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(NEXSTAR) — For five days this year, all national parks will be offering free admission to all visitors. One of those special days is nearly upon us.
The National Park Service announced the 2023 free days late last year. There are more than 400 parks, monuments, seashores and other NPS lands, the majority of which do not require an entrance fee. For the roughly 100 that do, these free admission days open the gates to everyone.
We’ve already had two free days this year: Jan. 16, which is Martin Luther King Day, and April 22, which was the first day of National Park Week.
Now, on Friday, Aug. 4, we’ll have another, which marks the anniversary of the Great Americans Outdoors Act.
The act, GAOA, was signed in 2020 and brought bipartisan investments to “improve visitor experiences, bolster climate resilience, and invest in the economy by creating good-paying jobs” at the parks, the Department of the Interior explains.
In honor of the bill signing anniversary, you won’t need to pay entrance fees at parks that usually require them. Fees will, however, still be necessary for overnight camping, cabin rentals, transportation, group day use and use of special areas.
The next two free admission days are Sept. 23, National Public Lands Day, and Nov. 11, Veterans Day.
Last year, there were roughly 312 million recreational visits to 395 national parks that track attendance, a 15 million increase over 2021. The most visited park was Blue Ridge Parkway, which received 15.7 million visits last year, edging out the Golden Gate National Recreation Area by slightly more than 72,000 visits. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/national/you-can-get-into-the-national-parks-for-free-this-week-heres-when/ | 2023-07-30T20:38:26 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/national/you-can-get-into-the-national-parks-for-free-this-week-heres-when/ |
‘It’s incredible’: Survivor of Stow plane crash speaks while recovering at hospital
By WBZ-NEWS STAFF
Click here for updates on this story
STOW, Massachusetts (WBZ) — One of the survivors of last week’s plane crash in Stow is speaking out.
Robert Bauer was a passenger on the plane being flown by his brother. The plane crashed between homes while he was trying to land at Minute Man Air Field. Robert’s daughter was also onboard and all three survived the crash with injuries.
The plane was returning to Massachusetts after picking up Bauer’s daughter in Lake Placid, New York, where she was coaching at a hockey camp.
Bauer said he’s grateful for the team at UMass Memorial Medical Center.
“Never mind that I should be alive, I shouldn’t be able to walk. But thanks to them, I’ve got full mobility,” said Bauer. “I could dance if I tried. It’s incredible, you know?”
Bauer’s expected to be released from the hospital on Sunday and his daughter and brother are still being treated.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform. | https://kion546.com/cnn-regional/2023/07/30/its-incredible-survivor-of-stow-plane-crash-speaks-while-recovering-at-hospital/ | 2023-07-30T20:38:27 | 1 | https://kion546.com/cnn-regional/2023/07/30/its-incredible-survivor-of-stow-plane-crash-speaks-while-recovering-at-hospital/ |
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A second shelter-in-place order at Nissan Stadium ended the Saturday night headlining performance early.
George Strait was performing his second of a two-night stand at Nissan Stadium with Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town Saturday night, but severe weather in the area prompted an early conclusion to the concert.
About an hour before the concert was set to begin, Nissan Stadium issued a shelter-in-place warning for those already inside the stadium. The delay lasted nearly an hour but was called off shortly before 5:45 p.m., the originally slated start time.
Officials said there would be a delayed start time, but the concert would go on as planned despite the hour delay.
However, just before 10 p.m., another round of severe storms rolled through the area, prompting a second shelter-in-place protocol before Nissan officials called off the evening altogether.
“This will conclude tonight’s show. Thank you for attending the George Strait, Chris Stapleton, Little Big Town show at Nissan Stadium,” the arena tweeted.
Fans weren’t deprived of the country music legend, however, as Strait took the stage at about 8:45 p.m. and was able to perform for a little more than an hour.
Those still at the stadium were instructed to seek shelter in the covered areas of the stadium concourses, ramps, club-level suites and other interior locations. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/regional/tennessee/george-strait-concert-ends-early-due-to-severe-weather/ | 2023-07-30T20:38:32 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/regional/tennessee/george-strait-concert-ends-early-due-to-severe-weather/ |
Man electrocuted after jumping into Lake Lanier identified
By Mariya Murrow
Click here for updates on this story
ATLANTA, Georgia (WANF) — A man is dead after jumping into Lake Lanier Thursday evening, according to officials.
The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office said the man, 24-year-old Thomas Milner, jumped into the lake from his family’s dock near Dove Trail and was electrocuted when he entered the water.
A family friend told investigators they heard Milner scream for help and tried to get him out of the water using a ladder.
When that didn’t work, neighbors stepped in to help and took a boat out to Milner, the sheriff’s office said. One of the good Samaritans in the boat jumped in the water to pull Milner out but reported feeling a burning sensation which they immediately recognized as an electric shock.
After swimming to shore and turning off the power box near the dock, the person returned to the water to pull Milner back to shore, according to investigators.
Bystanders told authorities Milner’s uncle administered CPR until emergency medical crews got to the scene. The 24-year-old was rushed to Northside Forsyth Hospital. He died from his injuries the next day.
It is unclear why the water was electrified.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform. | https://kion546.com/cnn-regional/2023/07/30/man-electrocuted-after-jumping-into-lake-lanier-identified/ | 2023-07-30T20:38:33 | 1 | https://kion546.com/cnn-regional/2023/07/30/man-electrocuted-after-jumping-into-lake-lanier-identified/ |
Man takes search for second kidney donor to social media
By REG CHAPMAN
Click here for updates on this story
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Sean Lofton is struggling to find someone to give him a kidney.
“Going through this, you think about, ‘Am I going to wake up tomorrow,'” Sean Lofton said. “My life depends on it.”
Sean Lofton suffered in silence before taking his fight to live to social media in hopes of finding a donor.
“It’s times that I feel like I can’t make it, and I think about my grandkids. I think about my kid. I think about my wife, and I’ll be like, ‘I’ve got to get up,'” Sean Lofton said.
Sean Lofton has been down this road before. His wife, Tiana, donated her kidney to him more than 16 years ago.
“Right now, I’m at the end of this kidney that I have already,” Sean Lofton said.
According to Vanessa Humphreville, Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of Minnesota, someone with blood type O, which Sean Lofton has, can have a waiting period of five to seven years for a kidney.
After connecting with the National Kidney Foundation Minnesota, Sean Lofton learned he does not need someone with the same blood type to give him a kidney.
“If you are looking to donate to someone and we say, ‘Okay, you’re not a match,’ what you would do, is you would donate on behalf of them, and your kidney would go to someone that it matches and you would get a living donor kidney that matches you,” Humphreville said.
Tiana Lofton, a living donor, hopes someone out there has a heart to help her husband.
“I didn’t do it just because he’s my husband, I did it because he is a person and I want to see him live,” Tiana Lofton said.
She wants her husband to keep going, for his family and for the community he serves.
“Even though he’s in the condition that he is in right now, to this day, he still goes out. He still tries to help whomever he can,” Tiana Lofton said.
The Loftons will take part in the Big Ask Big Give Event on Aug. 10, where people looking for a living donor can come together and learn what’s needed to get them on the path to getting the life-saving transplant they need.
Click here to learn more about kidney donation: kidney.org/offices/nkf-serving-minnesota
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform. | https://kion546.com/cnn-regional/2023/07/30/man-takes-search-for-second-kidney-donor-to-social-media/ | 2023-07-30T20:38:39 | 1 | https://kion546.com/cnn-regional/2023/07/30/man-takes-search-for-second-kidney-donor-to-social-media/ |
MCSO confirms, defrocked Mobile priest found in Italy
By WALA Staff
Click here for updates on this story
MOBILE, Alabama (WALA) — The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office has released a statement confirming the location of a former priest from Mobile and an 18 year old woman who was traveling with him.
The statement reads as follows:
“On July 29, 2023, The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office confirms that former Priest Alex Crow, and the young woman who traveled with him have both been located in Italy. A family member of the young woman went to Italy to locate her and found them both. The young woman stated she went with him on her own free will. ” It appeared that they were staying in separate bedrooms and the young woman insisted that there was no intimate relationship,” says Sheriff Paul Burch. ” The investigation is still open and we are still checking into a few matters, however, there does not appear to be any criminal charges.” Alex Crow left a letter with the Archdiocese stating he would never return to America. As of today, both he and the young woman remain in Europe.”
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform. | https://kion546.com/cnn-regional/2023/07/30/mcso-confirms-defrocked-mobile-priest-found-in-italy/ | 2023-07-30T20:38:45 | 0 | https://kion546.com/cnn-regional/2023/07/30/mcso-confirms-defrocked-mobile-priest-found-in-italy/ |
Off-duty CFD member dies after being pulled from water at 31st Street Beach
By CBS CHICAGO TEAM
Click here for updates on this story
CHICAGO (WBBM) — An off-duty member of the Chicago Fire Department died Sunday morning after being pulled from Lake Michigan, officials confirmed.
A source tells CBS 2 that the member was at 31st Street Beach and had just ended his shift before heading to the beach.
CFD Fire Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt confirmed the member was swimming with family while off the lakefront.
“Crews quickly responded and located him underwater but despite advanced care of our own paramedics and the medical team at the University of Chicago, he passed away,” she said.
She continues to say, “The loss of any of our members is a loss for the First Responder community and the city as a whole.”
Holt did not identify the member but did say he’s been on the job since 2009.
CFD says they will release more details after preliminary information is received from the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office following their examination.
This is a developing story.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform. | https://kion546.com/cnn-regional/2023/07/30/off-duty-cfd-member-dies-after-being-pulled-from-water-at-31st-street-beach/ | 2023-07-30T20:38:51 | 0 | https://kion546.com/cnn-regional/2023/07/30/off-duty-cfd-member-dies-after-being-pulled-from-water-at-31st-street-beach/ |
A concertgoer threw a drink at Cardi B while she was performing on stage, so she fought back
CNN
By Alli Rosenbloom, CNN
(CNN) — Audience members at concerts in recent months have continued a pattern of throwing objects at artists who are on stage performing, and rapper Cardi B has had enough.
On Saturday, the “WAP” rapper was on stage at Drai’s Beach Club in Las Vegas when an audience member appeared to throw a drink at her, as seen in video footage posted to social media.
In the clip, Cardi B is seen getting splashed with liquid from the cup while performing her 2018 hit “Bodak Yellow.” Clearly upset, she reacted immediately by throwing her microphone into the crowd as security guards rushed to the stage.
More security guards are then seen flocking to the person in the crowd as she watched from the stage before continuing on with her set.
In another video posted to TikTok on Saturday, Cardi B is seen throwing her microphone at a DJ who appeared to cut off her song early during a performance at Drai’s Nightclub on Friday.
CNN has reached out to a representative for Cardi B for comment.
The incident in Las Vegas on Saturday is just the latest in a slew of similar scenes at concerts where artists – including Drake, Kelsea Ballerini, Harry Styles and Bebe Rexha – have become the target of objects thrown at them while on stage, with some artists suffering injuries as a result.
Only recently have performers, including R&B singer Monica and country star Miranda Lambert, gotten involved when they see behavior they do not approve of.
Last week, Monica jumped off the stage after witnessing someone allegedly assault a female audience member in the crowd at her Detroit show.
She was praised for her interference when footage of the altercation went viral on social media, and she later told CNN’s Abby Phillip she feels concerts have become “a dangerous space and place.”
“I just really want that to change,” she added.
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™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://kion546.com/entertainment/cnn-entertainment/2023/07/30/a-concertgoer-threw-a-drink-at-cardi-b-while-she-was-performing-on-stage-so-she-fought-back-2/ | 2023-07-30T20:38:57 | 0 | https://kion546.com/entertainment/cnn-entertainment/2023/07/30/a-concertgoer-threw-a-drink-at-cardi-b-while-she-was-performing-on-stage-so-she-fought-back-2/ |
‘Depp v. Heard’: New docu-series trailer examines Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s dramatic defamation trial
By Alli Rosenbloom, CNN
(CNN) — Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s highly publicized defamation trial is the subject of a new Netflix docu-series, and the first trailer was released last week.
The “Depp v. Heard” trailer leans heavily on footage that was televised and live-streamed throughout the Virginia trial, which began in April 2022 and concluded that June when the jury found both Heard and Depp liable for defamation in their suits against each other.
“There were over 200 hours of live-streamed coverage during the trial,” text splashed across the screen in the trailer, posted Wednesday on YouTube, read. “Millions watched, commented and shared.”
The trailer features clips of the actors’ time on the stand, plus their respective lawyers speaking in court, along with footage from outside the courthouse and reaction clips of viewers who watched the trial live.
It also includes clips of various commentators analyzing the case and examining the impact that televising a trial of this nature had on the case’s outcome.
“Showing both testimonies side-by-side for the first time, this series explores the trial that set Hollywood ablaze and the online fallout that ensued,” an official synopsis of the series states.
Heard and Depp do not appear to have participated in the series.
In 2018, Depp sued Heard, his ex-wife, for defamation over an op-ed she wrote that year for The Washington Post in which she described herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse.” Though Depp was not named in the article, he claimed it cost him lucrative acting roles.
Heard countersued for defamation over statements Depp’s attorney made about her abuse claims.
Months after the jury found them both liable for defamation, the former couple reached a settlement, with Heard agreeing to pay Depp $1 million in damages, which CNN reported last month that Depp plans to donate to five different charities.
Both actors have since been photographed spending time in Europe, doing their best to move on from the public trial.
“Depp v. Heard” is set to stream on Netflix on August 16.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
CNN’s Sonia Moghe and Chloe Melas contributed to this report. | https://kion546.com/entertainment/cnn-entertainment/2023/07/30/depp-v-heard-new-docu-series-trailer-examines-johnny-depp-and-amber-heards-dramatic-defamation-trial/ | 2023-07-30T20:39:03 | 1 | https://kion546.com/entertainment/cnn-entertainment/2023/07/30/depp-v-heard-new-docu-series-trailer-examines-johnny-depp-and-amber-heards-dramatic-defamation-trial/ |
Renfroe hits 2-run HR in 10th as Angels beat Blue Jays 3-2 to avoid sweep
By IAN HARRISON
Associated Press
TORONTO (AP) — Hunter Renfroe hit a two-run home run in the 10th inning and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 on Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep.
“To say this one was needed right now is an understatement,” Angels manager Phil Nevin said.
Los Angeles (55-51) trails Toronto (59-47) by four games in the AL wild-card race. Boston and the New York Yankees are both ahead of the Angels.
“Knowing that we could cut down on the lead that those guys have on us, it’s really big,” Angels closer Carlos Estévez said. “Every game is really important, but this one was a little bit more important than we’ve faced throughout this road trip already.”
Renfroe’s 17th home run of the season came off Blue Jays right-hander Yimi García (3-4). It was the Angels’ first hit with a runner in scoring position in the series. Los Angeles had gone 0 for 27 in such situations before Renfroe’s one-out drive to left.
Renfroe’s fifth career homer in extra innings drove in automatic runner Mike Moustakas from third base.
“I wasn’t really trying to hit a homer there,” Renfroe said. “I was trying to just make sure I hit the ball and get the guy in. I wasn’t trying to swing for the fences.”
With closer Jordan Romano on the injured list because of a sore back, Blue Jays manager John Schneider turned to García for the third straight day for the first time all season, but it didn’t work out.
“You’re trying to put guys in the right spot,” Schneider said. “They just got the big hit.”
Renfroe went 3 for 4 and drove in all three runs. He also hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly. He is batting .429 (12 for 28) with two homers and five RBI in his past eight games.
“Hunter’s really been swinging the bat well for four or five days now,” Nevin said. “He’s got that kind of power where he can hit in the seats when it’s not a full-bore swing.”
Estévez (5-1) pitched the final two innings for the win. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drove in automatic runner Bo Bichette with a leadoff single in the 10th, but the Blue Jays couldn’t tie it.
Matt Chapman walked and Kevin Kiermaier pinch-ran for Guerrero, but Estévez struck out George Springer and Cavan Biggio before retiring Danny Jansen to end it.
“He’s been a bulldog for us all year at the back,” Nevin said.
Springer finished 0 for 5 and is hitless in 29 at-bats.
Two-way Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani went 1 for 3 with a single. Ohtani flied out in the first, singled and scored in the third and was intentionally walked with a runner at second and two outs in the fourth. Mickey Moniak popped up to end the inning.
Ohtani grounded out in the seventh against Blue Jays left-hander Génesis Cabrera.
Ohtani came up with Luis Rengifo at first base in the ninth against left-hander Tim Mayza. When Rengifo advanced to second on a wild pitch, putting Ohtani ahead 2-0 in the count, the Blue Jays called for another intentional walk.
Renfroe opened the scoring with his sacrifice fly in the third, but Eduardo Escobar flied out to strand two runners.
Toronto tied it in the fifth against Angels left-hander Tyler Anderson. Daulton Varsho hit a one-out double and scored on Whit Merrifield’s single. Merrifield advanced to second on left fielder Moniak’s error, but Anderson retired Bichette and Guerrero to escape the jam.
Left-hander Matt Moore replaced Anderson after Varsho hit his second double in the seventh. Anderson allowed one run and seven hits. He walked one and struck out two.
Toronto loaded the bases with two outs in the eighth, but Moore got Santiago Espinal to ground into a fielder’s choice.
Blue Jays right-hander José Berríos allowed one run and six hits in six innings. He walked two and struck out six. Berríos has not won since June 24 against Oakland, going six starts between victories.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Angels: OF Taylor Ward was placed on the 10-day IL with facial fractures a day after he was hit in the head by a 91 mph pitch from RHP Alek Manoah. Ward was taken to the hospital for tests but was discharged Saturday night. Nevin said Ward did not have vision damage. To replace Ward, Los Angeles selected the contract of INF Kevin Padlo from Triple-A Salt Lake. The Angels have a majors-high 17 players on the IL.
GREAT GRAB
Moniak made a sliding catch on Varsho’s sinking liner for the final out of the second.
MISSED OPPORTUNITIES
Toronto went 2 for 16 with runners in scoring position while Los Angeles finished 1 for 11. Both teams left 12 runners on base.
UP NEXT
Angels: RHP Griffin Canning (6-4, 4.46 ERA) starts Monday when Los Angeles begins a three-game interleague series at Atlanta. RHP Charlie Morton (10-8, 3.57) is expected to start for the Braves.
Blue Jays: RHP Chris Bassitt (10-5, 3.91 ERA) starts Monday as Toronto begins a four-game series against AL East-leading Baltimore. RHP Kyle Gibson (9-6, 4.68) goes for the Orioles.
___
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Three killed when small plane hits hangar, catches fire at Southern California airport
UPLAND, Calif. (AP) — A pilot and two passengers were killed Sunday when a single-engine plane crashed into a hangar and burst into flames at a Southern California airport, authorities said.
The Beechcraft P35 with three people on board crashed during departure around 6:30 a.m. at Cable Airport in Upland, the Federal Aviation Authority said.
San Bernardino County firefighters doused the fire and pronounced the three victims dead at the scene, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) east of downtown Los Angeles, Upland Police said in a statement.
The hangar had moderate damage, and no one else was injured, police said.
The crash will be investigated by the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board. | https://kion546.com/news/ap-california/2023/07/30/three-killed-when-small-plane-hits-hangar-catches-fire-at-southern-california-airport/ | 2023-07-30T20:39:16 | 0 | https://kion546.com/news/ap-california/2023/07/30/three-killed-when-small-plane-hits-hangar-catches-fire-at-southern-california-airport/ |
1 woman killed, 8 others injured in West Side Chicago mass shooting, police say
By Chris Boyette, CNN
(CNN) — A 21-year-old woman was killed and eight other women were injured when gunfire erupted after a Jeep approached a group on the West Side of Chicago early Sunday, according to police.
The shooting in the North Lawndale neighborhood happened shortly before 1 a.m., the Chicago Police Department said in a news release.
The victims’ ages range from 20 to 33 years old.
Police say the women were gathering when a black Jeep drove up to them. Multiple people were seen coming out of the vehicle with guns and began shooting towards the group, according to the release.
The 21-year-old was shot in the face and transported to Mt. Sinai Hospital, where she was pronounced dead a short time later, authorities said.
A 28-year-old woman was shot eight times in the torso and transported to the hospital in critical condition, according to police. Five of the women sustained various gunshot wounds to their extremities and two women sustained graze wounds.
No one is yet in custody and detectives are investigating, police said. The department asked anyone with information on the incident to contact police.
The shooting is among 416 mass shootings to occur in the United States so far in 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive. The archive, like CNN, defines a mass shooting as one in which at least four people are shot, excluding the shooter.
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™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://kion546.com/news/national-world/cnn-national/2023/07/30/1-woman-killed-8-others-injured-in-west-side-chicago-mass-shooting-police-say/ | 2023-07-30T20:39:23 | 0 | https://kion546.com/news/national-world/cnn-national/2023/07/30/1-woman-killed-8-others-injured-in-west-side-chicago-mass-shooting-police-say/ |
4 people were killed in separate aircraft crashes before a major air show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin
By Chris Boyette, Lauren Mascarenhas and Andy Rose, CNN
(CNN) — Four people are dead and two are injured after two aircraft collided in midair and another crashed into a lake Saturday shortly before an air show at a major aviation convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, authorities said.
Two people died when a North American T-6, a vintage military training craft, crashed around 9 a.m. into Lake Winnebago, according to the Coast Guard, who recovered the bodies of the two people on board Saturday night.
The plane descended rapidly from an altitude of around 3,000 feet, the Coast Guard said. Several agencies, including the Oshkosh Fire Department and the Coast Guard responded to the crash, according to a statement from the Experimental Aircraft Association, which organizes the annual AirVenture convention.
Two people were killed in a separate crash Saturday around noon, when a RotorWay 162F helicopter and an ELA 10 Eclipse gyrocopter collided midair. The accident happened in an area of Wittman Regional Airport designated for the event, organizers said.
Gyrocopters look like small helicopters, but their propellers spin naturally, without the help of an engine.
Two people who were injured in the accident were transported to a local hospital and are in stable condition, the statement said.
It is unclear which victims were on which aircraft, but event organizers said the helicopter and gyrocopter belonged to event attendees and were not involved in the air show.
Authorities have not released the names of people who died in either accident, pending notification of relatives.
The airshow began around 2:45 p.m. after a short delay, organizers said.
The AirVenture convention is a multiday event, featuring air shows, fly-in campgrounds and fireworks. It boasts “the highest concentration of aircraft in the world.”
Organizers published guidelines from the Federal Aviation Administration for participants planning to fly an aircraft into the festival. The National Transportation Safety Board said it is sending an investigator to begin determining the causes of both accidents.
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Los Angeles County law enforcement recruit dies 8 months after group of trainees were struck by wrong-way driver while on a training run
By Eli Masket, CNN
(CNN) — A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department recruit died eight months after he was struck by a driver who hit around two dozen recruits on a training run in Whittier, California, according to authorities.
Alejandro Martinez, 27, died Friday at the Ronald Reagan University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center surrounded by friends, family, and members of the sheriff’s department after months of fighting for his life, according to a statement from the department.
“Today, Alejandro succumbed to his injuries,” the sheriff’s department said in an online statement. “Tragically, he was not able to fulfill his calling of helping others.”
Martinez was on a training run with around 75 other recruits the morning of November 16, 2022, when an SUV drove into the group. Twenty-five of the recruits suffered injuries, with five initially listed in critical condition.
The driver, 22-year-old Nicholas Joseph Gutierrez, was driving the wrong way when the incident occurred, according to the sheriff’s department. He showed no signs of impairment and blew a zero in a Breathalyzer test administered after the incident.
He was alone in the vehicle at the time of the crash, the sheriff’s department told CNN.
“It looked like an airplane wreck – so many bodies scattered everywhere in different states of injury,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said in a news conference after the crash. “It was pretty traumatic for all individuals.”
Officials initially said the crash appeared to have been “a horrific accident.” That characterization changed dramatically when the department arrested Gutierrez on suspicion of attempted murder of peace officers. However, he was released from jail a day later, according to records that indicated the initial complaint was insufficient to hold him.
“I have no doubt that an in-depth investigation will confirm that Nicholas is a hard working young man who holds no animosity towards law enforcement, and this was an absolutely tragic accident,” an attorney for Gutierrez, Alexandra Kazarian, told CNN affiliate KABC after the incident.
The California Highway Patrol is still investigating the incident, the agency told CNN Sunday in an email.
“The CHP continues to actively conduct a fair and impartial investigation to determine the cause of the crash and Gutierrez’s criminal culpability,” the highway patrol said. “Currently, there are no further updates to provide.”
Flags at the state capital will be flown at half-staff in honor of Martinez’s memory, Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement Sunday.
“Jennifer and I are heartbroken by the tragic passing of Alejandro Martinez, our deepest condolences are with his family, friends, and academy classmates at this difficult time,” Newsom said. “Recruit Martinez was dedicated to serving his community, and his commitment to California will never be forgotten.”
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™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
CNN’s Sarah Dewberry, Cheri Mossburg, Josh Campbell, Alaa Elassar, Lauren Mascarenhas and Andy Rose contributed to this report. | https://kion546.com/news/national-world/cnn-national/2023/07/30/los-angeles-county-law-enforcement-recruit-dies-8-months-after-group-of-trainees-were-struck-by-wrong-way-driver-while-on-a-training-run/ | 2023-07-30T20:39:35 | 1 | https://kion546.com/news/national-world/cnn-national/2023/07/30/los-angeles-county-law-enforcement-recruit-dies-8-months-after-group-of-trainees-were-struck-by-wrong-way-driver-while-on-a-training-run/ |
One man was killed and other people were rushed to hospitals after a shooting at an Indiana party
By Raja Razek and Christina Maxouris, CNN
(CNN) — A 30-year-old man was killed and other people were taken to a hospital after a shooting at a party in Indiana, authorities said Sunday.
Police in Muncie responded an early morning call for “multiple people shot” at a large party, the city said in a Facebook post.
CNN affiliate WISH reported a witness said people at the block party were carrying weapons and began firing, according to the news station.
As of Sunday morning, victims were receiving treatment at a hospital and “more critical patients were airlifted to other facilities,” officials said.
“We are heartbroken to learn of this terrible incident, and our deepest condolences go to the families of the young man who was killed and everyone who was injured,” the city added.
No further details were released about the victims. Authorities also did not share information about suspects and motive.
Authorities said there was no immediate threat to public safety.
Muncie is roughly 50 miles northeast of Indianapolis.
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™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://kion546.com/news/national-world/cnn-national/2023/07/30/one-man-was-killed-and-other-people-were-rushed-to-hospitals-after-a-shooting-at-an-indiana-party/ | 2023-07-30T20:39:41 | 0 | https://kion546.com/news/national-world/cnn-national/2023/07/30/one-man-was-killed-and-other-people-were-rushed-to-hospitals-after-a-shooting-at-an-indiana-party/ |
Christie calls Trump’s team ‘the Corleones with no experience’ amid indictments
CNN
By Shawna Mizelle, CNN
Washington (CNN) — Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie on Sunday labeled Donald Trump and his team “the Corleones with no experience” after additional charges were filed against the former president over his alleged mishandling of classified documents after leaving office.
“This is bad stuff. And you can’t say there was no underlying potential crime here,” Christie told CNN’s Kasie Hunt on “State of the Union” after comparing Trump and his allies to the fictional Corleone family from “The Godfather.”
“This was the withholding of confidential classified information from the government. After 18 months of asking Donald Trump to return it voluntarily, not only did he not return it. He lied about having it,” the former New Jersey governor added.
Prosecutors allege in an updated indictment that two Trump employees – aide Walt Nauta and Mar-a-Lago maintenance worker Carlos De Oliveira – attempted to delete security camera footage at the former president’s resort after the Justice Department had issued a subpoena for it.
De Oliveira told the director of IT at the resort “that ‘the boss’ wanted the server deleted,” according to the indictment.
Trump, who already faced 37 criminal charges in the classified documents case, was charged with one additional count of willful retention of national defense information and two additional obstruction counts.
The former president on Sunday denied that he directed his employees to delete security footage, claiming in a Truth Social post that his legal team had “voluntarily” turned over the security tapes to authorities.
“This is not what a former president should be doing, and it’s certainly not something that someone who wants to be president should be doing,” Christie said Sunday.
The New Jersey Republican conceded that Trump is innocent until proven guilty, before adding that “the government has made a very, very compelling case.”
Since entering the race last month, Christie has been among the most outspoken critics of Trump in a GOP primary full of candidates still hesitant to directly criticize the party’s front-runner.
Vivek Ramaswamy, another 2024 Republican candidate, told CNN in a separate interview Sunday on “State of the Union” that the latest round of charges against Trump wouldn’t change his vow to pardon him if the tech entrepreneur was elected president.
“I intend to be our next president. And, yes, I do believe I will move us forward. And, yes, I think one of the right ways to do that is to pardon the former president of the United States from what is clearly a politicized prosecution,” he told CNN.
Ramaswamy said Trump should not be convicted for a crime “that would not have existed but for the existence of an investigation.”
Meanwhile, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, another 2024 GOP contender, told CBS News in an interview that aired Sunday that if the accusations against Trump were true, “It’s incredibly dangerous to our national security.”
But Haley argued “this is coming down from a Department of Justice that, frankly, the American people don’t trust.” She maintained she would consider “what’s in the best interest of the country” when asked if she would pardon the former president if elected to the White House.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
CNN’s Alayna Treene and David Wright contributed to this report. | https://kion546.com/politics/cnn-us-politics/2023/07/30/christie-calls-trumps-team-the-corleones-with-no-experience-amid-indictments-2/ | 2023-07-30T20:39:47 | 0 | https://kion546.com/politics/cnn-us-politics/2023/07/30/christie-calls-trumps-team-the-corleones-with-no-experience-amid-indictments-2/ |
Bomb squad investigates mysterious packages parachuted into neighborhood
SAN DIMAS, Calif. (Gray News) – A bomb squad was called in to investigate after packages were apparently parachuted into a city in California.
The San Dimas Sheriff’s Station said deputies responded to a call Thursday for a suspicious package in San Dimas. When they arrived at the location, they said they discovered a parachute with two packages attached to it.
The responding deputies then evacuated the residents of nearby homes and called in the arson and explosives unit.
After an investigation, officials determined the packages did not contain explosives or other dangerous materials and seemed to be a science project.
Officials informed the neighborhood of the finds, and the residents returned safely to their homes.
Copyright 2023 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2023/07/30/bomb-squad-investigates-mysterious-packages-parachuted-into-neighborhood/ | 2023-07-30T20:39:49 | 1 | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2023/07/30/bomb-squad-investigates-mysterious-packages-parachuted-into-neighborhood/ |
Sarasota County Governments Hosts a “Meet Your Mosquito Management Team” Event
Published: Jul. 30, 2023 at 3:38 PM EDT|Updated: 1 hour ago
SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Sarasota County Government tweeted that they will be hosting a “Meet Your Mosquito Management Team” event. This will give Sarasota residents the opportunity to talk with staff members, who work to manage the mosquito populations. Sarasota County Government also said mosquito management staff members will share how to protect yourself from mosquito bites.
This meeting will be held on Friday, August 4th from 5:30p.m. to 7p.m. It will be at the Robert L. Taylor Complex on 1845 34th Street in Sarasota.
To learn more about Sarasota County’s spray missions, mosquito-borne illnesses, or to submit a request for service, call 311 or you can visit Sarasota County Government’s website.
Copyright 2023 WWSB. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2023/07/30/sarasota-county-governments-hosts-meet-your-mosquito-management-team-event/ | 2023-07-30T20:39:49 | 0 | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2023/07/30/sarasota-county-governments-hosts-meet-your-mosquito-management-team-event/ |
GAZA – Several thousand people briefly took to the streets across the Gaza Strip on Sunday to protest chronic power outages and difficult living conditions, providing a rare public show of discontent with the territory’s Hamas government. Hamas security forces quickly dispersed the gatherings.
Marches took place in Gaza City, the southern town of Khan Younis and other locations, chanting “what a shame” and in one place burning Hamas flags, before police moved in and broke up the protests.
Police destroyed mobile phones of people who were filming in Khan Younis, and witnesses said there were several arrests. Dozens of young supporters and opponents of Hamas briefly faced off, throwing stones at one another.
The demonstrations were organized by a grassroots online movement called “alvirus alsakher,” or “the mocking virus.” It was not immediately known who is behind the movement.
Hamas rules Gaza with an iron fist, barring most demonstrations and quickly stamping out public displays of dissent.
The Islamic militant group seized control of Gaza in 2007 from the forces of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, prompting Israel and Egypt to impose a crippling blockade on the territory. Israel says the closure is needed to prevent Hamas, which does not recognize Israel’s right to exist, from building up its military capabilities.
The closure has devastated Gaza’s economy, sent unemployment skyrocketing and led to frequent power outages. During the current heat wave, people have been receiving four to six hours of power a day due to heavy demand.
“Where is the electricity and where is the gas?” the crowds shouted in Khan Younis. “What a shame. What a shame.”
Protesters also criticized Hamas for deducting a roughly $15 fee from monthly $100 stipends given to Gaza's poorest families by the wealthy Gulf state of Qatar.
There was no immediate comment from the Hamas authorities. | https://www.wsls.com/news/world/2023/07/30/thousands-take-to-streets-in-gaza-in-rare-public-display-of-discontent-with-hamas/ | 2023-07-30T20:39:49 | 0 | https://www.wsls.com/news/world/2023/07/30/thousands-take-to-streets-in-gaza-in-rare-public-display-of-discontent-with-hamas/ |
Sarasota County Resilient SRQ Hosts Action Plan Public Meeting on Disaster Recovery
SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - According to Sarasota County Government’s twitter page, they will be hosting a Resilient SRQ Action Plan Public Meeting on the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery. They also said the public will be able to learn more about the proposed uses for the $201.5 million in Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery Funds. These funds were originally given to support the recovery of the Sarasota community after Hurricane Ian.
The meeting will be open to the public on Wednesday, August 9th, at the RL Administration Center Commission Chamber on 4000 South Tamiami Trail in Venice. This event will go from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The Sarasota County Government tweeted that draft plan summaries are available in county facilities and libraries or you can find the full draft on their website.
Sarasota County Government tweeted that the public can share their comments at the meeting, through a comment form on their website, email ResilientSRQComments@scgov.net, or mail them to the Sarasota County Administration Center at 1660 Ringling Boulevard. The public comment period will be open from now until August 25th.
If you can’t attend the meeting, Sarasota County Government tweeted that you can watch it live on Comcast Channel 19, Frontier Channel 32, or through Live Stream, Access Sarasota. They will also be streaming it on their Youtube page.
Copyright 2023 WWSB. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2023/07/30/sarasota-county-resilient-srq-hosts-action-plan-public-meeting-disaster-recovery/ | 2023-07-30T20:39:51 | 0 | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2023/07/30/sarasota-county-resilient-srq-hosts-action-plan-public-meeting-disaster-recovery/ |
The Jaguar I-Pace was the very first entry of what now feels in many respects like the core of the EV market: compact fully electric crossovers with roomy interiors, leading-edge cabin tech, and a luxury car price tag.
Jaguar delivered its first U.S. I-Pace in October 2018. That’s before the original Audi E-Tron SUV, a year and a half before the start of Tesla Model Y deliveries, and long before the Audi Q4 E-Tron, Mercedes-Benz EQB, Genesis GV60, and Lexus RZ 450e arrived from luxury brands, and buyers lined up for the head-turning Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and Kia EV6.
Why earlier I-Paces were a tough sell
On arrival, the I-Pace was a great-looking, leading-edge luxury EV, but it made some awful first-date impressions. Half-baked software details were a big part of it and kept this EV from measuring up to expectations. Its laggy interface, for instance, could take whole minutes to start fully, and then its responses to the virtual buttons—even for climate control—left us exasperated. Minor, but hard to live with.
And that’s not counting what we found to be the deal-breaker: Under multiple situations and with multiple editors behind the wheel, the I-Pace’s readouts on how much charge it had remaining were anything but even-keeled.
The I-Pace might have had enough range, at an official 234 EPA-rated miles for 2019, but as we quickly found out in several driving experiences, at launch it didn’t quite have all the tools it needed to make the best in the real world of all 90 kwh of the expensive LG Chem pouch cells it packed in.
Jaguar had a range issue with the early I-Pace and no, I’m not talking about the range meter. Range estimates have always represented an educated guess, and I know better not to make any firm plans based on them—especially in demonstration cars that aren’t used to my driving patterns or might have been shipped from another region with a completely different climate. But over several different I-Paces we observed the same kind of alarming battery information, which amounted to sudden, uneven drops in the indicated percentage state of charge while driving at steady speeds or nearly so.
We dug into this over many months with Jaguar Land Rover at the time, and the best explanation was that the I-Pace has a battery warming system and for whatever reason, in light highway conditions, it would sometimes cycle on for best performance. That said, it was still hard to understand how this made the state of charge move at such an uneven rate.
Jaguar claimed to have fixed this early on, with a deeper level of improvements due for 2021. But then the I-Pace skipped 2021 in the U.S. altogether. There were no test cars showing off this progress in I-Pace for a long time.
And then some months ago a 2022 I-Pace rolled into my driveway.
I-Pace interface is much-improved
In real-world use, the I-Pace used to be a disappointment; but recent incremental changes—some of them software-based—have improved both range and the reliability of it.
My test car was a 2022 Jaguar I-Pace EV400 HSE—essentially the only model of the lineup—in Portofino Blue with a Light Oyster interior. It starts at $69,900, but including the premium paint, a rear-seat convenience pack, a sunshade for the panoramic roof, the $1,150 destination fee, and a few other items, it had a bottom-line price of $73,095.
At the time I write this, the Jaguar dealership nearest me still has 2022 I-Paces in stock as well as 2023s. Priced out for 2023, that build would add up to $74,470. Since 2023 changes are limited to a few new colors and the addition of Alexa, with the onboard charger rating dropping from 11 kw previously to 9.6 kw for 2023, I’m extending those notes here, with some perspective.
With 20-inch wheels, range officially gets boosted to 246 miles for 2023, but it represents the retest of revised software that was in place in my 2022.
Anyone paying attention anymore to the first long-range premium-brand EV?
The I-Pace is a much better vehicle than it was when it arrived in the U.S. in October 2018. Leading up to its launch, Jaguar suggested it aimed to sell 15,000 I-Paces annually (globally), with the U.S. one of the largest markets for the model. Global sales of the model topped that in 2020 and 2021, but it’s never performed anywhere close to that here.
It’s truly hard to tell how serious Jaguar Land Rover remains about selling the I-Pace in the U.S. After a few years of sales in the (low) thousands, according to Automotive News it sold just 395 I-Paces in all of 2022 and 747 the year before.
It is for some intents and purposes a rare and exotic car.
Climbing inside to take in the “new” I-Pace, I quickly found that software is one of the big success stories here. The 10.0-inch Pivi Pro infotainment system looks great, responds crisply, and scrolls smoothly—without any of the lag we noticed in the early models. It can do over-the-air updates, too.
It’s a pleasure to use. The climate screen and controls below the screen now also responded well. So did wireless CarPlay, which worked flawlessly and flowed between Apple-based functions and the native infotainment system more easily than the infotainment systems in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6—which, by the way, need a cable for CarPlay or Android Auto, while the Jag didn’t.
Jaguar fixed the I-Pace range issue on multiple fronts
Getting intimate with the I-Pace and pushing its range was a bit nerve-wracking, because of the way I had to quickly come up with backup plans in the past. In a week with the I-Pace, over one full charge and another partial one, the state-of-charge percentage (SOC %) was predictable and in line with the range estimate.
Simply put, I no longer have reservations about taking an I-Pace out on a road trip and trust I could get to the charging station. Note that the I-Pace fast-charges at up to 100 kw and takes about 40 minutes to get to 80%.
I drove the I-Pace 209 miles on that full charge, with conditions including 70+ mph freeway driving, some low-speed city driving, and country backroads, and temps in the 50s. At that point it displayed a 4% charge remaining, equating to an anticipated 13 miles. At the end of that time the trip computer indicated a 2.9 mile/kwh average.
Well-rounded, and rare—even among Jaguars
Perhaps in a testament to how this whole segment of EVs has creeped upward in size, the I-Pace felt nimble and very compact compared to the likes of the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, and Volkswagen ID.4. Today there’s no premium EV that’s quite the I-Pace’s size (184 inches long), except for the Genesis GV60 and, if you count it premium, the Audi Q4.
The I-Pace stands out best, perhaps, versus the latest batch of crossover EVs, in its ride, handling, and general responsiveness. The ride isn’t punishingly firm, but it feels athletic, with really good, communicative steering. It has the kind of sharp body control that while not firm enough for the racetrack, is perfect for urban hotfoot types.
Regenerative braking comes in two settings, high and low, and after using the high setting for a short time I settled into low as my favorite; I suspect it aided efficiency to keep it there. You also have the option to toggle creep—ICE-like behavior that slowly moves ahead when you lift off the brake pedal. The Dynamic sound setting still feels gimmicky, though, and I selected Calm versus Normal or Dynamic.
Fundamentally, the I-Pace is a very well-designed vehicle, with comfortable seating for four (don’t think about a middle passenger in back), easy entry, a low, flat cargo floor, plenty of bins and storage, and a deep frunk that’s large enough for a couple of small daypacks. It’s relatively quiet inside, has good seats, and distinctive upholstery, and the clean instrument panel layout still looks contemporary. And the assembly quality of my car, made by Magna in Austria, was top-notch.
From the outside, the I-Pace is more softly styled versus some of the other edgy electric crossovers, and unless you’re a fan of the brand, the I-Pace is a far cry from the distinctive XJ sedans of a decade or more ago. Despite screaming-large Jaguar emblems in back and that distinctive grille, I still got asked in a parking lot what it was—with interest.
Transformed, is the I-Pace worth a look?
The I-Pace felt a bit like a first date that went off the rails. Years later, does the reformed and more self-aware I-Pace deserve another chance?
In such a crowded field of electric crossovers, that’s a tough one to answer yes, all else the same. But if you’re presented a deal, or really want to stand out from the crowd of Teslas and mainstream-brand models, the I-Pace is now most definitely a good kind of fringe player.
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- These EVs have 800V charging: Why it’s better with or without Tesla’s NACS | https://www.wjhl.com/automotive/internet-brands/review-2023-jaguar-i-pace-is-a-better-ev-than-it-was-on-arrival/ | 2023-07-30T20:39:51 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/automotive/internet-brands/review-2023-jaguar-i-pace-is-a-better-ev-than-it-was-on-arrival/ |
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – Dalvin Cook got an up-close view of Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets while watching practice from the sideline Sunday.
The free agent running back has to see if he'll spend the rest of training camp in their backfield — or elsewhere.
Cook spent Sunday meeting with the Jets as he ponders the next stop of his playing career. The four-time Pro Bowl selection was released by the Vikings on June 8 for salary cap savings, according to a person familiar with Minnesota’s decision.
The Jets are the first team Cook has officially visited as a free agent, with his hometown Miami Dolphins also among possible suitors. New York also must consider whether to make him an offer before he leaves the team's practice facility.
Cook, who turns 28 on Aug. 10, was greeted by chants of “Dal-vin Cooook! Sign that contract!” from fans in the stands as he walked onto the field. He later responded to the post on X, formerly known as Twitter, with a green heart emoji.
Several Jets players, including Rodgers, greeted Cook and he spent a few moments chatting with owner Woody Johnson.
“He's a good young man, a very good young man,” Jets coach Robert Saleh said. “We didn't interact too much. There's a lot of stuff going on, especially when it's open to the public. But it was good to say hello.”
Cook has talked up the Jets in TV interviews in recent days, telling NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” on Friday they “are right at the top of the list” and the odds of him signing with them were “pretty high.”
“It’s a unique situation because I think they’re building something special over there,” Cook told "Good Morning Football” during the interview. “When you look at it, you always want to be around a great QB, you always want to be around somebody you can pick his brain and just learn from. A-Rod is a four-time MVP. So, just being around a guy like that you can learn a lot more and just develop as a player.
“That’s what I’m looking to do.”
He reiterated those comments Saturday during an interview with ESPN, saying he thinks "the coaching staff, I think everything about what they got going on, just says winning.”
But Cook, a former Florida State star, also said in the interview he was interested in the Dolphins and it would be “a Cinderella story” to play for his hometown team.
He was the guest of the Jets on Sunday, though. And now they have to wait to see if they offer Cook a deal and he accepts — or explores his options.
Both sides have expressed interest, and the Jets wanted Cook to take a physical to be sure his surgically repaired shoulder is healthy.
“That's pretty much it,” Saleh said. “Call it a meet and greet.”
Cook, who has run for at least 1,000 yards in each of the past four seasons, was scheduled to count more than $14.1 million against the Vikings’ salary cap before he was released. He's third on Minnesota’s career rushing list with 5,993 yards in six seasons.
With the Jets, Cook could give New York some insurance in the backfield with Breece Hall working his way back from a knee injury that cut short a promising rookie season. New York also has Michael Carter, Zonovan Knight, Damarea Crockett, fifth-round draft pick Israel Abanikanda and undrafted free agent Travis Dye at the position.
NOTES: Saleh said WR Garrett Wilson has a lower right ankle injury and the Jets are being cautious by holding him out of practice. Wilson appeared to have a slight limp and his right ankle was wrapped. ... WR Corey Davis remains out with an illness, but Saleh said he could return to practice Monday. ... WR Randall Cobb was activated from the physically unable to perform list and participated in practice. ... Saleh said the starters aren't expected to play Thursday night in the Hall of Fame game against Cleveland in Canton, Ohio. Among those players who will play include QB Zach Wilson and OT Mekhi Becton.
___
AP Pro Football Writers Dave Campbell and Rob Maaddi contributed.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://www.wsls.com/sports/2023/07/30/dalvin-cook-visits-with-the-jets-and-watches-practice-as-he-considers-his-options/ | 2023-07-30T20:39:55 | 0 | https://www.wsls.com/sports/2023/07/30/dalvin-cook-visits-with-the-jets-and-watches-practice-as-he-considers-his-options/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — Six straight days of 12-hour driving. Single digit paychecks. The complaints come from workers in vastly different industries: UPS delivery drivers and Hollywood actors and writers.
But they point to an underlying factor driving a surge of labor unrest: The cost to workers whose jobs have changed drastically as companies scramble to meet customer expectations for speed and convenience in industries transformed by technology.
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated those changes, pushing retailers to shift online and intensifying the streaming competition among entertainment companies. Now, from the picket lines, workers are trying to give consumers a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to produce a show that can be binged any time or get dog food delivered to their doorstep with a phone swipe.
Overworked and underpaid employees is an enduring complaint across industries — from delivery drivers to Starbucks baristas and airline pilots — where surges in consumer demand have collided with persistent labor shortages. Workers are pushing back against forced overtime, punishing schedules or company reliance on lower-paid, part-time or contract forces.
At issue for Hollywood screenwriters and actors staging their first simultaneous strikes in 40 years is the way streaming has upended entertainment economics, slashing pay and forcing showrunners to produce content faster with smaller teams.
“This seems to happen to many places when the tech companies come in. Who are we crushing? It doesn’t matter,” said Danielle Sanchez-Witzel, a screenwriter and showrunner on the negotiating team for the Writers Guild of America, whose members have been on strike since May. Earlier this month, the Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists joined the writers’ union on the picket line.
Actors and writers have long relied on residuals, or long-term payments, for reruns and other airings of films and televisions shows. But reruns aren’t a thing on streaming services, where series and films simply land and stay with no easy way, such as box office returns or ratings, to determine their popularity.
Consequently, whatever residuals streaming companies do pay often amount to a pittance, and screenwriters have been sharing tales of receiving single digit checks.
Adam Shapiro, an actor known for the Netflix hit “Never Have I Ever,” said many actors were initially content to accept lower pay for the plethora of roles that streaming suddenly offered. But the need for a more sustainable compensation model gained urgency when it became clear streaming is not a sideshow, but rather the future of the business, he said.
“Over the past 10 years, we realized: ‘Oh, that’s now how Hollywood works. Everything is streaming,’” Shapiro said during a recent union event.
Shapiro, who has been acting for 25 years, said he agreed to a contract offering 20% of his normal rate for “Never Have I Ever” because it seemed like “a great opportunity, and it’s going to be all over the world. And it was. It really was. Unfortunately, we’re all starting to realize that if we keep doing this we’re not going to be able to pay our bills.”
Then there’s the rising use of “mini rooms,” in which a handful of writers are hired to work only during pre-production, sometimes for a series that may take a year to be greenlit, or never get picked up at all.
Sanchez-Witzel, co-creator of the recently released Netflix series “Survival of the Thickest,” said television shows traditionally hire robust writing teams for the duration of production. But Netflix refused to allow her to keep her team of five writers past pre-production, forcing round-the-clock work on rewrites with just one other writer.
“It’s not sustainable and I’ll never do that again,” she said.
Sanchez-Witzel said she was struck by the similarities between her experience and those of UPS drivers, some of whom joined the WGA for protests as they threatened their own potentially crippling strike. UPS and the Teamsters last week reached a tentative contract staving off the strike.
Jeffrey Palmerino, a full-time UPS driver near Albany, New York, said forced overtime emerged as a top issue during the pandemic as drivers coped with a crush of orders on par with the holiday season. Drivers never knew what time they would get home or if they could count on two days off each week, while 14-hour days in trucks without air conditioning became the norm.
“It was basically like Christmas on steroids for two straight years. A lot of us were forced to work six days a week, and that is not any way to live your life,” said Palmerino, a Teamsters shop steward.
Along with pay raises and air conditioning, the Teamsters won concessions that Palmerino hopes will ease overwork. UPS agreed to end forced overtime on days off and eliminate a lower-paid category of drivers who work shifts that include weekends, converting them to full-time drivers. Union members have yet to ratify the deal.
The Teamsters and labor activists hailed the tentative deal as a game-changer that would pressure other companies facing labor unrest to raise their standards. But similar outcomes are far from certain in industries lacking the sheer economic indispensability of UPS or the clout of its 340,000-member union.
Efforts to organize at Starbucks and Amazon stalled as both companies aggressively fought against unionization.
Still, labor protests will likely gain momentum following the UPS contract, said Patricia Campos-Medina, executive director of the Worker Institute at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University, which released a report this year that found the number of labor strikes rose 52% in 2022.
“The whole idea that consumer convenience is above everything broke down during the pandemic. We started to think, ‘I’m at home ordering, but there is actually a worker who has to go the grocery store, who has to cook this for me so that I can be comfortable,’” Campos-Medina said.
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Associated Press video journalist Leslie Ambriz contributed from Los Angeles. | https://www.wjhl.com/entertainment/ap-entertainment/ap-consumer-demand-for-speed-and-convenience-drives-labor-unrest-among-workers-in-hollywood-and-at-ups/ | 2023-07-30T20:39:58 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/entertainment/ap-entertainment/ap-consumer-demand-for-speed-and-convenience-drives-labor-unrest-among-workers-in-hollywood-and-at-ups/ |
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – Aaron Rodgers is sticking by his offensive coordinator and firing his hardest throw of the summer at Sean Payton.
The Jets quarterback was bothered by critical comments Payton, the Denver Broncos' head coach, recently made about offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. Payton told USA Today for a story published Thursday that Hackett's 15-game stint with the Broncos last season ”was one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL.″
Payton also said there were “20 dirty hands” around Russell Wilson’s career-worst season, and took some shots at the Jets — Hackett's new team where he and Rodgers are reunited after enjoying success together in Green Bay.
“It made me feel bad that someone who has accomplished a lot in the league is that insecure that they have to take another man down to set themselves up for some sort of easy fall if it doesn’t go well for that team this year,” Rodgers told NFL Network on Sunday. “I think it was way out of line, inappropriate, and I think he needs to keep my coaches’ names out of his mouth.”
Rodgers, acquired by New York in April from Green Bay, said Hackett is “arguably my favorite coach I’ve ever had in the NFL.” The pair was together for two of Rodgers' four NFL MVP awards in 2020 and 2021 with the Packers.
During the interview with USA Today's Jarrett Bell, Payton also criticized the Jets being the latest NFL team “trying to win the offseason” — something he said the Broncos under Hackett tried to do and were “embarrassed.”
Jets coach Robert Saleh said Thursday “Hackett’s doing a phenomenal job here” when asked about Payton's comments. He also said the Jets are just focused on themselves, but recognizes “there’s a lot of people that are hatin’ on us and a lot of people looking for us to fail.”
Payton on Friday said he regretted his comments in which he disparaged Hackett, and said he would reach out to Hackett and Saleh “at the right time” to do so.
“Listen, I had one of those moments where I still had my Fox hat on and not my coaching hat,” said Payton, who’s returning to the sideline this season after a year’s sabbatical during which he worked as a studio football analyst for Fox Sports following a 15-year stint with the New Orleans Saints.
Rodgers told NFL Network he thought Payton's initial comments "were very surprising, for a coach to do that to another coach."
Meanwhile, the back-and-forth made the Jets' matchup in Denver in Week 5 on Oct. 8 a bit juicier. Payton acknowledged Friday his comments “certainly will bring more interest to the game when we play them, but that seems like years from now.”
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AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Stapleton in Englewood, Colorado, contributed.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://www.wsls.com/sports/2023/07/30/jets-aaron-rodgers-defends-nathaniel-hackett-and-fires-back-at-the-broncos-sean-payton/ | 2023-07-30T20:40:02 | 0 | https://www.wsls.com/sports/2023/07/30/jets-aaron-rodgers-defends-nathaniel-hackett-and-fires-back-at-the-broncos-sean-payton/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — A week later, the “Barbenheimer” boom has not abated.
Seven days after Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” conspired to set box office records, the two films held unusually strongly in theaters. “Barbie” took in a massive $93 million in its second weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. “Oppenheimer” stayed in second with a robust $46.2 million. Sales for the two movies dipped 43% and 44%, respectably — well shy of the usual week-two drops.
“Barbenheimer” has proven to be not a one-weekend phenomenon but an ongoing box-office bonanza. The two movies combined have already surpassed $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales. Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for data firm Comscore, call it “a touchstone moment for movies, moviegoers and movie theaters.”
“Having two movies from rival studios linked in this way and both boosting each other’s fortunes — both box-office wise and it terms of their profile — I don’t know if there’s a comp for this in the annals of box-office history,” said Dergarabedian. “There’s really no comparison for this.”
Following its year-best $162 million opening, the pink-infused pop sensation of “Barbie” saw remarkably sustained business through the week and into the weekend. The film outpaced Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” to have the best first 11 days in theaters of any Warner Bros. release ever.
“Barbie” has rapidly accumulated $351.4 million in U.S. and Canadian theaters, a rate that will soon make it the biggest box-office hit of the summer. Every day it’s played, “Barbie” has made at least $20 million.
And the “Barbie” effect isn’t just in North America. The film made $122.2 million internationally over the weekend. Its global tally has reached $775 million. It’s the kind of business that astounds even veteran studio executives.
“That’s a crazy number,” said Jeff Goldstein, distribution chief for Warner Bros. “There’s just a built-in audience that wants to be part of the zeitgeist of the moment. Wherever you go, people are wearing pink. Pink is taking over the world.”
Amid the frenzy, “Barbie” is already attracting a lot of repeat moviegoers. Goldstein estimates that 12% of sales are people going back with friends or family to see it again.
For a movie industry that has been trying to regain its pre-pandemic footing — and that now finds itself largely shuttered due to actors and screenwriters strikes — the sensations of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” have showed what’s possible when everything lines up just right.
“Post-pandemic, there’s no ceiling and there’s no floor,” Goldstein said. “The movies that miss really miss big time, and the movies that work really work big time.”
Universal Pictures’ “Oppenheimer,” meanwhile, is performing more like a superhero movie than a three-hour film about scientists talking.
Nolan’s drama starring Cillian Murphy as atomic bomb physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer has accrued $174.1 million domestically thus far. With an additional $72.4 million in international cinemas, “Oppenheimer” has already surpassed $400 million globally.
Showings in IMAX have typically been sold out. “Oppenheimer” has made $80 million worldwide on IMAX. The large-format exhibitor said Sunday that it will extend the film’s run through Aug. 13.
The week’s top new release, Walt Disney Co.’s “Haunted Mansion,” an adaptation of the Disney theme park attraction, was easily overshadowed by the “Barbenheimer” blitz. The film, which cost about $150 million, debuted with $24 million domestically and $9 million in overseas sales. “Haunted Mansion,” directed by Justin Simien (“Dear White People,” “Bad Hair”) and starring an ensemble of LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito and Rosario Dawson, struggled to overcome mediocre reviews.
“Talk to Me,” the A24 supernatural horror film, fared better. It debuted with $10 million. The film, directed by Australian filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou and starring Sophie Wilde, was a midnight premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January and received terrific reviews from critics (95% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes). It was made for a modest $4.5 million.
While theaters being flush with moviegoers has been a huge boon to the film industry, it’s been tougher sledding for Tom Cruise, the so-called savior of the movies last summer with “Top Gun: Maverick.” “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part I,” which debuted the week before the arrival of “Barbenheimer,” grossed $10.7 million in its third weekend. The film starring Cruise and directed by Christopher McQuarrie, has grossed $139.2 million domestically and $309.3 million oveseas.
Instead, the sleeper hit “Sound of Freedom” has been the best performing non-“Barbenheimer” release in theaters. The Angel Studios’ release, which is counting crowdfunding pay-it-forward sales in its box office totals, made $12.4 million in its fourth weekend, bringing its haul thus far to nearly $150 million.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. “Barbie,” $93 million.
2. “Opppenheimer,” $46.2 million.
3. “Haunted Mansion,” $24.2 million.
4. “Sound of Freedom,” $12.4 million.
5. “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One,” $10.7 million.
6. “Talk to Me,” $10 million.
7. “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” $4 million.
8. “Elemental,” $3.4 million.
9. “Insidious: The Red Door,” $3.2 million.
10. “Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani,” $1.6 million.
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Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP | https://www.wjhl.com/entertainment/ap-entertainment/ap-the-barbie-bonanza-continues-at-the-box-office-oppenheimer-holds-the-no-2-spot/ | 2023-07-30T20:40:04 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/entertainment/ap-entertainment/ap-the-barbie-bonanza-continues-at-the-box-office-oppenheimer-holds-the-no-2-spot/ |
HOUSTON – Quarterback C.J. Stroud, taken second overall in this year’s draft, isn’t worried that the Panthers picked No. 1 selection Bryce Young as their starter on Day 1 of training camp while the Houston Texans are making him compete for the job.
“I’m happy for him, but his situation is his situation, and my situation is mine,” Stroud said Sunday. “So, I know that I’ve got to work on my end and do whatever I’ve got to do to make this team better. It’s not about the starter (or) who’s not the starter, it’s about getting better for Week 1 against Baltimore.”
Stroud is vying with Davis Mills to be the team’s quarterback. The Texans have split first-team snaps between the two in the first few days of camp.
Houston drafted Stroud after Mills struggled as the team’s starter for the past two years after Deshaun Watson sat out following a trade request before being shipped to Cleveland before last season.
Mills went 5-22-1 in 28 games, including 26 starts, as the Texans were among the NFL’s worst teams.
Stroud is just the third quarterback the Texans have drafted in the first round, joining Watson, taken 12th in 2017 and David Carr, the team’s first draft pick who was taken first overall in 2002.
After using such a high pick on Stroud it’s hard to imagine that he won’t end up as the team’s starter. But for now, new coach DeMeco Ryans is adamant that it’s an open competition between the former Ohio State star and Mills.
While Ryans won’t answer questions about what Stroud will have to do to win the job, he’s had plenty to say about the dedication the 21-year-old has shown since joining the team.
“What you see about C.J. is the work and preparation that he does when he’s not here,” Ryans said. “He’s a true football junkie. He loves football, always watching football, always asking for extra cut-ups from our coaches. I’m so impressed with the mental part of him and just how much he loves the game of football. When a guy has that much love for the game of football, he’s (only) going to continue to get better.”
Stroud was a two-year starter for Ohio State, where he threw for 8,123 yards with 85 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions as the Buckeyes went 21-4. His 85 touchdowns over two seasons broke a Big Ten record held by Drew Brees.
Despite competing with Mills for the job, the rookie said that he and fellow quarterback Case Keenum have both helped him a lot as he’s made the jump from college to the pros.
“I’ve learned everything from Davis,” Stroud said. “Davis and Case are great vets. And just because we may be competing against each other, doesn’t mean that we’re not going to learn from each other. I’ve had a really great time being in the room with those guys.”
Stroud certainly knows what’s at stake for him in this camp, but he’s trying not to let the competition change how he approaches his job day to day.
“I feel like when you try to have a different mindset you confuse yourself,” he said. “So, for me, I just try to keep my head down and I work — just try to work harder and harder every day. Just trying to … be the best person I can be on and off the field.”
As Stroud prepares for his first NFL season, he certainly has plenty of goals. However, his approach to goals has never been to list only lofty, far down the road ones.
“I have goals written down,” he said. “I did it in college and I’ll do it now. But I have a lot of things that I put down, like really small goals. I think the more you can accomplish small goals in your life, the big ones can come kind of natural. And they come as you get the small ones checked off.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://www.wsls.com/sports/2023/07/30/no-2-pick-stroud-competes-with-mills-for-starting-qb-job-with-houston-texans/ | 2023-07-30T20:40:08 | 0 | https://www.wsls.com/sports/2023/07/30/no-2-pick-stroud-competes-with-mills-for-starting-qb-job-with-houston-texans/ |
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://www.wjhl.com/health/ap-health/ap-anchorage-homeless-face-cold-and-bears-a-plan-to-offer-one-way-airfare-out-reveals-a-bigger-crisis/ | 2023-07-30T20:40:12 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/health/ap-health/ap-anchorage-homeless-face-cold-and-bears-a-plan-to-offer-one-way-airfare-out-reveals-a-bigger-crisis/ |
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story can be found on South Dakota Searchlight's website. South Dakota Searchlight provides free news and commentary on critical issues facing the state.
One inmate at Mike Durfee State Prison in Springfield was seen for heat exhaustion this week as temperatures and heat indices pushed near triple digits in much of South Dakota.
Most of the inmate housing and work areas within state Department of Corrections facilities are air conditioned, but the former college dorm rooms used as cells at the medium security Durfee facility, and cells in the oldest parts of the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls, are not.
Inmate health in the face of extreme heat is a perennial problem that’s grown more acute as global temperatures continue to rise as a result of climate change. A joint statement from the U.N. World Meteorological Organization and the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service noted on Thursday that this July will likely be the hottest month in recorded U.S. history. This week, South Dakotans began to feel the impact of the heat wave that’s gripped much of the U.S. for nearly a month in some areas, with high humidity pushing “real feel” temperatures into the triple digits for much of the state.
Lawsuits in multiple states, including South Dakota , have alleged that a lack of air conditioning in prisons amounts to cruel and unusual punishment when the mercury reaches extreme heat levels.
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In Texas, lawmakers in the state House of Representatives voted to budget for air conditioning , but the Senate has yet to allocate funds to address the issue, which the Texas Tribune reports has led to inmate deaths and millions of dollars in lawsuit payouts in wrongful death cases.
In a written response to South Dakota Searchlight questions about high-heat protocols, DOC spokesman Michael Winder said that Gov. Kristi Noem successfully pushed to install air conditioning in the Durfee barracks in 2022. The barracks resembles a large gym filled with bunk beds and serves as a living quarters for lower-security inmates on the Durfee campus.
Classrooms in Springfield have window air conditioners, Winder said.
The three units converted from former University of South Dakota-Springfield dormitories in the 1980s lack air conditioning, unless an inmate has a medically documented need for protection from heat. In those cases, the inmate’s cell will have a window AC unit, Winder said. The other dorm cells have wall fans. Large stand-up fans are placed in hallways to assist with air circulation, and “offenders are able to move through other areas of the facility where there is AC.”
Inmates in those three units have access to ice to stay cool, as well, he said.
The inmate who sought medical attention for heat exhaustion this week in Springfield had been taking part in outdoor recreation, Winder said, and was treated on site.
Outdoor recreation is restricted across all facilities when heat indices reach 105 degrees, Winder said, and Mike Durfee staff “is exploring options with the Office of the State Engineer for the housing units without AC.”
The DOC’s newer facilities have air conditioning, he said. Those include the Jameson Annex, used for maximum security inmates and those in segregated housing for behavioral issues or mental health reasons, as well as the women’s prison and work release centers in Sioux Falls, Rapid City and Yankton.
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Like the Durfee dorm cells, the multi-story, 140-year-old quartzite building known as “The Hill” at the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls lacks air conditioning. Unlike modern prison facilities, the former Dakota Territory prison has a linear design, with rows of cells stretching up and out from the building’s center.
Lawmakers voted last winter to allocate $400 million for new prisons in the state, with a goal of building a facility to replace The Hill in or near Sioux Falls with space for up to 1,500 inmates. The money would also be used for a new women’s unit in Rapid City, but the largest share is earmarked for the new men’s prison.
The DOC issued a “ request for information ” on viable sites for the new men’s prison in May. The document notes that the preferred location would be “within 20 miles of Sioux Falls.” The DOC has yet to select a site.
Overcrowding, inmate and staff safety, and future growth projections were the primary selling points for the prison cash during the 2023 legislative session, but Winder said air conditioning and its ties to inmate health and safety are also a consideration.
“Tackling this challenge is one of the benefits that will come from building a modern new men’s prison,” he said. | https://www.mitchellrepublic.com/news/south-dakota/state-official-says-new-mens-prison-will-alleviate-health-risks-during-heat-events | 2023-07-30T20:40:13 | 1 | https://www.mitchellrepublic.com/news/south-dakota/state-official-says-new-mens-prison-will-alleviate-health-risks-during-heat-events |
The 50th Installment of RAGBRAI officially concludes with bicycle tires dipped in the Mississippi River
DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWQC) - After 7 long days, a 500 mile bicycle ride, the 50th anniversary of RAGBRAI concludes with bicycle tires being dipped in the Mississippi River.
Riders from across America made their way to Iowa for this very special occasion. To start their journey, the riders dipped their back tire in the Missouri River and took off heading east to Davenport and the Mississippi River.
Though this is the 50th anniversary of RAGBRAI, it was the first time for several riders.
“I just think this is really great way to see Iowa,” said AJ Gagaza, from Herriman, Utah. “Really great way to see just the really nice people of Iowa. It’s a beautiful state and it’s a beautiful way to see part of the country, so I highly recommend it.”
According to the Des Moines Register, there were 20,000 registered riders, with an additional 9,000 one-day pass riders. The grueling state-wide bicycle ride started last Sunday and took off out of Sioux City.
During the excursion, the riders were tested as they battled extreme heat and severe weather.
“It was good, as there were several tough days with the weather that we faced,” said Eric Godwin from Red Oak, Iowa. “It’s a good time though. I would say the toughest part is lack of sleep you get from the weather, and the camping. It’s a really good test to see what you can do. I enjoyed every minute of it.”
Riders concluded the race in Davenport, where they were greeted by hundreds of people cheering them on for their incredible achievement. For most riders, they were riding alongside someone they knew.
“It means a lot,” added Gagaza. “Being able to do it with my wife, my sister-in-law and her husband, just making it a family thing really, really helped bring us along.”
Riders crossed the finished line and made their way down the boat ramp at Veterans Memorial Park. There, they dipped their back tire in the Mississippi River, lifting their bikes above their head in triumph, officially concluding their state-wide journey.
Next year’s RAGBRAI is scheduled for July 20, 2024.
Copyright 2023 KWQC. All rights reserved. | https://www.kttc.com/2023/07/29/50th-installment-ragbrai-officially-concludes-with-bicycle-tires-dipped-mississippi-river/ | 2023-07-30T20:40:13 | 0 | https://www.kttc.com/2023/07/29/50th-installment-ragbrai-officially-concludes-with-bicycle-tires-dipped-mississippi-river/ |
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Several thousand people briefly took to the streets across the Gaza Strip on Sunday to protest chronic power outages and difficult living conditions, providing a rare public show of discontent with the territory’s Hamas government. Hamas security forces quickly dispersed the gatherings.
Marches took place in Gaza City, the southern town of Khan Younis and other locations, chanting “what a shame” and in one place burning Hamas flags, before police moved in and broke up the protests.
Police destroyed mobile phones of people who were filming in Khan Younis, and witnesses said there were several arrests. Dozens of young supporters and opponents of Hamas briefly faced off, throwing stones at one another.
The demonstrations were organized by a grassroots online movement called “alvirus alsakher,” or “the mocking virus.” It was not immediately known who is behind the movement.
Hamas rules Gaza with an iron fist, barring most demonstrations and quickly stamping out public displays of dissent.
The Islamic militant group seized control of Gaza in 2007 from the forces of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, prompting Israel and Egypt to impose a crippling blockade on the territory. Israel says the closure is needed to prevent Hamas, which does not recognize Israel’s right to exist, from building up its military capabilities.
The closure has devastated Gaza’s economy, sent unemployment skyrocketing and led to frequent power outages. During the current heat wave, people have been receiving four to six hours of power a day due to heavy demand.
“Where is the electricity and where is the gas?” the crowds shouted in Khan Younis. “What a shame. What a shame.”
Protesters also criticized Hamas for deducting a roughly $15 fee from monthly $100 stipends given to Gaza’s poorest families by the wealthy Gulf state of Qatar.
There was no immediate comment from the Hamas authorities. | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/world/thousands-take-to-streets-in-gaza-in-rare-public-display-of-discontent-with-hamas/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_world | 2023-07-30T20:40:14 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/world/thousands-take-to-streets-in-gaza-in-rare-public-display-of-discontent-with-hamas/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_world |
BEIRUT (AP) — Fighting raged Sunday in Lebanon’s largest Palestinian refugee camp near the southern port city of Sidon, killing at least five people and wounding seven, Palestinian officials said.
UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, put the death toll at six, and Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said two children were among those wounded.
The Palestinian officials, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said the fighting broke out after an unknown gunman tried to kill Islamist militant Mahmoud Khalil, killing a companion of his instead.
Later, Islamist militants shot and killed a Palestinian military general from the Fatah group and three escorts as they were walking through a parking lot, another Palestinian official told AP.
Ein el-Hilweh is notorious for its lawlessness and violence is not uncommon. The U.N. says about 55,000 people live in the camp, which was established in 1948 to house Palestinians displaced by Israeli forces during the establishment of Israel.
On Sunday, factions blazed away with assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers and lobbed hand grenades in the camp as ambulances zoomed through its narrow streets to take the wounded to the hospital.
The fighting stopped for several hours in the morning, though state media said there was still sporadic sniper fire, but fighting erupted again after the killing of the Palestinian general and his escorts.
Some residents in Sidon neighborhoods near the camp fled their homes as stray bullets hit buildings and shattered windows and storefronts. The public Sidon General Hospital evacuated its staff and patients.
The Lebanese army said in a statement that a mortar shell hit a military barracks outside the camp and wounded one soldier, whose condition is stable. Military commandos deployed near the camp’s entrances as clashes continued into the night.
UNRWA said two of its schools that serve some 2,000 students were damaged in the fighting. It said it suspended all its operations in Ein el-Hilweh.
Fatah in a statement condemned the killing of its security official, saying the attack was part of a “bloody scheme that targets the security and stability of our camps.” It vowed to hold the “perpetrators accountable.”
In Ramallah, the office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas issued a statement decrying violence in a camp for Palestinian refugees.
“No one is allowed to intimidate our people and tamper with their security,” it said. “We support what the Lebanese government is doing to impose law and order, and we affirm our commitment to Lebanon’s sovereignty, including the Palestinian refugee camps, and maintaining security and the rule of law.”
Late in the day, the factions said in a joint statement that they had agreed to a ceasefire during a mediation meeting hosted by the Lebanese Shiite Amal movement and militant Hezbollah group in Sidon. But local media said fighting continued. A spokesperson from the Palestinian militant group Hamas told AP that the groups were working to implement the truce.
Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, condemned the clashes. “We call on the Palestinian leadership to cooperate with the army to control the security situation and hand over those meddling with security to the Lebanese authorities,” Mikati said in his statement.
Palestinian factions in the camp for years have 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.
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Associated Press writer Abby Sewell in Beirut contributed to this report. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/international/ap-1-killed-6-wounded-in-overnight-clashes-in-crowded-palestinian-refugee-camp-in-lebanon/ | 2023-07-30T20:40:19 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/international/ap-1-killed-6-wounded-in-overnight-clashes-in-crowded-palestinian-refugee-camp-in-lebanon/ |
Four people in their 20s died Saturday after the ATV they were in rolled over and burst into flames near the town of Liberty, the Kittitas County Sheriff’s office said.
At around 4 p.m. Saturday, deputies responded to a 911 report of the Polaris Razor side-by-side ATV rolling over and catching fire on a dirt road in the Wenatchee-Okanogan National Forest west of Liberty.
Fire and medic units arrived within minutes to treat survivors and stop the fire from spreading, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
Killed in the accident were Conner Jenkins, 24, of Orting, Pierce County, the owner of the ATV, as well as Jenkins’ friend, Benjamin Gomez Santana, 23, of Covington. Also killed were a couple they met that day, 26-year-old Devon Anonson, of Kent, and 24-year-old Halle Cole, of Maple Valley.
Gomez Santana and Cole died at the scene. Helicopters transported Jenkins and Anonson to Harborview Medical Center’s burn unit in critical condition, but neither survived the night, according to the sheriff’s office.
Polaris has recalled some models of its RZR ATVs after repeated reports of fire hazards, according to media reports and the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The open field where the rollover occurred is a popular recreational spot for campers and ATVs. The cause of the accident and fire are under investigation. | https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/4-dead-in-atv-rollover-in-kittitas-county/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_seattle-news | 2023-07-30T20:40:21 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/4-dead-in-atv-rollover-in-kittitas-county/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_seattle-news |
MITCHELL — The 32 teams in the Class B state amateur baseball tournament learned their matchups and paths to a state title on Sunday afternoon, as the bracket was announced for the 12-day tournament at Cadwell Park.
In the leadoff games on Wednesday, Lennox Only One will face Milbank at 5:30 p.m., followed by Flandreau and Lake Norden at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday’s foursome of games starts with Akron, Iowa, and Tabor at 11 a.m., followed by Lennox/Chancellor/Worthing and defending state champions Dell Rapids Mudcats at 1 p.m. A pair matchups between Pony Hills League and Sunshine League teams will fill the field on Thursday night, with Plankinton and Winner/Colome at 5:30 p.m., and Mount Vernon against Four Corners at 7:30 p.m.
Friday’s action opens with Platte and Lesterville at 11 a.m., followed by Menno and Northville at 1 p.m. The night session includes Canova and Elkton at 5:30 p.m., and Clark and Alexandria meeting at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday’s games start with Wessington Springs and Larchwood at 11 a.m., and the Hartford/Humboldt Gamecocks and Crofton at 1 p.m. Saturday night’s games at Cadwell Park include Dimock/Emery and Miller/Wessington at 5:30 p.m., and Kimball/White Lake and Elk Point meeting at 7:30 p.m.
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The Parkston Mudcats will play Dell Rapids PBR at 11 a.m. Sunday morning to help close the first round, with Madison and Volga set to be the last first-round game at 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon.
The second round will take place nightly from Sunday, Aug. 6 to Wednesday, Aug. 9, with the quarterfinal round being played Thursday, Aug. 10 and Friday, Aug. 11. The Class B semifinals will take place Saturday, Aug. 12, with the championship game tentatively scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 13.
The drawings were made by South Dakota Amateur Baseball Association commissioners on Sunday in Mitchell. The draw includes placing the seven district champions in the bracket first and positioning them so those teams cannot play each other until the quarterfinals, and positioning the second-place finishers in those districts on the opposite half of the bracket via random draw.
Once those principles are followed, the remaining teams are drawn to fill out the remainder of the field with the only rule being that teams from the same league cannot play each other in the first round.
The Class B tournament is taking place in Mitchell for the ninth time in the past 10 years and is set to be held at Cadwell Park again in 2024.
The Class A portion of the tournament will get underway on Aug. 4 in Yankton and the second weekend of play involving the last six teams remaining — Aug. 11-12-13 — will be played at Drake Field and Cadwell Park, with the championship set for noon on Aug. 14 in Mitchell. The Class A tournament is double-elimination until the championship round, where it is winner-take-all.
Those first-round Class A matchups include the Sioux Falls Brewers against Yankton and Black Hills A’s against the Sioux Falls Flying Squirrels on Friday, Aug. 4, followed by Brookings taking on the Rapid City Diamondbacks and Aberdeen Monarchs against Renner Monarchs on Saturday, Aug. 5.
Class B state amateur tournament
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Aug. 2-13 at Cadwell Park
First round
Wednesday, Aug. 2
G1: Lennox Only One vs. Milbank, 5:30 p.m.
G2: Flandreau vs. Lake Norden, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 3
G3: Akron, Iowa vs. Tabor, 11 a.m.
G4: Lennox/Chancellor/Worthing vs. Dell Rapids Mudcats, 1 p.m.
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G5: Plankinton vs. Winner/Colome, 5:30 p.m.
G6: Mount Vernon vs. Four Corners, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 4
G7: Platte vs. Lesterville, 11 a.m.
G8: Menno vs. Northville, 1 p.m.
G9: Canova vs. Elkton, 5:30 p.m.
G10: Clark vs. Alexandria, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 5
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G11: Wessington Springs vs. Larchwood, 11 a.m.
G12: Hartford/Humboldt Gamecocks vs. Crofton, 1 p.m.
G13: Dimock/Emery vs. Miller/Wessington, 5:30 p.m.
G14: Kimball/White Lake vs. Elk Point, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 6
G15: Parkston Mudcats vs. Dell Rapids PBR, 11 a.m.
G16: Madison vs. Volga, 1 p.m.
Second round
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Sunday, Aug. 6
G17: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 5:30 p.m.
G18: G3 winner vs. G4 winner, 7:30 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 7
G19: G5 winner vs. G6 winner, 5:30 p.m.
G20: G7 winner vs. G8 winner, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 8
G21: G9 winner vs. G10 winner, 5:30 p.m.
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G22: G11 winner vs. G12 winner, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 9
G23: G13 winner vs. G14 winner, 5:30 p.m.
G24: G15 winner vs. G16 winner, 7:30 p.m.
Quarterfinals
Thursday, Aug. 10
G25: G17 winner vs. G18 winner, 5:30 p.m.
G26: G19 winner vs. G20 winner, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 11
G27: G21 winner vs. G22 winner, 5:30 p.m.
G28: G23 winner vs. G24 winner, 7:30 p.m.
Semifinals
Saturday, Aug. 12
G29: G25 winner vs. G26 winner, time TBD.
G30: G27 winner vs. G28 winner, 7:30 p.m.
Championship
Sunday, Aug. 13
G31: Semifinal winners, 2 p.m. | https://www.mitchellrepublic.com/sports/2023-class-b-state-amateur-baseball-tournament-bracket-set-with-games-to-begin-wednesday | 2023-07-30T20:40:23 | 0 | https://www.mitchellrepublic.com/sports/2023-class-b-state-amateur-baseball-tournament-bracket-set-with-games-to-begin-wednesday |
MOSCOW (AP) — Ten people — including three children — 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 inside the Mariy Chodra National Park, regional leader Yuri Zaitsev wrote on social media. He said that three children were among the dead. Russia’s investigative committee has opened a criminal case to determine whether unsafe or sub-standard services provided by the park’s management company contributed to the deaths.
Across the wider Volga Federal District, 76 people were injured in the storm, with thousands of households losing power, emergency services said. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/international/ap-9-die-including-3-children-as-strong-winds-hit-tourist-camp-in-central-russia-officials-say/ | 2023-07-30T20:40:26 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/international/ap-9-die-including-3-children-as-strong-winds-hit-tourist-camp-in-central-russia-officials-say/ |
KHAR, Pakistan (AP) — A suicide bomber blew himself up at a political rally in a former stronghold of militants in northwest Pakistan bordering Afghanistan on Sunday, killing at least 44 people and wounding nearly 200 in an attack that a senior leader said was meant to weaken Pakistani Islamists.
The Bajur district near the Afghan border was a stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban — a close ally of Afghanistan’s Taliban government — before the Pakistani army drove the militants out of the area. Supporters of hardline Pakistani cleric and political party leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman, whose Jamiat Ulema Islam generally supports regional Islamists, were meeting in Bajur in a hall close to a market outside the district capital. Party officials said Rehman was not at the rally but organizers added tents because so many supporters showed up, and party volunteers with batons were helping control the crowd.
Officials were announcing the arrival of Abdul Rasheed, a leader of the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, when the bomb went off in one of Pakistan’s bloodiest attacks in recent years.
Provincial police said in a statement that the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber who detonated his explosives vest close to the stage where several senior leaders of the party were sitting. It said initial investigations suggested the Islamic State group — which operates in Afghanistan and is an enemy of the Afghan Taliban — could be behind the attack, and officers were still investigating.
“There was dust and smoke around, and I was under some injured people from where I could hardly stand up, only to see chaos and some scattered limbs,” said Adam Khan, 45, who was knocked to the ground by the blast around 4 p.m. and hit by splinters in his leg and both hands.
The Pakistan Taliban, or TTP, said in a statement sent to The Associated Press that the bombing was aimed at setting Islamists against each other. Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Afghan Taliban, said on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that “such crimes cannot be justified in any way.”
The Afghan Taliban’s seizure of power in Afghanistan in mid-August 2021 emboldened the TTP. They unilaterally ended a cease-fire agreement with the Pakistani government in November, and have stepped up attacks across the country.
The bombing came hours before the arrival of Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Islamabad, where he was to participate in an event to mark a decade of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, or CPEC, a sprawling package under which Beijing has invested billions of dollars in Pakistan.
In recent months, China has helped Pakistan avoid a default on sovereign payments. However, some Chinese nationals have also been targeted by militants in northwestern Pakistan and elsewhere.
Feroz Jamal, the provincial information minister, told The Associated Press that so far 44 people had been “martyred” and nearly 200 wounded in the bombing.
The bombing was one of the four worst attacks in the northwest since 2014, when 147 people, mostly schoolchildren, were killed in a Taliban attack on an army-run school in Peshawar. In January, 74 people were killed in a bombing at a mosque in Peshawar. n February, more than 100 people, mostly policemen, died in a bombing at a mosque inside a high-security compound housing Peshawar police headquarters.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Arif Alvi condemned the attack and asked officials to provide all possible assistance to the wounded and the bereaved families. Sharif later, in a phone call to Rehman, the head of the JUI, conveyed his condolences to him and assured him that those who orchestrated the attack would be punished.
The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad also condemned the attack. In a post on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, it expressed its condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims killed in the attack..
Maulana Ziaullah, the local chief of Rehman’s party, was among the dead. JUI leaders Rasheed and former lawmaker Maulana Jamaluddin were also on the stage but escaped unhurt.
Rasheed, the regional chief of the party, said the attack was an attempt to remove JUI from the field before parliamentary elections in November, but he said such tactics would not work. The bombing drew nationwide condemnation, with the ruling and opposition parties extending condolences to the families of those who died in the attack.
Rehman is considered to be a pro-Taliban cleric and his political party is part of the coalition government in Islamabad. Meetings are being organized across the country to mobilize supporters for the upcoming elections.
“Many of our fellows lost their lives and many more wounded in this incident. I will ask the federal and provincial administrations to fully investigate this incident and provide due compensation and medical facilities to the affected ones,” Rasheed said.
Mohammad Wali, another attendant at the rally, said he was listening to a speaker address the crowd when the huge explosion temporarily deafened him.
“I was near the water dispenser to fetch a glass of water when the bomb exploded, throwing me to the ground,” he said. “We came to the meeting with enthusiasm but ended up at the hospital seeing crying, wounded people and sobbing relatives taking the bodies of their loved ones.”
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Riaz Khan reported from Peshawar. Associated Press writer Munir Ahmad contributed from Islamabad. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/international/ap-a-bomb-at-a-political-rally-in-northwest-pakistan-kills-10-people-and-wounds-more-than-50/ | 2023-07-30T20:40:34 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/international/ap-a-bomb-at-a-political-rally-in-northwest-pakistan-kills-10-people-and-wounds-more-than-50/ |
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Officials who work for the Democratic governor in Kansas are challenging a court ruling that has temporarily halted the state from allowing transgender people to change the gender on their driver’s licenses.
The state Department of Revenue says Attorney General Kris Kobach, a Republican, didn’t have legal authority to file a lawsuit that led to a district judge temporarily stopping transgender people from changing their licenses, at least until Nov. 1. The latest court response by Democrats was dated Friday.
Kobach argues that allowing people to change their gender identity on state IDs — which the state labels as their “sex” — violates a Kansas law that took effect July 1 and rolled back transgender rights. He sued after Gov. Laura Kelly said the changes would continue despite that new law. Kansas for now is among only a few states that don’t allow any such changes, along with Montana, Oklahoma and Tennessee.
The state Department of Revenue oversees driver’s license issues in Kansas through its Division of Vehicles. The department argued in court papers filed Friday that the attorney general needed authorization from the governor, the Legislature or the local district attorney to file a case in state district court. Kobach contends that past court precedents and legal traditions allowed him to sue.
The case is being argued in Shawnee County, home to the state capital of Topeka.
“This is a most serious misrepresentation and without more, requires the immediate dismissal of this case,” attorneys for the Revenue Department argued in their most recent filing.
The attorney general’s office did not immediately respond to text and email requests Sunday seeking a response.
District Judge Teresa Watson initially sided with Kobach when she scheduled a Nov. 1 hearing on whether to block changes in driver’s licenses past that date. She also has an Aug. 16 hearing on a request from five transgender Kansas residents to intervene in the case, something Kobach opposes.
The new law rolling back transgender rights defines male and female based on a person’s “reproductive system” at birth, preventing legal recognition of a change in gender identity, and applying the rule in “any” other law or regulation. The Republican-controlled Legislature overrode Kelly’s veto of the measure.
The Department of Revenue initially argued unsuccessfully that it still must follow older and more specific laws regarding driver’s licenses that conflict with the new law.
It’s new arguments also are technical. They rely on a strict reading of the law setting out the attorney general’s power and other laws detailing when agency actions can be reviewed by district courts.
The transgender people seeking to intervene in the lawsuit argue that the anti-trans rights law violates civil liberties protected by the Kansas Constitution, including a right to bodily autonomy.
Kobach also is trying to stop the state from changing transgender people’s Kansas birth certificates in a separate federal court case.
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Follow John Hanna on Twitter: https://twitter.com/apjdhanna | https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/kansas-transgender-people-find-democratic-allies-in-court-bid-to-restore-their-right-to-alter-ids/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_seattle-news | 2023-07-30T20:40:40 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/kansas-transgender-people-find-democratic-allies-in-court-bid-to-restore-their-right-to-alter-ids/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_seattle-news |
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — African leaders have left 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.”
African leaders also called clearly for peace.
“This war must end and it can only end on the basis of justice and reason,” said the head of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat. “The disturbances that it causes in the supply of energy and grain must cease immediately” for the benefit of all, especially Africans.
Putin 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.
But African nations need more concrete results from such meetings, the AU Commission head told the summit.
“The trade balance between Russia and Africa, very unbalanced in favor of the first party, must be improved,” Mahamat said. At the first Russia-Africa Summit in 2019, Putin vowed to double Russia’s trade with the continent within five years. Instead, it has stalled at around $18 billion a year.
In addition, “the strengthening of cooperation on peace and security and the fight against terrorism calls for more deeds and fewer declarations of intent,” Mahamat said, while he and other African leaders were rushing to respond to a coup in Niger that could upend the regional response to a growing threat from Islamic extremist groups.
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://www.wjhl.com/news/international/ap-african-leaders-leave-russia-summit-without-grain-deal-or-a-path-to-end-the-war-in-ukraine/ | 2023-07-30T20:40:41 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/international/ap-african-leaders-leave-russia-summit-without-grain-deal-or-a-path-to-end-the-war-in-ukraine/ |
BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) — The Central African Republic went to the polls Sunday in a highly anticipated vote on a new constitution, which would remove presidential term limits.
President Faustin Archange Touadera wants to extend presidential terms from five to seven years and remove the previous two-term limit, enabling him to run again in 2025.
The new constitution would replace the one adopted at Touadera’s inauguration in 2016, when the country was in a civil war and 80% of it was not under state control. If the new constitution is passed, it could entrench the ruling party’s power indefinitely, analysts say.
“This referendum basically confirms the fears of authoritarian drift (in CAR),” said Enrica Picco, Central Africa project director with the International Crisis Group. The new constitution would weaken checks on the executive by opposition parties, closing the space for Central Africans to participate in democratic decision-making, she said.
The proposed changes also would lift requirements that executive decisions be debated by the legislative and permit Central Africans with dual nationalities to vote.
The mineral-rich but impoverished nation has faced intercommunal fighting since 2013, when predominantly Muslim Seleka rebels seized power and forced then-President Francois Bozize from office. Mostly Christian militias later fought back, also targeting civilians in the streets. The United Nations, which has a peacekeeping mission in the country, estimates the fighting had killed thousands and displaced over a million people, one fifth of the country’s population.
When Touadera won re-election in 2020, barely a third of Central Africans made it to the polls, largely due to threats of violence by rebel groups. Touadera’s government has relied on support from UN peacekeepers, soldiers from neighboring Rwanda and Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group to keep rebels out of the capital Bangui.
“Now that there is peace … the time has come for us to take action,” said Fidel Gouandjika, a presidential advisor.
Opposition groups accuse the ruling party of making a draft of the new constitution publicly available too late for people to make informed decisions, less than three weeks before the referendum, said Picco.
Together with opposition parties they are calling on Central Africans to vote against the proposed constitution, or abstain from the referendum.
“Touadera wants to see himself as an emperor, and he wants to make our country what he wants, not what Central Africans want,” said former Prime Minister Nicolas Tiangaye. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/international/ap-constitutional-referendum-to-remove-presidential-term-limits-divides-central-african-republic/ | 2023-07-30T20:40:51 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/international/ap-constitutional-referendum-to-remove-presidential-term-limits-divides-central-african-republic/ |
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://www.wjhl.com/news/international/ap-frances-le-maire-presses-china-on-market-access-and-lobbies-for-electric-car-investment/ | 2023-07-30T20:40:57 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/international/ap-frances-le-maire-presses-china-on-market-access-and-lobbies-for-electric-car-investment/ |
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://www.wjhl.com/news/international/ap-guatemala-presidential-candidate-rushes-to-expand-base-beyond-urban-youth/ | 2023-07-30T20:41:11 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/international/ap-guatemala-presidential-candidate-rushes-to-expand-base-beyond-urban-youth/ |
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Salvage crews started towing a burning cargo ship loaded with thousands of cars to a temporary anchorage location off the northern Dutch coast on Sunday after smoke pouring from the stricken vessel eased, authorities said.
On Saturday night, the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management had said the Fremantle Highway was unlikely to be moved because of a southeasterly wind blowing smoke from the days-old fire over tugboats.
But that changed Sunday.
“The smoke from the cargo ship subsided considerably this afternoon and the salvage combination Multraship/Smit Salvage immediately made use of this,” the ministry said in a statement referring to two salvage companies involved in the operation.
The ship was being slowly towed by two tugs to a temporary anchor point about 16 kilometers (10 miles) north of the Dutch islands of Schiermonnikoog and Ameland.
Experts are continuously monitoring the ship’s stability and a specialized boat used to clean up oil is nearby in case there is a spill, the ministry added.
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 crews on Saturday attached a second towing cable to the ship, which was transporting 3,783 new vehicles, including 498 electric vehicles, from the German port of Bremerhaven to Singapore.
The ship has been burning since Tuesday. Firefighters decided not to douse the flames with water for fear of making the nearly 200-meter (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://www.wjhl.com/news/international/ap-high-winds-stall-efforts-to-tow-a-burning-cargo-ship-packed-with-cars-off-northern-dutch-coast/ | 2023-07-30T20:41:18 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/international/ap-high-winds-stall-efforts-to-tow-a-burning-cargo-ship-packed-with-cars-off-northern-dutch-coast/ |
CAIRO (AP) — Palestinian factions met Sunday in Egypt to discuss reconciliation efforts as violence in the occupied West Bank surged between Israel and Palestinian militants.
The main groups, Hamas and Fatah, have been split since 2007 and repeated reconciliation attempts having failed, so expectations for the one-day meeting were low.
Participants at the closed-door meeting gave no indication of what was discussed. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who initiated the session in the Egyptian city of el-Alamein on the Mediterranean Sea, said at its conclusion only that the meeting was a “first and significant step” in efforts to end the long-running division.
It came amid soaring violence in the West Bank, where Abbas and his Fatah group are based and exert limited self-rule. Israel has been staging near-nightly raids in Palestinian areas of the territory in what it says is an attempt to stamp out militancy, especially in areas where Abbas’ security forces have less of a foothold.
Those raids have led to some of the worst fighting in nearly two decades in the West Bank. Palestinians also say the Israeli raids undermine their own security forces and weaken their leadership.
The meeting in Egypt was chaired by Abbas, presenting the aging and longtime Palestinian leader with a chance to portray an image of control and statesmanship to both Palestinians and the international community at a time when he is deeply unpopular at home and his room for maneuver is constrained by the Israeli incursions.
The meeting was attended by other Palestinian leaders, including Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, the militant group that rules the Gaza Strip. Fatah and Hamas have been rivals since Hamas violently routed forces loyal to Abbas in Gaza in 2007, taking over the impoverished coastal enclave. Israel and Egypt have imposed a blockade on the territory.
For Hamas, joining the meeting was an opportunity to show Gazans that it is making an effort to mend the rift, even if nothing changes as a result.
Another key group playing a central role in the fighting with Israel, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, boycotted the gathering to protest the detentions by the Palestinian Authority of its members, said to the group’s leader, Ziyad al-Nakhala.
Egypt has for years acted as a mediator in trying to end the infighting between Palestinian factions. It also helped broker truces in multiple rounds of fighting between Israel and Hamas. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/international/ap-palestinian-factions-meet-in-egypt-to-try-to-reconcile-as-violence-surges-in-the-west-bank/ | 2023-07-30T20:41:26 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/international/ap-palestinian-factions-meet-in-egypt-to-try-to-reconcile-as-violence-surges-in-the-west-bank/ |
PAVLIVKA, Ukraine (AP) — The summer winds carried the smell of burned grain across the southern Ukrainian steppe and away from the shards of three Russian cruise missiles that struck the unassuming metal hangars.
The agricultural company Ivushka applied for accreditation to export grain this year, but the strike in mid-July destroyed a large portion of the stock, days after Russia abandoned the grain deal that would have allowed the shipments across the Black Sea without fear of attack.
Men shirtless and barefoot, with blackened soles from ash, swept unburnt grain into piles and awaited the loader, whose driver deftly steered around twisted metal shrapnel, bits of missile and craters despite his shattered windshield.
They hoped to beat the next rain to rescue what was left of the crop. According to the Odesa Regional Prosecutor’s Office, Russia struck the facility July 21 with three Kalibr- and Onyx-class cruise missiles.
“We don’t have a clue why they did it,” explained Olha Romanova, the head of Ivushka. Romanova, who worked in the debris alongside the others, wore a red headscarf and an exhausted expression and was too frazzled to even estimate her losses.
She cannot comprehend why the Russians targeted Ivushka, as there are no nearby military facilities and the frontlines are far from the village in the Odesa region.
“They spent so much money on us,” she said, puzzled. The missiles that ruined the silos are worth millions of dollars — far more than the crop they destroyed.
But Ivushka wasn’t the only target in Odesa. The main port also was struck, leaving Black Sea shipping companies that relied upon the grain deal to keep them safe and food supplies flowing to the world at a standstill.
The Black Sea handled about 95% of Ukrainian grain exports before Russia’s invasion and the U.N.-brokered initiative allowed Ukraine to ship much of what farmers harvested in 2021 and 2022, said Joseph Glauber, senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute.
Ukraine, a major supplier of corn, wheat, barley and vegetable oil, shipped 32.9 million metric tons (36.2 million U.S. tons) of grain under the nearly yearlong deal designed to ease a global food crisis. It has been able to export an additional 2 million to 2.5 million metric tons (2.2 to 2.7 million U.S. tons) monthly by the Danube River, road and rail through Europe.
Those are now the only routes to ship grain, but have stirred divisions among nearby European countries and generated higher costs to be absorbed by Ukrainian farmers, said Glauber, former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Russian missiles strikes against the Danube port last Monday also raised questions about how much longer that route will remain viable.
That’s a disincentive to keep planting fields already threatened by missiles and strewn with explosive mines. Corn and wheat production in agriculture-dependent Ukraine is down nearly 40% this year from prewar levels, analysts say.
From the first of July last year until June 30 this year, Ukraine exported 68 million tons of grain, according to data from Mykola Horbachov, the president of the Ukrainian Grain Association. Ukrainian farmers shipped 11.2 million tons via railways, 5.5 million tons by road transport and around 18 million tons through Danube ports. Additionally, nearly half of the total exported grain, 33 million tons, was delivered through seaports under the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
Ihor Osmachko, the general director of Agroprosperis Group, was unsurprised by Russia’s withdrawal from the deal leading to its collapse. His company had never considered it a reliable or permanent solution during wartime.
He said Russians frequently stymied the deal, even while it was functioning, by delaying ship inspections until the cargos were sent back, leading to $30 million in losses for his company alone. Now, they are once again forced to pay to reroute 100,000 tons of grain trapped in ports that are no longer safe, Osmachko said.
“We have been preparing for this whole time,” Osmachko said. “We haven’t stopped. We are moving forward.”
Osmachko estimated around 80% to 90% of the approximately 3.2 million tons of grain Agroprosperis exported to China, Europe and African countries during the past year went through the grain corridor.
“The most significant problem today is the cost of logistics,” explained Mykola Horbachov, president of the Ukrainian Grain Association. Before the war, farmers paid approximately $20 to $25 per ton to transport grain to the Odesa ports. Now, logistics costs have tripled as they are forced to pay more than $100 to transport a single ton via alternative routes through the Danube port to Constanta, Romania.
“If we were to go on the Danube with the grain corridor closed, practically all our production would be unprofitable,” Osmachko said.
The Danube ports can’t handle the same volume as seaports. The most Agroprosperis has sent through this route is 75,000 tons per month, compared with a monthly average of 250,000 tons through Black Sea ports.
The Ukrainian harvest this year is the lowest in a decade, according to a July report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Horbachov said shipping costs to export around the world and uncertainty about the length of the war will last could quickly make new planting unprofitable for Ukrainian farmers.
Ukraine currently produces three times more grain than it consumes, while global prices will inevitably rise if the country’s exports decrease.
“I think you’re looking at a diminished Ukraine for at least the next couple of years and maybe longer,” said Glauber, the former U.S. agricultural official. “That’s something the rest of the world just needs to make up.”
The war from all sides poses risks for Agroprosperis.
In the Sumy region on the Russian border, farmers harvest their crops wearing body armor. Sometimes they must stop their combines in the middle of the wheat fields to pick up shrapnel from Russian projectiles.
“It can get tough at times,” Osmachko acknowledged. “But there are responsibilities — some have duties on the front. Some must grow food and ensure the country’s and world’s security.”
___
Volodymyr Yurchuk in Lviv, Ukraine, and Courtney Bonnell in London contributed.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine | https://www.wjhl.com/news/international/ap-russian-missile-attacks-leave-few-options-for-ukrainian-farmers-looking-to-export-grain/ | 2023-07-30T20:41:32 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/international/ap-russian-missile-attacks-leave-few-options-for-ukrainian-farmers-looking-to-export-grain/ |
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spanish government researchers said Sunday they had identified 357 foreign fighters who went missing during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), the conflict that foreshadowed World War II.
Researchers confirmed the names of 212 fighters from Germany, Austria and the Netherlands, according to a statement from the government Sunday. Some 102 are of German origin, 70 Austrian and 40 Dutch. It gave no information on how many people of other nationalities had been identified.
The identified combatants fought within the International Brigades, military units set up by the Communist International to fight against General Francisco Franco’s fascist forces. Some 40,000 foreign men and women joined up as volunteers, fighting alongside the forces of the democratic Second Spanish Republic and against the rise of fascism in Europe in late 1930s.
The findings are based on a year of research in records held in documentary archives in Spain and Russia. Researchers combed through the daily lists of casualties and missing soldiers compiled by officers in the International Brigades.
The names of private soldiers were frequently omitted from the lists, making the research process more difficult. These lists are held in the Russian State Archive of Socio-Political History, in Moscow. Researchers also dipped into the main archives on the Spanish Civil War located in Spain.
By cross-referencing documents, researchers were also able to identify the likely area where the soldiers died or were badly wounded. It is an important step toward locating their remains inside mass graves scattered across the country.
This research provides “very valuable information that gives us the opportunity to contact the families of the missing combatants and, in the future, to intervene in the mass graves that have been located,” said Alfons Aragoneses, head of the project.
All those identified were part of the Thälmann Brigade, a Communist unit made up largely of anti-Nazi Germans. The battalion was active on the Ebro River front in northeastern Spain between March and September 1938, the site of the longest and deadliest battle of the war.
The research is ongoing and it is funded by Catalan regional government, with the aim of contributing to the country’s historical memory. The second phase of the project will try to identify missing militiamen from Great Britain, Ireland, Canada and the United States. The final step would require opening the graves in search of bodies.
Historians estimate nearly 10,000 foreign volunteers died in combat on Spanish soil during the war. How many are still unidentified, buried inside graves, remains unknown.
The Spanish Civil War served as a testing ground for Hitler’s Germany and Mussolini’s Italy prior to World War II. This triggered an international outcry to try to save the Republic’s democratic government, which eventually succumbed to Franco in 1939. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/international/ap-spain-identifies-212-german-austrian-and-dutch-fighters-who-went-missing-during-spanish-civil-war/ | 2023-07-30T20:41:40 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/international/ap-spain-identifies-212-german-austrian-and-dutch-fighters-who-went-missing-during-spanish-civil-war/ |
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Several thousand people briefly took to the streets across the Gaza Strip on Sunday to protest chronic power outages and difficult living conditions, providing a rare public show of discontent with the territory’s Hamas government. Hamas security forces quickly dispersed the gatherings.
Marches took place in Gaza City, the southern town of Khan Younis and other locations, chanting “what a shame” and in one place burning Hamas flags, before police moved in and broke up the protests.
Police destroyed mobile phones of people who were filming in Khan Younis, and witnesses said there were several arrests. Dozens of young supporters and opponents of Hamas briefly faced off, throwing stones at one another.
The demonstrations were organized by a grassroots online movement called “alvirus alsakher,” or “the mocking virus.” It was not immediately known who is behind the movement.
Hamas rules Gaza with an iron fist, barring most demonstrations and quickly stamping out public displays of dissent.
The Islamic militant group seized control of Gaza in 2007 from the forces of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, prompting Israel and Egypt to impose a crippling blockade on the territory. Israel says the closure is needed to prevent Hamas, which does not recognize Israel’s right to exist, from building up its military capabilities.
The closure has devastated Gaza’s economy, sent unemployment skyrocketing and led to frequent power outages. During the current heat wave, people have been receiving four to six hours of power a day due to heavy demand.
“Where is the electricity and where is the gas?” the crowds shouted in Khan Younis. “What a shame. What a shame.”
Protesters also criticized Hamas for deducting a roughly $15 fee from monthly $100 stipends given to Gaza’s poorest families by the wealthy Gulf state of Qatar.
There was no immediate comment from the Hamas authorities. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/international/ap-thousands-take-to-streets-in-gaza-in-rare-public-display-of-discontent-with-hamas/ | 2023-07-30T20:41:46 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/international/ap-thousands-take-to-streets-in-gaza-in-rare-public-display-of-discontent-with-hamas/ |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — When viewed through a wide lens, renters across the U.S. finally appear to be getting some relief, thanks in part to the biggest apartment construction boom in decades.
Median rent rose just 0.5% in June, year over year, after falling in May for the first time since the pandemic hit the U.S. Some economists project U.S. rents will be down modestly this year after soaring nearly 25% over the past four years.
A closer look, however, shows the trend will likely be little comfort for many U.S. renters who’ve had to put an increasing share of their income toward their monthly payment. Renters in cities such as Cincinnati and Indianapolis are still getting hit with increases of 5% or more. Much of the new construction is located in just a few metro areas, and many of the new units are luxury apartments, which rent for well north of $2,000.
Median U.S. rent has risen to $2,029 this June from $1,629 in June 2019, according to rental listings company Rent, which tracks rents in 50 of the largest U.S. metropolitan areas. Demand for apartments exploded during the pandemic as people who could work remotely sought more space or decided to relocate to another part of the country.
The steep rent increases have left tenants like Melissa Lombana, a high school teacher who lives in the South Florida city of Miramar, with progressively less income to spend on other needs.
The rent on her one-bedroom apartment jumped 13% last year to $1,700. It climbed another 6% to $1,800 this month when she renewed her lease.
“Even the $1,700 was a stretch for me,” said Lombana, 43, who supplements her teaching income with a side job doing educational testing. “In a year, I will not be able to afford living here at all.”
Lombana’s rent is now gobbling up nearly half her monthly income. That puts her in a category referred to as “cost-burdened” by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, denoting households that pay 30% or more of their income toward rent. Last year, the average rent-to-income ratio per household rose to 30%. This March, it was 29.6%.
Lombana hasn’t had any luck finding a more affordable apartment. While South Florida is one of the metropolitan areas seeing a rise in apartment construction, the units are mostly high-end and not a viable option.
That scenario is playing out across the nation. Developers are rushing to complete projects that were green-lit during the pandemic-era surge in demand for rentals or left in limbo by delays in supplies of fixtures and building materials. Nearly 1.1 million apartments are currently under construction, according to the commercial real estate tracker CoStar, a pace not seen since the 1970s.
Increasing the supply of apartments tends to moderate rent increases over time and can give tenants more options on where to live. But more than 40% of the new rentals to be completed this year will be concentrated in about 10 high job growth metropolitan areas, including Austin, Nashville, Denver, Atlanta and New York, according to Marcus & Millichap. In many areas, the boost to overall inventory will be barely noticeable.
Even within metros where there’ll be a notable increase in available apartments, such as Nashville, most of it will be in the luxury category, where rents average $2,270, nationally. Some 70% of the new rental inventory will be the luxury class, said Jay Lybik, national director of multifamily analytics at CoStar.
That will leave most tenants unlikely to see a big enough reduction in rent to make a difference, industry experts and economists say.
“I think we’re in a period of rent flattening for 12 or 18 months, but it’s certainly not a big rent decline,” said Hessam Nadji, CEO of commercial real estate firm Marcus & Millichap.
“We’re building a multi-decade record number of units,” Nadji said. “It’s going to cause some softening and some pockets of overbuilding, but it’s not going to fundamentally resolve the housing shortage or the affordability problem for renters across the U.S.”
The surge in rents has made it difficult for workers to keep up with inflation despite solid wage gains the past few years and exacerbated a long-term trend. Between 1999 and 2022, U.S. rents soared 135%, while income grew 77%, according to data from Moody’s Analytics.
Realtor.com is forecasting that rents will drop an average of 0.9% this year. But while down nationally, rents are still rising in many markets around the country, especially those where hiring remains robust.
In the New York metro area, the median rent climbed 4.7% in June from a year earlier to $2,899, according to Realtor.com. In the Midwest, rents surged 5.6% in the Cincinnati metro area to $1,188, and 6.9% to $1,350 in the Indianapolis metro area.
The current spike in apartment construction alone isn’t going to be enough to address how costly renting has become for many Americans.
“For the rest of the 2020s rents will continue to grow because millennials are such a big generation and we’re very much in the hole in terms of building housing for that generation,” said Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin. “It will take many good years of new construction to build adequate housing for millennials.”
The bigger challenge is building more work force housing, because the cost of land, labor and navigating the government approval process incentivize developers to put up luxury apartments buildings.
Expanding the supply of modestly priced rentals would help alleviate the strain from so many new apartments targeting renters with high incomes, “although additional subsidies will be needed to make housing affordable to households with the lowest incomes,” researchers at Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies wrote in a recent report.
Despite the overall pullback in U.S. rents, Joey Di Girolamo, in Pembroke Pines, Florida, worries that he’ll face more sharp rent increases in coming years.
Last year, the web designer left a two-bedroom, two-bath townhome he rented for $2,200 a month to avoid a $600 a month increase. This year, his rent went up by $200, a nearly 10% jump.
“That blew me away,” said Di Girolamo, 50. “I’m just kind of dreading what it’s going to be like next year, but especially 3 or 4 years from now.” | https://www.wjhl.com/news/national/ap-a-boom-in-apartment-construction-is-helping-to-curb-rents-but-not-all-renters-will-benefit/ | 2023-07-30T20:41:52 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/national/ap-a-boom-in-apartment-construction-is-helping-to-curb-rents-but-not-all-renters-will-benefit/ |
NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — Thousands of people backing the coup in Niger marched through the streets of the capital denouncing France, the country’s former colonial power, waving Russian flags, and setting a door at the French Embassy ablaze on Sunday before the army broke up the crowd.
Demonstrators in Niger are openly resentful of France, and Russia is seen by some as a powerful alternative. The nature of Russia’s involvement in the rallies, if any, isn’t clear but some protesters have carried Russian flags, along with signs reading “Down with France” and supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Russian mercenary group Wagner is operating in neighboring Mali, and under Putin Russia has expanded its influence in West Africa. The new junta’s leaders have not said whether they intend to ally themselves with Moscow or stick with Niger’s Western partners.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday that attacks on France and its interests would not be tolerated and anyone who attacks French citizens will see an immediate response.
Niger, a French colony until 1960, had been seen as the West’s last reliable partner battling jihadists in Africa’s Sahel region. France has 1,500 soldiers in the country who conduct joint operations with the Nigeriens. The United States and other European countries have helped train the nation’s troops.
At an emergency meeting Sunday, the West African bloc known as ECOWAS said that it was suspending relations with Niger, and authorized the use of force if President Mohamed Bazoum is not reinstated within a week. The African Union has issued its own 15-day ultimatum to the junta in Niger to reinstall the democratically elected government.
Shortly after the ECOWAS meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, Chadian President Mahamat Deby arrived in Niger to lead mediation efforts, according to the Chad state radio station.
ECOWAS has struggled to make a definitive impact on the region’s political crises in the past but Bazoum was democratically elected two years ago in Niger’s first peaceful transfer of power since independence from France in 1960.
Members of the Niger military announced on Wednesday that they had deposed Bazoum and on Friday named Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani as the country’s new leader, adding Niger to a growing list of military regimes in West Africa’s Sahel region.
Some leaders of the mutiny said they overthrew Bazoum because he wasn’t able to secure the nation against growing jihadi violence. But some analysts and Nigeriens say that was a pretext for a takeover driven by internal power struggles.
“We couldn’t expect a coup in Niger because there’s no social, political or security situation that would justify that the military take the power,” Prof. Amad Hassane Boubacar, who teaches at the University of Niamey, told The Associated Press.
He said Bazoum wanted to replace the head of the presidential guard, Tchiani. Tchiani, who also goes by Omar, was loyal to Bazoum’s predecessor, and that sparked the problems, Boubacar said.
Niger’s dire security situation is not as bad as that in neighboring Burkina Faso or Mali, which have also been battling an Islamic insurgency linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. Last year, Niger was the only one of the three to see a decline in violence, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.
Some taking part in Sunday’s rally warned outside bodies to stay away.
“I would like also to say to the European Union, African Union and ECOWAS, please, please stay out of our business,” Oumar Barou Moussa said at the demonstration. “It’s time for us to take our lives, to work for ourselves. It’s time for us to talk about our freedom and liberty.”
Niger has the most at stake of any country in the Sahel if it turns away from the West, given the millions of dollars of military assistance it has received from abroad.
On Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the continued security and economic cooperation with the U.S. hinges on the release of Bazoum — who remains under house arrest — and “the immediate restoration of the democratic order in Niger.”
Macron said he’d spoken to Bazoum and his predecessor on Sunday. On Saturday France suspended all development and financial aid to Niger.
The 15-nation ECOWAS bloc has unsuccessfully tried to restore democracies in nations where the military took power in recent years. Four nations are run by military regimes in West and Central Africa, where there have been nine successful or attempted coups since 2020.
While the bloc has struggled to have much impact, the measures placed on Niger Sunday show the gravity of the situation, said Andrew Lebovich, a research fellow with the Clingendael Institute.
“The strenuous measures they have put in place or threatened to put in place show not only how seriously they are taking this crisis, but also the urgency the regional body and larger international community feel in trying to force a return to normal that will likely prove elusive,” he said.
The response from the bloc towards Niger differs from how it dealt with recent coups in Mali and Burkina Faso, which did not involve the threat of force if constitutional rule wasn’t reinstated.
In the last few decades it has sent troops into member countries a handful of times.
In the 1990s, ECOWAS intervened in Liberia during its civil war. In 2017 it intervened in The Gambia to prevent the new president’s predecessor, Yahya Jammeh, from disrupting the handover of power. Approximately 7,000 troops from Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal entered, according to the Global Observatory, which provides analysis on peace and security issues.
Economic sanctions could have a deep impact on Nigeriens, who live in the third-poorest country in the world, according to the latest U.N. data. The country relies on imports from Nigeria for up to 90% of its power, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. The sanctions would suspend all commercial and financial transactions between ECOWAS member states and Niger.
In a televised address Saturday, Col. Major Amadou Abdramane, one of the soldiers who ousted Bazoum, accused the meeting of making a “plan of aggression” against Niger and said the country would defend itself.
“Tensions with the military are still ongoing. There could be another coup after this one, or a stronger intervention from ECOWAS, potentially military force,” said Tatiana Smirnova, a researcher in conflict resolution and peace missions at the Centre FrancoPaix. “Many actors are also trying to negotiate, but the outcome is unclear.”
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Associated Press reporters Angela Charlton in Paris and Chinedu Asadu in Abuja, Nigeria and Edouard Takadji in N’Djamena, Chad contributed. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/national/ap-as-regional-and-global-powers-decry-nigers-coup-the-countrys-future-remains-uncertain/ | 2023-07-30T20:41:58 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/national/ap-as-regional-and-global-powers-decry-nigers-coup-the-countrys-future-remains-uncertain/ |
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — The discovery of four dead women in a drainage ditch just outside Atlantic City was shocking news in 2006.
International media flocked to the seaside gambling resort. More than 100 detectives and prosecutors were assigned to investigate. Casino guests worried about safety, and the victims’ fellow sex workers began carrying hidden knives.
But as the years passed, the public’s attention and fear faded, and the case of the “Eastbound Strangler” – so named for the direction the victims’ heads were facing – remained unsolved.
The arrest earlier this month of a man charged with killing three women whose remains were found on a Long Island beach in 2010 has breathed fresh life into another long-dormant case with obvious parallels; the Gilgo Beach serial killings involve a total of 11 victims, most of whom were young, female sex workers. Yet the recent breakthrough, and the rekindling of public interest, only highlights a painful truth: Many similar cases – like the one in Atlantic City — remain open.
The FBI would not say how many killings of sex workers in the U.S. remain unsolved. Media accounts and statements from local authorities show a long trail of open cases, from nine women whose bodies were found along highways in Massachusetts, to 11 found dead in New Mexico, and eight more found amid the crawfish farms and swamps of southern Louisiana. The killings of other sex workers in Chicago, New Haven, Connecticut and Ohio, among other places, also remain mysteries.
From the days of London’s Jack The Ripper in the 1880s, serial killers, particularly those preying on sex workers, have often gotten away with it, in part because their victims were easy targets living on the margins of society.
Gary Ridgway, the so-called Green River killer convicted of 49 killings in Washington state, said at during a 2003 court hearing in which he pleaded guilty that he chose sex workers as victims because he knew they would not be missed quickly, if at all.
“I picked prostitutes because I thought I could kill as many of them as I wanted without getting caught,” he said.
Two women were out for an afternoon walk near Atlantic City in November 2006 when they found a body in a ditch. They called police, who quickly found three others nearby.
The $15-a-night motel in Egg Harbor Township behind which the four bodies were found is long gone. It was torn down in an attempt to clear a seedy area known for crime, drugs and disturbances – and the murders of Barbara Breidor, 42, Molly Jean Dilts, 20, Kim Raffo, 35, and Tracy Ann Roberts, 23.
Because it is near the ocean, like Gilgo Beach, the location has prompted much speculation by amateur detectives about a single killer, but some other online sleuths have pointed out that oceanside areas are often the remotest locations after hours on the densely packed East Coast. Gilgo Beach is about 3.5 hours drive from Atlantic City.
Gone in New Jersey are the four small wooden crosses someone erected on the site, along with the folded-up paper note bearing a Biblical quote promising justice that someone left there on one of the anniversaries of the discovery of the bodies.
For families left behind, each new day without word in the case of their loved one brings fresh pain.
“I kind of lost hope that anyone was even searching for the killer anymore,” said Joyce Roberts, whose daughter Tracy Ann was one of the four Atlantic City-area victims. “The first six months, the prosecutor did get on the phone with me and told me they were working on it.
“Then it just fell off the radar,” she said. “It was like nobody cared anymore.”
That is a sentiment echoed by Phoenix Calida, a former sex worker from Chicago who now advocates for them through the Sex Workers Outreach Project.
“Police departments often refer to it as an ‘NHI’ case: No humans involved,” she said. ”You feel like the only way you’ll be remembered is when they catch the serial killer who killed you, and then they’ll make five movies about him and no one will remember your name.”
Massachusetts State Police are investigating “nine unsolved homicides possibly committed by the same person,” said David Procopio, a spokesperson for the agency. He said two additional missing persons cases may be homicides related to the other nine.
Gilbert Gallegos, a spokesman for the Albuquerque Police Department, said the New Mexico cases remain actively investigated, with “multiple detectives” working them. The 11 victims were all involved in drugs and prostitution, police said.
A reward of $100,000 has been offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case, which involved two victims who were just 15 years old.
Despite the decade-long efforts of a local, state and federal task force, Louisiana has at least eight unsolved apparent homicide cases involving sex workers between the ages of 17 and 30. Their bodies were found in marshy areas in Jennings, a small town in the area known as Cajun Country, between 2005 and 2009.
Prosecutors in New York’s Suffolk County investigating the Gilgo Beach cases have been in touch with multiple law enforcement agencies, but District Attorney Ray Tierney would not say which ones.
“Everything is being examined and looked at, and this is an active investigation,” said Anthony Carter, Suffolk County’s deputy police commissioner. He would not say if his agency was investigating any connection between Heuermann and the Atlantic City murders.
Atlantic County Prosecutor William Reynolds said the four cases from the drainage ditch outside Atlantic City remain active, with detectives assigned to them, but would not say how many. He declined comment on the Long Island case “as we are not involved.”
Joyce Roberts, the victim’s mother, said no one from law enforcement has called her since the arrest was made in the Long Island cases.
Police in Las Vegas, where Heuermann owns a time share, said they are investigating whether Heuermann may be involved in cases involving the killings of sex workers there.
In the months immediately after the bodies’ discovery near Atlantic City, the local prosecutor’s office and a dozen other law enforcement agencies had 140 people assigned to the cases, Ted Housel, who was prosecutor at the time, said in 2008. By the first anniversary, the total had fallen to 85, and those investigators were also working other cases.
Calida, the former sex worker from Chicago, said women involved the sex trade are frequently robbed by people who know they’re carrying cash, and are sometimes coerced into sexual activity by police in return for not being arrested.
She said an attacker “knows you can’t or won’t report it. You’re an easy target and they know it.”
Three of her friends who were also sex workers in Chicago also turned up dead.
“You see someone, you become friends with them and then one day they’re suddenly just not there,” she said. “We’d all go out asking around and looking for them, and then a few days later a body would be found. There’s always this specific fear that it’s a serial killer. Sometimes we never even get a body back to bury. And we wonder: Will law enforcement take it seriously because it’s ‘just another sex worker?’”
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AP writers Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque; Steve LeBlanc in Boston; Julie Walker and Robert Bumsted in Suffolk County, New York; Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this story.
Follow Wayne Parry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WayneParryAC | https://www.wjhl.com/news/national/ap-breakthrough-in-long-island-serial-killings-shines-light-on-the-many-unsolved-murders-of-sex-workers/ | 2023-07-30T20:42:04 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/national/ap-breakthrough-in-long-island-serial-killings-shines-light-on-the-many-unsolved-murders-of-sex-workers/ |
MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) — A “mass shooting” at a large party in Indiana early Sunday morning left one person dead, police said. A hospital said 19 people were being treated for injuries at its facility.
Muncie police responded to multiple reports of gunfire on the city’s east side just after 1 a.m., The Star Press reported. Police said in a news release that there was no active threat to the community and that “multiple” victims were injured, including some critically.
“Due to the number of victims and nature of the incident, multiple agencies were contacted to assist,” Muncie Deputy Police Chief Melissa Criswell said in a statement sent to The Star Press.
Many police officers from the nearby town of Eaton were among those who provided assistance, according to a post on the department’s Facebook page. Eaton Police Chief Jay Turner called the incident a “mass shooting.”
Police did not say how many people were injured, but officials at Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie told The Associated Press that 19 victims were treated in their emergency department for injuries related to the shooting, and 13 remained at the hospital in stabilized condition Sunday morning. Criswell said some victims sustained critical injuries and were transferred by medical helicopter to other facilities.
Delaware County Coroner Gavin Greene identified the man who died as 30-year-old Joseph E. Bonner III, The Star Press reported. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/national/ap-one-person-is-dead-and-multiple-were-wounded-in-indiana-shooting-police-say/ | 2023-07-30T20:42:11 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/national/ap-one-person-is-dead-and-multiple-were-wounded-in-indiana-shooting-police-say/ |
The Mexican Navy is continuing its search Sunday for Donald Lawson, a sailor whose boat was found capsized in the Pacific off the coast of Mexico, a family spokesperson said.
Crews from the Mexican Navy Rescue Coordination Center are looking for Lawson in the same area where his 60-foot trimaran, Defiant, was found capsized 300 miles southwest of Acapulco, Mexico. They located and searched his sailboat Friday but did not find Lawson.
Defiant had two life rafts, a survival suit and other emergency gear onboard, Lawson said last year. Search crews found the survival suit, which would have kept him dry, on the sailboat Friday. A life raft that was on board when Lawson left Acapulco has not been found, said Ray Feldmann, a family spokesperson, Sunday. The boat only had one life raft.
Defiant also had a small green dinghy attached to it, which was located by the Navy on Friday and found empty.
Lawson was headed for Baltimore when he set out from Acapulco, Mexico, on July 5. He planned to travel through the Panama Canal but lost engine power a few days into the journey. | https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/bs-md-baltimore-sailor-missing-donald-lawson-search-20230730-hi22goa4mfg3zapuj4cs5wiuna-story.html | 2023-07-30T20:42:16 | 1 | https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/bs-md-baltimore-sailor-missing-donald-lawson-search-20230730-hi22goa4mfg3zapuj4cs5wiuna-story.html |
An explosion at a political rally on Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan killed at least 44 people and wounded nearly 200 in a Sunday attack that a senior leader said wanted to weaken Pakistani Islamists.
The Bajur district near the Afghan border was a stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban — a close ally of Afghanistan’s Taliban government — before the Pakistani army drove the militants out of the area. Supporters of hardline Pakistani cleric and political party leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman, whose Jamiat Ulema Islam generally supports regional Islamists, were meeting in Bajur Sunday in a hall close to a market outside the district capital. Party officials said Rehman was not at the rally but organizers added tents because so many supporters showed up, and party volunteers with batons were helping control the crowd.
Officials were announcing the arrival of Abdul Rasheed, a leader of the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, when the bomb went off in one of Pakistan’s bloodiest attacks in recent years.
“There was dust and smoke around, and I was under some injured people from where I could hardly stand up, only to see chaos and some scattered limbs,” said Adam Khan, 45, who was knocked to the ground by the blast around 4 p.m. and hit by splinters in his leg and both hands.
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The Pakistan Taliban, or TTP, said in a statement sent to The Associated Press that the bombing was aimed at setting Islamists against each other. Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Afghan Taliban, said on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that “such crimes cannot be justified in any way.”
The Afghan Taliban’s seizure of power in Afghanistan in mid-August 2021 emboldened the TTP. They unilaterally ended a cease-fire agreement with the Pakistani government in November, and have stepped up attacks across the country.
The bombing came hours before the arrival of Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Islamabad, where he was to participate in an event to mark a decade of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, or CPEC, a sprawling package under which Beijing has invested billions of dollars in Pakistan.
U.S. & World
In recent months, China has helped Pakistan avoid a default on sovereign payments. However, some Chinese nationals have also been targeted by militants in northwestern Pakistan and elsewhere.
Feroz Jamal, the provincial information minister, told The Associated Press that so far 44 people had been “martyred” and nearly 200 wounded in the bombing.
The bombing was one of the four worst attacks in the northwest since 2014, when 147 people, mostly schoolchildren, were killed in a Taliban attack on an army-run school in Peshawar. In January, 74 people were killed in a bombing at a mosque in Peshawar. n February, more than 100 people, mostly policemen, died in a bombing at a mosque inside a high-security compound housing Peshawar police headquarters.
Prime Minister Sharif and President Arif Alvi condemned the attack and asked officials to provide all possible assistance to the wounded and the bereaved families.
Maulana Ziaullah, the local chief of Rehman’s party, was among the dead. JUI leaders Rasheed and former lawmaker Maulana Jamaluddin were also on the stage but escaped unhurt.
Rasheed, the regional chief of the party, said the attack was an attempt to remove JUI from the field before parliamentary elections in November, but he said such tactics would not work. The bombing drew nationwide condemnation, with the ruling and opposition parties extending condolences to the families of those who died in the attack.
Rehman is considered to be a pro-Taliban cleric and his political party is part of the coalition government in Islamabad. Meetings are being organized across the country to mobilize supporters for the upcoming elections.
“Many of our fellows lost their lives and many more wounded in this incident. I will ask the federal and provincial administrations to fully investigate this incident and provide due compensation and medical facilities to the affected ones,” Rasheed said.
Mohammad Wali, another attendant at the rally, said he was listening to a speaker address the crowd when the huge explosion temporarily deafened him.
“I was near the water dispenser to fetch a glass of water when the bomb exploded, throwing me to the ground,” he said. “We came to the meeting with enthusiasm but ended up at the hospital seeing crying, wounded people and sobbing relatives taking the bodies of their loved ones. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/a-bomb-at-a-political-rally-in-northwest-pakistan-kills-at-least-44-people-and-wounds-nearly-200/4549079/ | 2023-07-30T20:42:17 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/a-bomb-at-a-political-rally-in-northwest-pakistan-kills-at-least-44-people-and-wounds-nearly-200/4549079/ |
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Voting rights activists are returning to court to fight Alabama’s redrawn congressional districts, saying state Republicans failed to follow federal court orders to create a district that is fair to Black voters.
Plaintiffs in the high-profile redistricting case filed a written objection Friday to oppose Alabama’s new redistricting plan. They accused state Republicans of flouting a judicial mandate to create a second majority-Black district or “something quite close to it” and enacting a map that continues to discriminate against Black voters in the state.
A special three-judge panel in 2022 blocked use of the the state’s existing districts and said any new congressional map should include two districts where “Black voters either comprise a voting-age majority” or something close. That panel’s decision was appealed by the state but upheld in June in a surprise ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, which concurred that having only one Black-majority district out of seven — in a state where more than one in four residents is Black — likely violated federal law.
The plaintiffs in the case, represented by the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund and other groups, asked the three-judge panel to step in and draw new lines for the state.
“Alabama’s new congressional map ignores this court’s preliminary injunction order and instead perpetuates the Voting Rights Act violation that was the very reason that the Legislature redrew the map,” lawyers representing the plaintiffs in the case wrote.
The new map enacted by the Republican-controlled Alabama Legislature maintained one-majority Black district but boosted the percentage of Black voters in the majority-white 2nd Congressional District, now represented by Republican Rep. Barry Moore, from about 30% to 39.9%
Lawyers representing plaintiffs in the case wrote Friday that the revamped district “does not provide Black voters a realistic opportunity to elect their preferred candidates in any but the most extreme situations.” They accused state Republicans of ignoring the courts’ directive to prioritize a district that would stay under GOP control “pleasing national leaders whose objective is to maintain the Republican Party’s slim majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.”
Alabama has maintained the new plan complies with the Voting Rights Act, and state leaders are wagering that the panel will accept their proposal or that the state will prevail in a second round of appeals to the Supreme Court. Republicans argued that the map meets the court’s directive and draws compact districts that comply with redistricting guidelines.
The state must file its defense of the map by Aug. 4. The three judges have scheduled an Aug. 14 hearing in the case as the fight over the map shifts back to federal court.
The outcome could have consequences across the country as the case again weighs the requirements of the Voting Rights Act in redistricting. It could also impact the partisan leanings of one Alabama congressional district in the 2024 elections with control of the U.S House of Representatives at stake.
Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, said in a statement that Alabama’s new map is a “brazen defiance” of the courts.
“The result is a shameful display that would have made George Wallace—another Alabama governor who defied the courts—proud,” Holder said in a statement. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/national/ap-plaintiffs-in-voting-rights-case-urge-judges-to-toss-alabamas-new-congressional-map/ | 2023-07-30T20:42:18 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/national/ap-plaintiffs-in-voting-rights-case-urge-judges-to-toss-alabamas-new-congressional-map/ |
Noah Song’s month-long audition was not good enough to earn a roster spot with the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Phillies announced Saturday that Song has been designated for assignment, the latest twist in the Naval Academy graduate’s bid to reach the big leagues. The Phillies have four days to trade the 26-year-old right-hander before having to place him on irrevocable waivers.
If Song clears waivers, he must be offered back to the Boston Red Sox for $25,000. Philadelphia selected the 2019 Naval Academy graduate out of Boston’s minor league system via the Rule V Draft last December.
Per Rule V restrictions, the Phillies were required to keep Song on the active roster for at least 90 days. However, Song’s performance during a 30-day rehabilitation assignment did not warrant using a valuable roster spot for a team currently in second place in the National League East.
Song reported to Philadelphia’s spring training complex in Clearwater, Florida, shortly after the Navy granted his request for a transfer from active duty to the reserves. He had not pitched in a professional game since August 29, 2019, with Class A Lowell, Boston’s affiliate in the short-season New York-Penn League.
Song went 1-0 with a 7.36 earned run average in eight games with three of Philadelphia’s minor league teams while on the major league injured list with a lower-back strain. Song’s 30-day rehab assignment ended Friday, forcing the Phillies to add him to the active roster or expose him to waivers.
“We watched [Song] right until the very end. We just felt at this point it would be very difficult for us to, trying to get into the postseason, to carry him at the back end as the 13th pitcher on our roster,” Philadelphia president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said. “We just thought that would be difficult to do and force our hands a little more … the manager in that case. We felt that spot is going to be valuable going down the stretch.”
Song was ineffective in his final three outings while on rehab — one at Double-A Reading and two at Triple-A Lehigh Valley — allowing eight runs and 12 base runners over five innings.
“We kept pulling for Noah. He had one outing in Clearwater that he was throwing in the mid-90s and we were very encouraged,” Dombrowski said. “But the last couple of outings weren’t quite the same. The last outing, with the Triple-A club, was not good. There was that scenario which we were kind of hoping for right until the very end, but we just thought it would be very difficult to do.”
Dombrowski was the general manager for the Boston Red Sox when that organization selected Song in the fourth round of the MLB draft. The 6-foot-4, 200-pounder was coming off a dominant senior season at Navy in which he posted an 11-1 record with a 1.44 ERA with 161 strikeouts in 94 innings to earn Patriot League Pitcher of the Year honors.
Song was impressive during a short stint with Lowell, posting a 1.06 ERA, allowing just two runs and notching 19 strikeouts in 17 innings over seven starts. However, he was then ordered by the U.S. Navy to report to flight school at Naval Air Station Pensacola.
Song completed primary aviation training in April 2022 and immediately applied for a waiver that would enable him to pursue professional baseball. After earning his wings of gold, Song was assigned to Naval Air Station Jacksonville as a flight officer as part of the Fleet Replacement Squadron of the P-8A Poseidon.
Philadelphia spent $50,000 to select Song in the Rule V Draft then immediately placed him on the military list while he was on active duty. Phillies manager Rob Thomson told beat reporters that no member of the major league coaching staff saw Song during the rehab assignment.
“We trust the people who have seen him and if they think it can work then we try to make it work. There just wasn’t enough there,” Thomson said.
Any major league organization that claims Song off waivers must abide by the Rule V restrictions and keep him on the active roster for the remainder of this season and the first month of the 2024 season. | https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/college/ac-cs-noah-song-designated-for-assignment-phillies-20230730-fxrd2zuvbbfajowls6buyakne4-story.html | 2023-07-30T20:42:22 | 0 | https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/college/ac-cs-noah-song-designated-for-assignment-phillies-20230730-fxrd2zuvbbfajowls6buyakne4-story.html |
It's so hot in Arizona's capital that not even the cactuses are surviving.
Chief Science Officer Kimberlie McCue with the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix says this record-breaking stretch of heat is breaking cactuses all over the state.
People think, "Oh these are desert plants so they should be just fine," McCue says. "But cactus are living things."
Like all plants, saguaro cactuses use photosynthesis but they perform their essential functions at night when it's supposed to be cooler.
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Phoenix has had a record streak of 110-degree or more days and 90-degree or more nights. On Thursday morning, the temperature in Phoenix finally dipped below 90 degrees for the first time since July 9th.
The lack of a nighttime cooldown makes it difficult for the cactuses to recover. Instead, they're "roasting."
"They literally can't function," McCue says. "The way I describe it is they start to suffocate."
U.S. & World
At what temperature do cactuses die?
Plant physiologists at the Desert Botanical Garden are studying how much heat cactuses can take. Until recently, the assumption was that cactuses were perfectly adapted to withstand desert conditions.
"At a certain temperature or certain length of time, they just can't do it anymore," McCue says.
Sun scorch is a warning sign that the plant is starting to shut down. You'll notice yellowing on the epidermis. If it's noticed early and shading is applied, it may be reversed.
The garden can try to throw shade cloths over them but they can be 20-30 feet tall. Once they're in bad shape, there isn't much that can be done.
Severe sunburn will cause death of the outer epidermis, which will brown and may crack, resulting in a bark-like scarring, as outlined by the University of Arizona. The wounding caused by the sunburn can be an entry point for bacteria.
Do cactuses die in the cold?
While some cactuses will survive in cold areas with temperatures as low as -20F, others cannot tolerate anything below freezing.
If a cactus plant is exposed to temperatures that are too cold for its species, it can suffer damage. The most common type of damage is called “frost scald.” This occurs when the water inside the plant’s cells freezes, expands, and bursts the cell walls.
What are other signs that a cactus is dying?
Firmness is a good sign. If it's soft or squishy that is an indicator that it's in bad shape and likely won't be able to hold itself up much longer.
If it has started to tilt, that probably means it's on its way to falling over.
"If that plant is really starting to shut down, it doesn't matter how much water you pour on them," McCue says. "They won't be able to take it up and do anything with it." | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/cactuses-can-withstand-the-heat-right-in-parts-of-arizona-not-so-much/4549115/ | 2023-07-30T20:42:24 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/cactuses-can-withstand-the-heat-right-in-parts-of-arizona-not-so-much/4549115/ |
DENVER (AP) — As Denver neared triple-digit temperatures, Ben Gallegos sat shirtless on his porch swatting flies off his legs and spritzing himself with a misting fan to try to get through the heat. Gallegos, like many in the nation’s poorest neighborhoods, doesn’t have air conditioning.
The 68-year-old covers his windows with mattress foam to insulate against the heat and sleeps in the concrete basement. He knows high temperatures can cause heat stroke and death, and his lung condition makes him more susceptible. But the retired brick layer, who survives on about $1,000 a month largely from Social Security, says air conditioning is out of reach.
“Take me about 12 years to save up for something like that,” he said. “If it’s hard to breath, I’ll get down to emergency.”
As climate change fans hotter and longer heat waves, breaking record temperatures across the U.S. and leaving dozens dead, the poorest Americans suffer the hottest days with the fewest defenses. Air conditioning, once a luxury, is now a matter of survival.
As Phoenix weathered its 27th consecutive day above 110 degrees (43 Celsius) Wednesday, the nine who died indoors didn’t have functioning air conditioning, or it was turned off. Last year, all 86 heat-related deaths indoors were in uncooled environments.
“To explain it fairly simply: Heat kills,” said Kristie Ebi, a University of Washington professor who researches heat and health. “Once the heat wave starts, mortality starts in about 24 hours.”
It’s the poorest and people of color, from Kansas City to Detroit to New York City and beyond, who are far more likely to face grueling heat without air conditioning, according to a Boston University analysis of 115 U.S. metros.
“The temperature differences … between lower-income neighborhoods, neighborhoods of color and their wealthier, whiter counterparts have pretty severe consequences,” said Cate Mingoya-LaFortune of Groundwork USA, an environmental justice organization. “There are these really big consequences like death. … But there’s also ambient misery.”
Some have window units that can offer respite, but “in the dead of heat, it don’t do nothing,” said Melody Clark, who stopped Friday to get food at a nonprofit in Kansas City, Kansas, as temperatures soared to 101, and high humidity made it feel like 109. When the central air conditioning at her rental house went on the fritz, her landlord installed a window unit. But it doesn’t do much during the day.
So the 45-year-old wets her hair, cooks outside on a propane grill and keeps the lights off indoors. She’s taken the bus to the library to cool off. At night she flips the box unit on, hauling her bed into the room where it’s located to sleep.
As far as her two teenagers, she said: “They aren’t little bitty. We aren’t dying in the heat. … They don’t complain.”
While billions in federal funding have been allocated to subsidize utility costs and the installation of cooling systems, experts say they often only support a fraction of the most vulnerable families and some still require prohibitive upfront costs. Installing a centralized heat pump system for heating and cooling can easily reach $25,000.
President Joe Biden announced steps on Thursday to defend against extreme heat, highlighting the expansion of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which funnels money through states to help poorer households pay utility bills.
While the program is critical, said Michelle Graff, who studies the subsidy at Cleveland State University, only about 16% of the nation’s eligible population is actually reached. Nearly half of states don’t offer the federal dollars for summer cooling.
“So people are engaging in coping mechanisms, like they’re turning on their air conditioners later and leaving their homes hotter,” Graff said.
While frigid temperatures and high heating bills birthed the term “heat or eat,” she said, “we can now transition to AC or eat, where people are going to have to make difficult decisions.”
As temperatures rise, so does the cost of cooling. And temperatures are already hotter in America’s low-income neighborhoods like Gallegos’ Denver suburb of Globeville, where people live along stretches of asphalt and concrete that hold heat like a cast-iron skillet. Surface temperatures there can be roughly 8 degrees hotter than in Denver’s wealthier neighborhoods, where a sea of vegetation cools the area, according to the environmental advocacy group American Forests.
This disparity plays out nationwide. Researchers at the University of San Diego analyzed 1,056 counties and in over 70%, the poorest areas and those with higher Black, Hispanic and Asian populations were significantly hotter.
About one in 10 U.S. households have no air conditioning, a disparity compounded for marginalized groups, according to a study by the Brookings Institution. Less than 4% of Detroit’s white households don’t have air conditioning; it’s 15% for Black households.
At noon on Friday, Katrice Sullivan sat on the porch of her rented house on Detroit’s westside. It was hot and muggy, but even steamier inside the house. Even if she had air conditioning, Sullivan said she’d choose her moments to run it to keep her electricity bill down.
The 37-year-old factory worker pours water on her head, freezes towels to put around her neck, and sits in her car with the air conditioner on. “Some people here spend every dollar for food, so air conditioning is something they can’t afford,” she said.
Shannon Lewis, 38, lived in her Detroit home for nearly 20 years without air conditioning. Lewis’s bedroom was the only place with a window unit, so she’d squeeze her teenager, 8-year-old and 3-year-old-twins into her queen-size bed to sleep, eat meals and watch television.
“So it was like cool in one room and a heat stroke in another,” Lewis said. For the first time, Lewis now has air conditioning through a local non-profit, she said. “We don’t have to sleep or eat in the same room, we are able to come out, sit at the dining room table, eat like a family.”
After at least 54 died during a 2021 heat wave, mostly elderly people without air conditioning, in the Portland area, Oregon passed a law prohibiting landlords from placing blanket bans on air conditioning units. By and large, however, states don’t have laws requiring landlords to provide cooling.
In the federal Inflation Reduction Act, billions were set aside for tax credits and rebates to help families install energy-efficient cooling systems, but some of those are yet to be available. For people like Gallegos, who doesn’t pay taxes, the available credits are worthless.
The law also offers rebates, the kind of state and federal point-of-sale discounts that Amanda Morian has looked into for her 640-square-foot home.
Morian, who has a 13-week-old baby susceptible to hot weather, is desperate to keep her house in Denver’s Globeville suburb cool. She bought thermal curtains, ceiling fans and runs a window unit. At night she tries to do skin-to-skin touch to regulate the baby’s body temperature. When the back door opens in the afternoon, she said, the indoor temperature jumps a degree.
“All of those are just to take the edge off, it’s not enough to actually make it cool. It’s enough to keep us from dying,” she said.
She got estimates from four different companies for installing a cooling system, but every project was between $20,000 and $25,000, she said. Even with subsidies she can’t afford it.
“I’m finding that you have to afford the project in the first place and then it’s like having a bonus coupon to take $5,000 off of the sticker price,” she said.
Lucy Molina, a single mom in Commerce City, one of Denver’s poorest areas, said her home has reached 107 degrees without air conditioning. Nearby, Molina’s two teenage children slurped popsicles to cool off, lingering in front of the open freezer.
For Molina, who bustled around her kitchen on a recent day when temperatures reached 99 degrees outdoors, it’s hard to see any path to a cooling respite.
“We’re just too poor,” she said.
____
Associated Press writers Heather Hollingsworth in Kansas City, Kansas, and Corey Williams in Detroit contributed to this report.
——
Bedayn is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/national/ap-record-heat-waves-illuminate-plight-of-poorest-americans-who-suffer-without-air-conditioning/ | 2023-07-30T20:42:25 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/national/ap-record-heat-waves-illuminate-plight-of-poorest-americans-who-suffer-without-air-conditioning/ |
This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.
Jimmie Johnson expressed his gratitude to those who have reached out amid his family's recent tragedy.
A month ago, on June 27, police reported that the NASCAR driver’s in-laws and nephew were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide in Oklahoma.
Muskogee Police Department identified the victims as Jack Janway, 69, his wife Terry Lynn Janway, 68, and their 11-year-old grandson Dalton Janway, per a press release.
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Speaking out for the first time since the deaths, the driver released a statement on his Instagram on July 28.
“Our family is devastated by the profound loss of (Terry) Lynn, Jack and Dalton Janway,” Johnson's statement read. “We have been humbled by the outpouring of love and support during this unthinkably sad time and remain grateful for all of your compassion.”
Sports
Johnson and wife Chandra Janway have been married since 2004. The couple are parents to two daughters.
At the time of the shooting, police department spokesperson Lynn Hamlin told NBC News that Terry Janway was the “suspect” in the attack.
On July 28, Hamlin confirmed that Terry Janway had gone by her middle name, Lynn, and told TODAY.com there were no updates in the case that she could share publicly.
On June 26 at approximately 9:05 p.m., dispatch received a 911 call from a female caller who said that there was a disturbance and someone had a gun then hung up, per the Muskogee PD. When police arrived at the scene, they found a person laying in the hallway in the front door before hearing another gunshot further inside the house. While searching the house, they found two more bodies.
Following the deaths, the seven-time champion’s team withdrew the No. 84 Carvana Chevrolet from the NASCAR Cup Series event in Chicago.
“The Johnson family has asked for privacy at this time and no further statements will be made,” the Legacy Motor Club tweeted on June 27.
Additionally, that same day, NASCAR also released a statement: “We are saddened by the tragic deaths of members of Chandra Johnson’s family. The entire NASCAR family extends its deepest support and condolences during this difficult time to Chandra, Jimmie and the entire Johnson & Janway families.”
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY: | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/sports/jimmie-johnson-speaks-out-after-nephew-in-laws-killed-in-apparent-murder-suicide/4549068/ | 2023-07-30T20:42:30 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/sports/jimmie-johnson-speaks-out-after-nephew-in-laws-killed-in-apparent-murder-suicide/4549068/ |
A woman from New Hampshire who works for a nonprofit organization in Haiti and her young daughter have been reported as kidnapped as the U.S. State Department issued a “do not travel advisory” in the country and ordered nonemergency personnel to leave there amid growing security concerns.
Alix Dorsainvil, a nurse for El Roi Haiti, and her daughter were kidnapped on Thursday, the organization said in a statement Saturday. El Roi, which runs a school and ministry in Port au Prince, said the two were taken from campus. Dorsainvil is the wife of the program’s director, Sandro Dorsainvil.
“Alix is a deeply compassionate and loving person who considers Haiti her home and the Haitian people her friends and family,” El Roi president and co-founder Jason Brown said in the statement. “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.”
A State Department spokesperson said in a statement Saturday is it “aware of reports of the kidnapping of two U.S. citizens in Haiti,” adding, “We are in regular contact with Haitian authorities and will continue to work with them and our U.S. government interagency partners.”
In its advisory Thursday, the department said that “kidnapping is widespread, and victims regularly include U.S. citizens.”
It said kidnappings often involve ransom negotiations and U.S. citizen victims have been physically harmed.
Earlier this month, the National Human Rights Defense Network issued a report warning about an upsurge in killings and kidnappings and the U.N. Security Council met to discuss Haiti’s worsening situation.
WMUR-TV reported that Dorsainvil is from Middleton, New Hampshire, and went to Regis College in Weston, Massachusetts, which has a program to support nursing education in Haiti.
“It doesn’t surprise me that Alex chose to get involved in this type of service work,” Regis College president Toni Hays told the station. “She was amazing. She was passionate, she was compassionate.” | https://www.wjhl.com/news/national/ap-us-mother-daughter-reported-kidnapped-in-haiti-people-warned-not-to-travel-there/ | 2023-07-30T20:42:31 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/national/ap-us-mother-daughter-reported-kidnapped-in-haiti-people-warned-not-to-travel-there/ |
At 24, Alberto Rodriguez has grandparents younger than Joe Biden. But he’s more interested in the 80-year-old president’s accomplishments than his age.
“People as young as me, we’re all focusing on our day-to-day lives and he has done things to help us through that,” Rodriguez, a cook at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, said of Biden’s support among young voters. Rodriguez pointed specifically to federal COVID-19 relief payments and government spending increases on infrastructure and other social programs.
Voters like him were a key piece of Biden’s winning 2020 coalition, which included majorities of young people as well as college graduates, women, urban and suburban voters and Black Americans. Maintaining their support will be critical in closely contested states such as Nevada, where even small declines could prove consequential to Biden’s reelection bid.
His 2024 campaign plans to emphasize messages that could especially resonate with young people in the coming weeks as the anniversary of the sweeping Inflation Reduction Act approaches in mid-August. That legislation includes provisions that the White House will embrace to argue that Biden has done more than any other president to combat climate change.
Such efforts, however, could collide with Biden’s personal reality — like when he recalled that, while attending a St. Patrick’s Day parade at age 14, he appeared in a photo with President Harry S. Truman.
“Purely by accident — I assume it was an accident — the photographer from the newspaper got a picture of me making eye contact with Harry Truman,” Biden said to chuckles last week at the Truman Civil Rights Symposium in Washington.
In 2020, 61% of voters under age 30 — and 55% of those between 30 and 44 — supported Biden, according to AP VoteCast, a nationwide survey of the electorate.
It’s an age group with which Republicans hope to make inroads. Former President Donald Trump, who is the early front-runner in the GOP presidential primary and is only 3 1/2 years younger than Biden, said Friday, “We are hitting the young person’s market like nobody’s ever seen before.”
Kevin Munoz, a spokesman for Biden’s campaign, referred to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement in arguing that “young people are acutely impacted by the issues front and center in this election, driven by the extreme MAGA agenda.” He said that included inaction on climate change, gun violence and student debt.
“We will meet younger Americans where they are and turn their energy into action,” Munoz said in a statement.
That might not defuse questions about age, though, when it comes to Biden or Trump.
“There’s a frustration and exhaustion that they feel with the rematch,” Terrance Woodbury, co-founder & CEO of the Democratic polling firm HIT Strategies, said of young voters.
“That’s more of a problem than either of those two candidates individually, is that a system can just keep reproducing,” Woodbury added. “And I think a lot of people just find that untenable.”
An April poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that just 25% of Democrats under 45 said they would definitely support Biden in a general election, compared with 56% of older Democrats. A majority of Democrats across age groups said they would probably support him as the party’s nominee, however.
Biden’s campaign is relying heavily on the Democratic National Committee, which during last year’s midterms, hired campus organizers in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona and other battleground states and offered weekly youth coordinating meetings to encourage in-class contacts and “dormstorms.” The DNC sees young people as some of the most critical voters it will need to reach in 2024 and promises “significant investments” to mobilize them. Plans are underway to expand on its work last cycle, including trainings it held on how best to turn out voters.
The Republican National Committee is trying to use Biden’s age against him, posting online videos of Biden seeming frail or making verbal gaffes, such as when he declared in June “God save the queen,” nearly nine months after the death of England’s Queen Elizabeth II.
Rodriguez shrugged off online attacks, “People can make all the hit pieces and memes and TikToks all they want.”
A starker contrast might be between the president and rising Democrats such as 46-year-old California Rep. Ro Khanna and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, 41, one of Biden’s primary rivals in 2020. Neither seriously entertained running for the White House in 2024 and have backed Biden’s reelection.
“The only thing that really matters is your ability to do the job,” Buttigieg, who was 37 when he launched his 2020 presidential bid, said recently on CNN. Khanna told Fox News Channel that age will “obviously” be a 2024 factor, but suggested that Biden’s staff “overprotects” him and “the more he’s out there, the better.”
Other top young Democrats have lined up to back Biden. Florida Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost, who was elected to Congress last year at 26, is on the Biden campaign’s advisory board, as is Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, 44. New York Rep. Alexandra Ocasio Cortez, 33, recently endorsed Biden.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, a progressive who says strong turnout among young voters helped him win a runoff election this spring, said Biden’s policies transcend his age. Johnson noted that the president’s work “around climate justice speaks not just to this generation, but generations to come.”
“The excitement that I believe that we’re going to have is going to speak to the incredible work and organizing that we are committed to doing as a party,” said Johnson, 47. “And we’re looking forward to working with the president over the course of his next four years.”
Still, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, acknowledged that even the president’s supporters understand how demanding the White House can be.
“People worry about Joe Biden. They worry like you would worry about a beloved father or grandfather,” said Weingarten, 65. “What you normally hear from Democrats is this sense of, ‘OK, I just want him to be OK.’ And you’re hearing just the consternation of, ’This is a hard job.’”
Biden said he “took a hard look” at his age while deciding to seek a second term. But he’s also tried to suggest his age and experience are assets rather than liabilities by joking repeatedly about them. That’s a departure from 2020, when Biden called himself a “transition candidate” and pledged to be a “bridge” to younger Democrats.
Santiago Mayer, the founder of Voters of Tomorrow, which has 20-plus chapters nationwide and works to increase political engagement among young voters, argues that Biden is not defying his past promise by running for reelection, but keeping it.
“He just needs more time,” said Mayer, who graduated from California State University at Long Beach in May. “I think the second term is a very important part of that pledge. He’s building a progressive future for young people and he can’t actually pass the baton until that’s done.”
One key policy piece of Biden’s efforts to appeal to young voters, providing student debt relief, was recently struck down by the Supreme Court. The White House has launched a new effort, but it will take longer.
“Of course it’s going to dampen some of that because people are disappointed,” Weingarten said of the ruling’s effect on enthusiasm for Biden. But she said the decision could also motivate young Biden supporters anxious show their support for the president’s alternative plan.
“It is also about the fight,” Weingarten said “not just about the results.”
___
AP polling director Emily Swanson in Washington contributed to this report. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/politics/ap-joe-biden-americas-oldest-sitting-president-needs-young-voters-to-win-again-will-his-age-matter/ | 2023-07-30T20:42:37 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/politics/ap-joe-biden-americas-oldest-sitting-president-needs-young-voters-to-win-again-will-his-age-matter/ |
Broken down vehicle in S. Topeka parking lot leads to woman’s theft arrest
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - A broken-down vehicle in a South Topeka parking lot that was stolen during the week led to a woman’s arrest after she was seen driving it.
The Topeka Police Department tells 13 NEWS that around 5 p.m. on Monday, July 24, officials were called to the 1600 block of SW 37th Terr. with reports of a stolen vehicle.
When officials arrived, they learned the owner of the vehicle had left it in a parking lot after it had broken down with the intention of returning for it. However, it had been stolen before they came back.
Around 6 p.m., TPD said officers saw the stolen vehicle near SE 21st and Pennsylvania Ave. and pulled the driver over.
During the stop, officials said the driver was identified as Anna M. Swarthout, 22, of Topeka. They also allegedly found illegal drugs in her possession.
Swarthout was arrested and booked into the Shawnee Co. Dept. of Corrections on:
- Operate a motor vehicle without a valid license
- Theft of property or services - less than $1,500 with 2 or more convictions within 5 years
- Possession of opiates
- Use or possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia
- Possession of stolen property - misdemeanor
As of Sunday, Swarthout remains behind bars on a $5,000 bond with a court appearance set for 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 3.
Copyright 2023 WIBW. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2023/07/30/broken-down-vehicle-s-topeka-parking-lot-leads-womans-theft-arrest/ | 2023-07-30T20:42:39 | 1 | https://www.wibw.com/2023/07/30/broken-down-vehicle-s-topeka-parking-lot-leads-womans-theft-arrest/ |
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — With less than a month to go until the first Republican presidential debate of the 2024 campaign, seven candidates say they have met qualifications for a spot on stage in Milwaukee.
But that also means that about half the broad GOP field is running short on time to make the cut.
To qualify for the Aug. 23 debate, candidates needed to satisfy polling and donor requirements set by the Republican National Committee: at least 1% in three high-quality national polls or a mix of national and early-state polls, between July 1 and Aug. 21, and a minimum of 40,000 donors, with 200 in 20 or more states.
A look at who’s in, who’s (maybe) out and who’s still working on making it:
DONALD TRUMP
The current front-runner long ago satisfied the polling and donor thresholds. But he is considering boycotting and holding a competing event.
Campaign advisers have said the former president has not made a final decision about the debate. One noted that “it’s pretty clear,” based on Trump’s public and private statements, that he is unlikely to appear with the other candidates.
“If you’re leading by a lot, what’s the purpose of doing it?” Trump asked on Newsmax.
In the meantime, aides have discussed potential alternative programming if Trump opts for a rival event. One option Trump has floated is an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who now has a program on X, the site formerly known as Twitter.
RON DESANTIS
The Florida governor has long been seen as Trump’s top rival, finishing a distant second to him in a series of polls in early-voting states, as well as national polls, and raising an impressive amount of money.
But DeSantis’ campaign has struggled in recent weeks to live up to the sky-high expectations that awaited him when he entered the race. He let go of more than one-third of his staff as federal filings showed his campaign was burning through cash at an unsustainable rate.
If Trump is absent, DeSantis may be the top target on stage at the debate.
TIM SCOTT
The South Carolina senator has been looking for a breakout moment. The first debate could be his chance.
A prolific fundraiser, Scott enters the summer with $21 million cash on hand.
In one debate-approved poll in Iowa, Scott joined Trump and DeSantis in reaching double digits. The senator has focused much of his campaign resources on the leadoff GOP voting state, which is dominated by white evangelical voters.
NIKKI HALEY
She has blitzed early-voting states with campaign events, walking crowds through her electoral successes ousting a longtime incumbent South Carolina lawmaker, then becoming the state’s first woman and first minority governor. Also serving as Trump’s U.N. ambassador for about two years, Haley frequently cites her international experience, arguing about the threat China poses to the United States.
The only woman in the GOP race, Haley has said transgender students competing in sports is “the women’s issue of our time” and has drawn praise from a leading anti-abortion group, which called her “uniquely gifted at communicating from a pro-life woman’s perspective.”
Bringing in $15.6 million since the start of her campaign, Haley’s campaign says she has “well over 40,000 unique donors” and has satisfied the debate polling requirements.
VIVEK RAMASWAMY
The biotech entrepreneur and author of “Woke, Inc.: Inside Corporate America’s Social Justice Scam” is an audience favorite at multicandidate events and has polled well despite not being nationally known when he entered the race.
Ramaswamy’s campaign says he met the donor threshold earlier this year. He recently rolled out “Vivek’s Kitchen Cabinet” to boost his donor numbers even more, by letting fundraisers keep 10% of what they bring in for his campaign.
CHRIS CHRISTIE
The former New Jersey governor opened his campaign by portraying himself as the only candidate ready to take on Trump. Christie called on the former president to “show up at the debates and defend his record.”
Christie will be on that stage, even if Trump isn’t, telling CNN this month that he surpassed “40,000 unique donors in just 35 days.” He also has met the polling requirements.
DOUG BURGUM
Burgum, a wealthy former software entrepreneur now in his second term as North Dakota’s governor, has been using his fortune to boost his campaign.
He announced a program this month to give away $20 gift cards — “Biden Relief Cards,” as a critique of President Joe Biden’s handling of the economy — to as many as 50,000 people in exchange for $1 donations. Critics have questioned whether the offer violated campaign finance law.
Within about a week of launching that effort, Burgum announced he had surpassed the donor threshold. Ad blitzes in the early-voting states also helped him meet the polling requirements.
MIKE PENCE
Trump’s vice president has met the polling threshold but has yet to amass a sufficient number of donors, raising the possibility that he might not qualify for the party’s first debate.
Pence and his advisers have expressed confidence he will do so, noting that most other Republican hopefuls took a month or two of being active candidates to meet the mark. Pence entered the race on June 7, the same day as Burgum and one day after Christie.
“We’re making incredible progress toward that goal. We’re not there yet,” Pence told CNN in a recent interview. “We will make it. I will see you at that debate stage.”
ASA HUTCHINSON
According to his campaign, the former two-term Arkansas governor has met the polling requirements but is working on satisfying the donor threshold. As of Wednesday, Hutchinson marked more than 11,000 unique donors.
Hutchinson is running in the mold of an old-school Republican and has differentiated himself from many of his GOP rivals in his willingness to criticize Trump. He has posted pleas on Twitter for $1 donations to help secure his slot.
FRANCIS SUAREZ
The Miami mayor has been one of the more creative candidates in his efforts to boost his donor numbers. He offered up a chance to see Argentine soccer legend Lionel Messi’s debut as a player for Inter Miami, saying donors who gave $1 would be entered in a chance to get front-row tickets.
Still shy of the donor threshold, he took a page from Burgum’s playbook by offering a $20 “Bidenomics Relief Card” in return for $1 donations. A super political action committee supporting Suarez launched a sweepstakes for a chance at up to $15,000 in tuition, in exchange for a $1 donation to Suarez’s campaign.
Suarez’s campaign did not return a message seeking details on his number of donors or qualifying polls.
LARRY ELDER
The conservative radio host wrote in an op-ed that the RNC “has rigged the rules of the game by instituting a set of criteria that is so onerous and poorly designed that only establishment-backed and billionaire candidates are guaranteed to be on stage.”
His campaign last week declined to detail its number of donors, saying only that there had been “a strong increase the last few weeks.” He has not met the polling requirements.
PERRY JOHNSON
Johnson, a wealthy but largely unknown businessman from Michigan, said in a recent social media post that he had notched 23,000 donors and was “confident” he would make the debate stage. He added that all donors were “eligible to attend my free concert in Iowa featuring” country duo Big & Rich next month.
Johnson, who has reached 1% in one qualifying poll, has also offered to give copies of his book “Two Cents to Save America” to anyone who donated to his campaign.
WILL HURD
The former Texas congressman — the last candidate to enter the race, on June 22 — has said repeatedly that he would not pledge to support the eventual GOP nominee, a stance that would keep him off the stage even if he had the qualifying donor and polling numbers.
___
Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP | https://www.wjhl.com/news/politics/ap-whos-in-whos-out-a-look-at-which-candidates-have-qualified-for-the-1st-gop-presidential-debate/ | 2023-07-30T20:42:44 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/politics/ap-whos-in-whos-out-a-look-at-which-candidates-have-qualified-for-the-1st-gop-presidential-debate/ |
Rare Beauty products by Selena Gomez are going viral
Since its debut in 2019, Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty company has taken the makeup industry by storm, mostly by dominating social media. The brand offers tinted moisturizer, bronzer, highlighter, setting powder, blush and other facial products; eye makeup such as eyeshadow, mascara and eyebrow pencils; products to enhance the lips, including lipstick, lip liner, lip oil and more. We researched the trendiest, most popular products from this celebrity-owned beauty brand worth adding to your makeup routine.
Shop this article: Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, Rare Beauty Liquid Touch Brightening Concealer, and Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Universal Volumizing Mascara
About Rare Beauty
Selena Gomez’s vision for Rare Beauty breaks down unrealistic standards of perfection in the makeup industry. The brand’s mission is to help wearers celebrate the rarity that is their individuality, the main objective being “to create a safe, welcoming space in beauty — and beyond — that supports mental well-being across age, gender identity, sexual orientation, rare, cultural background, physical or mental ability and perspective,” according to the Rare Beauty site.
Rare Beauty products are cruelty-free, meaning they were developed without experimentation on animals. Depending on the product type, they’re also ophthalmologist- and/or dermatologist-tested. Many of the products have noncomedogenic ingredients that won’t clog or block pores, and there are various options for sensitive skin. Rare Beauty has a selection of vegan products, as well. They’re a skin-friendly, self-aware brand that wants to make the world a better place.
Top Rare Beauty products, according to customers
Rare Beauty Kind Words Matte Lipstick
This buttery matte lipstick comes in 10 pigment-rich shades ranging from natural to bold. Suitable for sensitive skin, the creamy formula lasts all day while keeping lips soft and moisturized throughout wear.
Sold by Sephora
Rare Beauty Kind Words Matte Lip Liner
This creamy, waterproof lip liner defines and shapes the lips while staying put all day — it’s perfect for outlining the lips or coloring them in. The lightweight formula keeps the lips feeling soft and won’t smudge. It features a built-in sharpener and comes in the same 10 shades as the Kind Words Matte Lipstick for effortless color matching.
Sold by Sephora
Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush
This lush liquid blush is Rare Beauty’s top-seller, having received Allure’s Best of Beauty award in 2022. The lightweight, buildable formula gives you a soft flush of color with long-lasting pigments for all-day wear. It’s suitable for sensitive skin and has 13 beautiful matte and dewy finishes.
Sold by Sephora
Rare Beauty Liquid Touch Brightening Concealer
This medium-coverage concealer hides blemishes, dark circles, redness and fine lines while evening out skin texture. It’s made with botanical ingredients that soothe and nourish the skin. The creamy formula is lightweight, buildable and sweat-resistant, with 48 shades to match virtually every skin tone.
Sold by Sephora
Rare Beauty Liquid Touch Weightless Foundation
This liquid foundation feels like a serum with a layerable, medium-coverage formula and a blend of botanical ingredients that soothe and nourish the skin. It’s best used with normal and combination skin types, available in 48 shades that accommodate nearly every skin tone.
Sold by Sephora
Rare Beauty Positive Light Liquid Luminizer
This silky liquid highlighter feels like a second skin, creating a dewy, healthy-looking glow with superfine, light-catching pearls. Botanical ingredients have a soothing and nourishing effect on the skin. It layers well over makeup and provides all-day coverage with seven luminous shades.
Sold by Sephora
Rare Beauty Warm Wishes Effortless Bronzer Stick
This cream bronzer gives you a sun-kissed glow and adds gentle warmth to the skin with its natural finish. The formula is buildable, water-resistant and won’t clog your pores. It features Rare Beauty’s signature botanical ingredients for a calming and hydrating effect on the skin. The brand sells seven natural-looking shades, and the stick application makes it easy to use.
Sold by Sephora
Rare Beauty Always an Optimist Soft Radiance Setting Powder
This loose setting powder smooths skin texture, blurring the look of pores and controlling shine for a radiant yet natural finish. It helps makeup stay in place all day and is especially useful for those who struggle with oily skin. The container has a locking sifter for keeping the application process and storage mess-free. This setting powder comes in five sheer shades.
Sold by Sephora
Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Universal Volumizing Mascara
This volumizing mascara was created for all lash types, featuring castor oil that conditions and nourishes your lashes. The unique curvy brush design combines long bristles that add length and short bristles for increasing volume. It’s an ultra-black, buildable, water-resistant formula that performs well all day. This mascara is safe for those with sensitive eyes and contact lenses.
Sold by Sephora
Rare Beauty Positive Light Under Eye Brightener
If you struggle with dark circles or discoloration under the eyes, this liquid brightener will visibly brighten and smooth out the under-eye area for a refreshed look. The lightweight formula is enriched by hydrating white peony and vitamin E extracts. It’s easy to blend and layer using your fingertip, with six shades covering various skin tones.
Sold by Sephora
Rare Beauty Positive Light Tinted Moisturizer
This tinted moisturizer blurs and evens skin tone while minimizing the look of pores and fine lines. It offers glowy, light to medium coverage, with a hydrating formula containing vitamin E and SPF 20 broad-spectrum sunscreen. The long-lasting moisturizer is nongreasy and comes in 24 flexible shades.
Sold by Sephora
Rare Beauty Always an Optimist 4-In-1 Mist
This unique facial mist contains a layer of water-based active ingredients and another with nourishing oils that work together to hydrate, prime and set the skin. The refreshing mist boosts the foundation’s performance, and the natural, radiant finish won’t feel greasy. Suitable for sensitive skin, this versatile product comes in 0.12- and 2.87-fluid-ounce bottles.
Sold by Sephora
Worth checking out
- With a glossy finish and gentle plumping effect on the lips, the Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil is a beauty-lover favorite.
- If you prefer using a powder highlighter, the Rare Beauty Positive Light Silky Touch Highlighter is an excellent option for a soft, natural-looking glow.
- The award-winning Rare Beauty Stay Vulnerable Melting Blush offers a natural satin finish with a subtle blurring effect.
- The Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Longwear Gel Eyeliner is a waterproof product that will stay in place — even on the waterline — with a built-in sharpener for precise application.
- The waterproof Rare Beauty Brow Harmony Precision Pencil is another stellar pick among fans for fuller-looking, more defined brows.
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Bouldering equipment for beginners
Bouldering is gaining in popularity throughout the world. It’s an exciting and rewarding way to strengthen your muscles, increase flexibility and improve coordination. It lets you explore new locations and meet new people. Though it may seem intimidating when starting out, one of the best aspects of bouldering is the minimal equipment required. By investing in a few core pieces of climbing gear, you can tackle your next adventure and work your way up a challenging route.
Shop this article: La Sportiva Men’s TarantuLace Climbing Shoe, Black Diamond Circuit Crash Pad and Sukoa Chalk Bag
Bouldering vs. rope climbing: what’s the difference?
There are a few main differences between bouldering and traditional rock climbing. Most importantly, bouldering doesn’t require the use of any ropes since most routes are less than 15 feet in height. If you do happen to fall, you land on either a cushioned gym floor or a crash pad in outdoor situations. Traditional climbing requires the use of ropes, a harness, carabiners and often a partner to help belay while you make your ascent.
Bouldering also often uses different techniques and climbing moves compared to big wall climbs. It can be a great way for beginner climbers to build up their stamina and endurance before attempting longer routes or “boulder problems.”
Bouldering tips to get started
Here are five tips for bouldering.
- Know the scales: Most bouldering routes have a rating that corresponds to their difficulty. The two most common grading scales are V-scale and Font scale. V-scale is the system most commonly used in the United States and grades the difficulty on a scale of V0 to V16. While V0 is usually considered the easiest, you may sometimes encounter a route rated as VB, meaning it is for beginners.
- Start slow: As with most new sports or athletic activities, it’s always a good idea to start off slow and work your way up as you gain strength and experience. While it may seem tempting to tackle a hard boulder problem right out of the gate, overdoing it can lead to an increased risk of injury.
- It’s fine to fall: Always take all safety precautions seriously and always use proper safety gear, such as a crash pad when bouldering outdoors. However, the occasional fall while attempting a climb is only natural. As long as you have the proper safety equipment, each fall can be a learning experience, helping you improve your climbing abilities.
- Practice different moves: Don’t get stuck climbing in one style. Trying out different moves and varying your grip can help improve your skills. This is especially important for beginners starting out in a gym setting before transitioning to outdoor climbs.
- Legs are important: It may seem like bouldering is all about arm strength for beginners, but that isn’t the case. Your legs and core muscles are equally important. Your legs can help tightly grip footholds and push your body upwards without relying solely on arm strength.
Beginner bouldering gear
The three main pieces of gear you need to start bouldering are climbing shoes, a crash pad and a chalk bag to keep your hands dry. Besides the big three, there are several accessories that can improve your bouldering experience.
Best climbing shoes
La Sportiva Men’s TarantuLace Climbing Shoe
These bouldering shoes are perfect for both beginner and intermediate climbers. The high-traction Frixion sole means you can grip the rock face with confidence. The quick-lacing system provides a comfortable fit.
Sold by Amazon
Scarpa Origin Women’s Climbing Shoe
These women’s climbing shoes are a great beginner option. They use a flat last and heel system that reduces pressure and tension so they aren’t painful on your feet after a full day spent bouldering.
Sold by Backcountry
Best crash pads
Black Diamond Circuit Crash Pad
This crash pad is great for transporting to your favorite bouldering spot without being too heavy or bulky. The closed-cell PE foam is ideal for cushioning falls from various heights. It has backpack straps and easy-to-carry handles.
Sold by Amazon
This protective crash pad features 5 inches of padding and can even serve as a comfortable chair when not in use. You can choose between several fun colors.
Sold by Amazon
Best chalk bags and chalk
This budget-friendly chalk bag is great for beginners. It features two built-in pockets, letting you store important items while bouldering. The main compartment uses water-resistant materials. It’s spacious enough to accommodate larger hands.
Sold by Amazon
This simple chalk bag with a drawstring closure makes it easy to access your chalk with one hand. It is also available in several color options.
Sold by Amazon
This non-toxic chalk prevents any type of moisture from interfering with your climb, keeping your hands dry and your mind focused.
Sold by Amazon
Best climbing accessories
Using climbing tape can be helpful when getting your fingers and hands used to rough rock surfaces. This tape uses durable cotton and can prevent painful scrapes and scratches while building up callouses.
Sold by Amazon
Metolius Simulator 3D Training Board
An at-home training board can help you practice your grips on days when the weather isn’t cooperating, and you can’t make it to the gym. This Metolius model can be installed above your door frame and features a variety of holds in different sizes.
Sold by Amazon
PETZL Unisex Boreo Climbing Helmet
Not all people who boulder choose to wear a helmet, but they can help prevent a serious head injury in the event of an unexpected fall. This helmet has ventilation holes for breathability and sports a soft, comfortable headband.
Sold by Backcountry
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Matthew Young writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.wjhl.com/reviews/br/camping-outdoors-br/gear-br/beginners-guide-to-bouldering-equipment-what-you-need-to-get-started/ | 2023-07-30T20:42:57 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/reviews/br/camping-outdoors-br/gear-br/beginners-guide-to-bouldering-equipment-what-you-need-to-get-started/ |
Which product helps prevent thigh chafing best?
Do you find your sense of style forever or athletic endeavors in conflict with the possibility of uncomfortable thigh chafing? You’re not alone. Sometimes a great outfit can be rendered completely unusable because you know your thighs will be left feeling red and raw after a little while. The same goes for people who do a lot of running or swimming. Fortunately, you no longer have to choose between what you want to do or wear and the toll it will take on your skin. There are creams, clothes and even creative accessories designed to soothe skin and prevent thigh chafing so you can live your life comfortably.
Shop this article: Monistat Care Chafing Relief Powder Gel, Body Glide Skin Glide Anti-Friction Cream and Undersummers by CarrieRae Women’s Shortlette
What causes thigh chafing?
The friction produced between the thighs when they rub together causes thigh chafing. It can make the skin red and cause irritation or even pain. Chafing, in general, is often considered an athlete concern, but it can be especially problematic for anyone during seasons when skirts and dresses are popular. Long pants usually lessen friction by providing a barrier of fabric between your thighs, which is why it’s often less of a problem when temperatures drop. Though inconvenient and uncomfortable, you can address thigh chafing and lessen or prevent it in a variety of ways.
What solutions are available?
These days, there are a few preventative measures you can take to avoid thigh chafing. There are rub-in creams or roll-on palms designed to do the trick, but if you’d prefer something wearable, there are shorts and bands that serve the same purpose.
Best rub-in thigh chafing preventatives
Monistat Care Chafing Relief Powder Gel
This is a non-greasy, fragrance-free formula that’s gentle on sensitive skin and combines the best of lotion and powder care. It protects skin, relieves irritation and is reliable for everyday use. It can be used for thigh chafing as well as underarm or breast chafing.
Sold by Amazon
Body Glide Skin Glide Anti-Friction Cream
This hypoallergenic hydrating cream doesn’t leave a greasy residue and creates a smooth barrier that protects sensitive skin. It won’t clog pores and washes off easily in the bath or shower. The cream prevents thigh chafing in both humid and dry climates.
Sold by Amazon
Though Aquaphor is mostly used for cracked skin, chapped lips and even tattoo care, it also makes for an excellent thigh chafing preventative. It’s incredibly nourishing for sensitive skin and it’s fragrance-free. A little goes a long way, and so a large jar like this one will last a while.
Sold by Amazon
Chamois Butt’r Original Anti-Chafe Cream
This anti-chafe cream is great for athletes or anyone experiencing uncomfortable thigh chafing. It’s gluten-free, paraben-free and has no artificial fragrances or colors in it. It also rubs into the skin smoothly and evenly.
Sold by Amazon
Blue Steel Sports Anti-Chafe Cream
This anti-chafing cream is called a “sports” cream but is made for anyone and includes natural tea tree oil. It’s water/sweat resistant, making it great for those planning on swimming or even just walking around on a hot day. It’s not greasy and won’t stain your clothes either.
Sold by Amazon
Best stick/roll-on thigh chafing preventatives
Vaseline All Over Body Balm Jelly Stick
This anti-friction jelly stick really nourishes dry skin. It can prevent chafing before it happens or soothes skin already sore from it. You can even use it on chapped lips or dry, cracked hands.
KT Tape KT Performance+ Anti-Chafing Stick
Here is a gel stick that is sweat-resistant, water-resistant and made to last up to 24 hours. It’s not sticky and holds up in both humid and dry climates. There are no sulfates, parabens, petroleum or dyes included in this formula.
Sold by Amazon
Zone Naturals Chub Rub All Natural Anti-Chafing Stick
This anti-chafing stick is made with all-natural ingredients that include coconut oil, Shea butter and aloe. It helps to protect and hydrate skin with the bonus of being paraben-free and fragrance-free.
Sold by Amazon
Squirrel’s Nut Butter All Natural Anti Chafe Salve Stick Applicator
Here is a salve popular with men and women for dry/sensitive skin. It’s in stick applicator form and great at preventing thigh chafing but can also be used for eczema, dry skin, diaper rash, razor burn and tattoo recovery.
Sold by Amazon
This anti-friction stick is designed specifically for thighs but you can use it anywhere to prevent chafing. It is made with aloe, pomegranate seed extract, Vitamin E and other natural ingredients. It’s sulfate, aluminum, paraben and phthalates-free.
Sold by Ulta Beauty
Best wearable thigh chafing preventatives
Hanes Men’s Comfort Flex Fit Total Support Pouch 3-Pack
Available in long leg or regular leg sizes, this package comes with three comfortable and breathable boxer briefs in assorted colors. They are made from a polyester/spandex blend and won’t ride up the thigh even after going through the washing machine.
Sold by Amazon
Wirarpa Women’s Anti Chafing Cotton Underwear
This set of three comes available in several color combinations and provides a comfortable fit for chafe-free thighs. The underwear is made from a cotton/spandex blend and it’s machine washable (though you should hang dry).
Sold by Amazon
Bandelettes Patented Trademarked Original Elastic Anti-Chafing Thigh Bands
Available in several colors and styles, this set of nylon/spandex blend bands is perfect for those who want their thighs protected but don’t want to wear long underwear or shorts beneath their clothes. They look delicate and flirty but are hand-wash only and line dry.
Sold by Amazon
Undersummers by CarrieRae Women’s Shortlette
This stretchy polyester/spandex shortlette protects thighs without causing extra friction that can be painful to the skin. It doesn’t ride up and comes in three colors (ecru, beige and black).
Sold by Amazon
Chicky Chaps Stretch-Mesh Breathable Thigh Bands
These mesh and lace thigh bands clip onto underwear to not fall and come in seven colors and styles. They aren’t the most durable chafe preventative, but if you’re looking for something sexier that looks like lingerie, these bands fit the bill. They are hand-wash only and line dry.
Sold by Amazon
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Emily Verona writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers.
Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.wjhl.com/reviews/br/health-wellness-br/medical-supplies-equipment-br/15-products-that-help-prevent-thigh-chafing/ | 2023-07-30T20:43:04 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/reviews/br/health-wellness-br/medical-supplies-equipment-br/15-products-that-help-prevent-thigh-chafing/ |
Become a lawn master
Knowing how to plant a new lawn is a useful skill to have, no matter if you’re moving into a new house, sprucing up your current one, or you just want to develop your green thumb. A lush green lawn is often the first thing people notice about your home, and well-manicured grass can greatly increase the value of your property. With a few personal touches, you can make it your own.
While it may seem like a daunting task at first, planting or renovating your lawn is relatively simple when broken down into a few easy-to-follow steps.
Shop this article: Tillers, Fertilizers and Lawn Rollers
Sod vs. seed
First, you must decide whether you want to use grass seed or sod on your lawn.
Let’s start with sod, as grass seed is relatively self-explanatory. Sod, also known as instant lawn or turf grass, is rolled grass that offers several benefits over grass seed. The most obvious is that it’s much faster to establish and gives the look of a finished lawn instantly. In addition, quality sod has few or no weed seeds present, which can save major headaches (and backaches) down the road. Also, because it’s heartier than young grass, sod can be installed nearly any time of year, so long as the ground isn’t frozen or exposed to extreme heat. However, it’s not without disadvantages.
Due to its convenience, sod is initially more expensive than grass seed and requires labor to install. Your grass choices are restricted as well, because most sod farmers grow their products in full sun. That means if your lawn is shaded by houses or large trees, sod may not thrive as well as seed designed for those environments. Shade blend sod is available in some areas, but it’s not always easy to find.
By contrast, grass seed is simpler, cheaper, less labor-intensive at the onset, and offers more choice when it comes to grass variety. It requires more consistent maintenance, though, and the chance for weed contamination is higher. Perhaps the most notable drawback is this method has a defined window for success, as extreme temperatures can lead to patchy results or complete seed failure.
How to prepare lawn for new grass
No matter which method you choose to grow your new lawn, the initial preparation is relatively consistent. Follow these steps:
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First, remove debris and any existing vegetation, i.e. weeds and grass. You can do this physically, with a flame torch, using a home remedy, or with a non-selective herbicide. If you use chemicals, remember to wait for the compounds to become inert before planting (check product labels for this info).
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Repeat the first step, till the soil, and check it again to make sure all remaining seeds are gone. Doing this will ensure a weed-free lawn in the long term.
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Once the area is free of vegetation, you are ready to plant.
How to plant a lawn with sod
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Till the first two inches of soil with a tiller or rake. If needed, add seeding soil to the top of your existing soil.
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Level soil. Any dips or bumps could stay there for years and can look unsightly.
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If you do not use seeding soil (these generally have starter fertilizer mixed in), apply a starter fertilizer, water, and till in.
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Roll out sod. Keep edges snug against each other but don’t overlap them.
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Use a lawn roller to smooth out and firm the sod, connecting it with the ground below and facilitating root contact. Keep sod moist for the first two weeks after application to further assist root growth.
How to plant a lawn with seed
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Till the first two inches of soil with a tiller or rake. If needed, add seeding soil to the top of your existing soil.
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Level soil. Any dips or bumps could stay there for years and can look unsightly.
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If you do not use seeding soil (these generally have starter fertilizer mixed in), apply a starter fertilizer, water, and till in.
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Divide your seed into two equal portions. Spread one half going one direction, with the other half going at a right angle in the other direction. This crisscross pattern guarantees even coverage across your lawn. For higher accuracy, use a drop spreader.
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Tamp seed down with a lawn roller. For added protection, cover the seeds with 1/4 inch of peat moss or compost. This prevents the seeds from washing away, stops birds from eating them, and also holds in moisture.
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Gently soak the soil about six inches deep after seeding, and keep the seeds moist until grass has germinated. This should take approximately two weeks. Continue to lightly water three to four times a day until the grass is about a half-inch high, then maintain as normal.
How to take care of new grass
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A watering rule of thumb: Once the grass is high enough to mow, water at approximately one inch per week.
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Water your lawn early in the morning. Doing it at night keeps the water stagnant, which raises the risk for mold and fungus, and watering midday increases evaporation risk. In addition, water deeply and infrequently as opposed to lightly and more often, as this improves root health.
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Keep your mower blades sharp, and don’t cut more than a third of the grass blade at a time to prevent shocking the grass.
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Fertilize every four to six weeks with lawn fertilizer.
Lawn care shopping list
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Planting a new lawn is incredibly rewarding, but it takes a toll on your hands. Invest in some high-quality gardening gloves to stay safe from thorns, sharp sticks, sunlight, and abrasions.
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A sturdy rake or cultivator will help you till your lawn before planting. This is a necessary step to remove unwanted vegetation, loosen up dirt, and aerate the soil.
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A lawn roller is the most efficient way to both tamp down new grass seeds and secure sod to the soil below. Fill your lawn roller with water if more weight is needed to finish the job. Choose between tow models that hook up to powered equipment or simple push/pull versions.
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Drop spreaders are extremely helpful in evenly distributing grass seed over an area. Available in rolling and handheld versions, these spreaders are adjustable for different drop rates. Great for grass seed or fertilizer!
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Fertilizer is necessary to keep a lawn healthy and full. Lawn fertilizers are typically rich in nitrogen, which is very water-soluble and promotes green, leafy growth.
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Your lawn won’t survive without water, and an adjustable rotating sprinkler helps it stay irrigated at the seedling stage as well as when it’s fully developed. Interested in even more control? Consider a multi-zone irrigation controller.
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Bob Beacham writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.wjhl.com/reviews/br/lawn-garden-br/lawn-care-br/how-to-plant-a-new-lawn/ | 2023-07-30T20:43:11 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/reviews/br/lawn-garden-br/lawn-care-br/how-to-plant-a-new-lawn/ |
TORONTO (AP) — Los Angeles Angels outfielder Taylor Ward was placed on the 10-day injured list with facial fractures on Sunday, a day after he was hit by a 91 mph pitch from Blue Jays right-hander Alek Manoah.
Ward was taken to a Toronto hospital after being struck in the fifth inning of Saturday’s 6-1 loss. He was released from hospital Saturday evening.
Before Sunday’s game, Angels manager Phil Nevin said Ward did not have vision damage. Surgery is an option for Ward, but no decision has been made. It was not clear when Ward would be able to return to California. The Angels play a three-game series at Atlanta this week before returning home Thursday to host Seattle.
To replace Ward, the Angels selected the contract of infielder Kevin Padlo from Triple-A Salt Lake.
Batting with the bases loaded, Ward was hit by a 2-0 pitch from Manoah. The ball appeared to strike Ward next to his next left eye, knocking off his batting helmet.
Plate umpire Andy Fletcher motioned to the Angels’ dugout for the trainer as Ward went down, blood running down his face. Angels staff rushed to the plate and held a towel to Ward’s face. After a couple of minutes, Ward got to his feet and left the field on a cart. His left eye appeared to be swollen shut.
A six-year veteran who has spent his entire career with the Angels, Ward is batting .253 with 14 home runs and 47 RBI in 97 games.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.wjhl.com/sports/us-world-sports/ap-angels-outfielder-taylor-ward-placed-on-il-with-facial-fractures-after-being-hit-in-head/ | 2023-07-30T20:43:17 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/sports/us-world-sports/ap-angels-outfielder-taylor-ward-placed-on-il-with-facial-fractures-after-being-hit-in-head/ |
FUKUOKA, Japan (AP) — Canadian teenager Summer McIntosh should be a star at next year’s Paris Olympics, and she showed why Sunday on the closing day of the swimming world championships in Japan.
The 16-year-old McIntosh won her second gold of the event, taking the 400-meter individual medley after winning the 200 butterfly gold on Friday.
That made up for a slow start for the young Canadian, who finished fourth in the 400 free, where she held the world record until Australia’s Ariarne Titmus took it back. She also took bronze in the 200 free, at least getting a medal.
“Going into tonight I just wanted to see how hard I could push myself,” McIntosh said.
She did just that. Her time of 4 minutes, 27.11 seconds was the third fastest ever, not far off her world record of 4:25.87. She was also the defending world champion. American Katie Grimes took the silver in 4:31.41, with Jenna Forrester of Australia picking up the bronze in 4:32.30.
“It was definitely motivating,” McIntosh said of her first few days. “I try to turn everything that goes wrong into motivation somehow.”
Asked about Paris, she replied: “Right now I’m just thinking about a little break.”
McIntosh should be joined by other young stars in Paris like 21-year-old Frenchman Leon Marchand and Australia’s 22-year-old Kaylee McKeown. Marchand and McKeown each won three individual golds.
The Americans also closed fast.
After winning only four gold medals during the first seven days, they picked up three on the eighth and final day for a total of seven golds and 38 overall. The gold total is still their lowest in a worlds going back for around 20 years. They won only eight in the 2015 worlds.
Australia finished with 13 gold and 20 overall, and China had five gold and 16 overall.
“This is the cherry on top,” said American Regan Smith, part of the winning 4×100 women’s medley relay. “I love racing with these girls and I love relays so much and brining home a gold in the last event for Team USA means so much to me and all of us.”
The Americans finished in 3:52.08, followed by Australia (3:53.37) and Canada (3:54.12).
The United States also won the men’s 4×100 medley in 3:27.20, ahead of China (3:29.00) and Australia (3:29.62), and added another gold with Hunter Armstrong in the 50-meter backstroke (24.05).
Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden made history with her victory in the women’s 50-meter freestyle. The gold gave Sjostrom 21 medals in individual races in the world championships, surpassing Michael Phelps who had 20.
Sjostrom, who set the world record in the semifinals on Saturday, powered home in the final 25 meters for the win, clocking 23.62. Shayna Jack of Australia picked up the silver in 24.10, while Zhang Yufei of China earned the bronze in 24.15.
Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania set a world record on the way to winning gold in the women’s 50-meter breaststroke in 29.16. She equaled the old world mark of 29.30 the night before in the semifinals.
Meilutyte grabbed the early lead and was never challenged. American Lilly King claimed the silver in 29.94, while Benedetta Pilato of Italy picked up the bronze in 30.04. She shared the old record of 29.30 with Meilutyte.
Ahmed Hafnaoui of Tunisia added the men’s 1,500-meter free gold to the 800 free he won earlier in the worlds, prevailing in an epic battle with American Bobby Finke that went down to the wire.
The 20-year-old Hafnaoui, the defending 400 free Olympic champion, captured the gold in 14:31.54, with Finke clocking 14:31.59 for silver. Sam Short of Australia rounded out the podium with the bronze in 14:37.28.
The mark was just off the world record by Sun Yang of China, 14:31.02, set in 2012. Sun has been suspended for a doping violation.
“Bobby (Finke) is so fast at the end of the race. he pushed us to do the 14.31,” Hafnaoui said. “It was so close to the world record. I mean I enjoyed the race and thanks Bobby for pushing me.”
___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.wjhl.com/sports/us-world-sports/ap-canadian-summer-mcintosh-16-gets-second-gold-medal-at-swimming-worlds-in-japan/ | 2023-07-30T20:43:24 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/sports/us-world-sports/ap-canadian-summer-mcintosh-16-gets-second-gold-medal-at-swimming-worlds-in-japan/ |
Houston has moved on from one of its receivers.
The Texans waived Amari Rodgers, the team announced on Sunday.
A third-round pick in the 2021 draft, Rodgers joined Houston midway through the 2022 season when the club claimed him off waivers. He caught 12 passes for 154 yards with a touchdown in six games.
Green Bay drafted Rodgers at No. 85 overall and he appeared in 26 games with one start before he was waived. He caught eight passes for 95 yards with Green Bay. He also averaged 7.6 yards on 40 punt returns and 28.9 yards on 34 kick returns.
Rodgers will now hit the waiver wire where a team may take a flyer on the former third-round pick.
Additionally, Houston activated defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins and cornerback Kendall Sheffield off of the physically unable to perform list. | https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/texans-waive-amari-rodgers | 2023-07-30T20:43:27 | 1 | https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/texans-waive-amari-rodgers |
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The fight itself didn’t match the hype, but Terence Crawford’s performance exceeded it.
He knocked down Errol Spence Jr. three times Saturday night before finally ending the fight at 2:32 of the ninth round on a technical knockout to cement himself as one of the greatest welterweights in history.
The fight, the most-anticipated boxing match in several years, made Crawford the first undisputed champion in the 147-pound division in the four-belt era that began in 2004.
Crawford (40-0, 31 knockouts) already owned the WBO belt, and took the WBC, WBA and IBF titles from Spence (28-1). Crawford also ran his KO streak to 11 matches, the second-longest active stretch.
Crawford, 35, has won titles at super lightweight and lightweight in addition to welterweight, capturing the latter after moving up in 2018. The Omaha, Nebraska, fighter became the first male boxer to become the undisputed champion in two divisions in the four-belt era.
“I only dreamed of being a world champion,” Crawford said. “I’m an over-achiever. Nobody believed in me when I was coming up, but I made everybody a believer. I want to thank Spence and his team because without him none of this would have been possible.”
A big fight night on the Strip still brings out the stars, with recording artist Andre 3000 of Outkast, NBA star Damian Lillard and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones at T-Mobile Arena. They were among the celebrities that also included former boxing champions such as Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao.
Eminem introduced Crawford and his song “Lose Yourself” played as he walked into the ring before a sellout crowd of 19,990 at T-Mobile Arena.
Spence was the aggressor early on, but Crawford sent him to the floor with a right hand with 20 seconds left in the second round. Then Crawford went after Spence, but time ran out before he could finish him off.
Crawford, a minus-154 favorite, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, then took control of the fight, landing several major blows, often on counters. But Crawford also picked his spots to go after Spence, his punching power taking a heavy toll.
“He was just better tonight,” Spence said. “I make no excuses. He was throwing a harder jab. He was timing with his jab, and he had his timing down on point.”
In the seventh round, Crawford knocked down Spence twice — with a short right at 1:02 and with another right with just a second left.
The fight was essentially over at that point, though Crawford backed off in the eighth round. He came roaring back in the ninth to end it for sure.
Crawford didn’t waste the chance to gloat afterward, directly responding to his critics.
“They said I wasn’t good enough and I couldn’t beat these welterweights,” Crawford said. “I just kept my head to the sky and kept praying to God that I would get the opportunity to show the world how great Terence Crawford is. Tonight, I believe I showed how great I am.”
Spence, however, said he would be up for a rematch, but wants to move up to the 154-pound division.
“We’ve got to do it again,” Spence said. “I would be a lot better.”
Crawford said he would have no problem moving up a weight class.
“I’m in the hurt business,” Crawford said. “Forty-seven is kind of hard for me, too. I was already talking about moving up in weight and challenging (champion Jermell) Charlo.”
The 33-year-old Spence, who lives in DeSoto, Texas, won the IBF title in 2017, claimed the WBC championship in 2019 and took the WBA championship last year.
In the co-main event, Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz (25-2-1) of Mexico beat Chicago resident Giovanni Cabrera (21-1) by split decision in a WBC and WBA lightweight match. Judges Benoit Roussel (114-113) and Don Trella (115-112) scored the fight in favor of Cruz, and Glenn Feldman gave Cabrera the fight by a 114-113 score. Cruz had a point deducted because of a head butt.
Also, Alexandro Santiago (28-3-5) of Mexico won the vacant WBC bantamweight title with a 115-113, 116-112, 116-12 decision over Nonito Donaire (42-8), who lives in Las Vegas.
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AP boxing: https://apnews.com/hub/boxing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.wjhl.com/sports/us-world-sports/ap-crawford-unifies-welterweight-division-with-9th-round-tko-in-dominant-performance-over-spence/ | 2023-07-30T20:43:30 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/sports/us-world-sports/ap-crawford-unifies-welterweight-division-with-9th-round-tko-in-dominant-performance-over-spence/ |
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Dalvin Cook got an up-close view of Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets while watching practice from the sideline Sunday.
The free agent running back has to see if he’ll spend the rest of training camp in their backfield — or elsewhere.
Cook spent Sunday meeting with the Jets as he ponders the next stop of his playing career. The four-time Pro Bowl selection was released by the Vikings on June 8 for salary cap savings, according to a person familiar with Minnesota’s decision.
The Jets are the first team Cook has officially visited as a free agent, with his hometown Miami Dolphins also among possible suitors. New York also must consider whether to make him an offer before he leaves the team’s practice facility.
Cook, who turns 28 on Aug. 10, was greeted by chants of “Dal-vin Cooook! Sign that contract!” from fans in the stands as he walked onto the field. He later responded to the post on X, formerly known as Twitter, with a green heart emoji.
Several Jets players, including Rodgers, greeted Cook and he spent a few moments chatting with owner Woody Johnson.
“He’s a good young man, a very good young man,” Jets coach Robert Saleh said. “We didn’t interact too much. There’s a lot of stuff going on, especially when it’s open to the public. But it was good to say hello.”
Cook has talked up the Jets in TV interviews in recent days, telling NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” on Friday they “are right at the top of the list” and the odds of him signing with them were “pretty high.”
“It’s a unique situation because I think they’re building something special over there,” Cook told “Good Morning Football” during the interview. “When you look at it, you always want to be around a great QB, you always want to be around somebody you can pick his brain and just learn from. A-Rod is a four-time MVP. So, just being around a guy like that you can learn a lot more and just develop as a player.
“That’s what I’m looking to do.”
He reiterated those comments Saturday during an interview with ESPN, saying he thinks “the coaching staff, I think everything about what they got going on, just says winning.”
But Cook, a former Florida State star, also said in the interview he was interested in the Dolphins and it would be “a Cinderella story” to play for his hometown team.
He was the guest of the Jets on Sunday, though. And now they have to wait to see if they offer Cook a deal and he accepts — or explores his options.
Both sides have expressed interest, and the Jets wanted Cook to take a physical to be sure his surgically repaired shoulder is healthy.
“That’s pretty much it,” Saleh said. “Call it a meet and greet.”
Cook, who has run for at least 1,000 yards in each of the past four seasons, was scheduled to count more than $14.1 million against the Vikings’ salary cap before he was released. He’s third on Minnesota’s career rushing list with 5,993 yards in six seasons.
With the Jets, Cook could give New York some insurance in the backfield with Breece Hall working his way back from a knee injury that cut short a promising rookie season. New York also has Michael Carter, Zonovan Knight, Damarea Crockett, fifth-round draft pick Israel Abanikanda and undrafted free agent Travis Dye at the position.
NOTES: Saleh said WR Garrett Wilson has a lower right ankle injury and the Jets are being cautious by holding him out of practice. Wilson appeared to have a slight limp and his right ankle was wrapped. … WR Corey Davis remains out with an illness, but Saleh said he could return to practice Monday. … WR Randall Cobb was activated from the physically unable to perform list and participated in practice. … Saleh said the starters aren’t expected to play Thursday night in the Hall of Fame game against Cleveland in Canton, Ohio. Among those players who will play include QB Zach Wilson and OT Mekhi Becton.
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AP Pro Football Writers Dave Campbell and Rob Maaddi contributed.
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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Frank Clark has reunited with Russell Wilson in Denver and now the outside linebacker has former teammate Patrick Mahomes in his sights instead.
The 30-year-old outside linebacker signed with Denver after being jettisoned by the Kansas City Chiefs in a cost-cutting move this offseason and the Broncos are counting on him to add some oomph to their pass rush.
Still in the AFC West, Clark gets two opportunities at beating his former team this season, something the Broncos haven’t done since 2015. Their 15-game skid against the Chiefs is the fourth longest by one team to a single opponent in NFL history.
Unlike his reunion with Wilson, revenge and rivalry aren’t top of mind for Clark as he embraces his fresh start in the Rocky Mountains.
“I wouldn’t call it a rivalry. A rivalry is competitive,” Clark interjected in his first public comments since signing a one-year, $5.5 million deal with Denver last month. “I’m (with) the Broncos now. I’ve been on the other side. We didn’t call it a rivalry then.”
And before anyone around Denver can call it that the Broncos will have to beat Mahomes, something they have a better shot at doing with Clark on their side.
The Chiefs parted ways with Clark just a year after signing him to a two-year, $30 million extension. The Broncos haven’t had a fearsome pass rush since trading Von Miller two years ago. And with Baron Browning sidelined by a knee injury and Randy Gregory coming off an injury-filled debut season in Denver, first-year head coach Sean Payton eagerly welcomed the veteran with 58 1/2 sacks.
Clark had 23 1/2 sacks in four seasons in Kansas City and another 10 1/2 in the playoffs, helping the Chiefs go 10-2 in the postseason and make three trips to the Super Bowl.
“What we did in Kansas City was special,” Clark said. “Four-year run, two Super Bowl (rings), three AFC titles. It was fun, but at the end of the day all good things come to an end.”
Bad things, too, he hopes. Such as Denver’s 15-game skid to the Chiefs.
One thing Clark insists isn’t nearing the finish line in his proclivity for getting after the passer even though his five sacks in 2022 and two-game suspension for gun possession incidents a year earlier meant an end to his three-year run as a Pro Bowler.
“I wouldn’t say it was the end” in Kansas City last season, Clark said. “It’s never the end when you get the job finished.”
Now he aims to help the Broncos and Wilson bounce back in 2023.
“He’s still dangerous. Don’t get it twisted,” Clark said of Wilson, whom he played with in Seattle from 2015-18. “Russ is a veteran. He’s a guy that’s won on multiple levels. … I was a part of Seahawks teams that were successful; I was a part of teams where we didn’t make the playoffs. But it was the same Russ.
“So don’t think a bad season’s going to shake a guy like Russ,” Clark added. “Naw, bro, we start fresh every year. Every summer’s a fresh start.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://www.wjhl.com/sports/us-world-sports/ap-ex-chiefs-linebacker-frank-clark-reunites-with-russell-wilson-in-denver/ | 2023-07-30T20:43:44 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/sports/us-world-sports/ap-ex-chiefs-linebacker-frank-clark-reunites-with-russell-wilson-in-denver/ |
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Justin Gaethje knocked out Dustin Poirier with a head kick one minute into the second round to win the main event lightweight bout at UFC 291 on Saturday night.
The third-ranked Gaethje (26-4) celebrated his victory by climbing to the top of the Octagon fence and doing a backflip off it. His perfectly timed headshot helped him avenge a loss to Poirier in 2018 when he suffered a fourth-round technical knockout via strikes.
“This chance at redemption was amazing,” Gaethje said. “It drove me to work harder to be ready.”
It was Gaethje’s 20th win by knockout or TKO and his seventh victory in his last nine fights. He also scored his first knockout win since UFC 249 in 2020.
“I was surprised by myself and how good I fought,” Gaethje said.
Second-ranked Poirier (29-8) entered the rematch between the two former interim lightweight champions as a minus-152 favorite according to FanDuel. He matched Gaethje blow for blow in the first round – earning a 10-9 advantage on two of three scorecards – before being quickly dispatched in the second.
The decisive high kick from one former champ caught the other by surprise because it wasn’t a move that he expected to see from Gaethje.
“I thought I had four more rounds,” Poirier said. “I didn’t know I had two more minutes.”
With the victory, Gaethje earned a BMF belt – the second UFC fighter to be awarded that belt.
Beating Poirier opens the door for Gaethje to have a potential title bout against the winner of Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira, who are set to square off at UFC 294 in October.
Gaethje’s BMF win over Poirier headlined five main card bouts.
Alex Pereira defeated Jan Blachowicz by split decision in a light heavyweight bout billed as the co-main event for his eighth win in his last nine fights.
Pereira (8-2), ranked second as a middleweight, made his debut in the light heavyweight division at UFC 291 after losing the middleweight title belt via knockout to Israel Adesanya at UFC 287 in April. Blachowicz (29-10-1) did not make the transition in weight class a smooth one for the former champion.
He weathered early takedowns in the first two rounds and rallied in the third round.
Derrick Lewis earned a record 14th knockout win over Marcos Rogerio de Lima just 33 seconds into the first round of the heavyweight bout. The No.10-ranked Lewis (27-11) scored an immediate takedown with a flying knee and pummeled 15th-ranked Rogerio de Lima (21-10-1) with repeated punches to score the early finish. He celebrated snapping a three-fight slide by stripping off his shorts and dancing around the Octagon.
“The win means a lot to me,” Lewis said. “I had a lot of pressure on me coming into this fight and I just wanted to prove to everyone I’m still one of the best fighters in the world.”
Bobby Green beat Tony Ferguson by submission via choke with six seconds left in the third round of the lightweight bout. Green (30-14-1) dominated the final two rounds to earn his second career submission, scoring takedowns in both rounds while raining repeated blows that left his opponent battered. He denied Ferguson (26-9) a shot at earning his first UFC victory since 2019, sending the 39-year-old fighter home with his sixth straight loss.
Kevin Holland made quick work of Michael Chiesa to win the welterweight bout. Holland (25-9) beat the 12th-ranked Chiesa — fighting for the first time following a two-year hiatus — by submission at 2:39 in the first round. He used his length and striking abilities to trap Chiesa (18-7) in a D’arce choke, forcing a quick tap out.
Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith, Jazz coach Will Hardy, and former Jazz stars Deron Williams and Karl Malone were among those in attendance at the second UFC pay-per-view event in 11 months in the Beehive State.
UFC reported a live gate of $6.5 million, breaking the previous venue record set at UFC 278 in August 2022. A sellout crowd of 18,467 was in attendance.
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AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.wjhl.com/sports/us-world-sports/ap-gaethje-knocks-out-poirier-in-second-round-to-win-ufc-291-lightweight-bout/ | 2023-07-30T20:43:50 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/sports/us-world-sports/ap-gaethje-knocks-out-poirier-in-second-round-to-win-ufc-291-lightweight-bout/ |
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers is sticking by his offensive coordinator and firing his hardest throw of the summer at Sean Payton.
The Jets quarterback was bothered by critical comments Payton, the Denver Broncos’ head coach, recently made about offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. Payton told USA Today for a story published Thursday that Hackett’s 15-game stint with the Broncos last season ”was one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL.″
Payton also said there were “20 dirty hands” around Russell Wilson’s career-worst season, and took some shots at the Jets — Hackett’s new team where he and Rodgers are reunited after enjoying success together in Green Bay.
“It made me feel bad that someone who has accomplished a lot in the league is that insecure that they have to take another man down to set themselves up for some sort of easy fall if it doesn’t go well for that team this year,” Rodgers told NFL Network on Sunday. “I think it was way out of line, inappropriate, and I think he needs to keep my coaches’ names out of his mouth.”
Rodgers, acquired by New York in April from Green Bay, said Hackett is “arguably my favorite coach I’ve ever had in the NFL.” The pair was together for two of Rodgers’ four NFL MVP awards in 2020 and 2021 with the Packers.
During the interview with USA Today’s Jarrett Bell, Payton also criticized the Jets being the latest NFL team “trying to win the offseason” — something he said the Broncos under Hackett tried to do and were “embarrassed.”
Jets coach Robert Saleh said Thursday “Hackett’s doing a phenomenal job here” when asked about Payton’s comments. He also said the Jets are just focused on themselves, but recognizes “there’s a lot of people that are hatin’ on us and a lot of people looking for us to fail.”
Payton on Friday said he regretted his comments in which he disparaged Hackett, and said he would reach out to Hackett and Saleh “at the right time” to do so.
“Listen, I had one of those moments where I still had my Fox hat on and not my coaching hat,” said Payton, who’s returning to the sideline this season after a year’s sabbatical during which he worked as a studio football analyst for Fox Sports following a 15-year stint with the New Orleans Saints.
Rodgers told NFL Network he thought Payton’s initial comments “were very surprising, for a coach to do that to another coach.”
Meanwhile, the back-and-forth made the Jets’ matchup in Denver in Week 5 on Oct. 8 a bit juicier. Payton acknowledged Friday his comments “certainly will bring more interest to the game when we play them, but that seems like years from now.”
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AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Stapleton in Englewood, Colorado, contributed.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://www.wjhl.com/sports/us-world-sports/ap-jets-aaron-rodgers-defends-nathaniel-hackett-and-fires-back-at-the-broncos-sean-payton/ | 2023-07-30T20:43:56 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/sports/us-world-sports/ap-jets-aaron-rodgers-defends-nathaniel-hackett-and-fires-back-at-the-broncos-sean-payton/ |
FUKUOKA, Japan (AP) — The American swim team has had a so-so meet at the world championships in Japan. Meanwhile, Australia and China have been pouring it on.
The American gold-medal count at the worlds is the lowest in at least two decades, although the overall medal count of gold, silver and bronze, is similar to most years.
After winning only four gold medals during the first seven days, they picked up three on Sunday — the eighth and final day — for a total of seven golds and 38 overall. The gold total is still their lowest in a worlds going back as least 20 years. They won only eight in the 2015 worlds.
Australia finished with 13 gold and 20 overall, and China had five gold and 16 overall.
“Obviously, we’d like to win more gold medals and I think we will,” American coach Bob Bowman said going into Sunday’s final day.
The slight predicament for Bowman is that two of the swimmers he coaches at Arizona State University, Leon Marchand of France and Hungary’s Hubert Kos, have won four gold medals. Marchand has three, and he’s sure to be a star at next year’s Paris Olympics, and Kos has one.
That’s the same gold-medal total for the entire American team through seven of eight days — four gold. The average for the Americans over the last nine championships has been about 15 golds.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, two of the first three questions Bowman fielded were about Marchand and Kos, from French and Hungarian news outlets.
“If you look at swimming, every coach on the U.S. team is coaching a foreign swimmer, an international swimmer. There’s always that dynamic,” said Bowman, who has legendary status for helping Michael Phelps win 23 Olympic gold medals.”
Bowman was cautious about taking credit for Kos, who came to Arizona State late last year. He went from being a good individual medley swimmer to a world champion a few days ago in the 200-meter backstroke.
“I think it’s just the Bob Bowman effect,” said Kos, son of an American father and Hungarian mother. ”That’s as simple as it is.”
He said Bowman had a “magic” touch.
Bowman played down his role.
“He (Kos) had an excellent coach at home for 10 years before me,” Bowman said. “He deserved the credit for this. I just helped a little bit at the end.”
Bowman compared Marchand to Phelps. But can he produce and endure the pressure, particularly with the Olympics in his home country?
“It remains to be seen what he can do next year. It’s going to be a lot of expectations,” Bowman said. “But I feel like he’s done a very good rehearsal this year and last year. They’ve been good preparations for what will happen next year and we’ll try to carry that over to Paris.”
Swimming is an individual sport, separate from team sports like soccer. It would be unthinkable for the coach of Real Madrid to be also coaching Barcelona players on the side. But it’s normal in swimming, and Bowman said he was “ethically” comfortable with it.
“I mean, the bottom line is I get paid to coach these guys at ASU,” he said. “I’m representing my country for the love of my country and happy to do that. I don’t think there’s an ethical question. It’s not a zero-sum. I’m not taking away from the U.S. guys.”
He said he was interested in coaching the Americans at next year’s Olympics, but suggested any decision was still pending.
“I don’t think we know yet,” he said. “I have to go through this week, get home, think about what the scenarios look (like) and then we’ll decide. I always want to do. But we’ll see how it goes.”
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AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.wjhl.com/sports/us-world-sports/ap-legendary-coach-bob-bowman-keeps-turning-out-winning-swimmers-and-not-just-americans/ | 2023-07-30T20:44:02 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/sports/us-world-sports/ap-legendary-coach-bob-bowman-keeps-turning-out-winning-swimmers-and-not-just-americans/ |
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — Megan Rapinoe is adjusting to her new role at the Women’s World Cup, even if it means she’s not on the field as much as she’d like to be.
The outspoken 38-year-old known for her eclectic hair colors and the iconic victory pose she struck at the 2019 World Cup is the oldest player on the team. She already announced that her fourth World Cup would be her last.
“Ultimately, we’re at the World Cup. This is where everybody wants to be, whether you’re playing 90 minutes, whether you’re a game changer, whatever,” she said Sunday. “I think it’s a lot similar to what I thought it would be — bringing all the experience that I can, all the experience that I have, and ultimately being ready whenever my number is called up.”
Rapinoe has played limited minutes so far, coming in as a substitute in the 3-0 victory over Vietnam in the tournament opener, which was her 200th career appearance for the team.
She was available but didn’t play in the disappointing 1-1 draw with the Netherlands on Thursday in Wellington. U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski made just one substitution in the match, bringing in midfielder Rose Lavelle after the first half.
“I think all of us on the bench, it’s like we think we should be on the field as much as the players on the field believe that they should be on the field,” Rapinoe said. “Every player on the field that starts the game thinks that they should play 90 minutes, and every player who doesn’t, who is a sub, thinks that they should be on at some point.”
The United States has won the last two World Cups, but the players find themselves in a more precarious position as they chase an unprecedented third consecutive title. The Americans need at least a draw going into the final group match against Portugal on Tuesday at Eden Park in Auckland.
The Americans top Group E, even on points with the Netherlands, but hold the edge because of goal difference. Portugal, which beat Vietnam, could send the United States home early with a win over the Americans.
“We’re unsatisfied with the way we played, but we know there are areas that we can be better and I think there’s some really simple fixes we can do to put ourselves in a better position to have more joy on the ball, especially in the final third,” Rapinoe said. “I think everybody’s looking at this like `Let’s go.’”
At the 2019 World Cup in France, Rapinoe scored six goals over the course of the tournament, including a penalty in a 2-0 victory over the Netherlands in the final. She also finished with three assists and claimed both the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball for the best overall player.
Rapinoe, who is engaged to former WNBA star Sue Bird, has been a leader on and off the field.
She made headlines during the 2019 tournament when she said she wouldn’t visit the White House if the United States won. Her decision was based on her disdain for then-President Donald Trump, and the team did not go to the White House after winning its second World Cup.
And in the midst of a dispute with U.S. Soccer over equal pay with the men’s national team, Rapinoe helped the women hold firm on their position.
“I just think back to 2019 in particular. We didn’t really talk about it a lot as a group but we were like, `Well, we have to win. This is kind of like a must-win World Cup for us.’ And I think it did give us confidence,” she said. “It pressured us, but I think we also knew that we could handle it and it was almost a mandatory upping of our level to be able to match everything that we were saying off the field. I think in so many ways we were betting on ourselves.”
Rapinoe has won two Women’s World Cup titles and an Olympic gold medal with the United States. She also took home the Ballon d’Or and the Best FIFA Women’s Player awards — the game’s top individual honors — for her play in 2019.
As a fierce advocate for social justice issues, including gender equity and LGBTQ rights, she was awarded the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, by President Joe Biden last year.
The team also won a new contract that pays the players the same as their male counterparts.
“I’ve always tried to use whatever platform we have, and this platform was built long before I got here. We just continue to add to to it, to grow the game, to make the world a better place, to use our voices, to advocate for more,” she said.
At this World Cup, she’s passing that legacy on to younger generation. Fourteen of the U.S. players are playing in their first World Cup. In 2019, Carli Lloyd was in a similar role of a player who was also something of a coach who led by example.
Rapinoe is doing that now.
“Still every day in training I’m like, `I’m gonna try to bust your ass,’ and that makes them better, that makes me better,” she said. “That makes the whole team better. So I think it’s been really rewarding. And I think ultimately, and I think that this gets lost, but I get to play in another World Cup.”
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AP Women’s World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.wjhl.com/sports/us-world-sports/ap-megan-rapinoe-adjusts-to-new-role-at-womens-world-cup-while-still-savoring-final-days-in-spotlight/ | 2023-07-30T20:44:08 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/sports/us-world-sports/ap-megan-rapinoe-adjusts-to-new-role-at-womens-world-cup-while-still-savoring-final-days-in-spotlight/ |
DUNEDIN, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand outshot Switzerland and even moved goalkeeper Victoria Esson into an attack position several times, but failed to break a 0-0 tie Sunday in the Women’s World Cup and became the first host nation to be eliminated in group play in tournament history.
The Football Ferns are co-hosting the World Cup with Australia, which must win Monday against Canada to avoid its own early elimination.
Switzerland advanced to the round of 16. The Swiss also played to a scoreless draw against Norway, but won the group with the draw against New Zealand, coupled with the Norwegians’ simultaneous 6-0 rout of the Philippines.
New Zealand controlled the pace for long stretches of the match and had its chances to score, outshooting Switzerland 12-3. Jacqui Hand knocked a shot off the right post in the 24th minute.
All 25,947 seats at Forsyth Barr Stadiums were filled — the only one of Dunedin’s six tournament matches to sell out. The raucous crowd stomped and cheered all night, to no avail.
The tournament began July 20 with New Zealand upsetting Norway 1-0, but the Ferns failed to score from the 48th minute of that match through two more games. They lost their previous match 1-0 against the Philippines.
KEY MOMENTS
Esson moved into an offensive position several times in the last minutes of the match as New Zealand pressed for a winner. She managed a header off a corner kick but was off target.
WHY IT MATTERS
Switzerland becomes one of two teams from Group A to advance to the round of 16. It’s only the team’s second time in the knockout round — the first was in the Swiss’ only previous Women’s World Cup in 2015.
The New Zealanders’ failure to score put an end to their Women’s World Cup run.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
“Just gutted, I think. Obviously we talked and we were proud of ourselves and what we’ve been able to accomplish, but at the end of the day we wanted to get out of this group stage and we just didn’t. It’s just black and white. So, obviously gutted,” said New Zealand midfielder Malia Steinmetz of the elimination.
“We expected it to be really tough. New Zealand really tried everything they could, and I think we knew how to respond, especially defensively. We did a lot right,” said Inka Grings, Switzerland’s coach.
WHAT’S NEXT
Switzerland will play either Spain or Japan from Group C, pending a match between those teams on Monday to decide the top two places in that group.
New Zealand is done for the Women’s World Cup.
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Ellen McIntyre is a student in the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State.
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AP Women’s World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.wjhl.com/sports/us-world-sports/ap-new-zealand-out-of-womens-world-cup-following-0-0-draw-with-switzerland-as-swiss-advance/ | 2023-07-30T20:44:14 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/sports/us-world-sports/ap-new-zealand-out-of-womens-world-cup-following-0-0-draw-with-switzerland-as-swiss-advance/ |
HOUSTON (AP) — Quarterback C.J. Stroud, taken second overall in this year’s draft, isn’t worried that the Panthers picked No. 1 selection Bryce Young as their starter on Day 1 of training camp while the Houston Texans are making him compete for the job.
“I’m happy for him, but his situation is his situation, and my situation is mine,” Stroud said Sunday. “So, I know that I’ve got to work on my end and do whatever I’ve got to do to make this team better. It’s not about the starter (or) who’s not the starter, it’s about getting better for Week 1 against Baltimore.”
Stroud is vying with Davis Mills to be the team’s quarterback. The Texans have split first-team snaps between the two in the first few days of camp.
Houston drafted Stroud after Mills struggled as the team’s starter for the past two years after Deshaun Watson sat out following a trade request before being shipped to Cleveland before last season.
Mills went 5-22-1 in 28 games, including 26 starts, as the Texans were among the NFL’s worst teams.
Stroud is just the third quarterback the Texans have drafted in the first round, joining Watson, taken 12th in 2017 and David Carr, the team’s first draft pick who was taken first overall in 2002.
After using such a high pick on Stroud it’s hard to imagine that he won’t end up as the team’s starter. But for now, new coach DeMeco Ryans is adamant that it’s an open competition between the former Ohio State star and Mills.
While Ryans won’t answer questions about what Stroud will have to do to win the job, he’s had plenty to say about the dedication the 21-year-old has shown since joining the team.
“What you see about C.J. is the work and preparation that he does when he’s not here,” Ryans said. “He’s a true football junkie. He loves football, always watching football, always asking for extra cut-ups from our coaches. I’m so impressed with the mental part of him and just how much he loves the game of football. When a guy has that much love for the game of football, he’s (only) going to continue to get better.”
Stroud was a two-year starter for Ohio State, where he threw for 8,123 yards with 85 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions as the Buckeyes went 21-4. His 85 touchdowns over two seasons broke a Big Ten record held by Drew Brees.
Despite competing with Mills for the job, the rookie said that he and fellow quarterback Case Keenum have both helped him a lot as he’s made the jump from college to the pros.
“I’ve learned everything from Davis,” Stroud said. “Davis and Case are great vets. And just because we may be competing against each other, doesn’t mean that we’re not going to learn from each other. I’ve had a really great time being in the room with those guys.”
Stroud certainly knows what’s at stake for him in this camp, but he’s trying not to let the competition change how he approaches his job day to day.
“I feel like when you try to have a different mindset you confuse yourself,” he said. “So, for me, I just try to keep my head down and I work — just try to work harder and harder every day. Just trying to … be the best person I can be on and off the field.”
As Stroud prepares for his first NFL season, he certainly has plenty of goals. However, his approach to goals has never been to list only lofty, far down the road ones.
“I have goals written down,” he said. “I did it in college and I’ll do it now. But I have a lot of things that I put down, like really small goals. I think the more you can accomplish small goals in your life, the big ones can come kind of natural. And they come as you get the small ones checked off.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://www.wjhl.com/sports/us-world-sports/ap-no-2-pick-stroud-competes-with-mills-for-starting-qb-job-with-houston-texans/ | 2023-07-30T20:44:20 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/sports/us-world-sports/ap-no-2-pick-stroud-competes-with-mills-for-starting-qb-job-with-houston-texans/ |
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — Sophie Roman Haug’s hat trick kick-started Norway’s dormant offense and sparked a 6-0 blowout win over the Philippines on Sunday that moved the Norwegians into to the knockout stage of the Women’s World Cup.
The Philippines’ debut run in the tournament came to an end as Norway scored early and often, netting three goals in the first 31 minutes.
Norway’s spot in the round of 16 was secured when Switzerland and New Zealand simultaneously played to a 0-0 draw and the Norwegians. Norway and New Zealand were tied in Group A but Norway advanced on goal differential. New Zealand became the first host country to be eliminated in the group stage in tournament history.
Before the game, Norway had not scored in three consecutive Women’s World Cup matches dating to the quarterfinals of the 2019 tournament.
But Roman Haug one-timed a ball into the net in the sixth minute, and scored again 11 minutes later. Caroline Graham Hansen added a long-distance shot in the 31st minute.
Roman Haug completed the hat trick in injury time.
In the second half, an Alicia Barker own goal in the 48th minute and Guro Reiten’s penalty kick in the 53rd minute extended Norway’s lead to 5-0. Filipina defender Sofia Harrison received a red card in the 67th minute for using excessive force, and the Philippines played the rest of the match a player down.
Eden Park was turned into a makeshift home match for the Philippines, as the Filipina fans screamed in unison any time the Philippines touched the ball, even as the deficit grew.
The Philippines were fresh off of a historic 1-0 win over co-host New Zealand that marked the first Women’s World Cup win for the debutantes.
KEY MOMENTS
Roman Haug got the Norwegians off to a hot start. The first of her two goals was a left-footed volley from inside the six-yard box in the sixth minute. Eleven minutes later, Roman Haug scored a header delivered by a Vilde Boe Risa cross. Roman Haug’s header flew over the reach of Philippines goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel.
Graham Hansen scored on a long-distance strike that curled into the bottom left corner in the 31st minute to give Norway its third goal of the half.
From that point on, Norway was in control.
WHY IT MATTERS
The win advances Norway to the knockout stage after the Norwegians found themselves in last place in Group A heading into the Philippines match.
The Norwegians had yet to score in 2023 before their six-goal eruption.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
“They showed some of their class today with their skill. They picked us apart and won a couple of battles in the air in the box early. We really released the pressure early and allowed them to, sort of, be a little more creative as the game went on,” Philippines head coach Alen Stajcic said.
“We’ve been talking quite a bit about having the first goal, then it will give us energy. We know in our attack, we are strong and have good combination play both on the right side and left side. Today was the day that, when we had the first one, we knew there could be more,” Norway head coach Hege Riise said.
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WHAT’S NEXT
Norway will play either Japan or Spain in the round of 16 next Saturday, depending on the results of a game between those Group C teams on Monday.
The inaugural tournament run ends for the Philippines, who needed at least a draw to have a chance of moving on.
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Zach Allen is a student in the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State.
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AP Women’s World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.wjhl.com/sports/us-world-sports/ap-norway-moves-into-the-knockout-round-at-womens-world-cup-with-6-0-rout-over-the-philippines/ | 2023-07-30T20:44:26 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/sports/us-world-sports/ap-norway-moves-into-the-knockout-round-at-womens-world-cup-with-6-0-rout-over-the-philippines/ |
SYDNEY (AP) — Some of the biggest names in soccer have yet to show up at the Women’s World Cup.
That’s literally been the case of Australian star Sam Kerr, who missed the first two games with a calf injury.
Kerr has recovered in time to play for Australia in a crucial final Group B game against Canada on Monday. The Matildas need to beat the Canadians to ensure they advance to the knockout round, and the Chelsea striker’s return to the lineup brings needed energy to the team.
“Mentally, it’s massive. It brings so much to our team and obviously also a lot to the opposition knowing that we have Sam available for this game,” Australia defender Ellie Carpenter said.
Kerr’s injury on the eve of Australia’s opening game against Ireland set the tone for a tournament that hasn’t been kind to some of its biggest stars. She was the face of co-host Australia’s preparations for the tournament, which is also being staged in New Zealand.
She dominated the covers of magazines across newsstands, while the autobiography she released late last year chronicled her rise to become arguably the best player in the women’s game right now. Kerr’s popularity transcends women’s soccer and she is considered a national icon.
So the disappointment was palpable when news broke about an hour before the opening match that Kerr was going to be sidelined at least two games in this tournament.
Kerr’s absence was felt in the 3-2 loss to Nigeria in Australia’s second game, a loss that put the Matildas in danger of elimination. It is not known what her role will be against Canada, but Australia needs Kerr to deliver in the final game of group play.
“I’m definitely going to be available, but how we decide to use that is not to be given to the opposition,” said Kerr.
The World Cup is supposed to be a showcase for the finest talent and biggest names, but injuries have always robbed the tournament of some its star players.
Norway forward Ada Hegerberg has had her playing time curtailed. Often referred to as “the Lionel Messi of women’s soccer,” Hederberg was part of a Norway’s 1-0 upset loss to New Zealand in the opening game of the World Cup.
It got worse for the 2018 Ballon d’Or winner when she suffered a groin injury in the warm-up ahead of Norway’s game against Switzerland, and she’s been ruled out of the final Group A game against the Philippines.
Keira Walsh of England suffered a knee injury against Denmark that will sidenline her for the Lionesses’ final Group D game against China. Described as irreplaceable, it is not known how much she will be able to play.
Even for some stars who have seen plenty of playing time, it has been difficult to make an impact.
American icon Alex Morgan has underwhelmed so far at her fourth World Cup, where she is hoping to help the United States to an unprecedented third consecutive title.
Morgan, the co-leading scorer at the last World Cup, has yet to score at this year’s event and missed a penalty in the 3-0 win against Vietnam. U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski said Morgan was adapting to playing in a forward line with Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman.
“I think it’s not hard to realize that Alex’s role is slightly different than the Alex that we’re used to maybe in the past,” Andonovski said. “She does set up the other two forwards a lot more. It’s not that she’s not capable of scoring goals or getting behind crosses, but we can also see her playing balls to Trinity and Soph, but also getting crosses for them as well.”
Morgan, at 34, is now one of the older players at the tournament.
Christine Sinclair of Canada is also searching for first goal of the tournament. Sinclair is highest scorer in international soccer — men or women — with 190 goals.
Like Morgan, she also missed a penalty, in a 0-0 draw with Nigeria that could still prove costly. She was benched for Canada’s second game against Ireland before coming in as a substitute at halftime as the gold medalist from the Tokyo Olympics logged a come-from-behind 2-1 win.
At 40 years old, Sinclair is having to accept a more limited role for Canada.
Brazil great Marta, at 37, has also been used sparingly in her sixth World Cup.
Her teammate, Debinha, who is also an iconic figure to Brazil fans, has been one of the standout players for her country so far. But she wasn’t able to stop a 2-1 loss to France on Saturday despite scoring in that match.
The gap appears to be closing in the women’s game, with underdogs proving more of a test for the more established nations. That’s one reason some of the big name stars have yet to impress in tournament.
One of the few standouts who has not disappointed so far has been Alexandra Popp, who scored twice in Germany’s 6-0 rout of Morocco.
Major tournaments are traditionally a mix of rising talents coming to the surface, while established stars have the chance to confirm their status among the greats.
Linda Caicedo of Colombia, Lauren James of England and Melchie Dumornay of Haiti have proven their worth as some of the brightest prospects in the game. But as the second round of games nears its completion, it feels like the tournament is still waiting for many of its big hitters to make an impact.
___
James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
___
More AP Women’s World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup | https://www.wjhl.com/sports/us-world-sports/ap-some-of-soccers-biggest-stars-are-struggling-to-make-an-impact-at-the-womens-world-cup/ | 2023-07-30T20:44:32 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/sports/us-world-sports/ap-some-of-soccers-biggest-stars-are-struggling-to-make-an-impact-at-the-womens-world-cup/ |
DEAR ABBY: I have a friend I occasionally meet for breakfast. She always stops someplace en route and brings takeout coffee into the restaurant. I am often kept waiting because she’s in a drive-thru getting that drink. I find it embarrassing that she joins me with drink in hand from elsewhere. How should I handle this? -- EMBARRASSED IN THE EAST
DEAR EMBARRASSED: Ask your friend why she does it. It’s possible she simply doesn’t like the coffee that restaurant serves, although she does enjoy their food and your company. I don’t think you should tell her it embarrasses you, because it is really no reflection ON you.
***
MORE FROM DEAR ABBY:
Dear Abby: Woman expecting quadruplets is devastated when her fiancé unexpectedly leaves her
Dear Abby: I’m madly in love with a man who only wants to drink when not sleeping or working
Dear Abby: Father fails to show up for teen son
Dear Abby: Painting is a painful reminder of a former friend
Dear Abby: I want out, but he has nowhere to go. I feel guilty.
***
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
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ANAHEIM, Calif. — Disneyland fans watching the new “Haunted Mansion” movie will be treated to a few extra laughs from the supernatural horror comedy when they spot Easter egg tributes to the classic dark ride hidden in plain sight throughout the film.
Movie trailers and preview screenings offer a host of hints about the visual nods and character references the “Haunted Mansion” film will make to the Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland when the new Walt Disney Studios release hits theaters on Friday.
The new movie stars Rosario Dawson as a single mom who moves into a haunted mansion with her son and engages a psychic (Tiffany Haddish), priest (Owen Wilson), paranormal specialist (LaKeith Stanfield), New Orleans tour guide (Winona Ryder) and historian (Danny DeVito) to rid the house of 999 ghosts. Along the way they encounter Madame Leota (Jamie Lee Curtis), the Hatbox Ghost (Jared Leto) and Constance Hatchaway (Lindsay Lamb).
Consider this your spoiler alert if you don’t want to read about any plot and character details before seeing the film.
Let’s take a closer look at the 10 Easter eggs in the new movie that make reference to the Disneyland ride.
1. Disneyland facade
The film’s mansion is a replica of the Disneyland attraction facade.
Walt Disney asked artist Ken Anderson to develop a haunted house experience for Disneyland. Anderson’s rendering of a dilapidated mansion in an overgrown New Orleans bayou was originally rejected by the boss. The “Ghost House” drawing, based on the Shipley-Lydecker House in Baltimore, eventually became the design used for the Haunted Mansion attraction.
Each of the five Haunted Mansion-style attractions at Disney theme parks around the world have a distinct architectural style.
2. Haunted armor
Moving suits of armor terrorize the living and try to chase them out of the mansion in the film.
An armored knight with a shield and spear flanks the endless hallway with a floating candelabra in the Disneyland ride. The haunted armor makes slight movements as riders pass in their Doom Buggy ride vehicles.
3. Hatbox Ghost
The Hatbox Ghost plays a central role in the film as he searches for the elusive 1,000th soul to go with the other 999 happy haunts.
The Hatbox Ghost — whose head disappears from his shoulders and appears in a hatbox — returned to the Disneyland ride in 2015 after remaining out of sight for more than four decades.
The original Hatbox Ghost was removed from the attic scene a few months after the attraction’s 1969 debut because the effect wasn’t effective. Despite his short stint, the beloved and elusive character soon developed a cult following among hardcore fans.
4. Stretching Room
The windows and doors disappear in a stretching room that traps the living during a key scene in the film.
Barrels of explosives, quicksand and crocodiles from the stretching portraits terrorize the living in the film as the characters in the portraits try to offer advice about how to escape the stretching room.
The Stretching Room in the Disneyland attraction serves as an elevator that takes riders down to the load area of the ride.
The octagonal room with no windows or doors features four paintings of previous Haunted Mansion guests in their “corruptible mortal states” flanked by candle-wielding gargoyles. The stretching room reveals the comically dreadful fates of the subjects in the portraits.
5. Grandfather clock
A grandfather clock with a 13th hour makes a prominent appearance in the film’s trailer.
An identical Gothic clock with a 13th hour appears in the Corridor of Doors in the Disneyland ride. The crooked hands on the clock spin backwards as the shadow of a clawed hand passes over the fanged demonic clock face.
6. Madame Leota
The psychic medium Madame Leota helps connect the living and the dead using her crystal ball in the film.
Madame Leota’s spirit head appears in a crystal ball in the Seance Circle scene of the Haunted Mansion ride. She uses “sympathetic vibrations” to summon ghosts for a “swinging wake” in the mansion.
7. Grand Hall
The Grand Hall serves as a central location in the film during a fight scene.
Riders on the Disneyland attraction travel along a balcony overlooking the marquee ballroom scene where ghosts waltz in endless circles, fly in through the windows, emerge from the pipes of an organ and swing from chandeliers.
8. Portrait Corridor
Portraits change from shot to shot and a pair of busts follow the movements of the living in the film.
Riders on the Disneyland attraction pass through the Portrait Corridor as they exit the Stretching Room and walk to the Doom Buggy loading station. Lighting flashes in the windows on one side of the hall as portraits on the other wall transform into macabre figures. At the end of the hallway, Watchful Busts in twin alcoves stare at riders as they pass.
9. Attic bride
A bride in a wedding dress emerges from the attic with an ax and chases the living in the film’s trailer.
Constance Hatchway, the Black Widow Bride, shows up in wedding portraits in the attic scene of the Disneyland attraction with a series of husbands who lose their heads.
10. Mariner ghost
Returning a mariner ghost to the sea serves as a central plot point in the film.
An early script for the Haunted Mansion attraction at Disneyland created by Anderson that ultimately went unused involved a character known as Captain Gore or Captain Blood whose family met their demise in the mansion.
The sea captain storyline would have created a narrative link between the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean attractions at Disneyland.
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Click now to support or get more information. | https://www.timesleader.com/features/entertainment/1615688/10-haunted-mansion-movie-easter-eggs-from-the-disneyland-ride | 2023-07-30T20:44:35 | 0 | https://www.timesleader.com/features/entertainment/1615688/10-haunted-mansion-movie-easter-eggs-from-the-disneyland-ride |
D’Andre Swift adds receiving versatility to Eagles’ backfield
Swift and Penny are helping to make the Eagles a more versatile offensive unit.
As soon as the Eagles transitioned to a 7-on-7 team period on Sunday at training camp, quarterback Jalen Hurts targeted running back D’Andre Swift with a deep ball down the left sideline. Swift latched on to the ball while falling, evading coverage from linebacker Nicholas Morrow and safety Terrell Edmunds.
Swift’s snags have become givens in the early going of camp. He described his latest highlight-reel reception in clinical detail:
“Jalen [Hurts] made a check,” Swift said after practice. “Seen the alignment, the linebacker. He threw the ball up there, I just went and got it.”
For Swift, running routes out of the backfield and even at the line of scrimmage in empty sets is nothing new. The 24-year-old running back was utilized as a receiver at the University of Georgia (15.5 receiving yards per game over three seasons) and even more so with the Detroit Lions (30 receiving yards per game over three seasons). Swift’s 389 receiving yards ranked 11th in the league among running backs last season.
» READ MORE: Dallas Goedert steps into an Eagles leadership role, hoping younger players will push him to the next level
But with an offense featuring talented pass-catchers A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert, running backs rarely served as Hurts’ targets last season. According to Pro Football Focus, the Eagles ranked 29th in running back targets (11.3%), as Brown, Smith, and Goedert combined for roughly 69% of the team’s targets.
When general manager Howie Roseman traded for Swift in the offseason, sending a 2025 fourth-round pick and a 2023 seventh-rounder (No. 219) to Detroit, he added a piece that could help make the offense more versatile. In just three days of camp, head coach Nick Sirianni said he has seen the “unique ability” that made Swift an attractive addition.
While the passing game will still run through Brown, Smith, and Goedert, Sirianni said that Swift’s receiving ability can be a boon for the offense, too.
“You’re harder to defend when you have a lot of guys at different positions that can do it,” Sirianni said. “So you can be in these different personnel groups and still run similar plays for your quarterback. So we’re excited about what we brings.”
Swift isn’t the only running back in the mix for a role this season. The Eagles have a crowded running backs room, headlined by Swift, veteran free-agent addition Rashaad Penny, and returning players Kenny Gainwell and Boston Scott. The team will likely take a by-committee approach as they look to replace the touches once allotted to Miles Sanders, who signed a four-year, $25.4 million contract with the Carolina Panthers in the offseason.
Although Penny hasn’t been leaned on as a receiver much in his five-year NFL career, averaging five receiving yards per game, he’s been impressed with the breadth of responsibilities assigned to the running backs in the Eagles offense.
“To see this many route trees for a running back is honestly kind of cool, because I never got to experience something like this for us to be in empty a lot and to showcase our ability to catch the ball, being like a receiver,” Penny said. “The running backs can do a lot. We block, catch, and run, and I think everybody knows that.”
Swift has lived up to his reputation in a very limited showing, standing out to Penny with his pass-catching prowess.
“That’s his game,” Penny said. “He’s special. I feel like he can do it all.”
» READ MORE: Eagles crystal ball: Big season for DeVonta Smith, big surprise at RB, big questions for DBs
This season, Swift has the potential to bring an unfamiliar element to an offense situated in a familiar city. Swift played his high school ball at St. Joe’s Prep and earned the 2016 Pennsylvania Football Writers All-State Player of the Year when he picked up 1,564 rushing yards and 34 all-purpose touchdowns in his senior season.
Swift called the opportunity to play for the Eagles a “blessing,” savoring a chance to play at home in front of loved ones. His family hasn’t come to visit him yet at training camp as he focuses on getting acclimated to a new offense and a new team. But in just a short period of time, Swift said he’s been impressed with the Eagles’ culture.
“You wake up, you’re excited to go to work,” Swift said. “You come into this building, it’s a work mentality; I can see that in everybody in this building from the training staff, to the strength staff, to the people in the cafeteria. You want to come to work and perform every day, and you’ve got a coaching staff that demands the best and they take care of you as well.”
As training camp wears on, Swift will continue to build chemistry with Hurts and the rest of the offense. Whether he’s tabbed as a ball carrier or receiver on any given play, Swift is prepared to step up to the challenge.
“Whatever they ask me to do,” Swift said. “I’m going to do it to the best of my ability, whatever it is.” | https://www.inquirer.com/eagles/dandre-swift-rashaad-penny-eagles-running-back-rb-nfl-philadelphia-20230730.html | 2023-07-30T20:44:35 | 1 | https://www.inquirer.com/eagles/dandre-swift-rashaad-penny-eagles-running-back-rb-nfl-philadelphia-20230730.html |
The Biden administration is launching a beta website for its new income-driven student loan repayment plan today (Sunday), officials told CNN, allowing borrowers to begin submitting applications for the program as federal student loan payments are set to resume in October.
The SAVE, or Saving on a Valuable Education, plan was finalized after the Supreme Court struck down President Joe Biden's student debt forgiveness initiative in June. It marks a significant change to the federal student loan system that could lower monthly loan payments for some borrowers and reduce the amount they pay back over the lifetime of their loans.
"Part of the president's overall commitment is to improve the student loan system and reduce the burden of student loan debt on American families," a senior administration official said, previewing the beta website first to CNN. "The SAVE plan is a big part of that. It is important in this moment as borrowers are getting ready to return to repayment."
Federal student loan borrowers can access the beta website at https://studentaid.gov/idr/. The enrollment process is estimated to take 10 minutes, and many sections can be automatically populated with information the government has on hand, including tax returns from the IRS, administration officials said.
"We will be able to show borrowers their exact monthly payment amount and give them the ability to choose the most affordable repayment plan for them," one official said.
Borrowers will only need to apply one time, not yearly as past systems require, which officials said would make this plan "much easier to use." Users will receive a confirmation email once the application is submitted, and the approval process, which can be tracked online, is expected to take a few weeks.
Those already enrolled in the federal government's REPAYE, or Revised Pay As You Earn, income-driven repayment plan will be automatically switched to the new plan.
The full website launch will occur in August, and applications submitted during the beta period will not need to be resubmitted. The beta period will allow the Department of Education to monitor site performance in real time to identify any issues, and the site may be paused to make any necessary updates, officials said.
The SAVE plan, which applies to current and future federal student loan borrowers, will determine payments based on income and family size, and some monthly payments will be as small as $0. The income threshold to qualify for $0 payments has been increased from 150% to 225% of federal poverty guidelines, which translates to an annual income of $32,805 for a single borrower or $67,500 for a family of four. The Education Department estimates this means more than 1 million additional borrowers will qualify for $0 payments under the plan.
Some borrowers could have their payments cut in half when the program is in full effect next year and see their remaining debt canceled after making at least 10 years of payments, a significant change from previous plans.
With the new plan, unpaid interest will not accrue if a borrower makes their full monthly payments.
But the new plan does come at a cost to the federal government. Estimates of the program's expense have varied depending on how many borrowers sign up for the new plan, but they range from $138 billion to $361 billion over 10 years. By comparison, Biden's student loan forgiveness program was expected to cost about $400 billion.
The Education Department has created similar income-driven repayment plans in the past and has not faced a successful legal challenge, officials noted.
The beta site launch comes as borrowers will need to begin making federal student loan payments again in October after a pause of more than three years because of the pandemic.
Since the Supreme Court struck down Biden's effort to cancel up to $20,000 of student debt for millions of borrowers, the administration has taken a number of steps aimed at helping federal student loan borrowers in other ways.
Earlier this month, the Education Department announced that 804,000 borrowers will have their student debt wiped away - about $39 billion worth of debt - after fixes that more accurately count qualified monthly payments under existing income-driven repayment plans.
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During a two-month break in the a cappella group Pentatonix ’s world tour, baritone Scott Hoying became a newlywed. He also went out on his own, with his most personal music to date.
The 31-year-old Grammy winner sings from the heart about falling in love and losing his best four-legged friend in his seven-track solo debut “Parallel,” which is out Friday.
Other members of Pentatonix have released solo albums before, and going at it alone is something Hoying has thought about for many years, but with much hesitation. Still, the process of finally doing it has been therapeutic. It’s given Hoying an opportunity to fortify his creativity and build confidence.
“I have always been a little bit scared to be vulnerable and kind of put myself out there as a solo act,” Hoying told The Associated Press. “And I feel like this timing is just so perfect because I’m entering this very beautiful era of my life, like producing and making music and being more motivated than ever. And then I’m in love … and I’ve just had a lot of personal growth over the past couple of years.
“It’s just like this really big new chapter that’s starting. And it feels kismet and amazing.”
The COVID-19 pandemic was an underlying reason for the project. Because Pentatonix couldn’t record together due to social distancing, the five-member a cappella group laid down tracks separately, having learned how to use digital audio technology. Once Hoying became comfortable with the process, he was captivated by it. He constantly watched tutorials on YouTube and it led to a flurry of personal songwriting.
The pandemic process “was super energizing and inspiring, and I ended up writing hundreds of songs,” Hoying said.
Produced by Jon Levine, four of the seven songs are about love, including the title track “Parallel,” which was released as a single in June.
“Parallel” is about Hoying’s relationship with his husband, Mark, their shared qualities and being in sync with one another. It recalls a time when the couple was supposed to attend an event but ended up laying side by side on the floor of the kitchen talking long into the night. Hoying directed the song’s video, filmed in Iceland after Pentatonix had performed the last show on its European Tour there in June.
Mark Hoying appears in the videos for “Parallel” and “Mars,” a single released last September.
Scott Hoying also pays tribute to his dog that passed away in “Bubs.” There’s also “King Kong,” about personal growth and finding confidence, and “Trust Fall,” which “is about diving into the scary, unknown parts of life. It’s only scary because we don’t know what’s to come, but exciting. More like a nervous butterfly,” he said.
And just like that, Hoying will be back on tour with Pentatonix when it starts a North American leg of their tour in August.
The group has been together since 2011. It began with Hoying, tenor Mitch Grassi and mezzo-soprano Kirstin Maldonado as high school classmates in Arlington, Texas. They added bass Avi Kaplan and beatboxer Kevin Olusola prior to competing — and winning — on the television competition program, “The Sing-Off.” Kaplan left Pentatonix in 2017 and was replaced that year by Matt Sallee.
The group’s popularity is as strong as ever. Pentatonix sang the national anthem at college football’s national championship game in January and was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in February.
“I think with any genre of music, if it’s bringing emotion and bringing joy to people, it’s going to stick around,” Hoying said. “And so, I think that if we keep pushing the limits of a cappella, and if we keep doing interesting things that makes people feel, I think that we can do it for a long time.”
Hoying and Grassi formed the group “Superfruit” several years ago for a comedy YouTube channel. The pair produced a couple of albums, including the popular upbeat song “GUY.EXE.”
Hoying currently is working with others to develop “The Life of Death,” a musical about the Grim Reaper and his daughter. Hoying says is right up his creative alley.
“It’s so fun writing a musical because there’s no real rules,” he said. “My wild brain just has a field day.”
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SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium (AP) — Defending Formula One champion Max Verstappen enters the mid-season break in unstoppable form, after emphatically winning the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday for an eighth straight win and 10th overall of a crushingly dominant season.
Despite starting from sixth place he finished 22.3 seconds ahead of teammate Sergio Perez to give Red Bull an easy 1-2. It moved Verstappen ominously closer to a third straight world title and his own F1 record of 15 wins from last year.
Verstappen is 125 points ahead of Perez after just 12 races, and his next target is matching Sebastian Vettel’s F1 record of nine straight wins with a victory at the Dutch GP when the lopsided season resumes on Aug. 27.
“I just want to have a nice time now, have a bit of time with family and friends,” Verstappen said.
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc finished in third spot for a third podium of the season, with Lewis Hamilton in fourth for Mercedes ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.
George Russell was sixth for Mercedes, with Lando Norris (McLaren), Esteban Ocon (Alpine), Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), and Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) completing the top 10.
Leclerc started on pole ahead of Perez, with Hamilton and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. behind them. McLaren rookie Oscar Piastri was on the next row alongside Verstappen — who was fastest in Friday’s qualifying but took a five-place grid penalty for a gearbox change and had to avoid early traffic.
“It was just about surviving turn one. I could see it was all getting really tight,” Verstappen said. “I’ve been in that position before myself so I am just going to stay out of that and it worked out. From there onwards I made the right overtakes.”
Last year Verstappen won from 14th, and once he overtook Perez on Lap 17 of 44 his 45th career win was seemingly inevitable.
“Really enjoyable to drive once I got in the lead,” Verstappen said. “It was again a great race.“
Red Bull extended its record to 13 straight wins, including the final race of last season.
Hamilton came in on the penultimate lap for a tire change and the move paid off as he took the bonus point for fastest lap from Verstappen — a very minor blip for the dominant Dutchman.
It was yet another stellar weekend for Verstappen, who also won Saturday’s sprint race. The only issue was some more bickering with his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase over radio, as they continued their spat from Friday’s qualifying.
“Don’t forget Max, use your head, please,” Lambiase told Verstappen when he questioned why Perez was making his first tire change on Lap 14.
Verstappen defused any talk of tension with Lambiase.
“It’s fine. We know each other very well and we have a very good relationship,” he said. “I think it’s really important.”
With some rain forecast, Verstappen boxed on the next lap and came out about 2 seconds behind Perez. Just minutes later he cruised past Perez and, as so often this season, the rest was just about control.
Perez, meanwhile, pledged to stay on the podium for the rest of the season.
“It’s been a bit of a rough patch,” the 33-year-old Mexican said. “I really need this summer break, it’s been really intense. I’ll come back really strong for Zandvoort.”
Conditions were dry for the race start, in stark contrast to the two previous days, which were impacted by heavy rain at the 7-kilometer (4.3-mile) Spa-Francorchamps circuit.
Leclerc, who won his first F1 race here in 2019, made a solid start but Perez’s extra pace soon put him in front.
“I knew it was quite crucial for my race to get Charles on Lap 1,” Perez said.
Verstappen rose two places to fourth after Sainz bumped into Piastri on the first corner.
Piastri had to retire, while Verstappen overtook Hamilton on Lap 6, Leclerc three laps later and made short work of Perez just before some rain fell briefly.
Some good overtaking from Ocon moved the Frenchman up from 10th to eighth in the closing stages.
It was an early end for Piastri, who had impressed with a second place in Saturday’s sprint race.
A bad day for Sainz saw him retiring on Lap 25 and Leclerc moving above him in the standings.
“Of course the race was good on my side, a shame for Carlos as we had good pace,” Leclerc said. “When you look at the Red Bulls we still have a lot of work to do … This was the best we could achieve today, no doubt.”
After the F1 break there will be 10 races left, but most of the competition for places will be behind Verstappen.
Alonso is one point ahead of Hamilton in third overall, with Leclerc and Russell level and Sainz seven points behind them.
___
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.wjhl.com/sports/us-world-sports/ap-verstappen-wins-belgian-gp-to-extend-huge-f1-lead-red-bull-teammate-perez-2nd/ | 2023-07-30T20:44:38 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/sports/us-world-sports/ap-verstappen-wins-belgian-gp-to-extend-huge-f1-lead-red-bull-teammate-perez-2nd/ |
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- Fayetteville police arrested and charged two brothers in connection with a fatal shooting that happened Saturday morning.
The Fayetteville Police Department said on July 29, Devonte Tyrell McClain, 20, and Adriane McClain, 18, of Fayetteville, were talking to Lorenzo McLaughlin Jr. on social media before the brothers drove to McLaughlin's location and shot him while he was walking in the neighborhood. McLaughlin was taken to the hospital where was pronounced dead.
Devonte McClain and Adriane McClain were both charged with first-degree murder and felony conspiracy. they are being held at the Cumberland County Detention Center without bond.
Tracking crime and safety across Raleigh, Durham and your neighborhood
Featured video is from a previous report | https://abc11.com/fayetteville-brothers-arrested-fatal-shooting/13574041/ | 2023-07-30T20:44:44 | 0 | https://abc11.com/fayetteville-brothers-arrested-fatal-shooting/13574041/ |
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CHAUTAUQUA, N.Y. — For a single, unthinkable moment last summer, the Chautauqua Institution was a hostile place for the freedom of expression that has been its hallmark for 150 years: As Salman Rushdie was about to speak, an audience member leapt onto the stage and stabbed the celebrated author more than a dozen times.
By the next day, Chautauqua Institution President Michael Hill recently recounted, the decision had been made not only to resume programming, but to “double down on what Mr. Rushdie stands for, what our speakers and preachers and artists stand for — which is the free exchange of ideas and the belief that society is stronger when we do that.”
A year later, Rushdie, blinded in one eye by the assault, is recovering from the attack. The Chautauqua Institution is recovering, too.
Programming and revenue for the arts and intellectual retreat in the rural southwest corner of New York was disrupted for two seasons by COVID-19. Then the attack further shattered the return to normal that regular visitors had so craved.
With a new nine-week summer season now under way, well-tended gardens are in bloom and rocking chairs are back out on the porches of Victorian- and cottage-style homes.
Security has been strengthened, though the gated compound remains open to anyone who buys a pass to enter.
“We look at the work that we do under a different lens since” the stabbing, Hill said during an interview in his office, which overlooks Bestor Plaza, a lush expanse of greenery anchoring the 750-acre (303-hectare) grounds. “The attack was an attempt at silencing, which underscores the need for institutions like ours to not stay silent.”
As an institution, Chautauqua defies easy explanation.
“NPR camp for grown-ups” is the description preferred by Erica Higbie, who owns a house on the grounds.
Located on the shore of Chautauqua Lake, the institution is a self-contained community with lecture halls, houses of worship, cafes, shops, a library, post office and bookstore, along with private homes, rentals and the Athenaeum Hotel, which served as former President Bill Clinton’s executive mansion for a week in 1996 as he prepared for his debate with Republican challenger Bob Dole.
Aside from boating and golf, the 4,400-seat, open-air amphitheater is a main draw, with a summer entertainment lineup this year offering concerts by Diana Ross and Bonnie Raitt, ballet and theater productions and performances by the house Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra.
But for Higbie and many others, the primary appeal exists in the institution’s 19th Century beginnings as a summer educational experiment in which daily lectures are curated around weekly explorations of anything from politics to infrastructure and faith to friendship.
“I am a lecture junkie,” Higbie said from her porch as people navigated the grounds on foot, bikes and scooters. The speed limit for the rare vehicle traffic is 12 mph. The retired teacher takes in a daily morning lecture and may hear two more in the afternoon at the amphitheater and the Hall of Philosophy.
Through the decades, Susan B. Anthony advocated for women’s rights at the institution and President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave his 1936 “I Hate War” speech in the amphitheater. Former Vice President Al Gore spoke about the climate crisis and Supreme Court Judges Robert H. Jackson and Ruth Bader Ginsburg are among countless others who have offered insights.
Rushdie’s appearance came during a week last year exploring home as “a place for human thriving.”
Henry Reese, co-founder of the City of Asylum Pittsburgh, was about to interview “The Satanic Verses” author about violence against writers when Rushdie was attacked as the men sat in armchairs on the amphitheater’s sunken stage.
Rushdie, the target of a decades-old fatwa by the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini calling for his death, was stabbed in the neck, stomach, chest, hand and right eye. Reese suffered bruises and a gash to his forehead.
With alleged assailant Hadi Matar awaiting trial in a nearby courthouse, Reese is scheduled to return to the institution on the anniversary of the attack, Aug. 12. His appearance is expected to kick off a week exploring freedom of expression, imagination and the resilience of democracy. Republican strategist Karl Rove and Democratic strategist David Axelrod are among other invited guests.
It would have been out of character for the institution to do anything but pick up where it left off after the assault, regular guest lecturer Eboo Patel said.
“Not a single artist or speaker canceled,” Patel, founder of Interfaith America in Chicago, said by phone.
“Chautauqua recognizes that it has a responsibility to its own community, honestly to American civilization and the human spirit, and it’s back up in 24 to 48 hours. That’s stunning,” he said.
Property owners differed on how far the institution should go to ensure personal safety, said Higbie, the president of the Chautauqua Property Owners Association.
“Everybody was in shock for a long time,“ Higbie said.
Visitors say they notice more security and protocols at events. Amphitheater patrons can bring only clear bags inside, for example, and may be scanned or asked to walk through a weapons detector.
Even so, “I never hesitated for a minute” to return, said Michael Crawford of Washington, D.C., as he chatted with Mary Pat McFarland of Philadelphia. The two sat on one of the red benches placed around the grounds to invite discussion.
A handful of musicians with violins, guitars and a small harp played an impromptu jam session beneath a tree nearby.
Hill said he sees his role as “teeing up” issues for engagement, so shying away from difficult ones would be a disservice at a time when civic discourse is in short supply.
“It’s about bringing divergent viewpoints for people to digest,” Hill said. “For us to have made the decision to stop bringing speakers who may be controversial in any way would have been for us to stop doing our mission.”
“It would have been,” he said, “to literally stop the reason this place was created.”
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WILKES-BARRE — To dash or not to dash?
When leaving the house to pick up food seems like the last thing you’d like to do, delivery services can swoop in to save the day.
DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub, third-party mobile delivery services, allow customers to easily browse and order from menus of their favorite eateries — both larger chains and smaller restaurants.
According to statista.com, the U.S. is home to the second biggest online food delivery market behind China, with an estimated $218 billion in revenues in 2022, of which more than $76 billion was generated in the meal delivery segment.
The convenience of in-app ordering that can be done entirely from the comfort of one’s couch seems like a dream come true.
For businesses, however — especially local and small businesses — turning their products over to outside parties for delivery can be a mixed blessing. Concerns about costs and quality control have caused some to swear off third-party delivery service entirely.
Others, however, swear by them, saying they enhance flexibility at a time when hiring drivers can be difficult.
And then there are other non-restaurant organizations that are finding third-party delivery a godsend for getting food out to clients who need it.
We teamed up with our partners at Eyewitness News WBRE/WYOU to talk with some businesses in our area about why they do or don’t use external delivery services.
Grotto embraces new services
Grotto Pizza is one of the most iconic local brands in Northeastern Pennsylvania — “the legendary taste,” as its slogan goes.
If you haven’t sat down to eat at one of Grotto’s signature restaurants, you’ve likely seen one of the chain’s distinctive delivery vehicles going about their work around the Wyoming Valley.
But Grotto also has embraced third-party delivery services to reach customers, an innovation that began — like so many other things — as a result of the impact of COVID-19 on indoor dining and the economy.
“We’ve always had a pretty robust delivery service, but we started losing employees. And so much of our business started to depend on takeout and delivery, because dine-in was either limited or even shut down for a while. So we had to find additional ways to bring in sales,” said Tony DeCosmo, Director of Marketing for Grotto Pizza PA.
“We brought DoorDash on in 2020, during the pandemic,” he continued. “We had been considering it at one point before that, but the pandemic made us say ‘stop considering it. Let’s do it.’ So we did, and it has been going pretty well.”
And, DeCosmo said, the model has worked so well that Grotto added Grubhub service as an option in recent months, and it is “just getting off the ground.”
He acknowledges there are two significant drawbacks to such services.
“The first one is obvious in that they take a substantial portion of your sales — 20 to 25% at a minimum,” DeCosmo said. “And the restaurant business does not operate on wide margins to begin with.”
The other one, he said, is that the third-party delivery driver essentially becomes the customer, and questions about the quality of the delivered food fall to them.
“We’re handing the food over to them. We’re getting payment from that service and out the door it goes,” DeCosmo said. “If there’s a problem between our restaurant and your house, it’s on them.”
He acknowledges the risk, but also said the service has been largely trouble-free.
“In our experience with DoorDash over the years there hasn’t been a huge amount of that,” DeCosmo said.
According to DoorDash’s own website, the service allows restaurants to “focus on the products, not the logistics,” and says “75% of restaurants agree that DoorDash has enabled them to reach new customers.”
“Increasing sales without increasing expenses helps to improve your profit margin, which is why 65% of restaurants — in addition to businesses like pet stores, liquor stores, and flower shops — say they were able to increase their profits during the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to DoorDash,” the company’s site states.
Frog Pond says ‘no thanks’
Not all businesses are willing to take the chance, though.
Pat Tracy, co-owner of the Frog Pond in Wilkes-Barre, is not a fan. He said the restaurant’s prior owner did use a third-party delivery service, but had issues with it. Tracy said he was told that customer complaints dealt with late deliveries and food that was not hot.
“There were a lot of complaints,” said Tracy, who with co-owner Stuart Cahill purchased the Frog Pond the week before Thanksgiving 2021 from Mary Jo Farber Burke, who owned the business for 24 years.
“Frog Pond’s priority is food quality and we offer pick up/take out services only,” Tracy added. “That way we control the delivery and the quality of the product. We have had zero complaints about delivery and pick-up service. Customers are always satisfied. We don’t need a third party middleman.”
‘We definitely have more reach’
While some local restaurants find the delivery services to be more of a hassle than they’re worth, others utilize them to their business’ advantage.
Such is the case for Vesuvio’s Pizzeria and Ristorante in Wilkes-Barre, which has been offering their menu through DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub since 2019. The restaurant offers their own delivery services, but owner Donald Sabatino says the third-party services draw in a new clientele.
“It’s helped Vesuvio’s,” Sabatino said. “We definitely have more reach. That’s the one good thing — the reach you get from it, the people who might not have ordered otherwise.”
Third party services are able to cover a larger delivery radius compared to in-house delivery, Sabatino said.
“They do a bigger reach than what we deliver. They have delivery to Pittston and different places that we might not go for our deliveries,” he said.
According to him, the biggest advantage, though, is the free marketing that comes with partnering with such well-known giant.
All three of the delivery services that Vesuvio’s partners with are backed by national recognition and marketing, which is a perk that the restaurant benefits from.
“It definitely helps out in the sense of visibility, marketing, doing all of that stuff,” Sabatino said.
However, the delivery services don’t come without their setbacks.
According to Sabatino, Vesuvio’s has to pay a high commission to partner with the services, which he says are reflected in the on-app menu prices to make up for the diminished profits. Additionally, having a middle man between restaurant and customer can lead to a few issues for both parties, Sabatino said.
“You lose your customer relationship with them,” he said.
“We don’t have the ability to have direct interaction with the customer, and sometimes DoorDash drivers come in and they’re not really trained on how to deliver food, so you’re getting drivers that are carrying pizza sideways and not delivering food the way it should be,” he added.
Sabatino said the restaurant hears complaints about mishandled food quite regularly, but due to the orders being placed through the third party delivery service, there’s only so much they could due to resolve the issues.
“DoorDash is great — it’s there, it’s convenient, but call your local businesses and do delivery through them. I wish more people would order more from our own delivery,” he said.
However, despite drawbacks and hiccups, Sabatino says the delivery services are a worthwhile addition to Vesuvio’s.
“It’s good because it keeps us busy, it’s getting our name out there, other people are willing to try us — it’s worth it,” he said.
Sending Grotto Pizza far and wide
Back at Grotto, DeCosmo also spoke of how third-party services expanded the chain’s ability to reach new customers from restaurants in central Luzerne County.
The chain’s own drivers have set delivery zones, he explained, but DoorDash and Grubhub are willing to go farther afield.
“At our restaurant here in Wilkes-Barre we’ve had DoorDash orders going to Scranton,” DeCosmo said. “And at our Edwardsville location for the longest time we had a customer who ordered a DoorDash delivery once a week to Berwick. I was amazed at that.”
There’s another valuable market that Grotto has tapped into through the services, he noted.
“As much as we’re well known in Northeastern Pennsylvania, we’re still a regional family-type business. But when out-of-towners come into the hotels and they go onto DoorDash and Grubhub, they’re seeing the big name chains as options and we’re right in there with them,” DeCosmo said. “And with all the hotels around here, especially near the Wilkes-Barre location, that’s great for our business.”
DeCosmo said Grotto isn’t giving up on in-house delivery by any means, but it has only grown more challenging since the pandemic.
“We would love to get back to expanding our in-house delivery. It is still the best way to get food from our restaurant, and you can get deals from us when you order directly that you can’t get through the third party,” DeCosmo said.
“But again, it’s a question of finding drivers, and that is tall mountain to climb for many businesses these days. We probably have a third of the number of delivery drivers that we used to have,” he added.
CEO: Delivering to those in need
A quick bite to eat isn’t all the delivery services are good for.
Each month, the Commission on Economic Opportunity (CEO) hosts a senior food box program for low income elderly individuals in Luzerne County, in which cars line up outside of the Wilkes-Barre office to receive a 40-pound box of nonperishable items.
Just last year, CEO partnered with DoorDash to expand the program to home bound individuals who cannot pick up their box — at no cost.
The program, called Project Dash, is sponsored through Hunger Free Pennsylvania, the state’s largest nonprofit provider of food resources and meals to older Pennsylvanians and hungry families. Those who opt to have their box delivered to their home are able to do so for free thanks to Project Dash — a factor that Food Bank Director Mary Ellen Spellman says helps substantially.
“It’s given this program to seniors that are home bound and who struggle with getting regular services and getting food to their homes, and it’s wonderful that we’re able to offer this as a free service through Project Dash,” she said.
According to her, DoorDash has only been a positive addition to the program, especially considering how far it has grown the reach of participants.
Currently, the program services 380 home bound senior citizens — a number that could grow to be much larger if funding becomes available considering an extensive wait list, Spellman said.
Typically, the same Door Dash drivers show up at the Wilkes-Barre food drive each month, which helps to make the process more efficient for everyone involved, she said.
“It does streamline the process tremendously,” she said. “They’re more familiar with the delivery area, and also with how the program operates since it is a little different than receiving restaurant-style food from a DoorDash pickup.”
Each driver pulls into the loading station and relays the names of the deliveries they were assigned. Food bank crew members load the boxes into the car, and the drivers head out to deliver them.
On average, each driver receives 10 boxes to deliver during their trip.
“The program is new,” Spellman said. “It is our second year of operating it, so we keep getting better and better and hopefully we can expand it and open up our waiting list.”
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Click now to support or get more information. | https://www.timesleader.com/news/1615676/businesses-discuss-pros-cons-of-third-party-food-delivery-services | 2023-07-30T20:44:45 | 0 | https://www.timesleader.com/news/1615676/businesses-discuss-pros-cons-of-third-party-food-delivery-services |
The Sidecar is a classic cocktail that combines cognac, orange liqueur, and lemon juice for one of the most refreshing beverages ever. Rémy Martin, one of the world’s oldest cognac brands, put together a delightful trio of cocktails to help celebrate National Sidecar Day (July 30).
The exact origin of the Sidecar sparks debates among cocktail historians. Some believe the drink’s origins are in Paris, while others say it was a creation of the Prohibition Era in America. In our estimation, France would make the most sense as the base of the cocktail is cognac, but the debate kicks up from there.
In Jerry Thomas’ 1862 book How To Mix Drinks, the Brandy Crusta is seen as the root of the Sidecar due to its use of brandy, citrus in the form of lemon juice, and curaçao. Another thought is that a bar in Paris improved upon the recipe at the urging of an American military captain arriving at the establishment in a sidecar on the side of a motorcycle.
“It was invented by a friend of mine at a bar in Paris during World War I and was named after the motorcycle sidecar in which the good captain customarily was driven to and from the little bistro where the drink was born and christened,” David A. Embury wrote in his 1948 book, The Fine Art Of Mixing Drinks.
My exposure to the Sidecar began about 10 years ago as I began leaning into the hobby of cocktail making and studying the classics. I routinely stuck to gin and whiskey cocktails because of my routinely pleasant experiences. I enjoyed it then but I also didn’t quite understand the nuances that come with the cocktail at that point.
That said, I had one of the best versions of the drinks in one of my favorite bars in the world, Dutch Kills in Queens, N.Y. back in 2021. I never got the ratio or what brands they used, but it was a beautiful marriage of sweet and tart that lent itself to being a drink of the summer due to the citrus.
Rémy Martin’s version of the Sidecar uses the house’s 1738 expression, the always reliable and versatile Cointreau, and lemon juice. There are no sugared rims like some bars like to use, which is a wise choice if you’re asking my opinion. Rémy Martin also has two Sidecar variations that are well-positioned to occupy a space in my running list of favorite cocktails.
For National Sidecar Day, check out the recipes below.
The Sidecar
Ingredients:
2 oz of Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal
3/4 oz Cointreau
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
Directions:
Pour 2 oz of Rémy Martin 1738 Accord, 3/4 oz of Cointreau and 3/4 oz of Lemon Juice into a shaker filled with ice. Shake, strain and pour into a coupette glass. Finish with lemon peel for freshness.
“Experience the Sidecar as intended.” – D.L.
Belle Sidecar
Ingredients:
1 oz of Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal
0.5 oz Lemon Juice
0.5 oz Simple Syrup
0.5 oz Belle De Brillet
Directions:
Pour all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice. Shake, strain and pour into a coupette glass. Finish with lemon peel for freshness
“This Sidecar riff adds a half ounce of Belle De Brillet, a cognac liqueur combined with pears.” – D.L.
Lychee Sidecar
Ingredients:
1 oz of Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal
0.5 oz Lemon Juice
0.5 oz Simple Syrup
0.5 oz Lychee Liqueur
Directions:
Pour all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice. Shake, strain and pour into a coupette glass. Garnish with lychee.
“Here in the States, the lychee season is upon us and runs through the summer. This Sidecar version as lychee liqueur for a new twist.” – D.L.
Spritz Sidecar
Ingredients:
1 oz of Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal
0.5 oz Cointreau
0.5 oz Lemon Juice
0.5 oz Simple Syrup
2 oz Tonic Water
1 oz Champagne
Directions:
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shake except champagne and tonic water. Shake until well chilled. Strain over ice into a highball glass and top with champagne and tonic water. Garnish with orange peel or slice.
“The addition of champagne makes this drink a perfect summertime sip. And who doesn’t love a spritz when it’s warm out?” – D.L.
—
Photo: Rémy Martin
Rémy Martin Shares 3 Cocktails To Celebrate National Sidecar Day was originally published on cassiuslife.com | https://wzakcleveland.com/4590394/remy-martin-shares-3-cocktails-to-celebrate-national-sidecar-day/ | 2023-07-30T20:44:57 | 1 | https://wzakcleveland.com/4590394/remy-martin-shares-3-cocktails-to-celebrate-national-sidecar-day/ |
Bomb squad investigates mysterious packages parachuted into neighborhood
SAN DIMAS, Calif. (Gray News) – A bomb squad was called in to investigate after packages were apparently parachuted into a city in California.
The San Dimas Sheriff’s Station said deputies responded to a call Thursday for a suspicious package in San Dimas. When they arrived at the location, they said they discovered a parachute with two packages attached to it.
The responding deputies then evacuated the residents of nearby homes and called in the arson and explosives unit.
After an investigation, officials determined the packages did not contain explosives or other dangerous materials and seemed to be a science project.
Officials informed the neighborhood of the finds, and the residents returned safely to their homes.
Copyright 2023 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.cleveland19.com/2023/07/30/bomb-squad-investigates-mysterious-packages-parachuted-into-neighborhood/ | 2023-07-30T20:44:57 | 0 | https://www.cleveland19.com/2023/07/30/bomb-squad-investigates-mysterious-packages-parachuted-into-neighborhood/ |
Video captured the dramatic moment a family helped save two people as their boat was engulfed in flames in Michigan.
Two people were stuck on board a 21-foot Baja as it went up in flames on West Grand Traverse Bay.
"It's too late, guys," one person can be heard saying in the video. "It's too late. Get off the boat. It's gonna blow."
As the fire intensified, the pair was forced to make a dire decision: jump overboard. They were lucky that Nathan Greenwood and his wife were boating nearby and were able to come to the rescue.
"I knew very quickly that if they did not get off the boat, they were either going to pass out from the inhalation of the smoke, the heat, or it would end up eventually exploding," Nathan said. "It's really fortunate, because within three seconds of them jumping off of the boat, it exploded."
That fire-engulfed boat soon sunk to the bottom of the bay.
What happened in Michigan echoed some of the other recent trouble on the water this summer.
Last week, 17-year-old Sadie Mauro was killed off Cape Cod. The boat she was in hit a jetty, sending her and five others into the water.
On Friday, one woman died and six people were injured when a boat crashed into a break wall and overturned near Chicago's Navy Pier. That crash happened around 3:30 a.m.
"Anybody operating a boat, you need to know your navigational hazards, know your capabilities. Make sure you have life preserves on board for everybody," said CFD Deputy District Chief Jason Lach.
According to the coast guard, 74% of deaths on vessels happen when the operator hasn't received boat safety instruction. And, this now-billion-dollar boating business means more crowded waterways this summer. | https://abc11.com/grand-traverse-bay-boat-on-fire-caught-camera-boating-accident/13574007/ | 2023-07-30T20:45:58 | 1 | https://abc11.com/grand-traverse-bay-boat-on-fire-caught-camera-boating-accident/13574007/ |
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents will meet Sunday to authorize the university to negotiate a potential settlement with Kathleen McElroy, a Black University of Texas at Austin journalism professor, who turned down a position at A&M after the university changed her job offer under pressure from conservative groups.
McElroy’s botched hiring led to the resignation of multiple administrators, including the university president last week. It’s not clear whether McElroy, who said she felt judged because of her race and gender, has filed claims against A&M, but if the board gives its approval the university could enter a settlement discussion with the UT professor, who has since hired legal counsel.
The Board of Regents also plans to appoint an interim president for A&M, according to an agenda for the July 30 special meeting, which is open to the public.
On July 20, M. Katherine Banks resigned as president of the university following the public backlash over the failed hiring of McElroy. Texas A&M System Chancellor John Sharp named Mark A. Welsh III, dean of the Bush School of Government and Public Service, as acting president following Banks’ departure. Sharp recommended appointing Welsh in the interim until the board can do a national search for a new president.
A&M celebrated the hiring of McElroy earlier this year to revive the university’s journalism program as a tenure-track professor. But following outcries from conservative groups and alumni, McElroy was presented with a succession of different offer letters that promised a less lucrative role at A&M. McElroy turned down the final offer, which was a one-year contract that could be terminated at any time.
McElroy told The Texas Tribune on Friday that negotiations “are still ongoing” and declined further comment.
The Board of Regents will consult with A&M System attorneys, likely in executive session or otherwise behind closed doors, to discuss the possibility of settling with McElroy over the failed hiring.
In addition to Banks’ resignation, two deans at the university announced their plans to step down from their administrative roles at A&M in the wake of the mishandled hiring. The case has deflated morale among A&M faculty members, who previously expressed distrust with the administration over what they said was a lack of transparency in the decision-making process.
This story comes from The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans - and engages with them - about public policy, politics, government, and statewide issues. | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/education/texas-am-hiring-controvery-katherine-banks-kathleen-mcelroy/285-0c3e06ae-e644-4998-98ff-c365e236bb2a | 2023-07-30T20:47:09 | 1 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/education/texas-am-hiring-controvery-katherine-banks-kathleen-mcelroy/285-0c3e06ae-e644-4998-98ff-c365e236bb2a |
NEW YORK (AP) — A week later, the “Barbenheimer” boom has not abated.
Seven days after Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” conspired to set box office records, the two films held unusually strongly in theaters. “Barbie” took in a massive $93 million in its second weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. “Oppenheimer” stayed in second with a robust $46.2 million. Sales for the two movies dipped 43% and 44%, respectably — well shy of the usual week-two drops.
“Barbenheimer” has proven to be not a one-weekend phenomenon but an ongoing box-office bonanza. The two movies combined have already surpassed $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales. Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for data firm Comscore, call it “a touchstone moment for movies, moviegoers and movie theaters.”
“Having two movies from rival studios linked in this way and both boosting each other’s fortunes — both box-office wise and it terms of their profile — I don’t know if there’s a comp for this in the annals of box-office history,” said Dergarabedian. “There’s really no comparison for this.”
Following its year-best $162 million opening, the pink-infused pop sensation of “Barbie” saw remarkably sustained business through the week and into the weekend. The film outpaced Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” to have the best first 11 days in theaters of any Warner Bros. release ever.
“Barbie” has rapidly accumulated $351.4 million in U.S. and Canadian theaters, a rate that will soon make it the biggest box-office hit of the summer. Every day it’s played, “Barbie” has made at least $20 million.
And the “Barbie” effect isn’t just in North America. The film made $122.2 million internationally over the weekend. Its global tally has reached $775 million. It’s the kind of business that astounds even veteran studio executives.
“That’s a crazy number,” said Jeff Goldstein, distribution chief for Warner Bros. “There’s just a built-in audience that wants to be part of the zeitgeist of the moment. Wherever you go, people are wearing pink. Pink is taking over the world.”
Amid the frenzy, “Barbie” is already attracting a lot of repeat moviegoers. Goldstein estimates that 12% of sales are people going back with friends or family to see it again.
For a movie industry that has been trying to regain its pre-pandemic footing — and that now finds itself largely shuttered due to actors and screenwriters strikes — the sensations of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” have showed what’s possible when everything lines up just right.
“Post-pandemic, there’s no ceiling and there’s no floor,” Goldstein said. “The movies that miss really miss big time, and the movies that work really work big time.”
Universal Pictures’ “Oppenheimer,” meanwhile, is performing more like a superhero movie than a three-hour film about scientists talking.
Nolan’s drama starring Cillian Murphy as atomic bomb physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer has accrued $174.1 million domestically thus far. With an additional $72.4 million in international cinemas, “Oppenheimer” has already surpassed $400 million globally.
Showings in IMAX have typically been sold out. “Oppenheimer” has made $80 million worldwide on IMAX. The large-format exhibitor said Sunday that it will extend the film’s run through Aug. 13.
The week’s top new release, Walt Disney Co.’s “Haunted Mansion,” an adaptation of the Disney theme park attraction, was easily overshadowed by the “Barbenheimer” blitz. The film, which cost about $150 million, debuted with $24 million domestically and $9 million in overseas sales. “Haunted Mansion,” directed by Justin Simien (“Dear White People,” “Bad Hair”) and starring an ensemble of LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito and Rosario Dawson, struggled to overcome mediocre reviews.
“Talk to Me,” the A24 supernatural horror film, fared better. It debuted with $10 million. The film, directed by Australian filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou and starring Sophie Wilde, was a midnight premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January and received terrific reviews from critics (95% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes). It was made for a modest $4.5 million.
While theaters being flush with moviegoers has been a huge boon to the film industry, it’s been tougher sledding for Tom Cruise, the so-called savior of the movies last summer with “Top Gun: Maverick.” “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part I,” which debuted the week before the arrival of “Barbenheimer,” grossed $10.7 million in its third weekend. The film starring Cruise and directed by Christopher McQuarrie, has grossed $139.2 million domestically and $309.3 million oveseas.
Instead, the sleeper hit “Sound of Freedom” has been the best performing non-“Barbenheimer” release in theaters. The Angel Studios’ release, which is counting crowdfunding pay-it-forward sales in its box office totals, made $12.4 million in its fourth weekend, bringing its haul thus far to nearly $150 million.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. “Barbie,” $93 million.
2. “Opppenheimer,” $46.2 million.
3. “Haunted Mansion,” $24.2 million.
4. “Sound of Freedom,” $12.4 million.
5. “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One,” $10.7 million.
6. “Talk to Me,” $10 million.
7. “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” $4 million.
8. “Elemental,” $3.4 million.
9. “Insidious: The Red Door,” $3.2 million.
10. “Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani,” $1.6 million.
___
Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP | https://www.kron4.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-the-barbie-bonanza-continues-at-the-box-office-oppenheimer-holds-the-no-2-spot/ | 2023-07-30T20:47:12 | 1 | https://www.kron4.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-the-barbie-bonanza-continues-at-the-box-office-oppenheimer-holds-the-no-2-spot/ |
(KRON) — The 19th Street BART Station was closed due to police activity on Sunday afternoon in Oakland, Bay Area Rapid Transit announced.
BART trains are not stopping at the station. No further information was immediately available.
(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
(KRON) — The 19th Street BART Station was closed due to police activity on Sunday afternoon in Oakland, Bay Area Rapid Transit announced.
BART trains are not stopping at the station. No further information was immediately available.
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Subscribe Now | https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/19th-street-bart-station-closed-due-to-police-activity-in-oakland/ | 2023-07-30T20:47:17 | 0 | https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/19th-street-bart-station-closed-due-to-police-activity-in-oakland/ |
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (KRON) — Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concert Saturday night shined with a dazzling display of her biggest songs from every “era” of her career. From the second the pop star graced Levi’s Stadium’s stage, more than 65,000 San Francisco Bay Area “Swifties” rose to their feet dancing and screaming “We love you!”
It didn’t matter if Swift was singing a song released 15 years ago or in 2023. Her adoring fans knew every lyric of every song.
The Eras Tour showcased the evolution of Swift as a musical artist over the years with 45 songs. Early in the show, she performed “Love Story” and “You Belong With Me” from her second studio album, Fearless (2008).
Young girls, teenagers, and their moms sang in unison, “I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling 22.”
“In the middle of the night,” the crowd’s energy turned electric for Swift’s sassy song, “…Ready For It?” from her sixth studio album, “Reputation” (2017).
Despite the venue’s football stadium size, Swift had the sold-out crowd wrapped around her finger. “Swifties” were mesmerized by every hair-flip, theatric glance, cat walk strut, and sparkly wardrobe change. Taylor Swift look-alikes were fanned out across Levi’s Stadium dressed in calf-high white cowgirl boots, sequined dresses, and red lipstick.
The 12-time Grammy Award winner saved three of her most popular hits, “Blank Space,” “Shake it Off” and “Bad Blood” for the final hour of the concert.
The superstar’s experience as a seasoned performer was unmistakable. She seamlessly transitioned from commanding an army of dancers with high-energy, pyro-packed hits, to softer solo acoustic performances.
The highlight of the show was the acoustic set, which showcased Swift’s talent as a pianist and guitarist. Swift picks two “surprise” acoustic songs that are different for every show of the Eras Tour. On Saturday night the crowd went wild when she chose “Stay Stay Stay,” which she has not performed since the 2013 Red Tour.
“Because this is The Eras Tour, I really wanted to just try as hard as I possibly could to play as many songs from my albums that I either haven’t played live in a long time, or haven’t played live at all. I’m trying to challenge myself to play different ones every night,” she told the packed crowd.
Swift was in top tour shape on her Santa Clara stop. She flawlessly tackled a 45-song set list, and by the last song, she still wasn’t out of breath.
The singer-songwriter was amused by mystery aerial fireworks that blasted off from somewhere outside the stadium. “They did that last night, and I was secretly hoping they were going to do it again. Nothing like more pyro to a show that already has a lot of pyro,” Swift told the crowd.
During her two nights of concerts, Swift was the ceremonial mayor of Santa Clara and the city was renamed “Swiftie Clara.” Both shows were more than three hours long each. The Eras Tour was the star’s first time back in the Bay Area since her 2018 Reputation Tour. | https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/taylor-swift-rocks-pyro-packed-performance-on-eras-tour-at-levis-stadium/ | 2023-07-30T20:47:26 | 1 | https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/taylor-swift-rocks-pyro-packed-performance-on-eras-tour-at-levis-stadium/ |
(NerdWallet) – Inflation has rattled nearly every aspect of Americans’ finances, including vacation budgets. But one major travel cost isn’t just lower than it was last year — it’s even lower than pre-pandemic.
June 2023 airfares are 18.9% lower than what they were in June 2022, according to July 2023 consumer price index data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Considering that booming demand — alongside other factors like high jet fuel costs — led to record-high airfares last summer, it’s not surprising to see prices normalize. Not only have air travel costs come back down to earth from 2022’s highs, they’re even lower than pre-pandemic prices.
According to BLS data, June 2023 airfares are down 1.33% from what they were in 2019, when airfares were already trending lower. Relative to what prices were a decade ago, they’re even cheaper.
Pandemic aside, airfares have been trending cheaper
Before the pandemic, airfares had steadily been trending downward since 2014, save for a small bump in 2019. In 2020, prices dropped sharply with the onset of the pandemic, with June 2020 airfares averaging 27% lower than June 2019 airfares.
But as travel returned, so did higher prices. June 2021 airfares spiked 25% over the prior year, and airfares rose 34% more between June 2021 and June 2022.
If you take a long-term view, those increases aren’t necessarily as big as they seem. In fact, in June 2022, airfares averaged just 0.4% more than in 2014.
Here’s a look at how airfares have changed relative to prices in 2014, using June prices from BLS inflation data:
In 2023, airfares are 19% lower than a decade ago.
Compare that with something like the cost of milk, which is up 9% over that same period, according to BLS data. Hotel prices are up 28%. Admission to movies, theaters and concerts is up 33%.
If airfares are lower, why do they feel so high?
Over the past decade, prices for most items have increased. But if airfares are down 19%, why do they feel so expensive?
For starters, not every route is necessarily cheaper. Data from travel booking app Hopper indicates airfares to Europe this summer are averaging nearly $1,200 per ticket, the highest prices in the past six years. That’s perhaps a response to people who might usually book a low-cost domestic flight finally taking extravagant bucket list trips.
And given recent major flight cancellations on airlines including United and Southwest, more travelers might opt for more expensive direct flights to reduce risk of flight disruptions.
Hayley Berg, Hopper’s lead economist, has her own theories as to why people feel like airfares are higher, including recency bias, shorter booking windows and unbundling.
Recency bias
Berg pointed to how many people traveled for this summer’s major holidays.
For example, Fourth of July weekend set records for U.S. air travel, with more than 2.884 million people passing through Transportation Security Administration checkpoints on the Friday before July 4, according to TSA checkpoint data. That topped the previous record of 2.882 million people flying on the Sunday after Thanksgiving 2019.
“A lot of times, we anchor the cost of travel to our most recent trips,” Berg says. “For many, that meant July Fourth and Memorial Day. It’s always expensive to travel on those weekends.”
Shorter booking windows
Airfares typically get more expensive the closer they’re booked to departure, and Berg says people are booking trips later than usual — perhaps a holdover from those pandemic times when people intentionally booked last minute given the extreme uncertainty.
Berg recommends typically booking one to two months in advance for domestic travel and three to four months ahead for most international travel.
“Now, people are searching for travel three weeks later than they did pre-pandemic, and they’re subsequently booking later,” she says. “If I’m booking a trip today that I intend to take two weeks from now, it’s going to be expensive because it’s always more expensive to book at the last minute.”
Unbundling
Then there’s unbundling, where airlines advertise lower fares, often in the form of basic economy seats that offer few frills. But low base fares typically entail upcharges in the form of ancillary fees to check bags or to guarantee a window seat or early boarding.
“On the whole, unbundling is a good thing because you’re not paying a premium for things you may not necessarily want,” Berg says. “I don’t care if I’m in the middle seat if it means I save $100.”
Berg acknowledges that it can be painful when you search for a flight that has a low advertised price but doesn’t turn out to be that cheap.
“It feels like death by a thousand cuts when you add in all those fees,” she says. | https://www.kron4.com/news/national/airfares-are-back-to-normal-so-why-do-they-feel-so-high/ | 2023-07-30T20:47:26 | 1 | https://www.kron4.com/news/national/airfares-are-back-to-normal-so-why-do-they-feel-so-high/ |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — When viewed through a wide lens, renters across the U.S. finally appear to be getting some relief, thanks in part to the biggest apartment construction boom in decades.
Median rent rose just 0.5% in June, year over year, after falling in May for the first time since the pandemic hit the U.S. Some economists project U.S. rents will be down modestly this year after soaring nearly 25% over the past four years.
A closer look, however, shows the trend will likely be little comfort for many U.S. renters who’ve had to put an increasing share of their income toward their monthly payment. Renters in cities such as Cincinnati and Indianapolis are still getting hit with increases of 5% or more. Much of the new construction is located in just a few metro areas, and many of the new units are luxury apartments, which rent for well north of $2,000.
Median U.S. rent has risen to $2,029 this June from $1,629 in June 2019, according to rental listings company Rent, which tracks rents in 50 of the largest U.S. metropolitan areas. Demand for apartments exploded during the pandemic as people who could work remotely sought more space or decided to relocate to another part of the country.
The steep rent increases have left tenants like Melissa Lombana, a high school teacher who lives in the South Florida city of Miramar, with progressively less income to spend on other needs.
The rent on her one-bedroom apartment jumped 13% last year to $1,700. It climbed another 6% to $1,800 this month when she renewed her lease.
“Even the $1,700 was a stretch for me,” said Lombana, 43, who supplements her teaching income with a side job doing educational testing. “In a year, I will not be able to afford living here at all.”
Lombana’s rent is now gobbling up nearly half her monthly income. That puts her in a category referred to as “cost-burdened” by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, denoting households that pay 30% or more of their income toward rent. Last year, the average rent-to-income ratio per household rose to 30%. This March, it was 29.6%.
Lombana hasn’t had any luck finding a more affordable apartment. While South Florida is one of the metropolitan areas seeing a rise in apartment construction, the units are mostly high-end and not a viable option.
That scenario is playing out across the nation. Developers are rushing to complete projects that were green-lit during the pandemic-era surge in demand for rentals or left in limbo by delays in supplies of fixtures and building materials. Nearly 1.1 million apartments are currently under construction, according to the commercial real estate tracker CoStar, a pace not seen since the 1970s.
Increasing the supply of apartments tends to moderate rent increases over time and can give tenants more options on where to live. But more than 40% of the new rentals to be completed this year will be concentrated in about 10 high job growth metropolitan areas, including Austin, Nashville, Denver, Atlanta and New York, according to Marcus & Millichap. In many areas, the boost to overall inventory will be barely noticeable.
Even within metros where there’ll be a notable increase in available apartments, such as Nashville, most of it will be in the luxury category, where rents average $2,270, nationally. Some 70% of the new rental inventory will be the luxury class, said Jay Lybik, national director of multifamily analytics at CoStar.
That will leave most tenants unlikely to see a big enough reduction in rent to make a difference, industry experts and economists say.
“I think we’re in a period of rent flattening for 12 or 18 months, but it’s certainly not a big rent decline,” said Hessam Nadji, CEO of commercial real estate firm Marcus & Millichap.
“We’re building a multi-decade record number of units,” Nadji said. “It’s going to cause some softening and some pockets of overbuilding, but it’s not going to fundamentally resolve the housing shortage or the affordability problem for renters across the U.S.”
The surge in rents has made it difficult for workers to keep up with inflation despite solid wage gains the past few years and exacerbated a long-term trend. Between 1999 and 2022, U.S. rents soared 135%, while income grew 77%, according to data from Moody’s Analytics.
Realtor.com is forecasting that rents will drop an average of 0.9% this year. But while down nationally, rents are still rising in many markets around the country, especially those where hiring remains robust.
In the New York metro area, the median rent climbed 4.7% in June from a year earlier to $2,899, according to Realtor.com. In the Midwest, rents surged 5.6% in the Cincinnati metro area to $1,188, and 6.9% to $1,350 in the Indianapolis metro area.
The current spike in apartment construction alone isn’t going to be enough to address how costly renting has become for many Americans.
“For the rest of the 2020s rents will continue to grow because millennials are such a big generation and we’re very much in the hole in terms of building housing for that generation,” said Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin. “It will take many good years of new construction to build adequate housing for millennials.”
The bigger challenge is building more work force housing, because the cost of land, labor and navigating the government approval process incentivize developers to put up luxury apartments buildings.
Expanding the supply of modestly priced rentals would help alleviate the strain from so many new apartments targeting renters with high incomes, “although additional subsidies will be needed to make housing affordable to households with the lowest incomes,” researchers at Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies wrote in a recent report.
Despite the overall pullback in U.S. rents, Joey Di Girolamo, in Pembroke Pines, Florida, worries that he’ll face more sharp rent increases in coming years.
Last year, the web designer left a two-bedroom, two-bath townhome he rented for $2,200 a month to avoid a $600 a month increase. This year, his rent went up by $200, a nearly 10% jump.
“That blew me away,” said Di Girolamo, 50. “I’m just kind of dreading what it’s going to be like next year, but especially 3 or 4 years from now.” | https://www.kron4.com/news/national/ap-us-news/ap-a-boom-in-apartment-construction-is-helping-to-curb-rents-but-not-all-renters-will-benefit/ | 2023-07-30T20:47:27 | 1 | https://www.kron4.com/news/national/ap-us-news/ap-a-boom-in-apartment-construction-is-helping-to-curb-rents-but-not-all-renters-will-benefit/ |
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — The discovery of four dead women in a drainage ditch just outside Atlantic City was shocking news in 2006.
International media flocked to the seaside gambling resort. More than 100 detectives and prosecutors were assigned to investigate. Casino guests worried about safety, and the victims’ fellow sex workers began carrying hidden knives.
But as the years passed, the public’s attention and fear faded, and the case of the “Eastbound Strangler” – so named for the direction the victims’ heads were facing – remained unsolved.
The arrest earlier this month of a man charged with killing three women whose remains were found on a Long Island beach in 2010 has breathed fresh life into another long-dormant case with obvious parallels; the Gilgo Beach serial killings involve a total of 11 victims, most of whom were young, female sex workers. Yet the recent breakthrough, and the rekindling of public interest, only highlights a painful truth: Many similar cases – like the one in Atlantic City — remain open.
The FBI would not say how many killings of sex workers in the U.S. remain unsolved. Media accounts and statements from local authorities show a long trail of open cases, from nine women whose bodies were found along highways in Massachusetts, to 11 found dead in New Mexico, and eight more found amid the crawfish farms and swamps of southern Louisiana. The killings of other sex workers in Chicago, New Haven, Connecticut and Ohio, among other places, also remain mysteries.
From the days of London’s Jack The Ripper in the 1880s, serial killers, particularly those preying on sex workers, have often gotten away with it, in part because their victims were easy targets living on the margins of society.
Gary Ridgway, the so-called Green River killer convicted of 49 killings in Washington state, said at during a 2003 court hearing in which he pleaded guilty that he chose sex workers as victims because he knew they would not be missed quickly, if at all.
“I picked prostitutes because I thought I could kill as many of them as I wanted without getting caught,” he said.
Two women were out for an afternoon walk near Atlantic City in November 2006 when they found a body in a ditch. They called police, who quickly found three others nearby.
The $15-a-night motel in Egg Harbor Township behind which the four bodies were found is long gone. It was torn down in an attempt to clear a seedy area known for crime, drugs and disturbances – and the murders of Barbara Breidor, 42, Molly Jean Dilts, 20, Kim Raffo, 35, and Tracy Ann Roberts, 23.
Because it is near the ocean, like Gilgo Beach, the location has prompted much speculation by amateur detectives about a single killer, but some other online sleuths have pointed out that oceanside areas are often the remotest locations after hours on the densely packed East Coast. Gilgo Beach is about 3.5 hours drive from Atlantic City.
Gone in New Jersey are the four small wooden crosses someone erected on the site, along with the folded-up paper note bearing a Biblical quote promising justice that someone left there on one of the anniversaries of the discovery of the bodies.
For families left behind, each new day without word in the case of their loved one brings fresh pain.
“I kind of lost hope that anyone was even searching for the killer anymore,” said Joyce Roberts, whose daughter Tracy Ann was one of the four Atlantic City-area victims. “The first six months, the prosecutor did get on the phone with me and told me they were working on it.
“Then it just fell off the radar,” she said. “It was like nobody cared anymore.”
That is a sentiment echoed by Phoenix Calida, a former sex worker from Chicago who now advocates for them through the Sex Workers Outreach Project.
“Police departments often refer to it as an ‘NHI’ case: No humans involved,” she said. ”You feel like the only way you’ll be remembered is when they catch the serial killer who killed you, and then they’ll make five movies about him and no one will remember your name.”
Massachusetts State Police are investigating “nine unsolved homicides possibly committed by the same person,” said David Procopio, a spokesperson for the agency. He said two additional missing persons cases may be homicides related to the other nine.
Gilbert Gallegos, a spokesman for the Albuquerque Police Department, said the New Mexico cases remain actively investigated, with “multiple detectives” working them. The 11 victims were all involved in drugs and prostitution, police said.
A reward of $100,000 has been offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case, which involved two victims who were just 15 years old.
Despite the decade-long efforts of a local, state and federal task force, Louisiana has at least eight unsolved apparent homicide cases involving sex workers between the ages of 17 and 30. Their bodies were found in marshy areas in Jennings, a small town in the area known as Cajun Country, between 2005 and 2009.
Prosecutors in New York’s Suffolk County investigating the Gilgo Beach cases have been in touch with multiple law enforcement agencies, but District Attorney Ray Tierney would not say which ones.
“Everything is being examined and looked at, and this is an active investigation,” said Anthony Carter, Suffolk County’s deputy police commissioner. He would not say if his agency was investigating any connection between Heuermann and the Atlantic City murders.
Atlantic County Prosecutor William Reynolds said the four cases from the drainage ditch outside Atlantic City remain active, with detectives assigned to them, but would not say how many. He declined comment on the Long Island case “as we are not involved.”
Joyce Roberts, the victim’s mother, said no one from law enforcement has called her since the arrest was made in the Long Island cases.
Police in Las Vegas, where Heuermann owns a time share, said they are investigating whether Heuermann may be involved in cases involving the killings of sex workers there.
In the months immediately after the bodies’ discovery near Atlantic City, the local prosecutor’s office and a dozen other law enforcement agencies had 140 people assigned to the cases, Ted Housel, who was prosecutor at the time, said in 2008. By the first anniversary, the total had fallen to 85, and those investigators were also working other cases.
Calida, the former sex worker from Chicago, said women involved the sex trade are frequently robbed by people who know they’re carrying cash, and are sometimes coerced into sexual activity by police in return for not being arrested.
She said an attacker “knows you can’t or won’t report it. You’re an easy target and they know it.”
Three of her friends who were also sex workers in Chicago also turned up dead.
“You see someone, you become friends with them and then one day they’re suddenly just not there,” she said. “We’d all go out asking around and looking for them, and then a few days later a body would be found. There’s always this specific fear that it’s a serial killer. Sometimes we never even get a body back to bury. And we wonder: Will law enforcement take it seriously because it’s ‘just another sex worker?’”
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AP writers Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque; Steve LeBlanc in Boston; Julie Walker and Robert Bumsted in Suffolk County, New York; Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this story.
Follow Wayne Parry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WayneParryAC | https://www.kron4.com/news/national/ap-us-news/ap-breakthrough-in-long-island-serial-killings-shines-light-on-the-many-unsolved-murders-of-sex-workers/ | 2023-07-30T20:47:32 | 1 | https://www.kron4.com/news/national/ap-us-news/ap-breakthrough-in-long-island-serial-killings-shines-light-on-the-many-unsolved-murders-of-sex-workers/ |
MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) — A “mass shooting” at a large party in Indiana early Sunday morning left one person dead, police said. A hospital said 19 people were being treated for injuries at its facility.
Muncie police responded to multiple reports of gunfire on the city’s east side just after 1 a.m., The Star Press reported. Police said in a news release that there was no active threat to the community and that “multiple” victims were injured, including some critically.
“Due to the number of victims and nature of the incident, multiple agencies were contacted to assist,” Muncie Deputy Police Chief Melissa Criswell said in a statement sent to The Star Press.
Many police officers from the nearby town of Eaton were among those who provided assistance, according to a post on the department’s Facebook page. Eaton Police Chief Jay Turner called the incident a “mass shooting.”
Police did not say how many people were injured, but officials at Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie told The Associated Press that 19 victims were treated in their emergency department for injuries related to the shooting, and 13 remained at the hospital in stabilized condition Sunday morning. Criswell said some victims sustained critical injuries and were transferred by medical helicopter to other facilities.
Delaware County Coroner Gavin Greene identified the man who died as 30-year-old Joseph E. Bonner III, The Star Press reported. | https://www.kron4.com/news/national/ap-us-news/ap-one-person-is-dead-and-multiple-were-wounded-in-indiana-shooting-police-say/ | 2023-07-30T20:47:40 | 1 | https://www.kron4.com/news/national/ap-us-news/ap-one-person-is-dead-and-multiple-were-wounded-in-indiana-shooting-police-say/ |
5 teens injured in Daytona Beach crash were racing: Reports
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Five teens were taken to the hospital after they crashed into a wall while allegedly racing in Daytona Beach, the fire department said.
Several Fire crews were on the scene of the crash that happened at the 2400 block of Oleander Ave.
Reports said the car was racing when it struck a wall.
One teen was transported as a trauma alert, and four others were also injured.
All the people in the car were under 18.
No other details have been released. | https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/5-teens-injured-in-daytona-beach-crash-were-racing-reports | 2023-07-30T20:47:42 | 0 | https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/5-teens-injured-in-daytona-beach-crash-were-racing-reports |
Florida deputies search for suspect who shot man in Orange County
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - Orange County Deputies are searching for a suspect involved in a shooting that left a man in his 20s injured.
On Sunday around 3:18 a.m., deputies responded to the 700 block of Story Partin Road in reference to a shooting. When they arrived, they found a man who had been shot.
He was taken to the hospital and remains in stable condition, deputies said.
Information given to deputies suggested the suspect was inside a home.
The family of the suspect told FOX 35 that SWAT teams arrived at the home, threw tear gas, and broke windows as they searched for the suspect who was not found.
The investigation is ongoing.
No other details have been provided. | https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/florida-deputies-search-for-suspect-who-shot-man-in-orange-county | 2023-07-30T20:47:48 | 1 | https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/florida-deputies-search-for-suspect-who-shot-man-in-orange-county |