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Best time to fertilize your lawn
Whether you’re creating a comfortable space for your family to spend their free time or increasing the curb appeal of your property, maintaining a green and healthy lawn can be difficult. One of the most effective steps you can take is applying fertilizer, but correctly applying it can be tricky. And an incorrect application can do more harm than good.
We at BestReviews want you to be knowledgeable when utilizing fertilizer and have created this guide to help you feel confident you’re adding the correct amount at the appropriate time.
Shop this article: EGO Power+ 21-inch 56-volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Mower, Scotts Turf Builder Classic Drop Spreader and Flexzilla Garden Hose
Fertilizer nutrients
Most fertilizers found in a store will have three numbers printed on the packaging, referring to nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Though all these nutrients are necessary for a better lawn, each performs a specific role in facilitating healthy grass growth.
Nitrogen
Nitrogen is the most important nutrient required for a healthy lawn. All plants, including grass, need nitrogen to produce chlorophyll. Chlorophyll not only acts as food for the plant but also gives the plant its green color. Applying a nitrogen fertilizer helps your grass grow faster, recover from environmental stresses and deters disease and invasive weeds.
Although nitrogen needs to be applied in the correct amount, too much nitrogen can lead to rapid growth with an underdeveloped root system. Too little nitrogen and the yard may become nitrogen deficient, causing the grass to yellow.
Phosphorus
Phosphorus promotes vigorous root growth and helps the grass pull water from the soil. A robust root system encourages proper hydration, helps plants reach full maturity, aids in survival during dry weather and keeps soil and nutrients from blowing away during strong winds and storms.
Potassium
Potassium helps a plant’s cells maintain ‘turgor pressure,’ also known as hydrostatic pressure. Simply put, turgor pressure is what gives the plant’s cell its structural integrity. This allows the plant to survive harsh conditions, like cold weather or drought.
Best grass mowers
EGO Power+ 21-inch 56-volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Mower
Cordless, self-propelled, and able to run 80 minutes on a single charge, the EGO Power 21-inch 56-volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Mower is the rare full-electric mower that feels like a gas model.
Sold by Amazon
Black & Decker 6.5A 12-inch Electric 3-in-1 Trimmer/Edger and Mower
This Black and Decker lawn edger is an affordable and quality option for those with medium to small yards looking for a versatile machine.
Sold by Amazon
Types of fertilizer
Fast-release vs. slow-release
With nitrogen as the most critical component in facilitating plant growth, you should pay careful attention to how you introduce it into your yard’s ecosystem. Fast-release nitrogen fertilizers provide rapid growth and greening but increase the risk of nitrogen oversaturation.
Slow-release nitrogen fertilizers, also known as controlled-release fertilizers, allow for a more gradual introduction of nitrogen. Plant greening and maturation won’t be rapid, but you can expect even grass growth and lessen the chance of lawn damage.
Liquids vs. granules
Most home fertilizers come in either liquid or granule form. Though both contain the same nutrients needed to facilitate healthy lawn growth, they each have specific benefits and drawbacks.
Liquid fertilizers have a consistent distribution of nutrients and are easy to apply. Liquid fertilizers do not have a slow-release nitrogen option, and the initial cost of a distribution system can be steep.
Granular fertilizers are cheap to purchase, especially in bulk, are easy to store and provide slow-release nitrogen fertilizer options. Though granular fertilizers don’t spread as evenly as their liquid counterparts, the cost of granule distribution systems is far less.
Best granular spreaders
Scotts Turf Builder Classic Drop Spreader
With its straightforward operation and ease of use, the Turf Builder Classic Drop Spreader is an ideal fit for those who need to distribute fertilizer over a large area.
Sold by Amazon
Scotts Turf Builder EdgeGuard Mini Broadcast Spreader
For gardeners on a budget, Scotts Turf Builder EdgeGuard Mini Broadcast Spreader has plenty of capacity to cover most lawns and gardens.
Sold by Amazon
Scotts Wizz Hand-Held Spreader
Lightweight and handheld, the Scotts Wizz Hand-Held Spreader is an excellent fit for the gardener with a small or atypical-shaped yard in need of fertilizing.
Sold by Amazon
When is the best time to fertilize your lawn?
Depending on the needs of your soil and climate, your lawn may require multiple applications of fertilizer throughout the year. However, there are two critical times during the year when spreading fertilizer can most benefit your yard.
Spring
When fertilizer is applied to frozen soil, the plants cannot absorb nitrogen and other nutrients. Instead, the nitrogen rests on top of the soil and can be washed away, collecting in the low parts of a yard or into storm drains and ditches. These areas become damaged from an over-concentration of nitrogen and will need further attention and maintenance.
In spring, wait until the soil has sufficiently thawed and warmed before applying fertilizer. Creating a solid root system early will lead to a healthier and greener yard later, so be cautious not to apply too much nitrogen too fast.
Fall
Late fall is arguably the most critical time to apply fertilizer, as the winter months will be the hardest on your lawn. Research the expected climate in your area and spread fertilizer 2-3 weeks before the soil will freeze. The morning dews during those few weeks will bring the essential nutrients from the fertilizer into the soil. The result will be a lawn more prepared for the cold winter months and a healthier root system when the soil thaws again in the spring.
When to water the lawn after fertilizing
If you decide to apply granular fertilizer to your lawn, water the area immediately to ensure the nutrients are absorbed. Never apply granular fertilizer to wet grass, as wet grass can cause nitrogen to wash away before entering the soil, damaging your lawn.
Rugged enough to discourage kinks, yet flexible and easy to use, the Flexzilla garden hose is an ideal purchase for the gardener who prefers a hands-on approach to lawn maintenance.
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Gerrad Frei writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://who13.com/reviews/br/lawn-garden-br/fertilizers-br/when-to-fertilize-your-lawn/ | 2023-07-29T20:19:42 | 1 | https://who13.com/reviews/br/lawn-garden-br/fertilizers-br/when-to-fertilize-your-lawn/ |
(NerdWallet) – Labor Day may mark the unofficial end of summer in the U.S. — but it’s hardly the end of airport crowds. In fact, given record-breaking crowds already this year, there’s a good chance this Labor Day weekend could be busier than any prior Labor Day weekend.
Already this summer, U.S. airports have set fresh passenger records. June 30, the Friday before July 4, marked a new record high of passengers on a single day when more than 2.884 million people passed through Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints.
That figure topped the previous record of 2.882 million people from the Sunday after 2019’s Thanksgiving, according to a NerdWallet analysis of TSA data showing the number of passengers screened at U.S. TSA checkpoints over the last four years.
Roughly 12% more people passed through U.S. airports in June 2023 versus June 2022, which is perhaps unsurprising given the lingering effects of the pandemic through 2022.
The more impressive feat, though, is that 2023’s crowds have exceeded 2019 levels. TSA screened 0.6% more passengers in June 2023 versus June 2019, proving that summer is back and bigger than ever.
Expect Labor Day 2023 crowds to be no different, but some days around the long weekend are significantly busier than others.
The best and worst days to fly Labor Day weekend
TSA checkpoint data suggests most people use Labor Day — which is observed on the first Monday of September — as a long weekend. They depart on Friday, bask in two full days of vacation and return home on Monday.
To avoid crowds, and likely save money, book Labor Day travel on days that aren’t the start and end of the weekend. Based on an average of the past four years, here were the most to least crowded days for the week surrounding Labor Day, ranked:
- Friday before Labor Day (most crowded).
- Thursday before.
- Labor Day Monday.
- Sunday after.
- Friday after.
- Monday after.
- Monday before.
- Thursday after.
- Tuesday after.
- Wednesday before.
- Sunday before.
- Saturday before.
- Wednesday after.
- Tuesday before.
- Saturday after (least crowded).
When broken out by pre- and post-Labor Day travel, here are the three least crowded days to travel ranked from least to most crowded:
Pre-holiday:
- Tuesday before (overall least crowded day pre-holiday).
- Saturday before.
- Sunday before.
Post-holiday:
- Saturday after (overall least crowded day post-holiday).
- Wednesday after.
- Tuesday after.
During the seven days after and before Labor Day (including the holiday itself), the Friday before Labor Day has been the single busiest day to fly over each of the past four years.
As far as the period starting on Labor Day itself and spanning the subsequent seven days, Labor Day Monday has been the busiest day to fly over the past three years. If Labor Day Monday is excluded from the rankings, the Sunday after has been the busiest over the past three years. In 2019, the trends were flipped: the Sunday after was the busiest, and the holiday itself was the second busiest.
The smarter, cheaper Labor Day weekend itinerary
If you work a standard Monday-Friday workweek and have the holiday off, leaving Friday after work and returning on Labor Day seems logical. But following the same itinerary as everyone else means you’ll likely pay — both in airfares and navigating airport crowds. For lighter crowds (and perhaps better deals), try these travel days instead:
Fly on the Tuesday or Wednesday before: Let Labor Day weekend become closer to a week by jetting off earlier than the folks leaving Thursday or Friday, assuming you have enough vacation days to use (or can work remotely). You’ll have more time away from home and be more relaxed without the big airport crowds.
Travel on Saturday: Crowds are light on Saturdays before and after the holiday. So, rather than rushing out of work on Friday afternoon to catch a flight, opt for the morning flight the next day.
That Saturday morning flight might also reduce your risk of delays, too. According to travel booking site Hopper’s Flight Disruption Outlook for Spring 2023, flights departing after 9 a.m. are twice as likely to be delayed than departures scheduled from 5-8 a.m.
Fly home the Sunday before: While most folks fly home on Labor Day Monday, you might get a head start by flying home on Sunday. Sure, you’ll have one less vacation day than folks following your same itinerary departing Monday, but that’s not a bad thing. By returning Sunday night, you’ll have a whole day to refresh and prepare for the week ahead by doing laundry, meal prepping or catching up on potential jetlag. Sometimes the nicest way to relax is by taking a vacation from your vacation. | https://www.krqe.com/news/national/the-busiest-days-to-fly-around-labor-day-2023/ | 2023-07-29T20:19:43 | 0 | https://www.krqe.com/news/national/the-busiest-days-to-fly-around-labor-day-2023/ |
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Adult lawn games
When you’re a kid, outdoor games help you develop both fine and gross motor skills. They can increase your coordination, teach you admirable character traits such as good sportsmanship and help you burn off excess energy.
However, when you become an adult, outdoor games serve a different purpose. While they still provide entertainment and recreation, outdoor games encourage and facilitate social interaction. The best outdoor games for adults create an atmosphere that sparks conversation and healthy but not too serious competition.
Read on for a list of favorite outdoor games that are best suited for backyard gatherings of adult friends and family members. To make it easy for you to find one that’s best for your needs, they’re organized in five categories: classic games, tossing games, active games, supersized games and novelty options.
Shop this article: Franklin Sports Croquet Set, Hey! Play! Family Bocce Ball Set and St. Pierre American Professional Series Horseshoes
Classic games
These lawn games are timeless favorites that have been around for a hundred years or more.
Croquet is a fun game of skill that’s been around for nearly 200 years. It involves hitting a ball through a course made of wire hoops and a peg. This set comes with everything you need: six durable mallets, six balls, nine hoops, two pegs and a carrying case.
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Hey! Play! Family Bocce Ball Set
Bocce is a simple game of skill that’s been around for over 7,000 years. This set from Hey! Play! offers quality materials at a low price, which translates to value. The balls come in two colors with two distinct patterns to facilitate four-person play.
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You thought bowling was only an indoor sport? In 5,000 B.C., ancient Egyptians used to have fun knocking down objects by rolling stones. With this quality set of ten hardwood pins and two hardwood balls, you can carry on the tradition at your next picnic. This game works best on level, short-cut lawns or dirt.
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Tossing games
Whether tossing steel or beanbags, these fun adult games are designed to test your underarm throwing skills.
St. Pierre American Professional Series Horseshoes
This is not a set for kids. The durable blue and gray horseshoes in this kit are manufactured using forged steel. The set also includes two solid steel 24-inch stakes, an official rule book and a carrying case.
Sold by Amazon and Dick’s Sporting Goods
GoSports Premium Metal Ladder Toss Game Set
If you’re looking for a high-quality ladder toss game, this model is made out of steel, is easy to assemble and comes with a carrying case. The bolos are manufactured using soft rubber with thicker strings to help prevent tangles.
Sold by Amazon
This regulation-size cornhole game has a vintage style and is manufactured to look like steel-framed barnwood planks but is UV- and water-resistant. The set comes with eight 16-ounce, all-weather beanbags.
Sold by Amazon
Active games
These active games are best for individuals who like to get a little workout in while playing.
For the individual who takes paddle ball seriously, this high-quality, solid wooden set is made using pine, sapele and beechwood to create a distinctive design. The handles are wrapped in neoprene to provide a confident grip, and the set comes with a canvas drawstring bag for storage and transport.
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Franklin Sports Family Badminton Set
If you’d like to save a little money and still get a great badminton set, this is the way to go. This family-friendly unit features a net that is 20 feet x 1 foot, 6 inches. It’s easy to set up and comes with four steel badminton rackets, two nylon birdies and six ropes and stakes.
Sold by Amazon
Park & Sun Sports Permanent Outdoor Tetherball Set
Tetherball is a fun and challenging game that is permanently installed so you can play whenever you’d like. The object is simply to wrap the rope completely around the pole. This kit features a two-piece galvanized steel pole to resist rusting along with a soft-touch ball with a durable nylon-wound bladder.
Sold by Amazon
Supersized games
The fun only gets bigger when you play these tabletop games in extra-large size.
This is the official Hasbro version of the popular stacking game. However, in this supersized version, you can use the 54 hardwood blocks to create towers that are over 5 feet tall.
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ECR4Kids Jumbo 4-to-Score Game Set
Yes, this is the popular kids’ game that goes by a slightly different name when sold by other manufacturers. The object is to connect four giant rings in a straight line on the huge 4-foot-tall game grid. It’s manufactured using lightweight, weather-resistant material so it can be played either indoors or outdoors.
Sold by Amazon
Triumph Sports 28-Piece Lawn Domino Set
If you’ve ever wanted to play dominoes outside, this is your chance. This wooden set features 28 pieces that are 3 1/2 x 7 inches, making them large enough to play on a picnic table or in the grass. The color-coded pips add a splash of fun while the varnish finish helps with durability.
Sold by Amazon
Novelty options
If you’d like to look a little off the beaten path for backyard entertainment, these outdoor novelty games might be the best option for you.
University Games Flickin’ Chicken
This creative novelty game is modeled after golf. There’s a target that serves as the hole, and each round, players see who can land their chicken on the target with the least number of throws. Up to four players can play a game.
Sold by Amazon
GoSports Foam Fire Trophy Hunt
Admittedly, this game was designed for kids, but that doesn’t mean adults can’t have just as much fun playing. Players take turns shooting foam balls at a target that features big game animals to try and earn the most points. The set includes two blasters, 40 foam balls, a target, a carrying case and a rule book.
Sold by Amazon
GoPong 8-Foot Portable Beer Pong Table
Yes, we’ve saved the best for last! This regulation-size beer pong table is what every serious competitor needs. The compact, fold-up design turns this table into a 2-foot square case in a matter of seconds. While the table comes with six pong balls, you need to supply your own red Solo cups.
Sold by Amazon
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Allen Foster writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://who13.com/reviews/br/toys-games-br/outdoor-toys-br/best-adult-lawn-games/ | 2023-07-29T20:19:48 | 1 | https://who13.com/reviews/br/toys-games-br/outdoor-toys-br/best-adult-lawn-games/ |
(NEXSTAR) — Yet another new, unsafe trend is catching attention.
This time, some TikTok users are encouraging viewers to add borax to their water, claiming the common cleaning product can help reduce inflammation and joint pain, or even “detoxify” the body. As you may have guessed, health officials are warning of the consequences the trend could have on your health.
Borax, or sodium tetraborate decahydrate, is a chemical compound commonly available in the form of a white crystalline powder. It’s been utilized in a variety of ways since the Middle Ages, and today is often used a laundry detergent, kitchen/bathroom cleaner, and even a bug and weed killer.
Boric acid has also been found to have bacteriostatic properties, meaning it can prevent the growth of bacteria, Dr. S. Ruddy Rose, director of VCU Health’s Virginia Poison Center, told Nexstar.
Despite its endless safe uses, however, borax is not approved for ingestion by humans.
Ingesting borax can cause people to become quite sick, according to Dr. Rose, leading to convulsions, problems with the gastrointestinal tract, heat burns, and even kidney damage.
“This happens pretty quickly,” he adds.
Even the company behind 20 Mule Team Borax, a popular borax product, has warned against participating in the TikTok trend.
“20 Mule Team Borax has many uses but ingesting is not one of them,” the company warned on July 25.
“Do not bathe in, apply to skin, or ingest Borax, including drinking it diluted in water,” the company continued. “It is not intended for use as a personal care product or dietary supplement.”
Should your child fall victim to the trend, Dr. Rose said you can follow up with the child’s pediatrician, as long as they don’t have any symptoms. But if your child is vomiting, has abdominal pain, or experiences a seizure or other serious symptoms, it’s best to seek emergency medical attention.
Several videos recommending borax have been removed from TikTok, according to NBC News.
Social-media users, meanwhile, should always be cautious about taking medical advice from influencers or TikTok personalities.
“Just beware of these types of activities,” Dr. Rose said. “The people promoting it may not be doing it for the right reason.”
Borax uses
There are plenty of non-dangerous ways to use borax that you may not be aware of.
- It can unclog drains. As recommended by Southern Living, 1/2 cup of borax and two cups of boiling water down a clogged drain should clear it right out. Let the solution sit for 15 mins before flushing with warm water.
- It’s a pest deterrent/killer. Borax is a desiccant, which means it sucks up moisture. In this way, borax can be useful to sprinkle in places where bugs might ordinarily populate. The powder will keep the area dry and make it less optimal for insects to make home. Meanwhile, if bugs are already in your home, it’s not too late. The Spruce explains that insects, like cockroaches and ants, become “dried out” from the inside and die after eating the powder.
- It can help grow your fruit trees. Bob Vila recommends adding borax to the soil around your tree to help keep the plant’s pH levels desirable for growth.
- It’s in ingredient in “slime.” If your kids love making and playing with slime, Taste of Home has a recipe for using borax to make the stretchy, gooey stuff. | https://www.krqe.com/news/national/why-are-people-drinking-borax-cleaning-powder-on-tiktok/ | 2023-07-29T20:19:49 | 1 | https://www.krqe.com/news/national/why-are-people-drinking-borax-cleaning-powder-on-tiktok/ |
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(NEXSTAR) – The astounding critical and commercial reception of the new “Barbie” movie has catapulted all-things-Barbie back to the forefront of pop culture.
Even Allan!
Mattel’s Allan dolls — first introduced in the earlier half of the ‘60s as a “buddy” for Ken dolls — are currently experiencing increased demand among collectors and Barbie fans, with early specimens selling for upwards of $200 on eBay over the last several days.
The value of Allan dolls has increased, no doubt, due to Allan’s inclusion in the film. But that’s about the only effect the movie has had on the price of vintage Barbies, according to Barbie expert Rebecca Chulew, who has been featured such shows as “Collector’s Call,” “Toy Hunter” and “My Crazy Obsession.”
“Many vintage Barbies were produced by the millions and are easy to find,” said Chulew, who has sold over 10,000 Barbies on eBay and Macari over the years. “Everybody thinks they have a valuable Barbie. The truth is, the majority aren’t.”
Certain vintage Barbie dolls, meanwhile, might still be worth a pretty penny, but their value really isn’t tied to the movie, according to Chulew.
“The doll now is kind of holding steady,” she said. “It has a good value, but I don’t see it going up or down a lot.”
The most valuable Barbies, she said, continue to be the very first series of dolls ever produced in 1959. Specifically, the No. 1 or No. 2 Ponytail Barbies, which can fetch anywhere from $4,000 to $8,000 per doll, depending on condition, the inclusion of the original box, and — perhaps more importantly — the hair color.
“They made three blondes for every brunette,” said Chulew, who noted that brunette Ponytail Barbies from 1959 can sell for up to $6,000, even out of the box.
Chulew further said that sealed or boxed dolls don’t matter as much to many Barbie collectors, seeing as the early opaque boxes were more akin to “shoeboxes” and didn’t showcase the dolls. (“There’s a lot of [online] box sales going on” for folks who want just the packaging, she said.)
Another coveted doll is the Side-Part American Girl Barbie produced in the mid-‘60s, which can go for “about $3,000” (and reportedly once sold for almost double), according to the expert.
Collectors also tend to prize “Twist ‘n Turn” Stacey dolls (not to be confused with Stacie dolls) from the late ‘60s, as well as “Steffie-face” Barbies (i.e., a type of doll using a certain face mold) introduced a few years later. Both can sell for hundreds to the right collectors.
Other valuable dolls include rarer Barbies that weren’t widely produced — like the brunette mentioned above — and, specifically, Black Barbies. According to Chulew, first- and second-issue Francie dolls from 1967-1969 are tough to find, while Alpha Kappa Alpha Barbies (which commemorated the historically African American sorority) can go for up to around $1,000.
And then, there’s Allan.
Allan dolls — including the original from 1964, the bendable-leg version from 1965 and the Wedding Day Allan doll from 1990 — have seen a “slight increase [in value] due to the movie,” said Chulew, adding that sellers might be able to get a few hundred for each one.
The rest of the Barbie line, and even vintage dolls that were mentioned in the movie, are likely worth no more than they were last year.
“I think what you’re going to see in the next 30 to 60 days are a lot of people selling their childhood dolls. And a lot of them aren’t going to be valuable,” Chulew said. “A few rarities might be unearthed, but it might cause stagnation in the market. It’s going to be tough for collectors to sort through all the barbies being advertised as ‘rare’ when they’re not.”
Barbie collectors, on the other hand, might be busy scooping up other “Barbie”-movie merchandise to complete their collections or prepare for any future scarcity. For example, the collectible “Barbie” popcorn buckets from AMC are very “hot” right now, Chulew said, and certain dolls from Mattel’s latest line of movie-inspired figures are becoming hard to find, even if they’re still selling at retail prices.
“But they don’t appear to have made the Allan doll from the movie,” she lamented, “which may be a mistake on their part.” | https://www.krqe.com/news/national/your-vintage-barbie-dolls-might-be-worth-a-pretty-penny-if-you-have-the-right-ones/ | 2023-07-29T20:19:55 | 0 | https://www.krqe.com/news/national/your-vintage-barbie-dolls-might-be-worth-a-pretty-penny-if-you-have-the-right-ones/ |
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.
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AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-bike-ride-across-iowa-puts-vibrant-small-town-america-into-sharp-focus/ | 2023-07-29T20:19:54 | 0 | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-bike-ride-across-iowa-puts-vibrant-small-town-america-into-sharp-focus/ |
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Bronny James plays piano in a video posted by his father, LeBron James, on Saturday, five 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 | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-bronny-james-plays-piano-dines-out-in-video-photos-emerging-days-after-he-suffers-cardiac-arrest/ | 2023-07-29T20:20:01 | 1 | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-bronny-james-plays-piano-dines-out-in-video-photos-emerging-days-after-he-suffers-cardiac-arrest/ |
FUKUOKA, Japan (AP) — Here’s why Katie Ledecky is one of the greatest freestyle swimmers in the history of the sport: She is never quite satisfied.
The 26-year-old American won the 800-meter freestyle on Saturday at the world championships to become the first swimmer to win six golds in the same event at worlds. It was also her 16th individual world title, breaking a tie with Michael Phelps for the most golds at worlds.
She also is a seven-time Olympic gold medalist and the world record holder in both the 800 and 1,500.
But that winning time — 8 minutes, 8.87 seconds, which is the seventh-quickest she’d ever swum — wasn’t quite good enough in her favorite event.
“I’m just always trying to think of new ways to improve. I mean I’ve already got everything turning in my head right now. I kind of wanted to be better than I was tonight,” she said, twirling her right hand beside her right ear, trying to stir up ideas.
“I’m pretty tough on myself,” she said. “But I think I have found the balance of being tough on myself but also having that grace.”
The 800 was Ledecky’s second individual gold following her win in the 1,500 free on Tuesday. She also took silver in the 400 free. Li Bingjie of China took silver in 8:13.31, and Ariarne Titmus of Australia got the bronze in 8:13.59.
“It’s fun to leave a meet with your favorite event, and I just wanted to leave it all in the pool,” Ledecky said.
It was only the fourth gold for the United States in the seventh of eight days in the pool. Meanwhile, Australia has been piling it on with 13 golds, matching its best at the worlds. Australia won three more golds on Saturday.
The Americans lead the overall table with 31 medals (16 silver), Australia has 20 and China 13.
Kaylee McKeown of Australia made history of her own with gold in the women’s 200 backstroke. McKeown’s victory gave her a sweep of all three backstroke events after earlier wins in the 50 and 100. She became the first swimmer to sweep all three backstrokes at the worlds.
It all made up for her disqualification earlier in the 200 IM.
“You can’t change the rules,” she said. “I got ruled out. It’s just the cards I was dealt with and I couldn’t do much more than that. So I just had to carry myself the best I could and channel all my anger and turn a huge negative into a positive.”
Regan Smith of the United States picked up the silver in 2:04.94, while Peng Xuwei of China got the bronze in 2:06.74.
Sarah Sjöström of Sweden continued her dominance with gold in the 50 butterfly. The 29-year-old won in 24.77 seconds and has now won the event five consecutive times at the worlds. The win brought Sjöström’s individual medals at the worlds to 20, equaling Phelps’ mark.
Sjöström also broke her own record in the 50 free, going 23.61 in a semifinal heat. Her old mark was 23.67 set in 2017.
“There are not too many secrets,” Sjöström said about her longevity. “Just do the work every day, go to practice, and stay humble.”
Zhang Yufei of China, who took gold in the 100 fly, claimed the silver in 25.05, while American Gretchen Walsh got the bronze in 25.46.
Japanese fan favorite Rikako Ikee finished seventh (25.78) in the 50 fly but was greeted warmly by the home crowd.
The 23-year-old Ikee won six gold medals at the 2018 Asian Games and was expected to be a favorite in the Tokyo Olympics. But she was diagnosed with leukemia in February 2019. Her comeback continues to resonate with both the Japanese public and her fellow competitors.
Cameron McEvoy of Australia led all the way to capture the gold in the 50 free in 21.06. It was his first individual gold in the worlds or Olympics.
American Jack Alexy collected his second silver of the worlds in 21.57 to go with his silver in the 100 free. Benjamin Proud of Britian, last year’s world champion, took the bronze in 21.58.
Caeleb Dressel won the event at the Olympics but did not qualify for the U.S. team. McEvoy’s time was quicker than Dressel’s winning time in Tokyo — 21.07.
Maxime Grousset of France won gold in the 100 fly in 50.14. The 24-year-old took the early lead and held on. Josh Liendo of Canada earned the silver in 50.34, while American Dare Rose made the podium with the bronze (50.46).
Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania equaled the world record of 29.30 in her semifinal in the 50 breaststroke.
Australia won the 4×100 mixed freestyle relay in a world record of 3:18.83. The Americans took silver in 3:20.82, with Britain getting the bronze in 3:21.68. The relay is not an Olympic event.
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AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-katie-ledecky-passes-michael-phelps-for-most-individual-golds-at-world-championships/ | 2023-07-29T20:20:08 | 0 | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-katie-ledecky-passes-michael-phelps-for-most-individual-golds-at-world-championships/ |
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Wendie Renard was threatening to skip the Women’s World Cup and Eugénie Le Sommer wasn’t in selection contention just a few months ago under France’s previous coaching regime.
A management overhaul and a change of heart ultimately led to two of French football’s most experienced players combining for Les Bleues on Saturday to deliver a 2-1 win over Brazil that put them into a strong position to progress to the round of 16.
Le Sommer missed with a diving header in the 13th minute but needed only four more minutes to convert her next chance, beating Brazilian goalkeeper Leticia with a more emphatic header to score her record-extending 90th international goal.
Debinha equalized for Brazil as the hour approached, and the game opened up as both teams pressed for a winner. That’s when Renaud stepped in.
Renard, who’d been in doubt for the match because of a calf injury she picked up in France’s lackluster opening 0-0 draw against Jamaica, drifted unmarked to the back edge of the box to meet a corner kick with a powerful header in the 83rd and clinch victory.
It meant the well-traveled Hervé Renard, who was hired in March to replace Corinne Diacre, became the first head coach to win games at both the women’s and men’s World Cups.
His upset victory with Saudi Arabia over eventual champion Argentina was one of the highlights of the men’s World Cup in Qatar last year. His French women’s team showed signs against Brazil that it could go deep in the tournament.
He credited his veteran players, either recalled or convinced to remain, for the turnaround.
Wendie Renard “is the most important player in the dressing room. Always talking, motivating the the other girls,” the France coach said, describing his captain’s influence on the team. Of other veterans like Le Sommer and Kadidiatou Diani, he added: “You need leaders in the team — they have a good experience and we need them to motivate also the other players.”
Le Sommer, who missed selection for the 2022 Euros under former coach Diacre, was in the thick of the early action for France.
The French started with a high tempo and had three chances before Sakina Karchaoui’s long floating ball into the area found Diani, who leaped and headed square for Le Sommer to finish off from directly in front.
The Brazilian women had never beaten France but started to meet them for intensity as halftime approached, helped by the majority of an almost 50,000-strong crowd.
Debinha equalized in the 58th, finishing off a quick passing movement into the area, controlling a deflected ball with the outside of her leg before firing in a right-foot shot.
Leticia kept Brazil in the game with a string of impressive saves, and Selma Bacha hit the side netting with her shot from the right in the 75th, unable to break the deadlock for France.
After Renard broke the deadlock, Brazil sent Marta in the 86th for her 22nd World Cup appearance — moving her to outright second on the country’s all-time list — but she wasn’t able to equalize in a frenetic finish.
Brazil is now winless in 12 women’s internationals against France, a setback for a team that opened the Women’s World Cup with a thumping 4-0 win over Panama, with Ary Borges scoring three goals and providing the back-heel assist for one of the goals of the tournament.
Against a more disciplined defense, the Brazilians weren’t able to finish despite creating ample opportunities.
Coach Pia Sundhage said she was disappointed with her Brazilian team’s first half and overall lack of cohesion.
The defensive lapse on the set piece that led to France’s winning goal was discouraging, she said, before adding: “I’m more disappointed we couldn’t make this a game where we play like the Brazilian style.”
Jamaica edged Panama 1-0 later Saturday in Perth to join France on four competition points in Group F, one ahead of Brazil. On Wednesday, three teams will be vying for two spots in the next round when Brazil meets Jamaica in Melbourne and France takes on Panama in Sydney.
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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-le-sommer-renard-score-as-france-edges-brazil-2-1-at-the-womens-world-cup/ | 2023-07-29T20:20:15 | 0 | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-le-sommer-renard-score-as-france-edges-brazil-2-1-at-the-womens-world-cup/ |
Robert Yee first began serving Chinese food out of a bar kitchen in 1955, opening his own restaurant — Yee's Oriental Inn — in 1958. A former U.S. Army cook during the Korean War, Robert Yee had come to America from China in 1935.
He returned to China in 1947 to marry May Chung, who had to remain in China because of government restrictions. She remained in China for more than a decade trying to escape to join her husband.
As the family story goes, her third attempt landed her in trouble with guards, and only a phone call saved her life; as the wife of an American soldier, she had to be let go.
She joined her husband in Kenosha in 1959, helping run his business, Yee's Oriental Inn, 5030 Sixth Ave. It was an adventurous start to a family business that continued for another 64 years.
Last week, Kenosha residents young and old were surprised to spot an online notice; Yee’s was for sale.
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End of an era
After 65 years (68 counting the three years Robert Yee spent serving Chinese food from that bar kitchen), the Kenosha favorite has ended and era. Second generation owner William "Willy" Yee is ready to retire.
For now, Yee’s remains open with no closing date set, but it’s the beginning of the end.
“It’s time,” Yee said, sitting at the bar Thursday. “I’ve been doing this since I was 14. That’s close to 50 years.”
Born in Racine but raised and educated in Kenosha, Yee is a Kenoshan, through and through. An avid bowler and former football player, his bar is decorated with trophies, photos and other memorabilia of his lifetime in Kenosha and decades of running the restaurant.
Spaces not taken up by photos are filled with “Best of Kenosha” awards, including for 2023.
Yee, one of five children, inherited the business from his mother and father in the early 2000s. When his own two children got older, they expressed different interests. He recalled his daughter realizing how much work running a restaurant was.
“When she turned 18, she said, ‘I don’t want to do this anymore.’ My wife told her to go to college, get her education, and do what she wanted.”
Both of the Yee kids went to college, starting their own careers.
Now 62, Yee said he wants to be able to enjoy his retirement by traveling with his wife. He recalled their trip to the Great Wall of China, seeing older vacationing couples struggling to move.
“As you get older, you start losing things, your agility,” Yee said. “I’ve got a bucket list. Paris, Hawaii.”
As of Friday, the property and business were still for sale, $1.8 million for the restaurant, along with apartments, a house, garage and parking lot.
Yee said he hopes the next owners will keep the restaurant running. He said he plans to offer a transition period to train staff and advice on how to run the longtime business.
“It’s going to be tough to lose it, but it’s time to move on. It’s a different chapter in your life,” Yee said.
Downtown Kenosha
It’s been an eventful half-century for Yee working in the heart of Downtown Kenosha.
“When American Motors moved out, it became a ghost town,” Yee recalled. “But then they started building condos, they built the museum, people started coming in. The summers are a lot better, foot traffic is a lot better.
Then came COVID and the summer of 2020, difficult times for many businesses. Yee said since reopening after the pandemic, he has seen business largely return.
Through it all, the interior has remained almost untouched for more than 50 years, Yee said. Sitting among the classic décor, it feels for all the world as if a "Mad Men" Don Draper could stroll through the door at any moment and order beef chop suey.
“It’s been like this since ’69. We didn’t do any remodeling except a new floor and the panels,” Yee said.
After the announcement of the realty listing, Yee said he was taken aback by the responses from people. Online, customers going back decades shared personal stories. One person’s parents had met while working there. Another had her husband pick up takeout food every time she was pregnant and deliver it to his wife in the hospital.
And many people praised the egg rolls. Fearing the business was closing soon, customers have flooded the restaurant to enjoy a meal and speak with Yee, who reassures them that any changes are still down the line.
“We normally roll 1,500 egg rolls a week,” Yee said. “We’ve only been open three days and we’re rolling egg rolls again.”
But with the end in sight, he wanted to express his gratitude to the many customers who had supported the restaurant over the decades. It was a simple pleasure to cook for people, Yee said.
“All these years I was cooking, I would make the food and it seemed like people were happy with the way we made it,” Yee said. “Just the joy of people saying thank you for making dinner was really good.”
While he’ll miss seeing his regulars, he doesn’t plan to become a hermit, and old friends will likely be able to spot him at the bowling alley.
“Time moves on, we have to start another chapter in life. You can’t sit still,” Yee said. | https://kenoshanews.com/news/yees-oriental-inn-owner-willy-yee-talks-retirement-thanks-customers/article_04a76ac0-2d93-11ee-975a-6f9cc3c10fd2.html | 2023-07-29T20:20:20 | 1 | https://kenoshanews.com/news/yees-oriental-inn-owner-willy-yee-talks-retirement-thanks-customers/article_04a76ac0-2d93-11ee-975a-6f9cc3c10fd2.html |
BALTIMORE (AP) — Anthony Santander said it felt like a playoff game at Camden Yards.
A few more performances like this, and the Baltimore Orioles will be there.
Santander homered off Tommy Kahnle in the ninth inning to give the Orioles a 1-0 victory over New York on Friday night, spoiling Aaron Judge’s return for the Yankees. Judge walked three times in his first game back from a toe injury, but the Orioles kept New York off the scoreboard with a spectacular defensive effort.
In the eighth inning alone, Santander made a lunging, sliding catch in right field, and second baseman Adam Frazier made a diving stop on Anthony Rizzo’s grounder with a man on second.
“Great defense, great pitching, that’s how we win baseball games,” Santander said.
Orioles rookie Grayson Rodriguez pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings, going toe to toe with New York’s Gerrit Cole, who went seven. Félix Bautista (6-1) struck out two in a scoreless ninth. Kahnle (1-1) couldn’t match that in the bottom half, allowing Santander’s one-out drive that went well beyond the fence in right-center field.
The Orioles remained 1 1/2 games ahead of Tampa Bay atop the AL East, and they now lead the last-place Yankees by nine.
The game was delayed 2 hours, 32 minutes by rain, but that did little to dampen the enthusiasm of a crowd that included a mix of Yankees fans cheering Judge and Orioles fans embracing their first-place team.
“Right before the start of the game, it felt like a playoff game,” Santander said. “That’s good to have those fans to support us. Hopefully they can continue to do that.”
Judge lined out to right field on the first pitch to him in the first, but he reached base the other three times he came up.
Anthony Volpe was robbed twice by stellar Baltimore defense. Third baseman Ramón Urías made a diving stop on his one-hopper in the fifth. In the eighth, Volpe led off with a fly to right that Santander reached out and caught before sliding on his stomach across the grass.
New York eventually had two on and two out that inning when Rizzo’s grounder looked headed to right field. Frazier’s diving play prevented that.
“Defense won us the game,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “Adam Frazier, diving play off Rizz. Santander with a great diving catch. We turned some double plays.”
Each team had only four hits. Rodriguez was one of Baltimore’s prized prospects, and after being sent back to the minors for a bit, he may be finding a groove.
“I just love his delivery right now and the tempo of his delivery,” Hyde said. “Just really, really competitive.”
DEADLINE OUTLOOK
Orioles general manager Mike Elias said it’s no secret that the Orioles are working on potentially adding pitching upgrades at the trade deadline. He said the team has the wherewithal to make “good baseball trades” even if it means adding payroll.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Orioles: Elias said he hopes OFs Cedric Mullins (right adductor groin strain) and Aaron Hicks (left hamstring strain) can return and play a large part of August. … Elias said LHP John Means (left elbow UCL surgery) and RHP Mychal Givens (right shoulder inflammation) will probably be pitching in games in the Florida Complex League in the early part of August.
UP NEXT
Baltimore’s Tyler Wells (7-5) takes the mound against New York’s Clarke Schmidt (6-6) on Saturday night. Schmidt will be on extended rest, having last pitched July 21.
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Follow Noah Trister at https://twitter.com/noahtrister
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-santander-hits-9th-inning-homer-to-give-orioles-1-0-win-over-yankees-and-spoil-judges-return/ | 2023-07-29T20:20:22 | 1 | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-santander-hits-9th-inning-homer-to-give-orioles-1-0-win-over-yankees-and-spoil-judges-return/ |
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.”
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AP Women’s World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-savannah-demelos-ability-to-speak-portuguese-may-help-us-in-critical-womens-world-cup-match/ | 2023-07-29T20:20:29 | 0 | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-savannah-demelos-ability-to-speak-portuguese-may-help-us-in-critical-womens-world-cup-match/ |
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Denny Hamlin is not offering any apologies for the move he made last weekend at Pocono that caused Kyle Larson to hit the wall and let Hamlin sail on to victory.
Truth be told, it’s what NASCAR was hoping to see more of when it established the system that divides races into three stages, rewards drivers with points for doing well in those stages and allows them to accrue playoff points, Hamlin said.
“That is what it was geared to do — give us the sense of urgency to ramp up and that regular season performance matters to get to the final four with a shot,” he said at Richmond Raceway. “The system is doing what it was designed to do.”
Hamlin also has changed, he said, after getting spun several times while leading.
“If you have one person willing to be aggressive and one person not, aggressive will win every time,” he said.
Larson, who said things are “fine” between he and Hamlin after they exchanged text messages Friday night, agreed that the point system encourages the aggressive approach Hamlin took, but added that it “makes the guys on the receiving end more mad as well just because of what’s at stake and what’s taken.”
Larson said four or five restart battles with Kyle Busch at World Wide Technology Raceway in June showed how cleanly he tries to race other drivers.
“I respect Kyle and that’s why I raced him with respect at Gateway, and I respect Denny every bit as much, if not more, or I did,” he said.
“I tend to blow things over pretty quickly,” Larson said. “This time, I probably have let it linger on my attitude a little bit this week just because it’s happened more often with him than any other driver in my career and also a win was taken.”
Larson won the first Richmond race this season in April.
POINTS RACE
William Byron has dropped 30 points behind Martin Truex Jr. in the points race with five races remaining before the playoffs begin. The regular season champion gets a 15-point bonus, but Byron doesn’t expect to make any changes to the way he’s racing while trying to secure that top spot and bonus.
“It’s really important but we can’t get too focused on the result of the regular season points,” he said. “We obviously want those points, but our process has been like it is to this point, and if we start focusing on that carrot out in front of us too much, it’s going to get us off-track.”
CHASING SPEED
Chase Elliott said Richmond is “such a weird place” where his car never feels good, but he was pleased to make the second round of qualifying. He’ll start fourth.
“Any position you can gain is good ahead of 10th,” Elliott said. “I also know this is a place where you can qualify really good and be really bad.”
Elliott missed six races with an injury and another while serving a suspension. He hasn’t won yet and likely will need to win to make the playoffs. He’s 21st in points.
“There’s a few guys that I feel like have been consistently good at this track and the rest of us are kind of hit or miss,” Elliott said. “Hopefully we can hit it tomorrow and just put together a solid day, try to get some stage points and just get up in the mix.”
HEAT CHECK
The temperature was near 100 degrees when the cars went out for qualifying, and the heat index made it feel even hotter. It’s expected to be about 90 on Sunday.
“There’s less grip and more emphasis on tire management,” Brad Keselowski said. “It will be a different race here than it was in the spring, for sure.”
Truex and Larson are the betting favorites Sunday, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-unapologetic-hamlin-says-nascars-point-system-encourages-in-race-urgency-and-aggression/ | 2023-07-29T20:20:36 | 1 | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-unapologetic-hamlin-says-nascars-point-system-encourages-in-race-urgency-and-aggression/ |
Rain chances remain scarce throughout the weekend and beyond | 7/29 PM
LAWTON, Okla. (KSWO) - We are already seeing mostly sunny skies out there this afternoon across Texoma as many locations are already approaching the upper 90s and lower to middle 100s. Southerly winds are keeping temperatures elevated and are blowing between 5 to 10mph.
Tonight, temperatures will fall into the upper 60s and lower 70s under partly cloudy skies.
On Sunday, we will begin the day will mostly cloudy skies that will give way to more sun than clouds by afternoon. Temperatures will again climb back into the middle 100s for daytime highs. Southerly winds will later turn southeasterly between 5 to 10mph.
Rain chances remain slim to none throughout the entire work week as temperatures remain in the lower to middle 100s each day. A ridge of high pressure will continue to dominate across Texoma, inhibiting any precipitation development.
The ridge will push out of our area by the end of the week as the chance for isolated showers and thunderstorms return by Saturday. Until then, we can expect a series of partly cloudy days and very warm temperatures remaining above average.
Have a great rest of your weekend, Texoma!
Copyright 2023 KSWO. All rights reserved. | https://www.kswo.com/2023/07/29/rain-chances-remain-scarce-throughout-weekend-beyond-729-pm/ | 2023-07-29T20:20:56 | 0 | https://www.kswo.com/2023/07/29/rain-chances-remain-scarce-throughout-weekend-beyond-729-pm/ |
Scientists discover a way to induce virgin births in female fruit flies
By Dorcas Marfo, CTVNews.ca Writer
Click here for updates on this story
Toronto, Ontario (CTV Network) — Scientists have discovered a way to induce virgin births in female fruit flies that usually reproduces sexually — and the ability can be passed down generations, according to a new study.
Researchers from the University of Cambridge shared the findings in a study published in the peer-reviewed Current Biology journal on Friday.
The scientists say they were able to genetically manipulate females of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster species to produce offspring without sexual reproduction with their male counterparts.
The study reveals that virgin births can be passed through generations of female fruit flies — a mechanism to help this species survive from a one-off generation of virgin births.
“We’re the first to show that you can engineer virgin births to happen in an animal – it was very exciting to see a virgin fly produce an embryo able to develop to adulthood, and then repeat the process,” Alexis Sperling, first author and researcher at the University of Cambridge, said in a news release Friday.
The researchers say they sequenced the genomes of two strains of another species of fruit fly called Drosophila mercatorum. One strain needed males to sexually reproduce, while the other reproduced by virgin birth.
Researchers identified the genes that were switched on and off during the reproduction process. When identifying the virgin birth strain in the fruit fly’s genes, scientists altered what they thought were the corresponding genes in the model fruit fly — scientifically known as drosophila melanogaster — that lead to virgin birth.
“In our genetically manipulated flies, the females waited to find a male for half their lives — about 40 days — but then gave up and proceeded to have a virgin birth,” said Sperling.
According to the study, only one to two per cent of the second generation of female flies with the ability to virgin birth produced offspring when no male flies were around. When male flies were available, females mated and reproduced sexually.
The offspring of a virgin birth are not exact clones of their mother, but are genetically very similar and are always female, the study notes.
The research involved more than 220,000 virgin fruit flies and took six years to complete.
Researchers note that flies’ genes have been well researched for more than 100 years, making this discovery a success.
Often only overserved in zoo animals, virgin births in animals that normally sexually reproduce are rare and occur when the female has been isolated for a long period of time with no hope of finding a mate.
“If there’s continued selection pressure for virgin births in insect pests, which there seems to be, it will eventually lead to them reproducing only in this way,” said Sterling.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform. | https://kion546.com/cnn-regional/2023/07/29/scientists-discover-a-way-to-induce-virgin-births-in-female-fruit-flies/ | 2023-07-29T20:22:16 | 1 | https://kion546.com/cnn-regional/2023/07/29/scientists-discover-a-way-to-induce-virgin-births-in-female-fruit-flies/ |
Wildfire in remote part of McDowell County ignites after lightning strike reported in area
By Kari Barrows
Click here for updates on this story
MCDOWELL COUNTY, North Carolina (WLOS) — Emergency crews are monitoring a wildfire burning in a remote part of McDowell County that started after a strike of lightning was reported in the area Friday afternoon.
Saturday morning, McDowell County Emergency management reported forestry crews were monitoring and assessing the wildfire burning in a remote area near Dobson Knob within the Pisgah National Forest.
Officials from McDowell County Emergency Management and Ashford North Cove Fire Department are closely monitoring the incident and coordinating with the U.S. Forest Service, officials said. No structures are threatened as the fire remains in a very remote area west of Old NC Highway 105 and east of Old Linville Road in North Cove.
McDowell County Emergency Management says the fire was reported shortly before 5 p.m. on Friday, July 28.
Friday evening, the Ashford North Cove Fire Department wrote in a Facebook post that the fire was slowly burning on the mountain behind the Baxter production building.
Officials have not yet released any details about the size of the fire.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform. | https://kion546.com/cnn-regional/2023/07/29/wildfire-in-remote-part-of-mcdowell-county-ignites-after-lightning-strike-reported-in-area/ | 2023-07-29T20:22:22 | 0 | https://kion546.com/cnn-regional/2023/07/29/wildfire-in-remote-part-of-mcdowell-county-ignites-after-lightning-strike-reported-in-area/ |
Uber self-driving car test driver pleads guilty to endangerment in pedestrian death case
By Rebekah Riess and Zoe Sottile, CNN
(CNN) — The Uber test driver behind the wheel of one of the company’s self-driving cars, when it hit and killed a pedestrian in 2018, pleaded guilty to endangerment and was sentenced to three years of supervised probation Friday, according to officials.
Rafaela Vasquez was watching television on her smartphone in March 2018 when the Uber self-driving vehicle fatally struck Elaine Herzberg, 49, who was crossing a road in Tempe, Arizona, according to a National Transportation Safety Board investigation. Herzberg’s death was the first known fatality involving a fully autonomous vehicle.
A judge in the Superior Court of Maricopa sentenced Rafaela Vasquez to three years of supervised probation and determined that the charge would only be designated a misdemeanor “upon successful completion of her sentence,” according to a news release.
The Uber-employed safety driver behind the wheel of the car was meant to monitor the car’s performance and intervene if the autonomous driving software failed, as previously reported by CNN.
But the National Transportation Safety Board’s 2019 investigation found that Vasquez was looking away from the road for over a third of the trip. The board concluded that the crash was “avoidable” if the safety driver had been alert and also found that an inadequate safety culture at Uber contributed to the crash. The company’s self-driving software wasn’t designed to expect that pedestrians outside crosswalks may be crossing the street, according to the investigation.
“The defendant in this matter was responsible for the operation of a vehicle on our city streets that ended with a woman being killed,” Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in the court’s news release. “Determining an appropriate plea in this case involved considering a multitude of factors. We believe the Judge ordered an appropriate sentence based on the mitigating and aggravating factors.”
“Getting behind the wheel of a car is a serious responsibility. Regardless of whatever technology might be available to drivers, safety for everyone on the street and in the vehicle must always be a driver’s first priority,” Mitchell went on.
The plea agreement also stipulates that Vasquez pay restitution “to all victims,” including insurance companies involved.
Vasquez was initially charged with negligent homicide in 2020. She pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Uber reached a settlement with the victim’s family less than two weeks after her death. The company did not face criminal charges. In December, the ride-share giant said it plans to launch a fully driverless service in collaboration with Motional in 2023.
CNN has reached out to Vasquez’s attorney, Albert Jaynes Morrison, for comment.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
CNN’s Matt McFarland contributed to this report. | https://kion546.com/money/cnn-business-consumer/2023/07/29/uber-self-driving-car-test-driver-pleads-guilty-to-endangerment-in-pedestrian-death-case/ | 2023-07-29T20:22:28 | 0 | https://kion546.com/money/cnn-business-consumer/2023/07/29/uber-self-driving-car-test-driver-pleads-guilty-to-endangerment-in-pedestrian-death-case/ |
A small plane towing a banner lands in the ocean off a crowded New Hampshire beach; pilot unhurt
HAMPTON BEACH, N.H. (AP) — Authorities and visitors at a New Hampshire beach say a small plane towing a banner landed in the ocean nearby. The Federal Aviation Administration says the plane, a single-engine Piper PA-18, landed about noon Saturday. Hampton Police Chief Alex Reno tells WMUR-TV that the pilot, who was the only person on board, was rescued by lifeguards and wasn’t hurt. The plane has since been pulled to shore and was sitting on the beach. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident. | https://kion546.com/news/2023/07/29/a-small-plane-towing-a-banner-lands-in-the-ocean-off-a-crowded-new-hampshire-beach-pilot-unhurt/ | 2023-07-29T20:22:34 | 1 | https://kion546.com/news/2023/07/29/a-small-plane-towing-a-banner-lands-in-the-ocean-off-a-crowded-new-hampshire-beach-pilot-unhurt/ |
Runners kick off Philly Marathon training season despite summer’s sizzle
Runners of all ages and levels took part in Saturday’s training run along Kelly Drive in Fairmount, setting their own pace and choosing between one of three distances. A brief rain was welcomed.
By 7 a.m. Saturday, the temperature was already close to a sweaty 80 degrees and climbing, but that did not deter about 80 runners from amassing at the Rocky steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, laced up and ready to go.
Bart Yasso, chief running officer at Runner’s World magazine, started his pep talk with this advice: Start slow.
“You’ve got to show up at that starting line healthy and ready to run,” Yasso said. “We’re exactly 16 weeks out from marathon weekend, so this is the time when you start making your plan. Don’t overdo it in the early part of that plan and try to peak before the marathon.”
‘The marathon’ was, of course, none other than the AACR Philadelphia Marathon, and Saturday marked the official training season kickoff for what will be the race’s 30th year. Being held Nov. 19 this year, the marathon’s partner is the American Association for Cancer Research. The half marathon is Nov. 18.
Runners of all ages and levels took part in Saturday’s training run along Kelly Drive in Fairmount, setting their own pace and choosing between one of three distances — 3, 6 or 8 miles. Mother Nature even threw in a bit of relief — a brief, but refreshing downpour about 45 minutes into the run.
Brissa DeLacruz, 18, a recent Central High School graduate was there with more than 20 of her friends with Students Run Philly Style, a city running organization for middle and high schoolers. Last year was her first Philadelphia Marathon, and this year will be her second.
“It’s a difficult challenge, but very fulfilling when you cross the finish line,” DeLacruz, who will be a premed student at Penn State-Abington, said of tackling 26.2 miles.
» READ MORE: These older runners won a race against time in the Broad Street Run
Mark Sullivan, 61, one of only two people to have run every Philadelphia Marathon, also took part in the training run and was on hand to offer advice to novices and more experienced runners alike.
Running culture, including marathons, has gotten more inclusive over the years, according to Sullivan. He encouraged novices to keep it up.
“Don’t be intimidated,” Sullivan said. “Start slow. Mix it up with walk breaks.”
Lisa Cooper, an account manager, who lives in University City and is “over 50,” ran in high school but didn’t pick it up again until she had kids. Besides the Philly Marathon, she’s run in the marathons of New York City, Chicago, London and Berlin, and intends to still do Tokyo and Boston.
But what she really loves are the runners themselves.
“The running community is so supportive — all races, all paces,” she said. “It’s so inclusive.”
Beside the Wynnfield Track Club, whose members she was with Saturday, Cooper said she has run with Run4AllWomen in solidarity after the police killing of Breonna Taylor; with the LGBTQ running group Lez Run; Swagga House, the club of slain Temple Police Sgt. Christopher Fitzgerald which does anti-violence runs; and the Black Girls Run club that got her really started.
“I just caught the bug,” Cooper said.
Members of the Run & Chug club, a happy crew, were also represented at Saturday’s training event. Their members meet at a different city bar every Wednesday at 7 p.m., go for a run together and return to the pub for some refreshments and friendship.
Larry Powell, 31, of Fairmount, the club’s leader, said he doesn’t even drink, but the club and running have been great additions to his life.
“I love it — the socializing, meeting new people, reaching new goals,” said Powell, an entrepreneur. “When I started, I couldn’t run two blocks. Now I’m running marathons.”
» READ MORE: Fishtown gives term 'beer run' new meaning
Marion Powell, 55, of Gladwyne, (no relation to Larry) is a runner, but more than that, she’s superstitious. So, the Shipley School receptionist said, every Sunday that the Eagles play, no matter what, she runs to the Rocky statue to touch his left leg and hand. On the day of the last Philly Marathon, she was determined to touch Rocky for the Eagles and found herself in the heart of the running event, including the elite women runners.
“I got to feel the vibe of the whole crowd,” said Marion Powell. “It was electrifying.”
This year, she’s promised herself, she is going to finally run in the marathon.
And when football season starts, is she still going to do those Rocky runs?
“Oh yeah. Jalen Hurts wants a Super Bowl win,” Powell said. “He’ll get his ring.” | https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia/philadelphia-marathon-runners-fairmount-park-rocky-20230729.html | 2023-07-29T20:22:37 | 0 | https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia/philadelphia-marathon-runners-fairmount-park-rocky-20230729.html |
...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM EDT /10 AM CDT/ TO 7 PM EDT
/6 PM CDT/ SUNDAY...
* WHAT...Heat index values up to 112 expected.
* WHERE...Portions of southeast Alabama, Big Bend Florida and
south central and southwest Georgia.
* WHEN...From 11 AM EDT /10 AM CDT/ to 7 PM EDT /6 PM CDT/
Sunday.
* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat
illnesses to occur.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out
of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young
children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles
under any circumstances.
Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When
possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or
evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat
stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when
possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent
rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone
overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.
Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.
&&
OK, it’s month number seven in Albany, and we have homicide number 10 in the Good Life City. Where is the outrage? Where is the stepped-up APD presence? What has APD changed? How about a hard-nosed, tough chief? It is time for someone in Albany to reach out to retired Sheriff David Clarke in Milwaukee and ask for help.
Here are some cell phone courtesy tips to follow: 7 Easy Rules of Mobile Phone Etiquette
This poll is not scientific - results reflect opinions of respondents | https://www.albanyherald.com/features/squawkbox/article_2dccff82-2e2e-11ee-875f-6b36d3e3b395.html | 2023-07-29T20:22:37 | 0 | https://www.albanyherald.com/features/squawkbox/article_2dccff82-2e2e-11ee-875f-6b36d3e3b395.html |
Biden administration searching for Chinese malware with potential to disrupt military: Report
U.S. officials are determining what the goal of the Chinese malware is
The Biden administration is searching for malware it believes China has buried in networks that control a variety of utilities to military bases, according to a report from the New York Times, which Fox News has not yet independently confirmed.
One congressional official told the New York Times that the malware is "a ticking time bomb" which could hand China power to disrupt movement of the U.S. military by shutting off water, power, and communications to bases.
U.S. officials also told the New York Times that the malware has the potential to be much more disruptive because civilians in many cases use the same infrastructure.
The officials also say that the alleged Chinese malware isn't just apparent on U.S. soil, but on facilities that Americans control abroad.
BIDEN SAYS REPUBLICANS ARE 'UNDERMINING' THE US MILITARY
Officials speaking anonymously due to the nature of the topic also said that the presence of the malware is more widespread than first thought, and don't know just how far the computer code could reach.
Meetings in the situation room have taken place in the past few months as U.S. military officials try to understand just how big of a problem this is and looking at how to respond.
Adam Hodge, acting spokesman for the National Security Council, told the New York Times that "The Biden administration is working relentlessly to defend the United States from any disruptions to our critical infrastructure, including by coordinating interagency efforts to protect water systems, pipelines, rail and aviation systems, among others."
"The president has also mandated rigorous cybersecurity practices for the first time," he said.
According to the report, the debate inside the Biden administration is focused on determining what the goal of the Chinese malware is, and if it's looking at disrupting military operations, or the life of civilians across America if conflict emerges.
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES ESTIMATED $345 MILLION WEAPONS PACKAGE FOR TAIWAN
Hints of the Chinese malware first emerged in late May when Microsoft determined that it found an odd computer code in the Guam telecommunications system, where the U.S. Air Force has a vast air force base. The code was also found in separate places in America.
Microsoft said in a late-May statement that it "uncovered stealthy and targeted malicious activity focused on post-compromise credential access and network system discovery aimed at critical infrastructure organizations in the United States."
"The attack is carried out by Volt Typhoon," Microsoft said. Volt Typhoon is a Chinese state-sponsored actor that focuses on "espionage and information gathering."
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
"Microsoft assesses with moderate confidence that this Volt Typhoon campaign is pursuing development of capabilities that could disrupt critical communications infrastructure between the United States and Asia region during future crises," the statement reads.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Pentagon and White House for comment. | https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-administration-searching-chinese-malware-potential-disrupt-military | 2023-07-29T20:22:37 | 0 | https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-administration-searching-chinese-malware-potential-disrupt-military |
Americans are spotting more sharks in the water. Here’s why that’s a good thing
Originally Published: 29 JUL 23 06:00 ETBy Christina Maxouris, CNN
(CNN) — It’s that time of year again: the thick of summer when sharks have caught America’s attention.
Unwanted interactions and shark sightings have made national headlines, and shark bites in popular tourist destinations have prompted temporary closures. In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul deployed dozens of shark-monitoring drones to parts of the state after Long Island authorities repo rted five non-fatal shark bites over two days.
It may feel like you’ve been hearing about these large creatures more often this summer, and that just might be the case. Experts say that while estimating population numbers is difficult, there are signs that some shark populations off US coasts are slowly rebounding after decades of dramatic declines – the result of longtime conservation efforts across the country that are beginning to pay off.
“Sharks are coming back. Their numbers are growing,” said Dr. Bob Hueter, chief scientist for OCEARCH, a nonprofit ocean research and education organization. “They’re not overpopulated, they’re not even probably close to what they were back in the 1940s and 1950s. But they are making a comeback.”
But do more sharks make American beaches more dangerous?
Actually, no. But it will take some getting used to, experts said.
Here’s what to know.
Are there more sharks in American waters than the past few decades?
Experts, cautiously, believe so.
Up until the late 1960s, shark numbers remained relatively stable off US shores before they began to drastically plummet as a result of overfishing, bycatch, destruction of habitats and declines in some shark species’ prey.
By the late 1980s, roughly two-thirds of shark populations in American oceans had vanished, said Hueter, who has been studying sharks for more than five decades.
Hueter was among the conservationists who pushed for shark protections including the 1993 Fishery Management Plan for Sharks of the Atlantic Ocean, which set up restrictions around all US Atlantic federal shark fisheries and became the base for many rules still in place today. It also prohibited shark finning – the hunting of sharks for their fins. The practice was later banned across the United States. In 1997, the US established the prohibited shark species group, which barred the possession, sale and purchase of several shark species, including white and sand tiger sharks. More than a dozen shark species remain on that list. And protections like the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 helped restore the animals sharks feed on, including gray seals in the Northwest Atlantic where white shark populations are, as one outlet put it, “surging.”
“These measures were put into place and now here we are 30 years later, and we are seeing the resurgence of not only the white shark but also many of the other species,” Hueter said. “The fact is, we’re resetting our oceans and we’re restoring ecological balance by bringing these animals back.”
But before our collective sigh of relief, it’s worth noting sharks are not out of the woods by any means.
Globally, their numbers remain grim.
A 2021 study found over a third of sharks, rays and chimeras, a type of fish, are threatened with extinction, and in many parts of the world, sharks are still overfished. Every year, humans kill 73 to 100 million sharks for their fins, according to the Shark Research Institute.
How do we count sharks?
It’s really, really hard.
Methods like tagging or collecting information from fishermen have their limitations: Some sharks may get tagged because they swim closer to the surface than others that prefer deeper waters, and reports from fishermen may be biased, since they often travel to locations with plenty of fish, said Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research at the University of Florida.
Information can also come from surveying those who are regularly keeping an eye out on the waters, like lifeguards and pilots.
“We’ve looked at lifeguard sighting records over the last 25 years and we’ve noticed in the last 10 years, numbers of shark sightings have gone up,” said Chris Lowe, director of the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach.
“I’ve talked to pilots, either helicopter or fixed-wing pilots, that have been flying over Southern California for decades,” he said. “They all tell me they have never seen more sharks in their life than they have in the last eight to 10 years.”
Do more sharks = more bites?
First, let’s get one thing out of the way: The risk of being bitten by a shark remains exceptionally, remarkably, incredibly low. (Seriously, your chances are 1 in more than 3 million.)
Sharks simply are not interested in eating humans.
“If sharks … wanted to bite people, I think we’d probably have about between 10 and 20,000 shark bites a day,” said Naylor. “But they spend their entire time trying to avoid us.”
Between 2012 and 2021, there was an average of about 76 unprovoked shark bites across the globe annually, less than 8% of which were fatal, according to data from the International Shark Attack File. (Researchers place an emphasis on the unprovoked bites because they make up the overwhelming majority of bites, and can shed light on sharks’ behavior. They include accidental bites when sharks are hunting for fish in waters with low visibility. About 60% of all bites the ISAF records are in low-visibility waters, Naylor has said.)
And though there are more sharks in the water and more Americans flocking to beaches because of warming temperatures, last year saw a decrease in unprovoked shark bites, tying with 2020 – when many beaches closed due to Covid-19 – for the fewest number of incidents in the past decade.
So while sharks and Americans may be coming more in contact with each other, the rate of shark bites – in other words, their frequency – has not gone up. (And it can stay that way, Naylor said, if people practice simple precautions and stay aware of their surroundings.)
To test that theory, researchers from the Shark Lab flew drones over 26 southern California beaches once a month for roughly two years and noticed something striking: People and sharks were, more often than not, swimming peacefully just feet away from each other.
“At those sites, people and sharks were together 97% of the days that we surveyed. On a given survey day, there were probably half a dozen to a dozen times when a juvenile white shark was within 60 feet of a person in the water,” said Lowe, who co-authored the study.
Not a single bite was reported in that time period, the study says, proving more sharks do not have to mean a higher bite rate.
So, how can we best coexist?
Information is power. The more people know about where sharks are and how they operate, the less likely they are to get bitten, scientists say.
Drones, like those deployed across New York beaches, are among the most helpful bite-prevention tools and can help inform beach crowds when sharks are circling nearby, experts say.
But there are also individual measures anyone can take to keep safe. Stay in clear water and avoid areas with low visibility. And if you see schools of fish (especially if they’re jumping out of the water), get out of the water or move further away to avoid any accidents.
“We have to change our approach to using the ocean because we’ve had 50 years of the oceans being not what they should be, with less sharks, less fish,” Hueter said. “As we put things back, we have to recalibrate our understanding of what the ocean is.”
“You have to think of going into the ocean like you go into a national park, where there’s bears or mountain lions and take the proper precautions,” he added. “Having said that, your risk is still incredibly low of ever having a problem. You might see a shark go by, if you do, just remain calm and enjoy the view because you may never see that again.”
So instead of fearing them, cheer them on – but maybe from a distance.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://kion546.com/news/2023/07/29/americans-are-spotting-more-sharks-in-the-water-heres-why-thats-a-good-thing-2/ | 2023-07-29T20:22:40 | 1 | https://kion546.com/news/2023/07/29/americans-are-spotting-more-sharks-in-the-water-heres-why-thats-a-good-thing-2/ |
...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM EDT /10 AM CDT/ TO 7 PM EDT
/6 PM CDT/ SUNDAY...
* WHAT...Heat index values up to 112 expected.
* WHERE...Portions of southeast Alabama, Big Bend Florida and
south central and southwest Georgia.
* WHEN...From 11 AM EDT /10 AM CDT/ to 7 PM EDT /6 PM CDT/
Sunday.
* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat
illnesses to occur.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out
of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young
children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles
under any circumstances.
Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When
possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or
evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat
stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when
possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent
rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone
overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.
Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.
&&
♦ Scott Ludwig, you’ve used those same tired “Trump lies” as the basis for five or six columns already. We get it: You don’t like Trump. But if that’s all you have to write about on a given week, just take that week off.
♦ Congress, in their attempt to study extraterrestrials, looked through a telescope and saw Marjorie Taylor Greene. ... Yikes!
Here are some cell phone courtesy tips to follow: 7 Easy Rules of Mobile Phone Etiquette
This poll is not scientific - results reflect opinions of respondents | https://www.albanyherald.com/features/sunday-squawks/article_f75394ec-2d8e-11ee-9e7d-87fbb7d1faaf.html | 2023-07-29T20:22:45 | 1 | https://www.albanyherald.com/features/sunday-squawks/article_f75394ec-2d8e-11ee-9e7d-87fbb7d1faaf.html |
How to manage and delete your Alexa history and recordings
'Hey Alexa, forget what I said, forever'
In this age of smart gadgets, it seems like everything is listening. But did you know you can put a lid on what Alexa remembers? If the thought of Alexa storing all your voice commands makes you squirm, don't sweat it.
We've got you covered with this simple guide on how to manage and delete your Alexa history and recordings. Let's make those spur-of-the-moment song requests our little secret, shall we? But first, this question.
Why would you want to delete your voice history?
You know how smart speakers like Alexa get better at answering your questions the more you talk to them? That’s because they learn from your interactions and store some data about your usage patterns.
When you ask something, the details of your query are saved on online servers under your account. Amazon uses this data to improve how well Alexa can understand you and find what you’re looking for. But maybe you’re worried about your privacy, especially since Alexa is always listening.
MORE: ALEXA IS LISTENING: MAKE THESE IMPORTANT PRIVACY TWEAKS ON YOUR AMAZON ECH DEVICE NOW
What if it records and saves some of your private conversations? That could lead to annoying ads or, worse, a privacy breach. That’s why it’s a good idea to delete your Alexa voice history from time to time. Just keep in mind that doing so might affect how well Alexa works for you.
Make sure Alexa app is up to date
First things first. Before we get to you deleting your Alexa voice history let's make sure your app is up to date.
To update Alexa app
To update the app, you need to check whether there is a new version available on the App Store or Google Play Store, depending on your device. To check, follow these steps:
How to check if there is a new version of the Alexa app on iPhone
- If you are on an IOS device, go to the App Store, and select your Account profile in the top right
- Scroll down to Available updates
- Check to see whether Alexa is there, or simply choose to Update all and get all of your updates done at once
How to check whther there is a new version of the Alexa app on Android
Settings may vary, depending on your Android phone’s manufacturer
- If you’re on an Android device, open the Google Play Store, and select your Profile in the top right,
- Select Manage apps and device
- Then tap Manage
- Then click Updates available
- If an update is available for the Alexa app, click it, and click update
Updating your Alexa app and device software can help you enjoy new features and improve performance.
MORE: 3 MUST-DO ALEXA SETTINGS TO MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER
Cleaning the slate
Now that your app is updated, it's time to clean the slate.
How to clean the slate
- Grab your smartphone and open the Alexa app. Tap the More button. You'll see it hanging out in the lower right-hand corner.
- Next, head on over to Settings and tap it. Then, scroll down a bit, and you'll spot Alexa Privacy. Go ahead and click on it.
- In Alexa Privacy, you'll find Review Voice History. Tap it. This is where the magic happens. In essence, the 'Review Voice History' section is where you can check what voice data Alexa has stored, delete any voice recordings you're not comfortable with, and adjust the settings for how Alexa handles your voice data in the future.
- Now, let's get to the nitty-gritty. You'll see a dropdown that says Displaying: Today, All devices and profiles. From there, you get to pick your poison by tapping the down arrow.
- Then next to Filter by date: click the down arrow. Scroll down, and tap either Today, Yesterday, Last 7 days, Last 30 days or All History.
- Also, under Filter by Device or profile - you can also choose to filter by the device that recorded your voice or by the user profile. Tap the round circle next to All devices and profiles, or select each individual device or profile.
- Then you can scroll down and tap Delete all recordings from "Today, Yesterday, Last 7 days, Last 30 days."
- It will ask you to confirm your decision by clicking Delete. And just like that, Alexa forgets.
- To scrub Alexa clean of all recordings, simply tap Filter by date, select All History, and give Delete all of my recordings a tap. It will ask you to confirm your decision by clicking Delete. And just like that, Alexa forgets.
MORE: HOW TO SETUP ALEXA FOR EMERGENCIES
Set it and forget it
If you're a set-it-and-forget-it kind of person, you can arrange for your Alexa history to delete automatically.
How to set it and forget it
- Open the Alexa app. Tap the More button
- Tap Settings and scroll down and select Alexa Privacy
- Tap Manage Your Alexa Data
- In your Voice Recordings section, you'll see an option that says, Choose how long to save recordings. You can set Alexa to forget after 3 months or 18 months or not to save recordings at all.
- Once you've made your decision, click Confirm.
MORE: HOW TO GET ALEXA TO SPEAK MORE LIKE YOU
Kurt's key takeaways
Now you know the ins and outs of keeping your conversations with Alexa private. You have the power to control your data and make sure your exchanges with Alexa stay in the moment.
Armed with this information on how to clean up Alexa's memory, will you be changing your settings? Or maybe you're comfortable with Alexa remembering your requests?
How do you feel about your smart devices remembering your every word? Let us know by heading to Cyberguy.com/Contact
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Copyright 2023 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved. | https://www.foxnews.com/tech/how-manage-delete-your-alexa-history-recordings | 2023-07-29T20:22:46 | 1 | https://www.foxnews.com/tech/how-manage-delete-your-alexa-history-recordings |
Angels manager Phil Nevin suspended 1 game for outburst at umpire
TORONTO (AP) — Los Angeles Angels manager Phil Nevin was suspended for one game and fined an undisclosed amount by Major League Baseball on Saturday for a postgame outburst at an umpire following a loss to the Toronto Blue Jays a night earlier.
Bench coach Ray Montgomery managed the Angels during the second game of the three-game series as Nevin served his suspension.
Nevin was seen holding up a tablet computer and yelling at plate umpire Mike Estabrook as the crew left the field after the 4-1 loss Friday night.
The umpires access their locker room through the tunnel at the end of the visitor’s dugout on the first base side of Rogers Centre.
A Toronto police officer accompanied the umpire crew as it descended the dugout steps. Montgomery had to restrain Nevin as the umpires passed through the end of the dugout.
Nevin was angry about the game-ending called third strike against pinch hitter Michael Stefanic, who entered in the ninth inning with the bases loaded after Shohei Ohtani left because of cramping in both of his calves.
“I just explained to him that I thought the pitch to Stefanic was outside,” Nevin later told reporters.
Ohtani hit his major league-leading 39th home run in the series opener — part of a streak of three homers in three at-bats over two games — before exiting early.
___
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...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM EDT /10 AM CDT/ TO 7 PM EDT
/6 PM CDT/ SUNDAY...
* WHAT...Heat index values up to 112 expected.
* WHERE...Portions of southeast Alabama, Big Bend Florida and
south central and southwest Georgia.
* WHEN...From 11 AM EDT /10 AM CDT/ to 7 PM EDT /6 PM CDT/
Sunday.
* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat
illnesses to occur.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out
of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young
children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles
under any circumstances.
Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When
possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or
evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat
stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when
possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent
rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone
overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.
Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.
&&
A business decision by the new owners of the Greyhound bus line leaves some Albany riders waiting in the summer heat for buses.
ALBANY — The question, posed by concerned callers was a legitimate one: If the city of Albany just spent $11 million-plus on a transportation center, why are bus riders waiting out in the hot sun for buses to arrive?
The answer is a lesson in the current state of business. | https://www.albanyherald.com/local/greyhound-business-decision-leaves-albany-riders-out-in-the-heat/article_9c3c742c-2e36-11ee-ac9c-37d78e47c93e.html | 2023-07-29T20:22:47 | 0 | https://www.albanyherald.com/local/greyhound-business-decision-leaves-albany-riders-out-in-the-heat/article_9c3c742c-2e36-11ee-ac9c-37d78e47c93e.html |
Crypto millionaire received threatening messages in the week before his grisly death: report
Children found Algaba's body parts in a suitcase while playing near a stream
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
A crypto millionaire received threatening messages a week before children discovered a suitcase on the banks of a river that contained his dismembered body parts.
"I’m going to kill you, I’m going to do something worse to you," a man said in a voice message to Fernando Pérez Algaba. "I’m going to gouge out your eyes and cut off your hands so that you can’t have any more money in your life."
"I swear on my children that I have no problem going to jail," the man, identified only by his surname Iglesias by Argentinian outlet Télam, said.
A group of children in Argentina made a chilling discovery when they found a suitcase while playing near a stream and opened it up to reveal dismembered body parts. Police had only the arms and legs to work with initially, but they were able to use tattoos and fingerprints to identify the victim.
MAYOR ASSASSINATED IN BROAD DAYLIGHT AS VIOLENT CRIME SURGES IN SOUTH AMERICAN NATION
Police in Buenos Aires determined they were parts from the body of Algaba, a 41-year-old cryptocurrency influencer and entrepreneur who had gone missing July 18. Algaba’s head floated downstream in a rucksack a few days later, Metro reported.
Police further determined Algaba had been shot three times and that his limbs had been "cleanly" amputated, which they suggested only an experienced criminal could accomplish. Officers arrested one suspect for the alleged murder.
URUGUAYAN SUICIDE RATE HITS RECORD HIGH: COUNTRY IS REGIONAL OUTLIER
Algaba had reportedly piled up "irrecoverable" debts with Argentina’s tax agency and allegedly ran into trouble with the Barra Bravas gang, which claimed he owed $40,000 on a loan. He also reportedly owed Iglesias’ son $70,000, which he was trying to reclaim from Algaba.
In subsequent messages and calls reviewed by police, one of which lasted 20 minutes, Iglesias warned Algaba they would soon "see each other face to face" and blasted Algaba as "not good people because you ruined my son," who had to medicate himself after being "swindled" by Algaba.
ECUADOR DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY AMID PRISON VIOLENCE SURGE
"You betrayed me, and you caught me. I have a poison with you that I hate you," Iglesias said in another message.
Another communication with a man known as Adrian Tesei informed Algaba they had an issue because the investor had told Tesei his money was "here" but then failed to deliver it.
"I’m not threatening you," Tesei claimed. "I’m telling you that I’m going to rip off your head. The money is mine, and you don’t play with mine."
Algaba claimed to have started as a pizza delivery boy working "with a bicycle and a box" selling sandwiches before turning his fortune trading on the Forex platform and gaining cryptocurrency. He then moved to Miami to build a car and jet ski rental company.
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Algaba had taken up residence in Barcelona, Spain, but he had visited his homeland Argentina for the week preceding his murder. He had rented an apartment and failed to return the keys or answer his phone when the landlord tried to find out what had happened, the New York Post reported.
One of Algaba’s associates told Télam Algaba had developed a gambling addiction that only got worse during the COVID-19 pandemic, which drove him into a hole as he kept buying cryptocurrency despite his growing debts. | https://www.foxnews.com/world/crypto-millionaire-received-threatening-messages-week-grisly-death-report | 2023-07-29T20:22:47 | 1 | https://www.foxnews.com/world/crypto-millionaire-received-threatening-messages-week-grisly-death-report |
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Mysterious meat allergy passed by ticks may affect hundreds of thousands in US, CDC estimates
Originally Published: 27 JUL 23 13:04 ET
Updated: 29 JUL 23 14:05 ET
By Brenda Goodman, CNN
(CNN) — Ken McCullick died in an emergency room on August 12, 2021.
“I got lucky and there was this young nurse … I was one of her first CPR patients, and she would not give would not give up and saved my life.
“I’m grateful for that,” McCullick said, his voice choked with emotion at the memory.
The 66-year-old musician from Brooksville, Florida, said his heart stopped after he got the blood thinner heparin in the hospital.
Heparin is made from pig intestines and contains a sugar called alpha-gal that McCullick is deathly allergic to, although neither he nor his doctors knew it at the time.
“I flatlined and died on the table,” McCullick said, adding that it took seven minutes to get his heart started again.
Alpha-gal syndrome is a reaction to a sugar found in red meat and dairy products, and it’s caused by the bite of a lone star tick. It may now be the 10th most common food allergy in the United States, affecting up to 450,000 people, according to estimates published Thursday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is also one of the least recognized.
Lack of awareness, lack of diagnosis
Scientists have only recently begun to understand alpha-gal syndrome.
Lone star ticks, and perhaps other kinds of parasites, transmit a sugar known to scientists by its unwieldy formal name: galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose, or alpha-gal.
“We think that they have an enzyme in their saliva that can produce alpha-gal,” said Dr. Scott Commins, associate chief for allergy and immunology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, who has spent his career researching alpha-gal and is a co-author on the new studies published today by the CDC.
When these ticks bite someone, the alpha-gal passes through the skin, which has its own immune sentries waiting to pounce on foreign invaders. Being exposed this way appears to put the body on high alert for this sugar, which is found in non-primate mammals and in products made from them. People with alpha-gal syndrome must often avoid red meat like beef, pork and lamb, dairy products and a slew of less-obvious products like gel capsules and sometimes makeup.
People can live with alpha-gal by adjusting their lifestyle — but that’s only if they know they have it. Getting a diagnosis can be difficult because many doctors aren’t aware of the syndrome.
A study published Thursday in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report surveyed 1,500 doctors and nurse practitioners in the US and found that 42% said they’d never heard of the allergy. Another third of respondents said they were not confident about their ability to diagnose or manage a patient with alpha-gal allergy.
Surveys of alpha-gal patients have found that most have a significant delay between their first symptoms and their diagnosis.
McCullick, who thinks he got alpha-gal syndrome from a tick he pulled off his forehead in 2018, wasn’t diagnosed until 2022.
Alpha-gal isn’t like a typical food allergy, in which the physical reaction to an offending food starts seconds to minutes after eating it.
Instead, people with alpha-gal allergy tend to become ill four to six hours after having red meat or dairy, so they don’t always connect their symptoms to what they’re eating. Reactions can include hives, shortness of breath or even life-threatening anaphylaxis.
“I went to bed every night not knowing if I was going to wake up in the morning. And every time I couldn’t catch my breath and every time my heart skipped a beat, I didn’t know what was going to happen,” McCullick said.
“The future didn’t seem very bright, and I can relate it to maybe being a soldier in a foxhole with shells coming down all around. You just don’t know when your last breath is going to be, and it was psychologically devastating, actually. And that’s not just me; there’s thousands and thousands of cases just like mine,” he said.
Diagnoses on the rise
Researchers haven’t had a good idea how many Americans might have alpha-gal syndrome.
Until 2022, one commercial lab ran most alpha-gal testing in the US: Viracor in Lenexa, Kansas. For the new study, epidemiologists at the CDC analyzed anonymous testing data from this lab for blood tests run from 2017 through 2022. Providers ordered nearly 300,000 tests for alpha-gal during this period, and 30% of them — roughly 90,000 — were positive.
Adding those test results to the results of earlier studies, the study authors deduced that there were 110,000 suspected cases of alpha-gal syndrome diagnosed in the US from 2010 to 2022.
With the lack of awareness among health care providers, the researchers adjusted their data under the assumption that between 20% and 78% of cases probably go undiagnosed. This led to them to estimate that between 96,000 and 450,000 Americans may have been affected by alpha-gal syndrome since 2010.
The numbers stunned Commins. “The number of potential cases is far beyond what we thought,” he said.
“If the projection and estimate of nearly 450,000 cases is even approximately correct, this is the number 10 allergy in the country behind sesame, which is number nine and affects roughly half a million people,” Commins said.
And the numbers weren’t steady over time. “Every year, we see an increased number of suspected cases that are captured in this lab-based surveillance,” said study author Dr. Johanna Salzer, the epidemiology team lead for rickettsial diseases at the CDC.
Salzer said it’s unclear whether cases are going up because of increased awareness and testing for the syndrome or for another reason, such as tick populations flourishing in the higher temperatures caused by climate change.
“I think it could certainly be both,” Salzer said.
Salzer and her team also mapped the locations of the positive tests and found that they were concentrated in a belt of states in the middle of the US that spans the South, Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. This is much the same region where lone star ticks are known to cause other diseases such as the bacterial illness ehrlichiosis.
‘This disease doesn’t have to be deadly’
Before McCullick knew to avoid certain animal products, he was rushed to the emergency room repeatedly with life-threatening allergic reactions that caused heart palpitations, shortness of breath and dangerously low blood pressure. Often, he was treated for heart attacks.
Alpha-gal also affects the way his body processed cholesterol, clogging the arteries around his heart.
Sometimes, just breathing in a place where someone is cooking meat, like a steakhouse, can cause a reaction, he said.
“I would eat some ice cream, and it would hurt my throat and my esophagus down my chest so bad. They felt like a charley horse that would not go away,” McCullick said.
“And then it gives you severe heartburn, feels like a hiatal hernia,” he said. “Then it gets down in your stomach, and it feels like a roll of barbed wire the rolling around in your intestines.”
This cycle of eating and anaphylaxis continued until McCullick spoke to an agent from his health insurance company. After reviewing his records, the agent told him that the pattern of hospitalizations looked familiar.
“He said, ‘you know, you sound like what happened to me.’ He said, ‘I’m allergic to beef and pork. And you should get checked out to see if you’re allergic to beef or pork,’ ” McCullick said.
A lightbulb went off. He realized he was getting sick every time he ate red meat. After researching online, he was convinced, and he saw an allergist who made the diagnosis.
“So my diagnosis was by chance, basically, and with a lot of research on my own and a lot of help from friends,” McCullick said.
“This disease doesn’t have to be deadly if we just know about it,” McCullick said. “A lot of people could be saved just from the knowledge that needs to get out there.”
The-CNN-Wire
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Bay Area man fatally stabbed a woman and posted video of her ‘last moments’ on Facebook, police say
By Rebekah Riess, CNN
(CNN) — A Bay Area man faces a murder charge after allegedly stabbing a woman to death and posting video of her “last moments” on Facebook, San Mateo Police say.
The Nye County Sheriff’s Office in Nevada notified San Mateo Police Wednesday afternoon that a caller reported having witnessed a stabbing on Facebook, police said in a statement.
The caller provided the name and phone number of the man who posted the video, according to San Mateo police. The phone number was traced to an apartment complex in San Mateo.
Investigators later arrested the 39-year-old suspect, Mark Mechikoff, in San Jose, police said.
“While the motive for stabbing the victim is still under investigation, we do know Mechikoff mercilessly filmed the last moments of the victim’s life and posted the video to Facebook, then fled the area,” San Mateo police said in the statement.
Before the arrest, police officers spent nearly three hours going door to door in the large complex before finding the victim in an apartment, the statement said.
The suspect had fled but officers arrested him within two hours of finding the victim, police said.
Mechikoff knew the victim, according to police.
The suspect faces a felony murder charge with enhancements, court records show. He made an initial court appearance Friday and is due back in court August 4. It’s unclear if he has an attorney.
CNN sought comment from Facebook’s parent company, Meta Platforms, but has not received a response.
Anyone with information or security footage related to this homicide is asked to contact the San Mateo Police Department.
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™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
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‘Preppy Killer’ Robert Chambers is released again from prison after serving years for unrelated drug crimes
By Celina Tebor, CNN
(CNN) — Robert Chambers, known as the “Preppy Killer” for murdering a teenager in Central Park in 1986, was released again this week from prison after serving time for unrelated drug crimes.
Chambers, then 19, strangled Jennifer Levin, 18, to death in the case that became a tabloid sensation. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter after admitting in a taped confession to killing Levin during rough sex, CNN previously reported.
Chambers served a 15-year sentence for first-degree manslaughter and second-degree burglary beginning in 1988 and was released in 2003, according to New York State Department of Corrections records.
He was imprisoned again in 2008 on unrelated charges of first-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and second-degree assault, according to Department of Corrections records. After serving 15 years at New York’s Shawangunk Correctional Facility, Chambers was released on parole Tuesday. He had a maximum sentence of 19 years, according to state records.
CNN has reached out to an attorney representing Chambers for comment.
Chambers will be under post-release supervision until July 2028, Department of Corrections records say.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://kion546.com/news/national-world/cnn-national/2023/07/29/preppy-killer-robert-chambers-is-released-again-from-prison-after-serving-years-for-unrelated-drug-crimes/ | 2023-07-29T20:23:04 | 1 | https://kion546.com/news/national-world/cnn-national/2023/07/29/preppy-killer-robert-chambers-is-released-again-from-prison-after-serving-years-for-unrelated-drug-crimes/ |
Judge says CNN’s use of ‘Big Lie’ regarding Trump isn’t defamation
By Dan Berman, CNN
Washington (CNN) — A federal judge in Florida on Friday dismissed a $475 million defamation lawsuit former President Donald Trump brought against CNN that accused the network of defaming him by using the phrase “the big lie” and allegedly comparing him to Adolf Hitler.
District Judge Raag Singhal, a 2019 appointee of Trump’s, said that use of the phrase or similar statements are opinion that don’t meet the standard for defamation.
“CNN’s use of the phrase ‘the Big Lie’ in connection with Trump’s election challenges does not give rise to a plausible inference that Trump advocates the persecution and genocide of Jews or any other group of people. No reasonable viewer could (or should) plausibly make that reference,” Singhal wrote.
“Being “Hitler-like” is not a verifiable statement of fact that would support a defamation claim,” Singhal added.
The lawsuit is one of many Trump has filed against media outlets, including CNN, The New York Times and The Washington Post, objecting to coverage during his presidency and in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election he lost to Joe Biden.
Trump had accused CNN of a “campaign of dissuasion in the form of libel and slander” and of creating a “false and incendiary association” between him and Hitler.
“Like Trump and CNN personalities … the Court finds Nazi references in the political discourse (made by whichever ‘side’) to be odious and repugnant,” Singhal wrote. “But bad rhetoric is not defamation when it does not include false statements of fact.”
Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement Saturday: “We agree with the highly respected judge’s findings that CNN’s statements about President Trump are repugnant. CNN will be held responsible for their wrongful mistreatment of President Trump and his supporters.”
CNN declined to comment on the decision.
This story has been updated with additional information.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
CNN’s Kate Sullivan contributed to this report. | https://kion546.com/politics/cnn-us-politics/2023/07/29/judge-says-cnns-use-of-big-lie-regarding-trump-isnt-defamation/ | 2023-07-29T20:23:10 | 0 | https://kion546.com/politics/cnn-us-politics/2023/07/29/judge-says-cnns-use-of-big-lie-regarding-trump-isnt-defamation/ |
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New York Times: US officials search for hidden Chinese malware that could affect military operations
By Kaanita Iyer, CNN
(CNN) — US officials are searching for Chinese malware hidden in various defense systems that could disrupt military communications and resupply operations, The New York Times reported Saturday.
The administration believes malicious computer code has been hidden inside “networks controlling power grids, communications systems and water supplies that feed military bases,” officials told the Times. The discovery has heightened concerns that hackers could “disrupt US military operations in the event of a conflict,” according to the Times. The two nations have been increasingly at odds over Taiwan as well as over China’s actions in the Indo-Pacific.
One congressional official told the newspaper that the malware was “a ticking time bomb” that could allow China to cut off power, water and communications to military bases, slowing deployments and resupply operations. Because military bases often share the same supply infrastructure as civilian homes and businesses, many other Americans could also be affected, officials told the Times.
The malware revelations echo a pattern of recent breaches by China-based hackers previously reported by CNN.
Last week, the email account of US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns was hacked, three US officials familiar with the matter told CNN.
Earlier this month, Microsoft and the White House confirmed that China-based hackers breached email accounts at two dozen organizations, including some federal agencies. The Biden administration believes the hacking operation – which Microsoft said was launched in mid-May – gave the Chinese government insights about US thinking heading into Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s trip to Beijing in June.
Among the agencies targeted were the State Department and the Department of Commerce, which has sanctioned Chinese telecom firms. US officials and Microsoft analysts initially had trouble identifying how the hackers got into the email accounts, which made clear that they were dealing with a sophisticated hacking team, a US official told CNN.
US officials have consistently labeled China as the most advanced of US adversaries in cyberspace, a domain that has repeatedly been a source of bilateral tension in recent years. The FBI has said Beijing has a larger hacking program than all other governments combined.
Blinken raised the hacking incidents in a meeting with a top Chinese diplomat in Indonesia earlier this month, a senior State Department official told CNN, but the official would not “get into the specifics” of the extent to which the hack was raised.
“We have consistently made clear that any action that targets US government, US companies, American citizens, is a deep concern to us and that we will take appropriate action to hold those responsible accountable and the secretary made that clear again,” the official said.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
CNN’s Sean Lyngaas, Kylie Atwood and Jennifer Hansler contributed to this report. | https://kion546.com/politics/cnn-us-politics/2023/07/29/new-york-times-us-officials-search-for-hidden-chinese-malware-that-could-affect-military-operations/ | 2023-07-29T20:23:16 | 0 | https://kion546.com/politics/cnn-us-politics/2023/07/29/new-york-times-us-officials-search-for-hidden-chinese-malware-that-could-affect-military-operations/ |
GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — A North Carolina man’s long-lost 1967 Mustang coupe was found after being stolen 21 years ago.
Detectives in Guilford County, and the owner of the car, were also surprised to find the vehicle was still in decent shape.
“Twenty-one years. That is unbelievable,” David Tucker said.
The blue Mustang was Tucker’s dream car. He and his son even formed a bond during the boy’s childhood, riding together in the coupe.
“Riding in it with my son … he was in a car seat in the back,” Tucker said. “He finally got out of the car seat and was able to sit up front with me. Just riding around with him, and seeing the look on his face. That’s the best.”
In 2002, Tucker decided to sell the car. He left it sitting at a friend’s house in Oak Ridge, where it might have more visibility for potential buyers.
But somebody decided to just take it.
“I can’t even describe the sadness,” Tucker said. “That was like my baby, you know? A member of the family just got gone. I never thought I would see it again.”
For years, Tucker worked along with the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office to try to find it.
He checked in on his VIN number every year.
“The VIN number had been changed on it,” said Detective Sergeant Ryan Seals with the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office. “The initial VIN number … came back to a vehicle that had already been scrapped.”
But a few weeks back, deputies said that VIN number eventually led to a crack in the case: The car was found states away in Florida — and only a little worse for wear.
In addition to a little bit of damage on the inside and outside, the car, too, had been painted white.
“It’s nowhere near what it used to be. It’s going to take some work,” Tucker said.
Tucker is currently trying to figure out how to get the car back to North Carolina.
“It means a lot, there was a lot of memories.” he said. “That was my dream car, and my son loved it. We rode in and all the time. So I’m just anxious to get it back and maybe get it back to where it was when it got stolen.”
Tucker is also working with DMV to get his title back. He says it could still take several weeks or even months to get his car back to North Carolina. | https://www.kxnet.com/news/national-news/dream-car-mans-stolen-mustang-found-21-years-later/ | 2023-07-29T20:24:46 | 0 | https://www.kxnet.com/news/national-news/dream-car-mans-stolen-mustang-found-21-years-later/ |
‘I’m still in shock’: Woman wins lottery jackpot while taking break from work
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT/Gray News) - A North Carolina woman won a triple-digit jackpot thanks to purchasing a lucky scratch-off ticket.
According to the North Carolina Educational Lottery, Jodi Owens won a $100,000 prize by putting her break time to good use and buying a lottery ticket.
Officials said Owens, a retired nurse practitioner, took a break from doing some work around her house and stopped at a Civietown Mini Mart in Shallotte. She picked up a few items including a Black Titanium scratch-off.
She returned home to scratch her winning ticket.
“I’m still in shock,” Owens said. “It’s truly a blessing.”
Owens claimed her prize on Friday and took home $71,259 after taxes.
“I’m going to pay my mortgage off and pay my car off,” she said. “I’m thinking about getting a manicure and pedicure too!”
Lottery officials said the Black Titanium scratch-off game just launched last month and is available for $30.
Copyright 2023 WECT via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.kwch.com/2023/07/29/im-still-shock-woman-wins-lottery-jackpot-while-taking-break-work/ | 2023-07-29T20:24:46 | 1 | https://www.kwch.com/2023/07/29/im-still-shock-woman-wins-lottery-jackpot-while-taking-break-work/ |
(The Hill) – A majority of Americans believe former President Trump has done “something illegal” or “unethical,” according to a new poll.
The NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist National Poll released Friday, found that 51% of Americans believe the former president has done “something illegal,” 27% said he’s done something “unethical,” but “not illegal,” and 19% said he’s done “nothing wrong.”
The results of the new poll come just one day after the Department of Justice (DOJ) levied new charges against Trump in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case for attempting to delete surveillance footage. The superseding indictment brings the total number of counts facing the former president in the classified documents case to 40.
The poll, however, was conducted before the new charges against Trump were announced.
The survey also found that the percentage of Democrats who think Trump has done “something illegal” has increased — up from 78% in June to 84%. The number of independents that believe the same also increased from 50% to 52% in the same period, according to the poll.
The number of Republicans that believe Trump’s actions are “illegal,” however, has remained steady at around 13%. But, as the poll notes, there was a dip the number of Republicans that believe Trump has done “nothing wrong” — going from 50% to 41% since June.
DOJ special counsel Jack Smith has been investigating Trump and his allies’ efforts to upend the 2020 election. The former president also faces another indictment from New York district attorney Alvin Bragg for 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection to a 2016 hush money payment.
The survey of 1,285 respondents was conducted from July 25-27, with a margin of error of 3.6 percentage points. | https://www.kxnet.com/news/national-news/majority-of-americans-believe-trump-has-done-something-illegal-poll/ | 2023-07-29T20:24:52 | 0 | https://www.kxnet.com/news/national-news/majority-of-americans-believe-trump-has-done-something-illegal-poll/ |
Rockies vs. Athletics Predictions & Picks: Odds, Moneyline, Spread - July 29
Saturday's game between the Colorado Rockies (40-63) and the Oakland Athletics (29-76) at Coors Field has a projected final score of 6-4 based on our computer prediction, with the Rockies coming out on top. Game time is at 8:10 PM on July 29.
The Rockies will look to Chris Flexen against the Athletics and Paul Blackburn (1-2).
Rockies vs. Athletics Game Info & Odds
- When: Saturday, July 29, 2023 at 8:10 PM ET
- Where: Coors Field in Denver, Colorado
- How to Watch on TV: SportsNet RM
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
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Rockies vs. Athletics Score Prediction
Our pick for this matchup is Rockies 6, Athletics 4.
Total Prediction for Rockies vs. Athletics
- Total Prediction: Under 12 runs
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Discover More About This Game
Rockies Performance Insights
- Over the past 10 games, the Rockies have been favored just once and lost that contest.
- In its last 10 games with a total, Colorado and its opponents are 4-6-0 when it comes to hitting the over.
- The Rockies are undefeated against the spread in their last two chances.
- The Rockies have won three, or 27.3%, of the 11 games they've played as favorites this season.
- Colorado has a record of 2-6 when favored by -120 or more by oddsmakers this season.
- The bookmakers' moneyline implies a 54.5% chance of a victory for the Rockies.
- Colorado has scored the 20th-most runs in the majors this season with 452 (4.4 per game).
- The Rockies have the 29th-ranked team ERA across all MLB pitching staffs (5.49).
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Rockies Schedule
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.kwch.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/rockies-athletics-mlb-picks-predictions/ | 2023-07-29T20:24:53 | 1 | https://www.kwch.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/rockies-athletics-mlb-picks-predictions/ |
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.kxnet.com/news/national-news/new-x-logo-atop-twitter-building-in-san-francisco-prompts-complaint-investigation-from-city/ | 2023-07-29T20:24:58 | 0 | https://www.kxnet.com/news/national-news/new-x-logo-atop-twitter-building-in-san-francisco-prompts-complaint-investigation-from-city/ |
2023 Amundi Evian Championship Betting Odds, Favorites & Insights – Round 4
Celine Boutier is the current leader (-100) at the 2023 Amundi Evian Championship after three rounds of play.
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Amundi Evian Championship Fourth Round Information
- Start Time: 12:45 AM ET
- Venue: Evian Resort Golf Club
- Location: Évian-les-Bains, France
- Par/Distance: Par 71/6,527 yards
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Amundi Evian Championship Best Odds to Win
Celine Boutier
- Tee Time: 6:25 AM ET
- Current Rank: 1st (-11)
- Odds to Win: -100
Boutier Round by Round Results
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Nasa Hataoka
- Tee Time: 6:25 AM ET
- Current Rank: 2nd (-8)
- Odds to Win: +400
Hataoka Round by Round Results
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Minjee Lee
- Tee Time: 6:15 AM ET
- Current Rank: 3rd (-7)
- Odds to Win: +700
Lee Round by Round Results
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Brooke Mackenzie Henderson
- Tee Time: 6:15 AM ET
- Current Rank: 3rd (-7)
- Odds to Win: +800
Mackenzie Henderson Round by Round Results
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Nelly Korda
- Tee Time: 6:05 AM ET
- Current Rank: 5th (-6)
- Odds to Win: +1200
Korda Round by Round Results
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Amundi Evian Championship Odds (Rest of Field)
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.kwch.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/amundi-evian-championship-lpga-tournament-betting-odds-round-4/ | 2023-07-29T20:24:59 | 1 | https://www.kwch.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/amundi-evian-championship-lpga-tournament-betting-odds-round-4/ |
(NerdWallet) – Labor Day may mark the unofficial end of summer in the U.S. — but it’s hardly the end of airport crowds. In fact, given record-breaking crowds already this year, there’s a good chance this Labor Day weekend could be busier than any prior Labor Day weekend.
Already this summer, U.S. airports have set fresh passenger records. June 30, the Friday before July 4, marked a new record high of passengers on a single day when more than 2.884 million people passed through Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints.
That figure topped the previous record of 2.882 million people from the Sunday after 2019’s Thanksgiving, according to a NerdWallet analysis of TSA data showing the number of passengers screened at U.S. TSA checkpoints over the last four years.
Roughly 12% more people passed through U.S. airports in June 2023 versus June 2022, which is perhaps unsurprising given the lingering effects of the pandemic through 2022.
The more impressive feat, though, is that 2023’s crowds have exceeded 2019 levels. TSA screened 0.6% more passengers in June 2023 versus June 2019, proving that summer is back and bigger than ever.
Expect Labor Day 2023 crowds to be no different, but some days around the long weekend are significantly busier than others.
The best and worst days to fly Labor Day weekend
TSA checkpoint data suggests most people use Labor Day — which is observed on the first Monday of September — as a long weekend. They depart on Friday, bask in two full days of vacation and return home on Monday.
To avoid crowds, and likely save money, book Labor Day travel on days that aren’t the start and end of the weekend. Based on an average of the past four years, here were the most to least crowded days for the week surrounding Labor Day, ranked:
- Friday before Labor Day (most crowded).
- Thursday before.
- Labor Day Monday.
- Sunday after.
- Friday after.
- Monday after.
- Monday before.
- Thursday after.
- Tuesday after.
- Wednesday before.
- Sunday before.
- Saturday before.
- Wednesday after.
- Tuesday before.
- Saturday after (least crowded).
When broken out by pre- and post-Labor Day travel, here are the three least crowded days to travel ranked from least to most crowded:
Pre-holiday:
- Tuesday before (overall least crowded day pre-holiday).
- Saturday before.
- Sunday before.
Post-holiday:
- Saturday after (overall least crowded day post-holiday).
- Wednesday after.
- Tuesday after.
During the seven days after and before Labor Day (including the holiday itself), the Friday before Labor Day has been the single busiest day to fly over each of the past four years.
As far as the period starting on Labor Day itself and spanning the subsequent seven days, Labor Day Monday has been the busiest day to fly over the past three years. If Labor Day Monday is excluded from the rankings, the Sunday after has been the busiest over the past three years. In 2019, the trends were flipped: the Sunday after was the busiest, and the holiday itself was the second busiest.
The smarter, cheaper Labor Day weekend itinerary
If you work a standard Monday-Friday workweek and have the holiday off, leaving Friday after work and returning on Labor Day seems logical. But following the same itinerary as everyone else means you’ll likely pay — both in airfares and navigating airport crowds. For lighter crowds (and perhaps better deals), try these travel days instead:
Fly on the Tuesday or Wednesday before: Let Labor Day weekend become closer to a week by jetting off earlier than the folks leaving Thursday or Friday, assuming you have enough vacation days to use (or can work remotely). You’ll have more time away from home and be more relaxed without the big airport crowds.
Travel on Saturday: Crowds are light on Saturdays before and after the holiday. So, rather than rushing out of work on Friday afternoon to catch a flight, opt for the morning flight the next day.
That Saturday morning flight might also reduce your risk of delays, too. According to travel booking site Hopper’s Flight Disruption Outlook for Spring 2023, flights departing after 9 a.m. are twice as likely to be delayed than departures scheduled from 5-8 a.m.
Fly home the Sunday before: While most folks fly home on Labor Day Monday, you might get a head start by flying home on Sunday. Sure, you’ll have one less vacation day than folks following your same itinerary departing Monday, but that’s not a bad thing. By returning Sunday night, you’ll have a whole day to refresh and prepare for the week ahead by doing laundry, meal prepping or catching up on potential jetlag. Sometimes the nicest way to relax is by taking a vacation from your vacation. | https://www.kxnet.com/news/national-news/the-busiest-days-to-fly-around-labor-day-2023/ | 2023-07-29T20:25:04 | 1 | https://www.kxnet.com/news/national-news/the-busiest-days-to-fly-around-labor-day-2023/ |
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. | https://www.kxnet.com/news/national-news/ukraine-moves-date-of-christmas-day-to-distance-itself-from-russian-tradition/ | 2023-07-29T20:25:11 | 1 | https://www.kxnet.com/news/national-news/ukraine-moves-date-of-christmas-day-to-distance-itself-from-russian-tradition/ |
Kansas man sentenced to nearly 57 years in death of 2-year-old daughter who went days without food
Jul 29, 2023, 8:34 AM
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man whose 2-year-old daughter died after going days without food while he was passed out drunk has been sentenced to nearly 57 years in prison.
The sentence ordered Friday was the maximum that could be imposed after Jeffrey Exon was convicted in April of charges that included aggravated child endangerment and first-degree murder in the commission of a felony, The Topeka Capital-Journal reported.
Exon, a 47-year-old who goes by the name of James, called 911 on Jan. 5. 2021, telling a dispatcher that his daughter, Aurora Exon, had stopped breathing. He also said she recently had been “starving herself.”
She was cold to the touch when found, and appeared to have been dead for several days, Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay said. The coroner blamed her death on a form of malnutrition called marasmus.
Five empty liquor bottles were found in Exon’s bedroom, investigators said. They determined that Exon would not feed or attend to his children for days because of his addiction issues.
Exon’s 6-year-old son, who was 4 when his sister died, testified at trial that his dad locked them in their rooms for several days without food while he “slept.”
Seonaid Nichols, the children’s mother, said she agreed to give James Exon custody of the children because her living conditions didn’t allow her to take care of them. | https://mynorthwest.com/3914743/kansas-man-sentenced-to-nearly-57-years-in-death-of-2-year-old-daughter-who-went-days-without-food/ | 2023-07-29T20:25:12 | 1 | https://mynorthwest.com/3914743/kansas-man-sentenced-to-nearly-57-years-in-death-of-2-year-old-daughter-who-went-days-without-food/ |
(NEXSTAR) — Yet another new, unsafe trend is catching attention.
This time, some TikTok users are encouraging viewers to add borax to their water, claiming the common cleaning product can help reduce inflammation and joint pain, or even “detoxify” the body. As you may have guessed, health officials are warning of the consequences the trend could have on your health.
Borax, or sodium tetraborate decahydrate, is a chemical compound commonly available in the form of a white crystalline powder. It’s been utilized in a variety of ways since the Middle Ages, and today is often used a laundry detergent, kitchen/bathroom cleaner, and even a bug and weed killer.
Boric acid has also been found to have bacteriostatic properties, meaning it can prevent the growth of bacteria, Dr. S. Ruddy Rose, director of VCU Health’s Virginia Poison Center, told Nexstar.
Despite its endless safe uses, however, borax is not approved for ingestion by humans.
Ingesting borax can cause people to become quite sick, according to Dr. Rose, leading to convulsions, problems with the gastrointestinal tract, heat burns, and even kidney damage.
“This happens pretty quickly,” he adds.
Even the company behind 20 Mule Team Borax, a popular borax product, has warned against participating in the TikTok trend.
“20 Mule Team Borax has many uses but ingesting is not one of them,” the company warned on July 25.
“Do not bathe in, apply to skin, or ingest Borax, including drinking it diluted in water,” the company continued. “It is not intended for use as a personal care product or dietary supplement.”
Should your child fall victim to the trend, Dr. Rose said you can follow up with the child’s pediatrician, as long as they don’t have any symptoms. But if your child is vomiting, has abdominal pain, or experiences a seizure or other serious symptoms, it’s best to seek emergency medical attention.
Several videos recommending borax have been removed from TikTok, according to NBC News.
Social-media users, meanwhile, should always be cautious about taking medical advice from influencers or TikTok personalities.
“Just beware of these types of activities,” Dr. Rose said. “The people promoting it may not be doing it for the right reason.”
Borax uses
There are plenty of non-dangerous ways to use borax that you may not be aware of.
- It can unclog drains. As recommended by Southern Living, 1/2 cup of borax and two cups of boiling water down a clogged drain should clear it right out. Let the solution sit for 15 mins before flushing with warm water.
- It’s a pest deterrent/killer. Borax is a desiccant, which means it sucks up moisture. In this way, borax can be useful to sprinkle in places where bugs might ordinarily populate. The powder will keep the area dry and make it less optimal for insects to make home. Meanwhile, if bugs are already in your home, it’s not too late. The Spruce explains that insects, like cockroaches and ants, become “dried out” from the inside and die after eating the powder.
- It can help grow your fruit trees. Bob Vila recommends adding borax to the soil around your tree to help keep the plant’s pH levels desirable for growth.
- It’s in ingredient in “slime.” If your kids love making and playing with slime, Taste of Home has a recipe for using borax to make the stretchy, gooey stuff. | https://www.kxnet.com/news/national-news/why-are-people-drinking-borax-cleaning-powder-on-tiktok/ | 2023-07-29T20:25:17 | 1 | https://www.kxnet.com/news/national-news/why-are-people-drinking-borax-cleaning-powder-on-tiktok/ |
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://wgntv.com/business/ap-business/ap-with-one-eye-on-china-japan-backs-sri-lanka-as-a-partner-in-the-indo-pacific/ | 2023-07-29T20:25:17 | 0 | https://wgntv.com/business/ap-business/ap-with-one-eye-on-china-japan-backs-sri-lanka-as-a-partner-in-the-indo-pacific/ |
(NEXSTAR) – The astounding critical and commercial reception of the new “Barbie” movie has catapulted all-things-Barbie back to the forefront of pop culture.
Even Allan!
Mattel’s Allan dolls — first introduced in the earlier half of the ‘60s as a “buddy” for Ken dolls — are currently experiencing increased demand among collectors and Barbie fans, with early specimens selling for upwards of $200 on eBay over the last several days.
The value of Allan dolls has increased, no doubt, due to Allan’s inclusion in the film. But that’s about the only effect the movie has had on the price of vintage Barbies, according to Barbie expert Rebecca Chulew, who has been featured such shows as “Collector’s Call,” “Toy Hunter” and “My Crazy Obsession.”
“Many vintage Barbies were produced by the millions and are easy to find,” said Chulew, who has sold over 10,000 Barbies on eBay and Macari over the years. “Everybody thinks they have a valuable Barbie. The truth is, the majority aren’t.”
Certain vintage Barbie dolls, meanwhile, might still be worth a pretty penny, but their value really isn’t tied to the movie, according to Chulew.
“The doll now is kind of holding steady,” she said. “It has a good value, but I don’t see it going up or down a lot.”
The most valuable Barbies, she said, continue to be the very first series of dolls ever produced in 1959. Specifically, the No. 1 or No. 2 Ponytail Barbies, which can fetch anywhere from $4,000 to $8,000 per doll, depending on condition, the inclusion of the original box, and — perhaps more importantly — the hair color.
“They made three blondes for every brunette,” said Chulew, who noted that brunette Ponytail Barbies from 1959 can sell for up to $6,000, even out of the box.
Chulew further said that sealed or boxed dolls don’t matter as much to many Barbie collectors, seeing as the early opaque boxes were more akin to “shoeboxes” and didn’t showcase the dolls. (“There’s a lot of [online] box sales going on” for folks who want just the packaging, she said.)
Another coveted doll is the Side-Part American Girl Barbie produced in the mid-‘60s, which can go for “about $3,000” (and reportedly once sold for almost double), according to the expert.
Collectors also tend to prize “Twist ‘n Turn” Stacey dolls (not to be confused with Stacie dolls) from the late ‘60s, as well as “Steffie-face” Barbies (i.e., a type of doll using a certain face mold) introduced a few years later. Both can sell for hundreds to the right collectors.
Other valuable dolls include rarer Barbies that weren’t widely produced — like the brunette mentioned above — and, specifically, Black Barbies. According to Chulew, first- and second-issue Francie dolls from 1967-1969 are tough to find, while Alpha Kappa Alpha Barbies (which commemorated the historically African American sorority) can go for up to around $1,000.
And then, there’s Allan.
Allan dolls — including the original from 1964, the bendable-leg version from 1965 and the Wedding Day Allan doll from 1990 — have seen a “slight increase [in value] due to the movie,” said Chulew, adding that sellers might be able to get a few hundred for each one.
The rest of the Barbie line, and even vintage dolls that were mentioned in the movie, are likely worth no more than they were last year.
“I think what you’re going to see in the next 30 to 60 days are a lot of people selling their childhood dolls. And a lot of them aren’t going to be valuable,” Chulew said. “A few rarities might be unearthed, but it might cause stagnation in the market. It’s going to be tough for collectors to sort through all the barbies being advertised as ‘rare’ when they’re not.”
Barbie collectors, on the other hand, might be busy scooping up other “Barbie”-movie merchandise to complete their collections or prepare for any future scarcity. For example, the collectible “Barbie” popcorn buckets from AMC are very “hot” right now, Chulew said, and certain dolls from Mattel’s latest line of movie-inspired figures are becoming hard to find, even if they’re still selling at retail prices.
“But they don’t appear to have made the Allan doll from the movie,” she lamented, “which may be a mistake on their part.” | https://www.kxnet.com/news/national-news/your-vintage-barbie-dolls-might-be-worth-a-pretty-penny-if-you-have-the-right-ones/ | 2023-07-29T20:25:23 | 0 | https://www.kxnet.com/news/national-news/your-vintage-barbie-dolls-might-be-worth-a-pretty-penny-if-you-have-the-right-ones/ |
Nearly two years after 10 people were crushed to death during the deadly 2021 Astroworld festival, no charges have been filed — even though some people, including event workers, expressed safety concerns.
Pinpointing “who exactly caused those deaths is not an easy question to answer,” said Sandra Guerra Thompson, a criminal law professor at the University of Houston Law Center.
“It’s a very difficult thing to say, unless you have some kind of clear evidence that somebody in charge, whose job it was to ensure safety and who should have known better, failed to take action,” she said.
A nearly 1,300-page report on the investigation into the tragedy released by Houston police Friday said contract worker Reece Wheeler told authorities that he saw a crush of people and warned an event organizer that people could die, shortly before rapper Travis Scott went onstage.
In the report, investigators wrote that Scott said he did see one person near the stage getting medical attention, but said that overall, the crowd seemed to enjoy the show. He said he did not see any signs of serious problems, nor did he hear anyone tell him to stop the show.
Hip-hop artist Drake, who also performed, told police it was difficult to see from the stage what was going on in the crowd and that he didn’t hear anyone call for the show to stop.
Despite no charges being filed, more than 500 lawsuits have been filed over the deaths and injuries at the concert, including many against concert promoter Live Nation and Scott. Some of those suits have since been settled.
Those who were killed ranged in age from 9 to 27, and all 10 people died due to compression asphyxia, according to medical examiners.
In June, a Texas grand jury declined to indict six people in the case, including Scott. Prosecutors said, then, that the circumstances of the deaths limited what charges they were able to present, eliminating potential counts such as murder, manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide.
Thompson said the sheer number of people involved in putting on the event, the large scale of it, and the high bar for proving criminal negligence or recklessness are challenges for prosecutors in cases like this.
“It goes back to, who knows what’s going on, is that being communicated?” she said. “Were they being told that people have died, and they still wanted the concert to go on? Or, were they being told that ‘Hey, some people are getting hurt, which might not be that unusual at an event like that?”
Assistant Harris County District Attorney Alycia Harvey said after the grand jury declined to issue indictments that prosecutors were left with only possible counts of endangering a child in connection with the deaths of the two youngest concertgoers, ages 9 and 14.
Scott’s lawyer, Kent Schaffer, has said that the performer was not responsible for the tragedy.
“He never encouraged people to do anything that resulted in other people being hurt,” Schaffer said.
Scott has previously said he was unaware of the deaths until after the show. He has since created what he called Project HEAL, a $5 million initiative that includes funding for an effort to address safety challenges for festivals and large-scale events.
The police report said Scott told investigators that around the time Drake came onstage he was told to end the show after the performance, but that no one told him of an emergency.
Following the tragedy, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott formed a task force to study concert safety, and to recommend crowd control and security measures during mass gathering.
The task force in April 2022 reported that people without tickets entered the outdoor festival area hours before the performances began, overwhelming staff and leading to a variety of injuries. It also concluded that the process for issuing permits for mass gatherings is inconsistent statewide.
The task force recommended creating a command center that is authorized to pause or cancel a show in response to safety concerns.
“Sometimes, sadly, industries learn safety practices following disasters,” said Thompson, the law professor. “The standards for live concerts like this, I would imagine, are going to change.”
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Miller reported from Oklahoma City, Willingham reported from Charleston, West Virginia. | https://wgntv.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-10-people-died-at-the-astroworld-music-festival-two-years-ago-what-happens-now/ | 2023-07-29T20:25:23 | 1 | https://wgntv.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-10-people-died-at-the-astroworld-music-festival-two-years-ago-what-happens-now/ |
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://wgntv.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-after-an-attack-on-salman-rushdie-the-chautauqua-institution-says-its-mission-wont-change/ | 2023-07-29T20:25:24 | 0 | https://wgntv.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://wgntv.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-black-belt-eagle-scouts-latest-record-inspired-by-return-home-to-swinomish-tribes-ancestral-lands/ | 2023-07-29T20:25:25 | 0 | https://wgntv.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-black-belt-eagle-scouts-latest-record-inspired-by-return-home-to-swinomish-tribes-ancestral-lands/ |
The ‘Few and the Proud’ aren’t so few: Marines recruiting surges while other services struggle
Jul 29, 2023, 9:11 AM
(AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)
PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Not long ago, Marine Col. Jennifer Nash, a combat engineer with war deployments under her belt, made a vow to fellow officers as they headed to a dinner in Atlanta: She would get two new recruiting contacts by the end of the evening.
She admits recruiting is not the job that she or other Marines had in mind when they enlisted. But after stints as a recruiter and senior officer at the Eastern recruiting command, she has become emblematic of the Corps’ tradition of putting its best, battle-tested Marines on enlistment duty. They get results.
Marine leaders say they will make their recruiting goal this year, while the active-duty Army, Navy and Air Force all expect to fall short. The services have struggled in the tight job market to compete with higher-paying businesses for the dwindling number of young people who can meet the military’s physical, mental and moral standards.
On that night, Nash achieved her own goal. She had gotten the valet at the hotel and the hostess at the restaurant to provide their phone numbers and to consider a Marine career.
Nash’s boss, Brig. Gen. Walker Field, who head the Eastern recruiting region, says the Corps has historically put an emphasis on selecting top-performing Marines to fill recruiting jobs. He says that has been a key to the Marines’ recruiting success, along with efforts to increase the number of recruiters, extend those who do well and speed their return to high schools, where in-person recruiting stopped during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said his recruiters — who cover the territory between Canada and Puerto Rico and as far west as Mississippi — will meet their mission and expect to have 30% of their 2024 goal when they start the next fiscal year, Oct. 1. More broadly, Marine officials say they expect the Corps to achieve its recruiting target of more than 33,000.
Last year, the Navy, Air Force and Marines had to eat into their pools of delayed entry applicants in order to make their goals. The Marines will avoid that this year.
“That would be a great ending,” said Field, speaking to The Associated Press on a recent steamy day at South Carolina’s Parris Island, along the Atlantic Coast. “I’m bearish for not only concluding FY23 on a strong footing, but also how we set the conditions for FY24.”
The Marine Corps may get some help from its small size. The Army, for example, has a recruiting goal of 65,000 this year, which is nearly double the Corps’, and expects to fall substantially short of that. Air Force and Navy officials say they will also miss their goals, although the Space Force, which is the smallest service and does its recruiting within Air Force stations, is expected to meet its goal of about 500 recruits.
Sitting in the shadow of Parris Island’s replica of the Iwo Jima monument, Field said his biggest challenge is that a number of Marine hopefuls cannot pass the military’s academic test, known as the Armed Services Voluntary Aptitude Battery.
That is a widespread problem, but the Army recently set up a program that targets recruits who score below 30 on the test and provides schooling for several weeks to help them pass. Already more than 8,800 recruits have successfully gone through the classes, raised their scores and moved on to basic training.
The Navy is taking another route with a pilot program that allows up to 20% of their recruits to score below 30 on the test, as long as they meet specific standards for their chosen naval job. Marine leaders, however, do not take those lowest scoring recruits, and so far have no plans for any type of formal improvement program such as the Army’s.
Field said the Marines are repositioning recruiting stations, moving them around based on where population totals have increased in the latest census. More important, he said, the Corps maintains its focus on choosing the right recruiters, encouraging successful ones to stay in the job and increasing the number of Marine reservists tapped for recruit duties from the current 31 to 96 by the end of next year.
Nash, who until last month was assistant chief of staff for the Eastern region, said Marines are hand-selected for recruiting command jobs. Many three- and four-star Marines, including former Defense Secretary James Mattis, will cite their years doing enlistment duty.
“We put our best and brightest in those positions,” said Nash, adding that those chosen for recruiting posts have a proven track record of success in previous assignments and have demonstrated critical leadership skills. “That’s why they got selected, because they were above their peers.”
She acknowledged that the first time she was picked for a recruiting job she was “voluntold.” But now, recounting her sales pitch in Atlanta, her rapid fire pitch comes without taking a breath.
“I say, ‘Hey, ever thought about being Marine? We’re a bunch of Marines. And, you know, I think you potentially could be a good Marine. You ever thought about it?’ And usually you get, ‘Yeah, I thought about it.’ And I’m, like, ‘What’s holding you back? Would you like to learn more about your opportunities?’ ‘Absolutely.’ `OK. Mind giving me your name and phone number? I’ll have one of my recruiters give you a phone call.’”
The Marines have resisted increasing bonuses to attract recruits — something the other services have found helpful.
Gen. Eric Smith, the acting Marine Corps commandant, got some ribbing for his response when he was asked about bonuses during a naval conference in February.
“Your bonus is you get to call yourself a Marine,” he said. “That’s your bonus, right? There’s no dollar amount that goes with that.”
Field, Nash and others also say the Corps prefers to give a lot of recruits a few thousand dollars, rather than increasing the amount and giving money to far fewer people.
Field said that getting Marine recruiters in uniform back into high schools this year, after several years of COVID-19 restrictions, has been a key driver. There, young people line up to compete in pull-up contests, vying for a free T-shirt if they can do 20. And recruiters say many are drawn to the cache of being a Marine.
“If you told me you’ll give me $10 million worth of advertising and I can do something with it, or you’ll give me 10 great-looking Marines in a Marine uniform — what’s going to get the most value? Give me those 10 Marines and give me a day,” Nash said. “We’ll go out and we’ll get more out of that, I think, than $10 million in advertising.” | https://mynorthwest.com/3914747/the-few-and-the-proud-arent-so-few-marines-recruiting-surges-while-other-services-struggle/ | 2023-07-29T20:25:27 | 0 | https://mynorthwest.com/3914747/the-few-and-the-proud-arent-so-few-marines-recruiting-surges-while-other-services-struggle/ |
BISMARCK, N.D. (KXNET) — Many people subscribe to the idea that ‘age is just a number’, and that you’re ‘only as young as you feel’ — but the truth is that in many cases, those who are relatively older are at a disadvantage when it comes to careers. And according to a recent study, it would seem that many believe that this should apply to political positions as well.
The previous 45 Presidents in American history were all younger than 70 when they took office — but in recent times, Presidents have been in their 70s and 80s. This leads many to believe that nowadays, the electoral system favors older individuals, which can also result in reduced government responsiveness and ineffective leadership. Although there are already term limits on the presidency thanks to the 22nd Amendment, many citizens also state that there should be a limit on how old the leader of our country can be.
To determine how many adults believed in these limits, the research team at SeniorLiving conducted an online poll in 2023 of 1,113 adults (consisting of 54% female and 46% male responders) living in the United States. Of these adults, 21% were 18-29 years of age, 27% were between 30-44, 28% were 45-60, and 24% were 60 or older. In terms of political leanings, 35% of surveyed respondents stated that they were Democrats, 29% identified as Republicans, 25% were independents, and 11% did not align with these political parties.
The results of the polls indicated that a majority of Americans have opinions on what should be the maximum age for the leader of our country. The majority of Americans (62% according to the study) believe that an ideal presidential candidate would be in their 50s or 60s — and to further the point, 85% also state that said ideal candidate should certainly be younger than 70. This comes in contrast to former presidents Trump and Biden, who both took office in their 70s. It was noted during the poll that 59% of Americans feel that Donald Trump is too old to retake the office, and 69% say that Joe Biden is too old to be reelected, furthering the belief that individuals would prefer younger politicians.
This isn’t to say that the position of the President is the only one that is noted for its focus on older individuals, either: the current 118th Congress is one of the oldest on average in history. The median age of representatives is 57.9 years old, and 65 for Senators — and some Senators are turning 90 as of this year. Similar to their beliefs on the presidency, a majority of Americans (72%) showed an interest in issuing similar limits for older members of the House and Senate, with 70-79 being deemed the acceptable maximum age.
It was noted that nearly half the surveyed individuals stated that their concerns primarily stem from the fact that older politicians may be more out of touch than others when it comes to more modern issues like climate change and the advent of new technology. This was particularly noticeable among younger generations, who feel that this makes their representatives unable to relate to or represent them. Younger voters were nearly three times more likely to go as far as saying that older legislators are actively making the government worse rather than better.
This overwhelming interest in age limits is not met without some pushback and public concern, however. About 48% of surveyed individuals believe that age isn’t as important as one’s ability to actually serve the public interest. A further 36% state that they see age limits — whether minimum or maximum — on positions as discriminatory. Those who express a distaste for age limits note that term limits have been and still are fairer alternatives. Unlike age limits, term limits can allow for frequent rotations of members of the cabinet, and keep incumbents from holding positions for decades on end. These limits are currently in place in sixteen states — including North Dakota.
If Governor Doug Burgum wins his bid for the presidency in 2024, he would do so at the age of 67 — meaning that while he would fit under the 70-year limit that those surveyed believe would be appropriate, he would not be able to run for reelection following his term. | https://www.kxnet.com/news/top-stories/study-do-americans-support-age-limits-on-the-presidency/ | 2023-07-29T20:25:29 | 0 | https://www.kxnet.com/news/top-stories/study-do-americans-support-age-limits-on-the-presidency/ |
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://wgntv.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-blinken-says-us-economic-support-for-niger-is-at-risk-as-military-takeover-threatens-stability/ | 2023-07-29T20:25:32 | 0 | https://wgntv.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-blinken-says-us-economic-support-for-niger-is-at-risk-as-military-takeover-threatens-stability/ |
STACKER — The U.S. has the highest percentage of single-parent households in the world, with millions of solo guardians struggling to make ends meet on one income, while performing all the labor of parenting day in and day out. The coronavirus hit some households much harder than others, specifically single-parent residences run by women. Choosing between paying bills or rent, facing eviction and food insecurity, and deciding between making money and taking care of a child is the harsh reality of the history-making pandemic and lack of government support for struggling families.
To determine the states with the most single-parent households, Stacker used data from the U.S. Census American Community Survey 2018 five-year estimates. All 50 states and Washington D.C. are ranked here according to the share of households that have single parents, classified as either “Male householder, no wife present, children of the householder under 18 years” or “Female householder, no husband present, children of the householder under 18 years.” Census categories currently fail to capture the full scope of potential LGBTQ+ family relationships. Along with each state’s slide, information about the breakdown of single parents, as well as the total number of married couples with kids, is provided.
Single parents perform an extraordinary amount of labor in normal times, but during the COVID-19 pandemic find themselves juggling a seemingly unmanageable situation. Balancing childcare and schooling with work has become impossible for some, and with no paid leave laws to begin with and little aid from the federal government, both parents and children are struggling.
Continue reading to find out more about the states with the most single-parent households.
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Caleb Walsh // Shutterstock
#51. Hawaii
– Single-parent households: 30,418 (6.7% of all households)
— Single mom households: 21,225 (4.6% of all households, #50 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 9,193 (2.0% of all households, #43 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 89,033 (19.5% of all households, #16 highest)
A direct hardship relief bill is a temporary haven for Hawaiian residents who live in Oahu, an island struggling in the midst of the COVID-19 financial crisis. Cash cards for $500 offer interim funds for local families’ basic food and necessities and a large part of the homeless population. Officials encourage residents to hold on to the cards regardless of the Dec. 27, 2020 expiration date, reporting the need for it in the future.
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#50. Montana
– Single-parent households: 29,272 (6.9% of all households)
— Single mom households: 18,974 (4.5% of all households, #51 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 10,298 (2.4% of all households, #14 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 73,723 (17.4% of all households, #35 highest)
Along with the elderly and disabled, single-parent households see hard times in southern Montana, where a Bozeman shelter reports society’s most vulnerable are in dire need of shelter and food, according to Montana Public Radio. The news source further reports single-mother job loss hit childcare facilities, which have only stayed open due to state grant funding.
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Stellamc // Shutterstock
#49. Utah
– Single-parent households: 69,748 (7.3% of all households)
— Single mom households: 49,279 (5.1% of all households, #46 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 20,469 (2.1% of all households, #38 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 291,774 (30.5% of all households, #1 highest)
Even before COVID-19 swept the country, a statewide Utah program addressed the working poor, calling it the Single Parent Project. Nearly 20% of Utah’s children get brought up in the 7.3% single-parent household population, which reportedly makes too much income for state aid, but not enough money for food and shelter. A reported 30 to 60 cents over the required income bracket has left some single parents in immediate financial need.
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#48. New Hampshire
– Single-parent households: 38,506 (7.3% of all households)
— Single mom households: 26,433 (5.0% of all households, #49 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 12,073 (2.3% of all households, #30 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 95,819 (18.1% of all households, #26 highest)
Nearly a decade ago, New Hampshire reported that one-third of homes were single-parent households, which is why statewide assistance includes free school breakfast and lunch and the Special Milk Program. The story of a college student from New Hampshire raised in single-parent household made headlines when she headed off to Oxford, England, as a Rhodes Scholar in 2020.
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#47. North Dakota
– Single-parent households: 23,366 (7.4% of all households)
— Single mom households: 15,819 (5.0% of all households, #48 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 7,547 (2.4% of all households, #17 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 58,547 (18.6% of all households, #23 highest)
Of the Flickertail State 53 counties, Rolette, Sioux, and Benson, show the highest single-parent households population. The high percentage of single-mom households in North Dakota is serviced by various benefits programs, including government grants, loans, housing aid, and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). NDkids.org is another resource for one-parent residences with tips and resources for family types, parenting challenges, special needs, and self-care.
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#46. Vermont
– Single-parent households: 19,478 (7.5% of all households)
— Single mom households: 13,538 (5.2% of all households, #44 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 5,940 (2.3% of all households, #29 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 41,754 (16.1% of all households, #46 highest)
Vermont rates 23% out of all U.S. states for solo-parent residences, according to a 2018 child well-being survey that ranked the Green Mountain State 8th overall for excellent adolescent welfare. Vermont’s higher education system serves solo-guardian students at Champlain College, one of 11 colleges in the country that supports the Single Parents Program.
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Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock
#45. Colorado
– Single-parent households: 163,338 (7.7% of all households)
— Single mom households: 113,586 (5.4% of all households, #43 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 49,752 (2.4% of all households, #22 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 437,380 (20.7% of all households, #8 highest)
In 2018, the Colorado Independent reported that 62% of single mothers in Colorado don’t have enough income for basic needs, and that number goes up to 74% of single Black single mothers, compared to 53% of white single mothers. While “single dads, who account for just 3% of households in Colorado, have an inadequate income 43% of the time,” earning deficiency is higher for single moms than dads. Often single mothers must choose between buying food or paying rent, or delaying medical care to pay for childcare.
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#44. Maine
– Single-parent households: 43,108 (7.7% of all households)
— Single mom households: 28,933 (5.2% of all households, #45 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 14,175 (2.5% of all households, #11 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 85,621 (15.4% of all households, #49 highest)
The Maine Center for Public Interest reported in 2016 that nearly half of all births are to unwed mothers, which was a 500% increase from 43 years earlier, with percentages rising from 7.1% in 1970 to 41% by 2013. Maine Children’s Alliance Executive Director Claire Berkowitz notes that children from single-parent, low-income households are cognitively less developed than children from “well-resourced” homes.
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Alexsei Potov // Shutterstock
#43. Washington
– Single-parent households: 217,955 (7.8% of all households)
— Single mom households: 152,176 (5.4% of all households, #41 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 65,779 (2.3% of all households, #24 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 563,726 (20.1% of all households, #12 highest)
In June of 2020, the Washington State Office of Financial Management reported the highest single-parent families are in Okanogan County at 43.1%, and the lowest are in Wahkiakum County, at 17.1%. The state department notes that in the 58 years between 1960 and 2018, Washington State solo-parent residences rose from 8.2% to 30.1%, and two-parent families decreased by 2.7% between 2000 and 2017.
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Oliveromg // Shutterstock
#42. Idaho
– Single-parent households: 48,256 (7.8% of all households)
— Single mom households: 33,460 (5.4% of all households, #42 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 14,796 (2.4% of all households, #18 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 135,782 (22.0% of all households, #3 highest)
The Federal Reserve Bank of Idaho’s Economic Data reports Gem County, which has a 12.7% poverty rate, has the highest percentage of single-parent households in Idaho, with a per capita income of $22,661 between 2015–2019.
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#41. Wyoming
– Single-parent households: 18,064 (7.8% of all households)
— Single mom households: 11,781 (5.1% of all households, #47 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 6,283 (2.7% of all households, #4 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 45,393 (19.7% of all households, #13 highest)
A statewide report, “Overlooked and Undercounted”, states that single moms run 21% of households with children in Wyoming, and 4% are run by solo dads. Single African American mothers in the Cowboy State show the highest income inadequacy rates, with up to 76% unable to meet daily household needs.
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#40. West Virginia
– Single-parent households: 57,614 (7.8% of all households)
— Single mom households: 40,597 (5.5% of all households, #40 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 17,017 (2.3% of all households, #27 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 114,834 (15.6% of all households, #48 highest)
At 37%, the number of children living in single-parent homes is nearly half of those in two-parent households based on a report from Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, a non-partisan organization focusing on low-income American families. With up to 26.8% of parental jobs at low-wage income, 14.8% food insecurity, and a 19.1% poverty rate, single parents in West Virginia struggle to survive.
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#39. Oregon
– Single-parent households: 125,899 (7.9% of all households)
— Single mom households: 89,754 (5.6% of all households, #39 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 36,145 (2.3% of all households, #31 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 286,361 (18.0% of all households, #29 highest)
The racial and ethnic disparity among single-parent households in Multnomah County is blatant, with 71.2% of Black kids raised by solo guardians while 27.3% of white children are reared by only a mother or father. Director of the Multnomah’s Maternal Child Family Health programs, LaRisha Baker notes, “It’s not Black people as a community, it’s due to government policies that have hurt families and their ability to stay together, including racial discriminatory incarceration, mandatory minimum sentencing laws, and family separation due to slavery,” Baker says. “That still impacts us today.” COVID-19 has exacerbated the single-parent crisis, leaving mothers who work full-time in the day without childcare for students who now study from home. Even parents who share custody of children find it hard to work and manage children during the pandemic.
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#38. Massachusetts
– Single-parent households: 208,383 (8.0% of all households)
— Single mom households: 164,735 (6.3% of all households, #28 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 43,648 (1.7% of all households, #50 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 487,856 (18.7% of all households, #22 highest)
The Bay State reports an increase in single-parent families due to fewer marriages, more births out of wedlock, and a high divorce rate. Since 1980 the number of children raised in solo-guardian homes rose from one in five to one in three; however, a financial survey ranks Springfield, Massachusetts as the best place to live as a single parent based on income, affordability, time, and workplace protection scores.
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#37. Minnesota
– Single-parent households: 174,910 (8.1% of all households)
— Single mom households: 122,933 (5.7% of all households, #38 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 51,977 (2.4% of all households, #16 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 444,550 (20.5% of all households, #10 highest)
In central Minnesota, 76% of children are raised by married couples, while 24% of kids in the North Star State are reared by one parent. Male and female single parents make far less than married Minnesota couples, who collectively average $102,021 annually. While single mothers average $37,890 a year, single fathers earn $57,290 annually, a display of the income wage gap by gender.
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Vinay Selvaraj // Shutterstock
#36. Virginia
– Single-parent households: 256,749 (8.2% of all households)
— Single mom households: 194,376 (6.2% of all households, #31 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 62,373 (2.0% of all households, #45 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 638,190 (20.4% of all households, #11 highest)
Virginia students raised by a single parent have access to college funds and scholarships, along with students who come from low-to-moderate income families or are part of an underrepresented minority group. Additionally, Healthy Families Virginia assists 8.2% of solo mom or dad households with multiple stressors, including mental health and domestic violence issues or past abuse or adverse childhood backgrounds.
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#35. New Jersey
– Single-parent households: 265,858 (8.3% of all households)
— Single mom households: 203,209 (6.3% of all households, #29 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 62,649 (1.9% of all households, #48 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 698,130 (21.7% of all households, #5 highest)
One of the Garden State’s significant media sources cites the annual Kids Count report, noting rising numbers of New Jersey single parents. Advocates of Children in New Jersey Executive Director Cecilia Zalkind said the single-parent households statewide see fewer resources available to two-guardian homes. Another Jersey Shore report calls the “typical” American clan in New Jersey a fantasy, showing that along with single mom and dad households, non-familial homes are as equal as married with and without children family groups.
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#34. Pennsylvania
– Single-parent households: 415,863 (8.3% of all households)
— Single mom households: 307,703 (6.1% of all households, #32 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 108,160 (2.2% of all households, #37 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 863,263 (17.2% of all households, #38 highest)
Single-parent households in Pennsylvania have steadily risen since 1950, with up to 33.1% of families now led by solo parents. A 2020 report shows 415,373 total single-parent households in the Keystone State, with more single moms at 24% than single dads at 9.1%. Pennsylvania’s percentage of families with a single parent and households led by a solo mom are both higher than the U.S. averages.
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#33. Washington D.C.
– Single-parent households: 23,501 (8.4% of all households)
— Single mom households: 19,566 (7.0% of all households, #14 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 3,935 (1.4% of all households, #51 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 27,368 (9.7% of all households, #51 highest)
D.C. Health Matters reports up to 52.1% of single-parent households, noting both adults and adolescents in the group have a higher chance of emotional and behavioral issues. The collaboration of hospitals and community health centers in D.C. report 9.9% of families with children fall below the poverty level, and solo guardians have “lowered perceived health and a higher risk of mortality.”
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Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock
#32. Iowa
– Single-parent households: 105,146 (8.4% of all households)
— Single mom households: 72,384 (5.8% of all households, #37 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 32,762 (2.6% of all households, #8 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 244,488 (19.5% of all households, #17 highest)
A collaborative Iowa state agency reports up to 23.3% of Hawkeye State kids are raised by solo moms and 9.7% by single dads. Furthermore, the report breaks down the Iowa population by sex and age as far back as 1970. Half a century ago, 52,025 female family householders led the home, and by 2018 there were 121,044 single mothers, a 132.7% rise.
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#31. Nebraska
– Single-parent households: 63,395 (8.4% of all households)
— Single mom households: 46,098 (6.1% of all households, #33 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 17,297 (2.3% of all households, #28 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 157,420 (20.9% of all households, #7 highest)
The Omaha Social Project, led by Dr. Crystal Edwards and student researchers, purports to advance the single-parenthood community by educational research. Based on Omaha World-Herald reports between 1984 and 2015, the data revealed single parenting trends and issues, including how animals ease vulnerable family groups.
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#30. Kansas
– Single-parent households: 95,570 (8.5% of all households)
— Single mom households: 67,863 (6.0% of all households, #35 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 27,707 (2.5% of all households, #13 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 232,274 (20.7% of all households, #9 highest)
Lower than the U.S. national average of 32.1%, the reported 28.3% makes the Sunflower State the eighth-lowest percentage in the country. While Cleveland has the highest solo-parent populace at 73.3%, Overland Park has a 20.4% group of single moms and dads running the domicile alone. Other major Nebraska counties have high rates of one-parent households including Kansas City at 36.6%, Wichita at 38.7%, and Topeka at 40.7%.
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#29. Connecticut
– Single-parent households: 116,440 (8.5% of all households)
— Single mom households: 89,534 (6.5% of all households, #22 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 26,906 (2.0% of all households, #46 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 256,597 (18.8% of all households, #21 highest)
Two of the Connecticut’s largest metropolises have more than 50% single-parent families. Like many other U.S. regions, COVID-19 causes particular strain for Connecticut’s single parents, who struggle to keep steady employment without childcare for younger children who study from home on separate schedules. The vulnerable workforce has put a specific strain on urban regions where many of the 76% of solo guardians work.
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#28. South Dakota
– Single-parent households: 29,112 (8.5% of all households)
— Single mom households: 20,668 (6.1% of all households, #34 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 8,444 (2.5% of all households, #12 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 65,241 (19.1% of all households, #19 highest)
Single parents are more likely to raise South Dakota children in poverty, according to a 2013 report. Poverty comes from a variety of factors, according to the report, including low wages, few assets, poor early literacy, and lack of safe housing. The National Center for Children in Poverty reports 46,229 children to reside in low-income, single-parent households. When it comes to COVID-19, the Mount Rushmore State has fewer stay-at-home parents in the pandemic than other U.S. regions.
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#27. Florida
– Single-parent households: 653,221 (8.6% of all households)
— Single mom households: 491,135 (6.4% of all households, #26 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 162,086 (2.1% of all households, #39 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 1.2 million (15.3% of all households, #50 highest)
There are more than three times as many single-mom households than single-dad households in Florida, which offers a number of benefits for single parents, including mortgage and food assistance. Some businesses involved with the SOS Children’s Villages have gone above and beyond, with one gifting a single mother of three a new car to kick off the new year. The Sunshine State ranks last among states for married couples with kids, at just over 15%.
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#26. Wisconsin
– Single-parent households: 200,863 (8.6% of all households)
— Single mom households: 139,736 (6.0% of all households, #36 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 61,127 (2.6% of all households, #7 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 424,496 (18.1% of all households, #27 highest)
Wisconsin ranks seventh in percentage of single-dad households, a trend that began in 2000, with some counties seeing as much as a 75% spike. University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Odyssey Project offers assistance to single parents by offering two-semester programs, as well as partnering with groups like the Empty Stocking Club, which provided Christmas gifts to needy families in 2020.
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#25. Illinois
– Single-parent households: 416,572 (8.6% of all households)
— Single mom households: 315,605 (6.5% of all households, #24 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 100,967 (2.1% of all households, #41 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 932,771 (19.3% of all households, #18 highest)
Chicago-area single parents have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, with an estimated 30% of single moms living below the poverty level. More than two-thirds of families in Alexander County, along the Mississippi River, were supported by a single parent in 2018, down 6% from the previous year.
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#24. New York
– Single-parent households: 636,295 (8.7% of all households)
— Single mom households: 492,400 (6.7% of all households, #18 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 143,895 (2.0% of all households, #47 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 1.3 million (17.6% of all households, #34 highest)
The COVID-19 pandemic put extra strain on single-parent households in New York City, forcing many to stay home with their kids, since only 1% can afford childcare in the city. One single Brooklyn mom has taken the pandemic as an opportunity to feed her community, starting an organization for single moms in 2018 called Pink Lily. Single-parent families in New York City fell by 10% from 2017–2018.
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#23. Delaware
– Single-parent households: 31,471 (8.8% of all households)
— Single mom households: 24,004 (6.7% of all households, #19 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 7,467 (2.1% of all households, #42 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 58,674 (16.4% of all households, #42 highest)
Delaware offers a wide array of resources for single parents, including SNAP and TANF benefits, as well as rental and mortgage assistance. Mom’s House in the state’s largest city, Wilmington, lends education assistance to single parents. A product of a single-family home himself, LaDaye Johnson, has formed a nonprofit to assist struggling families around the city.
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#22. Missouri
– Single-parent households: 212,328 (8.9% of all households)
— Single mom households: 155,868 (6.5% of all households, #25 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 56,460 (2.4% of all households, #21 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 429,784 (17.9% of all households, #30 highest)
The University of Missouri Center for Family Policy and Research reported in 2017 up to 118,373 children aged 6 had single parents who worked in the labor force. While there are more households without children under the age of 18 in the metropolis of St. Louis, the city has more single moms running the home than married couples with children.
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#21. Michigan
– Single-parent households: 346,804 (8.9% of all households)
— Single mom households: 255,964 (6.5% of all households, #23 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 90,840 (2.3% of all households, #26 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 677,486 (17.3% of all households, #37 highest)
Michigan reported almost a million child-support cases, showing the high number of single-parent households in the Great Lake State. A reported 56% of new mothers are unwed in Michigan, and up to 35% of children raised by one parent, with 78% of those children brought up by their mothers. The poverty rate for children living with a solo parent is six times higher than children raised by married couples.
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#20. California
– Single-parent households: 1.2 million (8.9% of all households)
— Single mom households: 822,540 (6.3% of all households, #27 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 334,810 (2.6% of all households, #9 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 2.8 million (21.7% of all households, #6 highest)
The Public Policy Institute of California reports up to 30% of adolescents live in single-parent households. While 18% reside with single mothers, 5% live with domestic partners, and solo fathers raise 2%. Most children who reside with single parents in California are African American, showing a noticeable racial disparity. Additionally, many Golden State kids receive childcare from a relative.
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#19. Kentucky
– Single-parent households: 156,094 (9.0% of all households)
— Single mom households: 115,450 (6.7% of all households, #20 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 40,644 (2.4% of all households, #23 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 311,662 (18.0% of all households, #28 highest)
“Kentucky by the Numbers,” a comprehensive poverty update on the state’s 58 counties, reports more married couples live with children in poverty than single parents. The Bluegrass State offers a program called “One Parent Scholar House” to its 156,094 single-parent households, an opportunity for solo moms and dads to get a college degree complete with childcare.
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#18. Maryland
– Single-parent households: 198,977 (9.1% of all households)
— Single mom households: 150,304 (6.9% of all households, #16 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 48,673 (2.2% of all households, #32 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 429,991 (19.6% of all households, #14 highest)
Poverty rates remain high for unmarried Maryland Black mothers who do not see the proper child support owed them. Some single mothers receive school supplies and backpacks for their children that they can’t afford to purchase. An annual food drive in Baltimore makes the holidays a bit better for financially strapped single-parent families, with “Building Our Nation’s Daughters” supplying 270 food baskets for Thanksgiving 2020.
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#17. Tennessee
– Single-parent households: 233,082 (9.1% of all households)
— Single mom households: 177,368 (6.9% of all households, #15 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 55,714 (2.2% of all households, #35 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 455,023 (17.7% of all households, #33 highest)
Southern states, including Tennessee, have higher percentages of single-parent households, with the state averaging 2.4% higher than the national median of 32.1%. However, unlike states that see single-mothers increase and single-fathers lessen, Tennessee reports solo-father households increased to 7.4% in 2019.
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#16. Alabama
– Single-parent households: 171,668 (9.2% of all households)
— Single mom households: 138,690 (7.5% of all households, #5 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 32,978 (1.8% of all households, #49 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 315,685 (17.0% of all households, #39 highest)
Birmingham has the second-highest number of solo moms and dads in America, with almost three-quarters of the households run by one adult guardian. Of the 72.1% of the single parent population, women run 65.8% of the homes, and male parents govern 7.9%. Up to 41% of the single-parent households fall below the poverty line, leaving the vulnerable population at risk. The state’s extreme poverty rate is 11%, while the food insecurity percentage is 16.3%.
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#15. North Carolina
– Single-parent households: 362,645 (9.3% of all households)
— Single mom households: 276,724 (7.1% of all households, #11 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 85,921 (2.2% of all households, #33 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 717,865 (18.3% of all households, #25 highest)
From 2016 to 2017, North Carolina single fathers increased by more than 7,000. While single mother household numbers are the lowest since 2007 at 269,396, the record number of single fathers, at 98,434, have consistently risen since 1960.
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#14. Arizona
– Single-parent households: 233,649 (9.3% of all households)
— Single mom households: 166,321 (6.6% of all households, #21 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 67,328 (2.7% of all households, #6 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 450,094 (17.8% of all households, #32 highest)
The COVID-19 pandemic’s death toll, which reached more than 351,000 as of Jan. 4, is robbing families of parents and their income contributions, as is the case of an Arizona woman whose husband died of the virus at age 47. The last U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, taken every five years, recorded one out of every five children raised in a single-parent household. Counties La Paz, in the western section of the state, and Apache, in the northeast, have the highest number of solo mom and dad run homes at 47%.
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#13. Rhode Island
– Single-parent households: 38,288 (9.3% of all households)
— Single mom households: 29,582 (7.2% of all households, #9 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 8,706 (2.1% of all households, #40 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 67,782 (16.5% of all households, #41 highest)
Single parents in Rhode Island need to earn an annual salary of $52,932 to live in the region, which is why up to three-quarters of them “fall short” financially, according to an economic progress report. The state provides assistance programs for single-parent households, including tax credits, monetary subsidies, and childcare assistance.
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#12. South Carolina
– Single-parent households: 178,698 (9.4% of all households)
— Single mom households: 140,891 (7.4% of all households, #6 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 37,807 (2.0% of all households, #44 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 309,327 (16.3% of all households, #43 highest)
South Carolina single-parent households are experiencing a tough time during COVID-19, with solo mothers especially burdened. With 41% of children raised by single parents in the Palmetto State, which is almost 10% more than the national average, food and fundamental need deficit is a daily reality. The director of Children’s Trust of South Carolina says it makes sense why single-parent households, no matter the gender, fall beneath the poverty threshold because of lack of structural support.
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#11. Ohio
– Single-parent households: 441,941 (9.5% of all households)
— Single mom households: 330,674 (7.1% of all households, #10 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 111,267 (2.4% of all households, #19 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 787,505 (16.9% of all households, #40 highest)
Christmas in COVID-19 was a little less financially stressful for some Queen City single moms because two children raised by solo parents paid it forward with “Make a Kid Merry,” giving 50 Buckeye State kids a holiday otherwise not possible. Ohio single mothers make four times less than married couples, with 49.3% solo moms and 25.4% of full-time fathers living below the poverty line.
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#10. Indiana
– Single-parent households: 243,653 (9.5% of all households)
— Single mom households: 178,267 (7.0% of all households, #13 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 65,386 (2.6% of all households, #10 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 474,546 (18.6% of all households, #24 highest)
The Hoosier State reports almost 200,000 children raised by one parent; 182,958 raised by mothers, and 66,289 brought up by fathers. However, nearly half of the solo-father houses include an unwed partner, unlike that of single mothers. Research shows 20% of single mothers cohabitate with a domestic partner.
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#9. Alaska
– Single-parent households: 24,293 (9.6% of all households)
— Single mom households: 15,961 (6.3% of all households, #30 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 8,332 (3.3% of all households, #1 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 55,303 (21.8% of all households, #4 highest)
60,000 Alaskan children are raised by single parents, with 40,000 adolescents brought up by their mothers. Ten thousand of those children live in poverty-stricken regions of the state. Up to 83% of Alaskan kids show family “resilience traits” like problem solving, optimism, self-sufficiency, and strong communication.
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#8. Oklahoma
– Single-parent households: 143,184 (9.7% of all households)
— Single mom households: 103,223 (7.0% of all households, #12 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 39,961 (2.7% of all households, #5 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 281,542 (19.1% of all households, #20 highest)
With only 39% of Oklahoma children living with two parents, more than half of the children in the state struggle harder when raised by one guardian. Regardless of the $70 million Oklahoma invested in reducing divorce rates, the Sooner State has a high single-parent rate. Along the Arkansas River in one of the state’s largest cities of Tulsa, one in three homes are led by single parents.
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#7. Arkansas
– Single-parent households: 112,168 (9.7% of all households)
— Single mom households: 85,122 (7.4% of all households, #8 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 27,046 (2.3% of all households, #25 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 206,094 (17.9% of all households, #31 highest)
Food deficit increased in Arkansas from 17% to 22% due to COVID-19, with programs like “Farmers to Families Food Box,” working to keep low-income families, including single parents, fed. A reported 165,000 children in the state live in poverty. Meanwhile, the Single Parent Scholarship Fund in Arkansas encourages solo moms and dads to seek out an education to earn a higher income.
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#6. Nevada
– Single-parent households: 105,994 (9.9% of all households)
— Single mom households: 73,278 (6.8% of all households, #17 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 32,716 (3.0% of all households, #2 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 186,768 (17.4% of all households, #36 highest)
In Clark County, Nevada, Sin City is where single-parent households make up 39% of the family groups in the state’s southern region. The other 15 Nevada Counties also have high single parenthood rates. The state, which has grown seven-fold in population since 1960, ranks 14th for America’s largest families.
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#5. Texas
– Single-parent households: 975,612 (10.2% of all households)
— Single mom households: 750,376 (7.9% of all households, #4 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 225,236 (2.4% of all households, #20 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 2.2 million (22.6% of all households, #2 highest)
The news report “Going It Alone” describes the depressing daily life of one single mother in the Lone Star State, where solo parents run more than 40% of families. The National Center for Children in Poverty reports 3,303,557 of Texas children—46%—reside in low-income residences, up 7% from the national average of 39%.
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#4. New Mexico
– Single-parent households: 79,570 (10.3% of all households)
— Single mom households: 57,400 (7.4% of all households, #7 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 22,170 (2.9% of all households, #3 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 123,568 (15.9% of all households, #47 highest)
New Mexico hopes to increase childcare assistance, maintain Medicaid eligibility, and expand teen mom home-visiting programs to decrease the 193,000 number of children raised by single parents. The number 41 stands for both the percentage of single-parent households in New Mexico struggling and how much higher the poverty rate was than the U.S. average in 2017 for children in the Land of Enchantment.
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#3. Georgia
– Single-parent households: 384,479 (10.4% of all households)
— Single mom households: 303,784 (8.2% of all households, #3 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 80,695 (2.2% of all households, #34 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 726,727 (19.6% of all households, #15 highest)
Atlanta, Georgia, has a high population of single parents, coming in second to Houston, Texas, in a Magnify Money Survey, which considered workplace protection, hours of employment, community affordability, and income as the four main factors affecting single parents. “Single parenthood appears to be more challenging financially in Southern states, with locations in Texas, Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina,” according to the report.
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#2. Louisiana
– Single-parent households: 190,128 (11.0% of all households)
— Single mom households: 148,278 (8.5% of all households, #2 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 41,850 (2.4% of all households, #15 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 281,113 (16.2% of all households, #45 highest)
Though almost as common as married-couple households, single-parent families in Louisiana struggle to survive. No private insurance and tax credits for children leave many single mothers destitute, needing to earn more than the federal minimum wage at $9.55 per hour.
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#1. Mississippi
– Single-parent households: 125,697 (11.4% of all households)
— Single mom households: 101,762 (9.2% of all households, #1 highest among states)
— Single dad households: 23,935 (2.2% of all households, #36 highest)
– Married couple with kids households: 180,186 (16.3% of all households, #44 highest)
The Hospitality State is the worst U.S. region for single parents and child poverty. There is notable racial disparity in the white and African American single-parent groups. While 46% of Black children with a single parent live in poverty, only 15% of white children do. That’s because of state policies enacted by legislatures that are disproportionately white resulting in low public funding for schools, shrinking coverage for Medicaid, an incarceration system that results in an overrepresentation of Black people in Mississippi prisons and jails, and gerrymandering and voter laws crafted to disenfranchise voters—a key reason no African American has been elected to a statewide post in the state for 129 years.
This article originally appeared on Stacker, and was produced and distributed through a partnership with Stacker Studio. This article has been republished pursuant to a CC by NC 4.0 License. | https://www.kxnet.com/news/top-stories/the-states-with-the-most-single-parent-households/ | 2023-07-29T20:25:35 | 0 | https://www.kxnet.com/news/top-stories/the-states-with-the-most-single-parent-households/ |
She never missed a beat and was lightning on her feet when the "Shake It Off" artist and her fans caused a "Swift Quake" in Seattle during her "Eras Tour" concerts.
According to seismologist Jackie Caplan-Auerbach, two of Taylor Swift's concerts generated seismic activity equivalent to a 2.3-magnitude earthquake, asCNN originally reported.
The data was gathered from Swift's sold-out "Eras Tour" performances at Lumen Field on July 22 and 23, after Swift's fans, and possibly the sound system, shook the ground so hard that it recorded a maximum ground acceleration of roughly 0.011 meters per second squared, causing what is now being called a "Swift Quake."
Caplan-Auerbach, who’s a geology professor at Western Washington University, told CNN that this data compares to a 2011 NFL game, when the Seattle Seahawk fans went crazy over Marshawn "Beast Mode" Lynch's touchdown during a game against the New Orleans Saints and caused a seismic activity that was then named a "Beast Quake."
"I grabbed the data from both nights of the concert and quickly noticed they were clearly the same pattern of signals," Caplan-Auerbach told CNN. "If I overlay them on top of each other, they’re nearly identical."
Caplan-Auerbach pointed out that even though there is only a 0.3 magnitude difference between the "Beast Quake" and the "Swift Quake," the Swifties are the MVPs for outperforming the Seahawks fans in terms of enthusiasm and excitement.
"The shaking was twice as strong as 'Beast Quake.' It absolutely doubled it," said Caplan-Auerbach, adding that the length of cheering played a big role in the data. "Cheering after a touchdown lasts for a couple seconds, but eventually it dies down. It’s much more random than a concert. For Taylor Swift, I collected about 10 hours of data where rhythm controlled the behavior. The music, the speakers, the beat. All that energy can drive into the ground and shake it."
After the concert, Swift tookto Instagram to thank her fans and said that "all the cheering, screaming, jumping, dancing, singing at the top of your lungs" made that one of her favorite weekends "ever."
Swift's Seattle concerts were played in front of a crowd of more than 144,000 fans over two nights, and they came towards the end of the U.S. leg of the "Eras Tour," according to the Seattle Times.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com | https://www.wtvr.com/taylor-swift-fans-cause-2-3-magnitude-swift-quake-in-seattle | 2023-07-29T20:25:36 | 1 | https://www.wtvr.com/taylor-swift-fans-cause-2-3-magnitude-swift-quake-in-seattle |
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://wgntv.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-its-a-miracle-say-family-of-japanese-soldier-killed-in-wwii-as-flag-he-carried-returns-from-us/ | 2023-07-29T20:25:38 | 0 | https://wgntv.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-its-a-miracle-say-family-of-japanese-soldier-killed-in-wwii-as-flag-he-carried-returns-from-us/ |
Historically Black fraternity drops Florida for convention because of DeSantis policies
Jul 29, 2023, 9:11 AM
(Kaytie Boomer/Kalamazoo Gazette-MLive Media Group via AP)
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The oldest historically Black collegiate fraternity in the U.S. says it is relocating a planned convention in two years from Florida because of what it described as Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration’s “harmful, racist and insensitive” policies towards African Americans.
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity said this week that it would move its 2025 convention from Orlando to another location that is yet undecided. The convention draws between 4,000 and 6,000 people and has an economic impact of $4.6 million, the fraternity said.
The decision comes after the NAACP and other civil rights organizations this spring issued a travel advisory for Florida, warning that recently passed laws and policies are openly hostile to African Americans, people of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Willis Lonzer, the fraternity’s general president, said in statement on Wednesday that the decision was motivated in part by Florida’s new education standards that require teachers to instruct middle school students that slaves developed skills that “could be applied for their personal benefit.”
“Although we are moving our convention from Florida, Alpha Phi Alpha will continue to support the strong advocacy of Alpha Brothers and other advocates fighting against the continued assault on our communities in Florida by Governor Ron DeSantis,” Lonzer said.
An email seeking comment on Saturday about the fraternity’s decision was sent to Jeremy Redfern, the governor’s press secretary and the governor’s office.
DeSantis, who is running for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, has come under fire this week over Florida’s new education standards. Among those criticizing the Florida governor on Friday was a rival for the Republican nomination, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the sole Black Republican in the Senate.
Responding to the criticism, DeSantis said Friday that he was “defending” Florida “against false accusations and against lies. And we’re going to continue to speak the truth.”
In May, the NAACP joined the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), a Latino civil rights organization, and Equality Florida, a gay rights advocacy group, in issuing travel advisories for the Sunshine State, where tourism is one of the state’s largest job sectors. The groups cited recent laws that prohibited state colleges from having programs on diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as critical race theory, and the Stop WOKE Act that restricts certain race-based conversations and analysis in schools and businesses.
They also cited laws that they say made life more difficult for immigrants in Florida and limited discussions on LGBTQ topics in schools.
At least nine other organizations or associations have pulled the plug on hosting conventions in Orlando and Fort Lauderdale, two of the state’s most population convention cities, because of Florida’s political climate, according to local media reports.
Florida is one of the most popular states in the U.S. for tourists, and tourism is one of its biggest industries. More than 137.5 million tourists visited Florida last year, marking a return to pre-pandemic levels, according to Visit Florida, the state’s tourism promotion agency. Tourism supports 1.6 million full-time and part-time jobs, and visitors spent $98.8 billion in Florida in 2019, the last year figures are available.
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Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at @MikeSchneiderAP | https://mynorthwest.com/3914749/historically-black-fraternity-drops-florida-for-convention-because-of-desantis-policies/ | 2023-07-29T20:25:43 | 1 | https://mynorthwest.com/3914749/historically-black-fraternity-drops-florida-for-convention-because-of-desantis-policies/ |
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand striker Hannah Wilkinson has helped create two milestones at the Women’s World Cup.
With her 48th-minute goal in the tournament opener against Norway, she led the co-host Football Ferns to their first win in six trips to the Women’s World Cup. She’s also one of at least 95 out members of the LGBTQ+ community competing in this year’s tournament, according to a count being kept by Outsports, a website that covers the LGBTQ+ sports.
The Ferns were greeted with a fan-made sign at their next match in Wellington: “Gay for soccer, gay for Wilkie,” it read.
The 95 out participants make up roughly 13% of the 736 total players at the Women’s World Cup, more than doubling the 40 players and coaches Outsports counted in 2019.
The 2023 tournament also is hosting the first openly trans and non-binary player in either a men’s or Women’s World Cup, Quinn of Canada.
“Last World Cup was so big, especially with the visibility of the U.S. women’s national team winning and (Megan Rapinoe) fighting with (Donald) Trump. So I think that was a huge year for LGBTQ+ visibility,” said Lindsey Freeman, a professor of sociology and anthropology at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia.
“It’s just the ad hoc, fun culture of women’s soccer that you’re seeing in this World Cup,” said Freeman, who is in New Zealand conducting research on the topic.
Jim Buzinski, co-founder of Outsports, agreed. “In the Western world, it’s such a non-issue that it really just doesn’t get talked about,” he said. “And I think that’s in a good way.”
VISIBILITY
Prior to the start of the tournament, FIFA designated eight socially conscious armbands team captains could wear throughout the Women’s World Cup. The decision came after “One Love” armbands were denied to men’s teams in Qatar in 2022.
The armbands being used this year include anti-discriminatory sayings and multiple colors, but the rainbow version Germany wanted to use is not allowed. None of the available options explicitly mention LGBTQ+ rights.
The decision has led many players to express their support in more creative ways across Australia and New Zealand.
New Zealand midfielder Ali Riley was interviewed on the official Women’s World Cup broadcast after her team’s upset of Norway. Her painted fingernails, left hand in the colors of the pride flag and right hand as the trans flag, were clearly visible as she held her head and fought back tears.
“She’s such an advocate and she’s definitely someone who uses her platform in such a positive way. We are all so proud of her and the way she represents the LGBTQ+ community,” teammate CJ Bott said. “Good on her. We’re all backing her, and we all back the community as well.”
The Philippines, making its Women’s World Cup debut, took home its own historic win over New Zealand 1-0 thanks to the foot of Sarina Bolden. Bolden’s Instagram bio reads, “i just wanna have fun n b gay.”
Irish star Katie McCabe wowed fans with a goal directly from a corner kick. She’s also made tabloid news for her relationships with other players.
Thembi Kgatlana, who has scored in the tournament for South Africa, has a patch of her hair dyed rainbow colors.
“My personality is very big for me, and my hair has become a part of my personality,” Kgatlana said. “And I did this rainbow because I want to represent all the people that are part of the LGBTQ and cannot talk while in countries where they’re oppressed.”
FAN EXPERIENCE
Kristen Pariseau and her wife started a U.S. women’s national team supporters group on Facebook ahead of traveling to this year’s Women’s World Cup. Aside from some hateful users she blocked, it’s been “super LGBT friendly.”
She and her wife did not go to Qatar for the 2022 men’s World Cup to avoid referencing each other as friends and receiving questions on their sexuality. In New Zealand, she said she’s met many same-sex couples at games and while traveling around the country.
“Everywhere you turn, it’s like, ‘Oh, my wife, my girlfriend.’ It’s been so welcoming and open,” Pariseau said. “In a way, it is kind of cool to be where there’s a lot of other people like you.”
Kelsie Bozart took her own pride flag armband to the United States’ second match in Wellington, along with a pride scarf.
“If you look back a couple years, I feel like it just wasn’t really talked about or there just wasn’t much of a presence,” Bozart said. “But moving forward I feel like, especially for the U.S., they’ve done an amazing job of just incorporating pride and LGBTQ.”
NOT UNIVERSAL
Though this year’s tournament has highlighted vast gains for the LGBTQ+ community in women’s soccer, advocates feel there is still work to be done.
According to Buzinski and Outsports, there were at least 186 LGBTQ+ athletes at the Tokyo Olympics. Women outnumbered men by a 9:1 ratio. There also were no confirmed out players at the 2022 men’s World Cup.
“I think women’s sports have always been open,” Denmark striker Pernille Harder said, adding that there are many role models for women who want to come out.
Freeman said it would be good to see men feel the same level of comfort.
“What can happen in the women’s game, I would love to spill over to the men’s game,” she said. “Because obviously, there’s way more queer players in the men’s game and it’s just not safe for them to come out.
“If you want to say that you’re in an inclusive space, you really have to be an inclusive space,” Freeman added. “And I think that that includes also holding the World Cup in places where it’s fine to be a queer person.”
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Max Ralph is a student in John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State.
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Contributing reporters included Joe Lister in Wellington and Rafaela Pontes in Auckland, students in the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State, and Clay Witt in Sydney, Australia, a student at the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.
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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://wgntv.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-lgbtq-community-proud-and-visible-at-womens-world-cup/ | 2023-07-29T20:25:44 | 0 | https://wgntv.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-lgbtq-community-proud-and-visible-at-womens-world-cup/ |
One of the oldest and most iconic rivalries in all of sports took center stage Friday night with a game-saving catch that will be remembered for years.
Chicago Cubs outfielder Mike Tauchman robbed the St. Louis Cardinals of a walk-off win by making a spectacular grab in the bottom of the ninth inning.
With one on and two outs in the ninth with the Cubs up 3-2, Cardinals pinch-hitter Alec Burleson hit a deep fly ball to center field.
YANKEES ACTIVATE AARON JUDGE OFF INJURED LIST JUST IN TIME FOR POSTSEASON PUSH
Tauchman tracked the ball before leaping and reaching his glove over the wall at Busch Stadium, robbing the Cardinals of a walk-off home run and giving the Cubs their seventh consecutive victory.
The victory put the Cubs over .500 for the first time since May 6th.
"Tauchman. My goodness," Cubs manager David Ross said, according to MLB.com. "We don't win that game early in the season."
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Tauchman entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the top of the ninth.
"As outfielders, we're taught to get to the wall, and then you have time to make the adjustments you need to," said Tauchman. "I didn't know I was right at the wall until I kind of turned to catch the ball."
The Cubs now sit just 4.5 games behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central and are 3.5 games back of the final Wild Card spot in the National League.
The Cubs have won nine of their last ten games and have won five straight in St. Louis with Friday's victory.
"Probably the most dramatic single play I've been a part of in the big leagues," Cubs infielder Nico Hoerner said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | https://www.foxbangor.com/sports/national-sports/cubs-outfielder-robs-cardinals-of-walk-off-home-run-for-7th-straight-win-my-goodness/article_412629a0-f39b-54e1-aa4b-9162e02a85d5.html | 2023-07-29T20:25:47 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/sports/national-sports/cubs-outfielder-robs-cardinals-of-walk-off-home-run-for-7th-straight-win-my-goodness/article_412629a0-f39b-54e1-aa4b-9162e02a85d5.html |
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://wgntv.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-the-extreme-heat-wave-that-blasted-the-southwest-is-abating-with-late-arriving-monsoon-rains/ | 2023-07-29T20:25:50 | 1 | https://wgntv.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-the-extreme-heat-wave-that-blasted-the-southwest-is-abating-with-late-arriving-monsoon-rains/ |
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The cosmos is offering up a double feature in August: a pair of supermoons culminating in a rare blue moon.
Catch the first show Tuesday evening as the full moon rises in the southeast, appearing slightly brighter and bigger than normal. That’s because it will be closer than usual, just 222,159 miles (357,530 kilometers) away, thus the supermoon label.
The moon will be even closer the night of Aug. 30 — a scant 222,043 miles (357,344 kilometers) distant. Because it’s the second full moon in the same month, it will be what’s called a blue moon.
“Warm summer nights are the ideal time to watch the full moon rise in the eastern sky within minutes of sunset. And it happens twice in August,” said retired NASA astrophysicist Fred Espenak, dubbed Mr. Eclipse for his eclipse-chasing expertise.
The last time two full supermoons graced the sky in the same month was in 2018. It won’t happen again until 2037, according to Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project.
Masi will provide a live webcast of Tuesday evening’s supermoon, as it rises over the Coliseum in Rome.
“My plans are to capture the beauty of this … hopefully bringing the emotion of the show to our viewers,” Masi said in an email.
“The supermoon offers us a great opportunity to look up and discover the sky,” he added.
This year’s first supermoon was in July. The fourth and last will be in September. The two in August will be closer than either of those.
Provided clear skies, binoculars or backyard telescopes can enhance the experience, Espenak said, revealing such features as lunar maria — the dark plains formed by ancient volcanic lava flows — and rays emanating from lunar craters.
According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the August full moon is traditionally known as the sturgeon moon. That’s because of the abundance of that fish in the Great Lakes in August, hundreds of years ago.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | https://wgntv.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-two-supermoons-in-august-mean-double-the-stargazing-fun/ | 2023-07-29T20:25:56 | 1 | https://wgntv.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-two-supermoons-in-august-mean-double-the-stargazing-fun/ |
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Four air crew members were missing after an Australian army helicopter ditched into waters off the Queensland state coast during joint military exercises with the United States, officials said Saturday.
The MRH-90 Taipan helicopter went down near Lindeman Island, a Great Barrier Reef tourist resort, at about 11 p.m. Friday, exercise director Australian Army Brigadier Damian Hill said.
A search involving U.S., Canadian and Australian personnel was underway to find the crew who are all Australian men, officials said.
Debris that appeared to be from a helicopter had been recovered, Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner Douglas McDonald said.
The Taipan was taking part in Talisman Sabre, a biennial joint U.S.-Australian military exercise that is largely based in Queensland. This year’s exercise involves 13 nations and more than 30,000 military personnel.
Defense Minister Richard Marles said the helicopter ditched, which refers to an emergency landing on water.
“Defense exercises, which are so necessary for the readiness of our defense force, are serious. They carry risk,” Marles told reporters in Brisbane. “As we desperately hope for better news during the course of this day we are reminded about the gravity of the act which comes with wearing our nation’s uniform.”
Hill said the exercise was postponed on Saturday morning but had restarted limited activity later in the day. Australia had grounded its Taipan fleet as a precaution, Hill said.
It was the second emergency involving an Australian Taipan this year, after one ditched into the sea off the New South Wales state coast in March. That helicopter was taking part in a nighttime counterterrorism training exercise when it ran into trouble. All 10 passengers and crew members were rescued.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was in Brisbane for a meeting on Saturday and is due to travel with Marles to north Queensland on Sunday to see the exercise.
Austin and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken paid tribute to the missing air crew at the outset of a meeting with their Australian counterparts, Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
“It’s always tough when you have accidents in training, but … the reason that we train to such high standards is so that we can be successful and we can protect lives when we are called to answer any kind of crisis,” Austin said.
“Our guys tend to make this look easy and they make it look easy because they’re so well exercised and rehearsed and trained, and this is unfortunately a part of that, what it takes to get them to where we need them to be,” Austin added.
Blinken said, “We’re so grateful to them for their dedication, for their service, for everything they’ve been doing to stand up for the freedom that we share and that is what unites us more than anything else.”
Marles thanked the United States for their contribution to the search and rescue effort.
The missing helicopter had just dropped off two Australian commandos before it hit the water, Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported.
Australia announced in January that its army and navy would stop flying the European-built Taipans by December 2024, 13 years earlier than originally planned, because they had proven unreliable. They will be replaced by 40 U.S. Black Hawks. Marles said at the time the Lockheed Martin-designed Black Hawks “have a really good proven track record in terms of their reliability.”
Australia’s Taipans had been plagued by problems since the first helicopter arrived in the country in 2007.
Australia’s entire fleet of 47 Taipans was grounded in 2019 to fix a problem with their tail rotor blades. A year later, 27 Taipans were grounded because of a problem with doors.
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Find more of AP’s Asia-Pacific coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific | https://wgntv.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-4-air-crew-members-are-missing-after-australian-army-helicopter-ditched-off-australias-coast/ | 2023-07-29T20:25:58 | 1 | https://wgntv.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-4-air-crew-members-are-missing-after-australian-army-helicopter-ditched-off-australias-coast/ |
HUARINA, Bolivia (AP) — A 70-year-old man’s feet sink into the soil as he passes abandoned boats where there used to be the water of Lake Titicaca. The highest navigable lake in the world has receded to what Bolivian authorities say are critically low levels due to a persistent drought.
“It’s completely dry,” Jaime Mamani said in exasperation while walking along the new shoreline in Huarina, a farming town 70 kilometers (43 miles) west of La Paz where he is a community leader.
The National Service of Naval Hydrography declared an alert this week for the iconic lake after its surface fell 2 centimeters (0.8 inches) below the drought warning stage, or 3,807.8 meters (12492.7 feet) above sea level. But the agency says this is just the beginning of a situation that is worrying Indigenous Aymara communities that rely on the lake for their livelihoods and fear the dry spell could permanently impact the region’s flora and fauna.
The hydrology unit of Bolivia’s navy warned that water levels could reach historically low levels in the coming months. By December, there is a “high probability” Lake Titicaca will be 64 centimeters (more than 25 inches) below the drought alert level, breaking a low water record set in 1998 by 33 centimeters (almost 13 inches).
“In three months, the water has decreased by 30 centimeters (11.8 inches), and considering that radiation is much stronger during this time of the year … we expect it to keep decreasing,” Carlos Carrasco, a hydraulic engineer for the hydrography service said.
The drought is the result of a combination of factors, including natural phenomena like La Niña and El Niño, which arrived unusually early this year and have been particularly strong due in part to climate change, according to Lucía Walper, who heads up the Hydrological Forecasting Unit at Bolivia’s National Meteorology and Hydrology Service.
But the vast lake is vital for this region of the Bolivian highlands, where hundreds of Aymara rural communities have relied on the blue body of water for millennia to practice subsistence farming and raise livestock.
Authorities in the Peruvian city of Puno also issued a warning about the declining water levels and expressed concern about the potential impact on tourism.
“We’re reaching a critical point. There will be a significant loss of water,” said Juan José Ocola, president of the Binational Authority of Lake Titicaca. The lake serves as the border between Bolivia and Peru.
Mateo Vargas, 56, a fisherman who has lived off the Lake Titicaca for 28 years, said he used to catch “lots” of fish daily. Now he considers himself lucky if he can catch six.
Vargas’ wife, Justina Condori, shares his concerns.
“The fish have vanished,” Condori, 58, said, predicting there will be famine if the current conditions persist.
Condori makes a living by renting boats to tourists. She worries fewer people will come to visit the lake, which at an elevation of 3,810 meters above sea level, is the largest body of freshwater in the Andes mountain range.
Evidence of the receding lake is seemingly everywhere. Women who sell fried fish and other snacks by the lake face rising costs for ingredients. Those who make a living transporting people from one side of the lake to the other are altering their routes because their rafts and boats no longer reach their usual docks.
Livestock farmers who rely on the plants that grow on the shores of the Titicaca to feed their animals are also seeing their livelihoods threatened.
The economic hardship is causing many residents of Huarina to migrate to other areas of the country, leaving behind mostly older townspeople, Mamani said. The waters of the Titicaca have always been shallow around the town, so the drought is even more visible there.
“There is a detriment to the economy of the inhabitants of the region,” he said.
Vargas, the fisherman, is also concerned about what the declining water levels will mean for the future.
“It looks like it will continue to decrease, day by day,” he said. “We’re worried because if we continue like this, what’s going to happen to our children?”
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Follow AP’s coverage of the climate and environment at https://apnews.com/climate-and-environment | https://wgntv.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-a-drought-alert-for-receding-lake-titicaca-has-indigenous-communities-worried-for-their-future/ | 2023-07-29T20:26:05 | 1 | https://wgntv.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-a-drought-alert-for-receding-lake-titicaca-has-indigenous-communities-worried-for-their-future/ |
Saturday storms leave homes in Muncie, Winchester areas without power
MUNCIE, Ind. — Storms early Saturday that brought lightning and strong winds through East Central Indiana left about several Indiana Michigan Power customers in the Muncie area without electricity.
As of 9:30 a.m. Saturday, 1,175 customers in the Muncie area remained without power.
In a release, Indiana Michigan Power officials said work to restore power would continue through the day, It was estimated restoration would be made to 90% of homes impacted by 11 p.m.
Outages were also reported in and near Winchester, Marion, South Bend, Elkhart, Fort Wayne and Decatur.
"Trees, limbs and branches blowing into electric lines and equipment caused many of theoutages," the release said. "Heavy lightning and rain were also factors. Crews encountered many damaged poles." | https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/2023/07/29/saturday-storms-leave-homes-in-muncie-winchester-areas-without-power/70491984007/ | 2023-07-29T20:26:10 | 1 | https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/2023/07/29/saturday-storms-leave-homes-in-muncie-winchester-areas-without-power/70491984007/ |
London, baby!
Sister Wives star Christine Brown and her fiancé David Woolley recently jetted off to the British capital for a trip with four of her six children with ex Kody Brown—Aspyn Thompson, 28, Mykelti Brown Padron, 27, Ysabel Brown, 20, and Truely Brown, 13.
"What wonderful new experiences with some of my favorite people," Christine wrote on Instagram July 28. "#familietravels #waytoomanypeopletogetthemallinonephoto #adventuring #vacationsandshoppingsprees #myfavoritethings"
The 51-year-old included a selfie of herself, David, Ysabel and Trueley riding on top of a double decker sightseeing bus. She also shared pics of her and her loved ones in a pub, exiting a London Tube station, sitting in a theater and standing in front of Buckingham Palace, the Big Ben clock tower and the Tower Bridge.
"'In London, everyone is different, and that means anyone can fit in,'" Mykelti wrote on her Instagram July 28, quoting Paddington Bear from the 2014 film Paddington. "#alifeofadventures #weareexplorers #imissmybabies #thisblessedlife #londonengland"
Christine announced her engagement to David in April, more than a year after she and Kody ended their spiritual marriage after more than 25 years together.
"We're engaged!" Christine wrote on Instagram at the time. "David popped the question VERY romantically, and I said YES! I'm so excited and just live in bliss every day! #engaged #newworld #soulmates #loveofmylife."
Earlier this month, David shared photos of several of his own children—eight in total—from his previous marriage on his Instagram while introducing himself to new followers. "I'm really excited to be with Christine," he wrote, "the future is really bright!! #mysoulmate #christinebrown #myqueen #christineanddavid"
See photos from Christine and David's family vacation in London: | https://www.eonline.com/news/1381699/lessigreatersister-wiveslessigreater-christine-brown-and-fiance-david-woolley-vacation-with-her-kids-in-london?cmpid=rss-syndicate-genericrss-us-top_stories | 2023-07-29T20:26:10 | 1 | https://www.eonline.com/news/1381699/lessigreatersister-wiveslessigreater-christine-brown-and-fiance-david-woolley-vacation-with-her-kids-in-london?cmpid=rss-syndicate-genericrss-us-top_stories |
NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — The African Union has issued a 15-day ultimatum to the junta in Niger to reinstall the country’s democratically elected government just as the coup leaders met with senior civil servants to discuss how they would run the country and as the U.S. and the European Union threatened sanctions against the regime.
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Toumba, one of the soldiers who ousted President Mohamed Bazoum on Wednesday, told state television that the junta met with civil servants on Friday and asked them to continue their work as usual following the suspension of the constitution. “The message given was not to stop the processes underway, to keep on with things,” said Brig. Gen. Toumba.
“Everything that must be done will be done,” he said, signaling the intention of the regime led by Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, who also goes by Omar, to remain in power.
After its meeting on Friday, the African Union Peace and Security Council said it was concerned by the “alarming resurgence” of coups that undermine democracy and stability on the continent. It asked the soldiers to “return immediately and unconditionally to their barracks and restore constitutional authority, within a maximum of fifteen (15) days.”
Bazoum, whose condition and that of his officials remains unknown since the government was overthrown, should also be released immediately and unconditionally, the AU said. Failure to do so would compel the bloc to take “necessary action, including punitive measures against the perpetrators.”
On the streets of the Nigerien capital Niamey on Saturday, things appeared to be returning to normal, though many in the international community were still on lockdown with hotels full of foreigners, many given instructions not to leave.
Locals say they’re waiting to see what unfolds, with many still in support of Bazoum who has not yet resigned. “I’m with him, he does a good work. (But) what can we do?” said Mohamed Cisse, a street seller. “This is (the new leader’s) time, Bazoum’s time is over,” he said.
Tchiani, the junta leader and commander of Niger’s presidential guard, is close to former Nigerien president Mahamadou Issoufou, who stepped down in 2021 after a decade in office. Tchiani’s takeover of power will reinforce speculation that Issoufou is behind the coup, said Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a German think tank and consultancy.
The U.S. threatened to halt its economic support to Niger while the European Union announced the immediate indefinite suspension of budgetary support and security assistance.
U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, who is in Australia as part of a Pacific tour, estimated America’s economic and security partnership with Niger at hundreds of millions of dollars and said its continuity depends on “the continuation of the democratic governance and constitutional order.”
“So that assistance, that support, is in clear jeopardy as a result of these actions, which is another reason why they need to be immediately reversed,” Blinken said.
While there are no signs of the junta backing down amid growing international pressure, analysts called for synergy in the interventions of the international community and continental organizations such as the AU and the regional bloc of ECOWAS, which is scheduled to meet over the coup on Sunday.
A successful coup in Niger and the sanctions in the aftermath could cause more hardship for millions of poor and hungry people in West Africa and could further threaten international relations with the region, which is seeing a resurgence of coups in recent years, according to Idayat Hassan, senior Africa program fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
“A non-reversal of the coup also means that we are defining a new world order in West Africa in particular as you are pitching the west and other countries against few military regimes which may be backed by Russia,” said Hassan.
———
Asadu reported from Abuja, Nigeria. Baba Ahmed in Bamako, Mali contributed. | https://wgntv.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-african-union-gives-15-day-ultimatum-to-niger-junta-to-end-regime-but-soldiers-seek-continuity/ | 2023-07-29T20:26:11 | 1 | https://wgntv.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-african-union-gives-15-day-ultimatum-to-niger-junta-to-end-regime-but-soldiers-seek-continuity/ |
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Salvage crews were preparing Saturday to tow a car-carrying cargo ship that has been burning for days to an anchor point in the North Sea after flames and smoke on board subsided, the Dutch government said.
Fire erupted in the Fremantle Highway late Tuesday night near a chain of islands in the northern Netherlands and has been blazing ever since. The ship is carrying 3,783 new vehicles, including 498 electric vehicles, the company that chartered the vessel said.
One crew member died and others were injured after the fire broke out on the ship that was heading from Bremerhaven in Germany to Singapore. The crew was evacuated in the early hours of Wednesday. The cause of the fire has not been established.
Measurements Friday showed that heat, flames and smoke had subsided enough for salvage experts to board the ship for the first time and establish a strong towing connection with a tugboat, the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management said.
It will be towed, likely over the weekend, to a new position 16 kilometers (10 miles) north of the island of Schiermonnikoog , the ministry said in a statement. The timing of the operation that is expected to take 12-14 hours depends on smoke development and weather, the ministry added. The aim is ultimately “once conditions on board allow,” to tow the ship to a port, though the destination has not yet been decided.
The ministry said the ship is stable and intact below the waterline.
The burning vessel is close to the shallow Wadden Sea, a World Heritage-listed area that is considered one of the world’s most significant habitats for migratory birds. It’s also near the Netherlands’ border with Germany, whose environment minister, Steffi Lemke, has warned of “an environmental catastrophe of unknown proportions,” if the ship were to sink. | https://wgntv.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-burning-cargo-ship-off-dutch-coast-will-be-towed-to-a-new-location-after-flames-and-smoke-subsided/ | 2023-07-29T20:26:17 | 1 | https://wgntv.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-burning-cargo-ship-off-dutch-coast-will-be-towed-to-a-new-location-after-flames-and-smoke-subsided/ |
BAGHDAD (AP) — The leader of Lebanon’s Shiite militant group Hezbollah said Saturday that if governments of Muslim-majority nations do not act against countries that allow the desecration of the Quran, Muslims should “punish” those who facilitate attacks on Islam’s holy book.
The comments by Hassan Nasrallah came in a video address to tens of thousands gathered in Beirut’s southern suburbs to mark Ashoura, a Shiite holy day commemorating the 7th century martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson Hussein.
Nasrallah often uses religious occasions to send political messages to followers, and on Saturday slammed recent incidents in which the Quran was burned or otherwise desecrated at authorized demonstrations in Sweden and Denmark.
He said Muslims should watch for the outcome of an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, scheduled to take place in Baghdad on Monday to discuss the organization’s response to the Quran burnings.
The organization and its member states should “send a firm, decisive and unequivocal message to these governments that any repeat of the attacks will be met with a boycott,” Nasrallah said. If they do not, he said, Muslim youth should “punish the desecrators.”
He did not elaborate what such a boycott and punishment should entail.
Members of the crowd, who carried banners with religious slogans alongside the flags of Hezbollah, Lebanon and Palestine, chanted, “Oh, Quran, we are at your service; Oh, Hussein, we are at your service.”
Shiites represent over 10% of the world’s 1.8 billion Muslims and view Hussein as the rightful successor to the Prophet Muhammad. Hussein’s death in battle at the hands of Sunnis at Karbala, south of Baghdad, ingrained a deep rift in Islam and continues to this day to play a key role in shaping Shiite identity.
Millions of Shiite Muslims in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and around the world on Friday commemorated Ashoura, while Saturday marked the culmination of the observances in countries such as Lebanon, Iraq and Syria.
Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims gathered in the Iraqi city of Karbala, where Hussein is entombed in a gold-domed shrine. In the streets of the Baghdad suburb of Sadr City, mourners gathered to watch reenactments of the Battle of Karbala and Hussein’s death.
In the streets, young men clad in black and white slashed their heads with swords and knives to demonstrate their grief. Friends swabbed each other’s heads with tissues and handed each other water.
In Syria’s capital, Damascus, the crowds were mourning not only the death of Hussein but a deadly attack in the suburb of Sayida Zeinab, home to a shrine to Zeinab, the daughter of the first Shiite imam, Ali, and granddaughter of the Prophet Muhammad.
A bomb hidden in a motorcycle exploded there on Thursday, killing at least six people and wounding dozens more. On Tuesday, another bomb in a motorcycle had wounded two people.
On Friday, the Islamic State group — a Sunni militant group that often targets Shiites — claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying Thursday’s bombing came “during their annual polytheistic rituals.” The group’s extreme interpretation of Islam holds Shiite Muslims to be apostates.
___
Associated Press writers Anmar Khalil in Karbala, Iraq, and Hassan Ammar in Beirut contributed to this report. | https://wgntv.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-lebanons-hezbollah-leader-urges-muslims-to-punish-quran-desecrators-if-governments-fail-to-do-so/ | 2023-07-29T20:26:23 | 0 | https://wgntv.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-lebanons-hezbollah-leader-urges-muslims-to-punish-quran-desecrators-if-governments-fail-to-do-so/ |
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) —
A 9-year-old girl and her 10-year-old brother have been called as witnesses in a criminal case against their mother after she was accused of repeatedly “discrediting” the Russian army.
Lidia Prudovskaya and her two children were summoned by investigators in the northern Russian region of Arkhangelsk on Friday to give testimony in the case, Russian news outlet Sota reported.
Prudovskaya previously faced administrative charges on similar allegations after sharing anti-war posts on Russian social media platform VKontakte in September 2022.
Discrediting the Russian military is a criminal offense under a law adopted after Russia sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. The law is regularly used against Kremlin critics.
In April, Russian authorities petitioned to restrict the parental rights of a single father convicted of discrediting the army following an anti-war sketch drawn by his daughter at school.
Alexei Moskalyov, 54, was sentenced to two years in prison for social media comments he had made criticizing Moscow’s war in Ukraine, while his daughter Maria was placed in an orphanage.
The 13-year-old was later moved to live with her mother. | https://wgntv.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-russian-investigators-call-children-as-witnesses-against-their-mother-accused-of-discrediting-army/ | 2023-07-29T20:26:29 | 0 | https://wgntv.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-russian-investigators-call-children-as-witnesses-against-their-mother-accused-of-discrediting-army/ |
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Senegal’s opposition leader Ousmane Sonko has been charged with conspiracy against the state and calls for insurrections among other offenses, the public prosecutor said Saturday.
The announcement comes weeks after Sonko was convicted on separate charges of corrupting youth and sentenced to two years in prison, which ignited deadly protests across the nation.
Prosecutor Abdou Karim Diop made the announcement on state television, a day after Sonko’s lawyer said he was taken into custody for questioning at the police courthouse in the capital, Dakar.
In June, Sonko was acquitted on charges of raping a woman who worked at a massage parlor and making death threats against her. But he was convicted on a lighter sentence of corrupting young people, which includes using one’s position of power to have sex with people under age 21. Corrupting youth is a criminal offense in Senegal that is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to more than $6,000.
The conviction led to deadly clashes across the country between Sonko supporters and police, where at least 23 people were killed and dozens injured.
Sonko placed third in Senegal’s 2019 presidential election and is popular with the country’s youth. His supporters maintain the charges against him are part of a government effort to derail his candidacy in the 2024 presidential election.
Sonko’s ongoing legal battles may bar him from running. Once in prison, he can ask for a retrial for his June conviction.
Saturday’s charges are separate, said the public prosecutor. The accusations include calling an insurrection, criminal conspiracy to commit terrorism, compromising public security and theft.
It is unclear what led to the charges. Sonko has mostly stayed in his house since being sentenced to prison.
In a tweet posted shortly before his arrest on Friday afternoon, Sonko said a team of soldiers were breaking down the door following an altercation with secret service agents who were taking videoing him.
Friday evening, an AP reporter saw around 20 protesters burning tires in the middle of the road in Parcelles Assainies, an outer neighborhood of Dakar. | https://wgntv.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-senegals-opposition-leader-charged-with-conspiracy-against-the-state-and-calls-for-insurrection/ | 2023-07-29T20:26:35 | 0 | https://wgntv.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-senegals-opposition-leader-charged-with-conspiracy-against-the-state-and-calls-for-insurrection/ |
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombian police arrested the president’s son Saturday as part of a high-profile money laundering probe into funds he allegedly collected from convicted drug traffickers during last year’s presidential campaign.
President Gustavo Petro, a former rebel who rose through Colombia’s political ranks as an anti-corruption crusader, said he wouldn’t interfere with the investigation.
“As an individual and father, it pains me to see so much self destruction and one of my sons going to jail,” Petro said in an early morning message on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “As president of the republic, I’ve assured the chief prosecutor’s office that it will have all of the guarantees so it can proceed according to the law.”
The arrest of Nicolas Petro is a major blow to the government, which has been buffeted by conservative attacks from day one at the same time it has struggled to maintain bipartisan support for Colombia in the U.S., a longtime ally in the war on drugs and fight against illegal armed groups.
The investigation stems from shocking declarations made by Nicolas Petro’s ex-wife, Daysuris del Carmen Vasquez, to local media outlet Semana earlier this year.
In the extended interview, Vasquez detailed how she was present at meetings when her husband arranged a donation of more than 600 million pesos (around $150,000) from a politician once convicted in Washington of drug trafficking and who was seeking the Petro campaign’s support to resume his political career.
She said President Petro was unaware of her son’s dealings and the money he collected in his campaign’s name was kept inside a safe inside the couple’s home in the coastal city of Barranquilla.
Nicolas Petro has denied his ex wife’s claims as unfounded.
The chief prosecutor’s office said in a statement that Nicolas Petro and his ex-wife were taken into custody on orders of a court in Bogota around 6 a.m. local time Saturday. It said that once brought before a judge, prosecutors would seek their provisional detention as it investigates the two for money laundering. | https://wgntv.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-son-of-colombias-president-arrested-as-part-of-money-laundering-probe/ | 2023-07-29T20:26:41 | 0 | https://wgntv.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-son-of-colombias-president-arrested-as-part-of-money-laundering-probe/ |
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. | https://wgntv.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-ukraine-moves-official-christmas-day-holiday-to-dec-25-denouncing-russian-imposed-traditions/ | 2023-07-29T20:26:47 | 0 | https://wgntv.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-ukraine-moves-official-christmas-day-holiday-to-dec-25-denouncing-russian-imposed-traditions/ |
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday pushed back against Australian demands for an end to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s prosecution, saying the Australian citizen was accused of “very serious criminal conduct” in publishing a trove of classified documents more than a decade ago.
Australia’s center-left Labor Party government has been arguing since winning the elections last year that the United States should end its pursuit of the 52-year-old, who has spent four years in a British prison fighting extradition to the United States.
Assange’s freedom is widely seen as a test of Australia’s leverage with President Joe Biden’s administration.
Blinken confirmed on Saturday that Assange had been discussed in annual talks with Foreign Minister Penny Wong in Brisbane, Australia.
“I understand the concerns and views of Australians. I think it’s very important that our friends here understand our concerns about this matter,” Blinken told reporters.
“Mr. Assange was charged with very serious criminal conduct in the United States in connection with his alleged role in one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of our country,” he added.
Wong said Assange’s prosecution had “dragged for too long” and that Australia wanted the charges “brought to a conclusion.”
Australia remains ambiguous about whether the United States should drop the prosecution or strike a plea bargain.
Assange faces 17 charges of espionage and one charge of computer misuse over WikiLeaks’ publication of of hundreds of thousands of classified diplomatic and military documents in 2010.
American prosecutors allege he helped U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal classified diplomatic cables and military files that WikiLeaks later published, putting lives at risk.
Australia argues there is a “disconnect” between the U.S. treatment of Assange and Manning. Then-U.S. President Barack Obama commuted Manning’s 35-year sentence to seven years, which allowed her release in 2017. | https://wgntv.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-us-secretary-of-state-tells-australia-that-wikileaks-founder-is-accused-of-very-serious-crime/ | 2023-07-29T20:26:53 | 1 | https://wgntv.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-us-secretary-of-state-tells-australia-that-wikileaks-founder-is-accused-of-very-serious-crime/ |
How to Watch the Reds vs. Dodgers Game: Streaming & TV Channel Info for July 29
Freddie Freeman and Will Benson will look to continue their recent offensive production when the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds take the field at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, at 9:10 PM ET.
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Reds vs. Dodgers Live Stream, TV Channel and Game Info:
- Date: Saturday, July 29, 2023
- Time: 9:10 PM ET
- TV Channel: SportsNet LA
- Location: Los Angeles, California
- Venue: Dodger Stadium
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
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Discover More About This Game
Reds Batting & Pitching Performance
- The Reds rank 17th in Major League Baseball with 117 home runs.
- Fueled by 316 extra-base hits, Cincinnati ranks 12th in MLB with a .413 slugging percentage this season.
- The Reds' .252 batting average ranks 14th in the league this season.
- Cincinnati has scored 509 runs this season, which ranks eighth in MLB.
- The Reds have an OBP of .331 this season, which ranks eighth in MLB.
- The Reds rank 23rd with an average of nine strikeouts per game.
- Cincinnati strikes out 8.5 batters per nine innings as a pitching staff, 20th in MLB.
- Cincinnati pitchers have a combined ERA of 4.69 ERA this year, which ranks 25th in MLB.
- Reds pitchers have a 1.430 WHIP this season, fifth-worst in the majors.
Reds Probable Starting Pitcher
- The Reds will hand the ball to Luke Weaver (2-2) for his 18th start of the season.
- The right-hander's last appearance was on Sunday, when he threw four innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks, giving up three earned runs while allowing eight hits.
- In 17 starts this season, he's earned one quality start.
- Weaver has started 17 games this season, and he's lasted five or more innings eight times. He averages 4.7 innings per appearance.
- He has one appearance this season with zero earned runs allowed out of his 17 chances this season.
Reds Schedule
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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. | https://wgntv.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-wagner-mercenaries-in-belarus-move-closer-to-the-polish-border-polands-prime-minister-says/ | 2023-07-29T20:27:00 | 0 | https://wgntv.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-wagner-mercenaries-in-belarus-move-closer-to-the-polish-border-polands-prime-minister-says/ |
2023 Amundi Evian Championship Betting Odds, Favorites & Insights – Round 4
Celine Boutier is the current leader (-100) at the 2023 Amundi Evian Championship after three rounds of play.
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Amundi Evian Championship Fourth Round Information
- Start Time: 12:45 AM ET
- Venue: Evian Resort Golf Club
- Location: Évian-les-Bains, France
- Par/Distance: Par 71/6,527 yards
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Amundi Evian Championship Best Odds to Win
Celine Boutier
- Tee Time: 6:25 AM ET
- Current Rank: 1st (-11)
- Odds to Win: -100
Boutier Round by Round Results
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Nasa Hataoka
- Tee Time: 6:25 AM ET
- Current Rank: 2nd (-8)
- Odds to Win: +400
Hataoka Round by Round Results
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Minjee Lee
- Tee Time: 6:15 AM ET
- Current Rank: 3rd (-7)
- Odds to Win: +700
Lee Round by Round Results
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Brooke Mackenzie Henderson
- Tee Time: 6:15 AM ET
- Current Rank: 3rd (-7)
- Odds to Win: +800
Mackenzie Henderson Round by Round Results
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Nelly Korda
- Tee Time: 6:05 AM ET
- Current Rank: 5th (-6)
- Odds to Win: +1200
Korda Round by Round Results
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Amundi Evian Championship Odds (Rest of Field)
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wymt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/amundi-evian-championship-lpga-tournament-betting-odds-round-4/ | 2023-07-29T20:27:05 | 0 | https://www.wymt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/amundi-evian-championship-lpga-tournament-betting-odds-round-4/ |
ATLANTA (AP) — “Excuse me, are you a city of Atlanta voter? Do you know about ‘Cop City?’”
Clipboards in hand, canvassers Sienna Giraldi and Gabriel Sanchez approached shopper after shopper at a Kroger supermarket lot on a recent evening collecting signatures for a referendum over whether to cancel the city’s lease of a proposed police and firefighter training center that’s become a national rallying cry for environmentalists and anti-police protesters.
Most people kept on walking. Others said they weren’t registered to vote or didn’t live within the city limits, both of which are required. Many seemed to have no idea what “Cop City” was and weren’t interested in finding out. The fact that it began raining certainly didn’t help. By the end of a 90-minute shift, 21 people had signed.
“We definitely need to come back here,” Sanchez said. “I was on a roll before the rain started.”
Over the past month, hundreds of people like them — many volunteers, some paid — have spread out across the city of about 500,000, in hopes of persuading more than 70,000 registered voters to sign on to the petition drive. The deadline had been mid-August, but the effort got a boost Thursday when a federal judge extended it to late September, though significant logistical and legal hurdles remain.
Technically, organizers say, they need just 58,203 signatures by Aug. 14 to qualify for the November ballot — the equivalent of 15% of registered voters as of the last city election — but they set the higher goal knowing some will be disqualified. If that’s not reached until late August or September, the referendum wouldn’t happen until March, when a competitive GOP presidential primary could turn out conservative voters and hurt its chances. The city also could move forward with construction in the meantime, unless a judge intervenes.
As of July 25, the drive had collected more than 30,000 signatures, according to Paul Glaze, a spokesperson for the Vote to Stop Cop City Coalition. And with the paid canvassing effort still ramping up, he expects the pace to pick up significantly.
“We’re confident of hitting our number,” Glaze said. “How much extra padding we’re able to get is still a question. … Our experience is that when you talk about this with people, when they hear the price tag, when you ask them if they would choose this or something else to spend the money on, the vast majority are against it.”
Organizers of the drive say Mayor Andre Dickens and the City Council have failed to listen to a groundswell of opposition to the $90 million, 85-acre (34-hectare) training center, which they fear will lead to greater militarization of the police and exacerbate environmental damage in the South River Forest in a poor, predominantly Black area.
Officials counter that the campus would replace outdated, far-flung facilities and boost police morale, which is beset by hiring and retention struggles, especially in the wake of 2020 protests over racial injustice. Dickens has said that the facility will teach the “most progressive training and curriculum in the country” and that officials have repeatedly revised their plans to address concerns about noise pollution and environmental impact.
In June, after hearing about 14 hours of public testimony that was overwhelmingly against the training center, council members voted 11-4 to approve $67 million toward the project. Outraged but not surprised, organizers of the petition drive announced it the next day.
Outside the Kroger, located in a majority-Black neighborhood a few miles south of a Wendy’s parking lot where officers fatally shot Rayshard Brooks in 2020, Giraldi chatted with Lee Little, a Black construction worker who stopped to talk despite the rain, his hands full of bagged groceries.
Little was working near the proposed training center in March and saw the helicopters and mass of armed officers that descended on the area after about 150 masked activists stormed the site and torched construction equipment. He hadn’t thought about it much since, but he signed the petition after hearing Giraldi’s pitch.
“She was just saying that City Council approved 60-something million dollars without listening to the taxpayers. Does that sound fair to you? That should be for the voters to decide,” Little said afterward.
Another who signed was Makela Atchison, who was wearing a “Black Voters Matter” T-shirt as she left the store with her two children.
“I’m not saying I’m for it or against it,” Atchison said, “but I want to be able to have my input.”
The signature drive is the most ambitious in terms of numbers that has ever been launched in a Georgia city, but it has precedent from last year in Camden County, where voters overwhelmingly rejected a planned launchpad for blasting commercial rockets into space. The Georgia Supreme Court in February unanimously upheld the legality of that referendum, though it remains an open question whether citizens can veto decisions of city governments.
In a recent court filing seeking to quash the Atlanta referendum, attorneys for the city said residents can’t force officials to retroactively revoke the lease agreement, which was made in 2021. They called organizers’ efforts “futile” and “invalid.” The state agreed with the city in a separate filing, though that dispute is on hold for now.
Still, activists see the referendum as the best remaining option to block the project. They’ve gotten support from numerous groups, including the Working Families Party and the New Georgia Project Action Fund, which pledged to get 15,000 signatures over the next few weeks.
Activist Hannah Riley tries to collect a handful of them whenever she is out in public, including on a recent afternoon as she worked remotely from Muchacho, a popular taco restaurant in the ultra-liberal Reynoldstown neighborhood. At the end of her table, she taped a sign that read: “Voter? Sign Stop Cop City Petition Here.”
“This is a bit of a Hail Mary, but it’s a Hail Mary that makes a lot of sense,” Riley said. “They’ve begun to clear-cut the trees. They’re getting close to pouring concrete. … Our options are quite limited right now, so this does feel like the most practical, effective next step.”
At the same time, a small number of activists have continued taking a more violent tack, including torching eight police motorcycles over the Fourth of July weekend, actions that canvass organizers have not condemned.
Curtis Duncan, 40, said the first day he went out canvassing, a man approached and accused him of being one of the vandals.
“I said, ‘Well, sir, respectfully, I wasn’t burning cars, and the majority of people within this movement have not been engaging in any type of violent actions,’” Duncan said. He added that troopers fatally shot an activist in the forest and that authorities have brought dozens of “very flimsy” domestic terrorism charges against “Stop Cop City” protesters this year — actions he considers far worse.
Sanchez, who works for a voting rights nonprofit, said that even if the signature drive falls short, it will have made an important impact.
“I feel like we’ve exhausted all the other options, aside from full-on revolution, which I don’t think we need for this,” he said. “There’s a lot of obstacles in our way. … If we only get to 50,000, I think that still shows a real warning sign for these politicians for the 2025 election.” | https://wgntv.com/news/national/ap-us-news/ap-atlanta-cop-city-activists-say-theyre-confident-of-getting-70k-signatures-but-big-hurdles-remain/ | 2023-07-29T20:27:06 | 0 | https://wgntv.com/news/national/ap-us-news/ap-atlanta-cop-city-activists-say-theyre-confident-of-getting-70k-signatures-but-big-hurdles-remain/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Friday for the first time publicly acknowledged his seventh grandchild, a 4-year-old girl fathered by his son Hunter with an Arkansas woman, Lunden Roberts, in 2018.
“Our son Hunter and Navy’s mother, Lunden, are working together to foster a relationship that is in the best interests of their daughter, preserving her privacy as much as possible going forward,” Biden said in a statement. It was his first acknowledgement of the child.
“This is not a political issue, it’s a family matter,” he said. “Jill and I only want what is best for all of our grandchildren, including Navy.”
Hunter Biden’s paternity was established by DNA testing after Roberts sued for child support, and the two parties recently resolved outstanding child support issues. The president’s son wrote about his encounter with Roberts in his 2021 memoir, saying it came while he was deep in addiction to alcohol and drugs, including crack cocaine.
“I had no recollection of our encounter,” he wrote. “That’s how little connection I had with anyone. I was a mess, but a mess I’ve taken responsibility for.”
An attorney for Roberts did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The president, who has made a commitment to family central to his public persona, has faced increasing criticism from political rivals and pundits for failing to acknowledge the granddaughter. According to a person familiar with the matter, he was taking the cue from his son while the legal proceedings played out. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private matters.
Hunter Biden has four other children, including a son, Beau, born to his wife Melissa Cohen in 2020. He was named after the president’s late son who died of cancer in 2015, leaving behind two children.
Biden’s grandchildren have played a distinctive role in his presidency, often accompanying the president or first lady on trips and making regular visits to the White House. The president has also credited his grandchildren with persuading him to challenge then-President Donald Trump for the White House in 2020.
Biden’s statement was first reported by People Magazine. | https://wgntv.com/news/national/ap-us-news/ap-biden-openly-acknowledges-7th-grandchild-the-daughter-of-son-hunter-and-an-arkansas-woman/ | 2023-07-29T20:27:12 | 0 | https://wgntv.com/news/national/ap-us-news/ap-biden-openly-acknowledges-7th-grandchild-the-daughter-of-son-hunter-and-an-arkansas-woman/ |
‘I’m still in shock’: Woman wins lottery jackpot while taking break from work
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT/Gray News) - A North Carolina woman won a triple-digit jackpot thanks to purchasing a lucky scratch-off ticket.
According to the North Carolina Educational Lottery, Jodi Owens won a $100,000 prize by putting her break time to good use and buying a lottery ticket.
Officials said Owens, a retired nurse practitioner, took a break from doing some work around her house and stopped at a Civietown Mini Mart in Shallotte. She picked up a few items including a Black Titanium scratch-off.
She returned home to scratch her winning ticket.
“I’m still in shock,” Owens said. “It’s truly a blessing.”
Owens claimed her prize on Friday and took home $71,259 after taxes.
“I’m going to pay my mortgage off and pay my car off,” she said. “I’m thinking about getting a manicure and pedicure too!”
Lottery officials said the Black Titanium scratch-off game just launched last month and is available for $30.
Copyright 2023 WECT via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wymt.com/2023/07/29/im-still-shock-woman-wins-lottery-jackpot-while-taking-break-work/ | 2023-07-29T20:27:12 | 1 | https://www.wymt.com/2023/07/29/im-still-shock-woman-wins-lottery-jackpot-while-taking-break-work/ |
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.
) | https://wgntv.com/news/national/ap-us-news/ap-climate-glimpse-heres-what-you-need-to-see-and-know-today-8/ | 2023-07-29T20:27:18 | 0 | https://wgntv.com/news/national/ap-us-news/ap-climate-glimpse-heres-what-you-need-to-see-and-know-today-8/ |
Melting ice near Matterhorn reveals remains of climber missing for 37 years
(CNN) - The remains of a climber who disappeared while hiking along a glacier near Switzerland’s Matterhorn 37 years ago have been found.
Police say the melting ice on the glacier helped lead to the discovery of the remains.
They were found on July 12 by climbers hiking along the Theodul Glacier.
Several pieces of equipment were also found.
Police say a DNA analysis helped identify the remains as belonging to a 38-year-old German mountain climber who was reported missing in September 1986.
Police also say they had searched for the climber at the time, but they were unsuccessful.
No further details about the climber’s identity or his cause of death have been revealed.
Police say the melting glaciers have led to the reemergence of bodies of those who were reported missing several decades ago.
Scientists announced earlier this week that July is on track to be Earth’s hottest month ever recorded.
Copyright 2023 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wymt.com/2023/07/29/melting-ice-near-matterhorn-reveals-remains-climber-missing-37-years/ | 2023-07-29T20:27:19 | 0 | https://www.wymt.com/2023/07/29/melting-ice-near-matterhorn-reveals-remains-climber-missing-37-years/ |
Compared with the devil, angels carry more credence in America.
Angels even get more credence than, well, hell. More than astrology, reincarnation, and the belief that physical things can have spiritual energies.
In fact, about 7 in 10 U.S. adults say they believe in angels, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
“People are yearning for something greater than themselves — beyond their own understanding,” said Jack Grogger, a chaplain for the Los Angeles Angels and a longtime Southern California fire captain who has aided many people in their gravest moments.
That search for something bigger, he said, can take on many forms, from following a religion to crafting a self-driven purpose to believing in, of course, angels.
“For a lot of people, angels are a lot safer to worship,” said Grogger, who also pastors a nondenominational church in Orange, California, and is a chaplain for the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks.
People turn to angels for comfort, he said. They are familiar, regularly showing up in pop culture as well as in the Bible. Comparably, worshipping Jesus is far more involved; when Grogger preaches about angels it is with the context that they are part of God’s kingdom.
American’s belief in angels (69%) is about on par with belief in heaven and the power of prayer, but bested by belief in God or a higher power (79%). Fewer U.S. adults believe in the devil or Satan (56%), astrology (34%), reincarnation (34%), and that physical things can have spiritual energies, such as plants, rivers or crystals (42%).
The widespread acceptance of angels shown in the AP-NORC poll makes sense to Susan Garrett, an angel expert and New Testament professor at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Kentucky. It tracks with historical surveys, she said, adding that the U.S. remains a faith-filled country even as more Americans reject organized religion.
But if the devil is in the details, so are people’s understandings of angels.
“They’re very malleable,” Garrett said of angels. “You can have any one of a number of quite different worldviews in terms of your understanding of how the cosmos is arranged, whether there’s spirit beings, whether there’s life after death, whether there’s a God … and still find a place for angels in that worldview.”
Talk of angels, Garrett said, is often also about something else, like the ways God interacts with the world and other hard-to-articulate ideas.
The large number of U.S. adults who say they believe in angels includes 84% of those with a religious affiliation — 94% of evangelical Protestants, 81% of mainline Protestants and 82% of Catholics — and 33% of those without one. And of those angel-believing religiously unaffiliated, that includes 2% of atheists, 25% of agnostics and 50% of those identified as “nothing in particular.”
The broad acceptance is what fascinates San Francisco-based witch and author Devin Hunter: Angels show up independently in different religions and traditions, making them part of the fabric that unites humanity.
“We’re all getting to the same conclusion,” said Hunter, who spent 16 years as a professional medium, and started communicating as a child with what he believed were angels.
Hunter estimates that a belief in angels applies to about half of those practicing modern witchcraft today, and for some who don’t believe, their rejection is often rooted in the religious trauma they experienced growing up.
“Angels become a very big deal” for long-time practitioners who’ve made occultism their primary focus, said Hunter, an angel-loving occultist. “We cannot escape them in any way, shape or form.”
Jennifer Goodwin of Oviedo, Florida, also is among the roughly seven in 10 U.S. adults who say they believe in angels. She isn’t sure if God exists and rejects the afterlife dichotomy of heaven and hell, but the recent deaths of her parents solidified her views on these celestial beings.
Goodwin believes her parents are still keeping an eye on the family — not in any physical way or as a supernatural apparition, but that they manifest in those moments when she feels a general sense of comfort.
“I think that they are around us, but it’s in a way that we can’t understand,” Goodwin said. “I don’t know what else to call it except an angel.”
Angels mean different things to different people, and the idea of loved ones becoming heavenly angels after death is neither an unusual belief nor a universally held one.
In his reading of Scripture as an evangelical Protestant, Grogger said he believes angels are something else entirely — they have never been human and are on another level in heaven’s hierarchy. “We are higher than angels,” he said. “We do not become an angel.”
Angels do interact with humans though, said Grogger, but what “that looks like we’re not 100% sure.” They worship God who created this angelic legion of unknown numbers, he said, adding that evangelicals often attribute the demonic forces in the world to the angels who fell from heaven when the devil rebelled.
The Western ideas about angels can be traced through the Bible — and to the worldviews of its monotheistic authors, Garrett said. Those beliefs have changed and developed for millennia, influenced by cultures, theologians and even the ancient polytheistic beliefs that came before the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, she said.
“There are sort of lines of continuity from the Bible that you can trace all the way up to the New Age movement,” said Susan Garrett, who wrote “No Ordinary Angel: Celestial Spirits and Christian Claims about Jesus.”
The angels in the Bible do God’s bidding, and angelic violence is one part of their job description, said Esther Hamori, author of the upcoming book, “God’s Monsters: Vengeful Spirits, Deadly Angels, Hybrid Creatures, and Divine Hitmen of the Bible.”
“The angels of the Bible are just as likely to assassinate individuals and slaughter entire populations as they are to offer help and protect and deliver,” said Hamori. She doesn’t believe in these angels, but studies them as a Hebrew Bible professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York where she teaches a popular “Monster Heaven” class.
“They’re just God’s obedient soldiers doing the task at hand, and sometimes that task is in human beings’ best interests, and sometimes it’s not,” she said.
The perception that angels act angelic and look like the idyllic, winged figurines atop Christmas trees could be attributed to an early centuries belief that people are assigned one good angel and one bad — or have a good and bad spirit to guide them, Garrett said.
This idea shows up on the shoulders of cartoon characters and is likely what Abraham Lincoln was alluding to in his famous appeal for unity when he referenced “the better angels of our nature” in his first inaugural address, she said.
“It’s also tied in with ideas about guardian angels, which again, very ancient views that got developed over the centuries,” Garrett said.
For Sheila Avery of Chicago, angels are protectors, capable of keeping someone from harm. Avery, who belongs to a nondenominational church, credits them with those moments like when a person’s plans fall through, but ultimately it saves them from being in the thick of an unexpected disaster.
“They turn on the news and a terrible tragedy happened at that particular place,” Avery said, suggesting it was an “angel that was probably watching over them.”
___
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. | https://wgntv.com/news/national/ap-us-news/ap-do-you-believe-in-angels-about-7-in-10-u-s-adults-do-a-new-ap-norc-poll-shows/ | 2023-07-29T20:27:24 | 1 | https://wgntv.com/news/national/ap-us-news/ap-do-you-believe-in-angels-about-7-in-10-u-s-adults-do-a-new-ap-norc-poll-shows/ |
WASHINGTON, July 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Amid a coordinated effort to undermine No Labels' work to secure ballot access in states nationwide, we have named Jay Nixon – a lifelong Democrat who spent 30 years serving Missouri as a governor, attorney general and state senator – as director of our new Ballot Integrity Project.
Since early last year, No Labels has gathered over 700,000 signatures and qualified for the ballot in five states. We have a strategy to get on the ballot in all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., with the aim of potentially offering our line to an independent Unity presidential ticket in 2024. No Labels is responding to the overwhelming desire of Americans for more choices and voices in our politics – with two-thirds of voters saying they don't want a rematch of the 2020 election – but we now face organized opposition from a group of political operatives and former elected officials intent on keeping us off the ballot.
"At a moment when so many Americans' are losing trust in our democracy, we need to hold even tighter to the pillars that have held our democracy up for almost 250 years. In our country, you win by persuading more people and getting more votes, not by limiting voters' choices and denying competitors a place on the ballot," said Nixon. "Americans have the constitutional right to put any person or party on the ballot and to vote for whomever they want. Anyone who is against that isn't standing up for democracy. They are standing in the way."
Former Gov. Larry Hogan will welcome Nixon to the No Labels community in his first scheduled public appearance at a town hall on Tuesday, August 1, at 5 p.m. ET. Register here to join the town hall.
In Nixon's decorated public service career, he established a stellar record as a champion for the civil and voting rights of Americans. In his new role with No Labels, Nixon will work closely with No Labels national co-chair and civil rights icon, Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., to monitor legal developments, provide strategic counsel and serve as a public advocate for No Labels' ballot access efforts.
Since the start of its ballot access effort, No Labels has rigorously followed the letter and spirit of all applicable election laws. In recent months, however, it has become the target of an undemocratic campaign by organized and powerful partisan interests determined to keep No Labels off the ballot.
Local parties and partisan election officials have filed baseless lawsuits, invented spurious charges and delayed certification without justification in Arizona, Maine and North Carolina. Now, a new well-resourced group, organized under the name "Citizens to Save our Republic," has embarked on an effort to pressure No Labels and its members to abandon our ballot access effort.
"No Labels is a movement dedicated to democracy, and democracy can't stop because the powers that be think it's 'dangerous' to have competition," said Chavis. "The way to unite this country and to restore Americans faith in our future is to have more democracy, not less. I'm eager to begin working side by side with former Gov. Nixon to protect Americans' most fundamental constitutional rights."
On July 18, No Labels launched its Common Sense policy booklet at an overflow town hall event at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, N.H., featuring Dr. Chavis, his fellow No Labels co-chairs former Gov. Pat McCrory and Sen. Joe Lieberman and special guests Sen. Joe Manchin and Gov. Jon Huntsman. It was the first of many town halls No Labels will host in the months ahead – with different leaders in different states – to spur a long overdue discussion about where America needs to go in 2024 and beyond.
By early 2024, No Labels will gauge the mood of the American public and their openness to an independent Unity ticket and will offer our ballot line to a ticket if and only if, such a ticket has a viable path to victory in the 2024 presidential election.
Since its founding in 2009, No Labels has spent 13 years working to give voice to America's commonsense majority. We are now getting ballot access in states across the country to ensure Americans have the choice to vote for a 2024 presidential ticket that features strong, effective, and honest leaders who will commit to working closely with both parties to find commonsense solutions to America's biggest problems. www.nolabels.org.
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SOURCE No Labels | https://www.wymt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/former-missouri-governor-attorney-general-jay-nixon-joins-no-labels-protect-constitutional-right-americans-choose-their-leaders/ | 2023-07-29T20:27:25 | 0 | https://www.wymt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/former-missouri-governor-attorney-general-jay-nixon-joins-no-labels-protect-constitutional-right-americans-choose-their-leaders/ |
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.” | https://wgntv.com/news/national/ap-us-news/ap-more-trader-joes-recalls-this-soup-may-contain-bugs-and-falafel-may-have-rocks-grocer-says/ | 2023-07-29T20:27:30 | 0 | https://wgntv.com/news/national/ap-us-news/ap-more-trader-joes-recalls-this-soup-may-contain-bugs-and-falafel-may-have-rocks-grocer-says/ |
LOMPOC, Calif., July 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Return to Freedom Wild Horse Conservation this week thanked the Senate Interior Appropriations Committee for including language in its Fiscal Year 2024 funding package that can improve the management of America's wild horses and burros.
A national nonprofit advocacy organization, Return to Freedom (RTF) works with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to press the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on the immediate scaling up of safe, proven and humane fertility control for wild horses and burros as well as with a diverse array of public lands stakeholders to create broader acceptance of fertility control use.
If implemented correctly and robustly, fertility control would slow (not stop) the growth of wild herds, keeping them on their home ranges rather than relying on the costly and traumatic capture, removal and warehousing of wild horses and burros.
"We are grateful to the Senate for again supporting protections for wild horses by taking the vitally important step of directing — in clear language — that the Bureau of Land Management implement thoughtful management that results in the kinds of humane approaches for which Return to Freedom has tirelessly advocated," said Neda DeMayo, president of RTF.
The Senate Committee's guiding report language calls for $11 million "to be spent to continue implementation of a robust and humane fertility control strategy of reversible immunocontraceptive vaccines."
The Senate Committee's report emphasized that it "expects" the BLM to place "specific attention on:"
- "increasing the use of fertility control, including measurable objectives in reducing population growth with fertility controls,
- "targeting removals from the most heavily ecologically impacted and populated areas,
- "expanding long-term, off-range humane holding, and continuing adoptions while fully implementing and enforcing existing safeguards."
The Senate Committee on Thursday approved a total of $148 million for wild horse and burro management for 2024. Congress allocated the same amount in 2023.
By comparison, the House Interior Appropriations Committee on June 19 approved $155 million for wild horse management in 2024.
The House Committee's report language also sets aside $11 million for fertility control; however, it does not specify using the funding solely for immediate on-range implementation. The House also allows the money to be used for research, including on permanent sterilization, which RTF strongly opposes.
The Senate and House must now reconcile their differences.
RTF is calling on the House and Senate conferees to adopt the House's funding level alongside the Senate's guiding report language. RTF will continue to advocate for stricter wild horse and burro protections and for greater funding until the final bill is approved later this year.
Background
As it has for decades, the BLM continues to emphasize capture-and-removal, putting off fertility control use while also failing to reach the agency's own wild horse population targets. In FY 2022, for example, 20,193 wild horses and burros were removed from their home ranges while just 1,622 mares were treated and released with some form of fertility control.
Out of the BLM-estimated 141,000 federally protected wild horses and burros that the agency is charged with overseeing, 58,000 now live not on the range but in overcrowded government corrals or on leased pastures.
The cost to taxpayers of continued off-range holding of captured wild horses has climbed to more than $83 million annually. That has left little funding for prioritizing range management, restoration, personnel and administration, let alone fertility control.
Population modeling by RTF and other stakeholders has shown that immediately implementing fertility control alongside any removal that BLM conducts is the only way to catch up with and stabilize herd growth so that on-range management can replace removals.
Return to Freedom Wild Horse Conservation (RTF) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to wild horse preservation through sanctuary, education, conservation, and advocacy since 1998. It also operates the American Wild Horse Sanctuary at three California locations, caring for more than 450 wild horses and burros managing the population with fertility control since 1999. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates about wild horses and burros on the range and at our sanctuary.
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SOURCE Return to Freedom Wild Horse Conservation | https://www.wymt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/return-freedom-applauds-senates-continued-emphasis-wild-horse-fertility-control/ | 2023-07-29T20:27:32 | 0 | https://www.wymt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/return-freedom-applauds-senates-continued-emphasis-wild-horse-fertility-control/ |
An invasive fly species has prompted the quarantine of an upscale Southern California neighborhood, the first of its kind in the Western Hemisphere.
The Tau fruit fly is native to Asia and is a “serious pest for agriculture and natural resources,” according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
The flies can be typically found on a variety of fruits and vegetables along with a “select range of native plants in California,” officials said.
After the detection of more than 20 Tau flies in the Stevenson Ranch area of the Santa Clarita Valley, a quarantine was placed on residents.
The quarantine area spans about 79 square miles, bordered on the north by Castaic Junction, on the south by Oat Mountain, on the west by Del Valle, and on the east by Honby Avenue.
Stevenson Ranch is an upscale neighborhood with a median home price of $1.15 million dollars according to Redfin.
Officials believe the fly was introduced to Los Angeles County by travelers who brought uninspected produce into the state. Agriculture officials note this is a common way for invasive species to arrive.
To prevent the species’ further spread, quarantined residents are asked not to move any fruits or vegetables away from their property. The produce they own may be safely consumed or processed, but must remain at the property.
If residents choose not to consume their produce, they must be disposed of by “double-bagging in plastic and placing the bags in a bin specifically for garbage,” officials said.
CDFA is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the L.A. County Agricultural Commissioner to “utilize a multi-tiered approach to eliminate the Tau fruit fly and prevent its spread to new areas.”
On properties within 200 meters of fly detections, crews will cut host fruit and vegetables to inspect for present fly larvae. Those properties will also be treated with a “naturally derived organic-approved material known as Spinosad, which will help remove any live adult fruit flies and reduce the density of the population,” said CDFA.
Fly traps that incorporate a pheromone along with a small amount of pesticide will also be placed throughout the treatment zones. | https://wgntv.com/news/neighborhood-under-quarantine-due-to-invasive-fly-species/ | 2023-07-29T20:27:36 | 0 | https://wgntv.com/news/neighborhood-under-quarantine-due-to-invasive-fly-species/ |
NEW YORK, July 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --
WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of Tingo Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: TIO) between December 1, 2022 and June 6, 2023, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important August 7, 2023 lead plaintiff deadline.
SO WHAT: If you purchased Tingo securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.
WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Tingo class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=16856 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than August 7, 2023. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.
WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.
DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Tingo overstated its revenue and other accounting metrics, creating a false impression of success; (2) Tingo was not meaningfully engaged in many of the business activities that it claimed would drive future growth; (3) many of Tingo's supposed contracts with customers and suppliers did not exist; and (4) in light of the above, defendants' positive statements about Tingo's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.
To join the Tingo class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=16856 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.
No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.
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Contact Information:
Laurence Rosen, Esq.
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The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016
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SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A. | https://www.wymt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/tio-deadline-rosen-ranked-leading-firm-encourages-tingo-group-inc-investors-with-losses-secure-counsel-before-important-august-7-deadline-securities-class-action-tio/ | 2023-07-29T20:27:39 | 1 | https://www.wymt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/tio-deadline-rosen-ranked-leading-firm-encourages-tingo-group-inc-investors-with-losses-secure-counsel-before-important-august-7-deadline-securities-class-action-tio/ |
‘I’m still in shock’: Woman wins lottery jackpot while taking break from work
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT/Gray News) - A North Carolina woman won a triple-digit jackpot thanks to purchasing a lucky scratch-off ticket.
According to the North Carolina Educational Lottery, Jodi Owens won a $100,000 prize by putting her break time to good use and buying a lottery ticket.
Officials said Owens, a retired nurse practitioner, took a break from doing some work around her house and stopped at a Civietown Mini Mart in Shallotte. She picked up a few items including a Black Titanium scratch-off.
She returned home to scratch her winning ticket.
“I’m still in shock,” Owens said. “It’s truly a blessing.”
Owens claimed her prize on Friday and took home $71,259 after taxes.
“I’m going to pay my mortgage off and pay my car off,” she said. “I’m thinking about getting a manicure and pedicure too!”
Lottery officials said the Black Titanium scratch-off game just launched last month and is available for $30.
Copyright 2023 WECT via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.kait8.com/2023/07/29/im-still-shock-woman-wins-lottery-jackpot-while-taking-break-work/ | 2023-07-29T20:27:40 | 1 | https://www.kait8.com/2023/07/29/im-still-shock-woman-wins-lottery-jackpot-while-taking-break-work/ |
GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — A North Carolina man’s long-lost 1967 Mustang coupe was found after being stolen 21 years ago.
Detectives in Guilford County, and the owner of the car, were also surprised to find the vehicle was still in decent shape.
“Twenty-one years. That is unbelievable,” David Tucker said.
The blue Mustang was Tucker’s dream car. He and his son even formed a bond during the boy’s childhood, riding together in the coupe.
“Riding in it with my son … he was in a car seat in the back,” Tucker said. “He finally got out of the car seat and was able to sit up front with me. Just riding around with him, and seeing the look on his face. That’s the best.”
In 2002, Tucker decided to sell the car. He left it sitting at a friend’s house in Oak Ridge, where it might have more visibility for potential buyers.
But somebody decided to just take it.
“I can’t even describe the sadness,” Tucker said. “That was like my baby, you know? A member of the family just got gone. I never thought I would see it again.”
For years, Tucker worked along with the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office to try to find it.
He checked in on his VIN number every year.
“The VIN number had been changed on it,” said Detective Sergeant Ryan Seals with the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office. “The initial VIN number … came back to a vehicle that had already been scrapped.”
But a few weeks back, deputies said that VIN number eventually led to a crack in the case: The car was found states away in Florida — and only a little worse for wear.
In addition to a little bit of damage on the inside and outside, the car, too, had been painted white.
“It’s nowhere near what it used to be. It’s going to take some work,” Tucker said.
Tucker is currently trying to figure out how to get the car back to North Carolina.
“It means a lot, there was a lot of memories.” he said. “That was my dream car, and my son loved it. We rode in and all the time. So I’m just anxious to get it back and maybe get it back to where it was when it got stolen.”
Tucker is also working with DMV to get his title back. He says it could still take several weeks or even months to get his car back to North Carolina. | https://wgntv.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/dream-car-mans-stolen-mustang-found-21-years-later/ | 2023-07-29T20:27:42 | 1 | https://wgntv.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/dream-car-mans-stolen-mustang-found-21-years-later/ |
(NerdWallet) – Labor Day may mark the unofficial end of summer in the U.S. — but it’s hardly the end of airport crowds. In fact, given record-breaking crowds already this year, there’s a good chance this Labor Day weekend could be busier than any prior Labor Day weekend.
Already this summer, U.S. airports have set fresh passenger records. June 30, the Friday before July 4, marked a new record high of passengers on a single day when more than 2.884 million people passed through Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints.
That figure topped the previous record of 2.882 million people from the Sunday after 2019’s Thanksgiving, according to a NerdWallet analysis of TSA data showing the number of passengers screened at U.S. TSA checkpoints over the last four years.
Roughly 12% more people passed through U.S. airports in June 2023 versus June 2022, which is perhaps unsurprising given the lingering effects of the pandemic through 2022.
The more impressive feat, though, is that 2023’s crowds have exceeded 2019 levels. TSA screened 0.6% more passengers in June 2023 versus June 2019, proving that summer is back and bigger than ever.
Expect Labor Day 2023 crowds to be no different, but some days around the long weekend are significantly busier than others.
The best and worst days to fly Labor Day weekend
TSA checkpoint data suggests most people use Labor Day — which is observed on the first Monday of September — as a long weekend. They depart on Friday, bask in two full days of vacation and return home on Monday.
To avoid crowds, and likely save money, book Labor Day travel on days that aren’t the start and end of the weekend. Based on an average of the past four years, here were the most to least crowded days for the week surrounding Labor Day, ranked:
- Friday before Labor Day (most crowded).
- Thursday before.
- Labor Day Monday.
- Sunday after.
- Friday after.
- Monday after.
- Monday before.
- Thursday after.
- Tuesday after.
- Wednesday before.
- Sunday before.
- Saturday before.
- Wednesday after.
- Tuesday before.
- Saturday after (least crowded).
When broken out by pre- and post-Labor Day travel, here are the three least crowded days to travel ranked from least to most crowded:
Pre-holiday:
- Tuesday before (overall least crowded day pre-holiday).
- Saturday before.
- Sunday before.
Post-holiday:
- Saturday after (overall least crowded day post-holiday).
- Wednesday after.
- Tuesday after.
During the seven days after and before Labor Day (including the holiday itself), the Friday before Labor Day has been the single busiest day to fly over each of the past four years.
As far as the period starting on Labor Day itself and spanning the subsequent seven days, Labor Day Monday has been the busiest day to fly over the past three years. If Labor Day Monday is excluded from the rankings, the Sunday after has been the busiest over the past three years. In 2019, the trends were flipped: the Sunday after was the busiest, and the holiday itself was the second busiest.
The smarter, cheaper Labor Day weekend itinerary
If you work a standard Monday-Friday workweek and have the holiday off, leaving Friday after work and returning on Labor Day seems logical. But following the same itinerary as everyone else means you’ll likely pay — both in airfares and navigating airport crowds. For lighter crowds (and perhaps better deals), try these travel days instead:
Fly on the Tuesday or Wednesday before: Let Labor Day weekend become closer to a week by jetting off earlier than the folks leaving Thursday or Friday, assuming you have enough vacation days to use (or can work remotely). You’ll have more time away from home and be more relaxed without the big airport crowds.
Travel on Saturday: Crowds are light on Saturdays before and after the holiday. So, rather than rushing out of work on Friday afternoon to catch a flight, opt for the morning flight the next day.
That Saturday morning flight might also reduce your risk of delays, too. According to travel booking site Hopper’s Flight Disruption Outlook for Spring 2023, flights departing after 9 a.m. are twice as likely to be delayed than departures scheduled from 5-8 a.m.
Fly home the Sunday before: While most folks fly home on Labor Day Monday, you might get a head start by flying home on Sunday. Sure, you’ll have one less vacation day than folks following your same itinerary departing Monday, but that’s not a bad thing. By returning Sunday night, you’ll have a whole day to refresh and prepare for the week ahead by doing laundry, meal prepping or catching up on potential jetlag. Sometimes the nicest way to relax is by taking a vacation from your vacation. | https://wgntv.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/the-busiest-days-to-fly-around-labor-day-2023/ | 2023-07-29T20:27:48 | 0 | https://wgntv.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/the-busiest-days-to-fly-around-labor-day-2023/ |
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — After over 30 years of absence, 40 of a special type of fish just made its debut at an England zoo.
Red-bellied piranhas, also known as “misunderstood piranhas,” returned to the Chester Zoo on Friday.
Specialists at the zoo said they are hopeful myths can be dispelled to reset their stereotypes.
Piranhas are often thought of as bloodthirsty predators. But, the zoo said that they are more likely to scavenge for food, rather than hunting and attacking prey.
“The role they play in maintaining the balance of aquatic ecosystems is key and, without them, many other species that live in the same areas as them would be unable to thrive and survive,” a Chester Zoo Team Manager said.
The “misunderstood” fish are native to South America. The 40 fish are living at the zoo in a special Latin American tank, similar to the underwater world of the Amazon. | https://www.wfla.com/news/animals/these-misunderstood-animals-just-made-a-debut-at-english-zoo/ | 2023-07-29T20:27:53 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/news/animals/these-misunderstood-animals-just-made-a-debut-at-english-zoo/ |
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones didn’t have much to say earlier this week about right guard Zack Martin’s decision to hold out of training camp, but he had a bit more to say on the subject Saturday.
Martin is looking for an adjustment to his contract, which runs through the 2024 season, and Jones said on Saturday that there has been “no resolution” when it comes to making that happen. Jones suggested that will remain the case because the team is looking at the need to sign defensive star Micah Parsons and other players down the road.
“He’s been at the top of the money the whole time,” Jones said, via the team’s website. “If you make that adjustment, then you don’t have the money to pay the guys on their first contract. It has nothing to do with him. It’s not about precedent, it’s about facts. We need the money to pay Parsons. We need the money to pay the players that we got to pay in the future. That’s a fact.”
Parsons is eligible for a contract extension after the 2023 season.
Jones said he doesn’t know when Martin will report and noted that it is “punitive” for the guard to miss camp because he’s subject to fines of $50,000 a day. That hasn’t stopped the six-time All-Pro from taking this course of action, however, and it’s unclear when he might choose a different one. | https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/jerry-jones-on-zack-martin-we-need-the-money-to-pay-micah-parsons | 2023-07-29T20:27:53 | 0 | https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/jerry-jones-on-zack-martin-we-need-the-money-to-pay-micah-parsons |
Gainesville back-to-school rally focuses on city’s gun violence
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - An organization in Gainesville brought community resources together in an effort to stop the violence.
People Against Violence Enterprises, or P.A.V.E., held their 24th annual back-to-school rally at Sante Fe College Saturday morning.
P.A.V.E.’s founder said the focus of the rally changes each year, but he felt the need to narrow down on gun violence this year.
“Right now our focus is gun violence because of the increase that has occured in our city within the last four years,” said P.A.V.E.’s president, Karl Anderson.
Earlier this month, Gainesville city commissioners approved a resolution that classifies gun violence as a public health crisis. This comes after numerous shootings this summer.
RELATED: Gainesville leaders declare gun violence is a public health crisis
“We can resolve our differences in conflicts in other ways other than shooting and fighting,” said Anderson.
Some speakers included family members who lost someone to gunfire.
“It’s very important to share my story and share to other parents on how to overcome grief and how to deal with grief,” said Stephanie Scott, who lost her son to gun violence. “You know the steps I had to take and what to do as a parent to know what your children are up to.”
Others were grateful to learn what to do when kids head back to school next month.
“This helped me to be able to give an outlook of what I need to do as a parent for my children,” said Tabitha Williams.
P.A.V.E. distributed free backpacks full of school supplies for thousands of families.
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Copyright 2023 WCJB. All rights reserved. | https://www.wcjb.com/2023/07/29/gainesville-back-to-school-rally-focuses-citys-gun-violence/ | 2023-07-29T20:27:53 | 1 | https://www.wcjb.com/2023/07/29/gainesville-back-to-school-rally-focuses-citys-gun-violence/ |
Grant Dreher can see progress. Legacy Downs at WarHorse Lincoln's oval track — seven-eighths of a mile from start to finish — is still several months from being ready for its first race, but its superintendent says the project is moving forward.
"We're getting there," he says.
The grandstand, expected to seat thousands, remains on the back burner as do the stables that next spring will house dozens of horses on the track's inaugural race day.
There's plenty of work left to be done, but some things can't be rushed. Right now getting the track itself ready is the priority.
On Friday, work continued with laying the cushion, a tedious process that will take weeks to complete.
It's a vital undertaking, especially this year, when the safety of horses everywhere — from Santa Anita, California to Louisville, Kentucky — has been under severe scrutiny after 12 died in May at Churchill Downs, the storied home of the Kentucky Derby.
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In Nebraska, with four tracks and an uncertainty of whether there are enough horses to fully stock the statutory requirement of at least 51 race days needed to continue to simulcast races from other markets — "that's the million-dollar question," says Lori Thomas, chief operating officer of the Nebraska Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association — safety is taking on an even bigger role.
As a result, the work in laying the track's cushion is being done thoughtfully and deliberately.
"It's important," said Lynne McNally, CEO of the Horsemen's group.
First, a layer of crushed limestone, ideal for drainage, was placed. That is being followed by layer after layer of a mixture of locally sourced sand, clay and ash, placed two inches deep at a time.
Before it was put in place, the soil mixture was sent to experts in Kentucky, who tested it to make sure the three kinds of soil combined to create a proper cushion for the horses, Dreher said.
After getting the thumbs up from Kentucky, each two-inch layer is carefully placed and then the mixture is graded, rolled and watered down before another layer is added.
"We've got dump trucks out there dropping it," said Dreher, the Millard South High School graduate who got his start in the industry in 2013 at Horsemen's Park in Omaha.
In all, three layers will be placed, giving the track a six-inch cushion.
"The bottom layer will have 100% compaction," Dreher said. "There will be some give to what the horses run on. When we roll it on race days, we'll only be pulling up about two inches of the cushion."
The care in laying it makes a difference in weather-proofing the cushion, he said, adding that neither rain, nor the upcoming winter frost and snow will have an adverse impact on the soil mixture.
"It should be just fine," he said.
After the cushion is placed, the quarter poles will be placed by a company that will carefully measure the track and lay them precisely.
The same will be done with the finish line, where cameras and a timing mechanism will be installed.
"We should be done with the track by the end of the year," he said.
With regard to racing, Thomas said there would be a "live meet" each year. The length of the meet will be determined by the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission Board.
"It could be a day or a week or a month of racing. It could be three months of racing or six months," Thomas said. "The idea is with the casinos now, we would really restore year-round racing to Nebraska."
There was a time when there was a racing circuit in Nebraska that allowed horsemen to stay inside the state by going from Fonner Park in Grand Island to Columbus to Omaha to Lincoln.
"They could race most of the year in Nebraska," she said. "So that's the goal — to restore that four-track racing circuit so that we can stay home."
And that brings us back to the big question: Are there enough horses in the state to pull it off?
"It's not just in Nebraska, but across the country that they're having horse shortages," she said.
Some of America's bigger race tracks have had to cancel races because there weren't enough horses.
Turn back the calendar two or three years — the age of most race horses — and it's easy to blame it all on the COVID pandemic, which put the industry on hold and forced many horsemen out of business.
"I can't predict how many horses are going to be racing here next year, but you are seeing across the nation that there is a horse shortage."
But things are getting better. Statistics show an uptick in the number of foals that were born last year.
"You can see the arc of the numbers going up," she said. "We hope that continues." | https://journalstar.com/news/local/business/track-work-continues-as-legacy-downs-at-warhorse-lincoln-preps-for-racing/article_dbf2abd6-2d73-11ee-a99b-970dd6074d20.html | 2023-07-29T20:27:53 | 1 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/business/track-work-continues-as-legacy-downs-at-warhorse-lincoln-preps-for-racing/article_dbf2abd6-2d73-11ee-a99b-970dd6074d20.html |
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. | https://wgntv.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/ukraine-moves-date-of-christmas-day-to-distance-itself-from-russian-tradition/ | 2023-07-29T20:27:54 | 1 | https://wgntv.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/ukraine-moves-date-of-christmas-day-to-distance-itself-from-russian-tradition/ |
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Florida woman is accused of throwing boiling water onto a man’s face on Friday in Sanford, according to NBC affiliate WESH.
WESH reported that Iyonn’a Spates, 26 of Sanford, appeared to be cooking as another woman who lived there checked on her. The woman assumed Spates was preparing a meal when she saw the boiling pot.
When the woman left the room, she allegedly heard her boyfriend scream from her bedroom.
WESH reported that the man told police he woke up to Spates “throwing a pot of boiling water on his face.”
After she threw the pot, she told the other woman that the man had to leave. That’s when the two women got into a physical altercation.
When Spates spoke with police, she told them she was uncomfortable with the man at the home and had allegedly previously asked him to leave multiple times, according to WESH.
The other woman was treated for injuries from the fight.
Spates was arrested on charges of aggravated battery causing bodily harm and domestic violence battery. | https://www.wfla.com/news/florida/florida-woman-accused-of-throwing-boiled-water-on-mans-face-report/ | 2023-07-29T20:27:59 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/news/florida/florida-woman-accused-of-throwing-boiled-water-on-mans-face-report/ |