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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://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-constitutional-referendum-to-remove-presidential-term-limits-divides-central-african-republic/ | 2023-07-31T07:06:48 | 1 | https://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/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://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-denmark-seeks-to-legally-prevent-burnings-of-quran-or-other-religious-scriptures/ | 2023-07-31T07:06:54 | 1 | https://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/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://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-frances-le-maire-presses-china-on-market-access-and-lobbies-for-electric-car-investment/ | 2023-07-31T07:07:01 | 1 | https://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-frances-le-maire-presses-china-on-market-access-and-lobbies-for-electric-car-investment/ |
SANTA MARIA DE JESUS, Guatemala (AP) — Presidential candidate Bernardo Arévalo stood before a few hundred residents of this small Indigenous community on the slopes of the Agua Volcano and told them they could be the seeds of a brighter, more corruption-free spring in Guatemala.
The metaphor fits neatly with his political party, the Seed Movement, and allows the 64-year-old academic and former diplomat to riff on themes of renewal and growth.
But it also alludes to Guatemala’s “democratic spring,” considered a more inclusive period in the country’s history during the presidency in the 1940s and early 1950s of his late father, Juan José Arévalo.
Bernardo Arévalo won just 11% of the vote in the presidential election’s first round June 25, but it was enough to give him the surprise second slot in the Aug. 20 runoff ballot. He will face Sandra Torres, a conservative and former first lady who was the leading vote-getter in the first round and is making her third bid for the presidency.
Arévalo’s recent speech in Santa Maria de Jesus was similar to those he has given in Guatemala’s capital, but the imagery could be especially important in rural Indigenous communities as he seeks to rapidly expand his largely urban, youthful base before the runoff.
He won in Guatemala City and other important cities, including Sacatepequez and Quetzaltenango. It remains to be seen whether he can convince people in rural communities that he can address their daily problems.
The delayed certification of the first round results shortened the already small window that Arévalo has to reintroduce himself to much of the country as his opponents rush to paint their own negative picture.
“Do you feel what is happening?” Arévalo told the crowd in Santa Maria de Jesus. “The new spring is arriving, that’s what you feel, and you all are the seeds of that new spring.”
“A new spring that is going to bring us well-being, the water we lack, the education they owe us, the health that they have denied us thanks to those corrupt contracts that serve few,” Arévalo said, standing in front of an old, damaged Roman Catholic church, in a wide-brimmed hat and untucked shirt against the tropical heat.
Among those listening was Juana Orón, a 67-year-old homemaker of the Kaqchikel people. She is one of the older voters who remember hearing about Arévalo’s father, one of only two leftist presidents in Guatemala’s democratic era.
The elder Arévalo, who governed from 1945 to 1951, is credited with establishing key social programs that remain in place today, including Guatemala’s labor code and social security. Guatemala’s democratic spring was cut short in 1954 by the CIA-backed overthrow of his successor, President Jacobo Arbenz.
Under Juan José Arévalo, the state advocated for rights for Indigenous peoples and others beyond the country’s small elite.
“I remember I was little and (my parents) said he had done good things,” said Orón whose first language as a child was Kaqchikel. If his father was good, Arévalo could be a good president, too, she said.
Opponents have tried to frame Arévalo’s candidacy as a step toward some of the region’s more notorious leftist regimes, such as Cuba and Nicaragua. They warn that the progressive candidate will bring expropriations, abortion and same-sex marriage to the conservative country.
Arévalo has been the election’s surprise.
In the days before the June 25 vote, he was polling below 3% and trailing at least seven of the other 21 candidates. But his anti-corruption message resonated in the country where gains against corruption have been erased and the justice system reoriented to pursue the prosecutors and judges who formerly led that fight.
In the month since that initial result, the Attorney General’s Office announced an investigation into his party and had a judge suspend its legal status until the Constitutional Court stepped in to block that move.
In Santa Maria de Jesus, people wanted to compare Arévalo in person to what they were hearing about him. Some handed him flowers, posed for photos or reached out to touch him as he made his way through the throng.
Arévalo pushed back against attempts to frame him as a left-wing radical — he has said private property rights are not up for discussion — and pounded the issue of corruption.
“Let us work, let us get ahead on our own effort, let’s get rid of the corrupt once and for all,” he said.
For Francisco Jiménez, a political scientist at Rafael Landivar University, Arévalo will need concrete proposals to make inroads with the base of Torres, who has spent two decades assembling it.
“He will have to make governing proposals with a social agenda, where the people see that he is going to have an impact on their lives and communities,” Jiménez said. “The other part is continuing to present himself as the different model. That has been his success, someone totally different from the other candidates.”
Evangelical churches in Guatemala have painted Arévalo as an existential threat to the family.
Gladys Sunun, a 35-year-old Kaqchikel vendor from an evangelical family, said she came to hear Arévalo for herself. She said she had heard that Arévalo would convert Guatemala into another Cuba or Nicaragua, but left feeling that might not be true, though she wants to investigate more.
“He came to tell us not to worry,” she said. “It sounds real, but we don’t know.”
Her sister July Sunun said she wanted to hear more about Arévalo’s positions on gender ideology. “As a mother I’m afraid, because we’ve grown up with a Christian background. I don’t want to marry my daughter with another woman,” she said.
July Sunun acknowledged that Arévalo said he would respect the identities and decisions of the people, “but what he hasn’t said is that he won’t allow (same-sex marriage) to happen here.” | https://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-guatemala-presidential-candidate-rushes-to-expand-base-beyond-urban-youth/ | 2023-07-31T07:07:09 | 0 | https://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-guatemala-presidential-candidate-rushes-to-expand-base-beyond-urban-youth/ |
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://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-high-winds-stall-efforts-to-tow-a-burning-cargo-ship-packed-with-cars-off-northern-dutch-coast/ | 2023-07-31T07:07:16 | 0 | https://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/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://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-palestinian-factions-meet-in-egypt-to-try-to-reconcile-as-violence-surges-in-the-west-bank/ | 2023-07-31T07:07:22 | 1 | https://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/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.”
___
Volodymyr Yurchuk in Lviv, Ukraine, and Courtney Bonnell in London contributed.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine | https://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-russian-missile-attacks-leave-few-options-for-ukrainian-farmers-looking-to-export-grain/ | 2023-07-31T07:07:29 | 1 | https://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/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://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-spain-identifies-212-german-austrian-and-dutch-fighters-who-went-missing-during-spanish-civil-war/ | 2023-07-31T07:07:37 | 0 | https://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/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://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/ap-international/ap-thousands-take-to-streets-in-gaza-in-rare-public-display-of-discontent-with-hamas/ | 2023-07-31T07:07:43 | 1 | https://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/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://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/ap-us-news/ap-a-boom-in-apartment-construction-is-helping-to-curb-rents-but-not-all-renters-will-benefit/ | 2023-07-31T07:07:50 | 0 | https://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/ap-us-news/ap-a-boom-in-apartment-construction-is-helping-to-curb-rents-but-not-all-renters-will-benefit/ |
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.wbay.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ | 2023-07-31T07:07:50 | 1 | https://www.wbay.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ |
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?’”
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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://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/ap-us-news/ap-breakthrough-in-long-island-serial-killings-shines-light-on-the-many-unsolved-murders-of-sex-workers/ | 2023-07-31T07:07:56 | 0 | https://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/ap-us-news/ap-breakthrough-in-long-island-serial-killings-shines-light-on-the-many-unsolved-murders-of-sex-workers/ |
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.wbay.com/2023/07/31/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-make-first-court-appearance/ | 2023-07-31T07:07:57 | 0 | https://www.wbay.com/2023/07/31/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-make-first-court-appearance/ |
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://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/ap-us-news/ap-erratic-winds-challenge-firefighters-battling-two-major-california-blazes/ | 2023-07-31T07:08:02 | 0 | https://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/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://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/ap-us-news/ap-july-keeps-sizzling-as-phoenix-hits-another-110-degree-day-and-wildfires-spread-in-california/ | 2023-07-31T07:08:08 | 0 | https://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/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://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/ap-us-news/ap-one-person-is-dead-and-multiple-were-wounded-in-indiana-shooting-police-say/ | 2023-07-31T07:08:14 | 1 | https://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/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://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/ap-us-news/ap-plaintiffs-in-voting-rights-case-urge-judges-to-toss-alabamas-new-congressional-map/ | 2023-07-31T07:08:20 | 0 | https://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/ap-us-news/ap-plaintiffs-in-voting-rights-case-urge-judges-to-toss-alabamas-new-congressional-map/ |
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://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/ap-us-news/ap-record-heat-waves-illuminate-plight-of-poorest-americans-who-suffer-without-air-conditioning/ | 2023-07-31T07:08:27 | 0 | https://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/ap-us-news/ap-record-heat-waves-illuminate-plight-of-poorest-americans-who-suffer-without-air-conditioning/ |
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://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/ap-us-news/ap-us-mother-daughter-reported-kidnapped-in-haiti-people-warned-not-to-travel-there/ | 2023-07-31T07:08:33 | 0 | https://cbs4indy.com/news/national-world/ap-us-news/ap-us-mother-daughter-reported-kidnapped-in-haiti-people-warned-not-to-travel-there/ |
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://cbs4indy.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-joe-biden-americas-oldest-sitting-president-needs-young-voters-to-win-again-will-his-age-matter/ | 2023-07-31T07:08:40 | 0 | https://cbs4indy.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-joe-biden-americas-oldest-sitting-president-needs-young-voters-to-win-again-will-his-age-matter/ |
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://cbs4indy.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-whos-in-whos-out-a-look-at-which-candidates-have-qualified-for-the-1st-gop-presidential-debate/ | 2023-07-31T07:08:46 | 0 | https://cbs4indy.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-whos-in-whos-out-a-look-at-which-candidates-have-qualified-for-the-1st-gop-presidential-debate/ |
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://cbs4indy.com/reviews/br/beauty-personal-care-br/makeup-palettes-sets-br/these-are-the-most-popular-rare-beauty-products/ | 2023-07-31T07:08:54 | 0 | https://cbs4indy.com/reviews/br/beauty-personal-care-br/makeup-palettes-sets-br/these-are-the-most-popular-rare-beauty-products/ |
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Sold by Amazon
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.
Sold by Amazon
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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Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://cbs4indy.com/reviews/br/camping-outdoors-br/gear-br/beginners-guide-to-bouldering-equipment-what-you-need-to-get-started/ | 2023-07-31T07:09:01 | 1 | https://cbs4indy.com/reviews/br/camping-outdoors-br/gear-br/beginners-guide-to-bouldering-equipment-what-you-need-to-get-started/ |
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.
Sold by Amazon
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.
Sold by Amazon
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.
Sold by Amazon
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.
Sold by Amazon
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.
Sold by Amazon
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.
Sold by Amazon
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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Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://cbs4indy.com/reviews/br/health-wellness-br/medical-supplies-equipment-br/15-products-that-help-prevent-thigh-chafing/ | 2023-07-31T07:09:07 | 1 | https://cbs4indy.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://cbs4indy.com/reviews/br/home-br/heating-cooling-air-quality-br/how-do-smart-thermostats-work/ | 2023-07-31T07:09:14 | 1 | https://cbs4indy.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://cbs4indy.com/reviews/br/kitchen-br/utensils-gadgets-br/how-to-make-homemade-pasta/ | 2023-07-31T07:09:21 | 0 | https://cbs4indy.com/reviews/br/kitchen-br/utensils-gadgets-br/how-to-make-homemade-pasta/ |
The following is a listing of all home transfers in Kent County reported from July 24 to July 30. There were 40 transactions posted during this time. During this period, the median sale for the area was a 832-square-foot home on Rau Drive in Sand Lake that sold for $304,500.
Byron Center
420 84th Street, Byron Center, $140,000, 1,260 square feet, $111 per square-foot, one bathroom.
6710 Clyde Park Ave., Byron Center, $314,900, 1,187 square feet, $265 per square-foot, three bedrooms and one bathroom.
Caledonia
8498 Jasonville Court, Caledonia, $165,000, 981 square feet, $168 per square-foot, two bedrooms and one bathroom.
5235 Marindy Street, Caledonia, $312,000, 1,360 square feet, $229 per square-foot, two bedrooms and two bathrooms.
7121 Juneau Court, Caledonia, $762,000, 2,468 square feet, $309 per square-foot, five bedrooms and five bathrooms.
Grand Rapids
2603 Ridgecroft Drive, Grand Rapids, $137,203, 823 square feet, $167 per square-foot, two bedrooms and one bathroom.
483 Kenwood Street, Grand Rapids, $200,000, 800 square feet, $250 per square-foot, one bathroom.
47 Mack Ave., Grand Rapids, $209,000, 1,358 square feet, $154 per square-foot, one bathroom.
624 Leonard Street, Grand Rapids, $220,000, 1,162 square feet, $189 per square-foot, one bathroom.
2804 Mulford Drive, Grand Rapids, $223,700, 920 square feet, $243 per square-foot, two bathrooms.
1108 Widdicomb Ave., Grand Rapids, $237,100, 1,314 square feet, $180 per square-foot, three bedrooms and one bathroom.
4457 Lantana Drive, Grand Rapids, $250,000, 1,764 square feet, $142 per square-foot, four bedrooms and four bathrooms.
929 Bemis Street, Grand Rapids, $250,000, 924 square feet, $271 per square-foot, one bathroom.
952 Arlington Street, Grand Rapids, $252,000, 860 square feet, $293 per square-foot, one bathroom.
2125 Duiker Ave., Grand Rapids, $255,000, 1,165 square feet, $219 per square-foot, two bedrooms and one bathroom.
833 Van Buren Ave., Grand Rapids, $255,000, 1,391 square feet, $183 per square-foot, two bathrooms.
819 Everglade Drive, Grand Rapids, $267,500, 1,396 square feet, $192 per square-foot, one bathroom.
1067 Bridge Street, Grand Rapids, $300,000, 2,238 square feet, $134 per square-foot, two bathrooms.
1764 Bridle Creek Street, Grand Rapids, $315,000, 1,418 square feet, $222 per square-foot, three bedrooms and three bathrooms.
3620 Blazing Star Street, Grand Rapids, $322,323, 1,460 square feet, $221 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
1233 Kreiser Terrace, Grand Rapids, $326,233, 931 square feet, $350 per square-foot, two bathrooms.
4742 Curwood Ave., Grand Rapids, $340,000, 1,196 square feet, $284 per square-foot, three bedrooms and three bathrooms.
762 Tamarack Ave., Grand Rapids, $345,333, 1,312 square feet, $263 per square-foot, three bedrooms and one bathroom.
2031 Godwin Ave., Grand Rapids, $350,000, 1,929 square feet, $181 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
117 Robinhood Drive, Grand Rapids, $360,000, 1,264 square feet, $285 per square-foot, three bathrooms.
5711 Loftwood Drive, Grand Rapids, $365,000, 2,197 square feet, $166 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
6737 Creekside View Drive, Grand Rapids, $390,000, 2,042 square feet, $191 per square-foot, two bedrooms and two bathrooms.
653 Lake Drive, Grand Rapids, $390,000, 2,713 square feet, $144 per square-foot, two bathrooms.
5490 E. Heathwood Drive, Grand Rapids, $395,000, 2,284 square feet, $173 per square-foot, four bedrooms and four bathrooms.
2593 Patterson Ave., Grand Rapids, $430,000, 2,310 square feet, $186 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
1860 Cherry Run Drive, Grand Rapids, $620,000, 2,778 square feet, $223 per square-foot, six bedrooms and four bathrooms.
2515 Westboro Drive, Grand Rapids, $850,000, 2,530 square feet, $336 per square-foot, four bathrooms.
Grandville
3756 Rustic Ave., Grandville, $200,000, 1,002 square feet, $200 per square-foot, three bedrooms and three bathrooms.
Rockford
151 Tamarack Lane, Rockford, $345,000, 1,354 square feet, $255 per square-foot, two bedrooms and two bathrooms.
5685 11 Mile Road, Rockford, $888,000, 2,288 square feet, $388 per square-foot, four bedrooms and three bathrooms.
Sand Lake
3118 Rau Drive, Sand Lake, $304,500, 832 square feet, $366 per square-foot, one bedroom and one bathroom.
Sparta
156 Centennial Street, Sparta, $258,000, 1,742 square feet, $148 per square-foot, six bedrooms and four bathrooms.
Wyoming
931 33rd Street, Wyoming, $196,250, 725 square feet, $271 per square-foot, two bedrooms and one bathroom.
2146 Michael Ave., Wyoming, $250,000, 1,122 square feet, $223 per square-foot, three bedrooms and one bathroom.
908 Muriel Street, Wyoming, $266,000, 934 square feet, $285 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Real Estate Newswire is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to generate analysis of data from Propmix, an aggregator of national real-estate data.. | https://www.mlive.com/realestate-news/2023/07/see-all-homes-sold-in-kent-county-july-24-to-july-30.html | 2023-07-31T07:09:24 | 0 | https://www.mlive.com/realestate-news/2023/07/see-all-homes-sold-in-kent-county-july-24-to-july-30.html |
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Brett Dvoretz writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
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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.
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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
Tempera 9′ Outdoor Market Patio Table Umbrella
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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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.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://cbs4indy.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-angels-outfielder-taylor-ward-placed-on-il-with-facial-fractures-after-being-hit-in-head/ | 2023-07-31T07:09:50 | 1 | https://cbs4indy.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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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.
___
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://cbs4indy.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-chris-buescher-wins-at-richmond-and-secures-spot-in-nascar-playoffs/ | 2023-07-31T07:10:05 | 1 | https://cbs4indy.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-chris-buescher-wins-at-richmond-and-secures-spot-in-nascar-playoffs/ |
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The fight itself didn’t match the hype, but Terence Crawford’s performance exceeded it.
He knocked down Errol Spence Jr. three times Saturday night before finally ending the fight at 2:32 of the ninth round on a technical knockout to cement himself as one of the greatest welterweights in history.
The fight, the most-anticipated boxing match in several years, made Crawford the first undisputed champion in the 147-pound division in the four-belt era that began in 2004.
Crawford (40-0, 31 knockouts) already owned the WBO belt, and took the WBC, WBA and IBF titles from Spence (28-1). Crawford also ran his KO streak to 11 matches, the second-longest active stretch.
Crawford, 35, has won titles at super lightweight and lightweight in addition to welterweight, capturing the latter after moving up in 2018. The Omaha, Nebraska, fighter became the first male boxer to become the undisputed champion in two divisions in the four-belt era.
“I only dreamed of being a world champion,” Crawford said. “I’m an over-achiever. Nobody believed in me when I was coming up, but I made everybody a believer. I want to thank Spence and his team because without him none of this would have been possible.”
A big fight night on the Strip still brings out the stars, with recording artist Andre 3000 of Outkast, NBA star Damian Lillard and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones at T-Mobile Arena. They were among the celebrities that also included former boxing champions such as Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao.
Eminem introduced Crawford and his song “Lose Yourself” played as he walked into the ring before a sellout crowd of 19,990 at T-Mobile Arena.
Spence was the aggressor early on, but Crawford sent him to the floor with a right hand with 20 seconds left in the second round. Then Crawford went after Spence, but time ran out before he could finish him off.
Crawford, a minus-154 favorite, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, then took control of the fight, landing several major blows, often on counters. But Crawford also picked his spots to go after Spence, his punching power taking a heavy toll.
“He was just better tonight,” Spence said. “I make no excuses. He was throwing a harder jab. He was timing with his jab, and he had his timing down on point.”
In the seventh round, Crawford knocked down Spence twice — with a short right at 1:02 and with another right with just a second left.
The fight was essentially over at that point, though Crawford backed off in the eighth round. He came roaring back in the ninth to end it for sure.
Crawford didn’t waste the chance to gloat afterward, directly responding to his critics.
“They said I wasn’t good enough and I couldn’t beat these welterweights,” Crawford said. “I just kept my head to the sky and kept praying to God that I would get the opportunity to show the world how great Terence Crawford is. Tonight, I believe I showed how great I am.”
Spence, however, said he would be up for a rematch, but wants to move up to the 154-pound division.
“We’ve got to do it again,” Spence said. “I would be a lot better.”
Crawford said he would have no problem moving up a weight class.
“I’m in the hurt business,” Crawford said. “Forty-seven is kind of hard for me, too. I was already talking about moving up in weight and challenging (champion Jermell) Charlo.”
The 33-year-old Spence, who lives in DeSoto, Texas, won the IBF title in 2017, claimed the WBC championship in 2019 and took the WBA championship last year.
In the co-main event, Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz (25-2-1) of Mexico beat Chicago resident Giovanni Cabrera (21-1) by split decision in a WBC and WBA lightweight match. Judges Benoit Roussel (114-113) and Don Trella (115-112) scored the fight in favor of Cruz, and Glenn Feldman gave Cabrera the fight by a 114-113 score. Cruz had a point deducted because of a head butt.
Also, Alexandro Santiago (28-3-5) of Mexico won the vacant WBC bantamweight title with a 115-113, 116-112, 116-12 decision over Nonito Donaire (42-8), who lives in Las Vegas.
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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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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Justin Gaethje knocked out Dustin Poirier with a head kick one minute into the second round to win the main event lightweight bout at UFC 291 on Saturday night.
The third-ranked Gaethje (26-4) celebrated his victory by climbing to the top of the Octagon fence and doing a backflip off it. His perfectly timed headshot helped him avenge a loss to Poirier in 2018 when he suffered a fourth-round technical knockout via strikes.
“This chance at redemption was amazing,” Gaethje said. “It drove me to work harder to be ready.”
It was Gaethje’s 20th win by knockout or TKO and his seventh victory in his last nine fights. He also scored his first knockout win since UFC 249 in 2020.
“I was surprised by myself and how good I fought,” Gaethje said.
Second-ranked Poirier (29-8) entered the rematch between the two former interim lightweight champions as a minus-152 favorite according to FanDuel. He matched Gaethje blow for blow in the first round – earning a 10-9 advantage on two of three scorecards – before being quickly dispatched in the second.
The decisive high kick from one former champ caught the other by surprise because it wasn’t a move that he expected to see from Gaethje.
“I thought I had four more rounds,” Poirier said. “I didn’t know I had two more minutes.”
With the victory, Gaethje earned a BMF belt – the second UFC fighter to be awarded that belt.
Beating Poirier opens the door for Gaethje to have a potential title bout against the winner of Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira, who are set to square off at UFC 294 in October.
Gaethje’s BMF win over Poirier headlined five main card bouts.
Alex Pereira defeated Jan Blachowicz by split decision in a light heavyweight bout billed as the co-main event for his eighth win in his last nine fights.
Pereira (8-2), ranked second as a middleweight, made his debut in the light heavyweight division at UFC 291 after losing the middleweight title belt via knockout to Israel Adesanya at UFC 287 in April. Blachowicz (29-10-1) did not make the transition in weight class a smooth one for the former champion.
He weathered early takedowns in the first two rounds and rallied in the third round.
Derrick Lewis earned a record 14th knockout win over Marcos Rogerio de Lima just 33 seconds into the first round of the heavyweight bout. The No.10-ranked Lewis (27-11) scored an immediate takedown with a flying knee and pummeled 15th-ranked Rogerio de Lima (21-10-1) with repeated punches to score the early finish. He celebrated snapping a three-fight slide by stripping off his shorts and dancing around the Octagon.
“The win means a lot to me,” Lewis said. “I had a lot of pressure on me coming into this fight and I just wanted to prove to everyone I’m still one of the best fighters in the world.”
Bobby Green beat Tony Ferguson by submission via choke with six seconds left in the third round of the lightweight bout. Green (30-14-1) dominated the final two rounds to earn his second career submission, scoring takedowns in both rounds while raining repeated blows that left his opponent battered. He denied Ferguson (26-9) a shot at earning his first UFC victory since 2019, sending the 39-year-old fighter home with his sixth straight loss.
Kevin Holland made quick work of Michael Chiesa to win the welterweight bout. Holland (25-9) beat the 12th-ranked Chiesa — fighting for the first time following a two-year hiatus — by submission at 2:39 in the first round. He used his length and striking abilities to trap Chiesa (18-7) in a D’arce choke, forcing a quick tap out.
Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith, Jazz coach Will Hardy, and former Jazz stars Deron Williams and Karl Malone were among those in attendance at the second UFC pay-per-view event in 11 months in the Beehive State.
UFC reported a live gate of $6.5 million, breaking the previous venue record set at UFC 278 in August 2022. A sellout crowd of 18,467 was in attendance.
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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.”
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AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Stapleton in Englewood, Colorado, contributed.
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FUKUOKA, Japan (AP) — The American swim team has had a so-so meet at the world championships in Japan. Meanwhile, Australia and China have been pouring it on.
The American gold-medal count at the worlds is the lowest in at least two decades, although the overall medal count of gold, silver and bronze, is similar to most years.
After winning only four gold medals during the first seven days, they picked up three on Sunday — 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 as least 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.
“Obviously, we’d like to win more gold medals and I think we will,” American coach Bob Bowman said going into Sunday’s final day.
The slight predicament for Bowman is that two of the swimmers he coaches at Arizona State University, Leon Marchand of France and Hungary’s Hubert Kos, have won four gold medals. Marchand has three, and he’s sure to be a star at next year’s Paris Olympics, and Kos has one.
That’s the same gold-medal total for the entire American team through seven of eight days — four gold. The average for the Americans over the last nine championships has been about 15 golds.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, two of the first three questions Bowman fielded were about Marchand and Kos, from French and Hungarian news outlets.
“If you look at swimming, every coach on the U.S. team is coaching a foreign swimmer, an international swimmer. There’s always that dynamic,” said Bowman, who has legendary status for helping Michael Phelps win 23 Olympic gold medals.”
Bowman was cautious about taking credit for Kos, who came to Arizona State late last year. He went from being a good individual medley swimmer to a world champion a few days ago in the 200-meter backstroke.
“I think it’s just the Bob Bowman effect,” said Kos, son of an American father and Hungarian mother. ”That’s as simple as it is.”
He said Bowman had a “magic” touch.
Bowman played down his role.
“He (Kos) had an excellent coach at home for 10 years before me,” Bowman said. “He deserved the credit for this. I just helped a little bit at the end.”
Bowman compared Marchand to Phelps. But can he produce and endure the pressure, particularly with the Olympics in his home country?
“It remains to be seen what he can do next year. It’s going to be a lot of expectations,” Bowman said. “But I feel like he’s done a very good rehearsal this year and last year. They’ve been good preparations for what will happen next year and we’ll try to carry that over to Paris.”
Swimming is an individual sport, separate from team sports like soccer. It would be unthinkable for the coach of Real Madrid to be also coaching Barcelona players on the side. But it’s normal in swimming, and Bowman said he was “ethically” comfortable with it.
“I mean, the bottom line is I get paid to coach these guys at ASU,” he said. “I’m representing my country for the love of my country and happy to do that. I don’t think there’s an ethical question. It’s not a zero-sum. I’m not taking away from the U.S. guys.”
He said he was interested in coaching the Americans at next year’s Olympics, but suggested any decision was still pending.
“I don’t think we know yet,” he said. “I have to go through this week, get home, think about what the scenarios look (like) and then we’ll decide. I always want to do. But we’ll see how it goes.”
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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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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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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://cbs4indy.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-no-2-pick-stroud-competes-with-mills-for-starting-qb-job-with-houston-texans/ | 2023-07-31T07:11:06 | 1 | https://cbs4indy.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-no-2-pick-stroud-competes-with-mills-for-starting-qb-job-with-houston-texans/ |
PYEONGTAEK, South Korea (AP) — The dogs bark and stare as Kim Jong-kil approaches the rusty cages housing the large, short-haired animals he sells for their meat. Kim opens a door and pets one dog’s neck and chest.
Kim says he’s proud of the dog meat farm that has supported his family for 27 years, but is upset over growing attempts by politicians and activists to outlaw the business, which he is turning over to his children.
“It’s more than just feeling bad. I absolutely oppose these moves, and we’ll mobilize all our means to resist it,” Kim, 57, said in an interview at his farm in Pyeongtaek city, just south of Seoul.
Dog meat consumption is a centuries-old practice on the Korean Peninsula and has long been viewed as a source of stamina on hot summer days. It’s neither explicitly banned nor legalized in South Korea, but more and more people want it prohibited. There’s increasing public awareness of animal rights and worries about South Korea’s international image.
The anti-dog meat campaign recently received a big boost when the country’s first lady expressed her support for a ban and two lawmakers submitted bills to eliminate the dog meat trade.
“Foreigners think South Korea is a cultural powerhouse. But the more K-culture increases its international standing, the bigger shock foreigners experience over our dog meat consumption,” said Han Jeoungae, an opposition lawmaker who submitted legislation to outlaw the dog meat industry last month.
Prospects for passage of an anti-dog meat law are unclear because of protests by farmers, restaurant owners and others involved in the dog meat industry. Surveys suggest that one in three South Koreans opposes such a ban, though most people don’t eat dog meat anymore.
Dogs are also eaten in China, Vietnam, Indonesia, North Korea and some African countries, including Ghana, Cameroon, Congo and Nigeria.
Earlier this month, Indonesian authorities announced the end of dog and cat slaughter at an animal market on the island of Sulawesi following a yearslong campaign by local activists and world celebrities. The Tomohon Extreme Market will become the first such market in Indonesia to go dog and cat meat-free, according to the anti-animal cruelty group Humane Society International.
South Korea’s dog meat industry receives more international attention because of its reputation as a wealthy, ultra-modern democracy. It is also the only nation with industrial-scale farms. Most farms in South Korea have more than 500 dogs, according to a dog farmers’ association.
During a recent visit, Kim’s farm, one of the country’s largest with 7,000 dogs, appeared relatively clean but there was a strong stench in some areas. All dogs are kept in elevated cages and are fed with food waste and ground chicken. They are rarely released for exercise and typically are sold for meat one year after they are born.
Kim said two of his children, age 29 and 31, are running the farm with him, and that business has been going pretty well. He said the dogs bred for their meat are different from pets, an idea opposed by activists.
It’s difficult now to find dog meat restaurants in Seoul’s bustling downtown, though many still exit in the countryside.
“I only earn one-third of the money I used to make. Young people don’t come here. Only ailing old people come for lunch,” said Yoon Chu-wol, 77, the owner of a dog meat restaurant in Seoul’s Kyungdong traditional market. “I tell my elderly customers to come and eat my food more frequently before it’s banned.”
Farmers also face growing scrutiny from officials and increasingly negative public opinion. They complain that officials visit them repeatedly in response to complaints filed by activists and citizens over alleged animal abuse and other wrongdoing. Kim said more than 90 such petitions were filed against his farm during a recent four-month span.
Son Won Hak, general secretary of the dog farmers’ association, said many farms have collapsed in recent years because of falling dog meat prices and weaker demand. He thinks that’s a result of activist campaigns and unfair media reports focusing on farms with inferior conditions. Some observers, however, say consumption of dog meat was already declining, with younger people staying away from it.
“Quite honestly, I’d like to quit my job tomorrow. We can’t confidently tell our children that we’re raising dogs,” Son said. “When my friends called me, they said ‘Hey, are you still running a dog meat farm? Isn’t it illegal?’”
The number of farms across South Korea has dropped by half from a few years ago to about 3,000 to 4,000, and about 700,000 to 1 million dogs are slaughtered each year, a decline from several million 10 to 20 years ago, according to the dog farmers’ association. Some activists argue that the farmers’ estimates are an exaggeration meant to show their industry is too big to destroy.
In late 2021, South Korea launched a government-civilian task force to consider outlawing dog meat at the suggestion of then-President Moon Jae-in, a pet lover. The committee, whose members include farmers and animal rights activists, has met more than 20 times but hasn’t reached any agreement, apparently because of disputes over compensation issues.
Agriculture officials refused to disclose the discussions in the closed-door meetings. They said the government wants to end dog meat consumption based on a public consensus.
In April, first lady Kim Keon Hee, the wife of current President Yoon Suk Yeol, said in a meeting with activists that she hopes for an end to dog meat consumption. Famers responded with rallies and formal complaints against Kim for allegedly hurting their livelihoods.
Han, the lawmaker, said she “highly positively appraises” influential figures speaking out against dog meat consumption.
Han said her bill offers support programs for farmers who agree to close their farms. They would be entitled to money to dismantle their facilities, vocational training, employment assistance and other benefits, she said.
Ju Yeongbong, an official of the farmers’ association, said farmers want to continue for about 20 more years until older people, their main customers, die, allowing the industry to naturally disappear. Observers say most farmers are also in their 60s to 70s.
Borami Seo, a director of the South Korea office of the Humane Society International, said she opposes the continued killing of millions of dogs for such a prolonged period. “Letting this silent cruelty to (dogs) be committed in South Korea doesn’t make sense,” Seo said.
“(Dog meat consumption) is too anachronistic, has elements of cruelty to animals and hinders our national growth,” said Cheon JinKyung, head of Korea Animal Rights Advocates in Seoul. | https://www.seattletimes.com/business/south-korean-dog-meat-farmers-push-back-against-growing-moves-to-outlaw-their-industry/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-31T07:11:13 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/business/south-korean-dog-meat-farmers-push-back-against-growing-moves-to-outlaw-their-industry/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
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.wsaz.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ | 2023-07-31T07:11:13 | 0 | https://www.wsaz.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://cbs4indy.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-norway-moves-into-the-knockout-round-at-womens-world-cup-with-6-0-rout-over-the-philippines/ | 2023-07-31T07:11:14 | 0 | https://cbs4indy.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-norway-moves-into-the-knockout-round-at-womens-world-cup-with-6-0-rout-over-the-philippines/ |
BREWING PROFITS
Starbucks reports its third-quarter financial results after the bell on Tuesday.
Analysts forecast that Seattle-based Starbucks earned 95 cents-per-share in the period on sales of $9.3 billion. In the same quarter a year ago, the retail coffee chain posted per-share profit of 84 cents on sales of $8.2 billion. In its most recent quarter, Starbucks enjoyed stronger-than-expected sales as demand in China began to recover.
ONLINE RETAIL BELLWEATHER
Amazon issues its second-quarter earnings report after the bell on Thursday.
Wall Street is expecting the e-commerce giant to post profit of 35 cents per share on $131.4 billion in sales for the quarter. In the same period a year ago, Seattle-based Amazon lost $2 billion, or 20 cents per share, in the three-month period ended June 30. That loss was driven by a $3.9 billion write-down of the value of its investment in electric vehicle start-up Rivian Automotive. Amazon has since returned to profit the past three quarters.
EYE ON JOBS
The Labor Department on Friday issues its July tally of hiring by nonfarm U.S. employers.
Economists forecast that U.S. employers added 200,000 jobs in July, which would be the fewest since December of 2020, but still a solid gain. In June, employers added 209,000 jobs and the unemployment rate ticked down to 3.6%, just above a half-century low. The labor market has mostly held up despite the Federal Reserve’s furious pace of interest rate hikes in the past year-and-a-half.
Nonfarm payrolls, monthly change, seasonally adjusted:
Feb.: 248,000
March: 217,000
April: 217,000
May: 306,000
June: 209,000
July (est.): 200,000
Source: FactSet | https://www.seattletimes.com/business/this-week-starbucks-amazon-earnings-july-jobs-report/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-31T07:11:20 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/business/this-week-starbucks-amazon-earnings-july-jobs-report/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
Man charged in connection with woman’s death
SCIOTO COUNTY, Ohio (WSAZ) - A man is facing charges after deputies say a woman died from injuries due to neglect.
The Scioto County Sheriff’s Office arrested Matthew Vansickle, 58 of Franklin Furnace Saturday for the second time in four days in connection with the case.
Sheriff David Thoroughman says a woman was admitted to Southern Ohio Medical Center Wednesday, showing signs of possible abuse. Vansickle was arrested that day on neglect charges, but was released on bond Thursday.
Sheriff Thoroughman says the victim, 79-year old Patricia Vansickle, died Saturday as a result of injuries dude to neglect. Matthew Vansickle was arrested later Saturday, charged with involuntary manslaughter. The sheriff’s office has not confirmed the relationship between the victim and suspect.
The sheriff says more charges are pending. Matthew Vansickle is due in court Monday morning in Portsmouth.
Copyright 2023 WSAZ. All rights reserved. | https://www.wsaz.com/2023/07/31/man-charged-connection-with-womans-death/ | 2023-07-31T07:11:20 | 1 | https://www.wsaz.com/2023/07/31/man-charged-connection-with-womans-death/ |
SYDNEY (AP) — Some of the biggest names in soccer have yet to show up at the Women’s World Cup.
That’s literally been the case of Australian star Sam Kerr, who missed the first two games with a calf injury.
Kerr has recovered in time to play for Australia in a crucial final Group B game against Canada on Monday. The Matildas need to beat the Canadians to ensure they advance to the knockout round, and the Chelsea striker’s return to the lineup brings needed energy to the team.
“Mentally, it’s massive. It brings so much to our team and obviously also a lot to the opposition knowing that we have Sam available for this game,” Australia defender Ellie Carpenter said.
Kerr’s injury on the eve of Australia’s opening game against Ireland set the tone for a tournament that hasn’t been kind to some of its biggest stars. She was the face of co-host Australia’s preparations for the tournament, which is also being staged in New Zealand.
She dominated the covers of magazines across newsstands, while the autobiography she released late last year chronicled her rise to become arguably the best player in the women’s game right now. Kerr’s popularity transcends women’s soccer and she is considered a national icon.
So the disappointment was palpable when news broke about an hour before the opening match that Kerr was going to be sidelined at least two games in this tournament.
Kerr’s absence was felt in the 3-2 loss to Nigeria in Australia’s second game, a loss that put the Matildas in danger of elimination. It is not known what her role will be against Canada, but Australia needs Kerr to deliver in the final game of group play.
“I’m definitely going to be available, but how we decide to use that is not to be given to the opposition,” said Kerr.
The World Cup is supposed to be a showcase for the finest talent and biggest names, but injuries have always robbed the tournament of some its star players.
Norway forward Ada Hegerberg has had her playing time curtailed. Often referred to as “the Lionel Messi of women’s soccer,” Hederberg was part of a Norway’s 1-0 upset loss to New Zealand in the opening game of the World Cup.
It got worse for the 2018 Ballon d’Or winner when she suffered a groin injury in the warm-up ahead of Norway’s game against Switzerland, and she’s been ruled out of the final Group A game against the Philippines.
Keira Walsh of England suffered a knee injury against Denmark that will sidenline her for the Lionesses’ final Group D game against China. Described as irreplaceable, it is not known how much she will be able to play.
Even for some stars who have seen plenty of playing time, it has been difficult to make an impact.
American icon Alex Morgan has underwhelmed so far at her fourth World Cup, where she is hoping to help the United States to an unprecedented third consecutive title.
Morgan, the co-leading scorer at the last World Cup, has yet to score at this year’s event and missed a penalty in the 3-0 win against Vietnam. U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski said Morgan was adapting to playing in a forward line with Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman.
“I think it’s not hard to realize that Alex’s role is slightly different than the Alex that we’re used to maybe in the past,” Andonovski said. “She does set up the other two forwards a lot more. It’s not that she’s not capable of scoring goals or getting behind crosses, but we can also see her playing balls to Trinity and Soph, but also getting crosses for them as well.”
Morgan, at 34, is now one of the older players at the tournament.
Christine Sinclair of Canada is also searching for first goal of the tournament. Sinclair is highest scorer in international soccer — men or women — with 190 goals.
Like Morgan, she also missed a penalty, in a 0-0 draw with Nigeria that could still prove costly. She was benched for Canada’s second game against Ireland before coming in as a substitute at halftime as the gold medalist from the Tokyo Olympics logged a come-from-behind 2-1 win.
At 40 years old, Sinclair is having to accept a more limited role for Canada.
Brazil great Marta, at 37, has also been used sparingly in her sixth World Cup.
Her teammate, Debinha, who is also an iconic figure to Brazil fans, has been one of the standout players for her country so far. But she wasn’t able to stop a 2-1 loss to France on Saturday despite scoring in that match.
The gap appears to be closing in the women’s game, with underdogs proving more of a test for the more established nations. That’s one reason some of the big name stars have yet to impress in tournament.
One of the few standouts who has not disappointed so far has been Alexandra Popp, who scored twice in Germany’s 6-0 rout of Morocco.
Major tournaments are traditionally a mix of rising talents coming to the surface, while established stars have the chance to confirm their status among the greats.
Linda Caicedo of Colombia, Lauren James of England and Melchie Dumornay of Haiti have proven their worth as some of the brightest prospects in the game. But as the second round of games nears its completion, it feels like the tournament is still waiting for many of its big hitters to make an impact.
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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
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More AP Women’s World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup | https://cbs4indy.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-some-of-soccers-biggest-stars-are-struggling-to-make-an-impact-at-the-womens-world-cup/ | 2023-07-31T07:11:21 | 0 | https://cbs4indy.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-some-of-soccers-biggest-stars-are-struggling-to-make-an-impact-at-the-womens-world-cup/ |
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — The Australian army helicopter that crashed Friday during a multinational exercise hit the water with a “catastrophic impact” and there is no chance its four crew members survived, officials said Monday.
Australia’s fleet of more than 40 of the MRH-90 Taipan helicopters, made by French Airbus, has been grounded since the crash and there are doubts any will fly again.
They will be grounded until crash investigators determine what caused the tragedy. The government announced in January it plans to replace them with 40 U.S. Black Hawks. The Taipans’ retirement date of December 2024 would be 13 years earlier than Australia had initially planned.
Defense Minister Richard Marles said the search and rescue effort changed Monday to a victim recovery operation with no chance that Capt. Danniel Lyon, Lt. Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Joseph Laycock or Cpl. Alexander Naggs had survived.
“There was a catastrophic incident and with every passing hour, it is now clear that any hope of finding (the four crew) alive has been lost,” Marles told reporters.
The helicopter crashed during a nighttime exercise with the United States and other nations near the Whitsunday Islands on the Great Barrier Reef.
Marles had said on Saturday the helicopter “ditched,” which refers to an emergency landing. But on Monday he would not rule our pilot error or disorientation in the dark causing the crash into the water. He urged against speculation about potential causes.
“There was a catastrophic impact on the helicopter when it hit the water,” Marles said.
“We will move through the process of putting the Black Hawks into service as quickly as we can … and we will not be flying MRH90s until we understand what has happened,” Marles added.
The lost Taipan had been taking part in Talisman Sabre, a biennial U.S.-Australian military exercise that is largely based in Queensland state. This year’s exercise involves 13 nations and more than 30,000 military personnel.
The exercise was continuing on Monday with some changes near the recovery operation, Australian Defense Force Chief Gen. Angus Campbell said.
Campbell thanked the United States and Canada for their help in the search and recovery efforts, which he said was “not an easy operation.”
The wreckage lay in the path of strong currents and tidal movements. It was too deep for standard diving operations.
Part of the airframe had been retrieved by Monday but most of the helicopter remained on the seabed, Campbell said.
It was the second emergency involving an Australian Taipan since March. The fleet was grounded after one ditched into the sea off the New South Wales state coast near the naval base at Jervis Bay during a nighttime counterterrorism training exercise. All 10 passengers and crew members were rescued.
Retired Maj. Gen. Fergus McLachlan was involved in integrating the Taipan into the Australian army when they arrived in 2007 and had been responsible for keeping them airworthy. He said the Taipan did not have the proven record of the Lockheed Martin-designed Black Hawks.
“We bought into an unproven system. In real terms, it was a developmental aircraft and it has never really matured,” McLachlan told Australian Broadcasting Corp.
“It was always a battle to maintain it and keep it flying,” McLachlan added. | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/4-crew-members-on-australian-army-helicopter-that-crashed-off-coast-didnt-survive-officials-say/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-31T07:11:26 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/4-crew-members-on-australian-army-helicopter-that-crashed-off-coast-didnt-survive-officials-say/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
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.wsaz.com/2023/07/31/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-make-first-court-appearance/ | 2023-07-31T07:11:26 | 0 | https://www.wsaz.com/2023/07/31/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-make-first-court-appearance/ |
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.
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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://cbs4indy.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-verstappen-wins-belgian-gp-to-extend-huge-f1-lead-red-bull-teammate-perez-2nd/ | 2023-07-31T07:11:28 | 1 | https://cbs4indy.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-verstappen-wins-belgian-gp-to-extend-huge-f1-lead-red-bull-teammate-perez-2nd/ |
VATICAN CITY (AP) — When Pope Francis made the first foreign trip of his papacy, to Rio di Janeiro for World Youth Day in 2013, he urged young people to make a “mess” in their local churches, to shake things up even if it ruffled the feathers of their bishops.
As he embarks this week on another edition of World Youth Day, in Lisbon, Portugal, Francis in many ways has taken his own advice to heart. After 10 years as pope, Francis is accelerating his reform agenda and making revolutionary changes in personnel and policy that are definitely shaking things up.
Unencumbered by the shadow of Pope Benedict XVI, who died seven months ago, and despite recovering from a second intestinal surgery in as many years, the 86-year-old Francis is opening a frenetic second half of the year with his Portugal visit. He seems aware that he has a limited sweet spot of time to solidify the changes he believes are necessary for the 21st century church, and is looking to the next generation of faithful and leaders to execute them.
“The sense I get is that this is the consolidation phase of the pontificate,” said papal biographer Austen Ivereigh. “He’s laying the basis now, laying the ground, for the future.”
And no better place to put it on display than at a World Youth Day. The international rally, which St. John Paul II launched in 1986 to galvanize young Catholics in their faith, is expected to draw up to 1 million people for the first post-pandemic event of its kind. Francis’ perennial social justice concerns about climate change, social inequality and fraternity, as well as Russia’s war in Ukraine, are expected to be major themes.
Beyond Portugal, though, Francis’ multifold strategy for laying the groundwork for the future is coming together and will hit significant marks in the coming months.
His global canvassing of rank-and-file Catholics about their vision for the future comes to fruition this October with a big synod at the Vatican. The meeting is intended to give direction on such hot-button issues as the place of LGBTQ+ Catholics and women in the church, and for the first time will feature women and young people voting on proposals alongside bishops.
“I really think that for Pope Francis, he felt that ‘OK, now it’s mature’ and it would be good really to involve all the members, all the people in the synod as members” with the right to vote, said Sister Nathalie Becquart, who is one of the key synod organizers.
To then implement the vision that emerges from the synod, Francis has been naming a slew of unusually young bishops for key archdioceses — in his native Buenos Aires, Madrid and Brussels, among others. At the same time, he’s elevated several cardinals in their 50s — and in some cases their 40s — including the auxiliary bishop of Lisbon who is organizing World Youth Day.
Putting such young clerics in such important positions ensures a generation’s worth of likeminded leadership in the Vatican and archdioceses around the world. While not all are cookie-cutter proteges of Francis, many are seen as similarly pastorally minded and thus more game to implement his reforms, especially as the older generation of bishops and cardinals dies out.
After Francis is gone, the youngest of these new cardinals will have some three decades’ worth of local leadership and conclave votes to select future popes, suggesting a generational and ideological shift in the church leadership is very much underway.
Francis’ most important young “legacy” appointment was that of the Vatican’s new doctrinal czar, Argentine Cardinal-elect Victor Manuel Fernandez ,61. Francis’ theological ghostwriter ran into Vatican problems in the past over questions about his doctrinal orthodoxy, and his appointment sent shockwaves through the conservative and traditionalist wings of the church.
Fernandez sees his appointment as part of Francis’ longer-term agenda: “He is proposing a more inclusive church, more respectful of different ways of living, even of thinking,” Fernandez said in an interview.
Portuguese Cardinal-elect Americo Aguiar, who is in charge of World Youth Day, is another young churchman who also understands his appointment as part of a generational turning point for the Catholic hierarchy.
At age 49 he will become the second-youngest member of the College of Cardinals when he is installed Sept. 30. He is just six months older than the current youngest cardinal, whom Francis elevated this time last year: Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, head of the church in Mongolia where Francis will travel at the end of August.
“My reading of it is that this has to do with young people, it has to do with youth, it has to do with Portugal, it has to do with World Youth Day, it has to do with all of that,” Aguiar said in an interview. “I think that his objective and his underlining was exactly to send a signal to the young people, to every young person who is preparing the day, whether in Portugal or in the world, to feel identified with this decision.”
Francis said as much in his monthly prayer intentions for August, this time dedicated to the Lisbon event.
“In Lisbon, I would like to see a seed for the world’s future,” Francis said. “A world where love is at the center, where we can sense that we are sisters and brothers.”
His words at the 2013 World Youth Day in Rio now seem prescient in outlining many of the key pastoral messages Francis has emphasized over the past decade. Delivering a spontaneous, off-the-cuff exhortation to a gathering of Argentine pilgrims that was organized at the last minute, Francis urged the young to get out into the streets, spread their faith and “make a mess.”
“I want to see the church get closer to the people,” Francis said then, speaking in his native Spanish. “I want to get rid of clericalism, the mundane, this closing ourselves off within ourselves, in our parishes, schools or structures.”
Realizing the radical nature of his message, Francis apologized to the bishops for what was about to come, even though in the 10 years since, he has only gone farther than anyone could have imagined at the time.
“The true reform of the church, you know, is not a revolution bringing something completely from outside,” said Becquart, the French nun, as she reflected on Francis’ agenda. “It’s a path of change that is a way to unfold tradition, but in a very dynamic way.”
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AP reporters Helena Alvez in Lisbon, Portugal, and Almudena Calatrava in Buenos Aires contributed.
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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/as-the-pope-heads-to-portugal-he-is-laying-the-groundwork-for-the-churchs-future-and-his-legacy/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-31T07:11:32 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/as-the-pope-heads-to-portugal-he-is-laying-the-groundwork-for-the-churchs-future-and-his-legacy/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
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.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ | 2023-07-31T07:11:32 | 0 | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ |
SYDNEY (AP) — The Women’s World Cup is taking shape with shocks and highlights as it nears the end of the group stage.
Some players have established themselves as ones to watch, like Colombia star Linda Caicedo, who has made her team one of the tournament surprises. Colombia picked up an upset win over Germany, and Nigeria upset co-host Australia — just two of the games that showed the gap has closed at top level women’s soccer.
But co-host New Zealand was eliminated, and other big teams are in danger of not advancing headed into the final few days of group play.
The Associated Press takes a look at some of the highlights and lowlights so far:
GOAL OF THE TOURNAMENT
There have been a number of contenders and Bia Zaneratto’s strike against Panama after a sweeping move from Brazil stands out as the most complete goal so far.
Ireland’s Katie McCabe scored directly from a corner kick against Canada, and England’s Lauren James curled in a long range effort against Denmark.
Even so, Caicedo’s solo goal in Colombia’s dramatic 2-1 win against Germany is the pick of the bunch. With a flash of skill, she beat two German players in the box before lashing a shot into the top corner as the Sydney crowd dominated by Colombia fans went wild.
MOMENT OF THE TOURNAMENT
It has to be Manuela Vanegas’ late winner for Colombia against Germany. Alexandra Popp seemed to position two-time champion Germany for a draw with an 89th-minute penalty.
But Vanegas’ header in the 97th minute gave Colombia a World Cup upset.
COMEBACK
Norway looked down and out after an opening game loss to co-host New Zealand and a goalless draw against Switzerland. With star player Ada Hegerberg injured, the odds were beginning to stack up against the Norwegians going into their final Group A match against the Philippines.
But three goals within 31 minutes set up a 6-0 rout that saw Norway advance to the knockout rounds in second place. The Norway win knocked New Zealand out of the tournament, making the Football Ferns the first host to be eliminated in group play in tournament history.
EMERGING STARS
Caicedo’s standout performances isn’t a surprise to those who have followed her carer. The Real Madrid forward has long-been tipped to be one of the biggest stars in women’s soccer.
She hasn’t disappointed in her first World Cup and has inspired Colombia to back-to-back wins with goals in each game.
England coach Sarina Wiegman unleashed Chelsea forward James from the start in the Lionesses’ second game against Denmark, and she made a quick impression. Collecting the ball outside the area after six minutes, she swept a curling effort past Lene Christensen.
Haiti’s Melchie Dumornay has shown flashes of the talent that earned her a move to French powerhouse Lyon, while 19-year-old Aoba Fujino has become the youngest player to score at a World Cup for Japan’s men’s or women’s teams.
Casey Phair, a 16 year old, became the youngest-ever player to appear in a senior soccer World Cup when she was a second-half substitute for South Korea against Colombia.
DISAPPOINTMENTS
While youngsters have capitalized on their chance to shine, some of the established names have yet to make their mark.
There have been differing reasons for that.
Sam Kerr’s calf injury robbed Australia of its star striker for its opening two games, while Hegerberg’s groin injury has cut her playing time for Norway.
Alex Morgan, who was the co-leading scorer at the last World Cup, is still finding her footing in the United States’ new look attack.
Record international scorer Christine Sinclair was benched for Canada’s second game and is still waiting for her first goal of the tournament, while Brazil great Marta has also been used sparingly.
SURPRISES
New Zealand kicked the tournament off with a 1-0 win against Norway, but couldn’t keep up its momentum and went on to lose by the same score to the Philippines to set up the co-host’s early exit.
Jamaica’s 0-0 draw with fifth-ranked France was described by its coach Lorne Donaldson as the country’s greatest soccer result, for men or women. But the biggest surprise could be yet to come if Jamaica can avoid defeat against Brazil to advance to the round of 16.
Colombia’s dramatic late winner against Germany, meanwhile, was one of the great upsets.
ENTERTAINERS
The goals have been flowing for Spain and Japan, teams that both advanced from the group stage with a game to spare. Both teams secured 5-0 wins against Zambia and both have produced technically excellent displays.
Germany was on a high after its 6-0 rout of Morocco, but was humbled by Colombia.
Sweden routed Italy 5-0, while Norway found its scoring touch just in time against the Philippines.
ONES TO WATCH
Some of the favorites have made underwhelming starts. The two-time defending champion United States, England, Germany and France have stumbled in group play and the tournament still looks wide open.
Colombia looks legitimate, and with Kerr back in action, Australia could become a contender.
The Netherlands look like serious contenders, while Spain and Japan have impressed. Brazil has shown flashes, but faces a fight to advance from the group stage.
Nigeria has shown it is dangerous, and Sweden has picked up back-to-back wins.
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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
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More AP Women’s World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup | https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/soccer/the-womens-world-cup-has-produced-some-big-moments-these-are-some-of-the-highlights-lowlights/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-31T07:11:38 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/soccer/the-womens-world-cup-has-produced-some-big-moments-these-are-some-of-the-highlights-lowlights/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
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.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/flutter-entertainment-plc-fox-corporation-announce-close-fox-bet/ | 2023-07-31T07:11:39 | 0 | https://www.wsaz.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.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ | 2023-07-31T07:11:46 | 0 | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ |
Massive brush fire in Wichita County is full contained, Texas A&M Forest Service say
Published: Jul. 29, 2023 at 6:24 PM CDT
WICHITA FALLS, Texas (KWTX) - The Texas A&M Forest Service said the Grasshopper Fire in Wichita County near Wichita Falls is full contained.
The fire burned 396 acres before being put out.
“All state resources have been released and the fire has transitioned back to the local unit,” Texas A&M Forest Service said in a tweet.
Copyright 2023 KWTX. All rights reserved. | https://www.ktre.com/2023/07/29/massive-brush-fire-wichita-county-is-full-contained-texas-am-forest-service-say/ | 2023-07-31T07:11:50 | 0 | https://www.ktre.com/2023/07/29/massive-brush-fire-wichita-county-is-full-contained-texas-am-forest-service-say/ |
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.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/jimmys-jazz-amp-blues-club-features-legendary-blues-musicians-elvin-bishop-charlie-musselwhite-thursday-august-17-730-pm/ | 2023-07-31T07:11:53 | 1 | https://www.wsaz.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.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/lg-energy-solution-crosses-halfway-mark-its-journey-reach-carbon-neutrality/ | 2023-07-31T07:11:54 | 1 | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/lg-energy-solution-crosses-halfway-mark-its-journey-reach-carbon-neutrality/ |
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.ktre.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ | 2023-07-31T07:11:56 | 1 | https://www.ktre.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ |
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.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/one-rock-capital-partners-announces-acquisition-constantia-flexibles-wendel/ | 2023-07-31T07:12:00 | 0 | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/one-rock-capital-partners-announces-acquisition-constantia-flexibles-wendel/ |
Booksellers sue over Texas law requiring them to rate books for appropriateness
Two Texas bookstores and three national bookseller associations file suit over House Bill 900, which requires private booksellers to rate books on appropriateness, and bans “sexually explicit” material from libraries.
(TEXAS TRIBUNE) - A coalition of Texas bookstores and national bookseller associations filed suit on Tuesday over House Bill 900, which aims to ban sexually explicit material from school libraries.
HB 900 passed in the Legislature and was signed by Gov. Greg Abbott earlier this year. It is set to go into effect on Sept. 1 and requires book vendors to assign ratings to books based on the presence of depictions or references to sex. In school libraries, books with a “sexually explicit” rating will be removed from bookshelves. And students who want to check out school library books deemed “sexually relevant” would have to get parental permission first.
Plaintiffs in the suit include two Texas bookstores, Austin’s BookPeople and West Houston’s Blue Willow Bookshop, as well as the American Booksellers Association, the Association of American Publishers, the Authors Guild and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.
They are suing defendants Martha Wong, chair of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission; Keven Ellis, chair of the Texas State Board of Education; and Mike Morath, commissioner of the Texas Education Agency.
According to the official complaint, which was filed in an Austin federal court, the plaintiffs argue that HB 900 violates the First and 14th amendments by regulating speech with “vague and overbroad” terms and targeting protected speech.
They go on to argue that HB 900 forces the plaintiffs to comply with the government’s views, even if they do not agree, and that the law operates as prior restraint — which is government action that prohibits speech or other expression before the speech happens.
“The book ban establishes an unconstitutional regime of compelled speech, retaliation, and licensing that violates clear First Amendment precedent and this country’s history of fostering a robust marketplace of ideas,” the complaint says.
The CEOs of both bookstores say it is not possible for them to comply with the rating system required of book vendors in HB 900. The sheer volume of titles they would need to rate is too much, Charley Rejsek, CEO of BookPeople, said in a statement.
In a joint statement by the three bookseller associations, they said they are not questioning that content for students should be age-appropriate, but rather that they believe HB 900 does not accomplish such a goal.
“It robs parents, schools and teachers from across the state of Texas of the right to make decisions for their respective communities and classrooms, instead handing that role to a state entity and private businesses,” the statement says.
The complaint emphasizes how the plaintiffs believe HB 900 will “shatter” small bookstores in Texas, placing “additional economic pressure” on them.
Supporters of HB 900, like Cindi Castilla, president of conservative think tank Texas Eagle Forum, characterized the proposal as a child protection bill. In a Senate education committee hearing in May, Castilla said explicit materials in books are educationally unsuitable for students and that taxpayers should not fund such books.
“Our schools must not sexualize our students or provide them pornographic reading material or introduce them to inappropriate materials that distract from the educational goals we’ve set as a state,” she said.
Lawmakers like state Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney agreed, arguing that HB 900 is a “tool” to be used by communities to address “harmful sexually explicit material.”
Opponents of HB 900 have been worried that by targeting so-called “sexually explicit material” lawmakers will be specifically targeting books that explore LGBTQ+ themes, including books such as “Calvin” and “Being Jazz.” Bill author Rep. Jared Patterson, R-Frisco, also condemned the book “Gender Queer,” a graphic novel that traces the author’s experiences with gender growing up.
Many librarians and booksellers, including representatives from the Texas Library Association and individual libraries across the state, testified to the House and Senate in May that the bill will slow down book sales and acquisition of books by school libraries.
“Such oversight has not been needed in the past and is not needed now,” said Mark Smith, the former director of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. “The bill will interfere with student learning and achievement by blocking access to materials that have been restricted.”
Copyright 2023 TEXAS TRIBUNE. All rights reserved. | https://www.ktre.com/2023/07/31/booksellers-sue-over-texas-law-requiring-them-rate-books-appropriateness/ | 2023-07-31T07:12:02 | 1 | https://www.ktre.com/2023/07/31/booksellers-sue-over-texas-law-requiring-them-rate-books-appropriateness/ |
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.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-food-drug-administration-fda-purchase-lift-system-diant-pharma-inc/ | 2023-07-31T07:12:07 | 1 | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-food-drug-administration-fda-purchase-lift-system-diant-pharma-inc/ |
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.ktre.com/2023/07/31/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-make-first-court-appearance/ | 2023-07-31T07:12:09 | 1 | https://www.ktre.com/2023/07/31/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-make-first-court-appearance/ |
Mark Welsh III unanimously named Texas A&M interim president in special meeting
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KWTX) - The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents held a special meeting Sunday evening and unanimously approved Mark A. Welsh III as the interim president of the University.
Welsh will be replacing previous Texas A&M president Katherine Banks after she recently stepped down from the position.
The session began at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday night. After only a few minutes everyone was asked to leave as the board went into executive session.
The board also authorized officials to begin negotiating a potential settlement for the claims of Kathleen McElroy. She was initially hired to head the school’s journalism program, but the deal fell apart following failed negotiations.
“I cannot think of a better person than Mark Welsh to lead Texas A&M right now,” Chancellor John Sharp said in a press release. “He has experience running a large organization, but he also is widely respected and universally well-liked in the Aggie community. General Welsh has earned a reputation as a smart, thoughtful and collaborative leader. We are lucky to have him in the president’s office.”
Copyright 2023 KWTX. All rights reserved. | https://www.ktre.com/2023/07/31/mark-welsh-iii-unanimously-named-texas-am-interim-president-special-meeting/ | 2023-07-31T07:12:16 | 0 | https://www.ktre.com/2023/07/31/mark-welsh-iii-unanimously-named-texas-am-interim-president-special-meeting/ |
Texas A&M names interim president, launches Investigation into handling of McElroy’s contract
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) -The Texas A&M Board of Regents held a special meeting on Sunday to address the appointment of an interim president at the university and to authorize negotiations for a potential settlement of claims regarding the failed hiring of a professor.
The meeting comes after weeks of controversy stemming from the unsuccessful hiring of Kathleen McElroy, an experienced journalist with over 40 years of expertise. This hiring setback resulted in the journalism program lacking a director, prompting the Interim Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences to step down, and leading to the immediate retirement of the university’s president, Katherine Banks.
Following Banks’ retirement, Gen. Mark Welsh III assumed the role of acting president, and on Sunday, he was officially named interim president by the board of regents through a unanimous vote.
“I cannot think of a better person than Mark Welsh to lead Texas A&M right now,” Sharp said. “He has experience running a large organization, but he also is widely respected and universally well-liked in the Aggie community. General Welsh has earned a reputation as a smart, thoughtful and collaborative leader. We are lucky to have him in the president’s office.”
Welsh, who was the dean of the Bush School of Government and Public Service, has an illustrious military career as a top general in the United States Air Force.
“I am grateful to the Board of Regents and Chancellor Sharp for their confidence in me to lead this great university during a time of transition,” Welsh said. “As interim president, my primary focus is to ensure our faculty and staff have the resources and support they need to continue their critically important work. I’m deeply committed to Texas A&M, our core values and traditions, and to an environment that values the voice of every member of our faculty, staff and student body. I pledge to every Aggie that I will work tirelessly to represent this great institution in a way that reflects your pride in it.”
The Board of Regents also authorized negotiations for a potential settlement of claims by McElroy, and directed a quick and thorough investigation, with the intention of releasing the findings to the public.
The incident has drawn significant attention from faculty, students, and the public, placing Texas A&M in the national spotlight. Concerns have been raised by the Faculty Senate about potential external political influence on the university’s administration and hiring practices.
Initially praised as the ideal candidate to lead the journalism program, McElroy accepted the position pending approval from the Texas A&M System Board of Regents. However, less than a month later, she withdrew her acceptance, citing changing contract conditions and objections from A&M System officials regarding her work on race and diversity, as well as her past work at the New York Times.
After agreeing to head the program as a tenured professor, McElroy says she was presented with two alternative offers: a five-year contract without tenure and subsequently, a one-year at-will contract.
Prior to her resignation earlier this month, Banks told the Senate the situation was “embarrassing” and she takes responsibility for it.
“I will say it has been a difficult week for Texas A&M. I’m saddened by the negative attention that we’ve received. It’s been detrimental to our shared goals and vision,” Banks said.
“It’s embarrassing. I take responsibility for it as I should, as the president of the university,” Banks added.
The meeting itself was held in executive session, with limited access to information. KBTX requested multiple times to speak with Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp and the members of the Board of Regents but were told they would not be available for comment and directed us to a press release that would be forthcoming.
Full press release below:
Copyright 2023 KBTX. All rights reserved. | https://www.ktre.com/2023/07/31/texas-am-names-interim-president-launches-investigation-into-handling-mcelroys-contract/ | 2023-07-31T07:12:23 | 0 | https://www.ktre.com/2023/07/31/texas-am-names-interim-president-launches-investigation-into-handling-mcelroys-contract/ |
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As the pope heads to Portugal, he is laying the groundwork for the church’s future and his legacy
By NICOLE WINFIELD
Associated Press
VATICAN CITY (AP) — When Pope Francis made the first foreign trip of his papacy, to Rio di Janeiro for World Youth Day in 2013, he urged young people to make a “mess” in their local churches, to shake things up even if it ruffled the feathers of their bishops.
As he embarks this week on another edition of World Youth Day, in Lisbon, Portugal, Francis in many ways has taken his own advice to heart. After 10 years as pope, Francis is accelerating his reform agenda and making revolutionary changes in personnel and policy that are definitely shaking things up.
Unencumbered by the shadow of Pope Benedict XVI, who died seven months ago, and despite recovering from a second intestinal surgery in as many years, the 86-year-old Francis is opening a frenetic second half of the year with his Portugal visit. He seems aware that he has a limited sweet spot of time to solidify the changes he believes are necessary for the 21st century church, and is looking to the next generation of faithful and leaders to execute them.
“The sense I get is that this is the consolidation phase of the pontificate,” said papal biographer Austen Ivereigh. “He’s laying the basis now, laying the ground, for the future.”
And no better place to put it on display than at a World Youth Day. The international rally, which St. John Paul II launched in 1986 to galvanize young Catholics in their faith, is expected to draw up to 1 million people for the first post-pandemic event of its kind. Francis’ perennial social justice concerns about climate change, social inequality and fraternity, as well as Russia’s war in Ukraine, are expected to be major themes.
Beyond Portugal, though, Francis’ multifold strategy for laying the groundwork for the future is coming together and will hit significant marks in the coming months.
His global canvassing of rank-and-file Catholics about their vision for the future comes to fruition this October with a big synod at the Vatican. The meeting is intended to give direction on such hot-button issues as the place of LGBTQ+ Catholics and women in the church, and for the first time will feature women and young people voting on proposals alongside bishops.
“I really think that for Pope Francis, he felt that ‘OK, now it’s mature’ and it would be good really to involve all the members, all the people in the synod as members” with the right to vote, said Sister Nathalie Becquart, who is one of the key synod organizers.
To then implement the vision that emerges from the synod, Francis has been naming a slew of unusually young bishops for key archdioceses — in his native Buenos Aires, Madrid and Brussels, among others. At the same time, he’s elevated several cardinals in their 50s — and in some cases their 40s — including the auxiliary bishop of Lisbon who is organizing World Youth Day.
Putting such young clerics in such important positions ensures a generation’s worth of likeminded leadership in the Vatican and archdioceses around the world. While not all are cookie-cutter proteges of Francis, many are seen as similarly pastorally minded and thus more game to implement his reforms, especially as the older generation of bishops and cardinals dies out.
After Francis is gone, the youngest of these new cardinals will have some three decades’ worth of local leadership and conclave votes to select future popes, suggesting a generational and ideological shift in the church leadership is very much underway.
Francis’ most important young “legacy” appointment was that of the Vatican’s new doctrinal czar, Argentine Cardinal-elect Victor Manuel Fernandez ,61. Francis’ theological ghostwriter ran into Vatican problems in the past over questions about his doctrinal orthodoxy, and his appointment sent shockwaves through the conservative and traditionalist wings of the church.
Fernandez sees his appointment as part of Francis’ longer-term agenda: “He is proposing a more inclusive church, more respectful of different ways of living, even of thinking,” Fernandez said in an interview.
Portuguese Cardinal-elect Americo Aguiar, who is in charge of World Youth Day, is another young churchman who also understands his appointment as part of a generational turning point for the Catholic hierarchy.
At age 49 he will become the second-youngest member of the College of Cardinals when he is installed Sept. 30. He is just six months older than the current youngest cardinal, whom Francis elevated this time last year: Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, head of the church in Mongolia where Francis will travel at the end of August.
“My reading of it is that this has to do with young people, it has to do with youth, it has to do with Portugal, it has to do with World Youth Day, it has to do with all of that,” Aguiar said in an interview. “I think that his objective and his underlining was exactly to send a signal to the young people, to every young person who is preparing the day, whether in Portugal or in the world, to feel identified with this decision.”
Francis said as much in his monthly prayer intentions for August, this time dedicated to the Lisbon event.
“In Lisbon, I would like to see a seed for the world’s future,” Francis said. “A world where love is at the center, where we can sense that we are sisters and brothers.”
His words at the 2013 World Youth Day in Rio now seem prescient in outlining many of the key pastoral messages Francis has emphasized over the past decade. Delivering a spontaneous, off-the-cuff exhortation to a gathering of Argentine pilgrims that was organized at the last minute, Francis urged the young to get out into the streets, spread their faith and “make a mess.”
“I want to see the church get closer to the people,” Francis said then, speaking in his native Spanish. “I want to get rid of clericalism, the mundane, this closing ourselves off within ourselves, in our parishes, schools or structures.”
Realizing the radical nature of his message, Francis apologized to the bishops for what was about to come, even though in the 10 years since, he has only gone farther than anyone could have imagined at the time.
“The true reform of the church, you know, is not a revolution bringing something completely from outside,” said Becquart, the French nun, as she reflected on Francis’ agenda. “It’s a path of change that is a way to unfold tradition, but in a very dynamic way.”
___
AP reporters Helena Alvez in Lisbon, Portugal, and Almudena Calatrava in Buenos Aires contributed.
___
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. | https://kion546.com/ap-colorado/2023/07/30/as-the-pope-heads-to-portugal-he-is-laying-the-groundwork-for-the-churchs-future-and-his-legacy/ | 2023-07-31T07:14:31 | 0 | https://kion546.com/ap-colorado/2023/07/30/as-the-pope-heads-to-portugal-he-is-laying-the-groundwork-for-the-churchs-future-and-his-legacy/ |
Medvedev says Russia could use nuclear weapon if Ukraine’s fightback succeeds in latest threat
By Josh Pennington, Alex Stambaugh and Brad Lendon, CNN
(CNN) — Russia may be forced to use a nuclear weapon if Ukraine’s counteroffensive succeeds, senior Russian official Dmitry Medvedev said Sunday – the latest in a series of nuclear threats made during Moscow’s invasion by the key ally of President Vladimir Putin.
“Just imagine that the offensive… in tandem with NATO, succeeded and ended up with part of our land being taken away. Then we would have to use nuclear weapons by virtue of the stipulations of the Russian Presidential Decree,” said Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, in a Telegram post.
“There simply wouldn’t be any other solution,” the former Russian president added. “Our enemies should pray to our fighters that they do not allow the world to go up in nuclear flames.”
Medvedev, who served as president of Russia from 2008 to 2012, has struck a bellicose tone throughout Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, repeatedly raising the specter of nuclear conflict.
Last April, he warned of Russian nuclear expansion should Sweden and Finland join NATO. Helsinki joined the defense alliance later that month, while Stockholm’s path to NATO membership was cleared earlier this month after Turkey dropped its objections.
In September, Medvedev said strategic nuclear weapons could be used to defend territories incorporated into Russia from Ukraine.
And in January, as NATO member states debated new weapons shipments to Ukraine, Medvedev said defeat for Russia in the war could lead to nuclear conflict.
“The loss of a nuclear power in a conventional war can provoke the outbreak of a nuclear war,” Medvedev wrote on Telegram in January. “Nuclear powers do not lose major conflicts on which their fate depends.
“This should be obvious to anyone. Even to a Western politician who has retained at least some trace of intelligence.”
Medvedev’s remarks Sunday again raise the possibility that Russia could potentially lose the war following nearly 18 months of attrition – a rare admission from a senior Russian official.
They also came just hours after Russia’s Defense Ministry accused Kyiv of attacking Moscow with drones. Three drones were intercepted Sunday, but a business and shopping development in the west of the Russian capital was hit, the ministry said.
Nuclear rhetoric
The United States has previously warned Russia against using nuclear weapons in Ukraine, both through private direct communications, as well as public channels, including at last year’s UN General Assembly.
Last month, Putin said Russia had moved a first batch of tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, claiming they were placed there for “deterrence.”
Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin said the rest of the tactical nuclear weapons Russia intends to move to Belarus would be transferred “by the end of the summer or by the end of the year.”
The US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) said it had “no reason to doubt” Putin’s claim that nuclear weapons were in Belarus.
But US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said at the time that the US has “not seen any reason to adjust our own nuclear posture nor any indication Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon.”
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said last month that in the face of aggression, he would show “no hesitation” in using the Russian tactical nuclear weapons stationed on Belarusian soil.
But the senior DIA officials said they do not believe Lukashenko would have any control over the arsenal. It would most likely be entirely controlled by Russia, the officials said.
Russia has about 4,477 deployed and reserve nuclear warheads, including around 1,900 tactical nuclear weapons, according to the Federation of American Scientists.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://kion546.com/news/national-world/cnn-world/2023/07/30/medvedev-says-russia-could-use-nuclear-weapon-if-ukraines-fightback-succeeds-in-latest-threat/ | 2023-07-31T07:14:43 | 1 | https://kion546.com/news/national-world/cnn-world/2023/07/30/medvedev-says-russia-could-use-nuclear-weapon-if-ukraines-fightback-succeeds-in-latest-threat/ |
Thousands flee homes as Typhoon Doksuri soaks Beijing and a second storm approaches China
By Kathleen Magramo and CNN’s Beijing bureau
(CNN) — Tens of thousands of people fled their homes in Beijing after Typhoon Doksuri, one of the strongest storms in years, dumped torrential rain across China as forecasters warned another hurricane-level storm was on its way.
China is reeling from extreme weather events this summer, much like much of the world. Heat waves scorched China earlier than usual this year while records have been set worldwide for global temperatures, ocean heat and the loss of sea ice.
Doksuri hurtled into the southeastern coastal province of Fujian late last week, weakening as it carved its way north but bringing huge amounts of rain to at least five northern Chinese provinces since Saturday.
More than 31,000 people were evacuated from the Chinese capital as of Sunday night, state broadcaster CCTV reported. Another half million people in the southern province of Fujian were forced to evacuate from flooding, state news agency Xinhua reported.
The storm killed two and another two went missing while mushroom picking in northeastern Liaoning province, CCTV reported.
The precipitation in Beijing could break records as nearly 40 inches of rain is projected to pour over the southwestern parts of the capital and neighboring Hebei province, according to the China Meteorological Administration on Monday.
Heavy downpours are expected to continue through Tuesday, increasing concerns about dangerous flooding and landslides.
On Monday, nine districts of Beijing were under a red rainstorm alert, the highest in the country’s warning mechanism, while the weather signal was downgraded to the second-highest level in other parts. At least 95 other weather warnings were issued across the country.
The intense downpours prompted the temporary closure of several railroads and highways in the capital, while schools also remained closed and people were told to stay indoors.
Doksuri is the most powerful typhoon to make landfall in China and the strongest storm to hit Fujian since Typhoon Saomi in 2006, according to CNN Weather based on preliminary information. The closest and most powerful storm to pass near Beijing was Rita back in 1972.
Before hitting Fujian it had killed at least 39 people in the Philippines and lashed parts of southern Taiwan.
The rains inundated large swathes of farmland and homes in Fujian costing nearly $60 million ($428 million yuan) in direct economic losses, Xinhua reported. More than 6,333 hectares of farmland in Fujian were damaged and over 151 hectares suffered complete crop failure, the state media outlet said.
And there is little relief on the horizon. Even as Doksuri tapers off, authorities are preparing for incoming Khanun, the sixth typhoon projected to hit China this year.
Forecasters expect storm tides to hit coastal areas of Zhejiang from Monday to Thursday as Typhoon Khanun draws closer, prompting local authorities to activate the lowest out of a four-tier emergency response level on Monday, Xinhua reported.
Khanun is gathering strength in the Pacific Ocean and has been upgraded to a Category 3-equivalent typhoon by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. It’s forecast to draw close to Japan’s southern Okinawa islands over the next two days and begin a slow crawl through the East China Sea.
Over 200 domestic flights to and from Naha, Miyako, and Ishigaki islands in Okinawa were canceled from Monday through Wednesday, affecting nearly 30,000 passengers.
Extreme weather in Asia
Asia, the world’s largest and most populous continent, is reckoning with the deadly effects of extreme summer weather, as countries endure blistering heatwaves and record monsoon rains.
While most of northeastern China is inundated by rainfall, the neighboring Korean peninsula is suffering from deadly heat waves.
At least 10 people have died from heat-related illnesses as South Korea swelters under a heat wave that has brought its highest temperatures so far this year to parts of the country, according to data released Sunday by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
Just two weeks ago, torrential rain in South Korea killed at least 41 people from landslides and flash floods, including at least 13 dead from a flooded underpass that trapped vehicles in the deluge.
This weekend, a total of 1,015 people suffered heat-related diseases, which the KDCA defines as heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps, heat syncope and heat edema.
More than a quarter of those affected by the heat were aged 65 years and older, while around 20% were aged between 50 and 59.
More than a third of the cases were reported from people working outside and around 14% were reported on farmland, it added.
Since late July, heat wave warnings have expanded to most of the country with temperatures soaring over the weekend to between 33 and 39 degrees Celsius (between around 91 to 102 degrees Fahrenheit).
On Saturday, a number of cities reported their highest daily temperatures so far this year. The city of Gyeongju saw temperatures reach 36.8 degrees Celsius (98.24 Fahrenheit) and Jeongseon county saw temperatures reach 36.1 Celsius (96.98 Fahrenheit), according to the Korea Meteorological Administration.
Seoul’s affluent Gangnam district saw temperatures reach to 35.7 degrees Celsius (around 96.2 Fahrenheit), while North Gyeongsang Province saw temperatures reach 38.1 degrees Celsius (100.58 degrees Fahrenheit).
A heat wave warning remains in effect on Monday, which signals daily maximum temperatures are expected to be 35 degrees Celsius or higher for more than two consecutive days.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
CNN’s Gawon Bae, Alex Stambaugh and Junko Ogura contributed reporting. | https://kion546.com/news/national-world/cnn-world/2023/07/30/thousands-flee-homes-as-typhoon-doksuri-soaks-beijing-and-a-second-storm-approaches-china/ | 2023-07-31T07:14:49 | 0 | https://kion546.com/news/national-world/cnn-world/2023/07/30/thousands-flee-homes-as-typhoon-doksuri-soaks-beijing-and-a-second-storm-approaches-china/ |
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.wflx.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ | 2023-07-31T07:15:00 | 1 | https://www.wflx.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ |
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.wflx.com/2023/07/31/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-make-first-court-appearance/ | 2023-07-31T07:15:07 | 0 | https://www.wflx.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.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ | 2023-07-31T07:15:11 | 1 | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ |
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.
View original content:
SOURCE The 2023 ASEAN-China Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation (Qianhai) Forum | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ | 2023-07-31T07:15:14 | 0 | https://www.wflx.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.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/flutter-entertainment-plc-fox-corporation-announce-close-fox-bet/ | 2023-07-31T07:15:18 | 0 | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/flutter-entertainment-plc-fox-corporation-announce-close-fox-bet/ |
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.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Fox Corporation | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/flutter-entertainment-plc-fox-corporation-announce-close-fox-bet/ | 2023-07-31T07:15:22 | 1 | https://www.wflx.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.
View original content:
SOURCE Global Times | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ | 2023-07-31T07:15:25 | 1 | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ |
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.
View original content:
SOURCE Global Times | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ | 2023-07-31T07:15:28 | 0 | https://www.wflx.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
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/jimmys-jazz-amp-blues-club-features-legendary-blues-musicians-elvin-bishop-charlie-musselwhite-thursday-august-17-730-pm/ | 2023-07-31T07:15:31 | 0 | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/jimmys-jazz-amp-blues-club-features-legendary-blues-musicians-elvin-bishop-charlie-musselwhite-thursday-august-17-730-pm/ |
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
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/jimmys-jazz-amp-blues-club-features-legendary-blues-musicians-elvin-bishop-charlie-musselwhite-thursday-august-17-730-pm/ | 2023-07-31T07:15:35 | 0 | https://www.wflx.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.
View original content:
SOURCE LG Energy Solution | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/lg-energy-solution-crosses-halfway-mark-its-journey-reach-carbon-neutrality/ | 2023-07-31T07:15:38 | 1 | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/lg-energy-solution-crosses-halfway-mark-its-journey-reach-carbon-neutrality/ |
- 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.
View original content:
SOURCE LG Energy Solution | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/lg-energy-solution-crosses-halfway-mark-its-journey-reach-carbon-neutrality/ | 2023-07-31T07:15:42 | 1 | https://www.wflx.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.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/one-rock-capital-partners-announces-acquisition-constantia-flexibles-wendel/ | 2023-07-31T07:15:44 | 0 | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/one-rock-capital-partners-announces-acquisition-constantia-flexibles-wendel/ |
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
View original content:
SOURCE One Rock Capital Partners, LLC | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/one-rock-capital-partners-announces-acquisition-constantia-flexibles-wendel/ | 2023-07-31T07:15:49 | 0 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/one-rock-capital-partners-announces-acquisition-constantia-flexibles-wendel/ |
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
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE DIANT Pharma Inc. | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-food-drug-administration-fda-purchase-lift-system-diant-pharma-inc/ | 2023-07-31T07:15:51 | 0 | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-food-drug-administration-fda-purchase-lift-system-diant-pharma-inc/ |
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
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE DIANT Pharma Inc. | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-food-drug-administration-fda-purchase-lift-system-diant-pharma-inc/ | 2023-07-31T07:15:56 | 0 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-food-drug-administration-fda-purchase-lift-system-diant-pharma-inc/ |
As sheriff of Bristol County, proposed legislation that would place a moratorium on prison and jail construction greatly concerns me.
As written, if this passes, I will not be able to put toilets in cells and locks on doors in the Bristol County Jail and House of Correction in 11 of the 22 housing units that need locking cell doors. Not being able to do construction to retrofit this jail will leave it vulnerable to another inmate uprising similar to what happened in April and an uprising that happened in 2001 under my predecessor in the same housing unit.
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As written, I will not be able to close the outdated Ash Street Jail in New Bedford. Why? Because I need to retrofit the cells with toilets and locks on doors in Dartmouth to bring that population of inmates to Dartmouth; that population of inmates needs to be housed in single cells.
As written, I will not be allowed to relocate the regional inmates housed in New Bedford to the main Dartmouth campus. Why is this important? If I can relocate regional detainees, I can save the state well over $1 million in associated expenses.
As written, I will not be able to get out of a $150,000 yearly contract for leased building space used for a training academy. If I spend $100,000 on retrofitting the former ICE Detention building on the Dartmouth campus and making that building a training academy, I won’t need to spend $150,000 each year on a lease.
I understand the idea of not building new prisons. I get it. I can’t say I disagree with the motivation. But please consider that if I am able to close Ash Street by retrofitting the Dartmouth building, I will decrease the overall number of inmate beds in this jail system.
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There are many other construction needs of this jail. I am speaking for the needs of my jail’s inmates and correctional officers. I do not speak for the other sheriffs, but I have no doubt that they have their own unique issues that are equally as important to the jails that each sheriff runs.
Please understand that I cannot run this facility in a way that improves work conditions for correctional officers; improves reentry for inmates thereby improving public safety for citizens; improves operations for all; and saves state taxpayer money if I cannot do construction in the jail I was elected to reform. We need to be able to do construction to improve the conditions of confinement.
Paul Heroux
Sheriff of Bristol County | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/31/opinion/another-way-reduce-number-inmate-beds-mass-jail-system/ | 2023-07-31T07:17:18 | 1 | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/31/opinion/another-way-reduce-number-inmate-beds-mass-jail-system/ |
To meet the needs of Massachusetts’ readiness for a clean energy future (“Does Mass. have the workers to build a green economy?” Business, July 20) as recently reported on by The Boston Globe, look no further than IBEW 103 and the 200 union contractors of the National Electrical Contractors Association.
Contrary to some recent reports, the electrical workforce needed to meet the Commonwealth’s clean energy goals is here today and ready to go. And there is no current labor shortage of electricians for responsible union contractors.
In fact, IBEW 103 and NECA contractors have been installing and maintaining the renewable energy infrastructure of the region’s power grid for years. We are the original electrical workforce development team, spending upward of $10 million every year training the most diverse construction workforce in Massachusetts. We have demonstrated our ability to mobilize quickly to meet electric and energy needs in our communities — such as when gas explosions knocked out power for the Lawrence and Andover areas in 2018. We mobilized 600 electricians and apprentices to hit the ground on a day’s notice. Local 103 membership has increased by nearly 2,500 members in the last several years. That growth is about to double as we prepare to add another 5,000 members over the next five years to meet the Commonwealth’s clean energy goals.
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In short, reports of an electric workforce shortage have been grossly overstated.
Louis J. Antonellis
Business manager/Financial secretary
IBEW Local 103
Kristen Gowin
Executive manager
National Electrical Contractors Association of Greater Boston | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/31/opinion/electrical-workforce-is-ready-meet-states-clean-energy-goals/ | 2023-07-31T07:17:24 | 0 | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/31/opinion/electrical-workforce-is-ready-meet-states-clean-energy-goals/ |
The Republican Party in Massachusetts has long held the unenviable position of being a superminority on Beacon Hill. This means Republicans do not hold enough seats to uphold a veto or force much of anything. We get it; we have a lot of work to do after the 2022 election.
What’s different today though is that Democrats not only hold supermajorities in the Legislature, they also hold every other statewide office. On Beacon Hill, this has predictably resulted in the concentration of power in the hands of a few. Increasingly, decisions are being made behind closed doors, not only to the exclusion of Republicans but also leaving out rank-and-file Democrats, the public, and the media who communicate to the public.
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The Founding Fathers designed our democratic republic to be based on a system of checks and balances. Our own John Adams, when making the point that democracy should be cherished but yet can still result in abuses of power, wrote, “My opinion is and always has been that absolute Power intoxicates alike Despots, Monarchs, Aristocrats, and Democrats, and Jacobins and Sansculottes.”
The dysfunction on Beacon Hill has reached all-time dismal levels of inaction and discord. The state budget was a month late, joint committees can’t agree on rules for making decisions, and the center left is fighting with the far left. The result is that citizens and communities are being left behind. Likewise, transparency has become an afterthought, with many committee votes not available to the public and conference committee negotiations closed to all but a few power brokers.
Complacency reigns as the new fiscal year ticks forward. The state’s credit rating is one important factor at risk, but so too are the recipients of taxpayer dollars. The Chapter 90 program provides cities and towns with funding for infrastructure and transportation. The budget impasse prevented municipalities from putting these much-needed funds to use during the beginning of this construction season. Many nonprofits receive state government funds, which are also tied up due to the late negotiations, leading to uncertainty.
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The delay in enacting tax relief designed to stem the exodus of residents from Massachusetts is particularly concerning for its long-term stability. The Pioneer Institute recently documented the outmigration of residents from the Bay State. In an examination of Internal Revenue Service data, Pioneer found that in 2021, the state lost $4.3 billion in adjusted gross income to other states.
The number of residents leaving the Commonwealth is widely expected to dramatically accelerate due to the voter-approved surtax last November and the ease of remote work in our post-pandemic economy. Given that the top 1 percent of taxpayers typically account for nearly a quarter of all tax receipts, legislative leaders should be sprinting to enact short-term capital gains tax relief. Such relief was first proposed by then-Governor Charlie Baker and more recently was picked up by Governor Maura Healey. But such relief is not happening quickly under one-party rule.
With Democrats no longer accountable to their own membership, much less the public, it is past time we remember the axiom of John Adams warning about the corrupting influence of absolute power. It is clear that absolute power has once again worked against the interest of a government that is accountable and responsive to its citizens. It is now up to residents to chart a better path forward.
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The Republican Party in Massachusetts is working to realign and rebuild to once again be a voice for sound fiscal policy and strong leadership. Come November and into 2024, our party is working to present voters with real alternatives to add to our numbers on Beacon Hill. In the meantime, residents should remember that this is our Commonwealth — if we can hold our leaders accountable.
Amy Carnevale is chair of the Massachusetts Republican Party. | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/31/opinion/massachusetts-republican-party-dysfunction/ | 2023-07-31T07:17:30 | 1 | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/31/opinion/massachusetts-republican-party-dysfunction/ |
As a first-time parent, I spend a decent amount of time Googling things like potty training tips and “fun things to do with a toddler.” But I also have a tendency toward darker, more concerning searches for things like bulletproof backpacks and tiny face masks that block airborne viruses and wildfire smoke. And that’s not all the parental doom and gloom that’s been on my mind. I just learned that the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 is drowning. Add to that the fact that gun violence is the leading cause of death for children of all ages in this country.
There have been lots of pop culture tongue-in-cheek references to the time we are living in as “the apocalypse,” but the truth is these days can feel pretty close to it. (Even the Doomsday Clock has ticked forward, portending The End.) Pew Research Center data from 2022 found that 1 in 4 Americans think we are living in end times. It’s no wonder. With climate change, the rise of artificial intelligence (and related concerns of human extinction), and extreme political polarization, it’s hard to look at the tiny face of a child who’s excited about cartoons and ice cream while you’re wondering if society will make it through another year. The mental load of parenting in 2023 is crushing.
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Perhaps I have this gut-wrenching anxiety because I became a mother in my late 40s, with a lot of experience with the world and its discontents. Maybe it’s because my son was born six weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in New York City. Maybe it’s my own personal battle with anxiety and depression. Maybe it’s spending two decades as a journalist addicted to the news, good or bad. Or maybe, it’s all of those things, along with the general anxiety of being a parent today and the outlandish culture that we have accepted living with. A March 2023 CNN poll found that 69 percent of Americans said they thought things in the country were going pretty badly or very badly.
To be sure, humans have had to raise children in far more deplorable conditions, including war, famine, slavery, and genocide. But outside of those horrific experiences, our society should have child well-being as a top priority, not something that is akin to a casino game where you may or may not win. The United States remains the only country in the United Nations that has failed to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child, leaving policies about child well-being in the hands of individual states. As a result, children in many states remain unprotected from child marriage, forced labor, and other abuses, Human Rights Watch found.
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This shows a clear lack of responsibility on the part of both political parties to move forward an agenda that protects our youngest. Parents in the richest country in the world should not have to wonder if their children will be killed at school. I shouldn’t have to explain to a 3-year-old who wants to sit on a stoop on a summer afternoon and watch cars go by that we can’t because the air is “no good.” And it’s not just the stress that’s affecting parents that worries me. It’s also how that stress will trickle down to our children. Data from Pew on the state of our country’s families show that 76 percent of parents are either very concerned or somewhat concerned about their children suffering from anxiety or depression.
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Yet, there are ways to manage some of this stress, at least when it comes to our own families. The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy has recommendations for parenting in times of crisis, including trying to stay calm in front of children and offering developmentally appropriate answers to their questions. Other recommendations include limiting news, television, and radio broadcasts, focusing on spending quality time, and providing a safe, consistent environment for them.
Parents also need help managing their own anxiety, especially those who don’t have the proverbial village that it takes to raise a child. Therapy helps. So can medication, if needed. The Center for the Study of Social Policy offers some frameworks for creating parental resilience, including encouraging parents to take care of themselves, acknowledging parental stressors, and encouraging the building of social connections.
Some parents find strength in getting politically involved with a cause they care about, like ending gun violence. Others may decide to move to a state that has laws that are more in line with their political beliefs. And still others may leave the country altogether in search of a higher standard of child welfare. There are, of course, financial factors that play into every family’s ability to make these changes, and low-income families are probably the least mobile. (According to the Pew family study, low-income parents, Latino parents, and mothers are all more likely to be worried about their children than other groups.)
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I realized during these past few years that children’s books can be an excellent resource for dealing with hard times. There is a part of the Dr. Seuss classic “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” that talks about resilience:
“But on you will go though the weather be foul.
On you will go though your enemies prowl.
On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl.
Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak.”
But perhaps the most seen I have felt as a parent in these frightening times is in the poem “Good Bones” by Maggie Smith. In it she speaks of the tension parents feel when trying to hide the terrible parts of the world from their children while also offering them some kind of hope for the future:
“Any decent realtor,
walking you through a real shithole, chirps on
about good bones: This place could be beautiful,
right? You could make this place beautiful.”
Tanzina Vega is a journalist whose work focuses on inequality. She is a contributing Globe Opinion writer. | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/31/opinion/parenting-end-times-climate-change-guns/ | 2023-07-31T07:17:37 | 0 | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/31/opinion/parenting-end-times-climate-change-guns/ |
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.weau.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ | 2023-07-31T07:17:43 | 1 | https://www.weau.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ |
I would like to respond to the mischaracterization of my political beliefs as written by Joan Vennochi in her column, “ ‘Save the city’ mission looks like an effort to save old Boston” (Opinion, July 27).
She completely missed the mark with this column. I do not care about the collapse of the power of “white men.” I championed the potential run for mayor by former Boston Police commissioner Willie Gross. I also worked tirelessly on behalf of the 2021 mayoral candidacy of Annissa Essaibi George, a woman of Tunisian descent. I supported both because they are well-respected leaders who put the people of Boston ahead of themselves.
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Yes, this city is on the verge of collapse. Public schools are on the brink of receivership. Many commercial real estate buildings have lost up to 40 percent of their value. Taxes will probably need to be increased to make up for it while public services may need to be cut. The human tragedy ongoing at Mass. and Cass continues to be largely ignored while some of the city’s leaders fight among themselves, violate ethics rules, and stand accused of breaking the law. True leadership has no skin color. What matters to me and to all residents of Boston is what our elected officials are made of. Sadly, many of the current office holders are just not up to the job.
George K. Regan Jr.
Boston | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/31/opinion/what-matters-george-regan-is-what-bostons-elected-officials-are-made/ | 2023-07-31T07:17:43 | 0 | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/31/opinion/what-matters-george-regan-is-what-bostons-elected-officials-are-made/ |
In one of the most audacious — and widely mocked — rebrands in recent times, Twitter has become X. How this renaming will play out remains to be seen, but it’s yet another chapter in the story of a versatile letter that has most often referred to blanks, like “X factors” and “X marks the spot.”
The earliest known examples in English of X having a meaning beyond the simple letter are from Old English, when it could refer to “X height” or “X length.” That meaning gained traction in the 1600s, when X started being used in math for a variable or unknown. Though other meanings have accrued to the letter (including standing in for the Roman numeral for 10; kissing, as in “XO”; hard liquor; and abbreviations of “extreme” and “extra”) it’s that variable or blank meaning that tells most of the story of X.
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In the 1940s, X picked up steam as a catch-all label. “X factor” started popping up in military circles, meaning, as the Oxford English Dictionary puts it, “the aspects of a serviceman’s life that have no civilian equivalent.” From there the term spread to more general use. When you X something out, you eliminate it, a usage around since at least 1942. The first known use of X in regards to pornographic movies, from a 1950 report of the British Parliament, suggests the term was coined to label the unspeakable: “We recommend that a new category of films be established (which might be called ‘X’) from which children under 16 should be entirely excluded.” X is capable of not only filling a blank, but creating a bleep — or a XXXXing bleep.
Some weird-leaning pop culture phenomena have involved that same X — like the 1961 comic book “The X-Men,” which inspired many movies decades later, and the TV series “The X-Files.” In both cases, the X stands for something beyond the ken of the average person: mutants in the former, aliens in the latter. Human weirdos are represented by the letter too, like the groundbreaking LA punk band X.
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So in a sense X might be a perfect name for Twitter, where so many folks like to make their mark and fill in the blank — if only the social media platform didn’t already have a name firmly entrenched in English. The wide awareness and use of “Twitter” and “tweet” make it likely that, in common usage at least, X will be X’d out.
Mark Peters is the author of “Bullshit: A Lexicon.” | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/31/opinion/x-marks-lot-spots-twitters-new-name-has-very-long-history/ | 2023-07-31T07:17:49 | 0 | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/31/opinion/x-marks-lot-spots-twitters-new-name-has-very-long-history/ |
On a recent warm and humid summer night, a group of public health colleagues and I were approaching a restaurant for dinner. “Inside or out?” I asked. Not long ago, COVID-19 would have decided — outside. But not that night. We ate inside, where it was cooler.
Like so many others, we are living with COVID. The virus isn’t going anywhere, but how safely we live with it has changed dramatically. Most Americans have resumed the full range of their pre-pandemic activities — concerts, parties, summer camps, and family events. But with the virus still circulating, many who have gone back to pre-pandemic life still worry if they are safe.
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It makes sense to be wary. We have lived with these risk assessments and daily decisions for almost four years. And yet we are in a much different, much better place. We can protect ourselves with vaccines, which remain free and widely available. Treatments like Paxlovid are more accessible than ever. Innovative research continues, with an updated vaccine expected in the fall that will better target the circulating variant. Tests are available for those who still want to use testing, and surveillance, through wastewater and genomic sequencing, is much better than it used to be. Add in large investments in improving indoor air quality and the infrastructure to respond more effectively to future outbreaks and things are much better.
The truth is that we can now prevent nearly every COVID death. People who are up to date on their vaccines and get treated when infected rarely get seriously ill. Even for the vulnerable like my parents, who are in their 80s, vaccines coupled with treatments provide a very high degree of protection against serious illness. This is also true for most immunocompromised individuals. The fact is, now a few basic steps mean you can ignore COVID safely — and get back to doing things that matter, even with COVID still around. Think of these safety measures like the routine check-ups that keep your car safe to drive.
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What are these measures? The most important is making sure immunity is up to date. For most of us, this means one COVID booster shot annually. For high-risk people whose immune systems are less robust (like my parents and others over 65), two shots per year will help shore up waning immunity and avoid unnecessary vulnerability. The Biden administration has made a large investment in building vaccines that will stop infections and whose benefits will potentially last years. Until those vaccines arrive, an updated shot annually for most of us and two shots a year for the most vulnerable will keep most people safe from serious illness.
I get it — no one likes to get shots. But vaccines are the single greatest weapon we have to put the pandemic behind us. Getting a shot against the flu is already a regular part of the lives of many Americans, including those of us who work in health care. Vulnerable Americans will be safer if we all get both flu and COVID shots every year.
Second, if you do contract COVID, make use of the highly effective treatments. There are several available now and more coming soon. These treatments, like Paxlovid, are remarkable at preventing serious illness, with some preliminary evidence that they might also help reduce the risk of long COVID. While treatments are particularly important for those of us over 50, all adults should immediately explore treatments if they contract COVID.
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What about long COVID? The evidence here is reassuring as well. Those who are up to date on their vaccines are far less likely to get long COVID, and when they do, it tends to be shorter-lived and less severe. And treatments may help reduce it too. For now, there is no foolproof way of avoiding long COVID short of avoiding infections altogether. But you can substantially reduce your risk with vaccines and, likely, treatments.
There is a small group of our most-vulnerable neighbors — those who are profoundly immune-compromised due to chemotherapy or recent organ transplant. For them, COVID and other infectious diseases pose a significant threat. But with COVID, we have effective treatments that can blunt the virus’s worst effects. I have a friend with a recent organ transplant who continues to wear a high-quality mask in crowded indoor spaces. This makes sense. And when he got COVID last fall, treatments were essential in keeping him out of the hospital.
People often ask how we will know the pandemic is over. There is no dramatic declaration of victory over this new and deadly virus that reshaped our lives for so many years. But now, the virus no longer needs to reorder our lives and our priorities. Because the virus continues to evolve, we need to be smart to stay ahead of it: annual shots, treatments when infected, and continuing to do things like improving indoor air quality to reduce risk of infections. If we do all of that, we really can get back to our full set of activities without the nagging feeling about whether we are being safe or not. We are.
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Dr. Ashish Jha is the dean of the School of Public Health at Brown University and was the White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator. | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/31/opinion/you-can-finally-ignore-covid-with-few-basic-steps/ | 2023-07-31T07:17:55 | 1 | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/31/opinion/you-can-finally-ignore-covid-with-few-basic-steps/ |
AUCKLAND, New Zealand — The U.S. players diagnosed their debilitating ills before coaches had even reached the locker room. They jogged off a field in Wellington last Thursday after a dispiriting first half. As their Dutch counterparts strolled toward the tunnel, leading 1-0, the Americans moved with purpose, and then began hashing out flaws. Starters shared perspectives from the heat of battle. Reserves shared sideline viewpoints. Coaches eventually shared video. All involved were “very direct,” midfielder Andi Sullivan recalled. And although the conversations were nuanced, the overarching diagnosis was simple.
“We weren't in sync,” Sullivan admitted two days later.
They looked like a shell of their once-dominant selves because their press lacked coordination and aggression. The USWNT used to strangle teams by defending from the front. On Thursday, they attempted to press out of a mid-block, but "I saw indecision everywhere," former forward Tobin Heath said on her postgame show.
“We were looking for somebody else to do something,” Heath said. “Everybody was kinda looking around — like, ‘Who steps? Do you step? Do I step? How do we get the ball?’ And it looked like we were being toyed with.”
An effective press requires 11 in-sync players. It requires understanding and trust. Forwards read certain “triggers” — a back-pass, for example, or a loose touch — and sprint at opposing defenders; teammates take those cues and follow, shutting off passing lanes, and suffocating opponent attacks before they begin. A coordinated effort can force turnovers, and disrupt an opponent’s coordinated movements or dissuade fluidity.
But the U.S. did hardly any of that in Thursday’s first half, especially after the opening 10 minutes. It failed to get pressure on the ball, which permitted the Dutch time and space to create midfield overloads. One of those overloads created a goal — and sparked all sorts of questions about the USWNT’s tactical readiness at this 2023 World Cup.
“We knew that the Netherlands — they weren’t gonna be a massive threat,” Heath, a two-time World Cup winner and soccer junkie, said. “I thought we were more of a threat to ourselves, with our decision-making defensively, than they could’ve been to us.”
How the Netherlands broke down the USWNT
The Netherlands set up in a 3-5-2 that, on paper, matched the USWNT’s 4-3-3 player-for-player. The U.S. defended with forwards on center backs, fullbacks on wingbacks, center backs on strikers, and midfield three versus midfield three.
But the U.S. knew that Lieke Martens (No. 11), a playmaker shoehorned into a striker role, would drop into midfield to create something of a 3-4-2-1 shape. Players were prepared for this, Sullivan said — “we watch a lot of film.”
Their apparent plan to cope with it was multifaceted. Sullivan would shuttle side to side, between Martens and Dutch No. 10 Daniëlle van de Donk, as best she could. Her midfield partners would also shut off passing lanes; fullbacks could pinch in from the weak side; center backs could step in to prevent Martens or van de Donk from turning.
All of those solutions, however, depended on U.S. forwards putting pressure on the ball.
Without that pressure, the Dutch had time to swing the ball side-to-side and manipulate the U.S. midfield. Martens had time to sneak into pockets of space; defenders had time to pick their heads up and find her. And all of that happened in the critical 16th minute.
The Dutch dragged the U.S. to the far sideline. Sullivan slid over, shadowing van de Donk, leaving Martens on the weak side, seemingly inaccessible.
But then the Dutch swung the ball back to center back Stefanie van der Gragt. U.S. forwards rotated without urgency. Van der Gragt had space to stride into, and time to pick up her head. When she did, she saw U.S. right back Emily Fox pulled toward the sideline by her opposite number, and Sullivan stretched between van de Donk and Martens, leaving the latter free.
Martens received the ball on the half-turn and skipped by Sullivan, into acres of space. Orange jerseys flooded forward, and pretty soon led 1-0.
NETHERLANDS STRIKES FIRST 🇳🇱
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 27, 2023
Jill Roord fires it into the bottom corner of the net! pic.twitter.com/E3eWRb3GmL
Sullivan acknowledged two days later that, “honestly, I needed to do my job better, and just commit and get over faster. I think that happened a few times in the first half that I would wanna fix.”
But she also needed help from teammates. A coherent press would have given her time to get over, and would’ve allowed the USWNT to get a grip on the game. Instead, the U.S. lost touch with it; the Dutch dictated it. The goal wasn’t an isolated incident. For long stretches, the U.S. front five couldn’t even get close to the ball.
“We got a little bit stretched, and weren't getting that much pressure on them,” defender Naomi Girma said.
The result was an overwhelmed midfield, “but I think that starts with our front line,” Heath noted. And it’s what the players hustled into halftime knowing they needed to sort out.
'It was more about being in sync with one another'
They largely did sort it out, and improved in the second half, and earned a 1-1 draw — though an injury to van der Gragt and some conservative Dutch tweaks helped.
“In the second half, we came out a lot more on the same page,” midfielder Savannah DeMelo said. “We all needed to go together or we all needed to stay together. And it was more about being in sync with one another.”
The worry, though, is that they failed to adjust on the fly and failed to get it right from the start.
Some players have cited their relative unfamiliarity with one another. In 2019, the USWNT’s starting 11 was essentially set nine months in advance; four years later, it’s been in flux. “A lot of other years, we've had a consistent group in the whole time,” forward Megan Rapinoe said Sunday. Whereas this time around, “we've had players coming back from injury, we've had different lineups, we've had players playing with a lot of different people around them, and not having that consistency.
“So, I don't think this is anything that anybody was really worried about,” she added. “We knew we were gonna have to build into the tournament, and just understand that's where we are.”
But the time for building has almost elapsed. The time to get in sync is now. The U.S. likely won’t win this World Cup without a coordinated press. Systematizing it requires communication but also shared understanding and belief. Forwards must know and trust that midfielders and defenders will follow their lead — but midfielders and defenders can only follow instinctively when forwards trigger the press consistently at agreed-upon moments.
“It's always like a chicken-egg situation, right?” Sullivan explained. “Like, if you don't step high enough, then it's hard for people behind you to read. And if people behind you aren't reading it, then it's hard for you to go.”
All of that, for 11 players that had never shared the field as a single unit until this month, is “definitely a challenge that we're going through,” Sullivan said.
Portugal, on Tuesday, in a game that the U.S. can't afford to lose, likely isn't talented enough to expose the Americans like the Dutch did. It's also "a lot more conservative than aggressive," U.S. head coach Vlatko Andonovski said Monday. A more impactful fix in Tuesday's game, Rapinoe argued, will be attacking width. "I think we got quite narrow against the Netherlands, and it enabled them, even when they got tired towards the end of the game, to still get players around the ball, and stop our creative flow quite a bit," she said. "Positional discipline" in the attacking phase will spread the Portuguese defense and unlock space in which the USWNT can "playmake" and flourish.
Before long, though, more elite opponents will come knocking. Some, such as Spain, would be far more potent than the Netherlands. The U.S. can’t afford 45 minutes of indecision and discombobulation.
Andonovski, when asked Monday about how he plans to synchronize things moving forward, noted that Rose Lavelle's introduction as a second-half substitute "helped with some of those triggers and aggressive pressing." Lavelle, who has been on a minutes restriction since recovering from a knee injury, should start against Portugal and beyond.
But Andonovski seemed to believe that the U.S. problems stemmed from the Dutch goal. "I think actually it started well in the beginning," he said. "The moment we got scored on, there was a little bit of hesitation. And when you go in to press, if one player hesitates, that kills the press. So, it just became a chain effect. One player hesitated, and then that affects the next player, so the next player starts hesitating, and obviously it results in the way it did, where Netherlands just took the game over." | https://www.star945.com/news/national/uswnt-diagnosed/XIW67ISJ7K5O4JSVHI775QDTJY/ | 2023-07-31T07:18:32 | 1 | https://www.star945.com/news/national/uswnt-diagnosed/XIW67ISJ7K5O4JSVHI775QDTJY/ |
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.kold.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ | 2023-07-31T07:19:21 | 0 | https://www.kold.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ |
BALTIMORE — The Yankees hoped that Luis Severino had figured things out.
The right-hander, following an abysmal seven-start stretch, showed notable improvement in his last two outings. While the most recent, a 5.2-inning, three-run start against the Royals wasn’t spotless, the optimistic outlook was that Severino had strung together some performances to build on after allowing 33 earned runs over 31.1 innings between June 2 and July 6.
But whatever foundation Severino had laid came crashing to the ground Sunday at Camden Yards, where the first-place Orioles obliterated the former Cy Young finalist in a 9-3 victory that also cemented a series win.
Baltimore jumped Severino as soon as he took the mound, beginning the game with two singles before Anthony Santander started the scoring with an RBI double. Ryan O’Hearn immediately followed with a two-run double before Adam Frazier drilled a three-run homer.
With Severino searching yet again, the Orioles had themselves a 6-0 lead before the Yankees had an out. Baltimore plated one more runner when Adley Rutschman logged an RBI single in his second at-bat of the opening frame.
Severino avoided damage for a few innings after that, but Gunnar Henderson gave the Orioles an eighth run with a double in the fourth. O’Hearn then knocked Severino out of the game with an RBI single.
Sunday was the fifth time in 12 starts that the hurler surrendered at least five earned runs in a game this season. The impending free agent now has a 7.49 ERA this year.
While Severino faltered again on the mound, the Yankees’ offense returned to dormancy with Aaron Judge expectedly resting in his third game back from the injured list. Jake Bauers crushed a solo homer in the third and added an RBI double in the fourth off Dean Kramer, but that was hardly enough as the Yankees set a season-high with 18 strikeouts.
Harrison Bader also picked up an RBI with a sac fly in the fifth.
With Sunday’s loss, the last-place Yankees are now 3.5 games out of the final wild card spot. With Tuesday’s trade deadline looming, it remains to be seen what the front office will do after a losing weekend in Baltimore.
On Saturday, the Yankees looked like a team worth adding to in an 8-3 win. On Sunday, they looked like a team that should sell, though their 55-50 record is better than that of some teams that have already committed to buying or standing pat.
Also on the horizon are series against the Rays and Astros, who occupy the first two wild card spots. The third currently belongs to the Blue Jays.
Domingo Germán will start Monday’s series-opener against Tyler Glasnow and Tampa Bay, while Carlos Rodón will face Zach Eflin in Tuesday’s game. Wednesday’s series finale will feature a duel between aces Gerrit Cole and Shane McClanahan — and perhaps some fresh faces on both sides.
() | https://www.twincities.com/2023/07/31/luis-severino-regresses-on-the-mound-as-orioles-crush-yankees-righty/ | 2023-07-31T07:19:24 | 1 | https://www.twincities.com/2023/07/31/luis-severino-regresses-on-the-mound-as-orioles-crush-yankees-righty/ |
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.kold.com/2023/07/31/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-make-first-court-appearance/ | 2023-07-31T07:19:27 | 0 | https://www.kold.com/2023/07/31/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-make-first-court-appearance/ |
Much of the Orioles’ rebuild was spent out of the national spotlight, though that’s likely where they preferred their frequent defeats, the all-too-common games where the opposing team put them in an insurmountable hole.
On Sunday, they returned the favor to one of the frequent deliverers of those challenging nights, beating the New York Yankees, 9-3, in front of a national audience on ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball.” The last time Camden Yards hosted a “Sunday Night Baseball” was on Aug. 26, 2018, one of the many defeats in a four-year span in which they lost 36 more games than any other organization.
But Baltimore (64-41) has come out the other side as one of baseball’s best teams. By winning Sunday, the Orioles claimed the season series against the Yankees for the first time since 2016, the season of their most recent playoff berth. They’re positioned to end that drought, leading the Tampa Bay Rays by 1 1/2 games in the American League East.
Manager Brandon Hyde treated the game as dicier than the score indicated it was, but the Orioles led comfortably throughout thanks to a seven-run first inning. Baltimore’s first six batters reached against Yankees right-hander Luis Severino, who they had likewise pummeled in a start earlier this month in New York.
After singles by Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson, doubles from Anthony Santander and Ryan O’Hearn, and a walk from Austin Hays, Adam Frazier highlighted the frame with a three-run home run. Batting leadoff for the second straight game, Rutschman came back around for a second time and singled again, driving in Jordan Westburg for the frame’s final run. It was the third time this season the Orioles scored seven runs in an inning against the Yankees (55-50).
Baltimore starter Dean Kremer struck out two in a perfect top of the first, but struggled to work efficiently once provided the large lead. He left the bases loaded in the second and surrendered two deep flyballs to open the third, the first from Jake Bauers landing in the Orioles’ bullpen for a home run and the second hitting the top of Camden Yards’ deep left field wall for a double by Gleyber Torres. Kremer recovered to strike out New York’s next three batters, but Bauers’ double off Kremer in the fourth plated another run.
The Orioles answered with RBI doubles by Henderson and O’Hearn, chasing Severino and leaving him with 16 earned runs allowed and 18 outs recorded across two starts against them this month. But Kremer did not outlast him by much. On his 90th pitch, Giancarlo Stanton singled to center, eventually coming home with Mike Baumann on the mound to leave Kremer with three runs surrendered over four-plus innings.
Baltimore’s bullpen was otherwise spotless over its five innings of work. After an early defensive substitution from Hyde — taking out second baseman Jordan Westburg as part of a series of moves to get Ryan McKenna in center — Shintaro Fujinami, the Orioles’ lone trade acquisition thus far ahead of Tuesday’s deadline, worked two scoreless innings, giving him 4 2/3 scoreless frames and seven strikeouts in his past three outings, and Danny Coulombe followed with a shutout eighth.
Although the Orioles led by six runs throughout, All-Star setup man Yennier Cano warmed up in the bullpen three times, then entered for the ninth. Striking out the side, Cano gave the Orioles’ staff a season-high 18 strikeouts and finished off the victory in front of an announced crowd of 37,429, with the weekend series representing Baltimore’s best draw for a three-game series since July 2016.
This story will be updated.
() | https://www.twincities.com/2023/07/31/orioles-jump-on-yankees-early-for-9-3-win-in-sunday-night-spotlight-claim-season-series-for-first-time-since-2016/ | 2023-07-31T07:19:30 | 1 | https://www.twincities.com/2023/07/31/orioles-jump-on-yankees-early-for-9-3-win-in-sunday-night-spotlight-claim-season-series-for-first-time-since-2016/ |
ST. ANTHONY, Idaho – Idaho mother Lori Vallow Daybell faces up to life in prison without parole Monday as she is sentenced in the murders of her two youngest children and a romantic rival in a case that included bizarre claims that her son and daughter were zombies and that she was a goddess sent to usher in the Biblical apocalypse.
Vallow Daybell was found guilty in May of killing her two youngest children, 7-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, as well as conspiring to kill Tammy Daybell, her fifth husband’s previous wife.
The husband, Chad Daybell, is awaiting trial on the same murder charges. Vallow Daybell also faces two other cases in Arizona — one on a charge of conspiring with her brother to kill her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, and one of conspiring to kill her niece's ex-husband. Charles Vallow was shot and killed in 2019, but her niece's ex survived an attempt later that year.
Monday's sentencing will take place at the Fremont County Courthouse in St. Anthony, Idaho. Judge Steven W. Boyce is expected to hear testimony from several representatives of the victims, including Vallow Daybell's only surviving son, Colby Ryan.
The case began in July 2019, when Vallow Daybell’s brother, Alex Cox, shot and killed her estranged husband, Charles Vallow, in a suburban Phoenix home. Cox told police he acted in self defense. He was never charged in the case and died later that year of what authorities determined were natural causes.
Vallow Daybell was already in a relationship with Chad Daybell, a self-published author who wrote doomsday-focused fiction loosely based on Mormon teachings. She moved to Idaho with her kids and brother to be closer to him.
The children were last seen alive in September 2019. Police discovered they were missing a month later after an extended family member became worried. Their bodies were found buried in Chad Daybell's yard the following summer.
Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow married in November 2019, about two weeks after Daybell's previous wife, Tammy, was killed. Tammy Daybell initially was described as having died of natural causes, but an autopsy later showed she had been asphyxiated, authorities said.
Defense attorney Jim Archibald argued during the trial that there was no evidence tying Vallow Daybell to the killings, but plenty showing she was a loving, protective mother whose life took a sharp turn when she met Chad Daybell and fell for his “weird” apocalyptic religious claims. He suggested that Daybell and Vallow Daybell’s brother, Alex Cox, were responsible for the deaths.
Daybell told her they had been married in several previous lives and she was a “sexual goddess” who was supposed to help him save the world by gathering 144,000 followers so Jesus could return, Archibald said.
Vallow Daybell’s former friend Melanie Gibb testified during the trial that Vallow Daybell believed people in her life had been taken over by evil spirits and turned into “zombies,” including JJ and Tylee. | https://www.wsls.com/news/2023/07/31/idaho-mom-lori-vallow-daybell-faces-sentencing-in-deaths-of-2-children-and-her-romantic-rival/ | 2023-07-31T07:19:32 | 0 | https://www.wsls.com/news/2023/07/31/idaho-mom-lori-vallow-daybell-faces-sentencing-in-deaths-of-2-children-and-her-romantic-rival/ |