text string | url string | crawl_date timestamp[ms] | label int64 | id string |
|---|---|---|---|---|
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers, who have made pitching a priority in advance of the trade deadline, acquired starter Lance Lynn and reliever Joe Kelly on Friday in a swap with the Chicago White Sox.
The NL West leaders sent outfielder Trayce Thompson, pitcher Nick Nastrini and reliever Jordan Leasure to the White Sox.
Lynn and Kelly join utilityman Kiké Hernández from the Boston Red Sox and infielder-outfielder Amed Rosario from the Cleveland Guardians in Los Angeles, ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline.
“I would argue we have raised the floor and the ceiling,” manager Dave Roberts said.
The Dodgers may not be done, either, with a need for more starting pitching.
“I think there’s always a chance,” Roberts said. “There’s still time on the clock.”
Lynn has been mostly underwhelming this season. The 36-year-old right-hander is 6-9 with a 6.18 ERA and leads the American League in earned runs (79) and home runs allowed (28).
Roberts called Lynn a “victim of sort of the circumstance” with the sub-.500 White Sox, who are 13 games back of AL Central leader Minnesota.
“I just feel like getting in this environment, playing meaningful games will bring out the best in him,” Roberts said.
Lynn has 139 strikeouts in 115 innings and 10.9 per nine innings. In June, Lynn struck out 16 in a game against Seattle, setting a major-league mark for most strikeouts in a game by a pitcher with an ERA above 6.00.
He was an All-Star for the White Sox in 2021 and shortly after signed a $38 million, two-year contract extension that included a club option.
“I’m happy to have had the time that I had here, but it is a business and sometimes these things happen,” Lynn said. “I’m just looking forward to the possibility of making a playoff push.”
Lynn began the 2022 season on the injured list with a meniscus tear suffered in spring training. He returned in mid-June and finished the season with an 8-7 record in 21 starts and a 3.99 ERA. He recorded 121 strikeouts in 121 2/3 innings.
Lynn has spent most of his career in the AL. Besides the White Sox, he has pitched for Minnesota, the New York Yankees and Texas. He began his career with St. Louis, and missed the 2016 season with them after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Lynn won a World Series with the Cardinals in 2011, his debut season in the majors. The following year he earned his first All-Star berth.
The Dodgers have not yet decided who Lynn will replace in the rotation. He’ll arrive in Los Angeles this weekend and discuss a possible start against Oakland next week.
Kelly returns to Los Angeles for his second stint with the Dodgers. The hard-throwing right-handed reliever recently returned from the injured list for elbow inflammation. He has one save, a 4.97 ERA and 41 strikeouts this season.
Like Lynn, Kelly is eager to join a contending team.
“It’s something that I thrive on,” he said. “I think my personality type is to love the adrenaline, love the big moments. So, I’m super, super stoked to go back for sure.”
Kelly pitched for the Dodgers from 2019-21, winning the World Series during the pandemic-delayed 2020 season. He had a 3.59 ERA in 105 1/3 innings during that span.
“I would argue that his stuff is even better than it was then when he was with us, the velocity, the curveball, all that stuff,” Roberts said. “He’s a guy, like most players when they’re in a winning environment, they thrive.”
Kelly isn’t the only former Dodger to land back in Los Angeles. Hernández returns three years after he departed for the East Coast.
Rosario was set to start at shortstop Friday night in the series opener against the Reds. But the plan is for him to get acclimated to second base and also play some center field. He’ll mostly start against left-handed pitching.
“It’s certainly a big upgrade for our ballclub,” Roberts said. “He’s been good versus right-handed pitching, but he’s been a killer versus lefties and that’s something we want to capture.”
___
AP Baseball Writer Jay Cohen, AP Sports Writer Eric Olson and AP freelancer Seth Engle contributed to this report.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.pahomepage.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-lance-lynn-and-joe-kelly-are-heading-to-the-dodgers-in-a-trade-with-the-white-sox-source-tells-ap/ | 2023-07-29T13:11:48 | 1 | https://www.pahomepage.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-lance-lynn-and-joe-kelly-are-heading-to-the-dodgers-in-a-trade-with-the-white-sox-source-tells-ap/ |
The coup in Niger, this week, raises questions about the future of democratic leadership in the West African country. NPR's Scott Simon speaks with Rama Yade of the Atlantic Council's Africa Center.
Copyright 2023 NPR
The coup in Niger, this week, raises questions about the future of democratic leadership in the West African country. NPR's Scott Simon speaks with Rama Yade of the Atlantic Council's Africa Center.
Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.kbia.org/2023-07-29/the-coup-in-niger-is-a-blow-to-democracy-in-the-west-african-country | 2023-07-29T13:11:50 | 1 | https://www.kbia.org/2023-07-29/the-coup-in-niger-is-a-blow-to-democracy-in-the-west-african-country |
NPR's Scott Simon talks with Henry Bushnell of Yahoo Sports about the American connection to the Philippines women's soccer team competing in the World Cup.
Copyright 2023 NPR
NPR's Scott Simon talks with Henry Bushnell of Yahoo Sports about the American connection to the Philippines women's soccer team competing in the World Cup.
Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.kbia.org/2023-07-29/the-upset-scoring-philippines-womens-soccer-team-has-strong-roots-in-the-u-s | 2023-07-29T13:11:56 | 0 | https://www.kbia.org/2023-07-29/the-upset-scoring-philippines-womens-soccer-team-has-strong-roots-in-the-u-s |
BLAINE, Minn. (AP) — With the FedEx Cup two weeks away, Lee Hodges can breathe easier. Justin Thomas can’t.
Hodges birdied four of his last six holes for a 7-under 64 and a four-stroke lead over Tyler Duncan on Friday after almost two rounds of the 3M Open.
A nearly two-hour afternoon weather delay led to play being suspended due to darkness with six players yet to finish — none within 10 shots of the lead.
Hodges, 74th in the FedEx Cup points race, opened with a 63 for the first-round lead and had a 15-under 127 total to break the tournament 36-hole record of 128 set by Bryson DeChambeau in 2019.
Hodges was 3 under on the front nine and added a 33-foot birdie putt on No. 13, followed by birdies from 14 feet on No. 14 and 11 feet on No. 17.
“I’ve got a great attitude out there. Me and my caddie (Andrew Medley), we’re 70-something on the points list, like what do we have to lose, you know?” Hodges said. “We’ve committed to every shot we’ve hit so far, which has been great. We’ll continue to do it, because what do we have to lose.”
A lengthy last-hole putt was not enough to overcome a couple bad holes as Thomas aims to make the FedEx Cup playoffs for the eighth straight season. He birdied four of his last five holes to shoot a shot an even-par 71, leaving him 2 under for the tournament and two strokes short.
Thomas, at No. 75 in the FedEx Cup standings, has missed five cuts in his last seven starts. The top 70 next week after the Wyndham Championship will advance to the playoffs. Looking to stay in strong consideration for the U.S. Ryder Cup team, Thomas has just two top-10 finishes in 14 tournaments since mid-February.
Starting on the back nine, Thomas put two balls in the water on the par-5 18th, falling to 1 under. An errant tee shot and poor chip led to another double bogey on the par-3 fourth, before a strong finishing stretch was punctuated by a 30-foot putt on No. 9.
“This is a good chance for me to learn a little bit about myself and push myself and become better,” Thomas said before the tournament. “I mean, this game, nothing’s given to you. I’ve had great chances to win the FedEx Cup the last five or six years and now I’m trying to make the playoffs. That’s just the way that this sport is. And it can happen to anybody, so you’ve just got to go out and get it.”
He wasn’t the only player to put untimely dents in possible playoff plans by missing the cut. No. 70 K.H. Lee (1 under), No. 72 Davis Thompson (2 under) and No. 90 Gary Woodland (3 over) also get the weekend off.
Duncan, who has missed six cuts in his past eight events and 17 of 27 this season, shot a 67. He has back-to-back bogey-free rounds.
“You never know when it’s coming, but I’ve been putting in the work and you always hope it shows up,” Duncan said. “But it doesn’t always show up when you want it to.”
Defending champion Tony Finau (66), J.T. Poston (66), Brandt Snedeker (68) and Kevin Streelman (68) were 10 under.
With one top-10 in 25 starts this season, Streelman is in a rare position.
“I haven’t been in the final groups in a while on a Saturday, so looking forward to that. At my age I don’t have much to lose, so go out and have some fun this weekend,” the 44-year-old Streelman said.
___
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.pahomepage.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-lee-hodges-leads-the-3m-open-while-justin-thomas-misses-the-cut-to-hurt-his-playoff-hopes/ | 2023-07-29T13:11:56 | 1 | https://www.pahomepage.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-lee-hodges-leads-the-3m-open-while-justin-thomas-misses-the-cut-to-hurt-his-playoff-hopes/ |
Congress leaves for recess despite a big to-do list. New charges filed against former President Donald Trump. Promising new economic numbers.
Copyright 2023 NPR
Congress leaves for recess despite a big to-do list. New charges filed against former President Donald Trump. Promising new economic numbers.
Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.kbia.org/2023-07-29/week-in-politics-congress-on-recess-new-charges-against-trump-economy-looks-up | 2023-07-29T13:12:02 | 0 | https://www.kbia.org/2023-07-29/week-in-politics-congress-on-recess-new-charges-against-trump-economy-looks-up |
MIAMI (AP) — Miguel Cabrera’s farewell tour has reached a special location.
The Detroit Tigers’ slugger is approaching the last two months of his major league career. And in his final season, Cabrera has received numerous tributes in visiting stadiums.
This weekend, the honors bring added significance.
The Tigers opened a three-game series Friday in Miami against the Marlins. The 40-year-old Cabrera is returning to the city where he spent his first five seasons and is facing the organization that signed him shortly after his 16th birthday.
“It is very emotional because this is where it all started,” Cabrera, a native of Venezuela, said before the Tigers lost to the Marlins 6-5 in Friday’s series opener. “To be back here is awesome.”
The Marlins brought up the then-20-year-old Cabrera two months into the 2003 season. Cabrera made an immediate impact, hitting a walk-off home run to help the Marlins beat Tampa Bay in his major league debut.
“I remember it well because in all the stadiums I’ve visited, that is the first video presented,” said Cabrera, who went 0 for 3 and was hit by a pitch. “My teammates kid me because I was so skinny back then.”
It was a sign of things to come. Cabrera played a key role in the Marlins’ postseason run in 2003 that culminated with a World Series championship.
Cabrera was a four-time All-Star during his time with the Marlins. But the club, fearing it would lose Cabrera to free agency once he became eligible, dealt him to Detroit following the 2007 season.
“When I received that call, I had many questions on why I was being traded,” Cabrera said. “The club had a good young group and was growing tremendously. Had the group stayed together, we had a chance to contend for the division. They told me to be calm, that you’re going to a good club with a chance to win.”
Cabrera flourished in Detroit, becoming one of the game’s top hitters and a two-time AL MVP. In 2012, Cabrera won the AL Triple Crown, the first to accomplish the feat since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967.
But the offensive production, which included four AL batting titles, declined as Cabrera reached his late 30s. Nonetheless, Cabrera reached the career 3,000-hit and 500-homer milestones over the last two seasons.
Now limited to a parttime role, Cabrera will play the three games against Miami. The second game on Saturday also will be promoted as Venezuelan Heritage Day.
“It is going to be great for me and my family,” Cabrera said of the ceremony,” Cabrera said. “You have to enjoy this moment, every second, every minute. After that, you prepare for the game and do your best to help our team win.”
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.pahomepage.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-miguel-cabreras-farewell-tour-makes-a-stop-miami-where-his-career-started-years-ago/ | 2023-07-29T13:12:03 | 0 | https://www.pahomepage.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-miguel-cabreras-farewell-tour-makes-a-stop-miami-where-his-career-started-years-ago/ |
A group of crafters has come together to finish items for those who can no longer work on them, or for those who have recently died. (This story first aired on All Things Considered on June 20, 2023.)
Copyright 2023 NPR
A group of crafters has come together to finish items for those who can no longer work on them, or for those who have recently died. (This story first aired on All Things Considered on June 20, 2023.)
Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.kbia.org/2023-07-29/when-illness-or-death-leave-craft-projects-unfinished-these-strangers-step-in-to-help | 2023-07-29T13:12:09 | 1 | https://www.kbia.org/2023-07-29/when-illness-or-death-leave-craft-projects-unfinished-these-strangers-step-in-to-help |
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Jalen Ramsey, set for surgery on Friday, addressed his Miami Dolphins teammates a day earlier about the injury and told them not to worry or feel sorry for him.
The six-time Pro Bowl cornerback suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee at the end of Thursday’s practice and is expected to miss the start of the regular season. But he vowed — bragged a little — that he could beat whatever timeline for return doctors give him.
“It really moved a lot of people,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Friday. “He first let everybody know how much he appreciated this team, how this team has accepted him, how he has been in the league a little bit and how he knows what we’re doing here, in his opinion, is special, for his position group not to waiver, and exuded all the confidence that he had in that position group.”
McDaniel said Ramsey will have surgery Friday afternoon to repair the tear and his timeline for return won’t be known until the procedure is complete.
The injury happened during an 11-on-11 drill during Miami’s second practice of training camp. McDaniel said it was a non-contact injury that happened while he was matched up against receiver Tyreek Hill. Ramsey and Hill collided on the play, but the injury, McDaniel clarified, happened before the contact.
“That end of the season push (will) be legendary!” Ramsey tweeted Thursday night.
Miami acquired the All-Pro cornerback Ramsey in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams in March.
When veteran players reported to training camp on Monday, Ramsey spoke of the potential of the Dolphins defense, which is adjusting to a new scheme under defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
“I’ve been a part of his defense for the past three years so I kind of know how to play it,” Ramsey said. “I know what’s needed to play this defense and be one of the best defenses in the league and be elite. And we got all the pieces — edge rushers to the secondary. We even got the linebackers and all that. Like I said, I don’t compare, but I look at other teams I’ve been a part of and I feel like we, on paper, we stack up well. But the work comes first.”
The Dolphins dealt with several injuries at the cornerback position last season. Veteran cornerback Xavien Howard played through groin injuries all year.
Byron Jones missed the entire season after having surgery on his Achilles tendon. The Dolphins cut him earlier this year in a cost-cutting move.
Trill Williams tore the ACL in his left knee during the preseason. Nik Needham tore his Achilles last October.
Williams and safety Brandon Jones are still working their way back from their respective season-ending injuries.
McDaniel said he’s confident in the team’s cornerback room, which also includes Kader Kohou, who had a breakout 2022 season as an undrafted rookie free agent, Keion Crossen and 2020 first-round pick Noah Igbinoghene.
Earlier this week, Howard pointed to Kohou as a player to watch as camp opened.
“My boy, Kader. Dude is a straight dawg,” Howard said. “His mentality he has, just being an undrafted guy, I continue to see him grow and get better on the field.”
Miami also drafted cornerback Cam Smith in the second round in April to add more depth. Smith’s role will likely increase in Ramsey’s absence.
“I feel good about the entire crew,” McDaniel said. “We are dealing with some injuries now in that group, but I feel very, very, very good about the competition there and the guys that are ready to go see some more opportunities.”
With the cornerback room not at full strength, McDaniel said the team will work out a cornerback soon for “depth purposes.”
Notes: McDaniel said linebacker Jaelan Phillips was “stepped on” during the first practice of training camp. McDaniel said the team is not worried about the injury, but it would “not be healed” if he continues practicing with it. Phillips did not practice Thursday. … Crossen has an undisclosed injury and will not practice Friday. … McDaniel said he’s happy with Miami’s running back group as the Dolphins continue to be linked to Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://www.pahomepage.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-mike-mcdaniel-confident-in-dolphins-cb-depth-amid-jalen-ramsey-injury/ | 2023-07-29T13:12:11 | 1 | https://www.pahomepage.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-mike-mcdaniel-confident-in-dolphins-cb-depth-amid-jalen-ramsey-injury/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA told teams Friday that Damian Lillard and his agent confirmed that the All-Star guard would honor his contract in any potential trade, despite the agent saying Lillard only wanted to be dealt to the Miami Heat.
A memo sent to general managers and obtained by The Associated Press also warned that Lillard would be subject to discipline by the league if he or Aaron Goodwin make additional comments suggesting he won’t fully perform the requirements of his contract in the event of a trade.
Lillard told the Portland Trail Blazers earlier this month he wanted to be traded and Goodwin subsequently made clear his preference was Miami.
“Dame’s position won’t change,” Goodwin told AP on July 6. “This entire situation was about building an opportunity for Portland to win or giving him another opportunity that he wants, which is Miami.”
The league said it interviewed Lillard and Goodwin, along with several teams with whom Goodwin spoke. Goodwin denied telling teams that Lillard would refuse to play for them and the teams provided descriptions that were “mostly, though not entirely, consistent with Goodwin’s statements to us.”
Players are not allowed to publicly request trades. The league also stated in the memo that it told the Players Association that further comments such as Goodwin’s will be subject to discipline.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.pahomepage.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-nba-tells-teams-lillard-would-honor-contract-in-any-trade-warns-of-discipline-for-saying-otherwise/ | 2023-07-29T13:12:18 | 1 | https://www.pahomepage.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-nba-tells-teams-lillard-would-honor-contract-in-any-trade-warns-of-discipline-for-saying-otherwise/ |
TORONTO (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit his major league-leading 39th home run for the Angels before leaving with leg cramps as the Toronto Blue Jays slugged three solo homers and rallied to beat Los Angeles 4-1 on Friday night.
Ohtani was replaced by pinch-hitter Michael Stefanic when his at-bat came up with the bases loaded in the ninth inning. Ohtani was lifted because of cramping in both of his calves, Angels manager Phil Nevin said.
“We’ll evaluate it tomorrow when he gets up,” Nevin said. “It’s just cramping right now. It’s kind of in both legs. He’s done a lot of work the last two days and wasn’t able to go.”
A day earlier, Ohtani left the second game of a doubleheader at Detroit because of cramps. The two-way superstar threw a one-hitter in the opener Thursday for his first career MLB shutout, then homered twice in the second game.
Nevin said Ohtani’s soreness developed after he grounded out to begin the eighth.
“He came in and was trying to get some work done and just kept cramping up,” Nevin said.
Stefanic struck out looking at a 3-2 pitch from right-hander Jordan Romano as Toronto ended the Angels’ four-game winning streak.
After the game, an angry Nevin was seen holding up a tablet computer and yelling at plate umpire Mike Estabrook as the crew left the field.
“I just explained to him that I thought the pitch to Stefanic was outside,” Nevin said.
Matt Chapman, Danny Jansen and Whit Merrifield homered for the Blue Jays, who are 24-11 when they hit two or more home runs.
“Our team has been playing a good brand of baseball for a while now,” Chapman said. “I think maybe we’re just starting to find ways to come out on top of some of those close games.”
Chapman hit a two-out drive in the second, his 14th of the season. Jansen homered to lead off the third, his 14th. Both home runs came off right-hander Lucas Giolito, who made his first start for the Angels since being acquired from the White Sox earlier this week.
Giolito (6-7) allowed three runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out five.
“I felt relatively sharp, throwing a lot of strikes, but they hammered my mistakes pretty good,” Giolito said.
Bo Bichette hit an RBI double off Giolito in the sixth and Merrifield made it 4-1 with a two-out homer off José Soriano in the seventh, his eighth. Merrifield finished 3 for 4 and has six home runs in his last 17 games. He hit a three-run homer in Thursday’s road win over the Dodgers.
The Blue Jays began the day in the third AL wild-card spot, three games ahead of the Angels. Los Angeles trails Boston and the New York Yankees in the postseason race.
After being greeted with a loud ovation from the sellout crowd of 42,106, Ohtani homered on the first pitch he faced, going deep in three straight at-bats over two games.
Ohtani’s 397-foot drive came off Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman. Ohtani homered in consecutive games for the ninth time this season.
Ohtani’s streak of homers ended when he struck out swinging on a 2-2 pitch from Gausman in the third. Ohtani singled in the sixth and grounded out against left-hander Tim Mayza in the eighth.
Gausman (8-5) allowed one run and five hits in six-plus innings to win for the first time since June 21 at Miami. Gausman walked three and struck out nine, increasing his AL-leading total to 171.
Erik Swanson relieved Gausman after the Angels loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh. Swanson struck out Trey Cabbage and pinch-hitter Eduardo Escobar, then retired Luis Rengifo on a fly ball.
“Not getting one across, that hurts,” Nevin said.
Mayza worked one inning and Romano got two outs in the ninth before Yimi García finished for his third save in six chances. Romano was pitching for the fifth time since leaving the July 11 All-Star game because of a sore back.
“He’s doing alright,” manager John Schneider said of Romano. “Just lower back discomfort, it kind of locked up on him a little bit. Just kind of wanted to play it safe there.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Angels: Before the game, Nevin said Ohtani would get an extra day of rest before his next start, which was scheduled for next Thursday’s home game against Seattle. … SS Zach Neto (sore back) was scratched from the starting lineup and replaced by Andrew Velazquez. Rengifo took over in the leadoff spot.
Blue Jays: LHP Hyun Jin Ryu (Tommy John surgery) will start on Tuesday against Baltimore, Schneider said. With the Blue Jays beginning a stretch of 17 games in 17 days Friday, Schneider said Ryu will be part of a six-man rotation. … RHP Chad Green (Tommy John surgery) will make a rehab appearance with Class-A Dunedin Saturday, his third.
ANGRY WORDS
Cameras caught Chapman yelling at Schneider in the dugout after the top of the first.
“That’s just everybody being competitive, wanting to win baseball games,” Chapman said. “Just a heat-of-the-moment kind of thing. What was said and what it’s about, I’m just going to keep between us.”
NEW-LOOK LINEUP
Blue Jays OF George Springer, who came in stuck in an 0-for-16 slump, was dropped from the leadoff spot to fifth. Springer finished 0 for 4. Merrifield moved up to hit leadoff.
ROSTER MOVES
The Angels optioned RHP Gerardo Reyes to Triple-A Salt Lake to make room on the roster for Giolito.
UP NEXT
RHP Alek Manoah (2-8, 6.10 ERA) starts for the Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon. LHP Reid Detmers (2-7, 4.38) goes for the Angels.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.pahomepage.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-ohtani-hits-majors-best-39th-hr-before-leaving-with-leg-cramps-in-angels-4-1-loss-to-blue-jays/ | 2023-07-29T13:12:26 | 1 | https://www.pahomepage.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-ohtani-hits-majors-best-39th-hr-before-leaving-with-leg-cramps-in-angels-4-1-loss-to-blue-jays/ |
TORONTO (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit his major league-leading 39th home run — for a streak of three homers in three at-bats over two games — before being sidelined due to cramping for a second consecutive game.
Ohtani was replaced by pinch-hitter Michael Stefanic when his at-bat came up with the bases loaded in the ninth inning due to leg cramps. The Blue Jays beat the Angels 4-1 Friday.
Los Angeles manager Phil Nevin said Ohtani was removed because of cramping in both of his calves.
“We’ll evaluate it tomorrow when he gets up,” Nevin said. “It’s just cramping right now. It’s kind of in both legs. He’s done a lot of work the last two days and wasn’t able to go.”
Ohtani homered twice in the second game of a doubleheader at Detroit on Thursday before leaving with cramps. He threw an eight-strikeout, one-hitter in the opener for his first career MLB shutout.
The two-way superstar became the first player to throw a shutout in one game of a doubleheader and hit one homer — much less two — in the other.
Thursday’s performance against the Tigers came hours after the team confirmed Ohtani will stay with the Angels for the rest of the season before he becomes a free agent.
Nevin said Ohtani’s soreness developed after he grounded out to begin the eighth inning.
“He came in and was trying to get some work done and just kept cramping up,” Nevin said.
Stefanic struck out looking at a 3-2 pitch from right-hander Jordan Romano as Toronto ended the Angels’ four-game winning streak.
On Friday, Ohtani homered on the first pitch he faced, going deep in three straight at-bats. His drive to right came off Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman and traveled 397 feet.
Ohtani streak of homers ended when he struck out swinging on a 2-2 pitch from Gausman in the third. He singled off Gausman in the sixth and grounded out to shortstop against left-hander Tim Mayza in the eighth, slowing up as he approached first base.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.pahomepage.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-ohtani-hits-majors-leading-39th-home-run-against-blue-jays-extends-hr-streak-to-3-at-bats/ | 2023-07-29T13:12:34 | 1 | https://www.pahomepage.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-ohtani-hits-majors-leading-39th-home-run-against-blue-jays-extends-hr-streak-to-3-at-bats/ |
BEIJING, July 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hundreds of English education experts and scholars from all over the world assembled in Macao on Friday for a three-day event to explore new opportunities for global cooperation in English education brought by China's development.
The 2023 Global English Education China Assembly, an online-and-offline event that opened at the City University of Macau (CityU), attracted over 1,600 experts, front-line educators and scholars from more than 20 countries and regions. Participants were mainly from China, the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Italy, Thailand, Russia, Singapore, Nepal, Mongolia, Indonesia and Pakistan.
They shared their insights to facilitate cross-cultural dialogue and discussed the most recent trends in English language teaching.
The event's theme is "New opportunities for the world with new advances in China's development: Opening up new prospects in English education cooperation worldwide", and features nine keynote speeches and 23 parallel sessions.
This year's assembly is hosted by China Daily and Shanghai International Studies University, and co-hosted by the Macao SAR Government Education and Youth Development Bureau, and organized by CityU and China Daily's 21st Century English Education Media.
For the first time, the assembly, which started in 2018, was held in Macao — one of the engine cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. This location echoes the Outline Development Plan for the GBA released in 2019, which set out to, among other goals, build the region as a model area for high-quality education and promote opening up education to the world.
At the event's opening ceremony, Qu Yingpu, publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily, highlighted that 2023 marks the 10th year since President Xi Jinping put forward both the idea of "building a community with a shared future for mankind" and the Belt and Road Initiative.
It is, therefore, appropriate that for the first time, the conference this year has moved out of the Chinese mainland to Macao where East meets West and multiple cultures blend, Qu said.
He said he believes the event will catalyze many innovative outcomes. Qu further said that English education could be a bridge to promote high-quality development of the BRI and people-to-people cultural exchanges could provide momentum for "building a community with a shared future for mankind".
He urged the audience to cultivate talent in order to bolster the promotion of the three global initiatives brought forward by Xi — the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative.
Qu also said China attaches great importance to education and cultural exchange. Xi, in his several correspondences with foreign students studying in China, has encouraged the latter to see with their own eyes the development of China and tell the world about what they have seen, to boost people-to-people bonding and friendship between their countries and China.
Zha Mingjian, vice-president of Shanghai International Studies University, said development in recent times has brought many opportunities as well as challenges. In this context, the English education sector in China has the responsibility to serve as a vital bridge for English education globally.
Opening education more extensively to the outside world will significantly strengthen China's efforts to modernize education in the new era, Zha said.
Svetlana V. Sannikova, coordination council chairperson of the National Association of Teachers of English in Russia, said the Macao event offers a high-end international academic platform where teachers can learn many practical ideas and methods to improve their English teaching skills.
On Friday, the event's organizer and CityU jointly established the Belt and Road English Education Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Exchange Base, which will use English education as a means to promote cultural exchanges and people-to-people bonding in countries and regions participating in the BRI.
The GBA Exchange Base will also strive to promote high-quality development in the BRI landscape.
Liu Jun, rector of CityU and president of the International Research Foundation for English Language Education, and Zeng Qingkai, editor-in-chief of 21st Century English Education Media, were the signatories of the document for the establishment of the base.
Among the several dignitaries who graced Friday's opening ceremony were Ao Ieong U, secretary for social affairs and culture of the Macao SAR government, participating in the event on behalf of Macao SAR Chief Executive Ho Iat-seng; Yan Zhichan, deputy director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR; Liu Xianfa, commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Macao SAR; Kong Chimeng, director of the Macao SAR government Education and Youth Development Bureau; and Chan Meng-kam, chairman of the council of CityU.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE China Daily | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/experts-foresee-china-role-english-learning/ | 2023-07-29T13:12:38 | 1 | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/experts-foresee-china-role-english-learning/ |
ODESSA, Ukraine, July 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ukrainian entrepreneur, Vadim Novynskyi has announced a donation of up to $1 million to help restore the Transfiguration Church in Odessa, Ukraine that was seriously damaged during rocket attacks on Sunday, July 23. The destruction of one of the most beautiful Ukrainian churches, which was erected by the founders of Odessa at the end of the 18th century is a true tragedy. This cathedral was the center of the spiritual life of Odessa.
This is not the first time the church has been destroyed. In 1936, the Bolsheviks destroyed the cathedral and it was restored in the early 2000's after tens of thousands of ordinary people participated in the restoration with their donations.
"I sincerely mourn with the inhabitants of Odessa and I want to assure them and all the people of Ukraine that this cathedral will be rebuilt and the people of Odessa will once again be able to worship and seek community in this hallowed place," said Vadim Novynskyi. "In the days of war and persecution of the Church, it is very important to be able to protect and revive the shrines of Orthodoxy, demonstrating faith, unity and mutual support. After all, the true Orthodox Church is based on these principles."
View original content:
SOURCE Vadym Novynskyi | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/restoration-transfiguration-chuch-odessa-ukraine-by-ukrainian-entrepreneur-vadym-novynskyi/ | 2023-07-29T13:12:39 | 1 | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/restoration-transfiguration-chuch-odessa-ukraine-by-ukrainian-entrepreneur-vadym-novynskyi/ |
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Colorado’s return to the Big 12 in 2024 fits right into Deion Sanders’ recruiting blueprint, allowing him to get an even better foothold in the teeming Texas and Florida markets.
“I think Colorado is already an exciting team on the recruiting trail with Coach Prime and his experienced staff full of college coaches who have been around for a while and a lot of guys with NFL pedigree,” said Steve Wiltfong, national recruiting director for 247Sports. “So I think more than anything it adds to the excitement because it’s moving to what is certainly a more stable conference and one that just had a football team (TCU) in the playoff.”
Athletic director Rick George said he kept basketball coaches Tad Boyle and JR Payne in the loop along with Sanders, who’s entering his first season in Boulder, before the CU board of regents rubber-stamped Colorado’s return to the Big 12 on Thursday.
“I think all of them felt like: Whatever you think’s best for us, we’re going to play whomever you ask us to play,” George said. “I will tell you, there are tremendous benefits for being in the Big 12 for the direction that Coach Prime’s going as it relates to recruiting, being able to play in Orlando against UCF, where he’s recruiting very heavily (and) the state of Texas has always been a priority for us.”
The newfangled Big 12 isn’t the same league the Buffs left in 2011 during the initial rounds of conference realigment when Texas A&M, Missouri and Nebraska also left. Texas and Oklahoma are leaving next year for the Big Ten. TCU and West Virginia came on board a decade ago and Cincinnati, Houston, BYU and Central Florida were added this year.
Sanders, who’s overseen the biggest roster overhaul in the nation since his hiring this spring, already has strong roots in Florida and Texas.
He was born in Fort Myers and starred at Florida State before embarking on a dual sports career as an NFL defensive back and a Major League outfielder. Some of his best years came during his half decade with the Cowboys from 1995-99 and he still has a home in the Dallas area.
When the Buffaloes return to the Big 12 next year, they will have four conference opponents in the Lone Star State in TCU, Texas Tech, Baylor and Houston, which features one of the nation’s largest television markets.
“Houston has always been a favorable market for us in recruiting,” said George, who then mentioned a few players from CU’s heyday in the late 1980s and early ’90s. “You think back to Alfred Williams, Kanavis McGhee and Chris Hudson. That area — the fifth-largest market in the country — also was a factor” in Colorado’s decision to return to the Big 12.
“Colorado recruits Texas hard because it’s an obvious state to go recruit,” Wiltfong said, “and now being in the Big 12, with all those Texas teams, it gives them one more inch to say, ’Hey, we’re going to be coming to the Lone Star State a lot throughout your career to play some big games.’”
Wiltfong expects Sanders to compete with the big boys when it comes to the recruiting trails of Texas.
“Deion’s lived in Texas, right? Deion is going to go where the players are. He’s going to recruit nationally because his name is electric,” Wiltfong said.
Colorado is the third school to leave the Pac-12 in the last year, joining UCLA and USC, which are going to the Big Ten next year. The moves coincide with the expiration of current media rights deals with ESPN and Fox.
Colorado is expected to get $31.7 million in annual TV revenue in the Big 12, which last year came to an agreement with ESPN and Fox on a six-year extension worth more than $2 billion that runs through 2030-31.
After Colorado’s vote to leave, the Pac-12 issued a statement that read, “We are focused on concluding our media rights deal and securing our continued success and growth. Immediately following the conclusion of our media rights deal, we will embrace expansion opportunities and bring new fans, markets, excitement and value to the Pac-12.”
___
AP College Football Writer Eric Olson contributed to this report.
___
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.pahomepage.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-prime-real-estate-colorados-return-to-big-12-fits-deion-sanders-football-recruiting-blueprint/ | 2023-07-29T13:12:40 | 1 | https://www.pahomepage.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-prime-real-estate-colorados-return-to-big-12-fits-deion-sanders-football-recruiting-blueprint/ |
ALLEN PARK -- Five days after C.J. Gardner-Johnson cried as he was carted off the field clutching his right knee, the Detroit Lions defensive back has been cleared to return.
Gardner-Johnson won’t participate in team drills on Saturday morning, but he’ll be back in pads, a welcomed sigh of relief after the star free-agent acquisition went down in a heap after a low-contact play on Monday.
“He brings a lot of confidence to that DB room,” said left tackle Taylor Decker, the longest-tenured player on the team. “I mean, that guy, he’s a talker, and that’s what DBs do. He’s gonna make those guys around him better and he’s a confident player. Like, we’ve seen that in walk-through, where it’s like, ‘Well, that’s not walkthrough tempo, but it is what it is.’ So, I hope he’s OK, because I think he can bring a lot of value. I know everybody knows that he can bring a lot of value to our team.”
No doubt. Gardner-Johnson was an outstanding slot cornerback in New Orleans before becoming an outstanding safety in Philadelphia last season, and leading the league in interceptions while guiding the Eagles to the Super Bowl. He’s expected to start in the slot in Detroit, but will contribute across the secondary both with his play as well as his personality. He’s the loudest mouth out there, providing a tenacious attitude that had been lacking before his arrival.
Now he’s back, with plenty of time to get his feet under him before the New York Giants arrive for joint practices in a couple weeks. | https://www.mlive.com/lions/2023/07/cj-gardner-johnson-returns-to-lions-practice-just-5-days-after-injury-scare.html | 2023-07-29T13:12:41 | 1 | https://www.mlive.com/lions/2023/07/cj-gardner-johnson-returns-to-lions-practice-just-5-days-after-injury-scare.html |
Royals vs. Twins: Betting Trends, Odds, Records Against the Run Line, Home/Road Splits
Byron Buxton and Salvador Perez will be among the star attractions when the Minnesota Twins play the Kansas City Royals on Saturday at 7:10 PM ET, at Kauffman Stadium.
The Twins have been listed as -165 moneyline favorites in this matchup with the Royals (+140). A 10-run over/under has been listed in this contest.
Rep your team with officially licensed Royals gear! Head to Fanatics to find jerseys, shirts, and much more.
Royals vs. Twins Odds & Info
- Date: Saturday, July 29, 2023
- Time: 7:10 PM ET
- TV: BSKC
- Location: Kansas City, Missouri
- Venue: Kauffman Stadium
- Live Stream: Watch on Fubo!
Bet with King of Sportsbooks and use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers! Check out the latest odds and place your bets with BetMGM Sportsbook. Use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Royals Recent Betting Performance
- In 10 games as the underdog over the last 10 matchups, the Royals have a record of 3-7.
- In their last 10 games with an over/under, the Royals and their opponents have combined to eclipse the total five times.
- The Royals' previous 10 games have not had a runline posted by oddsmakers.
Read More About This Game
Royals Betting Records & Stats
- The Royals have come away with 27 wins in the 92 contests they have been listed as the underdogs in this season.
- This season, Kansas City has won 13 of its 52 games, or 25%, when it's the underdog by at least +140 on the moneyline.
- The Royals have an implied victory probability of 41.7% according to the moneyline set for this matchup.
- Kansas City's games have gone over the total in 48 of its 105 chances.
- The Royals have an against the spread record of 9-8-0 in 17 games with a line this season.
Check out the latest odds and place your bets on and the with BetMGM Sportsbook. Use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Royals Splits
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.kwch.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/royals-vs-twins-mlb-betting-trends-stats/ | 2023-07-29T13:12:42 | 0 | https://www.kwch.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/royals-vs-twins-mlb-betting-trends-stats/ |
ST. JOSEPH, MI — Why take an uber to dinner when you can take a free water taxi?
For those visiting the Benton Harbor and St. Joseph area between Memorial Day and Labor Day, there’s an under-the-radar transportation method, in the form of a free water taxi. It runs every weekend in that span, from Friday through Sunday.
The St. Joseph/Benton Harbor Water Taxi picks up visitors at four stops along the St. Joseph River, with its first and last stop — at the Margaret B. Upton Arboretum — located less than a half mile from Lake Michigan. The other three stops all take passengers right to the front door of a waterfront restaurant, with plenty of other attractions and shopping just a short walk away.
The water taxi was tested out in 2021 and was available for the full summer starting in 2022.
The water taxi runs from 3 until 8 p.m. on Fridays, noon to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays. For a complete schedule, click here. Due to U.S. Coast Guard rules, the water taxi is limited to carrying just six passengers at a time.
The four stops, in order, are:
1. The Margaret B. Upton Arboretum
Located in the 600 block of Water Street in St Joseph, the Arboretum is the first pickup point and the final drop-off point each day for the water taxi.
The taxi takes about 20 minutes to get from spot to spot. If you have to wait for your taxi, there’s more than 2 acres of trails and riverfront viewing to take in, and even swings for the kids. There’s also close to 20 restaurants within a six-block walk, if you’re looking to eat nearby.
2. On the River Tavern
Located at 600 Fishermans Road in St Joseph, On the River Tavern is not just the first drop-off location, but also serves as the first riverside dining destination that the taxi will motor you and your party directly to.
A casual atmosphere for a relaxed night, ORT’s menu offers the standard burgers and wings along with a popular Italian beef sandwich.
3. Bread + Bar
Located at 645 Riverview Drive in Benton Harbor, Bread + Bar is a small, family-owned restaurant that serves as the taxi’s third stop along the river.
The seasonal patio is a great place to catch the sunset. The scratch menu is heavy on seafood, upscale but affordable, and dishes are paired with Bit of Swiss artisan breads. Classic and craft cocktails, along with an extensive wine list, are heavily featured in the drink menu.
Babe’s Bar and Grill is also located right nearby at 565 Riverview Drive.
4. The Inn at Harbor Shores
Located at 800 Whitwam Drive, The Inn at Harbor Shores is the final pickup point on the taxi route. The taxi will pick up or drop off guests at the inn and it’s restaurant, Plank’s Tavern on the Water. Plank’s features one of the nicer, upscale menus in the area, including brunch, steak and seafood options.
Also, check out nearby Rise & Vine if you’re in the mood for coffee or wine.
For more information and to check out all the businesses, attractions and restaurants within a short walk of each pickup location, visit www.exploreMIshore.com.
Looking for more to do along Michigan’s Great Lakes? Check out MLive’s Lakeshore Travel series.
Also on MLive:
Michigan brewpub has more ‘Hall of Foam’ members than its town has people
This Michigan festival is a bunch of bologna – literally
Check out 16 wineries that make up the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail | https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2023/07/this-free-water-taxi-will-take-you-to-your-dining-destination-near-lake-michigan.html | 2023-07-29T13:12:47 | 0 | https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2023/07/this-free-water-taxi-will-take-you-to-your-dining-destination-near-lake-michigan.html |
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Broncos coach Sean Payton said Friday he regrets disparaging his predecessor in an interview in which he called the work Nathaniel Hackett and his staff did in Denver last season “one of the worst coaching jobs in the NFL” and said there were “20 dirty hands” around Russell Wilson’s career-worst season.
“Listen, I had one of those moments where I still had my Fox hat on and not my coaching hat,” said Payton, who’s returning to the sideline this season after a year’s sabbatical during which he worked as a studio football analyst for Fox Sports following a 15-year stint with the New Orleans Saints.
Payton’s comments in an interview with USA Today’s Jarrett Bell rocked the NFL because he broke the coaches code in which they refrain from publicly lambasting one another and because he spent his first six months on the job admonishing his players not to look back at last year’s dismal season and to ignore “outside noise.”
“I said this to the team in the meeting yesterday: we’ve had a great offseason relative to that, you know, and I’ve been preaching that message and here I am the veteran” doing just that, Payton said during a lengthy mea culpa in his first comments since he ignited the firestorm.
“It was a learning experience for me. It was a mistake. Obviously, I needed a little bit more filter … I needed a little bit more restraint. And I regret that,” Payton continued.
Payton said he’s usually pretty media savvy “and I just had one of those moments. Jarrett’s a good friend, real good at his job. And two lattes in the morning, first one I see and 40 minutes later, I’m regretting it.”
In the interview, Payton also took potshots at the Jets, who hired Hackett as their offensive coordinator this year, and criticized Broncos general manager George Paton and team President Damani Leech for allowing Hackett and his staff to give Wilson so much free rein, including having his personal quarterback coach with him at team headquarters.
That was one of many unconventional allowances — another was having his own office upstairs next to the coaches — that drew heavy scrutiny when Wilson looked nothing like the star he’d been in Seattle or like a QB who deserved the $245 million extension he signed last summer.
Payton’s criticisms were part of a spirited defense of Wilson, whom he expects to have a big comeback this year and help the Broncos end a seven-year playoff drought.
“Listen, I’m not afraid of the expectation,” Payton said Friday. “I’ve talked with several people about, you know, being used to contending for the postseason. You don’t take it for granted. But that mindset needs to be present here. And so yeah, I see this as a team that has that ability.”
Payton didn’t specifically apologize for his critical comments but he did say he’ll reach out to Hackett and Jets head coach Robert Saleh “at the right time” to do so.
The Broncos host the Jets on Oct. 8, and the row he started “certainly will bring more interest to the game when we play them,” Payton said. “But that seems like years from now.”
Closer to home, Payton has some damage control to do with his GM and the team president who came on board late last summer.
“The front office and the ownership are the two reasons I came here,” Paton said. “So, George and I are close. He was one of the big attractions, he and ownership. My point was it was across the board organizationally, it wasn’t just one person” responsible for Wilson’s dismal season.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://www.pahomepage.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-sean-payton-says-he-regrets-criticizing-predecessor-nathaniel-hackett-and-his-own-general-manager/ | 2023-07-29T13:12:47 | 0 | https://www.pahomepage.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-sean-payton-says-he-regrets-criticizing-predecessor-nathaniel-hackett-and-his-own-general-manager/ |
GRAND HAVEN, MI - If you’re looking for the next go-to spot to grab authentic Mexican dishes, this homey restaurant in Grand Haven has it all.
Arturo Orduno opened up Arturo’s Tacos, 305 N. Beacon Blvd. in Grand Haven, over a decade ago, aiming to offer mouthwatering cuisine in a cozy space.
Orduno also helps out and cooks food six days a week for members of the Grand Haven 925 Fraternal Order of Eagles nonprofit and American Legion Post #28 on the weekends.
He said that it all started with his mother’s recipes and his large family.
“We pretty much started with our family and our family’s huge,” Orduno told MLive/Muskegon Chronicle. “So, we would have family gatherings and start doing the cooking there. It’s mom’s recipe, so many people have loved it.”
Oruno said customers have always loved the tacos, specifically the Mexican-style beef tacos served with onion and cilantro. Customers can choose between steak, chicken or ground beef. Marinated pork or sausage costs $0.50 extra.
“We’ve had really good feedback and a lot of local support,” he said. “Of course, right now, we get a lot of tourists in the area, and that helps out the business when they post on Facebook and stuff like that.”
Other popular options on the menu include staples like the quessabirrias and new items like fajitas. Quessabirrias takes about three hours to complete, Orduno said.
“It’s a lot of seasoning that we use and many different ingredients,” he said. “We have to cook the meat in the broth to give it that extra flavor, kind of slow-cook to give it that tenderness.”
The savory dish is $14.99 and is served in three pieces of cooked beef with melted cheese paired with a side of consommé or broth which customers dip into. It’s only available Friday through Sunday, so get it while you can.
Arturo’s Tacos has a beautiful mural, a sit-down area and an outside patio, Orduno said. He touts the space as a cozy and comfortable place to grab lunch or dinner with family and friends.
“When they walk in, we want to make them feel at home, like if they were walking into our house,” Orduno said. “We cook as if it was all family, so we don’t see them as a customer. We see everybody that walks in as a family member.”
The grill and taqueria also offer 50% off for veterans during the Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival, as well as 10% off daily for first responders.
Hours of operation for Arturo’s Tacos are Monday through Saturday, from 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. and noon - 8 p.m. on Sunday, and 3 p.m. - 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 5, due to the Coast Guard Festival.
Visit online to place a carryout or delivery order.
Want more Muskegon area news? Bookmark the local Muskegon news page or sign up for the free “3@3 Muskegon” daily newsletter.
Would you like MLive to consider featuring your favorite restaurant in Michigan’s Best Local Eats? Send the details, including business name, address and best menu item, to Skyla Jewell-Hammie at sjewell-hammie@mlive.com.
Read more:
Meet up with your neighbors at National Night Out events throughout Muskegon
Snoop Dogg iced out by Grand Rapids jeweler with $10K custom chain after concert
5 fun things to do in Muskegon this weekend (July 28-30)
2023 Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival ultimate guide: Live music, ship tours on deck | https://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/2023/07/michigans-best-local-eats-arturos-tacos-in-grand-haven-offers-authentic-mexican-cuisine.html | 2023-07-29T13:12:53 | 1 | https://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/2023/07/michigans-best-local-eats-arturos-tacos-in-grand-haven-offers-authentic-mexican-cuisine.html |
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid watched his team work out in pads for the first time since their Super Bowl triumph last February and saw his players’ energy rise.
“Naturally it does that,” Reid said. “But I like the way they did it, how they got after each other.”
The defending champions ratcheted up the competition for an hour, 40 minutes in sweltering conditions as the heat index soared into the mid-90s.
The air wasn’t all that was hot, like when cornerback Dicaprio Bootle continued hacking at the football in the grasp of tight end Travis Kelce after a play. Cornerback Lamar Jackson raised eyebrows when he delivered a late hit on receiver Kekoa Crawford out of bounds.
Reid doesn’t mind trash-talking and spirited play as long as players keep their wits about them.
“They’re going to jaw,” Reid said. “It’s hot, humid, they’re going to jaw a little bit. As long as there are no punches thrown we’re all right.”
The Chiefs dug in during practice for three separate periods of 11-on-11, along with a nine-on-seven run session.
However, the most anticipated session in Friday’s practice focused on offensive and defensive linemen facing off in pass-rushing scenarios.
“It’s you mano a mano,” guard Trey Smith said. “All the technical details, every little piece matters. Being able to lock in those little seconds and get your job done.”
Linebacker Willie Gay said the hard, hot practice was tailor made for Reid. Although it was grueling, “I told the guys, as long as we continue to get better, it’s going to make the games and preseason even easier, and we’ll start winning,” he continued.
There’s rust to knock off whenever the pads first come on.
“You have some things that you got to clean up, some things you can be a little tighter technique-wise, but it’s always good to put the pads back on,” Smith said. “It’s always good knowing the season’s around the corner.”
Off the field, defensive tackle Chris Jones held out for seventh day and Reid, who hasn’t communicated with Jones recently, didn’t know when the holdout would end.
“We’re moving fast and furious even though he’s not here,” Reid said.
The 29-year-old-Jones is set to earn $19.5 million in base salary this season in the final year of a four-year extension signed in 2020. The All-Pro is seeking an extension that would make him the league’s second-highest-paid defensive tackle behind Los Angeles Rams star Aaron Donald, whose contract sports an annual average value of $31.67 million.
Jones has been fined $50,000 fine for each missed day of training camp missed, a total that’s grown to $350,000 00 so far. If Jones doesn’t report by Aug. 13, he will be assessed an additional fine of $1.147 for missing the team’s preseason opener against New Orleans.
NOTES: Linebacker Nick Bolton returned to practice Friday following a brief illness, but fellow linebacker Drue Tranquill exited practice early due to a sprained neck. Defensive end Mike Danna left with a strained calf while tight end Jody Fortson is undergoing further examination on a shoulder injury. Wide receiver Kadarius Toney expects to miss the remainder of training camp after surgery Tuesday for a torn meniscus.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://www.pahomepage.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-super-bowl-champion-chiefs-hold-hot-tough-practice-in-1st-day-of-pads/ | 2023-07-29T13:12:55 | 1 | https://www.pahomepage.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-super-bowl-champion-chiefs-hold-hot-tough-practice-in-1st-day-of-pads/ |
MIDLAND, MI — Midland will have to wait at least a little while longer for a new Popeyes restaurant to open.
The fast food chain specializing in fried chicken is opening a new location at 1807 S. Saginaw Road, just North of Pi’s Chinese Restaurant. The building is under construction.
“We’re always happy to see new investment in center city Midland, and we’ve certainly heard a lot of positive things in the community, people excited about Popeyes coming to Midland,” Jacob Kain, director of planning and community development for the city of Midland, told MLive/The Saginaw News in March. “We’re excited for them to open and be a part of Midland.”
Related: Popeyes Louisiana fried chicken restaurant coming to Midland
But four months later, the restaurant’s timeline for opening is unclear. As of late July, the project had experienced delays.
“The latest information the city has regarding the project is that there are delays receiving switchgear necessary for their electrical service, an issue facing other projects around the nation as well,” Kain said. “As a result, we don’t have an estimate on the project’s completion.”
Neither the business owner nor a Popeyes spokesperson could immediately be reached for comment.
Popeyes has restaurants across the country and more than 50 in Michigan, including in Saginaw County’s Buena Vista Township and Mount Pleasant.
Read more from MLive:
Lululemon opening, Fig & Honey closing and more mid-Michigan business news
You can tour mid-century modern architect Alden B. Dow’s home, studio in Michigan
Treat your four-legged friend to a banana ‘pup cup’ from this Michigan ice cream shop
Check out this Michigan city you didn’t know was great for antiquing | https://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw-bay-city/2023/07/midland-will-have-to-wait-at-least-a-little-while-longer-for-new-popeyes-to-open.html | 2023-07-29T13:12:59 | 1 | https://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw-bay-city/2023/07/midland-will-have-to-wait-at-least-a-little-while-longer-for-new-popeyes-to-open.html |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — As Bronny James continues to recover after going into cardiac arrest, his Southern California teammates have been at practice to prepare for a 10-day exhibition tour of Greece and Croatia that begins next week.
The tour will run from from Aug. 5-15 and see the Trojans visit Athens and Mykonos, Greece, and Dubrovnik, Croatia. Teams are allowed to go on a foreign tour once every four years under NCAA rules.
James was discharged from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Thursday and is resting at home, according to a statement from the hospital. His father, Lakers superstar LeBron James, also posted on social media that his family is “safe and healthy.”
Bronny James will continue to undergo tests to determine the cause of his cardiac arrest, which occurred Monday morning during a workout at USC’s Galen Center.
Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart abruptly stops beating, because of a problem with its electrical activity. While uncommon in young people, sudden cardiac arrest is the leading medical cause of death in young athletes. Some studies have estimated one sudden cardiac death in 50,000 to 80,000 young athletes each year.
No information has been made public about what may have caused Bronny James’ cardiac arrest. But one of the most common causes in young athletes is an underlying problem with the heart’s structure, such as a genetic condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy that leads to a thickened heart muscle more prone to irregular electrical activity. A more rare cause is commotio cordis, which occurs when someone receives a sharp blow to the chest during a specific part of the heartbeat’s cycle — what happened to Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin earlier this year.
James was the second high-profile USC basketball recruit to go into cardiac arrest in the last year. Vincent Iwuchuwku also was stricken during a workout last July, but the 7-foot-1 center returned to the court six months later and appeared in 14 games.
It’s too soon to know how James’ playing career could be affected, especially without a lot of information being made public. Various experts point to James’ quick move out of intensive care and being released three days later as encouraging.
The upcoming trip is important for the Trojans as James recovers. USC had the nation’s fourth-ranked recruiting class, including the top-rated player in guard Isaiah Collier.
James committed to the Trojans in May after the 6-foot-3 18-year-old became one of the nation’s top prospects as a two-way point guard for Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, California.
He is the sixth McDonald’s All-American to come to USC since Andy Enfield became coach in 2013.
With his family fame and huge social media following, Bronny James also has the top name, image and likeness valuation in sports at $6.3 million, as estimated by On3.com. He is the oldest of LeBron and Savannah James’ three children.
___
AP Sports Writer Greg Beacham and AP Health & Science Writer Lauran Neergard contributed to this report.
___
AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/lebron-james | https://www.pahomepage.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-usc-still-preparing-for-a-european-tour-as-bronny-james-recovers-at-home-after-cardiac-arrest/ | 2023-07-29T13:13:02 | 0 | https://www.pahomepage.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-usc-still-preparing-for-a-european-tour-as-bronny-james-recovers-at-home-after-cardiac-arrest/ |
SALT LAKE CITY - Two of the best in the business meet up Saturday night in Utah, both looking to put themselves in line for a future title shot, as the Ultimate Fighting Championship puts together another exciting pay-per-view on Saturday night.
- Watch UFC 291 on ESPN+ PPV
The main event will feature the second time Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier and Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje will meet in the octagon, both looking to get close to the Lightweight championship, also fighting for the vacant “BMF” title.
This will be Poirier’s first fight since forcing Michael Chandler to tap out at UFC 281. The former interim champion has won four of his last fights, with a loss via submission to Charles Oliveira for the undisputed title at UFC 269 occurring during that span. Poirier is the second-ranked Lightweight in the UFC, with a 29-7-1 career record, 14 wins by knockout. He is tied for the most wins by knockout in the Lightweight division with eight.
Gaethje is the No. 3 fighter in the division, and is hoping to build off his win over Rafael Fiziev at UFC 286. Part of his 24-4 record, the three-time “Fight of the Year” winner has 19 wins by knockout.
- Watch UFC 291 on ESPN+ PPV
The other notable fight on the card will also feature a pair of top-three combatants squaring off with the hopes of a title shot, as Jan Blachowicz takes on Alex Pereira in a Light Heavyweight clash. Pereira is coming off his first-ever loss in the UFC, where he lost to Israel Adesanya.
UFC 291
Poirier vs. Gaethje 2
- When: Saturday, July 29
- Where: Delta Center (Salt Lake City, Utah)
- Live stream: ESPN+ PPV
MAIN CARD (10 P.M. ET) ESPN+ PPV
- Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje (Lightweight - Main Event)
- Jan Blachowicz vs. Alex Pereira (Light Heavyweight - Co-Main Event)
- Stephen Thompson vs. Michel Pereira (Welterweight)
- Tony Ferguson vs. Bobby Green (Lightweight)
- Michael Chiesa vs. Kevin Holland (Welterweight)
PRELIMS (8 P.M. ET) ABC, ESPN, ESPN+
- Gabriel Bonfim vs. Trevin Giles (Welterweight)
- Derrick Lewis vs. Marco Rogerio de Lima (Heavyweight)
- Roman Kopylov vs. Claudio Ribeiro (Middleweight)
- Jake Matthews vs. Miguel Baeza (Welterweight)
EARLY PRELIMS (6 P.M. ET) UFC FIGHT PASS
- CJ Vergara vs. Vinicius Salvador (Flyweight)
- Matthew Semelsberger vs. Uros Medic (Welterweight)
- Miranda Maverick vs. Priscila Cachoeira (Women’s Flyweight)
All UFC PPV events are available on ESPN+ | https://www.mlive.com/sports/2023/07/ufc-291-on-espn-ppv-how-to-watch-poirier-vs-gaethje-2-start-time-live-stream-ppv-info-full-card.html | 2023-07-29T13:13:05 | 0 | https://www.mlive.com/sports/2023/07/ufc-291-on-espn-ppv-how-to-watch-poirier-vs-gaethje-2-start-time-live-stream-ppv-info-full-card.html |
Are schedules for 49ers, Rams unfair?
May 16, 2023 04:01 PM
After the release of the NFL schedule, it was discovered that both the 49ers and Rams will have to play four teams coming off of their bye weeks, which makes Peter King and Myles Simmons wonder if it's an unfair balance. | https://www.nbcsports.com/watch/nfl/the-peter-king-podcasts/takeaways-from-steelers-camp-tranquility | 2023-07-29T13:13:08 | 1 | https://www.nbcsports.com/watch/nfl/the-peter-king-podcasts/takeaways-from-steelers-camp-tranquility |
Blinken says US economic support for Niger is at risk as military takeover threatens stability
Jul 29, 2023, 2:37 AM
(Pat Hoelscher/Pool Photo via AP)
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://mynorthwest.com/3914700/blinken-says-us-economic-support-for-niger-is-at-risk-as-military-takeover-threatens-stability/ | 2023-07-29T13:13:08 | 0 | https://mynorthwest.com/3914700/blinken-says-us-economic-support-for-niger-is-at-risk-as-military-takeover-threatens-stability/ |
Amber Alert issued for 2 missing girls in North Carolina
RALEIGH, N.C. (Gray News) - An Amber Alert was issued for two endangered girls missing in North Carolina.
The Durham Police Department is searching for 7-year-old Makayla Grace Gnije Hatch and 8-year-old Kaylee Amira Grace Hatch. The two girls were last seen July 28 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Makayla is described to be 4 feet and 3 inches tall and weighs about 41 pounds. She has black braided hair with clear beads and brown eyes. Makayla was last seen wearing a pink and coral lace dress, white ruffle socks and black shoes.
Kaylee is described to be 4 feet and 8 inches tall and weighs about 105 pounds. She has black braided hair with clear beads and brown eyes. Kaylee was last seen wearing a lavender, pink and white floral dress with a silver belt and white sandals.
The girls may be traveling with 34-year-old Garrett Hatch. He is described to be 5 feet and 3 inches and weighs about 230 pounds. He has black hair styled in long dreads and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a pink, black and white block shirt with white pants and black shoes.
Anyone with information on their whereabouts is asked to call 911 or the Durham Police Department 919-560-4440.
Copyright 2023 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wcjb.com/2023/07/29/amber-alert-issued-2-missing-girls-north-carolina/ | 2023-07-29T13:13:08 | 0 | https://www.wcjb.com/2023/07/29/amber-alert-issued-2-missing-girls-north-carolina/ |
Rays vs. Astros: Betting Trends, Odds, Records Against the Run Line, Home/Road Splits
Alex Bregman and the Houston Astros take on Brandon Lowe and the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday at 7:15 PM ET, in the second of a three-game series at Minute Maid Park.
The Rays are +115 moneyline underdogs in this matchup with the favored Astros (-140). An 8.5-run over/under has been set in the matchup.
Rep your team with officially licensed Rays gear! Head to Fanatics to find jerseys, shirts, and much more.
Rays vs. Astros Odds & Info
- Date: Saturday, July 29, 2023
- Time: 7:15 PM ET
- TV: FOX
- Location: Houston, Texas
- Venue: Minute Maid Park
- Live Stream: Watch on Fubo!
Bet with King of Sportsbooks and use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers! Check out the latest odds and place your bets with BetMGM Sportsbook. Use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Rays Recent Betting Performance
- Over their last 10 contests, the Rays were named underdogs twice and lost each contest.
- When it comes to the total, the Rays and their opponents are 2-8-0 in their last 10 games.
- The past 10 Rays matchups have not had a spread posted by bookmakers.
Read More About This Game
Rays Betting Records & Stats
- The Rays have been victorious in four, or 26.7%, of the 15 contests they have been chosen as underdogs in this season.
- Tampa Bay is 1-3 this season when entering a game as the underdog by +115 or more on the moneyline.
- The moneyline set for this matchup implies the Rays have a 46.5% chance of walking away with the win.
- Tampa Bay and its opponents have gone over the total this season in 55 of its 106 opportunities.
- The Rays have an against the spread mark of 10-7-0 in 17 games with a line this season.
Check out the latest odds and place your bets on and the with BetMGM Sportsbook. Use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Rays Splits
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.wcjb.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/rays-vs-astros-mlb-betting-trends-stats/ | 2023-07-29T13:13:15 | 0 | https://www.wcjb.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/rays-vs-astros-mlb-betting-trends-stats/ |
US pledges to help Australia manufacture guided missiles by 2025
Jul 29, 2023, 4:07 AM
(Pat Hoelscher/Pool Photo via AP)
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — The United States will expand its military industrial base by helping Australia manufacture guided missiles and rockets for both countries within two years, the allies announced on Saturday as they ramped up defense cooperation to counter China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific.
The new cooperation on guided weapon production follows a trilateral partnership announcement in March that will see Britain provide Australia with a fleet of eight submarines powered by U.S. nuclear technology.
The greater integration of U.S. and Australian militaries was announced after annual talks between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken and their Australian counterparts, Defense Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
They agreed to cooperate on Australia producing Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems by 2025, a communique said.
U.S. companies Raytheon and Lockheed Martin only established an Australian enterprise to build such weapons last year. That followed the drain on Western countries’ munitions caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Austin said the move on missiles would strengthen the two allies’ defense industrial base and technological edge.
“We’re racing to accelerate Australia’s priority access to munitions through a streamlined acquisition process,” Austin told reporters in Brisbane, Australia.
Marles welcomed U.S. support to achieve Australian missile production within two years.
“We are really pleased with the steps that we are taking in respect of establishing a guided weapons and explosive ordnance enterprise in this country,” Marles said.
The two governments also agreed to upgrade joint military facilities in Australia and to increase U.S. nuclear submarine visits as the United States increases its focus on the South Pacific.
The region came to the forefront of the U.S. competition with China for influence last year, when Beijing signed a security pact with Solomon Islands and raised the prospect of a Chinese naval base being established there.
Austin became the first U.S. defense secretary to visit Papua New Guinea and Blinken visited New Zealand and Tonga before they arrived in Australia.
Saturday’s meeting was overshadowed by the loss of an Australian Army helicopter with four air crew late Friday, during military exercises with the U.S. off the northeastern coast of Australia.
U.S., Australian and Canadian militaries are taking part in the search for potential survivors near Whitsunday Islands off the Queensland state coast.
Austin and Marles will travel to north Queensland on Sunday to inspect Talisman Sabre, a biennial military exercise between the two countries that this year includes 13 nations and more than 30,000 military personnel. | https://mynorthwest.com/3914704/us-pledges-to-help-australia-manufacture-guided-missiles-by-2025/ | 2023-07-29T13:13:23 | 1 | https://mynorthwest.com/3914704/us-pledges-to-help-australia-manufacture-guided-missiles-by-2025/ |
Trader Joe's has recalled its frozen falafel for potentially having rocks in it, after it recalled two of its cookie products for the same reason recently.
The company's supplier informed them of the concern, and Trader Joe's said in a statement Friday that "all potentially affected product has been removed from sale and destroyed."
Customers who purchased the product should discard it or return it to a Trader Joe's location for a full refund, the company said.
The falafel, which is fully cooked and frozen, has the SKU number 93935 and is sold in Washington, D.C., and 34 states.
Last Friday, Trader Joe's said rocks could also possibly be found in its Almond Windmill Cookies and Dark Chocolate Chunk and Almond Cookies.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.kunm.org/npr-news/npr-news/2023-07-28/trader-joes-recalls-its-frozen-falafel-for-possibly-having-rocks-in-it | 2023-07-29T13:13:58 | 1 | https://www.kunm.org/npr-news/npr-news/2023-07-28/trader-joes-recalls-its-frozen-falafel-for-possibly-having-rocks-in-it |
NPR News A program in Oklahoma uses art to re-integrate women recently released from prison By Elizabeth Caldwell Published July 29, 2023 at 6:00 AM MDT Facebook Email Print Women who are soon to be released from prison in Oklahoma get help with the transition by focusing on the arts. Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.kunm.org/npr-news/npr-news/2023-07-29/a-program-in-oklahoma-uses-art-to-re-integrate-women-recently-released-from-prison | 2023-07-29T13:13:59 | 1 | https://www.kunm.org/npr-news/npr-news/2023-07-29/a-program-in-oklahoma-uses-art-to-re-integrate-women-recently-released-from-prison |
Flor Marte knows someone will die. She knows when and how, because it came to her in a dream. That's her gift – all the women in the Marte family have one.
But Flor refuses to share who the dream is about. Instead, she insists on throwing herself a living wake, a reason for the entire family to come together and celebrate their lives. That's the starting point for Elizabeth Acevedo's debut novel for adults, Family Lore.
Acevedo grew up in Harlem, with summer visits to the Dominican Republic, and aspirations of becoming a rapper – until a literature teacher invited her to join an after-school poetry club.
She attended reluctantly; but what she found in spoken word performance broke her world and the possibilities of language wide open.
"I think for folks who maybe have felt it difficult to occupy their bodies and take up space and demand attention, to have three minutes where that is the requirement is really powerful," she says.
Acevedo went on to become a National Poetry Slam champion and earn degrees in performing arts and creative writing. After college, she taught language arts in Prince George's County, Maryland. Teaching, she says, is its own kind of performance – one where the audience doesn't always want to be there. But her students were struggling in other ways.
"So many of my young people weren't at grade level, but they'd also not encountered literature that they felt reflected them," she says. "Trying to meet some of those students where they were was really a kickoff for my writing."
So Acevedo began writing young adult books. The Poet X, her first novel about a Dominican-American teen finding her voice through poetry, won a National Book Award in 2018.
Pivoting to a new audience
Now, with Family Lore, Acevedo turns her attention to adult readers.
"I think the way this pushes forward her work and the growing body of Dominican-American literature is how deeply she writes into the interiors of her women characters," says author Naima Coster, who read an early draft of the novel.
The story is told through memories, out of order, sometimes a memory within a different memory. Acevedo jumps from the Dominican countryside to Santo Domingo to New York, as sisters Matilde, Flor, Pastora and Camila – along with younger generation Ona and Yadi – reflect on their childhoods and teenage romances and the secrets that bind them all together. Though the Marte women grow older together, their relationships do not get easier.
"What does it mean if these women have really just had a different experience of their mother?" says Acevedo. "And how that different experience of their mother automatically will create a schism, because now it's like, 'You don't remember her the way I remember her, and because of that, I can't trust you."
There are infidelities, miscarriages, childhood love affairs and therapeutic dance classes. Acevedo explains that she needed to tell this story in a non-linear format, in the way memories surface and warp; the way family gossip is passed on from person to person, in a roundabout way.
Returning to the body
That format, she says, was more suited for adult readers; and writing for adults also allowed her to be candid about bodies: how they move, change, excite, disappoint.
"The generation I was raised by felt like their relationship to their body was very othered," Acevedo says. "When I speak to my cousins, when I think about myself, it's been a return to desire, a return to the gut, a return to health in a way that isn't necessarily about size but is about: who am I in this vessel and how do I love it?"
That tension is felt especially by the younger Marte women, whose supernatural gifts radiate from within. Ona has a self-described "alpha vagina," Yadi has a special taste for sour limes.
Naima Coster says it's easy to feel pressure to write about marginalized communities as clean-cut, exemplary characters. But Family Lore relishes in airing out the Marte family's dirty laundry– in showing Afro-Dominican women as full, complicated protagonists.
"It feels major, the way she writes about the ways that these women misunderstand each other, but still love each other," she says.
Acevedo says those themes – family, home, Blackness, power – will be in every book she writes, "because those are the questions that haunt me."
Family Lore reads like the feeling of getting older and no longer having moms and aunts lower their voices when you enter the room – like finally being privy to what makes a family flawed and perfect.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.kunm.org/npr-news/npr-news/2023-07-29/in-family-lore-award-winning-ya-author-elizabeth-acevedo-turns-to-adult-readers | 2023-07-29T13:14:00 | 0 | https://www.kunm.org/npr-news/npr-news/2023-07-29/in-family-lore-award-winning-ya-author-elizabeth-acevedo-turns-to-adult-readers |
National parks and hiking trail networks around the country are facing dual pressures - crowds and changing weather. Preservationists in New Hampshire are painstakingly restoring one such trail.
Copyright 2023 NPR
National parks and hiking trail networks around the country are facing dual pressures - crowds and changing weather. Preservationists in New Hampshire are painstakingly restoring one such trail.
Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.kunm.org/npr-news/npr-news/2023-07-29/preservationists-are-trying-to-restore-national-park-trails-destroyed-by-the-weather | 2023-07-29T13:14:06 | 0 | https://www.kunm.org/npr-news/npr-news/2023-07-29/preservationists-are-trying-to-restore-national-park-trails-destroyed-by-the-weather |
Amber Alert issued for 2 missing girls in North Carolina
RALEIGH, N.C. (Gray News) - An Amber Alert was issued for two endangered girls missing in North Carolina.
The Durham Police Department is searching for 7-year-old Makayla Grace Gnije Hatch and 8-year-old Kaylee Amira Grace Hatch. The two girls were last seen July 28 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Makayla is described to be 4 feet and 3 inches tall and weighs about 41 pounds. She has black braided hair with clear beads and brown eyes. Makayla was last seen wearing a pink and coral lace dress, white ruffle socks and black shoes.
Kaylee is described to be 4 feet and 8 inches tall and weighs about 105 pounds. She has black braided hair with clear beads and brown eyes. Kaylee was last seen wearing a lavender, pink and white floral dress with a silver belt and white sandals.
The girls may be traveling with 34-year-old Garrett Hatch. He is described to be 5 feet and 3 inches and weighs about 230 pounds. He has black hair styled in long dreads and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a pink, black and white block shirt with white pants and black shoes.
Anyone with information on their whereabouts is asked to call 911 or the Durham Police Department 919-560-4440.
Copyright 2023 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.1011now.com/2023/07/29/amber-alert-issued-2-missing-girls-north-carolina/ | 2023-07-29T13:14:28 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/2023/07/29/amber-alert-issued-2-missing-girls-north-carolina/ |
BEIJING, July 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hundreds of English education experts and scholars from all over the world assembled in Macao on Friday for a three-day event to explore new opportunities for global cooperation in English education brought by China's development.
The 2023 Global English Education China Assembly, an online-and-offline event that opened at the City University of Macau (CityU), attracted over 1,600 experts, front-line educators and scholars from more than 20 countries and regions. Participants were mainly from China, the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Italy, Thailand, Russia, Singapore, Nepal, Mongolia, Indonesia and Pakistan.
They shared their insights to facilitate cross-cultural dialogue and discussed the most recent trends in English language teaching.
The event's theme is "New opportunities for the world with new advances in China's development: Opening up new prospects in English education cooperation worldwide", and features nine keynote speeches and 23 parallel sessions.
This year's assembly is hosted by China Daily and Shanghai International Studies University, and co-hosted by the Macao SAR Government Education and Youth Development Bureau, and organized by CityU and China Daily's 21st Century English Education Media.
For the first time, the assembly, which started in 2018, was held in Macao — one of the engine cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. This location echoes the Outline Development Plan for the GBA released in 2019, which set out to, among other goals, build the region as a model area for high-quality education and promote opening up education to the world.
At the event's opening ceremony, Qu Yingpu, publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily, highlighted that 2023 marks the 10th year since President Xi Jinping put forward both the idea of "building a community with a shared future for mankind" and the Belt and Road Initiative.
It is, therefore, appropriate that for the first time, the conference this year has moved out of the Chinese mainland to Macao where East meets West and multiple cultures blend, Qu said.
He said he believes the event will catalyze many innovative outcomes. Qu further said that English education could be a bridge to promote high-quality development of the BRI and people-to-people cultural exchanges could provide momentum for "building a community with a shared future for mankind".
He urged the audience to cultivate talent in order to bolster the promotion of the three global initiatives brought forward by Xi — the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative.
Qu also said China attaches great importance to education and cultural exchange. Xi, in his several correspondences with foreign students studying in China, has encouraged the latter to see with their own eyes the development of China and tell the world about what they have seen, to boost people-to-people bonding and friendship between their countries and China.
Zha Mingjian, vice-president of Shanghai International Studies University, said development in recent times has brought many opportunities as well as challenges. In this context, the English education sector in China has the responsibility to serve as a vital bridge for English education globally.
Opening education more extensively to the outside world will significantly strengthen China's efforts to modernize education in the new era, Zha said.
Svetlana V. Sannikova, coordination council chairperson of the National Association of Teachers of English in Russia, said the Macao event offers a high-end international academic platform where teachers can learn many practical ideas and methods to improve their English teaching skills.
On Friday, the event's organizer and CityU jointly established the Belt and Road English Education Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Exchange Base, which will use English education as a means to promote cultural exchanges and people-to-people bonding in countries and regions participating in the BRI.
The GBA Exchange Base will also strive to promote high-quality development in the BRI landscape.
Liu Jun, rector of CityU and president of the International Research Foundation for English Language Education, and Zeng Qingkai, editor-in-chief of 21st Century English Education Media, were the signatories of the document for the establishment of the base.
Among the several dignitaries who graced Friday's opening ceremony were Ao Ieong U, secretary for social affairs and culture of the Macao SAR government, participating in the event on behalf of Macao SAR Chief Executive Ho Iat-seng; Yan Zhichan, deputy director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR; Liu Xianfa, commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Macao SAR; Kong Chimeng, director of the Macao SAR government Education and Youth Development Bureau; and Chan Meng-kam, chairman of the council of CityU.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE China Daily | https://www.kait8.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/experts-foresee-china-role-english-learning/ | 2023-07-29T13:15:48 | 1 | https://www.kait8.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/experts-foresee-china-role-english-learning/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Friday for the first time publicly acknowledged his seventh grandchild, a 4-year-old girl fathered by his son Hunter with an Arkansas woman, Lunden Roberts, in 2018.
“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,” Biden said in a statement. It was his first acknowledgement of the child.
“This is not a political issue, it’s a family matter,” he said. “Jill and I only want what is best for all of our grandchildren, including Navy.”
Hunter Biden’s paternity was established by DNA testing after Roberts sued for child support, and the two parties recently resolved outstanding child support issues. The president’s son wrote about his encounter with Roberts in his 2021 memoir, saying it came while he was deep in addiction to alcohol and drugs, including crack cocaine.
“I had no recollection of our encounter,” he wrote. “That’s how little connection I had with anyone. I was a mess, but a mess I’ve taken responsibility for.”
An attorney for Roberts did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The president, who has made a commitment to family central to his public persona, has faced increasing criticism from political rivals and pundits for failing to acknowledge the granddaughter. According to a person familiar with the matter, he was taking the cue from his son while the legal proceedings played out. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private matters.
Hunter Biden has four other children, including a son, Beau, born to his wife Melissa Cohen in 2020. He was named after the president’s late son who died of cancer in 2015, leaving behind two children.
Biden’s grandchildren have played a distinctive role in his presidency, often accompanying the president or first lady on trips and making regular visits to the White House. The president has also credited his grandchildren with persuading him to challenge then-President Donald Trump for the White House in 2020.
Biden’s statement was first reported by People Magazine. | https://www.wane.com/top-stories/biden-openly-acknowledges-7th-grandchild-the-daughter-of-son-hunter-and-an-arkansas-woman/ | 2023-07-29T13:15:51 | 1 | https://www.wane.com/top-stories/biden-openly-acknowledges-7th-grandchild-the-daughter-of-son-hunter-and-an-arkansas-woman/ |
ODESSA, Ukraine, July 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ukrainian entrepreneur, Vadim Novynskyi has announced a donation of up to $1 million to help restore the Transfiguration Church in Odessa, Ukraine that was seriously damaged during rocket attacks on Sunday, July 23. The destruction of one of the most beautiful Ukrainian churches, which was erected by the founders of Odessa at the end of the 18th century is a true tragedy. This cathedral was the center of the spiritual life of Odessa.
This is not the first time the church has been destroyed. In 1936, the Bolsheviks destroyed the cathedral and it was restored in the early 2000's after tens of thousands of ordinary people participated in the restoration with their donations.
"I sincerely mourn with the inhabitants of Odessa and I want to assure them and all the people of Ukraine that this cathedral will be rebuilt and the people of Odessa will once again be able to worship and seek community in this hallowed place," said Vadim Novynskyi. "In the days of war and persecution of the Church, it is very important to be able to protect and revive the shrines of Orthodoxy, demonstrating faith, unity and mutual support. After all, the true Orthodox Church is based on these principles."
View original content:
SOURCE Vadym Novynskyi | https://www.kait8.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/restoration-transfiguration-chuch-odessa-ukraine-by-ukrainian-entrepreneur-vadym-novynskyi/ | 2023-07-29T13:15:55 | 0 | https://www.kait8.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/restoration-transfiguration-chuch-odessa-ukraine-by-ukrainian-entrepreneur-vadym-novynskyi/ |
The Mega Millions jackpot climbed to an estimated $1.05 billion Friday night, only the fifth time in the history of the game that the grand prize has reached into the billions.
No one managed to beat the massive odds and match all six numbers for Friday’s estimated $940 million jackpot. The numbers drawn were: 5, 10, 28, 52, 63 and the gold ball 18.
There have been 29 straight draws without a Mega Millions jackpot winner since the last grand prize ticket on April 18.
The $1.05 billion prize up for grabs in the next drawing Tuesday night would be for a sole winner choosing to be paid through an annuity, with annual payments over 30 years. Jackpot winners almost always opt for a lump sum payment, which for Tuesday’s drawing would be an estimated $527.9 million.
The potential jackpot is the fourth-largest in the game and the fifth over $1 billion, Mega Millions said in a statement early Saturday.
Although there were no jackpot winners, one ticket in Pennsylvania was worth $5 million and another in the state connected for $1 million. There also were $1 million winners in Arizona, California and New York, Mega Millions said.
It has been less than two weeks since someone in Los Angeles won a $1.08 billion Powerball prize that ranked as the sixth-largest in U.S. history. The winner of the prize is still a mystery.
Lottery jackpots grow so large because the odds of winning are so small. For Mega Millions, the odds of winning the jackpot are about 1 in 302.6 million.
Winners also would be subject to federal taxes, and many states also tax lottery winnings.
Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. | https://www.wane.com/top-stories/mega-millions-jackpot-climbs-to-1-05-billion-after-another-drawing-without-a-big-winner/ | 2023-07-29T13:15:57 | 1 | https://www.wane.com/top-stories/mega-millions-jackpot-climbs-to-1-05-billion-after-another-drawing-without-a-big-winner/ |
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — After severe thunderstorm warnings went into effect Friday night, those living in Allen County are feeling the impact with over 10,000 customers being without power according to Indiana Michigan Power’s website.
Damage was felt in the Defiance area as well, with a tornado warning being issued and many being jostled awake by tornado sirens in the early Saturday hours.
Here’s a look at some of the damage around the Fort Wayne area;
To report an outage or get more information about outages head to Indiana-Michigan Power’s website. | https://www.wane.com/top-stories/storm-aftermath-damage-and-outages-after-severe-thunderstorms-pass/ | 2023-07-29T13:16:04 | 1 | https://www.wane.com/top-stories/storm-aftermath-damage-and-outages-after-severe-thunderstorms-pass/ |
Tomatoes are a staple in any home cook’s vegetable arsenal, even though they’re technically a fruit. Whether you mix them into a paste, cut them into salad-ready cubes or eat them whole, they’re a key component in literally thousands of dishes. The only thing they can’t do? Last for a long time without help.
Most foodies know that summer is prime time for buying tomatoes at your grocery store, but there’s a solution that can extend their lifespan by months: Put them in the freezer.
Most people don’t think of preserving fresh tomatoes in the freezer, and there’s usually a good reason for that. If you don’t prep them before tossing them in, the fibers in the tomato can break down, giving them a mushy texture and robbing them of flavor. The secret is chilling them in an uncovered bowl or on a sheet pan, then sealing them up for the long haul after they’ve gone through the initial freeze.
Mind you, they won’t be quite the same texture, and will be better suited to using in a sauce or stew than eaten whole. If that’s your plan, you’ll also want to blanche them before freezing. For those not familiar with the technique, blanching means simply boiling things for a short while, then cooling them quickly. Not only will this curb the enzyme action that causes tomatoes to lose their flavor, it will also let the skins peel right off.
Here are the basic steps to follow for whole tomatoes:
- Wash them thoroughly under cold water, then wipe them completely dry with a cloth or paper towel.
- Cut off the stems, or any remnant of the stems (that little “belly button” that tomatoes often have at the top).
- Bring a pot of water to a boil, then add the tomatoes. Remove them after a short while — anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute.
- Place the tomatoes in an ice bath or run them under cold water. If you want to remove the skins at this point, you’ll find they should peel off easily.
- Dry off the tomatoes again and put them into a bowl or some other container with no lid. Put them into the freezer.
- Once they’re completely frozen (which should take no more than 3 hours), transfer them into a plastic bag or some other closed container, being careful to squeeze out as much air as you can.
If you already know you’re using the tomatoes for a sauce or gravy, you can liquefy them ahead of time. The process is much the same:
- Repeat the first four steps above.
- Slice your tomatoes (preferably peeled) into fourths.
- Let them simmer in a saucepan for at least five minutes.
- Liquefy them with a tomato press, or put them into a blender.
- Put the juice or paste into an airtight container, leaving an inch or two of space under the lid.
- Put the container into the freezer.
And there you have it! No matter what state they’re in, your tomatoes should last for up to eight months. It’s always a good idea to put a date on the container so that you can make sure they don’t overstay their welcome in the freezer. Also, resist the urge to season your tomatoes before you put them in storage. Onion, garlic and many herbs will undergo changes in flavor at different rates when frozen, so it’s best to use those when fresh.
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Check out Simplemost for additional stories. | https://www.wrtv.com/how-to-freeze-tomatoes-so-they-last-for-months | 2023-07-29T13:17:29 | 0 | https://www.wrtv.com/how-to-freeze-tomatoes-so-they-last-for-months |
INDIANAPOLIS — One person was shot and killed on the east side of Indianapolis on Saturday night.
According to Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, just before midnight officers were called to 3402 N. Emerson Ave on reports of a person shot.
Police said when officers arrived they found an adult male victim outside of the business, a Citgo gas station, with gunshot injuries.
The victim was transported to the hospital in critical condition, where he later died.
Police believe the victim was shot while he was in his vehicle parked outside the business.
According to police, several people were inside the business at the time of the shooting and they are asking these people to come forward with any information.
Anyone with information about this incident should contact Detective Doug Swails at the IMPD Homicide Office at 317.327.3475 or e-mail him at Douglas.Swails@indy.gov | https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/crime/one-shot-killed-on-indys-east-side | 2023-07-29T13:17:35 | 0 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/crime/one-shot-killed-on-indys-east-side |
SHELBYVILLE — One person died after a three-vehicle crash on S.R 9 near Shelbyville on Friday.
According to the Shelby County Sheriff's Office, State Road 9 was closed early Friday afternoon as a result of a crash involving a 'work-type' truck and two larger trucks.
Law enforcement confirmed there was one fatality and no other serious injuries reported as a result of the crash.
At this time, the crash is still under investigation. The identification of the deceased will be released later according to police. | https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/one-dead-after-friday-crash-near-shelbyville | 2023-07-29T13:17:41 | 1 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/one-dead-after-friday-crash-near-shelbyville |
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.binghamtonhomepage.com/entertainment-news/ap-after-an-attack-on-salman-rushdie-the-chautauqua-institution-says-its-mission-wont-change/ | 2023-07-29T13:17:57 | 0 | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/entertainment-news/ap-after-an-attack-on-salman-rushdie-the-chautauqua-institution-says-its-mission-wont-change/ |
Florida - Saturday July 29, 2023: Through a project called Florida AgrAbility, Serap Gorucu tries to ensure that everyone – even those with functional limitations — can operate the technology and machinery on the farm where they work.
July 26 marks the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. So, it seems fitting to highlight some of the many ways UF/IFAS works with its stakeholders to help make research, teaching and Extension as accessible as possible.
“Agricultural producers must be able to work their farms,” said Gorucu, a UF/IFAS assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering. “With the AgrAbility project, we aim to enhance the quality of life for farmers, ranchers and other agricultural workers with disabilities.”
Gorucu’s clients are grateful for her tireless efforts.
“Florida AgrAbility is very important to farmers, and not just so we can continue what we’re doing and have the support to keep going with our careers,” said Mika Hardison, a beekeeper in Jacksonville. “But we want to be independent, and we want to keep doing the things that we love doing. I am looking forward to just having the physical support and the modifications I need in order to keep doing what I love.”
Gorucu is just one of many examples of how faculty and staff at UF/IFAS improve access for people with limitations — and make science-based information available to everyone.
July 26 marks the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. So, it seems fitting to highlight some of the many ways UF/IFAS works with its stakeholders to help make research, teaching and Extension as accessible as possible.
UF/IFAS leverages a full gamut of ideas and technologies to make it happen:
- Translating and trans-creating Extension documents and news releases into Spanish, allowing them to be widely shared and culturally relevant.
- Trams that allow disabled visitors and growers to participate in field days and tour UF/IFAS research fields and groves.
- Closed-captioned videos and live-captioned online presentations for those who struggle with hearing.
- Document accessibility services. These services offer various solutions to ensure compliance with accessibility standards and empower individuals with disabilities to access and interact with UF/IFAS content.
Extension successes
These actions focus on ensuring everyone can access as much information as possible, said Saqib Mukhtar, associate dean of UF/IFAS Extension.
“We are UF/IFAS Extension education for All,” Mukhtar said. “This signifies that our faculty and staff make every effort to ensure that science-based learning experiences are accessible to everyone. That includes document translations, subtitles for the hearing impaired, ADA-compliant accessibility in our Extension offices and more.”
Anita Neal, director of the UF/IFAS Southeast Extension District, cited many ways UF/IFAS is helping make activities and information more available.
“Most UF/IFAS Extension offices are housed in county buildings. As a rule, counties comply with ADA requirements for accessible parking, ramps for accessibility, restroom accessibility, elevators, and doors that can be opened easily and, in some cases, with the assistance of an automatic button,” Neal said.
Neal also mentioned this UF/IFAS Extension document. It offers tips to Extension professionals and others to help them stage events or programs for clients of all abilities – from the start of the planning process rather than as an afterthought.
Because UF/IFAS is dedicated to serving all Florida residents, it provides short video scenarios to review with volunteers, whether they’re with Florida 4-H, Master Gardener Volunteers, or others.
Sharing research with all
Jerry Fankhauser, associate director of the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, brought an idea from his previous employer (Purdue) to UF/IFAS – a tram for folks who otherwise can’t walk UF/IFAS research fields and groves.
The trams feature a wheelchair ramp that allows people with varied ability levels onto the vehicle, which lets them ride along with everyone else, Fankhauser said. UF/IFAS has two such vehicles — one at the Plant Science Research and Education Unit in Citra; the other at the Tropical Research and Education Center in Homestead.
“With our trams, people who are otherwise unable to walk can see our research fields and groves. That means they can observe the work of our scientists, who are trying to grow crops that withstand pests, diseases, and other climate-related issues,” said Fankhauser. “Everyone gets a front-row seat to the best of UF/IFAS research.”
UF/IFAS research and education centers and demonstration sites across Florida exceed ADA requirements.
“When a new structure is built, everything is designed to be ADA compliant including parking spaces, egress pathways, bathrooms, and building fixtures,” said Ronnie Cooper, associate director of facilities for UF/IFAS. “During a significant renovation, efforts are made to bring non-compliant spaces up to date.”
The primary goal during a renovation is to gain ADA accommodation for as many points of use as possible, Cooper said.
Three notable upgrades since passage of the ADA in 1990 would be bathrooms, egress pathways and countertop workspaces.
“We have to make sure staff, faculty and visitors to our sites have a smooth path from an accessible parking space, throughout most of the buildings, and especially to each restroom,” Cooper said.
Teaching and learning
Online courses meet accessibility standards, including but not limited to use of headings and subheadings, alternative image text and color contrast, said Allen Wysocki, associate dean of the UF/IFAS College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS).
CALS teaching faculty also invest in professional development opportunities, such as the Roche Teaching Scholars, CALS Spring Teaching Retreat and CALS Teaching Enhancement Symposium. At those seminars, faculty share ideas and learn from each other — and sometimes students – about how to better connect with students and serve their specific needs.
“Our teaching faculty are deeply committed to providing the best possible instruction for our students,” Wysocki said. “This includes helping make classroom instruction more accessible, whether courses are taught in person or online. Our faculty are always advancing their own knowledge and skills to keep up with current technology and ensuring our student experience comes first.”
For some context, here are some statistics about disabilities from the CDC’s Disability and Health Data System:
- About 5 million adults in Florida live with a disability. That represents 26% or 1 in 4 adults of Florida’s adult population.
- The most-reported disability types are mobility (12%), cognition (12%), independent living (6%), hearing (6%), vision (6%) and self-care (3%). | https://www.wqcs.org/wqcs-news/2023-07-29/uf-ifas-the-florida-agrability-project-seeks-to-make-machinery-on-the-farm-accessible-to-those-with-functional-limitations | 2023-07-29T13:18:02 | 1 | https://www.wqcs.org/wqcs-news/2023-07-29/uf-ifas-the-florida-agrability-project-seeks-to-make-machinery-on-the-farm-accessible-to-those-with-functional-limitations |
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.binghamtonhomepage.com/entertainment-news/ap-black-belt-eagle-scouts-latest-record-inspired-by-return-home-to-swinomish-tribes-ancestral-lands/ | 2023-07-29T13:18:04 | 1 | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/entertainment-news/ap-black-belt-eagle-scouts-latest-record-inspired-by-return-home-to-swinomish-tribes-ancestral-lands/ |
Amber Alert issued for 2 missing girls in North Carolina
RALEIGH, N.C. (Gray News) - An Amber Alert was issued for two endangered girls missing in North Carolina.
The Durham Police Department is searching for 7-year-old Makayla Grace Gnije Hatch and 8-year-old Kaylee Amira Grace Hatch. The two girls were last seen July 28 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Makayla is described to be 4 feet and 3 inches tall and weighs about 41 pounds. She has black braided hair with clear beads and brown eyes. Makayla was last seen wearing a pink and coral lace dress, white ruffle socks and black shoes.
Kaylee is described to be 4 feet and 8 inches tall and weighs about 105 pounds. She has black braided hair with clear beads and brown eyes. Kaylee was last seen wearing a lavender, pink and white floral dress with a silver belt and white sandals.
The girls may be traveling with 34-year-old Garrett Hatch. He is described to be 5 feet and 3 inches and weighs about 230 pounds. He has black hair styled in long dreads and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a pink, black and white block shirt with white pants and black shoes.
Anyone with information on their whereabouts is asked to call 911 or the Durham Police Department 919-560-4440.
Copyright 2023 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbay.com/2023/07/29/amber-alert-issued-2-missing-girls-north-carolina/ | 2023-07-29T13:18:05 | 0 | https://www.wbay.com/2023/07/29/amber-alert-issued-2-missing-girls-north-carolina/ |
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.binghamtonhomepage.com/entertainment-news/ap-variety-revises-article-on-former-cnn-chief-jeff-zucker-that-was-sharply-criticized/ | 2023-07-29T13:18:10 | 1 | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/entertainment-news/ap-variety-revises-article-on-former-cnn-chief-jeff-zucker-that-was-sharply-criticized/ |
BEIJING, July 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hundreds of English education experts and scholars from all over the world assembled in Macao on Friday for a three-day event to explore new opportunities for global cooperation in English education brought by China's development.
The 2023 Global English Education China Assembly, an online-and-offline event that opened at the City University of Macau (CityU), attracted over 1,600 experts, front-line educators and scholars from more than 20 countries and regions. Participants were mainly from China, the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Italy, Thailand, Russia, Singapore, Nepal, Mongolia, Indonesia and Pakistan.
They shared their insights to facilitate cross-cultural dialogue and discussed the most recent trends in English language teaching.
The event's theme is "New opportunities for the world with new advances in China's development: Opening up new prospects in English education cooperation worldwide", and features nine keynote speeches and 23 parallel sessions.
This year's assembly is hosted by China Daily and Shanghai International Studies University, and co-hosted by the Macao SAR Government Education and Youth Development Bureau, and organized by CityU and China Daily's 21st Century English Education Media.
For the first time, the assembly, which started in 2018, was held in Macao — one of the engine cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. This location echoes the Outline Development Plan for the GBA released in 2019, which set out to, among other goals, build the region as a model area for high-quality education and promote opening up education to the world.
At the event's opening ceremony, Qu Yingpu, publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily, highlighted that 2023 marks the 10th year since President Xi Jinping put forward both the idea of "building a community with a shared future for mankind" and the Belt and Road Initiative.
It is, therefore, appropriate that for the first time, the conference this year has moved out of the Chinese mainland to Macao where East meets West and multiple cultures blend, Qu said.
He said he believes the event will catalyze many innovative outcomes. Qu further said that English education could be a bridge to promote high-quality development of the BRI and people-to-people cultural exchanges could provide momentum for "building a community with a shared future for mankind".
He urged the audience to cultivate talent in order to bolster the promotion of the three global initiatives brought forward by Xi — the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative.
Qu also said China attaches great importance to education and cultural exchange. Xi, in his several correspondences with foreign students studying in China, has encouraged the latter to see with their own eyes the development of China and tell the world about what they have seen, to boost people-to-people bonding and friendship between their countries and China.
Zha Mingjian, vice-president of Shanghai International Studies University, said development in recent times has brought many opportunities as well as challenges. In this context, the English education sector in China has the responsibility to serve as a vital bridge for English education globally.
Opening education more extensively to the outside world will significantly strengthen China's efforts to modernize education in the new era, Zha said.
Svetlana V. Sannikova, coordination council chairperson of the National Association of Teachers of English in Russia, said the Macao event offers a high-end international academic platform where teachers can learn many practical ideas and methods to improve their English teaching skills.
On Friday, the event's organizer and CityU jointly established the Belt and Road English Education Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Exchange Base, which will use English education as a means to promote cultural exchanges and people-to-people bonding in countries and regions participating in the BRI.
The GBA Exchange Base will also strive to promote high-quality development in the BRI landscape.
Liu Jun, rector of CityU and president of the International Research Foundation for English Language Education, and Zeng Qingkai, editor-in-chief of 21st Century English Education Media, were the signatories of the document for the establishment of the base.
Among the several dignitaries who graced Friday's opening ceremony were Ao Ieong U, secretary for social affairs and culture of the Macao SAR government, participating in the event on behalf of Macao SAR Chief Executive Ho Iat-seng; Yan Zhichan, deputy director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR; Liu Xianfa, commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Macao SAR; Kong Chimeng, director of the Macao SAR government Education and Youth Development Bureau; and Chan Meng-kam, chairman of the council of CityU.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE China Daily | https://www.wbay.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/experts-foresee-china-role-english-learning/ | 2023-07-29T13:18:12 | 1 | https://www.wbay.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/experts-foresee-china-role-english-learning/ |
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.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/ap-blinken-says-us-economic-support-for-niger-is-at-risk-as-military-takeover-threatens-stability/ | 2023-07-29T13:18:16 | 1 | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/ap-blinken-says-us-economic-support-for-niger-is-at-risk-as-military-takeover-threatens-stability/ |
ODESSA, Ukraine, July 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ukrainian entrepreneur, Vadim Novynskyi has announced a donation of up to $1 million to help restore the Transfiguration Church in Odessa, Ukraine that was seriously damaged during rocket attacks on Sunday, July 23. The destruction of one of the most beautiful Ukrainian churches, which was erected by the founders of Odessa at the end of the 18th century is a true tragedy. This cathedral was the center of the spiritual life of Odessa.
This is not the first time the church has been destroyed. In 1936, the Bolsheviks destroyed the cathedral and it was restored in the early 2000's after tens of thousands of ordinary people participated in the restoration with their donations.
"I sincerely mourn with the inhabitants of Odessa and I want to assure them and all the people of Ukraine that this cathedral will be rebuilt and the people of Odessa will once again be able to worship and seek community in this hallowed place," said Vadim Novynskyi. "In the days of war and persecution of the Church, it is very important to be able to protect and revive the shrines of Orthodoxy, demonstrating faith, unity and mutual support. After all, the true Orthodox Church is based on these principles."
View original content:
SOURCE Vadym Novynskyi | https://www.wbay.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/restoration-transfiguration-chuch-odessa-ukraine-by-ukrainian-entrepreneur-vadym-novynskyi/ | 2023-07-29T13:18:19 | 0 | https://www.wbay.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/restoration-transfiguration-chuch-odessa-ukraine-by-ukrainian-entrepreneur-vadym-novynskyi/ |
Amber Alert issued for 2 missing girls in North Carolina
RALEIGH, N.C. (Gray News) - An Amber Alert was issued for two endangered girls missing in North Carolina.
The Durham Police Department is searching for 7-year-old Makayla Grace Gnije Hatch and 8-year-old Kaylee Amira Grace Hatch. The two girls were last seen July 28 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Makayla is described to be 4 feet and 3 inches tall and weighs about 41 pounds. She has black braided hair with clear beads and brown eyes. Makayla was last seen wearing a pink and coral lace dress, white ruffle socks and black shoes.
Kaylee is described to be 4 feet and 8 inches tall and weighs about 105 pounds. She has black braided hair with clear beads and brown eyes. Kaylee was last seen wearing a lavender, pink and white floral dress with a silver belt and white sandals.
The girls may be traveling with 34-year-old Garrett Hatch. He is described to be 5 feet and 3 inches and weighs about 230 pounds. He has black hair styled in long dreads and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a pink, black and white block shirt with white pants and black shoes.
Anyone with information on their whereabouts is asked to call 911 or the Durham Police Department 919-560-4440.
Copyright 2023 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2023/07/29/amber-alert-issued-2-missing-girls-north-carolina/ | 2023-07-29T13:18:20 | 1 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2023/07/29/amber-alert-issued-2-missing-girls-north-carolina/ |
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.”
___
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.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/ap-election-disinformation-campaigns-targeted-voters-of-color-in-2020-experts-expect-2024-to-be-worse/ | 2023-07-29T13:18:23 | 0 | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/ap-election-disinformation-campaigns-targeted-voters-of-color-in-2020-experts-expect-2024-to-be-worse/ |
Brewers vs. Braves: Betting Trends, Odds, Records Against the Run Line, Home/Road Splits
The Atlanta Braves and Ronald Acuna Jr. will hit the field against the Milwaukee Brewers and Andruw Monasterio on Saturday at 7:20 PM ET, in the second game of a three-game series at Truist Park.
The Brewers are +180 moneyline underdogs in this matchup with the Braves (-225). The matchup's over/under is set at 10 runs.
Rep your team with officially licensed Brewers gear! Head to Fanatics to find jerseys, shirts, and much more.
Brewers vs. Braves Odds & Info
- Date: Saturday, July 29, 2023
- Time: 7:20 PM ET
- TV: BSSE
- Location: Atlanta, Georgia
- Venue: Truist Park
- Live Stream: Watch on Fubo!
Bet with King of Sportsbooks and use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers! Check out the latest odds and place your bets with BetMGM Sportsbook. Use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Brewers Recent Betting Performance
- In six games as the underdog over the last 10 matchups, the Brewers have a record of 2-4.
- In their previous 10 games with a total, the Brewers and their opponents have combined to exceed the over/under on two occasions.
- Oddsmakers have yet to post a spread in any of the Brewers' past 10 games.
Read More About This Game
Brewers Betting Records & Stats
- The Brewers have been chosen as underdogs in 50 games this year and have walked away with the win 25 times (50%) in those games.
- Milwaukee has played as an underdog of +180 or more once this season and lost that game.
- The moneyline set for this matchup implies the Brewers have a 35.7% chance of walking away with the win.
- So far this season, Milwaukee and its opponents have hit the over in 42 of its 104 games with a total.
- The Brewers are 4-6-0 against the spread in their 10 games that had a posted line this season.
Check out the latest odds and place your bets on and the with BetMGM Sportsbook. Use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Brewers Splits
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.wbay.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/brewers-vs-braves-mlb-betting-trends-stats/ | 2023-07-29T13:18:25 | 0 | https://www.wbay.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/brewers-vs-braves-mlb-betting-trends-stats/ |
BEIJING, July 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hundreds of English education experts and scholars from all over the world assembled in Macao on Friday for a three-day event to explore new opportunities for global cooperation in English education brought by China's development.
The 2023 Global English Education China Assembly, an online-and-offline event that opened at the City University of Macau (CityU), attracted over 1,600 experts, front-line educators and scholars from more than 20 countries and regions. Participants were mainly from China, the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Italy, Thailand, Russia, Singapore, Nepal, Mongolia, Indonesia and Pakistan.
They shared their insights to facilitate cross-cultural dialogue and discussed the most recent trends in English language teaching.
The event's theme is "New opportunities for the world with new advances in China's development: Opening up new prospects in English education cooperation worldwide", and features nine keynote speeches and 23 parallel sessions.
This year's assembly is hosted by China Daily and Shanghai International Studies University, and co-hosted by the Macao SAR Government Education and Youth Development Bureau, and organized by CityU and China Daily's 21st Century English Education Media.
For the first time, the assembly, which started in 2018, was held in Macao — one of the engine cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. This location echoes the Outline Development Plan for the GBA released in 2019, which set out to, among other goals, build the region as a model area for high-quality education and promote opening up education to the world.
At the event's opening ceremony, Qu Yingpu, publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily, highlighted that 2023 marks the 10th year since President Xi Jinping put forward both the idea of "building a community with a shared future for mankind" and the Belt and Road Initiative.
It is, therefore, appropriate that for the first time, the conference this year has moved out of the Chinese mainland to Macao where East meets West and multiple cultures blend, Qu said.
He said he believes the event will catalyze many innovative outcomes. Qu further said that English education could be a bridge to promote high-quality development of the BRI and people-to-people cultural exchanges could provide momentum for "building a community with a shared future for mankind".
He urged the audience to cultivate talent in order to bolster the promotion of the three global initiatives brought forward by Xi — the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative.
Qu also said China attaches great importance to education and cultural exchange. Xi, in his several correspondences with foreign students studying in China, has encouraged the latter to see with their own eyes the development of China and tell the world about what they have seen, to boost people-to-people bonding and friendship between their countries and China.
Zha Mingjian, vice-president of Shanghai International Studies University, said development in recent times has brought many opportunities as well as challenges. In this context, the English education sector in China has the responsibility to serve as a vital bridge for English education globally.
Opening education more extensively to the outside world will significantly strengthen China's efforts to modernize education in the new era, Zha said.
Svetlana V. Sannikova, coordination council chairperson of the National Association of Teachers of English in Russia, said the Macao event offers a high-end international academic platform where teachers can learn many practical ideas and methods to improve their English teaching skills.
On Friday, the event's organizer and CityU jointly established the Belt and Road English Education Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Exchange Base, which will use English education as a means to promote cultural exchanges and people-to-people bonding in countries and regions participating in the BRI.
The GBA Exchange Base will also strive to promote high-quality development in the BRI landscape.
Liu Jun, rector of CityU and president of the International Research Foundation for English Language Education, and Zeng Qingkai, editor-in-chief of 21st Century English Education Media, were the signatories of the document for the establishment of the base.
Among the several dignitaries who graced Friday's opening ceremony were Ao Ieong U, secretary for social affairs and culture of the Macao SAR government, participating in the event on behalf of Macao SAR Chief Executive Ho Iat-seng; Yan Zhichan, deputy director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR; Liu Xianfa, commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Macao SAR; Kong Chimeng, director of the Macao SAR government Education and Youth Development Bureau; and Chan Meng-kam, chairman of the council of CityU.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE China Daily | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/experts-foresee-china-role-english-learning/ | 2023-07-29T13:18:26 | 1 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/experts-foresee-china-role-english-learning/ |
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand striker Hannah Wilkinson has helped create two milestones at the Women’s World Cup.
With her 48th-minute goal in the tournament opener against Norway, she led the co-host Football Ferns to their first win in six trips to the Women’s World Cup. She’s also one of at least 95 out members of the LGBTQ+ community competing in this year’s tournament, according to a count being kept by Outsports, a website that covers the LGBTQ+ sports.
The Ferns were greeted with a fan-made sign at their next match in Wellington: “Gay for soccer, gay for Wilkie,” it read.
The 95 out participants make up roughly 13% of the 736 total players at the Women’s World Cup, more than doubling the 40 players and coaches Outsports counted in 2019.
The 2023 tournament also is hosting the first openly trans and non-binary player in either a men’s or Women’s World Cup, Quinn of Canada.
“Last World Cup was so big, especially with the visibility of the U.S. women’s national team winning and (Megan Rapinoe) fighting with (Donald) Trump. So I think that was a huge year for LGBTQ+ visibility,” said Lindsey Freeman, a professor of sociology and anthropology at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia.
“It’s just the ad hoc, fun culture of women’s soccer that you’re seeing in this World Cup,” said Freeman, who is in New Zealand conducting research on the topic.
Jim Buzinski, co-founder of Outsports, agreed. “In the Western world, it’s such a non-issue that it really just doesn’t get talked about,” he said. “And I think that’s in a good way.”
VISIBILITY
Prior to the start of the tournament, FIFA designated eight socially conscious armbands team captains could wear throughout the Women’s World Cup. The decision came after “One Love” armbands were denied to men’s teams in Qatar in 2022.
The armbands being used this year include anti-discriminatory sayings and multiple colors, but the rainbow version Germany wanted to use is not allowed. None of the available options explicitly mention LGBTQ+ rights.
The decision has led many players to express their support in more creative ways across Australia and New Zealand.
New Zealand midfielder Ali Riley was interviewed on the official Women’s World Cup broadcast after her team’s upset of Norway. Her painted fingernails, left hand in the colors of the pride flag and right hand as the trans flag, were clearly visible as she held her head and fought back tears.
“She’s such an advocate and she’s definitely someone who uses her platform in such a positive way. We are all so proud of her and the way she represents the LGBTQ+ community,” teammate CJ Bott said. “Good on her. We’re all backing her, and we all back the community as well.”
The Philippines, making its Women’s World Cup debut, took home its own historic win over New Zealand 1-0 thanks to the foot of Sarina Bolden. Bolden’s Instagram bio reads, “i just wanna have fun n b gay.”
Irish star Katie McCabe wowed fans with a goal directly from a corner kick. She’s also made tabloid news for her relationships with other players.
Thembi Kgatlana, who has scored in the tournament for South Africa, has a patch of her hair dyed rainbow colors.
“My personality is very big for me, and my hair has become a part of my personality,” Kgatlana said. “And I did this rainbow because I want to represent all the people that are part of the LGBTQ and cannot talk while in countries where they’re oppressed.”
FAN EXPERIENCE
Kristen Pariseau and her wife started a U.S. women’s national team supporters group on Facebook ahead of traveling to this year’s Women’s World Cup. Aside from some hateful users she blocked, it’s been “super LGBT friendly.”
She and her wife did not go to Qatar for the 2022 men’s World Cup to avoid referencing each other as friends and receiving questions on their sexuality. In New Zealand, she said she’s met many same-sex couples at games and while traveling around the country.
“Everywhere you turn, it’s like, ‘Oh, my wife, my girlfriend.’ It’s been so welcoming and open,” Pariseau said. “In a way, it is kind of cool to be where there’s a lot of other people like you.”
Kelsie Bozart took her own pride flag armband to the United States’ second match in Wellington, along with a pride scarf.
“If you look back a couple years, I feel like it just wasn’t really talked about or there just wasn’t much of a presence,” Bozart said. “But moving forward I feel like, especially for the U.S., they’ve done an amazing job of just incorporating pride and LGBTQ.”
NOT UNIVERSAL
Though this year’s tournament has highlighted vast gains for the LGBTQ+ community in women’s soccer, advocates feel there is still work to be done.
According to Buzinski and Outsports, there were at least 186 LGBTQ+ athletes at the Tokyo Olympics. Women outnumbered men by a 9:1 ratio. There also were no confirmed out players at the 2022 men’s World Cup.
“I think women’s sports have always been open,” Denmark striker Pernille Harder said, adding that there are many role models for women who want to come out.
Freeman said it would be good to see men feel the same level of comfort.
“What can happen in the women’s game, I would love to spill over to the men’s game,” she said. “Because obviously, there’s way more queer players in the men’s game and it’s just not safe for them to come out.
“If you want to say that you’re in an inclusive space, you really have to be an inclusive space,” Freeman added. “And I think that that includes also holding the World Cup in places where it’s fine to be a queer person.”
___
Max Ralph is a student in John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State.
___
Contributing reporters included Joe Lister in Wellington and Rafaela Pontes in Auckland, students in the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State, and Clay Witt in Sydney, Australia, a student at the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.
___
AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/ap-lgbtq-community-proud-and-visible-at-womens-world-cup/ | 2023-07-29T13:18:31 | 0 | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/ap-lgbtq-community-proud-and-visible-at-womens-world-cup/ |
ODESSA, Ukraine, July 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ukrainian entrepreneur, Vadim Novynskyi has announced a donation of up to $1 million to help restore the Transfiguration Church in Odessa, Ukraine that was seriously damaged during rocket attacks on Sunday, July 23. The destruction of one of the most beautiful Ukrainian churches, which was erected by the founders of Odessa at the end of the 18th century is a true tragedy. This cathedral was the center of the spiritual life of Odessa.
This is not the first time the church has been destroyed. In 1936, the Bolsheviks destroyed the cathedral and it was restored in the early 2000's after tens of thousands of ordinary people participated in the restoration with their donations.
"I sincerely mourn with the inhabitants of Odessa and I want to assure them and all the people of Ukraine that this cathedral will be rebuilt and the people of Odessa will once again be able to worship and seek community in this hallowed place," said Vadim Novynskyi. "In the days of war and persecution of the Church, it is very important to be able to protect and revive the shrines of Orthodoxy, demonstrating faith, unity and mutual support. After all, the true Orthodox Church is based on these principles."
View original content:
SOURCE Vadym Novynskyi | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/restoration-transfiguration-chuch-odessa-ukraine-by-ukrainian-entrepreneur-vadym-novynskyi/ | 2023-07-29T13:18:33 | 1 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/restoration-transfiguration-chuch-odessa-ukraine-by-ukrainian-entrepreneur-vadym-novynskyi/ |
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.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/ap-members-of-congress-break-for-august-with-no-clear-path-to-avoiding-a-shutdown-this-fall/ | 2023-07-29T13:18:38 | 0 | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/ap-members-of-congress-break-for-august-with-no-clear-path-to-avoiding-a-shutdown-this-fall/ |
Twins vs. Royals: Betting Trends, Odds, Records Against the Run Line, Home/Road Splits
Edouard Julien and Maikel Garcia will look to continue their recent offensive production when the Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals play at Kauffman Stadium on Saturday, at 7:10 PM ET.
The Royals are listed as +140 moneyline underdogs for this matchup with the favored Twins (-165). The over/under is 10 runs for the matchup (with -105 odds to go over and -115 odds to go under).
Rep your team with officially licensed Twins gear! Head to Fanatics to find jerseys, shirts, and much more.
Twins vs. Royals Odds & Info
- Date: Saturday, July 29, 2023
- Time: 7:10 PM ET
- TV: BSKC
- Location: Kansas City, Missouri
- Venue: Kauffman Stadium
- Live Stream: Watch on Fubo!
Bet with King of Sportsbooks and use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers! Check out the latest odds and place your bets with BetMGM Sportsbook. Use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Twins Recent Betting Performance
- The Twins have played as the favorite in seven of their past 10 games and won four of those contests.
- When it comes to hitting the over, the Twins and their opponents are 7-3-0 in their last 10 games with a total.
- Sportsbooks have not set a spread for any of the Twins' last 10 games. In three straight games, Minnesota and its opponent have topped the over/under, with the average total established by oddsmakers in that stretch being 8.7 runs.
Discover More About This Game
Twins Betting Records & Stats
- The Twins have won 61.2% of the games this season when they were favored on the moneyline (41-26).
- Minnesota has gone 14-10 (winning 58.3% of its games) when it has played as moneyline favorites of -165 or shorter.
- Based on this contest's moneyline, the Twins' implied win probability is 62.3%.
- Minnesota has combined with opponents to go over the total 50 times this season for a 50-49-6 record against the over/under.
- The Twins have a 4-7-0 record ATS this season (covering only 36.4% of the time).
Check out the latest odds and place your bets on and the with BetMGM Sportsbook. Use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Twins Splits
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.dakotanewsnow.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/twins-vs-royals-mlb-betting-trends-stats/ | 2023-07-29T13:18:39 | 1 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/twins-vs-royals-mlb-betting-trends-stats/ |
PHOENIX (AP) — A historic heat wave that turned the U.S. Southwest into a blast furnace throughout July is beginning to abate with the late arrival of monsoon rains.
Forecasters expect that by Monday at the latest, people in metro Phoenix will begin seeing high temperatures under 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 degrees Celsius) for the first time in a month. As of Friday, the high temperature in the desert city had been at or above that mark for 29 consecutive days.
Already this week, the overnight low at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport fell under 90 (32.2 C) for the first time in 16 days, finally allowing people some respite from the stifling heat once the sun goes down.
Temperatures are also expected to ease in Las Vegas, Albuquerque and Death Valley, California.
The downward trend started Wednesday night, when Phoenix saw its first major monsoon storm since the traditional start of the season on June 15. While more than half of the greater Phoenix area saw no rainfall from that storm, some eastern suburbs were pummeled by high winds, swirling dust and localized downfalls of up to an inch (2.5 centimeters) of precipitation.
Storms gradually increasing in strength are expected over the weekend.
Scientists calculate that July will prove to be the hottest globally on record and perhaps the warmest human civilization has seen. The extreme heat is now hitting the eastern part of the U.S, as soaring temperatures moved from the Midwest into the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, where some places are seeing their warmest days so far this year.
The new heat records being set this summer are just some of the extreme weather being seen around the U.S. this month, such as flash floods in Pennsylvania and parts of the Northeast.
And while relief may be on the way for the Southwest, for now it’s still dangerously hot. Phoenix’s high temperature reached 116 (46.7 C) Friday afternoon, which is far above the average temperature of 106 (41.1 C).
“Anyone can be at risk outside in this record heat,” the fire department in Goodyear, a Phoenix suburb, warned residents on social media while offering ideas to stay safe.
For many people such as older adults, those with health issues and those without access to air conditioning, the heat can be dangerous or even deadly.
Maricopa County, the most populous in Arizona and home to Phoenix, reported this week that its public health department had confirmed 25 heat-associated deaths this year as of July 21, with 249 more under investigation.
Results from toxicological tests that can takes weeks or months after an autopsy is conducted could eventually result in many deaths listed as under investigation as heat associated being changed to confirmed.
Maricopa County confirmed 425 heat-associated deaths last year, and more than half of them occurred in July.
Elsewhere in Arizona next week, the agricultural desert community of Yuma is expecting highs ranging from 104 to 112 (40 C to 44.4 C) and Tucson is looking at highs ranging from 99 to 111 (37.2 C to 43.9 C).
The highs in Las Vegas are forecast to slip as low as 94 (34.4 C) next Tuesday after a long spell of highs above 110 (43.3 C). Death Valley, which hit 128 (53.3 C) in mid-July, will cool as well, though only to a still blistering hot 116 (46.7 C).
In New Mexico, the highs in Albuquerque next week are expected to be in the mid to high 90s (around 35 C), with party cloudy skies. | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/ap-the-extreme-heat-wave-that-blasted-the-southwest-is-abating-with-late-arriving-monsoon-rains/ | 2023-07-29T13:18:44 | 0 | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/ap-the-extreme-heat-wave-that-blasted-the-southwest-is-abating-with-late-arriving-monsoon-rains/ |
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said Saturday that Sri Lanka is a key partner in a Tokyo-led initiative aimed at building security and economic cooperation around the Indo-Pacific but also at countering an increasingly assertive China.
Sri Lanka, strategically located in the Indian Ocean, is integral to realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific, Hayashi said. He was speaking after a meeting with his Sri Lankan counterpart, Ali Sabry, in the capital, Colombo.
The initiative, announced by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in March includes Japan’s assistance to emerging economies, support for maritime security, a provision of coast guard patrol boats and equipment and other infrastructure cooperation.
Last year Sri Lanka, which owed $51 billion in foreign debt, became the first Asia-Pacific country since the late 1990s to default, sparking an economic crisis.
While Japan is Sri Lanka’s largest creditor, about 10% of its debt is held by China, which lent Colombo billions to build sea ports, airports and power plants as part of its Belt and Road Initiative. In March, China agreed to offer Sri Lanka a two-year moratorium on loan repayments.
Hayashi said that he conveyed expectations for further progress in Sri Lanka’s debt restructuring process. He welcomed Sri Lanka’s efforts under an agreement with the International Monetary Fund, which includes anti-corruption measures and transparency in the policy-making process.
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Sabry said that he, along with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, invited Japan to resume investment projects already in the pipeline and to consider fresh investments in sectors such as power generation, ports and highways, and dedicated investment zones, as well as in the green and digital economy.
Over many decades, Japan became one of Sri Lanka’s key donors, carrying out key projects under concessionary terms. However, relations between the two countries came under strain after Wickremesinghe’s predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa unilaterally scrapped a Japan-funded light railway project following his election in 2019.
Sri Lanka’s Cabinet has already approved a proposal to restart the railway project.
Rajapaksa was forced to resign in July 2022 amid angry public protects over the country’s worst economic crisis. | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/business/ap-with-one-eye-on-china-japan-backs-sri-lanka-as-a-partner-in-the-indo-pacific/ | 2023-07-29T13:18:50 | 0 | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/business/ap-with-one-eye-on-china-japan-backs-sri-lanka-as-a-partner-in-the-indo-pacific/ |
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — 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.
___
Find more of AP’s Asia-Pacific coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/international/ap-4-air-crew-members-are-missing-after-australian-army-helicopter-ditched-off-australias-coast/ | 2023-07-29T13:18:57 | 1 | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/international/ap-4-air-crew-members-are-missing-after-australian-army-helicopter-ditched-off-australias-coast/ |
Little River Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park to close starting July 31
The Little River Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be closed for repairs on select days from July 31 through Sept. 7.
Little River Trail and backcountry campsites 24 and 30 will be closed Monday through Thursday each week during that time. The trail and backcountry campsites will reopen to visitors Fridays through Sundays and on federal holidays, according to a press release from the park. Crews will open sections of the trail in stages as work progresses.
The closure is necessary while crews use heavy equipment to reestablish the drainage system along the trail, which is part of an old roadbed. Little River Trail, which starts in the Elkmont area, offers a wide, easily navigable path through the forest. The trail work will improve accessibility for visitors, the National Park Service release stated.
Information about temporary road and trail closures is available on the park’s Current Road, Facility, Trail and Backcountry Updates webpage.
More:Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a gem. Here's everything to know for your visit | https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2023/07/29/little-river-trail-in-great-smoky-mountains-national-park-to-close/70489433007/ | 2023-07-29T13:19:02 | 1 | https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2023/07/29/little-river-trail-in-great-smoky-mountains-national-park-to-close/70489433007/ |
HUARINA, Bolivia (AP) — A 70-year-old man’s feet sink into the soil as he passes abandoned boats where there used to be the water of Lake Titicaca. The highest navigable lake in the world has receded to what Bolivian authorities say are critically low levels due to a persistent drought.
“It’s completely dry,” Jaime Mamani said in exasperation while walking along the new shoreline in Huarina, a farming town 70 kilometers (43 miles) west of La Paz where he is a community leader.
The National Service of Naval Hydrography declared an alert this week for the iconic lake after its surface fell 2 centimeters (0.8 inches) below the drought warning stage, or 3,807.8 meters (12492.7 feet) above sea level. But the agency says this is just the beginning of a situation that is worrying Indigenous Aymara communities that rely on the lake for their livelihoods and fear the dry spell could permanently impact the region’s flora and fauna.
The hydrology unit of Bolivia’s navy warned that water levels could reach historically low levels in the coming months. By December, there is a “high probability” Lake Titicaca will be 64 centimeters (more than 25 inches) below the drought alert level, breaking a low water record set in 1998 by 33 centimeters (almost 13 inches).
“In three months, the water has decreased by 30 centimeters (11.8 inches), and considering that radiation is much stronger during this time of the year … we expect it to keep decreasing,” Carlos Carrasco, a hydraulic engineer for the hydrography service said.
The drought is the result of a combination of factors, including natural phenomena like La Niña and El Niño, which arrived unusually early this year and have been particularly strong due in part to climate change, according to Lucía Walper, who heads up the Hydrological Forecasting Unit at Bolivia’s National Meteorology and Hydrology Service.
But the vast lake is vital for this region of the Bolivian highlands, where hundreds of Aymara rural communities have relied on the blue body of water for millennia to practice subsistence farming and raise livestock.
Authorities in the Peruvian city of Puno also issued a warning about the declining water levels and expressed concern about the potential impact on tourism.
“We’re reaching a critical point. There will be a significant loss of water,” said Juan José Ocola, president of the Binational Authority of Lake Titicaca. The lake serves as the border between Bolivia and Peru.
Mateo Vargas, 56, a fisherman who has lived off the Lake Titicaca for 28 years, said he used to catch “lots” of fish daily. Now he considers himself lucky if he can catch six.
Vargas’ wife, Justina Condori, shares his concerns.
“The fish have vanished,” Condori, 58, said, predicting there will be famine if the current conditions persist.
Condori makes a living by renting boats to tourists. She worries fewer people will come to visit the lake, which at an elevation of 3,810 meters above sea level, is the largest body of freshwater in the Andes mountain range.
Evidence of the receding lake is seemingly everywhere. Women who sell fried fish and other snacks by the lake face rising costs for ingredients. Those who make a living transporting people from one side of the lake to the other are altering their routes because their rafts and boats no longer reach their usual docks.
Livestock farmers who rely on the plants that grow on the shores of the Titicaca to feed their animals are also seeing their livelihoods threatened.
The economic hardship is causing many residents of Huarina to migrate to other areas of the country, leaving behind mostly older townspeople, Mamani said. The waters of the Titicaca have always been shallow around the town, so the drought is even more visible there.
“There is a detriment to the economy of the inhabitants of the region,” he said.
Vargas, the fisherman, is also concerned about what the declining water levels will mean for the future.
“It looks like it will continue to decrease, day by day,” he said. “We’re worried because if we continue like this, what’s going to happen to our children?”
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the climate and environment at https://apnews.com/climate-and-environment | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/international/ap-a-drought-alert-for-receding-lake-titicaca-has-indigenous-communities-worried-for-their-future/ | 2023-07-29T13:19:03 | 0 | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/international/ap-a-drought-alert-for-receding-lake-titicaca-has-indigenous-communities-worried-for-their-future/ |
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.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/international/ap-burning-cargo-ship-off-dutch-coast-will-be-towed-to-a-new-location-after-flames-and-smoke-subsided/ | 2023-07-29T13:19:11 | 0 | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/international/ap-burning-cargo-ship-off-dutch-coast-will-be-towed-to-a-new-location-after-flames-and-smoke-subsided/ |
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron held discussions with his Sri Lankan counterpart Saturday on an open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region in the first-ever visit by a French leader to the Indian Ocean island nation.
As the fourth-largest creditor to Sri Lanka, France had pledged cooperation in debt restructuring to help the island nation recover from its economic crisis.
Macron arrived in Sri Lanka Friday night, following his trip to the South Pacific region, to mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations, Sri Lanka’s president’s office said.
Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe praised France’s significant role in global affairs, particularly in areas such as climate mitigation, global debt restructuring, and matters related to the Indo-Pacific region, the statement said.
“Sri Lanka and France are two Indian Ocean nations that share the same goal: an open, inclusive and prosperous Indo-Pacific. In Colombo we confirmed it: strengthened by 75 years of diplomatic relations, we can open a new era of our partnership,” Macron said in a Twitter message after the meeting. | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/international/ap-french-president-macron-visits-his-counterpart-in-sri-lanka/ | 2023-07-29T13:19:18 | 1 | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/international/ap-french-president-macron-visits-his-counterpart-in-sri-lanka/ |
BEIJING, July 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hundreds of English education experts and scholars from all over the world assembled in Macao on Friday for a three-day event to explore new opportunities for global cooperation in English education brought by China's development.
The 2023 Global English Education China Assembly, an online-and-offline event that opened at the City University of Macau (CityU), attracted over 1,600 experts, front-line educators and scholars from more than 20 countries and regions. Participants were mainly from China, the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Italy, Thailand, Russia, Singapore, Nepal, Mongolia, Indonesia and Pakistan.
They shared their insights to facilitate cross-cultural dialogue and discussed the most recent trends in English language teaching.
The event's theme is "New opportunities for the world with new advances in China's development: Opening up new prospects in English education cooperation worldwide", and features nine keynote speeches and 23 parallel sessions.
This year's assembly is hosted by China Daily and Shanghai International Studies University, and co-hosted by the Macao SAR Government Education and Youth Development Bureau, and organized by CityU and China Daily's 21st Century English Education Media.
For the first time, the assembly, which started in 2018, was held in Macao — one of the engine cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. This location echoes the Outline Development Plan for the GBA released in 2019, which set out to, among other goals, build the region as a model area for high-quality education and promote opening up education to the world.
At the event's opening ceremony, Qu Yingpu, publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily, highlighted that 2023 marks the 10th year since President Xi Jinping put forward both the idea of "building a community with a shared future for mankind" and the Belt and Road Initiative.
It is, therefore, appropriate that for the first time, the conference this year has moved out of the Chinese mainland to Macao where East meets West and multiple cultures blend, Qu said.
He said he believes the event will catalyze many innovative outcomes. Qu further said that English education could be a bridge to promote high-quality development of the BRI and people-to-people cultural exchanges could provide momentum for "building a community with a shared future for mankind".
He urged the audience to cultivate talent in order to bolster the promotion of the three global initiatives brought forward by Xi — the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative.
Qu also said China attaches great importance to education and cultural exchange. Xi, in his several correspondences with foreign students studying in China, has encouraged the latter to see with their own eyes the development of China and tell the world about what they have seen, to boost people-to-people bonding and friendship between their countries and China.
Zha Mingjian, vice-president of Shanghai International Studies University, said development in recent times has brought many opportunities as well as challenges. In this context, the English education sector in China has the responsibility to serve as a vital bridge for English education globally.
Opening education more extensively to the outside world will significantly strengthen China's efforts to modernize education in the new era, Zha said.
Svetlana V. Sannikova, coordination council chairperson of the National Association of Teachers of English in Russia, said the Macao event offers a high-end international academic platform where teachers can learn many practical ideas and methods to improve their English teaching skills.
On Friday, the event's organizer and CityU jointly established the Belt and Road English Education Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Exchange Base, which will use English education as a means to promote cultural exchanges and people-to-people bonding in countries and regions participating in the BRI.
The GBA Exchange Base will also strive to promote high-quality development in the BRI landscape.
Liu Jun, rector of CityU and president of the International Research Foundation for English Language Education, and Zeng Qingkai, editor-in-chief of 21st Century English Education Media, were the signatories of the document for the establishment of the base.
Among the several dignitaries who graced Friday's opening ceremony were Ao Ieong U, secretary for social affairs and culture of the Macao SAR government, participating in the event on behalf of Macao SAR Chief Executive Ho Iat-seng; Yan Zhichan, deputy director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR; Liu Xianfa, commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Macao SAR; Kong Chimeng, director of the Macao SAR government Education and Youth Development Bureau; and Chan Meng-kam, chairman of the council of CityU.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE China Daily | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/experts-foresee-china-role-english-learning/ | 2023-07-29T13:19:22 | 1 | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/experts-foresee-china-role-english-learning/ |
Trader Joe's has recalled its frozen falafel for potentially having rocks in it, after it recalled two of its cookie products for the same reason recently.
The company's supplier informed them of the concern, and Trader Joe's said in a statement Friday that "all potentially affected product has been removed from sale and destroyed."
Customers who purchased the product should discard it or return it to a Trader Joe's location for a full refund, the company said.
The falafel, which is fully cooked and frozen, has the SKU number 93935 and is sold in Washington, D.C., and 34 states.
Last Friday, Trader Joe's said rocks could also possibly be found in its Almond Windmill Cookies and Dark Chocolate Chunk and Almond Cookies.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-28/trader-joes-recalls-its-frozen-falafel-for-possibly-having-rocks-in-it | 2023-07-29T13:19:22 | 1 | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-28/trader-joes-recalls-its-frozen-falafel-for-possibly-having-rocks-in-it |
BAGHDAD (AP) — The leader of Lebanon’s Shiite militant group Hezbollah said Saturday that if governments of Muslim-majority nations do not act against countries that allow the desecration of the Quran, Muslims should “punish” those who facilitate attacks on Islam’s holy book.
The comments by Hassan Nasrallah came in a video address to tens of thousands gathered in Beirut’s southern suburbs to mark Ashoura, a Shiite holy day commemorating the 7th century martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson Hussein.
Nasrallah often uses religious occasions to send political messages to followers, and on Saturday slammed recent incidents in which the Quran was burned or otherwise desecrated at authorized demonstrations in Sweden and Denmark.
He said Muslims should watch for the outcome of an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, scheduled to take place in Baghdad on Monday to discuss the organization’s response to the Quran burnings.
The organization and its member states should “send a firm, decisive and unequivocal message to these governments that any repeat of the attacks will be met with a boycott,” Nasrallah said. If they do not, he said, Muslim youth should “punish the desecrators.”
He did not elaborate what such a boycott and punishment should entail.
Members of the crowd, who carried banners with religious slogans alongside the flags of Hezbollah, Lebanon and Palestine, chanted, “Oh, Quran, we are at your service; Oh, Hussein, we are at your service.”
Shiites represent over 10% of the world’s 1.8 billion Muslims and view Hussein as the rightful successor to the Prophet Muhammad. Hussein’s death in battle at the hands of Sunnis at Karbala, south of Baghdad, ingrained a deep rift in Islam and continues to this day to play a key role in shaping Shiite identity.
Millions of Shiite Muslims in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and around the world on Friday commemorated Ashoura, while Saturday marked the culmination of the observances in countries such as Lebanon, Iraq and Syria.
Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims gathered in the Iraqi city of Karbala, where Hussein is entombed in a gold-domed shrine. In the streets of the Baghdad suburb of Sadr City, mourners gathered to watch reenactments of the Battle of Karbala and Hussein’s death.
In the streets, young men clad in black and white slashed their heads with swords and knives to demonstrate their grief. Friends swabbed each other’s heads with tissues and handed each other water.
In Syria’s capital, Damascus, the crowds were mourning not only the death of Hussein but a deadly attack in the suburb of Sayida Zeinab, home to a shrine to Zeinab, the daughter of the first Shiite imam, Ali, and granddaughter of the Prophet Muhammad.
A bomb hidden in a motorcycle exploded there on Thursday, killing at least six people and wounding dozens more. On Tuesday, another bomb in a motorcycle had wounded two people.
On Friday, the Islamic State group — a Sunni militant group that often targets Shiites — claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying Thursday’s bombing came “during their annual polytheistic rituals.” The group’s extreme interpretation of Islam holds Shiite Muslims to be apostates.
___
Associated Press writers Anmar Khalil in Karbala, Iraq, and Hassan Ammar in Beirut contributed to this report. | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/international/ap-lebanons-hezbollah-leader-urges-muslims-to-punish-quran-desecrators-if-governments-fail-to-do-so/ | 2023-07-29T13:19:25 | 0 | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/international/ap-lebanons-hezbollah-leader-urges-muslims-to-punish-quran-desecrators-if-governments-fail-to-do-so/ |
ODESSA, Ukraine, July 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ukrainian entrepreneur, Vadim Novynskyi has announced a donation of up to $1 million to help restore the Transfiguration Church in Odessa, Ukraine that was seriously damaged during rocket attacks on Sunday, July 23. The destruction of one of the most beautiful Ukrainian churches, which was erected by the founders of Odessa at the end of the 18th century is a true tragedy. This cathedral was the center of the spiritual life of Odessa.
This is not the first time the church has been destroyed. In 1936, the Bolsheviks destroyed the cathedral and it was restored in the early 2000's after tens of thousands of ordinary people participated in the restoration with their donations.
"I sincerely mourn with the inhabitants of Odessa and I want to assure them and all the people of Ukraine that this cathedral will be rebuilt and the people of Odessa will once again be able to worship and seek community in this hallowed place," said Vadim Novynskyi. "In the days of war and persecution of the Church, it is very important to be able to protect and revive the shrines of Orthodoxy, demonstrating faith, unity and mutual support. After all, the true Orthodox Church is based on these principles."
View original content:
SOURCE Vadym Novynskyi | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/restoration-transfiguration-chuch-odessa-ukraine-by-ukrainian-entrepreneur-vadym-novynskyi/ | 2023-07-29T13:19:29 | 1 | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/restoration-transfiguration-chuch-odessa-ukraine-by-ukrainian-entrepreneur-vadym-novynskyi/ |
SAN FRANCISCO — The city of San Francisco has opened a complaint and launched an investigation into a giant "X" sign that was installed Friday on top of the downtown building formerly known as Twitter headquarters as owner Elon Musk continues his rebrand of the social media platform.
City officials say replacing letters or symbols on buildings, or erecting a sign on top of one, requires a permit for design and safety reasons.
The X appeared after San Francisco police stopped workers on Monday from removing the brand's iconic bird and logo from the side of the building, saying they hadn't taped off the sidewalk to keep pedestrians safe if anything fell.
Any replacement letters or symbols would require a permit to ensure "consistency with the historic nature of the building" and to make sure additions are safely attached to the sign, Patrick Hannan, spokesperson for the Department of Building Inspection said earlier this week.
Erecting a sign on top of a building also requires a permit, Hannan said Friday.
"Planning review and approval is also necessary for the installation of this sign. The city is opening a complaint and initiating an investigation," he said in an email.
Musk unveiled a new "X" logo to replace Twitter's famous blue bird as he remakes the social media platform he bought for $44 billion last year. The X started appearing at the top of the desktop version of Twitter on Monday.
Musk, who is also CEO of Tesla, has long been fascinated with the letter X and had already renamed Twitter's corporate name to X Corp. after he bought it in October. One of his children is called "X." The child's actual name is a collection of letters and symbols.
On Friday afternoon, a worker on a lift machine made adjustments to the sign and then left.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-28/x-logo-installed-atop-twitter-building-spurring-san-francisco-to-investigate | 2023-07-29T13:19:29 | 1 | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-28/x-logo-installed-atop-twitter-building-spurring-san-francisco-to-investigate |
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Friday for the first time publicly acknowledged his seventh grandchild, a 4-year-old girl fathered by his son Hunter with an Arkansas woman, Lunden Roberts, in 2018.
“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,” Biden said in a statement. It was his first acknowledgement of the child.
“This is not a political issue, it’s a family matter,” he said. “Jill and I only want what is best for all of our grandchildren, including Navy.”
Hunter Biden’s paternity was established by DNA testing after Roberts sued for child support, and the two parties recently resolved outstanding child support issues. The president’s son wrote about his encounter with Roberts in his 2021 memoir, saying it came while he was deep in addiction to alcohol and drugs, including crack cocaine.
“I had no recollection of our encounter,” he wrote. “That’s how little connection I had with anyone. I was a mess, but a mess I’ve taken responsibility for.”
An attorney for Roberts did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The president, who has made a commitment to family central to his public persona, has faced increasing criticism from political rivals and pundits for failing to acknowledge the granddaughter. According to a person familiar with the matter, he was taking the cue from his son while the legal proceedings played out. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private matters.
Hunter Biden has four other children, including a son, Beau, born to his wife Melissa Cohen in 2020. He was named after the president’s late son who died of cancer in 2015, leaving behind two children.
Biden’s grandchildren have played a distinctive role in his presidency, often accompanying the president or first lady on trips and making regular visits to the White House. The president has also credited his grandchildren with persuading him to challenge then-President Donald Trump for the White House in 2020.
Biden’s statement was first reported by People Magazine. | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/national/ap-biden-openly-acknowledges-7th-grandchild-the-daughter-of-son-hunter-and-an-arkansas-woman/ | 2023-07-29T13:19:31 | 1 | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/national/ap-biden-openly-acknowledges-7th-grandchild-the-daughter-of-son-hunter-and-an-arkansas-woman/ |
A program in Oklahoma uses art to re-integrate women recently released from prison By Elizabeth Caldwell Published July 29, 2023 at 8:00 AM EDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Women who are soon to be released from prison in Oklahoma get help with the transition by focusing on the arts. Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-29/a-program-in-oklahoma-uses-art-to-re-integrate-women-recently-released-from-prison | 2023-07-29T13:19:36 | 1 | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-29/a-program-in-oklahoma-uses-art-to-re-integrate-women-recently-released-from-prison |
WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s a stunning new allegation in an already serious case: Former President Donald Trump sought to delete Mar-a-Lago surveillance footage to obstruct the Justice Department’s investigation into his handling of classified documents.
The latest criminal charges unsealed Thursday deepen Trump’s legal jeopardy, alleging a more central role for the former president than previously known in a cover-up that prosecutors say was meant to prevent them from recovering top-secret documents he took with him after he left the White House. Coming as Trump braces for possible additional indictments related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election, the new allegations strengthen special counsel Jack Smith’s already powerful case against Trump while undercutting potential defenses floated by the former president, experts say.
“Before these new charges, you could maybe try some sort of defense that ‘this was all a mistake, it was my staff’ or confusion about what documents he actually had,” said former federal prosecutor Randall Eliason, a George Washington University law professor.
“But especially now, when you’re trying to destroy video footage,” he added, “that’s kind of the final nail in the coffin. I don’t see much in the way of a defense, not a real defense. All he can do is claim he’s being persecuted and hope for a holdout juror or something.”
Trump resorted to that familiar playbook on Friday, writing in a post on his Truth Social platform that “this is textbook Third World intimidation by rabid, lawless prosecutors.” He insisted during an interview with radio host John Fredericks that he did nothing wrong and accused prosecutors of trying to intimidate his staff into making up lies about him.
Later Friday, Trump posted on Truth Social that Mar-a-Lago security tapes were voluntarily handed over to prosecutors. Trump said he was told they were not “deleted in any way, shape or form.”
The new Florida charges came as a surprise given that Trump and his legal team have been focused on the prospect of an additional indictment in Washington — possibly within days — related to his efforts to cling to power after he lost to President Joe Biden. Trump received a letter this month informing him that he’s a target in that probe, and his lawyers met Thursday with special counsel Jack Smith’s office.
Hours after that meeting, Smith revealed the new classified documents case charges on top of a 38-count indictment issued last month against Trump and his valet, Walt Nauta. The updated indictment includes a detailed chronology of phone conversations and other interactions between Trump, Nauta and Mar-a-Lago property manager, Carlos De Oliveira, in the days after the Justice Department last June drafted a subpoena for security camera footage at Mar-a-Lago.
Video from the home would ultimately become vital to the government’s case because, prosecutors said, it shows Nauta moving boxes in and out of a storage room — an act alleged to have been done at Trump’s direction and in an effort to hide records not only only from investigators but Trump’s own lawyers.
The day after a draft subpoena was sent to the Trump Organization, the indictment says, Trump called De Oliveira and spoke with him for about 24 minutes. Though the details of that conversation are not included in the indictment, De Oliveira is described by prosecutors as asking a Mar-a-Lago information technology staffer several days later how long the server retained footage for and is quoted as telling the employee that “the boss” wanted it deleted.
Lawyers for Nauta, who has pleaded not guilty, and De Oliveira declined to comment on the allegations. De Oliveira is expected to make his first court appearance in Miami on Monday.
To the extent that evidence of Trump’s involvement in trying to delete video is circumstantial rather than direct, it might present a challenge for prosecutors, said David Aaron, a former Justice Department national security prosecutor who has worked on cases involving the mishandling of classified documents.
But if they can tie the effort to Trump, he added, “it’s devastating in its own right, because it doesn’t matter at that point what he thought he had the right to do, or whatever other defense he’s going to have about the classified documents. That’s in and of itself very bad.”
It could also help prosecutors establish that Trump knew what he was doing was wrong because “you only delete video of what you’ve done if you think it’s going to get you in trouble,” Aaron said. And Trump’s own accusations against others, like his claims against Hillary Clinton, his opponent in the 2016 presidential race, could boomerang against him.
Trump has claimed that Clinton deleted emails from her private server for the purpose of obstructing a criminal investigation into her own handling of classified information — something the FBI and Justice Department never alleged — but now stands himself accused of scheming to delete evidence he feared would be incriminating.
“He has specifically criticized other public figures for deleting data when he says they thought they were going to be in trouble,” Aaron said. “So if you needed to prove his consciousness of guilt, it’s not just an obvious thing that you would ask the jury to rely on common sense for — he’s actually made statements about what it means when someone does this.”
Trump and Nauta are set for trial next May, though it’s not clear if that date will hold.
Smith’s team also added a new count of willful retention of national defense information related to a classified document about a Pentagon plan of attack on a foreign country prosecutors say Trump showed off during a July 2021 meeting at his Bedminster, New Jersey resort.
That charge comes after Trump repeatedly claimed he didn’t have any secret documents when he spoke, only magazine and newspaper clippings, even though an audio recording captured him saying “this is secret information.” The document was returned to the government in January 2022, months before the subpoena for classified records.
It’s not clear why prosecutors moved now to indict another one of Trump’s underlings, though bringing charges against De Oliveira that could carry significant prison time adds serious pressure on him, potentially increasing the odds that he could decide to cut a plea deal and cooperate.
“But, you know, Trump seems to inspire a lot of loyalty, at least in some people,” Eliason said. “Maybe they are holding out for the idea that he is reelected and he can pardon them.”
____
Richer reported from Boston. | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/politics/ap-fresh-charges-tie-trump-even-more-closely-to-coverup-effort-that-could-deepen-his-legal-woes/ | 2023-07-29T13:19:38 | 1 | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/politics/ap-fresh-charges-tie-trump-even-more-closely-to-coverup-effort-that-could-deepen-his-legal-woes/ |
NPR's Scott Simon speaks with a resident of Odesa, Ukraine about what the last several days — and nights — have been like, under repeated attack from Russian missiles and drones.
Copyright 2023 NPR
NPR's Scott Simon speaks with a resident of Odesa, Ukraine about what the last several days — and nights — have been like, under repeated attack from Russian missiles and drones.
Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-29/a-resident-of-odesa-ukraine-describes-life-amid-russian-missile-and-drone-strikes | 2023-07-29T13:19:42 | 0 | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-29/a-resident-of-odesa-ukraine-describes-life-amid-russian-missile-and-drone-strikes |
WASHINGTON (AP) — A top Pentagon official has attacked this week’s widely watched congressional hearing on UFOs, calling the claims “insulting” to employees who are investigating sightings and accusing a key witness of not cooperating with the official U.S. government investigation.
Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick’s letter, published on his personal LinkedIn page and circulated Friday across social media, criticizes much of the testimony from a retired Air Force intelligence officer that energized believers in extraterrestrial life and produced headlines around the world.
Retired Air Force Maj. David Grusch testified Wednesday that the U.S. has concealed what he called a “multi-decade” program to collect and reverse-engineer “UAPs,” or unidentified aerial phenomena, the official government term for UFOs.
Part of what the U.S. has recovered, Grusch testified, were non-human “biologics,” which he said he had not seen but had learned about from “people with direct knowledge of the program.”
A career intelligence officer, Kirkpatrick was named a year ago to lead the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, or AARO, which was intended to centralize investigations into UAPs. The Pentagon and U.S. intelligence agencies have been pushed by Congress in recent years to better investigate reports of devices flying at unusual speeds or trajectories as a national security concern.
Kirkpatrick wrote the letter Thursday and the Defense Department confirmed Friday that he posted it in a personal capacity. Kirkpatrick declined to comment on the letter Friday.
He writes in part, “I cannot let yesterday’s hearing pass without sharing how insulting it was to the officers of the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community who chose to join AARO, many with not unreasonable anxieties about the career risks this would entail.”
“They are truth-seekers, as am I,” Kirkpatrick said. “But you certainly would not get that impression from yesterday’s hearing.”
In a separate statement, Pentagon spokeswoman Sue Gough denied other allegations made by Grusch before a House Oversight subcommittee.
The Pentagon “has no information that any individual has been harmed or killed as a result of providing information” about UFO objects, Gough said. Nor has the Pentagon discovered “any verifiable information to substantiate claims that any programs regarding the possession or reverse-engineering of extraterrestrial materials have existed in the past or exist currently.”
Kirkpatrick wrote, “AARO has yet to find any credible evidence to support the allegations of any reverse engineering program for non-human technology.”
He had briefed reporters in December that the Pentagon was investigating “several hundreds” of new reports following a push to have pilots and others come forward with any sightings.
Kirkpatrick wrote in his letter that allegations of “retaliation, to include physical assault and hints of murder, are extraordinarily serious, which is why law enforcement is a critical member of the AARO team, specifically to address and take swift action should anyone come forward with such claims.”
“Yet, contrary to assertions made in the hearing, the central source of those allegations has refused to speak with AARO,” Kirkpatrick said. He did not explicitly name Grusch, who alleged he faced retaliation and declined to answer when a congressman asked him if anyone had been murdered to hide information about UFOs.
Messages left at a phone number and email address for Grusch were not returned Friday. | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/politics/ap-the-ufo-congressional-hearing-was-insulting-to-us-employees-a-top-pentagon-official-says/ | 2023-07-29T13:19:44 | 0 | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/politics/ap-the-ufo-congressional-hearing-was-insulting-to-us-employees-a-top-pentagon-official-says/ |
There are dueling efforts in Florida by activists on both sides of the abortion issue to insert language into the state constitution.
Copyright 2023 NPR
There are dueling efforts in Florida by activists on both sides of the abortion issue to insert language into the state constitution.
Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-29/activists-on-both-sides-of-the-abortion-issue-are-trying-to-change-floridas-constitution | 2023-07-29T13:19:49 | 0 | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-29/activists-on-both-sides-of-the-abortion-issue-are-trying-to-change-floridas-constitution |
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — The United States will expand its military industrial base by helping Australia manufacture guided missiles and rockets for both countries within two years, the allies announced on Saturday as they ramped up defense cooperation to counter China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific.
The new cooperation on guided weapon production follows a trilateral partnership announcement in March that will see Britain provide Australia with a fleet of eight submarines powered by U.S. nuclear technology.
The greater integration of U.S. and Australian militaries was announced after annual talks between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken and their Australian counterparts, Defense Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
They agreed to cooperate on Australia producing Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems by 2025, a communique said.
U.S. companies Raytheon and Lockheed Martin only established an Australian enterprise to build such weapons last year. That followed the drain on Western countries’ munitions caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Austin said the move on missiles would strengthen the two allies’ defense industrial base and technological edge.
“We’re racing to accelerate Australia’s priority access to munitions through a streamlined acquisition process,” Austin told reporters in Brisbane, Australia.
Marles welcomed U.S. support to achieve Australian missile production within two years.
“We are really pleased with the steps that we are taking in respect of establishing a guided weapons and explosive ordnance enterprise in this country,” Marles said.
The two governments also agreed to upgrade joint military facilities in Australia and to increase U.S. nuclear submarine visits as the United States increases its focus on the South Pacific.
The region came to the forefront of the U.S. competition with China for influence last year, when Beijing signed a security pact with Solomon Islands and raised the prospect of a Chinese naval base being established there.
Austin became the first U.S. defense secretary to visit Papua New Guinea and Blinken visited New Zealand and Tonga before they arrived in Australia.
Saturday’s meeting was overshadowed by the loss of an Australian Army helicopter with four air crew late Friday, during military exercises with the U.S. off the northeastern coast of Australia.
U.S., Australian and Canadian militaries are taking part in the search for potential survivors near Whitsunday Islands off the Queensland state coast.
Austin and Marles will travel to north Queensland on Sunday to inspect Talisman Sabre, a biennial military exercise between the two countries that this year includes 13 nations and more than 30,000 military personnel. | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/politics/ap-us-pledges-to-help-australia-manufacture-guided-missiles-by-2025/ | 2023-07-29T13:19:50 | 0 | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/politics/ap-us-pledges-to-help-australia-manufacture-guided-missiles-by-2025/ |
BALTIMORE (AP) — Anthony Santander said it felt like a playoff game at Camden Yards.
A few more performances like this, and the Baltimore Orioles will be there.
Santander homered off Tommy Kahnle in the ninth inning to give the Orioles a 1-0 victory over New York on Friday night, spoiling Aaron Judge’s return for the Yankees. Judge walked three times in his first game back from a toe injury, but the Orioles kept New York off the scoreboard with a spectacular defensive effort.
In the eighth inning alone, Santander made a lunging, sliding catch in right field, and second baseman Adam Frazier made a diving stop on Anthony Rizzo’s grounder with a man on second.
“Great defense, great pitching, that’s how we win baseball games,” Santander said.
Orioles rookie Grayson Rodriguez pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings, going toe to toe with New York’s Gerrit Cole, who went seven. Félix Bautista (6-1) struck out two in a scoreless ninth. Kahnle (1-1) couldn’t match that in the bottom half, allowing Santander’s one-out drive that went well beyond the fence in right-center field.
The Orioles remained 1 1/2 games ahead of Tampa Bay atop the AL East, and they now lead the last-place Yankees by nine.
The game was delayed 2 hours, 32 minutes by rain, but that did little to dampen the enthusiasm of a crowd that included a mix of Yankees fans cheering Judge and Orioles fans embracing their first-place team.
“Right before the start of the game, it felt like a playoff game,” Santander said. “That’s good to have those fans to support us. Hopefully they can continue to do that.”
Judge lined out to right field on the first pitch to him in the first, but he reached base the other three times he came up.
Anthony Volpe was robbed twice by stellar Baltimore defense. Third baseman Ramón Urías made a diving stop on his one-hopper in the fifth. In the eighth, Volpe led off with a fly to right that Santander reached out and caught before sliding on his stomach across the grass.
New York eventually had two on and two out that inning when Rizzo’s grounder looked headed to right field. Frazier’s diving play prevented that.
“Defense won us the game,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “Adam Frazier, diving play off Rizz. Santander with a great diving catch. We turned some double plays.”
Each team had only four hits. Rodriguez was one of Baltimore’s prized prospects, and after being sent back to the minors for a bit, he may be finding a groove.
“I just love his delivery right now and the tempo of his delivery,” Hyde said. “Just really, really competitive.”
DEADLINE OUTLOOK
Orioles general manager Mike Elias said it’s no secret that the Orioles are working on potentially adding pitching upgrades at the trade deadline. He said the team has the wherewithal to make “good baseball trades” even if it means adding payroll.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Orioles: Elias said he hopes OFs Cedric Mullins (right adductor groin strain) and Aaron Hicks (left hamstring strain) can return and play a large part of August. … Elias said LHP John Means (left elbow UCL surgery) and RHP Mychal Givens (right shoulder inflammation) will probably be pitching in games in the Florida Complex League in the early part of August.
UP NEXT
Baltimore’s Tyler Wells (7-5) takes the mound against New York’s Clarke Schmidt (6-6) on Saturday night. Schmidt will be on extended rest, having last pitched July 21.
___
Follow Noah Trister at https://twitter.com/noahtrister
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/sports/ap-santander-hits-9th-inning-homer-to-give-orioles-1-0-win-over-yankees-and-spoil-judges-return/ | 2023-07-29T13:19:58 | 0 | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/sports/ap-santander-hits-9th-inning-homer-to-give-orioles-1-0-win-over-yankees-and-spoil-judges-return/ |
Scott Simon is one of America's most admired writers and broadcasters. He is the host of Weekend Edition Saturday and is one of the hosts of NPR's morning news podcast Up First. He has reported from all fifty states, five continents, and ten wars, from El Salvador to Sarajevo to Afghanistan and Iraq. His books have chronicled character and characters, in war and peace, sports and art, tragedy and comedy.
NPR's Scott Simon speaks with a resident of Odesa, Ukraine about what the last several days — and nights — have been like, under repeated attack from Russian missiles and drones.
The coup in Niger, this week, raises questions about the future of democratic leadership in the West African country. NPR's Scott Simon speaks with Rama Yade of the Atlantic Council's Africa Center. | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-29/an-artist-explains-why-marvels-use-of-ai-to-animate-a-sequence-is-worrying | 2023-07-29T13:20:03 | 0 | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-29/an-artist-explains-why-marvels-use-of-ai-to-animate-a-sequence-is-worrying |
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — United States midfielder Savannah DeMelo can speak some Portuguese and may be able to put it to use in the Women’s World Cup.
The U.S. plays Portugal on Tuesday to wrap up the tournament’s group stage, and a fter a disappointing 1-1 draw against the Netherlands, the Americans needs a win. At stake is both the top spot in Group E and also a much-needed boost to team confidence.
That’s where DeMelo can help.
The 25-year-old’s dad, Robert, is from Portugal and had a successful career as a player in that country before becoming a coach. DeMelo has dual citizenship and understands Portuguese.
“I’ll definitely be listening for it,” she laughed.
DeMelo made her first international start for the United States against Vietnam in the group opener, a 3-0 victory for the Americans.
Prior to the World Cup, DeMelo had played in only one other match for the United States: she was a substitute in the team’s send-off match against Wales in San Jose in early July. DeMelo, who plays for Racing Louisville FC in the National Women’s Soccer League, was the first U.S. player since Shannon Boxx in 2003 and third overall to be named to the World Cup roster without any previous appearances for the national team.
U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski started DeMelo in the both of the American’s World Cup matches. She played both opening halves before being subbed off for veteran Rose Lavelle, who has been playing limited minutes for the United States because of a knee injury suffered in April.
The journey from being named to the team to getting a start in the World Cup has “been a crazy roller coaster of emotions,” said DeMelo.
“But I think I’ve had a lot of great people, including the girls on the team, who have been super helpful with getting me acclimated to the team,” she said. “And I’m just super grateful to be here.”
The United States may need to switch up its tactics against Portugal.
The Americans are tied on points with the Netherlands in Group E and have an advantage over the Dutch on goal difference. The top two teams in the group advance to the knockout round.
But the results haven’t been as emphatic as they were in 2019, when the U.S. opened with a 13-0 victory over Thailand and went on to win their second straight World Cup title, and fourth overall.
The United States trailed the Netherlands by a goal in the first half before Lindsey Horan scored a game-tying header in the 62nd minute.
One reason for the less-than-dominant play could be inexperience. DeMelo is among 14 U.S. players appearing in their first World Cup.
Fellow midfielder Andi Sullivan, who is also making her tournament debut, said it takes some adjustment to play together as newcomers.
“That’s definitely a challenge that we’re going through, is that we just kind of came together,” Sullivan said. “It’s not like a team that you’re training with all year round, constantly. You’re in and out all the time. So I think you’re constantly adjusting.
“But the way that you get in sync is we watch a lot of stuff together, we communicate constantly. We’re very direct when something’s not going the way we want it to go,” Sullivan added. “You have to be direct and clear and honest and loud.”
DeMelo is also among six players at the World Cup who play for Racing Louisville. Among the Racing Louisville representatives are Ary Borges, who scored a hat trick for Brazil in its 4-0 victory over Panama to start the tournament.
DeMelo, who said her father never pushed her into soccer growing up, could have played for Portugal at the senior level.
“It could have been an option,” she said, “but I think my heart was always with the United States.”
___
AP Women’s World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/sports/ap-savannah-demelos-ability-to-speak-portuguese-may-help-us-in-critical-womens-world-cup-match/ | 2023-07-29T13:20:05 | 1 | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/sports/ap-savannah-demelos-ability-to-speak-portuguese-may-help-us-in-critical-womens-world-cup-match/ |
One of the largest Protestant denominations in the U.S. is losing congregations over disputes over LGBTQ clergy and same-sex marriage. (This story first aired on Morning Edition on July 25, 2023.)
Copyright 2023 NPR
One of the largest Protestant denominations in the U.S. is losing congregations over disputes over LGBTQ clergy and same-sex marriage. (This story first aired on Morning Edition on July 25, 2023.)
Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-29/congregations-leave-united-methodist-church-over-defiance-of-lgbtq-bans | 2023-07-29T13:20:09 | 1 | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-29/congregations-leave-united-methodist-church-over-defiance-of-lgbtq-bans |
Scott Simon is one of America's most admired writers and broadcasters. He is the host of Weekend Edition Saturday and is one of the hosts of NPR's morning news podcast Up First. He has reported from all fifty states, five continents, and ten wars, from El Salvador to Sarajevo to Afghanistan and Iraq. His books have chronicled character and characters, in war and peace, sports and art, tragedy and comedy.
The coup in Niger, this week, raises questions about the future of democratic leadership in the West African country. NPR's Scott Simon speaks with Rama Yade of the Atlantic Council's Africa Center. | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-29/if-you-see-a-hammerhead-worm-remember-salt-dont-slice | 2023-07-29T13:20:16 | 0 | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-29/if-you-see-a-hammerhead-worm-remember-salt-dont-slice |
Flor Marte knows someone will die. She knows when and how, because it came to her in a dream. That's her gift – all the women in the Marte family have one.
But Flor refuses to share who the dream is about. Instead, she insists on throwing herself a living wake, a reason for the entire family to come together and celebrate their lives. That's the starting point for Elizabeth Acevedo's debut novel for adults, Family Lore.
Acevedo grew up in Harlem, with summer visits to the Dominican Republic, and aspirations of becoming a rapper – until a literature teacher invited her to join an after-school poetry club.
She attended reluctantly; but what she found in spoken word performance broke her world and the possibilities of language wide open.
"I think for folks who maybe have felt it difficult to occupy their bodies and take up space and demand attention, to have three minutes where that is the requirement is really powerful," she says.
Acevedo went on to become a National Poetry Slam champion and earn degrees in performing arts and creative writing. After college, she taught language arts in Prince George's County, Maryland. Teaching, she says, is its own kind of performance – one where the audience doesn't always want to be there. But her students were struggling in other ways.
"So many of my young people weren't at grade level, but they'd also not encountered literature that they felt reflected them," she says. "Trying to meet some of those students where they were was really a kickoff for my writing."
So Acevedo began writing young adult books. The Poet X, her first novel about a Dominican-American teen finding her voice through poetry, won a National Book Award in 2018.
Pivoting to a new audience
Now, with Family Lore, Acevedo turns her attention to adult readers.
"I think the way this pushes forward her work and the growing body of Dominican-American literature is how deeply she writes into the interiors of her women characters," says author Naima Coster, who read an early draft of the novel.
The story is told through memories, out of order, sometimes a memory within a different memory. Acevedo jumps from the Dominican countryside to Santo Domingo to New York, as sisters Matilde, Flor, Pastora and Camila – along with younger generation Ona and Yadi – reflect on their childhoods and teenage romances and the secrets that bind them all together. Though the Marte women grow older together, their relationships do not get easier.
"What does it mean if these women have really just had a different experience of their mother?" says Acevedo. "And how that different experience of their mother automatically will create a schism, because now it's like, 'You don't remember her the way I remember her, and because of that, I can't trust you."
There are infidelities, miscarriages, childhood love affairs and therapeutic dance classes. Acevedo explains that she needed to tell this story in a non-linear format, in the way memories surface and warp; the way family gossip is passed on from person to person, in a roundabout way.
Returning to the body
That format, she says, was more suited for adult readers; and writing for adults also allowed her to be candid about bodies: how they move, change, excite, disappoint.
"The generation I was raised by felt like their relationship to their body was very othered," Acevedo says. "When I speak to my cousins, when I think about myself, it's been a return to desire, a return to the gut, a return to health in a way that isn't necessarily about size but is about: who am I in this vessel and how do I love it?"
That tension is felt especially by the younger Marte women, whose supernatural gifts radiate from within. Ona has a self-described "alpha vagina," Yadi has a special taste for sour limes.
Naima Coster says it's easy to feel pressure to write about marginalized communities as clean-cut, exemplary characters. But Family Lore relishes in airing out the Marte family's dirty laundry– in showing Afro-Dominican women as full, complicated protagonists.
"It feels major, the way she writes about the ways that these women misunderstand each other, but still love each other," she says.
Acevedo says those themes – family, home, Blackness, power – will be in every book she writes, "because those are the questions that haunt me."
Family Lore reads like the feeling of getting older and no longer having moms and aunts lower their voices when you enter the room – like finally being privy to what makes a family flawed and perfect.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-29/in-family-lore-award-winning-ya-author-elizabeth-acevedo-turns-to-adult-readers | 2023-07-29T13:20:22 | 1 | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-29/in-family-lore-award-winning-ya-author-elizabeth-acevedo-turns-to-adult-readers |
A visit to the Paris suburb where riots first broke out in France, following the police killing of a young man of North African descent.
Copyright 2023 NPR
A visit to the Paris suburb where riots first broke out in France, following the police killing of a young man of North African descent.
Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-29/in-the-paris-suburb-where-riots-erupted-protests-have-died-down-but-anger-remains | 2023-07-29T13:20:29 | 1 | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-29/in-the-paris-suburb-where-riots-erupted-protests-have-died-down-but-anger-remains |
The Malaysian East Coast Rail Link is a successful feat so far compared to some other Chinese investments in the country — even if it has blown past deadlines and budgets.
Taiwan grew its economy first by manufacturing cheap electronics components, then making semiconductor chips. Now with the threat of China they want to partner with the U.S. companies to make weapons. | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-29/indigenous-communities-in-taiwan-celebrate-summer-with-the-harvest-festival | 2023-07-29T13:20:35 | 0 | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-29/indigenous-communities-in-taiwan-celebrate-summer-with-the-harvest-festival |
At a time of increasing isolation for Russian President Vladimir Putin on the world stage, he just concluded a summit with leaders from Africa.
Copyright 2023 NPR
At a time of increasing isolation for Russian President Vladimir Putin on the world stage, he just concluded a summit with leaders from Africa.
Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-29/isolated-by-the-west-putin-hosted-a-summit-for-leaders-from-africa-in-st-petersburg | 2023-07-29T13:20:42 | 0 | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-29/isolated-by-the-west-putin-hosted-a-summit-for-leaders-from-africa-in-st-petersburg |
By SUDHIN THANAWALA (Associated Press)
ATLANTA (AP) — Authorities in Alabama said Friday they filed criminal charges against a woman who confessed to fabricating a story that she was kidnapped after stopping to check on a toddler she saw walking on the side of an interstate highway.
Carlee Russell was charged with false reporting to law enforcement and falsely reporting an incident, both misdemeanors that carry up to a year in jail, Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis said. Russell turned herself in to jail Friday and was released on bond, he said.
“Her decisions that night created panic and alarm for citizens of our city and even across the nation as concern grew that a kidnapper was on the loose using a small child as bait,” he said. “Numerous law enforcement agencies, both local and federal, began working tirelessly not only to bring Carlee home to her family but locate a kidnapper that we know now never existed. Many private citizens volunteered their time and energy in looking for a potential kidnapping victim that we know now was never in any danger.”
Derzis said he was frustrated that Russell was only being charged with two misdemeanors despite the panic and disruption she caused, but he said the law did not allow for enhanced charges.
Russell, 25, disappeared after calling 911 on July 13 to report a toddler wandering beside a stretch of interstate. She returned home two days later and told police she had been abducted and forced into a vehicle.
Her disappearance became a national news story. Images of the missing woman were shared broadly on social media.
“We don’t see this as a victimless crime,” Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said at a Friday news conference. “There are significant hours spent, resources expended as a result of this investigation.”
Marshall’s office was asked to handle the prosecution because of the attention the case received, Derzis said. Marshall said he intends to “fully prosecute” Russell and said his office will take into account the police investigation to see whether additional charges are warranted.
Russell, through her attorney, Emory Anthony, acknowledged earlier that she made the story up.
In a statement read by police on Monday, Anthony said Russell was not kidnapped, did not see a baby on the side of the road, did not leave the city and acted alone. He said Russell apologized and he asked for prayers and forgiveness as she “addresses her issues and attempts to move forward, understanding that she made a mistake in this matter.”
A message left Friday at Anthony’s office was not immediately returned.
Russell told detectives she was taken by a man who came out of the trees when she stopped to check on the child, put in a car and an 18-wheel truck, was blindfolded and was held at a home where a woman fed her cheese crackers, authorities said at a news conference last week. At some point, Russell said she was put in a vehicle again but managed to escape and run through the woods to her neighborhood.
“This story opened wounds for families whose loved ones really were victims of kidnappings,” Derzis said.
He said police have not determined where Russell went during the 49 hours she was missing. They plan to talk to the attorney general’s office about recovering some of the money spent on the investigation. | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2023/07/29/alabama-authorities-charge-carlee-russell-for-fabricating-story-about-kidnapping-finding-toddler/ | 2023-07-29T13:20:43 | 1 | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2023/07/29/alabama-authorities-charge-carlee-russell-for-fabricating-story-about-kidnapping-finding-toddler/ |
Scott Simon is one of America's most admired writers and broadcasters. He is the host of Weekend Edition Saturday and is one of the hosts of NPR's morning news podcast Up First. He has reported from all fifty states, five continents, and ten wars, from El Salvador to Sarajevo to Afghanistan and Iraq. His books have chronicled character and characters, in war and peace, sports and art, tragedy and comedy.
The coup in Niger, this week, raises questions about the future of democratic leadership in the West African country. NPR's Scott Simon speaks with Rama Yade of the Atlantic Council's Africa Center.
NPR's Scott Simon speaks with a resident of Odesa, Ukraine about what the last several days — and nights — have been like, under repeated attack from Russian missiles and drones. | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-29/lydia-kiesling-on-her-new-novel-mobility | 2023-07-29T13:20:48 | 0 | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-29/lydia-kiesling-on-her-new-novel-mobility |
Dear Amy: I am incredibly hurt by not being invited to either of my two employees’ baby showers. It’s just the three of us in this office. Because of my choice to provide growth and creative opportunities for these employees, as well as flexibility and generous compensation and benefits – my life is pretty miserable.
They are flourishing while I am left with a hugely complicated list of administrative tasks, including being a one-person HR department.
This is in addition to managing the many other responsibilities essential to the existence of the organization.
It is very hard to find someone willing and able to handle these essential but extremely boring tasks, although I keep trying, while I chip away.
We all know a lot about each other’s personal lives, which are entwined in various ways (through relatives and friends), and I care about them very much.
This feels like a personal rejection. Do you think I am overreacting?
– Hurt Boss
Dear Hurt Boss: I don’t think you are overreacting.
After addressing this with these women calmly and honestly, you should also reassess your business model.
You’ve described your own life as “pretty miserable,” while these employees flourish. The experience of small organization proprietors is one of extreme hard work and sacrifice, but you should not place your own needs below that of the people who work for you. Ideally, everyone flourishes, each in their own way.
Perhaps you could rebalance the workload, offering your employees fewer creative opportunities and more of the administrative tasks which you currently shoulder.
If you professionalize your office experience, you’ll create more of a boundary between yourself and these employees; thus you would also be less hurt by their personal choices.
Dear Amy: We live in a quiet cul-de-sac. Our homes are spread apart and noise has never been an issue.
Our next-door neighbor is a sweet widow.
When the pandemic hit, her thirtysomething son “Brad,” who worked in the restaurant industry, moved in with her to make ends meet after his restaurant was shut down.
He has a car that has been modified to be very, very loud.
You can hear it coming from almost a mile away.
Their garage is right next to our master bedroom. Brad has a habit of starting the car and sitting for up to 30 minutes before he leaves the driveway.
He will also sit for an extended period before he turns off the car when he arrives home, which – because of his shift – is often in the middle of the night.
We didn’t say anything initially, believing Brad’s tenancy was only temporary.
But it’s been three years now, and he recently purchased another vehicle – one that is louder than the first!
Because we have waited so long, I feel bad saying something, and struggle with what to say.
What should we do?
– Vroomed Out
Dear Vroomed Out: Most towns have noise ordinances, and “Brad’s” hot rod is likely violating yours.
Tolerance is a virtue, but so is speaking frankly about an issue when it first comes up. This gives everyone the benefit of making adjustments.
I assume that Brad’s car bothers everyone in the area as he circles the cul de sac at night and then sits with the motor running (this also likely violates a local ordinance). And imagine the impact on his mother!
So – tell him now. Say, “Brad, we appreciate having you as a neighbor, but our bedroom is right next to your garage. Your new car is even louder than your previous car and you sometimes run the engine for several minutes right underneath our window. I should have said something sooner, but can you be more aware of the impact on us?”
That’s the friendly first attempt. Depending on his response, you might need to rev up your efforts.
Dear Amy: “Frustrated Mom’s” letter was ridiculous, and your answer was terrible.
Grandmothers the world over have given their grandchildren treats and sweets, and let them do things they can’t do at home.
You should not side with parents who insist on ridiculous rules.
– Upset
Dear Upset: I am a grandmother and … yes I do side with parents and respect their basic rules when their children are with me.
Do we enjoy an occasional soft serve ice cream for dinner and an overly long game of mini golf afterward? Guilty.
But do I let them open secret social media accounts to use at my house, as this grandmother had done? Nope.
(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)
©2023 Amy Dickinson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2023/07/29/ask-amy-employee-exclusion-makes-boss-miserable-3/ | 2023-07-29T13:20:49 | 0 | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2023/07/29/ask-amy-employee-exclusion-makes-boss-miserable-3/ |
The Lincoln Dinner in Iowa hosts the candidates for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024 - as hopefuls try to stand out against front-runner Donald Trump.
Copyright 2023 NPR
The Lincoln Dinner in Iowa hosts the candidates for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024 - as hopefuls try to stand out against front-runner Donald Trump.
Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-29/new-charges-against-trump-didnt-keep-him-off-the-campaign-trail-in-iowa | 2023-07-29T13:20:55 | 0 | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-29/new-charges-against-trump-didnt-keep-him-off-the-campaign-trail-in-iowa |
The Almanac
Average temperatures: High 92, low 73
Rainfall: 6.25 inches
The moon
1. Moon phases
Full moon: Aug. 1
Last quarter: Aug. 8
New moon: Aug. 16
First quarter: Aug. 24
Full moon: Aug.0
2. Moon sign dates
Above-ground crops: 17, 18, 22, 23, 26, 27
Below-ground crops: 3, 4, 7, 8, 12, 13, 30, 31
Control weeds: 1, 2, 9, 10, 11, 28, 29
Prune trees & shrubs: 5, 6, 14, 15, 16, 24, 25
August plantings
3. Vegetables: Cantaloupe, collard, corn, cucumber, eggplant, lima bean, okra, pepper, pumpkin, snap bean, southern pea, squash, tomato and watermelon
4. Flowers: Angelonia, begonia, black-eyed Susan vine, blue daze, butterfly weed, bush daisy, cat’s whiskers, chrysanthemums, coleus, coreopsis, crossandra, fire spike, gaura, heliconia, jacobinia, impatiens, lantana, marigold, melampodium, moon flower, pentas, periwinkle, porter weed, portulaca, purslane, salvia, Stokes aster, sunflower, torenia and zinnia
5. Herbs: Anise, basil, bay laurel, chive, dill, ginger, lemon balm, Mexican tarragon, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, sweet marjoram and thyme
6. Bulbs type plants: African iris, agapanthus, amaryllis, bulbine, canna, crinum, day lily, gladiolus, gloriosa lily, kaffir lily, Louisiana iris, society garlic, rain lily and walking iris
Vegetable & fruit care
7. Restart vegetable gardens with crops that yield early fall harvests.
8. Test soil acidity and adjust the pH if needed before planting.
9. Keep tomato, pepper and eggplants on schedule with transplants starting Aug. 15.
10. Construct raised beds to ensure good drainage and easy-to-reach crops.
11. Install water-saving soaker hoses and micro-sprinklers before planting the garden.
12. Grow vegetables in large containers if you have limited in-ground space.
13. Use quality potting soil for containers and landscape problem areas.
14. Improve sandy soils with organic matter to prepare them for in-ground planting.
15. Plant flowers that attract pollinators among the vegetables to obtain a better fruit set.
16. Remove plastic from solarization treatments after 6 to 8 weeks and plant immediately.
17. Mulch new plantings to conserve water and promote better plant growth.
18. Shelter container-grown herbs from the daily rains.
19. Start seeds for early transplants of broccoli, celery and onions by month’s end.
20. Harvest ripening bananas, figs, grapes and pears.
21. Check pineapples; fruits are ready when they are fragrant and turn yellow to orange.
22. Feed bananas and figs monthly but lightly; keep moist and mulched.
23. Finish pruning blackberry and blueberry plantings during early August.
24. Give grape, apple and peach plantings a summer feeding.
25. Feed citrus with one-quarter pound of citrus fertilizer per inch of trunk circumference.
Lawn Care
26. Chinch bugs are causing yellow to brown spots in St. Augustine lawns; treat as needed.
27. Sod webworms are feeding on most grasses; only treat when the caterpillar stage is noted.
28. Mushrooms are popping up in many lawns; remove them as needed, as many are poisonous.
29. Turn off automatic irrigation systems during the rainy season and water only as needed.
30. Allowing your lawn to wilt slightly between waterings helps deepen the root system.
31. Control weeds that are filling bare spots and overgrowing the good grass.
32. Seasonal rains encourage leaf spots and turf decline; control with a fungicide as needed.
33. Declining yellow grass may be take-all root rot; try regreening with a liquid fertilizer.
34. Fill bare spots in sunny lawns with plugs, sod or seed; delay sodding shady areas til fall.
35. Many lawns are ready for a mid-summer iron or slow-release nitrogen fertilizer application.
36. Check for local regulations that may prohibit feeding lawns during the summer.
37. Trim grass blades and shrub limbs that might obstruct sprinklers.
38. Raise or replace pop-up sprinkler heads that don’t rise far enough above the sod.
39. Sharpen dull mower blades and service engines as needed.
40. Consider another ground cover for hard-to-maintain and problem turf areas
Landscape care
41. Many plants are growing out of control; now is the time for trimming.
42. Weeds love the hot, humid weather; keep them under control by hand pulling or trimming.
43. Give palms a break; only remove the dead fronds and old flower heads.
44. Complete pruning of poinsettias, bougainvillea, and wisteria by month’s end.
45. Edge walkways and drives to keep the landscape attractive.
46. Summer rains normally provide adequate moisture for most plants; water only as needed.
47. Retrofit irrigation systems to water trees and shrubs separately from lawns.
48. Install water-conserving micro-sprinklers with all ornamentals.
49. Consider adding a rain garden to low water retaining sites.
50. Container gardens make attractive accents to grow in the problem landscape spots.
51. Add foliage plants to the shady gardens during the warmer months.
52. Avoid trimming sheared plants back to the same height; allow a little new growth to remain.
53. Secure garden furniture, hanging plants and ornaments before storms.
54. Stake newly planted small trees and shrubs that might be affected by wind.
55. Continue to water newly planted trees and shrubs during dry summer days.
56. Consider ground covers for shady areas.
57. Learn the good bugs to help reduce pesticide use.
58. Keep mulches a foot or more from the home to help control termites.
59. Feed crape myrtles and remove seed heads to continue summer blooms where permitted.
60. Trim vines from trees and shrubs.
61. Readjust ties on the trunks of trees to allow a little movement.
62. Continue tree and shrub plantings with container-grown plants.
63. Feed palms with a slow-release palm fertilizer following label instructions.
64. Trim both declining flowers and foliage from perennial beds.
65. Pruning time for azaleas, camellias and gardenias is over; plants are forming flower buds.
66. Divide bromeliads, Shasta daises, daylilies and other landscape perennials.
67. Dig gladiolus bulbs to store in dry peat moss or allow them to remain in the ground.
68. Transplant palms and sagos.
69. Start poinsettia cuttings in early August.
70. Pinch the tips of chrysanthemums in early August to grow well-branched compact plants.
71. Prune hydrangeas after flowering.
72. Caladiums may start to decline this month; prune off the declining leaves as needed,
73. Think of the flowers you want for fall beds and containers; obtain the seeds now.
74. Keep seeds in sealed containers in the refrigerator until ready to sow
75. Start seeds of bedding plants in containers to get the best germination and growth.
Foliage & house plant care
76. Mealybugs and scale insects are causing plants to decline; control with insecticidal soaps.
77. Trim foliage plants to encourage dense new growth.
78. Transplant root-bound foliage plants.
79. Make cuttings of your favorite plants.
80. Feed house plants monthly.
81. Feed foliage plants on the patio or porch every other week or use a slow-release fertilizer.
82. Wash off dust and pests with soapy water.
83. Move light-starved plants outdoors to a shady location.
84. Add new plants to the indoor collection.
85. Move orchids and bromeliads outdoors to a shady site when they finish flowering.
Tom MacCubbin is an urban horticulturist emeritus with the University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service. Write him: Orlando Sentinel, P.O. Box 2833, Orlando, FL. 32802. Email: TomMac1996@aol.com. Blog with Tom at OrlandoSentinel.com/tomdigs. | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2023/07/29/august-in-the-garden-15/ | 2023-07-29T13:20:55 | 1 | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2023/07/29/august-in-the-garden-15/ |
A newly declared national monument honoring the life and story of Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, is being talked about in the context of current events. Understandable, considering that the spirit that tried to oppress them is still a force in American politics and life. Just look to Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis.
This week DeSantis cut a third of his campaign staff — the second round of layoffs this month — as it seems fundraising has slowed since he launched his bid in late May. It’s the latest disappointment for a candidate who has spent the last two years trying to woo Donald Trump voters with extreme legislation like the “Don’t Say Gay” bill and a war on diversity at state colleges. Unfortunately for him, Trump voters still prefer Trump, indictments and all. Not to mention that when it comes to pressing flesh on the trail, DeSantis is about as charismatic as a splinter.
But while he continues to lose ground because people are getting to know him better, I would like to remind the nation that he told us exactly who he was the first time he ran for governor, back in 2018. Less than 24 hours after his Democratic opponent, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, became the first Black nominee for governor, DeSantis went on Fox News to tell voters not to “monkey this up.” Sounds like the kind of dog whistle Southern politicians were tossing around in 1955, when 14-year-old Emmett was kidnapped, tortured and killed by white supremacists in Mississippi.
A spokesperson would later say DeSantis’ “monkey” remark was solely about the state’s economy and “to characterize it as anything else is absurd,” a statement that of course is absurd. But then again, so is his latest attempt to rebrand slavery as some sort of trade school. Thanks to his desperation to out-Trump the real Donald Trump, Florida’s new curriculum will teach middle school children that “slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.”
Of course DeSantis, a graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law School, knows better than to suggest enslavement had its benefits. But in his pursuit of power, he has decided to forget that world-class education and instead execute his favorite parlor trick: gaslighting. When he performed it nearly five years ago, pretending his use of “monkey” in reference to Gillum had nothing to do with race, we all knew what he was doing then.
And we know what he is doing now.
It’s a fresh reminder of the importance of declaring a national monument for three sites associated with Emmett and his mother. Just so we’re clear, though: President Biden’s decision to honor these two Americans shouldn’t be seen as a response to DeSantis’ rhetoric. Their story is far too big to share space with a man so small.
“We can’t just choose to learn what we want to know,” Biden said Tuesday after signing the proclamation. “We have to learn what we should know. We should know about our country. We should know everything: the good, the bad, the truth of who we are as a nation. That’s what great nations do, and we are a great nation.”
That we are.
And this country has Till-Mobley to thank for that. She chose to have an open casket at Emmett’s funeral to show the world how he had been mutilated. The image galvanized the civil rights movement.
There have always been small men like DeSantis.
But there haven’t always been giants like Till-Mobley.
Honoring her and her son Emmett should not be spoken about as a response to the current political environment. Instead we should think about it for what it truly is: a long-overdue honor.
LZ Granderson is a columnist for the Los Angeles Times. | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2023/07/29/emmett-till-is-an-icon-ron-desantis-is-just-another-politician-wooing-white-supremacists-commentary/ | 2023-07-29T13:21:01 | 0 | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2023/07/29/emmett-till-is-an-icon-ron-desantis-is-just-another-politician-wooing-white-supremacists-commentary/ |
This may be the most scorching month in the most scalding summer of what may become the hottest year in recorded history.
From Arizona, where it's been above 110 degrees Fahrenheit every day for a month, to Sardinia which hit 118 F this week, to Xinjiang, China, where the temperature soared to 126 F.
It felt a little mournful, then, to turn on summer playlists and hear lyrics like, "Summer breeze makes me feel fine." And, "Summer's here and the time is right / For dancing in the street."
This summer — these past few summers, really — has meant weeks of swelter, smoke, wildfires, and peril, across much of the hemisphere.
It was 107 degrees Fahrenheit in Rome last week. The Italian health ministry put 23 cities under a red alert, and cautioned people not to walk outside, and to avoid wine and coffee.
Too hot in Italy to stroll, enjoy a glass of soave, or sip an espresso. Next they'll say stop boiling pasta.
170 million people in America were under heat alerts this week. The National Weather Service warns, "Take the heat seriously and avoid time outdoors."
Isn't being outdoors the beauty of summer?
For most of my life, summer has been a time to shuck off all the layers of winter cold and gloom, to feel warmth and sunlight. School is out. Vacations are planned. We can go coatless, feel carefree, dawdle, travel, and play.
But this summer in America many outdoor shows, concerts, and festivals have been canceled, and sporting events postponed because of unsafe heat, and wildfire smoke in the skies. How many families have avoided picnics, camping trips, or games of catch in the yard, because it's just too darn hot?
The temperature of the water in Manatee Bay at Everglades National Park in Florida has been 101.1 F. The heat of ocean water — water — may be too dangerous for fish to survive.
This excruciating heat, driven by human activity, can be dangerous for every living creature, as well as the plants that bear the fruits and vegetables we need to survive. For humans, the heat is especially hazardous for seniors, children, and people who are unsheltered.
Will red alerts, heat emergencies, wildfires and temperatures in the triple digits become the new signs of summer? And will that make summer, as my friends and I used to dream about through frigid and forbidding Chicago winters, now seem a season to fear?
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-29/opinion-its-too-hot-in-here | 2023-07-29T13:21:01 | 1 | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-29/opinion-its-too-hot-in-here |
I am a sixth-generation Floridian, the descendant of slavers. I had nothing to say about my ancestors. But I have a lot to say about how we understand them today.
I am also a fourth-generation teacher. I worked in Florida’s public educational institutions for 36 years, teaching students from fifth grade through doctoral work. I strongly believe in public education. And I know what constitutes good pedagogy and sound educational content and what does not.
The recent state guideline directing the teaching about slavery to middle-school students is the antithesis of both of those concerns. It embodies a number of other concerns, most of them unarticulated. But education is not among them. You don’t have to have a degree in history to recognize that requiring teachers to tell their students that slavery resulted in a “personal benefit” to those enslaved is little more than indoctrination that would have warmed the heart of those charged with shaping minds in the Soviet system.
The problem is, we know better.
The ultimate concern of this directive is to deliberately disinform students about our history to protect white comfort. The presumption that we descendants of slavers and beneficiaries of the privilege it has bestowed upon us are somehow entitled to constant comfort certainly reflects the cardinal value of a racist, consumerist culture.
But comfort for whom? And at whose expense?
One of the courses I taught at UCF was the Philosophy of Law in which Critical Legal Theory was discussed. That unit examined how the power of law could be used by dominant groups in a society to the detriment of the subordinate. Such patterns are readily observable by those willing to see them as they play out along lines of race and ethnicity, sex and gender, ability status and places of origin.
Critical Race Theory has become a bogeymen in today’s culture wars. Most who make sweeping assertions about it have little idea of what it actually is and cannot point to where they see it. But it only takes a read of the daily news to see how this moral panic has become a rationalization for policies like Florida’s that readily illustrate the role that racism plays in the exercise of power in America.
What is most ironic about this directive issued to ensure the comfort of the privileged at the expense of those it dehumanizes is that it is a textbook example of the very behaviors that critical race theory critiques. It is precisely this kind of abuse of the power of the law to benefit white people at the expense of people of color that critical race theory requires us to confront.
The truth of our collective history of slavery and the racist system it generated is troubling. It should not make anyone comfortable. But none of us are entitled to such comfort. Nor are we entitled to let ourselves off the hook from learning about it.
Harry Coverston is a retired UCF assistant lecturer. | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2023/07/29/florida-should-be-ashamed-of-slavery-education-plans-commentary/ | 2023-07-29T13:21:07 | 1 | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2023/07/29/florida-should-be-ashamed-of-slavery-education-plans-commentary/ |
National parks and hiking trail networks around the country are facing dual pressures - crowds and changing weather. Preservationists in New Hampshire are painstakingly restoring one such trail.
Copyright 2023 NPR
National parks and hiking trail networks around the country are facing dual pressures - crowds and changing weather. Preservationists in New Hampshire are painstakingly restoring one such trail.
Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-29/preservationists-are-trying-to-restore-national-park-trails-destroyed-by-the-weather | 2023-07-29T13:21:08 | 1 | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-29/preservationists-are-trying-to-restore-national-park-trails-destroyed-by-the-weather |
General Daily Insight for July 29, 2023
Responsibilities may require extra dedication. The ego-focused Sun disagrees with disciplined Saturn, creating a tug of war between what we feel like doing and what we really should do. This may challenge us, but soon after, the sensitive Moon coordinates with tender Venus to give us some welcome emotional relief from the inner struggle. On top of that, Luna then moves from freedom-loving Sagittarius into dedicated Capricorn at 11:44 pm EDT, bolstering us against any obstacles. Let’s commit to not giving up!
Aries
March 21 – April 19
Following your passion may require sacrifice. Grand dreams for your life or career are lovely to have, but nothing good becomes reality without doing the work required. It might be that you need to reevaluate your method if you’re only working on the fun parts of the journey, or at least the parts that you consider fun. The more confusing aspects of your plan could transform into dangerous roadblocks in the future. It would be wise to get them out of the way early!
Taurus
April 20 – May 20
You might be shrinking into your comfort zone. The people that you need to be mingling with and learning from are out there, but unfortunately, you could be at home protecting yourself from rejection. Even when reaching out is intimidating, letting time pass you by feels much more passive than the effects it will have on you in the long run. If you want to avoid waking up one day and wondering why you didn’t try, this is your time to get active.
Gemini
May 21 – June 20
What you believe you should do might not be the right move! You may have a plan of action that you’ve created in your head, but you could be missing details that you don’t even know exist. Reaching out to someone who’s an expert on what you’re attempting should help — you could also talk to someone who’s simply been in the predicament that you’re in before. There’s no shame in asking for advice from those who have more experience than you.
Cancer
June 21 – July 22
Stability could turn into stagnancy. You may have once been happy that everything was slowing down and allowing you to catch your breath. Now that things haven’t changed much in some time, you might be feeling like it’s time to break out of the monotony. You’re allowed to be intimidated by the thought of freeing yourself from a cocoon, whether you made it for your protection or someone else bound you within it, but you’re done with this chapter. Make the next one an adventure!
Leo
July 23 – August 22
Saying you’re fine could be dragging you down. You may be trying to be independent and show everyone you’re doing well, so that they’re not worrying about you while you’re struggling. This is a very challenging goal — and one that can be quite lonely if you’re too devoted to it! The reality is, we all have times where we feel low. Pretending you’re fine when you’re not could send you spiraling even lower. Make a point of reconnecting with your emotions and loved ones.
Virgo
August 23 – September 22
Running away from a difficult conversation could sound easier than handling it. When a conversation with someone you care about looks like it will be a difficult or emotional one, you may spend some time procrastinating it — or even avoiding the person that you need to have it with. While this can feel like a good temporary solution, it’s really only forcing you to dwell in fear of what could happen. Bite the bullet and say what you need to say.
Libra
September 23 – October 22
Fun may be tempting you away from your responsibilities. You could have friends reaching out to you, calling your name to come outside and play — but you know that you have work you need to do. They also might be encouraging you to pander to unhealthy desires that won’t be beneficial for you in the long run, which can set you back when it comes to your progress toward your goals. The temporary fun is likely not worth the result.
Scorpio
October 23 – November 21
You might not be acting your age. Even a seemingly obvious course of action can be difficult to take when childish impulses are tugging at your soul. This will almost surely backfire, as immaturity is unlikely to be rewarded at present, and you could speedily regret the consequences that inevitably arrive once you’ve finished indulging the dangerous side of your inner child. Being an adult isn’t always fun, but you could be causing other people more responsibilities by goofing off. Be your most mature self.
Sagittarius
November 22 – December 21
You might be moving on before it’s time. You’re allowed to be eager to remove yourself from memories of a recent painful emotional experience, but you run the risk of plastering over the event in your mind before you’ve truly processed its implications. Doing this just shoves it to the back burner to simmer, bubbling beneath the cover you put over it — eventually, your emotions will probably boil over. Make sure that you’re healing in a real way, without ignoring what’s still there.
Capricorn
December 22 – January 19
Talent is possibly less of a current factor than you think. You might feel as if you’re ready to give up on a project that you’ve given a lot of time and energy to, but that hasn’t gone anywhere. It could seem like you’ll never get that boulder up that hill, as it just keeps rolling back down, but some of the best inventions took hundreds of tries before they got it right. It’s not about talent, it’s about tenacity. Get up and try again!
Aquarius
January 20 – February 18
You might be trading your comfort for someone else’s. Someone that you know doesn’t bring out the best in you could become a part of your life at any moment, and they have no qualms about being themselves — but when you be yourself, they may put a damper on it. They might think that their way is the only right way to be, and their effect on you could damage your sense of self-respect. Remember who you are, and love that person.
Pisces
February 19 – March 20
You may be working too hard, Pisces! Keeping up with goals and responsibilities is good, despite their challenges, but you might be losing sight of your self-care. When you realize how long it’s been since you’ve done something special for yourself, even if it’s as simple as sitting down and having a full meal or taking a long shower, there could be gaps in your self-care routine that need to be remedied — stat. Don’t let your body’s well-being be the victim of your goals. | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2023/07/29/general-daily-insight-for-july-29-2023/ | 2023-07-29T13:21:13 | 1 | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2023/07/29/general-daily-insight-for-july-29-2023/ |
Scott Simon is one of America's most admired writers and broadcasters. He is the host of Weekend Edition Saturday and is one of the hosts of NPR's morning news podcast Up First. He has reported from all fifty states, five continents, and ten wars, from El Salvador to Sarajevo to Afghanistan and Iraq. His books have chronicled character and characters, in war and peace, sports and art, tragedy and comedy.
The Lincoln Dinner in Iowa hosts the candidates for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024 - as hopefuls try to stand out against front-runner Donald Trump.
The coup in Niger, this week, raises questions about the future of democratic leadership in the West African country. NPR's Scott Simon speaks with Rama Yade of the Atlantic Council's Africa Center. | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-29/saturday-sports-the-week-ahead-in-the-womens-world-cup-orioles-defeat-yankees | 2023-07-29T13:21:14 | 1 | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-29/saturday-sports-the-week-ahead-in-the-womens-world-cup-orioles-defeat-yankees |
By The Associated Press
The Mega Millions jackpot climbed to an estimated $1.05 billion Friday night, only the fifth time in the history of the game that the grand prize has reached into the billions.
No one managed to beat the massive odds and match all six numbers for Friday’s estimated $940 million jackpot. The numbers drawn were: 5, 10, 28, 52, 63 and the gold ball 18.
There have been 29 straight draws without a Mega Millions jackpot winner since the last grand prize ticket on April 18.
The $1.05 billion prize up for grabs in the next drawing Tuesday night would be for a sole winner choosing to be paid through an annuity, with annual payments over 30 years. Jackpot winners almost always opt for a lump sum payment, which for Tuesday’s drawing would be an estimated $527.9 million.
The potential jackpot is the fourth-largest in the game and the fifth over $1 billion, Mega Millions said in a statement early Saturday.
Although there were no jackpot winners, one ticket in Pennsylvania was worth $5 million and another in the state connected for $1 million. There also were $1 million winners in Arizona, California and New York, Mega Millions said.
It has been less than two weeks since someone in Los Angeles won a $1.08 billion Powerball prize that ranked as the sixth-largest in U.S. history. The winner of the prize is still a mystery.
Lottery jackpots grow so large because the odds of winning are so small. For Mega Millions, the odds of winning the jackpot are about 1 in 302.6 million.
Winners also would be subject to federal taxes, and many states also tax lottery winnings.
Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2023/07/29/mega-millions-jackpot-climbs-to-1-05-billion-after-another-drawing-without-a-big-winner/ | 2023-07-29T13:21:19 | 0 | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2023/07/29/mega-millions-jackpot-climbs-to-1-05-billion-after-another-drawing-without-a-big-winner/ |
The coup in Niger, this week, raises questions about the future of democratic leadership in the West African country. NPR's Scott Simon speaks with Rama Yade of the Atlantic Council's Africa Center.
Copyright 2023 NPR
The coup in Niger, this week, raises questions about the future of democratic leadership in the West African country. NPR's Scott Simon speaks with Rama Yade of the Atlantic Council's Africa Center.
Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-29/the-coup-in-niger-is-a-blow-to-democracy-in-the-west-african-country | 2023-07-29T13:21:21 | 0 | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-29/the-coup-in-niger-is-a-blow-to-democracy-in-the-west-african-country |
By KRISTIE RIEKEN
AP Sports Writer
HOUSTON — Brandon Lowe hit a 3-run homer early and José Siri doubled and scored the tiebreaking run in the ninth inning in the Tampa Bay Rays’ 4-3 victory over the Houston Astros on Friday night.
The game was tied entering the ninth when Siri, who played for Houston last season, doubled to left field off Ryan Pressly (3-3) and moved to third on a sacrifice fly by Christian Bethancourt.
The Rays took a 4-3 lead when Siri scored on a sacrifice fly by Yandy Díaz.
Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash raved about Siri’s work in the ninth.
“It was a big at-bat against a really tough pitcher … that’s what he can do,” Cash said. “He can change the game with his speed and certainly impacted it right there.”
Siri said that it meant “very much” to lead the Rays to a win against his former team.
“They know the capabilities and the abilities that I have from when I played here,” he said in Spanish through a translator. “And that’s life that I was able to do it against them.”
Houston manager Dusty Baker noted that not many people would have gotten to second on a ball hit to shallow left field.
“That was a hustle double and Siri, out of the box he was thinking two,” Baker said. “That was good baserunning on his part.”
Wander Franco singled after that before Pressly hit Luke Raley with a pitch. But Randy Arozarena popped out to leave them stranded.
Pete Fairbanks walked Chas McCormick with one out in the ninth, but he was erased when pinch-hitter Yainer Díaz grounded into a forceout. Fairbanks then struck out pinch-hitter Mauricio Dubon to get his 13th save.
The victory was just Tampa Bay’s third in the last 11 games and the team’s sixth this month.
Lowe’s 3-run homer came in the first inning and Houston tied it on a 2-run shot by José Abreu in the fourth.
Tampa Bay starter Shane McClanahan allowed 8 hits and 3 runs in five innings. Colin Poche (8-3) pitched a scoreless eighth for the win.
Houston’s Cristian Javier yielded 3 hits and 3 runs with 8 strikeouts in 6 innings to remain winless since June 3.
“His velocity was good … he was, he was a lot better tonight than he had been in probably four or five starts,” Baker said.
Franco tripled with one out in the first before Javier plunked Arozarena with two outs in the inning. Lowe then smacked his homer to the seats in right field to make it 3-0.
Jose Altuve led off the bottom of the inning with a triple and scored on a groundout by Jeremy Peña to cut it to 3-1.
Javier retired seven straight after Lowe’s homer before walking Arozarena to start the fourth. Arozarena stole second before moving to third on a single by Lowe. Javier hit Isaac Paredes with a pitch to load the bases.
But he escaped the jam by striking out Josh Lowe and Siri before René Pinto lined out to end the inning.
Yordan Alvarez singled with no outs in the fourth before Abreu’s soaring shot to left field tied it at 3-3.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cash said RHP Zach Eflin (left knee discomfort) is still day to day after injuring his knee Wednesday. Cash said they’re hoping he can make his next start but that they’ll know more in the next day or two.
GRAVEMAN RETURNS
The Astros acquired reliever Kendall Graveman from the White Sox in exchange for minor league catcher Korey Lee Friday. Graveman spent the last two months of the 2021 season with Houston after being traded from Seattle.
UP NEXT
Tampa Bay RHP Taj Bradley (5-6, 5.30 ERA) opposes RHP Hunter Brown (6-7, 4.19) when the series continues Saturday night. | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2023/07/29/siris-speed-delivers-for-rays-victory/ | 2023-07-29T13:21:25 | 1 | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2023/07/29/siris-speed-delivers-for-rays-victory/ |
NPR's Scott Simon talks with Henry Bushnell of Yahoo Sports about the American connection to the Philippines women's soccer team competing in the World Cup.
Copyright 2023 NPR
NPR's Scott Simon talks with Henry Bushnell of Yahoo Sports about the American connection to the Philippines women's soccer team competing in the World Cup.
Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-29/the-upset-scoring-philippines-womens-soccer-team-has-strong-roots-in-the-u-s | 2023-07-29T13:21:27 | 1 | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-29/the-upset-scoring-philippines-womens-soccer-team-has-strong-roots-in-the-u-s |