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The planned execution of a 45-year-old Missouri man with schizophrenia is back on after an appellate court reversed course Saturday.
Johnny Johnson is scheduled to receive a lethal injection Tuesday at the state prison in Bonne Terre for killing 6-year-old Casey Williamson after trying to sexually assault her in 2002.
With questions swirling about his mental competency, the execution was halted last Tuesday by a divided three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court. But after the Missouri Attorney General’s Office asked that the full court reconsider, that decision was reversed in a 7-3 ruling.
The case will likely end up before the U.S. Supreme Court before the scheduled execution date.
Attorneys for Johnson have claimed his schizophrenia prevents him from understanding the link between his crime and the punishment. They have also said Johnson has delusions about the devil using his death to bring about the end of the world.
The Missouri Supreme Court in June declined to halt the execution based on the mental health claim. The attorney general’s office challenged the credibility of psychiatric evaluations of Johnson and contended that medical records indicate he is able to manage his mental illness through medication.
Johnson lured the girl to an abandoned glass factory, even carrying her on his shoulders on the walk to the dilapidated site. When he tried to sexually assault her, Casey screamed and tried to break free. He killed her with bricks and rocks, then washed off in the Meramec River. Johnson confessed to the crimes.
Casey’s disappearance set off a frantic search involving first responders and volunteers. Her body was found in a pit less than a mile (1.6 kilometers) from her home, buried beneath rocks and debris.
The execution would be the fourth in Missouri this year. | https://www.wdtn.com/news/u-s-world/ap-us-news/ap-appellate-court-rules-that-missouri-man-with-schizophrenia-can-be-executed-after-all/ | 2023-07-30T00:09:31 | 0 | https://www.wdtn.com/news/u-s-world/ap-us-news/ap-appellate-court-rules-that-missouri-man-with-schizophrenia-can-be-executed-after-all/ |
(NEXSTAR) — Pretend you accidentally knock your drink over. What would you say happened to it? If you’re from Texas, or just from the south overall, you might say it “tumped” over.
In general, the word is used when something falls over, spills over, or is knocked over. You can tump someone over or be tumped over by someone else. It’s a useful word — but is it even a word?
And moreover, why do Texans say this?
While “tump” isn’t only found in Texas, you’ll definitely hear it there. Several Texas news outlets have attempted to trace the word’s origin, including Texas Monthly, which pointed to a now-26-year-old post on a message board called Word Wizard (the website is now gone, sadly). According to Texas Monthly’s John Nova Lomax, that lost-to-time post explained that “tump” was a word meant to mimic the “thump” of something falling and hitting the ground.
A common etymological theory is that the word is a combination of the words “tipped” and “dumped” — both of which are frequently followed by the word “over,” as “tumped” often is. In other words, what’s known as a portmanteau, as explained by Texas Standard in 2017.
Again, the verbal phenomenon isn’t signature to only Texas. Many southern outlets, including Oklahoma’s The Oklahoman and Alabama’s AL.com, have noted the trend. Nevertheless, Texans online appear to proudly own the word.
“If you used the word ‘tumped’ you’re: A) from Texas B) not from Texas and possibly just had a stroke. See a doctor ASAP,” joked the popular Texas Humor Twitter account in 2014.
Musings on the word can be seen in connection with Texas Reddit, including this giant thread of Texas slang words.
In a 2020 Reddit thread, one new Texan asked how long until they could convincingly say “Yeehaw,” to which someone posed a counter-challenge: “The real test is when you can properly use ‘tumped over’ in a sentence.”
We may just never know where tump came from. What’s more, researching tump can be more difficult than it used to be since a certain former president’s last name takes up considerable search engine real estate now.
Finally, if anyone ever laughs at you for using tump, just know this: the word’s even made it into the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. So tump away, Texas! | https://www.wdtn.com/news/u-s-world/what-does-tump-mean-and-why-do-texans-say-it/ | 2023-07-30T00:09:36 | 1 | https://www.wdtn.com/news/u-s-world/what-does-tump-mean-and-why-do-texans-say-it/ |
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Little Rock Animal Village (LRAV) reunited a Texas family with its loving furbaby on Friday.
Jill, who has been missing for two years, found her way back to the family thanks to a microchip.
"We love a happy ending," said Friends of the Animal Village, a nonprofit dedicated to providing supplemental support to LRAV. "Microchips make them possible. Please microchip your pets, and be sure to register them."
According to Friends of the Animal Village, the family drove from Texas to Little Rock to pick up Jill after receiving the phone call Thursday afternoon. | https://www.11alive.com/article/life/heartwarming/lrav-reunites-dog-with-family/91-c1044a2f-a5ab-4530-868f-ed5a570cc20f | 2023-07-30T00:09:50 | 1 | https://www.11alive.com/article/life/heartwarming/lrav-reunites-dog-with-family/91-c1044a2f-a5ab-4530-868f-ed5a570cc20f |
COSTILLA COUNTY, Colo. — Property owners in Colorado sent in a record number of property value appeals this year. The hope was to convince their county assessors to reduce the value of their home and shrink the increase they received on their property tax bill.
There's one little problem, though. Appealing your property tax value could also put you at risk of getting an even higher bill.
"This carpet is 23 years old," said Thomas Larson sitting inside his home in Fort Garland, in Costilla County. "No, no, I haven’t touched it. One thing, I’m too old. The other, I can’t afford it."
Larson built the home himself. He says he hasn't added any square footage to the home or done any major renovations since he moved in to the house in 2000.
And yet, his property valuation went up higher than he could have ever imagined this year.
"$640,017," Larson said looking at his property valuation document. "That blew me away."
That's a lot, considering just last year the assessed value was under $140,000. Then, Larson got a card in the mail a couple of months ago telling him it went up to more than $300,000. He appealed to try and get it lowered.
The county assessor has the power to increase values after someone appeals. Higher property values mean higher taxes. When Larson got back his appeal, the assessor said his home was worth more than $640,000.
"They doubled it. So, I feel like I might have been better not to say anything," said Larson. "Appealing was probably a really stupid decision."
If you're considering taking your appeal to the next level, we should warn you that your property valuation could keep increasing with each appeal.
You didn't know that? Yeah, we didn't either.
Turns out the state doesn't require assessors to warn you before you decide to appeal.
"It makes me feel like I am being victimized by the county government. That’s exactly how I feel," said Tom Phillips, Larson's neighbor who lives down the street.
His value also skyrocketed. Now they’re fighting back.
"We’re starting to band together," said Phillips. "We actually had some meetings down at the community hall and that’s where we found out that we’re not alone."
Together, they appeal yet again.
In front of county commissioners and the deputy county assessor at the Board of Equalization meeting, Larson pleaded his case on Wednesday. Hundreds more are signed up to do the same over the coming days in Costilla County.
"Why would you do that?" Larson asked the assessor who increased his home value. "I have not even done any improvements on it. It’s the same that it was when I built it."
In less than 15 minutes, the deputy county assessor, Ronda Lobato, decides she’s reducing the assessed property value of Larson's home from $640,000 to $350,000. She gave no explanation on why, how she came to that conclusion, or why it was ever valued so high.
9NEWS has been trying to talk to anyone in the county assessors office in Costilla County for the last couple of days. We sent them multiple emails. We finally had a conversation in person with Lobato on Wednesday in San Luis.
She told us she saw our emails, but didn’t have time to talk to us or respond to our questions.
Despite these cases, there are some success stories in Colorado.
We told you about Breck Larson in May. He's an Arapahoe County homeowner who appealed after his property value increased 81%.
He went above and beyond to show off the worst aspects of his home, submitting 49 pages worth of documents and photos of his 1970s fixtures, a retro turquoise bathroom and asbestos. His appeal convinced the assessor to come down about 10% on his valuation, but not the 30% decrease he wanted.
"I'm kind of looking at this as the 10% off my property value isn't really helpful, because it only knocks $1,100 off my taxes and my taxes are pretty hefty considering how high they valued my property," Breck Larson said. "Ten percent off feels like a restaurant coupon."
Like the homeowners in southern Colorado, he said he's also considering taking his appeal to the county board of equalization for a second opinion.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Full Episodes of Next with Kyle Clark | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/costilla-county-man-property-valuation-rises-after-appeal-colorado/73-ddff21bf-a1eb-4238-9cef-020f29d101c0 | 2023-07-30T00:09:56 | 0 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/costilla-county-man-property-valuation-rises-after-appeal-colorado/73-ddff21bf-a1eb-4238-9cef-020f29d101c0 |
Bronny James plays piano in a video posted by his father, LeBron James, on Saturday, four days after the teenager went into cardiac arrest during a basketball workout at the University of Southern California.
The 18-year-old plays a brief melody in front of his family, smiles and gets up without speaking in the video posted on his father's Instagram account. The video doesn't indicate where or when it was shot.
“A man of many talents,” the Los Angeles Lakers superstar can be heard saying in the background as Bronny finishes playing with his two younger siblings looking on.
TMZ posted photos of Bronny out to dinner with his family, which it says were taken Friday night. They show the teenager with his father outside celebrity hot spot Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica.
Wearing black pants and a zip-up hoodie, Bronny carried his phone while standing outside the Italian restaurant.
Bronny was released from the hospital on Thursday. He will continue to undergo tests to determine the cause of his cardiac arrest, which occurred Monday morning during a workout at USC’s Galen Center.
"We have our family together, safe and healthy, and we feel your love," LeBron wrote on social media Thursday. "Will have more to say when we’re ready but I wanted to tell everyone how much your support has meant to all of us!"
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.
TEGNA's Val Lick contributed to this report. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/nation-world/bronny-james-update-after-cardiac-arrest/507-3280e25d-0548-45c6-b647-40568b3c99ea | 2023-07-30T00:10:02 | 1 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/nation-world/bronny-james-update-after-cardiac-arrest/507-3280e25d-0548-45c6-b647-40568b3c99ea |
CHICAGO — Officers searching the apartment of a Chicago man accused of fatally stabbing a man on a restaurant's roof discovered the body of a young woman in his refrigerator earlier this month, authorities said.
Brandon Sanders, 33, has not been charged in the death of Iman Al-Sarraj, 18, whose beaten body was found in early July in a refrigerator at his apartment in Chicago's West Ridge neighborhood.
But he was arrested June 29 and charged with murder, robbery and burglary in the May killing of Rasim Katanic, a 69-year-old who was a Bosnian War refugee, WLS-TV reported.
Prosecutors said surveillance footage shows Sanders climbing a stairwell on May 12 to a rooftop where Katanic was working on a cooler compressor atop Tahoora Sweets & Bakery. Katanic was later found stabbed to death on that roof.
At his bail hearing, Sanders’ attorney said, “There are some issues with a mental state.” Sanders remains held without bail.
Katanic’s daughter, Aida Sutardio, told the Chicago Sun-Times her father had retired at 66 but continued doing maintenance work for longtime clients of his heating, ventilation and air conditioning business, including the restaurant where he was found on the roof.
She said she is having a difficult time grasping “that he was slaughtered on top of a roof.”
“We never thought that this is how his life would end,” Sutardio said.
The Associated Press left telephone messages Friday with the Cook County State's Attorney’s Office seeking comment on the status of the investigation into Al-Sarraj's death.
Al-Sarraj's father, Khalil Sarraj, said his daughter was born in Chicago after he came to the United States from Israel. “My heart is shattered in a million pieces,” he said. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/nation-world/chicago-police-find-woman-dead-in-refrigerator/507-1ad830b3-25ba-4509-b0ce-c6a282b5fa37 | 2023-07-30T00:10:08 | 1 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/nation-world/chicago-police-find-woman-dead-in-refrigerator/507-1ad830b3-25ba-4509-b0ce-c6a282b5fa37 |
ATLANTA — If you're heading to the Braves game tonight, there's a chance you could see traffic delays if you're taking Interstate 285.
A collapsed drainage pipe is expected to fully or partially close the eastbound off-ramp of I-285 at Cobb Parkway, the Truist Park Twitter account said in a social media post.
They did not say when the issue would be fixed and when the ramp would re-open.
Drivers are encouraged to follow updated traffic patterns and use real-time navigation to help avoid any potential delays.
News happens fast. Download our 11Alive News app for all the latest breaking updates, and sign up for our Speed Feed newsletter to get a rundown of the latest headlines across north Georgia. | https://www.11alive.com/article/traffic/eastbound-i-285-ramp-closed-near-truist-park-collapsed-drainage-pipe/85-a22b4702-4d01-4e7a-9281-2e989a057678 | 2023-07-30T00:10:15 | 0 | https://www.11alive.com/article/traffic/eastbound-i-285-ramp-closed-near-truist-park-collapsed-drainage-pipe/85-a22b4702-4d01-4e7a-9281-2e989a057678 |
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — A New Hampshire man celebrating his birthday on the ocean with his three daughters captured video of something so rare that even marine scientists are jealous — three humpback whales leaping from the water in near perfect unison.
“It was such an uplifting thing to see. Just incredible," Robert Addie said.
The Portsmouth man, now a home remodeler, spent decades on the water as a commercial fisherman in Massachusetts and Alaska. In that time, he has seen thousands of whales.
But he never witnessed anything like Monday's whale encounter on a tuna fishing trip off Cape Cod. The excursion with his daughters was for his 59th birthday, as well as to celebrate his safe return from a humanitarian aid trip to Ukraine where he came under heavy artillery fire.
He'd been trying to film some humpback whales about 300 yards (275 meters) from their boat and was having no luck, until he got what he called a “whale ballet.”
“A triple breach is unheard of and a synchronized triple breach is even rarer,” he said. “It’s once in a lifetime. Just very fortunate. I feel God shined down on me to allow me to to capture that.”
To add to the thrill, seconds after the three whales breached and twisted together, a juvenile whale did the same thing. Whale experts have told him the aerial maneuvers may have been an attempt to remove parasites or aid digestion.
Addie has another theory: “I have a feeling that maybe they were teaching or training” the younger whale.
Those same experts also know how rare the spectacle was.
“Even some of the whale experts that have reached out to me, they’re all jealous because they’ve never seen it," he said. | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/nation-world/whale-ballet-humpbacks-jump-in-unison/507-c2f2ec93-cf1b-4c25-8e0d-9a0398b7035b | 2023-07-30T00:10:20 | 0 | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/nation-world/whale-ballet-humpbacks-jump-in-unison/507-c2f2ec93-cf1b-4c25-8e0d-9a0398b7035b |
HOOVER, Ala. — Authorities in Alabama said Friday they filed criminal charges against a woman who confessed to fabricating a story that she was kidnapped after stopping to check on a toddler she saw walking on the side of the interstate.
Carlee Russell was charged with false reporting to law enforcement and falsely reporting an incident, both misdemeanors that carry up to a year in jail, Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis said. Russell turned herself into jail Friday and was released on bond, he said.
“Her decisions that night created panic and alarm for citizens of our city and even across the nation as concern grew that a kidnapper was on the loose using a small child as bait,” he said. “Numerous law enforcement agencies, both local and federal, began working tireless not only to bring Carlee home to her family but locate a kidnapper that we now know never existed. Many private citizens volunteered their time and energy in looking for a potential kidnapping victim that we know now was never in any danger.”
Derzis said he was frustrated that Russell was only being charged with two misdemeanors despite the panic and disruption she caused, but he said the law did not allow for enhanced charges.
Russell, 25, disappeared after calling 911 on July 13 to report a toddler wandering beside a stretch of interstate. She returned home two days later and told police she had been abducted and forced into a vehicle.
Her disappearance became a national news story. Images of the missing woman were shared broadly on social media.
“We don’t see this as a victimless crime," Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said at Friday's news conference. “There are significant hours spent, resources expended as a result of this investigation.”
Marshall's office was asked to handle the prosecution because of the attention the case has received, Derzis said. Marshall said he intends to “fully prosecute” Russell and said his office will monitor the police investigation to see whether additional charges are warranted.
Russell, through her attorney, Emory Anthony, acknowledged earlier that she made the story up. In a statement read by police on Monday, Anthony said Russell was not kidnapped, did not see a baby on the side of the road, did not leave the city and acted alone. He said Russell apologized and he asked for prayers and forgiveness as she “addresses her issues and attempts to move forward, understanding that she made a mistake in this matter.”
A message left Friday at Anthony’s office was not immediately returned.
Russell told detectives she was taken by a man who came out of the trees when she stopped to check on the child, put her in a car and an 18-wheel truck, blindfolded her and held her at a home where a woman fed her cheese crackers, authorities said at a news conference last week. At some point, Russell said she was put in a vehicle again but managed to escape and run through the woods to her neighborhood.
“This story opened wounds for families whose loved ones really were victims of kidnappings,” Derzis said.
He said police have not determined where Russell went during the 49 hours she was missing. They plan to talk to the attorney general's office about recovering some of the money spent on the investigation. | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/state/carlee-russell-charges-filed-against-woman-who-fabricated-story-about-kidnapping-lost-child-hoover-alabama/525-46ec2625-8229-41b6-be7a-5217c5db7f7f | 2023-07-30T00:10:27 | 0 | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/state/carlee-russell-charges-filed-against-woman-who-fabricated-story-about-kidnapping-lost-child-hoover-alabama/525-46ec2625-8229-41b6-be7a-5217c5db7f7f |
TAINAN, Taiwan — USA Baseball just posted one of the most lopsided scoring lines you'll ever see.
They beat New Zealand in the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-12 Baseball World Cup on Saturday 43-1. Yes, you read that correctly. 43 ... in baseball.
The team's 43 runs scored easily set a new single-game record for any 12U National Team, breaking the high of 29 previously set during the World Cup Qualifiers gold-medal game against Venezuela in May, according to USA Baseball. Things started out "normal," you could say, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first.
In the second frame, Team USA really started to get the bats going, posting an 11-run inning.
But that was just the start of it.
In the third, Team USA somehow bested their second inning outing with 20 more runs in the third inning, including a grand slam from Bryant Ju.
The game was called after the fourth inning because of the mercy rule.
With the win, Team USA remains unbeaten in opening games at the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup, improving to 6-0 all-time. Team USA is back in action Sunday against Panama.
More Sports stories: | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/sports/baseball/usa-baseball-43-runs-world-cup-new-zealand/287-cce8c694-3d3a-48e6-905d-ff4f35a6fcb6 | 2023-07-30T00:10:33 | 1 | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/sports/baseball/usa-baseball-43-runs-world-cup-new-zealand/287-cce8c694-3d3a-48e6-905d-ff4f35a6fcb6 |
AUCKLAND, New Zealand — The United States heads into its final group match at the Women's World Cup with questions swirling about the team's tactics.
U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski started the same lineup against Netherlands on Thursday that he rolled out for the opening match against Vietnam. While it was enough for the United States to beat the Vietnamese 3-0, it was less successful against the stronger Dutch, and the Americans settled for a 1-1 draw.
That lineup had never played together before the World Cup.
The tie meant that the United States will likely need a more decisive outcome on Tuesday against Portugal to finish atop Group E and secure a favorable path in the knockout round. Going into the game, advancing out of the group wasn't a given for the two-time defending World Cup champions.
In addition to the same starters, Andonovski made just one substitution in the game against the Dutch, bringing on midfielder Rose Lavelle to start the second half. But no fresh legs were subbed in even after players showed fatigue. Forwards Lynn Williams and Megan Rapinoe remained on the sidelines.
He was asked about the strategy afterward.
“I just didn’t want to disrupt the rhythm at that point because sometimes a substitute comes in and it might take a minute or two to get into a rhythm,” he said. “We just didn’t want to jeopardize anything because I thought all three of our forwards were very good, dangerous, created opportunities and were a handful.”
It was the first time that the United States had made just one or fewer substitutions in a World Cup game since 2007.
Known in 2019 for jumping on World Cup opponents early, the Americans did not score against the Dutch until the second half when they were already down 1-0.
Lavelle is one of the team's top midfielders and made an immediate impact in the game — boosting the energy and feeding the attack — and the United States looked like that 2019 championship team again. She served up a corner kick to Lindsey Horan, angry about getting knocked down by a Dutch player moments before, for the game-tying goal in the 62nd minute.
Lavelle had a knee injury going into the World Cup and hadn't played since April. She's been on a minutes restriction and Andonovski has been starting Savannah DeMelo, one of the teams' 14 players making their first-ever appearance in the World Cup.
DeMelo hadn't played in a match with the national team until the send-off game against Wales in San Jose, the day the team departed for the World Cup.
“I think we weren’t in sync," midfielder Andi Sullivan said. “That happens, and we were able to adjust and respond. Hopefully, we can do that earlier in the future. And I think that’s also a great strength of this team -- we have lots of different ways we can do that together.”
Andonovski said the team can build off that second half against the Dutch in Wellington.
“Even though it didn’t finish the way we wanted to finish I thought it was a very good match for our team and especially for a group of young players. They grew throughout the game, individually, but also as a team we grew throughout the game as well,” Andonovski said. “I’ve said this before, this team is not just young. This team is also a fresh team that hasn’t spent a lot of minutes together. What you saw in the second half is what you’re going to see going forward as a best baseline. I think that we’re just going to get better from game to game and we’re gonna be a lot more efficient as well.”
Portugal fell 1-0 in its opening match against the Dutch, then defeated Vietnam 2-0 on Thursday in Hamilton. The victory knocked Vietnam out of the next round.
The United States sits atop Group E, even on points — four — with the Netherlands but edging the Dutch on goal differential. Portugal, third in the group with three points, could leap in front of the U.S. with a win at Auckland's Eden Park.
The Dutch play Vietnam in an earlier game Tuesday in Dunedin.
Telma Encarnacao and Kika Nazareth each scored in the match against Vietnam, which made history as Portugal's first win in its first World Cup appearance.
“We are aware of what awaits us, but we are focused on ourselves, which is very important,” Nazareth told reporters at training on Saturday. “We will enter the field respecting the opponent, with humility, but always with character and personality. The work will be there, the talent is there. And I think you also always need a little bit of luck. It’s believing.” | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/sports/soccer/us-faces-portugal-with-womens-world-cup-future-still-up-in-the-air-knockout-stage/507-6403953b-33b2-4d89-b452-919cd9f37dac | 2023-07-30T00:10:39 | 1 | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/sports/soccer/us-faces-portugal-with-womens-world-cup-future-still-up-in-the-air-knockout-stage/507-6403953b-33b2-4d89-b452-919cd9f37dac |
Portions Of Two Lincoln Streets To Close July 31
July 29, 2023 8:46AM CDT
(KFOR July 29, 2023) Portions of two Lincoln streets are scheduled to close Monday, July 31. The closures are as follows:
- Both northbound lanes and one southbound lane of South 48th Street from Nebraska Parkway to Briarpark Drive will be closed for work on a Lincoln on the Move street improvement project. Business access will be maintained via a southbound lane during this work. The recommended detour is Nebraska Parkway to South 56th Street to Old Cheney Road. Beginning Thursday, August 3, this portion of South 48th Street will be partially open with lane closures in both directions.
- South Folsom Street from Old Cheney Road to Pioneers Boulevard will close to begin work on a Lincoln on the Move street improvement project. Access to the homes, church, and ballfields in the area will be maintained. The recommended detour is Old Cheney Road to Southwest 12th Street to West Pioneers Boulevard. This work is expected to be completed by early December.
- For more information on these projects, visit lincoln.ne.gov/projects or contact Shane Dostal, LTU, at 402-525-7852 or [email protected]. Current information on street closures is available at lincoln.ne.gov/closures | https://www.kfornow.com/portions-of-two-lincoln-streets-to-close-july-31/ | 2023-07-30T00:11:06 | 0 | https://www.kfornow.com/portions-of-two-lincoln-streets-to-close-july-31/ |
SALTDOGS BASEBALL: Saltdogs Take Homestand Opener Against Kane County
(LINCOLN NE-News Release July 28) LHP Abdallah Aris struck out a season-high nine hitters in a quality start over six innings, and the ‘Dogs beat the Kane County Cougars 9-4 at Haymarket Park on Friday night.
Aris’s nine strikeouts were the most for any ‘Dogs starter this year and Lincoln (33-32) snapped a three-game skid with a win against Kane County (32-34) in the opener.
Lincoln scored in the 1st inning when former Cougar CF Nick Anderson made it 1-0 with an RBI double. 1B Jason Rogers, in his 2023 debut after playing the second half of the year with Lincoln in 2022, then made it 2-0 with an RBI groundout.
The Cougars got a run back on 1B Todd Lott’s solo homer in the 2nd inning, but Lincoln scored four times in the 3rd. Anderson singled in one run before Rogers added another run on a sacrifice fly to make it 4-1.
Later in the inning, LF Aaron Takacs drove in a run with a single and 3B Will Kengor scored on a passed ball to make it 6-1.
The ‘Dogs scored three more in the 4th inning. Kengor made it 7-1 with an RBI single and DH Nate Samson added two more with a two-run single.
Kane County got two runs back on a two-run triple from LF Jonah Davis in the 5th and another solo homer from Lott in the 8th.
Aris picked up the win and is now 4-2 on the year, while RHP R.J. Freure struck out the side in order on in relief in the 7th inning. LHP David Zoz allowed one run over the 8th and 9th innings.
C Luke Roskam reached all five times in the game, extending his on-base streak to 31 – the longest active in the league.
The series continues Saturday night. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. and pregame coverage begins at 5:35 on KFOR FM 101.5/1240 AM. | https://www.kfornow.com/saltdogs-baseball-saltdogs-take-homestand-opener-against-kane-county/ | 2023-07-30T00:11:36 | 1 | https://www.kfornow.com/saltdogs-baseball-saltdogs-take-homestand-opener-against-kane-county/ |
8 dogs died from extreme heat in the Midwest during unairconditioned drive
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — At least eight dogs died of heat-related injuries after being transported in the back of an uncooled cargo van through northern Indiana Thursday night, authorities said.
The dogs that died were among 18 shepherds traveling from O’Hare International Airport in Chicago to a training facility in Michigan City, Indiana, police said.
The driver, whom police did not name, said he was unaware that the air conditioning in the cargo area failed until he heard dogs barking. Then, he pulled off Interstate 94 at a convenience store and gas station in Lake Station, Indiana. When he opened the back, the driver found several dogs dead and others suffering. Numerous store employees and passersby stepped in to aid the dogs.
Jennifer Webber, executive director of the Humane Society of Hobart, responded to the call at 7:40 p.m. and said the dogs displayed signs of heatstroke: Salivating heavily, wobbling, vomiting and convulsing.
“There were already several dogs dead on the scene, and multiple failing fast,” Webber said. “Their crates inside the truck were completely trashed on the inside and the little water bowls were the size you’d give a parrot. And they were empty and torn up as if the dogs were exasperated.”
In a statement posted online, the Lake Station Police Department described the incident as a “freak event.” Telephone and email messages seeking further comment were left with the police station Saturday.
“This was not an act of animal cruelty or neglect but a mechanical failure of the AC unit that was being used in the cargo area,” the statement said.
But Webber said she encountered resistance when attempting to gather facts for the investigation she is authorized to conduct. The police officer in charge of the scene told her she could leave because the deaths were an accident that “the owner will take care of.”
The owner, who was driving the car, used abusive language, cursed at her and refused to produce health certificates, Webber said. Such paperwork is typically signed by veterinarians in each state involved and required to move dogs across borders for commerce. Webber said she doubted a veterinarian would have approved travel on Thursday, when heat indices exceeded 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 Celsius).
The extreme heat is a worldwide problem, and scientists calculate that July will be the hottest month on record.
“He shouldn’t have been traveling at all. So No. 1: That is neglectful,” Webber said. Then, the police let the owner drive away — this time with the door to the cargo area open — with several dead dogs and others who should have been hospitalized in crates that were not secured in the cargo area, she continued.
The truck, crates and dogs are evidence she wanted to inspect.
Even more, five of the dogs were transported to veterinary hospitals — in ambulances used for people, not in the specialized humane society vans offered on site. Webber filed a notice of seizure of the dogs when they’re released. According to Lake Station ordinance, the humane society may confine any dog who is “ill, injured, or otherwise in need of care” or “reasonably believed to have been abused or neglected.”
But Webber claimed that Lake Station police blocked the order, directing the hospitals treating the animals to release them to the owner when they are well again. She said that in her five years working with Lake Station, that has never happened.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kalb.com/2023/07/29/8-dogs-died-extreme-heat-midwest-during-unairconditioned-drive/ | 2023-07-30T00:11:38 | 0 | https://www.kalb.com/2023/07/29/8-dogs-died-extreme-heat-midwest-during-unairconditioned-drive/ |
Duffel of Dreams hosts charity fly-in for children in foster care
PINEVILLE, La. (KALB) - The non-profit organization Duffel of Dreams hosted a ‘fly-in’ on Saturday, July 29 at the Pineville Airport.
Duffel of Dreams aims to support children in the foster care system in Central Louisiana by providing duffel bags with supplies and other items the children may not have otherwise. The organization also connects the children to mental health education, spiritual guidance and other resources to help the children during their time in foster care.
“We are making a mark on the foster care community,” said Danielle Poteet, Duffel of Dreams Founder and CEO. “We are advocating for and supporting these children in need, and the way that we do that is through collecting duffel bags and stuffing them with necessities like hygiene items, toiletries bibles, books, toys for children of all ages, blankets, teddy bears, something they can call their own that they can bring along their fostering journey.”
Dozens of pilots flew to Pineville to donate their time and airplanes to take eventgoers on free trips to the skies around Central Louisiana. Additionally, the event offered other entertainment like slides, a bounce house, a clown, and more.
“We are here to show our support and to let these children know that it’s not just them in this world,” said Poteet. “That there is a band of people that are willing to help them and bring them out of their trauma that they have experienced and let them know that there are people that love and cherish them and that they are valued in this life.”
Donations to Duffel of Dreams can be made on the organization’s website by CLICKING HERE.
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Zenek Luci was born deaf to a family in Welland, Ontario. He used hearing aids as an infant before receiving a cochlear implant in an operation, his father, Gabriel, says.
"He was about one year old when it was turned on," Gabriel says. "When it's first turned on, they do a mapping, so they they start really low and see where they're responding to the sound."
Invented in 1957, cochlear implants are worn by more than two hundred thousand Americans, according to the American Cochlear Implant Alliance, an industry trade group.
Viral videos of patients receiving cochlear implants and hearing for the first time pack an emotional punch. It's a technology that's transforming lives—and one that's long stirred debate within the Deaf community. Dr. Samantha Kesteloot, an audiologist, educates families about implants and wears one herself.
"There's an internal part and external part," she explains. "The internal part is surgical, and there's an electrode array that is inserted into the cochlea, which is the organ of hearing."
"The outside part is a processor, which sort of looks like a hearing aid," she says. "That picks up the acoustical sound and converts it to electrical stimulus, and then those signals are sent down the electrode array and electrically stimulate the auditory nerve." That's the nerve that sends signals to the brain that correspond to the sensation of hearing.
Many adults with hearing loss say the implants have dramatically improved their lives.
Lou Ferrigno, the actor who once portrayed the Incredible Hulk, recently told students who were deaf or hard of hearing, and how implants have helped him. They "changed my life tremendously," he said. "There's so much hope that people can have better hearing, better lifestyle."
Dr. Keseloot, meanwhile, received her implant in 2017.
"It's completely changed my life," she says. "I always was a pretty high achiever with hearing aids, but I was always just kind of missing out on a lot of social things." Dr. Kestellot says she would "just sort of smile and nod and pretend I understood." Now, she says, "I can keep up in noisy situations."
SEE MORE: Parents push for insurers to cover pediatric hearing aids
Roughly one in five Americans has some form of hearing loss, according to the National Institutes of Health. And there is a thriving Deaf community in the U.S. that communicates with sign language. So adults who are eligible for implants have the choice of whether they want to receive them.
There's considerable debate, however, around their use with kids.
The FDA has approved the technology for children as young as nine months.
Without Zenek's implant, using just the hearing aid, "Everything he said was gibberish," says Gabriel Luci. "So that told us, okay, he's not getting enough with the aid."
"If a family desires listening in spoken language outcomes, the natural goal for the child is to speak and listen," says Dr. Kesteloot. "The best route is to aid and then implant if the hearing aids not doing enough. And then if the child chooses to sign later or, you know, and refuses the implant later, that's a choice that they can make."
Some parents of deaf children decline the procedure, says Dr. Kesteloot, including parents who are deaf themselves. "A lot of culturally deaf parents choose not to implant their children because they don't really have a need for it. Their life is based around sign language," she says. "And then also, some parents believe that the child should make the decision when they get old enough to make the decision. And that's, you know, a little tricky because there is a critical period for language development."
Dorian Smith Garcia wrote recently that videos celebrating cochlear implants "play into audism," which implies that people with hearing loss need to be "cured or corrected."
Academy Award winner Marlee Matlin, who is Deaf, says she isn't opposed to cochlear implants. But she told the World Science Festival in 2019 that Deaf culture built on sign language offers immense rewards for children.
"There is still a great deal of pressure that people should explore the option of cochlear implants because that's better than signing, that you shouldn't sign," she told the audience. "I would say to these people, who are you to decide for us?"
Gabriel Luci, who has a second child with implants named Sasha, says the decision should be up to every parent of a Deaf child.
"I do believe that getting my kids cochlear implants gives them more opportunities, though. I'm not taking away any opportunities from them; I'm only giving them opportunities," he says.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com | https://www.wptv.com/cochlear-implants-are-changing-lives-and-sparking-debate | 2023-07-30T00:11:50 | 1 | https://www.wptv.com/cochlear-implants-are-changing-lives-and-sparking-debate |
Another Hot Weekend
Another weekend of highs above 100 degrees
WICHITA FALLS, Texas (KAUZ) - If you guessed another day of hot and dry conditions, then you would be correct! However, we have been locked into this hot and dry pattern for so long now that is has become a daily routine across Texoma. This pattern will continue through the rest of the weekend, as well as the upcoming work week. Temperatures tomorrow will once again be a few degrees above 100 tomorrow along with plentiful amounts of sunshine. This upcoming week will once again feature daily highs above 100 with Tuesday being the hottest day of the week. Come next weekend, we will still be hot, but we could be knocking on the door of a weather pattern change that could bring in cooler temperatures along with rain chances in August.
Copyright 2023 KAUZ. All rights reserved. | https://www.newschannel6now.com/2023/07/29/another-hot-weekend/ | 2023-07-30T00:11:50 | 1 | https://www.newschannel6now.com/2023/07/29/another-hot-weekend/ |
Alexander Zverev vs. Laslo Djere: Prediction and Match Betting Odds | Hamburg European Open
Alexander Zverev will take on Laslo Djere in the Hamburg European Open final on Sunday, July 30.
With -450 odds, Zverev is favored over Djere in this tournament final against the underdog, who is +310.
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Alexander Zverev vs. Laslo Djere Match Information
- Tournament: The Hamburg European Open
- Round: Finals
- Date: Sunday, July 30
- Venue: MatchMaker Sports Gmbh
- Location: Hamburg, Germany
- Court Surface: Clay
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Alexander Zverev vs. Laslo Djere Prediction and Odds
Based on the moneyline in this match, Alexander Zverev has an 81.8% chance to win.
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Alexander Zverev vs. Laslo Djere Trends and Insights
- In the semifinals on Saturday, Zverev beat Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-4.
- Djere eliminated Zhizhen Zhang 6-3, 6-2 in the semifinals on Saturday.
- Zverev has played 26 games per match (22.6 in best-of-three matches) in his 42 matches over the past year (across all court types).
- On clay, Zverev has played 22 matches over the past 12 months, totaling 24.1 games per match (21.4 in best-of-three matches) while winning 54.8% of games.
- In his 58 matches in the past 12 months across all court types, Djere is averaging 25.3 games per match (23.5 in best-of-three matches) while winning 50.3% of those games.
- Djere has averaged 22 games per match (21.4 in best-of-three matches) and 10.5 games per set through 22 matches on clay courts in the past 12 months.
- In head-to-head matches, Zverev has two wins, while Djere has zero. In their last match on June 4, 2021, Zverev was victorious 6-2, 7-5, 6-2.
- In terms of sets, Zverev has won five versus Djere (100.0%), while Djere has captured zero.
- Zverev and Djere have competed in 47 total games, and Zverev has won more often, capturing 31 of them.
- Djere and Zverev have matched up two times, and they have averaged 23.5 games and 2.5 sets per match.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.kalb.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/alexander-zverev-vs-laslo-djere-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-hamburg-european-open/ | 2023-07-30T00:11:50 | 0 | https://www.kalb.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/alexander-zverev-vs-laslo-djere-tennis-prediction-betting-odds-hamburg-european-open/ |
Weeks after catastrophic storms dumped two months of rain in two days over Vermont, causing floods around the state, people continue a long road to recovery.
The reality that rebuilding Vermont will take months as opposed to weeks is sinking in.
More than two weeks ago, Amber Poploski hoped her home would fare better in the torrential rains.
Downpours and flooding made roads in her town of Ripton, Vermont, impassable. She says a firefighter caught her attention, and then...
"I heard a noise, and then I shined my flashlight up. I see the tree coming up. I thought there’s no way I am going to make it out of this," said Poploski.
The Poploskis' home, which was sitting on a hillside, went tumbling down in amudslide as the soil soaked from record rains.
"I ran down the hill, and then I had to wiggle out of whatever I was stuck under," said Poploski.
Miraculously, Poploski escaped serious injury. Her family and three dogs avoided danger too. She’s now nursing an ankle sprain, but she and her husband are dealing with the pain of losing just about everything.
"Every program they’re offering, you have to qualify for FEMA, but we don’t; they offered SBAA loans, but you need to be covered under FEMA," said Poploski.
Even though the Poploskis' home is a total write-off loss and the land is badly damaged, it’s in a county that has a disaster declaration. Their state senator says she’s trying to raise the issue and get them more help.
SEE MORE: Vermont farmers reeling after widespread flooding ruined crops
"Because FEMA determines everything on a county-by-county basis, even people in our county who have had major disasters happen to them have not yet been able to access the FEMA assistance," said State Senator Ruth Hardy.
The lawmaker added that when the state legislatures go back into session, it’s something they will have to examine.
Vermont's Emergency Management agency says more than 4,000 homes were damaged earlier in July, after two months of rain fell in two days, swelling rivers and causing mass floods.
Many in Vermont’s capital, Montpelier, see a long road to recovery ahead.
"I think more people are coming into it, realizing with the time and the silt and category 3 contaminated waste, you gotta properly remove it," said business owner George Estes.
Many don masks in the downtown business district. It’s to guard against the dust from the dried-out silt and black mold festering in flood-damaged dry walls.
Woodbury Mountain Toys is an independent business that is now having to start from scratch. It's selling gift certificates to keep things running.
"We’ve got a lot of support. Working really hard, trying to get it done, we’re hoping for a good holiday season. It would be lovely if we could get open by October, when foliage is at its peak," said Karen Williams, owner of Woodbury Mountain Toys.
Vermont’s fall foliage draws plenty of tourists; businesses hope to recover by then, so people spend too. The Poploskis are hoping they can find solutions to rebuild their dream home.
"We went from having this almost paid off in four years to having to start all over," said Poploski.
The couple Scripps News spoke with is hoping a disaster declaration can include their county so they can get help faster.
In Montpelier, people have been left wondering if a new normal with climate change means they should rebuild their homes and businesses higher.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com | https://www.wptv.com/vermont-braces-for-months-of-flood-cleanup-and-recovery | 2023-07-30T00:11:56 | 0 | https://www.wptv.com/vermont-braces-for-months-of-flood-cleanup-and-recovery |
Another week, another labor action across America.
In June, workers went on strike at at least 120 Starbucks locations, the company said.
Earlier this month, thousands of hotel workers across southern California walked off the job.
And this week, the writers strike in Hollywood reached its third month. Actors joined them on July 13.
Major strike activity increased by almost fifty percent in 2022, according to the U.S. Labor Department. And the Economic Policy Institute says over 120,000 workers were involved in major work stoppages last year.
What caused the resurgence of the U.S. labor movement?
For one thing, the pandemic accelerated union organizing, reporter Alex Press told "The Response" podcast recently. "We've seen this kind of brief, this sort of early stage uptick in union organizing in this country, very explicitly rooted in our response to a pandemic that was raising the stakes of once again to life or death sort of situations for a lot of frontline workers," she said.
Low unemployment has also given workers more leverage to organize and even strike, says Joseph Brock, president of Reliant Labor Consultants.
"That tight labor market, kind of brought on by COVID, has been a boon for unions," said Brock.
A demographic shift toward workers with more labor-friendly views may also be a factor. "There's a whole generation of younger workers that are discovering unionization as the most reliable way to get better pay and working conditions," Rutgers professor Susan Schurman told Money.com.
Workers cite low pay, bad working conditions, and poor job security as reasons to strike.
But a Milken Institute expert told Yahoo Financethat the Hollywood strike alone could cause $4 billion in losses to the U.S. economy.
"It's not just impacting these industries in California. But it's really doing so in New York, it's doing it in Atlanta. It's doing it in Albuquerque, it's doing it in Pittsburgh. It's doing it in all sorts of places where filming actually takes place," said Kevin Klowden.
What's the outlook for the future?
Unions once played a central role in America's economic, political, and cultural life. But Anthony Carnevale of Georgetown University says unions today face an uphill battle to regain that influence. "They lost their power largely because of globalization, technology, and the decline of manufacturing," he says.
Take the Amazon labor union, as it's called, which won an election with more than 8,000 workers in a Staten Island warehouse last year, a milestone hailed by the press, but the group has not yet reached a collective bargaining agreement.
"The bigger problem for unions will continue to be the attainment of that first collective bargaining agreement," says Brock.
And in terms of politics over the short term, Unions pose both political opportunities and challenges.
Balancing workers needs and growing the economy is proving tough for a president who has aligned himself closely with organized labor.
"Folks, I promised you that I'd be the most pro-union president in American history because I know this: in a crisis, America always counts on you," President Joe Biden told the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in a speech last year.
That alignment won him votes from union workers. But now, those close ties could harm a president who has always tried to connect with American workers.
Meanwhile, those marching on the picket line carry on.
SEE MORE: AI fears are fueling the labor strikes in Hollywood
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com | https://www.wptv.com/why-are-us-labor-strikes-increasing-and-what-s-the-future-outlook | 2023-07-30T00:12:02 | 0 | https://www.wptv.com/why-are-us-labor-strikes-increasing-and-what-s-the-future-outlook |
GLASSPORT, Pa. — The search for a missing teen in the Monongahela River in Glassport ended tragically.
Dive Teams from Allegheny and Westmoreland counties recovered the body of 17-year-old Benjerman T.N. Coleman of Mckeesport early Saturday morning.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> 17-year-old boy recovered from Monongahela River
Local fishermen were sad after learning the teen’s body was found in the muddy waters of the Monongahela.
“I believe they need to put a sign there saying strong current, you keep walking out and it’s gonna take you away,” said Glassport Resident Aleson Fleming.
Fleming said it’s not the first time something like this has happened.
“It’s really sad because we’ve just seen this a couple years ago when a girl drowned and it did take a day or two, if not longer, and they finally found her body,” Fleming said.
Dive teams from several agencies used sonar to look for the teen, searching the area near the Mansfield Bridge in the Glassport and Mckeesport area. His body was recovered not far from where he was last seen.
“We do love our firemen and police. They do a fantastic job and so they were right on it,” Fleming said.
“And this can’t be easy for them to have to do,” said Glassport Resident Karen Reynold
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PITTSBURGH — The annual “Goat Fest” was held at South Side Park on Saturday.
The event brings a petting zoo, live music, and food vendors to the Arlington Ball Field.
Goats come into the park and eat unwanted and invasive plants, clearing the way for volunteers to plant native flora.
“The goats go in there and eat it all up and they let you see the lay of the land and let you see what has to be done so volunteers can follow,” Kitty Vagley, a board member of Friends of Southside Park, said.
Anyone who would like to help plant in the park is welcome to volunteer every third Saturday of the month from 9 a.m. to noon.
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PITTSBURGH — Saturday’s rain showers did not stop people from coming out and enjoying a festival in the Hill District.
The second Hill District Arts Festival was held on the 1800 block of Centre Avenue.
ACH Clear Pathways, a nonprofit organization focusing on fostering creativity in kids and families, hosted the event. They try to spark artistic passion by connecting those families with performing arts opportunities.
The festival acts as one of those opportunities and showcases art done by artists from all around the community.
“We have tons of local vendors artists, food trucks, and more. Live entertainment on 2 stages, and most importantly we’re bringing the community together to bring back that creative flare the Hill District once had before,” Executive Director of ACH Clear Pathways Tyian Battle said.
The festival continues tomorrow and will hold a silent disco and a live performance from rapper Young Joc on the main stage.
The festival will wrap up at 8 p.m.
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The U.S. State Department has selected an Indigenous artist to represent the country at the 2024 Venice Biennale.
Jeffrey Gibson, a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, will be the first such artist to have a solo exhibition in the U.S. Pavilion at the prestigious international arts event.
That's according to a statement this week from the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the government body responsible for co-curating the U.S. Pavilion, alongside Oregon's Portland Art Museum and SITE Santa Fe in New Mexico.
The State Department's records of the U.S. Pavilion exhibitions date back to when it was built, in 1930.
Although Indigenous artists have shown work more broadly in Venice over the years, the last time Indigenous artists appeared in the U.S. Pavilion at the Biennale was in 1932 — and that was in a group setting, as part of a mostly Eurocentric exhibition devoted to depictions of the American West.
"In 1932, one of the rooms was devoted to Native American art, but it was done in what I would say was a very ethnographic type of presentation," said Kathleen Ash-Milby, curator of Native American Art at the Portland Art Museum, and one of the co-commissioners of Jeffrey Gibson's work in the U.S. Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. "It grouped native people together and didn't really focus on their individuality as much. There were Navajo rugs on the floor. There were displays of jewelry. Many of the artists were not named."
Ash-Milby, who is also the first Native American curator to co-commission and co-curate an exhibition for the U.S. Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, told NPR her team selected Gibson because of the artist's wide-ranging, inclusive and critical approach to art-making.
"His work is multifaceted. It incorporates all sorts of different types of media," the curator, a member of the Navajo Nation, said. "But to me, what's most important is his ability to connect with both his culture and different communities, and bring people together. At the same time, he has a very critical lens through which he looks at our history as Americans and as world citizens. Pulling all those things together in the practice of an American artist is really important for someone who's going to represent us on a world stage."
Born in Colorado and based in New York, Gibson, 51, focuses on making work that fuses together American, Native American and queer perspectives. In a 2019 interview with Here and Now, Gibson said the art world hasn't traditionally valued Indigenous histories and artistic representations.
"There's this gap historically about these histories existing on the same level and being valued culturally," Gibson said. "My goal is to force them into the contemporary cannon of what's considered important."
A MacArthur "Genius" Grant winner, Gibson has had his work widely exhibited around the country. Major solo exhibitions include one at the Portland Art Museum last year and, in 2013, at Boston's Institute of Contemporary Art. His work is in the collections of high-profile institutions like the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the National Gallery of Art. Gibson participated in the 2019 Whitney Biennial.
"Having an Indigenous artist represent the United States at the Venice Biennale is a long overdue and very powerful moment," San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Director Christopher Bedford said in an email to NPR. "Centering the perspectives of contemporary indigenous artists is a critical component of fostering inclusivity and equity in museums, and in our world."
The details of Gibson's contribution for the 2024 Biennale are mostly under wraps. Curator Ash-Milby said the artist is working on a multimedia installation with the title "the space in which to place me" — a reference to a poem by the Lakota poet Layli Long Soldier.
According to the organizers of the U.S. Pavilion, the upcoming Biennale will enable international audiences to have the first major opportunity to experience Gibson's work outside of the U.S. It will be on view April 20 through Nov. 24, 2024.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wlrn.org/npr-breaking-news/npr-breaking-news/2023-07-29/in-a-first-the-u-s-picks-an-indigenous-artist-for-a-solo-show-at-the-venice-biennale | 2023-07-30T00:12:29 | 1 | https://www.wlrn.org/npr-breaking-news/npr-breaking-news/2023-07-29/in-a-first-the-u-s-picks-an-indigenous-artist-for-a-solo-show-at-the-venice-biennale |
Max Scherzer is on his way out from the New York Mets, barring a massive reversal, less than 24 hours after he said he was reconsidering his future with the team.
The Mets have agreed on a trade with the Texas Rangers that will send the three-time Cy Young winner to the AL West, according to the New York Post's Jon Heyman and The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. The deal required Scherzer's approval due to his no-trade clause, which he will waive, according to SNY's Andy Martino, but there are still reportedly some financial hurdles for the teams to clear before the deal goes through, as well as the usual medical approvals.
Scherzer is in the second season of a three-year, $130 million contract he signed with the Mets after the 2021 season. That deal held a full no-trade clause, giving Scherzer final say on where he was headed if the Mets wanted to deal him. He also has an opt-out after this season, making this trade a potential two-month rental.
The Mets, currently 49-54 and 6.5 games back from a wild-card spot, signaled that they would be selling at the trade deadline when they sent closer David Robertson to the Miami Marlins on Thursday in exchange for a pair of prospects, infielder Marco Vargas and catcher Ronald Hernandez. That was the deal that incensed Scherzer enough for him to tell reporters that he wanted a conversation with the Mets' front office after Friday's game.
"I've got to have a conversation with the front office … about everything," Scherzer said. "That's the most I'm going to say. You have to talk to the brass. You have to understand what they see, what they're going to do. That's the best I can tell you.
"I told you I wasn't going to comment on this until [owner] Steve [Cohen decided] to sell. We traded Robertson. Now we need to have a conversation. I haven't had that conversation yet, and I will."
We now have a pretty good idea of how that conversation went.
With Robertson traded and Scherzer on the way out, the Mets have little reason to hold onto their other movable assets, most notably starting pitcher Justin Verlander. They will be a team to watch in the days remaining before the trade deadline Tuesday.
Rangers making aggressive move with Scherzer, but is it a wise one?
Rangers general manager Chris Young is not shy about his affection for proven, elite pitching. This deal would again slot Scherzer into an ambitious rotation that had planned to rely on Jacob deGrom.
The big question on the Rangers' side is whether Scherzer, the future Hall of Famer who turned 39 Thursday, is still the impact addition he was as recently as 2021. By top-level measures, he’s in the midst of his worst season since 2011, sporting a 103 ERA+ (which means he has been only 3% better than league average, based on park-adjusted metrics).
His strikeout rate has also ticked down, but the most worrisome sign is a ballooning vulnerability to home runs. Homers used to be one of the only ways to score on Scherzer, but this season, he has allowed a whopping 1.92 per nine innings, third-worst among qualified starters. Notably, the starter with the worst HR/9 — the veteran Lance Lynn — was also just traded.
In particular, Scherzer’s struggles and inconsistencies in the middle innings have raised eyebrows in the first year with the pitch timer. On a Mets team that has struggled to fill innings, Scherzer has nonetheless gone a better-than-average 5.7 innings per start. A deeper team might envision boosting his numbers simply by cutting his workload.
This marks Scherzer’s second high-stakes midseason move in three years. When the Washington Nationals tore down their World Series-winning core in 2019, Scherzer accepted a deal to the Dodgers and then proceeded to go 7-0 with a 1.98 ERA the rest of the season before struggling with fatigue at a decisive juncture in the postseason.
The Rangers would likely need to find a way to maximize Scherzer with restraint that has never before been necessary for the famously competitive hurler. But they are a team whose trade deadline could make a huge difference. They're just two games up on the Houston Astros for the AL West lead, which would guarantee the winner a bye into the ALDS. With deGrom out for the season due to injury and new ace Nathan Eovaldi carrying a heavy workload, more reliable pitching might be needed for the Rangers to hold off the Astros.
Rumors swirled around Scherzer and Verlander over the past week as the Mets’ chances at contention dwindled and GM Billy Eppler began selling, most notably sending closer David Robertson to the Miami Marlins on Thursday.
Scherzer appeared to bristle at the direction Friday in postgame comments, even with the Mets sitting well outside of a postseason spot.
As other potential sellers, such as the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres, have held off on moves, the Mets have decisively jumped into sell mode to capitalize on a thin market for pitching help. Outfielders Mark Canha and Tommy Pham are also candidates to join new teams. | https://www.wpxi.com/news/national/2023-mlb-trade/YSM7E5IDXMIMFCPBQ66VAYAFRY/ | 2023-07-30T00:12:29 | 0 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/national/2023-mlb-trade/YSM7E5IDXMIMFCPBQ66VAYAFRY/ |
OSHKOSH, Wis. — (AP) — Two people were killed and two others injured Saturday in a midair collision at an airport in Wisconsin.
A Rotorway 162F helicopter and an ELA Eclipse 10 gyrocopter collided shortly after noon local time at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, authorities said. The aircraft belonged to individuals attending the Experimental Aircraft Association's annual fly-in convention in Oshkosh but were not involved in the air show, a statement from the organization said.
The association, citing the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office, said two people were killed and two injured. The injured were taken to a local hospital and were in stable condition.
The association said further information would be released as additional details are confirmed. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.
Separately, a plane earlier Saturday crashed into Lake Winnebago near Oshkosh, killing two people, according to the sheriff’s office. The NTSB is also investigating that case, which involved a single-engine North American T-6 aircraft.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.wpxi.com/news/national/4-dead-2-injured/WSS4PUNGQZBF4IV4NA3ZWABDYE/ | 2023-07-30T00:12:36 | 0 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/national/4-dead-2-injured/WSS4PUNGQZBF4IV4NA3ZWABDYE/ |
The planned execution of a 45-year-old Missouri man with schizophrenia is back on after an appellate court reversed course Saturday.
Johnny Johnson is scheduled to receive a lethal injection Tuesday at the state prison in Bonne Terre for killing 6-year-old Casey Williamson after trying to sexually assault her in 2002.
With questions swirling about his mental competency, the execution was halted last Tuesday by a divided three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court. But after the Missouri Attorney General’s Office asked that the full court reconsider, that decision was reversed in a 7-3 ruling.
The case will likely end up before the U.S. Supreme Court before the scheduled execution date.
Attorneys for Johnson have claimed his schizophrenia prevents him from understanding the link between his crime and the punishment. They have also said Johnson has delusions about the devil using his death to bring about the end of the world.
The Missouri Supreme Court in June declined to halt the execution based on the mental health claim. The attorney general's office challenged the credibility of psychiatric evaluations of Johnson and contended that medical records indicate he is able to manage his mental illness through medication.
Johnson lured the girl to an abandoned glass factory, even carrying her on his shoulders on the walk to the dilapidated site. When he tried to sexually assault her, Casey screamed and tried to break free. He killed her with bricks and rocks, then washed off in the Meramec River. Johnson confessed to the crimes.
Casey’s disappearance set off a frantic search involving first responders and volunteers. Her body was found in a pit less than a mile (1.6 kilometers) from her home, buried beneath rocks and debris.
The execution would be the fourth in Missouri this year.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.wpxi.com/news/national/appellate-court/LBYVTIDH3C7AE7LIPAVJG7MMKI/ | 2023-07-30T00:12:42 | 1 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/national/appellate-court/LBYVTIDH3C7AE7LIPAVJG7MMKI/ |
Brittney Griner will miss the Phoenix Mercury's next two games to focus on his mental health, the team announced Saturday.
The Mercury said they fully support Griner's decision to miss games against the Chicago Sky on Sunday and the Indiana Fever on Tuesday, while indicating her break might be indefinite. The team said it will work with her on a timeline for her return.
The Mercury's full statement:
Mercury center Brittney Griner will not travel with the team on its upcoming two-game road trip to Chicago and Indiana (July 30-August 1) to focus on her mental health. The Mercury fully support Brittney and we will continue to work together on a timeline for her return.
Griner is midway through her first season since returning to the United States after her nine-month imprisonment in Russia, a story that triggered enormous attention — and in some areas, scorn — for one of the WNBA's top centers. Rather than take time off, she resumed her career as soon as she could.
Earlier in the season, Griner was at the center of an incident in which she was harassed by a YouTuber in a public terminal at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. Before being pushed away by Mercury security, the attention-seeker asked her a series of intentionally inflammatory questions and claimed she hates America.
That incident pressured the WNBA to confirm Griner had approval to travel via charter jet, which the league had previously resisted for players. The league insisted Griner already such approval, while other reports indicated she only had the OK to fly privately twice in a "hybrid plan" that would have required her to get approval for additional flights.
In her 20 games played, Griner is averaging 18.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.7 blocks in 28 minutes per game, all numbers slightly behind her previous career norms but enough to be named a starter for the 2023 WNBA All-Star Game, where she was captain Breanna Stewart's first pick. Griner also missed three games in June with a hip injury.
The Mercury's record currently sits at 6-17. | https://www.wpxi.com/news/national/brittney-griner-not/57ROVRJKPVMJYKG2S6M334LKQI/ | 2023-07-30T00:12:49 | 1 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/national/brittney-griner-not/57ROVRJKPVMJYKG2S6M334LKQI/ |
Are you ready for UFC 291? On Saturday, one of the best fights in UFC history gets a rematch. Lightweights Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje return to the Octagon to face one another.
The PPV main card will also feature a co-main event between former champion Jan Blachowicz vs. Alex Pereira, plus more UFC action worth tuning in for. If you’re looking for ways to watch UFC 291, know this: Poirier vs. Gaethje will be available only as a pay-per-view fight through ESPN+, with prelims airing on ABC, ESPN and streaming free on ESPN+ for subscribers.
Don't want to miss out on the action? Below is how to watch the big fight Saturday night, including start times, Poirier vs. Gaethje 2 fight card details, how to stream the UFC 291 prelims, UFC predictions and more. And follow all of the action with our live updates below.
UFC 291 live tracker: Updates, highlights and analysis
UFC 291 main card, odds (Start time 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+PPV)
• Lightweight: Dustin Poirier (-130) vs. Justin Gaethje (+110)• Light heavyweight: Jan Blachowicz (-120) vs. Alex Pereira (+100)• Welterweight: Stephen Thompson (-225) vs. Michel Pereira (+175)• Heavyweight: Derrick Lewis (-165) vs. Marcos Rogério de Lima (+140)• Lightweight: Tony Ferguson (+260) vs. Bobby Green (-350)• Welterweight: Michael Chiesa (+130) vs. Kevin Holland (-160)
UFC 291 prelims card, odds (Start time 8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN/ESPN+)
• Welterweight: Trevin Giles (+240) vs. Gabriel Bonfim (-300)• Flyweight: CJ Vergara (-175) vs. Vinicius Salvador (+145)• Middleweight: Roman Kopylov (-225) vs. Claudio Ribeiro (+185)• Welterweight: Jake Matthews vs. Darrius Flowers
UFC 291 early prelims card, odds (Start time 7p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+/UFC FightPass)
• Welterweight: Matthew Semelsberger (-145) vs. Uroš Medić (+120)• Women's flyweight: Miranda Maverick (-350) vs. Priscila Cachoeira (+275)
How to watch UFC 291 without cable:
Date: Saturday, July 29, 2023
Prelims time: 8 p.m. ET
Main card time: 10 p.m. ET
Location: Delta Center, Salt Lake City, UT
TV/Streaming:ESPN+
Where to stream UFC 291 this weekend
How to watch UFC 291 without ESPN+ or PPV in the US:
Where to stream the UFC 291 prelims:
When is the next UFC fight?
UFC 291 will take place Saturday, July 29, 2023.
What time does the UFC fight start?
This Saturday, UFC 291 kicks off with the preliminary bouts at 8 p.m. ET, followed by the main card at 10 p.m. ET. | https://www.wpxi.com/news/national/ufc-291-live-tracker/XQX6ZS65HZYCFRGWNXNF2AIHDA/ | 2023-07-30T00:12:55 | 0 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/national/ufc-291-live-tracker/XQX6ZS65HZYCFRGWNXNF2AIHDA/ |
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — An inmate who escaped from a minimum security transitional housing unit in New Hampshire was fatally shot by a Florida police officer after he threatened two women with a knife, authorities said.
Darien Young, 29, was killed by a Miami Beach police officer at a Victoria’s Secret store at 901 Lincoln Road, WPLG-TV reported. According to the television station, Young had been suspected of shoplifting when he took a woman and her daughter hostage at about 5:30 p.m. EDT.
Young was taken to an area hospital where he died, WTVJ reported. The two women were not injured, according to the television station.
#NHDOC announces the death of a resident placed on escape status, Darien Young. On 7/27/23 he was identified as a suspect stealing at a store in Miami Beach. When police arrived he was threatening two individuals at knife point. An officer discharged his firearm, striking Young. pic.twitter.com/Bx9FEX5pVl
— NHDOC (@NHDOC) July 28, 2023
According to a news release from the New Hampshire Department of Corrections, Young had escaped from the Calumet Transitional Housing Unit in Manchester on July 21.
Young had been imprisoned in New Hampshire after being convicted for receiving stolen property, burglary, falsifying physical evidence and drug charges, the agency said. He was eligible for “minimum parole” beginning on Monday, prison officials said.
Young had a maximum release date of Jan. 31, 2028, according to New Hampshire officials.
“I was able to hear the gunshots. I heard the sound. I thought I was mesmerized a little bit,” Shanell Santiago, who works near the lingerie store, told WTVJ. “I was like, ‘Maybe it’s in my head right now’. I didn’t have music on. So it was clear as day.”
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting, and the officer who fired the fatal shot is on administrative leave, which is standard procedure, WPLG reported.
“Our agents and analysts will establish a timeline, interview officers and witnesses, and review any video, including surveillance video, body-worn camera footage, and cell phone video,” the FDLE said in a statement. “FDLE’s investigation is limited to the shooting itself.” | https://www.wpxi.com/news/trending/escaped-new-hampshire-inmate-fatally-shot-by-miami-beach-police-hostage-situation/YHEYE4ERDJGV7H5W5T2OCRLIHE/ | 2023-07-30T00:13:01 | 1 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/trending/escaped-new-hampshire-inmate-fatally-shot-by-miami-beach-police-hostage-situation/YHEYE4ERDJGV7H5W5T2OCRLIHE/ |
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — This is one patient you approach very carefully.
An ailing 376-pound alligator that resides at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park paid a visit to veterinarians at the University of Florida.
The gator, named Brooke, had been exhibiting symptoms that included intermittent head-rolling in the lagoon where he lives, the university’s College of Veterinary Medicine wrote in a Facebook post.
The vets were never in any danger -- after all, the university mascot is an alligator -- but the reptile was strapped down securely as they worked on him.
Bridget Walker, the university’s zoological medicine resident, performed a blood draw to obtain a sample for analysis, the Facebook post stated.
“Brooke received standard radiographs along with a CT scan during his stay here,” officials said. “Our zoological medicine service team determined that Brooke had an ear infection. We hope he’ll be on his way to recovery soon!”
Brooke has resided at the zoo for nearly 20 years, WFTV reported. a popular resident at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm for nearly 20 years. He is named after the Brookfield Zoo in suburban Chicago, where he is from originally, WJAX-TV reported. | https://www.wpxi.com/news/trending/university-veterinarians-give-ct-scan-ailing-376-pound-alligator/T5S3BVC6PNDHHN2FCJB4TKDZCA/ | 2023-07-30T00:13:08 | 1 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/trending/university-veterinarians-give-ct-scan-ailing-376-pound-alligator/T5S3BVC6PNDHHN2FCJB4TKDZCA/ |
GLENDALE, Ariz. — (AP) — Kyler Murray's football career was nearly flawless for the first 25 years of his life: First, he was a Texas high school phenom, then a Heisman Trophy winner, then the No. 1 overall pick for the Arizona Cardinals, then a two-time Pro Bowl selection.
In all those situations, Murray was being compared to other football players.
These days, the competition is with himself.
“This is different,” Murray said. “This is you-on-you. Nobody really knows what you're going through except for yourself and whoever you're working out with.”
Murray, who turns 26 on Aug. 7, is working his way back to football relevancy following an underwhelming fourth season that was cut short by a torn ACL in his right knee against the New England Patriots on Dec. 12.
The quarterback acknowledged some tough days after the surgery — nights when it was tough to sleep because of the pain — but said he's not feeling sorry for himself as he works to get back to the field.
“I get to do what I love every day — play quarterback in the NFL,” Murray said. “Did I get hurt? Yeah. Did I experience something no one wants to experience? Yeah. But it's nothing for me to get up and work out. I was already doing that before I got hurt.”
Murray's expected to miss at least a few games of the upcoming season while he continues to recover, and the quarterback watched Saturday's practice at State Farm Stadium in a gray hooded sweatshirt and long black sleeve over his entire right leg.
His impending return is the hottest topic for the Cardinals during camp, but says he's not committing to a certain return date.
“I don't have a timetable,” Murray said.
Murray said he saw Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow at a recent UFC event and the two discussed the perils of an ACL injury. Burrow tore the ACL in his left knee during his rookie season in 2020, but returned to play 16 games in 2021.
“I wouldn't want to go out there and hurt the team or hurt myself,” Murray said. "The advice that I've gotten from a lot of people around me is to go when you're ready. Don't listen to outside noise. Don't feel pressure to come back because of this situation or that situation.
“Whenever you're ready, you'll know you're ready.”
Murray has been very good — at times spectacular — for much of his first four seasons. His uncanny scrambling ability has produced several highlight-reel plays and he's got plenty of arm to make all the throws he needs to make.
The apex of his pro career came in 2021, when the Cardinals started the season with a 10-2 record and looked like a Super Bowl favorite. But the franchise collapsed, losing four of the next five games before getting blown out against the Los Angeles Rams in an embarrassing playoff performance.
With high hopes in 2022, the Cardinals were one of the league's most disappointing teams, finishing with a 4-13 record. Murray was far from the only reason for those struggles, but also wasn't blameless, as his performance regressed in several areas.
“It's not a bad thing to sit back, watch, and try to make this a positive deal,” Murray said. “I feel good. Getting better each and every day, taking one day at a time. Just trying to be there for my teammates and learn as much as possible before I do stuff on the field.”
Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill made big changes after last season's debacle, bringing in a defensive-minded coach in Jonathan Gannon and a new general manager in Monti Ossenfort. The new regime seems just as smitten with Murray as the previous one — Gannon said one major reason he took the Cardinals job was Murray's presence.
Murray says he's excited about what the changes can bring.
The Cardinals have a large monetary interest in making things work: Murray signed a $230.5 million, five-year deal before last offseason that keeps him in the desert until 2028.
“It's been great so far,” Murray said. “We're actually establishing a run game. I believe we'll be able to run the ball a lot better, which will only be a weapon for us. Get under center, mix it up, not be as predictable.”
Veteran Colt McCoy is the Cardinals' most likely quarterback while Murray continues to recover. The 36-year-old has been the team's backup for the past two seasons and has a 3-3 record in the six games he's started.
The other current options are David Blough, who played decently in two starts last season, and Clayton Tune, a rookie fifth-round pick out of Houston.
“To me, whoever is available, we're trying to put the best guy out there to win football games,” Gannon said. “Obviously, Kyler's not available right now, but we've got a lot of guys who are very capable who I'm excited to see play and compete if he's not ready to go.”
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.wpxi.com/sports/cardinals-kyler/OM6S7CCB4BBPYULFGSV6D26JBY/ | 2023-07-30T00:13:11 | 1 | https://www.wpxi.com/sports/cardinals-kyler/OM6S7CCB4BBPYULFGSV6D26JBY/ |
BLAINE, Minn. — (AP) — Chasing his first PGA Tour victory Lee Hodges shot a 5-under 66 on Saturday to stretch his lead to five strokes with a round left in the 3M Open.
Hodges had a 20-under 193 total at the TPC Twin Cities to break the tournament 54-hole mark of 195 set last year by Scott Piercy. Hodges led at 8 under after the first round and a record 15 under after the second.
“I have nothing to lose," Hodges said. "I’m out here playing with house money. I have a job next year on the PGA Tour, this is all great. This is just icing on the cake.”
J.T. Poston was second after a 66. Defending champion Tony Finau was another stroke back at 14 under after a 67.
Hodges' best finish in 64 prior events was a tie for third at The American Express in 2022, the only other time the 28-year-old Alabama player has led or shared the lead after 54 holes.
And he almost certainly has played himself into the playoffs that begin in two weeks. He began the week 74th in the FedEx Cup standings, with the top 70 players qualifying.
“I honestly don’t think I’ll be that nervous tonight." Hodges said. "I’ll hang out with my wife. We’ll go do something fun. I mean, yeah, it’s just golf at the end of the day. I’m lucky to be here.”
Hodges opened with an up-and-down even nine holes, then had five birdies on the back nine.
“I didn’t think I played bad on the front nine, I just couldn’t really get it close to the hole and when I did, I couldn’t make the putt,” he said.
Things were much different after the turn.
Hodges dropped birdie putts from 12 feet on No. 10 and nearly 11 feet on No. 11. His tee shot on the par-3 13th stopped 4 1/2 feet from the cup for another birdie. He added a 5-foorter for birdie on 16 and a 7-footer on 18.
He’ll be paired with Poston on Sunday the final group.
“We play some practice rounds together and I know him really well,” Poston said. “He’s a good friend. So, if I can’t get it done tomorrow, I’ll be pulling for him.”
Finau birdied four of his final eight holes. Last year, he trailed by five shots early in the final round and won by three at 17 under.
“It was just nice to make a run on the back nine today just to give myself a chance," Finau said. "If I’m eight back, that’s a whole different feeling than five or six. I was just happy with the way I finished my round today and to creep up and just be a little closer to the lead.”
Aaron Baddeley was fourth at 13 under after a 65.
Sam Ryder (65), Keith Mitchell (67), Billy Horschel (68) and Kevin Streelman (69) were 12 under. Ryder birdied in his final five holes — and seven of nine — to toe the tournament back-nine record of 29. Mitchell set that mark two years ago.
Kevin Yu shot 29 on his first nine, tying a score recorded by five others, but he was 5 over for his final six holes to finish with a 67. He was tied for 11th.
___
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.wpxi.com/sports/looking-1st-pga-tour/QADP53JEHTNTMDRIQU7YEIU7AI/ | 2023-07-30T00:13:18 | 0 | https://www.wpxi.com/sports/looking-1st-pga-tour/QADP53JEHTNTMDRIQU7YEIU7AI/ |
BLAKELY, Pa. — It was one final goodbye to legendary football coach Jack Henzes on Saturday morning.
The former Dunmore football coach passed away earlier this week at the age of 87.
Hundreds of people came to Friday night's viewing and Saturday morning's funeral at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Blakely to pay their respects and say goodbye to the father, coach, and educator.
"As a cousin of Jack's, I can tell you that I am not surprised with the amount of people here. He wasn't just loved in my hometown of Dunmore, he was loved in our region and even beyond that," said Mary Rinaldi, cousin of Jack Henzes.
Jack Henzes was one of the winningest coaches in Pennsylvania history.
Check out WNEP’s YouTube channel. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/remembering-legendary-coach-jack-henzes-mary-rinaldi-sacred-heart-of-jesus-church-in-blakely-dunmore-lackawanna-county-funeral-viewing/523-d4600405-be3c-445a-8e44-b98e448fc2fa | 2023-07-30T00:13:37 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/remembering-legendary-coach-jack-henzes-mary-rinaldi-sacred-heart-of-jesus-church-in-blakely-dunmore-lackawanna-county-funeral-viewing/523-d4600405-be3c-445a-8e44-b98e448fc2fa |
Four Winds Music and Art Festival underway
Published: Jul. 29, 2023 at 6:58 PM CDT|Updated: 13 minutes ago
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - The Four Winds Music and Art Festival kicked off on Friday night at the Icon Lounge, Club David, and Full Circle Book Co-op and runs through Sunday. The festival features over 50 local musical acts as well as the 605 Art Show.
Founder Corey Church from Nice Enough Entertainment joined Dakota News Now to discuss what guests can expect from the remainder of the festival.
Tickets are available at the door and music starts up at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday at the Icon Lounge.
Copyright 2023 KSFY. All rights reserved. | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2023/07/29/four-winds-music-art-festival-underway/ | 2023-07-30T00:13:37 | 1 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2023/07/29/four-winds-music-art-festival-underway/ |
The Eagles on Saturday finally unveiled their kelly green alternate jerseys.
Here’s the first glimpse as the new throwback threads:
The kelly green jerseys and gear will go on sale on Monday at 9 a.m. and all three Eagles pro shop locations at Lincoln Financial Field, Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
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This has been a long time coming.
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie has wanted to bring back these jerseys as an alternate for several years and announced at the NFL owners meetings in March that this would officially be the year.
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“This is the season we’ll reintroduce the classic kelly green and I’m super excited,” Lurie said in Phoenix in March. “I don’t know what date that’s going to be but I think fans will love it. It’s why we’re bringing it back. We really took the feedback seriously over the years. The first moment we could get the kelly green helmet approved, we’ll finally be able to see it on the field.”
While midnight green will remain the Eagles’ standard, fans have been clamoring for these throwback jerseys for years. The Eagles wore kelly green from 1935-1995, before switching to midnight green in 1996, a couple years after Lurie bought the franchise.
Back in June of 2021, the NFL announced a rule change that would allow teams two different helmets beginning with the 2022 season. That had been the major hurdle in the way to bringing back these jerseys for the Eagles. Lurie wanted to use kelly green as an alternate but wanted a kelly green helmet to match and didn’t want to settle for using decals. And the thought of a kelly green jersey and a midnight green helmet simply didn’t work.
While the rule changed in time for the 2022 season, the Eagles spent extra time working with Nike to recreate the kelly green because it didn’t exist in Nike’s current color palette. So for the 2022 season, the Eagles took advantage by making an alternate black helmet.
Lurie has previously said he hopes the rule will continue to change, allowing two alternate helmets. That way the Eagles could have a kelly green alternate and a black alternate in the same season. As of March, Lurie said he was still hoping that will eventually happen.
Bringing back kelly green has been a mission of Lurie’s dating back many seasons. In fact, here’s what he said about the possibility of bringing back the jerseys all the way back in 2018:
“They know that with the Eagles, it’s important to us. We really want to be able to have kelly green jerseys at times and to make it look really right, you need to have matching helmets.”
Five years later, it’s finally happening.
Subscribe to Eagle Eye anywhere you get your podcasts:
Apple Podcasts | YouTube Music | Spotify | Stitcher | Art19 | RSS | Watch on YouTube | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/eagles-finally-unveil-throwback-kelly-green-jerseys-for-2023-season/3614380/ | 2023-07-30T00:13:37 | 1 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/eagles-finally-unveil-throwback-kelly-green-jerseys-for-2023-season/3614380/ |
DICKSON CITY, Pa. — People in Lackawanna County are revving their engines for the annual Scranton Bike Weekend.
Scranton Bike Weekend fills the Circle Drive-In movie theater in Dickson City with motorcycles and shows people what the community is all about.
A portion of the proceeds go to the Gino J. Merli Veterans Center Veterans Funds.
"They wanna show off their bikes, there's cash prizes they can win, and a lot of them were veterans themselves, so it was a great opportunity to bring them all together," said Janiece Montes, Scranton Bike Weekend organizer.
Scranton Bike Weekend continues Sunday at the Circle Drive-In in Lackawanna County.
Check out WNEP’s YouTube channel. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/scranton-bike-weekend-benefits-veterans-gino-j-merli-center-janiece-montes-lackawanna-county-dickson-city/523-ab50e4d4-55c1-41a8-bec5-ebc09d0442ae | 2023-07-30T00:13:43 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/scranton-bike-weekend-benefits-veterans-gino-j-merli-center-janiece-montes-lackawanna-county-dickson-city/523-ab50e4d4-55c1-41a8-bec5-ebc09d0442ae |
A woman was found dead in her home along with a dog and a man in Ocean County, New Jersey Saturday morning, according to the police.
At approximately 5:10 a.m. officers from the Little Egg Harbor Township Police Department responded to a 9-1-1 call from a woman saying she believed someone was breaking into her apartment on Whitemarsh Court, police said.
When police arrived they had to make forced entry into the residence where they located the body of a 49-year-old woman with a gunshot wound to the face, a dog with gunshot wounds and a 52-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the head, police said.
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The woman and dog were dead when police arrived, but the man was conscious and was transported to the hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries, according to the police.
Investigators say it appears that the man shot the woman and the dog before turning the gun on himself.
The investigation is still ongoing and no additional information was provided at this time.
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This is a developing story, check back for updates. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/man-woman-and-dog-killed-in-murder-suicide-in-ocean-county-nj-home/3614364/ | 2023-07-30T00:13:43 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/man-woman-and-dog-killed-in-murder-suicide-in-ocean-county-nj-home/3614364/ |
The Phoenix Mercury say All-Star center Brittney Griner will not travel for the team's next two games so she can focus on her mental health.
The 6-foot-9 center — who became an international story during her 10-month detainment in Russia last year — is averaging 18.2 points and 6.7 rebounds over 20 games this season.
“The Mercury fully support Brittney and we will continue to work together on a timeline for her return,” the team said in a statement on Saturday.
Griner's impressive individual season hasn't translated to success for the Mercury, who have a 6-17 record and fired Vanessa Nygaard earlier in the season.
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The Mercury’s tough season and coaching change are among the multiple challenges Griner has faced in her return to the WNBA following her ordeal in Russia on drug-related charges that caused her to miss the entire 2022 season.
Griner and her teammates were confronted by what the WNBA called a “provocateur” at the Dallas airport in June and she’s also dealt with a hip injury that caused her to miss a handful of games.
Griner will miss road games against Chicago on Sunday and Indiana on Tuesday. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/sports/brittney-griner-wont-travel-for-next-2-games-to-focus-on-her-mental-health-team-says/3614370/ | 2023-07-30T00:13:50 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/sports/brittney-griner-wont-travel-for-next-2-games-to-focus-on-her-mental-health-team-says/3614370/ |
PITTSBURGH — Rob Thomson had considered moving Trea Turner down in the Phillies' batting order for some time and finally did so Saturday afternoon, 104 games into an extremely disappointing first season in Philadelphia for the $300 million shortstop.
Turner was moved down to seventh against Pirates right-hander Quinn Priester.
"I think it was just time, just to let him breathe a little bit and relax," the Phillies' manager said. "He's trying to do too much."
Turner is hitless in his last 12 at-bats and ended Friday's series opener batting .242 with a .294 on-base percentage. That's as low as his batting average has been in seven weeks and as low as his OBP has been in more than a month.
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This is a guy who hit .311 the last four seasons in nearly 2,200 plate appearances. The one thing that's been consistent for Turner his entire big-league career has been the ability to hit for a high average. But it just hasn't happened this season. He's been constantly behind in counts and has missed plenty of hittable fastballs. He's also expanded the strike zone more than ever before.
"I talked to him last night after the game and explained it," Thomson said. "I think he understood. I think he's disappointed, not because he's hitting seventh but because he's not producing like he expects himself to."
Thomson reiterated that he feels the Phillies' best lineup is with Turner swinging well and batting second. Turner hasn't hit this low in his team's batting order since July 25, 2018, his first full season in the majors.
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"When I think he's got his stroke back and he's comfortable, then I'll (move him back up)," he said. "I've said all along that our best lineup is when he's in the two-spot. I just think we'll produce the most runs that way."
Nick Castellanos, who is in a huge slump of his own, took Turner's place batting second. Castellanos is 10-for-80 over his last 20 games, hitting .125/.167/.200 with two extra-base hits, two walks and 30 strikeouts.
"I just hope he gets some pitches with Harper hitting behind him," Thomson said, "get him back going again." | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/sports/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/trea-turner-moved-down-phillies-lineup/3614362/ | 2023-07-30T00:13:56 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/sports/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/trea-turner-moved-down-phillies-lineup/3614362/ |
Artificial intelligence commentators are edging into roles in sports broadcasting, with major competitions such as the Masters golf and Wimbledon tennis championships using the tech to automatically narrate certain highlight videos posted on the tournaments’ websites and apps.
In June, Eurovision Sport, a division of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), used an AI voice to provide recaps in between live commentary at the European Athletics Team Championships in Poland. And next month, the U.S. Open will also use the tech, according to Noah Syken, IBM’s vice president of sports and entertainment partnerships. IBM collaborated with the Masters and Wimbledon to create AI commentary.
The developing use of AI in sports broadcasting events is just one of the recent examples of the tech quickly being adopted for tasks that could be performed by humans, stoking anxieties around job security and raising questions around AI performance compared to human performance.
Read the full story on NBCNews.com here.
Get Philly local news, weather forecasts, sports and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia newsletters. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/sports/that-sports-broadcaster-you-hear-could-be-ai/3614367/ | 2023-07-30T00:14:02 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/sports/that-sports-broadcaster-you-hear-could-be-ai/3614367/ |
The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for parts of Delaware for Saturday evening.
The tornado warning is in effect until 6:45 p.m. Saturday evening for Greenwood and Ellendale, Delaware.
A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for several pars of Delaware including Milford, Seaford, Georgetown, Atlantic City, Mliiville, and Vineland.
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To stay updated on the severe thunderstorm warning, check the NWS twitter page. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/weather/severe-weather-alerts/tornado-and-severe-thunderstorm-warnings-issued-for-parts-of-del-nj/3614372/ | 2023-07-30T00:14:08 | 1 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/weather/severe-weather-alerts/tornado-and-severe-thunderstorm-warnings-issued-for-parts-of-del-nj/3614372/ |
Mike Toglia Player Prop Bets: Rockies vs. Athletics - July 29
Published: Jul. 29, 2023 at 6:25 PM CDT|Updated: 48 minutes ago
Mike Toglia -- 1-for-1 with an RBI in his most recent game -- will be in action for the Colorado Rockies against the Oakland Athletics, with Paul Blackburn on the hill, on July 29 at 8:10 PM ET.
He reached base in his only plate appearance in his most recent appearance against the Athletics.
Mike Toglia Game Info & Props vs. the Athletics
- Game Day: Saturday, July 29, 2023
- Game Time: 8:10 PM ET
- Stadium: Coors Field
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
- Athletics Starter: Paul Blackburn
- TV Channel: SportsNet RM
- Hits Prop: Over/under 0.5 hits (Over odds: -208)
- Home Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 home runs (Over odds: +450)
- RBI Prop: Over/under 0.5 RBI (Over odds: +150)
- Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 runs (Over odds: +105)
Looking to place a prop bet on Mike Toglia? Check out what's available at BetMGM and use bonus code "GNPLAY" when you sign up with this link!
Discover More About This Game
Mike Toglia At The Plate
- Toglia has two doubles, two home runs and five walks while hitting .216.
- Toglia is batting .313 with one homer during his last games and is on a four-game hitting streak.
- In nine of 17 games this year (52.9%), Toglia has reached base safely via hit, and that includes multiple hits twice.
- In 17 games played this season, he has homered in two of them.
- Toglia has driven in a run in five games this season (29.4%), but has had no multiple-RBI games.
- In nine of 17 games this season, he has scored, including multiple runs once.
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Mike Toglia Home/Away Batting Splits
Athletics Pitching Rankings
- The pitching staff for the Athletics has a collective 8.2 K/9, which ranks 24th in MLB.
- The Athletics have a 5.85 team ERA that ranks last among all league pitching staffs.
- The Athletics give up the second-most home runs in baseball (147 total, 1.4 per game).
- Blackburn (1-2) takes the mound for the Athletics in his 10th start of the season. He has a 5.06 ERA in 48 2/3 innings pitched, with 49 strikeouts.
- In his most recent outing on Sunday against the Houston Astros, the righty tossed 5 1/3 innings, giving up one earned run while surrendering five hits.
- In 10 games this season, the 29-year-old has a 5.06 ERA and 9.2 strikeouts per nine innings, while allowing a batting average of .297 to opposing hitters.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.1011now.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/mike-toglia-mlb-player-prop-bets/ | 2023-07-30T00:14:12 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/sports/betting/2023/07/29/mike-toglia-mlb-player-prop-bets/ |
8 dogs died from extreme heat in the Midwest during unairconditioned drive
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — At least eight dogs died of heat-related injuries after being transported in the back of an uncooled cargo van through northern Indiana Thursday night, authorities said.
The dogs that died were among 18 shepherds traveling from O’Hare International Airport in Chicago to a training facility in Michigan City, Indiana, police said.
The driver, whom police did not name, said he was unaware that the air conditioning in the cargo area failed until he heard dogs barking. Then, he pulled off Interstate 94 at a convenience store and gas station in Lake Station, Indiana. When he opened the back, the driver found several dogs dead and others suffering. Numerous store employees and passersby stepped in to aid the dogs.
Jennifer Webber, executive director of the Humane Society of Hobart, responded to the call at 7:40 p.m. and said the dogs displayed signs of heatstroke: Salivating heavily, wobbling, vomiting and convulsing.
“There were already several dogs dead on the scene, and multiple failing fast,” Webber said. “Their crates inside the truck were completely trashed on the inside and the little water bowls were the size you’d give a parrot. And they were empty and torn up as if the dogs were exasperated.”
In a statement posted online, the Lake Station Police Department described the incident as a “freak event.” Telephone and email messages seeking further comment were left with the police station Saturday.
“This was not an act of animal cruelty or neglect but a mechanical failure of the AC unit that was being used in the cargo area,” the statement said.
But Webber said she encountered resistance when attempting to gather facts for the investigation she is authorized to conduct. The police officer in charge of the scene told her she could leave because the deaths were an accident that “the owner will take care of.”
The owner, who was driving the car, used abusive language, cursed at her and refused to produce health certificates, Webber said. Such paperwork is typically signed by veterinarians in each state involved and required to move dogs across borders for commerce. Webber said she doubted a veterinarian would have approved travel on Thursday, when heat indices exceeded 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 Celsius).
The extreme heat is a worldwide problem, and scientists calculate that July will be the hottest month on record.
“He shouldn’t have been traveling at all. So No. 1: That is neglectful,” Webber said. Then, the police let the owner drive away — this time with the door to the cargo area open — with several dead dogs and others who should have been hospitalized in crates that were not secured in the cargo area, she continued.
The truck, crates and dogs are evidence she wanted to inspect.
Even more, five of the dogs were transported to veterinary hospitals — in ambulances used for people, not in the specialized humane society vans offered on site. Webber filed a notice of seizure of the dogs when they’re released. According to Lake Station ordinance, the humane society may confine any dog who is “ill, injured, or otherwise in need of care” or “reasonably believed to have been abused or neglected.”
But Webber claimed that Lake Station police blocked the order, directing the hospitals treating the animals to release them to the owner when they are well again. She said that in her five years working with Lake Station, that has never happened.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wistv.com/2023/07/29/8-dogs-died-extreme-heat-midwest-during-unairconditioned-drive/ | 2023-07-30T00:15:28 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/2023/07/29/8-dogs-died-extreme-heat-midwest-during-unairconditioned-drive/ |
Newport Beach plans Rose Parade float for first time since 2006
The Rose Parade on New Year’s Day will feature a familiar name for coastal Orange County — the city of Newport Beach, which will be participating in the parade for the first time since 2006, when the city was celebrating its centennial.
Gary Sherwin, chief executive officer and president of Newport Beach & Co., the city’s nonprofit marketing agency, confirmed participation earlier this summer and said the proposal for the float entry was recently approved by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Assn.
The Newport Beach float, which links together five different small floats, draws inspiration from the city’s Christmas Boat Parade. Sherwin said the intent was to tell the story of the city, and organizers could think of no better way to do that than through using the floral display to depict one of the biggest events staged annually in Newport Harbor.
The cost of the float is expected to be in the low six figures, according to Sherwin. For operating purposes, Newport Beach & Co. receives about 18% of the bed taxes collected via tourism and is estimating it will receive about $6.7 million in funding in 2024.
“The Tournament of Roses has always had a long history with the city of Newport Beach and there was a partnership where ... for a number of years, we took the royal court down there for a weekend,” said Steve Perry, float entries chair for the Tournament of Roses, in a recent interview. “It seemed like a good fit when I saw Visit Newport Beach trying to do an ad for people to visit. We have other sponsors, and it was ‘Let’s see if Newport Beach would be interested in putting a float in the parade to show all the great wonderful things that are available.’
“What better way to reach more people than be in the Rose Parade with our international viewing over 40 million people?” he continued. “Local, national — well if it’s going to [be seen in] London, and Tokyo, why not come to Pasadena?”
Newport Beach will be one of a number of California city floats featured during the parade New Year’s Day. That list, as of earlier this summer, includes La Cañada Flintridge, Sierra Madre, Downey, South Pasadena, Burbank, Alhambra and Torrance. Florida’s Fort Lauderdale will also be participating.
Sherwin said officials from the Tournament reached out in March to gauge Newport Beach interest.
“I think when we were in the parade in 2006, we saw it as a one-time-only deal because it was part of the centennial celebration, but not as a long-term relationship,” Sherwin said.
After meeting with Perry, the organization decided to reestablish its relationship with the Tournament of Roses, he said.
Newport Beach’s float will be built by Phoenix Decorating Co. in Irwindale. Sherwin said the company is capable of “turn-keying” the float and having it ready to go, but that Newport Beach & Co. is considering having a community day in late December when residents can drop by the builder’s warehouse to help put flowers on the float.
“Whether or not we have two people or 50, the float will be done, and Phoenix Decorating will make sure it gets done,” Sherwin said.
By that point, the float should be mostly completed. Much of the welding for the “super structures” is expected to be begin in August and completed by October. The seeds, vegetation and floral elements are added just before the Jan. 1 date of the parade to keep them fresh.
Sherwin notes participation is not a city project but one the tourism marketing agency is undertaking on behalf of Newport Beach.
“People love the Rose Parade. The reason the Rose Parade was created was to sell homes and promote tourism. It was started by the Valley Hunt Club way back when, and they wanted to have a parade on New Year’s Day to show how glorious the weather and lifestyle was in Southern California, so people would move, start businesses or visit,” said Sherwin. “While people were freezing on the East Coast, they’d look at all these floats and the weather in California.
“This was over 100 years ago, and it was a very different world back then, but ... it’s a chance to affiliate with something that helps promote our lifestyle and our weather and who we are and be a part of an international phenomenon — when we do marketing for the Christmas Boat Parade, I look to the Rose Parade a lot for inspiration. To be officially in it is especially meaningful, I think.”
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BANDERA, Texas — Two people were reportedly found dead inside a home in Bandera, and a man who was in the home with the decomposing bodies faces murder charges.
According to the Bandera Bulletin, deputies arrived at the home on Whartons Dock Road at about 6:30 Friday night after someone reported a smell coming from the home. According to the paper, when deputies arrived, they found two people in bed with what one official called "severe trauma" to their heads.
28-year-old Michael Andrew Kovak was reportedly found in the home and booked into the Bandera County jail early Saturday morning.
Officials told the Bandera Bulletin that the victims were both in bed and have not been identified yet due to decomposition, though they believe they are the residents of the home.
This is a developing story.
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SAN ANTONIO — The community gathered Saturday morning at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church to pray for the family of five who died in a house fire on the northeast side one week ago. Only one person survived.
“We’ve lost one whole generation but generations of our family,” said Angela Reyes, who lost her sister, nieces and nephew in the tragedy.
Those who died are 50-year-old Felicia Valadez; 29-year-old Sylvia Valadez; 12-year-old Gabriel Valadez; 10-year-old Lillie Valadez; and 6-year-old Isabella Morales.
Reyes’ father Fernando Valdez has been in the hospital recovering with the support of his wife at his bedside.
The San Antonio Fire Department said the 3 a.m. fire on July 22 was contained to the garage, which led to smoke filling the entire house.
“They’re bringing him out slowly and preparing to tell him what he’s lost,” Reyes said.
The service recognized each soul lost in the tragedy through prayer and song.
Ben Cardenas attended the mass to pay his respects to the Valadez family, including his friend Fernando.
“Fernando is a good guy. He was a veteran who served in Vietnam as I was and several of our other members,” Cardenas said. “It’s a tough one for us but we’ll get through it with the prayer and be there for the family.”
Reyes’ optimism for the future is fueled by her devout faith in God. She’s expressed gratitude for the community and hospital staff during this dark time.
“God knows, God knows our pain. And he knows the beginning and the end and I believe that this is the way that it was supposed to be and we’ll find comfort. We’ll come find comfort in our church family and in our family,” Reyes said.
A GoFundMe has been arranged by the Valadez family, aims to raise $500,000 for a host of expenses.
MORE LOCAL NEWS | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/god-knows-our-pain-winding-oak-drive-house-fire-victims-remembered-during-morning-mass-gofundme-san-antonio-texas-safd/273-8b232b43-2424-4cde-9325-b30a2c740f23 | 2023-07-30T00:15:48 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/god-knows-our-pain-winding-oak-drive-house-fire-victims-remembered-during-morning-mass-gofundme-san-antonio-texas-safd/273-8b232b43-2424-4cde-9325-b30a2c740f23 |
SAN ANTONIO — Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar' announced his re-election bid at a community barbecue on Saturday.
"I want you to know that I'm here to ask for all of your support and your continued love and your teamwork and your mentorship and your friendship as I seek a third term as the Bexar County Sheriff," he said.
Sheriff Salazar has held his position since 2016 when he decided to run for office after spending 23 years with the San Antonio Police Department.
"I just felt that I could have the best effect on my community, not just my community, but this region this state, by staying right here as Bexar County Sheriff for another four years.
Sheriff Salazar said he felt the need to make the announcement now because he wanted to squash rumors that he was seeking higher office.
We have not heard of any challengers yet. Election day is November 5, 2024.
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Since going on the air in 1950, KENS 5 has strived to be the best, most trusted news and entertainment source for generations of San Antonians.
KENS 5 has brought numerous firsts to South Texas television, including being the first local station with a helicopter, the first with its own Doppler radar and the first to air a local morning news program.
Over the years, KENS 5 has worked to transform local news. Our cameras have been the lens bringing history into local viewers' homes. We're proud of our legacy as we serve San Antonians today.
Today, KENS 5 continues to set the standard in local broadcasting and is recognized by its peers for excellence and innovation. The KENS 5 News team focuses on stories that really matter to our community.
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Want to get in touch with someone at KENS 5? You can send a message using our Contacts page or email one of our team members. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/law-enforcement/bexar-county-sheriff-javier-salazar-announces-re-election/273-c23813fd-8274-471e-9c7c-be7e89c0ba59 | 2023-07-30T00:15:54 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/law-enforcement/bexar-county-sheriff-javier-salazar-announces-re-election/273-c23813fd-8274-471e-9c7c-be7e89c0ba59 |
Max Scherzer is on his way out from the New York Mets, barring a massive reversal, less than 24 hours after he said he was reconsidering his future with the team.
The Mets have agreed on a trade with the Texas Rangers that will send the three-time Cy Young winner to the AL West, according to the New York Post's Jon Heyman and The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. The deal required Scherzer's approval due to his no-trade clause, which he will waive, according to SNY's Andy Martino, but there are still reportedly some financial hurdles for the teams to clear before the deal goes through, as well as the usual medical approvals.
Scherzer is in the second season of a three-year, $130 million contract he signed with the Mets after the 2021 season. That deal held a full no-trade clause, giving Scherzer final say on where he was headed if the Mets wanted to deal him. He also has an opt-out after this season, making this trade a potential two-month rental.
The Mets, currently 49-54 and 6.5 games back from a wild-card spot, signaled that they would be selling at the trade deadline when they sent closer David Robertson to the Miami Marlins on Thursday in exchange for a pair of prospects, infielder Marco Vargas and catcher Ronald Hernandez. That was the deal that incensed Scherzer enough for him to tell reporters that he wanted a conversation with the Mets' front office after Friday's game.
"I've got to have a conversation with the front office … about everything," Scherzer said. "That's the most I'm going to say. You have to talk to the brass. You have to understand what they see, what they're going to do. That's the best I can tell you.
"I told you I wasn't going to comment on this until [owner] Steve [Cohen decided] to sell. We traded Robertson. Now we need to have a conversation. I haven't had that conversation yet, and I will."
We now have a pretty good idea of how that conversation went.
With Robertson traded and Scherzer on the way out, the Mets have little reason to hold onto their other movable assets, most notably starting pitcher Justin Verlander. They will be a team to watch in the days remaining before the trade deadline Tuesday.
Rangers making aggressive move with Scherzer, but is it a wise one?
Rangers general manager Chris Young is not shy about his affection for proven, elite pitching. This deal would again slot Scherzer into an ambitious rotation that had planned to rely on Jacob deGrom.
The big question on the Rangers' side is whether Scherzer, the future Hall of Famer who turned 39 Thursday, is still the impact addition he was as recently as 2021. By top-level measures, he’s in the midst of his worst season since 2011, sporting a 103 ERA+ (which means he has been only 3% better than league average, based on park-adjusted metrics).
His strikeout rate has also ticked down, but the most worrisome sign is a ballooning vulnerability to home runs. Homers used to be one of the only ways to score on Scherzer, but this season, he has allowed a whopping 1.92 per nine innings, third-worst among qualified starters. Notably, the starter with the worst HR/9 — the veteran Lance Lynn — was also just traded.
In particular, Scherzer’s struggles and inconsistencies in the middle innings have raised eyebrows in the first year with the pitch timer. On a Mets team that has struggled to fill innings, Scherzer has nonetheless gone a better-than-average 5.7 innings per start. A deeper team might envision boosting his numbers simply by cutting his workload.
This marks Scherzer’s second high-stakes midseason move in three years. When the Washington Nationals tore down their World Series-winning core in 2019, Scherzer accepted a deal to the Dodgers and then proceeded to go 7-0 with a 1.98 ERA the rest of the season before struggling with fatigue at a decisive juncture in the postseason.
The Rangers would likely need to find a way to maximize Scherzer with restraint that has never before been necessary for the famously competitive hurler. But they are a team whose trade deadline could make a huge difference. They're just two games up on the Houston Astros for the AL West lead, which would guarantee the winner a bye into the ALDS. With deGrom out for the season due to injury and new ace Nathan Eovaldi carrying a heavy workload, more reliable pitching might be needed for the Rangers to hold off the Astros.
Rumors swirled around Scherzer and Verlander over the past week as the Mets’ chances at contention dwindled and GM Billy Eppler began selling, most notably sending closer David Robertson to the Miami Marlins on Thursday.
Scherzer appeared to bristle at the direction Friday in postgame comments, even with the Mets sitting well outside of a postseason spot.
As other potential sellers, such as the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres, have held off on moves, the Mets have decisively jumped into sell mode to capitalize on a thin market for pitching help. Outfielders Mark Canha and Tommy Pham are also candidates to join new teams. | https://www.wftv.com/news/national/2023-mlb-trade/YSM7E5IDXMIMFCPBQ66VAYAFRY/ | 2023-07-30T00:16:00 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/national/2023-mlb-trade/YSM7E5IDXMIMFCPBQ66VAYAFRY/ |
OSHKOSH, Wis. — (AP) — Two people were killed and two others injured Saturday in a midair collision at an airport in Wisconsin.
A Rotorway 162F helicopter and an ELA Eclipse 10 gyrocopter collided shortly after noon local time at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, authorities said. The aircraft belonged to individuals attending the Experimental Aircraft Association's annual fly-in convention in Oshkosh but were not involved in the air show, a statement from the organization said.
The association, citing the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office, said two people were killed and two injured. The injured were taken to a local hospital and were in stable condition.
The association said further information would be released as additional details are confirmed. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.
Separately, a plane earlier Saturday crashed into Lake Winnebago near Oshkosh, killing two people, according to the sheriff’s office. The NTSB is also investigating that case, which involved a single-engine North American T-6 aircraft.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.wftv.com/news/national/4-dead-2-injured/WSS4PUNGQZBF4IV4NA3ZWABDYE/ | 2023-07-30T00:16:07 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/national/4-dead-2-injured/WSS4PUNGQZBF4IV4NA3ZWABDYE/ |
The planned execution of a 45-year-old Missouri man with schizophrenia is back on after an appellate court reversed course Saturday.
Johnny Johnson is scheduled to receive a lethal injection Tuesday at the state prison in Bonne Terre for killing 6-year-old Casey Williamson after trying to sexually assault her in 2002.
With questions swirling about his mental competency, the execution was halted last Tuesday by a divided three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court. But after the Missouri Attorney General’s Office asked that the full court reconsider, that decision was reversed in a 7-3 ruling.
The case will likely end up before the U.S. Supreme Court before the scheduled execution date.
Attorneys for Johnson have claimed his schizophrenia prevents him from understanding the link between his crime and the punishment. They have also said Johnson has delusions about the devil using his death to bring about the end of the world.
The Missouri Supreme Court in June declined to halt the execution based on the mental health claim. The attorney general's office challenged the credibility of psychiatric evaluations of Johnson and contended that medical records indicate he is able to manage his mental illness through medication.
Johnson lured the girl to an abandoned glass factory, even carrying her on his shoulders on the walk to the dilapidated site. When he tried to sexually assault her, Casey screamed and tried to break free. He killed her with bricks and rocks, then washed off in the Meramec River. Johnson confessed to the crimes.
Casey’s disappearance set off a frantic search involving first responders and volunteers. Her body was found in a pit less than a mile (1.6 kilometers) from her home, buried beneath rocks and debris.
The execution would be the fourth in Missouri this year.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.wftv.com/news/national/appellate-court/LBYVTIDH3C7AE7LIPAVJG7MMKI/ | 2023-07-30T00:16:13 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/national/appellate-court/LBYVTIDH3C7AE7LIPAVJG7MMKI/ |
Brittney Griner will miss the Phoenix Mercury's next two games to focus on his mental health, the team announced Saturday.
The Mercury said they fully support Griner's decision to miss games against the Chicago Sky on Sunday and the Indiana Fever on Tuesday, while indicating her break might be indefinite. The team said it will work with her on a timeline for her return.
The Mercury's full statement:
Mercury center Brittney Griner will not travel with the team on its upcoming two-game road trip to Chicago and Indiana (July 30-August 1) to focus on her mental health. The Mercury fully support Brittney and we will continue to work together on a timeline for her return.
Griner is midway through her first season since returning to the United States after her nine-month imprisonment in Russia, a story that triggered enormous attention — and in some areas, scorn — for one of the WNBA's top centers. Rather than take time off, she resumed her career as soon as she could.
Earlier in the season, Griner was at the center of an incident in which she was harassed by a YouTuber in a public terminal at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. Before being pushed away by Mercury security, the attention-seeker asked her a series of intentionally inflammatory questions and claimed she hates America.
That incident pressured the WNBA to confirm Griner had approval to travel via charter jet, which the league had previously resisted for players. The league insisted Griner already such approval, while other reports indicated she only had the OK to fly privately twice in a "hybrid plan" that would have required her to get approval for additional flights.
In her 20 games played, Griner is averaging 18.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.7 blocks in 28 minutes per game, all numbers slightly behind her previous career norms but enough to be named a starter for the 2023 WNBA All-Star Game, where she was captain Breanna Stewart's first pick. Griner also missed three games in June with a hip injury.
The Mercury's record currently sits at 6-17. | https://www.wftv.com/news/national/brittney-griner-not/57ROVRJKPVMJYKG2S6M334LKQI/ | 2023-07-30T00:16:20 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/national/brittney-griner-not/57ROVRJKPVMJYKG2S6M334LKQI/ |
Are you ready for UFC 291? On Saturday, one of the best fights in UFC history gets a rematch. Lightweights Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje return to the Octagon to face one another.
The PPV main card will also feature a co-main event between former champion Jan Blachowicz vs. Alex Pereira, plus more UFC action worth tuning in for. If you’re looking for ways to watch UFC 291, know this: Poirier vs. Gaethje will be available only as a pay-per-view fight through ESPN+, with prelims airing on ABC, ESPN and streaming free on ESPN+ for subscribers.
Don't want to miss out on the action? Below is how to watch the big fight Saturday night, including start times, Poirier vs. Gaethje 2 fight card details, how to stream the UFC 291 prelims, UFC predictions and more. And follow all of the action with our live updates below.
UFC 291 live tracker: Updates, highlights and analysis
UFC 291 main card, odds (Start time 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+PPV)
• Lightweight: Dustin Poirier (-130) vs. Justin Gaethje (+110)• Light heavyweight: Jan Blachowicz (-120) vs. Alex Pereira (+100)• Welterweight: Stephen Thompson (-225) vs. Michel Pereira (+175)• Heavyweight: Derrick Lewis (-165) vs. Marcos Rogério de Lima (+140)• Lightweight: Tony Ferguson (+260) vs. Bobby Green (-350)• Welterweight: Michael Chiesa (+130) vs. Kevin Holland (-160)
UFC 291 prelims card, odds (Start time 8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN/ESPN+)
• Welterweight: Trevin Giles (+240) vs. Gabriel Bonfim (-300)• Flyweight: CJ Vergara (-175) vs. Vinicius Salvador (+145)• Middleweight: Roman Kopylov (-225) vs. Claudio Ribeiro (+185)• Welterweight: Jake Matthews vs. Darrius Flowers
UFC 291 early prelims card, odds (Start time 7p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+/UFC FightPass)
• Welterweight: Matthew Semelsberger (-145) vs. Uroš Medić (+120)• Women's flyweight: Miranda Maverick (-350) vs. Priscila Cachoeira (+275)
How to watch UFC 291 without cable:
Date: Saturday, July 29, 2023
Prelims time: 8 p.m. ET
Main card time: 10 p.m. ET
Location: Delta Center, Salt Lake City, UT
TV/Streaming:ESPN+
Where to stream UFC 291 this weekend
How to watch UFC 291 without ESPN+ or PPV in the US:
Where to stream the UFC 291 prelims:
When is the next UFC fight?
UFC 291 will take place Saturday, July 29, 2023.
What time does the UFC fight start?
This Saturday, UFC 291 kicks off with the preliminary bouts at 8 p.m. ET, followed by the main card at 10 p.m. ET. | https://www.wftv.com/news/national/ufc-291-live-tracker/XQX6ZS65HZYCFRGWNXNF2AIHDA/ | 2023-07-30T00:16:27 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/national/ufc-291-live-tracker/XQX6ZS65HZYCFRGWNXNF2AIHDA/ |
First Alert Forecast: Dangerous heat expected for continue as First Alert Weather Days will be in place starting Sunday
JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Tonight: A few showers and thunderstorms will continue into this evening, helping us to cool off for the rest of your Saturday. Temperatures into the overnight hours will drop slightly into the mid 80s and then into the upper 70s early Sunday morning.
Sunday: A First Alert Weather Day is in place as humidity is expected to increase on top of already above average temperatures. Temperatures are expected to reach the low to mid 90s by lunchtime and continue warming with highs expected to reach 100 degrees in the afternoon. Peak heat indices are expected to range anywhere between 105 and 110 degrees. Because of this, it is important to stay hydrated and take frequent breaks from the outdoors. Temperatures will slowly cool off into the mid 70s overnight.
Extended forecast: Another First Alert Weather Day is in place for Monday as dangerous heat conditions are expected to continue for the beginning part of next week. Forecast highs are expected to reach 100 degrees Monday with feels like temperatures still in the triple digits due to the increased moisture that moves in over the weekend. Temperatures will continue to be in the upper 90s throughout most of the week but we may see a little bit of a cool by next weekend. Taking a look at the tropics, the disturbance in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean has a 70% chance of formation over the next 7 days but won’t be affecting us here at home. We’ll continue to keep an eye on the tropics as we get closer to peak hurricane season.
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Copyright 2023 WLBT. All rights reserved. | https://www.wlbt.com/2023/07/29/first-alert-forecast-dangerous-heat-expected-continue-first-alert-weather-days-will-be-place-starting-sunday/ | 2023-07-30T00:16:32 | 0 | https://www.wlbt.com/2023/07/29/first-alert-forecast-dangerous-heat-expected-continue-first-alert-weather-days-will-be-place-starting-sunday/ |
8 dogs died from extreme heat in the Midwest during unairconditioned drive
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — At least eight dogs died of heat-related injuries after being transported in the back of an uncooled cargo van through northern Indiana Thursday night, authorities said.
The dogs that died were among 18 shepherds traveling from O’Hare International Airport in Chicago to a training facility in Michigan City, Indiana, police said.
The driver, whom police did not name, said he was unaware that the air conditioning in the cargo area failed until he heard dogs barking. Then, he pulled off Interstate 94 at a convenience store and gas station in Lake Station, Indiana. When he opened the back, the driver found several dogs dead and others suffering. Numerous store employees and passersby stepped in to aid the dogs.
Jennifer Webber, executive director of the Humane Society of Hobart, responded to the call at 7:40 p.m. and said the dogs displayed signs of heatstroke: Salivating heavily, wobbling, vomiting and convulsing.
“There were already several dogs dead on the scene, and multiple failing fast,” Webber said. “Their crates inside the truck were completely trashed on the inside and the little water bowls were the size you’d give a parrot. And they were empty and torn up as if the dogs were exasperated.”
In a statement posted online, the Lake Station Police Department described the incident as a “freak event.” Telephone and email messages seeking further comment were left with the police station Saturday.
“This was not an act of animal cruelty or neglect but a mechanical failure of the AC unit that was being used in the cargo area,” the statement said.
But Webber said she encountered resistance when attempting to gather facts for the investigation she is authorized to conduct. The police officer in charge of the scene told her she could leave because the deaths were an accident that “the owner will take care of.”
The owner, who was driving the car, used abusive language, cursed at her and refused to produce health certificates, Webber said. Such paperwork is typically signed by veterinarians in each state involved and required to move dogs across borders for commerce. Webber said she doubted a veterinarian would have approved travel on Thursday, when heat indices exceeded 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 Celsius).
The extreme heat is a worldwide problem, and scientists calculate that July will be the hottest month on record.
“He shouldn’t have been traveling at all. So No. 1: That is neglectful,” Webber said. Then, the police let the owner drive away — this time with the door to the cargo area open — with several dead dogs and others who should have been hospitalized in crates that were not secured in the cargo area, she continued.
The truck, crates and dogs are evidence she wanted to inspect.
Even more, five of the dogs were transported to veterinary hospitals — in ambulances used for people, not in the specialized humane society vans offered on site. Webber filed a notice of seizure of the dogs when they’re released. According to Lake Station ordinance, the humane society may confine any dog who is “ill, injured, or otherwise in need of care” or “reasonably believed to have been abused or neglected.”
But Webber claimed that Lake Station police blocked the order, directing the hospitals treating the animals to release them to the owner when they are well again. She said that in her five years working with Lake Station, that has never happened.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wagmtv.com/2023/07/29/8-dogs-died-extreme-heat-midwest-during-unairconditioned-drive/ | 2023-07-30T00:16:32 | 0 | https://www.wagmtv.com/2023/07/29/8-dogs-died-extreme-heat-midwest-during-unairconditioned-drive/ |
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — An inmate who escaped from a minimum security transitional housing unit in New Hampshire was fatally shot by a Florida police officer after he threatened two women with a knife, authorities said.
Darien Young, 29, was killed by a Miami Beach police officer at a Victoria’s Secret store at 901 Lincoln Road, WPLG-TV reported. According to the television station, Young had been suspected of shoplifting when he took a woman and her daughter hostage at about 5:30 p.m. EDT.
Young was taken to an area hospital where he died, WTVJ reported. The two women were not injured, according to the television station.
#NHDOC announces the death of a resident placed on escape status, Darien Young. On 7/27/23 he was identified as a suspect stealing at a store in Miami Beach. When police arrived he was threatening two individuals at knife point. An officer discharged his firearm, striking Young. pic.twitter.com/Bx9FEX5pVl
— NHDOC (@NHDOC) July 28, 2023
According to a news release from the New Hampshire Department of Corrections, Young had escaped from the Calumet Transitional Housing Unit in Manchester on July 21.
Young had been imprisoned in New Hampshire after being convicted for receiving stolen property, burglary, falsifying physical evidence and drug charges, the agency said. He was eligible for “minimum parole” beginning on Monday, prison officials said.
Young had a maximum release date of Jan. 31, 2028, according to New Hampshire officials.
“I was able to hear the gunshots. I heard the sound. I thought I was mesmerized a little bit,” Shanell Santiago, who works near the lingerie store, told WTVJ. “I was like, ‘Maybe it’s in my head right now’. I didn’t have music on. So it was clear as day.”
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting, and the officer who fired the fatal shot is on administrative leave, which is standard procedure, WPLG reported.
“Our agents and analysts will establish a timeline, interview officers and witnesses, and review any video, including surveillance video, body-worn camera footage, and cell phone video,” the FDLE said in a statement. “FDLE’s investigation is limited to the shooting itself.” | https://www.wftv.com/news/trending/escaped-new-hampshire-inmate-fatally-shot-by-miami-beach-police-hostage-situation/YHEYE4ERDJGV7H5W5T2OCRLIHE/ | 2023-07-30T00:16:40 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/trending/escaped-new-hampshire-inmate-fatally-shot-by-miami-beach-police-hostage-situation/YHEYE4ERDJGV7H5W5T2OCRLIHE/ |
GLENDALE, Ariz. — (AP) — Kyler Murray's football career was nearly flawless for the first 25 years of his life: First, he was a Texas high school phenom, then a Heisman Trophy winner, then the No. 1 overall pick for the Arizona Cardinals, then a two-time Pro Bowl selection.
In all those situations, Murray was being compared to other football players.
These days, the competition is with himself.
“This is different,” Murray said. “This is you-on-you. Nobody really knows what you're going through except for yourself and whoever you're working out with.”
Murray, who turns 26 on Aug. 7, is working his way back to football relevancy following an underwhelming fourth season that was cut short by a torn ACL in his right knee against the New England Patriots on Dec. 12.
The quarterback acknowledged some tough days after the surgery — nights when it was tough to sleep because of the pain — but said he's not feeling sorry for himself as he works to get back to the field.
“I get to do what I love every day — play quarterback in the NFL,” Murray said. “Did I get hurt? Yeah. Did I experience something no one wants to experience? Yeah. But it's nothing for me to get up and work out. I was already doing that before I got hurt.”
Murray's expected to miss at least a few games of the upcoming season while he continues to recover, and the quarterback watched Saturday's practice at State Farm Stadium in a gray hooded sweatshirt and long black sleeve over his entire right leg.
His impending return is the hottest topic for the Cardinals during camp, but says he's not committing to a certain return date.
“I don't have a timetable,” Murray said.
Murray said he saw Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow at a recent UFC event and the two discussed the perils of an ACL injury. Burrow tore the ACL in his left knee during his rookie season in 2020, but returned to play 16 games in 2021.
“I wouldn't want to go out there and hurt the team or hurt myself,” Murray said. "The advice that I've gotten from a lot of people around me is to go when you're ready. Don't listen to outside noise. Don't feel pressure to come back because of this situation or that situation.
“Whenever you're ready, you'll know you're ready.”
Murray has been very good — at times spectacular — for much of his first four seasons. His uncanny scrambling ability has produced several highlight-reel plays and he's got plenty of arm to make all the throws he needs to make.
The apex of his pro career came in 2021, when the Cardinals started the season with a 10-2 record and looked like a Super Bowl favorite. But the franchise collapsed, losing four of the next five games before getting blown out against the Los Angeles Rams in an embarrassing playoff performance.
With high hopes in 2022, the Cardinals were one of the league's most disappointing teams, finishing with a 4-13 record. Murray was far from the only reason for those struggles, but also wasn't blameless, as his performance regressed in several areas.
“It's not a bad thing to sit back, watch, and try to make this a positive deal,” Murray said. “I feel good. Getting better each and every day, taking one day at a time. Just trying to be there for my teammates and learn as much as possible before I do stuff on the field.”
Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill made big changes after last season's debacle, bringing in a defensive-minded coach in Jonathan Gannon and a new general manager in Monti Ossenfort. The new regime seems just as smitten with Murray as the previous one — Gannon said one major reason he took the Cardinals job was Murray's presence.
Murray says he's excited about what the changes can bring.
The Cardinals have a large monetary interest in making things work: Murray signed a $230.5 million, five-year deal before last offseason that keeps him in the desert until 2028.
“It's been great so far,” Murray said. “We're actually establishing a run game. I believe we'll be able to run the ball a lot better, which will only be a weapon for us. Get under center, mix it up, not be as predictable.”
Veteran Colt McCoy is the Cardinals' most likely quarterback while Murray continues to recover. The 36-year-old has been the team's backup for the past two seasons and has a 3-3 record in the six games he's started.
The other current options are David Blough, who played decently in two starts last season, and Clayton Tune, a rookie fifth-round pick out of Houston.
“To me, whoever is available, we're trying to put the best guy out there to win football games,” Gannon said. “Obviously, Kyler's not available right now, but we've got a lot of guys who are very capable who I'm excited to see play and compete if he's not ready to go.”
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.wftv.com/sports/cardinals-kyler/OM6S7CCB4BBPYULFGSV6D26JBY/ | 2023-07-30T00:16:46 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/sports/cardinals-kyler/OM6S7CCB4BBPYULFGSV6D26JBY/ |
BLAINE, Minn. — (AP) — Chasing his first PGA Tour victory Lee Hodges shot a 5-under 66 on Saturday to stretch his lead to five strokes with a round left in the 3M Open.
Hodges had a 20-under 193 total at the TPC Twin Cities to break the tournament 54-hole mark of 195 set last year by Scott Piercy. Hodges led at 8 under after the first round and a record 15 under after the second.
“I have nothing to lose," Hodges said. "I’m out here playing with house money. I have a job next year on the PGA Tour, this is all great. This is just icing on the cake.”
J.T. Poston was second after a 66. Defending champion Tony Finau was another stroke back at 14 under after a 67.
Hodges' best finish in 64 prior events was a tie for third at The American Express in 2022, the only other time the 28-year-old Alabama player has led or shared the lead after 54 holes.
And he almost certainly has played himself into the playoffs that begin in two weeks. He began the week 74th in the FedEx Cup standings, with the top 70 players qualifying.
“I honestly don’t think I’ll be that nervous tonight." Hodges said. "I’ll hang out with my wife. We’ll go do something fun. I mean, yeah, it’s just golf at the end of the day. I’m lucky to be here.”
Hodges opened with an up-and-down even nine holes, then had five birdies on the back nine.
“I didn’t think I played bad on the front nine, I just couldn’t really get it close to the hole and when I did, I couldn’t make the putt,” he said.
Things were much different after the turn.
Hodges dropped birdie putts from 12 feet on No. 10 and nearly 11 feet on No. 11. His tee shot on the par-3 13th stopped 4 1/2 feet from the cup for another birdie. He added a 5-foorter for birdie on 16 and a 7-footer on 18.
He’ll be paired with Poston on Sunday the final group.
“We play some practice rounds together and I know him really well,” Poston said. “He’s a good friend. So, if I can’t get it done tomorrow, I’ll be pulling for him.”
Finau birdied four of his final eight holes. Last year, he trailed by five shots early in the final round and won by three at 17 under.
“It was just nice to make a run on the back nine today just to give myself a chance," Finau said. "If I’m eight back, that’s a whole different feeling than five or six. I was just happy with the way I finished my round today and to creep up and just be a little closer to the lead.”
Aaron Baddeley was fourth at 13 under after a 65.
Sam Ryder (65), Keith Mitchell (67), Billy Horschel (68) and Kevin Streelman (69) were 12 under. Ryder birdied in his final five holes — and seven of nine — to toe the tournament back-nine record of 29. Mitchell set that mark two years ago.
Kevin Yu shot 29 on his first nine, tying a score recorded by five others, but he was 5 over for his final six holes to finish with a 67. He was tied for 11th.
___
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.wftv.com/sports/looking-1st-pga-tour/QADP53JEHTNTMDRIQU7YEIU7AI/ | 2023-07-30T00:16:52 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/sports/looking-1st-pga-tour/QADP53JEHTNTMDRIQU7YEIU7AI/ |
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am a terrible gardener. Fifteen years ago, I planted an avocado tree. It lost all the fruit immediately, and it was more than 10 years before it grew more. Three avocados, to be exact.
In the years since, the tree has yielded a few more avocados each season, sometimes as many as nine or 10. I count them when they appear, and look forward to enjoying one avocado a week for nine or 10 weeks, picking them accordingly.
One friend asked for an avocado. I did not want to give up one of my few fruits, but I did anyway. Knowing the peculiarities of my avocados, I warned her that she should wait at least two weeks before cutting into it.
She didn’t do this. Instead, she cut it open when she believed she had waited long enough, and found it unripe. She threw it away, thereby wasting one of my precious treats.
When another acquaintance asked me about the fruit, I said vaguely, “There aren’t very many.” She begged me for one anyway. I fear the same thing will happen, although I will not ask about it.
I’m sorry to be stingy, but is there a polite way to say no to people who ask me for this fruit?
GENTLE READER: “I am afraid that my gardening skills are lacking and the fruit from my tree is barely edible. When both my tree and I get better at this, I will be happy to share.”
And then, Miss Manners suggests, you enjoy your one piece a week with the shades drawn.
***
MORE FROM MISS MANNERS:
Miss Manners: I nearly regifted an item to the friend who gave it to me ... I’m mortified
Miss Manners: How should I respond to colleagues who act like I’ve exceeded my time in the restroom?
Miss Manners: I overheard an awkward question asked at checkout ... should I have intervened?
Miss Manners: Bride’s parents extend two hospitable invitations to guests
Miss Manners: Isn’t a fiancé someone you will marry in the next year, two at most?
***
(Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)
***
COPYRIGHT 2023 JUDITH MARTIN
DISTRIBUTED BY ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION
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The coveted BMF belt is up for grabs Saturday night as Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje do battle in the UFC 291 headliner, and new customers using our BetMGM bonus code can receive up to $1,000 in bonuses if their initial fight night wager fails to connect.
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A dozen bouts are on the UFC 291 schedule, with the early prelims beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+ and the five-fight main card from Salt Lake City getting underway at 10 p.m. on pay-per-view.
The grand finale is a rematch of the storied 2018 fight between Poirier and Gaethje, UFC’s current No. 2 and No. 3-ranked lightweights, respectively.
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UFC 291 BetMGM bonus code: Poirier vs. Gaethje odds, preview, top BetMGM promotions
Poirier won the 2018 fight in a fourth-round technical knockout.
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MORE SPORTS BETTING STORIES | https://www.nj.com/betting/2023/07/ufc-291-betmgm-bonus-code-get-up-to-a-1000-bonus-on-saturdays-dustin-poirier-justin-gaethje-fight.html | 2023-07-30T00:17:32 | 0 | https://www.nj.com/betting/2023/07/ufc-291-betmgm-bonus-code-get-up-to-a-1000-bonus-on-saturdays-dustin-poirier-justin-gaethje-fight.html |
The Eagles’ “Kelly Green” jerseys are officially back, and the old-school uniform was formally unveiled on social media Saturday.
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The team posted a photo of quarterback Jalen Hurts, wide receiver DeVonta Smith, and defensive end Brandon Graham wearing the iconic Kelly Green uniforms after teasing their release throughout the last couple of weeks. The team also showed the older-style Eagles logo on the post.
See what the Kelly Green jersey looks like by clicking here and here.
The Eagles wore Kelly Green in the late 1980s and early 1990s and were synonymous with the players of the time, such as Randall Cunningham, Reggie White, Eric Allen, and Jerome Brown. The Eagles later switched to their current color of “Midnight Green.”
The return of the uniform combination was made possible after the owners approved the use of alternate helmets in June 2021, paving the way for teams to wear throwback uniforms.
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“I think the fans will love it,” Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said during the NFL Annual Meeting in this past March. “It’s why we are bringing it back. We really took the feedback seriously over the years. The first moment that we can get the Kelly Green helmet approved, we will finally be able to see it on the field.”
The games when the Eagles will wear the throwback uniform have not been announced, but it could happen during one of their nationally televised games to give those watching the game across the country the feeling they have traveled back in time. The team will be selling the jerseys at their pro shops beginning Monday.
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Chris Franklin may be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com. | https://www.nj.com/eagles/2023/07/eagles-officially-post-picture-of-throwback-kelly-green-jersey-heres-how-it-looks.html | 2023-07-30T00:17:38 | 1 | https://www.nj.com/eagles/2023/07/eagles-officially-post-picture-of-throwback-kelly-green-jersey-heres-how-it-looks.html |
A woman was shot to death early Saturday in Little Egg Harbor by a gunman who then took his own life, authorities said.
Police were called to Whitemarsh Court about 5:10 a.m. by a woman who believed someone was breaking into her apartment, according to a news release by township police and the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office. | https://www.nj.com/news/2023/07/nj-gunman-fatally-shoots-woman-and-a-dog-before-turning-gun-on-himself-authorities-say.html | 2023-07-30T00:17:44 | 1 | https://www.nj.com/news/2023/07/nj-gunman-fatally-shoots-woman-and-a-dog-before-turning-gun-on-himself-authorities-say.html |
As legal conditional adult-use retail dispensary (CAURD) licenses begin to roll out throughout New York state, it’s creating more conversation about the growth of New York’s cannabis industry.
Saturday marked Rochester’s second Catch a Contact cannabis career summit, a series started by New York State Cannabis Connect last year to create networking opportunities for individuals throughout the cannabis industry.
“Instead of doing a job fair, we thought we’d do a summit where we could offer people opportunities that maybe supported cannabis, or like the cultivators that were licensed, but then also start sparking interest,” said the CEO and co-founder of New York State Cannabis Connect Tiffany Walters.
The career summit has been held throughout the state in the past year, but Walters has lived in Rochester all her life.
“I was really passionate about making sure that my community, which is one of the communities most impacted, Rochester our city, that they knew they weren’t left behind,” she said. “That they knew there were pathways and that there were opportunities and if they wanted to be involved that they could."
But for her, the idea of cultivating the cannabis community hits even closer to home.
“I have a son and I don’t want him to get caught up in the negative things that are going on in the city,” Walters said. “I want him to be able to have opportunity and I think cannabis will provide opportunity through the tax revenue.”
The career summit highlights all of the different job opportunities within the industry outside of plant-touching jobs people normally think of like dispensaries and retail
“But they don’t really think about distribution, or administration or marketing security,” she said. “And most New Yorkers have those skill sets now.”
It’s an opportunity to show New Yorkers how they can bring the skill sets they already have into the cannabis industry.
“We have over 65,000 jobs that are expected to come from cannabis, you know,” she said. “And how are we going to get prepared without events like this where people are able to connect and start talking about where those opportunities lie.”
It’s something Walters said is important in the future of cannabis.
“It’s imperative that we have a strong industry so that we can have a strong impact,” she said.
To stay connected and educated on the growing industry, you can find a list of legal dispensaries, distributers and processors along with local resources like the Department of Labor or the library’s hemp lab at New York Cannabis Connect’s General Resource and Access Map (GRAM) at Gram.nyscannabisconnect.com. | https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/news/2023/07/29/career-summit-creates-conversations-about-n-y--s-growing-cannabis-industry- | 2023-07-30T00:17:46 | 1 | https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/news/2023/07/29/career-summit-creates-conversations-about-n-y--s-growing-cannabis-industry- |
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
Emmett Till would have turned 82 today. Till was tortured and murdered in Mississippi after a white woman accused the Black 14-year-old of whistling and grabbing at her. Till and his mother's willingness to share the brutality Till suffered marked a pivotal moment in the early Civil Rights Movement. Mamie Till Mobley described her decision in a 2003 interview with The Chicago Project.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
MAMIE TILL MOBLEY: Let the people see what I've seen. And I want open casket viewing from now until the time we take Emmett for burial.
KELLY: Now, almost 70 years after Till was beaten, shot, had a cotton gin tied around his body and was thrown in the Tallahatchie River, Till and his mother are being memorialized in the form of three monuments in Chicago and Mississippi. President Biden signed the proclamation designating the sites earlier today. Patrick Weems is the executive director of the Emmett Till Interpretive Center in Sumner, Miss. He was at the White House when President Biden put pen to paper. We spoke before he headed to that event.
Patrick Weems, welcome to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.
PATRICK WEEMS: Thank you, Mary Louise.
KELLY: You've come to D.C. for this event at the White House, and you picked up the Till family en route.
WEEMS: We drove from Chicago to D.C. to be here today, and I couldn't think of a more memorable trip to be here with Wheeler Parker, who's one of the most gracious, forgiving human beings and probably one of the most important people alive.
KELLY: So tell me about the three locations. There are two in Mississippi, one in Illinois. Start with the one that marks the site where Till's body was believed to have been pulled from the Tallahatchie River. What will visitors see there?
WEEMS: Yeah, well, hopefully what they won't see is a bullet-riddled sign. You know, we've had a lot of history of this site being desecrated, being shot up. We were able to put a bulletproof marker there recently in the last couple of years. But more significant is that the site where Till's body came out of the Tallahatchie River will now be a part of the National Park Service system. And to know that it will be federally protected - to make sure that if someone does vandalize our signs, it won't be a local sheriff. It will be the federal government that will get involved. But this is the big bang of the Civil Rights Movement, as Jesse Jackson talked about. This is a site where so many Black bodies were thrown into rivers. But Emmett's miraculously emerged. An 18-year-old fisherman found the body and brought it to the banks of the Tallahatchie River, where his body was initially identified because he had his father's ring on his finger. But then later, Mamie Till made sure the body came to Chicago, where she said, this is my son. I know my son.
KELLY: Yeah. And that's - the site in Illinois is the site where she insisted on an open casket. Describe what we'll see there.
WEEMS: Yeah. So, I mean, public officials wanted to bury Emmett in Mississippi. The sheriff had a directive to make sure the body was buried in Money, Miss. Mamie refused. She wanted to have a very private mourning for her son, first and foremost. But she also took that moment to remember and kind of resist white supremacy, resist the Jim Crow system by having a public funeral, having an open casket to show the world what they did to her son.
KELLY: And then the last location is also in Mississippi, back in Tallahatchie County.
WEEMS: That's right. So the site of the injustice - right? - so the miscarriage of justice took place in our courtroom in 1955. And it's also the site where people like Willie Reed, an 18-year-old sharecropper who witnessed the murder. He testified at the trial, and he whispered his testimony because he was scared to death. He later had a nervous breakdown, changed his name and moved to Chicago and didn't talk about this until 30 years later. And so, you know, it's a low point in American history, the fact that these men get off without any penalty. But it also is a testimony to people like Medgar Evers, Willie Reed, Mose Wright, Mamie Till, Dr. T.R.M. Howard - people who did the right thing that day and had the courage to at least try to get some attempt at justice.
KELLY: You know, I'm thinking about how this monument designation comes as a national conversation is underway about how to teach Black history in our schools. Do you think these monuments might help inform that conversation?
WEEMS: They already are. I mean, this is American history. We have young people visit these sites already. This will only amplify and make it easier for young people to come. It takes the best of us to talk about the worst of us. And if we're going to have a true democracy and multicultural democracy, we have to understand where we've stumbled. And we stumbled badly in 1955. And no matter party affiliation, I think we should all agree that what took place in 1955 was wrong. The system was wrong. Mississippi was wrong. The United States was wrong. But we can be better. It's our hope that this memorial marks a line in the sand that says, never again, and that if we want to hold and cherish our democracy, we need to learn about Mose Wright and Mamie Till.
KELLY: Patrick Weems. Thank you.
WEEMS: Thank you, Mary Louise. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. | https://www.wqcs.org/2023-07-25/the-journey-for-the-emmett-till-and-mamie-till-mobley-national-monuments | 2023-07-30T00:18:05 | 0 | https://www.wqcs.org/2023-07-25/the-journey-for-the-emmett-till-and-mamie-till-mobley-national-monuments |
SARASOTA, Fla. — A thirteen-year-old Sarasota boy who survived life-threatening injuries to the head from a stray bullet is taking action against gun violence.
Despite the sweltering heat, around 100 people joined Aaron Hunter III for an anti-gun violence walk that kicked off at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park in Newtown, Saturday.
The organizers and participants hit the streets with the hope that the walk would raise awareness and help put an end to gun violence in the community.
Aaron, who is still recovering, rode in a golf cart to lead the walk. On June 22, paramedics were wheeling him into a hospital on a gurney after he was struck by a stray bullet. Hunter said he had gone to play basketball with a group of friends and was hanging out when the gunshots rang out.
"All I remember is I was picking mangoes, and I went to my friend's house, and that's all I remember," said Hunter.
According to him, the next few weeks would prove to be a fight for survival. Doctors told his mother it was a miracle he survived.
"I really couldn't walk on my own. I had to have help, but now I'm walking and taking steps," he said.
Aaron is taking a lot more than steps to get guns out of the hands of teens. His community and his family remain by his side to support him and amplify to cause.
His mother, Erica Dorsey, said the message of anti-gun violence is very important.
"Just pay attention to your children, pay attention to their surroundings, pay attention to who they're hanging around just find out different things and just know your kids," said Dorsey.
"If you've got a gun at home, lock it up, and if you can't, then don't bring it to your house," said Johnny Hunter Jr, Aaron's Uncle.
City of Sarasota leaders, including the mayor and the police chief, also joined in on the walk.
"This is a miracle that this young man is here with us today," said Sarasota Mayor Kyle Battie.
Mayor Battie said the issue of gun violence is a top priority that's also a moving target
"We have to stay vigilant and do what we can to stay on top of it," said Battie.
As far as his ordeal and the outcome of this walk, Aaron has one big hope: "That people stop having guns and thinking that it is OK to shoot people," he said.
Community activists and are holding a discussion panel with law enforcement leaders and representatives Monday, August 7. That event takes place at the Robert Taylor Community Center at 5:30 pm. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/community/anti-gun-violence-walk-to-support-boy-hit-with-stray-bullet-in-sarasota/67-3a12a99c-3ff8-42a2-8320-57aac5821d4b | 2023-07-30T00:18:16 | 1 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/community/anti-gun-violence-walk-to-support-boy-hit-with-stray-bullet-in-sarasota/67-3a12a99c-3ff8-42a2-8320-57aac5821d4b |
Leslie 'Les' Elliard, Detroit actor, dies at 46
From Indianapolis to the Motor City, New Orleans to Broadway, to Hollywood and beyond, actor Leslie Michael Elliard was always prepared to take on the next role.
Mr. Elliard, a graduate of Cass Technical High School in Detroit, died at his home in Los Angeles on Saturday, July 15 at age 46. He had been battling arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, according to the County of Los Angeles medical examiner.
Described by friends as a "walking sitcom" and a "born entertainer," Mr. Elliard, affectionately known as "Les," is remembered as one who loved to laugh and was "insanely hilarious."
"He loved nothing more than laughing. There is not enough space here to fully capture how much of my life my brother filled," longtime friend Jamal Sterling of Dallas wrote in a post on social media. "From (high school) plays to college life. First loves and first apartments. Best friends to Alpha brothers. From Detroit to New Orleans to LA. From singing at my wedding to TV show red carpet premieres."
Sterling, who's known Mr. Elliard since they were 14 years old, said they attended high school and college together, became fraternity brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, and would later become roommates in Los Angeles, following his move to the west coast in 2003.
Born in Indianapolis on June 20, 1977, to the late medical professionals Boyzell and Barbara Elliard, his family relocated to the Motor City when Mr. Elliard was 2 years old. He would later graduate from Cass Technical High School in 1995, according to an obituary.
Mr. Elliard went on to attend the historically Black college Dillard University in New Orleans and earned a bachelor's degree in speech communication and arts with an emphasis in theater. Mr. Elliard, according to Detroit News archives, graduated early and taught at Dillard for a year, and later earned a master's degree from Yale School of Drama in 2002.
At Yale, Mr. Eilliard acted in productions of "A Streetcar Named Desire,” “Fame,” “Our Town” and "The Taming Of The Shrew."
After relocating to New York, he starred in his first theater role in the off-Broadway musical "Crowns." His biggest break later came when he debuted in the Broadway production of Disney's "The Lion King," playing the role of Mufasa.
"One of the best moments of my life was when 'Dorian Blues' was playing across Times Square from 'The Lion King,'" Mr. Elliard told The Detroit News in 2005. "I felt like a big rap star."
"It's like each role prepares me for the next," Mr. Elliard said. "Life is also that way. After Dillard, I wanted to become better versed in Shakespeare and August Wilson. While I worked in 'The Lion King,' I got TV roles."
He appeared in episodes of HBO's "The Wire" and NBC's "Law & Order" as well as CBS drama "Hack" and ABC's "All My Children." One of his most notable roles was playing Jimmy James, a fast-talking, tactless go-getter on the Showtime comedy "Barbershop: The Series," based on the popular movies.
"I was fortunate to have the opportunity to watch him grow from performing 'Once On This Island' at Cass Tech to performing on 'Barbershop: The Series' and 'The Wire,'" Sterling told The Detroit News in a statement. "His spirit was infectious and his kindness was unparalleled."
Mr. Elliard also acted in independent films, including "Dorian Blues” in 2004, and "Allergic to Nuts" with Vanessa Williams of Showtime's “Soul Food” and the 2005 feature “Into the Fire,” according to IMDb.com.
"Vanessa has been great," Mr. Elliard previously told The News. "Because she was on 'Soul Food,' she was able to give me advice and tell me what it was like to be a part of the Showtime family and how primetime cable works."
Mr. Elliard was able to give younger aspiring actors the same kind of guidance Williams extended to him, according to his former drama teacher at Cass Tech, Marilyn McCormick."He was a mentor to many students and young actors. ... He encouraged his peers to raise their level (and) commended them on being amazing," Sterling told The News on Saturday.
"Leslie loved the stage and he loved the craft of acting. He really delved into the work (as) it was important for him to explore every possibility when he was working. He was tireless in his determination to get it right."
Mr. Elliard's survivors include an older brother, Christopher Eilliard; aunts Jessie Hammock, Jacqueline Thomas and Ella Delorise Smith; uncles Maurice and Harrold Elliard; cousin Beverly Sullivan; and a host of cousins, relatives and friends.
A memorial was held on Friday, July 28, at Mr. Elliard's home church Second Baptist Church on Detroit's east side. As a member, Mr. Elliard participated in activities, including the youth choir and the Royal Crusaders, according to an obituary.
Detroit News staff writer Mark Hicks and former staff writer Mekeisha Madden Toby contributed.
jaimery@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @wordsbyjakkar | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2023/07/29/leslie-les-elliard-detroit-actor-dies-at-46/70491011007/ | 2023-07-30T00:18:19 | 1 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2023/07/29/leslie-les-elliard-detroit-actor-dies-at-46/70491011007/ |
KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. — In the sweltering summer heat, nobody tries to cool off by jumping into a hot tub. In parts of Florida, however, that’s what the ocean has felt like.
Earlier this week, sea surface temperatures reached as high as 101.2 degrees Fahrenheit (38.4 degrees Celsius) around the state’s southern tip in Manatee Bay, according to the National Weather Service — although scientists said the context for Monday’s reading is complicated.
“It was like there was no difference between humidity of the air and going into the water,” said Chelsea Ward of Fort Myers, Florida.
Triple-digit ocean temperatures are stunning even in Florida, where residents are used to the heat and where many retirees find refuge from cold, northern winters. Several other nearby spots reached the mid-90s (about 35 Celsius). A storm finally came through on Wednesday, helping water temperatures drop back down in to the more temperate 80s (about 29 Celsius).
Humans naturally look to water for a chance to refresh. Every summer, millions grab their swimsuits for a day on the beach and a chance to cool off in the water — a break from everyday work and worry. Pools offer the same relief and a place for friends to gather. But when water temperatures get too high, some of the appeal is lost.
Ward, 47, doesn’t keep her beach bag in her car anymore even though she lives minutes away from the beach in Fort Myers. Lately, the water is just too hot. On Sunday, when her friend asked if she wanted to go to the beach, the two decided against it after discovering the water temperature was around 90 degrees (32 degrees Celsius).
When it’s hot, the body cools down by sweating, which evaporates and releases heat. Dipping into the ocean is typically so refreshing because heat efficiently transfers from your body into the water. But as water temperatures climb, that effect diminishes and you lose less heat less quickly, according to Michael Mullins, a Washington University toxicologist and emergency medicine physician at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis.
A hot tub — or a stretch of ocean water hotter than body temperature — reverses the transfer of heat into your body. That’s not a pleasant experience on a sizzling, humid, Florida day.
“It would feel," Mullins said, “like you are swimming in soup.”
ICE BLOCKS FOR YOUR POOL? WHY NOT
People already tend not to swim that much in the Florida waters that were so extremely hot earlier this week. The water can get muddy and there are alligators and crocodiles in the area, too.
But high temperatures anywhere can make swimming less pleasant. Through Friday, Phoenix endured highs above 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius) every day this month. Pools are warm. About 150 miles (240 kilometers) to the northwest in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, Stefanee Lynn Thompson, 50, wanted to keep guests cool for a pool party she hosted Sunday. The heat had raised the pool's temperature to 96 degrees (36 Celsius).
Her friend recommended she go buy ice blocks. She ran to the grocery store, picked up 40 of them and dumped them in the pool. She set up fans, too. All that hard work dropped the pool's temperature a grand total of 4 degrees (7 degrees Celsius).
“When it's 120 out, anything helps,” Thompson said.
Recently, ocean temperatures off the western coast of Florida have been a few degrees above normal, sitting around 88 to 90 degrees (31-32 degrees Celsius). It's not just humans that suffer when the oceans warm. Sea corals are bleaching. They can be hurt when water temperatures rise above the upper 80s (low 30 degrees Celsius).
July has been so hot that scientists announced a global heat record even before the month ended. Climate change is creating a hotter world, warming oceans and making some storms more destructive. Sea surface temperatures are somewhat above average around Florida, but they are far higher in parts of the North Atlantic near Newfoundland where they are as much as 9 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius) hotter than usual.
The extremely high sea surface temperatures recorded earlier this week off Florida's southern tip were caused by lots of sun, little wind and no storms.
“I've never seen temperatures 100 degrees in Florida Bay in the 21 years I've been in the Keys,” said Andy Devanas, science officer at the National Weather Service in Key West, Florida.
IS THE WATER THAT WARM EVERYWHERE?
And there are some questions about how representative Monday’s 101.2-degree reading in Manatee Bay were. Water there is shallow and thus heats up quickly. If there’s lots of sediment, that can raise temperatures, too, according to David Roth, a forecaster with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center.
By contrast, stop by the YMCA pools on the North Shore of Massachusetts near Boston and you'll descend into water that's around 78 to 80 degrees (26 to 27 degrees Celsius). The ocean nearby is cooler, too. Sea surface temperatures off Cape Cod, for example, barely touched the mid-70s (about 24 degrees Celsius) this week.
When Maria Argueta, 38, has time off from her job at an open-air decorative plant nursery in Homestead, Florida, she'll go with her family to swim.
“This year, the heat is stronger,” she said.
The hot ocean water doesn't bother her, but sometimes she takes her 2-year-old son and other members of the family to the Venetian Pool, a public facility in Coral Gables fed by water from an aquifer that's always in the 70s. The very cool water, she said, is refreshing.
Florida's humid weather makes it harder for sweat to evaporate and cool the body down. People in south Florida know the ocean doesn't tend to offer real relief from that suffocating heat.
“You aren't getting much cooling at all," Roth said. "Nobody goes into the water in South Florida in the summer really except to swim, because it is comfortable to swim, but it is not refreshing.” | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/regional/florida/florida-water-temperature-ocean-sea-heat-wave-summer/67-f2a1e0e6-4684-48cf-8936-d4a09042fb49 | 2023-07-30T00:18:22 | 0 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/regional/florida/florida-water-temperature-ocean-sea-heat-wave-summer/67-f2a1e0e6-4684-48cf-8936-d4a09042fb49 |
8 dogs died from extreme heat in the Midwest during unairconditioned drive
Springfield, Ill. — At least eight dogs died of heat -related injuries after being transported in the back of an uncooled cargo van through northern Indiana Thursday night, authorities said.
The dogs that died were among 18 shepherds traveling from O'Hare International Airport in Chicago to a training facility in Michigan City, Indiana, police said.
The driver, whom police did not name, said he was unaware that the air conditioning in the cargo area failed until he heard dogs barking. Then, he pulled off Interstate 94 at a convenience store and gas station in Lake Station, Indiana. When he opened the back, the driver found several dogs dead and others suffering. Numerous store employees and passersby stepped in to aid the dogs.
Jennifer Webber, executive director of the Humane Society of Hobart, responded to the call at 7:40 p.m. and said the dogs displayed signs of heatstroke: Salivating heavily, wobbling, vomiting and convulsing.
“There were already several dogs dead on the scene, and multiple failing fast," Webber said. “Their crates inside the truck were completely trashed on the inside and the little water bowls were the size you'd give a parrot. And they were empty and torn up as if the dogs were exasperated.”
In a statement posted online, the Lake Station Police Department described the incident as a “freak event.” Telephone and email messages seeking further comment were left with the police station Saturday.
"This was not an act of animal cruelty or neglect but a mechanical failure of the AC unit that was being used in the cargo area,” the statement said.
But Webber said she encountered resistance when attempting to gather facts for the investigation she is authorized to conduct. The police officer in charge of the scene told her she could leave because the deaths were an accident that “the owner will take care of.”
The owner, who was driving the car, used abusive language, cursed at her and refused to produce health certificates, Webber said. Such paperwork is typically signed by veterinarians in each state involved and required to move dogs across borders for commerce. Webber said she doubted a veterinarian would have approved travel on Thursday, when heat indices exceeded 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 Celsius).
The extreme heat is a worldwide problem, and scientists calculate that July will be the hottest month on record.
“He shouldn’t have been traveling at all. So No. 1: That is neglectful,” Webber said. Then, the police let the owner drive away — this time with the door to the cargo area open — with several dead dogs and others who should have been hospitalized in crates that were not secured in the cargo area, she continued.
The truck, crates and dogs are evidence she wanted to inspect.
Even more, five of the dogs were transported to veterinary hospitals — in ambulances used for people, not in the specialized humane society vans offered on site. Webber filed a notice of seizure of the dogs when they're released. According to Lake Station ordinance, the humane society may confine any dog who is “ill, injured, or otherwise in need of care” or “reasonably believed to have been abused or neglected.”
But Webber claimed that Lake Station police blocked the order, directing the hospitals treating the animals to release them to the owner when they are well again. She said that in her five years working with Lake Station, that has never happened. | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/nation/2023/07/29/8-dogs-died-from-extreme-heat-in-the-midwest-during-unairconditioned-drive/70493156007/ | 2023-07-30T00:18:25 | 1 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/nation/2023/07/29/8-dogs-died-from-extreme-heat-in-the-midwest-during-unairconditioned-drive/70493156007/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — Chatter on one of Prabha Rao’s WhatsApp groups exploded last week when India announced that it was severely curtailing some rice exports to the rest of the world, triggering worry among the Indian diaspora in the United States that access to a food staple from home might soon be cut off.
As in any crisis situation — think bottled water and toilet paper— some rushed to supermarkets to stock up, stacking carts with bags and bags of rice. In some places, lines formed outside some stores as panic buying ensued.
But Rao, who lives near Syracuse, New York, was reassured when the proprietor of her Indian market sent out an email to customers to let them know there was no need to worry: There was an ample supply of rice.
At least for now.
An earlier than expected El Niño brought drier, warmer weather in some parts of Asia and is expected to harm rice production. But in some parts of India, where the monsoon season was especially brutal, flooding destroyed some crops, adding to production woes and rising prices.
Hoping to stave off inflationary pressures on a diet staple, the Indian government earlier this month imposed export bans on non-Basmati white rice varieties, prompting hoarding in some parts of the world.
The move was taken “to ensure adequate availability” and “to allay the rise in prices in the domestic market,” India’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution announced July 20. Over the past year, prices have increased by more than 11%, and by 3% over the past month, the government said.
Non-Basmati white rice constitutes about a fourth of the rice exported by India.
“On WhatsApp, I got a lot of messages saying that rice was not going to be available. I think there was a lot of confusion in the beginning because, as you know, rice is very important for us,” Rao said.
“When we first heard the news, there was just mild confusion and people started panic buying because they thought that it may not be available,” she said.
There are scores of different varieties of rice, with people having their preference depending on taste and texture. India’s export ban does not apply to Basmati rice, a long-grain variety that is more aromatic.
The ban applies to short-grain rice that is starchier and has a relatively neutral flavor — which Rao says is preferable in some dishes or favored in specific regions of India, especially in southern areas of the country.
At Little India, a grocery store in New York City’s Curry Hill neighborhood in Manhattan, there was no shortage of Basmati rice and other varieties.
That wasn’t the case at other Indian groceries.
On its Facebook page, India Bazaar, an Indian grocery chain in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, told customers not to panic. “We are working hard to meet all our shoppers’ demands,” the post said.
Customers cleared shelves and waited in long lines to stockpile bags of rice, reported NBC Dallas affiliate KXAS.
“They really wanted to purchase ten, 12, 15 bags,” India Bazaar’s president, Anand Pabari, told the station. “It was a really crazy situation.”
India’s move came days after Russia backed out of a deal to allow Ukrainian wheat safe passage through the Black Sea, prompting warnings that the action could lead to surging prices.
Some economists say the ban might further hurt food supplies around the world, and some governments have urged the Indian government to reconsider the export ban.
At least in the United States, the supply of imported rice from India may not yet be a problem — despite the panic buying — but a long-term ban would certainly deplete that stock.
Roa says she and others will just have to adapt by purchasing rice grown in the United States or imported from other countries.
“I might have to substitute Basmati rice,” she said, “but it doesn’t taste that good, especially with South Indian dishes.”
A U.S. resident for three decades, Rao said she is accustomed to improvising.
“When we first came here, there was not even that much rice from India,” she said. “So I’ve learned to substitute, and I’m fine with the other brands that we get.” | https://www.yourbasin.com/business/ap-india-cuts-rice-exports-triggering-panic-buying-of-food-staple-by-some-indian-expats-in-the-us/ | 2023-07-30T00:18:29 | 1 | https://www.yourbasin.com/business/ap-india-cuts-rice-exports-triggering-panic-buying-of-food-staple-by-some-indian-expats-in-the-us/ |
Appellate court rules that Missouri man with schizophrenia can be executed after all
The planned execution of a 45-year-old Missouri man with schizophrenia is back on after an appellate court reversed course Saturday.
Johnny Johnson is scheduled to receive a lethal injection Tuesday at the state prison in Bonne Terre for killing 6-year-old Casey Williamson after trying to sexually assault her in 2002.
With questions swirling about his mental competency, the execution was halted last Tuesday by a divided three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court. But after the Missouri Attorney General’s Office asked that the full court reconsider, that decision was reversed in a 7-3 ruling.
The case will likely end up before the U.S. Supreme Court before the scheduled execution date.
Attorneys for Johnson have claimed his schizophrenia prevents him from understanding the link between his crime and the punishment. They have also said Johnson has delusions about the devil using his death to bring about the end of the world.
The Missouri Supreme Court in June declined to halt the execution based on the mental health claim. The attorney general’s office challenged the credibility of psychiatric evaluations of Johnson and contended that medical records indicate he is able to manage his mental illness through medication.
Johnson lured the girl to an abandoned glass factory, even carrying her on his shoulders on the walk to the dilapidated site. When he tried to sexually assault her, Casey screamed and tried to break free. He killed her with bricks and rocks, then washed off in the Meramec River. Johnson confessed to the crimes.
Casey’s disappearance set off a frantic search involving first responders and volunteers. Her body was found in a pit less than a mile (1.6 kilometers) from her home, buried beneath rocks and debris.
The execution would be the fourth in Missouri this year. | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/nation/2023/07/29/appellate-court-rules-that-missouri-man-with-schizophrenia-can-be-executed-after-all/70493210007/ | 2023-07-30T00:18:31 | 0 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/nation/2023/07/29/appellate-court-rules-that-missouri-man-with-schizophrenia-can-be-executed-after-all/70493210007/ |
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.”
_____
Miller reported from Oklahoma City, Willingham reported from Charleston, West Virginia. | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/entertainment-news/ap-10-people-died-at-the-astroworld-music-festival-two-years-ago-what-happens-now/ | 2023-07-30T00:18:34 | 0 | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/entertainment-news/ap-10-people-died-at-the-astroworld-music-festival-two-years-ago-what-happens-now/ |
Miami, Florida Keys getting additional area code of '645'
Miami — It looks like the singer Pitbull is going to have to add some digits to his ode to Miami's area code, “305 Anthem.”
That's because Miami-Dade County and the Florida Keys are getting a new area code, "645," starting next week.
Beginning next Friday, area customers who request new phone numbers will be assigned the “645” area code, the Florida Public Service Commission said in a news release on Friday.
The new area code will supplement the existing codes of “305” and “786" which already are used for the Miami area and the Florida Keys.
“While minimizing the impact to current customers, the Commission must plan for the continuing influx of new residents and businesses to the region — a testament to South Florida’s growing economy,” Andrew Giles Fay, the commission's chairman said in a statement. “The new 645 area code will ensure that customer demand for new lines is met.” | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/nation/2023/07/29/miami-florida-keys-getting-additional-area-code-of-645/70493080007/ | 2023-07-30T00:18:37 | 1 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/nation/2023/07/29/miami-florida-keys-getting-additional-area-code-of-645/70493080007/ |
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said Saturday that Sri Lanka is a key partner in a Tokyo-led initiative aimed at building security and economic cooperation around the Indo-Pacific but also at countering an increasingly assertive China.
Sri Lanka, strategically located in the Indian Ocean, is integral to realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific, Hayashi said. He was speaking after a meeting with his Sri Lankan counterpart, Ali Sabry, in the capital, Colombo.
The initiative, announced by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in March includes Japan’s assistance to emerging economies, support for maritime security, a provision of coast guard patrol boats and equipment and other infrastructure cooperation.
Last year Sri Lanka, which owed $51 billion in foreign debt, became the first Asia-Pacific country since the late 1990s to default, sparking an economic crisis.
While Japan is Sri Lanka’s largest creditor, about 10% of its debt is held by China, which lent Colombo billions to build sea ports, airports and power plants as part of its Belt and Road Initiative. In March, China agreed to offer Sri Lanka a two-year moratorium on loan repayments.
Hayashi said that he conveyed expectations for further progress in Sri Lanka’s debt restructuring process. He welcomed Sri Lanka’s efforts under an agreement with the International Monetary Fund, which includes anti-corruption measures and transparency in the policy-making process.
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Sabry said that he, along with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, invited Japan to resume investment projects already in the pipeline and to consider fresh investments in sectors such as power generation, ports and highways, and dedicated investment zones, as well as in the green and digital economy.
Over many decades, Japan became one of Sri Lanka’s key donors, carrying out key projects under concessionary terms. However, relations between the two countries came under strain after Wickremesinghe’s predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa unilaterally scrapped a Japan-funded light railway project following his election in 2019.
Sri Lanka’s Cabinet has already approved a proposal to restart the railway project.
Rajapaksa was forced to resign in July 2022 amid angry public protects over the country’s worst economic crisis. | https://www.yourbasin.com/business/ap-with-one-eye-on-china-japan-backs-sri-lanka-as-a-partner-in-the-indo-pacific/ | 2023-07-30T00:18:36 | 1 | https://www.yourbasin.com/business/ap-with-one-eye-on-china-japan-backs-sri-lanka-as-a-partner-in-the-indo-pacific/ |
CHAUTAUQUA, N.Y. (AP) — For a single, unthinkable moment last summer, the Chautauqua Institution was a hostile place for the freedom of expression that has been its hallmark for 150 years: As Salman Rushdie was about to speak, an audience member leapt onto the stage and stabbed the celebrated author more than a dozen times.
By the next day, Chautauqua Institution President Michael Hill recently recounted, the decision had been made not only to resume programming, but to “double down on what Mr. Rushdie stands for, what our speakers and preachers and artists stand for — which is the free exchange of ideas and the belief that society is stronger when we do that.”
A year later, Rushdie, blinded in one eye by the assault, is recovering from the attack. The Chautauqua Institution is recovering, too.
Programming and revenue for the arts and intellectual retreat in the rural southwest corner of New York was disrupted for two seasons by COVID-19. Then the attack further shattered the return to normal that regular visitors had so craved.
With a new nine-week summer season now under way, well-tended gardens are in bloom and rocking chairs are back out on the porches of Victorian- and cottage-style homes.
Security has been strengthened, though the gated compound remains open to anyone who buys a pass to enter.
“We look at the work that we do under a different lens since” the stabbing, Hill said during an interview in his office, which overlooks Bestor Plaza, a lush expanse of greenery anchoring the 750-acre (303-hectare) grounds. “The attack was an attempt at silencing, which underscores the need for institutions like ours to not stay silent.”
As an institution, Chautauqua defies easy explanation.
“NPR camp for grown-ups” is the description preferred by Erica Higbie, who owns a house on the grounds.
Located on the shore of Chautauqua Lake, the institution is a self-contained community with lecture halls, houses of worship, cafes, shops, a library, post office and bookstore, along with private homes, rentals and the Athenaeum Hotel, which served as former President Bill Clinton’s executive mansion for a week in 1996 as he prepared for his debate with Republican challenger Bob Dole.
Aside from boating and golf, the 4,400-seat, open-air amphitheater is a main draw, with a summer entertainment lineup this year offering concerts by Diana Ross and Bonnie Raitt, ballet and theater productions and performances by the house Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra.
But for Higbie and many others, the primary appeal exists in the institution’s 19th Century beginnings as a summer educational experiment in which daily lectures are curated around weekly explorations of anything from politics to infrastructure and faith to friendship.
“I am a lecture junkie,” Higbie said from her porch as people navigated the grounds on foot, bikes and scooters. The speed limit for the rare vehicle traffic is 12 mph. The retired teacher takes in a daily morning lecture and may hear two more in the afternoon at the amphitheater and the Hall of Philosophy.
Through the decades, Susan B. Anthony advocated for women’s rights at the institution and President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave his 1936 “I Hate War” speech in the amphitheater. Former Vice President Al Gore spoke about the climate crisis and Supreme Court Judges Robert H. Jackson and Ruth Bader Ginsburg are among countless others who have offered insights.
Rushdie’s appearance came during a week last year exploring home as “a place for human thriving.”
Henry Reese, co-founder of the City of Asylum Pittsburgh, was about to interview “The Satanic Verses” author about violence against writers when Rushdie was attacked as the men sat in armchairs on the amphitheater’s sunken stage.
Rushdie, the target of a decades-old fatwa by the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini calling for his death, was stabbed in the neck, stomach, chest, hand and right eye. Reese suffered bruises and a gash to his forehead.
With alleged assailant Hadi Matar awaiting trial in a nearby courthouse, Reese is scheduled to return to the institution on the anniversary of the attack, Aug. 12. His appearance is expected to kick off a week exploring freedom of expression, imagination and the resilience of democracy. Republican strategist Karl Rove and Democratic strategist David Axelrod are among other invited guests.
It would have been out of character for the institution to do anything but pick up where it left off after the assault, regular guest lecturer Eboo Patel said.
“Not a single artist or speaker canceled,” Patel, founder of Interfaith America in Chicago, said by phone.
“Chautauqua recognizes that it has a responsibility to its own community, honestly to American civilization and the human spirit, and it’s back up in 24 to 48 hours. That’s stunning,” he said.
Property owners differed on how far the institution should go to ensure personal safety, said Higbie, the president of the Chautauqua Property Owners Association.
“Everybody was in shock for a long time,“ Higbie said.
Visitors say they notice more security and protocols at events. Amphitheater patrons can bring only clear bags inside, for example, and may be scanned or asked to walk through a weapons detector.
Even so, “I never hesitated for a minute” to return, said Michael Crawford of Washington, D.C., as he chatted with Mary Pat McFarland of Philadelphia. The two sat on one of the red benches placed around the grounds to invite discussion.
A handful of musicians with violins, guitars and a small harp played an impromptu jam session beneath a tree nearby.
Hill said he sees his role as “teeing up” issues for engagement, so shying away from difficult ones would be a disservice at a time when civic discourse is in short supply.
“It’s about bringing divergent viewpoints for people to digest,” Hill said. “For us to have made the decision to stop bringing speakers who may be controversial in any way would have been for us to stop doing our mission.”
“It would have been,” he said, “to literally stop the reason this place was created.” | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/entertainment-news/ap-after-an-attack-on-salman-rushdie-the-chautauqua-institution-says-its-mission-wont-change/ | 2023-07-30T00:18:41 | 0 | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/entertainment-news/ap-after-an-attack-on-salman-rushdie-the-chautauqua-institution-says-its-mission-wont-change/ |
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.”
_____
Miller reported from Oklahoma City, Willingham reported from Charleston, West Virginia. | https://www.yourbasin.com/entertainment-news/ap-10-people-died-at-the-astroworld-music-festival-two-years-ago-what-happens-now/ | 2023-07-30T00:18:43 | 0 | https://www.yourbasin.com/entertainment-news/ap-10-people-died-at-the-astroworld-music-festival-two-years-ago-what-happens-now/ |
CHICAGO (AP) — The beginning of the pandemic was devasting for the leader of the indie rock band Black Belt Eagle Scout, Katherine Paul. All her tours, including one headlining across North America, were canceled and she feared her ascending music career might be over.
She got a day job at a nonprofit and returned to the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community’s homelands in Western Washington. But as Paul, or KP to her friends, spent time in the cedar forests and walked along the Skagit River, she turned to her guitar to deal with the isolation and stress. Those snippets, recorded on her phone, provided the foundation for what would become songs on her powerful, grunge-soaked new record “The Land, The Water, The Sky.”
“I feel like if the pandemic hadn’t happened, I probably wouldn’t have made this record,” said KP, who writes the songs, sings and plays guitar in the band that was the only Native American artist at the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago this month.
“I spent a lot of time outside. I spent a lot more time than normal going on hikes, being part of the land,” she continued. “It’s not like I never do that stuff but it brought me back to a place where this is who I am.”
The new record, which came out in February, helped launch what has probably been the most successful year so far for Black Belt Eagle Scout. The band toured Europe and will go to Australia later this year. Two of her songs, “Soft Stud” from an earlier record and “Salmon Stinta” from her latest, appear this season on the television series “Reservation Dogs.”
Reservation Dogs Music Supervisor Tiffany Anders said she was introduced to the band’s music by the show’s creator, Sterlin Harjo, when they started working on the second season.
“It’s always been important for us on this show to include Native American artists, but beyond representation, Black Belt Eagle Scout’s music is beautiful and emotional, and fits these characters, their world and landscape — and the vibe of the show,’” she said in a statement.
Then there was Pitchfork, a three-day festival that is a significant milestone for indie musicians. The festival is held every year in Chicago’s Union Park and this year’s headliners included Bon Iver, Big Thief and The Smile, which has members of Radiohead.
She admitted stepping on that stage last weekend was nerve-wracking given her high hopes for the show, a feeling compounded by concerns that storms could scuttle their performance. But as she launched into the blistering set of mostly new songs in front of thousands of eager fans, KP found solace in her guitar. She launched several long jams that were punctuated by her twirling her jet-black hair around to the point it obscured her face.
“It was totally a moment,” she said with a laugh.
“I kind of cried after we played because it felt so meaningful,” she added. “Like, I’ve always wanted to play this music festival. I remember trying to play one of the years before the pandemic when I was touring and it didn’t happen. This year, I was just so stoked to play.”
Reaching Pitchfork has been a long journey for the 34-year-old artist, who is a member of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and left her home on the reservation in LaConner, Washington, when she was 17 to attend Lewis & Clark College in Oregon and play rock music.
Growing up on the reservation off the Washington coast on islands in the Salish Sea, she drummed and sang cultural songs. As a teenager, she discovered local Pacific Northwest bands like Mount Eerie and the sounds of the Riot Grrrl movement and played one of her first gigs at a small bar called Department of Safety. She moved to Portland, Oregon, due to its outsized role in the indie scene that featured bands like Sleater-Kinney and quickly immersed herself in the music scene playing drums and guitar.
She joined an all-female outfit whom she met at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls in Portland. She went on to play a lot of small, basement shows with bands like Genders — whose wolf tattoo she still has on her left arm.
But she wanted to write her own songs and formed Black Belt Eagle Scout in 2013. Her early music was defined by her ethereal singing about love, friendship and healing — often only accompanied by minimal guitar strumming. But she did rock out on songs like “Soft Stud,” which featured searing solos.
“She is a really an authentic musician and she carries a lot of power on stage with her presence and sound,” Claire Glass, who plays guitar in the band and first saw KP seven years ago.
KP has said her Native American identify has always been present on her records. But her latest music paints a more vivid picture of life on the Swinomish reservation. There are references to chinook salmon, which are traditionally fished, and a powwow dance.
“I started thinking of feeling grateful for the life that I have been given; this place that I’m from; how much the land, the water, the sky means to me — being surrounded by it,” KP said of writing the song ”Don’t Give Up.” “It has so much more meaning because the land, that’s where my people are from.”
Her songs aren’t meant to directly confront issues like the crisis of missing and murdered Native American women or tribes’ forced relocation. It’s not the way she writes songs. Instead, she envisions them connecting with people, drawing more Native Americans to indie rock shows in places like Minneapolis, which has a vibrant Native American community, and inspiring young Native Americans to connect with her after shows.
“Isn’t me like being here existing with my music good enough? Can’t I just be who I am?” she asked, adding she doesn’t need to speak out from stage about these issues because being Native often means she is already wrestling with them. A judge, for example, ruled in March that BNSF Railway intentionally violated the terms of an easement agreement with the tribe by running 100-car trains carrying crude oil over the reservation.
“As a Native person, you know someone who is missing. Your tribe is trying to get your land back. Those are topics that are part of your every day life,” she said. ”I care about those things deeply but there are certain ways in which my music is, maybe not as direct, but it can be healing.”
KP also doesn’t want to be seen just as a rock musician or as a Native artist. “I am a musician who happens to be Native, but I am also a Native musician … I think I am always both,” she said.
Her latest record aims to show that.
“I kind of had in the back of mind, just kept thinking what would Built to Spill do,” KP said of the guitar-heavy, indie-rock band from the Pacific Northwest. “I’ve gone on tour with them and seen their three guitars at one point playing together and how they overlap and all these other things.”
It’s also a more collaborative effort with more musicians playing on the record— a departure for KP, who is accustomed to doing everything herself. A cellist who played with Nirvana, Lori Goldston, is featured on several songs, as are two violinists, as well as a saxophone and mellotron player.
Takiaya Reed, a first-time producer who is also in a doom metal band, described the experience of working on the record as “beautiful and amazing” and said the two bonded over their love of punk. Reid also brought her classical training and love of “heavier sounds” to the studio.
“We approached it fearlessly. It was wonderful to be expansive in terms of sonic possibilities,” she said.
KP also wanted to find a place for her parents, whom she had grown especially close to during the pandemic, to play on the record. She chose the song “Spaces,” which she described as having a “healing vibe.” Her dad, who is one of the main singers at the tribe’s cultural events, embraced the idea of lending his powerful powwow chant to the song. Her mom sang harmonies.
KP said: “It meant the world to me to have my parents sing because it felt like it was full circle in who I am.” | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/entertainment-news/ap-black-belt-eagle-scouts-latest-record-inspired-by-return-home-to-swinomish-tribes-ancestral-lands/ | 2023-07-30T00:18:47 | 0 | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/entertainment-news/ap-black-belt-eagle-scouts-latest-record-inspired-by-return-home-to-swinomish-tribes-ancestral-lands/ |
Cabrera draws huge crowd in Miami, Tigers shut out Marlins
Miami — There was a World Baseball Classic atmosphere inside LoanDepot Park Saturday. Huge, animated crowd of 32,936 — the largest crowd here since April of 2017. There were drums, cowbells, whistles. There was dancing, chanting, singing, flags waving.
The energy was palpable. The noise deafening. None more so than when Miguel Cabrera stepped to the plate in the second inning. The ovation induced goosebumps and it persisted. So much so that home plate umpire Jansen Visconti stopped the pitch timer and let the moment simmer.
The roof almost came off when Cabrera finally got settled into the batter’s box and lashed a ground-rule double into the corner in right.
It was Venezuelan Heritage Day and this is what they came for, as much if not more than for the Tigers’ 5-0 win over the Miami Marlins.
"It was like playing in Maracay or Caracas," Cabrera said with a laugh after the game. "It was nice."
Before the game several Venezuelan-born legends were introduced, including Luis Sojo, Carlos Gonzalez, Omar Vizquel, Alex Gonzalez, Edgardo Alfonso and Dave Concepcion. Cabrera was introduced last and got a thunderous ovation.
He shook hands with the other players in the middle of the field but shared a long embrace with Concepcion, who he grew up idolizing as a kid. He talked about Concepcion on Friday.
"It was the perfect game," Cabrera said. "We won. Went two-for-four. Got to see my hero. It's going to be one of the special days of my career."
BOX SCORE: Tigers 5, Marlins 0
The moment got even better for Cabrera when he was able to jog around the bases, scoring with Javier Báez on Akil Baddoo’s three-run, opposite-field home run off Marlins starter Johnny Cueto in that second inning.
"That was crazy," Baddoo said of the atmosphere. "It just shows how great Miggy was in his career. With his family here and getting all that Venezuelan love, I was just breathing it in. It was pretty amazing."
Riley Greene added a solo home run, also to left field off Cueto, in the sixth. And Zack Short, who had two doubles in two at-bats, plated the fifth run in the ninth.
"This was one of the most electric games I've been a part of," Greene said. "It was awesome. It got me going."
Tigers pitching made that stand up and put an end to the four-game losing streak.
Tigers manager AJ Hinch used right-hander Beau Brieske as an opener, and he pitched two scoreless innings. His four-seam fastball (97 mph) and two-seamer (96) both played up velocity-wise and he worked his change-up and slider off those two pitches.
Lefty Joey Wentz, recalled from Triple-A Toledo Saturday morning, impressively kept the Marlins off the scoreboard through the seventh.
He’d punched out 12 in his last start at Toledo and he carried that into this outing. He was dotting edges with his change-up, cutter and curveball off his 93-mph, four-seam fastball.
"It was great," said Wentz, who went 4.2 innings, allowing four hits with six strikeouts. "Found out I was coming back up and you want to help your team. It feels good to be able to do it."
Right-hander Jason Foley got the final out in the seventh on two pitches. He needed 25 pitches to get two outs in the eighth and he left with a runner at third and two outs.
Lefty Tyler Holton came in and struck out pinch-hitter Yuli Gurriel on four pitches. And Alex Lange brought it home with a clean ninth.
"You need a lot of guys to pitch well when you make a decision to (deploy an opener)," Hinch said. "We can mix and match and try to find the right pockets for the right guys. But the pitchers have to do the work and put up the zeroes. And they did that."
Hinch intimated that Wentz might be sticking around for at least another pass through the rotation.
"I think he controlled his emotions, he controlled his reactions to mistakes and I thought he used his pitches well," Hinch said. "There was a lot of growth we're seeing with him and we're going to keep challenging him."
Fittingly, Cabrera got a curtain call. He singled in his final at-bat in the ninth and left the field to a standing ovation and chants of "Miggy, Miggy, Miggy" as Jake Rogers came out to run for him.
"I'm enjoying this time," he said. "I'm enjoying my last year in the big leagues. I put it in my mind to go out and have fun and try to do the best I can. There's no pressure. I'm just really happy right now. We need to keep winning. We have a chance to win the series tomorrow."
Twitter: @cmccosky | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2023/07/29/miguel-cabrera-draws-huge-crowd-in-miami-detroit-tigers-shut-out-miami-marlins/70493154007/ | 2023-07-30T00:18:49 | 0 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2023/07/29/miguel-cabrera-draws-huge-crowd-in-miami-detroit-tigers-shut-out-miami-marlins/70493154007/ |
CHAUTAUQUA, N.Y. (AP) — For a single, unthinkable moment last summer, the Chautauqua Institution was a hostile place for the freedom of expression that has been its hallmark for 150 years: As Salman Rushdie was about to speak, an audience member leapt onto the stage and stabbed the celebrated author more than a dozen times.
By the next day, Chautauqua Institution President Michael Hill recently recounted, the decision had been made not only to resume programming, but to “double down on what Mr. Rushdie stands for, what our speakers and preachers and artists stand for — which is the free exchange of ideas and the belief that society is stronger when we do that.”
A year later, Rushdie, blinded in one eye by the assault, is recovering from the attack. The Chautauqua Institution is recovering, too.
Programming and revenue for the arts and intellectual retreat in the rural southwest corner of New York was disrupted for two seasons by COVID-19. Then the attack further shattered the return to normal that regular visitors had so craved.
With a new nine-week summer season now under way, well-tended gardens are in bloom and rocking chairs are back out on the porches of Victorian- and cottage-style homes.
Security has been strengthened, though the gated compound remains open to anyone who buys a pass to enter.
“We look at the work that we do under a different lens since” the stabbing, Hill said during an interview in his office, which overlooks Bestor Plaza, a lush expanse of greenery anchoring the 750-acre (303-hectare) grounds. “The attack was an attempt at silencing, which underscores the need for institutions like ours to not stay silent.”
As an institution, Chautauqua defies easy explanation.
“NPR camp for grown-ups” is the description preferred by Erica Higbie, who owns a house on the grounds.
Located on the shore of Chautauqua Lake, the institution is a self-contained community with lecture halls, houses of worship, cafes, shops, a library, post office and bookstore, along with private homes, rentals and the Athenaeum Hotel, which served as former President Bill Clinton’s executive mansion for a week in 1996 as he prepared for his debate with Republican challenger Bob Dole.
Aside from boating and golf, the 4,400-seat, open-air amphitheater is a main draw, with a summer entertainment lineup this year offering concerts by Diana Ross and Bonnie Raitt, ballet and theater productions and performances by the house Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra.
But for Higbie and many others, the primary appeal exists in the institution’s 19th Century beginnings as a summer educational experiment in which daily lectures are curated around weekly explorations of anything from politics to infrastructure and faith to friendship.
“I am a lecture junkie,” Higbie said from her porch as people navigated the grounds on foot, bikes and scooters. The speed limit for the rare vehicle traffic is 12 mph. The retired teacher takes in a daily morning lecture and may hear two more in the afternoon at the amphitheater and the Hall of Philosophy.
Through the decades, Susan B. Anthony advocated for women’s rights at the institution and President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave his 1936 “I Hate War” speech in the amphitheater. Former Vice President Al Gore spoke about the climate crisis and Supreme Court Judges Robert H. Jackson and Ruth Bader Ginsburg are among countless others who have offered insights.
Rushdie’s appearance came during a week last year exploring home as “a place for human thriving.”
Henry Reese, co-founder of the City of Asylum Pittsburgh, was about to interview “The Satanic Verses” author about violence against writers when Rushdie was attacked as the men sat in armchairs on the amphitheater’s sunken stage.
Rushdie, the target of a decades-old fatwa by the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini calling for his death, was stabbed in the neck, stomach, chest, hand and right eye. Reese suffered bruises and a gash to his forehead.
With alleged assailant Hadi Matar awaiting trial in a nearby courthouse, Reese is scheduled to return to the institution on the anniversary of the attack, Aug. 12. His appearance is expected to kick off a week exploring freedom of expression, imagination and the resilience of democracy. Republican strategist Karl Rove and Democratic strategist David Axelrod are among other invited guests.
It would have been out of character for the institution to do anything but pick up where it left off after the assault, regular guest lecturer Eboo Patel said.
“Not a single artist or speaker canceled,” Patel, founder of Interfaith America in Chicago, said by phone.
“Chautauqua recognizes that it has a responsibility to its own community, honestly to American civilization and the human spirit, and it’s back up in 24 to 48 hours. That’s stunning,” he said.
Property owners differed on how far the institution should go to ensure personal safety, said Higbie, the president of the Chautauqua Property Owners Association.
“Everybody was in shock for a long time,“ Higbie said.
Visitors say they notice more security and protocols at events. Amphitheater patrons can bring only clear bags inside, for example, and may be scanned or asked to walk through a weapons detector.
Even so, “I never hesitated for a minute” to return, said Michael Crawford of Washington, D.C., as he chatted with Mary Pat McFarland of Philadelphia. The two sat on one of the red benches placed around the grounds to invite discussion.
A handful of musicians with violins, guitars and a small harp played an impromptu jam session beneath a tree nearby.
Hill said he sees his role as “teeing up” issues for engagement, so shying away from difficult ones would be a disservice at a time when civic discourse is in short supply.
“It’s about bringing divergent viewpoints for people to digest,” Hill said. “For us to have made the decision to stop bringing speakers who may be controversial in any way would have been for us to stop doing our mission.”
“It would have been,” he said, “to literally stop the reason this place was created.” | https://www.yourbasin.com/entertainment-news/ap-after-an-attack-on-salman-rushdie-the-chautauqua-institution-says-its-mission-wont-change/ | 2023-07-30T00:18:51 | 1 | https://www.yourbasin.com/entertainment-news/ap-after-an-attack-on-salman-rushdie-the-chautauqua-institution-says-its-mission-wont-change/ |
New Jersey becomes the only state where you can’t pump your own gas
NEW JERSEY - New Jersey is now the only state where you can’t pump your own gas.
For years, Oregon and New Jersey were the only states where it was against the law to pump your own gas.
According to Fox 12, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek declined to veto a bill on Friday that would keep the law in place.
As a result, the 72-year restriction on most drivers pumping their own gas will be squashed.
Kotek did not include House Bill 2426, which would allow half of their pumps for self-serve gas and half not, as required by the Oregon Constitution.
The law will continue to force gas stations to staff at least half of their pumps for customers who are unable or unwilling to pump their own gas.
The bill could go into effect as soon as August 4 if the governor refuses to sign it. | https://www.fox29.com/news/new-jersey-pump-your-own-gas | 2023-07-30T00:18:54 | 0 | https://www.fox29.com/news/new-jersey-pump-your-own-gas |
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Political instability in Niger resulting from a military takeover that deposed the president this week threatens the economic support provided by Washington to the African nation, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Saturday.
Members of the Niger military announced on Wednesday they had deposed democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum and on Friday named Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani as the country’s new leader, adding Niger to a growing list of military regimes in West Africa’s Sahel region.
Blinken, who is in Australia as part of a Pacific tour, said the continued security and economic arrangements that Niger has with the U.S. hinged on the release of Bazoum and “the immediate restoration of the democratic order in Niger.”
“Our economic and security partnership with Niger — which is significant, hundreds of millions of dollars — depends on the continuation of the democratic governance and constitutional order that has been disrupted by the actions in the last few days,” Blinken said. “So that assistance, that support, is in clear jeopardy as a result of these actions, which is another reason why they need to be immediately reversed.”
Blinken stopped short of calling the military actions in Niger a coup, a designation that could result in the African country losing millions of dollars of military aid and assistance.
Speaking in Brisbane, Blinken said he had spoken with President Bazoum on Saturday but did not provide details. He cited the support of the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States and other regional entities in trying to bring an end to the unrest.
“The very significant assistance that we have in place that’s making a material difference in the lives of the people of Niger is clearly in jeopardy and we’ve communicated that as clearly as we possibly can to those responsible for disrupting the constitutional order and Niger’s democracy,” Blinken said.
Blinken said the U.S. Embassy in Niger had accounted for the safety of all staff members and their families, while issuing a security alert advising U.S. citizens in the country to limit unnecessary movements and avoid areas impacted by the coup.
The military group that conducted the coup, calling itself the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Country, said its members remained committed to engaging with the international and national community.
“This is as a result of the continuing degradation of the security situation, the bad economic and social governance,” air force Col. Major Amadou Abdramane said in the video released by the coup leaders Wednesday. He said aerial and land borders were closed and a curfew was in place until the situation stabilized.
Bazoum was elected two years ago in Niger’s first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since independence from France.
Niger is seen as the last reliable partner for the West in efforts to battle jihadis linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group in Africa’s Sahel region, where Russia and Western countries have vied for influence in the fight against extremism.
France has 1,500 soldiers in the country who conduct joint operations with Niger’s military, while the U.S. and other European countries have helped train the nation’s troops.
___
Hannon reported from Bangkok. | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/ap-blinken-says-us-economic-support-for-niger-is-at-risk-as-military-takeover-threatens-stability/ | 2023-07-30T00:18:53 | 1 | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/ap-blinken-says-us-economic-support-for-niger-is-at-risk-as-military-takeover-threatens-stability/ |
Brittney Griner won't travel for next 2 games to focus on her mental health, team says
Phoenix — The Phoenix Mercury say All-Star center Brittney Griner will not travel for the team's next two games so she can focus on her mental health.
The 6-foot-9 center — who became an international story during her 10-month detainment in Russia last year — is averaging 18.2 points and 6.7 rebounds over 20 games this season.
“The Mercury fully support Brittney and we will continue to work together on a timeline for her return,” the team said in a statement on Saturday.
Griner's impressive individual season hasn't translated to success for the Mercury, who have a 6-17 record and fired Vanessa Nygaard earlier in the season.
The Mercury’s tough season and coaching change are among the multiple challenges Griner has faced in her return to the WNBA following her ordeal in Russia on drug-related charges that caused her to miss the entire 2022 season.
Griner and her teammates were confronted by what the WNBA called a “provocateur” at the Dallas airport in June and she’s also dealt with a hip injury that caused her to miss a handful of games.
Griner will miss road games against Chicago on Sunday and Indiana on Tuesday. | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/other/2023/07/29/brittney-griner-wont-travel-for-next-2-games-to-focus-on-her-mental-health-team-says/70493138007/ | 2023-07-30T00:18:55 | 0 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/other/2023/07/29/brittney-griner-wont-travel-for-next-2-games-to-focus-on-her-mental-health-team-says/70493138007/ |
CHICAGO (AP) — The beginning of the pandemic was devasting for the leader of the indie rock band Black Belt Eagle Scout, Katherine Paul. All her tours, including one headlining across North America, were canceled and she feared her ascending music career might be over.
She got a day job at a nonprofit and returned to the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community’s homelands in Western Washington. But as Paul, or KP to her friends, spent time in the cedar forests and walked along the Skagit River, she turned to her guitar to deal with the isolation and stress. Those snippets, recorded on her phone, provided the foundation for what would become songs on her powerful, grunge-soaked new record “The Land, The Water, The Sky.”
“I feel like if the pandemic hadn’t happened, I probably wouldn’t have made this record,” said KP, who writes the songs, sings and plays guitar in the band that was the only Native American artist at the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago this month.
“I spent a lot of time outside. I spent a lot more time than normal going on hikes, being part of the land,” she continued. “It’s not like I never do that stuff but it brought me back to a place where this is who I am.”
The new record, which came out in February, helped launch what has probably been the most successful year so far for Black Belt Eagle Scout. The band toured Europe and will go to Australia later this year. Two of her songs, “Soft Stud” from an earlier record and “Salmon Stinta” from her latest, appear this season on the television series “Reservation Dogs.”
Reservation Dogs Music Supervisor Tiffany Anders said she was introduced to the band’s music by the show’s creator, Sterlin Harjo, when they started working on the second season.
“It’s always been important for us on this show to include Native American artists, but beyond representation, Black Belt Eagle Scout’s music is beautiful and emotional, and fits these characters, their world and landscape — and the vibe of the show,’” she said in a statement.
Then there was Pitchfork, a three-day festival that is a significant milestone for indie musicians. The festival is held every year in Chicago’s Union Park and this year’s headliners included Bon Iver, Big Thief and The Smile, which has members of Radiohead.
She admitted stepping on that stage last weekend was nerve-wracking given her high hopes for the show, a feeling compounded by concerns that storms could scuttle their performance. But as she launched into the blistering set of mostly new songs in front of thousands of eager fans, KP found solace in her guitar. She launched several long jams that were punctuated by her twirling her jet-black hair around to the point it obscured her face.
“It was totally a moment,” she said with a laugh.
“I kind of cried after we played because it felt so meaningful,” she added. “Like, I’ve always wanted to play this music festival. I remember trying to play one of the years before the pandemic when I was touring and it didn’t happen. This year, I was just so stoked to play.”
Reaching Pitchfork has been a long journey for the 34-year-old artist, who is a member of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and left her home on the reservation in LaConner, Washington, when she was 17 to attend Lewis & Clark College in Oregon and play rock music.
Growing up on the reservation off the Washington coast on islands in the Salish Sea, she drummed and sang cultural songs. As a teenager, she discovered local Pacific Northwest bands like Mount Eerie and the sounds of the Riot Grrrl movement and played one of her first gigs at a small bar called Department of Safety. She moved to Portland, Oregon, due to its outsized role in the indie scene that featured bands like Sleater-Kinney and quickly immersed herself in the music scene playing drums and guitar.
She joined an all-female outfit whom she met at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls in Portland. She went on to play a lot of small, basement shows with bands like Genders — whose wolf tattoo she still has on her left arm.
But she wanted to write her own songs and formed Black Belt Eagle Scout in 2013. Her early music was defined by her ethereal singing about love, friendship and healing — often only accompanied by minimal guitar strumming. But she did rock out on songs like “Soft Stud,” which featured searing solos.
“She is a really an authentic musician and she carries a lot of power on stage with her presence and sound,” Claire Glass, who plays guitar in the band and first saw KP seven years ago.
KP has said her Native American identify has always been present on her records. But her latest music paints a more vivid picture of life on the Swinomish reservation. There are references to chinook salmon, which are traditionally fished, and a powwow dance.
“I started thinking of feeling grateful for the life that I have been given; this place that I’m from; how much the land, the water, the sky means to me — being surrounded by it,” KP said of writing the song ”Don’t Give Up.” “It has so much more meaning because the land, that’s where my people are from.”
Her songs aren’t meant to directly confront issues like the crisis of missing and murdered Native American women or tribes’ forced relocation. It’s not the way she writes songs. Instead, she envisions them connecting with people, drawing more Native Americans to indie rock shows in places like Minneapolis, which has a vibrant Native American community, and inspiring young Native Americans to connect with her after shows.
“Isn’t me like being here existing with my music good enough? Can’t I just be who I am?” she asked, adding she doesn’t need to speak out from stage about these issues because being Native often means she is already wrestling with them. A judge, for example, ruled in March that BNSF Railway intentionally violated the terms of an easement agreement with the tribe by running 100-car trains carrying crude oil over the reservation.
“As a Native person, you know someone who is missing. Your tribe is trying to get your land back. Those are topics that are part of your every day life,” she said. ”I care about those things deeply but there are certain ways in which my music is, maybe not as direct, but it can be healing.”
KP also doesn’t want to be seen just as a rock musician or as a Native artist. “I am a musician who happens to be Native, but I am also a Native musician … I think I am always both,” she said.
Her latest record aims to show that.
“I kind of had in the back of mind, just kept thinking what would Built to Spill do,” KP said of the guitar-heavy, indie-rock band from the Pacific Northwest. “I’ve gone on tour with them and seen their three guitars at one point playing together and how they overlap and all these other things.”
It’s also a more collaborative effort with more musicians playing on the record— a departure for KP, who is accustomed to doing everything herself. A cellist who played with Nirvana, Lori Goldston, is featured on several songs, as are two violinists, as well as a saxophone and mellotron player.
Takiaya Reed, a first-time producer who is also in a doom metal band, described the experience of working on the record as “beautiful and amazing” and said the two bonded over their love of punk. Reid also brought her classical training and love of “heavier sounds” to the studio.
“We approached it fearlessly. It was wonderful to be expansive in terms of sonic possibilities,” she said.
KP also wanted to find a place for her parents, whom she had grown especially close to during the pandemic, to play on the record. She chose the song “Spaces,” which she described as having a “healing vibe.” Her dad, who is one of the main singers at the tribe’s cultural events, embraced the idea of lending his powerful powwow chant to the song. Her mom sang harmonies.
KP said: “It meant the world to me to have my parents sing because it felt like it was full circle in who I am.” | https://www.yourbasin.com/entertainment-news/ap-black-belt-eagle-scouts-latest-record-inspired-by-return-home-to-swinomish-tribes-ancestral-lands/ | 2023-07-30T00:18:58 | 0 | https://www.yourbasin.com/entertainment-news/ap-black-belt-eagle-scouts-latest-record-inspired-by-return-home-to-swinomish-tribes-ancestral-lands/ |
Philadelphia Eagles: First look at Kelly green jerseys revealed
PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Eagles are preparing to reveal their highly anticipated ‘Kelly Green’ jerseys on Monday, when they will also be available to buy in select locations.
The Eagles teased the official reveal earlier this week with a sneak peek of the sleeves on the new jerseys. Saturday, they released a photo on their Instagram, featuring Jalen Hurts, Brandon Graham and DeVonta Smith sporting the new, "old" look.
The new "old" look is reminiscent of what the Eagles wore while quarterback Randall Cunningham was leading the offense and Reggie White was leading the defense back in the 1980s and early 90s.
Friday, they announced that fans looking to get their hands on some officially licensed jerseys and apparel can do so beginning at 9 a.m. Monday, July 31.
The team says the Kelly Green Merchandise will be fully stocked and available at all three Eagles Pro Shop locations, including Lincoln Financial Field, Cherry Hill, and Lancaster.
For more information, visit the Eagles’ website. | https://www.fox29.com/news/philadelphia-eagles-first-look-at-kelly-green-jerseys-revealed | 2023-07-30T00:19:00 | 1 | https://www.fox29.com/news/philadelphia-eagles-first-look-at-kelly-green-jerseys-revealed |
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://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/ap-its-a-miracle-say-family-of-japanese-soldier-killed-in-wwii-as-flag-he-carried-returns-from-us/ | 2023-07-30T00:19:00 | 0 | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/ap-its-a-miracle-say-family-of-japanese-soldier-killed-in-wwii-as-flag-he-carried-returns-from-us/ |
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Political instability in Niger resulting from a military takeover that deposed the president this week threatens the economic support provided by Washington to the African nation, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Saturday.
Members of the Niger military announced on Wednesday they had deposed democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum and on Friday named Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani as the country’s new leader, adding Niger to a growing list of military regimes in West Africa’s Sahel region.
Blinken, who is in Australia as part of a Pacific tour, said the continued security and economic arrangements that Niger has with the U.S. hinged on the release of Bazoum and “the immediate restoration of the democratic order in Niger.”
“Our economic and security partnership with Niger — which is significant, hundreds of millions of dollars — depends on the continuation of the democratic governance and constitutional order that has been disrupted by the actions in the last few days,” Blinken said. “So that assistance, that support, is in clear jeopardy as a result of these actions, which is another reason why they need to be immediately reversed.”
Blinken stopped short of calling the military actions in Niger a coup, a designation that could result in the African country losing millions of dollars of military aid and assistance.
Speaking in Brisbane, Blinken said he had spoken with President Bazoum on Saturday but did not provide details. He cited the support of the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States and other regional entities in trying to bring an end to the unrest.
“The very significant assistance that we have in place that’s making a material difference in the lives of the people of Niger is clearly in jeopardy and we’ve communicated that as clearly as we possibly can to those responsible for disrupting the constitutional order and Niger’s democracy,” Blinken said.
Blinken said the U.S. Embassy in Niger had accounted for the safety of all staff members and their families, while issuing a security alert advising U.S. citizens in the country to limit unnecessary movements and avoid areas impacted by the coup.
The military group that conducted the coup, calling itself the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Country, said its members remained committed to engaging with the international and national community.
“This is as a result of the continuing degradation of the security situation, the bad economic and social governance,” air force Col. Major Amadou Abdramane said in the video released by the coup leaders Wednesday. He said aerial and land borders were closed and a curfew was in place until the situation stabilized.
Bazoum was elected two years ago in Niger’s first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since independence from France.
Niger is seen as the last reliable partner for the West in efforts to battle jihadis linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group in Africa’s Sahel region, where Russia and Western countries have vied for influence in the fight against extremism.
France has 1,500 soldiers in the country who conduct joint operations with Niger’s military, while the U.S. and other European countries have helped train the nation’s troops.
___
Hannon reported from Bangkok. | https://www.yourbasin.com/news/ap-blinken-says-us-economic-support-for-niger-is-at-risk-as-military-takeover-threatens-stability/ | 2023-07-30T00:19:05 | 0 | https://www.yourbasin.com/news/ap-blinken-says-us-economic-support-for-niger-is-at-risk-as-military-takeover-threatens-stability/ |
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand striker Hannah Wilkinson has helped create two milestones at the Women’s World Cup.
With her 48th-minute goal in the tournament opener against Norway, she led the co-host Football Ferns to their first win in six trips to the Women’s World Cup. She’s also one of at least 95 out members of the LGBTQ+ community competing in this year’s tournament, according to a count being kept by Outsports, a website that covers the LGBTQ+ sports.
The Ferns were greeted with a fan-made sign at their next match in Wellington: “Gay for soccer, gay for Wilkie,” it read.
The 95 out participants make up roughly 13% of the 736 total players at the Women’s World Cup, more than doubling the 40 players and coaches Outsports counted in 2019.
The 2023 tournament also is hosting the first openly trans and non-binary player in either a men’s or Women’s World Cup, Quinn of Canada.
“Last World Cup was so big, especially with the visibility of the U.S. women’s national team winning and (Megan Rapinoe) fighting with (Donald) Trump. So I think that was a huge year for LGBTQ+ visibility,” said Lindsey Freeman, a professor of sociology and anthropology at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia.
“It’s just the ad hoc, fun culture of women’s soccer that you’re seeing in this World Cup,” said Freeman, who is in New Zealand conducting research on the topic.
Jim Buzinski, co-founder of Outsports, agreed. “In the Western world, it’s such a non-issue that it really just doesn’t get talked about,” he said. “And I think that’s in a good way.”
VISIBILITY
Prior to the start of the tournament, FIFA designated eight socially conscious armbands team captains could wear throughout the Women’s World Cup. The decision came after “One Love” armbands were denied to men’s teams in Qatar in 2022.
The armbands being used this year include anti-discriminatory sayings and multiple colors, but the rainbow version Germany wanted to use is not allowed. None of the available options explicitly mention LGBTQ+ rights.
The decision has led many players to express their support in more creative ways across Australia and New Zealand.
New Zealand midfielder Ali Riley was interviewed on the official Women’s World Cup broadcast after her team’s upset of Norway. Her painted fingernails, left hand in the colors of the pride flag and right hand as the trans flag, were clearly visible as she held her head and fought back tears.
“She’s such an advocate and she’s definitely someone who uses her platform in such a positive way. We are all so proud of her and the way she represents the LGBTQ+ community,” teammate CJ Bott said. “Good on her. We’re all backing her, and we all back the community as well.”
The Philippines, making its Women’s World Cup debut, took home its own historic win over New Zealand 1-0 thanks to the foot of Sarina Bolden. Bolden’s Instagram bio reads, “i just wanna have fun n b gay.”
Irish star Katie McCabe wowed fans with a goal directly from a corner kick. She’s also made tabloid news for her relationships with other players.
Thembi Kgatlana, who has scored in the tournament for South Africa, has a patch of her hair dyed rainbow colors.
“My personality is very big for me, and my hair has become a part of my personality,” Kgatlana said. “And I did this rainbow because I want to represent all the people that are part of the LGBTQ and cannot talk while in countries where they’re oppressed.”
FAN EXPERIENCE
Kristen Pariseau and her wife started a U.S. women’s national team supporters group on Facebook ahead of traveling to this year’s Women’s World Cup. Aside from some hateful users she blocked, it’s been “super LGBT friendly.”
She and her wife did not go to Qatar for the 2022 men’s World Cup to avoid referencing each other as friends and receiving questions on their sexuality. In New Zealand, she said she’s met many same-sex couples at games and while traveling around the country.
“Everywhere you turn, it’s like, ‘Oh, my wife, my girlfriend.’ It’s been so welcoming and open,” Pariseau said. “In a way, it is kind of cool to be where there’s a lot of other people like you.”
Kelsie Bozart took her own pride flag armband to the United States’ second match in Wellington, along with a pride scarf.
“If you look back a couple years, I feel like it just wasn’t really talked about or there just wasn’t much of a presence,” Bozart said. “But moving forward I feel like, especially for the U.S., they’ve done an amazing job of just incorporating pride and LGBTQ.”
NOT UNIVERSAL
Though this year’s tournament has highlighted vast gains for the LGBTQ+ community in women’s soccer, advocates feel there is still work to be done.
According to Buzinski and Outsports, there were at least 186 LGBTQ+ athletes at the Tokyo Olympics. Women outnumbered men by a 9:1 ratio. There also were no confirmed out players at the 2022 men’s World Cup.
“I think women’s sports have always been open,” Denmark striker Pernille Harder said, adding that there are many role models for women who want to come out.
Freeman said it would be good to see men feel the same level of comfort.
“What can happen in the women’s game, I would love to spill over to the men’s game,” she said. “Because obviously, there’s way more queer players in the men’s game and it’s just not safe for them to come out.
“If you want to say that you’re in an inclusive space, you really have to be an inclusive space,” Freeman added. “And I think that that includes also holding the World Cup in places where it’s fine to be a queer person.”
___
Max Ralph is a student in John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State.
___
Contributing reporters included Joe Lister in Wellington and Rafaela Pontes in Auckland, students in the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State, and Clay Witt in Sydney, Australia, a student at the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.
___
AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/ap-lgbtq-community-proud-and-visible-at-womens-world-cup/ | 2023-07-30T00:19:06 | 1 | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/ap-lgbtq-community-proud-and-visible-at-womens-world-cup/ |
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://www.yourbasin.com/news/ap-its-a-miracle-say-family-of-japanese-soldier-killed-in-wwii-as-flag-he-carried-returns-from-us/ | 2023-07-30T00:19:11 | 1 | https://www.yourbasin.com/news/ap-its-a-miracle-say-family-of-japanese-soldier-killed-in-wwii-as-flag-he-carried-returns-from-us/ |
PHOENIX (AP) — A historic heat wave that has gripped the U.S. Southwest throughout July, blasting residents and baking surfaces like brick, is beginning to abate with the late arrival of monsoon rains.
Forecasters expect that by Monday, people in metro Phoenix will begin to see high temperatures fall under 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 degrees Celsius) for the first time in a month.
But not on Saturday. The high temperature in the desert city with more than 1.6 million residents climbed past 110 F for the 30th straight day, the National Weather Service said. The previous record stretch of 110 F or above was for 18 days in 1974.
There are increased chances on Sunday of cooling monsoon thunderstorms. Though wet weather can also bring damaging winds, blowing dust and the chance of flash flooding, the weather service warned. Sudden rains running off hard-baked surfaces can quickly fill normally dry washes.
Already this week, the overnight low at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport fell under 90 F (32.2 C) for the first time in 16 days, finally giving residents some respite from the stifling heat once the sun goes down.
Temperatures also were expected to ease in Las Vegas, Albuquerque and even in Death Valley, California, where the weather service said the expected high of 122 F (50 C) on Saturday is forecast to lower to 113 F (45 C) by Tuesday — along with a slight chance of rain.
Also in California, triple-digit heat was expected in parts of the San Joaquin Valley from Saturday through Monday, according to the National Weather Service in Hanford, California.
Gusty, late-afternoon winds were expected Saturday and Sunday in Santa Barbara County, posing an elevated risk of fire weather, the weather service in Los Angeles said. Hot, dry weather was also expected across nearby valleys, lower mountains and desert areas.
In Riverside County, more than 1,300 people were ordered to evacuate their homes and another 1,400 were facing evacuation warnings as crews battled a wildfire that charred 3.2 square miles (8.3 square kilometers) in the community of Aguanga, about 60 miles (96 kilometers) northeast of San Diego, authorities said Saturday. One firefighter was reported to have been injured in the so-called Bonny Fire, which authorities said was about 5% contained.
A downward trend in Southwest heat started Wednesday night, when Phoenix saw its first major monsoon storm since the traditional June 15 start of the thunderstorm season. 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 1 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.
“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.
____
Associated Press writers Ken Ritter in Las Vegas and Amy Taxin in Santa Ana, California, contributed to this report. | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/ap-the-extreme-heat-wave-that-blasted-the-southwest-is-abating-with-late-arriving-monsoon-rains/ | 2023-07-30T00:19:12 | 0 | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/ap-the-extreme-heat-wave-that-blasted-the-southwest-is-abating-with-late-arriving-monsoon-rains/ |
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand striker Hannah Wilkinson has helped create two milestones at the Women’s World Cup.
With her 48th-minute goal in the tournament opener against Norway, she led the co-host Football Ferns to their first win in six trips to the Women’s World Cup. She’s also one of at least 95 out members of the LGBTQ+ community competing in this year’s tournament, according to a count being kept by Outsports, a website that covers the LGBTQ+ sports.
The Ferns were greeted with a fan-made sign at their next match in Wellington: “Gay for soccer, gay for Wilkie,” it read.
The 95 out participants make up roughly 13% of the 736 total players at the Women’s World Cup, more than doubling the 40 players and coaches Outsports counted in 2019.
The 2023 tournament also is hosting the first openly trans and non-binary player in either a men’s or Women’s World Cup, Quinn of Canada.
“Last World Cup was so big, especially with the visibility of the U.S. women’s national team winning and (Megan Rapinoe) fighting with (Donald) Trump. So I think that was a huge year for LGBTQ+ visibility,” said Lindsey Freeman, a professor of sociology and anthropology at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia.
“It’s just the ad hoc, fun culture of women’s soccer that you’re seeing in this World Cup,” said Freeman, who is in New Zealand conducting research on the topic.
Jim Buzinski, co-founder of Outsports, agreed. “In the Western world, it’s such a non-issue that it really just doesn’t get talked about,” he said. “And I think that’s in a good way.”
VISIBILITY
Prior to the start of the tournament, FIFA designated eight socially conscious armbands team captains could wear throughout the Women’s World Cup. The decision came after “One Love” armbands were denied to men’s teams in Qatar in 2022.
The armbands being used this year include anti-discriminatory sayings and multiple colors, but the rainbow version Germany wanted to use is not allowed. None of the available options explicitly mention LGBTQ+ rights.
The decision has led many players to express their support in more creative ways across Australia and New Zealand.
New Zealand midfielder Ali Riley was interviewed on the official Women’s World Cup broadcast after her team’s upset of Norway. Her painted fingernails, left hand in the colors of the pride flag and right hand as the trans flag, were clearly visible as she held her head and fought back tears.
“She’s such an advocate and she’s definitely someone who uses her platform in such a positive way. We are all so proud of her and the way she represents the LGBTQ+ community,” teammate CJ Bott said. “Good on her. We’re all backing her, and we all back the community as well.”
The Philippines, making its Women’s World Cup debut, took home its own historic win over New Zealand 1-0 thanks to the foot of Sarina Bolden. Bolden’s Instagram bio reads, “i just wanna have fun n b gay.”
Irish star Katie McCabe wowed fans with a goal directly from a corner kick. She’s also made tabloid news for her relationships with other players.
Thembi Kgatlana, who has scored in the tournament for South Africa, has a patch of her hair dyed rainbow colors.
“My personality is very big for me, and my hair has become a part of my personality,” Kgatlana said. “And I did this rainbow because I want to represent all the people that are part of the LGBTQ and cannot talk while in countries where they’re oppressed.”
FAN EXPERIENCE
Kristen Pariseau and her wife started a U.S. women’s national team supporters group on Facebook ahead of traveling to this year’s Women’s World Cup. Aside from some hateful users she blocked, it’s been “super LGBT friendly.”
She and her wife did not go to Qatar for the 2022 men’s World Cup to avoid referencing each other as friends and receiving questions on their sexuality. In New Zealand, she said she’s met many same-sex couples at games and while traveling around the country.
“Everywhere you turn, it’s like, ‘Oh, my wife, my girlfriend.’ It’s been so welcoming and open,” Pariseau said. “In a way, it is kind of cool to be where there’s a lot of other people like you.”
Kelsie Bozart took her own pride flag armband to the United States’ second match in Wellington, along with a pride scarf.
“If you look back a couple years, I feel like it just wasn’t really talked about or there just wasn’t much of a presence,” Bozart said. “But moving forward I feel like, especially for the U.S., they’ve done an amazing job of just incorporating pride and LGBTQ.”
NOT UNIVERSAL
Though this year’s tournament has highlighted vast gains for the LGBTQ+ community in women’s soccer, advocates feel there is still work to be done.
According to Buzinski and Outsports, there were at least 186 LGBTQ+ athletes at the Tokyo Olympics. Women outnumbered men by a 9:1 ratio. There also were no confirmed out players at the 2022 men’s World Cup.
“I think women’s sports have always been open,” Denmark striker Pernille Harder said, adding that there are many role models for women who want to come out.
Freeman said it would be good to see men feel the same level of comfort.
“What can happen in the women’s game, I would love to spill over to the men’s game,” she said. “Because obviously, there’s way more queer players in the men’s game and it’s just not safe for them to come out.
“If you want to say that you’re in an inclusive space, you really have to be an inclusive space,” Freeman added. “And I think that that includes also holding the World Cup in places where it’s fine to be a queer person.”
___
Max Ralph is a student in John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State.
___
Contributing reporters included Joe Lister in Wellington and Rafaela Pontes in Auckland, students in the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State, and Clay Witt in Sydney, Australia, a student at the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.
___
AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.yourbasin.com/news/ap-lgbtq-community-proud-and-visible-at-womens-world-cup/ | 2023-07-30T00:19:17 | 0 | https://www.yourbasin.com/news/ap-lgbtq-community-proud-and-visible-at-womens-world-cup/ |
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The cosmos is offering up a double feature in August: a pair of supermoons culminating in a rare blue moon.
Catch the first show Tuesday evening as the full moon rises in the southeast, appearing slightly brighter and bigger than normal. That’s because it will be closer than usual, just 222,159 miles (357,530 kilometers) away, thus the supermoon label.
The moon will be even closer the night of Aug. 30 — a scant 222,043 miles (357,344 kilometers) distant. Because it’s the second full moon in the same month, it will be what’s called a blue moon.
“Warm summer nights are the ideal time to watch the full moon rise in the eastern sky within minutes of sunset. And it happens twice in August,” said retired NASA astrophysicist Fred Espenak, dubbed Mr. Eclipse for his eclipse-chasing expertise.
The last time two full supermoons graced the sky in the same month was in 2018. It won’t happen again until 2037, according to Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project.
Masi will provide a live webcast of Tuesday evening’s supermoon, as it rises over the Coliseum in Rome.
“My plans are to capture the beauty of this … hopefully bringing the emotion of the show to our viewers,” Masi said in an email.
“The supermoon offers us a great opportunity to look up and discover the sky,” he added.
This year’s first supermoon was in July. The fourth and last will be in September. The two in August will be closer than either of those.
Provided clear skies, binoculars or backyard telescopes can enhance the experience, Espenak said, revealing such features as lunar maria — the dark plains formed by ancient volcanic lava flows — and rays emanating from lunar craters.
According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the August full moon is traditionally known as the sturgeon moon. That’s because of the abundance of that fish in the Great Lakes in August, hundreds of years ago.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/ap-two-supermoons-in-august-mean-double-the-stargazing-fun/ | 2023-07-30T00:19:18 | 1 | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/ap-two-supermoons-in-august-mean-double-the-stargazing-fun/ |
PHOENIX (AP) — A historic heat wave that has gripped the U.S. Southwest throughout July, blasting residents and baking surfaces like brick, is beginning to abate with the late arrival of monsoon rains.
Forecasters expect that by Monday, people in metro Phoenix will begin to see high temperatures fall under 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 degrees Celsius) for the first time in a month.
But not on Saturday. The high temperature in the desert city with more than 1.6 million residents climbed past 110 F for the 30th straight day, the National Weather Service said. The previous record stretch of 110 F or above was for 18 days in 1974.
There are increased chances on Sunday of cooling monsoon thunderstorms. Though wet weather can also bring damaging winds, blowing dust and the chance of flash flooding, the weather service warned. Sudden rains running off hard-baked surfaces can quickly fill normally dry washes.
Already this week, the overnight low at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport fell under 90 F (32.2 C) for the first time in 16 days, finally giving residents some respite from the stifling heat once the sun goes down.
Temperatures also were expected to ease in Las Vegas, Albuquerque and even in Death Valley, California, where the weather service said the expected high of 122 F (50 C) on Saturday is forecast to lower to 113 F (45 C) by Tuesday — along with a slight chance of rain.
Also in California, triple-digit heat was expected in parts of the San Joaquin Valley from Saturday through Monday, according to the National Weather Service in Hanford, California.
Gusty, late-afternoon winds were expected Saturday and Sunday in Santa Barbara County, posing an elevated risk of fire weather, the weather service in Los Angeles said. Hot, dry weather was also expected across nearby valleys, lower mountains and desert areas.
In Riverside County, more than 1,300 people were ordered to evacuate their homes and another 1,400 were facing evacuation warnings as crews battled a wildfire that charred 3.2 square miles (8.3 square kilometers) in the community of Aguanga, about 60 miles (96 kilometers) northeast of San Diego, authorities said Saturday. One firefighter was reported to have been injured in the so-called Bonny Fire, which authorities said was about 5% contained.
A downward trend in Southwest heat started Wednesday night, when Phoenix saw its first major monsoon storm since the traditional June 15 start of the thunderstorm season. 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 1 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.
“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.
____
Associated Press writers Ken Ritter in Las Vegas and Amy Taxin in Santa Ana, California, contributed to this report. | https://www.yourbasin.com/news/ap-the-extreme-heat-wave-that-blasted-the-southwest-is-abating-with-late-arriving-monsoon-rains/ | 2023-07-30T00:19:23 | 0 | https://www.yourbasin.com/news/ap-the-extreme-heat-wave-that-blasted-the-southwest-is-abating-with-late-arriving-monsoon-rains/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — Chatter on one of Prabha Rao’s WhatsApp groups exploded last week when India announced that it was severely curtailing some rice exports to the rest of the world, triggering worry among the Indian diaspora in the United States that access to a food staple from home might soon be cut off.
As in any crisis situation — think bottled water and toilet paper— some rushed to supermarkets to stock up, stacking carts with bags and bags of rice. In some places, lines formed outside some stores as panic buying ensued.
But Rao, who lives near Syracuse, New York, was reassured when the proprietor of her Indian market sent out an email to customers to let them know there was no need to worry: There was an ample supply of rice.
At least for now.
An earlier than expected El Niño brought drier, warmer weather in some parts of Asia and is expected to harm rice production. But in some parts of India, where the monsoon season was especially brutal, flooding destroyed some crops, adding to production woes and rising prices.
Hoping to stave off inflationary pressures on a diet staple, the Indian government earlier this month imposed export bans on non-Basmati white rice varieties, prompting hoarding in some parts of the world.
The move was taken “to ensure adequate availability” and “to allay the rise in prices in the domestic market,” India’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution announced July 20. Over the past year, prices have increased by more than 11%, and by 3% over the past month, the government said.
Non-Basmati white rice constitutes about a fourth of the rice exported by India.
“On WhatsApp, I got a lot of messages saying that rice was not going to be available. I think there was a lot of confusion in the beginning because, as you know, rice is very important for us,” Rao said.
“When we first heard the news, there was just mild confusion and people started panic buying because they thought that it may not be available,” she said.
There are scores of different varieties of rice, with people having their preference depending on taste and texture. India’s export ban does not apply to Basmati rice, a long-grain variety that is more aromatic.
The ban applies to short-grain rice that is starchier and has a relatively neutral flavor — which Rao says is preferable in some dishes or favored in specific regions of India, especially in southern areas of the country.
At Little India, a grocery store in New York City’s Curry Hill neighborhood in Manhattan, there was no shortage of Basmati rice and other varieties.
That wasn’t the case at other Indian groceries.
On its Facebook page, India Bazaar, an Indian grocery chain in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, told customers not to panic. “We are working hard to meet all our shoppers’ demands,” the post said.
Customers cleared shelves and waited in long lines to stockpile bags of rice, reported NBC Dallas affiliate KXAS.
“They really wanted to purchase ten, 12, 15 bags,” India Bazaar’s president, Anand Pabari, told the station. “It was a really crazy situation.”
India’s move came days after Russia backed out of a deal to allow Ukrainian wheat safe passage through the Black Sea, prompting warnings that the action could lead to surging prices.
Some economists say the ban might further hurt food supplies around the world, and some governments have urged the Indian government to reconsider the export ban.
At least in the United States, the supply of imported rice from India may not yet be a problem — despite the panic buying — but a long-term ban would certainly deplete that stock.
Roa says she and others will just have to adapt by purchasing rice grown in the United States or imported from other countries.
“I might have to substitute Basmati rice,” she said, “but it doesn’t taste that good, especially with South Indian dishes.”
A U.S. resident for three decades, Rao said she is accustomed to improvising.
“When we first came here, there was not even that much rice from India,” she said. “So I’ve learned to substitute, and I’m fine with the other brands that we get.” | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/business/ap-india-cuts-rice-exports-triggering-panic-buying-of-food-staple-by-some-indian-expats-in-the-us/ | 2023-07-30T00:19:24 | 1 | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/business/ap-india-cuts-rice-exports-triggering-panic-buying-of-food-staple-by-some-indian-expats-in-the-us/ |
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The cosmos is offering up a double feature in August: a pair of supermoons culminating in a rare blue moon.
Catch the first show Tuesday evening as the full moon rises in the southeast, appearing slightly brighter and bigger than normal. That’s because it will be closer than usual, just 222,159 miles (357,530 kilometers) away, thus the supermoon label.
The moon will be even closer the night of Aug. 30 — a scant 222,043 miles (357,344 kilometers) distant. Because it’s the second full moon in the same month, it will be what’s called a blue moon.
“Warm summer nights are the ideal time to watch the full moon rise in the eastern sky within minutes of sunset. And it happens twice in August,” said retired NASA astrophysicist Fred Espenak, dubbed Mr. Eclipse for his eclipse-chasing expertise.
The last time two full supermoons graced the sky in the same month was in 2018. It won’t happen again until 2037, according to Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project.
Masi will provide a live webcast of Tuesday evening’s supermoon, as it rises over the Coliseum in Rome.
“My plans are to capture the beauty of this … hopefully bringing the emotion of the show to our viewers,” Masi said in an email.
“The supermoon offers us a great opportunity to look up and discover the sky,” he added.
This year’s first supermoon was in July. The fourth and last will be in September. The two in August will be closer than either of those.
Provided clear skies, binoculars or backyard telescopes can enhance the experience, Espenak said, revealing such features as lunar maria — the dark plains formed by ancient volcanic lava flows — and rays emanating from lunar craters.
According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the August full moon is traditionally known as the sturgeon moon. That’s because of the abundance of that fish in the Great Lakes in August, hundreds of years ago.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | https://www.yourbasin.com/news/ap-two-supermoons-in-august-mean-double-the-stargazing-fun/ | 2023-07-30T00:19:29 | 1 | https://www.yourbasin.com/news/ap-two-supermoons-in-august-mean-double-the-stargazing-fun/ |
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said Saturday that Sri Lanka is a key partner in a Tokyo-led initiative aimed at building security and economic cooperation around the Indo-Pacific but also at countering an increasingly assertive China.
Sri Lanka, strategically located in the Indian Ocean, is integral to realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific, Hayashi said. He was speaking after a meeting with his Sri Lankan counterpart, Ali Sabry, in the capital, Colombo.
The initiative, announced by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in March includes Japan’s assistance to emerging economies, support for maritime security, a provision of coast guard patrol boats and equipment and other infrastructure cooperation.
Last year Sri Lanka, which owed $51 billion in foreign debt, became the first Asia-Pacific country since the late 1990s to default, sparking an economic crisis.
While Japan is Sri Lanka’s largest creditor, about 10% of its debt is held by China, which lent Colombo billions to build sea ports, airports and power plants as part of its Belt and Road Initiative. In March, China agreed to offer Sri Lanka a two-year moratorium on loan repayments.
Hayashi said that he conveyed expectations for further progress in Sri Lanka’s debt restructuring process. He welcomed Sri Lanka’s efforts under an agreement with the International Monetary Fund, which includes anti-corruption measures and transparency in the policy-making process.
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Sabry said that he, along with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, invited Japan to resume investment projects already in the pipeline and to consider fresh investments in sectors such as power generation, ports and highways, and dedicated investment zones, as well as in the green and digital economy.
Over many decades, Japan became one of Sri Lanka’s key donors, carrying out key projects under concessionary terms. However, relations between the two countries came under strain after Wickremesinghe’s predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa unilaterally scrapped a Japan-funded light railway project following his election in 2019.
Sri Lanka’s Cabinet has already approved a proposal to restart the railway project.
Rajapaksa was forced to resign in July 2022 amid angry public protects over the country’s worst economic crisis. | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/business/ap-with-one-eye-on-china-japan-backs-sri-lanka-as-a-partner-in-the-indo-pacific/ | 2023-07-30T00:19:30 | 0 | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/business/ap-with-one-eye-on-china-japan-backs-sri-lanka-as-a-partner-in-the-indo-pacific/ |
MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) – Centennial Park will be hosting the final ‘Story and Coloring in the Park’ event before school starts again, with the next season being announced at a later time, according to a post by the park.
On Thursday, August 3rd, at 10:30am, “Miss Nelson is Missing” by Harry G. Allard Jr. and illustrated by James Marshall, will be the story being read under the Stage Pavilion.
Then, beginning at 7:30pm, The River Fine Arts Studio will be presenting a free children’s theatrical production of “Peter Pan,” Centennial Park’s first community summer musical. All are invited and encouraged to bring blankets and lawn chairs. No tickets are required. | https://www.yourbasin.com/news/centennial-park-hosts-peter-pan-childrens-theatre-performance-final-stories-in-the-park-of-the-summer/ | 2023-07-30T00:19:35 | 0 | https://www.yourbasin.com/news/centennial-park-hosts-peter-pan-childrens-theatre-performance-final-stories-in-the-park-of-the-summer/ |
HUARINA, Bolivia (AP) — A 70-year-old man’s feet sink into the soil as he passes abandoned boats where there used to be the water of Lake Titicaca. The highest navigable lake in the world has receded to what Bolivian authorities say are critically low levels due to a persistent drought.
“It’s completely dry,” Jaime Mamani said in exasperation while walking along the new shoreline in Huarina, a farming town 70 kilometers (43 miles) west of La Paz where he is a community leader.
The National Service of Naval Hydrography declared an alert this week for the iconic lake after its surface fell 2 centimeters (0.8 inches) below the drought warning stage, or 3,807.8 meters (12492.7 feet) above sea level. But the agency says this is just the beginning of a situation that is worrying Indigenous Aymara communities that rely on the lake for their livelihoods and fear the dry spell could permanently impact the region’s flora and fauna.
The hydrology unit of Bolivia’s navy warned that water levels could reach historically low levels in the coming months. By December, there is a “high probability” Lake Titicaca will be 64 centimeters (more than 25 inches) below the drought alert level, breaking a low water record set in 1998 by 33 centimeters (almost 13 inches).
“In three months, the water has decreased by 30 centimeters (11.8 inches), and considering that radiation is much stronger during this time of the year … we expect it to keep decreasing,” Carlos Carrasco, a hydraulic engineer for the hydrography service said.
The drought is the result of a combination of factors, including natural phenomena like La Niña and El Niño, which arrived unusually early this year and have been particularly strong due in part to climate change, according to Lucía Walper, who heads up the Hydrological Forecasting Unit at Bolivia’s National Meteorology and Hydrology Service.
But the vast lake is vital for this region of the Bolivian highlands, where hundreds of Aymara rural communities have relied on the blue body of water for millennia to practice subsistence farming and raise livestock.
Authorities in the Peruvian city of Puno also issued a warning about the declining water levels and expressed concern about the potential impact on tourism.
“We’re reaching a critical point. There will be a significant loss of water,” said Juan José Ocola, president of the Binational Authority of Lake Titicaca. The lake serves as the border between Bolivia and Peru.
Mateo Vargas, 56, a fisherman who has lived off the Lake Titicaca for 28 years, said he used to catch “lots” of fish daily. Now he considers himself lucky if he can catch six.
Vargas’ wife, Justina Condori, shares his concerns.
“The fish have vanished,” Condori, 58, said, predicting there will be famine if the current conditions persist.
Condori makes a living by renting boats to tourists. She worries fewer people will come to visit the lake, which at an elevation of 3,810 meters above sea level, is the largest body of freshwater in the Andes mountain range.
Evidence of the receding lake is seemingly everywhere. Women who sell fried fish and other snacks by the lake face rising costs for ingredients. Those who make a living transporting people from one side of the lake to the other are altering their routes because their rafts and boats no longer reach their usual docks.
Livestock farmers who rely on the plants that grow on the shores of the Titicaca to feed their animals are also seeing their livelihoods threatened.
The economic hardship is causing many residents of Huarina to migrate to other areas of the country, leaving behind mostly older townspeople, Mamani said. The waters of the Titicaca have always been shallow around the town, so the drought is even more visible there.
“There is a detriment to the economy of the inhabitants of the region,” he said.
Vargas, the fisherman, is also concerned about what the declining water levels will mean for the future.
“It looks like it will continue to decrease, day by day,” he said. “We’re worried because if we continue like this, what’s going to happen to our children?”
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the climate and environment at https://apnews.com/climate-and-environment | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/international/ap-a-drought-alert-for-receding-lake-titicaca-has-indigenous-communities-worried-for-their-future/ | 2023-07-30T00:19:38 | 0 | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/international/ap-a-drought-alert-for-receding-lake-titicaca-has-indigenous-communities-worried-for-their-future/ |
HUARINA, Bolivia (AP) — A 70-year-old man’s feet sink into the soil as he passes abandoned boats where there used to be the water of Lake Titicaca. The highest navigable lake in the world has receded to what Bolivian authorities say are critically low levels due to a persistent drought.
“It’s completely dry,” Jaime Mamani said in exasperation while walking along the new shoreline in Huarina, a farming town 70 kilometers (43 miles) west of La Paz where he is a community leader.
The National Service of Naval Hydrography declared an alert this week for the iconic lake after its surface fell 2 centimeters (0.8 inches) below the drought warning stage, or 3,807.8 meters (12492.7 feet) above sea level. But the agency says this is just the beginning of a situation that is worrying Indigenous Aymara communities that rely on the lake for their livelihoods and fear the dry spell could permanently impact the region’s flora and fauna.
The hydrology unit of Bolivia’s navy warned that water levels could reach historically low levels in the coming months. By December, there is a “high probability” Lake Titicaca will be 64 centimeters (more than 25 inches) below the drought alert level, breaking a low water record set in 1998 by 33 centimeters (almost 13 inches).
“In three months, the water has decreased by 30 centimeters (11.8 inches), and considering that radiation is much stronger during this time of the year … we expect it to keep decreasing,” Carlos Carrasco, a hydraulic engineer for the hydrography service said.
The drought is the result of a combination of factors, including natural phenomena like La Niña and El Niño, which arrived unusually early this year and have been particularly strong due in part to climate change, according to Lucía Walper, who heads up the Hydrological Forecasting Unit at Bolivia’s National Meteorology and Hydrology Service.
But the vast lake is vital for this region of the Bolivian highlands, where hundreds of Aymara rural communities have relied on the blue body of water for millennia to practice subsistence farming and raise livestock.
Authorities in the Peruvian city of Puno also issued a warning about the declining water levels and expressed concern about the potential impact on tourism.
“We’re reaching a critical point. There will be a significant loss of water,” said Juan José Ocola, president of the Binational Authority of Lake Titicaca. The lake serves as the border between Bolivia and Peru.
Mateo Vargas, 56, a fisherman who has lived off the Lake Titicaca for 28 years, said he used to catch “lots” of fish daily. Now he considers himself lucky if he can catch six.
Vargas’ wife, Justina Condori, shares his concerns.
“The fish have vanished,” Condori, 58, said, predicting there will be famine if the current conditions persist.
Condori makes a living by renting boats to tourists. She worries fewer people will come to visit the lake, which at an elevation of 3,810 meters above sea level, is the largest body of freshwater in the Andes mountain range.
Evidence of the receding lake is seemingly everywhere. Women who sell fried fish and other snacks by the lake face rising costs for ingredients. Those who make a living transporting people from one side of the lake to the other are altering their routes because their rafts and boats no longer reach their usual docks.
Livestock farmers who rely on the plants that grow on the shores of the Titicaca to feed their animals are also seeing their livelihoods threatened.
The economic hardship is causing many residents of Huarina to migrate to other areas of the country, leaving behind mostly older townspeople, Mamani said. The waters of the Titicaca have always been shallow around the town, so the drought is even more visible there.
“There is a detriment to the economy of the inhabitants of the region,” he said.
Vargas, the fisherman, is also concerned about what the declining water levels will mean for the future.
“It looks like it will continue to decrease, day by day,” he said. “We’re worried because if we continue like this, what’s going to happen to our children?”
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the climate and environment at https://apnews.com/climate-and-environment | https://www.yourbasin.com/news/international/ap-a-drought-alert-for-receding-lake-titicaca-has-indigenous-communities-worried-for-their-future/ | 2023-07-30T00:19:41 | 0 | https://www.yourbasin.com/news/international/ap-a-drought-alert-for-receding-lake-titicaca-has-indigenous-communities-worried-for-their-future/ |
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://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/international/ap-african-union-gives-15-day-ultimatum-to-niger-junta-to-end-regime-but-soldiers-seek-continuity/ | 2023-07-30T00:19:44 | 0 | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/international/ap-african-union-gives-15-day-ultimatum-to-niger-junta-to-end-regime-but-soldiers-seek-continuity/ |
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://www.yourbasin.com/news/international/ap-african-union-gives-15-day-ultimatum-to-niger-junta-to-end-regime-but-soldiers-seek-continuity/ | 2023-07-30T00:19:49 | 0 | https://www.yourbasin.com/news/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://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/international/ap-burning-cargo-ship-off-dutch-coast-will-be-towed-to-a-new-location-after-flames-and-smoke-subsided/ | 2023-07-30T00:19:50 | 1 | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/international/ap-burning-cargo-ship-off-dutch-coast-will-be-towed-to-a-new-location-after-flames-and-smoke-subsided/ |