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The FBI and Department of Justice can close the Jimmy Hoffa case and announce who they think did it.
Since July 30, 1975, when legendary Teamsters President Jimmy Hoffa disappeared, the claims, theories and speculation have fueled one of the greatest mysteries in American history.
It is time for the FBI to release the still redacted and hidden documents that remain classified and announce who investigators believe were responsible.
But now it appears that the answers end in Detroit.
EXCLUSIVE: THE LAST LIVING JIMMY HOFFA SUSPECT'S SHOCKING CLAIMEXCLUSIVE: THE LAST LIVING JIMMY HOFFA SUSPECT'S SHOCKING CLAIM
James P. Hoffa, Jimmy Hoffa's son, is writing a book, "My Name Is Hoffa," that is expected to blame the mobsters in Motor City for his father's demise.
The reputed current head of the Detroit mob family, Jackie "the Kid" Giacalone, told me that he thinks we are at "a dead end" after so many years, and he denies knowing anything about Hoffa's fate.
But some in law enforcement have long believed that it was his father, Vito "Billy Jack" Giacalone, who picked up Hoffa in the parking lot of the Machus Red Fox restaurant, to drive him to what he thought was a meeting with Vito's brother, the street boss of the Detroit family, Anthony "Tony Jack" Giacalone and Teamsters New Jersey local president and Genovese Crime family Capo Anthony "Tony Pro" Provenzano."
Hoffa wanted to regain the union's presidency but needed "Tony Pro's" backing in his bid.
Giacalone notes that it has been almost fifty years since that infamous day, but in that time the circle of possibilities have narrowed.
"The answer is incredibly simple. He never left Detroit," said Scott Burnstein, the city's top Mafia journalist whose "The Gangster Report" chronicles the underworld across the nation.
"The investigators don't believe 99% of this narrative that's developed over the last 50 years that's been perpetuated by the media," he said. "Jimmy Hoffa was an asset of the Detroit Mafia and had been for the previous 30 years, you going to turn to the family that's been operating that asset for the past 30 years to do the job that needs to be done."
That view has been a focus of our most recent episode of the Fox Nation series, "Riddle, The Search for James R. Hoffa," which has extensively investigated the Hoffa case. The new show, number 6, "The Last Living Suspect," focuses on Gabe Briguglio, who at 84 years old is the only official FBI suspect who remains alive. He has been branded as "the second suspected hit-man," and according to the FBI, was "reported by Newark source to be involved in the actual disappearance of JRH"...James Riddle Hoffa.
AMERICA IS IN ITS ‘HEYDAY’ FOR CRIMINALS: RICHIE GREENBERG
Briguglio heatedly denies that he had anything to do with Hoffa's fate. He has never been charged in the case, there is no solid evidence against him, the claim about him was only a belief that was presented to desperate investigators by a prison inmate in New Jersey at the time, and in the decades since the claim has panned out to nothing.
The story about Briguglio seems to have been concocted by the informer, Ralph Picardo, in the fall of 1975. Briguglio said Picardo simply fabricated it. Picardo used his claims to get out from under a 25-year prison stint for murder and was later determined by federal prosecutors to have been an unreliable serial liar who made up stories to feed prosecutors.
"He could use anything at all to make him get out of jail. He would lie if his mother, if he could throw his mother into the thing. And he's going to get out of jail. That's the kind of guy he was," Briguglio said in our exclusive Fox Nation interview.
Briguglio said he would not have had anything to do with Hoffa's killing "in a million years," and blames decades of media distortions and misguided law enforcement efforts for taking Picardo seriously.
"How could you take a guy that's such a liar?," he said. "They never asked me anything about where I was. Never not even once."
He said on that day, he was in the Teamsters Union office in Union, New Jersey playing cards, won $600, went to Jersey Home Sales to pay for the residing of his house in East Rutherford, and then returned home to his wife and kids. Redacted FBI reports appear to support witnesses saying that they saw Briguglio playing cards in the Garden State, and not in Michigan kidnapping Hoffa.
Briguglio was subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury in Detroit in December of 1975 and placed in a line-up, but no witness picked him out.
"I wish that they would get me out of that thing," he told us. "I wasn't there, and I know where I was. I have nothing to hide."
ALABAMA POLICE STILL DON'T HAVE 'ANY IDEA' WHERE CARLEE RUSSELL WAS DURING THE 49 HOURS SHE WAS MISSING
And then there is Billy D'Elia, the former head of the Bufalino Crime family in Pennsylvania.
D'Elia was the trusted aide of powerful mob boss Russell Bufalino for decades and took over the family on Bufalino's death in 1994. His biography, "The Life We Chose, Big Billy D'Elia and the Last Secrets of America's Most Powerful Mafia Family" by Matt Birkbeck, tells his story and that of what he says happened to Hoffa.
"I think he was cooked," D'Elia told me, "Cremated."
D'Elia says Hoffa was killed in Detroit and his body incinerated, which is why the claims that Hoffa's body was brought to New Jersey and buried there have so far not panned out.
"I think the day he got shot, or whatever happened to them that day, he was cremated him right away."
The book describes how the revelations that the CIA recruited members of the Mafia to assassinate Fidel Castro in the 1960's fueled Hoffa's murder. The underworld links were exposed by Idaho Senator Frank Church's hearings, and in May of 1975, two months before Hoffa vanished, a Time Magazine article included Bufalino as a top mobster who was involved in the plots. That article, says Birkbeck, spelled doom for Hoffa.
"It said that Russell had been recruited by the CIA, and that they got to Russell because Russell did a lot of business in Cuba in the 1950's," he said. "This was a story that they wanted to hear, and they never heard before. No one in law enforcement heard the story before."
"Russell, now in his mind, he has to do something about Hoffa because it was Hoffa who the CIA reached out to, to get to Bufalino," he says.
The mob bosses wanted Hoffa out of the picture because he had been making waves about exposing the mob's multi-million-dollar loans to build Las Vegas from the Teamster's billion-dollar piggy bank, The Teamsters Central States Pension Fund.
But more importantly for Russell Bufalino, it was the prospect that he was going to be called to testify before the Church Committee that Birkbeck says proved to be the final nail for Hoffa.
"This was a story that they wanted to hear," he says. "No one in law enforcement heard the story before."
Someone else who believes that Hoffa was incinerated in Detroit was there at the very beginning.
Veteran Detroit television reporter Vince Wade broke the story of Hoffa's disappearance on that fateful night and covered the case for decades.
"I believe Jimmy Hoffa was part of the ozone layer within 90 minutes of disappearing," said Wade. "I believe the body was totally destroyed."
He says shortly after Hoffa was killed, his body was likely taken to the Central Sanitation disposal facility in nearby Hamtramck, which had industrial shredders and an incinerator.
"It was run by the Mob, so they could control who was around and who wasn't around," he says "If you don't have a body, you don't have evidence. And if you don't have evidence, you don't have a case."
He thinks Hoffa was bashed in the head and stuffed in the trunk of a car and driven to the disposal site.
"The theory that I prefer myself, is that they took an unconscious Hoffa down to Central Sanitation, turned on all of the machinery which makes a big loud kinds of racket, took a .22 popped him in the head with a couple of rounds from a .22, threw him on a pile of garbage, took a front end loader and put Hoffa's body in a pile of garbage in a trash compactor, backed it up and put it in a high intensity incinerator."
"You've got nothing. You've got no evidence," he said. "I think it will be an unsolved mystery forever."
"I like to say that I broke the story that Jimmy Hoffa is missing...and he's still missing."
Another person who has not given up in solving Hoffa's demise, is Michael Yarborough, a former Michigan Corrections officer. He says that when he was 18 years old, he came upon Hoffa being buried in the cement of Detroit's towering Renaissance Center complex when it was under construction.
"I need them to do a ground penetration search at least 8 feet deep. Once they come in and see the void, they can come in with a concrete drill and take a DNA sample out of there and know right away who’s down there. It’s Jimmy Hoffa… it’s nobody else," he said.
While Yarborough has met with law enforcement and took Fox Nation to the spot where he says Hoffa's remains can be found, authorities have not yet excavated the location under the marble floor on the ground floor level, right off the automobile showroom filled with gleaming GM cars. He hopes that exploring the site will be the next step for authorities.
Our Fox Nation investigation also focused on the spot in New Jersey, under the Pulaski Skyway, which is the site of the old mob connected landfill and former toxic waste site, "Moscato's dump," where it has been claimed Hoffa was buried. The FBI conducted a dig at the location last year and came up empty, but Hoffa expert Dan Moldea has publicly claimed that the bureau missed the exact location.
Meanwhile, with two years to go before the landmark 50th anniversary, it is time for the government to release its files and announce what it thinks happened. By doing so, authorities can finally fulfill what Mr. Giacalone said is really the end.
Watch: "Riddle, The Search For James R. Hoffa," streaming on Fox Nation. The latest episode, number 6, tells the story of "The Last Living Suspect," Gabe Briguglio. "Riddle" is also an accompanying podcast with in-depth interviews that is also available. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/it-is-time-for-the-fbi-to-tell-us-who-killed-jimmy-hoffa/article_82168b51-bd5c-5d7f-a853-f3524bd25eb3.html | 2023-07-31T00:43:14 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/it-is-time-for-the-fbi-to-tell-us-who-killed-jimmy-hoffa/article_82168b51-bd5c-5d7f-a853-f3524bd25eb3.html |
A Los Angeles County sheriff’s recruit has died months after a wrong-way driver plowed his SUV into a group of police recruits, authorities said Friday.
Alejandro Martinez "fought for his life for the past eight months," the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.
"Surrounded by his family, friends, Sheriff Luna, and other department members in support of his family, Alejandro has now gone to his eternal resting place," the statement said. "Tragically, he was not able to fulfill his calling of helping others."
About 75 recruits from Sheriff's Academy Class 464 had been running near the intersection of Mills Avenue and Telegraph Road in Whittier, just before 6:30 a.m. in November, when the SUV veered into them, authorities have said. Twenty-five cadets were injured.
COLORADO SHERIFF'S OFFICE RELEASES BODYCAM FOOTAGE OF MAN BEING STRUCK BY SUV AFTER BEING TASED BY DEPUTY
The SUV driver had been identified as 22-year-old Nicholas Joseph Gutierrez from suburban Diamond Bar, who suffered a minor injury.
He was initially arrested, but authorities later released him on grounds that more investigation was needed.
ALABAMA POLICE STOLL DON'T HAVE 'ANY IDEA' WHERE CARLEE RUSSELL WAS DURING THE 49 HOURS SHE WAS MISSING
The 22-year-old’s attorney said he has no animosity toward law enforcement and that it was a tragic accident.
Following the death of Martinez, the sheriff’s office wrote that the recruit "will forever live in our hearts & never be forgotten."
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/los-angeles-sheriff-s-recruit-dies-months-after-being-struck-by-wrong-way-driver/article_a09cc88a-7822-512f-938a-81ef5d9d8db4.html | 2023-07-31T00:43:21 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/los-angeles-sheriff-s-recruit-dies-months-after-being-struck-by-wrong-way-driver/article_a09cc88a-7822-512f-938a-81ef5d9d8db4.html |
Aaron Scott Jr. kept them guessing until the end.
The highly-ranked cornerback from Springfield sat down at a table with hats and backpacks from his three choices — Oregon, Michigan and Ohio State.
With smoke coming from underneath the table, Scott picked up the Oregon stuff and tossed it aside.
He did the same with the Ohio State hat and bag then picked up the Michigan gear.
He didn’t put the Block ‘M’ hat on, though. It also went by the wayside as the crowd began to get restless.
Then he opened up the Michigan bag and pulled out a white Ohio State jersey as he declared, “For the next three or four years, I’m gonna be taking my talents to the university of…”
Whether he finished the sentence was unclear because the room erupted in cheers that would have drowned out anything he said anyway.
No explanation was needed as he pulled the jersey over his head.
Now Scott, a four-star prospect ranked among the best players in the state and best cornerbacks in the country, is set to be the first Ohio State scholarship player from Springfield since Braxton Miller, who graduated from Wayne High School in 2011.
The last scholarship player from a Springfield school was Dee Miller, a receiver who graduated from South in 1994.
“Yeah, I talk to him every day,” Scott said of Miller after his announcement. “I’m surprised he didn’t come. We been choppin’ it up. He’s been lettin’ me know he’s got me and come be a Buckeye and we can turn this up.
“He said why not be the kid from Springfield, li’l old city, to go big and make it to the NFL from there.”
About the Author | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/sports/watch-how-springfields-aaron-scott-jr-announced-his-commitment-to-ohio-state/FF65KW2HOFBCRAZC3JE22FTJ5A/ | 2023-07-31T00:43:21 | 0 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/sports/watch-how-springfields-aaron-scott-jr-announced-his-commitment-to-ohio-state/FF65KW2HOFBCRAZC3JE22FTJ5A/ |
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, accused the Republican National Committee of trying to keep new voices off the debate stage.
Burgum, the latest candidate to meet the RNC’s polling and fundraising thresholds for the first GOP debate on Aug. 23, made the comments during an appearance on "Fox News Sunday" when addressing his controversial approach for attaining the required 40,000 unique donations.
"These are in the clubhouse rules designed to keep fresh faces, fresh ideas, entrepreneurs and innovators off the stage because you set a limit like this and of course it favors people who've held national office, it favors people who have been, you know, pundits on TV, and it favors people that have been career politicians and their name recognition," Burgum said.
Fox News Digital reached out to the RNC but did not immediately hear back.
THESE REPUBLICANS HAVE MET QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE FIRST GOP PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
Burgum’s approach involved giving donors $20 gift cards for a $1 donation, something the second-term governor and former software executive has previously called a "completely legal" hack. Burgum said it was a bargain compared to the "$100 per customer acquisition" that consulting firms would have charged him.
The method helped secure his spot on the first Republican debate stage.
One of the Republican National Committee's requirements is for debate participants to receive at least 40,000 individual contributions with at least 200 unique donors in 20 or more states.
REPUBLICAN PARTY RELEASES REQUIREMENTS FOR PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES HOPING TO MAKE FIRST 2024 PRIMARY DEBATE
Its second qualification is that candidates either earn 1% support in three national polls, or in two national polls and two polls from two of the first four states voting in the GOP primary.
So far, the candidates qualified for the first debate are Burgum, former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
Fox News is scheduled to host the Aug. 23 showdown in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It remains to be seen if Trump will choose to participate.
Fox News’ Danielle Wallace contributed to this report. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/nd-gov-burgum-slams-rnc-clubhouse-rules-accuses-party-of-trying-to-keep-fresh-faces/article_36fe181b-576c-59b5-aec3-bf3485d1cf34.html | 2023-07-31T00:43:27 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/nd-gov-burgum-slams-rnc-clubhouse-rules-accuses-party-of-trying-to-keep-fresh-faces/article_36fe181b-576c-59b5-aec3-bf3485d1cf34.html |
Pittsburgh police have arrested a man for the alleged brutal assault of a newlywed on his honeymoon earlier this week.
Heiko-Lamar Calhoun, 26, of Wilkinsburg, was arrested on charges of criminal attempted homicide, aggravated assault, robbery, and recklessly endangering another person.
Pittsburgh police were called to the Even Hotel at Forbes Avenue after 7 p.m. Monday for reports of a male assaulted in the lobby.
The victim, 41-year-old Larry Gilmore, was found unresponsive and bleeding profusely from severe trauma to his head, police said. Medics transported him to UPMC Mercy hospital in critical condition.
PHILADELPHIA 2-YEAR-OLD GIRL FATALLY SHOT BY TEEN RELATIVE INSIDE HOME, POLICE SAY
Gilmore’s wife Shalawrae, to whom he had just gotten married, told Channel 11 she had found her husband "in a puddle of blood."
Court documents cited by TribLive.com say the attacker walked up to Gilmore from behind and put him in a chokehold before slamming his head into the ground. The suspect allegedly kicked and stomped Gilmore and took several items – including his pants.
Calhoun, who is homeless, was arraigned Tuesday morning and remains in custody at the Allegheny County Jail. District Judge Nicholas C. Martini denied him bail, TribLive.com reported.
Gilmore’s family, meanwhile, has set up a GoFundMe account to help him cover medical expenses. As of Thursday, the campaign has raised nearly $4,000 of its $10,000 goal.
Gilmore’s family described him as a "loving father of three" with a fourth expected in December 2023.
Calhoun’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 7.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the hotel for comment, but has not yet heard back. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/pittsburgh-police-arrest-suspect-in-brutal-attack-on-newlywed-found-in-puddle-of-blood-during/article_49187b7a-c403-5788-a937-69a13ca25880.html | 2023-07-31T00:43:33 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/pittsburgh-police-arrest-suspect-in-brutal-attack-on-newlywed-found-in-puddle-of-blood-during/article_49187b7a-c403-5788-a937-69a13ca25880.html |
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki reportedly warned Saturday that a group of about 100 Russian Wagner mercenaries were moving through Belarus closer to Poland’s border.
Poland, both a member of the European Union and NATO, has accused Belarus of wielding "hybrid warfare" in facilitating illegal migration at the Polish border, suggesting Minsk has encouraged migrants to fly into Belarus under the false promise of easy access to the European Union, the BBC reported.
During a press conference at an arms factory in Gliwice, southern Poland, where Leopard tanks used by the Ukrainian army are being repaired, Morawiecki said about 100 Wagner mercenaries had moved close to the Suwalki Gap, according to The Associated Press. The region is a strategic stretch of Polish territory situated between Belarus and Kaliningrad, a Russian territory separated from the mainland. The Suwalki Gap also runs along Poland’s 60-mile-long border with fellow European Union member state Lithuania.
Morawiecki claimed that the mercenaries might falsely present themselves as Belarusian border guards to help migrants move across to the EU.
POLAND'S GOVERNMENT SAYS COUNTRY'S TOP PRIORITY IS SECURING EUROPEAN UNION'S BORDER WITH RUSSIAN ALLY BELARUS
"Now the situation becomes even more dangerous," Morawiecki said, adding that "this is certainly a step toward a further hybrid attack on Polish territory."
Thousands of Russian mercenaries have reportedly relocated to Belarus since last month’s short-lived rebellion orchestrated by Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, who made his first public sighting since the failed-coup just days ago while attending an Africa summit in Russia celebrating the Niger coup.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko told Russian President Vladimir Putin during a conversation last weekend that he would keep the Wagner mercenaries in central Belarus.
WAGNER GROUP: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT RUSSIAN MERCENARY GROUP IN UKRAINE
"They are asking to go west... to go on a trip to Warsaw," Lukashenko told Putin, referencing Poland’s capital city. "But of course, I am keeping them in central Belarus, like we agreed."
Poland’s Interior Ministry said Thursday that Poland, Lithuania and Latvia could make the joint decision to shut down their borders with Belarus should incidents with Wagner mercenaries unfold on the frontier.
The Poland-Belarus border has already been a tense place for a couple of years, ever since large numbers of immigrants from the Middle East and Africa began arriving. Poland's government has accused Russia and Belarus of using the migrants to destabilize Poland and other EU countries and has responded by building a high wall along part of its border with Belarus.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/polands-pm-reportedly-warns-russian-mercenary-group-wagner-forces-moving-closer-to-nato-countrys-border/article_bf6027ce-12ee-510a-8da8-197ab2d8e293.html | 2023-07-31T00:43:39 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/polands-pm-reportedly-warns-russian-mercenary-group-wagner-forces-moving-closer-to-nato-countrys-border/article_bf6027ce-12ee-510a-8da8-197ab2d8e293.html |
Sofia Vergara is not well-liked by one famous reality star who claimed the "Modern Family" actress is the "rudest woman" she has ever encountered.
"The Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Teresa Giudice ripped Vergara for how she allegedly behaved when she first met the actress years ago. Recalling that both women were being interviewed by Mario Lopez, Giudice says she had recently joined the famous Bravo franchise.
"Sofia Vegara's PR person and my PR person spoke together, and I guess the two of them said, ‘Let’s get a picture of Teresa and Sofia together,’" Giudice recounted on her podcast, "Namaste B$tches."
"I didn’t want a picture with her. I never ask to take a picture with anybody," Giudice said before diving into the story.
"I didn't care to take a picture with her. I'm so not like that," she reiterated.
"When we went to go take picture, she was like standing in front of me. It's like, ‘OK, that’s not how you take a picture.' She was like, the most rudest (sic) woman I've ever met. Like, I saw her whole demeanor, and then I heard her say to her PR person, ‘Why you making me take a picture with that lady?'" mimicking Vergara's Colombian accent.
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"I was just like, ‘Excuse me?' I said, ‘I did not want to take a picture with you.’ I said, ‘I would never ask to take a picture with you.’
"She just looked at me," Giudice says of Vergara, before admitting the women walked away from one another without a photo.
"I was like, ‘How rude… You’re so not a humble person. You forgot where you came from. It’s not like she, you know, she started out like being on the top, you know… She forgot where she came from. She was so not a down-to-earth person," Giudice said of the Colombia native.
"So not a fan of her," Giudice added.
A representative for Vergara did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
This is not the first time Giudice has roasted Vergara publicly, having previously said during a "Real Housewives" event in 2017 that she "can't stand her" after explaining the same encounter.
"I hate to say that because you know, I’m Italian, she’s Colombian, she has an accent – she has more of an accent than me!… You would think she would be nice, like she’s an immigrant.… No! I’m just saying, you'd think she would be nice," she added.
Giudice chose to revisit their feud because she and her podcast co-host, Melissa Pfeister, had discussed in their previous episode that Vergara had announced she was getting divorced from her husband, Joe Manganiello. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/sofia-vergara-labeled-rudest-woman-ever-by-rhonj-star-teresa-giudice-she-forgot-where-she/article_b3d48e46-b105-57dd-b386-bc820c7a7dc9.html | 2023-07-31T00:43:45 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/sofia-vergara-labeled-rudest-woman-ever-by-rhonj-star-teresa-giudice-she-forgot-where-she/article_b3d48e46-b105-57dd-b386-bc820c7a7dc9.html |
The image of Hugh Grant as an Oompa Loompa in the latest "Wonka" trailer didn’t go over so well with some members of the dwarf community, according to one actor.
George Coppen spoke with the BBC on Wednesday, where he discussed the film’s first trailer, which debuted a few weeks prior. The trailer to the movie, which is described as a prequel to Roald Dahl’s "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," featured a version of the "Love Actually star digitally altered to resemble a classic Oompa Loompa character.
"They’ve enlarged his head so his head looks bigger. [I thought] what the hell have you done to him?" Coppen remarked.
The actor also commented about the growing habit of casting non-dwarf actors for traditional dwarf roles, such as actor James Nesbitt portraying a dwarf in "The Hobbit" films.
ROALD DAHL’S PUBLISHER BACKS DOWN AFTER ANTI-WOKE BACKLASH: ‘CLASSIC’ LANGUAGE VERSION TO STAY IN PRINT
"A lot of actors [with dwarfism] feel like we are being pushed out of the industry we love. A lot of people, myself included, argue that dwarfs should be offered everyday roles in dramas and soaps. But we aren’t getting offered those roles. One door is being closed, but they have forgotten to open the next one," Coppen said.
Coppen also commented on the "Wonka" trailer on his Instagram account, writing a lengthy criticism of Hugh Grant in the film.
"So I was watching the new Wonka trailer and I thought it looked pretty good until the very end where Hugh Grant appears as an oompa loompa. Why? In the previous two films all the oompa loompas have been played by dwarves but this time round they have decided to take work away from us. Now I don't know if A. Hugh is the only one in the film [or] B. If there's more who are playing them," Coppen wrote.
He added, "Now some people will say that roles like this are demeaning and we should be playing more ‘normal’ roles which is completely true but we aren't getting offered those roles so they have kind of shut one door for us without opening the other one. So we are stuck in the middle unable to do anything, Peter Dinklage has been one of the biggest voices for us not to get roles like this but he does not speak for all of us. Unlike most of us he's in a position where he can afford to turn down work. "
"People forget that we do get a say in the work we do, before being put forward for any job I get asked if I want to do it and I've been offered jobs in the past that I'm not a fan of so said no but at least give us that option instead of just shutting us out. This isn't a post saying I'm not happy so I won't see it but a lot of people wouldn't realize what something like this means to people like me," he concluded.
NEW LIVE-ACTION ‘SNOW WHITE’ DUMPS SEVEN DWARVES FOR SEVEN MULTI-RACIAL, MIXED-GENDER ‘MAGICAL CREATURES’
Coppen’s comments followed the recent controversy surrounding Disney’s live-action remake of "Snow White." Photos obtained by the Daily Mail featured characters who used to be called the "seven dwarves" but have since been referred to as "magical creatures." They appeared to be various skin tones and genders with only one actor being portrayed as a dwarf.
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Disney previously released a statement in January 2022 that revealed the movie was taking "a different approach" regarding the seven dwarves.
"To avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film, we are taking a different approach with these seven characters and have been consulting with members of the dwarfism community," the company said.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Warner Bros. for comment. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/wonka-blasted-for-casting-hugh-grant-as-an-oompa-loompa-what-the-hell-have-you/article_9dd69e5b-2fed-51cb-9e95-999a475a9ea6.html | 2023-07-31T00:43:51 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/wonka-blasted-for-casting-hugh-grant-as-an-oompa-loompa-what-the-hell-have-you/article_9dd69e5b-2fed-51cb-9e95-999a475a9ea6.html |
St. Louis Cardinals reliever Jordan Hicks was among the big names on the block ahead of the MLB trade deadline, and on Sunday, the National League Central team found a landing spot for him.
The Cardinals traded Hicks to the Toronto Blue Jays for minor league pitchers Sem Robberse and Adam Kloffenstein – who are both righties. St. Louis president of baseball operations John Mozeliak vowed changes to the organization with the deadline approaching.
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The Blue Jays swiped Hicks after the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Hicks and outfielder Dylan Carlson drew discussions. Adding a reliever would’ve been a boon for the Yankees, who are trying to claw their way out of a hole in the American League East, but their divisional rival made a shrewd move.
Through 40 appearances so far this season, Hicks has a 3.67 ERA with 59 strikeouts. He has a career-high 12.7 SO/9 ratio. Toronto entered the day third in the division at 59-46.
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St. Louis also traded Jordan Montgomery to the Texas Rangers, according to multiple reports.
"A decent amount of talent that just walked out," Cardinals manager Oli Marmol told the Post-Dispatch after the Hicks and Montgomery deals were done.
Robberse, from the Netherlands, had been in the Jays’ organization since 2019. He had a 4.06 ERA with 86 strikeouts in Double-A New Hampshire. Kloffenstein joined Toronto’s system in 2018. He was also at Double-A New Hampshire this year and had a 3.24 ERA with 105 strikeouts.
St. Louis was 46-60 entering Sunday. | https://www.foxbangor.com/sports/national-sports/blue-jays-swipe-yankees-trade-target-from-cardinals-before-deadline/article_d44b6695-b231-535f-b27d-69db087f7642.html | 2023-07-31T00:43:58 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/sports/national-sports/blue-jays-swipe-yankees-trade-target-from-cardinals-before-deadline/article_d44b6695-b231-535f-b27d-69db087f7642.html |
It looks like the end of the road for one of the nation's largest freight carriers.
Yellow, a trucking company that just three years ago took a $700 million federal pandemic loan, has reportedly shut down after laying off employees at all locations. The company is expected to file for bankruptcy as soon as Monday, according to industry experts, following a recent exodus of customers amid union strife and on top of years of financial troubles.
With 30,000 jobs at stake, it would be the largest trucking bankruptcy in the history of the U.S., experts said. The company, formerly known as YRC Worldwide, is the third largest less-than-truckload carrier by revenue, behind FedEx and Old Dominion. LTL companies move pallet-sized shipments — smaller than a container, but bigger than a parcel.
Yellow has not publicly announced any plans for bankruptcy or a potential shutdown.
Here's what we know.
Employees are told to prepare for a company shutdown
The Wall Street Journal reported that Yellow shut down on Sunday afternoon, citing internal notices sent to customers and employees.
According to the industry outlet FreightWaves, which also obtained internal documents, Yellow says it plans to issue a public statement on Monday about "the state of the company and the operation."
NPR has not independently confirmed the shutdown and Yellow has not responded to NPR's requests for comment.
Yellow laid off an unknown number of its employees on Friday, reported FreightWaves, citing a memo sent to staff informing them that the company is "shutting down its regular operations" and "laying off employees at all of its locations."
Meanwhile, Teamsters, who represent Yellow's 22,000 unionized workers, advised Yellow employees to "prepare for the worst."
"Yellow appears to be headed to a complete shutdown within the next few days," said Teamsters National Freight Director John Murphy in a Friday memo shared with NPR. He advised drivers to collect their belongings so that they don't get caught up in bankruptcy liquidation.
The Teamsters union declined to comment about a potential bankruptcy or shutdown.
A strike threat delivered a final blow to cash-poor Yellow
Reports of a shutdown come days after a Teamsters strike at the company was averted. A week ago, a pension fund agreed to extend health benefits for workers at two Yellow operating companies after the carrier missed its $50 million benefits payment to the fund on July 15, the union said.
While the extension held off a July 24 strike, the threat of a walkout that could disrupt operations prompted a wave of Yellow customers to bolt.
"The Teamsters actions induced a high level of variability and uncertainty in the market for Yellow's customers. The market abhors variability and uncertainty," wrote Mike Regan, co-founder of TranzAct Technologies, which manages transportation services for retailers. "Consequently, Yellow lost substantial and much needed volume."
After the strike threat, Yellow's freight volumes fell 80% within the span of a week, according to Jack Atkins, a managing director at the financial services firm Stephens who researches the transportation sector.
At the same time, he said, Yellow's cries that it was running out of cash during union negotiation attempts scared off customers. Since then, customers haven't returned.
"Both sides bear fault," Atkins said. "Once that freight left, there was nothing left to really restructure," he added. "It was really too late to save the company."
The company has been at risk of bankruptcy for years
Animus between Yellow and Teamsters has grown in recent months, after the trucking carrier tried to restructure its operations this spring as a cost-saving measure that would allow it to refinance its debt. In June, Yellow sued the union for blocking the restructuring plan it said was "essential to the company's survival." The Teamsters in turn called the lawsuit "baseless," instead blaming Yellow for "decades of gross mismanagement," that included its alleged exhaustion of the $700 million bailout loan.
The company reported a net income of $21.8 million last year. Yellow has $1.3 billion in loan debt due in fall 2024, $729 million of which is owed to the federal government, according to the company's latest quarterly report.
Yellow received a $700 million loan from the government in 2020 as part of a COVID-19 rescue package. In return, the Treasury Department took a 30% stake in the company's shares, which have since plummeted to less than a dollar apiece as of Friday.
In June, a congressional probe found that the Treasury Department's disbursement of the loan was a mistake; the freight company — whose customers included the Department of Defense — did not actually meet the standards to qualify for the business loan because its survival was not "critical to maintaining national security."
"Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Yellow was a financially struggling company that had a long-term non-investment grade (i.e., junk) rating and previous close calls with bankruptcy over the years. The pandemic did not cause Yellow's longstanding problems, nor is the Treasury's loan to the company likely to solve those problems," the Congressional Oversight Commission report read.
A world without Yellow
An end to the Nashville-based company would mean the loss of 30,000 jobs. And Atkins doesn't expect the federal government to come to the rescue this time.
While there may be some slight disruptions, the analyst anticipates other freight carriers will have some capacity to absorb Yellow's business because of the dent in freight volumes.
"This is not going to create a supply-chain crisis," he said.
Retailers and manufacturers are likely to see higher shipping rates if the company folds, he said. Yellow is known for its low shipping rates compared to its rivals.
Atkins visited the Yellow terminal in Little Rock, Ark., on Sunday to find all gates chained up, a sign of ceased operations.
"They've been in wind-down mode, clearing the network out of all the remaining freight," he said. "This is the end."
NPR's Camila Domonoske contributed to this story.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.nprillinois.org/2023-07-30/the-yellow-trucking-company-meltdown-explained | 2023-07-31T00:44:09 | 0 | https://www.nprillinois.org/2023-07-30/the-yellow-trucking-company-meltdown-explained |
SAN DIEGO — With temperatures in Mexicali reaching as high as 120 degrees this week, the border city, located about 120 miles east of Tijuana, has experienced 28 heat-related deaths so far this year.
In both 2021 and 2022, 27 people died due to the hot weather.
According to city officials, most of the victims were homeless or people who lived in shacks made out of wood or carton. And they say what makes it unusual, is that most of the victims were found dead in the heart of the city where help was available.
The city continues to urge residents who don’t have access to air conditioning to seek relief from the heat at one of hundreds of so-called hydration centers in the region.
These include large tents, city buildings and even private homes that are set up to handle people and migrants who walk off the streets. They are given water and food, and are provided with beds to rest for as long as they like. Showers are also available.
Officials fear more deaths will occur as the month of August and its humidity loom in the coming weeks.
The medical examiner in Mexicali is also in the process of determining the cause of death for three men recently found dead on the streets. It’s believed they too succumbed to the intense heat. If so, it would bring the total of heat-related deaths in Mexicali this year to 31. | https://www.ksn.com/border-report-tour/28-have-died-in-mexicali-this-year-due-to-extreme-heat/ | 2023-07-31T00:44:48 | 1 | https://www.ksn.com/border-report-tour/28-have-died-in-mexicali-this-year-due-to-extreme-heat/ |
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SAN DIEGO — Slow border crossings at ports of entry between the U.S. and Mexico are costing businesses in San Diego and other border communities.
The slow border crossings are translating into $3.4 billion in losses each year for businesses just north of the border, according to Kenia Zamarripa of the Greater San Diego Chamber of Commerce.
Zamarripa stated in San Diego border communities alone, the losses total more than $2 billion per year.
“It’s the main inhibitor, that’s why we have to make it easier for people to cross the border with creative ideas that will give the community alternative options to cross, such as the trolley or ferry,” said Zamarripa.
She went on to say that both countries have to collaborate to find solutions.
“If we consider San Diego and Tijuana to be one region, we have to face the challenges and opportunities together to do it better.”
Zamarripa also said that in spite of the violence on the Mexico side of the border, there are still strong bonds and important economic exchanges between the U.S. and Mexico.
“The violence is one of the biggest challenges, but up until now, we’ve been able to implement resources to prevent it from hurting economic development or supply chains.”
Zamarripa did admit that larger shopping centers and malls in Tijuana are generating greater competition for similar business in San Diego.
“There has been a reconditioning among Tijuana residents as they now realize they can find many things here while considering time, gas and money spent,” Zamarripa said. “Many items are now more accessible for purchase here in Tijuana.” | https://www.ksn.com/border-report-tour/slow-border-crossings-costing-u-s-border-economies-3-4-billion-per-year-says-san-diego-chamber-of-commerce/ | 2023-07-31T00:44:54 | 0 | https://www.ksn.com/border-report-tour/slow-border-crossings-costing-u-s-border-economies-3-4-billion-per-year-says-san-diego-chamber-of-commerce/ |
A Washington, D.C.-area radio station fired a host who made sexist on-air remarks about longtime former WNEP-TV anchor Sharla McBride.
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You voted: | https://www.thetimes-tribune.com/news/d-c--area-radio-host-fired-after-disparaging-remarks-about-former-wnep-anchor-mcbride/article_86c9c761-7398-549d-b52a-04e0b0e593dc.html | 2023-07-31T00:44:54 | 1 | https://www.thetimes-tribune.com/news/d-c--area-radio-host-fired-after-disparaging-remarks-about-former-wnep-anchor-mcbride/article_86c9c761-7398-549d-b52a-04e0b0e593dc.html |
SAN DIEGO — The zoo in Tijuana said that it is ready to accept exotic pets from people who may not know what to do with their animals or may be looking to donate them.
In Mexico, it’s not unusual for people to have pets such as tigers or large snakes.
“The only animals we can’t accept are dogs, roosters, chickens, rabbits, pigs, hamsters and a few other domesticated animals,” said Jesús Román Salazar, technical director with Tijuana’s municipal park system. “We’ll consider just about any other animal, but we will have to first conduct a veterinary screening to see if the animals require quarantine or are in need of care.”
Salazar added that once the animals are rehabilitated, they will try to find them a home in the zoo or will release them into their natural habitats.
“The animals must also have all the proper paperwork, if not, their owners will have to register them before we can accept them.”
According to Salazar, they are especially looking for tarantulas, which are in danger of extinction.
“Let’s not kill them, let’s try to capture them and take care of them by offering them a dignified life,” said Salazar.
People who bring in animals will have to go through a very informal screening process.
“Those who are interested in donating or brining in an animal will get a brief interview to discuss the availability of their pets and where they got them,” Salazar said.
Tijuana’s zoo is part of Parque Morelos, which is located on the city’s east side, about five miles south of the airport. | https://www.ksn.com/border-report-tour/tijuana-zoo-looking-for-exotic-pets-especially-tarantulas/ | 2023-07-31T00:45:00 | 0 | https://www.ksn.com/border-report-tour/tijuana-zoo-looking-for-exotic-pets-especially-tarantulas/ |
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 a 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.ksn.com/hill-politics/gop-leaders-strike-out-on-getting-tuberville-to-bend/ | 2023-07-31T00:45:06 | 1 | https://www.ksn.com/hill-politics/gop-leaders-strike-out-on-getting-tuberville-to-bend/ |
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — A federal judge has blocked Arkansas’ new book censorship law from taking effect, according to court documents from the Western District of Arkansas.
United States District Judge Timothy Brooks granted a preliminary injunction after oral arguments took place earlier this week from the plaintiffs of the lawsuit.
This ruling means Act 372 will not go into effect on August 1 as originally planned.
Act 372 would have banned libraries from distributing materials that have been deemed “obscene” to kids.
The law is not struck down completely by the judge’s ruling but it does mean it will not go into effect until lawmakers determine its constitutionality.
The Fayetteville Public Library was one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, along with the Central Arkansas Library System, and the Eureka Springs Carnegie Library.
ACLU of Arkansas Executive Director Holly Dickson responded to the lawsuit saying, “We commend the court’s decision to stop the enforcement of Sections 3 and 5 of Act 372, which would have jeopardized the essential First Amendment rights of all residents of Arkansas. It’s regrettable that we even have to question whether our constitutional rights are still respected today. The question we had to ask was — do Arkansans still legally have access to reading materials? Luckily, the judicial system has once again defended our highly valued liberties. We are committed to maintaining the fight to safeguard everyone’s right to access information and ideas.” | https://www.ksn.com/news/federal-judge-blocks-act-372-from-taking-effect/ | 2023-07-31T00:45:12 | 0 | https://www.ksn.com/news/federal-judge-blocks-act-372-from-taking-effect/ |
Tornado touches down in Easton, badly damaging 2 homes. What we know
EASTON — A tornado touched down in Easton Saturday, causing "severe structural damage" to two homes, according to a written statement from the Easton Police and Fire departments Sunday evening.
The National Weather Service confirmed that an EF-1 tornado, stretching 400 yards in length and 100 yards wide, touched down during Saturday's storm. Winds reached a maximum speed of 105 miles per hour, knocking down power lines and several trees, the statement said.
The Easton Fire and Police departments together and the DPW are continuing to respond to damage caused by Saturday's storm, they said.
According to National Grid, approximately 78 Easton residents remain without power as of about 6 p.m. Sunday, the statement said.
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Easton first responders are working with National Grid to ensure safety as crews restore power to those affected.
Residents can call Easton Police at 508-230-3322 and press 0 to be put in contact with the electrical inspector, should they require a town inspection to restore power, the statement said. | https://www.enterprisenews.com/story/weather/severe/2023/07/30/easton-massachusetts-tornado-saturday-storm-power-outage/70495553007/ | 2023-07-31T00:45:18 | 1 | https://www.enterprisenews.com/story/weather/severe/2023/07/30/easton-massachusetts-tornado-saturday-storm-power-outage/70495553007/ |
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — An accused murderer in Las Vegas is also accused of living with the body for two months, believing the female victim could come back from the dead, police said Friday.
Officers took George Bone, 31, into custody Wednesday after discovering Beverly Ma’s body during a welfare check in the 5300 block of Railroad River Avenue near Lindell Road and Eldorado Lane, they said.
Bone told officers he knew Ma was dead and what caused her death and based on those statements, police took Bone into custody, Lt. Jason Johansson said Wednesday. Police suspect Bone strangled Ma in May, documents said.
On Wednesday, police received a 911 call from a family member who said Bone had told her Ma “was in the closet and had been there for two months,” documents said. Police found Ma’s body in the closet shortly after.
A family member told police Ma and Bone were friends and that she was not close with family, documents said. Police said Ma and Bone met in high school and moved in with each other last summer.
A witness told police they entered the home on Wednesday after seeing an unusually high air conditioning bill, police said. Bone led her upstairs to the body, documents said.
“She noticed a cooler against the bedroom closet door and the bottom of the door had a towel, which covered the gap,” police said. “George told her that she can open it and see.”
Bone told police Ma had died sometime in May, police said. On May 4, dispatchers received a 911 call from Ma and heard a man and woman screaming at each other, they said. Police responded that day and knocked on the door but no one answered, they said. Investigators suspect Ma died that day.
“Bone went about living at the house with Beverly deceased in the upstairs closet for the next two months and began ordering several items on Beverly’s Amazon account using her funds for his own gain,” police said. “When asked why he didn’t call for help, Bone’s response was ‘I was afraid of going back to jail… for being found with a dead body.” Bone admitted that his behavior since the death of Beverly Ma was ‘not normal.’ When asked why he placed a cooler in the master bedroom near the closest, Bone stated that he put it there so that he would be alerted if Beverly rose from the dead like the movie ‘The Grudge.’”
Even though Ma was believed to have been deceased, someone texted from her phone in late July, saying she could not attend a July 4 party because she “wanted to be sober, not travel and not be around people,” police said.
Bone was being held at the Clark County Detention Center without bail.
In 2013, Bone took an Alford plea on a charge of attempted lewdness with a child under the age of 14, records showed. An Alford plea is similar to a no-contest plea, where a defendant accepts prosecutors have enough evidence to convict him or her but does not admit guilt.
In 2012, Henderson police initially arrested Bone on charges of sexual assault and lewdness with a child stemming from allegations a teenager made about an assault two years prior when she was 11, documents said.
The student told a school employee that Bone had “inappropriately touched” her while he was living in a home with her, documents said.
In addition to an open murder charge, Bone also faces a charge of failing to register as a sex offender, records showed. Bone is listed in the Nevada Sex Offender Registry under a different address than where police responded on Wednesday, records showed.
The Clark County coroner’s office had not released Ma’s cause and manner of death as of Friday afternoon. | https://www.ksn.com/news/las-vegas-man-accused-of-murder-lived-with-womans-body-for-months-police/ | 2023-07-31T00:45:18 | 0 | https://www.ksn.com/news/las-vegas-man-accused-of-murder-lived-with-womans-body-for-months-police/ |
MUNCIE, Ind. (WXIN) — A street party in Muncie, Indiana, turned into the scene of a deadly shooting early Sunday morning.
One man died and nearly two dozen others were injured. Of those wounded, 19 were treated at Ball Memorial Hospital’s emergency room, and four were taken to other hospitals. Thirteen victims remained hospitalized in stable condition Sunday afternoon.
After the mass shooting, police announced that there was no further danger to the general public.
”Stranger comes up and decides to take it personal on somebody he knows in the crowd,” said one anonymous man who claimed his nephew was the block party’s disc jockey. “And you can’t fight against an AR. He let loose in the crowd. Everywhere in the crowd.”
The Delaware County coroner identified the deceased victim as 30-year-old Joseph Bonner. There’s no indication if Bonner played an active role in the shooting, whether any other victims are suspected of firing guns, or if any firearms were recovered.
A witness at IU/Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie described a scene of emergency department chaos with more than 100 people descending on the facility — many of whom were victims that were taken to the hospital by private vehicles.
Officers from several agencies — including a Muncie-based FBI agent — secured the crime scene and collected evidence while doctors and nurses treated the wounded from the mass casualty event.
By midday, detectives were still walking the debris-strewn street and parking lot with brown bags filled with collected evidence. A tow truck was also seen hauling away a bullet-riddled red Buick that appeared to have crashed during an attempt to leave the scene.
The Muncie Homecoming Festival committee said the street party where the shooting happened was not part of the official MHF celebration going on this week.
Muncie Parks Superintendent Carl Malone told Nexstar’s WXIN he chaired a neighborhood crime watch meeting last Thursday, and residents expressed fear that this weekend could turn volatile.
”We was a little concerned about violence that we thought might happen,” said Malone, who described Muncie Homecoming as a city-wide welcome home celebration held once every four years for former residents and family members to reconnect with their hometown. ”You had a lot of people congregating in one area, just hanging out and wanting to be part of the neighborhood activities. And then, at that point at time, it got into late night, and when you get into late nights, you usually have some sort of curfew violations, alcohol, guns and drugs seem to be a problem.”
Malone said Muncie has not had a community-wide gun violence initiative since 2015.
”We’ve always had concerns about this area and teenagers involved with handguns,” said Malone, whose niece attended the party. ”She just got out of surgery. She’s doing well. She’s whole. And then my godson was being treated out at Ball Hospital.”
Malone said he will meet with the city’s police leadership Monday morning to review the shooting and plans for keeping Muncie streets safe the rest of the summer.
”The mayor knows my push for gun violence, the lack of gun violence education, the lack of gun violence awareness, the lack of how to report gun violence in and out of our homes,” Malone said. “There’s a way to report crime, there’s a way to report guns, and we just have to report guns in and out of our backpacks and homes.”
Muncie is about 60 miles northwest of Indianapolis. The city is home to about 65,000 people. | https://www.ksn.com/news/national-world/1-dead-23-wounded-after-street-party-shooting-in-indiana/ | 2023-07-31T00:45:24 | 0 | https://www.ksn.com/news/national-world/1-dead-23-wounded-after-street-party-shooting-in-indiana/ |
SAINT JOSEPH, Mo. (WDAF) — Harrison Butker has had a busy offseason, much like all of the players returning to the Super Bowl-champion Kansas City Chiefs.
After gutting through an ankle injury for most of the 2022 season, Butker was arguably the Chiefs’ most important player in the playoffs.
The All-Pro kicker hit the game-winning kicks in the AFC Championship and Super Bowl LVII with less than 30 seconds to play in both games.
After enjoying the celebration festivities, Butker enjoyed this offseason by spending a week at a Catholic convent to pray and meditate, and he gave a commencement speech at his alma mater, Georgia Tech, thanks to the president of the Illustrious Atlanta University leaving him a voicemail.
“It’s been a lot of fun,” Butker said. “When you have a kick like that, there are a lot of people that want to hear what you have to say what you want to talk about. So to be able to be put on that platform on that stage is very humbling.”
With the ankle injury, he spent a little more time resting in the offseason than he usually does.
After spending the 2021 offseason researching body movements and training with a person who specializes in biomechanics on how to be a better kicker, he said he learned a lot of things to help him feel as strong as a kicker as he does now.
“Working on my plant foot, making sure that I wasn’t bending my knee a ton on the plant so that I could get more power and talking to me about what pitchers do,” Butker said.
“A lot of pitchers, if they’re a right handed pitcher, when they land on that left foot before they throw the ball, there’s not a lot of knee bend. If anything, they’re trying to keep that knee straight so they can get a lot of torque in their hips, and I never thought about that.
“That was one thing I focused a ton on last offseason. So because I spent all last offseason doing that, this offseason I didn’t really need to focus on that. The biggest thing was just making sure I’m consistent.”
Butker had to switch the way he kicked last season because of the injury, and that’s the way he kicks now. He felt that that certain technique was a good, consistent way to finish the season for him, and he’s bringing that technique to this season, where he has consistently hit 50+ yarders against the wind in training camp.
“Just focusing on making sure the ball’s going through as consistent as possible. And I think if you’re swinging super hard, it makes it hard to be consistent. So I feel like I’m in a good rhythm right now,” Butker said.
Going into his seventh year, the Decatur, Georgia native is in the prime of his career and is enjoying the life he didn’t know he wanted.
“I never thought I would be in this position to be an NFL kicker and then playing a Super Bowl, win two Super Bowls,” Butker said.
“It’s just a dream and I almost have to pinch myself sometimes to tell myself that this is real, but just a blessing to have this platform and to be able to be here and have so much success with this Kansas City Chiefs team.” | https://www.ksn.com/news/national-world/chiefs-harrison-butker-working-to-get-back-to-pre-injury-form/ | 2023-07-31T00:45:30 | 1 | https://www.ksn.com/news/national-world/chiefs-harrison-butker-working-to-get-back-to-pre-injury-form/ |
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.ksn.com/news/renters-get-relief-from-rising-prices-except-in-certain-us-cities/ | 2023-07-31T00:45:36 | 0 | https://www.ksn.com/news/renters-get-relief-from-rising-prices-except-in-certain-us-cities/ |
Russia has entered a dangerous new phase of its war against Ukraine since it exited the Black Sea grain deal earlier this month, weaponizing global food exports, stepping up attacks on Ukrainian ports and cities and increasing the risk of spillover into NATO countries.
Russia’s escalation is unlikely to deter the U.S. and allies from following through on delivering F-16 fighter jets and long-range missiles to Ukraine in the coming months, which Moscow has repeatedly warned against.
But it comes as Ukraine is struggling to make major gains in its grinding counteroffensive, and Russia’s strategy appears aimed at straining U.S. and European partners who have provided billions in assistance to Ukraine over the course of 16 months.
“Certainly, it’s an escalation,” said Thomas Graham, a distinguished fellow with the Council on Foreign Relations and who served as a senior director for Russia on the National Security Council under former President George W. Bush.
“Russia, I think, is clearly making an effort to continue to deepen the damage to the Ukrainian economy,” he added. “It has implications for Ukraine’s ability to continue the war effort, it raises concerns about attacks on NATO territory … so it’s a reason to be concerned.”
Since pulling out of the Black Sea grain deal July 17, Russian President Vladimir Putin has targeted attacks on Ukraine’s southern city of Odesa, damaging the seaport and grain storage facilities and hitting residential and historical buildings, including an Orthodox cathedral.
The grain deal, negotiated by the United Nations and Turkey, allowed for the export of Ukrainian grain through a Russian blockade on the Black Sea, clearing the way for 33 million metric tons of foodstuffs to move across the world, largely to developing countries, since it took effect in July 2022.
But now, Putin is warning he views commercial ships in the Black Sea as legitimate military targets. The U.S. and the United Kingdom are warning Russia is plotting “false flag operations,” covertly mining the sea with the purpose of blaming Ukraine for any explosions.
NATO and member countries bordering Ukraine are on high alert.
“Russia bears full responsibility for its dangerous and escalatory actions in the Black Sea region,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday during a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council.
“Russia’s actions also pose substantial risks to the stability of the Black Sea region, which is of strategic importance to NATO,” he added. “Allies are stepping up support to Ukraine and increasing our vigilance. We remain ready to defend every inch of Allied territory from any aggression.”
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Monday condemned a Russian attack on a civilian port on the Danube River in Ukraine near his country, tweeting that the “escalation pose[s] serious risks to the security in the Black Sea.”
And Putin last week delivered a threat to NATO member Poland, accusing Warsaw of having designs on Belarus and saying an attack against Minsk would trigger a response from Moscow.
Poland is dispatching an additional 1,000 troops to its borders with Belarus, concerned over Wagner mercenary forces exiled to the country after retreating from a short-lived rebellion against Moscow in June.
Mary Beth Long, who served as assistant secretary of Defense during the George W. Bush administration, said Russia is seeking to maximize pressure on Kyiv and its allies in the lead-up to a slowdown of military operations by the winter.
“You can’t escalate your way in or out of this, I think both sides know that. But there’s more consequences to Ukraine because Russia is bigger, Russia is willing to strike civilians and its infrastructure, and it has shown that it can successfully do so,” she said.
“There’s no real consequences to Russia, from Ukraine or NATO, there’s no penalty to be paid for that, so that clears the way for him [Putin] to continue to not only strike against critical infrastructure and these nodes but to expand it.”
Long warned that Russia views the month of August as the best opportunity to inflict the most damage without a coherent response from the West, as American lawmakers are absent from Capitol Hill, European capitals are similarly quiet and NATO has no major meetings.
“I think Russia’s made the assessment that it has freedom of movement, in the next couple of months in particular,” she said. “It is doing everything it can to set the playing field before winter and it will continue to do so.”
While Russia is ramping up military tensions in the Black Sea, experts said its withdrawal from the grain deal is focused on the economic realm: sanctions relief and increasing trade.
“Russia really wants to make a deal,” said Mark Cancian, a senior adviser with the International Security Program of the Center for Security and International Security (CSIS).
“The difficult trade-offs for the U.S. and the West are not going to be the military equipment ones, but the ones about economics and sanctions. Are we willing to ease those restrictions in the interests of opening up grain shipments?” he asked.
Putin has long criticized the deal as failing to meet his demands for the export of Russian grains and fertilizer and has given little to no signal that he’s open to rejoining the agreement.
During a meeting with African leaders in St. Petersburg on Thursday, the Russian president committed to delivering nearly 300,000 tons of grain to six African countries “free of charge.”
The Russian president is also calling for sanctions relief on Russia’s agricultural bank, Rosselkhozbank, wanting it reconnected to the SWIFT international payment network.
Absent Moscow’s cooperation, the options for shipping grain out of Ukraine are not attractive.
While Ukraine is shipping grain and foodstuffs by rail and road, that amount is hundreds of thousands of tons less than can be moved through the Black Sea.
The U.K. Ministry of Defense tweeted Wednesday that Russia’s Black Sea Fleet is altering its position in preparation to enforce a blockade against Ukraine, warning the “potential for the intensity and scope of violence in the area to increase.”
Still, Cancian from the CSIS was optimistic that a solution surrounding grain exports from Ukraine would be reached in a relatively short time frame.
“They’re likely to make a deal in a week or so,” he said. “This is, I think, unlikely to sort of linger for weeks or months.” | https://www.ksn.com/news/russia-takes-a-dangerous-turn-in-its-war-on-ukraine/ | 2023-07-31T00:45:42 | 1 | https://www.ksn.com/news/russia-takes-a-dangerous-turn-in-its-war-on-ukraine/ |
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Several counties in south-central and southeast Kansas are under an excessive heat warning Sunday.
The following counties will be in an excessive heat warning, issued by the National Weather Service in Wichita, until 9 p.m.:
- Reno
- Harvey
- Butler
- Greenwood
- Woodson
- Allen
- Kingman
- Sedgwick
- Harper
- Sumner
- Cowley
- Elk
- Wilson
- Neosho
- Chautauqua
- Montgomery
- Labette
The NWS said this includes the cities of Hutchinson, Newton, El Dorado, Augusta, Andover, Rose Hill, Eureka, Madison, Yates Center, Iola, Humboldt, Kingman, Derby, Haysville, Bel Aire, Park City, Valley Center, Wichita, Anthony, Harper, Attica, Wellington, Winfield, Arkansas City, Howard, Moline, Longton, Grenola, Neodesha, Fredonia, Chanute, Sedan, Cedar Vale, Coffeyville, Independence, and Parsons.
There will be dangerously hot conditions, with heat index values expected to be up to 110, according to the NWS.
“Extreme heat and humidity will significantly increase the potential for heat-related illnesses, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities,” said the NWS.
The NWS says to drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors.
Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances.
The NWS also says to take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside.
“When possible, reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening,” the NWS said.
Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Wear lightweight and loose-fitting clothing when possible.
The NWS says to reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned environments.
Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.
Heat stroke is an emergency. Call 9-1-1. | https://www.ksn.com/news/state-regional/several-southeast-kansas-counties-under-excessive-heat-warning/ | 2023-07-31T00:45:48 | 1 | https://www.ksn.com/news/state-regional/several-southeast-kansas-counties-under-excessive-heat-warning/ |
PARIS (WAVY) – When it comes to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, organizers are focusing on sustainability. With that in mind, they say that all but two venues either already exist, or will be temporary.
Symbols of the Olympics and Paralympics are already popping up across the city. The Hôtel de Ville, which is the current city hall in Paris, is one of many historic buildings across the city that will be used for venues, come next summer.
The historic Hôtel de Ville will be the start of the most legendary Olympic long distance race, the marathon.
The Stade de France and the Roland-Garros Stadium, which already host competitions on the world stage, will once again welcome fans into the stands next summer.
But historical sites, like the Grand Palais, the Eiffel Tower and the Seine River, will also be transformed into competition areas.
Places like the iconic Place de la Concorde, once the site of revolutionary protests and the guillotine, will now host some of the Olympics’ newer sports, including breaking, skateboarding and sport climbing.
So, a lot of changes coming to this historic city in the next year to prepare for the Summer Olympics. Another big change will be fans for the first time in two Olympics games.
The Opening Ceremony for Paris 2024 is July 26, 2024. | https://www.ksn.com/news/sustainability-in-focus-ahead-of-paris-2024-olympics/ | 2023-07-31T00:45:49 | 1 | https://www.ksn.com/news/sustainability-in-focus-ahead-of-paris-2024-olympics/ |
A few showers are starting to flare up in northcentral Kansas this evening. They are tracking to the southeast and will continue moving through the region in the next few hours.
A Marginal Risk is in place for northcentral and northeast Kansas as these storms are capable of producing gusty winds and hail.
A few showers will also try to cross into northwest Kansas overnight but will quickly fall apart after moving across the state line. Lows drop into the 70s across the state with southerly winds.
Sweltering heat continues for the start of the workweek. Highs across central Kansas will reach the 100-degree mark by the afternoon. Plenty of sunshine and southerly winds will help to keep us sizzling hot.
Excessive Heat Advisories and Warnings are in place through Tuesday night. Dewpoints will be high, meaning our temperatures will feel even warmer than the thermometer reads. Be sure to drink plenty of water and take frequent breaks in the AC this week.
Temperatures hold steady in the triple digits for the workweek, but relief is in sight. A cold front will race across the state and drive temperatures back toward our seasonal average. Highs will be in the 80s by the weekend.
Not only do temperatures dip by the end of next week, but our rain chances will be on the rise. Scattered storms will be off and on Friday through the beginning of next week as we settle into a cooler, more unstable pattern.
KSN Storm Track 3 Forecast from Meteorologist Lucy Doll:
Wichita:
Tonight: Mostly clear to partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 75 Wind: S 5-15
Tomorrow: Mostly sunny. Hi: 102 Wind: SW 8-18
Tomorrow night: Mostly clear. Lo: 76 Wind: S 5-15
Wichita Weekly
Tue: Hi: 104 Lo: 79 Mostly sunny.
Wed: Hi: 103 Lo: 79 Mostly sunny, windy.
Thu: Hi: 100 Lo: 72 Mostly sunny.
Fri: Hi: 92 Lo: 70 Partly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Sat: Hi: 89 Lo: 69 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 88 Lo: 68 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms
-Meteorologist Lucy Doll | https://www.ksn.com/weather/weather-blog/storm-track-3-forecast-temps-sizzle-but-relief-from-the-heat-is-in-sight/ | 2023-07-31T00:45:55 | 1 | https://www.ksn.com/weather/weather-blog/storm-track-3-forecast-temps-sizzle-but-relief-from-the-heat-is-in-sight/ |
The Biden administration says it's hunting for destructive computer code or malware; it believes China has hidden deep inside networks controlling power grids, according to theNew York Times.
The discovery raises suspicions that hackers acting on behalf of the People’s Liberation Army have embedded malware designed to disrupt U.S. military operations in the event China were to invade Taiwan.
"So if it's not just localized and if it's a deep infiltration and it's utilized in that way, you can imagine the banking system or the power grid going down nationally or the water systems being ineffectual nationally, and that could obviously disrupt operations at home, not just for the purposes of slowing us down in response but actually taking us out of the game altogether, unable to resupply our forces and the like," said Jamil Jaffer, former counsel to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Earlier in May, tech giant Microsoft warned that hackers likely acting on behalf of China targeted U.S. military assets on the island of Guam, seeding harmful computer code in communications infrastructure.
SEE MORE: The evolution and future of the US-China relationship
"It was referred to as a vault typhoon. And obviously, this raises some concerns about how deep in are the Chinese in our systems. Are they in just military systems? Are they just in that region? Is it spread more broadly across the country, other military bases overseas, or in the United States?" said Jaffer.
The news about the malware adds tension to an increasingly fraught U.S.-China relationship, with clashes that include increasing threats towards Taiwan and American efforts to ban complex semi-conductor sales to China.
The U.S. has also blamed China for other major infrastructure computer hacks as well as accusing the foreign power of spying on the continental U.S. with school bus-sized balloons.
For its part, China accused the U.S. of hacking into its telecom giant, Huawei.
The U.S. recently reiterated its commitment to defending Taiwan, the island nation off the coast of mainland China. Taiwan recently held military exercises.
"With respect to Taiwan, you know, the capability that we are providing them is defensive capability, as you know, in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act. We are committed to helping them get the capability they need to defend themselves. And so, this is no change from what we've done in the past," said Lloyd Austin, U.S. Secretary of Defense.
China regards Taiwan as a rogue province and a constant source of tension between the U.S. and China. Two nations that are trading partners and, at the same time, increasingly wary adversaries.
In response to the New York Times article, the Chinese embassy in Washington reacted with dismay, denying it engages in hacking and calling the United States a far bigger offender.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com | https://www.wptv.com/nyt-officials-fear-chinese-hackers-malware-could-disrupt-us-military | 2023-07-31T00:47:53 | 1 | https://www.wptv.com/nyt-officials-fear-chinese-hackers-malware-could-disrupt-us-military |
BIRMINGHAM, MI – There were massive swings of momentum as the tide rocked this way and that.
But the final ebb and flow wasn’t in Greater Bay’s direction.
Negaunee delivered a late rally to nab a 10-6 win in the final round of pool play, sending Greater Bay to the sidelines in the Little League baseball state tournament for ages 10-and-under.
That closed the book on the Little League campaign for a Greater Bay program that swept district titles in 10-and-under, 11-and-under and 12-and-under, a first in Bay County history.
“For some kids, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Greater Bay coach Aric Richard said. “I hope they enjoyed the experience. They played great baseball and they earned it.”
UPDATED Little League state tourney pairings, results
Greater Bay found itself in a 1-0 deficit to Negaunee in a must-win pool play game, with the winner assured of a spot in the state quarterfinals and the loser eliminated from contention. But the local squad erupted for a six-run third inning that completely swung the momentum.
But Negaunee countered with four runs in the bottom of the third to draw within 6-5. The final swing came in the bottom of the fifth when Negaunee plated five huge runs to make it 10-6, then set Greater Bay down in order in the sixth for the win.
Emerick Klopp led the Greater Bay lineup with a hit and two RBIs while Jase Sequin tallied one hit and one RBI. Chase Korpal, Grayden Fick and Colin Bartlett each came through with one hit.
Klopp worked four innings on the mound and Sequin pitched one as the duo combined for seven strikeouts.
After Greater Bay’s breakout inning in the third, Negaunee brought in a reliever who threw 3.1 innings of one-hit ball with five strikeouts, keeping Greater Bay stuck on six runs.
This marked the first time since 2018 that no Bay County team won a Little League state title.
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A look at every Michigan Little League state champion 1952-2019 | https://www.mlive.com/sports/2023/07/big-rally-countered-by-another-as-greater-bay-exits-little-league-state-tourney.html | 2023-07-31T00:49:05 | 0 | https://www.mlive.com/sports/2023/07/big-rally-countered-by-another-as-greater-bay-exits-little-league-state-tourney.html |
Great white shark 'hotspot' off Cape Cod one of largest in world, study finds
The first seasonal population estimate of great white sharks feeding off of Cape Cod during the summer and early fall shows that numbers rival and even exceed areas previously thought of as hot spot for sharks.
You won't have to look far to find one of the densest great white shark populations in the world, as researchers recently discovered an abundance of the toothy fish teeming off of Cape Cod.
"Cape Cod is the only area in the region where researchers can feasibly monitor the population, and our estimates suggest that the Cape is among the larger white shark hotspots worldwide, which is good news from a conservation standpoint," lead author study Megan Winton said in a University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth interview – from which Winton is expected to earn her Ph.D. this year.
Winton and fellow researchers estimated that over 800 individual great whites resided in and/or migrated through the iconic Massachusetts beaches between 2015 and 2018. The cold-blooded animals feast on gray seals in the summer and fall months when the water is relatively warm.
GREAT WHITE SHARK ENCOUNTERS INCREASING DUE TO WARMING SEA TEMPS
One of densest white shark grounds in the world
"Our estimate of 800 (393−1286) individuals for the 4 yr survey period is comparable to but larger than most previous estimates for other white shark aggregation sites near pinniped (carnivorous aquatic mammal) colonies conducted over similar time frames," states the study published in Marine Ecology Progress Series.
"…Studies conducted over multiple years off South Africa, central California, South Australia and Guadalupe Island, Mexico, have estimated aggregation sizes from 78 to 1279 individuals," authors continued. "This suggests that Cape Cod is among the larger aggregation sites worldwide, especially considering that our estimate is likely an underestimate."
The study is groundbreaking as the first-ever white shark population estimate for the Northwest Atlantic.
"There was never a population estimate for white sharks in the Northwest Atlantic," Winton told National Geographic in the "Return of the White Shark" documentary, where she talked about her research. "It’s one of the most mysterious populations of white sharks on the planet."
SPOT THE WHITE SHARK! MANY CAN'T IN THIS PHOTO TAKEN OFF CAPE COD
Great whites making a comeback
"Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water," the memorable line from the movie Jaws may not have told the entire story. Great white sightings and interactions were rare in Cape Cod before 2017, said the study.
"White shark populations throughout its circumglobal range declined as commercial and recreational fisheries and shark control programs expanded during the latter half of the twentieth century," authors wrote. "In some regions, it is estimated that white shark abundance decreased by as much as 70−90% before protections began to be put into place in the 1990s by both individual countries and international treaties."
The sharks made a rebound. Shark numbers actually increased every year of the study. To measure the effectiveness of the protections and manage future conservation, scientists need better population estimates. A recent survey of white shark scientists found that the top research priority. The Cape Cod population made a comeback after the return of gray seals, thanks to the 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act.
PHOTOGRAPHER RECREATES ‘JAWS’ POSTER WITH GREAT WHITE SHARK IN THE WILD
Beach safety versus shark conservation
"As recovering populations return to regions where they have long been rare or absent, increased interactions between sharks and humans can create conflict and undermine public support of conservation policies," warns authors. "Although the overall risk posed to recreational water users remains low even at aggregation sites, the sensational media coverage that typically accompanies white shark sightings and attacks on humans generates fear and can skew perceptions of risk."
Beaches closed last year several times due to shark sightings in the area. In one week in August 2022, officials confirmed over 20 great white shark sightings off the Cape.
"We realized that it was important to start thinking about public safety," Greg Skomal, another study author, stated in the TV documentary. "We started really looking intensively at the predatory behavior of the white shark."
STAY SHARK SMART: WHAT TO KNOW WHEN YOU HEAD INTO THE WATER
He said researchers need to learn more about the "when, where and how" white sharks hunt and attack their prey.
"If we find patterns in behavior, then we have an ability to predict or forecast where these animals are likely to be relative to human activities," he added in the documentary.
The last fatal shark attack on Cape Cod was a boogie boarder in 2018. The September attack was just 30 feet off the beach, and that was the state's first shark attack fatality in 82 years, according to the Boston Herald. | https://www.foxweather.com/learn/great-white-shark-population-cape-cod | 2023-07-31T00:50:05 | 1 | https://www.foxweather.com/learn/great-white-shark-population-cape-cod |
First Alert Weather: Thunderstorms and cooler weather ahead for metro Phoenix
PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - Another day of 110+ degrees in Phoenix, now making it the 31st day in a row we have had temperatures at 110 degrees or higher. However, there is some relief in sight. We could drop below 110 Monday through Wednesday!
An area of low pressure will approach from Mexico, bringing temperatures down a couple of degrees and increasing moisture across the state. Shower and thunderstorm activity is possible throughout Sunday evening and into Monday. Strong winds, heavy rain and blowing dust are the main concerns with these storms. For Monday, better chances for storms to surround the Valley, but some could come off the mountains down to the lower deserts.
Regarding the cooler weather, we have a high of 107 Monday. This is short-lived; however, we are back above 110 by Thursday and even warmer heading into next weekend.
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Copyright 2023 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved. | https://www.azfamily.com/2023/07/31/first-alert-weather-thunderstorms-possible-metro-phoenix/ | 2023-07-31T00:50:34 | 0 | https://www.azfamily.com/2023/07/31/first-alert-weather-thunderstorms-possible-metro-phoenix/ |
The Biden administration says it's hunting for destructive computer code or malware; it believes China has hidden deep inside networks controlling power grids, according to theNew York Times.
The discovery raises suspicions that hackers acting on behalf of the People’s Liberation Army have embedded malware designed to disrupt U.S. military operations in the event China were to invade Taiwan.
"So if it's not just localized and if it's a deep infiltration and it's utilized in that way, you can imagine the banking system or the power grid going down nationally or the water systems being ineffectual nationally, and that could obviously disrupt operations at home, not just for the purposes of slowing us down in response but actually taking us out of the game altogether, unable to resupply our forces and the like," said Jamil Jaffer, former counsel to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Earlier in May, tech giant Microsoft warned that hackers likely acting on behalf of China targeted U.S. military assets on the island of Guam, seeding harmful computer code in communications infrastructure.
SEE MORE: The evolution and future of the US-China relationship
"It was referred to as a vault typhoon. And obviously, this raises some concerns about how deep in are the Chinese in our systems. Are they in just military systems? Are they just in that region? Is it spread more broadly across the country, other military bases overseas, or in the United States?" said Jaffer.
The news about the malware adds tension to an increasingly fraught U.S.-China relationship, with clashes that include increasing threats towards Taiwan and American efforts to ban complex semi-conductor sales to China.
The U.S. has also blamed China for other major infrastructure computer hacks as well as accusing the foreign power of spying on the continental U.S. with school bus-sized balloons.
For its part, China accused the U.S. of hacking into its telecom giant, Huawei.
The U.S. recently reiterated its commitment to defending Taiwan, the island nation off the coast of mainland China. Taiwan recently held military exercises.
"With respect to Taiwan, you know, the capability that we are providing them is defensive capability, as you know, in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act. We are committed to helping them get the capability they need to defend themselves. And so, this is no change from what we've done in the past," said Lloyd Austin, U.S. Secretary of Defense.
China regards Taiwan as a rogue province and a constant source of tension between the U.S. and China. Two nations that are trading partners and, at the same time, increasingly wary adversaries.
In response to the New York Times article, the Chinese embassy in Washington reacted with dismay, denying it engages in hacking and calling the United States a far bigger offender.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com | https://www.wmar2news.com/nyt-officials-fear-chinese-hackers-malware-could-disrupt-us-military | 2023-07-31T00:51:46 | 0 | https://www.wmar2news.com/nyt-officials-fear-chinese-hackers-malware-could-disrupt-us-military |
Record heat waves illuminate plight of poorest Americans who suffer without air conditioning
DENVER (AP) — As Denver neared triple-digit temperatures, Ben Gallegos sat shirtless on his porch swatting flies off his legs and spritzing himself with a misting fan to try to get through the heat. Gallegos, like many in the nation’s poorest neighborhoods, doesn’t have air conditioning.
The 68-year-old covers his windows with mattress foam to insulate against the heat and sleeps in the concrete basement. He knows high temperatures can cause heat stroke and death, and his lung condition makes him more susceptible. But the retired brick layer, who survives on about $1,000 a month largely from Social Security, says air conditioning is out of reach.
“Take me about 12 years to save up for something like that,” he said. “If it’s hard to breathe, I’ll get down to emergency.”
As climate change fans hotter and longer heat waves, breaking record temperatures across the U.S. and leaving dozens dead, the poorest Americans suffer the hottest days with the fewest defenses. Air conditioning, once a luxury, is now a matter of survival.
As Phoenix weathered its 27th consecutive day above 110 degrees (43 Celsius) Wednesday, the nine who died indoors didn’t have functioning air conditioning, or it was turned off. Last year, all 86 heat-related deaths indoors were in uncooled environments.
“To explain it fairly simply: Heat kills,” said Kristie Ebi, a University of Washington professor who researches heat and health. “Once the heat wave starts, mortality starts in about 24 hours.”
It’s the poorest and people of color, from Kansas City to Detroit to New York City and beyond, who are far more likely to face grueling heat without air conditioning, according to a Boston University analysis of 115 U.S. metros.
“The temperature differences ... between lower-income neighborhoods, neighborhoods of color and their wealthier, whiter counterparts have pretty severe consequences,” said Cate Mingoya-LaFortune of Groundwork USA, an environmental justice organization. “There are these really big consequences like death. ... But there’s also ambient misery.”
Some have window units that can offer respite, but “in the dead of heat, it don’t do nothing,” said Melody Clark, who stopped Friday to get food at a nonprofit in Kansas City, Kansas, as temperatures soared to 101, and high humidity made it feel like 109. When the central air conditioning at her rental house went on the fritz, her landlord installed a window unit. But it doesn’t do much during the day.
So the 45-year-old wets her hair, cooks outside on a propane grill and keeps the lights off indoors. She’s taken the bus to the library to cool off. At night she flips the box unit on, hauling her bed into the room where it’s located to sleep.
As far as her two teenagers, she said: “They aren’t little bitty. We aren’t dying in the heat. ... They don’t complain.”
While billions in federal funding have been allocated to subsidize utility costs and the installation of cooling systems, experts say they often only support a fraction of the most vulnerable families and some still require prohibitive upfront costs. Installing a centralized heat pump system for heating and cooling can easily reach $25,000.
President Joe Biden announced steps on Thursday to defend against extreme heat, highlighting the expansion of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which funnels money through states to help poorer households pay utility bills.
While the program is critical, said Michelle Graff, who studies the subsidy at Cleveland State University, only about 16% of the nation’s eligible population is actually reached. Nearly half of states don’t offer the federal dollars for summer cooling.
“So people are engaging in coping mechanisms, like they’re turning on their air conditioners later and leaving their homes hotter,” Graff said.
While frigid temperatures and high heating bills birthed the term “heat or eat,” she said, “we can now transition to AC or eat, where people are going to have to make difficult decisions.”
As temperatures rise, so does the cost of cooling. And temperatures are already hotter in America’s low-income neighborhoods like Gallegos’ Denver suburb of Globeville, where people live along stretches of asphalt and concrete that hold heat like a cast-iron skillet. Surface temperatures there can be roughly 8 degrees hotter than in Denver’s wealthier neighborhoods, where a sea of vegetation cools the area, according to the environmental advocacy group American Forests.
This disparity plays out nationwide. Researchers at the University of San Diego analyzed 1,056 counties and in over 70%, the poorest areas and those with higher Black, Hispanic and Asian populations were significantly hotter.
About one in 10 U.S. households have no air conditioning, a disparity compounded for marginalized groups, according to a study by the Brookings Institution. Less than 4% of Detroit’s white households don’t have air conditioning; it’s 15% for Black households.
At noon on Friday, Katrice Sullivan sat on the porch of her rented house on Detroit’s westside. It was hot and muggy, but even steamier inside the house. Even if she had air conditioning, Sullivan said she’d choose her moments to run it to keep her electricity bill down.
The 37-year-old factory worker pours water on her head, freezes towels to put around her neck, and sits in her car with the air conditioner on. “Some people here spend every dollar for food, so air conditioning is something they can’t afford,” she said.
Shannon Lewis, 38, lived in her Detroit home for nearly 20 years without air conditioning. Lewis’s bedroom was the only place with a window unit, so she’d squeeze her teenager, 8-year-old and 3-year-old-twins into her queen-size bed to sleep, eat meals and watch television.
“So it was like cool in one room and a heat stroke in another,” Lewis said. For the first time, Lewis now has air conditioning through a local non-profit, she said. “We don’t have to sleep or eat in the same room, we are able to come out, sit at the dining room table, eat like a family.”
After at least 54 died during a 2021 heat wave, mostly elderly people without air conditioning, in the Portland area, Oregon passed a law prohibiting landlords from placing blanket bans on air conditioning units. By and large, however, states don’t have laws requiring landlords to provide cooling.
In the federal Inflation Reduction Act, billions were set aside for tax credits and rebates to help families install energy-efficient cooling systems, but some of those are yet to be available. For people like Gallegos, who doesn’t pay taxes, the available credits are worthless.
The law also offers rebates, the kind of state and federal point-of-sale discounts that Amanda Morian has looked into for her 640-square-foot home.
Morian, who has a 13-week-old baby susceptible to hot weather, is desperate to keep her house in Denver’s Globeville suburb cool. She bought thermal curtains, ceiling fans and runs a window unit. At night she tries to do skin-to-skin touch to regulate the baby’s body temperature. When the back door opens in the afternoon, she said, the indoor temperature jumps a degree.
“All of those are just to take the edge off, it’s not enough to actually make it cool. It’s enough to keep us from dying,” she said.
She got estimates from four different companies for installing a cooling system, but every project was between $20,000 and $25,000, she said. Even with subsidies she can’t afford it.
“I’m finding that you have to afford the project in the first place and then it’s like having a bonus coupon to take $5,000 off of the sticker price,” she said.
Lucy Molina, a single mom in Commerce City, one of Denver’s poorest areas, said her home has reached 107 degrees without air conditioning. Nearby, Molina’s two teenage children slurped popsicles to cool off, lingering in front of the open freezer.
For Molina, who bustled around her kitchen on a recent day when temperatures reached 99 degrees outdoors, it’s hard to see any path to a cooling respite.
“We’re just too poor,” she said.
____
Associated Press writers Heather Hollingsworth in Kansas City, Kansas, and Corey Williams in Detroit contributed to this report.
——
Bedayn is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wnem.com/2023/07/30/record-heat-waves-illuminate-plight-poorest-americans-who-suffer-without-air-conditioning/ | 2023-07-31T00:51:46 | 1 | https://www.wnem.com/2023/07/30/record-heat-waves-illuminate-plight-poorest-americans-who-suffer-without-air-conditioning/ |
Remains of WWII veteran killed in Romania identified, laid to rest
NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio (WOIO/Gray News) - The remains of a missing U.S. Army Lieutenant were laid to rest with full military honors on Saturday.
According to WOIO, First Lieutenant Army Air Corps George “Bud” Julius Reuter was buried at Sunset Memorial Park in North Olmsted, Ohio.
Reuter, who was 25 years old at the time, was killed in action on August 1, 1943 near Ploiesti, Romania.
Reuter’s remains were identified January 10, 2023 by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.
After the war, many airmen were interred by Romanian citizens in the Bolovan Cemetery in Ploiesti. The American Graves Registration Command exhumed many unknown remains to identify U.S. veterans who went missing. The organization eventually reinterred the remains that could not be identified.
Reuter was laid to rest near his parents John George and Elizabeth Theodocia Reuter.
A memorial service was held for the lieutenant which included the presentation of four military medals: the Silver Star, Purple Heart, Distinguished Flying Cross, and Air Medal for conspicuous gallantry in action against the enemy.
Copyright 2023 WOIO via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wnem.com/2023/07/30/remains-wwii-veteran-killed-romania-identified-laid-rest/ | 2023-07-31T00:51:53 | 1 | https://www.wnem.com/2023/07/30/remains-wwii-veteran-killed-romania-identified-laid-rest/ |
Russian missile attacks leave few options for Ukrainian farmers looking to export grain
(AP) -PAVLIVKA, Ukraine (AP) — The summer winds carried the smell of burned grain across the southern Ukrainian steppe and away from the shards of three Russian cruise missiles that struck the unassuming metal hangars.
The agricultural company Ivushka applied for accreditation to export grain this year, but the strike in mid-July destroyed a large portion of the stock, days after Russia abandoned the grain deal that would have allowed the shipments across the Black Sea without fear of attack.
Men shirtless and barefoot, with blackened soles from ash, swept unburnt grain into piles and awaited the loader, whose driver deftly steered around twisted metal shrapnel, bits of missile and craters despite his shattered windshield.
They hoped to beat the next rain to rescue what was left of the crop. According to the Odesa Regional Prosecutor’s Office, Russia struck the facility July 21 with three Kalibr- and Onyx-class cruise missiles.
“We don’t have a clue why they did it,” explained Olha Romanova, the head of Ivushka. Romanova, who worked in the debris alongside the others, wore a red headscarf and an exhausted expression and was too frazzled to even estimate her losses.
She cannot comprehend why the Russians targeted Ivushka, as there are no nearby military facilities and the frontlines are far from the village in the Odesa region.
“They spent so much money on us,” she said, puzzled. The missiles that ruined the silos are worth millions of dollars — far more than the crop they destroyed.
But Ivushka wasn’t the only target in Odesa. The main port also was struck, leaving Black Sea shipping companies that relied upon the grain deal to keep them safe and food supplies flowing to the world at a standstill.
The Black Sea handled about 95% of Ukrainian grain exports before Russia’s invasion and the U.N.-brokered initiative allowed Ukraine to ship much of what farmers harvested in 2021 and 2022, said Joseph Glauber, senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute.
Ukraine, a major supplier of corn, wheat, barley and vegetable oil, shipped 32.9 million metric tons (36.2 million U.S. tons) of grain under the nearly yearlong deal designed to ease a global food crisis. It has been able to export an additional 2 million to 2.5 million metric tons (2.2 to 2.7 million U.S. tons) monthly by the Danube River, road and rail through Europe.
Those are now the only routes to ship grain, but have stirred divisions among nearby European countries and generated higher costs to be absorbed by Ukrainian farmers, said Glauber, former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Russian missiles strikes against the Danube port last Monday also raised questions about how much longer that route will remain viable.
That’s a disincentive to keep planting fields already threatened by missiles and strewn with explosive mines. Corn and wheat production in agriculture-dependent Ukraine is down nearly 40% this year from prewar levels, analysts say.
From the first of July last year until June 30 this year, Ukraine exported 68 million tons of grain, according to data from Mykola Horbachov, the president of the Ukrainian Grain Association. Ukrainian farmers shipped 11.2 million tons via railways, 5.5 million tons by road transport and around 18 million tons through Danube ports. Additionally, nearly half of the total exported grain, 33 million tons, was delivered through seaports under the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
Ihor Osmachko, the general director of Agroprosperis Group, was unsurprised by Russia’s withdrawal from the deal leading to its collapse. His company had never considered it a reliable or permanent solution during wartime.
He said Russians frequently stymied the deal, even while it was functioning, by delaying ship inspections until the cargos were sent back, leading to $30 million in losses for his company alone. Now, they are once again forced to pay to reroute 100,000 tons of grain trapped in ports that are no longer safe, Osmachko said.
“We have been preparing for this whole time,” Osmachko said. “We haven’t stopped. We are moving forward.”
Osmachko estimated around 80% to 90% of the approximately 3.2 million tons of grain Agroprosperis exported to China, Europe and African countries during the past year went through the grain corridor.
“The most significant problem today is the cost of logistics,” explained Mykola Horbachov, president of the Ukrainian Grain Association. Before the war, farmers paid approximately $20 to $25 per ton to transport grain to the Odesa ports. Now, logistics costs have tripled as they are forced to pay more than $100 to transport a single ton via alternative routes through the Danube port to Constanta, Romania.
“If we were to go on the Danube with the grain corridor closed, practically all our production would be unprofitable,” Osmachko said.
The Danube ports can’t handle the same volume as seaports. The most Agroprosperis has sent through this route is 75,000 tons per month, compared with a monthly average of 250,000 tons through Black Sea ports.
The Ukrainian harvest this year is the lowest in a decade, according to a July report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Horbachov said shipping costs to export around the world and uncertainty about the length of the war will last could quickly make new planting unprofitable for Ukrainian farmers.
Ukraine currently produces three times more grain than it consumes, while global prices will inevitably rise if the country’s exports decrease.
“I think you’re looking at a diminished Ukraine for at least the next couple of years and maybe longer,” said Glauber, the former U.S. agricultural official. “That’s something the rest of the world just needs to make up.”
The war from all sides poses risks for Agroprosperis.
In the Sumy region on the Russian border, farmers harvest their crops wearing body armor. Sometimes they must stop their combines in the middle of the wheat fields to pick up shrapnel from Russian projectiles.
“It can get tough at times,” Osmachko acknowledged. “But there are responsibilities — some have duties on the front. Some must grow food and ensure the country’s and world’s security.”
___
Volodymyr Yurchuk in Lviv, Ukraine, and Courtney Bonnell in London contributed.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wnem.com/2023/07/30/russian-missile-attacks-leave-few-options-ukrainian-farmers-looking-export-grain/ | 2023-07-31T00:52:00 | 1 | https://www.wnem.com/2023/07/30/russian-missile-attacks-leave-few-options-ukrainian-farmers-looking-export-grain/ |
Russian missile attacks leave few options for Ukrainian farmers looking to export grain
(AP) -PAVLIVKA, Ukraine (AP) — The summer winds carried the smell of burned grain across the southern Ukrainian steppe and away from the shards of three Russian cruise missiles that struck the unassuming metal hangars.
The agricultural company Ivushka applied for accreditation to export grain this year, but the strike in mid-July destroyed a large portion of the stock, days after Russia abandoned the grain deal that would have allowed the shipments across the Black Sea without fear of attack.
Men shirtless and barefoot, with blackened soles from ash, swept unburnt grain into piles and awaited the loader, whose driver deftly steered around twisted metal shrapnel, bits of missile and craters despite his shattered windshield.
They hoped to beat the next rain to rescue what was left of the crop. According to the Odesa Regional Prosecutor’s Office, Russia struck the facility July 21 with three Kalibr- and Onyx-class cruise missiles.
“We don’t have a clue why they did it,” explained Olha Romanova, the head of Ivushka. Romanova, who worked in the debris alongside the others, wore a red headscarf and an exhausted expression and was too frazzled to even estimate her losses.
She cannot comprehend why the Russians targeted Ivushka, as there are no nearby military facilities and the frontlines are far from the village in the Odesa region.
“They spent so much money on us,” she said, puzzled. The missiles that ruined the silos are worth millions of dollars — far more than the crop they destroyed.
But Ivushka wasn’t the only target in Odesa. The main port also was struck, leaving Black Sea shipping companies that relied upon the grain deal to keep them safe and food supplies flowing to the world at a standstill.
The Black Sea handled about 95% of Ukrainian grain exports before Russia’s invasion and the U.N.-brokered initiative allowed Ukraine to ship much of what farmers harvested in 2021 and 2022, said Joseph Glauber, senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute.
Ukraine, a major supplier of corn, wheat, barley and vegetable oil, shipped 32.9 million metric tons (36.2 million U.S. tons) of grain under the nearly yearlong deal designed to ease a global food crisis. It has been able to export an additional 2 million to 2.5 million metric tons (2.2 to 2.7 million U.S. tons) monthly by the Danube River, road and rail through Europe.
Those are now the only routes to ship grain, but have stirred divisions among nearby European countries and generated higher costs to be absorbed by Ukrainian farmers, said Glauber, former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Russian missiles strikes against the Danube port last Monday also raised questions about how much longer that route will remain viable.
That’s a disincentive to keep planting fields already threatened by missiles and strewn with explosive mines. Corn and wheat production in agriculture-dependent Ukraine is down nearly 40% this year from prewar levels, analysts say.
From the first of July last year until June 30 this year, Ukraine exported 68 million tons of grain, according to data from Mykola Horbachov, the president of the Ukrainian Grain Association. Ukrainian farmers shipped 11.2 million tons via railways, 5.5 million tons by road transport and around 18 million tons through Danube ports. Additionally, nearly half of the total exported grain, 33 million tons, was delivered through seaports under the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
Ihor Osmachko, the general director of Agroprosperis Group, was unsurprised by Russia’s withdrawal from the deal leading to its collapse. His company had never considered it a reliable or permanent solution during wartime.
He said Russians frequently stymied the deal, even while it was functioning, by delaying ship inspections until the cargos were sent back, leading to $30 million in losses for his company alone. Now, they are once again forced to pay to reroute 100,000 tons of grain trapped in ports that are no longer safe, Osmachko said.
“We have been preparing for this whole time,” Osmachko said. “We haven’t stopped. We are moving forward.”
Osmachko estimated around 80% to 90% of the approximately 3.2 million tons of grain Agroprosperis exported to China, Europe and African countries during the past year went through the grain corridor.
“The most significant problem today is the cost of logistics,” explained Mykola Horbachov, president of the Ukrainian Grain Association. Before the war, farmers paid approximately $20 to $25 per ton to transport grain to the Odesa ports. Now, logistics costs have tripled as they are forced to pay more than $100 to transport a single ton via alternative routes through the Danube port to Constanta, Romania.
“If we were to go on the Danube with the grain corridor closed, practically all our production would be unprofitable,” Osmachko said.
The Danube ports can’t handle the same volume as seaports. The most Agroprosperis has sent through this route is 75,000 tons per month, compared with a monthly average of 250,000 tons through Black Sea ports.
The Ukrainian harvest this year is the lowest in a decade, according to a July report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Horbachov said shipping costs to export around the world and uncertainty about the length of the war will last could quickly make new planting unprofitable for Ukrainian farmers.
Ukraine currently produces three times more grain than it consumes, while global prices will inevitably rise if the country’s exports decrease.
“I think you’re looking at a diminished Ukraine for at least the next couple of years and maybe longer,” said Glauber, the former U.S. agricultural official. “That’s something the rest of the world just needs to make up.”
The war from all sides poses risks for Agroprosperis.
In the Sumy region on the Russian border, farmers harvest their crops wearing body armor. Sometimes they must stop their combines in the middle of the wheat fields to pick up shrapnel from Russian projectiles.
“It can get tough at times,” Osmachko acknowledged. “But there are responsibilities — some have duties on the front. Some must grow food and ensure the country’s and world’s security.”
___
Volodymyr Yurchuk in Lviv, Ukraine, and Courtney Bonnell in London contributed.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbrc.com/2023/07/30/russian-missile-attacks-leave-few-options-ukrainian-farmers-looking-export-grain/ | 2023-07-31T00:52:14 | 1 | https://www.wbrc.com/2023/07/30/russian-missile-attacks-leave-few-options-ukrainian-farmers-looking-export-grain/ |
After what has been a fairly dry monsoon season thus far, areas north of Flagstaff -- including parts of Doney Park, Timberline and Wupatki Trails -- saw flash flooding Sunday.
The rush of water came after areas of the Pipeline Fire burn scar were dumped on.
Rain gauges in the impacted area showed a cumulative 3 inches of rainfall by the afternoon, with the highest gauge reading nearly 2 inches of rain in just an hour, according to Coconino County.
That’s significantly more rainfall than any storm dumped on the area last year, causing extensive flooding throughout neighborhoods downstream. But the picture Sunday was very different.
After extensive flood mitigation work by Coconino County, flooding was largely prevented in Wupatki Trails and areas along Brandis Way. Instead, newly completed channels and storm drains swelled with the brown, fast-moving flow.
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Only areas along East Copeland Lane, where flood mitigation work has yet to be started, saw any impact from flooding. Several roads off of Copeland were affected as flows crossed them, cutting into the dirt roads and leaving small boulders and layers of sediment in their wake.
Even so, flooding was limited in the area. It appeared no structures had been impacted, and county dozers were out in force clearing roads.
The National Weather Service forecast calls for more showers and thunderstorms Monday and Tuesday, with a 90% chance both days. From there, the probability diminishes through Thursday before giving way to sunny skies over the weekend. The storms should mean a reprieve from the 90-degree temperatures that affected the region for a significant part of July, with highs in the lower 80s most of the week. | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/after-nearly-2-inches-of-rain-over-pipeline-burn-scar-near-flagstaff-flood-infrastructure-holds/article_4df3e78c-2f2b-11ee-a88f-6f5f402a5c43.html | 2023-07-31T00:52:42 | 0 | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/after-nearly-2-inches-of-rain-over-pipeline-burn-scar-near-flagstaff-flood-infrastructure-holds/article_4df3e78c-2f2b-11ee-a88f-6f5f402a5c43.html |
PITTSBURGH — The Phillies made far too many fundamental mistakes to win their weekend series, even against a team playing as poorly as the Pirates.
They lost Sunday afternoon, 6-4 in 10 innings, to end a wretched 24 hours of baseball. They held a three-run lead Saturday and a two-run lead Sunday but committed ghastly miscues in the field and on the bases to give away both games.
On Sunday, shortstop Trea Turner and third baseman Edmundo Sosa didn't communicate clearly enough on a routine pop-up between the two. The ball clanged off both of their gloves and fell in for an error in the seventh inning and that runner came around to score on a single/E-8 on Johan Rojas, who bobbled the ball to allow Connor Joe an extra base.
"Both calling it at the same time," Turner said. "Once I started calling it, I heard him, but at that point, I didn't want to back off and us just be standing there looking at each other. Just bad communication on my part. Should have let him catch the ball. I dropped the ball and just didn't get the job done."
The Phillies escaped that inning with a one-run lead but Yunior Marte gave it back in the eighth. The Pirates walked it off in the 10th inning on a a Josh Palacios two-run homer off Andrew Vasquez.
The Phillies blew a chance to score in the top of the 10th. Bryce Harper began the inning on second base and the Phillies quickly had two runners in scoring position when Alec Bohm hit an infield single and advanced to second on a throwing error by the third baseman. Turner hit a flyball to right field and Henry Davis, the former first overall pick and catcher with a rocket arm, caught the ball with momentum and fired a seed to the plate. Harper took off but stopped less than halfway when he saw how strong the throw was. Bohm figured Harper was going and ran to third. He was too far off, a rundown ensued and Harper was nailed at the plate.
"All weekend," manager Rob Thomson said. "Communication on pop-ups, we've seen that a few times this year. Baserunning mistakes. We've got to clean it all up and we will."
Philadelphia Phillies
A lot happened Sunday. Before the late-game gaffes, many were curious why Cristopher Sanchez was pulled after five hitless, scoreless innings on just 73 pitches. When he was removed, Seranthony Dominguez gave up a single and two-run homer to the first two hitters he faced and the game was tied.
It turns out that Sanchez had been dealing with a stomach bug all day.
"I had a little stomach ache going on, I didn't feel like I had too much energy today," Sanchez said. "I told (Thomson) that I could go back out but he wanted to take care of me."
Thomson said that he might have removed Sanchez even if he was feeling better because it was the top of the order due up for the third time and he felt Sanchez wasn't as sharp as usual. He threw five no-hit innings but did hit three batters and walk two.
That decision affected the rest of the game. Dominguez gave up the lead in the sixth, which required Jeff Hoffman to enter. Gregory Soto had the seventh, which meant Marte was the best option left for the eighth. Matt Strahm had pitched two innings the prior night and Craig Kimbrel was being saved for the ninth.
"(Sanchez) probably had 15 pitches left," Thomson said. "Top of the order, third time through. And he wasn't feeling well all day. He said, 'No, I'm OK,' but I want to take care of the kid, make sure he got out of there on a good note.
"He had done his job. He wasn't exactly sharp. I know he didn't allow a hit, but he hit three guys, walks, he wasn't as sharp as he normally was. He wasn't going to get a no-hitter, he was going to run out of pitches.
"He's got my trust, I just wanted to make sure he was OK."
Sanchez has the lowest WHIP (0.84) in all of Major League Baseball since being recalled from Triple A on June 17. He has a 2.30 ERA in those eight starts with 36 strikeouts and just six walks in 43 innings.
"We knew he was sick going into today and we'd only get a couple out of him," Harper said. "But you look at his numbers the last couple starts, he's been lights out. If he keeps doing that, he'll be around for a while."
Harper and Turner expressed frustration postgame with the way the weekend went. The Phillies should have at least won the series and could have swept. They were on the board first Sunday with a two-run home run from Bohm. Harper put them ahead again with an RBI single in the seventh and Bohm followed with one of his own. Seven of the last eight runs Harper has driven in have either tied the game or given the Phillies a lead.
It was all for naught.
"Big opportunity to come in here and do some work and we weren't able to do that," Harper said. "When talent doesn't play well or play smart, you get beat. You've got to do the little things right, playing defense, hitting timely. It doesn't matter who you're playing. It's still the big leagues and any given team can win. You saw that this weekend."
Now the Phillies move on to Miami for a crucial four-game series. They ended the weekend out of a playoff spot, a half-game behind the Marlins and Brewers, who are in the second and third wild-card positions. Just two games separate the top wild-card (San Francisco) from second team out (Arizona).
The Marlins are making moves. They acquired Mets closer David Robertson over the weekend and are in still search of other upgrades.
"It's a really good team down there, we're going to face some really good pitching," Harper said. "They're adding guys and I'd imagine they add more guys by the time we get down there." | https://www.nbcsportsphiladelphia.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news/phillies-defense-mistakes-pirates-bryce-harper/530429/ | 2023-07-31T00:53:20 | 0 | https://www.nbcsportsphiladelphia.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news/phillies-defense-mistakes-pirates-bryce-harper/530429/ |
Chris Buescher pulled away on a restart with three laps to go and won at Richmond Raceway on Sunday, earning himself a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
Buescher led 88 laps. He was ahead by nearly six seconds when a caution came out with under 10 laps to go. That erased his sizeable lead over local favorite Denny Hamlin, but when the race went back to green, Buescher pulled away easily.
He and RFK Racing teammate Brad Keselowski led a combined 190 of the 400 laps, with Keselowski's Ford pacing the field for 102 laps on the 0.75-mile oval.
Hamlin, coming off a victory last weekend at Pocono, finished second, followed by Kyle Busch, Joey Logano and Ryan Preece.
The race was slowed just three times by caution flags, the last sending the leaders to pit road for four tires with eight laps to go. When the green flag was shown again, Buescher used the inside line to pull away for his third career victory.
Hamlin's bid for the victory ended on the second lap of the final sprint when he drove in too deep in the first turn and slid up the track. He finished 0.549 seconds behind Buescher, with Busch winding up 0.817 off the winning pace. | https://www.nbcsportsphiladelphia.com/news/chris-buescher-wins-cook-out-400-at-richmond-secures-nascar-playoffs-spot/530438/ | 2023-07-31T00:53:26 | 0 | https://www.nbcsportsphiladelphia.com/news/chris-buescher-wins-cook-out-400-at-richmond-secures-nascar-playoffs-spot/530438/ |
Anchorage homeless face cold and bears; A plan to offer one-way airfare out reveals a bigger crisis
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Shawn Steik and his wife were forced from a long-term motel room onto the streets of Anchorage after their rent shot up to $800 a month. Now they live in a tent encampment by a train depot, and as an Alaska winter looms they are growing desperate and fearful of what lies ahead.
A proposal last week by Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson to buy one-way plane tickets out of Alaska’s biggest city for its homeless residents gave Steik a much-needed glimmer of hope. He would move to the relative warmth of Seattle.
"I heard it’s probably warmer than this place," said Steik, who is Aleut.
But the mayor’s unfunded idea also came under immediate attack as a Band-Aid solution glossing over the tremendous, and still unaddressed, crisis facing Anchorage as a swelling homeless population struggles to survive in a unique and extreme environment. Frigid temperatures stalk the homeless in the winter and bears infiltrate homeless encampments in the summer.
A record eight people died of exposure while living outside last winter and this year promises to be worse after the city closed an arena that housed 500 people during the winter months. Bickering between the city’s liberal assembly and its conservative mayor about how to address the crisis, and a lack of state funding, have further stymied efforts to find a solution.
With winter fast approaching in Alaska, it’s "past time for state and local leaders to address the underlying causes of homelessness — airplane tickets are a distraction, not a solution," the American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska said in a statement to The Associated Press.
About 43% of Anchorage’s more than 3,000 unsheltered residents are Alaska Natives, and Bronson’s proposal also drew harsh criticism from those who called it culturally insensitive.
"The reality is there is no place to send these people because this is their land. Any policy that we make has to pay credence to that simple fact. This is Dena’ina land, this is Native land," said Christopher Constant, chair of the Anchorage Assembly. "And so we cannot be supporting policies that would take people and displace them from their home, even if their home is not what you or I would call home."
Bronson’s airfare proposal caps a turbulent few years as Anchorage, like many cities in the U.S. West, struggles to deal with a burgeoning homeless population.
In May, the city shut down the 500-bed homeless shelter in the city’s arena so it could once more be used for concerts and hockey games after neighbors complained about open drug use, trespassing, violence and litter. A plan to build a large shelter and navigation center fell through when Bronson approved a contract without approval from the Anchorage Assembly.
That leaves a gaping hole in the city’s ability to house the thousands of homeless people who have to contend with temperatures well below zero for days at a time and unrelenting winds blasting off Cook Inlet. At the end of June, Anchorage was estimated to have a little more than 3,150 homeless people, according to the Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness. Last week, there were only 614 beds at shelters citywide, with no vacancies.
New tent cities have sprung up across Anchorage this summer: on a slope facing the city’s historic railroad depot, on a busy road near the Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson and near soup kitchens and shelters downtown.
Assembly members are slated to consider a winter stop-gap option in August falling far short of the need: a large, warmed, tent-like structure for 150 people.
Summer brings its own challenges: hungry bears last year roamed a city-owned campground where homeless people were resettled after the arena closed. Wildlife officials killed four bears after they broke into tents.
Bronson said he prefers to spend a few hundred dollars per person for a plane ticket rather than spending about $100 daily to shelter and feed them. He said he doesn’t care where they want to go; his job is to "make sure they don’t die on Anchorage streets."
It’s not clear if his proposal will move forward. There is not yet a plan or a funding source.
Dr. Ted Mala, an Inupiaq who in 1990 became the first Alaska Native to serve as the state’s health commissioner, said Anchorage should be working with social workers and law enforcement to discover people’s individual reasons for homelessness and connect them with resources.
Buying the unsheltered a ticket to another city is a political game that’s been around for years. A number of U.S. cities struggling with homelessness, including San Francisco, Seattle and Portland, Oregon, have also offered bus or plane tickets to homeless residents.
"People are not pawns, they’re human beings," Mala said.
The mayor’s proposal, while focused on warmer cities, also would fund tickets to other Alaska locations for those who want them.
Clarita Clark became homeless after her medical team wanted her to move from Point Hope to Anchorage for cancer treatment because Anchorage is warmer. The medical facility wouldn’t allow her husband to stay with her, so they pitched a tent in a sprawling camp to stay together.
Having recently found the body of a dead teenager who overdosed in a portable toilet, Clark yearns to return to the Chukchi Sea coastal village of Point Hope, where her three grandchildren live.
"I got a family that loves me," she said, adding she would use the ticket and seek treatment closer to home.
Danny Parish also is leaving Alaska, but for another reason: He’s fed up.
Parish is selling his home of 29 years because it sits directly across the street from Sullivan Arena. Bad acts by some homeless people — including harassment, throwing vodka bottles in his yard, poisoning his dog and using his driveway as a toilet — made his life "a holy hell," he said.
Parish is convinced the arena will be used again this winter since there isn’t another plan.
He, too, hopes to move to the contiguous U.S. — Oregon, for starters — but not before asking Anchorage leaders for his own plane ticket out.
"If they’re going to give them to everybody else," Parish said, "then they need to give me one." | https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/anchorage-homeless-face-cold-and-bears-a-plan-to-offer-one-way-airfare-out-reveals-a-bigger-crisis | 2023-07-31T00:53:31 | 1 | https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/anchorage-homeless-face-cold-and-bears-a-plan-to-offer-one-way-airfare-out-reveals-a-bigger-crisis |
The Biden administration says it's hunting for destructive computer code or malware; it believes China has hidden deep inside networks controlling power grids, according to theNew York Times.
The discovery raises suspicions that hackers acting on behalf of the People’s Liberation Army have embedded malware designed to disrupt U.S. military operations in the event China were to invade Taiwan.
"So if it's not just localized and if it's a deep infiltration and it's utilized in that way, you can imagine the banking system or the power grid going down nationally or the water systems being ineffectual nationally, and that could obviously disrupt operations at home, not just for the purposes of slowing us down in response but actually taking us out of the game altogether, unable to resupply our forces and the like," said Jamil Jaffer, former counsel to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Earlier in May, tech giant Microsoft warned that hackers likely acting on behalf of China targeted U.S. military assets on the island of Guam, seeding harmful computer code in communications infrastructure.
SEE MORE: The evolution and future of the US-China relationship
"It was referred to as a vault typhoon. And obviously, this raises some concerns about how deep in are the Chinese in our systems. Are they in just military systems? Are they just in that region? Is it spread more broadly across the country, other military bases overseas, or in the United States?" said Jaffer.
The news about the malware adds tension to an increasingly fraught U.S.-China relationship, with clashes that include increasing threats towards Taiwan and American efforts to ban complex semi-conductor sales to China.
The U.S. has also blamed China for other major infrastructure computer hacks as well as accusing the foreign power of spying on the continental U.S. with school bus-sized balloons.
For its part, China accused the U.S. of hacking into its telecom giant, Huawei.
The U.S. recently reiterated its commitment to defending Taiwan, the island nation off the coast of mainland China. Taiwan recently held military exercises.
"With respect to Taiwan, you know, the capability that we are providing them is defensive capability, as you know, in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act. We are committed to helping them get the capability they need to defend themselves. And so, this is no change from what we've done in the past," said Lloyd Austin, U.S. Secretary of Defense.
China regards Taiwan as a rogue province and a constant source of tension between the U.S. and China. Two nations that are trading partners and, at the same time, increasingly wary adversaries.
In response to the New York Times article, the Chinese embassy in Washington reacted with dismay, denying it engages in hacking and calling the United States a far bigger offender.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com | https://www.abcactionnews.com/nyt-officials-fear-chinese-hackers-malware-could-disrupt-us-military | 2023-07-31T00:53:31 | 1 | https://www.abcactionnews.com/nyt-officials-fear-chinese-hackers-malware-could-disrupt-us-military |
6 Hospitalized after vehicle assault in Lincolnton
All six migrant workers were taken to Atrium Health to be treated for their injuries
LINCOLNTON, N.C. (WBTV) - Six migrant workers were intentionally hit by a moving vehicle Sunday afternoon.
The incident happened shortly after 1:00 p.m., at a Walmart in Lincolnton at the 300 block of North Generals Blvd.
The vehicle is an older model mid-size black SUV with a luggage rack. The driver was described as an older white male. While the assault appeared to be intentional, a motive is still unclear and all six migrant workers were taken to Atrium Health to be treated for their injuries, none of which appear to be life threatening.
The Lincolnton Police Department are urging anyone with information to contact the Lincolnton Police Department at (704) 736-8900.
Download the free WBTV News app for updates and breaking news.
Watch the latest WBTV broadcast here:
Copyright 2023 WBTV. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbtv.com/2023/07/30/6-hospitalized-after-vehicle-assault-lincolnton/ | 2023-07-31T00:53:32 | 1 | https://www.wbtv.com/2023/07/30/6-hospitalized-after-vehicle-assault-lincolnton/ |
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Eagle Bluff Fire burns 10,000 acres along U.S.-Canada border, 0% contained
OROVILLE, Wash. - The Eagle Bluff Fire burning in Okanogan County has swelled to 10,000 acres and has crossed the U.S.-Canadian border.
The fire is 0% contained.
It first sparked just west of Oroville on July 29, and in less than a day grew to 8,000 acres and larger. Three primary structures and one secondary structure has been destroyed by the fire. High heat and wind gusts up to 30 mph have greatly fueled the fire.
Several road closures have been issued:
- Oroville Rd from River Rd to Enloe Dam Rd
- Blue Lake Rd off of Golden Rd
- Ellemeham Mountain Rd off of Golden Rd
- Boundary Point Rd from west side of SR 97
Local incident management has some 250 personnel on the fire, and Canadian firefighters are tackling their side of the fire, which they refer to a ‘Lone Pine Creek Fire.’
This is a developing story. | https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/eagle-bluff-fire-burns-10000-acres-along-u-s-canada-border-0-contained | 2023-07-31T00:53:38 | 0 | https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/eagle-bluff-fire-burns-10000-acres-along-u-s-canada-border-0-contained |
Aaron Rodgers is sticking by his offensive coordinator and firing his hardest throw of the summer at Sean Payton.
The Jets quarterback was bothered by critical comments Payton, the Denver Broncos' head coach, recently made about offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. Payton told USA Today for a story published Thursday that Hackett's 15-game stint with the Broncos last season ”was one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL.″
Payton also said there were “20 dirty hands” around Russell Wilson’s career-worst season, and took some shots at the Jets — Hackett's new team where he and Rodgers are reunited after enjoying success together in Green Bay.
“It made me feel bad that someone who has accomplished a lot in the league is that insecure that they have to take another man down to set themselves up for some sort of easy fall if it doesn’t go well for that team this year,” Rodgers told NFL Network on Sunday. “I think it was way out of line, inappropriate, and I think he needs to keep my coaches’ names out of his mouth.”
Rodgers, acquired by New York in April from Green Bay, said Hackett is “arguably my favorite coach I’ve ever had in the NFL.” The pair was together for two of Rodgers' four NFL MVP awards in 2020 and 2021 with the Packers.
During the interview with USA Today's Jarrett Bell, Payton also criticized the Jets being the latest NFL team “trying to win the offseason” — something he said the Broncos under Hackett tried to do and were “embarrassed.”
Jets coach Robert Saleh said Thursday “Hackett’s doing a phenomenal job here” when asked about Payton's comments. He also said the Jets are just focused on themselves, but recognizes “there’s a lot of people that are hatin’ on us and a lot of people looking for us to fail.”
NFL
Payton on Friday said he regretted his comments in which he disparaged Hackett, and said he would reach out to Hackett and Saleh “at the right time” to do so.
“Listen, I had one of those moments where I still had my Fox hat on and not my coaching hat,” said Payton, who’s returning to the sideline this season after a year’s sabbatical during which he worked as a studio football analyst for Fox Sports following a 15-year stint with the New Orleans Saints.
Rodgers told NFL Network he thought Payton's initial comments "were very surprising, for a coach to do that to another coach."
Meanwhile, the back-and-forth made the Jets' matchup in Denver in Week 5 on Oct. 8 a bit juicier. Payton acknowledged Friday his comments “certainly will bring more interest to the game when we play them, but that seems like years from now.”
AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Stapleton in Englewood, Colorado, contributed. | https://www.nbcsportsphiladelphia.com/nfl/aaron-rodgers-defends-nathaniel-hackett-calls-sean-paytons-criticism-out-of-line/530408/ | 2023-07-31T00:53:39 | 1 | https://www.nbcsportsphiladelphia.com/nfl/aaron-rodgers-defends-nathaniel-hackett-calls-sean-paytons-criticism-out-of-line/530408/ |
Jewell Loyd scores 26, Jordan Horston adds 15 points as Storm beat Fever 85-62
INDIANAPOLIS - Jewell Loyd scored 26 points with eight assists, Jordan Horston made 7 of 11 from the field and finished with 15 points to help the Seattle Storm beat the Indiana Fever 85-62 on Sunday.
Seattle (6-19), which snapped a franchise-record 10-game losing streak with a 97-74 win Friday over the Chicago Sky, has won back-to-back games for the first time this season.
Indiana (6-19) has lost four games in a row and 12 of its last 13 to fall into a tie with the Storm for last in the WNBA standings — a half-game behind the Phoenix Mercury.
Loyd made 4 of 6 from the field, 3 of 4 from 3-point range, and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line in the first half and had 15 points and four assists as the Storm took a 47-27 lead into halftime. Indiana went scoreless for six-plus minutes in the second quarter as Seattle scored 15 points to open its biggest lead of the game at 44-19 with 2:32 left in the first half.
Kelsey Mitchell hit a 3-pointer to cap a 9-2 spurt that trimmed Indiana’s deficit to 57-51 late in the third quarter but Loyd answered with a three-point play and then hit two free throws and the Fever trailed by double figures throughout the fourth.
The Storm had 23 assists on 31 made field goals and shot 53.4% from the field, made 12 of 24 from behind the arc and hit 11 of 13 from the free-throw line. Indiana was 25-of-66 (38%) shooting and made just 4 of 16 from 3-point range.
Mitchell hit three 3s and led the Fever with 19 points. Alliyah Boston added 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting. | https://www.fox13seattle.com/sports/jewell-loyd-scores-26-jordan-horston-adds-15-points-as-storm-beat-fever-85-62 | 2023-07-31T00:53:44 | 0 | https://www.fox13seattle.com/sports/jewell-loyd-scores-26-jordan-horston-adds-15-points-as-storm-beat-fever-85-62 |
Stepping onto the field against South Korea in Morocco’s second Women’s World Cup match, defender Nouhaila Benzina made history as the first player to wear a hijab while competing at a senior-level global tournament.
A FIFA ban on playing in religious head coverings in its sanctioned games for “health and safety reasons” was overturned in 2014 after advocacy from activists, athletes and government and soccer officials.
“I have no doubt that more and more women and Muslim girls will look at Benzina and just really be inspired – not just the players, but I think decision makers, coaches, other sports as well,” said Assmaah Helal, a co-founder of the Muslim Women in Sports Network.
Benzina plays professional club soccer for the Association’s Sports of Forces Armed Royal – the eight-time defending champion in Morocco’s top women’s league. She did not play in Morocco’s opening 6-0 loss to Germany in Melbourne, and had to wait six days to finally get her start in the Group H game in Adelaide.
It was worth it. The Atlas Lionesses played with more freedom in an afternoon game against South Korea, scoring in the 6th minute and hanging on for a 1-0 win. Benzina played an important role in the defensive line, and picked up a yellow card late in the game as South Korea counter-attacked.
Morocco is the first Arab or North African nation to qualify for the Women’s World Cup.
“We are honored to be the first Arab country to take part in the Women’s World Cup,” Morocco captain Ghizlane Chebbak told reporters before tournament, “and we feel that we have to shoulder a big responsibility to give a good image, to show the achievements the Moroccan team has made.” | https://www.nbcsportsphiladelphia.com/soccer/womens-world-cup/moroccos-benzina-becomes-the-first-senior-level-womens-world-cup-player-to-compete-in-hijab/530431/ | 2023-07-31T00:53:45 | 0 | https://www.nbcsportsphiladelphia.com/soccer/womens-world-cup/moroccos-benzina-becomes-the-first-senior-level-womens-world-cup-player-to-compete-in-hijab/530431/ |
Luis Castillo, J.P. Crawford lead Mariners to 4-0 victory over the Diamondbacks
PHOENIX - Luis Castillo threw six sharp innings, J.P. Crawford connected for a solo homer and the Seattle Mariners beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-0 on Sunday.
The Mariners took two of three games in the weekend series, improving to 54-51 for the season as the team’s front office tries to decide whether to be buyers, sellers, or do nothing as Tuesday’s trade deadline approaches.
The Diamondbacks are close to wrapping up a miserable July, with a 7-16 record so far in the month.
Castillo (7-7) gave up just two hits, striking out seven and walking one while throwing 102 pitches. The right-hander has a 2.88 ERA this season.
The Mariners jumped ahead 2-0 in the first inning after Mike Ford drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs that forced home J.P. Crawford. Ty France followed with an RBI single. Arizona starter Merrill Kelly finally coaxed the third out on his 41st pitch when Cade Marlowe grounded out.
Crawford homered in the second — his ninth long ball of the season — to make it 3-0. The shortstop added a double in the ninth and scored for the third time on Eugenio Suárez’s single.
Kelly (9-5) managed to shake off his 41-pitch first inning to deliver a decent outing. The right-hander gave up three runs and seven hits over five innings, striking out six while walking two.
The Diamondbacks finished with just three hits, one each for Ketel Marte, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Emmanuel Rivera.
DOUBLE DOUBLE PLAY
Arizona’s Dominic Canzone lined out to the right side twice — once in the second inning and again in the fourth — and both times Christian Walker was doubled off first base for another out.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Diamondbacks: Placed LHP Tommy Henry (left elbow inflammation) on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to Saturday. Activated RHP Cole Sulser (strained right shoulder) from the 60-day injured list.
UP NEXT
Mariners: Return home to face the Red Sox in a three-game series starting Monday. Seattle will start RHP George Kirby (9-8, 3.49 ERA) in the first game. Boston hadn’t announced a starter.
Diamondbacks: Travel to face the Giants in a four-game series starting Monday. Arizona will start RHP Ryne Nelson (6-5, 4.97 ERA) in the first game. San Francisco hadn’t announced a starter. | https://www.fox13seattle.com/sports/luis-castillo-j-p-crawford-lead-mariners-to-4-0-victory-over-the-diamondbacks | 2023-07-31T00:53:50 | 0 | https://www.fox13seattle.com/sports/luis-castillo-j-p-crawford-lead-mariners-to-4-0-victory-over-the-diamondbacks |
Family of Racine soldier in North Korea pleads for his return
I'm Sophie Carson and this is the Daily Briefing newsletter by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Sign up here to get it sent to your inbox each morning.
It'll be sunny with highs in the low 80s.
Racine soldier family's anguish
Nearly two weeks after Racine soldier Travis King crossed the border into North Korea, his family is devastated and searching for answers.
King is believed to be held by North Korean authorities. For his family, "the waiting and the uncertainty are truly the hardest parts," reporter Bill Glauber writes.
"A huge chunk of us is just missing. We've got to go on not knowing if we will ever see him again. Not knowing if the kid is alive. We've got to go on," said King's uncle, Myron Gates.
The family is hopeful about U.S. diplomatic efforts and also has connected with the Richardson Center, which has had some success in dealing with North Korea.
Youth gun violence persists
Ten children were victimized by gun violence in 11 days in Milwaukee, leaving two dead. It has prompted Milwaukee leaders to plead with parents to keep better eyes on their kids.
Here's a key quote from Kathy Thornton-Bias, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Milwaukee. She emphasized there's space for all youth to find programs and support.
“There’s no excuse for kids to say they don’t have a place to go because every child is welcome here,” she said, emphasizing that they serve meals every day, provide free driver’s education classes and clubs for all interests. “We have the capacity and the will and the desire and drive to serve more children.”
The local leaders put special focus on Sherman Park, the site of a large fight and shooting last week. The area has had more calls for service in July than in any 30-day period over the last 2½ years, Milwaukee County Sheriff Denita Ball said.
The latest in sports
- Reporter Drew Dawson is the perfect person to write this guide to running in Milwaukee since he's a runner himself. (I can't relate. The fastest I'll go is a brisk walk.) He's got information on the best routes and trails, local runners' groups, notable races in the area and more.
- The Wisconsin Badgers' first preseason football camp under head coach Luke Fickell is this Wednesday. To get you up to speed for football season, Jeff Potrykus breaks down five things to watch at the camp.
- Thanasis is back with the Bucks. Giannis Antetokounmpo's older brother, a free agent forward, re-signed with the team.
Don't miss these
- Country music fans: Flip your calendar to 2024 to check your availability. Tim McGraw is coming April 19 to Fiserv Forum with Carly Pearce as the opener. Tickets go on sale Aug. 4.
- Mike Romans, considered the "godfather" of Milwaukee's craft beer scene, died at 69 from cancer. His Bay View bar, Romans' Pub, was among the first to serve imported and craft beer on tap.
- Elephants have been coming to Baraboo since 1888. After August, they won't return. This summer's performance season at Circus World is their last before they move into retirement.
- Microsoft President Brad Smith was born in Milwaukee, and graduated from Appleton West. He spoke to the Green Bay Press-Gazette about the tech giant's investment in the state.
Chef's Food Network appearance
Milwaukee chef Brian Cripps didn't beat Bobby Flay on the Food Network, but he got to showcase his skills on a national stage.
Cripps, the chef at Third Ward restaurant Tre Rivali, made it to the final round on the latest episode of "Beat Bobby Flay." He made pita bread from scratch and ground the meat in his lamb kafta, but the judges chose Flay's version.
Reporter Jessica Rodriguez spoke to Cripps about what it was like to film the show in front of a live audience, and what he's taking away from the experience.
What readers can take away: Cripps' lamb kafta is also on the menu at Tre Rivali.
Summer in your neck of the woods
Do you read this newsletter and live somewhere other than the Milwaukee area? Feel free to say hi and introduce yourself. Email me at scarson@gannett.com — and let me know your favorite summer activity in your town.
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Not yet a Journal Sentinel subscriber? Please consider signing up at jsonline.com/deal. | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2023/07/30/racine-soldier-travis-king-gun-violence-in-milwaukee-tim-mcgraw/70488801007/ | 2023-07-31T00:56:27 | 0 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2023/07/30/racine-soldier-travis-king-gun-violence-in-milwaukee-tim-mcgraw/70488801007/ |
Breakout by Brewers offense completely overshadowed by pitching in sweep by Braves
ATLANTA – After serving as a launch pad for airborne objects in Atlanta over the weekend, the Milwaukee Brewers will be glad to catch a flight of their own and get out of town Sunday night.
Baseballs were sent into orbit with high frequency by the Atlanta Braves in a three-game sweep of the Brewers at Truist Park, including four home runs pounded in an 8-6 victory for the home team in the finale.
A Brewers pitching staff that had been nothing short of excellent of late was pulverized over the three days.
They gave up 29 runs, the most allowed by Milwaukee in a three-game series since 2019.
Here are three takeaways from the final of the three losses:
Pitch to Austin Riley turns the tides in the game
With a runner on second and two outs in the bottom of the third, Brewers starter Colin Rea thought he had struck Austin Riley out with a full-count fastball at the bottom of the zone.
Home plate umpire Alfonso Marquez disagreed.
Shortly after, Matt Olson deposited a ball into the seats in right field for a three-run homer that turned a 3-2 Brewers lead into a two-run deficit.
“(Marquez) did a really good job today overall,” Rea said. “It was just that one pitch maybe I thought that was a strike. They’re going to miss calls throughout the game. It just happened to be in a big situation.”
Said Brewers manager Craig Counsell: “Close pitch, for sure. When you want, you feel like you make a really great pitch and just didn’t get it. Unfortunately they took a big swing after that and that’s kind of how it works. You feel like you make a good pitch and don’t get an out and somebody else hurts you.”
Braves offense pounded the Brewers staff
That sequence just goes to show how thin the margin for error is with the Braves offense, if it even exists at all.
Of the 11 home runs the Braves hit in the series, many weren’t even on bad pitches.
The sinker from Rea that Riley hit 463 feet for a two-run homer in the first was in on his hands and down.
Rea tried to go inside on Olson on a 2-2 pitch in the third and hit the inside corner, but Olson still managed to pull his hands in and crush it out to right.
Marcell Ozuna’s game-tying homer – the fifth of five times in the series that the Brewers took a lead and then immediately had it erased in the ensuing half-inning – off Hoby Milner in the sixth on Sunday was a slider below the knees that the Braves designated hitter flicked out to left-center for his fourth blast of the series.
“Top to bottom, everyone in their lineup can do damage,” Rea said. “For me, specifically, I’ve gotten hurt on the home run ball this year in numerous games and this is a team where you can’t make those mistakes. They weren’t even bad pitches today, really.”
In the sweep, the Braves as a team slashed .406/.439/.802 (average, on-base, slugging) for an almost-unbelievable OPS of 1.241. Their offense is incredible, no doubt, but one can’t help but wonder how much of this onslaught of runs was due to that fact, and how much was due to a lack of execution by the Brewers? After all, Atlanta had scored a total of nine runs over its previous four games entering the weekend.
“I don’t know,” Counsell answered.
It certainly didn’t help the Brewers that the back end of their rotation lined up for this series. Adrian Houser gave up six runs on nine hits and tons of hard contact Friday. Julio Teheran allowed nine runs Saturday, including six in the first. And Rea capped it off by giving up five runs, the eighth time in 18 starts he’s allowed four runs or more earned runs.
“They swung the bats as well as you could swing it, as well as I’ve seen, in a three-game series,” Counsell said.
Pitching updates:Brewers lose one starter to injury but expect to get another one back this week
Despite sweep, Brewers offense turned in three good performances
Preventing runs hadn’t been the problem in the second half when the Brewers touched down in Atlanta on Thursday night.
Scoring them sure hadn’t come easily.
Milwaukee had tallied five runs just once in its 12 second half games before taking on the Braves, then did so in all three games against them.
Of course, however, it went to waste in terms of the win column.
Depending on your view, it could leave even more of a sour taste to the sweep considering the offense broke out for the first time in a while, or a bit of a silver lining?
“It happens,” Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich said. “You would like to put to all together, but it’s how baseball works sometimes. It doesn’t really make sense. If we can keep doing that – we’re not going to score six or seven every game, but if you can find ways to tack on runs, I think for the rest of the year we’ll be alright in the long run. Just a tough three days. It’s one of those things that happens and you move on from it.”
Yelich homered Sunday, as did Carlos Santana in his second game with the Brewers.
Between a solo homer to give his new team a 3-2 lead in the third and a handful of slick plays on defense, Santana provided Milwaukee with a glimpse of what he could potentially provide down the stretch.
And if he and the rest of the Brewers offense can put forth a similar performance with some semblance of regularity over the final two months, the team will be in good shape. | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2023/07/30/brewers-pitchers-overwhelmed-in-sweep-by-braves/70485908007/ | 2023-07-31T00:56:33 | 1 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2023/07/30/brewers-pitchers-overwhelmed-in-sweep-by-braves/70485908007/ |
FORT WORTH, Texas — Fort Worth police on Sunday responded to Hulen Mall after reports of an active shooter and a bomb threat, according to officials.
Police said they received a call around 5 p.m. Sunday regarding a bomb threat at the mall located near the intersection of South Hulen Street and SW Loop 820.
Employees and customers at the mall were told to evacuate as police responded.
In an update, police said they did not find any signs of a shooting or explosive device at the mall and that they believe the threat was a hoax.
"Any time someone calls in a bomb threat, it’s to alarm the public," Fort Worth police officer Tracy Carter said.
Police acknowledged that there were reports of gunshots fired at the mall, but officials said the "shots" people may have heard were likely chairs falling or doors being slammed during the panic of people rushing for the exits.
Further details were not released as the investigation continues.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information is released. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/fort-worth-police-responding-report-bomb-threat-hulen-mall/287-cc43f69f-45ce-4e9a-9130-dca7723fd4bd | 2023-07-31T00:56:35 | 1 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/fort-worth-police-responding-report-bomb-threat-hulen-mall/287-cc43f69f-45ce-4e9a-9130-dca7723fd4bd |
ARLINGTON, Texas — The scuffling Texas Rangers placed ace Nathan Eovaldi on the 15-day injured list Sunday with a right forearm strain and recalled right-hander Grant Anderson from Triple-A Round Rock.
The move was made retroactive to July 27. Eovaldi and manager Bruce Bochy both said they expect the right-hander to be ready to go when he's eligible to come off the IL.
Eovaldi had an MRI recently and threw a bullpen when the AL West leaders were in Houston, “and toward the end of it it, it just didn't feel right," he said Sunday. The All-Star described it as “an achy feeling that just doesn't feel normal" on the outside of his elbow.
He last made a start on July 18 against Tampa Bay and had his next start pushed back twice. At one point he thought he'd start Sunday against the San Diego Padres.
Instead, he landed on the IL.
“I kind of expected it,” Eovaldi said. “We ended up throwing another bullpen when we were in Houston and it just didn't feel as good as I was hoping for. Where we are, the timing of the season and everything like that, we feel like this isn't something I needed to be grinding through or battling through. We'll take the time, whether it be a week or two, go from there and be ready for the postseason and the end of the season.”
Eovaldi (11-3, 2.69 ERA) will be evaluated by the team's medical staff after the Rangers return to Texas following this series. The Rangers had lost six of eight games. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/sports/mlb/rangers/texas-rangers-put-nathan-eovaldi-on-15-day-il-right-forearm-strain/287-9a4450a2-aba1-41d4-8ed1-d45166500321 | 2023-07-31T00:56:41 | 0 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/sports/mlb/rangers/texas-rangers-put-nathan-eovaldi-on-15-day-il-right-forearm-strain/287-9a4450a2-aba1-41d4-8ed1-d45166500321 |
ARLINGTON, Texas — Nearly 24 hours after the Texas Rangers announced that they had acquired Max Scherzer from the New York Mets, general manager Chris Young made his next move as the team continued to push their chips to the center of the table. With future Hall of Famer Scherzer in tow, the Rangers have acquired another pair of arms to bolster their pitching staff with the hopes of October glory.
Finalizing the trade was a little easier than the one for Scherzer as this time around Texas lands starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery and reliever Chris Stratton from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for prospect infielder Thomas Saggese and right-handed pitcher Tekoah Roby, and current big league left-handed reliever John King.
Coming to Texas
The Rangers, who have needed more pitching since the dawn of time, but especially of late in a season where they find themselves contending, acquired both a starter and reliever in the deal with the Cardinals. The starter is lefty Jordan Montgomery. Montgomery, who was in his second season with the Cardinals on a pillow contract of $10 million, has been a quality middle of the rotation arm.
Over the last year and a half with St. Louis, the 30-year-old has a 12-12 record with a 3.31 ERA, 0.9 HR/9 and a 3.52 K/BB rate. Before he was traded to St. Louis last year, Montgomery spent five and a half seasons with the New York Yankees, pitching to a 22-20 record, 3.94 ERA, 1.2 HR/9 and 3.27 K/BB rate.
Montgomery has started 21 games in 2023. He had a bit of a rough first couple of months to the season, but over June and July, he’s been much better. In the 10 starts he’s made over the previous eight weeks or so, Montgomery has pitched to a 2.37 ERA with 53 strikeouts and with opponents hitting just .213 against him.
If you take out his two most recent starts against the Cubs, he’s pitched to a 1.48 ERA. Montgomery slots in right behind Max Scherzer and Nathan Eovaldi – assuming the latter can return healthy – as a solid 1-2-3 punch ahead of Jon Gray, with Dane Dunning, Andrew Heaney, and Martin Perez filling out the Rangers’ rotation.
In addition to Montgomery, Texas also acquired right-handed reliever Chris Stratton in the deal. Stratton, who will be a free agent at the end of the year, has made 42 appearances for the Cardinals this season, and while the “Baseball Card” stats don’t look great – 4.36 ERA, 17 walks – he’s featuring a career high 3.47 K/BB ratio, a 9.9 K/9 rate, a career low 2.9 BB/9 rate, and career-low 1.174 WHIP. Stratton adds a little balance to a left-heavy bullpen that desperately needs another reliable high-leverage arm behind Aroldis Chapman and Will Smith.
Of lesser note, but as added intrigue, Stratton broke into the big leagues under current Rangers’ manager Bruce Bochy, and Montgomery pitched his best while with the Cardinals last season under the tutelage of current Rangers’ pitching coach Mike Maddux.
As one final sweetener, Texas also received an international bonus pool slot from the Cardinals to up their ability to spend on international free agents.
Going to St. Louis
Thomas Saggese is Texas’ No. 14 prospect and is a capable infielder with a glove better suited for second base. Like Scherzer’s spoils going to New York, Luisangel Acuña, Saggese spent time at both Hickory and Frisco last season and slashed .312/.361/.506 across both levels. This season, in 92 games with Frisco, Saggese is slashing .314/.380/.514.
The 2020 fifth round selection for Texas has been known to have an aggressive approach at the plate and a lot of pull stroke. He needs to work on his plate discipline and bulk up some, but there’s little question that he’ll hit in the big leagues. His character is treasured as well, having earned Texas’ “True Ranger” Award last season.
Tekoah Roby, the right-handed starting pitcher who was a third round pick in the 2020 draft, ranked as the club’s No. 11 prospect. He made his debut with the Wood Ducks in Down East in 2021, but was shut down with an elbow sprain. This season, with Double-A Frisco, Roby has battled through injuries again and is currently on the IL with a shoulder issue. In 10 starts with the Rough Riders, Roby has posted a 5.05 ERA in 46.1 innings and a decent 4.17 K/BB rate.
John King has been up and down with the big league club over the past three and a half seasons. The lefty has not been very good this season for Texas, posting a 5.79 ERA in 18.2 innings, striking out just 10 and allowing a career-worst 1.607 WHIP.
The contracts
Both Montgomery and Stratton will be free agents at the end of this year. Montgomery’s contract was only worth $10 million, so Texas will be on the hook for less than $4 million for his remaining stay in Texas. Stratton’s one-year contract, signed to avoid a non-tender from the Cardinals, was only for $2.8 million, leaving the Rangers to pay a relatively minimal amount through the remainder of this season.
What it means for Texas
Neither of the prospects that Texas gave up in this deal are ones that are must-keeps when the big league club needs reinforcements.
The Rangers currently have a long-term blockage in the middle infield with Marcus Semien and Corey Seager. Anybody with a middle infield position below the Major League level should be considered a trade chip, and since Texas has done a relatively good job of developing middle infielders, that has given them a lot of ammo with which to work with.
Offloading Roby while he’s injured right now to an organization that treasures pitching like the Cardinals could be the one that haunts Texas but there’s no guarantee that Roby will be healthy enough to reach his potential.King, meanwhile, has already shown what he is capable of and it wasn’t anything that, right now, would be useful on a contending team.
Young certainly is making the most of the currency at his disposal, and even though there might be some flashier or bigger names to get to go along with Scherzer, nobody can say that the Rangers’ GM is bargain bin shopping or shying away from pulling the trigger at a certain price point.
Are there more moves you’d like to see the Rangers make before the deadline? Share your thoughts with Matt on Twitter @FisherWritesMLB. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/sports/mlb/rangers/texas-rangers-trade-pitcher-jordan-montgomery-st-louis-cardinals-mlb/287-dfea2537-3cc1-405f-b935-c3a343f0a014 | 2023-07-31T00:56:47 | 0 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/sports/mlb/rangers/texas-rangers-trade-pitcher-jordan-montgomery-st-louis-cardinals-mlb/287-dfea2537-3cc1-405f-b935-c3a343f0a014 |
Record heat waves illuminate plight of poorest Americans who suffer without air conditioning
DENVER (AP) — As Denver neared triple-digit temperatures, Ben Gallegos sat shirtless on his porch swatting flies off his legs and spritzing himself with a misting fan to try to get through the heat. Gallegos, like many in the nation’s poorest neighborhoods, doesn’t have air conditioning.
The 68-year-old covers his windows with mattress foam to insulate against the heat and sleeps in the concrete basement. He knows high temperatures can cause heat stroke and death, and his lung condition makes him more susceptible. But the retired brick layer, who survives on about $1,000 a month largely from Social Security, says air conditioning is out of reach.
“Take me about 12 years to save up for something like that,” he said. “If it’s hard to breathe, I’ll get down to emergency.”
As climate change fans hotter and longer heat waves, breaking record temperatures across the U.S. and leaving dozens dead, the poorest Americans suffer the hottest days with the fewest defenses. Air conditioning, once a luxury, is now a matter of survival.
As Phoenix weathered its 27th consecutive day above 110 degrees (43 Celsius) Wednesday, the nine who died indoors didn’t have functioning air conditioning, or it was turned off. Last year, all 86 heat-related deaths indoors were in uncooled environments.
“To explain it fairly simply: Heat kills,” said Kristie Ebi, a University of Washington professor who researches heat and health. “Once the heat wave starts, mortality starts in about 24 hours.”
It’s the poorest and people of color, from Kansas City to Detroit to New York City and beyond, who are far more likely to face grueling heat without air conditioning, according to a Boston University analysis of 115 U.S. metros.
“The temperature differences ... between lower-income neighborhoods, neighborhoods of color and their wealthier, whiter counterparts have pretty severe consequences,” said Cate Mingoya-LaFortune of Groundwork USA, an environmental justice organization. “There are these really big consequences like death. ... But there’s also ambient misery.”
Some have window units that can offer respite, but “in the dead of heat, it don’t do nothing,” said Melody Clark, who stopped Friday to get food at a nonprofit in Kansas City, Kansas, as temperatures soared to 101, and high humidity made it feel like 109. When the central air conditioning at her rental house went on the fritz, her landlord installed a window unit. But it doesn’t do much during the day.
So the 45-year-old wets her hair, cooks outside on a propane grill and keeps the lights off indoors. She’s taken the bus to the library to cool off. At night she flips the box unit on, hauling her bed into the room where it’s located to sleep.
As far as her two teenagers, she said: “They aren’t little bitty. We aren’t dying in the heat. ... They don’t complain.”
While billions in federal funding have been allocated to subsidize utility costs and the installation of cooling systems, experts say they often only support a fraction of the most vulnerable families and some still require prohibitive upfront costs. Installing a centralized heat pump system for heating and cooling can easily reach $25,000.
President Joe Biden announced steps on Thursday to defend against extreme heat, highlighting the expansion of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which funnels money through states to help poorer households pay utility bills.
While the program is critical, said Michelle Graff, who studies the subsidy at Cleveland State University, only about 16% of the nation’s eligible population is actually reached. Nearly half of states don’t offer the federal dollars for summer cooling.
“So people are engaging in coping mechanisms, like they’re turning on their air conditioners later and leaving their homes hotter,” Graff said.
While frigid temperatures and high heating bills birthed the term “heat or eat,” she said, “we can now transition to AC or eat, where people are going to have to make difficult decisions.”
As temperatures rise, so does the cost of cooling. And temperatures are already hotter in America’s low-income neighborhoods like Gallegos’ Denver suburb of Globeville, where people live along stretches of asphalt and concrete that hold heat like a cast-iron skillet. Surface temperatures there can be roughly 8 degrees hotter than in Denver’s wealthier neighborhoods, where a sea of vegetation cools the area, according to the environmental advocacy group American Forests.
This disparity plays out nationwide. Researchers at the University of San Diego analyzed 1,056 counties and in over 70%, the poorest areas and those with higher Black, Hispanic and Asian populations were significantly hotter.
About one in 10 U.S. households have no air conditioning, a disparity compounded for marginalized groups, according to a study by the Brookings Institution. Less than 4% of Detroit’s white households don’t have air conditioning; it’s 15% for Black households.
At noon on Friday, Katrice Sullivan sat on the porch of her rented house on Detroit’s westside. It was hot and muggy, but even steamier inside the house. Even if she had air conditioning, Sullivan said she’d choose her moments to run it to keep her electricity bill down.
The 37-year-old factory worker pours water on her head, freezes towels to put around her neck, and sits in her car with the air conditioner on. “Some people here spend every dollar for food, so air conditioning is something they can’t afford,” she said.
Shannon Lewis, 38, lived in her Detroit home for nearly 20 years without air conditioning. Lewis’s bedroom was the only place with a window unit, so she’d squeeze her teenager, 8-year-old and 3-year-old-twins into her queen-size bed to sleep, eat meals and watch television.
“So it was like cool in one room and a heat stroke in another,” Lewis said. For the first time, Lewis now has air conditioning through a local non-profit, she said. “We don’t have to sleep or eat in the same room, we are able to come out, sit at the dining room table, eat like a family.”
After at least 54 died during a 2021 heat wave, mostly elderly people without air conditioning, in the Portland area, Oregon passed a law prohibiting landlords from placing blanket bans on air conditioning units. By and large, however, states don’t have laws requiring landlords to provide cooling.
In the federal Inflation Reduction Act, billions were set aside for tax credits and rebates to help families install energy-efficient cooling systems, but some of those are yet to be available. For people like Gallegos, who doesn’t pay taxes, the available credits are worthless.
The law also offers rebates, the kind of state and federal point-of-sale discounts that Amanda Morian has looked into for her 640-square-foot home.
Morian, who has a 13-week-old baby susceptible to hot weather, is desperate to keep her house in Denver’s Globeville suburb cool. She bought thermal curtains, ceiling fans and runs a window unit. At night she tries to do skin-to-skin touch to regulate the baby’s body temperature. When the back door opens in the afternoon, she said, the indoor temperature jumps a degree.
“All of those are just to take the edge off, it’s not enough to actually make it cool. It’s enough to keep us from dying,” she said.
She got estimates from four different companies for installing a cooling system, but every project was between $20,000 and $25,000, she said. Even with subsidies she can’t afford it.
“I’m finding that you have to afford the project in the first place and then it’s like having a bonus coupon to take $5,000 off of the sticker price,” she said.
Lucy Molina, a single mom in Commerce City, one of Denver’s poorest areas, said her home has reached 107 degrees without air conditioning. Nearby, Molina’s two teenage children slurped popsicles to cool off, lingering in front of the open freezer.
For Molina, who bustled around her kitchen on a recent day when temperatures reached 99 degrees outdoors, it’s hard to see any path to a cooling respite.
“We’re just too poor,” she said.
____
Associated Press writers Heather Hollingsworth in Kansas City, Kansas, and Corey Williams in Detroit contributed to this report.
——
Bedayn is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kttc.com/2023/07/30/record-heat-waves-illuminate-plight-poorest-americans-who-suffer-without-air-conditioning/ | 2023-07-31T00:57:53 | 0 | https://www.kttc.com/2023/07/30/record-heat-waves-illuminate-plight-poorest-americans-who-suffer-without-air-conditioning/ |
Russian missile attacks leave few options for Ukrainian farmers looking to export grain
(AP) -PAVLIVKA, Ukraine (AP) — The summer winds carried the smell of burned grain across the southern Ukrainian steppe and away from the shards of three Russian cruise missiles that struck the unassuming metal hangars.
The agricultural company Ivushka applied for accreditation to export grain this year, but the strike in mid-July destroyed a large portion of the stock, days after Russia abandoned the grain deal that would have allowed the shipments across the Black Sea without fear of attack.
Men shirtless and barefoot, with blackened soles from ash, swept unburnt grain into piles and awaited the loader, whose driver deftly steered around twisted metal shrapnel, bits of missile and craters despite his shattered windshield.
They hoped to beat the next rain to rescue what was left of the crop. According to the Odesa Regional Prosecutor’s Office, Russia struck the facility July 21 with three Kalibr- and Onyx-class cruise missiles.
“We don’t have a clue why they did it,” explained Olha Romanova, the head of Ivushka. Romanova, who worked in the debris alongside the others, wore a red headscarf and an exhausted expression and was too frazzled to even estimate her losses.
She cannot comprehend why the Russians targeted Ivushka, as there are no nearby military facilities and the frontlines are far from the village in the Odesa region.
“They spent so much money on us,” she said, puzzled. The missiles that ruined the silos are worth millions of dollars — far more than the crop they destroyed.
But Ivushka wasn’t the only target in Odesa. The main port also was struck, leaving Black Sea shipping companies that relied upon the grain deal to keep them safe and food supplies flowing to the world at a standstill.
The Black Sea handled about 95% of Ukrainian grain exports before Russia’s invasion and the U.N.-brokered initiative allowed Ukraine to ship much of what farmers harvested in 2021 and 2022, said Joseph Glauber, senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute.
Ukraine, a major supplier of corn, wheat, barley and vegetable oil, shipped 32.9 million metric tons (36.2 million U.S. tons) of grain under the nearly yearlong deal designed to ease a global food crisis. It has been able to export an additional 2 million to 2.5 million metric tons (2.2 to 2.7 million U.S. tons) monthly by the Danube River, road and rail through Europe.
Those are now the only routes to ship grain, but have stirred divisions among nearby European countries and generated higher costs to be absorbed by Ukrainian farmers, said Glauber, former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Russian missiles strikes against the Danube port last Monday also raised questions about how much longer that route will remain viable.
That’s a disincentive to keep planting fields already threatened by missiles and strewn with explosive mines. Corn and wheat production in agriculture-dependent Ukraine is down nearly 40% this year from prewar levels, analysts say.
From the first of July last year until June 30 this year, Ukraine exported 68 million tons of grain, according to data from Mykola Horbachov, the president of the Ukrainian Grain Association. Ukrainian farmers shipped 11.2 million tons via railways, 5.5 million tons by road transport and around 18 million tons through Danube ports. Additionally, nearly half of the total exported grain, 33 million tons, was delivered through seaports under the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
Ihor Osmachko, the general director of Agroprosperis Group, was unsurprised by Russia’s withdrawal from the deal leading to its collapse. His company had never considered it a reliable or permanent solution during wartime.
He said Russians frequently stymied the deal, even while it was functioning, by delaying ship inspections until the cargos were sent back, leading to $30 million in losses for his company alone. Now, they are once again forced to pay to reroute 100,000 tons of grain trapped in ports that are no longer safe, Osmachko said.
“We have been preparing for this whole time,” Osmachko said. “We haven’t stopped. We are moving forward.”
Osmachko estimated around 80% to 90% of the approximately 3.2 million tons of grain Agroprosperis exported to China, Europe and African countries during the past year went through the grain corridor.
“The most significant problem today is the cost of logistics,” explained Mykola Horbachov, president of the Ukrainian Grain Association. Before the war, farmers paid approximately $20 to $25 per ton to transport grain to the Odesa ports. Now, logistics costs have tripled as they are forced to pay more than $100 to transport a single ton via alternative routes through the Danube port to Constanta, Romania.
“If we were to go on the Danube with the grain corridor closed, practically all our production would be unprofitable,” Osmachko said.
The Danube ports can’t handle the same volume as seaports. The most Agroprosperis has sent through this route is 75,000 tons per month, compared with a monthly average of 250,000 tons through Black Sea ports.
The Ukrainian harvest this year is the lowest in a decade, according to a July report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Horbachov said shipping costs to export around the world and uncertainty about the length of the war will last could quickly make new planting unprofitable for Ukrainian farmers.
Ukraine currently produces three times more grain than it consumes, while global prices will inevitably rise if the country’s exports decrease.
“I think you’re looking at a diminished Ukraine for at least the next couple of years and maybe longer,” said Glauber, the former U.S. agricultural official. “That’s something the rest of the world just needs to make up.”
The war from all sides poses risks for Agroprosperis.
In the Sumy region on the Russian border, farmers harvest their crops wearing body armor. Sometimes they must stop their combines in the middle of the wheat fields to pick up shrapnel from Russian projectiles.
“It can get tough at times,” Osmachko acknowledged. “But there are responsibilities — some have duties on the front. Some must grow food and ensure the country’s and world’s security.”
___
Volodymyr Yurchuk in Lviv, Ukraine, and Courtney Bonnell in London contributed.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kttc.com/2023/07/30/russian-missile-attacks-leave-few-options-ukrainian-farmers-looking-export-grain/ | 2023-07-31T00:58:00 | 1 | https://www.kttc.com/2023/07/30/russian-missile-attacks-leave-few-options-ukrainian-farmers-looking-export-grain/ |
It looks like the end of the road for one of the nation's largest freight carriers.
Yellow, a trucking company that just three years ago took a $700 million federal pandemic loan, has reportedly shut down after laying off employees at all locations. The company is expected to file for bankruptcy as soon as Monday, according to industry experts, following a recent exodus of customers amid union strife and on top of years of financial troubles.
With 30,000 jobs at stake, it would be the largest trucking bankruptcy in the history of the U.S., experts said. The company, formerly known as YRC Worldwide, is the third largest less-than-truckload carrier by revenue, behind FedEx and Old Dominion. LTL companies move pallet-sized shipments — smaller than a container, but bigger than a parcel.
Yellow has not publicly announced any plans for bankruptcy or a potential shutdown.
Here's what we know.
Employees are told to prepare for a company shutdown
The Wall Street Journal reported that Yellow shut down on Sunday afternoon, citing internal notices sent to customers and employees.
According to the industry outlet FreightWaves, which also obtained internal documents, Yellow says it plans to issue a public statement on Monday about "the state of the company and the operation."
NPR has not independently confirmed the shutdown and Yellow has not responded to NPR's requests for comment.
Yellow laid off an unknown number of its employees on Friday, reported FreightWaves, citing a memo sent to staff informing them that the company is "shutting down its regular operations" and "laying off employees at all of its locations."
Meanwhile, Teamsters, who represent Yellow's 22,000 unionized workers, advised Yellow employees to "prepare for the worst."
"Yellow appears to be headed to a complete shutdown within the next few days," said Teamsters National Freight Director John Murphy in a Friday memo shared with NPR. He advised drivers to collect their belongings so that they don't get caught up in bankruptcy liquidation.
The Teamsters union declined to comment about a potential bankruptcy or shutdown.
A strike threat delivered a final blow to cash-poor Yellow
Reports of a shutdown come days after a Teamsters strike at the company was averted. A week ago, a pension fund agreed to extend health benefits for workers at two Yellow operating companies after the carrier missed its $50 million benefits payment to the fund on July 15, the union said.
While the extension held off a July 24 strike, the threat of a walkout that could disrupt operations prompted a wave of Yellow customers to bolt.
"The Teamsters actions induced a high level of variability and uncertainty in the market for Yellow's customers. The market abhors variability and uncertainty," wrote Mike Regan, co-founder of TranzAct Technologies, which manages transportation services for retailers. "Consequently, Yellow lost substantial and much needed volume."
After the strike threat, Yellow's freight volumes fell 80% within the span of a week, according to Jack Atkins, a managing director at the financial services firm Stephens who researches the transportation sector.
At the same time, he said, Yellow's cries that it was running out of cash during union negotiation attempts scared off customers. Since then, customers haven't returned.
"Both sides bear fault," Atkins said. "Once that freight left, there was nothing left to really restructure," he added. "It was really too late to save the company."
The company has been at risk of bankruptcy for years
Animus between Yellow and Teamsters has grown in recent months, after the trucking carrier tried to restructure its operations this spring as a cost-saving measure that would allow it to refinance its debt. In June, Yellow sued the union for blocking the restructuring plan it said was "essential to the company's survival." The Teamsters in turn called the lawsuit "baseless," instead blaming Yellow for "decades of gross mismanagement," that included its alleged exhaustion of the $700 million bailout loan.
The company reported a net income of $21.8 million last year. Yellow has $1.3 billion in loan debt due in fall 2024, $729 million of which is owed to the federal government, according to the company's latest quarterly report.
Yellow received a $700 million loan from the government in 2020 as part of a COVID-19 rescue package. In return, the Treasury Department took a 30% stake in the company's shares, which have since plummeted to less than a dollar apiece as of Friday.
In June, a congressional probe found that the Treasury Department's disbursement of the loan was a mistake; the freight company — whose customers included the Department of Defense — did not actually meet the standards to qualify for the business loan because its survival was not "critical to maintaining national security."
"Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Yellow was a financially struggling company that had a long-term non-investment grade (i.e., junk) rating and previous close calls with bankruptcy over the years. The pandemic did not cause Yellow's longstanding problems, nor is the Treasury's loan to the company likely to solve those problems," the Congressional Oversight Commission report read.
A world without Yellow
An end to the Nashville-based company would mean the loss of 30,000 jobs. And Atkins doesn't expect the federal government to come to the rescue this time.
While there may be some slight disruptions, the analyst anticipates other freight carriers will have some capacity to absorb Yellow's business because of the dent in freight volumes.
"This is not going to create a supply-chain crisis," he said.
Retailers and manufacturers are likely to see higher shipping rates if the company folds, he said. Yellow is known for its low shipping rates compared to its rivals.
Atkins visited the Yellow terminal in Little Rock, Ark., on Sunday to find all gates chained up, a sign of ceased operations.
"They've been in wind-down mode, clearing the network out of all the remaining freight," he said. "This is the end."
NPR's Camila Domonoske contributed to this story.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.knau.org/npr-news/2023-07-30/the-yellow-trucking-company-meltdown-explained | 2023-07-31T00:58:05 | 0 | https://www.knau.org/npr-news/2023-07-30/the-yellow-trucking-company-meltdown-explained |
Lebanon: Several killed in Palestinian refugee camp clashes
Clashes between residents of Lebanon's largest Palestinian camp near the coastal city of Sidon left at least six people dead amid fighting between the Palestinian Fatah group and rival pro-Islamist groups within the camp, Palestinian officials said Sunday.
A Fatah commander and four aides were killed in the clashes. A member of a group sympathetic to hardline Islamists also perished. The killings ignited violence within the camp which lasted for two days and only subsided late on Sunday.
Ein el-Hilweh hosts some 50,000 Palestinian refugees. It is notorious for its lawlessness, as is believed to be a refuge for extremists and fugitives.
A 1969 Arab Accord prevents the Lebanese army from entering the country's 12 Palestinian refugee camps. That means factions are left to handle security among themselves.
What do we know about the clashes?
Clashes began on Saturday, after an unknown gunman tried to kill an Islamist militant, shooting dead his companion instead.
The attack prompted Islamist militants to shoot and kill the Fatah military general and four of his aides, which the Palestinian presidency described the incident as a "heinous massacre and terrorist assassination."
The violence involved assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenade launchers and the lobbing of hand grenades.
The fighting slowed after a ceasefire was reached in a meeting between rival Palestinian factions. The meeting involved the pro-Iranian, militant Hezbollah group and its Shiite ally, the Amal movement.
Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati urged in a statement "the Palestinian leadership to cooperate with the army to control the security situation and deliver to the Lebanese authorities those who compromise it."
rmt/jsi (AFP, AP, Reuters) | https://www.dw.com/en/lebanon-several-killed-in-palestinian-refugee-camp-clashes/a-66391208 | 2023-07-31T00:58:28 | 1 | https://www.dw.com/en/lebanon-several-killed-in-palestinian-refugee-camp-clashes/a-66391208 |
Netherlands starts towing burning EV-laden freight ship
Salvage specialists started towing a burning freighter ship off the coast of the Netherlands to a less dangerous location on Sunday.
It has been ablaze for several days near the Wadden Sea nature reserve and authorities hope to relocate it to a less sensitive spot.
What's the situation?
The operation had initially been announced on Saturday but was then delayed because of unfavorable winds and concerns of smoke-related risks for crews on the vessels towing the stricken freighter.
But on Sunday conditions became suitable to tow the freighter carrying more than 3,500 cars, around 500 of them electric vehicles.
The ship has been ablaze for several days. Extinguishing the fire has proved extremely challenging, in no small part because of the difficulty of extinguishing lithium-ion batteries if they ignite.
Dousing the fire with large quantities of water was also not an option, for fear of sinking the ship, sending the pollutant materials on board to the ocean floor.
The fire has shown some of the modern challenges of transporting larger numbers of electric vehicles by ship, on packed freighters, where on-board fire-extinguishing equipment is often relatively primitive and where it can be hard for crews to access the tightly-packed ranks of vehicles.
What's the plan?
The Netherlands' national water management agency, the Rijkswaterstaat, said the towing began late on Sunday afternoon.
"There was considerably less smoke on the cargo ship this afternoon," the government agency said, adding the vessel's stability was constantly being monitored following concerns of it sinking.
The ship is slowly being towed to an area some 16 kilometers (around 10 miles) north of the islands of Schiermonnikoog and Ameland, a few dozen kilometers from where it became stricken.
That's close to the ecologically sensitive Wadden Sea nature reserve, the largest tidal flats system in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The vessel could cause severe environmental damage were it to sink there.
It was anticipated that the tow was likely to take up to 14 hours depending on weather conditions, smoke and the tide.
The cause of the fire on board is unclear, though the vessel's owner has said an electric vehicle may have been the source. Whatever caused the fire, the large number of EVs present among the fire complicates efforts to extinguish it.
One crew member of the Freemantle Highway died in the fire, which forced other sailors to jump overboard when it broke out late on Tuesday.
msh/jsi (AFP, dpa) | https://www.dw.com/en/netherlands-starts-towing-burning-ev-laden-freight-ship/a-66391309 | 2023-07-31T00:58:34 | 0 | https://www.dw.com/en/netherlands-starts-towing-burning-ev-laden-freight-ship/a-66391309 |
MUNCIE, Ind. (WXIN) — A street party in Muncie, Indiana, turned into the scene of a deadly shooting early Sunday morning.
One man died and nearly two dozen others were injured. Of those wounded, 19 were treated at Ball Memorial Hospital’s emergency room, and four were taken to other hospitals. Thirteen victims remained hospitalized in stable condition Sunday afternoon.
After the mass shooting, police announced that there was no further danger to the general public.
”Stranger comes up and decides to take it personal on somebody he knows in the crowd,” said one anonymous man who claimed his nephew was the block party’s disc jockey. “And you can’t fight against an AR. He let loose in the crowd. Everywhere in the crowd.”
The Delaware County coroner identified the deceased victim as 30-year-old Joseph Bonner. There’s no indication if Bonner played an active role in the shooting, whether any other victims are suspected of firing guns, or if any firearms were recovered.
A witness at IU/Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie described a scene of emergency department chaos with more than 100 people descending on the facility — many of whom were victims that were taken to the hospital by private vehicles.
Officers from several agencies — including a Muncie-based FBI agent — secured the crime scene and collected evidence while doctors and nurses treated the wounded from the mass casualty event.
By midday, detectives were still walking the debris-strewn street and parking lot with brown bags filled with collected evidence. A tow truck was also seen hauling away a bullet-riddled red Buick that appeared to have crashed during an attempt to leave the scene.
The Muncie Homecoming Festival committee said the street party where the shooting happened was not part of the official MHF celebration going on this week.
Muncie Parks Superintendent Carl Malone told Nexstar’s WXIN he chaired a neighborhood crime watch meeting last Thursday, and residents expressed fear that this weekend could turn volatile.
”We was a little concerned about violence that we thought might happen,” said Malone, who described Muncie Homecoming as a city-wide welcome home celebration held once every four years for former residents and family members to reconnect with their hometown. ”You had a lot of people congregating in one area, just hanging out and wanting to be part of the neighborhood activities. And then, at that point at time, it got into late night, and when you get into late nights, you usually have some sort of curfew violations, alcohol, guns and drugs seem to be a problem.”
Malone said Muncie has not had a community-wide gun violence initiative since 2015.
”We’ve always had concerns about this area and teenagers involved with handguns,” said Malone, whose niece attended the party. ”She just got out of surgery. She’s doing well. She’s whole. And then my godson was being treated out at Ball Hospital.”
Malone said he will meet with the city’s police leadership Monday morning to review the shooting and plans for keeping Muncie streets safe the rest of the summer.
”The mayor knows my push for gun violence, the lack of gun violence education, the lack of gun violence awareness, the lack of how to report gun violence in and out of our homes,” Malone said. “There’s a way to report crime, there’s a way to report guns, and we just have to report guns in and out of our backpacks and homes.”
Muncie is about 60 miles northwest of Indianapolis. The city is home to about 65,000 people. | https://www.wearegreenbay.com/news/national/1-dead-23-wounded-after-street-party-shooting-in-indiana/ | 2023-07-31T00:58:37 | 0 | https://www.wearegreenbay.com/news/national/1-dead-23-wounded-after-street-party-shooting-in-indiana/ |
At 24, Alberto Rodriguez has grandparents younger than Joe Biden. But he’s more interested in the 80-year-old president’s accomplishments than his age.
“People as young as me, we’re all focusing on our day-to-day lives and he has done things to help us through that,” Rodriguez, a cook at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, said of Biden’s support among young voters. Rodriguez pointed specifically to federal COVID-19 relief payments and government spending increases on infrastructure and other social programs.
Voters like him were a key piece of Biden’s winning 2020 coalition, which included majorities of young people as well as college graduates, women, urban and suburban voters and Black Americans. Maintaining their support will be critical in closely contested states such as Nevada, where even small declines could prove consequential to Biden’s reelection bid.
His 2024 campaign plans to emphasize messages that could especially resonate with young people in the coming weeks as the anniversary of the sweeping Inflation Reduction Act approaches in mid-August. That legislation includes provisions that the White House will embrace to argue that Biden has done more than any other president to combat climate change.
Such efforts, however, could collide with Biden’s personal reality — like when he recalled that, while attending a St. Patrick’s Day parade at age 14, he appeared in a photo with President Harry S. Truman.
“Purely by accident — I assume it was an accident — the photographer from the newspaper got a picture of me making eye contact with Harry Truman,” Biden said to chuckles last week at the Truman Civil Rights Symposium in Washington.
In 2020, 61% of voters under age 30 — and 55% of those between 30 and 44 — supported Biden, according to AP VoteCast, a nationwide survey of the electorate.
It’s an age group with which Republicans hope to make inroads. Former President Donald Trump, who is the early front-runner in the GOP presidential primary and is only 3 1/2 years younger than Biden, said Friday, “We are hitting the young person’s market like nobody’s ever seen before.”
Kevin Munoz, a spokesman for Biden’s campaign, referred to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement in arguing that “young people are acutely impacted by the issues front and center in this election, driven by the extreme MAGA agenda.” He said that included inaction on climate change, gun violence and student debt.
“We will meet younger Americans where they are and turn their energy into action,” Munoz said in a statement.
That might not defuse questions about age, though, when it comes to Biden or Trump.
“There’s a frustration and exhaustion that they feel with the rematch,” Terrance Woodbury, co-founder & CEO of the Democratic polling firm HIT Strategies, said of young voters.
“That’s more of a problem than either of those two candidates individually, is that a system can just keep reproducing,” Woodbury added. “And I think a lot of people just find that untenable.”
An April poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that just 25% of Democrats under 45 said they would definitely support Biden in a general election, compared with 56% of older Democrats. A majority of Democrats across age groups said they would probably support him as the party’s nominee, however.
Biden’s campaign is relying heavily on the Democratic National Committee, which during last year’s midterms, hired campus organizers in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona and other battleground states and offered weekly youth coordinating meetings to encourage in-class contacts and “dormstorms.” The DNC sees young people as some of the most critical voters it will need to reach in 2024 and promises “significant investments” to mobilize them. Plans are underway to expand on its work last cycle, including trainings it held on how best to turn out voters.
The Republican National Committee is trying to use Biden’s age against him, posting online videos of Biden seeming frail or making verbal gaffes, such as when he declared in June “God save the queen,” nearly nine months after the death of England’s Queen Elizabeth II.
Rodriguez shrugged off online attacks, “People can make all the hit pieces and memes and TikToks all they want.”
A starker contrast might be between the president and rising Democrats such as 46-year-old California Rep. Ro Khanna and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, 41, one of Biden’s primary rivals in 2020. Neither seriously entertained running for the White House in 2024 and have backed Biden’s reelection.
“The only thing that really matters is your ability to do the job,” Buttigieg, who was 37 when he launched his 2020 presidential bid, said recently on CNN. Khanna told Fox News Channel that age will “obviously” be a 2024 factor, but suggested that Biden’s staff “overprotects” him and “the more he’s out there, the better.”
Other top young Democrats have lined up to back Biden. Florida Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost, who was elected to Congress last year at 26, is on the Biden campaign’s advisory board, as is Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, 44. New York Rep. Alexandra Ocasio Cortez, 33, recently endorsed Biden.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, a progressive who says strong turnout among young voters helped him win a runoff election this spring, said Biden’s policies transcend his age. Johnson noted that the president’s work “around climate justice speaks not just to this generation, but generations to come.”
“The excitement that I believe that we’re going to have is going to speak to the incredible work and organizing that we are committed to doing as a party,” said Johnson, 47. “And we’re looking forward to working with the president over the course of his next four years.”
Still, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, acknowledged that even the president’s supporters understand how demanding the White House can be.
“People worry about Joe Biden. They worry like you would worry about a beloved father or grandfather,” said Weingarten, 65. “What you normally hear from Democrats is this sense of, ‘OK, I just want him to be OK.’ And you’re hearing just the consternation of, ’This is a hard job.’”
Biden said he “took a hard look” at his age while deciding to seek a second term. But he’s also tried to suggest his age and experience are assets rather than liabilities by joking repeatedly about them. That’s a departure from 2020, when Biden called himself a “transition candidate” and pledged to be a “bridge” to younger Democrats.
Santiago Mayer, the founder of Voters of Tomorrow, which has 20-plus chapters nationwide and works to increase political engagement among young voters, argues that Biden is not defying his past promise by running for reelection, but keeping it.
“He just needs more time,” said Mayer, who graduated from California State University at Long Beach in May. “I think the second term is a very important part of that pledge. He’s building a progressive future for young people and he can’t actually pass the baton until that’s done.”
One key policy piece of Biden’s efforts to appeal to young voters, providing student debt relief, was recently struck down by the Supreme Court. The White House has launched a new effort, but it will take longer.
“Of course it’s going to dampen some of that because people are disappointed,” Weingarten said of the ruling’s effect on enthusiasm for Biden. But she said the decision could also motivate young Biden supporters anxious show their support for the president’s alternative plan.
“It is also about the fight,” Weingarten said “not just about the results.” | https://www.wearegreenbay.com/news/national/joe-biden-the-oldest-sitting-president-needs-young-voters-will-his-age-matter/ | 2023-07-31T00:58:43 | 1 | https://www.wearegreenbay.com/news/national/joe-biden-the-oldest-sitting-president-needs-young-voters-will-his-age-matter/ |
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- A level 1 risk for severe weather is active for central North Carolina Monday.
Isolated severe storms are possible Monday with the main threat being damaging winds.
Temperatures are expected to be in the high 80s for some areas.
Scattered storms are expected to move into the area around noon until 11 p.m.
Sunday, was mostly cloudy and warm with temperatures at a high of 71. Scattered storms are mostly south of the Triangle into the evening hours.
Tonight will be partly cloudy with a chance of lingering showers primarily in the Sandhills.
Stay weather aware and connected. Download the ABC11 App right now | https://abc11.com/first-alert-day-damaging-winds-heavy-rainfall-thunderstorms/13570001/ | 2023-07-31T00:59:16 | 1 | https://abc11.com/first-alert-day-damaging-winds-heavy-rainfall-thunderstorms/13570001/ |
For the Culture Kansas Festival highlights Black culture in Sunflower State
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - For the Culture KS Fest is a celebration of African-American culture, giving black-owned businesses, artists, musicians, vendors and more the opportunity to share their talents in a space designed to bring people together.
However, For the Culture Kansas is more than just the weeks festivities.
“For the culture is more than just a festival,” says Mackenzi “Mac” Mondesir, the non-profits director of fundraising. “It’s really about creating programming that will continue to showcase a lot of great things that we’re about.”
Things that encourage growth and prosperity within the Black community.
“From empowerment to education, to mental, physical health, you know, financial literacy, those are all key components of how we plan on continuing to build.” says Mondesir.
The weeks festival was the beginning of a larger wave of what For the Culture KS seeks to expand into a bigger wave of community engagement for Black Americans in the Sunflower State.
Jekale Williams is Houston-based artist with Rooftop Vibe. He travelled all the way from Texas to be at this weeks festival, showing support and even organizing musicians to perform. He says this event’s benefits extend beyond the food, music and fun, positively impacting businesses and artists by connecting them to one another.
“I think the most important thing is the opportunities that could come afterwards,” says Williams. “The people that you meet, you usually make a lasting impression on and if you can do something like bring masses of people together. So I think the most important thing is how we can grow, where we can go from here and how we can continue to build and move the culture forward.”
Another major focus of the festivals organizers is showing young Black talent that there is opportunity and community right here in Kansas.
“We’re trying to inspire the young people to stick around and stay around,” says Alonzo Harrison, who sits on For the Culture Kansas’ Board of Directors and helped underwrite the financing for the event. “I have five daughters and none of them wanted to be in the Topeka. They all left to go in corporate America and we’re taking our brightest and our best and we’re losing them. Our brightest and best, we’re losing that bevy of individuals who have a lot to offer. And if we don’t give them a reason to stay, they don’t.”
For the Culture Kansas has plans to host more events focused on history, business, education and more in the future. More information can be found on its website or Facebook page.
Copyright 2023 WIBW. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2023/07/31/culture-kansas-festival-highlights-black-culture-sunflower-state/ | 2023-07-31T00:59:18 | 0 | https://www.wibw.com/2023/07/31/culture-kansas-festival-highlights-black-culture-sunflower-state/ |
BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESSUpdated 4:56 PM CDT, July 30, 2023Share
ATLANTA (AP) — Matt Olson drove in five runs with two homers, including a go-ahead, two-run blast in the eighth, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Milwaukee Brewers 8-6 on Sunday to cap their sweep of the high-scoring series.
Orlando Arcia led off the eighth with a double to left field off Joel Payamps (4-2). With one out, Olson’s 35th homer landed in the Atlanta bullpen in right-center, giving the Braves the lead. It was the first earned runs allowed by Payamps, who took a 1.68 ERA into the game, since June 8.
Kirby Yates (5-0) pitched a scoreless eighth. Raisel Iglesias earned his 20th save by striking out the side in the ninth. | https://wtmj.com/homepage-showcase/2023/07/30/brewers-fall-to-braves-8-6/ | 2023-07-31T01:00:47 | 0 | https://wtmj.com/homepage-showcase/2023/07/30/brewers-fall-to-braves-8-6/ |
MILWAUKEE- The first Republican presidential debate of the 2024 campaign is less than a month away. That event, set to be held in Milwaukee, will have a stacked field of candidates. That event is set to take place at Fiserv Forum Wednesday, August 23rd.
To qualify for the debate, candidates needed to satisfy polling and donor requirements set by the Republican National Committee: at least 1% in three high-quality national polls or a mix of national and early-state polls, between July 1 and Aug. 21, and a minimum of 40,000 donors, with 200 in 20 or more states. Seven candidates have satisfied those requirements, seven have not.
The Associated Press’ Meg Kinnard takes a look at who’s in, who’s (maybe) out and who’s still working on making it:
WHO HAS QUALIFIED:
DONALD TRUMP
The current front-runner long ago satisfied the polling and donor thresholds. But he is considering boycotting and holding a competing event.
Campaign advisers have said the former president has not made a final decision about the debate. One noted that “it’s pretty clear,” based on Trump’s public and private statements, that he is unlikely to appear with the other candidates.
In the meantime, aides have discussed potential alternative programming if Trump opts for a rival event. One option Trump has floated is an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who now has a program on X, the site formerly known as Twitter.
Others aren’t convinced; one of which is former White House Chief of Staff and Kenosha-native Reince Priebus, who tells WTMJ N.O.W. that he expects the former president to attend the event.
RON DESANTIS
The Florida governor has long been seen as Trump’s top rival, finishing a distant second to him in a series of polls in early-voting states, as well as national polls, and raising an impressive amount of money.
But DeSantis’ campaign has struggled in recent weeks to live up to the sky-high expectations that awaited him when he entered the race. He let go of more than one-third of his staff as federal filings showed his campaign was burning through cash at an unsustainable rate.
If Trump is absent, DeSantis may be the top target on stage at the debate.
TIM SCOTT
The South Carolina senator has been looking for a breakout moment. The first debate could be his chance.
A prolific fundraiser, Scott enters the summer with $21 million cash on hand.
In one debate-approved poll in Iowa, Scott joined Trump and DeSantis in reaching double digits. The senator has focused much of his campaign resources on the leadoff GOP voting state, which is dominated by white evangelical voters.
NIKKI HALEY
She has blitzed early-voting states with campaign events, walking crowds through her electoral successes ousting a longtime incumbent South Carolina lawmaker, then becoming the state’s first woman and first minority governor. Also serving as Trump’s U.N. ambassador for about two years, Haley frequently cites her international experience, arguing about the threat China poses to the United States.
The only woman in the GOP race, Haley has said transgender students competing in sports is “the women’s issue of our time” and has drawn praise from a leading anti-abortion group, which called her “uniquely gifted at communicating from a pro-life woman’s perspective.”
Bringing in $15.6 million since the start of her campaign, Haley’s campaign says she has “well over 40,000 unique donors” and has satisfied the debate polling requirements.
VIVEK RAMASWAMY
The biotech entrepreneur and author of “Woke, Inc.: Inside Corporate America’s Social Justice Scam” is an audience favorite at multicandidate events and has polled well despite not being nationally known when he entered the race.
Ramaswamy’s campaign says he met the donor threshold earlier this year. He recently rolled out “Vivek’s Kitchen Cabinet” to boost his donor numbers even more, by letting fundraisers keep 10% of what they bring in for his campaign.
CHRIS CHRISTIE
The former New Jersey governor opened his campaign by portraying himself as the only candidate ready to take on Trump. Christie called on the former president to “show up at the debates and defend his record.” Christie has met polling and donor requirements at this time with a late push in the last month.
DOUG BURGUM
Burgum, a wealthy former software entrepreneur now in his second term as North Dakota’s governor, has been using his fortune to boost his campaign.
He announced a program this month to give away $20 gift cards — “Biden Relief Cards,” as a critique of President Joe Biden’s handling of the economy — to as many as 50,000 people in exchange for $1 donations. Critics have questioned whether the offer violated campaign finance law.
Within about a week of launching that effort, Burgum announced he had surpassed the donor threshold. Ad blitzes in the early-voting states also helped him meet the polling requirements.
WHO HASN’T QUALIFIED:
MIKE PENCE
Trump’s vice president has met the polling threshold but has yet to amass a sufficient number of donors, raising the possibility that he might not qualify for the party’s first debate.
Pence and his advisers have expressed confidence he will do so, noting that most other Republican hopefuls took a month or two of being active candidates to meet the mark. Pence entered the race on June 7, the same day as Burgum and one day after Christie.
ASA HUTCHINSON
According to his campaign, the former two-term Arkansas governor has met the polling requirements but is working on satisfying the donor threshold. As of Wednesday, Hutchinson marked more than 11,000 unique donors.
Hutchinson is running in the mold of an old-school Republican and has differentiated himself from many of his GOP rivals in his willingness to criticize Trump. He has posted pleas on Twitter for $1 donations to help secure his slot.
FRANCIS SUAREZ
The Miami mayor has been one of the more creative candidates in his efforts to boost his donor numbers. He offered up a chance to see Argentine soccer legend Lionel Messi’s debut as a player for Inter Miami, saying donors who gave $1 would be entered in a chance to get front-row tickets.
Still shy of the donor threshold, he took a page from Burgum’s playbook by offering a $20 “Bidenomics Relief Card” in return for $1 donations. A super political action committee supporting Suarez launched a sweepstakes for a chance at up to $15,000 in tuition, in exchange for a $1 donation to Suarez’s campaign.
Suarez’s campaign did not return a message seeking details on his number of donors or qualifying polls.
LARRY ELDER
The conservative radio host wrote in an op-ed that the RNC “has rigged the rules of the game by instituting a set of criteria that is so onerous and poorly designed that only establishment-backed and billionaire candidates are guaranteed to be on stage.”
His campaign last week declined to detail its number of donors, saying only that there had been “a strong increase the last few weeks.” He has not met the polling requirements.
PERRY JOHNSON
Johnson, a wealthy but largely unknown businessman from Michigan, said in a recent social media post that he had notched 23,000 donors and was “confident” he would make the debate stage. He added that all donors were “eligible to attend my free concert in Iowa featuring” country duo Big & Rich next month.
Johnson, who has reached 1% in one qualifying poll, has also offered to give copies of his book “Two Cents to Save America” to anyone who donated to his campaign.
WILL HURD
The former Texas congressman — the last candidate to enter the race, on June 22 — has said repeatedly that he would not pledge to support the eventual GOP nominee, a stance that would keep him off the stage even if he had the qualifying donor and polling numbers.
Insight for candidates by Meg Kinnard, Associated Press | https://wtmj.com/news/2023/07/30/whos-in-whos-out-a-look-at-which-candidates-will-be-part-of-the-1st-gop-presidential-debate/ | 2023-07-31T01:00:54 | 0 | https://wtmj.com/news/2023/07/30/whos-in-whos-out-a-look-at-which-candidates-will-be-part-of-the-1st-gop-presidential-debate/ |
5 things to know about Springfield History Museum's new motorcycle exhibit
Springfield History Museum's newest exhibit shines a light on the city's early motorcycle culture.
“Motorcycles in Springfield, 1900-1939” is a new temporary exhibit featuring historic motorcycles, photographs, newspaper clippings and more.
"To me, a successful exhibit is when we see a big broad topic, like motorcycle history, and then we get to see the impact that Springfield had on it," said exhibit curator Maddi McGraw. "(People) really get to see their roles in the community and get to kind of see them come alive."
The exhibit is on view now through December. McGraw said she hopes there will be some additions over the next six months.
Motorcycle history almost as old as the town itself
Although settlers came to Springfield as early as the 1840s, the town was first incorporated in 1881. When searching through local newspaper archives, McGraw said she was surprised to find mention of motorcycles in 1900, shortly after its invention in 1885.
"They got here really quick, which is pretty fascinating," she said. "And the mention − it's not explaining what (motorcycles) are. The person who was writing the article assumed this knowledge of local people, so there must have already been bikes around."
She said one theory is Springfield's proximity to Portland, which had early motorcycle dealerships.
Connection to World War I
McGraw said many people associate the boom in motorcycle popularity with the 1950s after World War II. However, she said the first big rise came after World War I.
World War I was the first war that used motorcycles. McGraw found that the U.S. military specifically recruited men in biker clubs to the military, but many more still learned to ride overseas.
McGraw said that all the people highlighted in the exhibit served in World War I.
Highlighting community members
The two main "characters" in the exhibit are William "Bill" Davis and Raymond Smith Mountjoy, two Springfield residents who were active in the town's biker culture.
Mountjoy was a photographer and biker. His photographs documented the early days of motorcycles in the community.
Davis was an accomplished "hillclimb" motorcyclist.
Hillclimbing is essentially riding a motorcycle straight up a steep incline without stopping. The sport started at the turn of the century, and became an international phenomenon by the 1920s. In Springfield, Kelly Butte became a popular spot for hillclimbing, but the steep incline proved difficult. McGraw said that no one was able to complete the climb for four or five years, until Davis, who was the first person to make it all the way to the top without stopping in 1928.
Hillclimbing is less common now since the invention of the dirt bike, but there are still some competitions around the country.
Apart from being an accomplished hillclimber, Davis was also the Springfield police chief in the late 1920s. During his hillclimbing days, he was permitted a leave of absence by the city council to allow him to compete in the West Coast circuit.
"It was, basically, like having a professional athlete as our chief of police," she said.
Davis' granddaughter loaned and donated a slew of photos and memorabilia to use in the exhibit.
"It allowed us to kind of complete that story of his life," said McGraw, adding there were several other community members who made contributions to the exhibit. "It takes a village. Once we put the idea out there, then the stuff started to show up."
Exhibit must-sees
Two of the exhibit pieces that made McGraw most excited were a pair of vintage motorcycles loaned to the museum. One is a 1915 Indian Hedstrom Big Twin 1000cc and the other is a 1926 Harley-Davidson JD.
"These bikes in general are just so aesthetically cool," McGraw said. "When we were putting it (the exhibit) together, I was like, 'As long as I can get bikes in here, no matter what else is here, you're gonna want to come in see.'"
Although the bikes weren't specifically from Springfield, they are the same type that would have been seen in town.
The Harley, in particular, is the type of bike that would often be used in hillclimbing races.
Biker culture still alive
McGraw said in her research, she talked with biker enthusiasts, met vintage motorcycle club members and visited motorcycle-focused swap-meets. There are several biker bars in downtown Springfield. She said she still sees significant biker culture in Springfield, as well as in Eugene and Cottage Grove.
"There are people doing cross country rides as early as 1919," McGraw said. "People are still doing that today, just they're doing it with newer, better stuff. It seems to still be just as popular here."
The Springfield History Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, with extended hours on First Fridays. Admission is free.
Miranda Cyr reports on education for The Register-Guard. You can contact her at mcyr@registerguard.com or find her on Twitter @mirandabcyr. | https://www.registerguard.com/story/lifestyle/features/2023/07/30/5-things-to-know-about-springfield-history-museums-motorcycle-exhibit/70474610007/ | 2023-07-31T01:00:56 | 0 | https://www.registerguard.com/story/lifestyle/features/2023/07/30/5-things-to-know-about-springfield-history-museums-motorcycle-exhibit/70474610007/ |
South Eugene grads create feature-length coming-of-age movie
Two recent high school graduates have completed a feature-length film that could soon be playing in Eugene area theaters.
Akira Talaba and Mike Brown have been making videos together since they were in elementary school. Their passion for music and film bonded them. When the two first started talking about a new project in 2021, they initially had a short film in mind. The first draft of their script came out to 70 pages, so they knew a feature film was possible.
"We both had this urge to do a full-length feature, and kind of tower over everything that we have previously done," Brown said. "But (we) had zero experience on what making a feature film look like, so it was really just figuring it out along the way."
"The Boy Who Never Tangoed" is an 86-minute film, which Talaba called a mix of "Napoleon Dynamite" and "The King of Comedy." They filmed in Eugene and Portland, with much of the movie set in South Eugene High School, where they were students. The movie follows Andy, played by incoming South Eugene senior Casper Skolnick, who wants to impress a girl by joining the school talent show.
Described as a "passion project," the movie wasn't connected to any class or project.
"We’re proud to call our film a high school movie made by high schoolers. A coming of age film made entirely by people who are themselves coming of age," Talaba and Brown wrote in the film's pitch.
They recognized the most relatable and accessible film they could make would be the story of a high schooler, Brown said. While a coming-of-age story at its core, Talaba and Brown said the movie is a mix of genres with elements of drama, action, comedy, horror and even musical. The combination reflects Talaba and Brown's own interests.
The film features a theater filled with 100 extras, a prop breakaway fence, a shot-out window, a protest and more.
Production process
Both Brown and Talaba filmed, edited, directed and did other odd jobs for the movie. Brown described it as an "all-encompassing crew of two." They even made their own production company for the project: CHAD Films.
"We were doing every job − even jobs we didn't even know how to do," Brown said, including makeup for the actors.
Talaba's parents are in the film industry, which gave their production a lot of support. His parents are listed as producers for the $1,800 production. Talaba's father also helped them with the sound mix.
Brown's father is in the music industry. Brown also makes his own music. He said the soundtrack is a collection of music all produced by friends. The two also composed the movie's original score in Brown's father's home studio. Talaba said his father also helped with the score.
"That process of like, not really knowing you can do it just until you do it," Brown said. "It was sincerely just all of our basic knowledge of what a film score is. Like, what the cues are, what the dramatic moments are, what needs music, what doesn't. We're very fortunate to have this studio setup that my dad had."
For casting, they found their star actor through South Eugene's drama program. The program's director pointed them to Skolnick, who ended up being a perfect fit for the lead role. Most of the cast were not actors to begin with, and many of them were friends, Brown said.
"None of them really act," Brown said. "That's also what gives the movie life is the fact that all of these people in this film are just naturally how they are, they're kind of playing themselves."
The two began filming in June 2022, hoping to finish over the summer, but the process quickly got complicated. Brown said they were constantly having to adapt. Talaba said they were editing the film as they went along. They finished filming in early May of this year and completed the project that same month.
Talaba and Brown said who they are and their personal journeys can be seen in the final product.
"You can kind of pick up a lot on our personalities because this was a movie of just our brains kind of spilling out," Brown said.
"The movie really is like a sort of evolution of the main character and him kind of growing and figuring out what he does," Talaba added. "And I think that you can see our filmmaking changing, and it becomes a little bit different by the end of the movie."
Inspiration to others
A lot of the time, Talaba said they were figuring things out along the way.
Despite this, they said they never thought about quitting.
"When we had scenes to film (in the winter) and in the movie, it's still supposed to be summer, it kind of felt like a bit impossible in a way," Talaba said. "But I think that we both have a certain mindset about it, that not finishing it isn't an option."
They used what resources they had to push through. Talaba said they would sometimes realize day-of a film location they needed, then ask around to see if anyone could help them out. The main classroom featured in the film belonged to Brown's uncle. Friends' homes made up the set for the main character's house.
"(It was) a lot of luck," Brown said. "A lot of pulling strings and a lot of handouts for sure, and most definitely a lot of really nice and supportive people who wanted to see this happen for our city."
Brown said he hopes their efforts can inspire other young people interested in film.
"Against all odds, if you really want something, just do it. Just try it. If it doesn't work out, at least you tried it," Brown said. "Plenty didn't work out in this film. But at the end of the day, we have a film that I think we're pretty stoked about."
"Obviously, we're in a fortunate situation with our access to everything, but you don't even need that," said Talaba.
The majority of the movie was filmed on a Sony A73 camera, and about a quarter was filmed on an iPhone. Brown dares viewers to try to guess which scenes were filmed on an iPhone.
Still rolling
The official premiere of "The Boy Who Never Tangoed" will be on Aug. 5 at the West Sound Film Festival in Bremerton, Washington. From there, they're planning to show at several other film festivals around the country this fall.
They are also working on a hometown premiere for mid-August, and are hoping to have showings in local theaters around Eugene and Springfield later this year.
The film will eventually be available digitally to rent or stream.
Talaba and Brown are unsure what the future holds for them, but they both want to pursue creative careers. Talaba said he wants to continue with film, whether it's making movies or studying them. Brown said he's planning to go to New York in 2024, with plans for his next film project to be set in Manhattan while balancing his music career.
"You can find Akira and I, CHAD, doing plenty more with film, with music," Brown said. "I think from us two, there's a lot you can look forward to."
Miranda Cyr reports on education for The Register-Guard. You can contact her at mcyr@registerguard.com or find her on Twitter @mirandabcyr. | https://www.registerguard.com/story/lifestyle/features/2023/07/30/south-eugene-high-school-grads-create-feature-length-coming-of-age-movie-the-boy-who-never-tangoed/70435064007/ | 2023-07-31T01:00:57 | 1 | https://www.registerguard.com/story/lifestyle/features/2023/07/30/south-eugene-high-school-grads-create-feature-length-coming-of-age-movie-the-boy-who-never-tangoed/70435064007/ |
It looks like the end of the road for one of the nation's largest freight carriers.
Yellow, a trucking company that just three years ago took a $700 million federal pandemic loan, has reportedly shut down after laying off employees at all locations. The company is expected to file for bankruptcy as soon as Monday, according to industry experts, following a recent exodus of customers amid union strife and on top of years of financial troubles.
With 30,000 jobs at stake, it would be the largest trucking bankruptcy in the history of the U.S., experts said. The company, formerly known as YRC Worldwide, is the third largest less-than-truckload carrier by revenue, behind FedEx and Old Dominion. LTL companies move pallet-sized shipments — smaller than a container, but bigger than a parcel.
Yellow has not publicly announced any plans for bankruptcy or a potential shutdown.
Here's what we know.
Employees are told to prepare for a company shutdown
The Wall Street Journal reported that Yellow shut down on Sunday afternoon, citing internal notices sent to customers and employees.
According to the industry outlet FreightWaves, which also obtained internal documents, Yellow says it plans to issue a public statement on Monday about "the state of the company and the operation."
NPR has not independently confirmed the shutdown and Yellow has not responded to NPR's requests for comment.
Yellow laid off an unknown number of its employees on Friday, reported FreightWaves, citing a memo sent to staff informing them that the company is "shutting down its regular operations" and "laying off employees at all of its locations."
Meanwhile, Teamsters, who represent Yellow's 22,000 unionized workers, advised Yellow employees to "prepare for the worst."
"Yellow appears to be headed to a complete shutdown within the next few days," said Teamsters National Freight Director John Murphy in a Friday memo shared with NPR. He advised drivers to collect their belongings so that they don't get caught up in bankruptcy liquidation.
The Teamsters union declined to comment about a potential bankruptcy or shutdown.
A strike threat delivered a final blow to cash-poor Yellow
Reports of a shutdown come days after a Teamsters strike at the company was averted. A week ago, a pension fund agreed to extend health benefits for workers at two Yellow operating companies after the carrier missed its $50 million benefits payment to the fund on July 15, the union said.
While the extension held off a July 24 strike, the threat of a walkout that could disrupt operations prompted a wave of Yellow customers to bolt.
"The Teamsters actions induced a high level of variability and uncertainty in the market for Yellow's customers. The market abhors variability and uncertainty," wrote Mike Regan, co-founder of TranzAct Technologies, which manages transportation services for retailers. "Consequently, Yellow lost substantial and much needed volume."
After the strike threat, Yellow's freight volumes fell 80% within the span of a week, according to Jack Atkins, a managing director at the financial services firm Stephens who researches the transportation sector.
At the same time, he said, Yellow's cries that it was running out of cash during union negotiation attempts scared off customers. Since then, customers haven't returned.
"Both sides bear fault," Atkins said. "Once that freight left, there was nothing left to really restructure," he added. "It was really too late to save the company."
The company has been at risk of bankruptcy for years
Animus between Yellow and Teamsters has grown in recent months, after the trucking carrier tried to restructure its operations this spring as a cost-saving measure that would allow it to refinance its debt. In June, Yellow sued the union for blocking the restructuring plan it said was "essential to the company's survival." The Teamsters in turn called the lawsuit "baseless," instead blaming Yellow for "decades of gross mismanagement," that included its alleged exhaustion of the $700 million bailout loan.
The company reported a net income of $21.8 million last year. Yellow has $1.3 billion in loan debt due in fall 2024, $729 million of which is owed to the federal government, according to the company's latest quarterly report.
Yellow received a $700 million loan from the government in 2020 as part of a COVID-19 rescue package. In return, the Treasury Department took a 30% stake in the company's shares, which have since plummeted to less than a dollar apiece as of Friday.
In June, a congressional probe found that the Treasury Department's disbursement of the loan was a mistake; the freight company — whose customers included the Department of Defense — did not actually meet the standards to qualify for the business loan because its survival was not "critical to maintaining national security."
"Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Yellow was a financially struggling company that had a long-term non-investment grade (i.e., junk) rating and previous close calls with bankruptcy over the years. The pandemic did not cause Yellow's longstanding problems, nor is the Treasury's loan to the company likely to solve those problems," the Congressional Oversight Commission report read.
A world without Yellow
An end to the Nashville-based company would mean the loss of 30,000 jobs. And Atkins doesn't expect the federal government to come to the rescue this time.
While there may be some slight disruptions, the analyst anticipates other freight carriers will have some capacity to absorb Yellow's business because of the dent in freight volumes.
"This is not going to create a supply-chain crisis," he said.
Retailers and manufacturers are likely to see higher shipping rates if the company folds, he said. Yellow is known for its low shipping rates compared to its rivals.
Atkins visited the Yellow terminal in Little Rock, Ark., on Sunday to find all gates chained up, a sign of ceased operations.
"They've been in wind-down mode, clearing the network out of all the remaining freight," he said. "This is the end."
NPR's Camila Domonoske contributed to this story.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wvia.org/news/business/2023-07-30/the-yellow-trucking-company-meltdown-explained | 2023-07-31T01:01:24 | 1 | https://www.wvia.org/news/business/2023-07-30/the-yellow-trucking-company-meltdown-explained |
Music streaming is through the roof this year.
With acts from all over the world taking over the charts and doing so in record fashion.
American music acts are on the list of chart-topping hits from Miley Cyrus, whose single "Flowers" reached one billion streams faster than any song in Spotifyhistory in 2023. To SZA's smash hit "Kill Bill," which has also amassed more than a billion streams this year.
Luminate, one of the leaders in global entertainment data and research, says global streams have already topped one trillion this year.
The fastest climb to a trillion streams since the inception of music streaming reached just three months into the year, a full month faster than last year. And with that growth comes an increasing interest in non-English-language music.
Luminate’s report found nearly 40% of music listeners in the U.S. enjoy music in languages other than English.
Spanish and K-pop are leading the surge in global pop music.
"They both have incredibly loyal and passionate fan bases, and that really creates an environment where fans are always on the lookout for new music," said Jaime Marconette.
Marconette is Luminate’s senior director of music insights and industry relations.
When asked if English-speaking artists are losing their global appeal, Marconette said what we're seeing is most likely due to the increase of people speaking other languages other than English in the country.
"I think that's a fair question, but I think that's a really complicated answer because I don't know if they're losing their appeal," said Marconette. "But I think that what we're seeing is probably a bit of a rise of native languages, or languages that are specific to certain regions, or even diasporas as they move to other countries, starting to grow."
SEE MORE: Why are Mexican Corridos gaining popularity on the music charts?
Latin megastar Bad Bunny’s "Un Verano Sin Ti," which dropped in the Spring of 2022, continues to dominate Luminate’s mid-year top album chart in 2023.
When it comes to both physical and digital sales, K-pop is as pop as it gets.
"The number one source of discovery for K-pop fans here in the U.S. is video and then also audio streaming services; you know, these K-pop fans are also 76% more likely to stream music than the average listener," said Marconette.
Spanish, French, Japanese, Korean, Italian, German, and Arabic have all emerged as popular languages for non-anglophonic music.
The cultural melting pot that is the U.S. is also helping the rise of non-English music.
"But one of the things that we're seeing is that changing population demographics is definitely making the import of music from other countries easier," said Marconette.
Content platforms like YouTube and social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram also bring the world’s music to U.S. listeners and make it easier for people to share new songs.
"There are really no borders; there are really no geographical barriers," said Marconette. "We're finding that fans in other countries are very easily able to access all sorts of music; you know, really, the world's music library is essentially available."
While it's safe to say English-speaking music will always be around, American music executives are certainly paying attention to the shift. That means they're scoping out international talent more than ever.
"Understanding population changes, you know, those sorts of things together can really guide the way for, you know, music to cross borders, whether, you know, internationally or coming into the U.S. as well," said Marconette.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com | https://www.kivitv.com/music-streams-for-2023-hit-1-trillion-in-record-time | 2023-07-31T01:03:23 | 1 | https://www.kivitv.com/music-streams-for-2023-hit-1-trillion-in-record-time |
The Biden administration says it's hunting for destructive computer code or malware; it believes China has hidden deep inside networks controlling power grids, according to theNew York Times.
The discovery raises suspicions that hackers acting on behalf of the People’s Liberation Army have embedded malware designed to disrupt U.S. military operations in the event China were to invade Taiwan.
"So if it's not just localized and if it's a deep infiltration and it's utilized in that way, you can imagine the banking system or the power grid going down nationally or the water systems being ineffectual nationally, and that could obviously disrupt operations at home, not just for the purposes of slowing us down in response but actually taking us out of the game altogether, unable to resupply our forces and the like," said Jamil Jaffer, former counsel to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Earlier in May, tech giant Microsoft warned that hackers likely acting on behalf of China targeted U.S. military assets on the island of Guam, seeding harmful computer code in communications infrastructure.
SEE MORE: The evolution and future of the US-China relationship
"It was referred to as a vault typhoon. And obviously, this raises some concerns about how deep in are the Chinese in our systems. Are they in just military systems? Are they just in that region? Is it spread more broadly across the country, other military bases overseas, or in the United States?" said Jaffer.
The news about the malware adds tension to an increasingly fraught U.S.-China relationship, with clashes that include increasing threats towards Taiwan and American efforts to ban complex semi-conductor sales to China.
The U.S. has also blamed China for other major infrastructure computer hacks as well as accusing the foreign power of spying on the continental U.S. with school bus-sized balloons.
For its part, China accused the U.S. of hacking into its telecom giant, Huawei.
The U.S. recently reiterated its commitment to defending Taiwan, the island nation off the coast of mainland China. Taiwan recently held military exercises.
"With respect to Taiwan, you know, the capability that we are providing them is defensive capability, as you know, in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act. We are committed to helping them get the capability they need to defend themselves. And so, this is no change from what we've done in the past," said Lloyd Austin, U.S. Secretary of Defense.
China regards Taiwan as a rogue province and a constant source of tension between the U.S. and China. Two nations that are trading partners and, at the same time, increasingly wary adversaries.
In response to the New York Times article, the Chinese embassy in Washington reacted with dismay, denying it engages in hacking and calling the United States a far bigger offender.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com | https://www.kivitv.com/nyt-officials-fear-chinese-hackers-malware-could-disrupt-us-military | 2023-07-31T01:03:29 | 0 | https://www.kivitv.com/nyt-officials-fear-chinese-hackers-malware-could-disrupt-us-military |
It looks like the end of the road for one of the nation's largest freight carriers.
Yellow, a trucking company that just three years ago took a $700 million federal pandemic loan, has reportedly shut down after laying off employees at all locations. The company is expected to file for bankruptcy as soon as Monday, according to industry experts, following a recent exodus of customers amid union strife and on top of years of financial troubles.
With 30,000 jobs at stake, it would be the largest trucking bankruptcy in the history of the U.S., experts said. The company, formerly known as YRC Worldwide, is the third largest less-than-truckload carrier by revenue, behind FedEx and Old Dominion. LTL companies move pallet-sized shipments — smaller than a container, but bigger than a parcel.
Yellow has not publicly announced any plans for bankruptcy or a potential shutdown.
Here's what we know.
Employees are told to prepare for a company shutdown
The Wall Street Journal reported that Yellow shut down on Sunday afternoon, citing internal notices sent to customers and employees.
According to the industry outlet FreightWaves, which also obtained internal documents, Yellow says it plans to issue a public statement on Monday about "the state of the company and the operation."
NPR has not independently confirmed the shutdown and Yellow has not responded to NPR's requests for comment.
Yellow laid off an unknown number of its employees on Friday, reported FreightWaves, citing a memo sent to staff informing them that the company is "shutting down its regular operations" and "laying off employees at all of its locations."
Meanwhile, Teamsters, who represent Yellow's 22,000 unionized workers, advised Yellow employees to "prepare for the worst."
"Yellow appears to be headed to a complete shutdown within the next few days," said Teamsters National Freight Director John Murphy in a Friday memo shared with NPR. He advised drivers to collect their belongings so that they don't get caught up in bankruptcy liquidation.
The Teamsters union declined to comment about a potential bankruptcy or shutdown.
A strike threat delivered a final blow to cash-poor Yellow
Reports of a shutdown come days after a Teamsters strike at the company was averted. A week ago, a pension fund agreed to extend health benefits for workers at two Yellow operating companies after the carrier missed its $50 million benefits payment to the fund on July 15, the union said.
While the extension held off a July 24 strike, the threat of a walkout that could disrupt operations prompted a wave of Yellow customers to bolt.
"The Teamsters actions induced a high level of variability and uncertainty in the market for Yellow's customers. The market abhors variability and uncertainty," wrote Mike Regan, co-founder of TranzAct Technologies, which manages transportation services for retailers. "Consequently, Yellow lost substantial and much needed volume."
After the strike threat, Yellow's freight volumes fell 80% within the span of a week, according to Jack Atkins, a managing director at the financial services firm Stephens who researches the transportation sector.
At the same time, he said, Yellow's cries that it was running out of cash during union negotiation attempts scared off customers. Since then, customers haven't returned.
"Both sides bear fault," Atkins said. "Once that freight left, there was nothing left to really restructure," he added. "It was really too late to save the company."
The company has been at risk of bankruptcy for years
Animus between Yellow and Teamsters has grown in recent months, after the trucking carrier tried to restructure its operations this spring as a cost-saving measure that would allow it to refinance its debt. In June, Yellow sued the union for blocking the restructuring plan it said was "essential to the company's survival." The Teamsters in turn called the lawsuit "baseless," instead blaming Yellow for "decades of gross mismanagement," that included its alleged exhaustion of the $700 million bailout loan.
The company reported a net income of $21.8 million last year. Yellow has $1.3 billion in loan debt due in fall 2024, $729 million of which is owed to the federal government, according to the company's latest quarterly report.
Yellow received a $700 million loan from the government in 2020 as part of a COVID-19 rescue package. In return, the Treasury Department took a 30% stake in the company's shares, which have since plummeted to less than a dollar apiece as of Friday.
In June, a congressional probe found that the Treasury Department's disbursement of the loan was a mistake; the freight company — whose customers included the Department of Defense — did not actually meet the standards to qualify for the business loan because its survival was not "critical to maintaining national security."
"Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Yellow was a financially struggling company that had a long-term non-investment grade (i.e., junk) rating and previous close calls with bankruptcy over the years. The pandemic did not cause Yellow's longstanding problems, nor is the Treasury's loan to the company likely to solve those problems," the Congressional Oversight Commission report read.
A world without Yellow
An end to the Nashville-based company would mean the loss of 30,000 jobs. And Atkins doesn't expect the federal government to come to the rescue this time.
While there may be some slight disruptions, the analyst anticipates other freight carriers will have some capacity to absorb Yellow's business because of the dent in freight volumes.
"This is not going to create a supply-chain crisis," he said.
Retailers and manufacturers are likely to see higher shipping rates if the company folds, he said. Yellow is known for its low shipping rates compared to its rivals.
Atkins visited the Yellow terminal in Little Rock, Ark., on Sunday to find all gates chained up, a sign of ceased operations.
"They've been in wind-down mode, clearing the network out of all the remaining freight," he said. "This is the end."
NPR's Camila Domonoske contributed to this story.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.kasu.org/money-economy/2023-07-30/the-yellow-trucking-company-meltdown-explained | 2023-07-31T01:04:05 | 0 | https://www.kasu.org/money-economy/2023-07-30/the-yellow-trucking-company-meltdown-explained |
The Biden administration says it's hunting for destructive computer code or malware; it believes China has hidden deep inside networks controlling power grids, according to theNew York Times.
The discovery raises suspicions that hackers acting on behalf of the People’s Liberation Army have embedded malware designed to disrupt U.S. military operations in the event China were to invade Taiwan.
"So if it's not just localized and if it's a deep infiltration and it's utilized in that way, you can imagine the banking system or the power grid going down nationally or the water systems being ineffectual nationally, and that could obviously disrupt operations at home, not just for the purposes of slowing us down in response but actually taking us out of the game altogether, unable to resupply our forces and the like," said Jamil Jaffer, former counsel to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Earlier in May, tech giant Microsoft warned that hackers likely acting on behalf of China targeted U.S. military assets on the island of Guam, seeding harmful computer code in communications infrastructure.
SEE MORE: The evolution and future of the US-China relationship
"It was referred to as a vault typhoon. And obviously, this raises some concerns about how deep in are the Chinese in our systems. Are they in just military systems? Are they just in that region? Is it spread more broadly across the country, other military bases overseas, or in the United States?" said Jaffer.
The news about the malware adds tension to an increasingly fraught U.S.-China relationship, with clashes that include increasing threats towards Taiwan and American efforts to ban complex semi-conductor sales to China.
The U.S. has also blamed China for other major infrastructure computer hacks as well as accusing the foreign power of spying on the continental U.S. with school bus-sized balloons.
For its part, China accused the U.S. of hacking into its telecom giant, Huawei.
The U.S. recently reiterated its commitment to defending Taiwan, the island nation off the coast of mainland China. Taiwan recently held military exercises.
"With respect to Taiwan, you know, the capability that we are providing them is defensive capability, as you know, in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act. We are committed to helping them get the capability they need to defend themselves. And so, this is no change from what we've done in the past," said Lloyd Austin, U.S. Secretary of Defense.
China regards Taiwan as a rogue province and a constant source of tension between the U.S. and China. Two nations that are trading partners and, at the same time, increasingly wary adversaries.
In response to the New York Times article, the Chinese embassy in Washington reacted with dismay, denying it engages in hacking and calling the United States a far bigger offender.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com | https://www.kxlf.com/nyt-officials-fear-chinese-hackers-malware-could-disrupt-us-military | 2023-07-31T01:04:05 | 1 | https://www.kxlf.com/nyt-officials-fear-chinese-hackers-malware-could-disrupt-us-military |
MUNCIE, Ind. (WXIN) — A street party in Muncie, Indiana, turned into the scene of a deadly shooting early Sunday morning.
One man died and nearly two dozen others were injured. Of those wounded, 19 were treated at Ball Memorial Hospital’s emergency room, and four were taken to other hospitals. Thirteen victims remained hospitalized in stable condition Sunday afternoon.
After the mass shooting, police announced that there was no further danger to the general public.
”Stranger comes up and decides to take it personal on somebody he knows in the crowd,” said one anonymous man who claimed his nephew was the block party’s disc jockey. “And you can’t fight against an AR. He let loose in the crowd. Everywhere in the crowd.”
The Delaware County coroner identified the deceased victim as 30-year-old Joseph Bonner. There’s no indication if Bonner played an active role in the shooting, whether any other victims are suspected of firing guns, or if any firearms were recovered.
A witness at IU/Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie described a scene of emergency department chaos with more than 100 people descending on the facility — many of whom were victims that were taken to the hospital by private vehicles.
Officers from several agencies — including a Muncie-based FBI agent — secured the crime scene and collected evidence while doctors and nurses treated the wounded from the mass casualty event.
By midday, detectives were still walking the debris-strewn street and parking lot with brown bags filled with collected evidence. A tow truck was also seen hauling away a bullet-riddled red Buick that appeared to have crashed during an attempt to leave the scene.
The Muncie Homecoming Festival committee said the street party where the shooting happened was not part of the official MHF celebration going on this week.
Muncie Parks Superintendent Carl Malone told Nexstar’s WXIN he chaired a neighborhood crime watch meeting last Thursday, and residents expressed fear that this weekend could turn volatile.
”We was a little concerned about violence that we thought might happen,” said Malone, who described Muncie Homecoming as a city-wide welcome home celebration held once every four years for former residents and family members to reconnect with their hometown. ”You had a lot of people congregating in one area, just hanging out and wanting to be part of the neighborhood activities. And then, at that point at time, it got into late night, and when you get into late nights, you usually have some sort of curfew violations, alcohol, guns and drugs seem to be a problem.”
Malone said Muncie has not had a community-wide gun violence initiative since 2015.
”We’ve always had concerns about this area and teenagers involved with handguns,” said Malone, whose niece attended the party. ”She just got out of surgery. She’s doing well. She’s whole. And then my godson was being treated out at Ball Hospital.”
Malone said he will meet with the city’s police leadership Monday morning to review the shooting and plans for keeping Muncie streets safe the rest of the summer.
”The mayor knows my push for gun violence, the lack of gun violence education, the lack of gun violence awareness, the lack of how to report gun violence in and out of our homes,” Malone said. “There’s a way to report crime, there’s a way to report guns, and we just have to report guns in and out of our backpacks and homes.”
Muncie is about 60 miles northwest of Indianapolis. The city is home to about 65,000 people. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/national/1-dead-23-wounded-after-street-party-shooting-in-indiana/ | 2023-07-31T01:05:08 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/national/1-dead-23-wounded-after-street-party-shooting-in-indiana/ |
CHICAGO — Thousands of people are filling up several blocks in Pilsen for the last day of the 51st annual Fiesta del Sol, a celebration of Mexican and Latin American culture on Chicago’s South Side.
“First of all, it’s a beautiful day,” said Lupe Perez, an attendee of Fiesta del Sol. “We picked a great day to come. We come every year.”
Fiesta Del Sol first gained traction in the early 1970’s, when community members were celebrating the construction of a new high school in the area.
“This started off as a celebration of the opening of Benito Juarez High School, our local community high school,” said Alex Garcia, co-chair of the Fiesta del Sol.
Over time, Fiesta del Sol has proven to be a significant economic driver for the City of Chicago, attracting more than half-a-million people over the course of the four day event.
“When I go to Mexico, normally there are street fairs [like this],” said Nicolle Arriaga, a first-time attendee of the festival. “And actually, it feels like home. I feel like home.”
Folklore dance performances are going on throughout Sunday afternoon into the evening. Fiesta Del Sol is free to attend and it wraps up at 10 p.m. Sunday night. | https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-news/thousands-come-out-for-final-day-of-fiesta-del-sol/ | 2023-07-31T01:05:17 | 0 | https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-news/thousands-come-out-for-final-day-of-fiesta-del-sol/ |
CHICAGO — An annual regatta for sailors with disabilities wrapped up Sunday at Burnham Harbor in Chicago.
Paralympic medalist and Irish Sailaing Association President John Twomey was one of the sailors competing in the Independence Cup.
“I had an accident when I was young,” Twomey said. “I was a racing cyclist. I crashed in a race and cycling was no longer an option.”
Because he lived near the coast, he picked up sailing and the rest is history.
“I love sailing and it’s a great sport for someone with a disability because it’s a great equalizer,” Twomey said.
He was one of 40 sailors from all over the world racing in the Independence Cup, which was hosted by the Judd Goldman Adaptive Sailing Foundation.
“Our mission here at the foundation is to help develop self-reliance, self-esteem and independence,” Peter Goldman, the foundation’s president, said.
It was started in honor of Peter’s late father who had a disabling bone disease.
“He found that sailing was a good sport for him and so he sailed his whole life,” Peter said.
Goldman said adaptive boats are expensive to buy and maintain, but the foundation makes them available to the athletes at no cost.
“We started this program with three boats, now we have 20 boats in our fleet,” Peter said. | https://wgntv.com/news/features/sailors-with-disabilities-from-around-the-world-meet-in-chicago-for-annual-regatta/ | 2023-07-31T01:05:24 | 1 | https://wgntv.com/news/features/sailors-with-disabilities-from-around-the-world-meet-in-chicago-for-annual-regatta/ |
MUNCIE, Ind. (WXIN) — A street party in Muncie, Indiana, turned into the scene of a deadly shooting early Sunday morning.
One man died and nearly two dozen others were injured. Of those wounded, 19 were treated at Ball Memorial Hospital’s emergency room, and four were taken to other hospitals. Thirteen victims remained hospitalized in stable condition Sunday afternoon.
After the mass shooting, police announced that there was no further danger to the general public.
”Stranger comes up and decides to take it personal on somebody he knows in the crowd,” said one anonymous man who claimed his nephew was the block party’s disc jockey. “And you can’t fight against an AR. He let loose in the crowd. Everywhere in the crowd.”
The Delaware County coroner identified the deceased victim as 30-year-old Joseph Bonner. There’s no indication if Bonner played an active role in the shooting, whether any other victims are suspected of firing guns, or if any firearms were recovered.
A witness at IU/Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie described a scene of emergency department chaos with more than 100 people descending on the facility — many of whom were victims that were taken to the hospital by private vehicles.
Officers from several agencies — including a Muncie-based FBI agent — secured the crime scene and collected evidence while doctors and nurses treated the wounded from the mass casualty event.
By midday, detectives were still walking the debris-strewn street and parking lot with brown bags filled with collected evidence. A tow truck was also seen hauling away a bullet-riddled red Buick that appeared to have crashed during an attempt to leave the scene.
The Muncie Homecoming Festival committee said the street party where the shooting happened was not part of the official MHF celebration going on this week.
Muncie Parks Superintendent Carl Malone told Nexstar’s WXIN he chaired a neighborhood crime watch meeting last Thursday, and residents expressed fear that this weekend could turn volatile.
”We was a little concerned about violence that we thought might happen,” said Malone, who described Muncie Homecoming as a city-wide welcome home celebration held once every four years for former residents and family members to reconnect with their hometown. ”You had a lot of people congregating in one area, just hanging out and wanting to be part of the neighborhood activities. And then, at that point at time, it got into late night, and when you get into late nights, you usually have some sort of curfew violations, alcohol, guns and drugs seem to be a problem.”
Malone said Muncie has not had a community-wide gun violence initiative since 2015.
”We’ve always had concerns about this area and teenagers involved with handguns,” said Malone, whose niece attended the party. ”She just got out of surgery. She’s doing well. She’s whole. And then my godson was being treated out at Ball Hospital.”
Malone said he will meet with the city’s police leadership Monday morning to review the shooting and plans for keeping Muncie streets safe the rest of the summer.
”The mayor knows my push for gun violence, the lack of gun violence education, the lack of gun violence awareness, the lack of how to report gun violence in and out of our homes,” Malone said. “There’s a way to report crime, there’s a way to report guns, and we just have to report guns in and out of our backpacks and homes.”
Muncie is about 60 miles northwest of Indianapolis. The city is home to about 65,000 people. | https://wgntv.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/1-dead-23-wounded-after-street-party-shooting-in-indiana/ | 2023-07-31T01:05:30 | 1 | https://wgntv.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/1-dead-23-wounded-after-street-party-shooting-in-indiana/ |
At 24, Alberto Rodriguez has grandparents younger than Joe Biden. But he’s more interested in the 80-year-old president’s accomplishments than his age.
“People as young as me, we’re all focusing on our day-to-day lives and he has done things to help us through that,” Rodriguez, a cook at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, said of Biden’s support among young voters. Rodriguez pointed specifically to federal COVID-19 relief payments and government spending increases on infrastructure and other social programs.
Voters like him were a key piece of Biden’s winning 2020 coalition, which included majorities of young people as well as college graduates, women, urban and suburban voters and Black Americans. Maintaining their support will be critical in closely contested states such as Nevada, where even small declines could prove consequential to Biden’s reelection bid.
His 2024 campaign plans to emphasize messages that could especially resonate with young people in the coming weeks as the anniversary of the sweeping Inflation Reduction Act approaches in mid-August. That legislation includes provisions that the White House will embrace to argue that Biden has done more than any other president to combat climate change.
Such efforts, however, could collide with Biden’s personal reality — like when he recalled that, while attending a St. Patrick’s Day parade at age 14, he appeared in a photo with President Harry S. Truman.
“Purely by accident — I assume it was an accident — the photographer from the newspaper got a picture of me making eye contact with Harry Truman,” Biden said to chuckles last week at the Truman Civil Rights Symposium in Washington.
In 2020, 61% of voters under age 30 — and 55% of those between 30 and 44 — supported Biden, according to AP VoteCast, a nationwide survey of the electorate.
It’s an age group with which Republicans hope to make inroads. Former President Donald Trump, who is the early front-runner in the GOP presidential primary and is only 3 1/2 years younger than Biden, said Friday, “We are hitting the young person’s market like nobody’s ever seen before.”
Kevin Munoz, a spokesman for Biden’s campaign, referred to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement in arguing that “young people are acutely impacted by the issues front and center in this election, driven by the extreme MAGA agenda.” He said that included inaction on climate change, gun violence and student debt.
“We will meet younger Americans where they are and turn their energy into action,” Munoz said in a statement.
That might not defuse questions about age, though, when it comes to Biden or Trump.
“There’s a frustration and exhaustion that they feel with the rematch,” Terrance Woodbury, co-founder & CEO of the Democratic polling firm HIT Strategies, said of young voters.
“That’s more of a problem than either of those two candidates individually, is that a system can just keep reproducing,” Woodbury added. “And I think a lot of people just find that untenable.”
An April poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that just 25% of Democrats under 45 said they would definitely support Biden in a general election, compared with 56% of older Democrats. A majority of Democrats across age groups said they would probably support him as the party’s nominee, however.
Biden’s campaign is relying heavily on the Democratic National Committee, which during last year’s midterms, hired campus organizers in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona and other battleground states and offered weekly youth coordinating meetings to encourage in-class contacts and “dormstorms.” The DNC sees young people as some of the most critical voters it will need to reach in 2024 and promises “significant investments” to mobilize them. Plans are underway to expand on its work last cycle, including trainings it held on how best to turn out voters.
The Republican National Committee is trying to use Biden’s age against him, posting online videos of Biden seeming frail or making verbal gaffes, such as when he declared in June “God save the queen,” nearly nine months after the death of England’s Queen Elizabeth II.
Rodriguez shrugged off online attacks, “People can make all the hit pieces and memes and TikToks all they want.”
A starker contrast might be between the president and rising Democrats such as 46-year-old California Rep. Ro Khanna and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, 41, one of Biden’s primary rivals in 2020. Neither seriously entertained running for the White House in 2024 and have backed Biden’s reelection.
“The only thing that really matters is your ability to do the job,” Buttigieg, who was 37 when he launched his 2020 presidential bid, said recently on CNN. Khanna told Fox News Channel that age will “obviously” be a 2024 factor, but suggested that Biden’s staff “overprotects” him and “the more he’s out there, the better.”
Other top young Democrats have lined up to back Biden. Florida Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost, who was elected to Congress last year at 26, is on the Biden campaign’s advisory board, as is Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, 44. New York Rep. Alexandra Ocasio Cortez, 33, recently endorsed Biden.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, a progressive who says strong turnout among young voters helped him win a runoff election this spring, said Biden’s policies transcend his age. Johnson noted that the president’s work “around climate justice speaks not just to this generation, but generations to come.”
“The excitement that I believe that we’re going to have is going to speak to the incredible work and organizing that we are committed to doing as a party,” said Johnson, 47. “And we’re looking forward to working with the president over the course of his next four years.”
Still, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, acknowledged that even the president’s supporters understand how demanding the White House can be.
“People worry about Joe Biden. They worry like you would worry about a beloved father or grandfather,” said Weingarten, 65. “What you normally hear from Democrats is this sense of, ‘OK, I just want him to be OK.’ And you’re hearing just the consternation of, ’This is a hard job.’”
Biden said he “took a hard look” at his age while deciding to seek a second term. But he’s also tried to suggest his age and experience are assets rather than liabilities by joking repeatedly about them. That’s a departure from 2020, when Biden called himself a “transition candidate” and pledged to be a “bridge” to younger Democrats.
Santiago Mayer, the founder of Voters of Tomorrow, which has 20-plus chapters nationwide and works to increase political engagement among young voters, argues that Biden is not defying his past promise by running for reelection, but keeping it.
“He just needs more time,” said Mayer, who graduated from California State University at Long Beach in May. “I think the second term is a very important part of that pledge. He’s building a progressive future for young people and he can’t actually pass the baton until that’s done.”
One key policy piece of Biden’s efforts to appeal to young voters, providing student debt relief, was recently struck down by the Supreme Court. The White House has launched a new effort, but it will take longer.
“Of course it’s going to dampen some of that because people are disappointed,” Weingarten said of the ruling’s effect on enthusiasm for Biden. But she said the decision could also motivate young Biden supporters anxious show their support for the president’s alternative plan.
“It is also about the fight,” Weingarten said “not just about the results.” | https://wgntv.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/joe-biden-the-oldest-sitting-president-needs-young-voters-will-his-age-matter/ | 2023-07-31T01:05:36 | 0 | https://wgntv.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/joe-biden-the-oldest-sitting-president-needs-young-voters-will-his-age-matter/ |
CHICAGO — The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) spoke out today in support of a measure being pushed for by United States Representative Jesus ‘Chuy’ Garcia.
“We held a press conference to thank [Chuy] Garcia for taking the leadership, asking for the undocumented workers here in America,” said Cecilia Garcia, newly elected state director of the LULAC. “That they have a way to legalization and have status here without fear of being deported.”
Earlier this month, dozens of congressmen and women sent a letter to President Joe Biden, urging him to expand work authorizations to both new migrants, and those who have been in the US for years, working and paying taxes with no path to a permit.
“Whether they arrived days ago or decades ago, people need to provide for their family and they want to work,” Chuy Garcia said.
For Cecilia Garcia, it’s a topic that’s personally affected her as well—her own husband was undocumented and deported hours after getting pulled over on a traffic stop.
“My life has never been the same,” Cecilia Garcia said. “I’m now a single mother of five beautiful children.”
Cecilia Garcia said she believes allowing people who are already here to work legally without living in fear, is the right move for everyone.
“[President] Biden, do the right thing,” Cecilia Garcia said. “Amend and include everybody into this.”
According to the US Chamber of Commerce, there’s nearly 10 million job openings in the US, with only about 6 million people available to fill them. | https://wgntv.com/politics-3/local-chicago-leaders-advocate-for-immigration-work-permit-reform/ | 2023-07-31T01:05:42 | 1 | https://wgntv.com/politics-3/local-chicago-leaders-advocate-for-immigration-work-permit-reform/ |
Updated July 29, 2023 at 11:35 AM ET
Two Supreme Court decisions are changing the way students, educators and even the Biden administration are approaching higher education.
The first ruling ended affirmative action for public and private colleges. It declared that race conscious admissions programs at both Harvard and the University of North Carolina violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
The second put a halt to President Biden's student loan cancellation plan. Now the Biden administration is trying to find new ways to make college more accessible. The administration recently unveiled a new student loan repayment plan that will save borrowers thousands of dollars by keeping monthly payments low and preventing interest from accumulating.
This week, the administration's focus is on affirmative action: The U.S. Department of Education has opened a civil rights investigation into the practice of legacy admissions at Harvard University, and on Friday, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona visited Wesleyan University, which recently got rid of legacy admissions.
Legacy admissions are on the chopping block
The federal inquiry comes after to three Boston-based groups — the Chica Project, the African Community Economic Development of New England and the Greater Boston Latino Network — filed a complaint with the Education Department against Harvard. It accuses the university of discriminating against Black, Hispanic, Asian and other non-white undergraduate applicants by showing preference for those who have family relationships with donors or alumni.
In a statement to NPR, Harvard spokesperson Nicole Rura said the university is reviewing its admissions policy to ensure it is "complying with the law and to carry forward Harvard's longstanding commitment to welcoming students from a wide range of backgrounds, perspectives, and life experiences."
Ivory Toldson, the national director of Education Innovation and Research at the NAACP, said that legacy admissions compromise a university's ability to create a diverse student body. He said if colleges are committed to diversity, they should not be favoring applicants from wealthier backgrounds.
"Now that race conscious admissions has been outlawed by the Supreme Court, you have to look at other ways to achieve diversity," Toldson said during an interview for Morning Edition.
Toldson said legacy admissions should be abolished.
The impact of legacy admissions policies on a student body
A study released this week by the Harvard School of Economics showed that richer applicants are getting a leg up in the college admissions process. Students from affluent backgrounds are twice as likely to get into top colleges than students from more middle class backgrounds, even if the students have similar GPAs and SAT scores.
Admissions data cited in documents that were part of the affirmative action case revealed that nearly 70% of the university's legacy applicants were white — including applicants who have relationships with donors, those who are children of faculty or staff, and athletes applicants. And while legacy applicants make up less than 5% of applicants to Harvard, the data showed they constitute around 30% of the applicants admitted each year, the ruling cited.
Some schools have gotten rid of legacy admissions altogether.
Wesleyan University, a private liberal arts college in Connecticut that has a 16% acceptance rate, recently eliminated its legacy admissions policy. Wesleyan President Michael Roth told NPR's Leila Fadel, during an interview for Morning Edition, the decision to end the policy was a direct response to the Supreme Court ruling that effectively ended affirmative action as part of college admissions.
"It became clear to me that any advantage you give to incumbents, to people who already have advantages, is a glaring sign of unfairness," Roth said.
Other schools have done the same. The University of Minnesota Twin Cities also ended legacy admissions this month, and Colorado passed a state law banning the practice at all public colleges and universities.
"Not getting in" is just one concern for students
Whitney Gouche is vice president of a nonprofit called EMERGE that serves high-achieving students from low-income areas in Texas. She said her students feel discouraged by the recent Supreme Court decision.
"We've explained to our students, that regardless of the decision, you still belong here, she said. "You have the merits to be a successful student at this campus."
Convincing students to apply isn't the easiest task — concerns about high cost are also on students' minds. Even if they get in, it could cost about $70,000 in tuition for an elite college like Wesleyan.
Roth said that while admitted students who qualify for financial aid will receive it at Wesleyan, the university has to do more to convince students to apply in the first place.
"We have to be very aggressive in recruiting students from places that haven't typically looked at schools like Wesleyan," Roth said.
Roth said that ending legacy admissions won't solve the more widespread problem of education disparities in the United States.
"Legacy admissions is attractive to talk about, but the real issues are elsewhere," Roth said.
This story was edited by Erika Aguilar.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wvia.org/news/news/education/2023-07-26/colleges-are-ending-legacy-admissions-to-diversify-campuses-post-affirmative-action | 2023-07-31T01:05:44 | 0 | https://www.wvia.org/news/news/education/2023-07-26/colleges-are-ending-legacy-admissions-to-diversify-campuses-post-affirmative-action |
ROME — At a 15th-century palace that is steps from the Vatican and set to become a luxury hotel, archaeologists did what they always do in Rome, an ancient city thick with buried treasures.
They started to dig.
Rome is the gift that keeps on giving to archaeologists, though no one knew what would come from this preliminary exploration, a familiar routine at Italian building sites and development projects.
To the archaeologists’ surprise — and immense delight — the dig brought to light traces of a first-century theater that the team believes was built by Nero, the emperor with a now disputed reputation for tyranny, debauchery and a desire to indulge his inner artist. Although chronicled by Roman-era historians, the theater had never emerged from Rome’s archaeologically rich underbelly.
“It’s been stupendous, wonderful, amazing,” said Marzia Di Mento, the archaeologist who oversaw the dig at the palace, the Palazzo della Rovere. “It’s what every archaeologist would like to do.”
The archaeologists began uncovering walls — some with traces of stucco with gold-leaf decoration — that they hypothesize belonged to Nero’s private theater. The excavation has also turned up hundreds of artifacts that, though still being studied, have already shed new insight on life near the Vatican across centuries of Roman history.
Among the finds are small bronze amulets that pilgrims would have worn when trekking to Rome to see where St. Peter — one of the first leaders of the early Christian church — was buried, along with animal bones bored to make beads for rosaries. Both signal the presence of pilgrims, who grew in greater number as Christianity spread.
These artifacts can be added to others found in recent months through other excavations — both archaeological and preliminary work on construction projects. They include sundry statues, burial grounds, ancient thruways and traces of an ancient Roman road that may or may not be part of the legendary Appian Way.
The excavation of the palazzo garden, on the wide avenue that leads to St. Peter’s Basilica, began in 2020 before a large-scale renovation. One wing of the palazzo, which is owned by the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, is scheduled to open as a Four Seasons Hotel in time for the Vatican’s 2025 Jubilee, when millions of pilgrims are expected to visit Rome.
Leonardo Visconti di Modrone, the governor general of the order, told reporters Wednesday that the rental fee from the hotel would help cover costs for many of its charitable activities in the Middle East, including schools and hospitals.
By law, building projects in Italy must be preceded by preliminary excavations to ensure that no damage is done to what is underground — a rule that some critics say creates a costly, time-consuming obstacle for construction projects, if it doesn’t halt them altogether.
Alessio De Cristofaro, one of the archaeologists who oversaw the excavation on behalf of the city of Rome, described the dig at the palazzo as “a virtuous example where archaeology acts as a driving force to an important building renovation project.”
Once the artifacts from the site have been studied and restored, some of the best-preserved will be showcased inside the hotel. They include rare fragments dating from around the 10th century, a period that left few remains to document because Rome was “in economic and demographic decline,” said Di Mento.
But it is the evidence of the first century that has caught many people’s attention. Nero built his theater in a pleasure garden that, according to historical texts, once belonged to his grandmother Agrippina and his uncle Caligula. Roman chronicler Pliny the Elder, no fan of the emperor, described the theater as “large enough to satisfy even Nero’s desire to sing before a full house.”
Although uncertain about the building’s identification at first, De Cristofaro said that the high quality of some materials uncovered at the theater, including columns of rare African marble and gold leaf decoration, pointed to an imperial commission. Stamps on some bricks date the structure to the middle of the first century.
“Archaeology works by hypothesis,” said Alessandro Viscogliosi, a professor of ancient architecture at La Sapienza University in Rome. Attributing the remains as belonging to Nero’s theater was “a reasonable” theory, he said, although it was “too soon” to know for sure, because not much had emerged.
“If they continue digging and we find the seats, then we’ll be certain,” he said.
Some recent scholarship has challenged Nero’s reputation for profligacy, suggesting that he was portrayed by ancient historians as a villain, accused of playing a lyre while Rome burned in 64 A.D.
“He was actually well loved by his people,” said Ernesto Migliacci, a co-author (with his father, Franco Migliacci, a writer of the Italian classic “Volare”) of a short-lived but highly entertaining rock opera about Nero that cast the emperor as a more nuanced antihero, thwarted from pursuing what his heart really desired: a life declaiming poetry and song.
Pelted with criticism because the stage had been built on the Palatine Hill overlooking the Colosseum, the show shut down after 11 days after nuns in a nearby convent complained about the music, Ernesto Migliacci said. He accused historians who criticized Nero, like Tacitus, Suetonius and Cassius Dio, of creating politically motivated fake news.
After archaeologists finish their study, including mapping the site, the ancient structures will be reburied.
Covering it back up is the “best way to protect the site,” said Di Mento. Its story can be told through “other means,” including 3D reconstructions, detailed maps created by drones and online material that will make the structure “more understandable even to those who aren’t experts,” she said.
Then the artifacts that have been unearthed will need to be cataloged.
“It will take years to study everything,” Di Mento said. | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/excavations-uncover-hints-of-neros-theater-in-rome-and-much-more/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-31T01:05:45 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/excavations-uncover-hints-of-neros-theater-in-rome-and-much-more/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
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.wvia.org/news/news/politics/2023-07-26/a-mississippi-law-limits-who-can-help-mail-in-voters-a-federal-court-struck-it-down | 2023-07-31T01:05:51 | 1 | https://www.wvia.org/news/news/politics/2023-07-26/a-mississippi-law-limits-who-can-help-mail-in-voters-a-federal-court-struck-it-down |
In the early 2000s, Carlos De Oliveira was a valet and handyman at Mar-a-Lago, parking cars and doing odd jobs at Donald Trump’s private club and residence in Florida for not much more than $10,000 a year, court records show.
Then, within two months in 2012, De Oliveira divorced and filed for bankruptcy. He owned a 6-year-old BMW that needed brake work, paint and its belts replaced. His checking account, records said, held $700.
But over a decade, De Oliveira, a Portuguese immigrant, started slowly climbing a ladder of promotions at Mar-a-Lago. First, Trump brought him on to the maintenance staff full-time, according to a person familiar with the matter. Early last year, he was given the loftier post of Mar-a-Lago’s property manager.
That was the job he held when he was named with Trump in a new indictment last week, one that accused him of conspiring with the former president and one of his personal aides to obstruct the government’s efforts to retrieve dozens of highly sensitive national security documents from Trump after he left office.
De Oliveira, a minor player in the case, was ensnared in it largely because prosecutors contend he delivered a message to another Trump employee that the former president wanted to delete a trove of potentially incriminating surveillance footage at Mar-a-Lago. He was also charged with lying to investigators.
The path he followed is a familiar one in the world of Trump, who often views relationships in terms of leverage and obsesses constantly about loyalty. In his business career, as a candidate and as president, Trump has frequently plucked subordinates from trouble or obscurity and given them a lifeline — and, by extension, a sense of obligation to him.
Those opportunities and obligations have sometimes come with a cost — including, as in the case of De Oliveira, serious legal jeopardy.
The release of new details Thursday in an updated indictment by the special counsel, Jack Smith, underscored the extent to which low-level workers like De Oliveira — lacking Trump’s reserves of power, fame and money — have become embroiled in the government’s attempts to hold the former president accountable for threatening national security.
The situation is even more extraordinary because De Oliveira and Trump’s other co-defendant in the case, Walt Nauta, his personal aide, are relying on the former president not only for their paychecks but also their legal bills. Those are being handled by Save America PAC, one of Trump’s fundraising entities.
In a statement sent after this article was published online, Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump, criticized the Justice Department.
“For the weaponized Department of Justice and the deranged Jack Smith to target innocent individuals and everyday Americans by leaking false and misleading information, which is illegal and unethical, shows just how desperate and flailing they are in order to salvage their collapsing case,” he said. Cheung appeared to be referring to the details of the indictment.
“President Trump’s employees are honorable, hard workers, and are the best of the best,” he added. “They don’t violate the law because they are law-abiding citizens.”
The payment of the legal bills has been the responsibility of Susie Wiles, one of Trump’s top political advisers.
She started by signing off on checks from the political action committee to lawyers for some of the former White House and campaign officials who received subpoenas in the past two years from the House select committee investigating Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. As the criminal investigations have unfolded, the number of lawyers whose payments Wiles is responsible for has grown.
Wiles also made an appearance in another portion of the indictment, where prosecutors described Trump showing a classified document to a representative of a political action committee — identified by people familiar with the matter as Wiles.
With so much of Trump’s past fundraising spent on voluminous legal expenses, two people familiar with the matter said his advisers were creating a legal-defense fund to take on some of the costs, although the fund is not expected to cover the former president’s legal fees. It is unclear how many other people the fund is intended to support. Trump’s advisers have insisted there has been no effort to influence witness testimony through Save America’s payment of legal fees.
While Trump plays the leading role in the indictment in the documents case, the narrative as laid out by Smith’s team relies heavily on supporting characters like De Oliveira, Nauta and others.
Much of the story involves what prosecutors have said was a plot to move boxes of documents in and out of a storage room at Mar-a-Lago to avoid returning them to the government. Prosecutors say there was also a subsequent attempt to disguise those movements by seeking to delete footage from security cameras positioned outside the storage room.
According to the indictment, Nauta was central to the first part of the scheme, moving boxes from the room at least five times at Trump’s direction. All of that took place during a critical moment in the government’s investigation: the weeks between the issuance of a subpoena last year demanding the return of all classified documents in Trump’s possession and a visit to Mar-a-Lago shortly after by prosecutors seeking to collect the materials.
Nauta’s path to Trump and Mar-a-Lago was also characterized by a degree of turbulence.
A member of the Navy, Nauta had worked as a valet for Trump in the White House. But toward the end of his military career, Navy officials removed him from what is known as the Presidential Support Detail after learning he had fraternized with colleagues and subordinates in the White House mess, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
As naval officials were deciding what to do — including the possibility of sending Nauta back out to sea on a ship — an aide to Trump, who was already out of office, reached out to Nauta, offering him a job at Mar-a-Lago as the former president’s personal aide, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Nauta leaped at the opportunity, the person said, taking the job in July 2021 after receiving an honorable discharge from the Navy. It remains unclear whether Trump knew of Nauta’s troubles in the Navy at the end of his career.
Prosecutors say they have been in touch with more than 80 witnesses while investigating Trump’s handling of classified documents, many of them low- to midlevel employees of Mar-a-Lago or the Trump Organization, the former president’s family real estate business. Most of these people — aides, assistants, housekeepers, security officials — have been interviewed by Smith’s team or appeared before grand juries.
Among them was Yuscil Taveras, who works for the Trump Organization in information technology and oversaw the surveillance cameras at Mar-a-Lago, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The indictment describes how in June 2022, on the same day that prosecutors issued a subpoena for footage from the cameras, Nauta and De Oliveira sent text messages to Taveras implying that they needed to speak with him.
A few days later, De Oliveira approached Taveras in Mar-a-Lago’s IT department and brought him to a private room for a conversation meant to “remain between the two of them.”
There, the indictment said, De Oliveira told Taveras that the “‘boss’ wanted the server deleted” — a reference to the computer server housing the footage. When Taveras responded that he did not know how to delete the server and did not think he had the right to do so, De Oliveira repeated the orders from “the boss,” according to the indictment. “What are we going to do?” De Oliveira asked.
Taveras, identified in the indictment as Trump Employee 4, provided the outlines of that encounter to the grand jury in May, the people with knowledge of the matter said. During Taveras’ grand jury testimony, prosecutors questioned him about his dealings with Nauta and De Oliveira, the people said, seemingly laying the groundwork for the indictment that was unsealed last week.
The Trump Organization ultimately turned over the surveillance tapes, and the indictment does not accuse any Mar-a-Lago employees of destroying the footage. (Taveras has not been accused of any wrongdoing. Although at one point Smith’s team was scrutinizing other aspects of his grand jury testimony, there is no indication he is facing legal jeopardy.)
At a trial, Taveras’ testimony could be crucial for Smith’s prosecutors in establishing a conspiracy to try to erase the tapes — and thus obstruct the investigation. And yet Taveras remains a Mar-a-Lago employee, one person with knowledge of the matter said. He has a new lawyer, and it is unclear who is paying his legal bills.
In a remarkable scene in the indictment, people in Trump’s orbit are described as beginning to worry about De Oliveira’s loyalties after the FBI descended on Mar-a-Lago with a search warrant last summer and hauled away about 100 classified documents.
“Someone just wants to make sure Carlos is good,” the indictment quoted Nauta as saying to another Trump employee.
In response, that employee wrote in a Signal message with Nauta and Wiles that De Oliveira was “loyal,” according to prosecutors. It was unclear what, if anything, was said by others in the group message.
That same day, the indictment said, Trump called De Oliveira and said he would get him a lawyer. | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/minor-characters-emerge-to-play-key-roles-in-trump-documents-case/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-31T01:05:51 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/minor-characters-emerge-to-play-key-roles-in-trump-documents-case/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
It looks like the end of the road for one of the nation's largest freight carriers.
Yellow, a trucking company that just three years ago took a $700 million federal pandemic loan, has reportedly shut down after laying off employees at all locations. The company is expected to file for bankruptcy as soon as Monday, according to industry experts, following a recent exodus of customers amid union strife and on top of years of financial troubles.
With 30,000 jobs at stake, it would be the largest trucking bankruptcy in the history of the U.S., experts said. The company, formerly known as YRC Worldwide, is the third largest less-than-truckload carrier by revenue, behind FedEx and Old Dominion. LTL companies move pallet-sized shipments — smaller than a container, but bigger than a parcel.
Yellow has not publicly announced any plans for bankruptcy or a potential shutdown.
Here's what we know.
Employees are told to prepare for a company shutdown
The Wall Street Journal reported that Yellow shut down on Sunday afternoon, citing internal notices sent to customers and employees.
According to the industry outlet FreightWaves, which also obtained internal documents, Yellow says it plans to issue a public statement on Monday about "the state of the company and the operation."
NPR has not independently confirmed the shutdown and Yellow has not responded to NPR's requests for comment.
Yellow laid off an unknown number of its employees on Friday, reported FreightWaves, citing a memo sent to staff informing them that the company is "shutting down its regular operations" and "laying off employees at all of its locations."
Meanwhile, Teamsters, who represent Yellow's 22,000 unionized workers, advised Yellow employees to "prepare for the worst."
"Yellow appears to be headed to a complete shutdown within the next few days," said Teamsters National Freight Director John Murphy in a Friday memo shared with NPR. He advised drivers to collect their belongings so that they don't get caught up in bankruptcy liquidation.
The Teamsters union declined to comment about a potential bankruptcy or shutdown.
A strike threat delivered a final blow to cash-poor Yellow
Reports of a shutdown come days after a Teamsters strike at the company was averted. A week ago, a pension fund agreed to extend health benefits for workers at two Yellow operating companies after the carrier missed its $50 million benefits payment to the fund on July 15, the union said.
While the extension held off a July 24 strike, the threat of a walkout that could disrupt operations prompted a wave of Yellow customers to bolt.
"The Teamsters actions induced a high level of variability and uncertainty in the market for Yellow's customers. The market abhors variability and uncertainty," wrote Mike Regan, co-founder of TranzAct Technologies, which manages transportation services for retailers. "Consequently, Yellow lost substantial and much needed volume."
After the strike threat, Yellow's freight volumes fell 80% within the span of a week, according to Jack Atkins, a managing director at the financial services firm Stephens who researches the transportation sector.
At the same time, he said, Yellow's cries that it was running out of cash during union negotiation attempts scared off customers. Since then, customers haven't returned.
"Both sides bear fault," Atkins said. "Once that freight left, there was nothing left to really restructure," he added. "It was really too late to save the company."
The company has been at risk of bankruptcy for years
Animus between Yellow and Teamsters has grown in recent months, after the trucking carrier tried to restructure its operations this spring as a cost-saving measure that would allow it to refinance its debt. In June, Yellow sued the union for blocking the restructuring plan it said was "essential to the company's survival." The Teamsters in turn called the lawsuit "baseless," instead blaming Yellow for "decades of gross mismanagement," that included its alleged exhaustion of the $700 million bailout loan.
The company reported a net income of $21.8 million last year. Yellow has $1.3 billion in loan debt due in fall 2024, $729 million of which is owed to the federal government, according to the company's latest quarterly report.
Yellow received a $700 million loan from the government in 2020 as part of a COVID-19 rescue package. In return, the Treasury Department took a 30% stake in the company's shares, which have since plummeted to less than a dollar apiece as of Friday.
In June, a congressional probe found that the Treasury Department's disbursement of the loan was a mistake; the freight company — whose customers included the Department of Defense — did not actually meet the standards to qualify for the business loan because its survival was not "critical to maintaining national security."
"Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Yellow was a financially struggling company that had a long-term non-investment grade (i.e., junk) rating and previous close calls with bankruptcy over the years. The pandemic did not cause Yellow's longstanding problems, nor is the Treasury's loan to the company likely to solve those problems," the Congressional Oversight Commission report read.
A world without Yellow
An end to the Nashville-based company would mean the loss of 30,000 jobs. And Atkins doesn't expect the federal government to come to the rescue this time.
While there may be some slight disruptions, the analyst anticipates other freight carriers will have some capacity to absorb Yellow's business because of the dent in freight volumes.
"This is not going to create a supply-chain crisis," he said.
Retailers and manufacturers are likely to see higher shipping rates if the company folds, he said. Yellow is known for its low shipping rates compared to its rivals.
Atkins visited the Yellow terminal in Little Rock, Ark., on Sunday to find all gates chained up, a sign of ceased operations.
"They've been in wind-down mode, clearing the network out of all the remaining freight," he said. "This is the end."
NPR's Camila Domonoske contributed to this story.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wvasfm.org/business/2023-07-30/the-yellow-trucking-company-meltdown-explained | 2023-07-31T01:05:54 | 0 | https://www.wvasfm.org/business/2023-07-30/the-yellow-trucking-company-meltdown-explained |
Former President Donald Trump’s team is creating a legal-defense fund to handle some of the crush of legal bills stemming from the investigations and criminal indictments involving him and a number of employees and associates, according to two people with knowledge of the matter.
The fund, which is expected to be called the Patriot Legal Defense Fund Inc., will be led by Michael Glassner, a longtime Trump political adviser, according to the people familiar with the planning, who were not authorized to discuss it publicly. Another Trump aide who worked at the Trump Organization and then in Trump’s administration, Lynne Patton, will also be involved, the people said.
It is unclear how broad a group of people the legal-defense fund will cover, but one person said it was not expected to cover Trump’s own legal bills. In recent months Trump’s political action committee has paid legal bills for him and several witnesses, spending more than $40 million on lawyers in the first half of 2023.
But a wide swath of people have become entangled in the various Trump-related criminal investigations, both as witnesses — of whom there are many who work for Trump personally or did in the White House — as well as defendants.
Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said the Justice Department had “targeted innocent Americans associated with President Trump,” and that “to combat these heinous actions” and “protect these innocent people from financial ruin and prevent their lives from being completely destroyed, a new legal defense fund will help pay for their legal fees to ensure they have representation against unlawful harassment.”
The creation of the legal-defense fund could ease some financial pressure on his PAC, Save America, which was severe enough that it requested a refund of the $60 million it had transferred to a pro-Trump super PAC late last year.
Trump now has two co-defendants, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, in the federal investigation into his retention of reams of presidential material and classified documents after he left office. Both men work for Trump; Nauta works for the Trump campaign, and De Oliveira is the property manager at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s private club.
Last month, Trump appeared at a fundraiser at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, for a group that assists those arrested in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, riot and their families. “I’m going to make a contribution,” Trump told them, according to a video of his remarks. That group’s name, the Patriot Freedom Project, echoes the new name of Trump’s legal fund.
Trump had long resisted such an entity. For years, he told people that only guilty people have legal-defense funds.
Trump, a wealthy entrepreneur, has been using money parked in Save America to pay legal bills for himself and a number of witnesses in the four criminal investigations into his actions in and out of office. Save America was created to house the more than $100 million that Trump raised shortly after the November 2020 election, as he claimed he needed his supporters’ help to combat widespread voter fraud.
No such widespread fraud was ever proved, but Trump had tens of millions of dollars at his disposal. He cannot spend the money directly on his 2024 presidential candidacy, but has been using it for legal bills. Last year, he made the $60 million transfer to the super PAC that is backing him, well before the refund request was made.
In 2021 and 2022, Save America paid for Trump’s political operation while he was out of office and not an official candidate, paying for staff members and rallies. It also picked up $16 million in legal fees.
Trump’s rivals have been using the Save America legal payments as an attack on him. And he appears to have recognized it as a potential weak point: On Saturday evening, at a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, he said he would put whatever money he needs to put into his campaign, if it comes to that. | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/trump-team-creates-legal-defense-fund-to-cover-his-allies-bills/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-31T01:05:57 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/trump-team-creates-legal-defense-fund-to-cover-his-allies-bills/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
SunRay Kelley, a barefoot maverick builder of fantastical handmade castles, yurts, temples, spirit lodges, treehouses, pavilions and structures so fanciful that they defied conventional building typologies, died July 16 in Sedro-Woolley. He was 71.
Bonnie Howard, Kelley’s longtime partner, said that he had been suffering from cancer but that the cause of his death, in a hospital, was a blood clot from a recent operation.
Kelley was a hero in the world of unarchitected, alternative and vernacular building — a building movement distinguished by its handmade ethos, sustainable features and natural materials, which flourished in the counterculture years of the late 1960s and early ’70s but flagged a bit during the Reagan era.
For the past few decades, however, it has enjoyed a steady, if slightly fringe, resurgence as the costs, both environmental and financial, of traditional housing continue to escalate; new generations of back-to-the-landers and anti-consumerists of all stripes now cleave to its tenets.
Kelley’s whimsical, Tolkienesque designs were often featured on websites and blogs devoted to tiny houses and other environmentally friendly dwellings, as well as on television shows such as the Discovery Channel’s “Building Off the Grid.” He was the go-to guru for people looking to build their dream yurt or treehouse, and for spiritual centers looking for a certain mystical flair, as well as a sought-after speaker at natural-building conferences.
“There was no one like him,” said Lloyd Kahn, who has been chronicling handmade habitats in a series of books for his company Shelter Publications since the early 1970s, starting with “Shelter,” an engaging encyclopedia of vernacular architecture — and an early counterculture primer — which was first published in 1973 and is still in print. “There’s no other natural materials builder in the world who’s combined such ecology, design and craftsmanship in so many buildings on the American landscape.”
“He always said Mother Nature was his inspiration,” Kahn added, “which sounds woo-woo, but he really was tuned in to the spirits of nature. And his work wasn’t put together in some sloppy hippie style. They were extremely well-built masterpieces.”
His constructions were complex and improvisational; he worked from drawings, but he also worked spontaneously, evolving his designs in the construction process. “Evolutionary design,” he called it.
His buildings had undulating peaked roofs, or roofs shaped liked wings or the prow of a ship. They were often planted with sedum, moss and trailing nasturtiums (green roofs are naturally cooling). He loved cupolas and turrets. His preferred shape was the circle, which he felt was nature’s most resilient form; hence the preponderance of yurts in his oeuvre. He was a master of cob, a sturdy, thermally efficient sculptural material made from mud, sand and straw that has been used around the world for millenniums.
Other favored building materials were scavenged and used as they were — unmilled windfall trees, gnarled branches, rocks and boulders. “God’s hardware store,” Kelley called the woods of the Pacific Northwest, where many of his buildings were made. “I’m going shopping,” he would say in the middle of construction, striding off into the wilderness.
He made about 70 structures, mostly in North America but with a smattering in Central America as well.
The real showplace for his eclectic work and methods, however, was his own property: 9 acres in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains that had been in his family for three generations, a homestead otherwise known as SunRay shire, or simply the shire.
There, one will find the soaring, shingled Sky House and the funky Earth House, his first effort, with cast-bronze hands that support the roof beams; a hermit hut built on the massive stump of an old-growth tree; numerous ponds and waterfalls; and a collection of yurts large and small, including a sparkly pink number fashioned from cob flecked with mica and festooned with the sculpted forms of the female body. An enormous anatomically accurate representation serves as its doorway. This particular yurt was designed for yoga practice. Kelley called it the Yogurt.
For decades, the compound has drawn alternative-building pilgrims, whom Kelley would often cajole into work duty. Michael Tortorello, writing in The New York Times, described the place as a hippie Taliesin, referring to Frank Lloyd Wright’s home and studio in Wisconsin.
With his peaked felt caps, exuberant white mane and dreadlocked beard, dusted with bits of straw and wood, Kelley presided over it all like a burly woodland wizard — except that instead of a wand, he brandished a chain saw. A man constantly in motion, he wasn’t exactly accident prone, but he did throw himself into his work, and he nearly lost a few body parts in the process.
He was a sculptor first and a builder second, said Howard, who collaborated with Kelley for two decades. She would look over his shoulder as he sketched and add function to the form: closets, for example, and light switches.
The couple met in 2004 when Kelley was building what might be his magnum opus, an exquisite retreat center called the Temple at Harbin Hot Springs in Middletown, Calif. Essentially an enormous yurt, it was made from straw bale and cob walls topped with an artful spiral ceiling and a peaked roof clad in shingles laid in a wavy pattern, like the ridges of a scallop shell. (The temple was razed by the wildfires that swept through Middletown in 2015.)
Howard was attending a workshop on cob and straw bale construction led by Kelley, the end result of which was to build the retreat’s walls. To make cob, fiberlike straw is mixed with mud, either mechanically or by humans stomping it in with their feet. It was that method that Kelley taught his students. Since Harbin Hot Springs is clothing-optional, they worked naked, which is more practical than the alternative, Howard said: It’s easier to wash mud off your body than your clothes.
Howard said she fell in love with both the mud and the man.
Raymond Elbert Kelley, one of five children, was born Dec. 1, 1951, in Sedro-Woolley. His father, Cecil, was a mechanic in a mill. His mother, Wanda (Janicki) Kelley, was a homemaker who baked her own bread and churned butter; her parents, Polish immigrants, had homesteaded the land Ray grew up on. The family raised beef and dairy cows.
Ray studied drafting in high school and attended Western Washington University on a football scholarship. He studied art there but dropped out after two years and started designing buildings. When he showed his swirling sketches to a local builder, he later recalled, the man said, “You better get a hammer, boy, because nobody is going to build this stuff for you.”
In addition to Howard, Kelley is survived by a brother, Tim; a daughter, Kumara Kelley; three sons, Rafe Kelley, Kai Farrar and Eli Erpenbach; and seven grandchildren. His marriage to Judy Farrar, in 1978, ended in divorce.
Kelley lived by a few credos, which included what he called “barefootism” — he adamantly eschewed footwear, believing that being barefoot was a grounding behavior that connected him to the earth’s energy, no matter the weather.
Howard recalled buying him a pair of boots one winter early in their relationship and coming home one blizzardy day to find the boots by the door where she had left them and a track of footprints leading away from the house and disappearing into the deep snow.
“Dessert first” was another mantra. Kelley’s habit was to eat dessert before dinner, and he did so with terrific gusto — Tortorello of The Times recalled him enjoying a hot-from-the-oven apple crisp with his bare hands. “His line,” Howard explained, “was ‘You never know when your bubble’s going to pop, so eat dessert first.’” | https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/sunray-kelley-a-fantastical-builder-from-sedro-woolley-dies-at-71/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-31T01:06:03 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/sunray-kelley-a-fantastical-builder-from-sedro-woolley-dies-at-71/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
RENTON — How much do running backs matter?
The Seahawks may find out the answer to the question that has been one of the biggest topics of the NFL offseason far quicker than they would have liked.
For the last two practices, including Sunday’s at the VMAC, the Seahawks had just four running backs on hand with the top two players on the depth chart — second-year vet Kenneth Walker III and rookie Zach Charbonnet — out with injuries. Walker is dealing with a groin issue and has not practiced since the first day of camp on Wednesday and Charbonnet has pain in his shoulder and has not practiced since Thursday.
Of Walker, Carroll said: “He’s got a little groin thing that kind of bothered him getting into camp here so we’re just keeping him quiet for a bit.”
Carroll seemed to indicate the team isn’t too worried about Walker, stating “because it’s a groin we’ve got to make sure. He doesn’t feel bad. It’s not a terrible injury or anything like that. We just don’t want to aggravate it now and make it something that lingers throughout camp.”
As for Charbonnet, Carroll said: “He’s got a little shoulder thing that we’re checking out right now. Take some time to figure it out. … It just kind of creeped up on him. He didn’t get hit or anything like that. All the sudden he started to fill something — checking him out and being really cautious right now.’’
Since it’s just July 30 and the Seahawks don’t play a regular-season game until Sept. 10, any concern over the injuries might be much ado about nothing.
Still, as Carroll said, “We would love to have those guys (practicing). We’d love to have them back out there. But they’re not ready to go.’’
For now, each is out indefinitely, even if they may miss only a week or two. It might not be that long, especially if nothing of concern is revealed in the tests on Charbonnet’s shoulder.
Walker was taken in the second round in 2022 and emerged as only the second rookie in Seahawks history to rush for more than 1,000 yards, assuming the starting role when Rashaad Penny suffered a season-ending ankle injury in the fifth game of the year.
Charbonnet, a UCLA product, was taken in the second round last April, 52nd overall.
That was a pick some questioned given the presence of Walker and the increasingly popular idea that productive running backs can just as often be found in later rounds.
The Seahawks countered that with, the way they want to play offensively, they need to assure they have good depth, noting the injuries that have roiled the position the last few years. Chris Carson was forced to retire a year ago because of a neck issue, and Penny played just 28 games in his last four years.
Rven for as durable as Walker was last season he also missed two games — the opener against Denver after dealing with a hernia issue in camp, and a late-season loss to Carolina with an ankle injury.
With Walker and Charbonnet out, fourth-year player DeeJay Dallas and rookie seventh-round pick Kenny McIntosh got the snaps with the starting offense with Dallas typically the starter in the two-minute/goal-line packages.
The only other two running backs on the roster are free-agent signee Bryant Koback of Toledo and Wayne Taulapapa, who was the leading rusher last season for the Washington Huskies after spending four years at Virginia. Taulapapa was a tryout player during the team’s rookie minicamp in May and was signed on Friday to add depth after the team learned of the issues with Walker and Charbonnet.
Koback spent last season on Minnesota’s practice squad before being signed by the Seahawks following the draft.
As Carroll said, the player who may benefit the most for now is McIntosh, noting that the team knows a lot about Dallas, who has played in 44 games the last three years with two starts.
“We’re getting a lot of information on him,’’ Carroll said of McIntosh. “We don’t need much on DeeJay. We know him. But for Kenny McIntosh this is really important.’’
The Seahawks weren’t necessarily intending to take another running back in the draft before its pick came at 237 overall and McIntosh was still available.
McIntosh led national champ Georgia in rushing in 2022 with 829 yards and 10 touchdowns and expected to go in the middle rounds. But a slower-than-expected 4.62 40 time at the NFL combine helped contribute to his fall
Since McIntosh arrived last May, the Seahawks felt he has played faster than that reported time, and maybe even a faster through the first four days of camp than he did in the spring.
“He looks really quick out there,’’ Carroll said, adding that McIntosh has dropped about 10 pounds since the spring (he’s listed at 204).
“He’s probably been one of the highlights,’’ Carroll said. “… He’s in great shape and he’s just razor sharp. He’s been explosive and innovative with his running and his cuts. He’s caught the ball really well.’’
Even if the team knows Dallas well, he’s showed up with a different look this fall that could make the team decide to use him in different ways.
Carroll said Dallas, who is listed at 214, is “a little bigger than he’s been’’ saying he’s weighing “230 right now. I like him running with power and being physical as a different kind of guy for us. We’re going to see how that works for him.’’
What the Seahawks hope is that Walker and Charbonnet will provide the kind of week-in and week-out 1-2 punch the team has tried for most of Carroll’s tenure to assemble, but too often seen go awry because of injuries. | https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/seahawks/seahawks-could-find-out-if-running-backs-matter-as-the-position-has-been-hit-with-injuries/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-31T01:06:10 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/seahawks/seahawks-could-find-out-if-running-backs-matter-as-the-position-has-been-hit-with-injuries/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
FLORIDA, USA — A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit Donald Trump filed against CNN in which the former U.S. president claimed that references in news articles or by the network's hosts to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election as “the Big Lie” were tantamount to comparing him to Adolf Hitler.
Trump had been seeking punitive damages of $475 million in the federal lawsuit filed last October in South Florida, claiming the references hurt his reputation and political career. Trump is a candidate for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination in what is his third run for the presidency as a major-party candidate.
U.S. District Judge Raag Singhal, who was appointed by Trump, said Friday in his ruling that the former president's defamation claims failed because the references were opinions and not factual statements. Moreover, it was a stretch to believe that, in viewers' minds, that phrase would connect Trump's efforts challenging the 2020 election results to Nazi propaganda or Hitler's genocidal and authoritarian regime, the judge said.
“CNN’s use of the phrase ‘the Big Lie' in connection with Trump’s election challenges does not give rise to a plausible inference that Trump advocates the persecution and genocide of Jews or any other group of people,” the judge wrote in his decision.
Email messages seeking comment were sent to Trump's attorneys in South Florida and Washington. CNN declined to comment on Sunday. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/regional/florida/donald-trump-defamation-lawsuit-cnn/67-8ca59dbe-2f19-4a08-a644-457f22ea4b57 | 2023-07-31T01:06:36 | 0 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/regional/florida/donald-trump-defamation-lawsuit-cnn/67-8ca59dbe-2f19-4a08-a644-457f22ea4b57 |
Alabama football hosting fan day August 5
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WBRC) - The University of Alabama is hosting their football fan day August 5 from 2:30-4:30 inside of Bryant-Denny Stadium with a free open practice for fans to attend.
Those in attendance will be able to enter the stadium at 1:30 p.m. through gates 13 and 24 for seating in sections A-N in the west side lower bowl of Bryant-Denny. All items brought by fans are subject to inspection as they enter the stadium.
After practice, members of Alabama’s official NIL entity “Yea Alabama” will be invited to a team autograph session on the field. All members of the team and coaching staff, including Nick Saban, will be available for autographs for approximately 45 minutes. Members will be granted access to the field by showing an official “Yea Alabama” autograph session ticket that will be emailed in advance of the event. Members are permitted to bring one child ages 12-and-under as their guest. All adults attending the on-field event will be required to present their official digital autograph session ticket. Due to the allocated amount of time, individuals will be limited to one item per person for an autograph, and no posed photographs will be permitted.
Fans are permitted to bring one empty, non-glass cup or bottle to Bryant-Denny. Water coolers will be provided on the west concourse of the stadium. Portable concession stands will also be available on the west side of the stadium in the 100 level concourse.
Alabama’s team store, The Authentic at Bryant-Denny Stadium, will also be open during the event. You can find more information on the event, team store, and parking here.
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Copyright 2023 WBRC. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbrc.com/2023/07/31/alabama-hosting-football-fan-day-august-5/ | 2023-07-31T01:09:39 | 1 | https://www.wbrc.com/2023/07/31/alabama-hosting-football-fan-day-august-5/ |
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – With school right around the corner, Albuquerque is making sure kids have the supplies they need for the year.
The city and its partners held its annual Cruzin’ into the School Year event Saturday at Civic Plaza.
A community center supervisor said organizers gathered over 3,000 backpacks to give to local students.
With Albuquerque Public Schools returning to the classroom on Thursday, kids were given a backpack with school supplies, haircuts, and even given free-clothing vouchers.
This is the 6th year the city has hosted the school preparation event. | https://www.krqe.com/news/education/cabq-hosts-6th-annual-cruzin-into-the-school-year-event/ | 2023-07-31T01:09:44 | 1 | https://www.krqe.com/news/education/cabq-hosts-6th-annual-cruzin-into-the-school-year-event/ |
High pressure has been blocking most of the monsoon moisture from surging across the state so far this summer. However, a pattern change will arrive by the early to middle parts of next week, allowing for the most monsoon rainfall that New Mexico has felt so far this year. It will not be long-lived, so enjoy the couple of days of moisture while it lasts.
Isolated showers and storms continue across the high terrain of far western and northern New Mexico this evening. A few isolated spotty showers may continue overnight over the Four Corners, before dissipating into early Monday morning. Dry air at the surface Monday will only allow isolated mountain storms to continue throughout the day. Temperatures will be similar to today.
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By Tuesday, high pressure will move into the central United States. This will allow monsoon moisture to rotate around the high and surge into New Mexico starting Tuesday. More widespread shower and thunderstorm activity is expected across the state Tuesday and into Wednesday. This monsoon moisture will not stick around for much longer than Thursday, with drier and hotter air on the way by next weekend. Another wave of near record-breaking heat will arrive in about a week, so enjoy the slightly cooler temperatures and increased moisture while it’s here. | https://www.krqe.com/weather/video-forecast/more-monsoon-moisture-on-the-way/ | 2023-07-31T01:09:50 | 0 | https://www.krqe.com/weather/video-forecast/more-monsoon-moisture-on-the-way/ |
Ghost Ranch Exotics, a private petting zoo in Marana, is looking for a set of marsupials and two African crested porcupines after high winds tore through in Friday evening's storm, leaving a trail of destruction.
"Currently, we're missing our only kangaroo, a capybara, and two African crested porcupines," said co-owner Geordi Davisson.
"We can't imagine they've gone too far, but in this heat, they're hunkered down in shady spots, looking for water and hiding from the sun," Davisson said. "It's hard to look for animals that are the color of the desert."
The owners ask that anyone who comes upon one of the missing animals call animal control and contact Ghost Ranch Exotics at 520-276-4469.
While most of the zoo's animals were found on the property after the storm, some enclosures were damaged, leading to temporary wanderings of animals that have since been found, including the Patagonian mara and various bird species.
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The storm killed a few of the smaller birds at the facility, the owners said.
Currently, most of the animals remain onsite behind improvised temporary fencing and under shade, according to Davisson, with some of the birds are being housed temporarily in the facility's office and others at Davisson's house.
Davisson and fellow co-owner Kenneth MacNeil reported significant damage to the facility, at 9027 Ghost Ranch Trail, resulting in extensive losses to animal enclosures, aviaries and other structures.
The strong winds ripped apart animal houses and damaged nearly every fence and shade awning on the property.
"My 5,000-pound aviary took flight and ended up spread across four acres. It damaged all of our fences, animal shade awnings, and destroyed half of our animal houses. It was a bad storm," Davisson said, estimating the damages to be around $50,000. "Everything is brand new. We just built it ourselves, and now it's all destroyed."
Eddie Celaya is a breaking news reporter and host of the "Here Weed Go!" podcast. He graduated from Pima Community College and the University of Arizona and has been with the Arizona Daily Star since May 2019. | https://tucson.com/news/local/weather/petting-zoo-destruction/article_5ca1567a-2f21-11ee-97f6-b3bc2804d05c.html | 2023-07-31T01:10:09 | 0 | https://tucson.com/news/local/weather/petting-zoo-destruction/article_5ca1567a-2f21-11ee-97f6-b3bc2804d05c.html |
Leading up to Arizona’s preseason training camp, which begins on Wednesday, the Star is previewing where the Wildcats stand heading into Jedd Fisch’s third year. Last up: Defense.
What if Arizona had a better rushing defense last season? How much better would the Wildcats have been compared to their 5-7 campaign in 2022?
Is a better rushing defense really worth one game?
With a high-powered offense and a stable special teams unit both back again this year, it shouldn't take long into the 2023 season — a schedule that begins Sept. 2 at Arizona Stadium — to learn the answers to each of those defensive-centric questions.
In 2022, Arizona finished 10th in the Pac-12 in rushing defense, allowing 209.1 rushing yards per game. The Wildcats have only finished in the top half of the Pac-12 in rushing defense once since 2012.
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Last season, Arizona surrendered more than 300 rushing yards in three games: Cal, Oregon and Utah — except one of those was unlike the other two.
The Wildcats led Cal in the second half of their game in Berkeley before Golden Bears freshman running back Jadyn Ott did his best Bo Jackson-Tecmo Bowl impression, rushing for 274 yards and three touchdowns; Cal had 354 yards on the ground as a team. Arizona also had 86 missed tackles last season stopping the run, according to Pro Football Focus; that's an average of 7.2 per game — and again, that's stopping a rush.
The good news for Arizona is that the Wildcats' high-level offense, which finished sixth in FBS in passing, drew enough attention to attract the pieces on defense the UA needs to put it in bowl contention. To go along with its cast of returning underclassmen, Arizona dove into the transfer portal and signed inside linebackers Justin Flowe (Oregon) and Daniel Heimuli (Washington), edge rushers Orin Patu (Cal) and Taylor Upshaw (Colorado), and defensive tackles Tyler Manoa (UCLA), Bill Norton (Georgia) and Sio Nofoagatoto’a (Indiana). Arizona also signed four-star middle linebacker and Mater Dei High School star Leviticus Su'a, who was the Trinity League Conference MVP last year.
"For us, it was a matter of saying, ‘OK, now that the offense is in a good place, what can we do defensively?’ UA coach Jedd Fisch said at Pac-12 Media Day in Las Vegas.
“In that case, what we did was we committed to both the portal and playing young. ... I think that will make a huge difference in our defense.”
Key returners: Linebacker Jacob Manu, cornerback Ephesians Prysock, defensive tackle Tiaoalii Savea, defensive lineman Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei, safety Isaiah Taylor, defensive end Russell Davis II, safety DJ Warnell
Key departures: Defensive end Jalen Harris, safety Christian Young, defensive end Hunter Echols, cornerback Christian Roland-Wallace, defensive tackle Kyon Barrs, defensive lineman Paris Shand, safety Jaxen Turner, cornerback Isaiah Rutherford
The numbers game: 12 (fumble recoveries in ’22), 4 (interceptions in ’22, worst in the Pac-12), 16 (hurries by Manu, which was second on the team, according to Pro Football Focus), 21 (scholarship defensive players Arizona signed in ’23).
The rundown: Fisch said earlier in the month that "the most important thing (the Wildcats) can do is have continuity." He cited the stable staffs at Utah under the direction of Kyle Whittingham, Florida with Steve Spurrier, and the New England Patriots dynasty under Bill Belichick.
For the first time since 2019, the Wildcats will have a returning defensive coordinator with Johnny Nansen.
“We’re going to have Coach Nansen for his second year in a row, and our defense is really going to benefit from that,” Fisch said.
Cornerback-converted-nickel back Treydan Stukes said, "it feels really nice to be in the same (4-2-5) system again."
"I feel very comfortable, even having to switch position recently,” said Stukes. "That continuity can only benefit us as a defensive unit.”
Stukes is among one of the mainstays in Arizona's secondary, along with Prysock, Taylor, cornerback Tacario Davis, Warnell, strong safety Gunner Maldonado, true freshman safety and Chandler native Genesis Smith, junior-college transfer Charles Yates Jr. and former UCLA safety Martell Irby. Taylor was among the top interceptors for the Wildcats during spring ball.
Arizona's defensive line featured four true freshmen in pinches last season and was bolstered in size and experience in the offseason, especially the interior line with Manoa, Norton and Nofoagatoto'a — who all weigh over 300 pounds. Patu, who registered a sack against Arizona last season at Cal, and Upshaw, the son of former NFL defensive lineman Regan Upshaw, will contribute to the Wildcats' edge-rushing group.
Manu started his UA career by matching up against the offensive starters in practice, then he ascended Arizona's depth chart last season and replaced Kolbe Cage as the Wildcats' starting "Will" linebacker. Manu, a one-time Pac-12 Freshman of the Week recipient last season, helped Arizona's defense in wins over No. 12 UCLA and Arizona State. In the Territorial Cup victory, Manu (who changed his jersey number from 59 to five this year) pressured ASU quarterback and Marana native Trenton Bourguet, forcing him to fumble, which was recovered by Savea. During ASU's final possession, Manu knocked Bourguet's arm on a pass that was intercepted by Taylor to seal the win.
Manu will lead Arizona's defense alongside Flowe, a former five-star inside linebacker from Chino Hills, California who played the last three seasons at Oregon — and arguably the most impactful transfer of the group Arizona signed in '23.
“It’s our best team,” Fisch said. “We’re not going to shy away from that. I don’t know what that means in regards to wins, but I do know what it means in regards to the type of players we have, the quality of players we have, the talent we have.
“Our guys are going to go out there and play at a very, very high level. If they play at the level that I think we’re going to play at, I think we’re going to win a lot of games this year.”
Contact sports producer Justin Spears at jspears@tucson.com. On Twitter: @JustinESports | https://tucson.com/sports/college/football/wildcats/arizona-wildcats-football-training-camp-review-defense/article_b6dd7e76-2b51-11ee-8389-236a71360aa1.html | 2023-07-31T01:10:15 | 0 | https://tucson.com/sports/college/football/wildcats/arizona-wildcats-football-training-camp-review-defense/article_b6dd7e76-2b51-11ee-8389-236a71360aa1.html |
PHOENIX — It's been exactly one year since Seattle made a big trade-deadline move, adding ace right-hander Luis Castillo in a deal with the Cincinnati Reds.
Safe to say it's a decision that's worked out quite well for the Mariners.
Castillo threw six sharp innings, J.P. Crawford connected for a solo homer and the Mariners beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-0 on Sunday.
“What a trade. He has changed the whole demeanor around our pitching staff,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “He's the rock, he's who we lean on and he showed up today.”
The Mariners took two of three games in the weekend series, improving to 54-51 for the season as the team's front office tries to decide whether to be buyers, sellers, or do nothing as Tuesday's trade deadline approaches. Seattle looked like a possible seller at the end of June but has used a 16-9 mark in July to climb back into the playoff race.
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The Diamondbacks are close to wrapping up a miserable month, with a 7-16 record in July. They were one of the surprise teams in the big leagues through the first half of the season, but at 56-50, it's unclear whether Arizona is ready to make any big moves to bolster its postseason chances.
D-backs manager Torey Lovullo credited Seattle's pitching staff with a good performance but wasn't happy with his team's approach at the plate.
“We should never have an offensive day like that,” Lovullo said. “Because we're a bunch of really good hitters. We've got to get this thing moving in the right direction offensively. We've got to get this moving in the right direction, period.”
Castillo (7-7) gave up just two hits, striking out seven and walking one while throwing 102 pitches. The right-hander has a 2.88 ERA this season, continuing his great performance since coming to the Pacific Northwest. He helped lead the Mariners to the playoffs last season after the trade and made his third All-Star team in July.
The Mariners finished with a 4-2 record on their road trip and have won three straight series.
“I felt that energy, a lot of good vibes,” Castillo said through a translator. “I felt them anxious to win and that's why we've had the results we've had during this road trip.”
The Mariners jumped ahead 2-0 in the first inning after Mike Ford drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs that forced home Crawford. Ty France followed with an RBI single. Arizona starter Merrill Kelly finally coaxed the third out on his 41st pitch when Cade Marlowe grounded out.
“We were laying off good pitches and grinding it out,” Crawford said.
Crawford homered in the second — his ninth long ball of the season — to make it 3-0. The shortstop added a double in the ninth and scored for the third time on Eugenio Suárez's single.
Kelly (9-5) managed to shake off his 41-pitch first inning to deliver a decent outing. The right-hander gave up three runs and seven hits over five innings, striking out six while walking two.
The D-backs finished with just three hits, one each for Ketel Marte, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Emmanuel Rivera.
Double double play
Arizona's Dominic Canzone lined out to the right side twice — once in the second inning and again in the fourth — and both times Christian Walker was doubled off first base for another out.
Trainer's room
D-backs: Placed LHP Tommy Henry (left elbow inflammation) on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to Saturday. Activated RHP Cole Sulser (strained right shoulder) from the 60-day injured list.
Up next
Mariners: Return home to face the Red Sox in a three-game series starting Monday. Seattle will start RHP George Kirby (9-8, 3.49 ERA) in the first game. Boston hadn't announced a starter.
D-backs: Travel to face the Giants in a four-game series starting Monday. Arizona will start RHP Ryne Nelson (6-5, 4.97 ERA) in the first game. San Francisco hadn't announced a starter. | https://tucson.com/sports/d-backs/dbacks-continue-to-struggle-in-shutout-loss-to-mariners/article_a09492d0-2d9a-11ee-be76-cb710aa3d958.html | 2023-07-31T01:10:22 | 1 | https://tucson.com/sports/d-backs/dbacks-continue-to-struggle-in-shutout-loss-to-mariners/article_a09492d0-2d9a-11ee-be76-cb710aa3d958.html |
Heated emotions could mean fireworks at Richmond
July 28, 2023 10:36 AM
Dustin Long previews the top storylines for the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway, from the heated emotions post-Pocono to outlooks for Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, and those on the playoff bubble. | https://www.nbcsports.com/watch/nascar/busch-analyzes-late-restart-after-battling-for-3rd | 2023-07-31T01:10:48 | 0 | https://www.nbcsports.com/watch/nascar/busch-analyzes-late-restart-after-battling-for-3rd |
A person was taken to the hospital with serious injuries following a report of a shooting in Dorchester on Sunday night, police said.
Officers responded to the intersection of Blue Hill Avenue and Washington Street in Grove Hall at 7:47 p.m. for a report of a person shot, according to Officer Michael Torigian, a Boston police spokesperson.
A victim was located and taken by ambulance to a local hospital with injuries that were believed to be life-threatening, according to Torigian.
Boston police homicide detectives were responding to the scene, he said. No further information was immediately available.
Nick Stoico can be reached at nick.stoico@globe.com. Follow him @NickStoico. | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/30/metro/dorchester-shooting-victim-taken-hospital-with-life-threatening-injuries-police-say/ | 2023-07-31T01:10:58 | 0 | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/30/metro/dorchester-shooting-victim-taken-hospital-with-life-threatening-injuries-police-say/ |
Heated emotions could mean fireworks at Richmond
July 28, 2023 10:36 AM
Dustin Long previews the top storylines for the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway, from the heated emotions post-Pocono to outlooks for Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, and those on the playoff bubble. | https://www.nbcsports.com/watch/nascar/fords-have-strong-cup-showing-at-richmond | 2023-07-31T01:10:58 | 0 | https://www.nbcsports.com/watch/nascar/fords-have-strong-cup-showing-at-richmond |
A Malden man is facing assault and other charges after an incident in which a vehicle’s windshield and rear window were smashed with a baseball bat and a baby inside the car was injured during an apparent road rage incident in the South End earlier this month, officials said.
Clifford Jones, 66, pleaded not guilty to several charges at his arraignment on July 18 in Boston Municipal Court in connection to the incident, which took place earlier that morning on Camden Street in the South End, according to Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office.
Jones is charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon on a child under 14, malicious destruction of property, possession of a class D substance, selling unstamped cigarettes, and selling cigarettes without a license, according to Hayden’s office.
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Jones was ordered held on $7,500 bail and is due back in court Wednesday for a pre-trial hearing, Hayden’s office said in a statement Sunday.
Jones’s attorney could not immediately be reached for comment Sunday night.
Authorities say Boston police responded to a report of a possible hit-and-run crash near 150 Camden St. at about 6:15 a.m. on July 18 and learned that the alleged victim was following the suspect, later identified as Jones, in the area of Massachusetts Avenue and Tremont Street.
Police caught up with Jones and the victim, who alleged that Jones had backed into his car and a verbal argument had ensued as they stood outside their cars looking at the damage, Hayden’s office said.
Jones then allegedly grabbed an aluminum bat and began smashing the front and rear windshields of the victim’s car, sending shattered glass raining down on the victim’s 1-year-old daughter in the back seat, Hayden’s office said.
Boston EMS took the baby girl to Boston Medical Center, where she was treated for lacerations and glass contamination, the statement said.
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“This was a terrifying sequence of events for the victim and for the victim’s child,” Hayden said in the statement. “It’s tragic that such a young child witnessed this and sustained injuries severe enough to be hospitalized. Minor motor vehicle accidents happen all the time. But to react with such violence, and with no hesitation in placing a child in danger, is intolerable.”
Witnesses reportedly confirmed the victim’s story to police and said they saw Jones retrieve the bat “from a third party” before smashing the windows, Hayden’s office said.
Jones confirmed to police that he had backed into the other person’s car, but he said the driver began screaming at him and he fled the area out of concern for his safety, according to Hayden’s office. He told police the other driver chased him for several blocks before police arrived.
Another witness told police they saw both vehicles “operating at a high speed, running through red lights, and driving the wrong way on one-way streets chasing each other.”
Police found an aluminum bat at the scene and allegedly located hundreds of packs of cigarettes with New Hampshire tax stamps, various nicotine and THC oil cartridges, and “packages of marijuana” from Jones’s vehicle, Hayden’s office said.
Nick Stoico can be reached at nick.stoico@globe.com. Follow him @NickStoico. | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/30/metro/malden-man-charged-with-smashing-car-windows-injuring-baby-apparent-road-rage-incident-south-end-suffolk-da-says/ | 2023-07-31T01:11:04 | 1 | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/30/metro/malden-man-charged-with-smashing-car-windows-injuring-baby-apparent-road-rage-incident-south-end-suffolk-da-says/ |
Heated emotions could mean fireworks at Richmond
July 28, 2023 10:36 AM
Dustin Long previews the top storylines for the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway, from the heated emotions post-Pocono to outlooks for Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, and those on the playoff bubble. | https://www.nbcsports.com/watch/nascar/graves-praises-team-execution-after-richmond-win | 2023-07-31T01:11:08 | 0 | https://www.nbcsports.com/watch/nascar/graves-praises-team-execution-after-richmond-win |
PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Buffalo Bills co-owner Kim Pegula watched training camp practice from the front seat of the family’s SUV on Sunday in making an encouraging and surprising first public appearance in 14 months since experiencing a debilitating cardiac arrest.
And there could be more appearances to come, according to 29-year-old daughter Jessica Pegula. The third-ranked player in women’s tennis referred to her mother’s attendance at camp as the latest baby step in her recovery, and a reflection of her desire to be more active.
“I think it’s kind of the next step for us as a family — how much this year she wants to be around all the action and the games,” Pegula said in Washington, D.C. where she is preparing to compete in the DC Open, which starts on Monday. “I mean, I know she does, but it’s almost like if we’re ready for that to happen.”
Kim Pegula could be seen through the side window of the vehicle, which was parked at the foot of the south end zone overlooking the team’s main practice field.
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Remaining in the SUV through the end of practice, she was kept company mostly by her son, Matthew, with her husband Terry Pegula regularly stopping by to chat.
Pegula was most recently described as still dealing with significant language and memory issues after going into cardiac arrest in June 2022 shortly after celebrating her 53rd birthday. She spent extensive time being treated in the hospital before being released to begin what is regarded as a lengthy rehab process.
Though coach Sean McDermott stopped by to great Kim Pegula before practice, and quarterback Josh Allen met with her after the session, several players were unaware of her presence.
“I did not see her, but that’s awesome,” safety Jordan Poyer said.
It’s unclear how many fans were aware of her presence either, as the Bills were unable to make any public address announcements because of a power failure that affected the entire St. John Fisher University campus and much of the surrounding area of Pittsford, New York.
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Though Jessica Pegula had not had a chance to speak with her mom following practice, she received a glowing status report from her father who said, “she was very happy to be there.”
“I’m glad she’s able to kind of go out and enjoy things more,” Pegula said. “It’s been a tough year. It’s nice for her and nice for everyone around to just see that she’s doing well.”
Arriving in Buffalo earlier this week, her appearance at the Bills training camp facility in suburban Rochester, New York, also represented a homecoming of sorts for Pegula, who grew up in nearby Fairport.
From South Korea, Pegula was left orphaned as a child before being adopted at age 5 by Ralph and Marilyn Kerr, who brought her to the U.S.
She is Pegula’s second wife, after the two met in a town south of Buffalo and were married in 1993. The Pegulas made their fortune in the natural gas industry and returned to western New York by purchasing the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres in 2011 followed by buying the Bills three years later following the death of franchise founder Ralph Wilson.
Before falling ill, Pegula was actively involved in player matters as well as serving on various NFL committees. She held the title of Bills president before her husband took over the role as part of an executive management shakeup two weeks ago.
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Terry Pegula grew emotional last month in referencing his wife during a ground-breaking ceremony for the Bills new $1.54 billion stadium, which is being constructed across the street from the team’s current facility and scheduled to open in time for the 2026 season.
While she was not present, Terry said he cheers for her every day, and then cited the Bellamy Brothers’ song “You’re My Favorite Star,” by saying, “And Kim, you are my favorite star.”
AP Tennis Writer Howard Fendrich contributed from Washington. | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/30/sports/bills-co-owner-kim-pegula-makes-1st-appearance-training-camp-since-going-into-cardiac-arrest/ | 2023-07-31T01:11:10 | 1 | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/30/sports/bills-co-owner-kim-pegula-makes-1st-appearance-training-camp-since-going-into-cardiac-arrest/ |
SAN FRANCISCO — The Red Sox see themselves as legitimate contenders who can make a playoff push, and Chris Sale is a huge piece to the club’s hopes.
Sale (shoulder) will start a rehab assignment Tuesday with Worcester, with the plan calling for him to throw three innings in Syracuse N.Y., against the Mets’ Triple A affiliate. The lefthander is scheduled for at least one more rehab appearance before he could rejoin the big league club.
But in what role?
The Red Sox and Giants employed the opener/bullpen method twice each in their three-game series that concluded with San Francisco’s 4-3 win Sunday in 11 innings. Both teams went with an opener Sunday and while the Sox have done so due to injured starters, the Giants have done it because their starters have underperformed. The strategy helps a pitcher who usually starts, or the bulk guy, avoid the top of the order more than twice — hiding them, essentially.
Manager Alex Cora has taken notice.
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“What they’re doing is interesting, with all their starters in the bullpen and kind of like mixing and matching and going to three innings. That’s something that intrigues me,” Cora said before Sunday’s game. “It puts the other manager [in a situation of], ‘How are we going to do this?’ So maybe we can go that route.”
Not with Sale. The Red Sox would prefer to keep him as a starter, even if it means he only goes three or four innings at a time upon activation from the 60-day injured list.
Could Garrett Whitlock (elbow), who hasn’t proven to be able to stay healthy and has struggled as a starter, and Tanner Houck (facial fracture), who is dominant the first two times through an order but labors the third time through, be used behind an opener when they returnfrom the IL?
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Perhaps.
The Red Sox have gone more than a month utilizing the opener in 40 percent of their contests and have managed to dominate their opponents for most of that time. But the sustainability of the strategy, eventually, runs out of steam because there’s so much reliance on bullpen arms.
“It’s going to get tougher now,” Cora said.
The bullpen strategy has been working, thanks, in part, to Nick Pivetta, Chris Murphy, and Brennan Bernardino, Sunday’s opener.
But one thing is clear: the Red Sox need starters, and Sale will remain one.
On to Seattle
The Red Sox will travel to Seattle for a series with the Mariners at T-Mobile Park beginning Monday.
After Sunday’s game, Cora said reliever Joely Rodriguez (hip) will be going on the injured list and Nick Pivetta will start the series opener against the Mariners opposite George Kirby. It was originally an opener game for the Sox.
Brayan Bello had previously been pushed back a day to Tuesday and lines up against the Mariners’ Bryce Miller. Kutter Crawford will be on the hill Wednesday for the series finale vs. Seattle’s Logan Gilbert.
The Mariners (54-51) are 7-3 in their last 10 games, including a 4-0 win Sunday in Phoenix over the Diamondbacks.
McGuire expected back
Catcher Reese McGuire (oblique) will come off the injured list and join the Red Sox sometime during the series in Seattle. The cross-country travel, Cora noted, makes it difficult to pinpoint a day … Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski, Red Sox Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski’s grandson, left Sunday’s game with hamstring tightness.
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Julian McWilliams can be reached at julian.mcwilliams@globe.com. Follow him @byJulianMack. | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/30/sports/chris-sale-set-rehab-assignment-with-worcester-then-return-opener-reliant-red-sox-starting-role/ | 2023-07-31T01:11:16 | 0 | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/30/sports/chris-sale-set-rehab-assignment-with-worcester-then-return-opener-reliant-red-sox-starting-role/ |
Heated emotions could mean fireworks at Richmond
July 28, 2023 10:36 AM
Dustin Long previews the top storylines for the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway, from the heated emotions post-Pocono to outlooks for Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, and those on the playoff bubble. | https://www.nbcsports.com/watch/nascar/highlights-nascar-cup-race-at-richmond-raceway | 2023-07-31T01:11:18 | 1 | https://www.nbcsports.com/watch/nascar/highlights-nascar-cup-race-at-richmond-raceway |
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Dalvin Cook got an up-close view of Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets while watching practice from the sideline Sunday.
The free agent running back has to see if he’ll spend the rest of training camp in their backfield — or elsewhere.
Cook spent Sunday meeting with the Jets as he ponders the next stop of his playing career. The four-time Pro Bowl selection was released by the Vikings on June 8 for salary cap savings, according to a person familiar with Minnesota’s decision.
The Jets are the first team Cook has officially visited as a free agent, with his hometown Miami Dolphins also among possible suitors. New York also must consider whether to make him an offer before he leaves the team’s practice facility.
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Cook, who turns 28 on Aug. 10, was greeted by chants of “Dal-vin Cooook! Sign that contract!” from fans in the stands as he walked onto the field. He later responded to the post on X, formerly known as Twitter, with a green heart emoji.
Several Jets players, including Rodgers, greeted Cook and he spent a few moments chatting with owner Woody Johnson.
“He’s a good young man, a very good young man,” Jets coach Robert Saleh said. “We didn’t interact too much. There’s a lot of stuff going on, especially when it’s open to the public. But it was good to say hello.”
Cook has talked up the Jets in TV interviews in recent days, telling NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” on Friday they “are right at the top of the list” and the odds of him signing with them were “pretty high.”
“It’s a unique situation because I think they’re building something special over there,” Cook told “Good Morning Football” during the interview. “When you look at it, you always want to be around a great QB, you always want to be around somebody you can pick his brain and just learn from. A-Rod is a four-time MVP. So, just being around a guy like that you can learn a lot more and just develop as a player.
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“That’s what I’m looking to do.”
He reiterated those comments Saturday during an interview with ESPN, saying he thinks “the coaching staff, I think everything about what they got going on, just says winning.”
But Cook, a former Florida State star, also said in the interview he was interested in the Dolphins and it would be “a Cinderella story” to play for his hometown team.
He was the guest of the Jets on Sunday, though. And now they have to wait to see if they offer Cook a deal and he accepts — or explores his options.
Both sides have expressed interest, and the Jets wanted Cook to take a physical to be sure his surgically repaired shoulder is healthy.
“That’s pretty much it,” Saleh said. “Call it a meet and greet.”
Cook, who has run for at least 1,000 yards in each of the past four seasons, was scheduled to count more than $14.1 million against the Vikings’ salary cap before he was released. He’s third on Minnesota’s career rushing list with 5,993 yards in six seasons.
With the Jets, Cook could give New York some insurance in the backfield with Breece Hall working his way back from a knee injury that cut short a promising rookie season. New York also has Michael Carter, Zonovan Knight, Damarea Crockett, fifth-round draft pick Israel Abanikanda and undrafted free agent Travis Dye at the position.
Advertisement | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/30/sports/dalvin-cook-visits-with-jets-watches-practice-he-considers-his-options/ | 2023-07-31T01:11:22 | 1 | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/30/sports/dalvin-cook-visits-with-jets-watches-practice-he-considers-his-options/ |