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Editor’s Note: The above video shows how heat can impact your car.
TEXAS (KXAN) — Oh, Texas. The sun is high, the UV index is something fierce, and stepping inside of your car feels like a personal sauna gone bad.
While we can’t wave a magic wand and discontinue the triple-digit heat, here are some tips and tricks on how to help minimize the heat inside your car during the unforgiving summer months.
Invest in a windshield sunshade
Does it look like you’ve rolled out some tinfoil on your windshield? Absolutely. But windshield sun covers have been shown to substantially reduce internal car temperatures while you’re away from your vehicle.
Braman BMW Miami reported a good windshield sun shade can reduce both cabin and dashboard temperatures between 8% and 25%. Not only does it help reduce heat, but also sun exposure to soft-touch plastics within the vehicle — which can cause wear and tear over time if not prevented.
Cover up interior parts of your vehicle
Whether you don’t like the look of a windshield sun shade or are looking for some supplementary aid for your vehicle, covering up key parts of the interior of your car can help offer some additional relief, per Garage Living.
Covering the steering wheel, leather seats and/or dark interior seats will reduce the amount of heat absorption — and your hands and legs will thank you for it.
Tossing one or two light-colored blankets on top of the steering wheel and seats will provide some reprieve. Drivers can also consider investing in lighter-colored fabric seat covers to use during the hotter times of the year.
Tint your windows
Tinted windows can reduce the amount of light passing through, blocking out some of the thermal rays and, by extension, heat. They can also cut on harmful UV rays passing through the glass.
An important factor to keep in mind is each state has varying laws dictating whether tinted windows are permitted and, if so, the maximum tinting level allowed. The American Automobile Association breaks down various tinting regulations across states, while the Texas Department of Public Safety has a complete analysis on Texas-specific window tinting standards.
Invest in a solar-powered ventilation fan
Solar-powered ventilation fans attach to the outside top of a rolled-up window and feature an outward-facing solar panel that operates it. The fan works by blowing out the hot air from inside the car while pulling in the — somewhat — cooler air from outside the vehicle.
If you invest in two of these fans, you can set them up on either both front or both rear windows and create a cross-ventilation breeze, helping decrease the temperatures inside even more.
Park in a garage when possible
Shaded parking coverage will, surprise surprise, block out extra sun rays and keep your vehicle’s internal temperature lower. If you don’t have access to a personal garage, a public parking garage or an apartment complex’s carport, parking underneath trees at the edge of a parking lot or under a building’s shade can help.
Keep windows open during first few minutes of driving
It might seem silly, but with it taking your vehicle’s air conditioning a few minutes to kick into high gear, opening your windows while beginning your drive can help more quickly dispel hot air. Once your AC is properly cool and running, close your windows to prevent the colder air from escaping, per RAC.
Use the lower air vents
When you first start your car, turn your air vents downward to help send the air-conditioned air into the base of the vehicle. Because hot air rises, this action will force the hot air already present within the vehicle up and out the open windows.
While doing this, shut off the upper vents to keep all the air going in the same direction. | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/how-to-keep-your-car-cooler-in-the-texas-summer-heat/ | 2023-07-29T18:03:00 | 1 | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/how-to-keep-your-car-cooler-in-the-texas-summer-heat/ |
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — United States midfielder Savannah DeMelo can speak some Portuguese and may be able to put it to use in the Women’s World Cup.
The U.S. plays Portugal on Tuesday to wrap up the tournament’s group stage, and a fter a disappointing 1-1 draw against the Netherlands, the Americans needs a win. At stake is both the top spot in Group E and also a much-needed boost to team confidence.
That’s where DeMelo can help.
The 25-year-old’s dad, Robert, is from Portugal and had a successful career as a player in that country before becoming a coach. DeMelo has dual citizenship and understands Portuguese.
“I’ll definitely be listening for it,” she laughed.
DeMelo made her first international start for the United States against Vietnam in the group opener, a 3-0 victory for the Americans.
Prior to the World Cup, DeMelo had played in only one other match for the United States: she was a substitute in the team’s send-off match against Wales in San Jose in early July. DeMelo, who plays for Racing Louisville FC in the National Women’s Soccer League, was the first U.S. player since Shannon Boxx in 2003 and third overall to be named to the World Cup roster without any previous appearances for the national team.
U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski started DeMelo in the both of the American’s World Cup matches. She played both opening halves before being subbed off for veteran Rose Lavelle, who has been playing limited minutes for the United States because of a knee injury suffered in April.
The journey from being named to the team to getting a start in the World Cup has “been a crazy roller coaster of emotions,” said DeMelo.
“But I think I’ve had a lot of great people, including the girls on the team, who have been super helpful with getting me acclimated to the team,” she said. “And I’m just super grateful to be here.”
The United States may need to switch up its tactics against Portugal.
The Americans are tied on points with the Netherlands in Group E and have an advantage over the Dutch on goal difference. The top two teams in the group advance to the knockout round.
But the results haven’t been as emphatic as they were in 2019, when the U.S. opened with a 13-0 victory over Thailand and went on to win their second straight World Cup title, and fourth overall.
The United States trailed the Netherlands by a goal in the first half before Lindsey Horan scored a game-tying header in the 62nd minute.
One reason for the less-than-dominant play could be inexperience. DeMelo is among 14 U.S. players appearing in their first World Cup.
Fellow midfielder Andi Sullivan, who is also making her tournament debut, said it takes some adjustment to play together as newcomers.
“That’s definitely a challenge that we’re going through, is that we just kind of came together,” Sullivan said. “It’s not like a team that you’re training with all year round, constantly. You’re in and out all the time. So I think you’re constantly adjusting.
“But the way that you get in sync is we watch a lot of stuff together, we communicate constantly. We’re very direct when something’s not going the way we want it to go,” Sullivan added. “You have to be direct and clear and honest and loud.”
DeMelo is also among six players at the World Cup who play for Racing Louisville. Among the Racing Louisville representatives are Ary Borges, who scored a hat trick for Brazil in its 4-0 victory over Panama to start the tournament.
DeMelo, who said her father never pushed her into soccer growing up, could have played for Portugal at the senior level.
“It could have been an option,” she said, “but I think my heart was always with the United States.”
___
AP Women’s World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.cbs42.com/sports/ap-savannah-demelos-ability-to-speak-portuguese-may-help-us-in-critical-womens-world-cup-match/ | 2023-07-29T18:03:00 | 0 | https://www.cbs42.com/sports/ap-savannah-demelos-ability-to-speak-portuguese-may-help-us-in-critical-womens-world-cup-match/ |
A judge in Georgia has now set a hearing date for a motion by former President Donald Trump's lawyers to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from the potential case over criminal interference in the 2020 election.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Senior Superior Court Judge Stephen Schuster will hear the motion on August 10. He also directed both sides to submit their legal briefs by no later than August 8.
This comes as a possible indictment from the grand jury that could be handed down any day. Earlier this year, Willis said there would likely be a decision on an indictment in August.
SEE MORE: Georgia DA to announce possible charges in Trump probe this summer
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com | https://www.ksby.com/judge-sets-date-for-trump-s-motion-to-dismiss-da-from-election-probe | 2023-07-29T18:03:02 | 0 | https://www.ksby.com/judge-sets-date-for-trump-s-motion-to-dismiss-da-from-election-probe |
Filmmaker Oliver Stone lamented on a podcast that he regrets voting for President Joe Biden, noting the president may lead America into World War 3.
Stone spoke on a recent episode of commentator Russell Brand’s talk show "Stay Free" on Rumble. Stone won international fame for his documentaries, one of which was "Ukraine on Fire." This documentary is described on IMDb as one that details the ousting of Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych in a "coup d'état" aided by the United States government in 2014.
Stone spoke about producing the documentary and how it explains the origins of the current war raging in Eastern Europe.
"You have to look at the reasons for this war, and whenever you do, the Americans like to simplify and say it’s a question of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. That’s very simplistic and very black-and-white," he said, recounting how he produced "Ukraine on Fire" which he argued, "explains the origins of this war in the coup d'état of 2014 which was sponsored and supported thoroughly by the United States, it was a very deep plan to penetrate the Russian Federation."
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He then slammed the "Neoconservative movement who started the war in Iraq" who yet remain "deep inside our government," citing prominent figures like Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. He went on to add that "Biden is an old Cold Warrior, and he really hates the old Soviet Union which he confounds again with the Russian Federation, which is not communist."
Stone warned that unless the United States changes its "suicidal" course, it faces a "potential World War 3" and then slammed Biden’s leadership.
"If we don’t stop this, what Biden is doing, this guy is – I voted for him – I made a mistake, I was thinking he was an old man now that he would calm down, that he would be more mellow and so-forth, I didn’t see that at all," he said. "I see a man who maybe is not in charge of his own administration. Who knows?"
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Stone warned, "it seems that he’s dragging us stupidly into a confrontation with a power that is not going to give. This is their borders. This is their world. This is NATO going into Ukraine. This is a whole other story."
He also argued that the conflict has the United States being "dragged" into a volatile conflict similar to that which sparked in the Balkans in World War 1.
Stone noted the ethnic complexity of this conflict in that "our allies are rabid anti-Russian people" and have been fighting against ethnic Russians who live in eastern Ukraine, claiming that the media does not recognize that these ethnic Russians have been seeking autonomy, "that’s all they asked for in 2014."
He followed by claiming that a negotiation for ethnic Russian autonomy in eastern Ukraine had almost been reached toward the start of the war in 2022, until "America squelched it," suggesting, "they didn’t want the deal, they didn’t want the peace treaty. They don’t want to give autonomy to Donetsk and Lugansk. Now look where we are. It’s gotten worse, and it’s going to get worse." | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/director-oliver-stone-declares-he-made-a-mistake-when-he-voted-for-biden-says-he/article_886dc6a5-ea1d-5cc5-9d85-20b53cf5df86.html | 2023-07-29T18:03:06 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/director-oliver-stone-declares-he-made-a-mistake-when-he-voted-for-biden-says-he/article_886dc6a5-ea1d-5cc5-9d85-20b53cf5df86.html |
LA PORTE, Ind. (WXIN) – A 36-year-old woman from La Porte, Indiana, has been found guilty of murdering her husband, chopping his body with an axe and then asking her children to help dispose of the body.
On Thursday, a jury found Thessalonica Allen guilty of eight counts including murder, abuse of a corpse, neglect of a dependent and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Allen was originally arrested after allegedly shooting and killing her husband Randy Allen in July 2021.
According to court documents, Randy Allen had been helping the two teenage children with homework on July 27, 2021, when he noticed a website he believed their mother had visited. Randy Allen confronted his wife about the site, leading to an argument. The children told investigators they then heard a loud bang come from the bedroom.
According to his autopsy report, the bullet entered Randy Allen’s arm and penetrated the right side of his body. The bullet is believed to have struck his spinal cord, leaving him unable to move and causing him to bleed out.
The teenagers later told police that their mother instructed them to ignore Randy Allen as he laid on the floor and asked for them to call 911. After he died, Thessalonica Allen reportedly stuffed her husband’s body in her daughter’s closet.
Thessalonica Allen reportedly used an axe to cut off Randy Allen’s legs the following day after failing to cram his body into a plastic tote. She was also accused of recruiting her children to help move the body and put body parts into bags.
The police were eventually notified about the murder after Thessalonica Allen called her ex-partner, whom she shared a child with, to come over to the home. It was the ex who notified police.
Police reported finding a handwritten note in the apartment during a later search that revealed a list of tasks related to the disposal of a body.
Thessalonica Allen’s sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 29. She faces between 45 and 60 years in prison. | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/indiana-woman-found-guilty-of-chopping-up-husband-asking-kids-to-help-dispose-of-body/ | 2023-07-29T18:03:06 | 0 | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/indiana-woman-found-guilty-of-chopping-up-husband-asking-kids-to-help-dispose-of-body/ |
A one-year-old dog was left at the doorstep of a local animal care and control center — and is now looking for a forever home.
Laa-Laa is a pit bull mix who was abandoned at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care & Control center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The 50-pound dog was brought inside the center as she cowered and trembled, according to the center.
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The center told Fox News Digital that the team quickly tried to make Laa-Laa feel comfortable by giving her treats and affection.
But nothing seemed to work.
The center speculates that she had very little socialization during her first year of life.
Due to this, Laa-Laa continues to be a nervous dog and is seeking a caring and loving home — one that will be patient with her as she opens up and develops.
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Laa-Laa is making progress, and the staff has seen her personality start to shine through when she's given affection and socialization with others.
The young dog likes to take slow walks and will sniff everything in sight, the organization said.
She can also be coaxed into giving a bit of a tail wag if she's spoken to kindly.
The staff at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care & Control told Fox News Digital that with a loving and patient home, Laa-Laa will be a loyal companion.
The Animal Care and Control center (ACC) is part of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.
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It's dedicated to helping pets and people with medical and support services, according to the ACC’s website.
The shelter, with a space of over 45,000 square feet, houses approximately 165 dog runs and 220 cages — and has more than 185 dogs currently up for adoption.
Interested in adopting Laa-Laa?
For more information, visit the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care & Control center or call the center at 704-336-7600.
Want to read about other pets up for adoption? Check out this recent article from Fox News Digital: Salt Lake City-based Carrot, a ‘beauty,’ is looking for a calm new home
And click here for more stories in our Adoptable Pets series. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/dog-abandoned-at-the-front-door-of-animal-care-center-is-up-for-adoption-meet/article_2929734a-e5ba-51e5-b882-18eb48adaafa.html | 2023-07-29T18:03:12 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/dog-abandoned-at-the-front-door-of-animal-care-center-is-up-for-adoption-meet/article_2929734a-e5ba-51e5-b882-18eb48adaafa.html |
SAN ANGELO, Texas (ConchoValleyHomepage) — The 2023 Concho Valley Farmer’s Market Melon Fest kicked off at 609 S. Oakes St. on Saturday, July 29.
Hundreds of San Angelo residents gathered to take part in the melon-themed marketplace, with market mainstays such as Schwartz Boys Produce & Meats and Three Rivers Farm stocking fresh melons from the fields alongside other marketers. Red watermelon, orange watermelon and their seedless varieties were available for purchase as well as cantaloupe and Israeli melons.
“It’s probably one of our busiest days of the year because it draws a really big crowd,” Trevor Schwartz, vice president of the Concho Valley Farmer’s Market and farmer of family-owned Schwartz Boys Produce & Meats, said. “It’s just a great day for everybody. It brings a lot of people in, and it really boosts sales for everybody.”
Other produce items, breads, honey, jellies, potted plants, jewelry and more were displayed for sale as well. The festival also featured live music and door prizes for attendees to enjoy.
The farmers, ranchers and craftspeople selling their products at the event ranged in age anywhere from 12 all the way to 80, according to Schwartz. Many of them sought to use the profits made during the festival to pay for school supplies for the upcoming school year.
“For a lot of the vendors, it’s their summer job,” Schwartz said. “They use the money to pay for books, school supplies and everything in between.”
The Concho Valley Farmer’s Market hopes that San Angelo residents see the impact the festival has on local businesses and choose to spend their money locally in the future.
“When they spend their money here it stays in San Angelo, and that’s the best thing about it,” Schwartz said. “When you’re buying here, you’re buying from your neighbors.” | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/melon-fest-comes-to-san-angelo/ | 2023-07-29T18:03:12 | 1 | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/melon-fest-comes-to-san-angelo/ |
Etsy has been removing shirts and products that promoted "detransitioning," according to artist and detransitioner Laura Becker.
Becker tweeted on Wednesday that Etsy had removed items from her online shop for allegedly violating their "Prohibited Items Policy."
"Etsy has f-cked with me for the last time. After banning my ‘Funky Human Female’ shirts last month, I’ve now received notice that my ‘De-Trans Awareness’ and ‘Believe De-Transitioners—First Do No Harm’ shirts are removed," Becker tweeted. "This is my Final Warning before my store will be permanently banned. It is time to boycott Etsy. They do not support free speech, women, or medical trauma survivors. I’m not taking it. Share and boost. It’s a war now."
Her tweets included screenshots of Etsy’s email to her warning that her account could be permanently suspended following multiple violations of the policy.
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"As a reminder, Etsy prohibits any content that promotes, supports, or glorifies hatred or violence towards protected groups. This includes items or listings that that are demeaning or disparaging towards people based upon: race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, disability, or sexual orientation," the email read.
Becker wrote that this followed the company removing other listings back in June.
"One thing that triggered me to take my 1st Twitter break was that my Etsy store has started being targeted by TRAs. I received these harassing messages a day before most of my feminist listings were forcibly deactivated by Etsy for supposedly violating their policy," she tweeted at the time.
Becker posted images of messages from a user named "Clammy Sammy" who attacked her for her status as a detransitioner.
"Detrasitioners [sic] are misguided fools. It’s their fault they ruined their bodies. Trans people have nothing to do with them…be better nazi scum," one message read.
Another read, "Don’t show them evil lest you become it. If you’re detransitioning that’s valid but don’t blame doctors for your foolish choices. You are making the world a more bitter place by producing bigoted merchandise. Find peace."
Becker wrote that she reported these messages and the removal of her items as "Discrimination Based on Gender Identity and Disability." While she received a message back, there was apparently no acknowledgment of her removed listings.
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"A generic response with no actual reference to the content of the hate messages. 0 addressing of the listings being removed after being targeted by this person. This is the message I sent following up asking for clarification. Now we wait and see if they’ll actually address the listings being removed and specify why," she tweeted along with an image of her message.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Becker said "As a public de-transitioner, artist, writer, and speaker, I created a ‘De-Trans Awareness’ collection of apparel and home goods to support medical ethics and those harmed by gender medicine. Etsy has removed these products in my ‘Funk God’ store for violating their policy without explanation."
She continued, "I am disheartened that my art and message is being censored, and that Etsy is not supporting their small businesses. Etsy’s caviler [sic] removal has affected my livelihood and is an alarming precedent for free speech."
Becker previously appeared in the documentary "No Way Back: The Reality of Gender-Affirming Care" which featured stories from detransitioners. After intense pressure from a group called the Queer Trans Project, AMC Theaters abruptly canceled screenings of the movie.
"I think it's incredibly dangerous to set this precedent of suppressing free speech, suppressing viewpoints that basically are just unpopular or difficult to deal with," Becker told "Fox & Friends" in June.
On Thursday, Becker announced efforts to set up her own online store for supporters to purchase merchandise.
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"I am currently working on setting up a store on my website. It will take some time to get all the products up, but I am starting with the banned feminist and de-trans awareness merch! Stay tuned for when you can get funky stuff without censorship!" Becker tweeted.
By Friday, however, Becker reported that four of her previously prohibited items were up and still available for purchase. Two of her ‘Funky Human Female’ shirts were still unavailable for purchase. Becker said she had yet to receive a specific response from Etsy regarding these issues.
Etsy has not responded to a Fox News Digital request for comment. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/etsy-accused-of-banning-de-trans-awareness-products-for-violating-prohibited-items-policy/article_8e664ce9-ec33-5603-87d9-50924f315ae7.html | 2023-07-29T18:03:18 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/etsy-accused-of-banning-de-trans-awareness-products-for-violating-prohibited-items-policy/article_8e664ce9-ec33-5603-87d9-50924f315ae7.html |
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://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/national-news/another-crack-in-the-coaster-weld-indication-found-on-carowinds-ride-after-july-repairs/ | 2023-07-29T18:03:18 | 0 | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/national-news/another-crack-in-the-coaster-weld-indication-found-on-carowinds-ride-after-july-repairs/ |
Another dog at the Biden White House appears to be having a rough time.
Dog trainers are calling on the Biden administration to get help for the president’s pup Commander after the German Shepard bit seven people in four months, according to a report.
"I think it's a very chaotic place and there's also clearly a lack of structure," dog trainer Tom Davis told "Jesse Watters Primetime." on Tuesday. "There's not many dogs in America that would live past bite three, bite four, bite five and we're biting government officials. "
Davis, who works by the trademark "No Bad Dog," says Biden’s dog needs "structure, routines, boundaries...disciplinary actions and accountability."
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Dog trainer Brian Kilcommons told "The Ingraham Angle" that Commander should have been put in a muzzle as soon as he started biting.
"He's in a difficult situation," Kilcommons explained. "The Secret Service people are not relaxed people and dogs read our body language. When he sees these guys holding themselves and coming up assertively or surprising him, he's reacting to it."
Commander is just the latest Biden dog to have difficulty at the White House. In 2021, Major Biden bit members of the Secret Service eight days in a row in early March, according to emails.
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The Biden administration must determine how they will proceed with Commander, Kilcommons said.
"They need to get some professional help in there and make a decision on whether that dog can adjust to living in the White House and all the distractions and confusion that goes on or he can't be allowed in there," Kilcommons said, "The first thing I’d do is there's a what it's called the Baskerville muzzle. It's the most humane muzzle. They can eat, they can drink and that dog should be muzzled until they get it under control."
For more Culture, Media, Education, Opinion, and channel coverage, visit foxnews.com/media. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/first-pooch-commander-biden-in-the-dog-house-as-trainers-call-for-his-muzzling/article_e84d01d1-29c9-5b34-90f2-adef39920350.html | 2023-07-29T18:03:25 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/first-pooch-commander-biden-in-the-dog-house-as-trainers-call-for-his-muzzling/article_e84d01d1-29c9-5b34-90f2-adef39920350.html |
(NerdWallet) – On July 14, 804,000 longtime student loan borrowers began receiving word that their $39 billion in remaining debt would be forgiven as the result of the Education Department’s income-driven repayment (IDR) account adjustment. This one-time program, first announced in April 2022 to repair past missteps in the IDR system, is counting more past repayment periods toward income-driven repayment (IDR) forgiveness. Many borrowers will be at least three years closer to IDR forgiveness — and some will automatically see their loans forgiven altogether.
“At the start of this Administration, millions of borrowers had earned loan forgiveness but never received it. That’s unacceptable,” Department of Education Under Secretary James Kvaal said in a July 14 press release announcing the news. “Today we are holding up the bargain we offered borrowers who have completed decades of repayment.”
This is just the tip of the iceberg. More than 4.4 million borrowers have been repaying their loans for at least 20 years, and 2.3 million of these borrowers have never defaulted or been delinquent on their loans, according to April 2021 Education Department data provided to Sen. Elizabeth Warren. However, there’s not yet a final count of total borrowers who will receive the IDR account adjustment forgiveness, says Mike Pierce, executive director of the Student Borrower Protection Center (SBPC).
While the Supreme Court recently struck down President Joe Biden’s up-to-$20,000 student debt cancellation plan, no one has challenged this account adjustment since it was introduced in April 2022, and future legal roadblocks are highly unlikely, Pierce says.
“If I were a borrower, I would feel pretty good about this happening, but you know, we never say never,” Pierce says. “This is something that has never been put in front of a federal judge, and we have not seen any signs that it’s going to.”
All this is occurring as borrowers gear up for student loan payments to resume in October. Here’s what you need to know about the next waves of loan forgiveness under the IDR account adjustment and what qualified borrowers can do to prepare for it.
When will IDR adjustments be made?
The Education Department said it will notify waves of loan forgiveness recipients about every two months. Since the first major batch was announced on July 14, borrowers can expect the next announcement by mid-September.
The department plans to apply the account adjustment by the end of 2023 to all borrowers who’ve reached enough payments for forgiveness; all other borrowers will receive at least three additional years of credit toward IDR loan forgiveness in 2024.
Will I get IDR account adjustment forgiveness?
To find out whether you’ll receive loan forgiveness under the one-time IDR account adjustment, you must count your past payments yourself.
Generally, borrowers with undergraduate loans will receive loan forgiveness if they’ve made at least 240 monthly student loan payments, and those with some graduate loans will reach forgiveness if they’ve made at least 300 payments, Pierce says.
From July 1994 onward, the adjustment counts the following periods toward the 240 or 300 payments needed to reach forgiveness:
- Any month a borrower was in repayment, even if the payments were late or partial. The type of repayment plan also doesn’t matter.
- Time spent in forbearance, either periods lasting 12 or more consecutive months or a cumulative 36 or more months.
- Any month spent in deferment other than in-school deferment before 2013.
- Any month spent in economic hardship or military deferments on or after Jan. 1, 2013.
- Any months in repayment, forbearance or a qualifying deferment before a loan consolidation.
Months spent in default will generally not be included in the recount, though borrowers who enroll in the temporary Fresh Start program to get out of default will get IDR credit from March 2020 through the date they leave default.
Log in to your Federal Student Aid (FSA) account at StudentAid.gov to see how long you’ve been in repayment. To see detailed information, including descriptions of the specific forbearance or deferment periods, request your account history from your servicer.
How to prepare for the IDR account adjustment
The loan forgiveness will be largely automatic for most eligible federal borrowers with older direct loans, federally held Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) loans and parent PLUS loans. These borrowers don’t need to take any action to qualify or receive loan forgiveness.
“The good news is, for most people, you don’t actually need to be an expert on this program to benefit from it,” Pierce says. “If you have a loan that’s owned by the Department of Education, it’s just gonna work for you.”
But there are some small steps you can take to be proactive.
Update your contact information
Regardless of the type of federal student loans you have, check that your current contact information is listed in both your FSA and servicer accounts. While you’re at it, make sure you still have the password to these accounts, and reset your login credentials if needed.
Forty-four percent of federal borrowers were transferred to a new servicer during the pandemic payment pause, according to a June estimate from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, so now is also a good time to see if your servicer changed.
You’ll likely be notified by email if and when your loans are forgiven under the IDR account adjustment, but student loan communications may also arrive by mail.
Consolidate commercially managed federal loans
Some federal loans are not held by the government, but by a private entity. Borrowers with these commercially managed federal loans won’t benefit from the recount automatically — they’ll need to consolidate these loans to qualify. The account adjustment will count periods of repayment prior to consolidation toward IDR forgiveness.
Commercially held loans include certain FFELP loans, Perkins loans and Health Education Assistance Loan (HEAL) Program loans. You can see what type of loans you have on the dashboard of your FSA account or servicer portal.
You have until the end of 2023 to consolidate commercially held loans, but don’t delay. The full consolidation process can take from 30 to 60 days, Pierce says. Get started by submitting a direct loan consolidation application on the Federal Student Aid office website.
Consolidate newer parent PLUS loans
Parent PLUS loans are included in the IDR account adjustment. If you reach 300 payments — or 120 payments if you’re eligible for PSLF — your parent PLUS debt will be discharged automatically this year, regardless of whether or not your PLUS loans are consolidated.
But if you have fewer payments than that, you’ll need to act. Consolidate your parent PLUS loans before the end of 2023 to benefit from the adjustment, and enroll in an IDR plan called Income-Contingent Repayment to continue making progress toward forgiveness.
Apply for Public Service Loan Forgiveness
Borrowers eligible for PSLF are also eligible for the account adjustment; they can receive IDR loan forgiveness after just 10 years, or 120 eligible payments. PSLF-eligible borrowers with direct loans, including parent PLUS loans, will benefit automatically. Those with either federally or commercially managed FFELP loans must consolidate them into a direct consolidation loan by the end of 2023 to get PSLF credit under the account adjustment.
After the adjustment is applied to your account, you’ll see credit toward PSLF for any month after October 2007 during which you were in repayment and had qualifying employment.
“If you’ve applied or will apply for PSLF and certify your employment, you may see the benefits of this adjustment to your qualifying payment count,” writes the office of Federal Student Aid. Do so as soon as possible to ensure you benefit from the recount.
Check your state’s tax policy
The federal government won’t tax any debt forgiven as a result of the IDR account adjustment.
However, certain states, including Indiana and Mississippi, treat forgiven student loans as taxable earned income, and thus may tax the amount of forgiven debt you receive. The vast majority of states don’t do this, so check the rules in your state.
If you’re concerned about a state tax bill, you can opt out of loan forgiveness. You have 30 days to do so after you receive notice that your remaining debt will be forgiven under the IDR account adjustment. | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/national-news/more-student-loan-forgiveness-coming-for-longtime-borrowers/ | 2023-07-29T18:03:26 | 1 | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/national-news/more-student-loan-forgiveness-coming-for-longtime-borrowers/ |
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Of the 20 states restricting gender-affirming hormone therapy, nearly half are being challenged in federal court.
At the heart of these lawsuits is this question: Do bans on gender-affirming care violate the U.S. Constitution's Fourteenth Amendment?
(A reminder: The Fourteenth Amendment says states can't deprive people of liberty without due process and can't deny people equal protection under the laws.)
Abigail Moncrieff is the co-director of Cleveland State University's Center for Health Law and Policy and says, "The problem with gender-affirming care is that it's never been challenged before."
"The question of, 'Do parents have a right to provide their children with gender-affirming care?' is a new question," she says.
Plaintiffs, including trans kids and their parents, claim the laws violate parents' due process right to direct their children's care. They also argue the laws illegally discriminate against trans kids.
Almost all the lawsuits are still in the early stages, with judges mainly deciding whether to block the bans while the cases play out in courtrooms.
But, so far, the rulings can be separated into two camps.
Camp 1
The first camp, including rulings from several district courts, says parents probably do have a right to get their kids gender-affirming hormone therapy.
Moncrieff says these initial rulings argue: "The medical care that's at issue is not unsafe or ineffective or quack medicine. Therefore, a statute interfering with a parents' right to make that choice on behalf of their child is unconstitutional."
Miles Joyner, a Kentucky social worker and trans man, says he's glad district court judges are taking a close look at the actual evidence on gender-affirming care.
"Because the truth is, all of the nationally recognized organizations, like the American Psychological Association, the American Medical Association ... agree that gender-affirming care is both medically necessary as well as ethical," he says.
While the judges in Camp One contend that gender-affirming care bans appear unconstitutional, Moncrieff says Camp Two argues the bans likely do not violate the Fourteenth Amendment.
Camp 2
That camp only has one member so far: The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Earlier this month, the 6th Circuit let Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming medical treatments temporarily take effect. That prompted a district court judge to reinstate similar restrictions in Kentucky.
Here's how Moncrieff describes a main theme of that ruling: "Courts should be extremely hesitant to create new constitutional rights that block the states from experimenting with legislative approaches." In other words, the appeals court warns against judges hamstringing legislatures.
The 6th Circuit also argues the bans likely do not illegally discriminate against trans children.
Several district court rulings say the opposite, finding such laws probably do run afoul of the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause.
The U.S. Supreme Court's interpretation of that clause has been changing, including in its recent ruling against colleges' affirmative action admissions policies, Moncrieff says. That evolving precedent could affect how courts rule on gender-affirming care cases.
A path to the U.S. Supreme Court
Over time, Moncrieff says she thinks other courts will join the 6th Circuit in Camp Two and there's a good chance you'll see a circuit split, where appeals courts reach different conclusions about the laws' constitutionality.
That's one reason why she thinks the U.S. Supreme Court will weigh in on this issue eventually.
"I'm honestly not sure whether they'll jump in quickly or whether they'll wait for a little while to let the question percolate," she says.
But kids' health care is on the line, says Bobbie Glass, a Kentucky educator and trans woman.
Her home state's Republican-run legislature prohibited gender-affirming hormone therapy for minors in March. Contentious debates led up to that decision.
At one meeting, Republican state Rep. Jennifer Decker defended the government's intervention.
"I have great compassion for the children, parents and their families who are in this situation. However, ultimately, it is our obligation to protect children from irreparable harm," she said. "The state has a compelling interest in that proposition."
Months later, legal arguments about what qualifies as irreparable harm and compelling interests, in this context, are playing out in courtrooms.
"And now we have a predominantly conservative Supreme Court," Glass tells NPR. "And their judgment is going to be really tested in all of this."
She says it's a relief to see district court judges criticize what many experts say are states' baseless medical arguments for prohibiting care for trans kids.
"Maybe there is some hope that there's some sanity. Because what you have is flawed theology, toxic religion, running rampant over the Constitution," Glass says.
But the legal system is changing, Moncrieff says, so it isn't obvious how the courts might rule.
"The Constitution is resting on shifting sands and it's a little unclear how it's going to settle."
In the meantime, that uncertainty weighs on many transgender kids and their families.
Morgan Watkins is Louisville Public Media's health reporter.
Copyright 2023 Louisville Public Media | https://www.wlrn.org/health/npr-breaking-news/2023-07-28/can-states-bans-on-transgender-care-hold-up-in-court-we-break-down-the-arguments | 2023-07-29T18:03:27 | 1 | https://www.wlrn.org/health/npr-breaking-news/2023-07-28/can-states-bans-on-transgender-care-hold-up-in-court-we-break-down-the-arguments |
When Janet Gardner found herself "Cryin’" after the plug was pulled on her rock star career, she turned to dentistry.
The former lead vocalist of the glam metal band Vixen went on to pursue the family business after the Sunset Strip music scene went silent. The 61-year-old recently joined several artists who survived the decadent era of the ‘80s for the three-part Paramount+ docuseries, "I Wanna Rock."
The series, produced by MTV Entertainment Studios in partnership with Gunpowder & Sky, features new interviews with Dee Snider of Twisted Sister, John Corabi of Mötley Crüe, Dave "Snake" Sabo of Skid Row, and Winger’s Kip Winger, among others.
Garner said that when Seattle’s grunge scene hit pause on her music career, she became a dental hygienist in Connecticut, a trade she still practices today.
"My grandfather was a dentist," the singer explained to Fox News Digital. "My uncles, a couple of them were dentists. Their kids are now dentists, a couple of hygienists – lots of dental people. And they all had really good lives. They were able to do their work and have the sort of work/life balance [that] was very good… I needed something that would allow me enough time for my family, for my music, other things in life. That work/life balance really appealed to me. If I had this kind of skill, I could work more when I needed more money, and I could work less when I needed more time for other things."
"It worked out great," she shared. "And I like learning. I like school. So going back to school for me was very satisfying. And I loved what I was learning. We had to take pharmacology… And I love science. It was invigorating. I loved it. I studied my butt off. I kicked a--… Not only did it give me something that I could do in my life… for money and security and for my family. [But], I also [get] to use a side of my brain that hadn’t been used in a while."
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Garner is a part-time dental hygienist, which allows her to still make music and hit the road on her terms. In June of this year, she and guitarist/producer husband Justin James released a new album, "No Strings."
She said few of her current patients know about her rock star past.
"I do it three days a week, and then I have four days a week for other things," Gardner explained. "And music is one of those things, and of course, my family. I don’t know when I’ll stop. I’ll do it as long as I can still do it."
"Back in Connecticut, I worked at the same practice for a lot of years," she noted. "And by the time I left there most of my patients knew. They would be like, ‘Where is she today?’ And they would be told, ‘She’s on a tour with her band.’ But where I currently work, I’ve only been there for about a year, so not many people know. It doesn’t come up. It’s never, ‘Any concerns with your teeth? Oh, by the way, I was in this band in the '80s.’ Some of them know, but a lot of people don’t. But I guess after they see this docuseries, they’ll go, ‘Hey, isn’t that the girl who just cleaned my teeth?’"
It was founding member and lead guitarist Jan Kuehnemund who formed the all-female band in high school. She and Gardner moved the group to Los Angeles in 1985, and within two years, the lineup was formed with Roxy Petrucci on drums and Share Pedersen on bass, The Hollywood Reporter revealed.
According to the outlet, their self-titled debut album was released in 1988 and spawned two hit singles, "Edge of a Broken Heart" and "Cryin’." Their music videos were featured heavily on MTV, and they even appeared in Penelope Spheeris’ film, "The Decline of Western Civilization II: The Metal Years."
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They also toured with the "Prince of Darkness" in 1989.
"He was awesome," Gardner gushed about Ozzy Osbourne. "We toured with him during a time when he was very clean. He wasn’t drinking, he wasn’t doing any drugs. He was working out every day. His kids were little, and they would come out. [His wife] Sharon was out there quite a bit. He was really on an upswing. He was very positive, hilarious – a very funny guy. Easy to talk to."
Gardner admitted she was "really intimidated" – but the singer quickly put her at ease.
"He stopped me and just started a conversation about singing and how difficult it is to be out there every night," she recalled. "We shared vocal tips, what to eat, what not to eat. It was amazing. He was really in a good place when we toured with him… And it was great to see him in such a good place."
WATCH: FORMER VIXEN SINGER JANET GARDNER RECALLS OZZY OSBOURNE TOUR
Gardner vividly recalled the moment Vixen had made it. She was driving in Southern California and "Edge of a Broken Heart" started blasting through her speakers.
"I can’t even explain to you that feeling inside of me," she said. "It was a dream come true… I couldn’t keep driving. I had to… sit on the side of the road and listen. I went to a payphone and I called my mom… That was a huge moment of just elation, excitement and gratefulness. I was so grateful that this was happening."
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According to The Hollywood Reporter, Vixen followed up their breakout success with "Rev It Up" in 1990. However, the album did not have the same impact as its debut.
Then the whispers started. There was a new rock music scene coming out of Seattle known as "grunge." At the time, Vixen was in Europe touring with Deep Purple for their second album.
"We were calling home and not getting answers," said Gardner. "People were avoiding talking about what was happening back there. And we were just really focused on what we were doing, playing the best shows that we could every night and just enjoying ourselves in Europe. But I started to get a funny feeling. A few people that I talked to at home said, ‘Yeah, MTV’s not playing any of you guys anymore.’… I just got a sinking feeling. And once we got home, that’s when we realized we were a dying breed here."
"It was tough," she admitted. "It was devastating. It’s like getting fired from your job. It’s hard to recover from. We had just gotten back from a big tour, a great tour. And it was all over."
Nirvana was the most prominent of the era’s series of Seattle grunge bands, including Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains, that would go on to release best-selling records. Their angst-filled lyrics struck a chord with young people who were exasperated with the marathon partying and sickly sweet lyrics coated with Aqua Net hairspray coming out of the West Coast.
Grunge, along with country star Garth Brooks and his sold-out arena shows, contributed to the demise of glam metal.
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"I do think people were clamoring for something new, different and exciting," said Gardner. "There were a lot of great musicians, a lot of great songs and talent, but we all just got shoved into this small space. And the rock star fantasy just got more and more outrageous. It was refreshing for people to see something so earthy and maybe not quite so happy, something rebellious… And then you had others who were craving something that wasn’t as depressing as grunge. So a lot of displaced fans took to country, which had a similar vibe to the rock shows we were putting on in the ‘80s."
Vixen was dropped by their label shortly after. They disbanded for several years but reformed with various new members. The group also had a brief reunion for VH1’s "Bands Reunited" in 2004. They eventually parted ways. Kuehnemund passed away in 2013 after a lengthy battle with cancer.
The ride was brief for Gardner, but today, she is grateful to tell her story.
"We had everything we could dream of, but there was another side to it," she said. "And we’re still here." | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/former-vixen-singer-janet-gardner-now-a-dental-hygienist-recalls-ozzy-osbourne-tour-during-80s/article_de514368-273c-589c-bcd8-f6026d88a2f0.html | 2023-07-29T18:03:31 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/former-vixen-singer-janet-gardner-now-a-dental-hygienist-recalls-ozzy-osbourne-tour-during-80s/article_de514368-273c-589c-bcd8-f6026d88a2f0.html |
UVALDE, Texas (KXAN) – Kimberly Mata-Rubio, whose daughter Lexi was killed last year in the Robb Elementary School shooting, is planning to turn her grief into action, after announcing Thursday she will run for mayor of Uvalde, Texas, in an upcoming special election.
“This past year, it’s been so frustrating navigating our country’s political system, and sometimes you have to be the change you seek. So, here I am running for mayor,” Rubio told Nexstar.
The 34-year-old mother is looking to fill the soon-vacant seat held by Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin in an upcoming special election on Nov. 7.
McLaughlin has served as the South Texas town’s mayor since 2014, and has reached his term limit. He is now running to succeed Rep. Tracy King, D-Uvalde, in the Texas House.
Mata-Rubio shared news of her run for mayor Thursday. On social media, she addressed her daughter directly, explaining why she chose to take action.
“I grieve for the woman you would have become and all the difference you would have made in this world,” Mata-Rubio wrote. “I grieve for the woman I was when you were still here. But, one part of me still exist, I am still your mom. I will honor your life with action. This is only the beginning.”
Lexi, 10, was one of the 21 people killed at Robb Elementary on May 24, 2022, in the nation’s second-deadliest school shooting. In the year since, Mata-Rubio has been a regular at the Texas Capitol and U.S. Capitol, advocating for tighter gun restrictions she believes will help prevent other parents from feeling her pain.
“Bridging the gap in our fractured community is my number one focus. And the reason being is because we cannot move on or forward without the entire community coming together,” she said. “And when I say moving on, I want to bring those two teachers and 19 students with me along on this journey. That’s the only way to do this. And the only way to move forward and they deserve that they’re part of this community as well.”
Mata-Rubio will face off against Cody Smith, a banker and former mayor of Uvalde, in the Nov. 7 special election. No other candidates have announced a bid for the seat. | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/national-news/mother-of-uvalde-shooting-victim-to-run-for-mayor-of-town/ | 2023-07-29T18:03:32 | 1 | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/national-news/mother-of-uvalde-shooting-victim-to-run-for-mayor-of-town/ |
Rep. Derrick Van Orden, a freshman Republican from Wisconsin, said he was enraged after witnessing a group of high school-age Senate pages "defiling" the Capitol and treating the building like a "frat house common room."
What were the teenagers exactly doing? Briefly lying on the floor to snap photos of the historic Rotunda dome.
On Wednesday night, Senate pages, who help assist day-to-day operations at the Capitol, were touring the Capitol as part of their last week of service, Punchbowl News first reported. To capture a photo of the ceiling, some pages positioned themselves and their camera on the floor. That's when Van Orden walked in.
According to a transcript written by one of the pages and obtained by The Hill, Van Orden said, "Wake the f‑‑‑ up you little s‑‑‑‑" and "Get the f‑‑‑ out of here. You are defiling the space." He reportedly also called the teenagers "jackasses" and "lazy s----."
Since the incident, the congressman has refused to apologize for his outburst — insisting that he was protecting the integrity of the Capitol Rotunda.
"I have long said our nation's Capitol is a symbol of the sacrifice our servicemen and women have made for this country and should never be treated like a frat house common room," Van Orden said in a statement.
Maddy Pritzl, a former Senate page, defended the teenagers and clarified that it was a years-long tradition.
Every single Senate Page has taken midnight photos on the Rotunda floor at some point. I did it in 2016—it's tradition!
— Maddy Pritzl (@pritzlmaddy) July 27, 2023
Leave it to @derrickvanorden to ruin both the fun and experience for some of the hardest working 16-17-year-olds. https://t.co/3MQ05hoPJR
Senior members of Congress say the freshman needs a lesson on manners
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he was disturbed by Van Orden's behavior and his lack of remorse.
"I understand that late last night a member of the House majority thought it appropriate to curse at some of these young people," Schumer said Thursday on the Senate floor. "I was shocked when I heard about it. I am further shocked at his refusal to apologize."
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., agreed with Schumer, adding "everybody on this side of the aisle feels exactly the same way." Both Schumer and McConnell also took time to thank the Senate pages.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., told reporters Friday that the incident was possibly a "misunderstanding" — adding that he planned to call Van Orden later that day. McCarthy's team did not immediately respond to NPR's request for an update on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Rep. Chip Roy, a Republican from Texas, poked fun at Van Orden's outburst by imitating the position that the Senate pages reportedly were rebuked for.
TGIF after a rough week, Senate Pages? I got a great photo, how about you? @SenateCloakroom pic.twitter.com/xaPVVVrFDa
— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) July 28, 2023
Van Orden is known for having a short fuse. In 2021, while running for office, he was accused of threatening a 17-year-old Wisconsin library staffer over a display of children's books in honor of Pride Month, the Associated Press reported.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wlrn.org/national-politics/2023-07-29/rep-van-orden-gets-bipartisan-scolding-after-he-cursed-at-teen-senate-pages | 2023-07-29T18:03:33 | 1 | https://www.wlrn.org/national-politics/2023-07-29/rep-van-orden-gets-bipartisan-scolding-after-he-cursed-at-teen-senate-pages |
Republican Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia, celebrating a comfortable re-election victory, joked that "it looks like the reports of my political death have been greatly exaggerated."
The conservative governor topped Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams last November in a rematch of their razor-thin 2018 gubernatorial showdown, as Republicans swept all the statewide offices decided on election night and kept their majorities in both houses of the legislature.
But a month later, Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock narrowly edged Republican challenger and University of Georgia football legend Herschel Walker to secure a full six-year term representing the Peach State in the Senate.
The Kemp and Warnock split decision exemplified Georgia's tilt toward the center. Once a reliably red state, Georgia has transformed into a premiere general election battleground in statewide contests.
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In 2020, President Biden won Georgia’s 16 electoral votes, thanks to a razor-thin victory over then-President Donald Trump, to become the first Democrat in over a quarter-century to carry the state in a presidential contest. And two months later, Warnock and fellow Democrat Jon Ossoff secured narrow victories to sweep Georgia’s twin Senate runoff elections. The wins — the first by any Democrat in a Senate election in Georgia in 20 years — gave their party the majority in the chamber.
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So what happened in Georgia?
Veteran Georgia-based political scientist M.V. (Trey) Hood noted that "there’s a continuing demographic shift" which he says is "having an effect."
Hood, director of the University of Georgia’s survey research center, pointed to the "increasing number of racial minorities living" in Atlanta’s suburbs and exurbs. He also noted that "you’ve got a lot of in-migration from other states, especially outside of the South… Those people tend to be — at least from what we can tell — Democrats rather than Republicans."
Hood also spotlighted ticket splitting. "There are a small number of people willing to split their tickets... not a whole lot, but it doesn’t take a whole lot," he said.
Some credit needs to go to Democratic organizers and activists who put in the hard work in the 2020 and 2022 cycles to mobilize hundreds of thousands of new voters, which helped put Biden, Warnock (twice) and Ossoff over the top.
Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan noted that "the Democrats did certainly figure out how to sign up with a higher level of intensity that Republicans did." He also criticized the state GOP for being "asleep at the wheel."
But Duncan, a vocal conservative critic of Trump, also placed plenty of blame on the former president.
"Georgia’s State House, State Senate, and all eight statewide constitutional officers continue to be dominated by Republicans. The only thing that makes us purple is our two U.S. senators. And that has one common denominator — that’s Donald Trump got involved in those elections," Duncan told Fox News. "And I think Georgians have figured this out quicker than the rest of the country — as far as Republicans, we like conservative, but we don’t like crazy."
Trump encouraged and backed Walker’s controversial Senate run. Plenty of Republicans in the Peach State argue that if the GOP had a different Senate nominee last year, Warnock would have likely gone down to defeat.
But Duncan looks to Kemp’s resounding victory last November over the well-financed Abrams and sees plenty of hope for Republicans going forward.
"He just continued to put on display what steady, conservative leadership looks like," Duncan emphasized. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/how-a-reliably-red-state-transformed-into-a-key-general-election-battleground/article_7961124c-6041-5cc2-a761-c03ec7f6e039.html | 2023-07-29T18:03:34 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/how-a-reliably-red-state-transformed-into-a-key-general-election-battleground/article_7961124c-6041-5cc2-a761-c03ec7f6e039.html |
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The city of San Francisco has opened a complaint and launched an investigation into a giant “X” sign that was installed Friday on top of the downtown building formerly known as Twitter headquarters.
The complaint comes as Twitter owner Elon Musk continues his rebrand of the social media platform.
City officials say replacing letters or symbols on buildings, or erecting a sign on top of one, requires a permit for design and safety reasons.
The X appeared after San Francisco police stopped workers on Monday from removing the brand’s iconic bird and logo from the side of the building, saying they hadn’t taped off the sidewalk to keep pedestrians safe if anything fell.
Any replacement letters or symbols would require a permit to ensure “consistency with the historic nature of the building” and to make sure additions are safely attached to the sign, Patrick Hannan, spokesperson for the Department of Building Inspection, said earlier this week.
Erecting a sign on top of a building also requires a permit, Hannan said Friday.
“Planning review and approval is also necessary for the installation of this sign. The city is opening a complaint and initiating an investigation,” he said in an email.
Musk unveiled a new “X” logo to replace Twitter’s famous blue bird as he remakes the social media platform he bought for $44 billion last year. The X started appearing at the top of the desktop version of Twitter on Monday.
Musk, who is also CEO of Tesla, has long been fascinated with the letter X and had already renamed Twitter’s corporate name to X Corp. after he bought it in October. One of his children is called “X,” though the child’s actual name is a collection of letters and symbols.
On Friday afternoon, a worker on a lift machine made adjustments to the sign and then left. | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/national-news/new-x-logo-atop-twitter-building-in-san-francisco-prompts-complaint-investigation-from-city/ | 2023-07-29T18:03:38 | 1 | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/national-news/new-x-logo-atop-twitter-building-in-san-francisco-prompts-complaint-investigation-from-city/ |
Flor Marte knows someone will die. She knows when and how, because it came to her in a dream. That's her gift – all the women in the Marte family have one.
But Flor refuses to share who the dream is about. Instead, she insists on throwing herself a living wake, a reason for the entire family to come together and celebrate their lives. That's the starting point for Elizabeth Acevedo's debut novel for adults, Family Lore.
Acevedo grew up in Harlem, with summer visits to the Dominican Republic, and aspirations of becoming a rapper – until a literature teacher invited her to join an after-school poetry club.
She attended reluctantly; but what she found in spoken word performance broke her world and the possibilities of language wide open.
"I think for folks who maybe have felt it difficult to occupy their bodies and take up space and demand attention, to have three minutes where that is the requirement is really powerful," she says.
Acevedo went on to become a National Poetry Slam champion and earn degrees in performing arts and creative writing. After college, she taught language arts in Prince George's County, Maryland. Teaching, she says, is its own kind of performance – one where the audience doesn't always want to be there. But her students were struggling in other ways.
"So many of my young people weren't at grade level, but they'd also not encountered literature that they felt reflected them," she says. "Trying to meet some of those students where they were was really a kickoff for my writing."
So Acevedo began writing young adult books. The Poet X, her first novel about a Dominican-American teen finding her voice through poetry, won a National Book Award in 2018.
Pivoting to a new audience
Now, with Family Lore, Acevedo turns her attention to adult readers.
"I think the way this pushes forward her work and the growing body of Dominican-American literature is how deeply she writes into the interiors of her women characters," says author Naima Coster, who read an early draft of the novel.
The story is told through memories, out of order, sometimes a memory within a different memory. Acevedo jumps from the Dominican countryside to Santo Domingo to New York, as sisters Matilde, Flor, Pastora and Camila – along with younger generation Ona and Yadi – reflect on their childhoods and teenage romances and the secrets that bind them all together. Though the Marte women grow older together, their relationships do not get easier.
"What does it mean if these women have really just had a different experience of their mother?" says Acevedo. "And how that different experience of their mother automatically will create a schism, because now it's like, 'You don't remember her the way I remember her, and because of that, I can't trust you."
There are infidelities, miscarriages, childhood love affairs and therapeutic dance classes. Acevedo explains that she needed to tell this story in a non-linear format, in the way memories surface and warp; the way family gossip is passed on from person to person, in a roundabout way.
Returning to the body
That format, she says, was more suited for adult readers; and writing for adults also allowed her to be candid about bodies: how they move, change, excite, disappoint.
"The generation I was raised by felt like their relationship to their body was very othered," Acevedo says. "When I speak to my cousins, when I think about myself, it's been a return to desire, a return to the gut, a return to health in a way that isn't necessarily about size but is about: who am I in this vessel and how do I love it?"
That tension is felt especially by the younger Marte women, whose supernatural gifts radiate from within. Ona has a self-described "alpha vagina," Yadi has a special taste for sour limes.
Naima Coster says it's easy to feel pressure to write about marginalized communities as clean-cut, exemplary characters. But Family Lore relishes in airing out the Marte family's dirty laundry– in showing Afro-Dominican women as full, complicated protagonists.
"It feels major, the way she writes about the ways that these women misunderstand each other, but still love each other," she says.
Acevedo says those themes – family, home, Blackness, power – will be in every book she writes, "because those are the questions that haunt me."
Family Lore reads like the feeling of getting older and no longer having moms and aunts lower their voices when you enter the room – like finally being privy to what makes a family flawed and perfect.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wlrn.org/npr-breaking-news/2023-07-29/in-family-lore-award-winning-ya-author-elizabeth-acevedo-turns-to-adult-readers | 2023-07-29T18:03:39 | 0 | https://www.wlrn.org/npr-breaking-news/2023-07-29/in-family-lore-award-winning-ya-author-elizabeth-acevedo-turns-to-adult-readers |
A former Kentucky college student dubbed the "Queen of Chaos" for her smiling mugshots is taking steps to turn her life around as her past bad behavior goes viral.
23-year-old Rayanna Brock's extensive mugshot portfolio lit up the internet after the images appeared on a popular Instagram account, but the repeat offender revealed on "Gutfeld!" Thursday she is now sober.
"When I was really bad on drugs, I started to look in the mirror and I just didn't look like the same girl. So really what got me sober is how I was looking. I was looking terrible. So that's really what started my sobriety… I wanted to look like the girl I used to," Brock told Greg Gutfeld.
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Brock revealed she became addicted to Xanax during her college years which caused her to repeatedly commit crimes. Her offenses range from theft to terroristic stalking.
Her signature smile in her mugshots began with her first arrest at 18.
"Are you just easygoing and just smile with everything? Or do you only smile when you're doing a mug shot?" Gutfeld asked.
"Either or. Usually just the mug shots just to make them mad," Brock responded. "My first mug shot, I started to smile, and he was like, ‘You need to stop smiling.’ And I just kept smiling, and he took it anyways."
Brock's jail stints grew frequent despite vows to stay out of trouble.
"While I'd be in jail, I'd be like, ‘OK, this is my last time going to jail, I really need to clean up my act,'" she said. "And then I'll get out, like, a week later and commit another crime,"
Brock also shared her experiences in jail were mostly positive.
"All of my jail visits were awesome because I was usually the youngest girl in the cell, so they treated me like a newbie. They treated me like their kid. So everyone in there always took care of me," she explained.
Brock is embracing her newfound online fame after her mugshots were displayed on Mugshawtys, a social media account featuring female offenders.
"I really wasn't collecting them," she said of pictures. "I do have an album on my phone of all of them now, but everyone really sent in my mugshots. I don't even know really who did."
FLORIDA WOMEN ARRESTED AFTER JULY 4 FIGHT IN WHICH WOMAN'S EAR WAS BITTEN OFF
"I was looking through all of the girls, and it did make me kind of happy," she continued. "I was like, you know, I feel blessed to be on here. I was honored."
Her nickname the "Queen of Chaos" even found its origins because of her Mugshawtys' presence.
"I honestly [saw] somebody comment on one of my mugshots and they [were] like, 'This is the queen of chaos, she's a menace to society.' And I just love that so much. So credit to them."
Brock said she has been sober since January 18, 2022 outside occasionally smoking weed, which she has since given up due to her probation.
Since working to get her life on a different track, Brock and her boyfriend own their own general contracting business, Ragnar Remodels. She also works as a server and bartender which she has been doing since she was a teenager.
"I honestly love it," she said, stopping short of revealing where fans can stop in to pay a visit.
"I have so many stalkers right now because of my mugshots, I don't know if that's a safe thing for me to do," she joked.
For more Culture, Media, Education, Opinion, and channel coverage, visit foxnews.com/media | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/kentucky-queen-of-chaos-turning-life-around-as-mugshot-medley-lights-up-internet/article_009af329-cd9b-5b66-be5a-2f210844a0f5.html | 2023-07-29T18:03:40 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/kentucky-queen-of-chaos-turning-life-around-as-mugshot-medley-lights-up-internet/article_009af329-cd9b-5b66-be5a-2f210844a0f5.html |
(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.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/national-news/no-shoes-no-service-what-can-happen-if-you-fly-barefoot/ | 2023-07-29T18:03:44 | 1 | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/national-news/no-shoes-no-service-what-can-happen-if-you-fly-barefoot/ |
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – In states across the country this year, Republicans have talked a lot about restricting drag performances in front of children.
But that talk, and even their efforts, haven't amounted to much.
Bills restricting drag have failed to pass, passed as watered-down laws, have been vetoed or, in the case of three states that did manage to pass meaningful restrictions, laws have been temporarily halted by federal judges.
Friday, in fact, a judge temporarily blocked drag restrictions in the last remaining state with enforceable restrictions – Montana – just days before the start of Pride festivities.
A few states' lawmakers are still in session, though, so more efforts could be afoot.
In Arkansas, where Republican state Sen. Gary Stubblefield championed and sponsored a bill earlier this year, he said drag shows harm kids and "take away their innocence."
"I can't think of any redeeming quality, anything good that can come from taking children and putting them in front of a bunch of grown men that are dressed like women," Stubblefield said back in January as he introduced his bill on the floor of the Arkansas Senate.
'Prurient interest' and the First Amendment
Stubblefield's bill contained key language that showed up in a lot of states' attempted drag restrictions – an appeal to the "prurient interest." (Texas, Tennessee, Montana, Arizona, South Dakota, for example.)
"That word – prurient interest – means excessive interest in sexual matters," Stubblefield explained to lawmakers in committee.
"Most drag shows do not appeal to the prurient interest," says JT Morris, an attorney for the free-speech group Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.
"Even if they did, saying something appeals to the 'prurient interest' under the First Amendment is not enough to regulate it," he says, noting that this kind of language makes it harder for a bill to hold up to basic legal scrutiny.
"You can't pass a state law based on disagreement with somebody's viewpoint. It's a textbook First Amendment violation."
And that disagreement has been palpable across the country. In Arkansas, Stubblefield's bill was met with large public backlash from those who say drag is about showmanship, not sex.
"I do drag as an art form," says Jeremy Stuthard, an Arkansas drag performer.
"I take a decent-looking guy and turn him into a statue-esk Barbie doll, and have a great time and put smiles on people's faces and that's all I really try to do."
Stuthard says most of the children he meets at drag brunches and story hours aren't there to indulge a 'prurient interest', but to have fun listening to a story read by a costumed actor.
Drag restrictions put on hold and watered down
In Tennessee, the day before that state's drag restrictions were due to go into effect, a Trump-appointed U.S. District Judge temporarily struck down the law due to its constitutional vagueness.
In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Thomas Parker wrote, "Whether some of us may like it or not," the U.S. Supreme Court has interpreted the First Amendment "as protecting speech that is indecent but not obscene."
A similar law in Florida has been temporarily blocked. For a while, that left Montana as the only state in the country with an enforceable drag law, until the courts temporarily blocked that one, too.
In Arkansas, Sen. Stubblefield's drag ban bill was amended until it hardly resembled a drag ban. The final version of the law, which passed by large margins, now regulates stripping, not drag shows.
"[The]Amended House Bill is the only way to really protect minors. For another reason, it's the only draft that will stand up in court," Stubblefield said of the amendment, which he didn't write but ultimately agreed to.
"None of us like to pass a bill that's going to get struck down by a judge and not help any children at all."
Josie Lenora is the politics/government reporter at KUAR in Little Rock, Ark.
Copyright 2023 KUAR | https://www.wlrn.org/npr-breaking-news/npr-breaking-news/2023-07-29/almost-nothing-has-come-from-all-the-talk-about-states-banning-drag-in-front-of-kids | 2023-07-29T18:03:45 | 0 | https://www.wlrn.org/npr-breaking-news/npr-breaking-news/2023-07-29/almost-nothing-has-come-from-all-the-talk-about-states-banning-drag-in-front-of-kids |
Everyone paying attention to the latest revelations about Hunter Biden and his energetically supportive father knows that journalists and Republican officials have opened a vein, or the walls are closing in. Even so, the leftist media are trying to report as little of this damaging scandal material as they possibly can.
We can scarcely imagine the anxious political chatter inside pro-Biden newsrooms, but let's imagine it sounds something like Jen Psaki's MSNBC show. Psaki brought all her persuasive pressure to bear on former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan to recant how he tweeted former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden were both unpopular and "both potentially face very serious legal troubles."
It should apparently be unthinkable to compare them. Psaki argued, "Hunter Biden is not in office, he's not serving in government ... not equivalent!"
WATCH: WHITE HOUSE SHUTS DOWN POSSIBILITY OF HUNTER BIDEN PARDON
New scoops are underlining this is a President Joe Biden scandal. The New York Post reported Hunter Biden's former business partner and friend, Devon Archer, will be testifying that he put Joe Biden on the phone with his business associates from Burisma at least two dozen times.
That's worse than the story of Hunter intimidating foreign clients by claiming his dad is in the room, listening in.
The website Business Insider reported Hunter Biden made $1.3 million for his amateurish watercolor paintings. One unknown buyer spent $875,000 on "artworks." Joe Biden appointed one buyer, Elizabeth Hirsh Naftali, to a prestigious commission.
The Washington Free Beacon added that Naftali has visited the White House at least 13 times since December 2021, including a meeting with senior Biden adviser Neera Tanden. All of Naftali's visits occurred after Hunter Biden's first art show opened in New York in November 2021.
The Washington Examiner found a close personal friend and aide to the Biden family appears to have worked for years in the Delaware U.S. Attorney's office under David Weiss, including when the Hunter Biden probe began.
Democrats are clearly telling their journalistic allies that you can't cover stories like this on the Biden scandals because to cover them automatically means that Biden and Trump both face "serious legal troubles." They cover Trump scandals so meticulously, hour after hour after hour, that one screen on MSNBC's "Andrea Mitchell Reports" simply said this: "DC Grand Jury Meets As Possible New Indictment Looms."
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This is their business model. "Grand Jury Meets" is worth hours of airtime, and "Possible New Indictment" can be a news hook for weeks. Meanwhile, even those network stars who are tiptoeing on the Biden investigations sound extremely tentative.
On CNN's "State of the Union," host Dana Bash could only ask Rep. Nancy Pelosi about Hunter Biden probes, "Are you confident the politics did not play a role here?" This is like asking, "Are you sure humans are made up of molecules?" This only cued Pelosi to disparage Republican hearings as a "ridiculous clown show."
On CBS's "Face the Nation," host Margaret Brennan told former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie that the Biden Justice Department's sweetheart plea deal with Hunter "infuriated" Republicans, but, "I wonder, after this plea happens, if you would advise your party to move on?"
Christie said no, but what kind of question is this? Would she ask Democrats whether they should just move on from their Trump investigations? This question isn't about holding the Bidens accountable. It's a journalist demanding that the Bidens should be in charge of handling the Bidens.
The media elites did not vet Joe Biden before he won the 2020 election. They spent the 2020 election cycle protecting him like a journalistic Secret Service. Their protection racket continues and should be obvious to anyone who observes the press in action — or inaction.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM TIM GRAHAM | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/media-protects-bidens-like-the-secret-service/article_2eb0e5a5-a8c3-5b0f-9303-dda2eadee5d5.html | 2023-07-29T18:03:46 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/media-protects-bidens-like-the-secret-service/article_2eb0e5a5-a8c3-5b0f-9303-dda2eadee5d5.html |
(KOIN) – She’s just gonna shake, shake, shake the earth.
Taylor Swift’s July 22 and 23 concerts in Seattle allegedly produced seismic activity on par with a 2.3 magnitude earthquake, according to a Western Washington University geology professor and seismologist.
Jackie Caplan-Auerbach tracked the seismic activity emanating from Swift’s Lumen Field performances earlier this month, finding similar and overlapping seismic waves on both dates. She later added that she couldn’t be sure whether the fans or the sound systems had caused the activity, but plans to continue investigating.
“I’m not yet convinced that it’s all dancing – the signals between the two nights are ridiculously similar and people tend to be messy,” Caplan-Auerbach wrote on Twitter.
She added that concertgoers were likely unaware of any geological activity at the time, saying the data recorded by the seismometer was “mostly below the range of human hearing.”
Swift’s Seattle concerts, which were attended by over 144,000 people in total, broke Lumen Field’s attendance records, according to The Seattle Times.
Caplan-Auerbach also compared the quake, which she dubbed the “Seismic Swift,” to 2010’s “Beast Quake,” when Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch scored a last-minute touchdown during a playoff game. Activity produced by Seahawks fans registered on a seismograph at a 2.0 magnitude.
The next step for Caplan-Auerbach is attempting to line up the seismic activity beat-by-beat with Swift’s setlist to see how the songs impacted the shake, she said. She’s set up a Google Drive to collect videos to help with her research. | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/national-news/taylor-swift-concerts-in-seattle-produced-seismic-activity-on-same-scale-as-a-small-earthquake-seismologist-finds/ | 2023-07-29T18:03:50 | 1 | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/national-news/taylor-swift-concerts-in-seattle-produced-seismic-activity-on-same-scale-as-a-small-earthquake-seismologist-finds/ |
As some Republican lawmakers speak cautiously about the prospect of the House launching an impeachment inquiry against President Biden, while bribery and influence peddling allegations mount, other critics warned such a probe could help the struggling president win reelection.
In a Tuesday interview with "Hannity," House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., predicted that evidence of foreign money flowing to Biden family members "through shell companies" will lead to serious consideration of an impeachment inquiry in the chamber.
McCarthy said he was making such an assertion based only on the direction the information and evidence House Republicans gleaned through their investigations has taken the storyline.
"[T]his is rising to the level of impeachment inquiry, which provides Congress the strongest power to get the rest of the knowledge and information needed," McCarthy said Tuesday, while comparing Biden's behavior at times to that of former President Richard Nixon.
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Since then, somewhat of an impeachment fervor has been mounting, as Democrats stand essentially universally opposed while Republicans appear to have differing views on the prospect.
Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., a fierce Biden administration critic, said Wednesday it is however irresponsible for Republicans to be "raising the I-word" because it "sends a message to the public and sets expectations. Buck said the House committees' probes are fair and that such investigation is indeed the chamber's responsibility.
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., separately added that no official should be impeached unless the threshold of "high crimes and misdemeanors" has been definitively reached.
"I'm not going to support impeaching somebody just because I don't like their politics," he said.
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Media critic Joe Concha appeared to echo such warnings in an interview Friday with Fox News, saying impeachment talk at this juncture risks the prospect of gaining Biden sympathy and potentially sympathy-votes in his reelection bid.
"While it appears their case is getting stronger and stronger through credible whistleblower testimony… and some obvious questions to ask during an impeachment inquiry, such as how does Joe Biden afford multimillion dollar homes in Wilmington, Delaware, and on the beach in Rehoboth, the latter of which she purchased for nearly $3 million shortly after leaving the vice presidency -- Because it didn't come from a vice president or senator salary," Concha said on "The Story."
"But we already know, and this is a challenge for Republicans if they decide to go down the road of impeachment, the media will largely dismiss a Biden impeachment. They will call weaponization of the gavel as a witch hunt to hurt him as a candidate in 2024 to distract from Donald Trump."
Concha said an impeachment proceeding will similarly need 17 Democratic senators to join Republicans to vote to convict and remove Biden from office. He noted Trump's pro-impeachment critics faced a similar conundrum with a narrowly divided Senate.
Former Bush White House press secretary Ari Fleischer also told Fox News that Republicans should be wary of moving in an impeachment direction too quickly, comparing the Democrats' crusade against Trump to be turning the procedure into a United Kingdom-style "no-confidence" vote – as former Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced last year.
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"The only thing I have heard that could touch Joe Biden so far is the allegation that the FBI has a confidential informant saying he, as vice president, took a $5 million bribe. If that becomes solid 100% unimpeachable proof, then that is something," he said. "But otherwise, this will backfire on Republicans."
Seven Republican senators voted to impeach Trump in 2021, with the only one facing reelection since – Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska – politically surviving her vote against a president of her own party.
"In the end, you're going to have another situation like we had with Trump impeachment, but not removal," Concha added.
"And then perhaps that makes Joe Biden into a martyr and actually helps his campaign on some level."
At the time of President Clinton's 1998-99 impeachment proceedings, some observers said the Arkansas Democrat similarly benefited from such a dynamic, as the House voted to impeach, but the Senate did not convict-and-remove.
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With the then-45 Senate Democrats remaining united in Clinton's defense, ten Republicans on the perjury count and five Republicans on the obstruction count joined them in helping him weather the Whitewater and Lewinsky scandal-related affair.
In June, House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik of New York and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., introduced resolutions to expunge Trump's two impeachments, while Greene has recently floated potentially impeaching Biden.
The Georgia lawmaker previously drafted impeachment articles in 2021 alleging Biden "enabl[ed] bribery and other high crimes & misdemeanors."
Following Biden's heavily-criticized Afghanistan withdrawal in 2021, Rep. Randy Weber, R-Texas drafted articles of impeachment in response. Reps. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., and Robert Gibbs, R-Ohio, drafted similar articles shortly thereafter.
A December 2022 resolution from now-former Rep. Louis Gohmert, R-Texas, resolved that Biden should be impeached for "treason." | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/republicans-floating-impeachment-risk-making-unpopular-biden-a-martyr-critics-warn/article_2f67955a-ec4a-514b-bf6d-ef49a8e102d9.html | 2023-07-29T18:03:52 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/republicans-floating-impeachment-risk-making-unpopular-biden-a-martyr-critics-warn/article_2f67955a-ec4a-514b-bf6d-ef49a8e102d9.html |
Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania reflected on his first six months in office in an interview published Friday in The New York Times.
The senator gave an overall negative appraisal of the legislature, saying his first half-year in the upper house has left him with the impression that the Senate is more focused on drama than governance.
"There’s a fixation on a lot of dumb sh-t. Bad performance art is really what it gets down to. The debt ceiling — there should have been no drama with any of that," Fetterman told the outlet. "The fact that we’re playing with something like that is antithetical to the stability of our democracy. It really is. Everything is turning into a culture war. Not everything has to be a think piece, you know."
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Fetterman spoke at length about his bout of depression, which kept him working out of a hospital for over a month.
"It’s a burden, but a privilege, too, to talk about it. It’s also an opportunity to be very bipartisan," he said. "Red or blue, if you have depression, get help, please. Don’t ever, ever, ever harm yourself. Do not leave behind a blueprint of that."
Fetterman spent approximately six weeks at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center earlier this year seeking treatment for clinical depression.
FETTERMAN APPROACHES BIDEN-LEVEL UNPOPULARITY IN HOME STATE: POLL
"In my own situation, in my very lowest, I started thinking about [self-harm]," he continued. "And I realized that if I do harm myself, I will leave behind for my children a blueprint that, if something happens with you, that’s the answer. I can’t do that to anyone."
Responding to a question on his prominence in the legislature as an individual, Fetterman said he did not understand why anyone liked him.
"I don’t know; it doesn’t make any sense to me at all. I don’t get it," he told the outlet.
NBC REPORTER GETTING ‘BULLIED’ BY MEDIA FOR FETTERMAN REPORT WAS ‘PATHETIC,’ ‘WRONG,’ SAY INSIDERS
He continued, "I’ll never understand it. I don’t know why my wife married me. In the movie 'Groundhog Day,' Bill Murray’s character says something like, ‘You think I’m arrogant? No, I don’t even like me.’ That’s me. I don’t even like me. That’s the truth."
The New York Times' "lightly edited" transcript of the interview noted repeated communicative struggles as Fetterman tried to answer questions.
Fetterman’s abilities have been widely questioned since he suffered a stroke during his campaign for U.S. Senate last year and offered limited media appearances.
His audio and visual deficiencies from the stroke have been so profound that he is forced to use closed-captioned questions for interviews, including during his senatorial debate.
Fetterman has floundered through Senate hearings and other public events since taking office, often coming across as incoherent due to his injuries from the stroke.
His office has repeatedly slammed critics for drawing attention to the issue and maintains he is fine outside of auditory processing problems.
Fox News Digital's Joe Schoffstall and Gabriel Hays contributed to this report | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/sen-fetterman-reflects-on-6-week-hospitalization-for-depression-i-don-t-even-like-me/article_0a909e82-0c7e-5e52-b7bb-1cd312778bcb.html | 2023-07-29T18:03:54 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/sen-fetterman-reflects-on-6-week-hospitalization-for-depression-i-don-t-even-like-me/article_0a909e82-0c7e-5e52-b7bb-1cd312778bcb.html |
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://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/national-news/the-next-3-meteor-showers-peak-on-weekends-what-to-know/ | 2023-07-29T18:03:56 | 1 | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/national-news/the-next-3-meteor-showers-peak-on-weekends-what-to-know/ |
FIRST ON FOX: A GOP senator is calling for a disciplinary inquiry into Hunter Biden’s legal team after a judge accused one lawyer of lying about her identity to court officials.
"I’ve heard from countless Americans who are concerned our justice system is being weaponized against President Biden’s political opponents while his son gets preferential treatment," Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., told Fox News Digital in a statement.
"There needs to be accountability for any misconduct or favoritism, including Hunter Biden’s own legal team. Faith in our justice system has been gravely damaged by the Biden administration’s mishandling of recent cases and restoring its integrity is essential."
U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika released an order this week threatening sanctions against Hunter Biden’s lawyers after accusing Latham & Watkins lawyer Jessica Bengels of having "misrepresented her identity and who she worked for in an attempt to improperly convince the Clerk's Office" to remove a key document from the ongoing criminal tax case involving President Biden’s son.
HUNTER BIDEN CONTRADICTS DAD'S CLAIM NOBODY IN FAMILY 'MADE MONEY FROM CHINA'
Bengels called the clerk’s office "pretending" to be associated with lawyers linked to the House Republican Ways & Means Committee, which has also been investigating Hunter Biden, the order said. Hunter Biden’s legal team said it was "an unfortunate and unintentional miscommunication between a staff member at our firm and employees of the Court."
Ricketts called on courts in both New York and Washington, D.C., where Hunter Biden’s lawyers are licensed to practice, to launch an ethics investigation into Bengels and lead lawyer Christopher Clark.
CRITICS DOUBT WHITE HOUSE CLAIM THAT PRESIDENT BIDEN WON'T PARDON HUNTER: 'SURE, SURE...'
"I write to you regarding the apparent unethical conduct of members of the New York State Bar and the District of Columbia Bar. As you know, the cornerstone of the legal profession is ethics. All legal professionals, lawyers and non-lawyers alike, are expected to maintain strict standards for the protection of colleagues, clients, and the court," Ricketts wrote in a letter sent Friday.
"I am asking both the New York Departmental Disciplinary Committee for the First Department and the District of Columbia’s Office of Disciplinary Counsel to take swift action to examine the actions of attorneys Christopher Clark and Jessica L. Bengels."
The letter came after a plea agreement between Hunter Biden and U.S. attorneys fell apart this week.
WATCH: WHITE HOUSE SHUTS DOWN POSSIBLITY OF HUNTER BIDEN PARDON
"While the exact details of this matter are uncertain, it appears an ethical line was crossed," Ricketts said of the misrepresentation accusations. "Regardless of whether or not it was Ms. Bengels or another staff member at Latham & Watkins who called the clerk, the circumstances surrounding the incident demand an investigation.
"Furthermore, it was the responsibility of Biden’s lead lawyer, Christopher Clark, to ensure his team conducted themselves in a manner consistent with the Rules of Professional Conduct. It is the responsibility of courts, legislatures, and state bars to ensure that members of the profession adhere to the Rules of Professional Conduct."
"Therefore, I ask both the New York Departmental Disciplinary Committee for the First Department and the District of Columbia’s Office of Disciplinary Counsel to open investigations into the conduct of both Christopher Clark and Jessica Bengels." | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/senator-calls-for-probe-after-one-of-hunter-biden-s-lawyers-allegedly-lied-about-her/article_8f8d7c4d-7208-59f1-9bf3-6dedfb6baa8c.html | 2023-07-29T18:04:00 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/senator-calls-for-probe-after-one-of-hunter-biden-s-lawyers-allegedly-lied-about-her/article_8f8d7c4d-7208-59f1-9bf3-6dedfb6baa8c.html |
(NEXSTAR) – More than 1,300 sites around the country are suspected of being so contaminated, hazardous or polluted — or at risk of becoming so polluted — that they have been deemed a national cleanup priority.
About 50 of those “Superfund” sites are found in Texas.
The Environmental Protection Agency identifies these as places that pose a risk to people’s health because they have been contaminated by hazardous waste. Since 1980, the agency has taken charge of cleaning up those sites under a law with the nickname “Superfund.” (Its full name is The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, or CERCLA.)
Texas’ Superfund sites include poorly managed waste management facilities, refineries, and old chemical companies.
As of July, the EPA lists 55 contaminated places in Texas on the National Priorities List. “It is a list of the worst hazardous waste sites identified by Superfund,” the EPA explains.
One site is an Air Force plant near Fort Worth, where contaminants spread into the groundwater and threatened the drinking water of 13,000 nearby residents.
The EPA also lists the Donna Reservoir and its canals in South Texas as another cleanup site. In 1993, the agency found fish in the waterways that were contaminated with carcinogenic chemicals called PCBs.
Harris County alone is home to a dozen Superfund sites, including a contaminated bayou, spilled industrial sludge, and a waste pit where harmful chemicals may have leaked downriver during Hurricane Harvey.
The EPA maps out every site on an interactive map. Zooming in on the map (below) allows you to see more information about the Superfund sites in your neighborhood or region.
Clicking on a site opens a pop-up window with more information, including the site’s Hazard Ranking System score. That score represents how likely a site is to release harmful substances into the surrounding environment, how toxic the waste is considered, and how many people are (or could be) impacted by the pollution, among other factors. The highest possible score is 100.
See the Superfund sites in your area on the map below:
You can also view a full list of sites and explore the map on the EPA’s website.
Once a site is put on the National Priorities List, the EPA investigates the dangers posed to human health and pursues the best way of cleaning up the problem. The EPA may force the person or company responsible for the pollution to finance the cleanup, or it may take charge of cleanup if no party can be found responsible.
Once a site is fully cleaned up and the EPA determines there’s no further risk to people’s health or the surrounding environment, it can be deleted from the list. The site can then be redeveloped into something new. | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/texas/map-shows-texas-contaminated-superfund-sites-near-you/ | 2023-07-29T18:04:03 | 1 | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/texas/map-shows-texas-contaminated-superfund-sites-near-you/ |
Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott delivered an address to the state's Republican County chairs on Friday and addressed the recent move to install floating barriers along the Rio Grande as part of an effort to reduce illegal immigration.
During his speech in Georgetown, Texas, Abbott spoke about his administration's response to the influx of migrants entering the state illegally through the U.S.-Mexico border, according to Fox 7.
"I will do whatever I have to do to defend our state from the invasion of the Mexican drug cartels and others who have tried to come into our country illegally, and I will protect our sovereignty," Abbott said.
The governor touted his recent decision to have a floating border wall built in the Rio Grande as part of Operation Lone Star.
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT FILES INJUNCTION AGAINST TEXAS OVER FLOATING BORDER BARRIER IN RIO GRANDE
"It's called operation hold the line," he said. "They are holding the line and ensuring that nobody enters the state of Texas illegally."
The Department of Justice announced a lawsuit against Texas after Abbott refuse to remove the buoys. The department accused the governor of violating federal law, calling his one-thousand-foot-long barrier "unlawful construction."
This comes as Texas continues to send buses of migrants to sanctuary cities across the country, including New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Abbott has previously said the migrant relocations will not stop until the federal government fixes the crisis at the Southern Border.
ABBOTT MOVES AHEAD WITH FLOATING BORDER BARRIERS ON RIO GRANDE DESPITE LIBERAL OUTRAGE
"I challenge the federal government to show that they have spent that much money in the state of Texas on the border under Joe Biden as president," Abbott said on Friday.
"He gave me a lawsuit, and by God, Joe Biden, we will see you in court," he added.
Demonstrators were outside the governor's mansion in Austin on Friday to protest against Abbott's floating border wall. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/texas-gov-abbott-defends-decision-to-build-floating-border-wall-amid-immigration-crisis/article_d62ed000-feb1-5c3b-bfdf-154015c1fe90.html | 2023-07-29T18:04:06 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/texas-gov-abbott-defends-decision-to-build-floating-border-wall-amid-immigration-crisis/article_d62ed000-feb1-5c3b-bfdf-154015c1fe90.html |
The video above is a previous unrelated segment.
DALLAS (KDAF) — Well… Dallas was on the list for having the most cheaters in the country, so it would make sense that maybe Texas’ marriage track record wasn’t that great either.
According to a new study by USA Facts, the average marriage in Texas doesn’t last long with the state coming in third among the top ten U.S. states. The data was provided using the information from the US Census Bureau.
“…. the American Community Survey (ACS) [is used] to collect vital information about our nation, including marriage data. And although marriage is becoming less common, it remains an important aspect of life for many Americans,” USA Facts mentions in their study.
The longest duration of marriages was found predominantly in the Midwest. While those on the West Coast married later.
Further research is needed to determine the causes of Texas’s shorter marriages and to identify sociological and cultural factors that may have an impact on how long relationships last. However, ACS data shows that marriage journeys, their problems and conflicts in the United States are just as diverse as the country.
The information raises questions regarding the situation of marriage stability. The study also tackled same-sex marriages, marriages by age and other demographics. To see the complete list, click here. | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/texas/new-study-marriages-end-quicker-in-the-lone-star-state/ | 2023-07-29T18:04:09 | 0 | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/texas/new-study-marriages-end-quicker-in-the-lone-star-state/ |
A retired Georgia pastor has confessed to kidnapping and killing 8-year-old Gretchen Harrington while she was walking to Bible camp in Pennsylvania one morning in August 1975.
David Zandstra, 83, of Marietta, Georgia, was charged with criminal homicide; first, second, and third-degree murder; kidnapping; and possession of an instrument of crime, according to the Delaware County District Attorney's office.
"The murder of Gretchen Harrington has haunted members of law enforcement since that terrible day in August 1975. The families of victims often say that their lives are forever altered into the ‘before’ time and the ‘after’ time," District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said in a Monday statement. "Gretchen’s murder created a ‘before’ time and an ‘after’ time for an entire community – and for an entire county. This heinous act left a family and a community forever changed."
Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger "might rely on an alibi" during his upcoming trial, according to a recent court filing and criminal defense attorney John Henry Browne, who represented serial killer Ted Bundy.
Kohberger, 29, who is "standing silent" in the case accusing him of fatally stabbing four University of Idaho students in November 2022, reiterated his right to silence in a Monday filing responding to the state's demand to present an alibi.
The suspect's defense team said it "continues investigating and preparing his case." His lawyers also said they have "[e]vidence corroborating" the suspect being at a location other than the crime scene at 1122 King Road in Moscow — an off-campus house where three of the four victims lived — when the murders occurred on Nov. 13, 2022.
An Ohio jury on Monday convicted a Kentucky man in the September 2010 disappearance of Paige Johnson, a 17-year-old single mom.
Jacob Bumpass, 35, was found guilty of abusing a corpse and tampering with evidence in connection with Johnson's mysterious death.
"We are pleased to have been able to bring some semblance of justice to the Johnson family", Clermont County Assistant Prosecutor Clay Tharp said in a Monday statement after the jury reached its decision.
MASSAPEQUA PARK, N.Y. – The New York prosecutor handling the Long Island serial killer case visited the suspect's house Tuesday, where police have been executing search warrants for more than a week.
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said outside the Massapequa Park, New York, home of Gilgo Beach killings suspect Rex Heuermann that police had effectively concluded their search of the property Tuesday.
"The evidence doesn't point one way or the other that someone was killed in the house," he told reporters. "We have obtained a massive amount of material that has to be cataloged and analyzed."
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Follow Fox News on Twitter | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/true-crime-stories-you-missed-this-week-july-24-28-2023/article_fca9af77-731e-5273-98d0-f0e83ed17705.html | 2023-07-29T18:04:12 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/true-crime-stories-you-missed-this-week-july-24-28-2023/article_fca9af77-731e-5273-98d0-f0e83ed17705.html |
Katie Ledecky stands alone after winning gold in the 800-meter freestyle race at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan on Saturday.
The win is Ledecky’s 16th individual world title, breaking a tie with legendary men’s swimmer Michael Phelps for the most individual gold medals at the world championships.
Ledecky won with a time of 8:08:87, nearly five seconds faster than the second-place finisher, Lee Bingjie of China.
2023 WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS: KATIE LEDECKY CONTINUES DOMINANCE WITH CHANCE TO PASS MICHAEL PHELPS
With the victory on Saturday, Ledecky also became the first swimmer to win a single Worlds event six times.
Ledecky tied Phelps’ record for individual titles at the world championships on Tuesday with a win in the 1,500-meter freestyle.
"It's an honor. I've known Michael for many years now, looked up to him as a little kid," Ledecky said in a press conference after tying Phelps on Tuesday.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
"Just never really imagined I would be in this position. It's always an honor to win a medal for Team USA, especially gold. Just going to keep going and continue to do my best every time I race."
A seven-time Olympic gold medalist, Ledecky will compete at the Paris Olympics next year.
At 26 years old, Ledecky has made it clear her career is not close to nearing the end, refusing to rule out the Olympic Games in 2028.
"I can say pretty confidently that I'm not going to be done in 2024," she said in July. "I just don't see myself hanging it up after next year. I just love the sport too much right now. I can't wrap my head around being done next year."
"I mean, L.A. is definitely in the picture," Ledecky said. "I can't fully commit to it at this point in 2023. But if I'm still loving it, if I feel like my body can do it. I think I would give it a shot. It's amazing to have that opportunity to swim in the United States at an Olympics. It's a rare opportunity, so something that I'm excited about. Whether I'm competing or not, I'll definitely be there."
Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj and The Associated Press contributed to this report. | https://www.foxbangor.com/sports/national-sports/katie-ledecky-breaks-michael-phelps-record-at-worlds-with-gold-medal-in-800-meter-freestyle/article_180264e7-5eff-5ba1-9896-8d4fa022212b.html | 2023-07-29T18:04:14 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/sports/national-sports/katie-ledecky-breaks-michael-phelps-record-at-worlds-with-gold-medal-in-800-meter-freestyle/article_180264e7-5eff-5ba1-9896-8d4fa022212b.html |
AUSTIN (KXAN) — One Texas entrepreneur has a Texas-sized goal: to build a Texas-themed amusement park.
“Why not put a business model that’s meant to bring people together with the content of Texas that already brings people together? It’s a match made in heaven,” TexasLand USA founder and CEO Lizzy McGee said.
McGee, a sixth-generation Texan and Houston native, said she noticed there was a lack of theme parks in Texas — particularly in the Austin and Houston metros — for a state that has the population and metrics that theme park companies look for.
So, she took her Disney theme park strategy background, earned a master’s degree in business administration and started planning TexasLand USA.
She wants the park to have elements from all parts of the state — West Texas, East Texas, North Texas, South Texas — to celebrate the differences across the state and bring people together to celebrate Texans’ unique identity.
“The coolest thing about Texas is it’s kind of a microcosm of the US in terms of geographies, ethnicities, religions,” McGee said. “Despite having all that all those differences, we all come together to sing ‘Deep in the Heart of Texas’ in the seventh inning stretch.”
McGee said the park will be built in phases. The first phase will not be “thrill-focused,” as that can be found at Six Flags. Instead, it would be “story-driven,” with attractions like a Marfa haunted house, a Galveston pirates ride and a Fort Worth rodeo skills ride, for example.
The opening would also have Texas-based foods and drinks. From Dr Pepper and Fletcher’s Corny Dogs, to Tito’s and Blue Bell ice cream, as well as any number of barbecue joints, McGee said the possibilities are endless.
The project’s location is still to be determined, but McGee hopes to have land under contract this fall.
“We’re going to put it somewhere where the people want us,” she said. “Local collaboration is really important to us, and we understand that it could bring jobs, but it also will bring traffic, and there’s a lot of considerations.”
McGee and her team started a Kickstarter to raise money for a demand study. The study will help the team create the grand vision for the park as well as plan for less-fun details like utilities. Their goal was about $71,000, but they exceeded that goal with nearly $82,000 raised.
McGee is also hosting focus groups to learn what future parkgoers are looking for. She said TexasLand “will truly be a park that’s by Texans for Texans.”
After the demand study is complete, they hope to land investment money for designing, planning and building the park.
McGee said the most ambitious part of her project is its timeline. Her goal is to start construction in late 2024 with an grand opening in summer 2026.
“We had to go big and bold on something because we’re Texas,” she said.
Park updates will be posted on the TexasLand USA website and social media.
Earlier this year, Universal Studios announced it would open a theme park in Frisco geared toward families.
Last week, a $2 billion amusement park in Oklahoma was announced. The “Americana-themed” park is also slated to open in 2026. McGee said this announcement validated her idea that there is a need for theme parks.
“So this really puts the fire under us. Everyone loves a David and Goliath story,” she said. “…Let us know your thoughts–whether you like what we’re doing whether you want to see something different–because if Oklahoma’s gonna have something Texas needs to have something.” | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/texas/texas-themed-amusement-park-to-open-in-2026/ | 2023-07-29T18:04:15 | 0 | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/texas/texas-themed-amusement-park-to-open-in-2026/ |
Hidden camera found inside porta-potty at Wisconsin beach
OCONOMOWOC, Wis. (WISN) - A woman at a Wisconsin beach made a terrible discovery after she found a hidden camera underneath the toilet seat of a port-a-potty.
Police are trying to determine if it was the only camera and who put it there.
“That’s insane. Oh my gosh,” Chrissy Hartwig said.
On a beautiful day at Oconomowoc’s Bender Beach, the talk turns instead to something ugly after Hartwig and other beachgoers learn of a small digital camera hidden inside a porta-potty.
“That’s crazy and now that makes me think of all the other porta-potties that might have had something in it,” Hartwig said. “You don’t think about those things.”
Hartwig said she’s heard of people hiding cameras in dressing rooms and even vacation rentals, but never before in a porta-potty.
“I just, I mean, I’m mind blown. I’ve never considered it. I’ve never thought about it. I wouldn’t have thought about it, probably. People are creeps,” she said.
The camera was reportedly inside the toilet, positioned in a way that showed people entering and using the toilet.
Oconomowoc police, along with the public, have a lot of questions.
“It’s, you know, it’s very concerning because you know the little ones use the bathroom,” Lissa Hagen said. “Yeah, it’s concerning, you know, wondering who did it and why they would do something like that. It’s very gross too.”
Hagen’s daughter is a lifeguard at the beach and learned of the camera the day after it was found.
“I mean, it’s uncomfortable. It’s, you know, concerning. Yeah, so, I’m glad they found it at least before, you know, anything happened,” Hagen said.
Police have not shared how long they believe the camera was there and what if anything was on it.
Copyright 2023 WISN via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.kalb.com/2023/07/29/hidden-camera-found-inside-porta-potty-wisconsin-beach/ | 2023-07-29T18:04:57 | 1 | https://www.kalb.com/2023/07/29/hidden-camera-found-inside-porta-potty-wisconsin-beach/ |
Members of Congress break for August with no clear path to avoiding a shutdown this fall
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 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.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kalb.com/2023/07/29/members-congress-break-august-with-no-clear-path-avoiding-shutdown-this-fall/ | 2023-07-29T18:05:04 | 0 | https://www.kalb.com/2023/07/29/members-congress-break-august-with-no-clear-path-avoiding-shutdown-this-fall/ |
DOUG AND POLLY WHITE
Special correspondents
QUESTION : Do you have any suggestions regarding websites for small businesses?
ANSWER: These days, most businesses need a website. Regardless of how a prospective customer hears about your enterprise, many will check your website before deciding to purchase. In some ways, a website has become an electronic business card. If you don’t have one, many will not consider you to be a legitimate business.
At a minimum, you’ll want to make sure that your website covers the basics. It should provide your company name and contact information (typically email, phone and address) and state clearly what you do and for whom. Further, the URL should be easily connected to your business name and be as concise as possible. Websites that carry the dot com suffix are preferable, but you can use other suffixes such as dot net.
Beyond the basics, what you include in your website should be a function of what you are trying to accomplish. Below, we touch on five possible objectives.
Entice people to come to your establishment — You will need to make them want to visit, provide them with easy means to get there and, possibly, have them lock in an appointment. To build the desire to visit, many websites offer pictures and/or videos of the establishment and the product or the result of the service. For example, restaurant websites often show pictures of the dining room and the food. Menus and wine lists are frequently available.
Once the prospective customer decides to visit, make it as easy as possible. At a minimum, provide an address. If getting to your place is tricky, explain the nuances. Use a well-known landmark if one exists. Show driving directions and a map. Provide a link to Google Maps. Explain how to use public transportation. Make finding your establishment easy.
Finally, if an appointment or a reservation is appropriate, say at a hair salon or a restaurant, give people the opportunity to set it up on your website.
Get prospective customers to contact you — This may be done via a phone call, email or a “contact us” page on the website. Just as with convincing people to visit your location, make prospective customers want to call. Focus on the results you’ll deliver. For example, you might deliver weight loss, increased profitability, a more attractive appearance, etc. Prospective customers want to know what’s in it for them. Case studies that demonstrate how you have delivered value to others can be effective as can testimonials delivered via quotes or videos.
Allow you to contact prospective customers — If you have an effective email marketing platform, getting prospective customers to give you an email address can be gold. This allows you to market directly to the prospective customer. Sometimes, websites are designed to capture mailing addresses to fuel direct mail campaigns or telephone numbers used to make outbound solicitations. Often, to get something you want, you’ll have to give something of value. For example, you might offer to give the results of a free diagnostic test in order to get prospective customers to provide an email address.
Facilitate the selection of a product/service — Sometimes, websites will allow prospective customers to see enough information to develop a strong hypothesis regarding what they’ll purchase. For example, automobile dealerships frequently provide detailed specifications and even allow you to see their inventory. We found the last car we purchased online. After a quick test drive, we bought. Failing something unexpected when we saw the car, the sale was closed online.
Sell online — You will need an effective e-commerce platform. There are many available. You’ll also need a way to deliver the product or service. Ensure that your offerings are easy to find, that the benefits of purchasing are clearly described and that the ordering process is as simple as possible. Finally, you’ll need to drive large volumes of people to your website. Online marketing is a numbers game — think thousands of visitors per month if not tens or hundreds of thousands.
When designing your website, start with the end in mind. Ask what you are trying to accomplish, and design your website to deliver this result.
From the Archives: 250 photos of Richmond in the 1940s
Belle Isle
In February 1948, the 76-year-old trestle across the James River that Southern Railway used to haul coal and iron between the Old Dominion Iron and Steel mill and Tredegar Co. was being removed. A 1909 fire had ravaged the bridge, and by 1948, its remnants on the isle were determined to be a fire hazard far beyond any use.
Times-Dispatch
Bellwood Drive-In
5-20-1948: The Bellwood Drive-In Theater, under construction now four miles south of Richmond city limits, will open on or about May 27. The tower shown in the photo is 70 feet high, serving as front of the theater and screen.
RTD Staff
Bowler School
In September 1948, the first pupils entered the Bowler School. The school, at 26th and Leigh streets in Richmond, was previously the Springfield School, which taught white children. It had just been converted to a school for black youths, and more than 700 were enrolled on the first day. It was named for J. Andrew Bowler, the first pastor at Mount Olivet Baptist Church and organizer of a Church Hill school for black children in the 1880s. The building now houses the Bacon and Bowler Retirement Community.
Times-Dispatch
Cowardin Avenue Christian Recreation Center
In June 1948, four teenagers played a board game at the Cowardin Avenue Christian Recreation Center in Richmond.
Staff photo
Floods
In May 1948, flooding from heavy rains in the Windsor Shades area of New Kent County washed out a Chesapeake & Ohio Railway bed, leaving unsupported rails spanning a chasm. The flooded U.S. Route 60 is in the foreground. As much as 8 feet of water was reported on Route 60 in the area.
File photo
Glenwood Country Club
In June 1948, Mrs. C.N. Carter made a splash on the 11th hole at Glenwood Country Club in Henrico County as she blasted out of a creek. Carter was playing in a quarterfinal at the city women’s golf championship.
Staff photo
Grace Street
In July 1949, shoppers ducked into doorways or under awnings on Grace Street between Fourth and Fifth streets in downtown Richmond. Summer heat left the block unusually quiet for a Saturday afternoon.
Staff photo
Maggie Walker
In May 1948, Eldridge E. Scales of Maggie Walker High School conducted an elementary school band rehearsal for the Richmond public schools’ annual spring music festival, “One World Through Music.” The festival, which previously had been held in the Mosque, was postponed twice because bad weather threatened the new location at City Stadium. Despite the delays, about 8,000 people attended the show.
RTD Staff
Powerline
In June 1949, a power line on Brook Road was a tangled mess of wires after a lightning strike during a storm. About 15,000 homes in Ginter Park, Lakeside and nearby areas lost power, though it was restored within an hour.
Staff photo
Public bath house
12-31-1949: Richmond's Baths - The city keeps a close watch on the Grace Arents' baths on Oregon Hill, which cost $4,500 yearly to operate.
RTD Staff
Schools
In September 1948, as the school year started, Dick Harvey gave a playful tug to Sue Gallegher's pigtails. The new year saw an unexpected boom in registrations across the area. Bellmeade and Summer Hill schools on the Petersburg Pike saw such an increase that they considered adding staff and operating classes on two shifts.
RTD Staff
Semmes
In February 1949, a new sign indicated the nearby Patrick Henry School along Semmes Avenue approaching Forest Hill Avenue in South Richmond.
Staff photo
Shawondasee
This May 1948 image shows Boy Scouts enjoying the lake at Camp Shawondasee in Chesterfield County. In May 1965, the camp shut its doors after more than 50 years serving Scouts in the region. The urbanization of Chesterfield around it, limited drinking water and a lake that didn’t hold up to a whole summer of campers led the Scouts to find a new location in Goochland County. The next year, the YMCA purchased the land, and its Camp Thunderbird still operates there today.
RTD Staff
Sixth Street Market
This June 1948 image shows the exterior of the Sixth Street Market’s meat building, built in the mid-1800s. The market itself started in the early 19th century. In the mid-1960s, the meat building, with its 42 decorative bull heads, was torn down to make way for a parking lot. Most of the bull heads were salvaged and auctioned, and the market continued in the first floor of the Blue Armory building and in various stalls along the street for another 20 years.
RTD Staff
Sixth Street Market
In July 1948, the Sixth Street Market in Richmond had an abundance of locally grown produce. Hanover tomatoes were 10 cents a pound, Crozet peaches were 2 pounds for 35 cents, and butterbeans were 70 cents a pint. Local melons were not available, and the watermelons from other states cost between 50 cents and $1, down from $2 earlier in the season. Other local vegetable prices included carrots for 10 cents a bunch, cucumbers for 5 cents each, cabbage at 5 cents per pound, and squash at 15 cents for 2 pounds.
Times-Dispatch
Streetcars on Main Street
11-27-1949: Streetcars tend to bunch in Main Street financial district and this contributed to demand for switch to motor vehicles.
RTD Staff
Swimming and diving championship
In August 1949, Mrs. Thomas Chappell executed a half-twist during the women’s competition of the state AAU Swimming and Diving Championship, held at Byrd Park in Richmond. Chappell won the springboard diving title.
Staff photo
The Mosque
This February 1949 image shows the South Lounge in the Mosque (now the Altria Theater) after its conversion to offices. At the time, the National Park Service was occupying the room that formerly hosted social events and served as a gathering spot for people attending performances.
Times-Dispatch
Trolley
In July 1948, Vincent K. Bass said goodbye to “Old 912,” an electric trolley car that had been in service in Richmond for nearly 40 years. Bass, a streetcar conductor for 42 years, was reluctantly learning to drive a bus – the following year, the city introduced a bus system to replace the streetcars. A contractor purchased this streetcar; the owner said he might use some of it for storage or as bunking quarters for some employees.
Staff Photo
Water tower
In February 1948, icicles formed a winter tableau along a water tower at Sixth and Porter streets in South Richmond.
Staff photo
Stockyards
In January 1949, Virginia farmers focused their eyes on two mules that were among 169 sold at the annual auction at the Richmond Stockyards. The average price of $157.78 was down about $25 from the previous year. The top sale brought $610; the lowest, only $35.
Times-Dispatch
Richmond fires
8/14/2015: In March 1949, smoldering embers and charred, jagged walls were all that remained of the Dunlop Mills in South Richmond. The two brick buildings, which had survived damage during the Civil War, were lost to the fire, which took more than 200 firemen six hours to put out.
Staff Photo by Colognorl
Trolley
In November 1949, Richmond’s electric streetcars, which began service in 1888, were retired from service. Here, a crowd waited to board cars as they took ceremonial final trips through the city, with car signs touting the city’s new bus service. The Virginia Transit Co. spent $2.2 million on 166 buses for the new system.
Times-Dispatch
organ grinder
In October 1949, an organ grinder and his monkey entertained a young girl at the State Fair, held at the Atlantic Rural Exposition fairgrounds. The fair’s array of exhibits and events included motorcycle races, driving safety instruction from the state police and displays of the latest household inventions.
Staff photo
Mail box
In June 1949, Carl A. Throckmorton (left) showed Richmond Postmaster Fergus McRee one of the 100 new mailboxes that would be installed at city street corners. The additions would bring the total number of receptacles to about 680, meaning no city resident would have to walk more than three blocks to deposit a letter.
Staff photo
Mooer's Field
In April 1949, Richmond Mayor W. Stirling King threw out the first pitch at the Richmond Colts home opener at Mooers Field. At right, wearing the new home uniform, is Colts manager Vinnie Smith. At left is Ray Schalk, manager of the Newport News Dodgers. The Colts won the Piedmont League game 6-5.
Staff photo
1940s floods
In March 1949, high water on Dock Street in downtown Richmond followed a brief flood that caused no damage. The James River crested at 13.1 feet during the afternoon but receded by 5 feet within hours.
Colognori
Cornshusk rug
In November 1949, Mrs. James Hicks of James City County and her daughter, Willie Mae, made a cornhusk doormat at home. A roughly 5-yard braid was needed to make the mat. Hicks could make about 200 in a year.
Staff photo
farmer
In November 1949, eastern Henrico County farmer J.B. Alvis drove his tractor through 70 acres of soybeans. The machine cut and threshed the beans, and with the help of the boy on the back of the tractor, Alvis bagged them. According to an accompanying article, Virginia farmers produced 1.75 million bushels of soybeans the year before, which grossed them $4.1 million.
Staff photo
Sixth Street Market
In September 1948, Beverly Horsley, a Miller & Rhoads fashion model, choose vegetables from a lavish display at the Sixth Street Market as part of Style Marches On, a weeklong celebration of new fall fashion in the downtown Richmond retail district.
Times-Dispatch
Tredegar
In June 1948, Dewey Picklesimer poured molten iron at Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond. Tredegar opened in 1837 and was a major manufacturing center for the Confederacy during the Civil War. It survived the evacuation fire of 1865 and continued as a production facility through most of the 1950s. Today the facility houses the American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar.
Times-Dispatch
Sixth Street Market
In August 1948, the Buyer’s Resistance Group, mostly made up of housewives, had been organizing a boycott of local meat markets, such as this one at the Sixth Street Market in Richmond, to attempt to bring down prices. This image was taken during a normally busy time for the market, which instead was nearly empty. Similar boycotts were popping up nationally.
Times-Dispatch
Sixth Street Market
This June 1948 photograph shows the old Sixth Street Market in downtown Richmond. When it was demolished in 1964 to make way for a parking garage, two of the ornamental terra cotta bulls that lined the top of the awning were relocated to the 17th Street Market.
Times-Dispatch
Patsy Garrett
In September 1948, Richmond actress, singer and national radio show host Patsy Garrett greeted a friend downtown during her visit here. Garrett was known for her time on Fred Waring’s “Pleasure Time” radio show in the 1940s and for her recurring film and television roles in “Nanny and the Professor,” “Room 222” and the “Benji” movie series.
Times-Dispatch
boys club
In April 1948, James Phillips Schultz supervised a mumble-the-peg game played by two boys at the Richmond Home for Boys. Schultz, 81, was the oldest alumnus of the home. To celebrate the institution’s 102 birthday, alumni, families and children gathered for an afternoon program that included music , games and dancing for the children.
Staff photo
Hunting
10-31-1948 (cutline):Sportsmen from Virginia and surrounding states brough their best hounds last Monday to Baskerville, near South Hill, for the twenty-sixth annual field trials of the Virginia Fox Hunters Association.
Times-Dispatch
draft
In November 1948, Army Lt. Charles D. Smith Jr. administered the oath to the first set of postwar draftees processed at the Richmond induction station at First and Broad streets. Several of the men were immediately sent to Camp Pickett in Blackstone.
Staff photo
pool hall
In March 1948, W.J. Peacentini (from left), Lt. L.P. Tyler and L.C. Priddy watched M.E. Williams sink a ball during a game of pool at Firehouse No.7 on East Cary Street in Richmond. The pool table was the center of recreation for many firemen waiting for the alarm.
Staff photo
Mosque pool
In October 1948, families and city officials attended a program at the Mosque pool in Richmond, which had just opened for the season. Highlights included a synchronized swimming exhibition as well as swim safety instruction. The pool was in the basement of what is known today as the Altria Theater.
staff photo
rollerskate
In November 1948, Richmond teens put on their roller skates at the Cavalier Arena with some help from city recreation department employee Jane Hemby. The department held Wednesday afternoon skating parties at the rink, which opened in June 1941 and was at MacTavish Avenue and West Marshall Street in Richmond’s West End.
Staff photo
Times-Dispatch
In November 1948, editors at the Richmond Times-Dispatch copy desk reviewed the first edition of the newspaper shortly after the presses rolled. Managing Editor Ben Johnston (standing) and News Editor Bill Leverty (center, in glasses) led the review. Copy boys were seated at right.
Staff photo
Beavers
In February 1947, local game warden E.J. Gorman stood atop a dam in one of Chesterfield County’s nine beaver colonies. At the time, two dozen counties had beaver colonies, with an eye toward helping restore fur trapping in Virginia.
Staff photo
Blues Armory
In January 1947, a newly renovated basketball court, plus improved lighting and expanded seating, awaited action at the Blues Armory at Sixth and Marshall streets in downtown Richmond. The next evening, the University of Richmond hosted the College of William & Mary. Ticket prices were $1 for adults and 60 cents for children 12 and younger.
Staff photo
Boulevard
This June 1946 image shows Berrier’s Ice Cream, located at the corner of Moore Street and the Boulevard in Scott’s Addition in Richmond. Berrier’s opened a plant on West Broad Street in 1930 – an advertisement for an open house, with samples, humbly touted that it’s “not a tremendous plant, supplying thousands of gallons of ice cream a day … nothing pretentious.” The Boulevard store, which has since been torn down, did serve sundaes and cones, but its main focus was takeout ice cream and blocks of ice.
Times-Dispatch
Byrd Field
This September 1947 image shows an Eastern Air Lines plane at Byrd Field. In 1947, the city of Richmond held negotiations with the War Assets Administration for the return of the airport, which had been transformed into the Richmond Army Air Base during World War II. When the field was returned to the city, it was more than 850 acres larger than when the federal government took it over.
Times-Dispatch
C&O
On May 25, 1946, a train pulled into Main Street Station in Richmond. That afternoon marked the end of a crippling two-day national railroad strike, which had stranded passengers and cargo – local businesses were able to purchase some of the perishable foods as well as tropical fish. President Harry Truman had threatened an Army takeover of railroad facilities if the striking trainmen and engineers unions didn’t return to work.
RTD Staff
Central State Hospital
In July 1947, “The Soldier,” as many people called the patient of Central State Hospital near Petersburg, sat outside a sentry box he had built on the grounds. The psychiatric hospital dates to 1869, when a former Confederate facility known as Howard’s Grove Hospital was designated as a mental health facility for African-Americans.
Times-Dispatch
Central Station Post Office
This January 1946 photo shows the Central Station Post Office on Second Street in downtown Richmond, whose size increased by a third after a remodeling several months earlier.
Staff photo
Churchill
On March 8, 1946, while on a trip to America, British wartime leader Winston Churchill addressed a joint session of the Virginia General Assembly in the hall of the House of Delegates. He was flanked by Field Marshal Henry Maitland Wilson (left) and Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower. In the background (from left) are Gov. William M. Tuck, Speaker of the House Thomas B. Stanley and Lt. Gov. Lewis “Pat” Collins II.
RTD Staff
City Stadium
In November 1946, female fans wearing the red and white of Thomas Jefferson High School were part of a crowd of 17,000 who watched Teejay beat John Marshall High 6-0 in the Prep Classic at City Stadium in Richmond. John Marshall got to Teejay’s one-foot line in the last minute of play but couldn’t score.
Times-Dispatch
Cowardin Avenue and Hull Street
In November 1948, traffic moved through the intersection of Cowardin Avenue and Hull Street in South Richmond. The city was planning several pedestrian safety upgrades at the busy intersection, including painted crosswalks, new signage and a fence along Hull.
Staff photo
Curles Neck Dairy
This July 1947 image shows the new Curles Neck Dairy plant at 1600 Roseneath Road in Richmond. The building, which cost more than $200,000, gave the 13-year-old dairy modern features including a refreshment room that served up to 50 people, ice-cream-making facilities and curbside service. The building is now home to the Dairy Bar restaurant.
Staff Photo
Dixie
This October 1946 image shows heavy kraft paper, made from wood pulp, that was being converted into drinking cups at a Richmond factory. The majority of Virginia pulp and paper mills made this type of paper, which was used to make other goods. Factories were maximizing production after the war era had developed new and popular paper products.
Times-Dispatch
Elba
In March 1946, children at Elba School in Richmond visited the library to get books as their lunch dishes were washed by Principal Ethel T. Overby (second from right) and day center teacher Estelle H. Clark. Opened in 1880 in a white neighborhood, the school on West Marshall Street was designated for black students in 1927. By 1939, the school was recommended for abandonment because of its poor condition and a lack of facilities, such as a cafeteria. It was used until 1955 and later was torn down.
RTD Staff
Fishing
In August 1948, David Singleton fished below the spillway at Birchin Lake in Nottoway County. The soldier from Durham, N.C., eventually was rewarded with a catch of a 4-pound catfish.
Staff photo
Forest Lodge
This January 1946 image shows Forest Lodge, completed in the early 1880s by Confederate Army scout John Cussons. The six-story resort hotel stood on 1,000 acres in Glen Allen on Mountain Road and boasted more than 100 rooms. It never became the success that Cussons envisioned, and after changing hands and purposes several times, it was razed in 1992. The cupola was saved and can be seen at Mountain Road and Old Washington Highway.
Staff
Fountain
In August 1948, Samuel and William Gladden sought relief from record high temperatures in the horse watering fountain at Broad and Adams streets in downtown Richmond. The fountain was later moved and still stands at the triangle in Jackson Ward where Chamberlayne Parkway meets Adams and Leigh streets.
Staff photo
Freedom Train
On Dec. 9, 1947, the Freedom Train stopped in Richmond at Allen Avenue and West Broad Street. People waited in blocks-long lines to tour exhibits of historical artifacts that included the original Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Truman Doctrine and Bill of Rights. The Freedom Train, which traveled the country between 1947 and 1949, was the first train to visit each of the 48 states (Alaska and Hawaii had not yet gained statehood). Virginians in blocks-long line await turn to tour exhibits aboard Freedom Train at Allen Avenue and Broad Street.
RTD Staff
Friendship Train
In February 1949, a boxcar from France’s “Merci Train,” loaded with gifts for Virginians, arrived in Richmond. The gifts – including dolls, lace, antique furniture, books, statues and paintings -- were an expression of thanks for the American "Friendship Train," which distributed food to needy Europeans in 1947. Richmonders filled two of the 12 boxcars of supplies sent by Virginia. After ceremonies at the state Capitol, the French boxcar spent a week on display downtown.
John Wood
1947 Monument Avenue
In October 1947, Richmond police considered the issue of cars parking next to the grassy medians of Monument Avenue. The city did not want to mar the beauty of the avenue with signs, even though no parking was permitted. While police strictly ticketed violators on weekdays, exceptions were made for churchgoers on Sunday mornings.
Staff Photo
Grocery
In September 1946, a crowd gathered outside a Richmond grocery store on a day that hard-to-get items were available. Because of rationing and shortages during World War II, shop inventory ebbed and flowed for some time afterward as the economy stabilized.
Staff photo
Ice
In January 1948, ice and snow created a winter wonderland scene on the James River in Richmond. Subfreezing temperatures had chilled Eastern and Midwestern states and led to a heating oil shortage.
Staff photo
Kensington Avenue apartments
In February 1947, an 18-unit apartment complex in the 2700 block of Kensington Avenue in Richmond was nearing completion.
Staff photo
Main Street
This February 1946 image shows traffic along Main Street downtown. That month, a New York consultant selected by the Richmond Chamber of Commerce made a series of recommendations to improve local transit, including prohibiting parking along Main Street at busy times. As shown here, when cars were parked along the curb, drivers had to putter behind the glut of streetcars because there was no room to pass.
RTD Staff
Main Street
This June 1947 image shows the Virginia Fire & Marine Insurance Co. building at 1015 Main St. downtown. The company was at this location between 1861 and 1953, though the first building burned with the rest of Richmond in 1865. By 1869, the current structure, also known as the Branch Building, was completed. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and is considered one of Richmond’s finest iron-fronted buildings.
RTD Staff
Mayo Bridge
On April 23, 1946, fishing enthusiasts came out to enjoy the bright sunshine on the Mayo Bridge in downtown Richmond. High temperatures matched the 1925 record of 90 degrees.
Times-Dispatch
Memorial Day parade
In May 1946, the historic Richmond Grays marched in a Memorial Day parade en route to Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond. The unit was organized in 1844 and served most famously in the Civil War; its history is incorporated in today’s 276th Engineer Battalion of the Virginia National Guard.
RTD Staff
Mules
In June 1946, James Q. Jones took his male donkey on a two-week breeding circuit through Goochland, Louisa and Hanover counties. Jones “bugled his brains out” on his Boy Scout bugle to alert nearby horse owners and members of the League for Planned Mule Parenthood of his arrival.
Times-Dispatch
Nickel prank
In October 1948, a woman tried to pick up a nickel from the sidewalk near Ninth and Broad streets in downtown Richmond – but it was a long-lasting prank. For April Fools’ Day months earlier, the firefighters at Engine Co. 3 had embedded the coin so no one could pick it up. They had been pulling a coin prank for eight or nine years, and usually someone would eventually pry it loose. For the nickel, some days could see nearly 100 people try to claim the coin.
Staff photo
Oilfield
In April 1947, a portable drilling rig was set up in an oil field in Lee County in Southwest Virginia. During the decade, Lee was home to about 70 oil and gas test wells that had been drilled in the region.
Staff photo
Old Manchester water works
In April 1948, the old Manchester water works at the foot of 22nd Street in South Richmond was within months of being dismantled. The plant was built in the 1890s when Richmond and Manchester were twin cities — they consolidated in 1910, and the structure was abandoned in 1914 after Richmond extended a water main into the area.
Staff photo
Shawondasee
In October 1947, 85-year-old B.W. Partee (seated), caretaker at Camp Shawondasee in Chesterfield County for 26 years, was ready to retire. He was known as a storyteller, and here, he entertained E.G. McDowell, field executive of the Richmond Boy Scouts Council. Shawondasee closed in 1965 after more than 50 years serving Scouts in the region. The next year, the YMCA purchased the land, and its Camp Thunderbird still operates there.
Times-Dispatch
Shriners parades
In June 1946, 3,000 Shriners staged a parade downtown as part of the 60th anniversary celebration for Richmond’s ACCA Temple. Nearly 300 candidates for admission to the temple were present for induction rites at the event. Here, the Richmond Guard of Honor marched in the parade.
Times-Dispatch
Skyline
This August 1947 image of the Richmond skyline was published in the Richmond News Leader as a comparison with a sketch of the same skyline that was published in 1901 in the Evening Leader.
Times-Dispatch
Sledding
In February 1947, children hit the sleds at Bryan Park in Richmond to take advantage of a snow day. Snow and sleet had covered Virginia – some areas of the state received as much as 27 inches.
Staff photo
State toxicologist
In January 1949, state toxicologist Sidney Kaye tested blood for lead poisoning. He joined the chief medical examiner’s office in 1947 after working in the St. Louis police department’s research lab.
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Street Sweepers
In April 1946, Richmond was conducting a citywide cleanup, even using a snowplow to scoop away years of debris from street gutters. The campaign, which began in late March, aimed to get the city back to a tidy appearance, after which officials planned to enforce litter laws, perform more regular trash collection and engage residents to help keep the city clean. A major goal of the effort was to reduce the rat population, which had risen to more than 300,000 – there were more rats than residents.
Times-Dispatch
Sunshine Sue
In October 1953, Mary Workman (holding music stand), better known as Sunshine Sue, sang with her band. From 1946 to 1957, Workman was host of the popular “Old Dominion Barn Dance” music radio show, broadcast nationally on Saturday nights on WRVA from the Lyric Theater in downtown Richmond. The program helped launch the careers of several country music stars.
RTD Staff
Tickets
In February 1948, a Richmond policeman placed a parking ticket on the windshield of a car that was double-parked, which prevented other drivers from leaving their spaces.
Staff photo
Traffic
In August 1948, an intersection along East Broad Street in downtown Richmond reflected a new safety measure: Traffic light poles on Broad between First and 11th streets were painted with black and white diagonal stripes, with an eye toward helping drivers avoid hitting them.
Staff photo
Trolley
This February 1946 image shows Richmond streetcars double-berthing at First and Broad streets downtown. Loading and unloading streetcars simultaneously at the same stop helped speed transit service, according to Virginia Transit Company officials.
Times-Dispatch
Tuberculosis ward
In April 1948, a nurse in the tuberculosis ward of McGuire Hospital in Richmond assisted a patient with a weaving project. More than a pastime, working the loom was a treatment that helped TB patients strengthen muscle. Patients typically were hospitalized for about six months.
Staff photo
University of Richmond
In April 1947, University of Richmond students prepared for an open house in their lab classroom. The students named the class skeleton Josephine.
Staff photo
Valentine Museum
In November 1947, the James River Garden Club sponsored a tour of five houses to raise funds to restore the gardens at the
Times-Dispatch
Fire
03-02-1948 (cutline): Rush hour crowd watches smoke pour from building at 14th and Main during fire. Traffic tied up an hour by three-alarm blaze at Casket Company late yesterday.
Staff photo
Cary St
In June 1947, trucks blocked Cary Street in the wholesale produce district while passenger cars waited to get through. The Times-Dispatch ran a series analyzing Richmond’s traffic problems such as this, and reviewing a proposed expressway. Based on a survey completed by the Automotive Safety Foundation, the series indicated that the current infrastructure could not handle the predicted increase in traffic, and construction of the expressway was recommended.
Times-Dispatch
Paper
In April 1947, about 20,000 pounds of paper was collected in a drive at Dumbarton Elementary School in Henrico County, with Edward O'Brien (from left), Leroy Foster and Thomas Riggan in charge. The paper was sold, with proceeds used to purchase library books and other materials for students. The previous year, paper-drive money purchased a mimeographing machine for teacher use.
Times-Dispatch
Powhatan Hill Playground
In January 1957, Dot Perkins led a dance class in “the hut” at the Powhatan Hill playground in Richmond. The playground received the Quonset hut, a semicircular structure made out of corrugated metal, in 1947 after city officials authorized using $15,000 to erect it. It quickly became a center of extracurricular activities for area children.
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Street scene
This May 1947 image shows a street scene on Main Street near Ninth Street in downtown Richmond. At the time, cars shared the road with electric streetcars. Two years later, with the increase in buses and automobiles, the streetcar system was replaced.
Times-Dispatch
race car
In July 1947, Richmond midget car driver Cary Williams (in white T-shirt) and mechanic Charles Nigro pushed out the new Ford-Kurtiscraft car, which Nigro built, in preparation for racing at Richmond Stadium Speedway.
Mike O'Neil
Doll hospital
In December 1947, T.E. Burton Jr. diagnosed a patient at his doll hospital on Forest Hill Avenue in Richmond. Burton, a state Highway Department employee, was part-time chief surgeon at the doll hospital he ran out of his home. He got into the repair business when his two young daughters received antiquated china dolls as gifts that were badly in need of work. Burton averaged about 10 patients a week, with a busy season around the holidays.
Staff photo
West Avenue
In April 1947, members of the West Avenue Improvement Association enjoyed a backyard picnic after the first day of the neighborhood’s spring cleanup campaign. From left are R.R. McKaig, Mrs. Granville Coleman and Mr. and Mrs. Chris Payne.
Staff photo
Broad St.
In June 1947, Richmond officials put up warning signs near the city limits on West Broad Street to limit speeding, which was a top traffic concern at the time.
Staff photo
mill
In April 1947, Ed Brooking, the 68-year-old proprietor of the Cedar Point Grist Mill in Goochland County, loaded corn into a funnel to be ground by the millstones. While his machine was old and often required maintenance, Brooking swore by the method of stone-ground corn.
Staff photo
Main Street Station
In May 1947, the Main Street Station tower in Richmond was still missing its clocks, which were removed during World War II because it was difficult to find replacement parts. At the time, the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway was receiving cost estimate to restore the clocks.
Staff photo
Churchill
In March 1946, British wartime leader Winston Churchill’s trip to America included an address to the General Assembly. He waved to a crowd that waited in the rain to see him as his motorcade came through Capitol Square in Richmond.
Times-Dispatch
Draft
In May 1946, the future of the military draft was in question, and David Burruss, 19, of Norfolk, got lots of attention when he was thought to be the last man selected at the Richmond Armed Forces Induction Station. He was among about a dozen inductees who then headed off to Fort Meade in Maryland. (The wartime selective service act was extended, though.)
Times-Dispatch
Air Scouts
In August 1946, leaders of the three flights in the Gamble’s Hill Community Center Air Scouts received their banners at the first review of the corps held in Gamble's Hill Park. This was the only troupe of Air Scouts organized in Richmond at that time; they wore the regulation National Air Scout uniform. Pictured (from left) were pilot leader Eddie Williams, sponsor Verna Walker, pilot leader William Massie, sponsor Barbara Chandler, pilot leader Everett Webb and sponsor Virginia Blackburn. The community center was financed by Second Presbyterian Church.
Times-Dispatch
Maggie Walker
This April 1946 image shows members of the Girl Reserve Club at Maggie Walker High School in Richmond. Club activities included drama, knitting, glass painting, embroidery and sewing. From left were Laura Belle Manning, Marie Spurlock, Eloise Taylor and Gladys Claxton.
Times-Dispatch
pinball machines
In November 1946, Henrico County police seized 20 pinball machines and made multiple arrests as part of a countywide raid. The coin-operated machines were licensed for amusement only, but they had money drawers that collected from and dispensed to patrons.
Staff photo
1945 Allied Victory Day
In September 1945, an Allied Victory Day parade was staged by Richmond's Chinese population and visiting Chinese residents from other cities. Several colorful floats such as this one, a Marine Corps band from Quantico, two Chinese orchestras, native costumes, high school cadet bands, and units of soldiers and sailors from nearby camps marched along the route that began at Boulevard and Monument Avenue.
RTD Staff
American Red Cross
In October 1942, the Richmond chapter of the American Red Cross moved into its new headquarters in the Hancock-Wirt-Caskie House at Fifth and Main streets downtown. Helping to move were Jeanne Begien (left), Evelyn Bishop (front), Mrs. Roger F. Clapp (back) and Mrs. Leland Jones (peering from back of truck).
Times-Dispatch
American Red Cross
This September 1942 image shows the uniforms of the volunteer services of the American Red Cross. From left: Georgina Marracinia, outdoor uniform; Nancy Wortham, staff assistant; Mrs. C.F. Bowles, gray ladies; Mrs. William Hall, nurses’ aide; Mrs. Livingstone, home service; Mrs. J. Scott Parrish Jr., canteen; Mrs. Robert Cabell III, production, and Mrs. Collins Denny Jr., motor corps.
Times-Dispatch
Armistice
On Nov. 11, 1942, John Marshall High School cadet sergeants M. Cohen and J.C. Fuquay played taps during a service on Armistice Day at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Richmond. They stood under the church’s service flag: Each blue star represented a church member who was on active duty in World War II, and each gold star represented a church member lost in the war. Service flags were popular for families but sometimes were used by organizations and communities.
Times-Dispatch
Belgian Friendship Building and Bell Tower
This June 1942 image shows the Belgian Friendship Building and Bell Tower at Virginia Union University in Richmond. The building served as the Belgian Pavilion at the 1939 World's Fair in New York, but because Belgium was under wartime occupation after the event, it could not be returned to the country. Belgium gifted the building to VUU -- it was reassembled on campus starting in 1941 and housed the university library for decades.
Staff Photo
Blackout
In February 1942, a blackout test during World War II – in case enemy aircraft flew over the city – darkened the interior of many buildings in downtown Richmond. The one-hour exercise, which covered the Richmond and Tri-Cities area, required that buildings and residences turn off lights or prevent light from being seen from the outside. Buses, ambulances and personal vehicles were also asked to remain off the roads.
Staff photo
Bojangles
In August 1945, tap dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson showed his wife, Elaine, the house at 915 N. Third St. in which he was born. Robinson, who left Richmond at age 7 to join a traveling show, wanted to get a photo of the house so that his show business friends would believe his stories about his humble beginnings.
Staff Photo
Braille cookbook
In October 1959, Richmond homemaker Virginia Mann prepared a recipe from her Braille cookbook. Mann knew how to cook before she lost her sight in 1945, so her readjustment included using other senses to help prepare meals for her family of five. “Now cooking is second nature, and I just don’t stop to think about it,” she said.
Staff photo
Broad Street Station
In May 1946, a passenger train pulled out of Broad Street Station in Richmond and headed to Washington. At the time, a potential labor strike was threatening service.
Staff photo
Bryan Park
In June 1942, workers lifted a car – temporarily – from the middle quarry at Bryan Park. It had been stolen days earlier, and once it was pulled to the bank, Henrico County police confirmed that no one was in it. But halfway up the bank, shortly after this picture was taken, the chain broke and the car slipped back into the quarry – 32 feet of water had to be pumped out of the quarry before the car could be recovered.
Times-Dispatch
Carter Sisters
In September 1944, the Carters - Anita, June and their mother, Maybelle - gather for a song while the oldest daughter, Helen, accompanies them on the accordion.
Staff Photo
Cigarettes
This August 1941 image shows a woman working in a tobacco factory. An accompanying story outlined the growth of Virginia women in the workforce. Based on 1930 census data, more than 6,000 women worked in tobacco factories – the sixth-ranked source of employment for women.
Times-Dispatch
City Stadium
In June 1941, the Police Benevolent Association presented its sixth annual boxing show at City Stadium, headlined by Jimmy Webb, Johnny “Bandit” Romero, Georgie Abrams and Richmond’s Joey Spangler. A crowd of more than 10,000 watched Webb knock out Romero in the third round, and Abrams won a decision over Spangler. Tickets were $1 for general admission, $2 for reserved and $3 for ringside.
RTD Staff
Confederate Soldiers Home
In October 1927, John Lewis Fink, 77, the youngest soldier in the Robert E. Lee Camp Confederate Soldiers’ Home, and Sidney Jennings Robertson, 79, the next youngest, played checkers as fellow residents E.G. Tyler and P.S. Childress watched. The facility, at the corner of Grove Avenue and the Boulevard in Richmond, closed after the last resident died in 1941.
RTD Staff
Defense Special No. 1 train
In December 1941, the Defense Special No. 1 train stopped in Richmond at Broad Street Station. Nearly 800 local manufacturers were issued tickets to visit the eight-car train, which held an array of sample equipment that the government needed contractors to build for the war effort – such as guns, airplane and ship parts, field hospital equipment, chairs, saws and pipe fittings. The train staff interviewed and guided qualified manufacturers through the process to become a contractor.
RTD Staff
Draft
In April 1942, about 26,000 Richmond men ages 45 to 64 participated in the country’s fourth Selective Service registration. These men were registering at Ginter Park School. Men in this age range were not subject to military service at that time, but they were being asked about special skills to determine how they could best aid the war effort.
Times-Dispatch
Elba School
This September 1942 image shows the outside restrooms at the Elba School in Richmond. Opened in 1880 in a white neighborhood, the school on West Marshall Street was designated for black students in 1927. By 1939, the school was recommended for abandonment because of its poor condition and a lack of facilities, such as adequate interior restrooms. It was used until 1955 and later was torn down.
Times-Dispatch
Executive Mansion
1-20-1942: Mrs. Price looks on while Lucille, the mansion's cook, mixes up something special in the kitchen, which has been completely renovated during the Price administration.
RTD Staff
Fire
In January 1943, William H. Haskins gazed over what was left of his Health Centre Inc. bowling alley at Hermitage Road and Meadow Street in Richmond after a fire. The sprawling brick building, which opened in 1928 and housed 36 lanes, was totally destroyed.
Staff photo
Gasless parade
In July 1943, gas shortages prompted the Retailers for Victory campaign to stage Richmond’s first “gasless parade” to promote the sale of war stamps, which would fund construction of the aircraft carrier Shangri-La. The event featured all manner of transportation not fueled by gas: Gov. Colgate Darden rode in an ox-driven cart, and a goat-powered wagon (center right) carried Mayor Gordon Ambler along the parade route from Monroe Park to Capitol Square.
RTD Staff
Grace Arents School
In June 1943, students at the Grace Arents School celebrated the end of the school year. The Oregon Hill school, which opened in 1911, honored the philanthropist for her donation of the land and $5,000 toward the building. After decades as an elementary school and later a special education school, the building has housed Open High School since 1989.
RTD Staff
Grace St
6-26-1942: 6th and Grace Streets looking west at 5:30pm.
RTD Staff
Grace Street pollution
11-9-1944: Grace Street sidewalk being cleared of today's 'black snow.' Soot and grime. Air pollution.
RTD Staff
Henrico Red Cross Motor Corps
In March 1942, members of the Henrico Red Cross Motor Corps participated in a test drill in uniform. The women had completed courses in basic and advanced first aid, motor mechanics and blackout driving. The motor corps was established by the American Red Cross in 1917 during World War I to transport wounded soldiers to local hospitals and deliver supplies.
Staff photo
Highland Springs Volunteer Fire Department
This December 1951 image shows the Highland Springs Volunteer Fire Department. The unit was organized in July 1941 with 45 volunteers and a $6,000 fire truck. The unit moved into this building on Nine Mile Road in 1947. At far left is Fire Chief Percy L. Burnett.
Rich Crawford
Holden Rhodes House
This September 1942 image shows the Holden Rhodes House, also known as the old Stone House, located at Forest Hill Park in South Richmond. The house, named for the noted lawyer and businessman who built it, dates to around 1840 and was made of granite from the quarries on the original estate. It was remodeled in the 1930s and for a time was home to a library. The house, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, now serves as an event venue.
RTD Staff
Ice
In January 1943, workmen of the Virginia Electric and Power Company repaired damage from sleet and ice at Brook Road and Westwood Avenue.
Staff photo
James River flood
In September 1944, Richmond city employees hurriedly made preparations for a James River flood by filling and loading sandbags. The James ultimately rose to 24.2 feet in the city after heavy rains throughout the river’s watershed.
Staff photo
Magnet
In December 1945, the Virginia Department of Highways debuted its newest piece of equipment on U.S. Route 1 between Richmond and Ashland. The road magnet, moving at about 15 mph, picked up nails, spikes, tacks and other metallic objects on roads that might lead to flat tires.
Staff photo
mailboxes
In March 1942, residents of the Lakeside area took down their Rural Free Delivery mailboxes, which had given way to new, smaller metal boxes on porches. Richmond delivery would be beginning as a result of annexation, in which the city added portions of Henrico and Chesterfield counties (about 16 square miles covering 22,000 residents).
Staff photo
Main St
12-30-1943: Morton Marks 1217 E Main St. The block at left is between 13 & 14 on East Main St & looking East on Main. Fire.
RTD Staff
Mayo Bridge
In April 1941, the Mayo Bridge in downtown Richmond underwent a two-month repaving project. Tolls on the Lee Bridge were lifted for cars with city license plates to ease the inconvenience during the work. The Mayo Bridge, also known as the 14th Street Bridge, is where the original structure connected Richmond and Manchester in the late 1700s. TONING COMPLETE -- Repaving starts on Mayo Bridge. This picture shows workmen repaving the Mayo Bridge. Southbound traffic can be seen over the span. Northbound traffic has been halted during the repairs. Fourteenth Street Bridge.
Staff Photo
Medical College of Virginia
This November 1941 image shows the newly installed “Three Bears” statue in front of the Medical College of Virginia Hospital at the corner of 12th and Broad streets in Richmond. Noted sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington created the work, which she and her husband, Archer Milton Huntington, donated to the college. Bears are a symbol of healing in Native American culture. Decades later, the statue was moved inside to protect it.
Times-Dispatch
Melons
In May 1946, a young Randy Morris peered over a truckload of watermelons, which was en route to be sold at the 17th Street Farmers’ Market in downtown Richmond.
Staff photo
Military parade
In October 1942, Richmond was the site of Virginia’s largest military parade since World War II began, with more than 6,000 uniformed men and women marching along Monument Avenue and Franklin, Belvidere and Broad streets. The parade was organized as part of the nation’s drive to secure the voluntary enlistment of 18 and 19-year-olds in the war effort.
Times-Dispatch
Miller & Rhoads wagon
In March 1942, Robert Price stood beside a horse and wagon he would soon be driving for the Miller & Rhoads department store in Richmond. With the government calling for conserving tires as shortages loomed during World War II, Miller & Rhoads and Thalhimers looked to their past to find alternate ways deliver purchases to customers, as was their custom at the time.
RTD Staff
mobile canteen
In April 1942, Mrs. Tazewell Perrow served soup to children from Bon Air School from the first mobile canteen for Chesterfield County. The canteen also served a test “disaster supper” at the Bon Air Community House later that week. The mobile kitchen would be used to feed civilians in case of a disaster involving more than five families.
Staff photo
Mobile kitchen
In January 1943, Mrs. J. Scott Parrish Jr., Gordon Sheain and Joe Brown examined a mobile kitchen that was part of the Red Cross Canteen Corps in Richmond. Red Cross members would use the canteens to feed soldiers; they practiced by feeding large groups at Richmond-area churches, parks and events. The $1,795 canteen was made possible through proceeds from a city scrap metal drive directed by Sheain and donations from WRVA listeners of Brown’s “Okay America” program. Parrish led the Red Cross canteen committee.
Staff photo
Mooers
This January 1946 image shows team owner Eddie Mooers standing outside his baseball park. Located at Norfolk and Roseneath streets, Mooers Field hosted the Richmond Colts from 1942 through 1953. Mooers then converted the field into a stock car racetrack for a time before it was sold and dismantled in the late 1950s.
Times-Dispatch
Mooers Field
This March 1946 image shows Mooers Field, with grass throughout the infield but dirt beyond. Located at Norfolk and Roseneath streets, Mooers Field hosted the Richmond Colts from 1942 through 1953. Eddie Mooers then converted the field into a stock car racetrack for a time before it was sold and dismantled in the late 1950s. 3-7-1946: 'And the green grass grows all around' - the infield. But the Mooers Field outfield is mighty barren these days.
Mike O'Neil
Pamunkey Indians
This April 1941 image shows Pamunkey Indians returning with a catch of several dozen shad to the tribe’s King William County reservation. At the time, shad was the most valuable commercial food fish in Virginia waters. Sometimes as many as 1,000 fish were caught by the tribe in a 24-hour period.
RTD Staff
Parade
In March 1942, Richmond staged its first parade since the United States entered World War II – it honored 110 Virginia aviation cadets who were to be sworn in at the state Capitol at the conclusion of the event. The parade included a battalion of 1,000 troops from Fort Lee as well as several color guards, including the American Legion color guard seen here.
Times-Dispatch
Parking ban
In December 1942, East Main Street in downtown Richmond between First and Second streets reflected a parking ban that aimed to speed streetcar service. The ban was in effect from 7 to 9:30 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m. – though one car in the distance was parked illegally.
Staff photo
Parking Lot Canteen
In August 1943, Thalhimers was allowing nighttime use of part of this parking area, at Seventh and East Grace streets downtown, as the Parking Lot Canteen, a place for service members to spend their evenings dancing under the stars. The dance pavilion project was financed by the Richmond War and Community Fund. Included in the experience were complimentary refreshments – and hostesses available as dancing partners for those who didn't bring their own dates.
RTD Staff
Quiz Kids
In September 1943, the Quiz Kids learned about railroading from RF&P engineer C.W. Shackleford (rear) during their visit to Richmond to help sell war bonds during World War II. The youths – Richard Williams (from left), Harvey Fischman and Gerard Darrow – were part of a national radio and TV series in which children with high IQs answered questions from listeners. The show was broadcast on NBC in the 1940s and ‘50s.
Staff photo
Ration tokens
In February 1944, E.W. Saunders, a clerk at R.L. Christian & Co. in downtown Richmond, showed Mrs. L.E. Barber how to use ration tokens. The tokens were used during World War II to purchase rationed goods, which in the Richmond area included food, liquor, rubber and gasoline.
Staff photo
Rationing
In March 1943, meat and cheese were added to World War II rationing, and Richmond butcher Herman Linas weighed 5-ounce pieces of meat that marked a typical portion. Rationing began in early 1942, with sugar among the first items targeted. Many other products followed, from vehicle tires to foodstuffs to gasoline.
Staff photo
Red Cross
In August 1942, Anna Purcell (left) and Mrs. Thomas P. Bryan oversaw the surgical dressing division at the Red Cross chapter in Richmond. After the dressings were made, they were distributed all over the world.
Times-Dispatch
Richmond Quartermaster Depot
In June 1946, guard Herbert Barr fed the elk at the Army’s Richmond Quartermaster Depot at Bellwood in Chesterfield County. The land was purchased by James Bellwood in 1877, and he brought in a pair of elk from his native Canada to feel more at home. By 1941, when the Army purchased the land from Bellwood’s sons, there were 11 elk, and the sons were more concerned with the welfare of the elk than the transfer of the land. The Army agreed to take care of the elk and continues to do so to this day. The Army's elk brigade - and they can't be discharged. Herbert R. Barr, guard at the Richmond General Depot, feeds his charges.
RTD Staff
Robert E. Lee Camp Confederate Soldiers’ Home
In May 1941, the Robert E. Lee Camp Confederate Soldiers’ Home was closed after the last resident died. This was the scene when demolition of the buildings began, with one of the cannons visible at the facility at the corner of Grove Avenue and the Boulevard in Richmond. At one time there were at least eight cannons, and today one remains outside the former chapel, across from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
Times-Dispatch
Rosa D. Bowser library
In July 1942, manpower and a cart were a means of transporting new books to the Rosa D. Bowser Branch of the Richmond library during the gas-rationing days of World War II. Bowser was a prominent African-American educator and social activist in Richmond from the 1880s to the 1920s. The branch was the city library’s first that was opened to African-Americans.
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Scrap metal drive
In fall 1942, Virginia newspaper publishers sponsored a three-week scrap metal drive to aid the war effort. Here, workmen removed decorative lights – installed in 1924 and made mostly of cast iron, weighing 317 pounds each – from the front of the Richmond Newspapers building to add to the heap. Richmond exceeded its goal of collecting 15 million pounds of scrap.
Staff Photo
Shoe ration
In February 1943, Aaron Hyman repaired a shoe in his Richmond store. With wartime shoe rationing, cobblers were swamped with business for repairs. Hyman said that since the rationing began, his business had doubled.
Staff photo
Sixth Street Market
Dec 26, 1943: Traffic jam at 6th street market, looking south from Marshall St.
Times-Dispatch
Street Sweepers
In December 1943, Richmond Mayor Gordon Ambler broke in the city’s new street sweeper, which had been on order for months. Wartime restrictions on manufacturing slowed production and delivery of the motorized sweeper, which city officials said was needed in light of the labor shortage in the streets unit of the Department of Public Works. The low bidder for the sweeper priced it at $4,325.
Times-Dispatch
Thomas Jefferson High School Cadet Corps
In May 1967, the Thomas Jefferson High School Cadet Corps marched in a parade. The corps was created in 1942 and had more than 500 cadets in the first class. The corps folded after the 1971 school year.
James Netherwood
Tin drive
In March 1943, workers unloaded tin cans into a storage container at the RF&P Railroad yards near Broad and Lombardy streets in Richmond. The cans were collected in the area as part of “Win With Tin” campaign during World War II. The first day yielded 30,000 pounds of tin.
Staff photo
Toll house
This October 1943 image shows a home that stood near West Cary and Nansemond streets in Richmond’s Carytown area. Built around 1851, it housed a toll-gate keeper who served along what was then known as Westham Plank Road. The home later became on office for Williams & Harvey Nursery and was restored in 1967. A shopping center is on the site today.
Staff photo
Trolley
In January 1945, Alma May Billings, a 22-year-old streetcar operator for the Virginia Transit Co., modeled one of the new uniforms that had been procured to end a long controversy about what the women should wear. The uniforms were gray with dubonnet trim. Drawn up by stylists for the Virginia Electric and Power Co., the uniforms initially carried a Vepco insignia, but it was soon replaced with a VTC emblem.
Times-Dispatch
Typewriter repair
In April 1945, A.J. Stephan (seated) and R.L. Anderson (left), both veterans of World War I and employees at Underwood Elliott Fisher Co. in downtown Richmond, trained recent World War II vets in the repair and servicing of typewriters.
Staff photo
Virginia Department of Agriculture
In October 1942, employees J.H. Elder, Jackson P. Duggins and T.B. Martin of the Virginia Department of Agriculture’s chemistry division used an array of test equipment in the state gasoline laboratory. The lab on Governor Street in downtown Richmond was in its second year of operation, in a building that previously housed a power plant for the Capitol area.
Staff photo
War bonds
In December 1942, newspaper boys Arthur (left) and Thomas Purvis of Richmond bought war bonds with money they saved from their routes. Together, the brothers bought 11 $25 bonds from R. Page French, executive vice president of Southern Bank and Trust Co.
Times-Dispatch
Water tower
In January 1946, construction continued on a 1 million-gallon water storage tank near Hawthorne Avenue and Old Brood Road in North Richmond. The tank, costing $125,000, was to be 93 feet high and 125 feet wide.
Staff photo
Weiman’s Bakery
In September 1984, Willie Thompson added flour to dough at Weiman’s Bakery on Church Hill in Richmond. The bakery was opened in 1945 by Jacob Weiman and produced nearly 120,000 pounds of baked goods each month at its peak. Over the years, the bakery supplied grocery stores, brand-name bread dealers and local restaurants. After almost seven decades, Weiman’s closed in February 2013.
Staff photo
Wilcox Lake
In August 1942, white visitors enjoyed a day at Wilcox Lake in Petersburg. The swimming facility was segregated, and the lake was closed by the city in 1958 to prevent integration. It was never officially reopened for swimming (though in the 1960s, fishing was permitted at the lake).
Staff photo
WLEE
In November 1945, Mrs. James A Quisenberry visited WLEE radio station in Richmond to collect her $209 winnings for playing the Tello-Test quiz show. Quisenberry returned the check to studio general manager Irving Abeloff (left) in exchange for Victory Bonds. Production manager Jim Fair stood ready to hand her the bonds, which continued to be a popular way to help with the war effort.
Staff Photo
WLEE
In October 1945, a dedication ceremony for new radio station WLEE was broadcast from the Mosque in Richmond. From left, WLEE owner Thomas Tinsley was joined by film and stage actors Guy Kibbee and Jean Parker as well as station manager Irvin G. Abeloff.
Staff Photo
Women in Production Service
In June 1943, eight of the 10 members of Women in Production Service central committee met. WIPS had organized at DuPont Co.’s Spruance plant in Chesterfield County that March as part of a nationwide movement of women taking over work in factories as men served during World War II. The committee included representatives for plant management and labor, and the chairwoman reported to the Spruance War Production Committee.
Staff photo
Women’s Army Corps
In June 1944, to mark the Fifth War Loan campaign, Richmond hosted a parade that included Women’s Army Corps members. The organization was formed initially in May 1942 as the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps and took on its new name in 1943. Aside from nurses, the WACs were the first women to serve in the Army, and other military branches had similar groups that formed during World War II. The organization was officially disbanded as a women’s branch in 1978, with all members folding into full Army.
RTD Staff
Works Progress Administration
In May 1941, some Richmonders wondered why Works Progress Administration workers were digging holes and apparently refilling them with the same dirt. The effort was actually a tree-planting beautification project sponsored by the Department of Public Works. The WPA worker dug a 3x3x3-foot hole, then filled it with enriched top soil. A young tree was later planted – more than 1,000 of them.
Times-Dispatch
George Wythe
In September 1945, the sound of the bell summoned students to George Wythe School in Richmond on the first day of class.
Staff photo
Laundry
In December 1945, Richmond lawyer Robert R. Merhige Jr. worked with his secretary, Mrs. Robert Wagner, to conduct inventory at a laundry on North Addison Street for which he had been appointed receiver. Merhige, who had recently been discharged from the Army Air Forces, later became a federal judge in Virginia.
Staff photo
Dog
In May 1954, Scoop sniffed around the pet food aisle at a grocery store in Richmond’s West End. The store offered a large selection of pet foods, a relatively new concept for the era. The accompanying article said: “Gone, apparently, are the days that Fido took the scraps from the table and liked them.”
Staff photo
fortune teller
In August 1945, Richmond News Leader reporter Irene Stickler got her palm read by a fortune teller at the newspaper office. For a story, Stickler got her fortune told by six area psychics and compared their interpretations of her past, present and future.
Times-Dispatch
Air Raid Wardens
In February 1944, a group of Lakeside air raid wardens rolled bandages for the Red Cross at the Hatcher Memorial Church on Dumbarton Road in Henrico County. During World War II, the sight of women in overalls doing what traditionally had been men’s jobs had grown familiar. And while the reverse was less common, the military’s need for surgical dressings prompted these men to help answer the call. They had taken first-aid courses, too.
Times-Dispatch
YMCA
This June 1938 image shows the old YMCA building at Seventh and Grace streets in downtown Richmond. Built in 1908, it was the center of “Y” activities for 30 years. In 1938, it was sold for $300,000, and the YMCA later relocated to West Franklin Street, where it remains today. This building was torn down after the sale, and a new one replaced it.
Times-Dispatch
Charter Change
In October 1947, as Richmonders headed home from work, Thomas Jefferson High School students distributed literature for the Junior Chamber of Commerce promoting the change to a council-manager type of city government. In the next month’s vote, the issue generated a higher turnout than the 1944 presidential election, and the new charter was approved overwhelmingly.
Times-Dispatch
Travelers Aid Society
In November 1944, Mrs. Alfred Adkins of Gordo, Ala., and her two young daughters visited the Travelers’ Aid Society in Richmond en route to Williamsburg, where her military husband was stationed. The society was a charter member of the Richmond War and Community Fund and offered travel assistance to servicemen and civilians.
Times-Dispatch
street sweepers
In June 1944, Richmond street sweepers wielded brooms along Adams Street. They were among the first 28 African-Americans hired by the city for the previously all-white field of employment.
Times-Dispatch
Dupont
In December 1944, employees of DuPont’s Spruance plant in Chesterfield County worked to find housing and transportation for company workers. During the war, the women – Mary B. Traylor (from left), Bella C. Hill and Pearl R. Kessler – helped new employees get adjusted to their jobs.
Staff photo
1940s floods
In September 1944, dwellers of Richmond-area houseboats endured nature’s wrath as the James River swelled after a storm. The boats often were secured to trees or pilings, but rising floodwaters put them in jeopardy.
Staff photo
Acca Temple
This July 1955 image shows the building, at Madison and Grace streets in Richmond, that once sat downtown and housed First Presbyterian Church. Completed in 1853 at the current site of Old City Hall, the building’s outer shell was moved to Madison and Grace in the mid-1880s to make room for the city building. In 1943, the Acca Shriners, who had lost the Mosque (now Altria Theater) during the Great Depression, purchased the old church building. They used it until the mid-1950s; the building has since been torn down.
Times-Dispatch
elevator
In June 1943, an executive of Atlantic Life Insurance Co. posted a sign in the elevators at the office building at Main and Sixth streets in downtown Richmond. The sign, which asked men to keep their hats on, challenged tradition – in the presence of women, men customarily removed their hats and held them to their chest. The executive felt the new policy would speed elevator service and allow for more room.
Times-Dispatch
Restaurants
In June 1943, the restaurant at a Peoples Drug Store in Richmond was bustling. The chain was founded in 1905 in Alexandria, and by 1943, there were six locations in the Richmond area, plus one in Petersburg. Many of them had lunch counters.
Times-Dispatch
Restaurants
In March 1943, teenagers visited the newly reopened Main Street Station Dining Room in Richmond, which was closed for a month to allow for remodeling required by the city. During that period, the Red Cross stepped in to supply food to World War II servicemen passing through the terminal.
Times-Dispatch
Red Cross Motor Corps
In September 1943, Richmond women participated in a Red Cross swimming program to practice personal safety, rescue and resuscitation methods.
Staff photo
shoe ration
In June 1943, shoppers waited outside a Hofheimer’s shoe store on East Broad Street in downtown Richmond, eager to use their No. 17 ration coupon before it expired. Shoes were among the items rationed during World War II because of shortages of leather and rubber. In the two days before the coupon expired, Richmond shoe businesses saw thousands of customers deplete their inventories.
Staff photo
Air Raid
In July 1942, Mrs. P.M. Edwards directed a group of women to a shelter during a daylight air raid test in Richmond. She was among the first women to serve as auxiliary wardens during a test.
Times-Dispatch
WWII
In May 1942, Reaville M. Brown, a government engineer from Savannah, Ga., presented his X card to E.D. Dover at Jim’s Service Station on East Grace Street in Richmond. That month, Richmond drivers were among many on the East Coast who got gasoline cards as part of World War II rationing. An X card allowed unlimited purchases and typically was available to physicians, public transportation drivers, clergy and government officials. For most car owners, their A card had limited units in 3-gallon increments.
Times-Dispatch
WWII
In June 1942, the fifth registration for the Selective Service, covering men ages 18-20, took place across the nation. Here, Walter Nelson (left), 18, and William Arnette, 20, arrived to register at Thomas Jefferson High School in Richmond. They were among an estimated 7,500 young Richmonders to be registered.
Times-Dispatch | https://richmond.com/zzstyling/column/small-business-doug--polly/article_916e27ec-2cc0-11ee-b185-9320d7fd8f51.html | 2023-07-29T18:05:05 | 0 | https://richmond.com/zzstyling/column/small-business-doug--polly/article_916e27ec-2cc0-11ee-b185-9320d7fd8f51.html |
Pet owner says 4-foot-long python has gone missing from his yard
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR/Gray News) - Residents in an Illinois neighborhood are currently on the lookout for a pet snake.
Jonathan Delaney told WIFR that his 15-year-old ball python named Bubba slithered away from his yard last weekend.
Delaney said his exotic 4-foot-long snake is missing, but neighbors shouldn’t be worried.
“He’s completely harmless,” Delaney said. “We’ve had him for 15 years. He’s never been mean and the biggest thing he’d eat is a rat.”
Fellow Edgewater resident Rhonda Hanley said she’d likely be startled if she came across Bubba. But because he’s someone’s pet, she’ll try to help find him.
“I’ll try and put something over the top of it like a blanket or a garbage can if I find him,” Hanley said.
Delaney is thankful that his neighbors are concerned enough to lend a helping hand.
“We are hoping he’s still around here and nobody harms him,” he said. “We are hoping to find him as soon as possible.”
Experts say because ball pythons prefer to be hidden most of the time the snake doesn’t appear to pose a threat to the public.
The snake can strike if it gets agitated, but those bites don’t normally require medical attention.
“The most that could happen is that the snake could take a defensive swipe,” Stephanie Stone, owner of Jurassic Reptile Supply, said. “It’s less impact than a cat scratch or a cat bite.”
Stone added that ball pythons typically don’t travel very far.
“Unless it feels the need to try to find a meal, it’s probably very close to where it was originally,” she said.
Anyone who spots Bubba has been urged to contact Delaney on social media.
Copyright 2023 WIFR via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.kalb.com/2023/07/29/pet-owner-says-4-foot-long-python-has-gone-missing-his-yard/ | 2023-07-29T18:05:11 | 0 | https://www.kalb.com/2023/07/29/pet-owner-says-4-foot-long-python-has-gone-missing-his-yard/ |
Astros vs. Rays: Odds, spread, over/under - July 29
Kyle Tucker will lead the charge for the Houston Astros (58-46) on Saturday, July 29, when they square off against Wander Franco and the Tampa Bay Rays (63-43) at Minute Maid Park at 7:15 PM ET.
The favored Astros have -130 moneyline odds to win against the underdog Rays, who are listed at +110. An 8.5-run over/under is set for this contest.
Astros vs. Rays Time and TV Channel
- Date: Saturday, July 29, 2023
- Time: 7:15 PM ET
- TV: FOX
- Location: Houston, Texas
- Venue: Minute Maid Park
- Probable Pitchers: Hunter Brown - HOU (6-7, 4.27 ERA) vs Taj Bradley - TB (5-6, 5.17 ERA)
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Astros vs. Rays Betting Odds, Run Line and Total
Take a look at the odds, run line and over/under for this matchup posted on several sportsbooks.
Looking to bet on the Astros versus Rays game but don't know where to start? Consider some of the most common betting types, such as the moneyline, run line, and total. A moneyline bet, such as the Astros (-130) in this matchup, means that you think the Astros will win, simple as that! And if they do, and you bet $10, you'd get $17.69 back.
Plus, there are lots of other ways to bet, like player props (will Kyle Tucker get a hit?), parlays (combining picks from multiple games to multiply your winnings), and more. For more details on the many ways you can play, check out the BetMGM website and app.
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Read More About This Game
Astros vs. Rays Betting Trends and Insights
- The Astros have entered the game as favorites 67 times this season and won 39, or 58.2%, of those games.
- When playing as moneyline favorites with odds of -130 or shorter, the Astros have gone 35-21 (62.5%).
- Houston has a 56.5% chance to win this game based on the implied probability of the moneyline.
- The Astros were the moneyline favorite for eight of their last 10 games, and they finished 5-3 in those matchups.
- Over its last 10 outings, Houston and its opponents combined to go over the run total three times (all 10 games had set totals).
- The Rays have been victorious in four, or 26.7%, of the 15 contests they have been chosen as underdogs in this season.
- This year, the Rays have won one of four games when listed as at least +110 or worse on the moneyline.
- Over the past 10 games, the Rays have been underdogs twice and lost both contests.
- Tampa Bay and its opponents have combined to hit the over two times in the last 10 games with a total.
Astros vs. Rays Player Props
Check out all the player prop markets available for this game, including betting on players to get a hit, go deep, or pick up a bunch of strikeouts. Head to BetMGM for the latest odds available for the , and place your bets. New depositors can use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
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Astros Futures Odds
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.kalb.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/astros-vs-rays-mlb-odds-over-under/ | 2023-07-29T18:05:17 | 1 | https://www.kalb.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/astros-vs-rays-mlb-odds-over-under/ |
Members of Congress break for August with no clear path to avoiding a shutdown this fall
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 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.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wkyt.com/2023/07/29/members-congress-break-august-with-no-clear-path-avoiding-shutdown-this-fall/ | 2023-07-29T18:05:41 | 1 | https://www.wkyt.com/2023/07/29/members-congress-break-august-with-no-clear-path-avoiding-shutdown-this-fall/ |
Infamous 'Preppy Killer' Robert Chambers released from prison
NEW YORK - Robert Chambers, better known as the "Preppy Killer," was released from prison on Tuesday.
In 2008 after multiple drug-related charges, Chambers pleaded guilty to selling drugs and was sentenced to 19 years at Shawangunk Correctional Facility.
Chambers served 15 years of his 19-year sentence before being released earlier this week.
It was nearly four decades ago on Aug. 26, 1986, when 18-year-old Jennifer Levin was found strangled to death in Central Park. She was found partially naked with her clothes ripped from her body and marks that suggest there was a violent struggle.
Chambers pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 15 years in prison back in 1988. He was later released in 2003, but has been in and out of prison since then.
The case garnered international attention mainly because of the "rough sex" defense, Chambers used to claim that he accidentally killed Levin because she was hurting him during sex.
Preppie killer Robert Chambers (left) and lawyer Cody McCone leave Manhattan Supreme Court after Chambers was charged with possessing a trace of crack cocaine and driving with a suspended license. Chambers was arrested two nights ago in Harlem after
Chambers, who was 19 at the time, was arrested, charged and dubbed the "Preppy Killer" – primarily because of his seemingly good looks and charm.
The case would become the subject of numerous documentaries and movies.
Fox 5 NY's Rosanna Scotto covered the trial for weeks and even obtained exclusive video days after Chambers accepted a plea deal for 5 to 15 years in jail that showed him acting irrationally, moaning, while holding a toy doll, pretending to accidentally kill it.
Chambers is on parole until 2028. | https://www.fox5ny.com/news/the-preppy-killer-has-been-released | 2023-07-29T18:05:49 | 0 | https://www.fox5ny.com/news/the-preppy-killer-has-been-released |
Members of Congress break for August with no clear path to avoiding a shutdown this fall
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 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.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2023/07/29/members-congress-break-august-with-no-clear-path-avoiding-shutdown-this-fall/ | 2023-07-29T18:06:33 | 0 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2023/07/29/members-congress-break-august-with-no-clear-path-avoiding-shutdown-this-fall/ |
UNITY TOWNSHIP — The Pittsburgh Steelers announced their 2023 Hall of Honor Class Saturday from the Fred Rogers Center of Saint Vincent College.
It included modern stars, including James Harrison and Aaron Smith. The ‘older’ inductees are Gerry ‘Moon’ Mullins and Ray Mansfield.
The group will be honored on October 29th when the Steelers welcome the Jacksonville Jaguars to town. Those proceedings with happen on the field at Acrisure Stadium to honor the recipients.
Read more about the inductees at our partners Sports Now Group Pittsburgh.
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©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/james-harrison-aaron-smith-headline-steelers-2023-hall-honor-class/DLR2FK4ZSJCG5NV2HCXOQYB6KI/ | 2023-07-29T18:06:34 | 1 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/james-harrison-aaron-smith-headline-steelers-2023-hall-honor-class/DLR2FK4ZSJCG5NV2HCXOQYB6KI/ |
NEW YORK — (AP) — Trader Joe's is recalling a broccoli cheddar soup that may contain insects and cooked falafel that may contain rocks, about one week after the grocery chain recalled two cookie products over similar concerns.
The soup recall impacts Trader Joe's Unexpected Broccoli Cheddar Soup with "Use By" dates ranging from July 18 to Sept. 15, according to a Thursday announcement from the company. On Friday, the grocer announced that Trader Joe's Fully Cooked Falafel sold in 35 states and Washington, D.C., was also under recall.
On July 21, Trader Joe's announced that it was recalling Trader Joe's Almond Windmill Cookies and Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Chunk and Almond Cookies with "sell by" dates ranging from Oct. 17 to Oct. 21. Like the falafel, the cookies may also contain rocks, the company said.
When asked for further information about how the insects and rocks may have gotten into these products, a Trader Joe's spokesperson said that “there was an issue in the manufacturing processes in the facilities." Suppliers alerted Trader Joe's of the possible foreign material for each recall, the company said.
"We pulled the product from our shelves as soon as we were made aware of the issue. Once we understood the issue we notified our customers,” the spokesperson said in a statement sent to The Associated Press Saturday.
All of the recalled cookies, soup and falafel have been removed from sale or destroyed, Trader Joe's said in its announcements. But the Monrovia, California-based company is still urging consumers to check their kitchens for the products.
Trader Joe's says customers who have the recalled products should throw them away or return them to any store for a full refund. Lot codes and further details about the products under recall, as well as customer service contact information, can be found on the company's website.
Trader Joe's did not specify how many products were impacted with each recall or identify suppliers. But one Food and Drug Administration notice cited by NBC News says that the Unexpected Broccoli Cheddar Soup recall impacts around 10,889 cases sold in seven states. Winter Gardens Quality Foods, Inc. is identified as the recalling firm, per the notice.
No formal releases about the three recalls were published on the FDA's Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts page as of Saturday. The Associated Press reached out to the FDA and Winter Gardens Quality Foods for information on Saturday.
“We have a close relationship with our vendors and they alerted us of these issues. We don’t hesitate or wait for regulatory agencies to tell us what to do," the Trader Joe's spokesperson said. "We will never leave to chance the safety of the products we offer.”
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.wpxi.com/news/more-trader-joes/KJAP65W6AM5HTR2RO6BG7HCYUA/ | 2023-07-29T18:06:41 | 1 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/more-trader-joes/KJAP65W6AM5HTR2RO6BG7HCYUA/ |
Bartolo Colón will get a proper MLB sendoff in September, almost a year after he announced his intention to retire from baseball. The New York Mets announced Colón will officially retire as a member of the team on Sept. 17 before a game against the Cincinnati Reds at Citi Field.
Bartolo Colón will officially retire as a member of the #Mets on Sunday, Sept. 17.
— New York Mets (@Mets) July 29, 2023
The first 15,000 fans attending the Sept. 17 game will receive a Bartolo Colón “Big Sexy” long sleeve shirt. 🎟️👉 https://t.co/nJL1R9sKf7 pic.twitter.com/gqYrPfGaMd
It had previously been reported by baseball insider Héctor Gómez in June that Colón would be honored at a Mets-Angels game in August.
Colón, who turned 50 in April, pitched three years with the Mets from 2014 to 2016. Colón's career spanned 21 years and 11 MLB teams. He last saw MLB action in 2018 for the Texas Rangers, with whom he pitched 146 1/3 innings with a 5.78 ERA, 1.346 WHIP and 81 strikeouts.
Colón has a career ERA of 4.12, WHIP of 1.312 and 2,535 career strikeouts. He made four All-Stars and was the 2005 Cy Young winner after leading MLB with 21 wins.
Colón was perhaps most known for his first and only career home run. He smacked a dinger to left field in a 2016 game for the Mets against the Padres.
Happy 50th birthday, Bartolo Colón!
— MLB Vault (@MLBVault) May 24, 2023
Bartolo is still the oldest player in AL/NL history to hit their first home run! pic.twitter.com/KbsY0KGbUg
Although he has been out of MLB action for some time, Colón pitched 3 2/3 innings for Águilas Cibaeñas of the Dominican Professional Baseball League from 2018 to 2019 as well as 61 1/3 innings for Acereros de Monclova of the Mexican League in 2021.
He also threw out the first pitch at the Mets' May 7 game against the Rockies on the seven-year anniversary of his iconic home run. | https://www.wpxi.com/news/national/bartolo-coln-be/X2UHHOP347MXFTAQTSYK7Y6JIM/ | 2023-07-29T18:06:48 | 1 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/national/bartolo-coln-be/X2UHHOP347MXFTAQTSYK7Y6JIM/ |
Get ready, country music fans! Tim McGraw is gearing up for an unforgettable 2024 with the announcement of his extensive North American tour, the ‘Standing Room Only’ tour, set to launch next spring. The highly anticipated tour will kick off on March 14 at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, and will continue through April and May, culminating with a grand finale on June 27 at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Throughout the tour, McGraw will be supported by the talented singer-songwriter Carly Pearce, making it a night of exceptional performances that fans won’t want to miss.
“I always want to deliver the best possible concert I can for the fans,” expressed McGraw in a statement. “We’ve got some really special plans to make this the biggest and the best tour we’ve ever done.” With this promise of an extraordinary experience, concert-goers can expect an event filled with remarkable music, energy, and moments that will be cherished for a lifetime.
“We’ve got some really special plans to make this the biggest and the best tour we’ve ever done.” – Tim McGraw
The tour coincides with the release of Tim McGraw’s highly awaited 16th studio album, ‘Standing Room Only,’ which is slated to hit the shelves on August 25. This will be McGraw’s first studio album since the 2020 release of ‘Here on Earth.’ The album has already teased fans with two exciting singles, the title track ‘Standing Room Only’ and the soulful ballad “Hey Whiskey.” Music enthusiasts can look forward to experiencing these new tracks and more live during the tour, where Tim McGraw’s captivating stage presence and powerful vocals are sure to leave the audience spellbound.
One particular date that stands out on the tour schedule is April 18, when Tim McGraw will grace the stage at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. Fans in the area can look forward to an unforgettable night! Tickets for the ‘Standing Room Only’ tour will go on sale starting August 4 at 10 a.m. local time. For more detailed information and to secure your spot at one of these remarkable shows, make sure to visit McGraw’s official website. | https://hankfm.com/110215/tim-mcgraws-standing-room-only-tour-stop-in-indiana/ | 2023-07-29T18:06:52 | 0 | https://hankfm.com/110215/tim-mcgraws-standing-room-only-tour-stop-in-indiana/ |
The intense heat wave continued its grip on many parts of the country, including in New York City, where temperatures were expected to surge into the lower 90s (around 35 C) on Saturday, but the humid, thick air could make it feel well over the century mark.
The sizzling air has heated up everything from the ocean to pools, making it difficult to cool off. One woman in the Southwest has been throwing blocks of ice in her pool.
Metro Phoenix could see its 30th day of 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 degrees Celsius) or higher on Saturday before temperatures start dropping in the city and other areas that saw some of the most extreme temperatures in July. Scientists expect this month will be the hottest globally on record and likely the warmest human civilization has seen.
Here’s what’s happening related to extreme weather and the climate right now:
— Heat advisories continued in New York City, where high humidity has made it uncomfortable and dangerous. Some 500 cooling centers have opened across the city’s five boroughs, and the governor authorized the state’s swimming pools to stay open later. The extreme heat was forecast to ease Sunday.
— Parts of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut were under a heat advisory through Saturday night. In northern New England, temperatures were down 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit after getting into the 90s (around 35 C) on Friday, but the humidity lingered throughout the region. Afternoon and evening storms were forecast and could bring a chance of flash flooding.
— The weather was equally stifling and muggy in the center of the United States. An excessive heat warning was issued for much of Missouri, Kansas and western Illinois, where the sweaty mix of heat and humidity could make it feel like up to 112 degrees Fahrenheit (about 44 C) in parts. St. Louis health director Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis said the risk of heat stroke was high and warned that interior car temperatures could reach lethal levels in minutes.
— Temperatures are forecast to start to drop in the hottest areas in the southwest of the United States, including Phoenix, Las Vegas, Albuquerque and Death Valley, California.
— With the scorching heat, even going for a swim offered little to no relief. Sea surface temperatures rose above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (about 38 C) at a spot off Florida's southern tip, while pools in the Southwest gave the sensation of being in soup.
— The high temperatures are reaching across the globe, including in Bolivia, where a drought alert has been declared for Lake Titicaca after water levels of the world's highest navigable lake receded to a critically low threshold.
___
Associated Press writers Bobby Caina Calvan in New York; Heather Hollingsworth in Mission, Kansas; Ken Ritter in Las Vegas; and Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire contributed to this report.
___
Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP's climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.wpxi.com/news/national/climate-glimpse/K7CUY2RLY2CXWF4YONKXV4S2OQ/ | 2023-07-29T18:06:55 | 0 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/national/climate-glimpse/K7CUY2RLY2CXWF4YONKXV4S2OQ/ |
Before taking off on its traditional summer break, F1 descends into the Ardennes Forest and the idyllic Spa-Francorchamps circuit this weekend for the Belgian Grand Prix.
Two-time defending series champion Max Verstappen is the heavy favorite to win for the third straight time in the country of his birth (he races under the Dutch flag but was born in Hasselt), but wet conditions could throw a spanner in the works and open the door for the likes of Lando Norris and a resurgent McLaren camp.
Here’s everything to know about the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix:
Belgian Grand Prix sprint results
Max Verstappen (1), Red Bull-Honda RBPT
Oscar Piastri (81), McLaren-Mercedes
Pierre Gasly (10), Alpine-Renault
Carlos Sainz (55), Ferrari
Charles Leclerc (16), Ferrari
Lando Norris (4), McLaren-Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton (44), Mercedes
George Russell (63), Mercedes
Esteban Ocon (31), Alpine-Renault
Daniel Ricciardo (3), AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT
Lance Stroll (18), Aston Martin-Mercedes
Alexander Albon (23), Williams-Mercedes
Valtteri Bottas (77), Alfa Romeo-Ferrari
Kevin Magnussen (20), Haas-Ferrari
Zhou Guanyu (24), Alfa Romeo-Ferrari
Logan Sargeant (2), Williams-Mercedes
Nico Hulkenberg, (27), Haas-Ferrari
Yuki Tsunoda (22), AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT
Sergio Perez (11), Red Bull-Honda RBPT
Fernando Alonso (14), Aston Martin-Mercedes
Belgian Grand Prix TV/streaming schedule
All times Eastern
Friday7:25 - 8:30 a.m.: Free practice 1 (ESPN2, F1 TV Pro)10:55 a.m. - Noon: Qualifying (ESPN2, F1 TV Pro)
Saturday6:25 - 7:30 a.m.: Sprint shootout (ESPN2, F1 TV Pro)10:25 - 11:30 a.m.: Sprint (ESPN2, F1 TV Pro)
Sunday7:30 - 8:55 a.m.: Pre-race show (ESPN)8:55 - 11 a.m.: Belgian Grand Prix (ESPN, F1 TV Pro)
Belgian Grand Prix details
Track: Circuit Spa-Francorchamps (Spa, Belgium), 19-turn, 4.35-mile permanent racing facilityRace length: 44 laps for 191.4 milesLap record: 1:46.286Tire compounds: C2 (Hard), C3 (Medium), C4 (Hard)2022 winner: Max Verstappen, Red Bull-RBPT
Verstappen gets five-place grid drop
Max Verstappen's Red Bull-RBPT is taking on a fifth gearbox of the season and, since only four are allowed per season, he will be penalized by five grid spots for Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix. The gearbox is part of a list of limited components teams are able to use throughout a season along with power unit and engine parts. The two-time reigning and event champion will start from P6 after coming in first in qualifying.
Belgian Grand Prix starting grid
Charles Leclerc (16), Ferrari
Sergio Perez (11), Red Bull-Honda RBPT
Lewis Hamilton (44), Mercedes
Carlos Sainz (55), Ferrari
Oscar Piastri (81), McLaren-Mercedes
Max Verstappen (1), Red Bull-Honda RBPT
Lando Norris (4), McLaren-Mercedes
George Russell (63), Mercedes
Fernando Alonso (14), Aston Martin-Mercedes
Lance Stroll (18), Aston Martin-Mercedes
Yuki Tsunoda (22), AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT
Pierre Gasly (10), Alpine-Renault
Kevin Magnussen (20), Haas-Ferrari
Valtteri Bottas (77), Alfa Romeo-Ferrari
Esteban Ocon (31), Alpine-Renault
Alexander Albon (23), Williams-Mercedes
Zhou Guanyu (24), Alfa Romeo-Ferrari
Logan Sargeant (2), Williams-Mercedes
Daniel Ricciardo (3), AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT
Nico Hulkenberg, (27), Haas-Ferrari
Top drivers and best bets for the Belgian Grand Prix
Verstappen – as he will for the rest of the season – opens with an absurd advantage in the odds, with a -350 moneyline going into the weekend, while no other driver is better than 10-to-1 according to BetMGM. Keep betting him even if you have to risk more until he starts not to pay out.
Best odds to win• Max Verstappen -350• Lando Norris +1000• Lewis Hamilton +1200
Yahoo Sports' Nick Brombergwrote earlier in the week on other wagers he's eying for the weekend, including Verstappen and Norris finishing on the podium (+100) and both Aston Martin drivers to finish in the points (+175). Verstappen is imperious in the wet, while Norris is on a great run of form with back-to-back P2 finishes. As for Aston Martin, Fernando Alonso has bagged six podiums in 11 races so far, while teammate Lance Stroll has an average finish of P10 in races he's finished for the team at Spa.
Sprint weekend format returns
In 2021, F1 introduced the Sprint weekend format, which moved traditional qualifying to Friday and put in its place a shortened race that would award minimal points and set the grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix. A few nominal tweaks later, we have our current format for the 2023 season, which effectively makes Saturday more like an exhibition. This weekend marks the third of six sprint format weekends in 2023.
Sprint Shootout is here! 🍿
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 25, 2023
Imagine qualifying, but even quicker. Every lap counts as Saturday's Sprint Shootout sets the grid for the #F1Sprint
Leaving Sunday's Grand Prix unaffected 🔒 pic.twitter.com/oTVrJIuLvl
The format change ditches the lame-duck Saturday morning practice session in favor of a quicker version of the traditional three-stage knockout qualifying format to set the grid for the sprint race later in the day. The top eight finishers of the sprint will be awarded points in descending order (eight for P1, seven for P2, six for P3, etc.).
F1 world drivers’ championship standings
1. Max Verstappen (1), Red Bull-Honda RBPT - 2812. Sergio Perez (11), Red Bull-Honda RBPT - 1713. Fernando Alonso (14), Aston Martin-Mercedes - 1394. Lewis Hamilton (44), Mercedes - 1335. George Russell (63), Mercedes - 906. Carlos Sainz (55), Ferrari - 877. Charles Leclerc (16), Ferrari - 808. Lando Norris (4), McLaren-Mercedes - 609. Lance Stroll (18), Aston Martin-Mercedes - 4510. Esteban Ocon (31), Alpine-Renault - 3111. Oscar Piastri (81), McLaren-Mercedes - 2712. Pierre Gasly (10), Alpine-Renault - 1613. Alexander Albon (23), Williams-Mercedes - 1114. Nico Hülkenberg, (27), Haas-Ferrari - 915. Valtteri Bottas (77), Alfa Romeo-Ferrari - 516. Zhou Guanyu (24), Alfa Romeo-Ferrari - 417. Yuki Tsunoda (22), AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT - 218. Kevin Magnussen (20), Haas-Ferrari - 219. Logan Sargeant (2), Williams-Mercedes - 020. Daniel Ricciardo (3), AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT - 0
Belgian Grand Prix weather
Expect delays or cancellations. The forecast calls for hot, humid conditions with more than a 51 percent chance of precipitation for all three days. The nastiest weather is expected for Friday's practice and grand prix qualifying sessions which could mix up the middle of the grid, but Verstappen, Hamilton and Norris are all strong wet-weather drivers and typically run very well at Spa, so temper expectations at the top.
Visibility both on track and in the air could severely alter the weekend schedule. With Spa's deadly history, including the recent death of Dilano van 't Hoff after a crash in heavy rain, drivers are already pushing for more caution this weekend. Alternatively, if visibility in the skies hampers the ability for medical response helicopters to take off and land, that, too, could force race stewards' hands in delaying or canceling on-track running.
Every way to watch F1:
Why you can trust us: We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we believe in. Pricing and availability are subject to change. | https://www.wpxi.com/news/national/f1-results-max/NM2BGPSB7EUDRKVGVPD7N672LY/ | 2023-07-29T18:07:01 | 1 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/national/f1-results-max/NM2BGPSB7EUDRKVGVPD7N672LY/ |
Members of Congress break for August with no clear path to avoiding a shutdown this fall
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 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.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.1011now.com/2023/07/29/members-congress-break-august-with-no-clear-path-avoiding-shutdown-this-fall/ | 2023-07-29T18:07:02 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/2023/07/29/members-congress-break-august-with-no-clear-path-avoiding-shutdown-this-fall/ |
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Excitement is building as Fulton County Schools (FCS) prepares to kick off the new school year with a lively back-to-school pep rally aimed at bringing together Fulton families for a day of fun and informative activities.
According to a release, the district is hosting "First Day Fulton" on Saturday, July 29, at two locations: Banneker High School in College Park and North Springs High School in Sandy Springs. It's from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Attendees can look forward to various giveaways, including free school supplies (while supplies last) and community vendor offerings. The event will feature a district department expo, allowing families to learn more about the various services and resources available within the district. Additionally, free groceries will be provided to support the community further.
Families can also take advantage of the health fair that will be taking place onsite, offering essential health screenings such as Form 3300, which includes the Certificate of Vision, Hearing, Dental and Nutrition Screening. Parents can also learn from experts about other crucial health-related information for their children's well-being.
During the pep rally, parents will have the chance to explore a range of helpful online tools, including the campus parent mobile app, which grants access to the parent portal. Additionally, families can get acquainted with the user-friendly "Here Comes the Bus" website, enabling them to easily access bus route information, ensuring a smooth start to their children's daily commute. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/education/free-school-supplies-groceries-more-first-day-fulton-event-saturday-details/85-62149084-e248-48d3-8d7f-2b5bf232c0d7 | 2023-07-29T18:07:02 | 0 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/education/free-school-supplies-groceries-more-first-day-fulton-event-saturday-details/85-62149084-e248-48d3-8d7f-2b5bf232c0d7 |
UVALDE, Texas — Kimberly Mata-Rubio, mother of Alexandria “Lexi” Rubio who was killed in the Robb Elementary School shooting last year in Uvalde, Texas announced Thursday she is running for mayor in a special election.
Mata-Rubio is running for mayor after Don McLaughlin announced he is stepping down as mayor to run for a House seat in Texas, ABC News reported.
“I want to represent the underserved in this community, whose voices matter but have long been unheard,” Mata-Rubio, 34, said, according to the Uvalde Leaders-News. “I want residents to see themselves in me and feel at ease sharing their grievances.”
Mata-Rubio’s daughter was one of 19 students and two teachers who were killed on May 24, 2022, at Robb Elementary School when a gunman entered their classrooms, according to ABC News.
I grieve for the woman you would have become and all the difference you would have made in this world. I grieve for the woman I was when you were still here. But, one part of me still exist, I am still your mom. I will honor your life with action. This is only the beginning💛 pic.twitter.com/s3rknjwsCC
— Kimberly Mata-Rubio (@kimrubio21) July 27, 2023
“I grieve for the woman you would have become and all the difference you would have made in this world. I grieve for the woman I was when you were still here. But, one part of me still exist, I am still your mom. I will honor your life with action,” Mata-Rubio said on Twitter Thursday. “This is only the beginning.”
Since the shooting, Mata-Rubio has been demanding answers from officials as many others have in the community and around the nation. According to CNN, she has become a gun violence advocate calling for a ban on assault rifles.
“We don’t want you to think of Lexi as just a number,” she said at a House hearing on Capitol Hill on gun violence in June 2022, according to CNN. “She was intelligent, compassionate and athletic. She was quiet, shy — unless she had a point to make. When she knew she was right, as she so often was, she stood her ground. She was firm, direct, voice unwavering.”
Former Uvalde Mayor Cody Smith is also looking to run again, the Uvalde Leader-News reported, according to CNN.
“It would be easy to run from the issues that plague our town, but I have decided to remain in Uvalde and be part of the change that is long overdue,” Mata-Rubio told the Uvalde Leader-News, according to the Today Show. “Our town has become stagnant. Our leadership became comfortable, which led to the events that unfolded on May 24, 2022.
Candidates have until September 6 to file for the special election in Uvalde. The Uvalde city secretary, Sorayda Sanchez, told CNN she has not received any applications as of Thursday afternoon.
The election is expected to take place in November, the Uvalde Leader-News reported. | https://www.wpxi.com/news/trending/mother-uvalde-victim-running-mayor-city-special-election/TRQVSXOWA5FMZHCNDC6MAA2G2A/ | 2023-07-29T18:07:08 | 0 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/trending/mother-uvalde-victim-running-mayor-city-special-election/TRQVSXOWA5FMZHCNDC6MAA2G2A/ |
Omaha Police arrest two in connection with July robberies
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Omaha Police announced Friday night they arrested two men in connection with a series of robberies this month.
OPD said in a media release they responded to a Scooters near 72nd and Military around 6:30 a.m. Friday for a report of a robbery. It was determined the suspects involved matched the description of a robbery at the Comfort Suites at 105th and Bedford earlier Friday morning.
The investigation revealed the two men were involved in seven robberies between July 15 and Friday.
29-year-old Wayne Rolling was booked for seven counts each of robbery and use of a weapon to commit a felony. He was also booked for possession of a firearm by a felon, theft by receiving, and auto theft.
27-year-old Keith Hill was booked for seven counts each of robbery and use of a weapon to commit a felony, as well as one count each of felon in possession of a firearm and theft by receiving.
Copyright 2023 WOWT. All rights reserved. | https://www.1011now.com/2023/07/29/omaha-police-arrest-two-connection-with-july-robberies/ | 2023-07-29T18:07:08 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/2023/07/29/omaha-police-arrest-two-connection-with-july-robberies/ |
ATLANTA — Editor's note: The video above is from previous reporting on the facility.
“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.
Atlanta public training center activists say they're confident of getting 70K signatures. But big hurdles remain
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 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 couldn'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://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/atlanta-public-safety-training-center-activists-70000-signatures/85-caa2a029-e4ad-4827-8542-4d8c1f7b803b | 2023-07-29T18:07:08 | 0 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/atlanta-public-safety-training-center-activists-70000-signatures/85-caa2a029-e4ad-4827-8542-4d8c1f7b803b |
KYIV, Ukraine — (AP) — Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday signed a law moving the official Christmas Day holiday to Dec. 25 from Jan. 7, the day when the Russian Orthodox Church observes it.
The explanatory note attached to the law said its goal is to “abandon the Russian heritage,” including that of “imposing the celebration of Christmas” on Jan. 7, and cited Ukrainians' “relentless, successful struggle for their identity” and “the desire of all Ukrainians to live their lives with their own traditions, holidays,” fueled by Russia's 17-month-old aggression against the country.
Last year, some Ukrainians already observed Christmas on Dec. 25, in a gesture that represented separation from Russia, its culture and religious traditions.
The law also moves the Day of Ukrainian Statehood to July 15 from July 28, and the Day of Defenders of Ukraine to Oct. 1 from Oct. 14.
The Russian Orthodox Church, which claims sovereignty over Orthodoxy in Ukraine, and some other Eastern Orthodox churches continue to use the ancient Julian calendar. Christmas falls 13 days later on that calendar, or Jan. 7, than it does on the Gregorian calendar used by most church and secular groups.
The Catholic Church first adopted the modern, more astronomically precise Gregorian calendar in the 16th century. Protestants and some Orthodox churches have since aligned their own calendars for the purpose of calculating Christmas and Easter.
Ukraine's religious landscape has fractured for years. There are two branches of Orthodox Christianity in the country, one aligned with the Russian church, even as it enjoys broad autonomy, the other completely independent of it. The Orthodox Church of Ukraine, the branch that is separate from the Russian church, announced earlier this year that it was switching to the Revised Julian calendar, which marks Christmas on Dec. 25.
Its leadership last year allowed believers to celebrate the holiday on Dec. 25.
Russia's state news agency RIA Novosti reported on Saturday that the rival Orthodox Church, which is aligned with the Russian Orthodox Church, vowed to continue observing Christmas on Jan. 7.
Zelenskyy on Saturday traveled to the war-torn Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, which Russia has illegally annexed, but only partially occupies, and met with members of the country’s Special Operation Forces. Zelenskyy noted in an online statement that Saturday marks their official day of recognition and also the anniversary of the deadly attack on the Olenivka prison in the Russian-held part of the region in which dozens of prisoners of war were killed.
Russia and Ukraine accused each other of the attack, with both sides saying that the assault was premeditated in a bid to cover up atrocities. A United Nations fact-finding mission requested by Russia and Ukraine was sent to investigate the killings, but the team was disbanded in January 2023 due to security concerns.
Zelenskyy described the attack as one of Russia’s “most vile and cruel crimes” in a video statement Saturday.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.wpxi.com/news/world/ukraine-moves/PFWGJ3MBHSEGLMPMEZBII3N7RI/ | 2023-07-29T18:07:14 | 1 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/world/ukraine-moves/PFWGJ3MBHSEGLMPMEZBII3N7RI/ |
Community mourning the passing of Rowan Co. student
The school will open its doors to students and staff on Sunday.
Published: Jul. 29, 2023 at 1:40 PM EDT|Updated: 25 minutes ago
CHINA GROVE, N.C. (WBTV) - A Rowan County school is opening up to offer support for the community after the death of a student.
Dalton Gay, a student at Jesse Carson High School, died Friday night.
The school will open to host school students and staff at 5 p.m. Sunday.
Staff have also invited students to attend a regular church service at 11 a.m. at Charity Baptist Church in his memory.
Copyright 2023 WBTV. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbtv.com/2023/07/29/community-mourning-passing-rowan-co-student/ | 2023-07-29T18:07:16 | 1 | https://www.wbtv.com/2023/07/29/community-mourning-passing-rowan-co-student/ |
WARSAW, Poland — (AP) — Over 100 mercenaries belonging to the Russian-linked Wagner group in Belarus have moved close to the border with Poland, the Polish prime minister said Saturday.
Mateusz Morawiecki said at a news conference that the mercenaries had moved close to the Suwalki Gap, a strategic stretch of Polish territory situated between Belarus and Kaliningrad, a Russian territory separated from the mainland.
Poland is a member of both the European Union and NATO, and it has worried about its security with Russian ally Belarus and Ukraine on its eastern border.
Those fears have grown since Wagner group mercenaries arrived in Belarus since the group's short-lived rebellion earlier this summer.
The Poland-Belarus border has already been a tense place for a couple of years, ever since large numbers of immigrants from the Middle East and Africa began arriving, seeking to enter the EU by crossing into Poland, as well as Lithuania.
Poland's government accuses Russia and Belarus of using the migrants to destabilize Poland and other EU countries. It calls the migration a form of hybrid warfare, and has responded by building a high wall along part of its border with Belarus.
“Now the situation becomes even more dangerous," Morawiecki told reporters.
He added that “this is certainly a step towards a further hybrid attack on Polish territory.”
Morawiecki spoke during a visit to an arms factory in Gliwice, in southern Poland, where Leopard tanks used by the Ukrainian army are being repaired.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.wpxi.com/news/world/wagner-mercenaries/KFVOFB5FYUBHVVFMQ3CDT27THQ/ | 2023-07-29T18:07:20 | 0 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/world/wagner-mercenaries/KFVOFB5FYUBHVVFMQ3CDT27THQ/ |
Traffic alert: I-485 closed in both directions on outer loop following crash
Severe congestion is expected until at least 2:21 p.m.
Published: Jul. 29, 2023 at 1:50 PM EDT|Updated: 13 minutes ago
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Interstate 485 is closed in both directions on the outer loop following a serious crash.
According to the North Carolina Department of Transportation, it happened around 1:21 p.m. near exit 51.
Medic confirmed that one person had life-threatening injuries.
Severe congestion is expected until at least 2:21 p.m.
Get the latest updates on this and other breaking news by downloading the free WBTV News app today.
Watch continuing live coverage here:
Copyright 2023 WBTV. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbtv.com/2023/07/29/traffic-alert-i-485-closed-both-directions-following-crash/ | 2023-07-29T18:07:22 | 1 | https://www.wbtv.com/2023/07/29/traffic-alert-i-485-closed-both-directions-following-crash/ |
NEW YORK – Trader Joe's is recalling a broccoli cheddar soup that may contain insects and cooked falafel that may contain rocks, about one week after the grocery chain recalled two cookie products over similar concerns.
The soup recall impacts Trader Joe’s Unexpected Broccoli Cheddar Soup with “Use By” dates ranging from July 18 to Sept. 15, according to a Thursday announcement from the company. On Friday, the grocer announced that Trader Joe’s Fully Cooked Falafel sold in 35 states and Washington, D.C., was also under recall.
On July 21, Trader Joe's announced that it was recalling Trader Joe’s Almond Windmill Cookies and Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Chunk and Almond Cookies with “sell by” dates ranging from Oct. 17 to Oct. 21. Like the falafel, the cookies may also contain rocks, the company said.
When asked for further information about how the insects and rocks may have gotten into these products, a Trader Joe's spokesperson said that “there was an issue in the manufacturing processes in the facilities." Suppliers alerted Trader Joe's of the possible foreign material for each recall, the company said.
"We pulled the product from our shelves as soon as we were made aware of the issue. Once we understood the issue we notified our customers,” the spokesperson said in a statement sent to The Associated Press Saturday.
All of the recalled cookies, soup and falafel have been removed from sale or destroyed, Trader Joe's said in its announcements. But the Monrovia, California-based company is still urging consumers to check their kitchens for the products.
Trader Joe's says customers who have the recalled products should throw them away or return them to any store for a full refund. Lot codes and further details about the products under recall, as well as customer service contact information, can be found on the company's website.
Trader Joe's did not specify how many products were impacted with each recall or identify suppliers. But one Food and Drug Administration notice cited by NBC News says that the Unexpected Broccoli Cheddar Soup recall impacts around 10,889 cases sold in seven states. Winter Gardens Quality Foods, Inc. is identified as the recalling firm, per the notice.
No formal releases about the three recalls were published on the FDA's Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts page as of Saturday. The Associated Press reached out to the FDA and Winter Gardens Quality Foods for information on Saturday.
“We have a close relationship with our vendors and they alerted us of these issues. We don’t hesitate or wait for regulatory agencies to tell us what to do," the Trader Joe's spokesperson said. "We will never leave to chance the safety of the products we offer.” | https://www.clickorlando.com/business/2023/07/29/more-trader-joes-recalls-this-soup-may-contain-bugs-and-falafel-may-have-rocks-grocer-says/ | 2023-07-29T18:07:23 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/business/2023/07/29/more-trader-joes-recalls-this-soup-may-contain-bugs-and-falafel-may-have-rocks-grocer-says/ |
COLFAX, Iowa — (AP) — In the small central Iowa town of Colfax, thousands of cyclists participating in the largest and oldest recreational bike ride in the world were stopped along its historic main street, staring ahead at a daunting climb that would lead them out of town.
The hill, coupled with soaring temps and the vibrant downtown, made a morning sitting in the shade quite appealing.
It's become almost simplistic to say that “small-town America” is slowly dying. That opportunities for young people have dried up, just like businesses and main streets. That the only way forward in life involves moving to a big city. But the reality is towns such as Colfax are flourishing, and that was especially evident on RAGBRAI, the annual bike ride across the state, where dozens of small towns dotting the 500-mile route welcomed some 50,000 riders with open arms.
Colfax is a prime example. It experienced a nearly 8% increase in population from the 2010 census to the most recent in 2020, turning around two decades of decline. Its population of 2,255 represented its highest since the 1990s.
Sure, many small towns are still struggling, but what has allowed those such as Colfax to thrive?
“Mostly, a wonderful mayor and council and volunteers that just ensure a vital community,” explains Wade Wagoner, the former city manager for the small town of Lake Park, and now the city administrator for Colfax.
“Des Moines and the metro growing to the east doesn't hurt,” Wagoner said. “Also, the fact that we still have a high school and citizens just approved a $14 million bond for athletic and academic improvements make people want to raise a family here.”
Wagoner underscores that location is important. After the COVID-19 pandemic, when many jobs became partially or fully remote, people who may have once worked in a city could suddenly live just about anywhere, including small towns across America.
Wagoner goes on to talk about the smallest Fareway grocery store in the state, the coffee shop and bank and city hall, all of which make for a bustling hub. There's also a rich history with mineral water that makes Colfax's downtown large for its size.
In other words, Colfax has leaned into its strengths to create a community that people want to call home.
And every few years, big events such as RAGBRAI roll through, giving them a chance to shine.
“Lots of trash and (Port-o-potties,” Wagoner said of the traveling circus, “but it is actually pretty cool. It lets us show off the town and certain businesses do make some money. Others find it a pain. But it's only for a single day.”
If nothing else, the horde of cyclists are good for making money.
In Polk City, between the busy metros of Ames and Des Moines, high school students collected money to fund their after-prom party. Elsewhere on the ride, residents of Slater were using donations to build a new community center and library. In Breda, where the route went through Monday, the town was trying to raise $300,000 to replace the lights at its baseball grandstand, which was built in 1946 and has withstood the test of time.
Breda, population 500, is another example of a small town doing well. It has steadily gained residents for the past 30 years.
In the quiet hamlet of Oxford, just past the fire department and the Deja Brew Coffee House & Bakery, four boys took turns in a dunk tank Friday as cyclists passed through on a day of unrelenting heat — the index topped out at 112 degrees.
For just $5, riders got three shots at the tank. All the proceeds went to their little league program.
The boys were winning on two fronts: staying cool and making cash.
The population of Slater, just north of Polk City, has steadily grown the past three decades.
“Many young families have moved into Slater recently for the school system, and safety of our small town, and ease of getting around,” said Evy Raes of the Slater Area Historical Association. “Our sense of community was tested when a derecho roared through in August 2020. Never fear: anyone with a pickup truck, a chain saw and a six-pack was out in the streets after the storm, helping neighbors clear and dispose of the debris. People really pulled together and no one was a stranger.”
That sense of community isn't always felt in bigger cities. And more than anything, Raes said, that has helped them to thrive.
“We are a small town with big ideals,” Raes said. “Many people who move into Slater feel an instant connection with the community. It is said though, ‘Don’t gossip about anybody who’s lived here awhile, because they may be related to the person you’re talking to.’ My family has lived here over 74 years, and some days we feel like the new people."
Turns out that, at least in some small towns, there are in fact plenty of new people.
___
Dave Skretta is a Kansas City, Missouri-based AP Sports Writer. He grew up in the small-but-vibrant northeast Iowa town of Decorah and and has ridden RAGBRAI many times, though he's never written about it while doing it. Skretta wrote periodic updates from the road. He covered 579 miles from start to finish.
___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.wpxi.com/sports/bike-ride-across/BLOTDCOL4BEPRKBAGSS7GEV56I/ | 2023-07-29T18:07:26 | 0 | https://www.wpxi.com/sports/bike-ride-across/BLOTDCOL4BEPRKBAGSS7GEV56I/ |
KYIV – Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday signed a law moving the official Christmas Day holiday to Dec. 25 from Jan. 7, the day when the Russian Orthodox Church observes it.
The explanatory note attached to the law said its goal is to “abandon the Russian heritage,” including that of “imposing the celebration of Christmas” on Jan. 7, and cited Ukrainians' “relentless, successful struggle for their identity” and “the desire of all Ukrainians to live their lives with their own traditions, holidays,” fueled by Russia's 17-month-old aggression against the country.
Last year, some Ukrainians already observed Christmas on Dec. 25, in a gesture that represented separation from Russia, its culture and religious traditions.
The law also moves the Day of Ukrainian Statehood to July 15 from July 28, and the Day of Defenders of Ukraine to Oct. 1 from Oct. 14.
The Russian Orthodox Church, which claims sovereignty over Orthodoxy in Ukraine, and some other Eastern Orthodox churches continue to use the ancient Julian calendar. Christmas falls 13 days later on that calendar, or Jan. 7, than it does on the Gregorian calendar used by most church and secular groups.
The Catholic Church first adopted the modern, more astronomically precise Gregorian calendar in the 16th century. Protestants and some Orthodox churches have since aligned their own calendars for the purpose of calculating Christmas and Easter.
Ukraine's religious landscape has fractured for years. There are two branches of Orthodox Christianity in the country, one aligned with the Russian church, even as it enjoys broad autonomy, the other completely independent of it. The Orthodox Church of Ukraine, the branch that is separate from the Russian church, announced earlier this year that it was switching to the Revised Julian calendar, which marks Christmas on Dec. 25.
Its leadership last year allowed believers to celebrate the holiday on Dec. 25.
Russia's state news agency RIA Novosti reported on Saturday that the rival Orthodox Church, which is aligned with the Russian Orthodox Church, vowed to continue observing Christmas on Jan. 7.
Zelenskyy on Saturday traveled to the war-torn Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, which Russia has illegally annexed, but only partially occupies, and met with members of the country’s Special Operation Forces. Zelenskyy noted in an online statement that Saturday marks their official day of recognition and also the anniversary of the deadly attack on the Olenivka prison in the Russian-held part of the region in which dozens of prisoners of war were killed.
Russia and Ukraine accused each other of the attack, with both sides saying that the assault was premeditated in a bid to cover up atrocities. A United Nations fact-finding mission requested by Russia and Ukraine was sent to investigate the killings, but the team was disbanded in January 2023 due to security concerns.
Zelenskyy described the attack as one of Russia’s “most vile and cruel crimes” in a video statement Saturday. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/world/2023/07/29/ukraine-moves-official-christmas-day-holiday-to-dec-25-denouncing-russian-imposed-traditions/ | 2023-07-29T18:07:30 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/world/2023/07/29/ukraine-moves-official-christmas-day-holiday-to-dec-25-denouncing-russian-imposed-traditions/ |
LOS ANGELES — (AP) — Bronny James plays piano in a video posted by his father, LeBron James, on Saturday, four days after the teenager went into cardiac arrest during a basketball workout at the University of Southern California.
The 18-year-old plays a brief melody in front of his family, smiles and gets up without speaking in the video posted on his father's Instagram account. The video doesn't indicate where or when it was shot.
“A man of many talents,” the Los Angeles Lakers superstar can be heard saying in the background as Bronny finishes playing with his two younger siblings looking on.
TMZ posted photos of Bronny out to dinner with his family, which it says were taken Friday night. They show the teenager with his father outside celebrity hot spot Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica.
Wearing black pants and a zip-up hoodie, Bronny carried his phone while standing outside the Italian restaurant.
Bronny was released from the hospital on Thursday. He will continue to undergo tests to determine the cause of his cardiac arrest, which occurred Monday morning during a workout at USC's Galen Center.
Bronny, whose full name is LeBron James Jr., committed to USC in May after the 6-foot-3 guard became one of the nation’s top prospects out of Sierra Canyon School in nearby Chatsworth.
___
AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/lebron-james
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.wpxi.com/sports/bronny-james-plays/3DZCF7DHDEEJ7QXORYFHTDZZ64/ | 2023-07-29T18:07:33 | 1 | https://www.wpxi.com/sports/bronny-james-plays/3DZCF7DHDEEJ7QXORYFHTDZZ64/ |
WARSAW – Over 100 mercenaries belonging to the Russian-linked Wagner group in Belarus have moved close to the border with Poland, the Polish prime minister said Saturday.
Mateusz Morawiecki said at a news conference that the mercenaries had moved close to the Suwalki Gap, a strategic stretch of Polish territory situated between Belarus and Kaliningrad, a Russian territory separated from the mainland.
Poland is a member of both the European Union and NATO, and it has worried about its security with Russian ally Belarus and Ukraine on its eastern border.
Those fears have grown since Wagner group mercenaries arrived in Belarus since the group’s short-lived rebellion earlier this summer.
The Poland-Belarus border has already been a tense place for a couple of years, ever since large numbers of immigrants from the Middle East and Africa began arriving, seeking to enter the EU by crossing into Poland, as well as Lithuania.
Poland's government accuses Russia and Belarus of using the migrants to destabilize Poland and other EU countries. It calls the migration a form of hybrid warfare, and has responded by building a high wall along part of its border with Belarus.
“Now the situation becomes even more dangerous," Morawiecki told reporters.
He added that “this is certainly a step towards a further hybrid attack on Polish territory.”
Morawiecki spoke during a visit to an arms factory in Gliwice, in southern Poland, where Leopard tanks used by the Ukrainian army are being repaired. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/world/2023/07/29/wagner-mercenaries-in-belarus-move-closer-to-the-polish-border-polands-prime-minister-says/ | 2023-07-29T18:07:36 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/world/2023/07/29/wagner-mercenaries-in-belarus-move-closer-to-the-polish-border-polands-prime-minister-says/ |
LOS ANGELES – Bronny James plays piano in a video posted by his father, LeBron James, on Saturday, four days after the teenager went into cardiac arrest during a basketball workout at the University of Southern California.
The 18-year-old plays a brief melody in front of his family, smiles and gets up without speaking in the video posted on his father's Instagram account. The video doesn't indicate where or when it was shot.
“A man of many talents,” the Los Angeles Lakers superstar can be heard saying in the background as Bronny finishes playing with his two younger siblings looking on.
TMZ posted photos of Bronny out to dinner with his family, which it says were taken Friday night. They show the teenager with his father outside celebrity hot spot Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica.
Wearing black pants and a zip-up hoodie, Bronny carried his phone while standing outside the Italian restaurant.
Bronny was released from the hospital on Thursday. He will continue to undergo tests to determine the cause of his cardiac arrest, which occurred Monday morning during a workout at USC’s Galen Center.
Bronny, whose full name is LeBron James Jr., committed to USC in May after the 6-foot-3 guard became one of the nation’s top prospects out of Sierra Canyon School in nearby Chatsworth.
___
AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/lebron-james | https://www.clickorlando.com/sports/2023/07/29/bronny-james-plays-piano-dines-out-in-video-photos-emerging-days-after-he-suffers-cardiac-arrest/ | 2023-07-29T18:07:42 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/sports/2023/07/29/bronny-james-plays-piano-dines-out-in-video-photos-emerging-days-after-he-suffers-cardiac-arrest/ |
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday signed a law moving the official Christmas Day holiday to Dec. 25 from Jan. 7, the day when the Russian Orthodox Church observes it.
The explanatory note attached to the law said its goal is to “abandon the Russian heritage,” including that of “imposing the celebration of Christmas” on Jan. 7, and cited Ukrainians' “relentless, successful struggle for their identity” and “the desire of all Ukrainians to live their lives with their own traditions, holidays,” fueled by Russia's 17-month-old aggression against the country.
Last year, some Ukrainians already observed Christmas on Dec. 25, in a gesture that represented separation from Russia, its culture and religious traditions.
The law also moves the Day of Ukrainian Statehood to July 15 from July 28, and the Day of Defenders of Ukraine to Oct. 1 from Oct. 14.
The Russian Orthodox Church, which claims sovereignty over Orthodoxy in Ukraine, and some other Eastern Orthodox churches continue to use the ancient Julian calendar. Christmas falls 13 days later on that calendar, or Jan. 7, than it does on the Gregorian calendar used by most church and secular groups.
The Catholic Church first adopted the modern, more astronomically precise Gregorian calendar in the 16th century. Protestants and some Orthodox churches have since aligned their own calendars for the purpose of calculating Christmas and Easter.
Ukraine's religious landscape has fractured for years. There are two branches of Orthodox Christianity in the country, one aligned with the Russian church, even as it enjoys broad autonomy, the other completely independent of it. The Orthodox Church of Ukraine, the branch that is separate from the Russian church, announced earlier this year that it was switching to the Revised Julian calendar, which marks Christmas on Dec. 25.
Its leadership last year allowed believers to celebrate the holiday on Dec. 25.
Russia's state news agency RIA Novosti reported on Saturday that the rival Orthodox Church, which is aligned with the Russian Orthodox Church, vowed to continue observing Christmas on Jan. 7.
Zelenskyy on Saturday traveled to the war-torn Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, which Russia has illegally annexed, but only partially occupies, and met with members of the country’s Special Operation Forces. Zelenskyy noted in an online statement that Saturday marks their official day of recognition and also the anniversary of the deadly attack on the Olenivka prison in the Russian-held part of the region in which dozens of prisoners of war were killed.
Russia and Ukraine accused each other of the attack, with both sides saying that the assault was premeditated in a bid to cover up atrocities. A United Nations fact-finding mission requested by Russia and Ukraine was sent to investigate the killings, but the team was disbanded in January 2023 due to security concerns.
Zelenskyy described the attack as one of Russia’s “most vile and cruel crimes” in a video statement Saturday.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/ukraine-moves-official-christmas-day-holiday-to-dec-25-denouncing-russian-imposed-traditions/EKYQ2UW7BNERLIPE55D47N7GVA/ | 2023-07-29T18:08:02 | 0 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/ukraine-moves-official-christmas-day-holiday-to-dec-25-denouncing-russian-imposed-traditions/EKYQ2UW7BNERLIPE55D47N7GVA/ |
Question: What is trending with patio barbecues?
Answer: “Well, it is no longer the stuccoed concrete block stand-alone with a grill on it,” says Bruce Stumbo, co-operations manager, estimator and sales consultant with Rosie Right Design Build Remodel, a Rosie on the House certified partner.
The barbecue on the patio is morphing into a full-blown kitchen with all the trimmings. Typically, the kitchen is the center of the home. That’s where we gather as a family and as guests. With more people wanting to extend activities outside, the kitchen is part of that extension.
Stumbo tells us that outdoor kitchens are generally designed similarly to indoor kitchens for layout, easy access to appliances and cooking. There are some differences, though. Storage of food items tends to have smaller space requirements as indoor storage suffices for most of our storage needs. Refrigerators for such storage are typically under the counter.
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The other major difference in today’s outdoor kitchens is the material used to construct them. Our outdoor kitchens need to be protected from the elements. The sun can wreak as much havoc on kitchen components as rain, sleet and snow. A cover over the prep and cooking area is needed. Several outdoor kitchens also cover a dining space.
The materials used in constructing the kitchen are made for exterior wear. The counters are solid surfaces, and walls and half-walls are covered with exterior materials such as stucco, siding and stone. Cabinets are typically stainless steel which, in some applications, can be powder-coated to add color to the overall design. There are some manufacturers of composite cabinets that offer an embossed wood look that can provide design alternatives. These cabinets are generally made from a polymer that includes wood particles and uses a marine-grade glue not normally used on interior cabinets. They can withstand temperatures up to 265 degrees Fahrenheit, so they are safe for our desert dwellers. Sinks, ice makers and even dishwashers are becoming part of the outdoor kitchen story. There is plumbing designed for colder climates, like Summerhaven, to ensure proper drainage.
As for appliances, Stumbo says gas cooktops and ovens (especially pizza ovens) are quite popular. Under-counter refrigerators, warming drawers, hoods and pretty much whatever your culinary needs are, can be satisfied for the outdoor kitchen.
Q: How does the project work if I hire a contractor to remodel my patio?
A: Initiating the design process has always been where the real magic of any remodel begins. Outdoor kitchens are no different. The design process is integral to the successful outcome of any project.
Following an initial design meeting where you relay your project goals, the designer will produce some initial or preliminary sketches outlining possible solutions. This can be done in the home or in a design studio. It used to be that with all the design, materials and fixture selections, folks would have to visit multiple showrooms in multiple locations to look at the hundreds of options from which they could select the items they wanted. At a design studio, the process can be simplified, streamlined and quite pleasant.
After the preliminary discussions, a designer will bring together a variety of alternatives based on your preferences. At the design studio, displays depict various finishes and products like counters, cabinetry and colors that are primarily chosen to inspire you. Given the thousands of different plumbing and lighting fixtures, ceramic tile designs and such, it is not possible for all of them to be in one place. Because you do not want to travel many miles to visit all the showrooms, the designer will make a preliminary presentation of choices based on their conversations with you regarding your preferences. As the design process progresses, alternatives will need to be explored. By having one location, a great deal of confusion is eliminated. You don’t have to recall which showroom you saw what in, and all your selections remain in one location for you to revisit at any time during your project.
As the design progresses, the estimator will help align design decisions with the budget. This happens at several stages in the process to avoid the heartache of creating a great design that doesn’t meet budget expectations. The production team is brought in to discuss timing and scheduling. All of this happens in one location, under one roof, with the same company of professionals.
When the design is finalized, you will have a project cost, schedule and specific scope of work that will allow your project to proceed, all within your comfort zone. That is the real benefit of a design studio staffed with professionals.
An Arizona home building and remodeling industry expert for more than 40 years, Rosie Romero is the host of the syndicated Saturday morning Rosie on the House radio broadcast, heard locally from 10 to 11 a.m. on KNST-AM (790) in Tucson. | https://tucson.com/life-entertainment/local/home-gardening/outdoor-kitchen-barbecue-patio-tucson/article_ffe83096-03c1-11ee-bc85-8bce583f2225.html | 2023-07-29T18:09:08 | 1 | https://tucson.com/life-entertainment/local/home-gardening/outdoor-kitchen-barbecue-patio-tucson/article_ffe83096-03c1-11ee-bc85-8bce583f2225.html |
Hotels are often known for their comfy beds, cable TV and room service, if you're lucky.
Come Saturday, Aug. 5, all of that goes out the window when Hotel McCoy temporarily transforms 15 of its rooms into tiny venues ready to house concerts, live mural painting from Serena McRae and Christina Thomas, art galleries, a comedy show curated by Chris Haughton & Friends, a fashion runway by El Be Goods, a karaoke club, a photography studio and even a silent disco from the folks behind Dusk Music Festival.
"If NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts and Meow Wolf had a baby, it would be Arizona Artfest," the local art hotel says.
"(The festival) spotlights the actuality that art is so much more than something you look at, something that hangs on a wall. Art is, simply put, a creative expression. And, going a little deeper, art is a movement and a force. Art tells a story, art evokes emotion, art unifies people and is often the common thread in the tapestry of the community," Hotel McCoy says.
Arizona Artfest, which is sponsored by #ThisIsTucson, features the work of more than 35 artists, musicians and makers from all over the state, many of which are from Tucson. The festival is free to attend and open to all ages.
Beyond the action happening inside the rooms, there will be live music by the pool, a drop-in paint experience with Painting & Vino in the lobby and a vendor market featuring 10 Tucson makers selling items like plants, earrings, skin-care items, baked goods and macrame.
You'll hear the voices of Santa Pachita, Daytrails and Kayla Von der Heide who was on season 22 of "The Voice" and hails from Bisbee. You'll get to enjoy drinks from an outdoor bar and food from three different trucks: the onsite Tran's Fats, Cowpig and Fría.
The food trucks and vendors will get to the festival at 4 p.m. and the tiny venues and poolside music will kick off at 6, running until 10 p.m. Hotel McCoy is located at 720 W. Silverlake Road.
Onsite parking is for hotel guests only, but limited parking is available in nearby areas and ride-sharing is recommended. Arizona Winery Tour will also offer a shuttle service to Hotel McCoy from the MSA Annex, 267 S. Avenida del Convento, behind the Annex stage on Calle de Los Higos. The shuttle will stop at the Annex every hour beginning at 4:30 p.m. Last call for a ride at Hotel McCoy back to the Annex is 10 p.m. For more information, head here. | https://tucson.com/thisistucson/todo/hotel-mccoy-is-turning-its-rooms-into-tiny-venues-for-music-comedy-and-fashion/article_f27429f2-2b39-11ee-8634-7750a9e226cd.html | 2023-07-29T18:09:15 | 0 | https://tucson.com/thisistucson/todo/hotel-mccoy-is-turning-its-rooms-into-tiny-venues-for-music-comedy-and-fashion/article_f27429f2-2b39-11ee-8634-7750a9e226cd.html |
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Disney Cruise Line helped students prepare for the new school year.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
Crew members joined volunteering efforts to fight food insecurity and support students in this new school season.
While the ship was in port, the Disney Wish crew packed hundreds of meals at The Children’s Hunger Project.
Read: ‘Diversity, equity, and inclusion’: Orlando Fashion Week unveils 2023 lineup
Meal packages had kid favorites, including apple sauce, crackers, juice, and more.
“To be able to spend this time with the team and to do something so important and so special-- it’s magical,” said Disney Wish assistant cruise director, Anacia.
Read: Disney announces fall treats for Magic Kingdom, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary
In addition to the meal packaging, crew members went to the Supply Zone for Teachers in Brevard County this summer to help organize over 70,000 items and fill pencil cases with school supplies.
Disney Cruise Line also donated to the Brevard Schools Foundation to support programs throughout the school year.
These efforts aim to create the same magic Disney makes on land in port communities.
Read: Meet Pixie: Disney announces name of newest Cinderella pony
Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/back-to-school-2023-disney-cruise-line-helps-students-central-florida/DPZV6ASL6ZGKXKOWCPBFEOBG34/ | 2023-07-29T18:09:19 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/back-to-school-2023-disney-cruise-line-helps-students-central-florida/DPZV6ASL6ZGKXKOWCPBFEOBG34/ |
1 dead, 1 missing after flood waters sweep away cabin in Franklin County
BROOKVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — One is dead and another is missing after flood waters swept away the cabin they were staying at Friday, officials say.
The names and ages of the two people have not been shared yet.
According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, around noon Friday, Franklin County first responders received a report that two people who were staying in a cabin along Wolf Creek were missing and the cabin washed away.
Wolf Creek is southwest of Brookville, an hour and a half southeast of Indianapolis.
After searching the area, responders found one person downstream from the cabin’s original location. They were pronounced dead at the scene.
Officers say the search continued through the evening but was paused due to dangerous conditions.
The search for the second person was set to continue Saturday. | https://www.wishtv.com/news/indiana-news/1-dead-1-missing-after-flood-waters-sweep-away-cabin-in-franklin-county/ | 2023-07-29T18:09:20 | 1 | https://www.wishtv.com/news/indiana-news/1-dead-1-missing-after-flood-waters-sweep-away-cabin-in-franklin-county/ |
NEW YORK — (AP) — Trader Joe's is recalling a broccoli cheddar soup that may contain insects and cooked falafel that may contain rocks, about one week after the grocery chain recalled two cookie products over similar concerns.
The soup recall impacts Trader Joe's Unexpected Broccoli Cheddar Soup with "Use By" dates ranging from July 18 to Sept. 15, according to a Thursday announcement from the company. On Friday, the grocer announced that Trader Joe's Fully Cooked Falafel sold in 35 states and Washington, D.C., was also under recall.
On July 21, Trader Joe's announced that it was recalling Trader Joe's Almond Windmill Cookies and Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Chunk and Almond Cookies with "sell by" dates ranging from Oct. 17 to Oct. 21. Like the falafel, the cookies may also contain rocks, the company said.
When asked for further information about how the insects and rocks may have gotten into these products, a Trader Joe's spokesperson said that “there was an issue in the manufacturing processes in the facilities." Suppliers alerted Trader Joe's of the possible foreign material for each recall, the company said.
"We pulled the product from our shelves as soon as we were made aware of the issue. Once we understood the issue we notified our customers,” the spokesperson said in a statement sent to The Associated Press Saturday.
All of the recalled cookies, soup and falafel have been removed from sale or destroyed, Trader Joe's said in its announcements. But the Monrovia, California-based company is still urging consumers to check their kitchens for the products.
Trader Joe's says customers who have the recalled products should throw them away or return them to any store for a full refund. Lot codes and further details about the products under recall, as well as customer service contact information, can be found on the company's website.
Trader Joe's did not specify how many products were impacted with each recall or identify suppliers. But one Food and Drug Administration notice cited by NBC News says that the Unexpected Broccoli Cheddar Soup recall impacts around 10,889 cases sold in seven states. Winter Gardens Quality Foods, Inc. is identified as the recalling firm, per the notice.
No formal releases about the three recalls were published on the FDA's Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts page as of Saturday. The Associated Press reached out to the FDA and Winter Gardens Quality Foods for information on Saturday.
“We have a close relationship with our vendors and they alerted us of these issues. We don’t hesitate or wait for regulatory agencies to tell us what to do," the Trader Joe's spokesperson said. "We will never leave to chance the safety of the products we offer.”
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.wftv.com/news/more-trader-joes/KJAP65W6AM5HTR2RO6BG7HCYUA/ | 2023-07-29T18:09:26 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/more-trader-joes/KJAP65W6AM5HTR2RO6BG7HCYUA/ |
The intense heat wave continued its grip on many parts of the country, including in New York City, where temperatures were expected to surge into the lower 90s (around 35 C) on Saturday, but the humid, thick air could make it feel well over the century mark.
The sizzling air has heated up everything from the ocean to pools, making it difficult to cool off. One woman in the Southwest has been throwing blocks of ice in her pool.
Metro Phoenix could see its 30th day of 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 degrees Celsius) or higher on Saturday before temperatures start dropping in the city and other areas that saw some of the most extreme temperatures in July. Scientists expect this month will be the hottest globally on record and likely the warmest human civilization has seen.
Here’s what’s happening related to extreme weather and the climate right now:
— Heat advisories continued in New York City, where high humidity has made it uncomfortable and dangerous. Some 500 cooling centers have opened across the city’s five boroughs, and the governor authorized the state’s swimming pools to stay open later. The extreme heat was forecast to ease Sunday.
— Parts of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut were under a heat advisory through Saturday night. In northern New England, temperatures were down 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit after getting into the 90s (around 35 C) on Friday, but the humidity lingered throughout the region. Afternoon and evening storms were forecast and could bring a chance of flash flooding.
— The weather was equally stifling and muggy in the center of the United States. An excessive heat warning was issued for much of Missouri, Kansas and western Illinois, where the sweaty mix of heat and humidity could make it feel like up to 112 degrees Fahrenheit (about 44 C) in parts. St. Louis health director Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis said the risk of heat stroke was high and warned that interior car temperatures could reach lethal levels in minutes.
— Temperatures are forecast to start to drop in the hottest areas in the southwest of the United States, including Phoenix, Las Vegas, Albuquerque and Death Valley, California.
— With the scorching heat, even going for a swim offered little to no relief. Sea surface temperatures rose above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (about 38 C) at a spot off Florida's southern tip, while pools in the Southwest gave the sensation of being in soup.
— The high temperatures are reaching across the globe, including in Bolivia, where a drought alert has been declared for Lake Titicaca after water levels of the world's highest navigable lake receded to a critically low threshold.
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Associated Press writers Bobby Caina Calvan in New York; Heather Hollingsworth in Mission, Kansas; Ken Ritter in Las Vegas; and Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire contributed to this report.
___
Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP's climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.wftv.com/news/national/climate-glimpse/K7CUY2RLY2CXWF4YONKXV4S2OQ/ | 2023-07-29T18:09:32 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/national/climate-glimpse/K7CUY2RLY2CXWF4YONKXV4S2OQ/ |
UVALDE, Texas — Kimberly Mata-Rubio, mother of Alexandria “Lexi” Rubio who was killed in the Robb Elementary School shooting last year in Uvalde, Texas announced Thursday she is running for mayor in a special election.
Mata-Rubio is running for mayor after Don McLaughlin announced he is stepping down as mayor to run for a House seat in Texas, ABC News reported.
“I want to represent the underserved in this community, whose voices matter but have long been unheard,” Mata-Rubio, 34, said, according to the Uvalde Leaders-News. “I want residents to see themselves in me and feel at ease sharing their grievances.”
Mata-Rubio’s daughter was one of 19 students and two teachers who were killed on May 24, 2022, at Robb Elementary School when a gunman entered their classrooms, according to ABC News.
I grieve for the woman you would have become and all the difference you would have made in this world. I grieve for the woman I was when you were still here. But, one part of me still exist, I am still your mom. I will honor your life with action. This is only the beginning💛 pic.twitter.com/s3rknjwsCC
— Kimberly Mata-Rubio (@kimrubio21) July 27, 2023
“I grieve for the woman you would have become and all the difference you would have made in this world. I grieve for the woman I was when you were still here. But, one part of me still exist, I am still your mom. I will honor your life with action,” Mata-Rubio said on Twitter Thursday. “This is only the beginning.”
Since the shooting, Mata-Rubio has been demanding answers from officials as many others have in the community and around the nation. According to CNN, she has become a gun violence advocate calling for a ban on assault rifles.
“We don’t want you to think of Lexi as just a number,” she said at a House hearing on Capitol Hill on gun violence in June 2022, according to CNN. “She was intelligent, compassionate and athletic. She was quiet, shy — unless she had a point to make. When she knew she was right, as she so often was, she stood her ground. She was firm, direct, voice unwavering.”
Former Uvalde Mayor Cody Smith is also looking to run again, the Uvalde Leader-News reported, according to CNN.
“It would be easy to run from the issues that plague our town, but I have decided to remain in Uvalde and be part of the change that is long overdue,” Mata-Rubio told the Uvalde Leader-News, according to the Today Show. “Our town has become stagnant. Our leadership became comfortable, which led to the events that unfolded on May 24, 2022.
Candidates have until September 6 to file for the special election in Uvalde. The Uvalde city secretary, Sorayda Sanchez, told CNN she has not received any applications as of Thursday afternoon.
The election is expected to take place in November, the Uvalde Leader-News reported. | https://www.wftv.com/news/trending/mother-uvalde-victim-running-mayor-city-special-election/TRQVSXOWA5FMZHCNDC6MAA2G2A/ | 2023-07-29T18:09:39 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/trending/mother-uvalde-victim-running-mayor-city-special-election/TRQVSXOWA5FMZHCNDC6MAA2G2A/ |
KYIV, Ukraine — (AP) — Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday signed a law moving the official Christmas Day holiday to Dec. 25 from Jan. 7, the day when the Russian Orthodox Church observes it.
The explanatory note attached to the law said its goal is to “abandon the Russian heritage,” including that of “imposing the celebration of Christmas” on Jan. 7, and cited Ukrainians' “relentless, successful struggle for their identity” and “the desire of all Ukrainians to live their lives with their own traditions, holidays,” fueled by Russia's 17-month-old aggression against the country.
Last year, some Ukrainians already observed Christmas on Dec. 25, in a gesture that represented separation from Russia, its culture and religious traditions.
The law also moves the Day of Ukrainian Statehood to July 15 from July 28, and the Day of Defenders of Ukraine to Oct. 1 from Oct. 14.
The Russian Orthodox Church, which claims sovereignty over Orthodoxy in Ukraine, and some other Eastern Orthodox churches continue to use the ancient Julian calendar. Christmas falls 13 days later on that calendar, or Jan. 7, than it does on the Gregorian calendar used by most church and secular groups.
The Catholic Church first adopted the modern, more astronomically precise Gregorian calendar in the 16th century. Protestants and some Orthodox churches have since aligned their own calendars for the purpose of calculating Christmas and Easter.
Ukraine's religious landscape has fractured for years. There are two branches of Orthodox Christianity in the country, one aligned with the Russian church, even as it enjoys broad autonomy, the other completely independent of it. The Orthodox Church of Ukraine, the branch that is separate from the Russian church, announced earlier this year that it was switching to the Revised Julian calendar, which marks Christmas on Dec. 25.
Its leadership last year allowed believers to celebrate the holiday on Dec. 25.
Russia's state news agency RIA Novosti reported on Saturday that the rival Orthodox Church, which is aligned with the Russian Orthodox Church, vowed to continue observing Christmas on Jan. 7.
Zelenskyy on Saturday traveled to the war-torn Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, which Russia has illegally annexed, but only partially occupies, and met with members of the country’s Special Operation Forces. Zelenskyy noted in an online statement that Saturday marks their official day of recognition and also the anniversary of the deadly attack on the Olenivka prison in the Russian-held part of the region in which dozens of prisoners of war were killed.
Russia and Ukraine accused each other of the attack, with both sides saying that the assault was premeditated in a bid to cover up atrocities. A United Nations fact-finding mission requested by Russia and Ukraine was sent to investigate the killings, but the team was disbanded in January 2023 due to security concerns.
Zelenskyy described the attack as one of Russia’s “most vile and cruel crimes” in a video statement Saturday.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.wftv.com/news/world/ukraine-moves/PFWGJ3MBHSEGLMPMEZBII3N7RI/ | 2023-07-29T18:09:45 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/world/ukraine-moves/PFWGJ3MBHSEGLMPMEZBII3N7RI/ |
WARSAW, Poland — (AP) — Over 100 mercenaries belonging to the Russian-linked Wagner group in Belarus have moved close to the border with Poland, the Polish prime minister said Saturday.
Mateusz Morawiecki said at a news conference that the mercenaries had moved close to the Suwalki Gap, a strategic stretch of Polish territory situated between Belarus and Kaliningrad, a Russian territory separated from the mainland.
Poland is a member of both the European Union and NATO, and it has worried about its security with Russian ally Belarus and Ukraine on its eastern border.
Those fears have grown since Wagner group mercenaries arrived in Belarus since the group's short-lived rebellion earlier this summer.
The Poland-Belarus border has already been a tense place for a couple of years, ever since large numbers of immigrants from the Middle East and Africa began arriving, seeking to enter the EU by crossing into Poland, as well as Lithuania.
Poland's government accuses Russia and Belarus of using the migrants to destabilize Poland and other EU countries. It calls the migration a form of hybrid warfare, and has responded by building a high wall along part of its border with Belarus.
“Now the situation becomes even more dangerous," Morawiecki told reporters.
He added that “this is certainly a step towards a further hybrid attack on Polish territory.”
Morawiecki spoke during a visit to an arms factory in Gliwice, in southern Poland, where Leopard tanks used by the Ukrainian army are being repaired.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.wftv.com/news/world/wagner-mercenaries/KFVOFB5FYUBHVVFMQ3CDT27THQ/ | 2023-07-29T18:09:51 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/world/wagner-mercenaries/KFVOFB5FYUBHVVFMQ3CDT27THQ/ |
COLFAX, Iowa — (AP) — In the small central Iowa town of Colfax, thousands of cyclists participating in the largest and oldest recreational bike ride in the world were stopped along its historic main street, staring ahead at a daunting climb that would lead them out of town.
The hill, coupled with soaring temps and the vibrant downtown, made a morning sitting in the shade quite appealing.
It's become almost simplistic to say that “small-town America” is slowly dying. That opportunities for young people have dried up, just like businesses and main streets. That the only way forward in life involves moving to a big city. But the reality is towns such as Colfax are flourishing, and that was especially evident on RAGBRAI, the annual bike ride across the state, where dozens of small towns dotting the 500-mile route welcomed some 50,000 riders with open arms.
Colfax is a prime example. It experienced a nearly 8% increase in population from the 2010 census to the most recent in 2020, turning around two decades of decline. Its population of 2,255 represented its highest since the 1990s.
Sure, many small towns are still struggling, but what has allowed those such as Colfax to thrive?
“Mostly, a wonderful mayor and council and volunteers that just ensure a vital community,” explains Wade Wagoner, the former city manager for the small town of Lake Park, and now the city administrator for Colfax.
“Des Moines and the metro growing to the east doesn't hurt,” Wagoner said. “Also, the fact that we still have a high school and citizens just approved a $14 million bond for athletic and academic improvements make people want to raise a family here.”
Wagoner underscores that location is important. After the COVID-19 pandemic, when many jobs became partially or fully remote, people who may have once worked in a city could suddenly live just about anywhere, including small towns across America.
Wagoner goes on to talk about the smallest Fareway grocery store in the state, the coffee shop and bank and city hall, all of which make for a bustling hub. There's also a rich history with mineral water that makes Colfax's downtown large for its size.
In other words, Colfax has leaned into its strengths to create a community that people want to call home.
And every few years, big events such as RAGBRAI roll through, giving them a chance to shine.
“Lots of trash and (Port-o-potties,” Wagoner said of the traveling circus, “but it is actually pretty cool. It lets us show off the town and certain businesses do make some money. Others find it a pain. But it's only for a single day.”
If nothing else, the horde of cyclists are good for making money.
In Polk City, between the busy metros of Ames and Des Moines, high school students collected money to fund their after-prom party. Elsewhere on the ride, residents of Slater were using donations to build a new community center and library. In Breda, where the route went through Monday, the town was trying to raise $300,000 to replace the lights at its baseball grandstand, which was built in 1946 and has withstood the test of time.
Breda, population 500, is another example of a small town doing well. It has steadily gained residents for the past 30 years.
In the quiet hamlet of Oxford, just past the fire department and the Deja Brew Coffee House & Bakery, four boys took turns in a dunk tank Friday as cyclists passed through on a day of unrelenting heat — the index topped out at 112 degrees.
For just $5, riders got three shots at the tank. All the proceeds went to their little league program.
The boys were winning on two fronts: staying cool and making cash.
The population of Slater, just north of Polk City, has steadily grown the past three decades.
“Many young families have moved into Slater recently for the school system, and safety of our small town, and ease of getting around,” said Evy Raes of the Slater Area Historical Association. “Our sense of community was tested when a derecho roared through in August 2020. Never fear: anyone with a pickup truck, a chain saw and a six-pack was out in the streets after the storm, helping neighbors clear and dispose of the debris. People really pulled together and no one was a stranger.”
That sense of community isn't always felt in bigger cities. And more than anything, Raes said, that has helped them to thrive.
“We are a small town with big ideals,” Raes said. “Many people who move into Slater feel an instant connection with the community. It is said though, ‘Don’t gossip about anybody who’s lived here awhile, because they may be related to the person you’re talking to.’ My family has lived here over 74 years, and some days we feel like the new people."
Turns out that, at least in some small towns, there are in fact plenty of new people.
___
Dave Skretta is a Kansas City, Missouri-based AP Sports Writer. He grew up in the small-but-vibrant northeast Iowa town of Decorah and and has ridden RAGBRAI many times, though he's never written about it while doing it. Skretta wrote periodic updates from the road. He covered 579 miles from start to finish.
___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.wftv.com/sports/bike-ride-across/BLOTDCOL4BEPRKBAGSS7GEV56I/ | 2023-07-29T18:09:58 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/sports/bike-ride-across/BLOTDCOL4BEPRKBAGSS7GEV56I/ |
(iSeeCars) — Most consumers know there are various electric vehicle tax credits available if they buy a new electric vehicle.
The original credit, officially known as the “Qualified Plug-in Electric Drive Motor Vehicle Credit”, was instituted over a decade ago. It created a tax credit amount between $2,500 and $7,500 based on a specific qualifying vehicle’s battery capacity. There was also a 200,000-unit limit to how many zero-emissions electric cars a single manufacturer could sell before the credit would phase out and eventually be eliminated. Two automakers, General Motors and Tesla, had already hit this limit in recent years, with a few more getting very close in 2022
But the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 has altered the existing rules for the federal tax credit, removing the 200,000 limit, extending the up-to-$7,500 credit through 2032…but also adding a new set of eligibility requirements based on the final assembly location of the vehicle and its battery components. New vehicle pricing and adjusted gross income requirements have also been enacted. The new rules are a reaction to China’s dominance in the EV space, a dominance President Biden and the U.S. Department of Energy would like to reverse by encouraging the production of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and battery components in North America.
The Inflation Reduction Act – Pros and Cons
Encouraging the American production of clean vehicles, including plug-in electric vehicles (EVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), is commendable. However, the change in eligibility requirements could actually limit new vehicle tax credits more than the outgoing legislation. Let’s take a closer look at where this new legislation helps, and hurts, your chances at seeing a rebate.
Pros:
- No 200,000 Vehicle Limit per Manufacturer – which means brands like Cadillac, Chevrolet and Tesla will be back in the running for a $7,500 tax break, along with every other automaker selling EVs, PHEVs (with a battery of 7 kilowatt hours or larger), or FCEVs.
- Income and MSRP Restrictions – the previous legislation had no limit on household income or eligible vehicle pricing, which meant a lot of taxpayer money was spent helping millionaires get a $7,500 price break on their $100,000-plus Tesla. Starting on January 1st, 2023, the new legislation puts an MSRP limit of $80,000 on electric vans, SUVs, and pickup trucks, and a $55,000 MSRP limit on electric sedans, coupes, wagons, and convertibles. The IRS also puts a $150,000 annual income limit on single tax filers, a $225,000 limit on head-of-household filers, and a $300,000 limit on joint filers.
- Used EVs Count Too – For the first time ever, car buyers seeking a lower cost of entry into EV ownership don’t have to choose from pricier current or new model year vehicles. A tax credit on used vehicles, worth either $4,000 or 30% of the used EV’s sales price (whichever is lower) will be available on used models costing less than $25,000. This credit is only available to single filers below $75,000, head-of-household filers below $112,000, and joint filers of $150,000.
- Commercial Tax Credit – If you happen to be a business owner looking to go electric the new bill provides up to $7,500 for electric vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) under 14,000 pounds and up to $40,000 for vehicles with a GVWR above 14,000 pounds. The rebate is based on either 30 percent of the total vehicle cost, or the incremental cost of a commercial EV over the cost of an equivalent non-EV vehicle. For instance, the Ford F-150 Lightning has a starting MSRP of $46,974, but you can buy an equivalent crew-cab F-150 with an internal combustion engine for around $50,000. There’s no incremental cost to buying the Lightning, so a commercial buyer could only benefit from 30 percent of the truck’s $46,974 price (around $15,680).
- Point of Sale Price Reduction: Starting on January 1st, 2024, buyers can transfer their credit to the selling dealer, essentially providing an immediate reduction in the price of an EV during purchase versus waiting to receive the benefit as part of their next tax filing.
Cons:
- Final Assembly Must be in North America – Starting on August 17th, 2022, only plug-in electric vehicles assembled in North America are eligible for tax credits. As of this writing, that includes 26 EVs from model year 2022, but only 8 EVs from model year 2023. A vehicle’s VIN (vehicle identification number) will be used to determine where a potential candidate was built. Popular EVs like the BMW 330e, Chevrolet Bolt, and Nissan Leaf have already been approved for model year 2023, and we’d expect other models assembled in Canada, Mexico, or the U.S. to be approved soon, including the Audi Q5, Ford Mustang Mach E, and every Rivian and Tesla model. However…
- Critical Mineral and Battery Component Requirements – Even if an electric vehicle is assembled in North America it will need to meet increasingly stringent battery requirements over the coming 5 years. Starting in 2023 an EV’s battery will need 40 percent of its critical minerals value to have been extracted or processed in the U.S. or a U.S. free-trade agreement partner to receive up to $3,750 in tax credits. This percentage will increase 10 percent a year, up to 80% of the battery’s critical mineral value in 2027 and beyond. Additionally, starting in 2023, 50 percent of the value of an EV battery’s components must be assembled in the U.S., increasing 10 percent a year until it reaches 100 percent in 2029.
The newest bill’s final assembly and critical mineral battery requirements are meant to shift the production of electric vehicles back toward the U.S. and its allies, and away from foreign entities of concern, including China. Given the supply chain issues we’ve experienced over the past 2 years this is a wise long-term goal. However, the time and resources needed to transplant the electric vehicle alternative fuels industry from the Asia Pacific region to the U.S are substantial.
Foreign automakers like Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, and Toyota have already committed to high-volume North American vehicle production in recent decades. There’s every reason to believe they can relatively quickly do the same for their electric vehicle fleets to meet the final assembly requirement for successful new models not yet produced here, like the Hyundai Ioniq 5. Several automakers with smaller U.S. production capacity, including BMW, Volkswagen, and Volvo, also continue to expand their U.S. presence.
But battery production is an entirely different process compared to vehicle assembly. It involves significant investments in land assessment/exploration, permit applications, approval, mining, extraction, refining, etc. You can imagine the processes and time frame involved in, for instance, setting up a lithium mine in California. Investing in, and establishing, those capabilities will take several years at least, and could easily prove a limiting factor on how many new EVs can fully qualify for the latest tax credits under the current legislation.
More from iSeeCars:
- How Much Does it Cost to Charge an Electric Car?
- How Long Do Electric Car Batteries Last?
- Electric Cars with the Longest Range
If you’re in the market for a new or used electric vehicle you can search over 4 million used electric cars, SUVs, and trucks with iSeeCars’ award-winning car search engine that helps shoppers find the best car deals by providing key insights and valuable resources, like the iSeeCars free VIN check report and Best Cars rankings. Filter by vehicle type, front or all-wheel drive, and other parameters in order to narrow down your car search.
This article, The New EV Tax Credits Explained, originally appeared on iSeeCars.com. | https://cbs4indy.com/automotive/ev-tax-credits-explained/ | 2023-07-29T18:10:02 | 1 | https://cbs4indy.com/automotive/ev-tax-credits-explained/ |
LOS ANGELES — (AP) — Bronny James plays piano in a video posted by his father, LeBron James, on Saturday, four days after the teenager went into cardiac arrest during a basketball workout at the University of Southern California.
The 18-year-old plays a brief melody in front of his family, smiles and gets up without speaking in the video posted on his father's Instagram account. The video doesn't indicate where or when it was shot.
“A man of many talents,” the Los Angeles Lakers superstar can be heard saying in the background as Bronny finishes playing with his two younger siblings looking on.
TMZ posted photos of Bronny out to dinner with his family, which it says were taken Friday night. They show the teenager with his father outside celebrity hot spot Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica.
Wearing black pants and a zip-up hoodie, Bronny carried his phone while standing outside the Italian restaurant.
Bronny was released from the hospital on Thursday. He will continue to undergo tests to determine the cause of his cardiac arrest, which occurred Monday morning during a workout at USC's Galen Center.
Bronny, whose full name is LeBron James Jr., committed to USC in May after the 6-foot-3 guard became one of the nation’s top prospects out of Sierra Canyon School in nearby Chatsworth.
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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/lebron-james
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.wftv.com/sports/bronny-james-plays/3DZCF7DHDEEJ7QXORYFHTDZZ64/ | 2023-07-29T18:10:05 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/sports/bronny-james-plays/3DZCF7DHDEEJ7QXORYFHTDZZ64/ |
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://cbs4indy.com/business/ap-business/ap-with-one-eye-on-china-japan-backs-sri-lanka-as-a-partner-in-the-indo-pacific/ | 2023-07-29T18:10:08 | 1 | https://cbs4indy.com/business/ap-business/ap-with-one-eye-on-china-japan-backs-sri-lanka-as-a-partner-in-the-indo-pacific/ |
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://cbs4indy.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-after-an-attack-on-salman-rushdie-the-chautauqua-institution-says-its-mission-wont-change/ | 2023-07-29T18:10:15 | 1 | https://cbs4indy.com/entertainment-news/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://cbs4indy.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-black-belt-eagle-scouts-latest-record-inspired-by-return-home-to-swinomish-tribes-ancestral-lands/ | 2023-07-29T18:10:23 | 0 | https://cbs4indy.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-black-belt-eagle-scouts-latest-record-inspired-by-return-home-to-swinomish-tribes-ancestral-lands/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — The entertainment publication Variety, under fire this week for an article it published about former CNN chief Jeff Zucker’s interest in his old employer, revised the piece on Friday to reflect some of the complaints about it.
None of its changes affected what was written about Zucker, however. He has called for the story to be retracted.
The article by Tatiana Siegel, which initially ran online Tuesday, depicted Zucker as badmouthing his successor at CNN, Chris Licht, while simultaneously trying to buy the news organization that fired him in early 2021. Licht’s unsuccessful run atop the struggling news network ended with his firing in May.
The dispute also points to the dangers inherent in the use of confidential sources by journalists. There are at least a dozen claims made in the story that Variety did not attribute to a named source that were denied on the record, either in the story or after publication, leaving it up to readers to decide who to believe.
“There used to be a time when Variety held its content and its reporters to a high standard of truth and facts in journalism, but those days are clearly over,” said Risa Heller, a spokeswoman for Zucker. “It is stunning to read a piece that is so patently and aggressively false. On numerous occasions, we made it clear to the reporter and her editors that they were planning to publish countless anecdotes and alleged incidents that never happened. They did so anyway. The piece is a total joke.”
Variety’s co-editor-in-chiefs, Cynthia Littleton and Ramin Setoodeh, said in a statement Friday that they have been carefully following the conversation about the story.
“The story was heavily vetted and deeply sourced,” they said. “Everyone included in the story was asked to comment and given the chance to respond. We stand by our reporting and our award-winning reporter.”
The piece is also critical of two reporters who have covered CNN, Tim Alberta of The Atlantic and Dylan Byers of Puck. Both of those news organizations complained of inaccuracies and, in the changes made on Friday, Variety added their specific denials.
Zucker’s team hasn’t sought to hide ill feelings toward Licht, but strongly denied he has tried to buy CNN.
The story begins with an anecdote about Zucker, “with tears in his eyes,” approaching David Zaslav in Miami Beach in March. Zaslav is CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, current owners of CNN, and Variety said Zucker complained that Licht was unfairly maligning him in the press. Zaslav wanted to know if Zucker was trying to assemble investors to buy CNN.
Byers, writing for Puck, said “multiple sources” said no such run-in at the Faena Hotel ever took place and Zucker’s spokeswoman said that anecdote wasn’t checked with them; Variety says it was.
The story outlines several specific efforts made by Zucker, or on his behalf, to convince investors to join him in buying CNN. The story includes his denials: “Any allegation or insinuation that Jeff has made any effort to purchase CNN is unequivocally false,” Heller said. Zucker is now head of a private equity firm, RedBird IMI.
At one point, Variety also floated the theory that a secret group of investors was using Zucker’s name without his knowledge to approach Warner Bros. Discovery about buying CNN.
In a June 4 article, The New York Times reported that Zucker was not in talks to buy CNN, although “he has told some associates he would be interested in acquiring the network” if it came up for sale one day, the newspaper said.
The Variety article “struck me as utterly implausible and sophomoric,” Byers wrote for Puck this week.
Variety’s piece called Byers “a former Zucker disciple at CNN who, by his own admission, wrote about Licht incessantly and even took a victory lap after his exit.” The piece described Byers as a writer of “Zucker fan fiction” and criticized him for a conflict of interest in not disclosing in any of his articles that Zucker once had discussions about funding Puck, an online subscription news service.
In its revision on Friday, Variety quoted Puck’s co-founder, Jon Kelly, saying the discussions with RedBird were not disclosed by Byers because “Dylan was intentionally unaware of them.”
For The Atlantic, Alberta wrote a widely-read story that seen by many as being instrumental in Licht’s dismissal by Zaslav. Variety was critical of Alberta, and accused the reporter of using material in his story that he had agreed to keep off the record — a serious charge of malfeasance against a journalist.
As with Byers, Variety didn’t change what it had written about Alberta. But it added a paragraph to its story using some of what Alberta had written on social media, including a denial that he had used off-the-record material, and disputing Variety’s claim of how many times he had met with Licht while reporting the story.
The story was reposted on Variety’s home page. The only indication that it had been changed was a note at its end: “This story was updated on July 28 to reflect new statements from Kelly and Alberta.” | https://cbs4indy.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-variety-revises-article-on-former-cnn-chief-jeff-zucker-that-was-sharply-criticized/ | 2023-07-29T18:10:30 | 0 | https://cbs4indy.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-variety-revises-article-on-former-cnn-chief-jeff-zucker-that-was-sharply-criticized/ |
Former President Trump’s outsized influence is already being felt in GOP Senate primaries, underscoring his grip on the party even as he faces numerous primary challengers in the 2024 White House race.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who’s running to replace Sen. Sherrod Brown (D), endorsed Trump’s presidential bid earlier this week. West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R), who’s running to unseat Sen. Joe Manchin (D), did the same — prompting his GOP primary rival Alex Mooney to point out that he had come out in support of Trump last year.
And prior to officially jumping into Montana’s contested Senate race last month, former Navy SEAL and businessman Tim Sheehy said he supports Trump “100 percent.”
The public show of support for the former president is just the latest example of the political sway he continues to hold over Republicans, and could serve as a headache for party leaders who want the GOP to move on from him.
“Donald Trump continues to be the biggest elephant in the Republican tent,” said Mark Weaver, an Ohio-based Republican strategist. “Republican voters still want to see him as our party’s leader.”
One Republican strategist described the strategy of endorsing Trump as “the path of least resistance.”
“In order to take back the Senate, you’ve got to win a couple of these key seats, and the only way to win back these key seats is to make it through the primary unscathed,” the strategist said.
Some strategists see the endorsements as a sign of how the presidential primary is likely to shake out.
“This is a greater sign than ever before that Trump is most likely going to win the Republican nomination despite the noise in the media,” said Republican strategist Ford O’Connell.
“Endorsing Trump at this stage is one of the safest things a candidate could do,” he added. “This is more about the candidates trying to cozy up to him.”
The eagerness from some Senate Republican hopefuls to embrace the former president comes after many of Trump’s endorsed candidates performed poorly in their general elections last cycle.
“Former President Trump’s endorsement continues to be a boon in a primary and a bane in a general election,” Weaver said.
The National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee (NRSC) is also taking a different approach in the 2024 cycle by playing a more hands-on role in some primaries. Like Trump, the committee’s Chairman Steve Daines (R-Mont.) has thrown his support behind Justice in West Virginia’s Republican Senate primary.
While there has been tension and disagreement between Trump and Senate leadership, particularly on Trump’s unfounded claims that he won the 2020 presidential election, Daines has said he is working with the former president ahead of 2024.
“We chat frequently. And he’s very thoughtful right now looking at these races. He understands it’s important we have candidates that can win,” Daines told CBS News in an interview earlier this month. “If you notice, there hasn’t been a wave of endorsements coming out so far, because I think we’re having these thoughtful conversations and getting on the same page.”
Trump has endorsed in less competitive GOP Senate primaries, like in Indiana, where he threw his support behind Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) a day after former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) announced that he would not run for the seat and after the NRSC endorsed Banks.
And earlier this month, CNN reported that Trump told Mooney in West Virginia and potential Senate candidate Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) that he would not endorse them. Daines has endorsed Sheehy in Montana.
Democrats, meanwhile, are seeking to use Trump’s endorsement against him in the general election, harkening back to Republican losses in 2022.
“Trump is looming over Senate Republicans’ primaries and making the GOP’s nasty infighting even worse,” said Tommy Garcia, a spokesperson for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. “As Republican candidates fight for Trump’s favor, they’re showing the voters who will decide the general election in their states why they should be rejected in 2024.”
And not every Republican running for Senate is immediately tying themselves to the former president. In Nevada, Sam Brown, who has been endorsed by Daines, has yet to endorse Trump despite volunteering for his campaign in 2020. His primary opponent Jim Marchant, on the other hand, has endorsed Trump. Marchant has also said Brown is the GOP establishment’s choice, pointing to his endorsement from the NRSC.
“Mitch McConnell & the establishment needed a candidate & found him in Sam Brown,” Marchant said in a tweet earlier this month. “We see Reagan’s ‘bold-colored differences’ between DC & the real America.”
Weaver noted that while more anti-establishment candidates may try to use this attack line, there’s still much to be gained from an endorsement from the Senate GOP campaign arm.
“Being endorsed by the Washington establishment can bring valuable contributions from interest groups around the country, but it can also bring some criticism for being too close to the Beltway,” he said.
Others caution that endorsements should not be seen as integral to the success of a campaign.
“Ultimately these candidates have got to focus on their message and they’ve got to focus on having the resources to disseminate their message,” the GOP strategist said. “They need to be able to actually run a functional campaign and no endorsement is going to matter if those things aren’t done,” the strategist added. | https://cbs4indy.com/hill-politics/trumps-role-in-gop-senate-primaries-underscores-his-strength/ | 2023-07-29T18:10:38 | 0 | https://cbs4indy.com/hill-politics/trumps-role-in-gop-senate-primaries-underscores-his-strength/ |
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://cbs4indy.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-blinken-says-us-economic-support-for-niger-is-at-risk-as-military-takeover-threatens-stability/ | 2023-07-29T18:10:44 | 0 | https://cbs4indy.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-blinken-says-us-economic-support-for-niger-is-at-risk-as-military-takeover-threatens-stability/ |
FIRST ALERT TRAFFIC: Downed power lines close Beltline Boulevard
FOREST ACRES, S.C. (WIS) - The Forest Acres Police Department reported Beltline Boulevard is currently closed in both directions due to downed power lines.
Police said a box truck allegedly knocked down some power lines Saturday morning causing the area near Richland Fashion Mall to shut down.
Dominion Energy crews are on the scene working to make repairs.
The official cause of the incident is still under investigation.
Police are encouraging the public to find alternate routes.
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Copyright 2023 WIS. All rights reserved. | https://www.wistv.com/2023/07/29/first-alert-traffic-downed-power-lines-shut-down-beltline-boulevard/ | 2023-07-29T18:10:50 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/2023/07/29/first-alert-traffic-downed-power-lines-shut-down-beltline-boulevard/ |
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://cbs4indy.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-election-disinformation-campaigns-targeted-voters-of-color-in-2020-experts-expect-2024-to-be-worse/ | 2023-07-29T18:10:51 | 1 | https://cbs4indy.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-election-disinformation-campaigns-targeted-voters-of-color-in-2020-experts-expect-2024-to-be-worse/ |
Jackson State football concludes competitive first week of Fall camp
JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Head Coach T.C. Taylor and his Jackson State football squad wrapped up their first week of Fall camp.
The 2023 season begins a new era of JSU football with Coach Taylor leading his alma mater for the first time and having many new additions following the departure of Deion Sanders.
Last week, Coach Taylor told WLBT that he is most excited about seeing the defensive line, a position group that is expected to anchor the success of Jackson State this upcoming season. Overall, he said he is pleased with the competitive fire that his roster has brought to the practice field.
“They competed. Guys competed,” said Taylor of what made the opening days of camp great. “Early on, you expect in the first couple of days there will be some missed assignments, some plays without max effort. We told them earlier this week that we’ve got to come back and correct those things, and they did in these last couple of practices. They got after each other. We put the shells on these last two days and had some thumping and contact. It was a physical week.”
Despite being the two-time defending SWAC Champions, the Tigers were listed as the underdogs to retain the conference trophy this season and were predicted to finish second in the East division behind Florida A&M by the SWAC officials and coaches.
Potentially a big factor why is the transition of the quarterback position, with Jason Brown, Phillip Short, Greyson Thompson, and Zy McDonald all competing for the starting spot.
The Tigers open the season in a highly-anticipated 2021 Celebration Bowl rematch against South Carolina State in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge in 28 days.
Click here to view the full schedule.
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Copyright 2023 WLBT. All rights reserved. | https://www.wlbt.com/2023/07/29/jackson-state-football-concludes-competitive-first-week-fall-camp/ | 2023-07-29T18:10:56 | 1 | https://www.wlbt.com/2023/07/29/jackson-state-football-concludes-competitive-first-week-fall-camp/ |
Hidden camera found inside porta-potty at Wisconsin beach
OCONOMOWOC, Wis. (WISN) - A woman at a Wisconsin beach made a terrible discovery after she found a hidden camera underneath the toilet seat of a port-a-potty.
Police are trying to determine if it was the only camera and who put it there.
“That’s insane. Oh my gosh,” Chrissy Hartwig said.
On a beautiful day at Oconomowoc’s Bender Beach, the talk turns instead to something ugly after Hartwig and other beachgoers learn of a small digital camera hidden inside a porta-potty.
“That’s crazy and now that makes me think of all the other porta-potties that might have had something in it,” Hartwig said. “You don’t think about those things.”
Hartwig said she’s heard of people hiding cameras in dressing rooms and even vacation rentals, but never before in a porta-potty.
“I just, I mean, I’m mind blown. I’ve never considered it. I’ve never thought about it. I wouldn’t have thought about it, probably. People are creeps,” she said.
The camera was reportedly inside the toilet, positioned in a way that showed people entering and using the toilet.
Oconomowoc police, along with the public, have a lot of questions.
“It’s, you know, it’s very concerning because you know the little ones use the bathroom,” Lissa Hagen said. “Yeah, it’s concerning, you know, wondering who did it and why they would do something like that. It’s very gross too.”
Hagen’s daughter is a lifeguard at the beach and learned of the camera the day after it was found.
“I mean, it’s uncomfortable. It’s, you know, concerning. Yeah, so, I’m glad they found it at least before, you know, anything happened,” Hagen said.
Police have not shared how long they believe the camera was there and what if anything was on it.
Copyright 2023 WISN via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wagmtv.com/2023/07/29/hidden-camera-found-inside-porta-potty-wisconsin-beach/ | 2023-07-29T18:10:56 | 1 | https://www.wagmtv.com/2023/07/29/hidden-camera-found-inside-porta-potty-wisconsin-beach/ |
Hidden camera found inside porta-potty at Wisconsin beach
OCONOMOWOC, Wis. (WISN) - A woman at a Wisconsin beach made a terrible discovery after she found a hidden camera underneath the toilet seat of a port-a-potty.
Police are trying to determine if it was the only camera and who put it there.
“That’s insane. Oh my gosh,” Chrissy Hartwig said.
On a beautiful day at Oconomowoc’s Bender Beach, the talk turns instead to something ugly after Hartwig and other beachgoers learn of a small digital camera hidden inside a porta-potty.
“That’s crazy and now that makes me think of all the other porta-potties that might have had something in it,” Hartwig said. “You don’t think about those things.”
Hartwig said she’s heard of people hiding cameras in dressing rooms and even vacation rentals, but never before in a porta-potty.
“I just, I mean, I’m mind blown. I’ve never considered it. I’ve never thought about it. I wouldn’t have thought about it, probably. People are creeps,” she said.
The camera was reportedly inside the toilet, positioned in a way that showed people entering and using the toilet.
Oconomowoc police, along with the public, have a lot of questions.
“It’s, you know, it’s very concerning because you know the little ones use the bathroom,” Lissa Hagen said. “Yeah, it’s concerning, you know, wondering who did it and why they would do something like that. It’s very gross too.”
Hagen’s daughter is a lifeguard at the beach and learned of the camera the day after it was found.
“I mean, it’s uncomfortable. It’s, you know, concerning. Yeah, so, I’m glad they found it at least before, you know, anything happened,” Hagen said.
Police have not shared how long they believe the camera was there and what if anything was on it.
Copyright 2023 WISN via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wistv.com/2023/07/29/hidden-camera-found-inside-porta-potty-wisconsin-beach/ | 2023-07-29T18:10:56 | 0 | https://www.wistv.com/2023/07/29/hidden-camera-found-inside-porta-potty-wisconsin-beach/ |
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 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.
“After receiving the flag today, I earnestly felt that the war like that should never be fought again and that I do not wish anyone else to go through this sadness (of separation),” Toshihiro Mutsuda said.
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,” he 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://cbs4indy.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-its-a-miracle-say-family-of-japanese-soldier-killed-in-wwii-as-flag-he-carried-returns-from-us/ | 2023-07-29T18:10:57 | 0 | https://cbs4indy.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-its-a-miracle-say-family-of-japanese-soldier-killed-in-wwii-as-flag-he-carried-returns-from-us/ |
Members of Congress break for August with no clear path to avoiding a shutdown this fall
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 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.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wlbt.com/2023/07/29/members-congress-break-august-with-no-clear-path-avoiding-shutdown-this-fall/ | 2023-07-29T18:11:02 | 1 | https://www.wlbt.com/2023/07/29/members-congress-break-august-with-no-clear-path-avoiding-shutdown-this-fall/ |
Members of Congress break for August with no clear path to avoiding a shutdown this fall
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 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.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wistv.com/2023/07/29/members-congress-break-august-with-no-clear-path-avoiding-shutdown-this-fall/ | 2023-07-29T18:11:03 | 0 | https://www.wistv.com/2023/07/29/members-congress-break-august-with-no-clear-path-avoiding-shutdown-this-fall/ |
Members of Congress break for August with no clear path to avoiding a shutdown this fall
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 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.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wagmtv.com/2023/07/29/members-congress-break-august-with-no-clear-path-avoiding-shutdown-this-fall/ | 2023-07-29T18:11:02 | 1 | https://www.wagmtv.com/2023/07/29/members-congress-break-august-with-no-clear-path-avoiding-shutdown-this-fall/ |
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand striker Hannah Wilkinson has helped create two milestones at the Women’s World Cup.
With her 48th-minute goal in the tournament opener against Norway, she led the co-host Football Ferns to their first win in six trips to the Women’s World Cup. She’s also one of at least 95 out members of the LGBTQ+ community competing in this year’s tournament, according to a count being kept by Outsports, a website that covers the LGBTQ+ sports.
The Ferns were greeted with a fan-made sign at their next match in Wellington: “Gay for soccer, gay for Wilkie,” it read.
The 95 out participants make up roughly 13% of the 736 total players at the Women’s World Cup, more than doubling the 40 players and coaches Outsports counted in 2019.
The 2023 tournament also is hosting the first openly trans and non-binary player in either a men’s or Women’s World Cup, Quinn of Canada.
“Last World Cup was so big, especially with the visibility of the U.S. women’s national team winning and (Megan Rapinoe) fighting with (Donald) Trump. So I think that was a huge year for LGBTQ+ visibility,” said Lindsey Freeman, a professor of sociology and anthropology at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia.
“It’s just the ad hoc, fun culture of women’s soccer that you’re seeing in this World Cup,” said Freeman, who is in New Zealand conducting research on the topic.
Jim Buzinski, co-founder of Outsports, agreed. “In the Western world, it’s such a non-issue that it really just doesn’t get talked about,” he said. “And I think that’s in a good way.”
VISIBILITY
Prior to the start of the tournament, FIFA designated eight socially conscious armbands team captains could wear throughout the Women’s World Cup. The decision came after “One Love” armbands were denied to men’s teams in Qatar in 2022.
The armbands being used this year include anti-discriminatory sayings and multiple colors, but the rainbow version Germany wanted to use is not allowed. None of the available options explicitly mention LGBTQ+ rights.
The decision has led many players to express their support in more creative ways across Australia and New Zealand.
New Zealand midfielder Ali Riley was interviewed on the official Women’s World Cup broadcast after her team’s upset of Norway. Her painted fingernails, left hand in the colors of the pride flag and right hand as the trans flag, were clearly visible as she held her head and fought back tears.
“She’s such an advocate and she’s definitely someone who uses her platform in such a positive way. We are all so proud of her and the way she represents the LGBTQ+ community,” teammate CJ Bott said. “Good on her. We’re all backing her, and we all back the community as well.”
The Philippines, making its Women’s World Cup debut, took home its own historic win over New Zealand 1-0 thanks to the foot of Sarina Bolden. Bolden’s Instagram bio reads, “i just wanna have fun n b gay.”
Irish star Katie McCabe wowed fans with a goal directly from a corner kick. She’s also made tabloid news for her relationships with other players.
Thembi Kgatlana, who has scored in the tournament for South Africa, has a patch of her hair dyed rainbow colors.
“My personality is very big for me, and my hair has become a part of my personality,” Kgatlana said. “And I did this rainbow because I want to represent all the people that are part of the LGBTQ and cannot talk while in countries where they’re oppressed.”
FAN EXPERIENCE
Kristen Pariseau and her wife started a U.S. women’s national team supporters group on Facebook ahead of traveling to this year’s Women’s World Cup. Aside from some hateful users she blocked, it’s been “super LGBT friendly.”
She and her wife did not go to Qatar for the 2022 men’s World Cup to avoid referencing each other as friends and receiving questions on their sexuality. In New Zealand, she said she’s met many same-sex couples at games and while traveling around the country.
“Everywhere you turn, it’s like, ‘Oh, my wife, my girlfriend.’ It’s been so welcoming and open,” Pariseau said. “In a way, it is kind of cool to be where there’s a lot of other people like you.”
Kelsie Bozart took her own pride flag armband to the United States’ second match in Wellington, along with a pride scarf.
“If you look back a couple years, I feel like it just wasn’t really talked about or there just wasn’t much of a presence,” Bozart said. “But moving forward I feel like, especially for the U.S., they’ve done an amazing job of just incorporating pride and LGBTQ.”
NOT UNIVERSAL
Though this year’s tournament has highlighted vast gains for the LGBTQ+ community in women’s soccer, advocates feel there is still work to be done.
According to Buzinski and Outsports, there were at least 186 LGBTQ+ athletes at the Tokyo Olympics. Women outnumbered men by a 9:1 ratio. There also were no confirmed out players at the 2022 men’s World Cup.
“I think women’s sports have always been open,” Denmark striker Pernille Harder said, adding that there are many role models for women who want to come out.
Freeman said it would be good to see men feel the same level of comfort.
“What can happen in the women’s game, I would love to spill over to the men’s game,” she said. “Because obviously, there’s way more queer players in the men’s game and it’s just not safe for them to come out.
“If you want to say that you’re in an inclusive space, you really have to be an inclusive space,” Freeman added. “And I think that that includes also holding the World Cup in places where it’s fine to be a queer person.”
___
Max Ralph is a student in John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State.
___
Contributing reporters included Joe Lister in Wellington and Rafaela Pontes in Auckland, students in the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State, and Clay Witt in Sydney, Australia, a student at the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.
___
AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://cbs4indy.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-lgbtq-community-proud-and-visible-at-womens-world-cup/ | 2023-07-29T18:11:02 | 1 | https://cbs4indy.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-lgbtq-community-proud-and-visible-at-womens-world-cup/ |
Pet owner says 4-foot-long python has gone missing from his yard
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR/Gray News) - Residents in an Illinois neighborhood are currently on the lookout for a pet snake.
Jonathan Delaney told WIFR that his 15-year-old ball python named Bubba slithered away from his yard last weekend.
Delaney said his exotic 4-foot-long snake is missing, but neighbors shouldn’t be worried.
“He’s completely harmless,” Delaney said. “We’ve had him for 15 years. He’s never been mean and the biggest thing he’d eat is a rat.”
Fellow Edgewater resident Rhonda Hanley said she’d likely be startled if she came across Bubba. But because he’s someone’s pet, she’ll try to help find him.
“I’ll try and put something over the top of it like a blanket or a garbage can if I find him,” Hanley said.
Delaney is thankful that his neighbors are concerned enough to lend a helping hand.
“We are hoping he’s still around here and nobody harms him,” he said. “We are hoping to find him as soon as possible.”
Experts say because ball pythons prefer to be hidden most of the time the snake doesn’t appear to pose a threat to the public.
The snake can strike if it gets agitated, but those bites don’t normally require medical attention.
“The most that could happen is that the snake could take a defensive swipe,” Stephanie Stone, owner of Jurassic Reptile Supply, said. “It’s less impact than a cat scratch or a cat bite.”
Stone added that ball pythons typically don’t travel very far.
“Unless it feels the need to try to find a meal, it’s probably very close to where it was originally,” she said.
Anyone who spots Bubba has been urged to contact Delaney on social media.
Copyright 2023 WIFR via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wistv.com/2023/07/29/pet-owner-says-4-foot-long-python-has-gone-missing-his-yard/ | 2023-07-29T18:11:09 | 0 | https://www.wistv.com/2023/07/29/pet-owner-says-4-foot-long-python-has-gone-missing-his-yard/ |
Braves vs. Brewers: Odds, spread, over/under - July 29
On Saturday, July 29, Ronald Acuna Jr.'s Atlanta Braves (65-36) host Christian Yelich's Milwaukee Brewers (57-47) at Truist Park. The first pitch will be thrown at 7:20 PM ET.
The Brewers are +170 moneyline underdogs in this matchup with the favored Braves (-210). The contest's total has been listed at 10 runs.
Braves vs. Brewers Time and TV Channel
- Date: Saturday, July 29, 2023
- Time: 7:20 PM ET
- TV: BSSE
- Location: Atlanta, Georgia
- Venue: Truist Park
- Probable Pitchers: Bryce Elder - ATL (7-2, 3.30 ERA) vs Julio Teheran - MIL (2-4, 3.75 ERA)
Watch live sports and TV without cable on all your devices with a seven-day free trial to Fubo!
Braves vs. Brewers Betting Odds, Run Line and Total
Take a look at the odds, run line and over/under for this matchup available on individual sportsbooks.
Wanting to bet on the Braves and Brewers game but aren't sure how to get started? Here's a quick breakdown. Some of the most common betting types include the moneyline, run line, and total. A moneyline bet means that you think one of the teams -- the Braves (-210), for instance -- will win. It's that easy! If the Braves bring home the win, and you bet $10, you'd get $14.76 back.
There are many other ways to bet, too. You can wager on player props (will Matt Olson get a hit?), parlays (combining picks from different games to multiply your potential winnings), and more. For more details on the many ways you can wager, check out the BetMGM app and website.
Ready to place your bet? Click here and enter bonus code "GNPLAY" to claim your BetMGM promo today.
Explore More About This Game
Braves vs. Brewers Betting Trends and Insights
- The Braves have entered the game as favorites 88 times this season and won 57, or 64.8%, of those games.
- The Braves have gone 20-8 when playing as moneyline favorites with odds of -210 or shorter (71.4% winning percentage).
- Atlanta has a 67.7% chance to win this game based on the implied probability of the moneyline.
- The Braves went 4-6 over the 10 games they were favored on the moneyline in their last 10 matchups.
- In its last 10 matchups, Atlanta and its opponents combined to hit the over four times (all 10 of the games had set totals).
- The Brewers have been underdogs in 50 games this season and have come away with the win 25 times (50%) in those contests.
- The Brewers have played as an underdog of +170 or more just one time this year and came away with a loss in that game.
- In six games as underdogs over the last 10 matchups, the Brewers have a record of 2-4.
- When it comes to hitting the over, Milwaukee and its opponents are 2-8-0 in the last 10 games with a total.
Braves vs. Brewers Player Props
Check out all the player prop markets available for this game, including betting on players to get a hit, go deep, or pick up a bunch of strikeouts. Head to BetMGM for the latest odds available for the , and place your bets. New depositors can use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
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Braves Futures Odds
Think the Braves can win it all? Check out the latest futures odds for Atlanta and place your bets with BetMGM Sportsbook! Be sure to use our link and enter the bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers.
Not all offers available in all states, please visit sportsbook websites for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wlbt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/braves-vs-brewers-mlb-odds-over-under/ | 2023-07-29T18:11:08 | 1 | https://www.wlbt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/braves-vs-brewers-mlb-odds-over-under/ |
Pet owner says 4-foot-long python has gone missing from his yard
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR/Gray News) - Residents in an Illinois neighborhood are currently on the lookout for a pet snake.
Jonathan Delaney told WIFR that his 15-year-old ball python named Bubba slithered away from his yard last weekend.
Delaney said his exotic 4-foot-long snake is missing, but neighbors shouldn’t be worried.
“He’s completely harmless,” Delaney said. “We’ve had him for 15 years. He’s never been mean and the biggest thing he’d eat is a rat.”
Fellow Edgewater resident Rhonda Hanley said she’d likely be startled if she came across Bubba. But because he’s someone’s pet, she’ll try to help find him.
“I’ll try and put something over the top of it like a blanket or a garbage can if I find him,” Hanley said.
Delaney is thankful that his neighbors are concerned enough to lend a helping hand.
“We are hoping he’s still around here and nobody harms him,” he said. “We are hoping to find him as soon as possible.”
Experts say because ball pythons prefer to be hidden most of the time the snake doesn’t appear to pose a threat to the public.
The snake can strike if it gets agitated, but those bites don’t normally require medical attention.
“The most that could happen is that the snake could take a defensive swipe,” Stephanie Stone, owner of Jurassic Reptile Supply, said. “It’s less impact than a cat scratch or a cat bite.”
Stone added that ball pythons typically don’t travel very far.
“Unless it feels the need to try to find a meal, it’s probably very close to where it was originally,” she said.
Anyone who spots Bubba has been urged to contact Delaney on social media.
Copyright 2023 WIFR via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wagmtv.com/2023/07/29/pet-owner-says-4-foot-long-python-has-gone-missing-his-yard/ | 2023-07-29T18:11:09 | 0 | https://www.wagmtv.com/2023/07/29/pet-owner-says-4-foot-long-python-has-gone-missing-his-yard/ |
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://cbs4indy.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-members-of-congress-break-for-august-with-no-clear-path-to-avoiding-a-shutdown-this-fall/ | 2023-07-29T18:11:10 | 0 | https://cbs4indy.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-members-of-congress-break-for-august-with-no-clear-path-to-avoiding-a-shutdown-this-fall/ |
Braves vs. Brewers: Odds, spread, over/under - July 29
On Saturday, July 29, Ronald Acuna Jr.'s Atlanta Braves (65-36) host Christian Yelich's Milwaukee Brewers (57-47) at Truist Park. The first pitch will be thrown at 7:20 PM ET.
The Brewers are +170 moneyline underdogs in this matchup with the favored Braves (-210). The contest's total has been listed at 10 runs.
Braves vs. Brewers Time and TV Channel
- Date: Saturday, July 29, 2023
- Time: 7:20 PM ET
- TV: BSSE
- Location: Atlanta, Georgia
- Venue: Truist Park
- Probable Pitchers: Bryce Elder - ATL (7-2, 3.30 ERA) vs Julio Teheran - MIL (2-4, 3.75 ERA)
Watch live sports and TV without cable on all your devices with a seven-day free trial to Fubo!
Braves vs. Brewers Betting Odds, Run Line and Total
Take a look at the odds, run line and over/under for this matchup available on individual sportsbooks.
Wanting to bet on the Braves and Brewers game but aren't sure how to get started? Here's a quick breakdown. Some of the most common betting types include the moneyline, run line, and total. A moneyline bet means that you think one of the teams -- the Braves (-210), for instance -- will win. It's that easy! If the Braves bring home the win, and you bet $10, you'd get $14.76 back.
There are many other ways to bet, too. You can wager on player props (will Matt Olson get a hit?), parlays (combining picks from different games to multiply your potential winnings), and more. For more details on the many ways you can wager, check out the BetMGM app and website.
Ready to place your bet? Click here and enter bonus code "GNPLAY" to claim your BetMGM promo today.
Explore More About This Game
Braves vs. Brewers Betting Trends and Insights
- The Braves have entered the game as favorites 88 times this season and won 57, or 64.8%, of those games.
- The Braves have gone 20-8 when playing as moneyline favorites with odds of -210 or shorter (71.4% winning percentage).
- Atlanta has a 67.7% chance to win this game based on the implied probability of the moneyline.
- The Braves went 4-6 over the 10 games they were favored on the moneyline in their last 10 matchups.
- In its last 10 matchups, Atlanta and its opponents combined to hit the over four times (all 10 of the games had set totals).
- The Brewers have been underdogs in 50 games this season and have come away with the win 25 times (50%) in those contests.
- The Brewers have played as an underdog of +170 or more just one time this year and came away with a loss in that game.
- In six games as underdogs over the last 10 matchups, the Brewers have a record of 2-4.
- When it comes to hitting the over, Milwaukee and its opponents are 2-8-0 in the last 10 games with a total.
Braves vs. Brewers Player Props
Check out all the player prop markets available for this game, including betting on players to get a hit, go deep, or pick up a bunch of strikeouts. Head to BetMGM for the latest odds available for the , and place your bets. New depositors can use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Want a different way to play? Put together your best lineup of players and you could win cash prizes! Sign up for FanDuel Fantasy using our link for the best first-time player offer.
Braves Futures Odds
Think the Braves can win it all? Check out the latest futures odds for Atlanta and place your bets with BetMGM Sportsbook! Be sure to use our link and enter the bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers.
Not all offers available in all states, please visit sportsbook websites for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wistv.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/braves-vs-brewers-mlb-odds-over-under/ | 2023-07-29T18:11:15 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/braves-vs-brewers-mlb-odds-over-under/ |
Red Sox vs. Giants: Odds, spread, over/under - July 29
Justin Turner will lead the charge for the Boston Red Sox (56-47) on Saturday, July 29, when they clash with LaMonte Wade Jr and the San Francisco Giants (56-48) at Oracle Park at 7:15 PM ET.
The favored Red Sox have -130 moneyline odds against the underdog Giants, who are listed at +110. The over/under is 8.5 runs for the matchup (with -105 odds on the over and -115 odds to go under).
Red Sox vs. Giants Time and TV Channel
- Date: Saturday, July 29, 2023
- Time: 7:15 PM ET
- TV: FOX
- Location: San Francisco, California
- Venue: Oracle Park
- Probable Pitchers: James Paxton - BOS (6-2, 3.46 ERA) vs Ryan Walker - SF (3-0, 2.70 ERA)
Watch live sports and TV without cable on all your devices with a seven-day free trial to Fubo!
Red Sox vs. Giants Betting Odds, Run Line and Total
Here's a look at the odds, run line and over/under for this matchup posted at multiple sportsbooks.
Looking to bet on the Red Sox and Giants matchup but aren't sure how to get started? Here's a quick breakdown. Some of the most common betting types include the moneyline, run line, and total. A moneyline bet means that you think one of the teams -- the Red Sox (-130), for instance -- will win. It's that easy! If the Red Sox bring home the win, and you bet $10, you'd get $17.69 back.
There are lots of other ways to bet, too. You can wager on player props (will Justin Turner hit a home run?), parlays (combining picks from different games to multiply your potential winnings), and more. For more details on the many different ways you can wager, check out the BetMGM app and website.
Ready to place your bet? Click here and enter bonus code "GNPLAY" to claim your BetMGM promo today.
Read More About This Game
Red Sox vs. Giants Betting Trends and Insights
- This season, the Red Sox have been favored 43 times and won 24, or 55.8%, of those games.
- The Red Sox have a 15-11 record (winning 57.7% of their games) when playing as moneyline favorites of -130 or shorter.
- The bookmakers' moneyline implies a 56.5% chance of a victory for Boston.
- The Red Sox played as the moneyline favorite for six of their last 10 games, and went 3-3 in those matchups.
- In its last 10 outings, Boston and its opponents combined to hit the over on the total four times (all 10 games had set totals).
- The Giants have been underdogs in 42 games this season and have come away with the win 23 times (54.8%) in those contests.
- This season, the Giants have come away with a win 11 times in 24 chances when named as an underdog of at least +110 or worse on the moneyline.
- The Giants have been underdogs twice in the last 10 games and lost both contests.
- In the last 10 games with a total, San Francisco and its opponents are 3-7-0 when it comes to hitting the over.
Red Sox vs. Giants Player Props
Check out all the player prop markets available for this game, including betting on players to get a hit, go deep, or pick up a bunch of strikeouts. Head to BetMGM for the latest odds available for the , and place your bets. New depositors can use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Want a different way to play? Put together your best lineup of players and you could win cash prizes! Sign up for FanDuel Fantasy using our link for the best first-time player offer.
Red Sox Futures Odds
Think the Red Sox can win it all? Check out the latest futures odds for Boston and place your bets with BetMGM Sportsbook! Be sure to use our link and enter the bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers.
Not all offers available in all states, please visit sportsbook websites for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wagmtv.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/red-sox-vs-giants-mlb-odds-over-under/ | 2023-07-29T18:11:16 | 1 | https://www.wagmtv.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/red-sox-vs-giants-mlb-odds-over-under/ |
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://cbs4indy.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-the-extreme-heat-wave-that-blasted-the-southwest-is-abating-with-late-arriving-monsoon-rains/ | 2023-07-29T18:11:17 | 0 | https://cbs4indy.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-the-extreme-heat-wave-that-blasted-the-southwest-is-abating-with-late-arriving-monsoon-rains/ |
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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. | https://cbs4indy.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-two-supermoons-in-august-mean-double-the-stargazing-fun/ | 2023-07-29T18:11:24 | 1 | https://cbs4indy.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-two-supermoons-in-august-mean-double-the-stargazing-fun/ |