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KHAR, Pakistan (AP) — A suicide bomber blew himself up at a political rally in a former stronghold of militants in northwest Pakistan bordering Afghanistan on Sunday, killing at least 44 people and wounding nearly 200 in an attack that a senior leader said was meant to weaken Pakistani Islamists.
The Bajur district near the Afghan border was a stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban — a close ally of Afghanistan’s Taliban government — before the Pakistani army drove the militants out of the area. Supporters of hard-line Pakistani cleric and political party leader Fazlur Rehman, whose Jamiat Ulema Islam generally supports regional Islamists, were meeting in Bajur in a hall close to a market outside the district capital. Party officials said Rehman was not at the rally but organizers added tents because so many supporters showed up, and party volunteers with batons were helping control the crowd.
Officials were announcing the arrival of Abdul Rasheed, a leader of the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, when the bomb went off in one of Pakistan’s bloodiest attacks in recent years.
Provincial police said in a statement that the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber who detonated his explosives vest close to the stage where several senior leaders of the party were sitting. It said initial investigations suggested the Islamic State group — which operates in Afghanistan and is an enemy of the Afghan Taliban — could be behind the attack, and officers were still investigating.
“There was dust and smoke around, and I was under some injured people from where I could hardly stand up, only to see chaos and some scattered limbs,” said Adam Khan, 45, who was knocked to the ground by the blast around 4 p.m. and hit by splinters in his leg and both hands.
The Pakistan Taliban, or TTP, said in a statement sent to The Associated Press that the bombing was aimed at setting Islamists against each other. Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Afghan Taliban, said on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that “such crimes cannot be justified in any way.”
The Afghan Taliban’s seizure of power in Afghanistan in mid-August 2021 emboldened the TTP. They unilaterally ended a cease-fire agreement with the Pakistani government in November, and have stepped up attacks across the country.
The bombing came hours before the arrival of Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Islamabad, where he was to participate in an event to mark a decade of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, or CPEC, a sprawling package under which Beijing has invested billions of dollars in Pakistan.
In recent months, China has helped Pakistan avoid a default on sovereign payments. However, some Chinese nationals have also been targeted by militants in northwestern Pakistan and elsewhere.
Feroz Jamal, the provincial information minister, told The Associated Press that so far 44 people had been “martyred” and nearly 200 wounded in the bombing.
The bombing was one of the four worst attacks in the northwest since 2014, when 147 people, mostly schoolchildren, were killed in a Taliban attack on an army-run school in Peshawar. In January, 74 people were killed in a bombing at a mosque in Peshawar. n February, more than 100 people, mostly policemen, died in a bombing at a mosque inside a high-security compound housing Peshawar police headquarters.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Arif Alvi condemned the attack and asked officials to provide all possible assistance to the wounded and the bereaved families. Sharif later, in a phone call to Rehman, the head of the JUI, conveyed his condolences to him and assured him that those who orchestrated the attack would be punished.
The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad also condemned the attack. In a post on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, it expressed its condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims killed in the attack..
Maulana Ziaullah, the local chief of Rehman’s party, was among the dead. JUI leaders Rasheed and former lawmaker Maulana Jamaluddin were also on the stage but escaped unhurt.
Rasheed, the regional chief of the party, said the attack was an attempt to remove JUI from the field before parliamentary elections in November, but he said such tactics would not work. The bombing drew nationwide condemnation, with the ruling and opposition parties extending condolences to the families of those who died in the attack.
Rehman is considered to be a pro-Taliban cleric and his political party is part of the coalition government in Islamabad. Meetings are being organized across the country to mobilize supporters for the upcoming elections.
“Many of our fellows lost their lives and many more wounded in this incident. I will ask the federal and provincial administrations to fully investigate this incident and provide due compensation and medical facilities to the affected ones,” Rasheed said.
Mohammad Wali, another attendant at the rally, said he was listening to a speaker address the crowd when the huge explosion temporarily deafened him.
“I was near the water dispenser to fetch a glass of water when the bomb exploded, throwing me to the ground,” he said. “We came to the meeting with enthusiasm but ended up at the hospital seeing crying, wounded people and sobbing relatives taking the bodies of their loved ones.”
___
Riaz Khan reported from Peshawar. Associated Press writer Munir Ahmad contributed from Islamabad. | https://who13.com/news/international-news/ap-international/ap-a-bomb-at-a-political-rally-in-northwest-pakistan-kills-10-people-and-wounds-more-than-50/ | 2023-07-31T06:55:28 | 0 | https://who13.com/news/international-news/ap-international/ap-a-bomb-at-a-political-rally-in-northwest-pakistan-kills-10-people-and-wounds-more-than-50/ |
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — African leaders have left two days of meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin with little to show for their requests to resume a deal that kept grain flowing from Ukraine and to find a path to end the war there.
Putin in a press conference late Saturday following the Russia-Africa summit said Russia’s termination of the grain deal earlier this month caused a rise in grain prices that benefits Russian companies. He added that Moscow would share some of those revenues with the “poorest nations.”
That commitment, with no details, follows Putin’s promise to start shipping 25,000 to 50,000 tons of grain for free to each of six African nations in the next three to four months — an amount dwarfed by the 725,000 tons shipped by the U.N. World Food Program to several hungry countries, African and otherwise, under the grain deal. Russia plans to send the free grain to Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, Eritrea and Central African Republic.
Fewer than 20 of Africa’s 54 heads of state or government attended the Russia summit, while 43 attended the previous gathering in 2019, reflecting concerns over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine even as Moscow seeks more allies on the African continent of 1.3 billion people. Putin praised Africa as a rising center of power in the world, while the Kremlin blamed “outrageous” Western pressure for discouraging some African countries from showing up.
The presidents of Egypt and South Africa were among the most outspoken on the need to resume the grain deal.
“We would like the Black Sea initiative to be implemented and that the Black Sea should be open,” South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said. “We are not here to plead for donations for the African continent.”
African leaders also called clearly for peace.
“This war must end and it can only end on the basis of justice and reason,” said the head of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat. “The disturbances that it causes in the supply of energy and grain must cease immediately” for the benefit of all, especially Africans.
Putin said Russia would analyze African leaders’ peace proposal for Ukraine, whose details have not been publicly shared. But the Russian leader asked: “Why do you ask us to pause fire? We can’t pause fire while we’re being attacked.”
The next significant step in peace efforts instead appears to be a Ukrainian-organized peace summit hosted by Saudi Arabia in August. Russia is not invited.
Africa’s nations make up the largest voting bloc at the United Nations and have been more divided than any other region on General Assembly resolutions criticizing Russia’s actions in Ukraine. Delegations at the summit in St. Petersburg roamed exhibits of weapons, a reminder of Russia’s role as the top arms supplier to the African continent.
But African nations need more concrete results from such meetings, the AU Commission head told the summit.
“The trade balance between Russia and Africa, very unbalanced in favor of the first party, must be improved,” Mahamat said. At the first Russia-Africa Summit in 2019, Putin vowed to double Russia’s trade with the continent within five years. Instead, it has stalled at around $18 billion a year.
In addition, “the strengthening of cooperation on peace and security and the fight against terrorism calls for more deeds and fewer declarations of intent,” Mahamat said, while he and other African leaders were rushing to respond to a coup in Niger that could upend the regional response to a growing threat from Islamic extremist groups.
Putin in his remarks on Saturday also downplayed his absence from the BRICS economic summit in South Africa next month amid a controversy over an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court. His presence there, Putin said, is not “more important than my presence here, in Russia.” | https://who13.com/news/international-news/ap-international/ap-african-leaders-leave-russia-summit-without-grain-deal-or-a-path-to-end-the-war-in-ukraine/ | 2023-07-31T06:55:34 | 1 | https://who13.com/news/international-news/ap-international/ap-african-leaders-leave-russia-summit-without-grain-deal-or-a-path-to-end-the-war-in-ukraine/ |
BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) — The Central African Republic went to the polls Sunday in a highly anticipated vote on a new constitution, which would remove presidential term limits.
President Faustin Archange Touadera wants to extend presidential terms from five to seven years and remove the previous two-term limit, enabling him to run again in 2025.
The new constitution would replace the one adopted at Touadera’s inauguration in 2016, when the country was in a civil war and 80% of it was not under state control. If the new constitution is passed, it could entrench the ruling party’s power indefinitely, analysts say.
“This referendum basically confirms the fears of authoritarian drift (in CAR),” said Enrica Picco, Central Africa project director with the International Crisis Group. The new constitution would weaken checks on the executive by opposition parties, closing the space for Central Africans to participate in democratic decision-making, she said.
The proposed changes also would lift requirements that executive decisions be debated by the legislative and permit Central Africans with dual nationalities to vote.
The mineral-rich but impoverished nation has faced intercommunal fighting since 2013, when predominantly Muslim Seleka rebels seized power and forced then-President Francois Bozize from office. Mostly Christian militias later fought back, also targeting civilians in the streets. The United Nations, which has a peacekeeping mission in the country, estimates the fighting had killed thousands and displaced over a million people, one fifth of the country’s population.
When Touadera won re-election in 2020, barely a third of Central Africans made it to the polls, largely due to threats of violence by rebel groups. Touadera’s government has relied on support from UN peacekeepers, soldiers from neighboring Rwanda and Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group to keep rebels out of the capital Bangui.
“Now that there is peace … the time has come for us to take action,” said Fidel Gouandjika, a presidential advisor.
Opposition groups accuse the ruling party of making a draft of the new constitution publicly available too late for people to make informed decisions, less than three weeks before the referendum, said Picco.
Together with opposition parties they are calling on Central Africans to vote against the proposed constitution, or abstain from the referendum.
“Touadera wants to see himself as an emperor, and he wants to make our country what he wants, not what Central Africans want,” said former Prime Minister Nicolas Tiangaye. | https://who13.com/news/international-news/ap-international/ap-constitutional-referendum-to-remove-presidential-term-limits-divides-central-african-republic/ | 2023-07-31T06:55:40 | 0 | https://who13.com/news/international-news/ap-international/ap-constitutional-referendum-to-remove-presidential-term-limits-divides-central-african-republic/ |
HELSINKI (AP) — Denmark’s foreign minister said Sunday the government will seek to make it illegal to desecrate the Quran or other religious holy books in front of foreign embassies in the Nordic country.
Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said in an interview with the Danish public broadcaster DR that the burning of holy scriptures “only serves the purpose of creating division in a world that actually needs unity.”
“That is why we have decided in the government that we will look at how, in very special situations, we can put an end to mockery of other countries, which is in direct conflict with Danish interests and the safety of the Danes,” he said.
A recent string of public Quran desecrations by a handful of anti-Islam activists in Denmark and neighboring Sweden have sparked angry demonstrations in Muslim countries.
Løkke Rasmussen said the Cabinet of Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is determined to find “a legal tool” to prohibit such acts without compromising freedom of expression, but he acknowledged that would not be easy.
“There must be room for religious criticism, and we have no thoughts of reintroducing a blasphemy clause,” he told DR. “But when you stand up in front of a foreign embassy and burn a Quran or burn the Torah scroll in front of the Israeli embassy, it serves no other purpose than to mock.”
His comments followed a statement issued late Sunday by the Danish government saying freedom of expression is one of the most important values in Danish society.
But, it added, the descreation of the Muslim holy book in Denmark has resulted in the nation being viewed in many places around the world “as a country that facilitates insult and denigration of the cultures, religions, and traditions of other countries.”
The government repeated its condemnation of such descecrations, say they are “deeply offensive and reckless acts committed by few individuals” and “do not represent the values the Danish society is built on.”
In Sweden, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Sunday on Instagram that his government is analyzing the legal situation regarding desecration of the Quran and other holy books, given the animosity such acts are stirring up against Sweden.
“We are in the most serious security policy situation since the Second World War,” Kristersson said.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation has called an emergency remote meeting Monday to discuss the Quran burnings in Sweden and Denmark. | https://who13.com/news/international-news/ap-international/ap-denmark-seeks-to-legally-prevent-burnings-of-quran-or-other-religious-scriptures/ | 2023-07-31T06:55:47 | 1 | https://who13.com/news/international-news/ap-international/ap-denmark-seeks-to-legally-prevent-burnings-of-quran-or-other-religious-scriptures/ |
BEIJING (AP) — The French finance minister said Sunday he pressed Chinese leaders to open their markets wider to foreign companies and lobbied for investment in France’s electric car industry, as the European Union’s second-largest economy followed Washington in reviving post-COVID economic talks amid tension over Beijing’s surging trade surpluses.
Bruno Le Maire also defended Paris’s controls on foreign access to technology after authorities said two Chinese citizens are under investigation for what news reports say is possible smuggling of French-made processor chips with military uses to China and Russia.
Le Maire met Saturday with Vice Premier He Lifeng, Beijing’s top envoy on economic issues. He followed Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who visited Beijing on July 9-10 as part of U.S. efforts to revive frosty relations with China.
Chinese officials gave Le Maire and Yellen a warm welcome as part of efforts to reverse an economic slump by reviving foreign investor interest. But Beijing has given no indication of possible changes in technology and other policies that its trading partners say violate Chinese market-opening commitments.
Officials of the 27-nation European Union are trying to narrow a trade deficit with China that swelled to 396 billion euros ($432 billion) last year. Le Maire cited cosmetics, aerospace and agriculture as possible areas for more French exports.
“There is a need to improve access to the Chinese market. I think that it was at the core of our discussions,” Le Maire said in an interview at the French Embassy. “We want to have a stronger economic relationship between Europe and China, between France and China, which means to get access for all European goods.”
Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s government has looked to Europe as an alternative market and source of technology since Washington tightened controls on access to U.S. processor chips and other high-tech goods and hiked tariffs on imports from China in a feud over its industry development ambitions.
Le Maire and Chinese officials pledged to cooperate on climate change, financing for developing countries and nuclear power. They announced plans to set up a group to settle a dispute over access to China’s market for cosmetics, a major French export.
Le Maire also lobbied for investment from China’s fast-growing electric car industry. He was due to fly to the southern city of Shenzhen to meet Wang Chuanfu, founder of BYD Auto, one of the world’s biggest electric vehicle producers. BYD Auto and other Chinese brands are starting to sell in developed markets including Europe and Japan. Chinese battery supplier CATL has set up a factory in Germany to supply automaker BMW.
“We want China to make investments in France in electric vehicles,” Le Maire said. “In the climate transition, there is a place for Chinese investment in France, which allows us to reinforce our economic relations and also speed up action against global warming.”
The talks were overshadowed by Russia’s war against Ukraine and complaints China might be helping Moscow evade Western sanctions, but Le Maire said he didn’t discuss the war with Chinese officials. However, he said it was in Beijing’s interest to end the 17-month-old war. President Emmanuel Macron’s security adviser, Emmanuel Bonne, said this month China was delivering “military equipment” to Russia but gave no details.
“I want to make very clear that we want this war to go to an end as soon as possible,” Le Maire said. “Indeed, (it is) in the interest of China, it is in the interests of the global growth to have peace as soon as possible.”
Le Maire also defended French controls on technology exports and foreign investment in high-tech industry. French authorities are investigating two Chinese citizens associated with chip producer Ommic who the newspaper Le Parisien said face possible charges of exporting chips to a Chinese armaments maker using forged documents.
French counter-espionage officials believe a Chinese investor who bought control of Ommic in 2018 was trying to transfer chip manufacturing technology to China, according to the newspaper. The ruling Communist Party is trying to develop its own chip industry, but Washington has blocked access to advanced manufacturing tools and persuaded allies Japan and the Netherlands to impose their own restrictions.
Chinese authorities complain their companies are unfairly targeted by restrictions on access to foreign technology. They have warned curbs on access to semiconductors will disrupt smartphone and other industries.
“Everybody can understand that France wants to protect its key technologies,” Le Maire said. “We don’t want any foreign country to get access to those French sovereign technologies.” | https://who13.com/news/international-news/ap-international/ap-frances-le-maire-presses-china-on-market-access-and-lobbies-for-electric-car-investment/ | 2023-07-31T06:55:54 | 1 | https://who13.com/news/international-news/ap-international/ap-frances-le-maire-presses-china-on-market-access-and-lobbies-for-electric-car-investment/ |
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Salvage crews started towing a burning cargo ship loaded with thousands of cars to a temporary anchorage location off the northern Dutch coast on Sunday after smoke pouring from the stricken vessel eased, authorities said.
On Saturday night, the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management had said the Fremantle Highway was unlikely to be moved because of a southeasterly wind blowing smoke from the days-old fire over tugboats.
But that changed Sunday.
“The smoke from the cargo ship subsided considerably this afternoon and the salvage combination Multraship/Smit Salvage immediately made use of this,” the ministry said in a statement referring to two salvage companies involved in the operation.
The ship was being slowly towed by two tugs to a temporary anchor point about 16 kilometers (10 miles) north of the Dutch islands of Schiermonnikoog and Ameland.
Experts are continuously monitoring the ship’s stability and a specialized boat used to clean up oil is nearby in case there is a spill, the ministry added.
The salvage teams ultimately want to tow the stricken ship to a port but it is not yet clear where or when that will happen.
The crews on Saturday attached a second towing cable to the ship, which was transporting 3,783 new vehicles, including 498 electric vehicles, from the German port of Bremerhaven to Singapore.
The ship has been burning since Tuesday. Firefighters decided not to douse the flames with water for fear of making the nearly 200-meter (219-yard) ship unstable as it floats close to North Sea shipping lanes and a world-renowned migratory bird habitat.
One crew member died and others were injured after the fire broke out. The crew was evacuated in the early hours of Wednesday.
The cause of the fire has not been determined. | https://who13.com/news/international-news/ap-international/ap-high-winds-stall-efforts-to-tow-a-burning-cargo-ship-packed-with-cars-off-northern-dutch-coast/ | 2023-07-31T06:56:00 | 0 | https://who13.com/news/international-news/ap-international/ap-high-winds-stall-efforts-to-tow-a-burning-cargo-ship-packed-with-cars-off-northern-dutch-coast/ |
CAIRO (AP) — Palestinian factions met Sunday in Egypt to discuss reconciliation efforts as violence in the occupied West Bank surged between Israel and Palestinian militants.
The main groups, Hamas and Fatah, have been split since 2007 and repeated reconciliation attempts having failed, so expectations for the one-day meeting were low.
Participants at the closed-door meeting gave no indication of what was discussed. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who initiated the session in the Egyptian city of el-Alamein on the Mediterranean Sea, said at its conclusion only that the meeting was a “first and significant step” in efforts to end the long-running division.
It came amid soaring violence in the West Bank, where Abbas and his Fatah group are based and exert limited self-rule. Israel has been staging near-nightly raids in Palestinian areas of the territory in what it says is an attempt to stamp out militancy, especially in areas where Abbas’ security forces have less of a foothold.
Those raids have led to some of the worst fighting in nearly two decades in the West Bank. Palestinians also say the Israeli raids undermine their own security forces and weaken their leadership.
The meeting in Egypt was chaired by Abbas, presenting the aging and longtime Palestinian leader with a chance to portray an image of control and statesmanship to both Palestinians and the international community at a time when he is deeply unpopular at home and his room for maneuver is constrained by the Israeli incursions.
The meeting was attended by other Palestinian leaders, including Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, the militant group that rules the Gaza Strip. Fatah and Hamas have been rivals since Hamas violently routed forces loyal to Abbas in Gaza in 2007, taking over the impoverished coastal enclave. Israel and Egypt have imposed a blockade on the territory.
For Hamas, joining the meeting was an opportunity to show Gazans that it is making an effort to mend the rift, even if nothing changes as a result.
Another key group playing a central role in the fighting with Israel, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, boycotted the gathering to protest the detentions by the Palestinian Authority of its members, said to the group’s leader, Ziyad al-Nakhala.
Egypt has for years acted as a mediator in trying to end the infighting between Palestinian factions. It also helped broker truces in multiple rounds of fighting between Israel and Hamas. | https://who13.com/news/international-news/ap-international/ap-palestinian-factions-meet-in-egypt-to-try-to-reconcile-as-violence-surges-in-the-west-bank/ | 2023-07-31T06:56:07 | 1 | https://who13.com/news/international-news/ap-international/ap-palestinian-factions-meet-in-egypt-to-try-to-reconcile-as-violence-surges-in-the-west-bank/ |
PAVLIVKA, Ukraine (AP) — The summer winds carried the smell of burned grain across the southern Ukrainian steppe and away from the shards of three Russian cruise missiles that struck the unassuming metal hangars.
The agricultural company Ivushka applied for accreditation to export grain this year, but the strike in mid-July destroyed a large portion of the stock, days after Russia abandoned the grain deal that would have allowed the shipments across the Black Sea without fear of attack.
Men shirtless and barefoot, with blackened soles from ash, swept unburnt grain into piles and awaited the loader, whose driver deftly steered around twisted metal shrapnel, bits of missile and craters despite his shattered windshield.
They hoped to beat the next rain to rescue what was left of the crop. According to the Odesa Regional Prosecutor’s Office, Russia struck the facility July 21 with three Kalibr- and Onyx-class cruise missiles.
“We don’t have a clue why they did it,” explained Olha Romanova, the head of Ivushka. Romanova, who worked in the debris alongside the others, wore a red headscarf and an exhausted expression and was too frazzled to even estimate her losses.
She cannot comprehend why the Russians targeted Ivushka, as there are no nearby military facilities and the frontlines are far from the village in the Odesa region.
“They spent so much money on us,” she said, puzzled. The missiles that ruined the silos are worth millions of dollars — far more than the crop they destroyed.
But Ivushka wasn’t the only target in Odesa. The main port also was struck, leaving Black Sea shipping companies that relied upon the grain deal to keep them safe and food supplies flowing to the world at a standstill.
The Black Sea handled about 95% of Ukrainian grain exports before Russia’s invasion and the U.N.-brokered initiative allowed Ukraine to ship much of what farmers harvested in 2021 and 2022, said Joseph Glauber, senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute.
Ukraine, a major supplier of corn, wheat, barley and vegetable oil, shipped 32.9 million metric tons (36.2 million U.S. tons) of grain under the nearly yearlong deal designed to ease a global food crisis. It has been able to export an additional 2 million to 2.5 million metric tons (2.2 to 2.7 million U.S. tons) monthly by the Danube River, road and rail through Europe.
Those are now the only routes to ship grain, but have stirred divisions among nearby European countries and generated higher costs to be absorbed by Ukrainian farmers, said Glauber, former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Russian missiles strikes against the Danube port last Monday also raised questions about how much longer that route will remain viable.
That’s a disincentive to keep planting fields already threatened by missiles and strewn with explosive mines. Corn and wheat production in agriculture-dependent Ukraine is down nearly 40% this year from prewar levels, analysts say.
From the first of July last year until June 30 this year, Ukraine exported 68 million tons of grain, according to data from Mykola Horbachov, the president of the Ukrainian Grain Association. Ukrainian farmers shipped 11.2 million tons via railways, 5.5 million tons by road transport and around 18 million tons through Danube ports. Additionally, nearly half of the total exported grain, 33 million tons, was delivered through seaports under the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
Ihor Osmachko, the general director of Agroprosperis Group, was unsurprised by Russia’s withdrawal from the deal leading to its collapse. His company had never considered it a reliable or permanent solution during wartime.
He said Russians frequently stymied the deal, even while it was functioning, by delaying ship inspections until the cargos were sent back, leading to $30 million in losses for his company alone. Now, they are once again forced to pay to reroute 100,000 tons of grain trapped in ports that are no longer safe, Osmachko said.
“We have been preparing for this whole time,” Osmachko said. “We haven’t stopped. We are moving forward.”
Osmachko estimated around 80% to 90% of the approximately 3.2 million tons of grain Agroprosperis exported to China, Europe and African countries during the past year went through the grain corridor.
“The most significant problem today is the cost of logistics,” explained Mykola Horbachov, president of the Ukrainian Grain Association. Before the war, farmers paid approximately $20 to $25 per ton to transport grain to the Odesa ports. Now, logistics costs have tripled as they are forced to pay more than $100 to transport a single ton via alternative routes through the Danube port to Constanta, Romania.
“If we were to go on the Danube with the grain corridor closed, practically all our production would be unprofitable,” Osmachko said.
The Danube ports can’t handle the same volume as seaports. The most Agroprosperis has sent through this route is 75,000 tons per month, compared with a monthly average of 250,000 tons through Black Sea ports.
The Ukrainian harvest this year is the lowest in a decade, according to a July report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Horbachov said shipping costs to export around the world and uncertainty about the length of the war will last could quickly make new planting unprofitable for Ukrainian farmers.
Ukraine currently produces three times more grain than it consumes, while global prices will inevitably rise if the country’s exports decrease.
“I think you’re looking at a diminished Ukraine for at least the next couple of years and maybe longer,” said Glauber, the former U.S. agricultural official. “That’s something the rest of the world just needs to make up.”
The war from all sides poses risks for Agroprosperis.
In the Sumy region on the Russian border, farmers harvest their crops wearing body armor. Sometimes they must stop their combines in the middle of the wheat fields to pick up shrapnel from Russian projectiles.
“It can get tough at times,” Osmachko acknowledged. “But there are responsibilities — some have duties on the front. Some must grow food and ensure the country’s and world’s security.”
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Volodymyr Yurchuk in Lviv, Ukraine, and Courtney Bonnell in London contributed.
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Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine | https://who13.com/news/international-news/ap-international/ap-russian-missile-attacks-leave-few-options-for-ukrainian-farmers-looking-to-export-grain/ | 2023-07-31T06:56:08 | 0 | https://who13.com/news/international-news/ap-international/ap-russian-missile-attacks-leave-few-options-for-ukrainian-farmers-looking-to-export-grain/ |
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spanish government researchers said Sunday they had identified 357 foreign fighters who went missing during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), the conflict that foreshadowed World War II.
Researchers confirmed the names of 212 fighters from Germany, Austria and the Netherlands, according to a statement from the government Sunday. Some 102 are of German origin, 70 Austrian and 40 Dutch. It gave no information on how many people of other nationalities had been identified.
The identified combatants fought within the International Brigades, military units set up by the Communist International to fight against General Francisco Franco’s fascist forces. Some 40,000 foreign men and women joined up as volunteers, fighting alongside the forces of the democratic Second Spanish Republic and against the rise of fascism in Europe in late 1930s.
The findings are based on a year of research in records held in documentary archives in Spain and Russia. Researchers combed through the daily lists of casualties and missing soldiers compiled by officers in the International Brigades.
The names of private soldiers were frequently omitted from the lists, making the research process more difficult. These lists are held in the Russian State Archive of Socio-Political History, in Moscow. Researchers also dipped into the main archives on the Spanish Civil War located in Spain.
By cross-referencing documents, researchers were also able to identify the likely area where the soldiers died or were badly wounded. It is an important step toward locating their remains inside mass graves scattered across the country.
This research provides “very valuable information that gives us the opportunity to contact the families of the missing combatants and, in the future, to intervene in the mass graves that have been located,” said Alfons Aragoneses, head of the project.
All those identified were part of the Thälmann Brigade, a Communist unit made up largely of anti-Nazi Germans. The battalion was active on the Ebro River front in northeastern Spain between March and September 1938, the site of the longest and deadliest battle of the war.
The research is ongoing and it is funded by Catalan regional government, with the aim of contributing to the country’s historical memory. The second phase of the project will try to identify missing militiamen from Great Britain, Ireland, Canada and the United States. The final step would require opening the graves in search of bodies.
Historians estimate nearly 10,000 foreign volunteers died in combat on Spanish soil during the war. How many are still unidentified, buried inside graves, remains unknown.
The Spanish Civil War served as a testing ground for Hitler’s Germany and Mussolini’s Italy prior to World War II. This triggered an international outcry to try to save the Republic’s democratic government, which eventually succumbed to Franco in 1939. | https://who13.com/news/international-news/ap-international/ap-spain-identifies-212-german-austrian-and-dutch-fighters-who-went-missing-during-spanish-civil-war/ | 2023-07-31T06:56:15 | 1 | https://who13.com/news/international-news/ap-international/ap-spain-identifies-212-german-austrian-and-dutch-fighters-who-went-missing-during-spanish-civil-war/ |
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Several thousand people briefly took to the streets across the Gaza Strip on Sunday to protest chronic power outages and difficult living conditions, providing a rare public show of discontent with the territory’s Hamas government. Hamas security forces quickly dispersed the gatherings.
Marches took place in Gaza City, the southern town of Khan Younis and other locations, chanting “what a shame” and in one place burning Hamas flags, before police moved in and broke up the protests.
Police destroyed mobile phones of people who were filming in Khan Younis, and witnesses said there were several arrests. Dozens of young supporters and opponents of Hamas briefly faced off, throwing stones at one another.
The demonstrations were organized by a grassroots online movement called “alvirus alsakher,” or “the mocking virus.” It was not immediately known who is behind the movement.
Hamas rules Gaza with an iron fist, barring most demonstrations and quickly stamping out public displays of dissent.
The Islamic militant group seized control of Gaza in 2007 from the forces of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, prompting Israel and Egypt to impose a crippling blockade on the territory. Israel says the closure is needed to prevent Hamas, which does not recognize Israel’s right to exist, from building up its military capabilities.
The closure has devastated Gaza’s economy, sent unemployment skyrocketing and led to frequent power outages. During the current heat wave, people have been receiving four to six hours of power a day due to heavy demand.
“Where is the electricity and where is the gas?” the crowds shouted in Khan Younis. “What a shame. What a shame.”
Protesters also criticized Hamas for deducting a roughly $15 fee from monthly $100 stipends given to Gaza’s poorest families by the wealthy Gulf state of Qatar.
There was no immediate comment from the Hamas authorities. | https://who13.com/news/international-news/ap-international/ap-thousands-take-to-streets-in-gaza-in-rare-public-display-of-discontent-with-hamas/ | 2023-07-31T06:56:22 | 0 | https://who13.com/news/international-news/ap-international/ap-thousands-take-to-streets-in-gaza-in-rare-public-display-of-discontent-with-hamas/ |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — When viewed through a wide lens, renters across the U.S. finally appear to be getting some relief, thanks in part to the biggest apartment construction boom in decades.
Median rent rose just 0.5% in June, year over year, after falling in May for the first time since the pandemic hit the U.S. Some economists project U.S. rents will be down modestly this year after soaring nearly 25% over the past four years.
A closer look, however, shows the trend will likely be little comfort for many U.S. renters who’ve had to put an increasing share of their income toward their monthly payment. Renters in cities such as Cincinnati and Indianapolis are still getting hit with increases of 5% or more. Much of the new construction is located in just a few metro areas, and many of the new units are luxury apartments, which rent for well north of $2,000.
Median U.S. rent has risen to $2,029 this June from $1,629 in June 2019, according to rental listings company Rent, which tracks rents in 50 of the largest U.S. metropolitan areas. Demand for apartments exploded during the pandemic as people who could work remotely sought more space or decided to relocate to another part of the country.
The steep rent increases have left tenants like Melissa Lombana, a high school teacher who lives in the South Florida city of Miramar, with progressively less income to spend on other needs.
The rent on her one-bedroom apartment jumped 13% last year to $1,700. It climbed another 6% to $1,800 this month when she renewed her lease.
“Even the $1,700 was a stretch for me,” said Lombana, 43, who supplements her teaching income with a side job doing educational testing. “In a year, I will not be able to afford living here at all.”
Lombana’s rent is now gobbling up nearly half her monthly income. That puts her in a category referred to as “cost-burdened” by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, denoting households that pay 30% or more of their income toward rent. Last year, the average rent-to-income ratio per household rose to 30%. This March, it was 29.6%.
Lombana hasn’t had any luck finding a more affordable apartment. While South Florida is one of the metropolitan areas seeing a rise in apartment construction, the units are mostly high-end and not a viable option.
That scenario is playing out across the nation. Developers are rushing to complete projects that were green-lit during the pandemic-era surge in demand for rentals or left in limbo by delays in supplies of fixtures and building materials. Nearly 1.1 million apartments are currently under construction, according to the commercial real estate tracker CoStar, a pace not seen since the 1970s.
Increasing the supply of apartments tends to moderate rent increases over time and can give tenants more options on where to live. But more than 40% of the new rentals to be completed this year will be concentrated in about 10 high job growth metropolitan areas, including Austin, Nashville, Denver, Atlanta and New York, according to Marcus & Millichap. In many areas, the boost to overall inventory will be barely noticeable.
Even within metros where there’ll be a notable increase in available apartments, such as Nashville, most of it will be in the luxury category, where rents average $2,270, nationally. Some 70% of the new rental inventory will be the luxury class, said Jay Lybik, national director of multifamily analytics at CoStar.
That will leave most tenants unlikely to see a big enough reduction in rent to make a difference, industry experts and economists say.
“I think we’re in a period of rent flattening for 12 or 18 months, but it’s certainly not a big rent decline,” said Hessam Nadji, CEO of commercial real estate firm Marcus & Millichap.
“We’re building a multi-decade record number of units,” Nadji said. “It’s going to cause some softening and some pockets of overbuilding, but it’s not going to fundamentally resolve the housing shortage or the affordability problem for renters across the U.S.”
The surge in rents has made it difficult for workers to keep up with inflation despite solid wage gains the past few years and exacerbated a long-term trend. Between 1999 and 2022, U.S. rents soared 135%, while income grew 77%, according to data from Moody’s Analytics.
Realtor.com is forecasting that rents will drop an average of 0.9% this year. But while down nationally, rents are still rising in many markets around the country, especially those where hiring remains robust.
In the New York metro area, the median rent climbed 4.7% in June from a year earlier to $2,899, according to Realtor.com. In the Midwest, rents surged 5.6% in the Cincinnati metro area to $1,188, and 6.9% to $1,350 in the Indianapolis metro area.
The current spike in apartment construction alone isn’t going to be enough to address how costly renting has become for many Americans.
“For the rest of the 2020s rents will continue to grow because millennials are such a big generation and we’re very much in the hole in terms of building housing for that generation,” said Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin. “It will take many good years of new construction to build adequate housing for millennials.”
The bigger challenge is building more work force housing, because the cost of land, labor and navigating the government approval process incentivize developers to put up luxury apartments buildings.
Expanding the supply of modestly priced rentals would help alleviate the strain from so many new apartments targeting renters with high incomes, “although additional subsidies will be needed to make housing affordable to households with the lowest incomes,” researchers at Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies wrote in a recent report.
Despite the overall pullback in U.S. rents, Joey Di Girolamo, in Pembroke Pines, Florida, worries that he’ll face more sharp rent increases in coming years.
Last year, the web designer left a two-bedroom, two-bath townhome he rented for $2,200 a month to avoid a $600 a month increase. This year, his rent went up by $200, a nearly 10% jump.
“That blew me away,” said Di Girolamo, 50. “I’m just kind of dreading what it’s going to be like next year, but especially 3 or 4 years from now.” | https://who13.com/news/national-news/ap-us-news/ap-a-boom-in-apartment-construction-is-helping-to-curb-rents-but-not-all-renters-will-benefit/ | 2023-07-31T06:56:28 | 1 | https://who13.com/news/national-news/ap-us-news/ap-a-boom-in-apartment-construction-is-helping-to-curb-rents-but-not-all-renters-will-benefit/ |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The largest dam removal project in United States history is underway along the California-Oregon border — a process that won’t conclude until the end of next year with the help of heavy machinery and explosives.
But in some ways, removing the dams is the easy part. The hard part will come over the next decade as workers, partnering with Native American tribes, plant and monitor nearly 17 billion seeds as they try to restore the Klamath River and the surrounding land to what it looked like before the dams started to go up more than a century ago.
The demolition is part of a national movement to return the natural flow of the nation’s rivers and restore habitat for fish and the ecosystems that sustain other wildlife. More than 2,000 dams have been removed in the U.S. as of February, with the bulk of those having come down within the last 25 years, according to the advocacy group American Rivers.
The removal of four hydroelectric dams along the Klamath River is the movement’s greatest triumph and its greatest challenge. When demolition is completed by the end of next year, more than 400 miles (644 kilometers) of river will have opened for threatened species of fish and other wildlife. By comparison, the 65 dams removed in the U.S. last year combined to reconnect 430 miles (692 kilometers) of river.
The project will empty three reservoirs over about 3.5 square miles (9 square kilometers) near the California-Oregon border, exposing soil to sunlight in some places for the first time in more than a century.
For the past five years, Native American tribes have gathered seeds by hand and sent them to nurseries with plans to sow the seeds along the banks of the newly wild river. Helicopters will bring in hundreds of thousands of trees and shrubs to plant along the banks, including wads of tree roots to create habitat for fish.
This growth usually takes decades to happen naturally. But officials are pressing nature’s fast-forward button because they hope to repel an invasion of foreign plants, such as starthistle, which dominate the landscape at the expense of native plants.
“Why not just let nature take its course? Well, nature didn’t take its course when dams got put in. We can’t pretend this gigantic change in the landscape has not happened and we can’t just ignore the fact that invasive species are a big problem in the west and in California,” said Dave Meurer, director of community affairs for Resource Environmental Solutions, the company leading the restoration project. “Our goal is to give nature a head start.”
A power company, known today as PacifiCorp, built the dams starting in 1918 to generate electricity. The dams halted the natural flow of the river and disrupted the lifecycle of salmon, a fish that spends most of its life in the Pacific Ocean but returns to the chilly mountain streams to lay eggs. The fish are culturally and spiritually significant to a number of Native American tribes, who historically survived by fishing the massive runs of salmon that would come back to the rivers each year.
A combination of low water levels and warm temperatures in 2002 led to a bacterial outbreak that killed more than 34,000 fish, mostly Chinook salmon. The loss jumpstarted decades of advocacy from Native American tribes and environmental groups, culminating last year when federal regulators approved a plan to remove the dams.
“The river is our church, the salmon is our cross. That’s how it relates to the people. So it’s very sacred to us,” said Kenneth Brink, vice chairman of the Karuk Tribe. “The river is not just a place we go to swim. It’s life. It creates everything for our people.”
The project will cost $500 million, paid for by taxpayers and PacifiCorps ratepayers. Crews have mostly removed the smallest of the four dams, known as Copco No. 2. The other three dams are expected to come down next year after the reservoirs behind them are drained. That will leave some homeowners in the area without the picturesque lake they have lived on for years.
The Siskiyou County Water Users Association, which formed about a decade ago to stop the dam removal project, filed a federal lawsuit. But so far they have been unable to stop the demolition.
“I think it’s a huge mistake,” association President Richard Marshall said. “Unfortunately it’s a mistake you can’t turn back from.”
The water level in the lakes will drop between 3 feet and 5 feet (1 meter to 1.5 meters) per day over the first few months of next year. Crews will follow that water line, taking advantage of the moisture in the soil to plant seeds from more than 98 native plant species including wooly sunflower, Idaho fescue and Blue bunch wheat grass.
Tribes have been invested in the process from the start. Resource Environmental Solutions hired tribal members to gather seeds from native plants by hand. The Yurok Tribe even hired a restoration botanist.
Each species has a role to play. Some, like lupine, grow quickly and prepare the soil for other plants. Others, like oak trees, take years to fully mature and provide shade for other plants.
“It’s a wonderful marriage of tribal traditional ecological knowledge and western science,” said Mark Bransom, CEO of the Klamath River Renewal Corporation, the nonprofit entity created to oversee the project.
The previous largest dam removal project was on Washington state’s Elwha River, which flows out of Olympic National Park into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Congress in 1992 approved the demolition of the two dams on the river constructed in the early 1900s. After two decades of planning, workers finished removing them in 2014, opening about 70 miles (113 kilometers) of habitat for salmon and steelhead.
Biologists say it will take at least a generation for the river to recover, but within months of the dams being removed, salmon were already recolonizing sections of the river they had not accessed in more than a century. The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, which has been closely involved in restoration work, is opening a limited subsistence fishery this fall for coho salmon, its first since the dams came down.
Brink, the Karuk Tribe vice chair, hopes similar success will happen on the Klamath River. Multiple times per year, Brink and other tribal members participate in ceremonial salmon fishing using handheld nets. In many years, there have been no fish to catch, he said.
“When the river gets to flow freely again, the people can also begin to worship freely again,” he said.
___
Associated Press writer Eugene Johnson in Seattle contributed. | https://who13.com/news/national-news/ap-us-news/ap-as-work-begins-on-the-largest-us-dam-removal-project-tribes-look-to-a-future-of-growth/ | 2023-07-31T06:56:35 | 0 | https://who13.com/news/national-news/ap-us-news/ap-as-work-begins-on-the-largest-us-dam-removal-project-tribes-look-to-a-future-of-growth/ |
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — The discovery of four dead women in a drainage ditch just outside Atlantic City was shocking news in 2006.
International media flocked to the seaside gambling resort. More than 100 detectives and prosecutors were assigned to investigate. Casino guests worried about safety, and the victims’ fellow sex workers began carrying hidden knives.
But as the years passed, the public’s attention and fear faded, and the case of the “Eastbound Strangler” – so named for the direction the victims’ heads were facing – remained unsolved.
The arrest earlier this month of a man charged with killing three women whose remains were found on a Long Island beach in 2010 has breathed fresh life into another long-dormant case with obvious parallels; the Gilgo Beach serial killings involve a total of 11 victims, most of whom were young, female sex workers. Yet the recent breakthrough, and the rekindling of public interest, only highlights a painful truth: Many similar cases – like the one in Atlantic City — remain open.
The FBI would not say how many killings of sex workers in the U.S. remain unsolved. Media accounts and statements from local authorities show a long trail of open cases, from nine women whose bodies were found along highways in Massachusetts, to 11 found dead in New Mexico, and eight more found amid the crawfish farms and swamps of southern Louisiana. The killings of other sex workers in Chicago, New Haven, Connecticut and Ohio, among other places, also remain mysteries.
From the days of London’s Jack The Ripper in the 1880s, serial killers, particularly those preying on sex workers, have often gotten away with it, in part because their victims were easy targets living on the margins of society.
Gary Ridgway, the so-called Green River killer convicted of 49 killings in Washington state, said at during a 2003 court hearing in which he pleaded guilty that he chose sex workers as victims because he knew they would not be missed quickly, if at all.
“I picked prostitutes because I thought I could kill as many of them as I wanted without getting caught,” he said.
Two women were out for an afternoon walk near Atlantic City in November 2006 when they found a body in a ditch. They called police, who quickly found three others nearby.
The $15-a-night motel in Egg Harbor Township behind which the four bodies were found is long gone. It was torn down in an attempt to clear a seedy area known for crime, drugs and disturbances – and the murders of Barbara Breidor, 42, Molly Jean Dilts, 20, Kim Raffo, 35, and Tracy Ann Roberts, 23.
Because it is near the ocean, like Gilgo Beach, the location has prompted much speculation by amateur detectives about a single killer, but some other online sleuths have pointed out that oceanside areas are often the remotest locations after hours on the densely packed East Coast. Gilgo Beach is about 3.5 hours drive from Atlantic City.
Gone in New Jersey are the four small wooden crosses someone erected on the site, along with the folded-up paper note bearing a Biblical quote promising justice that someone left there on one of the anniversaries of the discovery of the bodies.
For families left behind, each new day without word in the case of their loved one brings fresh pain.
“I kind of lost hope that anyone was even searching for the killer anymore,” said Joyce Roberts, whose daughter Tracy Ann was one of the four Atlantic City-area victims. “The first six months, the prosecutor did get on the phone with me and told me they were working on it.
“Then it just fell off the radar,” she said. “It was like nobody cared anymore.”
That is a sentiment echoed by Phoenix Calida, a former sex worker from Chicago who now advocates for them through the Sex Workers Outreach Project.
“Police departments often refer to it as an ‘NHI’ case: No humans involved,” she said. ”You feel like the only way you’ll be remembered is when they catch the serial killer who killed you, and then they’ll make five movies about him and no one will remember your name.”
Massachusetts State Police are investigating “nine unsolved homicides possibly committed by the same person,” said David Procopio, a spokesperson for the agency. He said two additional missing persons cases may be homicides related to the other nine.
Gilbert Gallegos, a spokesman for the Albuquerque Police Department, said the New Mexico cases remain actively investigated, with “multiple detectives” working them. The 11 victims were all involved in drugs and prostitution, police said.
A reward of $100,000 has been offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case, which involved two victims who were just 15 years old.
Despite the decade-long efforts of a local, state and federal task force, Louisiana has at least eight unsolved apparent homicide cases involving sex workers between the ages of 17 and 30. Their bodies were found in marshy areas in Jennings, a small town in the area known as Cajun Country, between 2005 and 2009.
Prosecutors in New York’s Suffolk County investigating the Gilgo Beach cases have been in touch with multiple law enforcement agencies, but District Attorney Ray Tierney would not say which ones.
“Everything is being examined and looked at, and this is an active investigation,” said Anthony Carter, Suffolk County’s deputy police commissioner. He would not say if his agency was investigating any connection between Heuermann and the Atlantic City murders.
Atlantic County Prosecutor William Reynolds said the four cases from the drainage ditch outside Atlantic City remain active, with detectives assigned to them, but would not say how many. He declined comment on the Long Island case “as we are not involved.”
Joyce Roberts, the victim’s mother, said no one from law enforcement has called her since the arrest was made in the Long Island cases.
Police in Las Vegas, where Heuermann owns a time share, said they are investigating whether Heuermann may be involved in cases involving the killings of sex workers there.
In the months immediately after the bodies’ discovery near Atlantic City, the local prosecutor’s office and a dozen other law enforcement agencies had 140 people assigned to the cases, Ted Housel, who was prosecutor at the time, said in 2008. By the first anniversary, the total had fallen to 85, and those investigators were also working other cases.
Calida, the former sex worker from Chicago, said women involved the sex trade are frequently robbed by people who know they’re carrying cash, and are sometimes coerced into sexual activity by police in return for not being arrested.
She said an attacker “knows you can’t or won’t report it. You’re an easy target and they know it.”
Three of her friends who were also sex workers in Chicago also turned up dead.
“You see someone, you become friends with them and then one day they’re suddenly just not there,” she said. “We’d all go out asking around and looking for them, and then a few days later a body would be found. There’s always this specific fear that it’s a serial killer. Sometimes we never even get a body back to bury. And we wonder: Will law enforcement take it seriously because it’s ‘just another sex worker?’”
___
AP writers Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque; Steve LeBlanc in Boston; Julie Walker and Robert Bumsted in Suffolk County, New York; Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this story.
Follow Wayne Parry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WayneParryAC | https://who13.com/news/national-news/ap-us-news/ap-breakthrough-in-long-island-serial-killings-shines-light-on-the-many-unsolved-murders-of-sex-workers/ | 2023-07-31T06:56:41 | 1 | https://who13.com/news/national-news/ap-us-news/ap-breakthrough-in-long-island-serial-killings-shines-light-on-the-many-unsolved-murders-of-sex-workers/ |
MOJAVE NATIONAL PRESERVE, Calif. (AP) — A massive wildfire burning out of control in California’s Mojave National Preserve was spreading rapidly amid erratic winds, while firefighters reported progress against another major blaze to the southwest that prompted evacuations.
The York Fire that erupted Friday near the remote Caruthers Canyon area of the vast wildland preserve crossed the state line into Nevada on Sunday and sent smoke further east into the Las Vegas Valley.
Wind-driven flames 20 feet (6 meters) high in some spots charred more than 110 square miles (284 square kilometers) of desert scrub, juniper and Joshua tree woodland, according to an incident update. There was zero containment.
“The dry fuel acts as a ready ignition source, and when paired with those weather conditions it resulted in long-distance fire run and high flames, leading to extreme fire behavior,” the update said. No structures were threatened.
To the southwest, the Bonny Fire was holding steady at about 3.4 square miles (8.8 square kilometers) in rugged hills of Riverside County. More than 1,300 people were ordered to evacuate their homes Saturday near the community of Aguanga that is home to horse ranches and wineries.
Gusty winds and the chance of thunderstorms into Monday will heighten the risk of renewed growth, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said in a statement.
One firefighter was injured in the blaze, which was 5% contained. | https://who13.com/news/national-news/ap-us-news/ap-erratic-winds-challenge-firefighters-battling-two-major-california-blazes/ | 2023-07-31T06:56:48 | 1 | https://who13.com/news/national-news/ap-us-news/ap-erratic-winds-challenge-firefighters-battling-two-major-california-blazes/ |
PHOENIX (AP) — Phoenix sizzled through its 31st consecutive day of at least 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 Celsius) and other parts of the country grappled Sunday with record temperatures after a week that saw significant portions of the U.S. population subject to extreme heat.
The National Weather Service said Phoenix climbed to a high of 111 F (43.8 Celsius) before the day was through.
July has been so steamy thus far that scientists calculate it will be the hottest month ever recorded and likely the warmest human civilization has seen. The World Meteorological Organization and the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service on Thursday proclaimed July beyond record-smashing.
The historic heat began blasting the lower Southwest U.S. in late June, stretching from Texas across New Mexico and Arizona and into California’s desert.
On Sunday, a massive wildfire burning out of control in California’s Mojave National Preserve spread rapidly amid erratic winds, while firefighters reported progress against another major blaze to the south that prompted evacuations.
The York Fire that erupted Friday near the remote Caruthers Canyon area of the preserve sent up a huge plume of smoke visible nearly 100 miles (160 kilometers) away across the state line in Nevada.
Flames 20 feet (6 meters) high in some spots have charred more than 110 square miles (284 square kilometers) of desert scrub, juniper and Joshua tree woodland, according to a Sunday update.
“The dry fuel acts as a ready ignition source, and when paired with those weather conditions it resulted in long-distance fire run and high flames, leading to extreme fire behavior,” authorities said. No structures were threatened, but there was also no containment.
To the southwest, the Bonny Fire was holding steady at about 3.4 square miles (8.8 square kilometers) in rugged hills of Riverside County. More than 1,300 people were ordered to evacuate their homes Saturday near the remote community of Aguanga, California.
Triple-digit heat was expected in parts of the central San Joaquin Valley through Monday, according to the National Weather Service.
And in Burbank, California, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Los Angeles, the summer heat may have been responsible for some unusual behavior in the animal kingdom: Police in the city responded to a report of a bear sighting in a residential neighborhood and found the animal sitting in a Jacuzzi behind one of the homes.
As climate change brings hotter and longer heat waves, record temperatures across the U.S. have killed dozens of people, and the poorest Americans suffer the most. Air conditioning, once a luxury, is now a matter of survival.
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. metro areas.
Back in Phoenix, slight relief may be on the way as expected seasonal thunderstorms could drop temperatures Monday and Tuesday.
“It should be around 108 degrees, so we break that 110 streak,” meteorologist Tom Frieders said. “Increasing cloud cover will put temperatures in a downward trend.”
The relief could be short-lived, however. Highs are expected to creep back to 110 F (43.3 C) Wednesday with temperatures reaching 115 F (46.1 C) by the end of the week.
Phoenix has also sweated through a record 16 consecutive nights when the lows temperature didn’t dip below 90 F (32.2 C), making it hard for people to cool off after sunset.
Meanwhile, Las Vegas continues to flirt with its hottest July ever. The city is closing in on its 2010 record for the average of the high and low each day for July, which stands at 96.2 F (35.5 C).
The extreme heat is also hitting the eastern U.S, as soaring temperatures moved from the Midwest into the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, where some places recorded their warmest days so far this year. | https://who13.com/news/national-news/ap-us-news/ap-july-keeps-sizzling-as-phoenix-hits-another-110-degree-day-and-wildfires-spread-in-california/ | 2023-07-31T06:56:55 | 1 | https://who13.com/news/national-news/ap-us-news/ap-july-keeps-sizzling-as-phoenix-hits-another-110-degree-day-and-wildfires-spread-in-california/ |
MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) — A “mass shooting” at a large party in Indiana early Sunday morning left one person dead, police said. A hospital said 19 people were being treated for injuries at its facility.
Muncie police responded to multiple reports of gunfire on the city’s east side just after 1 a.m., The Star Press reported. Police said in a news release that there was no active threat to the community and that “multiple” victims were injured, including some critically.
“Due to the number of victims and nature of the incident, multiple agencies were contacted to assist,” Muncie Deputy Police Chief Melissa Criswell said in a statement sent to The Star Press.
Many police officers from the nearby town of Eaton were among those who provided assistance, according to a post on the department’s Facebook page. Eaton Police Chief Jay Turner called the incident a “mass shooting.”
Police did not say how many people were injured, but officials at Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie told The Associated Press that 19 victims were treated in their emergency department for injuries related to the shooting, and 13 remained at the hospital in stabilized condition Sunday morning. Criswell said some victims sustained critical injuries and were transferred by medical helicopter to other facilities.
Delaware County Coroner Gavin Greene identified the man who died as 30-year-old Joseph E. Bonner III, The Star Press reported. | https://who13.com/news/national-news/ap-us-news/ap-one-person-is-dead-and-multiple-were-wounded-in-indiana-shooting-police-say/ | 2023-07-31T06:57:02 | 1 | https://who13.com/news/national-news/ap-us-news/ap-one-person-is-dead-and-multiple-were-wounded-in-indiana-shooting-police-say/ |
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Voting rights activists are returning to court to fight Alabama’s redrawn congressional districts, saying state Republicans failed to follow federal court orders to create a district that is fair to Black voters.
Plaintiffs in the high-profile redistricting case filed a written objection Friday to oppose Alabama’s new redistricting plan. They accused state Republicans of flouting a judicial mandate to create a second majority-Black district or “something quite close to it” and enacting a map that continues to discriminate against Black voters in the state.
A special three-judge panel in 2022 blocked use of the the state’s existing districts and said any new congressional map should include two districts where “Black voters either comprise a voting-age majority” or something close. That panel’s decision was appealed by the state but upheld in June in a surprise ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, which concurred that having only one Black-majority district out of seven — in a state where more than one in four residents is Black — likely violated federal law.
The plaintiffs in the case, represented by the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund and other groups, asked the three-judge panel to step in and draw new lines for the state.
“Alabama’s new congressional map ignores this court’s preliminary injunction order and instead perpetuates the Voting Rights Act violation that was the very reason that the Legislature redrew the map,” lawyers representing the plaintiffs in the case wrote.
The new map enacted by the Republican-controlled Alabama Legislature maintained one-majority Black district but boosted the percentage of Black voters in the majority-white 2nd Congressional District, now represented by Republican Rep. Barry Moore, from about 30% to 39.9%
Lawyers representing plaintiffs in the case wrote Friday that the revamped district “does not provide Black voters a realistic opportunity to elect their preferred candidates in any but the most extreme situations.” They accused state Republicans of ignoring the courts’ directive to prioritize a district that would stay under GOP control “pleasing national leaders whose objective is to maintain the Republican Party’s slim majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.”
Alabama has maintained the new plan complies with the Voting Rights Act, and state leaders are wagering that the panel will accept their proposal or that the state will prevail in a second round of appeals to the Supreme Court. Republicans argued that the map meets the court’s directive and draws compact districts that comply with redistricting guidelines.
The state must file its defense of the map by Aug. 4. The three judges have scheduled an Aug. 14 hearing in the case as the fight over the map shifts back to federal court.
The outcome could have consequences across the country as the case again weighs the requirements of the Voting Rights Act in redistricting. It could also impact the partisan leanings of one Alabama congressional district in the 2024 elections with control of the U.S House of Representatives at stake.
Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, said in a statement that Alabama’s new map is a “brazen defiance” of the courts.
“The result is a shameful display that would have made George Wallace—another Alabama governor who defied the courts—proud,” Holder said in a statement. | https://who13.com/news/national-news/ap-us-news/ap-plaintiffs-in-voting-rights-case-urge-judges-to-toss-alabamas-new-congressional-map/ | 2023-07-31T06:57:08 | 1 | https://who13.com/news/national-news/ap-us-news/ap-plaintiffs-in-voting-rights-case-urge-judges-to-toss-alabamas-new-congressional-map/ |
17-year-old American cyclist killed while training for mountain bike world championships
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Seventeen-year-old American cyclist Magnus White, who was scheduled to race at the upcoming world championships in Scotland, was killed Saturday when he was struck by a vehicle on a training ride near his home in Boulder, Colorado.
USA Cycling announced his death in a statement Sunday.
White was a rising multidisciplinary star, winning a junior national championship in cyclocross in 2021 and earning a place on the U.S. national team. He competed with the team in Europe ahead of last year’s cyclocross world championships, and he was picked to represent the U.S. again at this year’s cyclocross worlds in the Netherlands.
White began to dabble in road cycling and mountain biking this season. He was on one of his final training rides before the junior world mountain bike championships in Glasgow, Scotland, when the accident occurred.
He is survived by his parents, Michael and Jill, and his brother, Eero.
“He was a rising star in the off-road cycling scene and his passion for cycling was evident through his racing and camaraderie with his teammates and local community,” USA Cycling said in a statement. “We offer our heartfelt condolences to the White family, his teammates, friends, and the Boulder community during this incredibly difficult time.”
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AP coverage of the Paris Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wnem.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ | 2023-07-31T06:57:16 | 0 | https://www.wnem.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ |
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. | https://who13.com/news/national-news/ap-us-news/ap-record-heat-waves-illuminate-plight-of-poorest-americans-who-suffer-without-air-conditioning/ | 2023-07-31T06:57:15 | 0 | https://who13.com/news/national-news/ap-us-news/ap-record-heat-waves-illuminate-plight-of-poorest-americans-who-suffer-without-air-conditioning/ |
22-month-old girl dies after being trapped under dresser
WILLIAMSTON, S.C. (FOX Carolina/Gray News) - The Anderson County Coroner’s Office said a 22-month-old girl from Calhoun Falls, South Carolina, died Sunday after a dresser overturned on her.
The victim was identified by the coroner’s office as Jalaya Bryant.
Anderson County officials said Bryant was at her grandparents’ house in Williamston, South Carolina, when she was discovered by a family member underneath the furniture that fell.
According to Anderson County Chief Deputy Coroner Don McCown, it appeared the child was trying to climb the dresser when it fell over and trapped her.
Bryant was taken to the hospital where she died from her injuries shortly after noon.
The coroner’s office said Bryant died from asphyxiation and there appears to be no signs of foul play.
The investigation is still ongoing.
Copyright 2023 WHNS via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wnem.com/2023/07/31/22-month-old-girl-dies-after-being-trapped-under-dresser/ | 2023-07-31T06:57:22 | 1 | https://www.wnem.com/2023/07/31/22-month-old-girl-dies-after-being-trapped-under-dresser/ |
A woman from New Hampshire who works for a nonprofit organization in Haiti and her young daughter have been reported as kidnapped as the U.S. State Department issued a “do not travel advisory” in the country and ordered nonemergency personnel to leave there amid growing security concerns.
Alix Dorsainvil, a nurse for El Roi Haiti, and her daughter were kidnapped on Thursday, the organization said in a statement Saturday. El Roi, which runs a school and ministry in Port au Prince, said the two were taken from campus. Dorsainvil is the wife of the program’s director, Sandro Dorsainvil.
“Alix is a deeply compassionate and loving person who considers Haiti her home and the Haitian people her friends and family,” El Roi president and co-founder Jason Brown said in the statement. “Alix has worked tirelessly as our school and community nurse to bring relief to those who are suffering as she loves and serves the people of Haiti in the name of Jesus.”
A State Department spokesperson said in a statement Saturday is it “aware of reports of the kidnapping of two U.S. citizens in Haiti,” adding, “We are in regular contact with Haitian authorities and will continue to work with them and our U.S. government interagency partners.”
In its advisory Thursday, the department said that “kidnapping is widespread, and victims regularly include U.S. citizens.”
It said kidnappings often involve ransom negotiations and U.S. citizen victims have been physically harmed.
Earlier this month, the National Human Rights Defense Network issued a report warning about an upsurge in killings and kidnappings and the U.N. Security Council met to discuss Haiti’s worsening situation.
WMUR-TV reported that Dorsainvil is from Middleton, New Hampshire, and went to Regis College in Weston, Massachusetts, which has a program to support nursing education in Haiti.
“It doesn’t surprise me that Alex chose to get involved in this type of service work,” Regis College president Toni Hays told the station. “She was amazing. She was passionate, she was compassionate.” | https://who13.com/news/national-news/ap-us-news/ap-us-mother-daughter-reported-kidnapped-in-haiti-people-warned-not-to-travel-there/ | 2023-07-31T06:57:22 | 1 | https://who13.com/news/national-news/ap-us-news/ap-us-mother-daughter-reported-kidnapped-in-haiti-people-warned-not-to-travel-there/ |
Mar-a-Lago worker charged in Trump’s classified documents case to make first court appearance
MIAMI (AP) — An employee of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, Carlos De Oliveira, is expected to make his first court appearance Monday on charges accusing him of scheming with the former president to hide security footage from investigators probing Trump’s hoarding of classified documents.
De Oliveira, Mar-a-Lago’s property manager, was added last week to the indictment with Trump and the former president’s valet, Walt Nauta, in the federal case alleging a plot to illegally keep top-secret records at Trump’s Florida estate and thwart government efforts to retrieve them.
De Oliveira faces charges including conspiracy to obstruct justice and lying to investigators. He’s scheduled to appear before a magistrate judge in Miami nearly two months after Trump pleaded not guilty in the case brought by special counsel Jack Smith.
The developments in the classified documents case come as Trump braces for possible charges in another federal investigation into his efforts to cling to power after he lost the 2020 election. Trump has received a letter from Smith indicating that he is a target of that investigation, and Trump’s lawyers met with Smith’s team last week.
An attorney for De Oliveira declined last week to comment on the allegations. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and said the Mar-a-Lago security tapes were voluntarily handed over to investigators. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform last week that he was told the tapes were not “deleted in any way, shape or form.”
Prosecutors have not alleged that security footage was actually deleted or kept from investigators.
Nauta has also pleaded not guilty. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon had previously scheduled the trial of Trump and Nauta to begin in May, and it’s unclear whether the addition of De Oliveira to the case may impact the case’s timeline.
The latest indictment, unsealed on Thursday, alleges that Trump tried to have security footage deleted after investigators visited in June 2022 to collect classified documents Trump took with him after he left the White House.
Trump was already facing dozens of felony counts — including willful retention of notional defense information — stemming from allegations that he mishandled government secrets that as commander-in-chief he was entrusted to protect. Experts have said the new allegations bolster the special counsel’s case and deepen the former president’s legal jeopardy.
Video from Mar-a-Lago would ultimately become vital to the government’s case because, prosecutors said, it shows Nauta moving boxes in and out of a storage room — an act alleged to have been done at Trump’s direction and in effort to hide records not only only from investigators but Trump’s own lawyers.
Days after the Justice Department sent a subpoena for video footage at Mar-a-Lago to the Trump Organization in June 2022, prosecutors say De Oliveira asked a information technology staffer how long the server retained footage and told the employee “the boss” wanted it deleted. When the employee said he didn’t believe he was able to do that, De Oliveira insisted the “boss” wanted it done, asking, “What are we going to do?”
Shortly after the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago and found classified records in the storage room and Trump’s office, prosecutors say Nauta called a Trump employee and said words to the effect of, “someone just wants to make sure Carlos is good.” The indictment says the employee responded that De Oliveira was loyal and wouldn’t do anything to affect his relationship with Trump. That same day, the indictment alleges, Trump called De Oliveira directly to say that he would get De Oliveira an attorney.
Prosecutors allege that De Oliveira later lied in interviews with investigators, falsely claiming that he hadn’t even seen boxes moved into Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House.
____
Richer reported from Boston.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wnem.com/2023/07/31/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-make-first-court-appearance/ | 2023-07-31T06:57:28 | 0 | https://www.wnem.com/2023/07/31/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-make-first-court-appearance/ |
At 24, Alberto Rodriguez has grandparents younger than Joe Biden. But he’s more interested in the 80-year-old president’s accomplishments than his age.
“People as young as me, we’re all focusing on our day-to-day lives and he has done things to help us through that,” Rodriguez, a cook at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, said of Biden’s support among young voters. Rodriguez pointed specifically to federal COVID-19 relief payments and government spending increases on infrastructure and other social programs.
Voters like him were a key piece of Biden’s winning 2020 coalition, which included majorities of young people as well as college graduates, women, urban and suburban voters and Black Americans. Maintaining their support will be critical in closely contested states such as Nevada, where even small declines could prove consequential to Biden’s reelection bid.
His 2024 campaign plans to emphasize messages that could especially resonate with young people in the coming weeks as the anniversary of the sweeping Inflation Reduction Act approaches in mid-August. That legislation includes provisions that the White House will embrace to argue that Biden has done more than any other president to combat climate change.
Such efforts, however, could collide with Biden’s personal reality — like when he recalled that, while attending a St. Patrick’s Day parade at age 14, he appeared in a photo with President Harry S. Truman.
“Purely by accident — I assume it was an accident — the photographer from the newspaper got a picture of me making eye contact with Harry Truman,” Biden said to chuckles last week at the Truman Civil Rights Symposium in Washington.
In 2020, 61% of voters under age 30 — and 55% of those between 30 and 44 — supported Biden, according to AP VoteCast, a nationwide survey of the electorate.
It’s an age group with which Republicans hope to make inroads. Former President Donald Trump, who is the early front-runner in the GOP presidential primary and is only 3 1/2 years younger than Biden, said Friday, “We are hitting the young person’s market like nobody’s ever seen before.”
Kevin Munoz, a spokesman for Biden’s campaign, referred to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement in arguing that “young people are acutely impacted by the issues front and center in this election, driven by the extreme MAGA agenda.” He said that included inaction on climate change, gun violence and student debt.
“We will meet younger Americans where they are and turn their energy into action,” Munoz said in a statement.
That might not defuse questions about age, though, when it comes to Biden or Trump.
“There’s a frustration and exhaustion that they feel with the rematch,” Terrance Woodbury, co-founder & CEO of the Democratic polling firm HIT Strategies, said of young voters.
“That’s more of a problem than either of those two candidates individually, is that a system can just keep reproducing,” Woodbury added. “And I think a lot of people just find that untenable.”
An April poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that just 25% of Democrats under 45 said they would definitely support Biden in a general election, compared with 56% of older Democrats. A majority of Democrats across age groups said they would probably support him as the party’s nominee, however.
Biden’s campaign is relying heavily on the Democratic National Committee, which during last year’s midterms, hired campus organizers in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona and other battleground states and offered weekly youth coordinating meetings to encourage in-class contacts and “dormstorms.” The DNC sees young people as some of the most critical voters it will need to reach in 2024 and promises “significant investments” to mobilize them. Plans are underway to expand on its work last cycle, including trainings it held on how best to turn out voters.
The Republican National Committee is trying to use Biden’s age against him, posting online videos of Biden seeming frail or making verbal gaffes, such as when he declared in June “God save the queen,” nearly nine months after the death of England’s Queen Elizabeth II.
Rodriguez shrugged off online attacks, “People can make all the hit pieces and memes and TikToks all they want.”
A starker contrast might be between the president and rising Democrats such as 46-year-old California Rep. Ro Khanna and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, 41, one of Biden’s primary rivals in 2020. Neither seriously entertained running for the White House in 2024 and have backed Biden’s reelection.
“The only thing that really matters is your ability to do the job,” Buttigieg, who was 37 when he launched his 2020 presidential bid, said recently on CNN. Khanna told Fox News Channel that age will “obviously” be a 2024 factor, but suggested that Biden’s staff “overprotects” him and “the more he’s out there, the better.”
Other top young Democrats have lined up to back Biden. Florida Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost, who was elected to Congress last year at 26, is on the Biden campaign’s advisory board, as is Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, 44. New York Rep. Alexandra Ocasio Cortez, 33, recently endorsed Biden.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, a progressive who says strong turnout among young voters helped him win a runoff election this spring, said Biden’s policies transcend his age. Johnson noted that the president’s work “around climate justice speaks not just to this generation, but generations to come.”
“The excitement that I believe that we’re going to have is going to speak to the incredible work and organizing that we are committed to doing as a party,” said Johnson, 47. “And we’re looking forward to working with the president over the course of his next four years.”
Still, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, acknowledged that even the president’s supporters understand how demanding the White House can be.
“People worry about Joe Biden. They worry like you would worry about a beloved father or grandfather,” said Weingarten, 65. “What you normally hear from Democrats is this sense of, ‘OK, I just want him to be OK.’ And you’re hearing just the consternation of, ’This is a hard job.’”
Biden said he “took a hard look” at his age while deciding to seek a second term. But he’s also tried to suggest his age and experience are assets rather than liabilities by joking repeatedly about them. That’s a departure from 2020, when Biden called himself a “transition candidate” and pledged to be a “bridge” to younger Democrats.
Santiago Mayer, the founder of Voters of Tomorrow, which has 20-plus chapters nationwide and works to increase political engagement among young voters, argues that Biden is not defying his past promise by running for reelection, but keeping it.
“He just needs more time,” said Mayer, who graduated from California State University at Long Beach in May. “I think the second term is a very important part of that pledge. He’s building a progressive future for young people and he can’t actually pass the baton until that’s done.”
One key policy piece of Biden’s efforts to appeal to young voters, providing student debt relief, was recently struck down by the Supreme Court. The White House has launched a new effort, but it will take longer.
“Of course it’s going to dampen some of that because people are disappointed,” Weingarten said of the ruling’s effect on enthusiasm for Biden. But she said the decision could also motivate young Biden supporters anxious show their support for the president’s alternative plan.
“It is also about the fight,” Weingarten said “not just about the results.”
___
AP polling director Emily Swanson in Washington contributed to this report. | https://who13.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-joe-biden-americas-oldest-sitting-president-needs-young-voters-to-win-again-will-his-age-matter/ | 2023-07-31T06:57:29 | 0 | https://who13.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-joe-biden-americas-oldest-sitting-president-needs-young-voters-to-win-again-will-his-age-matter/ |
MIAMI (AP) — An employee of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, Carlos De Oliveira, is expected to make his first court appearance Monday on charges accusing him of scheming with the former president to hide security footage from investigators probing Trump’s hoarding of classified documents.
De Oliveira, Mar-a-Lago’s property manager, was added last week to the indictment with Trump and the former president’s valet, Walt Nauta, in the federal case alleging a plot to illegally keep top-secret records at Trump’s Florida estate and thwart government efforts to retrieve them.
De Oliveira faces charges including conspiracy to obstruct justice and lying to investigators. He’s scheduled to appear before a magistrate judge in Miami nearly two months after Trump pleaded not guilty in the case brought by special counsel Jack Smith.
The developments in the classified documents case come as Trump braces for possible charges in another federal investigation into his efforts to cling to power after he lost the 2020 election. Trump has received a letter from Smith indicating that he is a target of that investigation, and Trump’s lawyers met with Smith’s team last week.
An attorney for De Oliveira declined last week to comment on the allegations. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and said the Mar-a-Lago security tapes were voluntarily handed over to investigators. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform last week that he was told the tapes were not “deleted in any way, shape or form.”
Prosecutors have not alleged that security footage was actually deleted or kept from investigators.
Nauta has also pleaded not guilty. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon had previously scheduled the trial of Trump and Nauta to begin in May, and it’s unclear whether the addition of De Oliveira to the case may impact the case’s timeline.
The latest indictment, unsealed on Thursday, alleges that Trump tried to have security footage deleted after investigators visited in June 2022 to collect classified documents Trump took with him after he left the White House.
Trump was already facing dozens of felony counts — including willful retention of notional defense information — stemming from allegations that he mishandled government secrets that as commander-in-chief he was entrusted to protect. Experts have said the new allegations bolster the special counsel’s case and deepen the former president’s legal jeopardy.
Video from Mar-a-Lago would ultimately become vital to the government’s case because, prosecutors said, it shows Nauta moving boxes in and out of a storage room — an act alleged to have been done at Trump’s direction and in effort to hide records not only only from investigators but Trump’s own lawyers.
Days after the Justice Department sent a subpoena for video footage at Mar-a-Lago to the Trump Organization in June 2022, prosecutors say De Oliveira asked a information technology staffer how long the server retained footage and told the employee “the boss” wanted it deleted. When the employee said he didn’t believe he was able to do that, De Oliveira insisted the “boss” wanted it done, asking, “What are we going to do?”
Shortly after the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago and found classified records in the storage room and Trump’s office, prosecutors say Nauta called a Trump employee and said words to the effect of, “someone just wants to make sure Carlos is good.” The indictment says the employee responded that De Oliveira was loyal and wouldn’t do anything to affect his relationship with Trump. That same day, the indictment alleges, Trump called De Oliveira directly to say that he would get De Oliveira an attorney.
Prosecutors allege that De Oliveira later lied in interviews with investigators, falsely claiming that he hadn’t even seen boxes moved into Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House.
____
Richer reported from Boston. | https://who13.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-mar-a-lago-worker-charged-in-trumps-classified-documents-case-to-make-first-court-appearance/ | 2023-07-31T06:57:36 | 1 | https://who13.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-mar-a-lago-worker-charged-in-trumps-classified-documents-case-to-make-first-court-appearance/ |
ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia prosecutor is expected to seek a grand jury indictment in the coming weeks in her investigation into efforts by Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the former president’s 2020 election loss.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis began investigating more than two years ago, shortly after a recording was released of a January 2021 phone call Trump made to Georgia’s secretary of state.
Willis has strongly hinted that any indictment would come between July 31 and August 18. One of two grand juries seated July 11 is expected to hear the case.
If Trump is indicted by a Georgia grand jury, it would add to a growing list of legal troubles as he campaigns for president. Trump is set to go to trial in New York in March to face state charges related to hush-money payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign. And he has another trial scheduled for May on federal charges related to his handling of classified documents. He has pleaded not guilty in those cases.
The Justice Department is also investigating Trump’s role in trying to halt the certification of 2020 election results in the run-up to the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol. Trump said he’s been told he’s a target of that investigation, which likely has some overlap with the one in Georgia.
Details of the Georgia investigation that have become public have fed speculation that Willis is building a case under the Georgia Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, which would allow her to charge numerous people in a potentially wide-ranging scheme.
Here are six investigative threads Willis and her team have explored:
The Georgia investigation was prompted by the Jan. 2, 2021 phone call Trump made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Trump suggested the state’s top elections official could help “find” the votes needed to put him ahead of Democrat Joe Biden in the state.
“All I want to do is this: I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have,” Trump is heard saying on a recording of the call, which was leaked to news outlets. “Because we won the state.”
Trump has insisted he did nothing wrong and has repeatedly said the call was “perfect.”
Trump also called other top state officials in his quest to overturn his 2020 election loss, including Gov. Brian Kemp, then-House Speaker David Ralston, Attorney General Chris Carr and the top investigator in the secretary of state’s office.
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, also called Raffensperger shortly after the November election. Raffensperger said at the time that Graham asked whether he had the power to reject certain absentee ballots, which Raffensperger has said he interpreted as a suggestion to toss out legally cast votes.
Graham has denied wrongdoing, saying he just wanted to learn about the signature verification process.
Biden won Georgia by a margin of fewer than 12,000 votes. Just over a month after the election, on Dec. 14, 2020, a group 16 Georgia Democratic electors met in the Senate chamber at the state Capitol to cast the state’s Electoral College votes for him. They each marked paper ballots that were counted and confirmed by a voice roll call.
That same day, in a committee meeting room at the Capitol, 16 prominent Georgia Republicans — a lawmaker, activists and party officials — met to sign a certificate falsely stating that Trump had won and declaring themselves the state’s “duly elected and qualified” electors. They sent that certificate to the National Archives and the U.S. Senate.
Georgia was one of seven battleground states that Trump lost where Republican fake electors signed and submitted similar certificates. Trump allies in the U.S. House and Senate used those certificates to argue for delaying or blocking the certification of the election during a joint session of Congress.
Prosecutors in Fulton County have said in court filings that they believe Trump associates worked with state Republicans to coordinate and execute the plan.
The multi-state effort was ultimately unsuccessful. Despite public pressure from Trump and his supporters, then-Vice President Mike Pence refused on Jan. 6, 2021, to introduce the unofficial pro-Trump electors. After the attack on the U.S. Capitol put a violent halt to the certification process, lawmakers certified Biden’s win in the early hours of Jan. 7, 2021.
At least eight of the fake electors have since reached immunity deals with Willis’ team. And a judge last summer barred Willis from prosecuting another one, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, because of a conflict of interest.
Republican state lawmakers held several hearings at the Georgia Capitol in December 2020 to examine alleged problems with the November election. During those meetings, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani and other Trump allies made unproven claims of widespread election fraud.
They alleged that election workers tallying absentee ballots at State Farm Arena in Atlanta had told outside observers to leave and then pulled out “suitcases” of unlawful ballots and began scanning them. The Trump allies played clips of surveillance video from the arena to support their allegations. State and federal officials investigated and said there was no evidence of election fraud at the site.
Some Trump allies also said thousands of people who were ineligible — including people convicted of felonies, people under the age of 18, people who had voted in another state — had cast votes in Georgia. The secretary of state’s office has debunked those claims.
Two of the election workers seen in the State Farm Arena surveillance video, Ruby Freeman and her daughter Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, said they faced relentless harassment online and in person as a result of the allegations made by Trump and his allies.
Giuliani last week conceded that statements he made about the two election workers were false.
In a bizarre episode detailed by prosecutors in court filings, a woman traveled from Chicago to Georgia and met with Freeman on Jan. 4, 2021. The woman initially said she wanted to help Freeman but then warned that Freeman could go to prison and tried to pressure her into falsely confessing to committing election fraud, prosecutors wrote in court filings last year.
Trump-allied lawyer Sidney Powell and others hired a computer forensics team to copy data and software on election equipment in Coffee County, some 200 miles southeast of Atlanta, according to invoices, emails, security video and deposition testimony produced in response to subpoenas in a long-running lawsuit.
The county Republican Party chair at the time — who also served as a fake elector — greeted them when they arrived at the local elections office on Jan. 7, 2021, and some county elections officials were also on hand during the daylong visit. The secretary of state’s office has said this amounted to “alleged unauthorized access” of election equipment and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking into it at the secretary of state’s request.
Two other men who have been active in efforts to question the 2020 election results also visited Coffee County later that month and spent hours inside.
U.S. Attorney BJay Pak, the top federal prosecutor in Atlanta, abruptly resigned two days after Trump called Raffensperger and a day after a recording of that call was made public. During that conversation, Trump called Pak a “never-Trumper,” implying that he didn’t support the president.
In December 2020, then-U.S. Attorney General William Barr asked Pak to investigate allegations by Giuliani and other Trump allies of widespread election fraud. Pak, who had been appointed by Trump in 2017, reported back that he had found no evidence of such fraud.
In August 2021, Pak told the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, which was investigating Trump’s post-election actions, that he resigned on Jan. 4, 2021, after learning from Department of Justice officials that Trump did not believe enough was being done to investigate allegations of election fraud and wanted him gone as U.S. attorney. | https://who13.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-trump-could-be-indicted-soon-in-georgia-heres-a-look-at-that-investigation/ | 2023-07-31T06:57:43 | 1 | https://who13.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-trump-could-be-indicted-soon-in-georgia-heres-a-look-at-that-investigation/ |
17-year-old American cyclist killed while training for mountain bike world championships
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Seventeen-year-old American cyclist Magnus White, who was scheduled to race at the upcoming world championships in Scotland, was killed Saturday when he was struck by a vehicle on a training ride near his home in Boulder, Colorado.
USA Cycling announced his death in a statement Sunday.
White was a rising multidisciplinary star, winning a junior national championship in cyclocross in 2021 and earning a place on the U.S. national team. He competed with the team in Europe ahead of last year’s cyclocross world championships, and he was picked to represent the U.S. again at this year’s cyclocross worlds in the Netherlands.
White began to dabble in road cycling and mountain biking this season. He was on one of his final training rides before the junior world mountain bike championships in Glasgow, Scotland, when the accident occurred.
He is survived by his parents, Michael and Jill, and his brother, Eero.
“He was a rising star in the off-road cycling scene and his passion for cycling was evident through his racing and camaraderie with his teammates and local community,” USA Cycling said in a statement. “We offer our heartfelt condolences to the White family, his teammates, friends, and the Boulder community during this incredibly difficult time.”
___
AP coverage of the Paris Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbrc.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ | 2023-07-31T06:57:47 | 1 | https://www.wbrc.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ |
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — With less than a month to go until the first Republican presidential debate of the 2024 campaign, seven candidates say they have met qualifications for a spot on stage in Milwaukee.
But that also means that about half the broad GOP field is running short on time to make the cut.
To qualify for the Aug. 23 debate, candidates needed to satisfy polling and donor requirements set by the Republican National Committee: at least 1% in three high-quality national polls or a mix of national and early-state polls, between July 1 and Aug. 21, and a minimum of 40,000 donors, with 200 in 20 or more states.
A look at who’s in, who’s (maybe) out and who’s still working on making it:
DONALD TRUMP
The current front-runner long ago satisfied the polling and donor thresholds. But he is considering boycotting and holding a competing event.
Campaign advisers have said the former president has not made a final decision about the debate. One noted that “it’s pretty clear,” based on Trump’s public and private statements, that he is unlikely to appear with the other candidates.
“If you’re leading by a lot, what’s the purpose of doing it?” Trump asked on Newsmax.
In the meantime, aides have discussed potential alternative programming if Trump opts for a rival event. One option Trump has floated is an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who now has a program on X, the site formerly known as Twitter.
RON DESANTIS
The Florida governor has long been seen as Trump’s top rival, finishing a distant second to him in a series of polls in early-voting states, as well as national polls, and raising an impressive amount of money.
But DeSantis’ campaign has struggled in recent weeks to live up to the sky-high expectations that awaited him when he entered the race. He let go of more than one-third of his staff as federal filings showed his campaign was burning through cash at an unsustainable rate.
If Trump is absent, DeSantis may be the top target on stage at the debate.
TIM SCOTT
The South Carolina senator has been looking for a breakout moment. The first debate could be his chance.
A prolific fundraiser, Scott enters the summer with $21 million cash on hand.
In one debate-approved poll in Iowa, Scott joined Trump and DeSantis in reaching double digits. The senator has focused much of his campaign resources on the leadoff GOP voting state, which is dominated by white evangelical voters.
NIKKI HALEY
She has blitzed early-voting states with campaign events, walking crowds through her electoral successes ousting a longtime incumbent South Carolina lawmaker, then becoming the state’s first woman and first minority governor. Also serving as Trump’s U.N. ambassador for about two years, Haley frequently cites her international experience, arguing about the threat China poses to the United States.
The only woman in the GOP race, Haley has said transgender students competing in sports is “the women’s issue of our time” and has drawn praise from a leading anti-abortion group, which called her “uniquely gifted at communicating from a pro-life woman’s perspective.”
Bringing in $15.6 million since the start of her campaign, Haley’s campaign says she has “well over 40,000 unique donors” and has satisfied the debate polling requirements.
VIVEK RAMASWAMY
The biotech entrepreneur and author of “Woke, Inc.: Inside Corporate America’s Social Justice Scam” is an audience favorite at multicandidate events and has polled well despite not being nationally known when he entered the race.
Ramaswamy’s campaign says he met the donor threshold earlier this year. He recently rolled out “Vivek’s Kitchen Cabinet” to boost his donor numbers even more, by letting fundraisers keep 10% of what they bring in for his campaign.
CHRIS CHRISTIE
The former New Jersey governor opened his campaign by portraying himself as the only candidate ready to take on Trump. Christie called on the former president to “show up at the debates and defend his record.”
Christie will be on that stage, even if Trump isn’t, telling CNN this month that he surpassed “40,000 unique donors in just 35 days.” He also has met the polling requirements.
DOUG BURGUM
Burgum, a wealthy former software entrepreneur now in his second term as North Dakota’s governor, has been using his fortune to boost his campaign.
He announced a program this month to give away $20 gift cards — “Biden Relief Cards,” as a critique of President Joe Biden’s handling of the economy — to as many as 50,000 people in exchange for $1 donations. Critics have questioned whether the offer violated campaign finance law.
Within about a week of launching that effort, Burgum announced he had surpassed the donor threshold. Ad blitzes in the early-voting states also helped him meet the polling requirements.
MIKE PENCE
Trump’s vice president has met the polling threshold but has yet to amass a sufficient number of donors, raising the possibility that he might not qualify for the party’s first debate.
Pence and his advisers have expressed confidence he will do so, noting that most other Republican hopefuls took a month or two of being active candidates to meet the mark. Pence entered the race on June 7, the same day as Burgum and one day after Christie.
“We’re making incredible progress toward that goal. We’re not there yet,” Pence told CNN in a recent interview. “We will make it. I will see you at that debate stage.”
ASA HUTCHINSON
According to his campaign, the former two-term Arkansas governor has met the polling requirements but is working on satisfying the donor threshold. As of Wednesday, Hutchinson marked more than 11,000 unique donors.
Hutchinson is running in the mold of an old-school Republican and has differentiated himself from many of his GOP rivals in his willingness to criticize Trump. He has posted pleas on Twitter for $1 donations to help secure his slot.
FRANCIS SUAREZ
The Miami mayor has been one of the more creative candidates in his efforts to boost his donor numbers. He offered up a chance to see Argentine soccer legend Lionel Messi’s debut as a player for Inter Miami, saying donors who gave $1 would be entered in a chance to get front-row tickets.
Still shy of the donor threshold, he took a page from Burgum’s playbook by offering a $20 “Bidenomics Relief Card” in return for $1 donations. A super political action committee supporting Suarez launched a sweepstakes for a chance at up to $15,000 in tuition, in exchange for a $1 donation to Suarez’s campaign.
Suarez’s campaign did not return a message seeking details on his number of donors or qualifying polls.
LARRY ELDER
The conservative radio host wrote in an op-ed that the RNC “has rigged the rules of the game by instituting a set of criteria that is so onerous and poorly designed that only establishment-backed and billionaire candidates are guaranteed to be on stage.”
His campaign last week declined to detail its number of donors, saying only that there had been “a strong increase the last few weeks.” He has not met the polling requirements.
PERRY JOHNSON
Johnson, a wealthy but largely unknown businessman from Michigan, said in a recent social media post that he had notched 23,000 donors and was “confident” he would make the debate stage. He added that all donors were “eligible to attend my free concert in Iowa featuring” country duo Big & Rich next month.
Johnson, who has reached 1% in one qualifying poll, has also offered to give copies of his book “Two Cents to Save America” to anyone who donated to his campaign.
WILL HURD
The former Texas congressman — the last candidate to enter the race, on June 22 — has said repeatedly that he would not pledge to support the eventual GOP nominee, a stance that would keep him off the stage even if he had the qualifying donor and polling numbers.
___
Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP | https://who13.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-whos-in-whos-out-a-look-at-which-candidates-have-qualified-for-the-1st-gop-presidential-debate/ | 2023-07-31T06:57:49 | 1 | https://who13.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-whos-in-whos-out-a-look-at-which-candidates-have-qualified-for-the-1st-gop-presidential-debate/ |
22-month-old girl dies after being trapped under dresser
WILLIAMSTON, S.C. (FOX Carolina/Gray News) - The Anderson County Coroner’s Office said a 22-month-old girl from Calhoun Falls, South Carolina, died Sunday after a dresser overturned on her.
The victim was identified by the coroner’s office as Jalaya Bryant.
Anderson County officials said Bryant was at her grandparents’ house in Williamston, South Carolina, when she was discovered by a family member underneath the furniture that fell.
According to Anderson County Chief Deputy Coroner Don McCown, it appeared the child was trying to climb the dresser when it fell over and trapped her.
Bryant was taken to the hospital where she died from her injuries shortly after noon.
The coroner’s office said Bryant died from asphyxiation and there appears to be no signs of foul play.
The investigation is still ongoing.
Copyright 2023 WHNS via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbrc.com/2023/07/31/22-month-old-girl-dies-after-being-trapped-under-dresser/ | 2023-07-31T06:57:53 | 1 | https://www.wbrc.com/2023/07/31/22-month-old-girl-dies-after-being-trapped-under-dresser/ |
Rare Beauty products by Selena Gomez are going viral
Since its debut in 2019, Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty company has taken the makeup industry by storm, mostly by dominating social media. The brand offers tinted moisturizer, bronzer, highlighter, setting powder, blush and other facial products; eye makeup such as eyeshadow, mascara and eyebrow pencils; products to enhance the lips, including lipstick, lip liner, lip oil and more. We researched the trendiest, most popular products from this celebrity-owned beauty brand worth adding to your makeup routine.
Shop this article: Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, Rare Beauty Liquid Touch Brightening Concealer, and Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Universal Volumizing Mascara
About Rare Beauty
Selena Gomez’s vision for Rare Beauty breaks down unrealistic standards of perfection in the makeup industry. The brand’s mission is to help wearers celebrate the rarity that is their individuality, the main objective being “to create a safe, welcoming space in beauty — and beyond — that supports mental well-being across age, gender identity, sexual orientation, rare, cultural background, physical or mental ability and perspective,” according to the Rare Beauty site.
Rare Beauty products are cruelty-free, meaning they were developed without experimentation on animals. Depending on the product type, they’re also ophthalmologist- and/or dermatologist-tested. Many of the products have noncomedogenic ingredients that won’t clog or block pores, and there are various options for sensitive skin. Rare Beauty has a selection of vegan products, as well. They’re a skin-friendly, self-aware brand that wants to make the world a better place.
Top Rare Beauty products, according to customers
Rare Beauty Kind Words Matte Lipstick
This buttery matte lipstick comes in 10 pigment-rich shades ranging from natural to bold. Suitable for sensitive skin, the creamy formula lasts all day while keeping lips soft and moisturized throughout wear.
Sold by Sephora
Rare Beauty Kind Words Matte Lip Liner
This creamy, waterproof lip liner defines and shapes the lips while staying put all day — it’s perfect for outlining the lips or coloring them in. The lightweight formula keeps the lips feeling soft and won’t smudge. It features a built-in sharpener and comes in the same 10 shades as the Kind Words Matte Lipstick for effortless color matching.
Sold by Sephora
Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush
This lush liquid blush is Rare Beauty’s top-seller, having received Allure’s Best of Beauty award in 2022. The lightweight, buildable formula gives you a soft flush of color with long-lasting pigments for all-day wear. It’s suitable for sensitive skin and has 13 beautiful matte and dewy finishes.
Sold by Sephora
Rare Beauty Liquid Touch Brightening Concealer
This medium-coverage concealer hides blemishes, dark circles, redness and fine lines while evening out skin texture. It’s made with botanical ingredients that soothe and nourish the skin. The creamy formula is lightweight, buildable and sweat-resistant, with 48 shades to match virtually every skin tone.
Sold by Sephora
Rare Beauty Liquid Touch Weightless Foundation
This liquid foundation feels like a serum with a layerable, medium-coverage formula and a blend of botanical ingredients that soothe and nourish the skin. It’s best used with normal and combination skin types, available in 48 shades that accommodate nearly every skin tone.
Sold by Sephora
Rare Beauty Positive Light Liquid Luminizer
This silky liquid highlighter feels like a second skin, creating a dewy, healthy-looking glow with superfine, light-catching pearls. Botanical ingredients have a soothing and nourishing effect on the skin. It layers well over makeup and provides all-day coverage with seven luminous shades.
Sold by Sephora
Rare Beauty Warm Wishes Effortless Bronzer Stick
This cream bronzer gives you a sun-kissed glow and adds gentle warmth to the skin with its natural finish. The formula is buildable, water-resistant and won’t clog your pores. It features Rare Beauty’s signature botanical ingredients for a calming and hydrating effect on the skin. The brand sells seven natural-looking shades, and the stick application makes it easy to use.
Sold by Sephora
Rare Beauty Always an Optimist Soft Radiance Setting Powder
This loose setting powder smooths skin texture, blurring the look of pores and controlling shine for a radiant yet natural finish. It helps makeup stay in place all day and is especially useful for those who struggle with oily skin. The container has a locking sifter for keeping the application process and storage mess-free. This setting powder comes in five sheer shades.
Sold by Sephora
Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Universal Volumizing Mascara
This volumizing mascara was created for all lash types, featuring castor oil that conditions and nourishes your lashes. The unique curvy brush design combines long bristles that add length and short bristles for increasing volume. It’s an ultra-black, buildable, water-resistant formula that performs well all day. This mascara is safe for those with sensitive eyes and contact lenses.
Sold by Sephora
Rare Beauty Positive Light Under Eye Brightener
If you struggle with dark circles or discoloration under the eyes, this liquid brightener will visibly brighten and smooth out the under-eye area for a refreshed look. The lightweight formula is enriched by hydrating white peony and vitamin E extracts. It’s easy to blend and layer using your fingertip, with six shades covering various skin tones.
Sold by Sephora
Rare Beauty Positive Light Tinted Moisturizer
This tinted moisturizer blurs and evens skin tone while minimizing the look of pores and fine lines. It offers glowy, light to medium coverage, with a hydrating formula containing vitamin E and SPF 20 broad-spectrum sunscreen. The long-lasting moisturizer is nongreasy and comes in 24 flexible shades.
Sold by Sephora
Rare Beauty Always an Optimist 4-In-1 Mist
This unique facial mist contains a layer of water-based active ingredients and another with nourishing oils that work together to hydrate, prime and set the skin. The refreshing mist boosts the foundation’s performance, and the natural, radiant finish won’t feel greasy. Suitable for sensitive skin, this versatile product comes in 0.12- and 2.87-fluid-ounce bottles.
Sold by Sephora
Worth checking out
- With a glossy finish and gentle plumping effect on the lips, the Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil is a beauty-lover favorite.
- If you prefer using a powder highlighter, the Rare Beauty Positive Light Silky Touch Highlighter is an excellent option for a soft, natural-looking glow.
- The award-winning Rare Beauty Stay Vulnerable Melting Blush offers a natural satin finish with a subtle blurring effect.
- The Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Longwear Gel Eyeliner is a waterproof product that will stay in place — even on the waterline — with a built-in sharpener for precise application.
- The waterproof Rare Beauty Brow Harmony Precision Pencil is another stellar pick among fans for fuller-looking, more defined brows.
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Amy Evans writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://who13.com/reviews/br/beauty-personal-care-br/makeup-palettes-sets-br/these-are-the-most-popular-rare-beauty-products/ | 2023-07-31T06:57:56 | 0 | https://who13.com/reviews/br/beauty-personal-care-br/makeup-palettes-sets-br/these-are-the-most-popular-rare-beauty-products/ |
Mar-a-Lago worker charged in Trump’s classified documents case to make first court appearance
MIAMI (AP) — An employee of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, Carlos De Oliveira, is expected to make his first court appearance Monday on charges accusing him of scheming with the former president to hide security footage from investigators probing Trump’s hoarding of classified documents.
De Oliveira, Mar-a-Lago’s property manager, was added last week to the indictment with Trump and the former president’s valet, Walt Nauta, in the federal case alleging a plot to illegally keep top-secret records at Trump’s Florida estate and thwart government efforts to retrieve them.
De Oliveira faces charges including conspiracy to obstruct justice and lying to investigators. He’s scheduled to appear before a magistrate judge in Miami nearly two months after Trump pleaded not guilty in the case brought by special counsel Jack Smith.
The developments in the classified documents case come as Trump braces for possible charges in another federal investigation into his efforts to cling to power after he lost the 2020 election. Trump has received a letter from Smith indicating that he is a target of that investigation, and Trump’s lawyers met with Smith’s team last week.
An attorney for De Oliveira declined last week to comment on the allegations. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and said the Mar-a-Lago security tapes were voluntarily handed over to investigators. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform last week that he was told the tapes were not “deleted in any way, shape or form.”
Prosecutors have not alleged that security footage was actually deleted or kept from investigators.
Nauta has also pleaded not guilty. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon had previously scheduled the trial of Trump and Nauta to begin in May, and it’s unclear whether the addition of De Oliveira to the case may impact the case’s timeline.
The latest indictment, unsealed on Thursday, alleges that Trump tried to have security footage deleted after investigators visited in June 2022 to collect classified documents Trump took with him after he left the White House.
Trump was already facing dozens of felony counts — including willful retention of notional defense information — stemming from allegations that he mishandled government secrets that as commander-in-chief he was entrusted to protect. Experts have said the new allegations bolster the special counsel’s case and deepen the former president’s legal jeopardy.
Video from Mar-a-Lago would ultimately become vital to the government’s case because, prosecutors said, it shows Nauta moving boxes in and out of a storage room — an act alleged to have been done at Trump’s direction and in effort to hide records not only only from investigators but Trump’s own lawyers.
Days after the Justice Department sent a subpoena for video footage at Mar-a-Lago to the Trump Organization in June 2022, prosecutors say De Oliveira asked a information technology staffer how long the server retained footage and told the employee “the boss” wanted it deleted. When the employee said he didn’t believe he was able to do that, De Oliveira insisted the “boss” wanted it done, asking, “What are we going to do?”
Shortly after the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago and found classified records in the storage room and Trump’s office, prosecutors say Nauta called a Trump employee and said words to the effect of, “someone just wants to make sure Carlos is good.” The indictment says the employee responded that De Oliveira was loyal and wouldn’t do anything to affect his relationship with Trump. That same day, the indictment alleges, Trump called De Oliveira directly to say that he would get De Oliveira an attorney.
Prosecutors allege that De Oliveira later lied in interviews with investigators, falsely claiming that he hadn’t even seen boxes moved into Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House.
____
Richer reported from Boston.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbrc.com/2023/07/31/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-make-first-court-appearance/ | 2023-07-31T06:58:00 | 0 | https://www.wbrc.com/2023/07/31/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-make-first-court-appearance/ |
Bouldering equipment for beginners
Bouldering is gaining in popularity throughout the world. It’s an exciting and rewarding way to strengthen your muscles, increase flexibility and improve coordination. It lets you explore new locations and meet new people. Though it may seem intimidating when starting out, one of the best aspects of bouldering is the minimal equipment required. By investing in a few core pieces of climbing gear, you can tackle your next adventure and work your way up a challenging route.
Shop this article: La Sportiva Men’s TarantuLace Climbing Shoe, Black Diamond Circuit Crash Pad and Sukoa Chalk Bag
Bouldering vs. rope climbing: what’s the difference?
There are a few main differences between bouldering and traditional rock climbing. Most importantly, bouldering doesn’t require the use of any ropes since most routes are less than 15 feet in height. If you do happen to fall, you land on either a cushioned gym floor or a crash pad in outdoor situations. Traditional climbing requires the use of ropes, a harness, carabiners and often a partner to help belay while you make your ascent.
Bouldering also often uses different techniques and climbing moves compared to big wall climbs. It can be a great way for beginner climbers to build up their stamina and endurance before attempting longer routes or “boulder problems.”
Bouldering tips to get started
Here are five tips for bouldering.
- Know the scales: Most bouldering routes have a rating that corresponds to their difficulty. The two most common grading scales are V-scale and Font scale. V-scale is the system most commonly used in the United States and grades the difficulty on a scale of V0 to V16. While V0 is usually considered the easiest, you may sometimes encounter a route rated as VB, meaning it is for beginners.
- Start slow: As with most new sports or athletic activities, it’s always a good idea to start off slow and work your way up as you gain strength and experience. While it may seem tempting to tackle a hard boulder problem right out of the gate, overdoing it can lead to an increased risk of injury.
- It’s fine to fall: Always take all safety precautions seriously and always use proper safety gear, such as a crash pad when bouldering outdoors. However, the occasional fall while attempting a climb is only natural. As long as you have the proper safety equipment, each fall can be a learning experience, helping you improve your climbing abilities.
- Practice different moves: Don’t get stuck climbing in one style. Trying out different moves and varying your grip can help improve your skills. This is especially important for beginners starting out in a gym setting before transitioning to outdoor climbs.
- Legs are important: It may seem like bouldering is all about arm strength for beginners, but that isn’t the case. Your legs and core muscles are equally important. Your legs can help tightly grip footholds and push your body upwards without relying solely on arm strength.
Beginner bouldering gear
The three main pieces of gear you need to start bouldering are climbing shoes, a crash pad and a chalk bag to keep your hands dry. Besides the big three, there are several accessories that can improve your bouldering experience.
Best climbing shoes
La Sportiva Men’s TarantuLace Climbing Shoe
These bouldering shoes are perfect for both beginner and intermediate climbers. The high-traction Frixion sole means you can grip the rock face with confidence. The quick-lacing system provides a comfortable fit.
Sold by Amazon
Scarpa Origin Women’s Climbing Shoe
These women’s climbing shoes are a great beginner option. They use a flat last and heel system that reduces pressure and tension so they aren’t painful on your feet after a full day spent bouldering.
Sold by Backcountry
Best crash pads
Black Diamond Circuit Crash Pad
This crash pad is great for transporting to your favorite bouldering spot without being too heavy or bulky. The closed-cell PE foam is ideal for cushioning falls from various heights. It has backpack straps and easy-to-carry handles.
Sold by Amazon
This protective crash pad features 5 inches of padding and can even serve as a comfortable chair when not in use. You can choose between several fun colors.
Sold by Amazon
Best chalk bags and chalk
This budget-friendly chalk bag is great for beginners. It features two built-in pockets, letting you store important items while bouldering. The main compartment uses water-resistant materials. It’s spacious enough to accommodate larger hands.
Sold by Amazon
This simple chalk bag with a drawstring closure makes it easy to access your chalk with one hand. It is also available in several color options.
Sold by Amazon
This non-toxic chalk prevents any type of moisture from interfering with your climb, keeping your hands dry and your mind focused.
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Best climbing accessories
Using climbing tape can be helpful when getting your fingers and hands used to rough rock surfaces. This tape uses durable cotton and can prevent painful scrapes and scratches while building up callouses.
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Metolius Simulator 3D Training Board
An at-home training board can help you practice your grips on days when the weather isn’t cooperating, and you can’t make it to the gym. This Metolius model can be installed above your door frame and features a variety of holds in different sizes.
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PETZL Unisex Boreo Climbing Helmet
Not all people who boulder choose to wear a helmet, but they can help prevent a serious head injury in the event of an unexpected fall. This helmet has ventilation holes for breathability and sports a soft, comfortable headband.
Sold by Backcountry
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Which product helps prevent thigh chafing best?
Do you find your sense of style forever or athletic endeavors in conflict with the possibility of uncomfortable thigh chafing? You’re not alone. Sometimes a great outfit can be rendered completely unusable because you know your thighs will be left feeling red and raw after a little while. The same goes for people who do a lot of running or swimming. Fortunately, you no longer have to choose between what you want to do or wear and the toll it will take on your skin. There are creams, clothes and even creative accessories designed to soothe skin and prevent thigh chafing so you can live your life comfortably.
Shop this article: Monistat Care Chafing Relief Powder Gel, Body Glide Skin Glide Anti-Friction Cream and Undersummers by CarrieRae Women’s Shortlette
What causes thigh chafing?
The friction produced between the thighs when they rub together causes thigh chafing. It can make the skin red and cause irritation or even pain. Chafing, in general, is often considered an athlete concern, but it can be especially problematic for anyone during seasons when skirts and dresses are popular. Long pants usually lessen friction by providing a barrier of fabric between your thighs, which is why it’s often less of a problem when temperatures drop. Though inconvenient and uncomfortable, you can address thigh chafing and lessen or prevent it in a variety of ways.
What solutions are available?
These days, there are a few preventative measures you can take to avoid thigh chafing. There are rub-in creams or roll-on palms designed to do the trick, but if you’d prefer something wearable, there are shorts and bands that serve the same purpose.
Best rub-in thigh chafing preventatives
Monistat Care Chafing Relief Powder Gel
This is a non-greasy, fragrance-free formula that’s gentle on sensitive skin and combines the best of lotion and powder care. It protects skin, relieves irritation and is reliable for everyday use. It can be used for thigh chafing as well as underarm or breast chafing.
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Body Glide Skin Glide Anti-Friction Cream
This hypoallergenic hydrating cream doesn’t leave a greasy residue and creates a smooth barrier that protects sensitive skin. It won’t clog pores and washes off easily in the bath or shower. The cream prevents thigh chafing in both humid and dry climates.
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Though Aquaphor is mostly used for cracked skin, chapped lips and even tattoo care, it also makes for an excellent thigh chafing preventative. It’s incredibly nourishing for sensitive skin and it’s fragrance-free. A little goes a long way, and so a large jar like this one will last a while.
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Chamois Butt’r Original Anti-Chafe Cream
This anti-chafe cream is great for athletes or anyone experiencing uncomfortable thigh chafing. It’s gluten-free, paraben-free and has no artificial fragrances or colors in it. It also rubs into the skin smoothly and evenly.
Sold by Amazon
Blue Steel Sports Anti-Chafe Cream
This anti-chafing cream is called a “sports” cream but is made for anyone and includes natural tea tree oil. It’s water/sweat resistant, making it great for those planning on swimming or even just walking around on a hot day. It’s not greasy and won’t stain your clothes either.
Sold by Amazon
Best stick/roll-on thigh chafing preventatives
Vaseline All Over Body Balm Jelly Stick
This anti-friction jelly stick really nourishes dry skin. It can prevent chafing before it happens or soothes skin already sore from it. You can even use it on chapped lips or dry, cracked hands.
KT Tape KT Performance+ Anti-Chafing Stick
Here is a gel stick that is sweat-resistant, water-resistant and made to last up to 24 hours. It’s not sticky and holds up in both humid and dry climates. There are no sulfates, parabens, petroleum or dyes included in this formula.
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Zone Naturals Chub Rub All Natural Anti-Chafing Stick
This anti-chafing stick is made with all-natural ingredients that include coconut oil, Shea butter and aloe. It helps to protect and hydrate skin with the bonus of being paraben-free and fragrance-free.
Sold by Amazon
Squirrel’s Nut Butter All Natural Anti Chafe Salve Stick Applicator
Here is a salve popular with men and women for dry/sensitive skin. It’s in stick applicator form and great at preventing thigh chafing but can also be used for eczema, dry skin, diaper rash, razor burn and tattoo recovery.
Sold by Amazon
This anti-friction stick is designed specifically for thighs but you can use it anywhere to prevent chafing. It is made with aloe, pomegranate seed extract, Vitamin E and other natural ingredients. It’s sulfate, aluminum, paraben and phthalates-free.
Sold by Ulta Beauty
Best wearable thigh chafing preventatives
Hanes Men’s Comfort Flex Fit Total Support Pouch 3-Pack
Available in long leg or regular leg sizes, this package comes with three comfortable and breathable boxer briefs in assorted colors. They are made from a polyester/spandex blend and won’t ride up the thigh even after going through the washing machine.
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Wirarpa Women’s Anti Chafing Cotton Underwear
This set of three comes available in several color combinations and provides a comfortable fit for chafe-free thighs. The underwear is made from a cotton/spandex blend and it’s machine washable (though you should hang dry).
Sold by Amazon
Bandelettes Patented Trademarked Original Elastic Anti-Chafing Thigh Bands
Available in several colors and styles, this set of nylon/spandex blend bands is perfect for those who want their thighs protected but don’t want to wear long underwear or shorts beneath their clothes. They look delicate and flirty but are hand-wash only and line dry.
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Undersummers by CarrieRae Women’s Shortlette
This stretchy polyester/spandex shortlette protects thighs without causing extra friction that can be painful to the skin. It doesn’t ride up and comes in three colors (ecru, beige and black).
Sold by Amazon
Chicky Chaps Stretch-Mesh Breathable Thigh Bands
These mesh and lace thigh bands clip onto underwear to not fall and come in seven colors and styles. They aren’t the most durable chafe preventative, but if you’re looking for something sexier that looks like lingerie, these bands fit the bill. They are hand-wash only and line dry.
Sold by Amazon
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BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers.
Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://who13.com/reviews/br/health-wellness-br/medical-supplies-equipment-br/15-products-that-help-prevent-thigh-chafing/ | 2023-07-31T06:58:10 | 0 | https://who13.com/reviews/br/health-wellness-br/medical-supplies-equipment-br/15-products-that-help-prevent-thigh-chafing/ |
Smart thermostats
Smart thermostats save you time, money and energy by creating heating and cooling schedules and monitoring your usage. You can even make adjustments from your phone. But these aren’t the only features of smart thermostats.
Shop this article: Honeywell Home Wi-Fi Thermostat, Ecobee SmartSensor Two-Pack and Nest Thermostat Wall Plate
How does a smart thermostat work?
Smart thermostats use Wi-Fi connectivity to connect to your smart home network. They can also connect to your smartphone, laptop, tablet or smartwatch. This lets you use those devices to monitor, make adjustments to and set schedules for the temperature in your home. This is usually through a smart thermostat’s companion app. They can also adjust temperatures with algorithms that track your routines, lifestyle and the weather.
For example, a smart thermostat can learn that you come home at 5 p.m. every day. It can then adjust your heating, ventilation and air conditioning system to ensure your home is at a comfortable temperature when you arrive. Some smart thermostats can also turn off your heat or AC when you depart each day.
How can a smart thermostat save me money?
Some manufacturers claim their smart thermostats can save you up to 25% on utility bills. This is partly accomplished by improving your heating, ventilation and AC system’s performance and reducing energy consumption. Another way is by letting you monitor and make adjustments to temperature settings remotely. If you forget to turn off your heat before leaving, for example, you could use your smart thermostat’s companion app to turn it off without returning. Being able to set schedules and take advantage of algorithmic learning also helps.
Many smart thermostats, such as the Nest Learning Thermostat or Honeywell Home Wi-Fi Thermostat, also generate reports on energy usage and heating and cooling patterns. By reviewing your usage data you can make informed decisions about how you consume energy.
What do I need to consider when choosing a smart thermostat?
Existing heating, ventilation and AC system
The smart thermostat you buy must be compatible with your home’s existing heating, ventilation and AC system. Many popular smart thermostat models include compatibility checkers on their websites. Smart thermostats also often require a C-wire, enabling the continuous flow of power to the thermostat. This is necessary for features like Wi-Fi connectivity and touch screens. Some thermostat ports aren’t equipped with C-wires because many older thermostats don’t need them.
If you don’t have a C-wire, you can hire an electrician to install one. You can also choose a smart thermostat designed to work without a C-wire, such as the Emerson Sensi. Alternatively, you can buy a C-wire adapter to install near your heating, ventilation and AC system’s control board.
Compatibility with your existing smart home system
If you already have smart home devices, select a smart thermostat that is compatible with your system. If you use Apple HomeKit, for example, select a model you can control from the platform such as the Carrier Cor or the Hive. For an IFTTT smart home system, consider the Google Nest Learning Thermostat.
What you need to buy to go with your smart thermostat
These sensors work with the Ecobee Smart Thermostat to detect motion to adjust the temperature in rooms that are in use.
Sold by Amazon
Match your Nest Thermostat to the other design elements of your living space. Wall plates come in a variety of colors including white, silver, black and bronze.
Sold by Amazon
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Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://who13.com/reviews/br/home-br/heating-cooling-air-quality-br/how-do-smart-thermostats-work/ | 2023-07-31T06:58:16 | 0 | https://who13.com/reviews/br/home-br/heating-cooling-air-quality-br/how-do-smart-thermostats-work/ |
Make your own pasta at home
Making pasta by hand looks impressive, but the truth is, homemade pasta is surprisingly simple to create. You can get started with just three ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen. Even if the only tools you have are a rolling pin and a chef’s knife, you can feed your family and friends a satisfying and delicious meal made entirely from scratch. All you’ll need is a recipe, a couple of hours, and just a little bit of practice.
Shop this article: Fox Run Polished Marble Rolling Pin with Wooden Cradle, Spring Chef Bench Scraper and OXO Good Grips 3-in-1 Egg Separator
Is homemade pasta better?
You won’t just get a sense of accomplishment from making your own pasta — it tastes better, too. Fresh pasta has a more tender texture and a more pronounced eggy flavor than commercial-dried pasta. The pasta’s springiness holds up equally well, whether it goes into lasagna or straight onto the plate with some butter. You can even try making pasta dough with unusual ingredients like spinach or saffron for an extra-special meal.
How to get started making pasta
Hamilton Beach Stack & Snap Food Processor
Making the pasta dough
There are as many fresh pasta recipes as there are people who make pasta, but to get started, it’s best to stick with a simple pasta dough that uses just a few ingredients: unbleached all-purpose flour, eggs, and a bit of salt.
If you want, you can use semolina durum flour, which is a more authentic pasta flour with a higher protein content and a coarser texture that helps sauces stick. However, if all-purpose flour is all you have in your pantry, it’ll turn into wonderful pasta.
Place 10 ounces of flour on a clean work surface and make a well. Add two eggs plus four egg yolks to the well and gently start incorporating the flour using a fork, gradually scraping in flour from the sides of the well. Switch to a bench scraper when it becomes too difficult to use a fork and mix until it’s fully combined by scraping and folding over the dough, turning it 45 degrees each time.
Kneading and rolling the pasta dough
You’ll know the dough is ready for kneading when it stops sticking to your hands and holds its shape when rolled into a ball. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until it’s smooth and satiny, then shape it into a ball. Let it rest, wrapped in plastic wrap, for 30 to 60 minutes to let gluten develop.
Use the bench scraper to cut the ball into four equal portions and cover them with a towel to keep them from drying out. Working with one portion at a time, roll out the dough into an oblong shape between a quarter-inch and half-inch thick.
Making pasta by hand vs. using a stand mixer
If your arms aren’t up to the task of all that kneading, you can use a powerful food processor or a stand mixer. Simply place all the ingredients in the work bowl and run the machine (using a dough hook if you’re using a stand mixer) until a large, smooth ball forms.
How to shape homemade pasta
CucinaPro Pasta Maker Deluxe Set
Making pasta shapes with a pasta machine
Roll out your dough by hand or use a pasta maker. Some pasta machines can create extruded shapes like penne, while others deliver smooth sheets and strands of lasagna or fettuccine. Following the manufacturer’s instructions for the type of pasta you want to make, feed your rolled-out dough between the rollers until it reaches the right thickness.
At this point, you can trim it by hand to make filled pasta or lasagna or run it through the pasta machine to cut it into strands. As the cut pasta strands emerge from the machine, carefully catch them, dust them with flour, shape them into nests, and keep them covered until you’re ready to cook or dry them.
A stand mixer offers another advantage here: after you’ve whipped up a batch of pasta dough in the bowl, use the mixer’s pasta-making attachment to roll out, cut, or shape pasta.
How to make filled pasta
For filled pasta, make sure your filling is relatively dry so you can seal up your pasta and avoid leaking or soggy dough. Avoid the temptation to overload your pasta — follow your recipe’s guidance for the amount of filling to use in each pasta shape.
Depending on the type of stuffed pasta you’re making, you can use a pasta stamp, a pastry wheel, biscuit cutters, or even a chef’s knife to create rounds or squares. Seal the pasta by brushing the edges with a little water, then using gentle pressure to close the shapes. Make sure the filling is fully enclosed and that no air is trapped inside.
How to cook homemade pasta
Weston Bamboo Pasta Drying Rack
Cooking fresh pasta
Homemade pasta cooks very quickly — depending on the shape, it will need only two to four minutes in boiling water, and slightly longer for stuffed pasta. Salt your cooking water generously to amplify your pasta’s flavor, especially if your dough recipe doesn’t call for salt. Serve it immediately.
How to dry fresh pasta
Alternatively, you can dry your uncooked pasta to serve at a future date. Leaving egg-based food out in the open can feel counterintuitive, but when properly dried and stored, there should be no moisture remaining to encourage bacteria.
Toss the pasta shapes in flour, then lay the strands in a single layer on a drying rack or on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let the pasta dry uncovered and away from heat and sunlight, or use a food dehydrator for more consistency, especially if it’s a humid day. When the pasta snaps instead of bending, it’s ready for storage. Keep it in a dry, airtight container in your pantry or freezer.
FAQ
Q. How long does homemade pasta last?
A. Homemade pasta has a much shorter shelf life than commercially made pasta. Uncooked pasta can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for just one day. Properly dried homemade pasta can be stored in your pantry for up to six weeks. Alternatively, before you cut your pasta shapes, you can wrap the dough in plastic wrap and freeze it for up to one month.
Q. What sauces go with homemade pasta?
A. How you serve your pasta may come down to personal preference, but the shape of the pasta is a contributing factor. Pair fettuccine or tagliatelle with a homemade alfredo sauce or pesto. Wider pasta like pappardelle is great with slow-simmered meat sauces. You can also highlight the flavor of your fresh pasta (especially ravioli) by simply tossing it in browned butter and high-quality Parmesan.
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Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://who13.com/reviews/br/kitchen-br/utensils-gadgets-br/how-to-make-homemade-pasta/ | 2023-07-31T06:58:23 | 1 | https://who13.com/reviews/br/kitchen-br/utensils-gadgets-br/how-to-make-homemade-pasta/ |
Can you fertilize a lawn in the summer?
Few things can add or detract as much from a home’s curb appeal as the landscaping, and your grass is a significant aspect of that. Healthy and well-manicured grass gives a home a welcoming feeling, while a dead or overgrown yard makes everything look unkempt.
Fertilizing is vital to keeping your lawn looking its best, but it must be done correctly and at the right time of the year. Many people often wonder if they can fertilize their yard in the summer. To clear up that confusion once and for all, we’ve put together this handy guide that covers everything you need to know.
Shop this article: Scott’s Natural Lawn Food, Scotts EdgeGuard Mini Broadcast Spreader and Flexzilla Garden Hose
What is the best time to fertilize your lawn?
You should be fertilizing your lawn at least twice a year. However, if you pick the wrong season or the wrong fertilizer, you can cause excessive weed growth or even burn the grass. Part of knowing when to fertilize your yard is about knowing what type of grass you have. You should fertilize your lawn when it is actively growing. If you have cool-season grass, early spring, when the temperatures are between 60-75 degrees is the optimal time for the first feeding.
Warm-season grasses tend to start sending up green shoots a bit later in the spring when the temperatures reach 80 degrees or higher. When you see this start happening, it’s time to sprinkle your fertilizer.
You should also fertilize both cool- and warm-season grasses in the fall. This helps ensure healthy roots during the winter months, which results in healthier, greener grass the following spring.
How often should you fertilize your lawn in the summer?
While the most important times to fertilize your lawn are the spring and fall, these shouldn’t necessarily be the only times. For both types of grasses, a second feeding should follow about six weeks after the first. Depending on the date of your first round of fertilizing, this might be very late spring or early summer. However, make sure to read the manufacturer’s guidelines on the fertilizer you use, as the recommended interval between feedings may be longer or shorter.
It is usually best to avoid fertilizing during the hottest months, but if you have to do it, make sure to use the correct fertilizer type.
Choosing the right fertilizer
Synthetic fertilizers come in slow- and fast-release formulas. In addition to the essential nutrients of nitrogen, potassium and phosphate, they may also contain calcium, magnesium, sulfur and other ingredients.
While synthetic fertilizers are a good choice for spring and fall use, you should avoid them during the summer. This is because they typically have a very high nutrient content and are likely to burn the grass.
Organic fertilizers are made from fish meal, compost, manure and other natural ingredients. It has a lower nutrient content, which makes it gentler and ideal for summer use. Organic fertilizer tends to break down slowly too, so it will continue feeding the grass for months after application.
Fertilizing your lawn in the summer heat
Prepare your yard in advance
To get the best results, mow your lawn a day or two before you plan on applying the fertilizer. This helps ensure the fertilizer spreads evenly and falls to the soil, rather than sitting atop the blades of grass where it can potentially burn them. After the mowing, heavily water your lawn to saturate the soil thoroughly.
Do it at the right time of day
Later afternoon or early evening is the best time to apply fertilizer. Never do it in the middle of the day under direct sun, or you may burn the grass.
Use the right equipment
It is essential to spread fertilizer evenly across the yard. Too little in one place, and it won’t grow as well as the rest of the lawn. Too much in one spot, and it can harm or even kill the grass. The best way to ensure an even spread is by using a broadcast spreader.
Water after fertilizing
After applying fertilizer, lightly water your lawn. This is to wash any fertilizer that may have landed on the blades of grass down to the soil. Make sure not to overly saturate the soil, though, as you want to give it some time to absorb the nutrients. If you water it too heavily, you run the risk of washing the fertilizer away.
What you need to buy for fertilizing
This all-natural fertilizer is safe to use around kids and pets and is suitable for all grass types and seasons. A single bag covers a 4000-square-foot lawn.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Scotts EdgeGuard Mini Broadcast Spreader
A reliable and reasonably-priced model, this broadcaster spreader is a good choice for many homeowners. It offers easy-to-use rate control and doesn’t require any assembly.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Scotts Wizz Hand-held Spreader
If your yard is too small for a wheeled broadcast spreader, or you simply find a handheld model to be more convenient, the Wizz is a suitable option. It is lightweight and features 23 flow-rate settings.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
The Flexzilla garden hose comes in several lengths ranging from 10-100 feet, so there is certainly one that will perfectly fit your needs. It retains its flexibility in all weather conditions and has a rugged build that should last through many seasons.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Luster Leaf 1601 Rapitest Test Kit for Soil
Though unnecessary for fertilizing your lawn, having a soil test kit like this is a brilliant idea. It helps you identify what nutrients your soil is lacking, or has an excess of, so you can make sure to buy the right fertilizer.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Become a lawn master
Knowing how to plant a new lawn is a useful skill to have, no matter if you’re moving into a new house, sprucing up your current one, or you just want to develop your green thumb. A lush green lawn is often the first thing people notice about your home, and well-manicured grass can greatly increase the value of your property. With a few personal touches, you can make it your own.
While it may seem like a daunting task at first, planting or renovating your lawn is relatively simple when broken down into a few easy-to-follow steps.
Shop this article: Tillers, Fertilizers and Lawn Rollers
Sod vs. seed
First, you must decide whether you want to use grass seed or sod on your lawn.
Let’s start with sod, as grass seed is relatively self-explanatory. Sod, also known as instant lawn or turf grass, is rolled grass that offers several benefits over grass seed. The most obvious is that it’s much faster to establish and gives the look of a finished lawn instantly. In addition, quality sod has few or no weed seeds present, which can save major headaches (and backaches) down the road. Also, because it’s heartier than young grass, sod can be installed nearly any time of year, so long as the ground isn’t frozen or exposed to extreme heat. However, it’s not without disadvantages.
Due to its convenience, sod is initially more expensive than grass seed and requires labor to install. Your grass choices are restricted as well, because most sod farmers grow their products in full sun. That means if your lawn is shaded by houses or large trees, sod may not thrive as well as seed designed for those environments. Shade blend sod is available in some areas, but it’s not always easy to find.
By contrast, grass seed is simpler, cheaper, less labor-intensive at the onset, and offers more choice when it comes to grass variety. It requires more consistent maintenance, though, and the chance for weed contamination is higher. Perhaps the most notable drawback is this method has a defined window for success, as extreme temperatures can lead to patchy results or complete seed failure.
How to prepare lawn for new grass
No matter which method you choose to grow your new lawn, the initial preparation is relatively consistent. Follow these steps:
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First, remove debris and any existing vegetation, i.e. weeds and grass. You can do this physically, with a flame torch, using a home remedy, or with a non-selective herbicide. If you use chemicals, remember to wait for the compounds to become inert before planting (check product labels for this info).
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Repeat the first step, till the soil, and check it again to make sure all remaining seeds are gone. Doing this will ensure a weed-free lawn in the long term.
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Once the area is free of vegetation, you are ready to plant.
How to plant a lawn with sod
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Till the first two inches of soil with a tiller or rake. If needed, add seeding soil to the top of your existing soil.
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Level soil. Any dips or bumps could stay there for years and can look unsightly.
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If you do not use seeding soil (these generally have starter fertilizer mixed in), apply a starter fertilizer, water, and till in.
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Roll out sod. Keep edges snug against each other but don’t overlap them.
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Use a lawn roller to smooth out and firm the sod, connecting it with the ground below and facilitating root contact. Keep sod moist for the first two weeks after application to further assist root growth.
How to plant a lawn with seed
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Till the first two inches of soil with a tiller or rake. If needed, add seeding soil to the top of your existing soil.
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Level soil. Any dips or bumps could stay there for years and can look unsightly.
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If you do not use seeding soil (these generally have starter fertilizer mixed in), apply a starter fertilizer, water, and till in.
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Divide your seed into two equal portions. Spread one half going one direction, with the other half going at a right angle in the other direction. This crisscross pattern guarantees even coverage across your lawn. For higher accuracy, use a drop spreader.
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Tamp seed down with a lawn roller. For added protection, cover the seeds with 1/4 inch of peat moss or compost. This prevents the seeds from washing away, stops birds from eating them, and also holds in moisture.
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Gently soak the soil about six inches deep after seeding, and keep the seeds moist until grass has germinated. This should take approximately two weeks. Continue to lightly water three to four times a day until the grass is about a half-inch high, then maintain as normal.
How to take care of new grass
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A watering rule of thumb: Once the grass is high enough to mow, water at approximately one inch per week.
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Water your lawn early in the morning. Doing it at night keeps the water stagnant, which raises the risk for mold and fungus, and watering midday increases evaporation risk. In addition, water deeply and infrequently as opposed to lightly and more often, as this improves root health.
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Keep your mower blades sharp, and don’t cut more than a third of the grass blade at a time to prevent shocking the grass.
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Fertilize every four to six weeks with lawn fertilizer.
Lawn care shopping list
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Planting a new lawn is incredibly rewarding, but it takes a toll on your hands. Invest in some high-quality gardening gloves to stay safe from thorns, sharp sticks, sunlight, and abrasions.
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A sturdy rake or cultivator will help you till your lawn before planting. This is a necessary step to remove unwanted vegetation, loosen up dirt, and aerate the soil.
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A lawn roller is the most efficient way to both tamp down new grass seeds and secure sod to the soil below. Fill your lawn roller with water if more weight is needed to finish the job. Choose between tow models that hook up to powered equipment or simple push/pull versions.
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Drop spreaders are extremely helpful in evenly distributing grass seed over an area. Available in rolling and handheld versions, these spreaders are adjustable for different drop rates. Great for grass seed or fertilizer!
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Fertilizer is necessary to keep a lawn healthy and full. Lawn fertilizers are typically rich in nitrogen, which is very water-soluble and promotes green, leafy growth.
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Your lawn won’t survive without water, and an adjustable rotating sprinkler helps it stay irrigated at the seedling stage as well as when it’s fully developed. Interested in even more control? Consider a multi-zone irrigation controller.
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Bob Beacham writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
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Tips and tricks for protecting your home from the elements
If you like learning new skills and having a to-do list that never ends, there’s no better investment than purchasing a home. But becoming a homeowner isn’t just the biggest financial commitment you’ll ever make, it’s also a pledge to take care of something, for better or worse, as long as you both shall live. Or at least until you decide it’s time to move.
Along with the bills, repairs, and perpetual upkeep, one of the biggest tasks you face as a homeowner is your never-ending battle with Mother Nature. Just when you think you’ve reshingled your last roof and can rest easy when it comes to leaks, you find a small pond in the basement after the latest storm. This list will walk you through everything you need to know in order to best protect your home from the elements.
But first, it’s important to review your insurance policy so you are aware of what is and isn’t covered. Your homeowner’s insurance policy might not cover floods and damage caused by the elements. Take a few minutes, read over your policy, call your agent and make the needed changes to get the peace of mind you deserve.
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What are the elements?
It’s not just water — which causes mold and rot — that you have to worry about. Wind, snow, hail, cold and heat can also do substantial damage to your home. Here are just a few examples of the havoc the elements can wreak on your home.
Wind
A gentle breeze is refreshing, but a gale-force wind? Anything over 50 or 60 mph can be devastating. From hurling projectiles and prying loose shingles to stripping away siding and shearing off the entire roof, strong winds can dismantle a house in a matter of minutes.
Snow
It’s pristine, and it twinkles as if infused by magic. Snow is beautiful. But it’s also heavy. On average, a square foot of snow weighs a little over 12 pounds. If you have a house that’s 2,000 square feet and it snows 12 inches, that’s roughly an extra 24,000 pounds — 12 tons — on your roof. See how this could cause a little trouble? Especially if the snow is resting on large tree branches or that evergreen that’s already leaning toward your house.
Hail
Hail is Mother Nature’s mischievous child. They enjoy causing trouble. Got cracked shingles? Divots in the lawn? Broken windows? Dents in your car? Damaged outdoor furniture? You’ve got hail!
Cold
Cold is the silent destroyer of homes. If you’ve ever had a pipe burst, you already know this. But beyond that, cold can create ice dams in your gutters that force water beneath your shingles, thereby ruining the items under your roof. And if water gets into any tiny crack, be it in your driveway or your foundation, it will expand when it freezes, turning that tiny crack into a crevasse.
Heat
Excessive moist heat can warp hardwood floors and accelerate deterioration in other areas, such as your attic and roof. Excessive dry heat can suck the moisture out of the ground, making it shrink and taking away some much-needed support from your home’s foundation.
Best strategies for keeping your home safe
Indeed, the elements can be devastating to your home. Thankfully, there are a number of quick and easy things you can do to protect it from the elements. Following is a list of the best (and most effortless) strategies.
Strategy 1: Bring items inside
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Lawn chairs, watering cans, bicycles, scooters, patio umbrellas, and other loose items that you keep outside need to be brought inside before a storm. After all, the wind can turn anything that’s not fastened down into a destructive projectile.
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Strategy 2: Close the curtains
If anything flies into your window during a storm, having your blinds drawn and your drapes closed can help block some of the broken glass and other debris from entering your home.
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Strategy 3: Use your garage
If you don’t want dings in your car, put your vehicle in the garage before all hail breaks loose — along with anything else that could be damaged should the sky begin to pelt ice at your property. If your garage is full of clutter, however, this might not be as simple as it is supposed to be. Take time to organize and store your tools before the storm, and you could be thanking yourself later.
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Strategy 4: Rake the roof
When snow piles up on your house, it can get beneath your shingles as it melts, damaging your roof. When it’s safe to do so, grab a roof rake and clear your roof so melting snow can flow away without much damage. Note: always leave a thin layer of snow on your roof, because too much scraping could damage your shingles.
Strategy 5: Seal your driveway
Those tiny cracks in your driveway become bigger cracks when they fill with water which then freezes. Be proactive and seal your driveway — or at the very least, fill those cracks in with gravel — before winter arrives.
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Strategy 6: Run a dehumidifier
All that humidity in the summer can really mess with the wood in your house. It can also make everything feel quite sticky. To remedy the situation (and save your hardwood floors), turn on a dehumidifier and let it work its magic.
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Strategy 7: Use a sprinkler
During those hot, rainless periods of summer when the ground dries up and pulls away from your house, weakening its foundation, don’t fret. Instead, turn on your sprinkler and put some moisture back into the soil. Don’t add too much, though, because excess water near your home’s foundation has a way of seeping into your basement or crawlspace.
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Extra tips for protecting your home from weather damage
The following tips involve a little more than a quick fix, but they are much cheaper than full-blown repairs.
Anchor down your large items
If you have a storage shed, a grill, trash cans, or any large item that doesn’t have a permanent foundation or isn’t securely fastened, anchor it down. You can use straps, anchors, or bolts. In strong winds, this will help minimize dangerous projectiles. In a flood, it will help keep your valuables from drifting away.
Remove trees that pose a threat
Rain can make the ground soggy, allowing trees to lean. Once tilted, wet snow or strong winds can be all it takes to topple even the mightiest oak. Consider having any trees within striking distance of your home taken down before the next storm.
Bring in the reinforcements
A home is only as safe as its weakest spots. If you live in an area prone to severe weather, you need to do something about those spots. Get a professional out to reinforce your garage door, and consider installing storm shutters over your windows and glass doors.
The elements can be brutal on your home. From minor inconveniences to major repairs, Mother Nature really knows how to dish out the damage. But you aren’t helpless. Your best defense is a strong offense. Stay vigilant, smart, and proactive, and your home will be able to weather any storm.
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Allen Foster writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://who13.com/reviews/br/lawn-garden-br/tools-br-lawn-garden-br/safety-equipment-br/how-to-protect-your-home-from-harsh-weather/ | 2023-07-31T06:58:44 | 1 | https://who13.com/reviews/br/lawn-garden-br/tools-br-lawn-garden-br/safety-equipment-br/how-to-protect-your-home-from-harsh-weather/ |
TORONTO (AP) — Los Angeles Angels outfielder Taylor Ward was placed on the 10-day injured list with facial fractures on Sunday, a day after he was hit by a 91 mph pitch from Blue Jays right-hander Alek Manoah.
Ward was taken to a Toronto hospital after being struck in the fifth inning of Saturday’s 6-1 loss. He was released from hospital Saturday evening.
Before Sunday’s game, Angels manager Phil Nevin said Ward did not have vision damage. Surgery is an option for Ward, but no decision has been made. It was not clear when Ward would be able to return to California. The Angels play a three-game series at Atlanta this week before returning home Thursday to host Seattle.
To replace Ward, the Angels selected the contract of infielder Kevin Padlo from Triple-A Salt Lake.
Batting with the bases loaded, Ward was hit by a 2-0 pitch from Manoah. The ball appeared to strike Ward next to his next left eye, knocking off his batting helmet.
Plate umpire Andy Fletcher motioned to the Angels’ dugout for the trainer as Ward went down, blood running down his face. Angels staff rushed to the plate and held a towel to Ward’s face. After a couple of minutes, Ward got to his feet and left the field on a cart. His left eye appeared to be swollen shut.
A six-year veteran who has spent his entire career with the Angels, Ward is batting .253 with 14 home runs and 47 RBI in 97 games.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-angels-outfielder-taylor-ward-placed-on-il-with-facial-fractures-after-being-hit-in-head/ | 2023-07-31T06:58:50 | 1 | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-angels-outfielder-taylor-ward-placed-on-il-with-facial-fractures-after-being-hit-in-head/ |
FUKUOKA, Japan (AP) — Canadian teenager Summer McIntosh should be a star at next year’s Paris Olympics, and she showed why Sunday on the closing day of the swimming world championships in Japan.
The 16-year-old McIntosh won her second gold of the event, taking the 400-meter individual medley after winning the 200 butterfly gold on Friday.
That made up for a slow start for the young Canadian, who finished fourth in the 400 free, where she held the world record until Australia’s Ariarne Titmus took it back. She also took bronze in the 200 free, at least getting a medal.
“Going into tonight I just wanted to see how hard I could push myself,” McIntosh said.
She did just that. Her time of 4 minutes, 27.11 seconds was the third fastest ever, not far off her world record of 4:25.87. She was also the defending world champion. American Katie Grimes took the silver in 4:31.41, with Jenna Forrester of Australia picking up the bronze in 4:32.30.
“It was definitely motivating,” McIntosh said of her first few days. “I try to turn everything that goes wrong into motivation somehow.”
Asked about Paris, she replied: “Right now I’m just thinking about a little break.”
McIntosh should be joined by other young stars in Paris like 21-year-old Frenchman Leon Marchand and Australia’s 22-year-old Kaylee McKeown. Marchand and McKeown each won three individual golds.
The Americans also closed fast.
After winning only four gold medals during the first seven days, they picked up three on the eighth and final day for a total of seven golds and 38 overall. The gold total is still their lowest in a worlds going back for around 20 years. They won only eight in the 2015 worlds.
Australia finished with 13 gold and 20 overall, and China had five gold and 16 overall.
“This is the cherry on top,” said American Regan Smith, part of the winning 4×100 women’s medley relay. “I love racing with these girls and I love relays so much and brining home a gold in the last event for Team USA means so much to me and all of us.”
The Americans finished in 3:52.08, followed by Australia (3:53.37) and Canada (3:54.12).
The United States also won the men’s 4×100 medley in 3:27.20, ahead of China (3:29.00) and Australia (3:29.62), and added another gold with Hunter Armstrong in the 50-meter backstroke (24.05).
Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden made history with her victory in the women’s 50-meter freestyle. The gold gave Sjostrom 21 medals in individual races in the world championships, surpassing Michael Phelps who had 20.
Sjostrom, who set the world record in the semifinals on Saturday, powered home in the final 25 meters for the win, clocking 23.62. Shayna Jack of Australia picked up the silver in 24.10, while Zhang Yufei of China earned the bronze in 24.15.
Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania set a world record on the way to winning gold in the women’s 50-meter breaststroke in 29.16. She equaled the old world mark of 29.30 the night before in the semifinals.
Meilutyte grabbed the early lead and was never challenged. American Lilly King claimed the silver in 29.94, while Benedetta Pilato of Italy picked up the bronze in 30.04. She shared the old record of 29.30 with Meilutyte.
Ahmed Hafnaoui of Tunisia added the men’s 1,500-meter free gold to the 800 free he won earlier in the worlds, prevailing in an epic battle with American Bobby Finke that went down to the wire.
The 20-year-old Hafnaoui, the defending 400 free Olympic champion, captured the gold in 14:31.54, with Finke clocking 14:31.59 for silver. Sam Short of Australia rounded out the podium with the bronze in 14:37.28.
The mark was just off the world record by Sun Yang of China, 14:31.02, set in 2012. Sun has been suspended for a doping violation.
“Bobby (Finke) is so fast at the end of the race. he pushed us to do the 14.31,” Hafnaoui said. “It was so close to the world record. I mean I enjoyed the race and thanks Bobby for pushing me.”
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AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-canadian-summer-mcintosh-16-gets-second-gold-medal-at-swimming-worlds-in-japan/ | 2023-07-31T06:58:56 | 1 | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-canadian-summer-mcintosh-16-gets-second-gold-medal-at-swimming-worlds-in-japan/ |
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Chris Buescher was already in good position to qualify for NASCAR’s playoffs.
Now, even something remarkable over the last four races of the regular season won’t keep him out.
Buescher pulled away on a restart with three laps to go to win at Richmond Raceway on Sunday and snag one of the final spots in NASCAR’s playoff field.
Buescher led 88 laps and was ahead by nearly 6 seconds when a caution came out with under 10 laps to go. That erased his lead over Virginia native Denny Hamlin, who was booed by his hometown crowd before the race.
But Hamlin got a poor final restart and Buescher easily pulled away for his first Cup Series win of the season, third of his career.
“I knew that last restart was going to be tough, but I knew we had the speed in this thing,” Buescher said.
He and RFK Racing teammate Brad Keselowski led a combined 190 of the 400 laps in their Fords. Keselowski, now a part owner of the team, led 102 laps on the 0.75-mile oval.
Buescher started 26th and had to drive through the field for the win that locked him into the 16-driver playoff field. Buescher became the 13th race winner this year and there are three playoff spots up for grabs over the next month.
It was the 139th Cup win for primary team owner Jack Roush, second since Keselowski joined the ownership group.
Ford now has 723 wins in NASCAR’s top Cup Series.
“Everybody at RFK Racing who has worked so hard to get us to this point,” said Buescher.
Hamlin, winner last week at Pocono, finished second in a Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. Kyle Busch was third in a Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, followed by the Fords of Joey Logano from Team Penske and Ryan Preece of Stewart-Haas Racing.
“One win is good, but you get three or four or five and then you feel a lot better,” Keselowski said. “It sure beats not having any at all, but we want to keep going. It’s nice to have one car locked in the playoffs. We need to get both cars locked in the playoffs. We have a good points gap, but we want wins and this is where we need to be.”
Keselowski, despite being winless this season, is still mathematically in contention for the playoffs.
The race was slowed just three times by caution flags, with the final yellow 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.
“I got a bad restart,” Hamlin said. “I had to recover too much ground from what I lost on the front stretch. Almost got to the outside, and then in turn four, almost got to the outside again, and then in turn one, I was like ‘I’m just going to ship it in there and try to get to the outside one more time’ and I just carried way too much speed and locked up the left front tires.”
LARSON-HAMLIN
Kyle Larson, angered last week when Hamlin caused him to hit the wall while leading while Hamlin went on to win, was running a few laps down when he nudged Hamlin out of the way with 70 laps to go during Sunday’s race.
Larson, who won at Richmond in April, finished 19th.
“I think he was having a frustrating day,” Hamlin said. “It’s all good.”
SCORCHER
With temperatures in the mid-80s, it was about 15 degrees cooler than Saturday, when the temperature approached 100 and the heat index was at least 105.
Nevertheless, points leader Martin Truex Jr. still struggled.
“It was definitely really, really hot,” he said. “It felt longer than 400 laps. I’ll be honest, when we got to the end of stage two —– I thought there was no way. I thought that was the checkered flag. It just felt really, really long.”
Truex finished seventh.
CLEAN RACE
All 36 cars that started the race were still running at the end.
UP NEXT
The series moves to Michigan where Kevin Harvick, winless so far in this his final season, is the defending champion.
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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-chris-buescher-wins-at-richmond-and-secures-spot-in-nascar-playoffs/ | 2023-07-31T06:59:03 | 1 | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-chris-buescher-wins-at-richmond-and-secures-spot-in-nascar-playoffs/ |
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Dalvin Cook got an up-close view of Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets while watching practice from the sideline Sunday.
The free agent running back has to see if he’ll spend the rest of training camp in their backfield — or elsewhere.
Cook spent Sunday meeting with the Jets as he ponders the next stop of his playing career. The four-time Pro Bowl selection was released by the Vikings on June 8 for salary cap savings, according to a person familiar with Minnesota’s decision.
The Jets are the first team Cook has officially visited as a free agent, with his hometown Miami Dolphins also among possible suitors. New York also must consider whether to make him an offer before he leaves the team’s practice facility.
Cook, who turns 28 on Aug. 10, was greeted by chants of “Dal-vin Cooook! Sign that contract!” from fans in the stands as he walked onto the field. He later responded to the post on X, formerly known as Twitter, with a green heart emoji.
Several Jets players, including Rodgers, greeted Cook and he spent a few moments chatting with owner Woody Johnson.
“He’s a good young man, a very good young man,” Jets coach Robert Saleh said. “We didn’t interact too much. There’s a lot of stuff going on, especially when it’s open to the public. But it was good to say hello.”
Cook has talked up the Jets in TV interviews in recent days, telling NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” on Friday they “are right at the top of the list” and the odds of him signing with them were “pretty high.”
“It’s a unique situation because I think they’re building something special over there,” Cook told “Good Morning Football” during the interview. “When you look at it, you always want to be around a great QB, you always want to be around somebody you can pick his brain and just learn from. A-Rod is a four-time MVP. So, just being around a guy like that you can learn a lot more and just develop as a player.
“That’s what I’m looking to do.”
He reiterated those comments Saturday during an interview with ESPN, saying he thinks “the coaching staff, I think everything about what they got going on, just says winning.”
But Cook, a former Florida State star, also said in the interview he was interested in the Dolphins and it would be “a Cinderella story” to play for his hometown team.
He was the guest of the Jets on Sunday, though. And now they have to wait to see if they offer Cook a deal and he accepts — or explores his options.
Both sides have expressed interest, and the Jets wanted Cook to take a physical to be sure his surgically repaired shoulder is healthy.
“That’s pretty much it,” Saleh said. “Call it a meet and greet.”
Cook, who has run for at least 1,000 yards in each of the past four seasons, was scheduled to count more than $14.1 million against the Vikings’ salary cap before he was released. He’s third on Minnesota’s career rushing list with 5,993 yards in six seasons.
With the Jets, Cook could give New York some insurance in the backfield with Breece Hall working his way back from a knee injury that cut short a promising rookie season. New York also has Michael Carter, Zonovan Knight, Damarea Crockett, fifth-round draft pick Israel Abanikanda and undrafted free agent Travis Dye at the position.
NOTES: Saleh said WR Garrett Wilson has a lower right ankle injury and the Jets are being cautious by holding him out of practice. Wilson appeared to have a slight limp and his right ankle was wrapped. … WR Corey Davis remains out with an illness, but Saleh said he could return to practice Monday. … WR Randall Cobb was activated from the physically unable to perform list and participated in practice. … Saleh said the starters aren’t expected to play Thursday night in the Hall of Fame game against Cleveland in Canton, Ohio. Among those players who will play include QB Zach Wilson and OT Mekhi Becton.
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AP Pro Football Writers Dave Campbell and Rob Maaddi contributed.
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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Frank Clark has reunited with Russell Wilson in Denver and now the outside linebacker has former teammate Patrick Mahomes in his sights instead.
The 30-year-old outside linebacker signed with Denver after being jettisoned by the Kansas City Chiefs in a cost-cutting move this offseason and the Broncos are counting on him to add some oomph to their pass rush.
Still in the AFC West, Clark gets two opportunities at beating his former team this season, something the Broncos haven’t done since 2015. Their 15-game skid against the Chiefs is the fourth longest by one team to a single opponent in NFL history.
Unlike his reunion with Wilson, revenge and rivalry aren’t top of mind for Clark as he embraces his fresh start in the Rocky Mountains.
“I wouldn’t call it a rivalry. A rivalry is competitive,” Clark interjected in his first public comments since signing a one-year, $5.5 million deal with Denver last month. “I’m (with) the Broncos now. I’ve been on the other side. We didn’t call it a rivalry then.”
And before anyone around Denver can call it that the Broncos will have to beat Mahomes, something they have a better shot at doing with Clark on their side.
The Chiefs parted ways with Clark just a year after signing him to a two-year, $30 million extension. The Broncos haven’t had a fearsome pass rush since trading Von Miller two years ago. And with Baron Browning sidelined by a knee injury and Randy Gregory coming off an injury-filled debut season in Denver, first-year head coach Sean Payton eagerly welcomed the veteran with 58 1/2 sacks.
Clark had 23 1/2 sacks in four seasons in Kansas City and another 10 1/2 in the playoffs, helping the Chiefs go 10-2 in the postseason and make three trips to the Super Bowl.
“What we did in Kansas City was special,” Clark said. “Four-year run, two Super Bowl (rings), three AFC titles. It was fun, but at the end of the day all good things come to an end.”
Bad things, too, he hopes. Such as Denver’s 15-game skid to the Chiefs.
One thing Clark insists isn’t nearing the finish line in his proclivity for getting after the passer even though his five sacks in 2022 and two-game suspension for gun possession incidents a year earlier meant an end to his three-year run as a Pro Bowler.
“I wouldn’t say it was the end” in Kansas City last season, Clark said. “It’s never the end when you get the job finished.”
Now he aims to help the Broncos and Wilson bounce back in 2023.
“He’s still dangerous. Don’t get it twisted,” Clark said of Wilson, whom he played with in Seattle from 2015-18. “Russ is a veteran. He’s a guy that’s won on multiple levels. … I was a part of Seahawks teams that were successful; I was a part of teams where we didn’t make the playoffs. But it was the same Russ.
“So don’t think a bad season’s going to shake a guy like Russ,” Clark added. “Naw, bro, we start fresh every year. Every summer’s a fresh start.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-ex-chiefs-linebacker-frank-clark-reunites-with-russell-wilson-in-denver/ | 2023-07-31T06:59:17 | 0 | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-ex-chiefs-linebacker-frank-clark-reunites-with-russell-wilson-in-denver/ |
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers is sticking by his offensive coordinator and firing his hardest throw of the summer at Sean Payton.
The Jets quarterback was bothered by critical comments Payton, the Denver Broncos’ head coach, recently made about offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. Payton told USA Today for a story published Thursday that Hackett’s 15-game stint with the Broncos last season ”was one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL.″
Payton also said there were “20 dirty hands” around Russell Wilson’s career-worst season, and took some shots at the Jets — Hackett’s new team where he and Rodgers are reunited after enjoying success together in Green Bay.
“It made me feel bad that someone who has accomplished a lot in the league is that insecure that they have to take another man down to set themselves up for some sort of easy fall if it doesn’t go well for that team this year,” Rodgers told NFL Network on Sunday. “I think it was way out of line, inappropriate, and I think he needs to keep my coaches’ names out of his mouth.”
Rodgers, acquired by New York in April from Green Bay, said Hackett is “arguably my favorite coach I’ve ever had in the NFL.” The pair was together for two of Rodgers’ four NFL MVP awards in 2020 and 2021 with the Packers.
During the interview with USA Today’s Jarrett Bell, Payton also criticized the Jets being the latest NFL team “trying to win the offseason” — something he said the Broncos under Hackett tried to do and were “embarrassed.”
Jets coach Robert Saleh said Thursday “Hackett’s doing a phenomenal job here” when asked about Payton’s comments. He also said the Jets are just focused on themselves, but recognizes “there’s a lot of people that are hatin’ on us and a lot of people looking for us to fail.”
Payton on Friday said he regretted his comments in which he disparaged Hackett, and said he would reach out to Hackett and Saleh “at the right time” to do so.
“Listen, I had one of those moments where I still had my Fox hat on and not my coaching hat,” said Payton, who’s returning to the sideline this season after a year’s sabbatical during which he worked as a studio football analyst for Fox Sports following a 15-year stint with the New Orleans Saints.
Rodgers told NFL Network he thought Payton’s initial comments “were very surprising, for a coach to do that to another coach.”
Meanwhile, the back-and-forth made the Jets’ matchup in Denver in Week 5 on Oct. 8 a bit juicier. Payton acknowledged Friday his comments “certainly will bring more interest to the game when we play them, but that seems like years from now.”
___
AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Stapleton in Englewood, Colorado, contributed.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-jets-aaron-rodgers-defends-nathaniel-hackett-and-fires-back-at-the-broncos-sean-payton/ | 2023-07-31T06:59:24 | 0 | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-jets-aaron-rodgers-defends-nathaniel-hackett-and-fires-back-at-the-broncos-sean-payton/ |
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — Megan Rapinoe is adjusting to her new role at the Women’s World Cup, even if it means she’s not on the field as much as she’d like to be.
The outspoken 38-year-old known for her eclectic hair colors and the iconic victory pose she struck at the 2019 World Cup is the oldest player on the team. She already announced that her fourth World Cup would be her last.
“Ultimately, we’re at the World Cup. This is where everybody wants to be, whether you’re playing 90 minutes, whether you’re a game changer, whatever,” she said Sunday. “I think it’s a lot similar to what I thought it would be — bringing all the experience that I can, all the experience that I have, and ultimately being ready whenever my number is called up.”
Rapinoe has played limited minutes so far, coming in as a substitute in the 3-0 victory over Vietnam in the tournament opener, which was her 200th career appearance for the team.
She was available but didn’t play in the disappointing 1-1 draw with the Netherlands on Thursday in Wellington. U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski made just one substitution in the match, bringing in midfielder Rose Lavelle after the first half.
“I think all of us on the bench, it’s like we think we should be on the field as much as the players on the field believe that they should be on the field,” Rapinoe said. “Every player on the field that starts the game thinks that they should play 90 minutes, and every player who doesn’t, who is a sub, thinks that they should be on at some point.”
The United States has won the last two World Cups, but the players find themselves in a more precarious position as they chase an unprecedented third consecutive title. The Americans need at least a draw going into the final group match against Portugal on Tuesday at Eden Park in Auckland.
The Americans top Group E, even on points with the Netherlands, but hold the edge because of goal difference. Portugal, which beat Vietnam, could send the United States home early with a win over the Americans.
“We’re unsatisfied with the way we played, but we know there are areas that we can be better and I think there’s some really simple fixes we can do to put ourselves in a better position to have more joy on the ball, especially in the final third,” Rapinoe said. “I think everybody’s looking at this like `Let’s go.’”
At the 2019 World Cup in France, Rapinoe scored six goals over the course of the tournament, including a penalty in a 2-0 victory over the Netherlands in the final. She also finished with three assists and claimed both the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball for the best overall player.
Rapinoe, who is engaged to former WNBA star Sue Bird, has been a leader on and off the field.
She made headlines during the 2019 tournament when she said she wouldn’t visit the White House if the United States won. Her decision was based on her disdain for then-President Donald Trump, and the team did not go to the White House after winning its second World Cup.
And in the midst of a dispute with U.S. Soccer over equal pay with the men’s national team, Rapinoe helped the women hold firm on their position.
“I just think back to 2019 in particular. We didn’t really talk about it a lot as a group but we were like, `Well, we have to win. This is kind of like a must-win World Cup for us.’ And I think it did give us confidence,” she said. “It pressured us, but I think we also knew that we could handle it and it was almost a mandatory upping of our level to be able to match everything that we were saying off the field. I think in so many ways we were betting on ourselves.”
Rapinoe has won two Women’s World Cup titles and an Olympic gold medal with the United States. She also took home the Ballon d’Or and the Best FIFA Women’s Player awards — the game’s top individual honors — for her play in 2019.
As a fierce advocate for social justice issues, including gender equity and LGBTQ rights, she was awarded the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, by President Joe Biden last year.
The team also won a new contract that pays the players the same as their male counterparts.
“I’ve always tried to use whatever platform we have, and this platform was built long before I got here. We just continue to add to to it, to grow the game, to make the world a better place, to use our voices, to advocate for more,” she said.
At this World Cup, she’s passing that legacy on to younger generation. Fourteen of the U.S. players are playing in their first World Cup. In 2019, Carli Lloyd was in a similar role of a player who was also something of a coach who led by example.
Rapinoe is doing that now.
“Still every day in training I’m like, `I’m gonna try to bust your ass,’ and that makes them better, that makes me better,” she said. “That makes the whole team better. So I think it’s been really rewarding. And I think ultimately, and I think that this gets lost, but I get to play in another World Cup.”
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AP Women’s World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-megan-rapinoe-adjusts-to-new-role-at-womens-world-cup-while-still-savoring-final-days-in-spotlight/ | 2023-07-31T06:59:31 | 0 | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-megan-rapinoe-adjusts-to-new-role-at-womens-world-cup-while-still-savoring-final-days-in-spotlight/ |
DUNEDIN, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand outshot Switzerland and even moved goalkeeper Victoria Esson into an attack position several times, but failed to break a 0-0 tie Sunday in the Women’s World Cup and became the first host nation to be eliminated in group play in tournament history.
The Football Ferns are co-hosting the World Cup with Australia, which must win Monday against Canada to avoid its own early elimination.
Switzerland advanced to the round of 16. The Swiss also played to a scoreless draw against Norway, but won the group with the draw against New Zealand, coupled with the Norwegians’ simultaneous 6-0 rout of the Philippines.
New Zealand controlled the pace for long stretches of the match and had its chances to score, outshooting Switzerland 12-3. Jacqui Hand knocked a shot off the right post in the 24th minute.
All 25,947 seats at Forsyth Barr Stadiums were filled — the only one of Dunedin’s six tournament matches to sell out. The raucous crowd stomped and cheered all night, to no avail.
The tournament began July 20 with New Zealand upsetting Norway 1-0, but the Ferns failed to score from the 48th minute of that match through two more games. They lost their previous match 1-0 against the Philippines.
KEY MOMENTS
Esson moved into an offensive position several times in the last minutes of the match as New Zealand pressed for a winner. She managed a header off a corner kick but was off target.
WHY IT MATTERS
Switzerland becomes one of two teams from Group A to advance to the round of 16. It’s only the team’s second time in the knockout round — the first was in the Swiss’ only previous Women’s World Cup in 2015.
The New Zealanders’ failure to score put an end to their Women’s World Cup run.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
“Just gutted, I think. Obviously we talked and we were proud of ourselves and what we’ve been able to accomplish, but at the end of the day we wanted to get out of this group stage and we just didn’t. It’s just black and white. So, obviously gutted,” said New Zealand midfielder Malia Steinmetz of the elimination.
“We expected it to be really tough. New Zealand really tried everything they could, and I think we knew how to respond, especially defensively. We did a lot right,” said Inka Grings, Switzerland’s coach.
WHAT’S NEXT
Switzerland will play either Spain or Japan from Group C, pending a match between those teams on Monday to decide the top two places in that group.
New Zealand is done for the Women’s World Cup.
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Ellen McIntyre is a student in the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State.
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AP Women’s World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-new-zealand-out-of-womens-world-cup-following-0-0-draw-with-switzerland-as-swiss-advance/ | 2023-07-31T06:59:38 | 0 | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-new-zealand-out-of-womens-world-cup-following-0-0-draw-with-switzerland-as-swiss-advance/ |
HOUSTON (AP) — Quarterback C.J. Stroud, taken second overall in this year’s draft, isn’t worried that the Panthers picked No. 1 selection Bryce Young as their starter on Day 1 of training camp while the Houston Texans are making him compete for the job.
“I’m happy for him, but his situation is his situation, and my situation is mine,” Stroud said Sunday. “So, I know that I’ve got to work on my end and do whatever I’ve got to do to make this team better. It’s not about the starter (or) who’s not the starter, it’s about getting better for Week 1 against Baltimore.”
Stroud is vying with Davis Mills to be the team’s quarterback. The Texans have split first-team snaps between the two in the first few days of camp.
Houston drafted Stroud after Mills struggled as the team’s starter for the past two years after Deshaun Watson sat out following a trade request before being shipped to Cleveland before last season.
Mills went 5-22-1 in 28 games, including 26 starts, as the Texans were among the NFL’s worst teams.
Stroud is just the third quarterback the Texans have drafted in the first round, joining Watson, taken 12th in 2017 and David Carr, the team’s first draft pick who was taken first overall in 2002.
After using such a high pick on Stroud it’s hard to imagine that he won’t end up as the team’s starter. But for now, new coach DeMeco Ryans is adamant that it’s an open competition between the former Ohio State star and Mills.
While Ryans won’t answer questions about what Stroud will have to do to win the job, he’s had plenty to say about the dedication the 21-year-old has shown since joining the team.
“What you see about C.J. is the work and preparation that he does when he’s not here,” Ryans said. “He’s a true football junkie. He loves football, always watching football, always asking for extra cut-ups from our coaches. I’m so impressed with the mental part of him and just how much he loves the game of football. When a guy has that much love for the game of football, he’s (only) going to continue to get better.”
Stroud was a two-year starter for Ohio State, where he threw for 8,123 yards with 85 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions as the Buckeyes went 21-4. His 85 touchdowns over two seasons broke a Big Ten record held by Drew Brees.
Despite competing with Mills for the job, the rookie said that he and fellow quarterback Case Keenum have both helped him a lot as he’s made the jump from college to the pros.
“I’ve learned everything from Davis,” Stroud said. “Davis and Case are great vets. And just because we may be competing against each other, doesn’t mean that we’re not going to learn from each other. I’ve had a really great time being in the room with those guys.”
Stroud certainly knows what’s at stake for him in this camp, but he’s trying not to let the competition change how he approaches his job day to day.
“I feel like when you try to have a different mindset you confuse yourself,” he said. “So, for me, I just try to keep my head down and I work — just try to work harder and harder every day. Just trying to … be the best person I can be on and off the field.”
As Stroud prepares for his first NFL season, he certainly has plenty of goals. However, his approach to goals has never been to list only lofty, far down the road ones.
“I have goals written down,” he said. “I did it in college and I’ll do it now. But I have a lot of things that I put down, like really small goals. I think the more you can accomplish small goals in your life, the big ones can come kind of natural. And they come as you get the small ones checked off.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-no-2-pick-stroud-competes-with-mills-for-starting-qb-job-with-houston-texans/ | 2023-07-31T06:59:45 | 0 | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-no-2-pick-stroud-competes-with-mills-for-starting-qb-job-with-houston-texans/ |
17-year-old American cyclist killed while training for mountain bike world championships
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Seventeen-year-old American cyclist Magnus White, who was scheduled to race at the upcoming world championships in Scotland, was killed Saturday when he was struck by a vehicle on a training ride near his home in Boulder, Colorado.
USA Cycling announced his death in a statement Sunday.
White was a rising multidisciplinary star, winning a junior national championship in cyclocross in 2021 and earning a place on the U.S. national team. He competed with the team in Europe ahead of last year’s cyclocross world championships, and he was picked to represent the U.S. again at this year’s cyclocross worlds in the Netherlands.
White began to dabble in road cycling and mountain biking this season. He was on one of his final training rides before the junior world mountain bike championships in Glasgow, Scotland, when the accident occurred.
He is survived by his parents, Michael and Jill, and his brother, Eero.
“He was a rising star in the off-road cycling scene and his passion for cycling was evident through his racing and camaraderie with his teammates and local community,” USA Cycling said in a statement. “We offer our heartfelt condolences to the White family, his teammates, friends, and the Boulder community during this incredibly difficult time.”
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AP coverage of the Paris Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbtv.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ | 2023-07-31T06:59:51 | 1 | https://www.wbtv.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ |
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — Sophie Roman Haug’s hat trick kick-started Norway’s dormant offense and sparked a 6-0 blowout win over the Philippines on Sunday that moved the Norwegians into to the knockout stage of the Women’s World Cup.
The Philippines’ debut run in the tournament came to an end as Norway scored early and often, netting three goals in the first 31 minutes.
Norway’s spot in the round of 16 was secured when Switzerland and New Zealand simultaneously played to a 0-0 draw and the Norwegians. Norway and New Zealand were tied in Group A but Norway advanced on goal differential. New Zealand became the first host country to be eliminated in the group stage in tournament history.
Before the game, Norway had not scored in three consecutive Women’s World Cup matches dating to the quarterfinals of the 2019 tournament.
But Roman Haug one-timed a ball into the net in the sixth minute, and scored again 11 minutes later. Caroline Graham Hansen added a long-distance shot in the 31st minute.
Roman Haug completed the hat trick in injury time.
In the second half, an Alicia Barker own goal in the 48th minute and Guro Reiten’s penalty kick in the 53rd minute extended Norway’s lead to 5-0. Filipina defender Sofia Harrison received a red card in the 67th minute for using excessive force, and the Philippines played the rest of the match a player down.
Eden Park was turned into a makeshift home match for the Philippines, as the Filipina fans screamed in unison any time the Philippines touched the ball, even as the deficit grew.
The Philippines were fresh off of a historic 1-0 win over co-host New Zealand that marked the first Women’s World Cup win for the debutantes.
KEY MOMENTS
Roman Haug got the Norwegians off to a hot start. The first of her two goals was a left-footed volley from inside the six-yard box in the sixth minute. Eleven minutes later, Roman Haug scored a header delivered by a Vilde Boe Risa cross. Roman Haug’s header flew over the reach of Philippines goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel.
Graham Hansen scored on a long-distance strike that curled into the bottom left corner in the 31st minute to give Norway its third goal of the half.
From that point on, Norway was in control.
WHY IT MATTERS
The win advances Norway to the knockout stage after the Norwegians found themselves in last place in Group A heading into the Philippines match.
The Norwegians had yet to score in 2023 before their six-goal eruption.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
“They showed some of their class today with their skill. They picked us apart and won a couple of battles in the air in the box early. We really released the pressure early and allowed them to, sort of, be a little more creative as the game went on,” Philippines head coach Alen Stajcic said.
“We’ve been talking quite a bit about having the first goal, then it will give us energy. We know in our attack, we are strong and have good combination play both on the right side and left side. Today was the day that, when we had the first one, we knew there could be more,” Norway head coach Hege Riise said.
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WHAT’S NEXT
Norway will play either Japan or Spain in the round of 16 next Saturday, depending on the results of a game between those Group C teams on Monday.
The inaugural tournament run ends for the Philippines, who needed at least a draw to have a chance of moving on.
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Zach Allen is a student in the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State.
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AP Women’s World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-norway-moves-into-the-knockout-round-at-womens-world-cup-with-6-0-rout-over-the-philippines/ | 2023-07-31T06:59:51 | 1 | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-norway-moves-into-the-knockout-round-at-womens-world-cup-with-6-0-rout-over-the-philippines/ |
Mar-a-Lago worker charged in Trump’s classified documents case to make first court appearance
MIAMI (AP) — An employee of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, Carlos De Oliveira, is expected to make his first court appearance Monday on charges accusing him of scheming with the former president to hide security footage from investigators probing Trump’s hoarding of classified documents.
De Oliveira, Mar-a-Lago’s property manager, was added last week to the indictment with Trump and the former president’s valet, Walt Nauta, in the federal case alleging a plot to illegally keep top-secret records at Trump’s Florida estate and thwart government efforts to retrieve them.
De Oliveira faces charges including conspiracy to obstruct justice and lying to investigators. He’s scheduled to appear before a magistrate judge in Miami nearly two months after Trump pleaded not guilty in the case brought by special counsel Jack Smith.
The developments in the classified documents case come as Trump braces for possible charges in another federal investigation into his efforts to cling to power after he lost the 2020 election. Trump has received a letter from Smith indicating that he is a target of that investigation, and Trump’s lawyers met with Smith’s team last week.
An attorney for De Oliveira declined last week to comment on the allegations. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and said the Mar-a-Lago security tapes were voluntarily handed over to investigators. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform last week that he was told the tapes were not “deleted in any way, shape or form.”
Prosecutors have not alleged that security footage was actually deleted or kept from investigators.
Nauta has also pleaded not guilty. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon had previously scheduled the trial of Trump and Nauta to begin in May, and it’s unclear whether the addition of De Oliveira to the case may impact the case’s timeline.
The latest indictment, unsealed on Thursday, alleges that Trump tried to have security footage deleted after investigators visited in June 2022 to collect classified documents Trump took with him after he left the White House.
Trump was already facing dozens of felony counts — including willful retention of notional defense information — stemming from allegations that he mishandled government secrets that as commander-in-chief he was entrusted to protect. Experts have said the new allegations bolster the special counsel’s case and deepen the former president’s legal jeopardy.
Video from Mar-a-Lago would ultimately become vital to the government’s case because, prosecutors said, it shows Nauta moving boxes in and out of a storage room — an act alleged to have been done at Trump’s direction and in effort to hide records not only only from investigators but Trump’s own lawyers.
Days after the Justice Department sent a subpoena for video footage at Mar-a-Lago to the Trump Organization in June 2022, prosecutors say De Oliveira asked a information technology staffer how long the server retained footage and told the employee “the boss” wanted it deleted. When the employee said he didn’t believe he was able to do that, De Oliveira insisted the “boss” wanted it done, asking, “What are we going to do?”
Shortly after the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago and found classified records in the storage room and Trump’s office, prosecutors say Nauta called a Trump employee and said words to the effect of, “someone just wants to make sure Carlos is good.” The indictment says the employee responded that De Oliveira was loyal and wouldn’t do anything to affect his relationship with Trump. That same day, the indictment alleges, Trump called De Oliveira directly to say that he would get De Oliveira an attorney.
Prosecutors allege that De Oliveira later lied in interviews with investigators, falsely claiming that he hadn’t even seen boxes moved into Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House.
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Richer reported from Boston.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbtv.com/2023/07/31/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-make-first-court-appearance/ | 2023-07-31T06:59:57 | 1 | https://www.wbtv.com/2023/07/31/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-make-first-court-appearance/ |
ATLANTA (AP) — Matt Olson says it’s no mystery why he’s leading the majors in RBIs.
In Atlanta’s powerful lineup, Olson is often hitting with runners on base.
Olson drove in five runs with two homers, including a two-run shot in the eighth, and the Braves beat the Milwaukee Brewers 8-6 on Sunday to cap their sweep of the high-scoring series.
Olson has 35 homers, tops in the NL, and 88 RBIs. The Braves scored 29 runs in the three-game sweep in the matchup of NL contenders.
“There’s always dudes on base,” Olson said. “I feel like I’m rarely taking at-bats with the bases empty.”
The only player in the majors with more homers than Olson is Shohei Ohtani, with 39. Ohtani will bring the Los Angeles Angels into Atlanta for a series beginning Monday night.
With the sweep, the Braves won five of six against the Brewers in the last two weeks, including two of three in Milwaukee on July 21-23.
“You know you’re probably not shutting them out,” said Brewers left fielder Christian Yelich, who homered and drove in two runs.
Yelich said a “back-and-forth game” is likely against Atlanta. Sure enough, the Brewers lost despite holding leads of 1-0, 3-2 and 6-5.
“To keep roaring back, it’s a testament to how tough these guys are,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.
Atlanta (67-36) leads the NL East by 11 1/2 games over Miami. Milwaukee’s loss coupled with Cincinnati’s win at the Dodgers dropped the Brewers (57-49) into second in the NL Central.
Orlando Arcia led off the eighth with a double to left against Milwaukee’s Joel Payamps (4-2). With one out, Olson’s tiebreaking 35th homer landed in the Atlanta bullpen in right-center.
Payamps entered with a string of 17 consecutive scoreless appearances. He had allowed just seven hits in his last 18 innings.
Kirby Yates (5-0) pitched a scoreless eighth for the win. Raisel Iglesias earned his 20th save by striking out the side in the ninth.
Olson’s three-run homer lifted the Braves to a 5-3 lead in the third. He drove in Ronald Acuña Jr., who singled and stole second, and Austin Riley, who walked.
Collin McHugh blew the 5-3 lead by giving up three runs in the sixth. William Contreras doubled in two runs for Milwaukee.
Atlanta’s Marcell Ozuna tied the game at 6 with his homer off Hoby Milner.
Riley continued his power surge for Atlanta by hitting his eighth homer in the last 11 games in the first, giving him 24 on the year. The two-run shot off Colin Rea carried 463 feet to left-center.
Rea allowed five runs in five innings.
Carlos Santana, acquired from Pittsburgh on Saturday, hit his first homer with the Brewers in the third. The liner over the right-field wall gave Milwaukee a 3-2 lead. Yelich led off the third with his 16th homer.
TRADE
Atlanta added veteran infielder Nicky Lopez in a trade with the Kansas City Royals. The Braves sent left-hander Taylor Hearn to Kansas City for the 28-year-old Lopez, who can play shortstop, second base and third.
ROOKIE RETURNS
Atlanta rookie AJ Smith-Shawver, recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett before the game, allowed three runs and four hits in five innings.
“He’s got a great way about him,” Snitker said of the 20-year-old right-hander. “There’s no panic in him. … There’s tremendous upside for him as he figures things out.”
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Thanks to Riley’s homer, the Braves have scored 109 first-inning runs, the most in the majors by any team in any inning. The Texas Rangers’ 90 fourth-inning runs are second on the list.
“We come in ready to swing and ready to do damage,” Ozuna said.
TRAINING ROOM
Brewers: LHP Wade Miley (left elbow) will come off the 15-day injured list to start Wednesday night at Washington. … RHP Brandon Woodruff (right shoulder) will pitch for Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday. … RHP Julio Teheran (right hip impingement) was placed on the 15-day IL. RHP Peter Strzelecki was recalled from Nashville.
UP NEXT
Brewers: RHP Corbin Burnes (9-6, 3.46 ERA) is scheduled to pitch Monday night’s opener of a three-game series at Washington against RHP Jake Irvin (3-5, 4.96 ERA).
Braves: Atlanta opens an interleague series against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night. Braves RHP Charlie Morton (10-8, 3.57 ERA) faces RHP Griffin Canning (6-4, 4.46 ERA). Morton is 4-1 with a 3.83 ERA in 10 career starts against the Angels.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP–Sports | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-olson-drives-in-5-with-2-hrs-including-go-ahead-shot-as-braves-sweep-brewers-8-6/ | 2023-07-31T06:59:58 | 1 | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-olson-drives-in-5-with-2-hrs-including-go-ahead-shot-as-braves-sweep-brewers-8-6/ |
SHENZHEN, China, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2023 ASEAN-China Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation (Qianhai) Forum was held in Qianhai, Shenzhen from July 29 to 30. More than 500 political and business representatives from ASEAN countries and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area attended the opening ceremony and related events. Six enterprises under the chambers of commerce from the Greater Bay Area reached investment and cooperation agreements with ASEAN, with the intended investment signed amounting to 3.5 billion yuan, bringing about a bilateral trade volume of 7 billion yuan.
China and ASEAN are already each other's largest trading partners. On November 22, 2021, the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and ASEAN was officially announced to build a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.
At the opening ceremony of the Forum, the Greater Bay Area-ASEAN Association of Chambers of Commerce and the ASEAN-China Think Tank Cooperation Partnership were established, and the ASEAN-Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation Initiative was announced. The Initiative proposed to establish a dialogue platform for economic cooperation, strengthen industrial and investment cooperation, promote cooperation in scientific and technological innovation and transformation of technological achievements, strengthen exchange and cooperation between the business associations in the region, and encourage talent and cultural exchanges between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN.
Shi Zhongjun, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre, said in his welcome remark that government officials, business associations, think tanks, and enterprise representatives from China and ASEAN member states had gathered in Qianhai and would have in-depth exchanges and discussions in a number of forums and industry matching activities in two days so as to offer advice and suggestions on promoting the cooperation and development between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN countries in the fields of finance, e-commerce, digital economy, science and technological innovation, etc.
Wang Shourui, Vice Mayor of Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, said that this Forum would help build a broader and more efficient platform for economic cooperation and exchanges between ASEAN and the Greater Bay Area and further strengthen dialogues and cooperation in fields such as scientific and technological innovation, economic and trade investment, etc. Shenzhen would fully play its role as the important link between China and ASEAN, seize the opportunity brought by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), deepen the comprehensive cooperation with ASEAN countries in business, trade, finance, smart city, new energy vehicles, and other areas, and promote economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people connectivity between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN so as to jointly build and share a prosperous home.
Ambassadors and government representatives from Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, Indonesia, Myanmar, and the Philippines delivered keynote speeches. Speeches by the representatives from the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia, Philippine Association for Chinese Studies, and GRC Indonesia Construction Materials Group affirmed that Qianhai, where the Forum was held, would provide a broad market and unlimited opportunities for enterprises. They all looked forward to coming to the Greater Bay Area and Qianhai to invest, develop, and win a better future together.
Qianhai will make full use of the opportunities brought by organizing this Forum, spare no efforts to build a gateway hub for opening up to the world, actively build platforms for economic cooperation and dialogues, deepen industrial and investment cooperation, promote the transformation of technological achievements, and contribute to the economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people connectivity between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN.
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SOURCE The 2023 ASEAN-China Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation (Qianhai) Forum | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ | 2023-07-31T06:59:58 | 1 | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ |
LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Flutter Entertainment plc ("Flutter") (London Stock Exchange/Euronext Dublin: FLTR) and Fox Corporation ("FOX") (Nasdaq: FOX, FOXA), announce today the decision to close sports betting platform FOX Bet. A phased closure of FOX Bet's operations will take place between July 31 and August 31, 2023.
Flutter operated FOX Bet as part of The Stars Group US ("TSG US") along with the US facing operations of PokerStars. Flutter will retain ownership of PokerStars, in addition to US sports betting market leader FanDuel. FOX will retain future use of the FOX and FOX Bet brands, including FOX Bet Super 6, and intends to launch an all-new FOX Super 6 game later this summer.
FOX will continue to hold its option to acquire 18.6% of FanDuel and in addition holds a 2.5% stake in Flutter.
Notes to Editors
About FOX Bet: FOX Bet, a sports betting platform available in Colorado, Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, was launched in 2019 by FOX and TSG. TSG was acquired and operated by Flutter as of May 2020.
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SOURCE Fox Corporation | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/flutter-entertainment-plc-fox-corporation-announce-close-fox-bet/ | 2023-07-31T06:59:59 | 1 | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/flutter-entertainment-plc-fox-corporation-announce-close-fox-bet/ |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sparked by the young guy and the old man, the Cincinnati Reds took over sole possession of first place in the NL Central.
Elly De La Cruz, the 21-year-old sensation, and Joey Votto, who turns 40 in September, helped the Reds rout the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-0 on Sunday. They won home and road series against the NL West-leading Dodgers this season.
“It’s big-time for us,” winning pitcher Graham Ashcraft said. “It keeps us going and gives us that edge to keep fighting.”
De La Cruz hit a two-run homer and went 4 for 5 in his third game of the season with four hits. He also scored twice as the Reds rapped out 14 hits in handing the Dodgers their worst loss since a 15-0 defeat to San Francisco on June 17.
De La Cruz broke out of the struggles he’s had since the All-Star break, while Votto shook off his offensive funk with a two-run shot. Votto went 2 for 5 with three RBIs.
“He knows how to come out of those slumps. He gives us ideas and tips on how we can get out of there too,” De La Cruz said. “He helps me and if there’s something I can help him out with, I’ll tell him, too.”
Votto respects the equanimity shown by his much younger teammates.
“During the rough spells, these guys have been the exact same people every day,” he said. “It’s a very young team. The energy is consistent. That’s the really charming part about it. Every single day from spring training, the optimism has been there.”
Ashcraft (6-7) scattered five hits over six innings and struck out two.
The Dodgers hit into three double plays on Friday and three more Sunday. They managed just two hits in a 3-2 loss Saturday. They didn’t get a runner past second base over the final five innings in the finale.
Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas made his first career pitching appearance in the ninth. He nearly hit Votto before the designated hitter answered with an RBI double that made it 9-0. Rojas then hit Christian Encarnacion-Strand.
Dodgers starter Michael Grove (2-3) got hit hard over the first three innings. Three pitches into the game, the Reds led 1-0 on TJ Friedl’s RBI double. Friedl scored on a throwing error by center fielder James Outman, and Matt McLain hustled home on Spencer Steer’s groundout to third.
“Too many pitches to hit with guys on base. I got to shore that up,” Grove said. “My attack plan wasn’t great early and I just got put on defense to start with and had to adjust. I got punished cause I was leaving pitches over the plate.”
De La Cruz’s solo shot traveled 411 feet into the right-field pavilion with two outs in the second. It was De La Cruz’s seventh homer.
McLain hit his 11th homer into the Dodgers bullpen in left leading off the third. Votto’s 418-foot shot into the Reds bullpen in right field scored Jake Fraley, who singled, and extended the lead to 7-0.
Votto was robbed of a potential second homer on Outman’s leaping catch at the top of the wall in right-center in the fifth.
The Reds led 8-0 on Friedl’s RBI double with two outs in the sixth.
Grove gave up eight runs and 10 hits in six innings. The rookie right-hander struck out a career-best 10 and walked one on a career-high 96 pitches.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Reds: INF Jonathan India went on the IL with left heel pain.
Dodgers: DH J.D. Martinez left after the first inning with left hamstring tightness. … C Will Smith left the game in the top of the fourth with a left elbow contusion after getting hit by a pitch. X-rays were negative. … OF Mookie Betts (right ankle soreness) was out of the lineup for the second straight day. He got hurt in the batter’s box trying to avoid a pitch on Friday, but is expected back Tuesday. … LHP Julio Urías is having his next start pushed back a couple days while he deals with a nail issue. … LHP Clayton Kershaw (shoulder) played catch.
UP NEXT
Reds: LHP Andrew Abbott (6-2, 1.90 ERA) starts Monday night in the opener of a four-game series at the Chicago Cubs.
Dodgers: RHP Lance Lynn (6-9, 6.47 ERA) makes his Dodgers debut Tuesday in an interleague series opener against Oakland.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-reds-beat-dodgers-9-0-on-homers-by-de-la-cruz-and-votto-grab-nl-central-lead-over-brewers/ | 2023-07-31T07:00:04 | 1 | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-reds-beat-dodgers-9-0-on-homers-by-de-la-cruz-and-votto-grab-nl-central-lead-over-brewers/ |
BEIJING, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 31st FISU World University Games, the first major international sports event held in China in the post-epidemic era, officially kicked off in Southwestern city Chengdu, with the cauldron ignited in the stadium on Friday evening. Analysts said the significance of this event, which symbolizes solidarity and friendship, goes beyond sports itself and will further promote exchanges and understanding between young people from different countries.
Chengdu, a fascinating tourist destination known for its historic sites, adorable pandas, hospitable locals and delicious Sichuan cuisine, now adds the grand sports event to its name card. Observers believe that the Chengdu Universiade will help bring together people in the wider international community who love peace, stability and prosperity.
After a splendid fireworks display in the countdown segment themed on sun and immortal birds from Chinese mythology, at 8 pm on Friday night, the ceremony started with an opening singing performance led by a girl from the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan. She became known to the public in February 2018 when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited her family, a poverty-stricken household in Sanhe village.
University sports delegations from countries and regions entered the stadium along the march pass paved with Sichuan brocade patterns. Spearheaded by flagbearers Hu Zhenzhuo and Guo Hanyu, the Chinese mainland delegation, consisting of over 700 people, marched on last as the host nation delegation to the warmest standing ovation.
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region sent its largest-ever delegation to the Chengdu Universiade, which received a jubilant and sustained cheer from the audience as they marched into the stadium.
Athletes from Macao Special Administrative Region and Chinese Taipei athletes also received wild and warm cheers.
Delegations from 113 countries and regions are participating in the Chengdu FISU Games, which runs from July 28 to August 8, with over 6,500 athletes competing in 18 sports. The Chinese delegation, which consists of more than 700 people, includes 411 athletes from more than 100 universities.
In order to minimize the impact of the pandemic and guarantee the participation of students, FISU raised the maximum age of participants from 25 to 27.
President of the Organizing Committee of the Chengdu Universiade Huai Jinpeng and FISU Acting President Leonz Eder delivered their speeches on the rostrum surrounded by delegation flags.
"Thank you, Chengdu!" Leonz Eder said in Chinese.
Chinese President Xi Jinping then declared the Chengdu Games open at the Dong'an Lake Sports Park Stadium to the largest cheer of the night.
Ye Guangfu, a taikonaut from China's Shenzhou-13 manned spaceflight, appeared at the opening ceremony as the main torchbearer and ignited the cauldron along with 30 other torchbearers.
Power of youth
At a banquet to welcome guests attending the World University Games opening ceremony on Friday, President Xi said that the World University Games has always been a celebration of youth, solidarity and friendship, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
Xi called on young people from around the globe to join hands to promote world peace and development, expressing hope that young people worldwide take the opportunity of the Chengdu Universiade to enhance mutual understanding and inject new impetus into human progress.
FISU Universiade, which was first held during the Cold War in 1959, not only wants young people to adopt a healthy lifestyle, but also seeks to promote young people communicating across cultural, political and religious barriers through sports, Ren Hai, a professor at the Olympic Research Center of Beijing Sports University, told the Global Times.
Through sports, young people can learn that they should not only cherish their own culture, but also respect other cultures, as the world should be diverse and inclusive, Ren said, "This coincides with the Chinese idea of 'seeking common ground while reserving differences'."
Sincerity and hospitality
Chengdu, as a cultural city with over 2,300 years of history, has long been a hub of exchanges connecting China to the rest of the world, like "a pearl on the southwestern Silk Road," President Xi said at the welcome banquet on Friday.
On Friday, Xi encouraged people to tour the city of Chengdu and experience and share firsthand the multifaceted manifestations of the Chinese modernization.
Chengdu is the third city on the Chinese mainland to host the biennial FISU Summer Games, following Beijing in 2001 and Shenzhen in 2011. It is also the first time a city in China's western region has hosted a comprehensive international sports event.
It's worth noting that out of the 49 venues of the Chengdu FISU Games, only 13 were newly constructed, and the other 36 venues are repurposed and upgraded buildings. Throughout the process, green and energy-saving measures were promoted, along with prioritizing the use of environmentally friendly building materials.
Chengdu enjoyed sunny weather on Friday, with special Panda-themed vehicles deployed on the streets.
German swimmer Henning Bennet Mühlleitner told the Global Times on Friday that what he found most impressive about the Chengdu Games was "how everything in China is focused on the physical games, although the Games have been holding back for two years due to the pandemic."
"I feel in good hands, organization-wise, not only by the German team but also by the officials… The volunteers have been very supportive and thoughtful," Mühlleitner said.
"There's no other country in the world with China's capacity and willingness to make such great efforts for a FISU Summer Games, which doesn't seem as profitable compared with other major sporting events," Wang Dazhao, a Beijing-based sports commentator, told the Global Times.
Nevertheless, according to Wang, what China hopes to gain from hosting the Games is a platform for youth to promote cultural exchanges and world unity.
Before the opening, accredited media journalists received a bilingual written script in Chinese and English from students at the local Shishi High School, introducing the cultural diversity of Chengdu that ranges from the Jinsha Site Musem to the Dujiangyan Irrigation System.
Local people have received blind-box gifts from the organizers, which include venue maps, Chinese-English catchphrase leaflets and even sports equipment ranging from skipping ropes to frisbees, Global Times learned.
The move has invigorated the local people's enthusiasm for the international sports event, as tickets for several events such as athletics, swimming and badminton have sold out.
Hosting the FISU Games also drew a huge influx of visitors this week. A source from the civil aviation authority told the Global Times that flight numbers in the previous month in Chengdu alone reached over 200,000, with the average number of daily flights at Chengdu's Shuangliu and Tianfu international airports surpassing 1,700.
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SOURCE Global Times | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ | 2023-07-31T07:00:05 | 0 | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ |
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium (AP) — Defending Formula One champion Max Verstappen enters the mid-season break in unstoppable form, after emphatically winning the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday for an eighth straight win and 10th overall of a crushingly dominant season.
Despite starting from sixth place he finished 22.3 seconds ahead of teammate Sergio Perez to give Red Bull an easy 1-2. It moved Verstappen ominously closer to a third straight world title and his own F1 record of 15 wins from last year.
Verstappen is 125 points ahead of Perez after just 12 races, and his next target is matching Sebastian Vettel’s F1 record of nine straight wins with a victory at the Dutch GP when the lopsided season resumes on Aug. 27.
“I just want to have a nice time now, have a bit of time with family and friends,” Verstappen said.
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc finished in third spot for a third podium of the season, with Lewis Hamilton in fourth for Mercedes ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.
George Russell was sixth for Mercedes, with Lando Norris (McLaren), Esteban Ocon (Alpine), Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), and Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) completing the top 10.
Leclerc started on pole ahead of Perez, with Hamilton and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. behind them. McLaren rookie Oscar Piastri was on the next row alongside Verstappen — who was fastest in Friday’s qualifying but took a five-place grid penalty for a gearbox change and had to avoid early traffic.
“It was just about surviving turn one. I could see it was all getting really tight,” Verstappen said. “I’ve been in that position before myself so I am just going to stay out of that and it worked out. From there onwards I made the right overtakes.”
Last year Verstappen won from 14th, and once he overtook Perez on Lap 17 of 44 his 45th career win was seemingly inevitable.
“Really enjoyable to drive once I got in the lead,” Verstappen said. “It was again a great race.“
Red Bull extended its record to 13 straight wins, including the final race of last season.
Hamilton came in on the penultimate lap for a tire change and the move paid off as he took the bonus point for fastest lap from Verstappen — a very minor blip for the dominant Dutchman.
It was yet another stellar weekend for Verstappen, who also won Saturday’s sprint race. The only issue was some more bickering with his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase over radio, as they continued their spat from Friday’s qualifying.
“Don’t forget Max, use your head, please,” Lambiase told Verstappen when he questioned why Perez was making his first tire change on Lap 14.
Verstappen defused any talk of tension with Lambiase.
“It’s fine. We know each other very well and we have a very good relationship,” he said. “I think it’s really important.”
With some rain forecast, Verstappen boxed on the next lap and came out about 2 seconds behind Perez. Just minutes later he cruised past Perez and, as so often this season, the rest was just about control.
Perez, meanwhile, pledged to stay on the podium for the rest of the season.
“It’s been a bit of a rough patch,” the 33-year-old Mexican said. “I really need this summer break, it’s been really intense. I’ll come back really strong for Zandvoort.”
Conditions were dry for the race start, in stark contrast to the two previous days, which were impacted by heavy rain at the 7-kilometer (4.3-mile) Spa-Francorchamps circuit.
Leclerc, who won his first F1 race here in 2019, made a solid start but Perez’s extra pace soon put him in front.
“I knew it was quite crucial for my race to get Charles on Lap 1,” Perez said.
Verstappen rose two places to fourth after Sainz bumped into Piastri on the first corner.
Piastri had to retire, while Verstappen overtook Hamilton on Lap 6, Leclerc three laps later and made short work of Perez just before some rain fell briefly.
Some good overtaking from Ocon moved the Frenchman up from 10th to eighth in the closing stages.
It was an early end for Piastri, who had impressed with a second place in Saturday’s sprint race.
A bad day for Sainz saw him retiring on Lap 25 and Leclerc moving above him in the standings.
“Of course the race was good on my side, a shame for Carlos as we had good pace,” Leclerc said. “When you look at the Red Bulls we still have a lot of work to do … This was the best we could achieve today, no doubt.”
After the F1 break there will be 10 races left, but most of the competition for places will be behind Verstappen.
Alonso is one point ahead of Hamilton in third overall, with Leclerc and Russell level and Sainz seven points behind them.
___
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-verstappen-wins-belgian-gp-to-extend-huge-f1-lead-red-bull-teammate-perez-2nd/ | 2023-07-31T07:00:10 | 1 | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-verstappen-wins-belgian-gp-to-extend-huge-f1-lead-red-bull-teammate-perez-2nd/ |
Blues and Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame Guitarist, Singer & Songwriter ELVIN BISHOP joins forces with Blues Hall of Famer and GRAMMY® Award-Winning Harmonica Master, Singer & Songwriter CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE to present their 2022 GRAMMY® Award Nominated album '100 Years of Blues'. Tickets for Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club in Portsmouth, NH on Thursday August 17 at 7:30 P.M., as well as the current list of 2023 shows, can be found on Ticketmaster.com and Jimmy's Online Event Calendar at: http://www.jimmysoncongress.com/events.
PORTSMOUTH, N.H., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club Features Legendary Blues Musicians ELVIN BISHOP and CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE on Thursday August 17 at 7:30 P.M. Blues and Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame guitarist, singer and songwriter Elvin Bishop and Blues Hall of Famer and GRAMMY® Award-Winning harmonica master, singer and songwriter Charlie Musselwhite present their 2022 GRAMMY® Award Nominated album 100 Years of Blues ("Best Traditional Blues Album"). The album also won the 2021 "Album of the Year" at the Blues Music Awards.
"This entire 12-track release is just two good-old-blues-boys sitting together and jamming. It's absolutely brilliant."
— AMERICAN BLUES SCENE ('100 Years of Blues' Album Review).
"The simple sound of these two masters in a room playing together is absolutely joyous."
— ROCK & BLUES MUSE ('100 Years of Blues' Album Review)
"Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite, both a few years shy of 80, are deserving of accolades."
— DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE ('100 Years of Blues' Album Review)
Legendary blues musicians Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite are fellow blues travelers and living blues giants. The two history-making musicians—both Blues Hall of Famers—have over 100 years of professional musicianship between them. They are among the most famous bluesmen in the world. Although they've known each other since the early 1960s, this was the first time that they ever teamed up to make an album together. 100 Years of Blues, released on Alligator Records, is blues at its deepest, warmest and most engaging.
Elvin Bishop is a Blues and Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famer, a 4x-GRAMMY® Award Nominee, and a 5x-Blues Music Award-Winner. ROLLING STONE calls Bishop "a legendary guitarist" whose playing is "impeccable and spirited…a distinguished American player".
Charlie Musselwhite is a Blues Hall of Famer, a GRAMMY® Award-Winner, a 15x-GRAMMY® Award Nominee, and a 33x-Blues Music Award-Winner. Musselwhite has had 14 blues albums Nominated for GRAMMY® Awards, including the 2023 GRAMMY® Award Nomination for his most recent album Mississippi Son. Musselwhite also has 20 Blues Music Awards for "Harmonica Player of the Year." LIVING BLUES MAGAZINE claims Musselwhite "plays magnificent harp with superb dexterity and phrasing" and the "results are amazing."
The stories of Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite—rich as they already are—are still being written, and this album is a new chapter. Their subtle, soulful musicianship and relaxed, conversational vocals fuel every song. Infused with their deep understanding of the blues tradition and the good-time spirit these two old pals stir up, 100 Years Of Blues is one of the finest, most memorable album recordings of either artist's career.
ELVIN BISHOP and CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE Tickets & Current Schedule of Shows
Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club's 2023 Schedule of Shows now includes 9 NEA Jazz Masters, 47 GRAMMY® Award-Winning Artists, 40 Blues Music Award-Winners, and a comprehensive list of talented musicians with 435+ GRAMMY® Award Nominations amongst them. Tickets for ELVIN BISHOP and CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club on Thursday August 17 at 7:30 P.M., as well as the current list of 2023 shows, can be found on Ticketmaster and Jimmy's Online Event Calendar at: http://www.jimmysoncongress.com/events.
ABOUT JIMMY'S JAZZ & BLUES CLUB
The mission of Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club is to provide guests with a one-of-a-kind, world-class experience featuring serious jazz and blues music served with exceptional cuisine. Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club features a spectacular and visually breathtaking environment engineered to deliver the highest quality acoustics while utilizing state-of-the-art production, sound and lighting technologies. Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club is located within a beautifully restored 1905 building at 135 Congress Street in the heart of historic downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire. For more information visit www.jimmysoncongress.com or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JimmysJazzBlues and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jimmysjazzblues/. Sign-up for Jimmy's Email Newsletter to stay informed on Upcoming Shows, New Artist Announcements, Promotional Offers, Ticket On-Sale Dates, Special Performances, and Jimmy's Sunday Jazz Brunch. In June 2023, Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club was given the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for its' outstanding Wine List.
PRIVATE EVENTS AT JIMMY'S
An architecturally breathtaking center of arts and culture in the heart of historic Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club offers a rare and spectacular venue to host important corporate functions, weddings, intimate or large-scale social gatherings, private parties, and memorable celebrations. The team at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club put heart and soul into creating a stunning full-service event space with new state-of-the-art production, sound and lighting technologies delivered with outstanding next-level culinary experiences. Our high-touch approach, provided by professional and experienced event staff, ensures that everything is tailored to exceed your expectations. To start a conversation about hosting your event at Jimmy's Jazz and Blues Club, please call us at 888-603-5299, or fill out Jimmy's Private Event Request Form.
JOIN THE TEAM AT THE LABRIE GROUP FAMILY OF RESTAURANTS
Motivated by a commitment to culinary and hospitality excellence, founders Michael and Peter Labrie and their leadership team understand it is essential to seek out talented team members for each of The Labrie Group family of restaurants — Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club, The Atlantic Grill, The River House, and Rio Tequila Cantina — all in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Career opportunities and current job openings can be found at www.TheLabrieGroup.com.
Website:
http://www.jimmysoncongress.com
Contact:
Suzanne Bresette
suzanne@jimmysoncongress.com
888-603-JAZZ
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SOURCE Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/jimmys-jazz-amp-blues-club-features-legendary-blues-musicians-elvin-bishop-charlie-musselwhite-thursday-august-17-730-pm/ | 2023-07-31T07:00:11 | 0 | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/jimmys-jazz-amp-blues-club-features-legendary-blues-musicians-elvin-bishop-charlie-musselwhite-thursday-august-17-730-pm/ |
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings have given outside linebacker Danielle Hunter a hefty pay raise, paving the way for the team’s best pass rusher to participate in practice after a months-long contract stalemate.
The Vikings announced Sunday on their website that they reached a new deal with Hunter, the three-time Pro Bowl pick with 71 sacks who will turn 29 in three months.
Hunter reported to training camp last week on schedule after skipping the offseason program and mandatory minicamp, but he has yet to join his teammates on the field. Head coach Kevin O’Connell said Saturday that Hunter has been “in the building” and that they’ve been in “daily dialogue” about his physical and mental preparation.
“Danielle Hunter is a very special player, and as soon as we can get him out here, you guys will see him out here,” O’Connell said.
Hunter’s previous contract called for a $4.9 million base salary. According to NFL Network, he’ll make $17 million guaranteed this year with an opportunity to earn an additional $3 million in incentives. Hunter will still hit the free agent market after the season, unless he and the team strike a deal on an extension in the meantime.
Hunter’s presence will be vital for a Vikings defense that has been one of the NFL’s worst over the past three years. They allowed the second-most yards and the fourth-most points in the league in 2022, despite decent production by their primary edge rushers. Hunter had 10 1/2 sacks, Za’Darius Smith had 10 sacks and backups D.J. Wonnum and Patrick Jones had four sacks apiece.
Smith was since traded to Cleveland in a cost-cutting move, leaving Hunter as the only proven pass rusher on the roster. Marcus Davenport was signed as a free agent to push for a starting spot, but this remains one of the biggest questions surrounding the team this season.
“I think Danielle’s a phenomenal player,” said defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who was hired to replace the fired Ed Donatell. “I look forward to working with him.”
Under Donatell, Hunter often found himself as a standup rusher in a three-point stance. The Vikings with Flores are aiming to get back to turning Hunter loose with his hand in the ground more often.
“Veteran players, they’ve seen a lot of defense, coverages, fronts, stunts. I think terminology will probably be the one thing that’s a little bit different, maybe, but some of it, there’s some crossover from some things he’s heard in the past so I don’t think it’ll take long for him to get up to speed,” Flores said. “At the end of the day, we’re telling him to go get the quarterback. There’s really not much to that. So I think he’ll be just fine.”
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-vikings-end-stalemate-with-danielle-hunter-by-giving-edge-rusher-a-big-pay-raise/ | 2023-07-31T07:00:16 | 1 | https://who13.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-vikings-end-stalemate-with-danielle-hunter-by-giving-edge-rusher-a-big-pay-raise/ |
NEW YORK, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- One Rock Capital Partners, LLC ("One Rock") today announced one of its affiliates has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Constantia Flexibles ("Constantia" or the "Company"), a leading global packaging manufacturer, from Wendel (Euronext: MF.FP), one of Europe's leading listed investment firms.
Constantia is the partner of choice for flexible packaging to more than 4,000 pharmaceutical, food and consumer goods customers. With a team of over 7,000 employees, the Company manufactures and provides custom packaging solutions across the globe.
"Constantia has grown through acquisition and innovation to be a leader serving its food and pharma customers," said Telmo Valido, Partner at One Rock. "We look forward to partnering with Constantia's management team to continue innovating to solve for the evolving packaging needs and sustainability requirements of the Company's customers."
"We are very pleased to welcome Constantia Flexibles to the One Rock family," added Kurt Beyer, Partner at One Rock. "We believe our strategic and operational resources will complement management's efforts to pursue Constantia's growth initiatives while maintaining the standards of quality and service valued by its customers."
"In recent years under Wendel's ownership, Constantia Flexibles transformed its business performance, developed an innovative pipeline of more sustainable products and completed multiple acquisitions," said Pim Vervaat, CEO at Constantia. "With diverse geographic and end market presence, the Company is well-positioned to continue expanding its suite of packaging solutions amidst regulatory developments and a changing climate, and we look forward to partnering with One Rock during this next chapter."
J.P. Morgan served as lead financial advisor and Latham & Watkins LLP served as legal advisor to One Rock on the transaction. Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP served as legal advisor and Evercore served as financial advisor to Constantia.
ABOUT ONE ROCK CAPITAL PARTNERS, LLC
One Rock makes controlling investments in companies with potential for growth and operational improvement using a rigorous approach that utilizes highly experienced Operating Partners to identify, acquire and enhance businesses in select industries. The involvement of these Operating Partners affords One Rock the ability to conduct due diligence and consummate acquisitions and investments in all types of situations, regardless of complexity. One Rock works collaboratively with company management and its Operating Partners to develop a comprehensive business plan focused on growing the enterprise and its profitability to enhance long-term value. For more information, visit www.onerockcapital.com.
ABOUT CONSTANTIA FLEXIBLES
Constantia is the world's third-largest producer of flexible packaging. Based on the guiding principle of 'People, Passion, Packaging', some 7,650 employees manufacture tailor-made packaging solutions at 30 sites in 16 countries. Many international companies and local market leaders from the consumer and pharma industries choose the sustainable and innovative products of Constantia Flexibles. Sustainability is a top priority in product development at Constantia Flexibles: the company was rated Level A- by Climate Change Leadership (CDP) and Gold by EcoVadis in 2022. For more information, visit www.cflex.com.
MEDIA CONTACT
Julia Kaufman
Prosek Partners
pro-onerock@prosek.com
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SOURCE One Rock Capital Partners, LLC | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/one-rock-capital-partners-announces-acquisition-constantia-flexibles-wendel/ | 2023-07-31T07:00:18 | 0 | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/one-rock-capital-partners-announces-acquisition-constantia-flexibles-wendel/ |
YONGIN, South Korea, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- GC Biopharma (006280.KS), a global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to specialty plasma-derived therapeutics, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the Company's resubmission of the Biologics License Application (BLA) for its GC5107B (Immune Globulin Intravenous (Human) for patients with primary humoral immunodeficiency (PI).
The Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action date is January 13, 2024. If approved, GC Biopharma would be able to provide more treatment options for patients with PI in the U.S.
GC Biopharma aims to enter the U.S. market in the second half of 2024 if GC5107B is approved by the FDA as anticipated.
While the U.S. immunoglobulin market size is estimated at about US$ 10.4 billion in 2022 (as per MRB[1] 2022), there have been sporadic shortages as there are only a small number of immunoglobulin manufacturers considering the need for a massive investment in facility and sophisticated production know-hows.
About GC5107B
GC5107B is a liquid solution containing 10% immunoglobulin G (100 mg/mL) for intravenous infusion, manufactured from pooled human plasma from US donors. The manufacturing process includes three steps to reduce the risk of virus transmission. The steps are "Fractionation I+III, solvent/detergent (S/D) treatment, and Nanofiltration."
About Primary Humoral Immunodeficiency
Primary humoral immunodeficiency disease comprises a large, heterogenous group of disorders resulting from inborn errors of immunity. Patients with PI are unable to mount an immune response to pathogens and can experience recurrent bacterial, viral, fungal, and protozoal infections as a result. Global estimates project that up to 6 million people may be living with PI, but only 650,000 people worldwide have been diagnosed[2],[3],[4].
About GC Biopharma
GC Biopharma (formerly known as Green Cross Corporation) is a biopharmaceutical company that delivers life-saving and life-sustaining protein therapeutics and vaccines. Headquartered in Yongin, South Korea, GC Biopharma is one of the leading plasma protein and vaccine product manufacturers globally and has been dedicated to quality healthcare solutions for more than half a century.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements, which express the current beliefs and expectations of GC Biopharma's management. Such statements do not represent any guarantee by GC Biopharma or its management of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. GC Biopharma undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement contained in this press release or any other forward-looking statements it may make, except as required by law or stock exchange rule.
GC Biopharma Contacts (Media)
Sohee Kim
shkim20@gccorp.com
Yelin Jun
yelin@gccorp.com
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SOURCE GC Biopharma | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-fda-accepts-biologics-license-application-gc-biopharmas-gc5107b-immune-globulin-intravenous-human-10-liquid/ | 2023-07-31T07:00:25 | 0 | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-fda-accepts-biologics-license-application-gc-biopharmas-gc5107b-immune-globulin-intravenous-human-10-liquid/ |
17-year-old American cyclist killed while training for mountain bike world championships
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Seventeen-year-old American cyclist Magnus White, who was scheduled to race at the upcoming world championships in Scotland, was killed Saturday when he was struck by a vehicle on a training ride near his home in Boulder, Colorado.
USA Cycling announced his death in a statement Sunday.
White was a rising multidisciplinary star, winning a junior national championship in cyclocross in 2021 and earning a place on the U.S. national team. He competed with the team in Europe ahead of last year’s cyclocross world championships, and he was picked to represent the U.S. again at this year’s cyclocross worlds in the Netherlands.
White began to dabble in road cycling and mountain biking this season. He was on one of his final training rides before the junior world mountain bike championships in Glasgow, Scotland, when the accident occurred.
He is survived by his parents, Michael and Jill, and his brother, Eero.
“He was a rising star in the off-road cycling scene and his passion for cycling was evident through his racing and camaraderie with his teammates and local community,” USA Cycling said in a statement. “We offer our heartfelt condolences to the White family, his teammates, friends, and the Boulder community during this incredibly difficult time.”
___
AP coverage of the Paris Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ | 2023-07-31T07:00:31 | 1 | https://www.kxii.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ |
MANCHESTER, Conn., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- DIANT® Pharma Inc. is excited to announce the US Food and Drug Administration's recent acquisition of the DIANT® LiFT system. The DIANT® LiFT system (https://diantpharma.com/the-diant-lift-system/ ) is GMP-capable equipment designed for the continuous manufacturing of lipid and polymer-based nanoparticles. In addition to providing the FDA with a high-throughput nanoparticle processing system that is scalable from R&D to commercial manufacturing, the DIANT® equipment also comes with integrated inline/online PAT that can monitor and control the process. DIANT's goal with PAT integration is to advance both the analytical and output standards across future forms of continuous manufacturing.
DIANT® technology was originally designed to synthesize liposomes and load small molecules at high throughput. However, in 2020 at the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic, the DIANT® technology was adapted to meet the growing and future demands that will be present in nucleic acid therapy via lipid nanoparticle delivery.
The FDA will install and operate this piece of equipment in their Beltsville, MD facility.
About
DIANT® Pharma Inc. (Manchester, CT USA) was founded in 2019 and has developed continuous processing technology for nanoparticles. DIANT® is dedicated to bringing advanced, continuous manufacturing technology to the market and to providing R&D services. Their proprietary, continuous manufacturing system for nanoparticles has a wide array of applications within the pharmaceutical space. (https://diantpharma.com/)
DIANT® provides a continuous manufacturing platform as a turnkey solution for the development and production of nanoparticles for therapeutics and vaccines.
Media Contact:
Gosia Lankosz
Marketing Manager, DIANT Pharma Inc.
Lankosz@diantpharma.com
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SOURCE DIANT Pharma Inc. | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-food-drug-administration-fda-purchase-lift-system-diant-pharma-inc/ | 2023-07-31T07:00:31 | 0 | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-food-drug-administration-fda-purchase-lift-system-diant-pharma-inc/ |
22-month-old girl dies after being trapped under dresser
WILLIAMSTON, S.C. (FOX Carolina/Gray News) - The Anderson County Coroner’s Office said a 22-month-old girl from Calhoun Falls, South Carolina, died Sunday after a dresser overturned on her.
The victim was identified by the coroner’s office as Jalaya Bryant.
Anderson County officials said Bryant was at her grandparents’ house in Williamston, South Carolina, when she was discovered by a family member underneath the furniture that fell.
According to Anderson County Chief Deputy Coroner Don McCown, it appeared the child was trying to climb the dresser when it fell over and trapped her.
Bryant was taken to the hospital where she died from her injuries shortly after noon.
The coroner’s office said Bryant died from asphyxiation and there appears to be no signs of foul play.
The investigation is still ongoing.
Copyright 2023 WHNS via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2023/07/31/22-month-old-girl-dies-after-being-trapped-under-dresser/ | 2023-07-31T07:00:38 | 1 | https://www.kxii.com/2023/07/31/22-month-old-girl-dies-after-being-trapped-under-dresser/ |
Mar-a-Lago worker charged in Trump’s classified documents case to make first court appearance
MIAMI (AP) — An employee of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, Carlos De Oliveira, is expected to make his first court appearance Monday on charges accusing him of scheming with the former president to hide security footage from investigators probing Trump’s hoarding of classified documents.
De Oliveira, Mar-a-Lago’s property manager, was added last week to the indictment with Trump and the former president’s valet, Walt Nauta, in the federal case alleging a plot to illegally keep top-secret records at Trump’s Florida estate and thwart government efforts to retrieve them.
De Oliveira faces charges including conspiracy to obstruct justice and lying to investigators. He’s scheduled to appear before a magistrate judge in Miami nearly two months after Trump pleaded not guilty in the case brought by special counsel Jack Smith.
The developments in the classified documents case come as Trump braces for possible charges in another federal investigation into his efforts to cling to power after he lost the 2020 election. Trump has received a letter from Smith indicating that he is a target of that investigation, and Trump’s lawyers met with Smith’s team last week.
An attorney for De Oliveira declined last week to comment on the allegations. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and said the Mar-a-Lago security tapes were voluntarily handed over to investigators. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform last week that he was told the tapes were not “deleted in any way, shape or form.”
Prosecutors have not alleged that security footage was actually deleted or kept from investigators.
Nauta has also pleaded not guilty. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon had previously scheduled the trial of Trump and Nauta to begin in May, and it’s unclear whether the addition of De Oliveira to the case may impact the case’s timeline.
The latest indictment, unsealed on Thursday, alleges that Trump tried to have security footage deleted after investigators visited in June 2022 to collect classified documents Trump took with him after he left the White House.
Trump was already facing dozens of felony counts — including willful retention of notional defense information — stemming from allegations that he mishandled government secrets that as commander-in-chief he was entrusted to protect. Experts have said the new allegations bolster the special counsel’s case and deepen the former president’s legal jeopardy.
Video from Mar-a-Lago would ultimately become vital to the government’s case because, prosecutors said, it shows Nauta moving boxes in and out of a storage room — an act alleged to have been done at Trump’s direction and in effort to hide records not only only from investigators but Trump’s own lawyers.
Days after the Justice Department sent a subpoena for video footage at Mar-a-Lago to the Trump Organization in June 2022, prosecutors say De Oliveira asked a information technology staffer how long the server retained footage and told the employee “the boss” wanted it deleted. When the employee said he didn’t believe he was able to do that, De Oliveira insisted the “boss” wanted it done, asking, “What are we going to do?”
Shortly after the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago and found classified records in the storage room and Trump’s office, prosecutors say Nauta called a Trump employee and said words to the effect of, “someone just wants to make sure Carlos is good.” The indictment says the employee responded that De Oliveira was loyal and wouldn’t do anything to affect his relationship with Trump. That same day, the indictment alleges, Trump called De Oliveira directly to say that he would get De Oliveira an attorney.
Prosecutors allege that De Oliveira later lied in interviews with investigators, falsely claiming that he hadn’t even seen boxes moved into Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House.
____
Richer reported from Boston.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2023/07/31/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-make-first-court-appearance/ | 2023-07-31T07:00:44 | 1 | https://www.kxii.com/2023/07/31/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-make-first-court-appearance/ |
SHENZHEN, China, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2023 ASEAN-China Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation (Qianhai) Forum was held in Qianhai, Shenzhen from July 29 to 30. More than 500 political and business representatives from ASEAN countries and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area attended the opening ceremony and related events. Six enterprises under the chambers of commerce from the Greater Bay Area reached investment and cooperation agreements with ASEAN, with the intended investment signed amounting to 3.5 billion yuan, bringing about a bilateral trade volume of 7 billion yuan.
China and ASEAN are already each other's largest trading partners. On November 22, 2021, the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and ASEAN was officially announced to build a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.
At the opening ceremony of the Forum, the Greater Bay Area-ASEAN Association of Chambers of Commerce and the ASEAN-China Think Tank Cooperation Partnership were established, and the ASEAN-Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation Initiative was announced. The Initiative proposed to establish a dialogue platform for economic cooperation, strengthen industrial and investment cooperation, promote cooperation in scientific and technological innovation and transformation of technological achievements, strengthen exchange and cooperation between the business associations in the region, and encourage talent and cultural exchanges between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN.
Shi Zhongjun, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre, said in his welcome remark that government officials, business associations, think tanks, and enterprise representatives from China and ASEAN member states had gathered in Qianhai and would have in-depth exchanges and discussions in a number of forums and industry matching activities in two days so as to offer advice and suggestions on promoting the cooperation and development between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN countries in the fields of finance, e-commerce, digital economy, science and technological innovation, etc.
Wang Shourui, Vice Mayor of Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, said that this Forum would help build a broader and more efficient platform for economic cooperation and exchanges between ASEAN and the Greater Bay Area and further strengthen dialogues and cooperation in fields such as scientific and technological innovation, economic and trade investment, etc. Shenzhen would fully play its role as the important link between China and ASEAN, seize the opportunity brought by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), deepen the comprehensive cooperation with ASEAN countries in business, trade, finance, smart city, new energy vehicles, and other areas, and promote economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people connectivity between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN so as to jointly build and share a prosperous home.
Ambassadors and government representatives from Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, Indonesia, Myanmar, and the Philippines delivered keynote speeches. Speeches by the representatives from the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia, Philippine Association for Chinese Studies, and GRC Indonesia Construction Materials Group affirmed that Qianhai, where the Forum was held, would provide a broad market and unlimited opportunities for enterprises. They all looked forward to coming to the Greater Bay Area and Qianhai to invest, develop, and win a better future together.
Qianhai will make full use of the opportunities brought by organizing this Forum, spare no efforts to build a gateway hub for opening up to the world, actively build platforms for economic cooperation and dialogues, deepen industrial and investment cooperation, promote the transformation of technological achievements, and contribute to the economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people connectivity between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN.
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SOURCE The 2023 ASEAN-China Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation (Qianhai) Forum | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ | 2023-07-31T07:00:51 | 1 | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ |
LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Flutter Entertainment plc ("Flutter") (London Stock Exchange/Euronext Dublin: FLTR) and Fox Corporation ("FOX") (Nasdaq: FOX, FOXA), announce today the decision to close sports betting platform FOX Bet. A phased closure of FOX Bet's operations will take place between July 31 and August 31, 2023.
Flutter operated FOX Bet as part of The Stars Group US ("TSG US") along with the US facing operations of PokerStars. Flutter will retain ownership of PokerStars, in addition to US sports betting market leader FanDuel. FOX will retain future use of the FOX and FOX Bet brands, including FOX Bet Super 6, and intends to launch an all-new FOX Super 6 game later this summer.
FOX will continue to hold its option to acquire 18.6% of FanDuel and in addition holds a 2.5% stake in Flutter.
Notes to Editors
About FOX Bet: FOX Bet, a sports betting platform available in Colorado, Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, was launched in 2019 by FOX and TSG. TSG was acquired and operated by Flutter as of May 2020.
About Fox Corporation: Fox Corporation produces and distributes compelling news, sports, and entertainment content through its primary iconic domestic brands, including Fox News Media, Fox Sports, Fox Entertainment, Fox Television Stations and Tubi Media Group. These brands hold cultural significance with consumers and commercial importance for distributors and advertisers. The breadth and depth of our footprint allows us to deliver content that engages and informs audiences, develop deeper consumer relationships, and create more compelling product offerings. FOX maintains an impressive track record of news, sports, and entertainment industry success that shapes our strategy to capitalize on existing strengths and invest in new initiatives. For more information about Fox Corporation, please visit www.FoxCorporation.com.
About Flutter Entertainment plc: Changing the Game – Flutter is a global betting and gaming group with an ambition to drive positive and sustainable change in our industry. Flutter's brand portfolio includes America's number one sportsbook FanDuel, along with PokerStars, Sky Betting and Gaming, Paddy Power, Betfair, Tombola, Sportsbet, Sisal, Adjarabet and Junglee. Through these world class brands, we excite and entertain customers, while leading the way in responsible play. Our strength is the Flutter Edge, optimising the advantages of our global scale to drive business performance and positive impact for our customers, colleagues and communities. For more information about Flutter Entertainment plc, its brands and reporting divisions, please visit www.flutter.com.
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SOURCE Fox Corporation | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/flutter-entertainment-plc-fox-corporation-announce-close-fox-bet/ | 2023-07-31T07:00:58 | 1 | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/flutter-entertainment-plc-fox-corporation-announce-close-fox-bet/ |
BEIJING, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 31st FISU World University Games, the first major international sports event held in China in the post-epidemic era, officially kicked off in Southwestern city Chengdu, with the cauldron ignited in the stadium on Friday evening. Analysts said the significance of this event, which symbolizes solidarity and friendship, goes beyond sports itself and will further promote exchanges and understanding between young people from different countries.
Chengdu, a fascinating tourist destination known for its historic sites, adorable pandas, hospitable locals and delicious Sichuan cuisine, now adds the grand sports event to its name card. Observers believe that the Chengdu Universiade will help bring together people in the wider international community who love peace, stability and prosperity.
After a splendid fireworks display in the countdown segment themed on sun and immortal birds from Chinese mythology, at 8 pm on Friday night, the ceremony started with an opening singing performance led by a girl from the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan. She became known to the public in February 2018 when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited her family, a poverty-stricken household in Sanhe village.
University sports delegations from countries and regions entered the stadium along the march pass paved with Sichuan brocade patterns. Spearheaded by flagbearers Hu Zhenzhuo and Guo Hanyu, the Chinese mainland delegation, consisting of over 700 people, marched on last as the host nation delegation to the warmest standing ovation.
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region sent its largest-ever delegation to the Chengdu Universiade, which received a jubilant and sustained cheer from the audience as they marched into the stadium.
Athletes from Macao Special Administrative Region and Chinese Taipei athletes also received wild and warm cheers.
Delegations from 113 countries and regions are participating in the Chengdu FISU Games, which runs from July 28 to August 8, with over 6,500 athletes competing in 18 sports. The Chinese delegation, which consists of more than 700 people, includes 411 athletes from more than 100 universities.
In order to minimize the impact of the pandemic and guarantee the participation of students, FISU raised the maximum age of participants from 25 to 27.
President of the Organizing Committee of the Chengdu Universiade Huai Jinpeng and FISU Acting President Leonz Eder delivered their speeches on the rostrum surrounded by delegation flags.
"Thank you, Chengdu!" Leonz Eder said in Chinese.
Chinese President Xi Jinping then declared the Chengdu Games open at the Dong'an Lake Sports Park Stadium to the largest cheer of the night.
Ye Guangfu, a taikonaut from China's Shenzhou-13 manned spaceflight, appeared at the opening ceremony as the main torchbearer and ignited the cauldron along with 30 other torchbearers.
Power of youth
At a banquet to welcome guests attending the World University Games opening ceremony on Friday, President Xi said that the World University Games has always been a celebration of youth, solidarity and friendship, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
Xi called on young people from around the globe to join hands to promote world peace and development, expressing hope that young people worldwide take the opportunity of the Chengdu Universiade to enhance mutual understanding and inject new impetus into human progress.
FISU Universiade, which was first held during the Cold War in 1959, not only wants young people to adopt a healthy lifestyle, but also seeks to promote young people communicating across cultural, political and religious barriers through sports, Ren Hai, a professor at the Olympic Research Center of Beijing Sports University, told the Global Times.
Through sports, young people can learn that they should not only cherish their own culture, but also respect other cultures, as the world should be diverse and inclusive, Ren said, "This coincides with the Chinese idea of 'seeking common ground while reserving differences'."
Sincerity and hospitality
Chengdu, as a cultural city with over 2,300 years of history, has long been a hub of exchanges connecting China to the rest of the world, like "a pearl on the southwestern Silk Road," President Xi said at the welcome banquet on Friday.
On Friday, Xi encouraged people to tour the city of Chengdu and experience and share firsthand the multifaceted manifestations of the Chinese modernization.
Chengdu is the third city on the Chinese mainland to host the biennial FISU Summer Games, following Beijing in 2001 and Shenzhen in 2011. It is also the first time a city in China's western region has hosted a comprehensive international sports event.
It's worth noting that out of the 49 venues of the Chengdu FISU Games, only 13 were newly constructed, and the other 36 venues are repurposed and upgraded buildings. Throughout the process, green and energy-saving measures were promoted, along with prioritizing the use of environmentally friendly building materials.
Chengdu enjoyed sunny weather on Friday, with special Panda-themed vehicles deployed on the streets.
German swimmer Henning Bennet Mühlleitner told the Global Times on Friday that what he found most impressive about the Chengdu Games was "how everything in China is focused on the physical games, although the Games have been holding back for two years due to the pandemic."
"I feel in good hands, organization-wise, not only by the German team but also by the officials… The volunteers have been very supportive and thoughtful," Mühlleitner said.
"There's no other country in the world with China's capacity and willingness to make such great efforts for a FISU Summer Games, which doesn't seem as profitable compared with other major sporting events," Wang Dazhao, a Beijing-based sports commentator, told the Global Times.
Nevertheless, according to Wang, what China hopes to gain from hosting the Games is a platform for youth to promote cultural exchanges and world unity.
Before the opening, accredited media journalists received a bilingual written script in Chinese and English from students at the local Shishi High School, introducing the cultural diversity of Chengdu that ranges from the Jinsha Site Musem to the Dujiangyan Irrigation System.
Local people have received blind-box gifts from the organizers, which include venue maps, Chinese-English catchphrase leaflets and even sports equipment ranging from skipping ropes to frisbees, Global Times learned.
The move has invigorated the local people's enthusiasm for the international sports event, as tickets for several events such as athletics, swimming and badminton have sold out.
Hosting the FISU Games also drew a huge influx of visitors this week. A source from the civil aviation authority told the Global Times that flight numbers in the previous month in Chengdu alone reached over 200,000, with the average number of daily flights at Chengdu's Shuangliu and Tianfu international airports surpassing 1,700.
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SOURCE Global Times | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ | 2023-07-31T07:01:04 | 0 | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ |
Blues and Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame Guitarist, Singer & Songwriter ELVIN BISHOP joins forces with Blues Hall of Famer and GRAMMY® Award-Winning Harmonica Master, Singer & Songwriter CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE to present their 2022 GRAMMY® Award Nominated album '100 Years of Blues'. Tickets for Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club in Portsmouth, NH on Thursday August 17 at 7:30 P.M., as well as the current list of 2023 shows, can be found on Ticketmaster.com and Jimmy's Online Event Calendar at: http://www.jimmysoncongress.com/events.
PORTSMOUTH, N.H., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club Features Legendary Blues Musicians ELVIN BISHOP and CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE on Thursday August 17 at 7:30 P.M. Blues and Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame guitarist, singer and songwriter Elvin Bishop and Blues Hall of Famer and GRAMMY® Award-Winning harmonica master, singer and songwriter Charlie Musselwhite present their 2022 GRAMMY® Award Nominated album 100 Years of Blues ("Best Traditional Blues Album"). The album also won the 2021 "Album of the Year" at the Blues Music Awards.
"This entire 12-track release is just two good-old-blues-boys sitting together and jamming. It's absolutely brilliant."
— AMERICAN BLUES SCENE ('100 Years of Blues' Album Review).
"The simple sound of these two masters in a room playing together is absolutely joyous."
— ROCK & BLUES MUSE ('100 Years of Blues' Album Review)
"Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite, both a few years shy of 80, are deserving of accolades."
— DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE ('100 Years of Blues' Album Review)
Legendary blues musicians Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite are fellow blues travelers and living blues giants. The two history-making musicians—both Blues Hall of Famers—have over 100 years of professional musicianship between them. They are among the most famous bluesmen in the world. Although they've known each other since the early 1960s, this was the first time that they ever teamed up to make an album together. 100 Years of Blues, released on Alligator Records, is blues at its deepest, warmest and most engaging.
Elvin Bishop is a Blues and Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famer, a 4x-GRAMMY® Award Nominee, and a 5x-Blues Music Award-Winner. ROLLING STONE calls Bishop "a legendary guitarist" whose playing is "impeccable and spirited…a distinguished American player".
Charlie Musselwhite is a Blues Hall of Famer, a GRAMMY® Award-Winner, a 15x-GRAMMY® Award Nominee, and a 33x-Blues Music Award-Winner. Musselwhite has had 14 blues albums Nominated for GRAMMY® Awards, including the 2023 GRAMMY® Award Nomination for his most recent album Mississippi Son. Musselwhite also has 20 Blues Music Awards for "Harmonica Player of the Year." LIVING BLUES MAGAZINE claims Musselwhite "plays magnificent harp with superb dexterity and phrasing" and the "results are amazing."
The stories of Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite—rich as they already are—are still being written, and this album is a new chapter. Their subtle, soulful musicianship and relaxed, conversational vocals fuel every song. Infused with their deep understanding of the blues tradition and the good-time spirit these two old pals stir up, 100 Years Of Blues is one of the finest, most memorable album recordings of either artist's career.
ELVIN BISHOP and CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE Tickets & Current Schedule of Shows
Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club's 2023 Schedule of Shows now includes 9 NEA Jazz Masters, 47 GRAMMY® Award-Winning Artists, 40 Blues Music Award-Winners, and a comprehensive list of talented musicians with 435+ GRAMMY® Award Nominations amongst them. Tickets for ELVIN BISHOP and CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club on Thursday August 17 at 7:30 P.M., as well as the current list of 2023 shows, can be found on Ticketmaster and Jimmy's Online Event Calendar at: http://www.jimmysoncongress.com/events.
ABOUT JIMMY'S JAZZ & BLUES CLUB
The mission of Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club is to provide guests with a one-of-a-kind, world-class experience featuring serious jazz and blues music served with exceptional cuisine. Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club features a spectacular and visually breathtaking environment engineered to deliver the highest quality acoustics while utilizing state-of-the-art production, sound and lighting technologies. Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club is located within a beautifully restored 1905 building at 135 Congress Street in the heart of historic downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire. For more information visit www.jimmysoncongress.com or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JimmysJazzBlues and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jimmysjazzblues/. Sign-up for Jimmy's Email Newsletter to stay informed on Upcoming Shows, New Artist Announcements, Promotional Offers, Ticket On-Sale Dates, Special Performances, and Jimmy's Sunday Jazz Brunch. In June 2023, Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club was given the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for its' outstanding Wine List.
PRIVATE EVENTS AT JIMMY'S
An architecturally breathtaking center of arts and culture in the heart of historic Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club offers a rare and spectacular venue to host important corporate functions, weddings, intimate or large-scale social gatherings, private parties, and memorable celebrations. The team at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club put heart and soul into creating a stunning full-service event space with new state-of-the-art production, sound and lighting technologies delivered with outstanding next-level culinary experiences. Our high-touch approach, provided by professional and experienced event staff, ensures that everything is tailored to exceed your expectations. To start a conversation about hosting your event at Jimmy's Jazz and Blues Club, please call us at 888-603-5299, or fill out Jimmy's Private Event Request Form.
JOIN THE TEAM AT THE LABRIE GROUP FAMILY OF RESTAURANTS
Motivated by a commitment to culinary and hospitality excellence, founders Michael and Peter Labrie and their leadership team understand it is essential to seek out talented team members for each of The Labrie Group family of restaurants — Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club, The Atlantic Grill, The River House, and Rio Tequila Cantina — all in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Career opportunities and current job openings can be found at www.TheLabrieGroup.com.
Website:
http://www.jimmysoncongress.com
Contact:
Suzanne Bresette
suzanne@jimmysoncongress.com
888-603-JAZZ
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SOURCE Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/jimmys-jazz-amp-blues-club-features-legendary-blues-musicians-elvin-bishop-charlie-musselwhite-thursday-august-17-730-pm/ | 2023-07-31T07:01:11 | 1 | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/jimmys-jazz-amp-blues-club-features-legendary-blues-musicians-elvin-bishop-charlie-musselwhite-thursday-august-17-730-pm/ |
NEW YORK, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- One Rock Capital Partners, LLC ("One Rock") today announced one of its affiliates has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Constantia Flexibles ("Constantia" or the "Company"), a leading global packaging manufacturer, from Wendel (Euronext: MF.FP), one of Europe's leading listed investment firms.
Constantia is the partner of choice for flexible packaging to more than 4,000 pharmaceutical, food and consumer goods customers. With a team of over 7,000 employees, the Company manufactures and provides custom packaging solutions across the globe.
"Constantia has grown through acquisition and innovation to be a leader serving its food and pharma customers," said Telmo Valido, Partner at One Rock. "We look forward to partnering with Constantia's management team to continue innovating to solve for the evolving packaging needs and sustainability requirements of the Company's customers."
"We are very pleased to welcome Constantia Flexibles to the One Rock family," added Kurt Beyer, Partner at One Rock. "We believe our strategic and operational resources will complement management's efforts to pursue Constantia's growth initiatives while maintaining the standards of quality and service valued by its customers."
"In recent years under Wendel's ownership, Constantia Flexibles transformed its business performance, developed an innovative pipeline of more sustainable products and completed multiple acquisitions," said Pim Vervaat, CEO at Constantia. "With diverse geographic and end market presence, the Company is well-positioned to continue expanding its suite of packaging solutions amidst regulatory developments and a changing climate, and we look forward to partnering with One Rock during this next chapter."
J.P. Morgan served as lead financial advisor and Latham & Watkins LLP served as legal advisor to One Rock on the transaction. Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP served as legal advisor and Evercore served as financial advisor to Constantia.
ABOUT ONE ROCK CAPITAL PARTNERS, LLC
One Rock makes controlling investments in companies with potential for growth and operational improvement using a rigorous approach that utilizes highly experienced Operating Partners to identify, acquire and enhance businesses in select industries. The involvement of these Operating Partners affords One Rock the ability to conduct due diligence and consummate acquisitions and investments in all types of situations, regardless of complexity. One Rock works collaboratively with company management and its Operating Partners to develop a comprehensive business plan focused on growing the enterprise and its profitability to enhance long-term value. For more information, visit www.onerockcapital.com.
ABOUT CONSTANTIA FLEXIBLES
Constantia is the world's third-largest producer of flexible packaging. Based on the guiding principle of 'People, Passion, Packaging', some 7,650 employees manufacture tailor-made packaging solutions at 30 sites in 16 countries. Many international companies and local market leaders from the consumer and pharma industries choose the sustainable and innovative products of Constantia Flexibles. Sustainability is a top priority in product development at Constantia Flexibles: the company was rated Level A- by Climate Change Leadership (CDP) and Gold by EcoVadis in 2022. For more information, visit www.cflex.com.
MEDIA CONTACT
Julia Kaufman
Prosek Partners
pro-onerock@prosek.com
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SOURCE One Rock Capital Partners, LLC | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/one-rock-capital-partners-announces-acquisition-constantia-flexibles-wendel/ | 2023-07-31T07:01:18 | 1 | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/one-rock-capital-partners-announces-acquisition-constantia-flexibles-wendel/ |
SHENZHEN, China, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2023 ASEAN-China Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation (Qianhai) Forum was held in Qianhai, Shenzhen from July 29 to 30. More than 500 political and business representatives from ASEAN countries and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area attended the opening ceremony and related events. Six enterprises under the chambers of commerce from the Greater Bay Area reached investment and cooperation agreements with ASEAN, with the intended investment signed amounting to 3.5 billion yuan, bringing about a bilateral trade volume of 7 billion yuan.
China and ASEAN are already each other's largest trading partners. On November 22, 2021, the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and ASEAN was officially announced to build a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.
At the opening ceremony of the Forum, the Greater Bay Area-ASEAN Association of Chambers of Commerce and the ASEAN-China Think Tank Cooperation Partnership were established, and the ASEAN-Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation Initiative was announced. The Initiative proposed to establish a dialogue platform for economic cooperation, strengthen industrial and investment cooperation, promote cooperation in scientific and technological innovation and transformation of technological achievements, strengthen exchange and cooperation between the business associations in the region, and encourage talent and cultural exchanges between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN.
Shi Zhongjun, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre, said in his welcome remark that government officials, business associations, think tanks, and enterprise representatives from China and ASEAN member states had gathered in Qianhai and would have in-depth exchanges and discussions in a number of forums and industry matching activities in two days so as to offer advice and suggestions on promoting the cooperation and development between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN countries in the fields of finance, e-commerce, digital economy, science and technological innovation, etc.
Wang Shourui, Vice Mayor of Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, said that this Forum would help build a broader and more efficient platform for economic cooperation and exchanges between ASEAN and the Greater Bay Area and further strengthen dialogues and cooperation in fields such as scientific and technological innovation, economic and trade investment, etc. Shenzhen would fully play its role as the important link between China and ASEAN, seize the opportunity brought by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), deepen the comprehensive cooperation with ASEAN countries in business, trade, finance, smart city, new energy vehicles, and other areas, and promote economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people connectivity between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN so as to jointly build and share a prosperous home.
Ambassadors and government representatives from Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, Indonesia, Myanmar, and the Philippines delivered keynote speeches. Speeches by the representatives from the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia, Philippine Association for Chinese Studies, and GRC Indonesia Construction Materials Group affirmed that Qianhai, where the Forum was held, would provide a broad market and unlimited opportunities for enterprises. They all looked forward to coming to the Greater Bay Area and Qianhai to invest, develop, and win a better future together.
Qianhai will make full use of the opportunities brought by organizing this Forum, spare no efforts to build a gateway hub for opening up to the world, actively build platforms for economic cooperation and dialogues, deepen industrial and investment cooperation, promote the transformation of technological achievements, and contribute to the economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people connectivity between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN.
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SOURCE The 2023 ASEAN-China Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation (Qianhai) Forum | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ | 2023-07-31T07:01:20 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ |
YONGIN, South Korea, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- GC Biopharma (006280.KS), a global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to specialty plasma-derived therapeutics, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the Company's resubmission of the Biologics License Application (BLA) for its GC5107B (Immune Globulin Intravenous (Human) for patients with primary humoral immunodeficiency (PI).
The Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action date is January 13, 2024. If approved, GC Biopharma would be able to provide more treatment options for patients with PI in the U.S.
GC Biopharma aims to enter the U.S. market in the second half of 2024 if GC5107B is approved by the FDA as anticipated.
While the U.S. immunoglobulin market size is estimated at about US$ 10.4 billion in 2022 (as per MRB[1] 2022), there have been sporadic shortages as there are only a small number of immunoglobulin manufacturers considering the need for a massive investment in facility and sophisticated production know-hows.
About GC5107B
GC5107B is a liquid solution containing 10% immunoglobulin G (100 mg/mL) for intravenous infusion, manufactured from pooled human plasma from US donors. The manufacturing process includes three steps to reduce the risk of virus transmission. The steps are "Fractionation I+III, solvent/detergent (S/D) treatment, and Nanofiltration."
About Primary Humoral Immunodeficiency
Primary humoral immunodeficiency disease comprises a large, heterogenous group of disorders resulting from inborn errors of immunity. Patients with PI are unable to mount an immune response to pathogens and can experience recurrent bacterial, viral, fungal, and protozoal infections as a result. Global estimates project that up to 6 million people may be living with PI, but only 650,000 people worldwide have been diagnosed[2],[3],[4].
About GC Biopharma
GC Biopharma (formerly known as Green Cross Corporation) is a biopharmaceutical company that delivers life-saving and life-sustaining protein therapeutics and vaccines. Headquartered in Yongin, South Korea, GC Biopharma is one of the leading plasma protein and vaccine product manufacturers globally and has been dedicated to quality healthcare solutions for more than half a century.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements, which express the current beliefs and expectations of GC Biopharma's management. Such statements do not represent any guarantee by GC Biopharma or its management of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. GC Biopharma undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement contained in this press release or any other forward-looking statements it may make, except as required by law or stock exchange rule.
GC Biopharma Contacts (Media)
Sohee Kim
shkim20@gccorp.com
Yelin Jun
yelin@gccorp.com
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SOURCE GC Biopharma | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-fda-accepts-biologics-license-application-gc-biopharmas-gc5107b-immune-globulin-intravenous-human-10-liquid/ | 2023-07-31T07:01:24 | 1 | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-fda-accepts-biologics-license-application-gc-biopharmas-gc5107b-immune-globulin-intravenous-human-10-liquid/ |
LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Flutter Entertainment plc ("Flutter") (London Stock Exchange/Euronext Dublin: FLTR) and Fox Corporation ("FOX") (Nasdaq: FOX, FOXA), announce today the decision to close sports betting platform FOX Bet. A phased closure of FOX Bet's operations will take place between July 31 and August 31, 2023.
Flutter operated FOX Bet as part of The Stars Group US ("TSG US") along with the US facing operations of PokerStars. Flutter will retain ownership of PokerStars, in addition to US sports betting market leader FanDuel. FOX will retain future use of the FOX and FOX Bet brands, including FOX Bet Super 6, and intends to launch an all-new FOX Super 6 game later this summer.
FOX will continue to hold its option to acquire 18.6% of FanDuel and in addition holds a 2.5% stake in Flutter.
Notes to Editors
About FOX Bet: FOX Bet, a sports betting platform available in Colorado, Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, was launched in 2019 by FOX and TSG. TSG was acquired and operated by Flutter as of May 2020.
About Fox Corporation: Fox Corporation produces and distributes compelling news, sports, and entertainment content through its primary iconic domestic brands, including Fox News Media, Fox Sports, Fox Entertainment, Fox Television Stations and Tubi Media Group. These brands hold cultural significance with consumers and commercial importance for distributors and advertisers. The breadth and depth of our footprint allows us to deliver content that engages and informs audiences, develop deeper consumer relationships, and create more compelling product offerings. FOX maintains an impressive track record of news, sports, and entertainment industry success that shapes our strategy to capitalize on existing strengths and invest in new initiatives. For more information about Fox Corporation, please visit www.FoxCorporation.com.
About Flutter Entertainment plc: Changing the Game – Flutter is a global betting and gaming group with an ambition to drive positive and sustainable change in our industry. Flutter's brand portfolio includes America's number one sportsbook FanDuel, along with PokerStars, Sky Betting and Gaming, Paddy Power, Betfair, Tombola, Sportsbet, Sisal, Adjarabet and Junglee. Through these world class brands, we excite and entertain customers, while leading the way in responsible play. Our strength is the Flutter Edge, optimising the advantages of our global scale to drive business performance and positive impact for our customers, colleagues and communities. For more information about Flutter Entertainment plc, its brands and reporting divisions, please visit www.flutter.com.
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SOURCE Fox Corporation | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/flutter-entertainment-plc-fox-corporation-announce-close-fox-bet/ | 2023-07-31T07:01:27 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/flutter-entertainment-plc-fox-corporation-announce-close-fox-bet/ |
MANCHESTER, Conn., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- DIANT® Pharma Inc. is excited to announce the US Food and Drug Administration's recent acquisition of the DIANT® LiFT system. The DIANT® LiFT system (https://diantpharma.com/the-diant-lift-system/ ) is GMP-capable equipment designed for the continuous manufacturing of lipid and polymer-based nanoparticles. In addition to providing the FDA with a high-throughput nanoparticle processing system that is scalable from R&D to commercial manufacturing, the DIANT® equipment also comes with integrated inline/online PAT that can monitor and control the process. DIANT's goal with PAT integration is to advance both the analytical and output standards across future forms of continuous manufacturing.
DIANT® technology was originally designed to synthesize liposomes and load small molecules at high throughput. However, in 2020 at the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic, the DIANT® technology was adapted to meet the growing and future demands that will be present in nucleic acid therapy via lipid nanoparticle delivery.
The FDA will install and operate this piece of equipment in their Beltsville, MD facility.
About
DIANT® Pharma Inc. (Manchester, CT USA) was founded in 2019 and has developed continuous processing technology for nanoparticles. DIANT® is dedicated to bringing advanced, continuous manufacturing technology to the market and to providing R&D services. Their proprietary, continuous manufacturing system for nanoparticles has a wide array of applications within the pharmaceutical space. (https://diantpharma.com/)
DIANT® provides a continuous manufacturing platform as a turnkey solution for the development and production of nanoparticles for therapeutics and vaccines.
Media Contact:
Gosia Lankosz
Marketing Manager, DIANT Pharma Inc.
Lankosz@diantpharma.com
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SOURCE DIANT Pharma Inc. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-food-drug-administration-fda-purchase-lift-system-diant-pharma-inc/ | 2023-07-31T07:01:31 | 0 | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-food-drug-administration-fda-purchase-lift-system-diant-pharma-inc/ |
BEIJING, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 31st FISU World University Games, the first major international sports event held in China in the post-epidemic era, officially kicked off in Southwestern city Chengdu, with the cauldron ignited in the stadium on Friday evening. Analysts said the significance of this event, which symbolizes solidarity and friendship, goes beyond sports itself and will further promote exchanges and understanding between young people from different countries.
Chengdu, a fascinating tourist destination known for its historic sites, adorable pandas, hospitable locals and delicious Sichuan cuisine, now adds the grand sports event to its name card. Observers believe that the Chengdu Universiade will help bring together people in the wider international community who love peace, stability and prosperity.
After a splendid fireworks display in the countdown segment themed on sun and immortal birds from Chinese mythology, at 8 pm on Friday night, the ceremony started with an opening singing performance led by a girl from the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan. She became known to the public in February 2018 when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited her family, a poverty-stricken household in Sanhe village.
University sports delegations from countries and regions entered the stadium along the march pass paved with Sichuan brocade patterns. Spearheaded by flagbearers Hu Zhenzhuo and Guo Hanyu, the Chinese mainland delegation, consisting of over 700 people, marched on last as the host nation delegation to the warmest standing ovation.
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region sent its largest-ever delegation to the Chengdu Universiade, which received a jubilant and sustained cheer from the audience as they marched into the stadium.
Athletes from Macao Special Administrative Region and Chinese Taipei athletes also received wild and warm cheers.
Delegations from 113 countries and regions are participating in the Chengdu FISU Games, which runs from July 28 to August 8, with over 6,500 athletes competing in 18 sports. The Chinese delegation, which consists of more than 700 people, includes 411 athletes from more than 100 universities.
In order to minimize the impact of the pandemic and guarantee the participation of students, FISU raised the maximum age of participants from 25 to 27.
President of the Organizing Committee of the Chengdu Universiade Huai Jinpeng and FISU Acting President Leonz Eder delivered their speeches on the rostrum surrounded by delegation flags.
"Thank you, Chengdu!" Leonz Eder said in Chinese.
Chinese President Xi Jinping then declared the Chengdu Games open at the Dong'an Lake Sports Park Stadium to the largest cheer of the night.
Ye Guangfu, a taikonaut from China's Shenzhou-13 manned spaceflight, appeared at the opening ceremony as the main torchbearer and ignited the cauldron along with 30 other torchbearers.
Power of youth
At a banquet to welcome guests attending the World University Games opening ceremony on Friday, President Xi said that the World University Games has always been a celebration of youth, solidarity and friendship, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
Xi called on young people from around the globe to join hands to promote world peace and development, expressing hope that young people worldwide take the opportunity of the Chengdu Universiade to enhance mutual understanding and inject new impetus into human progress.
FISU Universiade, which was first held during the Cold War in 1959, not only wants young people to adopt a healthy lifestyle, but also seeks to promote young people communicating across cultural, political and religious barriers through sports, Ren Hai, a professor at the Olympic Research Center of Beijing Sports University, told the Global Times.
Through sports, young people can learn that they should not only cherish their own culture, but also respect other cultures, as the world should be diverse and inclusive, Ren said, "This coincides with the Chinese idea of 'seeking common ground while reserving differences'."
Sincerity and hospitality
Chengdu, as a cultural city with over 2,300 years of history, has long been a hub of exchanges connecting China to the rest of the world, like "a pearl on the southwestern Silk Road," President Xi said at the welcome banquet on Friday.
On Friday, Xi encouraged people to tour the city of Chengdu and experience and share firsthand the multifaceted manifestations of the Chinese modernization.
Chengdu is the third city on the Chinese mainland to host the biennial FISU Summer Games, following Beijing in 2001 and Shenzhen in 2011. It is also the first time a city in China's western region has hosted a comprehensive international sports event.
It's worth noting that out of the 49 venues of the Chengdu FISU Games, only 13 were newly constructed, and the other 36 venues are repurposed and upgraded buildings. Throughout the process, green and energy-saving measures were promoted, along with prioritizing the use of environmentally friendly building materials.
Chengdu enjoyed sunny weather on Friday, with special Panda-themed vehicles deployed on the streets.
German swimmer Henning Bennet Mühlleitner told the Global Times on Friday that what he found most impressive about the Chengdu Games was "how everything in China is focused on the physical games, although the Games have been holding back for two years due to the pandemic."
"I feel in good hands, organization-wise, not only by the German team but also by the officials… The volunteers have been very supportive and thoughtful," Mühlleitner said.
"There's no other country in the world with China's capacity and willingness to make such great efforts for a FISU Summer Games, which doesn't seem as profitable compared with other major sporting events," Wang Dazhao, a Beijing-based sports commentator, told the Global Times.
Nevertheless, according to Wang, what China hopes to gain from hosting the Games is a platform for youth to promote cultural exchanges and world unity.
Before the opening, accredited media journalists received a bilingual written script in Chinese and English from students at the local Shishi High School, introducing the cultural diversity of Chengdu that ranges from the Jinsha Site Musem to the Dujiangyan Irrigation System.
Local people have received blind-box gifts from the organizers, which include venue maps, Chinese-English catchphrase leaflets and even sports equipment ranging from skipping ropes to frisbees, Global Times learned.
The move has invigorated the local people's enthusiasm for the international sports event, as tickets for several events such as athletics, swimming and badminton have sold out.
Hosting the FISU Games also drew a huge influx of visitors this week. A source from the civil aviation authority told the Global Times that flight numbers in the previous month in Chengdu alone reached over 200,000, with the average number of daily flights at Chengdu's Shuangliu and Tianfu international airports surpassing 1,700.
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SOURCE Global Times | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ | 2023-07-31T07:01:34 | 0 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ |
Blues and Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame Guitarist, Singer & Songwriter ELVIN BISHOP joins forces with Blues Hall of Famer and GRAMMY® Award-Winning Harmonica Master, Singer & Songwriter CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE to present their 2022 GRAMMY® Award Nominated album '100 Years of Blues'. Tickets for Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club in Portsmouth, NH on Thursday August 17 at 7:30 P.M., as well as the current list of 2023 shows, can be found on Ticketmaster.com and Jimmy's Online Event Calendar at: http://www.jimmysoncongress.com/events.
PORTSMOUTH, N.H., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club Features Legendary Blues Musicians ELVIN BISHOP and CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE on Thursday August 17 at 7:30 P.M. Blues and Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame guitarist, singer and songwriter Elvin Bishop and Blues Hall of Famer and GRAMMY® Award-Winning harmonica master, singer and songwriter Charlie Musselwhite present their 2022 GRAMMY® Award Nominated album 100 Years of Blues ("Best Traditional Blues Album"). The album also won the 2021 "Album of the Year" at the Blues Music Awards.
"This entire 12-track release is just two good-old-blues-boys sitting together and jamming. It's absolutely brilliant."
— AMERICAN BLUES SCENE ('100 Years of Blues' Album Review).
"The simple sound of these two masters in a room playing together is absolutely joyous."
— ROCK & BLUES MUSE ('100 Years of Blues' Album Review)
"Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite, both a few years shy of 80, are deserving of accolades."
— DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE ('100 Years of Blues' Album Review)
Legendary blues musicians Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite are fellow blues travelers and living blues giants. The two history-making musicians—both Blues Hall of Famers—have over 100 years of professional musicianship between them. They are among the most famous bluesmen in the world. Although they've known each other since the early 1960s, this was the first time that they ever teamed up to make an album together. 100 Years of Blues, released on Alligator Records, is blues at its deepest, warmest and most engaging.
Elvin Bishop is a Blues and Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famer, a 4x-GRAMMY® Award Nominee, and a 5x-Blues Music Award-Winner. ROLLING STONE calls Bishop "a legendary guitarist" whose playing is "impeccable and spirited…a distinguished American player".
Charlie Musselwhite is a Blues Hall of Famer, a GRAMMY® Award-Winner, a 15x-GRAMMY® Award Nominee, and a 33x-Blues Music Award-Winner. Musselwhite has had 14 blues albums Nominated for GRAMMY® Awards, including the 2023 GRAMMY® Award Nomination for his most recent album Mississippi Son. Musselwhite also has 20 Blues Music Awards for "Harmonica Player of the Year." LIVING BLUES MAGAZINE claims Musselwhite "plays magnificent harp with superb dexterity and phrasing" and the "results are amazing."
The stories of Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite—rich as they already are—are still being written, and this album is a new chapter. Their subtle, soulful musicianship and relaxed, conversational vocals fuel every song. Infused with their deep understanding of the blues tradition and the good-time spirit these two old pals stir up, 100 Years Of Blues is one of the finest, most memorable album recordings of either artist's career.
ELVIN BISHOP and CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE Tickets & Current Schedule of Shows
Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club's 2023 Schedule of Shows now includes 9 NEA Jazz Masters, 47 GRAMMY® Award-Winning Artists, 40 Blues Music Award-Winners, and a comprehensive list of talented musicians with 435+ GRAMMY® Award Nominations amongst them. Tickets for ELVIN BISHOP and CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club on Thursday August 17 at 7:30 P.M., as well as the current list of 2023 shows, can be found on Ticketmaster and Jimmy's Online Event Calendar at: http://www.jimmysoncongress.com/events.
ABOUT JIMMY'S JAZZ & BLUES CLUB
The mission of Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club is to provide guests with a one-of-a-kind, world-class experience featuring serious jazz and blues music served with exceptional cuisine. Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club features a spectacular and visually breathtaking environment engineered to deliver the highest quality acoustics while utilizing state-of-the-art production, sound and lighting technologies. Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club is located within a beautifully restored 1905 building at 135 Congress Street in the heart of historic downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire. For more information visit www.jimmysoncongress.com or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JimmysJazzBlues and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jimmysjazzblues/. Sign-up for Jimmy's Email Newsletter to stay informed on Upcoming Shows, New Artist Announcements, Promotional Offers, Ticket On-Sale Dates, Special Performances, and Jimmy's Sunday Jazz Brunch. In June 2023, Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club was given the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for its' outstanding Wine List.
PRIVATE EVENTS AT JIMMY'S
An architecturally breathtaking center of arts and culture in the heart of historic Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club offers a rare and spectacular venue to host important corporate functions, weddings, intimate or large-scale social gatherings, private parties, and memorable celebrations. The team at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club put heart and soul into creating a stunning full-service event space with new state-of-the-art production, sound and lighting technologies delivered with outstanding next-level culinary experiences. Our high-touch approach, provided by professional and experienced event staff, ensures that everything is tailored to exceed your expectations. To start a conversation about hosting your event at Jimmy's Jazz and Blues Club, please call us at 888-603-5299, or fill out Jimmy's Private Event Request Form.
JOIN THE TEAM AT THE LABRIE GROUP FAMILY OF RESTAURANTS
Motivated by a commitment to culinary and hospitality excellence, founders Michael and Peter Labrie and their leadership team understand it is essential to seek out talented team members for each of The Labrie Group family of restaurants — Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club, The Atlantic Grill, The River House, and Rio Tequila Cantina — all in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Career opportunities and current job openings can be found at www.TheLabrieGroup.com.
Website:
http://www.jimmysoncongress.com
Contact:
Suzanne Bresette
suzanne@jimmysoncongress.com
888-603-JAZZ
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SOURCE Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/jimmys-jazz-amp-blues-club-features-legendary-blues-musicians-elvin-bishop-charlie-musselwhite-thursday-august-17-730-pm/ | 2023-07-31T07:01:40 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/jimmys-jazz-amp-blues-club-features-legendary-blues-musicians-elvin-bishop-charlie-musselwhite-thursday-august-17-730-pm/ |
NEW YORK, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- One Rock Capital Partners, LLC ("One Rock") today announced one of its affiliates has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Constantia Flexibles ("Constantia" or the "Company"), a leading global packaging manufacturer, from Wendel (Euronext: MF.FP), one of Europe's leading listed investment firms.
Constantia is the partner of choice for flexible packaging to more than 4,000 pharmaceutical, food and consumer goods customers. With a team of over 7,000 employees, the Company manufactures and provides custom packaging solutions across the globe.
"Constantia has grown through acquisition and innovation to be a leader serving its food and pharma customers," said Telmo Valido, Partner at One Rock. "We look forward to partnering with Constantia's management team to continue innovating to solve for the evolving packaging needs and sustainability requirements of the Company's customers."
"We are very pleased to welcome Constantia Flexibles to the One Rock family," added Kurt Beyer, Partner at One Rock. "We believe our strategic and operational resources will complement management's efforts to pursue Constantia's growth initiatives while maintaining the standards of quality and service valued by its customers."
"In recent years under Wendel's ownership, Constantia Flexibles transformed its business performance, developed an innovative pipeline of more sustainable products and completed multiple acquisitions," said Pim Vervaat, CEO at Constantia. "With diverse geographic and end market presence, the Company is well-positioned to continue expanding its suite of packaging solutions amidst regulatory developments and a changing climate, and we look forward to partnering with One Rock during this next chapter."
J.P. Morgan served as lead financial advisor and Latham & Watkins LLP served as legal advisor to One Rock on the transaction. Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP served as legal advisor and Evercore served as financial advisor to Constantia.
ABOUT ONE ROCK CAPITAL PARTNERS, LLC
One Rock makes controlling investments in companies with potential for growth and operational improvement using a rigorous approach that utilizes highly experienced Operating Partners to identify, acquire and enhance businesses in select industries. The involvement of these Operating Partners affords One Rock the ability to conduct due diligence and consummate acquisitions and investments in all types of situations, regardless of complexity. One Rock works collaboratively with company management and its Operating Partners to develop a comprehensive business plan focused on growing the enterprise and its profitability to enhance long-term value. For more information, visit www.onerockcapital.com.
ABOUT CONSTANTIA FLEXIBLES
Constantia is the world's third-largest producer of flexible packaging. Based on the guiding principle of 'People, Passion, Packaging', some 7,650 employees manufacture tailor-made packaging solutions at 30 sites in 16 countries. Many international companies and local market leaders from the consumer and pharma industries choose the sustainable and innovative products of Constantia Flexibles. Sustainability is a top priority in product development at Constantia Flexibles: the company was rated Level A- by Climate Change Leadership (CDP) and Gold by EcoVadis in 2022. For more information, visit www.cflex.com.
MEDIA CONTACT
Julia Kaufman
Prosek Partners
pro-onerock@prosek.com
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SOURCE One Rock Capital Partners, LLC | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/one-rock-capital-partners-announces-acquisition-constantia-flexibles-wendel/ | 2023-07-31T07:01:47 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/one-rock-capital-partners-announces-acquisition-constantia-flexibles-wendel/ |
YONGIN, South Korea, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- GC Biopharma (006280.KS), a global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to specialty plasma-derived therapeutics, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the Company's resubmission of the Biologics License Application (BLA) for its GC5107B (Immune Globulin Intravenous (Human) for patients with primary humoral immunodeficiency (PI).
The Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action date is January 13, 2024. If approved, GC Biopharma would be able to provide more treatment options for patients with PI in the U.S.
GC Biopharma aims to enter the U.S. market in the second half of 2024 if GC5107B is approved by the FDA as anticipated.
While the U.S. immunoglobulin market size is estimated at about US$ 10.4 billion in 2022 (as per MRB[1] 2022), there have been sporadic shortages as there are only a small number of immunoglobulin manufacturers considering the need for a massive investment in facility and sophisticated production know-hows.
About GC5107B
GC5107B is a liquid solution containing 10% immunoglobulin G (100 mg/mL) for intravenous infusion, manufactured from pooled human plasma from US donors. The manufacturing process includes three steps to reduce the risk of virus transmission. The steps are "Fractionation I+III, solvent/detergent (S/D) treatment, and Nanofiltration."
About Primary Humoral Immunodeficiency
Primary humoral immunodeficiency disease comprises a large, heterogenous group of disorders resulting from inborn errors of immunity. Patients with PI are unable to mount an immune response to pathogens and can experience recurrent bacterial, viral, fungal, and protozoal infections as a result. Global estimates project that up to 6 million people may be living with PI, but only 650,000 people worldwide have been diagnosed[2],[3],[4].
About GC Biopharma
GC Biopharma (formerly known as Green Cross Corporation) is a biopharmaceutical company that delivers life-saving and life-sustaining protein therapeutics and vaccines. Headquartered in Yongin, South Korea, GC Biopharma is one of the leading plasma protein and vaccine product manufacturers globally and has been dedicated to quality healthcare solutions for more than half a century.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements, which express the current beliefs and expectations of GC Biopharma's management. Such statements do not represent any guarantee by GC Biopharma or its management of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. GC Biopharma undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement contained in this press release or any other forward-looking statements it may make, except as required by law or stock exchange rule.
GC Biopharma Contacts (Media)
Sohee Kim
shkim20@gccorp.com
Yelin Jun
yelin@gccorp.com
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SOURCE GC Biopharma | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-fda-accepts-biologics-license-application-gc-biopharmas-gc5107b-immune-globulin-intravenous-human-10-liquid/ | 2023-07-31T07:01:53 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-fda-accepts-biologics-license-application-gc-biopharmas-gc5107b-immune-globulin-intravenous-human-10-liquid/ |
MANCHESTER, Conn., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- DIANT® Pharma Inc. is excited to announce the US Food and Drug Administration's recent acquisition of the DIANT® LiFT system. The DIANT® LiFT system (https://diantpharma.com/the-diant-lift-system/ ) is GMP-capable equipment designed for the continuous manufacturing of lipid and polymer-based nanoparticles. In addition to providing the FDA with a high-throughput nanoparticle processing system that is scalable from R&D to commercial manufacturing, the DIANT® equipment also comes with integrated inline/online PAT that can monitor and control the process. DIANT's goal with PAT integration is to advance both the analytical and output standards across future forms of continuous manufacturing.
DIANT® technology was originally designed to synthesize liposomes and load small molecules at high throughput. However, in 2020 at the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic, the DIANT® technology was adapted to meet the growing and future demands that will be present in nucleic acid therapy via lipid nanoparticle delivery.
The FDA will install and operate this piece of equipment in their Beltsville, MD facility.
About
DIANT® Pharma Inc. (Manchester, CT USA) was founded in 2019 and has developed continuous processing technology for nanoparticles. DIANT® is dedicated to bringing advanced, continuous manufacturing technology to the market and to providing R&D services. Their proprietary, continuous manufacturing system for nanoparticles has a wide array of applications within the pharmaceutical space. (https://diantpharma.com/)
DIANT® provides a continuous manufacturing platform as a turnkey solution for the development and production of nanoparticles for therapeutics and vaccines.
Media Contact:
Gosia Lankosz
Marketing Manager, DIANT Pharma Inc.
Lankosz@diantpharma.com
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SOURCE DIANT Pharma Inc. | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-food-drug-administration-fda-purchase-lift-system-diant-pharma-inc/ | 2023-07-31T07:02:00 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-food-drug-administration-fda-purchase-lift-system-diant-pharma-inc/ |
17-year-old American cyclist killed while training for mountain bike world championships
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Seventeen-year-old American cyclist Magnus White, who was scheduled to race at the upcoming world championships in Scotland, was killed Saturday when he was struck by a vehicle on a training ride near his home in Boulder, Colorado.
USA Cycling announced his death in a statement Sunday.
White was a rising multidisciplinary star, winning a junior national championship in cyclocross in 2021 and earning a place on the U.S. national team. He competed with the team in Europe ahead of last year’s cyclocross world championships, and he was picked to represent the U.S. again at this year’s cyclocross worlds in the Netherlands.
White began to dabble in road cycling and mountain biking this season. He was on one of his final training rides before the junior world mountain bike championships in Glasgow, Scotland, when the accident occurred.
He is survived by his parents, Michael and Jill, and his brother, Eero.
“He was a rising star in the off-road cycling scene and his passion for cycling was evident through his racing and camaraderie with his teammates and local community,” USA Cycling said in a statement. “We offer our heartfelt condolences to the White family, his teammates, friends, and the Boulder community during this incredibly difficult time.”
___
AP coverage of the Paris Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kttc.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ | 2023-07-31T07:04:13 | 0 | https://www.kttc.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ |
22-month-old girl dies after being trapped under dresser
WILLIAMSTON, S.C. (FOX Carolina/Gray News) - The Anderson County Coroner’s Office said a 22-month-old girl from Calhoun Falls, South Carolina, died Sunday after a dresser overturned on her.
The victim was identified by the coroner’s office as Jalaya Bryant.
Anderson County officials said Bryant was at her grandparents’ house in Williamston, South Carolina, when she was discovered by a family member underneath the furniture that fell.
According to Anderson County Chief Deputy Coroner Don McCown, it appeared the child was trying to climb the dresser when it fell over and trapped her.
Bryant was taken to the hospital where she died from her injuries shortly after noon.
The coroner’s office said Bryant died from asphyxiation and there appears to be no signs of foul play.
The investigation is still ongoing.
Copyright 2023 WHNS via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.kttc.com/2023/07/31/22-month-old-girl-dies-after-being-trapped-under-dresser/ | 2023-07-31T07:04:19 | 0 | https://www.kttc.com/2023/07/31/22-month-old-girl-dies-after-being-trapped-under-dresser/ |
Mar-a-Lago worker charged in Trump’s classified documents case to make first court appearance
MIAMI (AP) — An employee of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, Carlos De Oliveira, is expected to make his first court appearance Monday on charges accusing him of scheming with the former president to hide security footage from investigators probing Trump’s hoarding of classified documents.
De Oliveira, Mar-a-Lago’s property manager, was added last week to the indictment with Trump and the former president’s valet, Walt Nauta, in the federal case alleging a plot to illegally keep top-secret records at Trump’s Florida estate and thwart government efforts to retrieve them.
De Oliveira faces charges including conspiracy to obstruct justice and lying to investigators. He’s scheduled to appear before a magistrate judge in Miami nearly two months after Trump pleaded not guilty in the case brought by special counsel Jack Smith.
The developments in the classified documents case come as Trump braces for possible charges in another federal investigation into his efforts to cling to power after he lost the 2020 election. Trump has received a letter from Smith indicating that he is a target of that investigation, and Trump’s lawyers met with Smith’s team last week.
An attorney for De Oliveira declined last week to comment on the allegations. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and said the Mar-a-Lago security tapes were voluntarily handed over to investigators. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform last week that he was told the tapes were not “deleted in any way, shape or form.”
Prosecutors have not alleged that security footage was actually deleted or kept from investigators.
Nauta has also pleaded not guilty. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon had previously scheduled the trial of Trump and Nauta to begin in May, and it’s unclear whether the addition of De Oliveira to the case may impact the case’s timeline.
The latest indictment, unsealed on Thursday, alleges that Trump tried to have security footage deleted after investigators visited in June 2022 to collect classified documents Trump took with him after he left the White House.
Trump was already facing dozens of felony counts — including willful retention of notional defense information — stemming from allegations that he mishandled government secrets that as commander-in-chief he was entrusted to protect. Experts have said the new allegations bolster the special counsel’s case and deepen the former president’s legal jeopardy.
Video from Mar-a-Lago would ultimately become vital to the government’s case because, prosecutors said, it shows Nauta moving boxes in and out of a storage room — an act alleged to have been done at Trump’s direction and in effort to hide records not only only from investigators but Trump’s own lawyers.
Days after the Justice Department sent a subpoena for video footage at Mar-a-Lago to the Trump Organization in June 2022, prosecutors say De Oliveira asked a information technology staffer how long the server retained footage and told the employee “the boss” wanted it deleted. When the employee said he didn’t believe he was able to do that, De Oliveira insisted the “boss” wanted it done, asking, “What are we going to do?”
Shortly after the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago and found classified records in the storage room and Trump’s office, prosecutors say Nauta called a Trump employee and said words to the effect of, “someone just wants to make sure Carlos is good.” The indictment says the employee responded that De Oliveira was loyal and wouldn’t do anything to affect his relationship with Trump. That same day, the indictment alleges, Trump called De Oliveira directly to say that he would get De Oliveira an attorney.
Prosecutors allege that De Oliveira later lied in interviews with investigators, falsely claiming that he hadn’t even seen boxes moved into Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House.
____
Richer reported from Boston.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kttc.com/2023/07/31/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-make-first-court-appearance/ | 2023-07-31T07:04:26 | 0 | https://www.kttc.com/2023/07/31/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-make-first-court-appearance/ |
17-year-old American cyclist killed while training for mountain bike world championships
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Seventeen-year-old American cyclist Magnus White, who was scheduled to race at the upcoming world championships in Scotland, was killed Saturday when he was struck by a vehicle on a training ride near his home in Boulder, Colorado.
USA Cycling announced his death in a statement Sunday.
White was a rising multidisciplinary star, winning a junior national championship in cyclocross in 2021 and earning a place on the U.S. national team. He competed with the team in Europe ahead of last year’s cyclocross world championships, and he was picked to represent the U.S. again at this year’s cyclocross worlds in the Netherlands.
White began to dabble in road cycling and mountain biking this season. He was on one of his final training rides before the junior world mountain bike championships in Glasgow, Scotland, when the accident occurred.
He is survived by his parents, Michael and Jill, and his brother, Eero.
“He was a rising star in the off-road cycling scene and his passion for cycling was evident through his racing and camaraderie with his teammates and local community,” USA Cycling said in a statement. “We offer our heartfelt condolences to the White family, his teammates, friends, and the Boulder community during this incredibly difficult time.”
___
AP coverage of the Paris Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ | 2023-07-31T07:04:40 | 1 | https://www.wibw.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ |
22-month-old girl dies after being trapped under dresser
WILLIAMSTON, S.C. (FOX Carolina/Gray News) - The Anderson County Coroner’s Office said a 22-month-old girl from Calhoun Falls, South Carolina, died Sunday after a dresser overturned on her.
The victim was identified by the coroner’s office as Jalaya Bryant.
Anderson County officials said Bryant was at her grandparents’ house in Williamston, South Carolina, when she was discovered by a family member underneath the furniture that fell.
According to Anderson County Chief Deputy Coroner Don McCown, it appeared the child was trying to climb the dresser when it fell over and trapped her.
Bryant was taken to the hospital where she died from her injuries shortly after noon.
The coroner’s office said Bryant died from asphyxiation and there appears to be no signs of foul play.
The investigation is still ongoing.
Copyright 2023 WHNS via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2023/07/31/22-month-old-girl-dies-after-being-trapped-under-dresser/ | 2023-07-31T07:04:41 | 0 | https://www.wibw.com/2023/07/31/22-month-old-girl-dies-after-being-trapped-under-dresser/ |
Mar-a-Lago worker charged in Trump’s classified documents case to make first court appearance
MIAMI (AP) — An employee of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, Carlos De Oliveira, is expected to make his first court appearance Monday on charges accusing him of scheming with the former president to hide security footage from investigators probing Trump’s hoarding of classified documents.
De Oliveira, Mar-a-Lago’s property manager, was added last week to the indictment with Trump and the former president’s valet, Walt Nauta, in the federal case alleging a plot to illegally keep top-secret records at Trump’s Florida estate and thwart government efforts to retrieve them.
De Oliveira faces charges including conspiracy to obstruct justice and lying to investigators. He’s scheduled to appear before a magistrate judge in Miami nearly two months after Trump pleaded not guilty in the case brought by special counsel Jack Smith.
The developments in the classified documents case come as Trump braces for possible charges in another federal investigation into his efforts to cling to power after he lost the 2020 election. Trump has received a letter from Smith indicating that he is a target of that investigation, and Trump’s lawyers met with Smith’s team last week.
An attorney for De Oliveira declined last week to comment on the allegations. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and said the Mar-a-Lago security tapes were voluntarily handed over to investigators. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform last week that he was told the tapes were not “deleted in any way, shape or form.”
Prosecutors have not alleged that security footage was actually deleted or kept from investigators.
Nauta has also pleaded not guilty. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon had previously scheduled the trial of Trump and Nauta to begin in May, and it’s unclear whether the addition of De Oliveira to the case may impact the case’s timeline.
The latest indictment, unsealed on Thursday, alleges that Trump tried to have security footage deleted after investigators visited in June 2022 to collect classified documents Trump took with him after he left the White House.
Trump was already facing dozens of felony counts — including willful retention of notional defense information — stemming from allegations that he mishandled government secrets that as commander-in-chief he was entrusted to protect. Experts have said the new allegations bolster the special counsel’s case and deepen the former president’s legal jeopardy.
Video from Mar-a-Lago would ultimately become vital to the government’s case because, prosecutors said, it shows Nauta moving boxes in and out of a storage room — an act alleged to have been done at Trump’s direction and in effort to hide records not only only from investigators but Trump’s own lawyers.
Days after the Justice Department sent a subpoena for video footage at Mar-a-Lago to the Trump Organization in June 2022, prosecutors say De Oliveira asked a information technology staffer how long the server retained footage and told the employee “the boss” wanted it deleted. When the employee said he didn’t believe he was able to do that, De Oliveira insisted the “boss” wanted it done, asking, “What are we going to do?”
Shortly after the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago and found classified records in the storage room and Trump’s office, prosecutors say Nauta called a Trump employee and said words to the effect of, “someone just wants to make sure Carlos is good.” The indictment says the employee responded that De Oliveira was loyal and wouldn’t do anything to affect his relationship with Trump. That same day, the indictment alleges, Trump called De Oliveira directly to say that he would get De Oliveira an attorney.
Prosecutors allege that De Oliveira later lied in interviews with investigators, falsely claiming that he hadn’t even seen boxes moved into Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House.
____
Richer reported from Boston.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2023/07/31/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-make-first-court-appearance/ | 2023-07-31T07:04:42 | 0 | https://www.wibw.com/2023/07/31/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-make-first-court-appearance/ |
SHENZHEN, China, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2023 ASEAN-China Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation (Qianhai) Forum was held in Qianhai, Shenzhen from July 29 to 30. More than 500 political and business representatives from ASEAN countries and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area attended the opening ceremony and related events. Six enterprises under the chambers of commerce from the Greater Bay Area reached investment and cooperation agreements with ASEAN, with the intended investment signed amounting to 3.5 billion yuan, bringing about a bilateral trade volume of 7 billion yuan.
China and ASEAN are already each other's largest trading partners. On November 22, 2021, the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and ASEAN was officially announced to build a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.
At the opening ceremony of the Forum, the Greater Bay Area-ASEAN Association of Chambers of Commerce and the ASEAN-China Think Tank Cooperation Partnership were established, and the ASEAN-Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation Initiative was announced. The Initiative proposed to establish a dialogue platform for economic cooperation, strengthen industrial and investment cooperation, promote cooperation in scientific and technological innovation and transformation of technological achievements, strengthen exchange and cooperation between the business associations in the region, and encourage talent and cultural exchanges between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN.
Shi Zhongjun, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre, said in his welcome remark that government officials, business associations, think tanks, and enterprise representatives from China and ASEAN member states had gathered in Qianhai and would have in-depth exchanges and discussions in a number of forums and industry matching activities in two days so as to offer advice and suggestions on promoting the cooperation and development between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN countries in the fields of finance, e-commerce, digital economy, science and technological innovation, etc.
Wang Shourui, Vice Mayor of Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, said that this Forum would help build a broader and more efficient platform for economic cooperation and exchanges between ASEAN and the Greater Bay Area and further strengthen dialogues and cooperation in fields such as scientific and technological innovation, economic and trade investment, etc. Shenzhen would fully play its role as the important link between China and ASEAN, seize the opportunity brought by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), deepen the comprehensive cooperation with ASEAN countries in business, trade, finance, smart city, new energy vehicles, and other areas, and promote economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people connectivity between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN so as to jointly build and share a prosperous home.
Ambassadors and government representatives from Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, Indonesia, Myanmar, and the Philippines delivered keynote speeches. Speeches by the representatives from the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia, Philippine Association for Chinese Studies, and GRC Indonesia Construction Materials Group affirmed that Qianhai, where the Forum was held, would provide a broad market and unlimited opportunities for enterprises. They all looked forward to coming to the Greater Bay Area and Qianhai to invest, develop, and win a better future together.
Qianhai will make full use of the opportunities brought by organizing this Forum, spare no efforts to build a gateway hub for opening up to the world, actively build platforms for economic cooperation and dialogues, deepen industrial and investment cooperation, promote the transformation of technological achievements, and contribute to the economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people connectivity between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN.
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SOURCE The 2023 ASEAN-China Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation (Qianhai) Forum | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ | 2023-07-31T07:04:42 | 0 | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ |
LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Flutter Entertainment plc ("Flutter") (London Stock Exchange/Euronext Dublin: FLTR) and Fox Corporation ("FOX") (Nasdaq: FOX, FOXA), announce today the decision to close sports betting platform FOX Bet. A phased closure of FOX Bet's operations will take place between July 31 and August 31, 2023.
Flutter operated FOX Bet as part of The Stars Group US ("TSG US") along with the US facing operations of PokerStars. Flutter will retain ownership of PokerStars, in addition to US sports betting market leader FanDuel. FOX will retain future use of the FOX and FOX Bet brands, including FOX Bet Super 6, and intends to launch an all-new FOX Super 6 game later this summer.
FOX will continue to hold its option to acquire 18.6% of FanDuel and in addition holds a 2.5% stake in Flutter.
Notes to Editors
About FOX Bet: FOX Bet, a sports betting platform available in Colorado, Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, was launched in 2019 by FOX and TSG. TSG was acquired and operated by Flutter as of May 2020.
About Fox Corporation: Fox Corporation produces and distributes compelling news, sports, and entertainment content through its primary iconic domestic brands, including Fox News Media, Fox Sports, Fox Entertainment, Fox Television Stations and Tubi Media Group. These brands hold cultural significance with consumers and commercial importance for distributors and advertisers. The breadth and depth of our footprint allows us to deliver content that engages and informs audiences, develop deeper consumer relationships, and create more compelling product offerings. FOX maintains an impressive track record of news, sports, and entertainment industry success that shapes our strategy to capitalize on existing strengths and invest in new initiatives. For more information about Fox Corporation, please visit www.FoxCorporation.com.
About Flutter Entertainment plc: Changing the Game – Flutter is a global betting and gaming group with an ambition to drive positive and sustainable change in our industry. Flutter's brand portfolio includes America's number one sportsbook FanDuel, along with PokerStars, Sky Betting and Gaming, Paddy Power, Betfair, Tombola, Sportsbet, Sisal, Adjarabet and Junglee. Through these world class brands, we excite and entertain customers, while leading the way in responsible play. Our strength is the Flutter Edge, optimising the advantages of our global scale to drive business performance and positive impact for our customers, colleagues and communities. For more information about Flutter Entertainment plc, its brands and reporting divisions, please visit www.flutter.com.
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SOURCE Fox Corporation | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/flutter-entertainment-plc-fox-corporation-announce-close-fox-bet/ | 2023-07-31T07:04:43 | 0 | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/flutter-entertainment-plc-fox-corporation-announce-close-fox-bet/ |
BEIJING, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 31st FISU World University Games, the first major international sports event held in China in the post-epidemic era, officially kicked off in Southwestern city Chengdu, with the cauldron ignited in the stadium on Friday evening. Analysts said the significance of this event, which symbolizes solidarity and friendship, goes beyond sports itself and will further promote exchanges and understanding between young people from different countries.
Chengdu, a fascinating tourist destination known for its historic sites, adorable pandas, hospitable locals and delicious Sichuan cuisine, now adds the grand sports event to its name card. Observers believe that the Chengdu Universiade will help bring together people in the wider international community who love peace, stability and prosperity.
After a splendid fireworks display in the countdown segment themed on sun and immortal birds from Chinese mythology, at 8 pm on Friday night, the ceremony started with an opening singing performance led by a girl from the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan. She became known to the public in February 2018 when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited her family, a poverty-stricken household in Sanhe village.
University sports delegations from countries and regions entered the stadium along the march pass paved with Sichuan brocade patterns. Spearheaded by flagbearers Hu Zhenzhuo and Guo Hanyu, the Chinese mainland delegation, consisting of over 700 people, marched on last as the host nation delegation to the warmest standing ovation.
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region sent its largest-ever delegation to the Chengdu Universiade, which received a jubilant and sustained cheer from the audience as they marched into the stadium.
Athletes from Macao Special Administrative Region and Chinese Taipei athletes also received wild and warm cheers.
Delegations from 113 countries and regions are participating in the Chengdu FISU Games, which runs from July 28 to August 8, with over 6,500 athletes competing in 18 sports. The Chinese delegation, which consists of more than 700 people, includes 411 athletes from more than 100 universities.
In order to minimize the impact of the pandemic and guarantee the participation of students, FISU raised the maximum age of participants from 25 to 27.
President of the Organizing Committee of the Chengdu Universiade Huai Jinpeng and FISU Acting President Leonz Eder delivered their speeches on the rostrum surrounded by delegation flags.
"Thank you, Chengdu!" Leonz Eder said in Chinese.
Chinese President Xi Jinping then declared the Chengdu Games open at the Dong'an Lake Sports Park Stadium to the largest cheer of the night.
Ye Guangfu, a taikonaut from China's Shenzhou-13 manned spaceflight, appeared at the opening ceremony as the main torchbearer and ignited the cauldron along with 30 other torchbearers.
Power of youth
At a banquet to welcome guests attending the World University Games opening ceremony on Friday, President Xi said that the World University Games has always been a celebration of youth, solidarity and friendship, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
Xi called on young people from around the globe to join hands to promote world peace and development, expressing hope that young people worldwide take the opportunity of the Chengdu Universiade to enhance mutual understanding and inject new impetus into human progress.
FISU Universiade, which was first held during the Cold War in 1959, not only wants young people to adopt a healthy lifestyle, but also seeks to promote young people communicating across cultural, political and religious barriers through sports, Ren Hai, a professor at the Olympic Research Center of Beijing Sports University, told the Global Times.
Through sports, young people can learn that they should not only cherish their own culture, but also respect other cultures, as the world should be diverse and inclusive, Ren said, "This coincides with the Chinese idea of 'seeking common ground while reserving differences'."
Sincerity and hospitality
Chengdu, as a cultural city with over 2,300 years of history, has long been a hub of exchanges connecting China to the rest of the world, like "a pearl on the southwestern Silk Road," President Xi said at the welcome banquet on Friday.
On Friday, Xi encouraged people to tour the city of Chengdu and experience and share firsthand the multifaceted manifestations of the Chinese modernization.
Chengdu is the third city on the Chinese mainland to host the biennial FISU Summer Games, following Beijing in 2001 and Shenzhen in 2011. It is also the first time a city in China's western region has hosted a comprehensive international sports event.
It's worth noting that out of the 49 venues of the Chengdu FISU Games, only 13 were newly constructed, and the other 36 venues are repurposed and upgraded buildings. Throughout the process, green and energy-saving measures were promoted, along with prioritizing the use of environmentally friendly building materials.
Chengdu enjoyed sunny weather on Friday, with special Panda-themed vehicles deployed on the streets.
German swimmer Henning Bennet Mühlleitner told the Global Times on Friday that what he found most impressive about the Chengdu Games was "how everything in China is focused on the physical games, although the Games have been holding back for two years due to the pandemic."
"I feel in good hands, organization-wise, not only by the German team but also by the officials… The volunteers have been very supportive and thoughtful," Mühlleitner said.
"There's no other country in the world with China's capacity and willingness to make such great efforts for a FISU Summer Games, which doesn't seem as profitable compared with other major sporting events," Wang Dazhao, a Beijing-based sports commentator, told the Global Times.
Nevertheless, according to Wang, what China hopes to gain from hosting the Games is a platform for youth to promote cultural exchanges and world unity.
Before the opening, accredited media journalists received a bilingual written script in Chinese and English from students at the local Shishi High School, introducing the cultural diversity of Chengdu that ranges from the Jinsha Site Musem to the Dujiangyan Irrigation System.
Local people have received blind-box gifts from the organizers, which include venue maps, Chinese-English catchphrase leaflets and even sports equipment ranging from skipping ropes to frisbees, Global Times learned.
The move has invigorated the local people's enthusiasm for the international sports event, as tickets for several events such as athletics, swimming and badminton have sold out.
Hosting the FISU Games also drew a huge influx of visitors this week. A source from the civil aviation authority told the Global Times that flight numbers in the previous month in Chengdu alone reached over 200,000, with the average number of daily flights at Chengdu's Shuangliu and Tianfu international airports surpassing 1,700.
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SOURCE Global Times | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ | 2023-07-31T07:05:00 | 1 | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ |
Blues and Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame Guitarist, Singer & Songwriter ELVIN BISHOP joins forces with Blues Hall of Famer and GRAMMY® Award-Winning Harmonica Master, Singer & Songwriter CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE to present their 2022 GRAMMY® Award Nominated album '100 Years of Blues'. Tickets for Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club in Portsmouth, NH on Thursday August 17 at 7:30 P.M., as well as the current list of 2023 shows, can be found on Ticketmaster.com and Jimmy's Online Event Calendar at: http://www.jimmysoncongress.com/events.
PORTSMOUTH, N.H., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club Features Legendary Blues Musicians ELVIN BISHOP and CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE on Thursday August 17 at 7:30 P.M. Blues and Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame guitarist, singer and songwriter Elvin Bishop and Blues Hall of Famer and GRAMMY® Award-Winning harmonica master, singer and songwriter Charlie Musselwhite present their 2022 GRAMMY® Award Nominated album 100 Years of Blues ("Best Traditional Blues Album"). The album also won the 2021 "Album of the Year" at the Blues Music Awards.
"This entire 12-track release is just two good-old-blues-boys sitting together and jamming. It's absolutely brilliant."
— AMERICAN BLUES SCENE ('100 Years of Blues' Album Review).
"The simple sound of these two masters in a room playing together is absolutely joyous."
— ROCK & BLUES MUSE ('100 Years of Blues' Album Review)
"Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite, both a few years shy of 80, are deserving of accolades."
— DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE ('100 Years of Blues' Album Review)
Legendary blues musicians Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite are fellow blues travelers and living blues giants. The two history-making musicians—both Blues Hall of Famers—have over 100 years of professional musicianship between them. They are among the most famous bluesmen in the world. Although they've known each other since the early 1960s, this was the first time that they ever teamed up to make an album together. 100 Years of Blues, released on Alligator Records, is blues at its deepest, warmest and most engaging.
Elvin Bishop is a Blues and Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famer, a 4x-GRAMMY® Award Nominee, and a 5x-Blues Music Award-Winner. ROLLING STONE calls Bishop "a legendary guitarist" whose playing is "impeccable and spirited…a distinguished American player".
Charlie Musselwhite is a Blues Hall of Famer, a GRAMMY® Award-Winner, a 15x-GRAMMY® Award Nominee, and a 33x-Blues Music Award-Winner. Musselwhite has had 14 blues albums Nominated for GRAMMY® Awards, including the 2023 GRAMMY® Award Nomination for his most recent album Mississippi Son. Musselwhite also has 20 Blues Music Awards for "Harmonica Player of the Year." LIVING BLUES MAGAZINE claims Musselwhite "plays magnificent harp with superb dexterity and phrasing" and the "results are amazing."
The stories of Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite—rich as they already are—are still being written, and this album is a new chapter. Their subtle, soulful musicianship and relaxed, conversational vocals fuel every song. Infused with their deep understanding of the blues tradition and the good-time spirit these two old pals stir up, 100 Years Of Blues is one of the finest, most memorable album recordings of either artist's career.
ELVIN BISHOP and CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE Tickets & Current Schedule of Shows
Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club's 2023 Schedule of Shows now includes 9 NEA Jazz Masters, 47 GRAMMY® Award-Winning Artists, 40 Blues Music Award-Winners, and a comprehensive list of talented musicians with 435+ GRAMMY® Award Nominations amongst them. Tickets for ELVIN BISHOP and CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club on Thursday August 17 at 7:30 P.M., as well as the current list of 2023 shows, can be found on Ticketmaster and Jimmy's Online Event Calendar at: http://www.jimmysoncongress.com/events.
ABOUT JIMMY'S JAZZ & BLUES CLUB
The mission of Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club is to provide guests with a one-of-a-kind, world-class experience featuring serious jazz and blues music served with exceptional cuisine. Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club features a spectacular and visually breathtaking environment engineered to deliver the highest quality acoustics while utilizing state-of-the-art production, sound and lighting technologies. Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club is located within a beautifully restored 1905 building at 135 Congress Street in the heart of historic downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire. For more information visit www.jimmysoncongress.com or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JimmysJazzBlues and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jimmysjazzblues/. Sign-up for Jimmy's Email Newsletter to stay informed on Upcoming Shows, New Artist Announcements, Promotional Offers, Ticket On-Sale Dates, Special Performances, and Jimmy's Sunday Jazz Brunch. In June 2023, Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club was given the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for its' outstanding Wine List.
PRIVATE EVENTS AT JIMMY'S
An architecturally breathtaking center of arts and culture in the heart of historic Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club offers a rare and spectacular venue to host important corporate functions, weddings, intimate or large-scale social gatherings, private parties, and memorable celebrations. The team at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club put heart and soul into creating a stunning full-service event space with new state-of-the-art production, sound and lighting technologies delivered with outstanding next-level culinary experiences. Our high-touch approach, provided by professional and experienced event staff, ensures that everything is tailored to exceed your expectations. To start a conversation about hosting your event at Jimmy's Jazz and Blues Club, please call us at 888-603-5299, or fill out Jimmy's Private Event Request Form.
JOIN THE TEAM AT THE LABRIE GROUP FAMILY OF RESTAURANTS
Motivated by a commitment to culinary and hospitality excellence, founders Michael and Peter Labrie and their leadership team understand it is essential to seek out talented team members for each of The Labrie Group family of restaurants — Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club, The Atlantic Grill, The River House, and Rio Tequila Cantina — all in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Career opportunities and current job openings can be found at www.TheLabrieGroup.com.
Website:
http://www.jimmysoncongress.com
Contact:
Suzanne Bresette
suzanne@jimmysoncongress.com
888-603-JAZZ
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SOURCE Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/jimmys-jazz-amp-blues-club-features-legendary-blues-musicians-elvin-bishop-charlie-musselwhite-thursday-august-17-730-pm/ | 2023-07-31T07:05:07 | 0 | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/jimmys-jazz-amp-blues-club-features-legendary-blues-musicians-elvin-bishop-charlie-musselwhite-thursday-august-17-730-pm/ |
- LGES' ESG Report 2022 published today, announcing a string of sustainable business management progress made in the previous year
- 61 percent of the electricity used in the company's global production sites was generated from renewable sources… 56 percent when including non-manufacturing business sites
- The firm has strengthened the disclosure of information in scope and depth to better address growing demands from global authorities including ISSB and TCFD
SEOUL, South Korea, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- LG Energy Solution (LGES; KRX: 373220) today released ESG report 2022, sharing the progress of the company's ESG management including climate change mitigation achievements. Consisting of a total of 107 pages, the third annual report details the company's vision, efforts, and progress in environmental, social, and governance areas.
As a part of its plan to achieve carbon neutrality company-wide by 2040, LGES announced that it has managed to source 61 percent of the electricity used in its global production sites from renewable energy in 2022. In terms of the company-wide electricity usage, which includes non-manufacturing business sites, 56 percent was delivered from renewable sources. LGES has been rapidly advancing the transition to renewable energy, supplying 33 percent of its electricity use from renewable sources in 2020 and 44 percent in 2021.
Previously, LGES has set a phased roadmap to successfully complete the mid-to long-term initiative to realize carbon neutrality. The company plans to supply all its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Furthermore, LGES intends to achieve carbon neutrality by converting all energy sources aside from electricity, including fuels and gas, to renewable energy sources at all of its business sites by 2040, and across the entire value chain by 2050.
One of the other priority tasks identified by LGES is establishing a closed-loop system of resources by reusing or recycling end-of-life batteries and managing waste generated at business sites. To this end, the company signed a contract with Li-Cycle, the largest battery recycling company in North America, to provide scrap generated during the battery manufacturing process, and in turn receive recycled nickel that can be used in manufacturing cathode materials for batteries. Furthermore, in China, LGES has completed the establishment of recycling system in 2022. Its Nanjing facility has also developed a new technology to recycle NMP solvent waste (N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone), which accounts for about 85 percent of the hazardous waste, and improved the NMP recycling rate from 80 percent to 97 percent.
Furthermore, LGES is actively taking part in major global ESG initiatives. In May 2022, it became the first Korean company to join the Fair Cobalt Alliance (FCA), joining the global efforts to eradicate forced labor and child labor issues in Congolese mines of cobalt, a major raw material for batteries, and secure fair minerals. Also participating as a member of the Alliance's Steering Committee, LGES is actively pursuing community improvement activities such as helping young children enroll in school, supplying solar power to local schools, and executing safety education in mines.
LGES emphasized that the company has strengthened the information disclosure throughout this year's report in line with the growing call for more transparent ESG information from various stakeholders including investors around the world. LGES is responding quickly to the demands of the international community, following the recommendations from renowned global ESG disclosure standards such as the International Sustainability Standard Board (ISSB) and Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD).
In addition, the report's cover design reflects the characteristics of LGES as a battery company as well as its ESG slogan "Plus for Minus, Minus for Plus." The phrase represents the company's determination to realize a better future by reducing unnecessary elements and adding necessary ones in each area of Environment, Society, and Governance, like the natural flow of electrodes moving between the plus and minus poles.
"LG Energy Solution will continue to relentlessly innovate ourselves in order to contribute to the global carbon neutrality and the future of mankind," said Youngsoo Kwon, CEO of LG Energy Solution. "By making a difference, we will meaningfully realize our goal of becoming the 'global No.1 company' that is trusted and beloved by customers."
To view the full ESG Report 2022, go to: https://www.lgensol.com/upload/file/sustainability/2022_LGES_ESG_Report_Eng.pdf
About LG Energy Solution
LG Energy Solution (KRX: 373220), a split-off from LG Chem, is a leading global manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, mobility, IT, and energy storage systems. With 30 years of experience in revolutionary battery technology and extensive research and development (R&D), the company is the top battery-related patent holder in the world with over 25,000 patents. Its robust global network, which spans North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, includes battery manufacturing facilities established through joint ventures with major automakers such as General Motors, Stellantis N.V., Hyundai Motor Group, and Honda Motor Co., Ltd. At the forefront of green business and sustainability, LG Energy Solution aims to achieve carbon neutral operations by 2050, while embodying the value of shared growth and promoting diverse and inclusive corporate culture. To learn more about LG Energy Solution's ideas and innovations, visit https://news.lgensol.com.
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SOURCE LG Energy Solution | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/lg-energy-solution-crosses-halfway-mark-its-journey-reach-carbon-neutrality/ | 2023-07-31T07:05:13 | 0 | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/lg-energy-solution-crosses-halfway-mark-its-journey-reach-carbon-neutrality/ |
NEW YORK, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- One Rock Capital Partners, LLC ("One Rock") today announced one of its affiliates has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Constantia Flexibles ("Constantia" or the "Company"), a leading global packaging manufacturer, from Wendel (Euronext: MF.FP), one of Europe's leading listed investment firms.
Constantia is the partner of choice for flexible packaging to more than 4,000 pharmaceutical, food and consumer goods customers. With a team of over 7,000 employees, the Company manufactures and provides custom packaging solutions across the globe.
"Constantia has grown through acquisition and innovation to be a leader serving its food and pharma customers," said Telmo Valido, Partner at One Rock. "We look forward to partnering with Constantia's management team to continue innovating to solve for the evolving packaging needs and sustainability requirements of the Company's customers."
"We are very pleased to welcome Constantia Flexibles to the One Rock family," added Kurt Beyer, Partner at One Rock. "We believe our strategic and operational resources will complement management's efforts to pursue Constantia's growth initiatives while maintaining the standards of quality and service valued by its customers."
"In recent years under Wendel's ownership, Constantia Flexibles transformed its business performance, developed an innovative pipeline of more sustainable products and completed multiple acquisitions," said Pim Vervaat, CEO at Constantia. "With diverse geographic and end market presence, the Company is well-positioned to continue expanding its suite of packaging solutions amidst regulatory developments and a changing climate, and we look forward to partnering with One Rock during this next chapter."
J.P. Morgan served as lead financial advisor and Latham & Watkins LLP served as legal advisor to One Rock on the transaction. Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP served as legal advisor and Evercore served as financial advisor to Constantia.
ABOUT ONE ROCK CAPITAL PARTNERS, LLC
One Rock makes controlling investments in companies with potential for growth and operational improvement using a rigorous approach that utilizes highly experienced Operating Partners to identify, acquire and enhance businesses in select industries. The involvement of these Operating Partners affords One Rock the ability to conduct due diligence and consummate acquisitions and investments in all types of situations, regardless of complexity. One Rock works collaboratively with company management and its Operating Partners to develop a comprehensive business plan focused on growing the enterprise and its profitability to enhance long-term value. For more information, visit www.onerockcapital.com.
ABOUT CONSTANTIA FLEXIBLES
Constantia is the world's third-largest producer of flexible packaging. Based on the guiding principle of 'People, Passion, Packaging', some 7,650 employees manufacture tailor-made packaging solutions at 30 sites in 16 countries. Many international companies and local market leaders from the consumer and pharma industries choose the sustainable and innovative products of Constantia Flexibles. Sustainability is a top priority in product development at Constantia Flexibles: the company was rated Level A- by Climate Change Leadership (CDP) and Gold by EcoVadis in 2022. For more information, visit www.cflex.com.
MEDIA CONTACT
Julia Kaufman
Prosek Partners
pro-onerock@prosek.com
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SOURCE One Rock Capital Partners, LLC | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/one-rock-capital-partners-announces-acquisition-constantia-flexibles-wendel/ | 2023-07-31T07:05:20 | 1 | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/one-rock-capital-partners-announces-acquisition-constantia-flexibles-wendel/ |
YONGIN, South Korea, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- GC Biopharma (006280.KS), a global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to specialty plasma-derived therapeutics, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the Company's resubmission of the Biologics License Application (BLA) for its GC5107B (Immune Globulin Intravenous (Human) for patients with primary humoral immunodeficiency (PI).
The Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action date is January 13, 2024. If approved, GC Biopharma would be able to provide more treatment options for patients with PI in the U.S.
GC Biopharma aims to enter the U.S. market in the second half of 2024 if GC5107B is approved by the FDA as anticipated.
While the U.S. immunoglobulin market size is estimated at about US$ 10.4 billion in 2022 (as per MRB[1] 2022), there have been sporadic shortages as there are only a small number of immunoglobulin manufacturers considering the need for a massive investment in facility and sophisticated production know-hows.
About GC5107B
GC5107B is a liquid solution containing 10% immunoglobulin G (100 mg/mL) for intravenous infusion, manufactured from pooled human plasma from US donors. The manufacturing process includes three steps to reduce the risk of virus transmission. The steps are "Fractionation I+III, solvent/detergent (S/D) treatment, and Nanofiltration."
About Primary Humoral Immunodeficiency
Primary humoral immunodeficiency disease comprises a large, heterogenous group of disorders resulting from inborn errors of immunity. Patients with PI are unable to mount an immune response to pathogens and can experience recurrent bacterial, viral, fungal, and protozoal infections as a result. Global estimates project that up to 6 million people may be living with PI, but only 650,000 people worldwide have been diagnosed[2],[3],[4].
About GC Biopharma
GC Biopharma (formerly known as Green Cross Corporation) is a biopharmaceutical company that delivers life-saving and life-sustaining protein therapeutics and vaccines. Headquartered in Yongin, South Korea, GC Biopharma is one of the leading plasma protein and vaccine product manufacturers globally and has been dedicated to quality healthcare solutions for more than half a century.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements, which express the current beliefs and expectations of GC Biopharma's management. Such statements do not represent any guarantee by GC Biopharma or its management of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. GC Biopharma undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement contained in this press release or any other forward-looking statements it may make, except as required by law or stock exchange rule.
GC Biopharma Contacts (Media)
Sohee Kim
shkim20@gccorp.com
Yelin Jun
yelin@gccorp.com
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SOURCE GC Biopharma | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-fda-accepts-biologics-license-application-gc-biopharmas-gc5107b-immune-globulin-intravenous-human-10-liquid/ | 2023-07-31T07:05:26 | 0 | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-fda-accepts-biologics-license-application-gc-biopharmas-gc5107b-immune-globulin-intravenous-human-10-liquid/ |
MANCHESTER, Conn., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- DIANT® Pharma Inc. is excited to announce the US Food and Drug Administration's recent acquisition of the DIANT® LiFT system. The DIANT® LiFT system (https://diantpharma.com/the-diant-lift-system/ ) is GMP-capable equipment designed for the continuous manufacturing of lipid and polymer-based nanoparticles. In addition to providing the FDA with a high-throughput nanoparticle processing system that is scalable from R&D to commercial manufacturing, the DIANT® equipment also comes with integrated inline/online PAT that can monitor and control the process. DIANT's goal with PAT integration is to advance both the analytical and output standards across future forms of continuous manufacturing.
DIANT® technology was originally designed to synthesize liposomes and load small molecules at high throughput. However, in 2020 at the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic, the DIANT® technology was adapted to meet the growing and future demands that will be present in nucleic acid therapy via lipid nanoparticle delivery.
The FDA will install and operate this piece of equipment in their Beltsville, MD facility.
About
DIANT® Pharma Inc. (Manchester, CT USA) was founded in 2019 and has developed continuous processing technology for nanoparticles. DIANT® is dedicated to bringing advanced, continuous manufacturing technology to the market and to providing R&D services. Their proprietary, continuous manufacturing system for nanoparticles has a wide array of applications within the pharmaceutical space. (https://diantpharma.com/)
DIANT® provides a continuous manufacturing platform as a turnkey solution for the development and production of nanoparticles for therapeutics and vaccines.
Media Contact:
Gosia Lankosz
Marketing Manager, DIANT Pharma Inc.
Lankosz@diantpharma.com
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SOURCE DIANT Pharma Inc. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-food-drug-administration-fda-purchase-lift-system-diant-pharma-inc/ | 2023-07-31T07:05:33 | 1 | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-food-drug-administration-fda-purchase-lift-system-diant-pharma-inc/ |
BRIGHTON, Iowa (AP) — You-pick farms are struggling through heat, drought and haze as customers cancel picking appointments and crops across Iowa refuse to grow.
These farms offer visitors the chance to harvest their own produce straight from the tree, bush or ground.
But this summer marks Iowa’s third year in a row of drought. And that is hurting farmers who grow water-intensive crops like blueberries and strawberries that are particularly sensitive to heat and drought, the Cedar Rapids Gazette reported.
Kim Anderson told The Gazette that her well started faltering during last summer’s heat and drought at her 5-acre Blueberry Bottom Farm near Brighton in southeastern Iowa.
Many of her blueberry bushes became parched. And recently, for the first time in the farm’s five-season history, she had to cancel a day of picking appointments because there weren’t enough ripe berries.
“I just never anticipated something like this, that the well wouldn’t have enough water,” she said.
Similarly, Dean Henry told The Gazette that these are the worst conditions he has seen in his 56 years of operating the Berry Patch Farm in Nevada in central Iowa.
Henry said the Iowa Department of Natural Resources restricted his well water usage from 20 acres a day to 1 acre a day. But his strawberry plants need lots of water.
This year, his entire crop failed.
The heat has affected customers too. Some you-pick farms reported a decrease in customer visits, according to The Gazette. If people do come, they aren’t staying as long as normal to take in the entertainment at the farms, like picnic tables or games.
Smoke from Canadian wildfires also caused Iowa skies to grow hazy and air quality to be poor several times this summer. Customers canceled their appointments on especially hazy days, Anderson said. | https://cbs4indy.com/business/ap-business/ap-you-pick-farms-lose-customers-and-crops-through-heat-drought-and-haze-in-iowa/ | 2023-07-31T07:05:49 | 1 | https://cbs4indy.com/business/ap-business/ap-you-pick-farms-lose-customers-and-crops-through-heat-drought-and-haze-in-iowa/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — Six straight days of 12-hour driving. Single digit paychecks. The complaints come from workers in vastly different industries: UPS delivery drivers and Hollywood actors and writers.
But they point to an underlying factor driving a surge of labor unrest: The cost to workers whose jobs have changed drastically as companies scramble to meet customer expectations for speed and convenience in industries transformed by technology.
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated those changes, pushing retailers to shift online and intensifying the streaming competition among entertainment companies. Now, from the picket lines, workers are trying to give consumers a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to produce a show that can be binged any time or get dog food delivered to their doorstep with a phone swipe.
Overworked and underpaid employees is an enduring complaint across industries — from delivery drivers to Starbucks baristas and airline pilots — where surges in consumer demand have collided with persistent labor shortages. Workers are pushing back against forced overtime, punishing schedules or company reliance on lower-paid, part-time or contract forces.
At issue for Hollywood screenwriters and actors staging their first simultaneous strikes in 40 years is the way streaming has upended entertainment economics, slashing pay and forcing showrunners to produce content faster with smaller teams.
“This seems to happen to many places when the tech companies come in. Who are we crushing? It doesn’t matter,” said Danielle Sanchez-Witzel, a screenwriter and showrunner on the negotiating team for the Writers Guild of America, whose members have been on strike since May. Earlier this month, the Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists joined the writers’ union on the picket line.
Actors and writers have long relied on residuals, or long-term payments, for reruns and other airings of films and televisions shows. But reruns aren’t a thing on streaming services, where series and films simply land and stay with no easy way, such as box office returns or ratings, to determine their popularity.
Consequently, whatever residuals streaming companies do pay often amount to a pittance, and screenwriters have been sharing tales of receiving single digit checks.
Adam Shapiro, an actor known for the Netflix hit “Never Have I Ever,” said many actors were initially content to accept lower pay for the plethora of roles that streaming suddenly offered. But the need for a more sustainable compensation model gained urgency when it became clear streaming is not a sideshow, but rather the future of the business, he said.
“Over the past 10 years, we realized: ‘Oh, that’s now how Hollywood works. Everything is streaming,’” Shapiro said during a recent union event.
Shapiro, who has been acting for 25 years, said he agreed to a contract offering 20% of his normal rate for “Never Have I Ever” because it seemed like “a great opportunity, and it’s going to be all over the world. And it was. It really was. Unfortunately, we’re all starting to realize that if we keep doing this we’re not going to be able to pay our bills.”
Then there’s the rising use of “mini rooms,” in which a handful of writers are hired to work only during pre-production, sometimes for a series that may take a year to be greenlit, or never get picked up at all.
Sanchez-Witzel, co-creator of the recently released Netflix series “Survival of the Thickest,” said television shows traditionally hire robust writing teams for the duration of production. But Netflix refused to allow her to keep her team of five writers past pre-production, forcing round-the-clock work on rewrites with just one other writer.
“It’s not sustainable and I’ll never do that again,” she said.
Sanchez-Witzel said she was struck by the similarities between her experience and those of UPS drivers, some of whom joined the WGA for protests as they threatened their own potentially crippling strike. UPS and the Teamsters last week reached a tentative contract staving off the strike.
Jeffrey Palmerino, a full-time UPS driver near Albany, New York, said forced overtime emerged as a top issue during the pandemic as drivers coped with a crush of orders on par with the holiday season. Drivers never knew what time they would get home or if they could count on two days off each week, while 14-hour days in trucks without air conditioning became the norm.
“It was basically like Christmas on steroids for two straight years. A lot of us were forced to work six days a week, and that is not any way to live your life,” said Palmerino, a Teamsters shop steward.
Along with pay raises and air conditioning, the Teamsters won concessions that Palmerino hopes will ease overwork. UPS agreed to end forced overtime on days off and eliminate a lower-paid category of drivers who work shifts that include weekends, converting them to full-time drivers. Union members have yet to ratify the deal.
The Teamsters and labor activists hailed the tentative deal as a game-changer that would pressure other companies facing labor unrest to raise their standards. But similar outcomes are far from certain in industries lacking the sheer economic indispensability of UPS or the clout of its 340,000-member union.
Efforts to organize at Starbucks and Amazon stalled as both companies aggressively fought against unionization.
Still, labor protests will likely gain momentum following the UPS contract, said Patricia Campos-Medina, executive director of the Worker Institute at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University, which released a report this year that found the number of labor strikes rose 52% in 2022.
“The whole idea that consumer convenience is above everything broke down during the pandemic. We started to think, ‘I’m at home ordering, but there is actually a worker who has to go the grocery store, who has to cook this for me so that I can be comfortable,’” Campos-Medina said.
___
Associated Press video journalist Leslie Ambriz contributed from Los Angeles. | https://cbs4indy.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-consumer-demand-for-speed-and-convenience-drives-labor-unrest-among-workers-in-hollywood-and-at-ups/ | 2023-07-31T07:05:56 | 0 | https://cbs4indy.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-consumer-demand-for-speed-and-convenience-drives-labor-unrest-among-workers-in-hollywood-and-at-ups/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — A week later, the “Barbenheimer” boom has not abated.
Seven days after Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” conspired to set box office records, the two films held unusually strongly in theaters. “Barbie” took in a massive $93 million in its second weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. “Oppenheimer” stayed in second with a robust $46.2 million. Sales for the two movies dipped 43% and 44%, respectably — well shy of the usual week-two drops.
“Barbenheimer” has proven to be not a one-weekend phenomenon but an ongoing box-office bonanza. The two movies combined have already surpassed $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales. Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for data firm Comscore, call it “a touchstone moment for movies, moviegoers and movie theaters.”
“Having two movies from rival studios linked in this way and both boosting each other’s fortunes — both box-office wise and it terms of their profile — I don’t know if there’s a comp for this in the annals of box-office history,” said Dergarabedian. “There’s really no comparison for this.”
Following its year-best $162 million opening, the pink-infused pop sensation of “Barbie” saw remarkably sustained business through the week and into the weekend. The film outpaced Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” to have the best first 11 days in theaters of any Warner Bros. release ever.
“Barbie” has rapidly accumulated $351.4 million in U.S. and Canadian theaters, a rate that will soon make it the biggest box-office hit of the summer. Every day it’s played, “Barbie” has made at least $20 million.
And the “Barbie” effect isn’t just in North America. The film made $122.2 million internationally over the weekend. Its global tally has reached $775 million. It’s the kind of business that astounds even veteran studio executives.
“That’s a crazy number,” said Jeff Goldstein, distribution chief for Warner Bros. “There’s just a built-in audience that wants to be part of the zeitgeist of the moment. Wherever you go, people are wearing pink. Pink is taking over the world.”
Amid the frenzy, “Barbie” is already attracting a lot of repeat moviegoers. Goldstein estimates that 12% of sales are people going back with friends or family to see it again.
For a movie industry that has been trying to regain its pre-pandemic footing — and that now finds itself largely shuttered due to actors and screenwriters strikes — the sensations of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” have showed what’s possible when everything lines up just right.
“Post-pandemic, there’s no ceiling and there’s no floor,” Goldstein said. “The movies that miss really miss big time, and the movies that work really work big time.”
Universal Pictures’ “Oppenheimer,” meanwhile, is performing more like a superhero movie than a three-hour film about scientists talking.
Nolan’s drama starring Cillian Murphy as atomic bomb physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer has accrued $174.1 million domestically thus far. With an additional $72.4 million in international cinemas, “Oppenheimer” has already surpassed $400 million globally.
Showings in IMAX have typically been sold out. “Oppenheimer” has made $80 million worldwide on IMAX. The large-format exhibitor said Sunday that it will extend the film’s run through Aug. 13.
The week’s top new release, Walt Disney Co.’s “Haunted Mansion,” an adaptation of the Disney theme park attraction, was easily overshadowed by the “Barbenheimer” blitz. The film, which cost about $150 million, debuted with $24 million domestically and $9 million in overseas sales. “Haunted Mansion,” directed by Justin Simien (“Dear White People,” “Bad Hair”) and starring an ensemble of LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito and Rosario Dawson, struggled to overcome mediocre reviews.
“Talk to Me,” the A24 supernatural horror film, fared better. It debuted with $10 million. The film, directed by Australian filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou and starring Sophie Wilde, was a midnight premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January and received terrific reviews from critics (95% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes). It was made for a modest $4.5 million.
While theaters being flush with moviegoers has been a huge boon to the film industry, it’s been tougher sledding for Tom Cruise, the so-called savior of the movies last summer with “Top Gun: Maverick.” “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part I,” which debuted the week before the arrival of “Barbenheimer,” grossed $10.7 million in its third weekend. The film starring Cruise and directed by Christopher McQuarrie, has grossed $139.2 million domestically and $309.3 million oveseas.
Instead, the sleeper hit “Sound of Freedom” has been the best performing non-“Barbenheimer” release in theaters. The Angel Studios’ release, which is counting crowdfunding pay-it-forward sales in its box office totals, made $12.4 million in its fourth weekend, bringing its haul thus far to nearly $150 million.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. “Barbie,” $93 million.
2. “Opppenheimer,” $46.2 million.
3. “Haunted Mansion,” $24.2 million.
4. “Sound of Freedom,” $12.4 million.
5. “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One,” $10.7 million.
6. “Talk to Me,” $10 million.
7. “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” $4 million.
8. “Elemental,” $3.4 million.
9. “Insidious: The Red Door,” $3.2 million.
10. “Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani,” $1.6 million.
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Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP | https://cbs4indy.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-the-barbie-bonanza-continues-at-the-box-office-oppenheimer-holds-the-no-2-spot/ | 2023-07-31T07:06:04 | 0 | https://cbs4indy.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-the-barbie-bonanza-continues-at-the-box-office-oppenheimer-holds-the-no-2-spot/ |
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Shawn Steik and his wife were forced from a long-term motel room onto the streets of Anchorage after their rent shot up to $800 a month. Now they live in a tent encampment by a train depot, and as an Alaska winter looms they are growing desperate and fearful of what lies ahead.
A proposal last week by Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson to buy one-way plane tickets out of Alaska’s biggest city for its homeless residents gave Steik a much-needed glimmer of hope. He would move to the relative warmth of Seattle.
“I heard it’s probably warmer than this place,” said Steik, who is Aleut.
But the mayor’s unfunded idea also came under immediate attack as a Band-Aid solution glossing over the tremendous, and still unaddressed, crisis facing Anchorage as a swelling homeless population struggles to survive in a unique and extreme environment. Frigid temperatures stalk the homeless in the winter and bears infiltrate homeless encampments in the summer.
A record eight people died of exposure while living outside last winter and this year promises to be worse after the city closed an arena that housed 500 people during the winter months. Bickering between the city’s liberal assembly and its conservative mayor about how to address the crisis, and a lack of state funding, have further stymied efforts to find a solution.
With winter fast approaching in Alaska, it’s “past time for state and local leaders to address the underlying causes of homelessness — airplane tickets are a distraction, not a solution,” the American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska said in a statement to The Associated Press.
About 43% of Anchorage’s more than 3,000 unsheltered residents are Alaska Natives, and Bronson’s proposal also drew harsh criticism from those who called it culturally insensitive.
“The reality is there is no place to send these people because this is their land. Any policy that we make has to pay credence to that simple fact. This is Dena’ina land, this is Native land,” said Christopher Constant, chair of the Anchorage Assembly. “And so we cannot be supporting policies that would take people and displace them from their home, even if their home is not what you or I would call home.”
Bronson’s airfare proposal caps a turbulent few years as Anchorage, like many cities in the U.S. West, struggles to deal with a burgeoning homeless population.
In May, the city shut down the 500-bed homeless shelter in the city’s arena so it could once more be used for concerts and hockey games after neighbors complained about open drug use, trespassing, violence and litter. A plan to build a large shelter and navigation center fell through when Bronson approved a contract without approval from the Anchorage Assembly.
That leaves a gaping hole in the city’s ability to house the thousands of homeless people who have to contend with temperatures well below zero for days at a time and unrelenting winds blasting off Cook Inlet. At the end of June, Anchorage was estimated to have a little more than 3,150 homeless people, according to the Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness. Last week, there were only 614 beds at shelters citywide, with no vacancies.
New tent cities have sprung up across Anchorage this summer: on a slope facing the city’s historic railroad depot, on a busy road near the Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson and near soup kitchens and shelters downtown.
Assembly members are slated to consider a winter stop-gap option in August falling far short of the need: a large, warmed, tent-like structure for 150 people.
Summer brings its own challenges: hungry bears last year roamed a city-owned campground where homeless people were resettled after the arena closed. Wildlife officials killed four bears after they broke into tents.
Bronson said he prefers to spend a few hundred dollars per person for a plane ticket rather than spending about $100 daily to shelter and feed them. He said he doesn’t care where they want to go; his job is to “make sure they don’t die on Anchorage streets.”
It’s not clear if his proposal will move forward. There is not yet a plan or a funding source.
Dr. Ted Mala, an Inupiaq who in 1990 became the first Alaska Native to serve as the state’s health commissioner, said Anchorage should be working with social workers and law enforcement to discover people’s individual reasons for homelessness and connect them with resources.
Buying the unsheltered a ticket to another city is a political game that’s been around for years. A number of U.S. cities struggling with homelessness, including San Francisco, Seattle and Portland, Oregon, have also offered bus or plane tickets to homeless residents.
“People are not pawns, they’re human beings,” Mala said.
The mayor’s proposal, while focused on warmer cities, also would fund tickets to other Alaska locations for those who want them.
Clarita Clark became homeless after her medical team wanted her to move from Point Hope to Anchorage for cancer treatment because Anchorage is warmer. The medical facility wouldn’t allow her husband to stay with her, so they pitched a tent in a sprawling camp to stay together.
Having recently found the body of a dead teenager who overdosed in a portable toilet, Clark yearns to return to the Chukchi Sea coastal village of Point Hope, where her three grandchildren live.
“I got a family that loves me,” she said, adding she would use the ticket and seek treatment closer to home.
Danny Parish also is leaving Alaska, but for another reason: He’s fed up.
Parish is selling his home of 29 years because it sits directly across the street from Sullivan Arena. Bad acts by some homeless people — including harassment, throwing vodka bottles in his yard, poisoning his dog and using his driveway as a toilet — made his life “a holy hell,” he said.
Parish is convinced the arena will be used again this winter since there isn’t another plan.
He, too, hopes to move to the contiguous U.S. — Oregon, for starters — but not before asking Anchorage leaders for his own plane ticket out.
“If they’re going to give them to everybody else,” Parish said, “then they need to give me one.” | https://cbs4indy.com/health/ap-health/ap-anchorage-homeless-face-cold-and-bears-a-plan-to-offer-one-way-airfare-out-reveals-a-bigger-crisis/ | 2023-07-31T07:06:11 | 1 | https://cbs4indy.com/health/ap-health/ap-anchorage-homeless-face-cold-and-bears-a-plan-to-offer-one-way-airfare-out-reveals-a-bigger-crisis/ |
NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — Thousands of people backing the coup in Niger marched through the streets of the capital denouncing France, the country’s former colonial power, waving Russian flags, and setting a door at the French Embassy ablaze on Sunday before the army broke up the crowd.
Demonstrators in Niger are openly resentful of France, and Russia is seen by some as a powerful alternative. The nature of Russia’s involvement in the rallies, if any, isn’t clear but some protesters have carried Russian flags, along with signs reading “Down with France” and supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Russian mercenary group Wagner is operating in neighboring Mali, and under Putin Russia has expanded its influence in West Africa. The new junta’s leaders have not said whether they intend to ally themselves with Moscow or stick with Niger’s Western partners.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday that attacks on France and its interests would not be tolerated and anyone who attacks French citizens will see an immediate response.
Niger, a French colony until 1960, had been seen as the West’s last reliable partner battling jihadists in Africa’s Sahel region. France has 1,500 soldiers in the country who conduct joint operations with the Nigeriens. The United States and other European countries have helped train the nation’s troops.
At an emergency meeting Sunday, the West African bloc known as ECOWAS said that it was suspending relations with Niger, and authorized the use of force if President Mohamed Bazoum is not reinstated within a week. The African Union has issued its own 15-day ultimatum to the junta in Niger to reinstall the democratically elected government.
Shortly after the ECOWAS meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, Chadian President Mahamat Deby arrived in Niger to lead mediation efforts, according to the Chad state radio station.
ECOWAS has struggled to make a definitive impact on the region’s political crises in the past but Bazoum was democratically elected two years ago in Niger’s first peaceful transfer of power since independence from France in 1960.
Members of the Niger military announced on Wednesday that they had deposed Bazoum and on Friday named Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani as the country’s new leader, adding Niger to a growing list of military regimes in West Africa’s Sahel region.
Some leaders of the mutiny said they overthrew Bazoum because he wasn’t able to secure the nation against growing jihadi violence. But some analysts and Nigeriens say that was a pretext for a takeover driven by internal power struggles.
“We couldn’t expect a coup in Niger because there’s no social, political or security situation that would justify that the military take the power,” Prof. Amad Hassane Boubacar, who teaches at the University of Niamey, told The Associated Press.
He said Bazoum wanted to replace the head of the presidential guard, Tchiani. Tchiani, who also goes by Omar, was loyal to Bazoum’s predecessor, and that sparked the problems, Boubacar said.
Niger’s dire security situation is not as bad as that in neighboring Burkina Faso or Mali, which have also been battling an Islamic insurgency linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. Last year, Niger was the only one of the three to see a decline in violence, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.
Some taking part in Sunday’s rally warned outside bodies to stay away.
“I would like also to say to the European Union, African Union and ECOWAS, please, please stay out of our business,” Oumar Barou Moussa said at the demonstration. “It’s time for us to take our lives, to work for ourselves. It’s time for us to talk about our freedom and liberty.”
Niger has the most at stake of any country in the Sahel if it turns away from the West, given the millions of dollars of military assistance it has received from abroad.
On Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the continued security and economic cooperation with the U.S. hinges on the release of Bazoum — who remains under house arrest — and “the immediate restoration of the democratic order in Niger.”
Macron said he’d spoken to Bazoum and his predecessor on Sunday. On Saturday France suspended all development and financial aid to Niger.
The 15-nation ECOWAS bloc has unsuccessfully tried to restore democracies in nations where the military took power in recent years. Four nations are run by military regimes in West and Central Africa, where there have been nine successful or attempted coups since 2020.
While the bloc has struggled to have much impact, the measures placed on Niger Sunday show the gravity of the situation, said Andrew Lebovich, a research fellow with the Clingendael Institute.
“The strenuous measures they have put in place or threatened to put in place show not only how seriously they are taking this crisis, but also the urgency the regional body and larger international community feel in trying to force a return to normal that will likely prove elusive,” he said.
The response from the bloc towards Niger differs from how it dealt with recent coups in Mali and Burkina Faso, which did not involve the threat of force if constitutional rule wasn’t reinstated.
In the last few decades it has sent troops into member countries a handful of times.
In the 1990s, ECOWAS intervened in Liberia during its civil war. In 2017 it intervened in The Gambia to prevent the new president’s predecessor, Yahya Jammeh, from disrupting the handover of power. Approximately 7,000 troops from Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal entered, according to the Global Observatory, which provides analysis on peace and security issues.
Economic sanctions could have a deep impact on Nigeriens, who live in the third-poorest country in the world, according to the latest U.N. data. The country relies on imports from Nigeria for up to 90% of its power, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. The sanctions would suspend all commercial and financial transactions between ECOWAS member states and Niger.
In a televised address Saturday, Col. Major Amadou Abdramane, one of the soldiers who ousted Bazoum, accused the meeting of making a “plan of aggression” against Niger and said the country would defend itself.
“Tensions with the military are still ongoing. There could be another coup after this one, or a stronger intervention from ECOWAS, potentially military force,” said Tatiana Smirnova, a researcher in conflict resolution and peace missions at the Centre FrancoPaix. “Many actors are also trying to negotiate, but the outcome is unclear.”
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Associated Press reporters Angela Charlton in Paris and Chinedu Asadu in Abuja, Nigeria and Edouard Takadji in N’Djamena, Chad contributed. | https://cbs4indy.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-as-regional-and-global-powers-decry-nigers-coup-the-countrys-future-remains-uncertain/ | 2023-07-31T07:06:17 | 0 | https://cbs4indy.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-as-regional-and-global-powers-decry-nigers-coup-the-countrys-future-remains-uncertain/ |
BEIRUT (AP) — Fighting raged Sunday in Lebanon’s largest Palestinian refugee camp near the southern port city of Sidon, killing at least five people and wounding seven, Palestinian officials said.
UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, put the death toll at six, and Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said two children were among those wounded.
The Palestinian officials, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said the fighting broke out after an unknown gunman tried to kill Islamist militant Mahmoud Khalil, killing a companion of his instead.
Later, Islamist militants shot and killed a Palestinian military general from the Fatah group and three escorts as they were walking through a parking lot, another Palestinian official told AP.
Ein el-Hilweh is notorious for its lawlessness and violence is not uncommon. The U.N. says about 55,000 people live in the camp, which was established in 1948 to house Palestinians displaced by Israeli forces during the establishment of Israel.
On Sunday, factions blazed away with assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers and lobbed hand grenades in the camp as ambulances zoomed through its narrow streets to take the wounded to the hospital.
The fighting stopped for several hours in the morning, though state media said there was still sporadic sniper fire, but fighting erupted again after the killing of the Palestinian general and his escorts.
Some residents in Sidon neighborhoods near the camp fled their homes as stray bullets hit buildings and shattered windows and storefronts. The public Sidon General Hospital evacuated its staff and patients.
The Lebanese army said in a statement that a mortar shell hit a military barracks outside the camp and wounded one soldier, whose condition is stable. Military commandos deployed near the camp’s entrances as clashes continued into the night.
UNRWA said two of its schools that serve some 2,000 students were damaged in the fighting. It said it suspended all its operations in Ein el-Hilweh.
Fatah in a statement condemned the killing of its security official, saying the attack was part of a “bloody scheme that targets the security and stability of our camps.” It vowed to hold the “perpetrators accountable.”
In Ramallah, the office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas issued a statement decrying violence in a camp for Palestinian refugees.
“No one is allowed to intimidate our people and tamper with their security,” it said. “We support what the Lebanese government is doing to impose law and order, and we affirm our commitment to Lebanon’s sovereignty, including the Palestinian refugee camps, and maintaining security and the rule of law.”
Late in the day, the factions said in a joint statement that they had agreed to a ceasefire during a mediation meeting hosted by the Lebanese Shiite Amal movement and militant Hezbollah group in Sidon. But local media said fighting continued. A spokesperson from the Palestinian militant group Hamas told AP that the groups were working to implement the truce.
Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, condemned the clashes. “We call on the Palestinian leadership to cooperate with the army to control the security situation and hand over those meddling with security to the Lebanese authorities,” Mikati said in his statement.
Palestinian factions in the camp for years have cracked down on militant Islamist groups and fugitives seeking shelter in the camp’s overcrowded neighborhoods. In 2017, Palestinian factions engaged in almost a week of fierce clashes with a militant organization affiliated with the extremist Islamic State group.
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Associated Press writer Abby Sewell in Beirut contributed to this report. | https://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-1-killed-6-wounded-in-overnight-clashes-in-crowded-palestinian-refugee-camp-in-lebanon/ | 2023-07-31T07:06:23 | 1 | https://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-1-killed-6-wounded-in-overnight-clashes-in-crowded-palestinian-refugee-camp-in-lebanon/ |
MOSCOW (AP) — Ten people — including three children — died after high winds tore through central Russia, emergency services and a local official reported Sunday.
Eight of the dead were part of a group of tourists camping close to Lake Yalchik in the Mari-El region when the storm hit Saturday, Russia’s emergencies ministry said.
The strong winds caused a large number of trees to fall in the area, including where the group’s tents had been pitched on a stretch of wild beach inside the Mariy Chodra National Park, regional leader Yuri Zaitsev wrote on social media. He said that three children were among the dead. Russia’s investigative committee has opened a criminal case to determine whether unsafe or sub-standard services provided by the park’s management company contributed to the deaths.
Across the wider Volga Federal District, 76 people were injured in the storm, with thousands of households losing power, emergency services said. | https://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-9-die-including-3-children-as-strong-winds-hit-tourist-camp-in-central-russia-officials-say/ | 2023-07-31T07:06:29 | 0 | https://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-9-die-including-3-children-as-strong-winds-hit-tourist-camp-in-central-russia-officials-say/ |
KHAR, Pakistan (AP) — A suicide bomber blew himself up at a political rally in a former stronghold of militants in northwest Pakistan bordering Afghanistan on Sunday, killing at least 44 people and wounding nearly 200 in an attack that a senior leader said was meant to weaken Pakistani Islamists.
The Bajur district near the Afghan border was a stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban — a close ally of Afghanistan’s Taliban government — before the Pakistani army drove the militants out of the area. Supporters of hard-line Pakistani cleric and political party leader Fazlur Rehman, whose Jamiat Ulema Islam generally supports regional Islamists, were meeting in Bajur in a hall close to a market outside the district capital. Party officials said Rehman was not at the rally but organizers added tents because so many supporters showed up, and party volunteers with batons were helping control the crowd.
Officials were announcing the arrival of Abdul Rasheed, a leader of the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, when the bomb went off in one of Pakistan’s bloodiest attacks in recent years.
Provincial police said in a statement that the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber who detonated his explosives vest close to the stage where several senior leaders of the party were sitting. It said initial investigations suggested the Islamic State group — which operates in Afghanistan and is an enemy of the Afghan Taliban — could be behind the attack, and officers were still investigating.
“There was dust and smoke around, and I was under some injured people from where I could hardly stand up, only to see chaos and some scattered limbs,” said Adam Khan, 45, who was knocked to the ground by the blast around 4 p.m. and hit by splinters in his leg and both hands.
The Pakistan Taliban, or TTP, said in a statement sent to The Associated Press that the bombing was aimed at setting Islamists against each other. Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Afghan Taliban, said on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that “such crimes cannot be justified in any way.”
The Afghan Taliban’s seizure of power in Afghanistan in mid-August 2021 emboldened the TTP. They unilaterally ended a cease-fire agreement with the Pakistani government in November, and have stepped up attacks across the country.
The bombing came hours before the arrival of Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Islamabad, where he was to participate in an event to mark a decade of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, or CPEC, a sprawling package under which Beijing has invested billions of dollars in Pakistan.
In recent months, China has helped Pakistan avoid a default on sovereign payments. However, some Chinese nationals have also been targeted by militants in northwestern Pakistan and elsewhere.
Feroz Jamal, the provincial information minister, told The Associated Press that so far 44 people had been “martyred” and nearly 200 wounded in the bombing.
The bombing was one of the four worst attacks in the northwest since 2014, when 147 people, mostly schoolchildren, were killed in a Taliban attack on an army-run school in Peshawar. In January, 74 people were killed in a bombing at a mosque in Peshawar. n February, more than 100 people, mostly policemen, died in a bombing at a mosque inside a high-security compound housing Peshawar police headquarters.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Arif Alvi condemned the attack and asked officials to provide all possible assistance to the wounded and the bereaved families. Sharif later, in a phone call to Rehman, the head of the JUI, conveyed his condolences to him and assured him that those who orchestrated the attack would be punished.
The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad also condemned the attack. In a post on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, it expressed its condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims killed in the attack..
Maulana Ziaullah, the local chief of Rehman’s party, was among the dead. JUI leaders Rasheed and former lawmaker Maulana Jamaluddin were also on the stage but escaped unhurt.
Rasheed, the regional chief of the party, said the attack was an attempt to remove JUI from the field before parliamentary elections in November, but he said such tactics would not work. The bombing drew nationwide condemnation, with the ruling and opposition parties extending condolences to the families of those who died in the attack.
Rehman is considered to be a pro-Taliban cleric and his political party is part of the coalition government in Islamabad. Meetings are being organized across the country to mobilize supporters for the upcoming elections.
“Many of our fellows lost their lives and many more wounded in this incident. I will ask the federal and provincial administrations to fully investigate this incident and provide due compensation and medical facilities to the affected ones,” Rasheed said.
Mohammad Wali, another attendant at the rally, said he was listening to a speaker address the crowd when the huge explosion temporarily deafened him.
“I was near the water dispenser to fetch a glass of water when the bomb exploded, throwing me to the ground,” he said. “We came to the meeting with enthusiasm but ended up at the hospital seeing crying, wounded people and sobbing relatives taking the bodies of their loved ones.”
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Riaz Khan reported from Peshawar. Associated Press writer Munir Ahmad contributed from Islamabad. | https://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-a-bomb-at-a-political-rally-in-northwest-pakistan-kills-10-people-and-wounds-more-than-50/ | 2023-07-31T07:06:36 | 1 | https://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-a-bomb-at-a-political-rally-in-northwest-pakistan-kills-10-people-and-wounds-more-than-50/ |
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — African leaders have left two days of meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin with little to show for their requests to resume a deal that kept grain flowing from Ukraine and to find a path to end the war there.
Putin in a press conference late Saturday following the Russia-Africa summit said Russia’s termination of the grain deal earlier this month caused a rise in grain prices that benefits Russian companies. He added that Moscow would share some of those revenues with the “poorest nations.”
That commitment, with no details, follows Putin’s promise to start shipping 25,000 to 50,000 tons of grain for free to each of six African nations in the next three to four months — an amount dwarfed by the 725,000 tons shipped by the U.N. World Food Program to several hungry countries, African and otherwise, under the grain deal. Russia plans to send the free grain to Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, Eritrea and Central African Republic.
Fewer than 20 of Africa’s 54 heads of state or government attended the Russia summit, while 43 attended the previous gathering in 2019, reflecting concerns over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine even as Moscow seeks more allies on the African continent of 1.3 billion people. Putin praised Africa as a rising center of power in the world, while the Kremlin blamed “outrageous” Western pressure for discouraging some African countries from showing up.
The presidents of Egypt and South Africa were among the most outspoken on the need to resume the grain deal.
“We would like the Black Sea initiative to be implemented and that the Black Sea should be open,” South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said. “We are not here to plead for donations for the African continent.”
African leaders also called clearly for peace.
“This war must end and it can only end on the basis of justice and reason,” said the head of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat. “The disturbances that it causes in the supply of energy and grain must cease immediately” for the benefit of all, especially Africans.
Putin said Russia would analyze African leaders’ peace proposal for Ukraine, whose details have not been publicly shared. But the Russian leader asked: “Why do you ask us to pause fire? We can’t pause fire while we’re being attacked.”
The next significant step in peace efforts instead appears to be a Ukrainian-organized peace summit hosted by Saudi Arabia in August. Russia is not invited.
Africa’s nations make up the largest voting bloc at the United Nations and have been more divided than any other region on General Assembly resolutions criticizing Russia’s actions in Ukraine. Delegations at the summit in St. Petersburg roamed exhibits of weapons, a reminder of Russia’s role as the top arms supplier to the African continent.
But African nations need more concrete results from such meetings, the AU Commission head told the summit.
“The trade balance between Russia and Africa, very unbalanced in favor of the first party, must be improved,” Mahamat said. At the first Russia-Africa Summit in 2019, Putin vowed to double Russia’s trade with the continent within five years. Instead, it has stalled at around $18 billion a year.
In addition, “the strengthening of cooperation on peace and security and the fight against terrorism calls for more deeds and fewer declarations of intent,” Mahamat said, while he and other African leaders were rushing to respond to a coup in Niger that could upend the regional response to a growing threat from Islamic extremist groups.
Putin in his remarks on Saturday also downplayed his absence from the BRICS economic summit in South Africa next month amid a controversy over an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court. His presence there, Putin said, is not “more important than my presence here, in Russia.” | https://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-african-leaders-leave-russia-summit-without-grain-deal-or-a-path-to-end-the-war-in-ukraine/ | 2023-07-31T07:06:42 | 1 | https://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-african-leaders-leave-russia-summit-without-grain-deal-or-a-path-to-end-the-war-in-ukraine/ |