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Nate Lowe Player Prop Bets: Rangers vs. Padres - July 29
Published: Jul. 29, 2023 at 9:31 AM CDT|Updated: 56 minutes ago
On Saturday, Nate Lowe (batting .394 in his past 10 games) and the Texas Rangers face the San Diego Padres, whose starting pitcher will be Yu Darvish. First pitch is at 8:40 PM ET.
He had a one-hit showing in his last game (1-for-2) against the Padres.
Nate Lowe Game Info & Props vs. the Padres
- Game Day: Saturday, July 29, 2023
- Game Time: 8:40 PM ET
- Stadium: PETCO Park
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
- Padres Starter: Yu Darvish
- TV Channel: SDPA
- Hits Prop: Over/under 0.5 hits (Over odds: -208)
- Home Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 home runs (Over odds: +600)
- RBI Prop: Over/under 0.5 RBI (Over odds: +175)
- Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 runs (Over odds: +130)
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Discover More About This Game
Nate Lowe At The Plate
- Lowe leads Texas in OBP (.383) this season, fueled by 115 hits.
- Among the qualified hitters in MLB action, his batting average ranks 15th, his on-base percentage ranks 10th, and he is 50th in the league in slugging.
- Lowe is batting .400 with one homer during his last outings and is on an 11-game hitting streak.
- In 77.7% of his games this year (80 of 103), Lowe has picked up at least one hit, and in 28 of those games (27.2%) he recorded multiple hits.
- In 11.7% of his games this season, he has hit a long ball, and 2.6% of his trips to the dish.
- Lowe has driven home a run in 41 games this season (39.8%), including more than one RBI in 12.6% of his games and producing three or more of his team's runs on three occasions..
- In 50 of 103 games this season, he has scored, and 15 of those games included multiple runs.
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Nate Lowe Home/Away Batting Splits
Padres Pitching Rankings
- The Padres pitching staff ranks 12th in the league with a collective 8.9 strikeouts per nine innings.
- The Padres have the second-ranked team ERA across all league pitching staffs (3.78).
- The Padres rank 12th in baseball in home runs allowed (117 total, 1.1 per game).
- Darvish gets the start for the Padres, his 19th of the season. He is 7-7 with a 4.80 ERA and 108 strikeouts through 101 1/3 innings pitched.
- His most recent time out was on Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, when the righty threw 4 1/3 innings, surrendering seven earned runs while allowing eight hits.
- In 18 games this season, the 36-year-old has an ERA of 4.80, with 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings. Opponents are hitting .254 against him.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.ktre.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/nate-lowe-mlb-player-prop-bets/ | 2023-07-29T15:28:06 | 0 | https://www.ktre.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/nate-lowe-mlb-player-prop-bets/ |
Rangers vs. Padres: Betting Trends, Odds, Records Against the Run Line, Home/Road Splits
Fernando Tatis Jr. and the San Diego Padres will look to get to Martin Perez when he starts for the Texas Rangers on Saturday at 8:40 PM ET, in the second game of a three-game series at PETCO Park.
The Rangers have been listed as +135 moneyline underdogs in this matchup with the Padres (-160). A 9-run total has been set for this contest.
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Rangers vs. Padres Odds & Info
- Date: Saturday, July 29, 2023
- Time: 8:40 PM ET
- TV: SDPA
- Location: San Diego, California
- Venue: PETCO Park
- Live Stream: Watch on Fubo!
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Rangers Recent Betting Performance
- The Rangers have played as the underdog in six of their past 10 games and have gone 3-3 in those contests.
- When it comes to the over/under, the Rangers and their foes are 5-5-0 in their last 10 contests.
- The previous 10 Rangers matchups have not had a runline posted by oddsmakers.
Discover More About This Game
Rangers Betting Records & Stats
- The Rangers have been underdogs in 33 games this season and have come away with the win 17 times (51.5%) in those contests.
- Texas is 4-4 this season when entering a game as the underdog by +135 or more on the moneyline.
- The moneyline set for this matchup implies the Rangers have a 42.6% chance of coming away with a victory in the contest.
- Texas and its opponents have gone over the total this season in 53 of its 103 opportunities.
- The Rangers have an against the spread mark of 8-2-0 in 10 games with a line this season.
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Rangers Splits
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.ktre.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/rangers-vs-padres-mlb-betting-trends-stats/ | 2023-07-29T15:28:13 | 1 | https://www.ktre.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/rangers-vs-padres-mlb-betting-trends-stats/ |
Robbie Grossman Player Prop Bets: Rangers vs. Padres - July 29
Published: Jul. 29, 2023 at 9:31 AM CDT|Updated: 57 minutes ago
Robbie Grossman -- hitting .179 with three doubles, a triple, three walks and an RBI in his past 10 games -- will be in action for the Texas Rangers against the San Diego Padres, with Yu Darvish on the hill, on July 29 at 8:40 PM ET.
In his most recent game he had a hitless showing (0-for-3) against the Padres.
Robbie Grossman Game Info & Props vs. the Padres
- Game Day: Saturday, July 29, 2023
- Game Time: 8:40 PM ET
- Stadium: PETCO Park
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
- Padres Starter: Yu Darvish
- TV Channel: SDPA
- Hits Prop: Over/under 0.5 hits (Over odds: -118)
- Home Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 home runs (Over odds: +650)
- RBI Prop: Over/under 0.5 RBI (Over odds: +290)
- Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 runs (Over odds: +175)
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Explore More About This Game
Robbie Grossman At The Plate
- Grossman is batting .223 with 13 doubles, a triple, seven home runs and 27 walks.
- In 41 of 73 games this year (56.2%) Grossman has picked up a hit, and in 11 of those games he had more than one (15.1%).
- In seven games this season, he has hit a home run (9.6%, and 2.5% of his trips to the dish).
- In 21 games this season (28.8%), Grossman has picked up an RBI, and in nine of those games (12.3%) he had more than one. He has also driven in three or more of his team's runs in four contests.
- In 30 of 73 games this season, he has scored, and eight of those games included multiple runs.
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Robbie Grossman Home/Away Batting Splits
Padres Pitching Rankings
- The pitching staff for the Padres has a collective 8.9 K/9, which ranks 12th in MLB.
- The Padres' 3.78 team ERA ranks second across all league pitching staffs.
- Padres pitchers combine to allow 117 total home runs at a rate of 1.1 per game (to rank 12th in baseball).
- Darvish (7-7 with a 4.80 ERA and 108 strikeouts in 101 1/3 innings pitched) makes the start for the Padres, his 19th of the season.
- In his last appearance on Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the right-hander threw 4 1/3 innings, allowing seven earned runs while surrendering eight hits.
- The 36-year-old has an ERA of 4.80, with 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings, in 18 games this season. Opponents are hitting .254 against him.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.ktre.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/robbie-grossman-mlb-player-prop-bets/ | 2023-07-29T15:28:19 | 1 | https://www.ktre.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/robbie-grossman-mlb-player-prop-bets/ |
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The cosmos is offering up a double feature in August: a pair of supermoons culminating in a rare blue moon.
Catch the first show Tuesday evening as the full moon rises in the southeast, appearing slightly brighter and bigger than normal. That’s because it will be closer than usual, just 222,159 miles away, thus the supermoon label.
The moon will be even closer the night of Wednesday, Aug. 30 — a scant 222,043 miles distant. Because it’s the second full moon in the same month, it will be what's called a blue moon.
“Warm summer nights are the ideal time to watch the full moon rise in the eastern sky within minutes of sunset. And it happens twice in August,” said retired NASA astrophysicist Fred Espenak, dubbed Mr. Eclipse for his eclipse-chasing expertise.
PHOTOS: Throwback to July 2022 supermoon
The last time two full supermoons graced the sky in the same month was in 2018. It won’t happen again until 2037, according to Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project.
Masi will provide a live webcast of Tuesday evening’s supermoon, as it rises over the Coliseum in Rome.
“My plans are to capture the beauty of this ... hopefully bringing the emotion of the show to our viewers,” Masi said in an email.
“The supermoon offers us a great opportunity to look up and discover the sky,” he added.
This year’s first supermoon was in July. The fourth and last will be in September. The two in August will be closer than either of those.
Provided clear skies, binoculars or backyard telescopes can enhance the experience, Espenak said, revealing such features as lunar maria — the dark plains formed by ancient volcanic lava flows — and rays emanating from lunar craters.
According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the August full moon is traditionally known as the sturgeon moon. That’s because of the abundance of that fish in the Great Lakes in August, hundreds of years ago. | https://www.king5.com/article/news/nation-world/two-supermoons-blue-moon-in-august-2023/507-f73a6431-0522-4bca-839d-504e8750d913 | 2023-07-29T15:28:22 | 0 | https://www.king5.com/article/news/nation-world/two-supermoons-blue-moon-in-august-2023/507-f73a6431-0522-4bca-839d-504e8750d913 |
Travis Jankowski Player Prop Bets: Rangers vs. Padres - July 29
Published: Jul. 29, 2023 at 9:36 AM CDT|Updated: 49 minutes ago
The Texas Rangers, including Travis Jankowski (.293 on-base percentage in past 10 games, 103 points below season-long percentage), take on starting pitcher Yu Darvish and the San Diego Padres at PETCO Park, Saturday at 8:40 PM ET.
In his last game he had a hitless performance (0-for-5) against the Padres.
Travis Jankowski Game Info & Props vs. the Padres
- Game Day: Saturday, July 29, 2023
- Game Time: 8:40 PM ET
- Stadium: PETCO Park
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
- Padres Starter: Yu Darvish
- TV Channel: SDPA
- Hits Prop: Over/under 0.5 hits (Over odds: -208)
- Home Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 home runs (Over odds: +1250)
- RBI Prop: Over/under 0.5 RBI (Over odds: +270)
- Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 runs (Over odds: +125)
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Discover More About This Game
Travis Jankowski At The Plate
- Jankowski is batting .310 with 10 doubles, a triple, a home run and 23 walks.
- In 66.1% of his games this year (37 of 56), Jankowski has picked up at least one hit, and in 13 of those games (23.2%) he recorded multiple hits.
- He has homered in just one game this season.
- In 26.8% of his games this season, Jankowski has driven in at least one run. In four of those games (7.1%) he recorded more than one RBI, while accounting for three or more of his team's runs in one contest.
- In 37.5% of his games this year, he has scored at least once. And he's had six games with multiple runs (10.7%).
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Travis Jankowski Home/Away Batting Splits
Padres Pitching Rankings
- The 8.9 strikeouts per nine innings put together by the Padres pitching staff ranks 12th in the league.
- The Padres' 3.78 team ERA ranks second among all league pitching staffs.
- Padres pitchers combine to surrender 117 total home runs at a clip of 1.1 per game (to rank 12th in the league).
- Darvish (7-7) gets the starting nod for the Padres in his 19th start of the season. He's put together a 4.80 ERA in 101 1/3 innings pitched, with 108 strikeouts.
- In his last appearance on Tuesday, the right-hander went 4 1/3 innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates, giving up seven earned runs while surrendering eight hits.
- The 36-year-old has put up an ERA of 4.80, with 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings, in 18 games this season. Opposing hitters have a .254 batting average against him.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.ktre.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/travis-jankowski-mlb-player-prop-bets/ | 2023-07-29T15:28:26 | 1 | https://www.ktre.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/travis-jankowski-mlb-player-prop-bets/ |
Yordan Alvarez Player Prop Bets: Astros vs. Rays - July 29
Published: Jul. 29, 2023 at 9:30 AM CDT|Updated: 56 minutes ago
After hitting .250 with a double, three home runs, five walks and seven RBI in his past 10 games, Yordan Alvarez and the Houston Astros face the Tampa Bay Rays (who will hand the ball to Taj Bradley) at 7:15 PM ET on Saturday.
In his previous appearance, he went 1-for-4 against the Rays.
Yordan Alvarez Game Info & Props vs. the Rays
- Game Day: Saturday, July 29, 2023
- Game Time: 7:15 PM ET
- Stadium: Minute Maid Park
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
- Rays Starter: Taj Bradley
- TV Channel: FOX
- Hits Prop: Over/under 0.5 hits (Over odds: -175)
- Home Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 home runs (Over odds: +310)
- RBI Prop: Over/under 0.5 RBI (Over odds: +150)
- Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 runs (Over odds: +100)
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Explore More About This Game
Yordan Alvarez At The Plate
- Alvarez has 12 doubles, 17 home runs and 33 walks while batting .274.
- Alvarez has reached base via a hit in 42 games this year (of 59 played), and had multiple hits in 12 of those games.
- In 15 games this year, he has gone deep (25.4%, and 6.8% of his trips to the dish).
- Alvarez has had an RBI in 28 games this year (47.5%), including 17 multi-RBI outings (28.8%). He has also driven in three or more of his team's runs in six contests.
- In 59.3% of his games this season (35 of 59), he has scored, and in six of those games (10.2%) he has scored more than once.
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Yordan Alvarez Home/Away Batting Splits
Rays Pitching Rankings
- The Rays pitching staff is eighth in the league with a collective 9.2 strikeouts per nine innings.
- The Rays have the top team ERA across all league pitching staffs (3.69).
- Rays pitchers combine to allow 109 home runs (one per game), the third-fewest in the league.
- Bradley (5-6) takes the mound for the Rays in his 16th start of the season. He's put together a 5.17 ERA in 71 1/3 innings pitched, with 95 strikeouts.
- In his last time out on Sunday against the Baltimore Orioles, the right-hander threw five innings, allowing three earned runs while surrendering five hits.
- The 22-year-old has put up a 5.17 ERA and 12 strikeouts per nine innings across 15 games this season, while giving up a batting average of .263 to his opponents.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.ktre.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/yordan-alvarez-mlb-player-prop-bets/ | 2023-07-29T15:28:32 | 1 | https://www.ktre.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/yordan-alvarez-mlb-player-prop-bets/ |
Germany vs. Colombia: Women’s World Cup Group H Odds, Stats and Live Stream - July 30
In the second round of Group H matches at the 2023 Women's World Cup, Germany (coming off a 6-0 win over Morocco) plays Colombia (off a 2-0 win against South Korea) at 5:30 AM ET on Sunday, July 30.
Germany is -431 to win this group-stage game, Colombia is +1067, and the draw is +504. This match has an over/under of 2.5 goals. The under is currently +104, and the over is -138.
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Germany vs. Colombia Game Info
- Date: Sunday, July 30, 2023
- Time: 5:30 AM ET
- Location: Sydney, Australia
- Venue: Sydney Football Stadium
- TV Channel: Fox Sports 1
- Total: 2.5
- Germany Moneyline: -431
- Colombia Moneyline: +1067
Germany vs. Colombia World Cup Betting Insights
- These two teams score a combined eight goals per game, 5.5 more than this match's total.
- These two teams allow a combined zero goals per game, 2.5 fewer than this match's over/under.
- Germany has been listed as a moneyline favorite only one other time so far this tournament, and won.
- Germany has played as a moneyline favorite of -431 or shorter in only one game this tournament, which they won.
- Colombia won the only game it has played as an underdog this tournament.
- Colombia has not been a bigger underdog this tournament than the +1067 moneyline set for this game.
Germany World Cup Stats
Colombia World Cup Stats
- In one Women's World Cup match for Colombia, Catalina Usme has tallied one goal (10th in Women's World Cup play).
- Linda Caicedo has scored one goal for Colombia in Women's World Cup.
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Germany vs. Colombia Recent Performance
- So far this year, Germany is 3-1-2 versus fellow 2023 Women's World Cup participants, with a goal differential of +6. In 2022, it was 6-1-4 in such matches (+11 goal differential).
- Germany took on Morocco in its last match and earned a win by a final score of 6-0. The victorious Germany side took 15 shots, outshooting by 10.
- Popp scored two of her club's goals to lead the team against .
- So far this year, Colombia is 3-2-2 versus fellow 2023 Women's World Cup teams, with a goal differential of +1. In 2022, it was 5-2-3 in such matches (0 goal differential).
- Colombia claimed a 2-0 victory versus South Korea on July 24 in its last match. Colombia outshot South Korea 15 to four.
- Caicedo and Usme each registered a goal for Colombia.
Germany Roster
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Colombia Roster
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.ktre.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/2023-womens-world-cup-germany-colombia-betting-preview-odds/ | 2023-07-29T15:28:43 | 0 | https://www.ktre.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/2023-womens-world-cup-germany-colombia-betting-preview-odds/ |
Ten years ago this week, a 16-year-old American named Katie Ledecky, one year removed from an out-of-nowhere Olympic gold, dove into the pool in Barcelona for the women’s 800-meter freestyle at the 2013 World Championships. Eight minutes, 13.86 seconds later she touched the wall, giving her a gold medal, a world record and an answer for anyone who may have thought her triumph in London was a fluke.
Whatever the opposite of a fluke is – that’s Ledecky. In the decade that followed that Barcelona swim, she has lowered her own world record in the 800 free four more times while going undefeated at that distance. And on Saturday in Fukuoka, Japan, she extended her run of global dominance to unprecedented lengths.
Her victory in the 800 free at the 2023 World Championships, with a time of 8:08.87, was historic in two regards: It gave Ledecky 16 individual gold medals in her career at Worlds, breaking a tie with Michael Phelps for the most all-time. She had entered the meet trailing Phelps by one, but swept her best events, the 1,500 and 800 freestyles, in dominant fashion to overtake him. She also took silver in the 400 free and the 4x200 free relay, giving her 25 total medals at Worlds for her career, behind only Phelps (33) and Ryan Lochte (27).
The other bit of history is no less impressive: Saturday’s victory, by nearly 4½ seconds over silver medalist Li Bingjie of China (8:13.31), made Ledecky, 26, the first swimmer in history, male or female, to win the same event at six consecutive World Championships.
Her level of dominance in the 800 is so great, she held the all-time top 30 times at that distance until Saturday, when Bingjie’s strong back-half push snuck her onto the list ... in 30th place.
“I never dreamt of even coming to meets like this,” Ledecky told reporters in Japan. “To be here and having a bunch of world championships now – it is amazing.”
When Saturday’s race was over, Ledecky showed almost no emotion besides exhaustion, looking up at the scoreboard and hanging on the lane-line while the others finished. Unlike her exuberance following her victory Tuesday in the 1,500 – a 15:26.27 that represented her fastest time at that distance in five years – Ledecky betrayed the slightest bit of disappointment with her winning time in the 800, which was slower than her time at last month’s U.S. Nationals (8:07.07) and at the 2022 Worlds in Budapest (8:08.04).
“I wanted to be a little bit better, but I’ll take it,” Ledecky, a seven-time Olympic gold medalist, told reporters. “I was probably out a little too fast. It hurt on the back half. But I knew it was my last race. I wanted to leave it in the pool. So I just wanted to trust my back half and see if I could get out [fast] and hold it.”
A year from now, she will head to the Paris Olympics as the clear favorite in both the 800 and 1,500 freestyles, while also hoping to chase down Australia’s Ariarne Titmus in the 400 free, in which Titmus is both the defending Olympic and world champion.
“This was a great steppingstone of a meet,” said Ledecky, who has been training with coach Anthony Nesty at the University of Florida since the fall of 2021. “Having improvement off the blocks in pretty much all my events, and feeling like we’re progressing really well in training and in racing… We get back to work in just a couple of weeks.”
Aside from Ledecky and Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom – who won her fifth straight Worlds title in the 50-meter butterfly, then 17 minutes later set a world record of 23.61 seconds in the semifinals of the 50 free – the day belonged to the Australians, as has the entire meet.
Aussies won three more golds on Saturday – behind Kaylee McKeown in the women’s 200 back, Cameron McEvoy in the men’s 50 free and a world-record-setting victory in the mixed 4x100 free relay – to give them 13 for the meet, more than triple the total of Team USA, which has four (two courtesy of Ledecky). Australian sprinter Mollie O’Callaghan has been the swimmer of the meet thus far, with five gold medals, four of which were accompanied by world records.
“It’s just been an amazing meet,” O’Callaghan told reporters. “We are on fire at the moment.” | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2023/07/29/katie-ledecky-michael-phelps-gold-medals/ | 2023-07-29T15:29:15 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2023/07/29/katie-ledecky-michael-phelps-gold-medals/ |
TOKYO — Toshihiro Mutsuda was only 5 years old when he last saw his father, who was drafted by Japan's Imperial Army in 1943 and killed in action. For him, his father was a bespectacled man in an old family photo standing by a signed good-luck flag that he carried to war.
On Saturday, when the flag was returned to him from a U.S. war museum where it had been on display for 29 years, Mutsuda, now 83, said: "It's a miracle."
The flag, known as "Yosegaki Hinomaru," or Good Luck Flag, carries the soldier's name, Shigeyoshi Mutsuda, and the signatures of his relatives, friends and neighbors wishing him luck. It was given to him before he was drafted by the Army. His family was later told he died in Saipan, but his remains were never returned.
The flag was donated in 1994 and displayed at the museum aboard the USS Lexington, a WWII aircraft carrier, in Corpus Christi, Texas. Its meaning was not known until it was identified by the family earlier this year, said the museum director Steve Banta, who brought the flag to Tokyo.
Banta said he learned the story behind the flag earlier this year when he was contacted by the Obon Society, a nonprofit organization that has returned about 500 similar flags as non-biological remains, to the descendants of Japanese servicemembers killed in the war.
The search for the flag's original owner started in April when a museum visitor took a photo and asked an expert about the description that it had belonged to a "kamikaze" suicide pilot. When Shigeyoshi Mutsuda's grandson saw the photo, he sought help from the Obon Society, group co-founder Keiko Ziak said.
"When we learned all of this, and that the family would like to have the flag, we knew immediately that the flag did not belong to us," Banta said at the handover ceremony. "We knew that the right thing to do would be to send the flag home, to be in Japan and to the family."
The soldier's eldest son, Toshihiro Mutsuda, was speechless for a few seconds when Banta, wearing white gloves, gently placed the neatly folded flag into his hands. Two of his younger siblings, both in their 80s, stood by and looked on silently. The three children, all wearing cotton gloves so they wouldn't damage the decades-old flag, carefully unfolded it to show to the audience.
The soldier's daughter, Misako Matsukuchi, touched the flag with both hands and prayed. "After nearly 80 years, the spirit of our father returned to us. I hope he can finally rest in peace," Matsukuchi said later.
Toshihiro Mutsuda said his memory of his father was foggy. However, he clearly remembers his mother, Masae Mutsuda, who died five years ago at age 102, used to make the long-distance bus trip almost every year from the farming town in Gifu, central Japan, to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine, where the 2.5 million war dead are enshrined, to pay tribute to her husband's spirit.
The shrine is controversial, as it includes convicted war criminals among those commemorated. Victims of Japanese aggression during the first half of the 20th century, especially China and the Koreas, see Yasukuni as a symbol of Japanese militarism. However, for the Mutsuda family, it's a place to remember the loss of a father and husband.
"It's like an old love story across the ages coming together ... It doesn't matter where," Banta said, referring to the Yasukuni controversy. "The important thing is this flag goes to the family."
That's why Toshihiro Mutsuda and his siblings chose to receive the flag at Yasukuni and brought the framed photos of their parents.
"My mother missed him and wanted to see him so much and that's why she used to pray here," Toshihiro Mutsuda said. "Today her wish finally came true, and she was able to be reunited."
Keeping the flag on his lap, he said, "I feel the weight of the flag."
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wvia.org/news/2023-07-29/a-wwii-japanese-soldiers-good-luck-flag-is-returned-to-his-family-from-u-s-museum | 2023-07-29T15:29:59 | 1 | https://www.wvia.org/news/2023-07-29/a-wwii-japanese-soldiers-good-luck-flag-is-returned-to-his-family-from-u-s-museum |
(NEXSTAR) – The current Mega Millions jackpot is now tied for the fourth-largest in the game’s history after yet another drawing produced no grand-prize winners.
Friday’s winning numbers — 5, 10, 28, 52, 63, and Mega Ball 18 — went unmatched, continuing a 29-drawing trend that began after the last jackpot-winner was announced on April 18.
The current jackpot now stands at an estimated $1.05 billion, with a cash option of $527.9 million. That amount officially qualifies as the fourth-largest grand prize in Mega Millions history, tied with a jackpot awarded in Jan. 2021.
The current jackpot has steadily grown since April, after a ticketholder in New York matched all six numbers to win a $20-million prize. (The previous jackpot, awarded days before on April 14, was worth $483 million.) A total of 46 players, meanwhile, have won second-tier prizes worth $1 million or more since the last jackpot was won, the Mega Millions lottery confirmed in a press release.
Friday night’s drawing produced five of those second-tier winners, including one each in Arizona, California and New York, and two in Pennsylvania. One of the winning ticketholders in Pennsylvania had also purchased the Megaplier option (which multiplied Friday’s winnings by five times), making that ticket worth $5 million.
“In the current Mega Millions matrix and Megaplier configuration, which has been in place since October 28, 2017, there has never been a Megaplier of 5x drawn at this extraordinary jackpot level,” reads a portion of the Mega Millions press release. “That means a lot of prizes in other tiers have been multiplied by a factor of five!”
The next Mega Millions drawing is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 1. | https://www.wric.com/news/u-s-world/mega-millions-jackpot-exceeds-1-billion-now-4th-largest-in-games-history/ | 2023-07-29T15:30:24 | 1 | https://www.wric.com/news/u-s-world/mega-millions-jackpot-exceeds-1-billion-now-4th-largest-in-games-history/ |
Port workers in Canada’s British Columbia reject contract offer leaving ports hamstrung by dispute
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Port workers in British Columbia have rejected a mediated contract offer meant to end a labor dispute that stopped goods from moving in and out of harbors, including at Canada’s busiest port in Vancouver.
In a letter posted on the union’s website late Friday, International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada President Rob Ashton said workers in the province are now calling on their employers to “come to the table” and negotiate directly, instead of doing so through the BC Maritime Employers Association.
The vote to reject the contract raises the prospect of back-to-work legislation to end the uncertainty at more than 30 port terminals and other sites.
The four-year agreement between the union and maritime employers went to a vote of about 7,400 workers on Thursday and Friday, after union leaders presented the deal to local chapters on Tuesday.
The deal worked out with federal mediators had put a temporary halt to a 13-day strike that had commenced July 1, but its fate see-sawed wildly as the union leadership then rejected it and tried to go back to picket lines.
When that was deemed illegal by the Canada Industrial Relations Board, the union submitted a new 72-hour strike notice, only to withdraw it hours later.
On July 20, the union announced it was recommending the deal and would put it to a full membership vote.
Its failure will give impetus to calls for the federal government to bring in back-to-work legislation, that came earlier from industry groups and politicians, including Alberta Premier Danielle Smith.
The earlier job action was serious enough that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau convened the government’s incident response group to discuss the matter, an occurrence typically reserved for moments of national crisis.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.kob.com/news/business-money/port-workers-in-canadas-british-columbia-reject-contract-offer-leaving-ports-hamstrung-by-dispute/ | 2023-07-29T15:30:24 | 1 | https://www.kob.com/news/business-money/port-workers-in-canadas-british-columbia-reject-contract-offer-leaving-ports-hamstrung-by-dispute/ |
(NEXSTAR) — For many of us, flying is a relatively easy experience. Your flight leaves on time, your seatmates are polite, and you arrive at your destination safely.
But, in some cases, one of those aspects of flying may not go exactly as planned. You may find one of your fellow flyers committing an air travel faux pas: being barefoot.
You’ve seen the photos online of people’s toes peeking out between the seats. Maybe you’ve encountered it yourself. Either way, it’s largely frowned upon. In some cases, barefoot flying can even get you grounded.
Within its contract of carriage, United Airlines considers being barefoot, as well as being “not properly clothed,” an offense that justifies “refusal or removal of a passenger.” The carrier lists it as one of the many infractions that could impact safety for the passenger or others on the plane.
American Airlines says bare feet “aren’t allowed” from passengers, adding that “violent” or “inappropriate actions” could prevent you from boarding, being removed from the terminal, or facing legal prosecution.
Delta Airlines also warns that it can “refuse to transport or may remove passengers from its aircraft” if the passenger is barefoot. A barefoot passenger may be prohibited from boarding the plane, or may be forced to leave the plane, according to Spirit Airlines’ contract of carriage.
Frontier Airlines says it can refuse service to a passenger who is over the age of 3 and barefoot, “unless required to be barefoot for medical reasons.” Southwest Airlines and JetBlue state in their contracts of carriage that they can refuse to let a passenger fly if they are barefoot and older than five years of age, unless required due to a disability.
If these warnings from airlines aren’t enough to sway you from taking off your shoes while flying, maybe consider how many other people have also taken their shoes off on a plane – and what else has touched the floor.
“I would never fly barefoot on a plane,” a veteran flight attendant for a major carrier told Nexstar. “Passengers these days can be quite messy and we see everything from spills to dirty diapers thrown on the floor.”
Planes are tidied between flights, she explains, but the floors won’t be cleaned “unless there is a major mess.” That includes floors in the bathroom, too.
“That is most likely not water on the floor,” she adds. “Think of old men and young boys trying to aim in turbulence. Not good. Also, people love to throw trash anywhere but in the bathroom trash can so it usually ends up on the floor.”
If you still want to take your shoes off, she recommends bringing an old pair of socks to wear, then throwing them away after the flight.
United, American, Delta, Spirit, Frontier, JetBlue, and Southwest did not respond to Nexstar’s request for comment or its inquiry into whether any passengers have been removed or barred from flying over being barefooted.
Barefoot flyers are likely among the least of many airlines’ concerns. Over the last three years, airlines have reported record-setting incidents of disruptive passengers. That includes passengers accused of assaulting flight crews, opening emergency doors, and refusing to wear masks during the height of the COVID pandemic.
More recently, a Las Vegas-bound flight was forced to divert to Denver after an apparent fight broke out between some passengers. Two women were escorted off the plane, according to a passenger that captured video of the incident.
Causing a disturbance on a plane is a federal crime, and unruly passengers can face criminal prosecution or even fines. | https://www.wric.com/news/u-s-world/no-shoes-no-service-what-can-happen-if-you-fly-barefoot/ | 2023-07-29T15:30:30 | 0 | https://www.wric.com/news/u-s-world/no-shoes-no-service-what-can-happen-if-you-fly-barefoot/ |
Violent crime is rising in the nation’s capital. DC seeks solutions as Congress keeps close watch
WASHINGTON (AP) — Pamela Smith’s voice soared and quivered like a preacher in midsermon as she recalled her troubled childhood and how it helped prepare her for the challenges she faces as the new police chief in the nation’s capital.
“I stand before you as a child who had no hopes, who had no dreams — they were far beyond my reach. But I believe that all things are possible,” she said at her introductory news conference in Washington, in cadences honed by years as an ordained Baptist minister. “I believe I bring a fresh perspective, a different kind of energy, a different level of passion to what I’m going to do.”
Smith takes on the job at a precarious time.
Violent crime is rising sharply, fueled by more homicides and carjackings. The District of Columbia’s mayor, Muriel Bowser, and the D.C. Council have, at times, been at odds about crime legislation. On Capitol Hill, the Republican-led House has begun citing the city’s crime statistics while aggressively reviewing local public safety laws.
On July 24, the Mexican Consulate posted a tweet urging its nationals to “take precautions” in the city due to “a significant increase in crime in areas previously considered safe.”
Smith, 55, now becomes one of the public faces of this long-term fight even before the Council votes on her nomination as chief. She brings an inspirational story to her new role leading the Metropolitan Police Department. Raised in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, by a single mother who battled substance abuse, Smith and her siblings were at one point removed from their home and spent time in foster care. Smith emerged as a track star and went on to a 24-year career in the U.S. Park Police, where she served as the agency’s first Black female chief before retiring in 2022 to take up a senior leadership position at the MPD.
Law enforcement and government officials repeatedly point out that overall crime numbers in Washington have stayed relatively stable. But the crimes that have increased the most — murders and carjackings — are the ones most likely to damage public confidence.
“The scariest crimes are going up and regardless of what’s happening with other crimes, that’s what’s going to fuel the overall perception,” U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves told The Associated Press.
Graves’ office prosecutes most felonies in Washington, in a unique arrangement due to the district’s status as a nonstate. The city’s attorney general’s office prosecutes misdemeanors and juvenile crime, which is also on the rise.
This intricate dynamic among two separate sets of prosecutors, the city’s police force, Bowser’s administration and the Council has been publicly tested as the crime numbers have stayed high — all with Congress taking an increasing interest in the district’s affairs. Public safety was a primary topic of debate last year when Bowser, 50, successfully ran for a third term in office. She has spent this term sparring with both the Council and the House Oversight and Accountability Committee over how best to address crime.
July has been a particular bloody month, with 22 homicides as of Friday, including murders on the campuses of both Howard and Catholic universities. The victims include an Afghan man who survived years of working as a translator for the U.S. Army in Afghanistan only to be murdered in America while driving for Lyft. Nine people, including two children, were shot at a July Fourth party, when an assailant in an SUV opened fire on the crowd. A 12-year old girl remains hospitalized after being shot in the back Tuesday night by a bullet that penetrated the walls of her home.
Although the local murder rate is well below the levels in the 1980s and early 1990s, when Washington regularly led the nation in murders per capita, it has climbed steadily in recent years. In 2022, there was a roughly 10% drop in homicides, but now, homicides are up 15 percent compared with this time a year ago and the city is on pace to surpass 200 for the third year in a row. Police also reported 140 carjacking incidents in the month of June — the highest monthly total in more than five years.
Crime in Washington is now a national headline issue in Congress. In the spring, Bowser and Council members were summoned before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee for a heated session on local crime rates.
Congress voted to completely overturn the Council’s comprehensive rewrite of the district’s criminal code. Bowser was caught in the middle of the dispute. She had vetoed the overhaul, saying the reduction of maximum penalties for certain violent crimes “sent the wrong message,” but was overridden by the Council.
The mayor opposes congressional intervention in local affairs as part of Washington’s long push for statehood, but her initial veto was frequently cited by Republican lawmakers as proof that the rewrite was soft on crime. In an embarrassment for the heavily Democratic city, the move to cancel the criminal code revision drew support from dozens of congressional Democratic and was signed into law by President Joe Biden.
Earlier this month, the Council, with Bowser’s support, passed emergency public safety legislation meant to serve as a temporary fix. The bill makes it a felony to fire a gun in public and makes it easier for judges, in cases where people are charged with a violent crime, to detain them before trial. As an emergency bill, the changes will only last 90 days and will not be subject to congressional review; plans to make the changes permanent in the fall will face scrutiny by lawmakers.
“It is no secret … to the public that we are in a state of emergency right now,” said Brooke Pinto, the D.C. Council member who was the bill’s architect. “Like in any emergency, we have to act like it and we have to act urgently to address the problem we’re seeing.”
But some pushing for a criminal justice overhaul said city lawmakers were reverting to mass incarceration policies that had long ago been discredited.
“We’re way beyond thinking that we can just incarcerate more people,” said Patrice Sulton, executive director of the D.C. Justice Lab, who helped draft the now-canceled criminal code revision. “I think everybody who voted for it knows that it will not have an impact.”
The local branch of the American Civil Liberties Union said in a statement on Twitter that the new bill “essentially flips due process on its head — treating people as guilty and detaining them.”
All sides point to one primary factor fueling the violence: a flood to firearms entering Washington.
Graves, the district’s federal prosecutor, said the number of guns being used in crimes has skyrocketed, turning petty disputes into deadly battles. This includes a new wave of “ghost guns” — firearms that can be ordered in kits and assembled at home. Other kits can easily turn a semiautomatic weapon into an automatic, enabling a rapid-fire and generally less accurate spray of dozens of bullets. In 2018, authorities recovered three such guns; in 2022, the number was 461.
Graves compared the illegal guns to “a virus” in the neighborhood.
“The more virus there is in the community, the more people are going to get sick,” he said. “The more illegal firearms are in the community, the more likelihood those illegal firearms are going to be used.”
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.kob.com/news/us-and-world-news/violent-crime-is-rising-in-the-nations-capital-dc-seeks-solutions-as-congress-keeps-close-watch/ | 2023-07-29T15:30:30 | 1 | https://www.kob.com/news/us-and-world-news/violent-crime-is-rising-in-the-nations-capital-dc-seeks-solutions-as-congress-keeps-close-watch/ |
(NEXSTAR) – With heat records already falling this summer, you may be running your ceiling fan nearly non-stop, but did you know you may not be as cool as you could be?
If you’ve ever taken a close look at the fan, you may have noticed a small switch located on the side of the fan base. The switch, which is found on nearly every fan, can change the direction the fan spins.
Using that switch according to the season will not only keep you more comfortable, but it can also help you save money.
In the summer, make sure that your fan is going in a counterclockwise direction, which forces cool air directly downward and creates a “wind chill effect,” according to Home Depot. In the winter, you can switch it up so the fan rotates clockwise at a low speed, circulating the warm air that gets trapped near the ceiling.
If you have ceiling fans as well as air conditioning, using the fan correctly will allow you to raise the thermostat by roughly 4 degrees Fahrenheit and still feel just as comfortable, according to the Department of Energy. In moderately hot weather, you may even be able to turn off the AC. The DOE reminds people to turn off fans in unoccupied rooms.
According to Energy Star, if you raise your thermostat by just two degrees and use your ceiling fan, you can lower the cost of air conditioning by up to 14%.
If you’re in the market for a ceiling fan, larger fan blades will move more air than smaller ones, but you have to make sure it’s an appropriate size for the space.
The Department of Energy recommends blades be 7 to 9 feet above the floor and 10 to 12 inches away from the ceiling. The blades should be no closer than 8 inches from the ceiling and 18 inches from any walls. | https://www.wric.com/news/u-s-world/overlooked-ceiling-fan-switch-could-make-you-cooler-this-summer/ | 2023-07-29T15:30:36 | 1 | https://www.wric.com/news/u-s-world/overlooked-ceiling-fan-switch-could-make-you-cooler-this-summer/ |
(The Conversation) – Like any millennial pop music fan active on social media, I’ve been following Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour – the surprise songs, the scramble to get tickets, her brief romance with that guy from The 1975 with a history of racist comments.
But as a political scientist, I was intrigued by something else: reaction to the tour by government officials. New Jersey renamed the state’s famed Taylor ham, egg and cheese in her honor – it’s now the “Taylor Swift Ham, Egg, and Cheese” official state sandwich.
Pittsburgh’s mayor briefly renamed the city “Swiftsburgh” when her tour hit town.
And in my neck of the woods, Swift Street in North Kansas City was temporarily rebranded “Swift Street (Taylor’s Version).”
Local or state governments have lauded Swift in some way at virtually every stop on her tour. While these honors make for great photo opportunities for Swifties, the politics of these moves is worth examining. Do politicians have something to gain in appealing to Swift’s fans?
Celebrities can help politicians
Unlike many celebrities, Swift does not involve herself much in politics. One particular tool of politicians looking to boost their numbers is to get celebrity endorsements. But Swift’s use of endorsements has been limited, save for backing two Democrats in her adopted home state of Tennessee: Phil Bredesen in his Senate race and U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper in his 2018 reelection campaign. Swift also endorsed Joe Biden in 2020.
Bredesen’s peak in Google search interest from 2010 to the present coincided with Swift’s endorsement in October 2018. Cooper saw more Google search traffic with Swift’s endorsement than at any point since his vote for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in March 2010.
While the specific impact of Swift’s endorsements is difficult to assess, an Emerson College poll of Tennesseans in 2018 found that 11.7% of those surveyed said Swift’s endorsement would make them more likely to support Bredesen – a number unlikely to make a difference in a race Bredesen lost by nearly 11 points despite Swift’s support. Cooper easily won reelection in his heavily Democratic Nashville-based district.
Although Swift’s endorsements likely did not sway these particular races, celebrity endorsements can matter in close races, particularly when the celebrity making the endorsement is viewed favorably – a likely scenario in Swift’s case.
Fawning = attention
A slight majority of Americans consider themselves at least something of a fan of Swift’s music – that includes me – and a June 2023 Echelon Insights poll showed 50% of likely voters view Swift at least somewhat favorably. This is a higher favorability rating than Joe Biden, Donald Trump and both major political parties.
We’re not talking about endorsements here, though – we’re talking about politicians aligning themselves with Swift with no reciprocity. One clear benefit to public officials fawning over Swift? Attention – not unlike that seen for Bredesen and Cooper in 2018.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy’s tweet declaring the “Taylor Swift ham, egg, and cheese” garnered 5,700 likes; his next unrelated tweet had fewer than 100.
A cursory analysis of social media data seems to support the idea that the use of Swift’s name in honorary government actions produces a result similar to that of Swift’s endorsements: it drives engagement. Murphy’s Instagram post lauding Swift garnered the most likes on any post of his in 2023, with the exception of an early June post on the state’s air-quality crisis.
OK, so politicians need publicity, and they can use Taylor Swift’s name to get it. But what about Swifties as a voting bloc?
The idea that Swifties might be a key demographic in future elections is not far-fetched given their location and age. A majority of Swift’s fans live in the suburbs, the swing territory of American politics. Further, most are Gen Zers or Millennials. These groups encompass an increasing share of the electorate with each passing year – up to 31% in 2020. Swift’s favorability among those ages 18 to 29 stands at 72%, and by one poll’s estimate, 21% in that age cohort say they would vote for Swift over Trump and Biden.
Taylor Swift Post Office?
World leaders from numerous countries have taken to social media to ask Swift to bring her tour to their countries. There’s an economic angle to this, of course, as a Swift tour stop can generate huge sums in consumer spending. In the U.S., however, the honorifics bestowed upon Swift have come since her tour dates were confirmed.
There is a question of whether these Swift-adjacent stunts boil down to campaigning thinly disguised as official government action. This is perhaps best demonstrated in Canada, where a member of Parliament filed a parliamentary grievance over the singer’s lack of Canadian tour dates.
Such behavior is perhaps analogous to, on a larger scale, the renaming of post offices in the U.S. Congress. While generally innocuous and locally meaningful, these moves still require government resources and staffers to put their attention toward them as opposed to substantive policy matters.
Taylor Swift is an enormously popular figure, particularly among demographic groups that will be increasingly important in future American elections. In close races, voices such as Swift’s could prove critical – not necessarily because she influences how fans vote, but because her voice provides attention and credibility to candidates. | https://www.wric.com/news/u-s-world/the-taylor-swift-official-state-sandwich-politicians-understand-swifties-are-a-key-demographic/ | 2023-07-29T15:30:42 | 1 | https://www.wric.com/news/u-s-world/the-taylor-swift-official-state-sandwich-politicians-understand-swifties-are-a-key-demographic/ |
(iSeeCars) — When it comes to car buying, you may be torn between buying and leasing.
While leasing a car might be an attractive option if you want a different car every few years, you might be turned off by the high monthly payments for the cars you’re interested in. What you might not realize is that you can also lease a used car.
Although used cars make up only a small percentage of the leased car market, it’s still possible to lease a used car. And with used car prices still higher than pre-pandemic levels, leasing a used car could be a smart financial decision.
So how can you lease a used car, and is it a good idea? We have the answers.
Which Used Cars Can be Leased?
Used cars that are available to lease are typically Certified Pre Owned cars (also known as CPO) from car dealerships. A certified pre-owned vehicle is a late-model used car that is sold by a franchised dealer after it has been thoroughly inspected, and comes with a factory-backed extended-powertrain warranty and bumper-to-bumper warranty. Each manufacturer has different criteria for their CPO vehicles, but they generally will be less than 6 years old and will not have more than 48,000 miles on the odometer.
You can also take over a lease from someone who wants to get out of their lease. It could be because they are facing a hardship or because they no longer require a vehicle. Whatever the reason, they will post their car on a leasing company website like SwapALease.com or LeaseTrader in hopes that someone can take over their lease so they won’t have to incur the penalties associated with breaking their lease contract. In this case you won’t be required to make a down payment, and you can likely negotiate with the seller to have them pay the transfer fees. However, when taking over someone’s lease, you should estimate how much you plan on driving the vehicle to make sure that you don’t exceed the mileage limit. If you do go over the mileage limit, you will have to pay a penalty when you turn the car in.
How To Find a Used Car to Lease
Used-car leases from dealerships are rare and aren’t widely advertised. The best way to find a leased used car is to do the legwork yourself. All major manufacturers, both mainstream and luxury, offer CPO vehicle leases. However, some automakers, including Stellantis, Ford, and Nissan, require outside financing, while Toyota’s finance department does provide financing for used vehicle leases.
The best way to find a used lease is to decide what vehicle you are interested in, and call around to franchised dealerships to see if they offer used car leases on their CPO inventory.
How to Shop For a Used Car Lease
When deciding if leasing a used car is right for you, you should always shop around. Just as you should compare prices when shopping for used vehicles, you should contact multiple dealerships to see which offer the best pricing.
You should also compare the cost of leasing a used car with the cost of a new car. New car leases often come with better finance rates and may also have incentives and special offers. This cost difference between a new-car lease and used-car lease will be smaller with used Honda and Toyota cars, while the savings will be more significant on luxury vehicles from Acura or Lexus.
The smartest used car lease purchases are for later model year cars, two-to-three-years old and still under warranty, or that offer extended warranties. Otherwise, you are responsible for costly repairs on a car you don’t own. Keep in mind auto insurance is often more expensive for leased cars, so make sure to get a quote from your insurer and factor it into your budget.
As with any used car purchase, you should make sure you get the car fully inspected by an independent mechanic before leasing. You should also use helpful online research tools like the iSeeCars free VIN check that provides a free CARFAX or Autocheck vehicle history report as part of its comprehensive VIN check tool. A comprehensive VIN check will complement the vehicle history report to provide all the important information an interested buyer should know before making a used car purchase.
How Does Used Car Leasing Work?
Used-car leases are similar in structure to new car leases. Just as with a new car lease, the lender will base payments off of a car’s residual value compared to its sales price. The lender will also determine a money factor, which is the vehicle’s interest rate. Just as used cars usually have higher interest rates than new cars, a used car lease will likely have a higher interest rate than a new car lease when it comes to a car loan. However, because a used car has already taken its depreciation hit, the used vehicle will have a lower sales price and lower depreciation rate, which will result in a lower monthly payment than a new car lease. Savings between new and used car leases tend to be more significant when leasing luxury cars.
Used Car Leases: Benefits
The main draw to leasing a used car is the lower monthly payments. It may also allow you to afford a more expensive car than what you would be able to afford with a new car lease. If you don’t care about having the latest new car technology, but want to get rid of a car before it’s too dated, a used car lease might be an appealing option. Additionally, you may have lower car insurance costs than what you would pay on a new car since rates are based on a car’s value.
Used Car Leases: Drawbacks
By leasing a used car, you are responsible for repairs after the vehicle runs past its warranty. You also won’t be able to enjoy the main benefit of new car leasing, which is driving a brand new car with the latest technology. By leasing a used car, although the payments are likely lower, you are still making monthly payments and maintenance costs for a vehicle you don’t own. You may also be charged at the end of the lease if the vehicle is not in good shape or you drive it past the mileage limit as stated in your lease agreement. In many instances, buying a practical used car and keeping it for several years will save you money in the long run compared to leasing.
Bottom Line
If you’re interested in leasing a car and want to lower your monthly lease payments or upgrade to a more expensive vehicle while keeping costs down, a used car lease might be a smart decision. However, used car leases are hard to find, so you should be prepared to do some extra legwork to find the best used car lease deals. Also, be sure to compare prices and lease rates to other used CPO leases as well as new vehicle leases. Avoid leased vehicles that extend beyond a car’s warranty so you won’t be responsible for expensive repairs.
Lastly, once your lease term ends, you’ll have the option for a lease buyout with a purchase price based on the residual value of the car. If you don’t buy the car, you’ll need to find another car to lease. That’s why purchasing a used car outright, that you can keep as long as you want, is often the smartest long-term financial decision.
More from iSeeCars.com:
If you’re interested in a new car or a used car, be sure to check out iSeeCars’ award-winning car search engine. It uses advanced algorithms to help shoppers find the best car deals across all used cars and provides key insights and valuable resources, like the iSeeCars free VIN check report and Best Cars rankings. Filter by make, model, price, CPO vehicles, and special features to find the best deal on your next vehicle.
This article, Can You Lease a Used Car? originally appeared on iSeeCars.com. | https://fox59.com/automotive/can-you-lease-a-used-car-2/ | 2023-07-29T15:31:18 | 1 | https://fox59.com/automotive/can-you-lease-a-used-car-2/ |
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://fox59.com/business/ap-business/ap-with-one-eye-on-china-japan-backs-sri-lanka-as-a-partner-in-the-indo-pacific/ | 2023-07-29T15:31:24 | 1 | https://fox59.com/business/ap-business/ap-with-one-eye-on-china-japan-backs-sri-lanka-as-a-partner-in-the-indo-pacific/ |
BALTIMORE, Md, July 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Lupin) is voluntarily recalling two (2) lots of Tydemy (Drospirenone, Ethinyl Estradiol and Levomefolate Calcium Tablets 3mg/0.03mg/0.451 mg and Levomefolate Calcium Tablets 0.451 mg) to the patient (consumer/user) level due to out of specification (OOS) test results at the 12-month stability time point. Specifically, one lot (L200183) tested low for ascorbic acid (an inactive ingredient) and high for a known impurity.
To date, Lupin has received no reports of adverse events related to either recalled lots. Regardless, Lupin is recalling two lots because if there were a significant reduction in the amount of inactive content (ascorbic acid), this could potentially impact the effectiveness of the product which could potentially result in unexpected pregnancy.
Tydemy is estrogen/progestin oral contraceptive (COC) indicated for use by women to prevent pregnancy and to raise folate levels in women who choose to use an oral contraceptive for contraception. Tydemy is packaged in 28's blister. One such blister was then packed in a pouch along with one printed sleeve, one pack insert (with day label) and one oxygen absorber (Stabilox) sachet. The three pouches were packed in one carton.
The lots were distributed nationwide in the US to wholesalers, drug chains, mail order pharmacies and supermarkets. The recalled lots are included in the table below:
Lupin is notifying its wholesalers, distributors, drug chains, mail order pharmacies and supermarkets by phone and through recall notification and is arranging for the return of all the recalled product lots.
Patients taking, Tydemy are advised to continue taking their medication and immediately contact their pharmacist, physician, or medical provider for advice regarding an alternative treatment.
Wholesalers, distributors and retailers that have Tydemy that is being recalled should discontinue distribution of the recalled product lots immediately.
Consumers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers with questions regarding this recall should contact Inmar Rx Solutions, Inc. at (866) 480-8206 Monday – Friday 09:00 am to 05:00 pm EST. For reimbursement, please have the recalled lots returned to Inmar Rx Solutions, Inc.; the lot number can be found on the side of the carton. Consumers should contact their physician or healthcare provider if they have experienced any problems that may be related to taking or using this drug product.
Adverse reactions or quality problems experienced with the use of this product may be reported to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, by regular mail or by fax.
- Complete and submit the report Online: www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm
- Regular Mail or Fax: Download form www.fda.gov/MedWatch/getforms.htm or call 1-800-332-1088 to request a reporting form, then complete and return to the address on the pre-addressed form, or submit by fax to 1-800-FDA-0178.
This recall is being conducted with the knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Product Label:
About Lupin Pharmaceuticals
Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is the U.S. based wholly-owned subsidiary of Lupin Limited and is the 3rd largest pharmaceutical company in the U.S. based on total prescriptions. Together, all Lupin-owned entities combine to make up the 8th largest generic pharmaceutical company in the world by revenue size. Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is dedicated to delivering high-quality medications across many treatment areas. Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s branded pharmaceuticals division, is the provider of products designed to help prevent and manage women's health conditions with serious health consequences.
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SOURCE Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/lupin-pharmaceuticals-inc-issues-voluntary-nationwide-recall-2-lots-tydemytm-drospirenone-ethinyl-estradiol-levomefolate-calcium-tablets-3mg003mg0451mg-levomefolate-calcium-tablets-0451mg-due-out-specification-oos-results-12-month-stability-time-point/ | 2023-07-29T15:31:24 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/lupin-pharmaceuticals-inc-issues-voluntary-nationwide-recall-2-lots-tydemytm-drospirenone-ethinyl-estradiol-levomefolate-calcium-tablets-3mg003mg0451mg-levomefolate-calcium-tablets-0451mg-due-out-specification-oos-results-12-month-stability-time-point/ |
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://fox59.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-blinken-says-us-economic-support-for-niger-is-at-risk-as-military-takeover-threatens-stability/ | 2023-07-29T15:31:30 | 1 | https://fox59.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-blinken-says-us-economic-support-for-niger-is-at-risk-as-military-takeover-threatens-stability/ |
Marlins vs. Tigers Predictions & Picks: Odds, Moneyline, Spread - July 29
Saturday's contest between the Miami Marlins (56-48) and Detroit Tigers (46-58) matching up at LoanDepot park has a projected final score of 6-5 (according to our computer prediction) in favor of the Marlins, who is listed as a slight favorite by our model. The game will start at 4:10 PM ET on July 29.
The Marlins will give the ball to Johnny Cueto (0-1, 4.50 ERA), who is eyeing win No. 1 on the season, and the Tigers will counter with Beau Brieske.
Marlins vs. Tigers Game Info & Odds
- When: Saturday, July 29, 2023 at 4:10 PM ET
- Where: LoanDepot park in Miami, Florida
- How to Watch on TV: Fox Sports 1
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
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Marlins vs. Tigers Score Prediction
Our pick for this contest is Marlins 6, Tigers 5.
Total Prediction for Marlins vs. Tigers
- Total Prediction: Over 8 runs
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Marlins Performance Insights
- The Marlins have played as the favorite in six of their past 10 games and won two of those contests.
- When it comes to hitting the over, Miami and its opponents are 5-5-0 in its last 10 games with a total.
- Bookmakers have not set a spread for any of the Marlins' last 10 games.
- The Marlins have won 31, or 66%, of the 47 games they've played as favorites this season.
- Miami has entered 25 games this season favored by -155 or more and is 21-4 in those contests.
- The Marlins have a 60.8% chance to win this game based on the implied probability of the moneyline.
- Miami is among the lowest-scoring teams in the majors, ranking 26th with just 428 total runs (4.1 per game) this season.
- The Marlins have a 4.11 team ERA that ranks 13th among all MLB pitching staffs.
Tigers Performance Insights
- The Tigers have played as the underdog in six of their past 10 games and have gone 1-5 in those contests.
- When it comes to the total, Detroit and its foes are 4-5-1 in its previous 10 contests.
- The Tigers' previous 10 contests have not had a runline posted by bookmakers.
- The Tigers have been victorious in 33, or 39.8%, of the 83 contests they have been chosen as underdogs in this season.
- This season, Detroit has come away with a win 22 times in 48 chances when named as an underdog of at least +130 or worse on the moneyline.
- The Tigers have an implied victory probability of 43.5% according to the moneyline set for this matchup.
- Detroit is the third-lowest scoring team in MLB play averaging 3.9 runs per game (406 total).
- Tigers pitchers have a combined ERA of 4.53 ERA this year, which ranks 22nd in MLB.
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Marlins Schedule
Tigers Schedule
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wistv.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/marlins-tigers-mlb-picks-predictions/ | 2023-07-29T15:31:31 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/marlins-tigers-mlb-picks-predictions/ |
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://fox59.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-election-disinformation-campaigns-targeted-voters-of-color-in-2020-experts-expect-2024-to-be-worse/ | 2023-07-29T15:31:36 | 0 | https://fox59.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-election-disinformation-campaigns-targeted-voters-of-color-in-2020-experts-expect-2024-to-be-worse/ |
Germany vs. Colombia: Women’s World Cup Group H Odds, Stats and Live Stream - July 30
In the second round of Group H matches at the 2023 Women's World Cup, Germany (coming off a 6-0 win over Morocco) plays Colombia (off a 2-0 win against South Korea) at 5:30 AM ET on Sunday, July 30.
Germany is -431 to win this group-stage game, Colombia is +1067, and the draw is +504. This match has an over/under of 2.5 goals. The under is currently +104, and the over is -138.
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Germany vs. Colombia Game Info
- Date: Sunday, July 30, 2023
- Time: 5:30 AM ET
- Location: Sydney, Australia
- Venue: Sydney Football Stadium
- TV Channel: Fox Sports 1
- Total: 2.5
- Germany Moneyline: -431
- Colombia Moneyline: +1067
Germany vs. Colombia World Cup Betting Insights
- These two teams score a combined eight goals per game, 5.5 more than this match's total.
- These two teams allow a combined zero goals per game, 2.5 fewer than this match's over/under.
- Germany has been listed as a moneyline favorite only one other time so far this tournament, and won.
- Germany has played as a moneyline favorite of -431 or shorter in only one game this tournament, which they won.
- Colombia won the only game it has played as an underdog this tournament.
- Colombia has not been a bigger underdog this tournament than the +1067 moneyline set for this game.
Germany World Cup Stats
Colombia World Cup Stats
- In one Women's World Cup match for Colombia, Catalina Usme has tallied one goal (10th in Women's World Cup play).
- Linda Caicedo has scored one goal for Colombia in Women's World Cup.
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Germany vs. Colombia Recent Performance
- So far this year, Germany is 3-1-2 versus fellow 2023 Women's World Cup participants, with a goal differential of +6. In 2022, it was 6-1-4 in such matches (+11 goal differential).
- Germany took on Morocco in its last match and earned a win by a final score of 6-0. The victorious Germany side took 15 shots, outshooting by 10.
- Popp scored two of her club's goals to lead the team against .
- So far this year, Colombia is 3-2-2 versus fellow 2023 Women's World Cup teams, with a goal differential of +1. In 2022, it was 5-2-3 in such matches (0 goal differential).
- Colombia claimed a 2-0 victory versus South Korea on July 24 in its last match. Colombia outshot South Korea 15 to four.
- Caicedo and Usme each registered a goal for Colombia.
Germany Roster
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Colombia Roster
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wistv.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/2023-womens-world-cup-germany-colombia-betting-preview-odds/ | 2023-07-29T15:31:37 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/2023-womens-world-cup-germany-colombia-betting-preview-odds/ |
TOKYO (AP) — Toshihiro Mutsuda was only 5 years old when he last saw his father, who was drafted by Japan’s Imperial Army in 1943 and killed in action. For him, his father was a bespectacled man in an old family photo standing by a signed good-luck flag that he carried to war.
On Saturday, when the flag was returned to him from a U.S. war museum where it had been on display for 29 years, Mutsuda, now 83, said: “It’s a miracle.”
The flag, known as “Yosegaki Hinomaru,” or Good Luck Flag, carries the soldier’s name, Shigeyoshi Mutsuda, and the signatures of his relatives, friends and neighbors wishing him luck. It was given to him before he was drafted by the Army. His family was later told he died in Saipan, but his remains were never returned.
The flag was donated in 1994 and displayed at the museum aboard the USS Lexington, a WWII aircraft carrier, in Corpus Christi, Texas. Its meaning was not known until it was identified by the family earlier this year, said the museum director Steve Banta, who brought the flag to Tokyo.
Banta said he learned the story behind the flag earlier this year when he was contacted by the Obon Society, a nonprofit organization that has returned about 500 similar flags as non-biological remains, to the descendants of Japanese servicemembers killed in the war.
The search for the flag’s original owner started in April when a museum visitor took a photo and asked an expert about the description that it had belonged to a “kamikaze” suicide pilot. When Shigeyoshi Mutsuda’s grandson saw the photo, he sought help from the Obon Society, group co-founder Keiko Ziak said.
“When we learned all of this, and that the family would like to have the flag, we knew immediately that the flag did not belong to us,” Banta said at the handover ceremony. “We knew that the right thing to do would be to send the flag home, to be in Japan and to the family.”
The soldier’s eldest son, Toshihiro Mutsuda, was speechless for a few seconds when Banta, wearing white gloves, gently placed the neatly folded flag into his hands. Two of his younger siblings, both in their 80s, stood by and looked on silently. The three children, all wearing cotton gloves so they wouldn’t damage the decades-old flag, carefully unfolded it to show to the audience.
The soldier’s daughter, Misako Matsukuchi, touched the flag with both hands and prayed. “After nearly 80 years, the spirit of our father returned to us. I hope he can finally rest in peace,” Matsukuchi said later.
Toshihiro Mutsuda said his memory of his father was foggy. However, he clearly remembers his mother, Masae Mutsuda, who died five years ago at age 102, used to make the long-distance bus trip almost every year from the farming town in Gifu, central Japan, to Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine, where the 2.5 million war dead are enshrined, to pay tribute to her husband’s spirit.
The shrine is controversial, as it includes convicted war criminals among those commemorated. Victims of Japanese aggression during the first half of the 20th century, especially China and the Koreas, see Yasukuni as a symbol of Japanese militarism. However, for the Mutsuda family, it’s a place to remember the loss of a father and husband.
“It’s like an old love story across the ages coming together … It doesn’t matter where,” Banta said, referring to the Yasukuni controversy. “The important thing is this flag goes to the family.”
That’s why Toshihiro Mutsuda and his siblings chose to receive the flag at Yasukuni and brought the framed photos of their parents.
“My mother missed him and wanted to see him so much and that’s why she used to pray here,” Toshihiro Mutsuda said. “Today her wish finally came true, and she was able to be reunited.”
Keeping the flag on his lap, he said, “I feel the weight of the flag.” | https://fox59.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-its-a-miracle-say-family-of-japanese-soldier-killed-in-wwii-as-flag-he-carried-returns-from-us/ | 2023-07-29T15:31:43 | 1 | https://fox59.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-its-a-miracle-say-family-of-japanese-soldier-killed-in-wwii-as-flag-he-carried-returns-from-us/ |
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.”
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Max Ralph is a student in John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State.
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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.
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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://fox59.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-lgbtq-community-proud-and-visible-at-womens-world-cup/ | 2023-07-29T15:31:49 | 1 | https://fox59.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-lgbtq-community-proud-and-visible-at-womens-world-cup/ |
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://fox59.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-members-of-congress-break-for-august-with-no-clear-path-to-avoiding-a-shutdown-this-fall/ | 2023-07-29T15:31:56 | 0 | https://fox59.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-members-of-congress-break-for-august-with-no-clear-path-to-avoiding-a-shutdown-this-fall/ |
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://fox59.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-the-extreme-heat-wave-that-blasted-the-southwest-is-abating-with-late-arriving-monsoon-rains/ | 2023-07-29T15:32:03 | 0 | https://fox59.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-the-extreme-heat-wave-that-blasted-the-southwest-is-abating-with-late-arriving-monsoon-rains/ |
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The cosmos is offering up a double feature in August: a pair of supermoons culminating in a rare blue moon.
Catch the first show Tuesday evening as the full moon rises in the southeast, appearing slightly brighter and bigger than normal. That’s because it will be closer than usual, just 222,159 miles (357,530 kilometers) away, thus the supermoon label.
The moon will be even closer the night of Aug. 30 — a scant 222,043 miles (357,344 kilometers) distant. Because it’s the second full moon in the same month, it will be what’s called a blue moon.
“Warm summer nights are the ideal time to watch the full moon rise in the eastern sky within minutes of sunset. And it happens twice in August,” said retired NASA astrophysicist Fred Espenak, dubbed Mr. Eclipse for his eclipse-chasing expertise.
The last time two full supermoons graced the sky in the same month was in 2018. It won’t happen again until 2037, according to Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project.
Masi will provide a live webcast of Tuesday evening’s supermoon, as it rises over the Coliseum in Rome.
“My plans are to capture the beauty of this … hopefully bringing the emotion of the show to our viewers,” Masi said in an email.
“The supermoon offers us a great opportunity to look up and discover the sky,” he added.
This year’s first supermoon was in July. The fourth and last will be in September. The two in August will be closer than either of those.
Provided clear skies, binoculars or backyard telescopes can enhance the experience, Espenak said, revealing such features as lunar maria — the dark plains formed by ancient volcanic lava flows — and rays emanating from lunar craters.
According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the August full moon is traditionally known as the sturgeon moon. That’s because of the abundance of that fish in the Great Lakes in August, hundreds of years ago.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | https://fox59.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-two-supermoons-in-august-mean-double-the-stargazing-fun/ | 2023-07-29T15:32:09 | 0 | https://fox59.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-two-supermoons-in-august-mean-double-the-stargazing-fun/ |
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://fox59.com/news/entertainment/ap-entertainment/ap-after-an-attack-on-salman-rushdie-the-chautauqua-institution-says-its-mission-wont-change/ | 2023-07-29T15:32:15 | 1 | https://fox59.com/news/entertainment/ap-entertainment/ap-after-an-attack-on-salman-rushdie-the-chautauqua-institution-says-its-mission-wont-change/ |
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://fox59.com/news/entertainment/ap-entertainment/ap-black-belt-eagle-scouts-latest-record-inspired-by-return-home-to-swinomish-tribes-ancestral-lands/ | 2023-07-29T15:32:21 | 1 | https://fox59.com/news/entertainment/ap-entertainment/ap-black-belt-eagle-scouts-latest-record-inspired-by-return-home-to-swinomish-tribes-ancestral-lands/ |
Katie Ledecky is now the solo record-holder for most individual gold medals at the world championships.
The American swimmer won her 16th title Saturday in the women's 800-meter freestyle in Fukuoka, Japan. That surpassed fellow American Michael Phelps' original record — which Ledecky tied Tuesday when she won the 1,500-meter women's freestyle.
Ledecky's win also marked her sixth world championship in the event. She led from start to finish and cruised to victory with a time of 8:08.87 — four seconds slower than her 2016 world record — and beat the second-place finisher by 4.44 seconds.
Watch Katie Ledecky make history as she wins her 6th world championship in the women’s 800m, her 16th individual swimming world title! 🥇 #AQUAFukuoka23 pic.twitter.com/nIFBjILGUZ
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 29, 2023
Ledecky, 26, now has 21 total gold medals at the world championships with relay events included.
"It was special," Ledecky said on Peacock. "I'm happy with that swim. I wanted to be a little bit better [time-wise], but I'll take it. I'm really pleased with how the week went."
While she beat Phelps in individual goals on the world stage, she still trails him by 16 gold medals on the Olympic stage. However, Ledecky only needs three gold medals to climb into second place among all Olympic athletes behind Phelps and ahead of gymnast Larisa Latynina (Soviet Union), swimmer Mark Spitz (United States), track and field athlete Carl Lewis (U.S), and long-distance runner Paavo Nurmi (Finland).
Three more total medals would also put Ledecky at in first place among all female Olympic swimmers and second among all Olympic swimmers.
For now, though, Ledecky has one of the most impressive records in the sport of swimming. The next target is, of course, the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris which begin in almost exactly a year from this weekend. | https://www.star945.com/news/national/katie-ledecky-breaks/VLQIUD6ISZAXFOVVQ2FGERA3DI/ | 2023-07-29T15:32:22 | 0 | https://www.star945.com/news/national/katie-ledecky-breaks/VLQIUD6ISZAXFOVVQ2FGERA3DI/ |
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WJZY) – A “weld indication” has been discovered on the Fury 325 coaster at Carowinds in North Carolina — the same ride that had a support column replaced due to a crack found roughly one month ago.
The North Carolina Department of Labor confirmed with Nexstar’s WJZY that the agency was notified of the structural issue found on the popular coaster this week.
A “weld indication” could be either a break or a crack on the coaster, the department said.
“No certificate of operation has been issued nor do we have a timeline of when the certificate of operation will be issued for the Fury 325,” officials with the department said Friday.
Carowinds has since issued a statement concerning the find.
“We are conducting a full maintenance review of Fury 325 during this testing process. This maintenance review — which is consistent with routine off-season procedures — includes a review of the steel superstructure, the trains, and the ride control system,” park officials said.
“During such reviews, it is not uncommon to discover slight weld indications in various locations of a steel superstructure. It is important to note that these indications do not compromise the structural integrity or safety of the ride.”
Park officials added that each indication will be evaluated, tested, repaired and inspected “before the ride is deemed operational.”
“Additionally, as is customary, we conduct test cycles to ensure its smooth operation before guests are allowed on the ride.”
This newly reported defects come after a significant break was discovered by a parkgoer on a support beam for the roller coaster in late June.
The support pillar was replaced earlier this month. Carowinds is currently conducting its own tests and inspections ahead of inspections by the “final inspections by the “ride manufacturer, a third-party testing firm, and the North Carolina Department of Labor’s Elevator and Amusement Device Bureau,” the park said.
Carowinds bills its Fury 325 coaster as North America’s tallest, fastest, and longest giga coaster, meaning it contains a drop of at least 300 feet. Riders reach a peak height of 325 feet following a dramatic 81-degree drop. The ride can reach speeds of up to 95 mph. | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/another-crack-in-the-coaster-weld-indication-found-on-carowinds-ride-after-july-repairs/ | 2023-07-29T15:32:27 | 0 | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/another-crack-in-the-coaster-weld-indication-found-on-carowinds-ride-after-july-repairs/ |
Chloe Ricketts made NWSL history in just her fourth professional appearance.
At 16 years, two months, and six days old, Ricketts became the youngest goalscorer in the league's 10-year history Saturday when she capped off the Washington Spirit's 4-2 Challenge Cup win over NJ/NY Gotham FC on Friday night.
.@ChloeRicketts89's first pro goal was PRETTY pic.twitter.com/KK4bjotgmX
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 29, 2023
After the game, Ricketts said her little sister told her she had to score in the match. That request fueled her quest, Rickets said.
"That's what was going through my mind the whole time," she told reporters after the win. "[Ashley] Hatch played a beautiful ball straight to my feet, so I could finish it easily."
She made her lil sister proud 🥰 https://t.co/OZSJqO0it8 pic.twitter.com/eFwW2rOpp4
— Washington Spirit (@WashSpirit) July 29, 2023
While Ricketts is the youngest player to score a goal in the NWSL, she isn't the youngest player in the league. That designation belongs to San Diego Wave FC forward Melanie Barcenas, who won't turn 16 until Oct. 30 and took the mantle from Ricketts a month after she signed with the Spirit in March.
The record for youngest goalscorer in league play specifically (the Challenge Cup doesn't count towards NWSL standings, but comes with a monetary price) is Olivia Moultrie, who was 16 years, eight months and 28 days old when she scored for the Portland Thorns in 2022.
Young players like Ricketts and Barcenas are able to play professional soccer under the NWSL's Under-18 Entry List, which allows teams to sign two players instead of drafting them if they meet certain criteria and with the consent of the players' parent or legal guardian. The Spirit were the first team to use this rule when they signed Ricketts. | https://www.star945.com/news/national/spirit-midfielder/KDQYVQWXS4EZ2ORWL3BGFNHVWQ/ | 2023-07-29T15:32:29 | 0 | https://www.star945.com/news/national/spirit-midfielder/KDQYVQWXS4EZ2ORWL3BGFNHVWQ/ |
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://fox59.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-a-drought-alert-for-receding-lake-titicaca-has-indigenous-communities-worried-for-their-future/ | 2023-07-29T15:32:33 | 1 | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-a-drought-alert-for-receding-lake-titicaca-has-indigenous-communities-worried-for-their-future/ |
In a moment of jest, Mike Elias provided a condition in which he would go all in on the 2023 Orioles.
“Unless we have information that the world is ending in November,” Elias quipped, “a big part of my job is worrying about the overall health of the team over the next several years.”
Surely, though, if Earth’s demise was imminent, it wouldn’t be something that an MLB team alone would know. And, naturally, there would be more important matters than a game of stick and ball.
But even without a credible forecast of impending doom, can’t Elias still push his chips to the center of the table?
The throwaway line from the Orioles general manager’s 26-minute news conference was one of many that gave an insight into the thinking of the top executive of the American League’s best team. His answers were unsurprisingly pragmatic.
But, perhaps, this could be the right time for Elias, who has shepherded the Orioles’ radical and rapid transformation in part because of his methodical approach, to lean into the nihilistic impulse he gave a glimpse of Friday. To listen to the devil on his shoulder, throw caution to the wind and let tomorrow’s problems wait for tomorrow.
This seems to be a good spot for a disclaimer: Of course, Elias can’t treat the 2023 trade deadline like a fantasy baseball team — nor will he. The Orioles have seven prospects inside Baseball America’s top 100 list, and he obviously shouldn’t give up too many of them for rentals. It is, as he said, his job to consider past 2023, and there are plenty of good reasons to remain level-headed at this deadline.
However, moments like this one don’t come around often. Baltimore hasn’t won a World Series (or even been to one) in 40 years. A large portion of the fan base wasn’t even alive in 1983 when the Orioles defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in five games. The fans who were have since yearned to experience another.
Having a team — whether ahead of schedule or not — atop the AL standings is a feat not easily achieved, and there’s no guarantee the Orioles will be here again in the future Elias is paid to worry about. But they’re here now, and it’s a rare opportunity that shouldn’t be treated lightly.
Preceding his humorous comment, Elias said the organization’s goal is to “make a deep playoff run” and make the World Series. Immediately following, Elias then explained the “balance” to his trade deadline approach.
“We have tested methodologies that we’ve used now over three organizations to help us make those decisions,” he said. “We’re applying those to weigh the opportunities that come along. Those methods help us weigh the impact of an addition for the 2023 run and the expense of that going out the door and also how much we want to balance that against 2024 and 2025 and 2026. I’m just saying this is kind of the job.”
Now is another good time for a disclaimer: As the deadline stove heats up, it behooves Elias to provide as little revealing information as possible, so as to not tip his hand to a potential seller. But Elias did suggest he could “reach” on a trade if the player and package are a fit. He said the Orioles’ overachieving — with playoff odds that are eightfold what they were to begin the season, according to FanGraphs — has given extra motivation to bolster the 2023 club.
“I think with the position that our players have put us in right here and how well things are going so far and where we are, I think it’s fair to say that if we get within reach of something, we’re going to reach for it a little bit to help this team,” Elias said. “We can’t set the minor league system on fire just because we’re in first place. It’s just our job to balance all that.”
Elias said the Orioles are in the market for pitching — both to strengthen their young starting rotation and reinforce their middle relief. Pitchers thought to be on the trading block include starters Dylan Cease, Blake Snell, Eduardo Rodriguez and Marcus Stroman, as well as relievers Josh Hader, Scott Barlow, Keynan Middleton and Jordan Hicks.
Of course, when it comes to the trades, the devil is in the details. Elias described the market as “thin” with few “pure sellers.” With an expanded playoff field and the new balanced schedule, more teams are in the postseason hunt — a good thing for the sport, but a bad thing for teams like the Orioles hoping to pillage underperforming teams of their best players. A “seller’s market” means Baltimore would, in theory, have to give up more for a player than otherwise assumed.
But that hasn’t stopped other contending teams from making significant additions, more than what the Orioles have done thus far in acquiring volatile reliever Shintaro Fujinami from the Oakland Athletics. The Houston Astros on Friday acquired back-end reliever Kendall Graveman from the Chicago White Sox. The Los Angeles Dodgers added starting pitcher Lance Lynn and reliever Joe Kelly from the White Sox. The Miami Marlins brought in closer David Robertson from the New York Mets. And the Los Angeles Angels traded for starter Lucas Giolito and reliever Reynaldo López from the White Sox.
None of those teams has a record as good as the Orioles’ mark of 63-40.
“Yes, I do,” Elias said when asked if he believes Baltimore’s roster is capable of competing for a World Series. “Doesn’t mean we don’t want to improve. The Dodgers are pretty good, too, and they’re bringing some extra help in, so obviously we’re looking at that. I think very clearly this team has revealed itself to be as capable as anyone in arguably all of baseball right now to make a playoff run.
“We’re right there with anyone I think.”
The goal at the deadline shouldn’t be to make a move simply to make one. But, for a team with an opportunity to be in a pennant chase, the potential of the long run shouldn’t be the main focus.
() | https://www.twincities.com/2023/07/29/mike-elias-has-to-worry-about-the-orioles-long-term-future-this-season-is-testing-that-approach-analysis/ | 2023-07-29T15:32:33 | 1 | https://www.twincities.com/2023/07/29/mike-elias-has-to-worry-about-the-orioles-long-term-future-this-season-is-testing-that-approach-analysis/ |
BURBANK, Calif. — With the high summer temperatures, bears, along with other wildlife, are looking for ways to cool off from the heat including a black bear in Burbank, California, on Friday.
The Burbank Police Department posted a video on Facebook of a bear going for a swim.
“This bear is beating the heat in Burbank! Officers are on-scene after the bear was spotted in a hillside neighborhood before taking a dip to cool off,” police said.
It happened around 3:30 p.m. Friday afternoon, according to KTLA. Officers were called to a house in the 1300 block of Paseo Redondo for a black bear in a jacuzzi in someone’s backyard.
When officers arrived, they found the bear splashing around. Eventually, the bear scaled a wall and climbed a tree, according to the news outlet.
“I was upstairs and I heard a lot of commotion and some beeping sounds,” homeowner Diana Lewis told KTLA. “And here he was, just having fun in the jacuzzi. Very happy.”
The bear, however, was closely monitored by the police, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Burbank Animal Shelter for a few hours while it hung out on a tree, the news outlet reported. Eventually, it came down from the tree and went off into the Verdugo Mountains.
KTLA reported that this was the second time in a week a black bear was splashing around in a backyard hot tub. A female bear along with her cub were playing in a hot tub in La Cañada Flintridge.
“We’re all used to a lot of wildlife out here,” Lewis said, according to the news outlet. “We have deer, really, we have a lot of wildlife, and people enjoy seeing it.”
Police also provided some tips in case you see a bear. The tips include never feeding or approaching the bear; securing food, garbage, and recycling; and removing bird feeders and pet food. They also suggested keeping your grills cleaned and stored; having your dogs on a leash when out for a walk; and having a bear spray on you just in case. They also suggest calling 911 if it is an emergency. | https://www.star945.com/news/trending/black-bear-goes-swim-cool-off-heat/6YTOAL6DIRDO7ACITQTRPTOQ2A/ | 2023-07-29T15:32:36 | 0 | https://www.star945.com/news/trending/black-bear-goes-swim-cool-off-heat/6YTOAL6DIRDO7ACITQTRPTOQ2A/ |
Here is something Hal Steinbrenner said back in spring training, something about which the son of George Steinbrenner, the biggest spender of his time in baseball, was absolutely right:
“A decade-plus ago, I always used to say that you shouldn’t have to have a $200 million payroll to win a championship, right? Because nobody had it. Times have changed. I will acknowledge that. So I will say that you shouldn’t have to have a $300 million payroll to win a world championship because nobody has, including Houston.”
Nobody has, at least not yet and maybe not ever, even with spending skyrocketing now in baseball, starting in New York. Nobody is going to do that this year, now that the Mets, at $348 million, are holding a tag sale. And guess what? Across the last 10 seasons, a time when long-term $300 million contracts for player came into baseball, only two teams with $200 million payrolls have won the World Series:
The 2018 Red Sox.
The 2019 Nationals, who just got across the line according to Spotrac at $201 million.
Hal Steinbrenner isn’t right about everything, of course. If there is one frustration among the Yankee fans I know — and an awful lot I don’t know — it’s that he doesn’t hold his baseball people accountable, even as they continue to sell World Series-or-bust at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees have stopped coming right out and saying that. But it is still an implied-type thing, even though the Yankees haven’t been to the Series in 14 years, and have won a grand, whopping total of one Series since 2000.
But Hal is on the money about the money, one hundred percent, or 300 million percent. You shouldn’t have to spend like Saudis to win. If you do, how come the Rays are good every year?
Right now, here are the Top 10 payrolls in major league baseball:
1 Mets $348 million (less David Robertson, of course).
2 Yankees $280 million.
3 Padres $246 million.
4 Phillies $242 million.
5 Angels $223 million.
6 Dodgers $218 million.
7 Blue Jays $212 million.
8 Braves $204 million.
9 Rangers $198 million.
10 Astros $190 million.
The Dodgers, despite all their October failures and October heartbreak in this generation of Dodger baseball, could do it with the sixth-biggest payroll. The Braves, at No. 8, are the best team right now. Then there are the Astros to fill out the Top 10. Maybe one of these teams could surprise the way the Phillies did last October, when they knocked off the Braves and ended up at two-games-all with the Astros in the Series before the Astros finished them off.
The Mets are now the gold standard — well, fools’ gold maybe — for finding out that money doesn’t buy you World Series happiness in baseball. But they are hardly the only one. Here is another baseball list, about where the World Series champs of the last 10 years ranked in payroll:
2013 Red Sox: 4th.
2014 Giants: 7th.
2015 Royals: 17th.
2016 Cubs: 6th.
2017 Astros: 17th.
2018 Red Sox: 1st.
2019 Nationals: 7th.
2020 Dodgers: 1st.
2021 Braves: 10th.
2022 Astros: 8th.
It is why it is a continuing source of entertainment that the trade deadline, year after year, is supposed to be like some sort of get-out-of-jail card for contending teams still viewed as not being good enough at the deadline, or have underperformed. Maybe the Yankees are going to be buyers again this year, just because it is almost impossible to believe they’re going to be sellers even sitting in last place going into the weekend. But if they are buyers, it means that the team with a payroll of $280 million, the biggest in the history of the Yankees, still hasn’t quite figured things out. And what’s been stopping them?
Did Aaron Judge get hurt? He sure did. He sure is as important to the Yankees as Shohei Ohtani is to the Angels. But the Angels also lost Mike Trout, who for years and years has been called the best all-around player in the sport. And even without Trout, the Angels came into the weekend in the same wild card scrum in the American League that the Yankees are in, and just a half-game worse than the Yankees in the overall standings.
Bill Parcells once told me this: “You know how many other teams care about your problems? None, is how many.”
We just saw two Subway Series games between the Yankees and Mets at Yankee Stadium. The combined payrolls for those teams was around $630 million. Never been anything like it in baseball. But if you watched the two teams and those two games, were you able to see the money on the field? Justin Verlander was terrific in the first game and so was Pete Alonso, the Polar Bear coming out of a great big summer slumber. Carlos Rodon pitched well for the Yankees in the second game.
But at the end of those Subway Series games, Alonso was still hitting .216. Francisco Lindor was at .230. Jeff McNeil, last year’s National League batting champ, was at .249. For the Yankees, Giancarlo Stanton, the new Dave Kingman, was at .200. Anthony Rizzo was at .246 and DJ LeMahieu was at .231. Again: These are the two biggest payrolls in the sport, with too many veterans past their primes.
But the Braves? They might win another World Series, their second in three years, with a payroll nearly $150 million smaller than the Mets’. The Astros might win their second in a row spending $160 million less than the Mets are spending and $90 million less than the Yankees are spending this year on baseball players.
Is there still time for the Yankees? We keep saying there is still time because there is plenty of time for them, as close as they are to the third wild card in the American League — if they get it, they would likely play the Twins in the first round — and because they’re not a crazy distance away from first place in the AL East. It doesn’t change the fact that Hal Steinbrenner can’t possibly think he ponied up all that cash for what he’s seen so far.
Neither can Steve Cohen, you bet. Now he’s selling off like the Mets are a bad stock. It remains to be seen what the Yankees are going to do at the Trade Deadline. Or not do. Both owners had to think there was at least a chance that they might have the best team money could buy coming into the season. They didn’t. Hal’s right. There. I said it.
FREE AGENT SHORTSTOPS NOT LIVING UP TO PRICETAG, YANKEES HAVEN’T DEVELOPED A STAR SINCE JUDGE AND TODDY GURLEY IS WHY RB’S DON’T GET PAID …
It’s not just dead money on team payrolls, incidentally.
Look at how much money last year’s free agent shortstop class made in free agency, and what they’re doing for their new teams:
Trea Turner ($300 million from Phillies) has 10 homers, 34 RBI, .245 average.
Xander Bogaerts ($280 million from Padres) has 11 homers and is hitting .265.
Carlos Correa, who got $200 million from Twins after Mets passed, is at .228.
Dansby Swanson ($177 million from the Cubs) has 12 homers and is hitting .268.
Only Corey Seager, currently on the IL for the Rangers, has come up big in a .350 season.
And nobody wants to hear this around here, but let’s see where the Yankees are with No. 99 and his $360 million contract in a few years.
By the way?
Here’s the list of star position players developed by the Yankees in the past two decades:
Aaron Judge.
Robinson Cano.
That’s the whole list.
No corner infielders.
Their best catcher, for a blink, was Gary Sanchez.
The best two outfielders they’ve developed after Judge are Brett Gardner and Melky Cabrera.
Dave Dombrowski — who’s taken four different teams to the World Series — gets a lot of heat for the way he cleans up the town in baseball when he takes over a new team.
But when you look at the current Red Sox, it’s worth nothing that Triston Casas and Jarren Duran and Connor Wong – the young guys they’ve got at first base, in centerfield, and catching – were all drafted when Dombrowski was running the Red Sox.
You know why running backs like Saquon Barkley don’t get paid what they think they should be paid now in the National Football League?
Because guys like Todd Gurley before them did get paid.
Then got hurt.
Gurley is 28 now, and out of football.
He’s two years older than Saquon.
It sure is lucky where the Murdoch Media is concerned that Hunter Biden didn’t do something like, I don’t know, try to overturn an election or storm the Capitol.
If you are looking for a smart, fun summer read, go read “The Twist of a Knife” by Anthony Horowitz.
The NCAA just suspended Jim Harbaugh for Michigan’s first four games.
Those games are against East Carolina, UNLV, Bowling Green and Rutgers.
That ought to teach him.
Wow, it didn’t take Aaron Rodgers all that long to give the Jets a hometown discount on his contract.
My pal Stanton has a good question about Sean Payton and the way he ran his mouth the other day about the new Jets offensive coordinator — and former Broncos coach — Nathaniel Hackett:
How does what Payton said help the Broncos now, exactly?
Payton: Another guy who won one Super Bowl and acts as if he invented football.
And if he does know everything about everything, how come he didn’t know anything about Bountygate?
I plan to get to “Hard Knocks” as soon as I finish rewatching all seven seasons of “West Wing.”
Well, at least the Mets are having a better summer than Ron DeSantis.
() | https://www.twincities.com/2023/07/29/mike-lupica-like-it-or-not-hal-steinbrenner-is-right-about-not-needing-a-historic-payroll-to-win/ | 2023-07-29T15:32:39 | 0 | https://www.twincities.com/2023/07/29/mike-lupica-like-it-or-not-hal-steinbrenner-is-right-about-not-needing-a-historic-payroll-to-win/ |
NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — The African Union has issued a 15-day ultimatum to the junta in Niger to reinstall the country’s democratically elected government just as the coup leaders met with senior civil servants to discuss how they would run the country and as the U.S. and the European Union threatened sanctions against the regime.
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Toumba, one of the soldiers who ousted President Mohamed Bazoum on Wednesday, told state television that the junta met with civil servants on Friday and asked them to continue their work as usual following the suspension of the constitution. “The message given was not to stop the processes underway, to keep on with things,” said Brig. Gen. Toumba.
“Everything that must be done will be done,” he said, signaling the intention of the regime led by Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, who also goes by Omar, to remain in power.
After its meeting on Friday, the African Union Peace and Security Council said it was concerned by the “alarming resurgence” of coups that undermine democracy and stability on the continent. It asked the soldiers to “return immediately and unconditionally to their barracks and restore constitutional authority, within a maximum of fifteen (15) days.”
Bazoum, whose condition and that of his officials remains unknown since the government was overthrown, should also be released immediately and unconditionally, the AU said. Failure to do so would compel the bloc to take “necessary action, including punitive measures against the perpetrators.”
On the streets of the Nigerien capital Niamey on Saturday, things appeared to be returning to normal, though many in the international community were still on lockdown with hotels full of foreigners, many given instructions not to leave.
Locals say they’re waiting to see what unfolds, with many still in support of Bazoum who has not yet resigned. “I’m with him, he does a good work. (But) what can we do?” said Mohamed Cisse, a street seller. “This is (the new leader’s) time, Bazoum’s time is over,” he said.
Tchiani, the junta leader and commander of Niger’s presidential guard, is close to former Nigerien president Mahamadou Issoufou, who stepped down in 2021 after a decade in office. Tchiani’s takeover of power will reinforce speculation that Issoufou is behind the coup, said Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a German think tank and consultancy.
The U.S. threatened to halt its economic support to Niger while the European Union announced the immediate indefinite suspension of budgetary support and security assistance.
U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, who is in Australia as part of a Pacific tour, estimated America’s economic and security partnership with Niger at hundreds of millions of dollars and said its continuity depends on “the continuation of the democratic governance and constitutional order.”
“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 said.
While there are no signs of the junta backing down amid growing international pressure, analysts called for synergy in the interventions of the international community and continental organizations such as the AU and the regional bloc of ECOWAS, which is scheduled to meet over the coup on Sunday.
A successful coup in Niger and the sanctions in the aftermath could cause more hardship for millions of poor and hungry people in West Africa and could further threaten international relations with the region, which is seeing a resurgence of coups in recent years, according to Idayat Hassan, senior Africa program fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
“A non-reversal of the coup also means that we are defining a new world order in West Africa in particular as you are pitching the west and other countries against few military regimes which may be backed by Russia,” said Hassan.
———
Asadu reported from Abuja, Nigeria. Baba Ahmed in Bamako, Mali contributed. | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-african-union-gives-15-day-ultimatum-to-niger-junta-to-end-regime-but-soldiers-seek-continuity/ | 2023-07-29T15:32:39 | 0 | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-african-union-gives-15-day-ultimatum-to-niger-junta-to-end-regime-but-soldiers-seek-continuity/ |
BUTLER COUNTY, Ohio — Around 90 dogs and puppies were removed from two properties associated with an animal rescue in Madison Township, Ohio after they were found in horrible conditions, officials say. At least 30 dogs were found deceased in multiple freezers.
In a news release, Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones said that the Butler County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Dog Wardens helped remove ninety living dogs from two properties and they discovered at least 30 deceased dogs at an animal rescue in Madison Township. The rescue was called “Helping Hands for Furry Paws.”
Investigators found that both dogs and puppies were houses in multiple structures on two different properties, the sheriff’s office said.
Remains of at least 30 deceased dogs were found in five different freezers and refrigerators on the two properties, according to the sheriff’s office. Some of the freezers and refrigerators were also not working. Other deceased dogs and puppies were found in different stages of decomposition.
Investigators said that one of the garages on the properties had no ventilation or air conditioning with around 89-degree temperatures, WHIO reported. In that one garage, there were over 25 dog cages with multiple dogs inside without food and water.
11 dogs were found inside the main house in horrible condition, according to the news outlet.
“The odor was strong enough to burn their eyes and take away their breath. Conditions were so horrendous that Deputy Dog Wardens had to leave the structure numerous times to catch their breath,” the sheriff’s office said.
Rhonda Murphy, the owner and operator of the rescue is facing multiple charges including neglect and cruelty to companion animals, the sheriff’s office said, according to WHIO.
Animal Friends Humane Society of Butler County took all the dogs that were removed from the two properties for treatment, the news outlet reported. Anyone interested in helping can contact the humane society on its website. | https://www.star945.com/news/trending/officials-woman-facing-charges-after-least-30-dogs-found-dead-freezers/DIVC6BTU4JGADNBIMYCY7YX47Y/ | 2023-07-29T15:32:43 | 1 | https://www.star945.com/news/trending/officials-woman-facing-charges-after-least-30-dogs-found-dead-freezers/DIVC6BTU4JGADNBIMYCY7YX47Y/ |
YAMHILL, Oregon — Before I make an argument about affirmative action, let me tell you how I was a beneficiary of it.
I wasn’t a student of color, but I grew up on a farm and attended a small, rural high school where there wasn’t much math and nobody had ever applied to an Ivy League college. My grades and scores were strong but not extraordinary.
But I did have one thing going for me. Elite colleges were looking for farm kids from low-income areas to provide diversity. So a school that I had never visited, Harvard, took an enormous risk and accepted me, and I became a token country bumpkin to round out a class of polished overachievers. In time, Harvard gave me a wonderful education, transformed my life and set me on a path to becoming a columnist — which is why you’re stuck reading this. Yes, indeed: Providing paths to a better education can be life-changing.
So how do we do that for others? I wish the Supreme Court had ruled differently on affirmative action for race, but unfortunately it blocked that path for diversity. My fear is that we will all throw up our hands and sit around blaming the court, rather than actually working to overhaul a disgracefully unequal education system.
In fact, there are still ways to broaden educational opportunity. But they may require us liberals to look in the mirror and acknowledge the role of our own institutions in perpetuating inequality.
Elite universities are bastions of left-of-center ideas, yet advantage four groups that are already privileged: children of graduates, recruited athletes for sports like rowing and fencing, children of faculty members and children of large donors.
A new study by Professor Raj Chetty and his colleagues at Harvard’s Opportunity Insights group found that partly because of such preferences, top colleges in effect offer affirmative action to the wealthy. For example, children from the top 0.1% of households in income are 2.2 times as likely to be admitted as kids with the same scores from less wealthy households.
In fact, this understates the injustice, for the less advantaged children achieve the same scores without $1,000-an-hour SAT coaches.
If you’re rich and your child sails, maybe he can be recruited by an Ivy League sailing team. Or perhaps after enough lessons, she can impress admissions officers with her French horn skills. Or write a moving essay about volunteering in Kenya and then raising $50,000 for children there — not mentioning that the sum was raised by asking dad for a check.
All told, a 2017 study found that 38 colleges had more students from the top 1% than from the bottom 60%. Adding to the pressure on legacy admissions, the Education Department has opened a civil rights investigation into the practice at Harvard.
(Conflict alert: I was a member of the Harvard Board of Overseers and my wife, Sheryl WuDunn, is currently a member and previously served on the Princeton and Cornell boards; our three children also attended Harvard.)
So what can be done to expand opportunity, aside from ending preferences for the privileged? Top colleges have taken some steps, including broadening recruitment and reducing costs for families of modest means. Bravo to Wesleyan University for this month becoming one of the latest to abolish legacy preferences, joining Amherst, Johns Hopkins and a few others.
Class-based and geographically based affirmative action is still allowed, and it may be possible to boost kids from low-income or low-education families to compensate in part for the Supreme Court ruling. A 2012 study found that seven out of 10 public universities studied were able to maintain or increase the share of Black and Hispanic students with race-neutral strategies targeting socioeconomic inequality.
More broadly, though, too much of the discussion about equity is focused narrowly on affirmative action at competitive universities.
Top universities are important because they disproportionately propel graduates into the Senate, the Supreme Court and other top jobs, but never forget that it is humble community colleges that transform lives at a far greater scale. While Harvard changed my trajectory, I had childhood friends who would have benefited even more if they could only have attended a career academy or community college and learned a marketable job skill; instead they were lost to factory layoffs, addiction and overdoses.
According to a very rough estimate by Professor Sean Reardon at Stanford University, race-based affirmative action has benefited only about 10,000 to 15,000 students each year who might otherwise not have been admitted at their elite colleges — whereas more than 3 million Black and Hispanic students were enrolled in community colleges in 2020-21. Like public universities, community colleges are some of America’s greatest engines of opportunity.
Joseph Nye, an eminent professor emeritus at Harvard, told me that he had been thinking of donating part of his individual retirement account to Harvard when a friend suggested a community college instead. Nye investigated and ended up donating $100,000 to help students attend Bunker Hill Community College in Boston. That will help an enormous number of young adults.
In the broadest sense, the real college admissions scandal isn’t even the extra benefit given to privileged kids; it’s that so much talent is never nurtured and a majority of young people don’t get a chance to graduate from college at all. If we’re serious about promoting equality, we can champion early childhood programs: To get more kids in a university, invest in pre-K. We can take on local funding of education, which leads to poor children attending poor schools. We can fight to raise high school graduation rates. As I’ve written, we can learn from states that have gained ground — including Mississippi, once mocked as the nation’s educational caboose and now a place where fourth-graders in poverty are tied for best in the nation in reading.
It’s easy enough for us liberals to sit around carping about the Supreme Court. Sure, let’s do that — for five minutes, and then let’s focus on all else that we can still do to boost opportunity and diversity.
Nicholas Kristof writes a column for the New York Times, 620 Eighth Ave., New York, NY 10018. He’s at Facebook.com/Kristof andTwitter.com/NickKristof | https://www.twincities.com/2023/07/29/nicholas-kristof-the-real-college-admissions-scandal/ | 2023-07-29T15:32:45 | 0 | https://www.twincities.com/2023/07/29/nicholas-kristof-the-real-college-admissions-scandal/ |
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://fox59.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-burning-cargo-ship-off-dutch-coast-will-be-towed-to-a-new-location-after-flames-and-smoke-subsided/ | 2023-07-29T15:32:46 | 0 | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-burning-cargo-ship-off-dutch-coast-will-be-towed-to-a-new-location-after-flames-and-smoke-subsided/ |
Healthy skepticism of authority is a very good thing — as power should never go unchecked in a democracy. But corrosive distrust of government of, by and for the people is a very bad thing — because pervasive cynicism, the reflexive belief that those we elect and the public servants beneath them have ulterior motives, leads to disengagement and division and drift. We therefore commend, with caveats, two legislative pushes in Washington to ensure that federal officials do more to earn the trust we put in them.
The first is by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, whose bill on Supreme Court ethics last week won the assent of a slim majority of the Judiciary Committee.
Every member of the federal judiciary has to follow a code of conduct — with the exception of the nine men and women who sit on the highest bench in the land. That’s akin to referees calling fouls on every basketball player except those who make the All-Star team.
In the wake of revelations that Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito received and never disclosed big-money gifts from wealthy donors, Whitehouse’s bill is modest. So as not to interfere with a coequal branch of government, it doesn’t prescribe what that the Supreme Court’s code of conduct should be; it simply requires justices to adopt a code; create a mechanism to investigate alleged violations; and improve disclosure and transparency when a justice has a connection to a party in a case before the court.
That’s the least the immensely powerful members of the most exclusive club in America can do to show a healthy respect for the rest of us — but congressional Republicans are dead-set against the legislation, treating it as a partisan attack. Don’t they realize that by taking that posture, they only feed the very distrust of the court they lament?
Fortunately, a second attempt to protect the integrity of federal officials is bipartisan. Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Josh Hawley — he who fled the Capitol on Jan. 6 after raising his fist in a show of solidarity — are working together to ban individual stock ownership and trading for members of Congress, senior executive branch officials, and their families.
We worry about the ramifications of telling anyone with any market holdings that they can’t serve in the legislative or executive branches, not even if they keep their investments at arm’s length; that would rule out service by a slew of successful, talented people. So we’d rather see the legislation modified to allow blind trusts to trade in securities, provided the people in power have no knowledge of what’s being bought and sold and when.
But we’re all for bolstering the prohibitions already in place. Though it’s technically against for lawmakers to trade on material nonpublic information, such a ban is hard to enforce — and does next to nothing to prevent, say, someone with a pile of tech or oil or agriculture or financial company holdings from benefiting from favoritism toward the industries whose rules they write or implement.
Voters should have no doubt that the people who run their government are making decisions based on their best understanding of what’s in their constituents’ interest, not based on what may line their personal pockets. | https://www.twincities.com/2023/07/29/other-voices-cleanup-on-branches-1-2-and-3/ | 2023-07-29T15:32:51 | 1 | https://www.twincities.com/2023/07/29/other-voices-cleanup-on-branches-1-2-and-3/ |
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://fox59.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-french-president-macron-visits-his-counterpart-in-sri-lanka/ | 2023-07-29T15:32:52 | 0 | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-french-president-macron-visits-his-counterpart-in-sri-lanka/ |
Two supermoons in August mean double the stargazing fun
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The cosmos is offering up a double feature in August: a pair of supermoons culminating in a rare blue moon.
Catch the first show Tuesday evening as the full moon rises in the southeast, appearing slightly brighter and bigger than normal. That’s because it will be closer than usual, just 222,159 miles (357,530 kilometers) away, thus the supermoon label.
The moon will be even closer the night of Aug. 30 — a scant 222,043 miles (357,344 kilometers) distant. Because it’s the second full moon in the same month, it will be what’s called a blue moon.
“Warm summer nights are the ideal time to watch the full moon rise in the eastern sky within minutes of sunset. And it happens twice in August,” said retired NASA astrophysicist Fred Espenak, dubbed Mr. Eclipse for his eclipse-chasing expertise.
The last time two full supermoons graced the sky in the same month was in 2018. It won’t happen again until 2037, according to Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project.
Masi will provide a live webcast of Tuesday evening’s supermoon, as it rises over the Coliseum in Rome.
“My plans are to capture the beauty of this ... hopefully bringing the emotion of the show to our viewers,” Masi said in an email.
“The supermoon offers us a great opportunity to look up and discover the sky,” he added.
This year’s first supermoon was in July. The fourth and last will be in September. The two in August will be closer than either of those.
Provided clear skies, binoculars or backyard telescopes can enhance the experience, Espenak said, revealing such features as lunar maria — the dark plains formed by ancient volcanic lava flows — and rays emanating from lunar craters.
According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the August full moon is traditionally known as the sturgeon moon. That’s because of the abundance of that fish in the Great Lakes in August, hundreds of years ago.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbay.com/2023/07/29/two-supermoons-august-mean-double-stargazing-fun/ | 2023-07-29T15:32:55 | 1 | https://www.wbay.com/2023/07/29/two-supermoons-august-mean-double-stargazing-fun/ |
One Twin Cities child was hospitalized and four others became ill with Salmonella after health officials believe they consumed unpasteurized milk. According to the Minnesota Department of Health, families of two of the children confirmed that the raw milk had been consumed. Information from the other families was not available, but a lab analysis showed the bacteria that made all five children ill came from the same source.
The children who fell ill range in age from three months to 10 years and were sick between the end of June and early July. One child was hospitalized.
Unpasteurized milk, also known as raw milk, is milk that has not been heated to a temperature high enough to kill harmful germs from fecal contamination sometimes found in the milk, the health department said in a news release.
“Even healthy animals can carry these germs and have them in their milk,” said Maria Bye, senior epidemiologist in the Zoonotic Diseases Unit at MDH. “Consuming any unpasteurized milk is risky, no matter how clean the operation from which it is purchased.”
Salmonella can cause diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps from six hours to several days after consuming contaminated foods or touching infected animals. Usually the infection lasts from four to seven days. People under age 5 and over 65 or those with weakened immune systems are most at risk for severe illness and hospitalization.
The health department is asking people not to consume any raw or unpasteurized milk they now have.
If someone has fallen ill after consuming unpasteurized milk at the end of June or beginning of July, the health department is asking them to fill out a confidential online survey at their website or email health.foodill@state.mn.us. | https://www.twincities.com/2023/07/29/salmonella-raw-milk-unpasteurized-mn-children/ | 2023-07-29T15:32:57 | 0 | https://www.twincities.com/2023/07/29/salmonella-raw-milk-unpasteurized-mn-children/ |
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://fox59.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-lebanons-hezbollah-leader-urges-muslims-to-punish-quran-desecrators-if-governments-fail-to-do-so/ | 2023-07-29T15:32:59 | 0 | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-lebanons-hezbollah-leader-urges-muslims-to-punish-quran-desecrators-if-governments-fail-to-do-so/ |
Abraham Toro Player Prop Bets: Brewers vs. Braves - July 29
Published: Jul. 29, 2023 at 9:30 AM CDT|Updated: 1 hour ago
The Milwaukee Brewers and Abraham Toro, who went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBI last time in action, battle Bryce Elder and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park, Saturday at 7:20 PM ET.
He racked up four RBI (going 3-for-4 with a home run) in his last game against the Braves.
Abraham Toro Game Info & Props vs. the Braves
- Game Day: Saturday, July 29, 2023
- Game Time: 7:20 PM ET
- Stadium: Truist Park
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
- Braves Starter: Bryce Elder
- TV Channel: BSSE
- Hits Prop: Over/under 0.5 hits (Over odds: -200)
- Home Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 home runs (Over odds: +500)
- RBI Prop: Over/under 0.5 RBI (Over odds: +160)
- Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 runs (Over odds: +135)
Looking to place a prop bet on Abraham Toro? Check out what's available at BetMGM and use bonus code "GNPLAY" when you sign up with this link!
Read More About This Game
Abraham Toro At The Plate
- Toro-Hernandez has two home runs while batting .533.
- Toro-Hernandez enters this game on a five-game hitting streak. During his last outings, he's hitting .533 with two homers.
- This year, Toro-Hernandez has recorded at least one hit in five of six games (83.3%), and had multiple hits twice.
- In six games played this season, he has gone deep in two of them.
- Toro-Hernandez has had an RBI in four games this season (66.7%), including three multi-RBI outings (50.0%). He has also driven in three or more of his team's runs in one contest.
- He has scored in three games this year (50.0%), but has had no multi-run games.
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Abraham Toro Home/Away Batting Splits
Braves Pitching Rankings
- The 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings put together by the Braves pitching staff ranks fifth in the league.
- The Braves' 3.85 team ERA ranks seventh among all MLB pitching staffs.
- The Braves allow the third-fewest home runs in baseball (109 total, 1.1 per game).
- Elder (7-2 with a 3.30 ERA and 86 strikeouts in 114 2/3 innings pitched) gets the start for the Braves, his 21st of the season.
- In his last appearance on Sunday, the righty threw six innings against the Milwaukee Brewers, giving up two earned runs while surrendering four hits.
- The 24-year-old ranks 15th in ERA (3.30), 36th in WHIP (1.230), and 57th in K/9 (6.7) among qualifying pitchers in MLB action this season.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbay.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/abraham-toro-hernandez-mlb-player-prop-bets/ | 2023-07-29T15:33:01 | 0 | https://www.wbay.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/abraham-toro-hernandez-mlb-player-prop-bets/ |
Temporary jobs, contract assignments, seasonal employment, gig work — how many ways can we say “short-term” when it comes to work? For some people, these kinds of opportunities are the perfect fit, but for others the prospect of non-permanent employment is a let-down.
If you’re looking for a full-time, “forever” job, taking something interim can feel like a capitulation. It’s just disappointing to be working at something that’s intended to end, especially when it means you’ll be job searching again soon.
That’s one reason job seekers turn down these in-between opportunities, even when they need money. Another reason is the fear of being locked in when a better opportunity comes along. In that scenario, the worker worries they’ll feel obligated to the first job and unable to accept the permanent position they’ve been seeking.
That’s understandable, but not exactly logical. These jobs are meant to end and they are generally filled by individuals heading to something bigger. Employers know this and take the risk of losing their workers when they decide to offer interim instead of regular employment.
Whatever your reasons, if you’ve been ignoring the world of interim jobs, you might be leaving money on the table. Why not do some work while you’re looking for work? Here are some ideas to get you started.
Seasonal jobs: Depending on what is meant by seasonal, we’re either halfway through a season now (summer) or just about to start one (fall). Or perhaps we’re closing in on the back-to-school or holiday season. In resort and recreation areas, the seasonal concept is tied to travel and tourism, with employees needed in both the destinations and the towns that surround them. Given the labor shortages that have plagued employers the past few years, wherever we’re at in a particular season, you have a decent chance of finding an opportunity.
Contract assignments: If you have a professional skill such as writing, managing projects, coding software, creating curriculum, and more, you could find opportunities with companies that need your skill in short bursts, rather than continuously. This is the realm of contracting, which generally commands a higher hourly rate than being on staff, but doesn’t offer benefits or long-term stability.
Temporary work: Temp assignments come in all shapes and sizes, from the three-day fill-in for a sick warehouse worker to the six-month office job to cover someone’s maternity leave. The positions are usually established roles, which means you’re stepping into someone else’s shoes. On the other hand, some companies start their permanent employees this way (temp-to-perm), as a way of checking the fit before they commit. That road runs both ways, making this a good option for workers as well.
Day labor: Just interested in some quick money with no strings attached? Day labor might be the ticket. It’s not for everyone, as the work is usually physical in nature. It’s also difficult not to know in advance whether you’ll have an assignment, since the jobs are given out on a first-come basis in the morning. But if you’re just trying to close a financial gap for the week, day labor can be a good alternative.
Special situations: Some interim jobs are a little different, for any number of reasons. For example, if you work for the State Fair, you’re going to be on site for 10 or 12 long days and then poof — done. On the other hand, if you sign up to work as a substitute teacher, you could be working one or two days a week but on very short notice. And what about employers who specialize in the interim concept, such as AmeriCorps? These government-funded opportunities have expanded to encompass a surprising number of positions at a decent rate of pay — but not on a permanent basis.
These days, one of the best ways to find interim work is by using the internet. For example, if you type a key-word phrase, such as “AmeriCorps jobs” into a search engine, you’ll be led to job opportunities as well as articles about this employer. For temporary assignments or contract positions, start your search with phrases such as “temp firms” or “contract houses.” Or, if you’re using a job board, try plugging in “seasonal jobs” to see what comes up.
Once you’ve found some options, don’t hold back. Interim work is a numbers game, which means the more you apply the better your chances. And once you have your job? Just enjoy yourself and the extra money, but keep searching for your goal job as well. Eventually, that ship will come in too.
Amy Lindgren owns a career consulting firm in St. Paul. She can be reached at alindgren@prototypecareerservice.com. | https://www.twincities.com/2023/07/29/working-strategies-the-up-sides-to-interim-work/ | 2023-07-29T15:33:03 | 0 | https://www.twincities.com/2023/07/29/working-strategies-the-up-sides-to-interim-work/ |
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) —
A 9-year-old girl and her 10-year-old brother have been called as witnesses in a criminal case against their mother after she was accused of repeatedly “discrediting” the Russian army.
Lidia Prudovskaya and her two children were summoned by investigators in the northern Russian region of Arkhangelsk on Friday to give testimony in the case, Russian news outlet Sota reported.
Prudovskaya previously faced administrative charges on similar allegations after sharing anti-war posts on Russian social media platform VKontakte in September 2022.
Discrediting the Russian military is a criminal offense under a law adopted after Russia sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. The law is regularly used against Kremlin critics.
In April, Russian authorities petitioned to restrict the parental rights of a single father convicted of discrediting the army following an anti-war sketch drawn by his daughter at school.
Alexei Moskalyov, 54, was sentenced to two years in prison for social media comments he had made criticizing Moscow’s war in Ukraine, while his daughter Maria was placed in an orphanage.
The 13-year-old was later moved to live with her mother. | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-russian-investigators-call-children-as-witnesses-against-their-mother-accused-of-discrediting-army/ | 2023-07-29T15:33:05 | 1 | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-russian-investigators-call-children-as-witnesses-against-their-mother-accused-of-discrediting-army/ |
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombian police arrested the president’s son Saturday as part of a high-profile money laundering probe into funds he allegedly collected from convicted drug traffickers during last year’s presidential campaign.
President Gustavo Petro, a former rebel who rose through Colombia’s political ranks as an anti-corruption crusader, said he wouldn’t interfere with the investigation.
“As an individual and father, it pains me to see so much self destruction and one of my sons going to jail,” Petro said in an early morning message on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “As president of the republic, I’ve assured the chief prosecutor’s office that it will have all of the guarantees so it can proceed according to the law.”
The arrest of Nicolas Petro is a major blow to the government, which has been buffeted by conservative attacks from day one at the same time it has struggled to maintain bipartisan support for Colombia in the U.S., a longtime ally in the war on drugs and fight against illegal armed groups.
The investigation stems from shocking declarations made by Nicolas Petro’s ex-wife, Daysuris del Carmen Vasquez, to local media outlet Semana earlier this year.
In the extended interview, Vasquez detailed how she was present at meetings when her husband arranged a donation of more than 600 million pesos (around $150,000) from a politician once convicted in Washington of drug trafficking and who was seeking the Petro campaign’s support to resume his political career.
She said President Petro was unaware of her son’s dealings and the money he collected in his campaign’s name was kept inside a safe inside the couple’s home in the coastal city of Barranquilla.
Nicolas Petro has denied his ex wife’s claims as unfounded.
The chief prosecutor’s office said in a statement that Nicolas Petro and his ex-wife were taken into custody on orders of a court in Bogota around 6 a.m. local time Saturday. It said that once brought before a judge, prosecutors would seek their provisional detention as it investigates the two for money laundering. | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-son-of-colombias-president-arrested-as-part-of-money-laundering-probe/ | 2023-07-29T15:33:11 | 1 | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-son-of-colombias-president-arrested-as-part-of-money-laundering-probe/ |
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday pushed back against Australian demands for an end to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s prosecution, saying the Australian citizen was accused of “very serious criminal conduct” in publishing a trove of classified documents more than a decade ago.
Australia’s center-left Labor Party government has been arguing since winning the elections last year that the United States should end its pursuit of the 52-year-old, who has spent four years in a British prison fighting extradition to the United States.
Assange’s freedom is widely seen as a test of Australia’s leverage with President Joe Biden’s administration.
Blinken confirmed on Saturday that Assange had been discussed in annual talks with Foreign Minister Penny Wong in Brisbane, Australia.
“I understand the concerns and views of Australians. I think it’s very important that our friends here understand our concerns about this matter,” Blinken told reporters.
“Mr. Assange was charged with very serious criminal conduct in the United States in connection with his alleged role in one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of our country,” he added.
Wong said Assange’s prosecution had “dragged for too long” and that Australia wanted the charges “brought to a conclusion.”
Australia remains ambiguous about whether the United States should drop the prosecution or strike a plea bargain.
Assange faces 17 charges of espionage and one charge of computer misuse over WikiLeaks’ publication of of hundreds of thousands of classified diplomatic and military documents in 2010.
American prosecutors allege he helped U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal classified diplomatic cables and military files that WikiLeaks later published, putting lives at risk.
Australia argues there is a “disconnect” between the U.S. treatment of Assange and Manning. Then-U.S. President Barack Obama commuted Manning’s 35-year sentence to seven years, which allowed her release in 2017. | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-us-secretary-of-state-tells-australia-that-wikileaks-founder-is-accused-of-very-serious-crime/ | 2023-07-29T15:33:17 | 1 | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-us-secretary-of-state-tells-australia-that-wikileaks-founder-is-accused-of-very-serious-crime/ |
Christian Yelich Player Prop Bets: Brewers vs. Braves - July 29
Published: Jul. 29, 2023 at 9:35 AM CDT|Updated: 57 minutes ago
Christian Yelich -- with a slugging percentage of .548 in his past 10 games, including two home runs -- will be in action for the Milwaukee Brewers versus the Atlanta Braves, with Bryce Elder on the hill, on July 29 at 7:20 PM ET.
In his previous game he had a hitless performance (0-for-5) against the Braves.
Christian Yelich Game Info & Props vs. the Braves
- Game Day: Saturday, July 29, 2023
- Game Time: 7:20 PM ET
- Stadium: Truist Park
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
- Braves Starter: Bryce Elder
- TV Channel: BSSE
- Hits Prop: Over/under 1.5 hits (Over odds: +150)
- Home Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 home runs (Over odds: +425)
- RBI Prop: Over/under 0.5 RBI (Over odds: +165)
- Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 runs (Over odds: -139)
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Discover More About This Game
Christian Yelich At The Plate
- Yelich has 109 hits and an OBP of .372 to go with a slugging percentage of .478. All three of those stats are tops among Milwaukee hitters this season.
- Among the qualified hitters in MLB play, he ranks 17th in batting average, 17th in on-base percentage, and 33rd in slugging.
- Yelich has gotten at least one hit in 70.0% of his games this season (70 of 100), with more than one hit 29 times (29.0%).
- He has hit a home run in 14 games this year (14.0%), homering in 3.5% of his plate appearances.
- Yelich has picked up an RBI in 37.0% of his games this season, with two or more RBI in 14.0% of his games. He has also driven in three or more runs in six contests.
- He has scored a run in 51 games this season, with multiple runs 20 times.
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Christian Yelich Home/Away Batting Splits
Braves Pitching Rankings
- The Braves pitching staff ranks fifth in MLB with a collective 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings.
- The Braves have the seventh-ranked team ERA among all league pitching staffs (3.85).
- The Braves give up the third-fewest home runs in baseball (109 total, 1.1 per game).
- Elder (7-2) gets the starting nod for the Braves in his 21st start of the season. He's put together a 3.30 ERA in 114 2/3 innings pitched, with 86 strikeouts.
- The right-hander last appeared on Sunday against the Milwaukee Brewers, when he threw six innings, allowing two earned runs while giving up four hits.
- Among qualifying pitchers in MLB play this season, the 24-year-old's 3.30 ERA ranks 15th, 1.230 WHIP ranks 36th, and 6.7 K/9 ranks 57th.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbay.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/christian-yelich-mlb-player-prop-bets/ | 2023-07-29T15:33:22 | 1 | https://www.wbay.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/christian-yelich-mlb-player-prop-bets/ |
Marlins vs. Tigers Predictions & Picks: Odds, Moneyline, Spread - July 29
Saturday's contest between the Miami Marlins (56-48) and Detroit Tigers (46-58) matching up at LoanDepot park has a projected final score of 6-5 (according to our computer prediction) in favor of the Marlins, who is listed as a slight favorite by our model. The game will start at 4:10 PM ET on July 29.
The Marlins will give the ball to Johnny Cueto (0-1, 4.50 ERA), who is eyeing win No. 1 on the season, and the Tigers will counter with Beau Brieske.
Marlins vs. Tigers Game Info & Odds
- When: Saturday, July 29, 2023 at 4:10 PM ET
- Where: LoanDepot park in Miami, Florida
- How to Watch on TV: Fox Sports 1
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
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Marlins vs. Tigers Score Prediction
Our pick for this contest is Marlins 6, Tigers 5.
Total Prediction for Marlins vs. Tigers
- Total Prediction: Over 8 runs
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Marlins Performance Insights
- The Marlins have played as the favorite in six of their past 10 games and won two of those contests.
- When it comes to hitting the over, Miami and its opponents are 5-5-0 in its last 10 games with a total.
- Bookmakers have not set a spread for any of the Marlins' last 10 games.
- The Marlins have won 31, or 66%, of the 47 games they've played as favorites this season.
- Miami has entered 25 games this season favored by -155 or more and is 21-4 in those contests.
- The Marlins have a 60.8% chance to win this game based on the implied probability of the moneyline.
- Miami is among the lowest-scoring teams in the majors, ranking 26th with just 428 total runs (4.1 per game) this season.
- The Marlins have a 4.11 team ERA that ranks 13th among all MLB pitching staffs.
Tigers Performance Insights
- The Tigers have played as the underdog in six of their past 10 games and have gone 1-5 in those contests.
- When it comes to the total, Detroit and its foes are 4-5-1 in its previous 10 contests.
- The Tigers' previous 10 contests have not had a runline posted by bookmakers.
- The Tigers have been victorious in 33, or 39.8%, of the 83 contests they have been chosen as underdogs in this season.
- This season, Detroit has come away with a win 22 times in 48 chances when named as an underdog of at least +130 or worse on the moneyline.
- The Tigers have an implied victory probability of 43.5% according to the moneyline set for this matchup.
- Detroit is the third-lowest scoring team in MLB play averaging 3.9 runs per game (406 total).
- Tigers pitchers have a combined ERA of 4.53 ERA this year, which ranks 22nd in MLB.
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Marlins Schedule
Tigers Schedule
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbay.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/marlins-tigers-mlb-picks-predictions/ | 2023-07-29T15:33:24 | 0 | https://www.wbay.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/marlins-tigers-mlb-picks-predictions/ |
How to Watch the Marlins vs. Tigers Game: Streaming & TV Channel Info for July 29
Luis Arraez and the Miami Marlins will see Beau Brieske starting for the Detroit Tigers on Saturday at 4:10 PM ET.
Sign up for Fubo to watch this game and make sure you don't miss any of the action all season long!
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Marlins vs. Tigers Live Stream, TV Channel and Game Info:
- Date: Saturday, July 29, 2023
- Time: 4:10 PM ET
- TV Channel: Fox Sports 1
- Location: Miami, Florida
- Venue: LoanDepot park
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
Bet on this matchup with BetMGM Sportsbook and use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Marlins Batting & Pitching Performance
- The Marlins are third-worst in MLB play with 93 home runs.
- Miami ranks 20th in MLB, slugging .398.
- The Marlins' .264 batting average is fourth-best in the majors.
- Miami is the fifth-lowest scoring team in MLB action, averaging 4.1 runs per game (428 total).
- The Marlins rank 13th in baseball with an on-base percentage of .320.
- The Marlins strike out eight times per game to rank seventh in baseball.
- Miami's pitching staff ranks third in MLB with a collective 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings.
- Miami's 4.11 team ERA ranks 13th among all MLB pitching staffs.
- The Marlins average MLB's 12th-ranked WHIP (1.267).
Tigers Batting & Pitching Performance
- The Tigers rank 26th in Major League Baseball with just 96 home runs as a team.
- Detroit is 29th in MLB with a slugging percentage of only .365 this season.
- The Tigers have a team batting average of just .231 this season, which ranks 28th among MLB teams.
- Detroit is among the lowest scoring teams in baseball, ranking 28th with just 406 total runs (3.9 per game) this season.
- The Tigers have an on-base percentage of .299 this season, which ranks 28th in the league.
- The Tigers rank 18th in strikeouts per game (8.9) among MLB offenses.
- Detroit strikes out 8.4 batters per nine innings as a pitching staff, 21st in MLB.
- Detroit has pitched to a 4.53 ERA this season, which ranks 22nd in baseball.
- Tigers pitchers have a 1.253 WHIP this season, eighth-best in the majors.
Marlins Probable Starting Pitcher
- The Marlins are sending Johnny Cueto (0-1) to make his third start of the season.
- His most recent appearance was on Saturday against the Colorado Rockies, when the righty tossed six innings, surrendering one earned run while allowing two hits.
Tigers Probable Starting Pitcher
- The Tigers will send Brieske to the mound for his first start this season.
- The 25-year-old righty has pitched in relief five times already this season, but will make his first start.
Marlins Schedule
Tigers Schedule
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbay.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/marlins-vs-tigers-mlb-live-stream-tv/ | 2023-07-29T15:33:24 | 1 | https://www.wbay.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/marlins-vs-tigers-mlb-live-stream-tv/ |
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The cosmos is offering up a double feature in August: a pair of supermoons culminating in a rare blue moon.
Catch the first show Tuesday evening as the full moon rises in the southeast, appearing slightly brighter and bigger than normal. That’s because it will be closer than usual, just 222,159 miles away, thus the supermoon label.
The moon will be even closer the night of Wednesday, Aug. 30 — a scant 222,043 miles distant. Because it’s the second full moon in the same month, it will be what's called a blue moon.
“Warm summer nights are the ideal time to watch the full moon rise in the eastern sky within minutes of sunset. And it happens twice in August,” said retired NASA astrophysicist Fred Espenak, dubbed Mr. Eclipse for his eclipse-chasing expertise.
PHOTOS: Throwback to July 2022 supermoon
The last time two full supermoons graced the sky in the same month was in 2018. It won’t happen again until 2037, according to Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project.
Masi will provide a live webcast of Tuesday evening’s supermoon, as it rises over the Coliseum in Rome.
“My plans are to capture the beauty of this ... hopefully bringing the emotion of the show to our viewers,” Masi said in an email.
“The supermoon offers us a great opportunity to look up and discover the sky,” he added.
This year’s first supermoon was in July. The fourth and last will be in September. The two in August will be closer than either of those.
Provided clear skies, binoculars or backyard telescopes can enhance the experience, Espenak said, revealing such features as lunar maria — the dark plains formed by ancient volcanic lava flows — and rays emanating from lunar craters.
According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the August full moon is traditionally known as the sturgeon moon. That’s because of the abundance of that fish in the Great Lakes in August, hundreds of years ago. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/nation-world/two-supermoons-blue-moon-in-august-2023/507-f73a6431-0522-4bca-839d-504e8750d913 | 2023-07-29T15:33:25 | 1 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/nation-world/two-supermoons-blue-moon-in-august-2023/507-f73a6431-0522-4bca-839d-504e8750d913 |
ATLANTA (AP) — “Excuse me, are you a city of Atlanta voter? Do you know about ‘Cop City?’”
Clipboards in hand, canvassers Sienna Giraldi and Gabriel Sanchez approached shopper after shopper at a Kroger supermarket lot on a recent evening collecting signatures for a referendum over whether to cancel the city’s lease of a proposed police and firefighter training center that’s become a national rallying cry for environmentalists and anti-police protesters.
Most people kept on walking. Others said they weren’t registered to vote or didn’t live within the city limits, both of which are required. Many seemed to have no idea what “Cop City” was and weren’t interested in finding out. The fact that it began raining certainly didn’t help. By the end of a 90-minute shift, 21 people had signed.
“We definitely need to come back here,” Sanchez said. “I was on a roll before the rain started.”
Over the past month, hundreds of people like them — many volunteers, some paid — have spread out across the city of about 500,000, in hopes of persuading more than 70,000 registered voters to sign on to the petition drive. The deadline had been mid-August, but the effort got a boost Thursday when a federal judge extended it to late September, though significant logistical and legal hurdles remain.
Technically, organizers say, they need just 58,203 signatures by Aug. 14 to qualify for the November ballot — the equivalent of 15% of registered voters as of the last city election — but they set the higher goal knowing some will be disqualified. If that’s not reached until late August or September, the referendum wouldn’t happen until March, when a competitive GOP presidential primary could turn out conservative voters and hurt its chances. The city also could move forward with construction in the meantime, unless a judge intervenes.
As of July 25, the drive had collected more than 30,000 signatures, according to Paul Glaze, a spokesperson for the Vote to Stop Cop City Coalition. And with the paid canvassing effort still ramping up, he expects the pace to pick up significantly.
“We’re confident of hitting our number,” Glaze said. “How much extra padding we’re able to get is still a question. … Our experience is that when you talk about this with people, when they hear the price tag, when you ask them if they would choose this or something else to spend the money on, the vast majority are against it.”
Organizers of the drive say Mayor Andre Dickens and the City Council have failed to listen to a groundswell of opposition to the $90 million, 85-acre (34-hectare) training center, which they fear will lead to greater militarization of the police and exacerbate environmental damage in the South River Forest in a poor, predominantly Black area.
Officials counter that the campus would replace outdated, far-flung facilities and boost police morale, which is beset by hiring and retention struggles, especially in the wake of 2020 protests over racial injustice. Dickens has said that the facility will teach the “most progressive training and curriculum in the country” and that officials have repeatedly revised their plans to address concerns about noise pollution and environmental impact.
In June, after hearing about 14 hours of public testimony that was overwhelmingly against the training center, council members voted 11-4 to approve $67 million toward the project. Outraged but not surprised, organizers of the petition drive announced it the next day.
Outside the Kroger, located in a majority-Black neighborhood a few miles south of a Wendy’s parking lot where officers fatally shot Rayshard Brooks in 2020, Giraldi chatted with Lee Little, a Black construction worker who stopped to talk despite the rain, his hands full of bagged groceries.
Little was working near the proposed training center in March and saw the helicopters and mass of armed officers that descended on the area after about 150 masked activists stormed the site and torched construction equipment. He hadn’t thought about it much since, but he signed the petition after hearing Giraldi’s pitch.
“She was just saying that City Council approved 60-something million dollars without listening to the taxpayers. Does that sound fair to you? That should be for the voters to decide,” Little said afterward.
Another who signed was Makela Atchison, who was wearing a “Black Voters Matter” T-shirt as she left the store with her two children.
“I’m not saying I’m for it or against it,” Atchison said, “but I want to be able to have my input.”
The signature drive is the most ambitious in terms of numbers that has ever been launched in a Georgia city, but it has precedent from last year in Camden County, where voters overwhelmingly rejected a planned launchpad for blasting commercial rockets into space. The Georgia Supreme Court in February unanimously upheld the legality of that referendum, though it remains an open question whether citizens can veto decisions of city governments.
In a recent court filing seeking to quash the Atlanta referendum, attorneys for the city said residents can’t force officials to retroactively revoke the lease agreement, which was made in 2021. They called organizers’ efforts “futile” and “invalid.” The state agreed with the city in a separate filing, though that dispute is on hold for now.
Still, activists see the referendum as the best remaining option to block the project. They’ve gotten support from numerous groups, including the Working Families Party and the New Georgia Project Action Fund, which pledged to get 15,000 signatures over the next few weeks.
Activist Hannah Riley tries to collect a handful of them whenever she is out in public, including on a recent afternoon as she worked remotely from Muchacho, a popular taco restaurant in the ultra-liberal Reynoldstown neighborhood. At the end of her table, she taped a sign that read: “Voter? Sign Stop Cop City Petition Here.”
“This is a bit of a Hail Mary, but it’s a Hail Mary that makes a lot of sense,” Riley said. “They’ve begun to clear-cut the trees. They’re getting close to pouring concrete. … Our options are quite limited right now, so this does feel like the most practical, effective next step.”
At the same time, a small number of activists have continued taking a more violent tack, including torching eight police motorcycles over the Fourth of July weekend, actions that canvass organizers have not condemned.
Curtis Duncan, 40, said the first day he went out canvassing, a man approached and accused him of being one of the vandals.
“I said, ‘Well, sir, respectfully, I wasn’t burning cars, and the majority of people within this movement have not been engaging in any type of violent actions,’” Duncan said. He added that troopers fatally shot an activist in the forest and that authorities have brought dozens of “very flimsy” domestic terrorism charges against “Stop Cop City” protesters this year — actions he considers far worse.
Sanchez, who works for a voting rights nonprofit, said that even if the signature drive falls short, it will have made an important impact.
“I feel like we’ve exhausted all the other options, aside from full-on revolution, which I don’t think we need for this,” he said. “There’s a lot of obstacles in our way. … If we only get to 50,000, I think that still shows a real warning sign for these politicians for the 2025 election.” | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/ap-us-news/ap-atlanta-cop-city-activists-say-theyre-confident-of-getting-70k-signatures-but-big-hurdles-remain/ | 2023-07-29T15:33:38 | 0 | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/ap-us-news/ap-atlanta-cop-city-activists-say-theyre-confident-of-getting-70k-signatures-but-big-hurdles-remain/ |
William Contreras Player Prop Bets: Brewers vs. Braves - July 29
Published: Jul. 29, 2023 at 9:30 AM CDT|Updated: 1 hour ago
On Saturday, William Contreras (.366 slugging percentage in past 10 games, with no homers) and the Milwaukee Brewers face the Atlanta Braves, whose starting pitcher will be Bryce Elder. First pitch is at 7:20 PM ET.
In his last appearance, he racked up two hits (going 2-for-5 with a double) against the Braves.
William Contreras Game Info & Props vs. the Braves
- Game Day: Saturday, July 29, 2023
- Game Time: 7:20 PM ET
- Stadium: Truist Park
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
- Braves Starter: Bryce Elder
- TV Channel: BSSE
- Hits Prop: Over/under 1.5 hits (Over odds: +195)
- Home Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 home runs (Over odds: +475)
- RBI Prop: Over/under 0.5 RBI (Over odds: +155)
- Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 runs (Over odds: +105)
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William Contreras At The Plate
- Contreras is hitting .272 with 19 doubles, a triple, 10 home runs and 33 walks.
- Among the qualifying hitters in MLB action, his batting average ranks 41st, his on-base percentage ranks 40th, and he is 68th in the league in slugging.
- Contreras has picked up a hit in 57 of 84 games this year, with multiple hits 24 times.
- In 10 games this season, he has hit a long ball (11.9%, and 2.8% of his trips to the plate).
- Contreras has picked up an RBI in 27 games this year (32.1%), with more than one RBI in nine of them (10.7%).
- He has scored at least once 35 times this season (41.7%), including seven games with multiple runs (8.3%).
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William Contreras Home/Away Batting Splits
Braves Pitching Rankings
- The pitching staff for the Braves has a collective 9.4 K/9, the fifth-best in the league.
- The Braves have a 3.85 team ERA that ranks seventh across all MLB pitching staffs.
- Braves pitchers combine to give up 109 home runs (1.1 per game), the third-fewest in the league.
- Elder gets the start for the Braves, his 21st of the season. He is 7-2 with a 3.30 ERA and 86 strikeouts in 114 2/3 innings pitched.
- In his most recent appearance on Sunday, the right-hander went six innings against the Milwaukee Brewers, giving up two earned runs while surrendering four hits.
- Among pitchers who qualify in MLB play this season, the 24-year-old ranks 15th in ERA (3.30), 36th in WHIP (1.230), and 57th in K/9 (6.7).
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbay.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/william-contreras-mlb-player-prop-bets/ | 2023-07-29T15:33:42 | 0 | https://www.wbay.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/william-contreras-mlb-player-prop-bets/ |
Compared with the devil, angels carry more credence in America.
Angels even get more credence than, well, hell. More than astrology, reincarnation, and the belief that physical things can have spiritual energies.
In fact, about 7 in 10 U.S. adults say they believe in angels, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
“People are yearning for something greater than themselves — beyond their own understanding,” said Jack Grogger, a chaplain for the Los Angeles Angels and a longtime Southern California fire captain who has aided many people in their gravest moments.
That search for something bigger, he said, can take on many forms, from following a religion to crafting a self-driven purpose to believing in, of course, angels.
“For a lot of people, angels are a lot safer to worship,” said Grogger, who also pastors a nondenominational church in Orange, California, and is a chaplain for the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks.
People turn to angels for comfort, he said. They are familiar, regularly showing up in pop culture as well as in the Bible. Comparably, worshipping Jesus is far more involved; when Grogger preaches about angels it is with the context that they are part of God’s kingdom.
American’s belief in angels (69%) is about on par with belief in heaven and the power of prayer, but bested by belief in God or a higher power (79%). Fewer U.S. adults believe in the devil or Satan (56%), astrology (34%), reincarnation (34%), and that physical things can have spiritual energies, such as plants, rivers or crystals (42%).
The widespread acceptance of angels shown in the AP-NORC poll makes sense to Susan Garrett, an angel expert and New Testament professor at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Kentucky. It tracks with historical surveys, she said, adding that the U.S. remains a faith-filled country even as more Americans reject organized religion.
But if the devil is in the details, so are people’s understandings of angels.
“They’re very malleable,” Garrett said of angels. “You can have any one of a number of quite different worldviews in terms of your understanding of how the cosmos is arranged, whether there’s spirit beings, whether there’s life after death, whether there’s a God … and still find a place for angels in that worldview.”
Talk of angels, Garrett said, is often also about something else, like the ways God interacts with the world and other hard-to-articulate ideas.
The large number of U.S. adults who say they believe in angels includes 84% of those with a religious affiliation — 94% of evangelical Protestants, 81% of mainline Protestants and 82% of Catholics — and 33% of those without one. And of those angel-believing religiously unaffiliated, that includes 2% of atheists, 25% of agnostics and 50% of those identified as “nothing in particular.”
The broad acceptance is what fascinates San Francisco-based witch and author Devin Hunter: Angels show up independently in different religions and traditions, making them part of the fabric that unites humanity.
“We’re all getting to the same conclusion,” said Hunter, who spent 16 years as a professional medium, and started communicating as a child with what he believed were angels.
Hunter estimates that a belief in angels applies to about half of those practicing modern witchcraft today, and for some who don’t believe, their rejection is often rooted in the religious trauma they experienced growing up.
“Angels become a very big deal” for long-time practitioners who’ve made occultism their primary focus, said Hunter, an angel-loving occultist. “We cannot escape them in any way, shape or form.”
Jennifer Goodwin of Oviedo, Florida, also is among the roughly seven in 10 U.S. adults who say they believe in angels. She isn’t sure if God exists and rejects the afterlife dichotomy of heaven and hell, but the recent deaths of her parents solidified her views on these celestial beings.
Goodwin believes her parents are still keeping an eye on the family — not in any physical way or as a supernatural apparition, but that they manifest in those moments when she feels a general sense of comfort.
“I think that they are around us, but it’s in a way that we can’t understand,” Goodwin said. “I don’t know what else to call it except an angel.”
Angels mean different things to different people, and the idea of loved ones becoming heavenly angels after death is neither an unusual belief nor a universally held one.
In his reading of Scripture as an evangelical Protestant, Grogger said he believes angels are something else entirely — they have never been human and are on another level in heaven’s hierarchy. “We are higher than angels,” he said. “We do not become an angel.”
Angels do interact with humans though, said Grogger, but what “that looks like we’re not 100% sure.” They worship God who created this angelic legion of unknown numbers, he said, adding that evangelicals often attribute the demonic forces in the world to the angels who fell from heaven when the devil rebelled.
The Western ideas about angels can be traced through the Bible — and to the worldviews of its monotheistic authors, Garrett said. Those beliefs have changed and developed for millennia, influenced by cultures, theologians and even the ancient polytheistic beliefs that came before the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, she said.
“There are sort of lines of continuity from the Bible that you can trace all the way up to the New Age movement,” said Susan Garrett, who wrote “No Ordinary Angel: Celestial Spirits and Christian Claims about Jesus.”
The angels in the Bible do God’s bidding, and angelic violence is one part of their job description, said Esther Hamori, author of the upcoming book, “God’s Monsters: Vengeful Spirits, Deadly Angels, Hybrid Creatures, and Divine Hitmen of the Bible.”
“The angels of the Bible are just as likely to assassinate individuals and slaughter entire populations as they are to offer help and protect and deliver,” said Hamori. She doesn’t believe in these angels, but studies them as a Hebrew Bible professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York where she teaches a popular “Monster Heaven” class.
“They’re just God’s obedient soldiers doing the task at hand, and sometimes that task is in human beings’ best interests, and sometimes it’s not,” she said.
The perception that angels act angelic and look like the idyllic, winged figurines atop Christmas trees could be attributed to an early centuries belief that people are assigned one good angel and one bad — or have a good and bad spirit to guide them, Garrett said.
This idea shows up on the shoulders of cartoon characters and is likely what Abraham Lincoln was alluding to in his famous appeal for unity when he referenced “the better angels of our nature” in his first inaugural address, she said.
“It’s also tied in with ideas about guardian angels, which again, very ancient views that got developed over the centuries,” Garrett said.
For Sheila Avery of Chicago, angels are protectors, capable of keeping someone from harm. Avery, who belongs to a nondenominational church, credits them with those moments like when a person’s plans fall through, but ultimately it saves them from being in the thick of an unexpected disaster.
“They turn on the news and a terrible tragedy happened at that particular place,” Avery said, suggesting it was an “angel that was probably watching over them.”
___
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/ap-us-news/ap-do-you-believe-in-angels-about-7-in-10-u-s-adults-do-a-new-ap-norc-poll-shows/ | 2023-07-29T15:33:44 | 1 | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/ap-us-news/ap-do-you-believe-in-angels-about-7-in-10-u-s-adults-do-a-new-ap-norc-poll-shows/ |
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to $1.05 billion after another no winner again
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.
Scripps Only Content 2023 | https://www.wflx.com/2023/07/29/mega-millions-jackpot-climbs-105-billion-after-another-no-winner-again/ | 2023-07-29T15:33:48 | 0 | https://www.wflx.com/2023/07/29/mega-millions-jackpot-climbs-105-billion-after-another-no-winner-again/ |
Willy Adames Player Prop Bets: Brewers vs. Braves - July 29
Published: Jul. 29, 2023 at 9:31 AM CDT|Updated: 1 hour ago
The Milwaukee Brewers, including Willy Adames (.233 on-base percentage in past 10 games, 55 points below season-long percentage), battle starting pitcher Bryce Elder and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park, Saturday at 7:20 PM ET.
In his most recent game he had a hitless performance (0-for-5) against the Braves.
Willy Adames Game Info & Props vs. the Braves
- Game Day: Saturday, July 29, 2023
- Game Time: 7:20 PM ET
- Stadium: Truist Park
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
- Braves Starter: Bryce Elder
- TV Channel: BSSE
- Hits Prop: Over/under 1.5 hits (Over odds: +200)
- Home Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 home runs (Over odds: +333)
- RBI Prop: Over/under 0.5 RBI (Over odds: +135)
- Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 runs (Over odds: +105)
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Explore More About This Game
Willy Adames At The Plate
- Adames has 16 doubles, 17 home runs and 40 walks while batting .203.
- In 52 of 94 games this year (55.3%) Adames has picked up a hit, and in 16 of those games he had more than one (17.0%).
- In 16.0% of his games this season, he has hit a long ball, and 4.2% of his trips to the dish.
- In 28.7% of his games this season, Adames has driven in at least one run. In 11 of those games (11.7%) he recorded more than one RBI, while accounting for three or more of his team's runs in seven contests.
- He has scored a run in 34 games this year, with multiple runs nine times.
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Willy Adames Home/Away Batting Splits
Braves Pitching Rankings
- The pitching staff for the Braves has a collective 9.4 K/9, the fifth-best in MLB.
- The Braves have a 3.85 team ERA that ranks seventh among all league pitching staffs.
- The Braves give up the third-fewest home runs in baseball (109 total, 1.1 per game).
- Elder (7-2 with a 3.30 ERA and 86 strikeouts in 114 2/3 innings pitched) makes the start for the Braves, his 21st of the season.
- His last time out was on Sunday against the Milwaukee Brewers, when the righty went six innings, surrendering two earned runs while giving up four hits.
- Among pitchers who qualify in MLB action this season, the 24-year-old ranks 15th in ERA (3.30), 36th in WHIP (1.230), and 57th in K/9 (6.7).
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbay.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/willy-adames-mlb-player-prop-bets/ | 2023-07-29T15:33:49 | 1 | https://www.wbay.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/willy-adames-mlb-player-prop-bets/ |
(NEXSTAR) — For many of us, flying is a relatively easy experience. Your flight leaves on time, your seatmates are polite, and you arrive at your destination safely.
But, in some cases, one of those aspects of flying may not go exactly as planned. You may find one of your fellow flyers committing an air travel faux pas: being barefoot.
You’ve seen the photos online of people’s toes peeking out between the seats. Maybe you’ve encountered it yourself. Either way, it’s largely frowned upon. In some cases, barefoot flying can even get you grounded.
Within its contract of carriage, United Airlines considers being barefoot, as well as being “not properly clothed,” an offense that justifies “refusal or removal of a passenger.” The carrier lists it as one of the many infractions that could impact safety for the passenger or others on the plane.
American Airlines says bare feet “aren’t allowed” from passengers, adding that “violent” or “inappropriate actions” could prevent you from boarding, being removed from the terminal, or facing legal prosecution.
Delta Airlines also warns that it can “refuse to transport or may remove passengers from its aircraft” if the passenger is barefoot. A barefoot passenger may be prohibited from boarding the plane, or may be forced to leave the plane, according to Spirit Airlines’ contract of carriage.
Frontier Airlines says it can refuse service to a passenger who is over the age of 3 and barefoot, “unless required to be barefoot for medical reasons.” Southwest Airlines and JetBlue state in their contracts of carriage that they can refuse to let a passenger fly if they are barefoot and older than five years of age, unless required due to a disability.
If these warnings from airlines aren’t enough to sway you from taking off your shoes while flying, maybe consider how many other people have also taken their shoes off on a plane – and what else has touched the floor.
“I would never fly barefoot on a plane,” a veteran flight attendant for a major carrier told Nexstar. “Passengers these days can be quite messy and we see everything from spills to dirty diapers thrown on the floor.”
Planes are tidied between flights, she explains, but the floors won’t be cleaned “unless there is a major mess.” That includes floors in the bathroom, too.
“That is most likely not water on the floor,” she adds. “Think of old men and young boys trying to aim in turbulence. Not good. Also, people love to throw trash anywhere but in the bathroom trash can so it usually ends up on the floor.”
If you still want to take your shoes off, she recommends bringing an old pair of socks to wear, then throwing them away after the flight.
United, American, Delta, Spirit, Frontier, JetBlue, and Southwest did not respond to Nexstar’s request for comment or its inquiry into whether any passengers have been removed or barred from flying over being barefooted.
Barefoot flyers are likely among the least of many airlines’ concerns. Over the last three years, airlines have reported record-setting incidents of disruptive passengers. That includes passengers accused of assaulting flight crews, opening emergency doors, and refusing to wear masks during the height of the COVID pandemic.
More recently, a Las Vegas-bound flight was forced to divert to Denver after an apparent fight broke out between some passengers. Two women were escorted off the plane, according to a passenger that captured video of the incident.
Causing a disturbance on a plane is a federal crime, and unruly passengers can face criminal prosecution or even fines. | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/no-shoes-no-service-what-can-happen-if-you-fly-barefoot/ | 2023-07-29T15:33:50 | 0 | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/no-shoes-no-service-what-can-happen-if-you-fly-barefoot/ |
Germany vs. Colombia: Women’s World Cup Group H Odds, Stats and Live Stream - July 30
In the second round of Group H matches at the 2023 Women's World Cup, Germany (coming off a 6-0 win over Morocco) plays Colombia (off a 2-0 win against South Korea) at 5:30 AM ET on Sunday, July 30.
Germany is -431 to win this group-stage game, Colombia is +1067, and the draw is +504. This match has an over/under of 2.5 goals. The under is currently +104, and the over is -138.
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Germany vs. Colombia Game Info
- Date: Sunday, July 30, 2023
- Time: 5:30 AM ET
- Location: Sydney, Australia
- Venue: Sydney Football Stadium
- TV Channel: Fox Sports 1
- Total: 2.5
- Germany Moneyline: -431
- Colombia Moneyline: +1067
Germany vs. Colombia World Cup Betting Insights
- These two teams score a combined eight goals per game, 5.5 more than this match's total.
- These two teams allow a combined zero goals per game, 2.5 fewer than this match's over/under.
- Germany has been listed as a moneyline favorite only one other time so far this tournament, and won.
- Germany has played as a moneyline favorite of -431 or shorter in only one game this tournament, which they won.
- Colombia won the only game it has played as an underdog this tournament.
- Colombia has not been a bigger underdog this tournament than the +1067 moneyline set for this game.
Germany World Cup Stats
Colombia World Cup Stats
- In one Women's World Cup match for Colombia, Catalina Usme has tallied one goal (10th in Women's World Cup play).
- Linda Caicedo has scored one goal for Colombia in Women's World Cup.
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Germany vs. Colombia Recent Performance
- So far this year, Germany is 3-1-2 versus fellow 2023 Women's World Cup participants, with a goal differential of +6. In 2022, it was 6-1-4 in such matches (+11 goal differential).
- Germany took on Morocco in its last match and earned a win by a final score of 6-0. The victorious Germany side took 15 shots, outshooting by 10.
- Popp scored two of her club's goals to lead the team against .
- So far this year, Colombia is 3-2-2 versus fellow 2023 Women's World Cup teams, with a goal differential of +1. In 2022, it was 5-2-3 in such matches (0 goal differential).
- Colombia claimed a 2-0 victory versus South Korea on July 24 in its last match. Colombia outshot South Korea 15 to four.
- Caicedo and Usme each registered a goal for Colombia.
Germany Roster
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Colombia Roster
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbay.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/2023-womens-world-cup-germany-colombia-betting-preview-odds/ | 2023-07-29T15:33:55 | 1 | https://www.wbay.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/2023-womens-world-cup-germany-colombia-betting-preview-odds/ |
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — Right now, there are three active meteor showers. Their peak viewing times are approaching in the next few weeks, and they are, conveniently, all going to be on Saturday and Sunday.
For optimal meteor shower viewing, it’s best to be in an area with little or no light pollution.
Perseids
According to NASA, the Perseid Meteor Shower is the best one happening this year, and viewers can see up to 100 meteors per hour. The shower became visible in the northern hemisphere on July 14 and will be around until Sept. 1.
If you want to see the Perseids at its peak, plan a night of stargazing for Aug. 12 or 13, according to NASA. For best viewing, NASA says to look during the pre-dawn hours, although meteors and fireballs could be visible as early as 10 p.m. The meteors will originate near the Perseid constellation and will be more easily-found constellation Cassiopeia.
The Perseids shower is expected to be very visible this year because the moon will not be as bright. This means the sky will be darker, making meteors more visible.
Delta Aquariids
The Delta Aquariids are not usually as impressive as the Perseids, but without a noticeable peak, you have a longer window for possibly seeing meteors from this shower. According to the American Meteor Society, the shower will be visible primarily in the southern tropics between July 18 and Aug. 21, with an estimated peak around Sunday, July 30. The northern hemisphere is less likely to see the Delta Aquariids than the southern.
July 30 is also a full moon, making 2023 less favorable for seeing the Delta Aquariids. Those who want to look for them should look toward the Delta Aquarii constellation from around 2 a.m. to dawn.
Alpha Capricornids
If you want a double chance to see more fireballs, July 30 might be your night, because in addition to the Delta Aquariids, the Alpha Capricornids are also expected to peak that night in 2023. The Alpha Capricornids are visible from July 7 to Aug. 15 but are considered much weaker than the other showers listed above, with only about five meteors visible per hour, but according to the AMS, the shower can have some pretty impressive fireballs in lower quantities.
The shower can also be seen equally as well in the northern and southern hemispheres. | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/the-next-3-meteor-showers-peak-on-weekends-what-to-know/ | 2023-07-29T15:33:56 | 0 | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/the-next-3-meteor-showers-peak-on-weekends-what-to-know/ |
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://fox59.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-fresh-charges-tie-trump-even-more-closely-to-coverup-effort-that-could-deepen-his-legal-woes/ | 2023-07-29T15:34:02 | 0 | https://fox59.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-fresh-charges-tie-trump-even-more-closely-to-coverup-effort-that-could-deepen-his-legal-woes/ |
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://fox59.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-us-pledges-to-help-australia-manufacture-guided-missiles-by-2025/ | 2023-07-29T15:34:09 | 0 | https://fox59.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-us-pledges-to-help-australia-manufacture-guided-missiles-by-2025/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — Pamela Smith’s voice soared and quivered like a preacher in midsermon as she recalled her troubled childhood and how it helped prepare her for the challenges she faces as the new police chief in the nation’s capital.
“I stand before you as a child who had no hopes, who had no dreams — they were far beyond my reach. But I believe that all things are possible,” she said at her introductory news conference in Washington, in cadences honed by years as an ordained Baptist minister. “I believe I bring a fresh perspective, a different kind of energy, a different level of passion to what I’m going to do.”
Smith takes on the job at a precarious time.
Violent crime is rising sharply, fueled by more homicides and carjackings. The District of Columbia’s mayor, Muriel Bowser, and the D.C. Council have, at times, been at odds about crime legislation. On Capitol Hill, the Republican-led House has begun citing the city’s crime statistics while aggressively reviewing local public safety laws.
On July 24, the Mexican Consulate posted a tweet urging its nationals to “take precautions” in the city due to “a significant increase in crime in areas previously considered safe.”
Smith, 55, now becomes one of the public faces of this long-term fight even before the Council votes on her nomination as chief. She brings an inspirational story to her new role leading the Metropolitan Police Department. Raised in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, by a single mother who battled substance abuse, Smith and her siblings were at one point removed from their home and spent time in foster care. Smith emerged as a track star and went on to a 24-year career in the U.S. Park Police, where she served as the agency’s first Black female chief before retiring in 2022 to take up a senior leadership position at the MPD.
Law enforcement and government officials repeatedly point out that overall crime numbers in Washington have stayed relatively stable. But the crimes that have increased the most — murders and carjackings — are the ones most likely to damage public confidence.
“The scariest crimes are going up and regardless of what’s happening with other crimes, that’s what’s going to fuel the overall perception,” U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves told The Associated Press.
Graves’ office prosecutes most felonies in Washington, in a unique arrangement due to the district’s status as a nonstate. The city’s attorney general’s office prosecutes misdemeanors and juvenile crime, which is also on the rise.
This intricate dynamic among two separate sets of prosecutors, the city’s police force, Bowser’s administration and the Council has been publicly tested as the crime numbers have stayed high — all with Congress taking an increasing interest in the district’s affairs. Public safety was a primary topic of debate last year when Bowser, 50, successfully ran for a third term in office. She has spent this term sparring with both the Council and the House Oversight and Accountability Committee over how best to address crime.
July has been a particular bloody month, with 22 homicides as of Friday, including murders on the campuses of both Howard and Catholic universities. The victims include an Afghan man who survived years of working as a translator for the U.S. Army in Afghanistan only to be murdered in America while driving for Lyft. Nine people, including two children, were shot at a July Fourth party, when an assailant in an SUV opened fire on the crowd. A 12-year old girl remains hospitalized after being shot in the back Tuesday night by a bullet that penetrated the walls of her home.
Although the local murder rate is well below the levels in the 1980s and early 1990s, when Washington regularly led the nation in murders per capita, it has climbed steadily in recent years. In 2022, there was a roughly 10% drop in homicides, but now, homicides are up 15 percent compared with this time a year ago and the city is on pace to surpass 200 for the third year in a row. Police also reported 140 carjacking incidents in the month of June — the highest monthly total in more than five years.
Crime in Washington is now a national headline issue in Congress. In the spring, Bowser and Council members were summoned before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee for a heated session on local crime rates.
Congress voted to completely overturn the Council’s comprehensive rewrite of the district’s criminal code. Bowser was caught in the middle of the dispute. She had vetoed the overhaul, saying the reduction of maximum penalties for certain violent crimes “sent the wrong message,” but was overridden by the Council.
The mayor opposes congressional intervention in local affairs as part of Washington’s long push for statehood, but her initial veto was frequently cited by Republican lawmakers as proof that the rewrite was soft on crime. In an embarrassment for the heavily Democratic city, the move to cancel the criminal code revision drew support from dozens of congressional Democratic and was signed into law by President Joe Biden.
Earlier this month, the Council, with Bowser’s support, passed emergency public safety legislation meant to serve as a temporary fix. The bill makes it a felony to fire a gun in public and makes it easier for judges, in cases where people are charged with a violent crime, to detain them before trial. As an emergency bill, the changes will only last 90 days and will not be subject to congressional review; plans to make the changes permanent in the fall will face scrutiny by lawmakers.
“It is no secret … to the public that we are in a state of emergency right now,” said Brooke Pinto, the D.C. Council member who was the bill’s architect. “Like in any emergency, we have to act like it and we have to act urgently to address the problem we’re seeing.”
But some pushing for a criminal justice overhaul said city lawmakers were reverting to mass incarceration policies that had long ago been discredited.
“We’re way beyond thinking that we can just incarcerate more people,” said Patrice Sulton, executive director of the D.C. Justice Lab, who helped draft the now-canceled criminal code revision. “I think everybody who voted for it knows that it will not have an impact.”
The local branch of the American Civil Liberties Union said in a statement on Twitter that the new bill “essentially flips due process on its head — treating people as guilty and detaining them.”
All sides point to one primary factor fueling the violence: a flood to firearms entering Washington.
Graves, the district’s federal prosecutor, said the number of guns being used in crimes has skyrocketed, turning petty disputes into deadly battles. This includes a new wave of “ghost guns” — firearms that can be ordered in kits and assembled at home. Other kits can easily turn a semiautomatic weapon into an automatic, enabling a rapid-fire and generally less accurate spray of dozens of bullets. In 2018, authorities recovered three such guns; in 2022, the number was 461.
Graves compared the illegal guns to “a virus” in the neighborhood.
“The more virus there is in the community, the more people are going to get sick,” he said. “The more illegal firearms are in the community, the more likelihood those illegal firearms are going to be used.” | https://fox59.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-violent-crime-is-rising-in-the-nations-capital-dc-seeks-solutions-as-congress-keeps-close-watch/ | 2023-07-29T15:34:16 | 1 | https://fox59.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-violent-crime-is-rising-in-the-nations-capital-dc-seeks-solutions-as-congress-keeps-close-watch/ |
Two supermoons in August mean double the stargazing fun
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The cosmos is offering up a double feature in August: a pair of supermoons culminating in a rare blue moon.
Catch the first show Tuesday evening as the full moon rises in the southeast, appearing slightly brighter and bigger than normal. That’s because it will be closer than usual, just 222,159 miles (357,530 kilometers) away, thus the supermoon label.
The moon will be even closer the night of Aug. 30 — a scant 222,043 miles (357,344 kilometers) distant. Because it’s the second full moon in the same month, it will be what’s called a blue moon.
“Warm summer nights are the ideal time to watch the full moon rise in the eastern sky within minutes of sunset. And it happens twice in August,” said retired NASA astrophysicist Fred Espenak, dubbed Mr. Eclipse for his eclipse-chasing expertise.
The last time two full supermoons graced the sky in the same month was in 2018. It won’t happen again until 2037, according to Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project.
Masi will provide a live webcast of Tuesday evening’s supermoon, as it rises over the Coliseum in Rome.
“My plans are to capture the beauty of this ... hopefully bringing the emotion of the show to our viewers,” Masi said in an email.
“The supermoon offers us a great opportunity to look up and discover the sky,” he added.
This year’s first supermoon was in July. The fourth and last will be in September. The two in August will be closer than either of those.
Provided clear skies, binoculars or backyard telescopes can enhance the experience, Espenak said, revealing such features as lunar maria — the dark plains formed by ancient volcanic lava flows — and rays emanating from lunar craters.
According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the August full moon is traditionally known as the sturgeon moon. That’s because of the abundance of that fish in the Great Lakes in August, hundreds of years ago.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wsaz.com/2023/07/29/two-supermoons-august-mean-double-stargazing-fun/ | 2023-07-29T15:34:21 | 0 | https://www.wsaz.com/2023/07/29/two-supermoons-august-mean-double-stargazing-fun/ |
Marlins vs. Tigers Predictions & Picks: Odds, Moneyline, Spread - July 29
Saturday's contest between the Miami Marlins (56-48) and Detroit Tigers (46-58) matching up at LoanDepot park has a projected final score of 6-5 (according to our computer prediction) in favor of the Marlins, who is listed as a slight favorite by our model. The game will start at 4:10 PM ET on July 29.
The Marlins will give the ball to Johnny Cueto (0-1, 4.50 ERA), who is eyeing win No. 1 on the season, and the Tigers will counter with Beau Brieske.
Marlins vs. Tigers Game Info & Odds
- When: Saturday, July 29, 2023 at 4:10 PM ET
- Where: LoanDepot park in Miami, Florida
- How to Watch on TV: Fox Sports 1
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
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Marlins vs. Tigers Score Prediction
Our pick for this contest is Marlins 6, Tigers 5.
Total Prediction for Marlins vs. Tigers
- Total Prediction: Over 8 runs
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Marlins Performance Insights
- The Marlins have played as the favorite in six of their past 10 games and won two of those contests.
- When it comes to hitting the over, Miami and its opponents are 5-5-0 in its last 10 games with a total.
- Bookmakers have not set a spread for any of the Marlins' last 10 games.
- The Marlins have won 31, or 66%, of the 47 games they've played as favorites this season.
- Miami has entered 25 games this season favored by -155 or more and is 21-4 in those contests.
- The Marlins have a 60.8% chance to win this game based on the implied probability of the moneyline.
- Miami is among the lowest-scoring teams in the majors, ranking 26th with just 428 total runs (4.1 per game) this season.
- The Marlins have a 4.11 team ERA that ranks 13th among all MLB pitching staffs.
Tigers Performance Insights
- The Tigers have played as the underdog in six of their past 10 games and have gone 1-5 in those contests.
- When it comes to the total, Detroit and its foes are 4-5-1 in its previous 10 contests.
- The Tigers' previous 10 contests have not had a runline posted by bookmakers.
- The Tigers have been victorious in 33, or 39.8%, of the 83 contests they have been chosen as underdogs in this season.
- This season, Detroit has come away with a win 22 times in 48 chances when named as an underdog of at least +130 or worse on the moneyline.
- The Tigers have an implied victory probability of 43.5% according to the moneyline set for this matchup.
- Detroit is the third-lowest scoring team in MLB play averaging 3.9 runs per game (406 total).
- Tigers pitchers have a combined ERA of 4.53 ERA this year, which ranks 22nd in MLB.
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Marlins Schedule
Tigers Schedule
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.kmvt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/marlins-tigers-mlb-picks-predictions/ | 2023-07-29T15:34:21 | 0 | https://www.kmvt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/marlins-tigers-mlb-picks-predictions/ |
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Port workers in British Columbia have rejected a mediated contract offer meant to end a labor dispute that stopped goods from moving in and out of harbors, including at Canada’s busiest port in Vancouver.
In a letter posted on the union’s website late Friday, International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada President Rob Ashton said workers in the province are now calling on their employers to “come to the table” and negotiate directly, instead of doing so through the BC Maritime Employers Association.
The vote to reject the contract raises the prospect of back-to-work legislation to end the uncertainty at more than 30 port terminals and other sites.
The four-year agreement between the union and maritime employers went to a vote of about 7,400 workers on Thursday and Friday, after union leaders presented the deal to local chapters on Tuesday.
The deal worked out with federal mediators had put a temporary halt to a 13-day strike that had commenced July 1, but its fate see-sawed wildly as the union leadership then rejected it and tried to go back to picket lines.
When that was deemed illegal by the Canada Industrial Relations Board, the union submitted a new 72-hour strike notice, only to withdraw it hours later.
On July 20, the union announced it was recommending the deal and would put it to a full membership vote.
Its failure will give impetus to calls for the federal government to bring in back-to-work legislation, that came earlier from industry groups and politicians, including Alberta Premier Danielle Smith.
The earlier job action was serious enough that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau convened the government’s incident response group to discuss the matter, an occurrence typically reserved for moments of national crisis. | https://www.seattletimes.com/business/port-workers-in-canadas-british-columbia-reject-contract-offer-leaving-ports-hamstrung-by-dispute/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-29T15:34:21 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/business/port-workers-in-canadas-british-columbia-reject-contract-offer-leaving-ports-hamstrung-by-dispute/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
August 1st: New law bans very common household item in NJ
In just a matter of days, a very common household item that you likely have in your living room or bedroom right now will be banned.
And not only will it be banned, but if a store in New Jersey or beyond continues to sell this item after August 1st, they could face big fines for each one sold.
However, there's a chance that you have already transitioned your home to this newer technology that is taking over and you haven't even thought much about it.
After all, over the past few years, things like traffic signals, Christmas decorations, and all new cars have already made the switch.
What's being banned now?!
Light bulbs.
Specifically, old-fashioned incandescent and halogen lightbulbs that have been around for decades and decades.
According to gelighting.com,
Since halogen/incandescent light bulbs are less energy efficient than several other bulb types, The Department of Energy has recently set new standards for light bulb manufacturers. As part of a nationwide push towards energy efficiency, federally mandated requirements state that lights must now produce more light energy than they use, or at least 45 lumens per watt, effectively banning non-energy efficient halogen or incandescent light bulbs from production.
In other words, since LED lightbulbs are now commonly available and they use considerably less electricity, old-style lightbulbs (the kind that gets really hot when they've been on for a while) are going to disappear.
And, actually, the production of incandescent and halogen lightbulbs ended a while ago. As the supply of those bulbs has been bought by consumers, no new ones have been filling store shelves.
I found this out for myself several months ago when I wanted to buy a simple, old-fashioned, relatively low-wattage incandescent light bulb for my hallway. I went to several stores in New Jersey and none were to be found.
However -- and you'll need to do this within the next day or so -- by accident, the last time I was in a thrift store (i.e. Salvation Army or Goodwill Store), those places had quite a few incandescent light bulbs for sale, as if someone cleaned out their closet and unloaded them. I think they were selling for about a quarter each.
If you absolutely need to find an incandescent light bulb for some reason, you might want to check there.
More expensive initially
As writers at lightingservicesinc.net point out,
LED bulbs use up to 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs, and can last up to 25 times longer. Although the up-front cost of an LED bulb is a bit more expensive than an incandescent bulb, it is a much more cost-effective option in the long run, as LEDs need to be replaced far less often and will lead to savings on electricity bills.
So while you may be spending $6 or $7 for a lightbulb when they used to cost a buck or two, you'll make that money back, in theory, by using that much less electricity.
Health impacts of LEDs?
And while you might be saving energy by using LED lightbulbs, the technology is not perfect.
One study says "blue light," which is emitted from LEDs, can have a negative impact on your sleeping habits.
Another researcher even suggests that since LEDs contain all types of chemicals and compounds,
If any LEDs break at home...[sweep] them up while wearing gloves and a mask, and disposing of the debris — and even the broom — as hazardous waste. Furthermore, crews dispatched to clean up car crashes or broken traffic lights (LEDs are used extensively for automotive and traffic lighting) should wear protective clothing and handle material as hazardous waste.
It should be noted that LEDs are not considered toxic and can be disposed of in regular landfills.
Some people also claim to get headaches from LEDs since they flicker at an extremely high rate of speed, which old lightbulbs do not do.
Shoppers beware
Keep in mind that not all LED lightbulbs are the same. Some are specifically for indoor use. Also, if you are like me and you have to replace a lightbulb in a hallway light fixture, you'll need to buy a LED bulb that is designed to be used in an enclosed fixture -- look for that on the box.
Fun fact
I had mentioned that traffic signals have been using LEDs instead of light bulbs for a number of years now -- but that wasn't an easy transition.
LEDs are great for traffic signals as they last much longer than light bulbs, which means they don't have to be replaced nearly as often. However, LEDs don't generate heat. That heat is necessary to melt snow that accumulates on red and green lights, otherwise, the snow blocks the light.
To fix that, special visors had to be developed, tested, and then installed that allow the snow to blow away. So in the long run, has this actually cost us more money than just keeping old lightbulbs around?
- YOU PICKED THEM: NJ Drivers Say These 12 Roads Are the Most Hated in the State | https://nj1015.com/august-1st-new-law-bans-very-common-household-item-in-nj/ | 2023-07-29T15:34:21 | 1 | https://nj1015.com/august-1st-new-law-bans-very-common-household-item-in-nj/ |
INDIANA (WANE) – Cocktails, anyone?
When you’re thirsty for something a little more fun than a beer, cocktails are the perfect substitute to bring flavor and presentation to life.
But what cocktail is the most popular in Indiana? Upgraded Points, an online information website, aimed to find out.
They started by compiling a list of the most popular cocktails around the country. Then, they looked at Google Trends data from the past 12 months to see which cocktail Americans searched for most.
You may be surprised to learn Indiana’s most popular cocktail is a tequila sunrise, according to Google Trends. No other state had the same choice of cocktail.
For those who don’t know, a tequila sunrise is typically made by combining tequila, orange juice, and grenadine syrup in a tall glass without mixing the ingredients to preserve each layer’s color.
Not every website agrees with the result. According to the American Bar Association, Indiana has an unofficial signature cocktail called the “Hoosier Heritage.” The drink is made by combining Knob Creek rye whiskey with maple syrup, lemon juice, and apple cider.
The cocktail was created and crowned the unofficial signature cocktail of the state in a 2015 contest held by the Indiana State Museum, according to the IndyStar.
Curious to see what the most popular cocktail is in other states? Check out the full list on Upgraded Point’s website. | https://fox59.com/news/whats-indianas-most-popular-cocktail/ | 2023-07-29T15:34:22 | 0 | https://fox59.com/news/whats-indianas-most-popular-cocktail/ |
Germany vs. Colombia: Women’s World Cup Group H Odds, Stats and Live Stream - July 30
In the second round of Group H matches at the 2023 Women's World Cup, Germany (coming off a 6-0 win over Morocco) plays Colombia (off a 2-0 win against South Korea) at 5:30 AM ET on Sunday, July 30.
Germany is -431 to win this group-stage game, Colombia is +1067, and the draw is +504. This match has an over/under of 2.5 goals. The under is currently +104, and the over is -138.
Bet on the result of Germany vs. Colombia at DraftKings! Bet now to get a first deposit bonus of up to $1,000!
Germany vs. Colombia Game Info
- Date: Sunday, July 30, 2023
- Time: 5:30 AM ET
- Location: Sydney, Australia
- Venue: Sydney Football Stadium
- TV Channel: Fox Sports 1
- Total: 2.5
- Germany Moneyline: -431
- Colombia Moneyline: +1067
Germany vs. Colombia World Cup Betting Insights
- These two teams score a combined eight goals per game, 5.5 more than this match's total.
- These two teams allow a combined zero goals per game, 2.5 fewer than this match's over/under.
- Germany has been listed as a moneyline favorite only one other time so far this tournament, and won.
- Germany has played as a moneyline favorite of -431 or shorter in only one game this tournament, which they won.
- Colombia won the only game it has played as an underdog this tournament.
- Colombia has not been a bigger underdog this tournament than the +1067 moneyline set for this game.
Germany World Cup Stats
Colombia World Cup Stats
- In one Women's World Cup match for Colombia, Catalina Usme has tallied one goal (10th in Women's World Cup play).
- Linda Caicedo has scored one goal for Colombia in Women's World Cup.
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Germany vs. Colombia Recent Performance
- So far this year, Germany is 3-1-2 versus fellow 2023 Women's World Cup participants, with a goal differential of +6. In 2022, it was 6-1-4 in such matches (+11 goal differential).
- Germany took on Morocco in its last match and earned a win by a final score of 6-0. The victorious Germany side took 15 shots, outshooting by 10.
- Popp scored two of her club's goals to lead the team against .
- So far this year, Colombia is 3-2-2 versus fellow 2023 Women's World Cup teams, with a goal differential of +1. In 2022, it was 5-2-3 in such matches (0 goal differential).
- Colombia claimed a 2-0 victory versus South Korea on July 24 in its last match. Colombia outshot South Korea 15 to four.
- Caicedo and Usme each registered a goal for Colombia.
Germany Roster
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Colombia Roster
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.kmvt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/2023-womens-world-cup-germany-colombia-betting-preview-odds/ | 2023-07-29T15:34:27 | 1 | https://www.kmvt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/2023-womens-world-cup-germany-colombia-betting-preview-odds/ |
BALTIMORE, Md, July 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Lupin) is voluntarily recalling two (2) lots of Tydemy (Drospirenone, Ethinyl Estradiol and Levomefolate Calcium Tablets 3mg/0.03mg/0.451 mg and Levomefolate Calcium Tablets 0.451 mg) to the patient (consumer/user) level due to out of specification (OOS) test results at the 12-month stability time point. Specifically, one lot (L200183) tested low for ascorbic acid (an inactive ingredient) and high for a known impurity.
To date, Lupin has received no reports of adverse events related to either recalled lots. Regardless, Lupin is recalling two lots because if there were a significant reduction in the amount of inactive content (ascorbic acid), this could potentially impact the effectiveness of the product which could potentially result in unexpected pregnancy.
Tydemy is estrogen/progestin oral contraceptive (COC) indicated for use by women to prevent pregnancy and to raise folate levels in women who choose to use an oral contraceptive for contraception. Tydemy is packaged in 28's blister. One such blister was then packed in a pouch along with one printed sleeve, one pack insert (with day label) and one oxygen absorber (Stabilox) sachet. The three pouches were packed in one carton.
The lots were distributed nationwide in the US to wholesalers, drug chains, mail order pharmacies and supermarkets. The recalled lots are included in the table below:
Lupin is notifying its wholesalers, distributors, drug chains, mail order pharmacies and supermarkets by phone and through recall notification and is arranging for the return of all the recalled product lots.
Patients taking, Tydemy are advised to continue taking their medication and immediately contact their pharmacist, physician, or medical provider for advice regarding an alternative treatment.
Wholesalers, distributors and retailers that have Tydemy that is being recalled should discontinue distribution of the recalled product lots immediately.
Consumers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers with questions regarding this recall should contact Inmar Rx Solutions, Inc. at (866) 480-8206 Monday – Friday 09:00 am to 05:00 pm EST. For reimbursement, please have the recalled lots returned to Inmar Rx Solutions, Inc.; the lot number can be found on the side of the carton. Consumers should contact their physician or healthcare provider if they have experienced any problems that may be related to taking or using this drug product.
Adverse reactions or quality problems experienced with the use of this product may be reported to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, by regular mail or by fax.
- Complete and submit the report Online: www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm
- Regular Mail or Fax: Download form www.fda.gov/MedWatch/getforms.htm or call 1-800-332-1088 to request a reporting form, then complete and return to the address on the pre-addressed form, or submit by fax to 1-800-FDA-0178.
This recall is being conducted with the knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Product Label:
About Lupin Pharmaceuticals
Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is the U.S. based wholly-owned subsidiary of Lupin Limited and is the 3rd largest pharmaceutical company in the U.S. based on total prescriptions. Together, all Lupin-owned entities combine to make up the 8th largest generic pharmaceutical company in the world by revenue size. Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is dedicated to delivering high-quality medications across many treatment areas. Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s branded pharmaceuticals division, is the provider of products designed to help prevent and manage women's health conditions with serious health consequences.
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SOURCE Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/lupin-pharmaceuticals-inc-issues-voluntary-nationwide-recall-2-lots-tydemytm-drospirenone-ethinyl-estradiol-levomefolate-calcium-tablets-3mg003mg0451mg-levomefolate-calcium-tablets-0451mg-due-out-specification-oos-results-12-month-stability-time-point/ | 2023-07-29T15:34:27 | 1 | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/lupin-pharmaceuticals-inc-issues-voluntary-nationwide-recall-2-lots-tydemytm-drospirenone-ethinyl-estradiol-levomefolate-calcium-tablets-3mg003mg0451mg-levomefolate-calcium-tablets-0451mg-due-out-specification-oos-results-12-month-stability-time-point/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — Pamela Smith’s voice soared and quivered like a preacher in midsermon as she recalled her troubled childhood and how it helped prepare her for the challenges she faces as the new police chief in the nation’s capital.
“I stand before you as a child who had no hopes, who had no dreams — they were far beyond my reach. But I believe that all things are possible,” she said at her introductory news conference in Washington, in cadences honed by years as an ordained Baptist minister. “I believe I bring a fresh perspective, a different kind of energy, a different level of passion to what I’m going to do.”
Smith takes on the job at a precarious time.
Violent crime is rising sharply, fueled by more homicides and carjackings. The District of Columbia’s mayor, Muriel Bowser, and the D.C. Council have, at times, been at odds about crime legislation. On Capitol Hill, the Republican-led House has begun citing the city’s crime statistics while aggressively reviewing local public safety laws.
On July 24, the Mexican Consulate posted a tweet urging its nationals to “take precautions” in the city due to “a significant increase in crime in areas previously considered safe.”
Smith, 55, now becomes one of the public faces of this long-term fight even before the Council votes on her nomination as chief. She brings an inspirational story to her new role leading the Metropolitan Police Department. Raised in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, by a single mother who battled substance abuse, Smith and her siblings were at one point removed from their home and spent time in foster care. Smith emerged as a track star and went on to a 24-year career in the U.S. Park Police, where she served as the agency’s first Black female chief before retiring in 2022 to take up a senior leadership position at the MPD.
Law enforcement and government officials repeatedly point out that overall crime numbers in Washington have stayed relatively stable. But the crimes that have increased the most — murders and carjackings — are the ones most likely to damage public confidence.
“The scariest crimes are going up and regardless of what’s happening with other crimes, that’s what’s going to fuel the overall perception,” U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves told The Associated Press.
Graves’ office prosecutes most felonies in Washington, in a unique arrangement due to the district’s status as a nonstate. The city’s attorney general’s office prosecutes misdemeanors and juvenile crime, which is also on the rise.
This intricate dynamic among two separate sets of prosecutors, the city’s police force, Bowser’s administration and the Council has been publicly tested as the crime numbers have stayed high — all with Congress taking an increasing interest in the district’s affairs. Public safety was a primary topic of debate last year when Bowser, 50, successfully ran for a third term in office. She has spent this term sparring with both the Council and the House Oversight and Accountability Committee over how best to address crime.
July has been a particular bloody month, with 22 homicides as of Friday, including murders on the campuses of both Howard and Catholic universities. The victims include an Afghan man who survived years of working as a translator for the U.S. Army in Afghanistan only to be murdered in America while driving for Lyft. Nine people, including two children, were shot at a July Fourth party, when an assailant in an SUV opened fire on the crowd. A 12-year old girl remains hospitalized after being shot in the back Tuesday night by a bullet that penetrated the walls of her home.
Although the local murder rate is well below the levels in the 1980s and early 1990s, when Washington regularly led the nation in murders per capita, it has climbed steadily in recent years. In 2022, there was a roughly 10% drop in homicides, but now, homicides are up 15 percent compared with this time a year ago and the city is on pace to surpass 200 for the third year in a row. Police also reported 140 carjacking incidents in the month of June — the highest monthly total in more than five years.
Crime in Washington is now a national headline issue in Congress. In the spring, Bowser and Council members were summoned before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee for a heated session on local crime rates.
Congress voted to completely overturn the Council’s comprehensive rewrite of the district’s criminal code. Bowser was caught in the middle of the dispute. She had vetoed the overhaul, saying the reduction of maximum penalties for certain violent crimes “sent the wrong message,” but was overridden by the Council.
The mayor opposes congressional intervention in local affairs as part of Washington’s long push for statehood, but her initial veto was frequently cited by Republican lawmakers as proof that the rewrite was soft on crime. In an embarrassment for the heavily Democratic city, the move to cancel the criminal code revision drew support from dozens of congressional Democratic and was signed into law by President Joe Biden.
Earlier this month, the Council, with Bowser’s support, passed emergency public safety legislation meant to serve as a temporary fix. The bill makes it a felony to fire a gun in public and makes it easier for judges, in cases where people are charged with a violent crime, to detain them before trial. As an emergency bill, the changes will only last 90 days and will not be subject to congressional review; plans to make the changes permanent in the fall will face scrutiny by lawmakers.
“It is no secret … to the public that we are in a state of emergency right now,” said Brooke Pinto, the D.C. Council member who was the bill’s architect. “Like in any emergency, we have to act like it and we have to act urgently to address the problem we’re seeing.”
But some pushing for a criminal justice overhaul said city lawmakers were reverting to mass incarceration policies that had long ago been discredited.
“We’re way beyond thinking that we can just incarcerate more people,” said Patrice Sulton, executive director of the D.C. Justice Lab, who helped draft the now-canceled criminal code revision. “I think everybody who voted for it knows that it will not have an impact.”
The local branch of the American Civil Liberties Union said in a statement on Twitter that the new bill “essentially flips due process on its head — treating people as guilty and detaining them.”
All sides point to one primary factor fueling the violence: a flood to firearms entering Washington.
Graves, the district’s federal prosecutor, said the number of guns being used in crimes has skyrocketed, turning petty disputes into deadly battles. This includes a new wave of “ghost guns” — firearms that can be ordered in kits and assembled at home. Other kits can easily turn a semiautomatic weapon into an automatic, enabling a rapid-fire and generally less accurate spray of dozens of bullets. In 2018, authorities recovered three such guns; in 2022, the number was 461.
Graves compared the illegal guns to “a virus” in the neighborhood.
“The more virus there is in the community, the more people are going to get sick,” he said. “The more illegal firearms are in the community, the more likelihood those illegal firearms are going to be used.” | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/violent-crime-is-rising-in-the-nations-capital-dc-seeks-solutions-as-congress-keeps-close-watch/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-29T15:34:27 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/violent-crime-is-rising-in-the-nations-capital-dc-seeks-solutions-as-congress-keeps-close-watch/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
FUKUOKA, Japan (AP) — Here’s why Katie Ledecky is one of the greatest freestyle swimmers in the history of the sport. She’s never quite satisfied.
The 26-year-old American won the 800-freestyle on Saturday at the World Aquatics Championships to become the first swimmer to win six golds in the same event at the worlds. It was also her 16th individual world title, breaking a tie with legendary Michael Phelps for the most golds at the worlds.
She’s also a seven-time Olympic gold medalist and the record holder in both the 800 and 1,500.
But that winning time — 8 minutes, 08.87 seconds, which is the seventh quickest she’d even swum — wasn’t quite good enough in her favorite event.
“I’m just always trying to think of new ways to improve. I mean I’ve already got everything turning in my head right now. I kind of wanted to be better than I was tonight,” she said, twirling her right hand beside her right ear, trying to stir up ideas.
“I’m pretty tough on myself,” she said. “But I think I have found the balance of being tough on myself but also having that grace.”
The 800 was Ledecky’s second individual gold following her win in the 1,500 free on Tuesday. She also took silver in the 400 free. Li Bingjie of China took silver in 8:13.31, and Ariarne Titmus of Australia got the bronze in 8:13.59.
“It’s fun to leave a meet with your favorite event, and I just wanted to leave it all in the pool,” Ledecky said.
It was only the fourth gold for the United States in the seventh of eight days in the pool. Meanwhile, Australia has been piling it on with 13 golds, matching its best in the worlds. Australia also won three more golds on Saturday.
The Americans lead the overall table with 31 medals (16 silver), Australia has 20 and China 13.
Kaylee McKeown of Australia made history of her own with gold in the women’s 200 backstroke. McKeown’s victory gave her a sweep of all three backstroke events after earlier wins in the 50 and 100. She became the first swimmer ever to sweep all three backstrokes at the worlds.
It all made up for disqualification earlier in the meet in the 200 IM.
“You can’t change the rules,” she said. “I got ruled out. It’s just the cards I was dealt with and I couldn’t do much more than that. So I just had to carry myself the best I could and channel all my anger and turn a huge negative into a positive.”
Regan Smith of the United States picked up the silver in 2:04.94, while Peng Xuwei of China got the bronze in 2:06.74.
Sarah Sjoestroem of Sweden continued her dominance with gold in the women’s 50-meter butterfly. The 29-year-old won in 24.77 and has now won the event five consecutive times at the worlds. The win brought Sjoestroem’s individual medals at the worlds to 20, equaling Phelps’ mark.
Sjoestroem also broke her own record in the 50 freestyle, going 23.61 in a semifinal heat. Her old record was 23.67 set in 2017.
“There are not too many secrets,” Sjoestroem said to her longevity. “Just do the work every day, go to practice, and stay humble.”
Zhang Yufei of China, who took gold in the 100 fly, claimed the silver in 25.05, while American Gretchen Walsh got the bronze in 25.46.
Japanese fan favorite Rikako Ikee finished seventh (25.78) in the 50 fly but was greeted warmly by the home crowd.
The 23-year-old Ikee won six gold medals at the 2018 Asian Games and was to be a favorite in the Tokyo Olympics. But she was diagnosed with leukemia in February of 2019. Her comeback continues to resonate with both the Japanese public and her fellow competitors.
Cameron McEvoy of Australia led all the way to capture the gold in the men’s 50 free in 21.06. It was his first individual gold in the worlds or Olympics.
American Jack Alexy collected his second silver of the worlds in 21.57 to go with his silver in the 100 free. Benjamin Proud of Britian, last year’s world champion, took the bronze in 21.58.
Dressell won the event in Tokyo but did not qualify for the American team, taking a little break from the sport. McEvoy’s time was quicker than Dressell’s winning time in Tokyo — 21.07
Maxime Grousset of France won gold in the men’s 100 fly in 50.14. The 24-year-old took the early lead and held on for the victory. Josh Liendo of Canada earned the silver in 50.34, while American Dare Rose made the podium with the bronze (50.46).
Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania equaled the world record of 29.30 in her semifinal in the women’s 50 breaststroke.
Australia won the 4×100 mixed freestyle relay in a world record of 3:18.83. The Americans took the silver in 3:20.82, with Britain getting the bronze in 3:21.68. The relay is not an Olympic event.
___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://fox59.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-katie-ledecky-passes-michael-phelps-for-most-individual-golds-at-world-championships/ | 2023-07-29T15:34:28 | 0 | https://fox59.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-katie-ledecky-passes-michael-phelps-for-most-individual-golds-at-world-championships/ |
It's a Barbie summer. She's EVERYWHERE, and EVERYTHING has turned pink, including these Philly-style cheesesteaks.
The Barbie movie is ruling the box office, having raked in a cool $155M in its opening weekend. I just never expected her signature color to rule one of the most well-known foods in America, the Philly cheesesteak.
I thought for sure all this sandwich shop did was (somehow) change the color of the cheese they put on top of their steaks. But NO. Their new cheesesteak topper goes WAY deeper than that.
Gino's NY's Malibu Barbie Dream Drizzle isn't cheesy at all. It's actually FRUITY and SWEET. The hot pink-colored sauce has a fresh dragon fruit base with hints of garlic, chili, and tangy lemon, as well as herbal notes from dill, parsley and chives. You can even get it on fries.
And, according to Gino's, 'But wait, there's more! To truly embrace the Barbie spirit, we've sprinkled in a dash of edible glitter! You know us, we’re dramatic af.'
Yeah, Gino's, yeah ya are.
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Would you want to see Geno's South Philly replicate this Barbie cheesesteak? Let us know in the comments.
12 of the Best Hot Dog Joints in South Jersey
In the mood for a hot dog? Whether you're craving something simple or over the top, here are a dozen of South Jersey's best spots to get your dog on!
11 Must-Visit Boardwalk Bars at the Jersey Shore
Summer at the Jersey Shore means making lots of time for outdoor fun. Dining and drinking by day or night near the beach is essential. Here are 11 must-visit boardwalk bars worth checking out when the mood strikes. | https://nj1015.com/hey-nj-could-you-stomach-eating-this-barbie-pink-cheesesteak/ | 2023-07-29T15:34:28 | 1 | https://nj1015.com/hey-nj-could-you-stomach-eating-this-barbie-pink-cheesesteak/ |
Energy companies lend advice on alleviating utility costs
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) - Extreme heat not only has an effect on your body but your pockets as well. Simple household changes can help alleviate high utility bills in extreme heat.
Energy companies have been preparing for the heat spike for weeks in advance.
“We have meteorologists on staff actually who are watching for this kind of the heatwave,” said Scott Brooks with Tennessee Valley Authority, “and they will back up and start preparing weeks out, even months out. Making sure all the equipment is prepared and ready to turn on when we need it.”
Brooks says closing the blinds and even running certain appliances can make all the difference.
“One thing is to, in the middle of the day, close your blinds, especially on the side of the house where the sun comes in,” said Brooks. “That radiant heating definitely makes a difference. Don’t run your major appliances, especially ones that generate heat. Now is a great time of year to grill outside instead of running your oven.”
Even changing the thermostat by a few degrees can be a great financial benefit.
“We say that 76,77,78, that’s an optimal range,” said Brooks. “Really it’s whatever is your normal comfort zone. Every degree you turn that heat up from where you’re comfortable saves about 3% on your cooling bill for the next month.”
WRECC says their generators are working hard to keep us cool and that no blackouts are expected in the near future.
Copyright 2023 WBKO. All rights reserved. | https://www.wymt.com/2023/07/28/energy-companies-lend-advice-alleviating-utility-costs/ | 2023-07-29T15:34:30 | 1 | https://www.wymt.com/2023/07/28/energy-companies-lend-advice-alleviating-utility-costs/ |
From the get-go, it’s clear why Northern Ireland choreographer Oona Doherty is becoming known as one of the most original and provocative voices of her generation. The audience for her company’s Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival debut are milling outside the Ted Shawn Theatre Thursday night when a Chevy sedan with a blacked-out window creeps down the pathway, horn blaring. It stops, and a body tumbles out of the trunk to lie sprawled on the ground. But wait — it’s OK. To a thumping bass beat, the young street tough portrayed by an extraordinary Sati Veyrunes arises in triumph, working the crowd with macho posturing and playfully confrontational look-at-me swagger. Until the car pulls away down the hill – and Veyrunes runs after, shouting “Wait! Wait!” with a trace of vulnerability and panic in her voice.
“Hope Hunt and the Ascension Into Lazarus” continues once we’re all finally in the theater. Veyrunes prowls the aisles, yelling at us to sit down so the show can start. Once onstage, she unspools a stunning array of disaffected, working class personalities that Doherty, who created the role for herself, says were inspired by “lads in the streets of Belfast.” Veyrunes, who has taken over the role in performances around the world, seems born to it. Exploring a darker emotional terrain, her uncanny transformations are marked by a raw, restless energy and committed visceral physicality through spins and falls, pop and lock isolations, and off-center balances. She accompanies herself with repetitive vocalizations in a range of languages that brilliantly morphs into recognizable words and phrases. After an abrupt darkness, Veyrunes emerges all in white, bringing home the hunt for hope in a circle of light.
The program’s second half is the U.S. premiere of Doherty’s largest, most ambitious work to date, “Navy Blue.” It’s fitting that Doherty’s cast of 12 dancers (who are uniformly fabulous) come from different countries around the world, as the hour-long work recalls global strife, social unrest, immigration, political oppression, and ultimately the search for meaning and perhaps redemption. The first section, set to the romantic strains of Rachmaninoff, seems like an unfolding series of potent little stories, with the group dynamic in constant flux. Sharp unisons of movement, ranging from balletic to pedestrian to something that seems totally fresh, often fracture into paranoid huddles and fearful crouches. Individual dancers break away and return. Occasionally, they coalesce into face-front lines in their dark blue uniforms, and they look straight into our eyes, as if to say, “You did this. You are doing this.” We are all culpable.
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At the crack of isolated gun shots, one by one, dancers fall to the ground until they are all lying in puddles of glowing blue light. Now we change gears. Accompanied by a thrumming, throbbing electronic score by Jamie xx, the dancers arise as if from some primordial soup, though the taped text is more a rambling dystopian rumination of existential dread. “I’m a small insignificant thing,” Doherty intones. It’s a powerful, compelling text that sometimes overshadows the dancing, pondering life and death, greed, asking tough questions as the dancers explore collective and individual madness and resilience.
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But in the end, the text morphs into a kind of prayer of acceptance, hope, and gratitude. The cast dwindles to only Zoé Lecorgne in a single spotlight, an astonishing agitated blur of rubbery limbs and quivering torso, like energy before it converts into mass. Gradually, the others enter to enfold her in a calming embrace. As they cluster together, they embody the section’s title, “submission into love,” and suggest that perhaps we might just have another chance to get this right.
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Oona Doherty / OD Works
At Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival through Sunday. Tickets start at $54. 413-243-0745, www.jacobspillow.org
Karen Campbell can be reached at karencampbell4@rcn.com. | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/29/arts/oona-doherty-brings-us-premiere-searching-existential-navy-blue-jacobs-pillow/ | 2023-07-29T15:34:30 | 0 | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/29/arts/oona-doherty-brings-us-premiere-searching-existential-navy-blue-jacobs-pillow/ |
Jake Fraley Player Prop Bets: Reds vs. Dodgers - July 29
Published: Jul. 29, 2023 at 10:32 AM EDT|Updated: 1 hour ago
Jake Fraley -- with an on-base percentage of .243 in his past 10 games, 105 points lower than his season-long percentage -- will be in action for the Cincinnati Reds versus the Los Angeles Dodgers, with Emmet Sheehan on the mound, on July 29 at 9:10 PM ET.
He hit a home run while going 1-for-4 in his most recent game against the Dodgers.
Jake Fraley Game Info & Props vs. the Dodgers
- Game Day: Saturday, July 29, 2023
- Game Time: 9:10 PM ET
- Stadium: Dodger Stadium
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
- Dodgers Starter: Emmet Sheehan
- TV Channel: SportsNet LA
- Hits Prop: Over/under 0.5 hits (Over odds: -175)
- Home Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 home runs (Over odds: +475)
- RBI Prop: Over/under 0.5 RBI (Over odds: +175)
- Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 runs (Over odds: +120)
Looking to place a prop bet on Jake Fraley? Check out what's available at BetMGM and use bonus code "GNPLAY" when you sign up with this link!
Read More About This Game
Jake Fraley At The Plate
- Fraley is hitting .264 with 13 doubles, 15 home runs and 32 walks.
- Fraley has gotten at least one hit in 62.4% of his games this season (53 of 85), with multiple hits 18 times (21.2%).
- He has hit a long ball in 16.5% of his games in 2023, and 4.8% of his trips to the dish.
- In 44.7% of his games this season, Fraley has driven in at least one run. In 16 of those games (18.8%) he recorded two or more RBI, while accounting for three or more of his team's runs in five contests.
- In 32.9% of his games this season, he has scored at least once. And he's had seven games with multiple runs (8.2%).
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Jake Fraley Home/Away Batting Splits
Dodgers Pitching Rankings
- The 8.6 strikeouts per nine innings compiled by the Dodgers pitching staff ranks 17th in MLB.
- The Dodgers have a 4.51 team ERA that ranks 21st across all league pitching staffs.
- Dodgers pitchers combine to give up 114 home runs (1.1 per game), the eighth-fewest in baseball.
- The Dodgers are sending Sheehan (3-1) to make his seventh start of the season. He is 3-1 with a 6.75 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 29 1/3 innings pitched.
- His most recent time out was on Sunday against the Texas Rangers, when the righty threw 3 2/3 innings, surrendering eight earned runs while giving up eight hits.
- The 23-year-old has put up an ERA of 6.75, with 6.8 strikeouts per nine innings, in six games this season. Opposing hitters have a .243 batting average against him.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wsaz.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/jake-fraley-mlb-player-prop-bets/ | 2023-07-29T15:34:33 | 0 | https://www.wsaz.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/jake-fraley-mlb-player-prop-bets/ |
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday pushed back against Australian demands for an end to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s prosecution, saying the Australian citizen was accused of “very serious criminal conduct” in publishing a trove of classified documents more than a decade ago.
Australia’s center-left Labor Party government has been arguing since winning the elections last year that the United States should end its pursuit of the 52-year-old, who has spent four years in a British prison fighting extradition to the United States.
Assange’s freedom is widely seen as a test of Australia’s leverage with President Joe Biden’s administration.
Blinken confirmed on Saturday that Assange had been discussed in annual talks with Foreign Minister Penny Wong in Brisbane, Australia.
“I understand the concerns and views of Australians. I think it’s very important that our friends here understand our concerns about this matter,” Blinken told reporters.
“Mr. Assange was charged with very serious criminal conduct in the United States in connection with his alleged role in one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of our country,” he added.
Wong said Assange’s prosecution had “dragged for too long” and that Australia wanted the charges “brought to a conclusion.”
Australia remains ambiguous about whether the United States should drop the prosecution or strike a plea bargain.
Assange faces 17 charges of espionage and one charge of computer misuse over WikiLeaks’ publication of of hundreds of thousands of classified diplomatic and military documents in 2010.
American prosecutors allege he helped U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal classified diplomatic cables and military files that WikiLeaks later published, putting lives at risk.
Australia argues there is a “disconnect” between the U.S. treatment of Assange and Manning. Then-U.S. President Barack Obama commuted Manning’s 35-year sentence to seven years, which allowed her release in 2017. | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/us-secretary-of-state-tells-australia-that-wikileaks-founder-is-accused-of-very-serious-crime/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-29T15:34:33 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/us-secretary-of-state-tells-australia-that-wikileaks-founder-is-accused-of-very-serious-crime/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Eugénie Le Sommer and Wendie Renard revived France’s Women’s World Cup ambitions with a goal each in a 2-1 win over Brazil on Saturday to give Les Bleues the lead in Group F.
After missing with a diving header in the 13th minute, Le Sommer scored her 90th international goal to extend her French record four minutes later with an emphatic header that gave Brazilian goalkeeper Leticia little chance.
Debinha equalized for Brazil as the hour approached and the game opened up as both teams pressed for a winner, the Brazilians desperate to end an 11-match winless streak against France.
But it was the set piece where French captain Renard clinched it, capitalizing on some poor defense.
Renard, who had been in doubt for the match with a calf injury she picked up in the lackluster 0-0 draw against Jamaica, was perfectly placed for a back-post header as the towering defender drifted to the edge of the box to meet a corner with a powerful header in the 83rd.
Hervé Renard has reassembled the French squad since taking over as coach, recalling veterans including Le Sommer and restoring the confidence of others like 33-year-old Renard.
After criticism of France’s opening performance for its lack of adventure and flair, his veterans clicked when it counted against Brazil.
“She’s a leader of the team. She’s efficient at scoring goals like today,” the French coach said of his captain. “If she wasn’t able to play today, I’m sure it wouldn’t be the same. We were lucky to have her today, congratulations to her to give us the victory for this game.”
Brazil had opened with a thumping 4-0 win over Panama, with Ary Borges scoring three goals and providing the back-heel assist for one of the goals of the tournament.
Against a more disciplined defense, the Brazilians were mostly unable to finish despite creating ample opportunities.
Brazil coach Pia Sundhage said she was disappointed with her team’s first half and inability to stick with the gameplan and not contesting quickly enough for possession. She said the failure to build cohesion in the first half was more of a problem for the team than the set-piece defense that conceded France’s second goal.
“I’m more disappointed we couldn’t make this a game where we play like the Brazilian style,” she said.
Veteran forward Marta, returning from injury for her sixth World Cup, went on in the 86th minute but wasn’t able to inspire a winner for Brazil.
Le Sommer, who was among the veterans who missed selection for the European Championship last year under former coach Corinne Diacre, was in the thick of the early action for France.
The French started with high tempo and had three chances before Sakina Karchaoui’s long floating ball into the area found Kadidiatou Diani, who headed square for Le Sommer to finish off from directly in front.
But the Brazilians started to meet them for energy, helped by the majority of an almost 50,000-strong crowd.
Debinha equalized in the 58th, finishing off a quick passing movement into the area, controlling the ball with the outside of her leg before firing in a right-foot shot.
Le Sommer was replaced in the 66th Vicki Becho to add some fresh legs to the French attack.
Leticia pushed a hard strike over the crossbar to keep Brazil level and Selma Bacha hit the side netting with her shot from the right in the 75th, unable to break the deadlock for France.
Renard’s late winner lifted France to four competition points, one more than Brazil ahead of the last group games on Wednesday. The French will play Panama in Sydney, and Brazil will take on Jamaica in Melbourne.
___
AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://fox59.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-le-sommer-renard-score-as-france-edges-brazil-2-1-at-the-womens-world-cup/ | 2023-07-29T15:34:34 | 0 | https://fox59.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-le-sommer-renard-score-as-france-edges-brazil-2-1-at-the-womens-world-cup/ |
New pretzel and ice cream shop now open in NJ
The summer at the shore may be hitting the stretch run, but you now have a new ice cream shop in Linwood to check out before the summer season ends.
Twist Pretzel & Ice Cream which is located at 1413 New Road in Linwood, the former site of 7-11, is now open for business and will be a year-round food establishment.
They are a new ice cream parlor that also specializes in homemade pretzels, sweet ice cream, and more.
From their website:
We are the Sykes family and we are thrilled to bring the Twist experience to our friends and neighbors in Linwood and the surrounding communities.
For as long as we can remember, we have talked about creating a space for families to gather, year -round to enjoy one another and enjoy delicious food at the same time! Our family loves soft pretzels and ice cream so it was easy for us to decide on a cuisine!
The new shop has plenty of parking, with 17 parking spaces, and is handicap accessible. The place has plenty of seating, with seating for up to 23 people inside as well as outdoor seating on their patio which can seat up to 60 people.
You can check out their pretzel options, and ice cream menu.
Here are the hours:
Tuesday — Thursday
7:30am — 9pm
Friday — Sunday
7:30am — 10pm | https://nj1015.com/new-pretzel-and-ice-cream-shop-now-open-in-nj/ | 2023-07-29T15:34:35 | 0 | https://nj1015.com/new-pretzel-and-ice-cream-shop-now-open-in-nj/ |
Jaylen Brown not only made a long-term commitment to the Celtics, he made a long-term commitment to helping Boston become a more viable and lucrative home for people of color.
What he plans to do off the court following his five-year, $304 million contract extension was the first thing he wanted to address when the deal was official.
The young participants in Brown’s STEM camp at MIT were present at his news conference, so was John Carlos, who held his black-fisted left hand in the air along with Team USA 200-meter teammate Tommie Smith during the medal ceremony at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics in perhaps the most impactful protest in American sports history.
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So Brown wanted to express his master plan, his vision for leaving Boston a better city than when he arrived in the summer of 2016.
“I appreciate the investment and commitment from the Celtics and from the rest of the community,” he said. “And that investment and commitment will be felt in return from me here in Boston on and off the floor, and hopefully soon around the world.”
Brown is a dreamer, a 26-year-old who chooses not to be consumed with Instagram followers or sneaker contracts, but with uplifting his community. It’s not just about pouring money into community programs or cutting ribbons on new basketball courts. Brown has a deeper vision.
“I want to launch a project to bring Black Wall Street here to Boston,” he told me Wednesday. “I want to attack the wealth disparity here. I think there’s analytics that support that stimulating the wealth gap could actually be something that could be a betterment for the entire economy with the biggest financial deal in NBA history, it makes sense to talk about one, your investment in your community but two, also the wealth disparity that no one wants to talk about.
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“It’s top five in the US and it’s something that we can all improve on and it’s unsettling. Through my platform, we can come together and create new jobs, new resources, new businesses, new ideas that could highlight minorities but also stimulate the economy and wealth gap at the same time.
“Boston could be a fully -integrated, self-sufficient hub.”
According to a 2017 Globe story, the median net worth in Boston for a white family was $247,500, while just $8 for a Black family. It will take a collective effort to change this disparity, but Brown wants the community and city to know he’s fully invested and committed. Philanthropy is common among professional athletes. Many NBA players, including the much-maligned Kyrie Irving, have given money to various charitable efforts.
But investing in the city that drafted you, that you have adopted, takes dedication because it’s not home, it’s not where you have roots. Brown has reiterated his comfort in Boston despite his disdain for the financial inequities of people of color and those from underrepresented communities.
His relationship with the city is complex, but it also has the potential to be fruitful.
“There is much appreciation from me for the investment and commitment that I’ve gotten from the city since I’ve been here,” Brown said. “I don’t take that for granted. A lot of times you can pick and choose and point out situations that may not have gone your way but the overall appreciation to be able to be in this position. It’s fantastic.
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“For me to be able to go out there every single night and play and also represent the causes and things I stand for in the community, represent being a voice for the voiceless, to me it gives my life and my meaning so much more purpose. I’m excited to do so. I’m excited to represent this city, this organization. I’m excited to play. I’m excited to walk in the lives of people like John Carlos, people like Bill Russell that have paved the way for athletes to be able to have platforms.
“Life is changing. The world is changing. I’m proud to be part of that change.”
Brown won’t be able to make those changes alone. It will be a monumental task that will require great assistance, but the desire for change and for impact is there.
“When [the contract] first was finalized, the first thing that came to mind was, ‘Look at what all you [can] do, how much you could invest into your community, what you can build with it,’ ” Brown said.
”What you can change, how many lives you can touch and what you can do in real time. Money isn’t everything, but the ability to have resources, to put stuff together, to build things, to change things, to have influence is more inspirational than anything. I’m excited to do so.”
GOOD MEMORIES
Davis looks fondly on time with Celtics
It’s been 15 years since the Celtics won the NBA title with rookie forward Glen “Big Baby” Davis serving as a key reserve, making big plays during the playoff run.
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Davis is 37, eight years removed from his final NBA game, but he said he’s constantly reminded by fans about his contributions on that 2007-08 team. Adjusting to life after basketball hasn’t been easy, but Davis said he cherishes those Celtics years, when he was mentored, and at times berated, by Kevin Garnett. They are now close friends.
“It’s seems like yesterday,” Davis said of the championship. “A lot of people, just as far as basketball culture, it’s still [relevant] and I’m shocked because I haven’t played in so long. I’ll be like, ‘Oh yeah, I did win a championship, I did play in the Finals.’ I always think about it when we get together, when I see KG and Paul [Pierce], always reminiscence. I’m happy I can be part of that.”
Davis said playing with Garnett, who constantly chided him about his size and sometimes lack of toughness, extended his career.
“He gave me probably three or four more years of my career,” Davis said. “Because I didn’t know how to work. I didn’t know what it took and he gave me an example every day. And we were best friends and we are best friends, and I learned so much from him. We’re friends for life.”
The Celtics traded Davis to the Magic just as the 2011 lockout ended, a sign-and-trade deal for Brandon Bass. Davis wanted a bigger role and was going to get it in Orlando. But his Magic tenure was marred by injury and team inconsistency. His contract was bought out in 2014 and he finished his last two seasons playing for his old Celtics coach, Doc Rivers, with the Clippers.
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Never able to get into premium shape, Davis has spent time playing in Canada, the Big3, in various summer and exhibition leagues, and even had a stint as a stand-up comedian, while also having legal issues. Davis said his issues are past, and he’s in film production with Hidden Empire Films, which is working on a documentary on streetball legend Pee Wee Kirkland.
“[Life after basketball] has been difficult,” Davis said. “Because of getting your feet wet and getting the experience you need. But the [film] experience has been dope.”
The big man era has changed since Davis’s heyday. Big, burly centers have been replaced by stretch-4s or centers who would rather shoot threes than post up. The perfect example is Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama, considered the most skillful 7-footer in a generation, but the 7-foot-4-inch Frenchman lacks the girth to bump with average-sized big men.
He may have been broken in half playing against the 290-plus-pound Davis.
“The length I probably would have struggled with,” Davis said. “I definitely would have used my body against the boy.”
ETC.
McGrady offers words of wisdom
Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady has become a role model for many current NBA players and in his playing days was compared to Kobe Bryant as one of the premier small forwards. McGrady has pointed opinions about today’s league that are respected because he bridges the gap between old and new school.
McGrady came into the league from high school in 1998 and endured growing pains before becoming a seven-time All-Star. He has advice for players such as Ja Morant and Zion Williamson, who have experienced off-court troubles in recent months.
“You look at Miami, who they had at the end of their bench, monitoring and keeping guys in check,” McGrady said in reference to 20-year veteran Udonis Haslem. “You look at what Golden State did with [Andre Iguodala]. Just look around the league and some of these veteran guys that have been through the gauntlet and have been great representation of the NBA and been great ambassadors, you need them on your bench.
“A lot of times on your team now, your veteran guy is 23, 24 years old and you’re trying to have this guy be a leader of an NBA franchise. Yes, he’s the best player, but he’s young. He’s not experienced in that area.”
McGrady said veteran experience and mentorship is critical to the development of younger players.
“You’ve got to have these guys on your bench,” he said. “When the train starts to derail, you’ve got somebody to take their will and get things back on track. That’s what these vets do.”
McGrady said one player who has the perfect support system is Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs have cultivated players through a two-decade-long mentoring system that includes David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Sean Elliott.
McGrady actually played on a team that reached the NBA Finals. After playing in China, McGrady signed a rest-of-the-season contract with the Spurs after the 2012-13 regular season. He played in six playoff games during San Antonio’s run to the Finals, including two games in the seven-game loss to the Heat.
“I don’t have to give [Wembanyama] no advice because who he’s surrounded by is greatness,” McGrady said. “We’re talking about the greatest power forward [Duncan]. You’re talking about one of the greatest centers in David Robinson and arguably the greatest coach in Gregg Popovich. What advice am I going to give? These guys won 15 titles combined.”
Griner making most of return
This month’s WNBA All-Star Game served as a celebration for the return of Brittney Griner, who spent nine months in a Russian prison after being caught with marijuana paraphernalia during a stint with her overseas team. President Joe Biden negotiated her return, swapping arms dealer Viktor Bout in a controversial move.
Griner has returned to action for the Mercury after missing last season and is averaging 18.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.7 blocked shots in 20 games. She was named to her eighth All-Star Game in 10 seasons and cherished every moment.
“It means a lot,” Griner said. “That’s all the people that you never met before, that you didn’t know, that wrote a letter, or I’m still finding messages people have sent me on social media, different posts. I’ll be on someone’s page and see a post, or a fan will show me something or send me something. To have that ovation and all those little memories that I can cherish now, it means the world. So it was no question that I was going to come and play as quickly as I did. They never wavered in support, and I was never going to waver in being on the court and trying to give them a show.”
Griner, the WNBA’s all-time leader in dunks, broke away for another jam during the All-Star Game. Griner has endured her share of issues, but as the years pass and her career closes out, she has become more appreciative of the little things.
Griner was drafted 10 years ago, a 6-foot-8-inch multitalented center with no comparisons. Perhaps she didn’t turn into the megastar many anticipated, but Griner has made a positive impact. Dunking is no longer rare in women’s basketball. Players taller than 6-5 are no longer just planted in the paint. They run the floor. They shoot threes. They dunk on fast breaks.
“That’s a good one to hold,” Griner said of the dunk record. “I know someone is going to come and break it eventually. But just being able to give younger girls someone to see doing it, I think that’s what matters the most to me.”
Former WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart picked Griner second overall in the All-Star Game draft. Because of her journey and the adversity she has overcome, Griner has become a role model and mentor for many WNBA players. All-Star Weekend served as an opportunity to pay her back and players acknowledged the WNBA suffered last season in Griner’s absence.
“I was honored, first pick, so I knew I had to do something so I can pay that back,” Griner said. “Those dunks and getting the W, I think that may have did it right there. But I was honored. I was happy. Our season got cut a little short overseas playing together [with Stewart], so just being back on the court with her and with [Courtney Vandersloot] on the same team, that was pretty special for me.”
Layups
Al Horford may be 37, but he still has interest in playing for his country and was listed on the preliminary roster for the Dominican Republic in preparation for the World Cup in August. Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns, who considers Horford a mentor, is also on the roster, as is Sacramento guard Chris Duarte. Team USA’s roster is filled with younger players in hopes they can compete for a medal. Celtics guard Payton Pritchard is on the USA Select Team, which is the first step to playing in international competition . . . James Harden remains committed to playing for the Clippers but no deal is close and the 76ers remain in limbo. The Clippers are reluctant to trade any of their young players for Harden, knowing he’s a free agent again after this season and has requested a trade three times in four years. Would Harden along with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard put the Clippers into Finals contention? That depends on the supporting cast. George and Leonard are unlikely to come close to 70 games because of injuries and load management, while Harden’s mercurial ways create another level of uncertainty. But there is pressure for the Clippers to thrive because of failed expectations in past years and a new arena coming in Inglewood next season. Coach Tyronn Lue has stressed to George and Leonard the importance of playing in the regular season, gaining chemistry and enhancing their playoff seed. The Clippers as constructed would enter the season behind the likes of the Lakers, Suns, Warriors, Grizzlies, and defending champion Nuggets in the Western Conference . . . The Celtics have one two-way contract available but are expected to wait until training camp to potentially fill that spot. The club has signed JD Davison and Jay Scrubb to two-way deals with both expected to spend most of next season with G League Maine. The Celtics also have minimum-salary contracts to offer as the free agent market is drying up and quality players will have to accept minimum deals. President of basketball operations Brad Stevens said the Celtics are looking for wing help, and players such as Kelly Oubre Jr., Hamidou Diallo, and Terence Davis are still on the market.
Gary Washburn is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at gary.washburn@globe.com. Follow him @GwashburnGlobe. | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/29/sports/sunday-basketball-notes/ | 2023-07-29T15:34:36 | 0 | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/29/sports/sunday-basketball-notes/ |
Storms down trees, damage buildings
LOGAN COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) - Strong thunderstorms caused damage Friday afternoon throughout parts of Logan County, including downed trees and damage to the roof of Logan Elementary School.
““We came down here and found that a section of the roof or partial section of the roof... being pulled back with the rain pouring down through into our cafeteria,” Logan County Superintendent Jeff Huffman said.
Viewers sent us photos of the damage, which also included damage to a sign at Logan Regional Medical Center.
Huffman said a roofing company will be coming out to assess damages, but there is no timeline when it will be fixed. Staff is set to return to school Aug. 14, with students set to go back on Aug. 17.
Two people were inside the school during the damage but no one was hurt, Huffman said.
“Regardless of what happened to the structure, that can all be taken care of, but personal injury is something you always worry about,” he said.
As of 5 p.m., Appalachian Power was reporting about 2,400 customer outages in Logan County.
Keep checking the WSAZ app for the latest.
Copyright 2023 WSAZ. All rights reserved. | https://www.wymt.com/2023/07/28/storms-down-trees-damage-buildings/ | 2023-07-29T15:34:36 | 0 | https://www.wymt.com/2023/07/28/storms-down-trees-damage-buildings/ |
Joey Votto Player Prop Bets: Reds vs. Dodgers - July 29
Published: Jul. 29, 2023 at 10:37 AM EDT|Updated: 57 minutes ago
Joey Votto, with a slugging percentage of .194 in his past 10 games -- including one home run -- will be in action for the Cincinnati Reds versus the Los Angeles Dodgers, with Emmet Sheehan on the mound, July 29 at 9:10 PM ET.
In his most recent game he had a hitless performance (0-for-4) against the Dodgers.
Joey Votto Game Info & Props vs. the Dodgers
- Game Day: Saturday, July 29, 2023
- Game Time: 9:10 PM ET
- Stadium: Dodger Stadium
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
- Dodgers Starter: Emmet Sheehan
- TV Channel: SportsNet LA
- Hits Prop: Over/under 0.5 hits (Over odds: -175)
- Home Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 home runs (Over odds: +290)
- RBI Prop: Over/under 0.5 RBI (Over odds: +155)
- Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 runs (Over odds: +110)
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Explore More About This Game
Joey Votto At The Plate
- Votto has three doubles, eight home runs and 12 walks while batting .188.
- Votto has picked up a hit in 12 of 30 games this season, with multiple hits six times.
- Looking at the 30 games he has played this year, he's hit a long ball in seven of them (23.3%), and in 6.8% of his trips to the dish.
- Votto has picked up an RBI in 36.7% of his games this season, with more than one RBI in 20.0% of his games. He has also driven in three or more runs in four contests.
- He has scored in nine of 30 games (30.0%), including multiple runs twice.
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Joey Votto Home/Away Batting Splits
Dodgers Pitching Rankings
- The pitching staff for the Dodgers has a collective 8.6 K/9, which ranks 17th in the league.
- The Dodgers have the 21st-ranked team ERA across all MLB pitching staffs (4.51).
- The Dodgers give up the eighth-fewest home runs in baseball (114 total, 1.1 per game).
- Sheehan (3-1 with a 6.75 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 29 1/3 innings pitched) gets the start for the Dodgers, his seventh of the season.
- The right-hander last appeared on Sunday against the Texas Rangers, when he threw 3 2/3 innings, allowing eight earned runs while giving up eight hits.
- In six games this season, the 23-year-old has a 6.75 ERA and 6.8 strikeouts per nine innings, while allowing a batting average of .243 to his opponents.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wsaz.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/joey-votto-mlb-player-prop-bets/ | 2023-07-29T15:34:39 | 0 | https://www.wsaz.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/joey-votto-mlb-player-prop-bets/ |
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.
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Follow Noah Trister at https://twitter.com/noahtrister
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://fox59.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-santander-hits-9th-inning-homer-to-give-orioles-1-0-win-over-yankees-and-spoil-judges-return/ | 2023-07-29T15:34:40 | 1 | https://fox59.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-santander-hits-9th-inning-homer-to-give-orioles-1-0-win-over-yankees-and-spoil-judges-return/ |
NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — The African Union has issued a 15-day ultimatum to the junta in Niger to reinstall the country’s democratically elected government just as the coup leaders met with senior civil servants to discuss how they would run the country and as the U.S. and the European Union threatened sanctions against the regime.
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Toumba, one of the soldiers who ousted President Mohamed Bazoum on Wednesday, told state television that the junta met with civil servants on Friday and asked them to continue their work as usual following the suspension of the constitution. “The message given was not to stop the processes underway, to keep on with things,” said Brig. Gen. Toumba.
“Everything that must be done will be done,” he said, signaling the intention of the regime led by Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, who also goes by Omar, to remain in power.
After its meeting on Friday, the African Union Peace and Security Council said it was concerned by the “alarming resurgence” of coups that undermine democracy and stability on the continent. It asked the soldiers to “return immediately and unconditionally to their barracks and restore constitutional authority, within a maximum of fifteen (15) days.”
Bazoum, whose condition and that of his officials remains unknown since the government was overthrown, should also be released immediately and unconditionally, the AU said. Failure to do so would compel the bloc to take “necessary action, including punitive measures against the perpetrators.”
On the streets of the Nigerien capital Niamey on Saturday, things appeared to be returning to normal, though many in the international community were still on lockdown with hotels full of foreigners, many given instructions not to leave.
Locals say they’re waiting to see what unfolds, with many still in support of Bazoum who has not yet resigned. “I’m with him, he does a good work. (But) what can we do?” said Mohamed Cisse, a street seller. “This is (the new leader’s) time, Bazoum’s time is over,” he said.
Tchiani, the junta leader and commander of Niger’s presidential guard, is close to former Nigerien president Mahamadou Issoufou, who stepped down in 2021 after a decade in office. Tchiani’s takeover of power will reinforce speculation that Issoufou is behind the coup, said Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a German think tank and consultancy.
The U.S. threatened to halt its economic support to Niger while the European Union announced the immediate indefinite suspension of budgetary support and security assistance.
U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, who is in Australia as part of a Pacific tour, estimated America’s economic and security partnership with Niger at hundreds of millions of dollars and said its continuity depends on “the continuation of the democratic governance and constitutional order.”
“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 said.
While there are no signs of the junta backing down amid growing international pressure, analysts called for synergy in the interventions of the international community and continental organizations such as the AU and the regional bloc of ECOWAS, which is scheduled to meet over the coup on Sunday.
A successful coup in Niger and the sanctions in the aftermath could cause more hardship for millions of poor and hungry people in West Africa and could further threaten international relations with the region, which is seeing a resurgence of coups in recent years, according to Idayat Hassan, senior Africa program fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
“A non-reversal of the coup also means that we are defining a new world order in West Africa in particular as you are pitching the west and other countries against few military regimes which may be backed by Russia,” said Hassan.
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Asadu reported from Abuja, Nigeria. Baba Ahmed in Bamako, Mali contributed. | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/world/african-union-gives-15-day-ultimatum-to-niger-junta-to-end-regime-but-soldiers-seek-continuity/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-29T15:34:40 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/world/african-union-gives-15-day-ultimatum-to-niger-junta-to-end-regime-but-soldiers-seek-continuity/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
These 2 NJ Shore towns rank among the county’s most expensive
We all dream of having that beach house and listening to the ocean waves crash while sitting on the beach in the summer at the shore.
However, if you end up getting the beach house, at least in two South Jersey towns in Cape May County, it's going to cost you.
According to data from Zillow, two South Jersey towns, Avalon and Stone Harbor are among the 150 most expensive towns to live in the entire United States.
Avalon came in 72nd, Stone Harbor was 86th. Both towns had typical home values of more than $2 million.
Overall seven New Jersey towns ranked in the Top 150 most expensive typical home values, with Deal coming it the highest at No. 29 overall.
Both Avalon and Stone Harbor share 7 Mile Island and have plenty to do for visitors in the summer. You can routinely walk through Avalon and Stone Harbor and see various Philadelphia sports personalities and athletes who vacation there in the summer.
Avalon offers a downtown shopping area, plenty of fun activities for kids, dining, and nightlife for all ages. Meanwhile, 96th Street in Stone Harbor is a great place to spend the day shopping and nightlife.
Avalon has a projected year-round population of about 1,300, while Stone Harbor's sits under 1,000.
Lucky for us, we can visit these two great spots pretty easily, but if you want to live there and own a house, it's going to cost you! | https://nj1015.com/these-2-nj-shore-towns-rank-among-the-countys-most-expensive/ | 2023-07-29T15:34:42 | 0 | https://nj1015.com/these-2-nj-shore-towns-rank-among-the-countys-most-expensive/ |
With the inevitable having come to pass, and Patrice Bergeron now officially retired, the Bruins front office has 10 weeks to figure out the top two center spots leading to the Oct. 11 season opener.
Assuming that David Krejci follows Bergeron to the front-porch rocking chair, the current depth chart has Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle filling the Nos. 1-2 pivot roles.
They’re both bigger bodies (Coyle 6 feet 3 inches, Zacha 6-4), and experienced (combined 1,253 games), though their skill sets have yet to be tested under the game-to-game demands of driving the top two lines. Unfair, really, to dismiss their suitability for the leading roles until we see how they deal with heavy reps.
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For those doubting their upside, let us recall that many here believed Brad Marchand, never with more than 55 points in his first six seasons, wouldn’t top out as more than a prickly middle-six winger in the NHL. The Lil’ Ball o’Hate, age 35 and closing in on 1,000 career games, has collected 573 points over the last seven seasons, ranking him No. 7 among all NHL scorers since the start of 2016-17. No. 8 is David Pastrnak (564).
It’s a fast game, and many of us are too quick to judge.
Zacha, 26, just delivered a career-best 21-36—57 and began to display a greater propensity to shoot over the second half of the season. Coach Jim Montgomery will aim to tease out more of that shoot-first urge, which could prove tricky given that Pastrnak (league-high 407 shots last season) likely will ride on his right side. If Marchand is on the left, they’ll need at least one more puck.
Coyle, his O-zone personality thus far defined by possession, grinding, and cycling, is more of a classic No. 3 pivot in today’s game. Demands at No. 1 or 2 are for more give-and-go playmaking. He also will have to drive down low more, work possession, and play closer to the blue paint with a lighter, quicker stick. Zacha looks more capable of doing that, but again, best we all not get blinded by pretrial publicity.
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Team president Cam Neely, judged as just another guy after three seasons and 200-plus games with the Canucks, said the Bruins will continue to look for options to build out the center spot. Again, this was with everyone in the room anticipating Krejci’s departure. That hasn’t changed. If he returns, he is No. 1, even at age 37. The trick would be for general manager Don Sweeney to find cap space for Krejci.
Currently, the two other realistic options to work the middle (with Tomas Nosek departed to New Jersey) are Trent Frederic and newcomer Morgan Geekie. Both are 25 and 6-3, though each with fewer than 200 games played. They are both solid candidates, but in bottom-six center roles, and depending how training camp shakes out, Frederic could find himself back working at wing. Until further notice, Jake DeBrusk and James van Riemsdyk will work with Marchand and Pastrnak in the top-six forward corps.
No matter who goes where in the forward group, we are not going to see a Bruins team that last season rolled up 305 goals and posted a league-best plus-128 goal differential.
As currently engineered, the roster’s greatest strength is in net and along the blue line. Scoring portends to be down, perhaps significantly (10 percent?), unless the defensemen contribute substantially more than the 39 goals they scored last season. That’s doubtful, first and foremost because the overall accent after Bergeron’s departure will require everyone playing a tighter game in the neutral and defensive zones.
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Also, scoring from beyond, say, 40 feet is difficult in today’s NHL. If the backline is going to pop, it will mean having to activate, be more willing to attack and strike down low. Fun and exciting, yes, but not exactly what the doctor orders when the patient requires a defense-based diet.
Even if Zacha and Coyle prove to be the right guys at the top, it could take a half-season or more for each to find legs in their more demanding roles, and for chemistry to build with their wingers. All of which means patience, both on the ice and in the stands.
After witnessing a record 65 wins, followed by the shock of a first-round KO, it could be the patience in the stands stretched thinner than the talent at center as the new season beckons.
SHARK BAIT
Karlsson a catch, but for whom?
Erik Karlsson, designated for assignment by the Sharks, returned home to Sweden recently and told Expressen he has spoken with four NHL clubs about a potential fit in their lineups. All this is OK, by the way, with Sharks GM Mike Grier, who inherited a payroll and roster balance handicapped by Karlsson’s top-heavy megadeal.
Karlsson, 33, said he is also considering other ports of call, but he specifically named Carolina, Pittsburgh, Toronto, and Seattle. He wants the chance to win the Stanley Cup after 14 NHL seasons spent between Ottawa and San Jose.
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As the weekend approached, none of those four had the cap space even to take Karlsson at the max 50 percent discount on his $11.5 million cap hit (four more years at that number). Which means all would have to unload salary, be it to the Sharks or elsewhere, to acquire the three-time Norris Trophy winner.
Consider what a powerhouse backline the Hurricanes would have with Karlsson joining ex-Bruin Dmitry Orlov, ex-Shark teammate Brent Burns, and ex-everywhere Tony DeAngelo, just acquired after his buyout by the Flyers.
Karlsson is a sublime talent, solid citizen, and no one doubts his desire to leave San Jose is for a chance to win. That backline supporting an abundantly talented bunch of young forwards could position the Hurricanes as the Cup favorites going into 2023-24.
One of those forwards, perhaps Jesperi Kotkaniemi, likely would have to be wheeled to the Sharks. The Hurricanes also might have to surrender a 20-something D-man, be it Brett Pesce or Brady Skjei. The final look of the package would be shaped by just how much of Karlsson’s dough Grier is willing to retain.
Headed into the weekend, Grier had some $5.5 million in cap space even with Karlsson still on the books. If another club takes half of Karlsson’s money, Grier would have the assets acquired in the swap and could have about $10 million to shop — perhaps for Patrick Kane.
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Karlsson would make both Pittsburgh and Toronto more intriguing, but the Penguins are too short on young assets to swap, and the Maple Leafs already are way over the cap. Their wild card could be to surrender dynamic forward William Nylander, his cap hit $6.9 million now one year from reaching UFA status. Grier would need most of that $10 million loose cap money to sign him to a long-term extension.
The Kraken, perhaps with the weakest chance of the four to challenge for the Cup, as of Friday stood just under $1 million shy of the $83.5 million cap after forking over $7.35 million to Vince Dunn for each of the next four seasons. They’re also short on bodies to swap to the Sharks, although it’s worth noting that Dunn’s no-trade clause won’t kick in until after the coming season. They didn’t sign him to trade him, but . . . Karlsson is that good.
Karlsson, a right shot, would make for a dynamic Boston backline with Charlie McAvoy (right) and Hampus Lindholm. It almost certainly would mean dealing out Brandon Carlo (right) and perhaps winger Jake DeBrusk — again all depending on how much Karlsson cash Grier is willing to retain.
In 2022-23, Karlsson won the Norris Trophy for a third time, in large part because he delivered a career-high line of 25-76—101, making him the first defenseman since Brian Leetch in 1991-92 to reach 100.
The Bruins haven’t had a D-man pop for 100 since Bobby Orr in 1974-75. Ray Bourque’s career high was 96 in 1983-84.
“I just want the best chance to go to the best team,” Karlsson told Expressen.
Bourque said the same here, in the days leading to his trade to the Avalanche on March 6, 2000. Just over a year later, he finally hoisted the Cup in his final game, retiring at age 40 in the summer of 2001.
BLUE-CHIP BLUE-LINERS
Ducks’ prospects are looking good
What’s the source of that thunderous tap-dancing noise emanating from Southern California? It could very well be the Ducks player development office, following a season in which three of Anaheim’s draft picks were chosen the top defensemen in Canada’s top junior leagues in Ontario, Quebec, and Western Canada. A quick summation of the talented trio:
OHL — Pavel Mintyukov, winner of the Max Kaminsky Trophy. Left stick, age 19, 6-3, 195. Led OHL D-men in scoring (24-64—88 in 69 games). Born in Moscow, chosen No. 10 in the 2022 draft. Only one of the three yet to be signed by the Ducks.
QMJHL — Tristan Luneau, winner of the Emile Bouchard Trophy. Right stick, age 19, 6-2, 190. Led D-men in scoring (20-63—83 in 65 games). Born in Victoriaville, Quebec, chosen No. 53 in the 2022 draft.
WHL — Olen Zellweger, winner of the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy. Left stick, age 19, 5-9, 175. Finished second among D-men in scoring (32-48—80 in 55 games). Born in Calgary, chosen No. 34 in the 2021 draft. The smallest of the three and perhaps the most nimble.
Jim Johnson, the Ducks’ director of player development, in his comments about Zellweger during the season to nhl.com: “He might be one of the finest skating defensemen I’ve seen in a long time. Really good with his edges, his transitions are dynamic.”
The Ducks, who chose elite Swedish forward prospect Leo Carlsson at No. 2 in this year’s draft, still need to spend more than $6 million just to get to the salary cap floor. GM Pat Verbeek will use that to tie up at least five more players to fill out a 23-man roster, but overall, as the weekend approached, he had the most money on hand ($28 million-plus) to go shopping.
“Those three kids look like they can be part of the answer going forward,” said new Ducks coach Greg Cronin. “Obviously, they won’t all come at the same time, and they could need time in the AHL. But that’s pretty encouraging, three kids, same year, all the best defensemen in their league.”
ETC.
As a disciplinarian, O’Neill was pretty fair
In the NHL’s simpler, less corporatized days, the gentlemanly Brian O’Neill was always a calm, steady voice in a league that featured mayhem and brawls as main attractions.
O’Neill, who died this past week at age 94, for a number of years, in the wake of Clarence Campbell’s retirement, oversaw the NHL’s supplemental discipline process as one of his many roles. His decisions typically were reasoned and fair and he stood by them unflinchingly, while fully understanding that many were unpopular with fans and media, players, and front offices. Not easy to be that guy, but he handled it with grace.
O’Neill was born in Montreal, played wing at McGill University, and went on to make the NHL a better place for his near half-century of service in the league’s corner office. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004.
A memorial service will be held Sept. 2 at St. Patrick’s Basilica in Montreal.
Getting right to it
The Bruins’ Oct. 11 season opener against the visiting Blackhawks, by the way, should mark the NHL debut of sure-shot generational talent Connor Bedard, chosen No. 1 in the June draft.
Fans of a certain age will recall that Mario Lemieux made his debut on Causeway Street ice also on Oct. 11 (1984) and scored on his first shift, first shot, buzzing by Ray Bourque at the right point on a breakaway and finishing off against Pete Peeters.
“I was chasing him down,” recalled Bourque, “and had the best seat in the house to see him score his first goal.”
Mario Magnifique scored 42 more times across another 72 games that season and finished with 100 points.
Only six other rookies, including the Bruins’ Joe Juneau (1992), debuted with 100-point seasons. The rest: Teemu Selanne (1992), Peter Stastny (1980), Alex Ovechkin (2005), Dale Hawerchuk (1981), and Sidney Crosby (2005).
Take what you can get
Not that anyone needed further evidence that the cap squeeze dramatically altered this summer’s UFA market, but . . . Vladimir Tarasenko on Thursday grabbed a one-year, $5 million lifeboat deal with the Senators.
Like Tyler Bertuzzi (one year, $5.5 million with the Maple Leafs), the 31-year-old Tarasenko reasonably could have landed 4-5 years around $7 million per if times were normal.
He’s a perfect candidate to replace the 27 goals/66 points that Alex DeBrincat produced last season for the Senators before the ex-Blackhawk forced a trade to the Red Wings. Tarasenko also could make things even more uncomfortable for the Bruins this season in the Atlantic Division.
Loose pucks
Brad Marchand will enter the season 53 games from 1,000. He’ll be the eighth Bruin to reach that plateau. Game No. 53 on the 2023-24 schedule has the Lightning in town on Feb. 13, followed by Seattle (2/15), Los Angeles (2/17), and Dallas (2/19) . . . As of Friday night, Jeremy Swayman (Sunday) and Trent Frederic (Tuesday) remained on course for their salary arbitration hearings. Combined, their awards are virtually guaranteed to wipe out the remaining $5.4 million of Don Sweeney’s cap cash. It’s possible that Sweeney will have to trade someone to keep under the $83.5 million limit. If needed, he also can go the buyout route, an escape offered when clubs have players file for arbitration. If they were to choose that route, the prime target would be third-pairing D-man Derek Forbort, whose $3 million cap hit for the coming season would drop to $667,000, per capfriendly.com. Forbort is a very valuable PK asset, usually working with Brandon Carlo on the first unit, but that substantial savings could make him vulnerable. It also could open a spot for prospects Ian Mitchell or Reilly Walsh . . . Jean Ratelle, Ray Bourque, and Patrice Bergeron are my three automatics for the Bruins’ all-Quebecois version of Mont Rushmore. No. 4 is a great debate best made over a biere et chien chaud. I’ll go with the ever-underappreciated Bill Cowley, center of the pre- and post-WWII era. “I think Normie [Leveille] would have made it into the discussion, too,” said Bourque. No argument here. My top four B’s, irrespective of country or position: Bobby Orr, Eddie Shore, Phil Esposito, and Bourque. Tough choice for a coach, figuring out which two D-men to start from among the holy trinity of Orr, Shore, and Bourque. Something tells me Shore would have been the least, shall we say, gracious to be the one watching from the bench as the puck was dropped. New coach to be named after the game, if not the opening faceoff.
Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at kevin.dupont@globe.com. | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/29/sports/sunday-hockey-notes/ | 2023-07-29T15:34:42 | 0 | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/29/sports/sunday-hockey-notes/ |
Wayne High School graduates compete in national fishing competition
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - Two Wayne High School graduates, who have been buddies since kindergarten, share a passion for fishing.
“Probably all of our lives, ever since we met, we always go fishing,” Ethan Allen said.
Through the years, Ethan Allen and Dillon May have reeled in competitive opportunities to cast their shot at some big wins on the lake.
Shining moments eventually took them through a series of competitions to lead them to an opportunity they’ve only ever dreamed about.
“It took a while for it to set in that we made it to the national championship,” Ethan said.
Last week, friends, family and fellow supporters in the Wayne community cheered the two on with a final send-off.
Ethan and Dillon got accepted into a competition on the national level in this year’s “Strike King Bassmaster High School Championship” in South Carolina.
“Proud of these boys. They’ve come a long way since their freshman year and they’re the bestest pals. I can’t say enough about them. They just work hard at it and never give up,” Chris Allen said.
Chris is Ethan and Dillon’s coach. He says it’s been rewarding getting to see their dreams become a reality through hard work and dedication.
“That’s what they wanted to do before they graduated-- make it to nationals, and they never gave up,” Chris said.
“Pretty nervous, but just glad we made it this far ... whatever the good Lord intended for us to happen is going to happen, so I’m fine with it either way,” Ethan said.
The two say whatever happens, they’re proud of themselves for conquering a goal they’ve had for a long time.
For anyone else following in their footsteps, here is some advice:
“Fish as much as you can and if you love it, it’s going to click. The more you fish, the more you learn,” Dillon said.
Copyright 2023 WSAZ. All rights reserved. | https://www.wymt.com/2023/07/28/wayne-high-school-graduates-compete-national-fishing-competition/ | 2023-07-29T15:34:43 | 0 | https://www.wymt.com/2023/07/28/wayne-high-school-graduates-compete-national-fishing-competition/ |
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://fox59.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-savannah-demelos-ability-to-speak-portuguese-may-help-us-in-critical-womens-world-cup-match/ | 2023-07-29T15:34:46 | 1 | https://fox59.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-savannah-demelos-ability-to-speak-portuguese-may-help-us-in-critical-womens-world-cup-match/ |
Editor’s Note: Vintage Pacific NW revisits some of our favorite stories from some of our favorite magazine contributors. Check back each week for timeless classics focusing on food (by Providence Cicero and Nancy Leson, and chefs Greg Atkinson and Kathy Casey), gardening (by Valerie Easton and Ciscoe Morris), fitness (from former Fit for Life writer Nicole Tsong), architecture (from former NW Living writer Lawrence Kreisman), wine (from local guru Andy Perdue) and more.
Originally published Sept. 28, 2015
By Nicole Tsong, former Fit for Life writer
WE GATHERED AROUND, a motley crew of eight on a grassy field at Green Lake. Olivia, our Ultimate guide, was the only one who had experience with the sport — as a member of a team that placed sixth at nationals, no less.
I recruited her to help me play Ultimate. Team sports and I are neither friends nor on friendly terms. But if I was going to try a team sport, Ultimate seemed the best way to go.
Olivia originally suggested playing pickup Ultimate at Marymoor Park, but playing with strangers sounded terrifying, so she agreed to help me round up a few friends.
I had a sneaking suspicion a few in our group would pick up the game quickly. I had more than a passing suspicion I would not be one of them.
But I like to think I have hustle and determination, so I hoped that would be good enough.
Olivia gave us the rundown for a game of Mini Ultimate, which usually is three on three, as opposed to the standard seven per team. We made four on four work, splitting up into teams. We figured out which direction we were headed on the field, who we were guarding (there’s no tackling in Ultimate) and started a game.
I learned right away that Ultimate is fast. I could barely keep up at first, both with the rules and the defense. You can’t run once you catch the disc, and I kept forgetting to count to five when defending the person in possession.
Guarding is generally crazy, especially if you are keeping an eye on an energetic speed demon named Natalie. During Ultimate, I felt like I was chasing a whirling dervish around the field. She, in turn, kept waving her arms at me when I had the disc.
Also, turnovers are fast in Ultimate; drop the disc, and the opposing team has possession.
Which led to my first impression of Ultimate: very, very vigorous. Like, running at full sprint almost all the time, whether catching or guarding. Are all team sports this hard? (Don’t answer that.)
Ultimate also requires some catching and throwing skills. I’m better at catching, especially when the disc was thrown directly to me. One player, the most experienced on the field at team sports, tried to send a few throws down the field — I later found out I was supposed to chase the disc to catch it. Clearly, that is a skill in development.
We mixed up the teams regularly, which kept things balanced and also confusing; nobody could remember who was on whose team. I almost shouted in triumph a couple of times when a former teammate intercepted a pass.
Throughout the game, our skills improved. Interceptions happened, on purpose, and we got better at throwing low rather than the less accurate high throws.
Most shocking of all, Ultimate was really fun. Perhaps I wouldn’t like it as much if I had to play with strangers or if there were more on the line, like a national championship, but when it was with friends who were a combination of friendly and fiercely competitive, we had a blast.
I had so much fun that an hour flew by, although I was panting and dragging by the end. My team lost a couple of points in the process. Sorry, guys.
I even want to play again. Maybe team sports and I could come to terms — and be acquaintances. | https://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/picking-up-skills-in-this-vigorous-team-sport-is-the-ultimate-challenge/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-29T15:34:46 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/picking-up-skills-in-this-vigorous-team-sport-is-the-ultimate-challenge/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
Jonathan India Player Prop Bets: Reds vs. Dodgers - July 29
Published: Jul. 29, 2023 at 10:37 AM EDT|Updated: 57 minutes ago
On Saturday, Jonathan India (batting .308 in his past 10 games) and the Cincinnati Reds play the Los Angeles Dodgers, whose starting pitcher will be Emmet Sheehan. First pitch is at 9:10 PM ET.
He had a one-hit performance in his previous game (1-for-4) against the Dodgers.
Jonathan India Game Info & Props vs. the Dodgers
- Game Day: Saturday, July 29, 2023
- Game Time: 9:10 PM ET
- Stadium: Dodger Stadium
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
- Dodgers Starter: Emmet Sheehan
- TV Channel: SportsNet LA
- Hits Prop: Over/under 0.5 hits (Over odds: -200)
- Home Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 home runs (Over odds: +475)
- RBI Prop: Over/under 0.5 RBI (Over odds: +175)
- Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 runs (Over odds: +115)
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Explore More About This Game
Jonathan India At The Plate
- India is batting .251 with 20 doubles, 14 home runs and 39 walks.
- India has had a hit in 71 of 103 games this year (68.9%), including multiple hits 22 times (21.4%).
- Looking at the 103 games he has played this season, he's hit a long ball in 12 of them (11.7%), and in 3.1% of his trips to the plate.
- India has had at least one RBI in 32.0% of his games this year (33 of 103), with more than one RBI 11 times (10.7%). He has also been responsible for three or more of his team's runs in five contests.
- He has scored in 51.5% of his games this season (53 of 103), with two or more runs 11 times (10.7%).
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Jonathan India Home/Away Batting Splits
Dodgers Pitching Rankings
- The pitching staff for the Dodgers has a collective 8.6 K/9, which ranks 17th in the league.
- The Dodgers' 4.51 team ERA ranks 21st among all MLB pitching staffs.
- Dodgers pitchers combine to surrender the eighth-fewest home runs in baseball (114 total, 1.1 per game).
- Sheehan makes the start for the Dodgers, his seventh of the season. He is 3-1 with a 6.75 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 29 1/3 innings pitched.
- In his most recent outing on Sunday against the Texas Rangers, the righty threw 3 2/3 innings, allowing eight earned runs while surrendering eight hits.
- The 23-year-old has put together a 6.75 ERA and 6.8 strikeouts per nine innings in six games this season, while giving up a batting average of .243 to opposing hitters.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wsaz.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/jonathan-india-mlb-player-prop-bets/ | 2023-07-29T15:34:46 | 0 | https://www.wsaz.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/jonathan-india-mlb-player-prop-bets/ |
Community hero laid to rest in Boyd County, Ky.
BOYD COUNTY, Ky. (WSAZ) - A hero in his community was laid to rest Friday.
Bob Gainer served Boyd County in a number of ways for more than 50 years.
Officials say he was instrumental in starting the countywide ambulance service, implementing advanced life support services in the state, and starting the 911 dispatch center in Ashland.
Those who knew Gainer say his legacy in the community will live on for many years to come.
“Bob was instrumental in this county, um, with not only the fire service in our department, but also Boyd County EMS,” said Westwood Deputy Fire Chief Tim England. “We would not have the EMS service we have now if it was not for Bob.”
Gainer was also a firefighter and served on the Board of Commissioners of the Westwood Volunteer Fire Department.
Copyright 2023 WSAZ. All rights reserved. | https://www.wymt.com/2023/07/29/community-hero-laid-rest-boyd-county-ky/ | 2023-07-29T15:34:49 | 0 | https://www.wymt.com/2023/07/29/community-hero-laid-rest-boyd-county-ky/ |
A SUMMER GARDEN in full bloom is remarkable, but even the most stunning floral display can collapse into confusion. Fine textures, both in petal and foliage, dazzle but easily tip into visual fatigue. Bold foliage provides a visual pause in the action that brings focus and calm to a busy composition.
I reached out to several local gardeners and landscape designers, stellar plantspeople one and all, and asked them to share three plants with bold foliage that are their go-to favorites. My crew:
● Naomi Goodman is a practicing landscape designer (firecrackerdesignstudio.com) with a passion for creating beautiful and functional gardens that connect with nature.
● Dan Hinkley is a world-renowned plantsman and former owner of Heronswood Nursery. Today Hinkley is director emeritus of present-day Heronswood Garden (heronswoodgarden.org) and, because he can’t seem to quit, operates Windcliff Plants, a small nursery on his property in Indianola.
● As owner and founder of Third Spring Landscape Design (thirdspring.com), Jason Jorgensen specializes in designing resilient gardens that will thrive in a changing climate.
● Gillian Matthews, former owner of Ravenna Gardens, has been furnishing our gardens with extraordinary plants for years. “I love large foliage, especially in a small garden,” she writes.
● Landscape designer Susan Picquelle might have retired from client work, but she remains a knowledgeable and passionate gardener. Picquelle believes that bold plants should figure in the garden in every season.
Many of the following selections have appeared on more than one recommended list, always a sure sign of a good plant for Pacific Northwest gardens.
● Jorgensen recommends bumping up the boldness of Cotinus ‘Grace’ by coppicing (cutting back hard) the stems of this hybrid smoke tree in winter to produce larger than normal leaves. Showy red to burgundy foliage during the growing season shifts to brilliant yellow and orange in fall. Note: Smoke tree blooms on mature wood, so coppicing eliminates that year’s frothy pink flowers.
● Mahonia × media is bold in foliage, form and flower. Hummingbirds can’t resist the bright yellow blooms on this winter-blooming evergreen and, as Picquelle points out, “What could be more bold than watching a flock of cedar waxwings devour the spring berries?”
● Honey bush (Melianthus major) is a showy shrub with glaucous blue foliage. “Melianthus is my favorite,” Goodwin enthuses. A self-proclaimed “forever fan,” the designer loves the way the plant pairs with silver, chartreuse and dark green leaves. In warm gardens, honey bush is evergreen — a hard winter will knock it back to the ground.
● Strictly ornamental, Rheum palmatum ‘Atrosanguineum’ is like common rhubarb in a taffeta party dress, with ruby red to bronze emerging spring foliage. Large palmate leaves and dramatic flowers on stems to 6 feet create a stunning focal point in the landscape.
● Schefflera delavayi is a hardy plant with tropical appeal. Light brown, fuzzy new growth contrasts with mature deep green foliage on this evergreen shrub or small tree. The plant adapts to sun or shade and resists drought once established.
● Tetrapanax papyrifer ‘Steroidal Giant’ is bold in every way. Giant, 3-foot-wide leaves show up in spring covered with brown fur (indumentum) atop spindly stalks that can grow to 18 feet. With a colonizing growth habit, ‘Steroidal Giant’ boldly travels about the garden, more so in rich soil. Give this plant some room, and avoid disturbing the roots to reduce suckering.
It should come as no surprise that plantspeople have a hard time limiting their choices. Bold and beautiful Corsican hellebore (Helleborus argutifolius); bergenia, both the evergreen (B. cordata) and deciduous forms (B. ciliata); hosta; and rodgersia (R. podophylla) also were prized. | https://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/seattle-gardening-pros-share-their-go-to-plants-with-bold-foliage/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-29T15:34:52 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/seattle-gardening-pros-share-their-go-to-plants-with-bold-foliage/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
Marlins vs. Tigers Predictions & Picks: Odds, Moneyline, Spread - July 29
Saturday's contest between the Miami Marlins (56-48) and Detroit Tigers (46-58) matching up at LoanDepot park has a projected final score of 6-5 (according to our computer prediction) in favor of the Marlins, who is listed as a slight favorite by our model. The game will start at 4:10 PM ET on July 29.
The Marlins will give the ball to Johnny Cueto (0-1, 4.50 ERA), who is eyeing win No. 1 on the season, and the Tigers will counter with Beau Brieske.
Marlins vs. Tigers Game Info & Odds
- When: Saturday, July 29, 2023 at 4:10 PM ET
- Where: LoanDepot park in Miami, Florida
- How to Watch on TV: Fox Sports 1
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
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Marlins vs. Tigers Score Prediction
Our pick for this contest is Marlins 6, Tigers 5.
Total Prediction for Marlins vs. Tigers
- Total Prediction: Over 8 runs
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Marlins Performance Insights
- The Marlins have played as the favorite in six of their past 10 games and won two of those contests.
- When it comes to hitting the over, Miami and its opponents are 5-5-0 in its last 10 games with a total.
- Bookmakers have not set a spread for any of the Marlins' last 10 games.
- The Marlins have won 31, or 66%, of the 47 games they've played as favorites this season.
- Miami has entered 25 games this season favored by -155 or more and is 21-4 in those contests.
- The Marlins have a 60.8% chance to win this game based on the implied probability of the moneyline.
- Miami is among the lowest-scoring teams in the majors, ranking 26th with just 428 total runs (4.1 per game) this season.
- The Marlins have a 4.11 team ERA that ranks 13th among all MLB pitching staffs.
Tigers Performance Insights
- The Tigers have played as the underdog in six of their past 10 games and have gone 1-5 in those contests.
- When it comes to the total, Detroit and its foes are 4-5-1 in its previous 10 contests.
- The Tigers' previous 10 contests have not had a runline posted by bookmakers.
- The Tigers have been victorious in 33, or 39.8%, of the 83 contests they have been chosen as underdogs in this season.
- This season, Detroit has come away with a win 22 times in 48 chances when named as an underdog of at least +130 or worse on the moneyline.
- The Tigers have an implied victory probability of 43.5% according to the moneyline set for this matchup.
- Detroit is the third-lowest scoring team in MLB play averaging 3.9 runs per game (406 total).
- Tigers pitchers have a combined ERA of 4.53 ERA this year, which ranks 22nd in MLB.
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Marlins Schedule
Tigers Schedule
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wsaz.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/marlins-tigers-mlb-picks-predictions/ | 2023-07-29T15:34:53 | 1 | https://www.wsaz.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/marlins-tigers-mlb-picks-predictions/ |
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Eugénie Le Sommer and Wendie Renard revived France’s Women’s World Cup ambitions with a goal each in a 2-1 win over Brazil on Saturday to give Les Bleues the lead in Group F.
After missing with a diving header in the 13th minute, Le Sommer scored her 90th international goal to extend her French record four minutes later with an emphatic header that gave Brazilian goalkeeper Leticia little chance.
Debinha equalized for Brazil as the hour approached and the game opened up as both teams pressed for a winner, the Brazilians desperate to end an 11-match winless streak against France.
But it was the set piece where French captain Renard clinched it, capitalizing on some poor defense.
Renard, who had been in doubt for the match with a calf injury she picked up in the lackluster 0-0 draw against Jamaica, was perfectly placed for a back-post header as the towering defender drifted to the edge of the box to meet a corner with a powerful header in the 83rd.
Hervé Renard has reassembled the French squad since taking over as coach, recalling veterans including Le Sommer and restoring the confidence of others like 33-year-old Renard.
After criticism of France’s opening performance for its lack of adventure and flair, his veterans clicked when it counted against Brazil.
“She’s a leader of the team. She’s efficient at scoring goals like today,” the French coach said of his captain. “If she wasn’t able to play today, I’m sure it wouldn’t be the same. We were lucky to have her today, congratulations to her to give us the victory for this game.”
Brazil had opened with a thumping 4-0 win over Panama, with Ary Borges scoring three goals and providing the back-heel assist for one of the goals of the tournament.
Against a more disciplined defense, the Brazilians were mostly unable to finish despite creating ample opportunities.
Brazil coach Pia Sundhage said she was disappointed with her team’s first half and inability to stick with the gameplan and not contesting quickly enough for possession. She said the failure to build cohesion in the first half was more of a problem for the team than the set-piece defense that conceded France’s second goal.
“I’m more disappointed we couldn’t make this a game where we play like the Brazilian style,” she said.
Veteran forward Marta, returning from injury for her sixth World Cup, went on in the 86th minute but wasn’t able to inspire a winner for Brazil.
Le Sommer, who was among the veterans who missed selection for the European Championship last year under former coach Corinne Diacre, was in the thick of the early action for France.
The French started with high tempo and had three chances before Sakina Karchaoui’s long floating ball into the area found Kadidiatou Diani, who headed square for Le Sommer to finish off from directly in front.
But the Brazilians started to meet them for energy, helped by the majority of an almost 50,000-strong crowd.
Debinha equalized in the 58th, finishing off a quick passing movement into the area, controlling the ball with the outside of her leg before firing in a right-foot shot.
Le Sommer was replaced in the 66th Vicki Becho to add some fresh legs to the French attack.
Leticia pushed a hard strike over the crossbar to keep Brazil level and Selma Bacha hit the side netting with her shot from the right in the 75th, unable to break the deadlock for France.
Renard’s late winner lifted France to four competition points, one more than Brazil ahead of the last group games on Wednesday. The French will play Panama in Sydney, and Brazil will take on Jamaica in Melbourne.
___
AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/le-sommer-renard-score-as-france-edges-brazil-2-1-at-the-womens-world-cup/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-29T15:34:58 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/le-sommer-renard-score-as-france-edges-brazil-2-1-at-the-womens-world-cup/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
How to Watch the Marlins vs. Tigers Game: Streaming & TV Channel Info for July 29
Luis Arraez and the Miami Marlins will see Beau Brieske starting for the Detroit Tigers on Saturday at 4:10 PM ET.
Sign up for Fubo to watch this game and make sure you don't miss any of the action all season long!
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Marlins vs. Tigers Live Stream, TV Channel and Game Info:
- Date: Saturday, July 29, 2023
- Time: 4:10 PM ET
- TV Channel: Fox Sports 1
- Location: Miami, Florida
- Venue: LoanDepot park
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
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Marlins Batting & Pitching Performance
- The Marlins are third-worst in MLB play with 93 home runs.
- Miami ranks 20th in MLB, slugging .398.
- The Marlins' .264 batting average is fourth-best in the majors.
- Miami is the fifth-lowest scoring team in MLB action, averaging 4.1 runs per game (428 total).
- The Marlins rank 13th in baseball with an on-base percentage of .320.
- The Marlins strike out eight times per game to rank seventh in baseball.
- Miami's pitching staff ranks third in MLB with a collective 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings.
- Miami's 4.11 team ERA ranks 13th among all MLB pitching staffs.
- The Marlins average MLB's 12th-ranked WHIP (1.267).
Tigers Batting & Pitching Performance
- The Tigers rank 26th in Major League Baseball with just 96 home runs as a team.
- Detroit is 29th in MLB with a slugging percentage of only .365 this season.
- The Tigers have a team batting average of just .231 this season, which ranks 28th among MLB teams.
- Detroit is among the lowest scoring teams in baseball, ranking 28th with just 406 total runs (3.9 per game) this season.
- The Tigers have an on-base percentage of .299 this season, which ranks 28th in the league.
- The Tigers rank 18th in strikeouts per game (8.9) among MLB offenses.
- Detroit strikes out 8.4 batters per nine innings as a pitching staff, 21st in MLB.
- Detroit has pitched to a 4.53 ERA this season, which ranks 22nd in baseball.
- Tigers pitchers have a 1.253 WHIP this season, eighth-best in the majors.
Marlins Probable Starting Pitcher
- The Marlins are sending Johnny Cueto (0-1) to make his third start of the season.
- His most recent appearance was on Saturday against the Colorado Rockies, when the righty tossed six innings, surrendering one earned run while allowing two hits.
Tigers Probable Starting Pitcher
- The Tigers will send Brieske to the mound for his first start this season.
- The 25-year-old righty has pitched in relief five times already this season, but will make his first start.
Marlins Schedule
Tigers Schedule
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wsaz.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/marlins-vs-tigers-mlb-live-stream-tv/ | 2023-07-29T15:34:59 | 1 | https://www.wsaz.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/marlins-vs-tigers-mlb-live-stream-tv/ |
Washington had a championship offense in 2022.
But not a championship team.
To remedy that, UW attempted to upgrade its sputtering secondary this offseason — adding three transfer corners (Jabbar Muhammad, Thaddeus Dixon and Darren Barkins) and five true freshmen (corners Caleb Presley, Curley Reed and Leroy Bryant, and safeties Vincent Holmes and Diesel Gordon).
A slew of standouts — including edges Bralen Trice and Zion Tupuola-Fetui, linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio and defensive lineman Tuli Letuligasenoa — also opted to return.
But will UW’s mix of potent pass rushers, serviceable run stoppers and unproven defensive backs combine to produce a more dominant defense?
Only time will tell.
So, with preseason practice starting Wednesday, let’s dive into UW’s defensive depth chart.
Defensive line
Tuli Letuligasenoa, sr., 6-1, 292, Concord, Calif.
Faatui Tuitele, jr., 6-3, 317, Honolulu
Voi Tunuufi, jr., 6-1, 260, South Jordan, Utah
Armon Parker, rs. fr., 6-3, 307, Detroit
***
Ulumoo Ale, sr., 6-6, 327, Tacoma
Jacob Bandes, jr., 603, 302, Pittsburg, Calif.
Jayvon Parker, soph., 6-3, 297, Detroit
Elinneus Davis, fr., 6-2, 322, Moorhead, Minn.
Analysis: UW’s defensive line is stocked with reliable returners — as Tuli Letuligasenoa, Faatui Tuitele, Voi Tunuufi, Ulumoo Ale, Jacob Bandes and Jayvon Parker have all contributed to some degree.
But is there an All-Pac-12 performer among them?
While Letuligasenoa is the most known commodity, Ale — a 6-6, 327-pound converted offensive lineman — has the highest athletic ceiling of the bunch. It’ll also be interesting to see if twins Jayvon and Armon Parker (the latter having sat out last fall with a torn ACL) take significant strides in their second seasons in Seattle.
Edge
Bralen Trice, jr., 6-4, 274, Phoenix
Sekai Asoau-Afoa, jr., 6-4, 263, Tacoma
Anthony James, fr., 6-5, 272, Lavon, Texas
Jacob Lane, fr., 6-5, 250, Puyallup
***
Zion Tupuola-Fetui, sr., 6-4, 254, Pearl City, Hawaii
Zach Durfee, soph, 6-5, 255, Dawson, Minn. (Sioux Falls)
Maurice Heims, soph., 6-5, 249, Hamburg, Germany
Lance Holtzclaw, rs. fr., 6-3, 225, Dorchester, Mass.
Analysis: In Trice (12 tackles for loss, nine sacks in 2022) and ZTF (5.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks), UW possesses perhaps the west coast’s premier pass rush duo.
But two is not enough.
The challenge for edge coach Eric Schmidt is developing depth, with several unproven options — Asoau-Afoa, Durfee, Heims and Holtzclaw — vying for rotational reps.
Don’t discount defensive lineman Voi Tunuufi — who has snared eight sacks in his first two seasons — shifting outside, either.
“Unfortunately Voi was a little dinged up throughout the spring, so he didn’t get as many reps out there [at the edge spot] as you would have loved to have had,” UW coach Kalen DeBoer said this month. “But he picked things up really quickly last year, in the first year of learning our defense. Starting out the season he’ll be more of an interior guy that can adjust to playing on the edge, then we’ll just kind of see how things go from there and who evolves as the next guys at that position.
“He’s ready. I see him working out and he’s focused and moving well and looking good. I think he’s excited about playing some of the edge position as well. He had success there at some critical times last year.”
Linebacker
Edefuan Ulofoshio, sr., 6-1, 236, Anchorage, Alaska
Ralen Goforth, graduate student, 6-2, 237, Long Beach, Calif. (USC)
Drew Fowler, jr., 6-1, 222, Bellevue
***
Alphonzo Tuputala, jr., 6-2, 240, Federal Way
Carson Bruener, jr., 6-2, 226, Woodinville
Deven Bryant, fr., 5-11, 216, Carson, Calif.
Jordan Whitney, fr., 6-0, 216, Oxnard, Calif.
Analysis: Similar to its situation on the defensive line, UW knows it has a steady stock of linebackers — led by veterans Ulofoshio, Alphonzo Tuputala, Ralen Goforth and Carson Bruener.
The question is whether this corps can close the gap between good and great.
That would likely require Ulofoshio to return to his 2020 form, after a pair of injuries (a partial tear of his distal bicep tendon and a torn ACL) shortened his last two seasons. It’s also unclear whether Goforth can become more than a steady rotational piece, after the USC transfer totaled 149 tackles in 40 games and 17 starts in Los Angeles.
Cornerback
Elijah Jackson, soph., 6-1, 191., Carson, Calif.
Thaddeus Dixon, jr., 6-1, 192, Los Angeles
Davon Banks, soph., 5-11, 184, San Jacinto, Calif.
Curley Reed, fr., 6-1, 198, Iowa, La.
***
Jabbar Muhammad, jr., 5-10, 183, DeSoto, Texas (Oklahoma State)
Jaivion Green, soph., 6-2, 207, Houston
Darren Barkins, soph., 5-11, 184, Spring Valley, Calif. (Oregon)
Caleb Presley, fr., 6-0, 177, Federal Way
Leroy Bryant, fr., 5-11, 178, Fairfield, Calif.
Analysis: After producing 48 tackles and a team-high 10 pass breakups at Oklahoma State last fall, Muhammad steps in as an assumed starter. UW’s other battle may primarily feature spring standouts Elijah Jackson and Thaddeus Dixon. Sophomore returners Jaivion Green and Davon Banks, Oregon transfer Darren Barkins and true freshmen Presley, Bryant and Reed will compete as well.
Regardless, UW must improve on a 2022 season that featured just 2.54 pass breakups per game — ranking 129th out of 130 teams in the nation.
The Huskies have more competition at cornerback.
We’ll see if that yields results.
“Husky” nickel
Mishael Powell, jr., 6-1, 210, Seattle
Tristan Dunn, rs. fr., 6-4, 197, Sumner
Dyson McCutcheon, soph., 5-11, 185, Claremont, Calif.
Safety
Asa Turner, sr., 6-3, 200, Carlsbad, Calif.
Kamren Fabiculanan, jr., 6-1, 196, Camarillo, Calif.
Makell Esteen, soph., 6-1, 190, Hawthorne, Calif.
Diesel Gordon, fr., 6-0, 164, Arlington, Texas
***
Dominique Hampton, sr., 6-3, 220, Glendale, Ariz.
Vince Nunley, soph., 6-1, 187, Oakland, Calif.
Vincent Holmes, fr., 6-0, 174, San Jacinto, Calif.
Analysis: UW has some old names in new positions, as Mishael Powell shifted from cornerback to the “husky” nickel spot this offseason and Dominique Hampton slid from “husky” back to safety.
Will any of it matter? That remains to be seen.
The safety position certainly doesn’t lack veteran voices, as Asa Turner, Kamren Fabiculanan, Makell Esteen and Vince Nunley return as well. And watch out for four-star freshman Vincent Holmes, who arrived this summer.
As in other spots, the challenge here is to transcend “serviceable” and develop genuine standouts — something UW’s safety position has lacked since Taylor Rapp left in 2018.
Kick returner
Giles Jackson, sr., 5-9, 178, Antioch, Calif. (Michigan)
Cameron Davis, jr., 6-0, 212, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
Punt returner
Jalen McMillan, jr., 6-1, 192, Fresno, Calif.
Giles Jackson, sr., 5-9, 178, Antioch, Calif. (Michigan)
Placekicker
Grady Gross, soph., 5-11, 209, Scottsdale, Ariz. OR
Addison Shrock, soph., 6-1, 188, Bellingham
Punter
Jack McCallister, soph., 6-0, 216, Edmonds
Adam Saul, soph., 6-6, 192, Gurnee, Ill.
Troy Petz, fr., 6-1, 172, Lynden
Long snapper
Jaden Green, jr., 5-11, 219, Gilbert, Ariz.
Alex Froelich, soph., 6-2, 210, South Pasadena, Calif.
Caleb Johnston, rs. fr., 5-11, 240, Ripon, Calif.
Analysis: All eyes here should rest on the kicking positions, where UW is holding open competitions for starting services at placekicker (between Grady Gross and Addison Shrock) and punter (between returning starter Jack McCallister and sophomore walk on Adam Saul).
Returners Gross and Shrock look to succeed departed starter Peyton Henry, who held the job for the last five seasons.
Granted, these positions don’t garner headlines.
But they’ll win or lose you games. | https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/uw-husky-football/depth-chart-primer-has-uw-done-enough-to-make-significant-defensive-strides/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-29T15:35:05 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/uw-husky-football/depth-chart-primer-has-uw-done-enough-to-make-significant-defensive-strides/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
Nearly 70% of U.S. adults believe in angels and heaven, according to a new AP-NORC poll.
About 8 in 10 Americans agree that some things cannot be explained by science or natural causes.
In addition, 72% believe in the power of prayer.
"People are yearning for something greater than themselves — beyond their own understanding," said Jack Grogger, a chaplain for the Los Angeles Angels and a longtime fire captain who has helped people in some of their darkest moments, according to the Associated Press.
Grogger, who also pastors a nondenominational church in Orange, California, said people find comfort in angels.
But the belief in heaven and angels is greater than those who believe in hell, 58%, and those who think the devil exists, 56%.
Half of U.S. adults believe that the spirits of those who have crossed over can interact with the living.
AP-NORC's poll also found that 42% of people in the U.S. believe that spiritual energy can be rooted in physical objects.
About a third of Americans believe in reincarnation, astrology, and yoga as a spiritual practice.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com | https://www.lex18.com/do-angels-and-heaven-exist-here-s-what-most-americans-think | 2023-07-29T15:35:06 | 1 | https://www.lex18.com/do-angels-and-heaven-exist-here-s-what-most-americans-think |
Michael Jackson album inspires new mystery anthology ‘Thriller’
Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” is the best-selling album of all time, having sold a reported 70 million copies. Sarasota mystery writer Don Bruns would be happy with a fraction of that success for the new anthology he put together inspired by the album.
As he did with last year’s hit “Hotel California,” Bruns has edited and written a story for the collection based off titles from Jackson’s album.
“When we started ‘Hotel California’ I thought I was calling in favors from the writers. Instead, every writer I talked to said, ‘Oh, my God. I want to be part of this.”
The book features nine short stories that use the song titles, but nothing else from the songs or lyrics.
Jeffery Deaver, author of “The Bone Collector,” which is being adapted into a new TV series, chose “The Lady in My Life,’ and Heather Graham picked the album’s title song for their projects. Bruns himself wrote a story titled “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.”
Bruns said Deaver was his first call for the book. “I thought if I can get somebody of that calibre it would make it easy. But it all came together. Heather, (William) Kent Krueger and all the rest, and then some of them said, ‘what’s next.”
The book also features stories by David R. Slayton, Jennifer Graeser Dornbush, Neil S. Plakcy, Dahlia Rose and Rick Bleiweiss.
“Often, the hardest part of writing a song or story is coming up with a grabber title, and these songs are all familiar titles, just like with ‘Hotel California’,” Bruns said.
But the authors had to come up with their own story ideas.
“They don’t write stories about the song. We don’t want any copyright infringement issues. We can use the titles but if we write stories based on the theme of a song, that’s a problem,” he said.
He was surprised that “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” was still available for him to use after he let the other writers pick first. “It was a big song. I thought this is a great title because it could be about anything.”
He ended up creating a story about a young girl and an older woman who become friends walking dogs. “It sounds almost like a cozy story but it is a mystery,” he said.
It was inspired by the 14-year-old daughter of a family friend who “asked if we could put her in the book. She finds this older woman is in a romance scam and some guy is trying to get her fortune.”
He said Graham created a story that really uses the idea of thriller, but Deaver’s story tied into the title only because “he uses a woman in his life.”
Mystery writers tackle short stories in different ways. Deaver told Bruns that he wrote his in three days. Bruns said if he were more disciplined, he might have finished in a week, but it took longer.
Only one writer turned him down, Bruns said. “He told me it takes him longer to write a short story than a full novel.”
Bruns, who always has two or three books in development, is now on the fourth book in his New Orleans series that began with “Casting Bones.” and next summer a third anthology will be released based on the AC/DC album “Back in Black.”
Follow Jay Handelman on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Contact him at jay.handelman@heraldtribune.com. And please support local journalism by subscribing to the Herald-Tribune. | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/entertainment/books/2023/07/29/michael-jacksons-thriller-inspires-a-newine-mystery-novelists-write-shorts-stories-based-on-jacksons/70458692007/ | 2023-07-29T15:35:06 | 0 | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/entertainment/books/2023/07/29/michael-jacksons-thriller-inspires-a-newine-mystery-novelists-write-shorts-stories-based-on-jacksons/70458692007/ |