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Delawareans are being advised to take extra precautions and limit time and exertion outdoors over the next few days, as temperature are expected to climb to 90 degrees or higher - especially Friday.
Cities can be especially brutal during a heat wave, but there are several options in Wilmington for staying cool.
Five swimming pools and seven spray parks are available during normal hours, according to the city Department of Parks and Recreation:
People in need of relief from the excessive heat may also visit the William "Hicks" Anderson Community Center at 501 North Madison Street. It's air-conditioned, and water will also be available. Hours are 2:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Thursday July 27th and Friday July 28th.
Elsewhere, a cool escape from the heat is as close as your local library. New Castle County libraries offer an air-conditioned environment for people who don't have AC. You are encouraged to check ahead for library hours.
The Sussex County Emergency Operations Center has also designated several "cooling stations..." which include libraries in Bethany Beach, Greenwood and Milton as well as the County Administration Building in Georgetown... all available during regular business hours.
Additional tips courtesy of the City of Wilmington:
Here are some tips for keeping yourself, family, neighbors, and pets safe in extreme heat:
- Make a special effort to check on neighbors, especially if they are seniors, families with young children, people with special needs, or living alone.
- Never leave children, the elderly, or pets unattended in a parked car under ANY circumstances, not even for a few minutes. Brain damage or death can occur from the rapid rise of temperature inside of a vehicle in a matter of minutes.
- Drink plenty of water; 1 to 1-1/2 quarts daily is recommended to prevent dehydration. Fruit juices and juice drinks are also good choices. Avoid alcohol and caffeine since they dehydrate the body.
- Wear loose, lightweight, and light-colored clothing. If you must go outside during the hottest part of the day, wear a hat wide enough to protect your face. While outdoors, rest frequently in a shady area.
- Avoid overexertion and strenuous outdoor activities. Take extra precautions if you must work or spend time outside. When possible, reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening hours and take frequent rest breaks.
- Stay in an air-conditioned environment if possible. Find places in your community where you can get cool, such as libraries, shopping malls, and community centers.
- Know the signs and symptoms of heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion, heat cramps and heat stroke. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency, so call 9-1-1 immediately. | https://www.wdel.com/news/options-available-to-get-relief-from-the-heat---outdoors-and-indoors/article_05cd4256-2ca5-11ee-bb30-cba9798ae9ac.html | 2023-07-29T09:42:19 | 0 | https://www.wdel.com/news/options-available-to-get-relief-from-the-heat---outdoors-and-indoors/article_05cd4256-2ca5-11ee-bb30-cba9798ae9ac.html |
Three Delaware students can now call themselves Young Environmentalists of the Year.
The awards were presented by Department of Natural Resources Secretary Shawn Garvin and Governor John Carney Thursday at the Delaware State Fair. The young environmentalist recognition program is in its 30th year. It recognizes students who have helped to protect, restore or enhance the state's natural resources through an innovative project, practicing environmental stewardship, increasing public awareness or showing environmental ethics.
“Every year, I look forward to meeting our Young Environmentalist award honorees. These amazing young people are truly today’s environmental leaders, showing the way to a better future for Delaware and for our planet. This year, we are recognizing students who are leading efforts in protecting marine habitat, recycling, and reducing plastics use,” Garvin said. “In addition, the top three young anglers from our annual Youth Fishing Tournament have discovered the joy of catching a fish – and experienced the meaningful conservation act of releasing their catch.”
These students were recognized Thursday:
- Elementary School:
Spencer Tuxward, age 10, of Wyoming, 4th grade, W. Reily Brown Elementary School, Dover
As an active member of his school’s Eco-Team, Spencer is a role model for his fellow students, and is involved in recycling, feeding birds, growing vegetables in the school garden and promoting good stewardship of the school and grounds. Described as a “self-made environmentalist,” he also creates video presentations that reflect his love of nature. Spencer is especially interested in marine life, volunteering to rescue sea turtles and making and sharing videos about his work.
- Special Recognition:
Chris Runde, age 17, of Milton,12th grade, Cape Henlopen High School, Lewes
On his own initiative, to help his community learn more about recycling, Chris looked into options for recycling cell phones and other rechargeable devices with lithium-ion batteries. He found Redwood Materials, a company that produces anode and cathode components from recycled batteries, and they sent Chris the materials to host a recycling initiative he launched on April 22, Earth Day 2023. In one day, he collected more than 300 pounds of old batteries and rechargeable devices and plans to do more community collections.
High School:
Iveena Mukherjee, age 16, of Wilmington, 12th grade, Charter School of Wilmington
Going into her senior year, Iveena is known for her “unwavering dedication to environmental conservation, advocacy and activism,” and has been recognized nationally and internationally, including honorable mention for the President’s Environmental Youth Award and a United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Volunteer Award. Described as “a leading voice in youth activism,” the young scientist is actively seeking solutions to mitigate climate impacts, such as exploring the potential of biochar and epoxy resin to reduce plastic use, as well as leading a team that earned funding to continue a project studying RECON, a sustainable building material for carbon sequestration. Iveena has also been an integral part in her school’s Science Olympiad team, as well as creating five workshops for Delaware’s annual Youth Environmental Summit (YES!).
The 2023 Youth Fishing Tournament winners are:
- Statewide and Sussex County winner Brody Spencer, age 11, of Dagsboro, took top honors by catching 8.52 pounds of fish in Ingrams Pond.
- Kent County winner Bristol Brown, age 10, of Lewes, came in second place statewide, catching 6.87 pounds of fish at Akridge Scout Reservation Pond, including the largest fish of the tournament, a 5.6-pound largemouth bass.
- New Castle County winner Michael Hopkins, age 8, of New Castle, took third place statewide, catching 3.47 pounds of fish at Lums Pond. | https://www.wdel.com/news/three-recognized-as-delaware-young-environmentalists-of-the-year/article_0f41fd96-2cc7-11ee-8d2b-9fcb77a2a7aa.html | 2023-07-29T09:42:25 | 0 | https://www.wdel.com/news/three-recognized-as-delaware-young-environmentalists-of-the-year/article_0f41fd96-2cc7-11ee-8d2b-9fcb77a2a7aa.html |
WASHINGTON (AP) — The unraveling of Hunter Biden's plea agreement has thrust his criminal case into uncertain waters and given new fodder to Republican critics in Congress as they push ahead with investigations into the president's youngest son.
Biden was supposed to plead guilty Wednesday to misdemeanor charges for failing to pay taxes. But U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika in Delaware put the brakes on the guilty plea after raising concerns during an hourslong hearing about the structure and terms of the agreement and another deal that would allow him to avoid prosecution on a gun charge if he meets certain conditions.
Plea deals are carefully negotiated between defense lawyers and prosecutors over the course of weeks or months and it's unusual — especially in high-profile cases — for judges to not sign off on them. But Wednesday's hearing revealed that the two sides apparently did not see eye to eye on the scope of the agreement around a non-prosecution clause for crimes outside of the gun charge.
A look at what happens now in the criminal case and what's next for the Biden investigations in Congress:
WHAT HAPPENS NOW IN COURT?
Noreika — an appointee of former President Donald Trump — told both sides to file written briefs addressing her concerns within 30 days. Among other things, Noreika took issue with a provision in the agreement on the gun charge that she said would have created a role for her where she would determine if he violated the terms. The lawyers said they wanted her to serve as a neutral fact finder in determining if a violation happened, but Noreika said that is the Justice Department's job — not the judge's.
Hunter Biden's lawyers and the Justice Department also disagreed on the extent to which the agreement gave him immunity from future prosecution. A prosecutor said Wednesday their investigation was ongoing, and that the agreement protecting him from other potential charges was limited only to certain offenses over a certain time frame. Biden's lawyers said it was broader than that. After intense courtroom negotiations, the two sides appeared to agree to a more narrow non-prosecution clause.
Biden's lawyers and prosecutors will now continue negotiations to see if they can salvage the agreement in a way that satisfies the judge.
"They are going to have to go back and figure out how they can come to an agreement terms of the plea and they have to come to a meeting of the minds, which is clear they don't have here," said Jessica Tillipman, associate dean for government procurement law studies at George Washington University Law School. "So I think what you'll see is a renewed effort — or it's just going to collapse."
The judge may ultimately accept the deal that was proposed or reject it. If the deal totally falls apart, Biden could eventually face a trial.
WILL HE AVOID JAIL TIME?
Even if the judge ultimately accepts the plea agreement, she will have the final say on whether he serves any time behind bars. Prosecutors have said that they will recommend probation, but the judge can decide not to follow that. The two tax charges carry up to a year in prison. And the judge suggested on Wednesday that it was too soon to say whether she's willing to sign off on probation.
"I can't predict for you today whether that is an appropriate sentence or not," Noreika said. "I can't say that I will accept the sentence recommendation or whether a different sentence would be more appropriate."
WHAT'S GOING ON IN CONGRESS?
The collapse of the younger Biden's plea deal Wednesday came as joyful news to House Republicans vying to connect him and his questionable business dealings to his father. Republicans had already slammed the agreement as a "sweetheart deal."
"The judge did the obvious thing, they put a pause on the plea deal, so I think that was progress," Rep. James Comer, the Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said Wednesday. "I think it adds credibility to what we're doing." He added that this will only propel their investigation to get answers "as to what the family did, and what level of involvement the president had."
Comer has been investigating Hunter Biden's financial ties and transactions since gaining the gavel in January. The Kentucky lawmaker has obtained thousands of pages of financial records from various members of the Biden family through subpoenas to the Treasury Department and various financial institutions.
Last month, shortly after Hunter Biden reached an agreement with the government, Comer joined forces with two chairmen of powerful committees to launch a larger investigation into claims by two IRS agents who claimed the Justice Department improperly interfered in the yearslong case.
IRS supervisory special agent Greg Shapley and a second agent, Joe Ziegler, testified before Congress last week that there was a pattern of "slow-walking investigative steps" into Hunter Biden, including during the Trump administration in the months before the 2020 election that Joe Biden won.
One of the most detailed claims was that U.S. Attorney David Weiss in Delaware, the federal prosecutor who led the investigation, asked for special counsel status in order to bring the tax cases against Hunter Biden in jurisdictions outside Delaware, including the District of Columbia and California, but was denied.
Weiss and the Justice Department have denied that, saying he had "full authority" and never sought to bring charges in other states. Despite the denials, Republicans are moving forward with their probes, asking Weiss to come in and testify about the case directly. The Justice Department has offered to have the prosecutor come before lawmakers after the August recess.
____
Richer reported from Boston. | https://www.wdel.com/news/whats-next-for-hunter-biden-in-court-and-congress-after-his-plea-deal-derails/article_c72bb8cc-2ca7-11ee-87d4-7b6ea7a60075.html | 2023-07-29T09:42:31 | 1 | https://www.wdel.com/news/whats-next-for-hunter-biden-in-court-and-congress-after-his-plea-deal-derails/article_c72bb8cc-2ca7-11ee-87d4-7b6ea7a60075.html |
Caught on camera: Bear takes dip in swimming pool during extreme heat
Published: Jul. 29, 2023 at 3:47 AM CDT|Updated: 55 minutes ago
BURBANK, Calif. (CNN) - Humans aren’t the only creatures trying to find ways to stay cool in the extreme hot temperatures.
One bear tried to beat the heat by taking a dip in a jacuzzi.
It happened Friday in Burbank, California.
According to the Burbank Police Department, officers were responding to reports of a bear sighting.
When they arrived, they found the bear sitting in a jacuzzi behind one of the homes.
However, the bear then got out of the hot tub, scaled a wall and climbed a tree.
The city of Burbank is under a heat advisory until Saturday night.
Copyright 2023 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.kwch.com/2023/07/29/caught-camera-bear-takes-dip-swimming-pool-during-extreme-heat/ | 2023-07-29T09:43:05 | 1 | https://www.kwch.com/2023/07/29/caught-camera-bear-takes-dip-swimming-pool-during-extreme-heat/ |
Fresh charges tie Trump even more closely to coverup effort. That could deepen his legal woes
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.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kwch.com/2023/07/29/fresh-charges-tie-trump-even-more-closely-coverup-effort-that-could-deepen-his-legal-woes/ | 2023-07-29T09:43:12 | 0 | https://www.kwch.com/2023/07/29/fresh-charges-tie-trump-even-more-closely-coverup-effort-that-could-deepen-his-legal-woes/ |
Caught on camera: Bear takes dip in swimming pool during extreme heat
Published: Jul. 29, 2023 at 4:47 AM EDT|Updated: 56 minutes ago
BURBANK, Calif. (CNN) - Humans aren’t the only creatures trying to find ways to stay cool in the extreme hot temperatures.
One bear tried to beat the heat by taking a dip in a jacuzzi.
It happened Friday in Burbank, California.
According to the Burbank Police Department, officers were responding to reports of a bear sighting.
When they arrived, they found the bear sitting in a jacuzzi behind one of the homes.
However, the bear then got out of the hot tub, scaled a wall and climbed a tree.
The city of Burbank is under a heat advisory until Saturday night.
Copyright 2023 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wcjb.com/2023/07/29/caught-camera-bear-takes-dip-swimming-pool-during-extreme-heat/ | 2023-07-29T09:43:55 | 0 | https://www.wcjb.com/2023/07/29/caught-camera-bear-takes-dip-swimming-pool-during-extreme-heat/ |
Fresh charges tie Trump even more closely to coverup effort. That could deepen his legal woes
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.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wcjb.com/2023/07/29/fresh-charges-tie-trump-even-more-closely-coverup-effort-that-could-deepen-his-legal-woes/ | 2023-07-29T09:44:02 | 0 | https://www.wcjb.com/2023/07/29/fresh-charges-tie-trump-even-more-closely-coverup-effort-that-could-deepen-his-legal-woes/ |
The United States will provide Taiwan with up to $345 million in military assistance, using a similar presidential authority to the one in which it sends weapons to Ukraine, the White House announced Friday. The package comes as China continues efforts to increase its authority over democratically-governed Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of its territory.
Military defense equipment, education and training will be included in the package, the White House said.
“The drawdown includes self-defense capabilities that Taiwan will be able to use to bolster deterrence now and in the future,” Sue Gough, a Department of Defense spokesperson, said by email. Systems in the package “address critical defensive stockpiles, multi-domain awareness, anti-armor and air defense capabilities,” she added.
The Taiwan defense ministry said in a statement in response to the package that it is “grateful for the United States’ firm commitment to Taiwan’s security,” and that the United States and Taiwan will “continue to cooperate closely” to maintain “peace, stability and the status quo” across the Taiwan Strait. The announcement follows complaints from the Taiwan defense ministry over delays in the delivery of U.S. arms that Taiwan already purchased.
The new aid package marks the first time the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), which expedites the process of supplying arms and pulls directly from stockpiles, has been used for Taiwan. It has been used dozens of times for Ukraine, under a separate provision allowing for emergency support.
At a news briefing in Australia on Saturday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that the assistance “is no change from what we’ve done in the past,” and would not interrupt support to Ukraine.
“It’s important to use every mechanism we have available,” he said.
Tensions were especially visible this week when Taipei launched its Han Kuang military exercises and simulated a Chinese invasion at its main airport.
President Biden has said that the United States would defend Taiwan if China invaded, but the White House later appeared to walk back the remarks. The Taiwan Relations Act allows the United States to provide “defense articles and defense services” to enable Taiwan’s self-defense capability, but it does not guarantee U.S. military intervention in an invasion.
Under the one-China policy, the United States “acknowledges” China’s position on Taiwan, but also does not take a position on Taiwan’s status. It has “a robust unofficial relationship” with the island, according the State Department. These close ties have incensed China, which has called on the United States to stop supplying arms to Taiwan. After then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan last year, Beijing responded with military exercises.
Paul Huang, a defense analyst and a fellow at the Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation, was skeptical of the aid package and pointed to “serious delays in recent years in the delivery of numerous U.S. arms sales” to Taiwan.
“Whether it is arms sales or aid, there is widespread doubt regarding the capability of the U.S. in delivering these promised arms,” he said. “Taiwan should not put too much hope on these promises and must adjust its defense strategy and force building based on this new reality.” | https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/07/29/taiwan-miliary-aid-biden/ | 2023-07-29T09:44:25 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/07/29/taiwan-miliary-aid-biden/ |
Caught on camera: Bear takes dip in swimming pool during extreme heat
Published: Jul. 29, 2023 at 4:47 AM EDT|Updated: 57 minutes ago
BURBANK, Calif. (CNN) - Humans aren’t the only creatures trying to find ways to stay cool in the extreme hot temperatures.
One bear tried to beat the heat by taking a dip in a jacuzzi.
It happened Friday in Burbank, California.
According to the Burbank Police Department, officers were responding to reports of a bear sighting.
When they arrived, they found the bear sitting in a jacuzzi behind one of the homes.
However, the bear then got out of the hot tub, scaled a wall and climbed a tree.
The city of Burbank is under a heat advisory until Saturday night.
Copyright 2023 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wymt.com/2023/07/29/caught-camera-bear-takes-dip-swimming-pool-during-extreme-heat/ | 2023-07-29T09:45:05 | 1 | https://www.wymt.com/2023/07/29/caught-camera-bear-takes-dip-swimming-pool-during-extreme-heat/ |
Fresh charges tie Trump even more closely to coverup effort. That could deepen his legal woes
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.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wymt.com/2023/07/29/fresh-charges-tie-trump-even-more-closely-coverup-effort-that-could-deepen-his-legal-woes/ | 2023-07-29T09:45:12 | 0 | https://www.wymt.com/2023/07/29/fresh-charges-tie-trump-even-more-closely-coverup-effort-that-could-deepen-his-legal-woes/ |
Men's Citi Open Preview: How to Watch, Odds
Published: Jul. 29, 2023 at 3:41 AM EDT|Updated: 2 hours ago
The 12 matches today in the Citi Open qualifying qualification round 1 include No. 156-ranked Juncheng Shang matching up against No. Gage Brymer.
Check out the latest odds for the entire Citi Open field at BetMGM.
Citi Open Info
- Tournament: Citi Open
- Round: Qualifying round
- Date: July 29
- TV Channel:
- Venue: William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center
- Location: Washington, District of Columbia
- Court Surface: Hard
Who will win the Citi Open?
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Today's Matches Info
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Women's Citi Open Preview: How to Watch, Odds
As part of today's qualifying qualification round 1 (eight matches), No. 43-ranked Varvara Gracheva and No. 86 Leylah Annie Fernandez will be squaring off at Rock Creek Park Tennis Center in Washington, District of Columbia.
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Citi Open Info
- Tournament: Citi Open
- Round: Qualifying round
- Date: July 29
- TV Channel:
- Venue: Rock Creek Park Tennis Center
- Location: Washington, District of Columbia
- Court Surface: Hard
Who will win the Citi Open?
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Today's Matches Info
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wymt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/28/citi-open-wta-tennis-preview-how-to-watch-odds/ | 2023-07-29T09:45:30 | 1 | https://www.wymt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/28/citi-open-wta-tennis-preview-how-to-watch-odds/ |
Men's Generali Open Preview: How to Watch, Odds
Published: Jul. 29, 2023 at 3:41 AM EDT|Updated: 2 hours ago
As part of today's qualifying qualification round 1 (eight matches), No. 133-ranked Facundo Bagnis and No. 215 Maximilian Neuchrist will be going head-to-head at Tennis Stadium Kitzbuehel in Kitzbühel, Austria.
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Generali Open Info
- Tournament: Generali Open
- Round: Qualifying round
- Date: July 29
- TV Channel:
- Venue: Tennis Stadium Kitzbuehel
- Location: Kitzbühel, Austria
- Court Surface: Clay
Who will win the Generali Open?
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Today's Matches Info
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wymt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/28/generali-open-atp-tennis-preview-how-to-watch-odds/ | 2023-07-29T09:45:32 | 0 | https://www.wymt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/28/generali-open-atp-tennis-preview-how-to-watch-odds/ |
As part of today's qualifying qualification round 1 (12 matches), No. 113-ranked Greet Minnen and No. 235 Gabriela Knutson will be clashing on the court at Tennis Club Sparta Praha in Prague, Czechia.
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Livesport Prague Open 2021 Info
- Tournament: Livesport Prague Open 2021
- Round: Qualifying round
- Date: July 29
- TV Channel:
- Venue: Tennis Club Sparta Praha
- Location: Prague, Czechia
- Court Surface: Hard
Who will win the Livesport Prague Open 2021?
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Today's Matches Info
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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. | https://www.wymt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/28/livesport-prague-open-2021-wta-tennis-preview-how-to-watch-odds/ | 2023-07-29T09:45:46 | 0 | https://www.wymt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/28/livesport-prague-open-2021-wta-tennis-preview-how-to-watch-odds/ |
Men's Mifel Open Preview: How to Watch, Odds
Published: Jul. 29, 2023 at 3:41 AM EDT|Updated: 2 hours ago
The eight matches today in the Mifel Open qualifying qualification round 1 include No. 249-ranked Abedallah Shelbayh squaring off against No. 334 Nick Chappell.
Check out the latest odds for the entire Mifel Open field at BetMGM.
Mifel Open Info
- Tournament: Mifel Open
- Round: Qualifying round
- Date: July 29
- TV Channel:
- Venue: Cabo Sports Complex
- Location: Los Cabos, Mexico
- Court Surface: Hard
Who will win the Mifel Open?
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Today's Matches Info
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wymt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/28/mifel-open-atp-tennis-preview-how-to-watch-odds/ | 2023-07-29T09:45:52 | 0 | https://www.wymt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/28/mifel-open-atp-tennis-preview-how-to-watch-odds/ |
South Korea vs. Morocco: Live Stream, TV Channel & Game Info - July 30
Published: Jul. 29, 2023 at 3:40 AM EDT|Updated: 2 hours ago
The Group H matchup between South Korea and Morocco, which is each team's second game in the 2023 Women's World Cup, begins at 12:30 AM ET on July 30 at Coopers Stadium.
South Korea's matchup versus Morocco will be airing on FOX US.
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How to Watch South Korea vs. Morocco
- Game Day: Sunday, July 30, 2023
- Game Time: 12:30 AM ET
- TV Channel: FOX US
- Location: Adelaide, Australia
- Venue: Coopers Stadium
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South Korea Group Stage Schedule
South Korea's Recent Performance
- In its most recent match, South Korea suffered a 2-0 loss against Colombia and was outshot by 11 in the match, 15 to four.
- South Korea failed to score, with Ji Soyun leading the way with one shot, in the match.
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South Korea's 2023 Women's World Cup Roster
- Young Geul Yoon #1
- Choo Hyojoo #2
- Hong Hyeji #3
- Shim Seo Yeon #4
- Yun-Ji Kim #5
- Lim Seonjoo #6
- Son Hwayeon #7
- Cho Sohyun #8
- Lee Geummin #9
- Ji Soyun #10
- Choe Yuri #11
- Moon Mira #12
- Eun Sun Park #13
- Jeoun Eunha #14
- Chun Garam #15
- Jang Selgi #16
- Lee Youngju #17
- Jung Mi Kim #18
- Casey Phair #19
- Kim Hyeri #20
- Jisu Ryu #21
- Yebin Bae #22
- Kang Chaerim #23
Morocco Group Stage Schedule
Morocco's Recent Performance
- In its most recent action on July 24, Morocco suffered a 6-0 loss to Germany, while posting 10 fewer shots than Germany.
- Morocco didn't manage a goal against , but Ghizlane Chebbak paced the team with two shots.
Morocco's 2023 Women's World Cup Roster
- Khadija Er-Rmichi #1
- Zineb Redouani #2
- Nouhaila Benzina #3
- Sarah Kassi #4
- Nesryne El Chad #5
- Elodie Nakkach #6
- Ghizlane Chebbak #7
- Salma Amani #8
- Ibtissam Jraidi #9
- Najat Badri #10
- Fatima Tagnaout #11
- Assia Zouhair #12
- Sabah Seghir #13
- Rkia Mazrouai #14
- Fatima Zohra Gharbi #15
- Anissa Lahmari #16
- Hanane Ait El Haj #17
- Kenza Chapelle #18
- Sakina Ouzraoui Diki #19
- Sofia Bouftini #20
- Yasmin Katie Mrabet Slack #21
- Ines Arouaissa #22
- Rosella Ayane #23
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wymt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/2023-womens-world-cup-south-korea-morocco-live-stream-tv/ | 2023-07-29T09:45:59 | 1 | https://www.wymt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/2023-womens-world-cup-south-korea-morocco-live-stream-tv/ |
Switzerland vs. New Zealand: Live Stream, TV Channel & Game Info - July 30
Published: Jul. 29, 2023 at 3:40 AM EDT|Updated: 2 hours ago
On Sunday, July 30 at 3:00 AM ET in Dunedin, New Zealand, Switzerland meets New Zealand in these teams' last group-stage match at the 2023 Women's World Cup.
The matchup featuring Switzerland and New Zealand will be airing on FOX US,Fox Sports 2.
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How to Watch Switzerland vs. New Zealand
- Game Day: Sunday, July 30, 2023
- Game Time: 3:00 AM ET
- TV Channel: FOX US,Fox Sports 2
- Location: Dunedin, New Zealand
- Venue: Forsyth Barr Stadium
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Switzerland Group Stage Schedule
Switzerland's Recent Performance
- Switzerland finished level in its last matchup, 0-0, versus Norway on July 25. outshot Switzerland by a margin of nine to seven.
- Switzerland failed to score, with Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic leading the way with one shot, in the match.
- Through two Women's World Cup matches for Switzerland, Ramona Bachmann has scored one goal.
- So far in two Women's World Cup games, Seraina Piubel has scored one goal.
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Switzerland's 2023 Women's World Cup Roster
- Gaelle Thalmann #1
- Julia Stierli #2
- Lara Marti #3
- Laura Felber #4
- Noelle Maritz #5
- Geraldine Reuteler #6
- Amira Arfaoui #7
- Nadine Riesen #8
- Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic #9
- Ramona Bachmann #10
- Coumba Sow #11
- Livia Peng #12
- Lia Walti #13
- Marion Rey #14
- Luana Buhler #15
- Sandrine Mauron #16
- Seraina Piubel #17
- Viola Calligaris #18
- Eseosa Aigbogun #19
- Fabienne Humm #20
- Seraina Friedli #21
- Meriame Terchoun #22
- Alisha Lehmann #23
New Zealand Group Stage Schedule
New Zealand's Recent Performance
- In its last outing on July 25, New Zealand suffered a 1-0 defeat to the Philippines, outshooting the Philippines 14 to four.
- New Zealand didn't score a goal against , but Hannah Wilkinson paced the team with four shots.
- Jacqui Hand has has not scored, but does have one assist for New Zealand in Women's World Cup (two games).
- In two Women's World Cup matches, Wilkinson has one goal.
New Zealand's 2023 Women's World Cup Roster
- Erin Nayler #1
- Ria Percival #2
- Claudia Bunge #3
- C.J. Bott #4
- Michaela Foster #5
- Malia Steinmetz #6
- Ali Riley #7
- Daisy Cleverley #8
- Gabi Rennie #9
- Annalie Longo #10
- Olivia Chance #11
- Betsy Hassett #12
- Rebekah Stott #13
- Katie Bowen #14
- Paige Satchell #15
- Jacqui Hand #16
- Hannah Wilkinson #17
- Grace Jale #18
- Elizabeth Anton #19
- Indiah Paige Riley #20
- Victoria Esson #21
- Milly Clegg #22
- Anna Leat #23
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wymt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/2023-womens-world-cup-switzerland-new-zealand-live-stream-tv/ | 2023-07-29T09:46:05 | 0 | https://www.wymt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/2023-womens-world-cup-switzerland-new-zealand-live-stream-tv/ |
By the time police pulled into Paddington Place on the night of June 11, Charles Robert Smith was already standing at his front door, hands in the air. Between the front yard of his corner house and the next home over, three people were on the ground, dead.
Annapolis Police took Smith, 43, into custody as law enforcement managed a crowd of grieving witnesses — partygoers whose friends and family were shot or shot at — and reporters who scrambled to learn more about the deadliest single act of violence in Maryland’s capital city in nearly five years.
Overnight, city detectives and federal officers began forming a picture of what happened. This first round of interviews, photographs and analysis couldn’t possibly be comprehensive — law enforcement vehicles sectioned off most of Paddington Place for the next four days — but it laid the groundwork needed to help a grand jury indict Smith on 42 counts, including three hate crimes, a month later. The indictment quadrupled the number of charges against Smith, who faced 10 charges the night he was arrested.
In cases where a suspect is arrested quickly, like the Paddington Place shooting, circumstances and motivations can be uncovered after charges are filed, said Bill Roessler, an Anne Arundel County prosecutor for more than 40 years.
The grand jury is a common way to incorporate those findings into an ongoing case, said Roessler, who later served as deputy state’s attorney before his retirement in 2015.
Most criminal cases involve a “standard list” of charges based on rudimentary facts. Using an armed robbery as an example, Roessler said when police know what weapon was used and what item was taken, they can apply charges accordingly.
“As a result of delving deeper,” Roessler said of Smith’s case, “they discovered, the police and the state’s attorney, that there were additional charges that were appropriate and needed to be charged.”
The Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office declined to comment on Smith’s case.
Its top prosecutor, Anne Colt Leitess, is listed as lead attorney and her office has announced Assistant State’s Attorney Jason Steinhardt will work alongside her. Leitess sometimes prosecutes cases, the last one being the gunman who murdered five Capital Gazette employees in 2018.
Smith no longer has an attorney. The private counsel he had hired, Mark Howes and Peter O’Neill, said earlier this week they are off the case. However, he is eligible for a public defender, according to court records.
In the hours between the June 11 shooting and a police news conference the next day, police learned Smith and his mother were longtime neighbors of Mario Mireles and his family. Mireles, 27, was one of six people shot and one of three who died that night, along with his father Nicholas Mireles, 55, of Odenton and a friend, Christian Segovia, a 24-year-old from Severn.
Investigators believe the bloodshed stemmed from a parking dispute between the neighbors. Court records revealed years of hostility between the families. Within a week of the shooting, the victims’ loved ones called what happened “a hate crime.”
A month later, when presented evidence, a grand jury agreed, finding probable cause that Smith was “motivated in substantial part” by the victims’ national origin. Smith, an Army veteran, is white. Mario Mireles, Nicholas Mireles and Christian Segovia are Latino.
On July 21, he was indicted on 42 charges, including 24 felonies; his murder charges were raised to include first-degree murder, and three attempted murder charges were added for the victims who prosecutors said were “assaulted, but uninjured.”
Nelcy Goss, Mario Mireles’ sister, said she was “beyond happy” with the extra charges, saying she felt the judicial system is “seeing what’s right and is doing the right thing for us.”
The indictment process that elevated and increased Smith’s charges is a regular procedure in Anne Arundel County.
Grand juries consist of 23 citizens who meet on a weekly basis to decide whether there is enough evidence to bring formal charges against someone. Drawing from both the voter roll and motor vehicle records, the county has two active grand juries at a time. Jurors serve six-month terms and report on alternating weeks.
Unlike juries on criminal or civil cases, grand juries do not require a unanimous vote to indict someone. Rather, they must achieve a simple majority on any given charge.
When reviewing evidence, grand jurors also have a lower burden of proof to consider. Whereas prosecutors must prove guilt “beyond a reasonable doubt” during trial, to indict someone, they must only establish “probable cause,” which Queen Anne’s County State’s Attorney Lance Richardson described as “more than mere suspicion, but less than a certainty.”
Richardson has served as Queen Anne’s County’s top prosecutor for 14 years, beginning his fifth term in 2023 after an unchallenged reelection bid. Richardson said he uses grand juries far less often than Anne Arundel but said they’re a useful tool to avoid clogging a larger county’s court system. According to the most recent U.S. Census data, Queen Anne’s population is less that a tenth the size of Anne Arundel’s.
When a suspect is arrested, police often create a statement of probable cause outlining the evidence against them. Next, authorities meet with a District Court commissioner and apply for charges, starting a 30-day countdown for defendants to have a preliminary hearing. A judge would then decide whether there’s sufficient evidence to send the case to Circuit Court.
Richardson said indicting a defendant through the grand jury allows cases to be brought to Circuit Court more quickly and with fewer moving pieces.
“For a larger jurisdiction, it’s just more efficient,” he said.
Richardson described the grand jury process as inherently “one-sided,” given its purpose is not to determine a suspect’s guilt but rather to decide whether a case is strong enough to move forward.
Speaking to jurors more or less by themselves, prosecutors present evidence without cross-examination and without a judge presiding. Given wider range in what they can do and say — the grand jury, for instance, is allowed to consider hearsay, or second-hand, evidence — prosecutors can call witnesses, explain the law and interact with jurors in a much more informal way, Richardson said.
As a result, both Richardson and Roessler acknowledged cases can proceed with little pushback. In separate interviews, each mentioned the idiom that you could get a grand jury to “indict a ham sandwich” if you really wanted to.
However, the Queen Anne’s County prosecutor said presenting a case to a grand jury helps him gauge how evidence may perform before a jury in a criminal trial.
“You can typically get a grand jury to indict on a case that may be a bit thin evidentiary,” Richardson said. “It can be a tough prove at trial but … I don’t want them indicting on a case I may not be able to prove.” | https://www.capitalgazette.com/news/ac-cn-grand-jury-process-paddington-place-shooting-20230729-jaqxtwcsxra57mfiyj2slclfhi-story.html | 2023-07-29T09:46:44 | 1 | https://www.capitalgazette.com/news/ac-cn-grand-jury-process-paddington-place-shooting-20230729-jaqxtwcsxra57mfiyj2slclfhi-story.html |
We begin in the summer of 2003, in Kinlough, a town on the west coast of Ireland, with six 15-year-olds, three boys and three girls, perched on their bikes, preparing to hurtle down a steep hill and through a narrow gap at the bottom where the path meets the main road. “The idea is to go cycling down the hill and then pedal blind through the gap, cutting clean and unscathed across the road.” And we think: Oh, no! Something terrible’s going to happen!
And it is. But not now, not this, and it’s a good long while before we find out what. “Kala,” Colin Walsh’s debut novel, is a master class in building suspense. When “the gang” reassembles in Kinlough in 2018, two are missing: Kala, who disappeared in 2003, and Aidan, who … well, we don’t know. His funeral is mentioned, and “everything Auntie Pauline went through” with him. Then there’s Mush, still in Kinlough, working in his mother’s cafe, keeping his head down to hide his scars. How did he get them? Helen, self-exiled in Canada. Why? Aoife; where is she? And finally, Joe, a celebrity rocker, the one who made it. Or did he? He’s come home to open a club, favoring a damaged arm and nursing his fragile ego on Instagram.
Once Joe’s return and an impending wedding bring the old friends together, the discovery of human remains (guess whose) stirs up the past, which unfolds in alternating stories told by Mush, Helen and Joe. These voices, distinct but with the shared features of a family resemblance, are at least as intriguing as any of the events they describe. Helen gives us a taste of coming into the other girls’ orbit as an outsider at 15: “I nodded along when they talked about shifting — French kissing — and told me about a boy called the Ride.” The girls sometimes spied on the Ride and his friends. “But they did not say ‘we spy,’ they said ‘we perve.’ They did not say ‘good-looking lads,’ they said ‘the talent.’” And Kala, listening to a CD: “She shouted that this tune was brilliant. Not brilliant; class. Not just class; pure class. That was how they talked in Kinlough.”
Now an outsider again, Helen, a freelance journalist just off a story about missing Indigenous women in Canada, brings a new perspective into the mix, with observations like, “Grief is like falling in love; it is always narcissistic,” or, “This was something I recognized as essential to girlhood: the endless act of getting ready, as though some inevitable something would deliver us into life.” Helen, Mush remarks, “has to dress up her emotions in attitude, the way I dress up mine in quiet.” But then, as he recalls Kala saying: “Quiet’s not peaceful, man. Quiet is when the monsters come out.”
And come out they do. But until the end of the book, when the murderous mayhem goes full throttle (Mush: “Then things happened pure fast”), Walsh manages a deft balance between adolescent angst and ecstasy — discoveries bringing horror, sorrow and joy — and the more deliberate, often elegiac reflections of adulthood, reckoning with the promises of the past. And these moments, for the most part, emerge naturally from the action, which escalates in such a gradual way that you don’t realize until too late that you’ve entered Crazy Land: child abuse, incest, illegitimate birth, abductions, corruption, dog fights, men … in werewolf masks?
One thing’s for certain: As we get to know these characters, they do not, as Joe claims invariably happens, “shed one layer of mystery after another, the dismal burlesque towards their inevitable ordinariness.” With revelation upon revelation, their ordinariness seems all the more mysterious, and this first-time novelist all the more masterly at writing in such an original voice.
Ellen Akins is the author of four novels and a collection of stories, “World Like a Knife.”
Kala
By Colin Walsh
Doubleday. 402 pp. $28
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2023/07/29/kala-colin-walsh-review/ | 2023-07-29T09:48:47 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2023/07/29/kala-colin-walsh-review/ |
Olga Kharlan, a Ukrainian sabre fencing star, faced off this week against Anna Smirnova, a Russian, and roundly and fairly defeated her. The scandal is what happened next.
Smirnova, who in photographs seems to support Russia’s invasion, opted to turn the situation into theater. For 45 minutes, she stayed on the piste, eventually sitting on a chair provided for her. The International Fencing Federation was impressed — it disqualified Kharlan, and advanced Smirnova to the next round.
This decision, whether technically justified or not, is outrageous. “The soldiers of Russia are killing our people, the kids, stealing kids as well, kidnapping, so you cannot act normal,” said Elina Svitolina, a Ukrainian who’s one of the world’s top tennis players, in support of Kharlan. Svitolina, who comes from Odesa, which Russia has bombed with ferocity in recent weeks, also refuses to shake hands with her Russian and Belarusian opponents.
Sport, it’s often been said, is humanity’s way to sublimate violent conflict — “war without shooting,” as George Orwell put it. Events like the Olympics are meant to transcend politics. But can sports — or anything, really — ever really be apolitical, or amoral?
As Svitolina points out, Russia and Belarus — like the Soviet Union during the Cold War and other countries — use their athletes as part of their propaganda. The same is often true of artists and other cultural ambassadors. That’s why the Munich Philharmonic orchestra fired its celebrity conductor, Valery Gergiev, for example. Gergiev is Russian and had refused to condemn the invasion launched by his friend, Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Nationality alone, of course, must never become a moral label or verdict on an individual. That’s a basic principle of liberalism as well as intuitive fairness. Collective punishment — what the Germans vividly call sippenhaft, “clan liability” — is as vile as the atrocities a clan may have committed.
Ukraine acknowledges this logic. After Russia’s invasion, it prohibited athletes representing Ukraine as a nation from competing against Russians. Some had to sit out tournaments in judo, wrestling, chess and other sports. Just before Kharlan and Smirnova were to draw sabers, however, Ukraine changed its policy. Now its athletes are only barred from facing opponents who represent Russia or Belarus, not those of their citizens who, like Smirnova, compete as individuals.
This feels right. It’s also why nobody, in Ukraine or anywhere, should shun the members of the punk band Pussy Riot, tennis player Andrei Rublev, or any Russian who does speak out against Putin’s aggression and atrocities. On the contrary, in dictatorships conscientious opposition to your own government requires extraordinary courage, and deserves respect.
Lack of such valor, however all-too-human, doesn’t absolve anybody, though, in Russia today or anywhere at any time. When the Americans de-nazified their sector of West Germany after the Third Reich, they distinguished among major offenders, offenders, lesser offenders, followers and the exonerated. Only the minority in the latter group could honestly say they had done the right thing. By contrast, the huge numbers of followers — mitläufer, literally those who “run alongside” — shared a special form of guilt, because they enabled the evil committed by others.
Nobody can therefore blame Holocaust survivors or other victims of the Nazis for refusing to shake the hand of a German mitläufer. In the same way, nobody — and certainly not the International Fencing Federation — has the right to censure, disqualify or otherwise frown on Ukrainians today who refuse to shake with Russians.
As a gesture, shaking hands is a recent phenomenon in human history. It probably evolved as a way of demonstrating peaceful intentions, by extending a right hand that wasn’t holding a weapon, or as a sign of forming a bond by clasping. Ukrainian athletes will be forgiven for finding neither symbolism fitting, as Russians bomb and terrorize their Ukrainian friends and relatives at home.
The person who should have been disqualified, if she hadn’t already been defeated, was Smirnova, for making a spectacle out of the conviction and integrity of her opponent. This week “we realized that the country that terrorizes our country, our people, our families, also terrorizes sports,” Kharlan later said. “I didn’t want to shake this athlete’s hand, and I acted with my heart.” In my book, that’s its own kind of victory.
More From Bloomberg Opinion:
• Somebody Should Arrest Putin, and the US Can Help: Andreas Kluth
• The Smoke and Mirrors of Western Oil Sanctions: Javier Blas
• The Ruble’s Fall Points to Pain But Not Collapse: Leonid Bershidsky
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.
Andreas Kluth is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering US diplomacy, national security and geopolitics. A former editor in chief of Handelsblatt Global and a writer for the Economist, he is author of “Hannibal and Me.”
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion
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When Celeste Goyena graduated college in spring 2020 armed with a degree in marketing and finance, it was the midst of the pandemic and her job prospects had stalled. With time on her hands, Goyena began selling “style bundles” — curated collections of clothing that clients could request via direct message or her personal website. To market herself, the 24-year-old started diving into thrift-store racks and posting her findings on TikTok. These “outfit of the day” videos, which she would adorn with hashtags such as #fitcheck and #outfitinspiration, didn’t get much traction, but that changed when one of her first clients showed her a Pinterest board of colorful Y2K summer staples.
Goyena, who is based in New York City, shipped her a head-to-toe outfit complete with accessories that nailed the look. In July 2021, she posted a #stylebundle video of the process that quickly received more than 30,000 likes and nearly 200,000 views. She’s since amassed tens of thousands of followers on both TikTok and Instagram, and her algorithmically produced TikTok “For You” page was soon filled with other thrifters selling their own Pinterest-inspired style bundles. Among them was Charlotte Chiasson, 24, who began selling her own style bundles around the same time, in early 2021. Living at home during the start of the pandemic, Chiasson said, she started to post outfit videos on TikTok, making use of her closet “exploding with vintage clothes.” She decided to take advantage of the fact that people liked her taste by marketing style bundles, which quickly took off.
@charchiasson Summery coconut girl vibe custom bundle 🥥🌺 this is an “XL custom bundle”! If you’re interested in ordering a custom bundle, I have forms in my bio or msg me on IG w any questions :)#coconutgirl #coconutgirlaesthetic #y2kaesthetic #coconutgirlsummer #y2k ♬ WAYAMAYA - Stargirlvibes
More and more social-media-savvy thrift devotees are making a career out of hours spent combing through thrift shop racks. Amid a trend cycle in hyperdrive thanks to TikTok, these online stylists have found a niche selling secondhand clothes that give eco-conscious Gen Z customers the thrill of a shopping spree — without the guilt of a Zara haul. They promise to pluck castoffs with cachet from the bargain bin — and pair them with other pieces to yield an Insta-worthy ensemble. And since they’re shopping at the Salvation Army — not Bergdorf Goodman — you don’t have to be Sofia Richie or Bella Hadid to enlist their relatively affordable services. As such, they’re democratizing a domain once reserved for the rich.
For every bundle, stylists (some call themselves personal shoppers) work directly with their clients — taking inspiration from their mood board, Pinterest page or choice of -core — think mermaidcore, Barbiecore or tomato girl-core, to name just a few examples — to create a set of outfits catered to their aesthetic preferences.
Erin Galioto, a 23-year-old freelance styling assistant in Wisconsin, has so far purchased three style bundles. When working with Goyena for a feminine and utility-inspired mix, she received a white satin slip with an empire waist and lace detailing, which Galioto has put to use during summer wine nights on her balcony. She estimates that about 80 percent of her existing wardrobe is made up of secondhand items, something she attributes to her “individuality complex.” But she still turns to style bundles to avoid what she calls “thrift store delusion,” when one purchases an item that’s too big or stained only to come home and realize: “This is the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Galioto said she discovered style bundles after finding herself immersed in the ecosystem of “what she wanted” vs. “what she got” videos on TikTok and Instagram. These videos compare a client’s wish-list mood board with the thrifted items their stylists bundled for them, often with startling accuracy. “Sometimes it’s too good to be true,” Galioto said of the videos. “I can’t believe they’re just giving away all these pieces for a flat rate. Like, Depop sellers would sell any one of these for a hundred dollars.”
Most people who order thrifted style bundles find their stylists via their Instagram and TikTok pages. Sara Fedz, 23, a Miami- and L.A.-based secondhand store owner and stylist, said people usually follow the stylists for their fashion content, and then decide to buy a bundle after they realize it’s a possibility. Her clients, she said, “want cool looks, and it’s my job to figure out what exactly you want because you might not even know.” And so they turn to these stylists precisely because of their standing as internet tastemakers.
“That’s why I really like style bundles, because not only does it take [away] all of the work of finding the pieces, it also serves as validation,” Galioto said. “Someone else thinks this is cute. You should wear it because this cool person who has a cool Instagram put it together for you.”
Online style bundle prices vary widely. To buy from Goyena, for example, clients can choose between a range of sizes. The standard bundle, which includes one to two accessories and one to two full outfits, sells for $130. Fedz, on the other hand, requires her clients to have a minimum clothing budget of $1,000, in addition to the rate she charges for her work, which varies based on how quickly the client wants their bundle sent to them and how specific their requests are.
Stylists often have to dedicate hours hunting through racks and sifting through piles for their bundles. “Where I live, there’s seven thrift stores and I’ll go to each one, so it’s a full-day experience,” said Chiasson, who totes along a giant binder filled with her clients’ mood boards, sizes and preferences, as well as a measuring tape. She charges anywhere from $90 for a single outfit (two tops, one bottom, one accessory) to $455 for 10 outfits, what she calls a “wardrobe revamp.”
@imsarafedz Pt.4 coming tomorrow 💘💓💘💕💘💓 #styling #thrifting #thrifthaul #fashion #losangeles ♬ Walking On Sunshine - Countdown Singers
The popularity of thrifting in recent years, as well as the increasing popularity of micro trends and cheap fast fashion brands such as Shein, has made certain items more difficult to find. Fedz, for example, said it’s hard to nab certain brand-name items that were once common in most thrift stores, such as a Juicy Couture purse, which exploded in popularity during the y2k craze. Though Fedz said that she tries not to get too attached to a specific piece when sourcing, there are clients who are set on what they want. “If you want all Juicy Couture, that would take a lot of time to source,” Fedz said.
There is also an avalanche of low-quality clothing to contend with. “When I go into the thrift store, I’ll just see Shein clothing and it’s all disheveled. Those pieces aren’t really sustainable,” said Chiasson, noting she avoids these items. Hunting for a high-quality tank can sometimes feel like looking for a needle in a haystack, but style bundlers can help clients sort through the bins.
They can also help their Gen Z customers marry contradictory fashion goals. As a recent newsletter from McKinsey & Company put it: “Gen Z’s relationship with fashion is complicated. On one hand, Gen Zers express a desire for sustainably produced items and love thrifting. On the other hand, clothing ‘hauls’ (or what previous generations called a shopping spree) make up some of the most watched and most produced content on social media.” Thrifted style bundles offer a neat solution to the dilemma.
“I’m very into fashion so there’s always new trends I want to try,” Galioto said. Buying a bundle once per season so as to limit overconsumption allows her to try these different trends without turning to fast fashion. “I don’t want any more clothes in the landfill. … So, I’m totally aware and trying to have that presence of mind when I’m shopping as well,” she said.
And, at the end of the day, nothing is quite like the rush of receiving a fashion treasure chest in the mail, say fans. “The anticipation of it keeps me going and makes me excited for the next day,” Galioto said. “Once you get it, it’s like Christmas morning.” | https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2023/07/29/gen-z-thrift-style-bundles/ | 2023-07-29T09:48:51 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2023/07/29/gen-z-thrift-style-bundles/ |
The women’s World Cup continues Saturday with a Group F match in Brisbane, Australia, between Brazil and France, two of the world’s top teams. Brazil can secure its spot in the knockout round with a win, while France looks to right itself after it was held to a stunning draw in its opener against Jamaica. Follow along for live updates and highlights from the match, which begins at 6 a.m. Eastern.
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End of carouselAry Borges was the star for Brazil in the opener against Panama, recording three goals and an assist in a 4-0 win. The Brazilian attack should face more resistance Saturday.
France was among the pretournament favorites to win the event, but it didn’t look like it during its goalless draw against Jamaica. Captain Wendie Renard is playing Saturday despite a calf injury.
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End of carouselAry Borges was the star for Brazil in the opener against Panama, recording three goals and an assist in a 4-0 win. The Brazilian attack should face more resistance Saturday.
France was among the pretournament favorites to win the event, but it didn’t look like it during its goalless draw against Jamaica. Captain Wendie Renard is playing Saturday despite a calf injury.
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Shortly before the start of preseason football camp each summer, Maryland Coach Michael Locksley makes it a point to seek a dash of inspiration, whether from a particular player’s arduous journey or other adversity within the locker room. He wants to forge an even stronger bond among his players.
The trip home turned tense when dozens of flights were canceled, leaving passengers stranded and scrambling to rebook. The wait reached eight hours when Locksley noticed a gentleman at a newsstand in the terminal providing disgruntled fliers with snacks and gentle reassurance.
“This guy had tremendous customer service,” Locksley said this week at Big Ten media days in Indianapolis. “He made the best out of a tough situation for a lot of people, and he did it with a smile on his face. It made me think, a coach’s job is to take players where they can’t take themselves.”
Locksley has delivered on that mandate since he took over in 2019 and reestablished roots a short drive from his birthplace in the District. Last season Maryland went 8-5 and won a bowl game for a second straight year, a first for the Terrapins since 2002 and 2003 under Ralph Friedgen.
The Terrapins have never won three consecutive bowl games, but Locksley and his charges are aiming to become the first group in program history to do so thanks in large part to quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa electing to stay for his redshirt senior year.
Locksley, 53, recounted spending many restless nights anxiously awaiting Tagovailoa’s decision about his immediate football future and whether he would add his name to the transfer portal. Maryland’s spring game was April 29, one day before the portal closed.
Tagovailoa transferred to Maryland in 2020 from Alabama, where his older brother ascended to national stardom and went No. 5 overall in the NFL draft to the Miami Dolphins. Tagovailoa indicated he sought advice from his sibling before recommitting to College Park.
“No, I was not comfortable until I saw him run out after that portal window closed up,” said Locksley, a former assistant and offensive coordinator for the Crimson Tide. “But even then a guy that’s a graduate can still leave and go play elsewhere.”
During Big Ten media days, Tagovailoa revealed the temptation of $1.5 million stemming from an NIL deal at an unspecified SEC program if he chose to transfer. In the end, leaving an indelible stamp on an ascending Terrapins’ program trumped financial incentives elsewhere.
Tagovailoa, who holds nearly every meaningful passing record at Maryland, was one of 10 players tabbed for preseason all-Big Ten in a vote among media. He became the first player at Maryland to receive the honor since the school joined the conference in 2014.
Tagovailoa is the Terrapins’ career leader in passing yards (7,879), passing touchdowns (51), total touchdowns (59), completion percentage (67.4), passing efficiency (146.2) and total offense (8,067). His career completion percentage is first in Big Ten history among players with at least 875 attempts.
“If I was in a different situation where maybe I didn’t have a brother in the NFL or maybe my parents, it’d be a different situation,” Tagovailoa told reporters Thursday in Indianapolis. “It would be hard for me to go to another place and not be happy but have all the money in the world.”
Tagovailoa again is the centerpiece of an offense that ranked fourth in the conference in scoring (28.2 points per game) last season. He spent much of the spring becoming familiar with the terminology of offensive coordinators Josh Gattis and Kevin Sumlin, each entering his first season at Maryland.
The duo replaces Dan Enos, who left for the same position at Arkansas, where he also had served as the Razorbacks’ offensive coordinator from 2015 to 2017. Locksley, Gattis and Enos worked together at Alabama as part of Coach Nick Saban’s staff in 2018.
Gattis was the winner of the Frank Broyles Award for outstanding assistant coach in 2021 when he was at Michigan. That year the Wolverines won the Big Ten championship and secured a berth in the College Football Playoff.
The Terrapins begin fall camp Wednesday and play their season opener Sept. 2 against Towson, Locksley’s alma mater.
“I think when Coach Gattis came in, he really emphasized the details of the plays and stuff,” Tagovailoa said. “He added in some of his plays as well, and I think it’s been really good for us. I think the biggest thing for us last year, we didn’t really take shots down the field, and I think with Coach Gattis and Coach Sumlin here, I think we’ll be making more downfield throws and really airing the ball out.” | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/07/29/maryland-football-michael-locksley-taulia-tagovailoa/ | 2023-07-29T09:48:54 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/07/29/maryland-football-michael-locksley-taulia-tagovailoa/ |
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — After leaving it to the last minute against South Africa, Sweden left nothing to chance Saturday in a 5-0 win over Italy which sealed its place in the knockout rounds of the Women’s World Cup.
Ilestedt was Sweden’s first scorer Saturday, this time in the 39th, and her glancing header from a corner sparked a flood of four Swedish goals in 11 minutes on either side of halftime. Her second goal came in the 50th and was a mirror image of the first.
Rebecka Blomqvist finished it off with Sweden’s fifth goal in stoppage time.
The Swedish attack again looked hesitant in the first 20 minutes. Italy appeared more composed over the ball in that period and more threatening with Sofia Cantore particularly dangerous on the right. Cantore had the first shot on goal in the opening minute, finding the keeper at the near post, and Italy had five shots on goal before Sweden had its first.
But as the first half progressed, Sweden began to look more composed, more organized and then more ruthless.
The AC Milan midfielder Kosovare Asllani began to get behind the defense and while at first she didn’t find teammates forward to meet her crosses, her freedom marked a turning point in the match. Italy was forced to soak up more and more pressure until, at last, the dam broke.
Joanna Andersson curled the ball in from the right in the 39th and Ilestedt rose higher than anyone at the near post to glance the ball on a narrow angle into the net.
Fridolina Rolfo looked certain to score in the 43rd, one-on-one with Francesca Durante, but the goalkeeper threw herself toward Rolfo’s feet and snuffed out the threat. The reprieve was short-lived and Rolfo had to wait only moments for her second goal of the tournament,
Another corner and this time the delivery eluded Durante and found Rolfo on the far post who headed home.
Rolfo turned deliverer in the first minute of stoppage time. Sent clear by a neat back-heel she passed low and beyond Durante, finding Stina Blackstenius, who tapped in. Arsenal’s Blackstenius couldn’t score against South Africa but she was pivotal to the Swedish attack Saturday; her goal was her 29th for the national team.
Sweden led 3-0 at halftime; their scoring continued unabated after the break. Another corner in the 50th and Ilestedt was on station at the near post to head home.
Sweden coach Peter Gerhardsson had reason to be concerned about his team’s attacking performance against South Africa in which his team trailed until 25 minutes from the end. His confidence that goals eventually would flow was rewarded Saturday.
WHAT’S NEXT: While Sweden is through to the knockout rounds, there is much still to play for in Group G with Argentina, Italy and South Africa all still in with a chance of progressing. Sweden has six points from wins over South Africa and Italy, Italy has three points after its first-up win over Argentina. South Africa and Argentina have one point each after their draw in Dunedin.
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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/soccer/2023/07/29/womens-world-cup-sweden-italy-match-summary/72a7d28e-2df3-11ee-a948-a5b8a9b62d84_story.html | 2023-07-29T09:49:07 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/soccer/2023/07/29/womens-world-cup-sweden-italy-match-summary/72a7d28e-2df3-11ee-a948-a5b8a9b62d84_story.html |
Julia Gossett, Jerry Goodpasture lead Repository All-Stark County softball awards
- Jackson senior pitcher Julia Gossett is the Repository Stark County Player of the Year
- Hoover head coach Jerry Goodpasture is the Repository All-Stark County Coach of the Year
- 16 players earn Repository All-Stark County first team
Batters feared her. Opposing pitchers opted to walk her rather than deal with her power bat. The all-around game of Jackson High School senior Julia Gossett makes her our Repository Stark County Softball Player of the Year.
Gossett, a University of Purdue recruit, helped powered the Polar Bears to a district final appearance this season. She allowed just 21 runs in 105 innings of work while putting together a record of 11-4. Gossett finished second in the area, according to stats submitted to the Repository, in strikeouts with 198.
She also hit .531 with 11 home runs, 34 RBIs and 26 runs. Gossett also led the area in walks, with 35 in 87 plate appearances. That helped her record a remarkable 2.060 OPS. She earned first-team All-Ohio honors from the state coaches association.
A familiar name to fans throughout the area is the Repository Stark County Coach of the Year. Hoover head coach Jerry Goodpasture takes home the honor after guiding the Vikings to a district championship this season with a record of 15-9.
Hoover overcame the loss of several top players from its team that reached the 2022 state semifinals under Goodpasture. This may have been one of his more challenging runs to the regional tournament. The Vikings started the season 1-5 and lost four consecutive games by a single run. Goodpasture helped the sophomore pitching staff of Summer McCaw and Ella Letosky develop and the Vikings peaked at the right time of the season.
2023 Repository All-Stark County Softball Teams
First team—Julia Gossett, Jackson, senior; Sofia Nase, Marlington, senior; Evelynn Lynn, Canton South, junior; Matti Benson, Louisville, junior; Ava Brown, McKinley, senior; Ryleigh Hall, GlenOak, sophomore; Audrey Miller, Marlington, senior; Emma Jackson, Marlington, senior; Delaney Shannon, Hoover, junior; Anna Jones, Hoover, senior; Summer McCaw, Hoover, sophomore; Grace Miller, Perry, senior; Camryn Kiefer, Tuslaw, junior; Brooklyn Ury, Lake, senior; Ava Collins, Marlington, senior; Kaitlyn Mazzocca, Tuslaw, senior.
Player of the year—Julia Gossett, Jackson, senior
Coach of the year—Jerry Goodpasture, Hoover
Second team—Emma Reese, Alliance, senior; Jocelyn Quior, Lake, senior; Morgan Christopher, Jackson, sophomore; Makayla Ball, Hoover, senior; Chyanne Knapp, Marlington, senior; Sadie Carroll, Hoover, junior; Marlee Pireu, Perry, junior; Emma Fulk, Lake Center Christian, senior; Teresa Petro, Sandy Valley, freshman; Delaney Ellis, Perry, junior; Faith Savage, Marlington, sophomore; Caroline Metzger, Northwest, junior; Hannah Smith, Fairless, sophomore; Hannah Spencer, East Canton, junior; Lillian Bucher, Tuslaw, senior.
Honorable mention—Lola Bleakley, Northwest, sophomore; Ella Letosky, Hoover, sophomore; Brooklyn Mazzocca, Tuslaw, junior; Hannah Valentine, Canton South, freshman; Faith Pavkov, Lake Center Christian, sophomore; Brianna Yoder, Alliance, senior; Olivia Brown, Lake, sophomore; Amelia Richardson, GlenOak, junior; Peyton Nicholson, Sandy Valley, sophomore; Maria Walder, Marlington, sophomore; Anna Wright, Jackson, senior; Emma Reemsnyder, GlenOak, junior; Anna Sirohman, Louisville, freshman; Sienna Koosh, Hoover, sophomore; Chloe Christiansen, Jackson, senior; Alexis Sin, Jackson, junior.
Meet the Repository All-Stark County softball first team
Julia Gossett
Jackson, senior
University of Purdue recruit helped Jackson reach the district finals. Gossett was 11-4 as a pitcher with 198 strikeouts in 105 innings pitched. She also hit .531 with 11 home runs, 34 RBIs, 26 runs and 35 walks in 2023.
Sofia Nase
Marlington, senior
Nase was one of the top pitchers in the area, helping Marlington reach the regional finals in Division II. Nase was 20-1 with 206 strikeouts in 132 innings pitched and a 0.80 ERA.
Evelyn Lynn
Canton South, junior
Lynn She led the area in average (.692), home runs (15) and RBIs (44). She holds several school records and may completely rewrite the record book by the time her high school career is done.
Matti Benson
Louisville, junior
Benson is a complete player who verbally committed to the University of Maryland. She hit .556 with nine home runs, 25 RBIs and 36 runs. The Louisville leadoff hitter has blazing speed and led the area with 25 stolen bases.
Ava Brown
McKinley, senior
Brown is a complete, hitting .556 with four home runs and 22 RBIs. She also struck out 89 batters in just 64.2 innings pitched. Brown has signed with Claflin University.
Ryleigh Hall
GlenOak, sophomore
A Division I college prospect with a great all-around game. Hall helped GlenOak make massive strides this season. She hit .515 with nine home runs, 29 RBIs, 28 runs and 10 walks.
Audrey Miller
Marlington, senior
A dangerous power hitter who helped power Marlington to the Division II regional finals. Miller hit .417 with 10 home runs, 29 RBIs, 39 runs and 14 walks.
Emma Jackson
Marlington, senior
Perhaps the most dangerous hitter in a lineup full of them for Marlington this past season. Jackson hit .500 with nine home runs, 35 RBIs and led the area with 48 runs. Jackson has signed with West Virginia Wesleyan.
Delaney Shannon
Hoover, junior
Shannon is a clutch hitter who helped the Vikings reach regionals this season. Shannon had 19 RBIs and 23 runs for Hoover this season. Shannon caught fire in the district tournament, going 7-for-8 at the plate.
Anna Jones
Hoover, senior
Jones is an incredible defender with an impressive glove and a great arm. Her speed allows her to cover a lot of territory quickly. Jones was a key security blanket throughout the season for a young pitching staff.
Summer McCaw
Hoover, sophomore
McCaw came on strong with and was dominant in the district tournament, as she pitched 13.2 scoreless innings and picked up both wins. She was 9-4 overall with a 1.46 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 74 innings.
Grace Miller
Perry, senior
Miller helped Perry upset Green in the Division I district tournament. A solid starter throughout her career, Miller was 10-6 with a 2.16 ERA. Miller also struck out 108 batters in 100.2 innings pitched for the Panthers.
Camryn Kiefer
Tuslaw, junior
Kiefer was a threat at the plate and in the circle. She hit .468 with eight home runs and 36 RBIs. Kiefer was 11-7 as a pitcher with a 2.83 ERA. She struck out 155 in 109 innings.
Brooklyn Ury
Lake, senior
Ury is a tremendous fielder with a consistent bat. She has speed on the bases and hit .579 with 29 runs this season.
Ava Collins
Marlington, senior
A complete athlete who was not slowed down by a late start to her season after helping the Marlington basketball team reach the regional tournament. Collins started at catcher and scored 29 runs and had 20 stolen bases for the Dukes. She also called great games for starting pitcher Sofia Nase.
Kaitlyn Mazzocca
Tuslaw, senior
Mazzocca was a consistent threat in the middle of the Tuslaw lineup all season. Mazzocca hit .459 with seven home runs, 21 RBIs, 37 runs and 13 walks. | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/sports/high-school/softball/2023/07/29/2023-repository-all-stark-county-softball-awards-ohsaa-julia-gossett-jerry-goodpasture-hoover/70323876007/ | 2023-07-29T09:49:11 | 0 | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/sports/high-school/softball/2023/07/29/2023-repository-all-stark-county-softball-awards-ohsaa-julia-gossett-jerry-goodpasture-hoover/70323876007/ |
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Salvage crews were preparing Saturday to tow a car-carrying cargo ship that has been burning for days to an anchor point in the North Sea after flames and smoke on board subsided, the Dutch government said.
One crew member died and others were injured after the fire broke out on the ship that was heading from Bremerhaven in Germany to Singapore. The crew was evacuated in the early hours of Wednesday. The cause of the fire has not been established.
Measurements Friday showed that heat, flames and smoke had subsided enough for salvage experts to board the ship for the first time and establish a strong towing connection with a tugboat, the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management said.
It will be towed, likely over the weekend, to a new position 16 kilometers (10 miles) north of the island of Schiermonnikoog , the ministry said in a statement. The timing of the operation that is expected to take 12-14 hours depends on smoke development and weather, the ministry added. The aim is ultimately “once conditions on board allow,” to tow the ship to a port, though the destination has not yet been decided.
The ministry said the ship is stable and intact below the waterline.
The burning vessel is close to the shallow Wadden Sea, a World Heritage-listed area that is considered one of the world’s most significant habitats for migratory birds. It’s also near the Netherlands’ border with Germany, whose environment minister, Steffi Lemke, has warned of “an environmental catastrophe of unknown proportions,” if the ship were to sink. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/07/29/cargo-ship-fire-dutch-coast/a42e2888-2deb-11ee-a948-a5b8a9b62d84_story.html | 2023-07-29T09:49:13 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/07/29/cargo-ship-fire-dutch-coast/a42e2888-2deb-11ee-a948-a5b8a9b62d84_story.html |
CANBERRA, Australia — Political instability in Niger resulting from a military takeover that deposed the president this week threatens the economic support provided by Washington to the African nation, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Saturday.
Blinken, who is in Australia as part of a Pacific tour, said the continued security and economic arrangements that Niger has with the U.S. hinged on the release of Bazoum and “the immediate restoration of the democratic order in Niger.”
“Our economic and security partnership with Niger — which is significant, hundreds of millions of dollars — depends on the continuation of the democratic governance and constitutional order that has been disrupted by the actions in the last few days,” Blinken said. “So that assistance, that support, is in clear jeopardy as a result of these actions, which is another reason why they need to be immediately reversed.”
Blinken stopped short of calling the military actions in Niger a coup, a designation that could result in the African country losing millions of dollars of military aid and assistance.
Speaking in Brisbane, Blinken said he had spoken with President Bazoum on Saturday but did not provide details. He cited the support of the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States and other regional entities in trying to bring an end to the unrest.
“The very significant assistance that we have in place that’s making a material difference in the lives of the people of Niger is clearly in jeopardy and we’ve communicated that as clearly as we possibly can to those responsible for disrupting the constitutional order and Niger’s democracy,” Blinken said.
Blinken said the U.S. Embassy in Niger had accounted for the safety of all staff members and their families, while issuing a security alert advising U.S. citizens in the country to limit unnecessary movements and avoid areas impacted by the coup.
The military group that conducted the coup, calling itself the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Country, said its members remained committed to engaging with the international and national community.
“This is as a result of the continuing degradation of the security situation, the bad economic and social governance,” air force Col. Major Amadou Abdramane said in the video released by the coup leaders Wednesday. He said aerial and land borders were closed and a curfew was in place until the situation stabilized.
Bazoum was elected two years ago in Niger’s first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since independence from France.
Niger is seen as the last reliable partner for the West in efforts to battle jihadis linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group in Africa’s Sahel region, where Russia and Western countries have vied for influence in the fight against extremism.
France has 1,500 soldiers in the country who conduct joint operations with Niger’s military, while the U.S. and other European countries have helped train the nation’s troops.
___
Hannon reported from Bangkok. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/07/29/niger-coup-blinken-us-economic-support/a92928e4-2df3-11ee-a948-a5b8a9b62d84_story.html | 2023-07-29T09:49:19 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/07/29/niger-coup-blinken-us-economic-support/a92928e4-2df3-11ee-a948-a5b8a9b62d84_story.html |
Caught on camera: Bear takes dip in swimming pool during extreme heat
Published: Jul. 29, 2023 at 3:47 AM CDT|Updated: 1 hour ago
BURBANK, Calif. (CNN) - Humans aren’t the only creatures trying to find ways to stay cool in the extreme hot temperatures.
One bear tried to beat the heat by taking a dip in a jacuzzi.
It happened Friday in Burbank, California.
According to the Burbank Police Department, officers were responding to reports of a bear sighting.
When they arrived, they found the bear sitting in a jacuzzi behind one of the homes.
However, the bear then got out of the hot tub, scaled a wall and climbed a tree.
The city of Burbank is under a heat advisory until Saturday night.
Copyright 2023 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.kait8.com/2023/07/29/caught-camera-bear-takes-dip-swimming-pool-during-extreme-heat/ | 2023-07-29T09:50:35 | 1 | https://www.kait8.com/2023/07/29/caught-camera-bear-takes-dip-swimming-pool-during-extreme-heat/ |
Fresh charges tie Trump even more closely to coverup effort. That could deepen his legal woes
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.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kait8.com/2023/07/29/fresh-charges-tie-trump-even-more-closely-coverup-effort-that-could-deepen-his-legal-woes/ | 2023-07-29T09:50:42 | 0 | https://www.kait8.com/2023/07/29/fresh-charges-tie-trump-even-more-closely-coverup-effort-that-could-deepen-his-legal-woes/ |
Chiefs Odds to Make Playoffs and Win Super Bowl
Right now the Kansas City Chiefs have the best odds in the NFL to win the Super Bowl, listed at +600.
Watch the Chiefs this season on Fubo!
Chiefs Super Bowl Odds
- Odds to Win the AFC West: -165
- Odds to Win the Super Bowl: +600
Looking to place a futures bet on the Chiefs to win the Super Bowl this season? Head to BetMGM using our link and enter the bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Kansas City Betting Insights
- Kansas City went 7-10-0 ATS last season.
- Last season, eight Chiefs games hit the over.
- Kansas City ranked 11th in total defense last season (328.2 yards allowed per game), but it excelled on the other side of the ball, ranking best in the with 413.6 total yards per game.
- At home last season, the Chiefs were 7-1. On the road, they were 7-2.
- Kansas City won one game as an underdog (1-1) a year ago, and went 13-2 as the favored team.
Chiefs Impact Players
- Patrick Mahomes II passed for 5,250 yards (308.8 per game), completing 67.1% of his passes, with 41 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 17 games last year.
- Also, Mahomes rushed for 358 yards and four TDs.
- In the passing game, Travis Kelce scored 12 TDs, catching 110 balls for 1,338 yards (78.7 per game).
- On the ground, Jerick McKinnon scored one touchdown a season ago and accumulated 291 yards (17.1 per game).
- In 17 games, Isiah Pacheco rushed for 830 yards (48.8 per game) and five TDs.
- On defense last year, Nick Bolton helped keep opposing offenses in check with two interceptions to go with 180 tackles, 9.0 TFL, two sacks, and three passes defended in 17 games.
Bet on Chiefs to win the Super Bowl and plenty more with BetMGM. Head to BetMGM using our link and enter the bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
2023-24 Chiefs NFL Schedule
Odds are current as of July 29 at 5:21 AM ET. 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.kait8.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/chiefs-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ | 2023-07-29T09:50:49 | 0 | https://www.kait8.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/chiefs-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ |
Titans Odds to Make Playoffs and Win Super Bowl
Published: Jul. 29, 2023 at 4:23 AM CDT|Updated: 27 minutes ago
The Tennessee Titans at the moment have +6600 odds of winning the Super Bowl.
Watch the Titans this season on Fubo!
Titans Super Bowl Odds
- Odds to Win the AFC South: +325
- Odds to Win the Super Bowl: +6600
Looking to place a futures bet on the Titans to win the Super Bowl this season? Head to BetMGM using our link and enter the bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Tennessee Betting Insights
- Tennessee put together an 8-6-0 ATS record last year.
- The Titans and their opponents combined to go over the point total five out of 17 times last season.
- Tennessee was a bottom-five offense last year, ranking third-worst with 296.8 yards per game. Defensively, it ranked 23rd in the (351.6 yards allowed per game).
- The Titans posted three wins at home last year and four on the road.
- Tennessee won only twice as favorites (2-3) and went 4-5 as underdogs.
- The Titans were 3-3 in the AFC South and 5-7 in the AFC as a whole.
Titans Impact Players
- Derrick Henry ran for 1,538 yards (96.1 per game) and 13 touchdowns in 16 games last year.
- Henry also had 33 receptions for 398 yards and zero TDs.
- Ryan Tannehill threw for 2,536 yards (211.3 per game), completing 65.2% of his throws, with 13 touchdowns and six interceptions in 12 games.
- On the ground, Tannehill scored two touchdowns and picked up 98 yards.
- In the Cardinals' passing game a season ago, DeAndre Hopkins scored three TDs, catching 64 balls for 717 yards (79.7 per game).
- In 16 games played with the Texans, Chris Moore had 48 receptions for 548 yards (34.3 per game) and two touchdowns.
- In 17 games last year, Kevin Byard recorded 106 tackles and four interceptions.
Bet on Titans to win the Super Bowl and plenty more with BetMGM. Head to BetMGM using our link and enter the bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
2023-24 Titans NFL Schedule
Odds are current as of July 29 at 5:23 AM ET. 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.kait8.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/titans-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ | 2023-07-29T09:50:55 | 0 | https://www.kait8.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/titans-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ |
New Sarasota County commissioner Rainford explains election bid for South County seat
Rainford hopes to steer most of Resilient SRQ funding to south Sarasota County
VENICE – In answers to three questions Friday, Sarasota County Commissioner Neil Rainford told members of the South Sarasota County Tiger Bay Club why he chose to succeed the late Nancy Detert as their county commissioner, as well as why he’s running for a full term in south county's District 3 instead of north county's District 1, where he and his wife Amy already own a home.
Responding to questions posed by moderator Laura Benson, Rainford said that he’s already become familiar with residents while working on campaigns for Republican candidates running for the Venice City Council, as well as successful county commission campaigns for Ron Cutsinger, Joe Neunder and Al Maio, whom Neunder succeeded.
“I pretty much knocked on most doors in Venice and North Port and Nokomis,” Rainford said, adding that he and his wife love Venice and want to buy a home on the island of Venice.
Rainford is one of three Republicans – including Gregory Wood and former Sarasota County sheriff Tom Knight – who have filed to run for the District 3 seat in the 2024 election.
Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Rainford to finish Detert's term in June, ahead of several applicants, including Knight.
A longtime South County Tiger Bay member, Knight attended the event and distributed literature promoting a fundraiser and candidate petition cards. But he declined to take an opportunity to ask Rainford a direct question.
In response to Benson’s query as to why he chose Venice instead of launching a bid to succeed Mike Moran in District 1, where he now resides, Rainford, who studied urban planning at Florida State University, cited the city's charm.
“Venice is one of the most unique places,” Rainford said. “It’s already been developed, it’s mature in its development.”
He later added that the wide selection of restaurants is perfect for a household like his, that always tunes into the Food Network.
When South County Tiger Bay member Marty Dover asked Rainford about his future career goals, he replied: “This is what my career goal was.”
“Venice is really the vision that you want your other communities to look like,” he added. “This is what I want to be doing, I want to be here in Sarasota and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Rainford, who also represents a portion of North Port – the county’s largest municipality, including fast-growing Wellen Park area − noted that he hoped to bring south a large chunk of Sarasota County’s Resilient SRQ block grant funding.
“It’s my goal to make sure that most of those dollars get awarded to South County,” Rainford said of the $201.5 million in federal block grant funds available after Hurricane Ian. “We really have an opportunity to really change the landscape in terms of attainable housing in that next generation.”
Rainford reiterated previous statements about the need to bolster infrastructure and build more affordable housing so people who work in the county can live here, too. | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/venice/2023/07/31/neil-rainford-lauds-venice-and-north-port-at-south-county-tiger-bay/70475761007/ | 2023-07-29T09:51:18 | 0 | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/venice/2023/07/31/neil-rainford-lauds-venice-and-north-port-at-south-county-tiger-bay/70475761007/ |
Subaru is clearly contemplating what comes next as an edgier alternative to the WRX.
One such possibility is the WRX by Prodrive, a thoughtfully upgraded performance version of the current model for track days and performance driving.
The edgy alternative at Subaru dealerships used to be the WRX STI, which the company announced in March 2022 wouldn’t ever come back in the same form. “In the meantime, a next-generation internal combustion engine WRX STI will not be produced based upon the new WRX platform,” Subaru said with startling finality.
That doesn’t mean the STI is dead. Subaru hinted in the same statement that the STI may come back with electrification. Consider how the fully electric Solterra STI concept shown last year might fit alongside models such as the Kia EV6 GT.
But that would be a very different car.
As I recently experienced at the UK’s Millbrook Proving Ground, with a little time in the driver’s seat, the WRX by Prodrive shows how Subaru might provide loyal enthusiasts with their fix, despite a changing landscape.
This trick WRX was put together by Prodrive, a UK firm known for tuning and motorsports support—and for creating the exclusive $600,000 Prodrive P25 supercar I also drove at one of Millbrook’s handling courses.
While I’m pretty much charmed by any WRX, this one starts on the right note. One of the most distinctive elements I lock onto from across the infield addresses a pet peeve with the current WRX. Body-colored wheel arches in this version replace the stock car’s black-lipped ones, which simply venture too far into Outback and crossover territory. The wheel arch extensions add more than an inch of overall width, which probably adds to the impression—and there’s a rear wing that looks similar to the P25’s. It also gets the same size wheels as the P25, wearing P255/35R19 Bridgestone Potenza Sport tires.
Prodrive says its WRX makes about 30 hp more than the stock WRX thanks to remapped engine management, putting total output just over 300 hp versus the standard WRX’s 271 hp. On the relatively tight road course, where I’m mostly in third gear with brief digs into second, it’s hard to feel that difference without a stock WRX on hand, but it feels robust and flexible in the midrange revs.
As I find in the same handling course where I drove the P25, there is one immediate, distinct difference versus a stock WRX: Its upgraded Sparco SPX front seats are a smart upgrade, as the car corners a lot flatter and they’re needed to hold occupants in place. Prodrive has boosted anti-roll bar stiffness front and rear, upgraded the suspension bushings, and uprated the specs for both the Bilstein dampers and springs.
The brakes have been upgraded, too, with a package similar to the P25 bringing 6-piston calipers in front and 4-piston calipers in back—larger all around, with sport pads. Only on my last lap do I begin driving this WRX hard enough to step hard into the brake pedal, and it’s more decisive than the stock WRX’s for sure.
While it’s hard to tell how much harsher this setup might ride on real-world roads, it doesn’t give the impression that it might make the WRX’s capabilities any less accessible. Like the best STI models—the 2008-2010 model in my mind—it opens up new potential.
The relative simplicity of the package and upgrades stands in contrast to the seemingly endless tuning changes and upgrades that STI models used to boast over the WRX. There’s no quicker-ratio steering, selectable center diff, or resonating exhaust, to name just a few.
If you can put some of those expectations aside, you’re not sure waiting for an electric STI is quite your thing, and you just want a better WRX, well, here it is.
Neither Subaru nor Prodrive will say if this might be sold as a package or a standalone car, by Subaru or by Prodrive, and price certainly isn’t mentioned. However, both insist that this represents a smart but relatively frugal set of accessories and improvements built on the stock Subaru WRX, which starts at $31,625 with a 6-speed manual (as this one has) for 2023. Seeing that Subaru of America got me out here, and it’s built on what’s essentially a U.S.-spec left-hand-drive car, it’s safe to say they’re interested.
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- Review: 2024 Ford Mustang EcoBoost distills the pony-car essence | https://pix11.com/automotive/internet-brands/test-drive-subaru-wrx-by-prodrive-brings-back-some-sti-edge/ | 2023-07-29T09:53:09 | 0 | https://pix11.com/automotive/internet-brands/test-drive-subaru-wrx-by-prodrive-brings-back-some-sti-edge/ |
Caught on camera: Bear takes dip in swimming pool during extreme heat
Published: Jul. 29, 2023 at 3:47 AM CDT|Updated: 1 hour ago
BURBANK, Calif. (CNN) - Humans aren’t the only creatures trying to find ways to stay cool in the extreme hot temperatures.
One bear tried to beat the heat by taking a dip in a jacuzzi.
It happened Friday in Burbank, California.
According to the Burbank Police Department, officers were responding to reports of a bear sighting.
When they arrived, they found the bear sitting in a jacuzzi behind one of the homes.
However, the bear then got out of the hot tub, scaled a wall and climbed a tree.
The city of Burbank is under a heat advisory until Saturday night.
Copyright 2023 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2023/07/29/caught-camera-bear-takes-dip-swimming-pool-during-extreme-heat/ | 2023-07-29T09:53:33 | 1 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2023/07/29/caught-camera-bear-takes-dip-swimming-pool-during-extreme-heat/ |
Fresh charges tie Trump even more closely to coverup effort. That could deepen his legal woes
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.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2023/07/29/fresh-charges-tie-trump-even-more-closely-coverup-effort-that-could-deepen-his-legal-woes/ | 2023-07-29T09:53:39 | 0 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2023/07/29/fresh-charges-tie-trump-even-more-closely-coverup-effort-that-could-deepen-his-legal-woes/ |
Vikings Odds to Make Playoffs and Win Super Bowl
Published: Jul. 29, 2023 at 4:22 AM CDT|Updated: 31 minutes ago
The Minnesota Vikings have +4000 odds to win the Super Bowl as of December 31.
Watch the Vikings this season on Fubo!
Vikings Super Bowl Odds
- Odds to Win the NFC North: +280
- Odds to Win the Super Bowl: +4000
Looking to place a futures bet on the Vikings to win the Super Bowl this season? Head to BetMGM using our link and enter the bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Minnesota Betting Insights
- Minnesota compiled a 7-8-1 record against the spread last season.
- A total of 11 Vikings games last season hit the over.
- Despite sporting a bottom-five defense that ranked second-worst in the (388.7 yards allowed per game) last season, Minnesota played better on the other side of the ball, ranking seventh in the by putting up 361.5 yards per game.
- Last year the Vikings were 8-1 at home and 5-3 away.
- As favorites, Minnesota was undefeated (11-0) last season, but finished just 1-4 as the underdog.
- The Vikings were 8-4 in the NFC, including 4-2 in the NFC North.
Vikings Impact Players
- In 17 games last year, Kirk Cousins passed for 4,547 yards (267.5 per game), with 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, and a completion percentage of 65.9%.
- On the ground, Cousins scored two touchdowns and accumulated 97 yards.
- Justin Jefferson had 128 receptions for 1,809 yards (106.4 per game) and eight touchdowns in 17 games.
- T.J. Hockenson had 86 catches for 914 yards (53.8 per game) and six touchdowns in 17 games a season ago.
- K.J. Osborn had 60 receptions for 650 yards (38.2 per game) and five touchdowns in 17 games.
- As a tone-setter on defense, Jordan Hicks compiled 130 tackles, 2.0 TFL, three sacks, and one interception in 17 games last year.
Bet on Vikings to win the Super Bowl and plenty more with BetMGM. Head to BetMGM using our link and enter the bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
2023-24 Vikings NFL Schedule
Odds are current as of July 29 at 5:22 AM ET. 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.valleynewslive.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/vikings-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ | 2023-07-29T09:53:46 | 0 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/vikings-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ |
Fresh charges tie Trump even more closely to coverup effort. That could deepen his legal woes
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.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.newschannel6now.com/2023/07/29/fresh-charges-tie-trump-even-more-closely-coverup-effort-that-could-deepen-his-legal-woes/ | 2023-07-29T09:53:48 | 1 | https://www.newschannel6now.com/2023/07/29/fresh-charges-tie-trump-even-more-closely-coverup-effort-that-could-deepen-his-legal-woes/ |
CANBERRA, Australia — Four air crew members were missing after an Australian army helicopter ditched into waters off the Queensland state coast during joint military exercises with the United States, officials said Saturday.
The MRH-90 Taipan helicopter went down near Lindeman Island, a Great Barrier Reef tourist resort, at about 11 p.m. Friday, exercise director Australian Army Brigadier Damian Hill said.
A search involving U.S., Canadian and Australian personnel was underway to find the crew who are all Australian men, officials said.
Debris that appeared to be from a helicopter had been recovered, Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner Douglas McDonald said.
The Taipan was taking part in Talisman Sabre, a biennial joint U.S.-Australian military exercise that is largely based in Queensland. This year's exercise involves 13 nations and more than 30,000 military personnel.
Defense Minister Richard Marles said the helicopter ditched, which refers to an emergency landing on water.
"Defense exercises, which are so necessary for the readiness of our defense force, are serious. They carry risk," Marles told reporters in Brisbane. "As we desperately hope for better news during the course of this day we are reminded about the gravity of the act which comes with wearing our nation's uniform."
Hill said the exercise was postponed on Saturday morning but had restarted limited activity later in the day. Australia had grounded its Taipan fleet as a precaution, Hill said.
It was the second emergency involving an Australian Taipan this year, after one ditched into the sea off the New South Wales state coast in March. That helicopter was taking part in a nighttime counterterrorism training exercise when it ran into trouble. All 10 passengers and crew members were rescued.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was in Brisbane for a meeting on Saturday and is due to travel with Marles to north Queensland on Sunday to see the exercise.
Austin and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken paid tribute to the missing air crew at the outset of a meeting with their Australian counterparts, Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
"It's always tough when you have accidents in training, but ... the reason that we train to such high standards is so that we can be successful and we can protect lives when we are called to answer any kind of crisis," Austin said.
"Our guys tend to make this look easy and they make it look easy because they're so well exercised and rehearsed and trained, and this is unfortunately a part of that, what it takes to get them to where we need them to be," Austin added.
Blinken said, "We're so grateful to them for their dedication, for their service, for everything they've been doing to stand up for the freedom that we share and that is what unites us more than anything else."
Marles thanked the United States for their contribution to the search and rescue effort.
The missing helicopter had just dropped off two Australian commandos before it hit the water, Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported.
Australia announced in January that its army and navy would stop flying the European-built Taipans by December 2024, 13 years earlier than originally planned, because they had proven unreliable. They will be replaced by 40 U.S. Black Hawks. Marles said at the time the Lockheed Martin-designed Black Hawks "have a really good proven track record in terms of their reliability."
Australia's Taipans had been plagued by problems since the first helicopter arrived in the country in 2007.
Australia's entire fleet of 47 Taipans was grounded in 2019 to fix a problem with their tail rotor blades. A year later, 27 Taipans were grounded because of a problem with doors.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wbaa.org/2023-07-29/4-air-crew-members-are-missing-after-an-australian-army-helicopter-ditched-off-coast | 2023-07-29T09:55:39 | 1 | https://www.wbaa.org/2023-07-29/4-air-crew-members-are-missing-after-an-australian-army-helicopter-ditched-off-coast |
From the outside, the tall white building looks like any other hip, new Brooklyn living space. But about a thousand migrant men sleep here every night and there's room for hundreds more. It's a sort of mega shelter, poised to become one of New York City's largest.
It's been open for just a few weeks, and it's already riddled with accusations of abuse.
For months, Mayor Eric Adams has been issuing warnings that the New York City shelter system simply cannot handle the deluge of over 90,000 people it has received in the last year or so. "We have no more room in the city," he cautioned at a recent press conference. "We need help from the federal government."
The Adams administration is challenging New York's right to shelter law in court: That's the law that for decades has assured that the city provide a safe haven to anyone in need, regardless of immigration status.
Adams also recently announced several unusual measures including distribution of fliers to asylum-seekers at the border in order to discourage migrants from coming to New York City. Single adults will only be able to stay in shelters for 60 days before having to reapply.
Activists say it's in keeping with this policy shift that the new shelter site — located in Brooklyn's posh Clinton Hill neighborhood — is being referred to as an "emergency respite center," rather than a shelter. It's been touted as a temporary humanitarian aid solution.
NPR spent several days speaking to asylum seekers who say conditions in the building are dire. Many described zones of 80 to 90 people sharing two bathrooms. A 26-year-old man named Deivy says he's fleeing armed conflict in Colombia and that he's been living in the shelter for over a week.
He asked that his last name be withheld for fear of retaliation. Deivy says fighting over use of the bathroom facilities is common and showering is an odyssey. Parked outside, two trailers with showers serve the entire building.
"It's bad in there," says one Mauritanian man named Neimar, who also asked that his last name be withheld for fear he'd be in trouble with shelter authorities. Sitting listlessly on a nearby park bench, Neimar describes the experience as a sort of limbo. "We had no life where we came from, but here we have no luck here. No clothing. No food. Nothing."
Lack of access to food is one of the most common complaints. On a recent day shelter occupants say lunch consists of a bag of chips and a water. Often the food has gone bad.
What troubles many people here the most is the security guards. "They treat us like animals," says Neimar. "As if we were not people."
In interviews with more than two dozen people, nearly everyone recounted experiencing physical harassment and verbal slights at the shelter. "I understand enough English to know I'm being insulted," says Deivy.
NPR reached out to the New York City government multiple times for comment on these accusations without response.
Advocates say shelters like this one are disheartening, especially given that New York has long been seen as a beacon for immigrants. "For at least 40 years, New York City has provided a right to shelter to all people — regardless of their immigration status — who need a place to stay for the night," says Columbia University Professor Elora Mukherjee, who studies immigration and law. She called the shift in policy "devastating."
For many migrants and asylum seekers, this Brooklyn location is not the first encounter with the New York shelter system. But it does feel like the last straw. Several described the situation at this new site so dire, they would rather sleep under a nearby highway overpass. Others have no choice but to join a homeless camp of nearly 20 men.
Among them is Jose Antonio. He says he left Venezuela to escape government harassment. "Eighty people using two bathrooms?" he says. "It's a health hazard." When he arrived at the shelter a few weeks ago, it was under construction, still lacking lights. After an altercation over bathroom access in the morning, he says, he was asked to leave. He now he sleeps outside. During the day, he works odd landscaping gigs.
The motto down here: stay working.
But the question of work and who is allowed to do it is where the federal immigration bureaucracy labyrinth gets even more complicated. The soonest an asylum seeker can get a work permit is six months after they apply for asylum. That's a process that can in turn take years.
"The Mayor does make a good point when he says that the city needs help. And that help should take various forms," said Professor Elora Mukherjee. The city, she says, needs the federal government to lend their authority. "First and foremost: the federal government should authorize asylum seekers to receive their lawful work organization as soon as they enter the United States and fill out the relevant paperwork."
There's no indication that this will happen anytime soon. Instead, many men rent scooters in order to work for food delivery apps. By noon on a recent day, the dinging sound of orders start echoing under the bridge.
The men head out.
It's a dystopian scene: asylum seekers, staying in a shelter and under a bridge, delivering pricey meals throughout New York.
A few days later, the police sweep the camp. For several hours the men say they are driven around the city on a bus and taken to two different shelters where they are turned away.
Eventually, the bus drops them off in Brooklyn again. The men walk back to the highway overpass and to the camp where they find many of their belongings are now missing. One man reports his immigration papers, cellphone, and clothing all gone.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wbaa.org/2023-07-29/as-nyc-limits-access-to-migrants-and-asylum-seekers-many-are-left-homeless | 2023-07-29T09:55:45 | 1 | https://www.wbaa.org/2023-07-29/as-nyc-limits-access-to-migrants-and-asylum-seekers-many-are-left-homeless |
PHOENIX — 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 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wbaa.org/2023-07-29/forecasters-say-southwest-temperatures-to-ease-some-with-arrival-of-monsoon-rains | 2023-07-29T09:55:51 | 0 | https://www.wbaa.org/2023-07-29/forecasters-say-southwest-temperatures-to-ease-some-with-arrival-of-monsoon-rains |
Fresh Air Weekend highlights some of the best interviews and reviews from past weeks, and new program elements specially paced for weekends. Our weekend show emphasizes interviews with writers, filmmakers, actors and musicians, and often includes excerpts from live in-studio concerts. This week:
Colson Whitehead channels the paranoia and fear of 1970s NYC in 'Crook Manifesto': "My early '70s New York is dingy and grimy," the Pulitzer Prize-winning author says. Whitehead's sequel to Harlem Shuffle centers on crime at every level, from small-time crooks to Harlem's elite.
Crime writer S.A. Cosby loves the South — and is haunted by it: Cosby's novel All the Sinners Bleed centers on a Black sheriff in a small Southeast Virginia county. The novel was inspired by his own experiences growing up in the shadow of the Confederacy.
You can listen to the original interviews and review here:
Colson Whitehead channels the paranoia and fear of 1970s NYC in 'Crook Manifesto'
Crime writer S.A. Cosby loves the South — and is haunted by it
Copyright 2023 Fresh Air. To see more, visit Fresh Air. | https://www.wbaa.org/2023-07-29/fresh-air-weekend-colson-whitehead-s-a-cosby | 2023-07-29T09:55:57 | 1 | https://www.wbaa.org/2023-07-29/fresh-air-weekend-colson-whitehead-s-a-cosby |
LIMA, Peru — Although the top tourist destination in Peru is the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, high in the Andes Mountains, the capital Lima also holds a treasure trove of ancient ruins — so many, in fact, that authorities can't take care of them all.
The city is home to more than 400 known pyramids, temples and burial sites, many of which predate the Incas and and are known in Spanish as "huacas." They sit next to modern shopping centers, hotels and highways or rise up in the middle of neighborhoods in this city of 11 million people. Meanwhile, archaeologists keep digging up new sites.
Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, a former Peruvian president who lives across the street from a pyramid called Huallamarca, built around 1,800 years ago, says with a smile: "I know where I am when I wake up in the morning. I'm in Peru!"
Due mostly to budget limitations, Huallamarca is one of only 27 sites in Lima that have been excavated, restored and opened to visitors, according to archaeologists who spoke with NPR.
Many other sites are deteriorating. Squatters have occupied some, and others have become de facto garbage dumps or gathering spots for drug users and homeless people.
"Everywhere you dig, you will find something — because Lima was home to great civilizations," says Micaela Álvarez, director of the museum at Pucllana, a massive pyramid in Lima's business district of Miraflores. "But it's impossible to save everything in a poor country."
Pucllana is one of the exceptions.
Thought to be about 1,500 years old, the pyramid was a ceremonial site for the Lima Indigenous group that gave this city its name. Excavations began in 1981 and continue today.
On a recent morning, workers scraped sand and dirt from part of the site that archaeologists are beginning to explore for the first time. Nearby, guides pointed to the intricate brickwork, which has withstood earthquakes, and then led visitors to the top of the 82-foot-tall pyramid for views of the Pacific Ocean.
Among the visitors was Manuel Larrabure, a professor at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania who was born and raised in Lima but had never been to Pucllana.
"It's very impressive," he said. "The tendency is to look outside of Lima for interesting things, but it's good to look inside and to appreciate our own culture. People are still getting to know these sites."
Before it was restored following the start of excavations some 40 years ago, Pucllana was routinely looted and abused. At one point, a factory was using Pucllana's sand and clay to make bricks. Tour guide Blanca Arista says the pyramid also served as a neighborhood playground — and a motocross track.
"It's unbelievable, but several groups were practicing motocross," she said. "So, imagine different groups riding motorcycles, riding bikes."
Indeed, Lima's ancient Indigenous sites have, more often, been desecrated instead of safeguarded, says Giancarlo Marcone, a Peruvian archaeologist and professor at the University of Engineering and Technology in Lima.
Some were bulldozed to make way for apartment blocks and streets amid a wave of migration from the countryside that began in the 1950s.
"That put a lot of pressure on the city, and we didn't have good planning," Marcone says. "Until recently, we didn't really care about what we had."
Attitudes shifted as Peruvians became more sensitive to their cultural heritage and the country's ancient sites began to attract more international tourists. Janie Gómez, who until April was deputy culture minister, said the government of President Dina Boluarte is committed to preserving these sites.
"Their recovery will prevent them from deteriorating and being invaded," she told the state-run Andina news agency in January. "The millennial history over which Lima was built must not be lost."
However, Peru is struggling to reduce poverty and improve hospitals and schools, Marcone says. Thus, governments have been unable or unwilling to finance robust excavations or to turn more than a few sites into tourist attractions. The result is that many have been left in limbo.
Rosa María Barillas, a Peruvian archaeology student who recently completed fieldwork at an ancient temple on the outskirts of Lima, recalls looters prowling the area.
"I had to chase them away," she says.
Other sites have been colonized by squatters. The archaeological complex at Mateo Salado, near Lima's international airport, features a beautifully restored 1,000-year-old pyramid, but is also home to several modern houses. Until 2013, when major restoration work began, farmers used the site to cultivate roses and neighborhood kids played soccer there.
In the working-class neighborhood of Los Olivos, a dusty, dun-colored archaeological site called Infantas I is hemmed in by streets and houses. Ashes from a campfire are smoldering while trash piles up in several areas. Three youths are smoking crack, and a shirtless man is digging up sand and putting it in sacks. The area is part of a series of temples, but has yet to be excavated.
Benito Trejo, who heads the neighborhood committee, calls Infantas I a headache.
"It's not a good thing, because these sites are ignored by the government which is supposed to look after them," he says.
There was no response to NPR's requests for comment from the Culture Ministry.
For now, archaeologists say that surrounding communities must get more involved in preserving and promoting the sites. Pucllana, for example, has been used for art exhibits, while other sites have hosted film screenings.
At Mateo Salado, fifth graders were recently visiting the site and drawing pictures of the ruins, which are part of their school logo.
"We shouldn't look at these sites simply as relics of the past," says Andrés Ramírez, one of the instructors. "They should be part of everyday society. That's what we are trying to promote."
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wbaa.org/2023-07-29/in-peru-discovery-of-ancient-ruins-outpaces-authorities-ability-to-care-for-them | 2023-07-29T09:56:03 | 0 | https://www.wbaa.org/2023-07-29/in-peru-discovery-of-ancient-ruins-outpaces-authorities-ability-to-care-for-them |
Ron DeSantis was involved in a traffic accident while in Chattanooga, Tenn., this week raising money for his presidential bid. The candidate was not injured, which may have been the single best piece of news the campaign has had in a while.
The other kind of news for the Florida Republican seemed to be everywhere and all at once. His campaign announced it was shedding a third of its staff and "retooling" its fundraising amid reports of donor desertion. The Associated Press referred to the campaign as "stalled," Rich Lowry of National Review used the words "faltering" and "diminished" in a piece for Politico. The Wall Street Journal editorial page, often a cheerleader for the governor, noted "the headlines say [the campaign] is in an unrecoverable dive."
The media critiques went beyond DeSantis' problems with staffing and fundraising to question his performance on the stump. Stories told of DeSantis "scolding" students at one event for wearing masks and snapping at reporters at a news conference.
Most troubling of all may have been DeSantis' problems with messaging. He has defended his administration's new Florida history curriculum, which alludes to "benefits" that enslaved people may have derived from their life in bondage – such as blacksmithing skills. That drew a rebuke from rival candidate Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who's Black, who said there had been no "silver lining in slavery."
DeSantis may have been expected to stand by his state's curriculum changes, but it was harder to understand why he reached for controversy by saying he might appoint Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as head of the FDA or the CDC. Kennedy, a Democrat, is also a candidate for president, and famous as a vaccine conspiracy theorist, harshly critical of the scientists who lead the federal health agencies.
Most candidates would not consider either slavery or RFK Jr. an issue to emphasize, much less the hill they would choose to die on.
Perceptions prompt comparison to former presidential hopeful Rick Perry
Perceptions of DeSantis have changed greatly since he won reelection in November 2022 by 20 points. In January he was seen as the foremost threat to Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination, trailing the former president by just two percentage points in the 538.com average of national polls. As of this week, that gap has widened to 37 percentage points. DeSantis poll numbers have fallen by more than half as other candidates have entered the fray and taken a share. And that trendline has prompted comparisons to the recent history of another Sun Belt governor who had his eyes on the White House, Rick Perry of Texas.
A dozen years ago, Perry entered the GOP lists for the 2012 nomination against incumbent President Barack Obama. Having been elected and reelected in the nation's second most populous state, Perry had a gaudy list of endorsements and wealthy backers. His TV ads were impressive.
But Perry's in-person campaigning did not match expectations. After the first candidate debates of 2007 the buzz was all about his lackluster performances. Vowing to fight on, Perry pointed to a November debate where he hoped to turn things around. That was when he pledged to eliminate three cabinet level departments of the federal government if elected – Education, Commerce ... and he could not remember the third. After a fumbling pause he said: "Oops."
Needless to say, things did not get better after that. Crushed in the 2012 Iowa caucuses, Perry all but ignored New Hampshire to concentrate on South Carolina. But when his poll numbers there also sagged, he dropped out. In 2016, having just retired as the longest-tenured governor in Texas history, he tried again. But in a field of more than 15 candidates dominated by Trump, Perry barely registered. He dropped out before the Iowa caucuses.
Needless to say, no candidate for president wants to be compared to Rick Perry. But on Fox News on June 28, DeSantis told a Fox News host he would eliminate the same three departments as Perry — Education, Commerce and, as Perry had eventually remembered, Energy (which wound up being the department where Perry served as secretary under Trump). DeSantis threw in the IRS, too, which gave him a longer list than Perry's.
Throughout the agonizing train wreck that was the Perry campaign, the candidate seemed unable to understand that the persona and priorities that had lifted him to such success in Texas were not working the same on the national stage.
Can this campaign be saved?
DeSantis' campaign has reached the point where some observers wonder if it's too late to turn his fortunes around. They note that Trump's growing advantage over DeSantis in polls has been driven less by improving numbers for Trump than by deteriorating support for the Floridian.
But there are positives in this picture for the Florida governor. First, it is early — or at least relatively early — in the campaign season. The first voting activity leading to actual delegates being chosen does not happen until January 15, when Iowa holds its caucuses. That gives DeSantis and other candidates still seeking traction more than five months to find it. If the right formula can be found, there is time to follow it.
Second, the field is in some senses still unsettled. While half the Republican electorate may be satisfied with Trump, there is still the other half. And if the ever-mounting legal woes of the former president finally begin to erode the bedrock of his support, it may be possible for a single strong challenger to consolidate the opposition.
Third, there are beacons of hope for troubled candidates in recent presidential campaign history. By choosing to call the latest phase of his effort an "insurgency," DeSantis has acknowledged that he is battling the odds. Of course, when he adopted the campaign motto "The Great American Comeback," he was not expecting it to apply to his campaign.
The term "comeback" has long been associated with the first presidential push of a young Arkansas governor named Bill Clinton. Then 45, Clinton was seeking the Democratic nomination against the sitting president George H.W. Bush in 1992. Bush had been so popular following the success of the Persian Gulf War in 1991 that many ambitious Democrats in Washington thought it better to wait for the 1996 cycle to run. Clinton looked strong in the preliminary phase of the campaign but was on the ropes as the primaries began, battered by two potentially fatal blows.
Newspaper stories had highlighted steps he took to avoid the draft during the Vietnam War, and in a woman he had known in Arkansas named Gennifer Flowers told a supermarket tabloid the two had had a years-long affair. She repeated her story in a televised news conference.
Clinton stumbled to a distant third-place showing in the Iowa caucuses (won by a favorite son candidate, Tom Harkin) and fell far behind in New Hampshire. But on that state's primary night in February, Clinton in second place had closed the gap to single digits and won half the available delegates.
He went on TV to thank New Hampshire for making "Bill Clinton the comeback kid." The national media coverage largely followed that line, much to the distress of the primary's first-place winner, Sen. Paul Tsongas of neighboring Massachusetts. A few weeks later, on Super Tuesday, Clinton won most of the big state primaries, many of them in the South, and the lion's share of the delegates. He was soon cruising to the nomination.
McCain turned his ship around
More directly comparable to DeSantis' situation, and closer to his political home, was the turnaround achieved 16 years later by the campaign of Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain. A former POW in Vietnam who had made many friends in his time in the Senate, McCain was well known for his spirited "Straight Talk Express" campaign challenging George W. Bush for the GOP nomination in 2000. McCain came up short that time, but his profile was elevated in the Senate and he retained much of his appeal for independents.
But when it came to running another campaign, McCain quickly ran aground. The national agenda had changed over the two terms of the second President Bush, which included the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks and subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The man who had been New York City mayor during those attacks, Rudy Giuliani, was now running for president as "America's Mayor" and leading in national polls for a time.
Other notables in the field in 2007 included Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (now a senator from Utah) and Mike Huckabee, a former governor of Arkansas. McCain's standing in Iowa had suffered with his opposition to ethanol subsidies and he trailed Romney in polling in New Hampshire.
In the summer of 2007, with his early money drying up and fundraising slowed, McCain saw many news accounts of his flagging campaign. Some were ready to write him off. But that July he revamped his campaign from top to bottom and let go some longtime aides, including close friends, to begin anew. He seemed ready to do whatever it took, including altering his positions on key issues such as immigration.
By the time the campaign reached the voters in January 2008, the McCain operation had righted itself. After conceding Iowa to his rivals, McCain stormed back into contention with a smashing win in New Hampshire that netted him most of the delegates at stake.
As for one-time front-runner Giuliani, he had decided he did not need to go hard at Iowa and New Hampshire and concentrated instead on the late January primary in Florida. Giuliani finished third there, winning no delegates, and withdrew from the race the next day.
The following week brought Super Tuesday and a favorable mix of states for McCain, who won nine states to Romney's seven and Huckabee's five and pocketed most of the delegates. Romney then left the race and urged the other candidates and the party to unite behind McCain.
At such times in the past, struggling campaigns have rescued themselves with the right moves and a dose of luck. At other times, it has taken major missteps by front-running candidates to open the door. In DeSantis' case, it might well require both.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wbaa.org/2023-07-29/presidential-primaries-have-seen-dramatic-comebacks-could-desantis-24-be-next | 2023-07-29T09:56:10 | 0 | https://www.wbaa.org/2023-07-29/presidential-primaries-have-seen-dramatic-comebacks-could-desantis-24-be-next |
CANBERRA, Australia — Four air crew members were missing after an Australian army helicopter ditched into waters off the Queensland state coast during joint military exercises with the United States, officials said Saturday.
The MRH-90 Taipan helicopter went down near Lindeman Island, a Great Barrier Reef tourist resort, at about 11 p.m. Friday, exercise director Australian Army Brigadier Damian Hill said.
A search involving U.S., Canadian and Australian personnel was underway to find the crew who are all Australian men, officials said.
Debris that appeared to be from a helicopter had been recovered, Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner Douglas McDonald said.
The Taipan was taking part in Talisman Sabre, a biennial joint U.S.-Australian military exercise that is largely based in Queensland. This year's exercise involves 13 nations and more than 30,000 military personnel.
Defense Minister Richard Marles said the helicopter ditched, which refers to an emergency landing on water.
"Defense exercises, which are so necessary for the readiness of our defense force, are serious. They carry risk," Marles told reporters in Brisbane. "As we desperately hope for better news during the course of this day we are reminded about the gravity of the act which comes with wearing our nation's uniform."
Hill said the exercise was postponed on Saturday morning but had restarted limited activity later in the day. Australia had grounded its Taipan fleet as a precaution, Hill said.
It was the second emergency involving an Australian Taipan this year, after one ditched into the sea off the New South Wales state coast in March. That helicopter was taking part in a nighttime counterterrorism training exercise when it ran into trouble. All 10 passengers and crew members were rescued.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was in Brisbane for a meeting on Saturday and is due to travel with Marles to north Queensland on Sunday to see the exercise.
Austin and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken paid tribute to the missing air crew at the outset of a meeting with their Australian counterparts, Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
"It's always tough when you have accidents in training, but ... the reason that we train to such high standards is so that we can be successful and we can protect lives when we are called to answer any kind of crisis," Austin said.
"Our guys tend to make this look easy and they make it look easy because they're so well exercised and rehearsed and trained, and this is unfortunately a part of that, what it takes to get them to where we need them to be," Austin added.
Blinken said, "We're so grateful to them for their dedication, for their service, for everything they've been doing to stand up for the freedom that we share and that is what unites us more than anything else."
Marles thanked the United States for their contribution to the search and rescue effort.
The missing helicopter had just dropped off two Australian commandos before it hit the water, Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported.
Australia announced in January that its army and navy would stop flying the European-built Taipans by December 2024, 13 years earlier than originally planned, because they had proven unreliable. They will be replaced by 40 U.S. Black Hawks. Marles said at the time the Lockheed Martin-designed Black Hawks "have a really good proven track record in terms of their reliability."
Australia's Taipans had been plagued by problems since the first helicopter arrived in the country in 2007.
Australia's entire fleet of 47 Taipans was grounded in 2019 to fix a problem with their tail rotor blades. A year later, 27 Taipans were grounded because of a problem with doors.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.apr.org/2023-07-29/4-air-crew-members-are-missing-after-an-australian-army-helicopter-ditched-off-coast | 2023-07-29T09:56:11 | 1 | https://www.apr.org/2023-07-29/4-air-crew-members-are-missing-after-an-australian-army-helicopter-ditched-off-coast |
From the outside, the tall white building looks like any other hip, new Brooklyn living space. But about a thousand migrant men sleep here every night and there's room for hundreds more. It's a sort of mega shelter, poised to become one of New York City's largest.
It's been open for just a few weeks, and it's already riddled with accusations of abuse.
For months, Mayor Eric Adams has been issuing warnings that the New York City shelter system simply cannot handle the deluge of over 90,000 people it has received in the last year or so. "We have no more room in the city," he cautioned at a recent press conference. "We need help from the federal government."
The Adams administration is challenging New York's right to shelter law in court: That's the law that for decades has assured that the city provide a safe haven to anyone in need, regardless of immigration status.
Adams also recently announced several unusual measures including distribution of fliers to asylum-seekers at the border in order to discourage migrants from coming to New York City. Single adults will only be able to stay in shelters for 60 days before having to reapply.
Activists say it's in keeping with this policy shift that the new shelter site — located in Brooklyn's posh Clinton Hill neighborhood — is being referred to as an "emergency respite center," rather than a shelter. It's been touted as a temporary humanitarian aid solution.
NPR spent several days speaking to asylum seekers who say conditions in the building are dire. Many described zones of 80 to 90 people sharing two bathrooms. A 26-year-old man named Deivy says he's fleeing armed conflict in Colombia and that he's been living in the shelter for over a week.
He asked that his last name be withheld for fear of retaliation. Deivy says fighting over use of the bathroom facilities is common and showering is an odyssey. Parked outside, two trailers with showers serve the entire building.
"It's bad in there," says one Mauritanian man named Neimar, who also asked that his last name be withheld for fear he'd be in trouble with shelter authorities. Sitting listlessly on a nearby park bench, Neimar describes the experience as a sort of limbo. "We had no life where we came from, but here we have no luck here. No clothing. No food. Nothing."
Lack of access to food is one of the most common complaints. On a recent day shelter occupants say lunch consists of a bag of chips and a water. Often the food has gone bad.
What troubles many people here the most is the security guards. "They treat us like animals," says Neimar. "As if we were not people."
In interviews with more than two dozen people, nearly everyone recounted experiencing physical harassment and verbal slights at the shelter. "I understand enough English to know I'm being insulted," says Deivy.
NPR reached out to the New York City government multiple times for comment on these accusations without response.
Advocates say shelters like this one are disheartening, especially given that New York has long been seen as a beacon for immigrants. "For at least 40 years, New York City has provided a right to shelter to all people — regardless of their immigration status — who need a place to stay for the night," says Columbia University Professor Elora Mukherjee, who studies immigration and law. She called the shift in policy "devastating."
For many migrants and asylum seekers, this Brooklyn location is not the first encounter with the New York shelter system. But it does feel like the last straw. Several described the situation at this new site so dire, they would rather sleep under a nearby highway overpass. Others have no choice but to join a homeless camp of nearly 20 men.
Among them is Jose Antonio. He says he left Venezuela to escape government harassment. "Eighty people using two bathrooms?" he says. "It's a health hazard." When he arrived at the shelter a few weeks ago, it was under construction, still lacking lights. After an altercation over bathroom access in the morning, he says, he was asked to leave. He now he sleeps outside. During the day, he works odd landscaping gigs.
The motto down here: stay working.
But the question of work and who is allowed to do it is where the federal immigration bureaucracy labyrinth gets even more complicated. The soonest an asylum seeker can get a work permit is six months after they apply for asylum. That's a process that can in turn take years.
"The Mayor does make a good point when he says that the city needs help. And that help should take various forms," said Professor Elora Mukherjee. The city, she says, needs the federal government to lend their authority. "First and foremost: the federal government should authorize asylum seekers to receive their lawful work organization as soon as they enter the United States and fill out the relevant paperwork."
There's no indication that this will happen anytime soon. Instead, many men rent scooters in order to work for food delivery apps. By noon on a recent day, the dinging sound of orders start echoing under the bridge.
The men head out.
It's a dystopian scene: asylum seekers, staying in a shelter and under a bridge, delivering pricey meals throughout New York.
A few days later, the police sweep the camp. For several hours the men say they are driven around the city on a bus and taken to two different shelters where they are turned away.
Eventually, the bus drops them off in Brooklyn again. The men walk back to the highway overpass and to the camp where they find many of their belongings are now missing. One man reports his immigration papers, cellphone, and clothing all gone.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.apr.org/2023-07-29/as-nyc-limits-access-to-migrants-and-asylum-seekers-many-are-left-homeless | 2023-07-29T09:56:17 | 0 | https://www.apr.org/2023-07-29/as-nyc-limits-access-to-migrants-and-asylum-seekers-many-are-left-homeless |
Fresh Air Weekend highlights some of the best interviews and reviews from past weeks, and new program elements specially paced for weekends. Our weekend show emphasizes interviews with writers, filmmakers, actors and musicians, and often includes excerpts from live in-studio concerts. This week:
Colson Whitehead channels the paranoia and fear of 1970s NYC in 'Crook Manifesto': "My early '70s New York is dingy and grimy," the Pulitzer Prize-winning author says. Whitehead's sequel to Harlem Shuffle centers on crime at every level, from small-time crooks to Harlem's elite.
Crime writer S.A. Cosby loves the South — and is haunted by it: Cosby's novel All the Sinners Bleed centers on a Black sheriff in a small Southeast Virginia county. The novel was inspired by his own experiences growing up in the shadow of the Confederacy.
You can listen to the original interviews and review here:
Colson Whitehead channels the paranoia and fear of 1970s NYC in 'Crook Manifesto'
Crime writer S.A. Cosby loves the South — and is haunted by it
Copyright 2023 Fresh Air. To see more, visit Fresh Air. | https://www.apr.org/2023-07-29/fresh-air-weekend-colson-whitehead-s-a-cosby | 2023-07-29T09:56:24 | 0 | https://www.apr.org/2023-07-29/fresh-air-weekend-colson-whitehead-s-a-cosby |
LIMA, Peru — Although the top tourist destination in Peru is the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, high in the Andes Mountains, the capital Lima also holds a treasure trove of ancient ruins — so many, in fact, that authorities can't take care of them all.
The city is home to more than 400 known pyramids, temples and burial sites, many of which predate the Incas and and are known in Spanish as "huacas." They sit next to modern shopping centers, hotels and highways or rise up in the middle of neighborhoods in this city of 11 million people. Meanwhile, archaeologists keep digging up new sites.
Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, a former Peruvian president who lives across the street from a pyramid called Huallamarca, built around 1,800 years ago, says with a smile: "I know where I am when I wake up in the morning. I'm in Peru!"
Due mostly to budget limitations, Huallamarca is one of only 27 sites in Lima that have been excavated, restored and opened to visitors, according to archaeologists who spoke with NPR.
Many other sites are deteriorating. Squatters have occupied some, and others have become de facto garbage dumps or gathering spots for drug users and homeless people.
"Everywhere you dig, you will find something — because Lima was home to great civilizations," says Micaela Álvarez, director of the museum at Pucllana, a massive pyramid in Lima's business district of Miraflores. "But it's impossible to save everything in a poor country."
Pucllana is one of the exceptions.
Thought to be about 1,500 years old, the pyramid was a ceremonial site for the Lima Indigenous group that gave this city its name. Excavations began in 1981 and continue today.
On a recent morning, workers scraped sand and dirt from part of the site that archaeologists are beginning to explore for the first time. Nearby, guides pointed to the intricate brickwork, which has withstood earthquakes, and then led visitors to the top of the 82-foot-tall pyramid for views of the Pacific Ocean.
Among the visitors was Manuel Larrabure, a professor at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania who was born and raised in Lima but had never been to Pucllana.
"It's very impressive," he said. "The tendency is to look outside of Lima for interesting things, but it's good to look inside and to appreciate our own culture. People are still getting to know these sites."
Before it was restored following the start of excavations some 40 years ago, Pucllana was routinely looted and abused. At one point, a factory was using Pucllana's sand and clay to make bricks. Tour guide Blanca Arista says the pyramid also served as a neighborhood playground — and a motocross track.
"It's unbelievable, but several groups were practicing motocross," she said. "So, imagine different groups riding motorcycles, riding bikes."
Indeed, Lima's ancient Indigenous sites have, more often, been desecrated instead of safeguarded, says Giancarlo Marcone, a Peruvian archaeologist and professor at the University of Engineering and Technology in Lima.
Some were bulldozed to make way for apartment blocks and streets amid a wave of migration from the countryside that began in the 1950s.
"That put a lot of pressure on the city, and we didn't have good planning," Marcone says. "Until recently, we didn't really care about what we had."
Attitudes shifted as Peruvians became more sensitive to their cultural heritage and the country's ancient sites began to attract more international tourists. Janie Gómez, who until April was deputy culture minister, said the government of President Dina Boluarte is committed to preserving these sites.
"Their recovery will prevent them from deteriorating and being invaded," she told the state-run Andina news agency in January. "The millennial history over which Lima was built must not be lost."
However, Peru is struggling to reduce poverty and improve hospitals and schools, Marcone says. Thus, governments have been unable or unwilling to finance robust excavations or to turn more than a few sites into tourist attractions. The result is that many have been left in limbo.
Rosa María Barillas, a Peruvian archaeology student who recently completed fieldwork at an ancient temple on the outskirts of Lima, recalls looters prowling the area.
"I had to chase them away," she says.
Other sites have been colonized by squatters. The archaeological complex at Mateo Salado, near Lima's international airport, features a beautifully restored 1,000-year-old pyramid, but is also home to several modern houses. Until 2013, when major restoration work began, farmers used the site to cultivate roses and neighborhood kids played soccer there.
In the working-class neighborhood of Los Olivos, a dusty, dun-colored archaeological site called Infantas I is hemmed in by streets and houses. Ashes from a campfire are smoldering while trash piles up in several areas. Three youths are smoking crack, and a shirtless man is digging up sand and putting it in sacks. The area is part of a series of temples, but has yet to be excavated.
Benito Trejo, who heads the neighborhood committee, calls Infantas I a headache.
"It's not a good thing, because these sites are ignored by the government which is supposed to look after them," he says.
There was no response to NPR's requests for comment from the Culture Ministry.
For now, archaeologists say that surrounding communities must get more involved in preserving and promoting the sites. Pucllana, for example, has been used for art exhibits, while other sites have hosted film screenings.
At Mateo Salado, fifth graders were recently visiting the site and drawing pictures of the ruins, which are part of their school logo.
"We shouldn't look at these sites simply as relics of the past," says Andrés Ramírez, one of the instructors. "They should be part of everyday society. That's what we are trying to promote."
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.apr.org/2023-07-29/in-peru-discovery-of-ancient-ruins-outpaces-authorities-ability-to-care-for-them | 2023-07-29T09:56:30 | 1 | https://www.apr.org/2023-07-29/in-peru-discovery-of-ancient-ruins-outpaces-authorities-ability-to-care-for-them |
Ron DeSantis was involved in a traffic accident while in Chattanooga, Tenn., this week raising money for his presidential bid. The candidate was not injured, which may have been the single best piece of news the campaign has had in a while.
The other kind of news for the Florida Republican seemed to be everywhere and all at once. His campaign announced it was shedding a third of its staff and "retooling" its fundraising amid reports of donor desertion. The Associated Press referred to the campaign as "stalled," Rich Lowry of National Review used the words "faltering" and "diminished" in a piece for Politico. The Wall Street Journal editorial page, often a cheerleader for the governor, noted "the headlines say [the campaign] is in an unrecoverable dive."
The media critiques went beyond DeSantis' problems with staffing and fundraising to question his performance on the stump. Stories told of DeSantis "scolding" students at one event for wearing masks and snapping at reporters at a news conference.
Most troubling of all may have been DeSantis' problems with messaging. He has defended his administration's new Florida history curriculum, which alludes to "benefits" that enslaved people may have derived from their life in bondage – such as blacksmithing skills. That drew a rebuke from rival candidate Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who's Black, who said there had been no "silver lining in slavery."
DeSantis may have been expected to stand by his state's curriculum changes, but it was harder to understand why he reached for controversy by saying he might appoint Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as head of the FDA or the CDC. Kennedy, a Democrat, is also a candidate for president, and famous as a vaccine conspiracy theorist, harshly critical of the scientists who lead the federal health agencies.
Most candidates would not consider either slavery or RFK Jr. an issue to emphasize, much less the hill they would choose to die on.
Perceptions prompt comparison to former presidential hopeful Rick Perry
Perceptions of DeSantis have changed greatly since he won reelection in November 2022 by 20 points. In January he was seen as the foremost threat to Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination, trailing the former president by just two percentage points in the 538.com average of national polls. As of this week, that gap has widened to 37 percentage points. DeSantis poll numbers have fallen by more than half as other candidates have entered the fray and taken a share. And that trendline has prompted comparisons to the recent history of another Sun Belt governor who had his eyes on the White House, Rick Perry of Texas.
A dozen years ago, Perry entered the GOP lists for the 2012 nomination against incumbent President Barack Obama. Having been elected and reelected in the nation's second most populous state, Perry had a gaudy list of endorsements and wealthy backers. His TV ads were impressive.
But Perry's in-person campaigning did not match expectations. After the first candidate debates of 2007 the buzz was all about his lackluster performances. Vowing to fight on, Perry pointed to a November debate where he hoped to turn things around. That was when he pledged to eliminate three cabinet level departments of the federal government if elected – Education, Commerce ... and he could not remember the third. After a fumbling pause he said: "Oops."
Needless to say, things did not get better after that. Crushed in the 2012 Iowa caucuses, Perry all but ignored New Hampshire to concentrate on South Carolina. But when his poll numbers there also sagged, he dropped out. In 2016, having just retired as the longest-tenured governor in Texas history, he tried again. But in a field of more than 15 candidates dominated by Trump, Perry barely registered. He dropped out before the Iowa caucuses.
Needless to say, no candidate for president wants to be compared to Rick Perry. But on Fox News on June 28, DeSantis told a Fox News host he would eliminate the same three departments as Perry — Education, Commerce and, as Perry had eventually remembered, Energy (which wound up being the department where Perry served as secretary under Trump). DeSantis threw in the IRS, too, which gave him a longer list than Perry's.
Throughout the agonizing train wreck that was the Perry campaign, the candidate seemed unable to understand that the persona and priorities that had lifted him to such success in Texas were not working the same on the national stage.
Can this campaign be saved?
DeSantis' campaign has reached the point where some observers wonder if it's too late to turn his fortunes around. They note that Trump's growing advantage over DeSantis in polls has been driven less by improving numbers for Trump than by deteriorating support for the Floridian.
But there are positives in this picture for the Florida governor. First, it is early — or at least relatively early — in the campaign season. The first voting activity leading to actual delegates being chosen does not happen until January 15, when Iowa holds its caucuses. That gives DeSantis and other candidates still seeking traction more than five months to find it. If the right formula can be found, there is time to follow it.
Second, the field is in some senses still unsettled. While half the Republican electorate may be satisfied with Trump, there is still the other half. And if the ever-mounting legal woes of the former president finally begin to erode the bedrock of his support, it may be possible for a single strong challenger to consolidate the opposition.
Third, there are beacons of hope for troubled candidates in recent presidential campaign history. By choosing to call the latest phase of his effort an "insurgency," DeSantis has acknowledged that he is battling the odds. Of course, when he adopted the campaign motto "The Great American Comeback," he was not expecting it to apply to his campaign.
The term "comeback" has long been associated with the first presidential push of a young Arkansas governor named Bill Clinton. Then 45, Clinton was seeking the Democratic nomination against the sitting president George H.W. Bush in 1992. Bush had been so popular following the success of the Persian Gulf War in 1991 that many ambitious Democrats in Washington thought it better to wait for the 1996 cycle to run. Clinton looked strong in the preliminary phase of the campaign but was on the ropes as the primaries began, battered by two potentially fatal blows.
Newspaper stories had highlighted steps he took to avoid the draft during the Vietnam War, and in a woman he had known in Arkansas named Gennifer Flowers told a supermarket tabloid the two had had a years-long affair. She repeated her story in a televised news conference.
Clinton stumbled to a distant third-place showing in the Iowa caucuses (won by a favorite son candidate, Tom Harkin) and fell far behind in New Hampshire. But on that state's primary night in February, Clinton in second place had closed the gap to single digits and won half the available delegates.
He went on TV to thank New Hampshire for making "Bill Clinton the comeback kid." The national media coverage largely followed that line, much to the distress of the primary's first-place winner, Sen. Paul Tsongas of neighboring Massachusetts. A few weeks later, on Super Tuesday, Clinton won most of the big state primaries, many of them in the South, and the lion's share of the delegates. He was soon cruising to the nomination.
McCain turned his ship around
More directly comparable to DeSantis' situation, and closer to his political home, was the turnaround achieved 16 years later by the campaign of Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain. A former POW in Vietnam who had made many friends in his time in the Senate, McCain was well known for his spirited "Straight Talk Express" campaign challenging George W. Bush for the GOP nomination in 2000. McCain came up short that time, but his profile was elevated in the Senate and he retained much of his appeal for independents.
But when it came to running another campaign, McCain quickly ran aground. The national agenda had changed over the two terms of the second President Bush, which included the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks and subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The man who had been New York City mayor during those attacks, Rudy Giuliani, was now running for president as "America's Mayor" and leading in national polls for a time.
Other notables in the field in 2007 included Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (now a senator from Utah) and Mike Huckabee, a former governor of Arkansas. McCain's standing in Iowa had suffered with his opposition to ethanol subsidies and he trailed Romney in polling in New Hampshire.
In the summer of 2007, with his early money drying up and fundraising slowed, McCain saw many news accounts of his flagging campaign. Some were ready to write him off. But that July he revamped his campaign from top to bottom and let go some longtime aides, including close friends, to begin anew. He seemed ready to do whatever it took, including altering his positions on key issues such as immigration.
By the time the campaign reached the voters in January 2008, the McCain operation had righted itself. After conceding Iowa to his rivals, McCain stormed back into contention with a smashing win in New Hampshire that netted him most of the delegates at stake.
As for one-time front-runner Giuliani, he had decided he did not need to go hard at Iowa and New Hampshire and concentrated instead on the late January primary in Florida. Giuliani finished third there, winning no delegates, and withdrew from the race the next day.
The following week brought Super Tuesday and a favorable mix of states for McCain, who won nine states to Romney's seven and Huckabee's five and pocketed most of the delegates. Romney then left the race and urged the other candidates and the party to unite behind McCain.
At such times in the past, struggling campaigns have rescued themselves with the right moves and a dose of luck. At other times, it has taken major missteps by front-running candidates to open the door. In DeSantis' case, it might well require both.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.apr.org/politics-government/2023-07-29/presidential-primaries-have-seen-dramatic-comebacks-could-desantis-24-be-next | 2023-07-29T09:56:36 | 0 | https://www.apr.org/politics-government/2023-07-29/presidential-primaries-have-seen-dramatic-comebacks-could-desantis-24-be-next |
President Biden publicly acknowledged his seventh grandchild, a 4-year-old named Navy Joan Roberts, for the first time on Friday, capping a month of questions about why he had seemingly excluded the little girl from his tight family circle.
Roberts is the daughter of Hunter Biden and Lunden Roberts, an Arkansas woman who filed a paternity lawsuit against her child's father in 2019.
"Our son Hunter and Navy's mother, Lunden, are working together to foster a relationship that is in the best interests of their daughter, preserving her privacy as much as possible going forward," President Biden said in a statement to People magazine published on Friday evening.
President Biden Speaks Out on Hunter’s Daughter, 4, with Ark. Woman: ‘Jill and I Only Want What’s Best’ (Exclusive) https://t.co/9qlHMZXH7E
— People (@people) July 28, 2023
"This is not a political issue, it's a family matter," Biden said in the statement. "Jill and I only want what is best for all of our grandchildren, including Navy."
President Biden is known for often speaking about his love of his family and grandchildren. Last year, Hunter Biden's eldest child, Naomi, was married at the White House in what was a lavish affair.
In early July, the New York Times profiled Navy, her mother, and some of the details of their child support settlement. The story drew attention to the fact that the president had never recognized his 4-year-old granddaughter.
Some GOP presidential contenders like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley made jabs at the president for the omission.
Hunter Biden recently settled a lawsuit over his daughter
Hunter Biden has struggled with addiction. In his 2021 memoir, he blamed his addictions for his court battle over his daughter's paternity.
"It's why I would later challenge in court the woman from Arkansas who had a baby in 2018 and claimed the child was mine — I had no recollection of our encounter. That's how little connection I had with anyone," he wrote in his memoir. "I was a mess, but a mess I've taken responsibility for."
Hunter Biden was proven to be the child's father through a DNA test. He has recently settled a lawsuit for child support.
He has three older children, now in their 20s, as well as a 3-year-old son named Beau, who is often seen at the White House.
Hunter Biden has been the target of Republican attacks on the president because of his business dealings and legal issues.
He recently agreed to plead guilty to tax and gun charges in a deal that would allow him to avoid future prosecution. But that plea deal fell apart when the judge said she needed more information and wasn't ready to accept the deal he struck with the Justice Department.
The White House has refused to comment on whether Hunter Biden's legal troubles are a political liability for the president, describing them as personal matters, and saying only that the president loves his son and supports him as he tries to rebuild his life.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.apr.org/politics-government/politics-government/2023-07-28/biden-has-a-7th-grandchild-but-hes-never-acknowledged-her-until-now | 2023-07-29T09:56:42 | 0 | https://www.apr.org/politics-government/politics-government/2023-07-28/biden-has-a-7th-grandchild-but-hes-never-acknowledged-her-until-now |
Cardinals Odds to Make Playoffs and Win Super Bowl
As of now the Arizona Cardinals have the worst odds in the league of winning the Super Bowl, listed at +20000.
Watch the Cardinals this season on Fubo!
Cardinals Super Bowl Odds
- Odds to Win the NFC West: +2500
- Odds to Win the Super Bowl: +20000
Looking to place a futures bet on the Cardinals to win the Super Bowl this season? Head to BetMGM using our link and enter the bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Arizona Betting Insights
- Arizona went 8-9-0 ATS last season.
- A total of 10 Cardinals games last season went over the point total.
- On offense, Arizona ranked 22nd in the with 323.5 yards per game last season. Meanwhile, it ranked 21st in total defense (348.9 yards allowed per contest).
- Last year the Cardinals picked up three wins away from home, but just one at home.
- When favored last season Arizona picked up only one victory (1-2), while posting a 3-11 record as the underdog.
- The Cardinals won only once in the NFC West (1-5), and they went 3-9 in the NFC as a whole.
Cardinals Impact Players
- James Conner rushed for 782 yards (60.2 per game) and seven touchdowns in 13 games last year.
- Conner also had 46 catches for 300 yards and one TD.
- Marquise Brown had 67 catches for 709 yards (59.1 per game) and three touchdowns in 12 games.
- In the passing game a season ago, Greg Dortch scored two TDs, hauling in 52 balls for 467 yards (29.2 per game).
- Rondale Moore had 41 catches for 414 yards (51.8 per game) and one touchdown in eight games.
- As a key defensive contributor, Isaiah Simmons collected 99 tackles, 5.0 TFL, four sacks, and two interceptions in 17 games last year.
Bet on Cardinals to win the Super Bowl and plenty more with BetMGM. Head to BetMGM using our link and enter the bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
2023-24 Cardinals NFL Schedule
Odds are current as of July 29 at 5:21 AM ET. 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.kold.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/cardinals-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ | 2023-07-29T09:56:52 | 1 | https://www.kold.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/cardinals-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ |
Buccaneers Odds to Make Playoffs and Win Super Bowl
Right now the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have the third-longest odds in the league of winning the Super Bowl, listed at +15000.
Watch the Buccaneers this season on Fubo!
Buccaneers Super Bowl Odds
- Odds to Win the NFC South: +750
- Odds to Win the Super Bowl: +15000
Looking to place a futures bet on the Buccaneers to win the Super Bowl this season? Head to BetMGM using our link and enter the bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Tampa Bay Betting Insights
- Tampa Bay won four games against the spread last season, failing to cover or pushing 13 times.
- Last season, the combined scoring went over the point total six times in Buccaneers games.
- On offense, Tampa Bay ranked 15th in the with 346.7 yards per game last season. Meanwhile, it ranked ninth in total defense (324.3 yards allowed per contest).
- The Buccaneers collected five wins at home last year and three on the road.
- As the underdog, Tampa Bay lost every game (0-3). But as the favorite put together a 8-6 record.
- The Buccaneers were 4-2 in the NFC South and 8-4 in the NFC as a whole.
Buccaneers Impact Players
- Mike Evans had 77 catches for 1,124 yards (74.9 per game) and six touchdowns in 15 games last year.
- In 12 games, Baker Mayfield passed for 2,163 yards (180.3 per game), with 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions, and a completion percentage of 60.0%.
- On the ground, Mayfield scored one touchdown and accumulated 89 yards.
- Chris Godwin had 104 receptions for 1,023 yards (68.2 per game) and three touchdowns in 15 games a season ago.
- Rachaad White rushed for 481 yards (28.3 per game) and one touchdown in 17 games.
- Devin White recorded 124 tackles, 8.0 TFL, 5.5 sacks, and five passes defended in 17 games last year.
Bet on Buccaneers to win the Super Bowl and plenty more with BetMGM. Head to BetMGM using our link and enter the bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
2023-24 Buccaneers NFL Schedule
Odds are current as of July 29 at 5:23 AM ET. 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.mysuncoast.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/buccaneers-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ | 2023-07-29T09:58:09 | 1 | https://www.mysuncoast.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/buccaneers-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ |
Comedian John Crist reveals why 'everyday normal things' are now considered 'across the line'
Crist said the fact that 'people are more easily offended' in recent years has made comedy 'so much easier'
Political polarization and the COVID-19 pandemic have made comedy easier, not more difficult, because there are more off-limit topics and people are more easily offended, comedian John Crist told Fox News Digital.
"Basically all comedy … is just saying things out loud that you're not allowed to say," Crist said. "That's really the whole thing is you just say things that are a little bit across the line."
"Any comic will tell you, that makes comedy so much easier because to say something offensive back in the nineties, you would have to go so far, be so egregious to say something that flabbergasted everybody," Crist said. "But now … you could just question everyday normal things and that is now comedy, because it's across the line."
Crist said comedy ticket sales and video views are through the roof, which he attributes to the pandemic and the "upside down" state the world entered into in 2020.
"When everything is normal and you're just kind of living in your Pleasantville life, there's nothing funny," he said. "But when people are saying things to you on the Internet and on television and … you're not allowed to think or be critical, that's when comedy is really at its best, that's when comedy in a culture is doing its job."
"Speech wise, when you try to force information on us, that's when we as comics make fun of it," he said.
GOLDIE HAWN BLASTS CANCEL CULTURE, SAYS IT'S RUINING COMEDY
While Crist prides himself on being a family-friendly act, he said there are no topics he wouldn't touch on in either his standup or on social media, but when he does to delve into new a subject, he first makes sure it is a joke he will stand by.
"You just have to make sure it's done well," he said. "I think, right before I press publish on a video or make a joke on stage, I look at myself in the mirror, I go: ‘Do I believe in this? Is this really something that I want to go to bat for?’"
"As a comic that's kind of our job, not to make it more serious than it is but, in the culture … it's important on both sides that freedom of speech is welcomed," he added.
Crist said he can see the cultural pendulum swinging because ultimately when you silence someone or forbid people from saying certain things, people only want to hear it or talk about it more, having the opposite intended effect.
"Freedom of speech is not removing things," he said. "It's just intelligent people sorting things out for themselves and having all the information and not giving attention to ideas that are not wise and not helpful, not the silencing of people. I think the more people can speak, the more we hear it, and they go, 'Okay, yeah, enough of that."
"That's what the left, I think, doesn't understand about Trump really is, the more you try to silence these things, the more people that are in the middle are like, ‘Wait, what? Hold on, I want to hear what he has to say.’"
BILL MAHER SAYS HE IS HAPPY TO LOSE ‘SUPER WOKE’ FANS: ‘DON’T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU IN THE A--'
Christ said whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, he could make a joke defending both sides, but argued that most people are very well-meaning and moderate in their beliefs.
"Unfortunately, the extremists on either side push the extremists on the other sides," he said. "There's, I would say … 90, 95 percent of us [that] are just these people in the middle that would like to work hard, feed their families, pay their taxes and love this country."
Since January, Crist has been on his "Emotional Support Tour" performing across the country, which he described as a "therapeutic [experience] for everybody" post pandemic.
"When all of this kind of started, I guess in 2020, where the whole perspective shifted in this culture where you can't say things and you're choosing sides … I've gotten so many emails from people that just say, ‘Thank you so much, laughter truly is a good medicine,'" Crist said.
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His fans tell him it's so good to hear other people that they consider very like-minded and reasonable laughing at "just the amount of absurdity that exists in this culture," Crist added. "I will say that for myself, for my own tours and for any other comic across the country, that I would imagine they feel the same."
For more Culture, Media, Education, Opinion, and channel coverage, visit foxnews.com/media | https://www.foxnews.com/media/comedian-john-crist-reveals-why-everyday-normal-things-are-now-considered-across-the-line | 2023-07-29T09:58:11 | 0 | https://www.foxnews.com/media/comedian-john-crist-reveals-why-everyday-normal-things-are-now-considered-across-the-line |
(CNN) — Well there it goes, the hottest July on record. Extreme weather conditions in southern Europe and elsewhere are a wake-up call, experts say, and the vacation as we know it might well be over. Read tips on how you can make your next trip greener and then check out the rest of the news from the world of travel this week.
Insider tips for flying
When you’re facing potential delays, cancellations and sweatbox waiting areas, it’s best to be fully prepped before hitting the airport. That’s where flight attendants’ secrets for surviving summer travel come in. Our explainer has the inside scoop on everything you need to know – from the best time of day to fly to when a tight connection becomes too tight.
They also recommend avoiding checking your bags: overpacking weighs you down and bags often get lost. Lost bags are partly why luggage trackers have become the hottest travel accessory of 2023. Keen cyclist Barry Sherry found that out when he used one to track his bike after it had been lost by his airline.
And while you might find it hard to dream of chestnuts, sleighs and open fires while thermometers are hitting record-breaking highs, if you want to snap up a winter travel bargain, the time to hunt is now. “Always book opposite season,” says expert Scott Keyes.
Our animal friends
So we’re nearly at the end of Shark Week, and it’s time to ask yourself: Could I defend myself in the event of a shark attack? Do I even know where the world’s shark bite capitals are? Am I aware, for transparency, that the Discovery Channel and CNN share a parent company: Warner Bros. Discovery?
Time to get clued up on all that, because the next thing you need to prepare yourself for are angry sea lions. One charged tourists on a California beach recently and, as this video shows, this sea lion sure wasn’t playing ball.
And finally, from ocean deep to mountain high, a parrot and his owner had to be rescued from a Welsh peak after becoming stranded. Not forgetting its manners in the face of adversity, the bird greeted its saviors with a perky “hello.”
Grand designs
There’ll soon be a fresh way to get your kicks on Route 66 when a $2 billion Disneyland-sized “Americana-themed” park and resort opens along the northeast Oklahoma stretch of the famous highway in 2026.
And in Las Vegas, a futuristic entertainment venue - set to be christened in September with a series of concerts by U2 - is also the world’s largest spherical structure. Check out this video of the epic glowing orb.
If it’s the largest mirror-covered building in the world you’re looking for, though, the place to head is Saudi Arabia. Maraya is a 500-seat concert hall, community center and event space that shimmers like an oasis in the dramatic desert landscape of AlUla.
Happy campers
Sleeping under the stars, that fresh morning air, coffee by campfire – August is peak season for outdoor adventures. If you’re a camping novice, our explainer tells you everything you need to know before you set out.
Our partners at CNN Underscored, a product reviews and recommendations guide owned by CNN, have got your back also. They’ve selected this 2023 list of the 18 best lightweight backpacking tents, according to outdoor experts.
The tents will be particularly useful when visiting some of the most spectacular, and hard to reach, US national park campgrounds. Leave your car behind, strap your backpack on and discover that some of the best things in life come with a bit of extra hard work.
Bon appetit
A bakery in Rhode Island might just make the best chocolate pastries outside of France. New Englanders certainly think so: Le Bec Sucre sells out before 9.30 a.m. every weekend.
In case you missed it
San Francisco was too expensive – so they moved to Spain and bought a beautiful house for $50,000.
Here’s how they did it.
Pan Am flight attendants had the most glamorous jobs in the sky.
Here’s what happened when the airline vanished.
He left Japan and learned how to make tacos in Mexico.
Now he owns the hottest taco truck in Tokyo.
They climbed mountains to escape Nazis.
Now their great-grandchildren are making the same journey.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
THE-CNN-WIRE (TM) & © 2023 CABLE NEWS NETWORK, INC., A TIME WARNER COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. | https://www.channel3000.com/lifestyle/airline-secrets-when-to-book-and-why-you-shouldn-t-check-your-bag/article_5d90be1a-179d-5c61-b12b-3a4be804ad98.html | 2023-07-29T09:58:11 | 0 | https://www.channel3000.com/lifestyle/airline-secrets-when-to-book-and-why-you-shouldn-t-check-your-bag/article_5d90be1a-179d-5c61-b12b-3a4be804ad98.html |
Texas Gov. Abbott defends decision to build floating border wall amid immigration crisis
The Department of Justice announced a lawsuit against Texas after the state refused to remove the floating border wall
Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott delivered an address to the state's Republican County chairs on Friday and addressed the recent move to install floating barriers along the Rio Grande as part of an effort to reduce illegal immigration.
During his speech in Georgetown, Texas, Abbott spoke about his administration's response to the influx of migrants entering the state illegally through the U.S.-Mexico border, according to Fox 7.
"I will do whatever I have to do to defend our state from the invasion of the Mexican drug cartels and others who have tried to come into our country illegally, and I will protect our sovereignty," Abbott said.
The governor touted his recent decision to have a floating border wall built in the Rio Grande as part of Operation Lone Star.
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT FILES INJUNCTION AGAINST TEXAS OVER FLOATING BORDER BARRIER IN RIO GRANDE
"It's called operation hold the line," he said. "They are holding the line and ensuring that nobody enters the state of Texas illegally."
The Department of Justice announced a lawsuit against Texas after Abbott refuse to remove the buoys. The department accused the governor of violating federal law, calling his one-thousand-foot-long barrier "unlawful construction."
This comes as Texas continues to send buses of migrants to sanctuary cities across the country, including New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Abbott has previously said the migrant relocations will not stop until the federal government fixes the crisis at the Southern Border.
ABBOTT MOVES AHEAD WITH FLOATING BORDER BARRIERS ON RIO GRANDE DESPITE LIBERAL OUTRAGE
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"I challenge the federal government to show that they have spent that much money in the state of Texas on the border under Joe Biden as president," Abbott said on Friday.
"He gave me a lawsuit, and by God, Joe Biden, we will see you in court," he added.
Demonstrators were outside the governor's mansion in Austin on Friday to protest against Abbott's floating border wall. | https://www.foxnews.com/politics/texas-gov-abbott-defends-decision-build-floating-border-wall-amid-immigration-crisis | 2023-07-29T09:58:17 | 1 | https://www.foxnews.com/politics/texas-gov-abbott-defends-decision-build-floating-border-wall-amid-immigration-crisis |
(CNN) — There are several ways to wear a beanie: Cuffed, uncuffed, doubled cuffed, or far back from the hairline, delicately balanced on the crown of your head, as was the preference of British footballer David Beckham circa 2013. But few have sported the style debuted by Timothée Chalamet on Monday, which came complete with a surprising tuft of hair protruding from the top of his knitted hat.
His unconventional accessory has already proved divisive online, having been compared to a bonnet, an embroidered coffee filter and one of the petal crowns worn by illustrator Cicely Mary Barker’s ethereal flower fairies. Some have condemned the hat as deeply “unserious” and “weird,” while others have taken more kindly. “I want to pet that floofy little poof of hair that sticks out of the top,” wrote one social media user.
Naysayers will have to take up their disdain with Kim Jones, creative director of Dior since 2018. Chalamet’s hat debuted at Dior’s Spring-Summer 2024 menswear show last month, along with an array of similarly silly headpieces. As models rose up through trap doors in the floor, many were wearing fluorescent-colored knitted pieces that were half-beanie, half-floral fascinators. Each hat was cut at the top, like a small volcano that — at least in Chalamet’s case — could allow for an eruption of chocolate curls.
The beanies were created by milliner Stephen Jones and couture knitter Cecile Feilchenfeldt. Jones and Feilchenfeldt took inspiration from 1980s New Wave fashion and the club kids of New York, infusing the punk hats with a more romantic sensibility by adorning them with flowers using an ancient Chinese technique called “ronghua.”
While the wider world might not be ready for Chalamet’s look, there could be a method to his madness. The daring outfit comes just two weeks after the official release of the “Wonka” trailer, in which Chalamet plays a young Willy Wonka looking to establish himself as a master chocolate maker. Many came to question his casting in the Roald Dahl prequel, citing specifically his lack of silliness when embodying what is a notoriously quirky character. Now, Chalamet could be using his street style and silly hat to prove a point — or dip his toe into some method acting. | https://www.channel3000.com/lifestyle/timoth-e-chalamet-s-silly-little-hat-is-hot-off-the-runway-actually/article_f35f6710-5e92-501b-bc40-720a1b549ffb.html | 2023-07-29T09:58:17 | 1 | https://www.channel3000.com/lifestyle/timoth-e-chalamet-s-silly-little-hat-is-hot-off-the-runway-actually/article_f35f6710-5e92-501b-bc40-720a1b549ffb.html |
WHAT WE'RE TRACKING: Quiet and comfortable weather is expected over the entire weekend, following the well-anticipated severe weather event Friday evening. Expect less humid conditions, partly sunny skies, and seasonable temperatures all weekend.
PLANNING THE NEXT 24 HOURS: Southern Wisconsin can enjoy a period of calm, comfortable & quiet weather through Sunday morning. Expect partly sunny skies, lower humidity, and seasonable high temperatures in the lower 80s Saturday. Less humidity will allow low temperatures Saturday night to dip to around 60 degrees. Some patchy fog is possible in low lying areas because of the recent rainfall. And another pleasant day is expected Sunday, with high temperatures around 80 degrees.
EXTENDED FORECAST: Another slight rise in the high temperatures and humidity is expected during the first half of next week before cooling off slightly at the end of the week. Along with this rise and fall in temperatures, there will be slight chances of showers and thunderstorms next week. Dry and seasonable conditions are expected next weekend.
TODAY: Partly sunny, cooler, and less humid. High: 82 Wind: N 6-12 MPH
TONIGHT: Partly cloudy. Low: 60 Wind: NE 5 MPH
SUNDAY: Mostly sunny and seasonable. High: 80 Wind: N 6-12 MPH
MONDAY: Partly sunny and seasonable. (A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms Monday night.) Low: 58 High: 82
TUESDAY: Mostly sunny and warm. (A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms Tuesday night.) Low: 62 High: 85
WEDNESDAY: Partly sunny and continued warm, with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Low: 64 High: 86
THURSDAY: Partly sunny and continued warm with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Low: 65 High: 85
FRIDAY: Partly sunny and seasonable. Low: 61 High: 82
SATURDAY: Mostly sunny and seasonable. Low: 59 High: 82
SUNDAY: Partly sunny and seasonable. Low: 58 High: 82
MONDAY: Partly sunny and a little warmer. Low: 58 High: 85
COPYRIGHT 2023 BY CHANNEL 3000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED. | https://www.channel3000.com/weather/forecast/enter-quiet-and-comfortable-weather---alex/article_a1211afa-86c8-5443-b891-835dd6b621fd.html | 2023-07-29T09:58:23 | 0 | https://www.channel3000.com/weather/forecast/enter-quiet-and-comfortable-weather---alex/article_a1211afa-86c8-5443-b891-835dd6b621fd.html |
Blinken says US economic support for Niger is at risk as military takeover threatens stability
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Political instability in Niger resulting from a military takeover that deposed the president this week threatens the economic support provided by Washington to the African nation, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Saturday.
Members of the Niger military announced on Wednesday they had deposed democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum and on Friday named Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani as the country’s new leader, adding Niger to a growing list of military regimes in West Africa’s Sahel region.
Blinken, who is in Australia as part of a Pacific tour, said the continued security and economic arrangements that Niger has with the U.S. hinged on the release of Bazoum and “the immediate restoration of the democratic order in Niger.”
“Our economic and security partnership with Niger — which is significant, hundreds of millions of dollars — depends on the continuation of the democratic governance and constitutional order that has been disrupted by the actions in the last few days,” Blinken said. “So that assistance, that support, is in clear jeopardy as a result of these actions, which is another reason why they need to be immediately reversed.”
Blinken stopped short of calling the military actions in Niger a coup, a designation that could result in the African country losing millions of dollars of military aid and assistance.
Speaking in Brisbane, Blinken said he had spoken with President Bazoum on Saturday but did not provide details. He cited the support of the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States and other regional entities in trying to bring an end to the unrest.
“The very significant assistance that we have in place that’s making a material difference in the lives of the people of Niger is clearly in jeopardy and we’ve communicated that as clearly as we possibly can to those responsible for disrupting the constitutional order and Niger’s democracy,” Blinken said.
Blinken said the U.S. Embassy in Niger had accounted for the safety of all staff members and their families, while issuing a security alert advising U.S. citizens in the country to limit unnecessary movements and avoid areas impacted by the coup.
The military group that conducted the coup, calling itself the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Country, said its members remained committed to engaging with the international and national community.
“This is as a result of the continuing degradation of the security situation, the bad economic and social governance,” air force Col. Major Amadou Abdramane said in the video released by the coup leaders Wednesday. He said aerial and land borders were closed and a curfew was in place until the situation stabilized.
Bazoum was elected two years ago in Niger’s first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since independence from France.
Niger is seen as the last reliable partner for the West in efforts to battle jihadis linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group in Africa’s Sahel region, where Russia and Western countries have vied for influence in the fight against extremism.
France has 1,500 soldiers in the country who conduct joint operations with Niger’s military, while the U.S. and other European countries have helped train the nation’s troops.
___
Hannon reported from Bangkok.
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/blinken-says-us-economic-support-for-niger-is-at-risk-as-military-takeover-threatens-stability/ | 2023-07-29T09:59:31 | 0 | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/us-world-news/blinken-says-us-economic-support-for-niger-is-at-risk-as-military-takeover-threatens-stability/ |
Opera for the public: Spain’s Teatro Real opera house offers free broadcast to towns and cities
MADRID (AP) — On a night in the middle of July, tenors, sopranos and a choir delighted the crowd in Madrid’s luxurious Teatro Real opera house with Giacomo Puccini’s masterpiece, “Turandot.”
After the curtain came down, the audience filed from their plush seats and left the theater’s state-of-the-art air conditioning for the summer swelter outside — only to be met again by the voices of Calaf and Princess Turandot.
The performance they had just seen was being replayed on a giant television screen in the big square at the back of the theater.
Here, the spectators sat on hundreds of plastic chairs. Many wore shorts and sandals. Others, tourists included, sat on the low walls and benches in the square or leaned on the barriers and the nearby subway station’s railings.
Some chewed on rolls of Spanish jam, others played cards. But most were absorbed with the show on the 9- by 5-meter (30- by 16-foot) screen.
The night was part of Teatro Real’s “opera week,” which for eight years has been providing a free broadcast of an opera in the theater to towns and cities across Spain.
More than 100 towns displayed the broadcast of the July 14 “Turandot” performance. All the towns need is a computer, a good Wi-Fi connection and somewhere to project the video.
During the week, the crowds outside the theater in Madrid also got to see other Teatro Real shows, including a ballet and flamenco act. The week cost the theater 107,000 euros ($118,000).
The chief aim is to spread interest in opera.
Opera “is popular music, it was always the total art where literature, music and dance met, (when) there was no television, there was no radio,” said Spanish tenor Jorge de León, who played Calaf.
“We have to remove that label of elitism that opera has, because they (operas) talk about stories, about very understandable things,” he said, sitting on one of the plastic chairs among the spectators in the square.
In Mino de San Esteban, a village of 44 inhabitants about 160 kilometers (100 miles) north of Madrid, 94-year-old Nemesia Olmos soaked up the projection of “Turandot” on the wall of the town’s Romanesque church.
Cultural life in the village has changed greatly. Gone is the crowded ballroom and visits from traveling theater groups. No longer do residents listen to songs from what was the only radio in the village. For the villagers, the Teatro Real’s offering is a delight.
“We’ve never had it so close. It seemed like we saw it right there, although it is a bit long,” Olmos said, as she left a little before the end.
___
This story has been corrected to say Jorge de León is a tenor, not a soprano.
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/opera-for-the-public-spains-teatro-real-opera-house-offers-free-broadcast-to-towns-and-cities/ | 2023-07-29T09:59:33 | 0 | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/us-world-news/opera-for-the-public-spains-teatro-real-opera-house-offers-free-broadcast-to-towns-and-cities/ |
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Political instability in Niger resulting from a military takeover that deposed the president this week threatens the economic support provided by Washington to the African nation, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Saturday.
Members of the Niger military announced on Wednesday they had deposed democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum and on Friday named Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani as the country’s new leader, adding Niger to a growing list of military regimes in West Africa’s Sahel region.
Blinken, who is in Australia as part of a Pacific tour, said the continued security and economic arrangements that Niger has with the U.S. hinged on the release of Bazoum and “the immediate restoration of the democratic order in Niger.”
“Our economic and security partnership with Niger — which is significant, hundreds of millions of dollars — depends on the continuation of the democratic governance and constitutional order that has been disrupted by the actions in the last few days,” Blinken said. “So that assistance, that support, is in clear jeopardy as a result of these actions, which is another reason why they need to be immediately reversed.”
Blinken stopped short of calling the military actions in Niger a coup, a designation that could result in the African country losing millions of dollars of military aid and assistance.
Speaking in Brisbane, Blinken said he had spoken with President Bazoum on Saturday but did not provide details. He cited the support of the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States and other regional entities in trying to bring an end to the unrest.
“The very significant assistance that we have in place that’s making a material difference in the lives of the people of Niger is clearly in jeopardy and we’ve communicated that as clearly as we possibly can to those responsible for disrupting the constitutional order and Niger’s democracy,” Blinken said.
Blinken said the U.S. Embassy in Niger had accounted for the safety of all staff members and their families, while issuing a security alert advising U.S. citizens in the country to limit unnecessary movements and avoid areas impacted by the coup.
The military group that conducted the coup, calling itself the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Country, said its members remained committed to engaging with the international and national community.
“This is as a result of the continuing degradation of the security situation, the bad economic and social governance,” air force Col. Major Amadou Abdramane said in the video released by the coup leaders Wednesday. He said aerial and land borders were closed and a curfew was in place until the situation stabilized.
Bazoum was elected two years ago in Niger’s first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since independence from France.
Niger is seen as the last reliable partner for the West in efforts to battle jihadis linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group in Africa’s Sahel region, where Russia and Western countries have vied for influence in the fight against extremism.
France has 1,500 soldiers in the country who conduct joint operations with Niger’s military, while the U.S. and other European countries have helped train the nation’s troops.
___
Hannon reported from Bangkok. | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/blinken-says-us-economic-support-for-niger-is-at-risk-as-military-takeover-threatens-stability/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world | 2023-07-29T10:03:23 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/blinken-says-us-economic-support-for-niger-is-at-risk-as-military-takeover-threatens-stability/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world |
Caught on camera: Bear takes dip in swimming pool during extreme heat
Published: Jul. 29, 2023 at 3:47 AM CDT|Updated: 1 hour ago
BURBANK, Calif. (CNN) - Humans aren’t the only creatures trying to find ways to stay cool in the extreme hot temperatures.
One bear tried to beat the heat by taking a dip in a jacuzzi.
It happened Friday in Burbank, California.
According to the Burbank Police Department, officers were responding to reports of a bear sighting.
When they arrived, they found the bear sitting in a jacuzzi behind one of the homes.
However, the bear then got out of the hot tub, scaled a wall and climbed a tree.
The city of Burbank is under a heat advisory until Saturday night.
Copyright 2023 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wafb.com/2023/07/29/caught-camera-bear-takes-dip-swimming-pool-during-extreme-heat/ | 2023-07-29T10:03:23 | 0 | https://www.wafb.com/2023/07/29/caught-camera-bear-takes-dip-swimming-pool-during-extreme-heat/ |
The 2023 Formula 1 World Championship continues this weekend with round 13, the Belgian Grand Prix, which takes place at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit and will see the Saturday Sprint race return.
The Spa circuit is nestled within the beautiful Ardennes hills and features a long, unrelenting track that serves as a stern test for car and driver. The average speed approaches 145 mph, making it one of the fastest laps of the season, and drivers experience over 5 g in some of the turns, such as Turn 10, known as Pouhon. The cars also run at full throttle for almost 80% of the lap.
Stretching 4.35 miles, Spa has the longest track on the calendar, resulting in the race lasting only 44 laps—the lowest on the calendar. The track is so big that it’s not unusual to have varying weather conditions at different parts. For example, rain at one end and sunshine at the other. The current forecast calls for heavy rain throughout the weekend, which has already resulted in some calls for the race to possibly be canceled.
The first and third sectors at Spa feature long straights and flat-out sections, but the second sector is twisty. This makes it challenging to find the right balance and set-up compromise, particularly with the wing level.
The track surface is on the abrasive side, meaning tires get quite the workout. Pirelli has nominated its mid-range compounds: the C2 as the White hard, C3 as the Yellow medium, and C4 as the Red soft.
The Belgian round will mark 2023’s third running of the Saturday Sprint race, after the Azerbaijan and Austrian Grands Prix. This season, the Sprint race has been made a standalone event rather than the qualifier for the main race, as was previously the case. It still has championship points on the table for both drivers and teams, however.
The round is the last stop before the summer break and will see some teams run upgrades, including Mercedes-Benz AMG whose cars will feature a new design for the side pods.
Going into the weekend, Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen leads the 2023 Drivers’ Championship with 281 points. Fellow Red Bull driver Perez is second with 171 points and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso is third with 139 points. In the Constructors’ Championship, Red Bull leads with 452 points, versus the 223 of Mercedes and 184 of Aston Martin in second and third places. Last year’s winner in Belgium was Verstappen, driving for Red Bull.
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- 2023 F1 standings: Verstappen grows title lead while McLaren shows resurgence | https://www.koin.com/automotive/internet-brands/2023-f1-belgian-grand-prix-preview/ | 2023-07-29T10:03:23 | 1 | https://www.koin.com/automotive/internet-brands/2023-f1-belgian-grand-prix-preview/ |
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Salvage crews were preparing Saturday to tow a car-carrying cargo ship that has been burning for days to an anchor point in the North Sea after flames and smoke on board subsided, the Dutch government said.
Fire erupted in the Fremantle Highway late Tuesday night near a chain of islands in the northern Netherlands and has been blazing ever since. The ship is carrying 3,783 new vehicles, including 498 electric vehicles, the company that chartered the vessel said.
One crew member died and others were injured after the fire broke out on the ship that was heading from Bremerhaven in Germany to Singapore. The crew was evacuated in the early hours of Wednesday. The cause of the fire has not been established.
Measurements Friday showed that heat, flames and smoke had subsided enough for salvage experts to board the ship for the first time and establish a strong towing connection with a tugboat, the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management said.
It will be towed, likely over the weekend, to a new position 16 kilometers (10 miles) north of the island of Schiermonnikoog , the ministry said in a statement. The timing of the operation that is expected to take 12-14 hours depends on smoke development and weather, the ministry added. The aim is ultimately “once conditions on board allow,” to tow the ship to a port, though the destination has not yet been decided.
The ministry said the ship is stable and intact below the waterline.
The burning vessel is close to the shallow Wadden Sea, a World Heritage-listed area that is considered one of the world’s most significant habitats for migratory birds. It’s also near the Netherlands’ border with Germany, whose environment minister, Steffi Lemke, has warned of “an environmental catastrophe of unknown proportions,” if the ship were to sink. | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/world/burning-cargo-ship-off-dutch-coast-will-be-towed-to-a-new-location-after-flames-and-smoke-subsided/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world | 2023-07-29T10:03:30 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/world/burning-cargo-ship-off-dutch-coast-will-be-towed-to-a-new-location-after-flames-and-smoke-subsided/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world |
Fresh charges tie Trump even more closely to coverup effort. That could deepen his legal woes
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.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wafb.com/2023/07/29/fresh-charges-tie-trump-even-more-closely-coverup-effort-that-could-deepen-his-legal-woes/ | 2023-07-29T10:03:30 | 0 | https://www.wafb.com/2023/07/29/fresh-charges-tie-trump-even-more-closely-coverup-effort-that-could-deepen-his-legal-woes/ |
Fresh charges tie Trump even more closely to coverup effort. That could deepen his legal woes
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.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wlbt.com/2023/07/29/fresh-charges-tie-trump-even-more-closely-coverup-effort-that-could-deepen-his-legal-woes/ | 2023-07-29T10:03:31 | 0 | https://www.wlbt.com/2023/07/29/fresh-charges-tie-trump-even-more-closely-coverup-effort-that-could-deepen-his-legal-woes/ |
Anyone looking to take delivery of Lamborghini’s Revuelto supercar better be prepared to wait (or pay hefty markups on the used market) as the car’s production run for the next two years is already allocated, the automaker announced this week.
Despite an upgrade to Lamborghini’s plant in Sant’Agata Bolognese to accommodate more automated processes, production of the Revuelto is still very much a hands-on affair, with plenty of traditional handcrafted skills retained, ensuring production will remain limited. According to Lamborghini, around 500 staff are dedicated to the car’s production.
The Revuelto was revealed in March as the successor to the Aventador. It’s Lamborghini’s first plug-in hybrid and is powered by a sophisticated setup combining a newly developed V-12 and three electric motors for a combined output of 1,000 hp.
The Revuelto isn’t just an Aventador with more power, though. It represents a ground-up redesign that in addition to electrification includes a new carbon-fiber tub, a new 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, and that new V-12.
Lamborghini quotes performance numbers of 2.5 seconds in the 0-62 mph run and a top speed of 218 mph.
Lamborghini hasn’t announcing pricing for the Revuelto in the U.S., but in other markets the car is priced from 500,000 euros (approximately $548,700). Deliveries are scheduled to start in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Lamborghini’s Urus will be the automaker’s next plug-in hybrid. The SUV will go the electrified route starting in the first half of 2024. A plug-in hybrid successor to the Huracán will then arrive toward the end of 2024. Further out, Lamborghini plans to launch an electric vehicle in 2028. It was confirmed by the automaker in April as a 2+2 grand tourer.
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- “Wanted: The Escape Of Carlos Ghosn” debuts Aug. 25—watch the trailer | https://www.koin.com/automotive/internet-brands/lamborghini-revuelto-already-sold-out-for-next-2-years/ | 2023-07-29T10:03:30 | 1 | https://www.koin.com/automotive/internet-brands/lamborghini-revuelto-already-sold-out-for-next-2-years/ |
Caught on camera: Bear takes dip in swimming pool during extreme heat
Published: Jul. 29, 2023 at 1:47 AM MST|Updated: 1 hour ago
BURBANK, Calif. (CNN) - Humans aren’t the only creatures trying to find ways to stay cool in the extreme hot temperatures.
One bear tried to beat the heat by taking a dip in a jacuzzi.
It happened Friday in Burbank, California.
According to the Burbank Police Department, officers were responding to reports of a bear sighting.
When they arrived, they found the bear sitting in a jacuzzi behind one of the homes.
However, the bear then got out of the hot tub, scaled a wall and climbed a tree.
The city of Burbank is under a heat advisory until Saturday night.
Copyright 2023 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.azfamily.com/2023/07/29/caught-camera-bear-takes-dip-swimming-pool-during-extreme-heat/ | 2023-07-29T10:03:32 | 0 | https://www.azfamily.com/2023/07/29/caught-camera-bear-takes-dip-swimming-pool-during-extreme-heat/ |
Caught on camera: Bear takes dip in swimming pool during extreme heat
Published: Jul. 29, 2023 at 3:47 AM CDT|Updated: 1 hour ago
BURBANK, Calif. (CNN) - Humans aren’t the only creatures trying to find ways to stay cool in the extreme hot temperatures.
One bear tried to beat the heat by taking a dip in a jacuzzi.
It happened Friday in Burbank, California.
According to the Burbank Police Department, officers were responding to reports of a bear sighting.
When they arrived, they found the bear sitting in a jacuzzi behind one of the homes.
However, the bear then got out of the hot tub, scaled a wall and climbed a tree.
The city of Burbank is under a heat advisory until Saturday night.
Copyright 2023 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.kfyrtv.com/2023/07/29/caught-camera-bear-takes-dip-swimming-pool-during-extreme-heat/ | 2023-07-29T10:03:32 | 0 | https://www.kfyrtv.com/2023/07/29/caught-camera-bear-takes-dip-swimming-pool-during-extreme-heat/ |
Fresh charges tie Trump even more closely to coverup effort. That could deepen his legal woes
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.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wkyt.com/2023/07/29/fresh-charges-tie-trump-even-more-closely-coverup-effort-that-could-deepen-his-legal-woes/ | 2023-07-29T10:03:32 | 1 | https://www.wkyt.com/2023/07/29/fresh-charges-tie-trump-even-more-closely-coverup-effort-that-could-deepen-his-legal-woes/ |
Saints Odds to Make Playoffs and Win Super Bowl
At +4000, the New Orleans Saints are No. 15 in the league in terms of Super Bowl-winning odds as of December 31.
Watch the Saints this season on Fubo!
Saints Super Bowl Odds
- Odds to Win the NFC South: +125
- Odds to Win the Super Bowl: +4000
Looking to place a futures bet on the Saints to win the Super Bowl this season? Head to BetMGM using our link and enter the bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
New Orleans Betting Insights
- New Orleans compiled a 6-10-0 record against the spread last season.
- Saints games went over the point total six out of 17 times last season.
- New Orleans ranked 19th in total offense this year (333.8 yards per game), but it played really well on the defensive side of the ball, ranking fifth-best in the with 333.8 yards allowed per game.
- The Saints put up a 4-5 record at home and were 3-5 on the road last season.
- New Orleans picked up four wins as the favorite in six games last season, and was victorious twice (in 10 opportunities) as an underdog.
- The Saints won just twice in the NFC South (2-4) and went 5-7 in the NFC overall.
Saints Impact Players
- Derek Carr had 24 TD passes and 14 interceptions in 15 games for the Raiders last year, completing 60.8% of his throws for 3,522 yards (234.8 per game).
- Jamaal Williams rushed for 1,066 yards (62.7 per game) and 17 touchdowns in 17 games for the Lions last season.
- In 15 games a season ago, Alvin Kamara ran for 897 yards (59.8 per game) and two TDs.
- Taysom Hill had nine catches for 77 yards (4.8 per game) and two touchdowns in 16 games.
- Demario Davis posted one interception to go with 109 tackles, 9.0 TFL, 6.5 sacks, and six passes defended in 17 games last year.
Bet on Saints to win the Super Bowl and plenty more with BetMGM. Head to BetMGM using our link and enter the bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
2023-24 Saints NFL Schedule
Odds are current as of July 29 at 5:21 AM ET. 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.wafb.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/saints-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ | 2023-07-29T10:03:37 | 1 | https://www.wafb.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/saints-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ |
Saints Odds to Make Playoffs and Win Super Bowl
At +4000, the New Orleans Saints are No. 15 in the league in terms of Super Bowl-winning odds as of December 31.
Watch the Saints this season on Fubo!
Saints Super Bowl Odds
- Odds to Win the NFC South: +125
- Odds to Win the Super Bowl: +4000
Looking to place a futures bet on the Saints to win the Super Bowl this season? Head to BetMGM using our link and enter the bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
New Orleans Betting Insights
- New Orleans compiled a 6-10-0 record against the spread last season.
- Saints games went over the point total six out of 17 times last season.
- New Orleans ranked 19th in total offense this year (333.8 yards per game), but it played really well on the defensive side of the ball, ranking fifth-best in the with 333.8 yards allowed per game.
- The Saints put up a 4-5 record at home and were 3-5 on the road last season.
- New Orleans picked up four wins as the favorite in six games last season, and was victorious twice (in 10 opportunities) as an underdog.
- The Saints won just twice in the NFC South (2-4) and went 5-7 in the NFC overall.
Saints Impact Players
- Derek Carr had 24 TD passes and 14 interceptions in 15 games for the Raiders last year, completing 60.8% of his throws for 3,522 yards (234.8 per game).
- Jamaal Williams rushed for 1,066 yards (62.7 per game) and 17 touchdowns in 17 games for the Lions last season.
- In 15 games a season ago, Alvin Kamara ran for 897 yards (59.8 per game) and two TDs.
- Taysom Hill had nine catches for 77 yards (4.8 per game) and two touchdowns in 16 games.
- Demario Davis posted one interception to go with 109 tackles, 9.0 TFL, 6.5 sacks, and six passes defended in 17 games last year.
Bet on Saints to win the Super Bowl and plenty more with BetMGM. Head to BetMGM using our link and enter the bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
2023-24 Saints NFL Schedule
Odds are current as of July 29 at 5:21 AM ET. 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/saints-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ | 2023-07-29T10:03:37 | 0 | https://www.wlbt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/saints-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ |
Mercedes-Benz has introduced an update to its mid-size van family to help keep the vehicles fresh until the arrival of successor models based on a dedicated electric vehicle platform later this decade.
The sole mid-size van Mercedes currently sells in the U.S. is the Metris. In other markets, the Metris is known as the Vito and is sold alongside a luxury version called the V-Class. The Vito and V-Class also come in electric form, known as the eVito and EQV respectively.
While the Vito has been updated, there are no plans to bring it to the U.S. as an updated Metris. The current Metris is still available to U.S. buyers but will be phased out later this year.
The updates to the mid-size van family include tweaks to the exterior styling highlighted by an enlarged grille and new light signatures for the headlights. There’s also a new dash design that adopts a single panel integrating both a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 12.3-inch infotainment screen in the plush V-Class and EQV. In the Vito and eVito commercial models, the dash sticks to analog gauges with a 5.5-inch screen in the center, plus a 10.3-inch infotainment screen. Buyers also have five new colors to choose from, along with various wheel patterns ranging from 17-19 inches in diameter.
Mercedes has also added new digital services and safety features, one of which is an updated Active Brake Assist feature that now functions in intersections. Active Brake Assist is a collision warning system that supports the driver by automatically adding extra braking pressure when necessary, and activating automatic emergency braking if the driver fails to apply the brakes.
No change has been made to the powertrains meaning buyers have a series of diesels to choose from, including 4- and 6-cylinder options, plus an electric powertrain in the eVito and EQV.
While the U.S. will soon lose the Metris, Mercedes in May said it will bring a luxury mid-size van to this market later this decade. It will be based on the new Van.EA platform. The dedicated EV platform will spawn its first model in 2026, though Mercedes hasn’t revealed the model’s identity.
Mercedes said it expects electric vans to account for 50% of its van sales by 2030.
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- 2024 Porsche Panamera spy shots and video | https://www.koin.com/automotive/internet-brands/mercedes-updates-v-class-ahead-of-dedicated-ev-successors-arrival/ | 2023-07-29T10:03:38 | 0 | https://www.koin.com/automotive/internet-brands/mercedes-updates-v-class-ahead-of-dedicated-ev-successors-arrival/ |
Fresh charges tie Trump even more closely to coverup effort. That could deepen his legal woes
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.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.azfamily.com/2023/07/29/fresh-charges-tie-trump-even-more-closely-coverup-effort-that-could-deepen-his-legal-woes/ | 2023-07-29T10:03:39 | 0 | https://www.azfamily.com/2023/07/29/fresh-charges-tie-trump-even-more-closely-coverup-effort-that-could-deepen-his-legal-woes/ |
Bengals Odds to Make Playoffs and Win Super Bowl
As of now the Cincinnati Bengals have the fourth-best odds in the league to win the Super Bowl, listed at +900.
Watch the Bengals this season on Fubo!
Bengals Super Bowl Odds
- Odds to Win the AFC North: +150
- Odds to Win the Super Bowl: +900
Looking to place a futures bet on the Bengals to win the Super Bowl this season? Head to BetMGM using our link and enter the bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Cincinnati Betting Insights
- Cincinnati compiled a 12-2-1 record against the spread last season.
- Last season, the combined scoring went over the point total six times in Bengals games.
- Cincinnati totaled 360.5 yards per game on offense last season (eighth in ), and it ranked 16th defensively with 335.7 yards allowed per game.
- The Bengals had a 6-1 record at home and were 6-3 away last season.
- When underdogs, Cincinnati picked up only one victory (1-1) versus its 11-2 record when favored.
- The Bengals were 8-3 in the AFC, including 3-3 in the AFC North.
Bengals Impact Players
- Joe Burrow threw for 4,475 yards (279.7 per game), completing 68.3% of his passes, with 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 16 games last year.
- Also, Burrow rushed for 257 yards and five TDs.
- Joe Mixon rushed for 814 yards (58.1 per game) and seven touchdowns in 14 games.
- Mixon also had 60 catches for 441 yards and two TDs.
- In the passing game a season ago, Ja'Marr Chase scored nine TDs, hauling in 87 balls for 1,046 yards (87.2 per game).
- In the passing game, Tee Higgins scored seven TDs, hauling in 74 balls for 1,029 yards (64.3 per game).
- Logan Wilson had one interception to go with 123 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 2.5 sacks, and four passes defended last year.
Bet on Bengals to win the Super Bowl and plenty more with BetMGM. Head to BetMGM using our link and enter the bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
2023-24 Bengals NFL Schedule
Odds are current as of July 29 at 5:23 AM ET. 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/bengals-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ | 2023-07-29T10:03:39 | 0 | https://www.wkyt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/bengals-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ |
Fresh charges tie Trump even more closely to coverup effort. That could deepen his legal woes
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.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kfyrtv.com/2023/07/29/fresh-charges-tie-trump-even-more-closely-coverup-effort-that-could-deepen-his-legal-woes/ | 2023-07-29T10:03:39 | 1 | https://www.kfyrtv.com/2023/07/29/fresh-charges-tie-trump-even-more-closely-coverup-effort-that-could-deepen-his-legal-woes/ |
Cardinals Odds to Make Playoffs and Win Super Bowl
As of now the Arizona Cardinals have the worst odds in the league of winning the Super Bowl, listed at +20000.
Watch the Cardinals this season on Fubo!
Cardinals Super Bowl Odds
- Odds to Win the NFC West: +2500
- Odds to Win the Super Bowl: +20000
Looking to place a futures bet on the Cardinals to win the Super Bowl this season? Head to BetMGM using our link and enter the bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Arizona Betting Insights
- Arizona went 8-9-0 ATS last season.
- A total of 10 Cardinals games last season went over the point total.
- On offense, Arizona ranked 22nd in the with 323.5 yards per game last season. Meanwhile, it ranked 21st in total defense (348.9 yards allowed per contest).
- Last year the Cardinals picked up three wins away from home, but just one at home.
- When favored last season Arizona picked up only one victory (1-2), while posting a 3-11 record as the underdog.
- The Cardinals won only once in the NFC West (1-5), and they went 3-9 in the NFC as a whole.
Cardinals Impact Players
- James Conner rushed for 782 yards (60.2 per game) and seven touchdowns in 13 games last year.
- Conner also had 46 catches for 300 yards and one TD.
- Marquise Brown had 67 catches for 709 yards (59.1 per game) and three touchdowns in 12 games.
- In the passing game a season ago, Greg Dortch scored two TDs, hauling in 52 balls for 467 yards (29.2 per game).
- Rondale Moore had 41 catches for 414 yards (51.8 per game) and one touchdown in eight games.
- As a key defensive contributor, Isaiah Simmons collected 99 tackles, 5.0 TFL, four sacks, and two interceptions in 17 games last year.
Bet on Cardinals to win the Super Bowl and plenty more with BetMGM. Head to BetMGM using our link and enter the bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
2023-24 Cardinals NFL Schedule
Odds are current as of July 29 at 5:21 AM ET. 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/cardinals-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ | 2023-07-29T10:03:45 | 1 | https://www.azfamily.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/cardinals-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ |
Titans Odds to Make Playoffs and Win Super Bowl
Published: Jul. 29, 2023 at 5:23 AM EDT|Updated: 39 minutes ago
The Tennessee Titans at the moment have +6600 odds of winning the Super Bowl.
Watch the Titans this season on Fubo!
Titans Super Bowl Odds
- Odds to Win the AFC South: +325
- Odds to Win the Super Bowl: +6600
Looking to place a futures bet on the Titans to win the Super Bowl this season? Head to BetMGM using our link and enter the bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Tennessee Betting Insights
- Tennessee put together an 8-6-0 ATS record last year.
- The Titans and their opponents combined to go over the point total five out of 17 times last season.
- Tennessee was a bottom-five offense last year, ranking third-worst with 296.8 yards per game. Defensively, it ranked 23rd in the (351.6 yards allowed per game).
- The Titans posted three wins at home last year and four on the road.
- Tennessee won only twice as favorites (2-3) and went 4-5 as underdogs.
- The Titans were 3-3 in the AFC South and 5-7 in the AFC as a whole.
Titans Impact Players
- Derrick Henry ran for 1,538 yards (96.1 per game) and 13 touchdowns in 16 games last year.
- Henry also had 33 receptions for 398 yards and zero TDs.
- Ryan Tannehill threw for 2,536 yards (211.3 per game), completing 65.2% of his throws, with 13 touchdowns and six interceptions in 12 games.
- On the ground, Tannehill scored two touchdowns and picked up 98 yards.
- In the Cardinals' passing game a season ago, DeAndre Hopkins scored three TDs, catching 64 balls for 717 yards (79.7 per game).
- In 16 games played with the Texans, Chris Moore had 48 receptions for 548 yards (34.3 per game) and two touchdowns.
- In 17 games last year, Kevin Byard recorded 106 tackles and four interceptions.
Bet on Titans to win the Super Bowl and plenty more with BetMGM. Head to BetMGM using our link and enter the bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
2023-24 Titans NFL Schedule
Odds are current as of July 29 at 5:23 AM ET. 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/titans-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ | 2023-07-29T10:03:45 | 0 | https://www.wkyt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/titans-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ |
Vikings Odds to Make Playoffs and Win Super Bowl
Published: Jul. 29, 2023 at 4:22 AM CDT|Updated: 39 minutes ago
The Minnesota Vikings have +4000 odds to win the Super Bowl as of December 31.
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Vikings Super Bowl Odds
- Odds to Win the NFC North: +280
- Odds to Win the Super Bowl: +4000
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Minnesota Betting Insights
- Minnesota compiled a 7-8-1 record against the spread last season.
- A total of 11 Vikings games last season hit the over.
- Despite sporting a bottom-five defense that ranked second-worst in the (388.7 yards allowed per game) last season, Minnesota played better on the other side of the ball, ranking seventh in the by putting up 361.5 yards per game.
- Last year the Vikings were 8-1 at home and 5-3 away.
- As favorites, Minnesota was undefeated (11-0) last season, but finished just 1-4 as the underdog.
- The Vikings were 8-4 in the NFC, including 4-2 in the NFC North.
Vikings Impact Players
- In 17 games last year, Kirk Cousins passed for 4,547 yards (267.5 per game), with 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, and a completion percentage of 65.9%.
- On the ground, Cousins scored two touchdowns and accumulated 97 yards.
- Justin Jefferson had 128 receptions for 1,809 yards (106.4 per game) and eight touchdowns in 17 games.
- T.J. Hockenson had 86 catches for 914 yards (53.8 per game) and six touchdowns in 17 games a season ago.
- K.J. Osborn had 60 receptions for 650 yards (38.2 per game) and five touchdowns in 17 games.
- As a tone-setter on defense, Jordan Hicks compiled 130 tackles, 2.0 TFL, three sacks, and one interception in 17 games last year.
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2023-24 Vikings NFL Schedule
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.kfyrtv.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/vikings-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ | 2023-07-29T10:03:46 | 1 | https://www.kfyrtv.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/vikings-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ |
Porsche earlier this week revealed more than just a first look at its lounge-like road-trip fast-charging stations, to be laid out along some top routes in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Within details for these design-savvy charging oases there was a bigger technology reveal: Its EVs in the future, it hinted, may charge above 300 kw and perhaps closer to 400 kw.
That message came within how the automaker explained the charging hardware situated at these Porsche Charging Lounges. They’ll be “perfectly tailored to the requirements of Porsche drivers on long journeys,” the company explained. That means a current max charge power of 300 kw from the Alpitronic hardware at those stations, it explained, but it then stated: “By the start of next year, 400 kw per charging point should be possible.”
Since its launch, the Porsche Taycan has been capable of 800-volt DC fast-charging up to 270 kw—made more reproducible for 2022—offering a 5-80% charge in as little as 22.5 minutes.
The 2024 Porsche Macan Electric, which is due to go on sale in the first half of 2024 and built on the PPE platform jointly developed by Porsche and Audi, will inherit the Taycan’s 800-volt charging. But Porsche has suggested that PPE may be capable of a bit more.
While the Macan may stretch closer to 300 kw, it has to be another future vehicle that fast-charges at an even higher rate, taking advantage of those 400-kw connectors.
But the charger announcement may be teasing a product that’s yet to come and farther in the future. Will that be the Boxster-inspired electric sports car, which might include the 718 badge; a production version of the 900-volt Mission X concept the brand recently revealed; or another new EV from the sports-car brand? Or all of the above?
Porsche has said that by 2030 over 80% of the vehicles it delivers globally will be fully electric—although it’s suggested that the last gasoline model it will make will be the 911.
That said, a model that might take advantage of a 400-kw connector might top out higher than the Lucid Air, which reaches a max just over 300 kw, and the GMC Hummer EV with the largest dual-layer pack, which can at times pull the full power from a 350-kw connector.
Such a model tapping the potential of a 400-kw connector might not be coming until 2025 or 2026, but when it does, then Porsche looks prepared with the infrastructure.
The Taycan is already approaching its intended gas-station refueling times—if the infrastructure’s there. With some carefully planned charging stops, one crossed the U.S. last year at real-world highway speeds with just 2.5 hours of charging.
As for those lounges, Porsche aims to place them close to “busy routes with significant traffic flow,” make them open 24/7, barrier-free, and part of the Ionity network, and provide centralized billing and a very comfortable environment. If the images provided, showing woodgrain finishes, bright interiors, workout areas, and rooftop solar cells are any indication, it looks like a very pleasant environment compared to the edge of the Walmart parking lot or strip-mall access road.
Although Porsche has no plans to build these charging oases in the U.S. as of yet, fellow VW Group entity Electrify America offers 350-kw connectors at many of its 809 U.S. fast-charging locations. And the national fast-charging network set to be bankrolled by seven automakers, announced earlier this week, with 350-kw connectors as a baseline, will help support these even-faster-charging EVs.
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- 2018-2023 Nissan Leaf EV recalled for cruise-control acceleration flaw | https://www.koin.com/automotive/internet-brands/porsche-hints-a-future-ev-may-utilize-400-kw-fast-charging/ | 2023-07-29T10:03:45 | 0 | https://www.koin.com/automotive/internet-brands/porsche-hints-a-future-ev-may-utilize-400-kw-fast-charging/ |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Two weeks into the the actors strike, Max Greenfield is urging the studios and their CEOs to return to the bargaining table.
“Be the heroes, come to the table, make a deal,” said Greenfield, who co-stars in the CBS sitcom “The Neighborhood.” “My hope is these guys get organized and have a real conversation with both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA so that we can get to a resolution,” he said, referencing the unions for the writers and actors, respectively.
Greenfield spoke at a charity ping pong event at Dodger Stadium on Thursday night, joined by his co-star Cedric the Entertainer.
“We struck because our deal was up and it’s time to adjust to what has changed in the business. To make a minor adjustment feels disproportionate to what has obviously changed in a massive, massive way,” Greenfield said. “Until we feel like we’re getting fair compensation and we feel like we’re protected, this is going to continue to go on.”
Bryan Cranston, who had fiery words for Disney CEO Bob Iger at a New York rally on Tuesday, acknowledged things are “going very, very slowly.”
“Until we’re able to get back to the table, which we are more than willing to do and we’ve told them so, we want to keep talking through this strike,” he said. “We want to end this as soon as possible.”
On July 14, actors joined striking screenwriters who walked out in May. The stoppage has shuttered nearly all film and television production.
The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the Writers Guild of America are striking for fair pay and protections involving the use of artificial intelligence, among other issues.
There has reportedly been no negotiating between the unions and the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers since shortly after the actors hit the picket lines.
“I think when people realize that the artists are the people that are making this and nothing is going to get made without the actors and the writers, maybe that will force a little more flexibility in the negotiations,” Oscar-winning actor Casey Affleck said.
Actor and entrepreneur Danny Trejo urged the studios to look beyond Hollywood’s highest-paid actors and consider the financial plight of those working behind the scenes.
“One of the problems is people on top are making a lot of money right now and they don’t want to share,” he said. “We’ve got people that are in SAG that can’t even afford to live in LA. It’s like, wait a minute guys, we got to just be fair.
“Figure if one of your kids was trying to get into the movies and was working as an extra or just made it into SAG, they couldn’t live in LA,” Trejo said, imagining the offspring of a Hollywood CEO. “Oh no wait, yes they could. They could live in Beverly (expletive) Hills with you, punk.”
Trejo filed for Chapter 11 reorganization bankruptcy earlier this year and owes over $2 million in back taxes to the IRS, according to a report by KABC-TV.
“I make good money, but right now I’m buried in taxes, so I have to work that out,” he said. “This strike is killing me. I can’t pay what I’m supposed to be paying for my taxes, so man, imagine the guy that’s making $18 an hour and not working all the time.”
Actor Holly Robinson-Peete, a SAG member since 1977, said it’s important for the actors’ union to communicate the economic issues behind the strike.
“We’re not just a bunch of spoiled people that want more and we’re greedy,” she said. “The majority of our union are people who are not working very often, can’t really make a living at this. It’s going to take an incredible amount of patience and messaging, and we just got to stick to it.” | https://www.koin.com/entertainment-news/ap-actor-max-greenfield-urges-studio-ceos-to-be-the-heroes-and-make-a-deal-in-hollywood-strikes/ | 2023-07-29T10:03:59 | 0 | https://www.koin.com/entertainment-news/ap-actor-max-greenfield-urges-studio-ceos-to-be-the-heroes-and-make-a-deal-in-hollywood-strikes/ |
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Adidas said Friday that it is releasing a second batch of high-end Yeezy sneakers after cutting ties with rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, as the German sportswear brand seeks to unload the unsold shoes while donating to groups fighting antisemitism.
The online sale, to start Wednesday through Adidas smartphone apps and its website, follows an earlier set of sales in May. Models that will be available include the Yeezy Boost 350 V2, 500, and 700 as well as the Yeezy Slide and Foam RNR.
The company cut ties with Ye in October after he made antisemitic and other offensive remarks online and in interviews. That left Adidas holding 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) worth of unsold Yeezys and searching for a responsible way to dispose of them.
Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden said in May that selling the popular sneakers and donating some of the profits was the best solution to deal with the unsold inventory and make a difference. He said the company spoke with nongovernmental organizations and groups that were harmed by Ye’s comments and actions.
Part of the profits from the sales of the Yeezy shoes will go to the Anti-Defamation League and the Philonise & Keeta Floyd Institute for Social Change, run by social justice advocate Philonise Floyd, the brother of George Floyd.
Shoes sold directly by Adidas in North America will include blue square pins established by Robert Kraft’s Foundation to Combat Anti-Semitism as a symbol of solidarity in rejecting antisemitism, the company said.
The Anti-Defamation League calls the sale “a thoughtful and caring resolution” for the unsold merchandise and that “any attempt to turn the consequences of (Ye’s) actions into something that ultimately benefits society and the people he has hurt is most welcome.”
Adidas declined to give details on numbers of shoes that would be released for sale and how much of the proceeds would be donated. Asked if Ye would receive royalties from the sales, the company would only say that “we will honor our contractual obligations and enforce our rights but will not share any more details.”
The company said Monday that the first sale of Yeezy shoes helped its preliminary second-quarter financial results and contributed to it raising its outlook for the year — from a high single-digit decline in revenue to a mid-single digit decline.
That would still amount to an operating loss of 450 million euros (more than $494 million) this year, instead of a loss of 700 million euros.
Adidas, which reports its earnings for the first half of the year on Thursday, said it expected future Yeezy sales to further boost its results. | https://www.koin.com/entertainment-news/ap-adidas-to-release-second-batch-of-yeezy-sneakers-after-breakup-with-ye/ | 2023-07-29T10:04:06 | 1 | https://www.koin.com/entertainment-news/ap-adidas-to-release-second-batch-of-yeezy-sneakers-after-breakup-with-ye/ |
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.koin.com/entertainment-news/ap-after-an-attack-on-salman-rushdie-the-chautauqua-institution-says-its-mission-wont-change/ | 2023-07-29T10:04:13 | 0 | https://www.koin.com/entertainment-news/ap-after-an-attack-on-salman-rushdie-the-chautauqua-institution-says-its-mission-wont-change/ |
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Singapore executed a man Wednesday for drug trafficking and is set to hang a woman Friday — the first in 19 years — prompting renewed calls for a halt to capital punishment.
Mohammed Aziz Hussain, 56, was hanged at Singapore's Changi Prison and has been buried, said activist Kirsten Han of Transformative Justice Collective, which advocates for abolishing the death penalty in Singapore. A citizen of the city-state, he was sentenced to death in 2018 for trafficking around 50 grams (1.75 ounces) of heroin, Han said.
Saridewi Djamani, a 45-year-old Singaporean woman, is due to be hanged Friday after she was convicted and sentenced in 2018 for trafficking around 30 grams (1.05 ounces) of heroin, the group and other human rights organizations said. Han said the last woman known to have been hanged in Singapore was 36-year-old hairdresser Yen May Woen, also for drug trafficking, in 2004.
“Singaporean authorities must immediately stop these blatant violations of the right to life in their obsessive enforcement of misguided drug policies,” Adilur Rahman Khan, secretary-general of the International Federation of Human Rights, said in a statement.
If Djamani's is executed as planned, Singapore will have executed 15 people for drug offences since it resumed hangings in March 2022, an average of one execution every month, Transformative Justice Collective, Amnesty International and seven other groups said in a joint statement.
Anyone — citizens and foreigners alike — convicted of trafficking more than 500 grams (17.64 ounces) of cannabis and 15 grams (0.53 ounces) of heroin faces the mandatory death penalty.
Human rights groups, British business mogul Richard Branson and the United Nations have urged Singapore to halt executions for drug-related offenses as increasing evidence shows the death penalty is ineffective as a deterrent. But Singapore authorities insist that all prisoners get due process of law and that capital punishment remains key to helping halt both drug demand and supply.
The joint statement by Transformative Justice Collective and other groups noted that Law Minister K. Shanmugam reportedly acknowledged in a 2022 interview that Singapore’s harsh policy on drugs has not led to the arrest of the so-called drug kingpins.
“Instead of disrupting drug cartels … the government of Singapore deliberately retains capital drug laws that, in practice, operate to punish low-level traffickers and couriers, who are typically recruited from marginalised groups with intersecting vulnerabilities,” the statement said.
The groups said Singapore is out of step with the global trend of more countries moving away from capital punishment. Neighboring Thailand has legalized cannabis while Malaysia ended the mandatory death penalty for serious crimes this year. The groups urged Singapore to halt all executions and instead pursue effective measures to humanely address drug trafficking in the country.
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/singapore-hangs-a-man-for-drug-trafficking-it-will-hang-a-woman-on-friday--the-first-in-19-years | 2023-07-29T10:04:21 | 0 | https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/ap-top-news/2023/07/26/singapore-hangs-a-man-for-drug-trafficking-it-will-hang-a-woman-on-friday--the-first-in-19-years |
Ron DeSantis was involved in a traffic accident while in Chattanooga, Tenn., this week raising money for his presidential bid. The candidate was not injured, which may have been the single best piece of news the campaign has had in a while.
The other kind of news for the Florida Republican seemed to be everywhere and all at once. His campaign announced it was shedding a third of its staff and "retooling" its fundraising amid reports of donor desertion. The Associated Press referred to the campaign as "stalled," Rich Lowry of National Review used the words "faltering" and "diminished" in a piece for Politico. The Wall Street Journal editorial page, often a cheerleader for the governor, noted "the headlines say [the campaign] is in an unrecoverable dive."
The media critiques went beyond DeSantis' problems with staffing and fundraising to question his performance on the stump. Stories told of DeSantis "scolding" students at one event for wearing masks and snapping at reporters at a news conference.
Most troubling of all may have been DeSantis' problems with messaging. He has defended his administration's new Florida history curriculum, which alludes to "benefits" that enslaved people may have derived from their life in bondage – such as blacksmithing skills. That drew a rebuke from rival candidate Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who's Black, who said there had been no "silver lining in slavery."
DeSantis may have been expected to stand by his state's curriculum changes, but it was harder to understand why he reached for controversy by saying he might appoint Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as head of the FDA or the CDC. Kennedy, a Democrat, is also a candidate for president, and famous as a vaccine conspiracy theorist, harshly critical of the scientists who lead the federal health agencies.
Most candidates would not consider either slavery or RFK Jr. an issue to emphasize, much less the hill they would choose to die on.
Perceptions prompt comparison to former presidential hopeful Rick Perry
Perceptions of DeSantis have changed greatly since he won reelection in November 2022 by 20 points. In January he was seen as the foremost threat to Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination, trailing the former president by just two percentage points in the 538.com average of national polls. As of this week, that gap has widened to 37 percentage points. DeSantis poll numbers have fallen by more than half as other candidates have entered the fray and taken a share. And that trendline has prompted comparisons to the recent history of another Sun Belt governor who had his eyes on the White House, Rick Perry of Texas.
A dozen years ago, Perry entered the GOP lists for the 2012 nomination against incumbent President Barack Obama. Having been elected and reelected in the nation's second most populous state, Perry had a gaudy list of endorsements and wealthy backers. His TV ads were impressive.
But Perry's in-person campaigning did not match expectations. After the first candidate debates of 2007 the buzz was all about his lackluster performances. Vowing to fight on, Perry pointed to a November debate where he hoped to turn things around. That was when he pledged to eliminate three cabinet level departments of the federal government if elected – Education, Commerce ... and he could not remember the third. After a fumbling pause he said: "Oops."
Needless to say, things did not get better after that. Crushed in the 2012 Iowa caucuses, Perry all but ignored New Hampshire to concentrate on South Carolina. But when his poll numbers there also sagged, he dropped out. In 2016, having just retired as the longest-tenured governor in Texas history, he tried again. But in a field of more than 15 candidates dominated by Trump, Perry barely registered. He dropped out before the Iowa caucuses.
Needless to say, no candidate for president wants to be compared to Rick Perry. But on Fox News on June 28, DeSantis told a Fox News host he would eliminate the same three departments as Perry — Education, Commerce and, as Perry had eventually remembered, Energy (which wound up being the department where Perry served as secretary under Trump). DeSantis threw in the IRS, too, which gave him a longer list than Perry's.
Throughout the agonizing train wreck that was the Perry campaign, the candidate seemed unable to understand that the persona and priorities that had lifted him to such success in Texas were not working the same on the national stage.
Can this campaign be saved?
DeSantis' campaign has reached the point where some observers wonder if it's too late to turn his fortunes around. They note that Trump's growing advantage over DeSantis in polls has been driven less by improving numbers for Trump than by deteriorating support for the Floridian.
But there are positives in this picture for the Florida governor. First, it is early — or at least relatively early — in the campaign season. The first voting activity leading to actual delegates being chosen does not happen until January 15, when Iowa holds its caucuses. That gives DeSantis and other candidates still seeking traction more than five months to find it. If the right formula can be found, there is time to follow it.
Second, the field is in some senses still unsettled. While half the Republican electorate may be satisfied with Trump, there is still the other half. And if the ever-mounting legal woes of the former president finally begin to erode the bedrock of his support, it may be possible for a single strong challenger to consolidate the opposition.
Third, there are beacons of hope for troubled candidates in recent presidential campaign history. By choosing to call the latest phase of his effort an "insurgency," DeSantis has acknowledged that he is battling the odds. Of course, when he adopted the campaign motto "The Great American Comeback," he was not expecting it to apply to his campaign.
The term "comeback" has long been associated with the first presidential push of a young Arkansas governor named Bill Clinton. Then 45, Clinton was seeking the Democratic nomination against the sitting president George H.W. Bush in 1992. Bush had been so popular following the success of the Persian Gulf War in 1991 that many ambitious Democrats in Washington thought it better to wait for the 1996 cycle to run. Clinton looked strong in the preliminary phase of the campaign but was on the ropes as the primaries began, battered by two potentially fatal blows.
Newspaper stories had highlighted steps he took to avoid the draft during the Vietnam War, and in a woman he had known in Arkansas named Gennifer Flowers told a supermarket tabloid the two had had a years-long affair. She repeated her story in a televised news conference.
Clinton stumbled to a distant third-place showing in the Iowa caucuses (won by a favorite son candidate, Tom Harkin) and fell far behind in New Hampshire. But on that state's primary night in February, Clinton in second place had closed the gap to single digits and won half the available delegates.
He went on TV to thank New Hampshire for making "Bill Clinton the comeback kid." The national media coverage largely followed that line, much to the distress of the primary's first-place winner, Sen. Paul Tsongas of neighboring Massachusetts. A few weeks later, on Super Tuesday, Clinton won most of the big state primaries, many of them in the South, and the lion's share of the delegates. He was soon cruising to the nomination.
McCain turned his ship around
More directly comparable to DeSantis' situation, and closer to his political home, was the turnaround achieved 16 years later by the campaign of Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain. A former POW in Vietnam who had made many friends in his time in the Senate, McCain was well known for his spirited "Straight Talk Express" campaign challenging George W. Bush for the GOP nomination in 2000. McCain came up short that time, but his profile was elevated in the Senate and he retained much of his appeal for independents.
But when it came to running another campaign, McCain quickly ran aground. The national agenda had changed over the two terms of the second President Bush, which included the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks and subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The man who had been New York City mayor during those attacks, Rudy Giuliani, was now running for president as "America's Mayor" and leading in national polls for a time.
Other notables in the field in 2007 included Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (now a senator from Utah) and Mike Huckabee, a former governor of Arkansas. McCain's standing in Iowa had suffered with his opposition to ethanol subsidies and he trailed Romney in polling in New Hampshire.
In the summer of 2007, with his early money drying up and fundraising slowed, McCain saw many news accounts of his flagging campaign. Some were ready to write him off. But that July he revamped his campaign from top to bottom and let go some longtime aides, including close friends, to begin anew. He seemed ready to do whatever it took, including altering his positions on key issues such as immigration.
By the time the campaign reached the voters in January 2008, the McCain operation had righted itself. After conceding Iowa to his rivals, McCain stormed back into contention with a smashing win in New Hampshire that netted him most of the delegates at stake.
As for one-time front-runner Giuliani, he had decided he did not need to go hard at Iowa and New Hampshire and concentrated instead on the late January primary in Florida. Giuliani finished third there, winning no delegates, and withdrew from the race the next day.
The following week brought Super Tuesday and a favorable mix of states for McCain, who won nine states to Romney's seven and Huckabee's five and pocketed most of the delegates. Romney then left the race and urged the other candidates and the party to unite behind McCain.
At such times in the past, struggling campaigns have rescued themselves with the right moves and a dose of luck. At other times, it has taken major missteps by front-running candidates to open the door. In DeSantis' case, it might well require both.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.nprillinois.org/2023-07-29/presidential-primaries-have-seen-dramatic-comebacks-could-desantis-24-be-next | 2023-07-29T10:04:21 | 0 | https://www.nprillinois.org/2023-07-29/presidential-primaries-have-seen-dramatic-comebacks-could-desantis-24-be-next |
CHICAGO (AP) — The beginning of the pandemic was devasting for the leader of the indie rock band Black Belt Eagle Scout, Katherine Paul. All her tours, including one headlining across North America, were canceled and she feared her ascending music career might be over.
She got a day job at a nonprofit and returned to the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community’s homelands in Western Washington. But as Paul, or KP to her friends, spent time in the cedar forests and walked along the Skagit River, she turned to her guitar to deal with the isolation and stress. Those snippets, recorded on her phone, provided the foundation for what would become songs on her powerful, grunge-soaked new record “The Land, The Water, The Sky.”
“I feel like if the pandemic hadn’t happened, I probably wouldn’t have made this record,” said KP, who writes the songs, sings and plays guitar in the band that was the only Native American artist at the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago this month.
“I spent a lot of time outside. I spent a lot more time than normal going on hikes, being part of the land,” she continued. “It’s not like I never do that stuff but it brought me back to a place where this is who I am.”
The new record, which came out in February, helped launch what has probably been the most successful year so far for Black Belt Eagle Scout. The band toured Europe and will go to Australia later this year. Two of her songs, “Soft Stud” from an earlier record and “Salmon Stinta” from her latest, appear this season on the television series “Reservation Dogs.”
Reservation Dogs Music Supervisor Tiffany Anders said she was introduced to the band’s music by the show’s creator, Sterlin Harjo, when they started working on the second season.
“It’s always been important for us on this show to include Native American artists, but beyond representation, Black Belt Eagle Scout’s music is beautiful and emotional, and fits these characters, their world and landscape — and the vibe of the show,’” she said in a statement.
Then there was Pitchfork, a three-day festival that is a significant milestone for indie musicians. The festival is held every year in Chicago’s Union Park and this year’s headliners included Bon Iver, Big Thief and The Smile, which has members of Radiohead.
She admitted stepping on that stage last weekend was nerve-wracking given her high hopes for the show, a feeling compounded by concerns that storms could scuttle their performance. But as she launched into the blistering set of mostly new songs in front of thousands of eager fans, KP found solace in her guitar. She launched several long jams that were punctuated by her twirling her jet-black hair around to the point it obscured her face.
“It was totally a moment,” she said with a laugh.
“I kind of cried after we played because it felt so meaningful,” she added. “Like, I’ve always wanted to play this music festival. I remember trying to play one of the years before the pandemic when I was touring and it didn’t happen. This year, I was just so stoked to play.”
Reaching Pitchfork has been a long journey for the 34-year-old artist, who is a member of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and left her home on the reservation in LaConner, Washington, when she was 17 to attend Lewis & Clark College in Oregon and play rock music.
Growing up on the reservation off the Washington coast on islands in the Salish Sea, she drummed and sang cultural songs. As a teenager, she discovered local Pacific Northwest bands like Mount Eerie and the sounds of the Riot Grrrl movement and played one of her first gigs at a small bar called Department of Safety. She moved to Portland, Oregon, due to its outsized role in the indie scene that featured bands like Sleater-Kinney and quickly immersed herself in the music scene playing drums and guitar.
She joined an all-female outfit whom she met at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls in Portland. She went on to play a lot of small, basement shows with bands like Genders — whose wolf tattoo she still has on her left arm.
But she wanted to write her own songs and formed Black Belt Eagle Scout in 2013. Her early music was defined by her ethereal singing about love, friendship and healing — often only accompanied by minimal guitar strumming. But she did rock out on songs like “Soft Stud,” which featured searing solos.
“She is a really an authentic musician and she carries a lot of power on stage with her presence and sound,” Claire Glass, who plays guitar in the band and first saw KP seven years ago.
KP has said her Native American identify has always been present on her records. But her latest music paints a more vivid picture of life on the Swinomish reservation. There are references to chinook salmon, which are traditionally fished, and a powwow dance.
“I started thinking of feeling grateful for the life that I have been given; this place that I’m from; how much the land, the water, the sky means to me — being surrounded by it,” KP said of writing the song ”Don’t Give Up.” “It has so much more meaning because the land, that’s where my people are from.”
Her songs aren’t meant to directly confront issues like the crisis of missing and murdered Native American women or tribes’ forced relocation. It’s not the way she writes songs. Instead, she envisions them connecting with people, drawing more Native Americans to indie rock shows in places like Minneapolis, which has a vibrant Native American community, and inspiring young Native Americans to connect with her after shows.
“Isn’t me like being here existing with my music good enough? Can’t I just be who I am?” she asked, adding she doesn’t need to speak out from stage about these issues because being Native often means she is already wrestling with them. A judge, for example, ruled in March that BNSF Railway intentionally violated the terms of an easement agreement with the tribe by running 100-car trains carrying crude oil over the reservation.
“As a Native person, you know someone who is missing. Your tribe is trying to get your land back. Those are topics that are part of your every day life,” she said. ”I care about those things deeply but there are certain ways in which my music is, maybe not as direct, but it can be healing.”
KP also doesn’t want to be seen just as a rock musician or as a Native artist. “I am a musician who happens to be Native, but I am also a Native musician … I think I am always both,” she said.
Her latest record aims to show that.
“I kind of had in the back of mind, just kept thinking what would Built to Spill do,” KP said of the guitar-heavy, indie-rock band from the Pacific Northwest. “I’ve gone on tour with them and seen their three guitars at one point playing together and how they overlap and all these other things.”
It’s also a more collaborative effort with more musicians playing on the record— a departure for KP, who is accustomed to doing everything herself. A cellist who played with Nirvana, Lori Goldston, is featured on several songs, as are two violinists, as well as a saxophone and mellotron player.
Takiaya Reed, a first-time producer who is also in a doom metal band, described the experience of working on the record as “beautiful and amazing” and said the two bonded over their love of punk. Reid also brought her classical training and love of “heavier sounds” to the studio.
“We approached it fearlessly. It was wonderful to be expansive in terms of sonic possibilities,” she said.
KP also wanted to find a place for her parents, whom she had grown especially close to during the pandemic, to play on the record. She chose the song “Spaces,” which she described as having a “healing vibe.” Her dad, who is one of the main singers at the tribe’s cultural events, embraced the idea of lending his powerful powwow chant to the song. Her mom sang harmonies.
KP said: “It meant the world to me to have my parents sing because it felt like it was full circle in who I am.” | https://www.koin.com/entertainment-news/ap-black-belt-eagle-scouts-latest-record-inspired-by-return-home-to-swinomish-tribes-ancestral-lands/ | 2023-07-29T10:04:24 | 0 | https://www.koin.com/entertainment-news/ap-black-belt-eagle-scouts-latest-record-inspired-by-return-home-to-swinomish-tribes-ancestral-lands/ |
BANGKOK (AP) — As Thailand grapples with the unexpectedly difficult task of naming a new prime minister, the most controversial former holder of the job, billionaire populist Thaksin Shinawatra, plans to return home next month from years of self-imposed exile, his daughter announced Wednesday.
Thaksin’s planned Aug. 10 return, confirmed in a Facebook posting by his daughter Paetongtarn on the occasion of his 74th birthday, comes at a politically sensitive time, as the Pheu Thai party, regarded as the main vehicle for his political interests, is seeking to win enough support in Parliament to have one of its leaders become Thailand’s 30th prime minister.
Earlier this month, opposition from the conservative appointed Senate, which together with the elected House of Representatives votes to select the prime minister, blocked the nominee from the progressive Move Forward Party, the top finisher in May’s election, from winning the job.
Thaksin, by promoting unprecedented populist policies and using the fortune he made in the telecommunications sector to build his own Thai Rak Thai party, was elected prime minister in 2001 and easily reelected in 2005, but was ousted by a military coup in 2006. He was accused of corruption and abuse of power and of disrespecting the country’s monarchy.
He fled Thailand in 2008 to escape a prison term in several criminal cases, which he decried as politically motivated, and still could be jailed for more than a decade on his return. A government led by his sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, was also ousted by a military coup in 2014. She also faced criminal charges and fled into exile.
His daughter Paetongtarn is one of Pheu Thai’s three candidates who can be nominated to become prime minister.
In May, Thaksin tweeted that he would like to come home before his birthday, but Paetongtarn said earlier this month that he decided on a delay in consideration of the post-election uncertainty, as his return could become a political issue.
“We’re both happy and worried, but we always respect your decision,” Paetongtarn wrote in Wednesday's Facebook post.
Thai news outlets reported that during a celebration of Thaksin’s birthday by Pheu Thai party supporters in the northeastern province of Ubon Ratchathani, the former prime minister spoke briefly in a video call to thank them and say he would return to Thailand “in the coming days.”
Thaksin has not returned earlier because of the belief that he would not be treated fairly by the government, backed by the military, which has never reconciled with him since ousting him in 2006.
The delay in naming a new prime minister is linked to royalist concerns.
Pita Limjaroenrat, the leader of the Move Forward Party, was the first nominee considered by Parliament as prime minister. He pulled together an eight-party coalition that holds 312 seats in the 500-member lower house. But confirming a new prime minister requires a majority vote by both the House and 250-member Senate, and Pita’s initial bid on July 13 fell short by more than 50 votes, largely because only 13 senators backed him.
Members of the Senate said they would not vote for Pita because of his party’s call for the reform of a law that makes it illegal to defame Thailand’s royal family. Critics say the law, which carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison, has been abused as a political weapon. The Senate’s members were appointed by a military government — not elected — and like the army, see themselves as guardians of traditional conservative royalist values.
A new vote for prime minister had been scheduled for Thursday, but was postponed to see if the Constitutional Court would rule on whether it was legal to deny Pita an opportunity to be renominated, while Pheu Thai struggled to seek backing of its nominee.
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/thailands-divisive-ex-prime-minister-thaksin-shinawatra-readies-return-during-political-turmoil | 2023-07-29T10:04:27 | 1 | https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/ap-top-news/2023/07/26/thailands-divisive-ex-prime-minister-thaksin-shinawatra-readies-return-during-political-turmoil |
From the outside, the tall white building looks like any other hip, new Brooklyn living space. But about a thousand migrant men sleep here every night and there's room for hundreds more. It's a sort of mega shelter, poised to become one of New York City's largest.
It's been open for just a few weeks, and it's already riddled with accusations of abuse.
For months, Mayor Eric Adams has been issuing warnings that the New York City shelter system simply cannot handle the deluge of over 90,000 people it has received in the last year or so. "We have no more room in the city," he cautioned at a recent press conference. "We need help from the federal government."
The Adams administration is challenging New York's right to shelter law in court: That's the law that for decades has assured that the city provide a safe haven to anyone in need, regardless of immigration status.
Adams also recently announced several unusual measures including distribution of fliers to asylum-seekers at the border in order to discourage migrants from coming to New York City. Single adults will only be able to stay in shelters for 60 days before having to reapply.
Activists say it's in keeping with this policy shift that the new shelter site — located in Brooklyn's posh Clinton Hill neighborhood — is being referred to as an "emergency respite center," rather than a shelter. It's been touted as a temporary humanitarian aid solution.
NPR spent several days speaking to asylum seekers who say conditions in the building are dire. Many described zones of 80 to 90 people sharing two bathrooms. A 26-year-old man named Deivy says he's fleeing armed conflict in Colombia and that he's been living in the shelter for over a week.
He asked that his last name be withheld for fear of retaliation. Deivy says fighting over use of the bathroom facilities is common and showering is an odyssey. Parked outside, two trailers with showers serve the entire building.
"It's bad in there," says one Mauritanian man named Neimar, who also asked that his last name be withheld for fear he'd be in trouble with shelter authorities. Sitting listlessly on a nearby park bench, Neimar describes the experience as a sort of limbo. "We had no life where we came from, but here we have no luck here. No clothing. No food. Nothing."
Lack of access to food is one of the most common complaints. On a recent day shelter occupants say lunch consists of a bag of chips and a water. Often the food has gone bad.
What troubles many people here the most is the security guards. "They treat us like animals," says Neimar. "As if we were not people."
In interviews with more than two dozen people, nearly everyone recounted experiencing physical harassment and verbal slights at the shelter. "I understand enough English to know I'm being insulted," says Deivy.
NPR reached out to the New York City government multiple times for comment on these accusations without response.
Advocates say shelters like this one are disheartening, especially given that New York has long been seen as a beacon for immigrants. "For at least 40 years, New York City has provided a right to shelter to all people — regardless of their immigration status — who need a place to stay for the night," says Columbia University Professor Elora Mukherjee, who studies immigration and law. She called the shift in policy "devastating."
For many migrants and asylum seekers, this Brooklyn location is not the first encounter with the New York shelter system. But it does feel like the last straw. Several described the situation at this new site so dire, they would rather sleep under a nearby highway overpass. Others have no choice but to join a homeless camp of nearly 20 men.
Among them is Jose Antonio. He says he left Venezuela to escape government harassment. "Eighty people using two bathrooms?" he says. "It's a health hazard." When he arrived at the shelter a few weeks ago, it was under construction, still lacking lights. After an altercation over bathroom access in the morning, he says, he was asked to leave. He now he sleeps outside. During the day, he works odd landscaping gigs.
The motto down here: stay working.
But the question of work and who is allowed to do it is where the federal immigration bureaucracy labyrinth gets even more complicated. The soonest an asylum seeker can get a work permit is six months after they apply for asylum. That's a process that can in turn take years.
"The Mayor does make a good point when he says that the city needs help. And that help should take various forms," said Professor Elora Mukherjee. The city, she says, needs the federal government to lend their authority. "First and foremost: the federal government should authorize asylum seekers to receive their lawful work organization as soon as they enter the United States and fill out the relevant paperwork."
There's no indication that this will happen anytime soon. Instead, many men rent scooters in order to work for food delivery apps. By noon on a recent day, the dinging sound of orders start echoing under the bridge.
The men head out.
It's a dystopian scene: asylum seekers, staying in a shelter and under a bridge, delivering pricey meals throughout New York.
A few days later, the police sweep the camp. For several hours the men say they are driven around the city on a bus and taken to two different shelters where they are turned away.
Eventually, the bus drops them off in Brooklyn again. The men walk back to the highway overpass and to the camp where they find many of their belongings are now missing. One man reports his immigration papers, cellphone, and clothing all gone.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.nprillinois.org/2023-07-29/as-nyc-limits-access-to-migrants-and-asylum-seekers-many-are-left-homeless | 2023-07-29T10:04:27 | 1 | https://www.nprillinois.org/2023-07-29/as-nyc-limits-access-to-migrants-and-asylum-seekers-many-are-left-homeless |
DALLAS (AP) — The combat boots and dog tags Alan Alda wore while playing the wisecracking surgeon Hawkeye on the beloved television series “M-A-S-H” sold at auction Friday for $125,000.
Alda held onto the boots and dog tags for more than 40 years after the show ended but decided to sell them through Heritage Auctions in Dallas to raise money for his center dedicated to helping scientists and doctors communicate better.
The buyer’s name wasn’t released.
Alda, 87, said he wore the boots and dog tags for the 11-season run of the show about a Korean War medical unit. His character, Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce, was a talented surgeon who helped ease the stress of working in a war zone with quips and practical jokes. The show’s final episode, which aired in 1983 and was written and directed by Alda, was the most watched TV show in U.S. history.
The boots and dog tags, given to him by the costume department, “made an impression on me every day that we shot the show,” said Alda, who won five Emmys for his work on the sitcom.
Alda said auctioning off the dog tags and boots now made sense. “I saw this as a chance to put them to work again,” he said.
The money raised from the auction will go to the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University in New York, which aims to help scientists and doctors communicate better through the use of improvisational exercises and other strategies.
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Associated Press writer Ken Miller in Oklahoma City contributed to this report. | https://www.koin.com/entertainment-news/ap-boots-and-dog-tags-alan-alda-wore-on-m-a-s-h-sell-at-auction-for-125000-that-will-go-to-charity/ | 2023-07-29T10:04:31 | 0 | https://www.koin.com/entertainment-news/ap-boots-and-dog-tags-alan-alda-wore-on-m-a-s-h-sell-at-auction-for-125000-that-will-go-to-charity/ |
LIMA, Peru — Although the top tourist destination in Peru is the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, high in the Andes Mountains, the capital Lima also holds a treasure trove of ancient ruins — so many, in fact, that authorities can't take care of them all.
The city is home to more than 400 known pyramids, temples and burial sites, many of which predate the Incas and and are known in Spanish as "huacas." They sit next to modern shopping centers, hotels and highways or rise up in the middle of neighborhoods in this city of 11 million people. Meanwhile, archaeologists keep digging up new sites.
Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, a former Peruvian president who lives across the street from a pyramid called Huallamarca, built around 1,800 years ago, says with a smile: "I know where I am when I wake up in the morning. I'm in Peru!"
Due mostly to budget limitations, Huallamarca is one of only 27 sites in Lima that have been excavated, restored and opened to visitors, according to archaeologists who spoke with NPR.
Many other sites are deteriorating. Squatters have occupied some, and others have become de facto garbage dumps or gathering spots for drug users and homeless people.
"Everywhere you dig, you will find something — because Lima was home to great civilizations," says Micaela Álvarez, director of the museum at Pucllana, a massive pyramid in Lima's business district of Miraflores. "But it's impossible to save everything in a poor country."
Pucllana is one of the exceptions.
Thought to be about 1,500 years old, the pyramid was a ceremonial site for the Lima Indigenous group that gave this city its name. Excavations began in 1981 and continue today.
On a recent morning, workers scraped sand and dirt from part of the site that archaeologists are beginning to explore for the first time. Nearby, guides pointed to the intricate brickwork, which has withstood earthquakes, and then led visitors to the top of the 82-foot-tall pyramid for views of the Pacific Ocean.
Among the visitors was Manuel Larrabure, a professor at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania who was born and raised in Lima but had never been to Pucllana.
"It's very impressive," he said. "The tendency is to look outside of Lima for interesting things, but it's good to look inside and to appreciate our own culture. People are still getting to know these sites."
Before it was restored following the start of excavations some 40 years ago, Pucllana was routinely looted and abused. At one point, a factory was using Pucllana's sand and clay to make bricks. Tour guide Blanca Arista says the pyramid also served as a neighborhood playground — and a motocross track.
"It's unbelievable, but several groups were practicing motocross," she said. "So, imagine different groups riding motorcycles, riding bikes."
Indeed, Lima's ancient Indigenous sites have, more often, been desecrated instead of safeguarded, says Giancarlo Marcone, a Peruvian archaeologist and professor at the University of Engineering and Technology in Lima.
Some were bulldozed to make way for apartment blocks and streets amid a wave of migration from the countryside that began in the 1950s.
"That put a lot of pressure on the city, and we didn't have good planning," Marcone says. "Until recently, we didn't really care about what we had."
Attitudes shifted as Peruvians became more sensitive to their cultural heritage and the country's ancient sites began to attract more international tourists. Janie Gómez, who until April was deputy culture minister, said the government of President Dina Boluarte is committed to preserving these sites.
"Their recovery will prevent them from deteriorating and being invaded," she told the state-run Andina news agency in January. "The millennial history over which Lima was built must not be lost."
However, Peru is struggling to reduce poverty and improve hospitals and schools, Marcone says. Thus, governments have been unable or unwilling to finance robust excavations or to turn more than a few sites into tourist attractions. The result is that many have been left in limbo.
Rosa María Barillas, a Peruvian archaeology student who recently completed fieldwork at an ancient temple on the outskirts of Lima, recalls looters prowling the area.
"I had to chase them away," she says.
Other sites have been colonized by squatters. The archaeological complex at Mateo Salado, near Lima's international airport, features a beautifully restored 1,000-year-old pyramid, but is also home to several modern houses. Until 2013, when major restoration work began, farmers used the site to cultivate roses and neighborhood kids played soccer there.
In the working-class neighborhood of Los Olivos, a dusty, dun-colored archaeological site called Infantas I is hemmed in by streets and houses. Ashes from a campfire are smoldering while trash piles up in several areas. Three youths are smoking crack, and a shirtless man is digging up sand and putting it in sacks. The area is part of a series of temples, but has yet to be excavated.
Benito Trejo, who heads the neighborhood committee, calls Infantas I a headache.
"It's not a good thing, because these sites are ignored by the government which is supposed to look after them," he says.
There was no response to NPR's requests for comment from the Culture Ministry.
For now, archaeologists say that surrounding communities must get more involved in preserving and promoting the sites. Pucllana, for example, has been used for art exhibits, while other sites have hosted film screenings.
At Mateo Salado, fifth graders were recently visiting the site and drawing pictures of the ruins, which are part of their school logo.
"We shouldn't look at these sites simply as relics of the past," says Andrés Ramírez, one of the instructors. "They should be part of everyday society. That's what we are trying to promote."
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.nprillinois.org/2023-07-29/in-peru-discovery-of-ancient-ruins-outpaces-authorities-ability-to-care-for-them | 2023-07-29T10:04:34 | 0 | https://www.nprillinois.org/2023-07-29/in-peru-discovery-of-ancient-ruins-outpaces-authorities-ability-to-care-for-them |
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A judge in Florida on Friday refused to dismiss a lawsuit brought by Gov. Ron DeSantis appointees against Disney’s efforts to neutralize the governor’s takeover of Disney World’s governing district.
The judge in state court in Orlando denied Disney’s motion in the lawsuit that says the company wrongly stripped appointees of powers over design and construction at Disney World when it made agreements with predecessors, who were supporters.
The case is one of two lawsuits stemming from the takeover, which was retaliation for the company’s public opposition to the so-called Don’t Say Gay legislation championed by DeSantis and Republican lawmakers. In the other lawsuit, in federal court in Tallahassee, Disney says DeSantis violated the company’s free speech rights.
The governor has touted his yearlong feud with Disney in his run for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, often accusing the entertainment giant of being too “woke.” Disney has accused the governor of violating its First Amendment rights.
Attorneys for Disney had argued that any decision in state court would be moot since the Republican-controlled Legislature already has passed a law voiding agreements that the company made with a prior governing board made up of Disney supporters that gave design and construction powers to the company.
The entertainment giant had asked that the state court case be put on hold if it’s not dismissed until the federal lawsuit in Tallahassee was resolved since they covered the same ground and that lawsuit was filed first.
In that case, Disney sued DeSantis and his appointees to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District in an effort to stop the takeover, saying the governor was violating the company’s free speech and “weaponizing the power of government to punish private business.”
DeSantis wasn’t a party in the state court lawsuit.
The fight between DeSantis and Disney began last year after the company, facing significant pressure internally and externally, publicly opposed a state law banning classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades, a policy critics call “Don’t Say Gay.”
As punishment, DeSantis took over the district through legislation passed by Florida lawmakers and appointed a new board of supervisors to oversee municipal services for the sprawling theme parks and hotels. But before the new board came in, the company made agreements with previous oversight board members who were Disney supporters that stripped the new supervisors of their authority over design and construction.
In response, DeSantis and Florida lawmakers passed the legislation that repealed those agreements.
Disney announced in May that it was scrapping plans to build a new campus in central Florida and relocate 2,000 employees from Southern California to work in digital technology, finance and product development. Disney had planned to build the campus about 20 miles (30 kilometers) from the giant Walt Disney World theme park resort.
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Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at @MikeSchneiderAP | https://www.koin.com/entertainment-news/ap-judge-refuses-to-dismiss-lawsuit-against-disneys-efforts-to-neutralize-governing-district-takeover/ | 2023-07-29T10:04:38 | 1 | https://www.koin.com/entertainment-news/ap-judge-refuses-to-dismiss-lawsuit-against-disneys-efforts-to-neutralize-governing-district-takeover/ |
The 75th Emmy Awards are the latest production to be put on pause due to the Hollywood strikes and will not air as planned in September.
A person familiar with the postponement plans but not authorized to speak publicly pending an official announcement confirmed the delay Friday. No information about a new date was immediately available.
The Emmy Awards were scheduled to be broadcast on Fox on Sept. 18. Rules laid out by the actors’ union, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, say stars cannot campaign for the Emmys or attend awards shows while on strike.
Writers are also not permitted to work on awards shows until the strike ends.
Whenever the next Emmy Awards are held, HBO will walk in as the leading contender. The network is up for 74 awards for three of its top shows: “ Succession,” “The White Lotus” and “The Last of Us.”
“Ted Lasso” has the most comedy category nominations with 21, including best comedy series and best actor for Jason Sudeikis.
Roughly 65,000 SAG-AFTRA actors and 11,500 Writers Guild of America screenwriters are on strike, calling for better pay, structure with residual payments and protection from the use of artificial intelligence. | https://www.koin.com/entertainment-news/ap-the-emmy-awards-are-postponed-due-to-the-hollywood-actors-and-writers-strike-source-says/ | 2023-07-29T10:04:44 | 1 | https://www.koin.com/entertainment-news/ap-the-emmy-awards-are-postponed-due-to-the-hollywood-actors-and-writers-strike-source-says/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — Rapper Travis Scott has released “Utopia,” his first album in five years and his first major release since 10 people died at his 2021 Astroworld music festival.
The star-studded 19-track “Utopia” features Beyoncé, SZA, Drake, Sampha, Young Thug, Playboi Carti, Daft Punk’s Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, Future, Bon Iver, James Blake, Kid Cudi, 21 Savage, and many more.
The LP, Scott’s fourth full-length, was originally announced back in 2020 and follows 2018’s “Astroworld.” In November 2019, 10 people died as a result of compression asphyxia during a massive crowd surge during Scott’s Astroworld festival. A grand jury declined to file charges against Scott earlier this year.
Also Friday, Houston police released files that showed that some workers were concerned about the crowd conditions at the show. The 1,300-page report also included a summary of an interview with Scott in which he said he did not hear calls from the crowd to stop the show.
The first track from the album, the popetón -adjacent “K-pop”, was released on July 21 and features the Weeknd and Bad Bunny. The release spans genres — an eclectic mix of autotune ambient ballads (“My Eyes”), ferocious bars (“Looove”), futuristic trap (“Lost Forever,” Telekinesis”), and beyond.
In addition to the album, Scott hosted a one-night-only release of his feature film, “Circus Maximus” at select theaters on Thursday night.
“Utopia” was originally scheduled to be celebrated with a livestreamed concert at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, but was canceled due to “complex production issues,” Live Nation said in a statement. | https://www.koin.com/entertainment-news/ap-travis-scott-drops-utopia-his-first-album-since-the-astroworld-festival-tragedy/ | 2023-07-29T10:04:51 | 1 | https://www.koin.com/entertainment-news/ap-travis-scott-drops-utopia-his-first-album-since-the-astroworld-festival-tragedy/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — The entertainment publication Variety, under fire this week for an article it published about former CNN chief Jeff Zucker’s interest in his old employer, revised the piece on Friday to reflect some of the complaints about it.
None of its changes affected what was written about Zucker, however. He has called for the story to be retracted.
The article by Tatiana Siegel, which initially ran online Tuesday, depicted Zucker as badmouthing his successor at CNN, Chris Licht, while simultaneously trying to buy the news organization that fired him in early 2021. Licht’s unsuccessful run atop the struggling news network ended with his firing in May.
The dispute also points to the dangers inherent in the use of confidential sources by journalists. There are at least a dozen claims made in the story that Variety did not attribute to a named source that were denied on the record, either in the story or after publication, leaving it up to readers to decide who to believe.
“There used to be a time when Variety held its content and its reporters to a high standard of truth and facts in journalism, but those days are clearly over,” said Risa Heller, a spokeswoman for Zucker. “It is stunning to read a piece that is so patently and aggressively false. On numerous occasions, we made it clear to the reporter and her editors that they were planning to publish countless anecdotes and alleged incidents that never happened. They did so anyway. The piece is a total joke.”
Variety’s co-editor-in-chiefs, Cynthia Littleton and Ramin Setoodeh, said in a statement Friday that they have been carefully following the conversation about the story.
“The story was heavily vetted and deeply sourced,” they said. “Everyone included in the story was asked to comment and given the chance to respond. We stand by our reporting and our award-winning reporter.”
The piece is also critical of two reporters who have covered CNN, Tim Alberta of The Atlantic and Dylan Byers of Puck. Both of those news organizations complained of inaccuracies and, in the changes made on Friday, Variety added their specific denials.
Zucker’s team hasn’t sought to hide ill feelings toward Licht, but strongly denied he has tried to buy CNN.
The story begins with an anecdote about Zucker, “with tears in his eyes,” approaching David Zaslav in Miami Beach in March. Zaslav is CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, current owners of CNN, and Variety said Zucker complained that Licht was unfairly maligning him in the press. Zaslav wanted to know if Zucker was trying to assemble investors to buy CNN.
Byers, writing for Puck, said “multiple sources” said no such run-in at the Faena Hotel ever took place and Zucker’s spokeswoman said that anecdote wasn’t checked with them; Variety says it was.
The story outlines several specific efforts made by Zucker, or on his behalf, to convince investors to join him in buying CNN. The story includes his denials: “Any allegation or insinuation that Jeff has made any effort to purchase CNN is unequivocally false,” Heller said. Zucker is now head of a private equity firm, RedBird IMI.
At one point, Variety also floated the theory that a secret group of investors was using Zucker’s name without his knowledge to approach Warner Bros. Discovery about buying CNN.
In a June 4 article, The New York Times reported that Zucker was not in talks to buy CNN, although “he has told some associates he would be interested in acquiring the network” if it came up for sale one day, the newspaper said.
The Variety article “struck me as utterly implausible and sophomoric,” Byers wrote for Puck this week.
Variety’s piece called Byers “a former Zucker disciple at CNN who, by his own admission, wrote about Licht incessantly and even took a victory lap after his exit.” The piece described Byers as a writer of “Zucker fan fiction” and criticized him for a conflict of interest in not disclosing in any of his articles that Zucker once had discussions about funding Puck, an online subscription news service.
In its revision on Friday, Variety quoted Puck’s co-founder, Jon Kelly, saying the discussions with RedBird were not disclosed by Byers because “Dylan was intentionally unaware of them.”
For The Atlantic, Alberta wrote a widely-read story that seen by many as being instrumental in Licht’s dismissal by Zaslav. Variety was critical of Alberta, and accused the reporter of using material in his story that he had agreed to keep off the record — a serious charge of malfeasance against a journalist.
As with Byers, Variety didn’t change what it had written about Alberta. But it added a paragraph to its story using some of what Alberta had written on social media, including a denial that he had used off-the-record material, and disputing Variety’s claim of how many times he had met with Licht while reporting the story.
The story was reposted on Variety’s home page. The only indication that it had been changed was a note at its end: “This story was updated on July 28 to reflect new statements from Kelly and Alberta.” | https://www.koin.com/entertainment-news/ap-variety-revises-article-on-former-cnn-chief-jeff-zucker-that-was-sharply-criticized/ | 2023-07-29T10:04:58 | 1 | https://www.koin.com/entertainment-news/ap-variety-revises-article-on-former-cnn-chief-jeff-zucker-that-was-sharply-criticized/ |
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.koin.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-authorities-charge-alabama-woman-who-acknowledged-fabricating-story-about-kidnapping-toddler/ | 2023-07-29T10:05:04 | 1 | https://www.koin.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-authorities-charge-alabama-woman-who-acknowledged-fabricating-story-about-kidnapping-toddler/ |
Peggy Coppom hasn’t quite seen it all with the Colorado Buffaloes, but she’s seen much more than most, so believe her when she says Thursday was a good day to be a fan.
The 98-year-old has been attending football games since her family moved from the high plains of eastern Colorado to Boulder in 1939 to escape the Dust Bowl, and she’s missed only a couple home games since buying season tickets in 1966.
The excitement in her voice was obvious during a phone call minutes after university regents approved the school’s return to the Big 12 in 2024.
“I’m so happy to get back to the Big 12 — or the Big 15 or whatever it ends up being,” she said, laughing. “It seems like that’s where we belong. We don’t belong with the West Coast people.”
Of course, the Big 12 isn’t the same league it was when the Buffs left for the Pac-12 in 2012. Nebraska and Missouri are gone, and Oklahoma and Texas will be, too. BYU could become a rival, but the Buffs have little in common with Cincinnati, Houston and Central Florida.
“I wish some of those old schools were there, but we’ll make the best of it,” Coppom said.
The conference change, plus the hiring of Deion Sanders, has her eagerly anticipating watching the Buffs from her seats near the 40-yard line on the west side of Folsom Field — “God willing, I always have to add,” she said.
Coppom, carrying a gold pom-pom, was escorted onto the field by Sanders and performed a ceremonial kickoff during the spring game in April. Coppom said Sanders and the return to the Big 12 has created the most buzz about the team since it won a share of the national championship in 1990.
Former CU fullback Jim Kelleher, who was second in the Big Eight with 15 rushing touchdowns in 1976, said he’s in wait-and-see mode about the move.
“I originally wasn’t that excited about it, but at the same time, the Pac-12 had let things get to such a point where you had to do something,” he said. “The Big 12 signed a good media rights agreement. It’s just sad the Pac-12 hasn’t been able to get a TV contract.”
Kelleher said that while Colorado will get exposure across three time zones, which is a positive, he’s sad to see how traditions and geographic rivalries have been sacrificed with realignment in general.
Specific to Colorado, he said, the Buffs seemed to be a good fit in the Pac-12. He said his sentimental attachment to the Big 12 won’t be there without Nebraska and other teams he played against in the old Big Eight.
“Whether it’s the school or the individual athletes — with TV and NIL — it’s all money, money, money,” he said. “I understand their decision. Hey, I’m part of the Colorado team, so I’m for my team and hope it works out.”
Tom Osborne, the College Football Hall of Fame coach at Nebraska and its former athletic director, shepherded the Cornhuskers’ move from the Big 12 to Big Ten in 2011. He said he’s able to view past, present and future realignment from the perspective of both a fan and administrator.
“You’re talking about lost traditions,” Osborne said. “I can share the feelings of the fans in that I miss those drives to Manhattan, Kansas; Lawrence, Kansas; Ames, Iowa, and some of those relationships.”
Nebraska’s move to the Big Ten had as much or more to do with finding stability as it did with finances, Osborne said. In the summer of 2011, Osborne said, Big 12 South teams were negotiating with the Pac-12, Missouri wanted to go to the SEC and Texas A&M also was looking to leave.
“Finances are driving this thing more than anything, and my guess is that the uncertainty about where the Pac-12 stands right now appears to make the Big 12 better for Colorado — even though the Big 12 has not been a paragon of stability.”
___
AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/ap_top25 Sign up for the AP Top 25 newsletter here: https://link.apnews.com/join/6nr/morning-wire-newsletter-footer-internal-ads | https://www.koin.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-big-12-not-quite-the-same-but-it-feels-like-home-to-a-98-year-old-colorado-fan/ | 2023-07-29T10:05:10 | 1 | https://www.koin.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-big-12-not-quite-the-same-but-it-feels-like-home-to-a-98-year-old-colorado-fan/ |
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Racing will resume at Churchill Downs in September, with no changes being made after a review of surfaces and safety protocols in the wake of 12 horse deaths, including seven in the days leading up to the Kentucky Derby in May.
The Louisville track suspended racing operations on June 7 and moved the rest of its spring meet to Ellis Park in western Kentucky at the recommendation of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, the sport’s national overseer.
Training continued at Churchill Downs during the track’s investigation.
Churchill Downs Inc. CEO Bill Carstanjen called the deaths “a series of unfortunate circumstances” and said the review “didn’t find anything fundamentally wrong or different about our track from previous years.”
“That, in a sense, can sometimes be unsatisfying,” he said. “But that’s business, and that’s sports.”
Two of the horse deaths occurred in undercard races on Derby day. Another five died later.
“The takeaway is, the track is very safe,” Carstanjen said Thursday on an earnings call with CDI investors.
“What we needed to do was spend some of this time in the interim, while we ran the rest of the (spring) meet at Ellis to just go soup to nuts through every single thing we do at the racetrack. There was nothing that jumped out as an apparent cause of the injuries, of the breakdowns; and, as we went through and rebuilt our processes from the ground up to check everything that we do to make extra sure, we didn’t find anything material.”
The track’s fall meet begins Sept. 14 and runs through Oct. 1.
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AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.koin.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-churchill-downs-to-resume-racing-at-fall-meet-with-no-changes-after-horse-deaths/ | 2023-07-29T10:05:17 | 0 | https://www.koin.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-churchill-downs-to-resume-racing-at-fall-meet-with-no-changes-after-horse-deaths/ |
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Ballots from Spaniards living abroad were counted Friday, and they gave a new twist to the inconclusive results from the general election.
The conservative Popular Party gained an additional seat from Madrid’s constituency late in the day at the expense of the Socialist Workers’ Party. That change gives the right-wing coalition of the PP and the far-right Vox party 172 seats in the lower house of parliament and drops left-wing forces to 171.
Forming a stable governing coalition will require one of the blocks to have the support of 176 lawmakers in the 350-seat body, and it’s not clear that either side will be able to obtain enough backing from smaller parties.
The country’s main political parties had been waiting for the count in the hope they might win seats from opponents and recompose the final picture. Results coming in from different constituencies during the day showed no changes across Spain — until Madrid added the last-gasp surprise.
The switch likely will make it even tougher to cobble together a government.
Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is considered the only leader with a chance to form a coalition, since the Popular Party led by Alberto Núñez Feijóo is being shunned by other parties for allying with Vox.
But Sánchez does not have it easy. He needs help from secessionist parties in the Basque Country and Catalonia, and it could be politically risky to bid for support from the Catalan party Junts, which is headed by Carles Puigdemont, a leader of 2017’s failed secession bid in Catalonia.
His party has seven seats, but its goal of forcing Spain to allow a secession referendum is Catalonia is highly unpopular, including in Sánchez’s party.
The new parliament is to convene Aug. 17 and it will have three months to vote in a new prime minister. Otherwise, new elections would be called. | https://www.koin.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-count-of-ballots-from-spaniards-abroad-gives-edge-to-right-wing-block-and-deepens-the-stalemate/ | 2023-07-29T10:05:25 | 1 | https://www.koin.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-count-of-ballots-from-spaniards-abroad-gives-edge-to-right-wing-block-and-deepens-the-stalemate/ |
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.”
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.’”
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.
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.”
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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.koin.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-election-disinformation-campaigns-targeted-voters-of-color-in-2020-experts-expect-2024-to-be-worse/ | 2023-07-29T10:05:32 | 1 | https://www.koin.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-election-disinformation-campaigns-targeted-voters-of-color-in-2020-experts-expect-2024-to-be-worse/ |
TOKYO (AP) — The Japanese government stepped up its alarm over Chinese assertiveness, warning in a report issued Friday that the country faces its worst security threats since World War II as it plans to implement a new strategy that calls for a major military buildup.
The 2023 defense white paper, approved by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s Cabinet, is the first since the government adopted a controversial new National Security Strategy in December, seen as a break from Japan’s postwar policy limiting the use of force to self-defense.
China, Russia and North Korea contribute to “the most severe and complex security environment since the end of World War II,” according to the 510-page report. It says China’s external stance and military activities have become a “serious concern for Japan and the international community and present an unprecedented and the greatest strategic challenge.”
On Thursday, Russian and Chinese delegates joined North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in North Korea’s capital for a military parade that showed off the country’s latest drones and long-range nuclear-capable missiles.
Russia and China have also stepped up strategic ties, the white paper said, noting five joint bomber flights since 2019, and several joint navigations of Chinese and Russian warships that it said were “clearly intended for demonstration of force against Japan and of grave concern” to both Japan and the region.
The report predicted that China will possess 1,500 nuclear warheads by 2035 and increase its military superiority over Taiwan, in what Japan views as a security threat, especially to its southwestern islands including Okinawa.
While Okinawan Gov. Denny Tamaki has called for U.S. bases there to be reduced and for greater efforts in diplomacy and dialogue with Beijing, the central government has been reinforcing the defenses of the remote southwestern islands, including Ishigaki and Yonaguni, where new bases for missile defense have been installed.
Many residents of Okinawa have bitter memories of the Battle of Okinawa, in which Japan’s wartime military essentially sacrificed the local population in an attempt to delay a U.S. landing on the main Japanese islands. Many Okinawans worry they would be the first to suffer in the event of a Taiwan emergency.
Earlier this week, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno visited Ishigaki and acknowledged the challenges of evacuating residents from remote islands, and pledged to give firm support. Ishigaki Mayor Yoshitaka Nakayama asked for airport and port facilities to be reinforced and for underground shelters to be built as preparation for a possible Taiwan emergency.
China claims self-governing Taiwan as its own territory, to be annexed by force if necessary.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, who in 2017 set a goal of building a “world-class military” by the mid-21st century, may move the target forward, the report said, noting his call for a rapid advancement of the People’s Liberation Army in his speech at the Communist Party congress in October.
North Korea is rapidly progressing in its nuclear and missile development and poses “a graver, more imminent threat to Japan than ever before,” the report said. North Korea has test-fired around 100 missiles since the start of 2022, including ICBMs, and the report noted it is now believed to have an ability to conduct nuclear attacks on Japan and the continental United States.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the Japanese defense paper interfered in China’s internal affairs and “deliberately played up the so-called Chinese threat and created tensions in the region.” She said Japan’s own military buildup has drawn concern from its Asian neighbors and the international community, and urged Tokyo to “stop finding excuses for its military expansion.”
She said China’s military policy is defensive, and “military cooperation such as joint patrols with relevant countries is in line with international law and practice.”
South Korea, despite the rapid improvement of its ties with Japan this year due to shared concern over China’s threat, slammed Japan’s claim in the defense report to a South Korean-controlled contested island, calling it “unjust.”
The report comes seven months after Kishida’s government adopted new national security and defense strategies that called for doubling the defense budget to 43 trillion yen ($310 billion) by 2027.
Questions have been raised about whether the ambitious expansion of military capability and funding for it is feasible in a country that has a rapidly aging and shrinking population.
A government-commissioned panel recently adopted a package of recommendations for Japan’s military to maintain troop numbers despite population concerns, including scholarships, extension of the retirement age, hiring retirees, improving the workplace environment and tackling harassment.
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Associated Press writers Joe McDonald in Beijing and Kim Tong-hyung in Seoul, South Korea, contributed to this report. | https://www.koin.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-japan-raises-alarm-over-chinas-military-russia-ties-and-taiwan-tensions-in-new-defense-paper/ | 2023-07-29T10:05:40 | 0 | https://www.koin.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-japan-raises-alarm-over-chinas-military-russia-ties-and-taiwan-tensions-in-new-defense-paper/ |
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.koin.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-members-of-congress-break-for-august-with-no-clear-path-to-avoiding-a-shutdown-this-fall/ | 2023-07-29T10:05:47 | 1 | https://www.koin.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-members-of-congress-break-for-august-with-no-clear-path-to-avoiding-a-shutdown-this-fall/ |
NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — Mutinous soldiers who staged a coup in Niger declared their leader the new head of state on Friday, hours after the general asked for national and international support despite rising concerns that the political crisis could hinder the nation’s fight against jihadists and boost Russia’s influence in West Africa.
Spokesman Col. Maj. Amadou Abdramane said on state television that the constitution was suspended and Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani was in charge.
Various factions of Niger’s military have reportedly wrangled for control since members of the presidential guard detained President Mohamed Bazoum, who was elected two years ago in Niger’s first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since independence from France.
Niger is seen as the last reliable partner for the West in efforts to battle jihadists linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group in Africa’s Sahel region, where Russia and Western countries have vied for influence in the fight against extremism. France has 1,500 soldiers in the country who conduct joint operations with the Nigeriens, and the United States and other European countries have helped train the nation’s troops.
The coup sparked international condemnation and the West African regional group ECOWAS, which includes Niger and has taken the lead in trying to restore democratic rule in the country, scheduled an emergency summit in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, on Sunday.
The U.N. Security Council strongly condemned efforts “to unconstitutionally change the legitimate government.” Its statement, agreed to by all 15 members including the U.S. and Russia, called for “the immediate and unconditional release” of Bazoum and expressed concern over the negative effect of coups in the region, the “increase in terrorist activities and the dire socio—economic situation.”
Extremists in Niger have carried out attacks on civilians and military personnel, but the overall security situation is not as dire as in neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso — both of which have ousted the French military. Mali has turned to the Russian private military group Wagner, and it’s believed that the mercenaries will soon be in Burkina Faso.
Now there are concerns that Niger could follow suit. Before the coup, Wagner, which has sent mercenaries around the world in support of Russia’s interests, already had its sights set on Niger, in part because it’s a large producer of uranium.
“We can no longer continue with the same approaches proposed so far, at the risk of witnessing the gradual and inevitable demise of our country,” Tchiani, who also goes by Omar Tchiani, said in his address. “That is why we decided to intervene and take responsibility.”
“I ask the technical and financial partners who are friends of Niger to understand the specific situation of our country in order to provide it with all the support necessary to enable it to meet the challenges,” he said.
If the United States designates the takeover as a coup, Niger stands to lose millions of dollars of military aid and assistance.
The mutinous soldiers, who call themselves the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Country, accused some prominent dignitaries of collaborating with foreign embassies to “extract” the deposed leaders. They said it could lead to violence and warned against foreign military intervention.
Bazoum has not resigned and he defiantly tweeted from detention on Thursday that democracy would prevail.
It’s not clear who enjoys majority support, but the streets of the capital of Niamey were calm Friday, with a slight celebratory air. Some cars honked in solidarity at security forces as they drove by — but it was not clear if that meant they backed the coup. Elsewhere, people rested after traditional midday prayers and others sold goods at their shops and hoped for calm.
“We should pray to God to help people come together so that peace comes back to the country. We don’t want a lot of protests in the country, because it is not good … I hope this administration does a good job,” said Gerard Sassou, a Niamey shopkeeper.
A day earlier, several hundred people gathered in the city chanting support for Wagner while waving Russian flags. “We’re fed up,” said Omar Issaka, one of the protestors. “We are tired of being targeted by the men in the bush. … We’re going to collaborate with Russia now.”
That’s exactly what many in the West likely fear. Tchiani’s criticism of Bazoum’s approach and of how security partnerships have worked in the past will certainly make the U.S., France, and the EU uneasy, said Andrew Lebovich, a research fellow with the Clingendael Institute.
“So that could mark potentially some shifts moving forward in Niger security partnerships,” he said.
Even as Tchiani sought to project control, the situation appeared to be in flux. A delegation from neighboring Nigeria, which holds the ECOWAS presidency and was hoping to mediate, left shortly after arriving, and the president of Benin, nominated as a mediator by ECOWAS, has not arrived.
Earlier, an analyst who had spoken with participants in the talks said the presidential guard was negotiating with the army about who should be in charge. The analyst spoke on condition they not to be named because of the sensitive situation.
A western military official in Niger who was not authorized to speak to the media also said the military factions were believed to be negotiating, but that the situation remained tense and violence could erupt.
Speaking in Papua New Guinea, French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the coup as “completely illegitimate and profoundly dangerous for the Nigeriens, Niger and the whole region.”
The coup threatens to starkly reshape the international community’s engagement with the Sahel region.
On Thursday, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said the country’s “substantial cooperation with the Government of Niger is contingent on Niger’s continued commitment to democratic standards.”
The United States in early 2021 said it had provided Niger with more than $500 million in military assistance and training programs since 2012, one of the largest such support programs in sub-Saharan Africa. The European Union earlier this year launched a 27 million-euro ($30 million) military training mission in Niger.
The United States has more than 1,000 service personnel in the country.
Some military leaders who appear to be involved in the coup have worked closely with the United States for years. Gen. Moussa Salaou Barmou, the head of Niger’s special forces, has an especially strong relationship with the U.S., the Western military official said.
While Russia has also condemned the coup, it remains unclear what the junta’s position would be on Wagner.
The acting head of the United Nations in Niger said Friday that humanitarian aid deliveries were continuing, even though the military suspended flights carrying aid.
Nicole Kouassi, the acting U.N. resident and humanitarian coordinator, told reporters via video from Niamey that 4.3 million people needed humanitarian aid before this week’s military action and 3.3 million faced “acute food insecurity,” the majority of them women and children.
Jean-Noel Gentile, the U.N. World Food Program director in Niger, said “the humanitarian response continues on the ground.” He said the U.N. is providing cash assistance and food to people in accessible areas and that the agency is continuously assessing the situation to ensure security and access.
This is Niger’s fifth coup and marks the fall of one of the last democratically elected governments in the Sahel.
Its army has always been very powerful and civilian-military relations fraught, though tensions had increased recently, especially with the growing jihadist insurgency, said Karim Manuel, an analyst for the Middle East and Africa with the Economist Intelligence Unit.
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Associated Press reporters John Leicester in Paris; Chinedu Asadu in Abuja, Nigeria; and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations in New York contributed to this report. | https://www.koin.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-no-clarity-about-whos-in-charge-in-niger-2-days-after-mutinous-soldiers-ousted-the-president/ | 2023-07-29T10:05:54 | 0 | https://www.koin.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-no-clarity-about-whos-in-charge-in-niger-2-days-after-mutinous-soldiers-ousted-the-president/ |