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ÉVIAN-LES-BAINS, France (AP) — Céline Boutier carded a 4-under 67 in the third round of the Évian Championship on Saturday to increase her lead to four shots going into the final day.
The 29-year-old Boutier aims to become the first Frenchwoman to win the tournament, which became a major in 2013.
“I didn’t start that good to be honest. I missed the first three greens but got a good break on 2 and was able to chip in. Then I just had really good chances on the two par-fives, seven and nine, and was able to take advantage of that,” said Boutier, who had a bogey on the 12th hole in a round of five birdies.
“I was just trying to focus on making, hitting a good shot, and if I happen to have a birdie opportunity, I hit a solid putt. It was definitely positive and felt pretty good to start very good on the front.”
Boutier’s closest challenger is Japan’s Nasa Hataoka, who posted a 68 on Saturday after rounds of 70 and 67.
“Hopefully I will get more birdies tomorrow. It was good iron shots and distance control,” Hataoka said. “Also I was good too with my putting stroke, so I was really comfortable. Tomorrow is another new day, and I want to enjoy the next 18 holes.”
Minjee Lee of Australia and Brooke Henderson of Canada are joint-third, a shot behind Hataoka.
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.qcnews.com/sports/ap-boutier-takes-4-shot-lead-into-final-round-of-evian-championship/ | 2023-07-30T10:28:47 | 0 | https://www.qcnews.com/sports/ap-boutier-takes-4-shot-lead-into-final-round-of-evian-championship/ |
PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix Mercury say All-Star center Brittney Griner will not travel for the team’s next two games so she can focus on her mental health.
The 6-foot-9 center — who became an international story during her 10-month detainment in Russia last year — is averaging 18.2 points and 6.7 rebounds over 20 games this season.
“The Mercury fully support Brittney and we will continue to work together on a timeline for her return,” the team said in a statement on Saturday.
Griner’s impressive individual season hasn’t translated to success for the Mercury, who have a 6-17 record and fired Vanessa Nygaard earlier in the season.
The Mercury’s tough season and coaching change are among the multiple challenges Griner has faced in her return to the WNBA following her ordeal in Russia on drug-related charges that caused her to miss the entire 2022 season.
Griner and her teammates were confronted by what the WNBA called a “provocateur” at the Dallas airport in June and she’s also dealt with a hip injury that caused her to miss a handful of games.
Griner will miss road games against Chicago on Sunday and Indiana on Tuesday.
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Follow David Brandt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbrandtAP | https://www.qcnews.com/sports/ap-brittney-griner-wont-travel-for-next-2-games-to-focus-on-her-mental-health-team-says/ | 2023-07-30T10:28:54 | 1 | https://www.qcnews.com/sports/ap-brittney-griner-wont-travel-for-next-2-games-to-focus-on-her-mental-health-team-says/ |
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://www.qcnews.com/sports/ap-bronny-james-plays-piano-dines-out-in-video-photos-emerging-days-after-he-suffers-cardiac-arrest/ | 2023-07-30T10:29:01 | 0 | https://www.qcnews.com/sports/ap-bronny-james-plays-piano-dines-out-in-video-photos-emerging-days-after-he-suffers-cardiac-arrest/ |
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://www.qcnews.com/sports/ap-cardinals-kyler-murray-says-his-knee-rehab-is-going-well-but-has-no-timetable-for-his-return/ | 2023-07-30T10:29:08 | 0 | https://www.qcnews.com/sports/ap-cardinals-kyler-murray-says-his-knee-rehab-is-going-well-but-has-no-timetable-for-his-return/ |
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.
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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.qcnews.com/sports/ap-f1-leader-verstappen-wins-rain-hit-belgian-gp-sprint-race-piastri-is-second/ | 2023-07-30T10:29:15 | 0 | https://www.qcnews.com/sports/ap-f1-leader-verstappen-wins-rain-hit-belgian-gp-sprint-race-piastri-is-second/ |
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.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://www.qcnews.com/sports/ap-jimmy-graham-is-grateful-to-be-back-with-the-saints-and-confident-he-can-still-play/ | 2023-07-30T10:29:22 | 1 | https://www.qcnews.com/sports/ap-jimmy-graham-is-grateful-to-be-back-with-the-saints-and-confident-he-can-still-play/ |
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://www.qcnews.com/sports/ap-jonathan-taylor-requests-trade-after-meeting-with-owner-jim-irsay-at-colts-practice-source-says/ | 2023-07-30T10:29:29 | 1 | https://www.qcnews.com/sports/ap-jonathan-taylor-requests-trade-after-meeting-with-owner-jim-irsay-at-colts-practice-source-says/ |
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://www.qcnews.com/sports/ap-katie-ledecky-passes-michael-phelps-for-most-individual-golds-at-world-championships/ | 2023-07-30T10:29:36 | 1 | https://www.qcnews.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://www.qcnews.com/sports/ap-le-sommer-renard-score-as-france-edges-brazil-2-1-at-the-womens-world-cup/ | 2023-07-30T10:29:43 | 1 | https://www.qcnews.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://www.qcnews.com/sports/ap-looking-for-1st-pga-tour-title-lee-hodges-takes-5-shot-lead-onto-3m-open-final-round/ | 2023-07-30T10:29:47 | 1 | https://www.qcnews.com/sports/ap-looking-for-1st-pga-tour-title-lee-hodges-takes-5-shot-lead-onto-3m-open-final-round/ |
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.
___
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.qcnews.com/sports/ap-unapologetic-hamlin-says-nascars-point-system-encourages-in-race-urgency-and-aggression/ | 2023-07-30T10:29:53 | 1 | https://www.qcnews.com/sports/ap-unapologetic-hamlin-says-nascars-point-system-encourages-in-race-urgency-and-aggression/ |
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.wvia.org/news/2023-07-30/african-leaders-leave-russia-summit-without-grain-deal-or-path-to-peace-in-ukraine | 2023-07-30T10:30:36 | 1 | https://www.wvia.org/news/2023-07-30/african-leaders-leave-russia-summit-without-grain-deal-or-path-to-peace-in-ukraine |
Mystics vs. Dream Injury Report, Betting Odds - July 30
The injury report for the Washington Mystics (12-12) heading into their matchup with the Atlanta Dream (13-11) currently has four players on it. The matchup begins at 3:00 PM ET on Sunday, July 30 from Gateway Center Arena.
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The Mystics are coming off of a 90-62 loss to the Wings in their most recent outing on Friday.
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Washington Mystics Injury Report Today
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Atlanta Dream Injury Report Today
Mystics vs. Dream Game Info
- Game Day: Sunday, July 30, 2023
- Game Time: 3:00 PM ET
- TV Channel: ESPN3, NBCS-DC, Monumental, and BSSO
- Location: College Park, Georgia
- Arena: Gateway Center Arena
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Mystics Player Leaders
- Brittney Sykes is the Mystics' top scorer (14.1 points per game) and assist person (3.6), and posts 5 rebounds.
- Natasha Cloud is putting up a team-leading 6 assists per game. And she is producing 12.8 points and 3.3 rebounds, making 38.9% of her shots from the floor and 26.5% from beyond the arc, with 1 treys per game.
- Tianna Hawkins tops the Mystics in rebounding (5 per game), and produces 7.5 points and 1.5 assists. She also averages 0.7 steals and 0.3 blocked shots.
Mystics vs. Dream Betting Info
Check out the latest odds and place your bets on the Dream or Mystics with BetMGM Sportsbook. Use our link for the best new user offer, no promo code required!
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wsaz.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/mystics-vs-dream-wnba-injury-report/ | 2023-07-30T10:30:36 | 1 | https://www.wsaz.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/mystics-vs-dream-wnba-injury-report/ |
INDIANAPOLIS — Lakes are packed with boaters trying to escape the heat, but Jessica Newmanhoyt and her family are staying off the water.
That's because last August, she and her family were enjoying Lake Monroe when a drunk boater changed everything.
"They were full throttle. They weren't slowing down. They were heading right at the back of our boat," Newmanhoyt said.
After it hit, the impact sent her flying 30 feet into the air and into the water. All 8 people on her boat were wearing life jackets but by the time she hit the water, her jacket was missing.
"I came up out of the water screaming for help. Screaming someone throw me a life vest I can't breathe. Help me," Newmanhoyt said.
Several people got hurt but Jessica had the most injuries.
"To this day I still have pain from it, and it's been almost a year," Newmanhoyt said.
There weren't just physical wounds, she said her kids were left mentally scarred.
"These were all very healthy normal children prior to this accident," Newmanhoyt said.
The accident landed the other boater in court where he recently took a plea agreement pleading guilty to one felony count for driving a boat under the influence and causing great bodily injury plus, a misdemeanor for not assisting during a boating accident.
He received almost a year on house arrest.
Jessica hopes this judgement sends a message.
"We need this man to know that his actions were not just a fender bender on a boat but had an impact on an entire family. Being out on a boat and drinking that's one thing, but you're still behind a vehicle and behind something that could kill someone," Newmanhoyt said.
She said her family hasn't been on the lake since the accident.
Newmanhoyt recommends all boaters get boating insurance and wear life jackets while they are on a boat. | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/family-urges-boating-safety-after-crash-indiana/531-f73e8d23-86b5-4a60-8f42-e2c3252ed87a | 2023-07-30T10:30:56 | 1 | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/family-urges-boating-safety-after-crash-indiana/531-f73e8d23-86b5-4a60-8f42-e2c3252ed87a |
HOUSTON — Houston police released a series of reports Friday into the investigation of what happened during the deadly Astroworld Festival tragedy. The incident left 10 people dead, including a 9-year-old boy, and roughly 300 other people injured.
The more than 1,200 pages of reports released Friday morning detail attempts to stop the show just moments after it began. It includes statements from a security contractor, firefighter and police officer who warned higher ups about crowd conditions and urged them to stop the concert more than an hour before it was shut down.
Moments after Travis Scott’s 9 p.m. set, a security contractor texted the festival’s security director, “Stage right of main is getting crushed. This is bad.” He continued, “Pull tons over the rail unconscious. There's panic in people eyes. This could get worse quickly.”
That security director later said she checked and didn’t see what the contractor described. She was one of several people, including Scott, who were part of a grand jury investigation that last month found no one criminally responsible for the November 2021 deaths.
But that contractor wasn’t the only one raising red flags. At about the same time, a Houston police officer said people were “begging her to stop the music because there were people unconscious on the ground being trampled.” She “put the transmission over the air to stop the concert sometime around 9 p.m.,” the report reads.
Shortly afterward, the 911 calls started – 25 over the 30 minutes. One call at 9:13 p.m. was transcribed as, “’People are dying they can't breathe (Inaudible)’ Can hear screaming and yelling. ‘Please stop it, please stop it, people are dying.’”
A firefighter radioed in more concerns at 9:20 p.m. “That is when I realized that the crowd was compressing, and people were emerging from the crowd under duress. I radioed in my suspicions to HFD Command,” he told an investigator.
It took another 19 minutes, however, before Houston police commanders said they heard, “three persons were receiving CPR and the personnel in the media towers were afraid as people were climbing the tower. We immediately moved back toward the front of the stage to find (the safety and risk director), see what was going on, and shut down the event.”
That safety and risk director, who was later investigated by the grand jury, said the show would end at 10 p.m., but when it didn’t, he went to the technicians who had direct contact to Travis Scott’s earpiece.
“I told the three men we had three people receiving CPR and we had to shut the show down immediately. One of the males responded by saying ‘but they're not dead,’” the commander wrote in a statement. “I yelled they might and we had to shut down. One of the males said they would tell Mr. Scott and he would come on stage and shut it down but they needed time. I did not want to risk a panic or a riot and make things worse.”
The music didn’t stop for another 13 minutes.
Travis Scott thought the crowd was “super chill”
Scott’s interview with police is also in the report. He said he never heard anyone from the crowd pleading to shut it down, and even checked in with the crowd by saying, “if everyone is okay, put a finger up, and put a middle finger up.’ He stated that everyone put a middle finger up.”
“Travis stated that he believed that the crowd did understand him when he gave that directive,” the report reads. “He stated that he has been doing this for a long time and he noted that when the people are not doing what he is asking them, then there is a problem.”
Toward the end of the show, Drake joined him on stage and he was told in his earpiece that he needed to wrap it up, but there was no details about the emergency.
As Drake was leaving, he got another message, “he was told in his earpiece, ‘yo Trav, you got to wrap it up, its getting kinda hectic out there’ He stated again that he was supposed to go until 10:30 but he was told to stop short after Drake got off the stage,” the report said. “Again, there was no mention to the severity of the situation.”
Although no one has been criminally indicted, numerous civil lawsuits have been filed on behalf of victims and their families.
Houston Police Department Chief Troy Finner has said before that the report was going to be released in an effort to be transparent about their investigation.
The documents were released on the same day as Scott released his latest album. HPD said that was just a coincidence.
The full report can be read here.
Victims' families react to Astroworld Festival final report
Attorneys representing the families of Astroworld Festival victims call HPD's final report of the incident further proof of negligence.
They plan to use it as evidence in civil cases.
"Families are still feeling exactly what they felt the day after the tragedy occurred," attorney Alex Hilliard said.
Hilliard represents about 700 concertgoers who've filed a lawsuit over the event. He also represents the family of Ezra Blount, the youngest victim who died.
"There are some days when you can't get out of bed," Hilliard said. "There are some days when there's pure grief, pure shock, pure anger."
He said that was especially true when families found out no one would be criminally charged. But Hilliard said the extensive police report, which includes excruciating witness accounts, will be evidence in an ongoing civil litigation aimed, in part, at preventing future tragedies.
In a statement, another attorney representing victim's families said:
"The report, while important for the public to see, simply confirms what we already feared and have discovered in the course of the lawsuit. That the organizers and promoters of the concert failed to properly plan, valuing profitability over the obvious safety concerns that proved fatal."
More coverage on the Astroworld Festival tragedy
- 'This tragedy was preventable' | Victims' attorneys send experts to study Astroworld setup
- What is compression asphyxia? Houston doctor explains cause of death for Astroworld victims
- Travis Scott sits with Charlamagne Tha God during first interview since Astroworld tragedy
- 'Faucet of unimaginable pain': Astroworld victim's family declines Travis Scott's funeral cost offer
- Astroworld Festival tragedy: The impact on Travis Scott's career didn't last
- Texas Task Force on Concert Safety releases final report in wake of deadly Astroworld Festival | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/special-reports/astroworld-tragedy-police-report/285-b880a0e5-1845-46e5-98b2-02f1d32984a6 | 2023-07-30T10:31:02 | 0 | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/special-reports/astroworld-tragedy-police-report/285-b880a0e5-1845-46e5-98b2-02f1d32984a6 |
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.kunm.org/npr-news/2023-07-30/this-ivy-league-researcher-says-spirituality-is-good-for-our-mental-health | 2023-07-30T10:33:09 | 0 | https://www.kunm.org/npr-news/2023-07-30/this-ivy-league-researcher-says-spirituality-is-good-for-our-mental-health |
Lynx vs. Sun: Odds, spread, over/under and other Vegas lines - July 30
Published: Jul. 30, 2023 at 4:36 AM CDT|Updated: 57 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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Cardinals Odds to Make Playoffs and Win Super Bowl
The Arizona Cardinals are +20000 to win the Super Bowl, the poorest odds in the entire NFL as of December 31.
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Cardinals Super Bowl Odds
- Odds to Win the NFC West: +2500
- Odds to Win the Super Bowl: +20000
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Arizona Betting Insights
- Arizona covered eight times in 17 chances against the spread last season.
- A total of 10 Cardinals games last season hit the over.
- From an offensive standpoint, Arizona ranked 22nd in the with 323.5 yards per game last season. Meanwhile, it ranked 21st in total defense (348.9 yards allowed per contest).
- The Cardinals won just one game at home last season, but three away from home.
- When favored last season Arizona recorded just one victory (1-2), while posting a 3-11 record as the underdog.
- The Cardinals were 3-9 in the NFC, including 1-5 in the NFC West.
Cardinals Impact Players
- James Conner ran for 782 yards (60.2 per game) and seven touchdowns in 13 games last year.
- In the passing game, Conner scored one touchdown, with 46 receptions for 300 yards.
- Marquise Brown had 67 catches for 709 yards (59.1 per game) and three touchdowns in 12 games.
- Greg Dortch had 52 receptions for 467 yards (29.2 per game) and two touchdowns in 16 games a season ago.
- Rondale Moore had 41 receptions for 414 yards (51.8 per game) and one touchdown in eight games.
- Isaiah Simmons had two interceptions to go with 99 tackles, 5.0 TFL, four sacks, and seven passes defended last year.
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2023-24 Cardinals NFL Schedule
Odds are current as of July 30 at 5:23 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.
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Bengals Odds to Make Playoffs and Win Super Bowl
As of December 31, the Cincinnati Bengals' odds of winning the Super Bowl (+900) make them fourth-best in the NFL.
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Bengals Super Bowl Odds
- Odds to Win the AFC North: +150
- Odds to Win the Super Bowl: +900
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Cincinnati Betting Insights
- Cincinnati covered 12 times in 16 matchups with a spread last season.
- Last season, the combined scoring went over the point total six times in Bengals games.
- Cincinnati averaged 360.5 yards per game on offense last year (eighth in ), and it allowed 335.7 yards per game (16th) on the defensive side of the ball.
- The Bengals put up a 6-1 record at home and were 6-3 away last season.
- When underdogs, Cincinnati had only one victory (1-1) versus its 11-2 record when favored.
- The Bengals were 3-3 in the AFC North and 8-3 in the AFC overall.
Bengals Impact Players
- Joe Burrow passed for 4,475 yards (279.7 per game), completing 68.3% of his throws, with 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 16 games last year.
- In addition, Burrow rushed for 257 yards and five TDs.
- On the ground, Joe Mixon scored seven touchdowns and picked up 814 yards (58.1 per game).
- In the passing game, Mixon scored two touchdowns, with 60 catches for 441 yards.
- In the passing game a season ago, Ja'Marr Chase scored nine TDs, hauling in 87 balls for 1,046 yards (87.2 per game).
- Tee Higgins had 74 receptions for 1,029 yards (64.3 per game) and seven touchdowns in 16 games.
- In 15 games last year, Logan Wilson amassed 2.5 sacks to go with 3.0 TFL, 123 tackles, and one interception.
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2023-24 Bengals NFL Schedule
Odds are current as of July 30 at 5:24 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.wkyt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/bengals-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ | 2023-07-30T10:34:15 | 0 | https://www.wkyt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/bengals-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ |
Vikings Odds to Make Playoffs and Win Super Bowl
Published: Jul. 30, 2023 at 4:26 AM CDT|Updated: 1 hour 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.
Bet on Vikings 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 Vikings NFL Schedule
Odds are current as of July 30 at 5:27 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.kfyrtv.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/vikings-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ | 2023-07-30T10:34:21 | 0 | https://www.kfyrtv.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/vikings-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ |
Indiana Fever vs. Seattle Storm: Betting Trends, Record ATS, Home/Road Splits
Sunday's WNBA schedule includes Aliyah Boston's Indiana Fever (6-18) playing at home against Jewell Loyd and the Seattle Storm (5-19) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The opening tip is at 4:00 PM ET.
Indiana suffered defeat by a final score of 81-68 in its last game against Los Angeles. Leading the way on offense for the Fever was Erica Wheeler, who wound up with 13 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and two steals. Kristy Wallace posted 13 points and two steals. With Gabby Williams (17 PTS, 50 FG%) contriburing the best performance on the team, Seattle won 83-74 against Chicago. Ezi Magbegor also added 17 points, nine rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks to the effort.
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Fever vs. Storm Game Time and Info
- Who's the favorite?: Fever (-160 to win)
- Who's the underdog?: Storm (+135 to win)
- What's the spread?: Fever (-3.5)
- What's the over/under?: 164.5
- When: Sunday, July 30, 2023 at 4:00 PM ET
- Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana
- TV: ESPN3, FOX13+, and Prime Video
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Fever Season Stats
- The Fever's offense, which ranks sixth in the league with 81.4 points per game, has performed better than their second-worst defense (85.7 points allowed per game).
- Indiana ranks second-best in the WNBA by allowing only 32.7 rebounds per game. It ranks fifth in the league by pulling down 34.8 boards per contest.
- In terms of assists, the Fever are averaging just 18.5 assists per contest (second-worst in league).
- Indiana, who is seventh in the league with 13.6 turnovers per game, is forcing 12.5 turnovers per contest, which is third-worst in the WNBA.
- The Fever have found it difficult to rack up three-pointers, ranking second-worst in the league with 6.4 treys per game. They rank seventh with a 32.5% shooting percentage from beyond the arc this year.
- It's been rough sledding for Indiana in terms of three-pointers allowed, as it is giving up 8.2 threes per game (second-worst in WNBA) and is allowing a 36.3% three-point percentage to opposing teams (second-worst).
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Fever Home/Away Splits
- The Fever have scored at a higher rate at home than on the road in the 2023 season (81.8 at home versus 81.3 on the road), though they have allowed fewer points in home games than in road games (83.3 opponent points per home game versus 86.9 on the road).
- At home, Indiana averages 3.1 more rebounds per game than on the road (36.9 at home, 33.8 on the road), while it allows its opponents to pull down 2.7 more boards in home games than in road games (34.5 at home, 31.8 on the road). On average, the Fever have more assists at home than they do on the road (18.6 at home, 18.4 on the road).
- The 2023 WNBA season has seen Indiana commit more turnovers at home (14.1 per game) than on the road (13.4). It's also forced more turnovers at home (13 per game) than on the road (12.3).
- In 2023 the Fever are averaging 5.4 made three-pointers at home and 6.9 away, while shooting 28.5% from distance at home compared to 34.4% away.
- Indiana concedes 1.700000000000001 fewer three-pointers when playing at home (7.1 per game) than on the road (8.8). It also allows a lower three-point shooting percentage at home (31.8% in home games compared to 38.5% on the road).
Fever Moneyline and ATS Records
- The Fever have been favored on the moneyline four total times this season. They've gone 1-3 in those games.
- The Fever have not played a game this season with moneyline odds of -160 or shorter.
- Indiana has 13 wins in 23 games against the spread this year.
- Indiana has no wins ATS (0-1) as a 3.5-point favorite or greater this year.
- The Fever have an implied moneyline win probability of 61.5% in this game.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wkyt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/indiana-fever-vs-seattle-storm-wnba-betting-trends-stats/ | 2023-07-30T10:34:21 | 0 | https://www.wkyt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/indiana-fever-vs-seattle-storm-wnba-betting-trends-stats/ |
Phoenix Mercury vs. Chicago Sky: Betting Trends, Record ATS, Home/Road Splits
The Chicago Sky (9-15) and Brittney Griner's Phoenix Mercury (6-17) play at Wintrust Arena on Sunday, July 30, starting at 4:00 PM ET.
Chicago suffered defeat by a final score of 83-74 in its last game against Seattle. Leading the way on offense for the Sky was Kahleah Copper, who wound up with 12 points and eight rebounds. Dana Evans posted 12 points. Phoenix enters this matchup having lost to Atlanta in their last game 78-65. They were led by Megan Gustafson (19 PTS, 8 REB, 3 BLK, 53.8 FG%) and Griner (16 PTS, 7 REB, 36.8 FG%).
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Sky vs. Mercury Game Time and Info
- Who's the favorite?: Sky (-275 to win)
- Who's the underdog?: Mercury (+230 to win)
- What's the spread?: Sky (-7.5)
- What's the over/under?: 156.5
- When: Sunday, July 30, 2023 at 4:00 PM ET
- Where: Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois
- TV: ESPN3 and AZFamily
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Mercury Season Stats
- The Mercury are the worst team in the WNBA in points scored (75.8 per game) and eighth in points conceded (83.5).
- In 2023, Phoenix is worst in the league in rebounds (30.7 per game) and fifth in rebounds conceded (34.6).
- With 19.3 assists per game, the Mercury are sixth in the WNBA.
- Phoenix is the worst team in the league in turnovers per game (15.9) and second-worst in turnovers forced (12.4).
- The Mercury are eighth in the league in 3-pointers made (6.7 per game) and ninth in 3-point percentage (32.2%).
- Phoenix is seventh in the WNBA in 3-pointers conceded (7.5 per game) and eighth in 3-point percentage defensively (34.3%).
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Mercury Home/Away Splits
- The Mercury put up 77.5 points per game at home, 3.2 more than away (74.3). Defensively they give up 78.5 per game, 9.7 fewer points than on the road (88.2).
- At home Phoenix averages 31.7 rebounds per game, 1.9 more than on the road (29.8). It gives up 32.9 rebounds per game at home, 3.2 fewer than on the road (36.1).
- At home the Mercury are collecting 20.1 assists per game, 1.5 more than away (18.6).
- Phoenix commits more turnovers per game at home (16.5) than away (15.3), and forces fewer turnoovers at home (12.0) than away (12.8).
- At home the Mercury drain 7.0 treys per game, 0.5 more than away (6.5). They shoot 33.9% from beyond the arc at home, 3.3% higher than on the road (30.6%).
- At home, Phoenix concedes 6.6 treys per game, 1.7 fewer than on the road (8.3). It allows 33.3% shooting from beyond the arc at home, 1.7% lower than away (35.0%).
Mercury Moneyline and ATS Records
- This season, the Mercury have won four out of the 17 games, or 23.5%, in which they've been the underdog.
- The Mercury have a record of 1-6 in games where oddsmakers have them as underdogs of at least +230 on the moneyline.
- Against the spread, Phoenix is 7-15-0 this season.
- As a 7.5-point underdog or more, Phoenix has two wins ATS (2-5).
- The moneyline for this contest implies a 30.3% chance of a victory for the Mercury.
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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.
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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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Titans Odds to Make Playoffs and Win Super Bowl
Currently the Tennessee Titans are 19th in the NFL in terms of odds to win the Super Bowl, listed at +6600.
Watch the Titans this season on Fubo!
Titans Super Bowl Odds
- Odds to Win the AFC South: +325
- Odds to Win the Super Bowl: +6600
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Tennessee Betting Insights
- Tennessee won eight games against the spread last season, failing to cover six times.
- Last season, the combined scoring went over the point total five times in Titans games.
- Tennessee ranked third-worst in total offense (296.8 yards per game) last season, but it played slightly better on defense, ranking 23rd with 351.6 yards allowed per game.
- Last year the Titans were 3-5 at home and 4-5 away.
- As a favorite last season Tennessee picked up just two victories (2-3). As the underdog the Titans posted a record of 4-5.
- The Titans were 5-7 in the AFC, including 3-3 in the AFC South.
Titans Impact Players
- Derrick Henry ran for 1,538 yards (96.1 per game) and 13 touchdowns in 16 games last year.
- In the passing game, Henry scored zero touchdowns, with 33 receptions for 398 yards.
- In 12 games, Ryan Tannehill threw for 2,536 yards (211.3 per game), with 13 touchdowns and six interceptions, and a completion percentage of 65.2%.
- On the ground, Tannehill scored two touchdowns and accumulated 98 yards.
- In the Cardinals' passing game a season ago, DeAndre Hopkins scored three TDs, hauling in 64 balls for 717 yards (79.7 per game).
- In the passing game with the Texans, Chris Moore scored two TDs, catching 48 balls for 548 yards (34.3 per game).
- On defense last year, Kevin Byard helped set the tone with four interceptions to go with 106 tackles and six passes defended in 17 games.
Bet on Titans 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 Titans NFL Schedule
Odds are current as of July 30 at 5:24 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.wkyt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/titans-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ | 2023-07-30T10:34:28 | 1 | https://www.wkyt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/titans-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ |
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
Watch live WNBA games on all your devices! Sign up now for a free trial to Fubo.
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
Buy gear from your favorite teams and players NOW at Fanatics!
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.azfamily.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/wnba-odds-how-to-watch/ | 2023-07-30T10:34:28 | 0 | https://www.azfamily.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/wnba-odds-how-to-watch/ |
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
Watch live WNBA games on all your devices! Sign up now for a free trial to Fubo.
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
Buy gear from your favorite teams and players NOW at Fanatics!
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
See links for offer details, offers not available in all states and areas. Must be 21+ to gamble. Please gamble responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wkyt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/wnba-odds-how-to-watch/ | 2023-07-30T10:34:34 | 1 | https://www.wkyt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/wnba-odds-how-to-watch/ |
IN THE NEWS
Pipeline work can resume, justices rule
The U.S. Supreme Court allowed construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline to resume Thursday, as a lower court heard arguments on whether to dismiss lawsuits that seek to stop it again. News of the high court's action came during oral arguments before the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Two weeks ago, a three-judge panel of the 4th Circuit ordered that construction be halted while it considers a request by Mountain Valley to dismiss two legal challenges of federal permits issued to the controversial project. A brief order from the Supreme Court did not detail its reasons for reversing the stays.
Although the Supreme Court's decision allows construction to resume, the underlying question of whether the 4th Circuit has the authority to continue hearing the lawsuits — and how it might rule — remains open.
People are also reading…
STATUE: The lawsuit over Charlottesville’s statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee appears to be over. Lawyers for the Trevilian Station Battlefield Foundation, which sued the city last year over the disposition of the equestrian bronze figure that drew hundreds of white nationalists to the city in 2017, circulated a motion Monday to withdraw their legal action. The Trevilian Station foundation, which operates a Civil War battlefield in Louisa County, and another foundation sued the city in early 2022, alleging the city failed to fairly relinquish the statue when donating it to a local Black history museum.
ODDS AND ENDS
RENEWABLE ENERGY: The Roanoke Valley Resource Authority announced plans last week for an operation that will convert methane — naturally produced underground as organic materials decompose in the Smith Gap Regional Landfill — into what is called renewable natural gas. A system of wells and pipes will collect methane and other gases emitted by the western Roanoke County landfill and deliver them to an onsite processing facility operated by Archaea Energy. The processing facility, to be paid for and operated by Archaea, is expected to be operational in 2025.
UPGRADED CHARGES: A grand jury has upgraded charges for Amari Pollard, the accused shooter in the Huguenot High School graduation shooting last month, to include a first-degree murder charge. Pollard previously stood accused of two second-degree murder charges. He has had one charge upgraded to first-degree murder, as well as an additional firearms charge, as of late Wednesday.
THEY SAID IT
“Our motto at RPS is to teach with love. I’ve learned as a father, the greatest gift we can give our children is our time. And that is exactly what we’re giving our children today — 20 extra days of our time.”
Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras, talking about the 200-day school year being used in a pilot program that is among the first of its kind in the region. Richmond’s Fairfield Court Elementary and Cardinal Elementary School in South Richmond added 20 days to their academic calendars in an effort to curb learning loss that was exacerbated by school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic.
BY THE NUMBERS
$21.8M
Approximate amount Virginia is working to recover after the state mistakenly paid insurers for people enrolled in the state Medicaid program who had already died. That includes $15.7 million that the state must repay to the federal government for its share of the cost. The Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Virginia paid at least that amount to managed care companies for about 12,000 “deceased enrollees” in the Medicaid program in 2019 through 2021.
$44.6M
Federal Aviation Administration funding that has been awarded for improvements at Virginia airports. Norfolk International Airport will receive the highest figure at $13,670,853 for runway rehabilitation, followed by $7,572,150 for Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport, $7,384,892 for Reagan Washington National Airport and $5,553,842 for Richmond International Airport.
IN THE NEWS
Atlantic Union breaks into Southside Virginia
Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp. is moving aggressively into southwestern Virginia, a part of the state where the Richmond-based bank has not been active, with the $417 million acquisition of Danville-based American National Bankshares Inc.
The deal creates a $23.7 billion statewide banking giant, with more than 130 branches hosting $19.1 billion of Virginians’ and North Carolinians’ savings, and with outstanding loans totaling more than $17 billion.
American National has been in business for 114 years, and has 26 branches in Southside Virginia and nearby parts of North Carolina, as well as the New River Valley and Roanoke area. Its assets, including some $2.2 billion in loans, total just under $3.1 billion.
CASINO: Richmonders will cast their votes a second time on whether the city will house a casino in Southside after the city received the go-ahead from a Richmond Circuit Court judge and the Virginia Lottery. The decision comes after the Richmond City Council voted 8-1 to request a second referendum be placed on the ballot at its regular June meeting after the first referendum failed. The Richmond Office of Elections confirmed the signed petition in a tweet Tuesday afternoon, emphasizing its authority to hold the vote. | https://richmond.com/news/state-regional/virginia-week-in-review-what-made-headlines-last-week/article_14fdaece-2c8b-11ee-93f6-b7b8c088668d.html | 2023-07-30T10:34:46 | 1 | https://richmond.com/news/state-regional/virginia-week-in-review-what-made-headlines-last-week/article_14fdaece-2c8b-11ee-93f6-b7b8c088668d.html |
When I first learned that my daughter was transgender, there were almost no resources for parents of young trans kids. It was the spring of 2010 and, as I remember it, a Google search yielded just two things: a YouTube series called TransGeneration and a Barbara Walters special on Jazz Jennings.
That’s why the LGBTQ+ youth resources that the Virginia Department of Health had on its website were so important for parents like me. The agency listed information like where to find affirming doctors, online support groups, suicide prevention and counseling.
But at the end of May, the VDH quietly took down that information — and with it, a lifeline for parents of trans kids.
I would know. I’ve worked with close to 1,000 families of trans and nonbinary children since my own daughter came out to me as transgender when she was entering kindergarten.
People are also reading…
Now, I’m the co-founder and executive director of an organization called He She Ze and We, which supports transgender and nonbinary people by empowering their families and communities to create inclusive environments.
We work primarily with parents. Although we started with a group who had young children, we found the journey that parents of trans and nonbinary children go on is so similar, it doesn’t matter if their child is 5 years old or 45 years old.
Our group meetings help parents move through fear, gain knowledge and feel confident in how they support their children — knowing that how they support them will be as unique as each family.
People with young kids say they find it helpful to hear from parents of trans and nonbinary people who are older, so that they can get a sense of what’s down the road. Parents need to be equipped to make the right choice for their child.
Ultimately, the mission of He She Ze and We is to make sure that Virginia parents have what I didn’t: a supportive, reliable place to ask questions and get help when their children come out to them. That’s why I started this organization, and that’s why I was so proud to be a resident of a state that made critical, lifesaving information available to parents.
But when the the VDH took down its LGBTQ+ youth resources at the end of May without so much as a notice to parents, stakeholders, VDH staff or subject matter experts, the Youngkin administration reneged on its promise to support us.
Why is the governor afraid to give parents access to that information? Who does he think he’s serving by hiding it?
Parents like me deserve support, and I’m floored that the governor who says he cares most about so-called “parents’ rights” would deny parents their most basic right: information about how to support their own children.
Early in my quest for knowledge about what it means to have a transgender child, I learned there was nothing I did to cause my child’s trans identity, and that there was nothing I could do to stop it.
Hiding away resources will not deter young people from being transgender or nonbinary. After all, trans and nonbinary youth have always existed!
What it will do, tragically, is prevent some of them from growing up at all. According to The Trevor Project, trans and nonbinary young people are four times more likely to attempt suicide than their cisgender peers. That only one of the families that He She Ze and We has worked with over the past 11 years has suffered a loss to suicide is a miracle — and a testament to the fact that family support is crucial for young LGBTQ+ people’s health.
In fact, advocates agree that parental support is the No. 1 protective factor for trans and nonbinary youth, but only if those parents have access to meaningful resources like the ones that the VDH used to provide.
Virginia youth and families need more information — not less. When my daughter first came out, the closest resources I could find were in Philadelphia. The organization I lead in Virginia is here to help families access resources at home so that, together, they can decide what to do with them.
But we expect the commonwealth to be a partner in making that information available in the first place.
The Virginia Department of Health should restore the resources that families of trans and nonbinary people rely on, and the governor should make good on his promise to offer parents meaningful support in raising their children.
After all, access to information is every parent’s right, including parents of transgender youth.
RTD sponsors VA PrideFest for the second year
RTD sponsors VA PrideFest for the second year
The RTD sponsors VA PrideFest for the second year
The RTD sponsors VA PrideFest for the second year
The RTD sponsors VA PrideFest for the second year
RTD sponsors VA PrideFest for the second year
The RTD sponsors VA PrideFest for the second year
The RTD sponsors VA PrideFest for the second year
The RTD sponsors VA PrideFest for the second year
RTD sponsors VA PrideFest for the second year
The RTD sponsors VA PrideFest for the second year
RTD sponsors VA PrideFest for the second year
The RTD sponsors VA PrideFest for the second year
The RTD sponsors VA PrideFest for the second year
RTD sponsors VA PrideFest for the second year
The RTD sponsors VA PrideFest for the second year
The RTD sponsors VA PrideFest for the second year
The RTD sponsors VA PrideFest for the second year
RTD sponsors VA PrideFest for the second year
The RTD sponsors VA PrideFest for the second year
The RTD sponsors VA PrideFest for the second year
The RTD sponsors VA PrideFest for the second year
The RTD sponsors VA PrideFest for the second year
Shannon McKay (she/her) is the executive director of He She Ze and We, a Richmond-based, statewide nonprofit organization. Contact her at contact@heshezewe.org. | https://richmond.com/opinion/columnists/commentary-families-of-transgender-children-need-the-resources-vdh-took-down/article_90a0b3d2-2beb-11ee-bfd0-0b4c53d2bf4c.html | 2023-07-30T10:34:52 | 1 | https://richmond.com/opinion/columnists/commentary-families-of-transgender-children-need-the-resources-vdh-took-down/article_90a0b3d2-2beb-11ee-bfd0-0b4c53d2bf4c.html |
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.wvia.org/news/news/npr-national/2023-07-30/the-historic-heatwave-that-has-hit-the-u-s-southwest-is-set-to-cool-a-little | 2023-07-30T10:34:57 | 0 | https://www.wvia.org/news/news/npr-national/2023-07-30/the-historic-heatwave-that-has-hit-the-u-s-southwest-is-set-to-cool-a-little |
NBA athletes were once told to: “Shut up and dribble.”
In the case of Jaylen Brown, we have another suggestion: “Keep talking, but please don’t dribble.”
Brown signed the biggest contract in NBA history the other day. His super-max extension is worth $303,734,893 over five years.
The potential pre-shelter tax liability: $146,623,524.22. Give or take a few greenbacks.
Of that, about $12,087,684.42 will be absorbed courtesy of the state’s new millionaire tax.
This just in, Gov. Maura Healey has adopted Lucky.
With his impending pre-tax wealth, Brown eagerly wants to change Boston’s economic ecosystem, and shrink the wealth gap that exists in the city between Black and white households.
Good for him. It’s his money – and Maura’s.
The first question at his press conference on Wednesday was what we in the journalism business call a “softball.” Or in this case, a 3-1 hanging curveball from the late, great Corey Kluber.
It was the sort of inquiry I would have proffered to Tom and Gisele during the “OBF Hot Tub Happy Hour.”
“What do you plan to do with the generational wealth on and off the court with this new contract?”
Brown’s well-rehearsed answer should catapult him into being the betting favorite to be the next major of Boston.
“I want to launch a project to bring Black Wall Street here to Boston. I want to attack the wealth disparity here. I think there’s analytics that supports that stimulating the wealth gap could actually be something that could be betterment for the entire economy,” he said.
JB 2025!
“With the biggest financial deal in NBA history, it makes sense to talk about: 1) Your investment in community; but 2) also the wealth disparity here (in Boston) that nobody wants to talk about. It’s top five in the U.S., it’s something that we can all improve on. It’s unsettling. And I think through my platform, through influential partners, through selected leaders, government officials a lot who are in this room, that we can come together and create new jobs, new resources, new businesses, new ideas, that could you know, highlight minorities but also stimulate the economy and the wealth gap at the same time,” he said.
He would mention “wealth disparity” and “Black Wall Street” again in this answer.
Applause.
Brown wisely wants to direct as much of his money toward the things he believes in, instead of paying it in taxes. (See: Bill Gates.) For instance, imagine how much $12,087,684.42 could help in building Black Wall Street, as opposed to being sucked into another Beacon Hill rathole.
Brown’s work and life off the court was the desired storyline. The signing ceremony was held on the MIT campus amid his cheering Bridge campers. Brown said he got the call securing the largest contract in NBA history while participating in a robotics workshop.
Much attention has been focused on Brown’s ideals.
Deservedly so.
For him, the money is simply a means to a much greater end. It means “resources to put stuff together. To build things. To change things. To have influence.”
Brown feels pressure – but it’s to build something “inspirational.”
The “Face of Boston Sports” moniker is Brown’s if he wants it.
Merci, Bergy.
There were two words of substance that Brown did not say Wednesday. They were uttered, almost apologetically, by Wyc Grousbeck.
“Banner 18.”
Brown alluded to “winning” but never said the word “championship” during his press conference.
You see, Brown was all business.
Of course, basketball is also his business.
For $303.7 million, it would have been nice for Brown to discuss the Celtics’ desire for a second NBA title since the Reagan Administration.
Especially given the non-stop narrative and agenda pushed by the franchise.
And Brown’s disaster that was Game 7 against Miami:
3PT: 1-for-9
FG: 8-for-23
Plus/Minus: -17
Turnovers: 8
Brown played his first game with the Celtics two days after turning 20. That he’s steadily improved since is not revolutionary. At 26, he’s yet to reach his projected athletic peak. Yet, he backslid during the postseason this spring compared to last.
Brown’s salary will be $52,368,085 when his deal begins in 2024-25.
It will hit $69,125,872 by Year 5 in 2028-29.
Perspective Alert.
In 2007-08, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce earned $34,735,094. That equals $49,223,604.85 in 2023 dollars.
A bargain at any price.
Brown was introduced by – among others – Olympian and social justice advocate John Carlos. Nods to Bill Russell were peppered throughout.
Russell wrecked his opponents mentally and physically.
Russell’s Second Law of Basketball: “You got to have the killer instinct. If you do not have it, forget about basketball, and go into social psychology or something.”
Care to guess what’s been lacking in the Celtics DNA lately?
Eleven rings in 13 years, a 1956 Olympic gold medal, and those back-to-back NCAA championships at the University of San Francisco made Russell impossible to ignore.
Winning on the court gave Russell the platform to leave his greatest impact off it.
Tommie Smith and Carlos raised their gloved Black Power salute from the podium during the 1968 Olympics. It remains a seminal moment in sports history. Smith won gold. Carlos took bronze. Their iconic protest rattled the wide, wide world of sports in a year when pretty much everything else went to hell.
Brown has yet to win a title. Timing allowed him to avoid the obstacles faced by Russell, Smith and Carlos.
Brown went straight past “Go” and collected his dough. He’ll undoubtedly make Boston a better place for it.
Winning a championship or two along the way wouldn’t hurt, either.
Bill Speros (@RealOBF and @BillSperos) can be reached at bsperos1@gmail.com | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/30/obf-titles-would-enhance-jaylen-browns-social-platform-more-than-words/ | 2023-07-30T10:35:18 | 0 | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/30/obf-titles-would-enhance-jaylen-browns-social-platform-more-than-words/ |
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.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Xinhua | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/07/30/chengdu-2021-fisu-world-university-games-opening-ceremony-impresses-audiences-worldwide/ | 2023-07-30T10:35:18 | 1 | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/07/30/chengdu-2021-fisu-world-university-games-opening-ceremony-impresses-audiences-worldwide/ |
FOXBORO — The Patriots’ offense needs a lot of work after their efficiency and production cratered during the 2022 season.
Instead of trying to tackle everything at once, they’ve narrowed their focus during the first three days of training camp.
The Patriots have exclusively worked in the red zone during team drills. It was an area of major weakness for the offense last season, so it makes sense that it would be an emphasis early this summer. But those circumstances also haven’t given fans or reporters a fully accurate portrayal of how the offense or defense will look this season.
Still, there’s been plenty to learn through the first three non-contact sessions from continued offensive struggles, rookies that are most likely to contribute and the most pressing needs.
Offense lags behind
It is true that the level of difficulty for the offense has been raised because the Patriots are practicing within the confines of the red zone with a shorter field and less area to complete passes. Still, one would hope that things would look a little bit better early this summer. Quarterbacks Mac Jones (19/40, two INTs), Bailey Zappe (21/43) and Trace McSorley (13/30) all are completing less than half of their passes.
The team isn’t panicking, though, and don’t believe there’s cause for concern. One source noted that the defense is typically ahead of the offense at this time of year, and that’s especially true since there’s so much continuity and so many veteran players on the defensive side of the ball. Combine that with the red zone and a new playbook, and the offense was bound to get out to a slow start.
Of course, we did hear many of these same justifications for early struggles last year, and things didn’t improve for the offense. There’s a lot more faith for Bill O’Brien to right the ship than there was for Matt Patricia and Joe Judge, however.
Slow start for playmakers
There are four pass-catcher who are essentially guaranteed starting roles in the Patriots’ offense: running back Rhamondre Stevenson, wide receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and DeVante Parker and tight end Hunter Henry. The fifth spot – whether that’s an extra running back, wide receiver or tight end – will likely rotate based on a number of different factors, but someone will step up to lead the rest of the skill players in snaps.
Tight end Mike Gesicki is the front-runner based on personnel packages we’ve seen so far in practice. But Gesicki and wide receivers Kendrick Bourne and Tyquan Thornton have yet to catch a pass in competitive team drills so far this summer.
Gesicki led the Dolphins with 13 red zone targets last season. Bourne and Thornton finished tied for fourth on the Patriots’ roster with five red zone targets apiece last year behind running back Damien Harris, wide receiver Jakobi Meyers and Henry.
So, it’s not as if the three players have little-to-no experience being targeted in the red zone. They’re all 6-foot-1 or taller. It’s just that Jones is targeting Henry, Smith-Schuster and Parker much, much more.
Rookies stepping up
Two 2023 NFL Draft picks have truly stepped up and impressed so far in training camp.
Cornerback Christian Gonzalez has been a fixture in the starting defense and has two pass breakups in three practices. Despite being targeted heavily on Day 2, he’s allowed just four catches on eight targets overall. The Patriots desperately needed a big cornerback who could match up well with big, physical wide receivers, and Gonzalez is covering Smith-Schuster and Parker, both of whom fit that mold, well.
The other rookie who has shined was viewed as more of a dark horse for a roster spot this spring, and that’s wide receiver Demario Douglas, a sixth-round pick. I asked a source earlier this summer if Smith-Schuster was viewed as more of a slot or outside option. The source said that Smith-Schuster has flexibility if Douglas isn’t ready for major minutes in the slot right away. That set off alarms that it was even viewed as a possibility that Douglas could see playing time this season as a rookie.
Fast forward to training camp, and Douglas is positioned with the top group of skill position players while the rest of the Patriots’ rookie wide receivers are relegated to scout team work. It doesn’t feel out of the realm of possibility with Bourne, Thornton and Gesicki failing to set themselves apart that Douglas could find a path to snaps.
One team source was impressed with Douglas so far and noted that he’s playing fast. Douglas has received first-team reps in competitive drills but he has yet to be targeted by Jones. He has been targeted nine times by Zappe and caught five passes. That might not seem like a high rate until you consider that Zappe is only completing 48.8 percent of his passes. A 55.6 catch percentage is pretty high given the current state of the Patriots’ offense.
“He’s a smart kid,” head coach Bill Belichick said Friday. “He picks things up well, learns quickly, so all things that work in his favor, but we’ll see how it goes when things get more competitive next week.”
Most pressing need
Three positions stand out as an area of potential weakness for the Patriots this season. We’ll get deeper into one of them in our next section, but two are on the offensive side of the ball: running back and offensive tackle. Running back is perhaps the easiest position to find on the open market, whereas offensive tackle is among the hardest.
Even though Calvin Anderson is on the non-football illness list and Conor McDermott was seeing reps at right tackle over Riley Reiff on Friday, it still seems unlikely that the Patriots will make a major move at offensive tackle before the season. The reason: It takes two to tango. There isn’t a great option available in free agency, and teams don’t want to trade away offensive tackle depth. The Patriots made their bed at the position by signing Anderson and Reiff this offseason and waiting to draft a tackle until the fourth round when they took Sidy Sow (so far a scout-teamer). Now they likely have to lay in it.
Running back is another story. The Patriots hosted running back Ezekiel Elliott on a visit Saturday, per a source, and have already worked out Leonard Fournette and Darrell Henderson. Dalvin Cook, Kareem Hunt, Kenyan Drake and Rex Burkhead are still free agents. It is much more likely that the Patriots add at running back relatively soon since Stevenson really is their only dependable back. Ty Montgomery is day to day with a leg injury, and second-year pros Pierre Strong and Kevin Harris are unproven.
It wouldn’t be surprising if something were to come together soon with a running back.
Defensive weakness shielded
The Patriots’ defense has looked phenomenal so far. The biggest area of concern is at free safety, however. The only starter from last year’s unit who didn’t return is retired free safety Devin McCourty. Since the red zone is so condensed, the impact of a free safety has been felt less through the first three days of practice. Once the field opens up, we’re curious to see if a player like Thornton can really take the top off of the Patriots’ defense with traditional strong safeties like Kyle Dugger, Adrian Phillips and Jabrill Peppers patrolling the back.
A source said this summer that some trial and error is expected at this position in training camp and the preseason. The Patriots have shown a lot of big nickel sets with three safeties sharing the field. | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/30/what-weve-learned-through-first-three-days-of-patriots-training-camp/ | 2023-07-30T10:35:24 | 0 | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/30/what-weve-learned-through-first-three-days-of-patriots-training-camp/ |
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
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Raffles Doha and Fairmont Doha | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/07/30/record-set-qatar-worlds-longest-led-slackline-walk/ | 2023-07-30T10:35:25 | 0 | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/07/30/record-set-qatar-worlds-longest-led-slackline-walk/ |
Dream vs. Mystics Injury Report, Betting Odds - July 30
The Atlanta Dream (13-11) have just one player on the injury report for their matchup with the Washington Mystics (12-12) at Gateway Center Arena on Sunday, July 30 at 3:00 PM ET.
Watch live WNBA games without cable on all your devices with a seven-day free trial to Fubo!
The Dream are coming off of a 95-84 loss to the Liberty in their last game on Thursday.
Rep your team with officially licensed Dream gear! Head to Fanatics to find jerseys, shirts, and much more.
Atlanta Dream Injury Report Today
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Washington Mystics Injury Report Today
Dream vs. Mystics Game Info
- Game Day: Sunday, July 30, 2023
- Game Time: 3:00 PM ET
- TV Channel: ESPN3, NBCS-DC, Monumental, and BSSO
- Location: College Park, Georgia
- Arena: Gateway Center Arena
Use our link to sign up for a free trial of Fubo, and start watching live sports without cable today!
Dream Player Leaders
- Rhyne Howard paces the Dream at 18.2 points per game, while also averaging 3.4 assists and 4.6 rebounds.
- Allisha Gray averages a team-best 3.5 assists per contest. She is also averaging 17.9 points and 5.2 rebounds, shooting 48% from the floor and 38% from downtown with 1.1 made 3-pointers per game.
- Cheyenne Parker paces her squad in rebounds per game (7.2), and also posts 13.5 points and 1.6 assists. At the other end, she posts 1.2 steals and 1.5 blocked shots (sixth in the WNBA).
- Nia Coffey averages 6.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists per contest, shooting 43.4% from the floor and 40.7% from beyond the arc (seventh in league) with 1 made 3-pointers per contest.
- Haley Jones is putting up 4.1 points, 2.8 assists and 2.6 rebounds per contest.
Dream vs. Mystics Betting Info
Check out the latest odds and place your bets on the Dream or Mystics with BetMGM Sportsbook. Use our link for the best new user offer, no promo code required!
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.wcjb.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/dream-vs-mystics-wnba-injury-report/ | 2023-07-30T10:36:31 | 0 | https://www.wcjb.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/dream-vs-mystics-wnba-injury-report/ |
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.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Xinhua | https://www.wbay.com/prnewswire/2023/07/30/chengdu-2021-fisu-world-university-games-opening-ceremony-impresses-audiences-worldwide/ | 2023-07-30T10:36:55 | 0 | https://www.wbay.com/prnewswire/2023/07/30/chengdu-2021-fisu-world-university-games-opening-ceremony-impresses-audiences-worldwide/ |
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.wbay.com/prnewswire/2023/07/30/record-set-qatar-worlds-longest-led-slackline-walk/ | 2023-07-30T10:37:02 | 1 | https://www.wbay.com/prnewswire/2023/07/30/record-set-qatar-worlds-longest-led-slackline-walk/ |
Chicago Sky vs. Phoenix Mercury: Betting Trends, Record ATS, Home/Road Splits
Marina Mabrey and the Phoenix Mercury will battle when the Chicago Sky (9-15) meet the Mercury (6-17) at Wintrust Arena on Sunday, July 30 at 4:00 PM ET.
Chicago lost to Seattle 83-74 in its last game. Kahleah Copper led the way with 17 points, eight rebounds and four steals, followed by Dana Evans with 12 points. Phoenix lost to Atlanta 78-65 in their last game. Megan Gustafson (19 PTS, 8 REB, 3 BLK, 53.8 FG%) ended the game as Phoenix's top scorer.
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Sky vs. Mercury Game Time and Info
- Who's the favorite?: Sky (-275 to win)
- Who's the underdog?: Mercury (+230 to win)
- What's the spread?: Sky (-7.5)
- What's the over/under?: 156.5
- When: Sunday, July 30, 2023 at 4:00 PM ET
- Where: Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois
- TV: ESPN3 and AZFamily
Watch the WNBA live, along with tons of other live sports and TV, with a free trial to Fubo.
Sky Season Stats
- The Sky have struggled to put up points this season, ranking second-worst in the league with 78.1 points per game. They've played better defensively, ranking sixth by giving up 82.5 points per contest.
- Chicago is ninth in the WNBA with 33.8 boards per game this season. Meanwhile, it ranks eighth with 35.1 rebounds allowed per game.
- So far this season, the Sky rank fourth in the league in assists, putting up 19.8 per game.
- Chicago is averaging 13.9 turnovers per game (eighth-ranked in WNBA) this season, while forcing 13 turnovers per contest (eighth-ranked).
- The Sky are sinking 7.3 treys per game (fourth-ranked in WNBA) this year, while owning a 35% three-point percentage (fifth-ranked).
- In terms of defending three-pointers, things are clicking for Chicago, who is allowing 6.1 three-pointers per game (best in WNBA) and a 32.4% shooting percentage from three-point land (third-best).
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Sky Home/Away Splits
- The Sky have been significantly better offensively at home, where they average 80.6 points per game, compared to on the road, where they score 75.2 per game. Defensively, they are worse when playing at home, where they allow 84.3 points per game, versus on the road, where they let their opponents to average 80.5 per game.
- Chicago rebounds worse at home than on the road (31.9 RPG at home, 35.9 on the road), but it holds its opponents to fewer boards in home games than road games (34.9 at home, 35.3 on the road). On average, the Sky collect more assists at home than they do on the road (20.6 at home, 18.8 on the road).
- In the 2023 WNBA campaign, Chicago is turning the ball over less often in home games (13 per game) than away (14.9), and is alse forcing fewer turnovers at home (11.9 per game) compared to on the road (14.3).
- This year, the Sky are averaging 7.9 made three-pointers per game at home and 6.6 on the road (while shooting 38.3% from distance in home games compared to 31.2% on the road).
- This year, Chicago averages 6.5 three-pointers conceded per game at home and 5.5 on the road (while allowing 33.7% shooting from distance in home games compared to 30.7% on the road).
Sky Moneyline and ATS Records
- The Sky have won four of the nine games they were favored on the moneyline this season (44.4%).
- The Sky have yet to play a game with moneyline odds of -275 or shorter.
- Chicago is 11-12-0 against the spread this year.
- The Sky have a 73.3% chance to win this contest based on the moneyline's implied probability.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbay.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/chicago-sky-vs-phoenix-mercury-wnba-betting-trends-stats/ | 2023-07-30T10:37:09 | 0 | https://www.wbay.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/chicago-sky-vs-phoenix-mercury-wnba-betting-trends-stats/ |
Packers Odds to Make Playoffs and Win Super Bowl
Currently the Green Bay Packers are 19th in the league in terms of odds to win the Super Bowl, listed at +6600.
Watch the Packers this season on Fubo!
Packers Super Bowl Odds
- Odds to Win the NFC North: +400
- Odds to Win the Super Bowl: +6600
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Green Bay Betting Insights
- Green Bay compiled an 8-9-0 record against the spread last season.
- Last season, the combined scoring went over the point total eight times in Packers games.
- Offensively, Green Bay ranked 17th in the with 337.9 yards per game last season. Meanwhile, it ranked 17th in total defense (336.5 yards allowed per contest).
- The Packers picked up five wins at home last season and three away.
- As favorites, Green Bay went 5-6. When underdogs, the Packers were 3-3.
- The Packers were 6-6 in the NFC, including 3-3 in the NFC North.
Packers Impact Players
- On the ground, Aaron Jones had two touchdowns and 1,121 yards (65.9 per game) last year.
- Jones also had 59 receptions for 395 yards and five TDs.
- On the ground, A.J. Dillon scored seven touchdowns and picked up 770 yards (45.3 per game).
- Dillon also had 28 catches for 206 yards and zero TDs.
- In 14 games a season ago, Christian Watson had 41 receptions for 611 yards (43.6 per game) and seven touchdowns.
- In the passing game, Romeo Doubs scored three TDs, catching 42 balls for 425 yards (32.7 per game).
- Quay Walker registered 119 tackles, 5.0 TFL, 1.5 sacks, and seven passes defended in 17 games last year.
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2023-24 Packers NFL Schedule
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbay.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/packers-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ | 2023-07-30T10:37:15 | 1 | https://www.wbay.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/packers-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ |
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.wbay.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/wnba-odds-how-to-watch/ | 2023-07-30T10:37:21 | 1 | https://www.wbay.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/wnba-odds-how-to-watch/ |
As I walked into the kitchen, the table caught my eye. Platters of succulent watermelon sliced into triangles and assorted fruits were placed at the center. Four place settings had been arranged, complete with napkins and utensils, indicating the expected guests.
Among her friends, Ziba Aghavyeva is known for her outstanding hosting abilities and delectable cuisine who goes the extra mile to ensure occasions in her home are delightful experiences.
Originally from Baku, Azerbaijan, Aghavyeva moved to the United States with her spouse eight years ago and started a family.
She has developed a strong affection for Lafayette, appreciating its easygoing lifestyle and warm climate. She's also earned two master's degrees from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Her meal was comprised of traditional Azerbaijani delicacies and Azerbaijani cheese that pairs well with watermelon. As soon as I heard "watermelon with cheese," I imagined the sweet and savory flavors combining, much like sprinkling salt on the fruit.
The colorful table-wide spread incorporated vibrant red, green and white. The fragrant aroma of fresh vegetables further enhanced the overall experience.
We began with dogramac, a classic Azerbaijani yogurt dish infused with herbs and cucumbers, served as a chilled soup. The dogramac complemented the other dishes and perfect for the Louisiana heat.
When it comes to Azerbaijani cuisine, dolmas or stuffed grape leaves are a must. To make these delectable treats, Aghavyeva used tender grape leaves from her backyard garden to wrap a flavorful stuffing made of meat, rice and herbs.
Various types of dolma are prepared worldwide, but the unique characteristic of Azerbaijani-style dolma is its smaller and rounder shape, the perfect bite-size version of the grape-leaf delicacy. It had pleasant, competing crisp and chewy textures that burst with flavor as soon as I took a bite.
Dolmas are great on their own or paired with a side of garlic yogurt dipping sauce. The combination of dolmas and sauce is unbeatable.
The choban salad, also known as shepherd's salad, is a popular dish in Azerbaijan. According to Aghavyeva, this salad got its name from the shepherds who used to gather ingredients from their farms to make it. She said the recipe is simple to prepare and uses affordable and easily obtainable ingredients such as cucumbers, tomatoes and herbs.
Aghavyeva relished in sharing stories about the traditional dishes from her homeland. She prepares these dishes at least once a month, often when she has gatherings, as it gives her a little piece of home.
At the end of the meal, Fazila Sheydayeva, a local Azerbaijani friend and owner of Sky's Bites, treated us to a delectable dessert — a crepe cake filled with crème and garnished with fresh raspberries. We savored every spoonful as we drank hot Azerbaijani tea.
Full from the delicious feast, I'll have to wait until next time to try the watermelon and cheese.
Azerbaijan dolmas
Serves 4-6. Recipe is by Ziba Aghavyeva, adapted from a recipe in the "AZ Cookbook" by Feride Buyuran.
1 pound ground lamb or beef
1 medium onion, grated
1/2 cup medium-grain white rice
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
100 small-size or 50 medium-size grape leaves
3 tablespoons clarified butter (ghee) or unsalted butter
Plain yogurt or yogurt sauce, to serve (recipe follows)
1. In a mixing bowl, combine the first eight ingredients (add less salt if using briny canned leaves). Mix with your hands until well combined.
2. If using fresh grape leaves, boil slightly salted water in a medium saucepan and blanch the leaves in small batches (about 10 at a time) in the boiling water for about a minute (less if the leaves are very tender). This will soften the leaves and make them easier to roll and faster to cook. Remove the leaves from the pan using a slotted spoon and drain in a colander. Cut off the stems.
3. If using canned leaves, put batches of them in a colander, rinse well under cold water to remove the salt and drain. If the canned leaves feel too thick, blanch them in boiling water for about a minute, then drain. Otherwise, do not blanch. Cut off the stems.
4. Have a medium saucepan ready. If using medium-size mature leaves, cut them in half. Small, young leaves can remain whole.
5. If there are any torn or damaged leaves, do not discard — use them to patch holes in other leaves as needed. Also, arrange some of the damaged leaves flat on the bottom of the saucepan. If you don’t have damaged leaves, line the bottom of the saucepan with unused whole leaves to cover.
6. To stuff the grape leaves, hold a leaf (or half, if cut) shiny side down on the palm of your hand. Place about 1 heaping teaspoon of the filling at the stem end of the leaf. Fold the top down, then the sides over the filling and roll up tightly to shape it into a 1-inch round bundle. Arrange the stuffed leaves, seam side down, on the bottom of the pan. Continue until all the leaves and filling are used, arranging the stuffed bundles snugly together in the pan, making several layers.
7. Dot the tops with butter and pour in water to cover the dolma halfway. Place a small lid or a small ovenproof plate on top of the stuffed leaves to keep them tight and to prevent them from opening. Cover and bring to a boil.
8. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about an hour and a half, or until the leaves are tender, the filling is cooked and there is little liquid left (if the liquid is completely absorbed at some point during cooking, add more water and continue to simmer).
9. Serve immediately with bread and plain yogurt or garlic yogurt sauce to spoon onto the dolma to taste.
10. To make garlic yogurt sauce, in a bowl combine 1 cup of yogurt with 2 to 4 cloves garlic crushed with a garlic press.
Choban salad (shepherd’s salad)
Serves 4-6. Recipe is by Ziba Aghavyeva, adapted from a recipe shared on the blog of travelinbaku.com.
2 cucumbers, seeded and chopped
4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
4 ounces feta cheese, cubed or crumbled
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1. In a bowl, add diced cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, feta cheese and parsley.
2. Add olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Toss to coat.
3. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve. Best enjoyed the same day.
Dogramac
Serves 4-6. Recipe is by Ziba Aghavyeva, adapted from a recipe shared on the Instagram page of cookinwithaynur.
1 garlic clove (optional)
2 tablespoons dill
2 tablespoons parsley
2 tablespoons coriander
2 tablespoons fresh mint
1/2 large cucumber
1 1/2 cups natural yogurt
Salt to taste
2 cups cold water
1. Mix chopped herbs and cucumber with yogurt. Add generous amount of salt.
2. Pour in cold water; whisk all ingredients together.
3. Enjoy! | https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/entertainment_life/azerbaijani-dishes-bring-a-bit-of-home-to-lafayette-woman/article_bbbb3eec-28c7-11ee-910f-2fcb313dac72.html | 2023-07-30T10:37:30 | 1 | https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/entertainment_life/azerbaijani-dishes-bring-a-bit-of-home-to-lafayette-woman/article_bbbb3eec-28c7-11ee-910f-2fcb313dac72.html |
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.kxii.com/prnewswire/2023/07/30/chengdu-2021-fisu-world-university-games-opening-ceremony-impresses-audiences-worldwide/ | 2023-07-30T10:37:31 | 0 | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2023/07/30/chengdu-2021-fisu-world-university-games-opening-ceremony-impresses-audiences-worldwide/ |
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.kxii.com/prnewswire/2023/07/30/record-set-qatar-worlds-longest-led-slackline-walk/ | 2023-07-30T10:37:32 | 0 | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2023/07/30/record-set-qatar-worlds-longest-led-slackline-walk/ |
Every day in Louisiana, hair stylists in salons across the state use their fingers to interlace people's hair into twists, knots, cornrows, microbraids and dreadlocks.
The natural hairstyles are as synonymous with Louisiana as crawfish and steam-powered river boats. Many braiders are lifelong students who began harnessing their skills at an early age under the tutelage of older relatives.
But a majority of Louisiana's hair braiders are completely unaware of a state law that says they don't have enough training.
According to the Louisiana Cosmetology Act, braiders must undergo at least 500 hours of training before they are legally certified to braid hair professionally. They also must pass a written exam and complete a practical test that includes performing several different hair styles on a mannequin.
It is an arduous regimen that can take more than 10 months, costing aspiring braiders over $10,000 to earn what is known as an "alternative hair design" permit, according to a natural braiding curriculum on one Monroe cosmetology school's website.
“Most people in Louisiana who are braiding, if not all of them, are women who have been braiding all of their lives," said Keith Neely, a Washington, D.C., attorney for nonprofit think tank Institute for Justice. "So asking them to turn around and spend 500 hours in school, it’s kind of insulting. It’s just forcing them to jump through these unnecessary hoops when all they want to do is support themselves and their families.”
State officials defend the regulations as a measure to preserve public health and safety at licensed salons that offer braiding services.
"The alternative hair design permit is necessary to protect the ... welfare of the citizens of Louisiana by ensuring that individuals performing alternative hair design are knowledgeable about the damage which can result from poor scalp hygiene, improper grooming, excessive tension on the hair follicles and cross contamination," said Sherri Morris, an attorney who led the board's legal team.
Neely represented a group of natural hair stylists that challenged the constitutionality of Louisiana's occupational licensing requirements in court. The trio sued the Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology, the governor-appointed panel of hair care experts that has imposed those mandates on braiders since 2003.
A 19th Judicial District Court judge dismissed their lawsuit during a bench trial earlier this month, ruling they failed to prove their claims that state laws violate constitutional protections.
Neely said he and his team intend to appeal that decision with the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal.
Critics say the requirements are far too demanding and serve as a barrier to small-business owners and low-income stylists trying to break into the industry. Other opponents note the fact that the Board of Cosmetology, by law, is comprised of licensed cosmetologists and cosmetology instructors, some of whom own their own salons and cosmetology schools.
The nine-member panel created the regulations, and Neely suggested the board members stand to benefit most from the 500-hour demand.
“We think that this is just economic protectionism. We think that the members of the board are trying to protect their own interests, their own businesses," he said. "That’s why they enacted this and that’s why they’ve been defending it ever since.”
Family business threatened
Lynn Schofield was born in the Ivory Coast and immigrated to the United States in the 1980s. She moved to Louisiana in 2000 and opened the Afro Touch hair salon in New Orleans.
Before long, the shop grew to four different locations and Schofield employed about 20 stylists. One of those was Schofield’s niece Ashley N’Dakpi, who picked up braiding by hanging around her aunt’s shop at a young age.
Afro Touch ran successfully for decades, but the operation came under fire in 2018 when the Board of Cosmetology began cracking down.
Schofield and N’Dakpi did not have their braiding permits, and the board began enforcing the regulations when a new inspector began handling the shops’ annual certifications.
N’Dakpi said the previous inspector turned a blind eye to the licensing issue because their shops met sanitary requirements and for years they never even knew they needed a permit to do braids.
It's a serious issue that has the potential to ruin businesses. Salons can have their licenses revoked and the state can fine owners up to $5,000 each time an unlicensed braider is found working there.
N'Dakpi, who took over Afro Touch's Gretna location in 2019, said her business has been fined thousands of dollars for violations over the past four years. Court documents indicate, stylists fearful of being fined themselves began leaving other Afro Touch locations and started braiding hair underground.
That forced Schofield to shut down three of her shops.
N'Dakpi said she can't afford to shut down her shop for several months and take classes to get the license because too many clients depend on her and her employees rely on the shop for their livelihoods.
"I feel like certain regulations are necessary, but not for braiding. As difficult as everything is in the economy right now, it just makes everything even harder.”
N'Dakpi and Schofield were the two plaintiffs in the recent lawsuit. District Judge Wilson Fields dismissed Schofield from the case after she failed to appear for the July 12 bench hearing, court records show.
N'Dakpi's attorneys from the Institute for Justice argued that unregulated braiding poses no threat to public health and safety and asked the judge to stop “unreasonable government interference.”
Citing a landmark 1959 case, Neely described the state’s permitting requirements as “arbitrary, discriminatory and oppressive” and said they were “designed to create a monopoly … for the benefit of the favored few.”
But state officials countered that Louisiana has regulated cosmetology since 1925 and indicated the Legislature reenacted a statute to create the Louisiana Cosmetology Act in 2001. That led to the creation of the Cosmetology Board two years later, which was formed to protect health and safety in barber shops and salons.
The board argued the plaintiffs aimed to circumvent the rules with their lawsuit by allowing untrained braiders to set up shop in facilities not subject to state inspection.
'It's all about money'
Hair braiding is considered a natural process because all that’s needed is a comb, hair grease, a stylist’s steady hands and possibly extensions. The technique has deep roots in African culture and has become increasingly popular among Africans and African Americans in recent years.
“Most of us learned from our auntees or other relatives,” said Evangela “Michelle” Robertson. “Some things just come natural to us because as a people, we are very creative. It’s a cultural thing.”
Braids can be fashioned into different patterns and textures, and stylists use an endless array of methods.
Many choose braids as a safer and less invasive alternative to hairstyles rooted in Western cosmetology that often require heat, scissors and straightening chemicals like sodium hydroxide, which can damage coily hair and even cause scalp burns.
Robertson originally was one of the braiders suing the state, but she voluntarily dropped off the case in January 2022.
According to the case files, she was a longtime stylist who moved out of Louisiana in 2018 in part because of the stringent laws on braiding. The Institute for Justice indicates 27 states have no licensing requirements for breading, including neighboring states like Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas.
Fifteen other states have regulations less burdensome than Louisiana’s. Braiders in South Carolina only have to take a six-hour class and pass a safety and sanitation exam to be certified, while those in Oregon need to complete only a five-hour online module.
A handful of states like Massachusetts and Montana require braiders to get a full cosmetology license.
Now a teacher in Texas, Robertson said she has fought for reforms in Louisiana to make the path to entrepreneurship easier for her younger nieces who braid hair. She said some training for sanitation standards is understandable, but there is no need to require schooling to learn the artistry of braiding.
“So I’m supposed to go to these white-owned schools and pay you to teach me how to do something that I probably already know how to do and do well. It doesn’t make any sense to me,” Robertson said. “It always comes down to money. Who owns the schools? No one that looks like us; and if they do, it’s not a majority. … How can I teach a skill that is not innate to me? That’s not even natural.”
Louisiana lawmakers have made efforts to rein in the occupational regulations in the world of cosmetology. In 2017, state Rep. Julie Emerson (R-Carencro) authored a bill that sought to define natural hair braiding and removed all the regulations on it. The measure was approved overwhelmingly in the House, but was narrowly defeated by a single vote on the Senate floor.
During this year's session, state Rep. Mary DuBuisson (R-Slidell) sponsored a bill aimed at reducing the minimum training stylists need to obtain their cosmetology license from 1,500 hours to 1,200 hours. Salon owners lobbied hard against the proposal after it cleared the House and it never reached a Senate committee.
"It's all about money," DuBuisson said when asked why there was such opposition.
“In our view, it would help their businesses because more people would be able to do it," the representative added. "So it would actually grow the (industry). But they were too fearful that it would affect their bottom line.” | https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/courts/natural-stylists-decry-louisianas-red-tape-on-braiding-hair/article_c84ee632-2be1-11ee-a777-d35730241ff7.html | 2023-07-30T10:37:37 | 0 | https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/courts/natural-stylists-decry-louisianas-red-tape-on-braiding-hair/article_c84ee632-2be1-11ee-a777-d35730241ff7.html |
A 10-week fight over the budget will soon give way to a long, perhaps longer debate about how the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and Superintendent Sito Narcisse should work with each other in the future and whether that relationship will continue after June 30 when Narcisse’s contract is set to end.
The budget fight looks to end during a special meeting at 5 p.m. Monday at the School Board Office, 1050 S. Foster Drive. That’s about six weeks later than when the board normally approves its budget.
Negotiations over whether to renew Narcisse’s contract are set to begin once the budget is approved.
The board held an all-day retreat on July 22 that touched on those upcoming negotiations. Board members discussed ways to change how they evaluate Narcisse’s performance as well as the need to determine their top priorities for the state’s second-largest traditional school district.
The School Board that hired Narcisse in early 2021 is largely gone. This past January, six new individuals took office. Only three — Mark Bellue, Dadrius Lanus and Mike Gaudet — returned.
This new board has made it clear it won’t be rushed. Besides going into extra innings on the budget, the board resisted calls to launch contract renewal negotiations with Narcisse for six months, finally relenting earlier this month.
On Monday, the board is set to approve two documents: a $560.8 million general operating budget, and a $230.7 million “special revenue” budget dominated by federal COVID-19 relief funds.
The documents cover the vast majority of spending for the 2023-24 fiscal year, which began July 1. Employees return from summer break on Tuesday, and students return to classes Aug. 9.
A substantial employee pay raise that Narcisse promised employees in June 2022 has proved the most contentious issue. On July 13, the board voted 6-2 to downshift from a permanent pay raise to a one-time stipend — $4,000 for educators, $2,000 for support workers.
Combined with a one-time stipend approved last month by the Legislature, Baton Rouge educators’ paychecks are set to increase by a total of $6,000 during the 2023-24 school year, while support workers’ pay would increase by a total of $3,000.
The plan is to boost the district stipend by another $1,000 in 2024-25 and in 2025-26 approve an even larger permanent district pay raise of $6,000 for educators and $4,000 for support workers.
Paying for such a big pay raise, however, will require more revenue, less spending, or some combination of both. And the money available for that big, future pay raise is less than it might have been.
After initially rejecting Narcisse’s original plan for $31 million in deficit spending in 2023-24, the board ultimately compromised. The budget calls for $16.5 million in deficit spending and another $15 million in cuts and short-term funding shifts.
This newfound comfort with deficit spending is a shift from years past. Since 2019, the board has insisted on balanced budgets, and Narcisse last year earned $1,000 in performance pay for producing one.
Easing board members' concerns is the fact that district reserves are at historic highs. Also, the district historically has ended the year in a better financial position than it started, in the process erasing or reducing projected deficits. Last time that wasn’t so was in 2018-19 when final district reserves were $22.7 million less than the previous fiscal year.
About $6.7 million of the latest deficit spending emerged at the 11th hour before the board locked in the budget on July 17. That added spending was in the following areas:
- School safety: $1.7 million.
- Restored jobs in curriculum and instruction: $1.5 million.
- Professional service contracts, $1.2 million.
- Internship Stipends and Workforce Development teacher training, $1 million.
- Restoring 13 assistant principals as deans of students: $859,000.
Narcisse at first called for $2.6 million in added contracts, but board members reduced that to $1.2 million.
One vendor to watch is The Arbinger Institute. Narcisse hired this Salt Lake City-based firm in 2021 to help devise a strategic plan for the system later that year. That plan, now 2 years old, is set to be updated, but it’s not clear if Arbinger will remain. A proposal to spend $252,000 for Arbinger for 2023-24 was cut from the budget, then restored late in the process, but might have been cut yet again.
Board member Gaudet has been pushing to re-up with Arbinger and get the six new board members to move quickly to put their stamp on the strategic plan. Gaudet, a retired executive with Albemarle, said he has worked with many consultants on such plans and Arbinger stands out.
“In my opinion, they are the best ones I’ve ever worked with,” Gaudet said.
The July 22 retreat, though, made clear other players are in the process.
The sessions that day were led up by School Board Partners. That group’s co-founder is Ethan Ashley, a member of the Orleans Parish School Board. Since 2019, School Board Partners has provided professional training to school board members across the country who are committed to equity and anti-racism.
Gaudet was a fellow in the organization’s initial 2019 class as were Lanus and former Baton Rouge school board member Tramelle Howard. Board Vice President Carla Powell is a current fellow. Lanus, who is the board president, has remained active with School Board Partners.
Ashley said School Board Partners’ expenses for putting on the retreat — Ashley wouldn’t say how much it cost — were covered by the nonprofit group, the Baton Rouge Alliance for Students, and The Alliance will cover the cost of “on-going support as needed.” At a minimum the group will continue to advise Lanus and Powell if they desire such help since those two are both fellows, Ashley said.
Gaudet said he is not opposed to School Board Partners working again with the rest of the board as it did at the July 22 retreat, but said the board should first vote on such an arrangement.
The Baton Rouge Alliance is best known for fielding and supporting candidates in the 2022 East Baton Rouge Parish school board elections. Groups affiliated with The Alliance endorsed and spent nearly $900,000 in those races, prevailing in seven of nine contests. The only current board members not endorsed by The Alliance are Gaudet and Katie Kennison.
Adonica Duggan, a founder of The Alliance, said her organization has, at its own expense, been making outside experts available to all board members, which she described as a “phone a friend” arrangement.
For instance, Catherine Pozniak spoke at the July 22 retreat about strategic budgeting, but has previously spoken with board members with questions about the district budget. Currently a private consultant, Pozniak has a long education resume in Louisiana, including a stint as assistant superintendent for fiscal operations with the state Department of Education.
“We see ourselves as providing support to the district on different things,” Duggan said. | https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/education/talk-on-budget-shifts-to-talk-on-future-of-sito-narcisse/article_896c1576-2e47-11ee-acd9-3f3b5d873c7a.html | 2023-07-30T10:37:43 | 1 | https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/education/talk-on-budget-shifts-to-talk-on-future-of-sito-narcisse/article_896c1576-2e47-11ee-acd9-3f3b5d873c7a.html |
First Fridays at Tin Roof Brewing Company
The Tin Roof Brewing Company's Family Friday event will once again provide fun for the whole family. Starting at 5 p.m. on Friday, the event will feature balloon animals, face painting, Baton Rouge Music Studio live performances, a big bounce house in the yard and food pop-ups. Plus excellent beers for the adults too, of course.
The Tin Roof Brewing Company is located at 1624 Wyoming St., in Baton Rouge.
Whooping crane talk at the Baton Rouge Zoo
On Friday, Aug. 4, biologist and leading whooping crane authority Sara Zimorski will give a talk about the remarkable story of whooping cranes in Louisiana at BREC's Baton Rouge Zoo, 3601 Thomas Road.
The talk will take place from 6:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. Preregistration is required. While tickets are free, donations will be collected for the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation Whooping Crane Reintroduction program.
FYI BR is a weekly column of events and other happenings in the Baton Rouge area. Have something you'd like to share? Contact us at jack.barlow@theadvocate.com. | https://www.theadvocate.com/fyi-br-whooping-cranes-and-family-fun-at-tin-roof-brewing/article_19291042-2bdc-11ee-ab61-cbd9c83da3ac.html | 2023-07-30T10:37:49 | 1 | https://www.theadvocate.com/fyi-br-whooping-cranes-and-family-fun-at-tin-roof-brewing/article_19291042-2bdc-11ee-ab61-cbd9c83da3ac.html |
Chiefs Odds to Make Playoffs and Win Super Bowl
The Kansas City Chiefs at the moment have the best odds in the entire league to win the Super Bowl at +600.
Watch the Chiefs this season on Fubo!
Chiefs Super Bowl Odds
- Odds to Win the AFC West: -165
- Odds to Win the Super Bowl: +600
Looking to place a futures bet on the Chiefs to win the Super Bowl this season? Head to BetMGM using our link and enter the bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Kansas City Betting Insights
- Kansas City covered seven times in 17 matchups with a spread last season.
- A total of eight Chiefs games last season went over the point total.
- Kansas City owned the 11th-ranked defense last year (328.2 yards allowed per game), and it was better on offense, ranking best with 413.6 yards per game.
- At home last year, the Chiefs were 7-1. On the road, they were 7-2.
- When underdogs, Kansas City had only one victory (1-1) versus its 13-2 record as the favored team.
Chiefs Impact Players
- In 17 games last year, Patrick Mahomes II passed for 5,250 yards (308.8 per game), with 41 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, and a completion percentage of 67.1%.
- In addition, Mahomes rushed for 358 yards and four TDs.
- Travis Kelce had 110 receptions for 1,338 yards (78.7 per game) and 12 touchdowns in 17 games.
- Jerick McKinnon rushed for 291 yards (17.1 per game) and one touchdown in 17 games a season ago.
- On the ground, Isiah Pacheco scored five touchdowns and accumulated 830 yards (48.8 per game).
- Nick Bolton collected two interceptions to go with 180 tackles, 9.0 TFL, two sacks, and three passes defended in 17 games last year.
Bet on Chiefs 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 Chiefs 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.1011now.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/chiefs-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ | 2023-07-30T10:38:18 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/chiefs-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ |
Lynx vs. Sun: Odds, spread, over/under and other Vegas lines - July 30
Published: Jul. 30, 2023 at 4:36 AM CDT|Updated: 1 hour 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.
Click on our link to sign up for a free trial of Fubo, and start watching live sports without cable today!
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.
Not all offers available in all states. Please gamble responsibly! Contact 1-800-GAMBLER if you or someone you know has developed a gambling problem or addiction.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.1011now.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/lynx-sun-wnba-odds-spread-over-under/ | 2023-07-30T10:38:24 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/lynx-sun-wnba-odds-spread-over-under/ |
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.1011now.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/wnba-odds-how-to-watch/ | 2023-07-30T10:38:31 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/wnba-odds-how-to-watch/ |
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.nepm.org/national-world-news/2023-07-30/african-leaders-leave-russia-summit-without-grain-deal-or-path-to-peace-in-ukraine | 2023-07-30T10:38:36 | 1 | https://www.nepm.org/national-world-news/2023-07-30/african-leaders-leave-russia-summit-without-grain-deal-or-path-to-peace-in-ukraine |
Brandon Staley watched his parents battle cancer and then had his own bout, but the Chargers coach believes the experience can help be a stronger coach.
The losses were dramatic, certainly, even historic, the Chargers’ last two seasons ending in ways difficult to conceive.
But Brandon Staley is one who can relate, can relate to being repeatedly crushed, to being finished in both mind and body. Can relate to the pain of progress.
He’s a fighter who, still today, summons the competitive acid that swells inside a gut trying to accept losses suffered on an AAU hoops court as a 12-year-old.
And he’s a son, too, a son who watched his mother somehow cut daylight through the impossible — a winding, gnarled cancer battle that he’d eventually have to face himself.
“Because of the tough losses, the endings to the past two seasons, you’re closer to the right path,” Staley said. “It’s exactly what my mom used to always say to us.”
Linda Staley’s message has shaped his life. Her words are, as Staley explained it, “what drive me from these experiences.”
Still stinging from the third-worst collapse in NFL playoff history, Chargers coach Brandon Staley met with Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who had been there before.
He used them years ago when Hodgkin lymphoma invaded his chest and demanded a response to a regimen that gives life and hope but takes so much else.
“Every one of those chemo treatments was like a football game to him,” Jason, Staley’s twin brother, remembered. “It was going to be a grind … and he was going to grind the cancer right out of him.”
So now, Staley is in another fight — one that isn’t life or death just a whole lot of life, his life. For the second consecutive summer, he will try to steer the Chargers back from the darkest of defeats.
Understanding cancer and its ravages long before his diagnosis — the way the disease slowly consumed his mother and twice took runs at his father — Staley finds himself empowered by perspective.
“When you go through chemo, a treatment, afterward you have nothing left,” he said. “It feels like losing a game. It takes the air out of you. But 13 days later you have to be ready to go do it again.
“You know what to expect now, so you build yourself up and when that date arrives, you’re ready to go. And then you’re actually stronger the next time. You’re going to get knocked down again by the treatment, but you keep learning.”
The Chargers’ latest loss was so profound that the details and misery attached to it — the entire expanse of a sour-luck franchise that, in 54 years in the NFL, never has won — can be captured in a single word:
Jacksonville.
Expressed another way, it takes but two numbers:
27-0.
The league’s third-worst playoff collapse spiraled the Chargers into an offseason that saw multiple assistants fired by a coach many observers believed should have been the first to go.
Worse, the 31-30 loss to the Jaguars marked Staley’s second consecutive season-ending stomach kick. A year earlier, the Chargers’ playoffs hopes vanished on the final play of the NFL’s final regular-season game, in overtime, against the AFC West rival Raiders.
Despite starting his career with consecutive winning seasons — a more successful foundation than those laid by Bill Belichick and Andy Reid, Jimmy Johnson and Don Coryell — Staley’s very competence was doubted. Even mocked.
The analysts screamed, the fans growled, the internet “internetted.”
So, as he readies for his latest response in a lifetime of responses, let’s offer one suggestion of what’s to come by looking back at what already has been; back at the time a disease showed up to attack Staley but instead found itself under attack.
“I know what the toughest part of life looks like because I’ve seen it. I’ve seen it and I’ve felt it myself.”
— Brandon Staley, Chargers coach
He had just spent his first year in coaching — at Northern Illinois — as a graduate assistant, a bottom-rung position where a former college standout found himself trying to discover ways to somehow impact games he previously had controlled joystick-like as a quarterback.
Staley hadn’t felt well for most of that 2006 season as he dealt with a stubborn fever and re-occurring night sweats, a growth also developing on his neck and eventually turning harder.
In mid-January, at UH Cleveland Medical Center — the same hospital where his parents had been treated — Staley received the diagnosis that left both his brothers crying while he refused to waver.
“Brandon’s wired differently than a lot of people,” said Michael, Staley’s younger brother. “I think it was tough for him to break the news to me, but the confidence he had on that call made me feel more at ease.
“He wasn’t going to let people see him differently even though he was battling something terrifying. He approached things the way we saw our mom do it. She fought with such grace and elegance.”
Linda Staley was supposed to live one year after breast cancer was discovered when her twin sons were 12. She lived that year and eight more before her body spent the last of its fight.
Along the way, she discovered strength by helping others on their cancer paths, continued to raise her three sons and, shining light on the grim effects of chemo, often leaned on her favorite mantra: “The sicker I get, the closer I get to getting well.”
Staley’s father, Bruce, already had beaten thyroid cancer and, years later, would do the same to prostate cancer. But Brandon’s diagnosis hit especially hard, Michael admitting he felt fear and Jason saying he experienced something more gripping.
“There was nothing I wouldn’t have done to take the cancer out of him and put it into me,” Jason said. “I mean, we’re twins, right? That’s something I have to wake up with every day. We’re blessed that he beat it, but there’s still a tinge of guilt, a bit of ‘Why him and not me?’ ”
Twelve rounds of chemo — once every other week for six months — awaited Staley. Lymphoma filled his right lung and his tumor had grown to be as visible as ever.
New Chargers coach Brandon Staley credits much of his success to the examples set by his father and mother, even as she eventually passed away from cancer.
There were unknowns, certainly, but there also was a clear picture of what was coming; a picture, Staley explained, fine-tuned by watching a pair of lifelong educators who raised him teach lessons they never envisioned teaching.
“I saw a lot from my mom and dad, especially my mom,” he said. “She went through the toughest stuff you can go through. … There was nothing in the cancer playbook that she didn’t go through.
“I’ve seen how far the human body can go. I’ve seen it challenged to the edges. I know what the toughest part of life looks like because I’ve seen it. I’ve seen it and I’ve felt it myself.”
After the ninth round of chemo, scans showed Staley to be cancer free. But the final three dosages had to go on as planned, something he said nearly staggered a mindset forged to fight.
So Brandon Zangaro, one of his former college teammates, continued to pick up Staley at the Cleveland airport, drive him to the hospital and marvel at what would happen once they arrived.
“When he would walk in, everyone’s day would brighten,” Zangaro said. “He’s just magnifying that way, electric really. It was ironic, you know? He was going there to have poison put in his body and he was the positive one.”
Following the chemo and a short break, Staley began six weeks of radiation, every morning, Monday through Friday. He would drive to Chicago, to the University of Illinois Medical Center, leaving Northern Illinois at 4 a.m. for the earliest appointment possible.
Then he’d drive back and return to work, resume building toward his dream of head coaching, the competitor in Staley choosing to embrace — no, to cherish — the two-fisted challenger before him.
The early-morning regimen brought a focus and purpose to each day. The battle generated the sort of energy he’d felt only when facing the toughest of foes. The size of the opponent demanded a response of equal stature.
Austin Ekeler is just what NFL teams want in a running back. He can run inside and out and catch like a wide receiver. He scored 18 touchdowns last season. Yet, where’s the pay?
“It was really good for me because it got me started in coaching the way you need to start,” Staley said, “which is having the selflessness, the commitment, the dedication, the drive that ultimately gets you where you want to go.”
Every day, after returning from radiation, Staley would enter the Yordon Center, which houses Northern Illinois’ football offices. Amy Ward, a former Huskie volleyball player who was interning for the athletic director, worked the front desk.
The two had seen each other months earlier, at Fatty’s, a local hangout known for its Cajun-fried potato salad and less famous for being Amy’s former place of employment.
She would see Staley stalking his way through the Yordon Center hallways behind dark sunglasses. What Amy didn’t know was those glasses were hiding a pair of eyes turned bloodshot by the drugs saving Staley’s life.
Before long, they were dating, and a couple weeks into their relationship, Amy asked about the scar on Staley’s neck, the spot that twice had been biopsied leading to his diagnosis.
“I was enamored at his ease in discussing his cancer,” said Amy, who became Staley’s wife in June 2011. “You could tell it was a big deal and it had been really hard, but he was, like, on fire about his life and what he wanted to do next.”
There was passion, but there was something soothing, too. There was authenticity, the type Staley’s players talk about still today. Before their first date, Staley told Amy he’d pick her up in his favorite car, bragging on his beloved ride to the point where Amy wasn’t sure what to expect.
He’s a car guy? Really?
Then Staley rolled up in an old Buick Skylark the color of the McDonald’s character, Grimace. “The Purple Palace,” as the Staley boys called it, had belonged to their grandfather, John Lucrezi, before being passed down.
There was gray paneling on the sides and some 250,000 miles on the odometer — Jason: “He drove it everywhere. We couldn’t afford plane tickets.” — before the poor palace, oozing oil, finally caught fire and died.
“He pulled up in that Skylark with a big smile on his face, and I was like, ‘OK, this guy’s different,’ ” Amy said. “It was just so refreshing. I knew then how original he was.”
His life already buoyed by belief, Staley described himself as soaring when he appeared on the other side of cancer. His confidence surged like never before, and he worked himself into better shape than when he was quarterbacking at Dayton.
“The culture this year is so much better, so much closer, so much tighter. That’s a testament to Staley, to what he’s building. This is his thing, his baby. This is 100% him.”
— Sebastian Joseph-Day, Chargers defensive lineman
He knew he had conquered a monumental climb and just how much it had taken to reach the peak. Bigger still, Staley said, he now knew how to get where he really was going.
“There’s a humility when you know how it is and how it could be,” he said. “When you feel that type of stuff I felt, then everything else seems so achievable. There isn’t a challenge that you don’t think you can head toward.”
Staley spent two more years at Northern Illinois before starting up the ladder that saw him reach Division III John Carroll for a three-year defensive coordinator run that ended in 2016.
Before his final season there, Staley, two defensive assistants and eight members of his secondary loaded into an extended van and drove two hours down I-76 to Pittsburgh, to Heinz Field, for “Race to Anyplace,” a stationary bike charity event for cancer.
With a Chargers season under his belt, defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day says the chemistry in Year 2 of this revamped defense will prove powerful.
Even now, Staley is convinced that the trip bonded the group, helping the ’16 John Carroll team play the best defense he has “ever been a part of … and I’ve been a part of two No. 1 defenses in the NFL.”
“A lot of people talk a good game, but he lived a good game,” said Mike Hollins, one of Staley’s former John Carroll cornerbacks. “What he overcame showed us we could overcome anything.”
That season, Staley was named the Division III national coordinator of the year. A few months later, he was coaching outside linebackers for the Chicago Bears, an NFL assistant sprinting his way to another pinnacle with the Chargers.
Flying home from Jacksonville, Staley said he remembers wishing the NFL playoffs were like pickup basketball; he wanted to run it back against the Jaguars right then.
The next day, his brothers talked to him in separate phone conversations, both Jason and Michael saying Staley stressed to them the importance of his upcoming exit interviews with the players.
Here was a coach just flattened again by a season-sealing defeat, a coach rumored to be in danger of facing unemployment, still trying to end the year the right way, even after the season had ended with everything going wrong.
Six months later, there’s evidence of healing.
“The culture this year is so much better, so much closer, so much tighter,” Chargers defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day said. “That’s a testament to Staley, to what he’s building. This is his thing, his baby. This is 100% him.”
Perhaps, but Staley insisted it’s a team thing, not unlike his fight against Hodgkin lymphoma; a fight that focused on one man but featured the efforts of so many others.
“You don’t do it by yourself,” Staley said. “You can’t do it alone. You have to depend on your doctors and your nurses, your family and your friends. That’s how being a head coach is, too.
“If you feel like you can do it all by yourself, you’re going to fail. You won’t have enough on your own. That’s why you have to surround yourself with the right people. I’m not the one who beat cancer. We all did it.”
The toughness required, the unpredictability involved, the perseverance needed — Staley cited each when he compared fighting cancer to head coaching in the NFL. In both challenges, he talked about the ability to feel momentum turn.
Then he talked about the Chargers’ Week 14 victory last season over Miami, when a group sitting at 6-6 made one of the league’s fastest offenses trudge through mud, igniting a four-game win streak that put his Chargers in the playoffs.
“I look back on my cancer path,” Staley said, “and it’s helped me immensely.”
Each of his first two teams as a head coach had its season end when the opposition kicked a field goal as time expired. The bankrupt feeling of those empty nights — after so many fulfilling moments to get there — was conveyed poignantly by “0:00.”
Now, Season 3 is beginning for Staley, and the people closest to him have little doubt how this cancer survivor will respond.
“I’ve seen so many things thrown his way where I think so many people would have given up or taken a different direction,” Amy said. “He just digs in deeper and keeps going. I’ve always admired that about him. When you think his back’s to the wall, he’s just getting started.”
Go beyond the scoreboard
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The little girl didn’t care that her mother had just lost an important game.
She didn’t care about the league table, the Golden Boot race or the San Diego Wave’s long winless streak either. None of that matters when you’re 3 years old.
“She wants to kick the ball around, she wants to score a goal with mommy and wants to wave to the fans,” Alex Morgan said of her postgame routine with daughter Charlie, one that has added important perspective to an unparalleled career now in its twilight. “I have to forget about everything that’s happened and just enjoy being mom because I know that this isn’t going to last forever.”
Morgan and fellow national team starters Crystal Dunn and Julie Ertz have given birth since the U.S. won its last World Cup four years ago, giving this summer’s roster a record three soccer moms. And all three said motherhood has changed the way they view the game as they chase another title this summer in New Zealand and Australia.
“Everything you do is now seen through the eyes of your child. That’s so powerful.”
— Crystal Dunn, U.S. soccer star and mom
The U.S. plays Portugal on Tuesday in Auckland in a game that will determine whether the Americans will advance to the knockout rounds and what path it will take if it gets there.
“Anyone who is a parent knows that kids are life-changing,” said Dunn, 31, a defender who gave birth to a son, Marcel Jean, 14 months ago. “You have this newfound perspective. Everything you do is now seen through the eyes of your child. That’s so powerful.”
“Before I could be selfish with my career,” added Ertz, 31, whose son Madden was born last August. “Now it’s almost the opposite.”
Even Tori Penso, one of six U.S. officials working this World Cup, saw her career change after having three children, an experience that changed her outlook as well.
“Physically giving birth is quite the labor right? There’s a reason they call it labor,” said Penso, 37. “And then when you’re pregnant, it takes time away from being on the pitch. Other people will get those opportunities that you aren’t because you’re not on the pitch.
“That time away made me realize just how much I love doing this and how much I missed it. And so I came back a little hungrier and more excited to take the pitch and more grateful for the moments on the field because you never know when it could be your last. That perspective, whether that’s maturity or motherhood, has really helped me as far as the mind-set.”
Breaking down the top players, start times, schedules and scores for each of the four-team groups in the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
Many of the 32 teams that started this World Cup 2½ weeks ago have players who are mothers. Few have incorporated their children into the team like the U.S. has done.
“It’s really fun,” midfielder Savannah DeMelo said. “It’s awesome to see them being such awesome soccer players on the field, but then off the field they’re awesome moms. Having the kids there, they’re all great. They’re a lot of fun to be around.”
All three children are being looked after by family members in New Zealand, visiting with their mothers — and their mothers’ teammates — between training sessions and other team activities. However, U.S. Soccer’s collective bargaining agreement with its players provides team moms with access to maternity leave and paid nanny care — including airfare, hotel rooms, meals and a daily stipend for babysitters — at national team camps and on trips such as the World Cup.
For that they can thank Joy Fawcett, the first U.S. soccer mom, and her coach Anson Dorrance. When Fawcett, already a World Cup champion at 26, told Dorrance she wanted to have a baby, she feared he would force her to choose between soccer and her family.
“I’m going to have kids and I’m going to bring them with me. Is that OK with you?” Fawcett remembers asking the coach. “He said, ‘Yeah, that’s fine.’”
“That’s all I wanted,” said Fawcett, who would go on to have three daughters while winning another World Cup and an Olympic gold medal.
Kate Markgraf, who played in two World Cups alongside Fawcett and had three children during her playing career, got U.S. Soccer to expand its pregnancy protection and maternity leave policies after taking over as general manager of the women’s national team four years ago. Partly as a result, Dunn said she felt the federation and the team had her back from the day she found out she was pregnant.
“The support around moms is very much there,” she said. “I wouldn’t have been able to bounce back, come back and feel welcomed back if I didn’t have the resources and the support that I had.
“It was like ‘all right, what do you need? How do we support you?’”
Morgan, 34, a forward whose 14 goals since giving birth are the most by a USWNT soccer mom, said that’s just another example of how the U.S. team has pushed for things beyond pay equity for women players.
“I’m really grateful for the women before me that fought for mom athletes,” she said. “I have fought hard for female athletes to get the support and resources needed to be able to continue to stay on top of our game after having children. That’s a testament to the support that we’ve gotten from this team, the federation, from the NWSL, from our sponsors.
“It’s not the case around the world. We’re trying to make a stand and show that the support is necessary in order for us to compete at the highest level.”
For the three moms on the U.S. World Cup team, that support has not only extended their careers, it has also made them better players, which is saying something since Morgan, Ertz and Dunn were already three of the most accomplished players in the world. They have combined to play in 37 World Cup games, score 10 goals and win five championships before having kids.
“I never knew if this was going to be a possibility or how. So I’m very grateful for it.”
— Julie Ertz, U.S. soccer star on becoming a mother and playing with national team
“There’s definitely joy that he’s added to my game,” Ertz said of her 11-month-old son. “It’s just such a surreal moment. I never knew if this was going to be a possibility or how. So I’m very grateful for it.”
“It’s made me a better person. It’s made me a better player,” added Dunn, who said it’s time to bury the misguided notion that being a mother and soccer player are mutually exclusive choices.
“We need to break down the stigma of women wanting to pursue motherhood while they are playing and pursuing their career,” she said. “It used to be you’re either a soccer player or you’re going to be a mom. We need to normalize that idea that should a woman want to pursue that choice, it’s not a death sentence.
“Women being pregnant, coming back, like it is possible when you put the resources behind them.”
All three women continued training until deep in their pregnancies and, with the help of supportive spouses, began working out again shortly after giving birth. That allowed them to return to the field within months.
Still, Ertz said the short break from soccer, combined with the thrill of having a baby, rekindled her love for the sport. For Morgan, her daughter has provided new meaning to the final years of her career.
“There’s no stronger motivator for her than just seeing Charlie,” said Morgan’s husband, Servando Carrasco, a former Galaxy midfielder. “That’s also why she’s kind of refueled and kind of refocused a bit.”
But it’s bigger than that. Which is why the most important part of every San Diego Wave home match happens postgame when Charlie waddles on to the field, Morgan’s No. 13 and the word “MOM” stitched in white on the back of her tiny Wave jersey.
“You know,” Carrasco continued, “having Charlie, life is much bigger than just the game, right? It’s like, you miss a PK, yes, you might lose the game. Charlie comes on the field, she couldn’t care less that happened. She comes on the field and she’s smiling at mommy and all she wants to do is kick the ball with mommy.
“Alex is still the competitor and she wants to win. But then when you see your daughter come on the field with a huge smile on her face and all she wants to do is kick a ball into the net? It kind of gets you almost back to neutral. It’s like, well, this is the most important thing in life.” | https://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/story/2023-07-30/uswnt-world-cup-soccer-moms-balancing-life-sport | 2023-07-30T10:38:42 | 0 | https://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/story/2023-07-30/uswnt-world-cup-soccer-moms-balancing-life-sport |
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.nepm.org/national-world-news/national-world-news/2023-07-30/a-drone-attack-on-moscow-briefly-shut-the-airport-and-injured-one | 2023-07-30T10:38:42 | 0 | https://www.nepm.org/national-world-news/national-world-news/2023-07-30/a-drone-attack-on-moscow-briefly-shut-the-airport-and-injured-one |
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.nepm.org/national-world-news/national-world-news/2023-07-30/an-arkansas-judge-has-blocked-a-law-targetting-librarians-over-harmful-books | 2023-07-30T10:38:48 | 0 | https://www.nepm.org/national-world-news/national-world-news/2023-07-30/an-arkansas-judge-has-blocked-a-law-targetting-librarians-over-harmful-books |
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.nepm.org/national-world-news/national-world-news/2023-07-30/the-historic-heatwave-that-has-hit-the-u-s-southwest-is-set-to-cool-a-little | 2023-07-30T10:38:54 | 1 | https://www.nepm.org/national-world-news/national-world-news/2023-07-30/the-historic-heatwave-that-has-hit-the-u-s-southwest-is-set-to-cool-a-little |
Northport mayor says he would veto sale of community center
Wheels of machinery continued to spin at this week's Northport City Council meeting, but a possible clog in the works rose up when Mayor John Hinton announced he would veto the sale of Northport Community Center and Heritage Park should the council go forward with the plan.
The council is now in a 180-day due diligence process to consider selling the 70-year-old park, which at 2100 Park Street fronts on what's considered prime commercial real estate, along Lurleen Wallace Boulevard, the second-most traveled corridor in the city.
The potential buyer is Beeker Property Group, one of four respondents to a request for proposals in May. Beeker has suggested a mixed-use development with retail, short- or long-term leasing, and a standalone coffee shop, and is offering the city $1.1 million.
Backlash has led to online and hand-written petitions, and raucous council meetings packed with vocal opponents.
More:Dream becomes reality as ground is broken on McWright's Ferry Road extension
Hinton began his remarks on July 24 by noting he'd been "pretty quiet" about the issue.
"I certainly understand the emotional ties many have with the park, and I understand the council's desire to see Northport develop and grow in positive ways," he said. Hinton spoke about other city parks, including the Civitan Park, Kentuck Park and the Hassan Center, noting each had undergone or was in the process of growth and improvements, and that they are secure as city parks, and will continue to remain so.
Opponents of the council's moves, which included on July 10 repealing the 30-year-old Resolution 93-029, which required a unanimous vote of the five-member council and mayor for sale of property used for recreation, expressed concern that selling the Community Center would leave Northport's other parks at risk. With that repeal, the council can now approve a park sale with a simple majority, three votes.
The Community Center "... is in question for one reason only," Hinton said, "its location next to a four-lane busy street, second most-traveled corridor in the city, which happens to be a prime location for business development."
Hinton had asked Ron Davis, the city attorney, about his options regarding the council's actions.
"He told me 'I had questions about the legality of you vetoing the council's recent resolution. This could result in a legal challenge,' " Hinton said, referring to the July 10 repeal vote. "Then he stated, 'I know without question, you can veto the sale of the community center park property.'
"Considering all the information I have, I plan to veto the sale of the community park."
Contacted later for more information, Hinton added "I felt it was wise and right to do so at this time," and noted his veto wouldn't be necessary should either Beeker or the council withdraw before the 180-day period is up.
Davis was out of town this week, but Chris Cunningham, assistant city attorney, verified that while the Northport mayor is not a voting member of the council, he does have veto power over any permanent action taken, and that the sale of property is considered a permanent action.
However, the council could override the mayor's veto by two-thirds vote, which would be four out of five Northport council members.
District 2 City Councilor Woodrow Washington III, who offered first reading of the repeal at the June 19 meeting and has been a proponent of the park sale, was not at Monday's meeting. Neither was District 4's Jamie Dykes, visiting Raleigh, North Carolina, with the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama's benchmarking trip.
Washington, along with District 5 Councilor Jeff Hogg and District 3 Councilor Karl Wiggins, voted for the repeal. Dykes and District 1 Councilor Christy Bobo voted against.
"The veto with me has been ... when, not if, it will occur," Hinton said. His remarks drew a standing ovation from citizens attending, as had earlier evening remarks by Judy Pearson Holland, an outspoken opponent of the park sale.
The centerpiece of her talk ― speakers who sign up in advance have three minutes at council meetings ― centered on progress, which council members in favor of the park sale have suggested opponents are against.
"Progress in Northport is not going to come to a screeching halt if we do not sell this one piece of property to Beeker," Holland said. "Progress is not pitting communities against one another. Progress is providing something everyone can enjoy."
Holland is a lifetime Northport resident, two-time Northport Citizen of the Year, and as managing director of the nonprofit High Socks for Hope, largely works in relief efforts after tragedies. After the July 10 repeal, Holland said the City Council seems to be "... the disaster that I'm trying to fix here."
Monday, she addressed Hogg's remarks that a "silent majority" of Northport citizens remain in favor of tearing down the park.
"I'm sure you're aware only 4,000 people voted in the last election," Holland said, adding that means collected petition signatures adds up to about 25% of that.
"I pray that we can work together, instead of working against each other," she said.
The park recently celebrated its 70th birthday with an all-day free event. It's owned by the city, but run by Tuscaloosa County Park and Recreation Authority, which recorded 385 reservations at the park for fiscal year 2022, serving an estimated 41,223 people.
Even after the mayor's talk, Holland wasn't reassured. She feels Hinton should have vetoed the repeal July 10.
"We have council members who now just want to win at any cost. It feels very wrong, very cruel. ... They are getting push-back from every district," she said. "The Northport Community Center and park is the park the people built. Now, the people will fight for it. We will be raising funds for a legal fight. We are not going to back down. ...
"You know, it feels like the people of Northport do not matter to them. We are simply obstacles that they have to step over to get what they want. It’s a shame that children, senior citizens and low-income families are who they are stepping over this time."
In other business, the council moved back the citizen's signup time from Wednesday at noon to Friday at noon before twice-monthly council meetings. This followed complaints that opponents of the park sale had not been allowed to speak at a meeting earlier this summer; the council said they'd failed to sign up on time.
Reach Mark Hughes Cobb at mark.cobb@tuscaloosanews.com. | https://www.tuscaloosanews.com/story/news/2023/07/28/mayor-council-at-odds-over-planned-sale-of-northport-community-center/70482844007/ | 2023-07-30T10:39:18 | 0 | https://www.tuscaloosanews.com/story/news/2023/07/28/mayor-council-at-odds-over-planned-sale-of-northport-community-center/70482844007/ |
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.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Xinhua | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/30/chengdu-2021-fisu-world-university-games-opening-ceremony-impresses-audiences-worldwide/ | 2023-07-30T10:39:18 | 0 | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/30/chengdu-2021-fisu-world-university-games-opening-ceremony-impresses-audiences-worldwide/ |
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.wunc.org/2023-07-30/a-drone-attack-on-moscow-briefly-shut-the-airport-and-injured-one | 2023-07-30T10:39:18 | 0 | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-30/a-drone-attack-on-moscow-briefly-shut-the-airport-and-injured-one |
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.wunc.org/2023-07-30/an-arkansas-judge-has-blocked-a-law-targetting-librarians-over-harmful-books | 2023-07-30T10:39:25 | 1 | https://www.wunc.org/2023-07-30/an-arkansas-judge-has-blocked-a-law-targetting-librarians-over-harmful-books |
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
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Raffles Doha and Fairmont Doha | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/30/record-set-qatar-worlds-longest-led-slackline-walk/ | 2023-07-30T10:39:25 | 0 | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/30/record-set-qatar-worlds-longest-led-slackline-walk/ |
Recently, I wrote about a man in Nebraska named Adam Cutshall, who got a 3D-printed finger replacement 20 years after a tragic mishap. He made the mistake of using power tools while intoxicated and cut off his pinky.
Due to the cost of a prosthetic, Cutshall was never able to afford one.
So, he resorted to telling his story online in the hopes someone may be able to help.
Luckily, New York City-based artist, photographer and IT engineer Paul Hodara came to the rescue and customized a 3D-printed prosthetic finger free of charge.
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The need to restore independence
There are up to 45,000 finger amputations in the U.S. each year, and people are suffering without fingers due to various causes, such as accidents, medical conditions, workplace incidents, birth defects and traumatic injuries. However, they all deserve to be able to use their hands to their full capacity.
Revolutionary prosthetics company
Now, a revolutionary company, Point Designs, is working to help the health care industry through cutting-edge technology in the form of finger prosthetics.
Combining clinical care and innovative 3D printing for upper limb prosthetics
Professors Richard Weir and Jacob Segil, researchers at the Biomechatronics Development Laboratory at the University of Colorado, joined forces to establish this company. With their extensive research backgrounds, they bring decades of experience in neural interfaces, myoelectric control algorithms and the design of upper limb prosthetics.
Along with the co-founders, Dr. Levin Sliker and Stephen Huddle are dedicated to pushing the boundaries of partial hand prosthetic design. The team at Point Designs is combining clinical care with innovative additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, to give hope to people who have received medical denials in the past when it comes to missing fingers or hands.
This is what Dr. Levin Sliker, now Point Designs CEO, told us about his company's history and future:
"Point Designs is a company dedicated to producing innovative, durable and reliable prosthetic solutions for people with partial hand limb difference. In collaboration with certified prosthetists & orthotists (CPOs), Point Designs produces unique prosthetic devices for each individual. Since 2017, Point Designs has developed six different devices serving people with varying levels of amputation distal to the wrist. All devices developed at Point Designs are designed with strength, durability and function at the forefront of our minds. Our primary goal is to empower those with partial hand amputation to live their lives to the fullest. We've had the privilege of working with thousands of people in our community."
HOW TO ADD SAFE BROWSERS TO YOUR MOBILE DEVICE
Available models
Point Designs offers 6 different models:
Point Pivot+
This is for amputations at the base of the thumb or CMC joint
It has a strength of 150 pounds
There are 19 locking positions
There are three positions of rotation and three mounting positions
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POINT THUMB
This is for partial thumb amputations at or near the MCP (metacarpophalangeal) joint
It has 11 locking levels of flexion
It has a strength of 150 pounds and is only 1-1.3 ounces, depending on the person's finger size
It has three lengths depending on the measurement from fingertip to joint center
Point Partial
This is for partial finger amputations at or near the PIP (proximal interphalangeal) joint
Uses one-handed positioning
Strength of 150 pounds and weighs 0.5 to 0.7 ounces
It has three lengths depending on the measurement from PIP joint center to the fingertip
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Point Digit and Point Digit mini
This is for full finger amputations at or near the MCP (metacarpophalangeal) joint
Has 11 locking levels of flexion
Strength of 150 pounds and weight of 0.71 to 1.3 ounces
Comes in 11 lengths depending on your finger and hand size
One-handed operation
Point Endo
The Point Endo is not currently available in the U.S., but it's designed to be a full-finger prosthetic that can be integrated with a cosmetic cover
More about Point Designs' prosthetic fingers
These prosthetic fingers can last two to three years. Individuals are fitted with custom-rolled silicone and 3D-printed nylon, upon which the titanium prosthetic fingers can be mounted. They offer over 30 colors in their silicone and, depending on the model, different materials for the suspension.
Testimonial from Point Design digits user
Here's what one of the company's users has to say about Point Design digits:
"I love to be an inspiration to others. When you get hurt like this you go to a dark place. You feel like you have no hope. I was told I would be out a year and was back in 5½ months my surgeon couldn't believe it." Brad Bettinger, two Point Digits
NEBRASKA MAN GETS 3D-PRINTED FINGER REPLACEMENT 20 YEARS AFTER TRAGIC MISHAP
How to get a Point Designs prosthesis
If you'd like to contact Point Designs, you can reach them here or have your clinician reach out to them here. According to the company, its prostheses are provided to patients via a certified prosthetist who manages the person's prosthetic rehabilitation.
Kurt's key takeaways
I can't say enough about the fantastic innovations coming out of Point Designs. Their revolutionary company is helping many people with prosthetics, offering innovative 3D-printed solutions to individuals with finger amputations.
With various models and customization options available, they aim to provide hope and enable people to regain full hand functionality. Hats off to them.
For more of my security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter
Copyright 2023 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/breakthrough-prosthetic-fingers-revolutionize-the-lives-of-amputees/article_665fad02-d3ea-5108-9455-8dfa350f5c0b.html | 2023-07-30T10:39:34 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/breakthrough-prosthetic-fingers-revolutionize-the-lives-of-amputees/article_665fad02-d3ea-5108-9455-8dfa350f5c0b.html |
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.wbaa.org/2023-07-30/african-leaders-leave-russia-summit-without-grain-deal-or-path-to-peace-in-ukraine | 2023-07-30T10:39:38 | 0 | https://www.wbaa.org/2023-07-30/african-leaders-leave-russia-summit-without-grain-deal-or-path-to-peace-in-ukraine |
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."
CO OFFICER WHO PUT WOMAN IN PATROL VEHICLE THAT WAS HIT BY TRAIN CLAIMS SHE DIDN'T REALIZE CAR WAS ON TRACKS
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."
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.foxbangor.com/news/national/colorado-cop-found-guilty-of-reckless-endangerment-for-placing-handcuffed-suspect-in-patrol-car-hit/article_74cca340-538f-5ec5-af48-bebbf1297716.html | 2023-07-30T10:39:40 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/colorado-cop-found-guilty-of-reckless-endangerment-for-placing-handcuffed-suspect-in-patrol-car-hit/article_74cca340-538f-5ec5-af48-bebbf1297716.html |
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.wbaa.org/2023-07-30/the-historic-heatwave-that-has-hit-the-u-s-southwest-is-set-to-cool-a-little | 2023-07-30T10:39:44 | 0 | https://www.wbaa.org/2023-07-30/the-historic-heatwave-that-has-hit-the-u-s-southwest-is-set-to-cool-a-little |
A mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service in Durango, Colorado, saved a 90-year-old woman's life after growing concerned about the quantity of mail that began to pile up without being taken inside.
Seana Green, who has been a mail carrier for about 15 years, attempts to keep up with the neighbors on her route and sometimes sticks around for a quick visit as she goes house to house delivering mail. But about two weeks ago, Green noticed something out of the ordinary about one of the neighbors.
The mail at the home of Marilyn Schmidt, who was 89 at the time, began to pile up, which made Green worry about her well-being.
"She's out there pretty much at least like three or four times a week, kind of on an every other day thing," Green told KOAT.
COLORADO SHERIFF WARNS HIKERS OF NAKED SEXUAL PREDATOR TARGETING WOMEN ALONG TRAILS
Green said she had not seen Schmidt for a few days when she decided to check on her.
"I didn't see her on Thursday and I didn't hear on Friday. And when I showed up on Saturday, and she wasn't on the porch and the mail was just hanging out of her box," Green said. "I hollered through the screen and I said, ‘Mrs. Schmidt?’ And, ‘Mrs. Schmidt, are you in there, or are you OK?’ And I heard her very weak voice, like, Oh, and I almost sounded like a kitten meowing."
After entering the home, Green noticed Schmidt lying on the kitchen floor. Green then called 911 and Schmidt was rushed to the hospital. Schmidt has been staying at the Mercy Medical Center since she was found.
COLORADO PRISONER REMAINS ON THE RUN AFTER 2 OTHER INMATES CAPTURED, 1 FOUND DEAD
"The doctor said, you know, if we hadn't found her when we did, it would have been probably the worst-case scenario," Green said.
Now, two weeks after the incident, Schmidt celebrated her 90th birthday at the Mercy Medical Center with a chocolate ice cream cake.
"I am just so excited that it brought us together and that she and I got to know each other, that I could be there because now she gets to celebrate her 90th birthday," Green said. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/colorado-usps-mail-carrier-saves-life-of-elderly-woman-after-noticing-mail-piling-up/article_14659d0c-18c3-5a03-9585-ed8b2a774e5e.html | 2023-07-30T10:39:46 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/colorado-usps-mail-carrier-saves-life-of-elderly-woman-after-noticing-mail-piling-up/article_14659d0c-18c3-5a03-9585-ed8b2a774e5e.html |
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.wbaa.org/2023-07-30/this-ivy-league-researcher-says-spirituality-is-good-for-our-mental-health | 2023-07-30T10:39:50 | 1 | https://www.wbaa.org/2023-07-30/this-ivy-league-researcher-says-spirituality-is-good-for-our-mental-health |
A Democratic congressman admitted that it's "clear" Hunter Biden broke the law during an interview on Friday.
Connecticut Congressman Jim Himes took a swipe at Republicans Friday night before acknowledging the first son’s legal troubles.
"Let me say something that you never heard a Republican member of Congress say in the four years of the Trump administration, which is that if Hunter Biden broke the law, he should be prosecuted," Himes said on MSNBC. "And it is clear that he broke the law with respect to taxes and possibly the ownership of a handgun. He should be held accountable for that."
Himes criticized Republicans for not speaking out against former President Donald Trump when he was indicted, but also acknowledged that Hunter Biden should be held accountable if he used his father’s influence to commit crimes.
FLASHBACK: EMAILS TO HUNTER BIDEN SHOW PLANS TO MEET WITH STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS ABOUT BURISMA PROBE, NOT WANTING TO REGISTER UNDER FARA
"If he traded on his father’s influence, he should be held accountable for that. And I’m emphasizing this because you never, ever heard a Republican say the same thing about Donald Trump or his family," Himes argued.
The Democratic congressman argued there was no evidence that President Biden colluded with his son on any crimes, but insinuated that any evidence should be taken seriously if it arises.
"Now, to the question about impeachment, there is today zero evidence, zero evidence that Joe Biden, the president of the United States, knew about what his son was doing. If, if he did know about it, if he participated in that, then that is a very different conversation," Himes added.
DOJ OFFERS HUNTER BIDEN INVESTIGATOR FOR TESTIMONY BEFORE THE HOUSE
Hunter, who is still under federal investigation, pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor tax counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax on Wednesday. He was set to plead guilty as part of a deal, but the plea deal fell through.
The White House has stated that President Biden is supporting his son throughout the investigation.
"Hunter Biden is a private citizen, and this was a personal matter for him. As we have said, the president, the first lady — they love their son and they support him as he continues to rebuild his life," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre previously said. "This case was handled independently, as all of you know, by the Justice Department under the leadership of a prosecutor appointed by the former president, President Trump."
Fox News Digital reached out to Himes' office for a statement, but has not heard back.
Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman and Jake Gibson contributed to this report. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/democrat-congressman-acknowledges-its-clear-hunter-biden-broke-the-law-should-be-held-accountable/article_104b3cd3-dfb8-5fb6-a33a-5da86c7df724.html | 2023-07-30T10:39:52 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/democrat-congressman-acknowledges-its-clear-hunter-biden-broke-the-law-should-be-held-accountable/article_104b3cd3-dfb8-5fb6-a33a-5da86c7df724.html |
A drone-flying Florida fisherman captured amazing footage of a shark attack on his friend's boat at the beginning of Shark Week.
Josh Jorgensen, who produces videos for the popular BlacktipH Fishing YouTube channel, posted aerial footage to Instagram earlier this week showing a bull shark repeatedly and violently attacking his friend Carl Torresson's boat off the Palm Beach coast.
"I was flying my drone at the beach and spotted two huge cobia swimming with a bull shark," Jorgensen said in the video. "Cobia is one of the best tasting fish in the ocean. So, I called my buddy Carl, and he raced over to try to catch them."
Jorgensen filmed two large cobia swimming in the clear blue water with a menacing bull shark circling nearby. The video cuts to Torressons's fishing boat and shows people casting their lines into the water when the shark suddenly attacks.
FLORIDA SPEARFISHERMAN SURVIVES BULL SHARK ATTACK: ‘HE WANTED ME’
"I was following his boat with my drone, and then, all of a sudden, the shark attacked his engines," Jorgensen said in the video.
The shark can be seen lunging at the boat's stern, ramming into the outboard motors and thrashing about the water. The boat shakes with each impact by the powerful animal and its huge jaws.
"The shark attacked the boat five times, swam away and then came back for more," Jorgensen said. "In total, the shark attacked Carl’s boat eight times."
"I didn’t think a shark could actually shake a boat like that," Torresson said in the video. "The boat was shaking like a bag of popcorn. Like, literally, I was shaking like an earthquake. I was like, ‘What’s going on?’ I went back there, and I noticed it was a shark doing it. I’m like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ This is like a ride from Universal Studios."
FLORIDA GIRL, 13, SUFFERS INJURIES TO STOMACH, LIMBS DURING BULL SHARK ATTACK: ‘PRETTY SCARY’
After he returned to shore, Torresson was shocked to discover the extent of damage the shark dealt his engines.
"We’re thinking, you know, maybe he grabbed the propeller," he said. "We weren’t expecting the damage that we had when we got back to the dock, and it was just astronomical. The whole middle of the engine’s completely ripped out. The trim tab’s broken."
AROUND 800 GREAT WHITE SHARKS HAVE VISITED CAPE COD WATERS IN RECENT YEARS, SCIENTISTS SAY
The boat was not ruined beyond repair.
"The engine was salvageable," Jorgensen told The Palm Beach Post. "Carl had to buy new parts for it."
Bull sharks are one of three shark breeds known to regularly attack humans. The other two are the tiger shark and the great white shark, according to National Geographic.
Bull sharks are mid-size predators that can grow from 7 to 11½ feet and weigh up to 500 pounds. They are notoriously aggressive and prefer to live near high-population areas like tropical shorelines. Because they are not bothered by brackish and freshwater, they can travel far inland via rivers and tributaries. Many experts consider bull sharks to be the most dangerous sharks in the world because of these attributes.
In May, a 20-year-old spear fisherman encountered a bull shark in the Florida Keys and suffered bite wounds to his leg after the animal "came out of nowhere" and bit him twice during a dive.
A 13-year-old Florida girl was bitten multiple times in another bull shark attack that month. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/florida-fishing-boat-seen-shaking-like-an-earthquake-as-underwater-predator-pounces/article_8ebabcce-c8f9-555b-868f-056c8481fdc4.html | 2023-07-30T10:39:58 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/florida-fishing-boat-seen-shaking-like-an-earthquake-as-underwater-predator-pounces/article_8ebabcce-c8f9-555b-868f-056c8481fdc4.html |
An update from the new Woodbine postmaster
It is a great honor to serve the community of Woodbine as its new postmaster. Our team is tops in the district with point-of-sale service surveys for overall satisfaction with window services and our focus will remain on safety in our communities and world-class service with scanning performance.
Our postoffices serve as a lifeline for our small businesses to reach customers no matter where they are, be it Woodbine or across the country. With the launch of our newest shipping option, Ground Advantage, we are poised to be the shipper and employer of choice. With that said, if you are looking for a new career, I encourage you to apply at the postal service. If you have a skillset, we have more than 2,000 positions that may align. If not, we offer training and upward mobility in our leadership ranks.
Two years ago, the United States Postal Service published an ambitious but achievable 10-year strategic plan, Delivering for America. The plan established a path to building a postal service that is financially strong and consistently delivers on time for the American public.
In the short time since the launch of our 10-year plan, and under the leadership of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, we are making great progress on its four key pillars: Investing in our people, modernizing our network, providing service excellence and creating financial sustainability.
Our actions are leading to concrete results. In the 2022 midterm elections, we delivered 54.4 million ballots from voters to election officials in an average of under two days. And USPS installed 249 new processing machines as part of a $40 billion investment in the postal network. With these new machines, we can now process 60 million packages every day.
All of this in service of delivering mail and packages to more than 161 million addresses across our nation every day.
On behalf of the 650,000 women and men of the U.S. Postal Service, I thank you for continuing to support the Postal Service. Providing reliable mail delivery while strengthening the future of this treasured institution is our commitment to you.
Kelly Ramos, Woodbine
Ramos is the postmaster at the Woodbine Post Office
Taking issue with Roemer’s limited view of US
I’ve just finished reading another Chris Roemer column. My first inclination is to be angry that this man I’ve never met casts such a pall on the ideology that I embrace and that motivates me to participate in my community. Roemer paints all who view the world with optimism and hope with the same “broad brush.”
But as I reflect further, I am overcome with a sense of great pity for someone who is so overwhelmed by his fear of a world he does not understand. Roemer clearly spends his time searching the internet for the most obscure academic and sociological pursuits. This very limited view brings him to a place where he believes this country is at the “precipice of disaster.”
As a “progressive” I pride myself on looking for solutions to problematic issues in our community. To that end, I offer Roemer the following opportunity. I’d like to suggest that he step away from his computer and visit my alma mater, McDaniel College, or join me in taking enrichment courses at Carroll Community College.
There he can see firsthand the academic process that takes place in our schools and universities today. There he will meet students who are encouraged to read and study a wide range of materials. From those studies they emerge with their own views that span the entire continuum between the “left” and the “right.”
For the record, I wish we could start by abolishing the labels that seem to define Roemer’s world view. We are all just individuals, each with our own set of life experiences that shape our personal philosophies. We all benefit from knowing people who see the world from a different perspective. Heck, maybe he’d even be willing to meet me for a coffee sometime to look for areas of agreement.
Corynne B. Courpas, Westminster
What happened to the ‘we can’ attitude I was taught in school?
“In this life we are either kings or pawns, emperors or fools” this quote isn’t mentioned in our politics, but we should talk about it because most politicians view their voters as pawns to manipulate. I look for historical accomplishments like the Hoover Dam, man on the moon, interstate highway, and this century, there aren’t many.
Three years ago, Bill Maher did a bit called “We’re a Silly People” and it addresses the nothing burger that is our government. Infrastructure week lasted from 2009-2021 and after 12 years a bill barely passed. The only time our leaders acted swiftly was the 2008 crash and COVID, both of which handed out trillions to the connected. Being against something just because the other side supports it is how we’ve become a silly people.
For example, if the neighbors complaining about solar panels were liberals, the commissioners’ response would be move. They’ll deny it but that was the common response to electing Donald Trump as president. The same president who refused to offer leadership during COVID, the same people who hate mandates just mandated no community solar on Ag land.
The same commissioners say they aren’t anti-solar, OK so when is the meeting to discuss solar on public parking lots, public schools and government buildings? Let me guess it will be like the Hampstead Bypass that was first designed when I was in elementary school, and the excuse will be, we can’t afford it.
It’s sad because I can’t think of anything more conservative than creating and storing your own power — that’s freedom. The same pawns always scream about energy independence, but the independence they speak of doesn’t include diversification, “so much for the conservative tenets of free markets and competition.” Fun fact, the U.S. is the largest oil producer in the world and we’re producing more today than in 2019.
During COVID, some businesses didn’t want to follow CDC guidelines and the argument was they shouldn’t have to because of individual property rights. I could’ve supported this if our president at the time had an honest conversation with the country about personal responsibility.
Instead, we mocked the virus and the risk-lowering methods. Now a few years later, neighbors have more property rights than landowners because the “I don’t want to look at it” is government policy. What happened to the “we can” attitude I was taught in school?
Jeremy Myers, Hampstead | https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll/opinion/cc-op-letters-to-the-editor-july30-20230730-77jrfuyxljf5zfohpiopfin2ou-story.html | 2023-07-30T10:40:00 | 1 | https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll/opinion/cc-op-letters-to-the-editor-july30-20230730-77jrfuyxljf5zfohpiopfin2ou-story.html |
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is declaring a reboot to his campaign and boasting support from state Republicans after the Lincoln Dinner Friday night.
DeSantis scooped up endorsements from multiple state GOP politicians, attempting to cement a new start to his struggling campaign.
"The Lincoln Dinner showed that Republicans have a deep bench of great candidates for President in 2024 compared to the train wreck offered by Democrats. Iowans will have a difficult choice for caucusing," said GOP Iowa State Rep. Bill Gustoff.
NBC NEWS ACCUSES DESANTIS OF 'LOOKING FOR A FIGHT' AFTER VP HARRIS LAUNCHED ATTACKS ON FL EDUCATION CURRICULUM
"But Gov. DeSantis knocked it out of the park in his short speech packed with a long list of plans to put the country back on track, complete with a record of accomplishment to show why he’s the one to get the job done."
The governor has been working to reinvigorate the campaign following several weeks of negative stories spotlighting his campaign’s overspending, downsizing and other stumbles.
"Ron DeSantis had an awesome, energetic speech last night that offered a positive vision for the future," said Republican Iowa State Representative Dan Gehlbach.
FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SLAMS WHITE HOUSE FOR 'PARTISAN AND INACCURATE' CRITICISMS ABOUT BLACK HISTORY
"He’s ready to get to work on day one with specific plans for our country. DeSantis took the time to talk to every single person in the room after his speech at the Iowa GOP dinner, far more than any other candidate I saw."
Former President Donald Trump, who remains the commanding front-runner in the GOP nomination race as he makes his third straight White House run, has expanded his large double-digit lead over DeSantis in numerous polls since the governor declared his candidacy two months ago.
And Desantis' advantage over the rest of the large field of 2024 Republican presidential candidates has eroded since late spring.
The economy remains a top concern for American voters, who continue to give President Biden a failing grade on the issue. Even though fears of a recession appear to be subsiding and inflation has eased, more than three-quarters questioned in the most recent Fox News national poll said the economy was in fair or poor shape.
Fox News Digital's Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/iowa-conservatives-praise-desantis-reboot-amid-campaign-struggles/article_2e2f9623-06ee-5277-ae8e-03cfd7f25aef.html | 2023-07-30T10:40:05 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/iowa-conservatives-praise-desantis-reboot-amid-campaign-struggles/article_2e2f9623-06ee-5277-ae8e-03cfd7f25aef.html |
In his three decades at ESPN, Karl Ravech has seen Major League Baseball go through many phases.
Ravech, the play-by-play announcer for the network’s “Sunday Night Baseball” broadcast, said the sport’s current era favors the Orioles.
“It’s a young man’s game,” Ravech said. “There’s no doubt about it. Athleticism plays, and the Orioles have showed it.”
Baltimore has spent the past week as the best team in the American League, and Sunday’s game against the New York Yankees is a result of that success. The young Orioles — led by Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson and a cadre of other current or former top prospects — are hosting ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” for the first time in nearly five years.
The last time Camden Yards hosted the national broadcast was Aug. 26, 2018, when the last-place Orioles played the Yankees, a game Baltimore dropped en route to a 115-loss season. The circumstances will be much different Sunday night when Ravech commentators Eduardo Pérez, a 13-year MLB veteran, and David Cone, a former pitcher for the Yankees, announce the game from Oriole Park.
In conversations with The Baltimore Sun, Ravech, Pérez and Cone discussed the Orioles’ success, the trade deadline and whether Baltimore has what it takes to win the World Series this year. Questions and answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Obviously, the Orioles have been one of the majors’ best teams this season. What stands out to you about how they’re playing of late and how they’ve played all year?
Ravech: Well, you could kind of see it coming last year sort of towards July. I think all the teams in the American League East were above .500 at that point. Obviously, there was fading going on, but I think when [general manager] Mike Elias got hired there, I really do think the drafting of Rutschman, I’ve seen Adley play a lot of different levels, especially at the College World Series. I knew there was something very unique about his ability to put bat to ball, to play on a big stage and succeed on a big stage and certainly to bring a great deal of confidence to a pitching staff through his ability to call a game and, maybe more important, his reactions and interactions with the players.
We’ve obviously been at ESPN for a long time and have seen some catchers who have just been difference-makers, from Jason Varitek with the World Series in Boston to Buster Posey in San Francisco to [the Kansas City Royals’] Salvador Perez, most of those teams that have prolonged success have that guy behind the plate, and I think Rutschman changed the entire to a stratosphere that the Orioles are going to live in for several years.
Pérez: They’re beating the good teams. They’re beating the teams that are above .500, and they’re doing it in different ways. It’s not just one guy. Also what stands out is you’ve got the [second-lowest] payroll in the game but big-time talent. When you have players that believe in each other and you have the leadership of Adley behind the plate, you can tell that he’s been doing the work with pitching. That plays in a major way. This is a team that is hungry, it has a lot of talent at the minor league level, it’s got a lot of talent at the major league level. They’re not afraid to bring [the prospects] up. They brought him up and put him in positions to succeed.
Cone: I think the thing that stands out more than anything is there’s kind of this energy from their youth movement there that makes them really fun to watch. They have a good aura, a good energy about them. I think everybody has just taken note of the back of their bullpen. [Félix] Bautista is just so good, historically good. He just jumps right out at you when you look at the numbers, when you watch them play, when they get a lead. Other teams know it. The good teams I played on all had that. We had Mariano Rivera at the back end of our bullpen. You saw if you got a lead, you’re going to win, and I think the Orioles have that feeling now.
Have you been surprised at all about how good they’ve been this season and how quickly they’ve been able to go from the worst team in the majors two years ago to having the best record in the AL?
Ravech: It doesn’t happen a lot. I will say I think one of the valuable lessons we’ve learned through baseball the last few years is if you spend a lot of money it just about assures that you will be in a race — just about assures, it doesn’t guarantee it. And when you don’t spend a lot, it almost guarantees that you’re not. In the end, if you have the ability like Mike Elias and his staff have done and you draft players that are really good and you hit on them, prior to them demanding a lot of money and the system affording them the opportunity to make a lot of money, you have a chance to win.
They’re not all 21 or 22 [years old], some of them are, but Ryan O’Hearn has figured it out, and some organizations have unique abilities to take one one of these guys who had all the talent in the world, but it was almost like you were digging for oil and until you strike the right vein, you’re kind of flailing. They struck the right vein. He’s 30 years old, and he’s been a huge part of this.
Pérez: I’m not, and the reason I’m not is because I do know Mike Elias and Sig [Mejdal] really well. I was with them with the [Houston] Astros the year we lost 111 games, I was the bench coach. It was about the process, it was about identifying, it was about bringing in quality players, it was about bringing in a specific type of player. And all of a sudden, Baltimore was able to pluck those outliers and put them as the general manager and the assistant general manager and start the process. It would be ugly at the beginning, but if you look at the years, it’s pretty much almost mirrored at how success has happened in Baltimore and how it happened in Houston from the time that Jeff Luhnow took over and Sig and Mike were a part of their player development side of it.
When I look at it, they are actually right on point now. What the skeptics were wondering was whether in the American League East, can that play? Can that same recipe happen? I think there are a couple things that came into play in a major way. One was “Walltimore” that changed dramatically the way that pitchers are perceived there and the way guys approach their hitting, and the way that they’ve drafted and signed international players and [developed pitchers]. The other part is also the schedule. I think having a balanced schedule has played in their favor, even though, yes, they have beat a lot of teams that are above .500, they don’t have to go out and play 18 to 19 times against the same teams within the division.
Cone: I think the surprise was more last year. We kind of saw this coming after last year a little bit. We did the [Little League Classic], and I got a chance to talk to Brandon Hyde a little bit. You could just sense that he was excited about what they had there and what was coming. To me, it’s nice to see Brandon hang around for the good times because he went through the bad times. A lot of managers don’t get the chance to hang around for the turnaround after a rebuild. To me, he’s one of the most deserving managers around for what he’s done there and what he’s been through.
The trade deadline is two days away. Executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias said the Orioles are operating as buyers with an eye on pitching. What do you think Baltimore should do at the deadline?
Ravech: I think every team that is currently in a race could use bullpen help. I don’t think it’s a surprise that the [Atlanta] Braves last year went out and got bullpen help late. I don’t think it’s a surprise that the Braves this year went out already and got two relievers. The Red Sox traded Kiké Hernández for two relievers.
As you know, teams approach the postseason differently. You will see a starter come out of the bullpen, we see it all the time, but as many arms as you can get would help. I don’t know what the Orioles get from John Means, if he’s anything, but it’s a nice name to have come back [from Tommy John elbow reconstruction] if he can be anything. If you really want to make a splash and the [New York] Mets are selling, I’m doing everything I can to bring [Justin] Verlander back to that Virginia area. It gives you a horse, it gives you experience, it’s a staff that could certainly use somebody like that.
Pérez: Look, they have the funds for it, right? With a $61 million payroll, they do definitely have the funds for it. The thing with this is that people sometimes don’t understand is they look at what they need now. But if you know that you have a really good shot in the postseason, it’s about making sure that you have the flexibility for your postseason roster. You have to protect yourself from any type of injury that happens in the next two months.
Baltimore Orioles Insider
When you look at the Orioles, you have to look at the depth. They brought in Aaron Hicks, I think it played huge for them. But you still need those arms. You can never have enough of them. You have the top three arms in the bullpen, and they just added [Shintaro Fujinami] to it, you have him and [Yennier] Cano and Bautista. Those two guys have done great in the regular season with little to no experience in the postseason. So maybe look at the roster and say, ‘OK, do I need a veteran presence?’ I know those conversations are going to be had. The good thing is, Mike and Sig have experienced the postseason, so they know also how to build a postseason roster.
Cone: I guess the short answer is yes. I’ve seen what a front-line starter can do. You know the back end of the game is secure with Bautista and Cano. It’s a balance of power changer. Verlander from the [Detroit] Tigers to Houston in 2017. History is sort of littered with examples of that. A front-line start can be a difference-maker for them.
The Orioles are overachieving for the second straight year. Do you think they have what it takes to win a World Series this season?
Ravech: You have to look around, and when you look at the Houston Astros, who have a Framber Valdez, and you look at the Atlanta Braves, who have Spencer Strider and Max Fried, and you wonder if the Orioles are equipped to go up against those teams. And the answer to that question is you likely lose those games. You don’t necessarily have that ace, and I do think you need those power pitchers to win a World Series.
Pérez: They have the best record in the American League, don’t they? All you have to do is get your foot in the door. Sometimes it’s names that you expect to get hot. October is where heroes are made. You saw it with [Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Randy] Arozarena a couple years ago, we saw it with Kiké Hernández when he got hot, and I think we’ll continue to see it throughout the history of the game. Of course they have a chance, and so do the other [five] that get in in the American League.
Cone: Anything can happen, obviously. I know that’s kind of a cop-out answer. I don’t think anybody who watches the Orioles feel like they’re a finished product by any means. We know there are more prospects on the way, and we know there’s more to be done. This is really their first crack at being really serious contenders at the trade deadline to be able to add or have the wherewithal to add or be in a position to add. They’re not a finished product, but they can make some noise right now, absolutely. | https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-espn-sunday-night-baseball-20230730-my6jn7zx2japddjkrjzxlmmicy-story.html | 2023-07-30T10:40:06 | 0 | https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-espn-sunday-night-baseball-20230730-my6jn7zx2japddjkrjzxlmmicy-story.html |
Jason Aldean's concert in Mansfield, Massachusetts got off to a rocky start after the venue was temporarily evacuated due to severe weather.
The 46-year-old country star, who was set to take the stage at the Xfinity Center at 7:30pm ET, shared a screenshot of the evacuation announcement to his Instagram Story shortly after 8pm.
"Severe Weather Alert. We are evacuating the venue. Calmly proceed to the nearest exit and seek shelter in your vehicles. Please stay tuned to the venue social networks for updates," the announcement read.
The Xfinity Center also posted the announcement on its social media accounts. A tweet from the venue noted that the evacuation was "due to severe weather & approaching lightning."
JASON ALDEAN RECOVERING AFTER ABRUPT CONCERT EXIT DUE TO HEAT EXHAUSTION: ‘IT WAS PRETTY INTENSE’
The account later provided an update in a tweet that read: "If you are still in the venue, please seek shelter. Do not attempt to evacuate. We are still under a shelter in place with the hope to continue the show once it is safe." In another update, the Xfinity Center's Twitter account told concert-goers that a decision had yet to be made if it was safe to proceed with the show.
Around 9:30PM, Aldean revealed that the show would resume as he shared another announcement from the venue.
"GOOD NEWS! Tonight's Jason Aldean concert will continue! Doors are open now. Please make your way to the gates and have your tickets open on your phone and ready for scanning to help ease entry back into the venue. Jason Aldean will be on stage at 10:00PM."
The evacuation comes a little over a week after the "You Make It Easy" hitmaker's concert at the Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio on July 21 was postponed until Sept.17 due to a severe storm that tore through Northeast Ohio, causing heavy rains and flooding.
Aldean's concert on July 17 in Hartford, Connecticut was abruptly cut short after the singer suffered heat exhaustion and ran off-stage mid-song. In a video that he later shared to social media, he informed his fans that he was "doing fine" and had received IV fluids. The following day, the concert was rescheduled for July 30 and the Georgia native performed that night in Saratoga Springs, New York as scheduled.
The five-time Grammy Award nominee is currently on his 31-date "Desperado Highway Tour," which kicked off July 14 in Bethel Woods, NY. Aldean's concert woes come after the music video release of his song "Try That In A Small Town" sparked backlash.
In the music video, Aldean touts how small towns wouldn't put up with the kind of riots and lawlessness many cities across the country faced during the summer of 2020.
Last week, Aldean denied that "Try That In A Small Town" has racial undertones after critics voiced disdain for the new music video.
"In the past 24 hours I have been accused of releasing a pro-lynching song (a song that has been out since May) and was subject to the comparison that I (direct quote) was not too pleased with the nationwide BLM protests," Aldean shared with his nearly 8 million fans across social media.
"These references are not only meritless, but dangerous."
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Country Music Television (CMT) pulled the video from rotation three days after initially airing the video, representatives confirmed with Fox News Digital. CMT did not provide more information about why the video was removed from the air.
However, Aldean's streams for "Try According to Luminate, which tracks streams and music sales, the audio and video streams from Aldean's latest song went from 987,000 to 11.7 million, a 999% increase in the week after the release of the music video.
JASON ALDEAN ADDRESSES CRITICISM OF COUNTRY MUSIC VIDEO: 'THIS ONE GOES TO FAR’
Luminate also confirmed to Fox News Digital that sales for "Try That In A Small Town" have spiked as well. The week before Aldean released the music video, it sold 1,000 tracks. Last week, the country music song sold 228,000 tracks. "Try that In A Small Town" has jumped 999% since the song became a trending topic online.
Another major accomplishment for Aldean came on Monday. "Try That In A Small Town" was second on Billboard's Hot 100 list. This marks the country music singer's first No. 2 spot on the chart, with "Dirt Road Anthem" getting the seventh spot in July 2011.
On Monday, Aldean thanked his fans for their unwavering support in a post he shared to Twitter. He uploaded a video montage that included clips of some of his recent shows with the song playing in the background.
"Thank u guys. Ready to see u back out there this weekend!" Aldean wrote, adding an American flag and a rocker-hand emoji.
Included in the video was a clip of Aldean addressing his fans at one of his recent shows.
"So, somebody asked me, ‘Hey man, do you think you’re going to play this song tonight?'" Aldean is heard saying in one portion of the video. "The answer was simple. The people have spoken and you guys spoke very, very loudly this week."
Fox News Digital's Caroline Thayer and Tracy Wright contributed to this report. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/jason-aldeans-massachusetts-concert-temporarily-evacuated-due-to-severe-weather/article_a01abfc1-04d5-5f6b-afc4-b25198a47cb1.html | 2023-07-30T10:40:11 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/jason-aldeans-massachusetts-concert-temporarily-evacuated-due-to-severe-weather/article_a01abfc1-04d5-5f6b-afc4-b25198a47cb1.html |
An amusement park ride just outside of New York City sent guests spinning for around 10 minutes when it malfunctioned.
The ride malfunction happened at Rye Playland in Rye, New York, on July 23 at the park's Magic Express ride, according to ABC 7. According to the report, the ride takes passengers backward in a loop, but at around 8:30, it kept spinning for an extra three to four minutes as workers struggled to shut it down.
People watching the out-of-control ride could be heard shouting "that's a lawsuit," and "this is why you don't get on these rides!"
The general manager at Rye Playland, Jeff Davis, told ABC 7 that the emergency stop button didn't work and maintenance was called to disconnect the power.
SECOND STRUCTURAL ISSUE DISCOVERED ON CAROWINDS ROLLER COASTER AFTER MASSIVE CRACK FORCES RIDE TO SHUT DOWN
"It went through its normal inspection on Sunday morning and ran throughout the day without incident until that 8:30 p.m. time," Davis said.
Giovanni Martinez-Roman, whose cousin was on the ride, said that the workers seemingly didn't know what to do.
NORTH CAROLINA OFFICIAL SAYS 'COMPLETELY SEVERED' CRACK IN ROLLER COASTER WAS VISIBLE 6-10 DAYS BEFORE CLOSING
"They absolutely did not have the proper protocols to stop the ride. I believe the workers handling the Ride should know what to do in a case like that," Martinez-Roman said.
In a statement to News 12, Davis said that the Music Express ride is temporarily shut down.
"Safety is our number one priority and as such, the Music Express ride is currently closed as we work closely with the manufacturer," Davis said.
Fox News Digital reached out to Rye Playland for comment. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/malfunctioning-new-york-amusement-park-ride-sends-guests-spinning-backward-as-workers-scramble-to-shut/article_49dd5557-9ae2-542d-ae9b-fe5954535f06.html | 2023-07-30T10:40:17 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/malfunctioning-new-york-amusement-park-ride-sends-guests-spinning-backward-as-workers-scramble-to-shut/article_49dd5557-9ae2-542d-ae9b-fe5954535f06.html |
Mandy Moore revealed that her two-year-old son Gus has Gianotti-Crosti Syndrome, a rare skin condition that causes a blistering and itchy rash in children according to WebMD.
In posts on her Instagram Story, the 39-year-old actress detailed how Gus, whom she shares with her husband Taylor Goldsmith, woke up with a mysterious rash on Saturday, which was initially difficult to diagnose despite visits to several doctors.
"This sweet boy woke up with a crazy rash on Saturday am," the "This Is Us" star wrote on a photo of Gus licking a lollipop in what appeared to be a doctor's office.
She continued, "We thought maybe an eczema flare? Poison oak? Allergy. We tried to deduce what it could be and did anything to help him find relief from the itch."
MANDY MOORE SAYS SHE WILL HAVE AN UNMEDICATED BIRTH DUE TO RARE BLOOD CONDITION
"Went to urgent care. Pediatrician. Dermatologist. Pediatric dermatologist. All the while, he smiles and carries on like the rockstar that he is."
In another post, the "Candy" singer explained that doctors were finally able to identify Gus' skin condition as Gianotti-Crosti syndrome.
"Turns out it's a viral childhood rash that just spontaneously appears called Gianotti-Crosti syndrome," Moore wrote on an image of Gus in which the child's legs were seen covered with red patches of skin.
"It's all over his legs and feet (ouch) and the backs of his arms but nowhere else," she added. "There's nothing to do but a steroid cream and Benadryl at night. And it could last 6-8 weeks. Ooooof. Anyone ever experience this?"
Moore concluded by sharing another photo of Gus and opened up about the challenges of parenting.
"All of that to say, this parenting thing is weird and hard and sometimes you feel so helpless (and yes I'm ever so grateful it's only an itchy skin condition)," the New Hampshire native admitted. "Kids are resilient and as long as he's smiling through it, we are a-okay."
Per the National Organization for Rare Diseases, Gianotti-Crosti syndrome is a "rare skin disease affecting children between the ages of nine months and nine years.
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Major symptoms may include blisters on the skin of the legs, buttocks and arms." NORD also noted that the disorder is typically preceded by an underlying viral infection.
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In addition to Gus, Moore and Goldsmith, who tied the knot in 2018, are also parents to nine-month-old Oscar "Ozzie" Bennett.
Last month, the "A Walk to Remember" actress reflected on the "chaos" that she and the Dawes frontman experience daily as the parents of two toddlers.
"These dudes rule my heart," Moore captioned a snap of Gus and Ozzie. "Each night, Taylor and I fall into bed after we’ve put them down; after we’ve straightened up from the chaos of dinner/bath and set up for the next morning, and we chat about the day…. And just how utterly nonstop and gratifying it is."
She continued, "You never know what the day will bring and you roll with it to the best of your ability, right?"
"All of that to say, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I mean, I do look forward to feeling moderately well rested sometime in the next decade? But [shrug emoji]," Moore concluded. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/mandy-moore-reveals-that-her-son-gus-2-has-gianotti-crosti-syndrome-sometimes-you-feel/article_f42653a9-c90d-514c-a729-573919f03300.html | 2023-07-30T10:40:23 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/mandy-moore-reveals-that-her-son-gus-2-has-gianotti-crosti-syndrome-sometimes-you-feel/article_f42653a9-c90d-514c-a729-573919f03300.html |
Mug shots of the week: July 23-29, 2023 Jul 29, 2023 10 hrs ago Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save These mug shots were taken for arrests made throughout the U.S. the week of July 23-29, 2023. Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Recommended for you Currently in Bangor 58° 83° / 58° 7 AM 60° 8 AM 62° 9 AM 65° 10 AM 70° 11 AM 71° Storm CancellationsSign up here Trending Articles Videos ArticlesResearchers track new feeding pattern for invasive Japanese BeetleResearchers give advice on hand-picking Japanese BeetlesA once in a life time estate sale is happening in NewburghThree arrested after investigation into drug trafficking in Washington CountyHollywood comes to MainePolice arrest man for detaining a woman against her willMassachusetts men attempt to steal entire Bank of America ATM with chain, leads officers on chaseU.S. Marshals in Maine warn of recent phone scamsOne person seriously injured in I-95 crashMan disappears in pond in Lincoln Videos What's on Tonight? Fox Bangor Image Time Programme 7:00 pm Family Feud 8:00 pm Master Chef 10:00 pm Fox 22 News at 10 11:00 pm Dateline WVII Image Time Programme 7:00 pm Wheel of Fortune 7:30 pm Jeopardy! 8:00 pm The Connors 8:30 pm The Goldbergs 9:00 pm Abbott Elementary 9:30 pm Home Economics 10:00 pm Press Your Luck 11:00 pm ABC 7 News at 11 11:30 pm Jimmy Kimmel | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/mug-shots-of-the-week-july-23-29-2023/article_75d453da-f6b9-5e51-8dd1-6a94f6a5dc8a.html | 2023-07-30T10:40:28 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/mug-shots-of-the-week-july-23-29-2023/article_75d453da-f6b9-5e51-8dd1-6a94f6a5dc8a.html |
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."
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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.
"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.foxbangor.com/news/national/new-challenger-gives-mexican-opposition-hope-of-beating-amlos-party/article_d3b53b99-6102-5fc4-8f92-e2da2c28ccc4.html | 2023-07-30T10:40:34 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/new-challenger-gives-mexican-opposition-hope-of-beating-amlos-party/article_d3b53b99-6102-5fc4-8f92-e2da2c28ccc4.html |
A New Hampshire woman and her child were abducted Thursday while "serving in our community ministry," near Haiti’s capital, a faith based organization said. The news comes the day the U.S. told American citizens to leave Haiti immediately due to high gang violence and kidnappings.
Alix Dorsainvil and her child were kidnapped Thursday morning near Port-Au-Prince, according to the organization. El Roi Haiti. Dorsainvil, a community nurse, is the wife of the organization's director and was working when she was abducted along with her child. Authorities did not say how old Dorsainvil's child is.
El Roi Haiti president and co-founder Jason Brown said in a statement that Dorsainvil worked tirelessly as a nurse and at the school "in the name of Jesus."
HAITI GANG VIOLENCE LEAVES 187 DEAD IN 11 DAYS
"Alix is a deeply compassionate and loving person who considers Haiti her home and the Haitian people her friends and family," Brown said in a statement on Saturday. "Alix has worked tirelessly as our school and community nurse to bring relief to those who are suffering as she loves and serves the people of Haiti in the name of Jesus."
The U.S. State Department ordered non-emergency staff at it's embassy in Port-au-Prince to leave Haiti with their eligible family members on Thursday, July 27.
A "Do Not Travel" advisory, the highest level, advised U.S. citizens to leave the country immediately due to kidnaping, crime, civil unrest and poor health care infrastructure. The order and advisory come after recent armed clashes between criminal groups and police in the country’s capital.
‘LAWLESS’ HAITI PLAGUED BY CORRUPTION AND DEADLY GANG VIOLENCE FUELS HUMANITARIAN CRISIS
The advisor noted that kidnapping is "widespread" with victims "regularly including U.S. citizens." The Department of State said that kidnappers may use, "sophisticated planning or take advantage of unplanned opportunities."
The department said kidnapping cases often involve ransom negotiations with family members and loved ones paying thousands of dollars to rescue their family members.
The U.S. Department of State did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/new-hampshire-nurse-her-child-kidnapped-in-haiti-faith-based-organization-says/article_904a1b0a-1ec2-573a-b928-ef2247eb9e6b.html | 2023-07-30T10:40:40 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/new-hampshire-nurse-her-child-kidnapped-in-haiti-faith-based-organization-says/article_904a1b0a-1ec2-573a-b928-ef2247eb9e6b.html |
Robert Chambers, who became known as the "Preppy Killer" after he strangled a woman in New York City's Central Park in 1986, was released from prison this week on separate drug charges.
Chambers, 56, served 15 years of his 19-year sentence at Shawangunk Correctional Facility for drug and assault charges and was released on Tuesday. He will remain on supervised release until 2028.
He was arrested in 2007 for selling drugs out of his apartment, four years following his release from prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter for strangling Jennifer Levin in the park in the summer of 1986 after they left a bar together.
At the time, his defense team claimed he and Levin had been having "rough sex" and he strangled her to death by accident because she was hurting him, according to FOX 5.
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Levin’s body was found partially naked and it was clear there had been a struggle.
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In 1988, he was sentenced to 15 year and was released in 2003.
The case inspired the 1989 TV movie "The Preppie Murder" with William Baldwin as Chambers and Lara Flynn Boyle as Levin. It also influenced multiple episodes of the "Law & Order" franchise, Mike Doyle’s character in the HBO series "Oz," Illeana Douglas’ character in "Cape Fear" and was most recently the subject of a docuseries exploring the victim blaming that went on during the trial.
"She was a lot shorter than me. Robert’s even taller," Levin’s friend Peter Davis said on the 2019 AMC and SundanceTV docuseries "The Preppy Murder: Death in Central Park."
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"There’s the misconception that she was this wild, tough girl who can dominate a big guy fooling around. That’s just ridiculous. If you put them next to each other, anyone would doubt that could ever happen," he added.
Fox News' Stephanie Nolasco and The Associated Press contributed to this report. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/nycs-preppy-killer-released-from-prison-on-separate-drug-charges/article_19295c32-583f-557d-af91-3f2d6c62a867.html | 2023-07-30T10:40:46 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/nycs-preppy-killer-released-from-prison-on-separate-drug-charges/article_19295c32-583f-557d-af91-3f2d6c62a867.html |
On this day in history, July 30, 1956, the 84th Congress passed a joint resolution declaring "IN GOD WE TRUST" to be the national motto of the United States, according to History.com.
Passing in both the House and the Senate unanimously and without debate, the resolution replaced "E pluribus unum," which had existed before as a de facto official motto, the same source noted.
Just two years earlier, on June 14, 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower signed a bill to insert the phrase "under God" into the Pledge of Allegiance, said History.com.
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, JULY 29, 1981, PRINCE CHARLES AND LADY DIANA SPENCER MARRY IN LAVISH CEREMONY
Before this bill, the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance, originally written in 1892, had contained no reference to religion.
The phrase "In God is our Trust" appears in the 1814 poem "Defence of Fort McHenry" by Francis Scott Key, noted the National Museum of American History.
The poem was written in reaction to the British invasion in 1812, the same source indicated.
Key wrote, "And this be our motto — ’In God is our Trust’" in the poem’s final stanza.
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The poem became the basis of the national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner," the National Museum of American History said.
The phrased is also woven into other aspects of American history.
The official use of "In God We Trust" dates back to the Civil War era, reported The Pew Research Center.
In 1861, the Rev. M. R. Watkinson, a Christian minister from Ridley Township, Pennsylvania, sent a letter to Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase requesting "the recognition of the Almighty God in some form on our coins," according to the same source.
Sec. Chase agreed and instructed the director of the mint to prepare a motto for use on coins.
The director proposed "God, Our Trust," but Chase altered the phrase to "In God We Trust," which first appeared on a two-cent coin in 1864, according to The Pew Research Center.
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, MARCH 23, 1775, PATRIOT PATRICK HENRY DEMANDS, ‘GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH!'
The following year, Congress authorized the mint to put the motto on all silver and gold coins that had space for the phrase, the same source indicated.
The first paper currency bearing the motto entered circulation on Oct. 1, 1957, when it appeared on the $1 silver certificate, according to Politico.
"Gradually, as new indigo printing processes were perfected, the motto was printed on all currency denominations.
The initial idea of adding the motto to paper currency came from George Humphrey, Eisenhower’s Treasury secretary," said the same source.
On Nov. 2, 2001, the House of Representatives passed a non-binding resolution reaffirming "In God We Trust" as the national motto.
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It was approved 396-9, with two abstentions, according to PBS.
The measure was sponsored by Rep. Randy Forbes, R-Va., the same source indicated.
"In God We Trust" continues today to be displayed on all U.S. currency and on government buildings throughout our nation.
"No longer religious in nature, the phrase has become, rather, a historical artifact, a public recognition of the role of religion in national life, and an expression of patriotism," said the Free Speech Center of Middle Tennessee State University. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/on-this-day-in-history-july-30-1956-in-god-we-trust-is-declared-national/article_487b3734-5dea-5e28-93ad-df64d1fe0a5f.html | 2023-07-30T10:40:52 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/on-this-day-in-history-july-30-1956-in-god-we-trust-is-declared-national/article_487b3734-5dea-5e28-93ad-df64d1fe0a5f.html |
A British peer in the House of Lords suggested artificial intelligence (AI) could easily replace its members in the near future. But one expert argued the desire for tradition and trust in the human element when making major decisions will likely delay AI adoption.
"One of my thoughts is that the British have a sense of legacy – it’s a big thing for them," Alex Sharpe, principal of Sharpe Management Consulting LLC, told Fox News Digital. "They also give ‘discourse’ a whole new dimension. It’s almost like political theater, so I can’t see it going away."
A debate in the House of Lords this week prompted a chilling prophecy from Richard Denison, 9th Baron Londesborough, who warned AI may soon learn his style of speech "with no hesitation, repetition or deviation."
The House of Lords, which until 1999 largely had hereditary membership, serves in an advisory capacity to the House of Commons, the elected body of members that actually debates and decides policy and laws for the United Kingdom.
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"Is it an exciting or alarming prospect that your lordships might one day be replaced by peer bots with deeper knowledge, higher productivity and lower running costs?" Denison said during a debate about the impact of AI on the job market. "Yet this is the prospect for perhaps as many as 5 million workers in the U.K. over the next 10 years.
"I was briefly tempted to outsource my AI speech to a chatbot and to see if anybody noticed. I did, in fact, test out two large language models. In seconds, both delivered 500-word speeches, which were credible, if somewhat generic."
WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?
Another peer, Charles Colville, said he asked ChatGPT to write a speech for him on the threat AI poses to journalism, which prompted fears humanity "will descend into a landscape where news is stripped of the very human elements that make it relatable, understandable and ultimately impactful," The Guardian reported.
Sharpe, in an interview with Fox News Digital, argued AI has been around for years, pointing to programs like Siri that are, in fact, AI, but not on the level of a large language model like ChatGPT.
"What we're hearing now and seeing now is no different than what we see in other places, except that it's really white collar instead of blue collar," Sharpe explained, adding that what people are thinking of as AI is mostly informed by "a lot of movies and science fiction."
"[Alan] Turing wrote the first paper, and I believe his paper actually used the term artificial intelligence," Sharpe noted, in reference to Turing’s seminal "Computing Machinery and Intelligence" paper, which asked, "Can machines think?"
WHAT IS CHATGPT?
The paper formed the basis of his work in developing the earliest stages of computer science and the foundations of theory and research into artificial intelligence.
The biggest issue AI faces in reaching those truly human-like behaviors that would pass Turing’s "imitation game," during which someone wouldn’t be able to tell they’re talking to a machine, is the lack of significant data to train the model.
For politicians, that poses an interesting problem since their speeches, thoughts and ideas are heavily documented in video and writing for AI to analyze.
"When you're talking politicians, they have all this documented history and all that, but then the machines are really not creating anything new," Sharpe said. "They're putting stuff together. They're making inferences."
This ability to replicate a person’s ideas and thoughts to near perfection could ultimately make a body like the House of Lords, which is purely advisory, obsolete. But other issues, such as the legal requirement for politicians as stated in a country’s constitution or similar documents, will likely delay adoption, according to Sharpe.
"And could you imagine a lobbyist trying to convince a machine to do something?" Sharpe asked. "We talk a lot about lobbyists, and we look at them very negatively, but the reality is there is a lot of jiggering that goes on, a lot of deals that go on to get very important things done. Because, at the end of the day, politicians are elected by their constituents.
"When it comes to governance and long-term strategy, I don’t want to leave that up to a machine," he added. "I think aiding humans to make better decisions and being held accountable for decisions is a good thing, but turning it over to machines – I just don’t see that happening anytime soon." | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/politicians-dont-have-to-fear-ai-replacement-thanks-to-legacy-need-for-discourse-expert/article_a977a464-828c-52e1-9a4b-521166857bde.html | 2023-07-30T10:40:59 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/politicians-dont-have-to-fear-ai-replacement-thanks-to-legacy-need-for-discourse-expert/article_a977a464-828c-52e1-9a4b-521166857bde.html |
An 80-year-old Scottish man fell over 3,000 feet to his death on a remote island in the Scottish highlands
Rescue Teams from the Coastguard alongside Skye Mountain Rescue rushed to Coire a' Bhasteir in the Cuillin range on the Isle of Skye, an island in Scotland, at around 3.05pm Wednesday, July 26, following reports of a fallen climber.
Police have not released the name of the 80-year-old man who died nor how he fell from the mountain.
In a statement, Skye Mountain Rescue said that 20 rescue personnel and passing climbers assisted authorities in evacuating the body with the help of a rescue helicopter R948 from the mountain.
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Police Scotland said in a statement that there were no suspicious circumstances of his death.
"There are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances and a report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal," the agency said in a statement.
The news comes just months after a 46-year-old died from falling from the nearby Forcan Ridge on The Saddle, a munro near Skye, in September.
According to Scotland news site, the Daily Record, Lachlan Macdonald lost his footing while on top of a ridge and fell backwards off the cliff to his death.
His mother wrote in a GoFundMe, that Macdonald was an avid hiker who was doing what he loved best.
"He was doing what he loved best-climbing the mountains," Margaret Macdonald wrote. "We just can't believe what has happened to our gorgeous boy." | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/scottish-climber-80-year-old-dies-after-falling-from-3-000ft-mountain/article_413e30ab-a5ab-57cb-8457-b4ce39080ccd.html | 2023-07-30T10:41:05 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/scottish-climber-80-year-old-dies-after-falling-from-3-000ft-mountain/article_413e30ab-a5ab-57cb-8457-b4ce39080ccd.html |
Seann William Scott this week revealed that he only made $8,000 for his infamous portrayal of Stifler in the 1999 teen comedy "American Pie" and had to take a job selling churros at the zoo after the movie wrapped.
"It was a lot of money at the time," the 46-year-old said on Peacock’s Rich Eisen Show while playing "Celebrity True or False."
"I remember afterwards I bought a used Thunderbird for like $5,000 or maybe $6,000, I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, baby’," he said. "I don’t know what happened to the other $2,000 because I ended up having to work at the LA Zoo as a churro guy, so maybe it was even less than $8,000."
He joked that he worked at the zoo for two days and "sold five churros."
TARA REID SAYS REMAINING UNMARRIED AND CHILDLESS MADE IT HARD TO SHAKE ‘PARTY GIRL’ IMAGE, HURT HER CAREER
The movie went on to make $235 million at the box office, according to Deadline.
Scott played Stifler in three more "American Pie" sequels, including 2001’s "American Pie 2" and 2003’s "American Wedding."
And he reportedly made around $5 million for "American Reunion," which marked his latest feature film turn as Stifler.
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He has also starred in 2003’s "The Rundown," 2005’s "The Dukes of Hazzard," 2008’s "Role Models" and voiced the opossum character Crash in the "Ice Age" movies.
Scott recently reunited with "American Pie" co-star Jason Biggs this year for a DoorDash commercial in which crashes Biggs' party and they debate about whether their "best summer ever" was this year or when they were in high school together.
Scott also told Comicbook.com in May that the cast could return for a fifth installment of the franchise.
"I just love the character so much," Scott said of the sex-obsessed Stifler. "Comedy is tough, and they have always been tough, but you know, comedies have really changed. But I think, honestly, we have been talking about an idea. I had one and I still have one that we've literally just recently started talking about."
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He said he’d like to see Stifler "in his mid-forties today trying to figure things out. A guy who hasn't really changed that much, but the world has changed, you know, what would his life be like? ... Is there a fun end to a story? I don't know if it'll ever happen." | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/seann-william-scotts-breakout-american-pie-role-only-earned-him-8-000-worked-at-the/article_3446bde3-260d-5323-802f-24ef2b328867.html | 2023-07-30T10:41:11 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/seann-william-scotts-breakout-american-pie-role-only-earned-him-8-000-worked-at-the/article_3446bde3-260d-5323-802f-24ef2b328867.html |
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.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Xinhua | https://www.kait8.com/prnewswire/2023/07/30/chengdu-2021-fisu-world-university-games-opening-ceremony-impresses-audiences-worldwide/ | 2023-07-30T10:41:14 | 0 | https://www.kait8.com/prnewswire/2023/07/30/chengdu-2021-fisu-world-university-games-opening-ceremony-impresses-audiences-worldwide/ |
A Tennessee man who plotted with his high school sweetheart to kill her husband amid their seven-month-long affair that involved her lying about being abused was sentenced to 62 years in prison this week.
Darrin Lopez shot American Airlines executive Jamie Faith to death in October 2020 while he was on a walk in his Dallas, Texas-area neighborhood with his wife Jennifer Faith who, unbeknownst to her husband, was involved with Lopez at the time.
Jennifer Faith had, in fact, encouraged Lopez to kill her husband in an elaborate scheme, that included her sending him stock photos to support the lie that he was abusing her physically and sexually and creating fake email accounts to pose as worried friends, FOX 4 reported.
She pleaded guilty to murder-for-hire and was sentenced to life in prison in 2021, with a judge calling her "pure evil."
Before she was caught, Faith kept up her charade, going on the news and talking about how "devastated" she was by her husband’s murder, and hoping his killer would be brought to justice.
"It’s been horrible. Devastating. I teeter between completely heartbroken and completely devastated every day," she said to FOX 4 in 2020 before her scheme was uncovered.
She told police after the murder that a stranger pulled up and opened fire and then tried to abduct her.
Lopez argued that he had been "duped" by Faith, who he said turned him into a "monster."
His defense also argued that PTSD and a traumatic brain injury from his time in the Army played a role in his decision-making.
"He was duped, and when someone is duped, it means someone didn’t know what they were reading wasn’t real," his defense lawyer said. "She created all the information."
TEXAS WOMAN SENTENCED FOR INVOLVEMENT IN 2018 MURDER-FOR-HIRE PLOT TO KILL AUSTIN JEWELERS
Lopez testified, "At the time, I was thinking I was a noble soldier that did my job. I did what I was trained to do. I protected people. I kept them from a monster."
He said he was "devastated" when he found out Faith had lied to him about her husband's abuse. "I took an innocent life!" he admitted through tears.
But the prosecution argued that was an active participant in the murder scheme, not a victim, and that he had "many other options" that he didn’t take if he believed she was being abused, according to FOX 4.
"Ladies and gentlemen, if you're going to choose to kill a man, if you're going to end his life, if you're going to choose the time and the place where you end his life like Darrin did, then you better have a damn good reason," prosecutor Brandi Mitchell told the jury.
However, it took less than an hour for the jury to find him guilty before sentencing him to 62 years.
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"It’s tough on us when we put our hearts into these cases. We believe in our clients and then a result like this happens," defense attorney Juan Sanchez told FOX 4, adding that they plan to appeal the verdict. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/tennessee-man-who-plotted-with-texas-lover-to-kill-husband-after-she-lied-about-abuse/article_61bb8e36-f5b9-5a00-ad2e-96d97a1d8b50.html | 2023-07-30T10:41:23 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/tennessee-man-who-plotted-with-texas-lover-to-kill-husband-after-she-lied-about-abuse/article_61bb8e36-f5b9-5a00-ad2e-96d97a1d8b50.html |
A hiker in Vermont who went missing amid the historic flooding in the state earlier in July has been found dead, according to officials.
The Vermont State Police said in a statement on Friday that Robert Kerker, 67, was found dead along the Stony Brook in Stockbridge, Vermont.
Kerker was last seen on July 9 when a witness saw him at the Stony Brook Shelter on the Appalachian Trail. Severe rain and flooding hit the state beginning on July 10, leaving elevated water levels in the area.
The flooding made crossing of a nearby stream dangerous, officials said.
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Following the July 9 sighting, Kerker wasn't seen again.
ALLISHA WATTS: NORTH CAROLINA POLICE SEARCHING FOR WOMAN WHOSE CAR WAS FOUND 2 DAYS AFTER SHE WENT MISSING
An initial investigation by officials showed that his death was directly related to the severe flooding in the area.
Police say that Kerker began his hike on June 1 in Bear Mountain, New York. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/vermont-hiker-found-dead-after-going-missing-amid-historic-flooding-police/article_d58dc23b-15bd-5877-925e-0861246cf60b.html | 2023-07-30T10:41:28 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/vermont-hiker-found-dead-after-going-missing-amid-historic-flooding-police/article_d58dc23b-15bd-5877-925e-0861246cf60b.html |
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.knau.org/npr-news/2023-07-30/a-worm-that-survived-46-000-years-in-permafrost-wows-scientists | 2023-07-30T10:41:52 | 1 | https://www.knau.org/npr-news/2023-07-30/a-worm-that-survived-46-000-years-in-permafrost-wows-scientists |
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.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Xinhua | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/30/chengdu-2021-fisu-world-university-games-opening-ceremony-impresses-audiences-worldwide/ | 2023-07-30T10:41:52 | 0 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/30/chengdu-2021-fisu-world-university-games-opening-ceremony-impresses-audiences-worldwide/ |
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Shawn Steik and his wife were forced from a long-term motel room onto the streets of Anchorage after their rent shot up to $800 a month. Now they live in a tent encampment by a train depot, and as an Alaska winter looms they are growing desperate and fearful of what lies ahead.
A proposal last week by Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson to buy one-way plane tickets out of Alaska’s biggest city for its homeless residents gave Steik a much-needed glimmer of hope. He would move to the relative warmth of Seattle.
“I heard it’s probably warmer than this place,” said Steik, who is Aleut.
But the mayor’s unfunded idea also came under immediate attack as a Band-Aid solution glossing over the tremendous, and still unaddressed, crisis facing Anchorage as a swelling homeless population struggles to survive in a unique and extreme environment. Frigid temperatures stalk the homeless in the winter and bears infiltrate homeless encampments in the summer.
A record eight people died of exposure while living outside last winter and this year promises to be worse after the city closed an arena that housed 500 people during the winter months. Bickering between the city’s liberal assembly and its conservative mayor about how to address the crisis, and a lack of state funding, have further stymied efforts to find a solution.
With winter fast approaching in Alaska, it’s “past time for state and local leaders to address the underlying causes of homelessness — airplane tickets are a distraction, not a solution,” the American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska said in a statement to The Associated Press.
About 43% of Anchorage’s more than 3,000 unsheltered residents are Alaska Natives, and Bronson’s proposal also drew harsh criticism from those who called it culturally insensitive.
“The reality is there is no place to send these people because this is their land. Any policy that we make has to pay credence to that simple fact. This is Dena’ina land, this is Native land,” said Christopher Constant, chair of the Anchorage Assembly. “And so we cannot be supporting policies that would take people and displace them from their home, even if their home is not what you or I would call home.”
Bronson’s airfare proposal caps a turbulent few years as Anchorage, like many cities in the U.S. West, struggles to deal with a burgeoning homeless population.
In May, the city shut down the 500-bed homeless shelter in the city’s arena so it could once more be used for concerts and hockey games after neighbors complained about open drug use, trespassing, violence and litter. A plan to build a large shelter and navigation center fell through when Bronson approved a contract without approval from the Anchorage Assembly.
That leaves a gaping hole in the city’s ability to house the thousands of homeless people who have to contend with temperatures well below zero for days at a time and unrelenting winds blasting off Cook Inlet. At the end of June, Anchorage was estimated to have a little more than 3,150 homeless people, according to the Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness. Last week, there were only 614 beds at shelters citywide, with no vacancies.
New tent cities have sprung up across Anchorage this summer: on a slope facing the city’s historic railroad depot, on a busy road near the Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson and near soup kitchens and shelters downtown.
Assembly members are slated to consider a winter stop-gap option in August falling far short of the need: a large, warmed, tent-like structure for 150 people.
Summer brings its own challenges: hungry bears last year roamed a city-owned campground where homeless people were resettled after the arena closed. Wildlife officials killed four bears after they broke into tents.
Bronson said he prefers to spend a few hundred dollars per person for a plane ticket rather than spending about $100 daily to shelter and feed them. He said he doesn’t care where they want to go; his job is to “make sure they don’t die on Anchorage streets.”
It’s not clear if his proposal will move forward. There is not yet a plan or a funding source.
Dr. Ted Mala, an Inupiaq who in 1990 became the first Alaska Native to serve as the state’s health commissioner, said Anchorage should be working with social workers and law enforcement to discover people’s individual reasons for homelessness and connect them with resources.
Buying the unsheltered a ticket to another city is a political game that’s been around for years. A number of U.S. cities struggling with homelessness, including San Francisco, Seattle and Portland, Oregon, have also offered bus or plane tickets to homeless residents.
“People are not pawns, they’re human beings,” Mala said.
The mayor’s proposal, while focused on warmer cities, also would fund tickets to other Alaska locations for those who want them.
Clarita Clark became homeless after her medical team wanted her to move from Point Hope to Anchorage for cancer treatment because Anchorage is warmer. The medical facility wouldn’t allow her husband to stay with her, so they pitched a tent in a sprawling camp to stay together.
Having recently found the body of a dead teenager who overdosed in a portable toilet, Clark yearns to return to the Chukchi Sea coastal village of Point Hope, where her three grandchildren live.
“I got a family that loves me,” she said, adding she would use the ticket and seek treatment closer to home.
Danny Parish also is leaving Alaska, but for another reason: He’s fed up.
Parish is selling his home of 29 years because it sits directly across the street from Sullivan Arena. Bad acts by some homeless people — including harassment, throwing vodka bottles in his yard, poisoning his dog and using his driveway as a toilet — made his life “a holy hell,” he said.
Parish is convinced the arena will be used again this winter since there isn’t another plan.
He, too, hopes to move to the contiguous U.S. — Oregon, for starters — but not before asking Anchorage leaders for his own plane ticket out.
“If they’re going to give them to everybody else,” Parish said, “then they need to give me one.” | https://pix11.com/ap-health/ap-anchorage-homeless-face-cold-and-bears-a-plan-to-offer-one-way-airfare-out-reveals-a-bigger-crisis/ | 2023-07-30T10:41:52 | 0 | https://pix11.com/ap-health/ap-anchorage-homeless-face-cold-and-bears-a-plan-to-offer-one-way-airfare-out-reveals-a-bigger-crisis/ |
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://pix11.com/ap-international/ap-1-killed-6-wounded-in-overnight-clashes-in-crowded-palestinian-refugee-camp-in-lebanon/ | 2023-07-30T10:41:54 | 1 | https://pix11.com/ap-international/ap-1-killed-6-wounded-in-overnight-clashes-in-crowded-palestinian-refugee-camp-in-lebanon/ |
MOSCOW (AP) — At least nine people — including three children — have died after high winds tore through central Russia, emergency services and a local official reported Sunday.
Eight of the dead were part of a group of tourists camping close to Lake Yalchik in the Mari-El region when the storm hit Saturday, Russia’s emergencies ministry said.
The strong winds caused a large number of trees to fall in the area, including where the group’s tents had been pitched on a stretch of wild beach, regional leader Yuri Zaitsev wrote on social media. He said that three children were among the dead.
Across the wider Volga Federal District, 76 people were injured in the storm, with thousands of households losing power, emergency services said. | https://pix11.com/ap-international/ap-9-die-including-3-children-as-strong-winds-hit-tourist-camp-in-central-russia-officials-say/ | 2023-07-30T10:41:55 | 1 | https://pix11.com/ap-international/ap-9-die-including-3-children-as-strong-winds-hit-tourist-camp-in-central-russia-officials-say/ |
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — 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.” | https://pix11.com/ap-international/ap-african-leaders-leave-russia-summit-without-grain-deal-or-a-path-to-end-the-war-in-ukraine/ | 2023-07-30T10:41:57 | 0 | https://pix11.com/ap-international/ap-african-leaders-leave-russia-summit-without-grain-deal-or-a-path-to-end-the-war-in-ukraine/ |
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.knau.org/npr-news/2023-07-30/african-leaders-leave-russia-summit-without-grain-deal-or-path-to-peace-in-ukraine | 2023-07-30T10:41:58 | 1 | https://www.knau.org/npr-news/2023-07-30/african-leaders-leave-russia-summit-without-grain-deal-or-path-to-peace-in-ukraine |
Lynx vs. Sun: Odds, spread, over/under and other Vegas lines - July 30
Published: Jul. 30, 2023 at 4:36 AM CDT|Updated: 1 hour 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.
Click on our link to sign up for a free trial of Fubo, and start watching live sports without cable today!
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.dakotanewsnow.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/lynx-sun-wnba-odds-spread-over-under/ | 2023-07-30T10:41:59 | 1 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/lynx-sun-wnba-odds-spread-over-under/ |
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.knau.org/npr-news/2023-07-30/as-living-memories-of-the-korean-war-fade-its-consequences-become-clearer | 2023-07-30T10:42:05 | 0 | https://www.knau.org/npr-news/2023-07-30/as-living-memories-of-the-korean-war-fade-its-consequences-become-clearer |
BEIJING (AP) — The French finance minister said Sunday he pressed Chinese leaders to open their markets wider to foreign companies and lobbied for investment in France’s electric car industry, as the European Union’s second-largest economy followed Washington in reviving post-COVID economic talks amid tension over Beijing’s surging trade surpluses.
Bruno Le Maire also defended Paris’s controls on foreign access to technology after authorities said two Chinese citizens are under investigation for what news reports say is possible smuggling of French-made processor chips with military uses to China and Russia.
Le Maire met Saturday with Vice Premier He Lifeng, Beijing’s top envoy on economic issues. He followed Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who visited Beijing on July 9-10 as part of U.S. efforts to revive frosty relations with China.
Chinese officials gave Le Maire and Yellen a warm welcome as part of efforts to reverse an economic slump by reviving foreign investor interest. But Beijing has given no indication of possible changes in technology and other policies that its trading partners say violate Chinese market-opening commitments.
Officials of the 27-nation European Union are trying to narrow a trade deficit with China that swelled to 396 billion euros ($432 billion) last year. Le Maire cited cosmetics, aerospace and agriculture as possible areas for more French exports.
“There is a need to improve access to the Chinese market. I think that it was at the core of our discussions,” Le Maire said in an interview at the French Embassy. “We want to have a stronger economic relationship between Europe and China, between France and China, which means to get access for all European goods.”
Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s government has looked to Europe as an alternative market and source of technology since Washington tightened controls on access to U.S. processor chips and other high-tech goods and hiked tariffs on imports from China in a feud over its industry development ambitions.
Le Maire and Chinese officials pledged to cooperate on climate change, financing for developing countries and nuclear power. They announced plans to set up a group to settle a dispute over access to China’s market for cosmetics, a major French export.
Le Maire also lobbied for investment from China’s fast-growing electric car industry. He was due to fly to the southern city of Shenzhen to meet Wang Chuanfu, founder of BYD Auto, one of the world’s biggest electric vehicle producers. BYD Auto and other Chinese brands are starting to sell in developed markets including Europe and Japan. Chinese battery supplier CATL has set up a factory in Germany to supply automaker BMW.
“We want China to make investments in France in electric vehicles,” Le Maire said. “In the climate transition, there is a place for Chinese investment in France, which allows us to reinforce our economic relations and also speed up action against global warming.”
The talks were overshadowed by Russia’s war against Ukraine and complaints China might be helping Moscow evade Western sanctions, but Le Maire said he didn’t discuss the war with Chinese officials. However, he said it was in Beijing’s interest to end the 17-month-old war. President Emmanuel Macron’s security adviser, Emmanuel Bonne, said this month China was delivering “military equipment” to Russia but gave no details.
“I want to make very clear that we want this war to go to an end as soon as possible,” Le Maire said. “Indeed, (it is) in the interest of China, it is in the interests of the global growth to have peace as soon as possible.”
Le Maire also defended French controls on technology exports and foreign investment in high-tech industry. French authorities are investigating two Chinese citizens associated with chip producer Ommic who the newspaper Le Parisien said face possible charges of exporting chips to a Chinese armaments maker using forged documents.
French counter-espionage officials believe a Chinese investor who bought control of Ommic in 2018 was trying to transfer chip manufacturing technology to China, according to the newspaper. The ruling Communist Party is trying to develop its own chip industry, but Washington has blocked access to advanced manufacturing tools and persuaded allies Japan and the Netherlands to impose their own restrictions.
Chinese authorities complain their companies are unfairly targeted by restrictions on access to foreign technology. They have warned curbs on access to semiconductors will disrupt smartphone and other industries.
“Everybody can understand that France wants to protect its key technologies,” Le Maire said. “We don’t want any foreign country to get access to those French sovereign technologies.” | https://pix11.com/ap-international/ap-frances-le-maire-presses-china-on-market-access-and-lobbies-for-electric-car-investment/ | 2023-07-30T10:42:04 | 0 | https://pix11.com/ap-international/ap-frances-le-maire-presses-china-on-market-access-and-lobbies-for-electric-car-investment/ |
Vikings Odds to Make Playoffs and Win Super Bowl
Published: Jul. 30, 2023 at 4:26 AM CDT|Updated: 1 hour ago
The Minnesota Vikings have +4000 odds to win the Super Bowl as of December 31.
Watch the Vikings this season on Fubo!
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.dakotanewsnow.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/vikings-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ | 2023-07-30T10:42:05 | 0 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/vikings-nfl-playoffs-super-bowl-odds/ |
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.knau.org/npr-news/2023-07-30/in-broiling-cities-like-new-orleans-the-health-system-faces-off-against-heat-stroke | 2023-07-30T10:42:11 | 0 | https://www.knau.org/npr-news/2023-07-30/in-broiling-cities-like-new-orleans-the-health-system-faces-off-against-heat-stroke |
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.dakotanewsnow.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/wnba-odds-how-to-watch/ | 2023-07-30T10:42:12 | 0 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/sports/betting/2023/07/30/wnba-odds-how-to-watch/ |
SANTA MARIA DE JESUS, Guatemala (AP) — Presidential candidate Bernardo Arévalo stood before a few hundred residents of this small Indigenous community on the slopes of the Agua Volcano and told them they could be the seeds of a brighter, more corruption-free spring in Guatemala.
The metaphor fits neatly with his political party, the Seed Movement, and allows the 64-year-old academic and former diplomat to riff on themes of renewal and growth.
But it also alludes to Guatemala’s “democratic spring,” considered a more inclusive period in the country’s history during the presidency in the 1940s and early 1950s of his late father, Juan José Arévalo.
Bernardo Arévalo won just 11% of the vote in the presidential election’s first round June 25, but it was enough to give him the surprise second slot in the Aug. 20 runoff ballot. He will face Sandra Torres, a conservative and former first lady who was the leading vote-getter in the first round and is making her third bid for the presidency.
Arévalo’s recent speech in Santa Maria de Jesus was similar to those he has given in Guatemala’s capital, but the imagery could be especially important in rural Indigenous communities as he seeks to rapidly expand his largely urban, youthful base before the runoff.
He won in Guatemala City and other important cities, including Sacatepequez and Quetzaltenango. It remains to be seen whether he can convince people in rural communities that he can address their daily problems.
The delayed certification of the first round results shortened the already small window that Arévalo has to reintroduce himself to much of the country as his opponents rush to paint their own negative picture.
“Do you feel what is happening?” Arévalo told the crowd in Santa Maria de Jesus. “The new spring is arriving, that’s what you feel, and you all are the seeds of that new spring.”
“A new spring that is going to bring us well-being, the water we lack, the education they owe us, the health that they have denied us thanks to those corrupt contracts that serve few,” Arévalo said, standing in front of an old, damaged Roman Catholic church, in a wide-brimmed hat and untucked shirt against the tropical heat.
Among those listening was Juana Orón, a 67-year-old homemaker of the Kaqchikel people. She is one of the older voters who remember hearing about Arévalo’s father, one of only two leftist presidents in Guatemala’s democratic era.
The elder Arévalo, who governed from 1945 to 1951, is credited with establishing key social programs that remain in place today, including Guatemala’s labor code and social security. Guatemala’s democratic spring was cut short in 1954 by the CIA-backed overthrow of his successor, President Jacobo Arbenz.
Under Juan José Arévalo, the state advocated for rights for Indigenous peoples and others beyond the country’s small elite.
“I remember I was little and (my parents) said he had done good things,” said Orón whose first language as a child was Kaqchikel. If his father was good, Arévalo could be a good president, too, she said.
Opponents have tried to frame Arévalo’s candidacy as a step toward some of the region’s more notorious leftist regimes, such as Cuba and Nicaragua. They warn that the progressive candidate will bring expropriations, abortion and same-sex marriage to the conservative country.
Arévalo has been the election’s surprise.
In the days before the June 25 vote, he was polling below 3% and trailing at least seven of the other 21 candidates. But his anti-corruption message resonated in the country where gains against corruption have been erased and the justice system reoriented to pursue the prosecutors and judges who formerly led that fight.
In the month since that initial result, the Attorney General’s Office announced an investigation into his party and had a judge suspend its legal status until the Constitutional Court stepped in to block that move.
In Santa Maria de Jesus, people wanted to compare Arévalo in person to what they were hearing about him. Some handed him flowers, posed for photos or reached out to touch him as he made his way through the throng.
Arévalo pushed back against attempts to frame him as a left-wing radical — he has said private property rights are not up for discussion — and pounded the issue of corruption.
“Let us work, let us get ahead on our own effort, let’s get rid of the corrupt once and for all,” he said.
For Francisco Jiménez, a political scientist at Rafael Landivar University, Arévalo will need concrete proposals to make inroads with the base of Torres, who has spent two decades assembling it.
“He will have to make governing proposals with a social agenda, where the people see that he is going to have an impact on their lives and communities,” Jiménez said. “The other part is continuing to present himself as the different model. That has been his success, someone totally different from the other candidates.”
Evangelical churches in Guatemala have painted Arévalo as an existential threat to the family.
Gladys Sunun, a 35-year-old Kaqchikel vendor from an evangelical family, said she came to hear Arévalo for herself. She said she had heard that Arévalo would convert Guatemala into another Cuba or Nicaragua, but left feeling that might not be true, though she wants to investigate more.
“He came to tell us not to worry,” she said. “It sounds real, but we don’t know.”
Her sister July Sunun said she wanted to hear more about Arévalo’s positions on gender ideology. “As a mother I’m afraid, because we’ve grown up with a Christian background. I don’t want to marry my daughter with another woman,” she said.
July Sunun acknowledged that Arévalo said he would respect the identities and decisions of the people, “but what he hasn’t said is that he won’t allow (same-sex marriage) to happen here.” | https://pix11.com/ap-international/ap-guatemala-presidential-candidate-rushes-to-expand-base-beyond-urban-youth/ | 2023-07-30T10:42:12 | 1 | https://pix11.com/ap-international/ap-guatemala-presidential-candidate-rushes-to-expand-base-beyond-urban-youth/ |
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.knau.org/npr-news/2023-07-30/this-ivy-league-researcher-says-spirituality-is-good-for-our-mental-health | 2023-07-30T10:42:17 | 1 | https://www.knau.org/npr-news/2023-07-30/this-ivy-league-researcher-says-spirituality-is-good-for-our-mental-health |
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. | https://pix11.com/ap-international/ap-high-winds-stall-efforts-to-tow-a-burning-cargo-ship-packed-with-cars-off-northern-dutch-coast/ | 2023-07-30T10:42:19 | 1 | https://pix11.com/ap-international/ap-high-winds-stall-efforts-to-tow-a-burning-cargo-ship-packed-with-cars-off-northern-dutch-coast/ |