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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Bronny James plays piano in a video posted by his father, LeBron James, on Saturday, five days after the teenager went into cardiac arrest during a basketball workout at the University of Southern California.
The 18-year-old plays a brief melody in front of his family, smiles and gets up without speaking in the video posted on his father’s Instagram account. The video doesn’t indicate where or when it was shot.
“A man of many talents,” the Los Angeles Lakers superstar can be heard saying in the background as Bronny finishes playing with his two younger siblings looking on.
TMZ posted photos of Bronny out to dinner with his family, which it says were taken Friday night. They show the teenager with his father outside celebrity hot spot Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica.
Wearing black pants and a zip-up hoodie, Bronny carried his phone while standing outside the Italian restaurant.
Bronny was released from the hospital on Thursday. He will continue to undergo tests to determine the cause of his cardiac arrest, which occurred Monday morning during a workout at USC’s Galen Center.
Bronny, whose full name is LeBron James Jr., committed to USC in May after the 6-foot-3 guard became one of the nation’s top prospects out of Sierra Canyon School in nearby Chatsworth.
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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/lebron-james | https://phl17.com/sports/ap-bronny-james-plays-piano-dines-out-in-video-photos-emerging-days-after-he-suffers-cardiac-arrest/ | 2023-07-30T10:20:43 | 0 | https://phl17.com/sports/ap-bronny-james-plays-piano-dines-out-in-video-photos-emerging-days-after-he-suffers-cardiac-arrest/ |
CHENGDU, China , July 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from Xinhua:
On July 28, the Chengdu 2021 FISU World University Games officially commenced, captivating university athletes from various parts of the world with an opening ceremony that seamlessly blended historical and cultural elements with youthful passion.
The cultural performances showcased Chengdu's unique cultural features, with the "Sun and Immortal Birds" being a symbol of Chinese cultural heritage and a spiritual emblem. From the very first second of the countdown to the ignition, the presence of the "Sun and Immortal Birds" captivated the audience until the final moment of ignition. "Sunlight", serving as the core element, permeated the entire opening ceremony. Without the "Sun and Immortal Birds", the grand finale of igniting the flame would not have been possible. The countdown to the opening commenced amid the radiance of the "Sun and Immortal Birds," not only demonstrating the harmonious and inclusive spiritual character that the Chinese people have embraced since ancient times but also expressing best wishes for university students worldwide to shine as bright and warm as sunlight.
The opening ceremony combined the sense of technology with artistic beauty. During the entrance segment, colorful silk threads were projected onto the ground, creating a breathtaking display of traditional Chinese patterns formed by over 300 circular lines that adorned the entirety of the stadium's track. This symbolic imagery represents the aspirations of young athletes from around the world, as they embark on a glorious journey paved with the splendor of Shu embroidery. The guide signs held high by the ushers were made of Shu brocade, a renowned textile originating from the Chengdu region, with a history spanning over 2,000 years. Shu brocade stands as one of the four prestigious brocades of China. Meanwhile, Shu embroidery, one of the four famous embroideries in China, has a history of more than 3,000 years, originating from the Chengdu region. Both Shu embroidery and Shu brocade are hailed as treasures of the region.
In celebration of the 31st edition of FISU World University Games, 31 torchbearers were selected to light the flame tower. Among them, the illustrious Chengdu astronaut, Ye Guangfu, shone as a notable figure. Recognizing astronauts as the "closest beings to the sun," chief director Chen Weiya harnessed the brilliance of sunlight, transforming it into a dazzling blaze. After the 31 torchbearers jointly completed the ignition, the Sun and Immortal Birds radiated a stunning brilliance. They spiraled and ascended, igniting the 12 golden fireworks in the sky. Ultimately, they ignited the flame tower outside the stadium.
During the fireworks performance, the chief designer of the opening ceremony fireworks, Cai Canhuang, aptly named it "Golden Dreams." Golden fireworks illuminated the sky, accompanied by welcoming messages in both Chinese and English. As the flame tower of the Chengdu 2021 FISU World University Games was ignited, the fireworks displayed the U-shaped emblem of the Games and the English theme "Make Dreams Come True." The fireworks artfully portrayed the image of a golden hibiscus flower, representing the city flower of Chengdu. Beyond symbolizing youth and vitality, the hibiscus also embodies the values of openness and friendliness, expressing the theme of "flowers welcoming guests."
The Chengdu 2021 FISU World University Games will feature a total of 18 sports events, and is scheduled to conclude on August 8. With athletes from 113 countries and regions, a staggering 6,500 athletes will compete across these 18 sports.
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SOURCE Xinhua | https://www.valleynewslive.com/prnewswire/2023/07/30/chengdu-2021-fisu-world-university-games-opening-ceremony-impresses-audiences-worldwide/ | 2023-07-30T10:20:50 | 0 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/prnewswire/2023/07/30/chengdu-2021-fisu-world-university-games-opening-ceremony-impresses-audiences-worldwide/ |
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.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://phl17.com/sports/ap-cardinals-kyler-murray-says-his-knee-rehab-is-going-well-but-has-no-timetable-for-his-return/ | 2023-07-30T10:20:50 | 1 | https://phl17.com/sports/ap-cardinals-kyler-murray-says-his-knee-rehab-is-going-well-but-has-no-timetable-for-his-return/ |
Slackline World Champion Jaan Roose pushes the limits: "Per metre walked, this line was my toughest ever"
DOHA, Qatar, July 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Globally renowned Red Bull athlete Jaan Roose has completed the world's longest LED-lit, single-building slackline to cross one of Qatar's newest and most iconic architectural landmarks.
The Estonian national and three-time Slackline World Champion defied the odds by achieving the walk, titled "Sparkline," at the first attempt, walking the distance between the scimitar-shaped, Iconic Towers that are owned by Katara Hospitality and that are home to Raffles and Fairmont Doha in Lusail City.
Covering a distance of over 150 meters, the Sparkline walk is not only the longest on a single building, but also Jaan's second-highest walk to date at an elevation of more than 185 meters on a line just 2.5cm wide.
Speaking on the new world record set, Roose commented:
"When I first saw the Iconic Towers, I knew this was a building that I had to walk. Anything worth achieving comes with its fair share of challenges, and I'm proud to complete this one. Per metre walked, this line was my toughest ever. As an athlete, I'm always looking to push myself further and defy the odds. In this case the heat and wind conditions added a different element that I needed to react to and manage spontaneously while I was on the slackline. The warm LED lights and their extra weight also changed how the line interacted with me and my bodyweight. It's like skateboarding on a big heavy tree trunk rather than a light board."
"The Iconic Towers are an incredible place to be completing this feat and mark a very special visit for my first time in Qatar," Roose added.
The Raffles Doha and Fairmont Doha are two luxury hotels that face each other in beautifully imposing structures shaped like scimitar swords. The towers are some of the latest to be added to Lusail City's expanding list of architectural marvels and create a distinct silhouette against the backdrop of the Arabian Sea. Featuring the world's tallest chandelier, the Fairmont Doha is a masterclass in design, while the suite-only Raffles Doha showcases a spell-binding entrance, a personal butler service and fine-dining delights by world-renowned chef, Enrico Crippa.
Managing Director of Raffles and Fairmont Doha, Christian Hirt, expressed his excitement about the event being hosted at the Iconic Towers, saying "Raffles and Fairmont Doha have always celebrated the extraordinary, and this event embodies that spirit. The project serves to underline our commitment to showcasing high-calibre talents that defy the impossible. As this daring athlete 'Sparklines' across our towers, we hope it captivates the world and inspires others to push their boundaries."
Katara Hospitality's leadership commented: "We are proud of this activation, working alongside Qatar Tourism and Red Bull, as it exemplifies Katara Hospitality's commitment to utilizing the Iconic Towers as a powerful asset to promote tourism and enhance the destination's appeal. Through this event, we aim to showcase the extraordinary capabilities of the Iconic Towers and position them as a symbol of Qatar's excellence in hospitality and entertainment."
Commenting on the project with Jaan Roose, Chief Operating Officer of Qatar Tourism, Berthold Trenkel, said: "Qatar has built a sporting legacy for itself and is now a true hub for international sporting events. We're delighted to support the exhilarating slackline walk event and champion renowned athletes. By fostering a culture of athleticism, we strive to create opportunities for athletes to showcase their skills and reach new heights in their athletic careers. In addition to its world-class sporting facilities, Qatar is home to a fresh and diverse suite of incredible hotels that make Qatar a global destination of choice for all travellers."
The Sparkline walk took place as part of an action-packed calendar of global events in Qatar. With several key sporting events expected to take place in 2023, including Qatar MotoGP, AFC Asian Cup, Qatar Formula 1 Grand Prix, and Geneva International Motor Show, visitors can expect extraordinary sporting experiences in Qatar all year round.
To know more about Jaan Roose, visit www.redbull.com
For imagery and video, please download via this link.
For media-related inquiries, please contact Qatar Tourism's Press Office on:
+974 3392 4466 | pressoffice@visitqatar.qa
For athlete-related media inquiries, please contact Red Bull Qatar:
About Qatar Tourism
Qatar Tourism's mission is to establish Qatar as a place where cultural authenticity meets modernity, and where people of the world come together to experience unique offerings in culture, sports, business and family entertainment, rooted in Service Excellence. Qatar Tourism will regulate and develop the tourism industry, encouraging investment from the private sector. It will set the national strategy for the tourism sector, reviewing it periodically and overseeing its implementation, with the aim of diversifying tourism offerings in the country and increasing visitor spend. Through our network of international offices in priority markets, and cutting-edge digital platforms, Qatar Tourism is expanding Qatar's presence globally and enhancing the tourism sector.
Web: www.visitqatar.qa
About Raffles
Founded in Singapore in 1887, Raffles Hotels & Resorts is where heritage meets modern hotelcraft. Raffles hotels, resorts, and residences are places where ideas are born, history is made and stories and legends are created. At landmark addresses around the world, Raffles' well-travelled guests and residents enjoy experiences that are culturally enriching, intellectually stimulating and always respectful of local communities, heritage and the environment. From one generation to the next, visitors arrive as guests, leave as friends, and return as family. Raffles can be found in key international locations including Singapore, Paris, Istanbul, Dubai, Doha, Maldives, Udaipur, Phnom Penh, and Bali; with flagship openings upcoming in London, Boston and Macau. Progressively shaping the future of luxury hospitality as part of Accor, Raffles benefits from a world-class infrastructure and is a participating brand in the Group's lifestyle loyalty and guest recognition programme, ALL - Accor Live Limitless.
raffles.com | all.accor.com | group.accor.com
About Fairmont
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is where the intimate equally coexists with the infinite – an unrivalled portfolio of more than 90 extraordinary hotels where grand moments of life, heartfelt pleasures and personal milestones are celebrated and remembered long after any visit. Since 1907, Fairmont has created magnificent, meaningful and unforgettable hotels, rich with character and deeply connected to the history, culture and community of its destinations – places such as The Plaza in New York City, The Savoy in London, Fairmont San Francisco, Fairmont Banff Springs in Canada, Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai, and Fairmont The Palm in Dubai. Famous for its engaging service, awe-inspiring public spaces, locally inspired cuisine, and iconic bars and lounges, Fairmont also takes great pride in its pioneering approach to hospitality and leadership in sustainability and responsible tourism practices. Fairmont is part of Accor, a world leading hospitality group counting over 5,400 properties throughout more than 110 countries, and a participating brand in ALL - Accor Live Limitless – a lifestyle loyalty program providing access to a wide variety of rewards, services and experiences.
fairmont.com | all.accor.com | group.accor.com
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SOURCE Raffles Doha and Fairmont Doha | https://www.valleynewslive.com/prnewswire/2023/07/30/record-set-qatar-worlds-longest-led-slackline-walk/ | 2023-07-30T10:20:57 | 0 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/prnewswire/2023/07/30/record-set-qatar-worlds-longest-led-slackline-walk/ |
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium (AP) — Two-time reigning Formula One champion Max Verstappen won the rain-hit sprint race at the Belgian Grand Prix on Saturday to extend his huge lead over Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez to 118 points.
It was Verstappen’s ninth straight win including the two sprint races he has won this season. He collected eight points for the victory and will look to extend his overall lead further in Sunday’s main race as he continues his march to a third straight world title.
“That was not bad,” Verstappen said with casual understatement.
He finished a comfortable 6.7 seconds ahead of McLaren driver Oscar Piastri and 10.7 clear of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly.
“I’m getting more and more comfortable with the car, which is much better than it was at the start of the year,” said the 22-year-old Piastri. “It’s been amazing for me.”
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton crossed the line in fourth but dropped down to seventh after being given a five-second time penalty for causing a collision when trying to overtake Perez, who scored no points after retiring near the end.
“Lewis crashed into me and took the whole right hand side of my car off,” said Perez, blaming that incident on his failure to finish.
Hamilton’s penalty moved Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. into fourth spot ahead of his teammate Charles Leclerc, with McLaren’s Lando Norris sixth and Mercedes driver George Russell in eighth behind his teammate Hamilton
This was the third of six scheduled sprint races this season, with Perez winning in Azerbaijan and Verstappen winning in Austria and here. The top eight drivers all score points from eight down to one.
The sprint race was delayed by more than one hour due to heavy rain, getting underway with a rolling start procedure after several laps behind a safety car, in order to clear more water off the track for the sprint, which lasted 11 laps.
“I think the rolling start was the smart thing to do,” Verstappen said. “(But) I think we could have a raced a little earlier, maybe two laps earlier.”
Safety was paramount at the Spa track, which has seen two drivers from other racing series killed in the past four years.
F2 driver Anthoine Hubert died in a multi-car crash at the track in 2019, on the eve of the F1 race.
Dutch teenage driver Dilano van ’t Hoff was killed earlier this month on the same circuit while competing in the Formula Regional European Championship.
Two years ago, six drivers from the all-female W Series needed medical checks following a heavy crash during a qualifying session on the same track.
Spa’s layout features a notorious flat-out uphill section known as Eau Rouge, which is followed by a blind corner sequence into Radillon.
The most serious issue during rain is a lack of visibility with so much spray from the cars flying up.
“The water just stayed in the air. I couldn’t see anything so I can only imagine how bad it was at the back,” said Gasly, who was close friends with Hubert. “I was hoping no car (goes) off the track or collides on the straight because we know what happened (in the past).”
Even Verstappen was unsighted when at slow speed.
“I couldn’t even see the safety car sometimes and I was the first car,” Verstappen said. “Unfortunately we had these accidents happen over the years.”
It was a welcome result for Gasly, who crashed out of the Hungarian GP last weekend and whose team is undergoing an overhaul after some disappointing results.
The encouraging performance was also a poignant one for Gasly.
“It feels very special to have done it here in Spa,” he said. “So obviously a thought for Anthoine.”
Earlier, Verstappen edged out Piastri by just .011 seconds to take the sprint pole.
The shortened qualifying format — known as the “sprint shootout” — was delayed by 35 minutes because of wet and rainy conditions, with air blowers used to clear water from the track.
Piastri shot to the top of the leaderboard on his last run, only for Verstappen to typically find extra pace.
Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll pushed too hard in the final seconds of Q2, the second part of qualifying, and slid off into the barriers, mangling his right tire and bringing out a red flag. His teammate Fernando Alonso was on his out lap when the crash happened and couldn’t set a time, meaning he also failed to make it into Q3.
Heavy rain had also impacted Friday’s running at the 7-kilometer (4.3-mile) Spa-Francorchamps circuit, which is nestled in a forest amid the Ardennes countryside and is often impacted by gloomy weather.
Verstappen also set the fastest time in qualifying for Sunday’s main race, but Leclerc will start from pole because of Verstappen’s five-place grid penalty for a gearbox change. He begins Sunday’s race from sixth, but that will not bother Verstappen considering he won here last year from 14th.
Verstappen and Perez have won every F1 race and sprint race between them in the ultra-dominant Red Bull car.
___
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://phl17.com/sports/ap-f1-leader-verstappen-wins-rain-hit-belgian-gp-sprint-race-piastri-is-second/ | 2023-07-30T10:20:57 | 0 | https://phl17.com/sports/ap-f1-leader-verstappen-wins-rain-hit-belgian-gp-sprint-race-piastri-is-second/ |
Lynx vs. Sun: Odds, spread, over/under and other Vegas lines - July 30
Published: Jul. 30, 2023 at 4:36 AM CDT|Updated: 44 minutes ago
The Connecticut Sun (18-6), on Sunday, July 30, 2023 at 1:00 PM ET, aim to build on a three-game home winning streak when hosting the Minnesota Lynx (12-13).
In this article, you will check out the spread and odds across multiple sportsbooks for the Lynx vs. Sun matchup.
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Lynx vs. Sun Game Info
- Game Day: Sunday, July 30, 2023
- Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
- TV Channel: CBS Sports Network and NBCS-BOS
- Location: Uncasville, Connecticut
- Arena: Mohegan Sun Arena
Lynx vs. Sun Odds, Spread, Over/Under
Check out the odds, spread and over/under for this WNBA matchup posted on several sportsbooks.
Lynx vs. Sun Betting Trends
- The Sun have put together a 13-10-0 record against the spread this season.
- The Lynx have won 12 games against the spread this year, while failing to cover 12 times.
- Connecticut has not covered the spread when favored by 11.5 points or more this season (in one opportunity).
- Minnesota has covered the spread once when an underdog by 11.5 points or more this season (in five opportunities).
- So far this season, 14 out of the Sun's 23 games have gone over the point total.
- A total of 13 Lynx games this year have gone over the point total.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/lynx-sun-wnba-odds-spread-over-under/ | 2023-07-30T10:21:03 | 0 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/lynx-sun-wnba-odds-spread-over-under/ |
METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Jimmy Graham offered a few reasons why — at age 36 and without having played football last year — he could become a playmaker again for the New Orleans Saints.
“I’m feeling better than ever. I’m still 6-(foot)-7 and I like the red zone,” the veteran tight end said Saturday in his first public comments since rejoining his first NFL team Tuesday. “I definitely came into this with a chip on my shoulder and with something to prove.”
Estimating he weighed as much as 285 pounds in his previous stint with the Saints, when he worked out like “a meathead,” Graham said he has been cycling “hundreds of miles a week” and has changed his workout and eating habits to suit to his age.
“I know I’m definitely in shape,” said Graham, now listed at 265 pounds. “That’s not a problem at all.”
Graham, who has caught at least eight touchdown passes in six of his 12 NFL seasons, was a favorite target of former star quarterback Drew Brees and among the most popular players in New Orleans before the club surprisingly traded him to Seattle in 2015.
Many fans were upset, including general manager Micky Loomis’ own daughter. So, too, was Graham.
“For me, it was pretty shocking,” Graham said. “I thought I would never leave this place. … I woke up to the part of the business that hurt.”
Alluding to a difficult childhood in which he sometimes lived in an orphanage, Graham added, “at first it was very difficult because of my connection with Drew as an ‘older brother’ and all the people in this building.”
“It was family, you know?” Graham continued. “So, for me, a guy who didn’t have a lot of family, it was definitely a difficult time.”
Graham played three seasons with the Seahawks — where he had a major knee injury 2015, but also his last 10-TD season in 2017 — before spending two seasons each at Green Bay and Chicago. He said he spent several of those seasons avoiding interviews because he “didn’t really have a lot to say that was positive.”
In recent years, Graham said, he longed for another chance to play in New Orleans.
“I’ve been trying to come home for a long time,” Graham said, adding that by last season, he didn’t want to play anywhere else. He said several teams reached out to him in 2022, but he told his agent, Jimmy Sexton, “that if I don’t retire as a Saint that I wasn’t going to play again.”
Sitting out last season was “extremely weird, especially after you spend a whole offseason preparing (to play), working out and making sure you’re in shape,” he said. “I think everything happens for a reason and I think it’ll be to my benefit.”
The Saints used a third-round pick to draft Graham in 2010, despite the fact that he’d played just one season of football at Miami after spending four seasons as a basketball power forward for the Hurricanes.
In just his second NFL season, Graham caught 99 passes for 1,310 yards and 11 touchdowns and was selected to his first of five Pro Bowls. He had another banner season in 2013, with 1,215 yards and a career-high 16 TDs receiving.
Around that time, current Saints tight end Foster Moreau was playing for Jesuit High School in New Orleans and had a signed No. 80 Graham Saints jersey in a shadow box in his room.
“Jimmy was a dog, and he still is. Honestly, he runs great,” Moreau said. “So, it’s just such a funny situation. You walk into the locker room and, ‘Oh my God! Jimmy Graham right there.’”
Graham’s production plummeted in his final season with the Bears in 2021, when he caught 14 passes for 167 yards and three TDs in 15 games.
And while the Saints cannot be sure how well he’ll play this season, they expressed confidence he’ll be a leader in the locker room. Graham sounded ready to embrace that role, noting that he, along with 13th-year defensive end Cameron Jordan, are the only players on the roster who’d once been teammates with most of the stars of the Saints’ 2009 championship team.
“I understand what that culture was like and what that looks like, the sacrifice that it takes and the brotherhood – that bond – that needs to be molded,” Graham said.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://phl17.com/sports/ap-jimmy-graham-is-grateful-to-be-back-with-the-saints-and-confident-he-can-still-play/ | 2023-07-30T10:21:04 | 0 | https://phl17.com/sports/ap-jimmy-graham-is-grateful-to-be-back-with-the-saints-and-confident-he-can-still-play/ |
Vikings Odds to Make Playoffs and Win Super Bowl
Published: Jul. 30, 2023 at 4:26 AM CDT|Updated: 54 minutes ago
The Minnesota Vikings have +4000 odds to win the Super Bowl as of December 31.
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Vikings Super Bowl Odds
- Odds to Win the NFC North: +280
- Odds to Win the Super Bowl: +4000
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Minnesota Betting Insights
- Minnesota covered seven times in 17 games with a spread last season.
- Vikings games hit the over 11 out of 17 times last season.
- Despite having a bottom-five defense that ranked second-worst in the (388.7 yards allowed per game) last season, Minnesota played better offensively, ranking seventh in the by averaging 361.5 yards per game.
- At home last year, the Vikings were 8-1. Away, they were 5-3.
- Minnesota won every game when favored (11-0) but just one as the underdog (1-4).
- In the NFC North the Vikings were 4-2, and in the conference as a whole they went 8-4.
Vikings Impact Players
- Kirk Cousins passed for 4,547 yards (267.5 per game), completing 65.9% of his throws, with 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 17 games last year.
- Cousins also rushed for 97 yards and two TDs.
- In the passing game, Justin Jefferson scored eight TDs, catching 128 balls for 1,809 yards (106.4 per game).
- T.J. Hockenson had 86 receptions for 914 yards (53.8 per game) and six touchdowns in 17 games a season ago.
- K.J. Osborn had 60 catches for 650 yards (38.2 per game) and five touchdowns in 17 games.
- On defense last year, Jordan Hicks helped set the tone with one interception to go with 130 tackles, 2.0 TFL, three sacks, and 10 passes defended in 17 games.
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2023-24 Vikings NFL Schedule
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/vikings-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ | 2023-07-30T10:21:10 | 1 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/vikings-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ |
WESTFIELD, Ind. (AP) — Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor has requested a trade, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Saturday night.
Taylor, the 2021 NFL rushing champ, has been seeking a contract extension before his rookie contract expires at the end of this season and he’s been one of several running backs to publicly air their grievances throughout the offseason.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the request hadn’t been made public. NFL Network first reported Taylor’s request to be traded.
It came shortly after Taylor left team owner Jim Irsay’s motorhome after a meeting that lasted nearly an hour as the Colts conducted a night practice.
“It was just a good conversation and, you know, hopeful going forward,” Irsay told reporters after practice. “We’re looking forward to a great season, hoping that Jonathan’s a big part of that and I think we had a good conversation.”
Taylor has not spoken with reporters since being placed on the physically unable to perform list Tuesday. General manager Chris Ballard said then the Colts wanted to wait for a new deal until they could see how a healthy Taylor fit the new offense installed by first-year coach Shane Steichen.
Taylor topped the 2,000-yard mark twice in college at Wisconsin and rushed for 2,980 yards and 29 TDs in his first two NFL seasons. He was a unanimous All-Pro selection in 2021, when he led the league with 2,171 total yards and tied for the league lead in total touchdowns with 20.
Last year, he rushed for 861 yards despite missing six games with an ankle injury that required offseason surgery. Indy also struggled, finishing the season 4-11-1.
Irsay posted on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday suggesting some player agents were acting in bad faith by complaining about how much running backs earned with a franchise tag designation after the collective bargaining agreement was negotiated in good faith. The $10.1 million price tag is the lowest of any position other than kickers or punters.
On Saturday, in front of a capacity crowd at Grand Park in Westfield a staff member took Taylor to the nearby motorhome. Irsay did not divulge details of the meeting afterward, but did talk about two other former Colts star runners — Marshall Faulk, who was traded after Peyton Manning’s rookie season in 1998, and Edgerrin James, who left as a free agent between the 2005 and 2006 seasons.
“I’m responsible for everyone on the team and to look at the cap money as you go forward,” Irsay said. “It’s a great responsibility and you try to be as fair as you possibly can be with the whole football team. So again, I’m hopeful.”
Now the Colts may be looking to move Taylor before he even gets a chance to team up rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson, the No. 4 overall pick in April.
“We need to make sure he (Taylor) is healthy, and we expect he should have an outstanding year,” Irsay said. “(Linebacker) E.J. Speed had the same surgery and is doing well, but it’s early in the process and we want to make sure Jonathan is 100%.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://phl17.com/sports/ap-jonathan-taylor-requests-trade-after-meeting-with-owner-jim-irsay-at-colts-practice-source-says/ | 2023-07-30T10:21:10 | 0 | https://phl17.com/sports/ap-jonathan-taylor-requests-trade-after-meeting-with-owner-jim-irsay-at-colts-practice-source-says/ |
How to Watch the WNBA on Sunday: TV Channel, Game Times and Odds
Today's WNBA slate has lots in store. Among those six games is the Minnesota Lynx taking on the Connecticut Sun.
Catch live WNBA games, plus tons of other sports and shows, with a free trial to Fubo!
Today's WNBA Games
The Connecticut Sun take on the Minnesota Lynx
The Lynx look to pull off an away win at the Sun on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.
How to Watch
- TV Channel: CBS Sports Network
- Stream Live: Fubo (regional restrictions may apply)
- Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Records and Stats
- CON Record: 18-6
- MIN Record: 12-13
- CON Stats: 84.0 PPG (fifth in WNBA), 78.6 Opp. PPG (first)
- MIN Stats: 80.2 PPG (eighth in WNBA), 85.4 Opp. PPG (10th)
Players to Watch
- CON Key Player: Alyssa Thomas (14.5 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 8.0 APG)
- MIN Key Player: Kayla McBride (12.6 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 1.8 APG)
Vegas Odds and Betting Lines
- Spread: -11.5
- CON Odds to Win: -818
- MIN Odds to Win: +525
- Total: 159.5 points
The Atlanta Dream host the Washington Mystics
The Mystics travel to face the Dream on Sunday at 3:00 PM ET.
How to Watch
- TV Channel: Bally Sports
- Stream Live: Fubo (regional restrictions may apply)
- Game Time: 3:00 PM ET
Records and Stats
- ATL Record: 13-11
- WAS Record: 12-12
- ATL Stats: 85.0 PPG (fourth in WNBA), 85.1 Opp. PPG (ninth)
- WAS Stats: 81.1 PPG (seventh in WNBA), 80.3 Opp. PPG (third)
Players to Watch
- ATL Key Player: Rhyne Howard (18.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 3.4 APG)
- WAS Key Player: Brittney Sykes (14.1 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.6 APG)
Vegas Odds and Betting Lines
- Spread: -6.5
- ATL Odds to Win: -250
- WAS Odds to Win: +197
- Total: 164.5 points
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The Los Angeles Sparks take on the New York Liberty
The Liberty hit the road the Sparks on Sunday at 4:00 PM ET.
How to Watch
Records and Stats
- LAS Record: 9-15
- NYL Record: 18-6
- LAS Stats: 78.5 PPG (ninth in WNBA), 81.7 Opp. PPG (fourth)
- NYL Stats: 88.7 PPG (second in WNBA), 82.7 Opp. PPG (seventh)
Players to Watch
- LAS Key Player: Nneka Ogwumike (20.3 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 2.7 APG)
- NYL Key Player: Breanna Stewart (23.1 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 3.7 APG)
Vegas Odds and Betting Lines
- Spread: -9
- NYL Odds to Win: -503
- LAS Odds to Win: +373
- Total: 167 points
The Indiana Fever face the Seattle Storm
The Storm hope to pick up a road win at the Fever on Sunday at 4:00 PM ET.
How to Watch
Records and Stats
- IND Record: 6-18
- SEA Record: 5-19
- IND Stats: 81.4 PPG (sixth in WNBA), 85.7 Opp. PPG (11th)
- SEA Stats: 78.5 PPG (ninth in WNBA), 85.7 Opp. PPG (11th)
Players to Watch
- IND Key Player: Aliyah Boston (14.4 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.2 APG)
- SEA Key Player: Jewell Loyd (24.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 3.5 APG)
Vegas Odds and Betting Lines
- Spread: -3.5
- IND Odds to Win: -161
- SEA Odds to Win: +133
- Total: 164.5 points
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The Chicago Sky host the Phoenix Mercury
The Mercury go on the road to face the Sky on Sunday at 4:00 PM ET.
How to Watch
- TV Channel: ESPN3 and AZFamily
- Game Time: 4:00 PM ET
Records and Stats
- CHI Record: 9-15
- PHO Record: 6-17
- CHI Stats: 78.1 PPG (11th in WNBA), 82.5 Opp. PPG (sixth)
- PHO Stats: 75.8 PPG (12th in WNBA), 83.5 Opp. PPG (eighth)
Players to Watch
- CHI Key Player: Courtney Williams (9.2 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 6.0 APG)
- PHO Key Player: Brittney Griner (18.2 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.0 APG)
Vegas Odds and Betting Lines
- Spread: -7
- CHI Odds to Win: -285
- PHO Odds to Win: +228
- Total: 156 points
The Las Vegas Aces take on the Dallas Wings
The Wings hit the road the Aces on Sunday at 6:00 PM ET.
How to Watch
- TV Channel: CBS Sports Network
- Stream Live: Fubo (regional restrictions may apply)
- Game Time: 6:00 PM ET
Records and Stats
- LVA Record: 22-2
- DAL Record: 14-10
- LVA Stats: 94.1 PPG (first in WNBA), 78.7 Opp. PPG (second)
- DAL Stats: 86.0 PPG (third in WNBA), 81.7 Opp. PPG (fourth)
Players to Watch
- LVA Key Player: A'ja Wilson (20.8 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 2.0 APG)
- DAL Key Player: Satou Sabally (17.6 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 4.0 APG)
Vegas Odds and Betting Lines
- Spread: -10
- LVA Odds to Win: -653
- DAL Odds to Win: +462
- Total: 173.5 points
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/wnba-odds-how-to-watch/ | 2023-07-30T10:21:16 | 1 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/wnba-odds-how-to-watch/ |
FUKUOKA, Japan (AP) — Here’s why Katie Ledecky is one of the greatest freestyle swimmers in the history of the sport: She is never quite satisfied.
The 26-year-old American won the 800-meter freestyle on Saturday at the world championships to become the first swimmer to win six golds in the same event at worlds. It was also her 16th individual world title, breaking a tie with Michael Phelps for the most golds at worlds.
She also is a seven-time Olympic gold medalist and the world record holder in both the 800 and 1,500.
But that winning time — 8 minutes, 8.87 seconds, which is the seventh-quickest she’d ever swum — wasn’t quite good enough in her favorite event.
“I’m just always trying to think of new ways to improve. I mean I’ve already got everything turning in my head right now. I kind of wanted to be better than I was tonight,” she said, twirling her right hand beside her right ear, trying to stir up ideas.
“I’m pretty tough on myself,” she said. “But I think I have found the balance of being tough on myself but also having that grace.”
The 800 was Ledecky’s second individual gold following her win in the 1,500 free on Tuesday. She also took silver in the 400 free. Li Bingjie of China took silver in 8:13.31, and Ariarne Titmus of Australia got the bronze in 8:13.59.
“It’s fun to leave a meet with your favorite event, and I just wanted to leave it all in the pool,” Ledecky said.
It was only the fourth gold for the United States in the seventh of eight days in the pool. Meanwhile, Australia has been piling it on with 13 golds, matching its best at the worlds. Australia won three more golds on Saturday.
The Americans lead the overall table with 31 medals (16 silver), Australia has 20 and China 13.
Kaylee McKeown of Australia made history of her own with gold in the women’s 200 backstroke. McKeown’s victory gave her a sweep of all three backstroke events after earlier wins in the 50 and 100. She became the first swimmer to sweep all three backstrokes at the worlds.
It all made up for her disqualification earlier in the 200 IM.
“You can’t change the rules,” she said. “I got ruled out. It’s just the cards I was dealt with and I couldn’t do much more than that. So I just had to carry myself the best I could and channel all my anger and turn a huge negative into a positive.”
Regan Smith of the United States picked up the silver in 2:04.94, while Peng Xuwei of China got the bronze in 2:06.74.
Sarah Sjöström of Sweden continued her dominance with gold in the 50 butterfly. The 29-year-old won in 24.77 seconds and has now won the event five consecutive times at the worlds. The win brought Sjöström’s individual medals at the worlds to 20, equaling Phelps’ mark.
Sjöström also broke her own record in the 50 free, going 23.61 in a semifinal heat. Her old mark was 23.67 set in 2017.
“There are not too many secrets,” Sjöström said about her longevity. “Just do the work every day, go to practice, and stay humble.”
Zhang Yufei of China, who took gold in the 100 fly, claimed the silver in 25.05, while American Gretchen Walsh got the bronze in 25.46.
Japanese fan favorite Rikako Ikee finished seventh (25.78) in the 50 fly but was greeted warmly by the home crowd.
The 23-year-old Ikee won six gold medals at the 2018 Asian Games and was expected to be a favorite in the Tokyo Olympics. But she was diagnosed with leukemia in February 2019. Her comeback continues to resonate with both the Japanese public and her fellow competitors.
Cameron McEvoy of Australia led all the way to capture the gold in the 50 free in 21.06. It was his first individual gold in the worlds or Olympics.
American Jack Alexy collected his second silver of the worlds in 21.57 to go with his silver in the 100 free. Benjamin Proud of Britian, last year’s world champion, took the bronze in 21.58.
Caeleb Dressel won the event at the Olympics but did not qualify for the U.S. team. McEvoy’s time was quicker than Dressel’s winning time in Tokyo — 21.07.
Maxime Grousset of France won gold in the 100 fly in 50.14. The 24-year-old took the early lead and held on. Josh Liendo of Canada earned the silver in 50.34, while American Dare Rose made the podium with the bronze (50.46).
Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania equaled the world record of 29.30 in her semifinal in the 50 breaststroke.
Australia won the 4×100 mixed freestyle relay in a world record of 3:18.83. The Americans took silver in 3:20.82, with Britain getting the bronze in 3:21.68. The relay is not an Olympic event.
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AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://phl17.com/sports/ap-katie-ledecky-passes-michael-phelps-for-most-individual-golds-at-world-championships/ | 2023-07-30T10:21:17 | 1 | https://phl17.com/sports/ap-katie-ledecky-passes-michael-phelps-for-most-individual-golds-at-world-championships/ |
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Wendie Renard was threatening to skip the Women’s World Cup and Eugénie Le Sommer wasn’t in selection contention just a few months ago under France’s previous coaching regime.
A management overhaul and a change of heart ultimately led to two of French football’s most experienced players combining for Les Bleues on Saturday to deliver a 2-1 win over Brazil that put them into a strong position to progress to the round of 16.
Le Sommer missed with a diving header in the 13th minute but needed only four more minutes to convert her next chance, beating Brazilian goalkeeper Leticia with a more emphatic header to score her record-extending 90th international goal.
Debinha equalized for Brazil as the hour approached, and the game opened up as both teams pressed for a winner. That’s when Renaud stepped in.
Renard, who’d been in doubt for the match because of a calf injury she picked up in France’s lackluster opening 0-0 draw against Jamaica, drifted unmarked to the back edge of the box to meet a corner kick with a powerful header in the 83rd and clinch victory.
It meant the well-traveled Hervé Renard, who was hired in March to replace Corinne Diacre, became the first head coach to win games at both the women’s and men’s World Cups.
His upset victory with Saudi Arabia over eventual champion Argentina was one of the highlights of the men’s World Cup in Qatar last year. His French women’s team showed signs against Brazil that it could go deep in the tournament.
He credited his veteran players, either recalled or convinced to remain, for the turnaround.
Wendie Renard “is the most important player in the dressing room. Always talking, motivating the the other girls,” the France coach said, describing his captain’s influence on the team. Of other veterans like Le Sommer and Kadidiatou Diani, he added: “You need leaders in the team — they have a good experience and we need them to motivate also the other players.”
Le Sommer, who missed selection for the 2022 Euros under former coach Diacre, was in the thick of the early action for France.
The French started with a high tempo and had three chances before Sakina Karchaoui’s long floating ball into the area found Diani, who leaped and headed square for Le Sommer to finish off from directly in front.
The Brazilian women had never beaten France but started to meet them for intensity as halftime approached, helped by the majority of an almost 50,000-strong crowd.
Debinha equalized in the 58th, finishing off a quick passing movement into the area, controlling a deflected ball with the outside of her leg before firing in a right-foot shot.
Leticia kept Brazil in the game with a string of impressive saves, and Selma Bacha hit the side netting with her shot from the right in the 75th, unable to break the deadlock for France.
After Renard broke the deadlock, Brazil sent Marta in the 86th for her 22nd World Cup appearance — moving her to outright second on the country’s all-time list — but she wasn’t able to equalize in a frenetic finish.
Brazil is now winless in 12 women’s internationals against France, a setback for a team that opened the Women’s World Cup with a thumping 4-0 win over Panama, with Ary Borges scoring three goals and providing the back-heel assist for one of the goals of the tournament.
Against a more disciplined defense, the Brazilians weren’t able to finish despite creating ample opportunities.
Coach Pia Sundhage said she was disappointed with her Brazilian team’s first half and overall lack of cohesion.
The defensive lapse on the set piece that led to France’s winning goal was discouraging, she said, before adding: “I’m more disappointed we couldn’t make this a game where we play like the Brazilian style.”
Jamaica edged Panama 1-0 later Saturday in Perth to join France on four competition points in Group F, one ahead of Brazil. On Wednesday, three teams will be vying for two spots in the next round when Brazil meets Jamaica in Melbourne and France takes on Panama in Sydney.
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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://phl17.com/sports/ap-le-sommer-renard-score-as-france-edges-brazil-2-1-at-the-womens-world-cup/ | 2023-07-30T10:21:24 | 1 | https://phl17.com/sports/ap-le-sommer-renard-score-as-france-edges-brazil-2-1-at-the-womens-world-cup/ |
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.
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://phl17.com/sports/ap-looking-for-1st-pga-tour-title-lee-hodges-takes-5-shot-lead-onto-3m-open-final-round/ | 2023-07-30T10:21:31 | 1 | https://phl17.com/sports/ap-looking-for-1st-pga-tour-title-lee-hodges-takes-5-shot-lead-onto-3m-open-final-round/ |
The Texas Rangers agreed to acquire three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer in a blockbuster trade with the New York Mets on Saturday night, an all-in move for the surprise leaders in the AL West, a person with knowledge of the deal said.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn’t been announced.
The Rangers will be adding the 39-year-old Scherzer with another former Mets pitcher with Cy Young credentials, two-time winner Jacob deGrom, sidelined by Tommy John elbow surgery, possibly all the way through the end of next season.
According to multiple reports, the deal nets New York one of the top Texas prospects in infielder Luisangel Acuña, the younger brother of Atlanta star Ronald Acuña Jr.
As part of the deal, Scherzer agreed to opt in on the final year of his contract in 2024 at $43 million, according to reports that also said the Mets were paying about $35 million of the remaining $58 million on the right-hander’s contract.
The Mets, one of baseball’s biggest disappointments, unloaded Scherzer two days after sending closer David Robertson to Miami for two minor leaguers.
New York began the season with the highest payroll in baseball at $353 million but started the day 17 games behind Atlanta in the NL East and 6 1/2 games back in the wild-card race.
The next question is what the Mets will do with Justin Verlander, another three-time Cy Young winner signed through next season. There should be plenty of suitors for the 40-year-old right-hander.
Texas has emerged from six consecutive losing seasons to lead the AL West all but one day in three-time World Series champion Bruce Bochy’s first season as manager.
The Rangers made the first notable move of this trading season by getting once-dominant closer Aroldis Chapman from Kansas City in June. Chapman has stayed in a setup role with Will Smith handling most of the closing duties.
Now Texas has bolstered the rotation knowing deGrom might be out until Scherzer’s contract expires at the end of next season.
The trade for Scherzer came on the same day the Rangers said they were again bumping back the next start for All-Star right-hander Nathan Eovaldi. Bochy said Eovaldi had a sore elbow, but the club doesn’t think it’s serious.
The Rangers added deGrom in the offseason on a $185 million, five-year contract, knowing there was risk in signing the oft-injured right-hander.
He lasted just six starts — all Texas wins — before elbow issues sidelined deGrom for a month. It took multiple MRIs to determine the extent of the damage to his elbow, and the Tommy John procedure in June was the second of his career. The other was in rookie ball with the Mets in 2010.
“I think we need to improve as a starting rotation,” Bochy said before the Rangers’ game at San Diego on Saturday night, as reports of the trade were circulating. “I think that’s fair to say.”
Scherzer (9-4) was leading the Mets in victories but had his highest ERA (4.01) since 2011 with Detroit. The eight-time All-Star started Friday at home against Washington, allowing one run in seven innings in a 5-1 New York victory.
With 210 career victories, Scherzer is third among active pitchers behind Verlander and Kansas City’s Zack Greinke.
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AP Sports Writer Bernie Wilson in San Diego contributed to this report.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://phl17.com/sports/ap-rangers-get-scherzer-from-mets-in-all-in-blockbuster-from-surprise-al-west-leaders/ | 2023-07-30T10:21:37 | 1 | https://phl17.com/sports/ap-rangers-get-scherzer-from-mets-in-all-in-blockbuster-from-surprise-al-west-leaders/ |
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Denny Hamlin is not offering any apologies for the move he made last weekend at Pocono that caused Kyle Larson to hit the wall and let Hamlin sail on to victory.
Truth be told, it’s what NASCAR was hoping to see more of when it established the system that divides races into three stages, rewards drivers with points for doing well in those stages and allows them to accrue playoff points, Hamlin said.
“That is what it was geared to do — give us the sense of urgency to ramp up and that regular season performance matters to get to the final four with a shot,” he said at Richmond Raceway. “The system is doing what it was designed to do.”
Hamlin also has changed, he said, after getting spun several times while leading.
“If you have one person willing to be aggressive and one person not, aggressive will win every time,” he said.
Larson, who said things are “fine” between he and Hamlin after they exchanged text messages Friday night, agreed that the point system encourages the aggressive approach Hamlin took, but added that it “makes the guys on the receiving end more mad as well just because of what’s at stake and what’s taken.”
Larson said four or five restart battles with Kyle Busch at World Wide Technology Raceway in June showed how cleanly he tries to race other drivers.
“I respect Kyle and that’s why I raced him with respect at Gateway, and I respect Denny every bit as much, if not more, or I did,” he said.
“I tend to blow things over pretty quickly,” Larson said. “This time, I probably have let it linger on my attitude a little bit this week just because it’s happened more often with him than any other driver in my career and also a win was taken.”
Larson won the first Richmond race this season in April.
POINTS RACE
William Byron has dropped 30 points behind Martin Truex Jr. in the points race with five races remaining before the playoffs begin. The regular season champion gets a 15-point bonus, but Byron doesn’t expect to make any changes to the way he’s racing while trying to secure that top spot and bonus.
“It’s really important but we can’t get too focused on the result of the regular season points,” he said. “We obviously want those points, but our process has been like it is to this point, and if we start focusing on that carrot out in front of us too much, it’s going to get us off-track.”
CHASING SPEED
Chase Elliott said Richmond is “such a weird place” where his car never feels good, but he was pleased to make the second round of qualifying. He’ll start fourth.
“Any position you can gain is good ahead of 10th,” Elliott said. “I also know this is a place where you can qualify really good and be really bad.”
Elliott missed six races with an injury and another while serving a suspension. He hasn’t won yet and likely will need to win to make the playoffs. He’s 21st in points.
“There’s a few guys that I feel like have been consistently good at this track and the rest of us are kind of hit or miss,” Elliott said. “Hopefully we can hit it tomorrow and just put together a solid day, try to get some stage points and just get up in the mix.”
HEAT CHECK
The temperature was near 100 degrees when the cars went out for qualifying, and the heat index made it feel even hotter. It’s expected to be about 90 on Sunday.
“There’s less grip and more emphasis on tire management,” Brad Keselowski said. “It will be a different race here than it was in the spring, for sure.”
Truex and Larson are the betting favorites Sunday, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://phl17.com/sports/ap-unapologetic-hamlin-says-nascars-point-system-encourages-in-race-urgency-and-aggression/ | 2023-07-30T10:21:43 | 0 | https://phl17.com/sports/ap-unapologetic-hamlin-says-nascars-point-system-encourages-in-race-urgency-and-aggression/ |
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. | https://phl17.com/us-news/ap-us-news/ap-4-dead-2-injured-in-separate-aircraft-accidents-in-wisconsin-authorities-say/ | 2023-07-30T10:21:50 | 0 | https://phl17.com/us-news/ap-us-news/ap-4-dead-2-injured-in-separate-aircraft-accidents-in-wisconsin-authorities-say/ |
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://phl17.com/us-news/ap-us-news/ap-appellate-court-rules-that-missouri-man-with-schizophrenia-can-be-executed-after-all/ | 2023-07-30T10:21:57 | 1 | https://phl17.com/us-news/ap-us-news/ap-appellate-court-rules-that-missouri-man-with-schizophrenia-can-be-executed-after-all/ |
ATLANTA (AP) — “Excuse me, are you a city of Atlanta voter? Do you know about ‘Cop City?’”
Clipboards in hand, canvassers Sienna Giraldi and Gabriel Sanchez approached shopper after shopper at a Kroger supermarket lot on a recent evening collecting signatures for a referendum over whether to cancel the city’s lease of a proposed police and firefighter training center that’s become a national rallying cry for environmentalists and anti-police protesters.
Most people kept on walking. Others said they weren’t registered to vote or didn’t live within the city limits, both of which are required. Many seemed to have no idea what “Cop City” was and weren’t interested in finding out. The fact that it began raining certainly didn’t help. By the end of a 90-minute shift, 21 people had signed.
“We definitely need to come back here,” Sanchez said. “I was on a roll before the rain started.”
Over the past month, hundreds of people like them — many volunteers, some paid — have spread out across the city of about 500,000, in hopes of persuading more than 70,000 registered voters to sign on to the petition drive. The deadline had been mid-August, but the effort got a boost Thursday when a federal judge extended it to late September, though significant logistical and legal hurdles remain.
Technically, organizers say, they need just 58,203 signatures by Aug. 14 to qualify for the November ballot — the equivalent of 15% of registered voters as of the last city election — but they set the higher goal knowing some will be disqualified. If that’s not reached until late August or September, the referendum wouldn’t happen until March, when a competitive GOP presidential primary could turn out conservative voters and hurt its chances. The city also could move forward with construction in the meantime, unless a judge intervenes.
As of July 25, the drive had collected more than 30,000 signatures, according to Paul Glaze, a spokesperson for the Vote to Stop Cop City Coalition. And with the paid canvassing effort still ramping up, he expects the pace to pick up significantly.
“We’re confident of hitting our number,” Glaze said. “How much extra padding we’re able to get is still a question. … Our experience is that when you talk about this with people, when they hear the price tag, when you ask them if they would choose this or something else to spend the money on, the vast majority are against it.”
Organizers of the drive say Mayor Andre Dickens and the City Council have failed to listen to a groundswell of opposition to the $90 million, 85-acre (34-hectare) training center, which they fear will lead to greater militarization of the police and exacerbate environmental damage in the South River Forest in a poor, predominantly Black area.
Officials counter that the campus would replace outdated, far-flung facilities and boost police morale, which is beset by hiring and retention struggles, especially in the wake of 2020 protests over racial injustice. Dickens has said that the facility will teach the “most progressive training and curriculum in the country” and that officials have repeatedly revised their plans to address concerns about noise pollution and environmental impact.
In June, after hearing about 14 hours of public testimony that was overwhelmingly against the training center, council members voted 11-4 to approve $67 million toward the project. Outraged but not surprised, organizers of the petition drive announced it the next day.
Outside the Kroger, located in a majority-Black neighborhood a few miles south of a Wendy’s parking lot where officers fatally shot Rayshard Brooks in 2020, Giraldi chatted with Lee Little, a Black construction worker who stopped to talk despite the rain, his hands full of bagged groceries.
Little was working near the proposed training center in March and saw the helicopters and mass of armed officers that descended on the area after about 150 masked activists stormed the site and torched construction equipment. He hadn’t thought about it much since, but he signed the petition after hearing Giraldi’s pitch.
“She was just saying that City Council approved 60-something million dollars without listening to the taxpayers. Does that sound fair to you? That should be for the voters to decide,” Little said afterward.
Another who signed was Makela Atchison, who was wearing a “Black Voters Matter” T-shirt as she left the store with her two children.
“I’m not saying I’m for it or against it,” Atchison said, “but I want to be able to have my input.”
The signature drive is the most ambitious in terms of numbers that has ever been launched in a Georgia city, but it has precedent from last year in Camden County, where voters overwhelmingly rejected a planned launchpad for blasting commercial rockets into space. The Georgia Supreme Court in February unanimously upheld the legality of that referendum, though it remains an open question whether citizens can veto decisions of city governments.
In a recent court filing seeking to quash the Atlanta referendum, attorneys for the city said residents can’t force officials to retroactively revoke the lease agreement, which was made in 2021. They called organizers’ efforts “futile” and “invalid.” The state agreed with the city in a separate filing, though that dispute is on hold for now.
Still, activists see the referendum as the best remaining option to block the project. They’ve gotten support from numerous groups, including the Working Families Party and the New Georgia Project Action Fund, which pledged to get 15,000 signatures over the next few weeks.
Activist Hannah Riley tries to collect a handful of them whenever she is out in public, including on a recent afternoon as she worked remotely from Muchacho, a popular taco restaurant in the ultra-liberal Reynoldstown neighborhood. At the end of her table, she taped a sign that read: “Voter? Sign Stop Cop City Petition Here.”
“This is a bit of a Hail Mary, but it’s a Hail Mary that makes a lot of sense,” Riley said. “They’ve begun to clear-cut the trees. They’re getting close to pouring concrete. … Our options are quite limited right now, so this does feel like the most practical, effective next step.”
At the same time, a small number of activists have continued taking a more violent tack, including torching eight police motorcycles over the Fourth of July weekend, actions that canvass organizers have not condemned.
Curtis Duncan, 40, said the first day he went out canvassing, a man approached and accused him of being one of the vandals.
“I said, ‘Well, sir, respectfully, I wasn’t burning cars, and the majority of people within this movement have not been engaging in any type of violent actions,’” Duncan said. He added that troopers fatally shot an activist in the forest and that authorities have brought dozens of “very flimsy” domestic terrorism charges against “Stop Cop City” protesters this year — actions he considers far worse.
Sanchez, who works for a voting rights nonprofit, said that even if the signature drive falls short, it will have made an important impact.
“I feel like we’ve exhausted all the other options, aside from full-on revolution, which I don’t think we need for this,” he said. “There’s a lot of obstacles in our way. … If we only get to 50,000, I think that still shows a real warning sign for these politicians for the 2025 election.” | https://phl17.com/us-news/ap-us-news/ap-atlanta-cop-city-activists-say-theyre-confident-of-getting-70k-signatures-but-big-hurdles-remain/ | 2023-07-30T10:22:04 | 1 | https://phl17.com/us-news/ap-us-news/ap-atlanta-cop-city-activists-say-theyre-confident-of-getting-70k-signatures-but-big-hurdles-remain/ |
Police said at least eight dogs being transported inside an uncooled cargo van in Indiana died of heat-related injuries this week as temperatures soared amid an intense heat wave gripping much of the United States. The heat was not letting up Saturday in many areas, including in New York City, where temperatures were expected to surge into the lower 90s (around 35 C). Officials say the humid, thick air could make it feel well over the century mark for many Americans.
The sizzling air has heated up everything from the ocean to pools, making it difficult to cool off. One woman in the Southwest has been throwing blocks of ice in her pool.
Metro Phoenix hit its 30th consecutive day of record-breaking heat on Saturday. Scientists calculate this month will be the hottest globally on record and likely the warmest human civilization has seen.
Here’s what’s happening related to extreme weather and the climate right now:
— Police said the eight dogs that died were among 18 Shepherds being transported from O’Hare International Airport in Chicago to a K-9 training facility in Michigan City, Indiana. The driver told police he was unaware that the air conditioning unit was not cooling the back of the van until he heard dogs barking. He pulled over in Lake Station, Indiana, to open the back. Lake Station police said he then found several dogs dead and others suffering.
— Heat advisories continued in New York City, where high humidity has made it uncomfortable and dangerous. Some 500 cooling centers have opened across the city’s five boroughs, and the governor authorized the state’s swimming pools to stay open later. The extreme heat was forecast to ease Sunday.
— Parts of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut were under a heat advisory through Saturday night. In northern New England, temperatures were down 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit after getting into the 90s (around 35 degrees Celsius) on Friday, but the humidity lingered throughout the region.
— The weather was equally stifling and muggy in the center of the United States. An excessive heat warning was issued for much of Missouri, Kansas and western Illinois, where the sweaty mix of heat and humidity could make it feel like up to 112 degrees Fahrenheit (44.4 degrees Celsius) in some areas. St. Louis health director Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis said the risk of heat stroke was high and warned that interior car temperatures could reach lethal levels in minutes.
— Similar warnings were issued for much of the Deep South, which encompasses Georgia, Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi, with temperatures in the 90s (around 35 Celsius) and heat indexes past 100 (43.3 Celsius).
— The extreme heat has refocused attention on the lack of air conditioning in prisons. The Prison Policy Initiative, a national think tank, included Missouri and Kansas in a 2019 list of 13 “famously hot states” that lack universal air conditioning in prisons. In Missouri, only half of the prisons are fully air conditioned. And in Kansas, adding air conditioning to the newest prison sparked outrage among some lawmakers who saw it as coddling inmates.
— Phoenix broke another heat record Saturday, marking the 30th consecutive day of temperatures reaching or surpassing 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 Celsius). With the arrival of monsoon rains, temperatures are forecast to start to drop in the hottest areas in the U.S. Southwest, especially Phoenix. Temperatures are also expected to ease in Las Vegas, Albuquerque and Death Valley, California.
— With the scorching heat, even going for a swim offered little to no relief. Sea surface temperatures rose above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 Celsius) at a spot off Florida’s southern tip, while swimming pools in the Southwest gave the sensation of being in soup.
— The high temperatures are reaching across the globe, including in Bolivia, where a drought alert has been declared for Lake Titicaca after water levels of the world’s highest navigable lake receded to a critically low threshold.
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Associated Press writers Bobby Caina Calvan in New York; Heather Hollingsworth in Mission, Kansas; Ken Ritter in Las Vegas; Chevel Johnson in New Orleans; John O’Connor in Springfield, Illinois; and Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire, contributed to this report.
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Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
) | https://phl17.com/us-news/ap-us-news/ap-climate-glimpse-heres-what-you-need-to-see-and-know-today-8/ | 2023-07-30T10:22:10 | 0 | https://phl17.com/us-news/ap-us-news/ap-climate-glimpse-heres-what-you-need-to-see-and-know-today-8/ |
NAIROBI, Kenya — African leaders are leaving two days of meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin with little to show for their requests to resume a deal that kept grain flowing from Ukraine and to find a path to end the war there.
Putin in a press conference late Saturday following the Russia-Africa summit said Russia's termination of the grain deal earlier this month caused a rise in grain prices that benefits Russian companies. He added that Moscow would share some of those revenues with the "poorest nations."
That commitment, with no details, follows Putin's promise to start shipping 25,000 to 50,000 tons of grain for free to each of six African nations in the next three to four months — an amount dwarfed by the 725,000 tons shipped by the U.N. World Food Program to several hungry countries, African and otherwise, under the grain deal. Russia plans to send the free grain to Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, Eritrea and Central African Republic.
Fewer than 20 of Africa's 54 heads of state or government attended the Russia summit, while 43 attended the previous gathering in 2019, reflecting concerns over Russia's invasion of Ukraine even as Moscow seeks more allies on the African continent of 1.3 billion people. Putin praised Africa as a rising center of power in the world, while the Kremlin blamed "outrageous" Western pressure for discouraging some African countries from showing up.
The presidents of Egypt and South Africa were among the most outspoken on the need to resume the grain deal.
"We would like the Black Sea initiative to be implemented and that the Black Sea should be open," South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said. "We are not here to plead for donations for the African continent."
Putin also said Russia would analyze African leaders' peace proposal for Ukraine, whose details have not been publicly shared. But the Russian leader asked: "Why do you ask us to pause fire? We can't pause fire while we're being attacked."
The next significant step in peace efforts instead appears to be a Ukrainian-organized peace summit hosted by Saudi Arabia in August. Russia is not invited.
Africa's nations make up the largest voting bloc at the United Nations and have been more divided than any other region on General Assembly resolutions criticizing Russia's actions in Ukraine. Delegations at the summit in St. Petersburg roamed exhibits of weapons, a reminder of Russia's role as the top arms supplier to the African continent.
Putin in his remarks on Saturday also downplayed his absence from the BRICS economic summit in South Africa next month amid a controversy over an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court. His presence there, Putin said, is not "more important than my presence here, in Russia."
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.apr.org/2023-07-30/african-leaders-leave-russia-summit-without-grain-deal-or-path-to-peace-in-ukraine | 2023-07-30T10:22:13 | 1 | https://www.apr.org/2023-07-30/african-leaders-leave-russia-summit-without-grain-deal-or-path-to-peace-in-ukraine |
Scientists have discovered a worm that managed to stretch its short life expectancy — by tens of thousands of years.
A tiny roundworm was revived after it was frozen in Siberian permafrost 46,000 years ago, when Neanderthals still walked the Earth.
The worm, a previously unknown species of nematode, survived after entering a dormant state known as cryptobiosis, during which the animal doesn't eat and lacks a metabolism. The finding was detailed in a recent study published in the journal PLOS Genetics.
The most stunning part of the discovery was the length of time the worm had endured cryptobiosis, said Philipp Schiffer, one of the study's authors and a group leader at the Institute of Zoology at the University of Cologne in Germany.
Nematodes are among the planet's most ubiquitous life forms. Scientists had known that some could survive long periods of suspended animation in subzero environments. One Antarctic species spent over 25 years in frozen moss before resuscitation, the previous longest record of cryptobiosis recorded for a nematode.
"Nobody had thought that this process could be for millennia, for 40,000 years — or even longer," Schiffer said. "It's just amazing that life can start again after such a long time, in the stage between life and death."
Scientists used radiocarbon dating to determine that the soil from the permafrost sample was 46,000 years old.
Some nematodes are also known to survive parched climates, like in Chile's Atacama Desert, the driest nonpolar desert on Earth. One species was revived after spending nearly 40 years desiccated in a dry herbarium.
"Everything seems to be possible for these animals and that's what makes them so fascinating," the scientist said.
Schiffer says his worm lab in Cologne was able to analyze and identify the novel worm, which researchers named Panagrolaimus kolymaensis, using genome sequencing.
The nematode was found about 130 feet deep within the permafrost inside a burrow once home to Arctic gophers. After the chunk of frozen sediment was taken to the lab to thaw, the resurrected nematode crawled out and started making babies. The nematode, a female-only species, reproduces asexually, after about eight to 12 days.
The original worm, found five years ago, has died. Scientists are using its descendants to continue their research on the species, which will primarily involve investigating the genetic machinery behind these organisms to learn how these worms evolve to adapt in extreme environments.
That work could reveal how other animals might harbor the genetic superpowers to adapt to extreme environments today, as climate change drives more frequent heat waves and uninhabitable environments, Schiffer says.
"You might learn a lot about how and what's happening right now on Earth, and maybe even inform protection of endangered species," he said.
One challenge in researching the DNA sequences of this particular species, he adds, is how quickly the nematode evolves during its short life. The lifespan of Panagrolaimus kolymaensis is just one to two months.
Unless, of course, it happens to get frozen in time.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.iowapublicradio.org/news-from-npr/2023-07-30/a-worm-that-survived-46-000-years-in-permafrost-wows-scientists | 2023-07-30T10:22:14 | 0 | https://www.iowapublicradio.org/news-from-npr/2023-07-30/a-worm-that-survived-46-000-years-in-permafrost-wows-scientists |
Compared with the devil, angels carry more credence in America.
Angels even get more credence than, well, hell. More than astrology, reincarnation, and the belief that physical things can have spiritual energies.
In fact, about 7 in 10 U.S. adults say they believe in angels, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
“People are yearning for something greater than themselves — beyond their own understanding,” said Jack Grogger, a chaplain for the Los Angeles Angels and a longtime Southern California fire captain who has aided many people in their gravest moments.
That search for something bigger, he said, can take on many forms, from following a religion to crafting a self-driven purpose to believing in, of course, angels.
“For a lot of people, angels are a lot safer to worship,” said Grogger, who also pastors a nondenominational church in Orange, California, and is a chaplain for the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks.
People turn to angels for comfort, he said. They are familiar, regularly showing up in pop culture as well as in the Bible. Comparably, worshipping Jesus is far more involved; when Grogger preaches about angels it is with the context that they are part of God’s kingdom.
American’s belief in angels (69%) is about on par with belief in heaven and the power of prayer, but bested by belief in God or a higher power (79%). Fewer U.S. adults believe in the devil or Satan (56%), astrology (34%), reincarnation (34%), and that physical things can have spiritual energies, such as plants, rivers or crystals (42%).
The widespread acceptance of angels shown in the AP-NORC poll makes sense to Susan Garrett, an angel expert and New Testament professor at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Kentucky. It tracks with historical surveys, she said, adding that the U.S. remains a faith-filled country even as more Americans reject organized religion.
But if the devil is in the details, so are people’s understandings of angels.
“They’re very malleable,” Garrett said of angels. “You can have any one of a number of quite different worldviews in terms of your understanding of how the cosmos is arranged, whether there’s spirit beings, whether there’s life after death, whether there’s a God … and still find a place for angels in that worldview.”
Talk of angels, Garrett said, is often also about something else, like the ways God interacts with the world and other hard-to-articulate ideas.
The large number of U.S. adults who say they believe in angels includes 84% of those with a religious affiliation — 94% of evangelical Protestants, 81% of mainline Protestants and 82% of Catholics — and 33% of those without one. And of those angel-believing religiously unaffiliated, that includes 2% of atheists, 25% of agnostics and 50% of those identified as “nothing in particular.”
The broad acceptance is what fascinates San Francisco-based witch and author Devin Hunter: Angels show up independently in different religions and traditions, making them part of the fabric that unites humanity.
“We’re all getting to the same conclusion,” said Hunter, who spent 16 years as a professional medium, and started communicating as a child with what he believed were angels.
Hunter estimates that a belief in angels applies to about half of those practicing modern witchcraft today, and for some who don’t believe, their rejection is often rooted in the religious trauma they experienced growing up.
“Angels become a very big deal” for long-time practitioners who’ve made occultism their primary focus, said Hunter, an angel-loving occultist. “We cannot escape them in any way, shape or form.”
Jennifer Goodwin of Oviedo, Florida, also is among the roughly seven in 10 U.S. adults who say they believe in angels. She isn’t sure if God exists and rejects the afterlife dichotomy of heaven and hell, but the recent deaths of her parents solidified her views on these celestial beings.
Goodwin believes her parents are still keeping an eye on the family — not in any physical way or as a supernatural apparition, but that they manifest in those moments when she feels a general sense of comfort.
“I think that they are around us, but it’s in a way that we can’t understand,” Goodwin said. “I don’t know what else to call it except an angel.”
Angels mean different things to different people, and the idea of loved ones becoming heavenly angels after death is neither an unusual belief nor a universally held one.
In his reading of Scripture as an evangelical Protestant, Grogger said he believes angels are something else entirely — they have never been human and are on another level in heaven’s hierarchy. “We are higher than angels,” he said. “We do not become an angel.”
Angels do interact with humans though, said Grogger, but what “that looks like we’re not 100% sure.” They worship God who created this angelic legion of unknown numbers, he said, adding that evangelicals often attribute the demonic forces in the world to the angels who fell from heaven when the devil rebelled.
The Western ideas about angels can be traced through the Bible — and to the worldviews of its monotheistic authors, Garrett said. Those beliefs have changed and developed for millennia, influenced by cultures, theologians and even the ancient polytheistic beliefs that came before the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, she said.
“There are sort of lines of continuity from the Bible that you can trace all the way up to the New Age movement,” said Susan Garrett, who wrote “No Ordinary Angel: Celestial Spirits and Christian Claims about Jesus.”
The angels in the Bible do God’s bidding, and angelic violence is one part of their job description, said Esther Hamori, author of the upcoming book, “God’s Monsters: Vengeful Spirits, Deadly Angels, Hybrid Creatures, and Divine Hitmen of the Bible.”
“The angels of the Bible are just as likely to assassinate individuals and slaughter entire populations as they are to offer help and protect and deliver,” said Hamori. She doesn’t believe in these angels, but studies them as a Hebrew Bible professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York where she teaches a popular “Monster Heaven” class.
“They’re just God’s obedient soldiers doing the task at hand, and sometimes that task is in human beings’ best interests, and sometimes it’s not,” she said.
The perception that angels act angelic and look like the idyllic, winged figurines atop Christmas trees could be attributed to an early centuries belief that people are assigned one good angel and one bad — or have a good and bad spirit to guide them, Garrett said.
This idea shows up on the shoulders of cartoon characters and is likely what Abraham Lincoln was alluding to in his famous appeal for unity when he referenced “the better angels of our nature” in his first inaugural address, she said.
“It’s also tied in with ideas about guardian angels, which again, very ancient views that got developed over the centuries,” Garrett said.
For Sheila Avery of Chicago, angels are protectors, capable of keeping someone from harm. Avery, who belongs to a nondenominational church, credits them with those moments like when a person’s plans fall through, but ultimately it saves them from being in the thick of an unexpected disaster.
“They turn on the news and a terrible tragedy happened at that particular place,” Avery said, suggesting it was an “angel that was probably watching over them.”
___
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. | https://phl17.com/us-news/ap-us-news/ap-do-you-believe-in-angels-about-7-in-10-u-s-adults-do-a-new-ap-norc-poll-shows/ | 2023-07-30T10:22:17 | 1 | https://phl17.com/us-news/ap-us-news/ap-do-you-believe-in-angels-about-7-in-10-u-s-adults-do-a-new-ap-norc-poll-shows/ |
PHOENIX — 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.
The heat is impacting animals, as well. Police in the city of Burbank, California, found a bear cooling off in a Jacuzzi behind a home on Friday. Police released a video of the animal in a neighborhood about 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Los Angeles near the Verdugo Mountains and warned residents to lock up food and garbage.
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.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.apr.org/2023-07-30/the-historic-heatwave-that-has-hit-the-u-s-southwest-is-set-to-cool-a-little | 2023-07-30T10:22:20 | 0 | https://www.apr.org/2023-07-30/the-historic-heatwave-that-has-hit-the-u-s-southwest-is-set-to-cool-a-little |
Seventy years ago, the Korean War ended with a cease-fire, not a victory or a peace deal, and veterans marked the occasion Thursday at the Korean War Memorial in Washington, D.C., with some even joining activists pushing for a formal end to the war.
But as most Korean War vets are well into their 90s, they still struggle with America's perceptions of what has been called "the Forgotten War."
"We don't call it the Forgotten War, we call it the forgotten victory," said retired U.S. Marine Col. Warren Wiedhahn. "We saved South Korea from becoming a communist country."
Wiedhahn said it might not have been clear at the time, but it sure is now. South Korea is democratic and among the world's leading economies, while the North is an impoverished, brutal dictatorship. Wiedhahn just wishes the United Nations force, led by the U.S., had held on to more of the Korean peninsula before the cease-fire. At a certain point they had driven North Korean forces all the way to the Chinese border before being pushed south again.
"Now don't get me wrong. The [cease-fire] was welcomed because that meant that the Marines and soldiers were not getting killed anymore. But to me, to us who had fought in the beginning, it was kind of an anti-climactic," he said.
At 94, Wiedhahn is president of the Chosin Few, a group of vets who fought at Chosin Reservior, a freezing 17-day battle with the Chinese army.
Membership is now being gradually passed on to the next generation.
"I actually had no idea my dad was involved with the Chosin Reservoir. He didn't say one word about it," said Nancy Weigle, whose father, Gerald, was a Navy corpsman who died in 2018. Like many Korea vets he didn't talk about it much for the first few decades, Weigle said.
"The World War II vets had obviously been celebrated. There was a clear victory. And when these guys came back, nobody even knew what Korea was," she said. That came later, as Korean products and culture spread across the globe. Her dad was one of many Korean War vets who were invited by South Korea to visit Seoul.
Weigle is now a legacy member of the Chosin Few, carrying on their stories.
Robert Grier, 90, served in Korea just a few years after the U.S. military desegregated, a memory that stood out for him even as he finds it harder to recall many other details of his service.
"Black soldiers didn't get promoted very much back then. It was always in the lower ranks," he said.
Grier eventually made captain. He has just one memory of the armistice in 1953.
"We were not happy," he said. "[We] didn't like to lose things. We thought that we lost that."
Korea was the first of many wars after World War II with, at best, ambiguous endings that most Americans didn't see as success. That includes Afghanistan and Iraq.
"I sympathize with the Korean War vets," said Welton Chang, who served two tours in Iraq.
"Their experience was much more intense, and certainly the casualties were higher," he adds.
Before Iraq, Chang also deployed to Korea for a year, during which North Korea detonated its first nuclear weapon and tested intercontinental ballistic missiles. His time there showed him the value of what Americans and others did for South Korea.
"Older Koreans are still very thankful for U.S. involvement and were often the ones who would come up to us on the street or hiking a mountain somewhere and shake our hands and say 'thank you,' " Chang said.
"It was always super awkward because you kind of have to remind them that, like, I wasn't even born when any of this stuff happened," he said. "But they saw it as this long, unbroken line of U.S. commitment in Asia."
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.iowapublicradio.org/news-from-npr/2023-07-30/as-living-memories-of-the-korean-war-fade-its-consequences-become-clearer | 2023-07-30T10:22:21 | 0 | https://www.iowapublicradio.org/news-from-npr/2023-07-30/as-living-memories-of-the-korean-war-fade-its-consequences-become-clearer |
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas is temporarily blocked from enforcing a law that would have allowed criminal charges against librarians and booksellers for providing “harmful” materials to minors, a federal judge ruled Saturday.
U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks issued a preliminary injunction against the law, which also would have created a new process to challenge library materials and request that they be relocated to areas not accessible by kids. The measure, signed by Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders earlier this year, was set to take effect Aug. 1.
A coalition that included the Central Arkansas Library System in Little Rock had challenged the law, saying fear of prosecution under the measure could prompt libraries and booksellers to no longer carry titles that could be challenged.
The judge also rejected a motion by the defendants, which include prosecuting attorneys for the state, seeking to dismiss the case.
The ACLU of Arkansas, which represents some of the plaintiffs, applauded the court’s ruling, saying that the absence of a preliminary injunction would have jeopardized First Amendment rights.
“The question we had to ask was — do Arkansans still legally have access to reading materials? Luckily, the judicial system has once again defended our highly valued liberties,” Holly Dickson, the executive director of the ACLU in Arkansas, said in a statement.
The lawsuit comes as lawmakers in an increasing number of conservative states are pushing for measures making it easier to ban or restrict access to books. The number of attempts to ban or restrict books across the U.S. last year was the highest in the 20 years the American Library Association has been tracking such efforts.
Laws restricting access to certain materials or making it easier to challenge them have been enacted in several other states, including Iowa, Indiana and Texas.
Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin said in an email Saturday that his office would be “reviewing the judge’s opinion and will continue to vigorously defend the law.”
The executive director of Central Arkansas Library System, Nate Coulter, said the judge’s 49-page decision recognized the law as censorship, a violation of the Constitution and wrongly maligning librarians.
“As folks in southwest Arkansas say, this order is stout as horseradish!” he said in an email.
“I’m relieved that for now the dark cloud that was hanging over CALS’ librarians has lifted,” he added.
Cheryl Davis, general counsel for the Authors Guild, said the organization is “thrilled” about the decision. She said enforcing this law “is likely to limit the free speech rights of older minors, who are capable of reading and processing more complex reading materials than young children can.”
The Arkansas lawsuit names the state’s 28 local prosecutors as defendants, along with Crawford County in west Arkansas. A separate lawsuit is challenging the Crawford County library’s decision to move children’s books that included LGBTQ+ themes to a separate portion of the library.
The plaintiffs challenging Arkansas’ restrictions also include the Fayetteville and Eureka Springs Carnegie public libraries, the American Booksellers Association and the Association of American Publishers. | https://phl17.com/us-news/ap-us-news/ap-judge-blocks-arkansas-law-allowing-librarians-to-be-criminally-charged-over-harmful-materials/ | 2023-07-30T10:22:24 | 0 | https://phl17.com/us-news/ap-us-news/ap-judge-blocks-arkansas-law-allowing-librarians-to-be-criminally-charged-over-harmful-materials/ |
Seventy years ago, the Korean War ended with a cease-fire, not a victory or a peace deal, and veterans marked the occasion Thursday at the Korean War Memorial in Washington, D.C., with some even joining activists pushing for a formal end to the war.
But as most Korean War vets are well into their 90s, they still struggle with America's perceptions of what has been called "the Forgotten War."
"We don't call it the Forgotten War, we call it the forgotten victory," said retired U.S. Marine Col. Warren Wiedhahn. "We saved South Korea from becoming a communist country."
Wiedhahn said it might not have been clear at the time, but it sure is now. South Korea is democratic and among the world's leading economies, while the North is an impoverished, brutal dictatorship. Wiedhahn just wishes the United Nations force, led by the U.S., had held on to more of the Korean peninsula before the cease-fire. At a certain point they had driven North Korean forces all the way to the Chinese border before being pushed south again.
"Now don't get me wrong. The [cease-fire] was welcomed because that meant that the Marines and soldiers were not getting killed anymore. But to me, to us who had fought in the beginning, it was kind of an anti-climactic," he said.
At 94, Wiedhahn is president of the Chosin Few, a group of vets who fought at Chosin Reservior, a freezing 17-day battle with the Chinese army.
Membership is now being gradually passed on to the next generation.
"I actually had no idea my dad was involved with the Chosin Reservoir. He didn't say one word about it," said Nancy Weigle, whose father, Gerald, was a Navy corpsman who died in 2018. Like many Korea vets he didn't talk about it much for the first few decades, Weigle said.
"The World War II vets had obviously been celebrated. There was a clear victory. And when these guys came back, nobody even knew what Korea was," she said. That came later, as Korean products and culture spread across the globe. Her dad was one of many Korean War vets who were invited by South Korea to visit Seoul.
Weigle is now a legacy member of the Chosin Few, carrying on their stories.
Robert Grier, 90, served in Korea just a few years after the U.S. military desegregated, a memory that stood out for him even as he finds it harder to recall many other details of his service.
"Black soldiers didn't get promoted very much back then. It was always in the lower ranks," he said.
Grier eventually made captain. He has just one memory of the armistice in 1953.
"We were not happy," he said. "[We] didn't like to lose things. We thought that we lost that."
Korea was the first of many wars after World War II with, at best, ambiguous endings that most Americans didn't see as success. That includes Afghanistan and Iraq.
"I sympathize with the Korean War vets," said Welton Chang, who served two tours in Iraq.
"Their experience was much more intense, and certainly the casualties were higher," he adds.
Before Iraq, Chang also deployed to Korea for a year, during which North Korea detonated its first nuclear weapon and tested intercontinental ballistic missiles. His time there showed him the value of what Americans and others did for South Korea.
"Older Koreans are still very thankful for U.S. involvement and were often the ones who would come up to us on the street or hiking a mountain somewhere and shake our hands and say 'thank you,' " Chang said.
"It was always super awkward because you kind of have to remind them that, like, I wasn't even born when any of this stuff happened," he said. "But they saw it as this long, unbroken line of U.S. commitment in Asia."
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.apr.org/politics-government/2023-07-30/as-living-memories-of-the-korean-war-fade-its-consequences-become-clearer | 2023-07-30T10:22:26 | 1 | https://www.apr.org/politics-government/2023-07-30/as-living-memories-of-the-korean-war-fade-its-consequences-become-clearer |
As the hour creeps past three in the afternoon, New Orleans' streets are devoid of tourists and locals alike. The heat index is over 105 degrees.
At the city's ambulance depot, the concrete parking lot seems to magnify the sweltering heat, circulating the air like a convection oven.
New Orleans Emergency Medical Services has been busy this summer, responding to heat-related emergency calls and rushing patients to nearby hospitals.
Capt. Janick Lewis and Lt. Titus Carriere demonstrate how they can load a stretcher into an ambulance using an automated loading system.
Lewis wipes sweat from his brow as the loading arm whirs and hums, raising the stretcher into the ambulance — "unit" in official terminology.
But the mechanical assistance isn't the best thing about the new vehicle. "The nicest thing about being assigned a brand new unit, is it's a brand-new air conditioning system," Lewis says.
The new AC is much more than just a luxury for the hard-working crews. These days they need the extra cooling power to help save lives.
"The number one thing you do take care of somebody is get them out of the heat, get them somewhere cool," Lewis says. "So the number one thing we spend our time worrying about in the summertime is keeping the truck cool."
Like much of the country, New Orleans has been embroiled in an almost relentless heat wave for weeks. As a result, more people are falling ill with heat-related conditions than ever before. Just last week, EMS responded to 29 heat-related calls — more than triple compared to the same period last year.
As the city's emergency medical systems deal with the influx of patients, scientists say these dangerous heat levels — and the increasing stress they put on human bodies and medical systems — may be the new norm.
At the same time, New Orleans EMS has struggled with funding and staffing challenges. It's currently operating with only 60% of its needed staff. The city's chief of EMS has called for increased funding for higher wages to attract more workers.
Lewis says they're making do with the resources they have, and prioritizing one-time expenses like new ambulances to help them meet the challenges they're facing.
"We're going to provide the care everybody needs, regardless of how hot it gets," Lewis says. "We'd love to have all the help in the world, but we're getting the job done with what we have right now."
Health dangers above 100℉
When a human being is exposed to high levels of heat for too long, it starts to raise the core body temperature. Once that exceeds 100 degrees, hyperthermia can develop. That can prompt an escalating cascade of health problems if it isn't quickly addressed.
The first stage is heat exhaustion, Lt. Carriere explains: "That means you're hot, you may have an elevated temp, but you also have what's called diaphoresis, which means your body is sweating, is still trying to compensate and cool yourself off." You'll also likely have other symptoms like weakness, dizziness, and headache.
Carriere says that if you can quickly get out of the heat and into some AC, generally you'll recover from heat exhaustion on your own. But if you don't, your core temperature will continue to rise.
Near 104° the dangers escalate
If internal body temperature approaches 104 degrees, you could succumb to the next stage — heat stroke.
"Once you move to heat stroke, your body stops compensating," Carriere says. "You stop sweating. You're hot. You're dry, and your organs are basically like frying themselves from the inside out."
When you stop sweating, it becomes even harder for your body to cool itself down. During heat stroke, you may also experience other severe symptoms like an altered state of mind, confusion, and a rapid, erratic pulse. You may even lose consciousness.
Heat illness can develop after unrelieved exposure to incessant heat, but high humidity compounds the problem by making it harder for the body to cool itself by sweating.
Working outdoors, dehydration, alcohol or drug use, and sunburn all increase the risk. The very old, children under 4, and those who are obese or have certain medical conditions are particularly vulnerable.
Without medical intervention, heat stroke can be deadly. EMS starts treatment immediately after they arrive on the scene.
"We'll get them on a gurney, get them into the unit, start removing their clothing and put ice packs wherever applicable to try to cool them down," says Carriere.
Saving lives in the ER with ice, fluids, and medical support
Once you're loaded into the ambulance, they'll race you to a nearby hospital, Carriere says. At University Medical Center (UMC), the city's largest hospital, doctors and nurses will continue efforts to quickly lower body temperature, and replace fluids by IV if necessary..
"When the patient ends up at the hospital, we're going to continue that cooling process," Elder says. "We're going to put them in an ice water bath," says Dr. Jeffrey Elder, the Medical Director for Emergency Management at UMC. "We may use some misting fans and some cold fluids to get their body temperature down to a reasonable temperature while we're supporting all the other bodily functions."
Getting your core temperature down as quickly as possible is the highest priority, Elder explains, and is what will ultimately save your life. One way they can speed that along is by burying you in ice. In other parts of the country, doctors actually place patients inside body bags pre-packed with pounds of ice. Body bags are useful in these cases because they're waterproof and are designed to closely fit the human form.
They don't use body bags at UMC's emergency room, but during the summer, staffers do keep bags of ice ready to go at all times.
"On the stretcher, we'll use some of the sheets as kind of a barrier," Elder says. "And while they're on the stretcher, we'll just put the ice on them right then and there."
Hospital staff will continue to work to cool you down until your temperature gets back below 100. That's when you're considered to be in the medical safe zone.
Elder admits that while it always gets hot in New Orleans during the summer, his emergency room has been treating more heat-related illness in 2023 than ever before. A few patients have died from the heat.
Like many other hospital systems, UMC is struggling with staffing challenges since the pandemic. But UMC has prioritized staffing of the emergency department in order to handle things like an influx of patients from heat-related illness, Elder says.
Burden on health infrastructure heats up
Across the country, meteorological events like heat waves and heat domes will become more frequent and intense in the future, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"Extreme summer heat is increasing in the United States," says Claudia Brown, a health scientist with the CDC's Climate and Health Program. "And climate projections are indicating that extreme heat events will be more frequent and intense in the coming decades."
Health infrastructure will be challenged to keep up in order to treat patients suffering from extreme heat exposure. In New Orleans, both first responders and doctors say they expect to see more patients with heat-related illness. July is merely the halfway point of a Louisiana summer.
"We haven't even gotten to the hottest part yet, which is typically August to September," says EMS Lt. Titus Carriere. "So I'm expecting it to get pretty bad."
Copyright 2023 Gulf States Newsroom. To see more, visit . | https://www.iowapublicradio.org/news-from-npr/2023-07-30/in-broiling-cities-like-new-orleans-the-health-system-faces-off-against-heat-stroke | 2023-07-30T10:22:27 | 0 | https://www.iowapublicradio.org/news-from-npr/2023-07-30/in-broiling-cities-like-new-orleans-the-health-system-faces-off-against-heat-stroke |
NEW YORK (AP) — Trader Joe’s is recalling a broccoli cheddar soup that may contain insects and cooked falafel that may contain rocks, about one week after the grocery chain recalled two cookie products over similar concerns.
The soup recall impacts Trader Joe’s Unexpected Broccoli Cheddar Soup with “Use By” dates ranging from July 18 to Sept. 15, according to a Thursday announcement from the company. On Friday, the grocer announced that Trader Joe’s Fully Cooked Falafel sold in 35 states and Washington, D.C., was also under recall.
On July 21, Trader Joe’s announced that it was recalling Trader Joe’s Almond Windmill Cookies and Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Chunk and Almond Cookies with “sell by” dates ranging from Oct. 17 to Oct. 21. Like the falafel, the cookies may also contain rocks, the company said.
When asked for further information about how the insects and rocks may have gotten into these products, a Trader Joe’s spokesperson said that “there was an issue in the manufacturing processes in the facilities.” Suppliers alerted Trader Joe’s of the possible foreign material for each recall, the company said.
“We pulled the product from our shelves as soon as we were made aware of the issue. Once we understood the issue we notified our customers,” the spokesperson said in a statement sent to The Associated Press Saturday.
All of the recalled cookies, soup and falafel have been removed from sale or destroyed, Trader Joe’s said in its announcements. But the Monrovia, California-based company is still urging consumers to check their kitchens for the products.
Trader Joe’s says customers who have the recalled products should throw them away or return them to any store for a full refund. Lot codes and further details about the products under recall, as well as customer service contact information, can be found on the company’s website.
Trader Joe’s did not specify how many products were impacted with each recall or identify suppliers. But one Food and Drug Administration notice cited by NBC News says that the Unexpected Broccoli Cheddar Soup recall impacts around 10,889 cases sold in seven states. Winter Gardens Quality Foods, Inc. is identified as the recalling firm, per the notice.
No formal releases about the three recalls were published on the FDA’s Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts page as of Saturday. The Associated Press reached out to the FDA and Winter Gardens Quality Foods for information on Saturday.
“We have a close relationship with our vendors and they alerted us of these issues. We don’t hesitate or wait for regulatory agencies to tell us what to do,” the Trader Joe’s spokesperson said. “We will never leave to chance the safety of the products we offer.” | https://phl17.com/us-news/ap-us-news/ap-more-trader-joes-recalls-this-soup-may-contain-bugs-and-falafel-may-have-rocks-grocer-says/ | 2023-07-30T10:22:30 | 0 | https://phl17.com/us-news/ap-us-news/ap-more-trader-joes-recalls-this-soup-may-contain-bugs-and-falafel-may-have-rocks-grocer-says/ |
Scientists have discovered a worm that managed to stretch its short life expectancy — by tens of thousands of years.
A tiny roundworm was revived after it was frozen in Siberian permafrost 46,000 years ago, when Neanderthals still walked the Earth.
The worm, a previously unknown species of nematode, survived after entering a dormant state known as cryptobiosis, during which the animal doesn't eat and lacks a metabolism. The finding was detailed in a recent study published in the journal PLOS Genetics.
The most stunning part of the discovery was the length of time the worm had endured cryptobiosis, said Philipp Schiffer, one of the study's authors and a group leader at the Institute of Zoology at the University of Cologne in Germany.
Nematodes are among the planet's most ubiquitous life forms. Scientists had known that some could survive long periods of suspended animation in subzero environments. One Antarctic species spent over 25 years in frozen moss before resuscitation, the previous longest record of cryptobiosis recorded for a nematode.
"Nobody had thought that this process could be for millennia, for 40,000 years — or even longer," Schiffer said. "It's just amazing that life can start again after such a long time, in the stage between life and death."
Scientists used radiocarbon dating to determine that the soil from the permafrost sample was 46,000 years old.
Some nematodes are also known to survive parched climates, like in Chile's Atacama Desert, the driest nonpolar desert on Earth. One species was revived after spending nearly 40 years desiccated in a dry herbarium.
"Everything seems to be possible for these animals and that's what makes them so fascinating," the scientist said.
Schiffer says his worm lab in Cologne was able to analyze and identify the novel worm, which researchers named Panagrolaimus kolymaensis, using genome sequencing.
The nematode was found about 130 feet deep within the permafrost inside a burrow once home to Arctic gophers. After the chunk of frozen sediment was taken to the lab to thaw, the resurrected nematode crawled out and started making babies. The nematode, a female-only species, reproduces asexually, after about eight to 12 days.
The original worm, found five years ago, has died. Scientists are using its descendants to continue their research on the species, which will primarily involve investigating the genetic machinery behind these organisms to learn how these worms evolve to adapt in extreme environments.
That work could reveal how other animals might harbor the genetic superpowers to adapt to extreme environments today, as climate change drives more frequent heat waves and uninhabitable environments, Schiffer says.
"You might learn a lot about how and what's happening right now on Earth, and maybe even inform protection of endangered species," he said.
One challenge in researching the DNA sequences of this particular species, he adds, is how quickly the nematode evolves during its short life. The lifespan of Panagrolaimus kolymaensis is just one to two months.
Unless, of course, it happens to get frozen in time.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.apr.org/science-health/2023-07-30/a-worm-that-survived-46-000-years-in-permafrost-wows-scientists | 2023-07-30T10:22:32 | 0 | https://www.apr.org/science-health/2023-07-30/a-worm-that-survived-46-000-years-in-permafrost-wows-scientists |
As the hour creeps past three in the afternoon, New Orleans' streets are devoid of tourists and locals alike. The heat index is over 105 degrees.
At the city's ambulance depot, the concrete parking lot seems to magnify the sweltering heat, circulating the air like a convection oven.
New Orleans Emergency Medical Services has been busy this summer, responding to heat-related emergency calls and rushing patients to nearby hospitals.
Capt. Janick Lewis and Lt. Titus Carriere demonstrate how they can load a stretcher into an ambulance using an automated loading system.
Lewis wipes sweat from his brow as the loading arm whirs and hums, raising the stretcher into the ambulance — "unit" in official terminology.
But the mechanical assistance isn't the best thing about the new vehicle. "The nicest thing about being assigned a brand new unit, is it's a brand-new air conditioning system," Lewis says.
The new AC is much more than just a luxury for the hard-working crews. These days they need the extra cooling power to help save lives.
"The number one thing you do take care of somebody is get them out of the heat, get them somewhere cool," Lewis says. "So the number one thing we spend our time worrying about in the summertime is keeping the truck cool."
Like much of the country, New Orleans has been embroiled in an almost relentless heat wave for weeks. As a result, more people are falling ill with heat-related conditions than ever before. Just last week, EMS responded to 29 heat-related calls — more than triple compared to the same period last year.
As the city's emergency medical systems deal with the influx of patients, scientists say these dangerous heat levels — and the increasing stress they put on human bodies and medical systems — may be the new norm.
At the same time, New Orleans EMS has struggled with funding and staffing challenges. It's currently operating with only 60% of its needed staff. The city's chief of EMS has called for increased funding for higher wages to attract more workers.
Lewis says they're making do with the resources they have, and prioritizing one-time expenses like new ambulances to help them meet the challenges they're facing.
"We're going to provide the care everybody needs, regardless of how hot it gets," Lewis says. "We'd love to have all the help in the world, but we're getting the job done with what we have right now."
Health dangers above 100℉
When a human being is exposed to high levels of heat for too long, it starts to raise the core body temperature. Once that exceeds 100 degrees, hyperthermia can develop. That can prompt an escalating cascade of health problems if it isn't quickly addressed.
The first stage is heat exhaustion, Lt. Carriere explains: "That means you're hot, you may have an elevated temp, but you also have what's called diaphoresis, which means your body is sweating, is still trying to compensate and cool yourself off." You'll also likely have other symptoms like weakness, dizziness, and headache.
Carriere says that if you can quickly get out of the heat and into some AC, generally you'll recover from heat exhaustion on your own. But if you don't, your core temperature will continue to rise.
Near 104° the dangers escalate
If internal body temperature approaches 104 degrees, you could succumb to the next stage — heat stroke.
"Once you move to heat stroke, your body stops compensating," Carriere says. "You stop sweating. You're hot. You're dry, and your organs are basically like frying themselves from the inside out."
When you stop sweating, it becomes even harder for your body to cool itself down. During heat stroke, you may also experience other severe symptoms like an altered state of mind, confusion, and a rapid, erratic pulse. You may even lose consciousness.
Heat illness can develop after unrelieved exposure to incessant heat, but high humidity compounds the problem by making it harder for the body to cool itself by sweating.
Working outdoors, dehydration, alcohol or drug use, and sunburn all increase the risk. The very old, children under 4, and those who are obese or have certain medical conditions are particularly vulnerable.
Without medical intervention, heat stroke can be deadly. EMS starts treatment immediately after they arrive on the scene.
"We'll get them on a gurney, get them into the unit, start removing their clothing and put ice packs wherever applicable to try to cool them down," says Carriere.
Saving lives in the ER with ice, fluids, and medical support
Once you're loaded into the ambulance, they'll race you to a nearby hospital, Carriere says. At University Medical Center (UMC), the city's largest hospital, doctors and nurses will continue efforts to quickly lower body temperature, and replace fluids by IV if necessary..
"When the patient ends up at the hospital, we're going to continue that cooling process," Elder says. "We're going to put them in an ice water bath," says Dr. Jeffrey Elder, the Medical Director for Emergency Management at UMC. "We may use some misting fans and some cold fluids to get their body temperature down to a reasonable temperature while we're supporting all the other bodily functions."
Getting your core temperature down as quickly as possible is the highest priority, Elder explains, and is what will ultimately save your life. One way they can speed that along is by burying you in ice. In other parts of the country, doctors actually place patients inside body bags pre-packed with pounds of ice. Body bags are useful in these cases because they're waterproof and are designed to closely fit the human form.
They don't use body bags at UMC's emergency room, but during the summer, staffers do keep bags of ice ready to go at all times.
"On the stretcher, we'll use some of the sheets as kind of a barrier," Elder says. "And while they're on the stretcher, we'll just put the ice on them right then and there."
Hospital staff will continue to work to cool you down until your temperature gets back below 100. That's when you're considered to be in the medical safe zone.
Elder admits that while it always gets hot in New Orleans during the summer, his emergency room has been treating more heat-related illness in 2023 than ever before. A few patients have died from the heat.
Like many other hospital systems, UMC is struggling with staffing challenges since the pandemic. But UMC has prioritized staffing of the emergency department in order to handle things like an influx of patients from heat-related illness, Elder says.
Burden on health infrastructure heats up
Across the country, meteorological events like heat waves and heat domes will become more frequent and intense in the future, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"Extreme summer heat is increasing in the United States," says Claudia Brown, a health scientist with the CDC's Climate and Health Program. "And climate projections are indicating that extreme heat events will be more frequent and intense in the coming decades."
Health infrastructure will be challenged to keep up in order to treat patients suffering from extreme heat exposure. In New Orleans, both first responders and doctors say they expect to see more patients with heat-related illness. July is merely the halfway point of a Louisiana summer.
"We haven't even gotten to the hottest part yet, which is typically August to September," says EMS Lt. Titus Carriere. "So I'm expecting it to get pretty bad."
Copyright 2023 Gulf States Newsroom. To see more, visit . | https://www.apr.org/science-health/2023-07-30/in-broiling-cities-like-new-orleans-the-health-system-faces-off-against-heat-stroke | 2023-07-30T10:22:38 | 0 | https://www.apr.org/science-health/2023-07-30/in-broiling-cities-like-new-orleans-the-health-system-faces-off-against-heat-stroke |
People have asked me what I've learned so far through this series. Have I gotten any clarity on what makes up my own spiritual identity? And the answer is, not really. I'm still in the research phase of this project. I'm still collecting experiences and perspectives and I imagine I'll keep doing that forever, but it's too early to draw any definitive conclusions — except for one.
I believe each and every one of us is capable of making our own meaning. Some of us do that by living according to a set of religious principles. Or by feeling the beauty and sanctity of nature. Or by choosing to see spiritual connections in what others might call mere coincidence.
I don't need anyone to validate those experiences for them to be meaningful to me. But according to Lisa Miller, a professor in the Clinical Psychology Program at Teachers College, Columbia University, having a spiritual life is good for your mental health.
Miller is a psychologist and has dedicated most of her career to the study of neuroscience and spirituality. Her newest book is called The Awakened Brain, and in it she makes some really bold claims about how holding spiritual beliefs can decrease our rates of anxiety and depression and generally make us most likely to lead happier lives. I can hear your skepticism already! I get it. I'm a spiritually inclined kind of person but it's still hard for me to understand how, scientifically speaking, believing in something bigger than yourself can make you healthier and happier.
I needed to understand how Miller came to these conclusions. But before she got to the actual science, she told me a story.
It was the mid '90s. Miller was in the early stages of her career and working at a residential mental health facility in New York City. After she'd been there a few months, Yom Kippur rolled around — the day of atonement, considered the most significant of the Jewish religious holidays. One of the older male patients with severe bipolar disorder asked if there were any plans to mark the day. The doctor in charge shrugged his shoulders and said, no — there's no service planned. The patient walked out of the room with his shoulders slumped and Lisa, who is Jewish, saw an opportunity.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Lisa Miller: I approached the unit chief and said, "I'm certainly not a rabbi, but I've been to two-and-a-half decades of Yom Kippur services. I'd be happy to facilitate if that might be OK with you." So I showed up on Yom Kippur and the patients had arrived early to the kitchen, which was to be our sanctuary. The fluorescent lights were quite strong and as we crowded around the linoleum table there was an extraordinary feeling of specialness.
As we started the prayers that we all knew from our childhood, joining together saying in Hebrew the prayers of Yom Kippur, I looked over and noticed that as the gentleman with bipolar was davening, he could not have been further from explosive. He was holding our group in the cadence of the prayers and we were actually following him.
I took a pause and I said, "I feel so grateful to be here today in our Yom Kippur ceremony. Would anyone like to say anything?" We went around the table and the first person to speak was a very otherwise withdrawn woman with recurrent depression. She said, "You know, I always knew on Yom Kippur we could ask for forgiveness. But sitting here now with you all, I'm aware that we can be forgiven. God can forgive us." And she looked liberated.
As I looked around the table at the patients, whatever their symptoms had been yesterday, they were free in that moment. They were free of suffering. They were free of the characteristic patterns that had dragged them down in a way that was equal and opposite to their main symptoms. And so I thought a mental health system minus spirituality made no sense, and that became my life's work, to understand the place of spirituality in renewal, in recovery, in resilience, and to put this in the language of science.
Rachel Martin: What happened when you brought these kinds of questions to your peers, to the other people in your scientific community? Like when you said for the first time, "Hey, I think we need to look at the effect of spirituality on mental health." What did people say to you?
Miller: Well, the vast majority were very respectful, nodded, and didn't pick up the thread. Some of them would say, "That's not psychology, that's not psychiatry." And in fact, I remember early on giving a grand rounds presentation and I opened up saying, "I'm going to speak today about a body of data using nationally representative samples on spirituality and mental health with all the gold standard methods." And about 10 people got up and walked out. It was absolutely not of interest.
Martin: Using the gold standard, what did that mean in terms of the experiments you were running and the studies and the data you were collecting? How did you make sure that it would hold water in the scientific community?
Miller: If I were to characterize the first five years of my investigation, I would say I used the data sets that everyone else knew and trusted. I only asked one new question, which was: "What's the impact of spirituality on the DSM diagnosis of addiction and depression?" The findings were jaw dropping.
The protective benefit of personal spirituality, meaning someone who says their personal spirituality is very important, is 80% against addiction. They have 80% decreased relative risk for the DSM diagnosis of addiction to drugs or alcohol.
Martin: Wait, so someone who self-identifies as having a meaningful spiritual life is 80% less likely to get addicted to drugs or alcohol than someone who says they don't?
Miller: Yes.
Martin: Wow. And how can you prove that it is a spiritual life that is doing that and not some external factor? Because you heard this from other critics, too, some of your peers said you can't attribute that to spirituality, it's gotta be some other social conditioning.
Miller: Well, that's a very important point because in every study we controlled for all of the usual interpretations about this being social support or having resources. So we plugged into our equation every other possible explanation that was generally taken in mental health to explain the road to depression. And nonetheless, it actually turned out that the more high risk we are, the more that there's stress in our lives, the more that we might be genetically at risk for depression, the greater the impact of spirituality as a source of resilience as preventative against major depression.
Martin: What does that look like in the brain?
Miller: One of the most beautiful findings in my 20 years as an investigator was from an MRI study conducted together with our colleagues at Yale Medical School. We looked at people of many different faith traditions and the first finding was that there is one neuro seat of transcendent perception and we share it. Now there's human variability of course, and we can strengthen components.
Martin: How are you actually doing that with people? Are you asking your subjects to pray? What are the spiritual inputs that are going into them so that you can measure it on their brains?
Miller: The very specific prompt was, "Tell us about a time where you felt a deep connection to God, your higher power, the source of life." Everyone had a story like that and as they told their story, we recorded them and it was then played back in their ears while they were inside the scanner.
Martin: Ah, they heard themselves recounting their spiritual experience.
Miller: It was tailor made to their own moment.
Martin: And you saw their brains light up?
Miller: Oh yes. Connecting to these memories, the bonding network comes up online just as when we were held in the arms of our parents or grandparents.
Martin: Wait, when you say the bonding network you mean you can literally see that the brain will respond to spiritual stimuli in the same way that it does to a hug from a family member when you're a baby?
Miller: Precisely.
Martin: Can you tell me how this manifests in the real world? I'm thinking about this anecdote you include in the book about a client of yours. A girl you refer to as Iliana.
Miller: Iliana adored her father, I mean, he was the sun and the moon and the stars to her. They were so close. And one night two men who her father knew, came into his corner store, robbed him and murdered him. And she was devastated. This was a grief that was so deep. She simply could not free herself from the grief that was shackling her heart.
One day, Iliana skips into my office. There's a levity and joy. She plops into the seat and says, "Dr. Miller, you're never gonna believe this. My cousin and my cousin's girlfriend chaperoned me so I could go to a party and I met the most wonderful boy. We talked so long, it must have been 20 minutes. He was so polite and so kind. But here's the best part, his name." Which was the same very usual name as her father.
She said, "Don't you see? My father sent him. My father is looking out after me." And from that day on she was in the world of the living. What changed everything for Iliana was the awareness that her father walked with her. She maintained a deep transcendent relationship with her father, as most people around the world do.
Iliana trusted her deep inner knowing that this was far too probabilistic to have happened by chance. That this very rare name held both by this new boy and her father could possibly mean nothing.
Martin: Can I ask, what are you thinking as you hear this? I mean, are you thinking that is just a crazy coincidence, but if she needs to believe that this is a sign from God, who am I to tell her otherwise? Because it seems to be working.
Miller: Well, at the time, that was certainly the most common interpretive framework amongst psychologists and psychiatrists. But I could see plain as day that this was a tremendously sacred moment. This was a living miracle. This was a gift.
For me to have treated it like some kind of cultural diversity variable or that it's just the meaning she makes would've actually taken all of the energy and spirit out of that transformative awakening moment. I joined her.
Now I did that authentically because it was my view as well that this is far too nonprobabilistic to have happened by chance, that there are very few people by that very same name and that the first boy she met in a year and a half since her father's passing should have the name of the father. It was a synchronicity. There was a deeper meaning being revealed.
Martin: When you're talking to people who aren't scientists, someone who's skeptical, someone who doesn't have faith, who doesn't have what they define as a spiritual life, what do you want them to take away from your research and your message?
Miller: I've given a number of talks to audiences who, prior to seeing the science, would not necessarily consider themselves spiritual people. And, in fact, I oftentimes hear from people who consider themselves skeptics and very left-brained and when they see the peer reviewed science that says we're naturally spiritual beings, that when we cultivate our spirituality we're 80% less likely to be addicted, 82% less likely to take our lives, it speaks to the left side of their brains long enough that it quiets down the skepticism.
In other words, three cheers for the skeptic. Here is published, peer reviewed science for skeptical audiences to begin to explore, to be curious about our spiritual nature. You know, at the inner table of human knowing we all have an empiricist, a logician, an intuitive, a mystic, and a skeptic. And the skeptic is very welcome, but the skeptic is not the bouncer at the door.
It is not scientific to put a skeptic as a bouncer at the door. It is not more rigorous to toss out an idea before being examined in every way. We are wired to be able to investigate. So I simply say to the biggest skeptic of all, you are most welcome to your own inner table of inquiry, but be sure to invite everyone else.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.apr.org/science-health/2023-07-30/this-ivy-league-researcher-says-spirituality-is-good-for-our-mental-health | 2023-07-30T10:22:44 | 0 | https://www.apr.org/science-health/2023-07-30/this-ivy-league-researcher-says-spirituality-is-good-for-our-mental-health |
After a sticky and stormy stretch to wrap up last week, the new week is kicking off on a much drier, sunnier, and comfier note. Step outside on Sunday and you'll immediately notice the refreshingly lower humidity levels, which should remain with us through the first half of the week. We'll have partly to mostly sunny skies each of the next four days, and while it will be on the cooler side compared to where we've been (near 90°) and where we should be for late July and early August (mid 80s), most of us will find the highs near 80 degrees very pleasant and comfy. A few very weak disturbances could touch off a sprinkle or shower tonight through early Tuesday, mainly points south and west, but any raindrop should be the exception to the otherwise dry and sunny rule we have in place through Wednesday. Clouds increase on Thursday, with humidity and rain chances also rising late Thursday and peaking on Friday, the only good chance of rain for the entire week. Enjoy one of the nicer, drier, and comfier stretches we've had all summer over the next four days!
DETAILED FORECAST
SUNDAY
Saturday's high humidity and scattered storms will be a distant memory once you step outside on Sunday, which will feature plenty of sunshine and comfortably low humidity levels. Look for partly to mostly sunny skies, a light northwest breeze, and afternoon highs around 80 degrees. And if you like Sunday, there are three more days lined up that will be just like it through Wednesday.
SUNDAY NIGHT
Skies will likely start out on the clearer side but some clouds will pass through overnight, so we'll call it partly cloudy overall. A weak disturbance could touch off a sprinkle or shower south and west of Berks County…but it's hardly worth mentioning and most places will remain dry. Also be sure to get ready for a string of comfy summer nights for sleeping, with lows in the upper 50s to low 60s.
MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY
If you don't mind it a bit cooler than average for mid-summer, you'll love the three days to open up the new work week. Look for partly to mostly sunny skies with highs around 80°, give or take a few degrees, each afternoon. The nights will be partly to mostly clear and comfy and mostly around 55-60 degrees, great sleeping weather for early August. Another weak disturbance may touch off a sprinkle or shower later Monday into Tuesday, mostly to our south, so a mainly or entirely dry forecast should be the rule through Wednesday.
THURSDAY
While we'll still likely have some sunshine to start on Thursday, clouds likely increase during the day, and the humidity will likely gradually increase as well. Much of the day may end up dry, but shower chances will increase later in the afternoon and overnight, although the best chances of rain will hold off until Friday. Highs will be similar to the rest of the week and around or just above 80 degrees, but Thursday night will likely be warmer and stickier with more clouds around, with mid 60s expected.
FRIDAY
Here's our best and really only good chance for wet weather over the next seven days, with showers and a few thunderstorms likely during the day. It will be humid ahead of a cold front, but mostly cloudy skies and some rain will likely keep temperatures down and generally around 80-dgrees. As long as our front continues east and slides offshore, next weekend should see a return of the dry and comfy sunshine we will see to wrap up our current weekend.
TRACK THE WEATHER: | https://www.wfmz.com/weather/refreshingly-low-humidity-with-plenty-of-sunshine-through-wednesday/article_9eaf51f6-2eb9-11ee-ae74-074a89d53667.html | 2023-07-30T10:22:54 | 0 | https://www.wfmz.com/weather/refreshingly-low-humidity-with-plenty-of-sunshine-through-wednesday/article_9eaf51f6-2eb9-11ee-ae74-074a89d53667.html |
UCF opponent previews: Ascending Texas Tech sets sights on elusive Big 12 football crown
- Nickname: Red Raiders
- Location: Lubbock, Texas
- Enrollment: 37,481
- Home field: Jones AT&T Stadium (Capacity: 60,454)
- Conference: Big 12
- 2022 record: 8-5, 5-4 Big 12
- All-time series record vs. UCF: 0-0
- Last meeting: This will be the first meeting between the schools.
Editor's note: This is the 11th installment in a 12-part series highlighting UCF's 2023 football opponents.
Texas Tech celebrated an historic football season in 2022 by toppling both Texas and Oklahoma in the same year for the first time.
The sky could be the limit for Texas Tech as a new era is set to begin in the Big 12. Might it finally be the Red Raiders' opportunity to reach the league's summit?
Big 12 rebirth:UCF completes journey to Power Five in record time. Here's how.
Texas Tech joined the Big 12 back in 1996, and is still in search of an elusive first conference championship. Of the league's 10 holdovers, Texas Tech is one of just three — along with Kansas and West Virginia — that has yet to take part in the Big 12's title game.
For context, Colorado, Nebraska and Texas A&M — current members of the Pac-12, Big 10 and SEC, respectively —have all won the league in that time span.
Expectations are high in Lubbock, though; the Red Raiders were picked to finish fourth in the Big 12 preseason media poll, garnering four of 67 first-place votes. Odds in Vegas range from +850 to +1200 on Texas Tech taking the league.
Here is a detailed look at why Texas Tech, UCF's final road opponent with a Nov. 18 date scheduled, might be this year's dark horse.
Joey McGuire inks lucrative 6-year contract after successful debut
An accomplished high school head coach who led Cedar Hill to three Texas state championships and 141 victories over 14 years, McGuire broke into the college ranks in 2017 as a tight ends coach at Baylor under Matt Rhule. He earned the associate head coach title and flipped over to the defensive staff two years later before getting the job at Texas Tech on Nov. 8, 2021.
McGuire, 51, oversaw Texas Tech's highest single-season win total since 2013, and the university rewarded him with a six-year, $26.6 million contract that runs through 2028.
The bar is not as high as it once was; Texas Tech has been ranked only twice in the AP poll the last nine seasons, and never higher than 24th. The Red Raiders have never appeared in the College Football Playoff rankings.
Texas Tech, however, can be a winner with the right person in charge. Mike Leach maintained a 66.1% win rate in his decade-long reign, Spike Dykes finished above .500 11 times in 13 years, Tommy Tuberville tallied a pair of eight-win campaigns and Kliff Kingsbury routinely hovered around .500 before bolting for the NFL's Arizona Cardinals.
QB Tyler Shough surrounded by talented skill-position group
Top Offensive Returners: WR Jerand Bradley, RB Tahj Brooks, OT Monroe Mills, IOL Landon Peterson, WR Myles Price, OT Caleb Rogers, QB Tyler Shough, TE Mason Tharp, WR Xavier White, IOL Dennis Wilburn
Top Defensive Returners: DL Joseph Adedire, DL Tony Bradford, DB Malik Dunlap, DL Jaylon Hutchings, DB Tyler Owens, LB Jesiah Pierre, DB Dadrion Taylor-Demberson, DB Rayshad Williams
Tyler Shough has an impressive 8-1 record as Texas Tech's starting quarterback, but availability has been a concern. He missed six games last season after suffering a shoulder injury in the opener against Murray State, and a broken collarbone limited Shough to four starts in 2021.
Redshirt sophomore Behren Morton, the school's highest-rated quarterback signee ever, is waiting in the wings.
Whoever calls the shots for the Red Raiders' offense will have a strong complement of weapons. Tahj Brooks ran for a team-high 691 yards and seven touchdowns, while the trio of Jerand Bradley, Myles Price and Xavier White each combined for 1,829 yards and 11 scores.
Texas Tech allowed the most sacks and tackles for loss in the Big 12, but four players who started at least six games up front return and McGuire will hope for growth among the group.
Tyree Wilson was selected eighth overall by the Las Vegas Raiders after an All-American senior year, so his absence on the edge is significant. But Tony Bradford and Jaylon Hutchings provide perhaps the league's best interior force, combining for 14.5 TFLs and 10 sacks last season.
Four starters are back in the secondary, including the cornerback tandem of Rayshad Williams and Malik Dunlap that broke up 12 passes and registered 33 tackles. Jesiah Pierre, a Mount Dora native, will see an expanded role at the second level after totaling 40 tackles, seven TFLs and 4.5 sacks.
Portal additions CJ Baskerville, Rusty Staats penciled in as starters
Transfer Portal Additions: DB CJ Baskerville (San Diego State), DL Quincy Ledet (Louisiana-Monroe), EDGE Steve Linton (Syracuse), DB Bralyn Lux (Fresno State), DB AJ McCarty (Baylor), WR Drae McCray (Austin Peay), IOL Rusty Staats (Western Kentucky), EDGE Terrell Tilmon (Oregon)
Transfer Portal Losses: EDGE Philip Blidi (Indiana), IOL Cade Briggs (Arizona State), OT Ethan Carde (Boise State), WR Trey Cleveland (North Texas), DB Hut Graham (Abilene Christian), IOL Erik Gray, DB Imari Jones, DL Syncere Massey (Abilene Christian), DB Kobee Minor (Indiana), LB Labyreous Moore, OT Larry Moore (North Texas), DB Reggie Pearson Jr. (Oklahoma), OT Trevor Roberson, IOL Michael Shanahan (Western Michigan), QB Donovan Smith (Houston), IOL Jack Tucker (Liberty), OT Kaden Weatherby, DB Cameron White
Texas Tech went for the quality-over-quantity approach in the portal ahead of 2023, and at least four new faces should become immediate contributors.
CJ Baskerville sits atop the depth chart at the nickel position, Rusty Staats should be a linchpin at center, Steve Linton shifts to outside linebacker in Tim DeRuyter's defensive scheme and Drae McCray twice earned all-conference honors at Austin Peay, totaling 129 catches for 1,888 yards and 17 touchdowns for the Governors.
Offensive line depth could be a bit of an issue considering eight players at the position jumped into the portal, with five finding new Division I homes. Donovan Smith is competing for the starting job at Houston, the Red Raiders' Sept. 30 opponent.
Texas Tech aiming for back-to-back top-30 national recruiting classes
Top Incoming Freshmen: EDGE Isaiah Crawford (Post, Texas), IOL Nick Fattig (League City, Texas), DB Brenden Jordan (Mansfield, Texas), DB Jordan Sanford (Arlington, Texas), DL Dylan Spencer (Houston, Texas), ATH Anquan Willis (Wichita Falls, Texas)
Texas Tech made waves on the recruiting trail in McGuire's first full cycle, hauling in four consensus four-star athletes and placing 28th overall in 247Sports' composite team scores (factoring in high school and JUCO signees) — the program's best showing since 2012.
Jordan Sanford and Isaiah Crawford are two of the Red Raiders' 20 highest-ranked signees in the modern era, per 247Sports' composite scores. Sanford is expected to be a key reserve at cornerback, and Brenden Jordan is already running with the second unit at the STAR position, according to 247Sports' Kevin Flaherty.
Texas Tech will push for another top-30 national class in 2024, already securing 18 verbal commits led by Sachse (Texas) edge rusher Cheta Ofili and Prosper (Texas) offensive tackle Ellis Davis. The Red Raiders are also currently favored to land consensus five-star wide receiver Micah Hudson out of Lake Belton High in Temple, Texas. | https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/sports/college/football/2023/07/30/ucf-football-opponent-previews-texas-tech-aims-for-big-12-title/70440950007/ | 2023-07-30T10:23:44 | 0 | https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/sports/college/football/2023/07/30/ucf-football-opponent-previews-texas-tech-aims-for-big-12-title/70440950007/ |
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.qcnews.com/business/ap-india-cuts-rice-exports-triggering-panic-buying-of-food-staple-by-some-indian-expats-in-the-us/ | 2023-07-30T10:23:44 | 0 | https://www.qcnews.com/business/ap-india-cuts-rice-exports-triggering-panic-buying-of-food-staple-by-some-indian-expats-in-the-us/ |
Yes, Shohei Ohtani is a singular sensation, but what if ...? | KEN WILLIS
You can’t help but admire Shohei Ohtani. Can’t help but be a fan.
What’s not to like?
What’s not to respect in awestruck ways? He's leading the league in all the important power-hitting categories (and triples, by the way) while also ranking among the top starting pitchers.
“Baseball has never seen anyone like him,” is a common reaction, and that’s true.
But while you don’t want to toss any cold water on the current sentiment regarding this rarest of rare talents, let’s at least crack the throttle a tad and offer offer up another truth.
Baseball has never seen anyone like Ohtani because baseball, from its wool-cloaked beginnings until, oh, what seems like an hour ago, wouldn’t allow anyone to even attempt what Ohtani is doing.
Historically, the closest we come to a comparison is Babe Ruth. The Babe was among the best American League pitchers from 1915-19, and maybe the best in 1916, which says much since the mound was generally ruled those days by Walter Johnson, Grover Cleveland Alexander and a few other greats and near-greats — here's looking at you, Hippo Vaughn.
As the Red Sox began dabbling with Ruth as a two-way player in 1918 and ’19, his pitching appearances were basically cut in half.
THE NEW/OLD BASEBALLDave Trembley likes what he's seeing in baseball this year | KEN WILLIS
Once the Red Sox sold him to the New York Yankees, his bat would no longer be an occasional weapon but instead the stick of lumber that built an entirely new way of playing the game, not to mention a Yankee Stadium erected to his specs.
And there you go. For a century, that was basically it in terms of a two-way star. Why? It seemed to be one of those ancient baseball rules carved into a stone no one ever displayed as concrete evidence. “It’s just not done in the Big Leagues,” and that was that.
In relatively modern times, John Olerud and Dave Winfield were dominant college pitchers who could also hit a ton. Both, it stands to reason, could’ve done both at a big-league level, but that’s not the way things worked.
You don’t think Bob Gibson could’ve been a two-way player? Maybe even a standout? He was a basketball star at Creighton, even played a year with the Harlem Globetrotters, and was the National League’s best fielding and hitting pitcher. But he was also among the greatest pitching pitchers of his generation — at times the very best — so he was a pitcher, period.
The Cardinals’ Rick Ankiel had an excellent rookie season on the mound in 2000, but that October, he suffered a loss of control that was so hard to watch, it became the standard by which such things would always be compared. He reinvented himself as an outfielder and returned to the majors in 2007 to begin an eight-season career of decency.
Around the same time, Brooks Kieschnick tried the opposite career path of Ankiel, with less success.
The examples are mostly hypotheticals, of course, but still, there are plenty of them and they’re offered only to suggest there could’ve been an Ohtani before Ohtani — at least in general terms. Maybe not in such spectacular fashion, though who knows?
And since we’re here, might as well bring up another obvious consideration: Universal use of the designated hitter. If the DH has been around pre-1973, Ohtani might be chasing the numbers of prior two-way greats instead of blazing his own trail.
Ohtani played some right field in Japan and a handful of games out there with the Angels. He would likely be among the best defensive right fielders if he wasn’t also such a great pitcher. Planting him at DH brings less wear and enables him to do all that he’s doing.
STRAT-O-MATIC ANYONE?Proper baseball now designated as a historic relic | KEN WILLIS
While there’s obviously no way to replay the past to see who, if any, could’ve come close to matching what Ohtani is doing today, here’s hoping the trail he’s forging might lead others to get the chance.
“It’s just not done” doesn’t fly anymore. Or at least it shouldn’t.
— Reach Ken Willis at ken.willis@news-jrnl.com | https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/sports/columns/2023/07/30/could-there-have-been-a-shohei-ohtani-before-shohei-ohtani-babe-ruth-yankees-angels/70453697007/ | 2023-07-30T10:23:50 | 0 | https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/sports/columns/2023/07/30/could-there-have-been-a-shohei-ohtani-before-shohei-ohtani-babe-ruth-yankees-angels/70453697007/ |
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.qcnews.com/business/ap-with-one-eye-on-china-japan-backs-sri-lanka-as-a-partner-in-the-indo-pacific/ | 2023-07-30T10:23:51 | 0 | https://www.qcnews.com/business/ap-with-one-eye-on-china-japan-backs-sri-lanka-as-a-partner-in-the-indo-pacific/ |
'Viva la maceta': Jason Broussard's Spanish skills making him even more valuable as coach
DAYTONA BEACH — Jason Broussard took high school Spanish classes and did quite well, with it being his first language and all.
He was born in Panama to two American parents. His father hailed from Louisiana and his mother from Michigan. They migrated to Panama for jobs after college and spoke almost exclusively Spanish in the house, so their son did, too.
Then, when Broussard was 7, the family moved to Melbourne, Florida. He knew some English but quickly caught on. His teachers spoke it. His friends spoke it.
The only times he really needed his first language were those classes at Satellite High School. And that was the last time he needed it for a while.
Baseball took him to Coker College in South Carolina, where he played two years as a Division II catcher. When his playing days ended, he worked six years as an assistant coach at Eastern Florida State and Southern Illinois.
In 2019, he secured his first professional gig as with the St. Louis Cardinals organization. He was around a few players who spoke Spanish again.
But 2020 brought him all the way back to the language. His Spanish skills got him a job with the Cincinnati Reds and, this year, have made the 31-year-old an even more valuable asset as the Daytona Tortugas’ hitting coach.
“It’s a great ability to have,” Broussard said.
Jason Broussard: 'I loved my ability as a player to get better and try to learn'
Broussard and his family still lived in Panama when he first picked up a bat. He remembers smacking softballs in their front yard.
Around age 13, several years after moving to Florida for his mom’s government job at Patrick Air Force Base in 2000, Broussard and his dad built a batting cage in their backyard.
Broussard wanted to hit all the time.
“I loved my ability as a player to get better and try to learn,” he said.
He earned an all-conference selection in high school and continued on to Coker but didn’t see the field much in two years there. When his playing career ended, Broussard wanted to stay around the game.
“I also had really good coaches when I was in middle school and high school,” Broussard said. “It’s just like giving back. Then, I just wanted to keep getting better.”
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He helped out at a local high school for five months before mentor and Melbourne native Jeff Tam called. Tam, a former major-league pitcher, was the head coach at Eastern Florida State and had an assistant coaching position open. He offered it to Broussard.
Broussard, obviously, accepted.
He spent five seasons (2013-2017) there, overseeing hitting, catchers and infielders.
Jason Broussard lived out of his car for a few months to continue coaching
After five years, the junior college eliminated Broussard’s position. He was working on an online master’s degree in sports science and sports coaching at the time. He didn’t have much money, and the best option that cropped up was a volunteer assistant position at Southern Illinois.
He took it and taught hitting and catching.
“Both my parents were always helpful with whatever I needed,” he said. “They always said, ‘Hey, if this is what you want to do — coach — just go do it and you’ll figure it out.’”
For Broussard, figuring it out meant living out of his Chevy Cruze.
Every day, he parked at a truck stop in Marion, Illinois. He’d wake up around 7:30 a.m., grab a coffee and head to work in nearby Carbondale. All his baseball responsibilities would finish around 6 or 7 p.m. He’d eat dinner and study for his master’s until midnight. Then, he’d head back to the truck stop for several hours of sleep and do it all over again.
That lasted five months in 2018.
“I just had to do what I had to do, and I think I learned a lot that fall,” Broussard said. “You learn a lot about who you are as a person and minimalism. I did my best to save as much money as I could …
“I would never take that point in my life away because it was awesome to go though that. Everybody has a different story, and there are sometimes sacrifices that you have to make.”
While Broussard was at SIU, a friend forwarded him a job application. It was for a minor-league coach/scout position with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Broussard had connections for the job, too. His former pitching coach at Coker was a scout with the Cardinals. A rival coach and friend from his junior college days was also a scout for the team. And Tam, who played with some St. Louis administrators, made some phone calls.
“The stars kind of lined up,” Broussard said. “It was crazy.”
He got the gig and spent 2019 and 2020 with the Cardinals.
But in the fall of 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he was let go. He sent each of the 29 other MLB organizations a message.
He reached out to C.J. Gillman, then-Cincinnati Reds minor-league hitting coordinator, on Twitter. A few days later, Gillman texted him.
They messaged back and forth, and Broussard told Gillman he could speak Spanish. The Reds had an open position to be a hitting coach in the Dominican Republic.
“He was like, ‘Can you send me a video (of you speaking Spanish)?’ ” Broussard said. “So I did a selfie video of maybe four or five minutes and sent it to him. I interviewed with him, and boom, it was an awesome fit.”
So off to the DR he went in 2021.
“You just do it,” Broussard said of speaking Spanish there. “I think, at that point, it’s almost like instinct. When you haven’t done something in a while, it’s just rusty and you need to get back into that state of where it’s just instinctual.”
Jason Broussard has two main mottos as Daytona's hitting coach
After Broussard worked a season in the Dominican and last year in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League, the Reds assigned him to Daytona as the hitting coach for the 2023 campaign.
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He tutored many of the current Tortugas and worked alongside manager Julio Morillo last year in the ACL. Broussard and Morillo, who grew up in Venezuela, are the only Daytona coaches fluent in Spanish.
The Tortugas’ roster includes nine of the Reds’ top 30 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline, and five of them are from Latin American countries. There are a few other unranked Tortugas who also speak primarily Spanish.
“I think our organization has wanted this for a long, long time — the ability to explain to Latin players the importance of swing patterns and body movements and data analysis in Spanish,” Morillo said. “We have one of those guys.
“I think it’s big, too, because the players get to know and actually understand what all these complex things are. He does a really good job of simplifying in English but also in Spanish. I think that’s just a win.”
Broussard uses two different mottos — one in English and one in Spanish — with his hitters.
In English, he says “crush strikes,” emphasizing good swing decisions, hitting the ball hard and staying consistent. He stole it from an old Cardinals colleague.
In Spanish, he says “viva la maceta,” which translates to “long live the barrel.”
“The barrel is king,” Broussard said of the bat’s sweet spot. “Guys who find the barrel play for a long time.”
He has plenty of talent to mold. Of those nine top-30 Tortugas prospects, eight are hitters.
“The way that he works, the way that he takes the time to analyze hitters and swings and opposing pitchers, it’s something that you don’t get from a lot of people,” Morillo said.
“I think he has a bright future in front of him if he continues to do this.”
Broussard plans to. He loves it. You have to love baseball to live out of your car for five months for it.
Plus, he’s already secured his dream job.
“My dream job is to develop big-league hitters at whatever level that is,” he said. “That’s all I want to do. Just develop big-league hitters.” | https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/sports/minors/tortugas/2023/07/30/jason-broussard-has-two-mottos-as-daytona-tortugas-hitting-coach/70455431007/ | 2023-07-30T10:23:56 | 1 | https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/sports/minors/tortugas/2023/07/30/jason-broussard-has-two-mottos-as-daytona-tortugas-hitting-coach/70455431007/ |
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.qcnews.com/entertainment/ap-10-people-died-at-the-astroworld-music-festival-two-years-ago-what-happens-now/ | 2023-07-30T10:23:59 | 1 | https://www.qcnews.com/entertainment/ap-10-people-died-at-the-astroworld-music-festival-two-years-ago-what-happens-now/ |
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.qcnews.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-its-a-miracle-say-family-of-japanese-soldier-killed-in-wwii-as-flag-he-carried-returns-from-us/ | 2023-07-30T10:24:06 | 1 | https://www.qcnews.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-its-a-miracle-say-family-of-japanese-soldier-killed-in-wwii-as-flag-he-carried-returns-from-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.qcnews.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-two-supermoons-in-august-mean-double-the-stargazing-fun/ | 2023-07-30T10:24:13 | 0 | https://www.qcnews.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-two-supermoons-in-august-mean-double-the-stargazing-fun/ |
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. | https://www.qcnews.com/news/national-news/ap-4-dead-2-injured-in-separate-aircraft-accidents-in-wisconsin-authorities-say/ | 2023-07-30T10:24:20 | 0 | https://www.qcnews.com/news/national-news/ap-4-dead-2-injured-in-separate-aircraft-accidents-in-wisconsin-authorities-say/ |
Ryan Destiny has always been one of our favorite fashionistas and she recently took to Instagram this weekend to pose in an all Diesel look that was absolutely everything!
Taking to the social media platform, the beauty stepped out donning a stunning two piece Diesel ensemble that featured a leather zip up biker jacket and a matching, curve hugging skirt jeans with colorful prints throughout. She paired the look with black pumps and minimal jewelry to set the look off right.
As for her hair, she wore her locs long and in a sleek and straight style that was parted down the middle to frame both sides of her stunning face. In the photo set, she modeled the look from all angles and showed off her killer style. She also gave her followers a close up of her flawless face card when she posted a selfie and showed off her stunning glam – which consisted of red eye shadow to match the tones in her outfit and a nude lip topped off with a bit of gloss.
“Love you @diesel ” she captioned the stunning photo dump for her 2.8 million IG followers. Check it out below.
Of course, we weren’t the only ones loving the look on the singer as many of Ryan’s IG followers flooded the beauty’s comment section with their stamps of approval for the fierce look. “so beautiful” commented Ryan’s friend Chloe Bailey while others wrote, “YES MA’AM THANK YOU,” “Fineeeeeee,” “Wow the fitttt ” and “So beautiful!!!” underneath the stunning IG photo dump.
Beauties, what do you think about Ryan’s stunning look? Did she nail it in this all Diesel ensemble?
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Ryan Destiny Is Everything In This Two Piece Diesel Look was originally published on hellobeautiful.com | https://wzakcleveland.com/4590204/ryan-destiny-is-everything-in-this-two-piece-diesel-look/ | 2023-07-30T10:24:25 | 1 | https://wzakcleveland.com/4590204/ryan-destiny-is-everything-in-this-two-piece-diesel-look/ |
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.qcnews.com/news/national-news/ap-appellate-court-rules-that-missouri-man-with-schizophrenia-can-be-executed-after-all/ | 2023-07-30T10:24:26 | 0 | https://www.qcnews.com/news/national-news/ap-appellate-court-rules-that-missouri-man-with-schizophrenia-can-be-executed-after-all/ |
Jordyn Woods took to Instagram this week to show off her killer curves and style in a stunning summer dress and we’re here for it!
Taking to the social media platform, the beautiful starlet shared a gorgeous photo dump of herself while vacationing in Greece and rocking a vibrant green dress by Christopher Esber that fit her like a glove. The wrap-like, summer maxi dress featured a cut out midriff and exposed cleavage along with ruffled detailing at the skirt to give the look and extra flair, which the social media influencer modeled to perfection.
She accessorized the summertime look with gold jewelry and gold sandals as she posed for her Instagram photo shoot and showed off the trendy look from all angles. As for her hair, she wore her brown and blonde locs in a high pony tail to show off her stunning face.
Jordyn took to the platform to share the photo dump and simply captioned the photo series with a sunset emoji as she posed in front of the ocean as the sun set behind her – quite fitting! Check out the gorgeous photo set below.
Of course, we weren’t the only ones loving this gorgeous look on the model and entrepreneur as many of the beauty’s Instagram followers flooded her comment section with their stamps of approval. “How are you so flawless ” wrote one follower while another commented with, “Shut it downnnnnn ” while another wrote, “it’s everything for me,” and “Queen of being pretty.”
Our good sis always looks good and is giving us summertime fine with this designer ensemble!
What do you think about Jordyn’s recent say while vacationing in Greece? Did she nail it?
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Jordyn Woods Poses For The ‘Gram In A Christopher Esber Dress was originally published on hellobeautiful.com | https://wzakcleveland.com/4590205/jordyn-woods-poses-for-the-gram-in-a-christopher-esber-dress/ | 2023-07-30T10:24:31 | 0 | https://wzakcleveland.com/4590205/jordyn-woods-poses-for-the-gram-in-a-christopher-esber-dress/ |
ATLANTA (AP) — “Excuse me, are you a city of Atlanta voter? Do you know about ‘Cop City?’”
Clipboards in hand, canvassers Sienna Giraldi and Gabriel Sanchez approached shopper after shopper at a Kroger supermarket lot on a recent evening collecting signatures for a referendum over whether to cancel the city’s lease of a proposed police and firefighter training center that’s become a national rallying cry for environmentalists and anti-police protesters.
Most people kept on walking. Others said they weren’t registered to vote or didn’t live within the city limits, both of which are required. Many seemed to have no idea what “Cop City” was and weren’t interested in finding out. The fact that it began raining certainly didn’t help. By the end of a 90-minute shift, 21 people had signed.
“We definitely need to come back here,” Sanchez said. “I was on a roll before the rain started.”
Over the past month, hundreds of people like them — many volunteers, some paid — have spread out across the city of about 500,000, in hopes of persuading more than 70,000 registered voters to sign on to the petition drive. The deadline had been mid-August, but the effort got a boost Thursday when a federal judge extended it to late September, though significant logistical and legal hurdles remain.
Technically, organizers say, they need just 58,203 signatures by Aug. 14 to qualify for the November ballot — the equivalent of 15% of registered voters as of the last city election — but they set the higher goal knowing some will be disqualified. If that’s not reached until late August or September, the referendum wouldn’t happen until March, when a competitive GOP presidential primary could turn out conservative voters and hurt its chances. The city also could move forward with construction in the meantime, unless a judge intervenes.
As of July 25, the drive had collected more than 30,000 signatures, according to Paul Glaze, a spokesperson for the Vote to Stop Cop City Coalition. And with the paid canvassing effort still ramping up, he expects the pace to pick up significantly.
“We’re confident of hitting our number,” Glaze said. “How much extra padding we’re able to get is still a question. … Our experience is that when you talk about this with people, when they hear the price tag, when you ask them if they would choose this or something else to spend the money on, the vast majority are against it.”
Organizers of the drive say Mayor Andre Dickens and the City Council have failed to listen to a groundswell of opposition to the $90 million, 85-acre (34-hectare) training center, which they fear will lead to greater militarization of the police and exacerbate environmental damage in the South River Forest in a poor, predominantly Black area.
Officials counter that the campus would replace outdated, far-flung facilities and boost police morale, which is beset by hiring and retention struggles, especially in the wake of 2020 protests over racial injustice. Dickens has said that the facility will teach the “most progressive training and curriculum in the country” and that officials have repeatedly revised their plans to address concerns about noise pollution and environmental impact.
In June, after hearing about 14 hours of public testimony that was overwhelmingly against the training center, council members voted 11-4 to approve $67 million toward the project. Outraged but not surprised, organizers of the petition drive announced it the next day.
Outside the Kroger, located in a majority-Black neighborhood a few miles south of a Wendy’s parking lot where officers fatally shot Rayshard Brooks in 2020, Giraldi chatted with Lee Little, a Black construction worker who stopped to talk despite the rain, his hands full of bagged groceries.
Little was working near the proposed training center in March and saw the helicopters and mass of armed officers that descended on the area after about 150 masked activists stormed the site and torched construction equipment. He hadn’t thought about it much since, but he signed the petition after hearing Giraldi’s pitch.
“She was just saying that City Council approved 60-something million dollars without listening to the taxpayers. Does that sound fair to you? That should be for the voters to decide,” Little said afterward.
Another who signed was Makela Atchison, who was wearing a “Black Voters Matter” T-shirt as she left the store with her two children.
“I’m not saying I’m for it or against it,” Atchison said, “but I want to be able to have my input.”
The signature drive is the most ambitious in terms of numbers that has ever been launched in a Georgia city, but it has precedent from last year in Camden County, where voters overwhelmingly rejected a planned launchpad for blasting commercial rockets into space. The Georgia Supreme Court in February unanimously upheld the legality of that referendum, though it remains an open question whether citizens can veto decisions of city governments.
In a recent court filing seeking to quash the Atlanta referendum, attorneys for the city said residents can’t force officials to retroactively revoke the lease agreement, which was made in 2021. They called organizers’ efforts “futile” and “invalid.” The state agreed with the city in a separate filing, though that dispute is on hold for now.
Still, activists see the referendum as the best remaining option to block the project. They’ve gotten support from numerous groups, including the Working Families Party and the New Georgia Project Action Fund, which pledged to get 15,000 signatures over the next few weeks.
Activist Hannah Riley tries to collect a handful of them whenever she is out in public, including on a recent afternoon as she worked remotely from Muchacho, a popular taco restaurant in the ultra-liberal Reynoldstown neighborhood. At the end of her table, she taped a sign that read: “Voter? Sign Stop Cop City Petition Here.”
“This is a bit of a Hail Mary, but it’s a Hail Mary that makes a lot of sense,” Riley said. “They’ve begun to clear-cut the trees. They’re getting close to pouring concrete. … Our options are quite limited right now, so this does feel like the most practical, effective next step.”
At the same time, a small number of activists have continued taking a more violent tack, including torching eight police motorcycles over the Fourth of July weekend, actions that canvass organizers have not condemned.
Curtis Duncan, 40, said the first day he went out canvassing, a man approached and accused him of being one of the vandals.
“I said, ‘Well, sir, respectfully, I wasn’t burning cars, and the majority of people within this movement have not been engaging in any type of violent actions,’” Duncan said. He added that troopers fatally shot an activist in the forest and that authorities have brought dozens of “very flimsy” domestic terrorism charges against “Stop Cop City” protesters this year — actions he considers far worse.
Sanchez, who works for a voting rights nonprofit, said that even if the signature drive falls short, it will have made an important impact.
“I feel like we’ve exhausted all the other options, aside from full-on revolution, which I don’t think we need for this,” he said. “There’s a lot of obstacles in our way. … If we only get to 50,000, I think that still shows a real warning sign for these politicians for the 2025 election.” | https://www.qcnews.com/news/national-news/ap-atlanta-cop-city-activists-say-theyre-confident-of-getting-70k-signatures-but-big-hurdles-remain/ | 2023-07-30T10:24:33 | 0 | https://www.qcnews.com/news/national-news/ap-atlanta-cop-city-activists-say-theyre-confident-of-getting-70k-signatures-but-big-hurdles-remain/ |
It’s almost time for The Real Housewives of Atlanta reunion and fans can’t wait! Over the weekend, the reunion looks hit the internet as the ladies’ color scheme was unveiled – and they all looked stunning.
In the leaked videos and photos, reunion host Andy Cohen was shown alongside the stars of the Housewives, Kandi Burruss, Kenya Moore, Drew Sidora, Shereé Whitfield, Marlo Hampton, and Sanya Richards-Ross. The ladies looked elegant in their aqua, turquoise and blue toned dresses which sent fans into a frenzy over their outfit choices, taking to Twitter to express their thoughts on the looks.
Some fans tweeted that they were “obsessed” with Sanya’s look and her pregnancy glow writing: “Sanya ate her reunion look!!! It was the belly, the simplicity and her glowwwwww. Obsessed!”With others just as excited about her reunion look and dropping her new pregnancy news on the same day.
Others were feeling Kenya’s style, writing that she looked “so young and pretty.” And others complimented Marlo, tweeting that: “Marlo has the best reunion look, argue with ya mammy and not me.” And others expressed their excitement for the color scheme altogether.
Check out the ladies’ reunion looks below.
Season 15 of The Real Housewives of Atlanta is still very much underway, so it’ll be interesting to see what all comes out once the reunion airs, especially with second time mommy to be, Sanya having just announced her pregnancy via Instagram and a People exclusive.
In the surprise IG announcement, Sanya penned a sweet caption to accompany the post. “Some things happen in our lives to remind us that there are no guarantees. To go from not being sure if I wanted to have another baby, to deciding that I was ready and suffering a miscarriage, which was one of the toughest experiences in my life,” Sanya shared on her Instagram post. “God knew my heart, and I feel blessed to have another opportunity to be a Mommi. This gift is for all of us… but I’m most excited to make deucey a big brother. He prays for his sister/brother every night. My heart and belly are so full. Thanks for all the love today. Ross party of 4 loading….. I’m taking you all on the journey, so hang on for the ride!”
So sweet. We can’t wait to see it all go down on the reunion!
DON’T MISS…
5 Things To Know About ‘RHOA’ Newbie Sanya Richards-Ross
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The Season 15 ‘RHOA’ Reunion Looks Have Arrived was originally published on hellobeautiful.com | https://wzakcleveland.com/4590206/the-season-15-rhoa-reunion-looks-have-arrived/ | 2023-07-30T10:24:37 | 0 | https://wzakcleveland.com/4590206/the-season-15-rhoa-reunion-looks-have-arrived/ |
Police said at least eight dogs being transported inside an uncooled cargo van in Indiana died of heat-related injuries this week as temperatures soared amid an intense heat wave gripping much of the United States. The heat was not letting up Saturday in many areas, including in New York City, where temperatures were expected to surge into the lower 90s (around 35 C). Officials say the humid, thick air could make it feel well over the century mark for many Americans.
The sizzling air has heated up everything from the ocean to pools, making it difficult to cool off. One woman in the Southwest has been throwing blocks of ice in her pool.
Metro Phoenix hit its 30th consecutive day of record-breaking heat on Saturday. Scientists calculate this month will be the hottest globally on record and likely the warmest human civilization has seen.
Here’s what’s happening related to extreme weather and the climate right now:
— Police said the eight dogs that died were among 18 Shepherds being transported from O’Hare International Airport in Chicago to a K-9 training facility in Michigan City, Indiana. The driver told police he was unaware that the air conditioning unit was not cooling the back of the van until he heard dogs barking. He pulled over in Lake Station, Indiana, to open the back. Lake Station police said he then found several dogs dead and others suffering.
— Heat advisories continued in New York City, where high humidity has made it uncomfortable and dangerous. Some 500 cooling centers have opened across the city’s five boroughs, and the governor authorized the state’s swimming pools to stay open later. The extreme heat was forecast to ease Sunday.
— Parts of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut were under a heat advisory through Saturday night. In northern New England, temperatures were down 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit after getting into the 90s (around 35 degrees Celsius) on Friday, but the humidity lingered throughout the region.
— The weather was equally stifling and muggy in the center of the United States. An excessive heat warning was issued for much of Missouri, Kansas and western Illinois, where the sweaty mix of heat and humidity could make it feel like up to 112 degrees Fahrenheit (44.4 degrees Celsius) in some areas. St. Louis health director Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis said the risk of heat stroke was high and warned that interior car temperatures could reach lethal levels in minutes.
— Similar warnings were issued for much of the Deep South, which encompasses Georgia, Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi, with temperatures in the 90s (around 35 Celsius) and heat indexes past 100 (43.3 Celsius).
— The extreme heat has refocused attention on the lack of air conditioning in prisons. The Prison Policy Initiative, a national think tank, included Missouri and Kansas in a 2019 list of 13 “famously hot states” that lack universal air conditioning in prisons. In Missouri, only half of the prisons are fully air conditioned. And in Kansas, adding air conditioning to the newest prison sparked outrage among some lawmakers who saw it as coddling inmates.
— Phoenix broke another heat record Saturday, marking the 30th consecutive day of temperatures reaching or surpassing 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 Celsius). With the arrival of monsoon rains, temperatures are forecast to start to drop in the hottest areas in the U.S. Southwest, especially Phoenix. Temperatures are also expected to ease in Las Vegas, Albuquerque and Death Valley, California.
— With the scorching heat, even going for a swim offered little to no relief. Sea surface temperatures rose above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 Celsius) at a spot off Florida’s southern tip, while swimming pools in the Southwest gave the sensation of being in soup.
— The high temperatures are reaching across the globe, including in Bolivia, where a drought alert has been declared for Lake Titicaca after water levels of the world’s highest navigable lake receded to a critically low threshold.
___
Associated Press writers Bobby Caina Calvan in New York; Heather Hollingsworth in Mission, Kansas; Ken Ritter in Las Vegas; Chevel Johnson in New Orleans; John O’Connor in Springfield, Illinois; and Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire, contributed to this report.
___
Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
) | https://www.qcnews.com/news/national-news/ap-climate-glimpse-heres-what-you-need-to-see-and-know-today-8/ | 2023-07-30T10:24:41 | 1 | https://www.qcnews.com/news/national-news/ap-climate-glimpse-heres-what-you-need-to-see-and-know-today-8/ |
Mom of LSU student left for dead recounts horrifying moment she discovered her daughter's fate: 'Utter shock'
Nancy Grace's 'Left for Dead: The Case of Madison Brooks' is streaming now on Fox Nation
Nancy Grace sat down with the mother of late LSU sophomore Madison Brooks in a Fox Nation special on the LSU student, during which she retraced the horrifying moments she experienced after finding out her daughter was hospitalized and in critical condition after being left for dead on the side of a busy Louisiana highway.
"It was just utter shock," Brooks' mom Ashley Baustert told Grace. The hospital that cared for her daughter, who was in critical condition, called her twice on the night the horrific tragedy unfolded, but she was asleep and didn't hear the phone until early the next morning.
Terrified, she threw on gym clothes and raced to the hospital where she discovered a devastating truth.
"They told me she was brain-dead," she said.
MADISON BROOKS DEATH: LSU STUDENTS HAILED AS GOOD SAMARITANS AFTER ALLEGED BATON ROUGE RAPE
"They said it just like that?" Grace asked.
"Yes, they told me that she was unresponsive. I asked, ‘What are her chances? Maybe a miracle could happen. We’re going to pray for a miracle.' I just started screaming. I fell to the ground…"
Baustert said she noticed four nurses surrounding her daughter when she entered the room. "She was so swollen… it really didn't even look like her [but] I could tell it was her. I could not believe that my 19-year-old was in this position. How did this happen?"
She told Grace she knew that she was going to get answers, and vowed to her daughter she would uncover the truth.
"I told her, and I promised her that I would fight to find out the truth on [sic] what really happened because she would have never put herself in that situation."
Baustert made the difficult decision to let her daughter go. After waiting for Madison's father to travel up from Florida, their daughter's organs were donated to people in need.
LSU DEATH: MADISON BROOKS' LAST TEXT TO MOM, WHO ‘KNEW SOMETHING TERRIBLE HAPPENED’
The details of the night Brooks stumbled onto a busy four-lane highway in Baton Rouge and was fatally struck by a car after she was allegedly raped and released from her attackers' vehicle on the side of the road are slowly coming together.
Her blood alcohol level was reportedly .319% at the time – four times the legal level to drive.
In The Pelican State, going to bars at age 18 is legal, though consuming alcohol underage is not. Her credit card records show she spent less than $20 on drinks at a local hotspot called Reggie's, but the amount she consumed was enough to leave her so intoxicated she was seen falling from her barstool, Grace said.
Kerry Miller, attorney for Brooks' mom Ashley Baustert, said the bartenders gave her most of the drinks she consumed.
"She goes to a bar, gets in, knows a number of the bartenders at the bar and is served large quantities of alcohol," Kerry Miller, attorney for Baustert said, adding later, "We know she had way too much to drink. Things had gotten out of control…"
LSU DEATH: MADISON BROOKS' FAMILY ON LEAKED VIDEO CLIPS NIGHT OF ALLEGED RAPE: ‘REALLY LOW BLOW’
Surveillance footage captured the night of her death showed her running across the street toward four men she had met earlier that night.
Two of them allegedly raped Brooks - though Ronald Haley, defense attorney for Everett Lee and Kaivon Washington, says both encounters were consensual.
Grace, previewing the Fox Nation special Tuesday on "Fox & Friends," called out similarities between the case and the Natalee Holloway disappearance still shrouded in mystery.
"They over-served her at the bar. Reminds me a little bit of [the] Natalee Holloway situation. She gets into a car with people she doesn't really know that well. She ends up being horribly sex[ually] assaulted," she told anchor Steve Doocy, before calling for the young men to be charged.
"They [her attackers] push her out on the highway, and she gets run over and killed. I want felony murder charges on all of those young men, and that has not happened yet."
Over 100 days after her daughter's death, it all still feels fresh for Baustert.
"How can I live without her? How am I going to go on, as a mother, without her? That was the main question because she wasn't just my daughter, she was my best friend…" she said. "She was the first person I would call in the morning and the last person I would call at night."
For more Culture, Media, Education, Opinion, and channel coverage, visit foxnews.com/media. | https://www.foxnews.com/media/mom-lsu-student-dead-recounts-horrifying-moment-discovered-daughter-fate | 2023-07-30T10:24:44 | 1 | https://www.foxnews.com/media/mom-lsu-student-dead-recounts-horrifying-moment-discovered-daughter-fate |
Compared with the devil, angels carry more credence in America.
Angels even get more credence than, well, hell. More than astrology, reincarnation, and the belief that physical things can have spiritual energies.
In fact, about 7 in 10 U.S. adults say they believe in angels, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
“People are yearning for something greater than themselves — beyond their own understanding,” said Jack Grogger, a chaplain for the Los Angeles Angels and a longtime Southern California fire captain who has aided many people in their gravest moments.
That search for something bigger, he said, can take on many forms, from following a religion to crafting a self-driven purpose to believing in, of course, angels.
“For a lot of people, angels are a lot safer to worship,” said Grogger, who also pastors a nondenominational church in Orange, California, and is a chaplain for the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks.
People turn to angels for comfort, he said. They are familiar, regularly showing up in pop culture as well as in the Bible. Comparably, worshipping Jesus is far more involved; when Grogger preaches about angels it is with the context that they are part of God’s kingdom.
American’s belief in angels (69%) is about on par with belief in heaven and the power of prayer, but bested by belief in God or a higher power (79%). Fewer U.S. adults believe in the devil or Satan (56%), astrology (34%), reincarnation (34%), and that physical things can have spiritual energies, such as plants, rivers or crystals (42%).
The widespread acceptance of angels shown in the AP-NORC poll makes sense to Susan Garrett, an angel expert and New Testament professor at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Kentucky. It tracks with historical surveys, she said, adding that the U.S. remains a faith-filled country even as more Americans reject organized religion.
But if the devil is in the details, so are people’s understandings of angels.
“They’re very malleable,” Garrett said of angels. “You can have any one of a number of quite different worldviews in terms of your understanding of how the cosmos is arranged, whether there’s spirit beings, whether there’s life after death, whether there’s a God … and still find a place for angels in that worldview.”
Talk of angels, Garrett said, is often also about something else, like the ways God interacts with the world and other hard-to-articulate ideas.
The large number of U.S. adults who say they believe in angels includes 84% of those with a religious affiliation — 94% of evangelical Protestants, 81% of mainline Protestants and 82% of Catholics — and 33% of those without one. And of those angel-believing religiously unaffiliated, that includes 2% of atheists, 25% of agnostics and 50% of those identified as “nothing in particular.”
The broad acceptance is what fascinates San Francisco-based witch and author Devin Hunter: Angels show up independently in different religions and traditions, making them part of the fabric that unites humanity.
“We’re all getting to the same conclusion,” said Hunter, who spent 16 years as a professional medium, and started communicating as a child with what he believed were angels.
Hunter estimates that a belief in angels applies to about half of those practicing modern witchcraft today, and for some who don’t believe, their rejection is often rooted in the religious trauma they experienced growing up.
“Angels become a very big deal” for long-time practitioners who’ve made occultism their primary focus, said Hunter, an angel-loving occultist. “We cannot escape them in any way, shape or form.”
Jennifer Goodwin of Oviedo, Florida, also is among the roughly seven in 10 U.S. adults who say they believe in angels. She isn’t sure if God exists and rejects the afterlife dichotomy of heaven and hell, but the recent deaths of her parents solidified her views on these celestial beings.
Goodwin believes her parents are still keeping an eye on the family — not in any physical way or as a supernatural apparition, but that they manifest in those moments when she feels a general sense of comfort.
“I think that they are around us, but it’s in a way that we can’t understand,” Goodwin said. “I don’t know what else to call it except an angel.”
Angels mean different things to different people, and the idea of loved ones becoming heavenly angels after death is neither an unusual belief nor a universally held one.
In his reading of Scripture as an evangelical Protestant, Grogger said he believes angels are something else entirely — they have never been human and are on another level in heaven’s hierarchy. “We are higher than angels,” he said. “We do not become an angel.”
Angels do interact with humans though, said Grogger, but what “that looks like we’re not 100% sure.” They worship God who created this angelic legion of unknown numbers, he said, adding that evangelicals often attribute the demonic forces in the world to the angels who fell from heaven when the devil rebelled.
The Western ideas about angels can be traced through the Bible — and to the worldviews of its monotheistic authors, Garrett said. Those beliefs have changed and developed for millennia, influenced by cultures, theologians and even the ancient polytheistic beliefs that came before the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, she said.
“There are sort of lines of continuity from the Bible that you can trace all the way up to the New Age movement,” said Susan Garrett, who wrote “No Ordinary Angel: Celestial Spirits and Christian Claims about Jesus.”
The angels in the Bible do God’s bidding, and angelic violence is one part of their job description, said Esther Hamori, author of the upcoming book, “God’s Monsters: Vengeful Spirits, Deadly Angels, Hybrid Creatures, and Divine Hitmen of the Bible.”
“The angels of the Bible are just as likely to assassinate individuals and slaughter entire populations as they are to offer help and protect and deliver,” said Hamori. She doesn’t believe in these angels, but studies them as a Hebrew Bible professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York where she teaches a popular “Monster Heaven” class.
“They’re just God’s obedient soldiers doing the task at hand, and sometimes that task is in human beings’ best interests, and sometimes it’s not,” she said.
The perception that angels act angelic and look like the idyllic, winged figurines atop Christmas trees could be attributed to an early centuries belief that people are assigned one good angel and one bad — or have a good and bad spirit to guide them, Garrett said.
This idea shows up on the shoulders of cartoon characters and is likely what Abraham Lincoln was alluding to in his famous appeal for unity when he referenced “the better angels of our nature” in his first inaugural address, she said.
“It’s also tied in with ideas about guardian angels, which again, very ancient views that got developed over the centuries,” Garrett said.
For Sheila Avery of Chicago, angels are protectors, capable of keeping someone from harm. Avery, who belongs to a nondenominational church, credits them with those moments like when a person’s plans fall through, but ultimately it saves them from being in the thick of an unexpected disaster.
“They turn on the news and a terrible tragedy happened at that particular place,” Avery said, suggesting it was an “angel that was probably watching over them.”
___
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. | https://www.qcnews.com/news/national-news/ap-do-you-believe-in-angels-about-7-in-10-u-s-adults-do-a-new-ap-norc-poll-shows/ | 2023-07-30T10:24:47 | 0 | https://www.qcnews.com/news/national-news/ap-do-you-believe-in-angels-about-7-in-10-u-s-adults-do-a-new-ap-norc-poll-shows/ |
It’s summer! Protect your tech from the heat
Smartphones are at ideal performance between 35 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit, and many states are seeing triple-digit temperatures
Tech is expensive, and there are endless ways to ruin yours. Scan this list of five ways you might be destroying your phone, laptop, tablet and TV.
While we’re talking money, I put together a list of tech freebies you can grab right now.
Now, some bad news: Your smartphone hates the heat. Smartphones work best between 35 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Colder or hotter, you risk hardware damage and shorter battery life.
I’M A TECH EXPERT AND THESE ARE 3 THINGS I’M ASKED ALL THE TIME
So, what can you do when there’s record-breaking heat?
Join over 500,000 people who get free daily tech news to their in-box.
Steps to protect your phone
You can keep your phone happy, no matter the weather, with a few simple steps.
Stick to the shade. Be careful not to set your phone in the sun. Aim for the shade if you’re outside — or even in the car. Don’t set it on the sunny passenger’s seat. That’s a one-way drive to overheating.
Take off your phone case. They trap heat, which can be more or less problematic depending on the material it's made from. Just be extra careful not to drop it and crack your screen. I keep one of these screen protectors on for this very reason.
Stuck outside or in a warm room? You want to make your phone as lightweight as you can, process-wise. Turn off Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and demanding apps. Games with lots of graphics, video streaming and other resource-intensive tasks can strain your phone’s hardware and cause it to overheat.
No more blurry selfies: How to take better phone pics
WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR PERSONAL INFO AFTER A DATA BREACH
Your computer is at risk, too
This can happen any time of year, but the hotter it is, the more likely your laptop or even desktop can overheat. And, like your phone, hot temperatures can do some real damage to the internal components. Try these steps.
Bust the dust: You’ll need a small screwdriver set, a can of compressed air (or an electric duster that never runs out) and some cotton swabs.
- Shut down your computer, unplug it and open the case.
- Gently use the compressed air or duster to clean out the fan, vents and ducts.
- Wipe any buildup away gently using cotton swabs. Just be sure you don’t leave behind little strings of cotton.
- Put the case back on and plug everything back in.
Improve your laptop’s airflow. Your computer can overheat if it can’t circulate enough air to stay cool. Make sure it’s sitting on a hard surface like a desk. If you lay your laptop on a bed or blanket, the uneven surface blocks the vents and can cause overheating. Put it on a book, a tray or a cooling pad to keep air flowing.
Close everything you can. Yep, too many processes can create too much heat in your PC or laptop, too. Dozens of tabs could be heating things up more than you think. Restart your computer while you’re at it to close down processes running in the background.
Real talk: A power outage during a heat wave could be deadly. I wrote about the steps to take now to keep yourself safe.
Keep your tech-know going
My popular podcast is called "Kim Komando Today." It’s a solid 30 minutes of tech news, tips and callers with tech questions like you from all over the country. Search for it wherever you get your podcasts. For your convenience, hit the link below for a recent episode.
PODCAST PICK: Nintendo Switch finds girl, $200K iPhone & unusual Airbnb leftovers
Plus, I share trusted advice with a woman needing help to patent a product. Get a tech support call? Beware, many new scams are surfacing. How to book camping sites online and expedite your travel with this recommended mobile app.
Check out my podcast "Kim Komando Today" on Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player.
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Copyright 2023, WestStar Multimedia Entertainment. All rights reserved. | https://www.foxnews.com/tech/summer-protect-tech-heat | 2023-07-30T10:24:51 | 1 | https://www.foxnews.com/tech/summer-protect-tech-heat |
Colorado cop found guilty of reckless endangerment for placing handcuffed suspect in patrol car hit by train
Jordan Steinke was found guilty of reckless endangerment and assault but acquitted of a third charge of criminal attempt to commit manslaughter
A Colorado police officer who placed a woman in handcuffs in a patrol car parked on train tracks before the vehicle was hit by a freight train was found guilty of reckless endangerment and assault but acquitted of a third charge of criminal attempt to commit manslaughter.
Jordan Steinke, who had worked with the Fort Lupton Police Department, was the first of two officers to face trial over the Sept. 16, 2022, crash that seriously injured 21-year-old Yareni Rios-Gonzalez. There was no jury in Steinke's trial, which started Monday, as the judge listened to the evidence and issued the verdict on Friday.
"There's no reasonable doubt that placing a handcuffed person in the back of a patrol car, parked on railroad tracks, creates a substantial and unjustifiable risk of harm by the train," Judge Timothy Kerns said.
But Kerns did not believe that Steinke "knowingly intended to harm Ms. Rios-Gonzalez," adding that Stienke had displayed "shock and remorse."
Steinke testified that she was not aware that the patrol car of another officer she was helping was parked on the tracks when she put Rios-Gonzalez in that officer’s vehicle despite body camera footage showing the tracks along with two railroad crossing signs. Steinke said her attention was on the threat that could come from Rios-Gonzalez and her pickup truck instead of the ground.
In her testimony, Steinke said she moved Rios-Gonzalez to the other officer’s vehicle because it was the closest place to temporarily hold her. She said she did not realize the train was coming until just before it hit the vehicle.
The judge found that Steinke observed the tracks, but failed to "appreciate the risk."
Steinke was charged with criminal attempt to commit manslaughter, a felony; and reckless endangerment and third-degree assault, which are both misdemeanors. The other officer, Pablo Vazquez, who worked for the police department in nearby Platteville, has not yet entered a plea. He is charged with misdemeanor counts of reckless endangerment and traffic offenses.
COLORADO SHEEPHERDER SEVERELY INJURED AFTER BLACK BEAR ATTACKS HIM IN WILDERNESS
Vazquez pulled over Rios-Gonzalez on a rural road that intersects U.S. Highway 85 for allegedly pointing a gun at another driver in a road rage incident. Prosecutors said trains pass on tracks that parallel the highway about a dozen times a day and that the sound of their horns is common.
Rios-Gonzalez suffered a traumatic brain injury in the crash and is suing the officers and their police departments over the incident. A third officer who is not facing prosecution is also named in the lawsuit for not stopping Rios-Gonzalez from being put in the vehicle and for not attempting to help her when he heard the train approaching.
Steinke said she placed Rios-Gonzalez in the other officer's police car temporarily because it was the nearest place to keep her secure, which, according to defense expert witness Steve Ijames, is standard practice for high-risk traffic stops. Ijames also said officers can become hyperfocused on particular threats in dangerous situations and overlook things that turn out to be important in hindsight.
During her testimony, Steinke said she was surprised when she arrived at the scene to find Vazquez sitting in his vehicle instead of pointing a gun at Rios-Gonzalez's truck. She said she quickly parked her patrol vehicle behind his and exited the vehicle because it was the quickest way "to get a gun in the fight."
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Steinke also said she did not notice the tracks on the ground when she squatted down to arrest a kneeling Rios-Gonzalez along the tracks after the suspect was ordered to exit her truck.
Deputy District Attorney Christopher Jewkes pressed Steinke on this, and she replied, "I am sure I saw the tracks sir, but I did not perceive them." She said she was focused on the suspect and the potential threat she posed and was "fairly certain" that the traffic stop would end in gunfire.
"I never in a million years thought a train was going to come plowing through my scene," Steinke said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | https://www.foxnews.com/us/colorado-cop-found-guilty-reckless-endangerment-placing-handcuffed-suspect-patrol-car-hit-train | 2023-07-30T10:24:52 | 1 | https://www.foxnews.com/us/colorado-cop-found-guilty-reckless-endangerment-placing-handcuffed-suspect-patrol-car-hit-train |
Colorado sheriff's office releases bodycam footage of man being struck by SUV after being tased by deputy
Brent Thompson, 28, was pulled over for expired registration and suspected of giving a fake name
(WARNING: The above released footage is graphic and may be disturbing to some viewers).
Recently released body camera footage shows a Colorado deputy fire a Taser at a man running onto an interstate just seconds before he is hit and killed by a vehicle.
Larimer County Sheriff’s deputy Lorenzo Lujan is heard saying "S--t, s--t" about five seconds before the driver of an SUV honks and hits 28-year-old Brent Thompson on I-25, according to body camera footage released on Wednesday.
Sheriff John Feyen said in a statement that his department grieved Thompson’s death but defended the deputy’s "decisive action" on the night of February 18 to deploy his Taser at Thompson as he ran onto the interstate into oncoming traffic. Thompson was suspected of giving a fake name to deputies after he was pulled over at about 9:15 p.m. for expired registration.
"Every incident provides an opportunity to reflect and grow as an agency, and this incident is no exception," Feyen wrote. "The deputy was forced to make a choice with no easy answer: act and try to stop the suspect… or stand by passively and simply hope no innocent people got hurt. We will continue to discuss this challenging case in training and internal conversations about dynamic decision-making, safety priorities, and the consequences of action or inaction."
MAN FATALLY STRUCK BY CAR ON COLORADO INTERSTATE AFTER RUNNING FROM DEPUTIES
Feyen said in a video message that an internal review of Lujan's conduct found that he acted in accordance with the department’s policies. The county's district attorney said last week that Lujan used poor judgment, but cleared him of criminal charges.
"Unfortunately, Mr. Thompson’s choices created a potentially no-win situation," the sheriff said. "Simply letting him run away could have resulted in deadly consequences for travelers on the highway and the deputy was forced to make a choice: act and try to stop the suspect or stand by passively and just hope no innocent people got hurt."
Thompson’s family is demanding Lujan be fired and is urging the Colorado attorney general to review District Attorney Gordon McLaughlin's decision not to press charges.
"He didn't deserve to be murdered like that," Thompson's mother told The Colorado Sun.
Attorneys with Rathod Mohamedbhai LLC, who are representing the family, said in a statement that the "tasering of an individual in the middle of an interstate highway at night is criminal and reprehensible conduct and has no place in law enforcement. The Thompson family is left with no choice but to seek justice from a civil jury."
Body camera footage shows Thompson pivot as Lujan informs him he is under arrest. Thompson then runs across southbound lanes and across a grassy median before jumping over a guardrail and onto northbound lanes. Lujan fires his Taser as Thompson crosses the right lane, just seconds before Thompson collapses in the road.
Investigators who reconstructed the crash found that Thompson was hit with the Taser probes 5.6 seconds before he was struck by the vehicle. The driver of the Ford Explorer was driving 65 to 70 miles per hour and was likely 533 to 615 feet away when Thompson was hit by the Taser.
Citing the distance and obstructions, it was unlikely Lujan would have been able to see the vehicle before deploying his Taser, investigators wrote in a critical incident review led by the Fort Collins Police Department.
After Thompson was struck by the vehicle, Lujan pulled Thompson to the road shoulder to provide aid before paramedics arrived, according to the sheriff’s office. However, the body camera footage released by the sheriff's department ends before Thompson was hit.
Unedited body camera footage released by Thompson family attorneys shows Thompson's body rolling after being struck by the SUV as Lujan stands on the side of the road. The deputy then puts Thompson in handcuffs, pulls his body to the side of the road and performs CPR.
Thompson was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
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Lujan told investigators he believed Thompson was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, according to The Colorado Sun. Deputies later found drug paraphernalia and narcotics in his car, and an autopsy showed Thompson had fentanyl in his system.
"I also want to draw attention to the silent but destructive player in this and so many other cases: Fentanyl. This drug is devastating lives and families every day, and our community must continue the conversation to stop the devastating effects of illicit drugs in Larimer County," Feyen wrote in his statement.
Thompson’s family criticized the sheriff's office for including his criminal history and drug use in its investigation.
"Blaming Brent for his death is callous and dishonest," Thompson family attorneys said in their statement. "At the time that Brent ran from law enforcement, he was only suspected of committing the crimes of driving with expired registration and giving a false name to law enforcement." | https://www.foxnews.com/us/colorado-sheriffs-office-releases-bodycam-footage-man-being-struck-suv-tased-deputy | 2023-07-30T10:24:53 | 0 | https://www.foxnews.com/us/colorado-sheriffs-office-releases-bodycam-footage-man-being-struck-suv-tased-deputy |
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas is temporarily blocked from enforcing a law that would have allowed criminal charges against librarians and booksellers for providing “harmful” materials to minors, a federal judge ruled Saturday.
U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks issued a preliminary injunction against the law, which also would have created a new process to challenge library materials and request that they be relocated to areas not accessible by kids. The measure, signed by Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders earlier this year, was set to take effect Aug. 1.
A coalition that included the Central Arkansas Library System in Little Rock had challenged the law, saying fear of prosecution under the measure could prompt libraries and booksellers to no longer carry titles that could be challenged.
The judge also rejected a motion by the defendants, which include prosecuting attorneys for the state, seeking to dismiss the case.
The ACLU of Arkansas, which represents some of the plaintiffs, applauded the court’s ruling, saying that the absence of a preliminary injunction would have jeopardized First Amendment rights.
“The question we had to ask was — do Arkansans still legally have access to reading materials? Luckily, the judicial system has once again defended our highly valued liberties,” Holly Dickson, the executive director of the ACLU in Arkansas, said in a statement.
The lawsuit comes as lawmakers in an increasing number of conservative states are pushing for measures making it easier to ban or restrict access to books. The number of attempts to ban or restrict books across the U.S. last year was the highest in the 20 years the American Library Association has been tracking such efforts.
Laws restricting access to certain materials or making it easier to challenge them have been enacted in several other states, including Iowa, Indiana and Texas.
Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin said in an email Saturday that his office would be “reviewing the judge’s opinion and will continue to vigorously defend the law.”
The executive director of Central Arkansas Library System, Nate Coulter, said the judge’s 49-page decision recognized the law as censorship, a violation of the Constitution and wrongly maligning librarians.
“As folks in southwest Arkansas say, this order is stout as horseradish!” he said in an email.
“I’m relieved that for now the dark cloud that was hanging over CALS’ librarians has lifted,” he added.
Cheryl Davis, general counsel for the Authors Guild, said the organization is “thrilled” about the decision. She said enforcing this law “is likely to limit the free speech rights of older minors, who are capable of reading and processing more complex reading materials than young children can.”
The Arkansas lawsuit names the state’s 28 local prosecutors as defendants, along with Crawford County in west Arkansas. A separate lawsuit is challenging the Crawford County library’s decision to move children’s books that included LGBTQ+ themes to a separate portion of the library.
The plaintiffs challenging Arkansas’ restrictions also include the Fayetteville and Eureka Springs Carnegie public libraries, the American Booksellers Association and the Association of American Publishers. | https://www.qcnews.com/news/national-news/ap-judge-blocks-arkansas-law-allowing-librarians-to-be-criminally-charged-over-harmful-materials/ | 2023-07-30T10:24:53 | 0 | https://www.qcnews.com/news/national-news/ap-judge-blocks-arkansas-law-allowing-librarians-to-be-criminally-charged-over-harmful-materials/ |
New challenger gives Mexican opposition hope of beating AMLO's party
Xóchitl Gálvez wants to find ways to retain illegal immigrants going to the US and give them opportunities in Mexico
MEXICO CITY — In Mexico, the political environment has been discouraging for an opposition that has been unable to position an alternative to President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), who has dominated public opinion since his first victory in 2018.
Yet things could be changing with the arrival of a disruptive leader who is rapidly changing the rules of the game by generating a wave of enthusiasm throughout Mexico, giving the opposition hope of winning the presidency in 2024. Her name is Xóchitl Gálvez.
After being criticized by the president at his morning press conference, Senator Gálvez requested the right of reply, and the president denied her. After obtaining a judicial order that would supposedly force the president to receive her, he refused to open the doors of the National Palace.
From that moment, Gálvez became a symbol of resistance, a leader of an opposition willing to fight the democratic battle to win the presidency in 2024 and remove AMLO and his party Morena from the presidency.
MEXICO'S AMLO-BACKED RULING PARTY WINS GOVERNORSHIP IN LONGTIME CONSERVATIVE STRONGHOLD
"Xóchitl Gálvez is intelligently handling the insults that come from the presidency. She smiles and responds with class, even humor. This has allowed her to expose the autocratic and disrespectful attitude that López Obrador has historically shown," explained Alejandro Motta, a political analyst.
The life and story of Gálvez, an indigenous woman who was born and raised in a poor community and who was able to overcome a series of obstacles to become a successful engineer and businesswoman, is an example of self-improvement and social mobility that connects and excites millions of Mexicans from different backgrounds and regions.
Gálvez was the head of the office of indigenous people in the Vincente Fox administration, a position from which she helped many indigenous communities throughout the country. She was the delegation head of Miguel Hidalgo in Mexico City, ran for governor of the state of Hidalgo and is currently a senator. Her professional success as a businesswoman and as a public servant has fueled her to become the leader that today is seen as the best alternative to beat Morena in 2024.
In one of her first interviews with foreign media, Gálvez explained to Fox News Digital the opportunities she considers most relevant in the relationship between Mexico and the United States. In a disruptive way, she suggests a solution that the U.S. government might like because it would somehow help stop illegal immigration.
"There are two issues — immigration and nearshoring," Gálvez said. "Both countries can turn immigration into an opportunity rather than a problem. Mexico is having labor problems in some regions. Obviously, immigrants who cross Mexico could have an interest in staying and Mexico could, in some specific regions, take advantage of that human capital offering them education and making sure they would not be mistreated or locked up.
"Mexican immigrants could also be seen in the United States as a great opportunity. I think we must approach the issue of immigration from a different perspective because all these people who emigrate are looking to work. They are not looking to go to crime, (in general).
"With the relocation of companies, nearshoring is a great opportunity for Mexico as it can generate much more labor. Nearshoring should not stay only in the north of the country; it could take place in the southeast of Mexico, where we must create more infrastructure and invest in human capital so that it is not just factories. Many companies that are coming from Asian countries are technology companies. Therefore, we must invest in a program for Mexican youth and women to study engineering and technical careers. Those, for me, are the two most important opportunities that Mexico has in the relationship with the United States."
MEXICAN MILITARY'S ROLE IN DISAPPEARANCE OF 43 STUDENTS QUESTIONED FOLLOWING NEW REPORT'S RELEASE
In an unprecedented alliance, the three opposition political parties — PAN, PRI and PRD — have joined with civil society to create the Frente Amplio por México, with the different leaders competing to become the opposition candidate. Gálvez is one of them and, according to polls, is the best positioned to be its candidate.
"Xóchitl Gálvez has become a real threat to López Obrador for several reasons: because she is a woman, because she has the potential to connect with popular sectors and because she undermines the credibility of the government's discourse that says that the entire opposition is conservative and belongs to the economic elite," Motta told Fox News Digital.
"López Obrador has become the best promoter of Xóchitl Gálvez. His constant attacks on the opposition have caused undecided segments and disenchanted opponents to consider that she may be different from the others."
To encourage U.S. business leaders to see new investment and business opportunities in Mexico, Gálvez explains that there are six priorities that must be urgently addressed: "strengthening the rule of law and fostering a culture of legality, committing to clean energy, resolving the water problem, investing in human capital, building infrastructure and restoring peace."
Referring to the Mexicans who immigrate to the U.S., Gálvez explained, "Many of my countrymen from my hometown are in the U.S. Many cousins have had to go looking for better opportunities. I did not migrate to the United States, but I did migrate to Mexico City.
"And I can put myself in their shoes with respect to what it is like to come to a city that discriminates against you or to a country that does not see you as an equal. All those who leave are entrepreneurs. This government (of Mexico) seems to hate those who aspire to a better life."
MEXICAN PRESIDENT OFFERS $385M FOR AMERICAN COMPANY'S CARIBBEAN PROPERTY IN ONGOING DISPUTE
As a personal aspiration, even a personal dream, Gálvez confesses that conditions should be created in Mexico for immigrants to return to their country.
"I would love to find investment mechanisms so that immigrants who want to return to Mexico can invest in businesses that allow them to return with a job or a well-formed business," she said.
"Many want to return but do not find employment opportunities. So, we would have to create a mechanism for investment funds for them as immigrants so that they could become business partners. For example, in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, there is a lot of clean energy, and perhaps the indigenous people could have a wind generation project.
"Governments have lacked creativity. They must create the conditions for them to invest in Mexico and guarantee those investments that in the long run will allow them to have an income. That would be my dream, so they don't have to work all their lives. I ask my cousins, why don't you come back to live in Mexico? And they reply, ‘There is no job that pays me what I earn there (in the United States).’"
"The candidacy of Xóchitl for the Frente Amplio por México is not yet a certainty, but it has already changed the mood of the opposition by creating an expectation of electoral success that did not exist until now," political communication consultant and partner at Zimat Consultores Andrea Castro told Fox News Digital.
"With Xóchitl, two factors are introduced into the electoral process: 1. The possibility of competition. Opinion polls show for the first time that citizens perceive the possibility of a contested election. 2. Uncertainty in the electoral process's outcome, unlike the secure victory for Morena that was envisioned just a few months ago," he said.
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"If Xóchitl becomes the candidate, we will head towards a more vibrant process that encourages citizen participation and gives continuity to the recent public demonstrations in favor of the National Electoral Institute (INE) and the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJN), which, although electorally irrelevant in numbers, did demonstrate the desire of a segment of the population to play an active role in defining Mexico's political future," Castro stated.
He concluded that, "Although Xóchitl is not yet competitive electorally, she is already a factor that could prevent Morena from having an absolute majority in Congress. Electoral competition, citizen participation and a plural Congress could be the result of Xóchitl's appearance as an electoral figure, and all are good news for Mexican and North American democracy."
Fox News' Peter Petroff contributed to this report. | https://www.foxnews.com/world/new-challenger-gives-mexican-opposition-hope-beating-amlos-party | 2023-07-30T10:24:55 | 0 | https://www.foxnews.com/world/new-challenger-gives-mexican-opposition-hope-beating-amlos-party |
NEW YORK (AP) — Trader Joe’s is recalling a broccoli cheddar soup that may contain insects and cooked falafel that may contain rocks, about one week after the grocery chain recalled two cookie products over similar concerns.
The soup recall impacts Trader Joe’s Unexpected Broccoli Cheddar Soup with “Use By” dates ranging from July 18 to Sept. 15, according to a Thursday announcement from the company. On Friday, the grocer announced that Trader Joe’s Fully Cooked Falafel sold in 35 states and Washington, D.C., was also under recall.
On July 21, Trader Joe’s announced that it was recalling Trader Joe’s Almond Windmill Cookies and Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Chunk and Almond Cookies with “sell by” dates ranging from Oct. 17 to Oct. 21. Like the falafel, the cookies may also contain rocks, the company said.
When asked for further information about how the insects and rocks may have gotten into these products, a Trader Joe’s spokesperson said that “there was an issue in the manufacturing processes in the facilities.” Suppliers alerted Trader Joe’s of the possible foreign material for each recall, the company said.
“We pulled the product from our shelves as soon as we were made aware of the issue. Once we understood the issue we notified our customers,” the spokesperson said in a statement sent to The Associated Press Saturday.
All of the recalled cookies, soup and falafel have been removed from sale or destroyed, Trader Joe’s said in its announcements. But the Monrovia, California-based company is still urging consumers to check their kitchens for the products.
Trader Joe’s says customers who have the recalled products should throw them away or return them to any store for a full refund. Lot codes and further details about the products under recall, as well as customer service contact information, can be found on the company’s website.
Trader Joe’s did not specify how many products were impacted with each recall or identify suppliers. But one Food and Drug Administration notice cited by NBC News says that the Unexpected Broccoli Cheddar Soup recall impacts around 10,889 cases sold in seven states. Winter Gardens Quality Foods, Inc. is identified as the recalling firm, per the notice.
No formal releases about the three recalls were published on the FDA’s Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts page as of Saturday. The Associated Press reached out to the FDA and Winter Gardens Quality Foods for information on Saturday.
“We have a close relationship with our vendors and they alerted us of these issues. We don’t hesitate or wait for regulatory agencies to tell us what to do,” the Trader Joe’s spokesperson said. “We will never leave to chance the safety of the products we offer.” | https://www.qcnews.com/news/national-news/ap-more-trader-joes-recalls-this-soup-may-contain-bugs-and-falafel-may-have-rocks-grocer-says/ | 2023-07-30T10:24:59 | 1 | https://www.qcnews.com/news/national-news/ap-more-trader-joes-recalls-this-soup-may-contain-bugs-and-falafel-may-have-rocks-grocer-says/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — Former Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon of Missouri is joining No Labels ‘ increasingly contentious effort to lay the groundwork for a moderate third-party presidential ticket in the 2024 election. He gives the embattled organization another prominent ally amid escalating concerns from Democratic officials that the No Labels campaign could unintentionally help Republican Donald Trump return to the White House.
Nixon, a 67-year-old lawyer, is stepping back into national politics for the first time since leaving office in 2017 and will serve as No Labels’ director of ballot integrity. He said in an interview that he was drawn to the role after learning that well-funded groups aligned with Democrats were working to stop No Labels from securing ballot access in key states.
He said that those seeking to block the group’s right to appear on the presidential ballot are attacking a pillar of American democracy.
“What do I say to those Democrats? I say, ‘You’re entitled to your opinion. But we are also entitled to use our constitutional and statutory rights to allow Americans to have another choice,’” Nixon told The Associated Press.
President Joe Biden and Trump have dominated the 2024 campaign conversation so far. But No Labels, a Washington-based group that promotes compromise, national unity and centrist policy solutions, has been preparing for the strongest third-party presidential bid at least since Texas businessman Ross Perot earned nearly 19% of the popular vote in 1992.
Working with an operating budget of roughly $70 million, No Labels is taking steps to secure presidential ballot spots in roughly 20 states this year; the group has done so already in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Oregon and Utah.
While No Labels has yet to nominate candidates for president and vice president, its leadership insists there is a path to victory for a centrist third-party ticket “if the two parties select unreasonably divisive presidential nominees.”
The group’s critics across the Democratic Party are terrified that No Labels will siphon votes that would otherwise go to Biden, who narrowly beat Trump in 2020 with a coalition that included moderate Democrats, independents and disaffected Republicans.
No Labels’ leadership has promised a series of checks and balances that would allow the organization to withdraw its presidential ticket if it appears the group’s participation would help Trump win. No Labels has not outlined a detailed plan about that, and leaders acknowledge privately there is some urgency to come out with their specific safeguards, which would vary state by state. They intend to do so by “early fall.”
Anxious Democrats are unconvinced.
On Thursday, two prominent Democratic groups, the centrist Third Way and more progressive MoveOn, hosted private meetings on Capitol Hill with dozens of chiefs of staff and senior aides to House and Senate Democrats to emphasize the need to stop No Label’s presidential ambitions. In a nod to the seriousness of the Democratic establishment’s concerns, the meetings were held in both the House and Senate Democrats’ campaign headquarters.
“We told them what we have been saying consistently now for a long time: This is dangerous,” said Third Way co-founder Matt Bennett, who helped lead the briefing along with MoveOn’s executive director, Rahna Epting.
The organizers detailed data showing that a No Labels ticket would undercut Biden in the general election and warned that it could handicap vulnerable House and Senate candidates is tight elections. They also questioned that No Labels’ promise to withdraw its ticket if necessary to stop Trump.
No Labels’ leaders are furious.
“They are telling the elected leaders of this country right now that our ballot is a runaway train. And that is categorically false. That is propaganda. And that is why we’re bringing on a director of ballot integrity to stop it because it’s outrageous,” said No Labels’ founder Nancy Jacobson, a former Democratic fundraiser.
For now, Democrats are not willing to take Jacobson’s word for it.
“I don’t want to be doing this. I’d much rather focus on other things. I am concerned, genuinely,” Epting said. “They’re in over their head. They have not given any assurances that they’re clear and sober in their analysis. And when they talk about being able to put the horse back in the barn, they are not consistent about when or how they’re going to do that.”
“They’re just saying, ‘Trust us,’” Epting said. “We can’t. We don’t know you. And the stakes are too high.”
Meanwhile, Nixon joins a growing roster of former elected officials in both parties now affiliated with No Labels. Among the others: Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.; former Govs. Jon Huntsman Jr., R-Utah, Larry Hogan, R-Md., and Pat McCrory, R-N.C.; and former Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, a Democrat who became an independent late in his political career.
Manchin and Huntsman, ambassador to China under President Barack Obama and to Russia under Trump, hosted a town hall in New Hampshire this month, driving speculation they may ultimately become the No Labels presidential ticket.
No Labels plans to hold a presidential nominating convention next April in Dallas, and the group is showing no signs of backing off its 2024 plans. With a massive budget fueled by anonymous donations, No Labels can afford to be patient in the fights ahead.
Democrats in Arizona filed a complaint this month with the secretary of state asking to have the group suspended until it discloses it donors. In May, Maine’s top elections official sent a cease-and-desist letter regarding No Labels voter registration efforts after claiming the group was misleading voters.
The group Citizens to Save Our Republic formed a super political action committee this month specifically designed to stop No Labels. The group’s members includes Bennett from Third Way, several advisers to the anti-Trump Lincoln Project and former House Majority Leader Dick Gephardt, D-Mo.
Nixon, who declined to criticize Biden or Trump, said he understands that he is walking into a political firestorm. But he said he is passionate about No Labels’ constitutional right to secure a place on the ballot.
“I feel calm. I feel correct. I think we have a high moral ground here,” he said. | https://www.qcnews.com/news/politics/election/ap-ex-missouri-gov-jay-nixon-joins-push-for-third-party-presidential-bid-as-democrats-try-to-stop-it/ | 2023-07-30T10:25:05 | 1 | https://www.qcnews.com/news/politics/election/ap-ex-missouri-gov-jay-nixon-joins-push-for-third-party-presidential-bid-as-democrats-try-to-stop-it/ |
Russian authorities say three Ukrainian drones attacked Moscow in the early hours on Sunday, injuring one person and prompting a temporary closure for traffic of one of four airports around the Russian capital.
It was the fourth such attempt at a strike on the capital region this month and the third this week, fueling concerns about Moscow's vulnerability to attacks as Russia's war in Ukraine drags into its 18th month.
The Russian Defense Ministry referred to the incident as an "attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime" and said three drones targeted the city. One was shot down in the surrounding Moscow region by air defense systems and two others were jammed. Those two crashed into the Moscow City business district in the capital.
Photos from the site of the crash showed the facade of a skyscraper damaged on one floor. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the attack "insignificantly damaged" the outsides of two buildings in the Moscow City district. A security guard was injured, Russia's state news agency Tass reported, citing emergency officials.
No flights went into or out of the Vnukovo airport on the southern outskirts of the city for about an hour, according to Tass, and the air space over Moscow and the outlying regions was temporarily closed for any aircraft. Those restrictions have since been lifted.
Moscow authorities have also closed a street for traffic near the site of the crash in the Moscow City area.
There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian officials, who rarely if ever take responsibility for attacks on Russian soil.
Russia's Defense Ministry reported shooting down a Ukrainian drone outside Moscow on Friday. Two more drones struck the Russian capital on Monday, one of them falling in the center of the city near the Defense Ministry's headquarters along the Moscow River about 3 kilometers (2 miles) from the Kremlin. The other drone hit an office building in southern Moscow, gutting several upper floors.
In another attack on July 4, the Russian military said four drones were downed by air defenses on the outskirts of Moscow and a fifth was jammed by electronic warfare means and forced down.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.ijpr.org/npr-news/2023-07-29/a-drone-attack-on-moscow-briefly-shut-the-airport-and-injured-one | 2023-07-30T10:25:12 | 1 | https://www.ijpr.org/npr-news/2023-07-29/a-drone-attack-on-moscow-briefly-shut-the-airport-and-injured-one |
Central African Republic holds vote to abolish term limits
Polls have opened in the Central African Republic on Sunday for a constitutional referendum that would allow President Faustin-Archange Touadera to seek a third term in office.
Voting was scheduled to begin at 6:00 a.m. (0500 GMT) but polling stations opened around one hour late. The polls are due to close at 4:00 p.m.
Around 1.9 million people are eligible to vote in the country of 5.5 million people. News agency Reuters reported a meager turnout in the capital, Bangui, hours after the polls opened.
Provisional results are not expected for eight days, while the constitutional court is scheduled to publish the definitive outcome on August 27, according to the national electoral authority.
Security forces from Rwanda and Russia — including the Wagner Group — have been brought in to oversee the vote.
Why is the referendum controversial?
The referendum would abolish the two-term limit for Central African presidents.
It would also extend the mandate from five years to seven years. Touadera's two years in office would be reset to zero.
Opposition parties and other critics say these changes would entrench the president's power.
On Wednesday, the Union for Central African Renewal party urged voters to boycott the referendum, calling it a "gigantic swindle."
Opinion polls suggest the "yes" camp is likely to triumph.
"We know that the 'yes' camp is going to win — but we shall put the emphasis on participation," National Assembly vice-president and presidential majority spokesperson Evariste Ngamana told the AFP news agency.
Who is Faustin-Archange Touadera?
Touadera was first elected president in 2016 and won reelection in 2020.
He made global headlines in 2022 when he made Bitcoin an official currency of the Central African Republic.
Touadera previously served as prime minister from 2008 to 2013 under then-President Francois Bozize.
More recently, Touadera has turned to Russia and its Wagner mercenary group for help to combat rebel groups that occupy large swaths of territory.
The Central African Republic is rich in gold, diamonds and timber but it remains one of the poorest countries in the world.
Analysts say Wagner has received logging rights and control of a gold mine.
The draft constitution also includes drastic changes that give the National Assembly less power over the mining sector.
Charles Bouessel, a consultant on the Central African Republic for the Crisis Group think tank, said that Wagner therefore has a strong interest in keeping Touadera in power.
zc/wd (AFP, Reuters, epd) | https://www.dw.com/en/central-african-republic-holds-vote-to-abolish-term-limits/a-66387716 | 2023-07-30T10:25:12 | 1 | https://www.dw.com/en/central-african-republic-holds-vote-to-abolish-term-limits/a-66387716 |
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The oldest historically Black collegiate fraternity in the U.S. says it is relocating a planned convention in two years from Florida because of what it described as Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration’s “harmful, racist and insensitive” policies towards African Americans.
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity said this week that it would move its 2025 convention from Orlando to another location that is yet undecided. The convention draws between 4,000 and 6,000 people and has an economic impact of $4.6 million, the fraternity said.
The decision comes after the NAACP and other civil rights organizations this spring issued a travel advisory for Florida, warning that recently passed laws and policies are openly hostile to African Americans, people of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Willis Lonzer, the fraternity’s general president, said in statement on Wednesday that the decision was motivated in part by Florida’s new education standards that require teachers to instruct middle school students that slaves developed skills that “could be applied for their personal benefit.”
“Although we are moving our convention from Florida, Alpha Phi Alpha will continue to support the strong advocacy of Alpha Brothers and other advocates fighting against the continued assault on our communities in Florida by Governor Ron DeSantis,” Lonzer said.
An email seeking comment on Saturday about the fraternity’s decision was sent to Jeremy Redfern, the governor’s press secretary and the governor’s office.
DeSantis, who is running for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, has come under fire this week over Florida’s new education standards. Among those criticizing the Florida governor on Friday was a rival for the Republican nomination, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the sole Black Republican in the Senate.
Responding to the criticism, DeSantis said Friday that he was “defending” Florida “against false accusations and against lies. And we’re going to continue to speak the truth.”
In May, the NAACP joined the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), a Latino civil rights organization, and Equality Florida, a gay rights advocacy group, in issuing travel advisories for the Sunshine State, where tourism is one of the state’s largest job sectors. The groups cited recent laws that prohibited state colleges from having programs on diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as critical race theory, and the Stop WOKE Act that restricts certain race-based conversations and analysis in schools and businesses.
They also cited laws that they say made life more difficult for immigrants in Florida and limited discussions on LGBTQ topics in schools.
At least nine other organizations or associations have pulled the plug on hosting conventions in Orlando and Fort Lauderdale, two of the state’s most population convention cities, because of Florida’s political climate, according to local media reports.
Florida is one of the most popular states in the U.S. for tourists, and tourism is one of its biggest industries. More than 137.5 million tourists visited Florida last year, marking a return to pre-pandemic levels, according to Visit Florida, the state’s tourism promotion agency. Tourism supports 1.6 million full-time and part-time jobs, and visitors spent $98.8 billion in Florida in 2019, the last year figures are available.
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Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at @MikeSchneiderAP | https://www.qcnews.com/news/politics/election/ap-historically-black-fraternity-drops-florida-for-convention-because-of-desantis-policies/ | 2023-07-30T10:25:13 | 1 | https://www.qcnews.com/news/politics/election/ap-historically-black-fraternity-drops-florida-for-convention-because-of-desantis-policies/ |
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas is temporarily blocked from enforcing a law that would have allowed criminal charges against librarians and booksellers for providing "harmful" materials to minors, a federal judge ruled Saturday.
U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks issued a preliminary injunction against the law, which also would have created a new process to challenge library materials and request that they be relocated to areas not accessible by kids. The measure, signed by Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders earlier this year, was set to take effect Aug. 1.
A coalition that included the Central Arkansas Library System in Little Rock had challenged the law, saying fear of prosecution under the measure could prompt libraries and booksellers to no longer carry titles that could be challenged.
The judge also rejected a motion by the defendants, which include prosecuting attorneys for the state, seeking to dismiss the case.
The ACLU of Arkansas, which represents some of the plaintiffs, applauded the court's ruling, saying that the absence of a preliminary injunction would have jeopardized First Amendment rights.
"The question we had to ask was — do Arkansans still legally have access to reading materials? Luckily, the judicial system has once again defended our highly valued liberties," Holly Dickson, the executive director of the ACLU in Arkansas, said in a statement.
The lawsuit comes as lawmakers in an increasing number of conservative states are pushing for measures making it easier to ban or restrict access to books. The number of attempts to ban or restrict books across the U.S. last year was the highest in the 20 years the American Library Association has been tracking such efforts.
Laws restricting access to certain materials or making it easier to challenge them have been enacted in several other states, including Iowa, Indiana and Texas.
Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin said in an email Saturday that his office would be "reviewing the judge's opinion and will continue to vigorously defend the law."
The executive director of Central Arkansas Library System, Nate Coulter, said the judge's 49-page decision recognized the law as censorship, a violation of the Constitution and wrongly maligning librarians.
"As folks in southwest Arkansas say, this order is stout as horseradish!" he said in an email.
"I'm relieved that for now the dark cloud that was hanging over CALS' librarians has lifted," he added.
Cheryl Davis, general counsel for the Authors Guild, said the organization is "thrilled" about the decision. She said enforcing this law "is likely to limit the free speech rights of older minors, who are capable of reading and processing more complex reading materials than young children can."
The Arkansas lawsuit names the state's 28 local prosecutors as defendants, along with Crawford County in west Arkansas. A separate lawsuit is challenging the Crawford County library's decision to move children's books that included LGBTQ+ themes to a separate portion of the library.
The plaintiffs challenging Arkansas' restrictions also include the Fayetteville and Eureka Springs Carnegie public libraries, the American Booksellers Association and the Association of American Publishers.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.ijpr.org/npr-news/2023-07-30/an-arkansas-judge-has-blocked-a-law-targetting-librarians-over-harmful-books | 2023-07-30T10:25:18 | 0 | https://www.ijpr.org/npr-news/2023-07-30/an-arkansas-judge-has-blocked-a-law-targetting-librarians-over-harmful-books |
PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Not long ago, Marine Col. Jennifer Nash, a combat engineer with war deployments under her belt, made a vow to fellow officers as they headed to a dinner in Atlanta: She would get two new recruiting contacts by the end of the evening.
She admits recruiting is not the job that she or other Marines had in mind when they enlisted. But after stints as a recruiter and senior officer at the Eastern recruiting command, she has become emblematic of the Corps’ tradition of putting its best, battle-tested Marines on enlistment duty. They get results.
Marine leaders say they will make their recruiting goal this year, while the active-duty Army, Navy and Air Force all expect to fall short. The services have struggled in the tight job market to compete with higher-paying businesses for the dwindling number of young people who can meet the military’s physical, mental and moral standards.
On that night, Nash achieved her own goal. She had gotten the valet at the hotel and the hostess at the restaurant to provide their phone numbers and to consider a Marine career.
Nash’s boss, Brig. Gen. Walker Field, who head the Eastern recruiting region, says the Corps has historically put an emphasis on selecting top-performing Marines to fill recruiting jobs. He says that has been a key to the Marines’ recruiting success, along with efforts to increase the number of recruiters, extend those who do well and speed their return to high schools, where in-person recruiting stopped during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said his recruiters — who cover the territory between Canada and Puerto Rico and as far west as Mississippi — will meet their mission and expect to have 30% of their 2024 goal when they start the next fiscal year, Oct. 1. More broadly, Marine officials say they expect the Corps to achieve its recruiting target of more than 33,000.
Last year, the Navy, Air Force and Marines had to eat into their pools of delayed entry applicants in order to make their goals. The Marines will avoid that this year.
“That would be a great ending,” said Field, speaking to The Associated Press on a recent steamy day at South Carolina’s Parris Island, along the Atlantic Coast. “I’m bearish for not only concluding FY23 on a strong footing, but also how we set the conditions for FY24.”
The Marine Corps may get some help from its small size. The Army, for example, has a recruiting goal of 65,000 this year, which is nearly double the Corps’, and expects to fall substantially short of that. Air Force and Navy officials say they will also miss their goals, although the Space Force, which is the smallest service and does its recruiting within Air Force stations, is expected to meet its goal of about 500 recruits.
Sitting in the shadow of Parris Island’s replica of the Iwo Jima monument, Field said his biggest challenge is that a number of Marine hopefuls cannot pass the military’s academic test, known as the Armed Services Voluntary Aptitude Battery.
That is a widespread problem, but the Army recently set up a program that targets recruits who score below 30 on the test and provides schooling for several weeks to help them pass. Already more than 8,800 recruits have successfully gone through the classes, raised their scores and moved on to basic training.
The Navy is taking another route with a pilot program that allows up to 20% of their recruits to score below 30 on the test, as long as they meet specific standards for their chosen naval job. Marine leaders, however, do not take those lowest scoring recruits, and so far have no plans for any type of formal improvement program such as the Army’s.
Field said the Marines are repositioning recruiting stations, moving them around based on where population totals have increased in the latest census. More important, he said, the Corps maintains its focus on choosing the right recruiters, encouraging successful ones to stay in the job and increasing the number of Marine reservists tapped for recruit duties from the current 31 to 96 by the end of next year.
Nash, who until last month was assistant chief of staff for the Eastern region, said Marines are hand-selected for recruiting command jobs. Many three- and four-star Marines, including former Defense Secretary James Mattis, will cite their years doing enlistment duty.
“We put our best and brightest in those positions,” said Nash, adding that those chosen for recruiting posts have a proven track record of success in previous assignments and have demonstrated critical leadership skills. “That’s why they got selected, because they were above their peers.”
She acknowledged that the first time she was picked for a recruiting job she was “voluntold.” But now, recounting her sales pitch in Atlanta, her rapid fire pitch comes without taking a breath.
“I say, ‘Hey, ever thought about being Marine? We’re a bunch of Marines. And, you know, I think you potentially could be a good Marine. You ever thought about it?’ And usually you get, ‘Yeah, I thought about it.’ And I’m, like, ‘What’s holding you back? Would you like to learn more about your opportunities?’ ‘Absolutely.’ `OK. Mind giving me your name and phone number? I’ll have one of my recruiters give you a phone call.’”
The Marines have resisted increasing bonuses to attract recruits — something the other services have found helpful.
Gen. Eric Smith, the acting Marine Corps commandant, got some ribbing for his response when he was asked about bonuses during a naval conference in February.
“Your bonus is you get to call yourself a Marine,” he said. “That’s your bonus, right? There’s no dollar amount that goes with that.”
Field, Nash and others also say the Corps prefers to give a lot of recruits a few thousand dollars, rather than increasing the amount and giving money to far fewer people.
Field said that getting Marine recruiters in uniform back into high schools this year, after several years of COVID-19 restrictions, has been a key driver. There, young people line up to compete in pull-up contests, vying for a free T-shirt if they can do 20. And recruiters say many are drawn to the cache of being a Marine.
“If you told me you’ll give me $10 million worth of advertising and I can do something with it, or you’ll give me 10 great-looking Marines in a Marine uniform — what’s going to get the most value? Give me those 10 Marines and give me a day,” Nash said. “We’ll go out and we’ll get more out of that, I think, than $10 million in advertising.” | https://www.qcnews.com/news/politics/election/ap-the-few-and-the-proud-arent-so-few-marines-recruiting-surges-while-other-services-struggle/ | 2023-07-30T10:25:20 | 0 | https://www.qcnews.com/news/politics/election/ap-the-few-and-the-proud-arent-so-few-marines-recruiting-surges-while-other-services-struggle/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — At a moment of growing legal peril, Donald Trump ramped up his calls for his GOP rivals to drop out of the 2024 presidential race as he threatened to primary Republican members of Congress who fail to focus on investigating Democratic President Joe Biden and urged them to halt Ukrainian military aid until the White House cooperates with their investigations into Biden and his family.
“Every dollar spent attacking me by Republicans is a dollar given straight to the Biden campaign,” Trump said at a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Saturday night. The former president and GOP frontrunner said it was time for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and others he dismissed as “clowns” to clear the field, accusing them of “wasting hundreds of millions of dollars that Republicans should be using to build a massive vote-gathering operation” to take on Biden in November.
The comments came two days after federal prosecutors unveiled new criminal charges against Trump as part of the case that accuses him of illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago club and refusing to turn them over to investigators. The superseding indictment unsealed Thursday alleges that Trump and two staffers sought to delete surveillance at the club in an effort to obstruct the Justice Department’s investigation.
The case is just one of Trump’s mounting legal challenges. His team is currently bracing for additional possible indictments, which could happen as soon as this coming week, related to his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election brought by prosecutors in both Washington and Georgia. Trump already faces criminal charges in New York over hush money payments made to women who accused him of sexual encounters during his 2016 presidential campaign.
Nevertheless, Trump remains the dominant early frontrunner for the Republican nomination and has only seen his lead grow as the charges have mounted and as his rivals have struggled to respond. Their challenge was on display at a GOP gathering in Iowa Friday night, where they largely declined to go after Trump directly. The only one who did — accusing Trump of “running to stay out of prison” — was booed as he left the stage.
In the meantime, Trump has embraced his legal woes, turning them into the core message of his bid to return to the White House as he accuses Biden of using the Justice Department to maim his chief political rival. The White House has said repeatedly that the president has had no involvement in the cases.
At rallies — including Saturday’s — Trump has tried to frame the charges, which come with serious threats of jail time, as an attack not just on him, but those who support him.
“They’re not indicting me, they’re indicting you. I just happen to be standing in the way,” he told the arena crowd in Erie, adding that, “Every time the radical left Democrats, Marxists, communists and fascists indict me, I consider it actually a great badge of honor…. Because I’m being indicted for you.”
But the investigations are also sucking up enormous resources that are being diverted from the nuts and bolts of the campaign. The Washington Post first reported Saturday that Trump’s political action committee, Save America, will report Monday that it spent more than $40 million on legal fees during the first half of 2023 defending Trump and all of the current and former aides whose lawyers it is paying. The total is more than the campaign raised during the second quarter of the year.
“In order to combat these heinous actions by Joe Biden’s cronies and to protect these innocent people from financial ruin and prevent their lives from being completely destroyed, the leadership PAC contributed to their legal fees to ensure they have representation against unlawful harassment,” said Trump’s spokesman Steven Cheung.
At the rally — held in a former Democratic stronghold that Trump flipped in 2016, but Biden won narrowly in 2020 — Trump also threatened Republicans in Congress who refuse to go along with efforts to impeach Biden. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said this past week that Republican lawmakers may consider an impeachment inquiry into the president over unproven claims of financial misconduct.
Trump, who was impeached twice while in office, said Saturday that, “The biggest complaint that I get is that the Republicans find out this information and then they do nothing about it.”
“Any Republican that doesn’t act on Democrat fraud should be immediately primaries and get out — out!” he told the crowd to loud applause. “They have to play tough and … if they’re not willing to do it, we got a lot of good, tough Republicans around … and they’re going to get my endorsement every singe time.”
Trump, during the 2022 midterm elections, made it his mission to punish those who had voted in favor of his second impeachment and succeeded in unseating most who had by backing primary challengers.
At the rally, Trump also called on Republican members of Congress to halt the authorization of additional military support to Ukraine, which has been mired in a war fighting Russia’s invasion, until the Biden administration cooperates with Republican investigations into Biden and his family’s business dealings — words that echoed the call that lead to his first impeachment.
“He’s dragging into a global conflict on behalf of the very same country, Ukraine, that apparently paid his family all of these millions of dollars,” Trump alleged. “In light of this information,” Congress, he said, “should refuse to authorize a single additional payment of our depleted stockpiles … the weapons stockpiles to Ukraine until the FBI, DOJ and IRS hand over every scrap of evidence they have on the Biden crime family’s corrupt business dealings.”
House Republicans have been investigating the Biden family’s finances, particularly payments Hunter, the president’s son, received from Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company that became tangled in the first impeachment of Trump.
An unnamed confidential FBI informant claimed that Burisma company officials in 2015 and 2016 sought to pay the Bidens $5 million each in return for their help ousting a Ukrainian prosecutor who was purportedly investigating the company. But a Justice Department review in 2020, while Trump was president, was closed eight months later with insufficient evidence of wrongdoing.
Trump’s first impeachment by the House resulted in charges that he pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to dig up dirt on the Bidens while threatening to withhold military aid. Trump was later acquitted by the Senate. | https://www.qcnews.com/news/politics/election/ap-trump-amid-legal-perils-calls-on-gop-to-rally-around-him-as-he-threatens-primary-challenges/ | 2023-07-30T10:25:27 | 1 | https://www.qcnews.com/news/politics/election/ap-trump-amid-legal-perils-calls-on-gop-to-rally-around-him-as-he-threatens-primary-challenges/ |
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — The United States will expand its military industrial base by helping Australia manufacture guided missiles and rockets for both countries within two years, the allies announced on Saturday as they ramped up defense cooperation to counter China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific.
The new cooperation on guided weapon production follows a trilateral partnership announcement in March that will see Britain provide Australia with a fleet of eight submarines powered by U.S. nuclear technology.
The greater integration of U.S. and Australian militaries was announced after annual talks between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken and their Australian counterparts, Defense Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
They agreed to cooperate on Australia producing Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems by 2025, a communique said.
U.S. companies Raytheon and Lockheed Martin only established an Australian enterprise to build such weapons last year. That followed the drain on Western countries’ munitions caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Austin said the move on missiles would strengthen the two allies’ defense industrial base and technological edge.
“We’re racing to accelerate Australia’s priority access to munitions through a streamlined acquisition process,” Austin told reporters in Brisbane, Australia.
Marles welcomed U.S. support to achieve Australian missile production within two years.
“We are really pleased with the steps that we are taking in respect of establishing a guided weapons and explosive ordnance enterprise in this country,” Marles said.
The two governments also agreed to upgrade joint military facilities in Australia and to increase U.S. nuclear submarine visits as the United States increases its focus on the South Pacific.
The region came to the forefront of the U.S. competition with China for influence last year, when Beijing signed a security pact with Solomon Islands and raised the prospect of a Chinese naval base being established there.
Austin became the first U.S. defense secretary to visit Papua New Guinea and Blinken visited New Zealand and Tonga before they arrived in Australia.
Saturday’s meeting was overshadowed by the loss of an Australian Army helicopter with four air crew late Friday, during military exercises with the U.S. off the northeastern coast of Australia.
U.S., Australian and Canadian militaries are taking part in the search for potential survivors near Whitsunday Islands off the Queensland state coast.
Austin and Marles will travel to north Queensland on Sunday to inspect Talisman Sabre, a biennial military exercise between the two countries that this year includes 13 nations and more than 30,000 military personnel. | https://www.qcnews.com/news/politics/election/ap-us-pledges-to-help-australia-manufacture-guided-missiles-by-2025/ | 2023-07-30T10:25:33 | 0 | https://www.qcnews.com/news/politics/election/ap-us-pledges-to-help-australia-manufacture-guided-missiles-by-2025/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — Pamela Smith’s voice soared and quivered like a preacher in midsermon as she recalled her troubled childhood and how it helped prepare her for the challenges she faces as the new police chief in the nation’s capital.
“I stand before you as a child who had no hopes, who had no dreams — they were far beyond my reach. But I believe that all things are possible,” she said at her introductory news conference in Washington, in cadences honed by years as an ordained Baptist minister. “I believe I bring a fresh perspective, a different kind of energy, a different level of passion to what I’m going to do.”
Smith takes on the job at a precarious time.
Violent crime is rising sharply, fueled by more homicides and carjackings. The District of Columbia’s mayor, Muriel Bowser, and the D.C. Council have, at times, been at odds about crime legislation. On Capitol Hill, the Republican-led House has begun citing the city’s crime statistics while aggressively reviewing local public safety laws.
On July 24, the Mexican Consulate posted a tweet urging its nationals to “take precautions” in the city due to “a significant increase in crime in areas previously considered safe.”
Smith, 55, now becomes one of the public faces of this long-term fight even before the Council votes on her nomination as chief. She brings an inspirational story to her new role leading the Metropolitan Police Department. Raised in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, by a single mother who battled substance abuse, Smith and her siblings were at one point removed from their home and spent time in foster care. Smith emerged as a track star and went on to a 24-year career in the U.S. Park Police, where she served as the agency’s first Black female chief before retiring in 2022 to take up a senior leadership position at the MPD.
Law enforcement and government officials repeatedly point out that overall crime numbers in Washington have stayed relatively stable. But the crimes that have increased the most — murders and carjackings — are the ones most likely to damage public confidence.
“The scariest crimes are going up and regardless of what’s happening with other crimes, that’s what’s going to fuel the overall perception,” U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves told The Associated Press.
Graves’ office prosecutes most felonies in Washington, in a unique arrangement due to the district’s status as a nonstate. The city’s attorney general’s office prosecutes misdemeanors and juvenile crime, which is also on the rise.
This intricate dynamic among two separate sets of prosecutors, the city’s police force, Bowser’s administration and the Council has been publicly tested as the crime numbers have stayed high — all with Congress taking an increasing interest in the district’s affairs. Public safety was a primary topic of debate last year when Bowser, 50, successfully ran for a third term in office. She has spent this term sparring with both the Council and the House Oversight and Accountability Committee over how best to address crime.
July has been a particular bloody month, with 22 homicides as of Friday, including murders on the campuses of both Howard and Catholic universities. The victims include an Afghan man who survived years of working as a translator for the U.S. Army in Afghanistan only to be murdered in America while driving for Lyft. Nine people, including two children, were shot at a July Fourth party, when an assailant in an SUV opened fire on the crowd. A 12-year old girl remains hospitalized after being shot in the back Tuesday night by a bullet that penetrated the walls of her home.
Although the local murder rate is well below the levels in the 1980s and early 1990s, when Washington regularly led the nation in murders per capita, it has climbed steadily in recent years. In 2022, there was a roughly 10% drop in homicides, but now, homicides are up 15 percent compared with this time a year ago and the city is on pace to surpass 200 for the third year in a row. Police also reported 140 carjacking incidents in the month of June — the highest monthly total in more than five years.
Crime in Washington is now a national headline issue in Congress. In the spring, Bowser and Council members were summoned before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee for a heated session on local crime rates.
Congress voted to completely overturn the Council’s comprehensive rewrite of the district’s criminal code. Bowser was caught in the middle of the dispute. She had vetoed the overhaul, saying the reduction of maximum penalties for certain violent crimes “sent the wrong message,” but was overridden by the Council.
The mayor opposes congressional intervention in local affairs as part of Washington’s long push for statehood, but her initial veto was frequently cited by Republican lawmakers as proof that the rewrite was soft on crime. In an embarrassment for the heavily Democratic city, the move to cancel the criminal code revision drew support from dozens of congressional Democratic and was signed into law by President Joe Biden.
Earlier this month, the Council, with Bowser’s support, passed emergency public safety legislation meant to serve as a temporary fix. The bill makes it a felony to fire a gun in public and makes it easier for judges, in cases where people are charged with a violent crime, to detain them before trial. As an emergency bill, the changes will only last 90 days and will not be subject to congressional review; plans to make the changes permanent in the fall will face scrutiny by lawmakers.
“It is no secret … to the public that we are in a state of emergency right now,” said Brooke Pinto, the D.C. Council member who was the bill’s architect. “Like in any emergency, we have to act like it and we have to act urgently to address the problem we’re seeing.”
But some pushing for a criminal justice overhaul said city lawmakers were reverting to mass incarceration policies that had long ago been discredited.
“We’re way beyond thinking that we can just incarcerate more people,” said Patrice Sulton, executive director of the D.C. Justice Lab, who helped draft the now-canceled criminal code revision. “I think everybody who voted for it knows that it will not have an impact.”
The local branch of the American Civil Liberties Union said in a statement on Twitter that the new bill “essentially flips due process on its head — treating people as guilty and detaining them.”
All sides point to one primary factor fueling the violence: a flood to firearms entering Washington.
Graves, the district’s federal prosecutor, said the number of guns being used in crimes has skyrocketed, turning petty disputes into deadly battles. This includes a new wave of “ghost guns” — firearms that can be ordered in kits and assembled at home. Other kits can easily turn a semiautomatic weapon into an automatic, enabling a rapid-fire and generally less accurate spray of dozens of bullets. In 2018, authorities recovered three such guns; in 2022, the number was 461.
Graves compared the illegal guns to “a virus” in the neighborhood.
“The more virus there is in the community, the more people are going to get sick,” he said. “The more illegal firearms are in the community, the more likelihood those illegal firearms are going to be used.” | https://www.qcnews.com/news/politics/election/ap-violent-crime-is-rising-in-the-nations-capital-dc-seeks-solutions-as-congress-keeps-close-watch/ | 2023-07-30T10:25:39 | 1 | https://www.qcnews.com/news/politics/election/ap-violent-crime-is-rising-in-the-nations-capital-dc-seeks-solutions-as-congress-keeps-close-watch/ |
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.qcnews.com/news/world-news/ap-african-union-gives-15-day-ultimatum-to-niger-junta-to-end-regime-but-soldiers-seek-continuity/ | 2023-07-30T10:25:46 | 1 | https://www.qcnews.com/news/world-news/ap-african-union-gives-15-day-ultimatum-to-niger-junta-to-end-regime-but-soldiers-seek-continuity/ |
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China accused the United States of turning Taiwan into an “ammunition depot” after the White House announced a $345 million military aid package for Taipei, and the self-ruled island said Sunday it tracked six Chinese navy ships in waters off its shores.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office issued a statement late Saturday opposing the military aid to Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory.
“No matter how much of the ordinary people’s taxpayer money the … Taiwanese separatist forces spend, no matter how many U.S. weapons, it will not shake our resolve to solve the Taiwan problem. Or shake our firm will to realize the reunification of our motherland,” said Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office.
“Their actions are turning Taiwan into a powder keg and ammunition depot, aggravating the threat of war in the Taiwan Strait,” the statement said.
China’s People’s Liberation Army has increased its military maneuvers in recent years aimed at Taiwan, sending fighter jets and warships to circle the island.
On Sunday, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said it tracked six Chinese navy ships near the island.
Taiwan’s ruling administration, led by the Democratic Progressive Party, has stepped up its weapons purchases from the U.S. as part of a deterrence strategy against a Chinese invasion.
China and Taiwan split amid civil war in 1949, and Taiwan has never been governed by China’s ruling Communist Party.
Unlike previous military purchases, the latest batch of aid is part of a presidential authority approved by the U.S. Congress last year to draw weapons from current U.S. military stockpiles — so Taiwan will not have to wait for military production and sales.
While Taiwan has purchased $19 billion worth of weaponry, much of it has yet to be delivered to Taiwan. Washington will send man-portable air defense systems, intelligence and surveillance capabilities, firearms and missiles to Taiwan. | https://www.qcnews.com/news/world-news/ap-china-says-us-military-aid-to-taiwan-will-not-deter-its-will-to-unify-the-island/ | 2023-07-30T10:25:53 | 1 | https://www.qcnews.com/news/world-news/ap-china-says-us-military-aid-to-taiwan-will-not-deter-its-will-to-unify-the-island/ |
BAGHDAD (AP) — The leader of Lebanon’s Shiite militant group Hezbollah said Saturday that if governments of Muslim-majority nations do not act against countries that allow the desecration of the Quran, Muslims should “punish” those who facilitate attacks on Islam’s holy book.
The comments by Hassan Nasrallah came in a video address to tens of thousands gathered in Beirut’s southern suburbs to mark Ashoura, a Shiite holy day commemorating the 7th century martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson Hussein.
Nasrallah often uses religious occasions to send political messages to followers, and on Saturday slammed recent incidents in which the Quran was burned or otherwise desecrated at authorized demonstrations in Sweden and Denmark.
He said Muslims should watch for the outcome of an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, scheduled to take place in Baghdad on Monday to discuss the organization’s response to the Quran burnings.
The organization and its member states should “send a firm, decisive and unequivocal message to these governments that any repeat of the attacks will be met with a boycott,” Nasrallah said. If they do not, he said, Muslim youth should “punish the desecrators.”
He did not elaborate what such a boycott and punishment should entail.
Members of the crowd, who carried banners with religious slogans alongside the flags of Hezbollah, Lebanon and Palestine, chanted, “Oh, Quran, we are at your service; Oh, Hussein, we are at your service.”
Shiites represent over 10% of the world’s 1.8 billion Muslims and view Hussein as the rightful successor to the Prophet Muhammad. Hussein’s death in battle at the hands of Sunnis at Karbala, south of Baghdad, ingrained a deep rift in Islam and continues to this day to play a key role in shaping Shiite identity.
Millions of Shiite Muslims in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and around the world on Friday commemorated Ashoura, while Saturday marked the culmination of the observances in countries such as Lebanon, Iraq and Syria.
Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims gathered in the Iraqi city of Karbala, where Hussein is entombed in a gold-domed shrine. In the streets of the Baghdad suburb of Sadr City, mourners gathered to watch reenactments of the Battle of Karbala and Hussein’s death.
In the streets, young men clad in black and white slashed their heads with swords and knives to demonstrate their grief. Friends swabbed each other’s heads with tissues and handed each other water.
In Syria’s capital, Damascus, the crowds were mourning not only the death of Hussein but a deadly attack in the suburb of Sayida Zeinab, home to a shrine to Zeinab, the daughter of the first Shiite imam, Ali, and granddaughter of the Prophet Muhammad.
A bomb hidden in a motorcycle exploded there on Thursday, killing at least six people and wounding dozens more. On Tuesday, another bomb in a motorcycle had wounded two people.
On Friday, the Islamic State group — a Sunni militant group that often targets Shiites — claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying Thursday’s bombing came “during their annual polytheistic rituals.” The group’s extreme interpretation of Islam holds Shiite Muslims to be apostates.
___
Associated Press writers Anmar Khalil in Karbala, Iraq, and Hassan Ammar in Beirut contributed to this report. | https://www.qcnews.com/news/world-news/ap-lebanons-hezbollah-leader-urges-muslims-to-punish-quran-desecrators-if-governments-fail-to-do-so/ | 2023-07-30T10:25:59 | 0 | https://www.qcnews.com/news/world-news/ap-lebanons-hezbollah-leader-urges-muslims-to-punish-quran-desecrators-if-governments-fail-to-do-so/ |
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) —
A 9-year-old girl and her 10-year-old brother have been called as witnesses in a criminal case against their mother after she was accused of repeatedly “discrediting” the Russian army.
Lidia Prudovskaya and her two children were summoned by investigators in the northern Russian region of Arkhangelsk on Friday to give testimony in the case, Russian news outlet Sota reported.
Prudovskaya previously faced administrative charges on similar allegations after sharing anti-war posts on Russian social media platform VKontakte in September 2022.
Discrediting the Russian military is a criminal offense under a law adopted after Russia sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. The law is regularly used against Kremlin critics.
In April, Russian authorities petitioned to restrict the parental rights of a single father convicted of discrediting the army following an anti-war sketch drawn by his daughter at school.
Alexei Moskalyov, 54, was sentenced to two years in prison for social media comments he had made criticizing Moscow’s war in Ukraine, while his daughter Maria was placed in an orphanage.
The 13-year-old was later moved to live with her mother. | https://www.qcnews.com/news/world-news/ap-russian-investigators-call-children-as-witnesses-against-their-mother-accused-of-discrediting-army/ | 2023-07-30T10:26:05 | 0 | https://www.qcnews.com/news/world-news/ap-russian-investigators-call-children-as-witnesses-against-their-mother-accused-of-discrediting-army/ |
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Senegal’s opposition leader Ousmane Sonko has been charged with conspiracy against the state and calls for insurrections among other offenses, the public prosecutor said Saturday.
The announcement comes weeks after Sonko was convicted on separate charges of corrupting youth and sentenced to two years in prison, which ignited deadly protests across the nation.
Prosecutor Abdou Karim Diop made the announcement on state television, a day after Sonko’s lawyer said he was taken into custody for questioning at the police courthouse in the capital, Dakar.
In June, Sonko was acquitted on charges of raping a woman who worked at a massage parlor and making death threats against her. But he was convicted on a lighter sentence of corrupting young people, which includes using one’s position of power to have sex with people under age 21. Corrupting youth is a criminal offense in Senegal that is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to more than $6,000.
The conviction led to deadly clashes across the country between Sonko supporters and police, where at least 23 people were killed and dozens injured.
Sonko placed third in Senegal’s 2019 presidential election and is popular with the country’s youth. His supporters maintain the charges against him are part of a government effort to derail his candidacy in the 2024 presidential election.
Sonko’s ongoing legal battles may bar him from running. Once in prison, he can ask for a retrial for his June conviction.
Saturday’s charges are separate, said the public prosecutor. The accusations include calling an insurrection, criminal conspiracy to commit terrorism, compromising public security and theft.
It is unclear what led to the charges. Sonko has mostly stayed in his house since being sentenced to prison.
In a tweet posted shortly before his arrest on Friday afternoon, Sonko said a team of soldiers were breaking down the door following an altercation with secret service agents who were taking videoing him.
Friday evening, an AP reporter saw around 20 protesters burning tires in the middle of the road in Parcelles Assainies, an outer neighborhood of Dakar. | https://www.qcnews.com/news/world-news/ap-senegals-opposition-leader-charged-with-conspiracy-against-the-state-and-calls-for-insurrection/ | 2023-07-30T10:26:12 | 1 | https://www.qcnews.com/news/world-news/ap-senegals-opposition-leader-charged-with-conspiracy-against-the-state-and-calls-for-insurrection/ |
BEIRUT (AP) — Overnight clashes Sunday in Lebanon’s largest Palestinian refugee camp near the southern port city of Sidon left 1 dead and 6 others wounded, Palestinian officials said.
The clashes took place as Palestinian factions in Ein el-Hilweh cracked down on militant Islamist groups and fugitives seeking shelter in the camp’s overcrowded neighborhoods. In 2017, Palestinian factions engaged in almost a week of fierce clashes with a militant organization affiliated with the extremist Islamic State group.
The Palestinian officials, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said the clashes broke out after an unknown gunman tried to assassinate Islamist militant Mahmoud Khalil, killing a companion of his instead.
According to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency, six people were wounded in the clashes, including two children.
Factions used assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers in the overcrowded camp, as ambulances zoomed through its narrow streets to take the wounded to the hospital.
The clashes have mostly stopped, though state media said there was still sporadic sniper fire.
Several residents fled the crossfire to nearby neighborhoods in the camp.
Ein el-Hilweh is notorious for its lawlessness and clashes are not uncommon. The U.N. says it is home to some 55,000 people.
It was established in 1948 to host Palestinians displaced by Israeli forces during the establishment of Israel. | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/world/1-killed-6-wounded-in-overnight-clashes-in-crowded-palestinian-refugee-camp-in-lebanon/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world | 2023-07-30T10:26:15 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/world/1-killed-6-wounded-in-overnight-clashes-in-crowded-palestinian-refugee-camp-in-lebanon/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world |
Saints Odds to Make Playoffs and Win Super Bowl
At +4000, the New Orleans Saints are No. 15 in the league in terms of Super Bowl-winning odds as of December 31.
Watch the Saints this season on Fubo!
Saints Super Bowl Odds
- Odds to Win the NFC South: +125
- Odds to Win the Super Bowl: +4000
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New Orleans Betting Insights
- New Orleans covered six times in 17 chances against the spread last season.
- The Saints and their opponents combined to go over the point total six out of 17 times last season.
- On the defensive side of the ball, New Orleans was a top-five unit last season, ranking fifth-best by surrendering only 314.8 yards per game. It ranked 19th on offense (333.8 yards per game).
- The Saints posted four wins at home last season and three away.
- New Orleans picked up four wins as the favorite in six games last season, and was victorious twice (in 10 opportunities) as an underdog.
- In the NFC South the Saints won only two games (2-4), and in the conference as a whole they went 5-7.
Saints Impact Players
- Derek Carr passed for 3,522 yards (234.8 per game), completing 60.8% of his passes, with 24 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 15 games with the Raiders last year.
- Jamaal Williams rushed for 1,066 yards (62.7 per game) and 17 touchdowns in 17 games for the Lions last season.
- Alvin Kamara ran for 897 yards (59.8 per game) and two touchdowns in 15 games a season ago.
- In the passing game, Taysom Hill scored two TDs, hauling in nine balls for 77 yards (4.8 per game).
- In 17 games last year, Demario Davis posted 6.5 sacks to go with 9.0 TFL, 109 tackles, and one interception.
Bet on Saints to win the Super Bowl and plenty more with BetMGM. Head to BetMGM using our link and enter the bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
2023-24 Saints NFL Schedule
Odds are current as of July 30 at 5:29 AM ET. Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wafb.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/saints-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ | 2023-07-30T10:26:15 | 0 | https://www.wafb.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/saints-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ |
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombian police arrested the president’s son Saturday as part of a high-profile money laundering probe into funds he allegedly collected from convicted drug traffickers during last year’s presidential campaign.
President Gustavo Petro, a former rebel who rose through Colombia’s political ranks as an anti-corruption crusader, said he wouldn’t interfere with the investigation.
“As an individual and father, it pains me to see so much self destruction and one of my sons going to jail,” Petro said in an early morning message on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “As president of the republic, I’ve assured the chief prosecutor’s office that it will have all of the guarantees so it can proceed according to the law.”
The arrest of Nicolas Petro is a major blow to the government, which has been buffeted by conservative attacks from day one at the same time it has struggled to maintain bipartisan support for Colombia in the U.S., a longtime ally in the war on drugs and fight against illegal armed groups.
The investigation stems from shocking declarations made by Nicolas Petro’s ex-wife, Daysuris del Carmen Vasquez, to local media outlet Semana earlier this year.
In the extended interview, Vasquez detailed how she was present at meetings when her husband arranged a donation of more than 600 million pesos (around $150,000) from a politician once convicted in Washington of drug trafficking and who was seeking the Petro campaign’s support to resume his political career.
She said President Petro was unaware of her son’s dealings and the money he collected in his campaign’s name was kept inside a safe inside the couple’s home in the coastal city of Barranquilla.
Nicolas Petro has denied his ex wife’s claims as unfounded.
The chief prosecutor’s office said in a statement that Nicolas Petro and his ex-wife were taken into custody on orders of a court in Bogota around 6 a.m. local time Saturday. It said that once brought before a judge, prosecutors would seek their provisional detention as it investigates the two for money laundering. | https://www.qcnews.com/news/world-news/ap-son-of-colombias-president-arrested-as-part-of-money-laundering-probe/ | 2023-07-30T10:26:19 | 0 | https://www.qcnews.com/news/world-news/ap-son-of-colombias-president-arrested-as-part-of-money-laundering-probe/ |
NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — Thousands of supporters of the junta that took over Niger in a coup earlier this week marched through the streets of the capital, Niamey, on Sunday waving Russian flags, chanting the name of the Russian president and forcefully denouncing former colonial power France.
Russian mercenary group Wagner is already operating in neighboring Mali, and Russian President Vladimir Putin would like to expand his country’s influence in the region, but it is unclear yet whether the new junta leaders are going to move toward Moscow or stick with Niger’s Western partners.
Days after after mutinous soldiers ousted Niger’s democratically elected president, uncertainty is mounting about the country’s future and some are calling out the junta’s reasons for seizing control.
The mutineers said they overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum, who was elected two years ago in Niger’s first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since independence from France, because he wasn’t able to secure the nation from growing jihadi violence. But some analysts and Nigeriens say that’s just a pretext for a takeover that is more about internal power struggles than securing the nation.
“Everybody is wondering why this coup? That’s because no one was expecting it. We couldn’t expect a coup in Niger because there’s no social, political or security situation that would justify that the military take the power,” Prof. Amad Hassane Boubacar, who teaches at the University of Niamey, told The Associated Press.
He said Bazoum wanted to replace the head of the presidential guard, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, who also goes by Omar and is now in charge of the country. Tchiani was loyal to Bazoum’s predecessor and that sparked the problems, Boubacar said. The AP cannot independently verify his assessment.
While Niger’s security situation is dire, it’s not as bad as neighboring Burkina Faso or Mali, which have also have been battling an Islamic insurgency linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. Last year Niger was the only one of the three to see a decline in violence, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.
Niger until now has been seen as the last reliable partner for the West in efforts to battle the jihadists 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 the Nigeriens, and the United States and other European countries have helped train the nation’s troops.
Some taking part in Sunday’s rally also warned regional bodies who have denounced the coup to stay away. “I would like also to say to the European Union, African Union and ECOWAS, please please stay out of our business,” said Oumar Barou Moussa who was at the demonstration.
“It’s time for us to take our lives, to work for ourselves. It’s time for us to talk about our freedom and liberty. We need to stay together, we need to work together, we need to have our true independence,” he said.
Conflict experts say out of all the countries in the region, Niger has the most at stake if it turns away from the West, given the millions of dollars of military assistance the international community has poured in. On Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the continued security and economic arrangements that Niger has with the U.S. hinged on the release of Bazoum — who remains under house arrest — and “the immediate restoration of the democratic order in Niger.”
France on Saturday suspended all development aid and other financial aid for Niger, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “France demands an immediate return to constitutional order under President Mohamed Bazoum, who was elected by the Nigeriens,” it said.
The African Union has issued a 15-day ultimatum to the junta in Niger to reinstall the country’s democratically elected government. On Sunday, the West African regional bloc, known as ECOWAS, is holding an emergency summit in Abuja, Nigeria.
However, in a televised address Saturday, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Toumba, one of the soldiers who ousted Bazoum, accused the meeting of making a “plan of aggression” against Niger and said it would defend itself.
Niger experts say it’s too soon to know how things will play out.
“Tensions with the military are still ongoing. There could be another coup after this one, or a stronger intervention from ECOWAS, potentially military force, even if it is difficult to foresee how specifically that may happen and what form that may take,” said Tatiana Smirnova, a researcher at the Centre FrancoPaix in conflict resolution and peace missions.
“Many actors are also trying to negotiate, but the outcome is unclear,” she said.
___
Associated Press reporter Angela Charlton in Paris contributed | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/world/as-regional-and-global-powers-decry-nigers-coup-the-countrys-future-remains-uncertain/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world | 2023-07-30T10:26:21 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/world/as-regional-and-global-powers-decry-nigers-coup-the-countrys-future-remains-uncertain/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world |
How to Watch the WNBA on Sunday: TV Channel, Game Times and Odds
Today's WNBA slate has lots in store. Among those six games is the Minnesota Lynx taking on the Connecticut Sun.
Catch live WNBA games, plus tons of other sports and shows, with a free trial to Fubo!
Today's WNBA Games
The Connecticut Sun take on the Minnesota Lynx
The Lynx look to pull off an away win at the Sun on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.
How to Watch
- TV Channel: CBS Sports Network
- Stream Live: Fubo (regional restrictions may apply)
- Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Records and Stats
- CON Record: 18-6
- MIN Record: 12-13
- CON Stats: 84.0 PPG (fifth in WNBA), 78.6 Opp. PPG (first)
- MIN Stats: 80.2 PPG (eighth in WNBA), 85.4 Opp. PPG (10th)
Players to Watch
- CON Key Player: Alyssa Thomas (14.5 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 8.0 APG)
- MIN Key Player: Kayla McBride (12.6 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 1.8 APG)
Vegas Odds and Betting Lines
- Spread: -11.5
- CON Odds to Win: -818
- MIN Odds to Win: +525
- Total: 159.5 points
The Atlanta Dream host the Washington Mystics
The Mystics travel to face the Dream on Sunday at 3:00 PM ET.
How to Watch
- TV Channel: Bally Sports
- Stream Live: Fubo (regional restrictions may apply)
- Game Time: 3:00 PM ET
Records and Stats
- ATL Record: 13-11
- WAS Record: 12-12
- ATL Stats: 85.0 PPG (fourth in WNBA), 85.1 Opp. PPG (ninth)
- WAS Stats: 81.1 PPG (seventh in WNBA), 80.3 Opp. PPG (third)
Players to Watch
- ATL Key Player: Rhyne Howard (18.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 3.4 APG)
- WAS Key Player: Brittney Sykes (14.1 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.6 APG)
Vegas Odds and Betting Lines
- Spread: -6.5
- ATL Odds to Win: -250
- WAS Odds to Win: +197
- Total: 164.5 points
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The Los Angeles Sparks take on the New York Liberty
The Liberty hit the road the Sparks on Sunday at 4:00 PM ET.
How to Watch
Records and Stats
- LAS Record: 9-15
- NYL Record: 18-6
- LAS Stats: 78.5 PPG (ninth in WNBA), 81.7 Opp. PPG (fourth)
- NYL Stats: 88.7 PPG (second in WNBA), 82.7 Opp. PPG (seventh)
Players to Watch
- LAS Key Player: Nneka Ogwumike (20.3 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 2.7 APG)
- NYL Key Player: Breanna Stewart (23.1 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 3.7 APG)
Vegas Odds and Betting Lines
- Spread: -9
- NYL Odds to Win: -503
- LAS Odds to Win: +373
- Total: 167 points
The Indiana Fever face the Seattle Storm
The Storm hope to pick up a road win at the Fever on Sunday at 4:00 PM ET.
How to Watch
Records and Stats
- IND Record: 6-18
- SEA Record: 5-19
- IND Stats: 81.4 PPG (sixth in WNBA), 85.7 Opp. PPG (11th)
- SEA Stats: 78.5 PPG (ninth in WNBA), 85.7 Opp. PPG (11th)
Players to Watch
- IND Key Player: Aliyah Boston (14.4 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.2 APG)
- SEA Key Player: Jewell Loyd (24.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 3.5 APG)
Vegas Odds and Betting Lines
- Spread: -3.5
- IND Odds to Win: -161
- SEA Odds to Win: +133
- Total: 164.5 points
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The Chicago Sky host the Phoenix Mercury
The Mercury go on the road to face the Sky on Sunday at 4:00 PM ET.
How to Watch
- TV Channel: ESPN3 and AZFamily
- Game Time: 4:00 PM ET
Records and Stats
- CHI Record: 9-15
- PHO Record: 6-17
- CHI Stats: 78.1 PPG (11th in WNBA), 82.5 Opp. PPG (sixth)
- PHO Stats: 75.8 PPG (12th in WNBA), 83.5 Opp. PPG (eighth)
Players to Watch
- CHI Key Player: Courtney Williams (9.2 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 6.0 APG)
- PHO Key Player: Brittney Griner (18.2 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.0 APG)
Vegas Odds and Betting Lines
- Spread: -7
- CHI Odds to Win: -285
- PHO Odds to Win: +228
- Total: 156 points
The Las Vegas Aces take on the Dallas Wings
The Wings hit the road the Aces on Sunday at 6:00 PM ET.
How to Watch
- TV Channel: CBS Sports Network
- Stream Live: Fubo (regional restrictions may apply)
- Game Time: 6:00 PM ET
Records and Stats
- LVA Record: 22-2
- DAL Record: 14-10
- LVA Stats: 94.1 PPG (first in WNBA), 78.7 Opp. PPG (second)
- DAL Stats: 86.0 PPG (third in WNBA), 81.7 Opp. PPG (fourth)
Players to Watch
- LVA Key Player: A'ja Wilson (20.8 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 2.0 APG)
- DAL Key Player: Satou Sabally (17.6 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 4.0 APG)
Vegas Odds and Betting Lines
- Spread: -10
- LVA Odds to Win: -653
- DAL Odds to Win: +462
- Total: 173.5 points
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wafb.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/wnba-odds-how-to-watch/ | 2023-07-30T10:26:22 | 1 | https://www.wafb.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/wnba-odds-how-to-watch/ |
CHENGDU, China , July 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from Xinhua:
On July 28, the Chengdu 2021 FISU World University Games officially commenced, captivating university athletes from various parts of the world with an opening ceremony that seamlessly blended historical and cultural elements with youthful passion.
The cultural performances showcased Chengdu's unique cultural features, with the "Sun and Immortal Birds" being a symbol of Chinese cultural heritage and a spiritual emblem. From the very first second of the countdown to the ignition, the presence of the "Sun and Immortal Birds" captivated the audience until the final moment of ignition. "Sunlight", serving as the core element, permeated the entire opening ceremony. Without the "Sun and Immortal Birds", the grand finale of igniting the flame would not have been possible. The countdown to the opening commenced amid the radiance of the "Sun and Immortal Birds," not only demonstrating the harmonious and inclusive spiritual character that the Chinese people have embraced since ancient times but also expressing best wishes for university students worldwide to shine as bright and warm as sunlight.
The opening ceremony combined the sense of technology with artistic beauty. During the entrance segment, colorful silk threads were projected onto the ground, creating a breathtaking display of traditional Chinese patterns formed by over 300 circular lines that adorned the entirety of the stadium's track. This symbolic imagery represents the aspirations of young athletes from around the world, as they embark on a glorious journey paved with the splendor of Shu embroidery. The guide signs held high by the ushers were made of Shu brocade, a renowned textile originating from the Chengdu region, with a history spanning over 2,000 years. Shu brocade stands as one of the four prestigious brocades of China. Meanwhile, Shu embroidery, one of the four famous embroideries in China, has a history of more than 3,000 years, originating from the Chengdu region. Both Shu embroidery and Shu brocade are hailed as treasures of the region.
In celebration of the 31st edition of FISU World University Games, 31 torchbearers were selected to light the flame tower. Among them, the illustrious Chengdu astronaut, Ye Guangfu, shone as a notable figure. Recognizing astronauts as the "closest beings to the sun," chief director Chen Weiya harnessed the brilliance of sunlight, transforming it into a dazzling blaze. After the 31 torchbearers jointly completed the ignition, the Sun and Immortal Birds radiated a stunning brilliance. They spiraled and ascended, igniting the 12 golden fireworks in the sky. Ultimately, they ignited the flame tower outside the stadium.
During the fireworks performance, the chief designer of the opening ceremony fireworks, Cai Canhuang, aptly named it "Golden Dreams." Golden fireworks illuminated the sky, accompanied by welcoming messages in both Chinese and English. As the flame tower of the Chengdu 2021 FISU World University Games was ignited, the fireworks displayed the U-shaped emblem of the Games and the English theme "Make Dreams Come True." The fireworks artfully portrayed the image of a golden hibiscus flower, representing the city flower of Chengdu. Beyond symbolizing youth and vitality, the hibiscus also embodies the values of openness and friendliness, expressing the theme of "flowers welcoming guests."
The Chengdu 2021 FISU World University Games will feature a total of 18 sports events, and is scheduled to conclude on August 8. With athletes from 113 countries and regions, a staggering 6,500 athletes will compete across these 18 sports.
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SOURCE Xinhua | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/30/chengdu-2021-fisu-world-university-games-opening-ceremony-impresses-audiences-worldwide/ | 2023-07-30T10:26:25 | 1 | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/30/chengdu-2021-fisu-world-university-games-opening-ceremony-impresses-audiences-worldwide/ |
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday signed a law moving the official Christmas Day holiday to Dec. 25 from Jan. 7, the day when the Russian Orthodox Church observes it.
The explanatory note attached to the law said its goal is to “abandon the Russian heritage,” including that of “imposing the celebration of Christmas” on Jan. 7. It cited Ukrainians’ “relentless, successful struggle for their identity” and “the desire of all Ukrainians to live their lives with their own traditions, holidays,” fueled by Russia’s 17-month-old aggression against the country.
Last year, some Ukrainians already observed Christmas on Dec. 25, in a gesture that represented separation from Russia, its culture and religious traditions.
The law also moves the Day of Ukrainian Statehood to July 15 from July 28, and the Day of Defenders of Ukraine to Oct. 1 from Oct. 14.
The Russian Orthodox Church, which claims sovereignty over Orthodoxy in Ukraine, and some other Eastern Orthodox churches continue to use the ancient Julian calendar. Christmas falls 13 days later on that calendar, or Jan. 7, than it does on the Gregorian calendar used by most church and secular groups.
The Catholic Church first adopted the modern, more astronomically precise Gregorian calendar in the 16th century. Protestants and some Orthodox churches have since aligned their own calendars for the purpose of calculating Christmas and Easter.
Ukraine’s religious landscape has fractured for years. There are two branches of Orthodox Christianity in the country, one aligned with the Russian church, even as it enjoys broad autonomy, the other completely independent of it. The Orthodox Church of Ukraine, the branch that is separate from the Russian church, announced earlier this year that it was switching to the Revised Julian calendar, which marks Christmas on Dec. 25.
Its leadership last year allowed believers to celebrate the holiday on Dec. 25.
Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti reported on Saturday that the rival Orthodox Church, which is aligned with the Russian Orthodox Church, vowed to continue observing Christmas on Jan. 7.
Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters Saturday that the move “is a sign of something that has been happening for centuries” and that “has to do with the relations between the Catholic church and the Orthodox one.”
Zelenskyy on Saturday traveled to the war-torn Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, which Russia has illegally annexed, but only partially occupies, and met with members of the country’s Special Operation Forces. Zelenskyy noted in an online statement that Saturday marks their official day of recognition and also the anniversary of the deadly attack on the Olenivka prison in the Russian-held part of the region in which dozens of prisoners of war were killed.
Russia and Ukraine accused each other of the attack, with both sides saying that the assault was premeditated in a bid to cover up atrocities. A United Nations fact-finding mission requested by Russia and Ukraine was sent to investigate the killings, but the team was disbanded in January 2023 due to security concerns.
Zelenskyy described the attack as one of Russia’s “most vile and cruel crimes” in a video statement Saturday.
In a separate Telegram statement, he hailed the soldiers in the Donetsk region for “bringing closer the day when all our land and all our people will be free from the occupiers” and underscored the Special Operations Forces’ role in the recent retaking of the village of Staromaiorske in the area.
His visit to the east comes just days after Western and Russian officials said that Kyiv’s forces intensified attacks in the southeast of the country as part of Ukraine’s counteroffensive.
Putin said Saturday that the intensity of Ukrainian atacks along the front line has gone down “compared to two days ago.” He reiterated that Russian forces are successfully repelling all attacks and in some parts of the front line are even mounting successful counteroffensive operations.
___
Litvinova reported from Tallinn, Estonia. | https://www.qcnews.com/news/world-news/ap-ukraine-moves-official-christmas-day-holiday-to-dec-25-denouncing-russian-imposed-traditions/ | 2023-07-30T10:26:26 | 1 | https://www.qcnews.com/news/world-news/ap-ukraine-moves-official-christmas-day-holiday-to-dec-25-denouncing-russian-imposed-traditions/ |
Slackline World Champion Jaan Roose pushes the limits: "Per metre walked, this line was my toughest ever"
DOHA, Qatar, July 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Globally renowned Red Bull athlete Jaan Roose has completed the world's longest LED-lit, single-building slackline to cross one of Qatar's newest and most iconic architectural landmarks.
The Estonian national and three-time Slackline World Champion defied the odds by achieving the walk, titled "Sparkline," at the first attempt, walking the distance between the scimitar-shaped, Iconic Towers that are owned by Katara Hospitality and that are home to Raffles and Fairmont Doha in Lusail City.
Covering a distance of over 150 meters, the Sparkline walk is not only the longest on a single building, but also Jaan's second-highest walk to date at an elevation of more than 185 meters on a line just 2.5cm wide.
Speaking on the new world record set, Roose commented:
"When I first saw the Iconic Towers, I knew this was a building that I had to walk. Anything worth achieving comes with its fair share of challenges, and I'm proud to complete this one. Per metre walked, this line was my toughest ever. As an athlete, I'm always looking to push myself further and defy the odds. In this case the heat and wind conditions added a different element that I needed to react to and manage spontaneously while I was on the slackline. The warm LED lights and their extra weight also changed how the line interacted with me and my bodyweight. It's like skateboarding on a big heavy tree trunk rather than a light board."
"The Iconic Towers are an incredible place to be completing this feat and mark a very special visit for my first time in Qatar," Roose added.
The Raffles Doha and Fairmont Doha are two luxury hotels that face each other in beautifully imposing structures shaped like scimitar swords. The towers are some of the latest to be added to Lusail City's expanding list of architectural marvels and create a distinct silhouette against the backdrop of the Arabian Sea. Featuring the world's tallest chandelier, the Fairmont Doha is a masterclass in design, while the suite-only Raffles Doha showcases a spell-binding entrance, a personal butler service and fine-dining delights by world-renowned chef, Enrico Crippa.
Managing Director of Raffles and Fairmont Doha, Christian Hirt, expressed his excitement about the event being hosted at the Iconic Towers, saying "Raffles and Fairmont Doha have always celebrated the extraordinary, and this event embodies that spirit. The project serves to underline our commitment to showcasing high-calibre talents that defy the impossible. As this daring athlete 'Sparklines' across our towers, we hope it captivates the world and inspires others to push their boundaries."
Katara Hospitality's leadership commented: "We are proud of this activation, working alongside Qatar Tourism and Red Bull, as it exemplifies Katara Hospitality's commitment to utilizing the Iconic Towers as a powerful asset to promote tourism and enhance the destination's appeal. Through this event, we aim to showcase the extraordinary capabilities of the Iconic Towers and position them as a symbol of Qatar's excellence in hospitality and entertainment."
Commenting on the project with Jaan Roose, Chief Operating Officer of Qatar Tourism, Berthold Trenkel, said: "Qatar has built a sporting legacy for itself and is now a true hub for international sporting events. We're delighted to support the exhilarating slackline walk event and champion renowned athletes. By fostering a culture of athleticism, we strive to create opportunities for athletes to showcase their skills and reach new heights in their athletic careers. In addition to its world-class sporting facilities, Qatar is home to a fresh and diverse suite of incredible hotels that make Qatar a global destination of choice for all travellers."
The Sparkline walk took place as part of an action-packed calendar of global events in Qatar. With several key sporting events expected to take place in 2023, including Qatar MotoGP, AFC Asian Cup, Qatar Formula 1 Grand Prix, and Geneva International Motor Show, visitors can expect extraordinary sporting experiences in Qatar all year round.
To know more about Jaan Roose, visit www.redbull.com
For imagery and video, please download via this link.
For media-related inquiries, please contact Qatar Tourism's Press Office on:
+974 3392 4466 | pressoffice@visitqatar.qa
For athlete-related media inquiries, please contact Red Bull Qatar:
About Qatar Tourism
Qatar Tourism's mission is to establish Qatar as a place where cultural authenticity meets modernity, and where people of the world come together to experience unique offerings in culture, sports, business and family entertainment, rooted in Service Excellence. Qatar Tourism will regulate and develop the tourism industry, encouraging investment from the private sector. It will set the national strategy for the tourism sector, reviewing it periodically and overseeing its implementation, with the aim of diversifying tourism offerings in the country and increasing visitor spend. Through our network of international offices in priority markets, and cutting-edge digital platforms, Qatar Tourism is expanding Qatar's presence globally and enhancing the tourism sector.
Web: www.visitqatar.qa
About Raffles
Founded in Singapore in 1887, Raffles Hotels & Resorts is where heritage meets modern hotelcraft. Raffles hotels, resorts, and residences are places where ideas are born, history is made and stories and legends are created. At landmark addresses around the world, Raffles' well-travelled guests and residents enjoy experiences that are culturally enriching, intellectually stimulating and always respectful of local communities, heritage and the environment. From one generation to the next, visitors arrive as guests, leave as friends, and return as family. Raffles can be found in key international locations including Singapore, Paris, Istanbul, Dubai, Doha, Maldives, Udaipur, Phnom Penh, and Bali; with flagship openings upcoming in London, Boston and Macau. Progressively shaping the future of luxury hospitality as part of Accor, Raffles benefits from a world-class infrastructure and is a participating brand in the Group's lifestyle loyalty and guest recognition programme, ALL - Accor Live Limitless.
raffles.com | all.accor.com | group.accor.com
About Fairmont
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is where the intimate equally coexists with the infinite – an unrivalled portfolio of more than 90 extraordinary hotels where grand moments of life, heartfelt pleasures and personal milestones are celebrated and remembered long after any visit. Since 1907, Fairmont has created magnificent, meaningful and unforgettable hotels, rich with character and deeply connected to the history, culture and community of its destinations – places such as The Plaza in New York City, The Savoy in London, Fairmont San Francisco, Fairmont Banff Springs in Canada, Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai, and Fairmont The Palm in Dubai. Famous for its engaging service, awe-inspiring public spaces, locally inspired cuisine, and iconic bars and lounges, Fairmont also takes great pride in its pioneering approach to hospitality and leadership in sustainability and responsible tourism practices. Fairmont is part of Accor, a world leading hospitality group counting over 5,400 properties throughout more than 110 countries, and a participating brand in ALL - Accor Live Limitless – a lifestyle loyalty program providing access to a wide variety of rewards, services and experiences.
fairmont.com | all.accor.com | group.accor.com
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SOURCE Raffles Doha and Fairmont Doha | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/30/record-set-qatar-worlds-longest-led-slackline-walk/ | 2023-07-30T10:26:31 | 1 | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/30/record-set-qatar-worlds-longest-led-slackline-walk/ |
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday pushed back against Australian demands for an end to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s prosecution, saying the Australian citizen was accused of “very serious criminal conduct” in publishing a trove of classified documents more than a decade ago.
Australia’s center-left Labor Party government has been arguing since winning the elections last year that the United States should end its pursuit of the 52-year-old, who has spent four years in a British prison fighting extradition to the United States.
Assange’s freedom is widely seen as a test of Australia’s leverage with President Joe Biden’s administration.
Blinken confirmed on Saturday that Assange had been discussed in annual talks with Foreign Minister Penny Wong in Brisbane, Australia.
“I understand the concerns and views of Australians. I think it’s very important that our friends here understand our concerns about this matter,” Blinken told reporters.
“Mr. Assange was charged with very serious criminal conduct in the United States in connection with his alleged role in one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of our country,” he added.
Wong said Assange’s prosecution had “dragged for too long” and that Australia wanted the charges “brought to a conclusion.”
Australia remains ambiguous about whether the United States should drop the prosecution or strike a plea bargain.
Assange faces 17 charges of espionage and one charge of computer misuse over WikiLeaks’ publication of of hundreds of thousands of classified diplomatic and military documents in 2010.
American prosecutors allege he helped U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal classified diplomatic cables and military files that WikiLeaks later published, putting lives at risk.
Australia argues there is a “disconnect” between the U.S. treatment of Assange and Manning. Then-U.S. President Barack Obama commuted Manning’s 35-year sentence to seven years, which allowed her release in 2017. | https://www.qcnews.com/news/world-news/ap-us-secretary-of-state-tells-australia-that-wikileaks-founder-is-accused-of-very-serious-crime/ | 2023-07-30T10:26:33 | 1 | https://www.qcnews.com/news/world-news/ap-us-secretary-of-state-tells-australia-that-wikileaks-founder-is-accused-of-very-serious-crime/ |
Saints Odds to Make Playoffs and Win Super Bowl
At +4000, the New Orleans Saints are No. 15 in the league in terms of Super Bowl-winning odds as of December 31.
Watch the Saints this season on Fubo!
Saints Super Bowl Odds
- Odds to Win the NFC South: +125
- Odds to Win the Super Bowl: +4000
Looking to place a futures bet on the Saints to win the Super Bowl this season? Head to BetMGM using our link and enter the bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
New Orleans Betting Insights
- New Orleans covered six times in 17 chances against the spread last season.
- The Saints and their opponents combined to go over the point total six out of 17 times last season.
- On the defensive side of the ball, New Orleans was a top-five unit last season, ranking fifth-best by surrendering only 314.8 yards per game. It ranked 19th on offense (333.8 yards per game).
- The Saints posted four wins at home last season and three away.
- New Orleans picked up four wins as the favorite in six games last season, and was victorious twice (in 10 opportunities) as an underdog.
- In the NFC South the Saints won only two games (2-4), and in the conference as a whole they went 5-7.
Saints Impact Players
- Derek Carr passed for 3,522 yards (234.8 per game), completing 60.8% of his passes, with 24 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 15 games with the Raiders last year.
- Jamaal Williams rushed for 1,066 yards (62.7 per game) and 17 touchdowns in 17 games for the Lions last season.
- Alvin Kamara ran for 897 yards (59.8 per game) and two touchdowns in 15 games a season ago.
- In the passing game, Taysom Hill scored two TDs, hauling in nine balls for 77 yards (4.8 per game).
- In 17 games last year, Demario Davis posted 6.5 sacks to go with 9.0 TFL, 109 tackles, and one interception.
Bet on Saints to win the Super Bowl and plenty more with BetMGM. Head to BetMGM using our link and enter the bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
2023-24 Saints NFL Schedule
Odds are current as of July 30 at 5:29 AM ET. Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wlbt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/saints-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ | 2023-07-30T10:26:38 | 1 | https://www.wlbt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/saints-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ |
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Over 100 mercenaries belonging to the Russian-linked Wagner group in Belarus have moved close to the border with Poland, the Polish prime minister said Saturday.
Mateusz Morawiecki said at a news conference that the mercenaries had moved close to the Suwalki Gap, a strategic stretch of Polish territory situated between Belarus and Kaliningrad, a Russian territory separated from the mainland.
Poland is a member of both the European Union and NATO, and it has worried about its security with Russian ally Belarus and Ukraine on its eastern border.
Those fears have grown since Wagner group mercenaries arrived in Belarus since the group’s short-lived rebellion earlier this summer.
The Poland-Belarus border has already been a tense place for a couple of years, ever since large numbers of immigrants from the Middle East and Africa began arriving, seeking to enter the EU by crossing into Poland, as well as Lithuania.
Poland’s government accuses Russia and Belarus of using the migrants to destabilize Poland and other EU countries. It calls the migration a form of hybrid warfare, and has responded by building a high wall along part of its border with Belarus.
“Now the situation becomes even more dangerous,” Morawiecki told reporters.
He added that “this is certainly a step towards a further hybrid attack on Polish territory.”
Morawiecki spoke during a visit to an arms factory in Gliwice, in southern Poland, where Leopard tanks used by the Ukrainian army are being repaired. | https://www.qcnews.com/news/world-news/ap-wagner-mercenaries-in-belarus-move-closer-to-the-polish-border-polands-prime-minister-says/ | 2023-07-30T10:26:40 | 0 | https://www.qcnews.com/news/world-news/ap-wagner-mercenaries-in-belarus-move-closer-to-the-polish-border-polands-prime-minister-says/ |
How to Watch the WNBA on Sunday: TV Channel, Game Times and Odds
Today's WNBA slate has lots in store. Among those six games is the Minnesota Lynx taking on the Connecticut Sun.
Catch live WNBA games, plus tons of other sports and shows, with a free trial to Fubo!
Today's WNBA Games
The Connecticut Sun take on the Minnesota Lynx
The Lynx look to pull off an away win at the Sun on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.
How to Watch
- TV Channel: CBS Sports Network
- Stream Live: Fubo (regional restrictions may apply)
- Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Records and Stats
- CON Record: 18-6
- MIN Record: 12-13
- CON Stats: 84.0 PPG (fifth in WNBA), 78.6 Opp. PPG (first)
- MIN Stats: 80.2 PPG (eighth in WNBA), 85.4 Opp. PPG (10th)
Players to Watch
- CON Key Player: Alyssa Thomas (14.5 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 8.0 APG)
- MIN Key Player: Kayla McBride (12.6 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 1.8 APG)
Vegas Odds and Betting Lines
- Spread: -11.5
- CON Odds to Win: -818
- MIN Odds to Win: +525
- Total: 159.5 points
The Atlanta Dream host the Washington Mystics
The Mystics travel to face the Dream on Sunday at 3:00 PM ET.
How to Watch
- TV Channel: Bally Sports
- Stream Live: Fubo (regional restrictions may apply)
- Game Time: 3:00 PM ET
Records and Stats
- ATL Record: 13-11
- WAS Record: 12-12
- ATL Stats: 85.0 PPG (fourth in WNBA), 85.1 Opp. PPG (ninth)
- WAS Stats: 81.1 PPG (seventh in WNBA), 80.3 Opp. PPG (third)
Players to Watch
- ATL Key Player: Rhyne Howard (18.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 3.4 APG)
- WAS Key Player: Brittney Sykes (14.1 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.6 APG)
Vegas Odds and Betting Lines
- Spread: -6.5
- ATL Odds to Win: -250
- WAS Odds to Win: +197
- Total: 164.5 points
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The Los Angeles Sparks take on the New York Liberty
The Liberty hit the road the Sparks on Sunday at 4:00 PM ET.
How to Watch
Records and Stats
- LAS Record: 9-15
- NYL Record: 18-6
- LAS Stats: 78.5 PPG (ninth in WNBA), 81.7 Opp. PPG (fourth)
- NYL Stats: 88.7 PPG (second in WNBA), 82.7 Opp. PPG (seventh)
Players to Watch
- LAS Key Player: Nneka Ogwumike (20.3 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 2.7 APG)
- NYL Key Player: Breanna Stewart (23.1 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 3.7 APG)
Vegas Odds and Betting Lines
- Spread: -9
- NYL Odds to Win: -503
- LAS Odds to Win: +373
- Total: 167 points
The Indiana Fever face the Seattle Storm
The Storm hope to pick up a road win at the Fever on Sunday at 4:00 PM ET.
How to Watch
Records and Stats
- IND Record: 6-18
- SEA Record: 5-19
- IND Stats: 81.4 PPG (sixth in WNBA), 85.7 Opp. PPG (11th)
- SEA Stats: 78.5 PPG (ninth in WNBA), 85.7 Opp. PPG (11th)
Players to Watch
- IND Key Player: Aliyah Boston (14.4 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.2 APG)
- SEA Key Player: Jewell Loyd (24.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 3.5 APG)
Vegas Odds and Betting Lines
- Spread: -3.5
- IND Odds to Win: -161
- SEA Odds to Win: +133
- Total: 164.5 points
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The Chicago Sky host the Phoenix Mercury
The Mercury go on the road to face the Sky on Sunday at 4:00 PM ET.
How to Watch
- TV Channel: ESPN3 and AZFamily
- Game Time: 4:00 PM ET
Records and Stats
- CHI Record: 9-15
- PHO Record: 6-17
- CHI Stats: 78.1 PPG (11th in WNBA), 82.5 Opp. PPG (sixth)
- PHO Stats: 75.8 PPG (12th in WNBA), 83.5 Opp. PPG (eighth)
Players to Watch
- CHI Key Player: Courtney Williams (9.2 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 6.0 APG)
- PHO Key Player: Brittney Griner (18.2 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.0 APG)
Vegas Odds and Betting Lines
- Spread: -7
- CHI Odds to Win: -285
- PHO Odds to Win: +228
- Total: 156 points
The Las Vegas Aces take on the Dallas Wings
The Wings hit the road the Aces on Sunday at 6:00 PM ET.
How to Watch
- TV Channel: CBS Sports Network
- Stream Live: Fubo (regional restrictions may apply)
- Game Time: 6:00 PM ET
Records and Stats
- LVA Record: 22-2
- DAL Record: 14-10
- LVA Stats: 94.1 PPG (first in WNBA), 78.7 Opp. PPG (second)
- DAL Stats: 86.0 PPG (third in WNBA), 81.7 Opp. PPG (fourth)
Players to Watch
- LVA Key Player: A'ja Wilson (20.8 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 2.0 APG)
- DAL Key Player: Satou Sabally (17.6 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 4.0 APG)
Vegas Odds and Betting Lines
- Spread: -10
- LVA Odds to Win: -653
- DAL Odds to Win: +462
- Total: 173.5 points
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wlbt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/wnba-odds-how-to-watch/ | 2023-07-30T10:26:44 | 0 | https://www.wlbt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/wnba-odds-how-to-watch/ |
Healthy morning routines for kids
If you’re a parent, you know mornings can be chaotic. Not only do you have to get up and out of bed to prepare for work or the rest of your day, but you also need to wrangle your kids and get them moving. Unfortunately, they don’t always cooperate. Not only is a family morning routine ideal to help things run smoothly but by getting organized, you and your family can lower stress, increase your productivity, boost your energy and even improve your relationships.
Start by sitting down with the entire family and creating a schedule that allows everyone the proper amount of time to get what they need done and walk out the door happy, excited and eager to start the day.
Shop this article: Eslite Toothbrush Toothpaste Holder Stand, Bento Box Lunch Containers and Gaiam Kids Yoga Mat Exercise Mat
Benefits of a Healthy Routine for Kids
- Helps kids adopt healthy habits early on: Establishing a solid daily routine helps kids implement healthy habits, such as washing their teeth and cleaning their room. Since habits require practice and repetition, you won’t have to worry about reminding them once they adopt them into their morning routine.
- Decreases parental exhaustion: Having to worry about your own routine alongside your tasks can leave you feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. Involving your entire family in creating a morning routine can make things less stressful for you.
- Limits screen time: Kids consume several hours of games, social media, TV shows and other forms of entertainment daily, which can take away from healthy habits. A healthy morning routine encourages them to step away from their devices to spend more time with family and prepare for the school day.
- Gives kids responsibility: A morning routine tells kids that they have tasks they need to complete before heading to school. Once they adapt to their routine, they understand that there are things they must do every day without being reminded. In addition, it can help them develop independence early.
- Bedtime is much easier: When your kids have a healthy morning routine, it helps them better navigate their days and makes it easier to go to bed at night. A daily routine establishes your child’s body clock, alerting them when it’s time for bed.
Helpful tips for creating a healthy morning routine
Start preparing the night before
Before you go to bed, pick out clothes that you and your kids will wear the next day, and prepare all of your food options, so you won’t be left scrambling at the last minute. You can spend Sunday preparing meals and picking out clothes to focus on other weekly tasks. In addition, it can be fun to involve your kids by having them help you in the kitchen.
Stock up on organizational items
JanSport SuperBreak One Backpacks
If it’s school you need to get your kids ready for, make sure their backpacks are packed and their lunch boxes are ready to go in the mornings. Aim to keep your pantry and fridge stocked and additional school supplies handy when your kids need them.
There are some excellent organizational items below that you can utilize during the school year or over the summer to make sure you and your kids know where their necessary supplies will be before everyone has to be out the door.
Sold by Amazon
Make sure you have the essentials
KINCMAX Shower Caddy Bathroom Shelf
Household essentials such as alarm clocks, toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwash and any shower items your family needs can keep everyone on track. If you have a lot of products or a large family, consider investing in a shower caddy so everyone has exactly what they need at arm’s reach.
Sold by Amazon
Avoid the screens
As mentioned, kids can spend a lot of time on their phones and tablets, causing morning distractions. Make a no TV rule in the morning once everyone is awake and out of bed. That means taking away any video games, iPads and cell phones.
Create a positive atmosphere
Playco Reward Chart for Kids Chores
Preparing the night before and planning can reduce stress and urgency. Not only will this make things more convenient, but it will free up time to make positive strides in the right direction. Group activities, like meditation, can be a healthy way to get the entire family in the proper mindset.
And if you’re having trouble motivating your kids, it wouldn’t hurt to provide a little extra incentive with a rewards chart.
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The best organizational items for a healthy morning routine
Humble Crew Modern Toy Organizer
Give your kids the opportunity to tidy their environment with this organizer designed for their height. Having an organized space to wake up in helps start your kids off on the right foot for the morning while teaching them to sort and improve their cognitive skills.
Sold by Amazon
Eslite Toothbrush Toothpaste Holder Stand
Morning hygiene maintenance is an imperative part of a morning routine. This bathroom organizer allows kids to have everything they need to do in the bathroom each morning and evening together. It can hold five toothbrushes and has holes for toothpaste, combs and cups for water and mouthwash.
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Xoxo Parents Magnetic Chore Chart for Multiple Kids
Help keep everyone in the family organized in the morning with a dry-erase calendar, complete with daily to-do’s. This calendar lets kids know what to expect for the day and help them create a healthy routine while laying out all their tasks.
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Colgate Smart Manual Kids Toothbrush
Make brushing teeth fun for kids with this toothbrush. It includes augmented reality to help kids brush their teeth properly. It has an app that teaches kids to establish healthy hygiene habits, as well as a fun game they unlock when they brush their teeth.
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Gamenote Wooden Pen Holder and Pencil Holders
Having a clean environment in the morning can boost your family’s mood. If you have crafty kids, giving them a pen holder can help them tidy up before departing for school. This rainbow holder includes six different size compartments to fit pencils, pens, crayons and more.
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Zicoto Simplified To-Do List Notebook and Aesthetic Daily Planner
A planner is an excellent tool both kids and adults use to plan their days and stick to healthy routines. This planner has space to write daily to-do list notes, health tracking, appointments and meal plans. It has perforated pages, perfect for tearing them out after completing daily tasks.
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Rewards are a great way to incentivize your kids to stick to a morning routine. This reward chart encourages good behavior and promotes healthy habits. It is designed for kids ages 3 and up. It is laboratory-certified and safe for kids to use.
Sold by Amazon
The best food items to promote a healthy morning routine
Rubbermaid Brilliance BPA-Free Food Storage Containers with Lids
Plan ahead for your kids’ breakfasts and lunches with these food storage containers that are bisphenol A-free. These 100% leak-proof, splatter-resistant and microwave-safe containers easily stack in the refrigerator to keep you organized from morning till night.
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Kitch’nMore 38 Ounce Meal Prep Containers
Prepare up to 30 meals in advance and keep them neatly packaged in these microwave, dishwasher and freezer-safe containers. Each container holds up to 2.4 pounds of food. They are made of BPA-free material, leak-proof and durable.
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Pre-pack healthy, protein-rich breakfasts and lunches for your children in this eco-friendly bento lunch box. The smaller-sized compartments allow all your kids’ favorite foods to be packed separately for perfect meals that can be eaten whenever their schedule permits.
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Oniva Disney Mickey Mouse Lunch Bag
Your kids will never forget to bring their lunch box to school when it’s this cute! This Mickey Mouse lunch bag is insulated to ensure food stays at the correct temperature. It comes with a knife, fork, spoon, napkin and salt and pepper shakers.
Sold by Amazon
Lerine 10-Pack Dishwasher-Safe Reusable Bags
Save money and be environmentally friendly using reusable bags for your and your kids’ lunches. They are leakproof, BPA-free and dishwasher safe. They include three 1-gallon bags, four sandwich bags and three snack bags.
Sold by Amazon
Thermos Funtainer 10-Ounce Stainless Steel Vacuum Insulated
This thermos keeps kids’ food cold for up to seven hours, and up to five hours for hot food. It has a lightweight, compact design with a push-button lid that’s easy for kids to carry and open. It also includes a spoon stored in the thermos.
Sold by Amazon
Topbooc Travel Utensils, Reusable Silverware Set-To-Go
Pack your kids’ lunches with reusable silverware to save money and be environmentally conscious. This set comes with a knife, fork, spoon, two straws, a straw cleaner, chopsticks and a compact case. It is available in a variety of colors and is dishwasher safe.
Sold by Amazon
The best items for a positive morning atmosphere
Meditation for Kids: 40 Activities to Manage Emotions, Ease Anxiety and Stay Focused
Meditation is an amazing way to start the day with a healthy and positive outlook. This book has options for 40 meditation activities kids can do in the morning to help them remain calm, relaxed and focused.
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Gaiam Kids Yoga Mat Exercise Mat
Yoga is a positive and healthy activity for a child’s morning routine. This adorable yoga mat is perfect for kids ages 5 to 8 and is decorated with a unicorn, lamb and lion. These kids’ yoga mats are non-toxic and phthalate-free while constructed with a textured surface to reduce slips.
Sold by Amazon
Hatch Rest+ Baby Sound Machine, Night Light
This sound machine helps kids to fall asleep and wake up easily. The time-to-rise programs help them handle the difficult transition from being sound asleep to starting their day. Waking up comfortably and naturally is the ideal first step in any morning routine.
Sold by Amazon
Big Red Rooster Sleep Training Alarm Clock
This alarm clock notifies your kids if it’s time to wake up or if more sleep is necessary. The ball glows green if it’s time to wake up or red if they should go back to sleep. The hidden parent compartment makes sure the alarm can’t be adjusted.
Sold by Amazon
The 3-Minute Gratitude Journal for Kids
Practicing gratitude is a great way for kids to start the morning with positivity. This journal teaches kids how to be thankful and enjoy the simple things in life. It contains daily pages where kids list out three things and people they’re grateful for and how they’re feeling each day.
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Sonoma Lavender Microwaveable Aromatherapy Pillow
Having a cuddly bear to snuggle in the morning can help kids prepare for the day. This plush bear not only provides snuggles but releases a lavender scent for aromatherapy benefits. It has 10 different animals, such as an elephant, bunny, monkey and lamb.
Sold by Amazon
Antdalis Sunrise Alarm Clock Wake-Up Light
After a long summer, it might be challenging for kids to readjust to waking up in the mornings. This alarm clock’s light gradually increases over 30 minutes to fill the room with bright, white light. It has two alarms, seven natural sounds and a 10-sound volume.
Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
- Slip encouraging notes into your kids’ lunch bags with the Outus 120 Pieces Motivational Encouragement Quote Cards.
- Make mornings more exciting for your children with the Ainibab Boys Girls Hooded Robe.
- Ensure your kids stay hydrated throughout the day with a Bubba Brands Flo Kids Water Bottle with Leak-Proof Lid.
- Give your kids healthy, satisfying snacks such as the GoGo SqueeZ Fruit on the Go Variety Pack.
- This Be Prepared. Period Menstruation Kit is a great starter kit for teens to take to school.
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Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.qcnews.com/reviews/br/baby-kids-br/health-safety-br/how-to-develop-a-healthy-morning-routine-for-you-and-your-kids/ | 2023-07-30T10:26:47 | 0 | https://www.qcnews.com/reviews/br/baby-kids-br/health-safety-br/how-to-develop-a-healthy-morning-routine-for-you-and-your-kids/ |
Five-year anniversary gifts
Shop this article: Roses, I Love You Anniversary Card and 2-Stem Natural Wood Roses with Vase
Spending a half-decade together is a reason to celebrate. Roses, chocolate and champagne are fitting gifts for almost any anniversary or milestone. However, when you hit the five-year mark in your relationship, you might want to take things up a notch.
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Tradition dictates that the five-year wedding anniversary gift is wood and meant to signal long-lasting strength, wisdom and forgiveness. Still, nowhere does it say that you have to stick to that, and some great gift ideas include perfume, jewelry, shoes, bags and self-care options.
Five-year anniversary wooden gift ideas
I Love You Anniversary Card
If you’re a stickler for tradition and want to make sure you give a gift of wood, one simple way to achieve this is with your card. This laser-cut classic hearts design is more than just any old anniversary card. It’s a keepsake that can last for years to come.
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Kate Posh 5-Years of Marriage Photo Frame
Simple yet also sentimental. This wooden picture frame is engraved and comes in multiple sizes. It has a back-stand easel to display on a table and clips to mount it on the wall.
Sold by Amazon
2-Stem Natural Wood Roses with Vase
Carved from sugar wood and stained rich chocolate, this stylish, sentimental and symbolic anniversary gift comes with two wooden roses in an oak vase.
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The best fragrance gifts for her
With dazzling floral accents and woodsy notes, this scent exudes femininity and mystery. The may rose and jasmine with citrus notes and soft bourbon vanilla help create this sensual Chanel fragrance, making the perfect gift for a romantic anniversary.
Sold by Sephora
This scent oozes femininity without being overpowering, with an intoxicating blend of warm and spicy, with keynotes of jasmine, orange blossom and woods and patchouli. It’s also ageless, which makes it perfect for either your 5th or 50th anniversary.
Sold by Sephora
The best self-care gifts for her
Goop “The Martini” Emotional Detox Bath Soak
Treat your loved one to some peace and tranquility with a soothing bath to relax the mind and body. The pink salt will ease muscles. The chia seed oil hydrates and moisturizes the skin, while the wildcrafted frankincense will soothe the mind. This combination is just as good as a day at the spa.
Sold by Sephora
Give the gift that spoils your loved one night after night with this slip silk pillowcase that’s a known beauty secret of both beauty experts and dermatologists. Cover her pillow in the highest-grade mulberry silk to help create the ultimate night’s rest.
Herbivore Coco Rose Exfoliating Body Scrub
Pamper your partner with a body scrub made from virgin coconut oil, sugar and Moroccan rose to leave her skin moisturized and smelling of rose petals and coconuts. This luxe body scrub has been clinically tested and proven to offer softer, smoother and less dry skin.
The best jewelry gifts for her
TruMiracle Diamond Stud Earrings
These exquisite half-carat diamonds with side accents will dazzle and sparkle from every angle. They are available in 14-carat gold, white gold and rose gold.
Sold by Macy’s
Sarah Chloe Andi Initial Pendant Necklace in 14k Gold-Plate Over Sterling Silver
This is a delicate and sophisticated pendant necklace you can wear casually or when dressing to impress. It’s set in 14 carat-gold-plate over sterling silver, with a lobster clasp for closure and a beaded chain.
Sold by Macy’s
Le Vian Deep-Sea Blue Topaz & Diamond Statement Ring in 14k Rose Gold
Give her something she can’t help but show off with this dazzling deep-blue-sea topaz ring. It’s enhanced with nude and chocolate diamond rings that add to the color and sparkle. These gorgeous stones are set in a beautiful strawberry gold that will make your anniversary one to remember.
Sold by Macy’s
The best handbag gifts for her
Michael Kors Bedford Legacy Logo Ladies Leather Crossbody Bag
There’s just something about a new handbag that makes a girl smile, so make her grin ear-to-ear with a stylish yet practical black, leather crossbody. This sleek and structured silhouette is an ideal everyday bag to match all outfits while remaining chic.
Sold by Amazon
The best shoes gifts for her
Badgley Mischka Kiara Embellished Peep-Toe Evening Pumps
You can never go wrong with super sexy shoes, and these sapphire satin peep-toe pumps with embellished detail fit the bill. These showstoppers will make her feel like a million bucks and make for one extraordinary anniversary.
Nine West Women’s Toe Dress Pumps
These shoes will be a gift for you and your loved one because you won’t be able to keep your eyes off her when she’s in these ultra-sexy t-strap stilettos. A mix of faux leather and skinny straps from the toe to the ankle make this exotic heel a special occasion in itself.
Sold by Macy’s
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Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.qcnews.com/reviews/br/beauty-personal-care-br/tools-accessories-br/best-five-year-anniversary-gifts-for-her/ | 2023-07-30T10:26:55 | 0 | https://www.qcnews.com/reviews/br/beauty-personal-care-br/tools-accessories-br/best-five-year-anniversary-gifts-for-her/ |
Which camera accessories are best for vacation?
During a trip, you want to make sure that your camera is safe and secure while at the same time easily accessible and at the ready to snap pics. From camera bags to straps, having the right accessories will be sure to save you from headaches while traveling.
Aside from accessories to keep your camera safe while on the move, there are tons of accessories on the market to make getting that perfect travel shot easy.
Shop this article: NOMATIC McKinnon Camera Pack, ONA The Presidio Cross-Body Strap and VSGO V-P01E Professional Lens Cleaning Pen
Best camera bags for vacation
Best of the best camera bag for vacation
What you need to know: This 35L pack has space for your camera and whatever other accessories you’re taking along for the adventure. It can expand up to 42L and even has extra space for traveling essentials.
What you’ll love: This bag is designed with travelers in mind. It features full access to the main compartment, a luggage handle pass-through, an external laptop pocket and is made with water-resistant material.
What you should consider: This pack is on the pricier side, but the quality is worth it.
Sold by Amazon
Best anti-theft camera bag for vacation
PacSafe Camsafe X25 Anti-theft Camera Backpack
What you need to know: This camera pack is designed for traveling with expensive equipment. If you want some extra peace of mind while traveling, this bag is the right choice.
What you’ll love: This bag comes with a ton of features to keep your equipment safe, such as a Robar Sport locking system for protection against pickpocketing and hidden stainless steel wire mesh to protect against snatch and grab theft.
What you should consider: If you’re not too worried about theft while traveling, you could opt for a bag that has more room and better organization for a comparable price.
Sold by Amazon
Best camera bag for multiple cameras on vacation
Think Tank Photo Streetwalker V2.0 Backpack
What you need to know: The Streetwalker is an excellent bag if you’re planning on bringing more than one camera on your trip as it can comfortably house two DSLR cameras.
What you’ll love: This bag is designed with comfort in mind with its padded shoulder straps. It has plenty of pockets and compartments to accommodate all of your accessories as well.
What you should consider: This bag is a smaller model which makes it great for vacation, but be sure to consider the amount of gear that you’ll be bringing along.
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Best bang for your buck camera bag for vacation
BAGSMART DSLR Waterproof Camera Bag
What you need to know: This bag from BAGSMART is not only stylish but also well-equipped to handle any travel situation. Comfortable and secure, this is a great camera bag to bring on vacation.
What you’ll love: The design is sleek without cutting corners on space. It comes with a rain cover to keep your gear safe from the elements. This bag also features some anti-theft protection.
What you should consider: This bag is hard to beat with its cheap price tag, but when it comes to camera bags the price is a good indicator of quality.
Sold by Amazon
Best camera straps for vacation
Best of the best camera strap for vacation
ONA The Presidio Cross-Body Strap
What you need to know: This strap is stylish, strong and durable. It can be used with camera kits up to 6 lb and is easily adjustable.
What you’ll love: This strap offers comfort while keeping your camera gear close and ready for snapping pics.
What you should consider: The strap is more expensive due to the material being leather. If you don’t like leather, a different strap would work better for you.
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Best bang for your buck camera strap for vacation
What you need to know: This over-the-shoulder strap is durable and comfy thanks to its neoprene shoulder pad and reinforced metal fasteners.
What you’ll love: It’s fully adjustable and even works well with tripods, as you can attach the camera to the tripod without having to unhook the strap.
What you should consider: This strap’s anchor plate may come undone with time, so proceed with caution if you use a heavier camera.
Sold by Amazon
Best camera accessories for vacation
Best tripod for vacation
What you need to know: The GorillaPod is great for traveling photographers since it’s adjustable and compact.
What you’ll love: This camera tripod is great for hiking trips especially, as the legs can be adjusted to fit all types of terrain.
What you should consider: This travel tripod works with cameras 2 lbs and under, so if you shoot with a larger camera, this won’t work for you.
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Best portable lighting for vacation
What you need to know: The Lume Cube Panel Mini is very portable and fits most DSLR cameras. It’s great for getting the perfect lighting in darker spaces.
What you’ll love: The Lume Cube Panel Mini has adjustable color temp and brightness with an internal battery life of 14 hours to ensure you’ll always have great lighting.
What you should consider: Be sure to check to see if this light is compatible with your camera, as it does not attach to all models. It can still be used without being attached to a camera.
Sold by Amazon
Best camera cleaning tool for vacation
VSGO V-P01E Professional Lens Cleaning Pen
What you need to know: A lens pen is a great option for travel, as you can store it in your bag without having to worry about it getting dirty.
What you’ll love: The brushes both cover up for seamless storage.
What you should consider: Depending on your needs, you may have to carry some additional lens-cleaning products while traveling.
Sold by Amazon
Best waterproof camera cover for vacation
Altura Photo Professional Camera Rain Cover
What you need to know: This camera rain cover is great for keeping your gear dry when shooting outside in rainy places.
What you’ll love: It’s made from waterproof nylon and has a great viewing window for rainy-day shooting.
What you should consider: The viewing window may fog up over time.
Sold by Amazon
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Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.qcnews.com/reviews/br/electronics-br/camera-photo-br/must-have-camera-accessories-for-your-next-vacation/ | 2023-07-30T10:27:02 | 1 | https://www.qcnews.com/reviews/br/electronics-br/camera-photo-br/must-have-camera-accessories-for-your-next-vacation/ |
Types of residential water heaters
Residential water heaters come in tank, tankless and hybrid varieties. Each type has its own distinct characteristics; benefits as well as drawbacks. By looking at factors including cost, energy efficiency, maintenance and lifespan, you’ll be able to determine which type is right for your home.
Shop this article: Rheem 50-Gallon Residential Electric Water Heater, Stiebel Eltron Tempra 36 Plus Tankless Heater, A.O. Smith 50-Gallon Hybrid Heat Pump Water Heater
Tank water heaters
Traditional water heaters feature a tank that stores hot water until it’s needed. They range in size from 30-50 gallons and run on either gas or electricity. These units cost less upfront compared to tankless and hybrid water heaters. Since they’re the most common type, costs associated with installation, repairs and maintenance are relatively low in comparison. Tank water heaters are associated with the most energy loss, referred to as standby heat loss. They waste energy by maintaining hot water in the tank when not in use.
Traditional water heaters have the shortest lifespan compared to the other types, typically lasting 8-12 years. Exposure to water, oxygen and minerals corrodes the tank over time, causing it to leak; this process is usually what causes a tank water heater to cease functioning.
Tankless water heaters
Also referred to as on-demand water heaters, tankless models are powered by gas or electricity. According to the Department of Energy, “for homes that use 41 gallons or less of hot water daily, demand water heaters can be 24–34% more energy efficient than conventional storage tank water heaters.” While tankless water heaters cost more up-front and are pricier to install compared to tank units, energy savings make them more cost-effective in the long run. Tankless heaters also take up significantly less space compared to tank and hybrid models.
Tankless water heaters have the longest lifespan, capable of lasting around 15 to 20 years. This is in part due to the fact that they do not operate constantly the way a traditional tank heater does. However, tankless water heater components may also experience corrosion, eventually.
Hybrid water heaters
Hybrid water heaters run on minimal electricity, consisting of a tank and a heat pump. They’re larger than tank water heaters, with sizes ranging from 50 to 80 gallons. Unlike tank and tankless units, they don’t directly generate heat — heat is taken from the surrounding air and transferred into the tank. For this reason, hybrid water heaters are among the most energy-efficient options on the market. However, they are costly and more expensive to install compared to traditional storage tank heaters. Hybrid water heaters function best when the temperature of the surrounding air remains at or above 40 degrees.
Hybrid water heaters tend to last around 13-15 years. Similar to tankless water heaters, they do not run continuously, which increases their lifespan. They still contain a tank capable of corroding, though, so they won’t last as long as tankless units.
Best tank water heaters
Rheem 50-Gallon Residential Electric Water Heater
This electric water heater has a 50-gallon capacity suitable for households of 3-5 people. The water heater includes a 6-year tank and parts warranty.
Sold by Walmart
Rheem 40-Gallon Residential Electric Water Heater
If you’re looking for an electric model for a smaller household, this unit is a better option. It can reliably heat water for two to four people, with an included six-year tank and parts warranty.
Sold by Walmart
Rheem 40-Gallon Natural Gas Water Heater
This natural gas heater with a 40-gallon capacity can support households of 2-4 people. It features a push-button ignition for an easier startup process. You’re covered with a 6-year tank and parts warranty, as well.
Sold by Walmart
Best tankless water heaters
Stiebel Eltron Tempra 36 Plus Tankless Heater
This tankless electric option provides a continuous output of hot water for three to four bathrooms in warm climates or two to three bathrooms in cooler climates. It has a digital display and preset temperature buttons that simplify operation. This heater comes with seven-year leakage and three-year parts warranties.
Sold by Amazon
EcoSmart ECO 27 Tankless Water Heater
Another electric pick, this tankless model can heat up to 6 gallons of water per minute, ideal for apartment and condo units in warmer climates. It features a digital display and dial temperature controls. The lifetime warranty offers peace of mind.
Sold by Amazon
Eemax Electric Tankless Water Heater
In cold climates, this tankless electric model produces enough hot water for one shower and two sinks to run simultaneously. In warmer climates, this heater can support up to four showers running at once. It features a digital display and dial controls, plus 5-year leak and 1-year parts warranties with purchase.
Sold by Amazon
Best hybrid water heater
A.O. Smith 50-Gallon Hybrid Heat Pump Water Heater
This hybrid water heater has a 50-gallon tank capable of servicing households of three to five people. You can access efficiency, hybrid, electric and vacation operating modes using the electronic interface. The electric heater comes with a six-year tank and parts warranty.
Sold by Amazon
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Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.qcnews.com/reviews/br/home-br/heating-cooling-air-quality-br/which-type-of-water-heater-is-best-for-you/ | 2023-07-30T10:27:14 | 0 | https://www.qcnews.com/reviews/br/home-br/heating-cooling-air-quality-br/which-type-of-water-heater-is-best-for-you/ |
Best time to fertilize your lawn
Whether you’re creating a comfortable space for your family to spend their free time or increasing the curb appeal of your property, maintaining a green and healthy lawn can be difficult. One of the most effective steps you can take is applying fertilizer, but correctly applying it can be tricky. And an incorrect application can do more harm than good.
We at BestReviews want you to be knowledgeable when utilizing fertilizer and have created this guide to help you feel confident you’re adding the correct amount at the appropriate time.
Shop this article: EGO Power+ 21-inch 56-volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Mower, Scotts Turf Builder Classic Drop Spreader and Flexzilla Garden Hose
Fertilizer nutrients
Most fertilizers found in a store will have three numbers printed on the packaging, referring to nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Though all these nutrients are necessary for a better lawn, each performs a specific role in facilitating healthy grass growth.
Nitrogen
Nitrogen is the most important nutrient required for a healthy lawn. All plants, including grass, need nitrogen to produce chlorophyll. Chlorophyll not only acts as food for the plant but also gives the plant its green color. Applying a nitrogen fertilizer helps your grass grow faster, recover from environmental stresses and deters disease and invasive weeds.
Although nitrogen needs to be applied in the correct amount, too much nitrogen can lead to rapid growth with an underdeveloped root system. Too little nitrogen and the yard may become nitrogen deficient, causing the grass to yellow.
Phosphorus
Phosphorus promotes vigorous root growth and helps the grass pull water from the soil. A robust root system encourages proper hydration, helps plants reach full maturity, aids in survival during dry weather and keeps soil and nutrients from blowing away during strong winds and storms.
Potassium
Potassium helps a plant’s cells maintain ‘turgor pressure,’ also known as hydrostatic pressure. Simply put, turgor pressure is what gives the plant’s cell its structural integrity. This allows the plant to survive harsh conditions, like cold weather or drought.
Best grass mowers
EGO Power+ 21-inch 56-volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Mower
Cordless, self-propelled, and able to run 80 minutes on a single charge, the EGO Power 21-inch 56-volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Mower is the rare full-electric mower that feels like a gas model.
Sold by Amazon
Black & Decker 6.5A 12-inch Electric 3-in-1 Trimmer/Edger and Mower
This Black and Decker lawn edger is an affordable and quality option for those with medium to small yards looking for a versatile machine.
Sold by Amazon
Types of fertilizer
Fast-release vs. slow-release
With nitrogen as the most critical component in facilitating plant growth, you should pay careful attention to how you introduce it into your yard’s ecosystem. Fast-release nitrogen fertilizers provide rapid growth and greening but increase the risk of nitrogen oversaturation.
Slow-release nitrogen fertilizers, also known as controlled-release fertilizers, allow for a more gradual introduction of nitrogen. Plant greening and maturation won’t be rapid, but you can expect even grass growth and lessen the chance of lawn damage.
Liquids vs. granules
Most home fertilizers come in either liquid or granule form. Though both contain the same nutrients needed to facilitate healthy lawn growth, they each have specific benefits and drawbacks.
Liquid fertilizers have a consistent distribution of nutrients and are easy to apply. Liquid fertilizers do not have a slow-release nitrogen option, and the initial cost of a distribution system can be steep.
Granular fertilizers are cheap to purchase, especially in bulk, are easy to store and provide slow-release nitrogen fertilizer options. Though granular fertilizers don’t spread as evenly as their liquid counterparts, the cost of granule distribution systems is far less.
Best granular spreaders
Scotts Turf Builder Classic Drop Spreader
With its straightforward operation and ease of use, the Turf Builder Classic Drop Spreader is an ideal fit for those who need to distribute fertilizer over a large area.
Sold by Amazon
Scotts Turf Builder EdgeGuard Mini Broadcast Spreader
For gardeners on a budget, Scotts Turf Builder EdgeGuard Mini Broadcast Spreader has plenty of capacity to cover most lawns and gardens.
Sold by Amazon
Scotts Wizz Hand-Held Spreader
Lightweight and handheld, the Scotts Wizz Hand-Held Spreader is an excellent fit for the gardener with a small or atypical-shaped yard in need of fertilizing.
Sold by Amazon
When is the best time to fertilize your lawn?
Depending on the needs of your soil and climate, your lawn may require multiple applications of fertilizer throughout the year. However, there are two critical times during the year when spreading fertilizer can most benefit your yard.
Spring
When fertilizer is applied to frozen soil, the plants cannot absorb nitrogen and other nutrients. Instead, the nitrogen rests on top of the soil and can be washed away, collecting in the low parts of a yard or into storm drains and ditches. These areas become damaged from an over-concentration of nitrogen and will need further attention and maintenance.
In spring, wait until the soil has sufficiently thawed and warmed before applying fertilizer. Creating a solid root system early will lead to a healthier and greener yard later, so be cautious not to apply too much nitrogen too fast.
Fall
Late fall is arguably the most critical time to apply fertilizer, as the winter months will be the hardest on your lawn. Research the expected climate in your area and spread fertilizer 2-3 weeks before the soil will freeze. The morning dews during those few weeks will bring the essential nutrients from the fertilizer into the soil. The result will be a lawn more prepared for the cold winter months and a healthier root system when the soil thaws again in the spring.
When to water the lawn after fertilizing
If you decide to apply granular fertilizer to your lawn, water the area immediately to ensure the nutrients are absorbed. Never apply granular fertilizer to wet grass, as wet grass can cause nitrogen to wash away before entering the soil, damaging your lawn.
Rugged enough to discourage kinks, yet flexible and easy to use, the Flexzilla garden hose is an ideal purchase for the gardener who prefers a hands-on approach to lawn maintenance.
Sold by Amazon
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Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.qcnews.com/reviews/br/lawn-garden-br/fertilizers-br/when-to-fertilize-your-lawn/ | 2023-07-30T10:27:24 | 0 | https://www.qcnews.com/reviews/br/lawn-garden-br/fertilizers-br/when-to-fertilize-your-lawn/ |
Invest in art supplies to spark creativity
Art is a fun, hands-on way for kids to play and express themselves. Whether they’re doodling, designing or painting, each art project taps into their creativity and provides hours of fun.
If you’re thinking of investing in art supplies for kids, you might be wondering where to begin. Start with foundational supplies, which include coloring, sketching and painting sets. Beyond these, opt for supplies and tools that cater to your kids’ unique artistic interests. Kids who are fascinated with fashion design, for example, will appreciate sewing machines, while others may want to dabble in sculpting with modeling clay.
Shop this article: Elmer’s Rainbow Glitter Glue Pen Set, Desk Organizer for Kids and Magic Erasers
What to know about art supplies for kids
Safety
Elmer’s Rainbow Glitter Glue Pen Set
Art supplies made for kids are designed to be safe and age-appropriate. Many of them have non-toxic components or ingredients, such as Elmer’s Rainbow Glitter Glue Pen Set. Like certain toys, some art supplies may have small parts warnings. Additionally, if art supplies or kits require adult supervision, manufacturers usually indicate it clearly on the packaging.
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Storage
It’s common to amass a modest collection of kids’ art supplies, which is why it’s smart to think about storage options, too.
- Markers, colored pencils and crayons can be placed in desktop organizers or caddies.
- Small or loose supplies, such as beads or card-making supplies, can be stored in stacking storage bins.
- When several types of art supplies are used on a regular basis, a utility rolling cart keeps them accessible and organized.
- Art supplies brought on trips can be stored in portable craft organizers.
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How to handle art project messes
It’s no secret that art projects can get messy. Even if you take precautionary measures — including laying a newspaper on the floor or wearing smocks — accidents happen. Fortunately, most messes can be cleaned up quickly with the right products.
Adhesive removers are ideal for lifting residue left by glue and stickers. Magic Erasers can remove stubborn pen and marker stains from walls and other hard surfaces. Stain-fighting detergent and pre-treat spot cleaners are effective at lifting most paint and ink stains from kids’ clothing.
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How much you can expect to spend on art supplies for kids
Basic art supplies for kids, including entry-level coloring and craft sets, cost $10 or less. Mid-range art supplies, such as deluxe painting, coloring or sculpting sets, run between $10-$30. High-end supplies, like artist-grade colored pencils, run $30-$75.
Best art supplies for kids
Deluxe marker set
Deluxe marker sets include dozens of markers in a wide variety of colors. In addition to the basic rainbow colors, they may have several unique shades.
Crayola Super Tips Marker Set includes 100 markers in 100 colors. Their tapered tips are suitable for fine color work or everyday doodling. The markers, intended for ages 3 and older, are non-toxic and washable.
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Graphite pencils
Graphite pencils are used for sketching and shading. Sets include a range of grades, which vary based on hardness and how much lead the pencil deposits on paper. The higher the grade, the lighter the mark it will leave.
Staedtler Mars Lumograph Art Pencil Set
Staedtler Mars Lumograph Art Pencil Set includes 12 graded pencils ranging from 6B through 4H. Considered an artist-grade set, they’re easy to sharpen and erase and are packaged in a sleek, protective tin.
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Sketchbook
Sketchbooks are blank canvases for budding artists. They’re available in more than one type of paper to accommodate various types of ink, pencils or paint.
Strathmore Sketch Pad, considered an ideal “first sketchbook,” is suitable for pencil, charcoal, pastel and sketch work. The spiral-bound design features a heavy cardboard front and back to protect pages.
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Modeling clay
Modeling clay is soft and malleable, which makes it a kid-friendly medium for sculpting. Some types of modeling clay air dry into tiny creations, whereas others are non-drying and lend themselves to repeated reshaping.
Faber-Castell Modeling Clay Set
Faber-Castell Modeling Clay Set comes with clay in 10 classic colors. The kit includes a few sculpting tools as well, such as shape cutters and push molds. Suitable for ages 4 and older, this non-drying clay is gluten-free and non-toxic.
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Easel
A kids’ easel is a versatile investment in art, as it can be used for upright sketching or painting. Many of these easels have built-in tables that hold art supplies, including paint pots or chalk.
Light box
Light boxes are designed for animation, comic book art and stenciling. Their illumination comes from bright white LED lights, which last through hours of use. Many light boxes offer more than one brightness option.
TickTeckLab A4 Ultra-Thin Portable LED Tracer
TickTeckLab A4 Ultra-Thin Portable LED Tracer is appreciated for its flicker-free glow. The portable light box comes with a micro USB port for easy charging through power banks, PCs or compatible AC adapters.
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Construction paper
Construction paper remains one of the most versatile types of paper for art projects. Its heavyweight design and bright colors make it ideal for designing cards, mobiles and other crafts.
Crayola Construction Paper comes with a set of 96 9×12-inch sheets in eight colors. The paper is suitable for all types of pencils and most types of ink, including bold markers and high-pigment pens.
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Acrylic paint set
Acrylic paint is considered a multipurpose paint since it can be used on a variety of surfaces, including glass, ceramic, stone, canvas and wood. It blends easily and is ideal for beginner painters.
Arteza Craft Acrylic Paint includes 20 popular colors packaged in squeezable bottles. The fast-dry formula minimizes smearing and messes. The paint is non-toxic and can be cleaned from most surfaces with soap and water.
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Lettering kit
Creative lettering, or calligraphy, is done with a diverse range of pens with contoured tips. These pens create unique designs and shapes, resulting in artistic signs, words, logos or monograms.
Prismacolor Premier Beginner Hand Lettering Set
Prismacolor Premier Beginner Hand Lettering Set is a popular introductory set that includes two graphite pencils and four pens. The kit comes with a tips pamphlet that explains basic techniques on letter shaping and design.
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Sewing machine
Sewing machines let users experiment with fashion design, home decor and other types of fabric crafting. While they’re more expensive than most art supplies, sewing machines lend themselves to considerable use and may last for the better part of a decade — or longer.
Singer M3330 Making the Cut Sewing Machine
Singer M3330 Making the Cut Sewing Machine, a user-friendly model, is equipped with 97 stitches and has a convenient front-loading bobbin. In addition to its compact design, the Singer sewing machine has a full-metal frame for lasting durability.
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Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.qcnews.com/reviews/br/lawn-garden-br/tools-br-lawn-garden-br/arts-crafts-br/best-art-supplies-for-kids/ | 2023-07-30T10:27:36 | 1 | https://www.qcnews.com/reviews/br/lawn-garden-br/tools-br-lawn-garden-br/arts-crafts-br/best-art-supplies-for-kids/ |
What’s the best way to crate train a dog with separation anxiety?
Crate training can be a useful tool for many dog owners. Some may want their dog in a crate when they’re sleeping or when they leave the home, while others may want to give the dog space all their own. Crate training is also helpful for dogs with separation anxiety since the crate can provide calm and protection. Dogs that do not like being alone may welcome the crate during moments of distress. Crate training takes time and patience. Relieving separation anxiety requires an owner’s full attention and dedication. Don’t miss our testing insights on the Furbo Dog Camera.
Shop this article: MidWest Homes for Pets Dog Crate, Furbo Dog Camera and Merrick Power Bites Salmon Treats.
What is separation anxiety?
Separation anxiety is the fear of being alone. Dogs that have been abandoned, have moved to a new space or have undergone a sudden shift in lifestyle may develop separation anxiety. In particular, dogs that develop a strong bond with their owners may become anxious when alone. Especially if the owner has been home frequently only to have a new schedule in which they are often away. Separation anxiety may develop at any age among any breed. It can also be exacerbated by a lack of mental and physical stimulation, leading to a bored dog that may start to lash out.
How to identify separation anxiety
Separation anxiety is easy to identify and can manifest in a variety of ways. Most commonly, your dog barks excessively while you’re gone. They may also develop destructive behavior such as chewing furniture, rummaging for food or ripping up anything left out. They may also mark or relieve themselves when left alone. Some behavior may be noticeable before you leave. Dogs can associate certain sounds and actions, such as the handling of keys or putting on a coat, as signs they are about to be left alone. As a result, they may begin to pace, pant, drool, shake or even try to sneak out the door with you.
Crate training advantages
When afraid or anxious, a trained dog may retreat to its crate. If it becomes a place of refuge, dogs can be more comfortable when alone. It gives them security and confidence and offers you peace of mind while away. Many owners prefer to crate train a rescue dog since past trauma may be unknown and it’s likely they are in need of stability.
How to crate train
Crate training can take weeks or months and requires strict discipline and patience by the owner. The first step is to choose the right crate. Your dog should be able to comfortably stand up and turn around within the crate. Wire crates are most popular as they are durable and easy to set up and take down. Some have two doors for easier access, while others feature a bottom platform that can pull out for easy cleaning.
Initially, the crate should be a place your dog can safely explore without owners nearby. Fill it with a comfortable bed or blankets, especially ones that have a familiar smell to them. You may put in calming toys or clothes that have your scent on it to make the dog feel safe.
Spending time in the crate should be relaxing. If your dog does not initially explore the crate, a favorite toy or tasty treat might entice them. Let them enter and exit as they wish and keep your distance if they seem hesitant. Early on, their time in the crate needs to be rewarding and stimulating. A challenging puzzle or a treat-dispensing toy is useful to get them to make positive associations.
As they grow more comfortable, you can experiment with closing the door but keeping it unlocked, allowing your dog to push it open and leave if they wish. Over time, begin to lock the door, keeping them in for a few minutes. Slowly increase the time they stay in there as they grow more comfortable, building up to longer periods away.
Crate safety
There are some precautions to take when crate training your dog.
- Dogs with severe separation anxiety may seek to break free, which can be dangerous.
- They should never wear a collar or apparel within the crate as it may get caught.
- They should have water if you’re going away for more than an hour. Some water bowls can affix to the side so they don’t step in it or knock it over.
- Avoid leaving your dog in a crate for more than six to eight hours. Especially younger dogs that may not have full bladder control.
- If your dog is anxious and prone to chewing while stressed, do not leave any toys within that they could destroy and ingest.
Additional solutions
Crate training is only one way to curb separation anxiety. Before leaving, your dog should enjoy both physical and mental exertion. Tiring them out with a walk and playtime, even something as simple as fetch, can help them settle and relax. Some dogs also benefit from having the sides and top of the crate covered to create a cozier, more protective space with less stimulation.
Some dogs may enjoy calming treats and supplements. Popular ingredients include hemp and chamomile to soothe the dog and help them sleep. Some dog owners may want to keep an eye on their dog while they’re away to better see how they are coping with being alone; a dog camera may be a worthy investment. Our tester found the Furbo Dog Camera‘s treat-tossing feature excellent for interacting with your pet while away. They also liked the recording feature, saying it made training out their puppy’s bad behaviors much easier. For serious anxiety, your vet may prescribe medication in conjunction with dedicated training.
Best treats for crate training for separation anxiety
Merrick Power Bites Salmon Treats
Delicious, high-value dog treats should only be for training. These nutritious chews feature salmon and potatoes. Use these only for crate training so your dog makes positive associations.
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Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.qcnews.com/reviews/br/pets-br/training-br/how-to-crate-train-a-dog-with-separation-anxiety/ | 2023-07-30T10:27:42 | 0 | https://www.qcnews.com/reviews/br/pets-br/training-br/how-to-crate-train-a-dog-with-separation-anxiety/ |
Adult lawn games
When you’re a kid, outdoor games help you develop both fine and gross motor skills. They can increase your coordination, teach you admirable character traits such as good sportsmanship and help you burn off excess energy.
However, when you become an adult, outdoor games serve a different purpose. While they still provide entertainment and recreation, outdoor games encourage and facilitate social interaction. The best outdoor games for adults create an atmosphere that sparks conversation and healthy but not too serious competition.
Read on for a list of favorite outdoor games that are best suited for backyard gatherings of adult friends and family members. To make it easy for you to find one that’s best for your needs, they’re organized in five categories: classic games, tossing games, active games, supersized games and novelty options.
Shop this article: Franklin Sports Croquet Set, Hey! Play! Family Bocce Ball Set and St. Pierre American Professional Series Horseshoes
Classic games
These lawn games are timeless favorites that have been around for a hundred years or more.
Croquet is a fun game of skill that’s been around for nearly 200 years. It involves hitting a ball through a course made of wire hoops and a peg. This set comes with everything you need: six durable mallets, six balls, nine hoops, two pegs and a carrying case.
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Hey! Play! Family Bocce Ball Set
Bocce is a simple game of skill that’s been around for over 7,000 years. This set from Hey! Play! offers quality materials at a low price, which translates to value. The balls come in two colors with two distinct patterns to facilitate four-person play.
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You thought bowling was only an indoor sport? In 5,000 B.C., ancient Egyptians used to have fun knocking down objects by rolling stones. With this quality set of ten hardwood pins and two hardwood balls, you can carry on the tradition at your next picnic. This game works best on level, short-cut lawns or dirt.
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Tossing games
Whether tossing steel or beanbags, these fun adult games are designed to test your underarm throwing skills.
St. Pierre American Professional Series Horseshoes
This is not a set for kids. The durable blue and gray horseshoes in this kit are manufactured using forged steel. The set also includes two solid steel 24-inch stakes, an official rule book and a carrying case.
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GoSports Premium Metal Ladder Toss Game Set
If you’re looking for a high-quality ladder toss game, this model is made out of steel, is easy to assemble and comes with a carrying case. The bolos are manufactured using soft rubber with thicker strings to help prevent tangles.
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This regulation-size cornhole game has a vintage style and is manufactured to look like steel-framed barnwood planks but is UV- and water-resistant. The set comes with eight 16-ounce, all-weather beanbags.
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Active games
These active games are best for individuals who like to get a little workout in while playing.
For the individual who takes paddle ball seriously, this high-quality, solid wooden set is made using pine, sapele and beechwood to create a distinctive design. The handles are wrapped in neoprene to provide a confident grip, and the set comes with a canvas drawstring bag for storage and transport.
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Franklin Sports Family Badminton Set
If you’d like to save a little money and still get a great badminton set, this is the way to go. This family-friendly unit features a net that is 20 feet x 1 foot, 6 inches. It’s easy to set up and comes with four steel badminton rackets, two nylon birdies and six ropes and stakes.
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Park & Sun Sports Permanent Outdoor Tetherball Set
Tetherball is a fun and challenging game that is permanently installed so you can play whenever you’d like. The object is simply to wrap the rope completely around the pole. This kit features a two-piece galvanized steel pole to resist rusting along with a soft-touch ball with a durable nylon-wound bladder.
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Supersized games
The fun only gets bigger when you play these tabletop games in extra-large size.
This is the official Hasbro version of the popular stacking game. However, in this supersized version, you can use the 54 hardwood blocks to create towers that are over 5 feet tall.
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ECR4Kids Jumbo 4-to-Score Game Set
Yes, this is the popular kids’ game that goes by a slightly different name when sold by other manufacturers. The object is to connect four giant rings in a straight line on the huge 4-foot-tall game grid. It’s manufactured using lightweight, weather-resistant material so it can be played either indoors or outdoors.
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Triumph Sports 28-Piece Lawn Domino Set
If you’ve ever wanted to play dominoes outside, this is your chance. This wooden set features 28 pieces that are 3 1/2 x 7 inches, making them large enough to play on a picnic table or in the grass. The color-coded pips add a splash of fun while the varnish finish helps with durability.
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Novelty options
If you’d like to look a little off the beaten path for backyard entertainment, these outdoor novelty games might be the best option for you.
University Games Flickin’ Chicken
This creative novelty game is modeled after golf. There’s a target that serves as the hole, and each round, players see who can land their chicken on the target with the least number of throws. Up to four players can play a game.
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GoSports Foam Fire Trophy Hunt
Admittedly, this game was designed for kids, but that doesn’t mean adults can’t have just as much fun playing. Players take turns shooting foam balls at a target that features big game animals to try and earn the most points. The set includes two blasters, 40 foam balls, a target, a carrying case and a rule book.
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GoPong 8-Foot Portable Beer Pong Table
Yes, we’ve saved the best for last! This regulation-size beer pong table is what every serious competitor needs. The compact, fold-up design turns this table into a 2-foot square case in a matter of seconds. While the table comes with six pong balls, you need to supply your own red Solo cups.
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Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.qcnews.com/reviews/br/toys-games-br/outdoor-toys-br/best-adult-lawn-games/ | 2023-07-30T10:27:49 | 0 | https://www.qcnews.com/reviews/br/toys-games-br/outdoor-toys-br/best-adult-lawn-games/ |
Kevin Hart wet the bed last night.
He had spent his 44th birthday slamming back shots of tequila and partying with Ludacris at a nightclub until 4 a.m. A few hours later, he awoke in his palatial Las Vegas hotel suite and asked his wife who had thrown water on his side of the mattress. She suggested that it was in fact he who had soiled the linens.
“And I’ll be damned,” Hart says.
He’s still in Vegas, recounting the incident to five of his closest friends. Plus a live audience of 100 or so at a sports bar, where the group is recording a live version of their weekly podcast, “Straight From the Hart,” which airs on the comedian’s SiriusXM channel.
Who are the people shaping our culture? In her new column, Amy Kaufman will examine the lives of icons, underdogs and rising stars to find out — “For Real.”
“You know,” one of Hart’s buddies says, “there is such a thing as being too honest.”
“I have no problem being honest,” Hart fires back. “That’s the thing that people are afraid to do in these times.”
Presumably, this is why he is allowing a journalist to shadow him during Hartbeat Weekend, a four-day, alcohol-fueled extravaganza highlighting the many facets of Kevin Hart.
Headquartered at Vegas’ Resorts World, the July 6-9 gathering is a mini-festival with 19 events curated and underwritten by the comedian. There will be performances from his favorite acts (Jack Harlow, T.I., J. Cole), pool parties, the inaugural taping of a relaunch of BET’s iconic “ComicView” — which his Hartbeat company is behind — and a couple of shows by Hart himself. Attended by about 50,000 fans — who pay for one-off tickets to most of the events — it is an attempt to synthesize the various entities under the umbrella of Hart’s rapidly expanding business ecosystem.
Ostensibly, that’s why I’m here. Not to witness Hart drink until he blacks out — which will occur — but to observe his self-described transition from celebrity to brand.
It’s been a complex journey. There was a time, according to his friends, when Hart kept much of his wealth in cash because he feared the stock market was a Ponzi scheme. Even as he built and invested in a slew of companies, the public still identified him as an actor or stand-up comic — not an entrepreneur.
Just last month, a clip of Jason Bateman went viral in which the actor questions why Hart appeared on ABC’s “Shark Tank.”
“Were you pitching something or judging?” Bateman asks during an episode of his podcast, “SmartLess.”
“What the f— is that?” Hart replies, laughing in disbelief. “I was a shark. I’m Kevin Hart, bitch! I’m not pitching an idea.”
Nick Cannon has as many business projects as he has children, and he wishes people would talk about that a bit more.
If Bateman were one of Hart’s 178 million Instagram followers, he might have a better understanding of the performer’s business acumen. On social media, Hart is constantly promoting his own companies: Gran Coramino (tequila), VitaHustle (nutrition supplements), Hart House (a plant-based fast food restaurant chain).
Last year, he started his own venture capital firm, which quickly took an outside investment from JPMorgan; Hartbeat Ventures’ portfolio now includes over two dozen companies, including Magic Spoon cereal and Therabody.
But his primary focus is Hartbeat, his media enterprise that in 2022 sold a minority stake to private equity firm Abry Partners for $100 million. The investment allowed Hart to expand his ranks to 80 employees and open offices in Hollywood, Atlanta and New York. The company has released 16 projects this year and has more than 70 in the pipeline planned for distribution deals with partners like Netflix, NBCUniversal and Audible.
The new company, Hartbeat, is a combination of two existing companies founded by Hart.
Many of those projects, including the Peacock celebrity interview show “Hart to Heart” or the forthcoming Netflix heist movie “Lift,” feature Hart; others showcase different stars, including Lil Dicky and Keke Palmer.
The connective tissue among all of these entities — his brand, in other words — is what Hart describes as “heart, home and love.” Which sounds a bit more PG than Hart’s comedy — or Hartbeat Weekend.
Owning and exaggerating his flaws is key to Hart’s stand-up. He jokes about his 5-foot-4 stature, his wandering eye, his tendency to snitch on his buddies. In film, his most successful roles have been opposite more formidable co-stars like Dwayne Johnson (“Jumanji,” “Central Intelligence”), Ice Cube (the “Ride Along” films) and Will Ferrell (“Get Hard”). He excels at playing an out-of-place underdog — loud, frenzied, irritated and almost always in over his head.
Hart is successful as a comedian and an actor, but it’s his portfolio that makes him peerless. Chris Rock, Ricky Gervais and Dave Chappelle command multimillion-dollar paychecks from streamers for their specials. Ellen DeGeneres and Jay Leno pivoted from comedy clubs to talk show stages. Adam Sandler, Amy Schumer and Jerry Seinfeld have their own production companies.
But none is — or perhaps even aspired to be — a mogul. And somehow, a man who openly parties so hard that he unabashedly wets the bed very much is.
Hart has always laid his ambition bare. When I first met him nearly a decade ago, he spoke about how he envied Jay Z’s success, hoping to follow the blueprint of “no longer just being a celebrity, but a person who controls an enterprise.”
“Eddie Murphy was a rock star, and if he had the tools we have, who knows how ridiculous he would be,” Hart told me in 2014, a year when he was starring in four movies. “With the tools I have today, what is my excuse not to try to get as huge as I can possibly get?”
When he arrives in Las Vegas for Hartbeat Weekend, it’s clear his lifestyle has leveled up significantly since then. At 1:30 on Thursday afternoon, the weekend’s first activation, the Gran Coramino Cup, is about to begin inside a cigar lounge at the hotel complex. Fifteen bartenders have been culled from a pool of 155 to compete for the chance to sling cocktails for a year at Hart’s various promotional tequila events.
Outside the lounge, at least a dozen people mill around, including a woman who creates content for Hart‘s TikTok channel, a trio of men with cameras who document his every move, his publicist, a tour manager and a tequila executive.
And when Hart sweeps in, he’s encircled by an entourage composed primarily of friends and family (as well as the three security guards who will flank him for the weekend). He’s on the phone, and everyone appears to be anxiously waiting for the call to end so they can get his attention. When it does, his publicist is one of the first to grab him, and she introduces us.
“Hey, how’s it going?” he says, his face obscured by a Prada bucket hat.
These are the only words we will exchange over the course of the weekend, even when we are in close proximity. He’s not rude, but he is preoccupied, bouncing around to chat with his crew. He definitely knows I’m here. He sees me with my notebook. He just doesn’t really seem to care. Which, frankly, makes things easier for me — we have an interview scheduled for after the weekend wraps; now, I can fully take in the scene.
And it’s a chaotic one. Hart may have few limits when it comes to talking about his bodily functions, but this all-access trip to Vegas comes with boundaries. Over the course of Hartbeat Weekend, he is constantly with the five friends with whom he did that podcast, commonly known as the Plastic Cup Boyz. That’s intentional — being surrounded by those he feels have his back makes him feel protected, but it also limits the amount of access others have to him.
“I think it comes from his upbringing,” says Wayne Brown, Hart’s tour manager and a member of that group. “He likes to feel that family love around him because that support system maybe wasn’t what it should have been when he was growing up.”
Hart has never shied from sharing his origin story, particularly in his comedy. As a kid in North Philadelphia, Hart was raised by his single mother, Nancy; his dad was a drug addict who was in and out of jail. His mom had Hart’s brother legally emancipated after he got mixed up in some criminal behavior as a teenager. She subsequently pinned all of her hopes on Hart, forcing him to fill his free time with a slew of extracurricular activities to ensure he stayed out of trouble. He has continually attributed his work ethic to his mom, who died of ovarian cancer in 2007.
So, yeah, it could be that Hart doesn’t flinch when eyes are on him because he’s used to such pressures. Or perhaps, given the events of the last few years, he has become somewhat immune to outside opinion — at times shielding himself in a cloak of defiance when his behavior is questioned.
On Dec. 4, 2018, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that Hart would host the 91st Oscars ceremony. The decision was met with almost immediate backlash. Twitter users resurfaced homophobic jokes he had made earlier in his career — “Yo if my son comes home & try’s 2 play with my daughters doll house I’m going 2 break it over his head & say n my voice ‘stop that’s gay,’ ” read one 2011 bit — and demanded he apologize.
On Dec. 6, he posted an Instagram video revealing that the academy had also requested he apologize. He “passed” on making amends, he said, because he had already addressed the misguided jokes in years past. Hours later, however, he tweeted an apology and said he would step down from the hosting gig.
Kevin Hart is really and truly done with the Oscars.
The following year, he released a six-part Netflix docuseries, “Kevin Hart: Don’t F— This Up,” which followed him as he navigated the fallout. The show also delved into the aftermath of the 2017 cheating scandal that ensued when the comedian admitted he’d cheated on his second wife, Eniko Parrish, with a model in Las Vegas. The infidelity occurred while Parrish was eight months pregnant with the couple’s first child.
“When I got to see the effect that my reckless behavior had, that was, um — it was crushing,” he tells the camera in the series. “That tore me up. That’s probably the lowest moment of my life because I know what I was responsible for.”
Hart has a long and complicated relationship with Las Vegas. One of his best friends, longtime writing partner Harry Ratchford, told me that when Hart would argue with his first wife — they were married from 2003 to 2011 — the two men would retreat to Sin City as a refuge.
During one trip, they ran into Will Packer — then a fledgling producer who had yet to make hits like “Straight Outta Compton” or “Girls Trip.” Despite barely being familiar with Packer, Hart became convinced that the producer might be his entree into the film world.
“So he sent Will Packer a whole bottle to his table, and this is when he didn’t have that type of money,” Ratchford recalls. “It was like a $1,500 bottle or something. Kev just treated him like a king.” The move paid off, with Packer eventually giving Hart a role in 2012’s “Think Like a Man” and later teaming with him on the “Ride Along” films.
These days, Ratchford says, Hart will go to Vegas only if his wife is with him. “But even though he encountered a misfortune there, it’s always been somewhere where Kev can let his hair down, party, blow off steam and somewhat still move in obscurity.”
Indeed, though the Gran Coramino Cup is open to the public, the crowd of a few dozen onlookers is respectful, mostly concerned with documenting Hart’s appearance on their cellphones. After crowning a winning bartender, he toasts the room with a shot of tequila.
Six hours later, he is clinking another shot glass with friends. It’s 11:30 p.m. when he turns up at a lounge on the 66th floor of the hotel, where an invite-only gathering toasts his birthday. He and Eniko wear matching candy apple red ensembles. He’s escorted to a cordoned-off section of the room, which is kind of confounding since the 75 or so people in attendance are either his colleagues or homies. Comedian DC Young Fly and TikTok food influencer Keith Lee are among those granted VIP access.
A video montage of messages from loved ones, commissioned by Hart’s wife, starts playing on a flat screen. He stands at attention directly in front of the TV, smiling gleefully. There are tributes from the Plastic Cup Boyz, a motley assemblage of older men with whom he plays poker, and Ludacris, who tells Hart that it “takes a special person to be 100% themselves 100% of the time.”
After the video finishes, Stevie Wonder’s “Happy Birthday to Ya” starts to play and a cake is delivered to the VIP area. But Hart starts waving his hands, requesting that the music be lowered so he can address the room on a microphone. He is emotional, and he is drunk.
“In that video, I saw a lot of people I give a f— about,” he says, starting to tear up. “And to see that, that makes me feel like you give a f— back. That, to me — that’s the best gift.
“So I’ll say that in a respectful manner as a man that stands on f— glass,” he continues. “Y’all don’t know how my feet bleed. I take the cuts. I take the bruises. I take it all because I don’t want my people to feel it. That’s the s— that makes a man feel that it’s worth it.”
Everyone applauds and returns to the party. But Hart’s remarks stick with me. I take a sliver of cake —possibly the only person in attendance to do so — and stare at the newly erected Las Vegas Sphere illuminated against the sky. I wonder what has caused Hart to feel unappreciated by those closest to him. What is making this man’s feet bleed.
I don’t have much time to mull, however; the party is moving from the lounge to Zouk Nightclub for Ludacris’ performance. I have not been looking forward to this. While I enjoy “Move Bitch” as much as the next millennial, I am not genetically coded for nightclubs. Especially post-pandemic. So many bodies. Sweaty bodies. Yelling. Inebriated. Blinded by strobe lights. Deafened by bass.
But Kevin Hart loves this environment — he will go to Zouk on three consecutive nights this weekend — and so, dead sober, wearing a blazer and clutching a plaid notebook, I follow. The scene is reminiscent of the kind of thing you used to see on “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” when Kim would go to a place like Tao to do a paid appearance. There are sparklers and shots delivered to Hart’s VIP area by attractive women. He is having a great time. When Ludacris finally goes on stage — an hour after he is scheduled to, but who’s looking at the clock? — Hart joins him, hyping up the audience.
This is the last thing he will remember that night, before waking up in soaked sheets.
“It didn’t go dark for me until after Luda and we started going with back-to-back shots,” he tells his friends during the live podcast taping the next day.
It’s 2:30 p.m., and his voice is hoarse. He was supposed to play poker this morning, but he canceled so he could sleep in. He’s wearing a pair of Crocs designed to look like the “Cars” character Lightning McQueen.
“Uh, let’s talk about how you was crying last night,” one of the Plastic Cup Boyz suggests.
“I got emotional,” Hart admits.
“He cried,” Na’im Lynn, a comic, informs the crowd. “And he said, ‘Y’all don’t know that I walk on glass.’ I don’t know what the f— that means.”
“I’m a provider,” Hart says. “As a guy that provides, I’m always the one giving gifts or giving a good time. So it’s the moments when people do things and they show you a level of appreciation and love that matter to me the most. So these jackasses actually did something nice for me.”
Hart’s boys take offense to this. They start listing the gifts they’ve given Hart: a truck that he later returned, a pair of diamond cuff links, a Peloton bike. They banter lightheartedly and take more tequila shots. Then it’s off to a dayclub for a pool party. It is 101 degrees outside. How in the hell is this man going to perform a sold-out stand-up show for 5,000 people tonight?
Science be damned, at 8:30 p.m., Hart emerges from his hotel suite with his wife, brother and two eldest children — Heaven, 18, and Hendrix, 15 — to walk to the theater. In the elevator, Heaven play-fights with her father, pretending to spar with him.
“What, you wanna run it?” she asks her dad.
“You don’t even sound right,” Hart responds, laughing at her vernacular. “Look at you. Nothing about you says, ‘I can defend myself.’ ”
Eniko stares down at her heels, seemingly regretting her shoe choice.
“How much more walking do we have to do?” she asks, trudging down yet another soulless hallway. “I hate this place.”
Finally they arrive at the theater’s greenroom, where three dozen people are already hanging out, picking from buffet trays. Tonight is the second-to-last show of Hart’s “Reality Check” tour, which began in 2022 and had 199 dates. Upstairs, in the wings of the stage, a handful of seats have been set up around a monitor for Hart’s friends to watch the show. Hart chills until the last possible minute before nonchalantly entering the theater when cued.
Despite the amount of añejo no doubt coursing through his veins, he gives a performance virtually identical to the version of “Reality Check” that began streaming on Peacock the same weekend Hartbeat is going on. (The special, his eighth, was filmed in the same Vegas theater in late 2022.) One of his best-received bits centers on how out of place he felt when he began protesting in the wake of George Floyd’s death. He describes how he turned up in “a salmon-colored V-neck and some khakis” when everyone else was in all black, toting a sign that read, “Black People Rock”; he was such an outlier, he says, that one of the leaders told him to just go home when the rubber bullets started flying.
Sixty minutes later, he bounds off the stage excitedly chanting, “One more show!” In a few hours, he will return to Zouk to see J. Cole. I will not be seeing J. Cole. In fact, I decide to leave Las Vegas the following day. Yes, there is still one day of Hartbeat Weekend remaining, when he’ll do his final stand-up gig and then watch Jack Harlow rap.
Brown, Hart’s tour manager, told me that his boss is always able to keep going because he’s an expert at sleeping on-the-go — if he has 10 minutes of downtime on a quick car ride, he’ll pass right out.
I do not possess this superpower.
Also, it’s clear that this is not the best environment to have a substantive conversation with Hart. His publicist and I agree to schedule the interview for when he returns to L.A. in the next few days, before expiration of the SAG-AFTRA negotiation extension.
But by Monday, it’s still unclear when Hart will be back in LA. He could be staying in Vegas to play poker. Actually, now he’s going to Palm Springs. It’s Tuesday. He isn’t answering his publicist. He’s with his boys. He’s distracted. He’s not looking at his phone. Finally, Wednesday morning, a suggestion: A 5 p.m. interview on Zoom, mere hours before an actors’ strike could start at midnight — after which an interview would be off the table.
He’s shirtless when he pops up on-screen, wearing nothing but two diamond chains. He’s videoconferencing from his iPhone and he seems distracted, accepting a plate of food, letting someone in from outside.
“I’m still recovering,” he says two days after leaving Vegas. “I’m not 26 anymore; 44 is on me now. So I can’t do that consistently — not with my schedule.”
I tell Hart that I’m still thinking about his now-infamous “walk on glass” speech. I ask him to describe some of the burdens he’s carrying.
“There’s things where I just bear all of the consequences,” he says. “I bear the burden of insurance risks or higher budgets. To take a team and travel with them is expensive. Sometimes that cuts into your bottom line.”
He tries not to talk about these things, he says, because he wants the people around him to feel comfortable. But money stresses him out. Always has. Ratchford says he used to tease Hart about the cash he kept on hand.
“I’m like, ‘Kev, are you sick?’” Ratchford says he asked. “You can’t just be sitting on liquid like that. He’d say he had it in case s— hit the fan. We call him Panic Paul because he’s always thinking worst-case scenario in every situation.”
Hart won’t say how close he is to being a billionaire, a title he’s long aspired to, or what the end goal is for Hartbeat. He’s already sold a minority stake in the company, but would he ever want to offload the entire business à la Reese Witherspoon, whose Hello Sunshine was acquired by a private equity-backed media company for over $900 million?
“Right now, it’s about owning something that can be on the side of the building that people will resonate with and understand,” Hart says. “I’m trying to create generational wealth and opportunity for my family and my family’s family. And also an ecosystem that provides job security for so many. As you do that, and as that brand grows, the decision gets harder to make as to what you want to do.”
Jeff Clanagan, Hartbeat’s president and chief distribution officer, says he’s considered Hart “more of a business executive than a comedian” for a few years now. “His time is really spent running and overseeing his business entities and investments, but everybody doesn’t really know that,” the executive says.
Hart insists he’s fine with that — fine with Jason Bateman’s befuddlement over his “Shark Tank” appearance. Because eventually they’ll see it. How hard he was working. How much he achieved. How he set his kids up for success.
Emily Ratajkowski opens up about estranged husband Sebastian Bear-McClard, Hollywood’s dark side, growing her Bitch Era Media empire and kissing Harry Styles.
All things in due time. That’s why he thinks he was able to ultimately move past the Oscars controversy: People saw his true colors after some time passed.
“Good people are good people. You can’t fake being a good person,” he says. “One thing that I have on my résumé that is probably the best thing is: ‘Kevin Hart lights up the room.’ This is from movie sets to the office.”
In the wake of the controversy, some criticized Hart for not working with queer collaborators. I ask if he’s made a conscious effort since 2019 to seek out LGBTQ+ partners.
At first, he’s defensive. He says he doesn’t know how his colleagues identify and wouldn’t ask about their personal lives.
At Hartbeat, he says, he’s actively trying to provide opportunities to those from underrepresented communities. The company has partnered, for instance, with the Sundance Institute on a comedic screenwriting fellowship for Black women.
His goals are lofty — “How do you put more jobs in households? How do you create revenue streams for other families? What change are you making in the inner city, the place that you’re from?” — and I wonder if he will ever be satisfied, with an ambition that seems limitless.
“If there’s a sky, and you know that sky is high, you don’t know the true ending to it,” he says. “But if you can keep going, there’s an opportunity to touch the highest part of the sky. Some people may want to touch it. Some people are ambitious enough that they just may want to do it.
“I have to be an example of the change that we hope to see in the future. And I think I’m doing an amazing job of it,” he continues. “I don’t have to boast or scream it from the mountaintop. You see it. It’s clear. It’s visible. And those that don’t, it just means they’re not looking.”
Take that, Bateman.
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A large explosion at a fireworks warehouse in Thailand kills at least 10 people and wounds dozens
BANGKOK (AP) — A large explosion at a fireworks warehouse in southern Thailand on Saturday killed at least ten people and wounded dozens, officials said.
The Narathiwat province’s Public Relations Department also said that at least 118 people were hurt, and that residents of more than 200 households were affected. It said that officials believe there are still a number of people trapped under the debris waiting to be rescued.
Videos posted on social media from the site show a huge plume of smoke over the area and many damaged structures, cars and motorbikes, as well as streets covered with debris. Many of the houses and other buildings have collapsed roofs and walls.
The local public relations agency reported that the explosion caused damages in a radius of about 500 meters (1,640 feet). About 100 residences in the area were damaged, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.
Sanan Pongaksorn, the provincial governor, told public broadcaster Thai PBS that the blast was likely ignited by construction work that was taking place in the warehouse, with sparks from metal welding causing the fireworks stored inside to catch fire and explode.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/business-news/a-large-explosion-at-a-fireworks-warehouse-in-thailand-kills-at-least-10-people-and-wounds-dozens/ | 2023-07-30T10:27:53 | 0 | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/business-news/a-large-explosion-at-a-fireworks-warehouse-in-thailand-kills-at-least-10-people-and-wounds-dozens/ |
What are the best healthy road trip snacks?
Looking for some healthy road trip snacks? While celery sticks and grapes are great all-natural options, there are plenty more worth exploring.
While you’re on the road, convenience is everything. As far as snacks are concerned, the best ones are delicious, satisfying and relatively tidy. After all, you don’t want to derail your journey by having to pull over to clean up spills and messes.
To point you in the right direction, read on for some favorite road trip-worthy delights that range from organic fruit snacks to high-protein trail mixes.
Shop this article: Sistema Small Food Storage Containers, Navitas Organics Blueberry Hemp Organic Power Snacks and One Protein Best Sellers Variety Pack
What to know about healthy road trip snacks
What to look for in road trip snacks
If you’re wondering how road trip snacks vary compared to regular ones, it boils down to a few key characteristics.
- Road trip snacks should be somewhat mess-free. At the very least, they should be easy to clean up.
- The packages of snacks should be easy to open on their own. If possible, stick to individual snack bags that tear open, or purchase reusable containers with twist-off lids.
- To be considerate of other passengers, choose snacks without strong odors. Tuna or certain kinds of cheese, for example, might be a bit too pungent.
- To stave off hunger until the next stop at a restaurant, opt for nutrient-dense snacks. Foods that are high in protein and fiber may keep you feeling fuller longer.
Packaged snacks vs. homemade snacks
When it comes to healthy road trip snacks, there are two options: either keep it simple with packaged snacks or whip up your own.
Packaged snacks are convenient since they’re small and premeasured. Many of these snacks are affordable, especially when you buy them in bulk. However, some packaged snacks contain preservatives or ingredients you may wish to avoid.
Homemade snacks are the better choice for those who want full control over ingredients. While they involve considerable planning, shopping and preparation, making your own snacks can be healthier and more cost-effective than buying packaged snacks.
Healthy road trip snack ideas
Fruits and vegetables
Fruits and veggies make simple road trip snacks when they’re cut into finger food-size pieces. Celery, baby carrots and grape tomatoes are popular options, as are apples and pears.
Sistema Small Food Storage Containers
Enjoy them on their own, or consider bringing road trip-friendly dip. Hummus is a perennial favorite since it’s less likely to spill and can be enjoyed at room temperature. Add a few hearty dollops of your favorite hummus — sweet or savory — into mini food storage containers, like these from Sistema.
Sold by: Amazon
Dehydrated foods
Road trippers may reach for dehydrated foods like jerky and dried apple slices since they’re easy to pack and mess-free.
Presto 06300 Dehydro Electric Food Dehydrator
There are several types of packaged organic, non-GMO and plant-based dehydrated foods, but they can be expensive. Instead, some people opt to buy food dehydrators, like this user-friendly Presto model. It only takes using the device a few times for it to pay for itself and for you to save big on dehydrated treats.
Sold by: Amazon
Simple roll-ups
Roll-ups are mess-free alternatives to crumbly sandwiches, not to mention they’re much easier to hold when they’re cut into pinwheels.
Mr. Tortilla 1 Net Carb Tortilla Wraps
Choose ingredients like cold cuts, cheese or vegetables and roll them in low-carb wraps, like these from Mr. Tortilla. Or, you can slather wraps in nut butter or hummus for a simple, satisfying snack.
Sold by: Amazon
Snack mixes
Snack mixes remain a road trip favorite since they deliver a robust burst of flavor with every bite.
Planters Nut-rition Heart Healthy Nut Mix
While traditional trail mix is available, some people make their own mixes instead. Many use low-salt nut mixes as a base and pair them with organic raisins, dark chocolate chips, coconut shavings or gluten-free cereal.
Sold by: Amazon
Best healthy road trip snacks
Superfood bites
Navitas Organics Blueberry Hemp Organic Power Snacks
Packed with antioxidant-rich blueberries and hemp seeds, these vegan power bites are flavorful, filling and contain 30% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C.
Sold by: Amazon
Gluten-free chips
Besides being non-GMO, these flavor-packed, gluten-free corn chips contain four or fewer ingredients and are free of trans fats.
Sold by: Amazon
Mini fruit bars
That’s It. Mini Fruit Bars Variety Pack
These pocket-friendly fruit bars are only 60 calories apiece. They’re 100% plant-based and are free of the top 12 allergens.
Sold by: Amazon
Seaweed sheets
GimMe Organic Roasted Seaweed Sheets
Indulge in these low-carb seaweed snacks, which are only 25 calories per serving. They’re an excellent source of vitamin B12, vitamin K, iodine and omega-3s.
Sold by: Amazon
Pistachios
Wonderful Pistachios Variety Pack
These shelled pistachio packs come in three flavors and deliver up to 5 grams of protein per serving.
Sold by: Amazon
Protein bars
One Protein Best Sellers Variety Pack
Sink your sweet tooth into these gluten-free protein bars which contain 20 grams of protein and only 1 gram of sugar.
Sold by: Amazon
Organic figs
Sunny Fruit Rehydrated Dried Smyrna Figs
Juicy and sweet, these organic dried figs are rich in fiber and antioxidants. As an added bonus, they’re non-GMO, vegan and Kosher.
Sold by: Amazon
Mini fiber bars
Fiber One Cinnamon Coffee Cake 70-Calorie Bars
In addition to 5 net carbs and only 2 grams of sugar, these bars contain 20% of your daily recommended fiber intake.
Sold by: Amazon
Chocolate-covered almonds
Blue Diamond Dark Chocolate Roasted Almonds
These chocolate-covered almonds are packed in 100-calorie bags and covered in real cocoa powder, and they’re rich in vitamin E.
Sold by: Amazon
Organic fruit snacks
YumEarth Organic Vegan Fruit Snacks
Organic, vegan and non-GMO, these fruit snacks are a tasty pick-me-up or sweet treat. They’re free of artificial dyes and flavors.
Sold by: Amazon
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Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.qcnews.com/reviews/br/travel-br/travel-essentials-br/best-healthy-road-trip-snacks/ | 2023-07-30T10:27:56 | 1 | https://www.qcnews.com/reviews/br/travel-br/travel-essentials-br/best-healthy-road-trip-snacks/ |
High winds stall efforts to tow a burning cargo ship packed with cars off northern Dutch coast
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — High winds blowing across the North Sea are delaying efforts to tow a burning cargo ship loaded with thousands of new cars to safety off the Dutch coast, the government said Sunday.
The Fremantle Highway was unlikely to be moved Sunday because of the southwesterly wind, according to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management.
“The wind will continue to blow from the southwest for the next few days. The towing of the Fremantle Highway to the new temporary location may therefore still take several days to start,” the ministry said in an update Saturday night.
“The smoke from the fire and the wind direction mean that during the towing operation of the ship smoke is blowing over the tugboat,” it added.
Salvage crews on Saturday attached a second towing cable to the ship, which is transporting 3,783 new vehicles, including 498 electric vehicles, from the German port of Bremerhaven to Singapore. The salvage teams ultimately want to tow the stricken ship to a port but it is not yet clear where or when that will happen.
The ship has been burning since Tuesday. Firefighters decided not to douse the flames with water for fear of making the nearly 200-meters (219-yard) ship unstable as it floats close to North Sea shipping lanes and a world-renowned migratory bird habitat.
One crew member died and others were injured after the fire broke out. The crew was evacuated in the early hours of Wednesday.
The cause of the fire has not been determined.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/business-news/high-winds-stall-efforts-to-tow-a-burning-cargo-ship-packed-with-cars-off-northern-dutch-coast/ | 2023-07-30T10:28:00 | 0 | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/business-news/high-winds-stall-efforts-to-tow-a-burning-cargo-ship-packed-with-cars-off-northern-dutch-coast/ |
A comprehensive guide to pop-up campers
A pop-up camper provides a tentlike experience without having to sleep on the ground. When hitting the road in your pop-up camper, consider what and how to eat, what to sleep in, what toiletries to bring and what to do in case of an emergency.
Shop this article: Eagles Nest Outfitters Spark Camp Quilt, Sea to Summit X-Pot Collapsible Camping Cookpot and Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight Watertight .5 Medical First Aid Kit
What is a pop-up camper?
Pop-up campers are lightweight, compact vehicles that can park in more secluded areas due to their size. They are more affordable than the average camper and are quick to pack up and hook up, making the road trip easier. They can also keep you warmer than a tent in colder months but cooler in the heat of summer.
Pop-up camper setup
There are five aspects of pop-up camper setup.
- Location: Locate where you want to set up your camper and consider the slope of the ground, nearby trees and electrical hookups. This is where to check if your camper is level. If it is not level, you can use blocks to prop up one of the sides before unhooking the tow vehicle.
- Power: To power up the camper, run its electrical cord to the campsite’s electrical hookup after turning off the breaker. Once connected, you can turn the breaker on to provide electricity to amenities such as the sink and the refrigerator. At this point, users can crank down the leg support and crank up the roof.
- Beds: Make sure that the canvas is not holding onto anything and pull the first bed handle out to start setting up the beds. From there, pull the support pole free and position this onto the stud on the frame. Repeat this process for the remaining poles. Lastly, lift both beds to latch the supports until the beds sit down firmly.
- Water and propane: To set up water and propane in your pop-up camper, lift and lower the galley handle until it is in position. Then, link the male end of the propane hose to the female end on the lower frame of the camper. Finally, connect a sanitary water hose from your trailer to the water spigot at the campsite.
- Water heater: To set up the water heater, you need to access the hot water tank, turn the gas knob to “pilot” and hold down. Place a flame on the pilot end of the tube using a long lighter. Hold this down until it stays lit. You should be able to turn on the knob, and the hot water tank should start to heat your water.
Pre-make your food
Before hitting the road in your pop-up camper, make your meals ahead of time. These meals can be complete meals stored in a cooler or prepped to be quickly cooked at a campsite. Also, pre-pack any portion meals that you plan to make by the fire for convenience.
Stock your pop-up camper with necessities
Buy a set of camping pots and pans in advance to prepare for every meal and anything that goes on in the kitchen. This ensures that you do not have to go back and forth for camping utilities or go without food for a short time because you were unprepared. Moreover, pack extra sleeping bags and sheets of various insulation to prepare for any situation that may occur.
Air out your pop-up camper after it rains
Mold and other bacteria are more likely to form when it rains. Due to the foldable nature of the pop-up camper, this bacteria can get into crevices and breed. Before packing up your camper after it rains, make sure everything is dry so that it can be clean to use for the next trip.
Tips for hitting the road in a pop-up camper
If you are a first-time camper, keep your trip close to home in case something goes wrong, or it turns out that you are underprepared. This ensures that you are close to safety and have everything that you need. Additionally, make a grocery list and a checklist for all items that you think you need to bring in advance.
Pop-up camper FAQ
Where do I go to the bathroom while camping?
A. If there is no bathroom in your pop-up camper and you do not want to go out in nature, travel with a portable camping toilet. This item is best for rooftop tents, car campers and drive-up camp spots.
What style of chair is best to bring on a camping trip?
A. Classic camp chairs are a good choice. These chairs have four legs and are very stable. They make sitting and standing an act of ease in comparison to low chairs and rocking chairs. They’re also affordable.
Sleep essentials
Eagles Nest Outfitters Spark Camp Quilt
This 3-in-1 blanket, quilt and sleeping bag provides warmth and comfort in 40- to 60-degree weather. The weather-resistant materials help protect the sleeping bag from rain and any other damage caused by the elements.
Sold by Backcountry
Kelty Mistral Sleeping Bag: 40 Fahrenheit Down
This mummy-style sleeping bag keeps heat in while being lightweight and durable. It comes with a stuff sack for storage and features an offset quilt construction to prevent cold spots. CloudLoft insulation locks in heat. The zipper is anti-snag, and the bag fits up to 6 feet in length. Use it inside or outside the pop-up tent.
Sold by Amazon
Kitchen essentials
Sea to Summit X-Pot Collapsible Camping Cookpot
This camping cook pot is heat-resistant and BPA-free to ensure food safety. The entire pot is collapsible for storage in small spaces. Its aluminum base conducts heat evenly for the best cooking experience and it comes with a strainer lid.
Sold by Amazon
MalloMe Camping Cookware Mess Kit Gear
This camping cookware kit is portable and made with food-safe, non-toxic anodized aluminum. The kit includes an aluminum nonstick pot, a pot cover, a nonstick pan, two bowls, a folding stainless steel spork, a soup spoon, a wooden spoon spatula, a cleaning sponge and a nylon travel drawstring pouch. It can be easily attached to a backpack and carried to campsites.
Sold by Amazon
First-aid essentials
Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight Watertight .5 Medical First Aid Kit
This first aid kit provides all the needed materials for any accidents that could happen while camping in your pop-up camper. It includes a wide array of medical supplies to treat pain, inflammation and common allergies. The wraps and bandages assist in immobilizing fractures and provide support. The antiseptic wipes and butterfly bandages help clean small wounds.
Sold by Amazon
Adventure Medical Sportsman Series Medical Kit
This medical kit provides items that treat common camping injuries. It is organized by injury type for quick access in an emergency and provides all the basic tools needed. This kit is also lightweight and portable.
Sold by Amazon
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Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.qcnews.com/reviews/br/travel-br/travel-essentials-br/pop-up-camper-guide-everything-you-need-in-order-to-hit-the-road/ | 2023-07-30T10:28:03 | 1 | https://www.qcnews.com/reviews/br/travel-br/travel-essentials-br/pop-up-camper-guide-everything-you-need-in-order-to-hit-the-road/ |
An overnight drone attack on Moscow injures 1 and temporarily closes an airport
Three Ukrainian drones attacked Moscow in the early hours on Sunday, Russian authorities said, injuring one person and prompting a temporary closure of traffic in and out of one of four airports around the Russian capital.
It was the fourth such attempt at a strike on the capital region this month and the third this week, fueling concerns about Moscow’s vulnerability to attacks as Russia’s war in Ukraine drags into its 18th month.
The Russian Defense Ministry referred to the incident as an “attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime” and said three drones targeted the city. One was shot down in the surrounding Moscow region by air defense systems and two others were jammed. Those two crashed into the Moscow City business district.
Photos from the site of the crash showed the facade of a skyscraper damaged on one floor. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the attack “insignificantly damaged” the outsides of two buildings in the Moscow City district. A security guard was injured, Russia’s state news agency Tass reported, citing emergency officials.
No flights went into or out of Vnukovo airport on the southern outskirts of the city for about an hour, according to Tass, and the airspace over Moscow and the outlying regions was temporarily closed to all aircraft. Those restrictions have since been lifted.
Moscow authorities have also closed a street to traffic near the site of the crash in the Moscow City area.
There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian officials, who rarely if ever take responsibility for attacks on Russian soil.
The attack follows a night of reported drone skirmishes between Russia and Ukraine. Moscow announced Sunday that it had foiled a Ukrainian attack on Russian-annexed Crimea, shooting down 16 drones and neutralizing eight more with an electronic jamming system. There were no casualties, officials said.
The Ukrainian air force reported that it had destroyed four Russian drones above the country’s Kherson and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Information on the attacks could not be independently verified.
Meanwhile, two people were killed and 20 wounded by a Russian missile strike late Saturday evening on the city of Sumy in northeast Ukraine. A four-story building belonging to a vocational college was hit, the Ukrainian Interior Ministry said. Local authorities said that dormitories and teaching buildings were damaged in the blast and the fire that followed.
Russia’s Defense Ministry reported shooting down a Ukrainian drone outside Moscow on Friday. Four days earlier, two drones struck the Russian capital, one of them falling in the center of the city near the Defense Ministry’s headquarters along the Moscow River about 3 kilometers (2 miles) from the Kremlin. The other drone hit an office building in southern Moscow, gutting several upper floors.
In another attack on July 4, the Russian military said four drones were downed by air defenses on the outskirts of Moscow and a fifth was jammed by electronic warfare means and forced down.
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BALTIMORE (AP) — Aaron Judge is giving the New York Yankees an immediate boost — at a time when their front office has some tough decisions to make.
Judge homered and singled twice in his second game back from the injured list and the Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-3 on Saturday night. Giancarlo Stanton and Kyle Higashioka went deep as well for New York, which is still 3 1/2 games behind Toronto and Houston for the last two wild cards in the American League.
That’s a tricky spot with Tuesday’s trade deadline approaching.
“We’ve had years where we stick with who we got. We’ve had years where we get some bullpen arms, starters, a big bat,” Judge said. “It comes down to us doing our job on the field and then letting them take care of the rest. We’ll see what happens.”
The Yankees knocked out struggling Orioles starter Tyler Wells (7-6) in the third inning. In the sixth, Isiah Kiner-Falefa capped a 10-pitch at-bat with a three-run double to make it 8-3.
Judge has three walks and three hits in nine plate appearances since returning Friday from the toe injury that kept him out since early June.
Ryan Mountcastle homered for the Orioles, but Clarke Schmidt (7-6) made it through five tough innings and the New York bullpen took it from there.
The Orioles remained 1 1/2 games ahead of Tampa Bay atop the AL East.
Judge walked three times Friday night, but the Yankees lost that game 1-0 on a ninth-inning homer by Baltimore’s Anthony Santander. New York’s offense was relentless a night later.
Stanton’s first-inning drive easily cleared the big wall in left field at Camden Yards. Mountcastle tied it in the second, and Baltimore went ahead 2-1 on an RBI infield single by Ramón Urías. That lead was short-lived.
Judge hit a two-run shot — 442 feet to center field — in the third. Then Gleyber Torres added a sacrifice fly an inning later.
Santander made it 4-3 with an RBI groundout in the fifth, but New York broke the game open in the sixth. Cole Irvin allowed a leadoff homer by Higashioka — his third hit of the night — and then one-out singles to Judge, Stanton and Anthony Rizzo.
Bryan Baker came in and struck out DJ LeMahieu, but after fouling off five pitches, Kiner-Falefa cleared the bases with a line drive to left.
“One of the best at-bats of the season right there,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
Wells entered the game with a major league-leading WHIP of 0.99, but he allowed three runs, three hits and three walks in 2 2/3 innings. In three starts since the All-Star break, he’s lasted just nine innings total.
“I think we’re going to be talking about a lot of things here coming up,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “Obviously, we’re in a weird week. He’s had tough times his last few starts. I think there are going to be discussions going on.”
Boone said he’s leaning toward giving Judge a day off in the series finale Sunday night. The Yankees are in a stretch of 13 games in 13 days.
“I kind of look at it as, hopefully he’s in a position to start nine or 10 of them,” Boone said. “Forget the toe. He hasn’t come close to playing games for almost two months. As much as I want him in there, we’ve got to be smart here a little bit, especially in this run.”
DIFFERENT ORDER
The Orioles used catcher Adley Rutschman in the leadoff spot because of his ability to get on base. He was hit by a pitch, walked and scored a run.
UP NEXT
New York’s Luis Severino (2-4) starts Sunday night against Baltimore’s Dean Kremer (10-4). It’s the final game of the season series, which is tied 6-all.
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BALTIMORE (AP) — Aaron Judge homered for the first time since returning from a toe injury, sending a 442-foot drive over the wall in center field in the third inning against Baltimore on Saturday night.
The two-run shot gave the New York Yankees a 3-2 advantage. Giancarlo Stanton hit a solo homer in the first.
Judge was hitless since returning Friday, although he drew three walks in that game. He hit a towering flyout in his first plate appearance Saturday. Then he connected off Tyler Wells two innings later.
It was his 20th home run of the season. Judge started in right field Saturday after he was the designated hitter Friday.
Judge had been out since tearing a ligament in his right big toe June 3.
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TORONTO (AP) — Los Angeles Angels manager Phil Nevin was suspended for one game and fined an undisclosed amount by Major League Baseball on Saturday for a postgame outburst at an umpire following a loss to the Toronto Blue Jays a night earlier.
Bench coach Ray Montgomery managed the Angels during the second game of the three-game series as Nevin served his suspension.
Nevin was seen holding up a tablet computer and yelling at plate umpire Mike Estabrook as the crew left the field after the 4-1 loss Friday night.
The umpires access their locker room through the tunnel at the end of the visitor’s dugout on the first base side of Rogers Centre.
A Toronto police officer accompanied the umpire crew as it descended the dugout steps. Montgomery had to restrain Nevin as the umpires passed through the end of the dugout.
Nevin was angry about the game-ending called third strike against pinch hitter Michael Stefanic, who entered in the ninth inning with the bases loaded after Shohei Ohtani left because of cramping in both of his calves.
“I just explained to him that I thought the pitch to Stefanic was outside,” Nevin later told reporters.
Ohtani hit his major league-leading 39th home run in the series opener — part of a streak of three homers in three at-bats over two games — before exiting early.
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TORONTO (AP) — Los Angeles Angels outfielder Taylor Ward was taken to a Toronto hospital for tests after being hit in the head by a pitch from Blue Jays right-hander Alek Manoah in the fifth inning Saturday.
Angels manager Phil Nevin said he planned to visit Ward in the hospital after leaving the stadium following the Angels’ 6-1 loss.
Batting with the bases loaded, Ward was hit by a 2-0 pitch clocked at 91 mph. The ball appeared to strike Ward next to his next left eye, knocking off his batting helmet.
“It got him pretty flush,” Nevin said.
Plate umpire Andy Fletcher motioned to the Angels’ dugout for the trainer as Ward went down with blood running down his face.
“It’s scary,” Angels left-hander Reid Detmers said. “You’re just hoping and praying that he’s all right, that he gets up.”
Angels trainers rushed to the plate and held a towel to Ward’s face. After a couple of minutes, Ward got to his feet and left the field on a cart. His left eye appeared to be swollen shut.
“Obviously it didn’t look very good,” Angels infielder Mike Moustakas said. “Hopefully we get some good news here in a little bit. We’re all praying for him.”
Manoah put his hands on his head as he stood on the mound. It was the second hit batter of the game for Manoah, who hit Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani on the left foot in the first.
Andrew Velazquez ran for Ward, who drove in the first run of the game. Velazquez went to shortstop and Luis Rengifo, who scored on the play, moved to left field in the bottom of the inning.
Asked whether the Angels might visit Ward in hospital, Moustakas said he thought it was better to let his teammate rest.
“I’m sure we’ll all send him some text messages and see how he’s doing, but I don’t know if going over there is a good thing,” Moustakas said. “I don’t think that’s the right thing to do right now. Let him rest and recover, get healthy.”
Before play resumed, Blue Jays manager John Schneider came to the mound and replaced Manoah with left-hander Génesis Cabrera.
After the game, Manoah called it “a terrible moment.”
“That’s probably the worst feeling ever,” Manoah said. “Definitely want to pray for him and his family. That’s the last thing you want to do, no matter the situation, no matter the team, no matter anything. I feel really bad about it. I’ll definitely be looking to see how he’s doing.”
In September 2021, Manoah hit Oakland’s Starling Marte in the helmet with a 92 mph pitch. Marte stayed in the game to run the bases but was later replaced.
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COLFAX, Iowa (AP) — In the small central Iowa town of Colfax, thousands of cyclists participating in the largest and oldest recreational bike ride in the world were stopped along its historic main street, staring ahead at a daunting climb that would lead them out of town.
The hill, coupled with soaring temps and the vibrant downtown, made a morning sitting in the shade quite appealing.
It’s become almost simplistic to say that “small-town America” is slowly dying. That opportunities for young people have dried up, just like businesses and main streets. That the only way forward in life involves moving to a big city. But the reality is towns such as Colfax are flourishing, and that was especially evident on RAGBRAI, the annual bike ride across the state, where dozens of small towns dotting the 500-mile route welcomed some 50,000 riders with open arms.
Colfax is a prime example. It experienced a nearly 8% increase in population from the 2010 census to the most recent in 2020, turning around two decades of decline. Its population of 2,255 represented its highest since the 1990s.
Sure, many small towns are still struggling, but what has allowed those such as Colfax to thrive?
“Mostly, a wonderful mayor and council and volunteers that just ensure a vital community,” explains Wade Wagoner, the former city manager for the small town of Lake Park, and now the city administrator for Colfax.
“Des Moines and the metro growing to the east doesn’t hurt,” Wagoner said. “Also, the fact that we still have a high school and citizens just approved a $14 million bond for athletic and academic improvements make people want to raise a family here.”
Wagoner underscores that location is important. After the COVID-19 pandemic, when many jobs became partially or fully remote, people who may have once worked in a city could suddenly live just about anywhere, including small towns across America.
Wagoner goes on to talk about the smallest Fareway grocery store in the state, the coffee shop and bank and city hall, all of which make for a bustling hub. There’s also a rich history with mineral water that makes Colfax’s downtown large for its size.
In other words, Colfax has leaned into its strengths to create a community that people want to call home.
And every few years, big events such as RAGBRAI roll through, giving them a chance to shine.
“Lots of trash and (Port-o-potties,” Wagoner said of the traveling circus, “but it is actually pretty cool. It lets us show off the town and certain businesses do make some money. Others find it a pain. But it’s only for a single day.”
If nothing else, the horde of cyclists are good for making money.
In Polk City, between the busy metros of Ames and Des Moines, high school students collected money to fund their after-prom party. Elsewhere on the ride, residents of Slater were using donations to build a new community center and library. In Breda, where the route went through Monday, the town was trying to raise $300,000 to replace the lights at its baseball grandstand, which was built in 1946 and has withstood the test of time.
Breda, population 500, is another example of a small town doing well. It has steadily gained residents for the past 30 years.
In the quiet hamlet of Oxford, just past the fire department and the Deja Brew Coffee House & Bakery, four boys took turns in a dunk tank Friday as cyclists passed through on a day of unrelenting heat — the index topped out at 112 degrees.
For just $5, riders got three shots at the tank. All the proceeds went to their little league program.
The boys were winning on two fronts: staying cool and making cash.
The population of Slater, just north of Polk City, has steadily grown the past three decades.
“Many young families have moved into Slater recently for the school system, and safety of our small town, and ease of getting around,” said Evy Raes of the Slater Area Historical Association. “Our sense of community was tested when a derecho roared through in August 2020. Never fear: anyone with a pickup truck, a chain saw and a six-pack was out in the streets after the storm, helping neighbors clear and dispose of the debris. People really pulled together and no one was a stranger.”
That sense of community isn’t always felt in bigger cities. And more than anything, Raes said, that has helped them to thrive.
“We are a small town with big ideals,” Raes said. “Many people who move into Slater feel an instant connection with the community. It is said though, ‘Don’t gossip about anybody who’s lived here awhile, because they may be related to the person you’re talking to.’ My family has lived here over 74 years, and some days we feel like the new people.”
Turns out that, at least in some small towns, there are in fact plenty of new people.
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Dave Skretta is a Kansas City, Missouri-based AP Sports Writer. He grew up in the small-but-vibrant northeast Iowa town of Decorah and and has ridden RAGBRAI many times, though he’s never written about it while doing it. Skretta wrote periodic updates from the road. He covered 579 miles from start to finish.
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