text string | url string | crawl_date timestamp[ms] | label int64 | id string |
|---|---|---|---|---|
AUSTIN (KXAN) — It’s no surprise that the summer heat can do significant damage to your vehicle. But as cities around the country continue to break temperature records and endure long heat waves, some car technicians are finding unusual vehicle issues.
Doc Watson, a national training manager with Bosch Diagnostics, said typical summertime issues include dead car batteries and flat tires. However, he said technicians in Texas and along the West Coast have also been recording more unusual vehicle complications due to the extensive heat waves.
In Texas, Arizona and California, technicians are reporting an emergence of “brake fade” cases in cars. When the temperature outside tops 100 degrees for extended periods of time, temperatures under the hood of vehicles during the summer can reach up to 230 degrees.
Brake fluids inside the cylinder under the hood of the car can absorb moisture, as the heat causes that moisture to expand within the fluid. When that happens, stepping on the brake pedal can feel “mushy.” That means the vehicle owner will need to take the car in for maintenance.
Both heat and humidity can add extra wear and tear to the windshield wiper blades, which have a typical lifespan between 12 and 18 months.
“People don’t stop to think about wiper blades — they don’t need them until it rains, right?” Watson said. “You’re driving around in 112-degree temperature, you’ve got heat reflecting off the glass, and that causes the rubber components of a wiper blade to break down.”
The plastic parts of the blades can also suffer.
“With these extreme temperatures that you guys are seeing, it’s the plastic breaking down off the wiper blade itself, and people not realizing that that’s happened until it’s too late,” he said. “The wiper blade breaks and then you’ve got this metal arm scratching the glass.”
Watson recommended car owners keep a checklist of key vehicle parts to monitor during the summer months. Those include:
- Car batteries: Traditionally, car batteries last between three and five years. Amid excessive heat spells, temperatures under the hood of a vehicle reach up to 230 degrees, which can lead to battery fluid evaporations and dead batteries. Watson suggests car owners have their batteries tested by a technician during the summer to get a condition status.
- Tires: Low tire pressure is exacerbated by hot asphalt on roadways. Watson encouraged car owners to purchase a tire pressure gauge and to test their vehicle’s tire pressure early in the morning while it’s still cool to ensure an accurate reading.
- Engine overflow tank: During the summer months, cooling an engine is critical. Watson said when car owners check underneath the hood, they’ll find a plastic overflow tank with a graduated scale. If it looks low, he suggested adding antifreeze to aid your engine.
- Wiper blades: Check wiper blades during dry spells (and before rain storms) to make sure they’re properly working and not deteriorating. If they show signs of wear and tear, replace them and make sure they’re upgraded every 12-18 months.
- Oil changes: Most newer vehicles require an oil change every 5,000 to 7,000 miles. However, remote starting a vehicle and running the air conditioning works the engine without adding any mileage to the vehicle. As a result, Watson suggested not waiting until you hit that 5,000 to 7,000-mile range if you often use remote start on your vehicle during the summer or winter months.
“People aren’t changing oil regularly like they think they are,” he said. “People need to pay more attention to them because these engines will go many miles — 200,000, 300,000 miles — as long as they’re maintained correctly. That’s big with this extreme heat.” | https://www.myarklamiss.com/news/national-news/the-weird-car-issues-mechanics-are-seeing-during-heat-waves/ | 2023-07-30T21:32:41 | 0 | https://www.myarklamiss.com/news/national-news/the-weird-car-issues-mechanics-are-seeing-during-heat-waves/ |
Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against CNN over ‘the Big Lie’ dismissed in Florida
Trump claimed in the suit that references to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election as “the Big Lie” was tantamount to comparing him to Adolf Hitler.
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit Donald Trump filed against CNN in which the former U.S. president claimed that references in news articles or by the network’s hosts to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election as “the Big Lie” was tantamount to comparing him to Adolf Hitler.
Trump had been seeking punitive damages of $475 million in the federal lawsuit filed last October in South Florida, claiming the references hurt his reputation and political career. Trump is a candidate for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination in what is his third run for the presidency.
U.S. District Judge Raag Singhal, who was appointed by Trump, said Friday in his ruling that the former president’s defamation claims failed because the references were opinions and not factual statements. Moreover, it was a stretch to believe that, in viewers’ minds, that phrase would connect Trump’s efforts challenging the 2020 election results to Nazi propaganda or Hitler’s genocidal and authoritarian regime, the judge said.
“CNN’s use of the phrase ‘the Big Lie’ in connection with Trump’s election challenges does not give rise to a plausible inference that Trump advocates the persecution and genocide of Jews or any other group of people,” the judge wrote in his decision.
Email messages seeking comment were sent to Trump’s attorneys in South Florida and Washington. CNN declined to comment on Sunday.
WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today. | https://whyy.org/articles/donald-trump-defamation-lawsuit-against-cnn-over-big-lie-dismissed-in-florida/ | 2023-07-30T21:32:41 | 1 | https://whyy.org/articles/donald-trump-defamation-lawsuit-against-cnn-over-big-lie-dismissed-in-florida/ |
AUSTIN (KXAN) — It’s no surprise that the summer heat can do significant damage to your vehicle. But as cities around the country continue to break temperature records and endure long heat waves, some car technicians are finding unusual vehicle issues.
Doc Watson, a national training manager with Bosch Diagnostics, said typical summertime issues include dead car batteries and flat tires. However, he said technicians in Texas and along the West Coast have also been recording more unusual vehicle complications due to the extensive heat waves.
In Texas, Arizona and California, technicians are reporting an emergence of “brake fade” cases in cars. When the temperature outside tops 100 degrees for extended periods of time, temperatures under the hood of vehicles during the summer can reach up to 230 degrees.
Brake fluids inside the cylinder under the hood of the car can absorb moisture, as the heat causes that moisture to expand within the fluid. When that happens, stepping on the brake pedal can feel “mushy.” That means the vehicle owner will need to take the car in for maintenance.
Both heat and humidity can add extra wear and tear to the windshield wiper blades, which have a typical lifespan between 12 and 18 months.
“People don’t stop to think about wiper blades — they don’t need them until it rains, right?” Watson said. “You’re driving around in 112-degree temperature, you’ve got heat reflecting off the glass, and that causes the rubber components of a wiper blade to break down.”
The plastic parts of the blades can also suffer.
“With these extreme temperatures that you guys are seeing, it’s the plastic breaking down off the wiper blade itself, and people not realizing that that’s happened until it’s too late,” he said. “The wiper blade breaks and then you’ve got this metal arm scratching the glass.”
Watson recommended car owners keep a checklist of key vehicle parts to monitor during the summer months. Those include:
- Car batteries: Traditionally, car batteries last between three and five years. Amid excessive heat spells, temperatures under the hood of a vehicle reach up to 230 degrees, which can lead to battery fluid evaporations and dead batteries. Watson suggests car owners have their batteries tested by a technician during the summer to get a condition status.
- Tires: Low tire pressure is exacerbated by hot asphalt on roadways. Watson encouraged car owners to purchase a tire pressure gauge and to test their vehicle’s tire pressure early in the morning while it’s still cool to ensure an accurate reading.
- Engine overflow tank: During the summer months, cooling an engine is critical. Watson said when car owners check underneath the hood, they’ll find a plastic overflow tank with a graduated scale. If it looks low, he suggested adding antifreeze to aid your engine.
- Wiper blades: Check wiper blades during dry spells (and before rain storms) to make sure they’re properly working and not deteriorating. If they show signs of wear and tear, replace them and make sure they’re upgraded every 12-18 months.
- Oil changes: Most newer vehicles require an oil change every 5,000 to 7,000 miles. However, remote starting a vehicle and running the air conditioning works the engine without adding any mileage to the vehicle. As a result, Watson suggested not waiting until you hit that 5,000 to 7,000-mile range if you often use remote start on your vehicle during the summer or winter months.
“People aren’t changing oil regularly like they think they are,” he said. “People need to pay more attention to them because these engines will go many miles — 200,000, 300,000 miles — as long as they’re maintained correctly. That’s big with this extreme heat.” | https://www.wane.com/news/top-picks/the-weird-car-issues-mechanics-are-seeing-during-heat-waves/ | 2023-07-30T21:32:41 | 0 | https://www.wane.com/news/top-picks/the-weird-car-issues-mechanics-are-seeing-during-heat-waves/ |
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.clickorlando.com/news/florida/2023/07/30/two-people-killed-after-shots-fired-blocks-from-university-of-florida-campus/ | 2023-07-30T21:32:41 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/florida/2023/07/30/two-people-killed-after-shots-fired-blocks-from-university-of-florida-campus/ |
Updated July 29, 2023 at 11:35 AM ET
Two Supreme Court decisions are changing the way students, educators and even the Biden administration are approaching higher education.
The first ruling ended affirmative action for public and private colleges. It declared that race conscious admissions programs at both Harvard and the University of North Carolina violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
The second put a halt to President Biden's student loan cancellation plan. Now the Biden administration is trying to find new ways to make college more accessible. The administration recently unveiled a new student loan repayment plan that will save borrowers thousands of dollars by keeping monthly payments low and preventing interest from accumulating.
This week, the administration's focus is on affirmative action: The U.S. Department of Education has opened a civil rights investigation into the practice of legacy admissions at Harvard University, and on Friday, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona visited Wesleyan University, which recently got rid of legacy admissions.
Legacy admissions are on the chopping block
The federal inquiry comes after to three Boston-based groups — the Chica Project, the African Community Economic Development of New England and the Greater Boston Latino Network — filed a complaint with the Education Department against Harvard. It accuses the university of discriminating against Black, Hispanic, Asian and other non-white undergraduate applicants by showing preference for those who have family relationships with donors or alumni.
In a statement to NPR, Harvard spokesperson Nicole Rura said the university is reviewing its admissions policy to ensure it is "complying with the law and to carry forward Harvard's longstanding commitment to welcoming students from a wide range of backgrounds, perspectives, and life experiences."
Ivory Toldson, the national director of Education Innovation and Research at the NAACP, said that legacy admissions compromise a university's ability to create a diverse student body. He said if colleges are committed to diversity, they should not be favoring applicants from wealthier backgrounds.
"Now that race conscious admissions has been outlawed by the Supreme Court, you have to look at other ways to achieve diversity," Toldson said during an interview for Morning Edition.
Toldson said legacy admissions should be abolished.
The impact of legacy admissions policies on a student body
A study released this week by the Harvard School of Economics showed that richer applicants are getting a leg up in the college admissions process. Students from affluent backgrounds are twice as likely to get into top colleges than students from more middle class backgrounds, even if the students have similar GPAs and SAT scores.
Admissions data cited in documents that were part of the affirmative action case revealed that nearly 70% of the university's legacy applicants were white — including applicants who have relationships with donors, those who are children of faculty or staff, and athletes applicants. And while legacy applicants make up less than 5% of applicants to Harvard, the data showed they constitute around 30% of the applicants admitted each year, the ruling cited.
Some schools have gotten rid of legacy admissions altogether.
Wesleyan University, a private liberal arts college in Connecticut that has a 16% acceptance rate, recently eliminated its legacy admissions policy. Wesleyan President Michael Roth told NPR's Leila Fadel, during an interview for Morning Edition, the decision to end the policy was a direct response to the Supreme Court ruling that effectively ended affirmative action as part of college admissions.
"It became clear to me that any advantage you give to incumbents, to people who already have advantages, is a glaring sign of unfairness," Roth said.
Other schools have done the same. The University of Minnesota Twin Cities also ended legacy admissions this month, and Colorado passed a state law banning the practice at all public colleges and universities.
"Not getting in" is just one concern for students
Whitney Gouche is vice president of a nonprofit called EMERGE that serves high-achieving students from low-income areas in Texas. She said her students feel discouraged by the recent Supreme Court decision.
"We've explained to our students, that regardless of the decision, you still belong here, she said. "You have the merits to be a successful student at this campus."
Convincing students to apply isn't the easiest task — concerns about high cost are also on students' minds. Even if they get in, it could cost about $70,000 in tuition for an elite college like Wesleyan.
Roth said that while admitted students who qualify for financial aid will receive it at Wesleyan, the university has to do more to convince students to apply in the first place.
"We have to be very aggressive in recruiting students from places that haven't typically looked at schools like Wesleyan," Roth said.
Roth said that ending legacy admissions won't solve the more widespread problem of education disparities in the United States.
"Legacy admissions is attractive to talk about, but the real issues are elsewhere," Roth said.
This story was edited by Erika Aguilar.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wbaa.org/2023-07-26/colleges-are-ending-legacy-admissions-to-diversify-campuses-post-affirmative-action | 2023-07-30T21:32:41 | 0 | https://www.wbaa.org/2023-07-26/colleges-are-ending-legacy-admissions-to-diversify-campuses-post-affirmative-action |
AUSTIN (KXAN) — It’s no surprise that the summer heat can do significant damage to your vehicle. But as cities around the country continue to break temperature records and endure long heat waves, some car technicians are finding unusual vehicle issues.
Doc Watson, a national training manager with Bosch Diagnostics, said typical summertime issues include dead car batteries and flat tires. However, he said technicians in Texas and along the West Coast have also been recording more unusual vehicle complications due to the extensive heat waves.
In Texas, Arizona and California, technicians are reporting an emergence of “brake fade” cases in cars. When the temperature outside tops 100 degrees for extended periods of time, temperatures under the hood of vehicles during the summer can reach up to 230 degrees.
Brake fluids inside the cylinder under the hood of the car can absorb moisture, as the heat causes that moisture to expand within the fluid. When that happens, stepping on the brake pedal can feel “mushy.” That means the vehicle owner will need to take the car in for maintenance.
Both heat and humidity can add extra wear and tear to the windshield wiper blades, which have a typical lifespan between 12 and 18 months.
“People don’t stop to think about wiper blades — they don’t need them until it rains, right?” Watson said. “You’re driving around in 112-degree temperature, you’ve got heat reflecting off the glass, and that causes the rubber components of a wiper blade to break down.”
The plastic parts of the blades can also suffer.
“With these extreme temperatures that you guys are seeing, it’s the plastic breaking down off the wiper blade itself, and people not realizing that that’s happened until it’s too late,” he said. “The wiper blade breaks and then you’ve got this metal arm scratching the glass.”
Watson recommended car owners keep a checklist of key vehicle parts to monitor during the summer months. Those include:
- Car batteries: Traditionally, car batteries last between three and five years. Amid excessive heat spells, temperatures under the hood of a vehicle reach up to 230 degrees, which can lead to battery fluid evaporations and dead batteries. Watson suggests car owners have their batteries tested by a technician during the summer to get a condition status.
- Tires: Low tire pressure is exacerbated by hot asphalt on roadways. Watson encouraged car owners to purchase a tire pressure gauge and to test their vehicle’s tire pressure early in the morning while it’s still cool to ensure an accurate reading.
- Engine overflow tank: During the summer months, cooling an engine is critical. Watson said when car owners check underneath the hood, they’ll find a plastic overflow tank with a graduated scale. If it looks low, he suggested adding antifreeze to aid your engine.
- Wiper blades: Check wiper blades during dry spells (and before rain storms) to make sure they’re properly working and not deteriorating. If they show signs of wear and tear, replace them and make sure they’re upgraded every 12-18 months.
- Oil changes: Most newer vehicles require an oil change every 5,000 to 7,000 miles. However, remote starting a vehicle and running the air conditioning works the engine without adding any mileage to the vehicle. As a result, Watson suggested not waiting until you hit that 5,000 to 7,000-mile range if you often use remote start on your vehicle during the summer or winter months.
“People aren’t changing oil regularly like they think they are,” he said. “People need to pay more attention to them because these engines will go many miles — 200,000, 300,000 miles — as long as they’re maintained correctly. That’s big with this extreme heat.” | https://www.localsyr.com/news/national/the-weird-car-issues-mechanics-are-seeing-during-heat-waves/ | 2023-07-30T21:32:47 | 1 | https://www.localsyr.com/news/national/the-weird-car-issues-mechanics-are-seeing-during-heat-waves/ |
(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.myarklamiss.com/news/national-news/ufo-curious-lawmakers-brace-for-a-fight-over-government-secrets/ | 2023-07-30T21:32:47 | 0 | https://www.myarklamiss.com/news/national-news/ufo-curious-lawmakers-brace-for-a-fight-over-government-secrets/ |
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A trailer fire on Lee Road stopped traffic Sunday afternoon between North Orange Blossom Trail and Edgewater Drive, according to Orange County Fire Rescue.
Responding crews noted the fire at the Sandy Shores Mobile Home Park had become 50% involved before putting it out.
A manager at the mobile home park said that nobody was injured in the fire.
[TRENDING: Become a News 6 Insider]
This is a developing story. Check back with News 6 for updates.
Note: This map depicts the general area of this fire and not necessarily its exact location.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/traffic/2023/07/30/trailer-fire-on-lee-road-stops-traffic-at-lake-fairview-county-says/ | 2023-07-30T21:32:47 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/traffic/2023/07/30/trailer-fire-on-lee-road-stops-traffic-at-lake-fairview-county-says/ |
Storm leaves path of damage in Woodstown, New Jersey
Crews worked though Saturday night and all day Sunday to remove the downed poles and replace them with new ones.
This story originally appeared on 6abc.
A big storm hit the small town of Woodstown, New Jersey Saturday night.
Woodstown Police say no one was hurt, but two homes are uninhabitable. The storm left many residents in the small town with a big cleanup ahead of them.
An uprooted tree causes concern in the cemetery of Spencer UAME Church, which is over 200 years old.
“I wanted to see if any of the trees fell on their gravestones,” said Lisa Braxton as she walked through the cemetery searching for family names.
Dozens of resting places were disturbed as winds uprooted trees in the cemetery of Spencer UAME Church.
Several of the graves underneath the branches were the graves of Black soldiers who fought in the Civil War.
“We’re just devastated at the moment. This is an historical site,” says Spencer UAME Pastor Andrew Fulton. “God had blessed us for over 205 years.”
Across the street from the church, Dan Jackson assed the damage in his yard.
“It was really bad, really bad. All down the street that guy just got a new roof put on his house the tree came straight down on that,” said Jackson.
His house is along Bailey Street where a number of homes had downed trees and limbs and toppled yard furniture.
Along South Main Street, ten power lines snapped in the storm.
“This is an extensive amount of damage,” said Amber Burruezo, spokesperson for Atlantic City Electric. “There are literally sections of the grid that we’ll be rebuilding.”
Crews worked though Saturday night and all day Sunday to remove the downed poles and replace them with new ones.
“Within the next 24 hours we’re going to ensure that this road is open,” said Burruezo.
About 4,000 people lost power in Woodstown Saturday night. As of Sunday morning, only about 60 were still without power. Atlantic City Electric credits its power grid with keeping the outages from being more wide-spread.
Neighbors also offered helping hands to one another.
“When you do need help, I think they’re all ready to jump in,” said John Fox of Elsinboro. He was one of several people who helped Jackson clean up debris from his yard.
As powerful as the storm was, it left Spencer UAME Church unscathed, giving members gathered for Sunday service another reason to rejoice.
“It did spare the church so that’s a blessing,” said Braxton.
WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today. | https://whyy.org/articles/woodstown-new-jersey-storm-damage-spencer-uame-church/ | 2023-07-30T21:32:51 | 0 | https://whyy.org/articles/woodstown-new-jersey-storm-damage-spencer-uame-church/ |
(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.localsyr.com/news/national/ufo-curious-lawmakers-brace-for-a-fight-over-government-secrets/ | 2023-07-30T21:32:53 | 0 | https://www.localsyr.com/news/national/ufo-curious-lawmakers-brace-for-a-fight-over-government-secrets/ |
(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.myarklamiss.com/news/national-news/you-can-get-into-the-national-parks-for-free-this-week-heres-when/ | 2023-07-30T21:32:53 | 0 | https://www.myarklamiss.com/news/national-news/you-can-get-into-the-national-parks-for-free-this-week-heres-when/ |
Brandon Lowe, Josh Lowe lead Rays past Astros 8-2
Brandon Lowe hit a two-run homer and drove in three, Josh Lowe capped a four-run first with a three-run double and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Houston Astros 8-2
HOUSTON (AP) — Brandon Lowe hit a two-run homer and drove in three, Josh Lowe capped a four-run first with a three-run double and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Houston Astros 8-2 on Sunday.
Brandon Lowe, who finished with three hits, hit his homer to right in the sixth to increase Tampa Bay’s lead to 8-2. He also had an RBI single in the fourth.
The Rays got to Houston starter Brandon Bielak (5-6) for four runs in the first, with Yandy Díaz scoring on a fielding error by José Abreu before Josh Lowe hit his three-run double.
Díaz had an RBI single in the fourth as the Rays built a 6-0 lead.
Zack Littell (1-2), making his fourth start of the season, yielded two runs on eight hits with four strikeouts in a career-high five innings.
Houston got their runs in the fifth on an RBI double by Kyle Tucker and an RBI groundout by Alex Bregman. Jose Altuve had three hits.
Bielak allowed six runs — three earned — on eight hits with four strikeouts in five innings. Bielak has allowed six runs in consecutive starts.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rays: Zach Efflin (right knee discomfort) is scheduled to make his next start Tuesday after being injured Wednesday. “We need him to pitch,” manager Kevin Cash said. “We don’t want to put him in harm’s way, but I think he’s checked a lot of boxes here. We are very encouraged with how he’s responded day-to-day, and he still has another day or two of rest.”
Astros: RHP José Urquidy (right shoulder) allowed five runs on nine hits in five innings of a rehabilitation start with Double-A Corpus Christi on Sunday. Urquidy threw 76 pitches in his fourth rehab start. … OF Michael Brantley (right shoulder surgery) took batting practice on the field prior to Sunday’s game.
ROSTER MOVE
Tampa Bay selected RHP Erasmo Ramírez from Triple-A Durham and optioned RHP Calvin Faucher to Durham.
UP NEXT
Rays: RHP Tyler Glasnow (4-3, 3.36 ERA) starts Monday in the first of a three-game series at the Yankees.
Astros: Houston starts a three-game series against the Guardians on Monday, but the Astros have yet to announce their starter.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.kbtx.com/2023/07/30/brandon-lowe-josh-lowe-lead-rays-past-astros-8-2/ | 2023-07-30T21:32:54 | 1 | https://www.kbtx.com/2023/07/30/brandon-lowe-josh-lowe-lead-rays-past-astros-8-2/ |
Las Vegas puts home win streak on the line against Dallas
Las Vegas enters a matchup with Dallas after winning 11 straight home games
Dallas Wings (14-10, 8-5 Western Conference) at Las Vegas Aces (22-2, 13-1 Western Conference)
Las Vegas; Sunday, 6 p.m. EDT
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK WNBA LINE: Aces -10.5; over/under is 173.5
BOTTOM LINE: Las Vegas hosts Dallas aiming to continue its 11-game home winning streak.
The Aces are 13-1 against Western Conference opponents. Las Vegas is 16-1 in games decided by 10 or more points.
The Wings are 8-5 in Western Conference play. Dallas ranks second in the Western Conference with 27.9 defensive rebounds per game led by Satou Sabally averaging 6.8.
The teams meet for the third time this season. The Wings won 80-78 in the last matchup on July 8.
TOP PERFORMERS: A'ja Wilson is scoring 20.8 points per game with 9.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists for the Aces. Kelsey Plum is averaging 20.5 points and 4.2 assists over the past 10 games for Las Vegas.
Arike Ogunbowale is averaging 21.9 points, 4.6 assists and 1.7 steals for the Wings. Natasha Howard is averaging 18.9 points and 9.0 rebounds while shooting 53.1% over the past 10 games for Dallas.
LAST 10 GAMES: Aces: 9-1, averaging 95.9 points, 34.5 rebounds, 23.1 assists, 8.1 steals and 4.4 blocks per game while shooting 51.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 80.5 points per game.
Wings: 8-2, averaging 88.1 points, 41.2 rebounds, 22.8 assists, 7.6 steals and 3.8 blocks per game while shooting 47.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 76.6 points.
INJURIES: Aces: Candace Parker: out (foot), Riquna Williams: out (back).
Wings: Lou Lopez Senechal: out (knee), Diamond DeShields: out (knee).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. | https://www.kbtx.com/2023/07/30/las-vegas-puts-home-win-streak-line-against-dallas/ | 2023-07-30T21:32:57 | 0 | https://www.kbtx.com/2023/07/30/las-vegas-puts-home-win-streak-line-against-dallas/ |
(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.localsyr.com/news/national/you-can-get-into-the-national-parks-for-free-this-week-heres-when/ | 2023-07-30T21:32:59 | 0 | https://www.localsyr.com/news/national/you-can-get-into-the-national-parks-for-free-this-week-heres-when/ |
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. | https://www.wdtn.com/news/u-s-world/ap-us-news/ap-erratic-winds-challenge-firefighters-battling-two-major-california-blazes/ | 2023-07-30T21:32:59 | 0 | https://www.wdtn.com/news/u-s-world/ap-us-news/ap-erratic-winds-challenge-firefighters-battling-two-major-california-blazes/ |
Padres look to sweep series against the Rangers
The San Diego Padres will try to sweep a three-game series with a win against the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (60-45, first in the AL West) vs. San Diego Padres (51-54, fourth in the NL West)
San Diego; Sunday, 4:10 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Rangers: Cody Bradford (2-1, 4.62 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 32 strikeouts); Padres: Blake Snell (7-8, 2.68 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 147 strikeouts)
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Padres -183, Rangers +155; over/under is 9 1/2 runs
BOTTOM LINE: The San Diego Padres will try to sweep a three-game series with a victory against the Texas Rangers.
San Diego has a 28-25 record at home and a 51-54 record overall. The Padres have gone 27-10 in games when they did not allow a home run.
Texas has a 60-45 record overall and a 26-25 record in road games. The Rangers have the top team slugging percentage in the AL at .459.
The teams play Sunday for the third time this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Juan Soto has 24 doubles and 20 home runs while hitting .265 for the Padres. Ha-Seong Kim is 14-for-33 with a double and three home runs over the last 10 games.
Nate Lowe leads the Rangers with a .285 batting average, and has 27 doubles, two triples, 12 home runs, 61 walks and 57 RBI. Marcus Semien is 12-for-40 with three home runs and six RBI over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Padres: 6-4, .246 batting average, 2.76 ERA, outscored opponents by 17 runs
Rangers: 4-6, .254 batting average, 6.79 ERA, outscored by 13 runs
INJURIES: Padres: Alek Jacob: 15-Day IL (july), Reiss Knehr: 60-Day IL (elbow), Adrian Morejon: 15-Day IL (knee), Michael Wacha: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Drew Carlton: 15-Day IL (elbow), Preston Tucker: 10-Day IL (foot), Drew Pomeranz: 60-Day IL (elbow/flexor), Eguy Rosario: 60-Day IL (ankle)
Rangers: Nathan Eovaldi: day-to-day (elbow), Jonah Heim: 10-Day IL (wrist), Corey Seager: 10-Day IL (thumb), Jacob deGrom: 60-Day IL (elbow), Jake Odorizzi: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Brett Martin: 60-Day IL (shoulder)
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. | https://www.kbtx.com/2023/07/30/padres-look-sweep-series-against-rangers/ | 2023-07-30T21:32:59 | 1 | https://www.kbtx.com/2023/07/30/padres-look-sweep-series-against-rangers/ |
Tigers drop back-and-forth game to Marlins
Miami — The Tigers’ last game in Miami ended up being a dispiriting thrill ride.
Up 4-0, tied 4-4, down 5-4, up 6-5, down and out. The Miami Marlins didn't stop hitting from the fifth inning on, beating the Tigers 8-6 in the series finale at LoanDepot Park on Sunday.
BOX SCORE: Marlins 8, Tigers 6
The deciding blow was a two-run home run by Garrett Cooper in the seventh inning. He hit a 1-2 curveball off lefty Tyler Holton over the wall in left-center field. It was the first runs scored against Holton since June 29, a span of 11 outings.
Jean Segura added an insurance marker off reliever Jose Cisnero in the eighth, pounding a home run onto the berm in dead center field. Cisnero has allowed a homer in three of his last four outings.
The Marlins newly-acquired closer David Robertson picked up his first save.
The Tigers leaped to the top of the seesaw in the top of the seventh inning. Down 5-4, left-handed hitting Kerry Carpenter stepped up against left-handed reliever A.J. Puk with the bases loaded and one out. Manager AJ Hinch had right-handed hitting Eric Haase available to pinch-hit.
But Carpenter rewarded his manager’s faith with a two-run single, scoring Javier Báez, who had singled, and Jake Rogers, who doubled.
Miguel Cabrera, who played his final game in his hometown ballpark Sunday, went first to third on Carpenter’s single. He was given a standing ovation after he was replaced by a pinch-runner.
Carpenter's hit stopped a run of five straight tallies by the Marlins.
Tigers’ starter Tarik Skubal had breezed through the first four innings, facing the minimum 12 hitters, but he did not finish the fifth. The Marlins KO’d him with four runs, rapping five straight hits. It was reminiscent of Skubal’s five-run blowup in the fourth inning in Kansas City on July 18.
His downfall started with former Tiger Avisail Garcia, smacked a triple to right-center on an 0-2 pitch. Skubal forgot to cover first on a squibber to first base on the next hitter, Yuli Gurriel, giving him an RBI single.
Skubal was unable to recover.
The fifth Marlins run was a head-shaker. With reliever Brendan White pitching, Jon Berti reached on a throwing error by third baseman Zach McKinstry and advanced on a wild pitch. But he overran second base and got caught in a rundown between second and third.
It appeared that Berti intentionally forced contact with Tigers’ second baseman Zack Short. He was running toward third base and looked back at Short, stopped and collided with Short, who had just thrown the ball to McKinstry.
The umpires called interference on Short and awarded Berti third base. He scored on a single by Garcia.
The Tigers scored four runs in the third inning against Miami lefty Jesus Luzardo, who had allowed only four earned runs in his previous five starts combined.
Spencer Torkelson and Báez both lined RBI singles. Both were rockets, Torkelson’s at 109 mph off the bat and Baez’s 113. Cabrera, who has had quite a weekend back in his hometown, rapped a two-run double into the left field corner.
Before his first at-bat, Cabrera nodded to Luzardo. Twenty years ago, Cabrera had thrown a baseball into the stands to 6-year-old Luzardo and his grandfather before one of the Marlins World Series games in 2003 and made a fan for life.
Luzardo got Cabrera to ground out the first time, but after he watched his hanging slider rattle around in the corner, he slapped his hand on the turf in disgust.
The Tigers, though, left meat on the bone against Luzardo. They stranded the bases loaded in the second inning and they had two runners thrown out at the plate by second baseman Luis Arraez.
Andy Ibanez, who had doubled in the third, was thrown out trying to score from third on a grounder by Riley Greene. Greene doubled in the fifth, went to third on a ground out and was thrown out trying to score on a deflected grounder by Jake Rogers.
That presaged the collapse. The Tigers were 4 for 16 with runners in scoring position and left 10 on base.
chris.mccosky@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @cmccosky | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2023/07/30/detroit-tigers-drop-back-and-forth-game-to-miami-marlins/70494557007/ | 2023-07-30T21:33:01 | 1 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2023/07/30/detroit-tigers-drop-back-and-forth-game-to-miami-marlins/70494557007/ |
AUSTIN (KXAN) — It’s no surprise that the summer heat can do significant damage to your vehicle. But as cities around the country continue to break temperature records and endure long heat waves, some car technicians are finding unusual vehicle issues.
Doc Watson, a national training manager with Bosch Diagnostics, said typical summertime issues include dead car batteries and flat tires. However, he said technicians in Texas and along the West Coast have also been recording more unusual vehicle complications due to the extensive heat waves.
In Texas, Arizona and California, technicians are reporting an emergence of “brake fade” cases in cars. When the temperature outside tops 100 degrees for extended periods of time, temperatures under the hood of vehicles during the summer can reach up to 230 degrees.
Brake fluids inside the cylinder under the hood of the car can absorb moisture, as the heat causes that moisture to expand within the fluid. When that happens, stepping on the brake pedal can feel “mushy.” That means the vehicle owner will need to take the car in for maintenance.
Both heat and humidity can add extra wear and tear to the windshield wiper blades, which have a typical lifespan between 12 and 18 months.
“People don’t stop to think about wiper blades — they don’t need them until it rains, right?” Watson said. “You’re driving around in 112-degree temperature, you’ve got heat reflecting off the glass, and that causes the rubber components of a wiper blade to break down.”
The plastic parts of the blades can also suffer.
“With these extreme temperatures that you guys are seeing, it’s the plastic breaking down off the wiper blade itself, and people not realizing that that’s happened until it’s too late,” he said. “The wiper blade breaks and then you’ve got this metal arm scratching the glass.”
Watson recommended car owners keep a checklist of key vehicle parts to monitor during the summer months. Those include:
- Car batteries: Traditionally, car batteries last between three and five years. Amid excessive heat spells, temperatures under the hood of a vehicle reach up to 230 degrees, which can lead to battery fluid evaporations and dead batteries. Watson suggests car owners have their batteries tested by a technician during the summer to get a condition status.
- Tires: Low tire pressure is exacerbated by hot asphalt on roadways. Watson encouraged car owners to purchase a tire pressure gauge and to test their vehicle’s tire pressure early in the morning while it’s still cool to ensure an accurate reading.
- Engine overflow tank: During the summer months, cooling an engine is critical. Watson said when car owners check underneath the hood, they’ll find a plastic overflow tank with a graduated scale. If it looks low, he suggested adding antifreeze to aid your engine.
- Wiper blades: Check wiper blades during dry spells (and before rain storms) to make sure they’re properly working and not deteriorating. If they show signs of wear and tear, replace them and make sure they’re upgraded every 12-18 months.
- Oil changes: Most newer vehicles require an oil change every 5,000 to 7,000 miles. However, remote starting a vehicle and running the air conditioning works the engine without adding any mileage to the vehicle. As a result, Watson suggested not waiting until you hit that 5,000 to 7,000-mile range if you often use remote start on your vehicle during the summer or winter months.
“People aren’t changing oil regularly like they think they are,” he said. “People need to pay more attention to them because these engines will go many miles — 200,000, 300,000 miles — as long as they’re maintained correctly. That’s big with this extreme heat.” | https://www.wdtn.com/news/u-s-world/the-weird-car-issues-mechanics-are-seeing-during-heat-waves/ | 2023-07-30T21:33:05 | 1 | https://www.wdtn.com/news/u-s-world/the-weird-car-issues-mechanics-are-seeing-during-heat-waves/ |
Rangers agree to acquire Scherzer while losing 4-0 to Padres, their 6th loss in 8 games
The slumping Texas Rangers agreed to acquire three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer during a 4-0 defeat to Yu Darvish and the San Diego Padres, their sixth loss in eight games that cut their lead in the AL West to one game over the Houston Astros
SAN DIEGO (AP) — The slumping Texas Rangers agreed to acquire three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer on Saturday night during a 4-0 loss to Yu Darvish and the San Diego Padres, their sixth loss in eight games cutting their AL West lead to one game over Houston.
The blockbuster trade with the New York Mets came as Rangers ace Nathan Eovaldi had his next start pushed back again and manager Bruce Bochy spoke of the need for the rotation to improve. Then Martín Pérez gave up four runs in the second inning, when the 32-year-old left-hander allowed five straight baserunners and two runs before getting his first out.
The Rangers will add the 39-year-old Scherzer with another former Mets pitcher with Cy Young credentials, two-time winner Jacob deGrom, sidelined by Tommy John elbow surgery, possibly all the way through the end of next season. A person with knowledge of the deal spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn’t been announced.
“There's nothing I can give you right now. No word," Bochy said afterward. “I just came in and haven't talked to anybody. I can't tell you where it's at right now.”
According to multiple reports, the deal nets New York one of the top Texas prospects in infielder Luisangel Acuña, the younger brother of Atlanta star Ronald Acuña Jr. As part of the deal, Scherzer agreed to opt in on the final year of his contract in 2024 at $43 million, according to reports that also said the Mets were paying about $35 million of the remaining $58 million on the right-hander’s contract.
The Padres have won two straight against the Rangers after looking dismal in losing two of three to the Pittsburgh Pirates, who are last in the NL Central.
San Diego has fallen short of expectations after it reached the NL Championship Series last year and increased its payroll to about $250 million, third-highest in the majors. The Padres came into Saturday night buried in fourth place in the NL West, nine games behind Los Angeles, and six games out of the third wild-card spot.
Darvish (8-7) held his former club to three hits in six innings while striking out nine and walking two.
The Rangers had only four hits and struck out 14 times a night after losing 7-1 to Joe Musgrove.
“I think you have to look at the pitching we're facing,” said Bochy, who managed the Padres from 1995 through 2006. “They are pitching very well. We're missing a hit too, a few times tonight, that would have kept things going. They're making great pitches. You've seen really quality work against us. Darvish has great stuff. Still, you have to figure a way to score runs against these guys and that takes a big hit. That's what was missing tonight.”
Pérez (8-4) allowed four runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings, walked three and struck out one.
“It's one inning. I don't know what happened,” Pérez said. "I'm just trying to figure it out. I don't know if I got too quick."
Luis Campusano hit a bases-loaded RBI single to start the scoring in the second inning while Gary Sanchez followed with a run-scoring walk. Ha-Seong Kim added a two-run single.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rangers: Bochy said Eovaldi “has just a touch of mild soreness there” in his elbow so he’ll be pushed back again. “We don’t think it’s serious or anything,” the manager said.
Padres: Manager Bob Melvin said an MRI on Juan Soto's right middle finger “looked good," although pain is “going to be there some.”
UP NEXT
With Eovaldi's next start pushed back, LHP Cody Bradford (2-1, 4.62 ERA) is scheduled to start Sunday's series finale in what could be a bullpen game while Padres LHP Blake Snell (7-8, 2.61 ERA) is scheduled to make his final start before the trade deadline. Snell has been mentioned as a trade possibility if the struggling Padres think they're too far out to make a playoff run.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.kbtx.com/2023/07/30/rangers-agree-acquire-scherzer-while-losing-4-0-padres-their-6th-loss-8-games/ | 2023-07-30T21:33:05 | 0 | https://www.kbtx.com/2023/07/30/rangers-agree-acquire-scherzer-while-losing-4-0-padres-their-6th-loss-8-games/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — A week later, the “Barbenheimer” boom has not abated.
Seven days after Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” conspired to set box office records, the two films held unusually strongly in theaters. “Barbie” took in a massive $93 million in its second weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. “Oppenheimer” stayed in second with a robust $46.2 million. Sales for the two movies dipped 43% and 44%, respectably — well shy of the usual week-two drops.
“Barbenheimer” has proven to be not a one-weekend phenomenon but an ongoing box-office bonanza. The two movies combined have already surpassed $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales. Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for data firm Comscore, call it “a touchstone moment for movies, moviegoers and movie theaters.”
“Having two movies from rival studios linked in this way and both boosting each other’s fortunes — both box-office wise and it terms of their profile — I don’t know if there’s a comp for this in the annals of box-office history,” said Dergarabedian. “There’s really no comparison for this.”
Following its year-best $162 million opening, the pink-infused pop sensation of “Barbie” saw remarkably sustained business through the week and into the weekend. The film outpaced Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” to have the best first 11 days in theaters of any Warner Bros. release ever.
“Barbie” has rapidly accumulated $351.4 million in U.S. and Canadian theaters, a rate that will soon make it the biggest box-office hit of the summer. Every day it’s played, “Barbie” has made at least $20 million.
And the “Barbie” effect isn’t just in North America. The film made $122.2 million internationally over the weekend. Its global tally has reached $775 million. It’s the kind of business that astounds even veteran studio executives.
“That’s a crazy number,” said Jeff Goldstein, distribution chief for Warner Bros. “There’s just a built-in audience that wants to be part of the zeitgeist of the moment. Wherever you go, people are wearing pink. Pink is taking over the world.”
Amid the frenzy, “Barbie” is already attracting a lot of repeat moviegoers. Goldstein estimates that 12% of sales are people going back with friends or family to see it again.
For a movie industry that has been trying to regain its pre-pandemic footing — and that now finds itself largely shuttered due to actors and screenwriters strikes — the sensations of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” have showed what’s possible when everything lines up just right.
“Post-pandemic, there’s no ceiling and there’s no floor,” Goldstein said. “The movies that miss really miss big time, and the movies that work really work big time.”
Universal Pictures’ “Oppenheimer,” meanwhile, is performing more like a superhero movie than a three-hour film about scientists talking.
Nolan’s drama starring Cillian Murphy as atomic bomb physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer has accrued $174.1 million domestically thus far. With an additional $72.4 million in international cinemas, “Oppenheimer” has already surpassed $400 million globally.
Showings in IMAX have typically been sold out. “Oppenheimer” has made $80 million worldwide on IMAX. The large-format exhibitor said Sunday that it will extend the film’s run through Aug. 13.
The week’s top new release, Walt Disney Co.’s “Haunted Mansion,” an adaptation of the Disney theme park attraction, was easily overshadowed by the “Barbenheimer” blitz. The film, which cost about $150 million, debuted with $24 million domestically and $9 million in overseas sales. “Haunted Mansion,” directed by Justin Simien (“Dear White People,” “Bad Hair”) and starring an ensemble of LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito and Rosario Dawson, struggled to overcome mediocre reviews.
“Talk to Me,” the A24 supernatural horror film, fared better. It debuted with $10 million. The film, directed by Australian filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou and starring Sophie Wilde, was a midnight premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January and received terrific reviews from critics (95% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes). It was made for a modest $4.5 million.
While theaters being flush with moviegoers has been a huge boon to the film industry, it’s been tougher sledding for Tom Cruise, the so-called savior of the movies last summer with “Top Gun: Maverick.” “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part I,” which debuted the week before the arrival of “Barbenheimer,” grossed $10.7 million in its third weekend. The film starring Cruise and directed by Christopher McQuarrie, has grossed $139.2 million domestically and $309.3 million oveseas.
Instead, the sleeper hit “Sound of Freedom” has been the best performing non-“Barbenheimer” release in theaters. The Angel Studios’ release, which is counting crowdfunding pay-it-forward sales in its box office totals, made $12.4 million in its fourth weekend, bringing its haul thus far to nearly $150 million.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. “Barbie,” $93 million.
2. “Opppenheimer,” $46.2 million.
3. “Haunted Mansion,” $24.2 million.
4. “Sound of Freedom,” $12.4 million.
5. “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One,” $10.7 million.
6. “Talk to Me,” $10 million.
7. “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” $4 million.
8. “Elemental,” $3.4 million.
9. “Insidious: The Red Door,” $3.2 million.
10. “Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani,” $1.6 million. | https://www.wdtn.com/news/u-s-world/while-barbie-bonanza-continues-at-the-box-office-oppenheimer-holds-no-2-spot/ | 2023-07-30T21:33:11 | 0 | https://www.wdtn.com/news/u-s-world/while-barbie-bonanza-continues-at-the-box-office-oppenheimer-holds-no-2-spot/ |
Rangers put All-Star RHP Nathan Eovaldi on the 15-day IL with a right forearm strain
The Texas Rangers have placed ace Nathan Eovaldi on the 15-day injured list with a right forearm strain and recalled right-hander Grant Anderson from Triple-A Round Rock
SAN DIEGO (AP) — 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.
The move was made retroactive to July 27. Eovaldi and manager Bruce Bochy both said they expect the right-hander to be ready to go when he's eligible to come off the IL.
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.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.kbtx.com/2023/07/30/rangers-put-all-star-rhp-nathan-eovaldi-15-day-il-with-right-forearm-strain/ | 2023-07-30T21:33:11 | 1 | https://www.kbtx.com/2023/07/30/rangers-put-all-star-rhp-nathan-eovaldi-15-day-il-with-right-forearm-strain/ |
(The Hill) – Northwestern is the latest in a long line of universities to come under public scrutiny due to a scandal over hazing, a practice that has refused to go extinct in colleges and high schools despite multiple concerted efforts to end it.
Hazing, which in rare instances has proven fatal, in particular plagues sports teams and Greek Life.
Experts say education on the issue and increased consequences are needed to create a real change, although they are skeptical the dangerous practice will exit school life anytime soon.
“Hazing has always been prevalent in society, not just in colleges. It’s anywhere that you see a different power dynamic between people who are trying to join a group [and] people who are in the group,” said Todd Shelton, executive director of the Hazing Prevention Network. “There’s research that shows that hazing starts long before college and in those younger ages. It’s especially prevalent in athletic teams camps, performing arts groups.”
The latest high-profile hazing incident comes from Northwestern University, where the head football coach was recently let go and a barrage of lawsuits have fallen on the school.
One of the reported rituals of hazing on the school’s football team was younger players getting restrained in the locker room by older ones while others dry humped the individual. Another incident described in a lawsuit against the school was a ritual called “carwash” where players were forced to rub themselves against a line of naked men in the showers.
“Certainly, it is typical hazing activities that we’ve seen before and it’s not unusual that they’re shrouded with secrecy. So I applaud the people who came forward and reported because that’s — that’s key for institutions to be able to make changes,” Shelton said. “I think those acts are horrible and examples of how hazing can quickly escalate from what individuals think is something that’s mild and or funny, to quickly being something that’s dangerous, either mentally or physically, to the victims.”
Experts say preventing hazing incidents has to start by educating people about its warning signs and dangers.
A study in 2008 showed 73 percent of students who have been in a sorority or fraternity said they experienced behaviors that meet the definition of hazing, such as being forced into drinking games or getting screamed at by other members.
The same study showed 74 percent of athletes in athletic programs also experienced behaviors that amount to hazing.
“Hazing is specific to that group context where someone is seeking inclusion or a sense of belonging in a club, team or organization. They’re a newcomer typically coming into this group situation, and because of that group dynamic there can be an incredible amount of peer pressure and sometimes a coercive environment. And so that can impede or be a barrier to recognizing and or reporting hazing because there can be a lot of fear,” Elizabeth Allan, a professor at the University of Maine, said.
These rituals and desires to be part of the in-group have led to some deadly consequences for young people.
In 2019, five Penn State University students were sentenced to jail after a 19-year-old student at a Beta Theta Pi fraternity house died at a party after hazing-based binge drinking.
While most hazing incidents don’t result in incarceration, there are other consequences for students who are caught for the crime.
“Financial, monetary damages. People have lost their jobs. People have gone to jail or had, criminal penalties, fines and so forth. Let’s say sometimes when it’s a student organization or a team so with a student organization, they’re often suspended or lose their recognition with the campus for a period of time, and with an athletic team sometimes a portion of the season is put on hold or canceled entirely sometimes at the high school level, we’ve seen that recently.” Allan, who also leads the organization Stop Hazing, said.
And yet, even as schools ramp up their efforts, hazing persists.
Allan says a multifaceted strategy is needed to tackle the problem, and her group has developed a “Hazing Prevention Framework” for schools to follow.
“They can use it to also do some strategic planning and set some goals for the improvements they want to make, and all this is really … based on a public health approach to organizational change and promoting healthy behaviors in a community setting,” Allan said.
Shelton said his group also advocates for hazing to be treated as a felony, whereas many states look at it as a misdemeanor.
“The problem is it’s not taken seriously in the law, and we’ve seen a lot of hazing cases, even when there’s been a death… [where] prosecutors don’t consider it hazing or don’t consider hazing to be a serious crime to go through the measures of prosecuting,” Shelton said. “And so that’s why we’ve been working hard to strengthen those state laws.” | https://www.wdtn.com/news/u-s-world/why-is-hazing-so-hard-to-eliminate/ | 2023-07-30T21:33:17 | 1 | https://www.wdtn.com/news/u-s-world/why-is-hazing-so-hard-to-eliminate/ |
AUSTIN (KXAN) — It’s no surprise that the summer heat can do significant damage to your vehicle. But as cities around the country continue to break temperature records and endure long heat waves, some car technicians are finding unusual vehicle issues.
Doc Watson, a national training manager with Bosch Diagnostics, said typical summertime issues include dead car batteries and flat tires. However, he said technicians in Texas and along the West Coast have also been recording more unusual vehicle complications due to the extensive heat waves.
In Texas, Arizona and California, technicians are reporting an emergence of “brake fade” cases in cars. When the temperature outside tops 100 degrees for extended periods of time, temperatures under the hood of vehicles during the summer can reach up to 230 degrees.
Brake fluids inside the cylinder under the hood of the car can absorb moisture, as the heat causes that moisture to expand within the fluid. When that happens, stepping on the brake pedal can feel “mushy.” That means the vehicle owner will need to take the car in for maintenance.
Both heat and humidity can add extra wear and tear to the windshield wiper blades, which have a typical lifespan between 12 and 18 months.
“People don’t stop to think about wiper blades — they don’t need them until it rains, right?” Watson said. “You’re driving around in 112-degree temperature, you’ve got heat reflecting off the glass, and that causes the rubber components of a wiper blade to break down.”
The plastic parts of the blades can also suffer.
“With these extreme temperatures that you guys are seeing, it’s the plastic breaking down off the wiper blade itself, and people not realizing that that’s happened until it’s too late,” he said. “The wiper blade breaks and then you’ve got this metal arm scratching the glass.”
Watson recommended car owners keep a checklist of key vehicle parts to monitor during the summer months. Those include:
- Car batteries: Traditionally, car batteries last between three and five years. Amid excessive heat spells, temperatures under the hood of a vehicle reach up to 230 degrees, which can lead to battery fluid evaporations and dead batteries. Watson suggests car owners have their batteries tested by a technician during the summer to get a condition status.
- Tires: Low tire pressure is exacerbated by hot asphalt on roadways. Watson encouraged car owners to purchase a tire pressure gauge and to test their vehicle’s tire pressure early in the morning while it’s still cool to ensure an accurate reading.
- Engine overflow tank: During the summer months, cooling an engine is critical. Watson said when car owners check underneath the hood, they’ll find a plastic overflow tank with a graduated scale. If it looks low, he suggested adding antifreeze to aid your engine.
- Wiper blades: Check wiper blades during dry spells (and before rain storms) to make sure they’re properly working and not deteriorating. If they show signs of wear and tear, replace them and make sure they’re upgraded every 12-18 months.
- Oil changes: Most newer vehicles require an oil change every 5,000 to 7,000 miles. However, remote starting a vehicle and running the air conditioning works the engine without adding any mileage to the vehicle. As a result, Watson suggested not waiting until you hit that 5,000 to 7,000-mile range if you often use remote start on your vehicle during the summer or winter months.
“People aren’t changing oil regularly like they think they are,” he said. “People need to pay more attention to them because these engines will go many miles — 200,000, 300,000 miles — as long as they’re maintained correctly. That’s big with this extreme heat.” | https://www.wivb.com/news/national/the-weird-car-issues-mechanics-are-seeing-during-heat-waves/ | 2023-07-30T21:33:22 | 0 | https://www.wivb.com/news/national/the-weird-car-issues-mechanics-are-seeing-during-heat-waves/ |
(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.wivb.com/news/national/ufo-curious-lawmakers-brace-for-a-fight-over-government-secrets/ | 2023-07-30T21:33:28 | 1 | https://www.wivb.com/news/national/ufo-curious-lawmakers-brace-for-a-fight-over-government-secrets/ |
(The Hill) – Northwestern is the latest in a long line of universities to come under public scrutiny due to a scandal over hazing, a practice that has refused to go extinct in colleges and high schools despite multiple concerted efforts to end it.
Hazing, which in rare instances has proven fatal, in particular plagues sports teams and Greek Life.
Experts say education on the issue and increased consequences are needed to create a real change, although they are skeptical the dangerous practice will exit school life anytime soon.
“Hazing has always been prevalent in society, not just in colleges. It’s anywhere that you see a different power dynamic between people who are trying to join a group [and] people who are in the group,” said Todd Shelton, executive director of the Hazing Prevention Network. “There’s research that shows that hazing starts long before college and in those younger ages. It’s especially prevalent in athletic teams camps, performing arts groups.”
The latest high-profile hazing incident comes from Northwestern University, where the head football coach was recently let go and a barrage of lawsuits have fallen on the school.
One of the reported rituals of hazing on the school’s football team was younger players getting restrained in the locker room by older ones while others dry humped the individual. Another incident described in a lawsuit against the school was a ritual called “carwash” where players were forced to rub themselves against a line of naked men in the showers.
“Certainly, it is typical hazing activities that we’ve seen before and it’s not unusual that they’re shrouded with secrecy. So I applaud the people who came forward and reported because that’s — that’s key for institutions to be able to make changes,” Shelton said. “I think those acts are horrible and examples of how hazing can quickly escalate from what individuals think is something that’s mild and or funny, to quickly being something that’s dangerous, either mentally or physically, to the victims.”
Experts say preventing hazing incidents has to start by educating people about its warning signs and dangers.
A study in 2008 showed 73 percent of students who have been in a sorority or fraternity said they experienced behaviors that meet the definition of hazing, such as being forced into drinking games or getting screamed at by other members.
The same study showed 74 percent of athletes in athletic programs also experienced behaviors that amount to hazing.
“Hazing is specific to that group context where someone is seeking inclusion or a sense of belonging in a club, team or organization. They’re a newcomer typically coming into this group situation, and because of that group dynamic there can be an incredible amount of peer pressure and sometimes a coercive environment. And so that can impede or be a barrier to recognizing and or reporting hazing because there can be a lot of fear,” Elizabeth Allan, a professor at the University of Maine, said.
These rituals and desires to be part of the in-group have led to some deadly consequences for young people.
In 2019, five Penn State University students were sentenced to jail after a 19-year-old student at a Beta Theta Pi fraternity house died at a party after hazing-based binge drinking.
While most hazing incidents don’t result in incarceration, there are other consequences for students who are caught for the crime.
“Financial, monetary damages. People have lost their jobs. People have gone to jail or had, criminal penalties, fines and so forth. Let’s say sometimes when it’s a student organization or a team so with a student organization, they’re often suspended or lose their recognition with the campus for a period of time, and with an athletic team sometimes a portion of the season is put on hold or canceled entirely sometimes at the high school level, we’ve seen that recently.” Allan, who also leads the organization Stop Hazing, said.
And yet, even as schools ramp up their efforts, hazing persists.
Allan says a multifaceted strategy is needed to tackle the problem, and her group has developed a “Hazing Prevention Framework” for schools to follow.
“They can use it to also do some strategic planning and set some goals for the improvements they want to make, and all this is really … based on a public health approach to organizational change and promoting healthy behaviors in a community setting,” Allan said.
Shelton said his group also advocates for hazing to be treated as a felony, whereas many states look at it as a misdemeanor.
“The problem is it’s not taken seriously in the law, and we’ve seen a lot of hazing cases, even when there’s been a death… [where] prosecutors don’t consider it hazing or don’t consider hazing to be a serious crime to go through the measures of prosecuting,” Shelton said. “And so that’s why we’ve been working hard to strengthen those state laws.” | https://www.wivb.com/news/national/why-is-hazing-so-hard-to-eliminate/ | 2023-07-30T21:33:34 | 0 | https://www.wivb.com/news/national/why-is-hazing-so-hard-to-eliminate/ |
Eagles unveil kelly green alternate uniforms, helmets; when will they wear them in a game?
PHILADELPHIA − For years, fans have clamored for the Eagles to bring back the kelly green uniforms that the team wore up until the mid 1990s.
They'll finally get their wish as the Eagles announced that they'll wear the uniforms, with a matching kelly green helmet, as an alternate this season.
ALL THE BIRDS' NEWS:🦅 Sign up for Eye on the Eagles, our new NFL newsletter 🦅
ROOKIE ON A MISSION:Jalen Carter makes another ‘wow’ play at Eagles camp. Is he getting ahead of Jordan Davis?
The team has yet to announce when they'll wear the uniforms, but a good bet would be the Thursday night home game in Week 2, on Sept. 14, against the Minnesota Vikings. It's possible that the Eagles could wear the uniforms in two or three games this season.
The Eagles announced last Friday that the uniform reveal would come Monday morning, and that fans can begin purchasing the new uniforms Monday morning beginning at 9 a.m. But after someone leaked pictures on social media on Saturday, the team's website then showed some pictures that night and added more on Sunday.
Eagles fans aren't the only ones excited about the uniforms
But the team has yet to officially announce the dates they will wear them.
The fans aren't the only ones excited about the new uniforms. The players and coaches are, too.
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown wore a kelly green Mike Quick No. 82 jersey after a game late last season after Brown passed Quick's franchise record for receiving yards in a season. Quick had 1,409 yards receiving in 1983 before Brown set the new record with 1,496 yards last season.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni also wore a Quick jersey to his postgame press conference after a Week 3 game last season against Washington. Sirianni said at the time he did it because Washington wide receiver Terry McLaurin said earlier that week that Washington legend Art Monk, who also played in that era, was the best receiver at that time.
Eagles chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie had said that he wanted to match the color scheme to what the team wore in the 1980s and early '90s. Some legendary Eagles players back then included Quick, Randall Cunningham, Reggie White, Jerome Brown and Seth Joyner.
Lurie changed the uniform color to the current midnight green in 1996, shortly after he purchased the team. That is the main uniform scheme to this day.
"I think they look pretty cool," Sirianni said about the kelly green uniforms. "My wife will buy my kids jerseys, and I'm sure that they'll have kelly green ones when they have an opportunity to buy them."
Added running back D'Andre Swift, who grew up in Philadelphia, but wasn't born until after the Eagles switched to midnight green, said he likes the alternate uniforms. "They look nice," he said. "I mean, you look good, you feel good, you play better."
Why are teams allowed to wear alternate helmets again?
The Eagles last wore kelly green in 2010 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their 1960 championship. But the NFL banned second helmets after that, citing a safety issue.
The Eagles could have worn the kelly green uniforms after that, but they would have had to stay with the midnight green helmets. Lurie didn't want a mismatched helmet and lobbied the NFL to change the rule for at least a few years.
That changed in 2021 when the NFL announced it would allow second helmets in 2022, saying a second helmet could be made to fit the league's safety specifications.
Technically, the Eagles could have worn the kelly green jerseys and helmets last season. But in the spring of 2022, Lurie said Nike needed until 2023 to make the jerseys according to the desired color scheme.
"I think the fans will love it," Lurie told reporters at the NFL owners meetings last March. "It's why we're bringing it back. We really took the feedback seriously over the years, and the first moment we could get the kelly green helmet approved, we'll finally be able to see it on the field."
The Eagles wore black as their alternate jersey and helmet in 2022.
NFL teams are only allowed one alternate helmet, so if the Eagles do wear black jerseys this season, it'll have to be with the regular midnight green helmet. The Eagles did that for two games in 2021.
Where and when can fans get kelly green jerseys?
The jerseys go on sale Monday at 9 a.m. at all three Eagles Pro Shop locations in the region − Lincoln Financial Field, where gates to the Pepsi Plaza will open at 8 a.m., with live entertainment from Swoop and cheerleaders; in Cherry Hill, New Jersey; and in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl. | https://www.delawareonline.com/story/sports/nfl/eagles/2023/07/30/eagles-unveil-kelly-green-uniforms-mike-quick-aj-brown-nfl-jeffrey-lurie-wear-them-in-2023/70478755007/ | 2023-07-30T21:33:39 | 1 | https://www.delawareonline.com/story/sports/nfl/eagles/2023/07/30/eagles-unveil-kelly-green-uniforms-mike-quick-aj-brown-nfl-jeffrey-lurie-wear-them-in-2023/70478755007/ |
AUSTIN (KXAN) — It’s no surprise that the summer heat can do significant damage to your vehicle. But as cities around the country continue to break temperature records and endure long heat waves, some car technicians are finding unusual vehicle issues.
Doc Watson, a national training manager with Bosch Diagnostics, said typical summertime issues include dead car batteries and flat tires. However, he said technicians in Texas and along the West Coast have also been recording more unusual vehicle complications due to the extensive heat waves.
In Texas, Arizona and California, technicians are reporting an emergence of “brake fade” cases in cars. When the temperature outside tops 100 degrees for extended periods of time, temperatures under the hood of vehicles during the summer can reach up to 230 degrees.
Brake fluids inside the cylinder under the hood of the car can absorb moisture, as the heat causes that moisture to expand within the fluid. When that happens, stepping on the brake pedal can feel “mushy.” That means the vehicle owner will need to take the car in for maintenance.
Both heat and humidity can add extra wear and tear to the windshield wiper blades, which have a typical lifespan between 12 and 18 months.
“People don’t stop to think about wiper blades — they don’t need them until it rains, right?” Watson said. “You’re driving around in 112-degree temperature, you’ve got heat reflecting off the glass, and that causes the rubber components of a wiper blade to break down.”
The plastic parts of the blades can also suffer.
“With these extreme temperatures that you guys are seeing, it’s the plastic breaking down off the wiper blade itself, and people not realizing that that’s happened until it’s too late,” he said. “The wiper blade breaks and then you’ve got this metal arm scratching the glass.”
Watson recommended car owners keep a checklist of key vehicle parts to monitor during the summer months. Those include:
- Car batteries: Traditionally, car batteries last between three and five years. Amid excessive heat spells, temperatures under the hood of a vehicle reach up to 230 degrees, which can lead to battery fluid evaporations and dead batteries. Watson suggests car owners have their batteries tested by a technician during the summer to get a condition status.
- Tires: Low tire pressure is exacerbated by hot asphalt on roadways. Watson encouraged car owners to purchase a tire pressure gauge and to test their vehicle’s tire pressure early in the morning while it’s still cool to ensure an accurate reading.
- Engine overflow tank: During the summer months, cooling an engine is critical. Watson said when car owners check underneath the hood, they’ll find a plastic overflow tank with a graduated scale. If it looks low, he suggested adding antifreeze to aid your engine.
- Wiper blades: Check wiper blades during dry spells (and before rain storms) to make sure they’re properly working and not deteriorating. If they show signs of wear and tear, replace them and make sure they’re upgraded every 12-18 months.
- Oil changes: Most newer vehicles require an oil change every 5,000 to 7,000 miles. However, remote starting a vehicle and running the air conditioning works the engine without adding any mileage to the vehicle. As a result, Watson suggested not waiting until you hit that 5,000 to 7,000-mile range if you often use remote start on your vehicle during the summer or winter months.
“People aren’t changing oil regularly like they think they are,” he said. “People need to pay more attention to them because these engines will go many miles — 200,000, 300,000 miles — as long as they’re maintained correctly. That’s big with this extreme heat.” | https://www.wearegreenbay.com/news/national/the-weird-car-issues-mechanics-are-seeing-during-heat-waves/ | 2023-07-30T21:34:16 | 0 | https://www.wearegreenbay.com/news/national/the-weird-car-issues-mechanics-are-seeing-during-heat-waves/ |
(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.wearegreenbay.com/news/national/ufo-curious-lawmakers-brace-for-a-fight-over-government-secrets/ | 2023-07-30T21:34:22 | 0 | https://www.wearegreenbay.com/news/national/ufo-curious-lawmakers-brace-for-a-fight-over-government-secrets/ |
Construction underway for new elementary school in Saluda County
SALUDA COUNTY, S.C. (WIS) - Construction is underway for a new elementary school in Saluda County.
The funding for this project comes from the state legislature which gave the district $38 million to build the school. County voters approved a $49 million bond referendum on Nov. 8, 22, to fund new construction and renovations at Saluda High, Saluda Middle, Saluda Elementary, and Hollywood Elementary Schools.
The building will replace the existing Saluda Primary and Elementary Schools and is set to eventually hold 1200 students.
Construction is expected to be finished in two years, with students able to start learning shortly after.
The new building will be for students from pre-school up to the 5th grade.
Notice a spelling or grammar error in this article? Click or tap here to report it. Please include the article's headline.
Stay up to date with WIS News 10. Get the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and Stream us on Roku, YouTube, Amazon Fire, or Apple TV.
Copyright 2023 WIS. All rights reserved. | https://www.wistv.com/2023/07/30/construction-underway-new-elementary-school-saluda-county/ | 2023-07-30T21:34:23 | 0 | https://www.wistv.com/2023/07/30/construction-underway-new-elementary-school-saluda-county/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — A week later, the “Barbenheimer” boom has not abated.
Seven days after Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” conspired to set box office records, the two films held unusually strongly in theaters. “Barbie” took in a massive $93 million in its second weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. “Oppenheimer” stayed in second with a robust $46.2 million. Sales for the two movies dipped 43% and 44%, respectably — well shy of the usual week-two drops.
“Barbenheimer” has proven to be not a one-weekend phenomenon but an ongoing box-office bonanza. The two movies combined have already surpassed $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales. Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for data firm Comscore, call it “a touchstone moment for movies, moviegoers and movie theaters.”
“Having two movies from rival studios linked in this way and both boosting each other’s fortunes — both box-office wise and it terms of their profile — I don’t know if there’s a comp for this in the annals of box-office history,” said Dergarabedian. “There’s really no comparison for this.”
Following its year-best $162 million opening, the pink-infused pop sensation of “Barbie” saw remarkably sustained business through the week and into the weekend. The film outpaced Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” to have the best first 11 days in theaters of any Warner Bros. release ever.
“Barbie” has rapidly accumulated $351.4 million in U.S. and Canadian theaters, a rate that will soon make it the biggest box-office hit of the summer. Every day it’s played, “Barbie” has made at least $20 million.
And the “Barbie” effect isn’t just in North America. The film made $122.2 million internationally over the weekend. Its global tally has reached $775 million. It’s the kind of business that astounds even veteran studio executives.
“That’s a crazy number,” said Jeff Goldstein, distribution chief for Warner Bros. “There’s just a built-in audience that wants to be part of the zeitgeist of the moment. Wherever you go, people are wearing pink. Pink is taking over the world.”
Amid the frenzy, “Barbie” is already attracting a lot of repeat moviegoers. Goldstein estimates that 12% of sales are people going back with friends or family to see it again.
For a movie industry that has been trying to regain its pre-pandemic footing — and that now finds itself largely shuttered due to actors and screenwriters strikes — the sensations of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” have showed what’s possible when everything lines up just right.
“Post-pandemic, there’s no ceiling and there’s no floor,” Goldstein said. “The movies that miss really miss big time, and the movies that work really work big time.”
Universal Pictures’ “Oppenheimer,” meanwhile, is performing more like a superhero movie than a three-hour film about scientists talking.
Nolan’s drama starring Cillian Murphy as atomic bomb physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer has accrued $174.1 million domestically thus far. With an additional $72.4 million in international cinemas, “Oppenheimer” has already surpassed $400 million globally.
Showings in IMAX have typically been sold out. “Oppenheimer” has made $80 million worldwide on IMAX. The large-format exhibitor said Sunday that it will extend the film’s run through Aug. 13.
The week’s top new release, Walt Disney Co.’s “Haunted Mansion,” an adaptation of the Disney theme park attraction, was easily overshadowed by the “Barbenheimer” blitz. The film, which cost about $150 million, debuted with $24 million domestically and $9 million in overseas sales. “Haunted Mansion,” directed by Justin Simien (“Dear White People,” “Bad Hair”) and starring an ensemble of LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito and Rosario Dawson, struggled to overcome mediocre reviews.
“Talk to Me,” the A24 supernatural horror film, fared better. It debuted with $10 million. The film, directed by Australian filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou and starring Sophie Wilde, was a midnight premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January and received terrific reviews from critics (95% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes). It was made for a modest $4.5 million.
While theaters being flush with moviegoers has been a huge boon to the film industry, it’s been tougher sledding for Tom Cruise, the so-called savior of the movies last summer with “Top Gun: Maverick.” “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part I,” which debuted the week before the arrival of “Barbenheimer,” grossed $10.7 million in its third weekend. The film starring Cruise and directed by Christopher McQuarrie, has grossed $139.2 million domestically and $309.3 million oveseas.
Instead, the sleeper hit “Sound of Freedom” has been the best performing non-“Barbenheimer” release in theaters. The Angel Studios’ release, which is counting crowdfunding pay-it-forward sales in its box office totals, made $12.4 million in its fourth weekend, bringing its haul thus far to nearly $150 million.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. “Barbie,” $93 million.
2. “Opppenheimer,” $46.2 million.
3. “Haunted Mansion,” $24.2 million.
4. “Sound of Freedom,” $12.4 million.
5. “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One,” $10.7 million.
6. “Talk to Me,” $10 million.
7. “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” $4 million.
8. “Elemental,” $3.4 million.
9. “Insidious: The Red Door,” $3.2 million.
10. “Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani,” $1.6 million. | https://www.wearegreenbay.com/news/national/while-barbie-bonanza-continues-at-the-box-office-oppenheimer-holds-no-2-spot/ | 2023-07-30T21:34:28 | 0 | https://www.wearegreenbay.com/news/national/while-barbie-bonanza-continues-at-the-box-office-oppenheimer-holds-no-2-spot/ |
Police: One dead in Sumter single-vehicle crash
Published: Jul. 30, 2023 at 4:52 PM EDT|Updated: 40 minutes ago
SUMTER, S.C. (WIS) - A 34-year-old person died after a single-vehicle crash in Sumter.
Officials from the Sumter Police Department said the crash happened before 10:30 p.m. Saturday, on South Pike West.
Police said the driver died at Prisma Health Tuomey; however, A 7-year-old passenger was not injured.
The crash is under investigation.
Notice a spelling or grammar error in this article? Click or tap here to report it. Please include the article's headline.
Stay up to date with WIS News 10. Get the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and Stream us on Roku, YouTube, Amazon Fire, or Apple TV.
Copyright 2023 WIS. All rights reserved. | https://www.wistv.com/2023/07/30/one-dead-following-fatal-crash-sumter/ | 2023-07-30T21:34:29 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/2023/07/30/one-dead-following-fatal-crash-sumter/ |
(The Hill) – Northwestern is the latest in a long line of universities to come under public scrutiny due to a scandal over hazing, a practice that has refused to go extinct in colleges and high schools despite multiple concerted efforts to end it.
Hazing, which in rare instances has proven fatal, in particular plagues sports teams and Greek Life.
Experts say education on the issue and increased consequences are needed to create a real change, although they are skeptical the dangerous practice will exit school life anytime soon.
“Hazing has always been prevalent in society, not just in colleges. It’s anywhere that you see a different power dynamic between people who are trying to join a group [and] people who are in the group,” said Todd Shelton, executive director of the Hazing Prevention Network. “There’s research that shows that hazing starts long before college and in those younger ages. It’s especially prevalent in athletic teams camps, performing arts groups.”
The latest high-profile hazing incident comes from Northwestern University, where the head football coach was recently let go and a barrage of lawsuits have fallen on the school.
One of the reported rituals of hazing on the school’s football team was younger players getting restrained in the locker room by older ones while others dry humped the individual. Another incident described in a lawsuit against the school was a ritual called “carwash” where players were forced to rub themselves against a line of naked men in the showers.
“Certainly, it is typical hazing activities that we’ve seen before and it’s not unusual that they’re shrouded with secrecy. So I applaud the people who came forward and reported because that’s — that’s key for institutions to be able to make changes,” Shelton said. “I think those acts are horrible and examples of how hazing can quickly escalate from what individuals think is something that’s mild and or funny, to quickly being something that’s dangerous, either mentally or physically, to the victims.”
Experts say preventing hazing incidents has to start by educating people about its warning signs and dangers.
A study in 2008 showed 73 percent of students who have been in a sorority or fraternity said they experienced behaviors that meet the definition of hazing, such as being forced into drinking games or getting screamed at by other members.
The same study showed 74 percent of athletes in athletic programs also experienced behaviors that amount to hazing.
“Hazing is specific to that group context where someone is seeking inclusion or a sense of belonging in a club, team or organization. They’re a newcomer typically coming into this group situation, and because of that group dynamic there can be an incredible amount of peer pressure and sometimes a coercive environment. And so that can impede or be a barrier to recognizing and or reporting hazing because there can be a lot of fear,” Elizabeth Allan, a professor at the University of Maine, said.
These rituals and desires to be part of the in-group have led to some deadly consequences for young people.
In 2019, five Penn State University students were sentenced to jail after a 19-year-old student at a Beta Theta Pi fraternity house died at a party after hazing-based binge drinking.
While most hazing incidents don’t result in incarceration, there are other consequences for students who are caught for the crime.
“Financial, monetary damages. People have lost their jobs. People have gone to jail or had, criminal penalties, fines and so forth. Let’s say sometimes when it’s a student organization or a team so with a student organization, they’re often suspended or lose their recognition with the campus for a period of time, and with an athletic team sometimes a portion of the season is put on hold or canceled entirely sometimes at the high school level, we’ve seen that recently.” Allan, who also leads the organization Stop Hazing, said.
And yet, even as schools ramp up their efforts, hazing persists.
Allan says a multifaceted strategy is needed to tackle the problem, and her group has developed a “Hazing Prevention Framework” for schools to follow.
“They can use it to also do some strategic planning and set some goals for the improvements they want to make, and all this is really … based on a public health approach to organizational change and promoting healthy behaviors in a community setting,” Allan said.
Shelton said his group also advocates for hazing to be treated as a felony, whereas many states look at it as a misdemeanor.
“The problem is it’s not taken seriously in the law, and we’ve seen a lot of hazing cases, even when there’s been a death… [where] prosecutors don’t consider it hazing or don’t consider hazing to be a serious crime to go through the measures of prosecuting,” Shelton said. “And so that’s why we’ve been working hard to strengthen those state laws.” | https://www.wearegreenbay.com/news/national/why-is-hazing-so-hard-to-eliminate/ | 2023-07-30T21:34:34 | 1 | https://www.wearegreenbay.com/news/national/why-is-hazing-so-hard-to-eliminate/ |
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.
___
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.wpxi.com/news/customers-want/M3RSBAZ6AZWNNX67XDRLHKRKNI/ | 2023-07-30T21:34:52 | 1 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/customers-want/M3RSBAZ6AZWNNX67XDRLHKRKNI/ |
ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. — The Allegheny County Health Department will begin a program that will help prevent rabies in raccoons.
The program begins Monday and lasts until Sept. 1.
Small bait packets that contain a liquid vaccine for rabies will be spread in every municipality in the county. The bait is coated in fishmeal or vanilla flavoring that attracts the animals.
More than 3,000 baits will be dropped. At first, it will be done by hand and then dropped from helicopters during the last four weeks.
“Allegheny County plays a critical role in rabies management and prevention in the United States,” explained Jamie Sokol, raccoon rabies baiting program coordinator. “Currently, raccoon rabies is primarily present in the eastern part of the country. Our efforts, as well as others, help stop the disease from spreading further into the interior of the country.”
The bait is usually eaten within five days of it being distributed.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
TRENDING NOW:
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/allegheny-county-health-department-beginning-annual-program-prevent-rabies-raccoons/TJWGC6E4KRFGBGDUWEB4ZTKN2Y/ | 2023-07-30T21:34:58 | 1 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/allegheny-county-health-department-beginning-annual-program-prevent-rabies-raccoons/TJWGC6E4KRFGBGDUWEB4ZTKN2Y/ |
PITTSBURGH — A Bryan Reynolds’ two-run home run ignited a comeback attempt, and Josh Palacios celebrated his 28th birthday with a two-run, walk-off homer in the 10th inning in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 6-4 win over the Philadelphia Phillies at PNC Park on Sunday.
With automatic runner Jared Triolo standing at second, Palacios homered to right field off of Andrew Vazquez to give the Pirates the win.
After Alec Bohm hit a two-run homer off of Rich Hill in the fourth, Reynolds returned the favor with a two-run blast of his own in the sixth to tie the game 2-all.
Reynolds’ blast came after Connor Joe led off the sixth inning with a base hit off of Seranthony Dominguez, the Pirates’ first hit of the game. Phillies starter Cristopher Sanchez tossed five no-hit innings prior to being lifted for Dominguez.
Click here to read more from PittsburghBaseballNOW.com.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
TRENDING NOW:
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/josh-palacios-celebrates-birthday-with-walk-off-homer-win-over-phillies/RU77ZBX46RA75M3MH6E6GIJNSA/ | 2023-07-30T21:35:04 | 1 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/josh-palacios-celebrates-birthday-with-walk-off-homer-win-over-phillies/RU77ZBX46RA75M3MH6E6GIJNSA/ |
ELIZABETH TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Athletes looking for a place to play can visit brand-new courts that opened in Elizabeth Township.
On Saturday, two basketball courts and three pickleball courts were made available to the public.
The courts are located at Mt. Vernon Fields at 119 Georgetown Place.
Elizabeth Township officials worked with local youth sports organizations and Olympus Energy to make the project happen.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
TRENDING NOW:
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/new-sports-courts-open-elizabeth-township/IOTOREHYLNEUFDWHRKZV5WWYRI/ | 2023-07-30T21:35:10 | 0 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/new-sports-courts-open-elizabeth-township/IOTOREHYLNEUFDWHRKZV5WWYRI/ |
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.wpxi.com/news/national/erratic-winds/2BHMR3JZGXN6M7VAALBL6MI6EA/ | 2023-07-30T21:35:17 | 0 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/national/erratic-winds/2BHMR3JZGXN6M7VAALBL6MI6EA/ |
It’s not too early to start thinking about when Max Verstappen can clinch the 2023 Formula 1 title.
Verstappen won for the 10th time over the first 12 races of the season in Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix. He had to start sixth thanks to a five-spot grid penalty for a gearbox change but was fourth just seconds into the first lap and easily got to first before driving away from teammate Sergio Perez.
The two-time defending champion has 314 points so far this season and when you remove the points he’s scored over the three sprint races he’s averaging a staggering 24 points per race.
A season ago, Verstappen clinched the title with four races to go and scored 454 points over the entirety of the 22-race season. He’s well ahead of that points-scoring pace in 2023 and it’s not impossible that he could clinch the title before the month of September is over.
F1 returns on Aug. 27 in Verstappen’s home country of the Netherlands before three races over the month of September in Italy, Singapore and Japan. Another Japan clincher for Verstappen is not entirely out of the question.
If Verstappen wins the next four races and scores 100 points (or more), he could be more than 144 points clear of teammate Sergio Perez in the points standings with six races to go in the season. If Perez fails to score points in one or more of those four races, the gap could be even larger.
If we were betting on when Verstappen will clinch the title, we’d pick the Qatar Grand Prix on Oct. 8 with five races to go. All Verstappen has to do to clinch by the end of the Qatar Grand Prix is be 146 points ahead of Perez or whoever is in second place.
Here are some more of our takeaways from the first half of the 2023 Formula 1 season as the series enters its annual summer break.
Is the Red Bull sweep really going to happen?
It’s a foregone conclusion at this point that Verstappen will win the driver’s title and Red Bull will win its second consecutive constructor’s title this season. Red Bull currently has more than twice the points as second-place Mercedes in the constructor’s standings and Verstappen alone would have a 67-point lead on the point totals of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell combined.
Thanks to a Verstappen win at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2022, Red Bull now owns the longest win streak in Formula 1 history at 13 races with wins in every race so far this season. And every Red Bull … err, Verstappen … win makes it more and more likely the team could pull off the improbable feat
Right now, we’d still guess that someone from another team will get a win. Verstappen has been incredibly dominant but has also had some very good luck. He’s bound to have an incident with another driver or a poor qualifying effort he can’t overcome, right? And Perez is too inconsistent on a week-to-week basis to count on. The over/under for Red Bull wins this season should be at 19.5 and the over would be a tempting pick even if you don’t believe the sweep is possible.'
Mercedes’ steadiness is showing
Mercedes is showing that you don’t have to be flashy to be the best of the rest in Formula 1. And the fight for second, third and fourth-best is really fascinating so far.
After a fourth-place finish by Hamilton and a sixth-place finish by Russell in Belgium, Mercedes is 51 points ahead of Aston Martin in the constructor’s standings. Aston Martin is just five points ahead of Ferrarin in fourth while McLaren has jumped to fifth and is 144 points back of Mercedes.
It’s been a frustrating year for Mercedes as it quickly realized that the car design it struggled to capitalize on in 2022 was still a problem in 2023. But the team’s race pace has kept it in the hunt while Ferrari has strategy blunders on a semi-weekly basis and Aston Martin’s sparkling pace from the beginning of the season has faded.
Fernando Alonso opened the season with five podium finishes over the first six races and his only non-podium was a fourth-place finish in Azerbaijan. In the six races since, Alonso hasn’t finished lower than ninth, but he’s scored just one podium in that span.
As Alonso’s performance has dropped off, Hamilton’s has ticked up. Hamilton has five top-four finishes in the last six races as he’s now within a point of Alonso for third in the driver’s standings.
How real is McLaren’s surge?
McLaren had a miserable start to the 2023 season. Lando Norris had just three top-10 finishes over the first six races while Oscar Piastri had just two.
But a switch flipped with the team’s upgrades at the Austrian Grand Prix and the British Grand Prix. After having the fastest non-Red Bull cars at Silverstone, McLaren kept up the pace in Hungary. Belgium didn’t go well after Piastri got pinched into the wall on the first lap, but Norris finished seventh despite having a car that had a bunch of downforce built into it in case of rain.
The standings don’t show it, but McLaren may currently be the third-best team in F1.
Will a leadership change boost Alpine?
Alpine is the most disappointing team in 2023.
The French team finished a clear fourth ahead of both McLaren and Aston Martin in 2022 and looked poised to be in the thick of the midfield battle this season. Instead, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly have combined for just 57 points so far as Alpine is stuck in sixth place in the constructor’s standings.
Both Ocon and Gasly were out of the Hungarian Grand Prix in the opening laps and the team announced ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix that team principal Otmar Szafnauer, the team’s sporting director and its chief technical officer would all be out ahead of the summer break.
Alpine showed some speed in Belgium as Gasly finished third in the sprint race and Ocon was eighth in the Grand Prix. But those are baby steps for a team that needs to take a leap to have any chance of competing with the top five. Outside of a third-place finish for Ocon in Monaco, there hasn’t been much to be optimistic about at Alpine. Especially for Gasly. He hasn’t finished better than seventh all season and has three consecutive finishes outside the top 10. | https://www.wpxi.com/news/national/formula-1-takeaways/SCJ4U6BG3CEQZJWP4H2KQ7FB7Q/ | 2023-07-30T21:35:23 | 1 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/national/formula-1-takeaways/SCJ4U6BG3CEQZJWP4H2KQ7FB7Q/ |
The St. Louis Cardinals are trading starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery to the Texas Rangers and reliever Jordan Hicks to the Toronto Blue Jays, according to multiple Sunday reports.
Montgomery joins a Rangers team that just acquired three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer from the New York Mets on Saturday. Texas is bolstering its rotation as it looks to maintain its lead in the AL West. The Rangers entered Sunday at 60-45 with a one-game led over the Houston Astros.
Hicks will arrive in Toronto with All-Star closer Jordan Romano on the injured list with back inflammation.
Hicks, 26, has a 3.67 ERA and 1.512 WHIP with 59 strikeouts and 24 walks in 41.2 innings this season. He was tied with Giovanny Gallegos for the Cardinals' lead in saves with eight.
The 59-47 Blue Jays were in the thick of the AL wild-card race and five games behind the first-place Baltimore Orioles in the AL East at the time of the trade.
The 46-60 Cardinals are in last place in the NL Central. | https://www.wpxi.com/news/national/reports-cardinals/AN46O2RYDKNQB3YM7H5NTCIVRE/ | 2023-07-30T21:35:31 | 0 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/national/reports-cardinals/AN46O2RYDKNQB3YM7H5NTCIVRE/ |
LOS ANGELES — (AP) — When viewed through a wide lens, renters across the U.S. finally appear to be getting some relief, thanks in part to the biggest apartment construction boom in decades.
Median rent rose just 0.5% in June, year over year, after falling in May for the first time since the pandemic hit the U.S. Some economists project U.S. rents will be down modestly this year after soaring nearly 25% over the past four years.
A closer look, however, shows the trend will likely be little comfort for many U.S. renters who’ve had to put an increasing share of their income toward their monthly payment. Renters in cities such as Cincinnati and Indianapolis are still getting hit with increases of 5% or more. Much of the new construction is located in just a few metro areas, and many of the new units are luxury apartments, which rent for well north of $2,000.
Median U.S. rent has risen to $2,029 this June from $1,629 in June 2019, according to rental listings company Rent, which tracks rents in 50 of the largest U.S. metropolitan areas. Demand for apartments exploded during the pandemic as people who could work remotely sought more space or decided to relocate to another part of the country.
The steep rent increases have left tenants like Melissa Lombana, a high school teacher who lives in the South Florida city of Miramar, with progressively less income to spend on other needs.
The rent on her one-bedroom apartment jumped 13% last year to $1,700. It climbed another 6% to $1,800 this month when she renewed her lease.
“Even the $1,700 was a stretch for me,” said Lombana, 43, who supplements her teaching income with a side job doing educational testing. “In a year, I will not be able to afford living here at all.”
Lombana’s rent is now gobbling up nearly half her monthly income. That puts her in a category referred to as “cost-burdened” by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, denoting households that pay 30% or more of their income toward rent. Last year, the average rent-to-income ratio per household rose to 30%. This March, it was 29.6%.
Lombana hasn’t had any luck finding a more affordable apartment. While South Florida is one of the metropolitan areas seeing a rise in apartment construction, the units are mostly high-end and not a viable option.
That scenario is playing out across the nation. Developers are rushing to complete projects that were green-lit during the pandemic-era surge in demand for rentals or left in limbo by delays in supplies of fixtures and building materials. Nearly 1.1 million apartments are currently under construction, according to the commercial real estate tracker CoStar, a pace not seen since the 1970s.
Increasing the supply of apartments tends to moderate rent increases over time and can give tenants more options on where to live. But more than 40% of the new rentals to be completed this year will be concentrated in about 10 high job growth metropolitan areas, including Austin, Nashville, Denver, Atlanta and New York, according to Marcus & Millichap. In many areas, the boost to overall inventory will be barely noticeable.
Even within metros where there’ll be a notable increase in available apartments, such as Nashville, most of it will be in the luxury category, where rents average $2,270, nationally. Some 70% of the new rental inventory will be the luxury class, said Jay Lybik, national director of multifamily analytics at CoStar.
That will leave most tenants unlikely to see a big enough reduction in rent to make a difference, industry experts and economists say.
“I think we’re in a period of rent flattening for 12 or 18 months, but it’s certainly not a big rent decline,” said Hessam Nadji, CEO of commercial real estate firm Marcus & Millichap.
“We’re building a multi-decade record number of units,” Nadji said. “It’s going to cause some softening and some pockets of overbuilding, but it’s not going to fundamentally resolve the housing shortage or the affordability problem for renters across the U.S.”
The surge in rents has made it difficult for workers to keep up with inflation despite solid wage gains the past few years and exacerbated a long-term trend. Between 1999 and 2022, U.S. rents soared 135%, while income grew 77%, according to data from Moody’s Analytics.
Realtor.com is forecasting that rents will drop an average of 0.9% this year. But while down nationally, rents are still rising in many markets around the country, especially those where hiring remains robust.
In the New York metro area, the median rent climbed 4.7% in June from a year earlier to $2,899, according to Realtor.com. In the Midwest, rents surged 5.6% in the Cincinnati metro area to $1,188, and 6.9% to $1,350 in the Indianapolis metro area.
The current spike in apartment construction alone isn’t going to be enough to address how costly renting has become for many Americans.
“For the rest of the 2020s rents will continue to grow because millennials are such a big generation and we’re very much in the hole in terms of building housing for that generation,” said Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin. “It will take many good years of new construction to build adequate housing for millennials.”
The bigger challenge is building more work force housing, because the cost of land, labor and navigating the government approval process incentivize developers to put up luxury apartments buildings.
Expanding the supply of modestly priced rentals would help alleviate the strain from so many new apartments targeting renters with high incomes, “although additional subsidies will be needed to make housing affordable to households with the lowest incomes,” researchers at Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies wrote in a recent report.
Despite the overall pullback in U.S. rents, Joey Di Girolamo, in Pembroke Pines, Florida, worries that he’ll face more sharp rent increases in coming years.
Last year, the web designer left a two-bedroom, two-bath townhome he rented for $2,200 a month to avoid a $600 a month increase. This year, his rent went up by $200, a nearly 10% jump.
“That blew me away,” said Di Girolamo, 50. “I’m just kind of dreading what it’s going to be like next year, but especially 3 or 4 years from now.”
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.wpxi.com/news/some-renters-may-get/DKK5RNJLX4IHBQYHYRDZ57JIBU/ | 2023-07-30T21:35:37 | 0 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/some-renters-may-get/DKK5RNJLX4IHBQYHYRDZ57JIBU/ |
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.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/a-bomb-at-a-political-rally-in-northwest-pakistan-kills-at-least-44-people-and-wounds-nearly-200/6FOCJDJOFBAVBOAMULWCXAOWRE/ | 2023-07-30T21:35:40 | 1 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/a-bomb-at-a-political-rally-in-northwest-pakistan-kills-at-least-44-people-and-wounds-nearly-200/6FOCJDJOFBAVBOAMULWCXAOWRE/ |
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.
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wpxi.com/news/trending/cardi-b-hit-with-drink-during-las-vegas-concert-tosses-microphone-into-crowd/J4HVGI5LH5GTREBGY3AOSIP3G4/ | 2023-07-30T21:35:43 | 1 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/trending/cardi-b-hit-with-drink-during-las-vegas-concert-tosses-microphone-into-crowd/J4HVGI5LH5GTREBGY3AOSIP3G4/ |
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. | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/erratic-winds-challenge-firefighters-battling-two-major-california-blazes/T3CYW36IC5G75FL2MPWXN4PU4Q/ | 2023-07-30T21:35:47 | 0 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/erratic-winds-challenge-firefighters-battling-two-major-california-blazes/T3CYW36IC5G75FL2MPWXN4PU4Q/ |
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.wpxi.com/news/trending/chicago-shooting-1-woman-killed-8-wounded-citys-west-side/SJOVKBTDOZHWVPB7C3YFT3GJQY/ | 2023-07-30T21:35:50 | 0 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/trending/chicago-shooting-1-woman-killed-8-wounded-citys-west-side/SJOVKBTDOZHWVPB7C3YFT3GJQY/ |
KHAR, Pakistan — A suicide bomber set off explosives at a political rally in northwest Pakistan on Sunday, killing himself and at least 44 other people while injuring nearly 200 people, authorities said.
The attack happened in the town of Khar, located near the border of Afghanistan, Reuters reported. The device, which was detonated near the stage where the rally was being held, targeted members of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) party, according to CNN.
The party is a right-wing political and religious party led by cleric Maulana Fazlur Rehman, The Washington Post reported. The cleric is an ally of Afghanistan’s Taliban leadership and supports electoral politics in Pakistan, according to the newspaper.
At least 40 people were killed in a suspected suicide bomb blast targeting a political convention in northern Pakistan on Sunday, shocking the Pakistani government. https://t.co/X278lXPA9V
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) July 30, 2023
“Such crimes cannot be justified in any way,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted, the Post reported.
Although the JUI-F party is part of the country’s ruling class, it has also taken far-right positions on issues that include women’s rights, according to the newspaper.
Video footage of the explosion showed a fireball erupting near the stage as supporters assembled in a large tent, The Wall Street Journal reported. Video showed corpses and dismembered body parts scattered around the area where the bomb was detonated, according to the newspaper.
“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,” Adam Khan, 45, told The Associated Press. Khan said he was knocked to the ground by the blast around and was hit by splinters in his leg and both hands.
The JUI-F party is allied with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government, which is preparing for national elections in November, Reuters reported.
On Sunday, Sharif condemned the explosion, calling it an attack on Pakistan’s democratic process. The prime minister vowed to punish the people responsible for the attack, according to the news organization. | https://www.wpxi.com/news/trending/suicide-bomber-pakistan-political-rally-kills-least-44-injures-nearly-200/TJVTVLDJAJEP5INONJ6SCPH2Y4/ | 2023-07-30T21:35:56 | 1 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/trending/suicide-bomber-pakistan-political-rally-kills-least-44-injures-nearly-200/TJVTVLDJAJEP5INONJ6SCPH2Y4/ |
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.wpxi.com/news/world/suicide-bomber/PW7LAOWKXAQSCBSZQ3YZ5QW4VM/ | 2023-07-30T21:36:02 | 0 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/world/suicide-bomber/PW7LAOWKXAQSCBSZQ3YZ5QW4VM/ |
A lawsuit filed by Donald Trump against the news network CNN has been dismissed by a federal judge.
In a federal lawsuit filed last year in Florida, the former president claimed that some news articles and on-air statements from a host on the network created a "false and incendiary association" between him and Adolf Hitler. Trump also said that the use of the phrase "the Big Lie," used in reference to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, was defamatory, as it allegedly generated feelings of "hate, contempt, distrust, ridicule, and even fear" towards Trump among readers and viewers.
Ultimately, Trump sought punitive damages amounting to $475 million in the lawsuit.
But in a ruling on Friday, U.S. District Judge Raag Singhal stated that Trump's defamation claims lacked merit because the references made were opinions and not statements of fact.
The judge further emphasized that it would be a stretch to believe that the phrase "the Big Lie" would link Trump's efforts to challenge the 2020 election results with Nazi propaganda in the minds of viewers.
"CNN’s use of the phrase "the Big Lie" in connection with Trump’s election challenges does not give rise to a plausible inference that Trump advocates the persecution and genocide of Jews or any other group of people. No reasonable viewer could (or should) plausibly make that reference," Judge Singhal wrote in the filing, first obtained by the Washington Post.
According to the filing, Trump's lawsuit cited various instances, including opinion pieces by former CNN Editor-at-Large Chris Cillizza and one episode of CNN's "State of the Union," hosted by Jake Tapper, where the phrase "the Big Lie" was used.
SEE MORE: Trump's 2024 rivals ignored legal cases against him at Iowa GOP event
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com | https://www.abcactionnews.com/federal-judge-dismisses-trump-s-defamation-lawsuit-against-cnn | 2023-07-30T21:36:56 | 0 | https://www.abcactionnews.com/federal-judge-dismisses-trump-s-defamation-lawsuit-against-cnn |
During the past two weeks, some New Jerseyans (including some of my co-workers) have reported seeing pesky spotted lanternflies in their yards. But their descriptions varied widely.
Some saw tiny nymphs that are black with white spots. Some saw nymphs that are bright red with black and white blotches. And others saw larger lanternflies with colorful wings.
Have different species of spotted lanternflies invaded the eastern U.S.?
The answer is a big no, according to several insect experts in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. They say July happens to be a rare month in the one-year life cycle of spotted lanternflies, because these bugs can be going through different phases of their lives at slightly different paces.
Lauren Bonus, an entomologist who heads the Camden County Mosquito Commission, said the life cycle of spotted lanternflies tends to be consistent from one phase to the next, but “July is the one month where they all have the possibility of overlapping.”
Since every spotted lanternfly doesn’t hatch from its egg on the same exact day, during the same week or even in the same month, each lanternfly won’t go through its nymph phases and adult phase at the same time, Bonus explained.
Most spotted lanternflies begin to emerge from egg masses in May, Bonus said. “But some emerge in April, and some emerge in June.”
When they hatch will determine when they reach their first nymph phase (also known as “first instar”), their second nymph phase, their third nymph phase, their fourth nymph phase and — finally — their adult phase. And these pesky critters will look different in each of those phases.
When these insects first emerge — typically in April, May or June — they will be very tiny with black bodies and white spots. During their second and third phases, usually in June and July, their colors will remain the same but the lanternflies will be slightly bigger.
The fourth phase, known as fourth instar, can occur anytime between July and September, and this is when the lanternflies will have mostly red bodies with slightly larger white spots and black blotches.
The adult phase — the one where the lanternflies grow larger and sport colorful wings — can also start as early as July or as late as December, depending on how cold it is outside. In New Jersey, the adult phase typically starts in July and August, Bonus said.
By this time of the year, ”they’re all on their way to (becoming) adults,” she said. “By September, all of them should be in their adult phase.”
Once they reach their adult stage, the lanternflies begin to mate and lay eggs — setting the stage for new batches of nymphs next spring. (The adults will die off during the first hard freeze of winter, but most of their egg masses will survive.)
Amy Korman, horticulture extension educator for the Penn State Extension in Northampton and Lehigh counties in Pennsylvania, agrees it’s common to see spotted lanternflies in different phases around your home in late July.
“Right now, it’s not unusual to see a mix of black and white nymphs, red nymphs, and adults,” Korman said in an email. “By September, it will be almost all adults. Bottom line, they are not all in sync.”
Whether they are in sync, or not, spotted lanternflies can damage many varieties of trees, shrubs and ornamental plants, according to bug experts at Rutgers University. The lanternfly’s main target is the Ailanthus, a fast-growing tree that is commonly known as the Tree of Heaven.
These insects also tend to prey on red maple trees, black walnut trees, willow trees and grapevines, posing a threat to the wine industry.
Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription.
Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. | https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/news/2023/07/why-do-spotted-lanternflies-look-so-different-experts-say-the-answer-is-simple.html | 2023-07-30T21:36:56 | 0 | https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/news/2023/07/why-do-spotted-lanternflies-look-so-different-experts-say-the-answer-is-simple.html |
ST. LOUIS — Union workers fear that Yellow Freight may face a "complete shutdown" within a couple of days, a new letter revealed.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is warning its members to brace for the closure of Yellow Freight in the near future, not even a week after the trucking company averted a nationwide employee strike by signing a deal with the union.
Editor's note: The above video aired on July 24.
A 5 On Your Side viewer shared a letter the union sent out to its members which painted a bleak future for the company.
"The likelihood that Yellow will survive is increasingly bleak," the letter said. "All Yellow employees should, in our opinion, prepare for the worst, as Yellow appears to be headed to a complete shutdown within the next few days."
In light of Yellow allegedly laying off personnel and closing terminals across the country, the union's letter advised employees to take any personal belongings and tools they may have at terminals and bring them home as soon as possible.
"That way, in case Yellow does shut down over the weekend or next week, the employees' property will not get lumped in with Yellow's property and get locked up in a bankruptcy or liquidation proceeding that could result in the employees not recovering their personal property."
5 On Your Side reached out to Yellow Freight for comment on the union's claims. The company has yet to return our request for comment.
This is a developing story. Tune in to 5 On Your Side for the latest details.
Top St. Louis headlines
Get the latest news and details throughout the St. Louis area from 5 On Your Side broadcasts here. | https://www.wthr.com/article/money/business/prepare-for-the-worst-teamsters-warn-yellow-freight-workers-brace-for-closing/63-279f5d55-c011-4247-a7a6-de2ac00c2414 | 2023-07-30T21:37:02 | 1 | https://www.wthr.com/article/money/business/prepare-for-the-worst-teamsters-warn-yellow-freight-workers-brace-for-closing/63-279f5d55-c011-4247-a7a6-de2ac00c2414 |
The Jets had a visitor at Sunday’s training camp practice, where free agent running back Dalvin Cook watched from the sideline.
But with the season six weeks away, the Jets still don’t know if Cook will be a competitor or a rival.
BUY JETS TICKETS: STUBHUB, VIVID SEATS, TICKETSMARTER, TICKETMASTER
The answer could come as soon as Sunday, if the Jets sign Cook to a deal before he leaves their building during a free-agent visit. And after being released by the Vikings early this year, the four-time Pro Bowler certainly got a taste of what it would be like to play for the team, as several Jets chatted him up during practice, quarterback Aaron Rodgers, coach Robert Saleh and owner Woody Johnson.
“He’s a good young man, a very good young man,” Saleh said. “I didn’t interact too much, but seems like there’s a lot of stuff going around, especially when it’s open to the public, so it was good to say hello.”
Jets fans also serenaded Cook with chants of his name and “sign that contract. And Cook reshared a post of the chants on social media by adding his own commentary: a green heart emoji.
Saleh said the visit would continue after practice.
“Call it a meet and greet,” Saleh said, adding he wasn’t sure how much the Jets would pitch Cook on joining their team. Cook said previously that there was a good chance he would sign with the Jets and that he liked what they are building with Rodgers leading the offense.
“I think it’s more [to] just get a feel and make the best decision for your family,” Saleh said. “I’m sure he’s got a lot of questions that he wants to ask and hopefully we get a chance to sit down and I can answer any questions that he might have.”
The Jets are Cook’s first visit of free agency. And it’s a potentially fraught situation because the free agent running back has also drawn interest from the Dolphins and Patriots and the former Florida State star has also talked of the appeal of returning to his native South Florida to play for the Dolphins. But Saleh said that wouldn’t impact the team’s decision-making on Cook.
“We’re focused on us and how can we make ourselves better and how does this all fit?” Saleh said. “And if you check the box of making yourself better, if it’s the right way, and we’re doing what’s best for this organization, then you make the right decision, but to make decisions to spite another team, you’re just asking for it.”
Want to bet on the NFL?
See the best NJ Sports Betting sites
Notes: Second-year receiver Garrett Wilson missed practice with a lower ankle injury. Saleh said the team will be cautious with his recovery. Wilson watched practice from the sideline with his ankle wrapped but appeared to be moving without a noticeable limp after suffering the injury Thursday. ... Receiver Allen Lazard returned to practice and participated in team drills after missing about a week with muscle tightness. ... Receiver Randall Cobb was activated from PUP and made his Jets debut in individual drills but was not on the field for team drills. ... Mekhi Becton was back in team drills after sitting out Wednesday’s practice because of his surgically-repaired knee and returning Thursday on a limited basis. ... Saleh said the starters won’t play in Thursday’s preseason opener against the Browns, but Becton, quarterback Zach Wilson, and first-round pick Will McDonald are all among the “young guys” expected to play in the Hall of Fame game.
Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.
Andy Vasquez may be reached at avasquez@njadvancemedia.com. | https://www.nj.com/jets/2023/07/dalvin-cook-visits-jets-watches-practice-when-a-deal-could-get-done.html | 2023-07-30T21:37:02 | 0 | https://www.nj.com/jets/2023/07/dalvin-cook-visits-jets-watches-practice-when-a-deal-could-get-done.html |
The Biden administration is launching a beta website for its new income-driven student loan repayment plan today, officials told CNN, allowing borrowers to begin submitting applications for the program as federal student loan payments are set to resume in October.
The SAVE, or Saving on a Valuable Education, plan was finalized after the Supreme Court struck down President Joe Biden’s student debt forgiveness initiative in June. It marks a significant change to the federal student loan system that could lower monthly loan payments for some borrowers and reduce the amount they pay back over the lifetime of their loans.
“Part of the president’s overall commitment is to improve the student loan system and reduce the burden of student loan debt on American families,” a senior administration official said, previewing the beta website first to CNN. “The SAVE plan is a big part of that. It is important in this moment as borrowers are getting ready to return to repayment.”
Federal student loan borrowers can access the beta website at https://studentaid.gov/idr/. The enrollment process is estimated to take 10 minutes, and many sections can be automatically populated with information the government has on hand, including tax returns from the IRS, administration officials said.
“We will be able to show borrowers their exact monthly payment amount and give them the ability to choose the most affordable repayment plan for them,” one official said.
Borrowers will only need to apply one time, not yearly as past systems require, which officials said would make this plan “much easier to use.” Users will receive a confirmation email once the application is submitted, and the approval process, which can be tracked online, is expected to take a few weeks.
Those already enrolled in the federal government’s REPAYE, or Revised Pay As You Earn, income-driven repayment plan will be automatically switched to the new plan.
The full website launch will occur in August, and applications submitted during the beta period will not need to be resubmitted. The beta period will allow the Department of Education to monitor site performance in real time to identify any issues, and the site may be paused to make any necessary updates, officials said.
The SAVE plan, which applies to current and future federal student loan borrowers, will determine payments based on income and family size, and some monthly payments will be as small as $0. The income threshold to qualify for $0 payments has been increased from 150% to 225% of federal poverty guidelines, which translates to an annual income of $32,805 for a single borrower or $67,500 for a family of four. The Education Department estimates this means more than 1 million additional borrowers will qualify for $0 payments under the plan.
Some borrowers could have their payments cut in half when the program is in full effect next year and see their remaining debt canceled after making at least 10 years of payments, a significant change from previous plans.
With the new plan, unpaid interest will not accrue if a borrower makes their full monthly payments.
But the new plan does come at a cost to the federal government. Estimates of the program’s expense have varied depending on how many borrowers sign up for the new plan, but they range from $138 billion to $361 billion over 10 years. By comparison, Biden’s student loan forgiveness program was expected to cost about $400 billion.
The Education Department has created similar income-driven repayment plans in the past and has not faced a successful legal challenge, officials noted.
The beta site launch comes as borrowers will need to begin making federal student loan payments again in October after a pause of more than three years because of the pandemic.
Since the Supreme Court struck down Biden’s effort to cancel up to $20,000 of student debt for millions of borrowers, the administration has taken a number of steps aimed at helping federal student loan borrowers in other ways.
Earlier this month, the Education Department announced that 804,000 borrowers will have their student debt wiped away – about $39 billion worth of debt – after fixes that more accurately count qualified monthly payments under existing income-driven repayment plans. | https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/national/biden-administration-launches-new-income-driven-student-debt-repayment-plan | 2023-07-30T21:37:03 | 1 | https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/national/biden-administration-launches-new-income-driven-student-debt-repayment-plan |
Compared with the devil, angels carry more credence in America.
Angels even get more credence than, well, hell. More than astrology, reincarnation, and the belief that physical things can have spiritual energies.
In fact, about 7 in 10 U.S. adults say they believe in angels, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
“People are yearning for something greater than themselves — beyond their own understanding,” said Jack Grogger, a chaplain for the Los Angeles Angels and a longtime Southern California fire captain who has aided many people in their gravest moments.
That search for something bigger, he said, can take on many forms, from following a religion to crafting a self-driven purpose to believing in, of course, angels.
“For a lot of people, angels are a lot safer to worship,” said Grogger, who also pastors a nondenominational church in Orange, California, and is a chaplain for the NHL's Anaheim Ducks.
People turn to angels for comfort, he said. They are familiar, regularly showing up in pop culture as well as in the Bible. Comparably, worshipping Jesus is far more involved; when Grogger preaches about angels it is with the context that they are part of God's kingdom.
American's belief in angels (69%) is about on par with belief in heaven and the power of prayer, but bested by belief in God or a higher power (79%). Fewer U.S. adults believe in the devil or Satan (56%), astrology (34%), reincarnation (34%), and that physical things can have spiritual energies, such as plants, rivers or crystals (42%).
The widespread acceptance of angels shown in the AP-NORC poll makes sense to Susan Garrett, an angel expert and New Testament professor at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Kentucky. It tracks with historical surveys, she said, adding that the U.S. remains a faith-filled country even as more Americans reject organized religion.
But if the devil is in the details, so are people’s understandings of angels.
“They’re very malleable,” Garrett said of angels. “You can have any one of a number of quite different worldviews in terms of your understanding of how the cosmos is arranged, whether there’s spirit beings, whether there’s life after death, whether there’s a God … and still find a place for angels in that worldview.”
Talk of angels, Garrett said, is often also about something else, like the ways God interacts with the world and other hard-to-articulate ideas.
The large number of U.S. adults who say they believe in angels includes 84% of those with a religious affiliation — 94% of evangelical Protestants, 81% of mainline Protestants and 82% of Catholics — and 33% of those without one. And of those angel-believing religiously unaffiliated, that includes 2% of atheists, 25% of agnostics and 50% of those identified as “nothing in particular.”
The broad acceptance is what fascinates San Francisco-based witch and author Devin Hunter: Angels show up independently in different religions and traditions, making them part of the fabric that unites humanity.
“We’re all getting to the same conclusion,” said Hunter, who spent 16 years as a professional medium, and started communicating as a child with what he believed were angels.
Hunter estimates that a belief in angels applies to about half of those practicing modern witchcraft today, and for some who don't believe, their rejection is often rooted in the religious trauma they experienced growing up.
“Angels become a very big deal" for long-time practitioners who've made occultism their primary focus, said Hunter, an angel-loving occultist. “We cannot escape them in any way, shape or form.”
Jennifer Goodwin of Oviedo, Florida, also is among the roughly seven in 10 U.S. adults who say they believe in angels. She isn’t sure if God exists and rejects the afterlife dichotomy of heaven and hell, but the recent deaths of her parents solidified her views on these celestial beings.
Goodwin believes her parents are still keeping an eye on the family — not in any physical way or as a supernatural apparition, but that they manifest in those moments when she feels a general sense of comfort.
“I think that they are around us, but it’s in a way that we can’t understand,” Goodwin said. “I don’t know what else to call it except an angel.”
Angels mean different things to different people, and the idea of loved ones becoming heavenly angels after death is neither an unusual belief nor a universally held one.
In his reading of Scripture as an evangelical Protestant, Grogger said he believes angels are something else entirely — they have never been human and are on another level in heaven's hierarchy. “We are higher than angels,” he said. “We do not become an angel.”
Angels do interact with humans though, said Grogger, but what "that looks like we’re not 100% sure.” They worship God who created this angelic legion of unknown numbers, he said, adding that evangelicals often attribute the demonic forces in the world to the angels who fell from heaven when the devil rebelled.
The Western ideas about angels can be traced through the Bible — and to the worldviews of its monotheistic authors, Garrett said. Those beliefs have changed and developed for millennia, influenced by cultures, theologians and even the ancient polytheistic beliefs that came before the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, she said.
“There are sort of lines of continuity from the Bible that you can trace all the way up to the New Age movement,” said Susan Garrett, who wrote “No Ordinary Angel: Celestial Spirits and Christian Claims about Jesus.”
The angels in the Bible do God's bidding, and angelic violence is one part of their job description, said Esther Hamori, author of the upcoming book, “God's Monsters: Vengeful Spirits, Deadly Angels, Hybrid Creatures, and Divine Hitmen of the Bible.”
“The angels of the Bible are just as likely to assassinate individuals and slaughter entire populations as they are to offer help and protect and deliver,” said Hamori. She doesn't believe in these angels, but studies them as a Hebrew Bible professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York where she teaches a popular “Monster Heaven” class.
“They’re just God’s obedient soldiers doing the task at hand, and sometimes that task is in human beings' best interests, and sometimes it’s not," she said.
The perception that angels act angelic and look like the idyllic, winged figurines atop Christmas trees could be attributed to an early centuries belief that people are assigned one good angel and one bad — or have a good and bad spirit to guide them, Garrett said.
This idea shows up on the shoulders of cartoon characters and is likely what Abraham Lincoln was alluding to in his famous appeal for unity when he referenced “the better angels of our nature” in his first inaugural address, she said.
“It’s also tied in with ideas about guardian angels, which again, very ancient views that got developed over the centuries,” Garrett said.
For Sheila Avery of Chicago, angels are protectors, capable of keeping someone from harm. Avery, who belongs to a nondenominational church, credits them with those moments like when a person’s plans fall through, but ultimately it saves them from being in the thick of an unexpected disaster.
“They turn on the news and a terrible tragedy happened at that particular place,” Avery said, suggesting it was an “angel that was probably watching over them.”
___
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/nation-world/poll-about-7-in-10-americans-believe-in-angels/507-abff1d00-b0a5-4235-880b-ab6e805d48e5 | 2023-07-30T21:37:08 | 0 | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/nation-world/poll-about-7-in-10-americans-believe-in-angels/507-abff1d00-b0a5-4235-880b-ab6e805d48e5 |
First responders rescued four people who were on a capsizing sailboat off the coast of Sandy Hook early Sunday morning, officials said.
The U.S. Coast Guard Sector command center in New York received a 1 a.m. distress call from a sailboat named Eagle, reporting the vessel had run aground and was capsizing, the agency said.
First responders went to search for Eagle, which they found at about 2 a.m., officials said. All four boaters were clinging to the hull, which had overturned, the Coast Guard said. | https://www.nj.com/news/2023/07/rescuers-save-4-clinging-to-overturned-sailboat-off-jersey-shore.html | 2023-07-30T21:37:09 | 0 | https://www.nj.com/news/2023/07/rescuers-save-4-clinging-to-overturned-sailboat-off-jersey-shore.html |
During the past two weeks, some New Jerseyans (including some of my co-workers) have reported seeing pesky spotted lanternflies in their yards. But their descriptions varied widely.
Some saw tiny nymphs that are black with white spots. Some saw nymphs that are bright red with black and white blotches. And others saw larger lanternflies with colorful wings.
Have different species of spotted lanternflies invaded the eastern U.S.?
The answer is a big no, according to several insect experts in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. They say July happens to be a rare month in the one-year life cycle of spotted lanternflies, because these bugs can be going through different phases of their lives at slightly different paces.
Lauren Bonus, an entomologist who heads the Camden County Mosquito Commission, said the life cycle of spotted lanternflies tends to be consistent from one phase to the next, but “July is the one month where they all have the possibility of overlapping.”
Since every spotted lanternfly doesn’t hatch from its egg on the same exact day, during the same week or even in the same month, each lanternfly won’t go through its nymph phases and adult phase at the same time, Bonus explained.
Most spotted lanternflies begin to emerge from egg masses in May, Bonus said. “But some emerge in April, and some emerge in June.”
When they hatch will determine when they reach their first nymph phase (also known as “first instar”), their second nymph phase, their third nymph phase, their fourth nymph phase and — finally — their adult phase. And these pesky critters will look different in each of those phases.
When these insects first emerge — typically in April, May or June — they will be very tiny with black bodies and white spots. During their second and third phases, usually in June and July, their colors will remain the same but the lanternflies will be slightly bigger.
The fourth phase, known as fourth instar, can occur anytime between July and September, and this is when the lanternflies will have mostly red bodies with slightly larger white spots and black blotches.
The adult phase — the one where the lanternflies grow larger and sport colorful wings — can also start as early as July or as late as December, depending on how cold it is outside. In New Jersey, the adult phase typically starts in July and August, Bonus said.
By this time of the year, ”they’re all on their way to (becoming) adults,” she said. “By September, all of them should be in their adult phase.”
Once they reach their adult stage, the lanternflies begin to mate and lay eggs — setting the stage for new batches of nymphs next spring. (The adults will die off during the first hard freeze of winter, but most of their egg masses will survive.)
Amy Korman, horticulture extension educator for the Penn State Extension in Northampton and Lehigh counties in Pennsylvania, agrees it’s common to see spotted lanternflies in different phases around your home in late July.
“Right now, it’s not unusual to see a mix of black and white nymphs, red nymphs, and adults,” Korman said in an email. “By September, it will be almost all adults. Bottom line, they are not all in sync.”
Whether they are in sync, or not, spotted lanternflies can damage many varieties of trees, shrubs and ornamental plants, according to bug experts at Rutgers University. The lanternfly’s main target is the Ailanthus, a fast-growing tree that is commonly known as the Tree of Heaven.
These insects also tend to prey on red maple trees, black walnut trees, willow trees and grapevines, posing a threat to the wine industry.
Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription.
Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. | https://www.nj.com/news/2023/07/why-do-spotted-lanternflies-look-so-different-experts-say-the-answer-is-simple.html | 2023-07-30T21:37:15 | 0 | https://www.nj.com/news/2023/07/why-do-spotted-lanternflies-look-so-different-experts-say-the-answer-is-simple.html |
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.wthr.com/article/news/nation-world/us-mother-daughter-reported-kidnapped-in-haiti/507-dffeb51f-530c-4af0-9846-d782c40b2a43 | 2023-07-30T21:37:15 | 1 | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/nation-world/us-mother-daughter-reported-kidnapped-in-haiti/507-dffeb51f-530c-4af0-9846-d782c40b2a43 |
The New York Yankees face the Baltimore Orioles in an MLB regular season game on Sunday, July 30, 2023 (7/30/23) at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland.
HOW TO WATCH (LOCAL): Local fans can watch the game for free via a trial of DirecTV Stream, which carries YES Network (New York) and Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (Baltimore).
HOW TO WATCH (NATIONAL): Fans can also watch the game via a free trial to fuboTV or Sling TV, which offers 50% off the first month.
BUY YANKEES TICKETS: STUBHUB, VIVID SEATS, TICKETSMARTER
Here’s what you need to know:
What: MLB regular season
Who: Yankees vs. Orioles
When: Sunday, July 30, 2023
Where: Camden Yards
Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN Deportes (national), Yes Network, Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (local)
Channel finder: Verizon Fios, Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, Cox, DIRECTV, Dish, Hulu, fuboTV, Sling.
Live stream: DirecTV Stream (free trial), fuboTV (free trial), Sling TV (offers 50% off the first month)
Here’s a recent AP story on the Yankees:
NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson was transferred to the 60-day injured list, a decision that means he can’t play until Sept. 14 at the earliest.
Donaldson hurt his right calf while running to first base Saturday at Colorado, and the 37-year-old was put on the 10-day IL the next day. New York said he was diagnosed with a grade 3 strain.
A three-time All-Star, Donaldson was on the IL from April 5 to June 2 because of a strained right hamstring. The 2015 AL MVP with Toronto, Donaldson is hitting .142 with 15 RBIs. Ten of his 15 hits have been home runs.
New York acquired Donaldson from Minnesota in March 2022 along with shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa and backup catcher Ben Rortvedt for catcher Gary Sánchez and third baseman Gio Urshela, Donaldson hit .222 last year with 15 homers and 62 RBIs.
He has a $21 million salary in the final season of a $92 million, four-year contract he signed with Minnesota. The deal includes a $24 million mutual option for 2024 with an $6 million buyout if declined by the team.
New York selected the contract of 32-year-old right-hander Matt Bowman and optioned him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Bowman, who last pitched in the major leagues with Cincinnati in 2019, is 4-0 with a 3.29 ERA in 30 relief appearances this year with the RailRiders.
Infielder/outfielder Jake Bowers started a minor league injury rehabilitation assignment Thursday with Scranton and outfielder Willie Calhoun began one with Double-A Somerset. Bauers bruised his left rotator cuff while trying for a diving catch on July 5. Calhoun strained his left quadriceps on June 21.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.
Cayden Steele may be reached at CSteele@njadvancemedia.com | https://www.nj.com/sports/2023/07/new-york-yankees-vs-baltimore-orioles-free-live-stream-73023-watch-mlb-online-time-tv-channel.html | 2023-07-30T21:37:21 | 0 | https://www.nj.com/sports/2023/07/new-york-yankees-vs-baltimore-orioles-free-live-stream-73023-watch-mlb-online-time-tv-channel.html |
Four Winds Fest closes out biggest year yet
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - The Four Winds Music and Art Festival in downtown Sioux Falls wrapped up with one last night of music at the Icon Lounge.
The festival began in 2016 and has grown to become a three-day event with over 50 local musical artists combined with the 605 Art Show.
The music kicked off on Friday at three different locations, Club David, Full Circle Book Co-op, and Icon, with the final band set to take the stage at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday.
“I didn’t expect it to get to where we are, we started with real humble beginnings with a few hundred people. But now, this year it looks like it’s going to end up being at least three to four thousand people from our community getting together to celebrate what makes this town great,” said Four Winds founder, Corey Church.
Thousands of visitors turned out over the course of the weekend, and organizers say it’s a testament to the music community in Sioux Falls.
Copyright 2023 KSFY. All rights reserved. | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2023/07/30/four-winds-fest-closes-out-biggest-year-yet/ | 2023-07-30T21:37:22 | 1 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2023/07/30/four-winds-fest-closes-out-biggest-year-yet/ |
“Black Snow” is airing its ddebut season premiere on Sunday, July 30 at 10 p.m. You can watch it live as it airs on Philo (free trial).
Here’s the information you’ll need to watch a free live stream of “Black Snow” online without cable.
How to watch ‘Black Snow’ without cable
If you’re a cord-cutter or don’t have cable, you can live stream “Black Snow” on any one of the following streaming platforms:
Sling TV (half off first month)
When is ‘Black Snow’ on?
“Black Snow” begins its first season run on AMC at 10 p.m. on Sunday, July 30. It will be preceded by an airing of “Tombstone” at 6 p.m.
What channel is AMC?
You can use the channel finder on your provider’s website to locate it: Verizon Fios, AT&T U-verse, Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV, Dish.
How to watch ‘Black Snow’ online on-demand
If you missed “Black Snow” or want to binge watch other AMC content online, look for it on the following streaming platforms:
Sling TV (half off first month)
What is ‘Black Snow’ about?
According to the official AMC description of the series: When a time capsule is opened and a secret is unearthed, Detective James Cormack is put on the trail of a murderer from a 1994 case that was never solved.
Here’s a look at “Black Snow,” courtesy of the show’s official YouTube channel:
Related stories about streaming TV services
The best streaming services for animated TV in 2023
What is Sling TV and how does it work? Price, channels, live streaming info
The best streaming services for live TV in 2023: Prices, features, free trials
The best VPNs of 2023, according to reviews
What is Philo? Price, TV channels, how to get a free trial
How to watch ‘Yellowstone,’ the hottest show on TV right now
Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.
Joseph Rejent covers TV, writing about live television, streaming services and cord-cutting. He can be reached at jrejent@njadvancemedia.com. | https://www.nj.com/tv/2023/07/black-snow-premiere-free-live-stream-how-to-watch-online-without-cable.html | 2023-07-30T21:37:27 | 1 | https://www.nj.com/tv/2023/07/black-snow-premiere-free-live-stream-how-to-watch-online-without-cable.html |
“When Calls the Heart” is airing the first episode of its 10th season on Sunday, July 30 at 9 p.m. You can watch the premiere live as it airs on Philo (free trial).
Here’s the information you’ll need to watch a free live stream of “When Calls the Heart” online without cable.
How to watch ‘When Calls the Heart’ without cable
If you’re a cord-cutter or don’t have cable, you can live stream “When Calls the Heart” on Philo (free trial), Fubo TV (free trial), and DIRECTV Stream (free trial).
When is ‘When Calls the Heart’ on?
“When Calls the Heart” airs the first episode of its 10th season on Sunday, July 30 at 9 p.m. on Hallmark. It will air for one hour and will be followed by an airing of the film “Aloha Heart.”
What channel is Hallmark?
You can use the channel finder on your provider’s website to locate it: Verizon Fios, AT&T U-verse, Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV, Dish.
How to watch ‘When Calls the Heart’ online on-demand
If you missed the “When Calls the Heart” or want to watch other Hallmark films or events, check out Philo (free trial), Fubo TV (free trial), and DIRECTV Stream (free trial).
What is ‘When Calls the Heart’ about?
According to the official Hallmark website: Hope Valley faces an economic downturn together; Elizabeth and Bill learn that the children of Hope Valley have made a discovery that could change the future of the town.
The series stars Erin Krakow, Daniel Lissing, Lori Laughlin, Jack Wagner, Martin Cummins, Pascale Hutton, and Kavan Smith.
Here’s a look at “When Calls the Heart,” courtesy of the Hallmark Channel’s official YouTube channel:
Related stories about streaming TV services
Hulu raising prices for live TV: Here are 3 streaming services that are cheaper
What is Sling TV and how does it work? Price, channels, live streaming info
The best streaming services for live TV in 2023: Prices, features, free trials
The best VPNs of 2023, according to reviews
What is Philo? Price, TV channels, how to get a free trial
How to watch ‘Yellowstone,’ the hottest show on TV right now
Forget Netflix. Apple TV+ is the streaming service you need right now.
Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.
Joseph Rejent covers TV, writing about live television, streaming services and cord-cutting. He can be reached at jrejent@njadvancemedia.com. | https://www.nj.com/tv/2023/07/when-calls-the-heart-season-10-free-live-stream-how-to-watch-online-without-cable.html | 2023-07-30T21:37:33 | 0 | https://www.nj.com/tv/2023/07/when-calls-the-heart-season-10-free-live-stream-how-to-watch-online-without-cable.html |
Max Scherzer may be the Texas Rangers’ biggest addition during trade deadline season, but it won’t be their last.
St. Louis Cardinals starter Jordan Montgomery has been dealt to Texas, according to multiple reports. The former New York Yankee and reliever Chris Stratton will join the Rangers’ pennant chase. St. Louis is acquiring reliever John King, pitching prospect Tekoah Roby and infield prospect Thomas Saggese.
BUY MLB TICKETS: STUBHUB, VIVID SEATS, TICKETMASTER
A day after reaching a deal with Scherzer with the New York Mets for top prospect Luisangel Acuña, the Rangers continue to bolster a starting rotation that also includes Jon Gray, Andrew Heaney, Dane Dunning and Martin Pérez. Nathan Eovaldi, their best starter this season, was placed on the injured list Sunday with a forearm strain. (Former Mets ace Jacob deGrom pitched six starts before needing a second Tommy John surgery.)
What Montgomery lacks in flash, he makes up with reliability and that is valuable for a team looking for quality innings. The left-hander has tossed 121 innings, posting a 3.42 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 108 strikeouts. He is projected to pitch at least 155 innings for the third consecutive season. Montgomery also has some postseason experience, giving up one run in four innings in 2020 with New York and compiling 2 2/3 scoreless innings during an NL wild-card start last season. Yankees fans remember him as a 2014 fourth-round draft pick who spent six-plus seasons in New York before being dealt for outfielder Harrison Bader a year ago.
The 32-year-old Stratton has a 4.36 ERA with a 9.89 K/9 in 53 2/3 innings this season and will slot in middle relief.
Want to bet on MLB?
See the best NJ Sports Betting sites
Tekoah Roby (No. 11) and Thomas Saggese (No. 14) were ranked among Texas’ best prospects, according to MLB Pipeline. The 21-year-old Roby has a 5.05 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 46 1/3 innings in Double-A. He was put on the injured list June 6 because of a shoulder injury. Saggese, 21, has a .314/.380/.514 line with 15 home runs and 78 RBIs in Double-A.
King, a lefty reliever, has a 5.79 ERA in 18 2/3 innings.
Texas leads the AL West with a 60-45 record. It has not made the playoffs since 2016.
The Cardinals also dealt closer Jordan Hicks to the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday for pitching prospects Adam Kloffenstein and Sem Robberse.
MORE YANKEES
Back and hot, Aaron Judge ‘not happy’ Yankees planning bunch of rest days
Marlins want Yankees’ Gleyber Torres badly, but not for Brian Cashman’s price, source says
Yankees’ Aaron Judge delivers big home run (442 feet) and even bigger prediction | Klapisch
Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.
Jimmy Hascup may be reached at jhascup@njadvancemedia.com. | https://www.nj.com/yankees/2023/07/ex-yankees-pitcher-traded-to-al-west-team-that-didnt-think-max-scherzer-was-enough.html | 2023-07-30T21:37:39 | 0 | https://www.nj.com/yankees/2023/07/ex-yankees-pitcher-traded-to-al-west-team-that-didnt-think-max-scherzer-was-enough.html |
NEW YORK (AP) — At a moment of growing legal peril, Donald Trump ramped up his calls for his GOP rivals to drop out of the 2024 presidential race as he threatened to go after Republican members of Congress who fail to focus on investigating Democratic President Joe Biden.
Trump also urged a halt to Ukrainian military aid until the White House cooperates with congressional investigations into Biden and his family.
“Every dollar spent attacking me by Republicans is a dollar given straight to the Biden campaign,” Trump said at a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Saturday night.
The former president and GOP front-runner said it was time for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and others he dismissed as “clowns” to clear the field, accusing them of “wasting hundreds of millions of dollars that Republicans should be using to build a massive vote-gathering operation” to take on Biden in November.
The comments came two days after federal prosecutors unveiled new criminal charges against Trump as part of the case that accuses him of illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago club and refusing to turn them over to investigators. The superseding indictment unsealed Thursday alleges that Trump and two staffers sought to delete surveillance at the club in an effort to obstruct the Justice Department’s investigation.
The case is just one of Trump’s mounting legal challenges. His team is currently bracing for additional possible indictments, which could happen as soon as this coming week, related to his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election brought by prosecutors in both Washington and Georgia. Trump already faces criminal charges in New York over hush money payments made to women who accused him of sexual encounters during his 2016 presidential campaign.
Nevertheless, Trump remains the dominant early figure for the Republican nomination and has only seen his lead grow as the charges have mounted and as his rivals have struggled to respond. Their challenge was on display at a GOP gathering in Iowa Friday night, where they largely declined to go after Trump directly. The only one who did — accusing Trump of “running to stay out of prison” — was booed as he left the stage.
In the meantime, Trump has embraced his legal woes, turning them into the core message of his bid to return to the White House as he accuses Biden of using the Justice Department to maim his chief political rival. The White House has said repeatedly that the president has had no involvement in the cases.
At rallies, Trump has tried to frame the charges, which come with serious threats of jail time, as an attack not just on him, but those who support him.
“They’re not indicting me, they’re indicting you. I just happen to be standing in the way,” he said in Erie, adding, “Every time the radical left Democrats, Marxists, communists and fascists indict me, I consider it actually a great badge of honor…. Because I’m being indicted for you.”
But the investigations are also sucking up enormous resources that are being diverted from the nuts and bolts of the campaign. The Washington Post first reported Saturday that Trump’s political action committee, Save America, will report Monday that it spent more than $40 million on legal fees during the first half of 2023 defending Trump and all of the current and former aides whose lawyers it is paying. The total is more than the campaign raised during the second quarter of the year.
“In order to combat these heinous actions by Joe Biden’s cronies and to protect these innocent people from financial ruin and prevent their lives from being completely destroyed, the leadership PAC contributed to their legal fees to ensure they have representation against unlawful harassment,” said Trump’s spokesman Steven Cheung.
At the rally, in a former Democratic stronghold that Trump flipped in 2016, but Biden won narrowly in 2020, Trump also threatened Republicans in Congress who refuse to go along with efforts to impeach Biden. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said this past week that Republican lawmakers may consider an impeachment inquiry into the president over unproven claims of financial misconduct.
Trump, who was impeached twice while in office, said Saturday that, “The biggest complaint that I get is that the Republicans find out this information and then they do nothing about it.”
“Any Republican that doesn’t act on Democrat fraud should be immediately primaries and get out — out!” he told the crowd to loud applause. “They have to play tough and … if they’re not willing to do it, we got a lot of good, tough Republicans around … and they’re going to get my endorsement every singe time.”
Trump, during the 2022 midterm elections, made it his mission to punish those who had voted in favor of his second impeachment. He succeeded in unseating most who had by backing primary challengers.
At the rally, Trump also called on Republican members of Congress to halt the authorization of additional military support to Ukraine, which has been mired in a war fighting Russia’s invasion, until the Biden administration cooperates with Republican investigations into Biden and his family’s business dealings — words that echoed the call that lead to his first impeachment.
“He’s dragging into a global conflict on behalf of the very same country, Ukraine, that apparently paid his family all of these millions of dollars,” Trump alleged. “In light of this information,” Congress, he said, “should refuse to authorize a single additional payment of our depleted stockpiles … the weapons stockpiles to Ukraine until the FBI, DOJ and IRS hand over every scrap of evidence they have on the Biden crime family’s corrupt business dealings.”
House Republicans have been investigating the Biden family’s finances, particularly payments Hunter, the president’s son, received from Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company that became tangled in the first impeachment of Trump.
An unnamed confidential FBI informant claimed that Burisma company officials in 2015 and 2016 sought to pay the Bidens $5 million each in return for their help ousting a Ukrainian prosecutor who was purportedly investigating the company. But a Justice Department review in 2020, while Trump was president, was closed eight months later with insufficient evidence of wrongdoing.
Trump’s first impeachment by the House resulted in charges that he pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to dig up dirt on the Bidens while threatening to withhold military aid. Trump was later acquitted by the Senate. | https://www.wivb.com/news/political-news/ap-politics/ap-trump-amid-legal-perils-calls-on-gop-to-rally-around-him-as-he-threatens-primary-challenges/ | 2023-07-30T21:37:44 | 1 | https://www.wivb.com/news/political-news/ap-politics/ap-trump-amid-legal-perils-calls-on-gop-to-rally-around-him-as-he-threatens-primary-challenges/ |
VIDEO: Tornado causes damage to Martell after Saturday storm
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - A strong bow echo created an EF-1 tornado in southeast Nebraska Saturday morning.
The incident happened at around 8:18 a.m.
According to official documents, the incident affected parts of Martell.
Officials said the tornado had estimated peak winds of 110 mph. The tornado’s width was 100 yards wide and a little more than a quarter-mile long.
According to National Weather Service in Omaha/Valley, the tornado uprooted and snapped trees, caused roof and siding damage, and tore the roof off a Airbnb that was attached to a large barn.
The Airbnb’s owner said that a couple and their children were staying in the Airbnb for a nearby wedding. They had to take cover in the closet under the mattress with their 3-year-old and 10-month-old.
No people were injured due to the incident.
Copyright 2023 KOLN. All rights reserved. | https://www.1011now.com/2023/07/30/video-tornado-causes-damage-martell-after-saturday-storm/ | 2023-07-30T21:37:44 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/2023/07/30/video-tornado-causes-damage-martell-after-saturday-storm/ |
(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.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/national-news/airfares-are-back-to-normal-so-why-do-they-feel-so-high/ | 2023-07-30T21:37:44 | 0 | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/national-news/airfares-are-back-to-normal-so-why-do-they-feel-so-high/ |
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.wivb.com/news/world/ap-china-says-us-military-aid-to-taiwan-will-not-deter-its-will-to-unify-the-island/ | 2023-07-30T21:37:44 | 1 | https://www.wivb.com/news/world/ap-china-says-us-military-aid-to-taiwan-will-not-deter-its-will-to-unify-the-island/ |
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.
Sold by Amazon
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.
Sold by Amazon
Kate Posh 5-Years of Marriage Photo Frame
Simple yet also sentimental. This wooden picture frame is engraved and comes in multiple sizes. It has a back-stand easel to display on a table and clips to mount it on the wall.
Sold by Amazon
2-Stem Natural Wood Roses with Vase
Carved from sugar wood and stained rich chocolate, this stylish, sentimental and symbolic anniversary gift comes with two wooden roses in an oak vase.
Sold by Amazon
The best fragrance gifts for her
With dazzling floral accents and woodsy notes, this scent exudes femininity and mystery. The may rose and jasmine with citrus notes and soft bourbon vanilla help create this sensual Chanel fragrance, making the perfect gift for a romantic anniversary.
Sold by Sephora
This scent oozes femininity without being overpowering, with an intoxicating blend of warm and spicy, with keynotes of jasmine, orange blossom and woods and patchouli. It’s also ageless, which makes it perfect for either your 5th or 50th anniversary.
Sold by Sephora
The best self-care gifts for her
Goop “The Martini” Emotional Detox Bath Soak
Treat your loved one to some peace and tranquility with a soothing bath to relax the mind and body. The pink salt will ease muscles. The chia seed oil hydrates and moisturizes the skin, while the wildcrafted frankincense will soothe the mind. This combination is just as good as a day at the spa.
Sold by Sephora
Give the gift that spoils your loved one night after night with this slip silk pillowcase that’s a known beauty secret of both beauty experts and dermatologists. Cover her pillow in the highest-grade mulberry silk to help create the ultimate night’s rest.
Herbivore Coco Rose Exfoliating Body Scrub
Pamper your partner with a body scrub made from virgin coconut oil, sugar and Moroccan rose to leave her skin moisturized and smelling of rose petals and coconuts. This luxe body scrub has been clinically tested and proven to offer softer, smoother and less dry skin.
The best jewelry gifts for her
TruMiracle Diamond Stud Earrings
These exquisite half-carat diamonds with side accents will dazzle and sparkle from every angle. They are available in 14-carat gold, white gold and rose gold.
Sold by Macy’s
Sarah Chloe Andi Initial Pendant Necklace in 14k Gold-Plate Over Sterling Silver
This is a delicate and sophisticated pendant necklace you can wear casually or when dressing to impress. It’s set in 14 carat-gold-plate over sterling silver, with a lobster clasp for closure and a beaded chain.
Sold by Macy’s
Le Vian Deep-Sea Blue Topaz & Diamond Statement Ring in 14k Rose Gold
Give her something she can’t help but show off with this dazzling deep-blue-sea topaz ring. It’s enhanced with nude and chocolate diamond rings that add to the color and sparkle. These gorgeous stones are set in a beautiful strawberry gold that will make your anniversary one to remember.
Sold by Macy’s
The best handbag gifts for her
Michael Kors Bedford Legacy Logo Ladies Leather Crossbody Bag
There’s just something about a new handbag that makes a girl smile, so make her grin ear-to-ear with a stylish yet practical black, leather crossbody. This sleek and structured silhouette is an ideal everyday bag to match all outfits while remaining chic.
Sold by Amazon
The best shoes gifts for her
Badgley Mischka Kiara Embellished Peep-Toe Evening Pumps
You can never go wrong with super sexy shoes, and these sapphire satin peep-toe pumps with embellished detail fit the bill. These showstoppers will make her feel like a million bucks and make for one extraordinary anniversary.
Nine West Women’s Toe Dress Pumps
These shoes will be a gift for you and your loved one because you won’t be able to keep your eyes off her when she’s in these ultra-sexy t-strap stilettos. A mix of faux leather and skinny straps from the toe to the ankle make this exotic heel a special occasion in itself.
Sold by Macy’s
Want to shop the best products at the best prices? Check out Daily Deals from BestReviews.
Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals.
Ryan Dempsey is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money.
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers.
Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.wivb.com/reviews/br/beauty-personal-care-br/tools-accessories-br/best-five-year-anniversary-gifts-for-her/ | 2023-07-30T21:37:46 | 0 | https://www.wivb.com/reviews/br/beauty-personal-care-br/tools-accessories-br/best-five-year-anniversary-gifts-for-her/ |
A comprehensive guide to pop-up campers
A pop-up camper provides a tentlike experience without having to sleep on the ground. When hitting the road in your pop-up camper, consider what and how to eat, what to sleep in, what toiletries to bring and what to do in case of an emergency.
Shop this article: Eagles Nest Outfitters Spark Camp Quilt, Sea to Summit X-Pot Collapsible Camping Cookpot and Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight Watertight .5 Medical First Aid Kit
What is a pop-up camper?
Pop-up campers are lightweight, compact vehicles that can park in more secluded areas due to their size. They are more affordable than the average camper and are quick to pack up and hook up, making the road trip easier. They can also keep you warmer than a tent in colder months but cooler in the heat of summer.
Pop-up camper setup
There are five aspects of pop-up camper setup.
- Location: Locate where you want to set up your camper and consider the slope of the ground, nearby trees and electrical hookups. This is where to check if your camper is level. If it is not level, you can use blocks to prop up one of the sides before unhooking the tow vehicle.
- Power: To power up the camper, run its electrical cord to the campsite’s electrical hookup after turning off the breaker. Once connected, you can turn the breaker on to provide electricity to amenities such as the sink and the refrigerator. At this point, users can crank down the leg support and crank up the roof.
- Beds: Make sure that the canvas is not holding onto anything and pull the first bed handle out to start setting up the beds. From there, pull the support pole free and position this onto the stud on the frame. Repeat this process for the remaining poles. Lastly, lift both beds to latch the supports until the beds sit down firmly.
- Water and propane: To set up water and propane in your pop-up camper, lift and lower the galley handle until it is in position. Then, link the male end of the propane hose to the female end on the lower frame of the camper. Finally, connect a sanitary water hose from your trailer to the water spigot at the campsite.
- Water heater: To set up the water heater, you need to access the hot water tank, turn the gas knob to “pilot” and hold down. Place a flame on the pilot end of the tube using a long lighter. Hold this down until it stays lit. You should be able to turn on the knob, and the hot water tank should start to heat your water.
Pre-make your food
Before hitting the road in your pop-up camper, make your meals ahead of time. These meals can be complete meals stored in a cooler or prepped to be quickly cooked at a campsite. Also, pre-pack any portion meals that you plan to make by the fire for convenience.
Stock your pop-up camper with necessities
Buy a set of camping pots and pans in advance to prepare for every meal and anything that goes on in the kitchen. This ensures that you do not have to go back and forth for camping utilities or go without food for a short time because you were unprepared. Moreover, pack extra sleeping bags and sheets of various insulation to prepare for any situation that may occur.
Air out your pop-up camper after it rains
Mold and other bacteria are more likely to form when it rains. Due to the foldable nature of the pop-up camper, this bacteria can get into crevices and breed. Before packing up your camper after it rains, make sure everything is dry so that it can be clean to use for the next trip.
Tips for hitting the road in a pop-up camper
If you are a first-time camper, keep your trip close to home in case something goes wrong, or it turns out that you are underprepared. This ensures that you are close to safety and have everything that you need. Additionally, make a grocery list and a checklist for all items that you think you need to bring in advance.
Pop-up camper FAQ
Where do I go to the bathroom while camping?
A. If there is no bathroom in your pop-up camper and you do not want to go out in nature, travel with a portable camping toilet. This item is best for rooftop tents, car campers and drive-up camp spots.
What style of chair is best to bring on a camping trip?
A. Classic camp chairs are a good choice. These chairs have four legs and are very stable. They make sitting and standing an act of ease in comparison to low chairs and rocking chairs. They’re also affordable.
Sleep essentials
Eagles Nest Outfitters Spark Camp Quilt
This 3-in-1 blanket, quilt and sleeping bag provides warmth and comfort in 40- to 60-degree weather. The weather-resistant materials help protect the sleeping bag from rain and any other damage caused by the elements.
Sold by Backcountry
Kelty Mistral Sleeping Bag: 40 Fahrenheit Down
This mummy-style sleeping bag keeps heat in while being lightweight and durable. It comes with a stuff sack for storage and features an offset quilt construction to prevent cold spots. CloudLoft insulation locks in heat. The zipper is anti-snag, and the bag fits up to 6 feet in length. Use it inside or outside the pop-up tent.
Sold by Amazon
Kitchen essentials
Sea to Summit X-Pot Collapsible Camping Cookpot
This camping cook pot is heat-resistant and BPA-free to ensure food safety. The entire pot is collapsible for storage in small spaces. Its aluminum base conducts heat evenly for the best cooking experience and it comes with a strainer lid.
Sold by Amazon
MalloMe Camping Cookware Mess Kit Gear
This camping cookware kit is portable and made with food-safe, non-toxic anodized aluminum. The kit includes an aluminum nonstick pot, a pot cover, a nonstick pan, two bowls, a folding stainless steel spork, a soup spoon, a wooden spoon spatula, a cleaning sponge and a nylon travel drawstring pouch. It can be easily attached to a backpack and carried to campsites.
Sold by Amazon
First-aid essentials
Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight Watertight .5 Medical First Aid Kit
This first aid kit provides all the needed materials for any accidents that could happen while camping in your pop-up camper. It includes a wide array of medical supplies to treat pain, inflammation and common allergies. The wraps and bandages assist in immobilizing fractures and provide support. The antiseptic wipes and butterfly bandages help clean small wounds.
Sold by Amazon
Adventure Medical Sportsman Series Medical Kit
This medical kit provides items that treat common camping injuries. It is organized by injury type for quick access in an emergency and provides all the basic tools needed. This kit is also lightweight and portable.
Sold by Amazon
Want to shop the best products at the best prices? Check out Daily Deals from BestReviews.
Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals.
Logan DeLoye writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.wivb.com/reviews/br/travel-br/travel-essentials-br/pop-up-camper-guide-everything-you-need-in-order-to-hit-the-road/ | 2023-07-30T21:37:47 | 0 | https://www.wivb.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.
___
Follow Noah Trister at https://twitter.com/noahtrister
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.wivb.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-aaron-judge-has-a-homer-and-3-hits-in-his-2nd-game-back-to-help-the-yankees-top-the-orioles-8-3/ | 2023-07-30T21:37:47 | 1 | https://www.wivb.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-aaron-judge-has-a-homer-and-3-hits-in-his-2nd-game-back-to-help-the-yankees-top-the-orioles-8-3/ |
AUSTIN (KXAN) — It’s no surprise that the summer heat can do significant damage to your vehicle. But as cities around the country continue to break temperature records and endure long heat waves, some car technicians are finding unusual vehicle issues.
Doc Watson, a national training manager with Bosch Diagnostics, said typical summertime issues include dead car batteries and flat tires. However, he said technicians in Texas and along the West Coast have also been recording more unusual vehicle complications due to the extensive heat waves.
In Texas, Arizona and California, technicians are reporting an emergence of “brake fade” cases in cars. When the temperature outside tops 100 degrees for extended periods of time, temperatures under the hood of vehicles during the summer can reach up to 230 degrees.
Brake fluids inside the cylinder under the hood of the car can absorb moisture, as the heat causes that moisture to expand within the fluid. When that happens, stepping on the brake pedal can feel “mushy.” That means the vehicle owner will need to take the car in for maintenance.
Both heat and humidity can add extra wear and tear to the windshield wiper blades, which have a typical lifespan between 12 and 18 months.
“People don’t stop to think about wiper blades — they don’t need them until it rains, right?” Watson said. “You’re driving around in 112-degree temperature, you’ve got heat reflecting off the glass, and that causes the rubber components of a wiper blade to break down.”
The plastic parts of the blades can also suffer.
“With these extreme temperatures that you guys are seeing, it’s the plastic breaking down off the wiper blade itself, and people not realizing that that’s happened until it’s too late,” he said. “The wiper blade breaks and then you’ve got this metal arm scratching the glass.”
Watson recommended car owners keep a checklist of key vehicle parts to monitor during the summer months. Those include:
- Car batteries: Traditionally, car batteries last between three and five years. Amid excessive heat spells, temperatures under the hood of a vehicle reach up to 230 degrees, which can lead to battery fluid evaporations and dead batteries. Watson suggests car owners have their batteries tested by a technician during the summer to get a condition status.
- Tires: Low tire pressure is exacerbated by hot asphalt on roadways. Watson encouraged car owners to purchase a tire pressure gauge and to test their vehicle’s tire pressure early in the morning while it’s still cool to ensure an accurate reading.
- Engine overflow tank: During the summer months, cooling an engine is critical. Watson said when car owners check underneath the hood, they’ll find a plastic overflow tank with a graduated scale. If it looks low, he suggested adding antifreeze to aid your engine.
- Wiper blades: Check wiper blades during dry spells (and before rain storms) to make sure they’re properly working and not deteriorating. If they show signs of wear and tear, replace them and make sure they’re upgraded every 12-18 months.
- Oil changes: Most newer vehicles require an oil change every 5,000 to 7,000 miles. However, remote starting a vehicle and running the air conditioning works the engine without adding any mileage to the vehicle. As a result, Watson suggested not waiting until you hit that 5,000 to 7,000-mile range if you often use remote start on your vehicle during the summer or winter months.
“People aren’t changing oil regularly like they think they are,” he said. “People need to pay more attention to them because these engines will go many miles — 200,000, 300,000 miles — as long as they’re maintained correctly. That’s big with this extreme heat.” | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/national-news/the-weird-car-issues-mechanics-are-seeing-during-heat-waves/ | 2023-07-30T21:37:51 | 0 | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/national-news/the-weird-car-issues-mechanics-are-seeing-during-heat-waves/ |
(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.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/national-news/ufo-curious-lawmakers-brace-for-a-fight-over-government-secrets/ | 2023-07-30T21:37:57 | 1 | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/national-news/ufo-curious-lawmakers-brace-for-a-fight-over-government-secrets/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — A week later, the “Barbenheimer” boom has not abated.
Seven days after Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” conspired to set box office records, the two films held unusually strongly in theaters. “Barbie” took in a massive $93 million in its second weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. “Oppenheimer” stayed in second with a robust $46.2 million. Sales for the two movies dipped 43% and 44%, respectably — well shy of the usual week-two drops.
“Barbenheimer” has proven to be not a one-weekend phenomenon but an ongoing box-office bonanza. The two movies combined have already surpassed $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales. Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for data firm Comscore, call it “a touchstone moment for movies, moviegoers and movie theaters.”
“Having two movies from rival studios linked in this way and both boosting each other’s fortunes — both box-office wise and it terms of their profile — I don’t know if there’s a comp for this in the annals of box-office history,” said Dergarabedian. “There’s really no comparison for this.”
Following its year-best $162 million opening, the pink-infused pop sensation of “Barbie” saw remarkably sustained business through the week and into the weekend. The film outpaced Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” to have the best first 11 days in theaters of any Warner Bros. release ever.
“Barbie” has rapidly accumulated $351.4 million in U.S. and Canadian theaters, a rate that will soon make it the biggest box-office hit of the summer. Every day it’s played, “Barbie” has made at least $20 million.
And the “Barbie” effect isn’t just in North America. The film made $122.2 million internationally over the weekend. Its global tally has reached $775 million. It’s the kind of business that astounds even veteran studio executives.
“That’s a crazy number,” said Jeff Goldstein, distribution chief for Warner Bros. “There’s just a built-in audience that wants to be part of the zeitgeist of the moment. Wherever you go, people are wearing pink. Pink is taking over the world.”
Amid the frenzy, “Barbie” is already attracting a lot of repeat moviegoers. Goldstein estimates that 12% of sales are people going back with friends or family to see it again.
For a movie industry that has been trying to regain its pre-pandemic footing — and that now finds itself largely shuttered due to actors and screenwriters strikes — the sensations of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” have showed what’s possible when everything lines up just right.
“Post-pandemic, there’s no ceiling and there’s no floor,” Goldstein said. “The movies that miss really miss big time, and the movies that work really work big time.”
Universal Pictures’ “Oppenheimer,” meanwhile, is performing more like a superhero movie than a three-hour film about scientists talking.
Nolan’s drama starring Cillian Murphy as atomic bomb physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer has accrued $174.1 million domestically thus far. With an additional $72.4 million in international cinemas, “Oppenheimer” has already surpassed $400 million globally.
Showings in IMAX have typically been sold out. “Oppenheimer” has made $80 million worldwide on IMAX. The large-format exhibitor said Sunday that it will extend the film’s run through Aug. 13.
The week’s top new release, Walt Disney Co.’s “Haunted Mansion,” an adaptation of the Disney theme park attraction, was easily overshadowed by the “Barbenheimer” blitz. The film, which cost about $150 million, debuted with $24 million domestically and $9 million in overseas sales. “Haunted Mansion,” directed by Justin Simien (“Dear White People,” “Bad Hair”) and starring an ensemble of LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito and Rosario Dawson, struggled to overcome mediocre reviews.
“Talk to Me,” the A24 supernatural horror film, fared better. It debuted with $10 million. The film, directed by Australian filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou and starring Sophie Wilde, was a midnight premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January and received terrific reviews from critics (95% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes). It was made for a modest $4.5 million.
While theaters being flush with moviegoers has been a huge boon to the film industry, it’s been tougher sledding for Tom Cruise, the so-called savior of the movies last summer with “Top Gun: Maverick.” “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part I,” which debuted the week before the arrival of “Barbenheimer,” grossed $10.7 million in its third weekend. The film starring Cruise and directed by Christopher McQuarrie, has grossed $139.2 million domestically and $309.3 million oveseas.
Instead, the sleeper hit “Sound of Freedom” has been the best performing non-“Barbenheimer” release in theaters. The Angel Studios’ release, which is counting crowdfunding pay-it-forward sales in its box office totals, made $12.4 million in its fourth weekend, bringing its haul thus far to nearly $150 million.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. “Barbie,” $93 million.
2. “Opppenheimer,” $46.2 million.
3. “Haunted Mansion,” $24.2 million.
4. “Sound of Freedom,” $12.4 million.
5. “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One,” $10.7 million.
6. “Talk to Me,” $10 million.
7. “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” $4 million.
8. “Elemental,” $3.4 million.
9. “Insidious: The Red Door,” $3.2 million.
10. “Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani,” $1.6 million. | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/national-news/while-barbie-bonanza-continues-at-the-box-office-oppenheimer-holds-no-2-spot/ | 2023-07-30T21:38:03 | 1 | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/national-news/while-barbie-bonanza-continues-at-the-box-office-oppenheimer-holds-no-2-spot/ |
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.
___
Follow Noah Trister at https://twitter.com/noahtrister
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.wivb.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-aaron-judge-slugs-442-foot-homer-in-2nd-game-back-for-yankees-from-toe-injury/ | 2023-07-30T21:38:04 | 1 | https://www.wivb.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-aaron-judge-slugs-442-foot-homer-in-2nd-game-back-for-yankees-from-toe-injury/ |
(The Hill) – Northwestern is the latest in a long line of universities to come under public scrutiny due to a scandal over hazing, a practice that has refused to go extinct in colleges and high schools despite multiple concerted efforts to end it.
Hazing, which in rare instances has proven fatal, in particular plagues sports teams and Greek Life.
Experts say education on the issue and increased consequences are needed to create a real change, although they are skeptical the dangerous practice will exit school life anytime soon.
“Hazing has always been prevalent in society, not just in colleges. It’s anywhere that you see a different power dynamic between people who are trying to join a group [and] people who are in the group,” said Todd Shelton, executive director of the Hazing Prevention Network. “There’s research that shows that hazing starts long before college and in those younger ages. It’s especially prevalent in athletic teams camps, performing arts groups.”
The latest high-profile hazing incident comes from Northwestern University, where the head football coach was recently let go and a barrage of lawsuits have fallen on the school.
One of the reported rituals of hazing on the school’s football team was younger players getting restrained in the locker room by older ones while others dry humped the individual. Another incident described in a lawsuit against the school was a ritual called “carwash” where players were forced to rub themselves against a line of naked men in the showers.
“Certainly, it is typical hazing activities that we’ve seen before and it’s not unusual that they’re shrouded with secrecy. So I applaud the people who came forward and reported because that’s — that’s key for institutions to be able to make changes,” Shelton said. “I think those acts are horrible and examples of how hazing can quickly escalate from what individuals think is something that’s mild and or funny, to quickly being something that’s dangerous, either mentally or physically, to the victims.”
Experts say preventing hazing incidents has to start by educating people about its warning signs and dangers.
A study in 2008 showed 73 percent of students who have been in a sorority or fraternity said they experienced behaviors that meet the definition of hazing, such as being forced into drinking games or getting screamed at by other members.
The same study showed 74 percent of athletes in athletic programs also experienced behaviors that amount to hazing.
“Hazing is specific to that group context where someone is seeking inclusion or a sense of belonging in a club, team or organization. They’re a newcomer typically coming into this group situation, and because of that group dynamic there can be an incredible amount of peer pressure and sometimes a coercive environment. And so that can impede or be a barrier to recognizing and or reporting hazing because there can be a lot of fear,” Elizabeth Allan, a professor at the University of Maine, said.
These rituals and desires to be part of the in-group have led to some deadly consequences for young people.
In 2019, five Penn State University students were sentenced to jail after a 19-year-old student at a Beta Theta Pi fraternity house died at a party after hazing-based binge drinking.
While most hazing incidents don’t result in incarceration, there are other consequences for students who are caught for the crime.
“Financial, monetary damages. People have lost their jobs. People have gone to jail or had, criminal penalties, fines and so forth. Let’s say sometimes when it’s a student organization or a team so with a student organization, they’re often suspended or lose their recognition with the campus for a period of time, and with an athletic team sometimes a portion of the season is put on hold or canceled entirely sometimes at the high school level, we’ve seen that recently.” Allan, who also leads the organization Stop Hazing, said.
And yet, even as schools ramp up their efforts, hazing persists.
Allan says a multifaceted strategy is needed to tackle the problem, and her group has developed a “Hazing Prevention Framework” for schools to follow.
“They can use it to also do some strategic planning and set some goals for the improvements they want to make, and all this is really … based on a public health approach to organizational change and promoting healthy behaviors in a community setting,” Allan said.
Shelton said his group also advocates for hazing to be treated as a felony, whereas many states look at it as a misdemeanor.
“The problem is it’s not taken seriously in the law, and we’ve seen a lot of hazing cases, even when there’s been a death… [where] prosecutors don’t consider it hazing or don’t consider hazing to be a serious crime to go through the measures of prosecuting,” Shelton said. “And so that’s why we’ve been working hard to strengthen those state laws.” | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/national-news/why-is-hazing-so-hard-to-eliminate/ | 2023-07-30T21:38:09 | 0 | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/national-news/why-is-hazing-so-hard-to-eliminate/ |
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.
___
Follow David Brandt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbrandtAP | https://www.wivb.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-brittney-griner-wont-travel-for-next-2-games-to-focus-on-her-mental-health-team-says/ | 2023-07-30T21:38:11 | 0 | https://www.wivb.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-brittney-griner-wont-travel-for-next-2-games-to-focus-on-her-mental-health-team-says/ |
(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.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/national-news/you-can-get-into-the-national-parks-for-free-this-week-heres-when/ | 2023-07-30T21:38:15 | 1 | https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/national-news/you-can-get-into-the-national-parks-for-free-this-week-heres-when/ |
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Kyler Murray’s football career was nearly flawless for the first 25 years of his life: First, he was a Texas high school phenom, then a Heisman Trophy winner, then the No. 1 overall pick for the Arizona Cardinals, then a two-time Pro Bowl selection.
In all those situations, Murray was being compared to other football players.
These days, the competition is with himself.
“This is different,” Murray said. “This is you-on-you. Nobody really knows what you’re going through except for yourself and whoever you’re working out with.”
Murray, who turns 26 on Aug. 7, is working his way back to football relevancy following an underwhelming fourth season that was cut short by a torn ACL in his right knee against the New England Patriots on Dec. 12.
The quarterback acknowledged some tough days after the surgery — nights when it was tough to sleep because of the pain — but said he’s not feeling sorry for himself as he works to get back to the field.
“I get to do what I love every day — play quarterback in the NFL,” Murray said. “Did I get hurt? Yeah. Did I experience something no one wants to experience? Yeah. But it’s nothing for me to get up and work out. I was already doing that before I got hurt.”
Murray’s expected to miss at least a few games of the upcoming season while he continues to recover, and the quarterback watched Saturday’s practice at State Farm Stadium in a gray hooded sweatshirt and long black sleeve over his entire right leg.
His impending return is the hottest topic for the Cardinals during camp, but says he’s not committing to a certain return date.
“I don’t have a timetable,” Murray said.
Murray said he saw Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow at a recent UFC event and the two discussed the perils of an ACL injury. Burrow tore the ACL in his left knee during his rookie season in 2020, but returned to play 16 games in 2021.
“I wouldn’t want to go out there and hurt the team or hurt myself,” Murray said. “The advice that I’ve gotten from a lot of people around me is to go when you’re ready. Don’t listen to outside noise. Don’t feel pressure to come back because of this situation or that situation.
“Whenever you’re ready, you’ll know you’re ready.”
Murray has been very good — at times spectacular — for much of his first four seasons. His uncanny scrambling ability has produced several highlight-reel plays and he’s got plenty of arm to make all the throws he needs to make.
The apex of his pro career came in 2021, when the Cardinals started the season with a 10-2 record and looked like a Super Bowl favorite. But the franchise collapsed, losing four of the next five games before getting blown out against the Los Angeles Rams in an embarrassing playoff performance.
With high hopes in 2022, the Cardinals were one of the league’s most disappointing teams, finishing with a 4-13 record. Murray was far from the only reason for those struggles, but also wasn’t blameless, as his performance regressed in several areas.
“It’s not a bad thing to sit back, watch, and try to make this a positive deal,” Murray said. “I feel good. Getting better each and every day, taking one day at a time. Just trying to be there for my teammates and learn as much as possible before I do stuff on the field.”
Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill made big changes after last season’s debacle, bringing in a defensive-minded coach in Jonathan Gannon and a new general manager in Monti Ossenfort. The new regime seems just as smitten with Murray as the previous one — Gannon said one major reason he took the Cardinals job was Murray’s presence.
Murray says he’s excited about what the changes can bring.
The Cardinals have a large monetary interest in making things work: Murray signed a $230.5 million, five-year deal before last offseason that keeps him in the desert until 2028.
“It’s been great so far,” Murray said. “We’re actually establishing a run game. I believe we’ll be able to run the ball a lot better, which will only be a weapon for us. Get under center, mix it up, not be as predictable.”
Veteran Colt McCoy is the Cardinals’ most likely quarterback while Murray continues to recover. The 36-year-old has been the team’s backup for the past two seasons and has a 3-3 record in the six games he’s started.
The other current options are David Blough, who played decently in two starts last season, and Clayton Tune, a rookie fifth-round pick out of Houston.
“To me, whoever is available, we’re trying to put the best guy out there to win football games,” Gannon said. “Obviously, Kyler’s not available right now, but we’ve got a lot of guys who are very capable who I’m excited to see play and compete if he’s not ready to go.”
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://www.wivb.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-cardinals-kyler-murray-says-his-knee-rehab-is-going-well-but-has-no-timetable-for-his-return/ | 2023-07-30T21:38:17 | 0 | https://www.wivb.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-cardinals-kyler-murray-says-his-knee-rehab-is-going-well-but-has-no-timetable-for-his-return/ |
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) – As students prepare to go back to school, families are in the midst of shopping for school clothes and supplies.
During the tax-free weekend, many local businesses said they saw an increase in customer traffic.
Plato’s Closet of Johnson City held its back-to-school event on the weekend of July 28, saving its most in-demand items to display during the sale.
“We’ll just push it out here, and we saran wrap it so nobody can shop it until that weekend gets here,” said Rebekah Rice, the Assistant Manager at Plato’s Closet. “And then everyone kind of lines up outside and they just come on in.”
For Plato’s, this tends to be a busy weekend for shopping, with many customers looking to take advantage of the tax-free weekend.
“We just had our back-to-school [event] last weekend, that was definitely really busy, Friday and Saturday of this week has definitely been busy for tax-free,” said Rice.
Many schools in the region return to the classroom within the next week. This increased the urgency to buy those back-to-school needs in the Tri-Cities region.
“So usually I would say our like our transaction count is going to be about 1 to 150,” she said. “It doubled for this past weekend. I think a lot of people kind of prefer to [shop] on tax-free. And there were a lot of people here for back-to-school shopping for sure.”
Rice says the busy weekend also tends to require more staff to help.
“We probably need like half of our staff here on weekends like that for our events, and especially for tax-free and back to school,” said Rice. “And we need like half our staff here, especially to cover breaks and all that.” | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/back-to-school-news/local-retailer-sees-business-boom-during-back-to-school-season/ | 2023-07-30T21:38:24 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/back-to-school-news/local-retailer-sees-business-boom-during-back-to-school-season/ |
WESTFIELD, Ind. (AP) — Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor has requested a trade, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Saturday night.
Taylor, the 2021 NFL rushing champ, has been seeking a contract extension before his rookie contract expires at the end of this season and he’s been one of several running backs to publicly air their grievances throughout the offseason.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the request hadn’t been made public. NFL Network first reported Taylor’s request to be traded.
It came shortly after Taylor left team owner Jim Irsay’s motorhome after a meeting that lasted nearly an hour as the Colts conducted a night practice.
“It was just a good conversation and, you know, hopeful going forward,” Irsay told reporters after practice. “We’re looking forward to a great season, hoping that Jonathan’s a big part of that and I think we had a good conversation.”
Taylor has not spoken with reporters since being placed on the physically unable to perform list Tuesday. General manager Chris Ballard said then the Colts wanted to wait for a new deal until they could see how a healthy Taylor fit the new offense installed by first-year coach Shane Steichen.
Taylor topped the 2,000-yard mark twice in college at Wisconsin and rushed for 2,980 yards and 29 TDs in his first two NFL seasons. He was a unanimous All-Pro selection in 2021, when he led the league with 2,171 total yards and tied for the league lead in total touchdowns with 20.
Last year, he rushed for 861 yards despite missing six games with an ankle injury that required offseason surgery. Indy also struggled, finishing the season 4-11-1.
Irsay posted on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday suggesting some player agents were acting in bad faith by complaining about how much running backs earned with a franchise tag designation after the collective bargaining agreement was negotiated in good faith. The $10.1 million price tag is the lowest of any position other than kickers or punters.
On Saturday, in front of a capacity crowd at Grand Park in Westfield a staff member took Taylor to the nearby motorhome. Irsay did not divulge details of the meeting afterward, but did talk about two other former Colts star runners — Marshall Faulk, who was traded after Peyton Manning’s rookie season in 1998, and Edgerrin James, who left as a free agent between the 2005 and 2006 seasons.
“I’m responsible for everyone on the team and to look at the cap money as you go forward,” Irsay said. “It’s a great responsibility and you try to be as fair as you possibly can be with the whole football team. So again, I’m hopeful.”
Now the Colts may be looking to move Taylor before he even gets a chance to team up rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson, the No. 4 overall pick in April.
“We need to make sure he (Taylor) is healthy, and we expect he should have an outstanding year,” Irsay said. “(Linebacker) E.J. Speed had the same surgery and is doing well, but it’s early in the process and we want to make sure Jonathan is 100%.”
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://www.wivb.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-jonathan-taylor-requests-trade-after-meeting-with-owner-jim-irsay-at-colts-practice-source-says/ | 2023-07-30T21:38:24 | 1 | https://www.wivb.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-jonathan-taylor-requests-trade-after-meeting-with-owner-jim-irsay-at-colts-practice-source-says/ |
The Storm Team 11 Forecast calls for partly cloudy skies with a few stray storms this evening. Partly cloudy skies are forecast for tonight with a low of 63 degrees.
Mostly sunny skies are forecast for Monday with a high of 86 degrees.
Fair skies are forecast for Monday night with a low near 59 degrees.
Tuesday will be mostly sunny with a high of 84 degrees.
Partly cloudy skies are forecast for Wednesday with a 30% chance of a few pop-up showers and thunderstorms. The high will be 87 degrees.
Wednesday night there will be an increased chance of rain with more widespread showers. The low will be 62 degrees.
Thursday will be partly cloudy skies with a 40% chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms. The high will be 83 degrees.
Scattered showers continue into Friday with a 30% chance of storms. The high will be 85 degrees.
Saturday will be partly cloudy with a 30% chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms. The high will be 88 degrees.
And for next Sunday, a 40% chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms with a high of 88 degrees. | https://www.wjhl.com/wjhl-weather/forecast/scattered-evening-showers-tapering-off-through-the-overnight/ | 2023-07-30T21:38:30 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/wjhl-weather/forecast/scattered-evening-showers-tapering-off-through-the-overnight/ |
BLAINE, Minn. (AP) — Chasing his first PGA Tour victory Lee Hodges shot a 5-under 66 on Saturday to stretch his lead to five strokes with a round left in the 3M Open.
Hodges had a 20-under 193 total at the TPC Twin Cities to break the tournament 54-hole mark of 195 set last year by Scott Piercy. Hodges led at 8 under after the first round and a record 15 under after the second.
“I have nothing to lose,” Hodges said. “I’m out here playing with house money. I have a job next year on the PGA Tour, this is all great. This is just icing on the cake.”
J.T. Poston was second after a 66. Defending champion Tony Finau was another stroke back at 14 under after a 67.
Hodges’ best finish in 64 prior events was a tie for third at The American Express in 2022, the only other time the 28-year-old Alabama player has led or shared the lead after 54 holes.
And he almost certainly has played himself into the playoffs that begin in two weeks. He began the week 74th in the FedEx Cup standings, with the top 70 players qualifying.
“I honestly don’t think I’ll be that nervous tonight.” Hodges said. “I’ll hang out with my wife. We’ll go do something fun. I mean, yeah, it’s just golf at the end of the day. I’m lucky to be here.”
Hodges opened with an up-and-down even nine holes, then had five birdies on the back nine.
“I didn’t think I played bad on the front nine, I just couldn’t really get it close to the hole and when I did, I couldn’t make the putt,” he said.
Things were much different after the turn.
Hodges dropped birdie putts from 12 feet on No. 10 and nearly 11 feet on No. 11. His tee shot on the par-3 13th stopped 4 1/2 feet from the cup for another birdie. He added a 5-foorter for birdie on 16 and a 7-footer on 18.
He’ll be paired with Poston on Sunday the final group.
“We play some practice rounds together and I know him really well,” Poston said. “He’s a good friend. So, if I can’t get it done tomorrow, I’ll be pulling for him.”
Finau birdied four of his final eight holes. Last year, he trailed by five shots early in the final round and won by three at 17 under.
“It was just nice to make a run on the back nine today just to give myself a chance,” Finau said. “If I’m eight back, that’s a whole different feeling than five or six. I was just happy with the way I finished my round today and to creep up and just be a little closer to the lead.”
Aaron Baddeley was fourth at 13 under after a 65.
Sam Ryder (65), Keith Mitchell (67), Billy Horschel (68) and Kevin Streelman (69) were 12 under. Ryder birdied in his final five holes — and seven of nine — to toe the tournament back-nine record of 29. Mitchell set that mark two years ago.
Kevin Yu shot 29 on his first nine, tying a score recorded by five others, but he was 5 over for his final six holes to finish with a 67. He was tied for 11th.
___
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.wivb.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-looking-for-1st-pga-tour-title-lee-hodges-takes-5-shot-lead-onto-3m-open-final-round/ | 2023-07-30T21:38:30 | 0 | https://www.wivb.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-looking-for-1st-pga-tour-title-lee-hodges-takes-5-shot-lead-onto-3m-open-final-round/ |
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.
___
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.wftv.com/news/customers-want/M3RSBAZ6AZWNNX67XDRLHKRKNI/ | 2023-07-30T21:38:58 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/customers-want/M3RSBAZ6AZWNNX67XDRLHKRKNI/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. — Teachers are about to begin a new school year, and an Orlando museum will offer free admission to appreciate their hard work.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
The Museum of Illusions Orlando at ICON Park combines education and entertainment with optical illusions using math, science and psychology.
Active Florida teachers and professors can receive a complimentary ticket by showing their valid school ID and email address.
Teachers can also purchase additional tickets at a discounted price and get a 10% discount in the gift shop.
Educators can redeem the ticket in person or online.
If booking the offer online, teachers can use the code “TEACH23.”
Read: Back-to-school event will raise money for Seminole County schools
Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/florida-teachers-can-visit-this-orlando-museum-free-all-school-year/WQDXF7XV2VCMBFKSLDFOCQBWUQ/ | 2023-07-30T21:39:05 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/florida-teachers-can-visit-this-orlando-museum-free-all-school-year/WQDXF7XV2VCMBFKSLDFOCQBWUQ/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. — Central Florida was hot today!
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
Meteorologist George Waldenberger said a heat advisory was in place on Sunday as temperatures hit 97 in Orlando with a heat index over 105.
Scattered storms will develop for the end of Sunday afternoon/early evening to cool things off.
Read: Two disturbances have chance of development but will not impact Florida
Please keep physical work light in this heat...until we wait for storms to cool things off... pic.twitter.com/0PqrY0juge
— George Waldenberger (@GWaldenWFTV) July 30, 2023
Isolated pockets of damaging wind will be possible with the storms, so take cover as they pass.
Monday morning looks calm, with more storms coming in the afternoon around 2-6 p.m.
Video: Conservation teams release 2 turtles at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort
Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/its-hot-sunday-afternoon-storms-possible-some-areas-central-florida/F45RLSWX6ZDJNP2X4ABRVJ7BME/ | 2023-07-30T21:39:11 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/its-hot-sunday-afternoon-storms-possible-some-areas-central-florida/F45RLSWX6ZDJNP2X4ABRVJ7BME/ |
FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. — Two Flagler County men have been arrested following a raid that seized numerous narcotics from drug houses said the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
According to a news release, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) and SWAT Team served two narcotics-related search warrants simultaneously on Tuesday at 25 Wood Ash Lane in Palm Coast and 500 N Central Ave in Flagler Beach.
Read: Casselberry homicide suspect appears before a judge
The Flagler County deputies said during the raids Jason Rowe was arrested and taken into custody for Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Sell and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
Scott Andersen was arrested for Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Sell, Trafficking Fentanyl, Possession of a Schedule II Substance, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, authorities said.
Deputies said the search warrants stemmed from several previous undercover operations conducted by SIU. Flagler County Sheriff’s Office SIU and SWAT.
Read: Man injured, suspect at large after shooting in East Orange County, deputies say
“Excellent work by our SIU and SWAT team to get these poison peddlers off the street,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “There is no way to know how many lives were saved by getting this poison off the street. If you are selling drugs in Flagler County, we will find you and close down your drug business.”
Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/two-florida-men-were-arrested-after-drug-houses-raided-flagler-county/GG35JDKCMFG5HATVNNLGTZRT64/ | 2023-07-30T21:39:17 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/two-florida-men-were-arrested-after-drug-houses-raided-flagler-county/GG35JDKCMFG5HATVNNLGTZRT64/ |
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.wftv.com/news/national/erratic-winds/2BHMR3JZGXN6M7VAALBL6MI6EA/ | 2023-07-30T21:39:23 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/national/erratic-winds/2BHMR3JZGXN6M7VAALBL6MI6EA/ |
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A truck fire erupted underneath the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge in Philadelphia on Sunday, closing the roadway.
Officials say the blaze was reported just before 5 p.m.
Firefighters are currently at the scene.
Action News was told a tractor-trailer was on fire in a lot north of the bridge.
It is unclear what started the fire at this time.
Check the latest information on traffic here. | https://6abc.com/truck-fire-tacony-bridge-philadelphia-roads-closed/13574249/ | 2023-07-30T21:39:24 | 0 | https://6abc.com/truck-fire-tacony-bridge-philadelphia-roads-closed/13574249/ |
It’s not too early to start thinking about when Max Verstappen can clinch the 2023 Formula 1 title.
Verstappen won for the 10th time over the first 12 races of the season in Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix. He had to start sixth thanks to a five-spot grid penalty for a gearbox change but was fourth just seconds into the first lap and easily got to first before driving away from teammate Sergio Perez.
The two-time defending champion has 314 points so far this season and when you remove the points he’s scored over the three sprint races he’s averaging a staggering 24 points per race.
A season ago, Verstappen clinched the title with four races to go and scored 454 points over the entirety of the 22-race season. He’s well ahead of that points-scoring pace in 2023 and it’s not impossible that he could clinch the title before the month of September is over.
F1 returns on Aug. 27 in Verstappen’s home country of the Netherlands before three races over the month of September in Italy, Singapore and Japan. Another Japan clincher for Verstappen is not entirely out of the question.
If Verstappen wins the next four races and scores 100 points (or more), he could be more than 144 points clear of teammate Sergio Perez in the points standings with six races to go in the season. If Perez fails to score points in one or more of those four races, the gap could be even larger.
If we were betting on when Verstappen will clinch the title, we’d pick the Qatar Grand Prix on Oct. 8 with five races to go. All Verstappen has to do to clinch by the end of the Qatar Grand Prix is be 146 points ahead of Perez or whoever is in second place.
Here are some more of our takeaways from the first half of the 2023 Formula 1 season as the series enters its annual summer break.
Is the Red Bull sweep really going to happen?
It’s a foregone conclusion at this point that Verstappen will win the driver’s title and Red Bull will win its second consecutive constructor’s title this season. Red Bull currently has more than twice the points as second-place Mercedes in the constructor’s standings and Verstappen alone would have a 67-point lead on the point totals of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell combined.
Thanks to a Verstappen win at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2022, Red Bull now owns the longest win streak in Formula 1 history at 13 races with wins in every race so far this season. And every Red Bull … err, Verstappen … win makes it more and more likely the team could pull off the improbable feat
Right now, we’d still guess that someone from another team will get a win. Verstappen has been incredibly dominant but has also had some very good luck. He’s bound to have an incident with another driver or a poor qualifying effort he can’t overcome, right? And Perez is too inconsistent on a week-to-week basis to count on. The over/under for Red Bull wins this season should be at 19.5 and the over would be a tempting pick even if you don’t believe the sweep is possible.'
Mercedes’ steadiness is showing
Mercedes is showing that you don’t have to be flashy to be the best of the rest in Formula 1. And the fight for second, third and fourth-best is really fascinating so far.
After a fourth-place finish by Hamilton and a sixth-place finish by Russell in Belgium, Mercedes is 51 points ahead of Aston Martin in the constructor’s standings. Aston Martin is just five points ahead of Ferrarin in fourth while McLaren has jumped to fifth and is 144 points back of Mercedes.
It’s been a frustrating year for Mercedes as it quickly realized that the car design it struggled to capitalize on in 2022 was still a problem in 2023. But the team’s race pace has kept it in the hunt while Ferrari has strategy blunders on a semi-weekly basis and Aston Martin’s sparkling pace from the beginning of the season has faded.
Fernando Alonso opened the season with five podium finishes over the first six races and his only non-podium was a fourth-place finish in Azerbaijan. In the six races since, Alonso hasn’t finished lower than ninth, but he’s scored just one podium in that span.
As Alonso’s performance has dropped off, Hamilton’s has ticked up. Hamilton has five top-four finishes in the last six races as he’s now within a point of Alonso for third in the driver’s standings.
How real is McLaren’s surge?
McLaren had a miserable start to the 2023 season. Lando Norris had just three top-10 finishes over the first six races while Oscar Piastri had just two.
But a switch flipped with the team’s upgrades at the Austrian Grand Prix and the British Grand Prix. After having the fastest non-Red Bull cars at Silverstone, McLaren kept up the pace in Hungary. Belgium didn’t go well after Piastri got pinched into the wall on the first lap, but Norris finished seventh despite having a car that had a bunch of downforce built into it in case of rain.
The standings don’t show it, but McLaren may currently be the third-best team in F1.
Will a leadership change boost Alpine?
Alpine is the most disappointing team in 2023.
The French team finished a clear fourth ahead of both McLaren and Aston Martin in 2022 and looked poised to be in the thick of the midfield battle this season. Instead, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly have combined for just 57 points so far as Alpine is stuck in sixth place in the constructor’s standings.
Both Ocon and Gasly were out of the Hungarian Grand Prix in the opening laps and the team announced ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix that team principal Otmar Szafnauer, the team’s sporting director and its chief technical officer would all be out ahead of the summer break.
Alpine showed some speed in Belgium as Gasly finished third in the sprint race and Ocon was eighth in the Grand Prix. But those are baby steps for a team that needs to take a leap to have any chance of competing with the top five. Outside of a third-place finish for Ocon in Monaco, there hasn’t been much to be optimistic about at Alpine. Especially for Gasly. He hasn’t finished better than seventh all season and has three consecutive finishes outside the top 10. | https://www.wftv.com/news/national/formula-1-takeaways/SCJ4U6BG3CEQZJWP4H2KQ7FB7Q/ | 2023-07-30T21:39:30 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/national/formula-1-takeaways/SCJ4U6BG3CEQZJWP4H2KQ7FB7Q/ |
The St. Louis Cardinals are trading starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery to the Texas Rangers and reliever Jordan Hicks to the Toronto Blue Jays, according to multiple Sunday reports.
Montgomery joins a Rangers team that just acquired three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer from the New York Mets on Saturday. Texas is bolstering its rotation as it looks to maintain its lead in the AL West. The Rangers entered Sunday at 60-45 with a one-game led over the Houston Astros.
Hicks will arrive in Toronto with All-Star closer Jordan Romano on the injured list with back inflammation.
Hicks, 26, has a 3.67 ERA and 1.512 WHIP with 59 strikeouts and 24 walks in 41.2 innings this season. He was tied with Giovanny Gallegos for the Cardinals' lead in saves with eight.
The 59-47 Blue Jays were in the thick of the AL wild-card race and five games behind the first-place Baltimore Orioles in the AL East at the time of the trade.
The 46-60 Cardinals are in last place in the NL Central. | https://www.wftv.com/news/national/reports-cardinals/AN46O2RYDKNQB3YM7H5NTCIVRE/ | 2023-07-30T21:39:36 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/national/reports-cardinals/AN46O2RYDKNQB3YM7H5NTCIVRE/ |
LOS ANGELES — (AP) — When viewed through a wide lens, renters across the U.S. finally appear to be getting some relief, thanks in part to the biggest apartment construction boom in decades.
Median rent rose just 0.5% in June, year over year, after falling in May for the first time since the pandemic hit the U.S. Some economists project U.S. rents will be down modestly this year after soaring nearly 25% over the past four years.
A closer look, however, shows the trend will likely be little comfort for many U.S. renters who’ve had to put an increasing share of their income toward their monthly payment. Renters in cities such as Cincinnati and Indianapolis are still getting hit with increases of 5% or more. Much of the new construction is located in just a few metro areas, and many of the new units are luxury apartments, which rent for well north of $2,000.
Median U.S. rent has risen to $2,029 this June from $1,629 in June 2019, according to rental listings company Rent, which tracks rents in 50 of the largest U.S. metropolitan areas. Demand for apartments exploded during the pandemic as people who could work remotely sought more space or decided to relocate to another part of the country.
The steep rent increases have left tenants like Melissa Lombana, a high school teacher who lives in the South Florida city of Miramar, with progressively less income to spend on other needs.
The rent on her one-bedroom apartment jumped 13% last year to $1,700. It climbed another 6% to $1,800 this month when she renewed her lease.
“Even the $1,700 was a stretch for me,” said Lombana, 43, who supplements her teaching income with a side job doing educational testing. “In a year, I will not be able to afford living here at all.”
Lombana’s rent is now gobbling up nearly half her monthly income. That puts her in a category referred to as “cost-burdened” by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, denoting households that pay 30% or more of their income toward rent. Last year, the average rent-to-income ratio per household rose to 30%. This March, it was 29.6%.
Lombana hasn’t had any luck finding a more affordable apartment. While South Florida is one of the metropolitan areas seeing a rise in apartment construction, the units are mostly high-end and not a viable option.
That scenario is playing out across the nation. Developers are rushing to complete projects that were green-lit during the pandemic-era surge in demand for rentals or left in limbo by delays in supplies of fixtures and building materials. Nearly 1.1 million apartments are currently under construction, according to the commercial real estate tracker CoStar, a pace not seen since the 1970s.
Increasing the supply of apartments tends to moderate rent increases over time and can give tenants more options on where to live. But more than 40% of the new rentals to be completed this year will be concentrated in about 10 high job growth metropolitan areas, including Austin, Nashville, Denver, Atlanta and New York, according to Marcus & Millichap. In many areas, the boost to overall inventory will be barely noticeable.
Even within metros where there’ll be a notable increase in available apartments, such as Nashville, most of it will be in the luxury category, where rents average $2,270, nationally. Some 70% of the new rental inventory will be the luxury class, said Jay Lybik, national director of multifamily analytics at CoStar.
That will leave most tenants unlikely to see a big enough reduction in rent to make a difference, industry experts and economists say.
“I think we’re in a period of rent flattening for 12 or 18 months, but it’s certainly not a big rent decline,” said Hessam Nadji, CEO of commercial real estate firm Marcus & Millichap.
“We’re building a multi-decade record number of units,” Nadji said. “It’s going to cause some softening and some pockets of overbuilding, but it’s not going to fundamentally resolve the housing shortage or the affordability problem for renters across the U.S.”
The surge in rents has made it difficult for workers to keep up with inflation despite solid wage gains the past few years and exacerbated a long-term trend. Between 1999 and 2022, U.S. rents soared 135%, while income grew 77%, according to data from Moody’s Analytics.
Realtor.com is forecasting that rents will drop an average of 0.9% this year. But while down nationally, rents are still rising in many markets around the country, especially those where hiring remains robust.
In the New York metro area, the median rent climbed 4.7% in June from a year earlier to $2,899, according to Realtor.com. In the Midwest, rents surged 5.6% in the Cincinnati metro area to $1,188, and 6.9% to $1,350 in the Indianapolis metro area.
The current spike in apartment construction alone isn’t going to be enough to address how costly renting has become for many Americans.
“For the rest of the 2020s rents will continue to grow because millennials are such a big generation and we’re very much in the hole in terms of building housing for that generation,” said Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin. “It will take many good years of new construction to build adequate housing for millennials.”
The bigger challenge is building more work force housing, because the cost of land, labor and navigating the government approval process incentivize developers to put up luxury apartments buildings.
Expanding the supply of modestly priced rentals would help alleviate the strain from so many new apartments targeting renters with high incomes, “although additional subsidies will be needed to make housing affordable to households with the lowest incomes,” researchers at Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies wrote in a recent report.
Despite the overall pullback in U.S. rents, Joey Di Girolamo, in Pembroke Pines, Florida, worries that he’ll face more sharp rent increases in coming years.
Last year, the web designer left a two-bedroom, two-bath townhome he rented for $2,200 a month to avoid a $600 a month increase. This year, his rent went up by $200, a nearly 10% jump.
“That blew me away,” said Di Girolamo, 50. “I’m just kind of dreading what it’s going to be like next year, but especially 3 or 4 years from now.”
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.wftv.com/news/some-renters-may-get/DKK5RNJLX4IHBQYHYRDZ57JIBU/ | 2023-07-30T21:39:42 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/some-renters-may-get/DKK5RNJLX4IHBQYHYRDZ57JIBU/ |
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.
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/trending/cardi-b-hit-with-drink-during-las-vegas-concert-tosses-microphone-into-crowd/J4HVGI5LH5GTREBGY3AOSIP3G4/ | 2023-07-30T21:39:49 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/trending/cardi-b-hit-with-drink-during-las-vegas-concert-tosses-microphone-into-crowd/J4HVGI5LH5GTREBGY3AOSIP3G4/ |
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.wftv.com/news/trending/chicago-shooting-1-woman-killed-8-wounded-citys-west-side/SJOVKBTDOZHWVPB7C3YFT3GJQY/ | 2023-07-30T21:39:55 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/trending/chicago-shooting-1-woman-killed-8-wounded-citys-west-side/SJOVKBTDOZHWVPB7C3YFT3GJQY/ |
KHAR, Pakistan — A suicide bomber set off explosives at a political rally in northwest Pakistan on Sunday, killing himself and at least 44 other people while injuring nearly 200 people, authorities said.
The attack happened in the town of Khar, located near the border of Afghanistan, Reuters reported. The device, which was detonated near the stage where the rally was being held, targeted members of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) party, according to CNN.
The party is a right-wing political and religious party led by cleric Maulana Fazlur Rehman, The Washington Post reported. The cleric is an ally of Afghanistan’s Taliban leadership and supports electoral politics in Pakistan, according to the newspaper.
At least 40 people were killed in a suspected suicide bomb blast targeting a political convention in northern Pakistan on Sunday, shocking the Pakistani government. https://t.co/X278lXPA9V
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) July 30, 2023
“Such crimes cannot be justified in any way,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted, the Post reported.
Although the JUI-F party is part of the country’s ruling class, it has also taken far-right positions on issues that include women’s rights, according to the newspaper.
Video footage of the explosion showed a fireball erupting near the stage as supporters assembled in a large tent, The Wall Street Journal reported. Video showed corpses and dismembered body parts scattered around the area where the bomb was detonated, according to the newspaper.
“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,” Adam Khan, 45, told The Associated Press. Khan said he was knocked to the ground by the blast around and was hit by splinters in his leg and both hands.
The JUI-F party is allied with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government, which is preparing for national elections in November, Reuters reported.
On Sunday, Sharif condemned the explosion, calling it an attack on Pakistan’s democratic process. The prime minister vowed to punish the people responsible for the attack, according to the news organization. | https://www.wftv.com/news/trending/suicide-bomber-pakistan-political-rally-kills-least-44-injures-nearly-200/TJVTVLDJAJEP5INONJ6SCPH2Y4/ | 2023-07-30T21:40:01 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/trending/suicide-bomber-pakistan-political-rally-kills-least-44-injures-nearly-200/TJVTVLDJAJEP5INONJ6SCPH2Y4/ |
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.wftv.com/news/world/suicide-bomber/PW7LAOWKXAQSCBSZQ3YZ5QW4VM/ | 2023-07-30T21:40:07 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/world/suicide-bomber/PW7LAOWKXAQSCBSZQ3YZ5QW4VM/ |
DULUTH — National Night Out has returned again. The annual event is held the first Tuesday in August across the United States. In Duluth, over 60 events have been scheduled in neighborhoods in the 27-mile long city. The event is a community-building campaign that promotes interactions and camaraderie among emergency service providers and neighbors, according to the National Night Out website. It's been held for 39 years, barring some exceptions for COVID-19.
Events throughout the city range from small gatherings of neighbors around a campfire, to businesses building community with pig roasts, to churches with ukulele music and streets with belching contests. What makes people decide to keep on planning these parties?
For Sue Pappas, it's all about getting to know her neighbors.
"We live in a neighborhood where we have older people and young families and there's people walking back and forth and we say hi, but nobody really sits and talks," Pappas said. "So for me, it's just a way to get people to get to know one another."
Pappas and her neighbors have hosted an NNO party for 5 years. She said the enthusiasm she sees in her neighbors spurs her to keep on hosting. What's her secret to a good party? Having lots of activities.
ADVERTISEMENT
"We have activities like a neighbor who is going to lead the kids in painting positive messages on rocks and another who is going to paint faces, another who makes up a scavenger hunt," Pappas said. "But the big draw are the contests like the belching contest and biggest bubble gum contest."
For others the event is about meeting their local first responders. Len Johnson, who organizes a part in the Raleigh neighborhood, said he started planning their party with his neighbor George LaFont back in 2018.
"It is a night to celebrate and laugh, a fun night of laughing with family, friends, and neighbors. A gathering of all ages, all coming together to celebrate our community," Len Johnson said. "National Night must highlight the importance of our first responders and the necessity of these friends and family members that keep our communities safe. I have been helped in many times of crisis by first responders, and we celebrate all who serve and wear the uniform."
Up at Piedmont Dental, administrator Mary Johnson said the office has hosted a party annually since 2014. What started as a gathering of 100 people has grown to an expected 500-people full pig roast with visits from the St. Louis County Search and Rescue Squad, as well as the Duluth fire and police departments.
"The fire department has this kitchen-fire demo unit where they can teach about different types of fire and how you should properly put them out, which people said was very interesting," Mary Johnson said. "And we have prizes for drawing like gift cards and electric toothbrushes."
Annie Matthys is fairly new to the NNO scene. This is her second year organizing a party. Her first was last year just after her family moved to a new neighborhood.
"It was a good chance to meet everyone and get to know them. We love knowing our neighbors and feeling like our neighborhood is a community," Matthys said. "It's just another way to create that bond between people."
Matthys said she likes to play a more casual gathering, with community games of volleyball and other yard games to with their potluck.
ADVERTISEMENT
Up the shore in French River, the French River Lutheran Church hosts an NNO party as a way to let people in the community connect.
"People think of the North Shore as a place that's not really populated, but there are houses every 100 feet or so. We just act as an anchor point, since it's not easily possibly to host one in the street here," said Pastor Kim Sturtz. "We're a place of rest and refuge and we try to help people feel that sense of belonging."
Sturtz said the church has been hosting a party since the 1990s. One of their features is the Two Harbors Ukulele Group who come and provide entertainment every year.
"And we have our local fire department come and people get to know each other," Strutz said. "It's just a good time for all."
Find your local National Night Out gathering by visiting duluthmn.gov/police/community-policing/national-night-out. | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/national-night-out-meet-neighbors-public-safety-members-and-build-community | 2023-07-30T21:40:45 | 0 | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/national-night-out-meet-neighbors-public-safety-members-and-build-community |
Updated July 30, 2023 at 5:02 PM ET
KHAR, Pakistan — 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."
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.nprillinois.org/2023-07-30/a-bombing-at-a-political-rally-in-pakistan-has-killed-at-least-44-and-wounded-some-200 | 2023-07-30T21:41:23 | 1 | https://www.nprillinois.org/2023-07-30/a-bombing-at-a-political-rally-in-pakistan-has-killed-at-least-44-and-wounded-some-200 |
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.wane.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-china-says-us-military-aid-to-taiwan-will-not-deter-its-will-to-unify-the-island/ | 2023-07-30T21:41:23 | 0 | https://www.wane.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-china-says-us-military-aid-to-taiwan-will-not-deter-its-will-to-unify-the-island/ |
The world's first atomic bomb was tested in New Mexico in 1945, where hundreds of locals are still facing fallout from the test. Many are also fighting for compensation from the federal government.
Copyright 2023 NPR
The world's first atomic bomb was tested in New Mexico in 1945, where hundreds of locals are still facing fallout from the test. Many are also fighting for compensation from the federal government.
Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.nprillinois.org/2023-07-30/people-exposed-to-fallout-from-1st-atomic-bomb-test-still-fighting-for-compensation | 2023-07-30T21:41:29 | 0 | https://www.nprillinois.org/2023-07-30/people-exposed-to-fallout-from-1st-atomic-bomb-test-still-fighting-for-compensation |
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.wane.com/news/national-world/ap-us-news/ap-4-dead-2-injured-in-separate-aircraft-accidents-in-wisconsin-authorities-say/ | 2023-07-30T21:41:30 | 0 | https://www.wane.com/news/national-world/ap-us-news/ap-4-dead-2-injured-in-separate-aircraft-accidents-in-wisconsin-authorities-say/ |
The planned execution of a 45-year-old Missouri man with schizophrenia is back on after an appellate court reversed course Saturday.
Johnny Johnson is scheduled to receive a lethal injection Tuesday at the state prison in Bonne Terre for killing 6-year-old Casey Williamson after trying to sexually assault her in 2002.
With questions swirling about his mental competency, the execution was halted last Tuesday by a divided three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court. But after the Missouri Attorney General’s Office asked that the full court reconsider, that decision was reversed in a 7-3 ruling.
The case will likely end up before the U.S. Supreme Court before the scheduled execution date.
Attorneys for Johnson have claimed his schizophrenia prevents him from understanding the link between his crime and the punishment. They have also said Johnson has delusions about the devil using his death to bring about the end of the world.
The Missouri Supreme Court in June declined to halt the execution based on the mental health claim. The attorney general’s office challenged the credibility of psychiatric evaluations of Johnson and contended that medical records indicate he is able to manage his mental illness through medication.
Johnson lured the girl to an abandoned glass factory, even carrying her on his shoulders on the walk to the dilapidated site. When he tried to sexually assault her, Casey screamed and tried to break free. He killed her with bricks and rocks, then washed off in the Meramec River. Johnson confessed to the crimes.
Casey’s disappearance set off a frantic search involving first responders and volunteers. Her body was found in a pit less than a mile (1.6 kilometers) from her home, buried beneath rocks and debris.
The execution would be the fourth in Missouri this year. | https://www.wane.com/news/national-world/ap-us-news/ap-appellate-court-rules-that-missouri-man-with-schizophrenia-can-be-executed-after-all/ | 2023-07-30T21:41:37 | 1 | https://www.wane.com/news/national-world/ap-us-news/ap-appellate-court-rules-that-missouri-man-with-schizophrenia-can-be-executed-after-all/ |
A lawsuit filed by Donald Trump against the news network CNN has been dismissed by a federal judge.
In a federal lawsuit filed last year in Florida, the former president claimed that some news articles and on-air statements from a host on the network created a "false and incendiary association" between him and Adolf Hitler. Trump also said that the use of the phrase "the Big Lie," used in reference to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, was defamatory, as it allegedly generated feelings of "hate, contempt, distrust, ridicule, and even fear" towards Trump among readers and viewers.
Ultimately, Trump sought punitive damages amounting to $475 million in the lawsuit.
But in a ruling on Friday, U.S. District Judge Raag Singhal stated that Trump's defamation claims lacked merit because the references made were opinions and not statements of fact.
The judge further emphasized that it would be a stretch to believe that the phrase "the Big Lie" would link Trump's efforts to challenge the 2020 election results with Nazi propaganda in the minds of viewers.
"CNN’s use of the phrase "the Big Lie" in connection with Trump’s election challenges does not give rise to a plausible inference that Trump advocates the persecution and genocide of Jews or any other group of people. No reasonable viewer could (or should) plausibly make that reference," Judge Singhal wrote in the filing, first obtained by the Washington Post.
According to the filing, Trump's lawsuit cited various instances, including opinion pieces by former CNN Editor-at-Large Chris Cillizza and one episode of CNN's "State of the Union," hosted by Jake Tapper, where the phrase "the Big Lie" was used.
SEE MORE: Trump's 2024 rivals ignored legal cases against him at Iowa GOP event
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com | https://www.wtvr.com/federal-judge-dismisses-trump-s-defamation-lawsuit-against-cnn | 2023-07-30T21:41:41 | 0 | https://www.wtvr.com/federal-judge-dismisses-trump-s-defamation-lawsuit-against-cnn |
Healthy morning routines for kids
If you’re a parent, you know mornings can be chaotic. Not only do you have to get up and out of bed to prepare for work or the rest of your day, but you also need to wrangle your kids and get them moving. Unfortunately, they don’t always cooperate. Not only is a family morning routine ideal to help things run smoothly but by getting organized, you and your family can lower stress, increase your productivity, boost your energy and even improve your relationships.
Start by sitting down with the entire family and creating a schedule that allows everyone the proper amount of time to get what they need done and walk out the door happy, excited and eager to start the day.
Shop this article: Eslite Toothbrush Toothpaste Holder Stand, Bento Box Lunch Containers and Gaiam Kids Yoga Mat Exercise Mat
Benefits of a Healthy Routine for Kids
- Helps kids adopt healthy habits early on: Establishing a solid daily routine helps kids implement healthy habits, such as washing their teeth and cleaning their room. Since habits require practice and repetition, you won’t have to worry about reminding them once they adopt them into their morning routine.
- Decreases parental exhaustion: Having to worry about your own routine alongside your tasks can leave you feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. Involving your entire family in creating a morning routine can make things less stressful for you.
- Limits screen time: Kids consume several hours of games, social media, TV shows and other forms of entertainment daily, which can take away from healthy habits. A healthy morning routine encourages them to step away from their devices to spend more time with family and prepare for the school day.
- Gives kids responsibility: A morning routine tells kids that they have tasks they need to complete before heading to school. Once they adapt to their routine, they understand that there are things they must do every day without being reminded. In addition, it can help them develop independence early.
- Bedtime is much easier: When your kids have a healthy morning routine, it helps them better navigate their days and makes it easier to go to bed at night. A daily routine establishes your child’s body clock, alerting them when it’s time for bed.
Helpful tips for creating a healthy morning routine
Start preparing the night before
Before you go to bed, pick out clothes that you and your kids will wear the next day, and prepare all of your food options, so you won’t be left scrambling at the last minute. You can spend Sunday preparing meals and picking out clothes to focus on other weekly tasks. In addition, it can be fun to involve your kids by having them help you in the kitchen.
Stock up on organizational items
JanSport SuperBreak One Backpacks
If it’s school you need to get your kids ready for, make sure their backpacks are packed and their lunch boxes are ready to go in the mornings. Aim to keep your pantry and fridge stocked and additional school supplies handy when your kids need them.
There are some excellent organizational items below that you can utilize during the school year or over the summer to make sure you and your kids know where their necessary supplies will be before everyone has to be out the door.
Sold by Amazon
Make sure you have the essentials
KINCMAX Shower Caddy Bathroom Shelf
Household essentials such as alarm clocks, toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwash and any shower items your family needs can keep everyone on track. If you have a lot of products or a large family, consider investing in a shower caddy so everyone has exactly what they need at arm’s reach.
Sold by Amazon
Avoid the screens
As mentioned, kids can spend a lot of time on their phones and tablets, causing morning distractions. Make a no TV rule in the morning once everyone is awake and out of bed. That means taking away any video games, iPads and cell phones.
Create a positive atmosphere
Playco Reward Chart for Kids Chores
Preparing the night before and planning can reduce stress and urgency. Not only will this make things more convenient, but it will free up time to make positive strides in the right direction. Group activities, like meditation, can be a healthy way to get the entire family in the proper mindset.
And if you’re having trouble motivating your kids, it wouldn’t hurt to provide a little extra incentive with a rewards chart.
Sold by Amazon
The best organizational items for a healthy morning routine
Humble Crew Modern Toy Organizer
Give your kids the opportunity to tidy their environment with this organizer designed for their height. Having an organized space to wake up in helps start your kids off on the right foot for the morning while teaching them to sort and improve their cognitive skills.
Sold by Amazon
Eslite Toothbrush Toothpaste Holder Stand
Morning hygiene maintenance is an imperative part of a morning routine. This bathroom organizer allows kids to have everything they need to do in the bathroom each morning and evening together. It can hold five toothbrushes and has holes for toothpaste, combs and cups for water and mouthwash.
Sold by Amazon
Xoxo Parents Magnetic Chore Chart for Multiple Kids
Help keep everyone in the family organized in the morning with a dry-erase calendar, complete with daily to-do’s. This calendar lets kids know what to expect for the day and help them create a healthy routine while laying out all their tasks.
Sold by Amazon
Colgate Smart Manual Kids Toothbrush
Make brushing teeth fun for kids with this toothbrush. It includes augmented reality to help kids brush their teeth properly. It has an app that teaches kids to establish healthy hygiene habits, as well as a fun game they unlock when they brush their teeth.
Sold by Amazon
Gamenote Wooden Pen Holder and Pencil Holders
Having a clean environment in the morning can boost your family’s mood. If you have crafty kids, giving them a pen holder can help them tidy up before departing for school. This rainbow holder includes six different size compartments to fit pencils, pens, crayons and more.
Sold by Amazon
Zicoto Simplified To-Do List Notebook and Aesthetic Daily Planner
A planner is an excellent tool both kids and adults use to plan their days and stick to healthy routines. This planner has space to write daily to-do list notes, health tracking, appointments and meal plans. It has perforated pages, perfect for tearing them out after completing daily tasks.
Sold by Amazon
Rewards are a great way to incentivize your kids to stick to a morning routine. This reward chart encourages good behavior and promotes healthy habits. It is designed for kids ages 3 and up. It is laboratory-certified and safe for kids to use.
Sold by Amazon
The best food items to promote a healthy morning routine
Rubbermaid Brilliance BPA-Free Food Storage Containers with Lids
Plan ahead for your kids’ breakfasts and lunches with these food storage containers that are bisphenol A-free. These 100% leak-proof, splatter-resistant and microwave-safe containers easily stack in the refrigerator to keep you organized from morning till night.
Sold by Amazon
Kitch’nMore 38 Ounce Meal Prep Containers
Prepare up to 30 meals in advance and keep them neatly packaged in these microwave, dishwasher and freezer-safe containers. Each container holds up to 2.4 pounds of food. They are made of BPA-free material, leak-proof and durable.
Sold by Amazon
Pre-pack healthy, protein-rich breakfasts and lunches for your children in this eco-friendly bento lunch box. The smaller-sized compartments allow all your kids’ favorite foods to be packed separately for perfect meals that can be eaten whenever their schedule permits.
Sold by Amazon
Oniva Disney Mickey Mouse Lunch Bag
Your kids will never forget to bring their lunch box to school when it’s this cute! This Mickey Mouse lunch bag is insulated to ensure food stays at the correct temperature. It comes with a knife, fork, spoon, napkin and salt and pepper shakers.
Sold by Amazon
Lerine 10-Pack Dishwasher-Safe Reusable Bags
Save money and be environmentally friendly using reusable bags for your and your kids’ lunches. They are leakproof, BPA-free and dishwasher safe. They include three 1-gallon bags, four sandwich bags and three snack bags.
Sold by Amazon
Thermos Funtainer 10-Ounce Stainless Steel Vacuum Insulated
This thermos keeps kids’ food cold for up to seven hours, and up to five hours for hot food. It has a lightweight, compact design with a push-button lid that’s easy for kids to carry and open. It also includes a spoon stored in the thermos.
Sold by Amazon
Topbooc Travel Utensils, Reusable Silverware Set-To-Go
Pack your kids’ lunches with reusable silverware to save money and be environmentally conscious. This set comes with a knife, fork, spoon, two straws, a straw cleaner, chopsticks and a compact case. It is available in a variety of colors and is dishwasher safe.
Sold by Amazon
The best items for a positive morning atmosphere
Meditation for Kids: 40 Activities to Manage Emotions, Ease Anxiety and Stay Focused
Meditation is an amazing way to start the day with a healthy and positive outlook. This book has options for 40 meditation activities kids can do in the morning to help them remain calm, relaxed and focused.
Sold by Amazon
Gaiam Kids Yoga Mat Exercise Mat
Yoga is a positive and healthy activity for a child’s morning routine. This adorable yoga mat is perfect for kids ages 5 to 8 and is decorated with a unicorn, lamb and lion. These kids’ yoga mats are non-toxic and phthalate-free while constructed with a textured surface to reduce slips.
Sold by Amazon
Hatch Rest+ Baby Sound Machine, Night Light
This sound machine helps kids to fall asleep and wake up easily. The time-to-rise programs help them handle the difficult transition from being sound asleep to starting their day. Waking up comfortably and naturally is the ideal first step in any morning routine.
Sold by Amazon
Big Red Rooster Sleep Training Alarm Clock
This alarm clock notifies your kids if it’s time to wake up or if more sleep is necessary. The ball glows green if it’s time to wake up or red if they should go back to sleep. The hidden parent compartment makes sure the alarm can’t be adjusted.
Sold by Amazon
The 3-Minute Gratitude Journal for Kids
Practicing gratitude is a great way for kids to start the morning with positivity. This journal teaches kids how to be thankful and enjoy the simple things in life. It contains daily pages where kids list out three things and people they’re grateful for and how they’re feeling each day.
Sold by Amazon
Sonoma Lavender Microwaveable Aromatherapy Pillow
Having a cuddly bear to snuggle in the morning can help kids prepare for the day. This plush bear not only provides snuggles but releases a lavender scent for aromatherapy benefits. It has 10 different animals, such as an elephant, bunny, monkey and lamb.
Sold by Amazon
Antdalis Sunrise Alarm Clock Wake-Up Light
After a long summer, it might be challenging for kids to readjust to waking up in the mornings. This alarm clock’s light gradually increases over 30 minutes to fill the room with bright, white light. It has two alarms, seven natural sounds and a 10-sound volume.
Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
- Slip encouraging notes into your kids’ lunch bags with the Outus 120 Pieces Motivational Encouragement Quote Cards.
- Make mornings more exciting for your children with the Ainibab Boys Girls Hooded Robe.
- Ensure your kids stay hydrated throughout the day with a Bubba Brands Flo Kids Water Bottle with Leak-Proof Lid.
- Give your kids healthy, satisfying snacks such as the GoGo SqueeZ Fruit on the Go Variety Pack.
- This Be Prepared. Period Menstruation Kit is a great starter kit for teens to take to school.
Want to shop the best products at the best prices? Check out Daily Deals from BestReviews.
Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals.
Ryan Dempsey writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers.
Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.wdtn.com/reviews/br/baby-kids-br/health-safety-br/how-to-develop-a-healthy-morning-routine-for-you-and-your-kids/ | 2023-07-30T21:41:41 | 0 | https://www.wdtn.com/reviews/br/baby-kids-br/health-safety-br/how-to-develop-a-healthy-morning-routine-for-you-and-your-kids/ |