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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.cbs42.com/news/national/you-can-get-into-the-national-parks-for-free-this-week-heres-when/ | 2023-07-30T20:58:30 | 0 | https://www.cbs42.com/news/national/you-can-get-into-the-national-parks-for-free-this-week-heres-when/ |
BRIDGEND, Wales — Germany’s Alex Cejka prevailed over Ireland’s Padraig Harrington on the second playoff hole to win the Senior British Open at Royal Porthcawl on Sunday.
Harrington, who also finished runner-up to Darren Clarke last year, narrowly missed an eagle putt on the first extra hole and could only make par when the players returned to the 18th after duffing a chip from the back of the green.
Overnight leader Cejka began the final round with a double bogey on the first and dropped another shot on the fourth, but battled back to hold a two-shot lead with two holes to play.
A bogey on the 17th halved the 52-year-old Cejka’s advantage and Harrington birdied the last to force extra holes.
“What a day,” Cejka said at the presentation ceremony. “I still can’t believe that I’m here. Beating Padraig in a playoff, such a great player, but I’m glad I did it and I’m super happy.”
Cejka carded a final round of 76 and Harrington returned a 75, with South Korea’s Y.E. Yang and American Rob Labritz the only players able to match the par of 71.
Not a single player broke par over the weekend and the 5-over total required for a place in the playoff was the same as the halfway cut.
Former top-ranked Vijay Singh finished two shots outside the playoff following a closing 77.
Steven Alker, who led at the halfway stage, shot a 10-over 81 to finish tied for 11th.
The tournament is the last of five majors on the senior schedule.
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/golf/2023/07/30/cejka-senior-british-open-harrington/aa5caa18-2f17-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html | 2023-07-30T20:58:35 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/golf/2023/07/30/cejka-senior-british-open-harrington/aa5caa18-2f17-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html |
(AP) – 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 it is “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 Alix 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.cbs42.com/news/u-s-world/us-mother-daughter-reportedly-kidnapped-in-haiti-do-not-travel-advisory-issued/ | 2023-07-30T20:58:36 | 0 | https://www.cbs42.com/news/u-s-world/us-mother-daughter-reportedly-kidnapped-in-haiti-do-not-travel-advisory-issued/ |
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Bryan Kim won the U.S. Junior Amateur championship Sunday, winning the final two holes for a 2-up victory over Joshua Bai.
The victory earned the incoming Duke freshman, an 18-year-old from Brookeville, Maryland, an exemption into the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 next June.
“It really hasn’t sunk in yet,” said Kim, who was playing in his third U.S. Junior Amateur but had not made match play in his previous two. “Especially coming into this week, I hadn’t made a cut at a USGA event, but to not only make the cut but win all six of my matches, especially against all these great competitors, it just means the world.”
After the start of the final round was suspended 3 1/2 hours by rain Saturday, Kim had a 1-up lead through 25 holes when play was suspended, forcing the final to be extended a day because of weather for the first time since 2002 at Atlanta Athletic Club.
The 17-year-old Bai quickly won Nos. 26 and 27 to take the lead when play resumed on the Daniel Island Club’s Ralston Creek Course.
The match was tied before Kim hit his approach on the 376-yard, par-4 35th hole to 7 feet. Bai missed a long birdie try before Kim made his putt for a 1-up lead.
Trying to square the match on the par-5 36th hole, Bai missed the green well right from 250 yards with his second shot and then chipped over the green before conceding Kim’s birdie.
“Bryan is not going to make anything less than a par,” Bai said. “He could even make birdie, so I thought I just had to give it a shot, try and get on the green, have a putt for eagle or get it close.”
Bai was attempting to become the fourth New Zealander to win a USGA championship, joining Michael Campbell, Danny Lee and Lydia Ko.
Both finalists already earned spots next month in the U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills in the Denver suburbs, while Kim also got a spot in the 2024 U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine in Minnesota.
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/golf/2023/07/30/kim-us-junior-amateur-us-open/5d05f724-2f12-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html | 2023-07-30T20:58:41 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/golf/2023/07/30/kim-us-junior-amateur-us-open/5d05f724-2f12-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html |
TORONTO — 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.
“Knowing that we could cut down on the lead that those guys have on us, it’s really big,” 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 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.”
Shortly after the game, the Blue Jays announced they acquired right-handed reliever Jordan Hicks from the St. Louis Cardinals for minor league righties Sem Robberse and Adam Kloffenstein, both at Double-A New Hampshire.
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. The Angels have a majors-high 17 players on the IL.
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.
___ | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/mlb/2023/07/30/angels-blue-jays-renfroe/ee6d18e4-2f0f-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html | 2023-07-30T20:58:47 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/mlb/2023/07/30/angels-blue-jays-renfroe/ee6d18e4-2f0f-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html |
ATLANTA — Matt Olson drove in five runs with two homers, including a go-ahead, two-run blast in the eighth, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Milwaukee Brewers 8-6 on Sunday to cap their sweep of the high-scoring series.
Atlanta began the day leading Philadelphia by 11 games in the NL East. The Brewers led Cincinnati by 1/2 game in the NL Central.
Orlando Arcia led off the eighth with a double to left field off Joel Payamps (4-2). With one out, Olson’s 35th homer landed in the Atlanta bullpen in right-center, giving the Braves the lead. It was the first earned runs allowed by Payamps, who took a 1.68 ERA into the game, since June 8.
Kirby Yates (5-0) pitched a scoreless eighth. Raisel Iglesias earned his 20th save by striking out the side in the ninth.
Olson’s three-run homer drove in Ronald Acuña Jr., who singled and stole second, and Austin Riley, who walked, to give the Braves a 5-3 lead in the third.
Atlanta rookie AJ Smith-Shawver, recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett before the game, allowed three runs on four hits and four walks in five innings.
Collin McHugh blew the 5-3 lead by giving up three runs in the sixth. William Contreras doubled in two runs for Milwaukee.
Atlanta’s Marcell Ozuna tied the game at 6 with his homer off Hoby Milner.
Riley continued his power surge for Atlanta by hitting his eighth homer in the last 11 games, his 24th, in the first. The two-run shot off Colin Rea carried 463 feet to left-center.
Rea allowed five runs in five innings.
Carlos Santana, acquired from Pittsburgh on Saturday, hit his first homer with the Brewers in the third. The liner over the right-field wall gave Milwaukee a 3-2 lead. Christian Yelich led off the third with his 16th homer.
TRAINING ROOM
Brewers: LHP Wade Miley (left elbow) will come off the 15-day injured list to start Wednesday night at Washington. Miley was added to the team’s rotation plans Sunday. ... RHP Brandon Woodruff (right shoulder) will pitch for Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday. ... RHP Julio Teheran (right hip impingement) was placed on the 15-day IL. RHP Peter Strzelecki was recalled from Nashville.
Braves: LHP Taylor Hearn was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett after allowing four runs and recording only one out in Saturday night’s 11-5 win. The move cleared a roster spot for Smith-Shawver.
UP NEXT
Brewers: RHP Corbin Burnes (9-6, 3.46) is scheduled to pitch Monday night’s opener of a three-game series at Washington against RHP Jake Irvin (3-5, 4.96).
Braves: Atlanta opens an interleague series against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night as RHP Charlie Morton (10-8, 3.57) faces RHP Griffin Canning (6-4, 4.46). Morton is 4-1 with a 3.83 ERA in 10 career starts against the Angels.
------ | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/mlb/2023/07/30/brewers-braves-olson-santana-sweep/4691f6c4-2f16-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html | 2023-07-30T20:58:53 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/mlb/2023/07/30/brewers-braves-olson-santana-sweep/4691f6c4-2f16-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html |
ST. LOUIS — Steven Matz and two relievers combined on a five-hitter, and the St. Louis Cardinals snapped the Chicago Cubs’ eight-game winning streak with a 3-0 victory Sunday.
Matz (2-7) allowed four hits in six innings with two strikeouts and no walks. He has not allowed an earned run over his last two starts, covering 12 innings.
Giovanny Gallegos tossed two hitless innings. JoJo Romero threw a scoreless ninth to pick up his first save.
St. Louis salvaged the final game of the four-game set and had lost its previous six home games to the Cubs.
Chicago starter Kyle Hendricks (4-5) allowed three runs on eight hits over seven innings. He entered the contest with a 13-3 career mark against St. Louis.
Chicago had been on its longest winning streak since an 11-game run July 31-Aug. 12, 2016.
O’Neill brought in Lars Nootbaar with a single in the first. Nootbaar began the inning with a double.
St. Louis infielder Nolan Gorman was scratched right before the contest with lower back tightness. He is listed as day-to-day.
DIVE TIME
Chicago left fielder Christopher Morel dove head-first into the stands while making a catch of a foul ball off the bat of Nolan Arenado in the fifth inning. Morel appeared to hit the top of his head. He remained in the contest.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cardinals: INF Tommy Edman went 1 for 5 in a rehab stint with Triple-A Memphis on Saturday. Edman, who has been out since July 7 with right wrist inflammation, could rejoin the team as early as Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Minnesota RHP Pablo Lopez (5-6, 4.13) will start in the first of a three-game series in St. Louis on Tuesday. The Cardinals have yet to name a starter.
Cubs RHP Marcus Stroman (10-7, 3.51) will face Cincinnati LHP Andrew Abbott (6-2, 1.90) in the first of a four-game series on Monday in Chicago. Stroman has allowed two runs or fewer in five of six career starts against the Reds. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/mlb/2023/07/30/matz-goldschmidt-cardinals-hendricks-cubs/305c1c46-2f1a-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html | 2023-07-30T20:58:59 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/mlb/2023/07/30/matz-goldschmidt-cardinals-hendricks-cubs/305c1c46-2f1a-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html |
NEW YORK — After trading Max Scherzer to the Texas Rangers, general manager Billy Eppler insisted the New York Mets are not tearing down their underachieving team.
So maybe Justin Verlander will stay put in the end.
New York traded Scherzer to AL West-leading Texas for minor league infielder Luisangel Acuña in a high-profile deal both teams announced Sunday after news of the agreement broke Saturday evening.
Acuña, the younger brother of Atlanta star Ronald Acuña Jr., was rated one of Texas’ top prospects. The Mets said he will be optioned to Double-A Binghamton, where he will initially play shortstop.
Scherzer waived his no-trade clause to complete the deal, and the Mets will send cash to Texas. The three-time Cy Young Award winner also agreed to opt in on the final year of his contract in 2024 at $43.3 million, according to reports that said the Mets were paying about $35 million of the remaining $58 million on the right-hander’s contract.
Eppler said he was engaged in conversation with different teams about Scherzer and that when he talked with him Friday, he mentioned a trade was possible. After pitching Friday night, Scherzer said he wanted to speak with the front office about the direction of the team.
Following an 11-6 loss to Washington on Saturday night, Mets players wondered who might be dealt next.
Eppler said he texted center fielder Brandon Nimmo after talking to Texas and Scherzer’s agent, Scott Boras, and then met with the outfielder for about 35 minutes Sunday. The Mets re-signed Nimmo to a $162 million, eight-year contract last offseason.
Eppler also spoke to star shortstop Francisco Lindor, who was acquired from Cleveland in January 2021 and signed to a $341 million, 10-year deal.
“They understand,” Eppler said. “It’s not a fire sale and it’s not a liquidation. So they got it.”
The fourth-place Mets (50-55), one of baseball’s biggest disappointments this season under third-year owner Steve Cohen, unloaded Scherzer just days after sending closer David Robertson to Miami for two minor leaguers Thursday night.
Robertson was set to become a free agent after this season, but Scherzer could have turned down a trade or opted in with the Mets next season.
More trades could occur before Tuesday’s deadline, including a potential deal involving the 40-year-old Verlander. The three-time Cy Young Award winner, who also has a no-trade clause, earned his 250th career win Sunday in a 5-2 victory over Washington.
“We’re going to listen but our price points are high,” Eppler said. “We have valuations on our existing personnel and the bar is high to meet it but we are willing in certain circumstances to use Steve’s investment and kind of repurpose that investment to serve the larger goal, which is to build a championship organization.”
After winning 101 games last year, New York began the season with the highest payroll in major league history at $355 million. The Mets have not been over .500 since June 3 and started the day 18 games behind first-place Atlanta in the NL East and seven games back in the wild-card race with a string of teams to catch.
“We just couldn’t get the consistency clicking,” Eppler said.
The 21-year-old Acuña was batting .315 with seven homers, 51 RBIs and an .830 OPS in 84 games with Double-A Frisco this season. He also had 25 doubles and was leading the Texas League in stolen bases (42) and runs (68).
“Ultra athleticism,” Eppler said. “The arm strength, the hit ability. He’s working on lifting the ball a little bit more and just being able to get the ball airborne a touch more. Strong plate discipline, strong contact skills. Just really excited to get a prospect of his caliber into our system.”
Acuña was the third-ranked prospect in Texas’ farm system and No. 44 overall in the majors, according to MLB Pipeline.
“Right now he’s going to come in and play shortstop right away. But there will probably be some positional versatility,” Eppler said. “I know he’s already played a little second and center field. And so we’ll probably get an opportunity to do that. But I’d like to talk to him about that first.”
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AP freelance writer Jerry Beach contributed to this report.
___ | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/mlb/2023/07/30/mets-scherzer-verlander-trade-rangers/ca47c78e-2f19-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html | 2023-07-30T20:59:05 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/mlb/2023/07/30/mets-scherzer-verlander-trade-rangers/ca47c78e-2f19-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html |
SAN DIEGO — The scuffling Texas Rangers placed ace Nathan Eovaldi on the 15-day injured list Sunday with a right forearm strain and recalled right-hander Grant Anderson from Triple-A Round Rock.
Eovaldi had an MRI recently and threw a bullpen when the AL West leaders were in Houston, “and toward the end of it it, it just didn’t feel right,” he said Sunday. The All-Star described it as “an achy feeling that just doesn’t feel normal” on the outside of his elbow.
He last made a start on July 18 against Tampa Bay and had his next start pushed back twice. At one point he thought he’d start Sunday against the San Diego Padres.
Instead, he landed on the IL.
“I kind of expected it,” Eovaldi said. “We ended up throwing another bullpen when we were in Houston and it just didn’t feel as good as I was hoping for. Where we are, the timing of the season and everything like that, we feel like this isn’t something I needed to be grinding through or battling through. We’ll take the time, whether it be a week or two, go from there and be ready for the postseason and the end of the season.”
Eovaldi (11-3, 2.69 ERA) will be evaluated by the team’s medical staff after the Rangers return to Texas following this series. The Rangers had lost six of eight games.
___ | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/mlb/2023/07/30/nathan-eovaldi-texas-rangers-injured-list/353edc18-2f14-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html | 2023-07-30T20:59:11 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/mlb/2023/07/30/nathan-eovaldi-texas-rangers-injured-list/353edc18-2f14-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html |
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.
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.washingtonpost.com/sports/nfl/2023/07/30/houston-texans-qb-cj-stroud/1f94b45a-2f0f-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html | 2023-07-30T20:59:17 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nfl/2023/07/30/houston-texans-qb-cj-stroud/1f94b45a-2f0f-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html |
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Aaron Rodgers is sticking by his offensive coordinator and firing his hardest throw of the summer at Sean Payton.
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.washingtonpost.com/sports/nfl/2023/07/30/jets-aaron-rodgers-sean-payton-nathaniel-hackett/c91623d6-2f11-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html | 2023-07-30T20:59:24 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nfl/2023/07/30/jets-aaron-rodgers-sean-payton-nathaniel-hackett/c91623d6-2f11-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html |
IRVINE, Calif. — The Los Angeles Rams have signed veteran running back Royce Freeman one day after the abrupt retirement of Sony Michel.
Rams coach Sean McVay said Saturday that they would add a veteran ball-carrier after the departure of Michel, who informed McVay of his decision that morning. Los Angeles last month re-signed Michel, a two-time Super Bowl champion and a member of the Rams’ title team, to be a backup to starter Cam Akers.
Freeman will attempt to fill that role now alongside youngsters Kyren Williams and Zach Evans.
Freeman has 1,407 career yards rushing. After a four-year career at Oregon, the Southern California native was a third-round pick of the Denver Broncos and started eight games as a rookie while rushing for a career-high 521 yards.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nfl/2023/07/30/rams-nfl-royce-freeman-sony-michel/49d3d562-2f13-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html | 2023-07-30T20:59:30 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nfl/2023/07/30/rams-nfl-royce-freeman-sony-michel/49d3d562-2f13-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html |
WARSAW, Poland — Top-ranked Iga Swiatek won her fourth title of the year and her first at home by routing Laura Siegemund 6-0, 6-1 in the final of the Poland Open on Sunday.
“I want to thank my team and my family. It’s not easy to play in Warsaw, but I’m so happy that we could manage and do everything we could today, after a pretty tiring day yesterday,” the Polish player said.
“I wanted to put it all in and go for it. I’m pretty happy that I did.”
Swiatek only advanced to the final earlier Sunday after finishing off her semifinal match against Belgium’s Yanina Wickmayer, 6-1, 7-6 (6). That match had been suspended on Saturday night due to darkness at 6-1, 5-5.
Swiatek had a much easier time in the 68-minute final, breaking her German opponent five times and never facing a break point
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/tennis/2023/07/30/swiatek-poland-open-siegemund/558f8322-2f10-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html | 2023-07-30T20:59:36 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/tennis/2023/07/30/swiatek-poland-open-siegemund/558f8322-2f10-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html |
UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Kayla McBride hit four 3-pointers and finished with 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting, Lindsay Allen added 16 points and six assists, and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Connecticut Sun 87-83 on Sunday.
Minnesota (13-13) has won three games in a row — including an 88-83 victory over the Eastern Conference-leading New York Liberty on Friday. Connecticut (18-7), which had its three-game win streak snapped, is a half-game behind New York in the standings.
Alyssa Thomas had 17 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists — her fourth triple-double of the season — for the Sun. DeWanna Bonner scored 31 points and DiJonai Carrington 11.
Bonner made layup to get Connecticut within a point before McBride made 1 of 2 from the free throw line to make it 85-83 with 11.1 seconds to go. Juhász blocked a potential go-ahead 3 by Bonner before Shepard made two foul shots to cap the scoring.
Napheesa Collier, Minnesota’s leader with 21.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.1 blocks per game, missed her second consecutive game with an ankle injury. Rachel Banham (thumb) and Emily Engstler (shoulder) — who signed a seven-day contract with the Lynx on Friday and then left their win over New York later the same night following a collision with the Liberty’s Kayla Thornton while diving for a loose ball — did not play.
McBride made back-to-back 3s before Jessica Shepard scored Minnesota’s final six points in a 12-3 run that gave the Lynx a nine-point lead with 9.4 seconds left in the third quarter. Natisha Hiedeman hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to cut the Sun’s deficit to 68-62 going into the fourth.
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AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/wnba/2023/07/30/lynx-sun-wnba/41f30ff6-2f14-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html | 2023-07-30T20:59:42 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/wnba/2023/07/30/lynx-sun-wnba/41f30ff6-2f14-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html |
Hope you’re enjoying our cooler and less humid air. Temperatures in the 80s and lower dew points make for a great compromise between warm-weather lovers and those who dislike high humidity. A shower or thunderstorm is possible before dawn Monday, but hopefully wouldn’t be too disruptive.
Through tonight: Skies are partly cloudy, with a slight increase in clouds as the night wears on. In the early-morning hours, we have a slight chance of a few showers, perhaps even a wake-up rumble of thunder. Mid-60s to around 70 degrees for low temperatures are about as cool as we’ll get.
View the current weather at The Washington Post.
Tomorrow (Monday): A slight chance of a shower or storm continues. Humidity and cloud cover should remain moderate at worst, as high temperatures top out, generally, in the mid-80s. East of D.C. may have a slightly higher afternoon chance of rain — especially thunderstorm — activity.
Overnight, rain chances are gone and skies look mostly clear. Low temperatures get nice and comfortable, in the low to mid-60s, though perhaps not completely open-all-windows weather.
See Molly Robey’s forecast that runs through midweek. Come chat tonight! Our weekly Sunday Sunset Live Q&A is at 8:22 p.m. on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.
Forensic meteorological analysis: Doppler radar-measured wind
Our Capital Weather Gang severe storms expert, Jeff Halverson, evaluated Doppler radar wind measurements from Saturday’s storms.
Halverson identified six distinct regions of downbursts and downburst clusters. He found “peak Doppler winds for the afternoon … characterized in the 70-80 mph range with the one instance of 93 mph. The six discrete downbursts and downburst clusters developed in a north to south sequence from 4:30-5:30 p.m.”
Here are his findings on the initiation time — when the storm erupted — and the peak Doppler-indicated winds in each of the six regions:
- Bethesda, Md.: 4:35 p.m., 71 mph
- College Park, Md.: 4:49 p.m., 68 mph
- D.C. cluster: 4:49 p.m., 79 mph
- Bailey’s-Alexandria-Clinton, Va., cluster: 4:57 p.m., 93 mph
- Suitland, Md.: 5:09 p.m., 68 mph
- Woodlawn-Accokeek-Waldorf, Md., cluster: 5:20 p.m., 82 mph
Important context is that the Doppler values come from airflow a few thousand feet above the surface (ground level). They indicate the potential momentum that can be brought to the ground. Luckily, we didn’t quite get to 93-mph gusts at ground level; the strongest gust we’ve found is 84 mph in the D.C. area.
What’s telling is his impression that “I don’t recall a system that produced this many discrete zones of downbursts in the DMV.” Be sure to read more on the Saturday storms in our full debrief.
Come chat tonight during our weekly Sunday Sunset Live Q&A and we can discuss how any cleanup is going in your neighborhood. Tune in at 8:22 p.m.
Want our 5 a.m. forecast delivered to your email inbox? Subscribe here. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2023/07/30/pm-update-nice-into-this-evening-slight-rain-chances-return-monday/ | 2023-07-30T20:59:48 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2023/07/30/pm-update-nice-into-this-evening-slight-rain-chances-return-monday/ |
Arrest made: Two dead one injured after early morning Gainesville shooting
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - Gainesville Police Department arrested a man after two people died and one was injured in a shooting in Gainesville early Sunday morning.
GPD Officers arrested Ja’zier Myers for murder and attempted murder after he shot two people at close range and injured a third as they tried to run away. Surveillance video shows Myers at Body Tech on University Avenue walking by the first victim and shooting them in the head at around 2:40 a.m. He then went to the Checkers next door and shot the other two victims around 2:42 a.m.
Gainesville Police officers were nearby conducting crowd control when they heard gunshots. Myers was found at the scene in a stranger’s car with a gun. Myers denied responsibility for the murders, claiming he didn’t remember what happened and that he was possibly drugged.
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Copyright 2023 WCJB. All rights reserved. | https://www.wcjb.com/2023/07/30/two-dead-one-injured-after-early-morning-gainesville-shooting/ | 2023-07-30T21:00:51 | 0 | https://www.wcjb.com/2023/07/30/two-dead-one-injured-after-early-morning-gainesville-shooting/ |
Department of Health in Sarasota Hosts Their Third Back-to-School Vaccination Clinic
SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - The City of North Port tweeted that the Florida Department of Health in Sarasota County will be hosting their third “Back-to-School Vaccination Clinic” of the summer, Saturday, August 5th. This will take place at their Downtown Sarasota location, on 2200 Ringling Boulevard, from 8 a.m. to noon.
The City of North Port tweeted that no appointments are necessary, but you can call 941-861-2784 to schedule an appointment or learn more information on the vaccination clinic.
The City of North Port also tweeted that families who are new to Florida can visit the North Port Health Center, at 6950 Outreach Way, by August 1st to register children in Florida Shots to be able to take part in this event.
Updated vaccines are required for kindergarten and 7th grade in all Florida schools. A completed DH 680 form is required for registration in Sarasota County public schools. The form is available through your child’s pediatrician and at DOH-Sarasota.
Copyright 2023 WWSB. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2023/07/30/department-health-sarasota-hosts-their-third-back-to-school-vaccination-clinic/ | 2023-07-30T21:01:35 | 1 | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2023/07/30/department-health-sarasota-hosts-their-third-back-to-school-vaccination-clinic/ |
Two motorcyclists killed in separate South Plains crashes
Two motorcyclists were killed in separate crashes Saturday on the South Plains.
The first crash was reported just before 5 p.m. Saturday on U.S. Highway 84 in Garza County, where 63-year-old Dennis Allen Mundfrom of Georgetown was pronounced dead at the scene of a single-motorcycle wreck, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Investigators believe Mundfrom was riding a 2022 Harley Davidson west on U.S. 84 about 4.3 miles southeast of Post when his vehicle drove off the main roadway and onto the unimproved portion of the shoulder. While in the grassy area, Mundfrom lost control of the motorcycle. He was thrown from the vehicle during the crash and was later pronounced dead. Other factors contributing to that crash were not immediately clear as the investigation is ongoing.
Fatal Lubbock County motorcycle crash
Later Saturday, 34-year-old Jeffrey Michael Husketh of Abernathy was pronounced dead after a crash that was reported about 9:40 p.m. on FM 2528 about 5.7 miles northwest of Lubbock.
Investigators believe Husketh was riding a 2014 Yamaha YZF-R1 motorcycle northbound on FM 2528, travelling directly behind a 2015 Jeep Cherokee. The Jeep slowed and attempted to make a U-turn in the roadway. The motorcycle applied brakes and went into a side skid. Husketh struck the front portion of the Jeep. He was taken to University Medical Center where he later died.
The driver of the Jeep, 29-year-old Collin Creed McClendon of Lubbock, and his passenger were not injured. That crash also remains under investigation. | https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/news/accident/2023/07/30/two-motorcyclists-killed-in-separate-south-plains-crashes/70494857007/ | 2023-07-30T21:01:37 | 0 | https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/news/accident/2023/07/30/two-motorcyclists-killed-in-separate-south-plains-crashes/70494857007/ |
Coats of commitment: TTUHSC medical students celebrate rite of passage
The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center’s School of Medicine Class of 2027 received their first white coat and pledged their commitment to the medical profession at the White Coat Ceremony Friday at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center.
Among them were three groups of twins, including brothers Sawyer and Truman Archer of Amarillo.
The 22 year-olds graduated from Rice University and have always been interested in the field of medicine - their dad is a physician in Amarillo. They wanted to be together in medical school and close to "home," they said ahead of the ceremony.
They said they hope to be able to match for a residency in the same place when the time comes.
White Coat Ceremony
The white coat is one of the most visible symbols of the health care profession.
Dr. John DeToledo, the interim dean of the School of Medicine, said this ceremony is a rite of passage for first-year future doctors at most medical schools across the country.
“The White Coat Ceremony serves as a welcome to the profession and the symbolic start of the student’s journey of servanthood,” DeTodelo said. “It’s also a ceremony of dedication ¾ a reminder of their commitment and responsibilities to patients and lifelong learning that come with being a physician.”
The 181 students in this cohort are graduates from 52 different schools including Emory University, Clemson University, Brown University, Princeton University, The University of Texas at Austin and Baylor University. Ninety-five students are from West Texas with 45 alumni from Texas Tech University.
Not all of the students are recent college graduates. Some students come from other jobs such as emergency medical technicians, registered nurses, veterinary techs, teaching assistants and tutors.
The average grade point average for class members is 3.85. Twenty-one students are pursuing dual degrees. Nine are earning a joint medical and business degree with the M.D./MBA program. Nine are working toward a joint medical and public health degree with the M.D./MPH program. Two are completing a dual M.D./Ph.D. degree, and one student is earning a joint M.D. and engineering degree.
“This is a strong and competitive class of students,” DeToledo said. “They have earned the privilege of entering the medical profession. We had more applicants than ever. We know we’ve been able to attract and select the best of the best.” | https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/news/education/2023/07/30/coats-of-commitment-ttuhsc-medical-students-celebrate-rite-of-passage/70487175007/ | 2023-07-30T21:01:43 | 1 | https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/news/education/2023/07/30/coats-of-commitment-ttuhsc-medical-students-celebrate-rite-of-passage/70487175007/ |
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Gunshots rang out in a crowd early Sunday, killing two people in the city that is home to Florida’s flagship university, authorities said.
Police officers had been conducting crowd control in downtown Gainesville, Florida, in a commercial corridor several blocks from the University of Florida campus when they heard gunshots, the police department said in a post.
The post didn't disclose how many people were shot but said two of the shooting victims later died from their injuries. Police were seeking the public's help for any information on the shootings. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/crime/two-people-killed-shooting-uf/67-2bdb29c7-7fa9-4b6c-9290-6529d392fbc0 | 2023-07-30T21:02:02 | 1 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/crime/two-people-killed-shooting-uf/67-2bdb29c7-7fa9-4b6c-9290-6529d392fbc0 |
PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla — Concerned beachgoers caused an influx of 911 calls after seeing what they thought were manatees in distress – turns out the manatees were just mating.
The sheriff’s office posted a short video on their Facebook page assuring beachgoers that the manatees “are more than fine.”
Deputies wrote that the manatees often come closer to the shore to mate in herds.
“They mate all through the year but generally mating herds like these are seen in the summer months,” the sheriff’s office wrote in the video’s caption. “If you see this [mating herds], there’s no need to call, they are a-okay.”
The public probably should be encouraging the herd's efforts as a record number of 1,101 manatees were confirmed dead in 2021 — an all-time high — largely attributed to a lack of seagrass food due to pollution
The FWC reported 800 manatee deaths for 2022, and so far for 2023, there have been 378 deaths.
Manatees are protected by state and federal law, making it illegal to feed, harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, annoy or molest manatees, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Violations range from fines up to $500 or 60 days imprisonment at the state level and fines up to $100,000 or a year in prison at the federal level.
Anyone who sees a manatee appearing to be injured or deceased is asked to call the FWC's wildlife alert hotline at 1-888-404-3922. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/mating-manatees-beaches-pinellas-county/67-88e04947-01ee-42ba-b5a6-3c327c613a95 | 2023-07-30T21:02:07 | 0 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/mating-manatees-beaches-pinellas-county/67-88e04947-01ee-42ba-b5a6-3c327c613a95 |
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.wtsp.com/article/news/nation-world/us-mother-daughter-reported-kidnapped-in-haiti/507-dffeb51f-530c-4af0-9846-d782c40b2a43 | 2023-07-30T21:02:07 | 0 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/nation-world/us-mother-daughter-reported-kidnapped-in-haiti/507-dffeb51f-530c-4af0-9846-d782c40b2a43 |
ATLANTA — An Atlanta family is celebrating a "great blessing," as they mark the 103rd birthday of their matriarch.
Valena York Henderson, born in 1920, turned 103 years old on July 20, according to her family.
The Atlanta native has long been active in the community as an activist whose family says has received numerous awards for her service. This included having the "Henderson Place" property off Irwin Street in Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward named in her honor by the Historic District Development Corporation.
Ms. Valena loves to dance, as shown in a social media post by family. And in her words, the post said "She is still blessed with everything she was born with."
Family posted on Facebook during the week thanking all those who sent birthday wishes for Ms. Valena's 103rd birthday.
"Our family is truly blessed and count it all joy for the gift of favor on her life," they wrote.
Happy Birthday!
Related video: | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/nation-world/valena-york-henderson-103rd-birthday/85-8c497034-85e1-428f-8fae-584e846a99eb | 2023-07-30T21:02:11 | 0 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/nation-world/valena-york-henderson-103rd-birthday/85-8c497034-85e1-428f-8fae-584e846a99eb |
CHOCONUT TOWNSHIP, SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY(WBRE/WYOU)— State police say they have a man in custody after seizing a “significant quantity” of suspected methamphetamine in Susquehanna County.
On July 27, state police said members of the Troop R Vice Unit investigated the illegal trafficking and sale of methamphetamine in Susquehanna County.
During their investigation, state police say they identified 40-year-old Christopher Boyle, from Binghamton, New York, as someone involved in the trafficking of methamphetamine into Pennsylvania.
Troopers said they encountered Boyle during a pre-arranged drug sale and arrested him without incident. Further investigation led to the seizure of a “significant quantity” of suspected methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Boyle was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Suzanne Brainard early Friday morning and sent to the Susquehanna County Prison on a $50,000 cash bail.
Boyle faces three counts of possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance, four counts of criminally using a communication facility, and over a dozen other related charges. | https://www.pahomepage.com/news/crime-courts/pennsylvania-state-police-arrest-ny-man-in-drug-trafficking-investigation/ | 2023-07-30T21:02:13 | 1 | https://www.pahomepage.com/news/crime-courts/pennsylvania-state-police-arrest-ny-man-in-drug-trafficking-investigation/ |
(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.pahomepage.com/uncategorized/airfares-are-back-to-normal-so-why-do-they-feel-so-high/ | 2023-07-30T21:02:19 | 0 | https://www.pahomepage.com/uncategorized/airfares-are-back-to-normal-so-why-do-they-feel-so-high/ |
Rams acquire veteran running back Royce Freeman to replace retiring Sony Michel
The Rams, moving to fill the void left by Sony Michel’s retirement, have agreed to contract terms with veteran running back Royce Freeman, the team announced Sunday.
Freeman, 27, will join a running back corps that includes starter Cam Akers, Kyren Williams, Ronnie Rivers and rookie Zach Wilson.
Coach Sean McVay said on Saturday that Michel was retiring.
The 6-foot, 238-pound Freeman, a sixth-year pro, played last season for the Houston Texans. He rushed for 117 yards in 41 carries.
Receiver Cooper Kupp and quarterback Matthew Stafford showed at Rams training camp that they have appeared to regain form since their injuries last season.
Freeman played his first three seasons for the Denver Broncos and also played for the Carolina Panthers. He has rushed for 1,473 yards and eight touchdowns overall.
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(The Hill) – A bipartisan group of lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee say a high-profile hearing on UFOs is just the start of their push for answers.
And they are threatening to use heavier handed tactics if the Pentagon and intelligence agencies stand in their way.
Reps. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) and Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) want more information on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) — commonly referred to as UFOs — beginning with new laws, a classified hearing and the possible creation of a select committee.
The lawmakers said they are willing to use subpoena power if needed to get the answers they’re seeking from the federal government.
“If there’s not a cover up, the government and the Pentagon are sure spending a lot of resources to stop us from studying it,” Burchett told The Hill.
He added that they hope House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) can aid them in setting up a select committee to study the issue of UAPs — as well as any government program that addresses them. If they don’t get leadership approval, they’ll “just start holding field hearings because the public is demanding that we have transparency,” Burchett said.
The effort comes after three former military officials earlier this week and under oath gave bombshell testimony on the unexplained aerial objects, telling lawmakers that for years they’ve been kept in the dark about the mysterious sightings and encounters.
David Grusch, a former Air Force intelligence officer, gave the most shocking testimony when he said he was told of a “multi-decade UAP crash retrieval and reverse-engineering program,” accusing the military of misdirecting funds to keep such operations secret.
The shocking testimony now has committee members questioning how Congress should begin to investigate the witness claims and demand more answers from the executive branch on programs it claims doesn’t exist.
Lawmakers hope to start with obtaining additional information and documents that Grusch said he submitted to the Pentagon’s inspector general after serving on two Defense Department task forces looking into UAPs.
To get the information from Grusch — who said he was unable to discuss specifics on what he told the Pentagon’s watchdog arm — lawmakers want to sit down with the former official in a sensitive compartmented information facility (SCIF) to get additional information from him.
The group has been blocked, however, by officials that have informed them that Grusch doesn’t currently have security clearance to discuss the issues in a SCIF, according to Burchett.
“I think we’ll get there eventually, it’s just frustrating. I’m ready to go and the American public are ready to go,” he said.
Luna argued the SCIF with Grusch would help lawmakers better understand the type of legislation they need to write regarding UAPs. She said she supports legislation that would declassify information on the phenomena.
With a growing amount of bipartisan interest for more government transparency surrounding the issue, a need for reporting procedures for UAP’s both in the miliary and commercial airspace, and “stronger and stricter punishment for those that try to silence whistleblowers,” the topic is more important than ever, she said.
There is currently a provision in the Senate’s version of the annual defense authorization bill, inserted by Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), which would force federal government agencies to hand over UAP records to a review panel with the power to declassify them. The bill, known as the National Defense Authorization Act, was passed by the Senate on Thursday and now must be reconciled with the House’s version, so the initiative could still be stripped out.
Burchett also made an attempt to put an amendment into a Federal Aviation Administration bill to improve air travel, passed July 20, that would have required UAP sightings be reported to Congress. The initiative was blocked, which Luna said was an indication that “we clearly have a battle ahead of us.”
Another avenue for lawmakers should they not receive access to a SCIF would be invoking the Holman rule.
During Wednesday’s hearing Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) vowed to do just that, saying that he would “personally volunteer to initiate the Holman rule against any personnel, or any program, or any agency that denies access to Congress.”
The Holman rule is a House power through which they can strip the salary of a specific government position, fire civil servants or cut a particular program.
Ogles’s pledge came after Grusch told lawmakers that the federal government for decades has secretly funded a “UAP crash retrieval and reverse engineering program” and that he believes the government is in possession of non-human crafts, based on interviews with 40 witnesses.
Moskowitz told The Hill that while it’s too early to use the Holman rule — as Congress must first “figure out where these positions exist and then examine whether or not they should be funded” — he hopes that by discussing the rule it will create more transparency with the federal government.
“This is about government transparency. I’m all for protecting national security, but that can’t just be a shield to deny the American people the basics of what we know about UAPs,” he said.
And Burchett said if lawmakers “start getting stonewalled” by the Pentagon and intelligence agencies, he will have “no hesitation,” to invoke the rule.
Luna, meanwhile, said whether lawmakers use the rule depends on the response they receive from various agencies, programs and appointees.
That process could start as soon as September when lawmakers consider the Defense Appropriations bill on the House floor.
“We know that enormous sums of money are being spent on UAP related activity, whether it’s retrieval/recovery, research and reverse engineering, or just security for whatever the government is hiding,” she told The Hill. “But none of that is on the books, so from a basic governance perspective, Congress needs to know where money is being misappropriated.”
The Hill’s Sarakshi Rai contributed reporting. | https://www.pahomepage.com/uncategorized/ufo-curious-lawmakers-brace-for-a-fight-over-government-secrets/ | 2023-07-30T21:02:25 | 1 | https://www.pahomepage.com/uncategorized/ufo-curious-lawmakers-brace-for-a-fight-over-government-secrets/ |
A U.S. District Court in Mississippi on Tuesday temporarily blocked a voting law in the state that was supposed to go into effect July 1. The law, known as Senate Bill 2358, creates new restrictions for who can assist someone while voting by mail.
Voting rights and disability rights advocates, who filed the lawsuit, argue Mississippi's law violates a federal protection that allows a voter to choose who helps them cast a ballot.
In his order striking down the law, U.S. District Court Judge Henry Wingate wrote, "voting polls are expected to extend outstretched hands of welcome and provide unfettered access to conscientious citizens anxious to enjoy 'participatory democracy'- whether those citizens be among the vulnerable and the disabled."
SB 2358, which was signed into law earlier this year, set new limits on who can collect and transmit a ballot that was mailed to someone else. In Mississippi, the state's absentee-by-mail voting program is for limited groups of voters — people out of town on Election Day, people 65 or older and people with a temporary or permanent physical disability.
Under the new law, though, only election officials, postal workers, a family member or household member or a caregiver would be able to assist these voters in mailing back their ballot. The law also set new criminal penalties. Under SB 2358, not following these restrictions is punishable by imprisonment of up to one year in county jail and/or a fine of up to $3,000.
Opponents of Mississippi's law say voters should be able to choose who helps them vote — including a friend or someone from a community organization.
Ahmed Soussi, a staff attorney with the Southern Poverty Law Center, said in a written statement that "Mississippians may now continue to assist voters without the fear of prosecution."
"We are glad that the Court recognized the federal guarantee to voters with a disability or language barrier to select a person of their choice to provide them assistance," he said. "What is important now is to make sure everyone who is eligible to vote does vote in the upcoming elections."
Supporters of the Mississippi law argued it was necessary to prevent ballot harvesting, which is when someone collects and returns other people's ballots.
Many Republicans have argued this practice leads to vote stealing and fraud, which studies have found to be extremely rare in United States elections.
Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves said in a video address earlier this year that across the country "bad actors have used ballot harvesting to take advantage of elderly and vulnerable voters." He said the practice is an effort to undermine the democratic process.
"Senate Bill 2358 is now law and Mississippi's elections are safer because of it," Reeves said.
However, Judge Wingate wrote that state and local election officials were "unable to provide any data illustrating whether Mississippi has a widespread ballot harvesting problem" when asked in court.
"Seemingly, no fact-findings or committee-finding investigations or legislative committee inquiries have focused upon this perceived threat," he wrote. "This may explain why the definitional approach of the statute is so barren."
The court's injunction blocking SB 2358 applies to Mississippi's upcoming general election in November — as well as the state's August primary, which is currently underway.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.kvpr.org/npr-news/npr-news/2023-07-26/a-mississippi-law-limits-who-can-help-mail-in-voters-a-federal-court-struck-it-down | 2023-07-30T21:02:25 | 0 | https://www.kvpr.org/npr-news/npr-news/2023-07-26/a-mississippi-law-limits-who-can-help-mail-in-voters-a-federal-court-struck-it-down |
The new social media site Threads is less than a month old and it has already amassed tens of millions of users. Facebook parent Meta launched the Twitter-rival earlier this month and it's quickly become a place where people can follow celebrities, news organizations and politicians.
This has some voting rights groups worried. That's because Threads is yet to outline a plan to curb election disinformation on the site.
Vote.org, one of the largest get-out-the-vote organizations in the country, sent a letter to Meta asking that it "release a robust plan to ensure the platform has strong election policies in place from the start." The letter was co-signed by 11 other voting rights groups, including End Citizens United, RepresentUs and Public Citizen.
"If you have that many people, you have a great responsibility to the people that are on the platform," said Andrea Hailey, CEO of Vote.org. "What we're asking for here is a real plan, knowing that we're only a few months out from presidential primaries, and that very soon the presidential election will be on our doorstep."
The voting rights groups say they have cause for concern. During the past few elections, disinformation involving voter registration, polling places and political candidates was rampant on social media. In 2018, the Cambridge Analytica scandal exposed how that company used Facebook to target and manipulate swing voters. And in 2020, mentions of "stolen election" and "voter fraud" skyrocketed after Joe Biden won the presidency.
"Misinformation, like social media itself, has gotten considerably more sophisticated," said Bond Benton, communications associate professor who studies misinformation at Montclair State University. "There are ways that you can manipulate and game the system to get misinformation seen by a lot of people very rapidly. And if you're not investing to prevent and curtail that, it's going to find its way through."
Meta has election disinformation policies for Facebook and Instagram, but it hasn't published any specifically for Threads. A company spokesman told NPR that Facebook's rules apply to Threads. So, for example, people can't post false claims about voter registration. He also said Meta is looking at additional ways to address misinformation in future updates to the Threads app.
The voting rights groups say Threads needs a stand-alone policy. Otherwise, it's unclear how the rules will be implemented and enforced. They say this is especially urgent given reports that Meta has made staff cuts to its teams that work on election disinformation.
Meta has been explicit that it doesn't want Threads to be like Twitter, where people's feeds have been dominated with news and politics. Days after the Threads launch, Meta executive Adam Mosseri posted on the site saying the company wasn't going to do anything to encourage politics and news.
But with the 2024 election cycle already ramping up and the first Republican primary debate just weeks away, Vote.org's Hailey said Threads won't be able to escape politics.
"As we see large growth week over week, they're likely to be in a position to have an effect on elections," Hailey said. "So, you just want to make sure that information up there is accurate."
Vote.org and the other voting rights groups say they want Meta to provide information on how it plans to allocate resources, create rules and policies, and ensure people receive accurate information about elections on Threads.
Hailey said the group has yet to get a response from the company.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.kvpr.org/npr-news/npr-news/2023-07-27/metas-threads-needs-a-policy-for-election-disinformation-voting-groups-say | 2023-07-30T21:02:31 | 1 | https://www.kvpr.org/npr-news/npr-news/2023-07-27/metas-threads-needs-a-policy-for-election-disinformation-voting-groups-say |
(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.pahomepage.com/uncategorized/you-can-get-into-the-national-parks-for-free-this-week-heres-when/ | 2023-07-30T21:02:31 | 1 | https://www.pahomepage.com/uncategorized/you-can-get-into-the-national-parks-for-free-this-week-heres-when/ |
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — It is no secret that for students and their families, the pandemic years took a toll. Student test scores show how big the impact was.
Tim Sass is a professor at Georgia State University (GSU) who researches COVID's impact on student performance. His latest project examined data from Clayton, DeKalb, and Fulton counties.
"We've seen really significant reductions in student achievement growth on the order of several months of learning," said Sass.
His GSU colleague, Professor Jennifer Darling-Aduana, said the impact was greatest on already-vulnerable students, like those dealing with the loss of a loved one or "experiencing housing or food insecurity."
In Gwinnett County Public Schools, scores dropped as well.
According to data from the Georgia Milestones Assessment, the percentage of Gwinnett County Public Schools students scoring at a proficient or better level in an end-of-grade English language arts test dropped by 8.8 percentage points between 2019 and 2021.
Math scores dropped 14.1 points over the same time period.
11Alive asked Gwinnett County Public Schools Superintendent Calvin Watts about the data.
"It's concerning and given the circumstances under which we were operating, it doesn't surprise me," said Watts.
But for the Gwinnett superintendent, the data also shows signs of hope.
Scores rebounded somewhat in 2022, the most recent year with available data.
From 2021 to 2022, Gwinnett County Public Schools English language arts scores increased by 4.1 percentage points. Math scores rose 6.6 points over the same period.
Watts credits his district's focus on staff recruitment and emphasis on fundamentals for the score boost.
"That means that if I'm supposed to be in third grade and I'm supposed to be able to read on grade level, then ideally we're going to focus our attention to make sure you understand what it means to read," said Watts.
The superintendent is hopeful the scores are a sign of a trend that will continue.
He sees the new school year as an opportunity to work toward that goal-- and as a chance for Georgia's largest school district to begin moving past the pandemic.
"This year really feels like a sense of normalcy," he said. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/education/back-to-school-pandemic-learning-loss-covid-teachers/85-b655711e-a17e-4ea1-b1ee-e9f69fc8d5bc | 2023-07-30T21:02:49 | 0 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/education/back-to-school-pandemic-learning-loss-covid-teachers/85-b655711e-a17e-4ea1-b1ee-e9f69fc8d5bc |
Maine’s Most Popular Ice Cream Flavor Makes Me Proud to Live Here
Nothing beats a nice bowl or cone of delicious ice cream, especially in the summer. Whether it's at a ballgame, at the beach, after a meal, or it is your meal, the refreshing and icy snack always seems to satisfy.
It's also universally loved. According to www.soocial.com, over 90% of Americans consume ice cream. I think the only food that has a higher consumption rate is water.
With hundreds of millions of Americans gorging down the sweet treat, the popular online grocery delivery service Instacart decided to do some research on the topic. The site wanted to find out what the most popular flavor of ice cream is in every state. The website used what they call their "vast purchase data" to determine every state's number one choice.
What those results show is that Maine is a chocoholic. The Pine Tree State is in-love with good, old-fashioned chocolate ice cream.
Honestly, who doesn't? Chocolate in any form (except white...that's just junk) is on the Mount Rushmore of foods. So, when it's mixed with the ingredients that make up ice cream, it creates one of the finest treats one will ever enjoy. Even in these times where flavors are becoming more creative and unique, standard chocolate still stands strong.
Maine is not alone in its chocolate love affair. A total of 15 states have it as the favorite flavor of its citizens. This includes New England friends New Hampshire, Vermont, and Connecticut.
For some reason, 21 states have vanilla at the number one spot. I can't imagine how boring these people's lives must be. Vanilla is okay. However, it's merely a vessel to add more flavorful things to, like chocolate syrup.
You don't hear me say this often, but props need to go to Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The two, along with Hawaii and New Mexico, list coffee ice cream in the top spot. Coffee ice cream is outstanding, perhaps even a close second to the GOAT chocolate.
Congrats to Mainers in choosing their favorite ice cream flavor wisely. You can check out every state's favorite here. | https://q961.com/maines-favorite-icecream-flavor/ | 2023-07-30T21:02:52 | 1 | https://q961.com/maines-favorite-icecream-flavor/ |
Maine’s Oldest Town is Really Old and 129 Years Older Than the Entire Country
Any guesses?
I had no idea that Kittery was Maine's oldest town. So old in fact, that it's over 100 years older than the rest of the country.
It's actually 129 years older than the country. According to A-Z Animals, it was first settled by the English in 1623. Then it became an official town in 1647. Let's go with that definition of becoming a town. Because if you go by settlement, that would be the no longer existing Popham Colony settled in 1607! Man, Maine is old! It wasn't until 1820 that Maine became a state. So, at that point, Kittery was already 173 years old.
Tell me something I might not know about Kittery
Maybe you knew this, but I sure didn't. Weathervane Restaurant was started in Kittery, Maine back in the 60's as a small seafood shack.
At the height of popularity, they had 7 restaurants in Maine and New Hampshire. Now they have just one in Maine, and it's the original Kittery location. The South Portland, Maine place closed years ago. They have four other locations in New Hampshire, including Weathervane - Lobster in the Rough which hosts the mammoth Laconia Motorcycle Week which lasts for 9 days in June.
Doesn't Kittery have a wildlife refuge too?
It does! The Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge is in Kittery, Maine.
It's named after an environmentalist who was a pioneer of the modern preservationist movement. She passed a couple of years before the refuge became a reality. It's truly amazing if you get a chance.
What's special about Route One in Kittery?
Everything. From candy to dehydrated camping food and all that outlet shopping. There's a stretch of Route One that I adore! Check out the 5 things I love on a stretch of Route One.
In the meantime, if you are looking for an excellent insult aimed toward someone - you can't go wrong with 'You're older than Kittery!' Ouch. | https://q961.com/maines-oldest-town-is-really-old-and-129-years-older-than-the-entire-country/ | 2023-07-30T21:02:58 | 1 | https://q961.com/maines-oldest-town-is-really-old-and-129-years-older-than-the-entire-country/ |
(The Hill) – A bipartisan group of lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee say a high-profile hearing on UFOs is just the start of their push for answers.
And they are threatening to use heavier handed tactics if the Pentagon and intelligence agencies stand in their way.
Reps. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) and Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) want more information on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) — commonly referred to as UFOs — beginning with new laws, a classified hearing and the possible creation of a select committee.
The lawmakers said they are willing to use subpoena power if needed to get the answers they’re seeking from the federal government.
“If there’s not a cover up, the government and the Pentagon are sure spending a lot of resources to stop us from studying it,” Burchett told The Hill.
He added that they hope House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) can aid them in setting up a select committee to study the issue of UAPs — as well as any government program that addresses them. If they don’t get leadership approval, they’ll “just start holding field hearings because the public is demanding that we have transparency,” Burchett said.
The effort comes after three former military officials earlier this week and under oath gave bombshell testimony on the unexplained aerial objects, telling lawmakers that for years they’ve been kept in the dark about the mysterious sightings and encounters.
David Grusch, a former Air Force intelligence officer, gave the most shocking testimony when he said he was told of a “multi-decade UAP crash retrieval and reverse-engineering program,” accusing the military of misdirecting funds to keep such operations secret.
The shocking testimony now has committee members questioning how Congress should begin to investigate the witness claims and demand more answers from the executive branch on programs it claims doesn’t exist.
Lawmakers hope to start with obtaining additional information and documents that Grusch said he submitted to the Pentagon’s inspector general after serving on two Defense Department task forces looking into UAPs.
To get the information from Grusch — who said he was unable to discuss specifics on what he told the Pentagon’s watchdog arm — lawmakers want to sit down with the former official in a sensitive compartmented information facility (SCIF) to get additional information from him.
The group has been blocked, however, by officials that have informed them that Grusch doesn’t currently have security clearance to discuss the issues in a SCIF, according to Burchett.
“I think we’ll get there eventually, it’s just frustrating. I’m ready to go and the American public are ready to go,” he said.
Luna argued the SCIF with Grusch would help lawmakers better understand the type of legislation they need to write regarding UAPs. She said she supports legislation that would declassify information on the phenomena.
With a growing amount of bipartisan interest for more government transparency surrounding the issue, a need for reporting procedures for UAP’s both in the miliary and commercial airspace, and “stronger and stricter punishment for those that try to silence whistleblowers,” the topic is more important than ever, she said.
There is currently a provision in the Senate’s version of the annual defense authorization bill, inserted by Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), which would force federal government agencies to hand over UAP records to a review panel with the power to declassify them. The bill, known as the National Defense Authorization Act, was passed by the Senate on Thursday and now must be reconciled with the House’s version, so the initiative could still be stripped out.
Burchett also made an attempt to put an amendment into a Federal Aviation Administration bill to improve air travel, passed July 20, that would have required UAP sightings be reported to Congress. The initiative was blocked, which Luna said was an indication that “we clearly have a battle ahead of us.”
Another avenue for lawmakers should they not receive access to a SCIF would be invoking the Holman rule.
During Wednesday’s hearing Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) vowed to do just that, saying that he would “personally volunteer to initiate the Holman rule against any personnel, or any program, or any agency that denies access to Congress.”
The Holman rule is a House power through which they can strip the salary of a specific government position, fire civil servants or cut a particular program.
Ogles’s pledge came after Grusch told lawmakers that the federal government for decades has secretly funded a “UAP crash retrieval and reverse engineering program” and that he believes the government is in possession of non-human crafts, based on interviews with 40 witnesses.
Moskowitz told The Hill that while it’s too early to use the Holman rule — as Congress must first “figure out where these positions exist and then examine whether or not they should be funded” — he hopes that by discussing the rule it will create more transparency with the federal government.
“This is about government transparency. I’m all for protecting national security, but that can’t just be a shield to deny the American people the basics of what we know about UAPs,” he said.
And Burchett said if lawmakers “start getting stonewalled” by the Pentagon and intelligence agencies, he will have “no hesitation,” to invoke the rule.
Luna, meanwhile, said whether lawmakers use the rule depends on the response they receive from various agencies, programs and appointees.
That process could start as soon as September when lawmakers consider the Defense Appropriations bill on the House floor.
“We know that enormous sums of money are being spent on UAP related activity, whether it’s retrieval/recovery, research and reverse engineering, or just security for whatever the government is hiding,” she told The Hill. “But none of that is on the books, so from a basic governance perspective, Congress needs to know where money is being misappropriated.”
The Hill’s Sarakshi Rai contributed reporting. | https://www.krqe.com/news/national/ufo-curious-lawmakers-brace-for-a-fight-over-government-secrets/ | 2023-07-30T21:03:14 | 1 | https://www.krqe.com/news/national/ufo-curious-lawmakers-brace-for-a-fight-over-government-secrets/ |
(AP) – 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 it is “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 Alix 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.krqe.com/news/world/us-mother-daughter-reportedly-kidnapped-in-haiti-do-not-travel-advisory-issued/ | 2023-07-30T21:03:20 | 0 | https://www.krqe.com/news/world/us-mother-daughter-reportedly-kidnapped-in-haiti-do-not-travel-advisory-issued/ |
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.apr.org/news/2023-07-30/critics-of-alabamas-new-congressional-map-urge-court-to-toss-it | 2023-07-30T21:04:05 | 1 | https://www.apr.org/news/2023-07-30/critics-of-alabamas-new-congressional-map-urge-court-to-toss-it |
The Texas Rangers acquired three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer in a blockbuster trade with the New York Mets, an all-in move for the surprise AL West leaders.
Both teams announced the deal Sunday after news of the agreement broke Saturday evening. Texas manager Bruce Bochy said Scherzer will make his Rangers debut Thursday when he starts at home against the Chicago White Sox.
“It’s great. We’re pumped about it. We’re getting an experienced guy with a tremendous resume," Bochy said in San Diego before the Rangers played the Padres.
He said the message to his players is: “Hey, we mean business. We’re here to win. And it’s always a great message when a team does something like this.”
The trade netted the Mets one of Texas' top prospects in infielder Luisangel Acuna, the younger brother of Atlanta star Ronald Acuna Jr. New York said he will be optioned to Double-A Binghamton.
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Scherzer waived his no-trade clause to complete the deal, and the Mets will send cash to Texas. The pitcher also agreed to opt in on the final year of his contract in 2024 at $43.3 million, according to reports that said the Mets were paying about $35 million of the remaining $58 million on the right-hander’s contract.
The 39-year-old Scherzer joins another former Mets ace in Texas: injured right-hander Jacob deGrom. However, the two-time Cy Young Award winner had Tommy John surgery last month that could sideline him through the end of next season.
The Mets, one of baseball's biggest disappointments, unloaded Scherzer just days after sending closer David Robertson to Miami for two minor leaguers Thursday night.
New York began the season with the highest payroll in baseball at a record $355 million but started Sunday 18 games behind first-place Atlanta in the NL East and seven games back in the wild-card race with a string of teams to catch.
The next question is what the Mets will do with Justin Verlander, another three-time Cy Young Award winner signed through next season. There should be plenty of suitors for the 40-year-old right-hander, who pitched Sunday against Washington.
Texas has emerged from six consecutive losing seasons to lead the AL West all but one day in Bochy’s first season in charge. Bochy won three World Series championships from 2010-14 as manager of the San Francisco Giants.
The Rangers made the first notable move of this trading season by getting once-dominant closer Aroldis Chapman from Kansas City in June. Chapman has stayed in a setup role with Will Smith handling most of the closing duties.
Now, Texas has bolstered the rotation knowing deGrom might be out until Scherzer's contract expires at the end of next season.
The trade announcement came on the same day the Rangers placed All-Star right-hander Nathan Eovaldi on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to July 27, with a right forearm strain.
The Rangers added deGrom in the offseason on a $185 million, five-year contract, knowing there was risk in signing the oft-injured right-hander.
He lasted just six starts — all Texas wins — before elbow issues sidelined deGrom for a month. It took multiple MRIs to determine the extent of the damage to his elbow, and the Tommy John procedure in June was the second of his career. The other was in rookie ball with the Mets in 2010.
Scherzer (9-4) was leading the Mets in wins but had his highest ERA (4.01) since 2011 with Detroit. The eight-time All-Star started Friday at home against Washington, allowing one run over seven innings in a 5-1 New York victory.
With 210 career wins, Scherzer is third among active pitchers behind Verlander and Kansas City's Zack Greinke.
The 21-year-old Acuna was batting .315 with seven homers, 51 RBIs and an .830 OPS in 84 games with Double-A Frisco this season. He also had 25 doubles and was leading the Texas League in stolen bases (42) and runs (68).
Acuna was the third-ranked prospect in Texas' farm system and No. 44 overall in the majors, according to MLB Pipeline. | https://kenoshanews.com/mlb-rangers-land-scherzer-in-trade/article_cd631986-2f10-11ee-b0a4-876fa24d0dc6.html | 2023-07-30T21:04:05 | 0 | https://kenoshanews.com/mlb-rangers-land-scherzer-in-trade/article_cd631986-2f10-11ee-b0a4-876fa24d0dc6.html |
SALEM LAKES – A woman is in critical condition after a man set her on fire in a reported attempted homicide at her home, fleeing the scene early Sunday, according to Kenosha County Sheriff’s authorities.
Authorities have issued a felony warrant for the arrest of Myron Faith Bowie, who is “currently on the run” and believed to be driving a black Cadillac SRX with Illinois license plate DQ46996, according to Sheriff’s Department press release. The suspect is considered “armed and dangerous.
Bowie has been known to stay in the Chicago area at Logan Square and Wicker Park, according to the release.
The incident occurred at 4:47 a.m. and sheriff’s deputies, along with Salem Lakes Fire Department responded at home in the 24500 block of 86th Place where a caller stated that her boyfriend had set her on fire and she needed help, according to authorities.
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The victim was transported to an area hospital with severe burns. Bowie and the woman had reportedly had an argument when the suspect told her he would kill her, her children and her entire family before setting her on fire and driving away, fleeing the scene.
The incident remains under investigation.
The Sheriff’s Department is seeking the assistance of the public. Anyone who knows where he is or has seen his vehicle is asked to contact Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department Detective Bureau at 262-605-5102 or Kenosha Area Crime Stoppers at 262-656-7333 or 800-807-TIPS (8477). Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards of up to $1000.
This is a developing story. Check back later at www.kenoshanews.com. | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/crime-courts/kenosha-county-attempted-homicide-woman-critical/article_f2fa03a6-2f12-11ee-87d9-333d6031c74e.html | 2023-07-30T21:04:11 | 1 | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/crime-courts/kenosha-county-attempted-homicide-woman-critical/article_f2fa03a6-2f12-11ee-87d9-333d6031c74e.html |
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.”
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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.”
• Dalvin Cook got an up-close view of Rodgers and the 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. | https://kenoshanews.com/nfl-rodgers-fires-shot-back-at-payton/article_d9076eee-2f11-11ee-8495-eb52a0ed000f.html | 2023-07-30T21:04:17 | 0 | https://kenoshanews.com/nfl-rodgers-fires-shot-back-at-payton/article_d9076eee-2f11-11ee-8495-eb52a0ed000f.html |
GREEN BAY — Quay Walker knows what people think of him. And he has no doubt that they all — from fans, to opposing coaches, to the Chicago Bears players he fully expects to try to bait him into losing his temper in the Sept. 10 season opener — believe they have him figured out.
“Oh yeah. I’m already prepared,” the Green Bay Packers second-year inside linebacker, who was ejected from two games as a rookie last season, said Saturday afternoon following the team’s fourth practice of training camp.
“I know most teams will label me a hothead. So, I’ve just got to be ready for everything that’s going to come.”
What none of those people know, what they couldn’t possibly know, is what was simmering below the surface inside of Walker last season, when he was kicked out of the team’s season-ending loss to the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field (for shoving Lions team physician T. Sean Lynch as Lynch tried to attend to injured running back D’Andre Swift) and from the Packers’ Oct. 30 loss at Buffalo (for pushing Bills practice-squad tight end Zach Davidson after winding up in the Buffalo bench area following a sideline tackle).
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Those two out-of-control moments overshadowed an otherwise strong rookie year, in which he registered a team-high 119 tackles, forced three fumbles and recorded 1.5 sacks, five tackles for loss, four quarterback hits and seven pass break-ups while playing 846 of the Packers’ 1,033 defensive snaps.
What Walker was struggling with off the field, he confessed Saturday, was everything from the anxiety of living up to expectations, to feeling uncomfortable with who he was, to his own mental health history.
“There were a lot of people that thought I shouldn’t have been the first linebacker taken. That was on my mind a lot,” said Walker, the 22nd overall pick and the first of Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst’s two first-rounders last year. “I just felt like I had something to prove every day, and if I had a bad game, that would mess with me and it would bleed over. I just always felt like I had something to prove. I had a whole lot on my mind from that standpoint.”
In turn, Walker isn’t just trying to change his behavior this season. He’s trying to change who he is.
“In college, I dealt with depression,” Walker continued. “I was always closed in, pretty much a real, real introvert. Being to myself all the time, stuff like that. So, I’m trying to open up. Sometimes when I do it, I want to go back to being closed in. But it’s a process. I’m just dealing with it.”
To be clear, Walker took full responsibility for losing his temper in those games and didn’t use his struggles as an excuse or explanation for his behavior.
In fact, it was his inability to forgive himself for those ejections that eventually led him to seek out Dr. Chris Carr, the Packers’ director of performance psychology and team behavioral health, during the organized team activity portion of the offseason program.
Before that, Walker had frequently talked with his former Georgia teammate and best friend, Travon Walker (no relation), who was the No. 1 overall pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars last season. While helpful, those conversations weren’t enough to help him move forward, so he went to Carr.
“I ain’t going to lie to you. It was hard giving myself grace. The whole time this offseason, I thought about it every day,” Walker said. “It was hard because it was our last game and I got kicked (out). I felt real, real bad.
“Not only that, sometimes I can forget who I am. A lot of kids look up to me, especially back home, so I felt real, real bad about that. It was hard to reflect on the good season that I had because I left off on a bad note.
“When I got back here for OTAs, talking with Dr. Carr, it was just that one day I talked to him. (Then) I moved past it. But it took me a long time.
“Being more open now, it helps me mentally. But I’m not going to lie. There are times when I come in here and I just want to be quiet, not say nothing to nobody. But I can’t do that.”
Walker has found help not only with Dr. Carr, with whom he meets once a week, but with teammates.
Although cornerback Eric Stokes, another ex-Georgia defensive star, was teasing Walker — Stokes was shouting about the “deep, deep!” conversation Walker was having — during his session with reporters, Stokes and fellow cornerback Jaire Alexander have been particularly supportive.
Alexander, a proponent of the value of meditation, has encouraged Walker to take up the discipline, although Walker admits he’s a work in progress.
“It’s a process,” Alexander said. “The thing with meditation, you can’t rush it. It’ll come. It’ll come.”
Asked why he has recommended it to Walker, Alexander replied, “Quay was a first-round draft pick like myself. So I know what comes with that. It comes with a lot of responsibilities that people may not realize, not even see. So I’m just trying to guide him.
“Because, I can tell he’s an emotional player. Emotional players sometimes need to calm the mind — on and off the field. I just know that meditation helps me, so I’m trying to help him.”
For his part, Walker tried to move Saturday’s interview session beyond last year’s ejections, despite understanding why so many questions were asked about them.
“The past is the past, and I’m just ready to move forward and just learn from it. Of course, I can say that, but I have to do it by my actions,” Walker said.
When the conversation turned to his place in this year’s defense, though, Walker excitedly spoke of the diversified role the coaches have in mind for him — and have been unwilling to discuss publicly.
“I think (versatility) is the reason why Gutey selected me, because I’m one of the guys in my class that has a high ceiling and can play multiple positions, with one being outside linebacker,” Walker said. “I think that’s better for me, to be honest, and better for the team, as well.
“Whatever they need me to do, I’m willing to do it. But I’d say yes to that, for sure.” | https://kenoshanews.com/packers-walker-focused-on-changing-approach-after-two-ejections-in-his-rookie-season/article_5c87bc86-2f00-11ee-aa16-f32c4e35b96e.html | 2023-07-30T21:04:19 | 0 | https://kenoshanews.com/packers-walker-focused-on-changing-approach-after-two-ejections-in-his-rookie-season/article_5c87bc86-2f00-11ee-aa16-f32c4e35b96e.html |
The debate over equal pay in pro sports has continued for decades.
"Everyone thinks women should be thrilled when we get crumbs. I want women to be able to have the cake, the icing, and the cherry on top too," said Billie Jean King at the 2016 Miami Open.
In late 2022, Congress passed the Equal Pay for Team USA law, ensuring that women playing for international teams must make the same as men.
For national teams and athletes, tennis leagues have made significant moves toward equal pay here in the U.S.
Earlier this year, the Women's Tennis Association announced there would be equal prize money offered to both male and female athletes at more competitions, including the grand slam tournaments.
But a fair solution for the pay gap across the rest of the sports world seems elusive.
A recent CNN analysis found that internationally, women playing in the 2023 World Cup earn 25 cents to the dollar of men, a quadruple jump from the last cup but still far below their peers.
Other pro sports have seen low wages for women.
In hockey, about half of Team USA holds second and third jobs to pay the bills despite training and playing year-round.
The average salary for WNBA athletes was just over $102,000 in 2022, and many athletes sought work overseas for higher pay. Countries like China and Russia can offer contracts for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The average NBA salary is $8.2 million per year.
Of the top 50 highest-paid athletes, according to Forbes, there is just one woman: Serena Williams, at number 49.
But some prominent athletes and sports officials have voiced skepticism over a blanket equal pay policy in a number of sports. Critics saythe pay gap is an unfortunate but fair distribution based on revenue generated and viewership. Major men's sports in the U.S. still bring in bigger revenues and audiences than women's sports.
But it's difficult to make a direct comparison between revenues and viewership without examining sports media coverage itself and the lucrative broadcast rights.
SEE MORE: Fewer Coaching Jobs In Women's Sports Are Going To Women
"It takes time now for women to catch up after 50 years of lack of investment. It takes time for them to catch up, and now develop the audience in the same way. And how do you develop an audience? You get on television," said Donna Lopiano.
Broadcast rights make up the biggest share of revenue for major sports teams in the U.S.
Skeptics for equal pay argue women’s sports have less interest and thus aren't worth the bigger deals.
But is it a matter of less interest or less exposure? Would more people be interested in seeing women play if the hype levels and ability to tune in were the same?
A University of Southern California and Purdue University study found 95% of total television sports coverage in 2019 focused on men’s sports.
The imbalance was similar in social media posts and sports newsletters.
"This has nothing to do with whether or not there are great, you know, women athletes. This has everything to do with who is controlling mass communications," said Lopiano.
There are signs that the existing TV deals for women aren't as rich as they could be.
A 2021 NCAA analysis of March Madness tournaments found the broadcast rights for the women’s teams were undervalued by millions.
Even though fewer people watched the final for women's college basketball between 2015 and 2021, total viewers for the women’s final increased by 32%. While for men it has declined by 40%.
The women’s game was only available on cable, while the men's had a wider reach with free network TV.
A 2021 white paper for YouGov surveyed reasons why viewers around the world don't engage with women’s sports as much.
The top reasons given were: "less media coverage," "lack of knowledge of teams and athletes," and "limited marketing."
When women athletes share a broadcast and marketing promotion with men, we see the gap in interest disappear.
For example, U.S. audiences tend to be equally interested in male and female athletes when it comes to the Olympics, compared to pro sports and college sports.
Pro tennis players also receive equal media coverage and are broadcast together.
Female tennis matches and players draw similar viewership numbers as the men's.
As American interest in women’s sports grows and major sports leagues prepare for new TV rights deals, we may see slow progress toward more equal media coverage.
And as the playing field slowly evens out, the rise of media coverage may bring higher revenues, viewership, interest, and pay for women athletes.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com | https://www.kbzk.com/equal-pay-in-women-s-sports-the-challenge-for-female-athletes | 2023-07-30T21:04:24 | 0 | https://www.kbzk.com/equal-pay-in-women-s-sports-the-challenge-for-female-athletes |
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Monday's Games
Tampa Bay (Glasnow 4-3) at N.Y. Yankees (Germán 5-7), 6:05 p.m.
Baltimore (Gibson 9-6) at Toronto (Bassitt 10-5), 6:07 p.m.
L.A. Angels (Canning 6-4) at Atlanta (Morton 10-8), 6:20 p.m.
Cleveland (Syndergaard 1-4) at Houston (France 6-3), 7:10 p.m.
Boston (Bello 7-6) at Seattle (Kirby 9-8), 8:40 p.m.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Monday's Games
Philadelphia (Walker 11-4) at Miami (Cabrera 5-6), 5:40 p.m.
Milwaukee (Burnes 9-6) at Washington (Irvin 3-5), 6:05 p.m.
L.A. Angels (Canning 6-4) at Atlanta (Morton 10-8), 6:20 p.m.
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Cincinnati (Abbott 6-2) at Chicago Cubs (Stroman 10-7), 7:05 p.m.
San Diego (Lugo 4-5) at Colorado (Gomber 8-8), 7:40 p.m.
Arizona (Nelson 6-5) at San Francisco (Cobb 6-3), 8:45 p.m. | https://kenoshanews.com/pitching-for-july-31/article_5dcc9ff2-2f10-11ee-b809-f7992f306d42.html | 2023-07-30T21:04:25 | 1 | https://kenoshanews.com/pitching-for-july-31/article_5dcc9ff2-2f10-11ee-b809-f7992f306d42.html |
UPPER SOUTHAMPTON TWP., Pa. - The hunt is on for two armed men who robbed a 7-Eleven in Bucks County early Sunday morning.
The two suspects robbed the convenience store on Street Road in Upper Southampton Township, police said.
The first suspect was wearing a navy hoodie, black pants with a wide gray stripe down each leg, dark sneakers with some white near the soles and yellow gloves. He was caught on a security camera brandishing a black semi-automatic handgun.
The second suspect was wearing a navy Reebok hoodies, black pants, glasses and gray gloves.
The two men are believed to have robbed another 7-Eleven in Montgomery Township less than an hour before this robbery.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Upper Southampton Police Department. | https://www.wfmz.com/_homepage_top_stories/armed-robbery-at-upper-southampton-twp-7-eleven-2-suspects-still-at-large/article_a10ce490-2f0e-11ee-97f8-dbc458b09a30.html | 2023-07-30T21:05:15 | 1 | https://www.wfmz.com/_homepage_top_stories/armed-robbery-at-upper-southampton-twp-7-eleven-2-suspects-still-at-large/article_a10ce490-2f0e-11ee-97f8-dbc458b09a30.html |
SOUTH HEIDELBERG TWP., Pa. - A quick-service chain is coming soon, and another is proposed on a main thoroughfare in Berks County.
Construction on a Popeyes restaurant is underway on Lot No. 5 of the Members First Subdivision on Route 422 in South Heidelberg Township. The site is located just west of Green Valley Road, next to the recently approved Tommy’s Car Wash, according to an announcement on the township’s Facebook page.
The 2,311-square-foot eatery, with a single-lane drive-thru, is expected to open in the fall or early winter of this year.
Also, a 2,400-square-foot Starbucks is proposed on Lot No. 1 of the Members First Subdivision on Route 422/Penn Avenue.
The plan, which calls for a Starbucks with drive-thru and dine-in service, will be reviewed as part of the South Heidelberg Township Planning Commission meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 1.
Popeyes, known for its fried chicken, biscuits and other Southern favorites, originated in New Orleans in 1972. The chain is part of Restaurant Brands International Inc., which also owns Burger King, Tim Hortons and Firehouse Subs.
Popeyes has more than 3,700 restaurants globally, including other regional Popeyes locations on North Fifth Street Highway in Muhlenberg Township, East High Street in Pottstown, North Broad Street in Hatfield Township, South West End Boulevard in Quakertown, North Ninth Street in Stroudsburg, Hanover Avenue in Allentown, and MacArthur Road in Whitehall Township.
The region's newest Popeyes restaurant opened in late December at 1935 S. Fourth St. in Allentown, and another Popeyes restaurant with a drive-thru has been proposed at 701 N. 19th St. in Allentown.
Menu highlights include a wide array of chicken options, including nuggets, tenders, sandwiches and signature chicken boxes and meals; seafood selections such as a classic flounder fish sandwich and quarter-pound popcorn shrimp meal; and sides such as coleslaw, homestyle mac and cheese and mashed potatoes with Cajun gravy.
Coffee shop chain Starbucks, connecting with millions of customers daily in more than 80 markets, opened its first store - offering fresh-roasted coffee beans, tea and spices from around the world - in Seattle's historic Pike Place Market in 1971.
The business' name was inspired by the classic Herman Melville novel “Moby-Dick,” evoking the seafaring tradition of the early coffee traders. In the 1851 tale, Starbuck was the name of the first mate on the whaling ship Pequod.
Starbucks serves up a vast selection of specialty drinks, including lattes such as chestnut praline and cinnamon dolce; mochas such as peppermint and toasted white chocolate; Frappuccino blended beverages such as caramel brulee and java chip; and Starbucks Refreshers, made with fruit juice and lightly caffeinated with green coffee extract, such as pineapple passionfruit and strawberry acai.
Customers also can enjoy various food offerings, including sous vide egg bites, breakfast sandwiches and wraps, lunch sandwiches and bakery items such as bagels, brownies, croissants and danishes.
In addition to the proposed Starbucks and under-construction Popeyes, other Route 422 land development news includes a Stor4U indoor storage facility that’s been approved on Lot No. 4 (next to Popeye’s) and a Tommy’s Car Wash that’s been approved on Lot No. 3.
Construction on the 5,315-square-foot car wash is underway with a scheduled opening of fall/early winter 2023, according to the township's announcement.
Construction on the 40,000-square-foot indoor storage facility, with climate-controlled self-storage units, is currently not planned in 2023. | https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/berks/construction-underway-on-popeyes-starbucks-proposed-in-berks-county/article_5effffb2-2efd-11ee-957e-8324f049482c.html | 2023-07-30T21:05:21 | 1 | https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/berks/construction-underway-on-popeyes-starbucks-proposed-in-berks-county/article_5effffb2-2efd-11ee-957e-8324f049482c.html |
EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. - Fire has heavily damaged an apartment building on North Courtland Street in East Stroudsburg, Monroe County.
First responders were called to the street's 200 block just after 12 p.m. Sunday. 69 News received reports of several units affected.
The area was closed to traffic.
Officials said no one was injured. The fire is believed to have started in the rear of the building. The cause is under investigation. | https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/poconos-coal/fire-causes-heavy-damage-to-apartment-building-in-east-stroudsburg/article_e7737412-2ef5-11ee-a14e-9b69dcbfac84.html | 2023-07-30T21:05:27 | 1 | https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/poconos-coal/fire-causes-heavy-damage-to-apartment-building-in-east-stroudsburg/article_e7737412-2ef5-11ee-a14e-9b69dcbfac84.html |
LOWER MERION TWP., Pa. - Police are looking for a man accused of taking upskirt photos of women inside a grocery store in Lower Merion Township, Montgomery County.
The alleged incidents occurred on Friday, July 21, at the Suburban Square Trader Joe's, 112 Coulter Ave.
Lower Merion police said the man was observed taking "upskirt photos of unsuspecting female customers with his cellphone."
He is described as a white man in his 20s and was wearing a dark t-shirt, light blue shorts, white socks with slides and a red baseball cap. The man did not buy anything from Trader Joe's before he left the store on foot.
Anyone with further information is asked to contact Detective Jim Black at (610) 645-6231 or Detective Sgt. Michael Keenan at (610) 645-6228. | https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/southeastern-pa/police-seek-man-taking-upskirt-photos-of-women-in-lower-merion-trader-joes/article_7e472af8-2f02-11ee-9c20-cbf0e18694e2.html | 2023-07-30T21:05:33 | 1 | https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/southeastern-pa/police-seek-man-taking-upskirt-photos-of-women-in-lower-merion-trader-joes/article_7e472af8-2f02-11ee-9c20-cbf0e18694e2.html |
WASHINGTON, D.C. - A bill introduced by Rep. Dan Meuser (R-PA) has passed the House Financial Services Committee.
Known as the "Protecting U.S. Business Sovereignty Act," the bill would direct the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to study the effect that certain European Union (EU) mandates would have on America's economy and business interests.
According to a press release from his office, Meuser introduced the bill in response to the "Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive," a European Commission initiative that would require companies operating in EU countries to disclose and mitigate their "negative impact" on the environment.
Companies deemed non-compliant in these countries could be held liable for environmental damages or have their shares removed from the market, Meuser's press release said.
"The European Union should not have the authority to issue mandates on divisions of U.S. companies operating on American soil," Meuser said. "The American-based operations of U.S. companies should be beholden to U.S. law and no other governing body." | https://www.wfmz.com/news/national/government-and-politics/meuser-bill-to-protect-american-companies-from-eu-mandates-passes-committee/article_75ac6f5c-2f07-11ee-9991-1f9abcece2b0.html | 2023-07-30T21:05:39 | 1 | https://www.wfmz.com/news/national/government-and-politics/meuser-bill-to-protect-american-companies-from-eu-mandates-passes-committee/article_75ac6f5c-2f07-11ee-9991-1f9abcece2b0.html |
Albert Lea Police swarm apartment Saturday morning; 3 people arrested
(ABC 6 News) – Officers with the Albert Lea Police Dept. were dispatched for a report of an unwanted person inside an apartment building Saturday morning.
It happened around 9:35 a.m. to 406 College Street West.
According to an ALPD press release, once on scene, officers determined that one of the people reportedly inside was Donald Maurice McCormick of Albert Lea.
McCormick, 27, has two Freeborn County felony warrants out for his arrest, according to the release.
One of the officers saw McCormick “stick his head out of a window and retreat back into the residence.”
Officers attempted to contact residents of the apartment but there was no response from anyone inside.
The South Central Drug Investigative Unit SWAT team responded to the scene to assist, while officers continued negotiating for McCormick and others inside to exit safely.
According to the press release, three people were placed in custody, including McCormick.
McCormick was transported to the Freeborn County Adult Detention Center for the warrants and additional charges are pending.
Samantha Elise Gunhammer, 34 of Wells, was also arrested and transported to Faribault County Jail on a Faribault County Warrant.
An adult male was also taken into custody but was later released without charges.
Albert Lea Fire Rescue, the Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office and Mayo Clinic Ambulance Service also assisted on scene.
McCormick has been convicted of numerous charges, including multiple counts of domestic assault, crimes committed for the benefit of a gang-crime and for making terroristic threats. | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/albert-lea-police-swarm-apartment-saturday-night-3-people-arrested/ | 2023-07-30T21:06:24 | 0 | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/albert-lea-police-swarm-apartment-saturday-night-3-people-arrested/ |
DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- The sight of puppies cuddling can melt the coldest of hearts. So while you'd think that several puppies jumping around inside O2 Fitness in Durham when they weren't picked up and hugged by potential pet parents would be perfect candidates for adoption, many still need permanent homes.
That goes double for adult dogs like Tucker, a beautiful black pit bull.
"Tucker has been in rescue for two years," said Jane-Howard Staples of the Beautiful Together Animal Sanctuary, organizers of Sunday's adoption opportunity. "He was abandoned on a train outside of someone's house near Charlotte. And we got him off the train and into rescue. He had heartworm disease really badly. We treated him for heartworm disease."
"He got super healthy. And he's the sweetest dog, as you can see right here. He just loves everyone. He meets other dogs and people just seem to pass him by on the website. There's just a lot of pit bull breeds out there, and a lot of black dogs. Statistically, they're just easier to overlook because the camera doesn't catch their faces as well. And so he's just one of those dogs that gets overlooked for no...no good reason," she continued.
Staples said the puppies really need some TLC.
"All of which either were born in rescue or were born in the shelter. And we brought them into rescue shortly after, so there's a lot of pregnant mama dogs in the shelter all the time, especially right now," she said. "And shelters are just not a good place for a dog. It's just very stressful for the moms and for the babies. So we try to get them out of there as soon as possible. One of the guys was about to burst any day, and she had pups. She had puppies in the rescue at a foster home."
Beautiful Together is a non-profit seeking donations for the space they're building on 83 acres of Chapel Hill farmland for animals that need refuge. While that's underway, they're still working to connect with potential forever homes.
"There is a fee," she said, "So, the adoption donation goes towards helping dogs like Tucker that need heartworm treatment or dogs that come in with broken bones. And we have to spend a lot of money on surgery for those we always spay and neuter dogs if they're of age to be spayed and neutered...you can put an application straight from his profile and it'll apply to adopt him. And he's great with everybody except for small animals. Small dogs and cats are a no-go with him."
And if you're a feline fancier, they can connect you with cats that need homes, too.
For more information, you can visit their website. | https://abc11.com/pet-adoption-dogs-cats-o2-fitness-event/13573894/ | 2023-07-30T21:06:24 | 0 | https://abc11.com/pet-adoption-dogs-cats-o2-fitness-event/13573894/ |
Country star Craig Morgan reenlists in Army Reserve at 59
The ‘That’s What I Love About Sunday’ singer previously served 17 years in the Army and Army Reserve
Craig Morgan is still dedicated to serving his country.
On Saturday, the musician was sworn in again at age 59 to the U.S. Army Reserve on stage at the Grand Ole Opry in front of a sold-out audience.
"I’m excited to once again serve my country and be all I can be in hopes of encouraging others to be a part of something greater than ourselves," Morgan shared in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"I love being an artist but I consider it a true privilege and honor to work with what I believe are the greatest of Americans, my fellow soldiers. God Bless America. Go Army."
COUNTRY MUSIC STAR AND VETERAN CRAIG MORGAN RELEASES FIRST ALBUM SINCE DEATH OF SON
The "That’s What I Love About Sunday" singer previously served 17 years in the Army and Army Reserve with the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions as an E-6 Staff Sergeant and Fire Support Specialist and including Airborne, Air Assault and Rappel Master among his certifications.
With his reenlistment, Morgan will hold the rank of Staff Sergeant and Warrant Officer.
"Every Soldier who enters the Army has the opportunity to become the best version of themselves, and Staff Sgt. Morgan is no exception. I look forward to seeing what he accomplishes and how he impacts other Soldiers around the Army," General Andrew Poppas, who officiated the ceremony, said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Morgan will also continue touring and releasing music.
The day of the ceremony, Morgan shared a throwback photo of himself in uniform with the caption, "Once a soldier, always a soldier I love our country."
Morgan has also worked with the USO, and has earned the Army’s Outstanding Civilian Service Medal and the USO Merit Award.
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Last year, Morgan told Fox News Digital that despite growing up in a musical family with his father and uncles, he hadn't considered it more than a hobby.,
"It never seemed like it was something that was a career for them, even though it kind of was, at times, and especially for me, even throughout my military career," he said at the time.
"It wasn't until later in my military career that I thought that I could possibly pursue it as a profession."
During his time in the service, he won awards for songs that he wrote and performed for his fellow soldiers.
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The "Almost Home" singer rose steadily through the ranks and was told by one of his senior officers that he was on the fast track to becoming a major.
"But he also told me, he said, ‘I think that you have a talent and at minimum you ought to pursue it,’" Morgan recalled.
Fox News Digital's Ashley Hume and Larry Fink contributed to this report. | https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/country-star-craig-morgan-reenlists-army-reserve-59 | 2023-07-30T21:06:24 | 1 | https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/country-star-craig-morgan-reenlists-army-reserve-59 |
Forget jewelry, overseas vacations, or designer handbags. In this age of high inflation, Brie Frame of Somerville has a new definition of what she considers “luxury.”
“I have gotten very picky about where I will go out [to eat] because it is going to be a once or twice a month thing now,” she said. “What is a luxury has kind of become a lower bar.”
Frame says she hopes prices will soon “stabilize.” But stable is hardly the best way to describe the economy and prices right now.
After soaring last year, inflation has cooled faster than economists had expected. Still, prices at grocery stores and malls aren’t likely to go down anytime soon.
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That’s because the economy and the job market remain hot, despite predictions of a recession. Wages are still rising. Gross domestic product climbed a healthy 2.4 percent last quarter, according to new figures out Thursday. And in a growing economy, consumers will generally continue to spend money, driving up demand and prices.
The result is an unpredictable economy that has confounded policymakers and retailers alike.
“We’re in a very unique situation,” said Sidhant Rastogi, managing partner of global management and strategy consulting firm Zinnov. “We never had a labor shortage and price increases [at the same time like this], which is why most companies seem to be struggling to predict anything.”
And that has upended the strategies of major retailers like Target, Amazon, and Walmart, who had anticipated an economy that would slow considerably this year, possibly into recession. Such an economic downturn would normally dampen sales, leading retailers to cut prices to stimulate demand. Now they wait, unlikely to make any big moves to juice sales until they have a firmer grasp of what’s going on.
“Retailers are on pins and needles right now,” said Carol Spieckerman, founder and president of Spieckerman Retail consulting firm. “It feels like they need to reset.”
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These days, pins and needles can feel like a permanent condition. Companies over the past decade have struggled to stay ahead of impactful events and trends that only seem to be accelerating in pace and frequency, from climate change to artificial intelligence, the COVID pandemic to the war in Ukraine. In a recent survey by AlixPartners, 85 percent of CEOs said they are finding it increasingly difficult to know which disruption to focus on.
“No one would say things are calming down,” the report said. “A constant and accelerating bombardment of challenges is their single-biggest worry.”
And that can make it hard to know how to price their products. Retailers came into 2023 with a conservative, defensive mindset, worried soaring prices meant consumers would likely tighten up their budgets. For good reason.
“It seems like literally everything is getting more expensive,” said Olivia Gunthert as she visited a Starbucks in Cambridge Wednesday. “I’ve definitely tried to (save money). Instead of going to work out at places, I’ve been walking more and things like that. Trying to make my own drinks at home and not spend as much money on alcohol and stuff.”
That mindset means retailers have to tread carefully. Higher prices can mean higher profits, but pass too much cost onto consumers and you can rapidly lose sales. These days, though, customers are armed with higher wages and still some pandemic savings, and seem willing to spend on products they feel are worth it.
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Sales from electronic and appliance stores increased 1.8 percent from May to June, according to estimates by Coresight Research. Apparel and accessory retailers saw sales grow 1.3 percent versus a small 0.2 percent gain in May.
Even home goods and furnishings stores enjoyed some improvement: sales declined 3.6 percent in June compared to a 5.8 percent drop the previous month.
Wayfair Inc. CEO Niraj Shah recently said he is quite optimistic about where the Boston-based home goods company stands compared to last year.
“During that period of peak inflation and supply chain scarcity, we were not able to have as compelling retail prices as we would like,” he recently told analysts. “We do now … you’ve seen the customer count and the order count grow. That’s a trajectory that’s continuing.”
And, as always, shoppers love a bargain. Off-price retailers have been flourishing, including TJX Companies Inc. in Framingham, which operates T.J. Maxx and Marshalls. Their business model consists of very cheaply buying brand-name clothes, shoes, and accessories from retailers looking to shed inventory, then re-selling them at big discounts. Consumers love the format because they still like the thrill of finding a really good deal, said Spieckerman, the retail consultant, and TJX reported that sales climbed 3 percent in the first quarter.
“Our continued focus on value has served us extremely well through many kinds of economic environments, including periods of inflation and through recessionary times,” CEO Ernie Herrman recently told analysts. “We see our differentiated treasure hunt shopping experience as a tremendous advantage.”
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With inflation cooling faster than expected, non-discount retailers are left with a dilemma. Should they start lowering price to compete for customers? The answer is not so simple.
Prices are about supply and demand. To protect profit margins, many retailers, including Target, had already cut inventory for the year because they thought consumers would spend less. Ordering more goods now would take time and great expense.
And retailers love profits, and profits are strong. So the status quo might suit them just fine.
In its survey, Coresight found many people have either delayed purchases or more purposefully searched for discounts and promotions. But judging from the strong sales at steakhouses like Outback and LongHorn, consumers are still willing to pay $40 or $50 for a nice steak dinner.
But retailers need to show investors that they can grow sales too. So there might be opportunities to cut prices in specific categories that allow them to gain market share, especially during the all-important holiday shopping season.
“As we navigate this challenging environment, we will continue to lean into flexibility while remaining vigilant in monitoring changing trends with the consumer and the economy,” Target chief growth officer Christina Hennington told analysts.
But the economy has proved quite unpredictable this year, frustrating not just retailers but also policymakers like the Federal Reserve as they try to manage inflation.
“Even the best economic minds have struggled to deal with the situation,” said Brett House, an economics professor at Columbia University. “We’re not going back to the old normal.”
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Thomas Lee can be reached at thomas.lee@globe.com. Aruni Soni can be reached at aruni.soni@globe.com. Follow her @AruniSoni. | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/30/business/inflation-may-be-cooling-off-dont-expect-stuff-you-buy-get-cheaper-any-time-soon/ | 2023-07-30T21:06:24 | 1 | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/30/business/inflation-may-be-cooling-off-dont-expect-stuff-you-buy-get-cheaper-any-time-soon/ |
Sofia Vergara labeled 'rudest woman' ever by 'RHONJ' star Teresa Giudice: 'She forgot where she came from'
The 'Modern Family' actress recently announced she and husband Joe Manganiello were divorcing
Sofia Vergara is not well-liked by one famous reality star who claimed the "Modern Family" actress is the "rudest woman" she has ever encountered.
"The Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Teresa Giudice ripped Vergara for how she allegedly behaved when she first met the actress years ago. Recalling that both women were being interviewed by Mario Lopez, Giudice says she had recently joined the famous Bravo franchise.
"Sofia Vegara's PR person and my PR person spoke together, and I guess the two of them said, ‘Let’s get a picture of Teresa and Sofia together,’" Giudice recounted on her podcast, "Namaste B$tches."
"I didn’t want a picture with her. I never ask to take a picture with anybody," Giudice said before diving into the story.
"I didn't care to take a picture with her. I'm so not like that," she reiterated.
"When we went to go take picture, she was like standing in front of me. It's like, ‘OK, that’s not how you take a picture.' She was like, the most rudest (sic) woman I've ever met. Like, I saw her whole demeanor, and then I heard her say to her PR person, ‘Why you making me take a picture with that lady?'" mimicking Vergara's Colombian accent.
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"I was just like, ‘Excuse me?' I said, ‘I did not want to take a picture with you.’ I said, ‘I would never ask to take a picture with you.’
"She just looked at me," Giudice says of Vergara, before admitting the women walked away from one another without a photo.
"I was like, ‘How rude… You’re so not a humble person. You forgot where you came from. It’s not like she, you know, she started out like being on the top, you know… She forgot where she came from. She was so not a down-to-earth person," Giudice said of the Colombia native.
"So not a fan of her," Giudice added.
A representative for Vergara did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
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This is not the first time Giudice has roasted Vergara publicly, having previously said during a "Real Housewives" event in 2017 that she "can't stand her" after explaining the same encounter.
"I hate to say that because you know, I’m Italian, she’s Colombian, she has an accent – she has more of an accent than me!… You would think she would be nice, like she’s an immigrant.… No! I’m just saying, you'd think she would be nice," she added.
Giudice chose to revisit their feud because she and her podcast co-host, Melissa Pfeister, had discussed in their previous episode that Vergara had announced she was getting divorced from her husband, Joe Manganiello. | https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/sofia-vergara-labeled-rudest-woman-ever-rhonj-star-teresa-giudice-forgot-where-came-from | 2023-07-30T21:06:25 | 1 | https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/sofia-vergara-labeled-rudest-woman-ever-rhonj-star-teresa-giudice-forgot-where-came-from |
(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.wowktv.com/national-news/airfares-are-back-to-normal-so-why-do-they-feel-so-high/ | 2023-07-30T21:06:24 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/national-news/airfares-are-back-to-normal-so-why-do-they-feel-so-high/ |
'Wonka' blasted for casting Hugh Grant as an Oompa Loompa: 'What the hell have you done?'
Disney's live-action 'Snow White' similarly faced backlash for having non-dwarf characters
The image of Hugh Grant as an Oompa Loompa in the latest "Wonka" trailer didn’t go over so well with some members of the dwarf community, according to one actor.
George Coppen spoke with the BBC on Wednesday, where he discussed the film’s first trailer, which debuted a few weeks prior. The trailer to the movie, which is described as a prequel to Roald Dahl’s "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," featured a version of the "Love Actually star digitally altered to resemble a classic Oompa Loompa character.
"They’ve enlarged his head so his head looks bigger. [I thought] what the hell have you done to him?" Coppen remarked.
The actor also commented about the growing habit of casting non-dwarf actors for traditional dwarf roles, such as actor James Nesbitt portraying a dwarf in "The Hobbit" films.
"A lot of actors [with dwarfism] feel like we are being pushed out of the industry we love. A lot of people, myself included, argue that dwarfs should be offered everyday roles in dramas and soaps. But we aren’t getting offered those roles. One door is being closed, but they have forgotten to open the next one," Coppen said.
Coppen also commented on the "Wonka" trailer on his Instagram account, writing a lengthy criticism of Hugh Grant in the film.
"So I was watching the new Wonka trailer and I thought it looked pretty good until the very end where Hugh Grant appears as an oompa loompa. Why? In the previous two films all the oompa loompas have been played by dwarves but this time round they have decided to take work away from us. Now I don't know if A. Hugh is the only one in the film [or] B. If there's more who are playing them," Coppen wrote.
He added, "Now some people will say that roles like this are demeaning and we should be playing more ‘normal’ roles which is completely true but we aren't getting offered those roles so they have kind of shut one door for us without opening the other one. So we are stuck in the middle unable to do anything, Peter Dinklage has been one of the biggest voices for us not to get roles like this but he does not speak for all of us. Unlike most of us he's in a position where he can afford to turn down work. "
"People forget that we do get a say in the work we do, before being put forward for any job I get asked if I want to do it and I've been offered jobs in the past that I'm not a fan of so said no but at least give us that option instead of just shutting us out. This isn't a post saying I'm not happy so I won't see it but a lot of people wouldn't realize what something like this means to people like me," he concluded.
Coppen’s comments followed the recent controversy surrounding Disney’s live-action remake of "Snow White." Photos obtained by the Daily Mail featured characters who used to be called the "seven dwarves" but have since been referred to as "magical creatures." They appeared to be various skin tones and genders with only one actor being portrayed as a dwarf.
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Disney previously released a statement in January 2022 that revealed the movie was taking "a different approach" regarding the seven dwarves.
"To avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film, we are taking a different approach with these seven characters and have been consulting with members of the dwarfism community," the company said.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Warner Bros. for comment. | https://www.foxnews.com/media/wonka-blasted-casting-hugh-grant-oompa-loompa | 2023-07-30T21:06:25 | 0 | https://www.foxnews.com/media/wonka-blasted-casting-hugh-grant-oompa-loompa |
ZAPORIZHZHIA REGION, Ukraine — For 10 days, Ukrainian marines fought street by street and house by house to recapture the southeastern village of Staromaiorske, navigating artillery fire, airstrikes and hundreds of Russian troops.
The Russians put up a ferocious defense, but that ended Thursday when they folded and the Ukrainians claimed victory. “Some ran away, some were left behind,” said an assault commander from Ukraine’s 35th Marine Brigade, who uses the call sign Dikyi, which means Wild. “We were taking captives,” he added.
The recapture of Staromaiorske, a small village that is nonetheless critical to Ukraine’s southern strategy, was such a welcome development for Ukraine that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced it himself.
The counteroffensive has largely been a brutal lesson for Ukrainian troops, who have struggled to seize back territory across the southern region of Zaporizhzhia. In two months, Ukrainian troops have advanced less than 10 miles at any point along the region’s 100-mile front.
Victories, such as the one at Staromaiorske, represent a potential breakthrough in the fighting, Ukrainian officials said, perhaps opening the way for a broader push by their country’s forces.
Ukraine is focused on two main southward thrusts, with the aim of cutting off Russian resupply routes. One line of attack goes through Staromaiorske toward the city of Berdiansk on the Azov Sea, and another, farther west, toward the city of Melitopol.
Both cities command strategic transit routes for Russian forces occupying southern Ukraine and Crimea.
For weeks, Ukrainian artillery and long-range missiles have been pounding Russian supply lines and rear bases in an effort to break their operational capability and undermine Russian morale.
Rockets fired from an American-made HIMARS mobile launcher surprise drivers on country roads near the front line as Ukrainian units attack targets deep behind Russian lines.
As Ukrainian forces deploy Western-supplied weapons, Russian troops are making use of deadly new tactics and weapons of their own, including attack drones and remote-detonated mines.
In Staromaiorske, Russian soldiers dug bunkers underneath the village’s houses with multiple exits so a house would erupt like an anthill when under attack, said Dikyi. He lost one of his best men, a 27-year-old called Vyacheslav, who used the call sign Bandit, in an assault on such a house, he said.
The key to the Ukrainian success in the village, he said, was wearing down the Russian soldiers’ will to fight. The first sign of the Russian collapse was when 20 soldiers abandoned their position after complaining that reinforcements had failed to arrive, he said.
From intercepts of Russian communications and interrogations of prisoners, the Ukrainian forces knew that their opponents were taking casualties and that some were refusing to fight.
“They were panicking,” Dikyi said. The Ukrainians redoubled their attack with a frontal assault with two battalions along four streets.
As officials celebrated Ukraine’s progress in Staromaiorske, troops elsewhere on the ground said Russian defenses and firepower remained formidable and in places impassable.
A soldier at a medical post, awaiting evacuation for a concussion, recently described how his battalion had been decimated when it came under Russian artillery and tank fire. His brigade, the 23rd, was one of nine newly formed, Western-trained units prepared and equipped for the counteroffensive. But the brigade, he said, had been thrown into the fight without sufficient artillery support and had been unable to defend themselves against Russian firepower.
In one battle in which his unit took part, Ukrainian soldiers attacked in 10 American-made MaxxPro armored vehicles, but only one came back, he said. He showed photographs of the damaged vehicles, ripped open and burned out, which he said had been hauled back to a repair base. The soldier declined to give his name for fear of getting into trouble with his superiors.
“They were hit by anti-tank fire,” he said. “They hit them and they kept hitting. They were burned out. The guys did not survive.”
Later, as they sheltered in a captured Russian bunker, his unit came under attack by mortar fire and grenade launchers, he said. Moments before the bunker was destroyed by a Russian tank, he added, his unit escaped.
“If we had stayed 10 minutes longer, we would not be alive,” he said.
The soldier lost a 22-year-old friend, Stas, in the shelling the day before, he said, adding that in just over a month, his battalion had suffered so many dead and wounded that only 10 men remained at the front line.
Another soldier, who joined last year and asked to be identified only by his first name, Oleksiy, said his unit had taken heavy losses as Russian troops directed artillery fire and aerial bombs onto their positions.
“We were shot like on a shooting range,” he said. “A drone was flying above us and correcting the artillery fire.” Their positions were in former Russian positions, hemmed in by minefields, he said, and the Russian forces were able to keep them pinned down and under constant drone surveillance.
Soldiers were running out of ammunition and water but could only sneak in and out of their positions in ones or twos, on foot, when the light was poor just before dawn and at dusk, he said.
The Ukrainian troops, Oleksiy added, were unable to suppress the Russian firepower. “At first, we had artillery support, and then we ran out,” he said. “We need more weapons.”
He added: “If the troops knew we had a good supply and coordinated support from behind, we would take more territory.”
Interviews with Ukrainian soldiers and a review of military surveillance footage from a recent attack indicate that many Ukrainian units are sustaining heavy losses.
A group with special operations training, deployed last month to storm Russian positions in a village on the western part of the front, took such heavy casualties in four days of assaults that they had to pull out without success.
After their armored vehicles were largely destroyed by artillery strikes on the first day, they revised their plan to approach the village on foot through a tree line that had been mined. The Ukrainians cleared a narrow path with demining explosives and the first soldiers reached the Russian positions and dropped down into a trench.
Drone footage of the event showed what happened next. Explosions suddenly detonated inside the trenches and other strikes hit soldiers on the edge of the tree line. The video footage has been verified by The New York Times.
“The trenches were mined,” said the assault commander, who uses the call sign Voskres, short for Resurrection. “Our guys started jumping in the trenches and blowing up,” he added. The Russian forces were watching, and they remotely detonated the mines, he said.
Those who managed to avoid the mines came under attack from multiple Russian kamikaze drones. “It seemed like they had a drone for each person,” he said. “The amount of equipment the Russians have, had we known, it was like mission impossible.”
Several weeks later, the village remains in Russian hands. | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/amid-the-counterattacks-deadly-slog-a-glimmer-of-success-for-ukraine/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world | 2023-07-30T21:06:27 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/amid-the-counterattacks-deadly-slog-a-glimmer-of-success-for-ukraine/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world |
Denny Hamlin hears boos from crowd ahead of NASCAR's Richmond race
Hamlin faced turmoil over his move to get around Kyle Larson last week at Pocono
NASCAR fans greeted Denny Hamlin with a smattering of boos on Sunday as he was introduced before the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway in Virginia.
Hamlin was born in Florida but grew up in Chesterfield, Virginia – about 21 miles south of the track. But even near the town where he was raised, the No. 11 driver heard it from the crowd.
The consternation toward Hamlin stemmed from how he was able to get around Kyle Larson at Pocono last week. Hamlin ended up winning the race. Larson ended up in 14th while Hamlin took the heat for aggressive driving. Hamlin was accused of bumping Larson into the wall – an allegation he denied.
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Hamlin has offered no apologies for the move but instead pointed to NASCAR’s system to encourage aggressive driving. If there’s an issue, Hamlin suggested to start there.
"That is what it was geared to do – give us the sense of urgency to ramp up and that regular-season performance matters to get to the final four with a shot," he said Saturday. "The system is doing what it was designed to do."
Hamlin said he’s changed since getting spun out while leading in the past.
"If you have one person willing to be aggressive and one person not, aggressive will win every time," he added.
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Larson said things between him and Hamlin were "fine" and that the two exchanged text messages Friday night. He agreed that the points system encourages the aggressive driving but added that it "makes the guys on the receiving end more mad as well just because of what's at stake and what's taken."
Larson said his battles with Kyle Busch last month changed his attitude toward his approach.
"I respect Kyle and that's why I raced him with respect at Gateway, and I respect Denny every bit as much, if not more, or I did," he said.
"I tend to blow things over pretty quickly. This time, I probably have let it linger on my attitude a little bit this week just because it's happened more often with him than any other driver in my career and also a win was taken."
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Hamlin started third at Richmond. Larson started in 14th.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | https://www.foxnews.com/sports/denny-hamlin-hears-boos-crowd-nascars-richmond-race | 2023-07-30T21:06:28 | 1 | https://www.foxnews.com/sports/denny-hamlin-hears-boos-crowd-nascars-richmond-race |
It is time for the FBI to tell us who killed Jimmy Hoffa
Even after decades, people still don't have answers as to what happened to Hoffa
The FBI and Department of Justice can close the Jimmy Hoffa case and announce who they think did it.
Since July 30, 1975, when legendary Teamsters President Jimmy Hoffa disappeared, the claims, theories and speculation have fueled one of the greatest mysteries in American history.
It is time for the FBI to release the still redacted and hidden documents that remain classified and announce who investigators believe were responsible.
But now it appears that the answers end in Detroit.
James P. Hoffa, Jimmy Hoffa's son, is writing a book, "My Name Is Hoffa," that is expected to blame the mobsters in Motor City for his father's demise.
The reputed current head of the Detroit mob family, Jackie "the Kid" Giacalone, told me that he thinks we are at "a dead end" after so many years, and he denies knowing anything about Hoffa's fate.
But some in law enforcement have long believed that it was his father, Vito "Billy Jack" Giacalone, who picked up Hoffa in the parking lot of the Machus Red Fox restaurant, to drive him to what he thought was a meeting with Vito's brother, the street boss of the Detroit family, Anthony "Tony Jack" Giacalone and Teamsters New Jersey local president and Genovese Crime family Capo Anthony "Tony Pro" Provenzano."
Hoffa wanted to regain the union's presidency but needed "Tony Pro's" backing in his bid.
Giacalone notes that it has been almost fifty years since that infamous day, but in that time the circle of possibilities have narrowed.
"The answer is incredibly simple. He never left Detroit," said Scott Burnstein, the city's top Mafia journalist whose "The Gangster Report" chronicles the underworld across the nation.
"The investigators don't believe 99% of this narrative that's developed over the last 50 years that's been perpetuated by the media," he said. "Jimmy Hoffa was an asset of the Detroit Mafia and had been for the previous 30 years, you going to turn to the family that's been operating that asset for the past 30 years to do the job that needs to be done."
That view has been a focus of our most recent episode of the Fox Nation series, "Riddle, The Search for James R. Hoffa," which has extensively investigated the Hoffa case. The new show, number 6, "The Last Living Suspect," focuses on Gabe Briguglio, who at 84 years old is the only official FBI suspect who remains alive. He has been branded as "the second suspected hit-man," and according to the FBI, was "reported by Newark source to be involved in the actual disappearance of JRH"...James Riddle Hoffa.
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Briguglio heatedly denies that he had anything to do with Hoffa's fate. He has never been charged in the case, there is no solid evidence against him, the claim about him was only a belief that was presented to desperate investigators by a prison inmate in New Jersey at the time, and in the decades since the claim has panned out to nothing.
The story about Briguglio seems to have been concocted by the informer, Ralph Picardo, in the fall of 1975. Briguglio said Picardo simply fabricated it. Picardo used his claims to get out from under a 25-year prison stint for murder and was later determined by federal prosecutors to have been an unreliable serial liar who made up stories to feed prosecutors.
"He could use anything at all to make him get out of jail. He would lie if his mother, if he could throw his mother into the thing. And he's going to get out of jail. That's the kind of guy he was," Briguglio said in our exclusive Fox Nation interview.
Briguglio said he would not have had anything to do with Hoffa's killing "in a million years," and blames decades of media distortions and misguided law enforcement efforts for taking Picardo seriously.
"How could you take a guy that's such a liar?," he said. "They never asked me anything about where I was. Never not even once."
He said on that day, he was in the Teamsters Union office in Union, New Jersey playing cards, won $600, went to Jersey Home Sales to pay for the residing of his house in East Rutherford, and then returned home to his wife and kids. Redacted FBI reports appear to support witnesses saying that they saw Briguglio playing cards in the Garden State, and not in Michigan kidnapping Hoffa.
Briguglio was subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury in Detroit in December of 1975 and placed in a line-up, but no witness picked him out.
"I wish that they would get me out of that thing," he told us. "I wasn't there, and I know where I was. I have nothing to hide."
And then there is Billy D'Elia, the former head of the Bufalino Crime family in Pennsylvania.
D'Elia was the trusted aide of powerful mob boss Russell Bufalino for decades and took over the family on Bufalino's death in 1994. His biography, "The Life We Chose, Big Billy D'Elia and the Last Secrets of America's Most Powerful Mafia Family" by Matt Birkbeck, tells his story and that of what he says happened to Hoffa.
"I think he was cooked," D'Elia told me, "Cremated."
D'Elia says Hoffa was killed in Detroit and his body incinerated, which is why the claims that Hoffa's body was brought to New Jersey and buried there have so far not panned out.
"I think the day he got shot, or whatever happened to them that day, he was cremated him right away."
The book describes how the revelations that the CIA recruited members of the Mafia to assassinate Fidel Castro in the 1960's fueled Hoffa's murder. The underworld links were exposed by Idaho Senator Frank Church's hearings, and in May of 1975, two months before Hoffa vanished, a Time Magazine article included Bufalino as a top mobster who was involved in the plots. That article, says Birkbeck, spelled doom for Hoffa.
"It said that Russell had been recruited by the CIA, and that they got to Russell because Russell did a lot of business in Cuba in the 1950's," he said. "This was a story that they wanted to hear, and they never heard before. No one in law enforcement heard the story before."
"Russell, now in his mind, he has to do something about Hoffa because it was Hoffa who the CIA reached out to, to get to Bufalino," he says.
The mob bosses wanted Hoffa out of the picture because he had been making waves about exposing the mob's multi-million-dollar loans to build Las Vegas from the Teamster's billion-dollar piggy bank, The Teamsters Central States Pension Fund.
But more importantly for Russell Bufalino, it was the prospect that he was going to be called to testify before the Church Committee that Birkbeck says proved to be the final nail for Hoffa.
"This was a story that they wanted to hear," he says. "No one in law enforcement heard the story before."
Someone else who believes that Hoffa was incinerated in Detroit was there at the very beginning.
Veteran Detroit television reporter Vince Wade broke the story of Hoffa's disappearance on that fateful night and covered the case for decades.
"I believe Jimmy Hoffa was part of the ozone layer within 90 minutes of disappearing," said Wade. "I believe the body was totally destroyed."
He says shortly after Hoffa was killed, his body was likely taken to the Central Sanitation disposal facility in nearby Hamtramck, which had industrial shredders and an incinerator.
"It was run by the Mob, so they could control who was around and who wasn't around," he says "If you don't have a body, you don't have evidence. And if you don't have evidence, you don't have a case."
He thinks Hoffa was bashed in the head and stuffed in the trunk of a car and driven to the disposal site.
"The theory that I prefer myself, is that they took an unconscious Hoffa down to Central Sanitation, turned on all of the machinery which makes a big loud kinds of racket, took a .22 popped him in the head with a couple of rounds from a .22, threw him on a pile of garbage, took a front end loader and put Hoffa's body in a pile of garbage in a trash compactor, backed it up and put it in a high intensity incinerator."
"You've got nothing. You've got no evidence," he said. "I think it will be an unsolved mystery forever."
"I like to say that I broke the story that Jimmy Hoffa is missing...and he's still missing."
Another person who has not given up in solving Hoffa's demise, is Michael Yarborough, a former Michigan Corrections officer. He says that when he was 18 years old, he came upon Hoffa being buried in the cement of Detroit's towering Renaissance Center complex when it was under construction.
"I need them to do a ground penetration search at least 8 feet deep. Once they come in and see the void, they can come in with a concrete drill and take a DNA sample out of there and know right away who’s down there. It’s Jimmy Hoffa… it’s nobody else," he said.
While Yarborough has met with law enforcement and took Fox Nation to the spot where he says Hoffa's remains can be found, authorities have not yet excavated the location under the marble floor on the ground floor level, right off the automobile showroom filled with gleaming GM cars. He hopes that exploring the site will be the next step for authorities.
Our Fox Nation investigation also focused on the spot in New Jersey, under the Pulaski Skyway, which is the site of the old mob connected landfill and former toxic waste site, "Moscato's dump," where it has been claimed Hoffa was buried. The FBI conducted a dig at the location last year and came up empty, but Hoffa expert Dan Moldea has publicly claimed that the bureau missed the exact location.
Meanwhile, with two years to go before the landmark 50th anniversary, it is time for the government to release its files and announce what it thinks happened. By doing so, authorities can finally fulfill what Mr. Giacalone said is really the end.
Watch: "Riddle, The Search For James R. Hoffa," streaming on Fox Nation. The latest episode, number 6, tells the story of "The Last Living Suspect," Gabe Briguglio. "Riddle" is also an accompanying podcast with in-depth interviews that is also available. | https://www.foxnews.com/us/time-fbi-tell-us-who-killed-jimmy-hoffa | 2023-07-30T21:06:28 | 1 | https://www.foxnews.com/us/time-fbi-tell-us-who-killed-jimmy-hoffa |
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.wafb.com/2023/07/30/bomb-squad-investigates-mysterious-packages-parachuted-into-neighborhood/ | 2023-07-30T21:06:28 | 0 | https://www.wafb.com/2023/07/30/bomb-squad-investigates-mysterious-packages-parachuted-into-neighborhood/ |
Austin man injured in motorcycle crash in Mason City
(ABC 6 News) – A motorcycle crash in Mason City is a reminder of the importance of wearing a helmet.
58-year-old Jimi Royer, of Austin, had to be taken to the hospital after being thrown from his motorcycle in Mason City.
According to the Cerro Gordo Sheriff’s Office, around 4:22 p.m. Royer was riding his motorcycle on 265th St in Mason City when 21-year-old Bryce Cody failed to yield at an intersection, colliding with Royer and throwing him off his bike.
Royer was taken to MercyOne North Iowa’s Medical Center for treatment.
Cody was cited for failure to yield the right of way and to obey a stop sign. | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/austin-man-injured-in-motorcycle-crash-in-mason-city/ | 2023-07-30T21:06:30 | 1 | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/austin-man-injured-in-motorcycle-crash-in-mason-city/ |
The scene at East Boston District Court was familiar: a cluster of Spanish-speaking families seated in the back of the courtroom on a warm Tuesday morning, eyes searching for an interpreter who would never come.
One man hoped to learn if his son’s case would be called; next to him, a woman and her husband who carved hours out of their day for a pre-trial conference. After waiting nearly three hours, they were approached by Jose Antonio Vincenty, a defense attorney who spoke Spanish and offered to interpret for them before the judge.
“I shouldn’t have to be doing that, but if I don’t stay here the extra hour, they’ll have to come back tomorrow,” Vincenty said.
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This makeshift solution, which Vincenty said is fairly common, is a symptom of strained interpretation services in the state’s court system. The Office of Language Access is experiencing an acute shortage of translators, which workers say has been exacerbated by an ongoing history of bad management, leaving them feeling demoralized, frustrated, and afraid.
“Their managerial style is driving people away and ruining the office... it’s like something out of the Middle Ages,” said Ilia Cornier-Rivera, 67, who provides Spanish translation on a per-diem basis for the agency and hopes to retire within the next year.
The office is led by director Sybil Martin and senior manager Narda Berrios and overseen by Court Administrator Thomas Ambrosino, appointed in December to co-lead the state’s 94 courthouses.
Martin and Berrios declined interview requests with the Globe. In a statement, Trial Court spokesperson Jennifer Donahue said “many of the issues and concerns about the [office] identified by the Globe are related to the inadequate number of full time interpreters employed by the Trial Court.”
The office has long been swamped by more demand for interpreters than it can provide; it employs 60 staff and 87 per diem interpreters, but fields more than 150,000 requests a year for interpretation. The office also coordinates with 72 interpreters from out of state for both Zoom and in-person interpretation, paying for their transportation and accommodations, and it contracts with third-party online interpreters who may not be screened or certified in Massachusetts.
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Interpreters have filed numerous complaints since the start of this year, ranging from concerns about scheduling to allegations of retaliation and discrimination by management, according to Danny Soto, an investigations manager with the trial court’s Office of Workplace Rights and Compliance.
In interviews with the Globe, more than two dozen current and former workers described extreme dysfunction and mismanagement in their office, with concerns stretching back over five years, when the office’s previous director was fired after an independent audit found “near-universal dissatisfaction with her interpersonal and management skills.”
Multiple interpreters said the current leaders, Berrios and Martin, would accuse them of skipping shifts or being late to work. Emails obtained by the Globe detail how one staff interpreter moved to contact a judge to advocate on her behalf after managers refused to believe she had arrived on time for her shift.
Two former schedulers also told the Globe that Berrios repeatedly ordered them to punish per diem interpreters who had provoked her ire by removing them from the schedule. Former scheduler Gisele Souza recalled one instance when an interpreter called Berrios to say her car had broken down en route to Lowell District Court.
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“[Berrios] calls me and says … ‘I know she’s lying. Get her off the schedule for a week,’” Souza said.
When Souza responded that Lowell would be without an interpreter as a result, she said Berrios told her to get an interpreter on Zoom instead.
“There’s things that can’t be done via Zoom,” Souza said. “You’re hurting the court system, you’re hurting these people that are entitled to justice.”
Another staff interpreter, who asked to remain anonymous because she feared retaliation, said management ordered her to interpret at a courthouse in person while she was still positive for COVID-19.
“I had to go,” the woman said. “I was too afraid of what might happen if I disobeyed.”
Donahue declined to comment on individual complaints, but said that “to the best of our knowledge, none of these concerns were ever reported to [the Office of Workers Rights and Compliance].” Donahue also noted the agency has hired a chief access, diversity and fairness officer, who begins Aug. 14 and “will undertake a review of the policies and practices of OLA and the other departments that they oversee.”
The ramifications of these issues emerge in courthouses across the state, where hundreds of people with limited English skills struggle to access appropriate services. Stakes are often fairly low in administrative matters, attorneys say, but when interpreters aren’t available for more serious proceedings, a person’s constitutional right to a fair and speedy trial could be jeopardized.
“Holding someone another day or two [in jail] because an interpreter is not available isn’t really a legally acceptable thing, but sometimes it happens,” said Zachary Cloud, a defense attorney with the Committee for Public Counsel Services.
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Similar problems arise when lawyers are forced to rely on third-party virtual services, which attorneys say are often poor quality and difficult to understand. Sometimes, Cloud said, online interpreters tell him they are “not qualified to interpret legal terms” or that certain concepts are beyond their ability to translate.
The consequences can be especially dire for immigrants entangled in the legal system, said defense attorney Edward Swan. Every time a court case is continued because of missing or inadequate interpretation, he said, it can result in uncertainty about housing, employment, or legal status.
“All those extra court dates are just an extra liability hanging around their neck all that time,” he said.
In an interview, Ambrosino said he has “not at this point” heard any concerns severe enough to warrant a change in management. He declined to say whether any specifically involved verbal abuse or mismanagement, but said he advises staff interpreters who have a complaint to bring the matter to their union.
Ambrosino also acknowledged he hopes to boost staff numbers and gradually phase out per diems, noting there is an ongoing effort to “reduce their volume of work.” But several per diem interpreters told the Globe that because of working conditions, they are reluctant to apply to staff positions.
“In the past, people who retired would go back and do per-diem work. I don’t think there’s any retiree doing that now,” said Arlene Kelly, 71, a former staff interpreter who said she retired in 2021 when she couldn’t take the office’s “micro-managing” any longer.
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“They have a style of not only divide and conquer, but also demean and insult,” she added.
Meanwhile, employees say managers punish staff by reassigning them to courts far from where they live, which stalls court proceedings and can sometimes mean hundreds of dollars a week in gas reimbursements paid by taxpayers. Multiple employees told the Globe they have frequently crossed paths on the highway with other interpreters who speak the same language, rather than being assigned to the courthouse closest to their home.
Interpreters say they are motivated by the people they serve, often immigrants in vulnerable positions like they once were. But they find themselves constantly struggling to do the job well under managers who they say have driven some to early retirement and caused others to develop health issues.
“I couldn’t sleep at night, I couldn’t concentrate at work, I started really losing it,” said Christopher Guidera, 60, whose 20-year career ended in June following a lengthy medical leave for mental health issues.
In April, Guidera was paid $100,000 by the state to settle a workers compensation case for post-traumatic stress disorder he reported developing on the job, according to documents obtained by the Globe.
“This is a really honorable government job that gives us a lot of pride,” he said. “But we’re all being treated terribly now, and there’s no pride in that.”
Ivy Scott can be reached at ivy.scott@globe.com. Follow her @itsivyscott. | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/30/metro/culture-fear-control-ruining-services-state-courts-language-interpreters-office-staff-say/ | 2023-07-30T21:06:30 | 0 | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/30/metro/culture-fear-control-ruining-services-state-courts-language-interpreters-office-staff-say/ |
(The Hill) – A bipartisan group of lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee say a high-profile hearing on UFOs is just the start of their push for answers.
And they are threatening to use heavier handed tactics if the Pentagon and intelligence agencies stand in their way.
Reps. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) and Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) want more information on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) — commonly referred to as UFOs — beginning with new laws, a classified hearing and the possible creation of a select committee.
The lawmakers said they are willing to use subpoena power if needed to get the answers they’re seeking from the federal government.
“If there’s not a cover up, the government and the Pentagon are sure spending a lot of resources to stop us from studying it,” Burchett told The Hill.
He added that they hope House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) can aid them in setting up a select committee to study the issue of UAPs — as well as any government program that addresses them. If they don’t get leadership approval, they’ll “just start holding field hearings because the public is demanding that we have transparency,” Burchett said.
The effort comes after three former military officials earlier this week and under oath gave bombshell testimony on the unexplained aerial objects, telling lawmakers that for years they’ve been kept in the dark about the mysterious sightings and encounters.
David Grusch, a former Air Force intelligence officer, gave the most shocking testimony when he said he was told of a “multi-decade UAP crash retrieval and reverse-engineering program,” accusing the military of misdirecting funds to keep such operations secret.
The shocking testimony now has committee members questioning how Congress should begin to investigate the witness claims and demand more answers from the executive branch on programs it claims doesn’t exist.
Lawmakers hope to start with obtaining additional information and documents that Grusch said he submitted to the Pentagon’s inspector general after serving on two Defense Department task forces looking into UAPs.
To get the information from Grusch — who said he was unable to discuss specifics on what he told the Pentagon’s watchdog arm — lawmakers want to sit down with the former official in a sensitive compartmented information facility (SCIF) to get additional information from him.
The group has been blocked, however, by officials that have informed them that Grusch doesn’t currently have security clearance to discuss the issues in a SCIF, according to Burchett.
“I think we’ll get there eventually, it’s just frustrating. I’m ready to go and the American public are ready to go,” he said.
Luna argued the SCIF with Grusch would help lawmakers better understand the type of legislation they need to write regarding UAPs. She said she supports legislation that would declassify information on the phenomena.
With a growing amount of bipartisan interest for more government transparency surrounding the issue, a need for reporting procedures for UAP’s both in the miliary and commercial airspace, and “stronger and stricter punishment for those that try to silence whistleblowers,” the topic is more important than ever, she said.
There is currently a provision in the Senate’s version of the annual defense authorization bill, inserted by Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), which would force federal government agencies to hand over UAP records to a review panel with the power to declassify them. The bill, known as the National Defense Authorization Act, was passed by the Senate on Thursday and now must be reconciled with the House’s version, so the initiative could still be stripped out.
Burchett also made an attempt to put an amendment into a Federal Aviation Administration bill to improve air travel, passed July 20, that would have required UAP sightings be reported to Congress. The initiative was blocked, which Luna said was an indication that “we clearly have a battle ahead of us.”
Another avenue for lawmakers should they not receive access to a SCIF would be invoking the Holman rule.
During Wednesday’s hearing Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) vowed to do just that, saying that he would “personally volunteer to initiate the Holman rule against any personnel, or any program, or any agency that denies access to Congress.”
The Holman rule is a House power through which they can strip the salary of a specific government position, fire civil servants or cut a particular program.
Ogles’s pledge came after Grusch told lawmakers that the federal government for decades has secretly funded a “UAP crash retrieval and reverse engineering program” and that he believes the government is in possession of non-human crafts, based on interviews with 40 witnesses.
Moskowitz told The Hill that while it’s too early to use the Holman rule — as Congress must first “figure out where these positions exist and then examine whether or not they should be funded” — he hopes that by discussing the rule it will create more transparency with the federal government.
“This is about government transparency. I’m all for protecting national security, but that can’t just be a shield to deny the American people the basics of what we know about UAPs,” he said.
And Burchett said if lawmakers “start getting stonewalled” by the Pentagon and intelligence agencies, he will have “no hesitation,” to invoke the rule.
Luna, meanwhile, said whether lawmakers use the rule depends on the response they receive from various agencies, programs and appointees.
That process could start as soon as September when lawmakers consider the Defense Appropriations bill on the House floor.
“We know that enormous sums of money are being spent on UAP related activity, whether it’s retrieval/recovery, research and reverse engineering, or just security for whatever the government is hiding,” she told The Hill. “But none of that is on the books, so from a basic governance perspective, Congress needs to know where money is being misappropriated.”
The Hill’s Sarakshi Rai contributed reporting. | https://www.wowktv.com/national-news/ufo-curious-lawmakers-brace-for-a-fight-over-government-secrets/ | 2023-07-30T21:06:31 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/national-news/ufo-curious-lawmakers-brace-for-a-fight-over-government-secrets/ |
A woman and her teenage daughter say Delta Air Lines staff served a boorish passenger drink after drink, then did nothing when he manhandled and sexually assaulted them on a long flight from JFK Airport to Greece, according to a federal lawsuit.
The pilot and flight attendants didn’t even call police to have the man arrested after the eight hour and 40 minute ordeal, and offered the traumatized mom an insulting 5,000 “SkyMiles” as an apology, the lawsuit alleges.
The mother and her 16-year-old daughter, New York state residents identified in court papers as A.A. and N.A., filed a $2 million negligence and civil rights lawsuit against Delta in Brooklyn Federal Court on Tuesday.
“As a parent, protecting your child is always priority No. 1,” their lawyer, Evan Brustein, told the Daily News. “What happened to my clients during a flight was not just a nightmare, it was completely preventable.”
The mother and daughter boarded Flight 202 to Athens International Airport on July 26, 2022, the lawsuit alleges. The mom sat in the aisle seat and the daughter sat in the middle seat, just a few feet away from the flight attendants’ galley.
The woman next to them swapped seats to sit with her husband, and she was replaced by the passenger from hell — an intoxicated man who asked for a vodka on the rocks before the flight even took off, the suit says.
“Over the first three hours of the flight, the Delta flight attendants served the intoxicated Delta passenger approximately ten vodka on ice drinks,” the lawsuit alleges. “The intoxicated Delta passenger drank every drink the Delta flight attendants served him.”
As he became visibly drunker, the man started talking to the teen and loudly asking invasive questions about where she lived, the lawsuit alleges.
She turned her back to tell her mother she was scared, and the man started touching her back, yelling “so loudly that the surrounding passengers were reacting,” according to the lawsuit.
At that point the mother flagged down a flight attendant in the nearby galley, who unhelpfully told her to “be patient,” the lawsuit alleges.
At one point, the man ran to the bathroom to vomit, and the mom tried to convince another flight attendant to cut him off and start serving him coffee — but when he returned, he had a glass of wine in his hand, the suit says.
After five separate complaints, the lead flight attendant finally came over and told the man and said, “The ladies next to you are complaining that you are bothering them. Stop talking to them,” which led to him screaming and cursing, calling them “b—–s” and c—s,” the suit alleges.
The rattled teen suffered a “panic attack” after that, and she put her head on her mom’s lap to calm down, then felt the man’s “clammy fingers underneath her shirt climbing up her back,” according to the lawsuit. When she felt his fingers reach her bra strap, she jumped out of her seat — and the man grabbed her mother’s leg and moved up her thigh.
The mom and daughter got out of their seats and begged the flight attendants to talk to the pilot and let them switch seats. The plane staff said their hands were tied because no one wanted to move — and an attendant even said that as a practice serving booze to an alcoholic is easier than risking a confrontation, the suit alleges.
Finally, a passenger named Nikolaos saw the teen crying and offered to changed seats, telling the drunken man to shut up when he complained about it.
Mom asked a flight attendant to contact police, but the attendant told her to “calm down and think about it,” and never returned, according to the suit.
No police arrived to greet them in Athens, and the man was hustled off the plane ahead of the other passengers, the lawsuit alleges. Nikolaos was given 5,000 SkyMiles for being a “hero” — the same number the mom was offered as an apology, the lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit doesn’t specify if the mother or daughter contacted police on their own after landing, and their attorney didn’t specify that to The News.
When asked about the lawsuit, Delta spokesperson Morgan Durrant said, “While we don’t have any specific comment on this pending litigation, Delta has zero tolerance for customers who engage in inappropriate or unlawful behavior. Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and our people.” | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/delta-airlines-staff-did-nothing-as-drunk-passenger-sexually-assaulted-ny-teen-girl-and-mom-on-9-hour-flight-from-jfk-lawsuit/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world | 2023-07-30T21:06:33 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/delta-airlines-staff-did-nothing-as-drunk-passenger-sexually-assaulted-ny-teen-girl-and-mom-on-9-hour-flight-from-jfk-lawsuit/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world |
SEATTLE (AP) — In 2016, hospitals in New York state identified a rare and dangerous fungal infection never before found in the United States. Research laboratories quickly mobilized to review historical specimens and found the fungus had been present in the country since at least 2013.
In the years since, New York City has emerged as ground zero for Candida auris infections. And until 2021, the state recorded the most confirmed cases in the country year after year, even as the illness has spread to other places, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data analyzed by The Associated Press.
Candida auris is a globally emerging public health threat that can cause severe illness, including bloodstream, wound and respiratory infections. Its mortality rate has been estimated at 30% to 60%, and it's a particular risk in healthcare settings for people already with serious medical problems.
Last year, the most cases were found in Nevada and California, but the fungus was identified clinically in patients in 29 states. New York state remains a major hotspot.
A prominent theory for the sudden explosion of Candida auris, which was not found in humans anywhere until 2009, is climate change.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: This story is part of a collaboration between The Associated Press and Grist exploring the intersection of climate change and infectious diseases.
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Humans and other mammals have warmer body temperatures than most fungal pathogens can tolerate, so have historically been protected from most infections. However, rising temperatures can allow fungi to develop tolerance to warmer environments, and over time humans may lose resistance. Some researchers think this is what is already happening with Candida auris.
The pathogen emerged spontaneously 14 years ago on three continents, in Venezuela, India, and South Africa. Fungal disease expert Arturo Casadevall, a microbiologist, immunologist and professor at Johns Hopkins University, said this was puzzling, because the climates in these places are quite different.
“We have tremendous protection against environmental fungi because of our temperature. However, if the world is getting warmer and the fungi begin to adapt to higher temperatures as well, some ... are going to reach what I call the temperature barrier,” Casadevall said, referring to the way mammals’ warm body temperatures historically protected them.
When Candida auris was first spreading, said Meghan Marie Lyman, a CDC medical epidemiologist for the mycotic diseases branch, the cases were linked to people who had traveled to the U.S. from other places. Now, most cases are acquired locally — generally spreading among patients in healthcare settings.
In the U.S., there were 2,377 confirmed clinical cases diagnosed last year — an increase of over 1,200% since 2017. But Candida auris is becoming a global problem. In Europe, a survey last year found case numbers nearly doubled from 2020 to 2021.
“The number of cases has increased, but also the geographic distribution has increased,” Lyman said. She noted that while screenings and surveillance have improved, the skyrocketing case numbers do reflect a true increase.
In March, a CDC press release noted the seriousness of the problem, citing the pathogen's resistance to traditional antifungal treatments and the alarming rate of its spread. Public health agencies are focused primarily on strategies to urgently mitigate transmission in healthcare settings.
“It’s kind of an active fire they’re trying to put out,” Lyman said.
Dr. Luis Ostrosky, a professor of infectious diseases at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, thinks Candida auris is “kind of our nightmare scenario.”
“It’s a potentially multi-drug resistant pathogen with the ability to spread very efficiently in healthcare settings,” he said. "We’ve never had a pathogen like this in the fungal infection area.”
It is nearly always resistant to the most common class of antifungal medication, and is sometimes also resistant to another medication primarily used for severe catheter fungal infections in hospitals.
“I’ve encountered cases where I’m sitting down with the family and telling them we have nothing that works for this infection your loved one has,” Ostrosky said.
Ostrotsky has treated about 10 patients with the fungal infection but has consulted on many more. He said he has seen it spread through an entire ICU in two weeks.
Researchers, academics, and public health groups are discussing and investigating theories that explain the emergence of Candida auris. Ostrosky said that climate change is the most widely accepted one.
The CDC's Lyman said it’s possible the fungus was always among the microorganisms that live in the human body, but because it wasn’t causing infection, no one investigated until it recently started causing health problems. She also said there are reports of the fungus in the natural environment — including soil and wetlands — but environmental sampling has been limited, and it’s unclear whether those discoveries are downstream effects from humans.
“There are also a lot of questions about there being increased contact with humans and intrusion of humans into nature, and there have been a lot of changes in the environment, and the use of fungi in agriculture," she said. "These things may have allowed Candida auris to escape into a new environment or broaden its niche.”
Wherever and however it originated, the fungus poses a significant threat to human health, researchers say. Immunocompromised patients in hospitals are most at risk, but so are people in long-term care centers and nursing homes, which generally have less access to diagnostics and infection control experts.
Candida auris is not only challenging to treat, but also difficult to diagnose. It is quite rare and many clinicians are not aware it exists.
Common symptoms of infection include sepsis, fever, and low blood pressure, which all can have many causes. The fungus is diagnosed with a blood test. Blood is placed in a nutrient-rich medium to allow any infectious organism to grow and become more detectable.
But Ostrosky notes this misses about half the cases. “Our gold standard is a little bit better than flipping a coin," he said, adding there is a newer technology that improves bloodstream detection but it’s expensive and not widely available in hospitals.
Beyond the increase in cases, popular culture has helped increase awareness of fungal infections. A popular HBO series, “The Last of Us,” is a drama about the survivors of a fungal outbreak. A fungal infection that can transform humans into zombies is a work of fiction, but addressing climate change, which is altering the kinds of diseases seriously threatening human health, is a real world challenge.
“I think the way to think about how global warming is putting selection pressure on microbes is to think about how many more really hot days we are experiencing,” said Casadevall of Johns Hopkins. “Each day at (100 degrees Fahrenheit, or 37.7 degrees Celsius) provides a selection event for all microbes affected — and the more days when high temperatures are experienced, the greater probability that some will adapt and survive.”
“We’ve been flying under the radar for decades in mycology because fungal infections didn’t used to be frequently seen,” said Ostrosky of UTHealth Houston.
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Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/ap-top-news/2023/07/27/dangerous-fungus-is-becoming-more-prevalent-scientists-believe-climate-change-could-be-to-blame | 2023-07-30T21:06:35 | 0 | https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/ap-top-news/2023/07/27/dangerous-fungus-is-becoming-more-prevalent-scientists-believe-climate-change-could-be-to-blame |
Customers want instant gratification. Workers say it’s pushing them to the brink
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.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/business-news/customers-want-instant-gratification-workers-say-its-pushing-them-to-the-brink/ | 2023-07-30T21:06:36 | 0 | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/business-news/customers-want-instant-gratification-workers-say-its-pushing-them-to-the-brink/ |
RALEIGH, N.C. — When Tricia Cotham, a former Democratic lawmaker, was considering another run for the North Carolina House of Representatives, she turned to a powerful party leader for advice. Then, when she jumped into the Democratic primary, she was encouraged by still other formidable allies.
She won the primary in a redrawn district near Charlotte, and then triumphed in the November general election by 18 percentage points, a victory that helped Democrats lock in enough seats to prevent, by a single vote, a Republican supermajority in the state House.
Except what was unusual — and not publicly known at the time — was that the influential people who had privately encouraged Cotham to run were Republicans, not Democrats. One was Tim Moore, the redoubtable Republican speaker of the state House. Another was John Bell, the Republican majority leader.
“I encouraged her to run because she was a really good member when she served before,” Bell recalled in an interview.
Three months after Cotham took office in January, she delivered a mortal shock to Democrats and to abortion rights supporters: She switched parties, and then cast a decisive vote May 3 to override a veto by the state’s Democratic governor, Roy Cooper, and enact a 12-week limit on most abortions — North Carolina’s most restrictive abortion policy in 50 years.
Overnight, Cotham became a hero to Republicans and anti-abortion advocates across the country, even as Democrats vilified her as a traitor whose unexpected party flip had changed health care policy in a politically purple state of more than 10 million people.
More perplexing to many Democrats was why she did it. Cotham came from a family with strong ties to the Democratic Party, campaigned as a progressive on social issues and had even co-sponsored a bill to codify a version of Roe v. Wade into North Carolina law.
Interviews with former and current political allies depict her as someone who had grown alienated from Democratic Party officials and ideals. Republican leaders cultivated her before she ran and, seeing her growing estrangement, seized a chance to coax her across party lines.
Before the switch, Cotham chafed at what she perceived as a lack of support from other Democrats. Once she was elected, Moore said, he made it clear that she would be welcomed by Republicans.
“Never in my life did I think that one person could have that kind of impact, that will affect the lives of thousands of people for years to come,” said Ann Newman, a Democratic activist in Cotham’s district. Newman recently asked for — and received — a refund of the $250 she had donated to Cotham’s 2022 campaign.
Her change of parties has left many of Cotham’s constituents feeling angry and betrayed, and has allowed Republicans to flex the power of their new supermajority well beyond the abortion issue, overturning a string of vetoes by Cooper, including six on June 27 alone.
Cotham, 44, has defended her switch and said she had delivered on many promises she made to voters.
“I campaigned on Medicaid expansion,” she said in a statement to The New York Times. “I campaigned on supporting children, housing, safer communities, a strong economy and increasing health care options. I’ve done all of this and more.”
Yet, there is no question that Cotham has dealt a grievous blow to Democratic policy goals in North Carolina.
In late March, just a few days before switching parties, she skipped a pivotal gun-control vote, helping Republicans loosen gun restrictions in the state. After she became a Republican, she sponsored a bill to expand student eligibility for private-school vouchers, voted to ban gender-affirming care for minors and voted to outlaw discussions of race or gender in state job interviews.
“This switch has been absolutely devastating,” said state Rep. Pricey Harrison, a Democrat from Greensboro.
Cotham received a standing ovation at North Carolina’s state Republican convention in June. She was invited to meet privately there with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence.
“She’s a rock star among the Republican Party activists and voter base,” said U.S. Rep. Dan Bishop, R-N.C., who said he encouraged Cotham to join his party and who stood behind her when she announced the decision.
A Democratic Upbringing
Cotham had deep Democratic roots when she first entered the state House in 2007, replacing a lawmaker who resigned amid corruption charges. At 28, she became the state’s youngest legislator.
Her mother was active in party politics, and later ran successfully for the Mecklenburg County Commission. A first cousin became a Democratic Party leader in Maine, and ran a political action committee supporting abortion rights.
As a student, Cotham volunteered for Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign and interned for John Edwards, then a U.S. senator.
A lot of people in the Democratic Party “have known her since she was a child,” said Cotham’s mother, Pat.
In the North Carolina House, Cotham was reelected to four full terms and became a progressive force, calling for higher taxes on the state’s wealthiest residents to help close budget gaps. She criticized charter schools. She fought against the so-called bathroom bill that required people to use restrooms in accordance with their birth gender.
She repeatedly railed against waiting periods for abortions, and speaking on the House floor in 2015, she invoked her personal experience.
“Legislators, you do not hold shares in my body,” she said in a speech that has now become famous, “so stop trying to manipulate my mind.”
In 2016, Cotham chose to run for Congress, rather than for another term in the legislature, and was defeated.
Lacey Williams, a former advocacy director at the Charlotte-based Latin American Coalition who considered Cotham a friend for years, said Cotham “felt she did not get the gratitude or spotlight that she felt she deserved,” and added, “she was jealous that other Democrats were getting the adulation from the party.”
In response, Cotham said Williams “has a right to her feelings,” but “I do not perceive it that way — I’m a very confident and accomplished woman.”
The Lobbyist
For a time, Cotham left elective politics and went into lobbying, with a focus on education. In 2019, she and three partners founded a firm called BCHL. One of the partners was C. Philip Byers, a major donor to state Republicans who was also president of a company that built charter schools.
In office, Cotham had criticized charter schools, but now her firm supported private investments in the public school system and charter schools. (Cotham said she had been supportive of public school alternatives “for years.”)
In 2019, she also became president of an education organization called Achievement for All Children, which was chosen by state officials to turn around a foundering public school in Robeson County. For the next year and a half, Cotham commuted to the school, Southside-Ashpole Elementary, which is about 100 miles from her home outside Charlotte.
Brenda McCallum, an office manager at the school, recalled that Cotham fought policy battles energetically. Cotham also appealed to her younger constituents, once dressing as the Cat in the Hat for a reading event.
“She was an excellent advocate for our school,” said McCallum. “The kids loved her.”
In early 2020, Cotham fell sick with COVID-19, a diagnosis that hobbled her for the next two years. In a local television interview in 2022, she said she was still struggling with the virus’s lingering effects.
It was around that time that state Democratic Party officials were homing in on a redrawn state House district in Mecklenburg County, where Cotham lived and where Democratic voters outnumber Republicans. Partly because of her public COVID battle, party leaders didn’t seriously consider nominating her, but she surprised them by filing at the deadline in March to run for the seat.
Some Democrats welcomed her return, seeing her as a reliable ally on social issues such as abortion, but activist Democrats in the Charlotte area said she never responded to their offers of help. Text messages from political allies and friends, wishing her well, were met with silence.
She fumed that Lillian’s List, an abortion rights organization, had “really screwed” her by endorsing another Democrat in the primary, according to a message she sent to a campaign worker, Autumn Alston, that was reviewed by the Times.
Cotham seemed to have embraced a me-vs.-them mentality, said Jonathan Coby, her former campaign consultant. “She would say, ‘Oh, I don’t want to talk to that group. They’re out to get me; they don’t like me,’” Coby recalled.
Cotham said Coby, who worked with her for nearly a decade, including on her most recent campaign, was not a reliable source of information.
Meanwhile, as Cotham grew leery of activists and groups on the left, she was receiving counsel from prominent Republicans. “I reached out to her and told her good luck, I hope she wins,” said Moore. “She was somebody I realized we could work with.”
Cotham said Moore and “others” were pleased that she was running. She called their well wishes “pretty common.”
Moore and Bell said they didn’t know at that time that Cotham would change parties.
Cotham’s top campaign donors included the North Carolina Dental Society PAC — which gave almost exclusively to Republican candidates — and the North Carolina Health Care Facilities PAC, which gave mainly to Republicans.
“Those groups have honored me with their support for years,” Cotham said. “I’ve earned it.”
A Rocky Return
In January, Cotham was part of a small group of lawmakers who escorted Moore to the dais to be sworn in as speaker. Some Democrats said they were surprised to see Cotham play such a role.
In a recent interview, Moore praised Cotham’s ability to “work with Republicans at all times.”
Democrats, including Cotham, sponsored a House bill that month to write Roe v. Wade’s protection of abortion rights into state law. Yet, she refused to meet or take phone calls from Planned Parenthood, according to Jillian Reilly, a lobbyist for the group.
Cotham told Coby and her mother that she was put off that Democrats treated her as a newcomer when she returned to the House, inviting her to freshman orientation and offering her a mentor. She declined both.
Cotham would later say she was offended by what she regarded as bullying and groupthink inside the Democratic caucus, which was no longer the “big tent” she had once known. She said the caucus focused too much on process over the hard work of governance.
Democrats said they were baffled by the accusations she later aired. Text messages between Cotham and House Democratic Party leader Robert Reives reviewed by the Times show friendly dialogue.
“It never would have crossed my mind that she was having issues,” said Reives.
Bell said he was aware of Cotham’s unease. He and Moore tried to engage her about joining the GOP, telling her “you have a home over here.”
After Cotham was criticized for missing the vote on gun regulations, Bishop called her and said he had heard she was thinking of joining his party.
“I got the sense when we talked that she was much farther along in that decision than I had understood before calling her,” he recalled.
After the gun vote, Coby said he found Cotham to be angry. “She said, ‘I’m either going to switch parties or resign,’” he remembered. “The things she was telling me then were like, ‘The Democrats don’t like me, the Republicans have helped me out a lot and been nice to me’.”
Four days later, Cotham announced her decision to defect. “The party wants to villainize anyone who has free thought,” she said of the Democrats during a news conference.
She accused Democrats of spreading “vicious rumors” about her — perhaps alluding to chatter that she and Moore were romantically linked. Moore has denied the assertion; Cotham called it “insulting.”
Cotham was soon fielding thousands of texts, emails and phone messages calling her a traitor and liar, delivering vulgarities her mother described “as a new low in society” and demanding that she resign.
Four months after Cotham’s party switch, the bitterness still runs deep.
Linda Meigs, a political activist from Charlotte, drove to Cotham’s district this month for a meeting with local lawmakers hosted by Common Cause North Carolina and other liberal advocacy groups.
Meigs said she had come prepared to confront Cotham over how she could have campaigned on “Democratic Party values such as women’s rights to reproductive freedom and LGBTQ rights,” only to reverse her support. Cotham was invited to speak, but didn’t attend.
“When I’m talking to somebody and asking them a question, I usually like to look them in the face,” Meigs told a crowded room at a Mint Hill church. “I can’t do that tonight.”
Instead, she pointed to a front-row chair. “So,” she said to cheers, “I’m going to talk to this empty chair.” | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/inside-the-party-switch-that-blew-up-north-carolina-politics/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world | 2023-07-30T21:06:39 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/inside-the-party-switch-that-blew-up-north-carolina-politics/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world |
Kansas transgender people find Democratic allies in court bid to restore their right to alter IDs
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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Georgia woman and her lover arrested in Bahamas for alleged plot to kill her ex-Auburn football player husband
The woman's husband was reported to have filed foR divorce after learning about her alleged affair
A Georgia woman, her lover, and another man were arrested in the Bahamas for an alleged plot to kill her estranged husband, former Auburn University football player Robert Shiver, according to a Friday report.
Bahamian prosecutors named Lindsay Shiver, 36, her alleged lover 28-year-old Terrance Bethel, and Faron Newbold, 29, in the alleged plot to kill Shiver’s husband.
Per the Bahamas Court News, police officers uncovered a plot to kill the former Auburn player while investigating a break-in at the Grabber’s Bar and Grill restaurant on Great Guana Cay.
Investigators came across WhatsApp messages detailing the alleged assassination plan while searching the burglars’ phones, according to the outlet.
Shiver, Bethel, and Newbold appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Roberto Reckley on Friday. They are due back in court on October 5.
COUPLE ALLEGEDLY BURNED MARINE EX-HUSBAND'S BODY IN ‘SOPHISTICATED’ MURDER PLOT
According to the Thomasville Times-Enterprise, a Georgia newspaper, Shiver met her alleged lover near the house she owned with Robert Shiver. He is reported to have filed for divorce after finding out about the alleged affair.
It was not immediately clear if the defendants have retained attorneys who could speak on their behalf.
Robert Shiver played for Auburn as a deep snapper between 2006 and 2008.
In a 2020 Instagram post, Shiver shared her thoughts on the key to a "perfect marriage."
"The key to a perfect marriage, is having two imperfect people, who refuse to give up on each other," read a caption alongside a photo of her 2007 wedding.
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"So thankful for that fitness class 13 years ago that brought us together and all of the love, laughter, and life we have created ever since! I love you babe," she wrote. "Cheers to many more." | https://www.foxnews.com/world/georgia-woman-her-lover-arrested-bahamas-alleged-plot-kill-her-ex-auburn-football-player-husband | 2023-07-30T21:06:44 | 0 | https://www.foxnews.com/world/georgia-woman-her-lover-arrested-bahamas-alleged-plot-kill-her-ex-auburn-football-player-husband |
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://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/three-killed-when-small-plane-hits-hangar-catches-fire-at-southern-california-airport/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world | 2023-07-30T21:06:45 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/three-killed-when-small-plane-hits-hangar-catches-fire-at-southern-california-airport/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world |
4 found clinging to hull of overturned boat off New Jersey rescued, taken to hospital
SANDY HOOK, N.J. (AP) — Four people found clinging to the hull of an overturned boat off New Jersey were rescued and taken to a hospital, authorities said.
Coast Guard officials in New York say Coast Guard crews and New York police and fire units were deployed to the area off Sandy Hook after receiving a distress call about 1 a.m. Sunday over VHF Channel 16 from the sailing vessel Eagle, which reported having run aground and was taking on water.
Petty Officer Logan Kaczmarek told the Asbury Park Press that rescue crews found a floating debris field of items from the boat. They then found the four people about 2:15 a.m. Sunday holding onto the floating hull near the Romer Shoal Light Station about 2½ nautical miles (4.6 kilometers) from the tip of Sandy Hook.
Crews from Station Sandy Hook pulled two people from the water while the other two were rescued by New York fire crews. All four, who had all been wearing life jackets, were taken to Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch for treatment. There was no immediate word on their conditions.
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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_nation-world | 2023-07-30T21:06:52 | 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_nation-world |
Erratic winds challenge firefighters battling two major California blazes
MOJAVE NATIONAL PRESERVE, Calif. (AP) — A massive wildfire burning out of control in California’s Mojave National Preserve was spreading rapidly Sunday amid erratic winds, while firefighters reported progress against another major blaze to the south that prompted evacuations.
The York Fire that erupted Friday near the remote Caruthers Canyon area of the preserve was sending up a huge plume of smoke visible nearly 100 miles (160 kilometers) away across the state line in Nevada.
Flames 20 feet (6 meters) high in some spots have charred more than 110 square miles (284 square kilometers) of desert scrub, juniper and Joshua tree woodland, according to a Sunday incident update.
“The dry fuel acts as a ready ignition source, and when paired with those weather conditions it resulted in long-distance fire run and high flames, leading to extreme fire behavior,” the update said. No structures were threatened. There was no containment.
To the southwest, the Bonny Fire was holding steady at about 3.4 square miles (8.8 square kilometers) in rugged hills of Riverside County. More than 1,300 people were ordered to evacuate their homes Saturday near the remote community of Aguanga.
Windy conditions and the chance of thunderstorms into Monday will heighten the risk of renewed growth, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said.
One firefighter was injured in the blaze, which was 5% contained Sunday.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/us-world-news/erratic-winds-challenge-firefighters-battling-two-major-california-blazes/ | 2023-07-30T21:06:55 | 1 | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/us-world-news/erratic-winds-challenge-firefighters-battling-two-major-california-blazes/ |
Suicide bomber at political rally in northwest Pakistan kills at least 44 people, wounds nearly 200
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.”
___
Riaz Khan reported from Peshawar. Associated Press writer Munir Ahmad contributed from Islamabad.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/us-world-news/suicide-bomber-at-political-rally-in-northwest-pakistan-kills-at-least-44-people-wounds-nearly-200/ | 2023-07-30T21:07:01 | 0 | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/us-world-news/suicide-bomber-at-political-rally-in-northwest-pakistan-kills-at-least-44-people-wounds-nearly-200/ |
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.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/us-world-news/three-killed-when-small-plane-hits-hangar-catches-fire-at-southern-california-airport/ | 2023-07-30T21:07:04 | 1 | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/us-world-news/three-killed-when-small-plane-hits-hangar-catches-fire-at-southern-california-airport/ |
Jets’ Aaron Rodgers defends Nathaniel Hackett and fires back at the Broncos’ Sean Payton
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.”
___
AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Stapleton in Englewood, Colorado, contributed.
___
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No. 2 pick Stroud competes with Mills for starting QB job with Houston Texans
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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Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.kaaltv.com/sports/national-sports/no-2-pick-stroud-competes-with-mills-for-starting-qb-job-with-houston-texans/ | 2023-07-30T21:07:24 | 1 | https://www.kaaltv.com/sports/national-sports/no-2-pick-stroud-competes-with-mills-for-starting-qb-job-with-houston-texans/ |
LAS VEGAS — Cardi B not only got mad during a concert on Saturday. She also got even.
The rapper was performing in Las Vegas on Saturday afternoon when a concertgoer tossed a drink at the singer, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. The liquid splashed her in the face while she was performing at Drai’s Beachclub, but Cardi B reacted by throwing her microphone toward the concertgoer, according to the newspaper.
It was the latest incident of a fan throwing a flying object at a performer during a concert.
Cardi B throws microphone at audience member who threw a drink at her. pic.twitter.com/alLgHMFshb
— Pop Base (@PopBase) July 30, 2023
Cardi B, 30, was in the middle of singing her latest hit, “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves),” which held the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks in 2017, when she was splashed, Billboard reported.
Afterward, Cardi B retweeted a video of what occurred. In the clip, the rapper appears to be surprised but quickly became upset and tossed the microphone -- a left-handed toss that landed in the crowd -- while appearing to yell at them, according to Billboard.
The video shows the offending concertgoer being escorted out of the venue by security personnel, Variety reported. Posts later showed that the concert continued, with Cardi B racing across the stage in a tangerine jumpsuit, the Review-Journal reported.
Saturday’s incident is the latest of similar scenes at concerts worldwide where performers have become the target of objects thrown at them while performing onstage, CNN reported.
On July 8, singer Harry Styles was hit in the face during his “Love on Tour” concert in Vienna, Austria, Rolling Stone reported. Styles winced after the object apparently hit him in the eye.
On June 18, Bebe Rexha needed stitches after she was struck by a cellphone tossed by a concertgoer in New York City, hitting her in the head, Rolling Stone reported.
Days later during a show in Los Angeles, Ava Max was slapped in the face when a concertgoer rushed the stage, according to the magazine. Earlier this month in London’s Hyde Park, a fan appeared to have thrown their mother’s ashes at Pink, and days later, Kelsea Ballerini was hit in the eye by a bracelet, Rolling Stone reported. Drake has also been hit by an object.
Artists like Adele have urged fans to behave. During a recent show at her Las Vegas residency, the singer called out the rowdy behavior.
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CHICAGO — One woman was killed and eight others were injured in a mass shooting on the west side of Chicago early Sunday, authorities said.
According to police, the victims were gathered on a block in the city’s North Lawndale neighborhood at about 12:50 a.m. CDT when a black Jeep pulled up to the area, WLS-TV reported. Several suspects were seen getting out of the vehicle with guns and began firing their weapons, according to the television station.
A 21-year-old woman was shot in the face, WFLD-TV reported. She was taken to an area hospital in critical condition and was pronounced dead a short time later, according to the television station.
Chicago Police Department Statement Regarding 10th District Shooting in the 1500 block of South Keeler pic.twitter.com/TSRC05mv6q
— Chicago Police Communications & News Affairs (@CPD_Media) July 30, 2023
According to WBBM-TV, a 28-year-old woman was shot eight times in the torso. She was taken to the same area hospital as the first victim and was listed in critical condition, the television station reported.
The other seven victims were listed in good condition, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. According to the newspaper, a 20-year-old was shot in the right thigh; a 24-year-old was grazed in her right wrist; a 28-year-old was shot in the right knee; a 30-year-old was shot twice in her right shoulder and two more times in the right arm; a 31-year-old was grazed in the leg and forearm; a 33-year-old woman was grazed in the abdomen; and the final victim, whose age was not released, was grazed in the arm.
The site of the shooting was filled with balloons and decorations from what appeared to be a birthday party, WBBM reported.
No arrests have been made and there is no one in custody, WLS reported. An investigation is ongoing.
“Our hearts are with the family and loved ones of the victim who was killed,” the Chicago Police Department said in a statement. “We are also walking alongside those injured in this shooting and those who were present and witnessed this reprehensible act of violence.” | https://www.star945.com/news/trending/chicago-shooting-1-woman-killed-8-wounded-citys-west-side/SJOVKBTDOZHWVPB7C3YFT3GJQY/ | 2023-07-30T21:08:12 | 1 | https://www.star945.com/news/trending/chicago-shooting-1-woman-killed-8-wounded-citys-west-side/SJOVKBTDOZHWVPB7C3YFT3GJQY/ |
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Former boxer Félix Verdejo on Friday was found guilty of kidnapping resulting in death and intentionally killing an unborn child, officials say.
In a news release, the United States Attorney’s Office District of Puerto Rico said that a federal jury Friday convicted Verdejo, a Puerto Rico native, on charges released to the killing of Keishla Rodriquez Ortiz on April 29, 2021.
Based on court records and evidence presented at trial, a jury found that Verdejo and his co-defendant, Luis Antonio Cádiz-Martínez, both committed a kidnapping that resulted in the death of Ortiz and her unborn baby, the attorney’s office said.
The trial lasted about 25 weeks, according to The Associated Press.
On April 29, 2021, the attorney’s office said Verdejo went through with a “premeditated plan to murder” Ortiz and her unborn baby. She was reportedly lured into Verdejo’s vehicle with the help of Martínez. Drugs were injected and she was tied to a cement block with a metal wire. Verdejo drove Ortiz to the Teodoro Moscoso bridge and both men threw her over into the San José Lagoon.
The attorney’s office said Verdejo later jumped into the lagoon “to finish murdering both victims.”
Witnesses told officials, according to a criminal complaint obtained by CNN, that Verdejo wanted Ortiz to terminate the pregnancy after she shared the news with him.
“We stand firmly with the family of Keishla Rodríguez Ortiz and all those in the community who sought justice for this senseless, cruel, and heinous act of premeditated and cold-blooded violence against Keishla and her unborn child,” said United States Attorney Muldrow, in the news release. “I also commend the hard work, dedication, and relentless pursuit of justice by federal and local law enforcement, including the FBI, the Puerto Rico Police Bureau, the Puerto Rico Department of Public Safety, the Puerto Rico Forensic Science Institute, and the Puerto Rico Department of Justice, as well as the prosecutors and professional staff in the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
“There are damages which cannot ever be repaired, not even by a just verdict,” said FBI San Juan Special Agent in Charge, Joseph González, in the news release. “In cases such as these, all we can do is give our all in the pursuit of justice. Today, I can say that my team did exactly that, and I am proud of their dedication. I would like to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the amazing work and the jury for their service. We did what we do and justice was served.”
The jury could not reach unanimous verdicts for the intercepting and stealing of a vehicle with the consequence of causing death or carrying a weapon to commit violent crime charges, the AP reported.
Verdejo is expected to be sentenced on Nov. 3 and is facing a sentence of life in prison, according to the AP. | https://www.star945.com/news/trending/former-boxer-flix-verdejo-found-guilty-kidnapping-killing-pregnant-woman/ANUMB5436FDL3CTSMCVMPCSWJE/ | 2023-07-30T21:08:18 | 1 | https://www.star945.com/news/trending/former-boxer-flix-verdejo-found-guilty-kidnapping-killing-pregnant-woman/ANUMB5436FDL3CTSMCVMPCSWJE/ |
OSHKOSH, Wis. (AP) — Two people were killed and two others injured Saturday in a midair collision at an airport in Wisconsin.
A Rotorway 162F helicopter and an ELA Eclipse 10 gyrocopter collided shortly after noon local time at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, authorities said. The aircraft belonged to individuals attending the Experimental Aircraft Association’s annual fly-in convention in Oshkosh but were not involved in the air show, a statement from the organization said.
The association, citing the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office, said two people were killed and two injured. The injured were taken to a local hospital and were in stable condition.
The association said further information would be released as additional details are confirmed. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.
Separately, a plane earlier Saturday crashed into Lake Winnebago near Oshkosh, killing two people, according to the sheriff’s office. The NTSB is also investigating that case, which involved a single-engine North American T-6 aircraft. | https://www.wric.com/news/u-s-world/ap-4-dead-2-injured-in-separate-aircraft-accidents-in-wisconsin-authorities-say/ | 2023-07-30T21:08:39 | 1 | https://www.wric.com/news/u-s-world/ap-4-dead-2-injured-in-separate-aircraft-accidents-in-wisconsin-authorities-say/ |
(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.texomashomepage.com/news/national-news/airfares-are-back-to-normal-so-why-do-they-feel-so-high/ | 2023-07-30T21:08:45 | 1 | https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/national-news/airfares-are-back-to-normal-so-why-do-they-feel-so-high/ |
Aaron Rodgers didn’t take too kindly to the comments Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton made about current New York Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.
Payton torched Hackett and the Broncos’ 2022 coaching staff in an interview with USA Today. Rodgers is a longtime Hackett supporter from their days with the Green Bay Packers. Hackett was the Packers’ offensive coordinator, and took the Broncos head coaching job last year, but after he was fired, came to the Jets along with Rodgers.
The four-time MVP was at Jets training camp on Sunday talking with NFL Network’s Peter Schrager when he torched Payton for his comments.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
"Yeah, I love Nathaniel Hackett. And, those comments were very surprising for a coach to do that to another coach," Rodgers said. "My love for Hackett goes deep. We had some great years together in Green Bay. Kept in touch. Love him and his family – incredible family man, incredible dad.
"And on the field, he’s arguably my favorite coach I’ve ever had in the NFL – his approach to it, how he makes it fun. How he cares about the guys. Just how he goes about his business – with respect, with leadership, with honestly, with integrity.
"And, it made me feel bad that someone who’s 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. I thought it was way out of line, inappropriate and I think he needs to keep my coaches’ names out of his mouth."
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Payton apologized on Friday after he called the Broncos’ 2022 season "one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL."
"Listen, I had one of those moments where I still had my Fox hat on and not my coaching hat on," Payton said. "I said this to the team: We've had a great offseason relative to that, I've been preaching that message, and here I am the veteran stepping in it. It was a learning experience for me, a mistake, obviously. I need a little bit more filter.
"I needed a bit more restraint, I regret that." | https://www.foxbangor.com/sports/national-sports/aaron-rodgers-torches-sean-payton-over-nathaniel-hackett-remarks-gives-stern-warning/article_ea6bc3c3-ffa4-51e4-8d02-11c49ea835ab.html | 2023-07-30T21:08:45 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/sports/national-sports/aaron-rodgers-torches-sean-payton-over-nathaniel-hackett-remarks-gives-stern-warning/article_ea6bc3c3-ffa4-51e4-8d02-11c49ea835ab.html |
The planned execution of a 45-year-old Missouri man with schizophrenia is back on after an appellate court reversed course Saturday.
Johnny Johnson is scheduled to receive a lethal injection Tuesday at the state prison in Bonne Terre for killing 6-year-old Casey Williamson after trying to sexually assault her in 2002.
With questions swirling about his mental competency, the execution was halted last Tuesday by a divided three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court. But after the Missouri Attorney General’s Office asked that the full court reconsider, that decision was reversed in a 7-3 ruling.
The case will likely end up before the U.S. Supreme Court before the scheduled execution date.
Attorneys for Johnson have claimed his schizophrenia prevents him from understanding the link between his crime and the punishment. They have also said Johnson has delusions about the devil using his death to bring about the end of the world.
The Missouri Supreme Court in June declined to halt the execution based on the mental health claim. The attorney general’s office challenged the credibility of psychiatric evaluations of Johnson and contended that medical records indicate he is able to manage his mental illness through medication.
Johnson lured the girl to an abandoned glass factory, even carrying her on his shoulders on the walk to the dilapidated site. When he tried to sexually assault her, Casey screamed and tried to break free. He killed her with bricks and rocks, then washed off in the Meramec River. Johnson confessed to the crimes.
Casey’s disappearance set off a frantic search involving first responders and volunteers. Her body was found in a pit less than a mile (1.6 kilometers) from her home, buried beneath rocks and debris.
The execution would be the fourth in Missouri this year. | https://www.wric.com/news/u-s-world/ap-appellate-court-rules-that-missouri-man-with-schizophrenia-can-be-executed-after-all/ | 2023-07-30T21:08:46 | 0 | https://www.wric.com/news/u-s-world/ap-appellate-court-rules-that-missouri-man-with-schizophrenia-can-be-executed-after-all/ |
(The Conversation) – Should smartphones be allowed in classrooms? A new report from UNESCO, the education arm of the United Nations, raises questions about the practice. Though smartphones can be used for educational purposes, the report says the devices also disrupt classroom learning, expose students to cyberbullying and can compromise students’ privacy.
About 1 in 7 countries globally, such as the Netherlands and France, have banned the use of smartphones in school – and academic performance improved as a result, particularly for low-performing students, the report notes.
As school leaders in the U.S. wrestle with whether or not to ban smartphones, The Conversation has invited four scholars to weigh in on the issue.
Daniel G. Krutka: Use smartphones to encourage ‘technoskepticism’
While the issue of smartphone use in schools is complicated, evidence suggests that spending more time on smartphones is associated with young people being less happy and less satisfied with life.
Technology scholars have long argued that the key to living well with technology is in finding limits. However, in banning smartphones, I worry educators might be missing opportunities to use smartphones to encourage what I and other researchers refer to as technoskeptical thinking; that is, questioning our relationship with technology.
For example, students might be encouraged to consider the benefits and drawbacks of using navigational apps to travel from one place to another, as opposed to old-fashioned paper maps. Or, students might explore their social media feeds to critique what algorithms feed them, or how notifications get their attention.
In my research, I have looked at how teachers can encourage students to go on techno-fasts – that is, abstaining from the use of technology for a certain period of time. This, I argue, will give students time to reflect on the time they spend away from their devices.
Policy debates often focus on whether or not to put smartphones out of reach during the school day. But I believe educators might find it more beneficial to make the phones an object of inquiry.
Sarah Rose: Consult parents, teachers and students
While there is evidence that classroom phone usage can be a distraction, it can also promote engagement and learning. While research about the potential positive and negative consequences of classroom phones can be used to inform school phone policies, the views of those who are most directly impacted by the policies should also be taken into account.
The views of parents matter because their views may influence the extent to which their children follow the policy. The views of children matter because they are the ones being expected to follow the policy and to benefit from it. The views of teachers matter because they are often the ones that have to enforce the policies. Research shows that enforcing cellphone policies is not always a straightforward issue.
In my research, I have found that children – aged 10 and 11 years old – in collaboration with their parents, were able to come up with ideas for ideal policies and solutions to help enforce them. For example, one parent-child pair suggested mobile phone use in school could be banned but that a role of “telephone monitor” could be given to an older pupil. This “telephone monitor” would have a class mobile phone that children and parents could use to contact each other during the school day when necessary.
This recommendation reflected how parents and middle and high school students – whether from rural and urban areas – felt cellphones were important to keep in touch with each other during the school day. Beyond safety, children and parents also told us that phones were important for keeping in touch about changing plans and for emotional support during the school day.
I believe policies that simply ban phones in schools may be missing an opportunity to educate children about responsible mobile device use. When parents and children are involved in policy development, it has the potential to increase the extent to which these policies are followed and enforced.
Arnold L. Glass: Cellphone use in college lectures hurts performance in ways that are hard to see
The intrusion of internet-enabled electronic devices, such as laptops, tablets and cellphones, has transformed the modern college lecture. Students now divide their attention between the lecture and their devices. Classroom studies reveal that when college students use an electronic device for a nonacademic purpose during class, it hurts their performance on exams.
When attention is divided between an electronic device and the classroom lecture, it does not reduce comprehension of the lecture – at least, not when measured by within-class quizzes. Instead, divided attention reduces long-term retention of the classroom lecture, which hurts performance on unit exams and final exams.
When some students open electronic devices, it also negatively affects the performance of all the students around them. Research has shown that student performance on final exams was worse when electronic devices were permitted during classes that covered exam material versus when the devices were not.
Many students won’t think their divided attention is affecting their retention of new information. It may not be for the moment, but a couple of weeks later or down the line, research shows, it does.
Louis-Philippe Beland: Bans help low-achieving students the most
Numerous studies indicate that low-achieving students stand to benefit the most from the implementation of mobile phone bans in schools.
In a 2015 study, my co-author, Richard Murphy, and I examined the impact of banning mobile phones on student performance in high schools, using data from England. By comparing schools with phone bans to similar schools without the bans, we isolated the effect of mobile phones on performance. Our study found that banning mobile phones significantly increased test scores among 16-year-old students. The effect is equivalent to adding five days to the school year or an extra hour per week. Low-achieving students benefited more, while high-achieving students remained unaffected.
Similar studies in Spain and Norway using a similar approach demonstrated compelling evidence supporting the benefits of banning mobile phones. In Spain, grades improved and bullying incidents decreased. In Norway, the ban raised middle school students’ grade-point averages and their likelihood of attending academic high schools while reducing bullying. Evidence from Belgium suggests banning mobile phones can be beneficial for college student performance.
Psychological research sheds light on potential mechanisms behind the impact of mobile phones and technology on student performance. Multitasking, common with mobile phone use, has been found to hinder learning and task execution. Taking notes by hand has been shown to better enhance memory retention compared to typing on a computer.
In sum, banning mobile phones in schools can yield positive effects, improve academic performance and narrow the achievement gap between high- and low-achieving students. However, it is crucial to acknowledge that mobile phones and technology can also be valuable educational tools when used appropriately. | https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/national-news/do-smartphones-belong-in-classrooms-four-scholars-weigh-in/ | 2023-07-30T21:08:51 | 0 | https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/national-news/do-smartphones-belong-in-classrooms-four-scholars-weigh-in/ |
Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Justin Wilson suffered another setback on Friday night just before he was set to make his first appearance since undergoing Tommy John surgery in the spring of last year.
Brewers manager Craig Counsell called Wilson out to the mound during the team’s 10-7 loss to the Atlanta Braves. However, there was an issue. Cameras in the bullpen showed Wilson grabbing his left arm as he appeared to be in a tremendous amount of pain before he was to go into the game.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Counsell said the pitcher "felt something pretty significant" in his lat or triceps, according to MLB.com.
"To get all the way back and be ready to do the fun stuff, which is pitch in a game," Counsell said. "It’s just really unfortunate."
Milwaukee placed Wilson on the 15-day injured list with a left lat strain on Saturday. The team recalled Trevor Megill from Triple-A Nashville to take over the spot.
ANGELS' TAYLOR WARD STRUCK IN HEAD BY PITCH FROM BLUE JAYS' ALEK MANOAH, TAKEN TO HOSPITAL: 'TERRIBLE MOMENT'
Wilson made his Major League debut in 2012 with the Pittsburgh Pirates and only allowed one earned run in eight appearances. The following season, he became a full-time reliever and posted a 2.08 ERA in 58 games.
He then played for the New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs, New York Mets and the Cincinnati Reds before landing with the Brewers this past offseason.
It’s unclear whether Wilson will return down the stretch for Milwaukee. | https://www.foxbangor.com/sports/national-sports/brewers-justin-wilson-suffers-injury-right-before-he-was-set-to-make-first-appearance-since/article_e90e9bf2-12db-57c7-93e2-350635981154.html | 2023-07-30T21:08:52 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/sports/national-sports/brewers-justin-wilson-suffers-injury-right-before-he-was-set-to-make-first-appearance-since/article_e90e9bf2-12db-57c7-93e2-350635981154.html |
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China accused the United States of turning Taiwan into an “ammunition depot” after the White House announced a $345 million military aid package for Taipei, and the self-ruled island said Sunday it tracked six Chinese navy ships in waters off its shores.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office issued a statement late Saturday opposing the military aid to Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory.
“No matter how much of the ordinary people’s taxpayer money the … Taiwanese separatist forces spend, no matter how many U.S. weapons, it will not shake our resolve to solve the Taiwan problem. Or shake our firm will to realize the reunification of our motherland,” said Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office.
“Their actions are turning Taiwan into a powder keg and ammunition depot, aggravating the threat of war in the Taiwan Strait,” the statement said.
China’s People’s Liberation Army has increased its military maneuvers in recent years aimed at Taiwan, sending fighter jets and warships to circle the island.
On Sunday, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said it tracked six Chinese navy ships near the island.
Taiwan’s ruling administration, led by the Democratic Progressive Party, has stepped up its weapons purchases from the U.S. as part of a deterrence strategy against a Chinese invasion.
China and Taiwan split amid civil war in 1949, and Taiwan has never been governed by China’s ruling Communist Party.
Unlike previous military purchases, the latest batch of aid is part of a presidential authority approved by the U.S. Congress last year to draw weapons from current U.S. military stockpiles — so Taiwan will not have to wait for military production and sales.
While Taiwan has purchased $19 billion worth of weaponry, much of it has yet to be delivered to Taiwan. Washington will send man-portable air defense systems, intelligence and surveillance capabilities, firearms and missiles to Taiwan. | https://www.wric.com/news/u-s-world/ap-china-says-us-military-aid-to-taiwan-will-not-deter-its-will-to-unify-the-island/ | 2023-07-30T21:08:53 | 0 | https://www.wric.com/news/u-s-world/ap-china-says-us-military-aid-to-taiwan-will-not-deter-its-will-to-unify-the-island/ |
CLEVELAND (WJW) – Verizon customers with older phone plans could see their bill go up next month.
According to the company, starting Aug. 29, some older plans will be charged an additional $3 or $5 per mobile phone line every month.
Customers with Go Unlimited 2.0, Beyond Unlimited 2.0, Above Unlimited, and 5G Start 1.0 plans will see the $3 monthly increase, while single basic phone plans will see the $5 monthly increase.
The company says unlimited plans that are currently available to new customers won’t get hit with the additional charge.
Verizon says lines with tablets, smartwatches, and other devices also won’t be affected.
This comes after a price hike back in April, which, as reported by USA Today, saw a $2 monthly increase for some wireless plans.
In June 2022, Verizon raised some plan fees in response to “pressure,” the company’s head of business said at the time. It led to a $1.35 increase on its administrative fees, and an “Economic Adjustment Charge” for companies using the business plans. It was the first time the fees had been increased since 2019. | https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/national-news/have-an-older-verizon-phone-plan-your-bill-could-increase-soon/ | 2023-07-30T21:08:57 | 0 | https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/national-news/have-an-older-verizon-phone-plan-your-bill-could-increase-soon/ |
A Washington, D.C.-based sports radio host was fired on Saturday following comments he made about a female TV reporter who was covering the Washington Commanders.
Don Geronimo, whose real name is Michael Sorce, made the comments toward WUSA9 reporter Sharla McBride. The remarks led to the Commanders barring iHeartMedia – the parent company of WBIG Radio – from the team’s training camp facilities in Ashburn, Virginia, on Friday.
"Hey look, Barbie's here. Hi, Barbie girl," Geronimo shouted toward McBride while on air on Thursday. "I'm guessing she's a cheerleader."
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Geronimo was with co-host Crash Young when the remarks were made. Later in the broadcast, Geronimo saw McBride again and mentioned that she was the woman Young had thought was "tight."
"Yah. I screamed tight when she was.…" Young said before being cut off.
Geronimo added that he thought she was a "cheerleader."
After a couple of days, the radio station decided to part ways with Geronimo. iHeartMedia signed a three-year partnership with the Commanders in 2022.
"After an internal review, Don Geronimo is no longer an employee of WBIG," iHeartMedia’s D.C. Region president Aaron Hyland said in a statement to The Washington Post. "We take matters of this nature very seriously and this behavior does not align with our core values."
COLTS OWNER RULES OUTS TRADE FOR JONATHAN TAYLOR DESPITE REQUEST FROM STAR RB: REPORT
McBride said she was "hurt" by the comments that were made.
"When I heard the comments made about me on the radio show, I felt incredibly insulted and embarrassed," she told ESPN. "In my 17 years as a professional journalist, I have never been disrespected in such a blatant manner while trying to do my job. Their words were sexist and misogynistic. No woman should experience this in the workplace, and I appreciate the Commanders' swift response in handling this matter."
According to WUSA9, new team owner Josh Harris and team president Jason Wright were extremely upset over the ordeal.
"We have worked hard to ensure that everyone feels safe and respected in our workplace, and we took swift action when we learned that an employee of our partner iHeart made sexually disparaging remarks to and about a member of the media while she was broadcasting live from training camp yesterday," a team spokesperson told the station on Saturday.
Geronimo tweeted he wasn’t going to comment on the situation.
"At this time I will not be providing comment on the events of the last few days. I am consulting with my advisers as to my options moving forward, including an accurate reflection of the situation," he wrote on Sunday. | https://www.foxbangor.com/sports/national-sports/sports-radio-host-fired-after-barbie-comments-to-female-tv-reporter/article_68d81666-4945-5203-b53f-e5f27bf3bb34.html | 2023-07-30T21:08:58 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/sports/national-sports/sports-radio-host-fired-after-barbie-comments-to-female-tv-reporter/article_68d81666-4945-5203-b53f-e5f27bf3bb34.html |
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas is temporarily blocked from enforcing a law that would have allowed criminal charges against librarians and booksellers for providing “harmful” materials to minors, a federal judge ruled Saturday.
U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks issued a preliminary injunction against the law, which also would have created a new process to challenge library materials and request that they be relocated to areas not accessible by kids. The measure, signed by Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders earlier this year, was set to take effect Aug. 1.
A coalition that included the Central Arkansas Library System in Little Rock had challenged the law, saying fear of prosecution under the measure could prompt libraries and booksellers to no longer carry titles that could be challenged.
The judge also rejected a motion by the defendants, which include prosecuting attorneys for the state, seeking to dismiss the case.
The ACLU of Arkansas, which represents some of the plaintiffs, applauded the court’s ruling, saying that the absence of a preliminary injunction would have jeopardized First Amendment rights.
“The question we had to ask was — do Arkansans still legally have access to reading materials? Luckily, the judicial system has once again defended our highly valued liberties,” Holly Dickson, the executive director of the ACLU in Arkansas, said in a statement.
The lawsuit comes as lawmakers in an increasing number of conservative states are pushing for measures making it easier to ban or restrict access to books. The number of attempts to ban or restrict books across the U.S. last year was the highest in the 20 years the American Library Association has been tracking such efforts.
Laws restricting access to certain materials or making it easier to challenge them have been enacted in several other states, including Iowa, Indiana and Texas.
Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin said in an email Saturday that his office would be “reviewing the judge’s opinion and will continue to vigorously defend the law.”
The executive director of Central Arkansas Library System, Nate Coulter, said the judge’s 49-page decision recognized the law as censorship, a violation of the Constitution and wrongly maligning librarians.
“As folks in southwest Arkansas say, this order is stout as horseradish!” he said in an email.
“I’m relieved that for now the dark cloud that was hanging over CALS’ librarians has lifted,” he added.
Cheryl Davis, general counsel for the Authors Guild, said the organization is “thrilled” about the decision. She said enforcing this law “is likely to limit the free speech rights of older minors, who are capable of reading and processing more complex reading materials than young children can.”
The Arkansas lawsuit names the state’s 28 local prosecutors as defendants, along with Crawford County in west Arkansas. A separate lawsuit is challenging the Crawford County library’s decision to move children’s books that included LGBTQ+ themes to a separate portion of the library.
The plaintiffs challenging Arkansas’ restrictions also include the Fayetteville and Eureka Springs Carnegie public libraries, the American Booksellers Association and the Association of American Publishers. | https://www.wric.com/news/u-s-world/ap-judge-blocks-arkansas-law-allowing-librarians-to-be-criminally-charged-over-harmful-materials/ | 2023-07-30T21:08:59 | 0 | https://www.wric.com/news/u-s-world/ap-judge-blocks-arkansas-law-allowing-librarians-to-be-criminally-charged-over-harmful-materials/ |
(The Hill) – A bipartisan group of lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee say a high-profile hearing on UFOs is just the start of their push for answers.
And they are threatening to use heavier handed tactics if the Pentagon and intelligence agencies stand in their way.
Reps. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) and Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) want more information on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) — commonly referred to as UFOs — beginning with new laws, a classified hearing and the possible creation of a select committee.
The lawmakers said they are willing to use subpoena power if needed to get the answers they’re seeking from the federal government.
“If there’s not a cover up, the government and the Pentagon are sure spending a lot of resources to stop us from studying it,” Burchett told The Hill.
He added that they hope House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) can aid them in setting up a select committee to study the issue of UAPs — as well as any government program that addresses them. If they don’t get leadership approval, they’ll “just start holding field hearings because the public is demanding that we have transparency,” Burchett said.
The effort comes after three former military officials earlier this week and under oath gave bombshell testimony on the unexplained aerial objects, telling lawmakers that for years they’ve been kept in the dark about the mysterious sightings and encounters.
David Grusch, a former Air Force intelligence officer, gave the most shocking testimony when he said he was told of a “multi-decade UAP crash retrieval and reverse-engineering program,” accusing the military of misdirecting funds to keep such operations secret.
The shocking testimony now has committee members questioning how Congress should begin to investigate the witness claims and demand more answers from the executive branch on programs it claims doesn’t exist.
Lawmakers hope to start with obtaining additional information and documents that Grusch said he submitted to the Pentagon’s inspector general after serving on two Defense Department task forces looking into UAPs.
To get the information from Grusch — who said he was unable to discuss specifics on what he told the Pentagon’s watchdog arm — lawmakers want to sit down with the former official in a sensitive compartmented information facility (SCIF) to get additional information from him.
The group has been blocked, however, by officials that have informed them that Grusch doesn’t currently have security clearance to discuss the issues in a SCIF, according to Burchett.
“I think we’ll get there eventually, it’s just frustrating. I’m ready to go and the American public are ready to go,” he said.
Luna argued the SCIF with Grusch would help lawmakers better understand the type of legislation they need to write regarding UAPs. She said she supports legislation that would declassify information on the phenomena.
With a growing amount of bipartisan interest for more government transparency surrounding the issue, a need for reporting procedures for UAP’s both in the miliary and commercial airspace, and “stronger and stricter punishment for those that try to silence whistleblowers,” the topic is more important than ever, she said.
There is currently a provision in the Senate’s version of the annual defense authorization bill, inserted by Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), which would force federal government agencies to hand over UAP records to a review panel with the power to declassify them. The bill, known as the National Defense Authorization Act, was passed by the Senate on Thursday and now must be reconciled with the House’s version, so the initiative could still be stripped out.
Burchett also made an attempt to put an amendment into a Federal Aviation Administration bill to improve air travel, passed July 20, that would have required UAP sightings be reported to Congress. The initiative was blocked, which Luna said was an indication that “we clearly have a battle ahead of us.”
Another avenue for lawmakers should they not receive access to a SCIF would be invoking the Holman rule.
During Wednesday’s hearing Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) vowed to do just that, saying that he would “personally volunteer to initiate the Holman rule against any personnel, or any program, or any agency that denies access to Congress.”
The Holman rule is a House power through which they can strip the salary of a specific government position, fire civil servants or cut a particular program.
Ogles’s pledge came after Grusch told lawmakers that the federal government for decades has secretly funded a “UAP crash retrieval and reverse engineering program” and that he believes the government is in possession of non-human crafts, based on interviews with 40 witnesses.
Moskowitz told The Hill that while it’s too early to use the Holman rule — as Congress must first “figure out where these positions exist and then examine whether or not they should be funded” — he hopes that by discussing the rule it will create more transparency with the federal government.
“This is about government transparency. I’m all for protecting national security, but that can’t just be a shield to deny the American people the basics of what we know about UAPs,” he said.
And Burchett said if lawmakers “start getting stonewalled” by the Pentagon and intelligence agencies, he will have “no hesitation,” to invoke the rule.
Luna, meanwhile, said whether lawmakers use the rule depends on the response they receive from various agencies, programs and appointees.
That process could start as soon as September when lawmakers consider the Defense Appropriations bill on the House floor.
“We know that enormous sums of money are being spent on UAP related activity, whether it’s retrieval/recovery, research and reverse engineering, or just security for whatever the government is hiding,” she told The Hill. “But none of that is on the books, so from a basic governance perspective, Congress needs to know where money is being misappropriated.”
The Hill’s Sarakshi Rai contributed reporting. | https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/national-news/ufo-curious-lawmakers-brace-for-a-fight-over-government-secrets/ | 2023-07-30T21:09:03 | 1 | https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/national-news/ufo-curious-lawmakers-brace-for-a-fight-over-government-secrets/ |
Five-year anniversary gifts
Shop this article: Roses, I Love You Anniversary Card and 2-Stem Natural Wood Roses with Vase
Spending a half-decade together is a reason to celebrate. Roses, chocolate and champagne are fitting gifts for almost any anniversary or milestone. However, when you hit the five-year mark in your relationship, you might want to take things up a notch.
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Tradition dictates that the five-year wedding anniversary gift is wood and meant to signal long-lasting strength, wisdom and forgiveness. Still, nowhere does it say that you have to stick to that, and some great gift ideas include perfume, jewelry, shoes, bags and self-care options.
Five-year anniversary wooden gift ideas
I Love You Anniversary Card
If you’re a stickler for tradition and want to make sure you give a gift of wood, one simple way to achieve this is with your card. This laser-cut classic hearts design is more than just any old anniversary card. It’s a keepsake that can last for years to come.
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Kate Posh 5-Years of Marriage Photo Frame
Simple yet also sentimental. This wooden picture frame is engraved and comes in multiple sizes. It has a back-stand easel to display on a table and clips to mount it on the wall.
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2-Stem Natural Wood Roses with Vase
Carved from sugar wood and stained rich chocolate, this stylish, sentimental and symbolic anniversary gift comes with two wooden roses in an oak vase.
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The best fragrance gifts for her
With dazzling floral accents and woodsy notes, this scent exudes femininity and mystery. The may rose and jasmine with citrus notes and soft bourbon vanilla help create this sensual Chanel fragrance, making the perfect gift for a romantic anniversary.
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This scent oozes femininity without being overpowering, with an intoxicating blend of warm and spicy, with keynotes of jasmine, orange blossom and woods and patchouli. It’s also ageless, which makes it perfect for either your 5th or 50th anniversary.
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The best self-care gifts for her
Goop “The Martini” Emotional Detox Bath Soak
Treat your loved one to some peace and tranquility with a soothing bath to relax the mind and body. The pink salt will ease muscles. The chia seed oil hydrates and moisturizes the skin, while the wildcrafted frankincense will soothe the mind. This combination is just as good as a day at the spa.
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Give the gift that spoils your loved one night after night with this slip silk pillowcase that’s a known beauty secret of both beauty experts and dermatologists. Cover her pillow in the highest-grade mulberry silk to help create the ultimate night’s rest.
Herbivore Coco Rose Exfoliating Body Scrub
Pamper your partner with a body scrub made from virgin coconut oil, sugar and Moroccan rose to leave her skin moisturized and smelling of rose petals and coconuts. This luxe body scrub has been clinically tested and proven to offer softer, smoother and less dry skin.
The best jewelry gifts for her
TruMiracle Diamond Stud Earrings
These exquisite half-carat diamonds with side accents will dazzle and sparkle from every angle. They are available in 14-carat gold, white gold and rose gold.
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Sarah Chloe Andi Initial Pendant Necklace in 14k Gold-Plate Over Sterling Silver
This is a delicate and sophisticated pendant necklace you can wear casually or when dressing to impress. It’s set in 14 carat-gold-plate over sterling silver, with a lobster clasp for closure and a beaded chain.
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Le Vian Deep-Sea Blue Topaz & Diamond Statement Ring in 14k Rose Gold
Give her something she can’t help but show off with this dazzling deep-blue-sea topaz ring. It’s enhanced with nude and chocolate diamond rings that add to the color and sparkle. These gorgeous stones are set in a beautiful strawberry gold that will make your anniversary one to remember.
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The best handbag gifts for her
Michael Kors Bedford Legacy Logo Ladies Leather Crossbody Bag
There’s just something about a new handbag that makes a girl smile, so make her grin ear-to-ear with a stylish yet practical black, leather crossbody. This sleek and structured silhouette is an ideal everyday bag to match all outfits while remaining chic.
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The best shoes gifts for her
Badgley Mischka Kiara Embellished Peep-Toe Evening Pumps
You can never go wrong with super sexy shoes, and these sapphire satin peep-toe pumps with embellished detail fit the bill. These showstoppers will make her feel like a million bucks and make for one extraordinary anniversary.
Nine West Women’s Toe Dress Pumps
These shoes will be a gift for you and your loved one because you won’t be able to keep your eyes off her when she’s in these ultra-sexy t-strap stilettos. A mix of faux leather and skinny straps from the toe to the ankle make this exotic heel a special occasion in itself.
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Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.wric.com/reviews/br/beauty-personal-care-br/tools-accessories-br/best-five-year-anniversary-gifts-for-her/ | 2023-07-30T21:09:06 | 1 | https://www.wric.com/reviews/br/beauty-personal-care-br/tools-accessories-br/best-five-year-anniversary-gifts-for-her/ |
(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.texomashomepage.com/news/national-news/you-can-get-into-the-national-parks-for-free-this-week-heres-when/ | 2023-07-30T21:09:09 | 1 | https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/national-news/you-can-get-into-the-national-parks-for-free-this-week-heres-when/ |
A comprehensive guide to pop-up campers
A pop-up camper provides a tentlike experience without having to sleep on the ground. When hitting the road in your pop-up camper, consider what and how to eat, what to sleep in, what toiletries to bring and what to do in case of an emergency.
Shop this article: Eagles Nest Outfitters Spark Camp Quilt, Sea to Summit X-Pot Collapsible Camping Cookpot and Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight Watertight .5 Medical First Aid Kit
What is a pop-up camper?
Pop-up campers are lightweight, compact vehicles that can park in more secluded areas due to their size. They are more affordable than the average camper and are quick to pack up and hook up, making the road trip easier. They can also keep you warmer than a tent in colder months but cooler in the heat of summer.
Pop-up camper setup
There are five aspects of pop-up camper setup.
- Location: Locate where you want to set up your camper and consider the slope of the ground, nearby trees and electrical hookups. This is where to check if your camper is level. If it is not level, you can use blocks to prop up one of the sides before unhooking the tow vehicle.
- Power: To power up the camper, run its electrical cord to the campsite’s electrical hookup after turning off the breaker. Once connected, you can turn the breaker on to provide electricity to amenities such as the sink and the refrigerator. At this point, users can crank down the leg support and crank up the roof.
- Beds: Make sure that the canvas is not holding onto anything and pull the first bed handle out to start setting up the beds. From there, pull the support pole free and position this onto the stud on the frame. Repeat this process for the remaining poles. Lastly, lift both beds to latch the supports until the beds sit down firmly.
- Water and propane: To set up water and propane in your pop-up camper, lift and lower the galley handle until it is in position. Then, link the male end of the propane hose to the female end on the lower frame of the camper. Finally, connect a sanitary water hose from your trailer to the water spigot at the campsite.
- Water heater: To set up the water heater, you need to access the hot water tank, turn the gas knob to “pilot” and hold down. Place a flame on the pilot end of the tube using a long lighter. Hold this down until it stays lit. You should be able to turn on the knob, and the hot water tank should start to heat your water.
Pre-make your food
Before hitting the road in your pop-up camper, make your meals ahead of time. These meals can be complete meals stored in a cooler or prepped to be quickly cooked at a campsite. Also, pre-pack any portion meals that you plan to make by the fire for convenience.
Stock your pop-up camper with necessities
Buy a set of camping pots and pans in advance to prepare for every meal and anything that goes on in the kitchen. This ensures that you do not have to go back and forth for camping utilities or go without food for a short time because you were unprepared. Moreover, pack extra sleeping bags and sheets of various insulation to prepare for any situation that may occur.
Air out your pop-up camper after it rains
Mold and other bacteria are more likely to form when it rains. Due to the foldable nature of the pop-up camper, this bacteria can get into crevices and breed. Before packing up your camper after it rains, make sure everything is dry so that it can be clean to use for the next trip.
Tips for hitting the road in a pop-up camper
If you are a first-time camper, keep your trip close to home in case something goes wrong, or it turns out that you are underprepared. This ensures that you are close to safety and have everything that you need. Additionally, make a grocery list and a checklist for all items that you think you need to bring in advance.
Pop-up camper FAQ
Where do I go to the bathroom while camping?
A. If there is no bathroom in your pop-up camper and you do not want to go out in nature, travel with a portable camping toilet. This item is best for rooftop tents, car campers and drive-up camp spots.
What style of chair is best to bring on a camping trip?
A. Classic camp chairs are a good choice. These chairs have four legs and are very stable. They make sitting and standing an act of ease in comparison to low chairs and rocking chairs. They’re also affordable.
Sleep essentials
Eagles Nest Outfitters Spark Camp Quilt
This 3-in-1 blanket, quilt and sleeping bag provides warmth and comfort in 40- to 60-degree weather. The weather-resistant materials help protect the sleeping bag from rain and any other damage caused by the elements.
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Kelty Mistral Sleeping Bag: 40 Fahrenheit Down
This mummy-style sleeping bag keeps heat in while being lightweight and durable. It comes with a stuff sack for storage and features an offset quilt construction to prevent cold spots. CloudLoft insulation locks in heat. The zipper is anti-snag, and the bag fits up to 6 feet in length. Use it inside or outside the pop-up tent.
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Kitchen essentials
Sea to Summit X-Pot Collapsible Camping Cookpot
This camping cook pot is heat-resistant and BPA-free to ensure food safety. The entire pot is collapsible for storage in small spaces. Its aluminum base conducts heat evenly for the best cooking experience and it comes with a strainer lid.
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MalloMe Camping Cookware Mess Kit Gear
This camping cookware kit is portable and made with food-safe, non-toxic anodized aluminum. The kit includes an aluminum nonstick pot, a pot cover, a nonstick pan, two bowls, a folding stainless steel spork, a soup spoon, a wooden spoon spatula, a cleaning sponge and a nylon travel drawstring pouch. It can be easily attached to a backpack and carried to campsites.
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First-aid essentials
Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight Watertight .5 Medical First Aid Kit
This first aid kit provides all the needed materials for any accidents that could happen while camping in your pop-up camper. It includes a wide array of medical supplies to treat pain, inflammation and common allergies. The wraps and bandages assist in immobilizing fractures and provide support. The antiseptic wipes and butterfly bandages help clean small wounds.
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Adventure Medical Sportsman Series Medical Kit
This medical kit provides items that treat common camping injuries. It is organized by injury type for quick access in an emergency and provides all the basic tools needed. This kit is also lightweight and portable.
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Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.wric.com/reviews/br/travel-br/travel-essentials-br/pop-up-camper-guide-everything-you-need-in-order-to-hit-the-road/ | 2023-07-30T21:09:13 | 0 | https://www.wric.com/reviews/br/travel-br/travel-essentials-br/pop-up-camper-guide-everything-you-need-in-order-to-hit-the-road/ |
BALTIMORE (AP) — Aaron Judge is giving the New York Yankees an immediate boost — at a time when their front office has some tough decisions to make.
Judge homered and singled twice in his second game back from the injured list and the Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-3 on Saturday night. Giancarlo Stanton and Kyle Higashioka went deep as well for New York, which is still 3 1/2 games behind Toronto and Houston for the last two wild cards in the American League.
That’s a tricky spot with Tuesday’s trade deadline approaching.
“We’ve had years where we stick with who we got. We’ve had years where we get some bullpen arms, starters, a big bat,” Judge said. “It comes down to us doing our job on the field and then letting them take care of the rest. We’ll see what happens.”
The Yankees knocked out struggling Orioles starter Tyler Wells (7-6) in the third inning. In the sixth, Isiah Kiner-Falefa capped a 10-pitch at-bat with a three-run double to make it 8-3.
Judge has three walks and three hits in nine plate appearances since returning Friday from the toe injury that kept him out since early June.
Ryan Mountcastle homered for the Orioles, but Clarke Schmidt (7-6) made it through five tough innings and the New York bullpen took it from there.
The Orioles remained 1 1/2 games ahead of Tampa Bay atop the AL East.
Judge walked three times Friday night, but the Yankees lost that game 1-0 on a ninth-inning homer by Baltimore’s Anthony Santander. New York’s offense was relentless a night later.
Stanton’s first-inning drive easily cleared the big wall in left field at Camden Yards. Mountcastle tied it in the second, and Baltimore went ahead 2-1 on an RBI infield single by Ramón Urías. That lead was short-lived.
Judge hit a two-run shot — 442 feet to center field — in the third. Then Gleyber Torres added a sacrifice fly an inning later.
Santander made it 4-3 with an RBI groundout in the fifth, but New York broke the game open in the sixth. Cole Irvin allowed a leadoff homer by Higashioka — his third hit of the night — and then one-out singles to Judge, Stanton and Anthony Rizzo.
Bryan Baker came in and struck out DJ LeMahieu, but after fouling off five pitches, Kiner-Falefa cleared the bases with a line drive to left.
“One of the best at-bats of the season right there,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
Wells entered the game with a major league-leading WHIP of 0.99, but he allowed three runs, three hits and three walks in 2 2/3 innings. In three starts since the All-Star break, he’s lasted just nine innings total.
“I think we’re going to be talking about a lot of things here coming up,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “Obviously, we’re in a weird week. He’s had tough times his last few starts. I think there are going to be discussions going on.”
Boone said he’s leaning toward giving Judge a day off in the series finale Sunday night. The Yankees are in a stretch of 13 games in 13 days.
“I kind of look at it as, hopefully he’s in a position to start nine or 10 of them,” Boone said. “Forget the toe. He hasn’t come close to playing games for almost two months. As much as I want him in there, we’ve got to be smart here a little bit, especially in this run.”
DIFFERENT ORDER
The Orioles used catcher Adley Rutschman in the leadoff spot because of his ability to get on base. He was hit by a pitch, walked and scored a run.
UP NEXT
New York’s Luis Severino (2-4) starts Sunday night against Baltimore’s Dean Kremer (10-4). It’s the final game of the season series, which is tied 6-all.
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Follow Noah Trister at https://twitter.com/noahtrister
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.wric.com/sports/sports-headlines/ap-aaron-judge-has-a-homer-and-3-hits-in-his-2nd-game-back-to-help-the-yankees-top-the-orioles-8-3/ | 2023-07-30T21:09:19 | 0 | https://www.wric.com/sports/sports-headlines/ap-aaron-judge-has-a-homer-and-3-hits-in-his-2nd-game-back-to-help-the-yankees-top-the-orioles-8-3/ |
BALTIMORE (AP) — Aaron Judge homered for the first time since returning from a toe injury, sending a 442-foot drive over the wall in center field in the third inning against Baltimore on Saturday night.
The two-run shot gave the New York Yankees a 3-2 advantage. Giancarlo Stanton hit a solo homer in the first.
Judge was hitless since returning Friday, although he drew three walks in that game. He hit a towering flyout in his first plate appearance Saturday. Then he connected off Tyler Wells two innings later.
It was his 20th home run of the season. Judge started in right field Saturday after he was the designated hitter Friday.
Judge had been out since tearing a ligament in his right big toe June 3.
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Follow Noah Trister at https://twitter.com/noahtrister
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.wric.com/sports/sports-headlines/ap-aaron-judge-slugs-442-foot-homer-in-2nd-game-back-for-yankees-from-toe-injury/ | 2023-07-30T21:09:27 | 0 | https://www.wric.com/sports/sports-headlines/ap-aaron-judge-slugs-442-foot-homer-in-2nd-game-back-for-yankees-from-toe-injury/ |
TORONTO (AP) — Los Angeles Angels manager Phil Nevin was suspended for one game and fined an undisclosed amount by Major League Baseball on Saturday for a postgame outburst at an umpire following a loss to the Toronto Blue Jays a night earlier.
Bench coach Ray Montgomery managed the Angels during the second game of the three-game series as Nevin served his suspension.
Nevin was seen holding up a tablet computer and yelling at plate umpire Mike Estabrook as the crew left the field after the 4-1 loss Friday night.
The umpires access their locker room through the tunnel at the end of the visitor’s dugout on the first base side of Rogers Centre.
A Toronto police officer accompanied the umpire crew as it descended the dugout steps. Montgomery had to restrain Nevin as the umpires passed through the end of the dugout.
Nevin was angry about the game-ending called third strike against pinch hitter Michael Stefanic, who entered in the ninth inning with the bases loaded after Shohei Ohtani left because of cramping in both of his calves.
“I just explained to him that I thought the pitch to Stefanic was outside,” Nevin later told reporters.
Ohtani hit his major league-leading 39th home run in the series opener — part of a streak of three homers in three at-bats over two games — before exiting early.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.wric.com/sports/sports-headlines/ap-angels-manager-phil-nevin-suspended-1-game-for-outburst-at-umpire/ | 2023-07-30T21:09:33 | 1 | https://www.wric.com/sports/sports-headlines/ap-angels-manager-phil-nevin-suspended-1-game-for-outburst-at-umpire/ |
ÉVIAN-LES-BAINS, France (AP) — Céline Boutier carded a 4-under 67 in the third round of the Évian Championship on Saturday to increase her lead to four shots going into the final day.
The 29-year-old Boutier aims to become the first Frenchwoman to win the tournament, which became a major in 2013.
“I didn’t start that good to be honest. I missed the first three greens but got a good break on 2 and was able to chip in. Then I just had really good chances on the two par-fives, seven and nine, and was able to take advantage of that,” said Boutier, who had a bogey on the 12th hole in a round of five birdies.
“I was just trying to focus on making, hitting a good shot, and if I happen to have a birdie opportunity, I hit a solid putt. It was definitely positive and felt pretty good to start very good on the front.”
Boutier’s closest challenger is Japan’s Nasa Hataoka, who posted a 68 on Saturday after rounds of 70 and 67.
“Hopefully I will get more birdies tomorrow. It was good iron shots and distance control,” Hataoka said. “Also I was good too with my putting stroke, so I was really comfortable. Tomorrow is another new day, and I want to enjoy the next 18 holes.”
Minjee Lee of Australia and Brooke Henderson of Canada are joint-third, a shot behind Hataoka.
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.wric.com/sports/sports-headlines/ap-boutier-takes-4-shot-lead-into-final-round-of-evian-championship/ | 2023-07-30T21:09:40 | 0 | https://www.wric.com/sports/sports-headlines/ap-boutier-takes-4-shot-lead-into-final-round-of-evian-championship/ |
PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix Mercury say All-Star center Brittney Griner will not travel for the team’s next two games so she can focus on her mental health.
The 6-foot-9 center — who became an international story during her 10-month detainment in Russia last year — is averaging 18.2 points and 6.7 rebounds over 20 games this season.
“The Mercury fully support Brittney and we will continue to work together on a timeline for her return,” the team said in a statement on Saturday.
Griner’s impressive individual season hasn’t translated to success for the Mercury, who have a 6-17 record and fired Vanessa Nygaard earlier in the season.
The Mercury’s tough season and coaching change are among the multiple challenges Griner has faced in her return to the WNBA following her ordeal in Russia on drug-related charges that caused her to miss the entire 2022 season.
Griner and her teammates were confronted by what the WNBA called a “provocateur” at the Dallas airport in June and she’s also dealt with a hip injury that caused her to miss a handful of games.
Griner will miss road games against Chicago on Sunday and Indiana on Tuesday.
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Follow David Brandt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbrandtAP | https://www.wric.com/sports/sports-headlines/ap-brittney-griner-wont-travel-for-next-2-games-to-focus-on-her-mental-health-team-says/ | 2023-07-30T21:09:47 | 0 | https://www.wric.com/sports/sports-headlines/ap-brittney-griner-wont-travel-for-next-2-games-to-focus-on-her-mental-health-team-says/ |
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Kyler Murray’s football career was nearly flawless for the first 25 years of his life: First, he was a Texas high school phenom, then a Heisman Trophy winner, then the No. 1 overall pick for the Arizona Cardinals, then a two-time Pro Bowl selection.
In all those situations, Murray was being compared to other football players.
These days, the competition is with himself.
“This is different,” Murray said. “This is you-on-you. Nobody really knows what you’re going through except for yourself and whoever you’re working out with.”
Murray, who turns 26 on Aug. 7, is working his way back to football relevancy following an underwhelming fourth season that was cut short by a torn ACL in his right knee against the New England Patriots on Dec. 12.
The quarterback acknowledged some tough days after the surgery — nights when it was tough to sleep because of the pain — but said he’s not feeling sorry for himself as he works to get back to the field.
“I get to do what I love every day — play quarterback in the NFL,” Murray said. “Did I get hurt? Yeah. Did I experience something no one wants to experience? Yeah. But it’s nothing for me to get up and work out. I was already doing that before I got hurt.”
Murray’s expected to miss at least a few games of the upcoming season while he continues to recover, and the quarterback watched Saturday’s practice at State Farm Stadium in a gray hooded sweatshirt and long black sleeve over his entire right leg.
His impending return is the hottest topic for the Cardinals during camp, but says he’s not committing to a certain return date.
“I don’t have a timetable,” Murray said.
Murray said he saw Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow at a recent UFC event and the two discussed the perils of an ACL injury. Burrow tore the ACL in his left knee during his rookie season in 2020, but returned to play 16 games in 2021.
“I wouldn’t want to go out there and hurt the team or hurt myself,” Murray said. “The advice that I’ve gotten from a lot of people around me is to go when you’re ready. Don’t listen to outside noise. Don’t feel pressure to come back because of this situation or that situation.
“Whenever you’re ready, you’ll know you’re ready.”
Murray has been very good — at times spectacular — for much of his first four seasons. His uncanny scrambling ability has produced several highlight-reel plays and he’s got plenty of arm to make all the throws he needs to make.
The apex of his pro career came in 2021, when the Cardinals started the season with a 10-2 record and looked like a Super Bowl favorite. But the franchise collapsed, losing four of the next five games before getting blown out against the Los Angeles Rams in an embarrassing playoff performance.
With high hopes in 2022, the Cardinals were one of the league’s most disappointing teams, finishing with a 4-13 record. Murray was far from the only reason for those struggles, but also wasn’t blameless, as his performance regressed in several areas.
“It’s not a bad thing to sit back, watch, and try to make this a positive deal,” Murray said. “I feel good. Getting better each and every day, taking one day at a time. Just trying to be there for my teammates and learn as much as possible before I do stuff on the field.”
Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill made big changes after last season’s debacle, bringing in a defensive-minded coach in Jonathan Gannon and a new general manager in Monti Ossenfort. The new regime seems just as smitten with Murray as the previous one — Gannon said one major reason he took the Cardinals job was Murray’s presence.
Murray says he’s excited about what the changes can bring.
The Cardinals have a large monetary interest in making things work: Murray signed a $230.5 million, five-year deal before last offseason that keeps him in the desert until 2028.
“It’s been great so far,” Murray said. “We’re actually establishing a run game. I believe we’ll be able to run the ball a lot better, which will only be a weapon for us. Get under center, mix it up, not be as predictable.”
Veteran Colt McCoy is the Cardinals’ most likely quarterback while Murray continues to recover. The 36-year-old has been the team’s backup for the past two seasons and has a 3-3 record in the six games he’s started.
The other current options are David Blough, who played decently in two starts last season, and Clayton Tune, a rookie fifth-round pick out of Houston.
“To me, whoever is available, we’re trying to put the best guy out there to win football games,” Gannon said. “Obviously, Kyler’s not available right now, but we’ve got a lot of guys who are very capable who I’m excited to see play and compete if he’s not ready to go.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://www.wric.com/sports/sports-headlines/ap-cardinals-kyler-murray-says-his-knee-rehab-is-going-well-but-has-no-timetable-for-his-return/ | 2023-07-30T21:09:53 | 1 | https://www.wric.com/sports/sports-headlines/ap-cardinals-kyler-murray-says-his-knee-rehab-is-going-well-but-has-no-timetable-for-his-return/ |
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium (AP) — Two-time reigning Formula One champion Max Verstappen won the rain-hit sprint race at the Belgian Grand Prix on Saturday to extend his huge lead over Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez to 118 points.
It was Verstappen’s ninth straight win including the two sprint races he has won this season. He collected eight points for the victory and will look to extend his overall lead further in Sunday’s main race as he continues his march to a third straight world title.
“That was not bad,” Verstappen said with casual understatement.
He finished a comfortable 6.7 seconds ahead of McLaren driver Oscar Piastri and 10.7 clear of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly.
“I’m getting more and more comfortable with the car, which is much better than it was at the start of the year,” said the 22-year-old Piastri. “It’s been amazing for me.”
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton crossed the line in fourth but dropped down to seventh after being given a five-second time penalty for causing a collision when trying to overtake Perez, who scored no points after retiring near the end.
“Lewis crashed into me and took the whole right hand side of my car off,” said Perez, blaming that incident on his failure to finish.
Hamilton’s penalty moved Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. into fourth spot ahead of his teammate Charles Leclerc, with McLaren’s Lando Norris sixth and Mercedes driver George Russell in eighth behind his teammate Hamilton
This was the third of six scheduled sprint races this season, with Perez winning in Azerbaijan and Verstappen winning in Austria and here. The top eight drivers all score points from eight down to one.
The sprint race was delayed by more than one hour due to heavy rain, getting underway with a rolling start procedure after several laps behind a safety car, in order to clear more water off the track for the sprint, which lasted 11 laps.
“I think the rolling start was the smart thing to do,” Verstappen said. “(But) I think we could have a raced a little earlier, maybe two laps earlier.”
Safety was paramount at the Spa track, which has seen two drivers from other racing series killed in the past four years.
F2 driver Anthoine Hubert died in a multi-car crash at the track in 2019, on the eve of the F1 race.
Dutch teenage driver Dilano van ’t Hoff was killed earlier this month on the same circuit while competing in the Formula Regional European Championship.
Two years ago, six drivers from the all-female W Series needed medical checks following a heavy crash during a qualifying session on the same track.
Spa’s layout features a notorious flat-out uphill section known as Eau Rouge, which is followed by a blind corner sequence into Radillon.
The most serious issue during rain is a lack of visibility with so much spray from the cars flying up.
“The water just stayed in the air. I couldn’t see anything so I can only imagine how bad it was at the back,” said Gasly, who was close friends with Hubert. “I was hoping no car (goes) off the track or collides on the straight because we know what happened (in the past).”
Even Verstappen was unsighted when at slow speed.
“I couldn’t even see the safety car sometimes and I was the first car,” Verstappen said. “Unfortunately we had these accidents happen over the years.”
It was a welcome result for Gasly, who crashed out of the Hungarian GP last weekend and whose team is undergoing an overhaul after some disappointing results.
The encouraging performance was also a poignant one for Gasly.
“It feels very special to have done it here in Spa,” he said. “So obviously a thought for Anthoine.”
Earlier, Verstappen edged out Piastri by just .011 seconds to take the sprint pole.
The shortened qualifying format — known as the “sprint shootout” — was delayed by 35 minutes because of wet and rainy conditions, with air blowers used to clear water from the track.
Piastri shot to the top of the leaderboard on his last run, only for Verstappen to typically find extra pace.
Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll pushed too hard in the final seconds of Q2, the second part of qualifying, and slid off into the barriers, mangling his right tire and bringing out a red flag. His teammate Fernando Alonso was on his out lap when the crash happened and couldn’t set a time, meaning he also failed to make it into Q3.
Heavy rain had also impacted Friday’s running at the 7-kilometer (4.3-mile) Spa-Francorchamps circuit, which is nestled in a forest amid the Ardennes countryside and is often impacted by gloomy weather.
Verstappen also set the fastest time in qualifying for Sunday’s main race, but Leclerc will start from pole because of Verstappen’s five-place grid penalty for a gearbox change. He begins Sunday’s race from sixth, but that will not bother Verstappen considering he won here last year from 14th.
Verstappen and Perez have won every F1 race and sprint race between them in the ultra-dominant Red Bull car.
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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.wric.com/sports/sports-headlines/ap-f1-leader-verstappen-wins-rain-hit-belgian-gp-sprint-race-piastri-is-second/ | 2023-07-30T21:10:00 | 0 | https://www.wric.com/sports/sports-headlines/ap-f1-leader-verstappen-wins-rain-hit-belgian-gp-sprint-race-piastri-is-second/ |
METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Jimmy Graham offered a few reasons why — at age 36 and without having played football last year — he could become a playmaker again for the New Orleans Saints.
“I’m feeling better than ever. I’m still 6-(foot)-7 and I like the red zone,” the veteran tight end said Saturday in his first public comments since rejoining his first NFL team Tuesday. “I definitely came into this with a chip on my shoulder and with something to prove.”
Estimating he weighed as much as 285 pounds in his previous stint with the Saints, when he worked out like “a meathead,” Graham said he has been cycling “hundreds of miles a week” and has changed his workout and eating habits to suit to his age.
“I know I’m definitely in shape,” said Graham, now listed at 265 pounds. “That’s not a problem at all.”
Graham, who has caught at least eight touchdown passes in six of his 12 NFL seasons, was a favorite target of former star quarterback Drew Brees and among the most popular players in New Orleans before the club surprisingly traded him to Seattle in 2015.
Many fans were upset, including general manager Micky Loomis’ own daughter. So, too, was Graham.
“For me, it was pretty shocking,” Graham said. “I thought I would never leave this place. … I woke up to the part of the business that hurt.”
Alluding to a difficult childhood in which he sometimes lived in an orphanage, Graham added, “at first it was very difficult because of my connection with Drew as an ‘older brother’ and all the people in this building.”
“It was family, you know?” Graham continued. “So, for me, a guy who didn’t have a lot of family, it was definitely a difficult time.”
Graham played three seasons with the Seahawks — where he had a major knee injury 2015, but also his last 10-TD season in 2017 — before spending two seasons each at Green Bay and Chicago. He said he spent several of those seasons avoiding interviews because he “didn’t really have a lot to say that was positive.”
In recent years, Graham said, he longed for another chance to play in New Orleans.
“I’ve been trying to come home for a long time,” Graham said, adding that by last season, he didn’t want to play anywhere else. He said several teams reached out to him in 2022, but he told his agent, Jimmy Sexton, “that if I don’t retire as a Saint that I wasn’t going to play again.”
Sitting out last season was “extremely weird, especially after you spend a whole offseason preparing (to play), working out and making sure you’re in shape,” he said. “I think everything happens for a reason and I think it’ll be to my benefit.”
The Saints used a third-round pick to draft Graham in 2010, despite the fact that he’d played just one season of football at Miami after spending four seasons as a basketball power forward for the Hurricanes.
In just his second NFL season, Graham caught 99 passes for 1,310 yards and 11 touchdowns and was selected to his first of five Pro Bowls. He had another banner season in 2013, with 1,215 yards and a career-high 16 TDs receiving.
Around that time, current Saints tight end Foster Moreau was playing for Jesuit High School in New Orleans and had a signed No. 80 Graham Saints jersey in a shadow box in his room.
“Jimmy was a dog, and he still is. Honestly, he runs great,” Moreau said. “So, it’s just such a funny situation. You walk into the locker room and, ‘Oh my God! Jimmy Graham right there.’”
Graham’s production plummeted in his final season with the Bears in 2021, when he caught 14 passes for 167 yards and three TDs in 15 games.
And while the Saints cannot be sure how well he’ll play this season, they expressed confidence he’ll be a leader in the locker room. Graham sounded ready to embrace that role, noting that he, along with 13th-year defensive end Cameron Jordan, are the only players on the roster who’d once been teammates with most of the stars of the Saints’ 2009 championship team.
“I understand what that culture was like and what that looks like, the sacrifice that it takes and the brotherhood – that bond – that needs to be molded,” Graham said.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://www.wric.com/sports/sports-headlines/ap-jimmy-graham-is-grateful-to-be-back-with-the-saints-and-confident-he-can-still-play/ | 2023-07-30T21:10:08 | 0 | https://www.wric.com/sports/sports-headlines/ap-jimmy-graham-is-grateful-to-be-back-with-the-saints-and-confident-he-can-still-play/ |