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Biden admin confirms it's withholding key funds for schools with hunting courses, GOP call it 'shameful'
Biden administration says it is interpreting recently-passed law 'as written by Congress' to block funding
The Biden administration confirmed to Fox News Digital that it is withholding critical funds for elementary and secondary schools nationwide with hunting or archery programs in their curriculum.
The Department of Education explained in a statement that its funding decisions were based on the plain text interpretation of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), which Congress passed and President Biden signed last year after a string of mass shootings. The agency's interpretation means funding for shooting sport activities earmarked under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 will be blocked across the country.
"This prohibition applies to all ESEA funds," a Department of Education spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "The prohibition went into effect immediately on June 25, 2022 and applies to all existing and future awards under all ESEA programs, including [21st Century Community Learning Centers]. The Department is administering the bipartisan law as written by Congress."
Overall, the administration's decision to withhold funds for such programs may impact thousands of schools and millions of American students.
BIDEN ADMIN WITHHOLDING KEY FUNDING FOR SCHOOLS WITH HUNTING, ARCHERY PROGRAMS
Fox News Digital reported last week that federal guidance highlighting the Education Department's funding decision and interpretation of the BSCA was circulated among hunting education groups earlier this year, sparking concerns about the future of hunting and archery programs in schools.
Tommy Floyd, the president of the National Archery in the Schools Program, told Fox News Digital his organization boasts 1.3 million students from nearly 9,000 schools across 49 states who are enrolled in archery courses. Some of those schools have already canceled plans to include archery or hunting education courses in their curriculum due to the federal guidance.
BIDEN'S WAR ON HUNTING FACES BLOWBACK FROM REPUBLICANS, SPORTSMEN GROUPS
"It's a negative for children. As a former educator of 30-plus years, I was always trying to find a way to engage students," Floyd said in an interview last week. "In many communities, it's a shooting sport, and the skills from shooting sports, that help young people grow to be responsible adults. They also benefit from relationships with role models."
According to the International Hunter Education Association, hunter education courses train and certify more than 500,000 students annually. Such courses are a reason hunting related injury rates have declined for years while populations of deer, wild turkey, elk, geese and other species of game have increased exponentially for years.
In June 2022, the BSCA was passed with large majorities in the House and Senate before Biden signed it into law. The push to pass the bill — which broadly seeks to promote "safer, more inclusive and positive" school environments, according to the Education Department — came after mass shootings at a grocery market in Buffalo, New York, and a school in Uvalde, Texas.
The legislation included an amendment to an ESEA subsection listing prohibited uses for federal school funding. That amendment prohibits ESEA funds from helping provide any person with a dangerous weapon or to provide "training in the use of a dangerous weapon."
However, in a letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona earlier this month, Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., expressed concern that the agency is misinterpreting the provision which they said was included in the BSCA last year to withhold education funds for programs training school resource officers, not to preclude funding for hunting and archery classes. School resource officer training was funded under a separate provision.
In addition, other GOP lawmakers have since blasted the Biden administration over its interpretation of the BSCA.
BIDEN ADMIN TAKES AIM AT HUNTERS IN LATEST REGULATION: 'PREVENTING AMERICANS FROM HUNTING'
"Hunting has been a tradition since the beginning of human history. The Biden admin’s decision to push its elitist values on Tennesseans isn’t going to fly," Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., who chairs the Homeland Security Committee, said in response to the Fox News Digital report last week.
"This is shameful, but not at all surprising," Rep. Dan Bishop. R-N.C., added. "The Biden admin will take any opportunity to stomp on your constitutional rights — even down to teaching kids archery and hunting skills."
The ESEA is the primary source of federal aid for elementary and secondary education across the country, according to the Congressional Research Service. The BSCA earmarked an additional $1 billion for educational activities under the ESEA.
"The Biden administration is DEFUNDING school hunting and archery programs. Yes, you read that right — DEFUNDING them," Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wisc., tweeted Friday. "Wisconsin students should not be pawns in Joe Biden’s misguided crusade against America’s sportsmen."
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"Enjoying the outdoors is a wonderful activity and interest in hunting, fishing, camping, and other such activities should be encouraged and cultivated from a young age," Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif., said. "Withholding authorized funding is ridiculous."
Hunting and pro-Second Amendment groups like Safari Club International, National Shooting Sports Foundation, International Order of T. Roosevelt and National Rifle Association also criticized the Education Department.
"This is a direct attack on our outdoor heritage and America's ability to educate the next generation of sportsmen," the International Order of T. Roosevelt tweeted. | https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-admin-confirms-withholding-key-funds-schools-hunting-courses-shameful | 2023-07-31T16:58:23 | 1 | https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-admin-confirms-withholding-key-funds-schools-hunting-courses-shameful |
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will travel to Arizona, New Mexico and Utah next week and is expected to talk about his administration’s efforts to combat climate change as the region endures a brutally hot summer with soaring temperatures, the White House said Monday.
Biden is expected to discuss the Inflation Reduction Act, America’s most significant response to climate change, and the push toward more clean energy manufacturing. The act aims to spur clean energy on a scale that will bend the arc of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.
July has been the hottest month ever recorded. Biden last week announced new steps to protect workers in extreme heat, including measures to improve weather forecasts and make drinking water more accessible.
Members of Biden’s administration also are fanning out over the next few weeks around the anniversary of the landmark climate change and health care legislation to extol the administration’s successes as the Democratic president seeks reelection in 2024.
Vice President Kamala Harris heads to Wisconsin this week with Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to talk about broadband infrastructure investments. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack goes to Oregon to highlight wildfire defense grants, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will go to Illinois and Texas, and Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona heads to Maryland to talk about career and technical education programs.
The Inflation Reduction Act included roughly $375 billion over a decade to combat climate change and capped the cost of a month’s supply of insulin at $35 for older Americans and other Medicare beneficiaries. It also helps an estimated 13 million Americans pay for health care insurance by extending subsidies provided during the coronavirus pandemic.
The measure is paid for by new taxes on large companies and stepped-up IRS enforcement of wealthy individuals and entities, with additional funds going to reduce the federal deficit. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-biden-goes-west-to-talk-about-his-administrations-efforts-to-combat-climate-change/ | 2023-07-31T16:58:23 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-biden-goes-west-to-talk-about-his-administrations-efforts-to-combat-climate-change/ |
MIDLAND, Texas, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Seawolf Water Resources, LP ("Seawolf"), a leading Permian water midstream provider, announces the completion of its produced water takeaway, disposal and recycling system in the stateline region of the Delaware Basin. Seawolf's recently completed Independence Pipeline and Waterfowl produced water recycling and disposal facilities will initially manage 150,000 barrels per day and are now serving some of the largest E&P operators in the Permian Basin under long-term contracts.
"Seawolf has been working towards this goal for some time, and the completion of this phase of our infrastructure expansion represents a major accomplishment for our team and for our E&P partners." said Tim McWilliams, Seawolf's Chief Executive Officer. "We're thrilled to offer sustainable and effective solutions that will help our clients achieve their strategic goals, and we're excited to continue to expand these offerings in the coming months."
Seawolf is capitalized by a sustainability-linked term loan from a syndicate led by Riverstone Credit Partners LLC, meant to provide Seawolf with additional liquidity to expand its produced water handling and recycling infrastructure for recently signed long-term contracts.
About Seawolf Water Resources, LP
Seawolf, founded in 2018, is a Midland-based water midstream provider operating primarily in the stateline region of the Delaware Basin. Seawolf partners with some of the largest E&Ps and private landowners in the region to deliver full cycle water management solutions underpinned in midstream principles. For more information on Seawolf and its services, please visit www.seawolfwater.com.
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SOURCE Seawolf Water Resources, LP | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/seawolf-water-resources-announces-expanded-produced-water-management-recycling-capabilities/ | 2023-07-31T16:58:25 | 0 | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/seawolf-water-resources-announces-expanded-produced-water-management-recycling-capabilities/ |
California enclave begins crackdown on homeless camps: 'They’re worried about the looks’
Police to begin enforcing San Diego camping ban Monday using progressive approach
San Diego's new law banning homeless people from camping in many parts of the city took effect over the weekend, and police enforcement begins Monday.
"They're pushing them off the streets so it looks better," Naomi Harris, a homeless mother, told ABC 10News. "They are worried about the looks — they aren't worried about the people."
More than 2,100 people were living on the streets of downtown San Diego as of May, the highest level in the 11 years the Downtown San Diego Partnership has been tracking the numbers.
The Unsafe Camping Ordinance bans tent encampments in all public spaces throughout the city if shelter beds are available. It also prohibits camping within two blocks of schools or shelters, in city parks and open spaces, and near transportation hubs at any time, regardless of shelter capacity.
OUT-OF-TOWNERS FLOCKING TO CALIFORNIA CITY MAKE UP MAJORITY OF DRUG ARRESTS, POLICE SAY
City council members passed the ordinance 5-4. San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria signed the ordinance into law on June 29, but it included an amendment stating it would not take effect until 30 days after the city's first safe sleeping site was opened.
"It is right and appropriate for us to set the expectation that people experiencing homelessness must avail themselves of the services we are providing," Gloria said according to the Times of San Diego.
SAN DIEGO HOMELESS WOMAN SAYS THEY’RE ‘SPOILED' WITH FREE STUFF:
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Police enforcement will be progressive, according to the city. A homeless individual will be warned once that they are in violation of the ordinance. A second police contact could result in a misdemeanor citation and a third police encounter could result in arrest.
Outreach teams have been warning people in encampments near schools and parks about the ordinance for weeks, according to the city.
"If they arrest 'em, what's gonna happen?"
One corner of downtown San Diego that was previously covered in tents was already empty as of Sunday afternoon, ABC 10News reported.
The manager of a San Diego eatery told the outlet he was not sure how effective enforcement would be.
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"If they arrest 'em, what's gonna happen?" Josue Santa Cruz asked. "The jails are going to pack, and then they're going to stink."
Under the ordinance, data will be presented to the city council on the number of people contacted, cited and arrested. | https://www.foxnews.com/politics/california-enclave-begins-crackdown-homeless-camps-worried-looks | 2023-07-31T16:58:29 | 0 | https://www.foxnews.com/politics/california-enclave-begins-crackdown-homeless-camps-worried-looks |
WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Institutes of Health is beginning a handful of studies to test possible treatments for long COVID, an anxiously awaited step in U.S. efforts against the mysterious condition that afflicts millions.
Monday’s announcement from the NIH’s $1.15 billion RECOVER project comes amid frustration from patients who’ve struggled for months or even years with sometimes-disabling health problems — with no proven treatments and only a smattering of rigorous studies to test potential ones.
“This is a year or two late and smaller in scope than one would hope but nevertheless it’s a step in the right direction,” said Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly of Washington University in St. Louis, who isn’t involved with NIH’s project but whose own research highlighted long COVID’s toll. Getting answers is critical, he added, because “there’s a lot of people out there exploiting patients’ vulnerability” with unproven therapies.
Scientists don’t yet know what causes long COVID, the catchall term for about 200 widely varying symptoms. Between 10% and 30% of people are estimated to have experienced some form of long COVID after recovering from a coronavirus infection, a risk that has dropped somewhat since early in the pandemic.
“If I get 10 people, I get 10 answers of what long COVID really is,” U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said.
That’s why so far the RECOVER initiative has tracked 24,000 patients in observational studies to help define the most common and burdensome symptoms –- findings that now are shaping multipronged treatment trials. The first two will look at:
— Whether taking up to 25 days of Pfizer’s antiviral drug Paxlovid could ease long COVID, because of a theory that some live coronavirus, or its remnants, may hide in the body and trigger the disorder. Normally Paxlovid is used when people first get infected and for just five days.
— Treatments for “brain fog” and other cognitive problems. They include Posit Science Corp.’s BrainHQ cognitive training program, another called PASC-Cognitive Recovery by New York City’s Mount Sinai Health System, and a Soterix Medical device that electrically stimulates brain circuits.
Two additional studies will open in the coming months. One will test treatments for sleep problems. The other will target problems with the autonomic nervous system — which controls unconscious functions like breathing and heartbeat — including the disorder called POTS.
A more controversial study of exercise intolerance and fatigue also is planned, with NIH seeking input from some patient groups worried that exercise may do more harm than good for certain long COVID sufferers.
The trials are enrolling 300 to 900 adult participants for now but have the potential to grow. Unlike typical experiments that test one treatment at a time, these more flexible “platform studies” will let NIH add additional potential therapies on a rolling basis.
“We can rapidly pivot,” Dr. Amy Patterson with the NIH explained. A failing treatment can be dropped without ending the entire trial and “if something promising comes on the horizon, we can plug it in.”
The flexibility could be key, according to Dr. Anthony Komaroff, a Harvard researcher who isn’t involved with the NIH program but has long studied a similarly mysterious disorder known as chronic fatigue syndrome or ME/CFS. For example, he said, the Paxlovid study “makes all sorts of sense,” but if a 25-day dose shows only hints of working, researchers could extend the test to a longer course instead of starting from scratch.
Komaroff also said that he understands people’s frustration over the wait for these treatment trials, but believes NIH appropriately waited “until some clues came in about the underlying biology,” adding: “You’ve got to have targets.”
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-brain-fog-and-other-long-covid-symptoms-are-the-focus-of-new-small-treatment-studies/ | 2023-07-31T16:58:29 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-brain-fog-and-other-long-covid-symptoms-are-the-focus-of-new-small-treatment-studies/ |
‘Let them debate’: Trump says first meeting of GOP candidates might determine his 2024 VP pick
The first GOP debate takes place on Aug 23 in Milwaukee and will air on Fox News
Former President Trump teased on Monday that the first Republican presidential primary debate might help him narrow down his choices for a vice presidential running mate.
Fox News is hosting the first GOP presidential primary debate on Aug. 23 in Milwaukee. The debate begins at 9 p.m. ET.
THESE REPUBLICANS HAVE MET QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE FIRST GOP PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
"Let them debate so I can see who I MIGHT consider for Vice President!" Trump posted on his Truth Social Monday morning.
The former president, who is leading the GOP primary field, has not yet decided whether he will participate in the debate at the end of the month.
The latest New York Times/Siena College poll has Trump leading the field with 54%; followed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis with 17%; former Vice President Mike Pence, Sen. Tim Scott, former Amb. Nikki Haley all with 3%; and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at 2%.
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The GOP hopefuls must reach 1% in three national polls or 1% in two national polls and two state-specific polls from the early voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada in order to take the debate stage, according to the Republican National Committee’s criteria. The polls must be recognized by the RNC and must be conducted on or after July 1.
Additionally, candidates must have 40,000 unique donors to their campaign committee (or exploratory committee), with "at least 200 unique donors per state or territory in 20+ states and/or territories."
Trump has easily reached both the polling and fundraising threshold.
As of last week, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Christie, DeSantis, Haley, Ramaswamy and Scott also have reached that threshold.
As of last week, the candidates who met polling requirements but not fundraising requirements included former Vice President Mike Pence and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
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The RNC says candidates must present their fundraising figures at least 48 hours prior to the first debate.
The first presidential debate of the 2024 election cycle will air on Fox News, and Rumble is the online live-streaming partner. Young America’s Foundation is also a partner in the first debate. | https://www.foxnews.com/politics/debate-trump-gop-candidates-determine-2024-vp | 2023-07-31T16:58:35 | 1 | https://www.foxnews.com/politics/debate-trump-gop-candidates-determine-2024-vp |
BEIJING (AP) — China imposed restrictions Monday on exports of long-range civilian drones, citing Russia’s war in Ukraine and concern that drones might be converted to military use.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s government is friendly with Moscow but says it is neutral in the 18-month-old war. It has been stung by reports that both sides might be using Chinese-made drones for reconnaissance and possibly attacks.
Export controls will take effect Tuesday to prevent use of drones for “non-peaceful purposes,” the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement. It said exports still will be allowed but didn’t say what restrictions would apply.
China is a leading developer and exporter of drones. DJI Technology Co., one of the global industry’s top competitors, announced in April 2022 it was pulling out of Russia and Ukraine to prevent its drones from being used in combat.
“The risk of some high specification and high-performance civilian unmanned aerial vehicles being converted to military use is constantly increasing,” the Ministry of Commerce said.
Restrictions will apply to drones that can fly beyond the natural sight distance of operators or stay aloft more than 30 minutes, have attachments that can throw objects and weigh more than seven kilograms (15½ pounds), according to the ministry.
“Since the crisis in Ukraine, some Chinese civilian drone companies have voluntarily suspended their operations in conflict areas,” the Ministry of Commerce said. It accused the United States and Western media of spreading “false information” about Chinese drone exports.
The government on Friday defended its dealings with Russia as “normal economic and trade cooperation” after a U.S. intelligence report said Beijing possibly provided equipment used in Ukraine that might have military applications.
The report cited Russian customs data that showed Chinese state-owned military contractors supplied drones, navigation equipment, fighter jet parts and other goods.
The Biden administration has warned Beijing of unspecified consequences if it supports the Kremlin’s war effort. Last week’s report didn’t say whether any of the trade cited might trigger U.S. retaliation.
Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin declared before the February 2022 invasion that their governments had a “no-limits” friendship. Beijing has blocked efforts to censure Moscow in the United Nations and has repeated Russian justifications for the attack.
China has “always opposed the use of civilian drones for military purposes,” the Ministry of Commerce said. “The moderate expansion of drone control by China this time is an important measure to demonstrate the responsibility of a responsible major country.”
The Ukrainian government appealed to DJI in March 2022 to stop selling drones it said the Russian ministry was using to target missile attacks. DJI rejected claims it leaked data on Ukraine’s military positions to Russia. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-china-imposes-curbs-on-drone-exports-citing-ukraine-and-concern-about-military-use/ | 2023-07-31T16:58:35 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-china-imposes-curbs-on-drone-exports-citing-ukraine-and-concern-about-military-use/ |
GOP rep's bill would confiscate assets from drug cartels to fund border wall, tackle fentanyl crisis
Rep Randy Feenstra is introducing the Build the Wall and Fight Fentanyl Act
FIRST ON FOX: A Republican congressman is introducing legislation that would take the assets of cartels and drug smugglers and divert them into funds to construct a wall at the southern border and to fight the ongoing fentanyl epidemic.
Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, is introducing the Build the Wall and Fight Fentanyl Act, which would allow for any assets seized from drug cartels -- or the money from their sale at an auction -- to be diverted into two funds.
Those two funds would be established in the Treasury and would be called the "Southern Border Wall Fulfillment Fund" and the "Combating the Fentanyl Epidemic Fund."
Those funds would include assets seized by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. Both funds would be run by the Department of Homeland Security.
The fentanyl fund would establish a grant to be awarded to eligible entities to help address the crisis -- which kills over 70,000 Americans each year. Fentanyl, which can be fatal in small doses, is created in Mexico using Chinese precursors and then smuggled into the U.S. The entities can include state and local law enforcement, health services, rehabilitation facilities and drug-use prevention advocacy organizations.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration ended the Trump administration’s project to build hundreds of miles of wall at the southern border. It has been one of the policies that has brought criticism from Republicans -- who blame the administration for the border crisis the country has faced since 2021. Multiple 2024 Republican presidential candidates have pledged to restart wall construction if they are elected.
"Criminal drug traffickers have smuggled enough fentanyl into our country to kill every man, woman, and child in the United States, and tragically, too many families know the pain of losing a loved one to this deadly crisis. We must fight fire with fire to protect our families, our children, and our communities," Feenstra said in a statement.
DOJ TO SUE TEXAS OVER FLOATING BORDER BARRIER; ABBOTT SAYS 'SEE YOU IN COURT'
Feenstra said he is "committed to delivering real solutions to the border crisis by beating the drug traffickers at their own game and using their illegal financial gains to finish the border wall and support our families."
OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF AMERICANS SAY BORDER IS IN CRISIS OR ‘MAJOR PROBLEM’: POLL
Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., an original cosponsor of the bill, said that the fentanyl epidemic is "directly linked to our open border."
"Since the Biden administration has failed at properly addressing these two crises, Congress must use innovative solutions to help secure our country. The Build the Wall and Fight Fentanyl Act provides a path to dedicate seized assets from traffickers towards making our nation safer," he said in a statement.
It marks the latest in a number of solutions proposed by Republicans in Congress to the ongoing crisis. Republicans unveiled and later passed a sweeping bill in the House that would overhaul the asylum system while injecting significant funding into border security measures.
The Biden administration has claimed that an immigration overhaul to a "broken" system is needed and has called for the passage of a bill that expands lawful immigration pathways and legalizes millions of illegal immigrants already in the U.S. It has so far failed to pick up Republican support.
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The administration has recently sued Texas over its efforts to build a floating border barrier along the Rio Grande. | https://www.foxnews.com/politics/gop-reps-bill-confiscate-assets-drug-cartels-fund-border-wall-tackle-fentanyl-crisis | 2023-07-31T16:58:41 | 0 | https://www.foxnews.com/politics/gop-reps-bill-confiscate-assets-drug-cartels-fund-border-wall-tackle-fentanyl-crisis |
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — A Cyprus court on Monday sentenced a British man who killed his ailing wife in their retirement home to two years in prison, rejecting a defense request to hand down a suspended sentence after convicting him earlier of manslaughter.
State prosecutor Andreas Hadjikyrou said the three-judge bench imposed the prison term as a “deterrent,” although the judges had earlier ruled that David Hunter’s decision to suffocate his wife Janice in December 2021 was made on the spur of the moment because he could no longer stand seeing her weeping in pain.
Hadjikyrou told The Associated Press the court took into account that Hunter, 76, acted “out of love” to save his wife, who was suffering from a blood ailment when he closed her mouth and nose with his hands as she sat in a recliner in their Paphos home.
It also took into consideration Hunter’s advanced age and that he had no previous criminal record.
Justice Abroad, a group that defends Britons facing legal troubles in foreign countries, said in a statement that Hunter could be released by Aug. 18 after already having spent more than 18 months in custody.
“This has been a tragic case and difficult for all of those involved with it, but today’s decision was the right one and allows David and his family to grieve together,” said Michael Polak from Justice Abroad.
Hunter had faced a charge of premeditated murder, but the court found in its July 21 ruling that the prosecution didn’t prove beyond a reasonable doubt that there was premeditation in his actions.
The court had accepted witness testimony that Janice feared her blood ailment would develop into full-blown leukemia and had repeatedly pleaded with her husband to take her life because she didn’t want to share the fate of her sister, who died of the disease.
Hunter attempted to take his own life by consuming a large amount of pills after suffocating his wife, but medical staff saved his life.
The court cited expert testimony that Janice Hunter suffered from myelodysplastic syndrome, a type of blood cancer which “to a large degree” — as much as 45% — could turn into leukemia, although there was no proof that she had indeed developed the disease because no definitive tests were conducted.
But the court said both husband and wife believed that Janice would develop it because of her sister’s fate.
David Hunter’s earlier assurances to Janice that he would help her fulfill her wish to end her life and not suffer anymore didn’t indicate any premeditation, the court said.
Hadjikyrou said defense lawyers had rejected a plea deal in December 2022 for the defendant to plead guilty to manslaughter because they insisted the facts of the case include an agreement Hunter and his wife allegedly made for him to take her life.
The state prosecutor said the court didn’t accept that such an agreement had indeed been made. He said the Cyprus attorney-general has 10 days to decide whether to appeal the sentence. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-cyprus-court-hands-british-man-a-2-year-prison-term-for-killing-his-ailing-wife-to-spare-her-pain/ | 2023-07-31T16:58:41 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-cyprus-court-hands-british-man-a-2-year-prison-term-for-killing-his-ailing-wife-to-spare-her-pain/ |
MIDLAND, Texas — City of Midland will be hosting a Meet & Greet event for Tommy Gonzalez on August 2 at the MLK Jr. Community Center.
The center is located on 2300 Butternut Lane, and it will run from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
This event will allow the community to meet the new City Manager, Tommy Gonzalez, and ask him questions. For more information, people can click here. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/city-of-midland-to-host-meet-greet-for-tommy-gonzalez-on-august-2/513-b6940086-5618-45d6-b98a-8db9af91f67e | 2023-07-31T16:58:44 | 0 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/city-of-midland-to-host-meet-greet-for-tommy-gonzalez-on-august-2/513-b6940086-5618-45d6-b98a-8db9af91f67e |
Dustin Slifer and his daughter wanted to practice on the baseball field near Muhlenberg Elementary School one day.
But when they got there, the field was covered in grass, except for a 3-foot patch of infield. Home plate was at first base.
“It was a mess,” Slifer said.
Slifer said he started hitting ground balls to his 12-year-old daughter, who plays softball for Lower Macungie Middle School, until a ball popped up, hit her in the knee and she “got mad.”
Ever since, Slifer and his two daughters have been at the field weeknights and weekends, working to repair it and make it playable again. They’ve enlisted the help of other community members, including Allen High School’s baseball coach, who’s been supportive of the project.
The field, which Slifer estimates no one’s played on for 15 years, is a project Slifer and his two daughters started three months ago, to help provide a space and opportunities for kids to play games on.
The project is set to be completed soon.
Slifer said he hopes if kids have somewhere to play, it’ll teach them teamwork, keep them off the streets in a safer environment and get more kids to play for the schools.
Growing up, Slifer was always outside playing sports.
“Everywhere I lived, they had baseball fields,” he said. “It wasn’t a matter of what we were playing on the field, it was the fact that who we were playing with gave us something to do.”
Slifer said he sees how excited his daughter is when she plays ball and he wants other children in the city to have that same experience.
In the beginning, it was long and slow. Slifer said he’d make progress, then it would rain and everything would grow back.
However, Slifer said, looking back on the progress pictures he took each week, it was well worth all the work he put into it. He’s learned a lot throughout the process.
Slifer received permission to work on the field from John-Paul Crescenzo, the assistant principal for Muhlenberg Elementary School. Since April, he and his daughters have been tilling the fields and raking the weeds and grass.
Throughout his time working on the field, Slifer said people would come by and tell him stories about this being the first field they played on.
Slifer said he’s also had kids come up to him while he’s working on the field and sees the reaction on their faces when he tells them what he’s doing.
“Just to see their smiles,” Slifer said. “To me that is everything.”
Rob Leskosky, head baseball coach and mathematics and personal finance teacher at Allen High, said when he first heard about Slifer’s project, he thought it was awesome.
“Our kids need opportunities for things and we need to provide them,” he said.
Leskosky said one of his kids, Josh, called him up one night and was “practically screaming through the phone” about how excited he is about the field being repaired.
“I could see him through the phone,” he said. “Josh felt important. Josh felt like somebody cared.”
Leskosky has been Allen’s head baseball coach since 2013, and when traveling to other schools with nice fields that have scoreboards, cinderblock dugouts and a fence that goes all the way around, he said his players often ask him, “Coach, why don’t we have that, why don’t we have this?”
“You could feel it coming from those kids, basically saying, ‘Aren’t we good enough?’ ” Leskosky said. “It’s those things. It’s moments like that that make you know you’re doing the right thing and make you want to continue doing that thing.”
Crescenzo said when Slifer first contacted him about the idea via their district app “Let’s Talk,” he knew it had a “feel good” aspect to it.
From his office, Crescenzo sits across from the field and can see it all the time.
“There’s potential there,” he said.
Crescenzo said his role throughout the project was mostly on the paper side of things and helping Slifer coordinate availability and go through the right channels.
“When you put time and energy into improving something, it speaks to the care that somebody has in the field itself, and then the community,” Crescenzo said. “It’s something we want to keep going.”
Leskosky said for the number of children in the district, more people should be playing baseball.
“These kids in the city want to play baseball,” he said. “They just need opportunities to go be kids and have something with some structure.”
Since the field’s renovation, more kids are coming out and using it, and Leskosky said that “tells me there’s a want and a need that these kids are looking for.”
“If we as the adults are not providing our kids with these opportunities then we are failing them,” he added. “It’s our job to take care of them.”
Slifer said he’s paid out of pocket for most of the project so far. There’s new infield mix, and new posts for first, second and third base just arrived.
Once the infield mix is leveled and the base posts and bases are installed, the field will be playable.
Slifer said he’s working on getting a job box and lock to store the equipment in and he just received a donation that’ll go toward painting the benches bright blue and orange, school colors.
Going forward, Slifer said he hopes to get two sets of base posts and have both little league and softball teams play on the field.
After repairs on the field are finished, the school district will maintain the field.
“I think it brings a lot,” Crescenzo said. “It brings a lot of possibilities and opportunities.” | https://www.mcall.com/2023/07/31/allentown-dad-and-his-two-daughters-work-to-repair-baseball-field-near-muhlenberg-elementary-provide-more-opportunity-for-kids/ | 2023-07-31T16:58:46 | 0 | https://www.mcall.com/2023/07/31/allentown-dad-and-his-two-daughters-work-to-repair-baseball-field-near-muhlenberg-elementary-provide-more-opportunity-for-kids/ |
Jordan accuses Biden FTC of 'obstructing' House Oversight, demands communications with Warren associates
Rep. Jim Jordan says progressive activists aligned with Sen. Elizabeth Warren pressured an FTC official to fall in ‘lockstep’ with chair Lina Khan
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, lambasted the Biden administration’s Federal Trade Commission for allegedly obstructing GOP House oversight, and is now seeking additional communications suggesting progressive activists aligned with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., threatened a senior official to fall in "lockstep" with FTC Chair Lina Khan out of concern for "optics."
Fox News Digital obtained two letters that Jordan sent Friday, as chair of the House Judiciary Committee, one to Khan, the other to FTC Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya.
In the first, Jordan responded to a letter Khan sent earlier in the week accusing the Republican of launching a "campaign to intimidate and harass" career agency staff by threatening to subpoena FTC employees. Jordan, in turn, accused Khan of "repeated efforts to chill the Committee’s oversight by lodging frivolous accusations of ethical violations against the Committee’s professional staff and grossly mischaracterizing the Committee’s actions."
"The accusations in your recent letter are baseless and legally deficient," Jordan wrote. "The oversight you are blocking concerns your mistreatment and mismanagement of career FTC employees, and your unusual response to this oversight, forces us to examine whether you and your senior staff are attempting to obstruct the Committee’s oversight to prevent potential embarrassment. This concerted effort to obstruct the Committee’s oversight must stop."
WARREN, GRAHAM INTRODUCE BILL TO ESTABLISH NEW FEDERAL REGULATORY COMMISSION TO POLICE BIG TECH
Jordan said Khan and her senior staff are attempting to obstruct the committee’s oversight into the FTC.
"The Committee requires testimony from the FTC employees we have previously identified. Up to this point, you have baselessly refused to make these non-SES employees available, despite the Committee’s repeated efforts to accommodate the FTC’s interests. Your continued refusal to make these employees available will force the Committee to compel this testimony," Jordan warned.
The Republican demanded Khan provide all documents and communications referring or relating to "the committee’s requests for transcribed interviews with FTC employees" as well as "the FTC’s response to the Committee’s oversight of allegations of poor staff morale, mismanagement, and a toxic work environment within the FTC" no later than 5 p.m. on Aug. 11.
He also reminded Khan that "every federal employee has a right to speak freely with Congress without interference from his or her employer," noting how each annual appropriations bill states that a salary of a federal employee may be withheld for threatening agency staffers from coming forward.
In the letter to Bedoya, Jordan argues that "recent disclosures of ex parte communications – including communications from your cell phone and email account – suggest there was an attempt to compromise your work as a commissioner."
The Republican cites emails that could suggest progressive activists outside the FTC and aligned with Warren pressured Bedoya to continue "in lockstep" with Khan.
Two of such activists named were Dan Geldon, Warren’s former chief of staff, and Progressive Change Campaign Committee co-founder Adam Green.
Geldon allegedly spoke "about backing Lina" on certain matters in exchange for support during Bedoya’s confirmation.
Jordan asked Bedoya to provide copies of all sworn statements related to FTC ethics and communications between him and his staff with Geldon and Green’s agents also by Aug. 11.
"Although your cover letter revealing the ex parte communications says that you made no such representations, at a minimum the documents suggest a pre-existing relationship such that Mr. Geldon felt free to threaten you about your decisions as a Commissioner and remind you of a supposed discussion about the importance of following Chair Khan’s lead," Jordan wrote. "Mr. Green likewise felt at liberty to remind you of the importance that optics of being aligned with Chair Kahn, and that you need to be a strong supporter of her. In short, these ex parte communications raise a potential appearance of partiality and prejudgment in any number of matters before the Commission."
"Unfortunately, this episode is just one of the more recent examples of a pattern of concerning behavior and decision-making at Chair Khan’s FTC," Jordan said. "Recent reporting revealed that Chair Khan declined to follow an ethics recommendation from the FTC’s Designated Agency Ethics Official (DAEO). You supported Chair Khan in her decision in that matter – a stance that may take on more significance given your ex parte communications regarding the importance that activists outside the FTC place in your being aligned in lockstep with Chair Khan and the need to ‘play a strong role alongside Lina Khan.’" | https://www.foxnews.com/politics/jordan-accuses-biden-ftc-obstructing-house-oversight-demands-communications-warren-associates | 2023-07-31T16:58:47 | 1 | https://www.foxnews.com/politics/jordan-accuses-biden-ftc-obstructing-house-oversight-demands-communications-warren-associates |
ROCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — In a new policy plan unveiled Monday, Republican presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis is taking aim at China with a “Declaration of Economic Independence” that also targets taxes, regulations, spending and education.
Speaking in a New Hampshire warehouse, the Florida governor promised to boost the economy and fight for the middle class.
“We will take back control of our destiny — and ensure that our future is as proud, independent and free as our past,” he said at Prep Partners Group, which coordinates warehousing, distribution and other logistics for other companies.
DeSantis said he would wrest economic control from China by ending the nation’s preferential trade status, banning imports of goods made from stolen intellectual property and preventing companies from sharing critical technologies with China.
The 10-point economic plan is the third major policy proposal put forth by DeSantis, whose campaign has struggled in recent weeks. Although long seen as the top rival to former President Donald Trump, DeSantis shed more than one-third of his staff as federal filings showed his campaign was burning through cash at an unsustainable rate.
On Monday, he focused on the federal government’s reckless spending, however. His plan describes him as a “new sheriff in town” who will veto wasteful spending and mandate work requirements for welfare programs. He also claimed he could achieve 3% annual economic growth by keeping taxes low, eliminating bureaucracy and incentivizing investment.
On the education front, DeSantis said he will stop incentivizing “useless degrees” by making universities responsible for the loans their students accrue. His plan also would promote vocational and apprenticeship programs that educate “artisans and engineers” instead of “politicized administrators and bureaucrats.” | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-desantis-unveils-new-economic-policy-that-targets-china-taxes-and-regulations/ | 2023-07-31T16:58:47 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-desantis-unveils-new-economic-policy-that-targets-china-taxes-and-regulations/ |
ECTOR COUNTY, Texas — The ECISD Trustees will be hosting four meetings over the next 7 days centered around potential bond projects.
These meetings will allow for people to ask questions about the recommendations made by the 2023 Bond Committee.
The first two meetings will take place on August 3. Both will happen at the same time from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Jordan Elementary and Travis Elementary will be the two locations for these meetings.
The next two meetings will happen on August 7. Both will also happen at the same time from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. West Elementary and the Permian High School Library will be the two locations for these meetings.
For more information about the meetings, people can click here. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/ecisd-trustees-to-host-multiple-town-hall-meetings-centered-around-potential-bond-projects/513-be69a3d5-7154-4a56-acc8-3111da69126a | 2023-07-31T16:58:50 | 1 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/ecisd-trustees-to-host-multiple-town-hall-meetings-centered-around-potential-bond-projects/513-be69a3d5-7154-4a56-acc8-3111da69126a |
Cooler temperatures and potential thunderstorms are expected in the Lehigh Valley as Bethlehem’s 40th Musikfest kicks off later this week.
The National Weather Service said high temperatures in the high 70s and low 80s are expected throughout the week, which is a big change from last week’s heat wave, which brought temperatures in the mid-90s to the region.
There will be a high of 81 Friday for the first official day of Musikfest, a multi-day music festival in Bethlehem that runs through Aug. 13. Forecasters believe there is a chance of storms Thursday and Friday.
As of Monday, they estimated a 40% chance of thunderstorms Thursday afternoon and a 50% chance of thunderstorms Friday.
Officials estimate a 30% chance of thunderstorms Saturday, during Musikfest’s second day.
Here is the extended forecast from the National Weather Service:
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 79. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 56. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 80. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 60.
Thursday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 81. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Thursday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Friday: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 2 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 81. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Friday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Saturday: A chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Saturday Night: A chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 63. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84. | https://www.mcall.com/2023/07/31/cooler-temperatures-possible-thunderstorms-expected-for-musikfest-start/ | 2023-07-31T16:58:52 | 1 | https://www.mcall.com/2023/07/31/cooler-temperatures-possible-thunderstorms-expected-for-musikfest-start/ |
Lehigh Valley motorists heading east into New Jersey should prepare for lane closures starting this week along Interstate 78 across the Pennsylvania border.
A 4.2-mile stretch of the highway in Warren County is set to undergo six weeks of repairs beginning Monday night, according to the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. The bridge commission said in a news release that it owns and maintains that stretch of road on the New Jersey side of the Delaware. The highway crosses the river between Williams Township and Phillipsburg.
Workers will repair various “deteriorated asphalt joints” along I-78 between the Route 173 interchange and the New Jersey-Pennsylvania toll bridge, the commission said. They will also repair potholes and raised pavement markings, and restripe lines. The work area crosses through the Phillipsburg area, including Alpha and Pohatcong Township.
Repairs are scheduled to generally be done overnight, according to the commission. On westbound I-78, up to two of the highway’s three lanes will be closed 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. weekdays and until 8 a.m. Saturdays. Two of three eastbound lanes will be shut down 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. during the week, and to 6 a.m. Saturdays.
The impact to motorists is expected to be “brief and minor,” the commission said. The stretch of highway carried a daily average 63,500 vehicles in 2022, making it the commission’s busiest corridor and among the nation’s most frequently used truck crossings.
The agency also said the section of highway is the most geologically challenging area for it to maintain, in part because the highway is built over karst limestone terrain prone to sinkholes and sinking.
The landscape and heavy traffic volume has meant repairing highway cracks and shifts during the last five years, according to the commission. More work is already in place for 2024. | https://www.mcall.com/2023/07/31/interstate-78-road-repairs/ | 2023-07-31T16:58:53 | 1 | https://www.mcall.com/2023/07/31/interstate-78-road-repairs/ |
Mar-a-Lago worker charged in Trump's classified documents released on $100K bond, arraignment set for August
Carlos De Oliveira, property manager at Mar-A-Lago, made his first court appearance in the former President Trump classified documents case
Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos De Oliveira was released on a $100,000 bond but could not yet be arraigned in the classified documents case involving former President Trump.
De Oliveira made his first court appearance Monday at the James L. King Federal Courthouse in Miami days after federal prosecutors alleged he instructed another unnamed Trump employee to delete security footage at the property in Palm Beach.
De Oliveira was added last week to the indictment with Trump and the ex-president's valet, Walt Nauta, and faces charges including conspiracy to obstruct justice and lying to investigators.
A magistrate judge in Miami's federal court read De Oliveira the charges against him and ordered him to turn over his passport and sign an agreement to pay $100,000 if he does not appear in court. The judge scheduled his arraignment for Aug. 10 in Fort Pierce.
Similar to what occurred with Nauta, De Oliveira's arraignment was delayed because he has not yet been able to retain a South Florida attorney, as required by the district, the Miami Herald reported.
The developments in the classified documents case come as Trump braces for possible charges in another federal investigation into his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
Trump, the early front-runner in the 2024 Republican presidential primary race, said he received a letter from special counsel Jack Smith indicating that he is a target of that investigation, and Trump’s lawyers met with Smith’s team last week. Trump, who pleaded not guilty to 37 counts in the classified documents case in June, has denied any wrongdoing.
In a TRUTH Social post Sunday, he said Mar-a-Lago security tapes were "not deleted" and in fact "voluntarily handed over" to so-called "thugs" headed up by Smith.
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, but it is 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 national defense information – stemming from allegations that he mishandled government secrets that as commander-in-chief he was entrusted to protect.
Prosecutors allege that days after the Justice Department sent a subpoena for video footage at Mar-a-Lago to the Trump Organization in June 2022, De Oliveira asked an information technology staffer how long the server retained footage and told the employee "the boss" wanted it deleted. When the employee said he did not believe he was able to do that, De Oliveira allegedly insisted the "boss" wanted it done, asking, "What are we going to do?"
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Shortly after the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago and found classified records in the storage room and Trump’s office, prosecutors say, Nauta allegedly 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 would not do anything to affect his relationship with Trump. That 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 had not even seen boxes moved into Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-released-100k-bond-arraignment-set-august | 2023-07-31T16:58:53 | 1 | https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-released-100k-bond-arraignment-set-august |
HONG KONG (AP) — The discovery of a whale carcass in Hong Kong waters on Monday has sparked an outpouring of grief on social media, with many comments blaming the mammal’s death on sightseers.
Many residents thought the dead mammal was the whale that has attracted groups of sightseers since it was first spotted in the city’s waters in mid-July.
Compass Chan, scientific officer of Ocean Park Conservation Foundation Hong Kong, didn’t confirm whether it was the same whale. But he said an initial check on the dead whale found a new wound on its back, in addition to two old wounds.
“It’s a pity,” Chan said at a media briefing. “If it really died, I think it’s a good chance to let everyone to think seriously how we should get along with other species in the nature.”
Its cause of death would have to be confirmed by a necropsy, he said.
After the carcass was found in the waters in Sai Kung — a district known for its hiking trails, beaches and islands — many residents have taken issue with the whale-watching activities seen over the past two weeks.
They accused the sightseers of causing the death of the whale because of their ignorance. Some reposted a Canto-pop song whose title translated as “Whale Eater” on their social media.
The foundation said in its previous statement that a crowd of people was spotted approaching the animal, believed to be a Bryde’s whale and to be around seven metres (23 feet) long. It warned that human activities can cause stress and lead to life-threatening consequences, saying the whale already had propeller wounds.
The government said Friday night that the necropsy might take several days and the results would serve as a reference for it to handle the emergence of whales in Hong Kong in the future. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-discovery-of-whale-carcass-in-hong-kong-sparks-anger-over-the-potential-damage-done-by-sightseers/ | 2023-07-31T16:58:53 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-discovery-of-whale-carcass-in-hong-kong-sparks-anger-over-the-potential-damage-done-by-sightseers/ |
Last week, the world remembered the 70th anniversary of the truce between North and South Korea that marked the end of the three-year war. But decades later, actual peace remains elusive.
In fact, North Korea is still among the U.S.’ greatest enemies, says Victor J. Haas of Whitehall Township, a veteran of the Korean War.
North Korea has staged dozens of missile tests this year as it works to advance a nuclear program aimed at targeting the continental United States, according to the Associated Press.
“I hate them,” he said bluntly. “When I consider what they’re doing, that’s it.”
He paused to reflect on those words, then adjusted his tone.
“I guess it’s more disrespect than respect,” he said, “especially with North Korea, because they are in the missile program, and God knows where they’re going to go from here.”
Haas wants people to remember what he calls a war forgotten by subsequent generations. It’s been ignored, he said, in part because it was sandwiched between World War II and the Vietnam War. At least with those two wars, some sense of closure came, he said. The end of the Korean War fighting set the stage for decades of animosity that still exists with North Korea and the U.S.
About 37,000 Americans lost their lives during the Korean War, more than 92,000 were wounded, and 8,000 went missing, the Defense Department says.
Haas served 20 years in the Air Force, including many months in South Korea during the war working on radar systems as a geodetic surveyor. He helped determine the precise position of permanent points on the earth’s surface, taking into account the size, shape curvature of the earth.
Surveyers would review a terrain and take a profile of North Korea’s mostly mountainous areas, Haas recalled. Pilots would then be able to find targets based on the surveyors’ information.
“We were the backbone on the ground,” Haas said..
Haas grew up in a rural part of Schuylkill County, but wanted to escape life in the Coal Region.
His father, who fought in World War II, signed the enlistment paper for Haas, who was 17 when he joined the Army Air Corps, the forerunner to the Air Force.
“I wanted to be like him,” Haas said of his father. “We lived in Clamtown [West Penn Township] at the time, and I was going to Tamaqua High School, and with the things he was doing, it really made me go get them. My mother didn’t want me to [enlist], so he took the papers out to the hallway where it was dark, and he signed the papers.”
With his father’s permission, Haas enlisted Jan. 16, 1947, in Philadelphia. After basic training and technical school, he attended drafting and topographical drafting school, being stationed at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He was later deployed to Okinawa and made trips back and forth to South Korea, surveying radar sites on mountaintops. He then became lead officer of the construction of a B-36 air base in Okinawa.
At his home in Fellowship Community, a narrow display case houses some of Haas’ memorabilia from the war, including photos from its horrors: Several Americans stand over a ditch filled with bodies.
“That’s what we kept running into,” he said, “trenches and ditches loaded with these dead soldiers.”
Haas, a master sergeant who shuttled between Okinawa and the Asian peninsula nation from 1951 until the war’s armistice, was happy about the truce when it was announced.
“I don’t like any war,” he said.
Haas has had a fulfilling life in the military and as a civilian. After retiring from active duty in 1967, Haas became a land surveyor, working in the private sector. He is married to Marjorie, whom he met in Cheyenne, and they celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary in March. Two of their children, Vicki Kennedy of Tamaqua and Gary Haas of Allentown, asked them to move to the Lehigh Valley to be near their families. The Haases have lived at Fellowship Community about 10 years, moving to the Valley from Sumter, South Carolina. The couple have another daughter, Judy Rickman, of Venus, Texas, while another son, Dale Haas, died in infancy.
Unlike many veterans, Haas has been happy to share his story.
About 6.8 million Americans served during the first half of the 1950s, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs; Haas is among approximately 1 million of those veterans still living. By 2030, the aging population is projected to fall below 250,000, the VA estimates.
Haas has visited group homes and attended events to pay respects to fellow military and speak to younger generations. He has given his military history to the Lehigh Valley Veterans History Project.
He dresses, as he did for an interview Saturday, in his “uniform” that includes a light blue jacket, dark blue tie and a garrison cap. The jacket is emblazoned with recognitions for his war service.
Haas has attended events at schools to provide younger audiences with a living history about the war. He visited Allentown’s Trexler Middle School in 2019 with other veterans to discuss their experiences. The years have slowed him down somewhat; he uses a walker to arrive for the interview. But he sits upright and has a clear voice. He said if able, he would like to return to schools and speak about his war experiences.
He also enjoys watching reruns of the long-running TV series “MASH.”
“Oh yes,” he said, “that’s the old hometown.”
Morning Call reporter Anthony Salamone can be reached at asalamone@mcall.com. | https://www.mcall.com/2023/07/31/korean-war-veteran/ | 2023-07-31T16:58:53 | 0 | https://www.mcall.com/2023/07/31/korean-war-veteran/ |
Kathryn A. Seidick attended one semester at Kutztown University when she discovered “that was enough for her,” her son Ed said Sunday.
Despite not finishing school, Seidick went on to become a nationally and internationally known prolific author of romance novels, making the New York Times and USA Today bestsellers lists and achieving other notoriety.
The Whitehall Township resident died Tuesday after years of dealing with cancer, her son said. She was 79.
“Imagine that,” Ed Seidick said, “the college dropout writing books.”
Following her brief stint at Kutztown, she married Michael Seidick, raised a family and eventually began writing romance novels. With millions of books in print (a 2001 Morning Call story said she had achieved more than 5 million copies) she grew in popularity for her historical and contemporary romances. She appeared in 1985 on NBC’s “Today” show.
“The big thing she would like to say is, ‘New York Times bestseller,’ ” her son said. “That is what she was very proud of.”
A 1961 graduate of Whitehall High School, she was inducted in 2015 as one of the first alumni to be a “Graduate of Distinction” from the school.
She used her pen name Kasey Michaels in her books, writing for publishers such as Harlequin and Silhouette Romance. The pen name played off a combination of taking her birth name, Katherine Charles, for Kasey, and her husband’s name, Michael, according to her son, who lives in Lehigh Township.
What led the mother of five children to pursue writing? She enjoyed reading romance novels but thought she could write them better and come up with more unpredictable endings, her son said.
One of her first books was about another son, Michael, who had kidney failure, which led to a transplant when he was 8 years old, Ed Seidick said.
She wrote a nonfiction book, “Or You Can Let Him Go,” about dealing with Michael’s organ transplant. The title of the 1984 book, Edward Seidick said, came from what a doctor said to his parents, “You can try dialysis, or you can let him go.”
She kept on writing from there, at times producing three or four novels a year, Ed Seidick said.
What was Seidick’s big break as a novelist? “They started selling better,” he said.
Seidick’s obituary says her survivors include a brother, Edward Charles; a sister, Bonnie (Charles) Brosious; son Michael; and two daughters: Anne and Megan. Michael Seidick, her husband of 58 years, died June 24, 2021, and she was predeceased by another son, Charles.
Calling hours are scheduled for Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning at Gilbert Funeral Home in Whitehall Township. Interment will be at the family’s convenience.
Morning Call reporter Anthony Salamone can be reached at asalamone@mcall.com. | https://www.mcall.com/2023/07/31/lehigh-valley-novelist-dies/ | 2023-07-31T16:58:55 | 1 | https://www.mcall.com/2023/07/31/lehigh-valley-novelist-dies/ |
MIDLAND, Texas — Midland Animal Services will be celebrating in Universal Birthday for Shelter dogs with a special adoption fee.
On August 1, the adoption fee will be $20, which includes a microchip, rabies, and booster vaccinations and a $70 voucher towards the spay or neuter of the adopted animal.
People can contact Midland Animal Services at 432-685-7420 if they have any questions. People can also see more information and pictures of the dogs by clicking here. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/midland-animal-services-to-celebrate-universal-birthday-for-shelter-dogs-on-august-1/513-4f4d2bd4-f388-46c9-aba3-6a41dc294b15 | 2023-07-31T16:58:56 | 1 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/midland-animal-services-to-celebrate-universal-birthday-for-shelter-dogs-on-august-1/513-4f4d2bd4-f388-46c9-aba3-6a41dc294b15 |
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An escalating dispute over a gas field in the Persian Gulf poses an early challenge to a Chinese-brokered agreement to reconcile regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Saudi Arabia and neighboring Kuwait jointly claim the offshore Al-Durra gas field. Iran says it has rights to the field, which it refers to as Arash. The two sides held talks in Iran in March but were unable to agree on a border demarcation.
A spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Nasser Kanaani, said the country would not tolerate any infringement on its rights, echoing remarks by the country’s oil minister the previous day.
“We have expressed our readiness to engage in dialogue with the Kuwaiti side,” Kanaani told reporters Monday. “But if there is no interest in mutual utilization of this joint field, the Islamic Republic of Iran has naturally put the exploration and utilization of the resources on its agenda.”
Kuwait’s oil minister told Sky News Arabia last week that his country would commence drilling and production without waiting for a deal.
Saudi Arabia has sided with Kuwait, saying the two countries have exclusive ownership of the field, and has called on Iran to return to negotiations.
Saudi Arabia and Iran, which have backed opposite sides in conflicts across the Middle East and accused each other of destabilizing the region, formally restored diplomatic relations in April following a seven-year freeze. They have since reopened embassies and welcomed senior officials on visits.
But they continue to back opposite sides in Yemen’s civil war, which is ongoing despite a 15-month cease-fire. Saudi Arabia is also in negotiations with the United States over potentially normalizing relations with Israel, which Iran’s leaders have said should be wiped off the map.
“Any step in the direction toward normalization of ties with this aggressive regime will only serve to give it more leeway to commit more atrocities against the Palestinian nation,” Kanaani, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, said.
It’s unclear whether the dispute over the gas field, which goes back to the 1960s, will escalate beyond rhetoric. But tensions are already high in the Persian Gulf, where the U.S. is building up military forces in response to what it says is Iran’s unlawful seizure of oil tankers and harassment of commercial vessels.
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait agreed last year to jointly develop the gas field. Kuwait said at the time that they aimed to produce 1 billion cubic feet of natural gas and 84,000 barrels of liquefied gas per day. Iran denounced the agreement as illegal and said it should be included in any such plans. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-dispute-over-persian-gulf-gas-field-poses-early-challenge-to-saudi-iranian-rapprochement/ | 2023-07-31T16:58:59 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-dispute-over-persian-gulf-gas-field-poses-early-challenge-to-saudi-iranian-rapprochement/ |
US Vice President Kamala Harris plans to visit rural Wisconsin to discuss broadband, affordable connectivity
US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo will accompany Harris on the trip
- The White House announced Vice President Kamala Harris will be stopping in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, ahead of a trip to Milwaukee to discuss affordable connectivity and broadband.
- Harris' visit comes a little over a month after president Biden announced a plan to send over a billion dollars to expand high-speed internet in Wisconsin.
- The vice president's last trip to Wisconsin was in September 2022 as part of a campaign stop.
Vice President Kamala Harris plans to visit southeast Wisconsin on Thursday, making a stop in Pleasant Prairie to tout broadband and affordable connectivity before going to Milwaukee for a pair of campaign receptions.
The White House announced the planned stops on Sunday. There were no immediate details about the campaign events.
Harris will be joined by Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo for the stop in Pleasant Prairie, which is 35 miles south of Milwaukee near the Illinois border.
The visit comes a little over a month after President Joe Biden's administration announced that Wisconsin will receive more than $1 billion in federal money to expand high-speed internet access.
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It's part of a plan to distribute $42.5 billion nationwide to provide reliable and affordable internet service for every home and business in the U.S. by 2030. States must complete a multi-step process before they can use the money.
Harris last came to Wisconsin in September 2022 as part of a campaign stop just ahead of the November midterm election. Thursday's visit is the first of this election cycle and would be Harris's fourth trip to Wisconsin since taking office.
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Biden won perennial battleground Wisconsin by just under 21,000 votes in 2020, flipping the state for Democrats after former President Donald Trump carried it by just short of 23,000 votes in 2016. Four of the past six presidential elections in Wisconsin have been decided by less than a percentage point. | https://www.foxnews.com/politics/us-vice-president-kamala-harris-plans-visit-rural-wisconsin-discuss-broadband-affordable-connectivity | 2023-07-31T16:58:59 | 0 | https://www.foxnews.com/politics/us-vice-president-kamala-harris-plans-visit-rural-wisconsin-discuss-broadband-affordable-connectivity |
ODESSA, Texas — The crew from Odessa Firehouse 6 helped save a kitten over this past weekend out of a tree on the corner of 42nd and Grandview near the Kent Kwik.
Miguel Puente went up in the tree to rescue the cat, which led to what the City of Odessa called "the puuurrrrfect ending" according to their Facebook page. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/odessa-fire-rescue-saves-kitten-from-a-tree/513-25edb930-1c0c-47ba-a62a-7e1564a911d0 | 2023-07-31T16:59:03 | 1 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/odessa-fire-rescue-saves-kitten-from-a-tree/513-25edb930-1c0c-47ba-a62a-7e1564a911d0 |
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Europe’s economy has grown modestly after months of stagnation, but higher interest rates designed to fight inflation are casting a shadow as they make it more expensive for households and businesses to borrow, invest and spend.
The 20 countries that use the euro currency and their 346 million people saw 0.3% growth in the April-to-June period, compared with the first three months of the year, the EU statistics agency Eurostat reported Monday.
That’s an improvement over zero growth in the first quarter and a slight decline in fourth quarter of last year — but not by much. Plus, one-time factors and an outsized bump from Ireland made things look better than they really were.
The eurozone got a boost by 0.5% growth in France and 0.4% in Spain, where lower inflation has helped lift consumer spending power.
Yet the French figure was increased by the delivery of one very large manufactured item — a cruise ship. That statistical quirk flattered French growth but does little to disguise weak demand for goods in the eurozone’s second-largest economy.
Ireland’s growth of 3.3%, largest in the eurozone, also distorted the overall picture. Its growth figures often show large swings due to major international companies housing their headquarters there, including tech giants like Meta, Google and Apple.
Without Ireland, euro-area growth would have been only 0.1%, said Franziska Palmas, senior Europe economist at Capital Economics.
The overall figure “was driven by a few country idiosyncrasies and masks an underlying momentum that is likely much closer to stagnation,” said Marc de Muizon, senior European analyst at Deutsche Bank Research.
Europe’s largest economy, Germany, struggled in the second quarter, recording zero growth after two straight quarters of falling output as it grappled with high energy costs tied to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Italy, the No. 3 economy, shrank by 0.3%.
The eurozone growth figures for the first quarter were revised from a decline of 0.1%, statistically erasing what had been two straight quarters of contraction — one definition of recession.
Inflation in the eurozone, meanwhile, continued its gradual decline, falling to 5.3% in July from 5.5% in June.
Europe is still struggling with the aftershocks of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including Moscow cutting off most of its natural gas to the continent that sharply raised prices for the fuel and the electricity it generates.
In Germany, Europe’s manufacturing powerhouse, Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck has proposed capping energy prices for industry with government help.
The worst of the price spike is over, but costs are still higher than before the war began. Energy has faded as a main driver of inflation, but price rises are hitting Europeans when they shop for groceries, clothes and more, and the rebound for services companies — such as hotels and restaurants that suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic — has mostly run its course.
Food prices rose 10.8% in July from a year earlier, an improvement from June and previous months but still a pain point for households. Energy, meanwhile, kept dropping, falling 6.1%. Stripping out volatile food and energy prices, core inflation held steady at 5.5% — a key indicator that has not fallen as much as central bankers want.
In a bright spot for Europe, rebounding travel, especially in the Mediterranean countries that heavily rely on tourism, is expected to support growth in the upcoming third quarter as people flock to the beach for their summer holidays in Greece, Spain and Italy, despite recent heat waves and wildfires.
Other than that, prospects for the rest of the year are muted. Another drag on the economy is the rapid series of interest rate increases that the European Central Bank has unleashed to knock down inflation.
The ECB made its ninth straight hike Thursday, bringing its key deposit rate from minus 0.5% to 3.75% in just one year, a record pace since the creation of the euro in 1999. The result has been higher mortgage rates and canceled construction plans due to expensive or unavailable credit.
The central bank’s lending survey shows the lowest level of business loans and credit lines since the statistics started in 2003.
Bank President Christine Lagarde left open whether the bank will keep hiking rates at its next meeting on Sept. 14, saying the decision will depend on incoming inflation data.
Since the rate hikes began, inflation has steadily fallen from a peak of 10.6% in October, but July’s figure of 5.3% is still well above the ECB’s 2% target.
Bank officials say tough action now will spare even more painful restriction of credit later if inflation gets completely out of control. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-europes-economy-shows-modest-growth-after-months-of-stagnation-as-rate-hikes-weigh-on-businesses/ | 2023-07-31T16:59:05 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-europes-economy-shows-modest-growth-after-months-of-stagnation-as-rate-hikes-weigh-on-businesses/ |
How to snap the perfect photo with your camera's Burst Mode
Tips and settings for stunning motion shots just got easier
Have you ever found yourself scrolling on social media, seen an amazing action shot or photo of some kind of movement frozen in time, and wondered how they did that?
It’s actually easier than you might think. We’re here to reveal their secret. They likely used what's known as Burst Mode on their iPhone or Android.
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What is Burst Mode?
Burst mode, also known as continuous shooting mode, is a nifty feature that lets you snap a rapid burst of photos all at once, giving you more options to choose from. iPhone and Android cameras have this feature which allows you to take multiple frames in one second and arrange them in a sequence to analyze the movement and identify potential blur or motion.
By capturing multiple frames in rapid succession, the camera can analyze the subtle variations between frames and determine the sharpness or blurriness of each individual frame. This information helps you select the best shot from the sequence or identify any frames that may have been affected by motion blur.
Additionally, burst mode enables you to select the ideal frame from a long exposure shot, which offers you greater flexibility and creative possibilities in your photography.
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When is it best to use Burst Mode?
Burst mode is mainly used when the subject is in successive motion, such as when taking pictures of wildlife, sports, or even fireworks at night.
It can be used to capture a better photo of any moving subject, like birds, people jumping, kids playing, or even shoot action like skateboarding, cycling, swimming shots, and more. It’s perfect for capturing those fleeting moments that are gone in an instant.
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How to use Burst Mode on iPhone
- First, make sure your iPhone has the latest operating system by updating it
- Open Camera app On iPhone XS, iPhone XR, and later models: Swipe the Shutter button to the left On iPhone X and earlier models: Touch and hold the Shutter button The counter shows how many shots you’ve taken
- On iPhone XS, iPhone XR, and later models: Swipe the Shutter button to the left
- On iPhone X and earlier models: Touch and hold the Shutter button
- The counter shows how many shots you’ve taken
- Lift your finger to stop
Pro Tip: You can also press and hold the volume up button to take Burst shots. To enable this:
How to enable the volume up button to take Burst shots
- Go to Settings
- Scroll down to Camera and tap it
- Then toggle On Use Volume Up for Burst (available on iPhone XS, iPhone XR, and later)
- Now go to the camera app. Point at the thing you want to take a burst of photos of and push the Volume Up button, which is on the upper left side of your device.
- The counter shows how many shots you’ve taken.
- Lift your finger to stop
MORE: HOW TO TURN LIVE PHOTOS ON AND OFF ON IPHONE
How to select a specific photo used in Burst Mode on your iPhone
- To select the photos you want to keep, go to your camera roll, and select the photo with the burst thumbnails. In your camera roll, the image with the bursts will look like a stack of photos. Click this.
- You'll see in the upper left-hand corner it says "Burst (# photos)"
- In the bottom row, click the blue "Select" text.
- Scroll through the thumbnails in the burst and click the empty circle in the lower right-hand corner of the photo to mark the suggested photos to keep, then tap Done in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
- You will be prompted to select which images you want to keep, and it extracts these specific photos and save them as individual photos within your camera roll.
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How to delete the entire Burst
- To delete the entire Burst, tap the thumbnail, then tap Delete. It will ask you to confirm that you want to delete the photos from the burst. Tap it.
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How to use Burst Mode on your Samsung Galaxy
Settings may vary depending on your phone’s manufacturer
- First, make sure your Samsung has the latest operating system by updating it
- Open the camera app
- Go to the Settings (looks like a gear icon)
- Under the Pictures section, tap on the "Swipe Shutter Button to take burst shot" row
- Now select "Take burst shot" and go back to the camera app
- If you want to take some burst photos, hold the camera button and slide it down
- To select the burst of photos you just took, in your camera roll, the image with the bursts will look like a stack of photos. Click this.
- To select which images you want to keep, click the grey icon below the photo with a stack of photos and the associated number of burst photos taken.
- Scroll through the thumbnails in the burst and click the empty circle in the lower right-hand corner of the photo to mark the suggested photos to keep, then tap the down arrow icon below it to save the specific pictures from the Burst shot. You can also choose to delete all the unselected pictures as well.
- Go to your camera roll, and you will now see the pictures you chose.
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How to use Burst Mode on your Android
Settings may vary depending on your Android phone’s manufacturer
- First, make sure your Android has the latest operating system by updating it
- Hold down the photos button, and it will take a burst of photos for as long as you hold down the button
- Similar to the instructions above for Samsung, you will then be able to find the burst of photos you just took in your camera roll and can select which images you want to keep.
MORE: HOW TO DIGITIZE OLD PHOTOS AND SLIDES
Kurt's key takeaways
So, there you have it. Burst mode is the secret behind those incredible action shots and frozen moments you see on social media.
Whether you have an iPhone or an Android device, you can easily capture a rapid burst of photos to ensure you don't miss any of those fleeting moments.
The next time you find yourself scrolling through social media, wondering how those stunning shots were taken, remember that you have the power to freeze those fleeting moments with Burst mode on your phone.
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What’s your secret to snapping the perfect shot? Let me know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact
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Copyright 2023 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved. | https://www.foxnews.com/tech/how-snap-perfect-photo-your-cameras-burst-mode | 2023-07-31T16:59:05 | 1 | https://www.foxnews.com/tech/how-snap-perfect-photo-your-cameras-burst-mode |
Police are investigating an armed robbery that happened in Northampton County on Sunday night.
Wilson Borough Police said in a news release that an employee of Ary’s Express Mart was assaulted and robbed by three men about 9:45 p.m.
The man, 42, was taking the trash out at the store in the 1500 block of Northampton Street when three men wearing hoodies approached him. One of them hit the man several times with a handgun, knocking him out, according to the release.
When he woke up, he discovered an undisclosed amount of money had been stolen from him, police said.
He was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of his injuries, which were described as moderate.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call police at 610-258-8542. | https://www.mcall.com/2023/07/31/police-investigating-armed-robbery-in-northampton-county/ | 2023-07-31T16:59:06 | 1 | https://www.mcall.com/2023/07/31/police-investigating-armed-robbery-in-northampton-county/ |
MIDLAND COUNTY, Texas — One person has been killed in a fatal crash in Midland County on July 29.
30-year-old Ario Pela Fine of San Angelo was transported to Midland Memorial Hospital where he was later pronounced dead by medical staff. The other driver involved in the crash was also transported to Midland Memorial Hospital and is now in stable condition.
The initial investigation revealed that a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado was traveling southwest on Tom Craddick Highway, while a 2016 Kia Optima, driven by Fine, was traveling northwest on CR 60 when he drove through the stop sign at the intersection and hit into the Chevrolet Silverado.
The investigation is still ongoing and we will continue to update this story as we receive more information. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/one-dead-after-fatal-crash-in-midland-county/513-2e5d9416-7f4f-46b8-b0af-0c240d2dd188 | 2023-07-31T16:59:09 | 1 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/one-dead-after-fatal-crash-in-midland-county/513-2e5d9416-7f4f-46b8-b0af-0c240d2dd188 |
Family of Florida mom of 4 who overdosed on legal herbal supplement awarded $11M
Kratom is not FDA-approved and is illegal in many states
A Florida judge last week ordered a kratom retailer and distributor to pay $11 million to the family of a woman who died in 2021 after overdosing on the herbal supplement.
A federal lawsuit alleges that Grow, LLC, and The Kratom Distro "misrepresented and misled consumers about the risks of Kratom," which ultimately led to the death of 39-year-old nurse Krystal Talavera, of Palm Beach, a day after her oldest son's high school graduation.
"I again emphasize that no award of damages will ever be adequate and that this decision reflects nothing more than an adherence to prior cases," Florida Southern District Judge Donald Middlebrooks said last week.
Kratom, which is a supplement extracted from the leaves of a tropical South American tree, is marketed as a pain reliever and mood enhancer but can have dangerous – and sometimes deadly – side effects, including addiction, according to the Mayo Clinic.
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Kratom is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration and is illegal in many states.
A federal lawsuit states that "[i]n the years preceding Krystal’s death, she was introduced to Kratom by friends" and "was under the belief that Kratom was, as it is marketed, a safe and natural dietary supplement."
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Talavera had just finished preparing breakfast for her partner and father of her youngest son on Father's Day morning on June 20, 2021. When he walked out of their bedroom around 11 a.m., he found her "lying face down on the living room floor" next to their 14-month-old child, who witnessed her collapse.
Talavera's partner found her coffee cup and a bag of a powder kratom product called "Space Dust" that Talavera had purchased from The Kratom Distro. He called 911, and authorities transported Talavera to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The Palm Beach County Coroner determined Talavera's cause of death to be "acute mitragynine intoxication," or kratom poisoning.
"At high concentrations, mitragynine produces opioid-like effects, such as respiratory failure," the autopsy report states, according to the lawsuit.
"GROW, LLC’s and HARDER’s Kratom products were constantly sold without any warning regarding instructions for use, the recommended dosage, and known risks of the products, including the risks of abuse, dependence, addiction, overdose, and death," the federal complaint states.
Talavera's oldest son testified in court that his mother died a day after his high school graduation, and the tragedy derailed his college plans. Her ex-husband, Benny Flores, testified about the trauma inflicted on his two young sons with Talavera, including their 6-year-old, "who kept asking when his mother was coming back," a press release states.
"This $11 million judgment should be a wakeup call to the kratom industry about this dangerous and unregulated substance," Talavera's lawyer, Tamara Williams, said in a Monday statement. "There are families across the country who know firsthand that kratom is addictive and can be deadly."
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Attorney Michael Cowgill called on government representatives "to protect the people across the country who are addicted to kratom and to protect other families from having to deal with unnecessary kratom overdose deaths" in a Monday statement.
The legal sale and use of kratom in Florida has led to a slew of lawsuits against distributors.
An estimated 1.2 million American adults over age 12 used kratom in 2021, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
The FDA warns consumers against kratom use "because of the risk of serious adverse events, including liver toxicity, seizures, and substance use disorder (SUD)," the agency's website states. "In rare cases, deaths have been associated with kratom use, as confirmed by a medical examiner or toxicology reports." | https://www.foxnews.com/us/family-florida-mom-4-who-overdosed-legal-herbal-medicine-awarded-11m | 2023-07-31T16:59:11 | 1 | https://www.foxnews.com/us/family-florida-mom-4-who-overdosed-legal-herbal-medicine-awarded-11m |
Shark takes bite out of beachgoer in latest attack at tourist hot spots
Good Samaritan reportedly applied tourniquet to the man's injury after the attack
A Florida man is recovering at a hospital after he was attacked by a shark in Manatee County, according to local reports
The man, who is described as being in his early 20s, was bitten in the lower leg by the shark near Bean Point on the north end of Anna Maria Island, a spokesperson for the West Manatee Fire Rescue told 10 Tampa Bay on Sunday evening
After he was attacked, someone who was with the man applied a tourniquet to his injury, fire rescue told the local outlet.
The man was then reportedly brought into Kingfish Boat ramp, where he was transported by Manatee County emergency medical services to a hospital.
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"His condition is unknown at this time and we are uncertain as to the type of shark or circumstances leading up to the bite," the spokesperson for WMFR said in a statement.
The investigation of the shark bite remains ongoing, officials reportedly said.
At least two other shark attacks have occurred in Florida this month. According to local Fox 35, on July 17 a 48-year-old Lake Worth man was bitten by a shark, causing minor injuries to his back. The man, however, refused to go to the hospital, according to Fox 35.
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On the day prior, officials said a 21-year-old DeLand man was surfing a little after 3 p.m. when he was attacked by a shark, the outlet notes.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said it's "extremely unlikely" for a person to be bitten by a shark in Florida waters. If a shark does attack, officials said the injury is typically not life-threatening, Fox 35 reports.
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In 2022, FWC says there were a total of 57 confirmed unproved cases worldwide, according to the Florida Museum.
According to FWC, the U.S. leads the world in the number of unproved bites, with Florida being the state with the most bites. | https://www.foxnews.com/us/shark-takes-bite-out-florida-beachgoer-latest-attack-tourist-hot-spots | 2023-07-31T16:59:11 | 1 | https://www.foxnews.com/us/shark-takes-bite-out-florida-beachgoer-latest-attack-tourist-hot-spots |
City Center, one of Allentown’s most prolific real estate developers, will unveil plans for the long-vacant Allentown State Hospital at a community meeting Saturday.
According to a website run by City Center, developers plan to bring a “master-planned community” called Northridge to the 195-acre site.
The land at 1600 Hanover Ave. is the former home of the psychiatric hospital, which has been a vacant plot of land since the hospital building was demolished in 2020. The East Side property is seen by city and real estate officials as one of the biggest redevelopment opportunities for several generations in Allentown.
On Facebook, City Center Allentown invites residents to the East Side youth center for an open house about Northridge plans at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Jeff Vaughan, City Center spokesperson, declined to share details about the future development until after the meeting. Renderings of the Northridge development on its website show what appears to be both residential and commercial buildings as well as a large pedestrian plaza.
The hospital site has been subject to controversy since it was sold by the state directly to City Center in early 2023 for $5.5 million after a failed competitive bidding process. According to the state Department of General Services, the two bids from developers during the competitive process were “non-responsive,” so the state could not accept them.
The Morning Call sought through a Right-to-Know request details about the two rejected bids, but the Department of General Services initially denied the newspaper’s request. After an Office of Open Records request ruling in late 2022, the department revealed the two rejected bids were from City Center and Patriot Equities of Wayne, Chester County, both worth $5.5 million.
The vote on the direct sale to City Center in January, through a bill proposed by former Allentown state Sen. Pat Browne was split, 156-44 in the House and 47-2 in the Senate. All “no” votes came from Republicans.
Lawmakers who voted against it said they did not have enough information and were concerned about the sale process. But the deal has been supported by state and city officials representing Allentown, including Mayor Matt Tuerk.
Reporter Lindsay Weber can be reached at Liweber@mcall.com. | https://www.mcall.com/2023/07/31/prominent-developer-to-unveil-plans-for-allentown-state-hospital-site-next-week/ | 2023-07-31T16:59:12 | 0 | https://www.mcall.com/2023/07/31/prominent-developer-to-unveil-plans-for-allentown-state-hospital-site-next-week/ |
HONG KONG (AP) — Fans of singer and songwriter Coco Lee, who was known for her powerful voice and live performances, gathered with flowers to pay their respects to their idol at her funeral in Hong Kong on Monday.
The memorial service was attended by her family and friends, including singers Elva Hsiao and Jenny Tseng, as well as other supporters. Lee died July 5 at age 48.
She was born in Hong Kong and attended school in San Francisco before releasing her first album in 1994 at age 19. She began her career as a Mandopop singer but branched out to release albums in Cantonese and English.
She was the first Chinese singer to break into the American market, and her English song “Do You Want My Love” climbed to #4 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Breakouts chart in December 1999. In 2001, she sang “A Love Before Time” from Ang Lee’s movie “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” at the Academy Awards, becoming the first Chinese American to perform at the Oscars.
Lee was also the voice of heroine Fa Mulan in the Mandarin version of Disney’s “Mulan,” and sang the Mandarin version of the movie’s theme song “Reflection.”
Lee was married to Bruce Rockowitz, former CEO of Hong Kong supply chain company Li & Fung. She had two stepdaughters.
Her death had shocked fans. Her siblings posted on Facebook that she had depression for years and had attempted suicide at home on July 2. She died a few days later.
On Monday afternoon, more than 100 fans dressed in black were waiting outside the funeral home.
Lin Jing, a fan from Fujian province in the southeast, said she admired Lee’s smile and appearance, adding: “She was really talented. She always tried to improve and she inspired women to feel independent.”
Inside the funeral hall, three pink hearts made of flowers and other floral decorations were displayed below Lee’s photo.
Her close friend, Hsiao, said during the ceremony that she remembered watching Lee’s performances as a student and thinking of her as a perfect idol. After they became friends in the entertainment industry, Lee encouraged Hsiao when she was lost and treated her as “a little sister.”
“She brightened my life with her happiness and bravery. I will keep preserving her spirit,” Hsiao said in a quavering voice.
In a video for the memorial service, actors and singers from Hong Kong, mainland China and Taiwan recalled their memories with Lee and mourned her death.
Action star Jackie Chan said in the video that everyone was proud of her when she sang at the Oscars.
“To friends like us, Coco was a passionate and kind friend who showed care to us. She was really a good person. That’s why we are so reluctant to accept she has left us,” he said.
Award-winning director Ang Lee recalled his exchanges with the late singer before the Oscars and said it was a pity she died so young. “We miss her very much. Coco, rest in peace,” he said in the video.
Coco Lee had sounded notes of positivity in social media posts during the months before her death. In March, she posted about recuperating from surgery for an old leg injury.
“Successful surgery. Even though I’m in a lot of pain and I have to re-learn how to walk again, I know I can do it,” she wrote in a Facebook post. “Yes I can and I will!”
___
Associated Press video journalist Alice Fung and news assistant Annie Cheung contributed to this report. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-fans-pay-tribute-to-coco-lee-hong-kong-singer-who-had-international-success/ | 2023-07-31T16:59:11 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-fans-pay-tribute-to-coco-lee-hong-kong-singer-who-had-international-success/ |
A sewer line project will start on August 1 in the alley north of 1300 block of E. 23rd Street in Odessa.
The project is expected to be finished in about two months. The project is also expected to cost close to $150,000. Edgardo Madrid & Associates will be replacing close to 1,000 feet of deteriorating Vitrified Clay sewer main, three manholes and all service laterals to residents.
Edgardo Madrid & Associates is currently under contract with the City of Odessa for projects that are meant to improve water and wastewater.
People can call the City of Odessa Utilities Division at 432-335-4627 for any questions. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/sewer-line-project-to-begin-in-odessa-on-august-1/513-9d474b41-5732-4b60-8cf2-eeb8ed4c2bad | 2023-07-31T16:59:15 | 1 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/sewer-line-project-to-begin-in-odessa-on-august-1/513-9d474b41-5732-4b60-8cf2-eeb8ed4c2bad |
Skeletal remains found on Alabama property linked to man who has been missing for over 3 years
AL man was last seen alive in November 2019
Skeletal remains found on hunting property in Alabama have been identified as a man missing for more than three years.
Michael Lynn Dillard, 49, of Tarrant, Alabama, was reported missing on April 1, 2020, and was last seen alive on Nov. 24, 2019, near Brookside, al.com reported. Human bones were found Dec. 13, 2022, on private hunting property in Graysville, authorities said.
Dillard's remains were identified through DNA testing, Jefferson County Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates said Friday. An autopsy did not reveal a cause of death, Yates said.
The sheriff’s office said an investigation into the case continues. | https://www.foxnews.com/us/skeletal-remains-found-alabama-property-linked-man-been-missing-over-3-years | 2023-07-31T16:59:17 | 0 | https://www.foxnews.com/us/skeletal-remains-found-alabama-property-linked-man-been-missing-over-3-years |
Harrisburg has a recommendation for Pennsylvania residents who see a spotted lanternfly.
Kill it. One quick squash is all it takes.
It’s a bit trickier when a half million spotted lanternflies are infesting your backyard ornamentals. That’s a lot of squashing.
In early June, Kristine Masta grew concerned about a lanternfly invasion of trees in a city-owned easement adjacent to her property in Brookline. She said she wrote to Pittsburgh government asking for the bugs to be controlled.
“The lanternflies are in the millions … They are decimating our property — dogwoods, roses, euonymus bushes, boxwoods and more,” she explained in her message. “This is a citywide problem and as Pittsburgh city residents we look to you to have this problem solved before it spirals further out of control.”
By mid-July, Masta said, her appeal had received no response, so she sent it again while she and a small group of neighbors “did what we could.” They experimented with a hodgepodge of anti-lanternfly home remedies. The unofficial neighborhood bug patrol tried squirting, squashing, drowning and poisoning lanternflies with little success.
“In a given day, we were killing up to 1,000. Now it’s about 500 a day,” she said. “But there are millions of them, some are on branches that extend over my yard. We look like crazy people walking around with fly swatters. I can’t enjoy my yard.”
Spotted lanternflies arrived in the United States in 2014 through Bucks County shipyards. They quickly spread across most of Pennsylvania and parts of the Northeast. The bug doesn’t bite, sting or spread disease. It poses no danger to pets and livestock. It doesn’t kill large trees that it colonizes, but it can weaken small plants making them susceptible to other dangers and is considered a threat to the state’s agriculture industry.
Nevertheless, spotted lanternflies are more despised than most invasive insects. It’s a social problem. They’re disgusting.
When lanternflies colonize a neighborhood’s trees they completely envelope the trunk and branches, sucking out sap and pushing out a white, sticky, sweet-smelling excrement. Collectively, so much “honeydew” is expelled that infested trees literally rain bug poop, raising the yuck factor among homeowners like Masta.
In its native Southeast Asia no commercial product or ancient herbal blend is used to destroy Lycorma delicatula. None is needed. Two species of tiny parasitic wasps lay their eggs inside adult lanternflies. The pupa eats its way out, killing the host and creating a natural balance.
With no native counterbalances in North America, spotted lanternflies have free rein. Plant hoppers, they move as far as they can hop. But traveling 70 mph in egg masses sticking to private and commercial vehicles, their range has spread to Indiana and deeper into the Midwest.
Government agencies have found that lanternfly eradication requires more than just spraying pesticides. The state Department of Agriculture runs lanternfly countermeasures in Pennsylvania.
“[The department] has funded efforts in five main areas,” said spokeswoman Shannon Powers. “Survey programs for detection and monitoring of the insect, implementing control methods and quarantine measures to slow the spread, research for better understanding of the pest and public outreach to raise awareness.”
Those slow control measures are underway as spotted lanternflies enter a fast and furious development stage.
“Right now, the insects are progressing from the tiny, black-with-white-spots phase to the more visible red-with-black-spots phase before adulthood, when it becomes much more visible and begins flying short distances,” said Powers.
With no help from the city, Masta and friends reached out to Penn State Extension, which advised them to use circle traps, which can be bought or homemade. They use netting wrapped around a tree to force lanternfly nymphs to crawl upward into a funnel then into a plastic bag, where they die.
“That was completely unhelpful,” she said. “No way me and my neighbors could do that on a 100-foot tree with millions of these bugs on it. I would be happy to have Penn State over to wrap 20 trees on city property — and [return for] the maintenance. It is a ridiculous suggestion.”
Research led Masta and her friends to alternative home remedies that were said to kill lanternflies.
“We tried every holistic way we could think of. Straight vinegar through a hose sprayer, then Dawn soap, which we very quickly found didn’t work,” she said. “We tried a Pine-Sol mixture in pans, the next step was Neem oil. None of them worked.”
The only thing that effectively killed a lot of lanternflies, she said, was the highest grade of Ortho insecticide at full strength. But there were complications. It killed her boxwood tree. She’s trying to save the dogwood and thinks her pine bushes may make it through the year.
“Spraying insecticides kills lanternflies, but it also goes on the ground and kills a lot more insects than they need to remove. Beneficial insects,” said Joe Stavish, director of tree care and reforestation for Tree Pittsburgh, a non-profit that works to preserve Pittsburgh’s urban forest. “Some of these chemicals kill the trees the bugs are on, get into the groundwater and cause more problems than the lanternflies.”
But when landscaped lawns start to look like lanternfly latrines, it’s tempting to try home remedies no matter how bizarre. A Brighton Heights homeowner tried smoking them out.
“There aren’t a lot of houses around, so no one would see if I set a bunch of fires under the tree,” said the man, who requested anonymity. “I put green pine branches on to make more smoke. It rose up right through the branches and leaves — I expected to see spotted lanternflies falling by the hundreds. All it did was leave black burn patches in my yard.”
Some lawn care experts recommend preempting an infestation by cutting down the lanternfly’s favorite meal, the invasive tree of heaven. In eastern Pennsylvania, people have responded to lanternfly infestation by cutting down the trees.
“We don’t love that method to begin with,” said Stavish. “But cut before the nymphs emerge and you might get the wrong tree. And it’s not going to kill the lanternflies. They’ll just go to another tree, which is the last thing we want.”
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. | https://www.mcall.com/2023/07/31/spotted-lanternfly-home-remedies/ | 2023-07-31T16:59:18 | 1 | https://www.mcall.com/2023/07/31/spotted-lanternfly-home-remedies/ |
ATLANTA (AP) — A new reactor at a nuclear power plant in Georgia has entered commercial operation, becoming the first new American reactor built from scratch in decades.
Georgia Power Co. announced Monday that Unit 3 at Plant Vogtle, southeast of Augusta, has completed testing and is now sending power to the grid reliably.
At its full output of 1,100 megawatts of electricity, Unit 3 can power 500,000 homes and businesses. Utilities in Georgia, Florida and Alabama are receiving the electricity.
Nuclear power now makes up about 25% of the generation of Georgia Power, the largest unit of Atlanta-based Southern Co.
A fourth reactor is also nearing completion at the site, where two earlier reactors have been generating electricity for decades. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Friday said radioactive fuel could be loaded into Unit 4, a step expected to take place before the end of September. Unit 4 is scheduled to enter commercial operation by March.
The third and fourth reactors were originally supposed to cost $14 billion, but are now on track to cost their owners $31 billion. That doesn’t include $3.7 billion that original contractor Westinghouse paid to the owners to walk away from the project. That brings total spending to almost $35 billion.
The third reactor was supposed to start generating power in 2016 when construction began in 2009.
Vogtle is important because government officials and some utilities are again looking to nuclear power to alleviate climate change by generating electricity without burning natural gas, coal and oil.
“This project shows just how new nuclear can and will play a critical role in achieving a clean energy future for the United States,” Southern Co. CEO Chris Womack said in a statement. “Bringing this unit safely into service is a credit to the hard work and dedication of our teams at Southern Company and the thousands of additional workers who have helped build that future at this site.”
In Georgia, almost every electric customer will pay for Vogtle. Georgia Power currently owns 45.7% of the reactors. Smaller shares are owned by Oglethorpe Power Corp., which provides electricity to member-owned cooperatives, the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia and the city of Dalton. Oglethorpe and MEAG plan to sell power to cooperatives and municipal utilities across Georgia, as well in Jacksonville, Florida, and parts of Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.
Georgia Power’s 2.7 million customers are already paying part of the financing cost and elected public service commissioners have approved a monthly rate increase of $3.78 a month for residential customers as soon as the third unit begins generating power. That could hit bills in August, two months after residential customers saw a $16-a-month increase to pay for higher fuel costs.
Commissioners will decide later who pays for the remainder of the costs of Vogtle, including the fourth reactor. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-first-american-nuclear-reactor-built-from-scratch-in-decades-enters-commercial-operation-in-georgia/ | 2023-07-31T16:59:18 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-first-american-nuclear-reactor-built-from-scratch-in-decades-enters-commercial-operation-in-georgia/ |
FORT DAVIS, Texas — Right next to the visitor’s center at the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center in Fort Davis, people will find an exhibit dedicated to the mining history of the Chihuahuan Desert.
This exhibit exists because of Korean War veteran and former mining geologist, Joe Mussey and his friends.
Though he hasn’t been involved in mining for decades now, his passion for it never went away.
“Well it was just so great, the people I worked with and the places that I worked during my career was just great and I loved every minute of it,” Mussey said.
When the Nature Center was still in its early days and they were still trying to come up with some more exhibits, Mussey approached them with the idea for the mining exhibit.
“It got started whenever we saw that they needed something out here that had to do with the Chihuahuan Desert,” Mussey said.
But his involvement with the exhibit didn’t stop after its construction.
He and his wife used to give presentations about mining history to kids who would visit the nature center either with their families or during field trips.
It was during these presentations in fact that he got his famous nickname Miner Joe.
“Well the kiddies called me that," Mussey said. "They would say, ‘We want to see Miner Joe!’ So we just stuck with it. That’s my name out here now, Miner Joe.”
Despite being 93 now, Mussey still makes his way out to the Nature Center with his wife every other week to maintain the exhibit.
He says that age hasn’t stopped him from doing what he loves, which is helping to teach people about the history of mining and geology.
“It really makes me feel good that I’ve done something with my life that I can enjoy and other people can enjoy… This is my passion,” Mussey said.
Mussey also appeared in the 2007 movie "There will be Blood". He loaned some of his collection of old mining equipment to be used in the film and even got to share a scene with actor Daniel Day Lewis in the film as well. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/the-mining-exhibit-at-the-chihuahuan-desert-nature-center/513-2459bb4a-1df6-43b4-9205-6146df1714a3 | 2023-07-31T16:59:21 | 1 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/the-mining-exhibit-at-the-chihuahuan-desert-nature-center/513-2459bb4a-1df6-43b4-9205-6146df1714a3 |
HONG KONG (AP) — A French man is believed to have fallen to his death from a high-rise residential building in Hong Kong last week, police said on Monday, with local media outlets identifying him as daredevil Remi Lucidi.
Police said a 30-year-old man’s body was found on a patio in the city’s upscale Mid-Levels area. He was believed to have engaged in extreme sports, police said, without identifying him.
Officers conducted an initial investigation and said he apparently fell from a rooftop. No suicide note was found at the scene, they said. The cause of his death would have to be verified by an autopsy, they added.
Local media, including the South China Morning Post, said the man was Lucidi, 30. The Post cited an unnamed source saying he was last seen alive knocking on a penthouse window on the 68th floor of a residential tower on Thursday evening. The Associated Press has not been able to verify his identity.
Lucidi, who used the name “Remi Enigma” on social media, last posted a photo of Hong Kong’s night view a week ago on Instagram and tagged the location as Times Square in shopping district Causeway Bay. The photo appeared to be taken from above.
Supporters mourned him on social media.
Lucidi posted to Instagram as he climbed various tall structures around the world and took selfies, including one he captioned, “Above the Sky, 425m” and tagged Dubai as the location. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-french-daredevil-who-climbed-towers-around-world-believed-to-have-fallen-to-his-death-in-hong-kong/ | 2023-07-31T16:59:24 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-french-daredevil-who-climbed-towers-around-world-believed-to-have-fallen-to-his-death-in-hong-kong/ |
Man mauled to death by pack of dogs, sheriff says
SKIPPERVILLE, Ala. (WTVY/Gray News) – A man was mauled to death by a pack of dogs, according to Dale County Sheriff Mason Bynum, who explained investigators originally believed the man had been murdered.
Authorities said acquaintances found the body of 27-year-old Demarcus “Sam” McKenzie in the driveway of a home.
Bynum said it looked like McKenzie was leaving the house when the dogs became aggressive toward him.
“The victim began to run down the driveway as two to three more dogs joined in on the attack,” he explained.
The sheriff said surveillance video shows McKenzie falling and the dogs pouncing on him.
“At one point, five to six dogs are seen violently attacking and mauling the victim as he struggles to stand. After a few minutes, the dogs overpower the victim, and he appears to become incapacitated,” Bynum said.
The sheriff plans to discuss the tragedy with Dale County District Attorney Kirke Adams but did not say who owns the dogs or if they could face charges.
The body’s condition led officers to first believe that McKenzie had been shot, Bynum said.
Copyright 2023 WTVY via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wsaz.com/2023/07/31/man-mauled-death-by-pack-dogs-sheriff-says/ | 2023-07-31T16:59:25 | 1 | https://www.wsaz.com/2023/07/31/man-mauled-death-by-pack-dogs-sheriff-says/ |
ODESSA, Texas — The West Texas Food Bank has released the August 2023 for its mobile food pantry.
Schedule changes might occur due to bad weather. All of the food distributions will be first come, first serve. The mobile food pantry will be going to different parts of West Texas throughout the month.
For more information about the mobile food pantry, people can call at 432-580-6333. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/west-texas-food-bank-mobile-food-pantry-releases-august-2023-schedule/513-23594004-25c0-4287-adc4-7b613ab3a154 | 2023-07-31T16:59:27 | 1 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/west-texas-food-bank-mobile-food-pantry-releases-august-2023-schedule/513-23594004-25c0-4287-adc4-7b613ab3a154 |
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Greece’s prime minister said Monday that his government wants to take full advantage of a developing positive political climate with neighboring Turkey in order to improve bilateral relations despite a string of decades-old disputes.
But Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that doesn’t mean Turkey has “substantially changed” its stance on key differences between the two countries and needs to “decisively abandon its aggressive and unlawful conduct” against Greece’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Turkey and Greece remain at odds over maritime boundaries in the eastern Mediterranean, a dispute that affects irregular migration into the European Union, mineral rights and the projection of military power.
Mitsotakis said that he agreed with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 11-12 to initiate new “lines of communication” and to maintain “a period of calm.”
High-level talks between the the two countries are expected to take place in the Greek city of Thessaloniki later this year.
However, the Greek prime minister said that Erdogan’s outreach to the EU can’t come at the expense of efforts to heal Cyprus’ nearly half-century ethnic division.
Speaking after talks with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, Mitsotakis said that he told Erdogan that improved European-Turkish ties can’t exclude a Cyprus peace accord and that the issue can’t be “left by the wayside.”
Turkey and the breakaway Turkish Cypriots have insisted on a two-state solution since July 2017 when the most recent round of U.N.-facilitated peace talks collapsed.
That position overturned a long-standing agreement sanctioned by the U.N. Security Council in numerous resolutions that any peace deal would aim for a reunified Cyprus as a federation made up of Greek and Turkish speaking zones.
Cyprus was split in 1974 when Turkey invaded following a coup by supporters of union with Greece. Only Turkey recognizes a Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence in the island’s northern third, where more than 35,000 Turkish troops are stationed.
On Friday, Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar repeated that peace talks could resume only if Greek Cypriots recognize the Turkish Cypriots’ “sovereign equality.”
Christodoulides said Monday that any improvement in European-Turkish relations should be based on reciprocal action by Turkey, adding that the EU prioritizes a Cyprus peace deal in line with U.N. resolutions. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-greek-prime-minister-seeks-improved-relations-with-turkey-but-says-ankara-needs-to-drop-aggression/ | 2023-07-31T16:59:32 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-greek-prime-minister-seeks-improved-relations-with-turkey-but-says-ankara-needs-to-drop-aggression/ |
Teen sextortion victim foils middle school coach's scheme, uncovers identity: docs
Joshua Rico worked in the Pecos Independent School District in San Miguel County, New Mexico
WARNING: GRAPHIC
A middle school basketball coach ran a sextortion scam that included at least four underage girls and spanned almost three years, but he crossed the wrong teen who exposed him.
Now, he is going to serve a 30-year sentence in a federal prison.
Joshua Rico, 27, created fictitious social media profiles under the names "Chris Lujan" and "Erik Romero," as well as a profile under his own name, to "threaten, coerce and manipulate" his victims to "engage in sexual activity with him," Rico admitted in his plea deal.
"Generally speaking, my scheme was to use my personal Snapchat account, as well as accounts I created in order to pose as fictitious males, to obtain sexually explicit images and videos from the minors. Further, I also used this scheme to convince at least one minor to engage in sexual activity with me," Rico wrote in court documents as part of his plea agreement.
GROWING SNAPCHAT 'SEXTORTION' SCHEMES TARGET YOUNG BOYS, EXPERT WARNS
He admitted to receiving nude photos and videos and coercing the victims to meet in person to "engage in sexual acts," he wrote in his admittance of facts, which was reviewed by Fox News Digital.
His "unchecked" scheme quickly unraveled when "Jane Doe 2" pieced together that Rico and "Erik Romero" were the same person and reported the issue to school officials and the New Mexico State Police.
AI ‘DEEPFAKES’ OF INNOCENT IMAGES FUEL SPIKE IN SEXTORTION SCAMS: FBI
Law enforcement and federal prosecutors confirmed her suspicions. Rico was indicted on May 12, 2021, and agreed to a plea deal by December 2022.
"Jane Doe 2" wrote a powerful-but-heartbreaking victim impact statement that described how her zest for life deteriorated to rapid withdrawal.
WATCH INTERVIEW WITH EXPERT ALICIA KOZAK ABOUT SEXTORTION
"I hated every night from that day forward. I would cry myself to sleep because of the disgust I felt towards myself," she said in the sentencing memorandum.
"Most days I didn’t come out of my room because I felt my parents would see right through me and would be disappointed. The longer time went on, the more scared I got."
MICHIGAN FAMILY SOUNDS ALARM ON SON'S ‘SEXTORTION’ SUICIDE AFTER ARRESTS OF 3 NIGERIAN MEN
She said this "sick relationship affected every area of my life."
"I used to like to participate in class, but stopped doing it, and I lost my passion for being involved," she wrote.
"I would zone out in class and would think about how awful it would be when I got home. I stopped hanging out with my friends and I distanced myself from friends and family because I didn’t want people to find out what was going on."
READ FULL SENTENCING MEMORANDUM
Rico's ‘unchecked’ scheme
Rico's criminal acts built on each other.
For example, Rico – posing as "Chris Lujan" – admitted to threatening to publish his first victim's explicit photos if she did not record herself having sex with someone else and sending it to "Chris," according to court documents.
SOUTH CAROLINA LAWMAKER EXPOSES DANGERS OF ‘SEXTORTION’ AFTER TEENAGE SON'S SUICIDE
"'Chris' exploited sexual favors and demanded more sexually explicit material. The threats from 'Chris' escalated over time, causing Jane Doe 1 significant distress," prosecutors said in court documents.
He then used his real name to portray himself as some sort of savior or protector, which experts told Fox News Digital in previous interviews is a common tactic in sextortion scams.
Court documents included a snippet of messages between Rico and the first victim, showing how he tried to gain her trust.
On May 24, 2019, joshuarico2196 messaged "Jane Doe 1," "Hey the guy that’s been harassing you is Chris Lujan right? I can only assume because he put that pic of you on his story"
Jane Doe 1: "Maybe why"
joshuarico2196: "Because I helped interview a guy with the same name today, and I’m wondering if it’s him"
Jane Doe 1: "I don’t know"
joshuarico2196: "Well if it’s him it’s possible I could help stop him from harassing you"
He repeated this pattern of deception and coercion with three more girls – all between 14 and 16 – whom he targeted while he was employed as the middle school boys basketball coach at the Pecos Independent School District in San Miguel County, New Mexico.
Alexander M.M. Uballez, federal prosecutor of New Mexico, said after Rico was sentenced that this case "should send a message to would-be predators, especially those who work in positions of trust with children, that sextortion is a heinous crime that will be punished with decades in prison."
FBI WARNS TEEN BOYS INCREASINGLY TARGETED IN ONLINE 'SEXTORTION' SCHEMES
"Our mission is clear: to protect the innocent, to uphold the rule of law, and to ensure that those who engage in such malicious activities face the consequences of their actions," Uballez said in a statement.
"Together with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to safeguard our children, schools, neighborhoods and communities. We call upon everyone to be vigilant regarding the online activity of our children and report any suspicious or concerning conduct. The safety of our children is a shared responsibility, and we must work hand-in-hand to maintain their wellbeing – whether at school, in the community, or on the internet."
Upon his release from prison, Rico will be required to register as a sex offender and serve a 20-year term of supervised release.
The New Mexico State Police, the FBI and the Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory investigated this case as part of the New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. The ICAC Task Force Program is a nationwide network of task forces, including over 90 federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies in New Mexico dedicated to investigating, prosecuting and developing effective responses to Internet crimes against children.
What is sextortion?
The FBI describes sextortion as a crime that "involves coercing victims into providing sexually explicit photos or videos of themselves, then threatening to share them publicly or with the victim's family and friends."
"Malicious actors use content manipulation technologies and services to exploit photos and videos – typically captured from an individual's social media account, open internet or requested from the victim – into sexually-themed images that appear true-to-life in likeness to a victim, then circulate them on social media, public forums or pornographic websites," the FBI said in a June 5 PSA.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CAN DETECT 'SEXTORTION' BEFORE IT HAPPENS AND HELP FBI: EXPERT
"Many victims, which have included minors, are unaware their images were copied, manipulated and circulated until it was brought to their attention by someone else."
At least a dozen sextortion-related suicides have been reported across the country, according to the latest FBI numbers from this year.
Many victims are males between the ages of 10 and 17, although there have been victims as young as 7, the FBI said. Girls have also been targeted, but the statistics show a higher number of boys have been victimized.
FATHER TALKS ABOUT LOSING HIS SON AFTER SEXTORTION SCAM
Find help navigating ‘scary situation’
Michelle DeLaune, president and CEO of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), said in a previous statement that young victims of this crime "feel like there's no way out."
"But we want them to know that they’re not alone. In the past year, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has received more than 10,000 sextortion-related reports," DeLaune said this year. "Please talk to your children about what to do if they (or their friends) are targeted online. NCMEC has free resources to help them navigate an overwhelming and scary situation."
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
NCMEC also provides a free service called "Take It Down," which works to help victims remove or stop the online sharing of sexually explicit images or videos.
The website is: https://takeitdown.ncmec.org/.
The FBI provides recommendations for sharing content online as well as resources for extortion victims at https://www.ic3.gov/Media/Y2023/PSA230605/.
The FBI also urges victims to report exploitation by calling the local FBI field office, calling 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or report it online at tips.fbi.gov/. | https://www.foxnews.com/us/teen-sextortion-victim-foils-middle-school-coachs-scheme-uncovers-identity-docs | 2023-07-31T16:59:32 | 1 | https://www.foxnews.com/us/teen-sextortion-victim-foils-middle-school-coachs-scheme-uncovers-identity-docs |
Jake Fraley Player Prop Bets: Reds vs. Cubs - July 31
Published: Jul. 31, 2023 at 12:30 PM EDT|Updated: 28 minutes ago
The Cincinnati Reds, including Jake Fraley (.270 on-base percentage in past 10 games, 81 points below season-long percentage), take on starter Marcus Stroman and the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, Monday at 8:05 PM ET.
He strung together three hits (going 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI) in his last appearance against the Dodgers.
Jake Fraley Game Info & Props vs. the Cubs
- Game Day: Monday, July 31, 2023
- Game Time: 8:05 PM ET
- Stadium: Wrigley Field
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
- Cubs Starter: Marcus Stroman
- TV Channel: MARQ
- Hits Prop: Over/under 0.5 hits (Over odds: -227)
- Home Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 home runs (Over odds: +675)
- RBI Prop: Over/under 0.5 RBI (Over odds: +150)
- Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 runs (Over odds: +120)
Looking to place a prop bet on Jake Fraley? Check out what's available at BetMGM and use bonus code "GNPLAY" when you sign up with this link!
Read More About This Game
Jake Fraley At The Plate
- Fraley has 14 doubles, 15 home runs and 32 walks while hitting .269.
- Fraley has reached base via a hit in 54 games this season (of 87 played), and had multiple hits in 19 of those games.
- In 14 games this year, he has hit a long ball (16.1%, and 4.7% of his trips to the plate).
- In 39 games this year (44.8%), Fraley has picked up an RBI, and in 16 of those games (18.4%) he had two or more. He has also driven home three or more of his team's runs in five contests.
- He has scored at least once 29 times this season (33.3%), including seven games with multiple runs (8.0%).
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Jake Fraley Home/Away Batting Splits
Cubs Pitching Rankings
- The pitching staff for the Cubs has a collective 8.3 K/9, which ranks 22nd in MLB.
- The Cubs' 4.07 team ERA ranks 12th among all league pitching staffs.
- The Cubs surrender the third-fewest home runs in baseball (111 total, 1.1 per game).
- The Cubs are sending Stroman (10-7) out for his 23rd start of the season. He is 10-7 with a 3.51 ERA and 109 strikeouts through 125 2/3 innings pitched.
- In his most recent appearance on Thursday against the Chicago White Sox, the right-hander went 3 1/3 innings, giving up seven earned runs while surrendering nine hits.
- Among qualifying pitchers in MLB play this season, the 32-year-old ranks 21st in ERA (3.51), 28th in WHIP (1.202), and 47th in K/9 (7.8).
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wsaz.com/sports/betting/2023/07/31/jake-fraley-mlb-player-prop-bets/ | 2023-07-31T16:59:31 | 1 | https://www.wsaz.com/sports/betting/2023/07/31/jake-fraley-mlb-player-prop-bets/ |
SAN DIEGO — The "Barbie" premiere has painted the world hot pink.
From high heels, to glasses, pink blouses and pants to match, movie theaters have transformed into a Barbie world.
The movie has motivated thousands of people nationwide to dress up for the occasion. Some people are digging into their closet and even wearing their old quince gowns to the theater, adding a little touch of Latino culture to the pink craze.
Viral TikTok videos have made headlines of girls recording the moment they walk into theaters with their quinceañera dresses.
Aly Jurewicz is one of those people, she posted this video showing off her pink sparkly quinceañera dress.
“I just had to wear it. I was really debating on whether or not I should go out while wearing it. You know a lot of people are going to be looking at you,” she said.
Watching Barbie as an adult sent childhood memories flooding back for some, reminding them too that Barbies come in all shapes and colors.
“Even though I'm 65 I'm a child at heart and I've always loved Barbies,” said Debby Valentine who was decked out in pink.
It has become a fashion statement for Aly and other women wearing quinceañera dresses.
“It's really nice to be able to spread my culture and expose it to people who might not know,” said Aly.
WATCH RELATED: Barbenheimer | Fans are excited to see both "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" on opening day | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/women-wear-quinceaera-dresses-to-barbie/509-31534d58-4fe1-4f9f-afde-6f4af93016b0 | 2023-07-31T16:59:33 | 1 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/women-wear-quinceaera-dresses-to-barbie/509-31534d58-4fe1-4f9f-afde-6f4af93016b0 |
Smoking rates have fallen globally, Germany lagging: WHO
Efforts to limit tobacco use globally were showing results and smoking rates have fallen, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Monday.
The WHO published a report on tobacco-control measures introduced 15 years ago.
It said 5.6 billion people were now living in countries that implemented at least one of its recommended measures to reduce tobacco use.
This led to a decline in smoking, without which there "would be an estimated 300 million more smokers in the world today."
The rate of worldwide prevalence of smoking had dropped from 22.8% in 2007 to 17% in 2021.
"Slowly but surely, more and more people are being protected from the harms of tobacco," WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
Smoking a leading cause of preventable death
Some measures the agency recommends include advertising against the harmful effects of smoking, health warnings on packs and raising taxes.
Mauritius and the Netherlands joined Brazil and Turkey in implementing all WHO-recommended measures to curb smoking, the report said.
Eight other countries — Ethiopia, Iran, Ireland, Jordan, Madagascar, Mexico, New Zealand and Spain — were a step away from joining the ranks of countries with well-rounded tobacco control steps.
Smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths — about 8.7 million people die every year from smoking, and another 1.2 million die from secondhand smoking.
The WHO said 44 countries, representing 2.3 billion people, had no anti-smoking measures in place.
The report also raised concerns about the rise of e-cigarettes, saying there were 74 countries with no regulations in place for vaping products. There is no minimum age to buy e-cigarettes in nearly half the world's countries either.
Germany performs poorly
There was still a long way to go before a significant shift toward smoking occurred. Many countries were not taking steps.
Germany is among the countries causing "great concern," said Rüdiger Krech, the director for health promotion at WHO.
"We can't really understand why politicians in Germany are so lax in implementing tobacco-control measures," Krech said.
Krech, who is from Germany, said that "this causes a lot of suffering and leads to unnecessarily high pressure on the health system" in the country.
He added that a on indoor smoking was inconsistent and advertisements against the harmful effects of smoking in public spaces were poorly enforced.
Wile food prices climbed over the last year, inflation did not impact the prices of tobacco products as much and they ended up relatively cheaper compared with other goods, according to Krech.
rm/lo (dpa, AFP) | https://www.dw.com/en/smoking-rates-have-fallen-globally-germany-lagging-who/a-66398244 | 2023-07-31T16:59:36 | 0 | https://www.dw.com/en/smoking-rates-have-fallen-globally-germany-lagging-who/a-66398244 |
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A legal advocacy group for journalists wants to get involved in Disney’s free speech lawsuit against Gov. Ron DeSantis. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press says a win by the Florida governor could embolden other governments across the U.S. to take actions against journalists and other media when they exercise their First Amendment rights.
The group on Friday asked a judge for permission to file a friend-of-the-court brief in support of the claims brought by Disney against DeSantis, his appointees to a special district board governing Disney World and a state economic development agency. The lawsuit claims the Florida governor violated the company’s free speech rights by taking control over the district in retaliation for Disney’s public opposition to the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
The committee said that the impact of a DeSantis win would be felt beyond the 39 square miles (101 square kilometers) of the Disney World property governed by the new appointees picked by the Florida governor to the governing district’s board.
“If Defendants prevail in this case, those on whose behalf the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press advocates will be first in the line of fire given the nature of reporting and the press’s role in our constitutional system,” the committee said in its request to file the supporting brief in federal court in Tallahassee. “As such, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press’s proposed brief provides a voice to those not directly involved, but undoubtedly impacted by this case.”
DeSantis and Florida’s Department of Economic Opportunity have argued that Disney’s case should be dismissed because of sovereign immunity protection against being sued for conducting government business, and that Disney hasn’t shown how it has been hurt so it lacks standing to sue the state government defendants.
DeSantis has used the fight with Disney to burnish his “anti-woke” credentials and demonstrate his ability to push a conservative agenda during his campaign for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.
The DeSantis appointees took over the Disney World governing board earlier this year following a yearlong feud between the company and DeSantis. The fight began last year after Disney, beset by significant pressure internally and externally, publicly opposed a state law banning classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades, a policy critics call “Don’t Say Gay.”
As punishment, DeSantis took over the district through legislation passed by Florida lawmakers and appointed a new board of supervisors to oversee municipal services for the sprawling theme parks and hotels.
If the retaliatory actions by DeSantis and Republican lawmakers are left unchecked, it poses a threat to watchdog journalism and press coverage of public issues “to the detriment to the free flow of information on matters of public concern that has long been the hallmark of our democratic system of government,” the committee said.
Before the new board came in, Disney made agreements with previous oversight board members who were Disney supporters that stripped the new supervisors of their authority over design and development. The DeSantis-appointed members of the governing district have sued Disney in state court in a second lawsuit stemming from the district’s takeover, seeking to invalidate those agreements.
Disney had asked for the case be dismissed or delayed pending the outcome of the federal lawsuit. However, Circuit Judge Margaret Schreiber in Orlando on Friday refused to toss or postpone the case, saying among other reasons that to do so would have created “an undue delay” for the district, which still must continue governing. ___
Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at @MikeSchneiderAP | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-group-desantis-win-in-disney-lawsuit-could-embolden-actions-against-journalists/ | 2023-07-31T16:59:38 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-group-desantis-win-in-disney-lawsuit-could-embolden-actions-against-journalists/ |
Historical find in the Holy Land as 2000-year-old biblical era coin uncovered
‘Holy Jerusalem’ is written on the coin in ancient Hebrew
JERUSALEM—Israel Antiquities Authority announced last week that it found a rare silver half-shekel coin from the time of the first Jewish revolt against the Romans over 2,000 years ago in the Judean desert.
The discovery electrified the Israeli media and the biblical and archeological communities due to the coin’s historical significance.
The coin was located as part of the Judean Desert Survey led by the Israel Antiquities Authority together with the Ministry of Heritage and the Staff Officer of the Civil Administration Archeology Unit in Judea and Samaria. The international community refers to Israel’s ancient biblical land as the West Bank while Israelis refer to the region by its biblical names of Judea and Samaria.
According to a press release from Israel Antiquities Authority, "These coins were minted in the values of shekel and half-shekel at the time of the First Revolt of the Jews against the Romans in Judea between the years 66–70 CE, when the Second Temple was destroyed in Jerusalem."
BIBLICAL SITE WHERE JESUS HEALED BLIND MAN EXCAVATED FOR PUBLIC VIEW: 'AFFIRMS SCRIPTURE'
The goal of the Judean Desert Survey was to retrieve artifacts before antiquity looters seized the ancient treasures.
Amir Ganor, a director of the Judean Desert Survey and Excavation Project said, "Every new find contributes to the history of the people and the country. Were it not for the survey, the coin may have been found by antiquity looters and sold on the antiquity market for the highest price offered. Over the six years of the project, we have recorded over 800 caves, and have found thousands of significant finds," noted the press release.
The coin is dated to 66/67CE and "One explanation for this find is that the Jerusalem-minted coin fell from the pocket of a rebel who escaped to the desert during the revolt – perhaps on his way to nearby En Gedi," said Israel Antiquities Authority.
Yaniv David Levy, Israel Antiquities Authority numismatic scholar, said, "Coins from the first year of the Revolt, such as this one, are rare. During the Second Temple period, Jewish pilgrims used to pay a Temple Tax in half-shekel coins. For about two centuries, Tyrian-minted coins, made of fine silver and a status symbol in the region, were used for this contribution."
HOLY LAND FIGHT: ISRAELI LAWMAKERS CONDEMN EU'S 'ILLEGAL' ACTIONS ON BIBLICAL LAND
He added "In the course of the revolt the rebels minted alternative coins inscribed with ‘Shekel Israel,’ ‘Half-Shekel’ and ‘Quarter-Shekel.’ It seems that the rituals in the Temple continued during the revolt and these coins were now used by the rebels."
Jewish rebels at the time created a "Jewish Revolt economy" and minted their own silver and bronze coins, said Israel Antiquities Authority.
"The leaders of the Jewish Revolt chose to defy the rulers, and to mint silver coins autonomously, using the Hebrew script and without the image of the ruling Emperor. It seems that the coins were minted in Jerusalem, possibly in the Temple precinct," noted the Israel Antiquities Authority statement.
Fox News Digital previously reported that woke activism in the Middle East has emboldened the Palestinian Authority to scrub Judeo-Christian ties to Israel. The EU and the U.N. have added their weight to the Palestinian Authority Arab narrative to diminish (and negate at times) the presence of Jewish and Christian communities in the Holy Land before the founding of Islam.
Ze’ev Orenstein, director of international affairs for the City of David Foundation in Jerusalem, told Fox News Digital, "This discovery highlights once again the undeniable connection of the Jewish people with Jerusalem dating back thousands of years, not simply as a matter of faith, but as a matter of fact."
Orenstein added, "This despite ongoing efforts at the United Nations and by Palestinian leadership to erase and undermine that very same heritage, with significance to hundreds of millions of Americans and billions of Christians and Jews around the world."
ISRAELI SOLDIERS DISCOVER 3,000-YEAR-OLD BIBLICAL-ERA WATCHTOWER
Orenstein continued, "A coin such as this one, engraved in ancient Hebrew with the words 'Holy Jerusalem,' had the singular purpose of being brought to the Temple, which stood atop the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, during the Biblical Pilgrimage festivals, as recounted in the Bible."
Eli Escusido, director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, said, "The discovery of the half-shekel coin is yet another gift that the Israel Antiquities Authority bestows on the Israeli nation – first-hand evidence of a turbulent period in the history of our people 2,000 years ago, in a period of extremity and discourse that divided the nation and led to destruction."
He added, "After two millennia we have returned to our country, and Holy Jerusalem is again our capital. The find of the coin at these times, is a reminder for us of what happened in the past, teaching us the importance of working toward unity." | https://www.foxnews.com/world/historical-find-holy-land-2000-year-old-biblical-era-coin-uncovered | 2023-07-31T16:59:38 | 0 | https://www.foxnews.com/world/historical-find-holy-land-2000-year-old-biblical-era-coin-uncovered |
Joey Votto Player Prop Bets: Reds vs. Cubs - July 31
Published: Jul. 31, 2023 at 12:29 PM EDT|Updated: 30 minutes ago
Joey Votto, with a slugging percentage of .250 in his past 10 games -- including one home run -- will be in action for the Cincinnati Reds against the Chicago Cubs, with Marcus Stroman on the hill, July 31 at 8:05 PM ET.
He racked up three RBI (going 2-for-5 with a double and a home run) in his last game against the Dodgers.
Joey Votto Game Info & Props vs. the Cubs
- Game Day: Monday, July 31, 2023
- Game Time: 8:05 PM ET
- Stadium: Wrigley Field
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
- Cubs Starter: Marcus Stroman
- TV Channel: MARQ
- Hits Prop: Over/under 0.5 hits (Over odds: -200)
- Home Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 home runs (Over odds: +400)
- RBI Prop: Over/under 0.5 RBI (Over odds: +155)
- Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 runs (Over odds: +125)
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Read More About This Game
Joey Votto At The Plate
- Votto is batting .194 with four doubles, nine home runs and 14 walks.
- In 40.6% of his 32 games this season, Votto has picked up at least one hit. He's also had seven multi-hit games.
- He has homered in 25.0% of his games in 2023, and 7.1% of his trips to the plate.
- Votto has picked up an RBI in 12 games this season (37.5%), with two or more RBI in seven of those contests (21.9%).
- He has scored in 10 of 32 games (31.3%), including multiple runs twice.
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Joey Votto Home/Away Batting Splits
Cubs Pitching Rankings
- The pitching staff for the Cubs has a collective 8.3 K/9, which ranks 22nd in the league.
- The Cubs have the 12th-ranked team ERA among all league pitching staffs (4.07).
- The Cubs give up the third-fewest home runs in baseball (111 total, 1.1 per game).
- Stroman (10-7) gets the starting nod for the Cubs in his 23rd start of the season. He's put together a 3.51 ERA in 125 2/3 innings pitched, with 109 strikeouts.
- The righty last pitched on Thursday against the Chicago White Sox, when he threw 3 1/3 innings, allowing seven earned runs while giving up nine hits.
- The 32-year-old's 3.51 ERA ranks 21st, 1.202 WHIP ranks 28th, and 7.8 K/9 ranks 47th among qualifying pitchers this season.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wsaz.com/sports/betting/2023/07/31/joey-votto-mlb-player-prop-bets/ | 2023-07-31T16:59:38 | 1 | https://www.wsaz.com/sports/betting/2023/07/31/joey-votto-mlb-player-prop-bets/ |
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — 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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At about summer’s halfway point, the record-breaking heat and weather extremes are both unprecedented and unsurprising, hellish yet boring in some ways, scientists say.
Killer heat. Deadly floods. Smoke from wildfires that chokes.
And there’s no relief in sight.
Expect a hotter than normal August and September, American and European forecast centers predict.
“We are seeing unprecedented changes all over the world,” said NASA climate scientist Gavin Schmidt. “The heat waves that we’re seeing in the U.S. and in Europe, in China are demolishing records left, right and center. This is not a surprise.”
Imperial College of London climate scientist Friederike Otto said examining what’s causing heat waves is “boring” in a way since it keeps happening. Yet she added that it matters “because it shows again just how much climate change plays a role in what we are currently experiencing.”
“This story, these impacts, are going to continue,” Schmidt said. “We’re going to be seeing this pretty much this year and into next year” with a natural El Nino warming of the Pacific adding to the overwhelming influence of human-caused climate change largely from the burning of coal, oil and gas.
Here’s a rundown of the summer of Earth’s discontent.
RECORD-SHATTERING HEAT
Globally, June this year was the hottest June on record — and scientists say July has been so hot that even before the month was over they could say it was the hottest month on record. But it’s individual places where people live that the heat has stuck around and killed.
Phoenix, where the last day of June and each day of July has been at least 110 degrees (43 degrees Celsius), set records for the longest mega-heat streak and longest stretch when the temperatures didn’t go below 90 degrees (32 degrees Celsius) at night.
El Paso, Texas, had 44 days of 100 degree (37 degree) heat. Schools closed in Nuevo Leon state in northern Mexico a month earlier than usual as temperatures reached 113 degrees (45 Celsius).
Farther east, Miami added humidity to high heat for 46 straight days of feels-like temperatures of 100 or more.
Beijing had its own record streak with at least 27 days of 95 degrees (35 Celsius) in July, after a three-day streak of at least 104 (40 Celsius) in June. And the country set it’s all-time highest temperature on July 16 in remote Sanbao township with 126 degrees (52.2 Celsius).
Heat records fell all over southern Europe. Sardinia, Italy, hit 117 (47 Celsius). Palermo in Sicily broke a record that goes back to 1791 by a whopping 3.6 degrees (2 degrees Celsius). Temperatures hit 115 (46 Celsius) in Gytheio, Greece.
Spain reported nearly 1,000 excess deaths from the heat, mostly among the elderly, by mid July.
In Argentina, where it’s mid-winter, temperatures were above 89.6 (32 Celsius) four straight days in June in the northern part of the county. One July night in Buenos Aires didn’t get below the 70s (low 20s Celsius).
TOO MUCH RAIN
More than 10,000 people had to be evacuated in central Hunan province in China where heavy rainfall caused at least 70 houses to collapse. In Yichang, rain triggered a landslide that buried a construction site and killed at least one person.
Australia’s Queensland outback got 13 times its normal monthly July rain in just one day.
Thousands of people were evacuated from Delhi in India as rains caused flash floods and landslides. Elsewhere in the country at least 100 people were killed by the downpours.
In the United States, sudden heavy rain killed people in Vermont, Connecticut and Pennsylvania with tragic stories of children washed away in flooding.
WILDFIRES AND SMOKE
Too little rain in Greece and Spain fed wildfires that proved difficult to fight. In the Canary Islands, a fire caused 4,000 people to evacuate, others to wear face masks and had 400 firefighters battling it.
Hot and dry conditions caused about 160 wildfires to break out in Israel in early June.
But what really brought fires home happened in parts of Canada where few people live. Rare far northern Quebec wildfires triggered nasty smoke that inflicted the world’s dirtiest air on cities like New York and Washington, then switched to the Midwest.
As of late July more than 600 wildfires were out of control in Canada. A record 47,490 square miles (123,000 square kilometers) burned, and fire season isn’t near done. That’s an area larger than the state of Pennsylvania or North Korea.
WATER TEMPERATURES
Water temperatures in the Florida Keys and off the Everglades hit the high 90s (high 30s Celsius) with Manatee Bay breaking 100 degrees twice in what could be an unofficial world record for surface water temperature, although that’s in dispute.
The North Atlantic had hot spots that alarmed scientists. The world’s oceans as a whole were their hottest ever in June and got even hotter in July. In Antarctica, sea ice smashed record-low levels.
Ocean temperatures take a long time to warm up and cool down, said University of Northern Illinois meteorology professor Victor Gensini. So it doesn’t look good for the rest of the summer, he said.
A HOT FORECAST
“We are favoring above normal temperatures for the next three months,” said NOAA Climate Prediction Center meteorologist Matt Rosencrans.
The only potential relief he sees, especially in the hot Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, is if a hurricane or tropical storm moves through.
The peak of hurricane season in September hasn’t even started.
When going through the litany of this summer’s weather extremes so far, University of Pennsylvania climate scientist Michael Mann had one question: “How on God’s Earth are we still burning fossil fuels after witnessing all this?”
___
Researcher Rhonda Shafner contributed to this report from New York. ___
Follow AP’s climate and environment coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment
___
Follow Seth Borenstein on Twitter at @borenbears
___
Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-heres-how-hot-and-extreme-the-summer-has-been-and-its-only-halfway-over/ | 2023-07-31T16:59:44 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-heres-how-hot-and-extreme-the-summer-has-been-and-its-only-halfway-over/ |
Reds vs. Cubs Probable Starting Pitchers Today - July 31
Published: Jul. 31, 2023 at 12:08 PM EDT|Updated: 49 minutes ago
The Cincinnati Reds (58-49) visit the Chicago Cubs (53-52) in NL Central action, at 8:05 PM ET on Monday.
The probable pitchers are Marcus Stroman (10-7) for the Cubs and Andrew Abbott (6-2) for the Reds.
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Reds vs. Cubs Pitcher Matchup Info
- Date: Monday, July 31, 2023
- Time: 8:05 PM ET
- TV: MARQ
- Location: Chicago, Illinois
- Venue: Wrigley Field
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
- Probable Pitchers: Stroman - CHC (10-7, 3.51 ERA) vs Abbott - CIN (6-2, 1.90 ERA)
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Read More About This Game
Reds Probable Starting Pitcher Tonight: Andrew Abbott
- Abbott gets the start for the Reds, his 11th of the season. He is 6-2 with a 1.90 ERA and 66 strikeouts in 61 2/3 innings pitched.
- In his last appearance on Wednesday, the lefty tossed six scoreless innings against the Milwaukee Brewers while surrendering seven hits.
- The 24-year-old has put up an ERA of 1.90, with 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings in 10 games this season. Opposing hitters have a .184 batting average against him.
- Abbott is looking to extend a third-game quality start streak in this game.
- Abbott will aim to pitch five or more innings for his fourth straight start. He's averaging 6.1 innings per outing.
- He is trying to have his third straight outing with no earned runs allowed.
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Cubs Probable Starting Pitcher Tonight: Marcus Stroman
- Stroman (10-7) will take to the mound for the Cubs and make his 23rd start of the season.
- The right-hander gave up seven earned runs and allowed nine hits in 3 1/3 innings pitched against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday.
- The 32-year-old has pitched in 22 games this season with an ERA of 3.51, a 2.27 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a WHIP of 1.202.
- He has started 22 games this season, earning a quality start (6 or more IP, 3 or fewer ER) in 15 of them.
- In 22 starts this season, Stroman has lasted five or more innings 18 times, with an average of 5.7 innings per appearance.
- In 22 appearances this season, he has finished six without allowing an earned run.
- Among qualified pitchers in the majors this season, the 32-year-old ranks 21st in ERA (3.51), 28th in WHIP (1.202), and 47th in K/9 (7.8).
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wsaz.com/sports/betting/2023/07/31/reds-vs-cubs-mlb-probable-starting-pitchers/ | 2023-07-31T16:59:44 | 1 | https://www.wsaz.com/sports/betting/2023/07/31/reds-vs-cubs-mlb-probable-starting-pitchers/ |
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration has opened applications for a new program, the president's latest attempt at lowering student debt for millions of Americans.
It's known as the SAVE Plan, and although it was announced last year, it has mostly been overshadowed by President Joe Biden’s proposal for mass student loan cancellation. But now, after the Supreme Court struck down Biden’s forgiveness plan, the repayment option is taking center stage.
The plan allows millions of Americans with student debt to enroll in what's known as an "income-driven repayment plan."
The four repayment plans offered as part of the program have some of the most lenient terms ever. Interest won’t pile up as long as borrowers make regular payments. Millions of people will have monthly payments reduced to $0. And in as little as 10 years, any remaining debt will be canceled.
Biden has called the SAVE program “the most affordable repayment plan ever.” The typical borrower who enrolls in the plan will save $1,000 a month, he said.
How to sign up
Anybody with outstanding student debt can sign up to see if they're eligible here.
The application's website says you need a few things on hand to sign up:
- A verified FSA ID (which you get by signing up)
- Your financial information
- Your personal information
- Your spouse’s information, if applicable
Most borrowers should be able to fill out the application in under 10 minutes, the website promises.
A calculator is also available for figuring out what your monthly payments would be under the new plan.
What does the plan do?
Right away, more people will be eligible for $0 payments. The new plan won’t require borrowers to make payments if they earn less than 225% of the federal poverty line — $32,800 a year for a single person. The cutoff for current plans, by contrast, is 150% of the poverty line, or $22,000 a year for a single person.
Another immediate change aims to prevent interest from snowballing.
As long as borrowers make their monthly payments, their overall balance won't increase. Once they cover their adjusted monthly payment — even if it's $0 — any remaining interest will be waived.
Other major changes will take effect in July 2024.
Most notably, payments on undergraduate loans will be capped at 5% of discretionary income, down from 10% now. Those with graduate and undergraduate loans will pay between 5% and 10%, depending on their original loan balance. For millions of Americans, monthly payments could be reduced by half.
Next July will also bring a quicker road to loan forgiveness. Starting then, borrowers with initial balances of $12,000 or less will get the remainder of their loans canceled after 10 years of payments. For each $1,000 borrowed beyond that, the cancellation will come after an additional year of payments.
For example, a borrower with an original balance of $14,000 would get all remaining debt cleared after 12 years. Payments made before 2024 will count toward forgiveness.
HOW DO I APPLY?
The Education Department says it will notify borrowers when the new application process launches this summer. Those enrolled in an existing plan known as REPAYE will automatically be moved into the SAVE plan. Borrowers will also be able to sign up by contacting their loan servicers directly.
It will be available to all borrowers in the Direct Loan Program who are in good standing on their loans.
IS IT LEGAL?
That depends on who you ask, but the question hasn’t been taken up by a federal court.
Instead of creating a new payment plan from scratch, the Biden administration proposed changes to an existing plan. It cemented those changes by going through a negotiated rulemaking process that allows the Education Department to develop federal regulations without Congress.
It’s a process that’s commonly used by administrations from both political parties. But critics question whether the new plan goes further than the law allows.
More than 60 Republicans lawmakers urged Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to withdraw the plan in February, calling it “reckless, fiscally irresponsible, and blatantly illegal.”
Supporters argue that the Obama administration similarly used its authority to create a repayment plan that was more generous than any others at the time.
The Biden administration formally finalized the rule this month. Conservatives believe it’s vulnerable to a legal challenge, and some say it’s just a matter of finding a plaintiff with the legal right — or standing — to sue. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/nation-world/save-plan-opens-sign-ups/507-c7bedd06-c514-46b0-9c42-b3f722725019 | 2023-07-31T16:59:45 | 1 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/nation-world/save-plan-opens-sign-ups/507-c7bedd06-c514-46b0-9c42-b3f722725019 |
WASHINGTON (AP) —
Hunter Biden’s former business partner appeared Monday for closed-door testimony on Capitol Hill, with Republicans planning to question him about claims that President Joe Biden was directly involved in his younger son’s financial dealings.
The Republican-led House Oversight Committee was conducting a transcribed interview with Devon Archer as part of its expanding congressional inquiry into the Biden family businesses as the GOP explores a potential impeachment inquiry into the president.
Archer, who served with Hunter Biden on the board of the Ukrainian gas company Burisma, has been seen by Republicans as a key witness in their so-far fruitless search to directly connect the president to his son’s various international business transactions.
Rep. James Comer, the GOP chairman of Oversight Committee, issued a subpoena to Archer in June, saying he “played a significant role in the Biden family’s business deals abroad, including but not limited to China, Russia, and Ukraine.” He said Archer’s testimony would be critical to the committee’s investigation.
Republicans have focused much attention on an unverified tip to the FBI that alleged a bribery scheme involving Joe Biden when he was vice president. The claim, which first emerged in 2019, was that Biden pressured Ukraine to fire its top prosecutor in order to stop an investigation into Burisma, an oil-and-gas company where Hunter Biden was on the board. GOP lawmakers and staff present at Monday’s interview were also expected to question Archer about several business meetings and conversations Hunter Biden had during which he is said to have invoked his father’s name.
Democrats on the committee, including Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, the ranking minority member, have reiterated that the Justice Department investigated the Burisma claim when Donald Trump was president and closed the matter after eight months, finding “insufficient evidence” that it was true. Democrats have also highlighted the transcript of an interview with Mykola Zlochevsky, Burisma’s co-founder, in which he denied having any contact with Joe Biden while Hunter Biden worked for the company.
“Mr. Zlochevsky’s statements are just one of the many that have debunked the corruption allegations,” Raskin said.
On top of his relationship with Hunter Biden, who is currently facing federal tax charges, Archer has his own legal troubles stemming from a 2018 felony conviction for his role in a conspiracy to defraud a Native American tribe. That conviction was overturned later that year, but then the court of appeals in New York reinstated it in 2020. His sentencing in the case has been repeatedly delayed by appeals.
Archer’s appearance before lawmakers had been scheduled and canceled several times since June. Republicans suggested it was about to be delayed again after the Justice Department over the weekend asked a judge to schedule a date for Archer to surrender to prison and begin serving out his one-year sentence in the unrelated fraud case.
Republicans — led by Comer — criticized that delay, calling it an effort by the Justice Department to intimidate a witness. But the Justice Department in a follow-up memo to the court noted Archer’s surrender was not imminent and asked a judge to ensure that he testified to Congress before reporting to prison.
“Mr. Archer will do what he has planned to do all along, which is to show up this morning and to honestly answer the questions that are put to him by the congressional investigators,” said Archer’s attorney, Matthew Schwartz, who is a managing partner at New York-based firm Boies Schiller Flexner. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-hunter-bidens-former-business-partner-appears-for-closed-door-interview-with-gop-led-committee/ | 2023-07-31T16:59:50 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-hunter-bidens-former-business-partner-appears-for-closed-door-interview-with-gop-led-committee/ |
Spencer Steer Player Prop Bets: Reds vs. Cubs - July 31
Published: Jul. 31, 2023 at 12:30 PM EDT|Updated: 28 minutes ago
On Monday, Spencer Steer (.293 on-base percentage in past 10 games, 63 points below season-long percentage) and the Cincinnati Reds play the Chicago Cubs, whose starting pitcher will be Marcus Stroman. First pitch is at 8:05 PM ET.
He had a hitless performance in his most recent game (0-for-5 with an RBI) against the Dodgers.
Spencer Steer Game Info & Props vs. the Cubs
- Game Day: Monday, July 31, 2023
- Game Time: 8:05 PM ET
- Stadium: Wrigley Field
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
- Cubs Starter: Marcus Stroman
- TV Channel: MARQ
- Hits Prop: Over/under 0.5 hits (Over odds: -222)
- Home Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 home runs (Over odds: +650)
- RBI Prop: Over/under 0.5 RBI (Over odds: +160)
- Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 runs (Over odds: +120)
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Discover More About This Game
Spencer Steer At The Plate
- Steer leads Cincinnati in OBP (.356), slugging percentage (.455) and total hits (103) this season.
- Among qualified batters in MLB, his batting average ranks 41st, his on-base percentage ranks 31st, and he is 53rd in the league in slugging.
- Steer has picked up a hit in 65 of 102 games this season, with multiple hits 29 times.
- He has gone deep in 14.7% of his games in 2023, and 3.5% of his trips to the plate.
- Steer has had at least one RBI in 39.2% of his games this year (40 of 102), with more than one RBI 15 times (14.7%). He has also accounted for three or more of his team's runs in three contests.
- In 43.1% of his games this year (44 of 102), he has scored, and in six of those games (5.9%) he has scored more than once.
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Spencer Steer Home/Away Batting Splits
Cubs Pitching Rankings
- The pitching staff for the Cubs has a collective 8.3 K/9, which ranks 22nd in the league.
- The Cubs' 4.07 team ERA ranks 12th across all MLB pitching staffs.
- Cubs pitchers combine to give up 111 home runs (1.1 per game), the third-fewest in the league.
- Stroman makes the start for the Cubs, his 23rd of the season. He is 10-7 with a 3.51 ERA and 109 strikeouts through 125 2/3 innings pitched.
- The righty's most recent appearance came on Thursday against the Chicago White Sox, when he went 3 1/3 innings, surrendering seven earned runs while giving up nine hits.
- This season, the 32-year-old ranks 21st in ERA (3.51), 28th in WHIP (1.202), and 47th in K/9 (7.8) among pitchers who qualify.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wsaz.com/sports/betting/2023/07/31/spencer-steer-mlb-player-prop-bets/ | 2023-07-31T16:59:50 | 0 | https://www.wsaz.com/sports/betting/2023/07/31/spencer-steer-mlb-player-prop-bets/ |
NEW YORK — Trucking company Yellow Corp. has shut down operations and is headed for a bankruptcy filing, according to the Teamsters Union and multiple media reports.
After years of financial struggles, reports of Yellow preparing for bankruptcy emerged last week — as the Nashville, Tennessee-based trucker saw customers leave in large numbers. Yellow shut down operations on Sunday, according to the Wall Street Journal, following the layoffs of hundreds of nonunion employees on Friday.
In an announcement early Monday, the Teamsters said that the union received legal notice confirming Yellow was ceasing operations and filing for bankruptcy.
An official bankruptcy filing is expected any day for Yellow, after years of financial struggles and growing debt. Its expected liquidation would mark a significant shift for the U.S. transportation industry and shippers nationwide.
“Today’s news is unfortunate but not surprising. Yellow has historically proven that it could not manage itself despite billions of dollars in worker concessions and hundreds of millions in bailout funding from the federal government,” Teamsters general president Sean O’Brien said in a statement. “This is a sad day for workers and the American freight industry.”
The Associated Press reached out to Yellow for comment on Monday. No bankruptcy filings had gone live as of the early morning.
The bankruptcy reports have renewed attention around Yellow’s ongoing negotiations with unionized workers, a $700 million pandemic-era loan from the government and other bills the trucker has racked up over time. Yellow, formerly known as YRC Worldwide Inc., is one of the nation’s largest less-than-truckload carriers. The 99-year-old Nashville, Tennessee-based company's reported closure puts 30,000 jobs at risk.
Here’s what you need to know.
WHAT WOULD BANKRUPTCY MEAN FOR YELLOW?
According to Satish Jindel, president of transportation and logistics firm SJ Consulting, Yellow handled an average of 49,000 shipments per day in 2022. Last week, he estimated that number was down to between 10,000 and 15,000 daily shipments.
With customers leaving — as well reports of Yellow stopping freight pickups last week — bankruptcy would “be the end of Yellow,” Jindel told The Associated Press, noting increased risk for liquidation.
“The likelihood of them surviving and remaining solvent diminishes really by the day,” added Bruce Chan, a research director at investment banking firm Stifel.
Yellow declined to comment when contacted by The Associated Press on Friday. In a Wednesday statement to The Journal, the company said it was continuing “to prepare for a range of contingencies.” On Thursday, Yellow said it was in talks with multiple parties about selling its third-party logistics organization.
Even if Yellow was able to sell its logistics firm, it would “not generate a sufficient amount of cash to keep them operational on any sort of permanent basis,” Chan said. “Without a major equity injection, it would be very difficult for them to survive.”
HOW MUCH DEBT DOES YELLOW HAVE?
As of late March, Yellow had an outstanding debt of about $1.5 billion. Of that, $729.2 million was owed to the federal government.
In 2020, under the Trump administration, the Treasury Department granted the company a $700 million pandemic-era loan on national security grounds. Last month, a congressional probe concluded that the Treasury and Defense Departments “made missteps” in this decision — and noted that Yellow’s “precarious financial position at the time of the loan, and continued struggles, expose taxpayers to a significant risk of loss.”
The government loan is due in September 2024. As of March, Yellow had made $54.8 million in interest payments and repaid just $230 million of the principal owed, according to government documents.
Yellow’s current finances and prospect of bankruptcy “is probably two decades in the making,” Chan said, pointing to poor management and strategic decisions dating back to the early 2000s. “At this point, after each party has bailed them out so many times, there is a limited appetite to do that anymore.”
In May, Yellow reported a loss of $54.6 million, a decline of $1.06 per share, for its first quarter of 2023. Operating revenue was about $1.16 billion in the period.
A Wednesday investors note from financial service firm Stephens estimated that Yellow could be burning between $9 million and $10 million each day. Using a liquidity disclosure from earlier this month, Yellow had roughly $100 million in cash at the end of June, the note added — estimating that the company has been burning through increasing amounts of money through July.
“It is reasonable to believe that the Company could breach its $35 mil. liquidity requirement at any moment,” Stephens analyst Jack Atkins and associate Grant Smith wrote.
DIDN'T THE COMPANY JUST AVERT A STRIKE?
Last week's reports of bankruptcy preparations arrived just days after a strike from the Teamsters, which represents Yellow’s 22,000 unionized workers, was averted.
A series of heated exchanges have built up between the Teamsters and Yellow, who sued the union in June after alleging it was “unjustifiably blocking” restructuring plans needed for the company’s survival. The Teamsters called the litigation “baseless” — with O’Brien pointing to Yellow’s “decades of gross mismanagement,” which included exhausting the $700 million federal loan.
On July 23, a pension fund agreed to extend health benefits for workers at two Yellow Corp. operating companies, averting a strike — and giving Yellow “30 days to pay its bills,” notably $50 million that Yellow failed to pay the Central States Health and Welfare Fund on July 15, the union said. While the strike didn’t occur, talks of a walkout may have caused some Yellow customers to pull back, Chan said.
“The financial struggles of Yellow are not related to the union and the contracts,” Jindel said, pointing to management’s responsibility around its services and prices. He added the union wages from Yellow are “lower than any competitor.”
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YELLOW WENT UNDER?
As Yellow customers take their shipments to other carriers, like FedEx or ABF Freight, prices will go up.
Yellow’s prices have historically been the cheapest compared to other carriers, Jindel said. “That’s why they obviously were not making money,” he added. “And while there is capacity with the other LTL carriers to handle the diversions from Yellow, it will come at a high price for (current shippers and customers) of Yellow.”
Chan adds that we’re in an interesting time for the LTL marketplace — noting that, if Yellow liquidates, “the freight would find a home” with other carriers, which may not have been true in recent years.
“It may take time, but there’s room for it to be absorbed,” he said. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/nation-world/yellow-shutting-down-filing-for-bankruptcy-teamsters-say/507-f2d8d111-16d3-48bd-92f5-afb41c6f12af | 2023-07-31T16:59:52 | 0 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/nation-world/yellow-shutting-down-filing-for-bankruptcy-teamsters-say/507-f2d8d111-16d3-48bd-92f5-afb41c6f12af |
WASHINGTON (AP) — For more than a year, the U.S. economy has defied predictions of a forthcoming recession. It has withstood 10 interest rate hikes in 16 months from an inflation-fighting Federal Reserve. In June, America’s employers added a healthy 209,000 jobs.
Will the economy remain resilient? Can the Fed achieve a notoriously difficult “soft landing” — slowing growth just enough to tame inflation without causing a recession?
The Associated Press spoke recently with Gus Faucher, chief economist at PNC Financial Services Group. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Q: The job market is cooling but remains strong. Does that suggest a soft landing?
A: What we have seen in the job market so far in 2023 is consistent with a soft landing. Over the past three months, we’ve added 244,000 jobs per month. That’s still too high from the Fed’s perspective but much better than what we had at the end of last year. Although it’s consistent with a soft landing, it’s also consistent with a story where job growth continues to slow, the economy continues to weaken and we get a recession at the end of 2023. We don’t know what the outcome will be. It’s more likely than not that we get a recession.
Q: When would a downturn begin?
A: A few months ago, we were seeing it starting in the second half of 2023. Now we’re seeing late 2023 or early 2024. The labor market is still holding up. Consumers are still in decent shape. But I do think we will continue to feel the impact of the Fed’s monetary tightening. By the end of this year or sometime early next year, those higher rates will be a significant drag on economic activity and lead to recession. But the economy has held up somewhat better than we were expecting.
The economy just can’t continue to add this many jobs per month. We just don’t have the labor force out there.
Q: Where is inflation headed?
A: We will see slowing inflation. If you go back to 2021, 2022, a lot of that inflation was coming on the goods side. Now, the inflation is coming on the services side. Services inflation tends to be stickier, and it tends to be more driven by what’s going on in the labor market. So the tight labor market is contributing to high services inflation. That will contribute to inflation remaining higher than the Fed would like in the near term. By the end of this year, early next year, we will see a significant softening in the labor market that will help bring inflation down to the Fed’s 2% target.
Q: Will the job market continue to favor workers over the longer term?
A: We have seen structural changes. The pandemic pushed forward a lot of retirements. You had people who were close to retirement in 2020 and planning on working a few more years. But when the pandemic came along, they decided to retire. The remaining workers have more bargaining power. Businesses are going to need to rethink a lot of things about pay, about benefits, about workplace flexibility. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-insider-qa-an-economist-who-sees-a-recession-coming-despite-economys-resilience-so-far/ | 2023-07-31T16:59:56 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-insider-qa-an-economist-who-sees-a-recession-coming-despite-economys-resilience-so-far/ |
TJ Friedl Player Prop Bets: Reds vs. Cubs - July 31
Published: Jul. 31, 2023 at 12:30 PM EDT|Updated: 29 minutes ago
TJ Friedl -- with an on-base percentage of .293 in his past 10 games, 57 points lower than his season-long percentage -- will be in action for the Cincinnati Reds versus the Chicago Cubs, with Marcus Stroman on the hill, on July 31 at 8:05 PM ET.
He racked up two hits (going 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI) in his last game against the Dodgers.
TJ Friedl Game Info & Props vs. the Cubs
- Game Day: Monday, July 31, 2023
- Game Time: 8:05 PM ET
- Stadium: Wrigley Field
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
- Cubs Starter: Marcus Stroman
- TV Channel: MARQ
- Hits Prop: Over/under 0.5 hits (Over odds: -238)
- Home Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 home runs (Over odds: +900)
- RBI Prop: Over/under 0.5 RBI (Over odds: +165)
- Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 runs (Over odds: +105)
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Read More About This Game
TJ Friedl At The Plate
- Friedl is hitting .282 with 17 doubles, three triples, seven home runs and 26 walks.
- Among the qualified hitters in MLB play, he ranks 22nd in batting average, 36th in on-base percentage, and 76th in slugging.
- In 53 of 84 games this year (63.1%) Friedl has had a hit, and in 27 of those games he had more than one (32.1%).
- He has gone deep in seven games this year (8.3%), homering in 2.1% of his trips to the plate.
- Friedl has had at least one RBI in 27.4% of his games this year (23 of 84), with more than one RBI eight times (9.5%). He has also been responsible for three or more of his team's runs in four contests.
- He has scored in 36.9% of his games this season (31 of 84), with two or more runs eight times (9.5%).
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TJ Friedl Home/Away Batting Splits
Cubs Pitching Rankings
- The 8.3 strikeouts per nine innings put together by the Cubs pitching staff ranks 22nd in MLB.
- The Cubs have the 12th-ranked team ERA across all league pitching staffs (4.07).
- Cubs pitchers combine to surrender 111 home runs (1.1 per game), the third-fewest in baseball.
- Stroman gets the start for the Cubs, his 23rd of the season. He is 10-7 with a 3.51 ERA and 109 strikeouts through 125 2/3 innings pitched.
- In his last time out on Thursday, the right-hander tossed 3 1/3 innings against the Chicago White Sox, giving up seven earned runs while surrendering nine hits.
- The 32-year-old ranks 21st in ERA (3.51), 28th in WHIP (1.202), and 47th in K/9 (7.8) among qualifying pitchers in MLB action this season.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wsaz.com/sports/betting/2023/07/31/tj-friedl-mlb-player-prop-bets/ | 2023-07-31T16:59:56 | 1 | https://www.wsaz.com/sports/betting/2023/07/31/tj-friedl-mlb-player-prop-bets/ |
On July 29, several accounts on Twitter, now called X, shared an image of actor Tom Hanks wearing a shirt that said “KEEP AMERICA TRUMPLESS.” The image went viral, trending on the social media site, with some commenters questioning whether the image was real or manipulated.
The photo spread to other platforms, racking up hundreds of thousands of views across social media and photo sharing websites.
THE QUESTION
Is the photo of Tom Hanks wearing a “Keep America Trumpless” shirt real?
THE SOURCES
RevEye, a reverse image search engine
THE ANSWER
No, the photo of Tom Hanks in a ‘Keep America Trumpless’ shirt is fake.
WHAT WE FOUND
The photo of Tom Hanks in an anti-Trump shirt was edited. It was created using a photo taken in 2020 when Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson were in Sydney, Australia.
VERIFY was able to find the original photo using RevEye, a reverse image search engine.
Photos posted on British tabloid The Sun’s website show Hanks walking down a Sydney sidewalk with Wilson ahead of their son, Truman.
Comparing the doctored image to the original image, you can see Truman wearing the same shirt behind Hanks, with the same watch and rolled-up sleeves. You can also see Hanks is wearing the same hat, sunglasses and has the same facial expression.
The only difference is the shirt. In the original, Hanks is wearing a solid navy shirt – not a “KEEP AMERICA TRUMPLESS” shirt.
This is not the first time a photo of a celebrity was doctored to make it appear like he was wearing a shirt that said “KEEP AMERICA TRUMPLESS.”
In June 2022, a doctored photo of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson went viral claiming to show the wrestler-turned-actor wearing a shirt with the same slogan. That photo was fake, too. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/verify/pop-culture/tom-hanks-shirt-keep-america-trumpless-fake/536-32a1a490-cd41-461a-ac00-c31cd234d665 | 2023-07-31T16:59:58 | 0 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/verify/pop-culture/tom-hanks-shirt-keep-america-trumpless-fake/536-32a1a490-cd41-461a-ac00-c31cd234d665 |
Madonna lovingly credits her children and friends with aiding her recovery following a major health scare.
The pop queen, a mother of six, paid tribute to her loved ones on Instagram July 30, one month after she was hospitalized for several days for a serious bacterial infection.
"Love from family and friends is the best Medicine," Madonna wrote in her post, alongside pics of herself with two of her children, Lourdes Leon, 25, and David, 17. "One month out of the hospital and I can reflect."
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The 64-year-old, also a mom to Rocco, 22, Mercy, 17, and twins Estere and Stella, continued, "As a Mother you can really get caught up In the needs Of your children and the seemingly endless giving... But when the chips were down my children really showed up for me. I saw a side to them I had never seen before. It made all the difference."
Madonna also gave a shoutout to her longtime manager Guy Oseary, who gave her a special present.
"If you zoom into this Picture I am holding You will see A Polaroid taken by Andy Warhol of Keith Haring wearing a jacket with Michael Jackson's face painted on it. A perfect triangle of Brilliance. Artist who touched so many lives including my own," the "Like a Prayer" singer wrote. "I sobbed when I opened this gift because I realized how lucky I am to be alive. And how fortunate I am to have known these people and so many others who are also gone. Thank you @guyoseary for this gift!"
Entertainment News
Her manager commented, "LOVE YOU."
Madonna continued in her post, "And Thank you to all my angels who protected me and let me Stay to finish doing my work!"
The Grammy winner had first spoken about her hospitalization in a statement posted on Instagram July 10. "Thank you for your positive energy, prayers and words of healing and encouragement," she wrote, alongside a selfie, "I have felt your love. I am on the road to recovery and incredibly grateful for all the blessings in my life."
She continued, "My first thought when I woke up in the hospital was my children. My second thought was that I did not want to disappoint anyone who bought tickets for my tour."
The musician's Celebration Tour was originally set to kick off July 15 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada. In her previous statement, Madonna said that the plan was to reschedule the North American leg of her tour and to begin performing in Europe in October.
On July 27, she celebrated a major milestone—the 40th anniversary of the release of her debut, self-titled 1983 album. Madonna shared a video of herself dancing to one of its hit singles, "Lucky Star," on Instagram, writing, "To be able to move my body and dance just a little bit makes me feel like the Luckiest Star in the world! Thank you to all of my fans and friends! You must be my lucky stars too! And Happy 40th Birthday to my very. First Album."
Her manager also celebrated the milestone with a tribute to the singer on his Instagram, writing, "40 years ago today July 27,1983 @madonna released her debut album... 6 months later she was on "American Bandstand" where Dick Clark asked her what her hopes are for 1984 and beyond. A very confident Madonna answers: 'To rule the world'... and that she has... She's definitely ruled my world..."
He added, "No matter the transportation, there is never ever a dull moment on the Madonna journey... I'm grateful to my Lucky Star: Madonna for the ride of the lifetime."
He also gave a shoutout to the singer's supporters. "And most of all to the beautiful, dedicated and loving Madonna fans," he wrote. "I can't wait to see many of you again very soon... much love, guyo." | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/madonna-thanks-her-kids-for-their-support-after-hospitalization-says-shes-lucky-to-be-alive/4551090/ | 2023-07-31T17:00:00 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/madonna-thanks-her-kids-for-their-support-after-hospitalization-says-shes-lucky-to-be-alive/4551090/ |
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://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-july-keeps-sizzling-as-phoenix-hits-another-110-degree-day-and-wildfires-spread-in-california/ | 2023-07-31T17:00:02 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-july-keeps-sizzling-as-phoenix-hits-another-110-degree-day-and-wildfires-spread-in-california/ |
Tyler Stephenson Player Prop Bets: Reds vs. Cubs - July 31
Published: Jul. 31, 2023 at 12:30 PM EDT|Updated: 30 minutes ago
Tyler Stephenson -- with a slugging percentage of .296 in his past 10 games (including zero homers) -- will be in action for the Cincinnati Reds against the Chicago Cubs, with Marcus Stroman on the mound, on July 31 at 8:05 PM ET.
He had a hitless showing in his most recent game (0-for-4) against the Dodgers.
Tyler Stephenson Game Info & Props vs. the Cubs
- Game Day: Monday, July 31, 2023
- Game Time: 8:05 PM ET
- Stadium: Wrigley Field
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
- Cubs Starter: Marcus Stroman
- TV Channel: MARQ
- Hits Prop: Over/under 0.5 hits (Over odds: -182)
- Home Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 home runs (Over odds: +800)
- RBI Prop: Over/under 0.5 RBI (Over odds: +240)
- Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 runs (Over odds: +160)
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Explore More About This Game
Tyler Stephenson At The Plate
- Stephenson is batting .252 with 14 doubles, a triple, seven home runs and 38 walks.
- Stephenson has gotten a hit in 60 of 97 games this year (61.9%), with more than one hit on 22 occasions (22.7%).
- He has homered in 7.2% of his games in 2023, and 1.8% of his trips to the dish.
- Stephenson has driven in a run in 30 games this season (30.9%), including seven games with more than one RBI (7.2%).
- He has scored in 38 games this season (39.2%), including seven multi-run games (7.2%).
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Tyler Stephenson Home/Away Batting Splits
Cubs Pitching Rankings
- The Cubs pitching staff ranks 22nd in MLB with a collective 8.3 strikeouts per nine innings.
- The Cubs' 4.07 team ERA ranks 12th across all league pitching staffs.
- Cubs pitchers combine to allow 111 home runs (1.1 per game), the third-fewest in the league.
- The Cubs are sending Stroman (10-7) to the mound to make his 23rd start of the season. He is 10-7 with a 3.51 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 125 2/3 innings pitched.
- In his last time out on Thursday against the Chicago White Sox, the right-hander tossed 3 1/3 innings, allowing seven earned runs while surrendering nine hits.
- This season, the 32-year-old ranks 21st in ERA (3.51), 28th in WHIP (1.202), and 47th in K/9 (7.8) among pitchers who qualify.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wsaz.com/sports/betting/2023/07/31/tyler-stephenson-mlb-player-prop-bets/ | 2023-07-31T17:00:03 | 1 | https://www.wsaz.com/sports/betting/2023/07/31/tyler-stephenson-mlb-player-prop-bets/ |
NEW YORK — While the Las Vegas Aces are the class of the WNBA so far this season, their dominance may actually hurt them in final awards ballots.
Locked On Women's Basketball hosts Natalie Heavren and Em Adler discussed their WNBA awards ballots at the midway point of the season on the latest episode of the podcast, starting with likely runaway MVP Breanna Stewart, producing at an elite level in her first season in Brooklyn.
“I think if Stewie puts up a few more 40-point games … that’s probably a turning point," Adler said. "If New York cleans (clutch performance) up, then I think it will sort of be the difference in wins and losses that will convince a lot of people.”
Coming in second on the hosts' MVP ballots was Alyssa Thomas, the standout forward for the Connecticut Sun playing at her peak at age 30.
“I wasn’t necessarily expecting Alyssa Thomas to be so close to Breanna Stewart," Adler explained. "It could go either way, I think Alyssa Thomas is certainly deserving of that recognition, especially with how much she has led the team lately.”
Thomas was the hosts' pick to win Defensive Player of the Year.
Perhaps the most clear-cut winner of any WNBA award this season will be Aliyah Boston of the Indiana Fever, a shoo-in for Rookie of the Year.
“Aliyah Boston is obviously going to be Rookie of the Year," Adler said. "She is the one player consistently getting doubled from Indiana … it’s really hard to stop her one on one.”
The hosts also listed Chicago Sky reserve forward Alanna Smith as their Most Improved Player and went through the top coach and executive in the WNBA as well as how the race could evolve in the back half of the year. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/sports/locked-on/lo-national/locked-on-womens-basketball/midseason-wnba-awards-breanna-stewart-mvp-aliyah-boston-roy/535-78390825-45c3-445f-b27e-019598b02f2c | 2023-07-31T17:00:04 | 1 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/sports/locked-on/lo-national/locked-on-womens-basketball/midseason-wnba-awards-breanna-stewart-mvp-aliyah-boston-roy/535-78390825-45c3-445f-b27e-019598b02f2c |
New York LiveDaily lifestyle show giving viewers the best in all things New York -- 11:30 a.m. Monday-Friday and 7:15 p.m. Fridays | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/entertainment/the-scene/new-york-live/these-broadway-brothers-star-in-sweeney-todd-together/4550767/ | 2023-07-31T17:00:06 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/entertainment/the-scene/new-york-live/these-broadway-brothers-star-in-sweeney-todd-together/4550767/ |
PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Kosovo’s journalists on Monday protested against the government’s decision to suspend a private television station’s operations.
Authorities made the move last week because they said there were irregularities concerning the registration of Klan Kosova’s business license that violated the country’s constitution.
Scores of journalists and members of civil society organizations gathered in downtown Pristina in front of the main government building to protest the suspension of the broadcaster’s operations.
The demonstrators said it was a “politically motivated” action taken by the government of Prime Minister Albin Kurti. It was the first closure of a media outlet since the end of Kosovo’s 1998-1999 war, they said, holding a banner that read “Democracy dies in darkness.”
Last week, Kosovo’s Ministry of Industry and Trade suspended Klan Kosova’s license, after the documentation of its business registration in neighboring North Macedonia showed that its owners had named Kosovo’s municipalities as if belonging to Serbia, “which is a violation of our constitution,” according to a statement released Monday.
The journalist accused the government’s decision as “an open and unprecedented war … against the media,” urging owners of Klan Kosova to continue its legal fight at the court.
Klan Kosova’s editor-in-chief, Gazmend, Syla called the suspension “unfair.”
“We consider this a kind of pressure to stop us doing of what we are doing,” he told The Associated Press, adding they would challenge the government’s decision in court.
Last month, Kosovo’s Agency of Business Registration found the alleged fault and decided to suspend the operations of the television station, a move supported last week by the ministry.
The station has said it had already fixed the problems as requested.
Klan Kosova was launched in 2009 to become the country’s biggest private television station.
The embassies of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States, and the European Union in Kosovo, expressed “their deep concern” about the suspension of Klan Kosova’s business license considering it “a disproportionate decision that will have repercussions on media plurality in Kosovo.”
Kosovo is a former province in Serbia, which doesn’t recognize Pristina’s 2008 declaration of independence. Kosovo’s sovereignty is backed by the U.S. and most EU nations, but not by Russia and China.
Serbia pulled out of Kosovo in 1999 after NATO bombed the country to stop the onslaught against ethnic Albanian separatists. At least 10,000 civilians, most of them ethnic Albanians, were killed in the conflict.
——-
Llazar Semini reported from Tirana, Albania. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-kosovo-journalists-protest-governments-suspension-of-private-television-station/ | 2023-07-31T17:00:08 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-kosovo-journalists-protest-governments-suspension-of-private-television-station/ |
LEWISVILLE, Texas — Aside from the sweet treats, the most authentic thing at The London Baker in Lewisville is the London Baker herself.
“A little bit rock ‘n roll, a little bit Mary Poppins,” said bakery owner Elizabeth Rowe.
No one would ever call Rowe fake.
“I do not have a poker face,” Rowe said. “What you see is what you get.”
Despite that, Rowe has gotten pretty good at fooling people. Her realistic looking cakes are often mistaken for the thing they represent.
“They’re like, ‘This is actually a cake,’ and people are like, ‘Whaaaat??’” Rowe said, referring to the way her customers often react to her cakes.
It’s similar to the reaction she had after getting an email inviting her to compete on season two of the show, ‘Is it Cake’ on Netflix. The show features cake artists who try to fool judges by making the most realistic cakes they can.
Unfortunately, the competition was no cake walk. Rowe says her first cake, a yoga mat and blocks, was a smashing disaster.
“I thought that they were gonna send me home after the first one,” she said. “And I was convinced that I was never gonna get to show people that I could do some pretty good work.”
However, she survived and not only showed she can do good work but proved nobody can do it better.
Rowe, who earned the nickname "Stitch Queen" for her expertise in creating realistic edible stitches, was crowned the winner. She walked away with $90,000 and a whole bunch of confidence.
Since the show was released on Netflix, Rowe says requests for realistic cakes have been pouring in to The London Baker.
She says although the show has certainly made her cakes more popular, it hasn’t changed her one bit.
“Are you kidding?” Rowe said. “I’m the same person I was before. I’m still here 12 hours a day. Still making cakes. Still delivering cakes. Still working hard.”
And still definitely not fake.
Other foodie news: | https://www.fox43.com/article/features/is-it-cake-netflix-realistic-cakes-texas-baker-lewisville-winner/287-9888f96d-f146-49ee-a640-2ca70ad762b3 | 2023-07-31T17:00:09 | 0 | https://www.fox43.com/article/features/is-it-cake-netflix-realistic-cakes-texas-baker-lewisville-winner/287-9888f96d-f146-49ee-a640-2ca70ad762b3 |
Will Benson Player Prop Bets: Reds vs. Cubs - July 31
Published: Jul. 31, 2023 at 12:30 PM EDT|Updated: 29 minutes ago
On Monday, Will Benson (.607 slugging percentage in past 10 games, including two home runs) and the Cincinnati Reds face the Chicago Cubs, whose starting pitcher will be Marcus Stroman. First pitch is at 8:05 PM ET.
In his previous appearance, he went 1-for-4 with a double against the Dodgers.
Will Benson Game Info & Props vs. the Cubs
- Game Day: Monday, July 31, 2023
- Game Time: 8:05 PM ET
- Stadium: Wrigley Field
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
- Cubs Starter: Marcus Stroman
- TV Channel: MARQ
- Hits Prop: Over/under 0.5 hits (Over odds: -133)
- Home Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 home runs (Over odds: +750)
- RBI Prop: Over/under 0.5 RBI (Over odds: +260)
- Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 runs (Over odds: +130)
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Discover More About This Game
Will Benson At The Plate
- Benson has eight doubles, four triples, seven home runs and 26 walks while batting .274.
- Benson has picked up a hit in 50.9% of his 57 games this year, with at least two hits in 15.8% of those games.
- He has homered in 12.3% of his games in 2023 (seven of 57), and 3.8% of his trips to the dish.
- Benson has picked up an RBI in 12 games this year (21.1%), with more than one RBI in six of them (10.5%).
- He has scored in 22 of 57 games this year, and more than once 4 times.
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Will Benson Home/Away Batting Splits
Cubs Pitching Rankings
- The pitching staff for the Cubs has a collective 8.3 K/9, which ranks 22nd in MLB.
- The Cubs have the 12th-ranked team ERA among all league pitching staffs (4.07).
- Cubs pitchers combine to surrender the third-fewest home runs in baseball (111 total, 1.1 per game).
- Stroman (10-7) gets the starting nod for the Cubs in his 23rd start of the season. He has a 3.51 ERA in 125 2/3 innings pitched, with 109 strikeouts.
- The righty's most recent time out came on Thursday against the Chicago White Sox, when he went 3 1/3 innings, surrendering seven earned runs while allowing nine hits.
- Among qualifying pitchers in MLB action this season, the 32-year-old ranks 21st in ERA (3.51), 28th in WHIP (1.202), and 47th in K/9 (7.8).
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wsaz.com/sports/betting/2023/07/31/will-benson-mlb-player-prop-bets/ | 2023-07-31T17:00:09 | 1 | https://www.wsaz.com/sports/betting/2023/07/31/will-benson-mlb-player-prop-bets/ |
New York LiveDaily lifestyle show giving viewers the best in all things New York -- 11:30 a.m. Monday-Friday and 7:15 p.m. Fridays | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/entertainment/the-scene/new-york-live/try-the-citys-only-artichoke-parm-sandwich/4550766/ | 2023-07-31T17:00:13 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/entertainment/the-scene/new-york-live/try-the-citys-only-artichoke-parm-sandwich/4550766/ |
BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s embattled central bank governor stepped down on Monday under a cloud of investigation and blame for his country’s economic crisis as several European countries are probing his alleged financial crimes.
Riad Salameh, 73, ended his 30-year tenure as tearful employees took photos and a band played celebratory music with drums and trumpets as he left the building.
His four vice governors, led by incoming interim governor Wassim Mansouri, quickly pivoted to urge fiscal reforms for the cash-strapped country.
“We are at a crossroads,” Mansouri said at a news conference. “There is no choice, if we continue previous policy … the funds in the Central Bank will eventually dry up.”
Salameh kicked off his tenure as governor in 1993, three years after Lebanon’s 15-year civil war came to an end. It was a time when reconstruction loans and aid was pouring into the country, and Salameh was widely celebrated for his role in Lebanon’s recovery.
Now, he leaves his post a wanted man in Europe, accused by many in Lebanon of being responsible for the country’s financial downfall since late 2019.
It was a steep fall for a leader whose policies were once hailed for keeping the currency stable. Later, many financial experts saw him as setting up a house of cards that crumbled as the country’s supply of dollars dried up on top of decades of rampant and corruption and mismanagement from Lebanon’s ruling parties.
The crisis has pulverized the Lebanese pound and wiped out the savings of many Lebanese, as the banks ran dry of hard currency.
With the country’s banks crippled and public sector in ruins, Lebanon for years has run on a cash-based economy and relied primarily on tourism and remittances from millions in the diaspora.
Mansouri said previous policies that permitted the central bank to spend large sums on money to prop up the Lebanese state is no longer feasible. He cited years of spending billions of dollars to subsidize fuel, medicine, wheat and more to keep the value of the Lebanese pound stable.
He proposed a six-month reform plan that included passing long awaited reforms such as capital controls, a bank restructuring law, and the 2023 state budget.
“The country cannot continue without passing these laws,” Mansouri explained. “We don’t have time, and we paid a heavy price that we cannot pay anymore.”
The reforms Mansouri mentioned are among those the International Monetary Fund set as conditions on Lebanon in April 2022 for a bailout plan, though he did not mention the IMF. None have been passed.
France, Germany, and Luxembourg are investigating Salameh and his associates over myriad financial crimes, including illicit enrichment and the laundering of $330 million. Paris and Berlin issued Interpol notices to the central bank chief in May, though Lebanon does not hand over its citizens to foreign countries.
Salameh has repeatedly denied the allegations and insisted that his wealth comes from his previous job as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch, inherited properties, and investments. He has criticized the probe and said it was part of a media and political campaign to scapegoat him.
In his final interview as governor, Salameh said on Lebanese television that the responsibility for reforms lies with the government.
“Everything I did for the past 30 years was to try to serve Lebanon and the Lebanese,” he said. “Some — the majority —- were grateful, even if they don’t want to say so. And there are other people, well, may God forgive them.”
Salameh’s departure adds another gap in crisis-hit Lebanon’s withering and paralyzed institutions. The tiny Mediterranean country has been without a president for nine months, while its government has been running in a limited caretaker capacity for a year. Lebanon has also been without a top spy chief to head its General Security Directorate since March.
Lebanese officials in recent months were divided over whether Salameh should stay in his post or whether he should step down immediately in the remaining months of his tenure.
Caretaker Economy Minister Amin Salam wanted an immediate stepdown, given that the central bank chief had a “legal question mark.”
“I cannot explain anyone holding on to a person while a nation is failing unless there is something wrong or hidden,” Salam told The Associated Press. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-lebanons-central-bank-governor-ends-30-year-tenure-under-investigation-during-dire-economic-crisis/ | 2023-07-31T17:00:14 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-lebanons-central-bank-governor-ends-30-year-tenure-under-investigation-during-dire-economic-crisis/ |
Thomas Frank O'Neal
July 31, 1936 - July 23, 2023
GENOA CITY - Thomas F. (Tom) O'Neal of Genoa City, passed away on Sunday, July 23, 2023 at Parkside Manor Assisted Living surrounded by loving nieces and nephews.
Tom was born on July 31, 1936 in Piggott, Arkansas. He was the fifth of six children born to Audie Frank O'Neal, a farmer, and Neoma (Slaughter) O'Neal.
The family moved to Kenosha, where Audie had found factory work in 1947, seeking a better life in the industrial Midwest.
Tom graduated from Mary D. Bradford High School in 1955 and went on to earn a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. After university, Tom worked briefly for Kenosha County as a social worker. He then became the first Director of Sheridan Nursing Home, where he worked until moving to Washington Manor Nursing Home as a Director. He stayed at Washington Manor until his retirement in 2001.
Tom's great passion, outside of work, was for his dogs. In 1963, he founded Dream Ridge Kennels with his life and business partner Ron Fabis. A 1975 NY Time Article stated that "Dream Ridge" is a name known to Cocker Spaniel enthusiasts on four continents . . . the kennel has bred 47 champions in this country alone . . . Dream Ridge Cockers also have won titles in England, Venezuela, Brazil and Japan. Later in their careers Tom and Ron also started breeding English Toy Spaniels. Tom would go on to receive a "Breeder of the Year" award from the AKC for his breeding of English Toy Spaniels.
Tom stayed very active in the show dog world until shorty before his death. He was an active member of the Kenosha Rotary Club and, at the time of his death he was the longest tenured Rotarian. Tom served on the board of Hospice Alliance for many years.
He is survived by his brother, Cecil (Rebecca Young) O'Neal of La Chapelle Goneguet, France, thirteen nieces and nephews and numerous great and great-great-nieces and nephews.
Tom was preceded in death by his parents, three sisters, Bonnie O'Neal, Maggie Harmon and Betty Bailey; brother, Clifton O'Neal and his life partner, Ronald Fabis.
Funeral services honoring Thomas's life will be held at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 2, 2023 at the Piasecki Funeral Home. Interment will follow in Sunset Ridge Memorial Park. A visitation for Thomas will be held on Wednesday, August 2, 2023 from 10:30 a.m. until the time of the service at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorial remembrances to any of the following charity of your choice Hospice Alliance, Inc., 10220 Prairie Ridge Blvd., Pleasant Prairie, WI 53158 https://hospicealliance.org, Kenosha Rotary Foundation, PO Box 577, Kenosha, WI 53141 https://kenosharotary.org, or English Toy Spaniel Club of America https://englishtoyspanielclubofamerica.org/ would be appreciated by the family.
The family would like to express our thanks to Hospice Alliance for the care provided to Tom. In addition, the family would like to thank the staff and community at Parkside Manor for their care, love and support, it was truly Tom's extended family.
Piasecki Funeral Home & Cremation Services
3720 39th Avenue 262-658-4101 | https://kenoshanews.com/lifestyles/announcements/obituaries/thomas-frank-oneal/article_ca260ac8-e9ae-5d47-9f13-80e67ab79d38.html | 2023-07-31T17:00:14 | 0 | https://kenoshanews.com/lifestyles/announcements/obituaries/thomas-frank-oneal/article_ca260ac8-e9ae-5d47-9f13-80e67ab79d38.html |
A father was arrested after stabbing his wife and their 2-year-old daughter to death inside their Long Island home, according to police.
Suffolk County police said officers responded to a home on Jefferson Avenue in the town of Brentwood around 4:30 p.m. after 31-year-old Zanoor Jaffari allegedly stabbed his wife, Misbah Batool, and their young daughter Iazia Jaffari.
The mother and daughter were rushed to South Shore University Hospital, where both were pronounced dead.
Jaffari was taken to Good Samaritan University Hospital for medical evaluation and was later discharged. He faces two counts of second-degree murder, police said.
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Attorney information for Jaffari was not immediately available. He is scheduled to be arraigned Monday.
Copyright NBC New York | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/long-island-dad-arrested-for-stabbing-wife-and-2-year-old-daughter-to-death-police/4550788/ | 2023-07-31T17:00:19 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/long-island-dad-arrested-for-stabbing-wife-and-2-year-old-daughter-to-death-police/4550788/ |
MIAMI (AP) — The property manager of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate made his first court appearance on Monday on charges in the classified documents case against the former president but did not enter a plea because he has not found a Florida-based attorney to represent him.
Carlos De Oliveira is accused of scheming with Trump to try to delete security footage sought by investigators probing the former president’s hoarding of classified documents at his Palm Beach, Florida, club.
De Oliveira was added last week to the indictment with Trump and the ex-president’s valet, Walt Nauta, and faces charges including conspiracy to obstruct justice and lying to investigators.
A magistrate judge in Miami’s federal court read De Oliveira the charges against him and ordered him to turn over his passport and sign an agreement to pay $100,000 if he doesn’t appear in court. The judge scheduled his arraignment for Aug. 10 in Fort Pierce.
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, the early front-runner in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, has received a letter from special counsel Jack Smith indicating that he is a target of that investigation, and Trump’s lawyers met with Smith’s team last week.
Trump, who pleaded not guilty in June, Trump has denied any wrongdoing. He post on his Truth Social platform last week that the Mar-a-Lago security tapes were voluntarily handed over to investigators and 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 national 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 also from 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 an 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 day, the indictment alleges, Trump called De Oliveira directly to say that he would get De Oliveira an attorney.
Prosecutors allege that De Oliveira later lied in interviews with investigators, falsely claiming that he hadn’t even seen boxes moved into Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House.
___
Richer reported from Boston. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-mar-a-lago-worker-charged-in-trumps-classified-documents-case-to-make-first-court-appearance/ | 2023-07-31T17:00:20 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-mar-a-lago-worker-charged-in-trumps-classified-documents-case-to-make-first-court-appearance/ |
Welcome to the last day of July. Before we jump into August, it's a great time to hit the beach. Luckily, we have plenty of sandy spots in Kenosha County, including Simmons Island Beach on Lake Michigan, the beach on Lake Andrea and the always popular Silver Lake Park. Whatever beach you choose, remember to be careful. Lakes are dangerous, and we don't want to lose you.
- Head to Columbus Park, 2003 54th St., for a “Park & Play Storytime” from 9:30 to 11 a.m. with the Kenosha Public Library. Participants should bring a blanket or lawn chairs and gather in the shade near the playground for an all-ages storytime, followed by an hour of play, bubbles and music. Admission is free. Also: The library’s Book Truck will be parked nearby.
- The historic Washington Park Velodrome, 1821 Washington Road, hosts Monday night Stock Bike Racing — open to everyone, from age 3 to adults. Registration starts at 6 p.m., with races starting at 6:30 p.m. (for tricycles) and 7 p.m. for the “big track.” To race, bring your bike and a helmet. Stock bike racing is an introduction to track racing, geared to younger riders but all ages are welcome. The cost is $5 (a one-time registration fee) plus $3 race fee for adults. For more details, go to kenoshavelodrome.com.
- The Kenosha Public Library is hosting Chess Night in Lincoln Park, 6900 18th Ave. The Kenosha Chess Association hosts games from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Mondays outside the park’s Oribiletti Center. All ages and abilities are welcome. Also: The library’s Book Truck will be parked nearby. You can sign up for a library card, check out and return items, and sign up for the Summer Reading Program.
- Prost! The Biergarten in Petrifying Springs County Park is open seven days, serving up cold beverages and warm pretzels. For more details, check the Biergarten’s Facebook page.
- Monday night music alert: George’s Tavern in Racine, 1201 N. Main St., hosts an Open Jam on Monday nights from 7 to 10 p.m. Everyone is welcome. | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/kenosha-area-events-for-monday-july-31/article_cabc5bb4-2d5a-11ee-b308-1b692ca97edb.html | 2023-07-31T17:00:20 | 0 | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/kenosha-area-events-for-monday-july-31/article_cabc5bb4-2d5a-11ee-b308-1b692ca97edb.html |
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.fox43.com/article/news/nation-world/idaho-mom-faces-sentencing-for-killing-2-children-romantic-rival/507-85d31015-17a1-4484-b80a-f56c1fc8b407 | 2023-07-31T17:00:21 | 0 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/nation-world/idaho-mom-faces-sentencing-for-killing-2-children-romantic-rival/507-85d31015-17a1-4484-b80a-f56c1fc8b407 |
(Our Auto Expert) – The 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse is here to redefine the legacy of the world’s best-selling sports car. As the latest addition to the Mustang family, this remarkable vehicle marks a new chapter in its 59-year history. With its powerful engine, cutting-edge technology, and captivating design, the Mustang Dark Horse is set to wow both existing fans and a new generation of sports car enthusiasts.
The Mustang Dark Horse boasts the first new Mustang performance series title in 21 years. It is also the most powerful non-Shelby edition ever created, thanks to its unique 5.0-liter Coyote V8 engine that churns out an impressive 500 horsepower. However, the Dark Horse is not just about raw horsepower; it is a vehicle designed for both street and track use.
Equipped with available carbon fiber wheels from Carbon Revolution and the Handling Package, the Mustang Dark Horse is the most track-capable 5.0-liter V8 street-legal Mustang ever produced. Its performance is further enhanced by the specially designed blue ember metallic paint, adding exclusivity to this exceptional vehicle.
The Mustang Dark Horse exudes a menacing presence with its bold shadow graphic surrounding the darkened LED headlamps, lower side skirts, rear fixed rear wing, new race-inspired diffuser, and darkened quad exhaust tips. Its design is a testament to the Mustang’s storied motorsports history, combining aggression and elegance in one stunning package.
This powerhouse of a car comes equipped with a full suite of next-gen technology specifically designed to enhance performance. The standard MagneRide shocks, capable of monitoring wheel and tire movement 1,000 times per second, ensure an unparalleled driving experience. The Mustang Dark Horse is not just a pretty face; it’s a technologically advanced beast.
For those who prefer manual control, the Mustang Dark Horse comes standard with a unique six-speed TREMEC manual transmission and a special Mustang Dark Horse transmission oil cooler to keep the stallion cool under pressure. Alternatively, there is the option to choose Ford’s advanced 10-speed automatic transmission for seamless gear changes.
The Mustang Dark Horse is not just a car; it’s a symbol of Mustang’s storied motorsports history. With its unique design, powerful engine, and advanced technology, it is set to make history itself. This street and track performance Mustang is sure to be a fan favorite for years to come.
Conclusion:
If you’re in search of a car that combines style, performance, and innovation, the 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse is the ultimate choice. Its powerful engine, track-ready capabilities, and advanced technology are a testament to the Mustang’s legacy. Whether you’re an existing fan or a new sports car lover, the Mustang Dark Horse is sure to ignite your excitement. Get ready to experience the thrill of the road like never before. | https://www.yourbasin.com/automotive/ford-introduces-the-most-powerful-non-shelby-mustang-ever/ | 2023-07-31T17:00:22 | 0 | https://www.yourbasin.com/automotive/ford-introduces-the-most-powerful-non-shelby-mustang-ever/ |
Meet Clear the Shelters' adoptable pets of 2023
So many adorable fur babies, so little time! Clear The Shelters, NBCUniversal Local’s nationwide pet adoption and donation campaign, is returning in 2023 for its ninth consecutive year from Aug. 1 to 31.
Below, you can find pets who are up for adoption from NBC New York's partner shelters. The list will be updated on a rolling basis, so make sure you come back and share this page with someone looking to find their new best friend.
To learn more about Clear The Shelters 2023 and search for adoptable pets in your area, visit cleartheshelters.com. You can also donate to your local animal shelters and rescue groups by visiting clearthesheltersfund.org.
Follow Clear The Shelters on Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date on this year's pet adoption and donation news:
Twitter @ClearTheShelter
Instagram: @cleartheshelters | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/meet-clear-the-shelters-adoptable-pets-of-2023/4545792/ | 2023-07-31T17:00:25 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/meet-clear-the-shelters-adoptable-pets-of-2023/4545792/ |
DETROIT (AP) — Michigan residents who were catastrophically injured in car wrecks before the summer of 2019 can continue to bill insurance companies for ongoing care, the state Supreme Court said Monday in a decision that provides critical relief for thousands of people.
For decades, people injured in crashes were entitled to lifetime payment for “all reasonable charges” related to care and rehabilitation. But a new state law set a fee schedule and a cap on reimbursements not covered by Medicare. Suddenly, 18,000 people already receiving long-term benefits were at risk of losing them.
But in a 5-2 opinion, the Supreme Court said a “vested contractual right” to ongoing benefits “cannot be stripped away or diminished,” especially when lawmakers failed to declare an intent to do so when they changed the law.
The decision was written by Justice Elizabeth Welch, a Democrat, and joined by other Democratic justices and Chief Justice Elizabeth Clement, a Republican.
The catastrophically injured include hockey star Vladimir Konstantinov, a former member of the Detroit Red Wings, who requires 24/7 care. He suffered severe brain damage in 1997 when a drunken limousine driver crashed the car he was traveling in, following the team’s championship.
In an effort to lower Michigan’s insurance rates, which were among the highest in the U.S., the Republican-controlled Legislature and Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer agreed to sweeping changes in 2019. Drivers can save money by choosing certain injury-coverage options.
In a dissent, Justice David Viviano said the court’s majority crafted an opinion based on “vague and disputed concepts” to provide cover for those who simply believe it would be unfair to reduce future benefits for the long-term injured.
“As a result, the efforts of the Legislature and the governor to reduce costs and make insurance more affordable for all the residents of our state will not come to fruition for many decades,” said Viviano, who was joined by fellow Republican Justice Brian Zahra.
“If courts cannot be trusted to faithfully interpret and apply the laws, especially those involving such significant and contested topics, then the democratic process is in peril,” Viviano said.
___
Follow Ed White at http://twitter.com/edwritez | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-michigan-court-affirms-critical-benefits-for-thousands-badly-hurt-in-car-wrecks/ | 2023-07-31T17:00:26 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-michigan-court-affirms-critical-benefits-for-thousands-badly-hurt-in-car-wrecks/ |
TELEVISION
Live and same day tape-delay events. Some channels listed may be available only on cable or satellite TV. Channels vary, depending upon your service provider. Schedule subject to change. Channel key: BSWis (Bally Sports Wisconsin), FS1 (FOX Sports 1), MLBN (MLB Network), NHLN (NHL Network), TGC (The Golf Channel).
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
5:30 p.m.: Philadelphia at Miami, MLBN.
6 p.m.: Milwaukee at Washington, BSWis; Tampa Bay at NY Yankees, TBS.
8:30 p.m.: Boston at Seattle, MLBN.
NORTHWOODS LEAGUE BASEBALL
7 p.m.: 2023 Northwoods League All-Star Game: Great Plains East vs. Great Plains West, Bismarck, N.D., ESPNU.
People are also reading…
SOCCER (MEN’S)
10 p.m.: Club Friendly: AC Milan vs. FC Barcelona, Las Vegas, ESPN.
SOCCER (WOMEN’S)
6 a.m.: FIFA World Cup Group Stage: China vs. England, Group D, Adelaide, Australia, FOX; FIFA World Cup Group Stage: Haiti vs. Denmark, Group D, Perth, Australia, FS1.
2 a.m. (Wednesday): FIFA World Cup Group Stage: Argentina vs. Sweden, Group G, Hamilton, New Zealand, FOX; FIFA World Cup Group Stage: South Africa vs. Italy, Group G, Wellington, New Zealand, FS1.
5 a.m. (Wednesday): FIFA World Cup Group Stage: Panama vs. France, Group F, Sydney, FOX; FIFA World Cup Group Stage: Jamaica vs. Brazil, Group F, Melbourne, Australia, FS1.
TENNIS
11 a.m.: Washington-ATP/WTA Early Rounds, Tennis.
10 p.m.: Los Cabos-ATP Early Rounds, Tennis.
4 a.m. (Wednesday): Kitzbuhel-ATP, Prague-WTA Early Rounds, Tennis.
5 a.m. (Wednesday): Kitzbuhel-ATP, Prague-WTA Early Rounds, Tennis.
WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
6 p.m.: Minnesota at Connecticut, ESPN.
9 p.m.: New York at Los Angeles, NBATV.
YOUTH HOCKEY (BOY’S)
8:30 a.m.: Hlinka Gretzky Cup U-18: U.S. vs. Sweden, Preliminary Round, Breclav, Czechia, NHLN.
RADIO
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
6 p.m.: Milwaukee at Washington, WTMJ (620 AM).
7 p.m.: Cincinnati at Chicago Cubs, WSCR (670 AM); Chicago White Sox at Texas, WMVP (1000 AM). | https://kenoshanews.com/sports/on-the-air-for-aug-1/article_e5987386-2fbd-11ee-a1a9-378381e425ae.html | 2023-07-31T17:00:27 | 0 | https://kenoshanews.com/sports/on-the-air-for-aug-1/article_e5987386-2fbd-11ee-a1a9-378381e425ae.html |
On July 29, several accounts on Twitter, now called X, shared an image of actor Tom Hanks wearing a shirt that said “KEEP AMERICA TRUMPLESS.” The image went viral, trending on the social media site, with some commenters questioning whether the image was real or manipulated.
The photo spread to other platforms, racking up hundreds of thousands of views across social media and photo sharing websites.
THE QUESTION
Is the photo of Tom Hanks wearing a “Keep America Trumpless” shirt real?
THE SOURCES
RevEye, a reverse image search engine
THE ANSWER
No, the photo of Tom Hanks in a ‘Keep America Trumpless’ shirt is fake.
WHAT WE FOUND
The photo of Tom Hanks in an anti-Trump shirt was edited. It was created using a photo taken in 2020 when Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson were in Sydney, Australia.
VERIFY was able to find the original photo using RevEye, a reverse image search engine.
Photos posted on British tabloid The Sun’s website show Hanks walking down a Sydney sidewalk with Wilson ahead of their son, Truman.
Comparing the doctored image to the original image, you can see Truman wearing the same shirt behind Hanks, with the same watch and rolled-up sleeves. You can also see Hanks is wearing the same hat, sunglasses and has the same facial expression.
The only difference is the shirt. In the original, Hanks is wearing a solid navy shirt – not a “KEEP AMERICA TRUMPLESS” shirt.
This is not the first time a photo of a celebrity was doctored to make it appear like he was wearing a shirt that said “KEEP AMERICA TRUMPLESS.”
In June 2022, a doctored photo of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson went viral claiming to show the wrestler-turned-actor wearing a shirt with the same slogan. That photo was fake, too. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/verify/pop-culture/tom-hanks-shirt-keep-america-trumpless-fake/536-32a1a490-cd41-461a-ac00-c31cd234d665 | 2023-07-31T17:00:27 | 1 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/verify/pop-culture/tom-hanks-shirt-keep-america-trumpless-fake/536-32a1a490-cd41-461a-ac00-c31cd234d665 |
President Biden will tout his administration’s work to combat climate change in a trip out West, which has faced scorching — and in some cases, record-breaking — temperatures this month.
In a trip next week to Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, Biden is expected to discuss Democrats’ climate, tax and health care bill and the ways in which it bolstered climate-friendly energy and U.S. manufacturing.
Later, on Aug. 16, Biden will host a White House event to celebrate the Inflation Reduction Act.
The southwestern U.S. has faced a sweltering heat wave over the past several weeks, with Phoenix seeing 31 days in a row of temperatures above 110 degrees.
Last week, Biden gave a speech about climate change, which exacerbates heat waves and other extreme weather events, and said he would take actions aimed at protecting workers from the hazardous heat.
The upcoming White House moves are part of broader efforts to promote that bill and other legislation the administration has passed.
This week, Vice President Harris and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo will visit Wisconsin to talk about broadband investments that were part of the bipartisan infrastructure law.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will visit Oregon to discuss grants aimed at addressing wildfires and to Washington state to talk about climate-related investments in Agriculture. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and White House climate adviser Ali Zaidi will visit Puerto Rico to engage on issues related to grid resilience. And Interior Secretary Deb Haaland will go to California to talk about Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds for water recycling.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will visit Illinois to talk about clean energy investments and Houston for a ribbon cutting for a port. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra will visit Las Vegas, Nevada and Oregon to talk about efforts to lower health care costs. | https://www.yourbasin.com/hill-politics/biden-to-tout-climate-investments-in-trip-to-sweltering-west/ | 2023-07-31T17:00:29 | 1 | https://www.yourbasin.com/hill-politics/biden-to-tout-climate-investments-in-trip-to-sweltering-west/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has threatened to sue a group of independent researchers whose research documented an increase in hate speech on the site since it was purchased last year by Elon Musk.
An attorney representing the social media site wrote to the Center for Countering Digital Hate on July 20 threatening legal action over the nonprofit’s research into hate speech and content moderation. The letter alleged that CCDH’s research publications seem intended “to harm Twitter’s business by driving advertisers away from the platform with incendiary claims.”
Musk is a self-professed free speech absolutist who has welcomed back white supremacists and election deniers to the platform, which he renamed X earlier this month. But the billionaire has at times proven sensitive about critical speech directed at him or his companies.
The center is a nonprofit with offices in the U.S. and United Kingdom. It regularly publishes reports on hate speech, extremism or harmful behavior on social media platforms like X, TikTok or Facebook.
The organization has published several reports critical of Musk’s leadership, detailing an increase in anti-LGBTQ hate speech as well as climate misinformation since his purchase. The letter from X’s attorney cited one specific report from June that found the platform failed to remove neo-Nazi and anti-LGBTQ content from verified users that violated the platform’s rules.
In the letter, attorney Alex Spiro questioned the expertise of the researchers and accused the center of trying to harm X’s reputation. The letter also suggested, without evidence, that the center received funds from some of X’s competitors, even though the center has also published critical reports about TikTok, Facebook and other large platforms.
“CCDH intends to harm Twitter’s business by driving advertisers away from the platform with incendiary claims,” Spiro wrote, using the platform’s former name.
Imran Ahmed, the center’s founder and CEO, told the AP on Monday that his group has never received a similar response from any tech company, despite a history of studying the relationship between social media, hate speech and extremism. He said that typically, the targets of the center’s criticism have responded by defending their work or promising to address any problems that have been identified.
Ahmed said he worried X’s response to the center’s work could have a chilling effect if it frightens other researchers away from studying the platform. He said he also worried that other industries could take note of the strategy.
“This is an unprecedented escalation by a social media company against independent researchers. Musk has just declared open war,” Ahmed told the Associated Press. “If Musk succeeds in silencing us other researchers will be next in line.”
Messages left with Spiro and X were not immediately returned Monday.
It’s not the first time that Musk has fired back at critics. Last year, he suspended the accounts of several journalists who covered his takeover of Twitter. Another user was permanently banned for using publicly available flight data to track Musk’s private plane; Musk had initially pledged to keep the user on the platform but later changed his mind, citing his personal safety. He also threatened to sue the user.
He initially had promised that he would allow any speech on his platform that wasn’t illegal. “I hope that even my worst critics remain on Twitter, because that is what free speech means,” Musk wrote in a tweet last year.
X’s recent threat of a lawsuit prompted concern from U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who said the billionaire was trying to use the threat of legal action to punish a nonprofit group trying to hold a powerful social media platform accountable.
“Instead of attacking them, he should be attacking the increasingly disturbing content on Twitter,” Schiff said in a statement. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-musk-threatens-to-sue-researchers-who-documented-the-rise-in-hateful-tweets/ | 2023-07-31T17:00:32 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-musk-threatens-to-sue-researchers-who-documented-the-rise-in-hateful-tweets/ |
NEW YORK — While the Las Vegas Aces are the class of the WNBA so far this season, their dominance may actually hurt them in final awards ballots.
Locked On Women's Basketball hosts Natalie Heavren and Em Adler discussed their WNBA awards ballots at the midway point of the season on the latest episode of the podcast, starting with likely runaway MVP Breanna Stewart, producing at an elite level in her first season in Brooklyn.
“I think if Stewie puts up a few more 40-point games … that’s probably a turning point," Adler said. "If New York cleans (clutch performance) up, then I think it will sort of be the difference in wins and losses that will convince a lot of people.”
Coming in second on the hosts' MVP ballots was Alyssa Thomas, the standout forward for the Connecticut Sun playing at her peak at age 30.
“I wasn’t necessarily expecting Alyssa Thomas to be so close to Breanna Stewart," Adler explained. "It could go either way, I think Alyssa Thomas is certainly deserving of that recognition, especially with how much she has led the team lately.”
Thomas was the hosts' pick to win Defensive Player of the Year.
Perhaps the most clear-cut winner of any WNBA award this season will be Aliyah Boston of the Indiana Fever, a shoo-in for Rookie of the Year.
“Aliyah Boston is obviously going to be Rookie of the Year," Adler said. "She is the one player consistently getting doubled from Indiana … it’s really hard to stop her one on one.”
The hosts also listed Chicago Sky reserve forward Alanna Smith as their Most Improved Player and went through the top coach and executive in the WNBA as well as how the race could evolve in the back half of the year. | https://www.fox43.com/article/sports/locked-on/lo-national/locked-on-womens-basketball/midseason-wnba-awards-breanna-stewart-mvp-aliyah-boston-roy/535-78390825-45c3-445f-b27e-019598b02f2c | 2023-07-31T17:00:33 | 0 | https://www.fox43.com/article/sports/locked-on/lo-national/locked-on-womens-basketball/midseason-wnba-awards-breanna-stewart-mvp-aliyah-boston-roy/535-78390825-45c3-445f-b27e-019598b02f2c |
A Georgia judge has rejected former President Trump’s efforts to quash an investigation into his efforts to overturn the state’s 2020 election results.
“The movants’ asserted ‘injuries’ that would open the doors of the courthouse to their claims are either insufficient or else speculative and unrealized,” Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney wrote in the nine-page ruling.
“They are insufficient because, while being the subject (or even target) of a highly publicized criminal investigation is likely an unwelcome and unpleasant experience, no court ever has held that that status alone provides a basis for the courts to interfere with or halt the investigation.”
The ruling is the second roadblock for Trump in his efforts to dismiss the probe, after the state’s Supreme Court earlier this month rejected another suit seeking to block it.
That court had in part rejected Trump’s arguments while noting the matter before McBurney.
McBurney presided over the grand jury who were presented evidence by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) who has advised court officials she could bring charges in the high-profile case the second or third week of August.
Trump has also sued Willis and McBurney in another third suit filed alongside his petition to the state supreme court — an additional attempt to nix the investigation beyond the matter McBurney addressed Monday.
“Petitioner’s every attempt to seek redress in the normal course have been ignored, and the District Attorney has given every indication that the injury is imminent,” Trump wrote in the petition earlier this month.
McBurney also determined that Trump didn’t have standing to sue to quash the investigation, noting that the former president can only “theorize” that he will be named in an indictment.
“The professed injuries are also speculative and unrealized because there is, as of yet, no indictment that creates the genuine controversy required to confer standing,” McBurney wrote.
—Updated at 12:04 p.m. | https://www.yourbasin.com/hill-politics/georgia-judge-rejects-trump-effort-to-quash-fulton-county-investigation/ | 2023-07-31T17:00:36 | 1 | https://www.yourbasin.com/hill-politics/georgia-judge-rejects-trump-effort-to-quash-fulton-county-investigation/ |
Former Hunter Biden associate Devon Archer is sitting for a closed-door transcribed interview with the House Oversight and Accountability Committee on Monday, in an appearance that is expected to fuel Republican attempts to link President Biden to his son’s business dealings.
The interview follows a letter from the Department of Justice over the weekend regarding Archer’s sentencing for an unrelated matter that is adding to GOP claims of government obstruction of their investigation into the Biden family’s business dealings — even as Archer’s attorney beat down the speculation.
The Justice Department (DOJ) in its letter requested that a judge set a date for Archer to start his one-year prison sentence for his conviction for defrauding a Native American tribe, despite Archer’s counsel saying it was “premature” to do so because of an anticipated appeal and an “error” in sentencing.
That set off alarm bells in the GOP.
“I don’t know if this a coincidence, or if this is another example of the weaponization of the Department of Justice,” House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) said Sunday on Fox News.
Other Republicans went further, accusing the DOJ of explicit interference in the GOP-led investigation. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) said lawmakers should return from an August recess for emergency hearings if Archer did not show up.
But Archer’s attorney stressed the letter would not impact his planned interview, which had been rescheduled multiple times since Comer subpoenaed him in June.
“We are aware of speculation that the Department of Justice’s weekend request to have Mr. Archer report to prison is an attempt by the Biden administration to intimidate him in advance of his meeting with the House Oversight Committee on Monday,” Acher’s lawyer Matthew Schwartz said in a Sunday statement, first provided to Politico. “To be clear, Mr. Archer does not agree with that speculation. In any case, Mr. Archer will do what he has planned to do all along, which is to show up on Monday and to honestly answer the questions that are put to him by the Congressional investigators.”
The DOJ said in a subsequent letter that it was not requesting that Archer surrender before his expected congressional testimony.
His appearance went on as scheduled. A smiling Archer did not answer shouted questions as he arrived at the interview with his lawyer Monday morning.
The interview will comprise four hours of questioning divided evenly between Republicans and Democrats, and it is expected to end midafternoon. Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), and Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) were in attendance.
“I believe he can tell us things we haven’t heard before,” Biggs said.
Goldman cast doubt on the GOP attempts to link the president to his son’s business dealings.
“We’re all waiting for any pin, whether it be a linchpin or other pin, to figure out how this is connected at all to President Biden,” Goldman said. | https://www.yourbasin.com/hill-politics/hunter-biden-associate-devon-archer-gives-closed-door-interview/ | 2023-07-31T17:00:36 | 1 | https://www.yourbasin.com/hill-politics/hunter-biden-associate-devon-archer-gives-closed-door-interview/ |
A Georgia resident has died from a rare brain-eating amoeba after they were likely infected while swimming in a freshwater lake or pond, officials said.
The resident, who has not yet been identified, died after being exposed to Naegleria fowleri, which can cause a rare infection that "destroys brain tissue, causing brain swelling and usually death," the Georgia Department of Public Health said in a news release Friday.
It was not clear exactly when the resident died or where they were swimming when they contracted the infection.
"Naegleria fowleri is an amoeba (single-celled living organism) that lives in soil and warm, freshwater lakes, rivers, ponds, and hot springs," the health department said. It noted that the amoeba is not found in salt water or in properly treated drinking water or swimming pools.
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The amoeba is known as the "brain-eating amoeba" because it can cause a brain infection when water containing the amoeba goes up the nose, the health department said. "It cannot infect people if swallowed and is not spread from person to person," the department noted.
Read the full story on NBCNews.com. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/georgia-resident-dies-from-rare-brain-eating-amoeba/4551122/ | 2023-07-31T17:00:37 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/georgia-resident-dies-from-rare-brain-eating-amoeba/4551122/ |
BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s military-controlled government has extended the state of emergency it imposed when the army seized power from an elected government 2 1/2 years ago, state-run media said Monday, forcing a further delay in elections it promised when it took over.
MRTV television said the National Defense and Security Council met Monday in the capital, Naypyitaw, and extended the state of emergency for another six months starting Tuesday because time is needed to prepare for the elections. The NDSC is nominally a constitutional government body, but in practice is controlled by the military.
The announcement amounted to an admission that the army does not exercise enough control to stage the polls and has failed to subdue widespread opposition to military rule, which includes increasingly challenging armed resistance as well as nonviolent protests and civil disobedience, despite the army having a huge advantage in manpower and weapons.
The state of emergency was declared when troops arrested Aung San Suu Kyi and top officials from her government and members of her National League for Democracy party on Feb. 1, 2021. The takeover reversed years of progress toward democracy after five decades of military rule in Myanmar.
The military said it seized power because of fraud in the last general election held in November 2020, in which Suu Kyi’s party won a landslide victory while the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development party did poorly. Independent election observers said they did not find any major irregularities.
The army takeover was met with widespread peaceful protests that security forces suppressed with lethal force, triggering armed resistance that U.N. experts have described as a civil war.
As of Monday, 3,857 people have been killed by the security forces since the takeover, according to a tally kept by the independent Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.
The army-enacted 2008 constitution allows the military to rule the country under a state of emergency for one year, with two possible six-month extensions if preparations are not yet completed for new polls, meaning that the time limit expired on Jan. 31 this year.
However, the NDSC allowed the military government to extend emergency rule for another six months in February, saying the country remained in an abnormal situation. The announcement on Monday is the fourth extension.
The state of emergency allows the military to assume all government functions, giving the head of the ruling military council, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, legislative, judicial and executive powers.
Nay Phone Latt, a spokesperson for the National Unity Government, an underground group that calls itself the country’s legitimate government and serves as an opposition umbrella group, said the extension of emergency rule was expected because the military government hasn’t been able to annihilate the pro-democracy forces.
“The junta extended the state of emergency because the generals have a lust for power and don’t want to lose it. As for the revolutionary groups, we will continue to try to speed up our current revolutionary activities,” Nay Phone Latt said in a message Monday.
The military government labels the NUG and its armed wing, the People’s Defense Forces, as “terrorists.”
Monday’s report did not specify when the polls might be held, saying only that they would occur after the goals of the state of emergency are accomplished.
According to the constitution, the military must transfer government functions to the president, who heads the NDSC, six months before the polls. That would mean Acting President Myint Swe, a retired general.
The military originally announced that new polls would be held a year after its takeover and later said they would take place in August 2023. But the extension of the emergency in February made that timing impossible.
The MRTV report said Myint Swe told members of the NDSC that the government needs to do more to achieve stability and the rule of law to prepare for the election.
Critics say the polls will be neither free nor fair under the military-controlled government, which has shut independent media and arrested most of the leaders of Suu Kyi’s party.
Her party was dissolved along with 39 other parties by the election commission in March for failing to re-apply under a political party registration law enacted by the military government early this year. The law makes it difficult for opposition groups to mount a serious challenge to army-backed candidates.
Suu Kyi, 78, is serving prison sentences totaling 33 years after being convicted in a series of politically tainted cases brought mostly by the military government.
___ | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-myanmars-military-led-government-extends-state-of-emergency-forcing-delay-in-promised-election/ | 2023-07-31T17:00:38 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-myanmars-military-led-government-extends-state-of-emergency-forcing-delay-in-promised-election/ |
A super PAC that works to help Democrats get elected to the House is calling on them to promote the economy and the party’s successes as Congress goes on recess for the next month.
House Majority PAC said in a memo to congressional Democrats on Monday that the party must emphasize its accomplishments at the national and local level heading into the 2024 election. The memo said the PAC conducted research showing Democrats “dramatically” improve their position when they are proactive in speaking about the economy.
“Go on offense, and build the contrast with the MAGA House Republicans immediately,” it states.
The memo, which was first reported by Politico, references several key legislative accomplishments of the Biden administration, including the bipartisan infrastructure package, the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act.
The chips legislation provided billions of dollars in incentives for manufacturers to build domestic semiconductor plants, while the Inflation Reduction Act made significant investments in climate programs, allowed Medicare to negotiate on some drug prices and raised taxes on large corporations, among other initiatives.
The memo also states that “month after month” has shown President Biden’s “Bidenomics” economic policy is working.
The push to highlight economic issues comes as Biden’s approval rating, especially on the economy, remains underwater. A CNBC All-America Economic Survey earlier this month found that 37 percent of Americans approved of Biden’s handling of the economy, compared to 58 percent who disapproved.
The PAC said Democrats need to point to continued job growth that dropped the unemployment rate to 3.6 percent last month and declining inflation as evidence of the party’s success.
The memo also urges Democrats to target Republicans as “extremist” and threatening economic progress. It said they should note the battle over raising the debt ceiling in the spring and the potential government shutdown in September if Congress does not pass the 12 annual appropriations bills to fund the government.
The PAC also called on Democrats to go on offense over abortion, pointing to the annual defense bill the Republican-controlled House passed that would prohibit the Department of Defense from reimbursing service members who travel to receive an abortion. | https://www.yourbasin.com/hill-politics/top-house-democratic-pac-urging-members-to-lean-into-economy/ | 2023-07-31T17:00:38 | 0 | https://www.yourbasin.com/hill-politics/top-house-democratic-pac-urging-members-to-lean-into-economy/ |
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.
At the Fremont County Courthouse in St. Anthony, Idaho, Judge Steven W. Boyce heard testimony from several representatives of the victims, including Vallow Daybell's only surviving son, Colby Ryan, whose statement was read by prosecuting attorney Rob Wood.
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“Tylee will never have the opportunity to become a mother, wife or have the career she was destined to have. JJ will never be able to grow and spread his light with the world the way he did,” Ryan wrote in his statement. “My siblings and father deserve so much more than this. I want them to be remembered for who they were, not just a spectacle.”
Ryan also wrote about his own grief.
“I’ve lost the opportunity to share life with the people I love the most. I have lost my sister, father, brother and my mother," he wrote. “I pray for healing for everyone involved, including those who took the lives of everyone we loved.”
U.S. & World
The murder scheme and Tammy Daybell’s death left a deep rift in her family, Tammy’s sister Samantha Gwilliam told the court during the first victim impact statement.
“Why? Why plan something so heinous? You are not exalted beings, and your behavior makes you ineligible to be one,” Gwilliam said, referring to the unusual religious claims that prosecutors said Vallow Daybell promoted as part of the murder conspiracy. “Because of the choices you made, my family lost a beloved mother, sister and daughter.”
Tammy Daybell’s mother was fighting cancer, and spent the last months of her life watching the murder trial, Gwilliam said. The family has also been hounded by media and others drawn by “all of the salacious scandal you stirred up,” Gwilliam told Vallow Daybell, who looked down as she sat between her defense attorneys.
“I miss my sister every day. I will grieve her, and the loss of my mother, every single day of my life,” Gwilliam said. “As for you, I choose to forget you and as I leave the courtroom here today, I choose to never think of you again.”
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.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/idaho-mom-lori-vallow-daybell-faces-sentencing-in-deaths-of-2-children-and-her-romantic-rival/4551060/ | 2023-07-31T17:00:43 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/idaho-mom-lori-vallow-daybell-faces-sentencing-in-deaths-of-2-children-and-her-romantic-rival/4551060/ |
BAYREUTH, Germany (AP) — Two years after the debut of the Bayreuth Festival’s first female conductor, Nathalie Stutzmann became the second to lead a Richard Wagner opera in the Festpielhaus’ famous covered pit.
The 58-year-old former contralto, fresh off her first season as Atlanta Symphony Orchestra music director, drew a luminous performance of “Tannhäuser” on Friday night in a revival of the Tobias Kratzer 2019 production — the one featuring the title character in a clown suit and a murder in a Burger King parking lot.
“It’s good news to be second,” Stutzmann said. “It proves that things are moving.”
Launched by Richard Wagner in 1876 and currently run by great-granddaughter Katharina Wagner, the festival broke its conductor gender barrier when Oksana Lyniv led a new staging of “Der Fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman)” in 2021. The 45-year-old returned this summer to preside over the Dmitri Tcherniakov production for the third straight year.
“They are very highly accepted,” Katharina Wagner said. “I hope that this question would disappear with time, that we are just talking about good conductors and not female and male conductors anymore.”
Stutzmann’s year so far has also included debuts with the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera, where she provoked the orchestra when she alleged in a New York Times interview that musicians were bored playing while not being able to see onstage activity. The orchestra criticized her in a statement, prompting Stutzmann to apologize.
At Bayreuth, conductors must adjust to a pit Richard Wagner designed to keep the orchestra hidden from the audience, arranged in nine rows that descend toward the stage: violins in the first two, followed by violas, cellos, double basses, woodwinds, brass and percussion. The instrumental sound mixes with voices before traveling out to 30 rows of seats and three tiers of boxes.
“I had done a lot of research, so I knew the experience would be new and unexpected and tricky,” Stutzmann said in a response to an emailed question. “We hear the sound completely different from what the audience hears, that’s why we have to rely on our assistants. … You hardly hear the singers on stage and they sound always late even when we are perfectly together!”
Stutzmann’s performance, using the original Dresden score, featured unusual clarity when the overture slowed and the volume lowered during a pilgrims’ chorus repeat in the overture. She was greeted with boisterous applause and foot-stomping during 14 minutes of curtain calls.
Stutzmann has been invited back to conduct the 2024 revival of the sold-out “Tannhäuser” staging, notorious for the director adding the drag queen Le Gateau Chocolat and dwarf actor Manni Laudenbach, who combine with the title character and the goddess Venus to form a counterculture clique Richard Wagner never could have envisioned for a work that premiered in 1845.
During an interview in New York before heading to Germany, Stutzmann said “Tannhäuser” was the perfect vehicle for her Bayreuth debut, given her quarter-century as a contralto and the opera’s full title, which translates to “Tannhäuser and the Minstrels’ Contest at Wartburg.”
She winked.
“It’s a singer competition, after all,” she said with a laugh. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-nathalie-stutzmann-become-second-woman-to-conduct-at-bayreuth-2-years-after-gender-barrier-broken/ | 2023-07-31T17:00:45 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-nathalie-stutzmann-become-second-woman-to-conduct-at-bayreuth-2-years-after-gender-barrier-broken/ |
Six migrant workers were intentionally hit by an SUV in a Walmart parking lot in North Carolina on Sunday, police said.
The workers were hit at a Walmart in Lincolnton in what appears to have been an intentional assault with a vehicle, but the Lincolnton Police Department said in a statement posted on social media that the driver's motives are still under investigation. The workers were taken to a hospital with various injuries, but police said none of the injuries appear to be life-threatening.
Police are asking the public for help identifying the driver and the vehicle, described as an older model black sport utility vehicle with a luggage rack.
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Copyright AP - Associated Press | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/police-search-for-driver-who-intentionally-hit-6-migrant-workers-injuries-arent-life-threatening/4551106/ | 2023-07-31T17:00:49 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/police-search-for-driver-who-intentionally-hit-6-migrant-workers-injuries-arent-life-threatening/4551106/ |
BEIJING (AP) — A zoo in eastern China is denying suggestions some of its bears might be people in costumes after photos of the animals standing like humans circulated online.
The sun bears from Malaysia are smaller than other bears and look different but are the real thing, the Hangzhou Zoo said Monday on its social media account.
“Some people think I stand like a person,” said the posting, written from the bear’s point of view. “It seems you don’t understand me very well.”
An employee who answered the phone at the zoo declined to talk about the bears but said visits were being arranged for reporters Monday to see them.
Internet users questioned whether the zoo’s bears were real after photos circulated showing one standing upright on slender hind legs.
“Because of the way they stand, some people online question whether they are ‘humans in disguise,’” the newspaper Hangzhou Daily said.
Sun bears are the size of large dogs, standing at most 1.3 meters (50 inches) tall on their hind legs, compared with up to 2.8 meters (9 feet) for grizzlies and other species, according to the zoo.
Other Chinese zoos have been accused of trying to pass off dogs dyed to look like wolves or African cats, and donkeys painted to look like zebras. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-our-bears-are-real-a-chinese-zoo-says-denying-they-are-humans-in-disguise/ | 2023-07-31T17:00:51 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-our-bears-are-real-a-chinese-zoo-says-denying-they-are-humans-in-disguise/ |
The fate of U.S. trucking company Yellow Corp. isn't looking good.
After years of financial struggles, Yellow is reportedly preparing for bankruptcy and seeing customers leave in large numbers — heightening risk for future liquidation. While no official decision has been announced by the company, the prospect of bankruptcy has renewed attention around Yellow's ongoing negotiations with unionized workers, a $700 million pandemic-era loan from the government and other bills the trucker has racked up over time.
Yellow, formerly known as YRC Worldwide Inc., is one of the nation's largest less-than-truckload carriers. The Nashville, Tennessee-based company has some 30,000 employees across the country.
Here's what you need to know.
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Is Yellow filing for bankruptcy?
Not yet. But industry experts suspect that a bankruptcy filing could come any day now.
People familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal that the company could seek bankruptcy protection as soon as this week — with some noting that a significant amount of customers have already started to leave the carrier.
U.S. & World
Meanwhile, according to FreightWaves, employees were told to expect the filing Monday. Yellow laid off an unknown number of employees Friday, the outlet later reported, citing a memo that stated the company was “shutting down its regular operations.”
According to Satish Jindel, president of transportation and logistics firm SJ Consulting, Yellow handled an average of 49,000 shipments per day in 2022. As of this week, he estimates that number is down to between 10,000 and 15,000 daily shipments.
With customers leaving — as well reports of Yellow stopping freight pickups earlier this week — bankruptcy would “be the end of Yellow,” Jindel told The Associated Press, noting increased risk for liquidation.
“The likelihood of them surviving and remaining solvent diminishes really by the day,” added Bruce Chan, a research director at investment banking firm Stifel.
Yellow media contacts did not immediately respond to the Associated Press' requests for comment on Friday. In a Wednesday statement to The Journal, the company said it was continuing “to prepare for a range of contingencies.” On Thursday, Yellow said it was in talks with multiple parties about selling its third-party logistics organization.
Even if Yellow was able to sell its logistics firm, it would “not generate a sufficient amount of cash to keep them operational on any sort of permanent basis," Chan said. “Without a major equity injection, it would be very difficult for them to survive.”
How much debt does Yellow have?
As of late March, Yellow had an outstanding debt of about $1.5 billion. Of that, $729.2 million was owed to the federal government.
In 2020, under the Trump administration, the Treasury Department granted the company a $700 million pandemic-era loan on national security grounds. Last month, a congressional probe concluded that the Treasury and Defense Departments “made missteps” in this decision — and noted that Yellow's “precarious financial position at the time of the loan, and continued struggles, expose taxpayers to a significant risk of loss.”
The government loan is due in September 2024. As of March, Yellow had made $54.8 million in interest payments and repaid just $230 million of the principal owed, according to government documents.
Yellow's current finances and prospect of bankruptcy “is probably two decades in the making,” Chan said, pointing to poor management and strategic decisions dating back to the early 2000s. “At this point, after each party has bailed them out so many times, there is a limited appetite to do that anymore.”
In May, Yellow reported a loss of $54.6 million, a decline of $1.06 per share, for its first quarter of 2023. Operating revenue was about $1.16 billion in the period.
A Wednesday investors note from financial service firm Stephens estimated that Yellow could be burning between $9 million and $10 million each day. Using a liquidity disclosure from earlier this month, Yellow had roughly $100 million in cash at the end of June, the note added — estimating that the company has been burning through increasing amounts of money through July.
“It is reasonable to believe that the Company could breach its $35 mil. liquidity requirement at any moment,” Stephens analyst Jack Atkins and associate Grant Smith wrote.
Did the company just avert a strike?
The reports of bankruptcy preparations arrive just days after a strike from the Teamsters, which represents Yellow's 22,000 unionized workers, was averted.
A series of heated exchanges have built up between the Teamsters and Yellow, who sued the union in June after alleging it was “unjustifiably blocking” restructuring plans needed for the company's survival. The Teamsters called the litigation “baseless” — with general president Sean O’Brien pointing to Yellow's “decades of gross mismanagement," which included exhausting the $700 million federal loan.
On Sunday, a pension fund agreed to extend health benefits for workers at two Yellow Corp. operating companies, averting a strike — and giving Yellow “30 days to pay its bills,” notably $50 million that Yellow failed to pay the Central States Health and Welfare Fund on July 15, the union said. While the strike didn't occur, talks of a walkout may have caused some Yellow customers to pull back, Chan said.
Talks between Yellow and the Teamsters, which also represents UPS's unionized workers, are ongoing. The current contract expires in March 2024.
“The financial struggles of Yellow are not related to the union and the contracts,” Jindel said, pointing to management's responsibility around its services and prices. He added the union wages from Yellow are “lower than any competitor.”
What would happen if Yellow went under?
If Yellow files for bankruptcy and customers continue to take their shipments to other carriers, like FedEx or ABF Freight, prices will go up.
Yellow's prices have historically been the cheapest compared to other carriers, Jindel said. “That’s why they obviously were not making money," he added. "And while there is capacity with the other LTL carriers to handle the diversions from Yellow, it will come at a high price for (current shippers and customers) of Yellow.”
Chan adds that we're in an interesting time for the LTL marketplace — noting that, if Yellow declares bankruptcy and liquidates, “the freight would find a home” with other carriers, which may not have been true in recent years.
“It may take time, but there’s room for it to be absorbed,” he said. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/trucking-company-yellow-corp-is-reportedly-preparing-for-bankruptcy-heres-what-you-need-to-know/4550915/ | 2023-07-31T17:01:01 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/trucking-company-yellow-corp-is-reportedly-preparing-for-bankruptcy-heres-what-you-need-to-know/4550915/ |
Former President Trump predicted Monday that he would be indicted “any day now” as part of special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into his conduct after the 2020 election.
“I assume that an Indictment from Deranged Jack Smith and his highly partisan gang of Thugs, pertaining to my ‘PEACEFULLY & PATRIOTICALLY Speech, will be coming out any day now, as yet another attempt to cover up all of the bad news about bribes, payoffs, and extortion, coming from the Biden ‘camp,’” Trump posted on Truth Social. “This seems to be the way they do it. ELECTION INTERFERENCE! PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT!”
Smith is investigating Trump’s attempts to remain in power after losing the 2020 election, which culminated with Trump delivering a speech Jan. 6, 2021, in which he repeated false claims about the election being rigged. Trump supporters then violently stormed and ransacked the Capitol in a bid to halt the certification of the election results.
Anticipation over a potential indictment of Trump has been building for weeks after the former president shared that he had received a letter from the Justice Department notifying him he was a target of their investigation.
Target letters typically indicate prosecutors believe they have enough evidence to bring charges against an individual.
In addition, a handful of former Trump officials have reportedly testified in recent weeks as part of Smith’s investigation into the former president’s actions after the 2020 election. Prosecutors are said to have been interested in whether Trump acknowledged that he lost the election despite his public claims that it was fraudulent and could be overturned.
Trump pursued a multi-pronged plan to remain in office following the 2020 election, turning to the DOJ, state officials and even his own supporters, who violently ransacked the Capitol after then-Vice President Mike Pence refused Trump’s request to overturn the results.
The former president’s attorneys met last week with officials from Smith’s office. Trump called it a “productive” meeting, and he indicated his representatives sought to make the case against bringing charges.
A federal grand jury hearing evidence in the case meets Tuesdays and Thursdays. | https://www.yourbasin.com/hill-politics/trump-expects-to-be-indicted-on-jan-6-charges-any-day-now/ | 2023-07-31T17:01:02 | 0 | https://www.yourbasin.com/hill-politics/trump-expects-to-be-indicted-on-jan-6-charges-any-day-now/ |
Trucking company Yellow Corp. has shut down operations and is headed for a bankruptcy filing, according to the Teamsters Union and multiple media reports.
After years of financial struggles, reports of Yellow preparing for bankruptcy emerged last week — as the Nashville, Tennessee-based trucker saw customers leave in large numbers. Yellow shut down operations on Sunday, according to the Wall Street Journal, following the layoffs of hundreds of nonunion employees on Friday.
In an announcement early Monday, the Teamsters said that the union received legal notice confirming Yellow was ceasing operations and filing for bankruptcy.
“Today’s news is unfortunate but not surprising. Yellow has historically proven that it could not manage itself despite billions of dollars in worker concessions and hundreds of millions in bailout funding from the federal government,” Teamsters general president Sean O’Brien said in a statement. “This is a sad day for workers and the American freight industry.”
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The Associated Press reached out to Yellow for comment on Monday. No bankruptcy filings had gone live as of the early morning.
The bankruptcy reports have renewed attention around Yellow’s ongoing negotiations with unionized workers, a $700 million pandemic-era loan from the government and other bills the trucker has racked up over time. Yellow, formerly known as YRC Worldwide Inc., is one of the nation’s largest less-than-truckload carriers. The company's reported closure puts 30,000 jobs at risk.
Here’s what you need to know.
U.S. & World
WHAT WOULD BANKRUPTCY MEAN FOR YELLOW?
According to Satish Jindel, president of transportation and logistics firm SJ Consulting, Yellow handled an average of 49,000 shipments per day in 2022. Last week, he estimated that number was down to between 10,000 and 15,000 daily shipments.
With customers leaving — as well reports of Yellow stopping freight pickups last week — bankruptcy would “be the end of Yellow,” Jindel told The Associated Press, noting increased risk for liquidation.
“The likelihood of them surviving and remaining solvent diminishes really by the day,” added Bruce Chan, a research director at investment banking firm Stifel.
Yellow declined to comment when contacted by The Associated Press on Friday. In a Wednesday statement to The Journal, the company said it was continuing “to prepare for a range of contingencies.” On Thursday, Yellow said it was in talks with multiple parties about selling its third-party logistics organization.
Even if Yellow was able to sell its logistics firm, it would “not generate a sufficient amount of cash to keep them operational on any sort of permanent basis,” Chan said. “Without a major equity injection, it would be very difficult for them to survive.”
HOW MUCH DEBT DOES YELLOW HAVE?
As of late March, Yellow had an outstanding debt of about $1.5 billion. Of that, $729.2 million was owed to the federal government.
In 2020, under the Trump administration, the Treasury Department granted the company a $700 million pandemic-era loan on national security grounds. Last month, a congressional probe concluded that the Treasury and Defense Departments “made missteps” in this decision — and noted that Yellow’s “precarious financial position at the time of the loan, and continued struggles, expose taxpayers to a significant risk of loss.”
The government loan is due in September 2024. As of March, Yellow had made $54.8 million in interest payments and repaid just $230 million of the principal owed, according to government documents.
Yellow’s current finances and prospect of bankruptcy “is probably two decades in the making,” Chan said, pointing to poor management and strategic decisions dating back to the early 2000s. “At this point, after each party has bailed them out so many times, there is a limited appetite to do that anymore.”
In May, Yellow reported a loss of $54.6 million, a decline of $1.06 per share, for its first quarter of 2023. Operating revenue was about $1.16 billion in the period.
A Wednesday investors note from financial service firm Stephens estimated that Yellow could be burning between $9 million and $10 million each day. Using a liquidity disclosure from earlier this month, Yellow had roughly $100 million in cash at the end of June, the note added — estimating that the company has been burning through increasing amounts of money through July.
“It is reasonable to believe that the Company could breach its $35 mil. liquidity requirement at any moment,” Stephens analyst Jack Atkins and associate Grant Smith wrote.
DID THE COMPANY JUST AVERT A STRIKE?
Last week's reports of bankruptcy preparations arrived just days after a strike from the Teamsters, which represents Yellow’s 22,000 unionized workers, was averted.
A series of heated exchanges have built up between the Teamsters and Yellow, who sued the union in June after alleging it was “unjustifiably blocking” restructuring plans needed for the company’s survival. The Teamsters called the litigation “baseless” — with O’Brien pointing to Yellow’s “decades of gross mismanagement,” which included exhausting the $700 million federal loan.
On July 23, a pension fund agreed to extend health benefits for workers at two Yellow Corp. operating companies, averting a strike — and giving Yellow “30 days to pay its bills,” notably $50 million that Yellow failed to pay the Central States Health and Welfare Fund on July 15, the union said. While the strike didn’t occur, talks of a walkout may have caused some Yellow customers to pull back, Chan said.
“The financial struggles of Yellow are not related to the union and the contracts,” Jindel said, pointing to management’s responsibility around its services and prices. He added the union wages from Yellow are “lower than any competitor.”
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YELLOW WENT UNDER?
As the third-biggest U.S. trucker specializing in the segmented transporting, which combines shipments from different customers in the same trailer, its customers included large retailers like Walmart and Home Depot and Uber Freight. Those companies paused cargo shipments to Yellow for fear that goods would be stranded when the carrier went bankrupt, Reuters reports.
As Yellow customers take their shipments to other carriers, like FedEx or ABF Freight, prices will go up.
Yellow’s prices have historically been the cheapest compared to other carriers, Jindel said. “That’s why they obviously were not making money,” he added. “And while there is capacity with the other LTL carriers to handle the diversions from Yellow, it will come at a high price for (current shippers and customers) of Yellow.”
Chan adds that we’re in an interesting time for the LTL marketplace — noting that, if Yellow liquidates, “the freight would find a home” with other carriers, which may not have been true in recent years.
“It may take time, but there’s room for it to be absorbed,” he said. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/us-trucking-firm-yellow-shuts-operations-how-that-impacts-the-supply-chain-and-prices-for-consumers/4550930/ | 2023-07-31T17:01:07 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/us-trucking-firm-yellow-shuts-operations-how-that-impacts-the-supply-chain-and-prices-for-consumers/4550930/ |
MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- ProSource Hydration is the Permian Basin’s premier source for dehydration treatment!
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For more information and to schedule your session today, click here. | https://www.yourbasin.com/news/benefits-of-iv-therapy/ | 2023-07-31T17:01:08 | 0 | https://www.yourbasin.com/news/benefits-of-iv-therapy/ |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — If you believe Janelle Monae ’s hyper-sexual expression is a front, think again.
These days, Monae is unapologetically living her truth in a bold manner while trying to avoid negativity. The star, once known for sporting custom-made suits, has shed that attire (at least for now) to nearly bare all, like on the cover of her latest studio album, “The Age of Pleasure,” where she’s seen swimming topless in a pool. It’s her first release since 2018’s “Dirty Computer,” which was nominated for album of the year at the Grammys.
In recent months, Monae hasn’t been afraid of risque looks and nudity. She revealed herself during an event celebrating the release of her single “Lipstick Lover” and again onstage at an Essence Music Festival set — which drew some social media criticism including from singer India Arie and rapper Uncle Luke. She also attended the 2023 Met Gala in a barely-there outfit.
For Monae, this is her time to be free.
Monae spoke recently with The Associated Press about her supportive mother, side-stepping criticism and teasing her upcoming North American tour, which kicks off Aug. 30 in Seattle. Other tour stops include New York and Nashville and she’ll wrap in Los Angeles in mid-October.
___
AP: Since you haven’t toured since 2019, was your recent Essence Festival performance a tune up for your upcoming tour?
MONAE: Yeah, we’re testing out the songs. You‘re getting them in your body. Right now, we don’t have a lot of muscle memory with the new songs. We haven’t toured them. I know if you come into the show, you’ll love the songs. But hearing them live is a different experience, especially when you’re putting them with songs from previous work. We’re basically just putting a show together based on what we feel is good. Sometimes you just don’t know until you get on stage.
AP: What do you want people to take away from your show?
MONAE: Tap into your free (expletive) energy. That’s rooted in self-love — not arrogance. Tap into that space and then take care of each other. That’s what I hope. With the shows that I do, and when I look out, it’s an experience. It’s like our own church. You want to take care of each other.
Even if your freedom doesn’t look like that person’s freedom, you understand that we’re fighting against something much bigger than us. We’re systemically fighting against something much bigger than us, so we got to band together, we got to stick together. We have to make sure that we’re showing up for each other. If we have privilege in certain areas, making sure that we’re lending a hand, lending a voice, amplifying a message.
AP: How has it been to walk in your truth while facing criticism about your racy performances from people like Arie and Uncle Luke?
MONAE: That has absolutely nothing to do with me. I love everybody. I’m in the age of pleasure.
AP: When did you feel comfortable with living life the way you want without caring about others’ opinions?
MONAE: It’s not like I don’t care what people think. I care what some people think. I don’t care what everybody thinks. That’s the same when it comes to music. When you make a new song, I can’t go soliciting everybody’s opinions about the song. By the time I get back to the second pass of it, it’s all over the place. Everybody’s going to have an opinion. For me, it’s like, whose voice do I trust? Who do I know that loves me, cares about me, whose taste do I like, who actually is evolved enough to even understand what it is that I’m doing? Who understands nuance?
You shouldn’t care what anybody has to say. You just care what the right people have to say and everything else is muted.
AP: Who are those right people for you?
MONAE: Family. Close friends.
AP: In your journey, your mother has been a huge supporter. Whenever you have fallen under certain criticisms, how has she helped you navigate the critics?
MONAE: My mom is like ride or die. I have to tell her like “Mom, you don’t need to defend me. You don’t need to defend my life or my decisions.” For her, I’m her baby. Like any mama bear, you might get punched in the eye if you say something. You might. But I’ve calmed her down over the years. For the most part, we mostly respond to love. It’s a lot of people that love where I am and who I am and what I’m doing, and they feel really empowered and inspired by it, and that makes my mom proud, and it makes me happy.
AP: How do you avoid the naysayers?
MONAE: I’m too busy living life to be distracted. The positive things are always amazing too, but I also don’t go fishing for that. One of the things about being in the age of pleasure is being present and making sure that I’m dipping in on social media, saying what I need to say, showing love, saying “thank you,” putting up my art and leaving, going to go create more things and make more memories and more experiences.
I’m in the middle of putting together a tour for North America. We haven’t been on tour since 2019. For me, I have a lot of things that keep me busy. I’m practicing guitar. I’m having the best sex of my life. I’m happy. Even in the middle of all that’s going on in this world, I’m finding time to steal joy and to center joy and to stay surrounded by the people that bring me joy and that I can bring joy too.
AP: How did “Age of Pleasure” define where you are in life?
MONAE: I wanted to create a soundtrack to our lifestyle. I think this album like all my albums reflect exactly where I am at that time. Each album will let you know where I was in my evolution process, what things I had to unlearn, what things I learned. I love that. I love that you can always look at an artist working, sort of see what they were on at that time. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-qa-janelle-monae-talks-about-freedom-how-new-album-defines-her-and-getting-ready-to-tour-again/ | 2023-07-31T17:01:12 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-qa-janelle-monae-talks-about-freedom-how-new-album-defines-her-and-getting-ready-to-tour-again/ |
New Jersey Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver, who is currently serving as acting governor while Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy is out of the state, has been taken to a hospital for an undisclosed medical issue.
Oliver, 71, was taken to Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston and is unable to carry out the duties of acting governor, Murphy’s spokesperson Mahen Gunaratna said in a statement Monday.
Gunaratna said Oliver was receiving “medical care” but declined to elaborate.
Under the state constitution, Democratic Senate President Nicholas Scutari will serve as acting governor.
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“Pursuant to Constitutional mandates, I have again assumed the responsibilities of Acting Governor with a commitment to faithfully discharge the duties of the Office," Scutari said in a statement.
“I want to extend my best wishes to Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver for a rapid and healthy recovery, Scurtari said. "We look forward to her return.”
Gov. Murphy echoed the calls for Oliver's recovery: "Wishing my partner in government a speedy recovery."
Politics
Murphy's office has said he's out of the country on a family vacation in Italy, where he owns a home.
Oliver, a Democrat, has served as the state's second lieutenant governor since 2018. She concurrently serves as the head of the Department of Community Affairs, which coordinates state aid to towns and cities and oversees code enforcement.
In 2010, she became the first African-American woman to serve as speaker of the state Assembly in the state's history.
Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/politics/njs-acting-governor-taken-to-hospital-for-undisclosed-medical-care/4551078/ | 2023-07-31T17:01:14 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/politics/njs-acting-governor-taken-to-hospital-for-undisclosed-medical-care/4551078/ |
HIALEAH, Fla. (WFLA) — A federal judge in Florida has thrown out a multi-million dollar lawsuit involving microwavable mac and cheese.
The $5 million lawsuit claimed the Kraft Heinz Food Company misled the public about the time it takes to prepare Velveeta microwavable mac and cheese cups.
According to court records, a West Palm Beach-based law firm filed the lawsuit on behalf of a woman from Hialeah, Florida, on Nov. 18.
The lawsuit alleged that the Kraft Heinz Food Company violated federal law by saying the mac and cheese cups take 3½ minutes to prepare, arguing that the time limit does not include the time it takes to remove the lid, add water and stir in the cheese sauce.
The lawsuit had claimed Amanda Ramirez bought the product for a “premium price” of $10.99 “between October and November 2022, among other times.” However, it did not say how long it actually took Ramirez to prepare the mac and cheese.
The suit described Ramirez as someone who “looks to bold statements of value when quickly selecting groceries”, and “like many consumers who seek to stretch their money as far as possible when buying groceries.”
Despite the arguments, a Miami district judge threw out the lawsuit. | https://www.yourbasin.com/news/national-news/florida-judge-tosses-5-million-lawsuit-over-microwavable-mac-and-cheese/ | 2023-07-31T17:01:14 | 1 | https://www.yourbasin.com/news/national-news/florida-judge-tosses-5-million-lawsuit-over-microwavable-mac-and-cheese/ |
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 (as a farmer) 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.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-south-korean-dog-meat-farmers-push-back-against-growing-moves-to-outlaw-their-industry/ | 2023-07-31T17:01:18 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ap-south-korean-dog-meat-farmers-push-back-against-growing-moves-to-outlaw-their-industry/ |
Chris Buescher made a statement on Sunday.
The RFK Racing driver led 88 of the final 96 laps at Richmond Raceway to score his third career win and first of the season. Most importantly, the No. 17 team is now locked into the playoffs as the 30-year-old Buescher will make his second career postseason appearance (first since 2016).
There are still four playoff spots unclaimed with just four races remaining in the regular season. Several star drivers, including Kevin Harvick, Bubba Wallace and Chase Elliott, will be searching for their first win of the season at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday.
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Who’s the driver to beat after Richmond? Here’s our latest NASCAR power rankings before the next race at Michigan (Sunday, Aug. 6, 2:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBCSports.com):
1. Martin Truex Jr.
Last week: 1
Sports
After falling back early in the race, it was clear that the No. 19 didn’t have its usual speed at Richmond. Crew chief James Small adjusted the strategy accordingly, using fewer pit stops and catching a timely caution late to salvage a seventh-place finish for Truex as he retained the points lead.
2. Denny Hamlin
Last week: 2
Richmond felt like it could’ve been a repeat of Pocono a week prior, when Hamlin restarted second late in the race and ended up winning. Instead, he finished second after Buescher took the inside lane and Hamlin overcooked his brakes with two laps to go. He’s now second in the standings, 39 points behind his teammate Truex.
3. Kyle Busch
Last week: 6
Busch got his season back on track at Richmond after two tough races. He finished third after gradually improving throughout the day, taking advantage of a great final pit stop to maximize his run. Busch now has eight top-fives through 22 races, matching his total through all 36 races last season.
4. William Byron
Last week: 3
It’s been a rough stretch for Byron since winning his series-leading fourth race. Over the past three weeks, he’s finished 24th, 14th and then 21st at Richmond. The No. 24 isn’t nearly as quick as it was early in the season, when Byron was routinely winning stages and leading laps.
5. Joey Logano
Last week: 5
Logano continues to show improvement after a slow start to his championship defense. He was fourth at Richmond, which comes after he won a stage at Pocono and finished second at New Hampshire. The arrow is pointing up heading into Michigan, where Logano has three wins.
6. Kyle Larson
Last week: 4
In April, Larson led 93 laps and won at Richmond. On Sunday, he finished 19th and spent most of the race one lap down. It was a discouraging performance for Hendrick Motorsports as a whole, especially since Richmond is a track that correlates to Phoenix (the championship race track). Larson could get his rhythm back at Michigan, where he has three wins.
7. Ryan Blaney
Last week: 8
It might not seem like much, but 14th place was one of Blaney’s best runs ever at Richmond. He regularly struggles at the Virginia short track, and he finished slightly ahead of where he ran for most of the day. Blaney’s mindset will change at Michigan, which is one of his better tracks.
8. Chris Buescher
Last week: first four out
Welcome to the power rankings, Buescher. Even though he was in good shape to make the playoffs on points, it has to feel sweet to lock yourself in with a win. He’s been one of the most consistent drivers this season, with a career-best four top-fives and just three finishes outside the top-20. Buescher has a chance to contend in the playoffs for the first time in his career.
9. Kevin Harvick
Last week: 10
Harvick’s top-five streak ended at two, but his top-10 streak was extended to three after he finished 10th at Richmond. The most encouraging part of the day might have been how well his teammates ran, with all four Stewart-Haas Racing drivers finishing in the top-11. The entire organization has been way off this year, so perhaps Richmond was a turning point.
10. Christopher Bell
Last week: 7
Bell just keeps throwing away races at his best tracks. He finished 20th at Richmond, giving Bell four finishes outside the top-15 in the last five weeks. Bell hasn’t scored a top-five finish since his win at Bristol in April, but remains fourth in the standings thanks to stage points.
First four out: Brad Keselowski, Tyler Reddick, Ross Chastain, Chase Elliott | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/sports/nascar-power-rankings-chris-buescher-joins-the-top-10-after-richmond-win/4550875/ | 2023-07-31T17:01:20 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/sports/nascar-power-rankings-chris-buescher-joins-the-top-10-after-richmond-win/4550875/ |
HAZLET, N.J. (WPIX) – A New Jersey family is suing a movie theater chain after the mother and her son, who has autism, were thrown out.
Their offense? The mother took her son into the women’s restroom when he needed to go to the bathroom.
“All this time, it was humiliating and scary for my son,” Christine Gallinaro, of Holmdel, told WPIX.
It was supposed to be a fun trip to the movies for Gallinaro and her 15-year-old son, John.
Gallinaro‘s husband wasn’t with them, so when John, who is nonverbal, had to go to the bathroom, she took him into the ladies’ room at Cinemark‘s Hazlet 12. There was no family restroom.
Gallinaro said no one in the ladies’ room complained. She said many understood that her son has special needs and needed an adult to help him. But the theater manager let her and her son know she disapproved.
“I asked her if there was a problem. I explained that he was disabled, and she said a grown man should not be in this bathroom,” Gallinaro said.
Gallinaro said the manager called security and then the police to eject them from the movie theater. On the cellphone video, Gallinaro said it was clear to her that the security and police were sympathetic to her plight.
The Gallinaros filed a lawsuit last week against the movie theater chain.
“What happened that day was unlawful, wrong, and bizarre,” said Austin Tobin, the Gallinaro family’s lawyer.
“Since this happened and has been made public, there has been an overwhelming response of support, particularly from mothers of disabled children,” Gallinaro said.
A few days after the June 16 incident, Gallinaro said the movie theater regional manager reached out to offer a refund, but the mother said the humiliation was too great.
WPIX contacted the movie theater for comment on the allegations but did not receive a response. | https://www.yourbasin.com/news/national-news/humiliating-mom-son-with-autism-thrown-out-of-nj-theater-for-using-ladies-room/ | 2023-07-31T17:01:21 | 1 | https://www.yourbasin.com/news/national-news/humiliating-mom-son-with-autism-thrown-out-of-nj-theater-for-using-ladies-room/ |