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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.krqe.com/news/national/while-barbie-bonanza-continues-at-the-box-office-oppenheimer-holds-no-2-spot/ | 2023-07-30T22:53:44 | 1 | https://www.krqe.com/news/national/while-barbie-bonanza-continues-at-the-box-office-oppenheimer-holds-no-2-spot/ |
This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.
Jimmie Johnson expressed his gratitude to those who have reached out amid his family's recent tragedy.
A month ago, on June 27, police reported that the NASCAR driver’s in-laws and nephew were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide in Oklahoma.
Muskogee Police Department identified the victims as Jack Janway, 69, his wife Terry Lynn Janway, 68, and their 11-year-old grandson Dalton Janway, per a press release.
Speaking out for the first time since the deaths, the driver released a statement on his Instagram on July 28.
“Our family is devastated by the profound loss of (Terry) Lynn, Jack and Dalton Janway,” Johnson's statement read. “We have been humbled by the outpouring of love and support during this unthinkably sad time and remain grateful for all of your compassion.”
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Johnson and wife Chandra Janway have been married since 2004. The couple are parents to two daughters.
At the time of the shooting, police department spokesperson Lynn Hamlin told NBC News that Terry Janway was the “suspect” in the attack.
On July 28, Hamlin confirmed that Terry Janway had gone by her middle name, Lynn, and told TODAY.com there were no updates in the case that she could share publicly.
On June 26 at approximately 9:05 p.m., dispatch received a 911 call from a female caller who said that there was a disturbance and someone had a gun then hung up, per the Muskogee PD. When police arrived at the scene, they found a person laying in the hallway in the front door before hearing another gunshot further inside the house. While searching the house, they found two more bodies.
Following the deaths, the seven-time champion’s team withdrew the No. 84 Carvana Chevrolet from the NASCAR Cup Series event in Chicago.
“The Johnson family has asked for privacy at this time and no further statements will be made,” the Legacy Motor Club tweeted on June 27.
Additionally, that same day, NASCAR also released a statement: “We are saddened by the tragic deaths of members of Chandra Johnson’s family. The entire NASCAR family extends its deepest support and condolences during this difficult time to Chandra, Jimmie and the entire Johnson & Janway families.”
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY: | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/sports/jimmie-johnson-speaks-out-after-nephew-in-laws-killed-in-apparent-murder-suicide/3306226/ | 2023-07-30T22:53:44 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/sports/jimmie-johnson-speaks-out-after-nephew-in-laws-killed-in-apparent-murder-suicide/3306226/ |
(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.
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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.krqe.com/news/national/why-is-hazing-so-hard-to-eliminate/ | 2023-07-30T22:53:50 | 0 | https://www.krqe.com/news/national/why-is-hazing-so-hard-to-eliminate/ |
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Video Weather | https://www.nbcdfw.com/video-weather/nbc-5-forecast-dangerous-heat-ahead-heat-advisory-and-air-quality-alert-for-sunday-2/3306256/ | 2023-07-30T22:53:51 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/video-weather/nbc-5-forecast-dangerous-heat-ahead-heat-advisory-and-air-quality-alert-for-sunday-2/3306256/ |
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – New Mexico State Police are investigating a police shooting. It involved the Las Vegas Police Department.
Little information has been released, but it happened overnight on Grand Street.
It was reported that the officers and the suspect are okay. | https://www.krqe.com/news/new-mexico/state-police-investigates-shooting-involving-las-vegas-police-dept/ | 2023-07-30T22:53:56 | 1 | https://www.krqe.com/news/new-mexico/state-police-investigates-shooting-involving-las-vegas-police-dept/ |
(NEXSTAR) – Facebook users still have a few weeks to claim their piece of a $725 million settlement Meta agreed to pay to resolve a lawsuit. Ex-Facebook users can get in on the action too, as long as they meet a few criteria.
The main requirement is that you had a Facebook account for any time between May 24, 2007, and Dec. 22, 2022. You also need to have been a United States resident during that period of time.
Even people who deleted their Facebook account qualify – they’re just likely to see a smaller payout. How big your check ends up being depends in part on how long your account was active.
People have until Aug. 25, 2023, to file a claim, either online or by mail.
After the deadline passes, a judge will need to give the settlement final approval. That hearing is set for Sept. 7.
If the settlement gets the final OK, it’s not yet clear when the payments will be sent out – but you might not need to wait for a check in the mail. When submitting your claim, you can fill out your Venmo, Zelle, PayPal, or direct deposit info to get your payment sent straight to your account.
It’s also not clear how much each eligible recipient will get. Legal fees and administrative costs need to be deducted first. The remaining amount will be divvied up among eligible Facebook users, but we don’t know how many people have submitted a claim.
We asked Scott Dodson, a distinguished professor of law at UC Law San Francisco and the director of the Center for Litigation and Courts, to help us estimate a figure. He broke down all the factors that go into calculating the size of a class action lawsuit payment, and said that based on similar cases he estimated the higher end of payments might be in the “triple digits.” Many more people will likely receive less than $100, he estimated.
Earlier this year, Meta agreed to settle the lawsuit claiming Facebook allowed users’ personal data to be shared with third parties, the most famous being Cambridge Analytica, a consulting firm that supported Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. The firm harvested the data of as many as 87 million Facebook users, the Associated Press reported. | https://www.krqe.com/news/technology/facebook-settlement-checks-can-you-still-get-a-payment-if-you-deleted-your-account/ | 2023-07-30T22:54:02 | 0 | https://www.krqe.com/news/technology/facebook-settlement-checks-can-you-still-get-a-payment-if-you-deleted-your-account/ |
Senate GOP leaders didn’t want it to get to this point.
They tried and tried to get Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) to lift the holds he’s placed on hundreds of military promotions — which have opened Republicans up to attacks from the Biden administration.
But their efforts have failed, and they are now in a situation where the earliest a resolution might be found is September — when lawmakers will also be busy trying to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the month.
“It’s hung around for a while. I support his goals,” said Sen. John Thune (S.D.), the No. 2 Senate Republican. “The challenge obviously is the mechanism he used to get to the result has created some challenges. We want to figure out a way to resolve it and address that.”
“There are conversations now going on, which is good — between him and the military and others. We’ll have some time in August to work on a path forward, and hopefully we’ll find it,” he said.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has been among those trying to find a resolution, Thune said. Tuberville said he and McConnell discussed the holds Wednesday, hours after the GOP leader froze and felt lightheaded in front of reporters.
“At this point, everybody’s engaged trying to figure out how to solve this,” Thune added.
Tuberville began his holds in early March to protest a new Defense Department policy to reimburse service members who must travel to seek an abortion for those travel expenses.
Six months later, the list of holds has grown to 300. Senate Republicans were hoping to find solution before leaving Washington for five weeks — five additional weeks during which those military officers will remain in limbo, fueling Democratic attacks and frustrating the Pentagon.
One Senate Republican said finding an offramp agreeable to both Tuberville and those opposed to the holds has become a “recurring discussion” in the Senate GOP conference, and that McConnell has been personally involved in that quest.
“There’s not a lunch that goes by that we don’t talk about it,” the senator said, but added there’s “no chance of a resolution” any time soon.
Aside from the potential political and national security implications of the holds, McConnell is worried about the institutional implications.
The longtime GOP leader recently told reporters at a press conference that he is concerned this could lead to a renewed Democratic effort to change the chamber’s rules.
Despite disagreeing with Tuberville’s tactic, however, he says he recognizes it is the prerogative of any single senator to place a hold on a nominee.
Senators on both sides of the aisle for months have been musing publicly and privately about what it would take to get the Alabama Republican to set his hold aside, but have come up empty at every turn.
Initially, there had been hope that a vote on an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would reverse the abortion travel policy could do the trick, and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) led the effort.
But more recently, Tuberville has maintained that not only does any vote have to be standalone, but that the Pentagon would have to reverse its policy before any vote could be taken.
Trying to bridge that gap for lawmakers has become a herculean challenge no one has been able to complete.
Tuberville didn’t comment on efforts by Senate GOP leaders to seek a remedy, but he criticized the Biden administration and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) for their lack of outreach in trying to strike a deal. He also hasn’t had any further conversations with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin since their July 17 call and said that the initial series of calls didn’t yield anything productive.
“There’s no conversation from the other side. It’s ‘our way or the highway.’ … How does that help?” Tuberville said. “They’re not worried about it, I guess. … I hate it, for the promotions and all that.”
He added that he has yet to talk to Schumer, who has refused to use up floor time moving the nominees through regular order because he believes it is the Senate GOP’s job to figure a way out of the maze of military holds.
“This is the responsibility of the Republican Senate caucus. … It’s up to them. I think in August, pressure will mount on Tuberville, and I think the Republicans are feeling that heat,” Schumer said late Thursday. “He’s boxing himself into a corner.”
But Democrats are trying to increase that pressure, with President Biden on Thursday night laying into the Alabama Republican and arguing his holds are harming military readiness and creating instability within the ranks of the armed forces.
“This partisan freeze is already harming military readiness, security and leadership, and troop morale,” Biden said in remarks at the Truman Civil Rights Symposium in Washington. “Freezing pay, freezing people in place. Military families who have already sacrificed so much, unsure of where and when they change stations, unable to get housing or start their kids in the new school.”
Senate Democrats also took to the floor before and after the NDAA vote Thursday to criticize their GOP colleague. Since the hold was put into place, Democratic senators have made 12 attempts to move the military promotions in bloc via unanimous request.
Perhaps adding to the difficulty, Tuberville has received a boost in support from voters at home and from conservative corners of the Senate GOP conference who believe he is making the right call, albeit a difficult one.
They also argue that if Senate Democrats truly want to move on some of the nominations, they can start to do so via regular order — a move Democrats have avoided in order to not set precedent.
“Democrats think they have a winning political thing on this. I don’t think they do, and I think Sen. Tuberville morally is in the right position with regard to the issue of abortion,” Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) said. “The [Defense] Department has just as much of a responsibility to find a path forward as any single member does, and I’m not seeing the Department try to work in any fashion other than to simply put pressure on Sen. Tuberville.”
“They’re not trying to find a path forward. They think this is one of those items where if they keep putting pressure on him, he’ll cave, and I don’t think he will,” Rounds continued. “On the issue, he’s correct.” | https://wgntv.com/hill-politics/gop-leaders-strike-out-on-getting-tuberville-to-bend/ | 2023-07-30T22:54:45 | 1 | https://wgntv.com/hill-politics/gop-leaders-strike-out-on-getting-tuberville-to-bend/ |
CHICAGO — Two 16-year-old boys are in the hospital — and one is in critical condition — after a shooting in the Austin neighborhood Sunday afternoon, according to the Chicago Police Department.
Police said the two 16-year-old boys were hanging out in front of a residence in the 5000 block of West Adams Street around 2:36 p.m. when an unknown male approached them on foot with a handgun and opened fire.
One of the 16-year-old boys was shot in the chest and back, and taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition.
The other 16-year-old was shot in the left arm, and also taken to Stroger Hospital, but is listed as being in good condition.
Police have no one in custody.
If you or someone you know has information that could help CPD make an arrest and conviction in the investigation of this incident, anonymous tips can be filed online at cpdtip.com. | https://wgntv.com/news/chicagocrime/two-teens-in-the-hospital-one-critical-after-shooting-in-austin-neighborhood-cpd-says/ | 2023-07-30T22:54:51 | 1 | https://wgntv.com/news/chicagocrime/two-teens-in-the-hospital-one-critical-after-shooting-in-austin-neighborhood-cpd-says/ |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — When viewed through a wide lens, renters across the U.S. finally appear to be getting some relief, thanks in part to the biggest apartment construction boom in decades.
Median rent rose just 0.5% in June, year over year, after falling in May for the first time since the pandemic hit the U.S. Some economists project U.S. rents will be down modestly this year after soaring nearly 25% over the past four years.
A closer look, however, shows the trend will likely be little comfort for many U.S. renters who’ve had to put an increasing share of their income toward their monthly payment. Renters in cities such as Cincinnati and Indianapolis are still getting hit with increases of 5% or more. Much of the new construction is located in just a few metro areas, and many of the new units are luxury apartments, which rent for well north of $2,000.
Median U.S. rent has risen to $2,029 this June from $1,629 in June 2019, according to rental listings company Rent, which tracks rents in 50 of the largest U.S. metropolitan areas. Demand for apartments exploded during the pandemic as people who could work remotely sought more space or decided to relocate to another part of the country.
The steep rent increases have left tenants like Melissa Lombana, a high school teacher who lives in the South Florida city of Miramar, with progressively less income to spend on other needs.
The rent on her one-bedroom apartment jumped 13% last year to $1,700. It climbed another 6% to $1,800 this month when she renewed her lease.
“Even the $1,700 was a stretch for me,” said Lombana, 43, who supplements her teaching income with a side job doing educational testing. “In a year, I will not be able to afford living here at all.”
Lombana’s rent is now gobbling up nearly half her monthly income. That puts her in a category referred to as “cost-burdened” by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, denoting households that pay 30% or more of their income toward rent. Last year, the average rent-to-income ratio per household rose to 30%. This March, it was 29.6%.
Lombana hasn’t had any luck finding a more affordable apartment. While South Florida is one of the metropolitan areas seeing a rise in apartment construction, the units are mostly high-end and not a viable option.
That scenario is playing out across the nation. Developers are rushing to complete projects that were green-lit during the pandemic-era surge in demand for rentals or left in limbo by delays in supplies of fixtures and building materials. Nearly 1.1 million apartments are currently under construction, according to the commercial real estate tracker CoStar, a pace not seen since the 1970s.
Increasing the supply of apartments tends to moderate rent increases over time and can give tenants more options on where to live. But more than 40% of the new rentals to be completed this year will be concentrated in about 10 high job growth metropolitan areas, including Austin, Nashville, Denver, Atlanta and New York, according to Marcus & Millichap. In many areas, the boost to overall inventory will be barely noticeable.
Even within metros where there’ll be a notable increase in available apartments, such as Nashville, most of it will be in the luxury category, where rents average $2,270, nationally. Some 70% of the new rental inventory will be the luxury class, said Jay Lybik, national director of multifamily analytics at CoStar.
That will leave most tenants unlikely to see a big enough reduction in rent to make a difference, industry experts and economists say.
“I think we’re in a period of rent flattening for 12 or 18 months, but it’s certainly not a big rent decline,” said Hessam Nadji, CEO of commercial real estate firm Marcus & Millichap.
“We’re building a multi-decade record number of units,” Nadji said. “It’s going to cause some softening and some pockets of overbuilding, but it’s not going to fundamentally resolve the housing shortage or the affordability problem for renters across the U.S.”
The surge in rents has made it difficult for workers to keep up with inflation despite solid wage gains the past few years and exacerbated a long-term trend. Between 1999 and 2022, U.S. rents soared 135%, while income grew 77%, according to data from Moody’s Analytics.
Realtor.com is forecasting that rents will drop an average of 0.9% this year. But while down nationally, rents are still rising in many markets around the country, especially those where hiring remains robust.
In the New York metro area, the median rent climbed 4.7% in June from a year earlier to $2,899, according to Realtor.com. In the Midwest, rents surged 5.6% in the Cincinnati metro area to $1,188, and 6.9% to $1,350 in the Indianapolis metro area.
The current spike in apartment construction alone isn’t going to be enough to address how costly renting has become for many Americans.
“For the rest of the 2020s rents will continue to grow because millennials are such a big generation and we’re very much in the hole in terms of building housing for that generation,” said Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin. “It will take many good years of new construction to build adequate housing for millennials.”
The bigger challenge is building more work force housing, because the cost of land, labor and navigating the government approval process incentivize developers to put up luxury apartments buildings.
Expanding the supply of modestly priced rentals would help alleviate the strain from so many new apartments targeting renters with high incomes, “although additional subsidies will be needed to make housing affordable to households with the lowest incomes,” researchers at Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies wrote in a recent report.
Despite the overall pullback in U.S. rents, Joey Di Girolamo, in Pembroke Pines, Florida, worries that he’ll face more sharp rent increases in coming years.
Last year, the web designer left a two-bedroom, two-bath townhome he rented for $2,200 a month to avoid a $600 a month increase. This year, his rent went up by $200, a nearly 10% jump.
“That blew me away,” said Di Girolamo, 50. “I’m just kind of dreading what it’s going to be like next year, but especially 3 or 4 years from now.” | https://wgntv.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/renters-get-relief-from-rising-prices-except-in-certain-us-cities/ | 2023-07-30T22:54:57 | 0 | https://wgntv.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/renters-get-relief-from-rising-prices-except-in-certain-us-cities/ |
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://wgntv.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/the-weird-car-issues-mechanics-are-seeing-during-heat-waves/ | 2023-07-30T22:55:03 | 0 | https://wgntv.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/the-weird-car-issues-mechanics-are-seeing-during-heat-waves/ |
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://wgntv.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/while-barbie-bonanza-continues-at-the-box-office-oppenheimer-holds-no-2-spot/ | 2023-07-30T22:55:09 | 1 | https://wgntv.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/while-barbie-bonanza-continues-at-the-box-office-oppenheimer-holds-no-2-spot/ |
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.kanw.com/2023-07-30/people-exposed-to-fallout-from-1st-atomic-bomb-test-still-fighting-for-compensation | 2023-07-30T22:55:14 | 0 | https://www.kanw.com/2023-07-30/people-exposed-to-fallout-from-1st-atomic-bomb-test-still-fighting-for-compensation |
(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://wgntv.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/why-is-hazing-so-hard-to-eliminate/ | 2023-07-30T22:55:15 | 1 | https://wgntv.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/why-is-hazing-so-hard-to-eliminate/ |
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — The Fort Wayne Komets announces that Mr. Komet, Eddie Long, has passed away at 90.
Long was an original Komet who played 14 consecutive seasons from 1952 to 1966. Born in Ottawa, Ontario in 1933; Long arrived in Fort Wayne at just 19 years old.
In 801 games he collected 852 points and holds the franchise record for most career goals scored with 425.
He is most notable during the 1962-63 season, where he led with 56 goals. In that year, the Komets captured their first IHL Turner Cup Championship. Len Thornson, along with Long received the Most Valuable Player honor.
In a press release, the Komets shared other notable achievements.
As on March 4, 1962, in a game versus Indianapolis, Long tied a franchise record for most points in a game with nine and most goals scored with five. He also shares the Komet playoff records of five points in a game, most assists in a game, and scoring the fastest goal to start a playoff game.
“Eddie Long will forever be Mr. Komet. Eddie, a player, coach, and ambassador of the team, did it all. There will never be another Eddie Long. He made it to 90, a well-lived life. I never heard Eddie say anything bad about the Komets. He always wanted the team to do well and took it personally when they did not. He has more passion for the game than anyone I have ever known. Thank you, Eddie Long, for your friendship.”
Komet President Michael Franke
After his retirement as a player, Long continued to serve Fort Wayne and the Komets by becoming the Komets head coach in 1964 and guiding the team to its second championship that same season.
After coaching the Komets, Long dedicated much of his life to coaching and teaching at the youth and high school hockey levels while working and raising his family in Fort Wayne.
Long is the first Komet to have their number retired. His number 16 was retired on March 27, 1966. | https://www.wane.com/sports/komets/original-komet-eddie-long-passes-away-at-90/ | 2023-07-30T22:55:22 | 0 | https://www.wane.com/sports/komets/original-komet-eddie-long-passes-away-at-90/ |
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.pahomepage.com/news/national-news/the-weird-car-issues-mechanics-are-seeing-during-heat-waves/ | 2023-07-30T22:55:22 | 0 | https://www.pahomepage.com/news/national-news/the-weird-car-issues-mechanics-are-seeing-during-heat-waves/ |
Senate GOP leaders didn’t want it to get to this point.
They tried and tried to get Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) to lift the holds he’s placed on hundreds of military promotions — which have opened Republicans up to attacks from the Biden administration.
But their efforts have failed, and they are now in a situation where the earliest a resolution might be found is September — when lawmakers will also be busy trying to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the month.
“It’s hung around for a while. I support his goals,” said Sen. John Thune (S.D.), the No. 2 Senate Republican. “The challenge obviously is the mechanism he used to get to the result has created some challenges. We want to figure out a way to resolve it and address that.”
“There are conversations now going on, which is good — between him and the military and others. We’ll have some time in August to work on a path forward, and hopefully we’ll find it,” he said.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has been among those trying to find a resolution, Thune said. Tuberville said he and McConnell discussed the holds Wednesday, hours after the GOP leader froze and felt lightheaded in front of reporters.
“At this point, everybody’s engaged trying to figure out how to solve this,” Thune added.
Tuberville began his holds in early March to protest a new Defense Department policy to reimburse service members who must travel to seek an abortion for those travel expenses.
Six months later, the list of holds has grown to 300. Senate Republicans were hoping to find solution before leaving Washington for five weeks — five additional weeks during which those military officers will remain in limbo, fueling Democratic attacks and frustrating the Pentagon.
One Senate Republican said finding an offramp agreeable to both Tuberville and those opposed to the holds has become a “recurring discussion” in the Senate GOP conference, and that McConnell has been personally involved in that quest.
“There’s not a lunch that goes by that we don’t talk about it,” the senator said, but added there’s “no chance of a resolution” any time soon.
Aside from the potential political and national security implications of the holds, McConnell is worried about the institutional implications.
The longtime GOP leader recently told reporters at a press conference that he is concerned this could lead to a renewed Democratic effort to change the chamber’s rules.
Despite disagreeing with Tuberville’s tactic, however, he says he recognizes it is the prerogative of any single senator to place a hold on a nominee.
Senators on both sides of the aisle for months have been musing publicly and privately about what it would take to get the Alabama Republican to set his hold aside, but have come up empty at every turn.
Initially, there had been hope that a vote on an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would reverse the abortion travel policy could do the trick, and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) led the effort.
But more recently, Tuberville has maintained that not only does any vote have to be standalone, but that the Pentagon would have to reverse its policy before any vote could be taken.
Trying to bridge that gap for lawmakers has become a herculean challenge no one has been able to complete.
Tuberville didn’t comment on efforts by Senate GOP leaders to seek a remedy, but he criticized the Biden administration and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) for their lack of outreach in trying to strike a deal. He also hasn’t had any further conversations with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin since their July 17 call and said that the initial series of calls didn’t yield anything productive.
“There’s no conversation from the other side. It’s ‘our way or the highway.’ … How does that help?” Tuberville said. “They’re not worried about it, I guess. … I hate it, for the promotions and all that.”
He added that he has yet to talk to Schumer, who has refused to use up floor time moving the nominees through regular order because he believes it is the Senate GOP’s job to figure a way out of the maze of military holds.
“This is the responsibility of the Republican Senate caucus. … It’s up to them. I think in August, pressure will mount on Tuberville, and I think the Republicans are feeling that heat,” Schumer said late Thursday. “He’s boxing himself into a corner.”
But Democrats are trying to increase that pressure, with President Biden on Thursday night laying into the Alabama Republican and arguing his holds are harming military readiness and creating instability within the ranks of the armed forces.
“This partisan freeze is already harming military readiness, security and leadership, and troop morale,” Biden said in remarks at the Truman Civil Rights Symposium in Washington. “Freezing pay, freezing people in place. Military families who have already sacrificed so much, unsure of where and when they change stations, unable to get housing or start their kids in the new school.”
Senate Democrats also took to the floor before and after the NDAA vote Thursday to criticize their GOP colleague. Since the hold was put into place, Democratic senators have made 12 attempts to move the military promotions in bloc via unanimous request.
Perhaps adding to the difficulty, Tuberville has received a boost in support from voters at home and from conservative corners of the Senate GOP conference who believe he is making the right call, albeit a difficult one.
They also argue that if Senate Democrats truly want to move on some of the nominations, they can start to do so via regular order — a move Democrats have avoided in order to not set precedent.
“Democrats think they have a winning political thing on this. I don’t think they do, and I think Sen. Tuberville morally is in the right position with regard to the issue of abortion,” Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) said. “The [Defense] Department has just as much of a responsibility to find a path forward as any single member does, and I’m not seeing the Department try to work in any fashion other than to simply put pressure on Sen. Tuberville.”
“They’re not trying to find a path forward. They think this is one of those items where if they keep putting pressure on him, he’ll cave, and I don’t think he will,” Rounds continued. “On the issue, he’s correct.” | https://fox59.com/hill-politics/gop-leaders-strike-out-on-getting-tuberville-to-bend/ | 2023-07-30T22:55:26 | 1 | https://fox59.com/hill-politics/gop-leaders-strike-out-on-getting-tuberville-to-bend/ |
A new chapter has opened in Tavon Austin’s professional football journey.
The XFL’s Houston Roughnecks have added the former WVU star to their roster as they claimed his player rights over the weekend.
The wide receiver was a first-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. He was selected No. 8 overall by the St. Louis Rams and remained in the league for nine seasons. Last year, Austin, a WVU Sports Hall of Famer, joined the Buffalo Bills practice squad but did not see the field.
Austin was a two-time All-American at WVU and he set numerous program records. A few weeks ago, Austin was catching passes from former Mountaineer teammate and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith.
In a video posted to Twitter of the workout, Austin shows he still has the same speed and talent that got him to the next level. | https://www.wowktv.com/goldandbluenation/tavon-austin-is-headed-to-the-xfl/ | 2023-07-30T22:55:28 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/goldandbluenation/tavon-austin-is-headed-to-the-xfl/ |
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.pahomepage.com/news/national-news/while-barbie-bonanza-continues-at-the-box-office-oppenheimer-holds-no-2-spot/ | 2023-07-30T22:55:28 | 0 | https://www.pahomepage.com/news/national-news/while-barbie-bonanza-continues-at-the-box-office-oppenheimer-holds-no-2-spot/ |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — When viewed through a wide lens, renters across the U.S. finally appear to be getting some relief, thanks in part to the biggest apartment construction boom in decades.
Median rent rose just 0.5% in June, year over year, after falling in May for the first time since the pandemic hit the U.S. Some economists project U.S. rents will be down modestly this year after soaring nearly 25% over the past four years.
A closer look, however, shows the trend will likely be little comfort for many U.S. renters who’ve had to put an increasing share of their income toward their monthly payment. Renters in cities such as Cincinnati and Indianapolis are still getting hit with increases of 5% or more. Much of the new construction is located in just a few metro areas, and many of the new units are luxury apartments, which rent for well north of $2,000.
Median U.S. rent has risen to $2,029 this June from $1,629 in June 2019, according to rental listings company Rent, which tracks rents in 50 of the largest U.S. metropolitan areas. Demand for apartments exploded during the pandemic as people who could work remotely sought more space or decided to relocate to another part of the country.
The steep rent increases have left tenants like Melissa Lombana, a high school teacher who lives in the South Florida city of Miramar, with progressively less income to spend on other needs.
The rent on her one-bedroom apartment jumped 13% last year to $1,700. It climbed another 6% to $1,800 this month when she renewed her lease.
“Even the $1,700 was a stretch for me,” said Lombana, 43, who supplements her teaching income with a side job doing educational testing. “In a year, I will not be able to afford living here at all.”
Lombana’s rent is now gobbling up nearly half her monthly income. That puts her in a category referred to as “cost-burdened” by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, denoting households that pay 30% or more of their income toward rent. Last year, the average rent-to-income ratio per household rose to 30%. This March, it was 29.6%.
Lombana hasn’t had any luck finding a more affordable apartment. While South Florida is one of the metropolitan areas seeing a rise in apartment construction, the units are mostly high-end and not a viable option.
That scenario is playing out across the nation. Developers are rushing to complete projects that were green-lit during the pandemic-era surge in demand for rentals or left in limbo by delays in supplies of fixtures and building materials. Nearly 1.1 million apartments are currently under construction, according to the commercial real estate tracker CoStar, a pace not seen since the 1970s.
Increasing the supply of apartments tends to moderate rent increases over time and can give tenants more options on where to live. But more than 40% of the new rentals to be completed this year will be concentrated in about 10 high job growth metropolitan areas, including Austin, Nashville, Denver, Atlanta and New York, according to Marcus & Millichap. In many areas, the boost to overall inventory will be barely noticeable.
Even within metros where there’ll be a notable increase in available apartments, such as Nashville, most of it will be in the luxury category, where rents average $2,270, nationally. Some 70% of the new rental inventory will be the luxury class, said Jay Lybik, national director of multifamily analytics at CoStar.
That will leave most tenants unlikely to see a big enough reduction in rent to make a difference, industry experts and economists say.
“I think we’re in a period of rent flattening for 12 or 18 months, but it’s certainly not a big rent decline,” said Hessam Nadji, CEO of commercial real estate firm Marcus & Millichap.
“We’re building a multi-decade record number of units,” Nadji said. “It’s going to cause some softening and some pockets of overbuilding, but it’s not going to fundamentally resolve the housing shortage or the affordability problem for renters across the U.S.”
The surge in rents has made it difficult for workers to keep up with inflation despite solid wage gains the past few years and exacerbated a long-term trend. Between 1999 and 2022, U.S. rents soared 135%, while income grew 77%, according to data from Moody’s Analytics.
Realtor.com is forecasting that rents will drop an average of 0.9% this year. But while down nationally, rents are still rising in many markets around the country, especially those where hiring remains robust.
In the New York metro area, the median rent climbed 4.7% in June from a year earlier to $2,899, according to Realtor.com. In the Midwest, rents surged 5.6% in the Cincinnati metro area to $1,188, and 6.9% to $1,350 in the Indianapolis metro area.
The current spike in apartment construction alone isn’t going to be enough to address how costly renting has become for many Americans.
“For the rest of the 2020s rents will continue to grow because millennials are such a big generation and we’re very much in the hole in terms of building housing for that generation,” said Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin. “It will take many good years of new construction to build adequate housing for millennials.”
The bigger challenge is building more work force housing, because the cost of land, labor and navigating the government approval process incentivize developers to put up luxury apartments buildings.
Expanding the supply of modestly priced rentals would help alleviate the strain from so many new apartments targeting renters with high incomes, “although additional subsidies will be needed to make housing affordable to households with the lowest incomes,” researchers at Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies wrote in a recent report.
Despite the overall pullback in U.S. rents, Joey Di Girolamo, in Pembroke Pines, Florida, worries that he’ll face more sharp rent increases in coming years.
Last year, the web designer left a two-bedroom, two-bath townhome he rented for $2,200 a month to avoid a $600 a month increase. This year, his rent went up by $200, a nearly 10% jump.
“That blew me away,” said Di Girolamo, 50. “I’m just kind of dreading what it’s going to be like next year, but especially 3 or 4 years from now.” | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/renters-get-relief-from-rising-prices-except-in-certain-us-cities/ | 2023-07-30T22:55:32 | 1 | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/renters-get-relief-from-rising-prices-except-in-certain-us-cities/ |
Senate GOP leaders didn’t want it to get to this point.
They tried and tried to get Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) to lift the holds he’s placed on hundreds of military promotions — which have opened Republicans up to attacks from the Biden administration.
But their efforts have failed, and they are now in a situation where the earliest a resolution might be found is September — when lawmakers will also be busy trying to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the month.
“It’s hung around for a while. I support his goals,” said Sen. John Thune (S.D.), the No. 2 Senate Republican. “The challenge obviously is the mechanism he used to get to the result has created some challenges. We want to figure out a way to resolve it and address that.”
“There are conversations now going on, which is good — between him and the military and others. We’ll have some time in August to work on a path forward, and hopefully we’ll find it,” he said.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has been among those trying to find a resolution, Thune said. Tuberville said he and McConnell discussed the holds Wednesday, hours after the GOP leader froze and felt lightheaded in front of reporters.
“At this point, everybody’s engaged trying to figure out how to solve this,” Thune added.
Tuberville began his holds in early March to protest a new Defense Department policy to reimburse service members who must travel to seek an abortion for those travel expenses.
Six months later, the list of holds has grown to 300. Senate Republicans were hoping to find solution before leaving Washington for five weeks — five additional weeks during which those military officers will remain in limbo, fueling Democratic attacks and frustrating the Pentagon.
One Senate Republican said finding an offramp agreeable to both Tuberville and those opposed to the holds has become a “recurring discussion” in the Senate GOP conference, and that McConnell has been personally involved in that quest.
“There’s not a lunch that goes by that we don’t talk about it,” the senator said, but added there’s “no chance of a resolution” any time soon.
Aside from the potential political and national security implications of the holds, McConnell is worried about the institutional implications.
The longtime GOP leader recently told reporters at a press conference that he is concerned this could lead to a renewed Democratic effort to change the chamber’s rules.
Despite disagreeing with Tuberville’s tactic, however, he says he recognizes it is the prerogative of any single senator to place a hold on a nominee.
Senators on both sides of the aisle for months have been musing publicly and privately about what it would take to get the Alabama Republican to set his hold aside, but have come up empty at every turn.
Initially, there had been hope that a vote on an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would reverse the abortion travel policy could do the trick, and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) led the effort.
But more recently, Tuberville has maintained that not only does any vote have to be standalone, but that the Pentagon would have to reverse its policy before any vote could be taken.
Trying to bridge that gap for lawmakers has become a herculean challenge no one has been able to complete.
Tuberville didn’t comment on efforts by Senate GOP leaders to seek a remedy, but he criticized the Biden administration and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) for their lack of outreach in trying to strike a deal. He also hasn’t had any further conversations with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin since their July 17 call and said that the initial series of calls didn’t yield anything productive.
“There’s no conversation from the other side. It’s ‘our way or the highway.’ … How does that help?” Tuberville said. “They’re not worried about it, I guess. … I hate it, for the promotions and all that.”
He added that he has yet to talk to Schumer, who has refused to use up floor time moving the nominees through regular order because he believes it is the Senate GOP’s job to figure a way out of the maze of military holds.
“This is the responsibility of the Republican Senate caucus. … It’s up to them. I think in August, pressure will mount on Tuberville, and I think the Republicans are feeling that heat,” Schumer said late Thursday. “He’s boxing himself into a corner.”
But Democrats are trying to increase that pressure, with President Biden on Thursday night laying into the Alabama Republican and arguing his holds are harming military readiness and creating instability within the ranks of the armed forces.
“This partisan freeze is already harming military readiness, security and leadership, and troop morale,” Biden said in remarks at the Truman Civil Rights Symposium in Washington. “Freezing pay, freezing people in place. Military families who have already sacrificed so much, unsure of where and when they change stations, unable to get housing or start their kids in the new school.”
Senate Democrats also took to the floor before and after the NDAA vote Thursday to criticize their GOP colleague. Since the hold was put into place, Democratic senators have made 12 attempts to move the military promotions in bloc via unanimous request.
Perhaps adding to the difficulty, Tuberville has received a boost in support from voters at home and from conservative corners of the Senate GOP conference who believe he is making the right call, albeit a difficult one.
They also argue that if Senate Democrats truly want to move on some of the nominations, they can start to do so via regular order — a move Democrats have avoided in order to not set precedent.
“Democrats think they have a winning political thing on this. I don’t think they do, and I think Sen. Tuberville morally is in the right position with regard to the issue of abortion,” Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) said. “The [Defense] Department has just as much of a responsibility to find a path forward as any single member does, and I’m not seeing the Department try to work in any fashion other than to simply put pressure on Sen. Tuberville.”
“They’re not trying to find a path forward. They think this is one of those items where if they keep putting pressure on him, he’ll cave, and I don’t think he will,” Rounds continued. “On the issue, he’s correct.” | https://www.wowktv.com/hill-politics/gop-leaders-strike-out-on-getting-tuberville-to-bend/ | 2023-07-30T22:55:34 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/hill-politics/gop-leaders-strike-out-on-getting-tuberville-to-bend/ |
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://fox59.com/news/national-world/the-weird-car-issues-mechanics-are-seeing-during-heat-waves/ | 2023-07-30T22:55:38 | 0 | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/the-weird-car-issues-mechanics-are-seeing-during-heat-waves/ |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — When viewed through a wide lens, renters across the U.S. finally appear to be getting some relief, thanks in part to the biggest apartment construction boom in decades.
Median rent rose just 0.5% in June, year over year, after falling in May for the first time since the pandemic hit the U.S. Some economists project U.S. rents will be down modestly this year after soaring nearly 25% over the past four years.
A closer look, however, shows the trend will likely be little comfort for many U.S. renters who’ve had to put an increasing share of their income toward their monthly payment. Renters in cities such as Cincinnati and Indianapolis are still getting hit with increases of 5% or more. Much of the new construction is located in just a few metro areas, and many of the new units are luxury apartments, which rent for well north of $2,000.
Median U.S. rent has risen to $2,029 this June from $1,629 in June 2019, according to rental listings company Rent, which tracks rents in 50 of the largest U.S. metropolitan areas. Demand for apartments exploded during the pandemic as people who could work remotely sought more space or decided to relocate to another part of the country.
The steep rent increases have left tenants like Melissa Lombana, a high school teacher who lives in the South Florida city of Miramar, with progressively less income to spend on other needs.
The rent on her one-bedroom apartment jumped 13% last year to $1,700. It climbed another 6% to $1,800 this month when she renewed her lease.
“Even the $1,700 was a stretch for me,” said Lombana, 43, who supplements her teaching income with a side job doing educational testing. “In a year, I will not be able to afford living here at all.”
Lombana’s rent is now gobbling up nearly half her monthly income. That puts her in a category referred to as “cost-burdened” by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, denoting households that pay 30% or more of their income toward rent. Last year, the average rent-to-income ratio per household rose to 30%. This March, it was 29.6%.
Lombana hasn’t had any luck finding a more affordable apartment. While South Florida is one of the metropolitan areas seeing a rise in apartment construction, the units are mostly high-end and not a viable option.
That scenario is playing out across the nation. Developers are rushing to complete projects that were green-lit during the pandemic-era surge in demand for rentals or left in limbo by delays in supplies of fixtures and building materials. Nearly 1.1 million apartments are currently under construction, according to the commercial real estate tracker CoStar, a pace not seen since the 1970s.
Increasing the supply of apartments tends to moderate rent increases over time and can give tenants more options on where to live. But more than 40% of the new rentals to be completed this year will be concentrated in about 10 high job growth metropolitan areas, including Austin, Nashville, Denver, Atlanta and New York, according to Marcus & Millichap. In many areas, the boost to overall inventory will be barely noticeable.
Even within metros where there’ll be a notable increase in available apartments, such as Nashville, most of it will be in the luxury category, where rents average $2,270, nationally. Some 70% of the new rental inventory will be the luxury class, said Jay Lybik, national director of multifamily analytics at CoStar.
That will leave most tenants unlikely to see a big enough reduction in rent to make a difference, industry experts and economists say.
“I think we’re in a period of rent flattening for 12 or 18 months, but it’s certainly not a big rent decline,” said Hessam Nadji, CEO of commercial real estate firm Marcus & Millichap.
“We’re building a multi-decade record number of units,” Nadji said. “It’s going to cause some softening and some pockets of overbuilding, but it’s not going to fundamentally resolve the housing shortage or the affordability problem for renters across the U.S.”
The surge in rents has made it difficult for workers to keep up with inflation despite solid wage gains the past few years and exacerbated a long-term trend. Between 1999 and 2022, U.S. rents soared 135%, while income grew 77%, according to data from Moody’s Analytics.
Realtor.com is forecasting that rents will drop an average of 0.9% this year. But while down nationally, rents are still rising in many markets around the country, especially those where hiring remains robust.
In the New York metro area, the median rent climbed 4.7% in June from a year earlier to $2,899, according to Realtor.com. In the Midwest, rents surged 5.6% in the Cincinnati metro area to $1,188, and 6.9% to $1,350 in the Indianapolis metro area.
The current spike in apartment construction alone isn’t going to be enough to address how costly renting has become for many Americans.
“For the rest of the 2020s rents will continue to grow because millennials are such a big generation and we’re very much in the hole in terms of building housing for that generation,” said Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin. “It will take many good years of new construction to build adequate housing for millennials.”
The bigger challenge is building more work force housing, because the cost of land, labor and navigating the government approval process incentivize developers to put up luxury apartments buildings.
Expanding the supply of modestly priced rentals would help alleviate the strain from so many new apartments targeting renters with high incomes, “although additional subsidies will be needed to make housing affordable to households with the lowest incomes,” researchers at Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies wrote in a recent report.
Despite the overall pullback in U.S. rents, Joey Di Girolamo, in Pembroke Pines, Florida, worries that he’ll face more sharp rent increases in coming years.
Last year, the web designer left a two-bedroom, two-bath townhome he rented for $2,200 a month to avoid a $600 a month increase. This year, his rent went up by $200, a nearly 10% jump.
“That blew me away,” said Di Girolamo, 50. “I’m just kind of dreading what it’s going to be like next year, but especially 3 or 4 years from now.” | https://www.wowktv.com/national-news/renters-get-relief-from-rising-prices-except-in-certain-us-cities/ | 2023-07-30T22:55:40 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/national-news/renters-get-relief-from-rising-prices-except-in-certain-us-cities/ |
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://fox59.com/news/national-world/while-barbie-bonanza-continues-at-the-box-office-oppenheimer-holds-no-2-spot/ | 2023-07-30T22:55:44 | 1 | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/while-barbie-bonanza-continues-at-the-box-office-oppenheimer-holds-no-2-spot/ |
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.wowktv.com/national-news/the-weird-car-issues-mechanics-are-seeing-during-heat-waves/ | 2023-07-30T22:55:46 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/national-news/the-weird-car-issues-mechanics-are-seeing-during-heat-waves/ |
(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://fox59.com/news/national-world/why-is-hazing-so-hard-to-eliminate/ | 2023-07-30T22:55:50 | 1 | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/why-is-hazing-so-hard-to-eliminate/ |
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.wowktv.com/national-news/while-barbie-bonanza-continues-at-the-box-office-oppenheimer-holds-no-2-spot/ | 2023-07-30T22:55:52 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/national-news/while-barbie-bonanza-continues-at-the-box-office-oppenheimer-holds-no-2-spot/ |
A U.S. District Court in Mississippi on Tuesday temporarily blocked a voting law in the state that was supposed to go into effect July 1. The law, known as Senate Bill 2358, creates new restrictions for who can assist someone while voting by mail.
Voting rights and disability rights advocates, who filed the lawsuit, argue Mississippi's law violates a federal protection that allows a voter to choose who helps them cast a ballot.
In his order striking down the law, U.S. District Court Judge Henry Wingate wrote, "voting polls are expected to extend outstretched hands of welcome and provide unfettered access to conscientious citizens anxious to enjoy 'participatory democracy'- whether those citizens be among the vulnerable and the disabled."
SB 2358, which was signed into law earlier this year, set new limits on who can collect and transmit a ballot that was mailed to someone else. In Mississippi, the state's absentee-by-mail voting program is for limited groups of voters — people out of town on Election Day, people 65 or older and people with a temporary or permanent physical disability.
Under the new law, though, only election officials, postal workers, a family member or household member or a caregiver would be able to assist these voters in mailing back their ballot. The law also set new criminal penalties. Under SB 2358, not following these restrictions is punishable by imprisonment of up to one year in county jail and/or a fine of up to $3,000.
Opponents of Mississippi's law say voters should be able to choose who helps them vote — including a friend or someone from a community organization.
Ahmed Soussi, a staff attorney with the Southern Poverty Law Center, said in a written statement that "Mississippians may now continue to assist voters without the fear of prosecution."
"We are glad that the Court recognized the federal guarantee to voters with a disability or language barrier to select a person of their choice to provide them assistance," he said. "What is important now is to make sure everyone who is eligible to vote does vote in the upcoming elections."
Supporters of the Mississippi law argued it was necessary to prevent ballot harvesting, which is when someone collects and returns other people's ballots.
Many Republicans have argued this practice leads to vote stealing and fraud, which studies have found to be extremely rare in United States elections.
Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves said in a video address earlier this year that across the country "bad actors have used ballot harvesting to take advantage of elderly and vulnerable voters." He said the practice is an effort to undermine the democratic process.
"Senate Bill 2358 is now law and Mississippi's elections are safer because of it," Reeves said.
However, Judge Wingate wrote that state and local election officials were "unable to provide any data illustrating whether Mississippi has a widespread ballot harvesting problem" when asked in court.
"Seemingly, no fact-findings or committee-finding investigations or legislative committee inquiries have focused upon this perceived threat," he wrote. "This may explain why the definitional approach of the statute is so barren."
The court's injunction blocking SB 2358 applies to Mississippi's upcoming general election in November — as well as the state's August primary, which is currently underway.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.knau.org/npr-news/npr-news/2023-07-26/a-mississippi-law-limits-who-can-help-mail-in-voters-a-federal-court-struck-it-down | 2023-07-30T22:55:53 | 1 | https://www.knau.org/npr-news/npr-news/2023-07-26/a-mississippi-law-limits-who-can-help-mail-in-voters-a-federal-court-struck-it-down |
Car and truck meet at Luverne Drive-In raising funds for ‘Carson’s Cause’
LUVERNE, M.N. (Dakota News Now) - A car and truck meet that served as a fundraiser for mental health resources was held at the Luverne Drive-In on Saturday night.
“Carson’s Cause” is a foundation whose goal is to normalize discussions about mental health and provide greater access to mental health resources to teens and young adults.
The car meet and the foundation are both in memory of Carson Ehde, who used to help out at the drive-in. Carson took his own life in September 2022 as he was battling with mental illness.
The reason they chose to hold a car meet is because Carson loved his 97′ Chevy Silverado.
“I see a lot of Carson’s friends out here which is so cool to see them out here and remembering him, but also doing something good for the cause and raising money and getting Carson’s Cause out there,” said Gracie Rozenboom, the Luverne Drive-In manager. “With Carson’s Cause, we want it to be like going to a counselor is no different than going to a dentist for a toothache. We just want it to be a very normalized discussion.”
On the big screen at the drive-in, a mental health battle video was played where people sent in pictures of family members that had also lost their life to mental health struggles.
Copyright 2023 KSFY. All rights reserved. | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2023/07/30/car-truck-meet-luverne-drive-in-raising-funds-carsons-cause/ | 2023-07-30T22:55:53 | 1 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2023/07/30/car-truck-meet-luverne-drive-in-raising-funds-carsons-cause/ |
(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.wowktv.com/national-news/why-is-hazing-so-hard-to-eliminate/ | 2023-07-30T22:55:58 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/national-news/why-is-hazing-so-hard-to-eliminate/ |
Senate GOP leaders didn’t want it to get to this point.
They tried and tried to get Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) to lift the holds he’s placed on hundreds of military promotions — which have opened Republicans up to attacks from the Biden administration.
But their efforts have failed, and they are now in a situation where the earliest a resolution might be found is September — when lawmakers will also be busy trying to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the month.
“It’s hung around for a while. I support his goals,” said Sen. John Thune (S.D.), the No. 2 Senate Republican. “The challenge obviously is the mechanism he used to get to the result has created some challenges. We want to figure out a way to resolve it and address that.”
“There are conversations now going on, which is good — between him and the military and others. We’ll have some time in August to work on a path forward, and hopefully we’ll find it,” he said.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has been among those trying to find a resolution, Thune said. Tuberville said he and McConnell discussed the holds Wednesday, hours after the GOP leader froze and felt lightheaded in front of reporters.
“At this point, everybody’s engaged trying to figure out how to solve this,” Thune added.
Tuberville began his holds in early March to protest a new Defense Department policy to reimburse service members who must travel to seek an abortion for those travel expenses.
Six months later, the list of holds has grown to 300. Senate Republicans were hoping to find solution before leaving Washington for five weeks — five additional weeks during which those military officers will remain in limbo, fueling Democratic attacks and frustrating the Pentagon.
One Senate Republican said finding an offramp agreeable to both Tuberville and those opposed to the holds has become a “recurring discussion” in the Senate GOP conference, and that McConnell has been personally involved in that quest.
“There’s not a lunch that goes by that we don’t talk about it,” the senator said, but added there’s “no chance of a resolution” any time soon.
Aside from the potential political and national security implications of the holds, McConnell is worried about the institutional implications.
The longtime GOP leader recently told reporters at a press conference that he is concerned this could lead to a renewed Democratic effort to change the chamber’s rules.
Despite disagreeing with Tuberville’s tactic, however, he says he recognizes it is the prerogative of any single senator to place a hold on a nominee.
Senators on both sides of the aisle for months have been musing publicly and privately about what it would take to get the Alabama Republican to set his hold aside, but have come up empty at every turn.
Initially, there had been hope that a vote on an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would reverse the abortion travel policy could do the trick, and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) led the effort.
But more recently, Tuberville has maintained that not only does any vote have to be standalone, but that the Pentagon would have to reverse its policy before any vote could be taken.
Trying to bridge that gap for lawmakers has become a herculean challenge no one has been able to complete.
Tuberville didn’t comment on efforts by Senate GOP leaders to seek a remedy, but he criticized the Biden administration and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) for their lack of outreach in trying to strike a deal. He also hasn’t had any further conversations with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin since their July 17 call and said that the initial series of calls didn’t yield anything productive.
“There’s no conversation from the other side. It’s ‘our way or the highway.’ … How does that help?” Tuberville said. “They’re not worried about it, I guess. … I hate it, for the promotions and all that.”
He added that he has yet to talk to Schumer, who has refused to use up floor time moving the nominees through regular order because he believes it is the Senate GOP’s job to figure a way out of the maze of military holds.
“This is the responsibility of the Republican Senate caucus. … It’s up to them. I think in August, pressure will mount on Tuberville, and I think the Republicans are feeling that heat,” Schumer said late Thursday. “He’s boxing himself into a corner.”
But Democrats are trying to increase that pressure, with President Biden on Thursday night laying into the Alabama Republican and arguing his holds are harming military readiness and creating instability within the ranks of the armed forces.
“This partisan freeze is already harming military readiness, security and leadership, and troop morale,” Biden said in remarks at the Truman Civil Rights Symposium in Washington. “Freezing pay, freezing people in place. Military families who have already sacrificed so much, unsure of where and when they change stations, unable to get housing or start their kids in the new school.”
Senate Democrats also took to the floor before and after the NDAA vote Thursday to criticize their GOP colleague. Since the hold was put into place, Democratic senators have made 12 attempts to move the military promotions in bloc via unanimous request.
Perhaps adding to the difficulty, Tuberville has received a boost in support from voters at home and from conservative corners of the Senate GOP conference who believe he is making the right call, albeit a difficult one.
They also argue that if Senate Democrats truly want to move on some of the nominations, they can start to do so via regular order — a move Democrats have avoided in order to not set precedent.
“Democrats think they have a winning political thing on this. I don’t think they do, and I think Sen. Tuberville morally is in the right position with regard to the issue of abortion,” Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) said. “The [Defense] Department has just as much of a responsibility to find a path forward as any single member does, and I’m not seeing the Department try to work in any fashion other than to simply put pressure on Sen. Tuberville.”
“They’re not trying to find a path forward. They think this is one of those items where if they keep putting pressure on him, he’ll cave, and I don’t think he will,” Rounds continued. “On the issue, he’s correct.” | https://www.wfla.com/hill-politics/gop-leaders-strike-out-on-getting-tuberville-to-bend/ | 2023-07-30T22:55:58 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/hill-politics/gop-leaders-strike-out-on-getting-tuberville-to-bend/ |
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Republican candidate Daniel Cameron said Wednesday that he would move quickly as Kentucky’s governor to revive a push to require some able-bodied adults to work in exchange for health care coverage through Medicaid.
If he succeeds in unseating Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear later this year, Cameron said his administration would seek federal permission to impose the Medicaid work requirement. The proposed rule would exclude able-bodied adults who are “truly vulnerable,” including those with children or who are pregnant, his campaign said in a follow-up statement. Cameron declared that connecting Medicaid coverage to work for some Kentuckians would raise workforce participation in the post-pandemic era.
“That will be one way in which we tackle the workforce issue,” Cameron said while attending a forum hosted by the Kentucky Farm Bureau, which Beshear did not attend.
The issue of imposing a Medicaid work requirement is yet another stark difference between Cameron and Beshear, who is seeking reelection to a second term in November. Beshear rescinded an attempt by the state’s previous GOP governor, Matt Bevin, to create a Medicaid work requirement that Beshear says would have stripped coverage from about 100,000 Kentuckians.
Cameron, the state’s attorney general, also used his time before the farm bureau officials to lay out his views on agriculture, taxes and spending. The Republican nominee is trying to cultivate strong support in GOP-leaning rural regions to offset Beshear’s expected strength in the metropolitan areas of Louisville and Lexington. Kentucky’s showdown for governor is one of the nation’s most closely watched campaigns this year.
Cameron said he supports policies promoting “generational farming,” enabling Kentuckians to keep farming operations within their families. He said he would “lean on” the GOP-led legislature and his running mate, state Sen. Robby Mills, on whether to pursue new tax exemptions to support agriculture.
Asked about his budget priorities, Cameron pointed to law enforcement. He recently unveiled a public safety plan that included awarding recruitment and retention bonuses to bolster police forces.
“We’re going to prioritize making sure that there is money within our budget to help our law enforcement community,” Cameron said Wednesday.
Beshear has touted his crime-fighting record by noting he pushed for large pay raises for state troopers, as well as increased training for police officers. The governor says he will seek additional funding for police training and body armor to protect law officers if he wins another term.
Cameron, answering a question about taxation, said he wants property taxes to be “as low as possible.”
“But I also recognize that our schools and a lot of local entities rely on some of those taxes,” Cameron added. “And so we’ll have to be smart and deliberative about how we approach this.”
Cameron’s pledge to seek a Medicaid work rule for some able-bodied adults would put an immediate Republican imprint on his administration if he wins in November. Cameron raised the issue during the GOP primary and vowed again Wednesday to make it “one of the first things I will do as governor.”
“If we want the plan and the coverage to exist and remain solvent for those that are means-tested and medically necessary, we need to make the program, as best as possible, transitory – something that folks will come off of if they are able-bodied individuals,” he said at the forum.
Medicaid is a joint federal and state health care program for poor and disabled people. Advocates have said work requirements would become one more hoop for low-income people to jump through, and many could be denied coverage because of technicalities and challenging new paperwork.
In Kentucky, hundreds of thousands were added to the Medicaid rolls when then-Gov. Steve Beshear, the current governor’s father, expanded the program to cover able-bodied adults. For many Kentuckians, it was their first time to have health coverage in a state plagued by high disease rates.
Bevin’s plan would have required that affected recipients either work, study, volunteer or perform other “community engagement” activities to qualify for Medicaid. A federal judge blocked the requirements before they took effect, but Bevin’s administration had appealed until Andy Beshear rescinded those efforts. At the time, Beshear referred to his action as the “moral, faith-driven thing to do.” Beshear, who calls health care a “basic human right,” narrowly defeated Bevin in the 2019 governor’s race.
Cameron’s campaign said Wednesday that his proposal would require affected adults to either work, be enrolled at least part-time in college or be involved in job training or community service to stay on Medicaid.
“We will protect the truly vulnerable but we will not allow able-bodied people to take advantage of taxpayer generosity,” Cameron said in the follow-up statement from his campaign. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/kentucky/gop-nominee-says-he-would-renew-push-for-medicaid-work-requirement-if-elected-governor-in-kentucky/ | 2023-07-30T22:56:04 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/kentucky/gop-nominee-says-he-would-renew-push-for-medicaid-work-requirement-if-elected-governor-in-kentucky/ |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — When viewed through a wide lens, renters across the U.S. finally appear to be getting some relief, thanks in part to the biggest apartment construction boom in decades.
Median rent rose just 0.5% in June, year over year, after falling in May for the first time since the pandemic hit the U.S. Some economists project U.S. rents will be down modestly this year after soaring nearly 25% over the past four years.
A closer look, however, shows the trend will likely be little comfort for many U.S. renters who’ve had to put an increasing share of their income toward their monthly payment. Renters in cities such as Cincinnati and Indianapolis are still getting hit with increases of 5% or more. Much of the new construction is located in just a few metro areas, and many of the new units are luxury apartments, which rent for well north of $2,000.
Median U.S. rent has risen to $2,029 this June from $1,629 in June 2019, according to rental listings company Rent, which tracks rents in 50 of the largest U.S. metropolitan areas. Demand for apartments exploded during the pandemic as people who could work remotely sought more space or decided to relocate to another part of the country.
The steep rent increases have left tenants like Melissa Lombana, a high school teacher who lives in the South Florida city of Miramar, with progressively less income to spend on other needs.
The rent on her one-bedroom apartment jumped 13% last year to $1,700. It climbed another 6% to $1,800 this month when she renewed her lease.
“Even the $1,700 was a stretch for me,” said Lombana, 43, who supplements her teaching income with a side job doing educational testing. “In a year, I will not be able to afford living here at all.”
Lombana’s rent is now gobbling up nearly half her monthly income. That puts her in a category referred to as “cost-burdened” by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, denoting households that pay 30% or more of their income toward rent. Last year, the average rent-to-income ratio per household rose to 30%. This March, it was 29.6%.
Lombana hasn’t had any luck finding a more affordable apartment. While South Florida is one of the metropolitan areas seeing a rise in apartment construction, the units are mostly high-end and not a viable option.
That scenario is playing out across the nation. Developers are rushing to complete projects that were green-lit during the pandemic-era surge in demand for rentals or left in limbo by delays in supplies of fixtures and building materials. Nearly 1.1 million apartments are currently under construction, according to the commercial real estate tracker CoStar, a pace not seen since the 1970s.
Increasing the supply of apartments tends to moderate rent increases over time and can give tenants more options on where to live. But more than 40% of the new rentals to be completed this year will be concentrated in about 10 high job growth metropolitan areas, including Austin, Nashville, Denver, Atlanta and New York, according to Marcus & Millichap. In many areas, the boost to overall inventory will be barely noticeable.
Even within metros where there’ll be a notable increase in available apartments, such as Nashville, most of it will be in the luxury category, where rents average $2,270, nationally. Some 70% of the new rental inventory will be the luxury class, said Jay Lybik, national director of multifamily analytics at CoStar.
That will leave most tenants unlikely to see a big enough reduction in rent to make a difference, industry experts and economists say.
“I think we’re in a period of rent flattening for 12 or 18 months, but it’s certainly not a big rent decline,” said Hessam Nadji, CEO of commercial real estate firm Marcus & Millichap.
“We’re building a multi-decade record number of units,” Nadji said. “It’s going to cause some softening and some pockets of overbuilding, but it’s not going to fundamentally resolve the housing shortage or the affordability problem for renters across the U.S.”
The surge in rents has made it difficult for workers to keep up with inflation despite solid wage gains the past few years and exacerbated a long-term trend. Between 1999 and 2022, U.S. rents soared 135%, while income grew 77%, according to data from Moody’s Analytics.
Realtor.com is forecasting that rents will drop an average of 0.9% this year. But while down nationally, rents are still rising in many markets around the country, especially those where hiring remains robust.
In the New York metro area, the median rent climbed 4.7% in June from a year earlier to $2,899, according to Realtor.com. In the Midwest, rents surged 5.6% in the Cincinnati metro area to $1,188, and 6.9% to $1,350 in the Indianapolis metro area.
The current spike in apartment construction alone isn’t going to be enough to address how costly renting has become for many Americans.
“For the rest of the 2020s rents will continue to grow because millennials are such a big generation and we’re very much in the hole in terms of building housing for that generation,” said Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin. “It will take many good years of new construction to build adequate housing for millennials.”
The bigger challenge is building more work force housing, because the cost of land, labor and navigating the government approval process incentivize developers to put up luxury apartments buildings.
Expanding the supply of modestly priced rentals would help alleviate the strain from so many new apartments targeting renters with high incomes, “although additional subsidies will be needed to make housing affordable to households with the lowest incomes,” researchers at Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies wrote in a recent report.
Despite the overall pullback in U.S. rents, Joey Di Girolamo, in Pembroke Pines, Florida, worries that he’ll face more sharp rent increases in coming years.
Last year, the web designer left a two-bedroom, two-bath townhome he rented for $2,200 a month to avoid a $600 a month increase. This year, his rent went up by $200, a nearly 10% jump.
“That blew me away,” said Di Girolamo, 50. “I’m just kind of dreading what it’s going to be like next year, but especially 3 or 4 years from now.” | https://www.wfla.com/nextstar-news-wire/renters-get-relief-from-rising-prices-except-in-certain-us-cities/ | 2023-07-30T22:56:04 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/nextstar-news-wire/renters-get-relief-from-rising-prices-except-in-certain-us-cities/ |
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.wfla.com/nextstar-news-wire/while-barbie-bonanza-continues-at-the-box-office-oppenheimer-holds-no-2-spot/ | 2023-07-30T22:56:10 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/nextstar-news-wire/while-barbie-bonanza-continues-at-the-box-office-oppenheimer-holds-no-2-spot/ |
DES MOINES, Iowa — A car crashed into an apartment building on Saturday night and injured a woman who was laying on her couch inside.
Des Moines Police responded to a report of a car vs. building crash at the corner of 24th Street and Holcomb Avenue. When officers arrived on scene they found the driver of a Toyota Camry had lost control and crashed into an apartment building.
Police said the crash was significant enough that the car breeched the wall and hit a resident who was laying on her couch. Both the resident and the driver were transported to nearby hospitals with non-life threatening injuries.
An investigation into what caused the crash is ongoing, the police said. | https://who13.com/news/car-crashes-into-apartment-injures-woman-laying-on-couch-inside/ | 2023-07-30T22:56:32 | 0 | https://who13.com/news/car-crashes-into-apartment-injures-woman-laying-on-couch-inside/ |
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.wboi.org/2023-07-30/people-exposed-to-fallout-from-1st-atomic-bomb-test-still-fighting-for-compensation | 2023-07-30T22:56:32 | 0 | https://www.wboi.org/2023-07-30/people-exposed-to-fallout-from-1st-atomic-bomb-test-still-fighting-for-compensation |
Senate GOP leaders didn’t want it to get to this point.
They tried and tried to get Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) to lift the holds he’s placed on hundreds of military promotions — which have opened Republicans up to attacks from the Biden administration.
But their efforts have failed, and they are now in a situation where the earliest a resolution might be found is September — when lawmakers will also be busy trying to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the month.
“It’s hung around for a while. I support his goals,” said Sen. John Thune (S.D.), the No. 2 Senate Republican. “The challenge obviously is the mechanism he used to get to the result has created some challenges. We want to figure out a way to resolve it and address that.”
“There are conversations now going on, which is good — between him and the military and others. We’ll have some time in August to work on a path forward, and hopefully we’ll find it,” he said.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has been among those trying to find a resolution, Thune said. Tuberville said he and McConnell discussed the holds Wednesday, hours after the GOP leader froze and felt lightheaded in front of reporters.
“At this point, everybody’s engaged trying to figure out how to solve this,” Thune added.
Tuberville began his holds in early March to protest a new Defense Department policy to reimburse service members who must travel to seek an abortion for those travel expenses.
Six months later, the list of holds has grown to 300. Senate Republicans were hoping to find solution before leaving Washington for five weeks — five additional weeks during which those military officers will remain in limbo, fueling Democratic attacks and frustrating the Pentagon.
One Senate Republican said finding an offramp agreeable to both Tuberville and those opposed to the holds has become a “recurring discussion” in the Senate GOP conference, and that McConnell has been personally involved in that quest.
“There’s not a lunch that goes by that we don’t talk about it,” the senator said, but added there’s “no chance of a resolution” any time soon.
Aside from the potential political and national security implications of the holds, McConnell is worried about the institutional implications.
The longtime GOP leader recently told reporters at a press conference that he is concerned this could lead to a renewed Democratic effort to change the chamber’s rules.
Despite disagreeing with Tuberville’s tactic, however, he says he recognizes it is the prerogative of any single senator to place a hold on a nominee.
Senators on both sides of the aisle for months have been musing publicly and privately about what it would take to get the Alabama Republican to set his hold aside, but have come up empty at every turn.
Initially, there had been hope that a vote on an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would reverse the abortion travel policy could do the trick, and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) led the effort.
But more recently, Tuberville has maintained that not only does any vote have to be standalone, but that the Pentagon would have to reverse its policy before any vote could be taken.
Trying to bridge that gap for lawmakers has become a herculean challenge no one has been able to complete.
Tuberville didn’t comment on efforts by Senate GOP leaders to seek a remedy, but he criticized the Biden administration and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) for their lack of outreach in trying to strike a deal. He also hasn’t had any further conversations with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin since their July 17 call and said that the initial series of calls didn’t yield anything productive.
“There’s no conversation from the other side. It’s ‘our way or the highway.’ … How does that help?” Tuberville said. “They’re not worried about it, I guess. … I hate it, for the promotions and all that.”
He added that he has yet to talk to Schumer, who has refused to use up floor time moving the nominees through regular order because he believes it is the Senate GOP’s job to figure a way out of the maze of military holds.
“This is the responsibility of the Republican Senate caucus. … It’s up to them. I think in August, pressure will mount on Tuberville, and I think the Republicans are feeling that heat,” Schumer said late Thursday. “He’s boxing himself into a corner.”
But Democrats are trying to increase that pressure, with President Biden on Thursday night laying into the Alabama Republican and arguing his holds are harming military readiness and creating instability within the ranks of the armed forces.
“This partisan freeze is already harming military readiness, security and leadership, and troop morale,” Biden said in remarks at the Truman Civil Rights Symposium in Washington. “Freezing pay, freezing people in place. Military families who have already sacrificed so much, unsure of where and when they change stations, unable to get housing or start their kids in the new school.”
Senate Democrats also took to the floor before and after the NDAA vote Thursday to criticize their GOP colleague. Since the hold was put into place, Democratic senators have made 12 attempts to move the military promotions in bloc via unanimous request.
Perhaps adding to the difficulty, Tuberville has received a boost in support from voters at home and from conservative corners of the Senate GOP conference who believe he is making the right call, albeit a difficult one.
They also argue that if Senate Democrats truly want to move on some of the nominations, they can start to do so via regular order — a move Democrats have avoided in order to not set precedent.
“Democrats think they have a winning political thing on this. I don’t think they do, and I think Sen. Tuberville morally is in the right position with regard to the issue of abortion,” Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) said. “The [Defense] Department has just as much of a responsibility to find a path forward as any single member does, and I’m not seeing the Department try to work in any fashion other than to simply put pressure on Sen. Tuberville.”
“They’re not trying to find a path forward. They think this is one of those items where if they keep putting pressure on him, he’ll cave, and I don’t think he will,” Rounds continued. “On the issue, he’s correct.” | https://www.wjhl.com/hill-politics/gop-leaders-strike-out-on-getting-tuberville-to-bend/ | 2023-07-30T22:56:42 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/hill-politics/gop-leaders-strike-out-on-getting-tuberville-to-bend/ |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — When viewed through a wide lens, renters across the U.S. finally appear to be getting some relief, thanks in part to the biggest apartment construction boom in decades.
Median rent rose just 0.5% in June, year over year, after falling in May for the first time since the pandemic hit the U.S. Some economists project U.S. rents will be down modestly this year after soaring nearly 25% over the past four years.
A closer look, however, shows the trend will likely be little comfort for many U.S. renters who’ve had to put an increasing share of their income toward their monthly payment. Renters in cities such as Cincinnati and Indianapolis are still getting hit with increases of 5% or more. Much of the new construction is located in just a few metro areas, and many of the new units are luxury apartments, which rent for well north of $2,000.
Median U.S. rent has risen to $2,029 this June from $1,629 in June 2019, according to rental listings company Rent, which tracks rents in 50 of the largest U.S. metropolitan areas. Demand for apartments exploded during the pandemic as people who could work remotely sought more space or decided to relocate to another part of the country.
The steep rent increases have left tenants like Melissa Lombana, a high school teacher who lives in the South Florida city of Miramar, with progressively less income to spend on other needs.
The rent on her one-bedroom apartment jumped 13% last year to $1,700. It climbed another 6% to $1,800 this month when she renewed her lease.
“Even the $1,700 was a stretch for me,” said Lombana, 43, who supplements her teaching income with a side job doing educational testing. “In a year, I will not be able to afford living here at all.”
Lombana’s rent is now gobbling up nearly half her monthly income. That puts her in a category referred to as “cost-burdened” by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, denoting households that pay 30% or more of their income toward rent. Last year, the average rent-to-income ratio per household rose to 30%. This March, it was 29.6%.
Lombana hasn’t had any luck finding a more affordable apartment. While South Florida is one of the metropolitan areas seeing a rise in apartment construction, the units are mostly high-end and not a viable option.
That scenario is playing out across the nation. Developers are rushing to complete projects that were green-lit during the pandemic-era surge in demand for rentals or left in limbo by delays in supplies of fixtures and building materials. Nearly 1.1 million apartments are currently under construction, according to the commercial real estate tracker CoStar, a pace not seen since the 1970s.
Increasing the supply of apartments tends to moderate rent increases over time and can give tenants more options on where to live. But more than 40% of the new rentals to be completed this year will be concentrated in about 10 high job growth metropolitan areas, including Austin, Nashville, Denver, Atlanta and New York, according to Marcus & Millichap. In many areas, the boost to overall inventory will be barely noticeable.
Even within metros where there’ll be a notable increase in available apartments, such as Nashville, most of it will be in the luxury category, where rents average $2,270, nationally. Some 70% of the new rental inventory will be the luxury class, said Jay Lybik, national director of multifamily analytics at CoStar.
That will leave most tenants unlikely to see a big enough reduction in rent to make a difference, industry experts and economists say.
“I think we’re in a period of rent flattening for 12 or 18 months, but it’s certainly not a big rent decline,” said Hessam Nadji, CEO of commercial real estate firm Marcus & Millichap.
“We’re building a multi-decade record number of units,” Nadji said. “It’s going to cause some softening and some pockets of overbuilding, but it’s not going to fundamentally resolve the housing shortage or the affordability problem for renters across the U.S.”
The surge in rents has made it difficult for workers to keep up with inflation despite solid wage gains the past few years and exacerbated a long-term trend. Between 1999 and 2022, U.S. rents soared 135%, while income grew 77%, according to data from Moody’s Analytics.
Realtor.com is forecasting that rents will drop an average of 0.9% this year. But while down nationally, rents are still rising in many markets around the country, especially those where hiring remains robust.
In the New York metro area, the median rent climbed 4.7% in June from a year earlier to $2,899, according to Realtor.com. In the Midwest, rents surged 5.6% in the Cincinnati metro area to $1,188, and 6.9% to $1,350 in the Indianapolis metro area.
The current spike in apartment construction alone isn’t going to be enough to address how costly renting has become for many Americans.
“For the rest of the 2020s rents will continue to grow because millennials are such a big generation and we’re very much in the hole in terms of building housing for that generation,” said Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin. “It will take many good years of new construction to build adequate housing for millennials.”
The bigger challenge is building more work force housing, because the cost of land, labor and navigating the government approval process incentivize developers to put up luxury apartments buildings.
Expanding the supply of modestly priced rentals would help alleviate the strain from so many new apartments targeting renters with high incomes, “although additional subsidies will be needed to make housing affordable to households with the lowest incomes,” researchers at Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies wrote in a recent report.
Despite the overall pullback in U.S. rents, Joey Di Girolamo, in Pembroke Pines, Florida, worries that he’ll face more sharp rent increases in coming years.
Last year, the web designer left a two-bedroom, two-bath townhome he rented for $2,200 a month to avoid a $600 a month increase. This year, his rent went up by $200, a nearly 10% jump.
“That blew me away,” said Di Girolamo, 50. “I’m just kind of dreading what it’s going to be like next year, but especially 3 or 4 years from now.” | https://www.wjhl.com/news/national/renters-get-relief-from-rising-prices-except-in-certain-us-cities/ | 2023-07-30T22:56:48 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/national/renters-get-relief-from-rising-prices-except-in-certain-us-cities/ |
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.wjhl.com/news/national/the-weird-car-issues-mechanics-are-seeing-during-heat-waves/ | 2023-07-30T22:56:54 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/national/the-weird-car-issues-mechanics-are-seeing-during-heat-waves/ |
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.wjhl.com/news/national/while-barbie-bonanza-continues-at-the-box-office-oppenheimer-holds-no-2-spot/ | 2023-07-30T22:57:00 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/national/while-barbie-bonanza-continues-at-the-box-office-oppenheimer-holds-no-2-spot/ |
(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.wjhl.com/news/national/why-is-hazing-so-hard-to-eliminate/ | 2023-07-30T22:57:06 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/national/why-is-hazing-so-hard-to-eliminate/ |
Lincoln Journal Star
A brief, narrow tornado struck a portion of Martell on Saturday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
The tornado, which was classified as an EF1 tornado, passed through the south edge of the town at about 8:15 a.m. It uprooted and snapped trees, caused roof and siding damage and tore the roof off of a bread and breakfast that was attached to a large barn.
The tornado was only 100 yards wide, and its path stretched a little more than a quarter mile, the weather service said.
An EF1 tornado is generally considered a weak tornado, with winds between 86 and 110 mph.
Climate change experts are warning that extreme weather and climate-related disasters could increase as punishing heat waves continue across much of the northern hemisphere.
CBC English
PhotoFiles: It's a Twister! Nebraska tornadoes through history
It's a Twister!
A tornado picks up debris outside of Hebron in 1965. A photographer for the Hebron Register newspaper was able to capture this clear shot of the funnel right as it reached the ground.
Journal Star file photo
It's a Twister!
A tornado approaches Milford in 1964.
Journal Star file photo
It's a Twister!
A tornado tears across the Plains southwest of Ord in 1961. Harold Holoun got this picture from his father's farm.
Journal Star file photo
It's a Twister!
Farmer Wallace Peterson got this shot of a tornado 1¼ miles south of his rural Nebraska homestead in 1968.
Journal Star file photo
It's a Twister!
A still-forming tornado approaches a stalled train near Grand Island in 1990. The storm would eventually derail 24 cars several cars back from the engine. Note the silhouettes of the two daredevil engineers standing on top of their machine in the lower left corner.
Journal Star file photo
It's a Twister!
This is a tornado in its infancy. This thunderhead near Stromsburg spawned a series of tornadoes across south-central Nebraska in 1968.
Journal Star file photo
It's a Twister!
A low, wide funnel cloud dips below the horizon near Auburn in 1963. Witnesses said the cloud was at least a half-mile wide.
Journal Star file photo
It's a Twister!
It may look small, but it's mighty. A funnel cloud contemplates whether it should visit the ground 10 miles west of Nebraska City in 1972.
Journal Star file photo
It's a Twister!
One of the factors that make tornadoes so dangerous is how hard it often is to see the funnel clouds before they reach the ground. A fledgling tornado is barely visible in this 1977 photo from rural Walton.
Journal Star file photo
It's a Twister!
The same funnel cloud near Walton quickly tightened up and made itself more visible.
Journal Star file photo
It's a Twister!
This thin tendril of swiftly rotating clouds doesn't look like much. But its location directly over Grand Island in 1982 was nerve-wracking for the thousands of people who lived there. Luckily, none of the three funnels from this storm touched down inside the city.
Journal Star file photo
It's a Twister!
An ominous funnel cloud is seen through torrential rains from 5400 Orchard Street in Lincoln in 1961.
Journal Star file photo
It's a Twister!
This undated photo from rural Nebraska was used as an educational tool by the General Adjustment Bureau of New York City in the 1980s to illustrate what kind of monster could cause such damage on the plains. Those city boys don't know what they're missing out here!
Journal Star file photo
It's a Twister!
A great white devil of a twister nears the Edgar Klein farm in northeast Stromsburg in 1968.
Journal Star file photo
It's a Twister!
This photo defies both death and time. Taken from the heart of Hildreth, this tornado touched down and terrorized the town in 1908. The picture is more than 100 years old.
Journal Star file photo
It's a Twister!
Talk about a near miss. A sinister-looking funnel cloud skirts north Lincoln in 1975 but never touched down. The photo was taken from the observation deck of the Capitol (not a safe place to be in a tornado). In the next edition of PhotoFiles, we'll show you what could have become of the Capital City had it touched down. That's right. Next time is the aftermath of tornadoes. We'll see you after the storm clears.
Journal Star file photo
Local Weather
Get the daily forecast and severe weather alerts in your inbox! | https://journalstar.com/news/local/weather/tornado-briefly-touched-down-in-martell-on-saturday-weather-service-says/article_6fde158a-2f16-11ee-aa50-13c2e080a17d.html | 2023-07-30T22:57:18 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/weather/tornado-briefly-touched-down-in-martell-on-saturday-weather-service-says/article_6fde158a-2f16-11ee-aa50-13c2e080a17d.html |
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. | https://cw33.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-consumer-demand-for-speed-and-convenience-drives-labor-unrest-among-workers-in-hollywood-and-at-ups/ | 2023-07-30T22:57:18 | 0 | https://cw33.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-consumer-demand-for-speed-and-convenience-drives-labor-unrest-among-workers-in-hollywood-and-at-ups/ |
1873: Rats had become a serious nuisance. Lincoln residents were urged to begin exterminating the pests.
1883: One hundred African-Americans living in Lincoln met to discuss racial matters. A colonization plan was proposed but met with little favor.
1893: Construction of the University of Nebraska library was halted. The basement was used as a storage room, but the rest of the building remained idle, awaiting the Legislature's approval of additional funds.
1903: Col. C.G. Barns of Albion bought the William Jennings Bryan home on D Street.
1913: City councilmen were divided on the issue of recall for elected officers. Six councilmen favored recall, which provides that elected officers may be removed by the vote of the people on petition.
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1923: The Supreme Court ruled that a Nebraska law forbidding people to have a still for liquor-making purposes was not in violation of an individual's life, liberty or pursuit of happiness.
1933: Work on the rejuvenation of O Street was beginning. It included ornamentation, resurfacing, removal of trolley wires, lowering curbs and installation of automatic traffic signals at the curbs rather than in the center of intersections.
1943: A shortage of ranch labor led to talk of using prisoners of war in Sandhills hayfields. The proposal shared headlines with news of the overthrow of Italy's Benito Mussolini, many of whose soldiers were among the prisoners.
1953: Congress passed a $718,395,398 Agriculture Department appropriation for construction of pilot watersheds in 27 states, including Nebraska. The Salt-Wahoo Watershed was one of 48 given top priority.
1963: The Legislature passed a bill that allowed, for the first time in 44 years, a limited, legalized form of liquor by the drink. Lincolnites had been minus the right to buy liquor by the drink in public bars since Prohibition in 1919.
1973: Wilber became the 10th and smallest city in the United States to be designated a bicentennial city by the American Bicentennial Committee in Washington, D.C.
1983: Nebraska's annual Shrine Bowl marked a milestone and a first. The milestone was the 25th anniversary of the football classic, featuring outstanding high school players. The first was a live telecast of the two-hour parade — in which almost 3,000 people participated — on KOLN/KGIN-TV.
1993: Both in Lincoln and across the state, meteorologists and amateur weather watchers were predicting that July would be the wettest month in Nebraska history, topping the 8.19 inches the state received in June 1967.
2003: Printing giant Quebecor will reduce its work force by 1,000 in all geographic areas after a second-quarter loss of $62 million. The Lincoln plant employs about 500 workers. Local managers wouldn’t comment on how the cuts will affect the local work force. | https://journalstar.com/print/ragged_right/this-week-in-nebraska-history/article_f07d0590-11f0-11ee-8cb8-1b8f09ce2280.html | 2023-07-30T22:57:24 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/print/ragged_right/this-week-in-nebraska-history/article_f07d0590-11f0-11ee-8cb8-1b8f09ce2280.html |
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Shawn Steik and his wife were forced from a long-term motel room onto the streets of Anchorage after their rent shot up to $800 a month. Now they live in a tent encampment by a train depot, and as an Alaska winter looms they are growing desperate and fearful of what lies ahead.
A proposal last week by Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson to buy one-way plane tickets out of Alaska’s biggest city for its homeless residents gave Steik a much-needed glimmer of hope. He would move to the relative warmth of Seattle.
“I heard it’s probably warmer than this place,” said Steik, who is Aleut.
But the mayor’s unfunded idea also came under immediate attack as a Band-Aid solution glossing over the tremendous, and still unaddressed, crisis facing Anchorage as a swelling homeless population struggles to survive in a unique and extreme environment. Frigid temperatures stalk the homeless in the winter and bears infiltrate homeless encampments in the summer.
A record eight people died of exposure while living outside last winter and this year promises to be worse after the city closed an arena that housed 500 people during the winter months. Bickering between the city’s liberal assembly and its conservative mayor about how to address the crisis, and a lack of state funding, have further stymied efforts to find a solution.
With winter fast approaching in Alaska, it’s “past time for state and local leaders to address the underlying causes of homelessness — airplane tickets are a distraction, not a solution,” the American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska said in a statement to The Associated Press.
About 43% of Anchorage’s more than 3,000 unsheltered residents are Alaska Natives, and Bronson’s proposal also drew harsh criticism from those who called it culturally insensitive.
“The reality is there is no place to send these people because this is their land. Any policy that we make has to pay credence to that simple fact. This is Dena’ina land, this is Native land,” said Christopher Constant, chair of the Anchorage Assembly. “And so we cannot be supporting policies that would take people and displace them from their home, even if their home is not what you or I would call home.”
Bronson’s airfare proposal caps a turbulent few years as Anchorage, like many cities in the U.S. West, struggles to deal with a burgeoning homeless population.
In May, the city shut down the 500-bed homeless shelter in the city’s arena so it could once more be used for concerts and hockey games after neighbors complained about open drug use, trespassing, violence and litter. A plan to build a large shelter and navigation center fell through when Bronson approved a contract without approval from the Anchorage Assembly.
That leaves a gaping hole in the city’s ability to house the thousands of homeless people who have to contend with temperatures well below zero for days at a time and unrelenting winds blasting off Cook Inlet. At the end of June, Anchorage was estimated to have a little more than 3,150 homeless people, according to the Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness. Last week, there were only 614 beds at shelters citywide, with no vacancies.
New tent cities have sprung up across Anchorage this summer: on a slope facing the city’s historic railroad depot, on a busy road near the Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson and near soup kitchens and shelters downtown.
Assembly members are slated to consider a winter stop-gap option in August falling far short of the need: a large, warmed, tent-like structure for 150 people.
Summer brings its own challenges: hungry bears last year roamed a city-owned campground where homeless people were resettled after the arena closed. Wildlife officials killed four bears after they broke into tents.
Bronson said he prefers to spend a few hundred dollars per person for a plane ticket rather than spending about $100 daily to shelter and feed them. He said he doesn’t care where they want to go; his job is to “make sure they don’t die on Anchorage streets.”
It’s not clear if his proposal will move forward. There is not yet a plan or a funding source.
Dr. Ted Mala, an Inupiaq who in 1990 became the first Alaska Native to serve as the state’s health commissioner, said Anchorage should be working with social workers and law enforcement to discover people’s individual reasons for homelessness and connect them with resources.
Buying the unsheltered a ticket to another city is a political game that’s been around for years. A number of U.S. cities struggling with homelessness, including San Francisco, Seattle and Portland, Oregon, have also offered bus or plane tickets to homeless residents.
“People are not pawns, they’re human beings,” Mala said.
The mayor’s proposal, while focused on warmer cities, also would fund tickets to other Alaska locations for those who want them.
Clarita Clark became homeless after her medical team wanted her to move from Point Hope to Anchorage for cancer treatment because Anchorage is warmer. The medical facility wouldn’t allow her husband to stay with her, so they pitched a tent in a sprawling camp to stay together.
Having recently found the body of a dead teenager who overdosed in a portable toilet, Clark yearns to return to the Chukchi Sea coastal village of Point Hope, where her three grandchildren live.
“I got a family that loves me,” she said, adding she would use the ticket and seek treatment closer to home.
Danny Parish also is leaving Alaska, but for another reason: He’s fed up.
Parish is selling his home of 29 years because it sits directly across the street from Sullivan Arena. Bad acts by some homeless people — including harassment, throwing vodka bottles in his yard, poisoning his dog and using his driveway as a toilet — made his life “a holy hell,” he said.
Parish is convinced the arena will be used again this winter since there isn’t another plan.
He, too, hopes to move to the contiguous U.S. — Oregon, for starters — but not before asking Anchorage leaders for his own plane ticket out.
“If they’re going to give them to everybody else,” Parish said, “then they need to give me one.” | https://cw33.com/health/ap-health/ap-anchorage-homeless-face-cold-and-bears-a-plan-to-offer-one-way-airfare-out-reveals-a-bigger-crisis/ | 2023-07-30T22:57:24 | 1 | https://cw33.com/health/ap-health/ap-anchorage-homeless-face-cold-and-bears-a-plan-to-offer-one-way-airfare-out-reveals-a-bigger-crisis/ |
The Texas Rangers and New York Mets officially completed the Max Scherzer trade on Sunday.
The Rangers acquired the three-time Cy Young Award winner and cash considerations in exchange for utility man Luisangel Acuna. Both teams announced the deal after it was initially reported Saturday night.
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While the move is head-scratching on paper as the Mets entered Sunday seven games out of the final wild-card spot in the National League with many games left to play, New York general manager Billy Eppler denied the organization was rebuilding.
"Given the place we're in and the odds we're facing, it was a strategic decision, and we kind of took this opportunity to kind of serve another goal of the organization, which is to enhance the farm system," Eppler said before Sunday’s game against the Washington Nationals, per SNY.
"But I do want to be clear that it's not a rebuild, it's not a fire sale, it's not a liquidation. This is just a repurposing of [owner Steve Cohen's] investment in the club and kind of shifting that investment from the team into the organization."
ANGELS' TAYLOR WARD STRUCK IN HEAD BY PITCH FROM BLUE JAYS' ALEK MANOAH, TAKEN TO HOSPITAL: 'TERRIBLE MOMENT'
Acuna was among the best prospects in the Rangers’ system. He was hitting .315 with seven home runs at Double-A Frisco before the trade. Eppler lauded his versatility in the news conference.
Acuna will start in Double-A Binghamton.
The Mets signed Scherzer before the start of the 2022 season. He was 20-9 with a 3.02 ERA and 294 strikeouts in 42 starts for the Mets during his stint.
He made his last start on Friday – a win over the Nationals behind his seven strikeouts in seven innings. He could make his first appearance for the Rangers by Wednesday.
Texas entered Sunday with a one-game lead on the Houston Astros in the American League West. | https://www.foxbangor.com/sports/national-sports/mets-gm-denies-teams-rebuilding-as-max-scherzer-trade-to-rangers-becomes-official/article_f7be1a17-3fbc-5f04-8d8f-95c9c1e71a0c.html | 2023-07-30T22:57:31 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/sports/national-sports/mets-gm-denies-teams-rebuilding-as-max-scherzer-trade-to-rangers-becomes-official/article_f7be1a17-3fbc-5f04-8d8f-95c9c1e71a0c.html |
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China accused the United States of turning Taiwan into an “ammunition depot” after the White House announced a $345 million military aid package for Taipei, and the self-ruled island said Sunday it tracked six Chinese navy ships in waters off its shores.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office issued a statement late Saturday opposing the military aid to Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory.
“No matter how much of the ordinary people’s taxpayer money the … Taiwanese separatist forces spend, no matter how many U.S. weapons, it will not shake our resolve to solve the Taiwan problem. Or shake our firm will to realize the reunification of our motherland,” said Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office.
“Their actions are turning Taiwan into a powder keg and ammunition depot, aggravating the threat of war in the Taiwan Strait,” the statement said.
China’s People’s Liberation Army has increased its military maneuvers in recent years aimed at Taiwan, sending fighter jets and warships to circle the island.
On Sunday, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said it tracked six Chinese navy ships near the island.
Taiwan’s ruling administration, led by the Democratic Progressive Party, has stepped up its weapons purchases from the U.S. as part of a deterrence strategy against a Chinese invasion.
China and Taiwan split amid civil war in 1949, and Taiwan has never been governed by China’s ruling Communist Party.
Unlike previous military purchases, the latest batch of aid is part of a presidential authority approved by the U.S. Congress last year to draw weapons from current U.S. military stockpiles — so Taiwan will not have to wait for military production and sales.
While Taiwan has purchased $19 billion worth of weaponry, much of it has yet to be delivered to Taiwan. Washington will send man-portable air defense systems, intelligence and surveillance capabilities, firearms and missiles to Taiwan. | https://cw33.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-china-says-us-military-aid-to-taiwan-will-not-deter-its-will-to-unify-the-island/ | 2023-07-30T22:57:31 | 0 | https://cw33.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-china-says-us-military-aid-to-taiwan-will-not-deter-its-will-to-unify-the-island/ |
Wes Lee’s historic NXT North American Championship reign ended in the blink of an eye.
In a match against Dominik Mysterio on NXT earlier this month, Lee was in control in his title defense. He was trying to put his opponent away when Mysterio’s Judgment Day stablemates played the numbers game to distract the referee. Rhea Ripley came out of nowhere and hit Lee in the head with her RAW Women’s Championship. Lee was knocked out cold and Mysterio pinned him for the title.
Lee held the title for a record 269 days.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
"It means something to me more outside of a selfish aspect," he told Fox News Digital when asked about the title. "I never saw myself as a champion and being able to capture the championship really allowed for me to see myself in an entire different light.
"And when I got to become champion and I had to decide on how I was going to carry myself as a champion, I quickly discovered that I wanted to represent myself to the best of my abilities so that any other individual that may be struggling with identifying who they are, they can use me as a barometer, as someone that is still trying to figure things out as they’re going along just like everybody else.
"The things that I like, I like, and the things that I dislike, I dislike, and I stand by them and I don’t necessarily bend or break for anyone. I’m willing to compromise but at the same time, I stand for something and I wanted to represent that and be a motivation for people to be more of themselves and still try to capture the goals that they want to do in life."
WWE STAR SETH ROLLINS SAYS 'SKY'S THE LIMIT' FOR LA KNIGHT AMID CRITICISM, PREVIEWS SUMMERSLAM TITLE MATCH
At The Great American Bash on Sunday, instead of going 1-on-1 against Mysterio in a rematch for the NXT North American Championship, Lee will have to square off against Mustafa Ali as well. Mysterio’s stablemates – Ripley, Damian Priest and Finn Balor – make things a little more difficult too.
"I welcome it because now I’m having to prepare for everything. Before, I would go into a match, not even factoring in those kinds of things in," he said. "But now, I’m expecting someone that’s not a part of a match to become part of this match. And I’ve been training and going over film to see how they prefer to attack people and the group mentality that they have.
"But then going over Mustafa Ali’s moves to find holes within his so that I can build a solid game plan to not get caught off guard the way that I was before. But having all of these obstacles is something, again, something that I look forward to. I don’t want an easy route to the top. I don’t want an easy route to my goal. I don’t need and I don’t want an easy path to my happiness. If I get there too easily, then I won’t really appreciate it. I need to have those dark times in order for me to really appreciate that light.
"So, this is a dark time, but I will make my way back to the light and be able to appreciate light again."
Lee will be looking to regain the championship at NXT’s The Great American Bash on Sunday. The show starts at 8 p.m. ET and can be seen on Peacock.
Here’s the rest of the card: | https://www.foxbangor.com/sports/national-sports/nxts-wes-lee-talks-historic-championship-as-he-faces-tough-battle-at-great-american-bash/article_a870a1f4-1a76-5ccc-a451-bb6cb5b1f702.html | 2023-07-30T22:57:37 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/sports/national-sports/nxts-wes-lee-talks-historic-championship-as-he-faces-tough-battle-at-great-american-bash/article_a870a1f4-1a76-5ccc-a451-bb6cb5b1f702.html |
SANTA MARIA DE JESUS, Guatemala (AP) — Presidential candidate Bernardo Arévalo stood before a few hundred residents of this small Indigenous community on the slopes of the Agua Volcano and told them they could be the seeds of a brighter, more corruption-free spring in Guatemala.
The metaphor fits neatly with his political party, the Seed Movement, and allows the 64-year-old academic and former diplomat to riff on themes of renewal and growth.
But it also alludes to Guatemala’s “democratic spring,” considered a more inclusive period in the country’s history during the presidency in the 1940s and early 1950s of his late father, Juan José Arévalo.
Bernardo Arévalo won just 11% of the vote in the presidential election’s first round June 25, but it was enough to give him the surprise second slot in the Aug. 20 runoff ballot. He will face Sandra Torres, a conservative and former first lady who was the leading vote-getter in the first round and is making her third bid for the presidency.
Arévalo’s recent speech in Santa Maria de Jesus was similar to those he has given in Guatemala’s capital, but the imagery could be especially important in rural Indigenous communities as he seeks to rapidly expand his largely urban, youthful base before the runoff.
He won in Guatemala City and other important cities, including Sacatepequez and Quetzaltenango. It remains to be seen whether he can convince people in rural communities that he can address their daily problems.
The delayed certification of the first round results shortened the already small window that Arévalo has to reintroduce himself to much of the country as his opponents rush to paint their own negative picture.
“Do you feel what is happening?” Arévalo told the crowd in Santa Maria de Jesus. “The new spring is arriving, that’s what you feel, and you all are the seeds of that new spring.”
“A new spring that is going to bring us well-being, the water we lack, the education they owe us, the health that they have denied us thanks to those corrupt contracts that serve few,” Arévalo said, standing in front of an old, damaged Roman Catholic church, in a wide-brimmed hat and untucked shirt against the tropical heat.
Among those listening was Juana Orón, a 67-year-old homemaker of the Kaqchikel people. She is one of the older voters who remember hearing about Arévalo’s father, one of only two leftist presidents in Guatemala’s democratic era.
The elder Arévalo, who governed from 1945 to 1951, is credited with establishing key social programs that remain in place today, including Guatemala’s labor code and social security. Guatemala’s democratic spring was cut short in 1954 by the CIA-backed overthrow of his successor, President Jacobo Arbenz.
Under Juan José Arévalo, the state advocated for rights for Indigenous peoples and others beyond the country’s small elite.
“I remember I was little and (my parents) said he had done good things,” said Orón whose first language as a child was Kaqchikel. If his father was good, Arévalo could be a good president, too, she said.
Opponents have tried to frame Arévalo’s candidacy as a step toward some of the region’s more notorious leftist regimes, such as Cuba and Nicaragua. They warn that the progressive candidate will bring expropriations, abortion and same-sex marriage to the conservative country.
Arévalo has been the election’s surprise.
In the days before the June 25 vote, he was polling below 3% and trailing at least seven of the other 21 candidates. But his anti-corruption message resonated in the country where gains against corruption have been erased and the justice system reoriented to pursue the prosecutors and judges who formerly led that fight.
In the month since that initial result, the Attorney General’s Office announced an investigation into his party and had a judge suspend its legal status until the Constitutional Court stepped in to block that move.
In Santa Maria de Jesus, people wanted to compare Arévalo in person to what they were hearing about him. Some handed him flowers, posed for photos or reached out to touch him as he made his way through the throng.
Arévalo pushed back against attempts to frame him as a left-wing radical — he has said private property rights are not up for discussion — and pounded the issue of corruption.
“Let us work, let us get ahead on our own effort, let’s get rid of the corrupt once and for all,” he said.
For Francisco Jiménez, a political scientist at Rafael Landivar University, Arévalo will need concrete proposals to make inroads with the base of Torres, who has spent two decades assembling it.
“He will have to make governing proposals with a social agenda, where the people see that he is going to have an impact on their lives and communities,” Jiménez said. “The other part is continuing to present himself as the different model. That has been his success, someone totally different from the other candidates.”
Evangelical churches in Guatemala have painted Arévalo as an existential threat to the family.
Gladys Sunun, a 35-year-old Kaqchikel vendor from an evangelical family, said she came to hear Arévalo for herself. She said she had heard that Arévalo would convert Guatemala into another Cuba or Nicaragua, but left feeling that might not be true, though she wants to investigate more.
“He came to tell us not to worry,” she said. “It sounds real, but we don’t know.”
Her sister July Sunun said she wanted to hear more about Arévalo’s positions on gender ideology. “As a mother I’m afraid, because we’ve grown up with a Christian background. I don’t want to marry my daughter with another woman,” she said.
July Sunun acknowledged that Arévalo said he would respect the identities and decisions of the people, “but what he hasn’t said is that he won’t allow (same-sex marriage) to happen here.” | https://cw33.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-guatemala-presidential-candidate-rushes-to-expand-base-beyond-urban-youth/ | 2023-07-30T22:57:38 | 0 | https://cw33.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-guatemala-presidential-candidate-rushes-to-expand-base-beyond-urban-youth/ |
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia will host a Ukrainian-organized peace summit in early August seeking to find a way to start negotiations over Russia’s war on the country, officials said Sunday.
The summit will be held in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, said one official, who spoke early Sunday on condition of anonymity as no authorization had been given to publicly discuss the summit. Russia was not invited, the official added.
Hours later, the head of Ukraine’s presidential office, Andriy Yermak, confirmed the talks would be held in Saudi Arabia, without naming Jeddah as the location.
“The Ukrainian Peace Formula contains 10 fundamental points, the implementation of which will not only ensure peace for Ukraine, but also create mechanisms to counter future conflicts in the world,” Yermak said in a statement. “We are deeply convinced that the Ukrainian peace plan should be taken as a basis, because the war is taking place on our land.”
Yermak;s statement described the 10 points as being “discussed individually and in groups with representatives of more than 50 countries on an almost weekly basis.”
Previously, Ukraine has described the 10-point peace formula as including the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian troops, the release of all prisoners, a tribunal for those responsible for the aggression and security guarantees for Ukraine.
Other peace plans have been floated amid the war. Russian President Vladimir Putin just finished meetings in St. Petersburg with African leaders about their own proposed plan. China and Pope Francis also been working separately on their own. No details of those plans have been released.
Saudi Arabia did not acknowledge the upcoming summit Sunday and did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.
Those taking part in the summit will include Ukraine, Brazil, India, South Africa and several other countries, the official who spoke to AP said. A high-level official from U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration also is expected to attend the event, which is being planned by Kyiv, the official said.
Details remain in flux and the official did not offer dates for the talks, nor did Yermak.
The Wall Street Journal, which first reported on the summit citing “diplomats involved in the discussion,” said the talks would take place Aug. 5 and 6, with some 30 countries attending. News of the summit comes after U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan visited the kingdom Thursday.
The official who spoke to AP said the summit would be the next step after talks that took place in Copenhagen in June.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended an Arab League summit in Jeddah in May to press those nations to back Kyiv.
Arab nations largely have remained neutral since Russia launched the war on Ukraine in February 2022, in part over their military and economic ties to Moscow.
Saudi Arabia also has maintained a close relationship with Russia as part of the OPEC+ group. The organization’s oil production cuts, even as Moscow’s war on Ukraine boosted energy prices, have angered Biden and American lawmakers.
But hosting such talks also help raise the profile of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has sought to reach a détente with Iran and push for a peace in the kingdom’s yearslong war in Yemen.
Ties remain strained between Riyadh and the West over the 2018 killing and dismemberment of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, which U.S. intelligence agencies say was ordered by Prince Mohammed.
For Ukraine, the talks coincide with its efforts to beef up its security posture.
Yermak also said Sunday that Ukraine will begin talks with the United States next week on a bilateral agreement on security guarantees. He said the talks stem from a declaration by leaders of the Group of 7 nations earlier this month laying the groundwork for each nation to negotiate agreements to help Ukraine bolster its military.
Yermak said Ukraine is looking for “specific and long-term commitments that will ensure Ukraine’s ability to win now and deter Russian aggression in the future.”
U.S. officials had not confirmed the negotiations.
___
Madhani reported from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Associated Press writer Andrew Katell in New York contributed to this report. | https://cw33.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-official-tells-ap-that-saudi-arabia-will-host-ukrainian-organized-peace-summit-in-august/ | 2023-07-30T22:57:45 | 1 | https://cw33.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-official-tells-ap-that-saudi-arabia-will-host-ukrainian-organized-peace-summit-in-august/ |
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.wqcs.org/2023-07-30/people-exposed-to-fallout-from-1st-atomic-bomb-test-still-fighting-for-compensation | 2023-07-30T22:57:47 | 0 | https://www.wqcs.org/2023-07-30/people-exposed-to-fallout-from-1st-atomic-bomb-test-still-fighting-for-compensation |
Bexar County Sheriff’s Office: Property owner initially mistakes dead body for pile of trash
Published: Jul. 29, 2023 at 7:02 PM CDT|Updated: 23 hours ago
SELMA, Texas (KWTX) - A man’s body was found Saturday afternoon in the 2300 Blk of FM-1518 of far East Bexar County.
No Foul play is suspected, according to Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar.
Salazar said the landowner initially believed he found a pile of trash.
As the landowner got closer, he realized it was a dead body, Salazar said.
The landowner immediately notified the sheriff’s office.
Some firefighters claimed to recognize the body as a homeless man who was frequently in the area.
Salazar said the man’s identity is waiting for conformation from the medical examiner.
The man’s death appears to have been heat-related or as a result of a medical episode, according to Salazar.
Copyright 2023 KWTX. All rights reserved. | https://www.ktre.com/2023/07/30/bexar-county-sheriffs-office-property-owner-initially-mistakes-dead-body-pile-trash/ | 2023-07-30T22:57:47 | 0 | https://www.ktre.com/2023/07/30/bexar-county-sheriffs-office-property-owner-initially-mistakes-dead-body-pile-trash/ |
Chris Buescher got the third NASCAR Cup Series win of his career at Richmond on Sunday and is officially a member of the 2023 playoff field.
It looked like Buescher was driving to an easy win after passing Martin Truex Jr. for the lead on lap 347 of the 400-lap race. Buescher had no issues getting by Truex as Truex was on a different tire strategy than Buescher and the rest of the leaders.
But a late caution for Daniel Suarez spinning off Noah Gragson's bumper meant that Buescher had to hold off Denny Hamlin and others for a three-lap run to the finish.
Buescher did that easily with a good launch on the restart as Hamlin couldn't ever mount a serious challenge.
Buescher and his Roush Fenway Keselowski teammate Brad Keselowski were the class of the field in the third stage but Keselowski took himself out of contention for the win with a bad pit entry and pit stop during the final green-flag stops of the race. Buescher pitted a lap before Keselowski and ended up six seconds ahead after Keselowski rejoined the track. | https://www.star945.com/news/national/nascar-chris/BPDSNLRQGTKMPJXOYBLOKOQMSA/ | 2023-07-30T22:57:49 | 1 | https://www.star945.com/news/national/nascar-chris/BPDSNLRQGTKMPJXOYBLOKOQMSA/ |
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://cw33.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-trump-amid-legal-perils-calls-on-gop-to-rally-around-him-as-he-threatens-primary-challenges/ | 2023-07-30T22:57:51 | 0 | https://cw33.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-trump-amid-legal-perils-calls-on-gop-to-rally-around-him-as-he-threatens-primary-challenges/ |
People have asked me what I've learned so far through this series. Have I gotten any clarity on what makes up my own spiritual identity? And the answer is, not really. I'm still in the research phase of this project. I'm still collecting experiences and perspectives and I imagine I'll keep doing that forever, but it's too early to draw any definitive conclusions — except for one.
I believe each and every one of us is capable of making our own meaning. Some of us do that by living according to a set of religious principles. Or by feeling the beauty and sanctity of nature. Or by choosing to see spiritual connections in what others might call mere coincidence.
I don't need anyone to validate those experiences for them to be meaningful to me. But according to Lisa Miller, a professor in the Clinical Psychology Program at Teachers College, Columbia University, having a spiritual life is good for your mental health.
Miller is a psychologist and has dedicated most of her career to the study of neuroscience and spirituality. Her newest book is called The Awakened Brain, and in it she makes some really bold claims about how holding spiritual beliefs can decrease our rates of anxiety and depression and generally make us most likely to lead happier lives. I can hear your skepticism already! I get it. I'm a spiritually inclined kind of person but it's still hard for me to understand how, scientifically speaking, believing in something bigger than yourself can make you healthier and happier.
I needed to understand how Miller came to these conclusions. But before she got to the actual science, she told me a story.
It was the mid '90s. Miller was in the early stages of her career and working at a residential mental health facility in New York City. After she'd been there a few months, Yom Kippur rolled around — the day of atonement, considered the most significant of the Jewish religious holidays. One of the older male patients with severe bipolar disorder asked if there were any plans to mark the day. The doctor in charge shrugged his shoulders and said, no — there's no service planned. The patient walked out of the room with his shoulders slumped and Lisa, who is Jewish, saw an opportunity.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Lisa Miller: I approached the unit chief and said, "I'm certainly not a rabbi, but I've been to two-and-a-half decades of Yom Kippur services. I'd be happy to facilitate if that might be OK with you." So I showed up on Yom Kippur and the patients had arrived early to the kitchen, which was to be our sanctuary. The fluorescent lights were quite strong and as we crowded around the linoleum table there was an extraordinary feeling of specialness.
As we started the prayers that we all knew from our childhood, joining together saying in Hebrew the prayers of Yom Kippur, I looked over and noticed that as the gentleman with bipolar was davening, he could not have been further from explosive. He was holding our group in the cadence of the prayers and we were actually following him.
I took a pause and I said, "I feel so grateful to be here today in our Yom Kippur ceremony. Would anyone like to say anything?" We went around the table and the first person to speak was a very otherwise withdrawn woman with recurrent depression. She said, "You know, I always knew on Yom Kippur we could ask for forgiveness. But sitting here now with you all, I'm aware that we can be forgiven. God can forgive us." And she looked liberated.
As I looked around the table at the patients, whatever their symptoms had been yesterday, they were free in that moment. They were free of suffering. They were free of the characteristic patterns that had dragged them down in a way that was equal and opposite to their main symptoms. And so I thought a mental health system minus spirituality made no sense, and that became my life's work, to understand the place of spirituality in renewal, in recovery, in resilience, and to put this in the language of science.
Rachel Martin: What happened when you brought these kinds of questions to your peers, to the other people in your scientific community? Like when you said for the first time, "Hey, I think we need to look at the effect of spirituality on mental health." What did people say to you?
Miller: Well, the vast majority were very respectful, nodded, and didn't pick up the thread. Some of them would say, "That's not psychology, that's not psychiatry." And in fact, I remember early on giving a grand rounds presentation and I opened up saying, "I'm going to speak today about a body of data using nationally representative samples on spirituality and mental health with all the gold standard methods." And about 10 people got up and walked out. It was absolutely not of interest.
Martin: Using the gold standard, what did that mean in terms of the experiments you were running and the studies and the data you were collecting? How did you make sure that it would hold water in the scientific community?
Miller: If I were to characterize the first five years of my investigation, I would say I used the data sets that everyone else knew and trusted. I only asked one new question, which was: "What's the impact of spirituality on the DSM diagnosis of addiction and depression?" The findings were jaw dropping.
The protective benefit of personal spirituality, meaning someone who says their personal spirituality is very important, is 80% against addiction. They have 80% decreased relative risk for the DSM diagnosis of addiction to drugs or alcohol.
Martin: Wait, so someone who self-identifies as having a meaningful spiritual life is 80% less likely to get addicted to drugs or alcohol than someone who says they don't?
Miller: Yes.
Martin: Wow. And how can you prove that it is a spiritual life that is doing that and not some external factor? Because you heard this from other critics, too, some of your peers said you can't attribute that to spirituality, it's gotta be some other social conditioning.
Miller: Well, that's a very important point because in every study we controlled for all of the usual interpretations about this being social support or having resources. So we plugged into our equation every other possible explanation that was generally taken in mental health to explain the road to depression. And nonetheless, it actually turned out that the more high risk we are, the more that there's stress in our lives, the more that we might be genetically at risk for depression, the greater the impact of spirituality as a source of resilience as preventative against major depression.
Martin: What does that look like in the brain?
Miller: One of the most beautiful findings in my 20 years as an investigator was from an MRI study conducted together with our colleagues at Yale Medical School. We looked at people of many different faith traditions and the first finding was that there is one neuro seat of transcendent perception and we share it. Now there's human variability of course, and we can strengthen components.
Martin: How are you actually doing that with people? Are you asking your subjects to pray? What are the spiritual inputs that are going into them so that you can measure it on their brains?
Miller: The very specific prompt was, "Tell us about a time where you felt a deep connection to God, your higher power, the source of life." Everyone had a story like that and as they told their story, we recorded them and it was then played back in their ears while they were inside the scanner.
Martin: Ah, they heard themselves recounting their spiritual experience.
Miller: It was tailor made to their own moment.
Martin: And you saw their brains light up?
Miller: Oh yes. Connecting to these memories, the bonding network comes up online just as when we were held in the arms of our parents or grandparents.
Martin: Wait, when you say the bonding network you mean you can literally see that the brain will respond to spiritual stimuli in the same way that it does to a hug from a family member when you're a baby?
Miller: Precisely.
Martin: Can you tell me how this manifests in the real world? I'm thinking about this anecdote you include in the book about a client of yours. A girl you refer to as Iliana.
Miller: Iliana adored her father, I mean, he was the sun and the moon and the stars to her. They were so close. And one night two men who her father knew, came into his corner store, robbed him and murdered him. And she was devastated. This was a grief that was so deep. She simply could not free herself from the grief that was shackling her heart.
One day, Iliana skips into my office. There's a levity and joy. She plops into the seat and says, "Dr. Miller, you're never gonna believe this. My cousin and my cousin's girlfriend chaperoned me so I could go to a party and I met the most wonderful boy. We talked so long, it must have been 20 minutes. He was so polite and so kind. But here's the best part, his name." Which was the same very unusual name as her father.
She said, "Don't you see? My father sent him. My father is looking out after me." And from that day on she was in the world of the living. What changed everything for Iliana was the awareness that her father walked with her. She maintained a deep transcendent relationship with her father, as most people around the world do.
Iliana trusted her deep inner knowing that this was far too probabilistic to have happened by chance. That this very rare name held both by this new boy and her father could possibly mean nothing.
Martin: Can I ask, what are you thinking as you hear this? I mean, are you thinking that is just a crazy coincidence, but if she needs to believe that this is a sign from God, who am I to tell her otherwise? Because it seems to be working.
Miller: Well, at the time, that was certainly the most common interpretive framework amongst psychologists and psychiatrists. But I could see plain as day that this was a tremendously sacred moment. This was a living miracle. This was a gift.
For me to have treated it like some kind of cultural diversity variable or that it's just the meaning she makes would've actually taken all of the energy and spirit out of that transformative awakening moment. I joined her.
Now I did that authentically because it was my view as well that this is far too nonprobabilistic to have happened by chance, that there are very few people by that very same name and that the first boy she met in a year and a half since her father's passing should have the name of the father. It was a synchronicity. There was a deeper meaning being revealed.
Martin: When you're talking to people who aren't scientists, someone who's skeptical, someone who doesn't have faith, who doesn't have what they define as a spiritual life, what do you want them to take away from your research and your message?
Miller: I've given a number of talks to audiences who, prior to seeing the science, would not necessarily consider themselves spiritual people. And, in fact, I oftentimes hear from people who consider themselves skeptics and very left-brained and when they see the peer reviewed science that says we're naturally spiritual beings, that when we cultivate our spirituality we're 80% less likely to be addicted, 82% less likely to take our lives, it speaks to the left side of their brains long enough that it quiets down the skepticism.
In other words, three cheers for the skeptic. Here is published, peer reviewed science for skeptical audiences to begin to explore, to be curious about our spiritual nature. You know, at the inner table of human knowing we all have an empiricist, a logician, an intuitive, a mystic, and a skeptic. And the skeptic is very welcome, but the skeptic is not the bouncer at the door.
It is not scientific to put a skeptic as a bouncer at the door. It is not more rigorous to toss out an idea before being examined in every way. We are wired to be able to investigate. So I simply say to the biggest skeptic of all, you are most welcome to your own inner table of inquiry, but be sure to invite everyone else.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wqcs.org/2023-07-30/this-ivy-league-researcher-says-spirituality-is-good-for-our-mental-health | 2023-07-30T22:57:53 | 1 | https://www.wqcs.org/2023-07-30/this-ivy-league-researcher-says-spirituality-is-good-for-our-mental-health |
After Stage 2 winner Brad Keselowski had an awkward pit stop in the middle of Stage 3, Chris Buescher found himself in the lead and in the late stages, four seconds and several lapped cars in front of second-place Denny Hamlin. Buescher held off a stiff Hamlin challenge on the restart with three laps to go following a late Daniel Suárez spin and went on to win his third career Cup race. With the win, Buescher is assured a spot in the playoffs.
Keselowski claims Stage 2
Brad Keselowski won Stage 2 at Richmond, a 160-lap affair that featured multiple rounds of green-flag pit stops and no yellow flags. Bubba Wallace, who took the lead on the third lap of the stage and led comfortably through one round of green-flag stops, had a jack issue during his second pit stop of the stage and fell to fifth.
Toyotas take Stage 1
Pole-sitter Tyler Reddick won an uneventful all-green Stage 1 of the Cook Out 400 ahead of 23XI Racing teammate Bubba Wallace and 23XI co-owner Denny Hamlin. A.J. Allmendinger, who started at the rear of the field because he did not practice or qualify the car Saturday while driving the Xfinity Series race at Road America, clawed his way up 25th by the end of the 70-lap stage.
Cook Out 400 results
Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford
Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford
Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford
Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota
Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford
Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Todd Gilliland (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford
A.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Noah Gragson (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Ryan Newman (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford
Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Daniel Suárez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
J.J. Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford
BJ McLeod (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford
Cook Out 400 TV/streaming schedule
All times Eastern
Saturday12:30-1:20 p.m.: Practice (USA, NBC Sports app)1:20-2:30 p.m.: Qualifying (USA, NBC Sports app)
Sunday2:30-3 p.m.: Pre-race show (USA)3-6:30 p.m.: Cook Out 400 (USA, NBC Sports app)
Cook Out 400 details
Track: Richmond Raceway (0.75-mile tri-oval), Henrico County, VirginiaLength: 400 laps for 300 milesBanking: Turns – 14 degrees | Tri-oval – 8 degrees | Backstretch – 2 degrees2022 winner: Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Cook Out 400 starting grid
Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota
Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota
William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Noah Gragson (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford
Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Todd Gilliland (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
BJ McLeod (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford
Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford
Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford
Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford
Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Ryan Newman (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford
Daniel Suárez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford
Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
J.J. Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford
A.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Top drivers and best bets for the Cook Out 400
Martin Truex Jr. has three career wins at Richmond and enters the weekend as the favorite, according to BetMGM, with a +375 moneyline. Denny Hamlin (+500) and Kyle Larson (+600) — who were at the center of last week's kerfuffle at Pocono — have the next-best odds.
Best odds to win• Martin Truex Jr. +375• Denny Hamlin +500• Kyle Larson +600• Christopher Bell +800• William Byron +900• Kevin Harvick +900
Yahoo Sports' Nick Bromberg wrote earlier in the week on some of the best bets for the weekend. He suggests good mid-tier value can be found in Larson's Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Chase Elliott (+1600), and 23XI's Tyler Reddick (+1800). Elliott has five top-five finishes in 14 starts at Richmond, while Toyota and 23XI have been particularly strong this season on short tracks.
Cook Out 400 entry list
Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing ChevroletAustin Cindric (2), Team Penske FordAustin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing ChevroletKevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing FordKyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletBrad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing FordCorey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports ChevroletKyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing ChevroletChase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletAric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing FordDenny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing ToyotaRyan Blaney (12), Team Penske FordChase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing FordJ.J. Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing FordA.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing ChevroletChris Buescher (17), RFK Racing FordMartin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing ToyotaChristopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing ToyotaHarrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing FordJoey Logano (22), Team Penske FordBubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing ToyotaWilliam Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletJustin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing ChevroletMichael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports FordTodd Gilliland (38), Front Row Motorsports FordRyan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing FordNoah Gragson (42), Legacy Motor Club ChevroletErik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club ChevroletTyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing ToyotaRicky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing ChevroletAlex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletRyan Newman (51), Rick Ware Racing FordTy Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing ToyotaTy Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports ChevroletBJ McLeod (78), Live Fast Motorsports FordDaniel Suárez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Weather for the Cook Out 400
The forecast calls for highs in the upper-90s and a 51 percent chance of rain for both days of Cup Series running. Three of the last four Cup Series races and five overall have been significantly impacted by rain this season, with Truex already having won two of them. | https://www.star945.com/news/national/nascar-results-chris/WJFCRU5PWWGONO7ZSR4L2STXRY/ | 2023-07-30T22:57:56 | 0 | https://www.star945.com/news/national/nascar-results-chris/WJFCRU5PWWGONO7ZSR4L2STXRY/ |
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://cw33.com/news/u-s-news/ap-us-headlines/ap-4-dead-2-injured-in-separate-aircraft-accidents-in-wisconsin-authorities-say/ | 2023-07-30T22:57:58 | 0 | https://cw33.com/news/u-s-news/ap-us-headlines/ap-4-dead-2-injured-in-separate-aircraft-accidents-in-wisconsin-authorities-say/ |
RYE, N.Y. — Visitors to a New York amusement park got more than they bargained for when a ride became stuck, spinning passengers backward for more than 10 minutes.
The incident on July 23 occurred at Rye Playland, located north of New York City in Westchester County, WABC-TV reported.
The Music Express ride is designed to move backward, but just before 8:30 p.m. EDT, the ride sent people moving in reverse for longer than expected, according to the television station.
Amusement ride at Rye Playland malfunctions sending riders hurtling backward until power pulled https://t.co/ZhZ9bC6XkK pic.twitter.com/E6zVNgl8uz
— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) July 27, 2023
According to the park’s website, the ride is “a fast-paced circular ride traveling a track with numerous peaks and valleys.” Loud music plays and lights flash throughout the ride, the website notes.
No injuries were reported as a result of the malfunction, according to News12 Westchester.
But some of the riders were frightened.
Giovanni Martinez-Roman, whose cousins were on the ride at the time of the malfunction, shared a video of the incident on social media.
“They absolutely did not have the proper protocols to stop the ride,” Martinez-Roman told WABC. “I believe the workers handling the ride should know what to do in a case like that.”
In the video posted to social media, technicians arrived and were able to bring the ride to a stop, WNYW-TV reported.
Jeff Davis, the amusement park’s general manager, issued a statement, noting that safety and the well-being of visitors is Playland’s top concern.
“Safety is our number one priority and as such, the Music Express ride is currently closed as we work closely with the manufacturer,” Davis said, according to News12 Westchester.
Davis told WABC that an electrical malfunction was the cause.
“It went through its normal inspection on Sunday morning and ran throughout the day without incident until that 8:30 p.m. time,” Davis told the television station.
Davis said the ride’s operators activated an emergency stop button and when that didn’t work they called maintenance to disconnect the power.
Playland has been a fixture in Westchester County since it opened in 1928. It is a National Historic Landmark, the park stated on its website. According to the National Park Service, Playland received that designation on Feb. 27, 1987. | https://www.star945.com/news/trending/amusement-park-ride-suburban-nyc-spins-backward-more-than-10-minutes/TFCQYTUDNRBVFKWIJQLDSHR3UQ/ | 2023-07-30T22:58:03 | 1 | https://www.star945.com/news/trending/amusement-park-ride-suburban-nyc-spins-backward-more-than-10-minutes/TFCQYTUDNRBVFKWIJQLDSHR3UQ/ |
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://cw33.com/news/u-s-news/ap-us-headlines/ap-appellate-court-rules-that-missouri-man-with-schizophrenia-can-be-executed-after-all/ | 2023-07-30T22:58:04 | 1 | https://cw33.com/news/u-s-news/ap-us-headlines/ap-appellate-court-rules-that-missouri-man-with-schizophrenia-can-be-executed-after-all/ |
SANFORD, Fla. — The death of Ray Lewis III last month was ruled accidental and due to a lethal combination of drugs in his system, an investigator with the coroner’s office in a Central Florida county said on Saturday.
The 28-year-old son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Ray Lewis was found unconscious at his Central Florida home on June 14. Life-saving efforts were unsuccessful and Lewis III died at an area hospital.
An investigator with the Seminole County Medical Examiner’s Office on Saturday told The Baltimore Sun that Lewis III’s cause of death was accidental and due to a mix of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine.
Death of Ray Lewis III, son of former Ravens linebacker, ruled accidental and due to lethal mix of drugs https://t.co/1pOcLZ4G7S
— The Baltimore Sun (@baltimoresun) July 29, 2023
A full autopsy report was pending, the investigator told the newspaper.
According to the Casselberry Police Department, Lewis III, died after officers found him unconscious in a bedroom, ESPN reported. A person in the residence was attempting CPR on Lewis when an officer arrived, according to the cable sports network.
The officer administered the opioid-overdose antidote naloxone using Narcan, WFTV reported, citing the police report.
“The evidence and witness accounts show this incident to be a tragic accident,” police said in a statement, according to The Associated Press.
Lewis III played high school football at Lake Mary Preparatory School in the Central Florida city of Lake Mary, according to WFTV. He was a running back who gained 5,283 yards and scored 53 touchdowns in three seasons, USA Today reported.
Lewis III played on the practice squad at his father’s college alma mater, the University of Miami. He eventually transferred to Coastal Carolina and then to Virginia Union, according to the newspaper.
At Coastal Carolina, Lewis played 12 games at cornerback with 19 tackles, ESPN reported. At Virginia Union he made 37 tackles in 2017, according to USA Today.
While at Coastal Carolina, Lewis III was accused of criminal sexual conduct after the 2016 season but the charges were later dropped, Sports Illustrated reported.
Lewis III’s father, Ray Lewis, was a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Baltimore Ravens. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018. | https://www.star945.com/news/trending/ray-lewis-iii-death-hall-famers-son-ruled-accidental-coroners-investigator-says/3NFZ6GYYZBAEBG2B45ZZH4DWMY/ | 2023-07-30T22:58:09 | 0 | https://www.star945.com/news/trending/ray-lewis-iii-death-hall-famers-son-ruled-accidental-coroners-investigator-says/3NFZ6GYYZBAEBG2B45ZZH4DWMY/ |
Five-year anniversary gifts
Shop this article: Roses, I Love You Anniversary Card and 2-Stem Natural Wood Roses with Vase
Spending a half-decade together is a reason to celebrate. Roses, chocolate and champagne are fitting gifts for almost any anniversary or milestone. However, when you hit the five-year mark in your relationship, you might want to take things up a notch.
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Tradition dictates that the five-year wedding anniversary gift is wood and meant to signal long-lasting strength, wisdom and forgiveness. Still, nowhere does it say that you have to stick to that, and some great gift ideas include perfume, jewelry, shoes, bags and self-care options.
Five-year anniversary wooden gift ideas
I Love You Anniversary Card
If you’re a stickler for tradition and want to make sure you give a gift of wood, one simple way to achieve this is with your card. This laser-cut classic hearts design is more than just any old anniversary card. It’s a keepsake that can last for years to come.
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Kate Posh 5-Years of Marriage Photo Frame
Simple yet also sentimental. This wooden picture frame is engraved and comes in multiple sizes. It has a back-stand easel to display on a table and clips to mount it on the wall.
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2-Stem Natural Wood Roses with Vase
Carved from sugar wood and stained rich chocolate, this stylish, sentimental and symbolic anniversary gift comes with two wooden roses in an oak vase.
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The best fragrance gifts for her
With dazzling floral accents and woodsy notes, this scent exudes femininity and mystery. The may rose and jasmine with citrus notes and soft bourbon vanilla help create this sensual Chanel fragrance, making the perfect gift for a romantic anniversary.
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This scent oozes femininity without being overpowering, with an intoxicating blend of warm and spicy, with keynotes of jasmine, orange blossom and woods and patchouli. It’s also ageless, which makes it perfect for either your 5th or 50th anniversary.
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The best self-care gifts for her
Goop “The Martini” Emotional Detox Bath Soak
Treat your loved one to some peace and tranquility with a soothing bath to relax the mind and body. The pink salt will ease muscles. The chia seed oil hydrates and moisturizes the skin, while the wildcrafted frankincense will soothe the mind. This combination is just as good as a day at the spa.
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Give the gift that spoils your loved one night after night with this slip silk pillowcase that’s a known beauty secret of both beauty experts and dermatologists. Cover her pillow in the highest-grade mulberry silk to help create the ultimate night’s rest.
Herbivore Coco Rose Exfoliating Body Scrub
Pamper your partner with a body scrub made from virgin coconut oil, sugar and Moroccan rose to leave her skin moisturized and smelling of rose petals and coconuts. This luxe body scrub has been clinically tested and proven to offer softer, smoother and less dry skin.
The best jewelry gifts for her
TruMiracle Diamond Stud Earrings
These exquisite half-carat diamonds with side accents will dazzle and sparkle from every angle. They are available in 14-carat gold, white gold and rose gold.
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Sarah Chloe Andi Initial Pendant Necklace in 14k Gold-Plate Over Sterling Silver
This is a delicate and sophisticated pendant necklace you can wear casually or when dressing to impress. It’s set in 14 carat-gold-plate over sterling silver, with a lobster clasp for closure and a beaded chain.
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Le Vian Deep-Sea Blue Topaz & Diamond Statement Ring in 14k Rose Gold
Give her something she can’t help but show off with this dazzling deep-blue-sea topaz ring. It’s enhanced with nude and chocolate diamond rings that add to the color and sparkle. These gorgeous stones are set in a beautiful strawberry gold that will make your anniversary one to remember.
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The best handbag gifts for her
Michael Kors Bedford Legacy Logo Ladies Leather Crossbody Bag
There’s just something about a new handbag that makes a girl smile, so make her grin ear-to-ear with a stylish yet practical black, leather crossbody. This sleek and structured silhouette is an ideal everyday bag to match all outfits while remaining chic.
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The best shoes gifts for her
Badgley Mischka Kiara Embellished Peep-Toe Evening Pumps
You can never go wrong with super sexy shoes, and these sapphire satin peep-toe pumps with embellished detail fit the bill. These showstoppers will make her feel like a million bucks and make for one extraordinary anniversary.
Nine West Women’s Toe Dress Pumps
These shoes will be a gift for you and your loved one because you won’t be able to keep your eyes off her when she’s in these ultra-sexy t-strap stilettos. A mix of faux leather and skinny straps from the toe to the ankle make this exotic heel a special occasion in itself.
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Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://cw33.com/reviews/br/beauty-personal-care-br/tools-accessories-br/best-five-year-anniversary-gifts-for-her/ | 2023-07-30T22:58:11 | 0 | https://cw33.com/reviews/br/beauty-personal-care-br/tools-accessories-br/best-five-year-anniversary-gifts-for-her/ |
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.star945.com/news/trending/suicide-bomber-pakistan-political-rally-kills-least-44-injures-nearly-200/TJVTVLDJAJEP5INONJ6SCPH2Y4/ | 2023-07-30T22:58:16 | 0 | https://www.star945.com/news/trending/suicide-bomber-pakistan-political-rally-kills-least-44-injures-nearly-200/TJVTVLDJAJEP5INONJ6SCPH2Y4/ |
Which camera accessories are best for vacation?
During a trip, you want to make sure that your camera is safe and secure while at the same time easily accessible and at the ready to snap pics. From camera bags to straps, having the right accessories will be sure to save you from headaches while traveling.
Aside from accessories to keep your camera safe while on the move, there are tons of accessories on the market to make getting that perfect travel shot easy.
Shop this article: NOMATIC McKinnon Camera Pack, ONA The Presidio Cross-Body Strap and VSGO V-P01E Professional Lens Cleaning Pen
Best camera bags for vacation
Best of the best camera bag for vacation
What you need to know: This 35L pack has space for your camera and whatever other accessories you’re taking along for the adventure. It can expand up to 42L and even has extra space for traveling essentials.
What you’ll love: This bag is designed with travelers in mind. It features full access to the main compartment, a luggage handle pass-through, an external laptop pocket and is made with water-resistant material.
What you should consider: This pack is on the pricier side, but the quality is worth it.
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Best anti-theft camera bag for vacation
PacSafe Camsafe X25 Anti-theft Camera Backpack
What you need to know: This camera pack is designed for traveling with expensive equipment. If you want some extra peace of mind while traveling, this bag is the right choice.
What you’ll love: This bag comes with a ton of features to keep your equipment safe, such as a Robar Sport locking system for protection against pickpocketing and hidden stainless steel wire mesh to protect against snatch and grab theft.
What you should consider: If you’re not too worried about theft while traveling, you could opt for a bag that has more room and better organization for a comparable price.
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Best camera bag for multiple cameras on vacation
Think Tank Photo Streetwalker V2.0 Backpack
What you need to know: The Streetwalker is an excellent bag if you’re planning on bringing more than one camera on your trip as it can comfortably house two DSLR cameras.
What you’ll love: This bag is designed with comfort in mind with its padded shoulder straps. It has plenty of pockets and compartments to accommodate all of your accessories as well.
What you should consider: This bag is a smaller model which makes it great for vacation, but be sure to consider the amount of gear that you’ll be bringing along.
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Best bang for your buck camera bag for vacation
BAGSMART DSLR Waterproof Camera Bag
What you need to know: This bag from BAGSMART is not only stylish but also well-equipped to handle any travel situation. Comfortable and secure, this is a great camera bag to bring on vacation.
What you’ll love: The design is sleek without cutting corners on space. It comes with a rain cover to keep your gear safe from the elements. This bag also features some anti-theft protection.
What you should consider: This bag is hard to beat with its cheap price tag, but when it comes to camera bags the price is a good indicator of quality.
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Best camera straps for vacation
Best of the best camera strap for vacation
ONA The Presidio Cross-Body Strap
What you need to know: This strap is stylish, strong and durable. It can be used with camera kits up to 6 lb and is easily adjustable.
What you’ll love: This strap offers comfort while keeping your camera gear close and ready for snapping pics.
What you should consider: The strap is more expensive due to the material being leather. If you don’t like leather, a different strap would work better for you.
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Best bang for your buck camera strap for vacation
What you need to know: This over-the-shoulder strap is durable and comfy thanks to its neoprene shoulder pad and reinforced metal fasteners.
What you’ll love: It’s fully adjustable and even works well with tripods, as you can attach the camera to the tripod without having to unhook the strap.
What you should consider: This strap’s anchor plate may come undone with time, so proceed with caution if you use a heavier camera.
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Best camera accessories for vacation
Best tripod for vacation
What you need to know: The GorillaPod is great for traveling photographers since it’s adjustable and compact.
What you’ll love: This camera tripod is great for hiking trips especially, as the legs can be adjusted to fit all types of terrain.
What you should consider: This travel tripod works with cameras 2 lbs and under, so if you shoot with a larger camera, this won’t work for you.
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Best portable lighting for vacation
What you need to know: The Lume Cube Panel Mini is very portable and fits most DSLR cameras. It’s great for getting the perfect lighting in darker spaces.
What you’ll love: The Lume Cube Panel Mini has adjustable color temp and brightness with an internal battery life of 14 hours to ensure you’ll always have great lighting.
What you should consider: Be sure to check to see if this light is compatible with your camera, as it does not attach to all models. It can still be used without being attached to a camera.
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Best camera cleaning tool for vacation
VSGO V-P01E Professional Lens Cleaning Pen
What you need to know: A lens pen is a great option for travel, as you can store it in your bag without having to worry about it getting dirty.
What you’ll love: The brushes both cover up for seamless storage.
What you should consider: Depending on your needs, you may have to carry some additional lens-cleaning products while traveling.
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Best waterproof camera cover for vacation
Altura Photo Professional Camera Rain Cover
What you need to know: This camera rain cover is great for keeping your gear dry when shooting outside in rainy places.
What you’ll love: It’s made from waterproof nylon and has a great viewing window for rainy-day shooting.
What you should consider: The viewing window may fog up over time.
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Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://cw33.com/reviews/br/electronics-br/camera-photo-br/must-have-camera-accessories-for-your-next-vacation/ | 2023-07-30T22:58:18 | 1 | https://cw33.com/reviews/br/electronics-br/camera-photo-br/must-have-camera-accessories-for-your-next-vacation/ |
PHILADELPHIA — A woman attacked a man who allegedly assaulted her sexually inside a Philadelphia hotel, striking him with a machete, authorities said Sunday.
The incident happened at the Best Western in the Center City neighborhood of Philadelphia at about 10:30 a.m. EDT on Sunday, KYW-TV reported.
According to the Philadelphia Police Department, the 24-year-old woman was allegedly assaulted by a 43-year-old man inside the hotel, WCAU-TV reported. Investigators said the woman then struck the man in the head with a machete, according to the television station.
A 24-year-old woman hit a man in the head with a machete after she was sexually assaulted inside a Center City hotel on Sunday morning, police said. https://t.co/S2Orexz6pY
— CBS Philadelphia (@CBSPhiladelphia) July 30, 2023
The man was transported to an area hospital, where police said he is being treated as a prisoner, WTXF-TV reported. He was listed in stable condition, the television station reported.
The woman was also taken to an area hospital by police, according to WCAU.
It was unclear what led to the alleged incident, and unclear how the woman obtained the weapon.
According to police, the weapon was recovered, KYW reported. | https://www.star945.com/news/trending/woman-attacks-man-with-machete-after-alleged-sexual-assault-police-say/W2EYVKIN4NHG5GFQKYDQJNE5LU/ | 2023-07-30T22:58:23 | 1 | https://www.star945.com/news/trending/woman-attacks-man-with-machete-after-alleged-sexual-assault-police-say/W2EYVKIN4NHG5GFQKYDQJNE5LU/ |
A comprehensive guide to pop-up campers
A pop-up camper provides a tentlike experience without having to sleep on the ground. When hitting the road in your pop-up camper, consider what and how to eat, what to sleep in, what toiletries to bring and what to do in case of an emergency.
Shop this article: Eagles Nest Outfitters Spark Camp Quilt, Sea to Summit X-Pot Collapsible Camping Cookpot and Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight Watertight .5 Medical First Aid Kit
What is a pop-up camper?
Pop-up campers are lightweight, compact vehicles that can park in more secluded areas due to their size. They are more affordable than the average camper and are quick to pack up and hook up, making the road trip easier. They can also keep you warmer than a tent in colder months but cooler in the heat of summer.
Pop-up camper setup
There are five aspects of pop-up camper setup.
- Location: Locate where you want to set up your camper and consider the slope of the ground, nearby trees and electrical hookups. This is where to check if your camper is level. If it is not level, you can use blocks to prop up one of the sides before unhooking the tow vehicle.
- Power: To power up the camper, run its electrical cord to the campsite’s electrical hookup after turning off the breaker. Once connected, you can turn the breaker on to provide electricity to amenities such as the sink and the refrigerator. At this point, users can crank down the leg support and crank up the roof.
- Beds: Make sure that the canvas is not holding onto anything and pull the first bed handle out to start setting up the beds. From there, pull the support pole free and position this onto the stud on the frame. Repeat this process for the remaining poles. Lastly, lift both beds to latch the supports until the beds sit down firmly.
- Water and propane: To set up water and propane in your pop-up camper, lift and lower the galley handle until it is in position. Then, link the male end of the propane hose to the female end on the lower frame of the camper. Finally, connect a sanitary water hose from your trailer to the water spigot at the campsite.
- Water heater: To set up the water heater, you need to access the hot water tank, turn the gas knob to “pilot” and hold down. Place a flame on the pilot end of the tube using a long lighter. Hold this down until it stays lit. You should be able to turn on the knob, and the hot water tank should start to heat your water.
Pre-make your food
Before hitting the road in your pop-up camper, make your meals ahead of time. These meals can be complete meals stored in a cooler or prepped to be quickly cooked at a campsite. Also, pre-pack any portion meals that you plan to make by the fire for convenience.
Stock your pop-up camper with necessities
Buy a set of camping pots and pans in advance to prepare for every meal and anything that goes on in the kitchen. This ensures that you do not have to go back and forth for camping utilities or go without food for a short time because you were unprepared. Moreover, pack extra sleeping bags and sheets of various insulation to prepare for any situation that may occur.
Air out your pop-up camper after it rains
Mold and other bacteria are more likely to form when it rains. Due to the foldable nature of the pop-up camper, this bacteria can get into crevices and breed. Before packing up your camper after it rains, make sure everything is dry so that it can be clean to use for the next trip.
Tips for hitting the road in a pop-up camper
If you are a first-time camper, keep your trip close to home in case something goes wrong, or it turns out that you are underprepared. This ensures that you are close to safety and have everything that you need. Additionally, make a grocery list and a checklist for all items that you think you need to bring in advance.
Pop-up camper FAQ
Where do I go to the bathroom while camping?
A. If there is no bathroom in your pop-up camper and you do not want to go out in nature, travel with a portable camping toilet. This item is best for rooftop tents, car campers and drive-up camp spots.
What style of chair is best to bring on a camping trip?
A. Classic camp chairs are a good choice. These chairs have four legs and are very stable. They make sitting and standing an act of ease in comparison to low chairs and rocking chairs. They’re also affordable.
Sleep essentials
Eagles Nest Outfitters Spark Camp Quilt
This 3-in-1 blanket, quilt and sleeping bag provides warmth and comfort in 40- to 60-degree weather. The weather-resistant materials help protect the sleeping bag from rain and any other damage caused by the elements.
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Kelty Mistral Sleeping Bag: 40 Fahrenheit Down
This mummy-style sleeping bag keeps heat in while being lightweight and durable. It comes with a stuff sack for storage and features an offset quilt construction to prevent cold spots. CloudLoft insulation locks in heat. The zipper is anti-snag, and the bag fits up to 6 feet in length. Use it inside or outside the pop-up tent.
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Kitchen essentials
Sea to Summit X-Pot Collapsible Camping Cookpot
This camping cook pot is heat-resistant and BPA-free to ensure food safety. The entire pot is collapsible for storage in small spaces. Its aluminum base conducts heat evenly for the best cooking experience and it comes with a strainer lid.
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MalloMe Camping Cookware Mess Kit Gear
This camping cookware kit is portable and made with food-safe, non-toxic anodized aluminum. The kit includes an aluminum nonstick pot, a pot cover, a nonstick pan, two bowls, a folding stainless steel spork, a soup spoon, a wooden spoon spatula, a cleaning sponge and a nylon travel drawstring pouch. It can be easily attached to a backpack and carried to campsites.
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First-aid essentials
Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight Watertight .5 Medical First Aid Kit
This first aid kit provides all the needed materials for any accidents that could happen while camping in your pop-up camper. It includes a wide array of medical supplies to treat pain, inflammation and common allergies. The wraps and bandages assist in immobilizing fractures and provide support. The antiseptic wipes and butterfly bandages help clean small wounds.
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Adventure Medical Sportsman Series Medical Kit
This medical kit provides items that treat common camping injuries. It is organized by injury type for quick access in an emergency and provides all the basic tools needed. This kit is also lightweight and portable.
Sold by Amazon
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BALTIMORE (AP) — Aaron Judge is giving the New York Yankees an immediate boost — at a time when their front office has some tough decisions to make.
Judge homered and singled twice in his second game back from the injured list and the Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-3 on Saturday night. Giancarlo Stanton and Kyle Higashioka went deep as well for New York, which is still 3 1/2 games behind Toronto and Houston for the last two wild cards in the American League.
That’s a tricky spot with Tuesday’s trade deadline approaching.
“We’ve had years where we stick with who we got. We’ve had years where we get some bullpen arms, starters, a big bat,” Judge said. “It comes down to us doing our job on the field and then letting them take care of the rest. We’ll see what happens.”
The Yankees knocked out struggling Orioles starter Tyler Wells (7-6) in the third inning. In the sixth, Isiah Kiner-Falefa capped a 10-pitch at-bat with a three-run double to make it 8-3.
Judge has three walks and three hits in nine plate appearances since returning Friday from the toe injury that kept him out since early June.
Ryan Mountcastle homered for the Orioles, but Clarke Schmidt (7-6) made it through five tough innings and the New York bullpen took it from there.
The Orioles remained 1 1/2 games ahead of Tampa Bay atop the AL East.
Judge walked three times Friday night, but the Yankees lost that game 1-0 on a ninth-inning homer by Baltimore’s Anthony Santander. New York’s offense was relentless a night later.
Stanton’s first-inning drive easily cleared the big wall in left field at Camden Yards. Mountcastle tied it in the second, and Baltimore went ahead 2-1 on an RBI infield single by Ramón Urías. That lead was short-lived.
Judge hit a two-run shot — 442 feet to center field — in the third. Then Gleyber Torres added a sacrifice fly an inning later.
Santander made it 4-3 with an RBI groundout in the fifth, but New York broke the game open in the sixth. Cole Irvin allowed a leadoff homer by Higashioka — his third hit of the night — and then one-out singles to Judge, Stanton and Anthony Rizzo.
Bryan Baker came in and struck out DJ LeMahieu, but after fouling off five pitches, Kiner-Falefa cleared the bases with a line drive to left.
“One of the best at-bats of the season right there,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
Wells entered the game with a major league-leading WHIP of 0.99, but he allowed three runs, three hits and three walks in 2 2/3 innings. In three starts since the All-Star break, he’s lasted just nine innings total.
“I think we’re going to be talking about a lot of things here coming up,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “Obviously, we’re in a weird week. He’s had tough times his last few starts. I think there are going to be discussions going on.”
Boone said he’s leaning toward giving Judge a day off in the series finale Sunday night. The Yankees are in a stretch of 13 games in 13 days.
“I kind of look at it as, hopefully he’s in a position to start nine or 10 of them,” Boone said. “Forget the toe. He hasn’t come close to playing games for almost two months. As much as I want him in there, we’ve got to be smart here a little bit, especially in this run.”
DIFFERENT ORDER
The Orioles used catcher Adley Rutschman in the leadoff spot because of his ability to get on base. He was hit by a pitch, walked and scored a run.
UP NEXT
New York’s Luis Severino (2-4) starts Sunday night against Baltimore’s Dean Kremer (10-4). It’s the final game of the season series, which is tied 6-all.
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Follow Noah Trister at https://twitter.com/noahtrister
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://cw33.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/ | 2023-07-30T22:58:30 | 0 | https://cw33.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/ |
BALTIMORE (AP) — Aaron Judge homered for the first time since returning from a toe injury, sending a 442-foot drive over the wall in center field in the third inning against Baltimore on Saturday night.
The two-run shot gave the New York Yankees a 3-2 advantage. Giancarlo Stanton hit a solo homer in the first.
Judge was hitless since returning Friday, although he drew three walks in that game. He hit a towering flyout in his first plate appearance Saturday. Then he connected off Tyler Wells two innings later.
It was his 20th home run of the season. Judge started in right field Saturday after he was the designated hitter Friday.
Judge had been out since tearing a ligament in his right big toe June 3.
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Follow Noah Trister at https://twitter.com/noahtrister
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://cw33.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-aaron-judge-slugs-442-foot-homer-in-2nd-game-back-for-yankees-from-toe-injury/ | 2023-07-30T22:58:37 | 1 | https://cw33.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-aaron-judge-slugs-442-foot-homer-in-2nd-game-back-for-yankees-from-toe-injury/ |
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Kyler Murray’s football career was nearly flawless for the first 25 years of his life: First, he was a Texas high school phenom, then a Heisman Trophy winner, then the No. 1 overall pick for the Arizona Cardinals, then a two-time Pro Bowl selection.
In all those situations, Murray was being compared to other football players.
These days, the competition is with himself.
“This is different,” Murray said. “This is you-on-you. Nobody really knows what you’re going through except for yourself and whoever you’re working out with.”
Murray, who turns 26 on Aug. 7, is working his way back to football relevancy following an underwhelming fourth season that was cut short by a torn ACL in his right knee against the New England Patriots on Dec. 12.
The quarterback acknowledged some tough days after the surgery — nights when it was tough to sleep because of the pain — but said he’s not feeling sorry for himself as he works to get back to the field.
“I get to do what I love every day — play quarterback in the NFL,” Murray said. “Did I get hurt? Yeah. Did I experience something no one wants to experience? Yeah. But it’s nothing for me to get up and work out. I was already doing that before I got hurt.”
Murray’s expected to miss at least a few games of the upcoming season while he continues to recover, and the quarterback watched Saturday’s practice at State Farm Stadium in a gray hooded sweatshirt and long black sleeve over his entire right leg.
His impending return is the hottest topic for the Cardinals during camp, but says he’s not committing to a certain return date.
“I don’t have a timetable,” Murray said.
Murray said he saw Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow at a recent UFC event and the two discussed the perils of an ACL injury. Burrow tore the ACL in his left knee during his rookie season in 2020, but returned to play 16 games in 2021.
“I wouldn’t want to go out there and hurt the team or hurt myself,” Murray said. “The advice that I’ve gotten from a lot of people around me is to go when you’re ready. Don’t listen to outside noise. Don’t feel pressure to come back because of this situation or that situation.
“Whenever you’re ready, you’ll know you’re ready.”
Murray has been very good — at times spectacular — for much of his first four seasons. His uncanny scrambling ability has produced several highlight-reel plays and he’s got plenty of arm to make all the throws he needs to make.
The apex of his pro career came in 2021, when the Cardinals started the season with a 10-2 record and looked like a Super Bowl favorite. But the franchise collapsed, losing four of the next five games before getting blown out against the Los Angeles Rams in an embarrassing playoff performance.
With high hopes in 2022, the Cardinals were one of the league’s most disappointing teams, finishing with a 4-13 record. Murray was far from the only reason for those struggles, but also wasn’t blameless, as his performance regressed in several areas.
“It’s not a bad thing to sit back, watch, and try to make this a positive deal,” Murray said. “I feel good. Getting better each and every day, taking one day at a time. Just trying to be there for my teammates and learn as much as possible before I do stuff on the field.”
Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill made big changes after last season’s debacle, bringing in a defensive-minded coach in Jonathan Gannon and a new general manager in Monti Ossenfort. The new regime seems just as smitten with Murray as the previous one — Gannon said one major reason he took the Cardinals job was Murray’s presence.
Murray says he’s excited about what the changes can bring.
The Cardinals have a large monetary interest in making things work: Murray signed a $230.5 million, five-year deal before last offseason that keeps him in the desert until 2028.
“It’s been great so far,” Murray said. “We’re actually establishing a run game. I believe we’ll be able to run the ball a lot better, which will only be a weapon for us. Get under center, mix it up, not be as predictable.”
Veteran Colt McCoy is the Cardinals’ most likely quarterback while Murray continues to recover. The 36-year-old has been the team’s backup for the past two seasons and has a 3-3 record in the six games he’s started.
The other current options are David Blough, who played decently in two starts last season, and Clayton Tune, a rookie fifth-round pick out of Houston.
“To me, whoever is available, we’re trying to put the best guy out there to win football games,” Gannon said. “Obviously, Kyler’s not available right now, but we’ve got a lot of guys who are very capable who I’m excited to see play and compete if he’s not ready to go.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://cw33.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-cardinals-kyler-murray-says-his-knee-rehab-is-going-well-but-has-no-timetable-for-his-return/ | 2023-07-30T22:58:38 | 0 | https://cw33.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-cardinals-kyler-murray-says-his-knee-rehab-is-going-well-but-has-no-timetable-for-his-return/ |
WESTFIELD, Ind. (AP) — Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor has requested a trade, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Saturday night.
Taylor, the 2021 NFL rushing champ, has been seeking a contract extension before his rookie contract expires at the end of this season and he’s been one of several running backs to publicly air their grievances throughout the offseason.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the request hadn’t been made public. NFL Network first reported Taylor’s request to be traded.
It came shortly after Taylor left team owner Jim Irsay’s motorhome after a meeting that lasted nearly an hour as the Colts conducted a night practice.
“It was just a good conversation and, you know, hopeful going forward,” Irsay told reporters after practice. “We’re looking forward to a great season, hoping that Jonathan’s a big part of that and I think we had a good conversation.”
Taylor has not spoken with reporters since being placed on the physically unable to perform list Tuesday. General manager Chris Ballard said then the Colts wanted to wait for a new deal until they could see how a healthy Taylor fit the new offense installed by first-year coach Shane Steichen.
Taylor topped the 2,000-yard mark twice in college at Wisconsin and rushed for 2,980 yards and 29 TDs in his first two NFL seasons. He was a unanimous All-Pro selection in 2021, when he led the league with 2,171 total yards and tied for the league lead in total touchdowns with 20.
Last year, he rushed for 861 yards despite missing six games with an ankle injury that required offseason surgery. Indy also struggled, finishing the season 4-11-1.
Irsay posted on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday suggesting some player agents were acting in bad faith by complaining about how much running backs earned with a franchise tag designation after the collective bargaining agreement was negotiated in good faith. The $10.1 million price tag is the lowest of any position other than kickers or punters.
On Saturday, in front of a capacity crowd at Grand Park in Westfield a staff member took Taylor to the nearby motorhome. Irsay did not divulge details of the meeting afterward, but did talk about two other former Colts star runners — Marshall Faulk, who was traded after Peyton Manning’s rookie season in 1998, and Edgerrin James, who left as a free agent between the 2005 and 2006 seasons.
“I’m responsible for everyone on the team and to look at the cap money as you go forward,” Irsay said. “It’s a great responsibility and you try to be as fair as you possibly can be with the whole football team. So again, I’m hopeful.”
Now the Colts may be looking to move Taylor before he even gets a chance to team up rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson, the No. 4 overall pick in April.
“We need to make sure he (Taylor) is healthy, and we expect he should have an outstanding year,” Irsay said. “(Linebacker) E.J. Speed had the same surgery and is doing well, but it’s early in the process and we want to make sure Jonathan is 100%.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://cw33.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-jonathan-taylor-requests-trade-after-meeting-with-owner-jim-irsay-at-colts-practice-source-says/ | 2023-07-30T22:58:45 | 1 | https://cw33.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-jonathan-taylor-requests-trade-after-meeting-with-owner-jim-irsay-at-colts-practice-source-says/ |
BLAINE, Minn. (AP) — Chasing his first PGA Tour victory Lee Hodges shot a 5-under 66 on Saturday to stretch his lead to five strokes with a round left in the 3M Open.
Hodges had a 20-under 193 total at the TPC Twin Cities to break the tournament 54-hole mark of 195 set last year by Scott Piercy. Hodges led at 8 under after the first round and a record 15 under after the second.
“I have nothing to lose,” Hodges said. “I’m out here playing with house money. I have a job next year on the PGA Tour, this is all great. This is just icing on the cake.”
J.T. Poston was second after a 66. Defending champion Tony Finau was another stroke back at 14 under after a 67.
Hodges’ best finish in 64 prior events was a tie for third at The American Express in 2022, the only other time the 28-year-old Alabama player has led or shared the lead after 54 holes.
And he almost certainly has played himself into the playoffs that begin in two weeks. He began the week 74th in the FedEx Cup standings, with the top 70 players qualifying.
“I honestly don’t think I’ll be that nervous tonight.” Hodges said. “I’ll hang out with my wife. We’ll go do something fun. I mean, yeah, it’s just golf at the end of the day. I’m lucky to be here.”
Hodges opened with an up-and-down even nine holes, then had five birdies on the back nine.
“I didn’t think I played bad on the front nine, I just couldn’t really get it close to the hole and when I did, I couldn’t make the putt,” he said.
Things were much different after the turn.
Hodges dropped birdie putts from 12 feet on No. 10 and nearly 11 feet on No. 11. His tee shot on the par-3 13th stopped 4 1/2 feet from the cup for another birdie. He added a 5-foorter for birdie on 16 and a 7-footer on 18.
He’ll be paired with Poston on Sunday the final group.
“We play some practice rounds together and I know him really well,” Poston said. “He’s a good friend. So, if I can’t get it done tomorrow, I’ll be pulling for him.”
Finau birdied four of his final eight holes. Last year, he trailed by five shots early in the final round and won by three at 17 under.
“It was just nice to make a run on the back nine today just to give myself a chance,” Finau said. “If I’m eight back, that’s a whole different feeling than five or six. I was just happy with the way I finished my round today and to creep up and just be a little closer to the lead.”
Aaron Baddeley was fourth at 13 under after a 65.
Sam Ryder (65), Keith Mitchell (67), Billy Horschel (68) and Kevin Streelman (69) were 12 under. Ryder birdied in his final five holes — and seven of nine — to toe the tournament back-nine record of 29. Mitchell set that mark two years ago.
Kevin Yu shot 29 on his first nine, tying a score recorded by five others, but he was 5 over for his final six holes to finish with a 67. He was tied for 11th.
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://cw33.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-looking-for-1st-pga-tour-title-lee-hodges-takes-5-shot-lead-onto-3m-open-final-round/ | 2023-07-30T22:58:52 | 1 | https://cw33.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-looking-for-1st-pga-tour-title-lee-hodges-takes-5-shot-lead-onto-3m-open-final-round/ |
SYDNEY (AP) — Some of the biggest names in soccer have yet to show up at the Women’s World Cup.
That’s literally been the case of Australian star Sam Kerr, who missed the first two games with a calf injury.
Kerr has recovered in time to play for Australia in a crucial final Group B game against Canada on Monday. The Matildas need to beat the Canadians to ensure they advance to the knockout round, and the Chelsea striker’s return to the lineup brings needed energy to the team.
“Mentally, it’s massive. It brings so much to our team and obviously also a lot to the opposition knowing that we have Sam available for this game,” Australia defender Ellie Carpenter said.
Kerr’s injury on the eve of Australia’s opening game against Ireland set the tone for a tournament that hasn’t been kind to some of its biggest stars. She was the face of co-host Australia’s preparations for the tournament, which is also being staged in New Zealand.
She dominated the covers of magazines across newsstands, while the autobiography she released late last year chronicled her rise to become arguably the best player in the women’s game right now. Kerr’s popularity transcends women’s soccer and she is considered a national icon.
So the disappointment was palpable when news broke about an hour before the opening match that Kerr was going to be sidelined at least two games in this tournament.
Kerr’s absence was felt in the 3-2 loss to Nigeria in Australia’s second game, a loss that put the Matildas in danger of elimination. It is not known what her role will be against Canada, but Australia needs Kerr to deliver in the final game of group play.
“I’m definitely going to be available, but how we decide to use that is not to be given to the opposition,” said Kerr.
The World Cup is supposed to be a showcase for the finest talent and biggest names, but injuries have always robbed the tournament of some its star players.
Norway forward Ada Hegerberg has had her playing time curtailed. Often referred to as “the Lionel Messi of women’s soccer,” Hederberg was part of a Norway’s 1-0 upset loss to New Zealand in the opening game of the World Cup.
It got worse for the 2018 Ballon d’Or winner when she suffered a groin injury in the warm-up ahead of Norway’s game against Switzerland, and she’s been ruled out of the final Group A game against the Philippines.
Keira Walsh of England suffered a knee injury against Denmark that will sidenline her for the Lionesses’ final Group D game against China. Described as irreplaceable, it is not known how much she will be able to play.
Even for some stars who have seen plenty of playing time, it has been difficult to make an impact.
American icon Alex Morgan has underwhelmed so far at her fourth World Cup, where she is hoping to help the United States to an unprecedented third consecutive title.
Morgan, the co-leading scorer at the last World Cup, has yet to score at this year’s event and missed a penalty in the 3-0 win against Vietnam. U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski said Morgan was adapting to playing in a forward line with Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman.
“I think it’s not hard to realize that Alex’s role is slightly different than the Alex that we’re used to maybe in the past,” Andonovski said. “She does set up the other two forwards a lot more. It’s not that she’s not capable of scoring goals or getting behind crosses, but we can also see her playing balls to Trinity and Soph, but also getting crosses for them as well.”
Morgan, at 34, is now one of the older players at the tournament.
Christine Sinclair of Canada is also searching for first goal of the tournament. Sinclair is highest scorer in international soccer — men or women — with 190 goals.
Like Morgan, she also missed a penalty, in a 0-0 draw with Nigeria that could still prove costly. She was benched for Canada’s second game against Ireland before coming in as a substitute at halftime as the gold medalist from the Tokyo Olympics logged a come-from-behind 2-1 win.
At 40 years old, Sinclair is having to accept a more limited role for Canada.
Brazil great Marta, at 37, has also been used sparingly in her sixth World Cup.
Her teammate, Debinha, who is also an iconic figure to Brazil fans, has been one of the standout players for her country so far. But she wasn’t able to stop a 2-1 loss to France on Saturday despite scoring in that match.
The gap appears to be closing in the women’s game, with underdogs proving more of a test for the more established nations. That’s one reason some of the big name stars have yet to impress in tournament.
One of the few standouts who has not disappointed so far has been Alexandra Popp, who scored twice in Germany’s 6-0 rout of Morocco.
Major tournaments are traditionally a mix of rising talents coming to the surface, while established stars have the chance to confirm their status among the greats.
Linda Caicedo of Colombia, Lauren James of England and Melchie Dumornay of Haiti have proven their worth as some of the brightest prospects in the game. But as the second round of games nears its completion, it feels like the tournament is still waiting for many of its big hitters to make an impact.
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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
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More AP Women’s World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup | https://cw33.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-some-of-soccers-biggest-stars-are-struggling-to-make-an-impact-at-the-womens-world-cup/ | 2023-07-30T22:58:59 | 0 | https://cw33.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-some-of-soccers-biggest-stars-are-struggling-to-make-an-impact-at-the-womens-world-cup/ |
Michael Kopech began the second inning of Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Guardians by walking Oscar Gonzalez.
The Chicago White Sox starter retired the next two batters, but walked the following two to load the bases for Andrés Giménez.
Kopech threw four straight balls, bringing home a run. He avoided any more trouble, striking out José Ramírez to end the inning.
Kopech later described his outing in the 5-0 loss as “pretty pathetic” as he continues his search for consistency.
“I’ve been trying to bounce back from outings all year and haven’t been consistent,” Kopech said. “Today was not an exception to that. I’m trying to figure things out and (I’m) not doing a great job putting this team in a good position to win. There’s a lot to assess and a lot to figure out.”
The right-hander allowed three runs on four hits with two strikeouts and five walks in five innings. He didn’t walk any batters after the second inning, but gave up solo home runs to Steven Kwan and Ramírez in the fifth.
Kopech exited after throwing 93 pitches.
“I’ve got to just find a groove to take one good inning to the next,” Kopech said. “That starts one pitch at a time. Right now when a pitch gets away from me I’m looking to fight myself back into it instead of just trusting the stuff.”
Kopech walked at least five batters in a game for the fifth time this season.
“I think his first pitch strikes were 8 out of 23, and his 2-out-of-3 (strikes to a batter) was 7 out of 18, and that’s just a difficult way to try to navigate through a lineup like that one,” manager Pedro Grifol said.
Kopech is 4-10 with a 4.49 ERA in 20 starts.
Grifol’s conversations with Kopech have been about remaining positive.
“Sometimes when you battle through some adversity like this, you forget about the successes that you’ve had in this game, at this level. I’m not talking about he’s had some success in the minor leagues, he’s had it here (in the majors) against some really good teams,” Grifol said. “So my conversations with him are always on the positive side. Go out there and have some fun.
“You’ve prepared yourself. Just go out there and enjoy that and compete. Compete your ass off there and don’t lose that edge. On the mechanical side and mental side, that’s (pitching coach) Ethan (Katz) and (bullpen coach Curt Hasler) that have it consistently with him. They do a good job of preparing for the game. He’s just got to go out there and really enjoy pitching and not put so much pressure on himself.”
Grifol continued: “We’ve all seen him go out there and just have a lot of fun and be electric. So we’ve got to get him to that point. He’s an important piece moving forward and we’ve got to get him to that point consistently.”
Before the game, Katz discussed Kopech’s continued development.
“It’s been a developmental year, but it’s a developmental time for everybody in the big leagues,” Katz said. “Everybody’s trying to develop, evolve, whether you’re Lance Lynn adding pitches and doing stuff like that or Michael Kopech. There’s things that pop up every single day that you can learn from, and there’s a lot of steps that he is learning from.
“His routine’s gotten better and better. The way he goes about his business is better and better. So it’s just constantly trying to teach him and get him to understand everything he needs to do and understanding hitters more. He’s doing a great job with all that.”
Kopech said he’s trying to remain even-keeled.
“Try not to get too high or too low,” he said. “Still remember that it’s a game we get to play for a living. Still very grateful to be out on the field. Unfortunately I’m just not getting the results I need right now.”
With Sunday’s loss in front of 28,096 at Guaranteed Rate Field, the Sox split the four-game series with the Guardians.
Ramírez homered twice. He hit the solo home run in the fifth against Kopech and a two-run homer in the seventh against Declan Cronin.
A 36th-round selection in the 2019 draft, Cronin allowed two runs on one hit with one walk in two innings in his big-league debut. Edgar Navarro also made his major-league debut, allowing two hits and striking out two in a scoreless inning.
The evaluation will continue as the Sox look toward the future.
“There are guys in there competing for a job next year,” Grifol said. “Everybody is getting evaluated here.”
() | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/30/chicago-white-sox-pitcher-michael-kopech-searching-for-consistency-after-sundays-5-0-loss-to-the-cleveland-guardians/ | 2023-07-30T23:01:57 | 1 | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/30/chicago-white-sox-pitcher-michael-kopech-searching-for-consistency-after-sundays-5-0-loss-to-the-cleveland-guardians/ |
Making his final start before the fast-approaching trade deadline, the Mets’ Justin Verlander demonstrated once again Sunday how he could help a contender — and joined an exclusive MLB club in the process.
The 40-year-old right-hander picked up his 250th career win, holding the Washington Nationals to one run over 5.1 innings in the Mets’ 5-2 victory at Citi Field. Verlander exited to a standing ovation from a home crowd wondering if he had just pitched his last game for New York.
The strong outing came a day after the Mets sent co-ace Max Scherzer to the Texas Rangers, establishing them as full-blown sellers before Tuesday’s deadline. The blockbuster move left Verlander pondering his own future, he said after Sunday’s game.
“When you see that happen, you can’t help but think, ‘What’s in store for next year?’ We play this game to win,” Verlander said. “You want to win a championship and you want to have the opportunity to do so. It changes my opinion a little bit, yeah. It’s tough to see it happen.”
Verlander, who improved to 6-5 with a 3.15 ERA this season, would be one of the top starting pitchers on the trade market if the Mets make him available. The three-time Cy Young Award winner has pitched to a 1.49 ERA over his last seven starts. His 16 playoff wins are the second-most in MLB history.
Trading Verlander comes with complications, considering he has a no-trade clause, is owed $43.3 million in 2024 and has a $35 million vesting option for 2025 that goes into effect if he pitches 140 innings next year. The Mets managed to navigate Scherzer’s similarly complex contract, with the right-hander waiving his no-trade clause and picking up his 2024 player option to facilitate the move to Texas.
Before Sunday’s game, general manager Billy Eppler insisted the Mets (50-55) aren’t rebuilding but said they would listen to offers for their players. Asked if Verlander was among them, he declined to comment.
“I’m just the type of person that likes to gather information,” Verlander said. “No idea who’s interested, what’s going on, who Billy has been speaking with. … Just an open communication with the front office and see what their plans are for me, for the organization.”
The Mets, who remain outside of the playoff picture despite the highest payroll in MLB history, also traded closer David Robertson to the Marlins last week.
Verlander said his stance on being traded “largely depends on how the organization views next year.”
“I think [trading] Max is a tough sign for trying to go back at it,” Verlander said. “I’m committed to trying to win a championship here, but if the organization decides that that’s not exactly the direction that they think is best fit to go for next year and go for it again, then yeah, I would be more open to it.”
Sunday’s game concluded the Mets’ four-game series against the Nationals, which was largely overshadowed by the swirling trade rumors. Verlander ran into early trouble, allowing back-to-back singles to CJ Abrams and Jeimer Candelario to begin the game. The lone run against Verlander came during that opening frame when Abrams stole home.
Verlander settled in from there, striking out five and retiring 16-of-19 Washington batters at one point. He became the 49th pitcher to win 250 games.
“It’s a moment that you kind of have to take a step back and appreciate,” Verlander said. “This is one of those for me. It’s a pretty cool accomplishment. A lot of blood, sweat and tears and sacrifice has gone into getting here.”
Francisco Lindor hit a solo home run during a 3-for-4 performance Sunday, while Pete Alonso picked up two RBI. New York won three of the four games against the Nationals, who fell to 44-62 and are in last place in the NL East.
Up next for the Mets is a three-game series in Kansas City, which begins Tuesday. Jose Quintana is scheduled to pitch against Royals veteran Zack Greinke, who is 1-11 with a 5.49 ERA.
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WESTWOOD — Maybe, in some circles, defense is a bit of an afterthought in 7-on-7.
For Milton, though, that’s not the case.
Whether it was offense, defense, or just plain making plays, Milton rolled to the Northeast 7v7 South regional title on Sunday, beating North Kingstown (R.I.) in the championship.
With the victory at Xaverian, Milton has won two regionals this summer, something that may be unprecedented with this event.
Leading the way was Milton defensive back Ferris Collins, who took back a pick-six in the semifinal against Dennis-Yarmouth and another in the title game.
It was just a complete effort from Milton, which had already advanced to Thursday’s New England finals.
“I think the key to our success is we have 18 guys and they all play and they all contribute,” Milton coach and Northeast 7v7 director Steve Dembowski said. “They’re unselfish. It was good to see a lot of guys make plays.”
“It’s definitely great to get the wins,” Collins said. “We lost a lot of great players last year. It’s reassuring to see us do well.”
It was many of the same faces for Milton that stood out in the East regional win at Bishop Fenwick. Quarterback Patrick Miller was again one of the top signal callers at the event, making pinpoint throws all afternoon. Wide receiver/linebacker Patrick Collins, cornerback/running back Nathan Ehui, and linebacker AJ Cicerone all had strong days.
In the final, Milton jumped out to an early lead and did not relent. Collins’ second pick-six in as many games provided the finishing touch.
North Kingstown acquitted itself very well, and should be one of the best teams in Rhode Island again. Wide receiver/defensive back Noah Giacastro, slot receiver/linebacker Trent Sterner, quarterback Braden Rogers, running back/linebacker Victor Encarnacion and wide receiver/safety Gian Iacuele are all names to watch for this fall.
Dennis-Yarmouth made a strong run to the semifinals, as did BC High. D-Y will be led by quarterback Jayden Barber, wide receiver Peyton Kellett, wide receiver/safety Walter Mayo, linebacker/wide receiver Jacob Bohlin, and offensive and defensive lineman Jayden Wetherbee.
For BC High, the Eagles will be led by wide receiver Marshall Rice, running back/wide receiver/safety Jacob Bieren Broodenspot, quarterback Carter Carroll, receiver Conrad Bubka and receiver Liam Callen.
Despite those strong performances all around, Milton again showed to be masters of the 7-on-7.
“I think from a camaraderie standpoint and a confidence standpoint, it makes them bond a little bit faster,” Dembowski said. “They get more on the same page. Obviously, when the pads go on, it’s a completely different game. I don’t think people realize how different 7-on-7 is from football. There’s no blocking and tackling and kicking, and obviously refs throw flags if you’re too physical. It’s a completely different game. But these guys are all still teammates, and it’s great for them to compete.” | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/30/milton-rolls-to-the-northeast-7v7-south-regional-football-title/ | 2023-07-30T23:02:01 | 1 | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/30/milton-rolls-to-the-northeast-7v7-south-regional-football-title/ |
A New Hampshire nurse working at a Christian ministry in Haiti and her child were kidnapped from their campus Thursday morning, the ministry reported in a statement Saturday.
“We can confirm that Alix Dorsainvil, our Director’s wife, and their child were kidnapped on the morning of Thursday, July 27th from our campus near Port au Prince while serving in our community ministry,” El Roi Haiti Outreach International wrote in the statement posted to their website.
Dorsainvil, 31, works as the community health nurse with El Roi, which includes a K-12 school and several ministry programs, according to the organization’s website.
El Roi originally reported the kidnapping of an unnamed staff member on Friday. In the Saturday update, they said they are working with “partners and trusted relationships to secure their safe return.”
“We are aware of reports of the kidnapping of two U.S. citizens in Haiti,” a State Department spokesperson said in response to an inquiry on the kidnapping Sunday. “We are in regular contact with Haitian authorities and will continue to work with them and our U.S. government interagency partners.”
On Thursday, the U.S. government updated their travel advisory for the country to “Level 4: Do Not Travel” and ordered the departure of family members of U.S. government employees and non-emergency U.S. government employees.
The Department of State cites “kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and poor health care infrastructure” in the advisory. Kidnapping incidents “regularly” include U.S. citizens, the department states, and often involve ransom negotiations and payments of thousands of dollars.
“U.S. citizens in Haiti should depart Haiti as soon as possible by commercial or other privately available transportation options, in light of the current security situation and infrastructure challenges,” the travel advisory directed. “U.S. citizens wishing to depart Port-au-Prince should monitor local news and only do so when considered safe.”
Dorsainvil is reportedly from Middleton, New Hampshire. She graduated in 2014 from the nursing program at Regis College in Weston, which has a longstanding partnership with the Ministry of Health in Haiti, a Regis spokesperson said Sunday.
Regis College President Antoinette Hays described the nurse as a “very caring, and very, very talented young nursing student” during her time at the college and said she’s been involved in work in Haiti since 2007.
“We’re all very devastated and very worried about her and her child,” said Hays. “And I will say we’re not surprised that she’s dedicated her life to this mission that she’s been doing in Haiti.”
The El Roi statement described Dorsainvil as a “deeply compassionate and loving person who considers Haiti her home and the Haitian people her friends and family.”
“Alix has worked tirelessly as our school and community nurse to bring relief to those who are suffering as she loves and serves the people of Haiti in the name of Jesus,” the organization wrote.
The ministry requested that people refrain from speculating about the situation on social media in order to protect the mother and daughter, respect the family’s privacy and pray for the two.
The organization stated they will continue to post updates and share information on their website, www.elroihaiti.com. | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/30/new-hampshire-nurse-and-her-child-reportedly-kidnapped-in-haiti-were-all-very-devastated-and-very-worried/ | 2023-07-30T23:02:02 | 1 | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/30/new-hampshire-nurse-and-her-child-reportedly-kidnapped-in-haiti-were-all-very-devastated-and-very-worried/ |
The Orioles’ best starting pitcher in the first half of the season is now in Double-A.
Baltimore optioned Tyler Wells down to Double-A Bowie after his third straight ineffective start Saturday, the team announced Sunday afternoon.
The Orioles selected the contract of right-hander Joey Krehbiel as the corresponding move. To make space for Krehbiel on the 40-man roster, they designated right-hander Eduard Bazardo for assignment.
A month ago, Wells was undoubtedly the Orioles’ best starting pitcher and was seen as a potential All-Star candidate. He posted a 3.18 ERA and an MLB-best 0.927 WHIP before the All-Star break. He covered at least five innings in each of his 18 first-half outings.
However, the 6-foot-8 right-hander has struggled mightily in his three starts since the break. He’s failed to make it past the third inning in two of the three outings, allowing 19 base runners and 11 runs in just nine innings.
Manager Brandon Hyde said after Wells’ start Saturday — 2 ⅔ innings, three hits, three walks, three runs against the New York Yankees — that the 28-year-old didn’t look like himself. Hyde and Wells both said after the loss that Wells’ command has been the main issue recently.
Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias said Friday that the organization is monitoring the workloads for Wells and the other members of the club’s young starting rotation. Wells is already approaching his single-season high in innings, as are Dean Kremer and Grayson Rodriguez.
The trip down to Double-A is Wells’ first time being optioned since he joined the Orioles as a Rule 5 draft pick in 2021. Baltimore had originally listed Wells as its starter Thursday against the New York Mets, but that is now listed as, “to be determined.”
This story will be updated.
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FOXBORO — Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne did not get to meet Ezekiel Elliott on the running back’s visit to Gillette Stadium on Saturday, but he’s well-versed in the All-Pro free-agent’s game.
“Great player,” Bourne said after training camp practice Sunday. “We’d love to have him.”
The Patriots’ running back depth is being tested early in training camp with Ty Montgomery “day to day” with an apparent leg injury. Pierre Strong and Kevin Harris, both 2022 draft picks, are the top backups behind Rhamondre Stevenson. J.J. Taylor is also in the mix.
The Patriots hosted free-agent running backs Leonard Fournette and Darrell Henderson on visits earlier this month.
Extra points
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said he could see rookie defensive lineman Keion White playing three-technique defensive tackle, five-technique defensive end or as an edge defender this season and compared his potential role to that of veteran Deatrich Wise and 2022 draft pick Sam Roberts … With safeties coach Brian Belichick out of practice early in training camp with a rare coaching knee injury, safety Jalen Mills said cornerbacks coach Mike Pellegrino and defensive assistant V’Angelo Bentley have stepped up in the young coach’s absence. Bill Belichick said his youngest son has taken part in meetings but isn’t on the field and also noted that linebackers coach Steve Belichick, his eldest son, has coached safeties in the past … Patriots converted defensive lineman Bill Murray has been running with the top offense in right guard Mike Onwenu’s absence. “Nobody works harder than Bill Murray,” Bill Belichick said. “I mean, he’s an all-day, everyday worker.” Murray clearly loves his job. “Football is so much fun,” the dark horse candidate for a roster spot said after Sunday’s practice … Rookie wide receiver Demario Douglas has spent time watching film of his wide receivers coach Troy Brown and another Patriots legendary slot receiver Wes Welker. “I watch what they do, because they were successful. And I want to be successful.” Douglas said it’s always a hit in the wide receivers room when Coach Brown is playing a clip of himself and says, “You couldn’t do it like that.” Douglas has some Troy Brown to his game and has shown glimpses that he could eventually be next in line for that slot role in the Patriots offense. | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/30/patriots-extra-points-ezekiel-elliott-coveted-by-pats-playmaker/ | 2023-07-30T23:02:17 | 0 | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/30/patriots-extra-points-ezekiel-elliott-coveted-by-pats-playmaker/ |
FOXBORO —According to Matt Judon, his reduced participation at Patriots training camp is all part of the plan.
A plan designed by himself, the Patriots’ coaches and training staff to keep him fresh for the long season ahead. His would-be sack of Mac Jones during one competitive 11-on-11 drill in Sunday’s practice exemplified this mindset. Judon’s sack was one of just three snaps he took in competitive team periods all day, his rest seemingly paying off immediately.
Except Sunday’s practice followed a rare day off for players. And Judon basically sat out one of the preceding three practices. How much rest does an eighth-year veteran need? Or is it more contract-related than he’s explained?
Judon, according to Herald sources, does want his contract reworked. But indications and reports suggest a new deal isn’t imminent, despite Judon only having $2.5 million guaranteed left on his deal and being underpaid relative to the current market. So what does his on-again, off-again participation ultimately mean?
It’s hard to tell, much like what’s driving the results Bill O’Brien’s offense has yielded so far. It’s clear enough O’Brien’s schemes are sound, and playing outside the 20-yard line allows any offense breathe better. Sunday’s team periods were an airshow compared to previous practices.
Mac Jones finished 6-of-10 around three “sacks,” while Bailey Zappe went 11-of-13 with an interception during 11-on-11 drills. Tight end Mike Gesicki and wide receiver Tyquan Thornton caught their first meaningful passes of the summer.
But two rookie receivers also out-paced them both in total receptions, while linebacker Marte Mapu and cornerback Jack Jones received promotions and a young defensive back got beat for two touchdowns.
Here are the Herald’s complete practice observations.
Attendance
Returned: DL Christian Barmore
Absent: RB/WR Ty Montgomery, WR Kayshon Botute, OL Jake Andrews
Limited: LB Terez Hall
Non-contact jersey: LB/S Marte Mapu
PUP: OL Mike Onwenu, S Cody Davis
Non-Football Illness: OT Calvin Anderson
Notes: Boutte and Andrews missed their first practice of the summer for unknown reasons unknown. Barmore returned after missing Friday’s practice following the birth of his new baby. Montgomery sat out for a second straight practice with an apparent leg injury.
Play of the Day
Jalen Mills’ red-zone interception
Four days days ago, backup tight end Matt Sokol scored a touchdown in front of Jalen Mills during a red-zone drill. After that practice, Mills reviewed the tape and logged a mental note of that play. On Sunday, Mills watched a similar route combination start to unfold before him in another red-zone drill and jumped it.
Mills picked off Bailey Zappe’s second and final incompletion, an attempted out-route throw to reserve tight end Scotty Washington in front of the right pylon. He broke immediately as Washington began to turn toward the sideline, caught the pass in his gut and rolled into a crowd of cheering teammates.
Kendrick Bourne’s lack of action an early Patriots training camp mystery
Player of the Day
QB Bailey Zappe
The same quarterback responsible for the only pick of practice was the best player on the field? Yep.
From the high red zone, Zappe also slung impressive touchdowns to wide receivers Demario Douglas, Tre Nixon and Jalen Hurd in the same period. On two of his touchdowns, he whipped darts to Nixon and Hurd (who signed last week) in the back left corner of the end zone. The pass to Hurd split cornerback Shaun Wade and safety Jabrill Peppers in coverage.
Zappe was decisive, accurate and played on time, albeit always against second-stringers. But from his top highlights to overall production -- including an 84.6% completion percentage -- Zappe was the best of the best Sunday.
QB Corner
Note: The passing stats below were tallied during competitive 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 periods only. The stats in parentheses represent the quarterbacks' camp-long performance.
Mac Jones: 6/10 (25/50, 2 INTs)
Bailey Zappe: 11/13, INT (32/56, INT)
Trace McSorley: 7/8 (20/38)
Studs
WR Demario Douglas
The sixth-round rookie not only continued to rep with the starting offense, but saw his first target from Mac Jones in training camp. Among starters and second-string backups, Douglas led all pass-catchers with four receptions on five targets. The kid is catching on fast.
WR Ed Lee
Who?
The undrafted rookie out of Rhode Island caught all five targets running with the third-team offense. He maximized his opportunity with Boutte out. During one stretch of practice, backup quarterback Trace McSorley connected with Lee four times in five plays.
Duds
CB Marcus Jones
After out-working bigger teammates DeVante Parker and Hunter Henry to force incompletions Friday, the 5-foot-8 Jones was beaten for two touchdowns in the same period. Third-year backup Tre Nixon pulled away from him on a crossing route, then Douglas beat him inside for another score at the goal line.
OT Riley Reiff
For a second straight practice, Reiff watched Conor McDermott take first-team reps at right tackle. Reiff, 34, is reportedly expected to win the starting job at right tackle, but hasn't assumed that spot for half of the team's practices.
Offensive notes
- Considering Mac Jones' dismal performance against pressure last season, one of his best throws of practice was a pass he lofted to running back Kevin Harris in the face of Jalen Mills' safety blitz. Harris would have walked into the end zone during a real game.
- That pass helped cap an opening 5-of-7 period for Jones, who started with short completions to Rhamondre Stevenson and JuJu Smith-Schuster. Then, he fired incomplete to Demario Douglas in the flat and hit Smith-Schuster on a checkdown.
- After the field goal unit took the field -- simulating the end of a 2-minute drill at midfield, Jones took over again, misfired deep to a blanketed Matt Sokol versus Kyle Dugger, beat Mills' blitz and connected on a swing-screen to Stevenson for a "touchdown."
- Jones routinely found his outlets against pressure, but struggled to hit receivers on his first read, especially inside the red zone. Over his final 11-on-11 period, he took three sacks (most of the coverage variety) and had a late pass intended for Smith-Schuster broken up over the middle.
- His other completion in the period found Mike Gesicki over the short middle. The play before, Jones and Gesicki improvised on a broken-down play that was blown dead a split second before Jones fired and finished with Gesicki high-pointing a catch along the back of the end zone. No player celebrated the score after Gesicki got up with his reception.
- Veteran wide receivers DeVante Parker and Kendrick Bourne were not targeted during competitive team drills. Neither was tight end Hunter Henry, the most reliable pass-catcher so far in camp.
- In addition to his impressive end-zone strikes, Zappe found four different receivers on his first four completions. His favorite targets were Harris, Demario Douglas and Nixon.
- Zappe touchdown's to Jalen Hurd actually illustrated one problem for the offense: unblocked rushers. Backup defensive lineman Sam Roberts came through untouched and arguably would have had a sack in a game-like setting on the play, but Zappe whipped a touchdown instead.
- The pass protection, particularly on the edges, has opened the question of whether the offensive tackles or running backs are responsible for frequent edge pressure getting home. Multiple safeties, including Mills, have punctured the pocket against Jones and Zappe.
Kendrick Bourne’s lack of action an early Patriots training camp mystery
- In the backfield, Kevin Harris took snaps ahead of Pierre Strong, who bounced between the starters and scout-team during a walkthrough 11-on-11 period at the start of practice. Strong had previously been Stevenson's top backup.
- Tyquan Thornton ended his catch drought in team periods by beating Marte Mapu on a crossing route, then cradling a fade throw from Zappe in the end zone versus rookie corner Isaiah Bolden.
- Quiet day for the tight ends. Gesicki's catch and a late grab by undrafted rookie Johnny Lumpkin were all they had to show during competitive team periods.
- Up front, the starting offensive line remained intact with Conor McDermott at right tackle. From left to right, Trent Brown, Cole Strange, David Andrews, Bill Murray and McDermott.
- The backup offensive to start 11-on-11s: left tackle Andrew Stueber, left guard Atonio Mafi, center Kody Russey, right guard Chasen Hines and right tackle Riley Reiff.
- The coaching staff continues to cycle O-linemen through the interior spots with the second and third-team offenses.
- Top targets in team drills: Ed Lee 5/5, Demario Douglas 4/5, JuJu Smith-Schuster 2/3, Kevin Harris 2/3, Rhamondre Stevenson 2/2, Tre Nixon 2/2
- Nice day for third-string quarterback Trace McSorley, whose only incompletion was a throwaway.
- During punting periods, the quarterbacks again passed with Smith-Schuster, Parker, Bourne, Thornton, Henry and Gesicki under Bill O'Brien's supervision. Backup tight end Anthony Firkser joined them for the first time in camp.
Defensive notes
- Starting and second-string personnel during team periods: defensive linemen Davon Godchaux, Christian Barmore, Lawrence Guy, Deatrich Wise, Keion White, Carl Davis and Daniel Ekuale; linebackers Ja'Whaun Bentley, Chris Board, Mack Wilson, Jahlani Tavai, Josh Uche, Marte Mapu and Anfernee Jennings, and defensive backs Kyle Dugger, Adrian Phillips, Jalen Mills, Jabrill Peppers, Christian Gonzalez, Jonathan Jones, Myles Bryant, Jack Jones and Marcus Jones.
- Interceptions: Jalen Mills
- Pass breakups: Christian Gonzalez, Jack Jones
- Would-be sacks: Team 2, Matt Judon, Deatrich Wise, Davon Godchaux, Sam Roberts
NFL notebook: How the Patriots could extend Matt Judon, Kyle Dugger and Josh Uche on fair contracts
- While Judon rested during team periods, third-round rookie Marte Mapu and Jack Jones made splashes by seeing their first starting reps of training camp.
- Mapu played linebacker during Mac Jones' initial "2-minute drill," a major test considering the tempo and active substitutions by both sides. Mapu was later part of the unit responsible for forcing multiple coverage sacks of Jones. He finished his day working with the third-string defense.
- After jumping an Zappe pass for a breakup in initial 11-on-11s, Jack Jones played outside corner opposite Christian Gonzalez in a later period. Jonathan Jones, who manned that spot early in practice, watched from the sideline. He's played both outside corner and nickelback in camp.
- The starting defense for Sunday's opening 11-on-11 period: defensive linemen Davon Godchaux, Lawrence Guy and Deatrich Wise, linebackers Josh Uche, Ja'Whaun Bentley and Marte Mapu and defensive backs Christian Gonzalez, Kyle Dugger, Adrian Phillips, Jabrill Peppers and Jonathan Jones.
- Both Phillips and Mills played free safety, as Bill Belichick finds a way to replace longtime defensive captain and pillar Devin McCourty. Players had said several players will rotate through that spot.
- Mills ran with the starting defense for the first time this summer. He took the field in the team's base defense, a nickel package with three safeties.
- Gonzalez has allowed one catch in the team's last two practices. He continues to look and play like a veteran. Several teammates have noted his football intelligence, while McSorley commented on his smooth movements in coverage.
- Uche drew several double teams as a pass rusher during team periods. He and Peppers combined to hurry Mac Jones into an incompletion on his final snap.
- Tavai accidentally smashed into Pierre Strong after Strong secured a catch early in 11-on-11s, but the running back popped up quickly.
- Rookie cornerback Isaiah Bolden allowed catches on both his targets, as did Marcus Jones and safety/special teamer Brenden Schooler.
What we’ve learned through first three days of Patriots training camp
Special teams
- Rookie kicker Chad Ryland went 3-of-4 kicking a field goal at the end of every simulated 2-minute drill. His miss was from beyond 45 yards.
- Rookie punter Bryce Baringer boomed the best punts of practice, but flashed some inconsistency as did veteran Corliss Waitman.
- Punt returners: Marcus Jones, Myles Bryant, Demario Douglas
- Punt team starters: Baringer/Waitman, long snapper Joe Cardona, Matthew Slater, Brenden Schooler, Chris Board, DaMarcus Mitchell, Adrian Phillips, Mack Wilson, Ameer Speed, Jabrill Peppers, Jahlani Tavai.
Extra points
- Offensive linemen Bill Murray and Kody Russey took the first two penalty laps of training camp for false-starting on separate reps.
- Belichick spent most of the first half of practice chatting with director of scouting Eliot Wolf. Director of player personnel Matt Groh simultaneously paced behind one practice field on the phone.
- There was an overflow crowd on-hand, including dozens and dozens of fans watching from the stadium ramp in a standing-room only section. | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/30/patriots-training-camp-day-5-matt-judon-limited-bailey-zappe-and-two-rookie-wrs-shine/ | 2023-07-30T23:02:23 | 0 | https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/30/patriots-training-camp-day-5-matt-judon-limited-bailey-zappe-and-two-rookie-wrs-shine/ |
SEC Preview: Georgia Bulldogs
ATHENS, Georgia (KBTX) -- The Georgia Bulldogs are gearing up for another exciting college football season with their sights set on an unprecedented 3-peat as College Football’s National Champions. Head Coach Kirby Smart, with a roster filled with talented players, is confident that the Bulldogs can maintain their relevancy and continue their winning ways.
Last season, Stetson Bennett played a crucial role in leading Georgia to back-to-back National Championships, but with his departure, the Bulldogs will be placing their hopes in the hands of a new signal caller. The race for the starting quarterback position features three strong contenders: junior Carson Beck, redshirt sophomore Brock Vandagriff, and redshirt freshman Gunner Stockton.
Georgia Cornerback Kamari Lassiter expressed confidence in the quarterbacks, emphasizing their composure and ability to manage the offense effectively. Additionally, the team can rely on All-American tight end Brock Bowers, who returns this season after an impressive performance last year, leading the team in receptions with 63 for 942 yards and 7 touchdowns. However, Bowers is well aware that success can lead to complacency, and the team’s hunger for victory must remain strong if they aim to achieve the elusive 3-peat.
The Bulldogs’ determined mentality extends to the defensive side of the field, where 8 starters, including Lassiter, return to anchor the team. Lassiter started all 15 games as a sophomore last season and is committed to avoiding complacency and upholding the team’s high standards.
Coach Smart praises players like Javon Bullard, who exemplify a selfless attitude and embrace the team concept wholeheartedly. These players, often overlooked in recruiting, have become vital assets to the Bulldogs’ success.
As Georgia gears up for the 2023 season, Coach Smart and the entire team understand that they have all the necessary components in place to compete at the highest level. However, the key to maintaining their dominance lies in avoiding significant injuries and getting the ball to bounce their way during crucial moments throughout the season.
Georgia kicks off the 2023 season at home on September 2nd against Tennessee-Martin.
Copyright 2023 KBTX. All rights reserved. | https://www.kbtx.com/2023/07/30/sec-preview-georgia-bulldogs/ | 2023-07-30T23:02:37 | 0 | https://www.kbtx.com/2023/07/30/sec-preview-georgia-bulldogs/ |
- Innovative Relay Event Introduces Korean Ginseng Across to the East and West Coast
- with Billboard Ads Featuring Hollywood Stars Arden Cho and Kieu Chin
- HSW Brand expanding its lineup with Two New Sparkling Beverages Designed to Beat the Summer Heat: Recharge and Calm
LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK, July 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Korea Ginseng Corp., the world's number one ginseng brand and leading next-generation global herbal brand, is spreading the word about its new beverage product, HSW, which reflects the health functional food's major trend keyword, 'Food as Medicine,' in a guerilla marketing campaign in key areas of the United States.
Korea Ginseng Corp., unveiled a brand advertisement on a billboard in Times square, Manhattan in the past month. Building on this momentum, Korea Ginseng Corp. has recently announced their plans for a relay guerilla marketing campaign, starting from the K-week event held at the Rockefeller center in New York. The event showcased their newest product, HSW, and featured traditional Korean games like Yut-nori and Dddakji-chiji, capturing the attention of American K-Culture fans. Building on the success of this first event, the brand is currently holding relay events across the city.
On the West Coast, Korea Ginseng Corp. will send its new mobile Ginseng Museum Café to this year's editions of the 626 Night Market, the largest night market in the United States, and to the Moon Festival, which celebrates LA's booming Asian street food scene. To draw attention to their one-of-a-kind trailer café, KGC will be running a fun social media awareness campaign and hosting on-the-spot game events and interactive samplings.
HSW is Korea Ginseng Corp.'s latest beverage offering, a contemporary twist on its best-selling energy tonic, Hong Sam Won. The new product is very much in sync with the hottest health food trend – 'Food as Medicine' – and caters to consumers seeking healthy, natural beverage options. With less than 40 calories per serving and zero caffeine, HSW is a light and guilt-free indulgence for the diet-conscious. In addition, Korea Ginseng Corp. is expanding its lineup with 'Recharge' and 'Calm,' two sparkling beverages designed for this year's hot summer season.
Rian Heung Sil Lee, a representative of Korea Ginseng Corp. U.S., notes, "Korean culture is being embraced by Americans, and interest in Korean health foods is at all-time high. We will be redoubling our efforts to make Korean red ginseng's unparalleled role as a food-as-medicine better known."
Korea Ginseng Corp.'s U.S. expansion began in 2002 and reached a new high point in 2021 with the opening of its flagship Ginseng Museum Café, in Manhattan. Since then, the global brand has introduced a new American-specific product line, KORESELECT, and has broadened its appeal with new distribution channels, including Amazon and Costco. Over the past three years, sales have more than doubled, confirming the impressive potential of the American market.
Leveraging its new American R&D Center, the company is committed to a proactive localization strategy and is planning to launch even more new products with the major marketing support of Korea's aT Center for Globalizing Korean Foods.
About Korea Ginseng Corp.
Korea Ginseng Corp.(KGC) is the world's number one ginseng brand and herbal dietary company. Established in 1899, it is one of the most proven and trusted herbal dietary supplement manufacturers, providing the highest quality, traditionally harvested Korean Red Ginseng products to support health and well-being. KGC runs four regional headquarters in the United States, China, Japan, and Taiwan, in addition to South Korea, and exports products to over 40 countries. With over 40% world market share, its presence spans Asia, Europe, the Middle East region and the U.S. KGC's family of brands include KORESELECT, CheongKwanJang, Good Base, and Donginbi. The KGC brands, inclusive of over 250 products, use the most exceptional ginseng combined with the finest herbs and ingredients to deliver superior products to meet everyone's needs.
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SOURCE KGC (Korea Ginseng Corp.) | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/30/expanding-global-presence-korea-ginseng-corp-leads-guerrilla-marketing-new-york-times-square-rockefeller-center-la-street-fair-taking-lead-capturing-us-herbal-market/ | 2023-07-30T23:03:10 | 0 | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/30/expanding-global-presence-korea-ginseng-corp-leads-guerrilla-marketing-new-york-times-square-rockefeller-center-la-street-fair-taking-lead-capturing-us-herbal-market/ |
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.nepm.org/2023-07-30/people-exposed-to-fallout-from-1st-atomic-bomb-test-still-fighting-for-compensation | 2023-07-30T23:03:27 | 1 | https://www.nepm.org/2023-07-30/people-exposed-to-fallout-from-1st-atomic-bomb-test-still-fighting-for-compensation |
People have asked me what I've learned so far through this series. Have I gotten any clarity on what makes up my own spiritual identity? And the answer is, not really. I'm still in the research phase of this project. I'm still collecting experiences and perspectives and I imagine I'll keep doing that forever, but it's too early to draw any definitive conclusions — except for one.
I believe each and every one of us is capable of making our own meaning. Some of us do that by living according to a set of religious principles. Or by feeling the beauty and sanctity of nature. Or by choosing to see spiritual connections in what others might call mere coincidence.
I don't need anyone to validate those experiences for them to be meaningful to me. But according to Lisa Miller, a professor in the Clinical Psychology Program at Teachers College, Columbia University, having a spiritual life is good for your mental health.
Miller is a psychologist and has dedicated most of her career to the study of neuroscience and spirituality. Her newest book is called The Awakened Brain, and in it she makes some really bold claims about how holding spiritual beliefs can decrease our rates of anxiety and depression and generally make us most likely to lead happier lives. I can hear your skepticism already! I get it. I'm a spiritually inclined kind of person but it's still hard for me to understand how, scientifically speaking, believing in something bigger than yourself can make you healthier and happier.
I needed to understand how Miller came to these conclusions. But before she got to the actual science, she told me a story.
It was the mid '90s. Miller was in the early stages of her career and working at a residential mental health facility in New York City. After she'd been there a few months, Yom Kippur rolled around — the day of atonement, considered the most significant of the Jewish religious holidays. One of the older male patients with severe bipolar disorder asked if there were any plans to mark the day. The doctor in charge shrugged his shoulders and said, no — there's no service planned. The patient walked out of the room with his shoulders slumped and Lisa, who is Jewish, saw an opportunity.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Lisa Miller: I approached the unit chief and said, "I'm certainly not a rabbi, but I've been to two-and-a-half decades of Yom Kippur services. I'd be happy to facilitate if that might be OK with you." So I showed up on Yom Kippur and the patients had arrived early to the kitchen, which was to be our sanctuary. The fluorescent lights were quite strong and as we crowded around the linoleum table there was an extraordinary feeling of specialness.
As we started the prayers that we all knew from our childhood, joining together saying in Hebrew the prayers of Yom Kippur, I looked over and noticed that as the gentleman with bipolar was davening, he could not have been further from explosive. He was holding our group in the cadence of the prayers and we were actually following him.
I took a pause and I said, "I feel so grateful to be here today in our Yom Kippur ceremony. Would anyone like to say anything?" We went around the table and the first person to speak was a very otherwise withdrawn woman with recurrent depression. She said, "You know, I always knew on Yom Kippur we could ask for forgiveness. But sitting here now with you all, I'm aware that we can be forgiven. God can forgive us." And she looked liberated.
As I looked around the table at the patients, whatever their symptoms had been yesterday, they were free in that moment. They were free of suffering. They were free of the characteristic patterns that had dragged them down in a way that was equal and opposite to their main symptoms. And so I thought a mental health system minus spirituality made no sense, and that became my life's work, to understand the place of spirituality in renewal, in recovery, in resilience, and to put this in the language of science.
Rachel Martin: What happened when you brought these kinds of questions to your peers, to the other people in your scientific community? Like when you said for the first time, "Hey, I think we need to look at the effect of spirituality on mental health." What did people say to you?
Miller: Well, the vast majority were very respectful, nodded, and didn't pick up the thread. Some of them would say, "That's not psychology, that's not psychiatry." And in fact, I remember early on giving a grand rounds presentation and I opened up saying, "I'm going to speak today about a body of data using nationally representative samples on spirituality and mental health with all the gold standard methods." And about 10 people got up and walked out. It was absolutely not of interest.
Martin: Using the gold standard, what did that mean in terms of the experiments you were running and the studies and the data you were collecting? How did you make sure that it would hold water in the scientific community?
Miller: If I were to characterize the first five years of my investigation, I would say I used the data sets that everyone else knew and trusted. I only asked one new question, which was: "What's the impact of spirituality on the DSM diagnosis of addiction and depression?" The findings were jaw dropping.
The protective benefit of personal spirituality, meaning someone who says their personal spirituality is very important, is 80% against addiction. They have 80% decreased relative risk for the DSM diagnosis of addiction to drugs or alcohol.
Martin: Wait, so someone who self-identifies as having a meaningful spiritual life is 80% less likely to get addicted to drugs or alcohol than someone who says they don't?
Miller: Yes.
Martin: Wow. And how can you prove that it is a spiritual life that is doing that and not some external factor? Because you heard this from other critics, too, some of your peers said you can't attribute that to spirituality, it's gotta be some other social conditioning.
Miller: Well, that's a very important point because in every study we controlled for all of the usual interpretations about this being social support or having resources. So we plugged into our equation every other possible explanation that was generally taken in mental health to explain the road to depression. And nonetheless, it actually turned out that the more high risk we are, the more that there's stress in our lives, the more that we might be genetically at risk for depression, the greater the impact of spirituality as a source of resilience as preventative against major depression.
Martin: What does that look like in the brain?
Miller: One of the most beautiful findings in my 20 years as an investigator was from an MRI study conducted together with our colleagues at Yale Medical School. We looked at people of many different faith traditions and the first finding was that there is one neuro seat of transcendent perception and we share it. Now there's human variability of course, and we can strengthen components.
Martin: How are you actually doing that with people? Are you asking your subjects to pray? What are the spiritual inputs that are going into them so that you can measure it on their brains?
Miller: The very specific prompt was, "Tell us about a time where you felt a deep connection to God, your higher power, the source of life." Everyone had a story like that and as they told their story, we recorded them and it was then played back in their ears while they were inside the scanner.
Martin: Ah, they heard themselves recounting their spiritual experience.
Miller: It was tailor made to their own moment.
Martin: And you saw their brains light up?
Miller: Oh yes. Connecting to these memories, the bonding network comes up online just as when we were held in the arms of our parents or grandparents.
Martin: Wait, when you say the bonding network you mean you can literally see that the brain will respond to spiritual stimuli in the same way that it does to a hug from a family member when you're a baby?
Miller: Precisely.
Martin: Can you tell me how this manifests in the real world? I'm thinking about this anecdote you include in the book about a client of yours. A girl you refer to as Iliana.
Miller: Iliana adored her father, I mean, he was the sun and the moon and the stars to her. They were so close. And one night two men who her father knew, came into his corner store, robbed him and murdered him. And she was devastated. This was a grief that was so deep. She simply could not free herself from the grief that was shackling her heart.
One day, Iliana skips into my office. There's a levity and joy. She plops into the seat and says, "Dr. Miller, you're never gonna believe this. My cousin and my cousin's girlfriend chaperoned me so I could go to a party and I met the most wonderful boy. We talked so long, it must have been 20 minutes. He was so polite and so kind. But here's the best part, his name." Which was the same very unusual name as her father.
She said, "Don't you see? My father sent him. My father is looking out after me." And from that day on she was in the world of the living. What changed everything for Iliana was the awareness that her father walked with her. She maintained a deep transcendent relationship with her father, as most people around the world do.
Iliana trusted her deep inner knowing that this was far too probabilistic to have happened by chance. That this very rare name held both by this new boy and her father could possibly mean nothing.
Martin: Can I ask, what are you thinking as you hear this? I mean, are you thinking that is just a crazy coincidence, but if she needs to believe that this is a sign from God, who am I to tell her otherwise? Because it seems to be working.
Miller: Well, at the time, that was certainly the most common interpretive framework amongst psychologists and psychiatrists. But I could see plain as day that this was a tremendously sacred moment. This was a living miracle. This was a gift.
For me to have treated it like some kind of cultural diversity variable or that it's just the meaning she makes would've actually taken all of the energy and spirit out of that transformative awakening moment. I joined her.
Now I did that authentically because it was my view as well that this is far too nonprobabilistic to have happened by chance, that there are very few people by that very same name and that the first boy she met in a year and a half since her father's passing should have the name of the father. It was a synchronicity. There was a deeper meaning being revealed.
Martin: When you're talking to people who aren't scientists, someone who's skeptical, someone who doesn't have faith, who doesn't have what they define as a spiritual life, what do you want them to take away from your research and your message?
Miller: I've given a number of talks to audiences who, prior to seeing the science, would not necessarily consider themselves spiritual people. And, in fact, I oftentimes hear from people who consider themselves skeptics and very left-brained and when they see the peer reviewed science that says we're naturally spiritual beings, that when we cultivate our spirituality we're 80% less likely to be addicted, 82% less likely to take our lives, it speaks to the left side of their brains long enough that it quiets down the skepticism.
In other words, three cheers for the skeptic. Here is published, peer reviewed science for skeptical audiences to begin to explore, to be curious about our spiritual nature. You know, at the inner table of human knowing we all have an empiricist, a logician, an intuitive, a mystic, and a skeptic. And the skeptic is very welcome, but the skeptic is not the bouncer at the door.
It is not scientific to put a skeptic as a bouncer at the door. It is not more rigorous to toss out an idea before being examined in every way. We are wired to be able to investigate. So I simply say to the biggest skeptic of all, you are most welcome to your own inner table of inquiry, but be sure to invite everyone else.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.nepm.org/2023-07-30/this-ivy-league-researcher-says-spirituality-is-good-for-our-mental-health | 2023-07-30T23:03:28 | 1 | https://www.nepm.org/2023-07-30/this-ivy-league-researcher-says-spirituality-is-good-for-our-mental-health |
Trends and Updates
2023 C-Suite Trends, Updates and the CFO Leadership Awards Recap
Majority of CFOs Plan to Fund Organic Growth at Same or Greater Level Than Last Year
Rising prices and interest rates along with other economic factors beyond a company’s control are leading CFOs to show the most concern about profitable growth, inflation, and balance sheet health in 2023, according to a survey by Gartner, Inc.
The CFO Awards
The CFO Awards was held at the Beverly Hilton on the evening of June 13. The L.A. Times B2B Publishing thanks all the participants, with special recognition to Diamond sponsor Marsh McLennan Agency, Platinum sponsor Phonexa, and Gold sponsors MarVista Entertainment and U.S. Bank.
Private Company: Small
Private Company: Midsize
Education/Nonprofit
Rising Star
Private Company: Large
Private Company: Enterprise
Public Company: Small and Midsize
Public Company: Large
CEO Visionaries
The role of the CEO is ever-shifting and ever-evolving, but one thing is constant: The role is demanding, encompassing and takes a kind of moxie only a few have. Below, you’ll find a list of some visionary CEOs in Southern California along with insights and information about their careers. | https://www.latimes.com/b2b/c-suite | 2023-07-30T23:03:30 | 0 | https://www.latimes.com/b2b/c-suite |
Michael Grove rocked by Reds to cap dismal month for Dodgers pitchers
A Sunday afternoon crowd of 45,936 in Chavez Ravine had plenty of time to get what will likely be their last look at rookie right-hander Michael Grove for a while.
Grove was rocked for eight runs and 10 hits — three of them homers — in six innings of a 9-0 loss to the Cincinnati Reds that sent the Dodgers to their 10th straight Sunday loss — a peculiar stretch of first-of-the-week games in which they’ve been outscored 73-33 — and fourth loss in six games on this homestand.
Rookie phenom Elly De La Cruz singled to spark a three-run Reds rally in the first inning and crushed a solo homer that left his bat at 111.3 mph and traveled 411 feet to right field for a 4-0 lead in the second.
Lance Lynn, acquired Friday by the Dodgers, had some of the worst pitching numbers in the majors with the Chicago White Sox. He aims for an L.A. turnaround.
Former UCLA standout Matt McLain led off the third inning with a homer to left field, Jake Fraley singled, and Joey Votto hit a 418-foot, two-run homer to right to extend Cincinnati’s lead to 7-0.
Grove did well to save some wear and tear on the bullpen by pitching three more innings, and he flashed a plus-slider while accumulating a career-high 10 strikeouts and 95 pitches, but he is not expected to remain in a Dodgers rotation that will look a lot different a week from now.
Veteran right-hander Lance Lynn, acquired with reliever Joe Kelly from the Chicago White Sox on Friday, will make his Dodgers debut Tuesday night against the Oakland Athletics, and he will be followed in the rotation by Tony Gonsolin and Julio Urías.
Clayton Kershaw, sidelined since late-June because of a sore shoulder, threw about 40 pitches to hitters in a three-inning simulated game on Saturday, and as long as the three-time National League Cy Young Award winner remains asymptomatic, he is expected to return for this weekend’s series in San Diego.
Asked on Sunday to peg the odds of Kershaw, who has pitched through numerous ailments over the years, telling him he is not ready, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, “Um … probably zero.”
That leaves rookie right-handers Bobby Miller, Emmet Sheehan and Grove to vie for one spot in an injury-ravaged rotation that has a 6.18 ERA in July, the second-worst ERA in any month for the club since the earned run became an official National League statistic in 1912.
The hard-throwing Miller has been the most consistent of the three, going 6-2 with a 4.37 ERA in 11 starts, striking out 59 and walking 16 in 59 ⅔ innings.
Sheehan is 3-1 with a 5.77 ERA in seven starts, striking out 27 and walking 17 in 34 ⅓ innings, but he rebounded from a rocky three-start stretch in which he gave up 17 earned runs and 17 hits in 12 ⅓ innings with a five-inning, no-run, two-hit effort in Saturday night’s 3-2 win over the Reds.
Grove, who is 2-3 with a 6.75 ERA in 15 games — 12 of them starts — all but sealed a demotion to triple-A Oklahoma City with Sunday’s performance, so the fifth rotation spot will likely come down to Miller or Sheehan.
On the night the Dodgers honored Orel Hershiser, Emmet Sheehan puts in an impressive performance and Max Muncy homers twice in a 3-2 win over the Reds.
“There’s a lot of things going on, and players nowadays are more in tune with that than they’ve ever been,” Roberts said. “But the bottom line is we’re trying to win, we need to win, and the best players are going to play, so performance is paramount.”
Pitching isn’t the team’s only concern. The Dodgers, who managed only five hits in six scoreless innings against Reds right-hander Graham Ashcraft, also played most of Sunday’s game without three of their top five hitters.
Mookie Betts, who is batting .277 with a .943 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, 27 homers and 68 RBIs, missed his second straight game because of a sore ankle, but Roberts expects the dynamic leadoff man to return Tuesday night.
Designated hitter J.D. Martinez, who is batting .260 with an .872 OPS, 25 homers and 75 RBIs, was in Sunday’s lineup but was pulled before he could make a plate appearance because of left-hamstring tightness.
And catcher Will Smith, who is batting .279 with an .862 OPS, 13 homers and 53 RBIs, was hit by a pitch in the first inning and pulled in the fourth because of a left-elbow contusion.
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The entire bowl stood to their feet at 8:18 Saturday night in Sin City, ready for a show as unprecedented as the men walking to the ring. The folks paid in public relations dollars to spread their version of the truth told the corral that just under 20,000 people came to see Terence “Bud” Crawford duke it out with Errol Spence Jr. Hell, if that’s to be believed. This joint was rockin’ and rollin’ from the first howl in the undercard. It mighta’ been more plausible that another few thousand snuck in when the sun went down, making the upper levels of T-Mobile arena burst from the seams and the center with silhouettes shoving to see the fight of the decade.
When Spence walked from the tunnel, accompanied by regional rapper BigXThaPlug, slurring off beat about the greatness of the state they were from and riding ATVs with diamond chains, folk started shimmying in the crowd.
But, then came Bud.
The crowd’s noise distinctively shifted. They were roaring long before Crawford appeared unmovable in the tunnel, head bowed trying to excise himself from the superstitions and butterflies that latch onto us all. Fighter superstition, at least in the cage, forbade any man who put on the mitts to play “Lose Yourself” by Eminem during a ring walk. It was taboo. How corny could it be, draped in the finest trims and leathers, to walk down to an ass whippin’ and lose after hearing ‘Em rapping about your “mom’s spaghetti.”
I suppose the biggest difference between Crawford and the competition — besides the obvious skill — was that no one else dared to bring ‘Em out with them. No other man made that long walk singing the Midwest’s hallowed words and hoping a live hymn could will them to boxing nobility. And there was no other fighter alive, professionally fighting still, who was willing to lose themselves for this level of glory.
The ovations for Crawford startled press row. People began jumping in their seats. Up and down, bending the black plastic until it nearly touched the floor. The roar from the stands when he reached the ring was primal. Grown men, upon seeing Crawford, began shadow boxing next to each other in their chairs.
Crawford was in all black, draped by a fishing net on his shoulders and shorts that training partner Steven “So Cold” Nelson designed for him. He came into the arena hours prior with his coaches and team wearing grayish shirts that read “Even Big Fish Get Caught.” It was Crawford’s 18th consecutive world title fight. His 40th in his pro career at 35 years old. He stood there, before the bell, as an overachiever; someone who believed those there to watch him brawl — both in the boxing media and audience — came to see him be pummeled. A fighter constantly belittled for being undersized, having a poor resume compared to some of his peers, or generally being the lighter, smaller act.
“He always been dogged out. They always been treating him bad,” Bernard “Bernie” Davis, one of Crawford’s longtime friends and trainers told me before the fight. Folks been talkin’ bad about Bud Crawford since he was the No. 1 prospects in the amateurs, Bernie said. “He gets a bad reputation because Bud ain’t gonna let you dog him out.”
“He don’t give a f– about who you is and how big you is,” Bernie concluded.
At 8:33 p.m., all the talking ended.
And within six minutes of the baffling, bruising bullying that took place at T-Mobile Arena, many of us were questioning whether Spence should keep coming out for another round. What we saw was truthfully unbelievable, more and more appalling as the rounds piled on. Not only did Terence Crawford — and I mean this by purely the most factual, brief and accurate measure of what we witnessed that night — whip Errol Spence’s entire ass, he made a spectacle out of it.
As James Baldwin once remarked in 1963 upon seeing Sonny Liston demolish Floyd Patterson in Chicago’s Comisky Park, there was something “vastly unreal” about what went on in that ring. Dispatches went out every day since the opening news conferences in L.A. and New York: Spence is the bigger man, Spence is the more relentless fighter, Spence has more star power, Spence has more brawn … yet almost as soon as the fight began, Spence was knocked down in a flash; dazed, confused and appearing as if he’d seen a ghost.
Even as he walked from the tunnel to the blue corner, Spence didn’t seem all the way right. There was no life in his eyes. His skin appeared almost sunny tangerine instead of a beautiful black and brown. Perhaps, as heavyweight champ Deontay Wilder said after the fight, Spence had a horrible cut, dehydrating himself to the point where he could barely breathe in the 112- degree heat.
It was apparent after the second round. Spence’s mouth was hanging open, while Crawford was following him around the ring. Spence, known to be a grinder and pressure fighter, was being punished routinely, made to swing from his back boot after just three rounds. Promoters promised fans and the media that this five-year long beef between the two would produce a war. Something that could make Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns blush.
Yet, if it was war we wanted, all of the ammunition went in a singular direction. The cards said Spence was knocked down only three times in nine rounds. But each was more emphatic than the last. After a while, Spence could no longer see the punches coming his way. His reactions to feints were getting bigger. Crawford’s counters were leaving him wobbly. During the final knockdown, Crawford hit Spence so hard, the Texan left his feet and almost fell out of the ring. Were we really watching two welterweights fight? The ferocity felt more like George Foreman and Joe Frazier, Felix Trinidad and Roy Jones Jr., Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Arturo Gatti.
Spence’s chest up to his temples was a bloody art project. There were so many different lumps and bruises around his neck and face, that for a moment I thought I was watching the episode of “Martin” where the actor got chin-checked by Hitman Hearns himself. Martin was so embarrassed after the fight, knots on his nose and knees, that he barely wanted to show his face again.
By the end of Saturday night in Vegas, during Round 9, it looked like Spence barely wanted to engage. He whiffed from a distance at most of his big, looping hooks — and his pace slowed to a snail’s pace toward the later rounds. Spence only landed 96 of his 480 punches and just 33 of his 296 jabs. He looked nervous to throw. All the stream on his punches fizzled. Crawford sensed the kill and moved in, offering combinations that were going unanswered. Crawford was landing 60% of his power punches and never missed two consecutive throws. Spence tried to clinch, but “Bud” smelled blood and teed off on Spence in the corner until none of us could watch anymore. Plenty in the crowd thought the fight should have been stopped two rounds prior, but Derrick James, Spence’s trainer, seemed hesitant to throw in the towel. With sweat and ichor spewing everywhere, referee Harvey Dock got to double-dutchin’ in and out of the middle of the two gladiators before he finally, mercifully, stopped the fight.
Spence was humble about his loss, giving the credit to Crawford — the first undisputed welterweight champ in the four-belt era and the first male fighter to unify multiple divisions — but admitted his timing was off. He even said he physically didn’t feel right, that he couldn’t “kick it up a notch.” Spence, barely lucid a little after 10 p.m., said Crawford’s speed didn’t faze him, and that his accuracy didn’t surprise him. At one point he was asked what he thought after so many knockdowns. “S–,” he said, slurring. “Just fight back.” But Spence, eventually stopped playing coy about this opponent. “He’s everything I thought he was,” Spence said.
When he was done talking, his team slowly shuffled him out of the ring and to the locker room. He could barely stand on his own, wobbling as he walked and holding onto whomever could keep him upright. It was difficult to see Spence that way: depleted, beaten, lacking confidence. He kept telling the world he wanted their agreed-upon rematch. The damage he received was unfathomable. Some guys never come back the same fighter after one of those. Two? Remember when Vernon Forrest fought Ricardo Mayorga again? Or Patterson-Liston II? But, after that, it was hard to think Spence wanted any more of Crawford.
Most of us there in the corral were stunned. We thought Spence should be in an ambulance, much less at a lectern. But before the concern could color the room, Crawford’s head trainer Brian “BoMac” McIntyre was audibly shouting from the opposite tunnel, “THE CHAMPPPP IS HERE!!!” Crawford’s crew walked in gallantly. BoMac’s shouting wasn’t reserved for us, in the dressing room, new title over his left shoulder, he was even more ecstatic. “I told you, man!!” He said pumping his fist, next to Crawford’s mother, Debra. Someone yelled “Eff ‘em!” “Hell yeah!!” BoMac responded. “F— those m—, man!” He started singing. “They madddd! They mad, they mad!”
Crawford, ever since he started camp in the mountains of Colorado, always seemed certain of his eventual victory. How he saw the fight, and how it ended, felt like he wrote his own prophecy. “BoMac” told me before the brawl that the fight had been manifesting in their camp for a long time, and that they were ravenous to prove they were the best in the boxing world. There was even a point during the first two rounds when Crawford said he felt Spence’s power and expected more from his rival than ever appeared.
“I get to tell you, ‘I told you so,’” Crawford said to the media, almost gloating at how easy his win was. “I’ve been asking for these fights for years and y’all been saying, ‘He’s too small. He’s going to get this, and he’s going to get broken.’ And each and every time, I proved you wrong.”
His words reminded me of our last conversation before I left his camp in Colorado this month. He was teeming with excitement for what he would show the world, even then. He didn’t care about his portrayal or what corner he’d walk out of once the bell rang, only that he’d be the one standing on the top of the turnbuckles, shouting to the crowd for the 40th time in 15 years just how talented he was.
Crawford came to fight week in black Air Force 1s, walked out to his public weigh-in sporting Hanes boxers and white Nike socks up to his calves, knees unlotioned, looking like the badass lil’ kid whose punching power was rumored all over Omaha.
Now, all he wanted was his spoils.
“Just give me my props,” he said before he walked away from the podium.
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You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. | https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2023-07-30/terence-crawford-vs-errol-spence-jr-fight | 2023-07-30T23:03:49 | 0 | https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2023-07-30/terence-crawford-vs-errol-spence-jr-fight |
2 Orange County roommates dead after shooting, deputies say
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - A man and woman who were roommates both died following a shooting in Orange County, deputies said.
On Sunday morning around 8:21 a.m., deputies said they were called to the 500 block of Thomas Jefferson Way in response to a shooting.
Deputies found a woman in her 30s who was taken to the hospital, but later pronounced dead and a man in his 30s dead on the scene with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
No other details have been released. | https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/2-orange-county-roommates-dead-following-shooting-deputies-say | 2023-07-30T23:03:58 | 0 | https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/2-orange-county-roommates-dead-following-shooting-deputies-say |
'I'm holding it together': Iconic Winter Park diner closes its doors after 35 years
WINTER PARK, Fla. - Sunday was the last day in business for the iconic Linda’s Winter Park Diner. Owner and namesake Linda D’Auria was working as hard behind the counter as she did to fight back her tears.
"I'm holding it together," she said. "It's just rough, and then I see people walk in who have supported me for 35 years. It's crazy."
There was someone in every seat and a line for tables, as the staff cooked-up comfort foods for loyal regulars, and even served some newcomers. "They just made me feel so welcome," said customer Ann Mims, "so it's been years. Home, home feeling."
READ: Photos show devastating aftermath of Winter Park house fire
D'Auria said she was thankful for every one of them. "I'm glad I could make a difference and be there for them, especially the women who've reached out to me and told me how welcome I made them feel, coming in by themselves."
Regulars like Roger Helms said that over the years, Linda’s had become an institution. "This is old Orlando, decisions were made here that affected the growth of central Florida."
D'Auria had sold the property to a developer. She now said she planned to write a cookbook. She said it was tough being in the restaurant business for 35 years. She gave all the credit to her amazing staff. "I mean, who ever gets my kitchen guys is going to be happy," she said, "and they'd be stupid not to go after them!"
The staff said the love went both ways. "Amazing, awesome," said server Deanne Freedland, who’d worked there for ten years, "she's a great boss to work for." | https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/iconic-winter-park-diner-closes-its-doors | 2023-07-30T23:04:04 | 0 | https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/iconic-winter-park-diner-closes-its-doors |
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A man and woman in their 30s are dead after a shooting on Sunday morning, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said they responded to the 500 block of Thomas Jefferson Way around 8:21 a.m. in reference to a shooting.
According to a news release, deputies located two people who had been shot – a woman who was taken to a local hospital where she was pronounce dead, and a man who was dead at the scene of “an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.”
[TRENDING: A few storms could get strong to severe | Man hurt, no suspect found after shooting in Bithlo, deputies say | Become a News 6 Insider]
Deputies said the man and woman lived at the same residence as roommates.
No other details were released and deputies said it is still early in the investigation.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/07/30/man-woman-dead-in-orange-county-shooting/ | 2023-07-30T23:04:04 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/07/30/man-woman-dead-in-orange-county-shooting/ |
Actor and singer Inga Swenson, who played Gretchen the cook on the popular ‘80s sitcom “Benson,” died on July 23 in Los Angeles. Swenson died of natural causes, according to TMZ. She was 90.
She was known for starring as Gretchen Kraus in the ABC series “Benson,” which aired for seven years from 1979 to 1986. The show follows Benson DuBois (Robert Guillaume) who is hired as head of household for a governor; Gretchen was the German cook with whom Benson had a workplace rivalry and friendship. For her role as Gretchen, Swenson was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress. “Benson” was a spin-off of the show “Soap,” in which Swenson also appeared for multiple episodes as the character Ingrid Svenson.
A trained lyric soprano, Swenson also had a successful career on Broadway, performing in lauded starring roles in the 1960s. She starred as Lizzy Curry in “110 in the Shade” and Irene Adler in “Baker Street,” and was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for both performances. The former follows a woman living on a ranch in the Southwest and the latter is based on the stories of Sherlock Holmes. Other shows she performed in include “Camelot,” “Peer Gynt” and “The First Gentleman.”
Swenson also acted on the big screen, with film credits including “Advise and Consent” (1962), “The Miracle Worker” (1962), “Lipstick” (1976) and “The Betsy” (1978).
Swenson was born on December 29, 1932 in Omaha, Neb. She later studied drama at Northwestern University. She married sound engineer Lowell Harris in 1953 and the couple had two sons.
Swenson is survived by her husband and her son Mark Harris, a film editor. | https://www.capitalgazette.com/entertainment/ct-ent-obit-inga-swenson-20230730-w4uj3sbcgnagbnhdwgnlctjlgq-story.html | 2023-07-30T23:04:09 | 1 | https://www.capitalgazette.com/entertainment/ct-ent-obit-inga-swenson-20230730-w4uj3sbcgnagbnhdwgnlctjlgq-story.html |
Report: Radio host fired after making 'Barbie' comment about female news anchor at Commanders training camp
WASHINGTON - A host with the Washington Commanders radio partner was fired after allegedly making disparaging comments about a female news anchor during training camp, according to a report from The Washington Post.
Don Geronimo – real name Michael Sorce – who hosts the "The Don Geronimo Show" on BIG 100, apparently referred to WUSA-TV sports anchor Sharla McBride as "Barbie girl" during the Commanders' second day of training camp, shouting "Hey look, Barbie's here. Hi, Barbie girl!" while talking on air with co-host Crash Young.
According to the report, he also said "I’m guessing she’s a cheerleader" and called her "that chick."
Following the Thursday show, the Commanders informed Sorce and Young that they could not broadcast from the facility on Friday as planned.
In a statement to the Post, Aaron Hyland, iHeartMedia’s D.C. regional president said: "After an internal review, Don Geronimo is no longer an employee of WBIG. We take matters of this nature very seriously and this behavior does not align with our core values."
The Washington Commanders also issued a statement, saying they were happy with the response from their media partner.
"We were confident that iHeart would address this swiftly and are pleased that they did," a Commanders spokesperson said.
Sorce has not issued an official comment on the matter.
"At this time I will not be providing comment on the events of the last few days. I am consulting with my advisors as to my options moving forward, including an accurate reflection of the situation. Thx -d," he wrote in a tweet Sunday afternoon.
Sorce had announced on social media last week that he re-signed with iHeart Media through 2026. In a video message, he thanked fans for their support.
"When I heard the comments made about me on the radio show, I felt incredibly insulted and embarrassed. In my 17 years as a professional journalist, I have never been disrespected in such a blatant manner while trying to do my job. Their words were sexist and misogynistic. No woman should experience this in the workplace, and I appreciate the Commanders swift response in handling this matter," McBride said in a statement shared with The Post and ESPN.
Sorce, 64, has been a well-known local radio personality for decades, working on "The Don and Mike Show" with Mike O’Meara on WJFK (106.7 FM) from 1985 to 2008. | https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/report-commanders-radio-host-fired-for-allegedly-making-disparaging-comments-about-female-tv-anchor | 2023-07-30T23:04:10 | 1 | https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/report-commanders-radio-host-fired-for-allegedly-making-disparaging-comments-about-female-tv-anchor |
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We've placed cookies on your device to improve your browsing experience. They're safe and don't contain sensitive information. | https://tj.news/miramichi-leader/102146923 | 2023-07-30T23:04:11 | 1 | https://tj.news/miramichi-leader/102146923 |
The wife of missing Baltimore sailor Donald Lawson said Sunday that she believes her husband used his boat’s life raft and “is still out there somewhere” as Mexican authorities continue their search for the 41-year-old whose boat was found capsized in the Pacific.
Crews from the Mexican Navy Rescue Coordination Center are looking for Lawson in the same area where his 60-foot trimaran, Defiant, was found capsized over 300 miles southwest of Acapulco, Mexico. They located and searched his sailboat Friday but did not find Lawson.
Defiant had a survival suit and other emergency gear onboard, Lawson said last year. Search crews found the suit, which would have kept him dry, on the sailboat Friday. A life raft that was on board when Lawson left Acapulco has not been found, said Ray Feldmann, a family spokesperson, Sunday. The boat had only one life raft.
“I view this as encouraging news,” Jacqueline Lawson said in a statement Sunday evening.
Defiant also had a small green dinghy attached to it, which was located by the Navy on Friday and found empty.
Donald Lawson was headed for Baltimore when he set out from Acapulco, Mexico, on July 5. He planned to travel through the Panama Canal to Baltimore but lost engine power a few days into the journey, and has not been heard from since July 12. He was to return to Baltimore to start a record-setting solo sail across the world.
“Your support, positivity, love, and prayers will be forever appreciated and have provided us with the strength and courage we need as we continue to push forward to find Donald,” his wife said Sunday, sending gratitude from the family for calls, texts and emails of hope in the days since Lawson went missing.
“My family and I remain hopeful and optimistic that he will be found alive.” | https://www.capitalgazette.com/maryland/bs-md-baltimore-sailor-missing-donald-lawson-search-20230730-hi22goa4mfg3zapuj4cs5wiuna-story.html | 2023-07-30T23:04:15 | 1 | https://www.capitalgazette.com/maryland/bs-md-baltimore-sailor-missing-donald-lawson-search-20230730-hi22goa4mfg3zapuj4cs5wiuna-story.html |
Watch: Amusement park ride spins out of control for 10-plus minutes
RYE, N.Y. - Screams were heard and witnesses watched in terror as riders of an amusement park ride in New York were stuck spinning backward for several minutes.
Video recorded by Giovanni Martinez shows the Music Express ride at Rye Playland spin out of control as riders scream and passersby film the ordeal.
In the video, technicians eventually arrive and get the ride to stop, prompting applause from concerned people standing by.
A ride worker tries to calm riders as an amusement park ride spins out of control (Credit: Giovanni Martinez via Storyful)
The amusement park released the following statement to local media:
READ MORE: Oklahoma officials announce $2 billion theme park, resort
"Safety is our number one priority and as such, the Music Express ride is currently closed as we work closely with the manufacturer."
No injuries were reported. | https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/watch-rye-playland-amusement-park-ride-spins-out-of-control | 2023-07-30T23:04:17 | 0 | https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/watch-rye-playland-amusement-park-ride-spins-out-of-control |
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We've placed cookies on your device to improve your browsing experience. They're safe and don't contain sensitive information. | https://tj.news/miramichi-leader/102147748 | 2023-07-30T23:04:17 | 0 | https://tj.news/miramichi-leader/102147748 |
The Orioles’ best starting pitcher in the first half of the season is now in Double-A.
Baltimore optioned Tyler Wells down to Double-A Bowie after his third straight ineffective start Saturday, the team announced Sunday afternoon.
The Orioles selected the contract of right-hander Joey Krehbiel as the corresponding move. To make space for Krehbiel on the 40-man roster, they designated right-hander Eduard Bazardo for assignment.
A month ago, Wells was undoubtedly the Orioles’ best starting pitcher and was seen as a potential All-Star candidate. He posted a 3.18 ERA and an MLB-best 0.927 WHIP before the All-Star break, covering at least five innings in each of his 18 first-half outings.
However, the 6-foot-8 right-hander has struggled mightily in his three starts since the break. He’s failed to make it past the third inning in two of the three outings, allowing 19 base runners and 11 runs in just nine innings.
“We feel like he needs a little bit of a break, honestly,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “A little bit of a reset. And just his stuff since the break, really since the Minnesota game, hasn’t looked the same, just not the same life to his fastball. The command’s obviously not where it was. He had an All-Star first half and was league-leading in WHIP because of the command and the lack of walks. His only issue a little bit was he gave up some solo homers once in a while, but really, the last three or four stars, there’s been some things in there that is uncharacteristic.”
Wells said after his start Saturday — 2 2/3 innings, three hits, three walks, three runs against the New York Yankees — that his lack of command is what’s given him trouble since the break. He’s walked nine batters and hit three in his past nine frames.
“I don’t think it’s been a stuff issue,” Wells said. “I think it’s been a location, execution issue.”
Hyde said the plan for Wells in Double-A is to take a brief rest and then pitch on a “low workload” plan while also keeping him stretched out. But Hyde didn’t rule out the possibility Wells could return to Baltimore as a reliever later in the season.
“We’re hoping that that kind of low-pressure environment, low workload allows him to then rejoin us and be the Tyler Wells that we saw in the first half,” Hyde said.
“He needs a little bit of a breather,” he added. “It’s OK he needs a breather. It’s not a terrible thing, and this is an experience that he’s having in his career and he’s going to be better for it down the road.”
The trip down to Bowie is Wells’ first time being optioned since he joined the Orioles as a Rule 5 draft pick in 2021. Baltimore had originally listed Wells as its starter Thursday against Toronto Blue Jays, but that is now listed as “to be announced.”
In the short term, the options to replace Wells in the rotation are left-hander Cole Irvin, who has split the season between Triple-A Norfolk and as a reliever and starter for the Orioles, or a potential addition at the trade deadline. Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias said Friday he “would bet heavily” that any acquisitions he makes would be for pitching.
“This is an unusual week, and so we’ll see what happens,” Hyde said.
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A key factor in Wells’ demotion is the 28-year-old’s workload. The only season in Wells’ career in which he’s pitched more than the 113 2/3 innings he’s pitched in 2023 was in the minors in 2018 when he totaled 119 1/3 innings. He didn’t pitch in 2019 or 2020 after undergoing Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery. He spent the 2021 season as a reliever and threw 103 2/3 innings as a starter last year.
“Physically, I feel fine,” Wells said Saturday.
Elias said Friday the increasing workloads for the club’s young rotation is something the organization is tracking. Dean Kremer and Grayson Rodriguez are also within 20 innings of their single-season highs.
“We’re trying to be mindful of indicators that they might be exhibiting that might be reason to pull back other than just sort of the academic concept of, like, ‘Oh, hey, look how many innings this guy’s thrown, let’s back that off,’” Elias said. “There’s really not a ton of science, or any science, there. We try to use common sense. We try to use our expertise. I don’t know that a single member of our rotation right now wants to go leave the rotation in some way shape or form. There’s that, too. They’re having the season of their lives, they’re competing, the team’s in first, they’ve got their whole careers ahead of them.”
Krehbiel spent the 2022 season in Baltimore’s bullpen with a 3.90 ERA in 57 2/3 innings as a middle reliever. He opened the year in Triple-A and was designated for assignment in May but remained in the organization. In 30 innings with the Norfolk Tides, the 30-year-old has a 3.00 ERA.
Bazardo pitched 2 1/3 innings across three outings for the Orioles in July, allowing six hits and four runs. The 27-year-old has a 3.05 ERA in 38 1/3 innings for Norfolk. | https://www.capitalgazette.com/sports/bs-sp-orioles-tyler-wells-option-doublea-20230730-sgwg32ut4raepjrx4y5jx4dbvm-story.html | 2023-07-30T23:04:22 | 0 | https://www.capitalgazette.com/sports/bs-sp-orioles-tyler-wells-option-doublea-20230730-sgwg32ut4raepjrx4y5jx4dbvm-story.html |
U.S. Facebook users have one more month to apply for their share of a $725 million privacy settlement that parent company Meta agreed to pay late last year.
Meta is paying to settle a lawsuit alleging the world's largest social media platform allowed millions of its users' personal information to be fed to Cambridge Analytica, a firm that supported Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.
Anyone in the U.S. who had a Facebook account at any time between May 24, 2007, and Dec. 22, 2022, is eligible to receive a payment. To apply for the settlement, users can fill out a form and submit it online, or print it out and mail it. The deadline is Aug. 25.
It's not clear how much money individual users will receive. The larger the number of people submitting valid claims, the smaller each payment will be since the money has to be divided among them.
The case sprang from 2018 revelations that Cambridge Analytica, a firm with ties to Trump political strategist Steve Bannon, had paid a Facebook app developer for access to the personal information of about 87 million users of the platform. That data was then used to target U.S. voters during the 2016 campaign that culminated in Trump's election as the 45th president.
Uproar over the revelations led to a contrite Mark Zuckerberg being grilled by U.S. lawmakers and spurred calls for people to delete their Facebook accounts.
Facebook's growth has stalled as more people connect and entertain themselves on rival services such as TikTok, but the social network still boasts more than 2 billion users worldwide, including an estimated 250 million in the U.S.
Beyond the Cambridge Analytica case, Meta has been under fire over data privacy for some time. In May, for example, the EU slapped Meta with a record $1.3 billion fine and ordered it to stop transferring users' personal information across the Atlantic by October.
The tech giant's new text-based app, Threads, has not rolled out in the EU due to privacy concerns.
The video in the player above is from a previous report on the Facebook settlement. | https://6abc.com/facebook-privacy-settlement-meta-lawsuit-deadline-to-apply-cambridge-analytica/13574403/ | 2023-07-30T23:04:23 | 0 | https://6abc.com/facebook-privacy-settlement-meta-lawsuit-deadline-to-apply-cambridge-analytica/13574403/ |
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We've placed cookies on your device to improve your browsing experience. They're safe and don't contain sensitive information. | https://tj.news/telegraph-journal/102145663 | 2023-07-30T23:04:24 | 1 | https://tj.news/telegraph-journal/102145663 |
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia police are investigating an alleged sexual assault at a hotel in Center City on Sunday.
It happened at approximately 10:30 a.m. at the Best Western on Vine Street.
Police say a 24-year-old woman hit a man in his head with a machete after being sexually assaulted.
The man was taken to an area hospital where he is being held as a prisoner while officers investigate the incident.
Police say he is expected to survive the injuries.
The machete was recovered from the scene. | https://6abc.com/sexual-assault-best-western-philadelphia-police-woman-hits-man-with-machete/13574521/ | 2023-07-30T23:04:29 | 0 | https://6abc.com/sexual-assault-best-western-philadelphia-police-woman-hits-man-with-machete/13574521/ |
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As loved ones continue to mourn a Philadelphia teen boy who was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver while riding his bike, police have found the stolen vehicle involved in the crash, investigators said.
On Friday, shortly before 4:30 a.m., police, firefighters and medics responded to Woodhaven and Byberry roads in Philadelphia for several reports of a person who was struck by a vehicle.
When officials arrived they found a teen boy – later identified as 16-year-old Billy McWilliams of Philadelphia – on the ground in the outer westbound lanes of Woodhaven Road.
The teen was suffering from injuries to his face, head, chest and back. Police also found the teen’s damaged mountain bike and his sandals, which were about 200 feet away from his body, investigators said.
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McWilliams was riding his mountain bike at the time of the crash, according to police. Investigators also said there is a marked bicycle lane on Woodhaven Road where the crash occurred.
The teen was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead at 4:53 a.m. Friday.
Investigators found damaged parts from what they believe was the striking vehicle, including a piece of plastic that came from the wheel well and a Dodge emblem.
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On Sunday, police announced they had found the striking vehicle – a dark 2015 or newer model Dodge Charger – on Brous and Princeton Avenues. Investigators said the vehicle had been stolen prior to the incident and that speed played a role in the crash.
They continue to search for the hit-and-run driver.
“This is a fatal hit-and-run,” Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said. “So they’re looking at vehicular homicide at this time. So the best thing for them to do right now, the driver of the vehicle, is turn themselves in and explain exactly what happened. Because it’s a tragic accident but once you voluntarily leave the scene, now you’re looking at vehicular homicide."
Loved ones mourn Billy McWilliams
On Friday, loved ones gathered in Northeast Philadelphia and released balloons in McWilliams’ honor.
"I have no words. It's just heartbreaking. Heartbreaking," the teen's aunt, Denise McWilliams, told NBC10. "Accidents happen but how do you just leave? I've said this before. How do you just leave a human on the ground? There's like no empathy at all anymore."
McWilliams’ friends and family described him as an adventurous teen with a love for life.
"The kid loved life,” the teen’s cousin, Rob McWilliams, told NBC10. “He loved being in the moment. Hung out with his friends all the time. I mean rode that bike everywhere."
The family also had a message for the hit-and-run driver.
"I can speak for my whole family on this one,” Rob McWilliams said. “There is no hatred in our heart. Come turn yourself in. Give us information. More importantly give my family the clarification that they need on all of this."
A total of eight bike riders were killed in crashes in Philadelphia in 2022, according to the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia. The Coalition also reported that six bike riders had been struck and killed in Philadelphia in 2023 as of July 14.
If you have any information on Friday’s crash or the driver involved, please call the Crash Investigation Division at 215-685-3180 or call/text the Philadelphia Police Department's tip line at 215-686-TIPS (8477). | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/police-find-hit-and-run-vehicle-that-killed-teen-bike-rider-officials-say/3614615/ | 2023-07-30T23:04:37 | 1 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/police-find-hit-and-run-vehicle-that-killed-teen-bike-rider-officials-say/3614615/ |