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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.
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https://pix11.com/business/ap-business/ap-dispute-over-persian-gulf-gas-field-poses-early-challenge-to-saudi-iranian-rapprochement/
| 2023-07-31T18:54:00
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https://pix11.com/business/ap-business/ap-dispute-over-persian-gulf-gas-field-poses-early-challenge-to-saudi-iranian-rapprochement/
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PHOENIX — (AP) — A hellish and historic 31-day run of temperatures cracking 110 degrees (43 degrees Celsius) in Phoenix appeared headed for a welcome end on Monday, as monsoon rains moved through the region from Mexico.
The relief wasn't all that great — the day's highs were forecast near 108 degrees, or about 42 Celsius — and the heat was expected to rise past 110 again later in the week. But residents and visitors were taking what they could get.
"It's not going to last more than a couple of days, but I'm enjoying this break," said Christine Bertaux, 76, who was cooling off Monday at a downtown day center for older people who are homeless.
“It has been REALLY hot here!” said Jeffrey Sharpe, of Kenosha, Wisconsin, who was in town for a long weekend that on Monday included watching his son's poodles frolic in a grassy dog park. “But today it was about 85 degrees, more like Wisconsin."
High heat blasted much of the Southwest all through July, ranging from West Texas to eastern California. But Phoenix and its suburbs sweltered to new records, including three days where the high reached 119, and overnight lows stayed above 90 more than half the month. Concerts and other outdoor events were cancelled throughout the month because of the heat and busy parts of the city became ghost towns as people stayed indoors to avoid the heat.
Health officials have so far confirmed 25 heat-related deaths in Maricopa County, Arizona’s most populous and home to Phoenix, in July, although that number seems certain to rise. Another 249 deaths are under investigation for links to heat.
Rudy Soliz, who manages the center where Bertaux was cooling off, said those who visit to get a meal and cool off out of the sun “have been having a very hard time this summer.”
“Older people have a harder time with the heat, there are a lot of diabetics, people who take medicines,” he said.
“The heat has been pretty bad this summer. We’ve made at least five 911 calls from here this July for people who got heat stroke,” said Soliz. “They’ve found a couple of bodies around here this month but it’s not clear yet if they died from the heat.”
Although there is no excessive warning for city, the National Weather Service said Phoenix residents should take precautions to stay cool and safe from the heat.
“Even though it’s going to be cooler than it has been, it’s still going to be warmer than normal. And the heat definitely can still affect a large portion of the population,” said Matthew Hirsch, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Phoenix. “So we’re still urging people to take the necessary precautions, such as remaining hydrated and limiting outdoor activity.”
Phoenix’s previous record for days of 110 degrees or more was 18 straight, set in 1974, nearly two weeks shorter than the new record.
Hirsch said July 2023 was the city’s hottest month on record. The previous hottest month on record was August 2020.
And August could be even hotter than July, Hirsch said. He said there is a slightly higher chance of temperatures that are above normal in August and there's an equal chance for the region to get more or less rain than average.
R. Glenn Williamson, a businessman who was born in Canada but has lived in Phoenix for years, said he really noticed a temperature difference Monday morning as he washed his car in his driveway.
“Now we have to get rid of the humidity!” Williamson said. "But honestly, I’d rather have this heat than a Montreal winter.”
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Costley reported from New Orleans.
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Follow Drew Costley on Twitter: @drewcostley.
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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.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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| 2023-07-31T18:54:00
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Expect to see a big cut to the amount of cutlery that comes with food delivery orders in New York City.
Under a new law in the city going into effect on Monday, restaurants won't be forking over utensils in takeout and delivery orders any longer — at least not without the customer stating so. Those placing the order will have to ask for the single-use utensils be included with the food.
It's not just utensils, either. Don't expect to see restaurants packing the bag with ketchup packets nor napkins. So that drawer full of plastic forks and knives, or plastic baggie full of old ketchup, soy sauce and duck sauce packs, will now finally come in handy, as far fewer of those items will be automatically included with the order.
“Let’s be real: Most people have utensils at home. And all we do is save those packets," said Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director at Citizens Campaign for the Environment. "I would bet you most homes in New York City have a drawer stuffed full of plastic forks and knives and spoons in plastic wrapping that are unopened.”
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All delivery apps must set the default setting to not include those items, but have a way for customers to request the items if they so choose.
The new measure is part of a law that Mayor Eric Adams signed earlier in 2023 that is aimed at reducing plastic waste in the city. Restaurants that are found to not comply could face up to a $250 fine for each offense after a year-long warning phase.
The mayor's office estimated that in 2019 about 36 millions pounds of single-use plastic foodware was collected from NYC's residential waste stream.
News
“These plastics, they don’t really degrade and go away,” said Enrico Nardone, executive director of Seatuck Environmental Association, a nonprofit based at the Suffolk County Environmental Center in Islip. “They breakdown into smaller and smaller pieces, but there’s still plastics that are being consumed throughout the food chain ... and ending up in the bodies of all types of wildlife and having negative impacts.”
NYC is not the first city to enact a law taking aim at the items coming in delivery orders. Los Angeles made disposable foodware available at restaurants only when requested by customers in Nov. 2021. That ordinance prohibits facilities from having self-service disposable foodware dispensers and from providing or offering disposable foodware accessories to dine-in customers and take-out customers, except when requested.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/why-utensils-condiments-and-napkins-will-no-longer-be-included-in-nyc-delivery-orders/4551019/
| 2023-07-31T18:54:01
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/why-utensils-condiments-and-napkins-will-no-longer-be-included-in-nyc-delivery-orders/4551019/
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The Boston Celtics are evading the NBA’s daunting second apron by a hair — though they’ll have to make some tough roster decisions next summer if they’re going to avoid the pitfalls of the collective bargaining agreement’s newest wrinkles.
The Celtics signed Jaylen Brown to the richest contract in NBA history — a five-year, $304 million deal — and with Jayson Tatum’s presumptive supermax extension set to kick in in 2025, Boston is set to commit a large chunk of its payroll to the top-two players on a championship-contending roster.
Factor in the newly acquired Kristaps Porzingis, who has three years worth $96 million remaining on his contract, and the Celtics will be committing close to 78% of their salary cap to the top three players on the roster.
That’s before Tatum’s supermax — loosely projected to pay $57 million in Year 1 and close to $334 million over the five-year life of the contract — kicks in in 2025.
It’s a celebratory moment for Boston nonetheless: if Porzingis is a fit as the third star alongside Brown and Tatum, the Celtics will have formed a legitimate Big 3 set to compete for championships for the next five years.
The new CBA, however, ushers in two new wrinkles the Celtics will need to maneuver in the coming years in order to fill out a championship-contending roster without suffering from the newfound ramifications that impact team building.
The first of those wrinkles is the concept of cap smoothing, which wasn’t in place when the Golden State Warriors poached Kevin Durant from the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2016.
The Warriors were able to do so because the NBA renegotiated its television broadcast rights deal, which is included in the basketball-related income that determines the salary cap and player salaries. In the blink of an eye, the salary cap exploded 35 percent from $70 million to $94 million.
The Warriors, who were already underpaying Stephen Curry, were able to sign Durant to a two-year, $54M deal with straight-up cap space.
We all remember what happened next.
So did the NBA’s owners, because the concept of cap smoothing is a direct response to the route the Warriors took to win back-to-back championships after acquiring Durant.
According to the CBA, cap smoothing means the salary cap cannot increase or decrease by more than 10% in any single salary cap season. The NBA is set to renegotiate its broadcast deal again in 2025, but this new wrinkle puts a cap on just how much of a spike the teams will see in payroll.
This is important because Tatum’s presumptive extension is set to kick in the same summer the NBA will renegotiate these broadcast deals, and had cap smoothing not been incorporated into the new CBA, his projected $23M raise wouldn’t hinder Boston’s ability to keep a championship contender together.
That’s just one of the wrinkles Boston’s front office will have to maneuver. The other is the newly implemented second apron.
Teams that have a payroll rising $17.5 million above the luxury tax line will be known as second-apron offenders. The 2023-24 NBA luxury tax line sits at $165.3 million, meaning Boston’s current estimated payroll of $178.5 million avoids the second apron by only $4.3 million.
The Celtics are already over the first apron line of $172.3 million, and as a result, they cannot sign any buyout market candidates whose original salary exceeded the current project non-taxpayer mid-level exception of $12.3 million this season. The Celtics cannot acquire a player whose incoming salary is more than 110% of the salary of the outgoing player, and at the end of the 2023-24 season, they will be both unable to take back more than 100% of the outgoing player’s salary and unable to use any traded player exception created this upcoming season.
If the Celtics become second apron offenders, however, the penalties become much stiffer.
The Celtics will have their 2032 first-round NBA Draft pick frozen if their payroll exceeds the 2024-25 second apron, which could range anywhere from $191.9 million (five percent) and $201 million (10 percent) based on the year-over-year increase in salary cap. If they are second apron offenders in any two of the following four seasons, that 2032 first-round pick will automatically be moved to the end of the draft order at pick No. 30.
As potential second-apron offenders, the Celtics could also be unable to use the projected $5.3 million taxpayer mid-level exception in 2024, unable to send cash considerations as part of any deal, and unable to acquire a player via sign-and-trade.
That’s only if the Celtics don’t do some cost-cutting.
The second apron line increases at the rate of the salary cap, and the cap spiked 10 percent from $123 million to $136 million this summer alone. If the salary cap spikes another 10 percent, the second apron will rise to $201 million, giving the Celtics enough room to both re-sign Pritchard to a deal paying a Year 1 salary of close to $8 million and also sign their 2024 first-round NBA Draft pick.
If the cap only increases, say, five percent, however, things get murky, because the Celtics already have $190 million in player salaries committed to the 2024-25 season, and a five percent increase in second apron brings us to just $191 million,
Decisions, decisions.
The Celtics are one of a number of teams that will have to perform cap gymnastics to avoid the penalties imposed by the CBA’s new second apron.
Then again, there may not be a cap on spending for a team that’s arm’s distance away from its 18th NBA championship banner.
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https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/31/celtics-salary-cap-implications-after-jaylen-browns-historic-supermax-contract-2/
| 2023-07-31T18:54:06
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https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/31/celtics-salary-cap-implications-after-jaylen-browns-historic-supermax-contract-2/
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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.
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https://www.wivb.com/news/business/ap-dispute-over-persian-gulf-gas-field-poses-early-challenge-to-saudi-iranian-rapprochement/
| 2023-07-31T18:54:05
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https://www.wivb.com/news/business/ap-dispute-over-persian-gulf-gas-field-poses-early-challenge-to-saudi-iranian-rapprochement/
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The It List is Yahoo's weekly look at the best in pop culture, including movies, music, TV, streaming, games, books, podcasts and more. Here are our picks for July 31-Aug. 6, including the best deals we could find for each.
STREAM IT: Controversial YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul kicks off Season 3 of Untold
The Season 3 premiere of Netflix's anthology documentary series, Untold, passes the mic to Jake Paul to tell his true Hollywood story. After a turbulent childhood in Ohio, Paul and his brother, Logan, found an outlet for their antics on social media, which led them to fame and fortune in Los Angeles as the influencer era kicked off in earnest. But their careers careened off track following a serious case of sibling rivalry, accusations of sexual harassment and controversial content choices. At that point, Jake Paul entered the boxing ring... and he hasn't left. Paul speaks candidly about his various controversies as well as his outsized ego, which has made him a fighter that people enjoy rooting against. — Ethan Alter
Untold: Jake Paul the Problem Child premieres Tuesday, Aug. 1 on Netflix.
STREAM IT: Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty returns for another exhilarating run
The new season of one of HBO's most successful original sports dramas promises to keep the ball rolling, using the same formula that made the show's first season a slam dunk. The seven-episode Season 2 focuses on the intense NBA rivalry between the L.A. Lakers and Boston Celtics while revisiting basketball's greatest personal conflict in the 1980s. Reprising his role as Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Quincy Isaiah proclaims in the trailer that "Magic is back" and sends a warning to opponents. "You better watch out," Magic told reporters gathered around the locker room. After tasting his first championship at the conclusion of Season 1, Magic is hungry for more. Standing in the way is his hardwood nemesis Larry Bird. Sean Patrick Small is very convincing as Larry Legend, and he's got the chops to make the basketball scenes look real. He even mirrors Bird's signature chicken wing shooting form. Whether you're a basketball fan or not, Winning Time delivers plenty of commanding performances, especially John C. Reilly's fantastic portrayal of flamboyant Lakers owner Jerry Buss. Once you're part of the viewing team, you'll be hooked. — Joel Huerto
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty Season 2 premieres Sunday, Aug. 6 at 9 p.m. on HBO and streaming on Max.
STREAM IT: Poisoned: The Dirty Truth About Your Food wants to change the way you think about what you eat
In the vein of Super Size Me and other documentaries that take down the food industry, Poisoned digs into the government regulation — or lack of it — that results in 48 million people getting sick from a foodborne illness each year. Family members of some of the victims tell their affecting stories, while experts explain why it's vitally important for the government to take action to protect citizens from an industry that, like many others, appears to value profits above all. At one point, a voice disguised to protect an interviewee explains that, "Customers would really be shocked at some of the stories that we could tell them." — Raechal Shewfelt
Poisoned: The Dirty Truth About Your Food premieres Wednesday, Aug. 2 on Netflix.
WATCH IT: Physicist who worked with Oppenheimer, shared secrets with Soviets gets doc treatment in A Compassionate Spy
Watching Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, you get the feeling any of the countless atom bomb-developing scientists portrayed in the filmmaker's riveting dramatic thriller could be worthy of their own film. Case in point: Ted Hall is barely a footnote in it. With this week's A Compassionate Spy, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Steve James devotes a full doc to the physicist who, fearing a U.S. monopoly on nuclear weaponry, shared Manhattan Project intel with the Soviet Union. As IndieWire notes, James (Hoop Dreams, Life Itself) essentially poses the question: Is there such thing as a sympathetic cause for treason? Check out an exclusive clip from the film above. — Kevin Polowy
A Compassionate Spy opens in theaters (visit Fandango for showtimes and ticket information) and on video on demand Friday, Aug. 4.
WATCH IT: Former Mad Man Jon Hamm moves into a new Corner Office
Jon Hamm may not be a Sterling Cooper employee anymore, but he hasn't given up his Corner Office. The former Mad Men star headlines Joachim Back's Office Space-esque comedy as Orson, a sad-sack white collar employee for a personality-free conglomerate. While seeking a way to break up the day-to-day drudgery of office life, Orson happens upon a seemingly empty executive suite that becomes his secret hideout. But as he comes to learn, there may be no exit from TPS reports and forced birthday celebrations. This exclusive clip from the film finds Orson learning the ropes of his new gig, courtesy of his co-worker — and Community star — Danny Pudi. — E.A.
Corner Office premieres Friday, Aug. 4 in theaters (visit Fandango for showtimes and ticket information) and on most VOD and figital services.
WATCH IT: Randall Park's Shortcomings isn't your average anti rom-com
Randall Park adds "director" to his extensive resume — which also includes TV dad and Marvel Cinematic Universe scene stealer — with the Sundance-approved comedy Shortcomings, the story of a self-absorbed jerk and the girl he lets get away. With his filmmaking ambitions stymied, Ben (Justin H. Min), has been marking time as the manager of a failing movie theater. Meanwhile, his long-suffering girlfriend, Miko (Ally Maki), is fed up with his sullen attitude and wandering eye and decides to take their relationship to the next level... separately. Suddenly single, Ben throws himself into the dating pool only to discover that he's routinely getting tossed back. This exclusive clip from the film finds him spying on his ex and realizing there may not be a happily ever after in their future. — E.A.
Shortcomings premieres Friday, Aug. 4 in theaters; visit Fandango for showtimes and ticket information.
WATCH IT: Brother charts the diverging lives of two Toronto-based siblings
One of the most acclaimed discoveries at last year's Toronto International Film Festival, Canadian auteur Clement Virgo's latest film adapts David Chariandy's hit novel about two siblings whose lives take strikingly different paths. Raised in an immigrant family, Caribbean-born brothers Frances (Lamar Johnson) and Michael (Aaron Pierre) cling tight to each other during their childhoods, but are later pulled apart by external circumstances in their adopted home — circumstances that include criminal temptations. This exclusive clip from the film showcases the strong bond the brothers share before they're pulled apart. — E.A.
Brother premieres Friday, Aug. 4 in theaters; visit Fandango for showtimes and ticket information.
STREAM IT: Johnson is back for fresh episodes on Bounce
Bounce on back to Atlanta for the return of Bounce's breakout series, Johnson, which counts Cedric the Entertainer among its producing team. Season 3 kicks off Aug. 5 and features fresh stories about the show's central quartet of pals as the continue to navigate fatherhood, relationships and everything in between. D.L. Hughley is also back in his recurring role, and appears in this exclusive clip from the new season. — E.A.
Johnson Season 3 premieres Saturday, Aug. 5 on Bounce.
WATCH IT: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is a tubular time
Are we entering the golden age of animated action movies? Between Across the Spider-verse (not to mention Into the Spider-verse) and this week's Mutant Mayhem, a good case could be made. Like those Spidey movies, Mutant Mayhem is visually dazzling, hip, funny, thrilling — and all set to a kick-ass soundtrack (here with a half-dozen perfect '90s hip-hop needle drops). The filmmakers made some brilliant decisions in the latest try at a big-screen TMNT venture, from casting actual teenagers as the heroes in half-shells (and encouraging them to just riff at points) to reimagining April O'Neil as an awkward high schooler. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg leave their sharp comedic prints all over this one. — K.P.
Teenage Mutant Turtles: Mutant Mayhem opens in theaters Friday, Aug. 4; visit Fandango for showtimes and ticket information.
WATCH IT: DJs got us falling in love in Mixtape doc
Before TikTok, Bandcamp or Soundcloud, there were mixtapes — the primary method for aspiring and underground hip-hop artists to build a buzz, with DJs serving as tastemakers, trendsetters and ambassadors of the (sub)culture. In the new Def Jam Recordings documentary Mixtape, 2 Chainz, A$AP Rocky, DJ Khaled, DJ Whoo Kid, Fabolous, Fat Joe, Funkmaster Flex, the Game, KRS-One, Lil Wayne, Mark Ronson and even Mike Tyson and Tommy Hilfiger reflect on how the mixtape became a genre in and of itself and changed the rap game forever. — Lyndsey Parker
Mixtape premieres Tuesday, Aug. 2 on Paramount+.
STREAM IT: Like Big Little Lies? Try The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart.
Amazon's new, seven-episode series is based on a book of the same name that, like the hit HBO series, is based on a best-selling book by an Australian author, in this case Holly Ringland. Part of it is also set by the sea, and it's filled with an intense series of events. Alice Hart follows the title character (played, at different ages by Fear the Walking Dead's Alycia Debnam-Carey and teen Alyla Browne, of Nine Perfect Strangers, whose parents are killed in a mysterious fire when she's still a child. Alice goes to live with her grandmother (the always fantastic Sigourney Weaver) at a flower farm, where she learns about secrets in her ancestral past that continue to drive her as a young adult, when she suffers another crushing loss and then meets a dangerous man disguised as a charmer. Expect beautiful scenery in addition to all the drama. — R.S.
The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart premiers Friday, Aug. 4 on Prime Video.
HEAR IT: Quavo honors late bandmate Takeoff on grief-fueled Rocket Power
The second solo album by Migos co-founder Quavo arrives nine months after the shooting death of his bandmate and nephew, Takeoff. In a statement last month announcing the album, which is the follow-up to 2018's The Last Rocket, the rapper said: "This album is embodying all my emotions. Through the process of healing I've learned to turn tragedy into triumph. I had to dig deep into my purpose and find the power to keep striving. To my fans, thanks for being patient wit' me and supporting us. To my FAMILY, even when times get hard we know our MAIN mission is to keep the Rocket name ALIVE. TIL INFINITY." In an interview posted last week on his YouTube page, Quavo opened up further about the record's tragic inspiration, saying, "Rocket Power means a lot to me, it means everything to me. Just being fueled by my brother, Take, and just bottling all these emotions, all the pain, all the hard times, all the times I cried, all the times I made music just to pull up and try to play songs and he's not there. I'm just trying to get this fuel from my bro." —L.P.
Rocket Power by Quavo is available Friday, Aug. 4 to download/stream on Apple Music.
HEAR IT: Rick Springfield is Automatic for the people
The 23rd studio album by powerpop icon Rick Springfield comprises 20 tracks that he has described as being "stylistically somewhere between" his 1981 breakthrough WorkingClass Dog and 1985's experimental synthrock classic Tao. Springfield says he made the ambitious record — on which he handed all writing, production, guitar and keyboard duties – with a "goal" to create "solid three-minute tunes with the biggest hooks I could come up with." Considering that this is the man who wrote "Love Is Alright Tonite," "Love Somebody" and, of course, "Jessie's Girl," it's not surprising that he was totally up for the task. —L.P.
Automatic by Rick Springfield is available Friday, Aug. 4 to download/stream on Apple Music.
PLAY IT: Bring the screams home with you courtesy of Funko's Scream tabletop game
It's not your imagination... the call really is coming from inside the house. Scream franchise boogeyman, Ghostface, calls you directly courtesy of Funko Games's Scream: The Game, a fast-paced party game that'll have you looking in the dark corners of your home. Download the custom game app and you'll start hearing from Ghostface as you pass cards and navigate the board. Celebrity cameos not included. — E.A.
Scream: The Game is available now at most major retailers, including Amazon.
WATCH IT: Problemista pairs former SNL writer Julio Torres with a madcap Tilda Swinton
It's hard to transition from Saturday Night Live to movies. Many have tried, some of succeeded, others have failed. Julio Torres is following an unconventional path: Though he earned four Emmy nominations as part of its writing staff from 2016-2019, he wasn't on-camera. Yet Torres wrote, directed and stars in the new A24 comedy Problemista, playing an awkward wannabe toy designer from El Salvador who goes to desperate lengths to maintain an American work visa, mainly assisting a mercurial art critic played by Tilda Swinton. An amicable Torres proves he belongs onscreen in this whimsical tale, but the Wrecking Ball Swinton is damn-near Oscar-worthy. — K.P.
Problemista opens in theaters Friday, Aug. 4; visit Fandango for showtimes and ticket information.
HEAR IT: Mammoth WVH is unchained
Mammoth WVH initially began as the eponymous solo project of the late Eddie Van Halen's son, former teenage Van Halen replacement bass player and Twitter-troll destroyer Wolfgang Van Halen — with "Distance," a tribute single released the month after Eddie's 2020 death, and an acclaimed self-titled debut album recorded entirely by Wolfgang. (Wolfgang drew inspiration from Dave Grohl, who was the sole member of the Foo Fighters in that band's early post-Nirvana era.) But now Mammoth WVH is a full-fledged group, with a lineup that includes guitarists Frank Sidoris and Jon Jourdan, bassist Ronnie Ficarro and drummer Garrett Whitlock — and they're ready to unleash their sophomore album, Mammoth II, and embark on a tour with Metallica and Alter Bridge starting this week. — L.P.
Mammoth II by Mammoth WVH is available Friday, Aug. 4 to download/stream on Apple Music.
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| 2023-07-31T18:54:07
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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.
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Carolann Mohrman, 75, perched behind an artist’s booth at the sixth-annual Denver Tattoo Arts Festival last week as the buzz of tattoo needles filled the air – slightly out of place because she doesn’t have any tattoos nor does she plan to get inked.
“I don’t like having my skin punctured,” the Lakewood resident said. The first-time attendee instead walked through the doors of the Colorado Convention Center at 700 14th St. on Sunday, July 23, in a show of support for her niece, Eva Mohrman, a tattoo artist and co-owner of Constantly Custom Studio in East Brunswick, N.J.
As a child in the 1950s, Mohrman was taught by society at large to view tattoos as “very demonic,” she said, adding that “only Navymen” boasted the body modifications.
“Now, everybody has them except me,” she said with a laugh. When asked whether tattoos affect a person’s reputation in the workplace, she answered with a resounding “no” – “not here in Denver.”
Today’s office culture has evolved beyond the norms that baby boomers would have found common when they started their careers, as white-collar professionals stroll through cubicles with body art that ranges from discreet designs to full arm sleeves – when tattoos cover the majority of the arm.
“Nearly 3 out of 4 employers say they don’t mind hiring tattooed workers,” according to employment website Indeed. Even executives, such as Twitter cofounder Jack Dorsey and former 21st Century Fox CEO James Murdoch, and public figures such as NASA astronaut Charles “Pete” Conrad sport ink.
Last year, the U.S. Army relaxed its regulations for tattoos, although face tattoos are still barred and annual inspections are carried out. “This directive makes sense for currently serving soldiers and allows a greater number of talented individuals the opportunity to serve now,” said Lt. Gen. Douglas Stitt, then-director of military personnel management, in a news release.
In recent years, corporate giants Disney and UPS revised their tattoo policies. “We’re updating them to not only remain relevant in today’s workplace, but also enable our cast members to better express their cultures and individuality at work,” wrote Josh D’Amaro, chairperson of Walt Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, in a news release.
But the U.S. legal system still lags behind society’s broadening acceptance. According to the Princeton Legal Journal, “under current legislation, employers are allowed to use tattoos as a basis to distinguish candidates, and can require employees to cover up tattoos while on the job.”
The ultimate takeaway for 29-year-old Elizabeth Bowman of Long Live Tattoo Collective, 864 Santa Fe Drive in Denver: “How I look is not a representation of how I work.”
“I tattoo moms. I tattoo principals. I tattoo doctors. I tattoo lawyers,” she said at the festival. “It’s for everyone.”
A brief history of tattoos
In 2021, 26% of Americans reported having at least one tattoo, according to a Statista survey. Although a quarter of the country’s population openly claims tattoos today, the practice carried harsh stigmas in the U.S. until recently.
The technique can be traced back thousands of years to various cultures. “The very word tattoo comes from the Samoan word, tatau,” said Ryan Matsukawa, a tattoo artist at Pa’u Tattoo in Haleʻiwa, Hawaiʻi.
He pointed to tattoos as a crucial aspect of Polynesian culture. In Hawaiʻi, “it was so revered that, when we were being illegally taken over, the ones who tattooed went into hiding,” he said on Friday. And yet, “the art of tattooing survived,” Matsukawa added.
The practice was initially embraced in the Western world by scrappy types, like sailors in the 18th century.
By the late 19th century, “tattooing began to be seen as an art form,” according to Certified Tattoo Studio. The brand includes locations in Colorado and Hawaiʻi. Credit is largely given to tattoo artist and German immigrant Martin Hildebrandt, who ran a shop in New York City.
But even in the early 20th century, tattoos were still largely associated with criminals, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. One Idaho prison official estimated that, by 1993, “90 percent of … Idaho inmates receive tattoos while in prison.”
Twenty years later, “you go to a grocery store, and you’re almost guaranteed to see someone with leg tattoos, arm tattoos – things that are very, very visible,” Bowman said. “It’s widely more accepted than it’s ever been.”
The Denver resident credits millennials for having “really, really pushed the boundaries of that” by rebelling against preconceived notions about body modifications. With six years in the industry, she still encounters middle-aged customers who sit in her chair and say, “I was never allowed to do this.”
Growing up, 30-year-old Andrea Warmington – a client of Bowman’s – was told by relatives that she’d be disowned if she got a tattoo. Her Pennsylvania family’s definition of professional didn’t include body art or unnatural hair colors.
“I kind of bought into it, and I think for good reason, because, really, only in the past five, six years have I noticed the difference in people kind of accepting tattoos in the workplace,” Warmington said in a Thursday interview. Almost a decade ago, she opted to get her first tattoo, and it sparked a love for them.
She debuted her arm sleeve at her first job in Colorado, and “one of my coworkers gave me a very surprised look,” the Denver resident said. “I definitely felt it – the judgment – a little bit.”
Warmington, who serves as a quality assistance manager at a medical device company, is working on two leg sleeves. And she now receives more compliments than silent side-eyes from her colleagues, who tend to skew younger.
“With work, it should be based on merits, not by what you look like,” Warmington said.
As for her family, “they try to be cool with it,” she said. They’ve moved past scoldings, but remind her: “No more tattoos.”
On vacations, she makes an effort to wear leggings and long-sleeved shirts – “just for the sake of their sanity.”
An employer and a tattoo artist
As the owner of Denver’s Lucky Rose Tattoo at 4241 Jason St., 36-year-old Rick Lohm is the epitome of both worlds: an employer and a tattoo artist.
The New York native opened his own shop in May 2022 after settling down in Denver three years ago. When a business vacated a site near his home, “something just told me it was time for me to go out on my own and do my own thing,” Lohm said in a Thursday interview.
His studio consists of four artists and one apprentice – the level he started at in 2007. As a high school student, he played in bands, with a few tattoos already. Once Lohm graduated, he took on a tattoo apprenticeship, and so his career began.
Lohm first entered the tattoo industry during a time of “transformation” as social media began evolving from its nascent stages. He’d travel to the artists he admired, and pick their brains while they tattooed him.
Lohm gained experience at what he called “some of the best shops in the country,” learning the history of the practice from a “tight knit” community of professionals. And he hopped across continents in the pursuit of his practice, once hiking Mount Fuji in Japan and getting a hand-poked tattoo of a volcano in commemoration of it.
“I don’t think that many people quite realize that it really is just like another art form,” Lohm said. “I put a lot of time and thought into my drawing. I put a lot of time into actually tattooing it on you, and, then, when you leave, I never see it again.”
In 2023, up-and-coming artists can instead teach themselves from videos online. “There’s a little bit that’s been lost with that,” Lohm said.
He pointed to another change in recent years – servicing clients of all ages, from “all different sorts of professions” and, most notably, with more requests for visible tattoos on their hands, necks and more.
For example, on Wednesday, two customers asked for face tattoos.
Over a decade ago, “if you weren’t heavily tattooed, you told those people no,” Lohm said. “I could potentially be ruining that person’s future, just because they want something cool on their hand at the moment.”
Ultimately, he’s watching the country grow more open-minded toward tattoos, pointing to the popularity of TV shows like Ink Master.
“I don’t think it’s ever too late to get tattooed,” Lohm said. “People buy new furniture, a car, something just to make themselves feel good – and tattooing has that equal kind of power.”
Generational changes
Lindsey Jackson, 31, grew up hearing that a hand tattoo meant saying “goodbye to an office job.”
“Now, it’s not the case,” the Denver resident said at the festival.
In a recent job interview, the question mark inked on her arm did come up, but it spurred earnest conversation between the two. “If anything, it’s like a part of an interview,” she added.
Beyond that, her tattoo serves as a reminder of the bond between her and her mother. The matriarch’s upbringing on a farm with nine siblings in “the smallest German town” of New Ulm, Minn., didn’t exactly encourage body modifications.
But when Jackson got her question mark last year, her mother – now nearing 60-years-old – joined her, committing to her first tattoo: a symbol representing musician Prince on her back.
“And she loves it,” Jackson said.
Kelly Goldman, 36, pushed a stroller with her 10-month-old baby through rows of vendors at the tattoo festival last Sunday, with her husband and two other kids, 6 and 14, in tow. Her eldest, an 18-year-old, aims to become a tattoo artist – a dream since elementary school – and sat for her second tattoo at the event.
Goldman notes that both of her shoulders are tatted, and “my husband is pretty much sleeved up.”
He’s worked as a manager at several companies, including Coca-Cola, she said. He dresses and acts professionally, and ultimately keeps the mindset that “a tattoo isn’t going to change my workability,” Goldman added.
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| 2023-07-31T18:54:12
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An 8-year-old camper is now in stable condition after surviving a cougar attack at Olympic National Park in Washington state on Saturday, officials said.
Olympic National Park is near the U.S.-Canada border and about two-hour West of Seattle.
The incident took place while the family was camping at Lake Angeles, which is in the Heart O’ the Hills area. Park personnel was alerted at 6:30 p.m. and shortly responded to the site.
"The cougar casually abandoned its attack after being yelled and screamed at by the child’s mother," the National Park Service said in a statement.
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The child suffered minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation, according to the statement.
Lake Angeles was evacuated and has been closed to the public until further notice. Adjacent trails were also closed out of an abundance of caution, the NPS said.
Law enforcement and wildlife officials launched a search for the cougar. If located, the animal will be euthanized and ordered for a necropsy — an autopsy for animals — in line with the park's wildlife protocols.
U.S. & World
While Olympic National Park is considered "cougar territory," encounters like this are "extraordinarily rare," the NPS noted.
"That almost never happens, and it's a sign of very, very unusual behavior," Amos Almy, a spokesman for Olympic National Park, told NBC affiliate KING-TV.
He continued, "It's also important to remember, we're park rangers, we're wildlife biologists, we don't enjoy killing wildlife. That is not why we signed on to this job. But in circumstances like this, it is warranted."
National Park Service said visitors should be prepared for wildlife encounters when visiting the park. They advise visitors to take the following precautions if you encounter a cougar:
- Don’t run — it may trigger a cougar’s attack instinct
- Stand and face it
- Pick up children
- Appear large, wave arms or jacket over your head
- Do not approach, back away slowly
- Keep eye contact
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/8-year-old-camper-survives-cougar-attack-at-washingtons-olympic-national-park/4551533/
| 2023-07-31T18:54:14
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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.
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https://www.wivb.com/news/business/ap-europes-economy-shows-modest-growth-after-months-of-stagnation-as-rate-hikes-weigh-on-businesses/
| 2023-07-31T18:54:13
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The Indianapolis Colts' running back saga has taken yet another turn.
Backup running back Zack Moss sustained a broken arm at training camp Monday, NFL Network's Mike Garofolo reports. Colts insider Mike Chappell reports that Moss slammed his helmet to the ground after sustaining the injury during a morning practice and required help from the field from trainers. He's expected to be sidelined for six weeks, per the reports.
Moss' injury arrives as Colts starting running back Jonathan Taylor remains embroiled in a contract dispute. Taylor reportedly requested a trade during a meeting with team owner Jim Irsay last week. Irsay told NFL Network via text: "We're not trading Jonathan. ... end of discussion. Not now and not in October!"
An All-Pro and the NFL's rushing champion in 2021, Taylor is due $4.3 million on the final year of his four-year rookie contract this season. He's seeking an extension that would pay him considerably more annually. The Colts have declined to offer him an extension.
Meanwhile, Irsay's engaged in a social media dispute criticizing a campaign by top NFL running backs lamenting the position's lack of relative financial stability after Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Tony Pollard all failed to secure long-term contracts during the offseason.
NFL Running Back situation- We have negotiated a CBA,that took years of effort and hard work and compromise in good faith by both sides..to say now that a specific Player category wants another negotiation after the fact,is inappropriate. Some Agents are selling ‘bad faith’..
— Jim Irsay (@JimIrsay) July 26, 2023
Taylor's agent responded to Irsay's tweet with one of his own declaring that Irsay is "not paying your top offensive player."
Bad faith is not paying your top offensive player https://t.co/ZYvrLhxygG
— malki kawa (@malkikawa) July 27, 2023
The conflict escalated over the weekend. Chappell reported that the Colts are considering placing Taylor on the non-football injury (NFI) list, a designation that would allow them to withhold his entire 2023 salary if he remained on the list through the season. Per the report, the designation would be related to a back injury Taylor sustained while working out in Arizona.
Taylor started training camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, a designation that would not impact his pay. Taylor's recovering from offseason ankle surgery related to an injury sustained last season. If Taylor is deemed to have sustained an injury away from the team not related to football, the NFI designation could be in play. That would allow the Colts to withhold his salary for 2023 and toll the remaining $4.3 million of his contract to the 2024 season — the year that Taylor is seeking a pay increase.
Taylor denied Sunday night that he's experienced or reported any back pain.
1.) Never had a back pain.
— Jonathan Taylor (@JayT23) July 31, 2023
2.) Never reported back pain.
Not sure who “sources” are, but find new ones 🤔
As long as Taylor's sidelined, Moss projected as the Colts primary ball-carrier. The Colts obtained Moss in a midseason trade last year that sent then-backup running back Nyheim Hines to the Buffalo Bills. His injury projects to potentially sideline him through the start of the regular season. The Colts open their season on Sept. 10 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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| 2023-07-31T18:54:14
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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.
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The Miami Heat alone do not have the assets to pull off a Damian Lillard trade.
No matter how many times you try in the NBA Trade Machine, there’s no straight-up deal that sends Lillard from Portland to Miami that results in an acceptable haul for the Trail Blazers.
It’s not because Tyler Herro isn’t a talented basketball player. The former Sixth Man of the Year is coming off a respectable second consecutive season averaging 20 or more points per game.
Portland’s backcourt, however, is already accounted for in No. 3 overall pick Scoot Henderson and emerging scoring guard Anfernee Simons.
The Trail Blazers simply do not need Herro, even more so considering Shaedon Sharpe’s emergence as a legitimate NBA starter.
Portland is not trading the most important player in its franchise’s history in a deal that doesn’t make basketball sense — even more so when you consider Miami only owns two tradable first-round picks, and their next-most attractive trade asset is rookie Jaime Jacquez Jr., who becomes movable on Aug. 1.
This is precisely why the Nets will continue to linger as a potential third-party team until a Lillard deal ultimately gets done.
Four first-round draft picks and starting-caliber impact players has been the going price for a superstar in recent seasons, as the Nets well know after moving Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns. That deal fetched Brooklyn two franchise cornerstones in Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson, plus an additional four first-round draft picks.
Miami’s best offer for Lillard simply doesn’t compare.
Brooklyn, however, is armed with eight tradeable first-round picks through the 2029 NBA Draft. The franchise also holds a number of tradable contracts — namely Spencer Dinwiddie’s expiring $20M deal; the remaining two years, $77M on Ben Simmons’ mammoth contract; Dorian Finney-Smith, and the remaining three years, $43.2M on his deal; and Royce O’Neale, whose $9.5M salary for the 2023-24 season was fully guaranteed by the Nets last week.
Simmons has been dealing with back issues and his status remains uncertain, but the final year of his contract worth $40M is scheduled to come off the books the same summer the NBA is set to renegotiate its broadcast deals. The Trail Blazers currently have just $122M in guaranteed salaries and could shed more to position themselves to overpay in pursuit of a max free agent in a scenario where they acquire Simmons as part of a Lillard deal.
Free agents, of course, historically don’t choose Portland, which is why draft compensation is so vital for a team like the Trail Blazers to home-grow their own talent. As is out-bidding the market, which a potential Simmons deal would allow the Trail Blazers to do with the projected cap boon from the renegotiated TV deals.
If the Trail Blazers are set against acquiring Herro, there are multiple trade scenarios that send the former Sixth Man of the Year to the Nets, Lillard to the Heat, and four first-round picks (two from Brooklyn) plus additional players to the Trail Blazers. These trades could even involve a fourth team: The Toronto Raptors (OG Anunoby, Gary Trent Jr.), San Antonio Spurs (Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson), Indiana Pacers (Buddy Hield), Atlanta Hawks (Deandre Hunter, Saddiq Bey) all have players who can fit Portland’s need and timeline for a young, three-and-D wing.
The Nets have positioned themselves as both ready for involvement in a Lillard mega deal but also poised to enter the NBA season with the roster as currently constructed.
There’s no question, however, acquiring Herro would be an immediate upgrade for a team that struggled to generate offense in the first round of the playoffs last season.
Just how much would the Nets be willing to give up for his services? That could be a question factored into the conversation sending Lillard to the Heat to form a super team on South Beach.
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| 2023-07-31T18:54:18
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Health regulators in the United States are working to respond to a potential tuberculosis outbreak that's linked to a company's tainted bone graft products.
Three new cases of the highly unusual and deadly disease were identified in the U.S. last week, bringing the total number of cases to five, according to Politico. At least one person has died.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the cases appear to be linked to a single product sold by Aziyo Biologics Inc. that's used in surgical and dental procedures.
Shipments of the product were sent to over a dozen facilities in California, Louisiana, Michigan, New York, Oregon, Texas and Virginia. Regulators said product from the contaminated lot was implanted in at least 36 other people.
"CDC and FDA are working with state and local health departments, hospitals, surgical centers, and dental offices in the affected states to ensure patients are rapidly evaluated and treated, prevent further patient harm, and determine if additional measures can be taken to prevent similar outbreaks in the future," the agency said in a statement.
SEE MORE: Authorities arrest woman refusing tuberculosis treatment
Aziyo issued a voluntary recall notice for the tainted product earlier this month and the CDC says all of the unused units have been removed from inventory.
"We are taking immediate action to safeguard patients by implementing a full product recall as we work with the CDC to investigate this event," Aziyo president and CEO Dr. Randy Mills said in a statement. "The people of Aziyo care deeply about the patients we serve and will continue to work with the medical community, patients, and regulatory authorities as we gather additional information."
However, this isn't the first time the company has been linked to a deadly outbreak of the rare disease. In 2021, a different bone graft product sold by Aziyo was responsible for a tuberculosis outbreak in at least 87 patients, eight of which died.
SEE MORE: Tick bites likely causing thousands to develop meat allergy
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that primarily affects an infected person's lungs, but can also target other parts of the body, such as the brain, spine, or kidneys. It is transmitted through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or speaks, releasing tiny droplets that contain the bacteria.
Tuberculosis is treatable and curable, but requires a specific course of antibiotics taken over several months to ensure all bacteria has been eliminated from the body. Preliminary data from the CDC shows that the number of cases in the U.S. increased by 5% in 2022 to 8,300 cases, specifically among children under 4 years of age, those who are incarcerated, and people who have immigrated from parts of the world with high rates of the disease.
The U.S. has one of the lowest tuberculosis rates in the world, thanks to large investments into domestic programs and control efforts.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com
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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.
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PITTSBURGH — (AP) — A jury is set to deliberate whether to impose the death penalty or a sentence of life in prison without parole on a truck driver who spewed antisemitic hate before fatally shooting 11 worshippers at a synagogue in the heart of Pittsburgh's Jewish community.
The same jurors who convicted 50-year-old Robert Bowers in June on 63 criminal counts listened to closing arguments Monday in the penalty phase of his federal trial, held nearly five years after the truck driver from suburban Baldwin perpetrated the deadliest attack on Jews in U.S. history.
Bowers defiled a place of worship when he entered the Tree of Life synagogue on Oct. 27, 2018, and opened fire with an AR-15 rifle, shooting everyone he could find in a mass murder clearly motivated by religious hatred, said U.S. Attorney Eric Olshan.
Bowers raved incessantly on social media about his hatred of Jewish people, using a slur for Jewish people some 400 times on a social media platform favored by the far right, the prosecutor reminded jurors.
“Do not be numb to it. Remember what it means. This defendant targeted people solely because of the faith that they chose,” Olshan said.
He added: "This is a case that calls for the most severe punishment under the law: the death penalty.”
The defense was expected to deliver its closing argument later Monday.
Bowers' attorneys have argued that he has schizophrenia, a serious brain disorder whose symptoms include delusions and hallucinations, and that Bowers attacked the synagogue out of a delusional belief that Jews were helping to bring about a genocide of white people by coming to the aid of refugees and immigrants.
In order to impose death, jurors must find that aggravating circumstances, which make the crime especially heinous, outweigh mitigating factors that could be seen as diminishing his culpability. Those aggravating circumstances could include the vulnerability of Bowers' elderly and disabled victims and his targeting of Jewish people.
Olshan, who began his presentation Monday by playing a composite of 911 calls made from inside the synagogue, said Bowers had taken “11 people, 11 full lives, 11 people who loved their families, 11 people who loved their friends, 11 people who were loved. ... How do you measure the impact of all of that loss?”
The prosecutor spoke about 75-year-old Joyce Fienberg's care for her family and 65-year-old Richard Gottfried's devotion to his faith. He said Dr. Jerry Rabinowitz, 66, had the ethos of a country doctor: “He loved delivering babies but he never delivered judgment.” David Rosenthal, 54, and Cecil Rosenthal, 59, intellectually disabled brothers, “loved life," Olshan said. "But maybe more than anything, they loved Tree of Life."
The other deceased victims were Rose Mallinger, 97; Bernice Simon, 84, and her husband, Sylvan Simon, 86; Dan Stein, 71; Melvin Wax, 87; and Irving Younger, 69.
The attack also wounded seven people, including five responding police officers. Bowers was shot three times before surrendering when he ran out of ammunition.
___
Rubinkam reported from northeastern Pennsylvania.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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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.
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In his first appearance at Wintrust Arena since the Chicago Sky announced he joined the team’s ownership group, Dwyane Wade sat with Mayor Brandon Johnson and other Sky owners in a suite Tuesday night, then moved courtside where he posed for photos and signed autographs.
A three-time NBA champion and 13-time All-Star, Wade is the second former NBA player to invest in a WNBA team. Magic Johnson was part of the ownership group that took control of the Los Angeles Sparks in 2014.
“Why the Sky? Because I’m a fan of basketball,” Wade told the Tribune before the team’s 107-95 loss to the Las Vegas Aces. “I love it to my core. It’s changed my life. It’s changed my family’s life. And I understand the need for support. I know what that looks like.
“We’ve got some of the best players in the world playing in the ‘W’ and we’ve got some of the most generational players coming real soon. And it just feels like the time. It’s there. We’re on the cusp. But there’s a lot more that we have to do to make sure that we push ourselves over so this can be the No. 1 league in the world for women’s sports.”
Wade is also an investor in the NBA’s Utah Jazz, having joined that ownership group in 2021. He said he has “learned what partnership looks like in the management and ownership group … and how it could trickle down to the rest of the organization.”
“(Jazz owner) Ryan Smith has done an amazing job of bringing a different mindset from the tech world into the front office,” Wade said. “I think I could come in (with the Sky) and just challenge the ways of past thinking and how we look to the future.
“How can we get creative? What are the things we can do? Because it’s a lot of creative things that the NBA is trying and doing. How can we bring that to the ‘W’?”
When Wade joined the Jazz ownership group, he mentioned the importance of being a Black owner in a league with so few. He sees a similar need in his new role with the Sky.
“It means a lot,” he said. “It means a lot for me to see Nadia Rawlinson (the Sky’s operating chairman) in her seat as co-owner. It means a lot that I can come in and support a Black woman that is doing this.
“This is a women’s league, but that doesn’t mean it only needs to be women who are part of this league. So being a Black man and being a part of this league in my hometown … it kind of feels like it’s my duty to step up in the ways that I can.”
As he gets acclimated with the Sky and the WNBA, Wade said he has had conversations not only with Rawlinson and other team owners, but also with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and players association executive director Terri Jackson about how they can partner to grow the game.
Though he’s looking to the future, Wade doesn’t want to act as if the past 27 years of the WNBA never happened.
“We have to stop and have an ovation for that,” he said. “But in the midst of that let’s move on to what else needs to be done. I’ve always had success through partnership. That’s taking your egos and your pride and putting (them) aside and actually getting together and saying, ’Let’s make sure everybody gets what they want.’
“To get this league where we need to, each side needs to listen and then try to educate so we can all help each other and understand how to get to the common goal.”
One of those goals is making the Sky a premier destination for both WNBA players and fans. Wade said he wants to make the team “feel like the city” and make Sky games the place people want to be in the summer.
“For those three months, you want to be in Chicago, and we want our women to feel like they play in Chicago,” he said. “So how does that look? And what does that entail from us to do?”
Another major goal for Wade is to re-sign All-Star guard Kahleah Copper. After seven years with the Sky, Copper — who scored a career-high 37 points Tuesday — will be a free agent this summer. The 2021 WNBA Finals MVP told the Sun-Times she wants the team “to be able to keep up with the Joneses.”
The Aces opened a state-of-the-art practice facility before this season, and the Seattle Storm plan to construct a $64 million, 50,000-square-foot practice facility with team offices. Sky ownership has committed to moving the team out of Sachs Recreation Center in Deerfield and into a new facility within two to four years, and Wade sees Copper staying in Chicago as a key to the team’s future.
“Coming off of a championship (in 2021), it’s tough to lose the core — a lot of great pieces,” he said. “And to have an All-Star like Kahleah … big summer for her, big summer for us. We don’t want to rebuild and start all over. We have a centerpiece. And your goal is to build around a centerpiece with the right pieces.
“Your perception is your reality. So my challenge to us is what is our perception as a team, and let’s figure out a way to change the perception so our reality can look different.”
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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.
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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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After months of warnings from tech executives about the dangers of artificial intelligence, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has a new list of concerns.
The agency has issued a stark warning to Americans about cybercriminals using AI tools, like ChatGPT, to create malicious code and launch attacks that had previously required much more effort.
The agency detailed its concerns on a phone call with journalists and explained that AI chatbots have been used to help criminals carry out various types of illicit activity. One FBI official said bad actors are using it as a tool to supplement criminal activities by utilizing things like AI voice generators to impersonate trusted individuals in order to defraud people.
The bottom line is there are fewer people, less expertise, and less time needed for a lot of these threats, ultimately lowering the barrier for entry, according to officials. Furthermore, the agency said it is working with private companies to identify synthetically generated content online that's made with the help of AI.
SEE MORE: Cybersecurity firm finds compromised ChatGPT accounts on dark web
It's not the first time an alarm has been sounded about the potential threats of AI. Cybersecurity firm Group-IB reported that more than 26,000 compromised ChatGPT accounts were detected on the dark web in may and were being offered for sale. According to the firm, more employers are using tools like ChatGPT to optimize their work, but entries into the chatbot could include sensitive or proprietary information that could be exploited by hackers.
However, some companies have been wary to jumping on the chatbot train. Apple has already restricted employees from using ChatGPT. Other companies, like Verizon and JPMorgan Chase, have taken similar measures.
SEE MORE: Musk, tech leaders call for pause on 'out-of-control' AI race
Earlier this month, President Joe Biden hosted seven major tech companies at the White House to discuss ways to protect the public from the potential harms of AI. The companies — Amazon, Anthropic, Google, Inflection, Meta, Microsoft, and OpenAI — all made voluntary commitments to ensure their products are safe for consumers prior to launch.
One of those promises is a commitment to internal and external security testing—meaning allowing third-party, independent experts to review AI cybersecurity.
"I think that's a very important step," said Dr. Arati Prabhakar, lead science adviser to the president. "There are other fields where that happens [where] it's been very helpful, but I think it's going to be very constructive for AI."
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com
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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.
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17-year-old American cyclist Magnus White died Saturday after he was struck by a vehicle on a training ride near his home in Boulder, Colorado, USA Cycling said in a statement Sunday.
He was scheduled to compete at the upcoming Junior Men’s Mountain Bike Cross-Country World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland on August 10, 2023.
"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.
It is with an extremely heavy heart that we share the news that 17-year-old Magnus White has passed away in a training accident.
— USA Cycling (@usacycling) July 30, 2023
Please read USA Cycling's statement in Memory of Magnus White: https://t.co/vZryL710K8 pic.twitter.com/q8CCkJnYdL
He was wearing a helmet as he rode south on the shoulder of Colorado State Highway 119 when a 23-year-old Colorado woman in a Toyota Matrix drove onto the shoulder from the right lane and hit him from behind, Colorado Highway Patrol told The New York Post. The impact reportedly threw White off the bike as the Toyota continued to move off the right side of the road and down an embankment before it was stopped by a fence, according to the report.
White died at the hospital. The driver was reportedly not injured.
The crash is still being investigated and authorities do not believe alcohol, drugs or speeding were involved, according to The Post.
Racing at the national level since he was a 10-year-old, White was already a decorated cyclist. He won the Junior 17-18 Cyclocross national championship in 2021 and went on to compete for the USA Cycling National Team for the European Cyclocross racing season. He was selected to represent the US again at the 2023 cyclocross World Championships in the Netherlands in February.
Mountain biking was a new avenue for White, around which he was set to center his entire summer.
White is survived by his brother, Eero, and his parents, Jill and Michael. A GoFundMe in his memory surpassed $80,000 on Monday.
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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.
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Llazar Semini reported from Tirana, Albania.
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As we approach the heart of summer, families around the country are planning travel vacations. With gas prices approaching $5 per gallon in some places, Americans are looking for anything to decrease the pain at the pump.
The Biden administration says electric vehicles are a solution to decarbonizing the transportation sector while also making driving more affordable. However, its “electric vehicle revolution” operates in an alternate reality where billions of dollars of government spending create domestic supply chain problems overnight. Most EVs are made outside the United States, so many that less than 15% of EVs on the market qualify for federal tax breaks.
President Biden claims to be seeking an American solution to a problem it is unclear exists. In truth, we already have a readily available solution: American-made ethanol. Not only does ethanol lower prices at the pump but it also decreases emissions. If the president’s stated goal is to pursue cleaner transportation alternatives, then ethanol should be at the top of the list of solutions.
I have visited Iowa several times while running for president. In every town and city across the state, people tell me how important ethanol is in powering their farms, supporting small businesses and providing economic opportunities in their communities. In fact, research shows the widespread use of ethanol would generate $36.3 billion in additional income for American households, save drivers nearly $21 billion at the pump per year, and support 188,000 jobs.
Democrats would respond that boosting jobs and supporting the economy is not as important as saving the environment. However, the Department of Energy highlights that ethanol creates about 50% lower greenhouse gas emissions than gasoline.
Democrats also conveniently ignore the severe environmental and humanitarian nightmares that support the electric vehicle supply chain. Studies show that producing electric vehicles emits more greenhouse gases than fossil-fuel-powered vehicles. Many have warned that the minerals needed for electric vehicle batteries are made under “modern-day slavery” conditions.
Build back better? Not so much.
If the goal is cleaner transportation solutions, let’s be honest and let’s ensure that biofuels, like ethanol, aren’t discounted in this pursuit.
But if we are truly serious about addressing climate issues, we should first focus on getting China to play by the rules. Despite efforts by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, China remains the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases and shows no signs of reform.
Until we live in a utopia where China listens to us and the average electric vehicle doesn’t cost more than triple the average down payment on a house, we must think practically about the best way to fuel our nation. And that, for starters, should focus heavily on making higher ethanol blends available to all Americans and ensuring that American biofuels factor heavily in our transportation mix.
Larry Elder is a conservative talk radio host and a Republican candidate for president/InsideSources
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| 2023-07-31T18:54:30
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As seen on News 4
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/on-air/as-seen-on/nyc-struggles-to-house-asylum-seekers/4551020/
| 2023-07-31T18:54:32
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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.
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| 2023-07-31T18:54:33
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Carlos De Oliveira, the property manager at Mar-a-Lago, made his first court appearance on Monday after being charged by the Justice Department in an alleged plot with Donald Trump and Walt Nauta, the former president's personal aide, to illegally keep classified documents at the Palm Beach, Fla., estate.
De Oliveira wascharged with four counts, including conspiracy to obstruct justice and lying to investigators.
Appearing in federal court in Miami, De Oliveira was informed of the charges against him but did not enter a plea because did not have a lawyer listed who is able to practice in Florida, where the case will be tried. He was released on a $100,000 bond pending trial and the arraignment was rescheduled for Aug. 10.
Chief Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres ordered De Oliveira to turn over his passport and said he cannot travel outside south Florida without permission.
[CNN: Mar-a-Lago property manager makes first court appearance in classified documents case]
De Oliveira was charged in a superceding indictment against Trump and Nauta, which was unsealed Thursday. It alleged that Trump tried to have security video deleted after the Justice Department sent a subpoena for the footage in June 2022. According to prosecutors, De Oliveira asked an information technology staffer how long the server retained footage and told the employee that “the boss” wanted it deleted.
More Trump indictments looming
The new charges come as Trump braces for indictments in two other cases stemming from his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Last week, Trump said that he received a letter from special counsel Jack Smith informing him that he was a target of the Justice Department’s ongoing investigation into his efforts to hold onto power following his loss in the 2020 election, including his actions leading to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Trump is reportedly facingthree potential criminal charges: conspiracy to commit an offense against or defraud the United States; deprivation of rights; and witness tampering.
On Thursday, the former president’s lawyers met with prosecutors in Washington, D.C., while a grand jury was hearing evidence in the case. They were told that Trump should expect to be charged in the case but were not given any indication of when an indictment would be brought.
Barricades go up in Georgia
In Georgia, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has signaled that indictments are possible in the next few weeks as a grand jury convenes to consider possible charges against the former president and others who tried to persuade Georgia election officials to reverse Trump's narrow loss to President Biden in the state.
Biden carried Georgia by just 11,779 votes.
[AP: Trump could be indicted soon in Georgia. Here's a look at that investigation.]
Barricades were placed outside the Fulton County Courthouse in downtown Atlanta on Thursday ahead of possible charges against Trump and his associates.
Georgia judge skewers Trump
On Monday, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney said it's too soon for Trump or his allies to seek to prohibit state prosecutors from continuing to investigate him.
"[W]hile 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," McBurney wrote in anine-page ruling. "And for some, being the subject of a criminal investigation can, a la Rumpelstiltskin, be turned into golden political capital, making it seem more providential than problematic."
Trump is the prohibitive frontrunner in the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. And Trump's leadership PAC has already spent more than $40 million on his legal fees.
Trump’s ‘Big Lie’ suit against CNN dismissed
Meanwhile, a federal judge in Florida has dismissed Trump's defamation lawsuit against CNN. The suit had alleged that "the Big Lie" — the label given by the cable network to Trump's false claims of election fraud — was tantamount to comparing him to Adolf Hitler.
But U.S. District Judge Raag Singhal, who was appointed by Trump, disagreed.
“CNN’s use of the phrase ‘the Big Lie' in connection with Trump’s election challenges does not give rise to a plausible inference that Trump advocates the persecution and genocide of Jews or any other group of people,” Singhai wrote in his decision.
Moreover, the judge ruled that the references made by the network’s hosts were opinions and not factual statements, and therefore protected by the First Amendment.
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| 2023-07-31T18:54:34
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By ANWARULLAH KHAN and RIAZ KHAN (Associated Press)
KHAR, Pakistan (AP) — The Islamic State group on Monday claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Pakistan that killed at least 54 people including five children at a pro-Taliban cleric’s rally in one of the worst attacks in the country in recent years.
IS, known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province, made the claim in a statement posted on its Amaq website. The statement said the attack was part of the group’s continuing war against forms of democracy it deems to be against Islam.
Hours earlier, hundreds of mourners in the northwestern town of Bajur carried caskets draped in colorful cloths to burial sites following the previous day’s attack at an election rally for a pro-Taliban cleric.
Officials said Sunday’s bombing killed 54 people, including at least five children, and wounded nearly 200.
The attack appeared to reflect divisions between Islamist groups, which have a strong presence in the district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan. It targeted the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, which has ties to the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban.
At least 1,000 people were crowded into a tent near a market for the rally ahead of fall elections, according to police.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
Hundreds of mourners in northwestern Pakistan carried caskets draped in colorful cloths to burial sites in the hills Monday after a suicide bombing killed at least 54 people at an election rally for a pro-Taliban cleric.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for Sunday’s bombing in Bajur that killed at least five children and wounded nearly 200 people.
The attack appeared to reflect divisions between Islamist groups, which have a strong presence in the district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan. It targeted the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, which has ties to the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban.
At least 1,000 people, according to police, were crowded into a tent near a market for the rally ahead of fall elections.
“People were chanting God is Great as the leaders arrived,” said Khan Mohammad, a local resident who said he was standing outside the tent, “and that was when I heard the deafening sound of the bomb.”
Mohammad said he heard people crying for help, and minutes later ambulances arrived and began taking the wounded away.
Police said their initial investigation suggested that the Islamic State group’s regional affiliate, a rival of the Taliban, could be responsible, while a Pakistan security analyst pointed to breakaway factions of the Pakistani Taliban as possible suspects.
The Pakistani military spent years fighting the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, in Bajur before declaring the district clear of militants in 2016. But the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, headed by hard-line cleric and politician Fazlur Rehman, has remained a potent political force.
On Monday, police recorded statements from some of the wounded at a hospital in Khar, the district’s principal town.
The Islamic State in Khorasan Province, which police identified as a suspect in the attack, is based in neighboring Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province and is a rival of the Afghan Taliban and al-Qaida.
Pakistani security analyst Mahmood Shah said some TTP members have been known to disobey their top leadership to carry out attacks, as have breakaway factions of the group.
Shah said such factions could have perpetrated the attack to cause “confusion, instability and unrest ahead of the elections.”
On Monday, female relatives and children wailed and beat their chests at family homes as the dead were taken for funerals, following local customs. Hundreds of men followed the caskets to mosques and open areas for special funeral prayers and then into the hills for burial.
As condolences continued to pour in from across the country, dozens of people who had lesser injuries were discharged from hospital, while the critically wounded were taken to the provincial capital of Peshawar by army helicopters. The death toll continued to rise as some critically wounded people died in hospital, physician Gul Naseeb said.
Gul Akbar, the father of an 11-year-old boy who was wounded in the attack, told The Associated Press that his entire family was in a state of shock after hearing about the bombing Sunday. He said he first went to the scene of the attack, and later found his son Taslim Khan being treated in a hospital in Khar.
“What would I have done if he had also been martyred? Five children died in this barbaric attack, and we want to know what our children did wrong,” he said.
Rehman’s party is preparing to contest elections, which are expected in October or November. Abdul Rasheed, one of the party’s senior leaders, said the bombing was aimed at weakening the party but that “such attacks cannot deter our resolve.”
Rehman’s party is part of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s coalition government, which came to power in April 2022 by ousting former Prime Minister Imran Khan through a no-confidence vote in the legislature.
Sharif called Rehman to express his condolences and assure the cleric that those who orchestrated the attack would be punished. Khan condemned the bombing Sunday, as did the U.S. and Russian embassies in Islamabad.
The Pakistani Taliban also distanced themselves from the bombing, saying that it was intended to set Islamists against each other. Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Afghan Taliban, wrote in a tweet that “such crimes cannot be justified in any way.”
The bombing came hours before Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng arrived in Islamabad, where he signed new agreements to boost trade and economic ties to mark a decade of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a sprawling package under which China has invested $10 billion in Pakistan over 10 years, according to Sharif.
“We will not tolerate any obstacles in the way of friendship with China,” Sharif said, as he stood next to He.
But the government canceled a cultural event that had been arranged in honor of He, according to Sharif, while the nation mourns.
Some Chinese nationals have also been targeted by militants in northwestern Pakistan and elsewhere.
Rehman, who has long supported Afghanistan’s Taliban government, survived at least two known bomb attacks in 2011 and 2014, when bombings damaged his car at rallies.
Sunday’s bombing was one of the worst in northwestern Pakistan in the last decade. In 2014, 147 people, mostly schoolchildren, were killed in a Taliban attack on an army-run school in Peshawar.
In January, 74 people were killed in a bombing at a mosque in Peshawar. And in February, more than 100 people, mostly policemen, died in a bombing at a mosque inside a high-security compound housing Peshawar police headquarters.
___
Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed contributed to this story from Islamabad.
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| 2023-07-31T18:54:36
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NEW YORK (AP) — 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.”
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.
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.”
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.
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.”
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.
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| 2023-07-31T18:54:35
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Paul Reubens, the actor who played Pee-wee Herman, died late Sunday at the age of 70, according to a post from his official Facebook page.
The post revealed that Reubens had been quietly battling cancer for the last six years. Reubens left a message for fans prior to his death.
"Please accept my apology for not going public with what I've been facing the last six years," he said. "I have always felt a huge amount of love and respect from friends, fans and supporters. I have loved you all so much and enjoyed making art for you."
Although Reubens had a prolific acting career, he was best known for his portrayal of Herman. The character appealed to children and adults alike through shows like "The Pee-wee Herman Show," "Pee-wee's Playhouse," and the movie, "Pee-wee's Big Adventure."
SEE MORE: Biden announces advanced research project to reduce cancer mortality
But his career took a hit in 1991 when he was reportedly arrested for exposing himself while attending a pornographic film.
"It was kind of like a mortifying kind of situation, where I felt like you know people are laughing at me," Reubens said in a 2004 interview with NBC News."I'm a professional comedian. I've never claimed to be able to take it as good as a dish it out, ever. I mean I'm just sensitive.”
Although he never regained his popularity before his arrest, Reubens continued acting in several comedic rules, including occasional portrayals of Herman.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com
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https://www.kxxv.com/paul-reubens-actor-who-played-pee-wee-herman-dead-at-70
| 2023-07-31T18:54:46
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DETROIT (AP) — Michigan residents who were catastrophically injured in car wrecks before the summer of 2019 can’t have insurance benefits reduced while they continue to get long-term care, the state Supreme Court said Monday in a decision that provides critical relief for thousands of people.
For decades, crash survivors 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. Suddenly, 18,000 people already receiving benefits were forced to scramble as some health providers dropped out.
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.
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.
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.
Another person who has frequently talked publicly about the law’s drastic impact on his long-term care died Monday, according to CPAN, a coalition of medical organizations and consumer groups speaking for accident victims.
Brian Woodward suffered devastating spinal injuries in a 1980s crash but was able to get in-home care and even hold a job. When the law changed, and care rates were reduced, he said he lost caregivers and was shuttled from facility to facility.
“It resulted in the spiritual, emotional and physical decline of many people, including Brian,” said Tim Hoste, president of CPAN. “If you don’t have appropriate care, your condition will decline rapidly. That’s what happened.”
An industry trade group, the Insurance Alliance of Michigan, said the Supreme Court decision will open the door to overcharging for medical care. The lower reimbursement schedule, however, remains intact for injuries since the law was overhauled.
In a dissent, Justice David Viviano said the Supreme Court 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
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Saving the lives of homeless animals is something many of us are passionate about, including us at NBCUniversal with our 9th annual "Clear The Shelters" nationwide pet adoption and donation campaign.
But for 16-year-old Sir Darius Brown, it's become his life's mission, or as he calls it, his PAW-SOME mission.
Sir Darius got his start after learning about hundreds of dogs displaced from their home in Texas and Puerto Rico that were transferred to shelters in the northeast after hurricanes Harvey and Irma in 2017. He knew right then he needed to do something to help.
So he turned his passion for sewing, which he learned from his sister, to create bow ties for shelter pets. His creation quickly turned into a thriving company he founded called "Beaux & Paws," where he is also CEO.
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"Beaux & Paws" is the company where I handcraft bow ties for dogs and cats to help them be noticeable and adoptable and find everlasting homes," Sir Darius said. "I believe a bow tie is a symbol. It gives them a form of importance. It's going to attract people to want to adopt a dog or a cat."
"What a wonderful young man," said Liz Morgan, director of Montclair Township Animal Shelter in New Jersey. "People might walk past a dog that's middle-aged, but with a bow tie, you have to look at her."
For every bow tie that is purchased, Sir Darius donates a bow tie to a shelter pet.
"Every single bow tie that I make is personal," Sir Darius said. "It's not just any bow tie you can buy at a local store. When it's handmade, it creates that bond."
This year, Sir Darius was selected as an ambassador for Clear The Shelters to further his goal of finding every shelter pet a loving, forever home. In fact, he's so dedicated to his mission that he created a special bow tie just for Clear The Shelters.
"I created this bow tie for Clear the Shelters because not only is it really cute, but I wanted to spread the word," he said.
Since its inception in 2015, Clear The Shelters has helped more than 860,000 pets find new homes. For Clear The Shelters 2023, which runs Aug. 1 through Aug. 31, we want to reach a new milestone with the help of Sir Darius.
"For this year's Clear the Shelters, we want to help adopt our one-millionth pet," Sir Darius said. "People should want to come together to uplift and inspire others to adopt and to really help us reach our goal."
To date, Sir Darius has donated over 5,000 bow ties and helped raise more than $800,000 for animal shelters.
"I don't think any of us ever thought that it would get to the magnitude that it currently is," sister and co-found, Dazhai Brown said. "I'm so glad that it is Sir Darius that has been able to be an advocate for shelter animals and to promote adopting, not shopping."
"My mom and my sister are very proud of me," he said. "If it wasn't for them, this initiative wouldn't have come close to being possible."
If you would like to purchase a "Clear The Shelters" bow tie, check out his website.
For more information about 2023 Clear The Shelters, including available pets in your area and how to donate, click here.
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
- Hashtags: #ClearTheShelters & #DesocuparLosAlbergues
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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
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NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are drifting Monday as Wall Street rolls toward the end of another winning month.
The S&P 500 was mostly unchanged in afternoon trading, on track for a fifth straight month of gains, which would be its longest winning streak in nearly two years. The index is near a 16-month high after rallying on hopes cooling inflation will mean the economy can avoid a long-predicted recession.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 45 points, or 0.1%, at 35,506 as of 1:43 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.1% higher.
To be sure, critics have been saying Wall Street’s seemingly growing consensus for a soft landing for the economy has come too quickly. Several reports this upcoming week could poke holes in the theory that inflation will keep coming down enough for the Federal Reserve to not only stop hiking interest rates but to begin cutting them by early next year.
Big names in the market, such as Rob Arnott at Research Affiliates, are warning not to be “overly hasty in popping the champagne corks.” Arnott sees the possibility of inflation rebounding again later this year, even though it’s cooled considerably recently.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell himself has pointed to Friday’s upcoming report on the overall U.S. job market as an important datapoint. Growth needs to be strong enough to keep a lid on worries about a possible recession. But a reading that’s too hot could also mean upward pressure on inflation, which could push the Fed to get more aggressive about rates.
High rates undercut inflation by slowing the overall economy and dragging on prices for stocks and other investments. The Fed has already hiked its main rate to its highest level in more than two decades, a jolting shock after the rate began last year at virtually zero.
Two of Wall Street’s most influential stocks are also set to report their earnings for the spring. Amazon and Apple are both scheduled to release their latest quarterly results on Thursday. Because they’re two of the most massive stocks on Wall Street, their stock movements pack much more punch for the S&P 500 and other indexes than other stocks.
Both stocks have soared this year, in part on expectations for strong continued growth, and they’ll need to deliver to justify the big moves. Both Apple and Amazon are up more than 50% so far this year.
Roughly halfway through the earnings reporting season, more companies than usual have topped analysts’ profit expectations, according to FactSet. Companies also seem to be more optimistic about their upcoming results, giving better-than-expected profit forecasts more often than usual, according to strategists at Bank of America.
“While economic uncertainty remains, we believe the profit cycle is inflecting higher,” the strategists wrote in a BofA Global Research report.
ON Semiconductor rose 3% for one of the larger gains in the S&P 500 after reporting stronger profit for the latest quarter than expected. The company, known as onsemi, also gave a forecast for profit in the current quarter that topped analysts’ expectations.
On the losing end was Tempur Sealy International. The mattress company said it discovered a cybersecurity event last week, which pushed it to shut down some of its technology systems. It has resumed operations after what it called a temporary interruption and is working to determine the incident’s full impact. Its stock fell 4%.
In stock markets abroad, indexes in Europe were a bit higher higher after data showed Europe’s economy has grown modestly after months of stagnation.
In Asia, stocks rose in Hong Kong and Shanghai amid hopes Beijing will deliver more stimulus for the sluggish Chinese economy.
In the bond market, U.S. Treasury yields slipped after a report suggested manufacturing in the Chicago region is weakening a bit more than economists expected. Manufacturing has been one of the hardest-hit areas in the economy by high interest rates, which work with a notoriously long lag effect.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury slipped to 3.94% from 3.96% late Friday.
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AP Business Writers Matt Ott, Elaine Kurtenbach and Joe McDonald contributed.
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NEW YORK (AP) — When actor Casey Likes watched “Back to the Future” growing up, his mom would always say he reminded her a lot of the film’s star, Michael J. Fox. Something in the universe agrees: He’s taken on Fox’s classic movie role on Broadway.
The rising stage star plays Marty McFly for a musical adaptation of the beloved 1985 sci-fi comedy about a time-traveling duo who go back to the 1950s in a souped-up, gull-winged DeLorean.
“I remember growing up and just really, really loving the film. It kind of sat in that realm of like ‘E.T.’ and ‘Close Encounters’ — movies that came at a time when film was magical,” says Likes, 21. “I hope we accomplish something kind of similar with Broadway.”
The show, which won the Olivier Award for best new musical last year in London, arrives at the Winter Garden Theatre this summer with a story by Bob Gale, who previously co-created and co-wrote the movie with Robert Zemeckis. It hews very closely to the original, including having a DeLorean onstage and the shout “Great Scott!”
Broadway veteran and Tony Award-winner Roger Bart takes on Christopher Lloyd’s role of Doc Brown, the oddball scientist with a knack for inventions. Bart recalls seeing “Back to the Future” in his early 20s when it first appeared in movie theaters. He watched with three friends from theater school and they were all secretly jealous of Fox.
“None of my friends — even knowing each other as well as we did — none of them, including my mother, ever nudged me and said, ‘No, no, kid. You’re Doc Brown. Just be patient,’” the Tony-winner says laughing.
Like the film, the musical centers on Marty McFly traveling back to his hometown in 1955. Once there, he gets caught up in the soap opera lives of his own teenage parents, including his mom, who develops a crush on her future son. He must reconnect mom and dad or he risks disappearing from history.
“We feel like it’s very important – I’m sure Casey would agree — for the public to come to the show and recognize that they are seeing that story in a different form but with all of its charms very deeply intact,” says Bart, whose Broadway credits include “The Producers,” “Disaster!” and “Young Frankenstein.”
New songs have been crafted by the film’s composer Alan Silvestri and songwriter and producer Glen Ballard. Some Huey Lewis and the News songs from the movie also have been included, like the theme tune “The Power of Love” and “Back in Time,” as well as Marty McFly’s futuristic rendition of “Johnny B. Goode.”
“We go back to the ‘50s, you get some songs that sound like ’Grease,’ like ‘Bye Bye Birdie.’ And then we have some ‘80s moments in there that are very ’Footloose,’” says Likes. “It feels kind of like the greatest hits of not only rock ‘n’ roll, but of musical theater.”
While both men are fans of the films — and both got to meet the original stars at a gala last week — neither Bart nor Likes want to straightjacket themselves into the way Fox and Lloyd performed their roles.
“I don’t want to impersonate the movie. I want to remind you of the movie,” says Likes, who made his Broadway debut last year as the Cameron Crowe-inspired lead character of the musical “Almost Famous.”
“There’s a lot of things that Roger is doing that are similar, and there’s a lot of things that I’m doing that hopefully are similar to Michael. But we’re really just reminding you of their brilliance. Hopefully, at the same time, you’re able to kind of go along the journey with our Marty and Doc.”
In addition to being a cultural touchstone, “Back to the Future” was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry and the American Film Institute listed it as the No. 10 best science-fiction film. Bart thinks the movie’s staying power is because it manages to straddle many worlds.
There’s a time travel story and one about getting to know your parents as peers. There’s a love story between Marty’s parents and there’s also a buddy movie — Marty and Doc putting their friendship on the line.
“Between all of these elements, it answers so many of the things that we love about that era of moviemaking and storytelling,” says Bart. “I think that’s one of the reasons why it is has sort of stuck around so long.”
Not to mention the fact that audiences can appreciate the story at different parts of their lives. Kids can enjoy the thrills and special effects; adults can be moved by the notion of meeting their own moms and dads. “Part of its sustaining power is the fact that it can mean one thing at one age and another at another,” says Bart.
Likes also adds another reason: Marty initially only wants to get back to his own time period to reconnect with his girlfriend. But his reasons start to change — save Doc, save his family, save the world.
“As the show goes on, there’s more stacked up reasons as to why he has to get back. And I think that’s a really interesting thing to think about in our own life,” he says. “What would be our reasons to to get back to our current life?”
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Mark Kennedy can be reached at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits
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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 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.
De Oliveira, wearing a blue suit and tie, answered questions from a magistrate judge during a brief hearing in Miami federal court. He was ordered to turn over his passport and sign an agreement to pay $100,000 if he doesn’t return to court. He was represented by Washington, D.C.-based attorney John Irving, but under court rules he needs local counsel to proceed with his arraignment, which was scheduled for Aug. 10 in Fort Pierce.
Irving told reporters after the hearing that he looks forward to seeing what potential evidence the Justice Department has. He declined to comment about whether De Oliveira has been asked to testify against Trump.
De Oliveira's court appearance comes as Trump braces for possible charges stemming from investigations into his efforts to cling to power after he lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden.
Trump, the early front-runner in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, has been informed he's a target of special counsel Jack Smith's investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election, and Trump's lawyers met with Smith's team last week. A Georgia prosecutor is also expected to seek a grand jury indictment in the coming weeks in her investigation into efforts by Trump and his allies to subvert his election loss there.
Trump, who pleaded not guilty in June, has denied any wrongdoing. He posted 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 the former president 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. Associated Press journalist Daniel Kozin in Miami contributed.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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Call it a C.R.E.A.M. team.
Julius Randle, the Knicks star power forward and highest-paid player at over $28 million next season, and Method Man, the Wu Tang jewel, are the guests of next week’s inaugural ‘The Shop Uninterrupted Live Tour,’ the Daily News has learned.
Their conversation, which is open and free to the public, is set for Aug. 2 at Brooklyn’s Greenpoint Terminal Warehouse. It’s the first stop on a three-city tour for ‘The Shop,’ which is produced by LeBron James’s entertainment company SpringHill and sponsored by Lexus.
‘The Shop’ moved from HBO to YouTube last year.
As familiar NY faces of the past and present, Randle and Method Man are fitting choices for the Brooklyn show. Randle, 28, is entering his fourth season of a rollercoaster tenure with the Knicks, representing the franchise’s only All-Star of the last five years but also a polarizing figure among the fanbase. He underwent minor ankle surgery last month and is expected to be ready for training camp.
‘The Shop Uninterrupted’ will be Randle’s first time speaking publicly since the Knicks acquired Donte DiVincenzo and traded Obi Toppin. In a previous podcast interview with Clippers All-Star Paul George, Randle tacitly endorsed roster continuity because the Knicks, following last season’s run to the second round, are “not that far off.” Team president Leon Rose then followed up by only tinkering around the edges.
Method Man, a 52-year-old Staten Island product, is a hip hop legend and the transcendent lyricist of the Wu Tang Clan. He also launched a lucrative acting career with recurring roles on three HBO series.
Maverick Carter and Paul Rivera, both executives at the SpringHill Company, will serve as hosts of the Aug. 2 discussion. The event, which includes a block party after the live taping of the interview, starts at 4 p.m.
The final two cities of the tour are Washington D.C. on August 16 and Atlanta on August 25. A recent interview of Joel Embiid made waves from the Uninterrupted Film Festival, when the Sixers center told Carter that his championship goal may not happen in Philadelphia.
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NEW YORK (AP) — Troubled trucking company Yellow Corp. is shutting down and filing for bankruptcy, the Teamsters said Monday.
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. This is a sad day for workers and the American freight industry,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien.
Yellow has a distribution center located on Milens Road in the Town of Tonawanda.
The Associated Press reached out to Yellow for comment on Monday. No bankruptcy filings were found as of the early morning.
The company’s collapse arrives just three years after Yellow, formerly known as YRC Worldwide, Inc., received $700 million in pandemic-era loans from the federal government. But the company was in financial trouble long before that — with industry analysts pointing to poor management and strategic decisions dating back decades.
Former Yellow customers and shippers will face higher prices as they take their business to competitors, including FedEx or ABF Freight, experts say — noting that Yellow historically offered the cheapest price points in the industry.
Yellow is one of the nation’s largest less-than-truckload carriers. The 99-year-old Nashville, Tennessee-based company had 30,000 employees across the country as of earlier this year.
On Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal and FreightWaves reported that Yellow was preparing for bankruptcy — with some noting that customers had already started to leave the carrier in large numbers. And the company reportedly stopped freight pickups earlier in the week.
Yellow shut down operations on Sunday, according to The Wall Street Journal, following the layoffs of hundreds of nonunion employees on Friday.
The bankruptcy preparation reports arrived just days after Yellow averted a strike from the Teamsters, which represents Yellow’s 22,000 unionized workers, amid heated contract negotiations. On July 23, a pension fund agreed to extend health benefits for workers at two Yellow Corp. operating companies, avoiding a planned walkout — 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.
Yellow has racked up hefty bills over the years. 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.
The current financial chaos at Yellow “is probably two decades in the making,” said Stifel research director Bruce Chan, 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.”
A Wednesday investors note from financial service firm Stephens estimated that Yellow was burning daily amount of $9 million to $10 million in recent days.
According to Satish Jindel, president of transportation and logistics firm SJ Consulting, Yellow handled an average of 49,000 shipments per day in 2022. On Friday, he estimated that number was down to between 10,000 and 15,000 daily shipments.
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.”
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AP Business Writer Matt Ott contributed to this report.
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — This year Whitney Houston would have turned 60, and a special celebration to raise money for a good cause is being planned for her birthday.
Houston’s estate, Sony and Primary Wave Music will host the 2nd annual Whitney Houston Legacy of Love on Aug. 9, which will benefit the late singer’s foundation aimed at helping young people.
Houston’s close friends BeBe Winans and Kim Burrell will perform at the gala at Atlanta’s St. Regis Hotel, as will Whitney’s brother, Gary, who toured with her for three decades.
“When I turned 50, Whitney gave me two celebrations — one in Ireland and one in London. I always tell everyone now that one of them was for her,” says Pat Houston, Whitney Houston’s sister-in-law and the executor of her estate. Houston died in February 2012 at age 48. “This year is Whitney at 60 — we’re all looking forward to being a part of the power of love in that room.”
Houston found the Whitney Houston Foundation for Children in 1989 with the goal of empowering youth, providing resources to unhoused children, giving out college scholarships, and raising funds for charities like the Children’s Defense Fund and St. Jude Children’s Research.
A charity auction will raise money for the foundation, which is now called the Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation.
“We’re going to auction off a beautiful lavender dress Dolly Parton wore when she sang ‘I Will Always Love You’ at Country Music Television’s ‘100 Greatest Love Songs of Country Music’ special in 2004,” says Pat Houston. “This dress is particularly special because it’s lavender, and lavender is Whitney’s favorite color.”
The song, originally written by Parton, was recorded by Houston and became one of her great, everlasting hits. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified it diamond early last year, which means the track has sold and streamed 10 million equivalent units in the United States. It became her first diamond single, and made Houston the third woman to ever achieve diamond-status with both a single and an album, following Mariah Carey and Taylor Swift.
Clive Davis will serve as honorary chairman. Recording Academy President Harvey Mason jr. is scheduled to attend. Also expected are Gamma’s Larry Jackson and Whitney Houston’s musical director Rickey Minor.
“I always tell people, Whitney is the star,” Pat Houston said. “Everybody in that room is royalty, but she’s loyalty — and she’s still showing that.”
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WASHINGTON — (AP) — Former President Donald Trump 's mounting legal woes are burning through cash, leading his campaign to request a refund from a supportive super PAC and launch a new legal defense fund to help cover costs.
His political action committee, Save America, is expected to disclose Monday that it spent more than $40 million on legal fees during the first half of the year for costs related to defending the former president, his aides and other allies, according to a person familiar with the filing who spoke on the condition of anonymity before the deadline. The number was first reported by The Washington Post.
At the same time, Trump's allies are creating a new legal defense fund that will help pay the soaring legal fees as Trump faces dozens of criminal charges stemming from indictments in New York and Florida, with more expected as soon as this week. The Patriot Legal Defense Fund, as it is called, is intended to raise money to defray costs for those “defending against legal actions arising from an individual or group’s participation in the political process,” according to a filing made last month with the IRS. The group will be run by Trump campaign senior advisers Susie Wiles and Michael Glassner.
“The weaponized Department of Justice and the deranged Jack Smith have targeted innocent Americans associated with President Trump," said Trump spokesman Steven Cheung. “In order to combat these heinous actions by Joe Biden’s cronies and to protect these innocent people from financial ruin and prevent their lives from being completely destroyed, a new legal defense fund will help pay for their legal fees." The fund was first reported by The New York Times.
Smith is the special counsel leading the federal investigations of Trump. His team has expressed interest in the payment of legal fees for Trump-aligned witnesses in the investigations and has sought information about it, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss ongoing criminal probes.
Trump's PAC has also requested that his super PAC, MAGA Inc., return some of the money that it transferred to seed the group to help cover costs. It is unclear whether money was actually transferred or how much.
A spokesman for the super PAC did not respond to a request for comment.
Trump launched his PAC, Save America, in the days after the 2020 election, which he lost to President Joe Biden. For weeks, the group bombarded supporters with a nonstop stream of text messages and emails that purported to raise money for an “election defense fund” that would be used to contest the election's outcome.
But the $170 million that the effort raised in less than a month was not used to contest the election, records show. Instead, it was used to pay down campaign debt and replenish the coffers of the Republican National Committee, with Trump also stockpiling another large chunk for his future political endeavors. Last year, the Justice Department issued a round of grand jury subpoenas that sought information about the political action committee’s fundraising practices.
Since then, Save America has served as a different sort of “defense fund,” covering the legal expenses for Trump operatives, allies and employees who have been ensnared in the Justice Department’s ongoing investigation.
Some of Save America's money has been used to boost other candidates, though it's a pittance compared to how much Trump has spent on ballooning legal costs.
As the 2022 midterm elections approached, Trump pledged to back congressional candidates loyal to him. But of the roughly $65 million earmarked by Save America for political spending, only a fraction — about $20 million — was used to back midterm candidates through campaign contributions or paid advertising.
Save America requested to claw back much of the money. And much of the remaining cash Save America had was dedicated to a different sort of “defense fund” — paying dozens of law firms to represent the former president and his aides.
“Forty-million dollars — I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Paul S. Ryan, a longtime campaign finance attorney in Washington, referring to the sum the group spent on legal fees this year. “There’s no legal issue. It’s really just a question for his donors: Do they want to be funding lawyers?”
___
Colvin reported from New York.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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The Knicks, in terms of salary construction and inside the context of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, are in a good position. Their house is in order, even if they remain far off title contention.
What does that mean, exactly? It’s multi-layered, but best explained by this encouraging statistic: The Knicks, who finished among the top 8 after winning their first playoff series in a decade, don’t have a single player in the top 50 of the NBA’s highest-paid for next season.
They have No. 52 (Jalen Brunson, $26.3 million), No. 53 (Julius Randle, $25.7 million) and No. 61 (RJ Barrett, $23.9 million), but none of their current contracts can be considered bad. At worst, some are questionable. Even Evan Fournier’s expiring contract has value.
This may change soon with extensions due for Josh Hart and Immanuel Quickley. We’ll see. The word on Hart’s extension, which will be delivered in August, is in the range of four years, $75 million. Quickley, we hear, is looking for something bigger before the October deadline.
Still, as we sit in July of 2023 with essentially a full roster, team president Leon Rose, the media-shy former CAA agent, is being rewarded for his approach. He now has the benefit of time (all the starters are signed through at least the 2024-25 season) and future draft capital (as many as 10 first-round picks through 2029).
This carries more significance and benefit under the new CBA, which crushes teams for paying above the luxury tax. The penalties aren’t just monetary anymore. A team that goes above the second apron of the luxury tax – ahem, Warriors and Bucks – can’t use a trade exception, can’t include cash in a trade, can’t trade draft picks seven years out and, most importantly, can’t use the mid-level exception.
In other words, these franchises are restricted from adding new talent to their roster. If it’s not their own draft pick or a minimum contract, good luck. The goal is parity and the prevention of dynasties, which the NBA feels it achieved with five different champions over the last five years.
“That was very much our intention,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said earlier this month. “I think with this new agreement, it will help to further distribute great players around the league.”
But it also stifles organic builds. The Nuggets, for instance, would’ve certainly reached the second apron just by re-signing their own draft picks, Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. Their ability to add championship depth to those three players would’ve been snipped at the legs.
These restrictions arrive as salaries skyrocket. The latest obscenity was Jaylen Brown’s five-year, $303 million extension, a deal that ends in 2027-28 with a $64.7 million salary. Brown is a nice player, but you’d be hard pressed to include him in the NBA’s top 20. His contract is roughly equivalent to Brunson’s, Randle’s and Barrett’s combined.
Whether foresight or good fortune, Rose had good timing on his long term deals. But his restraint is also a product of a sadder reality. The Knicks, despite their upswing last season, can’t be confused as championship contenders.
The Celtics, Nuggets, Bucks and Warriors are all spending more because they have belief – mostly legitimate – in their chances. What Rose has done is maximize the value of a smaller operation while situating it in a good position to expand.
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NEW YORK (AP) — 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.”
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.
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.”
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.
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.”
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.
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SAN FRANCISCO — (AP) — The San Francisco prosecutor's office began laying out its case Monday against a tech consultant charged with murder in the stabbing death of Cash App founder Bob Lee, who was found bleeding on a deserted city street in April.
In the preliminary hearing, a judge will decide if there's enough evidence to go to trial.
Prosecutors have provided no motive and released little information in a case that has drawn outsized media attention, partly due to Lee's status in the tech world. Lee created Cash App, a mobile payment service, and was the chief product officer of the cryptocurrency MobileCoin.
Nima Momeni, 38, has been in jail since his arrest April 13. He has pleaded not guilty, and he faces 26 years to life if convicted.
That came more than a week after Lee, 43, was found bleeding in a deserted part of downtown San Francisco early April 4. Lee was rushed to a hospital, where he died.
In making a motion to keep Momeni detained in jail without bail, prosecutors argued that he planned the attack, drove Lee to a secluded spot and stabbed him three times after a dispute related to Momeni's younger sister.
Assistant District Attorney Omid Talai said at a May hearing that Momeni used a knife that was part of a unique kitchen set belonging to his sister. Analysis showed Momeni’s DNA on the weapon's handle and Lee’s DNA on the bloody blade, Talai said.
Police recovered a knife with a 4-inch (10-centimeter) blade at the scene.
Momeni has hired two new lawyers, Saam Zangeneh and Bradford Cohen, both based in Florida. His first attorney, Paula Canny, withdrew in late May, citing a conflict of interest that she declined to disclose.
In arguing for bail, Canny said that Momeni was not a flight risk and would not leave the two people he loves most, his sister and mother. She said Momeni needs to fight the charges or face deportation to Iran, a country that his mother fled when the children were younger to escape a violent husband.
An unnamed friend of Lee told homicide investigators they had been hanging out and drinking with Momeni’s sister the day before the stabbing, prosecutors said in their motion to deny bail.
The friend said Momeni later questioned Lee about whether his sister was doing drugs or otherwise engaging in inappropriate behavior and Lee said she had not.
Surveillance video showed Lee later entering the posh Millennium Tower downtown, where Momeni’s sister Khazar lives with her husband, prominent San Francisco plastic surgeon Dino Elyassnia. Video footage then showed Lee and Momeni leaving the building together shortly after 2 a.m. and driving off in Momeni’s car.
Lee was found shortly after 2:30 a.m. in the Rincon Hill neighborhood, which has tech offices and condominiums but little activity in the early morning hours.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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| 2023-07-31T18:55:13
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The largest dam removal project in United States history is underway along the California-Oregon border — a process that won’t conclude until the end of next year with the help of heavy machinery and explosives.
But in some ways, removing the dams is the easy part. The hard part will come over the next decade as workers, partnering with Native American tribes, plant and monitor nearly 17 billion seeds as they try to restore the Klamath River and the surrounding land to what it looked like before the dams started to go up more than a century ago.
The demolition is part of a national movement to return the natural flow of the nation’s rivers and restore habitat for fish and the ecosystems that sustain other wildlife. More than 2,000 dams have been removed in the U.S. as of February, with the bulk of those having come down within the last 25 years, according to the advocacy group American Rivers.
When demolition is completed by the end of next year, more than 400 miles (644 kilometers) of river will have opened for threatened species of fish and other wildlife. By comparison, the 65 dams removed in the U.S. last year combined to reconnect 430 miles (692 kilometers) of river.
Along the Klamath, the dam removals won’t be a major hit to the power supply; they produced less than 2% of power company PacifiCorp’s energy generation when they were running at full capacity — enough to power about 70,000 homes. Though the hydroelectric power produced by dams is considered a clean, renewable source of energy, many larger dams in the U.S. West have become a target for environmental groups and tribes because of the harm they cause to fish and river ecosystems.
The project will empty three reservoirs over about 3.5 square miles (9 square kilometers) near the California-Oregon border, exposing soil to sunlight in some places for the first time in more than a century.
For the past five years, Native American tribes have gathered seeds by hand and sent them to nurseries with plans to sow the seeds along the banks of the newly wild river. Helicopters will bring in hundreds of thousands of trees and shrubs to plant along the banks, including wads of tree roots to create habitat for fish.
This growth usually takes decades to happen naturally. But officials are pressing nature’s fast-forward button because they hope to repel an invasion of foreign plants, such as starthistle, which dominate the landscape at the expense of native plants.
“Why not just let nature take its course? Well, nature didn’t take its course when dams got put in. We can’t pretend this gigantic change in the landscape has not happened and we can’t just ignore the fact that invasive species are a big problem in the west and in California,” said Dave Meurer, director of community affairs for Resource Environmental Solutions, the company leading the restoration project.
PacifiCorp built the dams starting in 1918 to generate electricity. The dams halted the natural flow of the river and disrupted the lifecycle of salmon, a fish that spends most of its life in the Pacific Ocean but returns to the chilly mountain streams to lay eggs. The fish are culturally and spiritually significant to a number of Native American tribes, who historically survived by fishing the massive runs of salmon that would come back to the rivers each year.
A combination of low water levels and warm temperatures in 2002 led to a bacterial outbreak that killed more than 34,000 fish, mostly Chinook salmon. The loss jumpstarted decades of advocacy from Native American tribes and environmental groups, culminating last year when federal regulators approved a plan to remove the dams.
“The river is our church, the salmon is our cross. That’s how it relates to the people. So it’s very sacred to us,” said Kenneth Brink, vice chairman of the Karuk Tribe. “The river is not just a place we go to swim. It’s life. It creates everything for our people.”
The project will cost $500 million, paid for by taxpayers and PacifiCorps ratepayers. Crews have mostly removed the smallest of the four dams, known as Copco No. 2. The other three dams are expected to come down next year. That will leave some homeowners in the area without the picturesque lake they have lived on for years.
The Siskiyou County Water Users Association, which formed about a decade ago to stop the dam removal project, filed a federal lawsuit. But so far they have been unable to stop the demolition.
“Unfortunately it’s a mistake you can’t turn back from,” association President Richard Marshall said.
The water level in the lakes will drop between 3 feet and 5 feet (1 meter to 1.5 meters) per day over the first few months of next year. Crews will follow that water line, taking advantage of the moisture in the soil to plant seeds from more than 98 native plant species including wooly sunflower, Idaho fescue and Blue bunch wheat grass.
Tribes have been invested in the process from the start. Resource Environmental Solutions hired tribal members to gather seeds from native plants by hand. The Yurok Tribe even hired a restoration botanist.
Each species has a role to play. Some, like lupine, grow quickly and prepare the soil for other plants. Others, like oak trees, take years to fully mature and provide shade for other plants.
“It’s a wonderful marriage of tribal traditional ecological knowledge and western science,” said Mark Bransom, CEO of the Klamath River Renewal Corporation, the nonprofit entity created to oversee the project.
The previous largest dam removal project was on Washington state’s Elwha River, which flows out of Olympic National Park into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Congress in 1992 approved the demolition of the two dams on the river constructed in the early 1900s. After two decades of planning, workers finished removing them in 2014, opening about 70 miles (113 kilometers) of habitat for salmon and steelhead.
Biologists say it will take at least a generation for the river to recover, but within months of the dams being removed, salmon were already recolonizing sections of the river they had not accessed in more than a century. The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, which has been closely involved in restoration work, is opening a limited subsistence fishery this fall for coho salmon, its first since the dams came down.
Brink, the Karuk Tribe vice chair, hopes similar success will happen on the Klamath River. Multiple times per year, Brink and other tribal members participate in ceremonial salmon fishing using handheld nets. In many years, there have been no fish to catch, he said.
“When the river gets to flow freely again, the people can also begin to worship freely again,” he said.
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Associated Press writer Eugene Johnson in Seattle contributed.
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The Knicks are still tinkering with the end of the roster.
Dylan Windler, a 6-6 guard and former first-round pick, is signing with New York after four years with the Cavaliers, a source confirmed.
The 26-year-old, who spent time in the G-League the last two seasons, is a spot-up 3-point shooter with disrupting size on defense. He averaged 3.3 points in 11.4 minutes over 84 career games with the Cavs, who drafted Windler at No. 26 in 2019.
Brock Aller, a current Knicks executive, was in Cleveland’s front office when it picked Windler.
His entire rookie season was sabotaged by a leg injury.
Windler will ink a two-way contract, according to ESPN, which would require some maneuvering of the Knicks roster. They already have the maximum three players on two-way contracts — Nathan Knight, Trevor Keels and Jaylen Martin — meaning one (including Windler) will have to be cut or transferred to a regular contract.
Not counting the two-way deals, the Knicks currently have 12 players on guaranteed contracts and two — Isaiah Roby and DaQuan Jeffries — on non-guaranteeds.
NBA teams can carry up to 15 players on the roster, plus three two-way players. The Knicks are capped out but can still sign free agents on low salaries. They have been canvassing the league for veteran big men, a source said.
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REEDLEY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – An investigation into a warehouse in Reedley, California, uncovered a large-scale illegal medical lab complete with bioengineered mice, infectious agents, nearly 30 refrigerators and freezers, incubators and more.
The investigation was prompted by a simple garden hose that was illegally attached and coming out of a wall in the back of the building.
“Frankly, we knew that should not have been there and when she went to investigate, she found that there was activity or operation or something happening within that building,” said Reedley City Manager Nicole Zieba.
The city then obtained a search warrant to look inside what should have been an ordinary warehouse. Inside, they found thousands of vials, many of which contained bio-hazardous materials like human blood, and other unknown substances.
“There was over 800 different chemicals on site in different bottles of different acids. Unfortunately, a lot of these are being categorized under unknown chemicals,” said Assistant Director of the Fresno County Department of Public Health Joe Prado. “A lot of these labels have been removed from bottles so there was only so much testing. We could do those chemicals.”
Health officials also discovered nearly 1,000 lab mice, 200 of which were dead.
Prado said the warehouse occupants claimed they were “doing some testing on laboratory mice that would help them support, developing the COVID test kits that they had on-site.”
According to court documents, officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tested what they could and determined that at least 20 potentially infectious viral, bacterial, and parasitic agents were present, including E. coli, malaria, and the virus that causes COVID-19.
“This is an unusual situation. I’ve been in government for 25 years. I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Zieba.
“I’ve never seen this in my 26-year career with the County of Fresno,” Prado agreed.
Over the course of several weeks, officials with local, state, and federal agencies worked to remove the materials from the location
“I think because of that swift action that was taken we had been able to maintain public safety this entire time,” Prado explained.
“There are no more biologicals. There are no more mice, but they still will see us abating, 30 freezers and fridges, medical equipment, and all sorts of furniture in there. They’ll still see some activity, nothing hazardous at this point,” Zieba said.
Officials are still trying to figure out what type of operation was taking place inside that building. Prado said the owners operated under the name Prestige Biotech and the company president was not forthcoming with information.
A criminal investigation is also ongoing.
All of the mice inside the lab had to be euthanized.
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NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson said his family is “devasted” after the deaths of his inlaws and 11-year-old nephew in a suspected triple murder-suicide last month.
Johnson put up a post on Instagram thanking people for their kindness and support.
“Our family is devastated by the profound loss of [Terry] Lynn, Jack and Dalton Janway,” Johnson wrote in his post. “We have been humbled by the outpouring of love and support during this unthinkably sad time and remain grateful for all of your compassion.”
According to authorities, Johnson’s mother-in-law, Terry, 68, shot her husband, Jack, 69, then killed her grandson, Dalton, before taking her own life in the couple’s Oklahoma home.
According to People, Muskogee police said they had received a 911 from a woman they believe to have been Terry Janway, “who stated that there was a disturbance and someone had a gun and then hung up” the phone.
When officers arrived shortly after 9 p.m. they found Jack lying dead in a hallway of the home and then heard another gunshot go off inside the house. As police moved through the home, they discovered the bodies of Terry and Dalton.
Jack and Terry Janway were the parents of Johnson’s wife, Chandra.
Note: If you or someone you know is thinking of harming themselves, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides free support via the Lifeline by dialing 988. For more about risk factors and warning signs, visit the organization’s official website.
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By Mayo Clinic News Network (TNS)
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I am 41 years old, and at my last women’s health appointment, I was told I was in perimenopause. What exactly does that mean? I haven’t had any symptoms. What should I expect? Is there anything I should be doing to prepare?
ANSWER: Perimenopause refers to the time of your life when your body starts making the natural transition to menopause, marking the end of the reproductive years. Perimenopause can begin as early as your mid 30s. As you go through perimenopause, your body’s production of estrogen — the main female hormone — rises and falls. These fluctuations can bring on symptoms such as irregular periods, hot flashes and vaginal dryness. Once you have gone 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period, you have officially transitioned from perimenopause to menopause. Menopause can happen in your 40s or 50s, but the average age is 51.
Perimenopause is a natural biological change. Because symptoms can come and go, many women feel like they are on an emotional roller coaster. Though not every woman will experience every symptom, the most commonly reported issues include common ailments that women might not realize are associated with menopause. It is important for you to know this is normal. It helps to understand more about the symptoms you may be experiencing.
Hot flashes and sleep problems
When a hot flash happens, you might feel a sudden sensation of warmth or heat, most often in your upper body around your face and neck. This can cause your face to become red and flushed, and you may begin sweating. Hot flashes also can happen when you are sleeping. These “night sweats” can interfere with getting a good night’s sleep.
Mood changes
Changes in mood are common and can include irritability, fatigue, sadness or anxiety. These mood swings can be a result of declining estrogen levels. Depression also is a common side effect of menopause. It is important to share how you’re feeling and the changes in your mood with your healthcare professional.
Forgetfulness
During perimenopause, you might also begin to notice you are having difficulty with your memory and concentration. You might find it hard to remember simple things, like where you placed your keys or why you walked into a room. This is sometimes called “brain fog,” and it is quite common. I often have women express concerns that this could be an early sign of dementia, which is not typically the case. Many studies have shown that brain fog associated with menopause is temporary, and cognitive function returns. Brain fog also can result from lack of sleep and proper rest. When sleep improves, we often see memory improvements as well.
Weight gain
Often women notice they are eating the same and exercising the same, yet suddenly they are gaining weight. It is common for women to notice weight gain during the perimenopause and menopause transition, particularly around the midsection. Metabolism changes and muscle loss often cause this as we age. Weight gain can seriously affect your health, so now is an important time to lean into your healthy lifestyle habits.
Next steps
Again, since not every woman will experience the same symptoms — or experience them with the same severity — perimenopause is the perfect time to devise a plan to manage the changes you are, and will be, going through. There are many books and resources available online as well, which you may want to review and use to connect with others.
During menopause, your risk of certain diseases and conditions increases, including heart disease, osteoporosis and urinary tract infections. You can do many things to ease your symptoms and protect your health.
Make sure you are incorporating healthy lifestyle habits, including:
— Getting regular exercise that includes cardiovascular and resistance training. This will help prevent muscle loss, boost metabolism and strengthen bones. Resistance training can include lifting weights or doing exercises using your own body weight.
— Eating a healthy, balanced diet and avoiding processed foods and excess sugar.
— Limiting or eliminating alcohol use.
— Maintaining a healthy weight.
— Quitting smoking or any use of tobacco products.
— Reducing your stress and paying attention to your mental health.
Although it is often a source of concern, hormone therapy also can help improve symptoms of menopause. Estrogen therapy is still the most effective treatment option for relieving hot flashes. Estrogen also helps prevent bone loss. There are also nonhormonal options. It is important to talk to your healthcare team about the risks and benefits of each treatment, and which one is right for you.
Every woman’s experience during perimenopause and menopause is different. It is not uncommon for women to feel insecure and isolated as these changes occur. Know you are not alone. Seek out support from family, friends and other groups that can offer you a safe place to share what you are going through. If you feel like you can’t cope, seeking help and consulting your care team is important. — Dr. Juliana (Jewel) Kling , Women’s Health, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix
©2023 Mayo Clinic News Network. Visit newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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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?”
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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
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Follow Seth Borenstein on Twitter at @borenbears
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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.
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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.
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KHAR, Pakistan — (AP) — The Islamic State group on Monday claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Pakistan that killed at least 54 people including five children at a pro-Taliban cleric's rally in one of the worst attacks in the country in recent years.
IS, known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province, made the claim in a statement posted on its Amaq website. The statement said the attack was part of the group's continuing war against forms of democracy it deems to be against Islam.
Hours earlier, hundreds of mourners in the northwestern town of Bajur carried caskets draped in colorful cloths to burial sites following the previous day’s attack at an election rally for a pro-Taliban cleric.
Officials said Sunday’s bombing killed 54 people, including at least five children, and wounded nearly 200.
The attack appeared to reflect divisions between Islamist groups, which have a strong presence in the district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan. It targeted the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, which has ties to the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban.
At least 1,000 people were crowded into a tent near a market for the rally ahead of fall elections, according to police.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
Hundreds of mourners in northwestern Pakistan carried caskets draped in colorful cloths to burial sites in the hills Monday after a suicide bombing killed at least 54 people at an election rally for a pro-Taliban cleric.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for Sunday’s bombing in Bajur that killed at least five children and wounded nearly 200 people.
The attack appeared to reflect divisions between Islamist groups, which have a strong presence in the district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan. It targeted the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, which has ties to the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban.
At least 1,000 people, according to police, were crowded into a tent near a market for the rally ahead of fall elections.
“People were chanting God is Great as the leaders arrived,” said Khan Mohammad, a local resident who said he was standing outside the tent, “and that was when I heard the deafening sound of the bomb.”
Mohammad said he heard people crying for help, and minutes later ambulances arrived and began taking the wounded away.
Police said their initial investigation suggested that the Islamic State group’s regional affiliate, a rival of the Taliban, could be responsible, while a Pakistan security analyst pointed to breakaway factions of the Pakistani Taliban as possible suspects.
The Pakistani military spent years fighting the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, in Bajur before declaring the district clear of militants in 2016. But the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, headed by hard-line cleric and politician Fazlur Rehman, has remained a potent political force.
On Monday, police recorded statements from some of the wounded at a hospital in Khar, the district’s principal town.
The Islamic State in Khorasan Province, which police identified as a suspect in the attack, is based in neighboring Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province and is a rival of the Afghan Taliban and al-Qaida.
Pakistani security analyst Mahmood Shah said some TTP members have been known to disobey their top leadership to carry out attacks, as have breakaway factions of the group.
Shah said such factions could have perpetrated the attack to cause “confusion, instability and unrest ahead of the elections.”
On Monday, female relatives and children wailed and beat their chests at family homes as the dead were taken for funerals, following local customs. Hundreds of men followed the caskets to mosques and open areas for special funeral prayers and then into the hills for burial.
As condolences continued to pour in from across the country, dozens of people who had lesser injuries were discharged from hospital, while the critically wounded were taken to the provincial capital of Peshawar by army helicopters. The death toll continued to rise as some critically wounded people died in hospital, physician Gul Naseeb said.
Gul Akbar, the father of an 11-year-old boy who was wounded in the attack, told The Associated Press that his entire family was in a state of shock after hearing about the bombing Sunday. He said he first went to the scene of the attack, and later found his son Taslim Khan being treated in a hospital in Khar.
“What would I have done if he had also been martyred? Five children died in this barbaric attack, and we want to know what our children did wrong,” he said.
Rehman’s party is preparing to contest elections, which are expected in October or November. Abdul Rasheed, one of the party’s senior leaders, said the bombing was aimed at weakening the party but that “such attacks cannot deter our resolve.”
Rehman’s party is part of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s coalition government, which came to power in April 2022 by ousting former Prime Minister Imran Khan through a no-confidence vote in the legislature.
Sharif called Rehman to express his condolences and assure the cleric that those who orchestrated the attack would be punished. Khan condemned the bombing Sunday, as did the U.S. and Russian embassies in Islamabad.
The Pakistani Taliban also distanced themselves from the bombing, saying that it was intended to set Islamists against each other. Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Afghan Taliban, wrote in a tweet that “such crimes cannot be justified in any way.”
The bombing came hours before Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng arrived in Islamabad, where he signed new agreements to boost trade and economic ties to mark a decade of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a sprawling package under which China has invested $10 billion in Pakistan over 10 years, according to Sharif.
“We will not tolerate any obstacles in the way of friendship with China,” Sharif said, as he stood next to He.
But the government canceled a cultural event that had been arranged in honor of He, according to Sharif, while the nation mourns.
Some Chinese nationals have also been targeted by militants in northwestern Pakistan and elsewhere.
Rehman, who has long supported Afghanistan’s Taliban government, survived at least two known bomb attacks in 2011 and 2014, when bombings damaged his car at rallies.
Sunday's bombing was one of the worst in northwestern Pakistan in the last decade. In 2014, 147 people, mostly schoolchildren, were killed in a Taliban attack on an army-run school in Peshawar.
In January, 74 people were killed in a bombing at a mosque in Peshawar. And in February, more than 100 people, mostly policemen, died in a bombing at a mosque inside a high-security compound housing Peshawar police headquarters.
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Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed contributed to this story from Islamabad.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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A Pew Research poll released July 20 found that 70% of Democrats think the government should restrict what appears on social media, a dramatic change from five years ago when a majority of Democrats supported a free marketplace of ideas.
It’s no wonder, considering the drumbeat of warnings from leftist politicians and their liberal media allies about “disinformation” and “misinformation.”
But be warned: Democracy cannot survive for long if one of the nation’s two major political parties wants to put blinders on the public, limiting their access to information and canceling political opponents.
A House hearing on July 20 held by the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government showed that the Biden administration is already censoring social media on a massive scale.
Hearing witness D. John Sauer, special assistant attorney general for Louisiana, described preliminary findings by a federal judge that Biden staff in the White House, the FBI, the Department of Health and Human Services, and almost every other executive department meet regularly with social media executives and pressure them to remove or demote criticisms of Biden economic and energy policies, Biden family members and even items that depict the first lady in an unflattering way. According to Sauer, “millions of American voices” have been silenced in violation of the First Amendment.
Sauer cited some 18,000 communications from Team Biden to tech executives orchestrating a vast ongoing censorship operation.
Yet Democratic lawmakers were unfazed by this shocking evidence, and hardly questioned the witness.
Rep. Stacey Plaskett (D-Virgin Islands) laid out the Democratic Party’s distorted interpretation of the First Amendment, insisting that not all speech is constitutionally protected and offering hate speech as an example.
Plaskett and like-minded Dems need a refresher course on the Constitution and American history. The Supreme Court has ruled again and again that all speech, especially speech we like the least, is protected. Who needs a constitutional amendment to protect speech everyone likes?
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) aimed his wrath at witness Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose views on vaccines and other pandemic policies were censored. Connolly said this censorship “was not big brother government trying to exercise its will on an innocent population. It was public health measures to protect lives.”
Connolly’s wrong. Censoring scientific debate was a lethal mistake. If competing scientific viewpoints, especially about masking and lockdowns, had been considered, harm to schoolchildren, business owners and many others might have been prevented. Turns out, official government policy was based on “misinformation” and “disinformation.”
The attacks on RFK Jr. were a sideshow. The main event was the Democrats’ concocted defense of censorship. The Democrats’ own witness — civil rights attorney Maya Wiley — testified that “the ability of every person to have access to accurate and reliable information is a cornerstone of our democracy.”
Wiley was asked directly by Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah), “Do you trust the government to determine what facts and views the American people are exposed to?” She replied, “I think I’m struggling with the question.”
Tell Democrats the answer is a resounding “no.”
Trusting government to be your eyes and ears is crazy.
Betsy McCaughey is a former lieutenant governor of New York
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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.
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ROCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — In a new policy plan unveiled Monday, Republican presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis took aim at China with a “Declaration of Economic Independence” that also targets taxes, regulations and “elites” he blames for the nation’s decline.
Speaking in a New Hampshire warehouse, the Florida governor promised to diversify and expand the economy by fighting for the middle class.
“Revitalizing economic freedom and opportunity will require building an economy where the concerns of average citizens are elevated over those deemed too big to fail,” he said at Prep Partners Group, which coordinates warehousing, distribution and other logistics for other companies.
“We are a nation with an economy, not the other way around,” DeSantis said. “We are citizens of a republic. We are not cogs in a global economic empire.”
DeSantis said his top priority would be wresting 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. Current polices, he said, have created an “abusive relationship” between the two countries.
“The elites sold us a bill of goods when it came to China. They were wrong, and we need to get it right,” he said.
The 10-point economic plan is the third major policy proposal put forth by DeSantis, who remains a distant second to former President Donald Trump in most polls and is fighting for momentum in the midst of a campaign reset. He recently shed more than one-third of his staff as federal filings showed his campaign was burning through cash at an unsustainable rate.
But on Monday, his focus was on reckless federal government spending. 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.
“It’s wrong to say that a truck driver should have to pay off the debt of somebody who got a degree in gender studies,” he said.
After the speech, in what was billed as a news conference, DeSantis sidestepped a question about Trump’s mounting legal fees. That’s even as the DeSantis campaign has been attacking Trump for devoting much of his political fundraising to his legal entanglements.
“We’re here to talk about restoring this economy. We’re here to talk about uplifting the middle class,” DeSantis said. “To me, if you ask voters, are they more interested in hearing about that or the process stories about politics? I think that they want to hear about the country’s future so that’s what we’re going to talk about.”
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Mikal Bridges believes a Ben Simmons comeback arc is in store.
In an appearance on the Podcast P show hosted by Los Angeles Clippers All-Star Paul George, Bridges said he’s “got big confidence, big faith” in Simmons, who has spent this summer rehabbing after missing the majority of his games in Brooklyn due to ongoing back issues.
Simmons underwent a microdiscectomy for a herniated L-4 disk in May of 2022, a procedure known to have a recovery timeline in excess of a full calendar year. Bridges said on the Podcast P show he believes confirmation of an actual back injury was good for Simmons, who had become a punching bag for fans on social media angered by his decision to sit out an entire season with the Philadelphia 76ers.
“I think his back was messed up, and him actually going through, getting X-rays and them telling him you had to get surgery, I think it felt good for him because I think people didn’t believe him,” Bridges said. “Because maybe in Philly, he was the little boy who cried wolf sometimes, so he didnt wanna play or some s—t, and now he would say, ‘Oh I’m hurt,’ and people are like, ‘F—k outta here.’ But now he’s actually hurt, but people still don’t believe it. So he was actually hurt and now he’s got surgery, and he’s getting back, but he loves the game, bro.”
Bridges believes a fully recovered Simmons can get back to being the player who became a three-time NBA All-Star feared as one of the league’s best defenders and playmakers. The Nets star said the way things ended for Simmons in Philadelphia created a bad narrative for the embattled forward but reiterated the team is both confident in and supportive of their star teammate.
“Him being confident with his body and knowing the things he could do. I think the things he could do with a back injury — I never had a back injury, I pray to God I don’t — but those are really restrictive. I think he couldn’t do the things he did,” Bridges said. “And what happened in Philly. I think what messed him up – personally, I don’t know, what I think just off seeing things — is him not playing after the Atlanta game and everybody still killing him for not laying the ball up with Trae Young right there.
“So I think him not playing after that, and that’s all Philly remembers, and they’re gonna say that every time, so I think that just f—ked him a little bit — but nah, I’m confident bro. Sky’s the limit. I honestly think he’s gonna be confident, especially healthy, and this new team and everybody’s just supportive of him.”
Simmons has missed 67 of a possible 109 regular-season games since his arrival as part of the Feb 2022 James Harden trade with the Philadelphia 76ers. He averaged seven points, six assists, six rebounds and 1.3 steals per game with the Nets before the organization shut him down due to injury after the All-Star break.
In fact, the 76ers initially drafted Bridges 10th overall in the 2018 NBA Draft before trading him to the Suns the same night. For the brief time Bridges thought he was going to Philadelphia, his hometown, he envisioned Simmons’ gifted playmaking abilities creating easy looks for him on the court.
“I was thinking that coming out of college,” Bridges said on George’s podcast. “You know how many cuts and catch-and-shoots and transition points imma get with Ben?”
Bridges and Simmons played just two games together after the Durant trade before Simmons’ season came to an early end. The two connected on a Hail Mary play at the end of the third quarter of Brooklyn’s 11-point victory over the Miami Heat on Feb. 15.
“We had an out-of-bounds play. It might have been two seconds left,” Bridges recalled. “I told him while somebody shot a free throw. I told him, ‘When you get it out, I’m running down and just chuck it.’ He took the ball out and just threw that [thing] full court. I caught it at the free throw line, tapped it to myself, caught it and hit a middy at the end of the quarter.”
Simmons, however, played 20 minutes and 28 seconds and had two points, four rebounds and four assists that night. Prior to that night, his workload had steadily decreased, and head coach Jacque Vaughn had begun slowly removing Simmons from the regular rotation.
The former Third Team All-NBA selection averaged just 3.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists in his final five games of the season before sitting the rest of the way out, but Bridges said the team is supportive of him beyond the stats sheet.
“I’ve definitely got faith, man,” he said. “I think he’s in a good place. He f—ks with all of us. We’re close. He’s the one talking in the chat all the time. I think he just feels like he has a lot of friends, and we all f—k with him, and obviously yeah we want him to score and stuff but we not pressed about it.
“We want him to be aggressive and stuff‚ but s—t like even if you’re not, we’re still here for you,” Bridges continued. “You’re still my man, you’re still my brother. I ain’t gonna hate you, none of that. Obviously, we want you to do this because I think it’d be better for the team, but even if you struggle, s—t. That’s cool. Whatever city we’re in, let’s hang out, we’re gonna go get dinner, get ready for the next one. I think that’s the biggest thing: He can be confident enough to fail and know we’re there for him. I think that’s the biggest thing. You don’t want anybody to feel that pressure every single time: ‘Oh if I don’t play well, these guys aren’t gonna like me.’ Nah, for me, that’s not the case.”
Simmons has two more years left on his contract and is owed $77 million as the highest-paid player on Brooklyn’s roster. The Nets were 24-18 in games Simmons appeared in last season but were 2-3 in games Durant missed after the Kyrie Irving deal with the Dallas Mavericks and 2-5 in the games Durant missed due to injury leading up to his trade to Phoenix.
Simmons has career averages of 14.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game. During his three seasons in Philadelphia, he averaged 16 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, won 2018 NBA Rookie of the Year and ranked Top 20 in assists, steals, field goal percentage, rebounds and defensive win shares in multiple seasons
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A New Hampshire nurse, who has reportedly been kidnapped in Haiti, has described Haitians as “resilient people” in a video about her work for a nonprofit Christian ministry in the country.
"They're full of joy, and life and love. I'm so blessed to know so many amazing Haitians," Alix Dorsainil says in a video on the website of the ministry she works for, El Roi Haiti.
Dorsainvil and her daughter were kidnapped Thursday, the organization said in a statement over the weekend. El Roi Haiti, which runs a school and ministry in Port au Prince, said the two were taken from campus. Dorsainvil is the wife of the program’s director, Sandro Dorsainvil.
That happened the same day that the U.S. State Department issued a “do not travel advisory” in the country and ordered nonemergency personnel to leave there amid growing security concerns.
“Alix is a deeply compassionate and loving person who considers Haiti her home and the Haitian people her friends and family,” El Roi president and co-founder Jason Brown said in the statement. “Alix has worked tirelessly as our school and community nurse to bring relief to those who are suffering as she loves and serves the people of Haiti in the name of Jesus.”
A State Department spokesperson said in a statement Saturday is it “aware of reports of the kidnapping of two U.S. citizens in Haiti,” adding, “We are in regular contact with Haitian authorities and will continue to work with them and our U.S. government interagency partners.”
The department has not issued any updates since then. Alix Dorainvil's father, Steven Comeau, reached in New Hampshire, said he could not talk.
Dorsainvil graduated from Regis College in Weston, Massachusetts, which has a program to support nursing education in Haiti. Before that, she went to Cornerstone Christian Academy in Ossipee, New Hampshire.
"Pray that God would keep her safe, be with her through this trial, and deliver her from her captors," the school posted on its Facebook page.
In its advisory Thursday, the State Department said that "kidnapping is widespread, and victims regularly include U.S. citizens."
It said kidnappings often involve ransom negotiations and U.S. citizen victims have been physically harmed.
Earlier this month, the National Human Rights Defense Network issued a report warning about an upsurge in killings and kidnappings and the U.N. Security Council met to discuss Haiti's worsening situation.
In December 2021, an unidentified person paid a ransom that freed three missionaries kidnapped by a gang in Haiti under an agreement that was supposed to have led to the release of all 15 remaining captives, t heir Ohio-based organization confirmed.
The person who made the payment was not affiliated with Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries, and the workers say they don’t know who the individual is or how much was paid to the gang, which initially demanded $1 million per person. Internal conflicts in the gang, they say, led it to renege on a pledge to release all the hostages, freeing just three of them instead on Dec. 5.
The accounts from former hostages and other Christian Aid Ministries staffers, in recent recorded talks to church groups and others, were the first public acknowledgement from the organization that ransom was paid at any point following the Oct. 16 kidnapping of 16 Americans and a Canadian affiliated with CAM.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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| 2023-07-31T18:55:33
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Let’s get building
Building sandcastles is the quintessential beach activity for kids of all ages and a cherished pastime for many adults. Kids run back and forth from the water to the beach, gathering their beach toys and dumping buckets of sand. It’s fun to watch the little ones attempt their masterpiece, but nothing’s better than them asking for help building the ultimate sandcastle.
Most adults have years of experience building sandcastles with a realistic tower and maybe even a moat. These skills honed from your own childhood and the right supplies are sure to impress the kids in your household today.
Shop this article: Hape Beach Essential Sand Toy Set, Matty’s Toy Stop 16.5″ Wooden Mini Sand Shovels and Top Race Collapsible Bucket.
Design your masterpiece
If you have a bit of a drive to get to the beach, start designing your sandcastle. Ask everyone about their favorite part of a castle and try to incorporate each element. Figure out if it will be a single structure or multiple buildings. Does everyone have their own job, or is everyone helping with all the components? Once you iron out the details, you can get started as soon as you arrive.
Find the perfect location
There’s nothing worse than a wave knocking down your nearly-finished sandcastle, so be sure to pick the perfect location. Find somewhere far enough away from the waves but close enough that you’re not transporting water too far. Also, keep the weather in mind. If it’s too hot and sunny, set up a beach tent or beach umbrella to avoid sunburns.
Create the foundation
The foundation, or base, of your sandcastle is the most crucial component since it supports the entire structure. To build a solid foundation, build up a mound of sand as tall as you want your castle. The key is to ensure your sand is saturated with water and that it’s tightly packed. So, add sand, dump water, pack it down and repeat until you reach your desired height.
Start from the top
Now it’s time to start carving out your basic structure with a plastic knife or putty knife. The key to this step is to start from the top since the sand will fall on everything below. A paintbrush makes a great tool if sand falls on a tight area. Also, carve away the sand in thin layers. You can always take away more sand, but it’s hard to add.
Add details
Once you have the main structure, start adding details such as stairs, a tower roof, windows or a brick pattern. During this final step, opt for smaller tools such as a tiny paintbrush or the thinnest putty knife.
Products you need to build next-level sandcastles
Hape Beach Essential Sand Toy Set
This set includes a smoother tool, a shaper tool and a digging paw. All pieces use high-quality plastic free of bisphenol A, polyvinyl chloride and phthalates. With an included mesh carrying bag, it’s a breeze to carry to the beach and clean up after a day of building.
Sold by Amazon
Matty’s Toy Stop 16.5″ Wooden Mini Sand Shovels
Sand is the most important part of a sandcastle, and these shovels help you gather more sand faster. It has four shovels in unique colors, so there’s no fighting over sharing. The 16.5-inch length is perfect for the beach, and the wooden handle is durable enough to handle big building jobs.
Sold by Amazon
Kids can’t haul huge buckets of water back and forth. These half-gallon pails are perfect for letting the little one enjoy the sandcastle building. They are collapsible and foldable into three unique sizes or to about 1 inch thick for storage. They’re also dishwasher-safe.
Sold by Amazon
Building sandcastles is about having fun and getting dirty, and this hand digger is the perfect way for kids to enjoy themselves. The deep scoop is great for digging deep holes or transporting water and is usable by kids as young as 1 year old. It’s made of child-safe materials and a nontoxic finish.
Sold by Amazon
If you’ve ever seen a professional sandcastle competition, you’ve probably noticed an array of supplies. This includes a paintbrush, which is a versatile and ideal tool for brushing off extra sand or adding a smooth finish to your castle. This set comes in five sizes to tackle any job.
Sold by Amazon
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Bre Richey writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved.
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| 2023-07-31T18:55:33
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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.
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| 2023-07-31T18:55:36
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Ben Simmons is healthy.
At least that’s what his camp is saying.
The former three-time NBA All-Star who battled back issues the past two seasons is “as healthy as he’s ever been since his last year” with the Philadelphia 76ers, according to ESPN’s Marc Spears.
Spears, who read a text message from someone close to Simmons live during an ESPN broadcast, delivered the most encouraging news regarding the star, whose season ended due to an ongoing back injury shortly after the All-Star break.
“I would say he’s in the final stage of prep for the season and has passed every benchmark and is healthy as he’s ever been since his last year in Philly,” Spears read from his phone. “Brooklyn has been incredibly supportive, and the plan is for him to be the Nets’ point guard and primary ball handler this coming season. The expectation is he will fully resume his career at the level he was prior to leaving Philadelphia.”
Simmons arrived in Brooklyn as part of the James Harden trade in Feb. 2022 but did not play for the Nets at all in the second half of that season due to a combination of mental health issues and his lower back maintenance. He underwent a microdiscectomy to help address a herniated disk in his lower back last offseason and proceeded to appear in 42 of Brooklyn’s 82 regular-season games, averaging seven points, six rebounds and six assists per game.
The Nets, however, eventually shut Simmons down for the remainder of the season in February after it became clear he was playing at a limited capacity due to his lower back.
The belief, from his camp, now is that Simmons’ back injury may be a thing of the past.
If this is, indeed, the case, and the Nets insert a healthy Simmons into the starting lineup at point guard, Brooklyn immediately becomes one of the league’s top-ranked defensive teams, at least on paper.
A starting lineup featuring Simmons, Mikal Bridges, Nic Claxton, Dorian Finney-Smith and Cam Johnson provides enough length and versatility to switch all positions one through five while keeping the floor spaced with three-point shooters and a lob threat.
Starting Simmons would also move point guard Spencer Dinwiddie to a sixth man role, which may not only be his best fit leading the second unit, but could also benefit third-year reserve scorer Cam Thomas, who is set to see an expanded role with Seth Curry leaving Brooklyn to sign with the Dallas Mavericks.
Back injuries, of course, are tricky — and fickle. After all, Simmons was on the verge of a return during the season he arrived in Brooklyn before setbacks kept him off the court. Simmons also suffered setbacks when he played in both games of a back-to-back. On two occasions, the overload affected his knee, not his back, though Simmons said the parts are related.
What’s clear is that a healthy Simmons drastically raises Brooklyn’s ceiling. He is a perennial All-NBA Defensive Team honoree who doubles as one of the best playmakers in basketball when he has the ball in the open court.
With aggressive three-point shooters like Bridges, Johnson, Finney-Smith, Dinwiddie, Thomas and Royce O’Neale, the setup works in Simmons’ favor.
So long as his back can handle the load.
Simmons averaged about 16.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and eight assists per game in two of his final three seasons in Philadelphia and led the league in steals per game (2.1) in the 2019-20 season. The 27-year-old forward from Australia is the highest-paid player on the Nets’ payroll, set to earn $78 million over the next two seasons.
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| 2023-07-31T18:55:39
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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — (AP) — Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick was carted off the field Monday with a left leg injury almost a year after he tore his right ACL at training camp.
There was no immediate word on the nature or extent of Patrick's injury, but it appeared to be a serious setback for the 29-year-old who was embarking on a comeback after missing all of last season.
Patrick was participating in a 7-on-7 drill with the Broncos in full pads for the first time and his left leg buckled as he pushed off to run a route. He yelled out in pain and threw his helmet as coach Sean Payton, quarterback Russell Wilson and receiver Courtland Sutton were among the first to rush over to him.
He was helped onto a cart and taken inside the team's headquarters as the crowd of some 3,000 fans fell silent.
Patrick was the team's No. 1 receiver going into last season when he tore his right ACL in a noncontact drill on Aug. 2.
He was a projected starter again this summer even in a crowded wide receiver room that also features Jerry Jeudy, Sutton, rookie Marvin Mims Jr., Brandon Johnson, Marquez Callaway and Lil'Jordan Humphrey, among others.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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Hiking sunglasses
If you’re gearing up for some hiking this season, one thing you may not have considered is your sunglasses. As a vital and delicate part of your body, your eyes should be protected when out in the elements. Eyewear can make all the difference, and finding the right pair of sunglasses depends on the type of hiking you do and where you plan to do it.
Rough terrain, harsh climates, and glare from intense sun rays can significantly impact your vision. Plus, sunglasses should fit like a glove to avoid sliding down your nose — that’s never fun! Above all, comfort and reliability are essential.
Shop this article: Oakley Men’s FLAK 2.0 XL Sunglasses, Maui Jim Women’s Starfish Cat-Eye Sunglasses and Julbo Explorer 2.0 Mountaineering Glacier Sunglasses
Hiking sunglasses considerations
To find your hiking sunglasses match, ask yourself about the kind of hiking you’ll most likely be doing and what you value most. Are you a long-distance day hiker? A trail runner? Will you be dealing with snow? Are style and budget priorities?
With this in mind, consider the following factors that go into finding your next best pair of sunglasses for hiking. In no particular order, here’s a checklist of things to consider before making a purchase.
Hiking sunglasses weight
If you’re going on full-day hikes, you might notice a heavy pair of glasses on your face after a while. Choosing something lightweight but durable is key.
Hiking sunglasses comfort
For the same reason as the weight factor, you’ll want frames that are comfortable and fit your face right when you’re wearing them all day long. Behind your ears and on the bridge of your nose are vital spots to pay attention to.
Frame quality and construction
You need a robust and durable frame that can withstand wear and tear when you’re out in the wilderness. Look for metal frames or those made of newer materials like strong plastics and nylon alloys.
Lens quality and material
As with frames, your sunglasses’ lens quality is super important. Make sure your lenses are anti-scratch. Lenses come in all sorts of materials that offer different degrees of resistance to scratches and other impacts.
Polarized lenses
To avoid protection from direct sun rays and the glare from their reflection on snow or water, you’ll want to look for lenses that are polarized.
Hiking sunglasses UV protection
It’s pretty common knowledge that the sun’s UV rays are harmful and make it difficult to see what’s in front of you. If you’re hiking for more than a couple of hours, you’ll need UV protection on your eyes.
Hiking sunglasses price
Everyone has a budget. But, a cheap pair of fashion glasses won’t get you far on the trails, and you might be missing certain features before too long. You’re better off investing in a high-quality pair that will last for the long haul.
Hiking sunglasses brands
If you buy from a reputable, well-established and reliable brand of sunglasses, you’re sure to get a higher quality product. Ask around, read reviews and think about your own experience with a brand before pulling the trigger.
Hiking sunglasses styles
Some of us let style dictate our apparel purchases, and nothing says we must sacrifice function for it. Hiking sunglasses come in plenty of styles to choose from, so you won’t need to worry about compromising your taste.
Value adds
Some hiking sunglasses come with extra components that redirect sweat away from your eyes or guard your eyes against small bits of dirt and dust that you often find on trails.
Now that you know what features are important to you in hiking sunglasses, it’s time to shop! Here are our top picks for the best pairs, wherever your outdoor adventures take you.
Best sunglasses for hiking
Oakley Men’s FLAK 2.0 XL Sunglasses
You’ll see more clearly and sharply with these Oakley shades, featuring High Definition Optics that eliminates distortion. Comfortable, lightweight and durable, the lenses are optically aligned for the best fit and experience.
Sold by Amazon
Maui Jim Peahi Wrap Sunglasses
This scratch-resistant polarized Maui Jim sunglasses come with a UV protection coating. The neutral grey lenses enhance colors and are glare-free and light-reducing – perfect in direct and bright sunlight.
Sold by Amazon
Julbo Explorer 2.0 Mountaineering Glacier Sunglasses
These wide-coverage sunglasses from Julbo are perfect for the outdoors. Ergonomic, comfortable, ventilated, slim and stylish, they come with removable shields for sunlight protection, 360-degree adjustable temples and high-protection lenses — all designed for extreme conditions on or off the mountain.
Sold by Amazon
Oakley Gascan OO9014 Sunglasses For Men
These non-polarized, mirror-coated lenses are best for easier trails at lower elevations in mild conditions. They bring colors to life, so you can fully enjoy the world around you. The included accessory leash and cleaning kits are nice touches.
Sold by Amazon
Maui Jim Women’s Starfish Cat-Eye Sunglasses
Maui Jim’s Starfish polarized sunglasses stylishly and comfortably protect you from glare and UV rays while enhancing the colors and vibrancy of the great outdoors. Lightweight yet durable, these sunglasses come with skinny, neutral grey and scratch-resistant glass lenses that reduce light.
Sold by Amazon
Ray-Ban Outdoorsman Craft Aviator Sunglasses
If you’re a fan of the old-school aviator sunglass style, you’ll love this hiking version from Ray-Ban. Made with a metal frame and polarized crystal lenses that are prescription-ready, these shades offer UV protection and come with a case.
Sold by Amazon
Costa Del Mar Men’s Blackfin Sunglasses
If you’re looking for quality, durable sunglasses for hiking, this comfortable and lightweight pair from Costa has you covered. Their blue-mirrored polarized, scratch-resistant polycarbonate lenses are ideal for bright sunlight and reflection off the water. They’re UV-protected, too.
Sold by Amazon
Maui Jim Haleakala Wrap Sunglasses
Bring your hiking experience up a notch with the stylish Haleakala polarized sunglasses from Maui Jim. The glare-free lenses come with a UV protection coating and enhance the colors around you. Durable, lightweight and resistant to shatters and scratches, these comfortable shades are perfect for the trail.
Sold by Amazon
Oakley Men’s Twoface Sunglasses
Offering total UV protection, these light and comfy Oakley shades are made with a stress-resistant frame that lasts and resists deforming or shifting over time. The three-point lens fit means lenses are aligned in place. It comes with a handy micro bag for cleaning and storing.
Sold by Amazon
Native Eyewear Catamount Sunglasses
Native’s Catamount shades are perfect for the trails, with their polarized polycarbonate brown lenses that impeccably contrast detail. Your eyes will stay protected from harsh UV rays and glare from the sun. These glasses are super lightweight and shatter and scratch-resistant, too.
Sold by Amazon
Oakley Women’s Lowkey Round Sunglasses
These cute, round frames for women offer complete UV protection. Their lightweight, polarized plutonite lenses give maximum contrast, comfort and impact protection. You can choose from numerous frame and lens colors to stand out on the trails!
Sold by Amazon
Costa Del Mar Men’s Rincon Rectangular Sunglasses
If you’re a hiker with a simple and elegant style, this pair’s for you. The Rincon glasses feature comfort, clear optics and durability in their thin six-layer, scratch-resistant polarized lenses.
Sold by Amazon
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Emma Caplan writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved.
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| 2023-07-31T18:55:40
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If there’s one thing new Nets forward Darius Bazley is going to do in Brooklyn — it’s play some defense.
Bazley, the versatile, prep-to-pro forward who signed a one-year deal with the Nets this offseason, says he’s excited to bring his game to New York.
“This is like the Mecca of basketball,” Bazley said in his introductory interview with reporters on Thursday. “So just playing in front of fans that appreciate the game, that love the game of basketball, love the sport.
“I think it’d be really fun.”
Bazley said he doesn’t have a relationship with Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn, but noted he worked out with Nets forward Cam Johnson this summer. He also says he has a relationship with both Mikal Bridges and Ben Simmons.
And for the 6-foot-8 forward who has played minutes at both the four and five in his four-year NBA career, defense will be the calling card that earns him regular minutes in head coach Jacque Vaughn’s rotation.
“Being able to match-up one through four, one through five, guard bigger wings, be able to guard smaller guards, as well — I’m looking forward to that,” he said on Thursday.
Out of high school, Bazley skipped college and opted to go for the G-League, then skipped the G-League to prepare for the NBA Draft. He went 23rd overall to the Utah Jazz in the 2019 NBA Draft but was later part of two draft-night trades — first to the Memphis Grizzlies in the Mike Conley deal, next to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for forward Brandon Clarke.
He averaged a career-high 13.7 points and 7.2 rebounds during his second season in Oklahoma City. but the Thunder eventually opted to move on from the athletic forward, trading him to the Phoenix Suns after the Kevin Durant deal.
Bazley averaged 5.4 points and 3.4 rebounds for the Thunder in the first half of the season and was not a regular member of Phoenix’s rotation after the trade.
He hopes to show more of his game now in Brooklyn, but says winning is priority No. 1.
“Offensively, just getting my athleticism into the game, being a knock-down shooter and just having fun playing. The main goal is to win, not for me to — I’m not going into the season [thinking] how can I insert my game?” he said. “These are all things that come with it, but it’s not my main focus. No matter what, though, defense for sure.”
And to win, Bazley believes the Nets need to play fast, which appears to be an area of emphasis for the front office given their offseason acquisitions.
Bazley is the third new free agent the Nets have welcomed after coming to terms with both Dennis Smith Jr. and Lonnie Walker IV on one-year deals. Both Smith Jr. and Walker IV are known for bringing athleticism and scrappy defense to the backcourt.
They project to backup a starting lineup of Bridges, Johnson, Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith and Nic Claxton. Simmons remains a wild card given his back injury history. As of Summer League, he had yet to return to playing five-on-five basketball.
“To me, personally, I think there’s some core things that should just happen no matter what throughout the course of the game to give yourself the best shot at winning,” Bazley said on Thursday’s call. “Us having the taste of youngness and also like that veteran presence with some older guys, just fast, playing hard. Defensively, playing hard, getting after it.”
Bazley projects to add depth to the Nets’ frontcourt. Nic Claxton played the lion’s share of the minutes at the five in Brooklyn, and third-year big man Day’Ron Sharpe’s minutes project to increase this season as the only true rebounding machine on the roster.
Bazley is a career 31% three-point shooter but shot 37.7% from downtown last season. He shot the three at a 40% clip during his first 36 games of the season for the Thunder. That percentage plummeted when he arrived in Phoenix, largely outside of the Suns’ rotation.
The Nets, however, may not ask Bazley to shoot many threes. His role will be playing lockdown defense and injecting energy and athleticism into his minutes on the floor. He joins a team that will enjoy its first full offseason after the pair of midseason blockbuster trades detonated Brooklyn’s championship hopes.
What’s left now is a young team re-tooling around its budding star, Bridges.
“The young core, with also a veteran presence as well. Just watching them a little bit in the playoffs. Also just throughout the course of the season. The new team that they had towards the end here, they looked like they had fun,” Bazley said. “They looked like they played hard and together. It was just something I wanted to be a part of.”
“When it all came down to it, Brooklyn was the place to be.”
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| 2023-07-31T18:55:45
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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 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.
De Oliveira, wearing a blue suit and tie, answered questions from a magistrate judge during a brief hearing in Miami federal court. He was ordered to turn over his passport and sign an agreement to pay $100,000 if he doesn’t return to court. He was represented by Washington, D.C.-based attorney John Irving, but under court rules he needs local counsel to proceed with his arraignment, which was scheduled for Aug. 10 in Fort Pierce.
Irving told reporters after the hearing that he looks forward to seeing what potential evidence the Justice Department has. He declined to comment about whether De Oliveira has been asked to testify against Trump.
De Oliveira’s court appearance comes as Trump braces for possible charges stemming from investigations into his efforts to cling to power after he lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden.
Trump, the early front-runner in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, has been informed he’s a target of special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election, and Trump’s lawyers met with Smith’s team last week. A Georgia prosecutor is also expected to seek a grand jury indictment in the coming weeks in her investigation into efforts by Trump and his allies to subvert his election loss there.
Trump, who pleaded not guilty in June, has denied any wrongdoing. He posted 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 the former president 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.
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Richer reported from Boston. Associated Press journalist Daniel Kozin in Miami contributed.
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National Park Service closes popular Malibu trail due to aggressive bees
Bees have stung multiple people using a popular Malibu, California hiking trail. The Park Service closed several trails and called in an expert who said that extraction would make the bees angrier for about a week.
MALIBU, Calif. - The National Park Service closed a portion of the Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area in Malibu after multiple people have been reportedly stung by bees in the area. The park is in Los Angeles County and is a popular urban hiking and picnic location.
The National Park Service announced that Solstice Canyon will close on July 31 due to "multiple beehives affecting visitor use and park services." According to the NPS, numerous parkgoers have reported being stung by bees near the entrance to the area.
CAUGHT ON CAMERA: FIREFIGHTERS SAVE MOM, KIDS FROM SWARM ATTACK OF BEES
The beehives are mostly near the Solstice Canyon Trail, the TRW Overlook Trail junction, and the education shelter structure. Images from SkyFOX showed signs near the trail, warning visitors of the nearby beehives. The locations of the beehives make the closure unavoidable, NPS officials said.
LOS ANGELES BEE ATTACK FORCES MAN TO COLLAPSE ON LIVE TV
The NPS has contracted with a bee specialist to help get the bees away from the trail and the park buildings. Officials said the process involves agitating the bees for anywhere from two to seven days. That being said, park officials did not give any indication as to when Solstice Canyon may be open again, saying it will be closed "until further notice."
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Health regulators in the United States are working to respond to a potential tuberculosis outbreak that's linked to a company's tainted bone graft products.
Three new cases of the highly unusual and deadly disease were identified in the U.S. last week, bringing the total number of cases to five, according to Politico. At least one person has died.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the cases appear to be linked to a single product sold by Aziyo Biologics Inc. that's used in surgical and dental procedures.
Shipments of the product were sent to over a dozen facilities in California, Louisiana, Michigan, New York, Oregon, Texas and Virginia. Regulators said product from the contaminated lot was implanted in at least 36 other people.
"CDC and FDA are working with state and local health departments, hospitals, surgical centers, and dental offices in the affected states to ensure patients are rapidly evaluated and treated, prevent further patient harm, and determine if additional measures can be taken to prevent similar outbreaks in the future," the agency said in a statement.
SEE MORE: Authorities arrest woman refusing tuberculosis treatment
Aziyo issued a voluntary recall notice for the tainted product earlier this month and the CDC says all of the unused units have been removed from inventory.
"We are taking immediate action to safeguard patients by implementing a full product recall as we work with the CDC to investigate this event," Aziyo president and CEO Dr. Randy Mills said in a statement. "The people of Aziyo care deeply about the patients we serve and will continue to work with the medical community, patients, and regulatory authorities as we gather additional information."
However, this isn't the first time the company has been linked to a deadly outbreak of the rare disease. In 2021, a different bone graft product sold by Aziyo was responsible for a tuberculosis outbreak in at least 87 patients, eight of which died.
SEE MORE: Tick bites likely causing thousands to develop meat allergy
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that primarily affects an infected person's lungs, but can also target other parts of the body, such as the brain, spine, or kidneys. It is transmitted through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or speaks, releasing tiny droplets that contain the bacteria.
Tuberculosis is treatable and curable, but requires a specific course of antibiotics taken over several months to ensure all bacteria has been eliminated from the body. Preliminary data from the CDC shows that the number of cases in the U.S. increased by 5% in 2022 to 8,300 cases, specifically among children under 4 years of age, those who are incarcerated, and people who have immigrated from parts of the world with high rates of the disease.
The U.S. has one of the lowest tuberculosis rates in the world, thanks to large investments into domestic programs and control efforts.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com
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https://www.wmar2news.com/deadly-tuberculosis-outbreaks-in-us-linked-to-tainted-bone-grafts
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Great Day SA Back-To-School Immunization Health | Great Day SA Sponsored by: City of SA Metro Health More Videos Next up in 5 Example video title will go here for this video SAN ANTONIO — Sponsored by: City of SA Metro Health For more information: 210.207.8894
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$1.05 billion Mega Millions jackpot is among a surge in huge payouts due to more than just luck
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Another day, another billion-dollar lottery jackpot.
At least, that’s how it seems ahead of Tuesday night’s Mega Millions drawing for an estimated $1.05 billion top prize.
It’s a huge sum of money, but such giant jackpots have become far more common, with five prizes topping $1 billion since 2021 — and one jackpot reaching $2.04 billion in 2022.
The massive prizes are due in part to chance, but it’s not all happenstance. Rising interest rates coupled with changes to the odds of winning are also big reasons the prizes grow so large.
HOW DO INTEREST RATES INCREASE JACKPOTS?
Nearly all jackpot winners opt for a lump sum payout, which for Tuesday night’s drawing would be an estimated $527.9 million. The lump sum is the cash that a winner has actually won. The highlighted $1.05 billion prize is for a sole winner who is paid through an annuity, which is funded by that lump sum and will be doled out annually over 30 years.
That’s where the higher interest rate becomes a factor, because the higher the interest rate, the larger the annuity can grow over three decades. The U.S. is in the midst of a remarkable run of interest rate increases, with the Federal Reserve raising a key rate 11 times in 17 months, and that higher rate enables a roughly $500 million lump sum prize to be advertised as a jackpot of about twice that size.
HOW DOES THE ANNUITY WORK?
A winner who chooses the annuity option would receive an initial payment and then 29 annual payments that rise by 5% each year. Opting for an annuity has some tax advantages, as less of the winnings would be taxed at the top federal income tax rate of 37%. It also could be an option for winners who don’t trust themselves to manage so much money all at once.
If lottery winners die before 30 years, the future payments would go to their beneficiaries.
WHY DO WINNERS SNUB THE ANNUITY OPTION?
The annuities pay out big money, but not nearly as big as taking the lump sum.
For example, a sole winner of Tuesday night’s Mega Millions could choose a lump sum of an estimated $527.9 million or an initial annuity payment of about $15.8 million. Of course, those annuity payments would continue for decades and gradually increase until the final check paid about $65.1 million, according to lottery officials.
In both cases, the winnings would be subject to federal taxes, and many states also tax lottery winnings.
Given all that, nearly all jackpot winners think they could make more money by investing the money themselves, or they simply want the biggest initial payout possible.
WHAT ABOUT THE ODDS OF WINNING?
That’s another factor that has created so many huge prizes for those who match all six numbers.
In 2015, the Powerball odds were changed from 1 in 175.2 million to 1 in 292.2 million. Mega Millions took a similar action in 2019 by lengthening the game’s odds from 1 in 258.9 million to 1 in 302.6 million.
For lottery officials, the hope was that by making it harder to win jackpots, the prizes would roll over for weeks and create truly massive pots of money that would in turn generate higher sales.
The result is that all of the billion dollar jackpots have come after the changes in the odds.
HOW LONG UNTIL THERE IS A WINNER?
Luck remains a big factor, as the odds of any ticket being a winner never changes. However, the more people who play Mega Millions, the more of the potential 302.6 million number combinations are covered.
For the last Mega Millions drawing on Friday night, 20.1% of possible number combinations were purchased. Typically, the larger the jackpot grows, the more people buy tickets and the more potential combinations are covered.
Tuesday night’s drawing will be the 30th since the last jackpot winner. That is inching closer to the longest Mega Millions jackpot drought, which reached 37 drawings from Sept. 18, 2020, to Jan. 22, 2021.
The longest jackpot run was for a Powerball prize that stretched over 41 drawings and ended with a record $2.04 billion prize on Nov. 7, 2022.
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The top federal tax bracket has been corrected to 37%.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels reacquired slugger C.J. Cron and outfielder Randal Grichuk in a trade with the Colorado Rockies on Sunday, bolstering their injury-plagued roster with more veteran depth as they fight for a playoff spot.
Los Angeles sent minor league pitchers Mason Albright and Jake Madden to the Rockies in the deal that brought two former Angels first-round draft picks back to the team. Colorado also is sending $3,701,613 along with Cron and Grichuk, who are in the final years of their contracts before free agency. Cron is owed $2,540,323 in remaining salary and Grichuk $3,161,290, leaving the Angels in effect responsible for $2 million.
The Angels (55-51) are desperate to end their MLB-worst streaks of seven consecutive losing seasons and eight consecutive non-playoff seasons, but their efforts have been endangered by injuries that have seriously compromised their big league depth.
Los Angeles has a major league-leading 17 players on its injured lists after outfielder Taylor Ward joined the group Sunday before an extra-inning victory in Toronto. Ward was moved to the 60-day injured list later in the day, effectively ending his regular season, with facial fractures after Toronto’s Alek Manoah hit him in the face with a fastball on Saturday.
The 33-year-old Cron spent his first four major league seasons with Los Angeles, hitting 59 of his 186 career homers before getting traded to Tampa Bay in early 2018 for prospect Luis Rengifo, who is still a valuable contributor to the Angels. Cron is batting .260 with 11 homers and 32 RBIs this season for the Rockies as their power-hitting first baseman.
Grichuk was selected by the Angels one pick before Mike Trout in the 2009 draft. Los Angeles traded him to St. Louis before he reached the majors and began a 10-year career with the Cardinals, Toronto and Colorado.
Grichuk is batting .308 with an .861 OPS in 64 games this season for the Rockies. His positional flexibility in the outfield will be valuable for the Angels in the injury absences of Trout, Ward and Jo Adell, leaving Mickey Moniak and Hunter Renfroe as the only healthy outfielders on Los Angeles’ 40-man roster.
Grichuk is making just over $10.3 million this season, while Cron is earning $7.25 million. The moves continue the Rockies’ teardown for the final two months of what’s almost certain to be their fifth consecutive losing season.
The 20-year-old Albright is 11-8 with a 5.36 ERA in three seasons in the low minors. The 21-year-old Madden, a fourth-round pick in 2022, is 2-6 with a 5.46 ERA in 14 starts for Low-A Inland Empire this season.
The Angels have traded a significant amount of minor league talent in recent weeks in their determined effort to make the playoffs during the final season of Shohei Ohtani’s contract.
Los Angeles has acquired six veteran major leaguers — slugger Mike Moustakas, right-handed starter Lucas Giolito, reliever Reynaldo López and infielder Eduardo Escobar along with Cron and Grichuk — in four separate trades since late June.
Trout has been out since July 3 with a broken hand, and third baseman Anthony Rendon was sidelined one day later with a bone bruise after fouling a ball off his shin. Trout and Rendon are making roughly $75 million combined this season.
Ward and veteran infielder Gio Urshela are likely out for the season, while infielder Brandon Drury, rookie catcher Logan O’Hoppe and rookie shortstop Zach Neto have all missed significant time.
Los Angeles is in third place in the AL West, five games behind Texas. The Angels are four games behind Toronto for the final AL wild card, but the Red Sox and Yankees are also between them.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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By SAM MEDNICK (Associated Press)
NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — Economic sanctions could severely hurt one of the world’s poorest nations after a coup unseated one of the West’s last democratic partners against Islamic extremists in West Africa’s Sahel region.
Niger’s neighbors are also threatening armed intervention against the junta run by the head of the presidential guard, although analysts say there is only a slim chance of the regional body successfully sending troops.
Both the United States and France have sent forces and hundreds of millions of military and humanitarian aid in recent years to Niger, which was a French colony until 1960. The French and the US train Nigerien forces, and the French military carries out joint operations in the north.
Since the coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, people have been toting Russian flags and praising that country in pro-junta demonstrations.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Niger in March to strengthen ties and announce $150 million in direct assistance, calling the country “a model of democracy.” France pulled out of Mali last year and has some 1,500 troops in Niger.
The West African regional body known as ECOWAS announced travel and economic sanctions against Niger on Sunday over the coup and said they would use force if the coup leaders don’t reinstate him within one week.
Since the 1990s, the 15-nation bloc has unsuccessfully tried to protect democracies against the the threat of coups, with mixed success.
Niger relies heavily on foreign aid and sanctions could further impoverish its more than 25 million people. ECOWAS suspended all commercial and financial transactions between its member states and Niger, as well as freezing Nigerien assets held in regional central banks.
The sanctions could be disastrous and Niger needs to find a solution to avoid them, the country’s Prime Minister Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou told French media outlet Radio France Internationale on Sunday.
“When people say there’s an embargo, land borders are closed, air borders are closed, it’s extremely difficult for people … Niger is a country that relies heavily on the international community,” he said.
Four nations are run by military governments in West and Central Africa, where there have been nine successful or attempted coups since 2020.
In the 1990s, ECOWAS intervened in Liberia during its civil war, one of the bloodiest conflicts in Africa and one that left many wary of intervening in internal conflicts. In 2017, ECOWAS intervened in The Gambia to prevent the new president’s predecessor, Yahya Jammeh, from disrupting the handover of power. Around 7,000 troops from Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal entered the country, according to the Global Observatory, which provides analysis on peace and security issues. The intervention was largely seen as accomplishing its mission.
If the regional bloc uses force, it could trigger violence not only between Niger and ECOWAS forces but also between civilians supporting the coup and those against it, Niger analysts say.
“While this remains to be a threat and unlikely action, the consequences on civilians of such an approach if putschists chose confrontation would be catastrophic,” said Rida Lyammouri, senior fellow at the Policy Center for the New South, a Morocco-based think tank.
Lyammouri also said he does not see a “military intervention happening because of the violence that could trigger.”
Blinken on Sunday commended the resolve of the ECOWAS leadership to “defend constitutional order in Niger” after the sanctions announcement, and joined the bloc in calling for the immediate release of Bazoum and his family.
The military junta, which seized power on Wednesday when members of the presidential guard surrounded Bazoum’s house and detained him, is already cracking down on the government and civil liberties.
On Sunday evening it arrested four government officials, including Mahamane Sani Mahamadou, the minister of petroleum and son of former President Mahamadou Issoufou; Kassoum Moctar, minister of education; Ousseini Hadizatou Yacouba, the minister of mines, and Foumakoye Gado, the president of the ruling party. That’s according to someone close to the president, who was not authorized to speak about the situation, and a Nigerien analyst who did not want to be named for fear of reprisal.
The same night, junta spokesman Col. Maj. Amadou Abdramane said on state television that all government cars must be returned by midday Monday and banned the use of social media to put out messages he describe as harmful to state security. He also claimed that Bazoum’s government had authorized the French to carry out strikes to free Bazoum, allegations that were not confirmed.
Bazoum has yet to resign. He is still being detained and believed to be in his house in the capital, Niamey. The first photos of him since the coup appeared Sunday evening, sitting on a couch smiling beside Chad’s President Mahamat Deby, who had flown in to mediate between the government and the junta.
In anticipation of the ECOWAS decision Sunday, thousands of pro-junta supporters took to the streets in Niamey, denouncing France, waving Russian flags and telling the international community to stay away.
Demonstrators in Niger are openly resentful of France, and Russia is seen by some as a powerful alternative. The nature of Moscow’s involvement in the rallies, if any, isn’t clear, but some protesters have carried Russian flags, along with signs reading “Down with France” and supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“The situation of this country is not good … It’s time for change, and change has arrived,” said Moussa Seydou, a protester. “What we want from the putschists — all they have to do is improve social conditions so that Nigeriens can live better in this country and bring peace,” he said.
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SAN ANTONIO — Chef Nash Zink with Carriqui shows Clarke how to grill up the perfect steak.
Cooking the perfect steak | Great Day SA
Chef Nash Zink with Carriqui shows Clarke how to grill up the perfect steak.
SAN ANTONIO — Chef Nash Zink with Carriqui shows Clarke how to grill up the perfect steak.
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https://www.kens5.com/article/entertainment/television/great-day-sa/cooking-the-perfect-steak-great-day-sa/273-2e0a28ca-b699-421a-8d32-ac47e9744251
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Man drowns after being thrown from boat on lake during storm, officials say
ANDERSON, S.C. (WHNS/Gray News) - A man in South Carolina died after he was thrown off a boat while on a lake during a storm Saturday night.
WHNS reports the man, later identified as 69-year-old Darrell Hewett, was on his boat on Lake Hartwell trying to return to the dock when he was caught in the storm. Rough waters were stirred up because of the storm, causing Hewett to be thrown from his boat as he stood up, according to authorities.
First responders were called to Providence Point at around 8 p.m. in response to the drowning.
Officials said they learned that bystanders were also trying to get to the dock because of the storm and pulled Hewett from the water.
According to authorities, Hewett was not wearing a life jacket. His death was ruled as an accidental drowning.
Copyright 2023 WHNS via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI should stop using a U.S. spy database of foreigners’ emails and other communications for investigating crimes that aren’t related to national security, a group of White House intelligence advisers recommended in a report released Monday.
The President’s Intelligence Advisory Board’s findings come as the White House pushes Congress to renew Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act before its expiration at the end of this year. U.S. intelligence officials say Section 702 enables investigations of Chinese and Russian espionage, potential terrorist plots, and other threats.
But spy agencies also end up capturing the communications of U.S. citizens and businesses, and a series of intelligence mistakes at the FBI has fanned bipartisan criticism of the bureau that has shaped the debate over renewing the law. Some lawmakers in both parties and civil liberties groups have called for stronger curbs on how the FBI uses foreign surveillance to search for Americans’ data.
While the White House did not commit to accepting the recommended changes, administration officials on Monday praised the board’s work and again called on Congress to reauthorize the surveillance program. The board argues in its report that Section 702 is critical to U.S. national security and suggests that allowing the program to lapse would be an “intelligence failure” and a step backward from changes made after the Sept. 11 attacks.
The board says the FBI made “inappropriate use” at times of Section 702 information. Those include queries for a U.S. senator and state senator’s names without properly limiting the search, looking for someone believed to have been at the Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and doing large queries of names of protesters following the 2020 death of George Floyd.
“Unfortunately, complacency, a lack of proper procedures, and the sheer volume of Section 702 activity led to FBI’s inappropriate use of Section 702 authorities, specifically U.S. person queries,” the board said in its report. “U.S. person queries” generally mean searches for U.S. citizens and businesses.
The board recommends the FBI no longer search the data when it is seeking evidence of a crime not related to national security. Currently, the FBI conducts fewer than two dozen such searches a year, a senior administration official told reporters Monday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House.
The White House has not decided whether it will accept the recommendation but is studying the board’s work and report, the official said.
The board’s report largely lines up with the White House’s positions on other changes being debated in Congress. The board opposed requiring the FBI to obtain a warrant before it searches Section 702 data, saying that change would be impractical. It also says the FBI needs to maintain access to foreign spy collection because unlike other intelligence agencies, it has law enforcement authorities inside the U.S. and can warn Americans that they are being targeted by foreign spies or criminals.
Already, both Republicans and Democrats have called for broader changes affecting the FBI, including a handful of lawmakers in both parties who want to require warrants for any search.
Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., sharply questioned Assistant Attorney General Matt Olsen in June about how it searches Section 702 data and signaled he would push for new protections.
“I don’t think you’ve effectively made the case that there shouldn’t be a warrant requirement, whether or not it is constitutionally required, for a U.S. person search that is crime only,” he said.
Many in the GOP, meanwhile, are furious about the FBI’s investigations of former President Donald Trump and mistakes found by the Justice Department inspector general and other reviewers.
In a statement, the FBI said the report highlighted “how crucial” foreign intelligence was to the bureau’s mission.
“We agree that Section 702 should be reauthorized in a manner that does not diminish its effectiveness, as well as reassures the public of its importance and our ability to adhere rigorously to all relevant rules,” the bureau’s statement said.
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After months of warnings from tech executives about the dangers of artificial intelligence, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has a new list of concerns.
The agency has issued a stark warning to Americans about cybercriminals using AI tools, like ChatGPT, to create malicious code and launch attacks that had previously required much more effort.
The agency detailed its concerns on a phone call with journalists and explained that AI chatbots have been used to help criminals carry out various types of illicit activity. One FBI official said bad actors are using it as a tool to supplement criminal activities by utilizing things like AI voice generators to impersonate trusted individuals in order to defraud people.
The bottom line is there are fewer people, less expertise, and less time needed for a lot of these threats, ultimately lowering the barrier for entry, according to officials. Furthermore, the agency said it is working with private companies to identify synthetically generated content online that's made with the help of AI.
SEE MORE: Cybersecurity firm finds compromised ChatGPT accounts on dark web
It's not the first time an alarm has been sounded about the potential threats of AI. Cybersecurity firm Group-IB reported that more than 26,000 compromised ChatGPT accounts were detected on the dark web in may and were being offered for sale. According to the firm, more employers are using tools like ChatGPT to optimize their work, but entries into the chatbot could include sensitive or proprietary information that could be exploited by hackers.
However, some companies have been wary to jumping on the chatbot train. Apple has already restricted employees from using ChatGPT. Other companies, like Verizon and JPMorgan Chase, have taken similar measures.
SEE MORE: Musk, tech leaders call for pause on 'out-of-control' AI race
Earlier this month, President Joe Biden hosted seven major tech companies at the White House to discuss ways to protect the public from the potential harms of AI. The companies — Amazon, Anthropic, Google, Inflection, Meta, Microsoft, and OpenAI — all made voluntary commitments to ensure their products are safe for consumers prior to launch.
One of those promises is a commitment to internal and external security testing—meaning allowing third-party, independent experts to review AI cybersecurity.
"I think that's a very important step," said Dr. Arati Prabhakar, lead science adviser to the president. "There are other fields where that happens [where] it's been very helpful, but I think it's going to be very constructive for AI."
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com
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Alaska Fat Bear Week celeb makes late return to National Park cam after worrying fans
The four-time Fat Bear Week champion worried fans this year because the old man was missing from live wildlife cams in Alaska's Katmai National Park. Last week he finally reappeared but could use a few more pounds on him, fans tweeted.
One of Alaska’s most famous brown bears had his fans worried this year, but the celebrity King Otis has returned to Katmai National Park, albeit fashionably late. He is a four-time winner of Fat Bear Week.
Otis, or Bear 480, is one of the most popular bears to watch on Explore.org’s live bear cam, which shows real-time footage of Katmai’s brown bears hunting for salmon in the Brooks River from June - September.
AND THE WINNER IS: HERE'S THE FAT BEAR WEEK 2022 CHUNKY CHAMPION
The park is home to about 2,200 brown bears – more than the human population on the Alaska Peninsula, according to the National Park Service.
Old man Otis was MIA earlier this season
At nearly 30 years old, Otis has become a legend in the annual salmon hunt. But his fans around the globe grew concerned as they watched the cams in June and didn’t see their beloved chunky bear.
That changed this week. On Wednesday, July 26, Explore.org shared on Twitter that Otis had returned.
BEAR BEATS SCORCHING CALIFORNIA HEAT BY TAKING DIP IN POOL
"At his preferred fishing spots, Otis waits for salmon to come to him," Explore.org explains. "He once ate 42 salmon in a sitting by using this strategy. Despite the difficulties and rigors of old age, Otis uses his adaptability, skill, and patience to find success."
Park officials said there’s a reason for Otis’s tardiness this year: the salmon were late, too.
"What we’ve been seeing in Alaska is that the salmon run has been trending later into July, which means for bears like Otis waiting longer to eat that salmon," Candice Rusch, a spokesperson with Explore.org, told The Washington Post.
What is Fat Bear Week
Otis is perhaps best known for his multiple championship titles for Fat Bear Week – the annual October March Madness-style bracket that lets the public decide which bear they think is the fattest and most ready for winter hibernation.
Otis is a four-time winner of the competition, which takes place in October. Details of this year’s Fat Bear Week have not yet been announced.
"He's got a lot of fattening up to do," tweeted one fan.
Katmai National Park Officials say that bears can gain up to two pounds a day.
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The nights before games were always the toughest times for Darrelle Revis.
One of the NFL’s most dominant cornerbacks would lie in bed thinking about what he needed to accomplish the next day on the field. Revis would go over the game plan, the notes from his film studies, the receivers’ routes and their tendencies.
Over and over until he’d fall asleep.
He’d wake up mentally prepared — and that brief anxiety would be replaced by supreme confidence.
“Restless nights, I’d say to start with,” Revis said. “Covering some of the greatest wide receivers in the game and future Hall of Famers at that time, I was probably the most nervous out of anybody on the field if I had that assignment.
“For me, it’s kind of looking at yourself in the mirror and saying to yourself, ‘It’s either me or him. I just have to stand up to the challenge.’ For me, I just took on the responsibility to take that assignment and try to shut him down.”
Revis did exactly that for most of his brilliant 11-year NFL career, including eight seasons over two stints with the New York Jets.
So much so, he earned the popular “Revis Island” nickname, a fitting tribute to how he’d single-handedly make many receivers disappear — lost on an island — from opponents’ game plans.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime type corner,” former Jets coach Rex Ryan once said. “And that’s a fact.”
Tough to argue, and voters for the Pro Football Hall of Fame made Revis a first-ballot inductee following a career during which he routinely locked down one side of the field with his air-tight coverage.
He also gave plenty of opposing offensive coordinators plenty of restless nights of their own.
“I just felt I had the ability and skill set and the coaching staff who believed in me that I had the ability to shut them down,” Revis said.
That was perhaps most evident during the 2009 season, when Revis had arguably the greatest year at his position.
Ever.
Randy Moss, Chad Johnson, Andre Johnson, Steve Smith, Terrell Owens, Reggie Wayne and Roddy White were all non-factors against the Jets that season — because they couldn’t shake Revis.
“I shouldn’t have even suited up,” Wayne said after having just a 1-yard catch in Indianapolis’ playoff loss to New York that season.
Green Bay cornerback Charles Woodson won the AP Defensive Player of the Year award that year, but Ryan insisted Revis should’ve been the choice after having “the best year a corner has ever had.”
Revis had six interceptions and set an NFL record that still stands with 31 passes defensed that season. He never really came close to matching those marks in any season the rest of his career — because teams simply stopped throwing his way.
That was the ultimate sign of respect.
“It was a very comforting thing as a player that we’d have a guy that can take away the greatest weapon of the other team’s offensive players,” former Jets center and long-time teammate Nick Mangold said. “So it was very much like a security blanket, like, we’ve got him, so we’re good.”
Revis was drafted by the Jets out of the University of Pittsburgh with the 14th overall pick in 2007 when they traded up 11 spots to add a player they believed could change their defense. And he certainly delivered, making an instant impact under coach Eric Mangini before thriving as the heart of Ryan’s defense.
“One of the highlights for me is just being drafted,” Revis said. “Just fulfilling that dream. Just the hills I had to run at an incline, the abs, the pushups, the overtime, just put into everything to try to even dare myself to be one of the best or one of the greatest or amount to be somewhat of the next Deion Sanders, in a way.”
The comparisons quickly became a regular thing for Revis, whose abilities were often measured up against the likes of Sanders, Woodson, Rod Woodson, Ty Law, Champ Bailey and Mel Blount.
Until the debates began about whether Revis was actually the best cornerback ever.
That’s subjective, of course, with some pointing out Revis’ relatively short period of greatness. A knee injury wiped out his 2012 season and a contract dispute — he had a few of those, helping set the market for cornerbacks — ended with him being traded to Tampa Bay the following offseason.
Revis won a Super Bowl the next year with New England, irking Jets fans, but he returned to New York in 2015 and played two more seasons for his original team. After a short stint with Kansas City in 2017, Revis retired. He was inducted into the Jets’ ring of honor last year.
His playing legacy came with his performance in games, but he built a reputation for striving to be great with his intense approach during practice. Revis would get on teammates who weren’t giving their all, and his goal was to not give up a catch to anyone.
And if he did, Revis would be ticked off. About catches that didn’t even count — to everyone other than Revis.
“Every practice, to him, was a game,” Mangold said. “So he was going out there and no one was going to catch a ball on him. It was the result of his competitive nature. He was always working to win.”
—
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
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https://pix11.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-revis-shut-down-his-nerves-and-then-the-nfls-best-wide-receivers-on-his-way-to-the-hall-of-fame/
| 2023-07-31T18:55:54
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The passenger who was escorted off a Delta flight from Boston to Newark over the weekend, after someone reported the traveler, actually “posed no threat to the safety of the flight or the public,” according to Massachusetts State Police.
Delta Airlines Flight 5770 on Sunday afternoon returned to Logan International Airport after police received a report that a passenger had made threats about the flight.
The unidentified male passenger ended up being escorted by troopers off the flight.
Afterwards, police did not find any weapons in the passenger’s bags.
“An investigation last night by State Police Detectives assigned to Troop F determined that the male who was the subject of the anonymous caller’s allegation posed no threat to the safety of the flight or the public,” a State Police spokesperson said in an update on Monday.
“The man left the barracks after cooperating with investigators,” the spokesperson added. “The investigation into the source of the hoax call, which was made to authorities in another state, is being conducted by another law enforcement jurisdiction.”
The passenger’s two carry-on bags were searched by members of the Mass State Police Bomb Squad and explosive ordinance detection dogs. They did not find any weapons, and the passenger did not have any checked luggage.
After the passenger was escorted off and his bags were cleared, the airplane departed again for Newark.
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https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/31/passenger-escorted-off-boston-flight-to-newark-posed-no-threat-police-investigating-the-hoax-call/
| 2023-07-31T18:55:57
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ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia prosecutor is expected to seek a grand jury indictment in the coming weeks in her investigation into efforts by Donald Trump and his Republican allies to overturn the then-president’s 2020 election loss.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis began investigating more than two years ago, shortly after a recording was released of a January 2021 phone call Trump made to Georgia’s secretary of state.
Willis has strongly hinted that any indictment would come between Monday and Aug. 18. One of two grand juries seated July 11 is expected to hear the case.
If Trump is indicted by a Georgia grand jury, it would add to a growing list of legal troubles as he campaigns for president. Trump is set to go to trial in New York in March to face state charges related to hush money payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign. And he has another trial scheduled for May on federal charges related to his handling of classified documents. He has pleaded not guilty in those cases.
The Justice Department is also investigating Trump’s role in trying to halt the certification of 2020 election results in the run-up to the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol. Trump said he’s been told he’s a target of that investigation, which likely has some overlap with the one in Georgia.
An attempt by Trump to derail the Georgia case suffered a setback on Monday when a judge rejected his request to bar Willis from prosecuting him and to toss out the final report of an investigative special grand jury that had been seated to aid the investigation. A similar motion to be heard by a different judge is set for a hearing next week.
Details of the Georgia investigation that have become public have fed speculation that Willis, a Democrat, is building a case under the Georgia Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, which would allow her to charge numerous people in a potentially wide-ranging scheme.
Here are six investigative threads Willis and her team have explored:
The Georgia investigation was prompted by the Jan. 2, 2021, phone call Trump made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a fellow Republican. Trump suggested the state’s top elections official could help “find” the votes needed to put him ahead of Democrat Joe Biden in the state.
“All I want to do is this: I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have,” Trump is heard saying on a recording of the call, which was leaked to news outlets. “Because we won the state.”
Trump has insisted he did nothing wrong and has repeatedly said the call was “perfect.”
Trump also called other top state officials in his quest to overturn his 2020 election loss, including Gov. Brian Kemp, then-House Speaker David Ralston, Attorney General Chris Carr and the top investigator in the secretary of state’s office.
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, also called Raffensperger shortly after the November election. Raffensperger said at the time that Graham asked whether he had the power to reject certain absentee ballots, which Raffensperger has said he interpreted as a suggestion to toss out legally cast votes.
Graham has denied wrongdoing, saying he just wanted to learn about the signature verification process.
Biden won Georgia by a margin of fewer than 12,000 votes. Just over a month after the election, on Dec. 14, 2020, a group 16 Georgia Democratic electors met in the Senate chamber at the state Capitol to cast the state’s Electoral College votes for him. They each marked paper ballots that were counted and confirmed by a voice roll call.
That day, in a committee meeting room at the Capitol, 16 prominent Georgia Republicans — a lawmaker, activists and party officials — met to sign a certificate falsely stating that Trump had won and declaring themselves the state’s “duly elected and qualified” electors. They sent that certificate to the National Archives and the U.S. Senate.
Georgia was one of seven battleground states that Trump lost where Republican fake electors signed and submitted similar certificates. Trump allies in the U.S. House and Senate used those certificates to argue for delaying or blocking the certification of the election during a joint session of Congress.
Prosecutors in Fulton County have said in court filings that they believe Trump associates worked with state Republicans to coordinate and execute the plan.
The multi-state effort was ultimately unsuccessful. Despite public pressure from Trump and his supporters, then-Vice President Mike Pence refused on Jan. 6, 2021, to introduce the unofficial pro-Trump electors. After the attack on the U.S. Capitol put a violent halt to the certification process, lawmakers certified Biden’s win in the early hours of Jan. 7, 2021.
At least eight of the fake electors have since reached immunity deals with Willis’ team. And a judge last summer barred Willis from prosecuting another one, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, because of a conflict of interest.
Republican state lawmakers held several hearings at the Georgia Capitol in December 2020 to examine alleged problems with the November election. During those meetings, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani and other Trump allies made unproven claims of widespread election fraud.
They alleged that election workers tallying absentee ballots at State Farm Arena in Atlanta had told outside observers to leave and then pulled out “suitcases” of unlawful ballots and began scanning them. The Trump allies played clips of surveillance video from the arena to support their allegations. State and federal officials investigated and said there was no evidence of election fraud at the site.
Some Trump allies also said thousands of people who were ineligible — including people convicted of felonies, people under the age of 18, people who had voted in another state — had cast votes in Georgia. The secretary of state’s office has debunked those claims.
Two of the election workers seen in the State Farm Arena surveillance video, Ruby Freeman and her daughter Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, said they faced relentless harassment online and in person as a result of the allegations made by Trump and his allies.
Giuliani last week conceded that statements he made about the two election workers were false.
In a bizarre episode detailed by prosecutors in court filings, a woman traveled from Chicago to Georgia and met with Freeman on Jan. 4, 2021. The woman initially said she wanted to help Freeman but then warned that Freeman could go to prison and tried to pressure her into falsely confessing to committing election fraud, prosecutors wrote in court filings last year.
Trump-allied lawyer Sidney Powell and others hired a computer forensics team to copy data and software on election equipment in Coffee County, some 200 miles (322 kilometers) southeast of Atlanta, according to invoices, emails, security video and deposition testimony produced in response to subpoenas in a long-running lawsuit.
The county Republican Party chair at the time — who also served as a fake elector — greeted them when they arrived at the local elections office on Jan. 7, 2021, and some county elections officials were also on hand during the daylong visit. The secretary of state’s office has said this amounted to “alleged unauthorized access” of election equipment and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking into it at the secretary of state’s request.
Two other men who have been active in efforts to question the 2020 election results also visited Coffee County later that month and spent hours inside.
U.S. Attorney BJay Pak, the top federal prosecutor in Atlanta, abruptly resigned two days after Trump called Raffensperger and a day after a recording of that call was made public. During that conversation, Trump called Pak a “never-Trumper,” implying that he didn’t support the president.
In December 2020, then-U.S. Attorney General William Barr asked Pak to investigate allegations by Giuliani and other Trump allies of widespread election fraud. Pak, who had been appointed by Trump in 2017, reported back that he had found no evidence of such fraud.
In August 2021, Pak told the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, which was investigating Trump’s post-election actions, that he resigned on Jan. 4, 2021, after learning from Department of Justice officials that Trump did not believe enough was being done to investigate allegations of election fraud and wanted him gone as U.S. attorney.
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https://www.wivb.com/news/political-news/ap-politics/ap-trump-could-be-indicted-soon-in-georgia-heres-a-look-at-that-investigation/
| 2023-07-31T18:55:58
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Northrop Grumman launching supplies, messages from students to Space Station from Virginia on Tuesday
Northrop Grumman is preparing to launch 8,200 pounds of research and supplies to the International Space Station. Liftoff is scheduled for 8:31 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
WALLOPS ISLAND, Virginia – A Northrop Grumman rocket is poised to launch supplies, new science and hardware to the International Space Station on Tuesday from the Virginia spaceport.
The Antares rocket with the Cygnus spacecraft is scheduled to liftoff at 8:31 p.m. EDT from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport’s Pad-0A at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility.
According to NASA, the launch weather is forecast to be 80% favorable, with the primary concern of cumulus clouds in the area. If the launch is delayed to Wednesday, the probability increases to 85%.
The mission will mark Northrop Grumman's 19th supply run to the ISS for NASA. The Cygnus spacecraft will carry more than 8,200 pounds of research, essential items for the astronauts and hardware to the space station.
Cygnus will also carry messages of hope and perseverance from more than 13,000 students from 74 schools worldwide.
ISS Associate program scientist Heidi Parris said research in the orbiting laboratory can help improve life on Earth and helps further space exploration.
"It enables scientists from around the world to really redefine the boundaries of their discipline by imagining what would be possible if you take gravity out of the situation," Parris said.
AUGUST SKYGAZING FORECAST: MONTH FEATURES 2 SUPERMOONS AND PERSEID METEOR SHOWER
Among the science experiments is the final part in the Saffire (Spacecraft Fire Experiments) series, which is dedicated to understanding how fire behaves in space.
"The Saffire experiments provide a critical benchmark for validating our models of how fire affects spacecraft habitability," Saffire principal investigator David Urban said in a statement. "This work has already changed our understanding of material flammability in low gravity and demonstrated that just as on Earth, smoke from a fire represents the most immediate hazard to the crew."
If the launch goes on Tuesday night, the cargo craft will be captured at the space station on Friday morning. The spacecraft is set to stay on the ISS for about three months before NASA sets a departure date.
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https://www.foxweather.com/earth-space/northrop-grumman-launch-international-space-station-virginia
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HARFORD COUNTY, Md. — The Harford County Sheriff's Office is investigating a criminal complaint alleging violations of Maryland's wiretap statue involving the illegal interception of electronic communications.
The victims identified in the complaint are elected and government officials as well as members of the business community.
"If founded, this case is particularly egregious, as Maryland boasts some of the most comprehensive and stringent wiretapping laws in the nation, emphasizing the protection of citizens' privacy," said the Harford County Sheriff's Office.
This investigation is ongoing.
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https://www.wmar2news.com/local/harford-sheriffs-office-investigating-alleged-wiretapping-of-elected-officials
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MLB Games Tonight: How to Watch on TV, Streaming & Odds - Monday, July 31
The MLB lineup today, which includes the Los Angeles Angels versus the Atlanta Braves, is sure to please.
Here you will find info on how to watch all of today's MLB action.
Watch MLB games and tons of other live sports without cable! Use our link to get a free trial to Fubo..
How to Watch Today's MLB Games
The Miami Marlins (57-49) play host to the Philadelphia Phillies (56-49)
The Phillies hope to get a road victory at LoanDepot park against the Marlins on Monday at 6:40 PM ET.
How to Watch
Hitters to Watch
- MIA Key Player: Luis Arraez (.377 AVG, 3 HR, 51 RBI)
- PHI Key Player: Bryson Stott (.306 AVG, 9 HR, 37 RBI)
Check out the latest odds and place your bets with BetMGM Sportsbook. Use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
The Washington Nationals (44-62) take on the Milwaukee Brewers (57-49)
The Brewers will take to the field at Nationals Park versus the Nationals on Monday at 7:05 PM ET.
How to Watch
Hitters to Watch
- WSH Key Player: Lane Thomas (.285 AVG, 16 HR, 55 RBI)
- MIL Key Player: Christian Yelich (.286 AVG, 16 HR, 60 RBI)
Check out the latest odds and place your bets with BetMGM Sportsbook. Use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Watch live MLB games on all your devices! Sign up now for a free trial to Fubo!
The New York Yankees (55-50) take on the Tampa Bay Rays (64-44)
The Rays hope to get a road victory at Yankee Stadium against the Yankees on Monday at 7:05 PM ET.
How to Watch
- TV Channel: MLB Network
- Stream Live: Fubo (regional restrictions may apply)
- Game Time: 7:05 PM ET
Hitters to Watch
- NYY Key Player: Gleyber Torres (.258 AVG, 16 HR, 44 RBI)
- TB Key Player: Wander Franco (.267 AVG, 12 HR, 49 RBI)
Check out the latest odds and place your bets with BetMGM Sportsbook. Use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
The Toronto Blue Jays (59-47) take on the Baltimore Orioles (64-41)
The Orioles will hit the field at Rogers Centre against the Blue Jays on Monday at 7:07 PM ET.
How to Watch
- TV Channel: MLB Network
- Stream Live: Fubo (regional restrictions may apply)
- Game Time: 7:07 PM ET
Hitters to Watch
- TOR Key Player: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (.270 AVG, 17 HR, 66 RBI)
- BAL Key Player: Adley Rutschman (.272 AVG, 14 HR, 47 RBI)
Check out the latest odds and place your bets with BetMGM Sportsbook. Use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Buy gear from your favorite teams and players NOW at Fanatics!
The Atlanta Braves (67-36) host the Los Angeles Angels (55-51)
The Angels will look to pick up a road win at Truist Park against the Braves on Monday at 7:20 PM ET.
How to Watch
Hitters to Watch
- ATL Key Player: Ronald Acuña Jr. (.335 AVG, 24 HR, 61 RBI)
- LAA Key Player: Shohei Ohtani (.302 AVG, 39 HR, 81 RBI)
Check out the latest odds and place your bets with BetMGM Sportsbook. Use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
The Chicago Cubs (53-52) play host to the Cincinnati Reds (58-49)
The Reds will look to pick up a road win at Wrigley Field versus the Cubs on Monday at 8:05 PM ET.
How to Watch
Hitters to Watch
- CHC Key Player: Nico Hoerner (.276 AVG, 7 HR, 57 RBI)
- CIN Key Player: Spencer Steer (.272 AVG, 15 HR, 58 RBI)
Check out the latest odds and place your bets with BetMGM Sportsbook. Use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
The Houston Astros (59-47) take on the Cleveland Guardians (53-53)
The Guardians will hit the field at Minute Maid Park against the Astros on Monday at 8:10 PM ET.
How to Watch
- TV Channel: SportsNet SW
- Stream Live: Fubo (regional restrictions may apply)
- Game Time: 8:10 PM ET
Hitters to Watch
- HOU Key Player: Kyle Tucker (.299 AVG, 18 HR, 70 RBI)
- CLE Key Player: José Ramírez (.290 AVG, 18 HR, 63 RBI)
Check out the latest odds and place your bets with BetMGM Sportsbook. Use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
The Colorado Rockies (41-64) play the San Diego Padres (52-54)
The Padres will hit the field at Coors Field versus the Rockies on Monday at 8:40 PM ET.
How to Watch
- TV Channel: SportsNet RM
- Stream Live: Fubo (regional restrictions may apply)
- Game Time: 8:40 PM ET
Hitters to Watch
- COL Key Player: Ryan McMahon (.257 AVG, 16 HR, 50 RBI)
- SD Key Player: Juan Soto (.268 AVG, 20 HR, 64 RBI)
Check out the latest odds and place your bets with BetMGM Sportsbook. Use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
The Seattle Mariners (54-51) host the Boston Red Sox (56-49)
The Red Sox will take to the field at T-Mobile Park versus the Mariners on Monday at 9:40 PM ET.
How to Watch
- TV Channel: ROOT Sports NW
- Stream Live: Fubo (regional restrictions may apply)
- Game Time: 9:40 PM ET
Hitters to Watch
- SEA Key Player: Julio Rodríguez (.251 AVG, 17 HR, 55 RBI)
- BOS Key Player: Justin Turner (.287 AVG, 17 HR, 70 RBI)
Check out the latest odds and place your bets with BetMGM Sportsbook. Use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
The San Francisco Giants (58-48) play host to the Arizona Diamondbacks (56-50)
The Diamondbacks will hit the field at Oracle Park against the Giants on Monday at 9:45 PM ET.
How to Watch
Hitters to Watch
- SF Key Player: LaMonte Wade Jr (.268 AVG, 9 HR, 29 RBI)
- ARI Key Player: Corbin Carroll (.285 AVG, 21 HR, 57 RBI)
Check out the latest odds and place your bets with BetMGM Sportsbook. Use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved.
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Great Day SA Get rid of your credit card debt | Great Day SA Sponsored by: Debt Redemption Texas Debt Relief More Videos Next up in 5 Example video title will go here for this video SAN ANTONIO — Sponsored by: Debt Redemption Texas Debt Relief For more information: 800.971.4060 DEBTREDEMPTION.COM/KENS5
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https://www.kens5.com/article/entertainment/television/great-day-sa/get-rid-of-your-credit-card-debt-great-day-sa/273-72c0f710-1507-464a-8356-5cce863b7ed5
| 2023-07-31T18:55:59
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When a mysterious object showed up on a beach in Western Australia earlier this month, authorities and the public were left scratching their heads about what it was and where it came from.
For more than two weeks, people speculated about what this metallic cylinder could be and where it came from. Many questioned (with varying levels of sincerity) if it was from outer space and could be proof of alien life.
Others wondered if the debris could be from the Malaysian Airlines plane that vanished in 2014.
However, the Australian Space Agency quickly debunked some of the more out there theories, and determined the object was from another country’s space program.
MORE: Scientists discover a two-faced dwarf star
We have concluded the object located on a beach near Jurien Bay in Western Australia is most likely debris from an expended third-stage of a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
The PSLV is a medium-lift launch vehicle operated by @isro.
[More in comments] pic.twitter.com/ivF9Je1Qqy
— Australian Space Agency (@AusSpaceAgency) July 31, 2023
“We have concluded the object located on a beach near Jurian Bay in Western Australia is most likely debris from an expended third-stage of a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle […] operated by @isro (Indian Space Research Organization),” the agency shared on its official Twitter account.
The New York Times reported India did launch a rocket intended to go to the moon a few days before the object was found on the remote Australian beach.
The Australian Space Agency disclosed it has now placed the discovered item in storage and plans to work with ISRO to determine what’s next.
A 1968 United Nations agreement outlines guidelines for nations that “requires States Parties [to] return any ‘foreign’ space objects discovered in their territory to their owners and that they notify the [U.N.] Secretary-General of any such discovered objects.”
According to space archeologist Alice Gorman, discoveries such as this will likely become more common with more launches from organizations such as SpaceX and other national space programs.
“There are so many more launches than there used to be that it is likely we’re going to see more fuel tanks and other components ending up on Earth,” Gorman told ABC News Australia.
However, she assured the general public not to worry about stuff falling from space. This latest piece of space debris washed up to the shore from the ocean, and public risk is minimal now.
“Nobody has to walk around looking above their heads in fear that a piece of space junk is going to fall on them and decimate them,” Gorman concluded.
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Check out Simplemost for additional stories.
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https://www.wmar2news.com/mysterious-object-ended-up-on-beach
| 2023-07-31T18:56:01
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SAN ANTONIO — Clarke is still at Southbound Coffee to help make a magnificent Matcha drink with owner Adriana Ruiz.
Matcha, Matcha, Matcha! | Great Day SA
Clarke is still at Southbound Coffee to help make a magnificent Matcha drink with owner Adriana Ruiz.
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https://www.kens5.com/article/entertainment/television/great-day-sa/matcha-matcha-matcha-great-day-sa/273-68c9c188-ce00-4a42-a830-4adc80eb4de2
| 2023-07-31T18:56:01
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https://www.kens5.com/article/entertainment/television/great-day-sa/matcha-matcha-matcha-great-day-sa/273-68c9c188-ce00-4a42-a830-4adc80eb4de2
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Paul Reubens, the actor who played Pee-wee Herman, died late Sunday at the age of 70, according to a post from his official Facebook page.
The post revealed that Reubens had been quietly battling cancer for the last six years. Reubens left a message for fans prior to his death.
"Please accept my apology for not going public with what I've been facing the last six years," he said. "I have always felt a huge amount of love and respect from friends, fans and supporters. I have loved you all so much and enjoyed making art for you."
Although Reubens had a prolific acting career, he was best known for his portrayal of Herman. The character appealed to children and adults alike through shows like "The Pee-wee Herman Show," "Pee-wee's Playhouse," and the movie, "Pee-wee's Big Adventure."
SEE MORE: Biden announces advanced research project to reduce cancer mortality
But his career took a hit in 1991 when he was reportedly arrested for exposing himself while attending a pornographic film.
"It was kind of like a mortifying kind of situation, where I felt like you know people are laughing at me," Reubens said in a 2004 interview with NBC News."I'm a professional comedian. I've never claimed to be able to take it as good as a dish it out, ever. I mean I'm just sensitive.”
Although he never regained his popularity before his arrest, Reubens continued acting in several comedic rules, including occasional portrayals of Herman.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com
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https://www.wmar2news.com/paul-reubens-actor-who-played-pee-wee-herman-dead-at-70
| 2023-07-31T18:56:01
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Adriana Ruiz with Southbound Coffee shows Clarke how to make their scrumptious Strawberry Fields latte.
Sweet & Icy Latte Truck | Great Day SA
Adriana Ruiz with Southbound Coffee shows Clarke how to make their scrumptious Strawberry Fields latte.
Adriana Ruiz with Southbound Coffee shows Clarke how to make their scrumptious Strawberry Fields latte.
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| 2023-07-31T18:56:01
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SYDNEY (AP) — The Women’s World Cup is taking shape with shocks and highlights as it nears the end of the group stage.
Some players have established themselves as ones to watch, like Colombia star Linda Caicedo, who has made her team one of the tournament surprises. Colombia picked up an upset win over Germany, and Nigeria upset co-host Australia — just two of the games that showed the gap has closed at top level women’s soccer.
But co-host New Zealand was eliminated, and other big teams are in danger of not advancing headed into the final few days of group play.
The Associated Press takes a look at some of the highlights and lowlights so far:
GOAL OF THE TOURNAMENT
There have been a number of contenders and Bia Zaneratto’s strike against Panama after a sweeping move from Brazil stands out as the most complete goal so far.
Ireland’s Katie McCabe scored directly from a corner kick against Canada, and England’s Lauren James curled in a long range effort against Denmark.
Even so, Caicedo’s solo goal in Colombia’s dramatic 2-1 win against Germany is the pick of the bunch. With a flash of skill, she beat two German players in the box before lashing a shot into the top corner as the Sydney crowd dominated by Colombia fans went wild.
MOMENT OF THE TOURNAMENT
It has to be Manuela Vanegas’ late winner for Colombia against Germany. Alexandra Popp seemed to position two-time champion Germany for a draw with an 89th-minute penalty.
But Vanegas’ header in the 97th minute gave Colombia a World Cup upset.
COMEBACK
Norway looked down and out after an opening game loss to co-host New Zealand and a goalless draw against Switzerland. With star player Ada Hegerberg injured, the odds were beginning to stack up against the Norwegians going into their final Group A match against the Philippines.
But three goals within 31 minutes set up a 6-0 rout that saw Norway advance to the knockout rounds in second place. The Norway win knocked New Zealand out of the tournament, making the Football Ferns the first host to be eliminated in group play in tournament history.
EMERGING STARS
Caicedo’s standout performances aren’t a surprise to those who have followed her career. The Real Madrid forward has long-been tipped to be one of the biggest stars in women’s soccer.
She hasn’t disappointed in her first World Cup and has inspired Colombia to back-to-back wins with goals in each game.
England coach Sarina Wiegman unleashed Chelsea forward James from the start in the Lionesses’ second game against Denmark, and she made a quick impression. Collecting the ball outside the area after six minutes, she swept a curling effort past Lene Christensen.
Haiti’s Melchie Dumornay has shown flashes of the talent that earned her a move to French powerhouse Lyon, while 19-year-old Aoba Fujino has become the youngest player to score at a World Cup for Japan’s men’s or women’s teams.
Casey Phair, a 16 year old, became the youngest-ever player to appear in a senior soccer World Cup when she was a second-half substitute for South Korea against Colombia.
DISAPPOINTMENTS
While youngsters have capitalized on their chance to shine, some of the established names have yet to make their mark.
There have been differing reasons for that.
Sam Kerr’s calf injury robbed Australia of its star striker for its opening two games, while Hegerberg’s groin injury has cut her playing time for Norway.
Alex Morgan, who was the co-leading scorer at the last World Cup, is still finding her footing in the United States’ new look attack.
Record international scorer Christine Sinclair was benched for Canada’s second game and is still waiting for her first goal of the tournament, while Brazil great Marta has also been used sparingly.
SURPRISES
New Zealand kicked the tournament off with a 1-0 win against Norway, but couldn’t keep up its momentum and went on to lose by the same score to the Philippines to set up the co-host’s early exit.
Jamaica’s 0-0 draw with fifth-ranked France was described by its coach Lorne Donaldson as the country’s greatest soccer result, for men or women. But the biggest surprise could be yet to come if Jamaica can avoid defeat against Brazil to advance to the round of 16.
Colombia’s dramatic late winner against Germany, meanwhile, was one of the great upsets.
ENTERTAINERS
The goals have been flowing for Spain and Japan, teams that both advanced from the group stage with a game to spare. Both teams secured 5-0 wins against Zambia and both have produced technically excellent displays.
Germany was on a high after its 6-0 rout of Morocco, but was humbled by Colombia.
Sweden routed Italy 5-0, while Norway found its scoring touch just in time against the Philippines.
ONES TO WATCH
Some of the favorites have made underwhelming starts. The two-time defending champion United States, England, Germany and France have not been totally convincing in group play and the tournament still looks wide open.
Colombia looks legitimate, and with Kerr back in action, Australia could become a contender.
The Netherlands look like serious contenders, while Spain and Japan have impressed. Brazil has shown flashes, but faces a fight to advance from the group stage.
Nigeria has shown it is dangerous, and Sweden has picked up back-to-back wins.
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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
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More AP Women’s World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup
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FOXBORO — The Patriots don’t currently roster a fullback, but when they lined up near the goal line at the end of practice, there was a lead blocker wearing No. 48 positioned in front of the running back.
Defenders lit up after Monday’s fully padded practice when asked about linebacker Jahlani Tavai moonlighting as an offensive skill player at fullback.
“It’s good seeing him on the offensive ball because we get to hit him,” defensive tackle Davon Godchaux said. “He’s a defensive guy but playing offense, so when I see him over there, I get a chance to hit him. I don’t think he’s got a fullback play yet, but I’m pretty sure he’s going to get one.
“When I first saw him go there, the offensive coaches called him to go to fullback, I was like, ‘OK, OK, we’re going to sting your (expletive) now.’ It’s always good to see him over there getting some more reps at somewhere else too.”
Defensive end Deatrich Wise noted that Tavai, who’s 6-foot-2, 255 pounds, was playing fullback in organized team activities and minicamp, as well.
“It’s cool seeing him doing offense and defense,” Wise said.
Tavai, 26, is now in his third year with the Patriots. He was drafted 43rd overall by the Detroit Lions when former Patriots defensive coordinator and offensive line coach Matt Patricia was head coach. Tavai played defensive line, tight end and rugby in high school before moving to linebacker at the University of Hawaii.
“The more you can do,” Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers said about Tavai’s brief move to offense.
“He’s getting better at it,” running back Kevin Harris added. “It’s his first time doing it.”
Tavai started 12 games for the Patriots at linebacker last season. He finished the year with 69 tackles, 1.5 sacks, two tackles for loss, four QB hits and two pass breakups. He could see his defensive workload lessen this season if rookie Marte Mapu continues to impress this summer.
The Patriots have used defensive players on offense in the past. Last season, cornerback Marcus Jones saw reps at wide receiver. Former Patriots linebacker Elandon Roberts was used at fullback in 2019, and linebacker Mike Vrabel famously played as a goal-line tight end for the team. Defensive linemen Dan Klecko and Richard Seymour also saw time at fullback in the early 2000s.
The Patriots have used offensive players on defense, as well. Wide receiver Julian Edelman and special-teamer/wide receiver Matthew Slater were switched over to the secondary in 2011. Tight end Rob Gronkowski was in at safety during the Miami Miracle when the Dolphins scored a 69-yard touchdown down five points with seven seconds to go to beat the Patriots 34-33 in 2019.
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https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/31/patriots-have-a-secret-offensive-weapon-on-defensive-side-of-the-ball/
| 2023-07-31T18:56:03
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A New Hampshire nurse, who has reportedly been kidnapped in Haiti, has described Haitians as “resilient people” in a video about her work for a nonprofit Christian ministry in the country.
“They’re full of joy, and life and love. I’m so blessed to know so many amazing Haitians,” Alix Dorsainil says in a video on the website of the ministry she works for, El Roi Haiti.
Dorsainvil and her daughter were kidnapped Thursday, the organization said in a statement over the weekend. El Roi Haiti, which runs a school and ministry in Port au Prince, said the two were taken from campus. Dorsainvil is the wife of the program’s director, Sandro Dorsainvil.
That happened the same day that the U.S. State Department issued a “do not travel advisory” in the country and ordered nonemergency personnel to leave there amid growing security concerns.
“Alix is a deeply compassionate and loving person who considers Haiti her home and the Haitian people her friends and family,” El Roi president and co-founder Jason Brown said in the statement. “Alix has worked tirelessly as our school and community nurse to bring relief to those who are suffering as she loves and serves the people of Haiti in the name of Jesus.”
A State Department spokesperson said in a statement Saturday is it “aware of reports of the kidnapping of two U.S. citizens in Haiti,” adding, “We are in regular contact with Haitian authorities and will continue to work with them and our U.S. government interagency partners.”
The department has not issued any updates since then. Alix Dorainvil’s father, Steven Comeau, reached in New Hampshire, said he could not talk.
Dorsainvil graduated from Regis College in Weston, Massachusetts, which has a program to support nursing education in Haiti. Before that, she went to Cornerstone Christian Academy in Ossipee, New Hampshire.
“Pray that God would keep her safe, be with her through this trial, and deliver her from her captors,” the school posted on its Facebook page.
In its advisory Thursday, the State Department said that “kidnapping is widespread, and victims regularly include U.S. citizens.”
It said kidnappings often involve ransom negotiations and U.S. citizen victims have been physically harmed.
Earlier this month, the National Human Rights Defense Network issued a report warning about an upsurge in killings and kidnappings and the U.N. Security Council met to discuss Haiti’s worsening situation.
In December 2021, an unidentified person paid a ransom that freed three missionaries kidnapped by a gang in Haiti under an agreement that was supposed to have led to the release of all 15 remaining captives, t heir Ohio-based organization confirmed.
The person who made the payment was not affiliated with Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries, and the workers say they don’t know who the individual is or how much was paid to the gang, which initially demanded $1 million per person. Internal conflicts in the gang, they say, led it to renege on a pledge to release all the hostages, freeing just three of them instead on Dec. 5.
The accounts from former hostages and other Christian Aid Ministries staffers, in recent recorded talks to church groups and others, were the first public acknowledgement from the organization that ransom was paid at any point following the Oct. 16 kidnapping of 16 Americans and a Canadian affiliated with CAM.
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| 2023-07-31T18:56:04
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8-year-old survives 'extraordinarily rare' cougar attack inside Washington’s Olympic National Park
After the attack, remaining campers were evacuated and access to some areas was closed off to the public until further notice
PORT ANGELES, Wash. - An 8-year-old child was taken to a hospital over the weekend after an ‘extraordinarily rare’ attack by a cougar inside Washington's Olympic National Park.
The terrifying incident occurred while the child and their family were camping at Lake Angeles, located in the Heart O' the Hills area to the south of Port Angeles, Washington.
According to national park officials, the cougar casually abandoned its attack on the 8-year-old when the child's mother began to scream and yell at the animal.
National park personnel quickly responded to the area to help and then escorted the family back to the trailhead for further assistance. Officials say the child survived the attack with minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital for further treatment.
After the attack, remaining campers in the Lake Angeles area were evacuated, and access to the Lake Angeles and Heather Park areas was closed off to the public until further notice.
MAN DIES IN OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK AFTER KAYAK OVERTURNS IN COLD LAKE CRESCENT WATER
"Due to the extreme nature of this incident, we are closing the Lake Angeles area and several trails in the vicinity," Olympic National Park Wildlife Biologist Tom Kay said in a statement. "Out of an abundance of caution, the Lake Angeles Trail, Heather Park Trail, Switchback Trail, and the entire Klahhane Ridge Trail are closed until further notice."
Park officials are now on the hunt for the cougar, and if it is located, it will be euthanized. A necropsy will then be conducted to try and determine why the cougar attacked the 8-year-old since park officials say cougar attacks are "extraordinarily rare."
Olympic National Park is considered to be cougar territory, and park officials say visitors need to be prepared for potential encounters.
TOP 10 NATIONAL PARKS TO VISIT THIS SUMMER AND THE WEATHER YOU CAN EXPECT
It's recommended that visitors not hike or jog alone, and children should be watched and kept close to adults. Pets should also be left at home while camping inside the national park, and visitors should be aware of their surroundings.
If someone does cross paths with a cougar, it's recommended not to run because it could trigger an attack. Instead, officials say people should group together, appear as large as possible, keep an eye on the animal, make a lot of noise, and shout. Throwing large objects is also recommended.
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https://www.foxweather.com/lifestyle/cougar-attacks-child-washington-olympic-national-park
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DURANT, Okla. — A couple North Texas residents had a lucky week.
An Anna resident won $4 million in a Mega Millions lottery drawing on July 25, and a Lancaster woman took home a $1 million prize from Choctaw Casino & Resort in Durant, Oklahoma.
The lottery winner, who chose to remain anonymous, purchased a ticket at a 7-Eleven at 1510 W. White St. in Anna and matched all five of the white numbers drawn on July 25: 3-5-6-44-61.
The ticket missed the Mega Ball number of 25, but the ticket was still good for $4 million. But that also means the biggest Mega Millions prize is still up for grabs, with the next drawing Tuesday at 10:12 p.m. The estimated jackpot is now $1.05 billion.
At the Choctaw casino, Rose Guia, of Lancster, on Sunday won the casino's monthly million-dollar drawing. The drawing is part of the casino's "3 months. 3 millionaires" giveaway promotion this summer.
Guia, a grandmother of 12 who works at an embroidery company, had won big before at Choctaw, taking home a $41,000 prize in 2017.
“I still can’t believe it. I can’t believe it because of how much it is. I know it’s real because I won $1 million tonight,” Guia said in a Choctaw press release. “I’m not sure what I am going to do with the money, but I have four children and 12 grandchildren. I think I will take them somewhere."
Choctaw's final $1 million drawing of the summer will be announced Aug. 26.
More North Texas news coverage:
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| 2023-07-31T18:56:08
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MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Health care providers in Alabama filed a lawsuit on Monday against the state’s attorney general that seeks to clarify whether they could be charged for helping women get abortions outside the state.
Since abortion became almost entirely illegal in Alabama, the phone rings at least once a day at a former clinic in Tuscaloosa as women — sometimes crying and often desperate — try to find where they can go in other states to end an unwanted pregnancy, the clinic director said.
“We get a lot of the anger — and we know that it’s not us that they are angry at,” said Robin Marty, operations director for the West Alabama Women’s Center. “It’s the situation, but it is very, very hard for my staff. They want to be able to help them.”
Staff members who want to provide assistance are afraid to give much information beyond a website that lists abortion clinic locations, after the state’s Republican Attorney General Steve Marshall suggested people could face criminal charges for helping Alabama women obtain abortions elsewhere.
The three health care providers filed the lawsuit to get a court declaration and injunction clarifying that the state’s criminal statutes can’t be used to prosecute people who help women leave the state for an abortion. The suit was filed by the Women’s Center, the Alabama Women’s Center in Huntsville, and Dr. Yashica Robinson, an obstetrician.
“What the attorney general has tried to do via these threats is to effectively extend Alabama’s abortion ban outside of its borders for Alabama residents,” Meagan Burrows, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union, which is representing the providers in the lawsuit.
Burrows said the threat of prosecution is harming both the health care providers and the women who want to obtain abortions.
In a statement Monday, the attorney general’s office said it “will continue to vigorously enforce Alabama laws protecting unborn life which include the Human Life Protection Act. That includes abortion providers conspiring to violate the Act.”
The lawsuit cites Marshall’s comments on a conservative radio talk show last year, in which he said that state law can’t be used to prosecute a woman for getting an abortion out of state.
However, Marshall said, “if an individual held themselves out as an entity or a group that is using funds that they are able to raise to be able to facilitate those visits, then that’s something that we’re going to look at closely.”
After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and handed authority on abortion law to the states, the Deep South quickly became an area of limited abortion access.
Alabama bans abortion at any stage of pregnancy with no exceptions for rape and incest. The only exemption is if it’s needed because pregnancy threatens the health of the woman.
The landscape outside the state has also evolved rapidly and continues to change quickly as trigger laws and new bans are allowed to take effect. Clinics that remain open are extremely busy.
Marty, the clinic director, said most people who reach out to the clinic know “there is no abortion in Alabama. What they aren’t aware of is how far that extends.”
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FOXBORO — The Patriots are well aware of their biggest current need for veteran depth on their roster.
That’s why the team has brought in free agents Ezekiel Elliott, Leonard Fournette and Darrell Henderson for visits or workouts since reconvening at Gillette Stadium last week. The Patriots need a veteran running back.
But since they haven’t signed one yet even though they released James Robinson in June, Ty Montgomery is “day to day” with an injury and starter Rhamondre Stevenson — who spent Monday’s practice on a side field working on his conditioning — is having his load managed in practice, per a source, the Patriots were counting on 2022 NFL Draft picks Kevin Harris and Pierre Strong on Monday in the first fully padded practice of the summer.
“It’s a huge opportunity for me and Kevin,” Strong said after practice Monday. “We’re both in our second year, both young. We’re just trying to get our roles on the team and showcase it out here.”
It’s entirely possible that Harris and Strong are just the running back depth that the Patriots need behind Stevenson. Harris is a thickly built fire hydrant of a running back who can plow between blockers and pick up yards in short-yardage situations. He said Monday that he worked this offseason on his pass catching, and it’s showing in practice. Harris looks comfortable catching the ball. The Patriots believe Harris has seen major improvement over the past season.
And Strong is a thinner, faster back who probably best projects in the mold of a Kevin Faulk or James White as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. Clocked with a 4.37-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine last year, the hope is that Strong could be a home run hitter either as a ball carrier or pass-catcher out of the backfield.
But Harris and Strong combined for just 35 touches as rookies last season behind Stevenson and Damien Harris, who departed for the Buffalo Bills in free agency. It was assumed that Robinson would fill Harris’ void, but injuries caused a short stay in New England.
“They’re two other guys that have taken a big jump in year two,” head coach Bill Belichick said about the second-year backs. “Good offseasons, way ahead of where they were last year. Both showed flashes of good things last year. I think the experience and confidence with them is much greater than it was last year.
“Obviously, the biggest challenge for all backs is pass protection and blitz pickup in the passing game. All of those guys are more comfortable carrying the ball than some of those other things that come with the position, but they’ve worked hard at that, so we’ll see how it goes.”
Harris, who was the lead back in practice Monday with Stevenson limited and Montgomery out, started last season on the practice squad but finished his rookie campaign with 18 carries for 52 yards with a touchdown. Strong had some special-teams miscues but carried the ball 10 times for 100 yards with a touchdown and caught seven passes on seven targets for 42 yards.
“It’s a big opportunity to get better at knowing the plays because (Stevenson) gets certain plays,” Harris said about his increased workload Monday. “And now when he’s not in, we all get the plays.”
Harris came to the Patriots as a sixth-round pick out of South Carolina last season. He earned All-SEC honors in 2020 after leading the league in rushing with 1,138 yards on 185 carries with 15 touchdowns. He saw his production decline in 2021 after undergoing back surgery and wound up with 153 carries for 655 yards with four touchdowns before declaring for the draft.
Harris said he has “a lot of confidence in myself” when asked how he would feel if he had to carry the load for the Patriots.
Strong was a fourth-round pick out of South Dakota State. He finished his college career averaging 7.2 yards per carry over four seasons. He registered 1,686 yards on 240 carries with 18 touchdowns as a senior while adding 22 catches for 150 yards.
Harris and Strong both said they’re not focused on whether the Patriots sign another running back.
“It’s good to learn from the vets about the game within the game,” Harris said, however.
“I just focus on myself and what I can do better, what I’m trying to do for my future,” Strong added. “That’s a coach question.”
The Patriots also have running back J.J. Taylor, who originally signed as an undrafted free agent out of Arizona, but he’s now in his fourth season with the bulk of that time spent on the practice squad. The 5-foot-6, 185-pound back has averaged 3.0 yards per carry in his career.
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https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/31/patriots-still-counting-on-young-running-backs-as-depth-is-tested-in-training-camp/
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WASHINGTON (Nexstar) – Two United States senators had issues last week that’s prompting conversations about whether they are mentally and physically fit to serve and is leading some politicians to suggest the idea of mental competency tests.
During a committee yes or no vote, Senator Dianne Feinstein gave a wandering speech instead and Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell froze mid-sentence and had to be escorted away from a press conference.
Democratic Senator Chris Coons says McConnell appears to be okay for now but both McConnell and Feinstein have had prior health scares.
“I feel like he’s going to be the Republican leader through the rest of this Congress, and what happens after that, I don’t know,” Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) said.
Republican Presidential Candidate Nikki Haley is suggesting testing to ensure people are fit to serve.
“We need to have term limits in Congress, and we need to have mental competency tests for anyone over the age of 75,” Haley said.
Members of Congress aren’t the only one’s she’s concerned about.
“When you go and you look at Biden, he was in the week before and he can’t say it,” Haley added. “When you go and see him falling asleep with leaders, that’s concerning. And I know when I was at the United Nations, leaders watch the health status of other leaders.”
But Asa Hutchinson, another Republican presidential candidate, dismissed the idea of mental competency tests outright.
“The tests are not constitutional. And so, it’s really something that’s a throwaway line that catches people’s attention,” Hutchinson said.
Hutchinson also said that determining whether politicians are fit to serve is up to the voters.
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https://www.wivb.com/news/washington-dc/feinstein-mcconnell-health-scares-leading-some-to-suggest-competency-tests/
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Severe storms rock Missouri with 70 mph winds, leaving thousands without power
Another round of potentially severe weather will bring flash flooding concerns back to Missouri this week after Sunday's storms caused widespread damage in Springfield.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Damaging winds ripped through southern Missouri on Sunday, causing widespread damage and knocking out power for more than 38,000 customers.
Flash Flood and Severe Thunderstorm warnings were in place Sunday evening as severe thunderstorms rolled through Missouri packing powerful winds that toppled trees and covered roads in branches.
The National Weather Service in Springfield received reports of wind gusts over 70 mph in Table Rock and 60 to 70 mph winds from Springfield to Branson.
Early on Monday, more than 38,000 in Missouri were without power a day after the storms.
Power company Cities Utilities said the outages were widespread, and crews were working to remove trees that knocked down lines and power poles.
"This is a large-scale event," the company tweeted, sharing photos of some of the damages.
Severe weather returns this week
More rounds of potentially severe weather are on tap for the Central U.S. this week, including in St. Louis and Springfield.
Damaging winds up to 60 mph, quarter-size hail and heavy rains will be the main concerns going into Monday night.
Heading into midweek widespread rainfall up to 2 inches could create localized flash flooding for St. Louis and Paducah, Kentucky.
The rain will benefit areas in Missouri under extreme drought conditions. Most of the Show Me State remains in drought from abnormally dry to extreme drought on the U.S. Drought Monitor.
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| 2023-07-31T18:56:11
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HAYS COUNTY, Texas — Editor's note: The above video was published in August 2020, when Tyler Townsend was first arrested.
A former Hays CISD assistant band director has been sentenced to 30 years in prison on charges of possession of child pornography and invasive visual recording.
Tyler Townsend, the former assistant band director at Dahlstrom Middle School in Buda, was arrested in August 2020. He was accused of possessing child pornography and taking videos of students who didn't know they were being recorded.
KVUE previously reported that Kyle police searched Townsend's home in Buda and found several electronic devices. They discovered invasive visual recordings that were not pornographic but showed female students who were possibly at school on Townsend's cellphone.
According to a report from the Hays Free Press, investigators found more than 200 illegal images on Townsend's laptops and phone. Locations where the photos were taken included the Dahlstrom band hall, private band practice and the school's track and field area, as well as Hays High School and Schlitterbahn in New Braunfels.
Hays CISD initially placed Townsend on administrative leave, but he resigned a few days later. He had worked at Dahlstrom Middle School for five years.
On July 25, 2023, 33-year-old Townsend pleaded guilty to 10 counts of child pornography, a third-degree felony, and seven counts of invasive visual recording, a state jail felony, according to Hays County court records.
The court records also show that 10 additional charges of possession of child pornography were dismissed.
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https://www.kens5.com/article/news/crime/former-hays-cisd-assistant-band-director-sentenced-child-pornography/269-3e879906-e350-4391-9ccc-a1d1ab234342
| 2023-07-31T18:56:14
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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.”
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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.
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By Jerry Brown, Bankrate
When you rent a car, a customer service rep may try to sell you rental car insurance. Rental insurance may protect you from having to pay if the rental is stolen or damaged. But in some circumstances, you may not need to purchase additional coverage. For example, if you already have full coverage car insurance, your policy may extend to the rental.
Bankrate’s insurance editorial team covers scenarios where you may need rental insurance and explains how some common types of rental car insurance work.
When do you need rental car insurance?
Figuring out if you need rental car insurance can be confusing. The type of coverage you carry on your personal auto policy, your contract terms and the reason you are renting a vehicle can all determine whether you should purchase extra rental car coverage.
In most cases, the coverage you carry on your auto policy will extend to a rental car as long as you rent a private passenger vehicle. In some scenarios, however, your personal auto policy can leave gaps in coverage that will cost you if you are in an accident in your rental car. Most insurance professionals advise exploring your options with your agent before driving off in a rental vehicle.
You do not have any type of insurance
You’ll want to purchase rental car insurance if you don’t have car insurance. That’s because most states have laws requiring you to carry a minimum amount of car insurance coverage while driving a vehicle. Consider purchasing a damage waiver and liability coverage from the rental company to protect your rental.
Some uninsured drivers rely solely on the rental car coverage that their credit card company provides. Although rental car coverage through your credit card can be helpful if you already have a primary insurance policy, it might not offer adequate protection as the only means of insuring your rental vehicle. Before declining additional damage protection, you may want to call your card issuer for more information on their rental car coverage policy.
You do not have collision or comprehensive coverage
Collision and comprehensive coverage are part of what’s known as full coverage car insurance, which covers damage to your vehicle after an at-fault accident or other incident, such as hail, theft or fire. These types of coverage typically extend to a rental vehicle. However, if you only have liability insurance coverage, your personal car insurance won’t cover damages to the rental.
To protect yourself in this situation, you can purchase a loss-and-damage waiver from a rental agency. This agreement waves your financial responsibility for damages or loss to the rental car.
You do not want to pay a deductible
If you rely on your personal car insurance to protect your rental car, and you get into an accident, you typically have to pay a deductible. However, if you buy rental car insurance and you get into a collision, there is no deductible required.
Types of rental car insurance
Rental car insurance is somewhat similar to regular auto insurance. You can select the type of coverage and the level of coverage you want based on your needs. However, the types of rental car insurance are much different than auto insurance.
Before getting rental car insurance, you should be aware of your options. The most common types of rental car insurance include:
- Loss-and-damage waiver (LDW): Sometimes called the collision damage waiver (CDW), this is a waiver, rather than a true policy. It essentially says that the rental company will not come after you in the event that the rental car is damaged or stolen. However, if you have collision and comprehensive car insurance, this may be included in your policy.
- Supplemental liability protection: This covers damage you do to other vehicles or property. However, your own liability insurance may cover these instances, even when you are driving a rental car.
- Personal accident protection: Personal accident protection covers the medical costs for you and any passengers if you are involved in an accident. Again, if you have personal injury protection or medical payments coverage under your existing policy, you may already be covered.
- Personal effects coverage: This coverage pays for any belongings that may be stolen from your rental car. In this case, your homeowner’s insurance or renter’s insurance policy may offer similar coverage.
While there are many different types of rental car insurance, it does not cover everything. For example, this type of insurance doesn’t reimburse you for the cost of renting a car. However, you may be reimbursed for rentals in some circumstances if you have rental reimbursement coverage — which is typically an endorsement you can add to your existing policy for an extra cost. Note that this coverage provides reimbursement only if you’re renting a car because your insured vehicle has suffered a covered loss.
How much is rental car insurance?
The cost of rental car insurance depends on a few factors. For one, it depends on the company you buy coverage from. It also depends on the state, what type of car you are renting, and how many miles you are driving. Purchasing add-on coverages will also increase the amount you pay.
Does my credit card offer rental car insurance?
Many credit card companies offer rental car insurance as one of the benefits for cardholders. However, rental car insurance provided by your credit card company is usually secondary insurance. That means if you get into an accident or the car gets stolen, your auto insurance company will get billed first. If that is the case, your deductible will apply to the claim.
There are some credit card companies that offer primary rental car insurance, although it is less common. Primary insurance does not go through your personal auto insurance, so you do not have to pay a deductible. You can call your credit card company to determine if your card offers rental car insurance and what type of insurance they offer.
Most major credit card companies, like Visa, MasterCard and American Express all offer some form of rental car insurance for their cardholders. To take advantage of the coverage, you usually have to pay for the rental car using the card and rent the car in your name.
Which insurance providers offer rental car insurance?
Most major car insurance providers automatically provide rental car insurance coverage at no additional cost beyond what you are already paying for your monthly premium. However, it is important to remember that the coverage you carry on your policy is what will also apply to your rental. If you have liability only on your personal auto policy, you may want to consider bridging the gap with an LDW.
Some companies offer standalone rental car coverage policies. The rates for these policies can be cheaper than a standard auto policy, but the coverage provided is not as robust.
- Allianz Global: Allianz Global’s Rental Car Damage Protector includes $50,000 in coverage, for just $11 per day, and offers coverage anywhere in the world. Every policy comes with up to $1,000 in coverage for lost baggage and personal items, and $1,000 in trip interruption coverage.
- Bonzah: With a Bonzah rental car insurance policy, you can get up to $35,000 in coverage, plus up to $500 in coverage for lost luggage and personal items, no deductible and a 10-day free look period. Bonzah also offers up to $1 million in supplemental liability coverage.
- RentalCover.com: Rental car insurance from RentalCover.com is meant to supplement insurance from your credit card provider. The company claims that drivers can get supplemental insurance for up to 50% less than an LDW waiver from the rental counter. One of the biggest draws is that drivers can cancel their rental insurance for a full refund up until their car pick-up time.
- Sure: Sure is a mobile-based rental car insurance company that is entirely digital. When you download the app, you can select your trip dates, the type of coverage you want, the deductible and more. That means you can update and make changes to your choices on-the-go. Every policy comes with great perks, like flat tire protection, lost key reimbursement and towing coverage.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best car insurance company? Since coverage options and premiums vary by insurer, there’s no single insurance company that’s right for everyone. To find the best car insurance company for you, select a few insurance companies that interest you and request quotes from each to compare. While shopping, consider various factors, such as rates, coverage options and customer service ratings.
- Does rental car insurance cover roadside assistance? When you rent a car, rental agencies typically don’t include roadside assistance, though some companies like Hertz may include a basic roadside plan. If you already have roadside assistance, then it may extend to your rental. In addition, some rental companies may allow you to purchase a separate roadside assistance — which is different from rental insurance.
- How will an accident in a rental car affect my insurance? Getting into any accident will most likely affect your insurance premium, whether it is in your car or a rental car. This is especially true if you have rental car insurance through your auto insurance provider or a credit card company. Anytime you file a claim that is attached to your auto insurance policy, the company will know you had an accident and will likely increase your rate accordingly.
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©2023 Bankrate online. Visit Bankrate online at bankrate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Time is winding down for Major League Baseball teams to determine if they want to be buyers or sellers.
The annual trade deadline gives contenders one last chance to bolster their roster before the home stretch and sellers an opportunity to get some future return for their coveted players.
With this year’s deadline rapidly approaching, and which players could be wearing a different jersey to close out the regular season?
Here are some of the key things to know ahead of the 2023 MLB trade deadline.
When is the 2023 MLB trade deadline?
This year’s MLB trade deadline is set for 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT on Tuesday, Aug. 1.
Can deals be made after the MLB trade deadline?
As of 2019, there is only one MLB trade deadline. Players can still move teams via waivers, but no trades can take effect after the deadline.
The July 31/Aug. 1 trade deadline used to be referred to as the non-waiver trade deadline. Prior to 2019, players could be placed on trade waivers after the original trade deadline.
Will Shohei Ohtani be traded?
Instead of shipping out the top player in baseball, the Los Angeles Angels decided to go the opposite direction and make a push at the trade deadline.
The Angels took Shohei Ohtani off the market and have since acquired starting pitcher Lucas Giolito from the Chicago White Sox, as well as outfielder Randal Grichuk and first baseman C.J. Cron from the Colorado Rockies.
The team shipped out several of its top prospects to bring in win-now players. Still four games out of an AL wild card spot, it has a long way to go to get Ohtani into his first MLB postseason before he reaches free agency.
Top MLB players who have been traded so far
The Angels aren't the only ones who have been wheeling and dealing this week.
Here is a look at some of the other notable players on the move:
Max Scherzer
The New York Mets traded one of the highest-paid players in baseball to the Texas Rangers. Max Scherzer waived his trade clause to facilitate the move.
David Robertson
Before dealing Scherzer, the Mets made an intra-divisional trade that sent reliever David Robertson to the Miami Marlins.
Mets general manager said “it’s not a firesale” following the Scherzer and Robertson trades. The team is 50-55 on the year and 6.5 games out of the final NL wild card spot.
Jordan Hicks
The Toronto Blue Jays made a splash for their bullpen when they added Jordan Hicks from the St. Louis Cardinals.
Jordan Montgomery and Chris Stratton soon followed Hicks out of St. Louis, as they were traded to the Rangers.
Lance Lynn
The Los Angeles Dodgers added some pitching depth with the acquisition of Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly from the White Sox.
Earlier in the week, the Dodgers brought in shortstop Amed Rosario from the Cleveland Guardians.
Carlos Santana
Like Robertson, Carlos Santana was traded to a division rival ahead of the deadline. The Pittsburgh Pirates sent the veteran first baseman to the Milwaukee Brewers.
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CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — The Australian army helicopter that crashed Friday during a multinational exercise hit the water with a “catastrophic impact” and there is no chance its four crew members survived, officials said Monday.
Australia’s fleet of more than 40 of the MRH-90 Taipan helicopters, made by French Airbus, has been grounded since the crash and there are doubts any will fly again.
They will be grounded until crash investigators determine what caused the tragedy. The government announced in January it plans to replace them with 40 U.S. Black Hawks. The Taipans’ retirement date of December 2024 would be 13 years earlier than Australia had initially planned.
Defense Minister Richard Marles said the search and rescue effort changed Monday to a victim recovery operation with no chance that Capt. Danniel Lyon, Lt. Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Joseph Laycock or Cpl. Alexander Naggs had survived.
“There was a catastrophic incident and with every passing hour, it is now clear that any hope of finding (the four crew) alive has been lost,” Marles told reporters.
The helicopter crashed during a nighttime exercise with the United States and other nations near the Whitsunday Islands on the Great Barrier Reef.
Marles had said on Saturday the helicopter “ditched,” which refers to an emergency landing. But on Monday he would not rule our pilot error or disorientation in the dark causing the crash into the water. He urged against speculation about potential causes.
“There was a catastrophic impact on the helicopter when it hit the water,” Marles said.
“We will move through the process of putting the Black Hawks into service as quickly as we can … and we will not be flying MRH90s until we understand what has happened,” Marles added.
The lost Taipan had been taking part in Talisman Sabre, a biennial U.S.-Australian military exercise that is largely based in Queensland state. This year’s exercise involves 13 nations and more than 30,000 military personnel.
The exercise was continuing on Monday with some changes near the recovery operation, Australian Defense Force Chief Gen. Angus Campbell said.
Campbell thanked the United States and Canada for their help in the search and recovery efforts, which he said was “not an easy operation.”
The wreckage lay in the path of strong currents and tidal movements. It was too deep for standard diving operations.
Part of the airframe had been retrieved by Monday but most of the helicopter remained on the seabed, Campbell said.
It was the second emergency involving an Australian Taipan since March. The fleet was grounded after one ditched into the sea off the New South Wales state coast near the naval base at Jervis Bay during a nighttime counterterrorism training exercise. All 10 passengers and crew members were rescued.
Retired Maj. Gen. Fergus McLachlan was involved in integrating the Taipan into the Australian army when they arrived in 2007 and had been responsible for keeping them airworthy. He said the Taipan did not have the proven record of the Lockheed Martin-designed Black Hawks.
“We bought into an unproven system. In real terms, it was a developmental aircraft and it has never really matured,” McLachlan told Australian Broadcasting Corp.
“It was always a battle to maintain it and keep it flying,” McLachlan added.
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https://www.wivb.com/news/world/ap-4-crew-members-on-australian-army-helicopter-that-crashed-off-coast-didnt-survive-officials-say/
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CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A 75-year-old woman is seriously condition in a local hospital after the truck she was driving reversed over her.
The Kingsville Police Department stated in a Facebook post that the accident happened at about 10 p.m. Sunday after the woman fell out of her truck while stopped at the light at the corner of E. General Cavazos Boulevard and Brahma Boulevard.
The driver's side door was open, the post states, and the woman began reversing. While her Nissan Frontier was in reverse, she fell out of the vehicle and the front tire of the truck rolled over her.
Kingsville PD Cmdr. Bradley Lyle said the department doesn't know why the vehicle door was open, nor why the truck was in reverse.
The woman, whose identity was not released, was alone in the truck, according to the post, which eventually rolled into a nearby culvert.
She was brought to a hospital in Corpus Christi by HALO-Flight.
This is a developing story. 3NEWS will update this story as new information becomes available.
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https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/elderly-woman-seriously-injured-after-her-truck-rolls-over-her/503-34529b2d-0681-4745-91cc-aa794b31e875
| 2023-07-31T18:56:20
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