTube election misinformation policy, the report said.
Disinformation and disenfranchising communities of color
Amid changes in voting policies at state and local levels, advocates are sounding the alarm on how disinformation about voting in 2024 may target communities of color. Many of these efforts have surged as Asian American, Black and Latino communities have grown in political power, said María Teresa Kumar, founding president of the nonprofit advocacy group Voto Latino.
“Disinformation is, at its core, meant to be a sort of voter suppression tactic for communities of color,” she said. “It targets communities of color in a way that feeds into their already justifiable concerns that the system is stacked against them.”
The tactics also feed into a history “as old as the Jim Crow era of attempting to disenfranchise people of color, going back to voter intimidation and suppression efforts after the Civil Rights Act of 1866,” said Atiba Ellis, a professor of law at Case Western Reserve University School of Law.
While many of the same recycled claims around alleged fraud in the 2020 and 2022 elections are expected to resurface, experts say disinformation campaigns will likely be more sophisticated and granular in attempts to target specific groups of voters of color.
Trauthig also raised concerns about how layoffs and instability at social media platforms like Twitter may leave them less prepared to tackle misinformation in 2024. It also remains to be seen how new social media platforms like Threads will approach the threat of misinformation. Changes in policies like WhatsApp launching a “Communities” function connecting multiple groups and expanding group chat sizes may also “have big implications for how quickly misinformation will spread on the platform,” she said.
In response to the mounting threat of misinformation, Indian American Impact is ramping up its fact-checking efforts through what the organization says is the first fact-checking website specifically for South Asian Americans. Shah said the group is drawing inspiration from 2022 projects, including a voting toolkit using memes with Bollywood characters and passing out Parle-G crackers with voting information stickers at Indian grocery stores.
Cruz of Factchequeado is paying close attention to misinformation in swing states with significant Latino populations like Nevada and Arizona. And Liu of Asian Americans Advancing Justice is reviewing misinformation trends from previous elections to strategize about how to inoculate Asian American voters against them.
Still, they say there is more work to be done.
Critics are urging social media companies to invest in content moderation and fact-checking in languages other than English. Government and election officials should also make voting information more accessible to non-English speakers, organize media literacy trainings in community spaces and identify “trusted messengers” in communities of color to help approach trends in misinformation narratives, experts said.
“These are not monolithic groups,” Cruz said. “This disinformation is very specifically tailored to each of these communities and their fears. So we also need to be partnering with grassroots organizations in each of these communities to tailor our approaches. If we don’t take the time to do this work, our democracy is at stake.”
___
The Associated Press receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about AP’s democracy initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/election-disinformation-campaigns-targeted-voters-of-color-in-2020-experts-expect-2024-to-be-worse/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world | 2023-07-29T05:29:39 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/election-disinformation-campaigns-targeted-voters-of-color-in-2020-experts-expect-2024-to-be-worse/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world |
Matteo Arnaldi vs. Alexei Popyrin: Prediction and Match Betting Odds | Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag
On Saturday, Matteo Arnaldi (No. 76 in the world) meets Alexei Popyrin (No. 90) in the semifinals of the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag.
Arnaldi is the favorite (-150) in this match, compared to the underdog Popyrin, who is +115.
Looking to place a bet on this or other tennis matches? Head over to BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks, and sign up today with our link!
Matteo Arnaldi vs. Alexei Popyrin Match Information
- Tournament: The Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag
- Round: Semifinals
- Date: Saturday, July 29
- Venue: Stadium Goran Ivanisevic in ITC Stella Maris
- Location: Umag, Croatia
- Court Surface: Clay
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Matteo Arnaldi vs. Alexei Popyrin Prediction and Odds
Based on the moneyline in this match, Matteo Arnaldi has a 60.0% chance to win.
Bet on tennis with BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks!
Matteo Arnaldi vs. Alexei Popyrin Trends and Insights
- In the quarterfinals on Friday, Arnaldi advanced past No. 33-ranked Jiri Lehecka, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.
- In the quarterfinals on Friday, Popyrin beat No. 287-ranked Dino Prizmic, winning 7-6, 7-5.
- Arnaldi has played 24.5 games per match (23.2 in best-of-three matches) in his 35 matches over the past year (across all court types).
- On clay, Arnaldi has played 18 matches over the past 12 months, totaling 24.5 games per match (23.4 in best-of-three matches) while winning 54.2% of games.
- In the past year, Popyrin has competed in 47 total matches (across all court types), winning 49.3% of the games. He averages 28.0 games per match (25.3 in best-of-three matches) and 10.6 games per set.
- On clay surfaces, Popyrin has played 16 matches and averaged 26.7 games per match (26.0 in best-of-three matches) and 10.2 games per set.
- Dating back to 2015, Arnaldi and Popyrin have not competed against each other.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wafb.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/matteo-arnaldi-vs-alexei-popyrin-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-plava-laguna-croatia-open-umag/ | 2023-07-29T05:29:40 | 1 | https://www.wafb.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/matteo-arnaldi-vs-alexei-popyrin-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-plava-laguna-croatia-open-umag/ |
Matteo Arnaldi vs. Alexei Popyrin: Prediction and Match Betting Odds | Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag
On Saturday, Matteo Arnaldi (No. 76 in the world) meets Alexei Popyrin (No. 90) in the semifinals of the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag.
Arnaldi is the favorite (-150) in this match, compared to the underdog Popyrin, who is +115.
Looking to place a bet on this or other tennis matches? Head over to BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks, and sign up today with our link!
Matteo Arnaldi vs. Alexei Popyrin Match Information
- Tournament: The Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag
- Round: Semifinals
- Date: Saturday, July 29
- Venue: Stadium Goran Ivanisevic in ITC Stella Maris
- Location: Umag, Croatia
- Court Surface: Clay
Watch live tennis and many more sports and shows without cable on all your devices with a seven-day free trial to Fubo!
Matteo Arnaldi vs. Alexei Popyrin Prediction and Odds
Based on the moneyline in this match, Matteo Arnaldi has a 60.0% chance to win.
Bet on tennis with BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks!
Matteo Arnaldi vs. Alexei Popyrin Trends and Insights
- In the quarterfinals on Friday, Arnaldi advanced past No. 33-ranked Jiri Lehecka, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.
- In the quarterfinals on Friday, Popyrin beat No. 287-ranked Dino Prizmic, winning 7-6, 7-5.
- Arnaldi has played 24.5 games per match (23.2 in best-of-three matches) in his 35 matches over the past year (across all court types).
- On clay, Arnaldi has played 18 matches over the past 12 months, totaling 24.5 games per match (23.4 in best-of-three matches) while winning 54.2% of games.
- In the past year, Popyrin has competed in 47 total matches (across all court types), winning 49.3% of the games. He averages 28.0 games per match (25.3 in best-of-three matches) and 10.6 games per set.
- On clay surfaces, Popyrin has played 16 matches and averaged 26.7 games per match (26.0 in best-of-three matches) and 10.2 games per set.
- Dating back to 2015, Arnaldi and Popyrin have not competed against each other.
Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wlbt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/matteo-arnaldi-vs-alexei-popyrin-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-plava-laguna-croatia-open-umag/ | 2023-07-29T05:29:43 | 0 | https://www.wlbt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/matteo-arnaldi-vs-alexei-popyrin-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-plava-laguna-croatia-open-umag/ |
MARJ ALI, Lebanon — By the time Walid al-Hajjar stormed his bank armed with a jug of gasoline, four lighters and a willingness to set himself on fire, his wife’s bone cancer was too far gone for him to save her.
But he wanted to make her more comfortable in the time remaining — treated with painkillers in a hospital rather than writhing in agony at home, he recalled. And the family had already accumulated tens of thousands of dollars in debt from friends and relatives that needed to be repaid.
Al-Hajjar, 48, had the money to pay for his wife’s treatment. But like so many other Lebanese, his life savings was being held hostage in his bank account: The central bank has not allowed depositors to withdraw more than a few hundred dollars a month since a financial collapse in 2019.
So, like other desperate Lebanese before him — some of them similarly compelled by the need for medical treatment — al-Hajjar went to his bank in November, threatening to burn it down unless it gave him some of the $250,000 he had in his account. More than 12 hours later, he left with $25,000 in stacks of cash.
“If you don’t go in and threaten to hurt them, they won’t give you anything,” he said months later.
Virtually no one in Lebanon has been spared from the two-pronged financial collapse of both the banking system and the local currency, the lira, which has lost 98% of its value since 2019. But most of the burden has fallen on depositors who overnight lost access to money they had spent a lifetime saving.
The phenomenon of Lebanese depositors resorting to force to demand their own money has earned them the moniker “the world’s most honorable bank robbers.”
Before the financial collapse, Lebanon’s banking sector was admired and its outgoing central bank governor, Riad Salameh, hailed as a financial wizard for overseeing a system that maintained a stable currency even through wars. The country offered high interest rates that attracted billions in deposits in Lebanese banks.
At the same time, the lira was pegged to the dollar for more than two decades, and the country used both currencies interchangeably. Many, like the al-Hajjars, had Lebanese bank accounts denominated in dollars.
The central bank’s push to keep the lira pegged to the dollar required Lebanese banks to maintain large dollar reserves. To keep dollars coming in, the banks offered generous interest rates to depositors and paid that interest with newly deposited money. After the financial collapse, the World Bank called this system a Ponzi scheme.
Now, while the total deposits in Lebanese banks amount to some $92 billion, the banks have, at most, $20 billion on hand, the deputy prime minister, Saadeh al-Shami, told The New York Times this month.
“Every depositor deserves the last penny, but numbers do not lie,” he said. “We have a gap in the financial sector, close to $72 billion,” he added. “Where can we get the money from? We can’t print dollars.”
For many Lebanese, officials like Salameh represent a ruling class that has driven the country into financial catastrophe while enriching themselves and doing little to solve the crisis.
Salameh was the architect of Lebanese monetary policy for the past three decades, leading up to the financial collapse. As he prepares to leave his post at the end of this month — still defending his policies and tenure — bank depositors like al-Hajjar are no closer to getting access to their savings, while inflation and poverty grip the country.
Now, Salameh is under investigation in Lebanon and has been charged with money laundering and other financial crimes by France and Germany. Both countries have issued international arrest warrants for him. Salameh says he is a scapegoat for the country’s economic woes.
In a TV interview last month, Salameh insisted that bank depositors would get their money back. Despite those assurances, the central bank and government have not taken the steps needed to ensure this.
A $3 billion International Monetary Fund loan, agreed to more than a year ago, remains in limbo because the government has not made the economic and political changes required to get the money.
A separate plan to ensure the return of deposits up to $100,000 and to set up a recovery fund for larger deposits is also no closer to government approval, said al-Shami, the deputy prime minister.
And Lebanon’s government — long riddled with corruption and dysfunction — has been without a president since September.
For al-Hajjar, the hard times came after three decades in which he prospered in Lebanon’s hot banking and real estate markets. He bought and sold livestock, opened and sold three butcher shops and flipped both land and real estate. He put his money in Credit Libanais bank, and with generous interest, it grew into a comfortable nest egg.
“We saved the money so I could control my life,” he said. “We thought we could relax.”
Instead, he and his children said, his wife spent her last months in so much pain that the slightest touch hurt.
Two days after al-Hajjar threatened to burn down the bank near his hometown in Marj Ali, his father died of kidney cancer. Forty days after that, his wife, Ola, died at 41.
He said he had gone to his bank three times with bills from various hospitals, pleading for access to his money. On his fourth visit, he went with a warning. The fifth time, he came with the gasoline and lighters.
More than seven months have passed since that day, and al-Hajjar is now working long hours at his brother-in-law’s butcher shop and raising his three children alone. His youngest, Kareem, 12, works alongside him during the summer, his tiny frame wielding a cleaver.
He said he still owes family and friends $22,000.
“She is at rest in the ground and I am stuck with this work,” he said last month.
The family is able to cover daily expenses, supported by investments he had kept out of the bank, including some apartments it owns and rents. But many life plans are out of reach, and the family worries about another medical emergency or unforeseen expense.
Most days, his oldest son, Ahmad, 22, visits the graves of his mother and grandfather. He crouches next to the head of her grave and speaks to her in hushed tones, updating her about life and his studies.
“They ruined our lives,” he said as he drove away from the cemetery one recent day. “They’re robbing us, and the government is protecting them.”
Al-Hajjar says that he tells his children never to put their money in banks.
Across Lebanon, depositors’ anger is reflected in the graffiti and damage to banks, which have become metal fortresses.
Most weeks, members of an organization called the Depositors Outcry Association protest outside banks in the capital, Beirut. Sometimes, they yell and spray paint their frustration on the walls. Other times, they light tires on fire and smash glass.
At a recent protest outside the central bank, one man scrawled on a cement barrier in red paint: “The crook Riad.”
Al-Hajjar recalled how, as the cancer spread throughout his wife’s body, she prepared for a future she wouldn’t see. She bought new sofas for the family’s living room, added decorative touches to the front of their building and planned to beautify a small garden outside, all for when her children got married.
Now, in that garden, al-Hajjar grows enough vegetables to sustain them and keeps the goats and cows for the butcher shop. After feeding them on a recent day, he returned to the balcony of his apartment — in the mountains southeast of Beirut — overlooking a lush valley and, on a clear day, the Mediterranean Sea.
As he sat with his daughter, they followed updates of an ongoing bank holdup — there have been more than 20 since 2019. Like al-Hajjar, a man had taken a jug of gas into a bank, demanding his money. The following week, another man armed with a grenade went to the same bank al-Hajjar had held up and demanded his money.
Al-Hajjar, who was jailed for two days, said he often thought about holding up his bank again. His daughter, Claire, 19, seemed surprised at first. But then she considered it for a few seconds.
“He’s not doing anything wrong,” she said. “He’s taking what is his right.” | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/he-held-up-a-bank-to-get-his-own-money/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world | 2023-07-29T05:29:45 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/he-held-up-a-bank-to-get-his-own-money/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world |
Stan Wawrinka vs. Lorenzo Sonego: Prediction and Match Betting Odds | Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag
In the semifinals of the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag on Saturday, Stan Wawrinka (ranked No. 72) faces Lorenzo Sonego (No. 43).
In this Semifinal matchup against Sonego (+100), Wawrinka is the favorite with -125 odds.
Looking to place a bet on this or other tennis matches? Head over to BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks, and sign up today with our link!
Stan Wawrinka vs. Lorenzo Sonego Match Information
- Tournament: The Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag
- Round: Semifinals
- Date: Saturday, July 29
- Venue: Stadium Goran Ivanisevic in ITC Stella Maris
- Location: Umag, Croatia
- Court Surface: Clay
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Stan Wawrinka vs. Lorenzo Sonego Prediction and Odds
Based on the moneyline in this match, Stan Wawrinka has a 55.6% chance to win.
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Stan Wawrinka vs. Lorenzo Sonego Trends and Insights
- Wawrinka is looking to stay on track after a 6-4, 7-5 victory over No. 59-ranked Roberto Carballes Baena in Friday's quarterfinals.
- Sonego advanced to the semifinals by taking down No. 104-ranked Jaume Munar 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 on Friday.
- Wawrinka has played 27.3 games per match (24.6 in best-of-three matches) in his 40 matches over the past year (across all court surfaces).
- On clay, Wawrinka has played 11 matches over the past year, totaling 28.7 games per match (23.4 in best-of-three matches) while winning 49.7% of games.
- Sonego has averaged 25.4 games per match (22.7 in best-of-three matches) through his 55 matches played in the past year across all court surfaces, while winning 50.8% of the games.
- Sonego has averaged 27.9 games per match (23.1 in best-of-three matches) and 9.8 games per set in 13 matches on clay courts in the past 12 months.
- Wawrinka and Sonego have not played each other since 2015.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wafb.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/stan-wawrinka-vs-lorenzo-sonego-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-plava-laguna-croatia-open-umag/ | 2023-07-29T05:29:47 | 0 | https://www.wafb.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/stan-wawrinka-vs-lorenzo-sonego-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-plava-laguna-croatia-open-umag/ |
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico man who confessed to five bank robberies in Albuquerque last year — including one bank he robbed twice as part of what he said were desperate attempts to feed his fentanyl addiction — has been sentenced to more than two years in prison.
Jason Smeltzer, 41, made off with less than $4,000 total from the the five robberies, which took place within 6 miles (10 kilometers) of each other over five weeks in early 2022, court records show.
Each time, the unarmed Albuquerque man who once served as a confidential informant for the city’s police handed notes to tellers claiming he was a vigilante helping law enforcement and asking that they “please” place bills in an envelope, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque.
Assistant federal public defender Dennis Candelaria had argued Smeltzer be sentenced to only 18 months in prison partly because he had no adult criminal record, a lengthy work history and was actively involved in many community activities. He said Smeltzer had been suffering from a drug addiction for years trying to ease pain from an injured knee and that he was committed to rehabilitation.
In addition to being a confidential police informant, Candelaria said Smeltzer had participated in the FBI program for cyber security. He didn’t provide any additional details.
“Fentanyl took total control of his life,” Candelaria wrote in a pre-sentencing document.
“In many ways, Mr. Smeltzer is the typical bank robber. He is robbing a bank to buy drugs for his addiction. However, unlike the typical bank robber, we can look past his actions and see an individual that never intended to harm anyone,” Candelaria said.
Smeltzer “committed each of these bank robberies by passing a note and requesting the teller to ‘please’ place money in an envelope,” he said.
From Jan. 20-Feb. 23, 2022, Smeltzer stole a total of $3,856 from the four banks on the city’s northeast side, including just $136 from one. The most was $1,180 the second time he robbed the same credit union on San Mateo Boulevard in mid-February.
Acting on a call to a national tip line, FBI agents and police arrested him leaving his Albuquerque home in a car with his mother hours after the final robbery on Feb. 23.
An FBI agent said in an affidavit that Smeltzer confessed to all of the crimes and told authorities he was using the money to buy drugs for his fentanyl addiction.
“He also advised Agents he wrote the demands notes and he always asked for money politely,” the agent wrote in the affidavit last year.
In one case, the note he handed a teller claimed “I am that vigilante that helps law enforcement take down drug dealers.” Another said he was a vigilante “helping the police catch drug dealers and stop overdoses,” according to court documents.
The latter also said, “Thank you, truly I am grateful. I will repay.”
Smeltzer pleaded guilty to five counts of bank robbery on March 22. On July 18, U.S District Judge Judith C. Herrera sentenced him to 27 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/ex-new-mexico-police-informant-headed-to-prison-after-admitting-5-bank-robberies-to-feed-addiction/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world | 2023-07-29T05:29:52 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/ex-new-mexico-police-informant-headed-to-prison-after-admitting-5-bank-robberies-to-feed-addiction/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world |
Taylor Fritz vs. Jeffrey John Wolf: Prediction and Match Betting Odds | Truist Atlanta Open
Taylor Fritz (No. 9 ranking) will face Jeffrey John Wolf (No. 46) in the semifinals of the Truist Atlanta Open on Saturday, July 29.
With -250 odds, Fritz is the favorite against Wolf (+190) for this matchup.
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Taylor Fritz vs. Jeffrey John Wolf Match Information
- Tournament: The Truist Atlanta Open
- Round: Semifinals
- Date: Saturday, July 29
- Venue: Atlantic Station
- Location: Atlanta, Georgia
- Court Surface: Hard
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Taylor Fritz vs. Jeffrey John Wolf Prediction and Odds
Based on the moneyline in this match, Taylor Fritz has a 71.4% chance to win.
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Taylor Fritz vs. Jeffrey John Wolf Trends and Insights
- In the quarterfinals on Friday, Fritz beat No. 439-ranked Kei Nishikori, 6-4, 6-2.
- Wolf came out on top 6-2, 6-3 versus Dominik Koepfer in the quarterfinals on Friday.
- Fritz has played 68 matches over the past 12 months across all court surfaces, and 26.2 games per match (24.1 in best-of-three matches).
- In his 44 matches on hard courts over the past 12 months, Fritz has played an average of 25.8 games (24.3 in best-of-three matches).
- Wolf is averaging 24.5 games per match (22.3 in best-of-three matches) through his 59 matches played in the past 12 months across all court types, winning 52.6% of those games.
- Wolf has averaged 24.9 games per match (22.8 in best-of-three matches) and 9.9 games per set in 41 matches on hard courts in the past 12 months, winning 52.7% of those games.
- This is the first time that Fritz and Wolf have played in the last five years.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wafb.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/taylor-fritz-vs-jeffrey-john-wolf-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-truist-atlanta-open/ | 2023-07-29T05:29:53 | 1 | https://www.wafb.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/taylor-fritz-vs-jeffrey-john-wolf-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-truist-atlanta-open/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s a stunning new allegation in an already serious case: Former President Donald Trump sought to delete Mar-a-Lago surveillance footage to obstruct the Justice Department’s investigation into his handling of classified documents.
The latest criminal charges unsealed Thursday deepen Trump’s legal jeopardy, alleging a more central role for the former president than previously known in a cover-up that prosecutors say was meant to prevent them from recovering top-secret documents he took with him after he left the White House. Coming as Trump braces for possible additional indictments related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election, the new allegations strengthen special counsel Jack Smith’s already powerful case against Trump while undercutting potential defenses floated by the former president, experts say.
“Before these new charges, you could maybe try some sort of defense that ‘this was all a mistake, it was my staff’ or confusion about what documents he actually had,” said former federal prosecutor Randall Eliason, a George Washington University law professor.
“But especially now, when you’re trying to destroy video footage,” he added, “that’s kind of the final nail in the coffin. I don’t see much in the way of a defense, not a real defense. All he can do is claim he’s being persecuted and hope for a holdout juror or something.”
Trump resorted to that familiar playbook on Friday, writing in a post on his Truth Social platform that “this is textbook Third World intimidation by rabid, lawless prosecutors.” He insisted during an interview with radio host John Fredericks that he did nothing wrong and accused prosecutors of trying to intimidate his staff into making up lies about him.
Later Friday, Trump posted on Truth Social that Mar-a-Lago security tapes were voluntarily handed over to prosecutors. Trump said he was told they were not “deleted in any way, shape or form.”
The new Florida charges came as a surprise given that Trump and his legal team have been focused on the prospect of an additional indictment in Washington — possibly within days — related to his efforts to cling to power after he lost to President Joe Biden. Trump received a letter this month informing him that he’s a target in that probe, and his lawyers met Thursday with special counsel Jack Smith’s office.
Hours after that meeting, Smith revealed the new classified documents case charges on top of a 38-count indictment issued last month against Trump and his valet, Walt Nauta. The updated indictment includes a detailed chronology of phone conversations and other interactions between Trump, Nauta and Mar-a-Lago property manager, Carlos De Oliveira, in the days after the Justice Department last June drafted a subpoena for security camera footage at Mar-a-Lago.
Video from the home would ultimately become vital to the government’s case because, prosecutors said, it shows Nauta moving boxes in and out of a storage room — an act alleged to have been done at Trump’s direction and in an effort to hide records not only only from investigators but Trump’s own lawyers.
The day after a draft subpoena was sent to the Trump Organization, the indictment says, Trump called De Oliveira and spoke with him for about 24 minutes. Though the details of that conversation are not included in the indictment, De Oliveira is described by prosecutors as asking a Mar-a-Lago information technology staffer several days later how long the server retained footage for and is quoted as telling the employee that “the boss” wanted it deleted.
Lawyers for Nauta, who has pleaded not guilty, and De Oliveira declined to comment on the allegations. De Oliveira is expected to make his first court appearance in Miami on Monday.
To the extent that evidence of Trump’s involvement in trying to delete video is circumstantial rather than direct, it might present a challenge for prosecutors, said David Aaron, a former Justice Department national security prosecutor who has worked on cases involving the mishandling of classified documents.
But if they can tie the effort to Trump, he added, “it’s devastating in its own right, because it doesn’t matter at that point what he thought he had the right to do, or whatever other defense he’s going to have about the classified documents. That’s in and of itself very bad.”
It could also help prosecutors establish that Trump knew what he was doing was wrong because “you only delete video of what you’ve done if you think it’s going to get you in trouble,” Aaron said. And Trump’s own accusations against others, like his claims against Hillary Clinton, his opponent in the 2016 presidential race, could boomerang against him.
Trump has claimed that Clinton deleted emails from her private server for the purpose of obstructing a criminal investigation into her own handling of classified information — something the FBI and Justice Department never alleged — but now stands himself accused of scheming to delete evidence he feared would be incriminating.
“He has specifically criticized other public figures for deleting data when he says they thought they were going to be in trouble,” Aaron said. “So if you needed to prove his consciousness of guilt, it’s not just an obvious thing that you would ask the jury to rely on common sense for — he’s actually made statements about what it means when someone does this.”
Trump and Nauta are set for trial next May, though it’s not clear if that date will hold.
Smith’s team also added a new count of willful retention of national defense information related to a classified document about a Pentagon plan of attack on a foreign country prosecutors say Trump showed off during a July 2021 meeting at his Bedminster, New Jersey resort.
That charge comes after Trump repeatedly claimed he didn’t have any secret documents when he spoke, only magazine and newspaper clippings, even though an audio recording captured him saying “this is secret information.” The document was returned to the government in January 2022, months before the subpoena for classified records.
It’s not clear why prosecutors moved now to indict another one of Trump’s underlings, though bringing charges against De Oliveira that could carry significant prison time adds serious pressure on him, potentially increasing the odds that he could decide to cut a plea deal and cooperate.
“But, you know, Trump seems to inspire a lot of loyalty, at least in some people,” Eliason said. “Maybe they are holding out for the idea that he is reelected and he can pardon them.”
____
Richer reported from Boston. | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/fresh-charges-tie-trump-even-more-closely-to-coverup-effort-that-could-deepen-his-legal-woes/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world | 2023-07-29T05:29:54 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/fresh-charges-tie-trump-even-more-closely-to-coverup-effort-that-could-deepen-his-legal-woes/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world |
Stan Wawrinka vs. Lorenzo Sonego: Prediction and Match Betting Odds | Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag
In the semifinals of the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag on Saturday, Stan Wawrinka (ranked No. 72) faces Lorenzo Sonego (No. 43).
In this Semifinal matchup against Sonego (+100), Wawrinka is the favorite with -125 odds.
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Stan Wawrinka vs. Lorenzo Sonego Match Information
- Tournament: The Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag
- Round: Semifinals
- Date: Saturday, July 29
- Venue: Stadium Goran Ivanisevic in ITC Stella Maris
- Location: Umag, Croatia
- Court Surface: Clay
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Stan Wawrinka vs. Lorenzo Sonego Prediction and Odds
Based on the moneyline in this match, Stan Wawrinka has a 55.6% chance to win.
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Stan Wawrinka vs. Lorenzo Sonego Trends and Insights
- Wawrinka is looking to stay on track after a 6-4, 7-5 victory over No. 59-ranked Roberto Carballes Baena in Friday's quarterfinals.
- Sonego advanced to the semifinals by taking down No. 104-ranked Jaume Munar 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 on Friday.
- Wawrinka has played 27.3 games per match (24.6 in best-of-three matches) in his 40 matches over the past year (across all court surfaces).
- On clay, Wawrinka has played 11 matches over the past year, totaling 28.7 games per match (23.4 in best-of-three matches) while winning 49.7% of games.
- Sonego has averaged 25.4 games per match (22.7 in best-of-three matches) through his 55 matches played in the past year across all court surfaces, while winning 50.8% of the games.
- Sonego has averaged 27.9 games per match (23.1 in best-of-three matches) and 9.8 games per set in 13 matches on clay courts in the past 12 months.
- Wawrinka and Sonego have not played each other since 2015.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wlbt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/stan-wawrinka-vs-lorenzo-sonego-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-plava-laguna-croatia-open-umag/ | 2023-07-29T05:29:56 | 0 | https://www.wlbt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/stan-wawrinka-vs-lorenzo-sonego-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-plava-laguna-croatia-open-umag/ |
PHOENIX (AP) — A historic heat wave that turned the U.S. Southwest into a blast furnace throughout July is beginning to abate with the late arrival of monsoon rains.
Forecasters expect that by Monday at the latest, people in metro Phoenix will begin seeing high temperatures under 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 degrees Celsius) for the first time in a month. As of Friday, the high temperature in the desert city had been at or above that mark for 29 consecutive days.
Already this week, the overnight low at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport fell under 90 (32.2 C) for the first time in 16 days, finally allowing people some respite from the stifling heat once the sun goes down.
Temperatures are also expected to ease in Las Vegas, Albuquerque and Death Valley, California.
The downward trend started Wednesday night, when Phoenix saw its first major monsoon storm since the traditional start of the season on June 15. While more than half of the greater Phoenix area saw no rainfall from that storm, some eastern suburbs were pummeled by high winds, swirling dust and localized downfalls of up to an inch (2.5 centimeters) of precipitation.
Storms gradually increasing in strength are expected over the weekend.
Scientists calculate that July will prove to be the hottest globally on record and perhaps the warmest human civilization has seen. The extreme heat is now hitting the eastern part of the U.S, as soaring temperatures moved from the Midwest into the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, where some places are seeing their warmest days so far this year.
The new heat records being set this summer are just some of the extreme weather being seen around the U.S. this month, such as flash floods in Pennsylvania and parts of the Northeast.
And while relief may be on the way for the Southwest, for now it’s still dangerously hot. Phoenix’s high temperature reached 116 (46.7 C) Friday afternoon, which is far above the average temperature of 106 (41.1 C).
“Anyone can be at risk outside in this record heat,” the fire department in Goodyear, a Phoenix suburb, warned residents on social media while offering ideas to stay safe.
For many people such as older adults, those with health issues and those without access to air conditioning, the heat can be dangerous or even deadly.
Maricopa County, the most populous in Arizona and home to Phoenix, reported this week that its public health department had confirmed 25 heat-associated deaths this year as of July 21, with 249 more under investigation.
Results from toxicological tests that can takes weeks or months after an autopsy is conducted could eventually result in many deaths listed as under investigation as heat associated being changed to confirmed.
Maricopa County confirmed 425 heat-associated deaths last year, and more than half of them occurred in July.
Elsewhere in Arizona next week, the agricultural desert community of Yuma is expecting highs ranging from 104 to 112 (40 C to 44.4 C) and Tucson is looking at highs ranging from 99 to 111 (37.2 C to 43.9 C).
The highs in Las Vegas are forecast to slip as low as 94 (34.4 C) next Tuesday after a long spell of highs above 110 (43.3 C). Death Valley, which hit 128 (53.3 C) in mid-July, will cool as well, though only to a still blistering hot 116 (46.7 C).
In New Mexico, the highs in Albuquerque next week are expected to be in the mid to high 90s (around 35 C), with party cloudy skies. | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/the-extreme-heat-wave-that-blasted-the-southwest-is-abating-with-late-arriving-monsoon-rains/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world | 2023-07-29T05:30:01 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/the-extreme-heat-wave-that-blasted-the-southwest-is-abating-with-late-arriving-monsoon-rains/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world |
By SUDHIN THANAWALA (Associated Press)
ATLANTA (AP) — Authorities in Alabama said Friday they filed criminal charges against a woman who confessed to fabricating a story that she was kidnapped after stopping to check on a toddler she saw walking on the side of an interstate highway.
Carlee Russell was charged with false reporting to law enforcement and falsely reporting an incident, both misdemeanors that carry up to a year in jail, Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis said. Russell turned herself in to jail Friday and was released on bond, he said.
“Her decisions that night created panic and alarm for citizens of our city and even across the nation as concern grew that a kidnapper was on the loose using a small child as bait,” he said. “Numerous law enforcement agencies, both local and federal, began working tirelessly not only to bring Carlee home to her family but locate a kidnapper that we know now never existed. Many private citizens volunteered their time and energy in looking for a potential kidnapping victim that we know now was never in any danger.”
Derzis said he was frustrated that Russell was only being charged with two misdemeanors despite the panic and disruption she caused, but he said the law did not allow for enhanced charges.
Russell, 25, disappeared after calling 911 on July 13 to report a toddler wandering beside a stretch of interstate. She returned home two days later and told police she had been abducted and forced into a vehicle.
Her disappearance became a national news story. Images of the missing woman were shared broadly on social media.
“We don’t see this as a victimless crime,” Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said at a Friday news conference. “There are significant hours spent, resources expended as a result of this investigation.”
Marshall’s office was asked to handle the prosecution because of the attention the case received, Derzis said. Marshall said he intends to “fully prosecute” Russell and said his office will take into account the police investigation to see whether additional charges are warranted.
Russell, through her attorney, Emory Anthony, acknowledged earlier that she made the story up.
In a statement read by police on Monday, Anthony said Russell was not kidnapped, did not see a baby on the side of the road, did not leave the city and acted alone. He said Russell apologized and he asked for prayers and forgiveness as she “addresses her issues and attempts to move forward, understanding that she made a mistake in this matter.”
A message left Friday at Anthony’s office was not immediately returned.
Russell told detectives she was taken by a man who came out of the trees when she stopped to check on the child, put in a car and an 18-wheel truck, was blindfolded and was held at a home where a woman fed her cheese crackers, authorities said at a news conference last week. At some point, Russell said she was put in a vehicle again but managed to escape and run through the woods to her neighborhood.
“This story opened wounds for families whose loved ones really were victims of kidnappings,” Derzis said.
He said police have not determined where Russell went during the 49 hours she was missing. They plan to talk to the attorney general’s office about recovering some of the money spent on the investigation. | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/29/alabama-authorities-charge-carlee-russell-for-fabricating-story-about-kidnapping-finding-toddler/ | 2023-07-29T05:30:02 | 1 | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/29/alabama-authorities-charge-carlee-russell-for-fabricating-story-about-kidnapping-finding-toddler/ |
Taylor Fritz vs. Jeffrey John Wolf: Prediction and Match Betting Odds | Truist Atlanta Open
Taylor Fritz (No. 9 ranking) will face Jeffrey John Wolf (No. 46) in the semifinals of the Truist Atlanta Open on Saturday, July 29.
With -250 odds, Fritz is the favorite against Wolf (+190) for this matchup.
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Taylor Fritz vs. Jeffrey John Wolf Match Information
- Tournament: The Truist Atlanta Open
- Round: Semifinals
- Date: Saturday, July 29
- Venue: Atlantic Station
- Location: Atlanta, Georgia
- Court Surface: Hard
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Taylor Fritz vs. Jeffrey John Wolf Prediction and Odds
Based on the moneyline in this match, Taylor Fritz has a 71.4% chance to win.
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Taylor Fritz vs. Jeffrey John Wolf Trends and Insights
- In the quarterfinals on Friday, Fritz beat No. 439-ranked Kei Nishikori, 6-4, 6-2.
- Wolf came out on top 6-2, 6-3 versus Dominik Koepfer in the quarterfinals on Friday.
- Fritz has played 68 matches over the past 12 months across all court surfaces, and 26.2 games per match (24.1 in best-of-three matches).
- In his 44 matches on hard courts over the past 12 months, Fritz has played an average of 25.8 games (24.3 in best-of-three matches).
- Wolf is averaging 24.5 games per match (22.3 in best-of-three matches) through his 59 matches played in the past 12 months across all court types, winning 52.6% of those games.
- Wolf has averaged 24.9 games per match (22.8 in best-of-three matches) and 9.9 games per set in 41 matches on hard courts in the past 12 months, winning 52.7% of those games.
- This is the first time that Fritz and Wolf have played in the last five years.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wlbt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/taylor-fritz-vs-jeffrey-john-wolf-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-truist-atlanta-open/ | 2023-07-29T05:30:02 | 1 | https://www.wlbt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/taylor-fritz-vs-jeffrey-john-wolf-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-truist-atlanta-open/ |
When Mbengue Nyimbilo Crepin regained consciousness after collapsing in the desert, the sun had already set. Tunisian authorities had violently forced him, his wife and their 6-year-old daughter across the border to Libya by foot without water, in the blazing heat, he said. Nyimbilo crumpled to the ground, exhausted and dehydrated, but urged his wife to carry on with little Marie and catch up to dozens of other migrants ahead.
“God willing, we will meet again in Libya,” he told them.
Nyimbilo eventually made it there — only to find out days later that his wife and daughter almost certainly did not.
A graphic photo widely shared on social media shows the lifeless body of a Black woman with braided hair next to a little girl, their faces down in the sand. The child is curled up next to the woman, her bare feet red and swollen, likely from walking on blistering hot sand.
Nyimbilo said he immediately recognized his wife’s yellow dress, pulled up on her body, and his daughter’s black sandals, sitting beside them. He shared recent photographs with The Associated Press showing them in the same clothing. He said he hasn’t heard from his wife, Matyla Dosso, who also went by Fatima, or their daughter since that day in the desert, July 16.
Nyimbilo believes Matyla and Marie are among more than a dozen Black migrants Libyan border guards say they’ve found dead in the desert border area of the North African nations since Tunisian authorities began conducting mass expulsions in early July. Nyimbilo is from Cameroon; his wife, Ivory Coast. They lived for years in Libya but hoped to finally make it to Europe via the Mediterranean Sea from Tunisia.
The Libyan police border guard in al-Assa, near the Tunisian border, found the woman and child in the July 19 photo dead, spokesperson Maj. Shawky al-Masry said. He declined to provide further details or say where the bodies are now.
Different border units have found at least 10 bodies on the Libyan side since last week, including that of another small child.
Black Africans in Tunisia have faced increasing discrimination and violence since President Kais Saied’s February remarks that sub-Saharan migrants are part of a plot to alter the country’s identity and demographics. He said “hordes of irregular migrants” bring “violence, crime and unacceptable practices.” The speech to his security council inflamed longstanding tensions throughout the region and country, but particularly between Tunisians and migrants in the port city of Sfax and other eastern coastal towns.
Tunisia has replaced Libya as the main point of departure for people attempting the deadly Mediterranean crossing to Italy, according to United Nations and other figures. Through July 20, more than 15,000 foreign migrants were intercepted by Tunisian authorities — more than double that period last year, Interior Minister Kamel Fekih told Parliament this week. He blasted the influx of sub-Saharan migrants and said Tunisia can’t accept becoming “a transit country.”
Tunisian authorities have responded to rising tensions with a crackdown on Black migrants and refugees, and some have been rounded up from coastal cities and sent to Libya or Algeria — countries with their own long track records of grave human rights violations, abuses against migrants and collective deportations.
Human rights organizations, Libyan authorities and migrants themselves have accused Tunisia of violating international law with the mass expulsions across its borders. Tunisian authorities long skirted a direct response to those accusations, but on Thursday, the Interior Ministry rejected any responsibility about “Africans outside its borders,” a clear reference to those in the desert. The ministry stressed Tunisia’s right to protect borders and insisted it carries out its “humanitarian duty.”
Officials also issued a warning against publication of content from social networks and in news outlets, and made a veiled reference in a recent statement to prison sentences of up to 10 years for anyone circulating information it deems incorrect.
This week, hundreds of people — including pregnant women and children — remain trapped in the border area between Tunisia, Libya and the Mediterranean Sea, while others are stranded on the Algeria side, U.N. agencies said, urging their immediate rescue.
Libyan authorities have stepped up security near Tunisia and found hundreds of migrants stranded in temperatures that surpassed 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). They’ve shared dramatic photos and videos on social media of their desert encounters with exhausted migrants desperate for water, as well as graphic images of the deceased.
Libyan guard Ali Wali said his team has seen through binoculars Tunisian security forcing migrants toward Libya. He said his unit finds more than 100 daily: “Some migrants spent up to three days with no food and water in the desert.”
Without elaborating, Wali said those found are handed to relevant authorities. U.N. agencies and the Libyan Red Crescent say they’ve provided food, water and other assistance.
But according to another security official, migrants were taken to detention centers run by Libya’s Directorate for Combatting Illegal Migration, notorious for abuse. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters.
Despite the growing evidence of abuse against some migrants in Tunisia and issues at the border, European leaders have doubled up their show of support for Saied, offering hundreds of millions of euros to stabilize the country with hopes it will also reduce migration.
That didn’t deter Nyimbilo and his family.
Nyimbilo and his wife had already tried to get to Europe. Their previous five attempts to cross the Mediterranean, from Libya to Italy, all failed. Each time, they were intercepted by EU-equipped Libyan forces and imprisoned. Nyimbilo told AP his wife was raped twice in front of their child in detention.
“We had no more hope,” Nyimbilo said of their time in Libya, where Marie couldn’t even attend school because she’s the child of immigrants. “This country has traumatized us so much.”
So, on July 13, they left the coastal city of Zuwara and trekked through the desert with other migrants, making it to the border in the early hours of July 15. They continued to the town of Ben Guerdane, about 30 kilometers (18 miles) into Tunisia.
The group split up to avoid attracting attention. But they grew desperate for water. Nyimbilo and his family walked to a main road in search of help. That’s when a police car stopped and detained them, he said, and officers found their registration papers.
“When they saw it and realized we had left Libya, they beat us,” Nyimbilo said. The next day, he said, they were loaded onto a truck with other migrants and dropped at the border, without water.
Today, he said, he struggles to cope with his loss and to realize he’ll never see his wife or daughter again. They’d survived so much — failed voyages to Europe, assaults, even the 2019 bombing of the Tajoura detention center. He can hardly accept that Matyla and Marie died in the desert.
“A bottle of water could have saved my family,” he said.
___
Brito reported from Barcelona, Spain; Ganley from Paris; and Magdy from Cairo. Sarah El Deeb contributed from Beirut. | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/world/god-willing-we-will-meet-again-in-libya-a-migrant-familys-tale-shows-chaos-at-tunisian-border/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world | 2023-07-29T05:30:07 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/world/god-willing-we-will-meet-again-in-libya-a-migrant-familys-tale-shows-chaos-at-tunisian-border/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world |
The MBTA did not advertise or put out to bid four new high-ranking hires that could end up costing more than $1 million a year, officials admit.
T General Manager Phillip Eng instead dished out the four new positions to cronies that he worked with at previous jobs in New York.
Dennis Varley, the new “chief of stations” who worked with Eng at the Long Island Railroad, will be making $265,000 a year.
Another Long Island Railroad official, Rod Brooks, the new “senior adviser for capital operations and safety,” will be making $120 an hour. If Brooks works a 40-hour week that comes out to more than $250,000 a year.
Sam Zhou, the new “assistant general manager of engineering and capital,” who comes from the New York Department of Transportation, will also be making $265,000 annually.
Doug Connett, the new “chief of infrastructure” who worked with Eng in New York, will be pulling down a mere $260,000 a year.
Eng must be emulating the UMass system, which routinely hires “assistant vice chancellors” to pad its massive administrative workforce.
“These transit veterans come to the MBTA with decades of proven experience in public transportation with a strong commitment to serving the public,” T spokesman Joe Pesaturo said. “They have a proven track record of tackling challenges similar to those facing the MBTA.”
The trusted colleagues of Eng, all men, will be joining an agency not exactly trusted by the general public.
The T has suffered a series of indignities and accidents over the last several years. Eng was brought in by Gov. Maura Healey to clean up the agency and be a breath of fresh air, but the T continues to suffer problems under his leadership.
But who knew he was going to be padding the payroll with buddies from previous jobs?
And the latest blow to the T came this week with a report by the Massachusetts Inspector General that found the transit agency overpaid a private contract for T “ambassadors” by more than $5 million.
The MBTA overpaid a Tennessee-based company to outsource in-station customer service agents and did not set clear goals to track their performance, Massachusetts’ top government watchdog found in a new report.
In a damning letter to state transportation officials, Inspector General Jeffrey Shapiro said contracts should include specific performance metrics to make clear the level of service the vendor is expected to provide. Those metrics should also be coupled with independent audits, periodic reviews, and “secret shoppers.”
“The MBTA employed none of these common tools, so it was difficult to assess if the contract met the goal of improving service. For example, the MBTA did not even attempt to ascertain how Block by Block transit ambassadors were conducting and reporting elevator checks,” Shapiro wrote in the letter. “This simple and seemingly small detail has a potentially huge impact on MBTA riders, particularly those with disabilities.” | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/29/battenfeld-mbta-chief-dishes-out-high-paying-jobs-with-no-bidding-or-advertising/ | 2023-07-29T05:30:08 | 1 | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/29/battenfeld-mbta-chief-dishes-out-high-paying-jobs-with-no-bidding-or-advertising/ |
Huskers Against Gun Violence, a student organization at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is displaying artwork with the theme "The Normalization of Gun Violence and its Dangers" on the second floor of Turbine Flats, 2124 Y St., now through early September.
"This artwork was submitted by students and members of the community to provoke thought about the normalization of gun violence," said Simone Hill, president of Huskers Against Gun Violence.
Huskers Against Gun Violence works closely with Nebraskans Against Gun Violence, a 501(c)(3) grassroots organization committed to eliminating gun violence in our communities. For more information, visit www.nagv.org or follow it on social media. Updates on Huskers Against Gun Violence events and activities are also available on social media. | https://journalstar.com/huskers-against-gun-violence-art-displayed-at-turbine-flats/article_a07da78e-2bfe-11ee-91e2-931e9732b8b2.html | 2023-07-29T05:30:08 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/huskers-against-gun-violence-art-displayed-at-turbine-flats/article_a07da78e-2bfe-11ee-91e2-931e9732b8b2.html |
Gross: Nightmare tenant made Seattle landlord go homeless
Jul 28, 2023, 5:22 PM
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
A Seattle landlord stated he’s now homeless after one of his tenants faked being low-income in order to avoid paying his rent. Making matters worse, the landlord says the tenant is actually turning a profit on the property by renting it out on Airbnb – and the city is doing nothing to help.
Jason Roth said he bought his south Seattle home in 2016. A mechanic by trade, Roth loved spending time improving the building. He entertained the idea of leaving Seattle to pursue other career opportunities so it made sense to list the house as rental.
Roth says he found a tenant who appeared responsible. But things changed on March 1 when he didn’t receive the first rental payment.
More from Jason Rantz: Seattle mayor didn’t complete, start 70% of police recruitment plan
“I wasn’t mad. I just approached him and asked ‘What can you pay?’ and we took that route,” Roth told Jason Rantz on AM 770 KTTH. “He proposed to me what he could pay. And we did a formal agreement. I paid an attorney to read it up and he [still] couldn’t pay.”
That’s when Roth heard from a friend. To his surprise, he was informed that his rental property was listed as an Airbnb.
“This is totally backwards,” Roth said. “This is totally not what we agreed upon.”
Not only is the nightmare tenant not paying rent, but he’s also not paying utility bills that are in Roth’s name as the owner.
“Because he’s claimed low income with the city. They won’t shut [utilities] off,” Roth said. “So I’m actually paying for there to be an Airbnb unit for him to make an income. I’m not exaggerating.”
The nightmare tenant forced Roth to move into a van, which he modified using his mechanic’s skills.
“I consider myself lucky that I was able to build out a nice little camper van given the situation,” Roth said. “But I’m embarrassed. This sucks. I am paying for this guy to live in this house.”
The paradigm shift toward renters’ rights has created extra obstacles. Roth believes he has few advocates in the situation. He has hired an attorney to help him sort out what has become a nightmare.
Roth said Airbnb support has been no help in the matter either.
More from Max Gross: Immigration services threatens deportation over department’s error
“When I call Airbnb to try to explain this, you know, I’m not mad, I’m trying to be as calm as possible. I get a call center in another country, I get transferred to three different people and I get hung up on,” Roth said.
Roth has also tried to get help from city officials. This has led him to be even more frustrated with the lack of help.
Landlords get painted as evil in this city, maybe some are. However, Roth set out with an honest goal to provide an affordable rental property and he is getting burned because of it.
Listen to the Jason Rantz Show weekday afternoons from 3 – 6 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (or HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast here | https://mynorthwest.com/3914559/gross-nightmare-tenant-made-seattle-landlord-go-homeless/ | 2023-07-29T05:30:08 | 0 | https://mynorthwest.com/3914559/gross-nightmare-tenant-made-seattle-landlord-go-homeless/ |
NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s popular but polarizing prime minister, Narendra Modi, has a fondness for abbreviations that create buzz around his government schemes and dress down his rivals. Last week, Modi’s political opponents did exactly that.
They announced a new alliance — called INDIA — to unseat Modi and defeat his ruling party’s electoral juggernaut.
The acronym, which stands for Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, comprises India’s previously fractured opposition parties that are aiming to keep the Modi government's increasingly powerful sway at bay. At stake, the alliance says, is the future of India’s multiparty democracy and secular foundations that critics say have seen assaults from Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bhartiya Janata Party.
The opposition alliance is playing on its acronym, saying it will be Modi versus the country in 2024 polls.
Modi will seek reelection to a third consecutive term in a national vote next year at a time when India’s global diplomatic reach is rising. However, his rule at home has coincided with a struggling economy, rising unemployment, attacks by Hindu nationalists against the country’s minorities, particularly Muslims, and a shrinking space for dissent and free media.
The 26-party alliance is likely to attack Modi’s BJP on exactly these issues — plus a host of other domestic problems, including a deadly ethnic conflict in the northeastern state of Manipur.
But analysts say its effort to oust Modi will be a Herculean task. He is by far India’s most popular leader, and his party directly controls 10 of the 28 states, is in coalition in four other states and has more than 55% of Parliament’s lower house seats.
“The opposition must pitch this alliance as an alliance for the ordinary people and not just a front against Modi and his party. They must offer a realistic policy narrative and vision for the country that will resonate with the voters,” said political scientist Suhas Palshikar.
The INDIA alliance, led by the Indian National Congress party that once dominated the country’s politics, includes powerful regional parties that are direct rivals to each other in some states. The parties are also beset with ideological differences and personality clashes, and seem undecided on whether to cede space to other groups in regions where they hold sway.
What binds them together on a national front are their concerns that Modi’s BJP has tightened its grip across India’s democratic institutions and the Parliament, where it has passed crucial bills, including on controversial farm laws.
They also complain they have been the targets of raids and investigations by federal agencies controlled by the Modi government. Over a dozen of these instances have lead to defections of opposition leaders to the BJP, which is sometimes followed by dropped charges or pressure otherwise being eased. The BJP denies its involvement in the cases.
The Congress party has been particularly hit. Its former president, Rahul Gandhi, who lost the last two elections to Modi, was disqualified in March from Parliament. Gandhi risks losing his eligibility to run in elections for the next eight years if a court doesn’t overturn his conviction in a defamation case that critics say is politically motivated.
“The main aim is to stand together to safeguard democracy and the constitution,” Mallikarjun Kharge, president of the Congress party, said last week at the end of a two-day conclave of the alliance.
Modi’s party has dismissed the alliance as a grouping of “self-serving, corrupt, dynastic parties.” On the same day the INDIA grouping was announced, BJP held a convention of its own National Democratic Alliance, along with 37 other parties. Two of the NDA’s leading allies are breakaway factions from regional parties that are with the INDIA alliance.
“Modi’s party is known to not share power. That it has shown a more conciliatory side toward allies ahead of elections means it's worried and would like the support of as many allies as possible,” said Gilles Verniers, a senior fellow at the New Delhi-based Centre for Policy Research think tank. “But it won’t be an alliance of equals. Modi’s party will still campaign using Modi as a brand. He alone will be on the posters."
During his nine years in power, Modi has consolidated his party’s reach in north and central India. His party has, however, faced tough challenges in state polls, particularly in the south, where regional parties hold influence.
In recent polls, Congress toppled local BJP governments in state elections in southern Karnataka and northern Himachal Pradesh, denting the ruling party’s image of invincibility. Gandhi’s 136-day march on foot across the length of the country also appears to have shot India’s grand old party back into political prominence.
The election battle is between “Narendra Modi and INDIA, his ideology and INDIA. India always wins all fights,” Gandhi said July 18 at the opposition gathering.
Verniers said the alliance’s name rattled Modi's party, “but the opposition parties will have to set aside their differences and make some compromises.”
“They have to decide how they will take on the BJP electorally. Their best bet is to file one candidate against the BJP across most of the parliamentary seats in India,” he said.
India has a history of coalition governments, and opposition parties successfully banded together to defeat then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1977 elections held after she imposed emergency rule in 1975. However, past efforts by the opposition to unite against the Modi government have failed because of infighting among the parties and ideological differences.
Recent moves by oppositions elsewhere in the world haven't been as successful as INDIA hopes to be. Fragmented oppositions in Turkey and Hungary also failed to oust their populist leaders.
But India has Westminster-style parliamentary system, and a large opposition bloc has a significant chance to emerge victorious by winning more seats, even if its vote share is less than that of the ruling party. In 2019 general elections, Modi's BJP-led alliance only won 37% of the votes cast, but was still rewarded with over 303 of 543 seats.
Palshikar, the political scientist, said if the opposition alliance was to succeed it must transform the movement of unity into a “political force that can offer an alternative to the voters."
“Mere critique of Modi won’t work,” he said.
___
Find more of AP’s Asia-Pacific coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/ap-top-news/2023/07/26/an-alliance-of-indian-opposition-parties--called-india--joins-forces-to-take-on-modi | 2023-07-29T05:30:09 | 1 | https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/ap-top-news/2023/07/26/an-alliance-of-indian-opposition-parties--called-india--joins-forces-to-take-on-modi |
HUARINA, Bolivia (AP) — A 70-year-old man’s feet sink into the soil as he passes abandoned boats where there used to be the water of Lake Titicaca. The highest navigable lake in the world has receded to what Bolivian authorities say are critically low levels due to a persistent drought.
“It’s completely dry,” Jaime Mamani said in exasperation while walking along the new shoreline in Huarina, a farming town 70 kilometers (43 miles) west of La Paz where he is a community leader.
The National Service of Naval Hydrography declared an alert this week for the iconic lake after its surface fell 2 centimeters (0.8 inches) below the drought warning stage, or 3,807.8 meters (12492.7 feet) above sea level. But the agency says this is just the beginning of a situation that is worrying Indigenous Aymara communities that rely on the lake for their livelihoods and fear the dry spell could permanently impact the region’s flora and fauna.
The hydrology unit of Bolivia’s navy warned that water levels could reach historically low levels in the coming months. By December, there is a “high probability” Lake Titicaca will be 64 centimeters (more than 25 inches) below the drought alert level, breaking a low water record set in 1998 by 33 centimeters (almost 13 inches).
“In three months, the water has decreased by 30 centimeters (11.8 inches), and considering that radiation is much stronger during this time of the year … we expect it to keep decreasing,” Carlos Carrasco, a hydraulic engineer for the hydrography service said.
The drought is the result of a combination of factors, including natural phenomena like La Niña and El Niño, which arrived unusually early this year and have been particularly strong due in part to climate change, according to Lucía Walper, who heads up the Hydrological Forecasting Unit at Bolivia’s National Meteorology and Hydrology Service.
But the vast lake is vital for this region of the Bolivian highlands, where hundreds of Aymara rural communities have relied on the blue body of water for millennia to practice subsistence farming and raise livestock.
Authorities in the Peruvian city of Puno also issued a warning about the declining water levels and expressed concern about the potential impact on tourism.
“We’re reaching a critical point. There will be a significant loss of water,” said Juan José Ocola, president of the Binational Authority of Lake Titicaca. The lake serves as the border between Bolivia and Peru.
Mateo Vargas, 56, a fisherman who has lived off the Lake Titicaca for 28 years, said he used to catch “lots” of fish daily. Now he considers himself lucky if he can catch six.
Vargas’ wife, Justina Condori, shares his concerns.
“The fish have vanished,” Condori, 58, said, predicting there will be famine if the current conditions persist.
Condori makes a living by renting boats to tourists. She worries fewer people will come to visit the lake, which at an elevation of 3,810 meters above sea level, is the largest body of freshwater in the Andes mountain range.
Evidence of the receding lake is seemingly everywhere. Women who sell fried fish and other snacks by the lake face rising costs for ingredients. Those who make a living transporting people from one side of the lake to the other are altering their routes because their rafts and boats no longer reach their usual docks.
Livestock farmers who rely on the plants that grow on the shores of the Titicaca to feed their animals are also seeing their livelihoods threatened.
The economic hardship is causing many residents of Huarina to migrate to other areas of the country, leaving behind mostly older townspeople, Mamani said. The waters of the Titicaca have always been shallow around the town, so the drought is even more visible there.
“There is a detriment to the economy of the inhabitants of the region,” he said.
Vargas, the fisherman, is also concerned about what the declining water levels will mean for the future.
“It looks like it will continue to decrease, day by day,” he said. “We’re worried because if we continue like this, what’s going to happen to our children?”
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the climate and environment at https://apnews.com/climate-and-environment | https://www.seattletimes.com/news/a-drought-alert-for-receding-lake-titicaca-has-indigenous-communities-worried-for-their-future/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world | 2023-07-29T05:30:13 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/news/a-drought-alert-for-receding-lake-titicaca-has-indigenous-communities-worried-for-their-future/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world |
At a recent congressional hearing, Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Washington, expressed concern about the illegal Chinese-manufactured flavored, disposable vaping products widely available nationwide. He noted that many of these products are made in unregulated facilities and could be laced with fentanyl — threatening the health and well-being of children.
In response, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf said it is of great concern that the highly lethal drug is now ending up in illegal, foreign-made vapes and that the United States needs an all-of-government approach to protect kids from this threat.
As a parent and grandparent, I couldn’t agree more.
It is not that the government has done nothing, but it needs to do more.
In 2020, the FDA removed flavored, cartridge-based e-cigarettes from store shelves. Unfortunately, it did not include the illegal, flavored, disposable vapes that appeal to minors. As a result, these products continue to be produced and aggressively marketed to children in flavors such as “rainbow cotton candy” to an alarmingly effective degree. In fact, according to the 2022 National Youth Tobacco Survey, more than 2.5 million American middle and high school students still vape, with more than eight in 10 using flavored e-cigarettes. Disposable e-cigarette usage among high schoolers has spiked 2,188% since 2019.
Policymakers cannot address the youth vaping epidemic without acknowledging the elephant in the room — China.
China is the world’s largest producer of illegal, flavored, disposable vape products. They are made in unregulated facilities, and we have no idea what is actually in them. There could be harmful chemicals and contaminants, sky-high levels of nicotine, or, even worse, fentanyl.
In its 2021 World Drug Report, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime found that “the main source of illicitly manufactured fentanyl is China.”
China knows that its flavored disposable vape pens are dangerous and potentially deadly. That’s why, in October 2022, the country imposed strict regulations on the products the vaping industry can produce and sell within the People’s Republic.
However, it did not make these regulations applicable to the products it produces and sells in the United States and elsewhere. Consequently, the U.S. remains largely clueless about what chemicals and toxins are in these products, along with what nicotine levels they contain.
The FDA has started taking steps in the right direction. It recently put several illegal, disposable, foreign-made disposable vapes on the importation red list, giving U.S. Customs and Border Protection the ability to seize these products at the border and all ports of entry into the country.
It’s a good start. The FDA and the Biden administration must partner with local and state enforcement agencies to stop illegal disposable vapes from coming in and remove them from the shelves before they end up in kids’ backpacks.
Parents, teachers and — most important — our kids are counting on it.
Mary Bono is a former U.S. congresswoman and serves as chairwoman of Communities United for Smart Policy/InsideSources | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/29/bono-how-to-stop-our-kids-from-vaping/ | 2023-07-29T05:30:14 | 0 | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/29/bono-how-to-stop-our-kids-from-vaping/ |
Learning to play the piano can be an enriching and highly rewarding experience. To all adults out there who have always wanted to play the piano, Dr. Brenda Wristen, director of piano pedagogy and keyboard skills at UNL’s Glenn Korff School of Music, has something to say: It’s never too late to learn.
Wristen is supervising the Community Piano Experience. This program offers group piano classes that help students develop basic music reading and piano-playing skills.
Students who have never played the piano (or have forgotten their lessons from childhood) will be enrolled in the beginning class on Tuesday evenings. Students with some established piano and music reading skills will be enrolled in the intermediate class on Thursday evenings.
The beginning class will start Sept. 12 and end Dec. 5 (excluding Oct. 17 and Nov. 21) and will be team-taught by Wristen and her UNL piano pedagogy student interns. The intermediate class will begin Sept. 14 and end Nov. 30 (excluding Nov. 23) and will be taught by Rebekah Stiles, the program's assistant coordinator.
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Each class will have a maximum of 16 students and take place in the Westbrook Music Building on the UNL city campus. Classes will be weekly from 5:30-7 p.m.
“This is a really wonderful opportunity for adults in and around Lincoln to learn more about music and improve their piano skills in a fun, low-pressure environment,” says Wristen.
The class costs $175, which includes 11 weeks of instruction, a textbook and all additional materials.
For more information, contact Rebekah Stiles by visiting https://sites.google.com/site/lincolncommunitypiano/, emailing lincoln.cpe@gmail.com or calling 267-500-3168. Registration deadline is Aug. 31. | https://journalstar.com/news/community/neighborhood-extra/adult-piano-classes-at-unl-start-sept-12/article_c050c158-2be6-11ee-949e-ff9c8ce3601d.html | 2023-07-29T05:30:14 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/news/community/neighborhood-extra/adult-piano-classes-at-unl-start-sept-12/article_c050c158-2be6-11ee-949e-ff9c8ce3601d.html |
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The truce that stopped the bloodshed in the Korean War turns 70 years old on Thursday and the two Koreas are marking the anniversary in starkly different ways, underscoring their deepening nuclear tensions.
North Korea has invited delegations from China and Russia as it prepares to stage huge celebrations with thousands of citizens who have rehearsed for months to commemorate the armistice it sees as a victory in the “Grand Fatherland Liberation War.” The festivities are likely to be capped by a giant military parade in the capital, Pyongyang, where leader Kim Jong Un could showcase his most powerful, nuclear-capable missiles designed to target neighboring rivals and the U.S. mainland.
The mood is more somber in South Korea, where President Yoon Suk Yeol has invited dozens of foreign war veterans to honor the fallen soldiers of the 1950-53 conflict, which killed and injured millions and set the stage for decades of animosity among the Koreas and the United States.
Yoon, a conservative condemned by Pyongyang as a “traitor,” will likely use this week's events to highlight the North’s growing threat and double down on his goals of strengthening the South’s defense and its alliance with the U.S.
Tensions between the rivals are at their highest point in years, as the pace of North Korean missile tests and U.S.-South Korean joint military exercises has intensified in a tit-for-tat cycle. The dueling military activities have been punctuated by verbal threats, including North Korean talk of preemptive nuclear strikes and U.S. vows to “end” Kim’s regime in the event of such an attack.
The frictions provide a renewed reminder that the armistice has left the Korean Peninsula in a technical state of war. Through their 70 years of diplomatic ups and downs, the Koreas have consistently seen each other as existential threats, which is essentially why the armistice was never replaced by a peace treaty as originally intended.
Managing tensions is now more complicated than ever as Kim continues to reject dialogue with the U.S. while aggressively expanding a nuclear arsenal he sees as his strongest guarantee of survival.
Kim is also pushing for deeper cooperation with authoritarian allies China and Russia, which are locked in their own confrontations with Washington over regional influence and the war in Ukraine, as he aims to counter U.S. efforts to tighten trilateral security cooperation with Seoul and Tokyo.
North Korean state media on Wednesday highlighted the arrival of a Russian delegation led by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who was greeted at Pyongyang’s airport by senior North Korean officials including Defense Minister Kang Sun Nam. China’s ruling Communist Party is also sending a mid-level official, Li Hongzhong, in hopes of further facilitating bilateral exchanges.
For Kim, bringing Shoigu and Li to his balcony at Pyongyang’s main square to watch a massive parade featuring goose-stepping soldiers, tanks and missiles would be the biggest accomplishment he could show to his domestic audience for the anniversary, said Park Won Gon, a professor at Seoul’s Ewha University.
Kim already displayed his most powerful missiles during a previous parade in February and there might not be meaningful new hardware to show after the North failed in its first attempt to launch a military spy satellite into orbit in May. Economic achievements have been scarce after pandemic-related border closures decimated an economy already crippled by decades of mismanagement and U.S.-led sanctions over Kim’s nuclear ambitions.
Park said the invitations of the Chinese and Russian delegations could also reflect Kim’s unease about the strengthening security cooperation between the U.S. and South Korea, which have included larger joint military exercises, increased deployments of strategic U.S. military assets and new rounds of nuclear contingency planning meetings.
Thursday’s anniversary comes after North Korea conducted three separate rounds of ballistic and cruise missile firings since last week, apparently to protest the U.S. sending major naval assets to the South in a show of force. They include the USS Kentucky, which last week became the first U.S. nuclear-armed submarine to dock in South Korea since the 1980s.
“The strengthening of nuclear deterrence strategies between South Korea, the United States and Japan and military moves like the docking of the ballistic-missile submarine (in South Korea) are a huge burden and threat for North Korea,” Park said. “Since North Korea has limited ability to deal with these moves on its own, emphasizing cooperation with Moscow and Beijing for a combined response would be important (for Kim).”
Moscow and Beijing have already thwarted U.S.-led efforts since last year to strengthen U.N. Security Council sanctions on Pyongyang over its intensified missile testing activity, underscoring a divide between the council’s permanent members deepened over Russia’s war on Ukraine.
When asked about the visits, U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel urged Beijing and Moscow to play a more constructive role in defusing tensions and to bring Pyongyang back to dialogue.
The Korean War was triggered by a North Korean sneak attack on the South. The North was backed by forces from the newly created People’s Republic of China, which was aided by the then-Soviet air force. South Korea, the U.S. and troops from various countries under the direction of the United Nations fought to push back the invasion.
For South Koreans, the major outcome of the 1953 armistice was the subsequent signing of the U.S.-South Korea Mutual Defense Treaty, which was mainly aimed at calming South Korean security jitters about the truce and continues to serve as the foundation for the countries’ military alliance. Facing growing nuclear threats, Yoon is now seeking stronger U.S. assurances that it would swiftly and decisively use its nuclear weapons to defend the South in the event of a North Korean nuclear attack.
Thousands of people are expected to attend an armistice ceremony Thursday in South Korea's southern port city of Busan, which is the location of a cemetery honoring the U.N. soldiers killed during the war.
While there have been several skirmishes between the Koreas along their border in past years, the armistice has prevented a return to large-scale hostilities. A recent border incident involving an American soldier who bolted into the North through the truce village of Panmunjom — named after a town where the armistice was signed — has highlighted how the agreement could serve as a safety valve when relations are strained.
The U.S.-led U.N. Command, which was created to fight the war and then remained in the South to supervise the armistice’s implementation, says it is using the armistice’s communications mechanisms to negotiate the release of Pvt. Travis King. It’s likely referring to the so-called pink phone, a telephone line between the command and the North Korean People’s Army at Panmunjom.
“Despite innumerable provocations, challenges, misunderstandings and even deaths that resulted since the signing of the armistice agreement, it has in general withstood the test of 70 years,” Andrew Harrison, a British lieutenant general who is the deputy commander at the U.N. Command, said during a news conference Monday.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/ap-top-news/2023/07/26/rival-koreas-mark-armistice-anniversary-in-two-different-ways-that-highlight-rising-tensions | 2023-07-29T05:30:16 | 1 | https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/ap-top-news/2023/07/26/rival-koreas-mark-armistice-anniversary-in-two-different-ways-that-highlight-rising-tensions |
In the sweltering summer heat, nobody tries to cool off by jumping into a hot tub. In parts of Florida, however, that’s what the ocean has felt like.
Earlier this week, sea surface temperatures reached as high as 101.2 degrees Fahrenheit (38.4 degrees Celsius) around the state’s southern tip in Manatee Bay, according to the National Weather Service — although scientists said the context for Monday’s reading is complicated.
“It was like there was no difference between humidity of the air and going into the water,” said Chelsea Ward of Fort Myers, Florida.
Triple-digit ocean temperatures are stunning even in Florida, where residents are used to the heat and where many retirees find refuge from cold, northern winters. Several other nearby spots reached the mid-90s (about 35 Celsius). A storm finally came through on Wednesday, helping water temperatures drop back down in to the more temperate 80s (about 29 Celsius).
Humans naturally look to water for a chance to refresh. Every summer, millions grab their swimsuits for a day on the beach and a chance to cool off in the water — a break from everyday work and worry. Pools offer the same relief and a place for friends to gather. But when water temperatures get too high, some of the appeal is lost.
Ward, 47, doesn’t keep her beach bag in her car anymore even though she lives minutes away from the beach in Fort Myers. Lately, the water is just too hot. On Sunday, when her friend asked if she wanted to go to the beach, the two decided against it after discovering the water temperature was around 90 degrees (32 degrees Celsius).
When it’s hot, the body cools down by sweating, which evaporates and releases heat. Dipping into the ocean is typically so refreshing because heat efficiently transfers from your body into the water. But as water temperatures climb, that effect diminishes and you lose less heat less quickly, according to Michael Mullins, a Washington University toxicologist and emergency medicine physician at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis.
A hot tub — or a stretch of ocean water hotter than body temperature — reverses the transfer of heat into your body. That’s not a pleasant experience on a sizzling, humid, Florida day.
“It would feel,” Mullins said, “like you are swimming in soup.”
ICE BLOCKS FOR YOUR POOL? WHY NOT
People already tend not to swim that much in the Florida waters that were so extremely hot earlier this week. The water can get muddy and there are alligators and crocodiles in the area, too.
But high temperatures anywhere can make swimming less pleasant. Through Friday, Phoenix endured highs above 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius) every day this month. Pools are warm. About 150 miles (240 kilometers) to the northwest in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, Stefanee Lynn Thompson, 50, wanted to keep guests cool for a pool party she hosted Sunday. The heat had raised the pool’s temperature to 96 degrees (36 Celsius).
Her friend recommended she go buy ice blocks. She ran to the grocery store, picked up 40 of them and dumped them in the pool. She set up fans, too. All that hard work dropped the pool’s temperature a grand total of 4 degrees (7 degrees Celsius).
“When it’s 120 out, anything helps,” Thompson said.
Recently, ocean temperatures off the western coast of Florida have been a few degrees above normal, sitting around 88 to 90 degrees (31-32 degrees Celsius). It’s not just humans that suffer when the oceans warm. Sea corals are bleaching. They can be hurt when water temperatures rise above the upper 80s (low 30 degrees Celsius).
July has been so hot that scientists announced a global heat record even before the month ended. Climate change is creating a hotter world, warming oceans and making some storms more destructive. Sea surface temperatures are somewhat above average around Florida, but they are far higher in parts of the North Atlantic near Newfoundland where they are as much as 9 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius) hotter than usual.
The extremely high sea surface temperatures recorded earlier this week off Florida’s southern tip were caused by lots of sun, little wind and no storms.
“I’ve never seen temperatures 100 degrees in Florida Bay in the 21 years I’ve been in the Keys,” said Andy Devanas, science officer at the National Weather Service in Key West, Florida.
IS THE WATER THAT WARM EVERYWHERE?
And there are some questions about how representative Monday’s 101.2-degree reading in Manatee Bay were. Water there is shallow and thus heats up quickly. If there’s lots of sediment, that can raise temperatures, too, according to David Roth, a forecaster with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center.
By contrast, stop by the YMCA pools on the North Shore of Massachusetts near Boston and you’ll descend into water that’s around 78 to 80 degrees (26 to 27 degrees Celsius). The ocean nearby is cooler, too. Sea surface temperatures off Cape Cod, for example, barely touched the mid-70s (about 24 degrees Celsius) this week.
When Maria Argueta, 38, has time off from her job at an open-air decorative plant nursery in Homestead, Florida, she’ll go with her family to swim.
“This year, the heat is stronger,” she said.
The hot ocean water doesn’t bother her, but sometimes she takes her 2-year-old son and other members of the family to the Venetian Pool, a public facility in Coral Gables fed by water from an aquifer that’s always in the 70s. The very cool water, she said, is refreshing.
Florida’s humid weather makes it harder for sweat to evaporate and cool the body down. People in south Florida know the ocean doesn’t tend to offer real relief from that suffocating heat.
“You aren’t getting much cooling at all,” Roth said. “Nobody goes into the water in South Florida in the summer really except to swim, because it is comfortable to swim, but it is not refreshing.”
___
AP journalist Seth Borenstein contributed reporting from Washington, Dupuy reported from New York and Phillis reported from St. Louis. The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment | https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/water-is-refreshing-in-the-heat-right-in-parts-of-florida-this-past-week-not-so-much/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world | 2023-07-29T05:30:20 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/water-is-refreshing-in-the-heat-right-in-parts-of-florida-this-past-week-not-so-much/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world |
“Rise” thumps along nicely for two minutes. The lead track from “Six,” Extreme’s first album in 15 years, “Rise” makes use of a tough riff, big chorus, and furious stomp. But the first half of the song is purely prologue to Nuno Bettencourt’s guitar solo.
Bettencourt’s guitar breakdown is a Frankenstein’s monster built out of blues-on-speed, neo-classical metal, triple time prog rock, and thrashy and trashy grunge (and a ton of indescribable-and-infinitely -complex flourishes).
“There are two ways to solo, one is that you are thinking, ‘How can I show off here, how can I impress people,’ and I think that’s the bad way to go,” Bettencourt told the Herald. “The other is that it doesn’t have to impress anybody else. But it has to excite you… There’s a feeling that you get and it’s the same feeling you got when you first started to play.”
Bettencourt knows he’s on to something good when he gets that teenage jolt. He got it when he came up with the solo on “Rise.” So did a million other listeners.
The song has been streamed millions of times – and heralded the return of the dearly missed Boston band (Extreme comes home Aug. 5 with a gig at Roadrunner). Youtube clips analyzing the solo have been streamed in equal numbers. Many have declared it “the solo of the century,” which seems both ridiculous and (if you’re into Eddie Van Halen style guitar) perfectly credible. It wasn’t until a few friends and heroes chimed in that he realized “Rise” was connecting on a massive level.
“I was getting texts from peers, people like Steve Lukather and Brian May, and they’re telling me, ‘Hey, this is really cool,” Bettencourt said. “I thought, ‘What the hell is going on? Something is different here.’ I know they were raving about the solo, but it’s not just the solo.”
The thing is, the “Rise” lead is one of half a dozen jaw droppers on “Six” – try the awkward, awesome mess of notes on “Thicker Than Blood” next. But “Rise” was paired with a video that saw Extreme back in action, thrilled, locked in and blasting off. It wasn’t an iPhone-shot video of someone at home covering “Eruption” note for note. It was a rock band flouting their chemistry and charisma.
“We follow this new generation of guitar players on Instagram or Facebook and they’re in their studio or their bedroom blowing your mind playing guitar,” Bettencourt said. “You like it or throw a comment down and move on with your day. All the sudden you get a rock band in a video who is all in emotionally.”
“I think what people saw in the ‘Rise’ video was the mythology of rock ‘n’ roll that’s been missing,” he added.
Extreme has never been able to replicate the majesty of Queen or bombast of Van Halen. But they’ve done a hell of a job trying. And trying – what Bettencourt called “a band being all in” – matters a lot.
“Rise” might not be the solo of the century. It might not even be the best solo on the new album. But it’s great that it’s inspired people to passionately debate rock mythology five decades after “We Will Rock You.”
For tickets and details, visit extreme-band.com
— | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/29/bostons-extreme-on-rise-again-with-new-album-tour/ | 2023-07-29T05:30:20 | 0 | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/29/bostons-extreme-on-rise-again-with-new-album-tour/ |
In collaboration with the Downtown Lincoln Association, the YMCA of Lincoln will host the seventh annual Railyard Rims Friday and Saturday, Aug. 4-5. This 3-on-3 tournament takes basketball to the streets of the Railyard, and players will be hooping for much more than a trophy.
Tournament proceeds benefit the Lincoln YMCA’s annual Strong Kids fundraising campaign, which powers critical child care programs and activities that help keep kids safe, people healthy and families strong. In 2022, the Lincoln Y provided over $650,000 in financial assistance, impacting over 6,300 individuals in the community so they could experience programs ranging from basketball and soccer to swim lessons and summer day camp.
The tournament and fundraiser will host companies Friday evening, Aug. 4, with a youth and competitive division on Saturday, Aug. 5. All teams are guaranteed four games with players receiving an official swag bag that includes a T-shirt and other items donated by community organizations.
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“The opportunity to host this event not only activates downtown, but it raises awareness for the Y so they can continue introducing kids to the game of basketball and other valuable youth programs,” shared Todd Ogden, president of the Downtown Lincoln Association. “We are looking forward to a fun weekend with the players, fans and community.”
Team registration is open at RailyardRims.com. | https://journalstar.com/news/community/neighborhood-extra/aug-4-5-railyard-rims-to-benefit-ymca-strong-kids-campaign/article_e3d2c902-2c93-11ee-90f3-6b60d99b6ca4.html | 2023-07-29T05:30:21 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/news/community/neighborhood-extra/aug-4-5-railyard-rims-to-benefit-ymca-strong-kids-campaign/article_e3d2c902-2c93-11ee-90f3-6b60d99b6ca4.html |
‘X’ logo installed atop Twitter building, spurring San Francisco to investigate permit violation
Jul 28, 2023, 5:11 PM | Updated: 5:30 pm
(AP Photo/Haven Daley)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The city of San Francisco has opened a complaint and launched an investigation into a giant “X” sign that was installed Friday on top of the downtown building formerly known as Twitter headquarters as owner Elon Musk continues his rebrand of the social media platform.
City officials say replacing letters or symbols on buildings, or erecting a sign on top of one, requires a permit for design and safety reasons.
The X appeared after San Francisco police stopped workers on Monday from removing the brand’s iconic bird and logo from the side of the building, saying they hadn’t taped off the sidewalk to keep pedestrians safe if anything fell.
Any replacement letters or symbols would require a permit to ensure “consistency with the historic nature of the building” and to make sure additions are safely attached to the sign, Patrick Hannan, spokesperson for the Department of Building Inspection said earlier this week.
Erecting a sign on top of a building also requires a permit, Hannan said Friday.
“Planning review and approval is also necessary for the installation of this sign. The city is opening a complaint and initiating an investigation,” he said in an email.
Musk unveiled a new “X” logo to replace Twitter’s famous blue bird as he remakes the social media platform he bought for $44 billion last year. The X started appearing at the top of the desktop version of Twitter on Monday.
Musk, who is also CEO of Tesla, has long been fascinated with the letter X and had already renamed Twitter’s corporate name to X Corp. after he bought it in October. One of his children is called “X.” The child’s actual name is a collection of letters and symbols.
On Friday afternoon, a worker on a lift machine made adjustments to the sign and then left. | https://mynorthwest.com/3914587/x-logo-installed-atop-twitter-building-spurring-san-francisco-to-investigate-permit-violation/ | 2023-07-29T05:30:24 | 0 | https://mynorthwest.com/3914587/x-logo-installed-atop-twitter-building-spurring-san-francisco-to-investigate-permit-violation/ |
Triston Casas went down in a heap. The big Red Sox first baseman had just fouled a pitch right off his shin, and while it undoubtedly hurt like crazy Casas was able to gather himself and step back into the box.
Then, he sent the next pitch he saw 435 feet into the center field bleachers.
One of the hottest hitters in baseball since the All-Star break, Casas kept things going with another huge game to power the Red Sox to a 3-2 win over the San Francisco Giants to kick off their latest west coast trip. He went 2 for 4 with two RBI, crushing the solo home run along with a run-scoring ground rule double, and starting pitcher Kutter Crawford earned the win after delivering one of his best outings of the season.
Casas started the scoring in the top of the second after Adam Duvall doubled down the left field line, bringing him in with a bomb to straightaway center that bounced off the warning track and into the outfield stands. He then homered his next time up to lead off the fifth, prompting NESN color commentator Will Middlebrooks to exclaim “dear god” as the ball landed several rows deep.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who frequently played in San Francisco during his days playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers, said after the game that Casas’ home run stacked up against any he saw Barry Bonds hit back in his prime.
“I played here a lot of games and I saw one of the great ones dominating from like 2000 to 2004. That ball he hit to left center, that’s one of the best home runs I’ve seen here, and I saw many,” Cora said. “That was a great swing.”
For a while that’s all the offense either side could muster, as Crawford and Giants starter Logan Webb each carved up the opposing lineup. Crawford allowed only one run over 5.2 innings, giving up three hits and a walk while striking out seven. The Giants finally got to him in the sixth when Michael Conforto drove in rookie Marco Luciano with an RBI single, but lefty Brennan Bernardino came on with two outs and struck out Austin Slater to end the inning.
Josh Winckowski then pitched a scoreless seventh, working his way out of trouble after allowing back-to-back singles to lead off the frame. He was aided by Justin Turner, who made an outstanding play at second base for the first out after flipping a tough ball up the middle to the bag with his glove.
“Huge. We know his range is limited but what he touches most of the time he turns into outs,” Cora said. “He plays hard, he’s in tune with the game, so it was a great play and then Winck took care of the rest.”
Meanwhile, Webb pitched into the eighth inning and allowed three runs on six hits with no walks and four strikeouts. The third run came in the top of the eighth when Connor Wong led off with a single and later came around to score after Rob Refsnyder, pinch hitting for Jarren Duran, greeted lefty reliever Taylor Rogers with an RBI single.
That insurance run immediately proved consequential.
Joc Pederson led off the bottom of the eighth with a solo home run off Chris Martin, but rather than tie the game it only cut the Red Sox lead to 3-2. Martin quickly sent down the next three men he faced, and then Kenley Jansen wrapped things up in the bottom of the ninth for his 23rd save of the season.
The Red Sox (56-47) have now won five straight games and are 1.5 back of both the Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros for the second and third American League Wild Card spots. They will be back in action Saturday at 7:15 p.m. ET for a primetime showcase on Fox, with James Paxton (6-2, 3.46 ERA) scheduled to face off against Anthony DeSclafani (4-8, 4.88). | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/29/casas-crawford-lead-red-sox-past-giants-3-2/ | 2023-07-29T05:30:26 | 0 | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/29/casas-crawford-lead-red-sox-past-giants-3-2/ |
New art shows will open in person and online from 5-8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 4, at the Burkholder Project, 719 P St.
The Main Gallery will display Anne Burkholder's "NEBRASKA: Waterfalls and Rivers."
The Outback Gallery will display "Live Music Views" by Alan Smith. The show is a selection of portraits of musicians taken during live performances.
The Skylight Gallery will feature the new series "A Collection of Hope" by Janette Amberg.
The Special Exhibition space will feature an extended stay of colorful, highly detailed works in mixed media by Mindy Burton.
The shows can be viewed throughout August in person or online at www.burkholderproject.com and on Facebook. Gallery hours are 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Friday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. For a private appointment, call 402-477-3305 or email burkholderproject1@gmail.com. | https://journalstar.com/news/community/neighborhood-extra/burkholder-project-first-friday-art/article_85bd199a-2bf7-11ee-b316-eff7360c6705.html | 2023-07-29T05:30:27 | 1 | https://journalstar.com/news/community/neighborhood-extra/burkholder-project-first-friday-art/article_85bd199a-2bf7-11ee-b316-eff7360c6705.html |
The chances Jackson Holliday makes his MLB debut this season are small. But they’re not zero.
Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias said Friday he “wouldn’t rule it out” when asked if Holliday could play for Baltimore in 2023. However, Elias followed that by downplaying the possibility of the 19-year-old top prospect from jumping two more levels in the season’s final two months.
“I wouldn’t rule it out, but, I mean, I don’t rule out anything, as you can probably tell,” Elias said during his pre-trade deadline news conference. “One step at a time. He’s in Double-A. He was in high school a year ago.”
Holliday, the No. 1 overall pick in last summer’s draft, has dominated every level of the minor leagues. The shortstop hit .396 with Low-A Delmarva to begin his first full professional season, posted a .940 OPS in 57 games with High-A Aberdeen and is now hitting .357 in 10 games with Double-A Bowie.
In 81 games across the three levels, Holliday is slashing .334/.458/.523 — good for a .981 OPS — with 21 doubles, six triples, eight home runs, 20 stolen bases and just seven more strikeouts than walks. The shortstop was scratched from Thursday’s lineup because of an illness, and Elias said he would miss several games.
Holliday, ranked by Baseball America and MLB Pipeline as the sport’s No. 1 prospect, entered the season with reaching Double-A as his goal. He achieved that in mid-July, saying before his first game with the Baysox that “now, there’s new goals.”
“That would be quite something,” Holliday said when asked if reaching the majors this season was possible. “But I wouldn’t put it past myself at this point, so who knows?”
If Holliday were to debut this season, he would become just the fifth teenage position player to do so, joining Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Jurickson Profar and Juan Soto.
While Manny Machado was 20 when he debuted for the Orioles in August 2012, he did make the jump to the majors from Double-A. However, Machado was in his third year of professional ball compared with Holliday being in his second, and the former had 109 games at Double-A under his belt while the latter has only 10.
At the same time, though, Holliday’s numbers so far in his minor league career are better than Machado’s were and are more similar (although, not as otherworldly) to those Soto posted in the Washington Nationals system before being promoted. Soto slashed .362/.434/.609 in 122 minor league games — just eight in Double-A and none in Triple-A — to earn his big league promotion. In 101 minor league games, Holliday is slashing .328/.464/.506
“He’s doing very, very, very, very well,” Elias said. “If he climbs beyond Double-A this year, it would be borderline unprecedented. I don’t want to put any more on his plate than continuing to kind of accrue his minor league experience.”
() | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/29/could-top-prospect-jackson-holliday-join-the-orioles-this-season-gm-mike-elias-wouldnt-rule-it-out/ | 2023-07-29T05:30:32 | 1 | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/29/could-top-prospect-jackson-holliday-join-the-orioles-this-season-gm-mike-elias-wouldnt-rule-it-out/ |
Lincoln residents are invited to celebrate National Night Out with four free community events Tuesday, Aug. 1. The annual event promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood awareness, friendship and support.
Residents will have the opportunity to meet local law enforcement members and other first responders while enjoying refreshments in a family environment. The event schedule is as follows:
F Street Community Center
- , 1225 F St., 5-7 p.m. – Family activities, hotdogs, door prizes, free haircuts and a makers space. The F Street Community Market will offer handmade crafts for sale such as homemade baskets, jewelry, woodwork and drawings.
Calvert Recreation Center
- , 4500 Stockwell St., 5:30-6:30 p.m. – Family activities, pizza and outdoor games.
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Air Park Community Center and Williams Branch Library
- , 4900 Mike Scholl St., 5-6 p.m. – Family activities, information booths, and free grab-and-go meals. Participating local organizations include Partnership for a Healthy Lincoln, Mental Health Association of Nebraska, Lincoln Northwest Bryan Health Program, Sadoff Iron and Metal Company (recycling), Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department Dental and WIC programs, and SCIP. Additional parking is available at Arnold Elementary School, 5000 Mike Scholl St.
Arnold Heights Pool
- , 4000 NW 46th St., 6-8 p.m. – This neighborhood pool will offer a free family swim night.
For more information on National Night Out, see natw.org. More information on the Lincoln Police Department is available at police.lincoln.ne.gov. For more information about Lincoln Parks and Recreation programs, visit parks.lincoln.ne.gov. | https://journalstar.com/news/community/neighborhood-extra/celebrate-national-night-out-at-free-events-tuesday/article_bc1f8da2-2c91-11ee-8ac3-87414951a9b6.html | 2023-07-29T05:30:33 | 1 | https://journalstar.com/news/community/neighborhood-extra/celebrate-national-night-out-at-free-events-tuesday/article_bc1f8da2-2c91-11ee-8ac3-87414951a9b6.html |
Dear Abby: My son is dating a girl I can’t stand. I’m not too crazy about my son right now, either. I no longer want to be out in public with them because their public displays of affection are so over the top it makes me ill. I cannot imagine spending every holiday, birthday or whatever with them for the rest of my life. He hasn’t told us anything about this person. We don’t even know her last name. Help! — Turned-Off Mom in Indiana
Dear Mom: You didn’t mention your son’s age or how long he has been involved with this young woman. It appears they are both quite young. Romances that burn with this kind of intensity usually cool down fairly quickly. In the meantime, be patient. Say nothing that will cause you to be perceived as the “enemy.”
If you would like more information about the girl, ask her in a non-threatening way. (“Are you a schoolmate?” “Do you have a last name?” “Does your family live in town?”) Then make sure your son knows how to protect them both from unwanted pregnancy and STDs “should the need arise,” and wait them out.
Dear Abby: I am a 49-year-old mother of 10. I always loved my kids dearly and tried my best. But I wanted to be a friend rather than a disciplinarian, and I always gave in. I assumed that because my husband and I never did bad things around them while they were growing up, and because I always resisted peer pressure when I was a teenager, they would follow in our footsteps, but I was wrong. They are now mean to me, and most of them hate me.
I sometimes feel like I don’t want to go on because I’ll always feel sad and depressed. I can’t remember the last time I was happy and didn’t dread waking up every morning. Please find time to answer and give me some hope again. — Broken in West Virginia
Dear Broken: It’s time you stopped depending on your children to validate you, and began recognizing that, for better or worse, you did the best you could as a parent. Please discuss this with your religious adviser AND your physician. You need more help than I can offer in a letter, but those are the places to start. There are better days ahead.
Dear Abby: I am adopted, and 10 years ago I met my birth mom and her family. I go to their family gatherings and see them for holidays. I am getting married, and I’ve asked my birth mom to be my matron of honor, which my parents are OK with.
After the ceremony, we are going to have a reception at the church and then a dinner with 20 people hours later. I’m not sure if I should invite my birth mom to the dinner or not. My parents said it might be awkward for her and for them. I am just trying to do the right thing. What should I do? — Nervous in New Mexico
Dear Nervous: This is something you should discuss with your birth mother. While one would think that as part of the wedding party she would be welcome at all of the festivities, if it would make the couple who raised you uncomfortable, she should understand why she isn’t being asked to attend.
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/29/dear-abby-sons-pda-with-girlfriend-makes-mom-cringe/ | 2023-07-29T05:30:38 | 1 | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/29/dear-abby-sons-pda-with-girlfriend-makes-mom-cringe/ |
The UFO congressional hearing was ‘insulting’ to US employees, a top Pentagon official says
Jul 28, 2023, 6:06 PM
(AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
WASHINGTON (AP) — A top Pentagon official has attacked this week’s widely watched congressional hearing on UFOs, calling the claims “insulting” to employees who are investigating sightings and accusing a key witness of not cooperating with the official U.S. government investigation.
Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick’s letter, published on his personal LinkedIn page and circulated Friday across social media, criticizes much of the testimony from a retired Air Force intelligence officer that energized believers in extraterrestrial life and produced headlines around the world.
Retired Air Force Maj. David Grusch testified Wednesday that the U.S. has concealed what he called a “multi-decade” program to collect and reverse-engineer “UAPs,” or unidentified aerial phenomena, the official government term for UFOs.
Part of what the U.S. has recovered, Grusch testified, were non-human “biologics,” which he said he had not seen but had learned about from “people with direct knowledge of the program.”
A career intelligence officer, Kirkpatrick was named a year ago to lead the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, or AARO, which was intended to centralize investigations into UAPs. The Pentagon and U.S. intelligence agencies have been pushed by Congress in recent years to better investigate reports of devices flying at unusual speeds or trajectories as a national security concern.
Kirkpatrick wrote the letter Thursday and the Defense Department confirmed Friday that he posted it in a personal capacity. Kirkpatrick did not return messages seeking comment.
He writes in part, “I cannot let yesterday’s hearing pass without sharing how insulting it was to the officers of the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community who chose to join AARO, many with not unreasonable anxieties about the career risks this would entail.”
“They are truth-seekers, as am I,” Kirkpatrick said. “But you certainly would not get that impression from yesterday’s hearing.”
In a separate statement, Pentagon spokeswoman Sue Gough denied other allegations made by Grusch and other witnesses before a House Oversight subcommittee.
The Pentagon “has no information that any individual has been harmed or killed as a result of providing information” about UFO objects, Gough said. Nor has the Pentagon discovered “any verifiable information to substantiate claims that any programs regarding the possession or reverse-engineering of extraterrestrial materials have existed in the past or exist currently.”
Kirkpatrick wrote, “AARO has yet to find any credible evidence to support the allegations of any reverse engineering program for non-human technology.”
He had briefed reporters in December that the Pentagon was investigating “several hundreds” of new reports following a push to have pilots and others come forward with any sightings.
Kirkpatrick wrote in his letter that allegations of “retaliation, to include physical assault and hints of murder, are extraordinarily serious, which is why law enforcement is a critical member of the AARO team, specifically to address and take swift action should anyone come forward with such claims.”
“Yet, contrary to assertions made in the hearing, the central source of those allegations has refused to speak with AARO,” Kirkpatrick said. He did not explicitly name Grusch, who alleged he faced retaliation and declined to answer when a congressman asked him if anyone had been murdered to hide information about UFOs.
Messages left at a phone number and email address for Grusch were not returned Friday. | https://mynorthwest.com/3914598/the-ufo-congressional-hearing-was-insulting-to-us-employees-a-top-pentagon-official-says/ | 2023-07-29T05:30:39 | 1 | https://mynorthwest.com/3914598/the-ufo-congressional-hearing-was-insulting-to-us-employees-a-top-pentagon-official-says/ |
August is National Breastfeeding Month – a time to recognize the importance and impact of breastfeeding on the health of moms and babies.
For babies. Good nutrition benefits everyone. But giving babies the best nutrition in their early months of life not only impacts their short-term health, it can have a lifelong effect. The numerous health benefits of breastfeeding for babies include a lower risk of asthma, allergies, obesity, type 1 diabetes and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Babies who are breastfed exclusively for the first six months, without any formula, have fewer ear infections, respiratory illnesses, bouts of diarrhea, and fewer hospitalizations and trips to the doctor.
Breast milk can help provide lifelong protections, because it shares antibodies from the mother to her baby – antibodies that help babies develop a strong immune system and protect them from illnesses. Breastfeeding has even been linked to higher IQ scores in later childhood in some studies. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for about six months, and then continuing breastfeeding while introducing complementary foods for two years and beyond.
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For moms. But it’s not just babies who benefit. Less well known are the benefits of breastfeeding to moms’ health. They include reducing the risk of breast and ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, promoting faster weight loss after birth, stimulating the uterus to contract and return to normal size, less postpartum bleeding and chance of anemia, fewer urinary tract infections and less risk of postpartum depression.
Challenges. Breastfeeding is not always easy. People might assume that because it’s “natural” it comes without challenges. But local breastfeeding data tells us that while most moms intend to breastfeed, most are not making it to the six-month mark. Besides adjustments to the act of breastfeeding, moms report that significant challenges to breastfeeding for the recommended duration include lack of family, workplace and community support. For women of color, where breastfeeding initiation and duration rates are lower, the difficulty of finding culturally sensitive support creates an additional barrier.
Trusted voices. In health care, trust and representation matter. The results of a recent Stanford University study showed that when treated by health care professionals who looked like them, people of color in the study were more likely to heed the medical advice given, even though the patients rated the doctors’ care equally. That’s one of the reasons several nonprofits have come together to provide peer-to-peer breastfeeding education and support to families of color in their homes, neighborhoods, cultural centers and other organizations through the Community Breastfeeding Educators (CBEs) program.
Partnership for a Healthy Lincoln, a local community health nonprofit, funds training for the CBEs through grants to MilkWorks, the Malone Center, El Centro de las Americas, and the Asian Community and Cultural Center. MilkWorks, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the breastfeeding journeys of every family, provides oversight, mentoring, training and support for the CBEs. Kathy Leeper, MD, a breastfeeding medicine specialist and medical director at MilkWorks, leads a staff of lactation specialists that include Certified Lactation Counselors (CBCs) and International Board-Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs).
Recent additional funding from Partnership for a Healthy Lincoln is providing advanced training to interested CBEs to attain CBC or IBCLC standing. Currently, 37 CBEs offer peer counseling in 27 languages.
Two local WIC providers, Family Service WIC and Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department WIC, also offer trained peer lactation support through their WIC Peer Counselor Program.
Additional lactation support can be found across the community through home visitation programs like Healthy Families America and Community Action Partnership, to child care facilities such as Educare, to medical care clinics. To find where to go for lactation support, visit HealthyLincoln.org/Breastfeeding and download a guide on the Lincoln Community Breastfeeding Initiative page.
It’s the law. In our culture, a public display of breasts has seemed acceptable – unless it was a mother feeding her child. Although times have changed, with more acceptance and normalization of breastfeeding, protecting the right of mothers to do this when and where a child’s hunger demands had been slower coming. Fortunately, now all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have laws that specifically allow women to breastfeed in any public or private location.
Two federal laws provide protections for workers to pump breastmilk while at work: 1) Break Time for Nursing Mothers was passed in 2010 as part of the Affordable Care Act, and 2) The PUMP (Provide Urgent Maternal Protections) Act, which took effect April 28, 2023, updates “Break Time for Nursing Mothers” to expand the types of workers covered.
2023 National Breastfeeding Month weekly observances.
- Many breastfeeding challenges are the same across cultures, but lower breastfeeding rates and higher infant mortality in communities of color underscore the need for programs like the Community Breastfeeding Educators program. Celebrating breastfeeding in all cultures helps to encourage families and recognizes their successes and struggles. Upcoming weekly observances are:
- Aug. 1-7: World Breastfeeding Week;
- Aug. 8-14: Indigenous Milk Medicine Week;
- Aug. 15-21: Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Breastfeeding Week;
- Aug. 25-31: Black Breastfeeding Week; and
- Sept. 5-11: Lactancia Latina.
Partnership for a Healthy Lincoln (HealthyLincoln.org) and LNKTV Health (LNKTVhealth.lincoln.ne.gov) bring you Health and the City, a monthly column that examines relevant community health issues and spotlights local organizations that impact community wellness. Direct questions or comments to jpearsonanderson@healthylincoln.org. | https://journalstar.com/news/community/neighborhood-extra/community-educators-aid-breastfeeding-awareness/article_5e120502-2a6e-11ee-8d35-0374c34de025.html | 2023-07-29T05:30:39 | 1 | https://journalstar.com/news/community/neighborhood-extra/community-educators-aid-breastfeeding-awareness/article_5e120502-2a6e-11ee-8d35-0374c34de025.html |
The economy President Joe Biden likes to brag about is powered by Republican states.
Economic warning signs abound. Inflation is cooling off, but it remains elevated. Our massive national debt means inflation won’t retreat permanently into the night either. Credit card debt has hit a record, nearing $1 trillion. Banks are tightening lending standards, which is likely to put a damper on future economic growth.
The inversion between the yields of two- and 10-year treasuries reached a four-decade high this month. That’s perhaps the most accurate historical indicator that a recession is coming within the next two years.
But running for re-election demands economic happy talk. After all, “Vote for me, I wrecked the economy” won’t win much support. So Biden is left looking for data points to convince you things are humming along.
One such statistic is earnings, which jumped an average of 5.4% between the first quarters of last year and this year. Biden wants to claim credit for this improvement. But as we wrote recently, Bidenomics is just liberalism on steroids. High taxes, onerous regulations and deficit spending don’t create long-term economic growth. Just look at where the majority of that income growth is happening.
As The Wall Street Journal editorial board recently noted, wages grew by just 2.6% in New York and 2.9% in California. Democrats also control most of the other states, such as Connecticut and Rhode Island, with slow wage growth. Indiana was a red state exception.
Contrast that with Florida, which had a 9.1% increase, and Texas, a 7.7% increase. Other red states, such as North Dakota and Nebraska, also topped the list. Hawaii, a very blue state did well, with an 8% increase. But that’s largely attributable to tourism rebounding after prolonged coronavirus restrictions. Nevada, which is a lean blue state, saw a 9.1% increase in part for a similar reason.
Results by individual sectors of the economy offer an even more vivid contrast. Florida and Texas both outperformed California and New York in manufacturing, finance, information, retail and professional services. Unsurprisingly, both red states significantly outpaced their blue counterparts in construction. In debates about economic policies, the most meaningful votes are the ones people cast with their feet.
If he wants to oversee a vibrant economy, Biden should recognize that California and other blue states offer a cautionary tale to avoid, not an example to follow. Florida and Texas offer the opposite.
Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/29/editorial-red-states-are-powering-bidens-economy/ | 2023-07-29T05:30:44 | 1 | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/29/editorial-red-states-are-powering-bidens-economy/ |
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Maybe it is time to revamp your campaign, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. I am guessing you have the “A Team” of consultants. OK. What have they done for you lately?
Is it possible that one of your consultants participated, aided, or abetted the campaign of the Arizona congressman who referred to Black Americans as “colored people”? (His words were unanimously stricken from the congressional record).
Not trying to make mountains out of mole hills, but in close presidential elections it is often the little things – the perception of being out of touch – that can cause your defeat.
For example, the Florida Board of Education is doing the GOP a disservice by “inferring” that slavery had some redeeming aspects for the enslaved. Clearly the educators have not been very well educated.
Binge watching “Roots,” the TV mini-series of the 1970s, should be of help to them. Slaves learning from slavery? Remember how Kunta Kinte “learned” his name Toby? I guess you can say “learning” was “painful.”
For presidential candidates, here is a layup answer: “Slavery was bad with no redeeming aspects for Black people.” Period.
If you just say that, when asked, the ball will go through the basketball hoop. You will score points. But if you defend the Florida Board of Education’s comments you lose – air ball. Let us remember the classic “screw-up.”
The Republicans could be having another “There were good people on both sides” moment. Former President Donald Trump made this statement. He believed that white nationalists were part of the “good people” who held a march on the University of Virginia campus back in 2017. That was a costly error.
In 2020 it helped to assure that the Black population was coming out to vote in droves, voting absentee en masse and dropping ballots in mailboxes everywhere in order to defeat Trump.
In fact, if Trump got the white nationalist question right and had gone to two of the following three funerals (George Floyd, Sen. John McCain and/or Rep. John Lewis), he would not be running for president today as he would be finishing his second term.
Even Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville eventually got this question on white nationalists correct and no Black person would brag about his expertise on race relations.
DeSantis must not listen to his so-called “wise” consultants. Since 1988, these “political wizards,” via their failed strategies, have cost candidates the popular vote in every presidential election except in 2004.
Democrats, I would argue, have won the popular vote by using the same basketball play every single time. Like in basketball, they release a “sucker man” to hide on the opposite end of the court. Once the Republicans take a shot and miss, Democrats only have to rebound the ball and throw it down court to the sucker man waiting patiently, all alone, near their basket for an uncontested layup.
The Republicans always seem surprised and vow not to let it happen again. But they let it happen again every four years as though they have memory issues.
Well, the Democrats did a practice run last week on the slavery question mentioned earlier (about it having redeeming aspects for slaves). You know, just to see if it will work again. And, you guessed it, the GOP did not know how to handle it, yet again. With Black people the DeSantis team fumbled the ball. Can they recover their own fumble? Only time will tell.
The Black vote is a continual problem for the GOP. They do not get it and are too arrogant to believe they need help getting it. Being stubborn is not equivalent to being smart.
According to the Roper for Public Opinion Research group the Democrats have not won the white vote in presidential elections in decades, since the mid-20th century. For the most part the white vote has not been the GOP’s problem. But they have failed miserably with the Black community.
The GOP did gain some momentum in getting the minority vote during the 1990s. But Republicans won elections then that they cannot win today because of their lack of empathy toward Black people.
Back in the day, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Maine, New Jersey, Michigan, Wisconsin, Connecticut, and Ohio all had Republican governors. Even deep blue California had a Republican governor in the 1990s. Today, with the exception of Ohio, they all elected Democrat governors.
This is not hard folks. But first you have to face reality.
For the Republican presidential nominee to get between 10% to 15% of the Black vote he/she would wake up in the White House. The record shows that Democrats cannot win the presidency without notching nearly 90% of the Black vote.
Even in races for governor, Republicans only need about 20% to 25% of the Black vote to win. Just ask governors Tim Ridge of Pennsylvania, Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey, John Engler of Michigan, Pete Wilson of California, George Voinovich of Ohio, and George E. Pataki of New York.
My fellow Republicans, these are low bars. Winning more of the Black vote is very doable, but not if you refer to them in 1950 terms (as “colored people”), embrace white nationalism, or fail to totally understand that there was nothing good about slavery for Black people. This is not hard stuff, nor is it too much to ask.
So far you’ve been insensitive. Let us remember that Black folks have “feelings” too. And slavery is not one of those nerves you want to touch.
Gary Franks served three terms as U.S. representative for Connecticut’s 5th District. He was the first Black Republican elected to the House in nearly 60 years and New England’s first Black member of the House. Host: podcast “We Speak Frankly.” Author: “With God, For God, and For Country.” @GaryFranks/Tribune News Service | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/29/franks-gop-continues-to-chase-away-the-black-vote/ | 2023-07-29T05:30:50 | 0 | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/29/franks-gop-continues-to-chase-away-the-black-vote/ |
Forty high-achieving first-year students have been selected to join the Nebraska Business Honors Academy at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln this fall.
Comprising the academy's 11th cohort, the students hail from two countries, nine U.S. states and 12 Nebraska communities.
"The talented students in the 11th cohort will learn to challenge themselves in new and different ways from day one," said Kathy Farrell, James Jr. and Susan Stuart Endowed Dean of the College of Business. "They will stretch their strengths both in and out of the classroom and hone their academic, interpersonal and leadership skills as they prepare to lead the future of business."
The incoming cohort plans to study in nine academic majors within the College of Business. Students will complete most of their core and foundation business curriculum together, using an action-based learning style focused on the development of critical thinking, technical and communication skills.
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The new students will participate in leadership activities and student competitions across the country to enhance their professional communication. They will also participate in internships and study-abroad experiences.
"We're incredibly excited to welcome the next cohort to the Nebraska Business Honors Academy," said Erin Burnette, the academy's director. "Throughout the selection process, it was clear they each were eager to challenge themselves and find ways to positively impact the community at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. We on the academy team are honored to be able to have a front-row seat as we help them learn, grow and realize their potential as they progress through their college career."
Academy students are involved in more than 150 student organizations on campus, serving in a variety of leadership roles. This summer, more than 60% of the students participated in paid internships across 14 states and two countries. Since January, 23% of the students have studied abroad in eight countries.
Applications for the 2024 cohort open in August and will be accepted through Nov. 15. To learn more, visit https://business.unl.edu/honorsacademy.
The following Lincoln students will join the fall 2023 cohort of the Nebraska Business Honors Academy. Each student's high school is included in parentheses:
Graceyn Anderson, accounting (Lincoln Southeast);
Will Blatchford, economics (Pius X);
Will Brown, business administration (Lincoln North Star);
Nicholas Loriaux, finance (Lincoln Southwest);
Megan McCormick, international business (Lincoln Southwest);
Jonah Mitchell, accounting (Lincoln Southwest); and
Caleb Sajevic, management (Lincoln Southwest).
For the full list of students in the fall 2023 cohort, visit https://go.unl.edu/3c9p. | https://journalstar.com/news/community/neighborhood-extra/first-year-students-join-nebraska-business-honors-academy/article_3914733e-2b2c-11ee-9f4c-c333b1a213f9.html | 2023-07-29T05:30:51 | 1 | https://journalstar.com/news/community/neighborhood-extra/first-year-students-join-nebraska-business-honors-academy/article_3914733e-2b2c-11ee-9f4c-c333b1a213f9.html |
Aaron Hernandez’s brother now facing federal charges over alleged threatening messages
Jul 28, 2023, 7:31 PM
(Cheshire Police Department via AP, File)
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — The troubled brother of the late NFL player Aaron Hernandez was charged Friday, now in federal court, with new counts of threatening and stalking after authorities say he threatened to shoot up the University of Connecticut and kill three people in another state.
Dennis Hernandez was ordered to be held in custody after his appearance in the court in Hartford. A message seeking comment was sent Friday night to his attorney.
The new charges came days after it emerged that Hernandez was arrested July 18 on state charges after police said he threatened to kill officers and then urged them to shoot him at his home in Bristol. Officers had gone there after two people close to him raised concerns about his mental health, police said.
The arrest report said the 37-year-old had sent threatening messages, including ones about carrying out a shooting at UConn. He was a Huskies quarterback and wide receiver who went by DJ Hernandez in the mid-2000s.
Court filings in the new federal case include the same messages. Some say the writer is struggling financially, is frustrated at seeing other people get hired as coaches, feels owed by UConn, is planning on “taking down everything” and doesn’t care “who gets caught in the crossfire.”
“I’ve died for years now and now its others peoples turn,” read a July 7 message sent to a woman in Hernandez’s life. It followed a message the day before that warned: “UConn’s gonna see how accurate I am too with my targets.”
Hernandez told another person that he drove July 7 to UConn’s campus in Storrs and to Brown University, in Providence, Rhode Island, where he coached quarterbacks during the 2010-11 season, according to court papers.
He had been due in state court that day on another case stemming from allegations that he threw a bag containing a brick and a note over a fence and onto ESPN’s property in Bristol.
UConn police confirmed that a vehicle linked to Hernandez was on campus that day. Brown has said that its investigation didn’t indicate Hernandez had been on campus in recent weeks.
Hernandez is due back in state court Tuesday and in federal court Aug. 11.
His younger brother, former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, killed himself in 2017 while serving a murder sentence. | https://mynorthwest.com/3914613/aaron-hernandezs-brother-now-facing-federal-charges-over-alleged-threatening-messages/ | 2023-07-29T05:30:54 | 0 | https://mynorthwest.com/3914613/aaron-hernandezs-brother-now-facing-federal-charges-over-alleged-threatening-messages/ |
Gov. Maura Healey ought to put the Massachusetts National guard on alert.
That is because if Republican Kelly Ayotte is elected governor of New Hampshire, the Bay State could be caught in a two-front “war.”
Under Healey the state is already involved in a war of words with Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida.
New Hampshire could be next if Healey is up to the challenge. She is, after all, from New Hampshire.
The Florida war began with the exodus of thousands of Massachusetts residents seeking lower taxes, less crime and a better quality of life, abandoned Massachusetts for the Sunshine state. They are still fleeing.
The problem was exacerbated when DeSantis boldly flew in 50 illegal immigrants, mostly Venezuelans, into toney Martha’s Vineyard, catching everyone off guard.
Martha’s Vineyard residents welcomed them, but could not get them off the island fast enough.
Despite a lawsuit from a civil right group accusing DeSantis of conducting a “fraudulent and illegal scheme” by sending the illegal immigrants to Massachusetts, none have petitioned to return home.
Healey, meanwhile, has retaliated by attacking DeSantis and erecting billboards in Florida and Texas bragging about Massachusetts being a welcoming state.
Now Ayotte, a former New Hampshire attorney general and U.S. senator, is using Massachusetts as a whipping post in her campaign for governor. Veteran fellow Republican Gov. Chris Sununu is not seeking re-election.
What does Ayotte think of Massachusetts?
“I’m running for governor because New Hampshire is one election away from becoming Massachusetts,” she said. Ouch.
But she may be right. The thousands of people leaving high-tax Massachusetts for Florida, are also moving to nearby low-tax New Hampshire. And they are politically turning New Hampshire into Massachusetts.
Many of these newcomers live in New Hampshire but work in Massachusetts or work remotely for Massachusetts companies.
A New Hampshire grudge against them — and Massachusetts — is that these estimated 100,000 workers pay income taxes to Massachusetts, not New Hampshire. The Granite State has no income tax.
Ayotte took another shot at Massachusetts when she talked about tougher penalties for drug dealers who are shipping the deadly drug fentanyl into New Hampshire from Lawrence and Lowell.
She said of New Hampshire, “I was born here and raised here. I raised my kids here. And you know what? I am going to die here because this state and its people are different. What we have here is worth fighting for.”
Perhaps it is, but times are changing in New England and in the “Live Free or Die” state.
In Maine, there is a hassle over the state flag between conservatives who like the 115-year-old current flag and state seal, which depicts a farmer and a fisherman, and liberals who want to replace it with an earlier flag that depicts a pine tree and a star.
In Massachusetts, a special commission established in 2021 is still working to come up with a different design to replace the state seal and flag which dates to 1898.
That Massachusetts seal shows a Native American holding a bow and arrow beneath an arm holding a sword. The Latin motto around the seal reads, “By the sword we seek peace, but peace under liberty.”
It is not exactly “Live free or Die,” but it has been around longer.
Massachusetts has not had a good skirmish with New Hampshire in almost 50 years. That was when House Majority Leader William “Biff” McLean proposed sending undercover state cops to spy on Massachusetts residents loading up on lower-taxed and lower-priced booze in New Hampshire.
Under the plan, alerted cops on the Massachusetts side of the border would nab them and their liquor-laden loads once they crossed. Biff estimated that Massachusetts was losing millions in liquor taxes to New Hampshire.
It did not work out, however.
Healey should forget all of that. Instead of billboards in Florida and Texas, she should set them up on the New Hampshire border. They would simply say to the thousands of Massachusetts motorists heading north, “Please come home. All is forgiven.”
Peter Lucas is a veteran Massachusetts political reporter and columnist. | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/29/lucas-bay-state-bullied-by-ayotte-desantis/ | 2023-07-29T05:30:56 | 1 | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/29/lucas-bay-state-bullied-by-ayotte-desantis/ |
The free national teen pro-active driving school B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible and Keep Everyone Safe) will make its first-ever appearance in Nebraska with training sessions Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 12 and 13, at the Lincoln Airport.
Classes will be offered Aug. 12 at 8 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., and Aug. 13 at 8 a.m. and noon. The program will be presented by the Nebraska Safety Council and the Nebraska Department of Transportation's Highway Safety Office.
Car crashes are among the leading causes of death among teens. B.R.A.K.E.S. graduates are 64% less likely to get in a crash within the first three years after completing the B.R.A.K.E.S. program.
Utilizing vehicles provided by Kia Motors, B.R.A.K.E.S. offers teens extensive behind-the-wheel instruction from professional trainers including current and former law enforcement officers and professional racing drivers, teaching the teens and their parents how to be safer on the road. Exercises include Distracted Driving Awareness, Panic Braking, Crash Avoidance, Drop-wheel/Off-road Recovery and Car Control/Skid Recovery.
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To register, go to www.putonthebrakes.org and scroll down to the View Schedule link.
The 501(c)(3) charity was founded by multi-time Top Fuel drag racing champion Doug Herbert in honor of his two sons, Jon and James, who lost their lives in a tragic car crash in 2008. Herbert turned that personal tragedy into a lifesaving mission that has trained more than 110,000 teens and their parents to date. | https://journalstar.com/news/community/neighborhood-extra/free-brakes-driving-school-aug-12-13/article_9ae660f6-2bf2-11ee-915a-ffceca445616.html | 2023-07-29T05:30:58 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/news/community/neighborhood-extra/free-brakes-driving-school-aug-12-13/article_9ae660f6-2bf2-11ee-915a-ffceca445616.html |
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) – A San Francisco woman is without a car after a fire from a homeless encampment destroyed it, and she is blaming city leaders and their policies.
Firefighters responded to the scene Wednesday night in the city’s “Nopa” neighborhood. The woman says this experience was heartbreaking and frustrating but for reasons other than losing her car.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said Linda Posage. “It makes me angry. And clearly, city hall is not making a dent in the issue.”
She says she has voted to make life better for San Franciscans and is not seeing that happening for many who are forced to live on the streets. She’s hoping attention to her misfortune and this situation will help bring about change to address homelessness.
Posage has lived in the neighborhood for the past two years. She says people live in tents on the sidewalks where the car fire happened on Central Ave. and Fell St.
She says her interactions with those people are usually cordial. She’s pointing the finger at city leaders instead of the person who is responsible for it.
“It’s an outcome of a larger problem, which is that there is not sufficient housing for folks that need it,” she said.
Posage believes ending the COVID-era homeless hotel shelter program last December is just one example of city leaders failing to help the unhoused. The office of District 5 supervisor Dean Preston sent a statement to KRON4 saying:
“Our office is deeply concerned to learn about the fire at Fell and Central on Wednesday evening. We are working with the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing to address encampments in the neighborhood.”
Earlier this week, Mayor London Breed signed a budget with the goal of cutting homelessness in half over the next five years.
Posage says losing her car is a big financial hit, but fires from homeless encampments can be solved through action.
“This incident that happened in my personal life just reinforces my sense of helping and finding a way,” she said.
Investigators say no one was hurt when this fire broke out. The cause is still being looked into. | https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/homeless-encampment-fire-destroys-womans-car-in-san-francisco/ | 2023-07-29T05:30:59 | 0 | https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/homeless-encampment-fire-destroys-womans-car-in-san-francisco/ |