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Here’s what the Marlins bought with $53 million in Avisail Garcia … and $36 million for Jorge Soler … and in a functional trade for Joey Wendle … and by finding local product Jesus Luzardo on the scrap heap last season and turning him around so he had 12 strikeouts in five innings Tuesday night.
They bought hope.
It’s all they can offer the oddest baseball market of them all for Thursday’s home opener against Philadelphia.
Hope they can compete. Hope they can score enough runs. Hope they can stay close enough in the first couple months of this season so owner Bruce Sherman allows a big bat to be bought in a trade for some of their many prospects.
Hope, too, the 1-4 start out West doesn’t gain traction as the Marlins have their home opener Thursday against the money-bag Philadelphia Phillies.
Are you allowed to worry about the Marlins this early?
Just a little?
No one thinks this start is the end of anything. But this is a team that could use a good start to find some faith in their re-done lineup as the franchise turns from Derek Jeter being the face of the organization to Sherman being its most important figure.
Everyone sees Opening Day of baseball differently. Some see poetry, others as just one of 162 games.
The Marlins manager Don Mattingly has been around enough to figure the analogy to an unwritten book is more practical and relatable. Opening Day is page one. So by that count the home opener is page six.
“What’s going to get written?” he said.
Here’s what he’s banking on: Balance in this roster. He was here back when the lineup was top-heavy with stars like Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich and Jose Fernandez but had no middle class.
He’s been here these rebuilding years when the Marlins surprised everyone with a playoff win in the COVID-shortened season but settled back to the bottom last year.
The story of the Marlins is always of money. That’s the story baseball demands, too. Their three opponents in the National League East rank in the top nine of roster payroll. The New York Mets are second at $256 million, the Phillies fourth at $234 million.
The Marlins have a $79 million payroll. Their big offseason buys and most expensive players, Garcia and Soler, each has a $12 million annual salary. That ranks ninth among Philadelphia players in this opener.
That’s why the Marlins’ margin for error is immeasurably small this season. Having a representative offense is a must, which is why the creaky .199 batting average and .577 OPS on the opening road trip was disappointing.
Staying healthy is a given, too. They have good prospects to fall back on in their minor-league system. But they’re just that. Prospects.
They need some breaks like they didn’t have in this opening stretch. In both games against the Los Angeles Angels, bad umpiring against Marlins pitchers on called ball fours allowed the game-turning runs to happen. It doesn’t explain the weak offense. But this is a team that needs some breaks.
Finally, they need to stay close to contention the first couple of months to make Sherman trade for a dynamic, veteran bat. That’s what this lineup still lacks. It’s what they have the prospects to trade for come June or July.
Will Sherman allow it? Does he have the wallet? There’s only one way to find out and, as with most small-money teams, that’s if the Marlins are relevant as summer arrives.
Thursday’s game is largely symbolic — and not as large a symbol as it once was. Opening Day once was a national holiday across America. That was a different America, one with pay phones and smoking in airplanes.
Baseball has been carved into a regional game today. In a handful of big-money markets like New York and Boston, St. Louis and Los Angeles, the sport is the calendar of any summer.
It’s a finger-crossed possibility in places like South Florida. The Marlins have the pitching and a revamped lineup to see how this season can work. That’s about all this downtrodden market can ask for in the home opener.
Hope.
() | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/13/dave-hyde-miami-marlins-return-some-hope-to-the-lineup-for-thursdays-home-opener/ | 2022-04-14T00:54:55 | 1 | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/13/dave-hyde-miami-marlins-return-some-hope-to-the-lineup-for-thursdays-home-opener/ |
By JARI TANNER
HELSINKI (AP) — European Union nations Finland and Sweden reached important stages Wednesday on their way to possible NATO membership as the Finnish government issued a security report to lawmakers and Sweden’s ruling party initiated a review of security policy options.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24 triggered a surge in support for joining NATO in the two traditionally militarily non-aligned Nordic countries, with polls showing a majority of respondents willing to join the alliance in Finland and supporters of NATO in Sweden clearly outnumbering those against the idea.
Finland, a country of 5.5 million, shares the EU’s longest border with Russia, a 1,340-kilometer (833-mile) frontier. Sweden has no border with Russia.
Russia, for its part, has warned Sweden and Finland against joining NATO, with officials saying it would not contribute to stability in Europe. Officials said Russia would respond to such a move with retaliatory measures that would cause “military and political consequences” for Helsinki and Stockholm. One of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s reasons for invading Ukraine was that the country refused to promise that it would not join NATO.
Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin, speaking Wednesday in Stockholm in a joint news conference with her Swedish counterpart Magdalena Andersson, said Finland is ready to make a decision on NATO “within weeks” rather than months following an extensive debate in the 200-seat Eduskunta legislature.
Marin stressed that Finland and Sweden, two neighboring Nordic countries which have close economic, political and military ties, will make independent decisions regarding their security policy arrangements, including whether to join NATO.
“But we do that with a clear understanding that our choices will affect not only ourselves but our neighbors as well,” Marin said, adding that she would prefer seeing both Finland and Sweden becoming NATO members.
Andersson said Sweden and Finland would maintain “a very close dialogue and have a very straightforward and honest discussions” in the coming weeks over their countries respective choices on NATO.
The only real option to NATO membership could be an enhanced bilateral military cooperation added with the United States and Nordic NATO member Norway, Finnish experts have said.
Marin and Andersson lead the ruling Social Democratic Parties in their respective countries. The parties are expected to announce their NATO views in early and late May, respectively. Parliaments in both countries are ready to finally decide the matter — something that could happen in Finland in late May and a bit later in Sweden.
Complicating things in Sweden is the general election in September, which is likely to be dominated by the NATO issue.
In Finland, President Sauli Niinisto said he was convinced that his country’s decision on NATO will be ready well ahead of NATO’s June 29-30 summit in Madrid, Spain.
On Wednesday, the Finnish government issued a much-awaited report on changes in Finland’s security environment that lawmakers will start debating after the Easter break. The report addresses the pros and cons of Finland’s possible membership in NATO, focusing on supply threats, economic effects, cybersecurity and hydrid threats.
“The war started by Russia endangers security and stability in entire Europe,” Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said as he presented the report. “Russia’s attack on Ukraine will have a long-lasting impact on our own security environment. Trust in Russia has plummeted.”
Andersson said Wednesday that the Swedish government is working on a security environment analysis together with all parties in the 349-seat Riksdag legislature. She said the report is due May 31 but could be finished earlier. In addition, Andersson’s Social Democratic Party has initiated its own separate review of Sweden’s security environment.
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Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/13/finland-sweden-move-ahead-toward-possible-nato-membership/ | 2022-04-14T00:55:01 | 1 | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/13/finland-sweden-move-ahead-toward-possible-nato-membership/ |
By OLEKSANDR STASHEVSKYI
YAHIDNE, Ukraine (AP) — The Russian soldiers forced more than 300 villagers into a school basement. Then, during weeks of stress and deprivation, some began to die.
Residents of Yahidne, a village 140 kilometers (87 miles) from Kyiv, told The Associated Press about being ordered into the basement at gunpoint after the Russians took control of the area around the northern city of Chernihiv in early March.
In one room, those who survived wrote the names of the 18 who didn’t.
“An old man died near me and then his wife died next,” Valentyna Saroyan, a weary survivor, recalled Tuesday as she toured the darkened basement. “Then a man died who was lying there, then a woman sitting next to me. She was a heavy woman, and it was very difficult for her.”
Village by village, town by town, Ukrainians in areas where Russians have withdrawn continue to unearth new horrors. More are feared.
The residents of Yahidne, which is on the outskirts of Chernihiv, said they were made to remain in the basement day and night except for the rare times when they they were allowed outside to cook on open fires or to use the toilet.
The health of the captives suffered.
“Here’s a chair, and that’s how we were sitting for a month,” Saroyan said, recalling her aching legs.
As people died one by one in the basement, neighbors were allowed from time to time to place the bodies in a mass grave in a nearby cemetery.
Each time, they passed through a doorway marked in dripping red paint with the plaintive words “Attention. Children.” The glare of a flashlight shows bright drawings on the walls.
The Russians could be cruel, surviving villages said.
Svitlana Baguta said a Russian soldier who was “either drunk or high” made her drink from a flask at gunpoint.
“He pointed the gun at the throat, put the flask and said, ‘Drink,’” Baguta said.
Julia Surypak said the soldiers allowed some people to make a short trip to their homes if they sang the Russian state anthem. “But they didn’t allow us to walk much,” she said.
The Russian forces left the village at the beginning of April, part of a regional withdrawal from northern Ukraine Russia’s military ordered in anticipation of after a large offensive in the east.
A message scrawled on a wall of the Yahidne school marked April 1 as “the last day” of their presence.
The soldiers left behind unexploded artillery shells, destroyed Russian vehicles and rubble.
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Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/13/forced-into-a-basement-in-ukraine-residents-began-to-die/ | 2022-04-14T00:55:07 | 0 | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/13/forced-into-a-basement-in-ukraine-residents-began-to-die/ |
By JANIE McCAULEY
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Alyssa Nakken was hard at work in the batting cage, just a few steps from the dugout, when suddenly the call came: The San Francisco Giants needed her to coach at first base.
She quickly pulled off her sweatshirt, grabbed her No. 92 jersey and found a bright orange batting helmet.
A few minutes later, Nakken made major league history as the first female coach on the field in a regular-season game when she took her spot Tuesday night in a 13-2 win over San Diego.
“I think we’re all inspirations doing everything that we do on a day-to-day basis and I think, yes, this carries a little bit more weight because of the visibility, obviously there’s a historical nature to it,” she said. “But again, this is my job.”
Nakken came in to coach first base for the Giants in the third inning after Antoan Richardson was ejected.
When she was announced as Richardson’s replacement, Nakken received a warm ovation from the crowd at Oracle Park, and a congratulatory handshake from Padres first baseman Eric Hosmer.
“Right now in this moment as I reflect back, I reflect back to somebody needed to go out, we needed a coach to coach first base, our first base coach got thrown out, I’ve been in training as a first base coach for the last few years and work alongside Antoan, so I stepped in to what I’ve been hired to do, is support this staff and this team,” Nakken said.
The baseball Hall of Fame was ready, too. Her helmet is already on its way to the shrine in Cooperstown, New York.
San Francisco manager Gabe Kapler said Nakken had “prepared for this moment” while working with Richardson and others.
“So it’s not a foreign spot on the field for her. She does so many other things well that aren’t seen,” he said. “So it’s nice to see her kind of be right there in the spotlight and do it on the field.”
Nakken is an assistant coach who works heavily with baserunning and outfield defense. She watches games from an indoor batting cage near the steps to the dugout — and keeps a Giants jersey nearby, just in case she needs it.
And in an instant Tuesday night, she needed it.
The 31-year-old Nakken jogged onto the field four days after Rachel Balkovec became the first woman to manage a minor league affiliate of an Major League Baseball team. She guided the New York Yankees’ Class A Tampa club to a win in her first game.
Nakken had previously coached the position in spring training and during part of a July 2020 exhibition game at Oakland against now-Padres manager Bob Melvin when he was skipper of the Athletics. She started at first again a night later against the A’s in San Francisco as the teams prepared for the pandemic-delayed season.
“You feel a sense of pride to be out there,” Nakken said at the time. “Me personally, it’s the best place to watch a game, that’s for sure.”
The former Sacramento State softball star, whose blonde braid hung out from her orange protective helmet Tuesday, became the first female coach in the big leagues when she was hired for Kapler’s staff in January 2020.
At Sacramento State from 2009-2012, Nakken was a three-time all-conference player at first base and four-time Academic All American. She went on to earn a master’s degree in sport management from the University of San Francisco in 2015 after interning with the Giants’ baseball operations department a year earlier.
From Day One with the Giants, Nakken embraced her role as an example for girls and women that they can do anything.
“It’s a big deal,” she said. “I feel a great sense of responsibility and I feel it’s my job to honor those who have helped me to where I am.”
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More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/tag/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/13/giants-alyssa-nakken-becomes-1st-mlb-female-coach-on-field/ | 2022-04-14T00:55:13 | 0 | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/13/giants-alyssa-nakken-becomes-1st-mlb-female-coach-on-field/ |
Jordan Montgomery was back on the mound Wednesday, three days after taking a come-backer to the side of his left knee and needing to drain the fluid from it. The left-hander threw his regularly scheduled bullpen hours before the Yankees played the Blue Jays at the Stadium.
“He should be good,” Aaron Boone said. “I just talked to (pitching coach Matt Blake) actually, before I walked in. He said it went well.”
Montgomery, who is scheduled to make his next start on Friday in Baltimore, ran in the outfield and then did pitchers fielding practice covering first base. He didn’t run hard, but moved fine.
The lefty was hit in the first inning of Sunday night’s loss to the Red Sox. He hobbled off the mound, dropped to the ground and was in obvious pain. Montgomery was able to get back on the mound and finish his night, but was very sore and swollen on Monday. The Yankees sent him to get an MRI and CT scan and had fluid drained from the knee.
Montgomery went 3.1 innings Sunday night, allowing three runs, all earned, on four hits. He walked one and struck out four.
RIZZO AT THE TOP
Anthony Rizzo led off for the Yankees for the first time this season Wednesday night. It’s the 66th time in his career he started a game batting first. The lineup change was because Boone wanted to give Giancarlo Stanton a night off.
“Just getting some space in there,” Boone said. “Obviously not having G in there tonight. I just spaced out my lefties in the lineup. I like him up there in this matchup.”
Stanton played in all five previous games. Boone is trying to be careful as the Yankees start the season with 10 straight games after a spring training that was shortened by the owners’ lockout.
“It was maybe going to be the other night but I wanted to push through and just kind of continued to check with him,” Boone said. “So it was either going to be the first game or the third game in the series. Definitely wanted him in there last night against the lefty. So just kind of trying to plan out these first 10 games.”
Stanton has just eight career at-bats against Toronto’s Wednesday night starter Jose Berrios and just one hit.
Rizzo, who has never faced Berrios, is the only infielder without a full day off yet.
“He DH’ed, that’s kind of like a day off,” Boone said with a laugh. Rizzo is the third player Boone’s had leading off this season — Josh Donaldson did it four times and DJ LeMahieu once.
Rizzo reached base in all five games and is hitting .250/.455/.688.
EMPATHY FOR A MANAGER
Boone felt for Dave Roberts.
Wednesday afternoon, the Dodgers’ manager went out to get future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw, who took a perfect game through seven innings.
Kershaw threw just 80 pitches at that point.
The left-hander has a no-hitter under his belt, but hasn’t thrown a perfect game. Just 23 true perfect games have been thrown in MLB history.
Kershaw was pulled for Dodgers’ reliever Alex Vesia, who gave up a hit to newly minted Twin, Gary Sanchez, and then walked Max Kepler.
The Dodgers still went on to beat the Twins, 7-0.
Boone can empathize with how hard that was for Roberts.
“It’s impossible to know everything involved. You know? Every case is a little bit different,” Boone said. “Every pitcher is a little bit different. It’s a tough call.
“Without all the particulars, which we can’t possibly know, it’s hard to make a judgment call either way. You know, I know Doc well and I know it’s not something that he’s gonna like.”
Kershaw took some of the pressure off Roberts by telling reporters after the game it was “the right decision.”
() | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/13/jordan-montgomery-should-be-good-to-go-after-taking-comebacker-to-knee-aaron-boone/ | 2022-04-14T00:55:17 | 0 | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/13/jordan-montgomery-should-be-good-to-go-after-taking-comebacker-to-knee-aaron-boone/ |
Running off at the typewriter …
During a conversation earlier this week with Orlando Magic super fan Dennis Salvagio — aka “The Fat Guy” — this fantastic idea popped into my head:
Because Magic fans have endured so much misery and malaise over the last decade, wouldn’t it be great if the team honored them by sending a longtime, loyal supporter to represent them at the NBA Draft Lottery?
That’s right, send the Fat Guy to Chicago and let him try his lottery luck on May 17.
Nothing against Jeff Weltman, the Magic’s president of basketball operations who represented the team at last year’s lottery, but coming home with the fifth and eighth pick in 2021 was pretty disappointing. Sorry, Jeff, but you need to bench yourself.
The Magic have had team executives, players and coaches represent them at the draft lottery over the years, so why not a fan? Salvagio, a retired attorney, put down his first deposit for season tickets in 1986 — three years before the team even started playing. And, of course, he has been entertaining fellow fans for decades with his rousing, rollicking, dancing, prancing support of the team.
The Fat Guy once was so adamant about trying to persuade Dwight Howard to stay in Orlando that he commissioned the help of the Down Brothers, a renowned local rock band, to record a music video that Salvagio financed and starred in.
Who knows? Maybe the Fat Guy can resurrect the famous lottery luck of Magic co-founder and team executive Pat Williams, who miraculously helped Orlando win the draft lottery in 1992, 1993 and 2004 when the Magic won the rights to select Shaq, Penny and Dwight.
The Fat Guy and Williams have many similarities. They both are showmen, they both went to Wake Forest and they both moved from Philadelphia to make Orlando their home.
What about it, Fat Guy, do you think you can bring home the No. 1 overall pick?
“You can count on it,” the Fat Guy says without hesitation. “I am a very lucky man.”
Sounds like a guarantee to me.
Forget that old saying, “It ain’t over till the fat lady sings.”
When comes to the Magic’s buzzard’s luck in recent draft lotteries, it will be over when the Fat Guy dances. …
Short stuff: Speaking of Orlando Magic draft picks, did you see what Mario Hezonja said the other day to a news outlet in Russia where he is now playing professionally? “I am not going to return to the NBA; I didn’t get the respect I deserved,” railed Hezonja, the Croatian who was drafted 5th overall by Orlando in 2015 and quickly showed everyone that the Magic had made a monumental mistake. Memo to Mario: Of course you’re not going to return to the NBA because the NBA hasn’t invited you to return. You were a bust, remember? The NBA cut you; you didn’t leave voluntarily! … Hugh Hathcock, a very wealthy Florida Gators booster, just donated a record $12.6 million to UF’s athletic program. Hey, that’s just about enough to pay off Dan Mullen’s buyout! … Reason No. 935 why I hate the Los Angeles Lakers: Nice-guy coach Frank Vogel had to find out he was getting fired on Twitter rather than hearing it first from the team’s president of basketball operations LeBron James. In the days before Twitter, the Magic avoided a similar embarrassment when immediately after a televised game between Orlando and Chicago in 1997, NBC’s league insider Peter Vecsey went on the post-game show and reported that Penny Hardaway and other Magic players were orchestrating a revolt that would cost Brian Hill his job. On his way to the locker room after the game, Hill was whisked into a mop closet at the arena by former Magic general manager John Gabriel, who briefed the coach on Vecsey’s report. A few days later, Hill was fired. …
Can you believe Cam Newton actually said he wants women to get back to cooking, being quiet and letting men lead? In related news, Newton just bought his significant other a new butter churn for her birthday. Has anybody informed Cam that it’s 2022, not 1952? … How much have purses grown in golf over the years? Here’s all you need to know: Over the last two months Ted Scott, the caddie of Masters champion Scottie Scheffler, has made almost half as much as the great Arnold Palmer won during his entire golf career. … I’m not saying I am completely uninspired by the kickoff of the new USFL season this weekend, but here are five things I’d rather do than watch the New Jersey Generals play the Birmingham Stallions: (1) Read my junk mail. (2) Trail behind my ex-wife at a clothing store. (3) Take the company’s mandatory “Code of Business Conduct and Ethics” on-line training course. (4) Read the complete anthology of Mel Kiper Jr.’s greatest mock drafts. (5) Look at the countless photos from friends who Instagram their food. … From Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times: “MLB suspended Brewers catcher Pedro Severino after he tested positive for clomiphene, a drug to treat infertility — in women. He’ll miss 80 games, or well into the season’s second trimester.”…
Stat of the week comes from Jon Heyman of the MLB Network: The Oakland A’s led the majors with the biggest payroll ($33 million) in 1991. They have the same payroll today. … In addition to some disgusting charges of sexual misconduct and harassment among team executives, the NFL’s Washington Commanders now are being accused of withholding ticket revenue from visiting teams and refundable deposits from fans. Congratulations, Dan Snyder, you and your team have won the Triple Crown for Creepiness. … Nick Canepa of the San Diego Union-Tribune, on the Browns making a trade for QB Deshaun Watson despite 22 sexual-misconduct allegations against him: “Seems Deshaun’s baggage got lost on its way to Cleveland.” … Not sure I buy the reports that the Miami Dolphins were thisclose to signing Tom Brady as quarterback and Sean Payton as the head coach only to have the plan foiled by ex-coach Brian Flores’ racial discrimination lawsuit against the team. That would be like me saying, I was thisclose to winning the Pulitzer Prize until some dumb editor wrote a bad headline on my column. … There are only three Kmarts left in the entire continental United States. Sigh. …
Last word: With Thursday being National Ex-Spouse Day, we bring you this from the late, great Zsa Zsa Gabor: “I am a marvelous housekeeper. Every time I leave a man, I keep his house.”
Email me at mbianchi@orlandosentinel.com. Hit me up on Twitter @BianchiWrites and listen to my Open Mike radio show every weekday from 6 to 9:30 a.m. on FM 96.9, AM 740 and HD 101.1-2
() | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/13/magic-super-fan-guarantees-he-would-bring-home-the-no-1-pick-from-nba-draft-lottery-commentary/ | 2022-04-14T00:55:23 | 1 | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/13/magic-super-fan-guarantees-he-would-bring-home-the-no-1-pick-from-nba-draft-lottery-commentary/ |
PHILADELPHIA — Jacob deGrom started the season on the injured list. His absence is certainly glaring, but the Mets rotation is doing just fine without him.
Who would’ve guessed?
Following Max Scherzer’s five innings of one-run ball in Wednesday’s series finale against the Phillies, Mets starters ended their seven-game road trip with the best ERA (1.29) in the major leagues.
Chris Bassitt, who dominated the Nationals in his season debut with eight strikeouts over six innings last Saturday, will try to pick up where he left off and continue the rotation’s strong start to the season. Bassitt is slated to pitch the home opener against the Diamondbacks on Friday, which will be his first career start at Citi Field across his eight-year career.
“Going to Citi Field for the first time, playing there for the first time, I’m definitely excited,” he said.
The Mets (5-2) will be greeted by a packed-out ballpark for the home opener, featuring what is sure to be a rowdy crowd after the Amazin’s successful road trip to kick off the season.
But Bassitt isn’t exactly one for all the pageantry associated with a home opener. He just wants to attack hitters, get outs, and win ballgames. So he’ll be happiest when his next start is over.
“It’ll be cool,” Bassitt said. “I’m really looking forward to getting it over with. For this time of year, it’s kind of annoying with pitch counts and inning limits, and all the festivities of openers and all that. I just want to play baseball.”
Bassitt said he is “pretty good at tuning things out,” so he doesn’t envision the loud crowd noise disrupting his start. He knows he pitches best when the game is just between him, his catcher, and the opposing hitter. And he knows how to get himself locked in.
“You really have to black out the fans, as hard as that is,” Bassitt said. “You can’t let them dictate how you’re pitching.”
One thing Bassitt is still adjusting to is a new league.
After spending seven seasons in the American League, pitching for Oakland, Bassitt became familiar with his opposing hitters and exactly what he needed to do to get them out. Now, instead of enjoying down time at the hotel room before games, Bassitt spent those hours watching film of the some of the best hitters in the league.
“Now I’m back to basically being a rookie, back to square one and learning everybody,” Bassitt said. “It’s been fun because I feel like I matured in the aspect of understanding what I’m truly looking for and everything like that.”
Pitching in the National League now represents a challenge, one that will require an exceptional relationship with Mets catchers, James McCann and Tomas Nido, who both know the league better than him. Bassitt said McCann and Nido have so far done a great job learning his own arsenal, a tricky six-pitch tool kit.
“For me, the amount of pitches that I have, I think that relationship with the catcher is massive,” Bassitt said. “We have to know each other. We basically have to be thinking on the same page nonstop. That’s where that homework is huge. It’s like studying for a test and making sure I have the right answer. It’s been fun.”
Bassitt will again try to have all the answers on Friday against a similar opponent to the Nationals, in that the Diamondbacks lineup will not pose as a tough threat. Bassitt expects that league-best rotation ERA to only decrease further.
The Mets host the Diamondbacks for three games, followed by a four-game set against the Giants at Citi Field.
“It’s going to be fun,” manager Buck Showalter said. “And a very deserving welcome to a team that played real well on the road trip.”
() | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/13/mets-starters-leave-philly-with-best-era-in-baseball-chris-bassitt-will-pick-up-baton-for-fridays-home-opener/ | 2022-04-14T00:55:29 | 1 | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/13/mets-starters-leave-philly-with-best-era-in-baseball-chris-bassitt-will-pick-up-baton-for-fridays-home-opener/ |
The Minnesota Zoo is welcoming a new Amur tiger following the untimely death last month of one of its endangered wildcats.
On Wednesday, the Apple Valley zoo said it had acquired Luka, a 16-month-old male Amur tiger, from the Clevland Metroparks Zoo in Ohio.
The Minnesota Zoo said that it had received a recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Tiger Species Survival Plan to receive Luka following the March 23 death of Putin during a routine medical procedure. The 12-year-old male Amur tiger experienced cardiac failure, the zoo said.
Amur tigers, historically known as Siberian tigers, are native to the Russian Far East and neighboring areas of China. The name change reflects a portion of its current wild habitat range along the Amur River, according to the Minnesota Zoo. The Amur tiger is an endangered species, with fewer than 500 believed to remain in the wild. There are approximately 103 of these tigers in accredited zoos.
Since arriving last week, Luka has been spending time in a behind-the-scenes habitat adjusting to his new environment and care team. Luka will be introduced to his public habitat this week and should be more and more visible to guests in the coming days.
“While this opportunity came about quicker than anticipated, it’s one that will benefit Luka, who was at an age where he was ready to separate from his mother, and one that will support the Zoo’s dedication to tiger conservation by providing potential future breeding opportunities in the years ahead,” Minnesota Zoo Director John Frawley said in a statement.
Putin was born at a zoo in the Czech Republic in 2009, where he was given the name “Putin.” He spent his first six years at a zoo in Denmark before coming to the Minnesota Zoo in 2015.
“His genetically important legacy lives on as he has sired multiple cubs, including one born in 2017 at the Minnesota Zoo,” the institution said after his death.
Over the course of its 43-year history, the Minnesota Zoo has birthed more than 40 cubs and, alongside the Phoenix Zoo, co-leads the Tiger Conservation Campaign, which has raised millions of dollars for tiger conservation. | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/13/minnesota-zoo-gets-new-male-amur-tiger-after-march-death-of-putin/ | 2022-04-14T00:55:35 | 1 | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/13/minnesota-zoo-gets-new-male-amur-tiger-after-march-death-of-putin/ |
Small ball became an identity for the Chicago Bulls this season, but their undersized roster will be tested in the first round of the playoffs against the size of the Milwaukee Bucks.
From guard to center, the Bucks present a challenging matchup for the Bulls — especially in the paint. The Bucks cede the 3-point line to pack the paint on defense and diminish chances at the rim, which creates hurdles for low-volume 3-point shooting teams such as the Bulls.
Most concerning is the potential mismatch created by their two starting bigs: 7-foot center Brook Lopez and 6-11 forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“You have to really play to beat them,” Bulls center Nikola Vučević said. “They’re not going to beat themselves.”
The Bucks game plan relies on their length, which isn’t restricted to Lopez and Antetokounmpo. The average height of the Bucks starting lineup is 2 inches taller than that of the Bulls.
Guard Jrue Holiday — the best defender on the Bucks roster and, arguably, in the NBA — boasts a 6-foot-7 wingspan. Experienced defenders Holiday and Wesley Matthews are tenacious when facing screens, fighting over or slipping under to eliminate the mismatches typically created in the pick-and-roll.
The Bucks folded another variable into their defensive plan with Lopez’s return in the final month. He played only 13 games in the regular season after suffering a back injury in the opener that required surgery and months of recovery. But he was dominant in the final game between the Bucks and Bulls in April, scoring a team-high 28 points on 9-for-14 shooting.
Only one of Lopez’s baskets in that game came from outside of the paint as he battered the Bulls around the rim. He made an impact on the defensive end as well, blocking three shots and stealing the ball twice in a dominant performance.
“His size defensively is huge for them,” Vučević said. “It allows them to restrict the paint. He can take a lot of stuff away from the rim.”
Despite giving up some height when matched against Antetokounmpo or Lopez, the 6-10, 260-pound Vučević found success against the Bucks earlier in the season, averaging 20 points in the first three meetings. In those performances, Vučević balanced his shooting — popping out for midrange jumpers and 3-pointers and working to the rim for layups and post-ups.
Such balance is a key to Vučević’s success in the postseason, when he said the Bulls plan to stretch the Bucks on offense to open the paint as much as possible. The Bulls already create more frequent scoring opportunities for Vučević when he’s spreading the ball through the center of the court, which helps keep opponents from piling bodies into the paint.
The Bulls also might break out a two-bigs lineup to counter the Bucks in the paint by playing Tristan Thompson and Vučević at the same time. Thompson was signed after the trade deadline to provide size around the rim to an undersized roster, and he averaged 16.3 minutes off the bench.
The Bulls haven’t used this two-bigs look often, but coach Billy Donovan said it could be an option against the Bucks.
“I think that (Tristan and I) can coexist together on the floor with my ability to play outside as well,” Vučević said. “That was a small sample, but I think that the times we did play together, I don’t think it was bad. There was a lot of positives that we can try to continue and explore and see how it works.”
Winning a game in the paint is a grind — and the Bulls need to win four. Postseason success relies on both mental and physical consistency, which posed a challenge for Vučević earlier in the season.
Vučević can be transparent with his frustration — especially when his shots aren’t falling — and it often spills over into the rest of his game. This mental hurdle could become even higher in the postseason. Despite being in his 11th NBA season, Vučević has played in the playoffs only once: a 4-1 first-round series loss to the Toronto Raptors in 2019 with the Orlando Magic.
As the Bulls prepare for a physically demanding series, Donovan believes emotional buoyancy will be vital for Vučević to anchor the team in the paint.
“I really, really like the shots he’s gotten,” Donovan said. “He holds himself to such a high standard offensively. But he’s got to understand that in a particular game in the playoffs, he may not shoot the ball well but he’s still got to stay really engaged defensively and consistently rebound for us.”
() | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/13/nikola-vuevis-offensive-balance-could-be-key-for-the-chicago-bulls-to-overcome-the-milwaukee-bucks-size-advantage/ | 2022-04-14T00:55:41 | 0 | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/13/nikola-vuevis-offensive-balance-could-be-key-for-the-chicago-bulls-to-overcome-the-milwaukee-bucks-size-advantage/ |
If a major college basketball prospect isn’t a prodigy, he’s often at least precocious, giving hints or outright signs of future stardom. Jaden Henley’s rise was dinged when he spent his sophomore season at Colony High School in Ontario, Calif., on the junior varsity squad.
“I feel like it lit a fire under me,” Henley told the Pioneer Press in an interview this week.
Over the next two years, Henley got hot alright, grew from 6-foot-2 to 6-7, starred on the varsity team over the next two seasons and signed a national letter of intent with the Gophers men’s basketball program on Wednesday.
“We’re really excited about Jaden and think he’s got a big future ahead of him,” Minnesota head coach Ben Johnson said in a statement. “What stood out to us when we recruited him was his size, length and versatility. He’s got a great first step and is a Big Ten, Power Five athlete (who) will continue to get better.”
Henley joins three Minnesota natives in the Gophers’ 2022 recruiting class: Park Center guard Braeden Carrington, Park of Cottage Grove forward Pharrel Payne and forward Joshua Ola-Joseph, who played at Osseo before transferring this season to Compass Prep in Chandler, Ariz. That trio signed in November.
Henley, again, was a bit fashionably late. He had only one scholarship offer, from San Diego State, when the Gophers showed interest in late 2021.
U assistant coach Marcus Jenkins heard about Henley from Devin Ugland, a reporter for Prep Hoops, and soon traveled to Ontario, which is 35 miles east of Los Angeles. Johnson made a follow-up visit for Colony’s Turkey Shootout the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
Johnson’s trip surprised Colony’s Jerry de Fabiis, a seasoned head coach with more than 500 wins across 22 seasons.
“I was super impressed with coach Johnson,” de Fabiis said. “I think too many coaches rely on these (recruiting) services. I think too many of these coaches rely on travel coaches, and I think what stood out to me is he told me, ‘My eyes don’t lie to me.’ …
“He didn’t need somebody else to tell him that he should take this guy. He relied on his own ability as an evaluator of talent to understand the game of basketball and to fit guys into his system.”
Henley, considered a three-star recruit, was seriously considered by only one in-state Division I program, the Aztecs.
“I think coach Johnson is a little bit more of an old-school recruiter,” de Fabiis said. “He goes to try to find some of the diamonds in the rough, some of these guys that might be overlooked. I think that is going to bode well for Minnesota (to) not worry that this kid has only been offered by this team, or this player has had such-and-such amount of offers. It’s can the kid play or not? Coach Johnson saw that he could.”
De Fabiis described Henley as a “jack of all trades,” with good shooting range, ability to drive to the basket and be a “pretty darn good passer.”
“I think I’m a guy who is fun to watch,” Henley said. “I think I’m a guy who is going to keep the energy going inside The Barn.”
As a senior, Henley averaged 17.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.4 assist and 2.5 steals for Colony (25-3) and rose to be the No. 3-rated recruit in the California, per Prep Hoops.
While Henley was put on JV as a sophomore, he was still lauded on Prep Hoops’ sophomore watch list and was playing in an older age group with AAU team, Team Inland. Part of the reason he didn’t make varsity that seasons was because Colony had plenty of older talent, including Denim Dawson, a freshman at Nebraska, and Brenton Knapper, a freshman at Santa Clara.
“Like I tell a lot of the kids, go out there and prove me wrong,” de Fabiis said. “Go out there and tear it up on the JV level and make me look foolish. I have no problem with that.”
Henley said he has lived in the gym to make improvements.
“I picked (the brains of) people I saw who were going to the next level. I looked at the small things: working hard, diving on the floor for loose balls … and keeping my basketball IQ as high as possible.”
Henley upgraded his shooting ability and range from his junior to senior seasons. “His athleticism improved immensely to his senior year, to where he is catching lobs and driving and dunking on people,” de Fabiis said. “His ability to finish through contact, that was a big thing. His junior year he wasn’t as able to finish through contact.”
The growth spurts didn’t hurt, either. After being 6-2 as a sophomore, he went to 6-5 as a junior and says he is nearly 6-8 now. With another Jaden on the team, Henley, who weighs 190 pounds, earned the nickname “Stretch.”
“He kept growing,” de Fabiis said. “It was a great nickname.”
De Fabiis said the thing he will remember most about Henley was his ability to be coached.
“We are kind of in an age now where, when you get on these kids, they don’t want to take hard coaching,” de Fabiis said “Sometimes you don’t get that from a lot of kids. They look down at the ground or away from you. They are upset that you are getting on them. (But) Jaden will look you dead in the eye. He will listen to you. He will say, ‘OK, coach. I got you, coach.’ … He takes hard coaching.”
Having the support of Henley’s parents made de Fabiis’ decision to put Henley on JV easier.
“I feel like one thing that coaches always told me is that it’s not how they say it, it’s what they’re saying,” Henley shared. “Basketball is an intense game and people yell; that is just how it goes. If you listen to what they are saying and keep it going, you’ll be fine.” | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/13/overlooked-in-california-late-bloomer-jaden-henley-now-a-gopher/ | 2022-04-14T00:55:48 | 0 | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/13/overlooked-in-california-late-bloomer-jaden-henley-now-a-gopher/ |
By ADAM SCHRECK and OLEKSANDR STASHEVSKYI
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The presidents of four countries on Russia’s doorstep visited Ukraine on Wednesday and underscored their support for the embattled country, where they saw heavily damaged buildings and demanded accountability for what they called war crimes carried out by Russian forces.
The visit by the presidents of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia was a strong show of solidarity from the countries on NATO’s eastern flank, three of them like Ukraine once part of the Soviet Union. The leaders traveled by train to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, to meet with their counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and visited Borodyanka, one of the nearby towns where evidence of atrocities was found after Russian troops withdrew to focus on the country’s east.
“The fight for Europe’s future is happening here,” Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said, calling for tougher sanctions, including against Russia’s oil and gas shipments and all the country’s banks.
Elsewhere, in one of the most crucial battles of the war, Russia said more than 1,000 Ukrainian troops had surrendered in the besieged southern port of Mariupol, where Ukrainian forces have been holding out in pockets of the city. A Ukrainian official denied the claim, which could not be verified.
Russia invaded on Feb. 24 with the goal, according to Western officials, of taking Kyiv, toppling the government and installing a Moscow-friendly one. But the ground advance slowly stalled and Russia lost potentially thousands of fighters. The conflict has killed untold numbers of Ukrainian civilians and forced millions more to flee. It also has rattled the world economy, threatened global food supplies and shattered Europe’s post-Cold War balance.
A day after he called Russia’s actions in Ukraine “a genocide,” U.S. President Joe Biden approved $800 million in new military assistance to Ukraine, saying weapons from the West have sustained Ukraine’s fight so far and “we cannot rest now.” The munitions include artillery systems, armored personnel carriers and helicopters.
Appearing alongside Zelenskyy in an ornate room in Kyiv’s historic Mariinskyi Palace on Wednesday, Nauseda, Estonian President Alar Karis, Poland’s Andrzej Duda and Egils Levits of Latvia reiterated their commitment to supporting Ukraine politically and with military aid.
“We know this history. We know what Russian occupation means. We know what Russian terrorism means,” Duda said. He added that both those who committed war crimes and those who gave the orders should be held accountable.
“If someone sends aircraft, if someone sends troops to shell residential districts, kill civilians, murder them, this is not war,” he said. “This is cruelty, this is banditry, this is terrorism.”
In his daily late-night address, Zelenskyy noted that the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, visited the Kyiv suburb of Bucha, where more than 400 bodies were found, on Wednesday as an ICC investigation gets underway. Evidence of mass killings of civilians was found there after the Russian retreat.
“It is inevitable that the Russian troops will be held responsible. We will drag everyone to a tribunal, and not only for what was done in Bucha,” Zelenskyy said late Wednesday.
He also said work was continuing to clear tens of thousands of unexploded shells, mines and trip wires left behind in northern Ukraine by the departing Russians. He urged people returning to homes to be wary of any unfamiliar objects and report them to police.
Also Wednesday, a report commissioned by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe found “clear patterns of (international humanitarian law) violations by the Russian forces in their conduct of hostilities.” It was written by experts selected by Ukraine and published by the Vienna-based organization, which promotes security and human rights.
The report said there were also violations by Ukraine, but concluded those committed by Russia “are by far larger in scale and nature.”
Ukraine has previously acknowledged that there could be “isolated incidents” of violations and said it would investigate.
Residents in Yahidne, a village near the northern city of Chernihiv, said Russian troops forced them to stay for almost a month in the basement of a school, allowing them outside only to go to the toilet, cook on open fires — and bury the dead in a mass grave.
In one of the rooms, they wrote a list of those who perished. It had 18 names.
“An old man died near me and then his wife died next,” Valentyna Saroyan said. “Then a man died who was lying there, then a woman sitting next to me. … Another old man looked so healthy, he was doing exercises, but then he was sitting and fell. That was it.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied his troops committed atrocities, saying Tuesday that Moscow “had no other choice” but to invade and would “continue until its full completion and the fulfillment of the tasks that have been set.” He insisted Russia’s campaign was going as planned despite a major withdrawal after its forces failed to take the capital and suffered significant losses.
Russian troops are now gearing up for a major offensive in the eastern Donbas region, where Moscow-allied separatists and Ukrainian forces have been fighting since 2014, and where Russia has recognized the separatists’ claims of independence.
A key piece of the Russian campaign is Mariupol, which lies in the Donbas and which the Russians have pummeled since nearly the start of the war.
Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj.-Gen. Igor Konashenkov said 1,026 troops from the Ukrainian 36th Marine Brigade surrendered at a metals factory in the city. But Vadym Denysenko, adviser to Ukraine’s interior minister, rejected the claim, telling Current Time TV that “the battle over the seaport is still ongoing today.”
It was unclear when a surrender may have occurred or how many forces were still defending Mariupol.
According to the BBC, Aiden Aslin, a British man fighting in the Ukrainian military in Mariupol, called his mother and a friend to say he and his comrades were out of food, ammunition and other supplies and would surrender.
Russian state television broadcast footage Wednesday that it said was from Mariupol showing dozens of men in camouflage walking with their hands up and carrying others on stretchers or in chair holds. One man held a white flag. In the background was a tall industrial building with its windows shattered and roof missing, identified by the broadcaster as the Iliich metalworks.
In a Twitter post, Zelenskyy adviser Oleksiy Arestovych did not comment on the surrender claim but said elements of the same brigade managed to link up with other Ukrainian forces in the city as a result of a “risky maneuver.”
Ukrainian officials have been investigating an allegation that a Russian drone dropped a poisonous substance on Mariupol.
In other developments:
— In the Odesa region, Gov. Maksym Marchenko said forces struck the guided-missile cruiser Moskva — the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet — with two missiles and caused “serious damage.” The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed the ship was damaged but not that it was hit by Ukraine — it said ammunition on board detonated as a result of a fire whose causes “were being established.” The entire crew was evacuated, it added.
— U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said there is no chance at the moment for a humanitarian cease-fire in Ukraine, as the world body was seeking.
— The detention of fugitive Ukrainian oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk, the former leader of a pro-Russian opposition party and a close associate of Putin, was being met with enthusiasm in Kyiv and irritation in Moscow. Analysts say Medvedchuk, detained Tuesday in an operation by Ukraine’s state security service, could become a valuable pawn in Russia-Ukraine talks on ending the war. Zelenskyy has proposed that Moscow could win Medvedchuk’s freedom by releasing Ukrainians now held captive.
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Stashevskyi reported from Yahidne, Ukraine. Associated Press writer Robert Burns in Washington, and AP journalists around the world contributed to this report.
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Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/13/presidents-from-countries-on-russias-doorstep-visit-ukraine/ | 2022-04-14T00:55:54 | 1 | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/13/presidents-from-countries-on-russias-doorstep-visit-ukraine/ |
Alex Kirilloff was finally hitting off a velocity machine last November when he realized his right wrist, which had been surgically repaired months earlier, just didn’t feel quite right. He shut it down for a month, let the wrist continue to heal and started ramping things up in December.
Looking back, he said Wednesday there was never a point that he was swinging without pain.
So, on Wednesday the Twins put the outfielder on the injured list, recalling Trevor Larnach from Triple-A St. Paul to take his place on the active roster. After getting images of the wrist taken, Kirilloff said he will be traveling to Ohio this week to meet with specialist Dr. Thomas Graham, who performed his surgery last July.
“I’m determined to try to get to the bottom of this,” he said. “I don’t want to be short-sighted about it. Obviously, this is just one long, continuous puzzle to try to figure out.”
Kirilloff first injured his right wrist in 2019, but that, he said, was a different part of the wrist. The source of this pain, he believes, was a dive into second base early last season.
Shortly after, he received a cortisone shot, which helped initially; but once it wore off, the pain returned to the same level. Now, he said his wrist feels “definitely similar,” even after undergoing a surgery with the hope of fixing the problem completely.
The wrist surgery, which Kirilloff said in March was to clean up cartilage tears, was performed in-season with the hopes that he would have enough time to recover and be healthy by the beginning of the 2022 season. Instead, Kirilloff is left searching for answers again.
“He is able to play for periods of time and really swing the bat and feel good,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “But then it feels, obviously, like it’s returned and there’s not one reason why we can put on that. … We’re going to work on that.”
Prior to the surgery last year, the Twins were talking about pain tolerance and management and whether Kirilloff could play through the injury. But given the pain he’s in, that doesn’t seem to be much of an option right now.
“It’s just hard to be effective when I’m having pain, the amount of pain I’m having,” he said.
WINDER DEBUT
Josh Winder’s family made the trip from Virginia to Minneapolis this weekend to see the rookie make his major league debut. In the end, they didn’t have a chance to see what they came for. Winder debuted Tuesday night, throwing an inning in relief, after his family had already packed up and returned home.
Still, Winder, 25, called the experience a “dream come true.”
One of the Twins’ top pitching prospects, Winder is a starter by trade but working out of the bullpen for the time being. While his role will likely be long relief, his debut was just inning of work — a long, 28-pitch inning — in a 7-2 loss to the Dodgers. He caught Will Smith looking for his first strikeout but gave up a run after a pair of walks, a double steal and a sacrifice fly.
“I don’t think it’s really soaked in yet,” Winder said. “Nothing’s really changed, I guess. I’m still me and I’m still going out there and pitch. I guess seeing myself on TV is kind of cool.”
ROSTER MOVE
Dereck Rodríguez thought there was a chance the Twins would be making a call to St. Paul after using seven relievers on Wednesday. The pitcher just didn’t expect it to be for him, or that he would pitch on Wednesday.
Rodríguez, the son of Hall of Famer Iván Rodríguez, was playing a video game on his computer in the early hours of Wednesday morning when he got the news that the Twins had him to the 40-man roster and were calling him up. He pitched four innings in a 7-0 loss, giving up three consecutive home runs in the eighth.
While this is not Rodríguez’s first stint in the majors, it is his first with the Twins, the team that drafted him in the sixth round in 2011 — as an outfielder. Rodríguez gave up three consecutive home runs on Wednesday in his debut with the Twins.
“It’s been a long journey,” he said. “It’s nice, after spending seven years with them on my minor league contract and then I’m going to San Francisco and coming back, it’s nice to finally be up here with them. Even when I got drafted, I always envisioned myself as a big-leaguer with the Twins.”
As the corresponding move, they designated veteran Jharel Cotton for assignment. | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/13/recurrence-of-wrist-injury-forces-alex-kirilloff-to-the-injured-list/ | 2022-04-14T00:56:00 | 1 | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/13/recurrence-of-wrist-injury-forces-alex-kirilloff-to-the-injured-list/ |
AUSTIN, Minn. — Prosecutors will not be seeking criminal charges against the Austin police officer who fatally shot a 38-year-old man in December, the Austin Police Department announced Tuesday.
“After a thorough review of the events, reports and recording related to the fatal shooting of Kokou Christopher Fiafonou on December 23, 2021, our office has concluded that the evidence does not support criminal charges against any of the officers involved, including Officer Zachary Gast of the Austin Police Department,” Olmsted County Attorney Mark Ostrem wrote in an April 11 letter to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
“Based on the information available to Officer Gast at the time he fired his weapon at Mr. Fiafonou, a reasonable officer in Officer Gast’s position would have concluded that deadly force was necessary to protect the officer or other persons from apparent death or great bodily harm.”
The Olmsted County Attorney’s Office was asked to review the case by the Mower County Attorney’s Office.
Fiafonou, of Austin, died on Dec. 23 as a result of multiple gunshot wounds.
The state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension identified the officer who shot Fiafonou as Gast, a two-year veteran of the department in southern Minnesota.
Fiafonou was fatally shot following a more than 24-hour standoff with law enforcement who had initially been called around 3:45 p.m. Dec. 22 to the area of Seventh Street Northwest and Eighth Avenue Northwest in Austin for a report of a man walking in traffic and holding a knife, according to initial reports.
An officer spoke with Fiafonou, who was initially speaking unintelligibly, but determined Fiafonou was not in danger and intended to allow him to continue walking, but officers followed him as he walked to his residence, according to Ostrem’s report. Once inside, Fiafonou barricaded himself and would randomly appear on an upstairs porch with a knife, “taunting officers.”
Over the course of more than 24 hours, police as well as members of the Special Incident Response Team, including trained negotiators, used Tasers, pepper gas and less-lethal foam impact bullets in an attempt to bring Fiafonou into custody. Ostrem notes that Fiafonou’s behavior included yelling and waving and slashing a variety of knives and other objects.
“Negotiators had also spent hours trying to calm Mr. Fiafonou and bring him into custody,” Ostrem wrote. “A variety of less-lethal options were deployed without success in gaining access to Mr. Fiafonou.”
By 6 p.m. Dec. 23, 2021, the law enforcement presence on scene was reduced to uniformed officers posted in the area to monitor the situation. Ostrem wrote that Fiafonou repeatedly charged the two officers squads during the evening, “always with a knife and sometimes a hammer.”
Around 9:30 that night, Fiafonou left his home and walked to the Kwik Trip in the 1200 block of Oakland Avenue West. Officers followed him to the gas station, where they could hear him “stating he was going to hurt staff members,” Ostrem wrote. As Fiafonou went into the store, Gast got out of his squad to follow him in.
“Just taking a couple steps inside, Mr. Fiafonou quickly turned around and aggressively exited the store. Officer Gast was now out of his squad, between it and the store entrance. Mr. Fiafonou aggressively ran toward Officer Gast with a knife,” Ostrem wrote. “Officer Gast gave a number of commands to ‘drop the knife’ or ‘stop’ or ‘get on the ground.’ Mr. Fiafonou did not slow his approach toward Officer Gast. Officer Gast retreated a little, but Mr. Fiafonou continued aggressively and with the knife. Officer Gast discharged his weapon toward Mr. Fiafonou seven times.”
The Austin Police Department does not wear body cameras, but Ostrem noted in his letter that video was obtained from the store as well as squad video, all of which “very clearly depicts the last few minutes of the encounter.”
Fiafonou’s family has refuted some of the police narrative of the incident.
A week after Fiafonou’s death, people from Austin and around the state gathered outside the Austin Police Department with three demands: release all video footage of the incident to the family at once; fire and prosecute all officers involved; and compensate the family for their loss. | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/13/southern-minnesota-police-officer-cleared-in-fatal-shooting-of-knife-wielding-man/ | 2022-04-14T00:56:06 | 1 | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/13/southern-minnesota-police-officer-cleared-in-fatal-shooting-of-knife-wielding-man/ |
St. Thomas pitcher Graham Laubscher, a grad student from Stillwater, was named co-national pitcher of the week by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America.
On Monday, Laubscher was named the Summit League’s Ticket Smarter pitcher of the week after he and teammate T.J. Constertina combined to shut out No. 1 North Dakota State on two hits in Saturday’s 6-0 win. Laubscher struck out a career-high 15 batters in his first Division I win.
Laubscher is averaging 12.8 strikeouts per nine innings for the Tommies (5-19 overall, 2-7 Summit League). | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/13/st-thomas-pitcher-earns-national-honor/ | 2022-04-14T00:56:12 | 0 | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/13/st-thomas-pitcher-earns-national-honor/ |
By ANNA LIZ NICHOLS and ED WHITE
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A Black man face-down on the ground was fatally shot in the back of the head by a Michigan police officer, the violent climax of a traffic stop, brief foot chase and struggle over a stun gun, according to videos of the April 4 incident released Wednesday.
Patrick Lyoya, 26, was killed outside a house in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The white officer repeatedly ordered Lyoya to “let go” of his Taser, at one point demanding: “Drop the Taser!”
Citing a need for transparency, the city’s new police chief, Eric Winstrom, released four videos, including critical footage of the shooting recorded by a passenger in Lyoya’s car on that rainy morning.
“I view it as a tragedy. … It was a progression of sadness for me,” said Winstrom, a former high-ranking Chicago police commander who became Grand Rapids chief in March. The city of about 200,000 people is about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northwest of Detroit.
Video shows Lyoya running from the officer who stopped him for driving with a license plate that didn’t belong to the vehicle. They struggled in front of several homes while Lyoya’s passenger got out and watched.
Winstrom said the fight over the Taser lasted about 90 seconds. In the final moments, the officer was on top of Lyoya, kneeling on his back at times to subdue him.
“From my view of the video, Taser was deployed twice. Taser did not make contact,” Winstrom told reporters. “And Mr. Lyoya was shot in the head. However, that’s the only information that I have.”
State police are investigating the shooting. Kent County’s chief medical examiner, Dr. Stephen Cohle, said he completed the autopsy but toxicology tests haven’t been finished.
The traffic stop was tense from the start. Video shows Lyoya, a native of the Democratic Republic of Congo, getting out of the car before the officer approached. He ordered Lyoya to get back in the vehicle but the man declined.
The officer asked him if he spoke English and demanded his driver’s license. The foot chase began soon after, video shows.
Winstrom didn’t identify the officer, a seven-year veteran who is on paid leave during the investigation.
“Me being from Chicago for the last 20 years, I’ve handled many police shootings myself, so I do have a lot of experience in this,” the chief said. “I was hoping to never have to utilize that experience here.”
Video was collected from Lyoya’s passenger, the officer’s body-worn camera, the officer’s patrol car and a doorbell camera. Prosecutor Chris Becker, who will decide whether any charges are warranted, objected to the release but said Winstrom could act on his own.
Becker said the public shouldn’t expect a quick decision.
“While the videos released today are an important piece of evidence, they are not all of the evidence,” he said.
City Manager Mark Washington warned that the videos would lead to “expressions of shock, of anger and of pain.” Some downtown businesses boarded up their storefronts, and concrete barricades surrounded police headquarters.
Lyoya had two young daughters and five siblings, said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who spoke to his family.
“He arrived in the United States as a refugee with his family fleeing violence. He had his whole life ahead of him,” Whitmer, a Democrat, said.
Prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump, speaking on behalf Lyoya’s family, on Wednesday called for the officer in the shooting to be fired and prosecuted.
“The video clearly shows that this was an unnecessary, excessive, and fatal use of force against an unarmed Black man who was confused by the encounter and terrified for his life,” Crump said in a release.
“It should be noted that Patrick never used violence against this officer even though the officer used violence against him in several instances for what was a misdemeanor traffic stop,” he added.
Crump and Lyoya’s family are expected to hold a news conference Thursday afternoon.
More than 100 people marched to Grand Rapids City Hall before a City Commission meeting Tuesday night, chanting “Black lives matter” and “No justice, no peace.”
On Wednesday, several hundred protesters gathered outside the Grand Rapids Police Department following the release of the videos with some cursing and shouting from behind barricades. The group demanded that officials make public the name of the officer in the shooting.
Some businesses cut their hours short Wednesday, closing early. Some boarded up windows. But the demonstration remained non-violent with protesters demanding justice for Lyoya and other Black lives lost in shootings involving police.
Winstrom last week said he met Lyoya’s father, Peter Lyoya, and that they both cried.
“I get it as a father. … It’s just heart-wrenching,” the chief told WOOD-TV.
As in many U.S. cities, Grand Rapids police have been occasionally criticized over the use of force, particularly against Black people, who make up 18% of the population.
In November, the Michigan Supreme Court heard arguments in a lawsuit over the practice of photographing and fingerprinting people who were never charged with a crime. Grand Rapids said the policy changed in 2015.
A downtown street has been designated Breonna Taylor Way, named for the Black woman and Grand Rapids native who was killed by police in Louisville, Kentucky, during a botched drug raid in 2020.
___
White reported from Detroit. AP reporters Corey Williams in West Bloomfield, Michigan; David Eggert in Lansing, Michigan; and John Flesher in Traverse City, Michigan, contributed to this story. | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/13/video-michigan-cop-on-black-mans-back-fatally-shot-him/ | 2022-04-14T00:56:18 | 0 | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/13/video-michigan-cop-on-black-mans-back-fatally-shot-him/ |
By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN and PAUL DAVENPORT
Firefighters scouted the drought-stricken mountainsides around a New Mexico village on Wednesday as they looked for opportunities to slow a wind-driven wildfire that a day earlier had burned at least 150 homes and other structures while displacing thousands of residents and forcing the evacuation of two schools.
Homes were among the structures that had burned, but officials did not have a count of how many were destroyed in the blaze that torched at least 6.4 square miles (16.6 square kilometers) of forest, brush and grass on the east side of the community of Ruidoso, said Laura Rabon, spokesperson for the Lincoln National Forest.
Rabon announced emergency evacuations of a more densely populated area during a briefing Wednesday afternoon as the fire jumped a road where crews were trying to hold the line. She told people to get in their cars and go.
So far, no deaths or injuries were reported from the fire, which has been fanned by strong winds.
While the cause of the blaze was under investigation, fire officials and forecasters warned Wednesday that persistent dry and windy conditions had prompted red flag warnings for a wide swath that included almost all of New Mexico, half of Texas and parts of Colorado and the Midwest.
Five new large fires were reported Tuesday, and nearly 1,600 wildland firefighters and support personnel were assigned to large fires in the southwestern, southern and Rocky Mountain areas, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
Hotter and drier weather weather coupled with decades of fire suppression have contributed to an increase in the number of acres burned by wildfires, fire scientists say. And the problem is exacerbated by a more than 20-year Western megadrought that studies link to human-caused climate change. The fire season has become year-round given changing conditions that include earlier snowmelt and rain coming later in the fall.
In Ruidoso, officials declared a state of emergency and said school classes were canceled Wednesday as the village — about 140 miles (225 kilometers) northeast of El Paso, Texas — coped with power outages due to down power lines.
The residences that burned were mostly a mix of trailers and single-family homes, and close to 4,000 people were displaced by evacuations that were ordered Tuesday. That number was expected to grow with the latest call for residents to leave.
Village spokeswoman Kerry Gladden said authorities spent part of Wednesday surveying as much damage as possible before the winds kicked up again. Air tankers also were able to drop a few loads of slurry, and more air support was expected Thursday.
“Right now, everybody is just rallying around those who had to be evacuated,” Gladden said. “We’re just trying to reach out to make sure everyone has places to stay.”
Donations were pouring in from other communities in southern New Mexico. State officials said emergency grants have been approved that will provide resources to firefighters and for other emergency efforts.
Ruidoso in 2012 was hit by one of the most destructive wildfires in New Mexico history, when a lightning-sparked blaze destroyed more than 240 homes and burned nearly 70 square miles (181 square kilometers).
Rabon said Wednesday that no precipitation was in the forecast and humidity levels remained in the single digits, which would make stopping the flames more difficult.
“Those extremely dry conditions are not in our favor,” she said.
Another wildfire in the Lincoln National Forest northwest of Ruidoso burned at least 400 acres (1.6 square kilometers) after it was sparked Tuesday by power lines downed by high winds. Crews confirmed Wednesday that 10 structures there were lost.
Elsewhere in New Mexico, wildfires were burning along the Rio Grande south of Albuquerque, in mountains northwest of the community of Las Vegas and in grasslands along the Pecos River near the town of Roswell.
In Colorado, crews were battling wind-whipped grass fires that had destroyed two homes and forced temporary evacuations.
___
Montoya Bryan reported from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Davenport from Phoenix. | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/13/wind-whips-destructive-wildfires-in-new-mexico-colorado/ | 2022-04-14T00:56:24 | 0 | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/13/wind-whips-destructive-wildfires-in-new-mexico-colorado/ |
BUSHNELL, Fla. (WFLA) – New Bucs safety Keanu Neal grew up about an hour from Tampa in Webster, and went to high school in Bushnell at South Sumter. He also played college football at the University of Florida.
So coming back to the area was an exciting opportunity for not only Neal, but for his hometown community too.
“It’s home for me,” Neal said. “Everybody from my hometown was super excited. It’s really cool to be so close– close to where I grew up.”
“I couldn’t think of a better place for him to be,” said Ty Lawrence, who was Neal’s defensive coordinator when he was at South Sumter and is now the Raiders’ head football coach. “We get to see him a lot more often now not just on TV but we can actually go and watch him play.”
Coach Lawrence has known Neal since he was little, and spoke glowingly of his former player, who he’s still close with. Neal even invited him as his guest to the 2017 Pro Bowl when he made the all-star roster as a member of the Atlanta Falcons.
“He does everything the right way,” Lawrence said. “He’s a coach’s dream. He does everything the coaches ask him and above and beyond.”
Keanu who is known as Keke back home is still very much a part of his hometown communities in Webster and Bushnell.
“Keke’s never forgotten where he’s come from,” Lawrence said. “He always comes back.”
And he was even back as recently as last month.
“We were practicing seven on seven out on the field and here he comes driving up,” Lawrence said. “For our kids to be able to take his coaching—because he plays at the highest level—is very special for our kids here.”
Keanu and his other brother, Clint Hart, who also played in the NFL, have both donated their time and money to South Sumter over the years. Part of that generosity can be seen in their new weight room the school was able to build. | https://www.wfla.com/sports/buccaneers/former-high-school-coach-excited-for-keanu-neals-return-to-tampa-bay-area-with-bucs/ | 2022-04-14T00:57:15 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/sports/buccaneers/former-high-school-coach-excited-for-keanu-neals-return-to-tampa-bay-area-with-bucs/ |
Amber Alert canceled for missing 12-year-old in Maryland
Published: Apr. 11, 2022 at 3:48 PM CDT|Updated: Apr. 12, 2022 at 10:03 AM CDT
(Gray News) - An Amber Alert for a missing 12-year-old boy in Maryland was canceled on Tuesday.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children announced that the alert had been canceled via Twitter.
Maryland State Police said that the boy had been found unharmed.
State police had issued an Amber Alert on Monday for the boy, who had been missing since April 8.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/11/amber-alert-issued-maryland-missing-12-year-old/ | 2022-04-14T00:59:15 | 0 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/11/amber-alert-issued-maryland-missing-12-year-old/ |
Ex-officer convicted of storming Capitol to disrupt Congress
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal jury on Monday convicted a former Virginia police officer of storming the U.S. Capitol with another off-duty officer to obstruct Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral victory.
Jurors convicted former Rocky Mount police officer Thomas Robertson of all six counts he faced stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, riot, including charges that he interfered with police officers at the Capitol and that he entered a restricted area with a dangerous weapon, a large wooden stick.
His sentencing hearing wasn’t immediately scheduled.
Robertson’s jury trial was the second among hundreds of Capitol riot cases. The first ended last month with jurors convicting a Texas man, Guy Reffitt, of all five counts in his indictment.
Robertson didn’t testify at his trial, which started last Tuesday. Jurors deliberated for several hours over two days before reaching their unanimous verdict.
One juror, who spoke to The Associated Press only on condition of anonymity, said as she left the courthouse, “I think the government made a really compelling case and the evidence was fairly overwhelming.”
Defense attorney Mark Rollins said Robertson will appeal the jury’s verdict. “While Mr. Robertson disagrees with the jury’s decision, he respects the rule of law,” Rollins said in a statement.
A key witness for prosecutors in his case was Jacob Fracker, who also served on the Rocky Mount police force and viewed Robertson as a mentor and father figure. Fracker was scheduled to be tried alongside Robertson before he pleaded guilty last month to a conspiracy charge and agreed to cooperate with authorities. Fracker testified Thursday that he had hoped the mob that attacked the Capitol could overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Robertson was charged with six counts: obstruction of Congress, interfering with officers during a civil disorder, entering a restricted area while carrying a dangerous weapon, disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted area while carrying a dangerous weapon, disorderly or disruptive conduct inside the Capitol building, and obstruction. The last charge stems from his alleged post-riot destruction of cellphones belonging to him and Fracker.
During the trial’s closing arguments Friday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Risa Berkower said Robertson went to Washington and joined a “violent vigilante mob” because he believed the election was stolen from then-President Donald Trump. He used the wooden stick to interfere with outnumbered police before he joined the crowd pouring into the Capitol, she said.
“The defendant did all this because he wanted to overturn the election,” Berkower said.
Rollins conceded that Robertson broke the law when he entered the Capitol during the riot. He encouraged jurors to convict Robertson of misdemeanor offenses but urged them to acquit Robertson of felony charges that he used the stick as a dangerous weapon and that he intended to stop Congress from certifying the Electoral College vote.
“There were no plans to go down there and say, ‘I’m going to stop Congress from doing this vote,’” Rollins said.
Fracker testified that he initially believed that he was merely trespassing when he entered the Capitol building. However, he ultimately pleaded guilty to conspiring with Robertson to obstruct Congress.
Under cross-examination by Rollins, Fracker said he didn’t have a “verbal agreement” with anybody to obstruct the joint session of Congress. Fracker said he believed everybody in the mob “pretty much had the same goal” and didn’t need for it to be “said out loud.”
Robertson and Fracker drove with a neighbor to Washington on the morning of Jan. 6. Robertson brought three gas masks for them to use, according to prosecutors.
After listening to speeches near the Washington Monument, Fracker, Robertson and the neighbor walked toward the Capitol, donned the gas masks and joined the growing mob, prosecutors said. Robertson stopped to help his neighbor, who was having trouble breathing. Fracker broke off and entered the building before Robertson, but they reunited inside the Capitol.
Defense attorney Camille Wagner told jurors that Robertson only went into the Capitol because he wanted to retrieve Fracker, who entered the Capitol a few minutes before Robertson. Wagner said the U.S. Army veteran was using the stick to help him walk because he has a limp from getting shot in the right thigh while working as a private contractor for the U.S. Defense Department in Afghanistan in 2011.
Jurors saw some of Robertson’s vitriolic posts on social media before and after the Capitol riot. In a Facebook post on Nov. 7, 2020, Robertson said “being disenfranchised by fraud is my hard line.”
“I’ve spent most of my adult life fighting a counter insurgency. (I’m) about to become part of one, and a very effective one,” he wrote.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Aloi told jurors that Robertson was charged for his actions, not his political beliefs. Wagner also said Robertson should be judged by his actions, not his words.
The town fired Robertson and Fracker after the riot. Rocky Mount is about 25 miles south of Roanoke and has roughly 5,000 residents.
Robertson has been jailed since Cooper ruled in July that he violated the terms of his pretrial release by possessing firearms.
More than 770 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the riot. Over 250 of them have pleaded guilty, mostly to misdemeanors.
Robertson’s trial is one of four so far for Capitol riot defendants. Two others had their cases decided by bench trials before the same judge.
U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden convicted New Mexico elected official Couy Griffin last month of illegally entering restricted Capitol grounds but acquitted him of engaging in disorderly conduct. On Wednesday, McFadden acquitted another New Mexico man, Matthew Martin, of all four charges that he faced.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/11/ex-officer-convicted-storming-capitol-disrupt-congress/ | 2022-04-14T00:59:23 | 0 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/11/ex-officer-convicted-storming-capitol-disrupt-congress/ |
Police: Missing Florida teen found safe
Published: Apr. 11, 2022 at 3:48 PM CDT|Updated: Apr. 12, 2022 at 6:21 AM CDT
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (Gray News) – Police in Florida said a missing 15-year-old girl has been found.
Saige Stiles was safely located by member of the Florida’s Treasure Coast Guardian Angels Chapter who was in the area searching for her on Monday, the Port St. Lucie Police Department said.
Saige was found in good health, officials said.
She had been reported missing Monday morning.
While walking to school, she was on the phone with a friend and said she was being followed. Her friend called 911.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/11/florida-teen-said-she-was-being-followed-way-school-before-disappearing-police-say/ | 2022-04-14T00:59:30 | 0 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/11/florida-teen-said-she-was-being-followed-way-school-before-disappearing-police-say/ |
Plea deal rejected by 3 ex-officers in George Floyd’s death
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Prosecutors revealed Monday evening that they offered plea deals to three former Minneapolis police officers charged with aiding and abetting the murder of George Floyd, but said at a hearing that the defendants rejected them.
Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill held the hearing mostly to consider whether he has the authority to allow live video coverage of the upcoming trial set to begin in June for former Officers Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng. They’re charged with aiding and abetting both manslaughter and murder when former officer Derek Chauvin used his knee to pin Floyd, a Black man, to the pavement for 9 1/2 minutes on May 25, 2020. Kueng knelt on Floyd’s back, Lane held his legs and Thao kept bystanders back.
Lead prosecutor Matthew Frank did not disclose details of the plea offers in open court but said they were identical and were made March 22 after a jury convicted the three in a separate trial in February on federal civil rights charges stemming from Floyd’s death, according to pool reports from inside the courtroom.
Lane’s attorney, Earl Gray, said it was hard for the defense to negotiate when the three still don’t know what their federal sentences will be. The judge in that case has not set a sentencing date, and all three remain free on bail.
Cahill told Frank to file the offers for the record after the jury is seated for the upcoming trial, which is expected to take around eight weeks, including three for jury selection.
Cahill took the rare step of allowing live audiovisual coverage of Chauvin’s murder trial last year, making an exception to the normal rules of Minnesota courts. He cited the extenuating circumstance of the need to balance protecting participants from COVID-19 against the constitutional requirement for a public trial.
Now that the U.S. has entered a new phase of living with the coronavirus, Cahill must decide whether to allow the same sort of access for the trial of Thao, Lane and Kueng. He did not rule during their pretrial hearing, and said he won’t until after the Minnesota Judicial Council — a panel of leading judges and court administrators — meets Thursday to discuss the issue.
Attorney Leita Walker, who represents a coalition of media organizations, including The Associated Press, urged Cahill to allow video coverage again, saying it’s the most reasonable way to ensure public and media access to the trial. She said the public got to watch Chauvin’s trial, and that interest remains high because both involve Floyd’s death. The killing, which was recorded on video, sparked protests around the world and a national reckoning on race.
“The public is just not going to understand why they got to watch that one gavel to gavel and they won’t be able to watch this one,” Walker said.
But Cahill questioned Walker’s assertions that he has the authority to make another exception and that the pandemic is still an extenuating circumstance.
“COVID-19 is less of a pandemic and more of an endemic issue now,” Cahill said.
Cahill noted that while he has publicly said he now believes the legal presumption should be to allow televised trials, he pointed out that that’s not the rule yet. “I’m still sworn to uphold the law,” he said.
Defense attorneys said they still oppose audiovisual coverage of the upcoming trial, and renewed concerns about the willingness of witnesses to testify.
Minnesota court rules generally require the consent of all parties for audiovisual coverage of trials, with fewer restrictions for sentencings. Chauvin’s trial was the first in Minnesota to be entirely televised, from jury selection to his murder conviction to his sentencing to 22 1/2 years in prison. People worldwide tuned into the livestreams.
“I think livestreaming that trial enabled people here and around the world to see the inner workings of a system that was handling one of the most important trials of our time,” Suki Dardarian, senior managing editor and vice president of the Star Tribune of Minneapolis, which is part of the media coalition, said before the hearing.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office initially opposed having cameras in the court for Chauvin’s trial, but now supports them for the other officers’ upcoming trial.
“The Chauvin trial demonstrated the benefits of robust public access to this important case and proved that the Court could successfully navigate the concerns animating the State’s initial opposition to audio and video coverage,” prosecutors wrote last week. “The Court’s commendable transparency inspired public confidence in the proceedings and helped ensure calm in Minneapolis and across the country.”
Due to federal court rules, live video coverage was not allowed for the first trial of Thao, Lane and Kueng this year, when all three were convicted of violating Floyd’s civil rights. Nor was it allowed for Chauvin’s federal case in which he pleaded guilty to civil rights violations. But it was allowed in the December state court trial of former Brooklyn Center Officer Kim Potter in the death of Daunte Wright, who was killed one year ago Monday.
An advisory committee to the Minnesota Supreme Court is considering whether to allow more video coverage of criminal proceedings. It’s due to release its report by July 1.
Cahill, in a letter to the committee, said he had opposed cameras in criminal cases before, but that his experience in Chauvin’s case changed his opinion, and he now believes they should be presumptively allowed, subject to the trial judge’s discretion.
Hennepin County Judge Regina Chu, who presided over Potter’s trial, told the Star Tribune in an interview that both the Potter and Chauvin trials convinced her that cameras can be present without being disruptive.
“I forgot they were even there,” Chu told the newspaper.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/11/judge-weighs-cameras-3-officers-trial-over-george-floyds-death/ | 2022-04-14T00:59:36 | 1 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/11/judge-weighs-cameras-3-officers-trial-over-george-floyds-death/ |
Mariupol mayor says siege has killed more than 10,000 civilians
LVIV, Ukraine (AP) — The mayor of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol said Monday that more than 10,000 civilians have died in the Russian siege of his city, and that the death toll could surpass 20,000, as weeks of attacks and privation leave the bodies of Mariupol’s people “carpeted through the streets.”
Speaking by phone Monday with The Associated Press, Mayor Vadym Boychenko also accused Russian forces of having blocked weeks of thwarted humanitarian convoys into the city in an attempt to conceal the carnage there from the outside world.
Mariupol has been cut off by Russian attacks that began soon after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine in late February, and has suffered some of the most brutal assaults of the war. Boychenko gave new details of recent allegations by Ukrainian officials that Russian forces have brought mobile cremation equipment to Mariupol to dispose of the corpses of victims of the siege.
Russian forces have taken many bodies to a huge shopping center where there are storage facilities and refrigerators, Boychenko said.
“Mobile crematoriums have arrived in the form of trucks: You open it, and there is a pipe inside and these bodies are burned,” he said.
GRAPHIC WARNING: Videos may contain disturbing content.
Boychenko spoke from a location in Ukrainian-controlled territory but outside Mariupol. The mayor said he had several sources for his description of the allegedly methodic burning of corpses by Russian forces in the city, but did not detail the sources of his information.
The discovery of large numbers of apparently executed civilians after Russian forces retreated from cities around the capital, Kyiv, this month already has prompted widespread condemnation and charges from Ukrainians and the West that Russia is committing war crimes in Ukraine.
Elsewhere Monday, U.S. officials pointed to new signs that Russia’s military is gearing up for a major offensive in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, switching its focus after Russian forces failed in their initial drive to capture Kyiv.
Moscow-backed separatists have been battling Ukrainian forces in the Donbas region since 2014, and have declared independent states. A major confrontation between the two countries’ fighters in Donbas would allow Russia to try to use its numbers and greater military might to capture more territory there. Western military strategists say Russia also hopes to force Ukrainian fighters out into the open in more conventional battles in the east, rather than the successful hit-and-run attacks Ukrainian fighters have often employed so far.
Russia has appointed a seasoned general to lead its renewed push in the eastern Donbas region.
A senior U.S. defense official on Monday described a long Russian convoy now rolling toward the eastern city of Izyum with artillery, aviation and infantry support, as part of redeployment for what appears to be a looming Russian campaign in the east.
More artillery is being deployed near the city of Donetsk, while ground combat units that withdrew from around the Kyiv and Chernihiv areas appear destined for refitting and resupplying before they position in Donbas, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal U.S. military assessments.
With their offensive in many parts of the country thwarted, Russian forces have relied increasingly on bombarding cities — a strategy that has flattened many urban areas and killed thousands of people.
Ukrainian authorities accuse Russian forces of committing atrocities, including a massacre in the town of Bucha, outside Kyiv, airstrikes on hospitals and a missile attack that killed at least 57 people last week at a train station.
In Bucha on Monday, the work of exhuming bodies from a mass grave in a churchyard resumed.
Galyna Feoktistova waited for hours in the cold and rain in hopes of identifying her 50-year-old son, who was shot and killed more than a month ago, but eventually she went home for some warmth. “He’s still there,” her surviving son, Andriy, said.
In Mariupol, about 120,000 civilians are in dire need of food, water, warmth and communications, the mayor said.
Only those residents who have passed the Russian “filtration camps” are released from the city, Boychenko said.
Ukrainian officials say Russian troops are confiscating passports from Ukrainian citizens then moving them to “filtration camps” in Ukraine’s separatist-controlled east before sending them to distant, economically depressed areas in Russia.
Boychenko said Monday that improvised prisons were organized for those who did not pass the “filtering,” while at least 33,000 people were taken to Russia or to separatist territory in Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Ukrainians on Monday that Russia might use chemical weapons in Mariupol. “We take this as seriously as possible,” he said in his nightly address.
It was only the latest warning from Ukrainian and Western leaders that Russia could resort to chemical weapons in Ukraine. Zelenskyy’s comments follow an appeal in recent days from a Russia-allied separatist for Russia to unleash chemical agents against its Ukrainian opponents, and a claim Monday from a Ukrainian regiment, without evidence, that a drone had dropped a poisonous substance in Mariupol.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in a statement that the U.S. could not confirm the drone report out of Mariupol. But Kirby noted the administration’s persistent concerns “about Russia’s potential to use a variety of riot control agents, including tear gas mixed with chemical agents, in Ukraine.”
Meanwhile, the United Nations children’s agency said nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian children have fled their homes in the six weeks since Russia’s invasion began. The United Nations has verified that 142 children have been killed and 229 injured, though the actual numbers are likely much higher.
Elsewhere, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said he met Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for talks that were “very direct, open and tough.”
In a statement released by his office, Nehammer said his primary message to Putin was “that this war needs to end, because in war both sides can only lose.” Nehammer said he also raised the issue of war crimes committed by the Russian military and said those responsible “will be held to account.”
Austria is a member of the European Union and has backed the 27-nation bloc’s sanctions against Russia, though it so far has opposed cutting off deliveries of Russian gas. The country is militarily neutral and is not a member of NATO.
In other developments, the head of the separatist rebel government in Donetsk claimed Ukrainian forces have lost control of the port area of Mariupol.
“Regarding the port of Mariupol, it is now under our control,” Denis Pushilin, president of the Donetsk People’s Republic, told Russian state television, according to Russian news agencies. The claim could not immediately be confirmed.
But Mariupol’s mayor said fighting continues at the port. “It is difficult, but our heroic military holds on,” Boychenko said.
Both sides are digging in for what could be a devastating war of attrition.
Russian forces will likely try to encircle the Donbas region from the north and the south as well as the east, said retired British Gen. Richard Barrons, co-chair of the U.K.-based strategic consulting firm Universal Defence & Security Solutions.
The ground in that part of Ukraine is flatter, more open and less wooded — so the Ukrainian ambush tactics used around Kiev may be less successful, Barrons said.
“As to the outcome, it’s finely balanced right now,” Barrons said. If the Russians learned from their previous failures, concentrated more force, connected their air force to ground forces better and improved their logistics, “then they might start to overwhelm the Ukrainian positions eventually, although I still think it would be a battle of enormous attrition.”
In a video address to South Korean lawmakers Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy specifically requested equipment that can shoot down Russian missiles.
Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov claimed the military used cruise missiles to destroy four S-300 launchers near the central city of Dnipro on Sunday. He said the military also hit such systems in the Mykolaiv and Kharkiv regions.
The Pentagon said it had seen no evidence to support Russia’s claims. And Lubica Janikova, spokeswoman for Slovakia’s prime minister, denied Monday that the S-300 system it sent Ukraine had been destroyed.
Questions remain about the ability of depleted and demoralized Russian forces to conquer much ground after their advance on Kyiv was repelled by determined Ukrainian defenders.
Britain’s Defense Ministry said Monday that Ukraine has already beaten back several assaults by Russian forces in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions — which make up the Donbas — resulting in the destruction of Russian tanks, vehicles and artillery.
Western military analysts say Russia’s assault increasingly is focusing on an arc of territory stretching from Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, in the north, to Kherson in the south.
A residential area in Kharkiv was struck by incoming fire on Monday afternoon. Associated Press journalists saw firefighters putting out the fire and checking for victims following the attack, and saw that at least five people were killed, including a child.
Oleh Synyehubov, the regional governor of Kharkiv, said earlier Monday that Russian shelling had killed 11 people over the last 24 hours.
___
Karmanau reported from Lviv, Ukraine. Anna reported from Bucha, Ukraine. Associated Press Writer Robert Burns in Washington, and AP journalists around the world contributed to this report.
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Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/11/ukraine-digs-fight-russias-looming-eastern-offensive/ | 2022-04-14T00:59:42 | 0 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/11/ukraine-digs-fight-russias-looming-eastern-offensive/ |
10-year-old boy saves little cousin from dog attack
WALTON COUNTY, Fla. (WJHG/Gray News) – Family members are calling 10-year-old Miloe Burgess a hero after he protected his 3-year-old cousin, Rylee Foreman, during a dog attack.
Rylee, Miloe and their other cousins were playing outside at their grandparents’ house in Florida when a dog started attacking Rylee.
“I don’t know what happened, but I know she was screaming,” Miloe told WJHG.
“He laid on top of me,” Rylee said of her cousin.
Miloe called for help as he protected his cousin, and his grandma was able to get the kids inside and away from the dog.
Rylee needed 24 stitches in her arms, legs and feet, but family members said they believe things could have been much worse.
“I don’t know if she’d be here today,” Miloe’s mom Doria Andersen said.
Officials said they don’t see kids as young as Miloe doing things this brave very often: “Just to show that they were brave,” animal control officer Cary Miller said. “Being their age, as young as they were, to step up and take those steps.”
Miloe, who loves to fish, was honored Monday for his actions. A business in the area and the Walton County Sheriff’s Office gave the 10-year-old a new fishing pole, tackle box and lures.
Copyright 2022 WJHG via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/10-year-old-boy-saves-little-cousin-dog-attack/ | 2022-04-14T00:59:50 | 0 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/10-year-old-boy-saves-little-cousin-dog-attack/ |
4-year-old found dead in pond after wandering off from apartments, police say
Published: Apr. 12, 2022 at 10:02 AM CDT
STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. (WGCL/Gray News) - A frantic search for a 4-year-old Georgia boy ended early Tuesday morning after his body was recovered from a pond, police confirm.
The DeKalb County Police Department said Kyuss Williams wandered away from an apartment complex and was reported missing Monday evening. A search led investigators to discover the young boy’s body in a pond just behind the residence around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Police say they do not suspect foul play at this time and believe Kyuss may have drowned.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Copyright 2022 WGCL via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/4-year-old-found-dead-pond-after-wandering-off-apartments-police-say/ | 2022-04-14T00:59:57 | 0 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/4-year-old-found-dead-pond-after-wandering-off-apartments-police-say/ |
Boy bitten by shark in shallow water in Florida
Published: Apr. 12, 2022 at 4:30 AM CDT
(CNN) - A young boy was bitten by a shark in south Florida.
It happened in shallow water in Palm Beach County on Monday, officials said.
He said he saw the shark before it bit his foot and estimates it was about 4 feet long.
Paramedics bandaged the wound and took him to the hospital.
Sharks are not uncommon in shallow water, but unprovoked attacks are rare.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/boy-bitten-by-shark-shallow-water-florida/ | 2022-04-14T01:00:04 | 1 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/boy-bitten-by-shark-shallow-water-florida/ |
Bus driver charged in student’s death
WAYNE COUNTY, Mich. (WXYZ) - A Michigan bus driver is facing charges following the death of a 13-year-old boy last week.
Zyiar Harris was being dropped off on Wednesday when he was struck by an oncoming vehicle.
“It’s the bus driver’s fault,” his mother Cassandra Jones said.
Investigations revealed that the incident unfolded when 65-year-old bus driver Deborah White allegedly did not activate the bus’s stop sign and lights.
“My son was autistic,” Jones said. “When he got hit, she pulled off. She seen him get hit, and she pulled off.”
Zyiar later died in the hospital due to complications.
White, who worked for ABC Student Transportation, has been charged with second-degree child abuse and failure to stop at the scene, resulting in death.
White is being held on a $50,000 bond.
Copyright 2022 WXYZ via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/bus-driver-charged-students-death/ | 2022-04-14T01:00:10 | 0 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/bus-driver-charged-students-death/ |
Fargo Police, SWAT make arrest in high-risk warrant at trailer court
FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) - One man is under arrest following an hour-long SWAT standoff in south Fargo.
Police took 25-year-old Deionte Prescott of Fargo into custody for outstanding warrants of possession of drugs with intent to deliver in Cass County, theft of a car and drug possession in Clay County.
Fargo Police and the Red River Valley SWAT Team surrounded a trailer in S. Fargo for a high-risk search warrant just before 8:25 a.m. on Tuesday, April 12.
Police, the SWAT bearcat and ambulances were on scene at the Countryside Trailer Court by 23rd St. S. and 8th Ave. S. Police say Prescott was arrested at 844 Countryside Trailer Ct. S.
No injuries were reported in the incident and all roads are back open.
Copyright 2022 KVLY. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/fargo-police-swat-surround-house-high-risk-warrant/ | 2022-04-14T01:00:17 | 0 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/fargo-police-swat-surround-house-high-risk-warrant/ |
Fentanyl behind doubling of teen overdose deaths over past decade, study says
Published: Apr. 12, 2022 at 1:44 PM CDT
(CNN) – More and more teens are overdosing on fentanyl, according to new research.
Adolescent drug overdose deaths doubled from 2010 to 2021, according to a study published Tuesday in the Medical Journal JAMA.
The research says there were about 500 adolescent overdose deaths in 2010 and more than 1,100 in 2021.
Fentanyl was involved in more than 75% of deaths in 2021.
Researchers say the increase isn’t because more teens are using drugs. It’s because drug use is becoming more dangerous.
Annual drug overdose deaths for all ages have reached record highs in the U.S. recently.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/fentanyl-behind-doubling-teen-overdose-deaths-over-past-decade-study-says/ | 2022-04-14T01:00:23 | 1 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/fentanyl-behind-doubling-teen-overdose-deaths-over-past-decade-study-says/ |
Hungry javelina gets stuck in car, goes for ride in Arizona
CORNVILLE, Ariz. (AP) — A hungry javelina in Arizona ended up going for a drive when it became trapped inside an empty car and bumped it into neutral.
Deputies in Yavapai County responded to a call last week in Cornville, a community 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of Sedona, about a javelina stuck in a Subaru station wagon. Javelinas are pig-like animals that are native to desert environments.
After speaking with the car’s owner and other residents, they determined the car’s hatchback had been left open overnight.
The javelina jumped in to get to a bag of Cheetos. The hatch then closed, trapping the animal inside.
Authorities say the javelina ripped off a portion of the dashboard and the inside of a door in an attempt to escape.
The animal then managed to knock the car into neutral, causing it to roll down the driveway and across the street. The Subaru came to a rest, and the javelina was not injured.
A deputy opened the hatch, and the javelina was able to run back into the wilderness.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/hungry-javelina-gets-stuck-car-goes-ride-arizona/ | 2022-04-14T01:00:31 | 0 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/hungry-javelina-gets-stuck-car-goes-ride-arizona/ |
Judge: Lori Vallow, charged with killing her children, now fit for trial
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — An Idaho judge ruled Monday that a mother accused of conspiring to kill her children, her estranged husband and a lover’s wife is now mentally competent to stand trial on some of the charges in Idaho.
Daybell and her new husband, Chad Daybell, face numerous charges in the complicated case involving allegations of bizarre spiritual beliefs involving “zombies” and doomsday predictions.
Prosecutors have said that Lori and Chad Daybell espoused the religious beliefs in an effort to encourage or justify the murders.
The case against her had been hold for months after Judge Steven Boyce ordered her committed to a mental facility so she could undergo treatment in an effort to make her mentally fit enough to assist in her own defense.
Boyce’s new order said Lori Vallow Daybell “is restored to competency and is fit to proceed” in the Idaho murder case. He did not provide other details about her treatment or mental condition.
She is scheduled to be formally arraigned in court next week and both Lori and Chad Daybell are set to stand trial together early next year.
Tare charged withconspiracy to commit murder and first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Lori Daybell’s children 7-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, as well as Chad Daybell’s first wife, Tammy Daybell.
Lori Daybell is also charged in Arizona with conspiring to kill her former estranged husband, Charles Vallow, with the help of her now-deceased brother, Alex Cox.
Chad Daybell has pleaded not guilty to the charges and Lori Daybell has not yet had an opportunity to enter a plea. Chad Daybell’s attorney, John Prior, declined to comment on the case. Lori Daybell’s attorney, Jim Archibald, did not immediately respond to voice and email messages requesting comment.
An indictment said Chad and Lori Daybell in 2018 while still married to other people began espousing an apocalyptical system of religious belief.
Lori Daybell’s brother Alex Cox shot and killed her estranged husband, Charles Vallow, in suburban Phoenix, according to an indictment in Arizona.
Cox asserted the shooting was in self-defense, and he was never charged. At the time, Charles Vallow was seeking a divorce, saying his wife believed she had become a god-like figure responsible for ushering in the biblical end of times. Cox later died of an apparent blood clot in his lung.
Shortly after Charles Vallow’s death, Lori Daybell — who then had the last name Vallow — and her children moved to the rural eastern Idaho community of Rexburg, near where Chad Daybell lived. At the time, Chad Daybell was married to Tammy Daybell. She died in October of 2019, and her obituary said the death was from natural causes.
Authorities grew suspicious, however, when Chad and Lori Daybell got married just two weeks later, and investigators had Tammy Daybell’s body exhumed for an autopsy. Authorities have not released her cause of death.
Police began searching for Lori Daybell’s youngest two children in November after relatives raised concerns. The Daybells quickly left town, and were found months later in Hawaii without the children.
Investigators later found the bodies of JJ and Tylee buried in Chad Daybell’s yard back in Idaho. They have not disclosed causes of death but court documents said Tylee’s body was partially burned.
Friends of the Daybells told investigators that the couple believed people could become “zombies” if they were possessed by evil spirits, a state in which their soul was trapped in limbo, according to police reports. The couple reportedly believed that the only way to rid a person of a zombie was for their body to die, according to police reports.
A friend of the couple, Melanie Gibb, told investigators that Lori Daybell referred to her youngest children as “zombies,” and police in Arizona said the couple exchanged text messages saying that Tammy Daybell had been possessed by a dark spirit.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/judge-lori-vallow-charged-with-killing-her-children-now-fit-trial/ | 2022-04-14T01:00:38 | 1 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/judge-lori-vallow-charged-with-killing-her-children-now-fit-trial/ |
Krispy Kreme is matching its price of a dozen doughnuts to a gallon of gas
Published: Apr. 12, 2022 at 10:38 AM CDT
(CNN) - The price of gas may be hitting you hard, but Krispy Kreme wants to sweeten things a little.
For the next four weeks, the restaurant chain will sell a dozen of its glazed doughnuts for the same price as a gallon of gas.
The promotion will only be available on Wednesdays, and Krispy Kreme will use the national average gas price on the previous Monday to determine the price.
That means this Wednesday, a dozen glazed doughnuts should cost $4.11. That’s a pretty good deal, considering they usually set you back at least $10.
The promotion ends May 4.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/krispy-kreme-is-matching-its-price-dozen-doughnuts-gallon-gas/ | 2022-04-14T01:00:47 | 1 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/krispy-kreme-is-matching-its-price-dozen-doughnuts-gallon-gas/ |
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is heading to Moorhead
Published: Apr. 12, 2022 at 5:20 AM CDT
FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) - Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is heading to Moorhead on the morning of April 12th on his state-wide public safety tour.
He will be talking about what his $300,000,000 public safety proposal would mean for the Moorhead area.
Walz says Moorhead would receive nearly $764,000 a year for public safety, Dilworth would get $80,000, and Clay County would receive nearly $179,000 per year.
Copyright 2022 KVLY. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/minnesota-governor-tim-walz-is-heading-moorhead/ | 2022-04-14T01:00:54 | 1 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/minnesota-governor-tim-walz-is-heading-moorhead/ |
Moorhead School Board approves new boundaries
MOORHEAD, Minn. (Valley News Live) - The Moorhead School Board approved new attendance area boundaries within the district. The attendance areas are being adjusted to alleviate capacity issues that the district is experiencing at elementary schools on the south and east sides of the city.
“The district continues to experience steady growth. We are nearing or at capacity at Dorothy Dodds and S.G. Reinertsen Elementary schools. Our newly built career academy and operations center allowed us to shift some programming, freeing up space at the elementary level, but requiring some realignment to increase our elementary school capacity,” stated Superintendent Dr. Brandon Lunak.
A survey was conducted to gain input from district families and a task force made up of elementary parent representatives and school district administrators developed recommendations that were presented to the board in March. A second iteration requested by the board to balance student needs, numbers and sections was approved on April 11. The plan takes into consideration target class size and growth potential at each school, socio-economic factors across the elementary schools, transportation impacts, fiscal responsibility and geographic distance of neighborhoods to the elementary school.
Approximately 277 current students will be impacted by the change that will begin in the 2022-23 school year. Families are in the process of being notified by the district and an exception process has been established for families who would like their student(s) to stay at their current school.
“We are thankful for the task force’s diligent work to sift through many options keeping all students and families in mind and for administration’s flexibility to iterate further. As always, helping students to thrive is our mission and utilizing our facilities to the absolute best of our ability not only benefits students, it benefits taxpayers as well,” said board chairperson, Melissa Burgard.
Dr. Lunak added, “While we recognize that this may be challenging for impacted families, I want to emphasize that it is necessary to accommodate the growth happening in our community. Our desire is to re-balance the elementary schools to continue to provide each student with the positive physical, emotional and educational environment they deserve to further grow and thrive.”
Copyright 2022 KVLY. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/moorhead-school-board-approves-new-boundaries/ | 2022-04-14T01:01:01 | 0 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/moorhead-school-board-approves-new-boundaries/ |
Murder charge over self-induced abortion dismissed in Texas
DALLAS (AP) — A Texas judge formally dismissing a murder charge Monday against a 26-year-old woman over a self-induced abortion did not quiet outrage or questions surrounding the case, including why prosecutors ever brought it to a grand jury.
A woman who ends her own pregnancy cannot be charged with a crime under Texas law. Officials in rural Starr County, along the U.S.-Mexico border, have not released details about why they decided to pursue a case against Lizelle Herrera after being contacted by a hospital.
“There should have been no reason for a report to have been made. There should have been no reason for a criminal investigation to take place,” said Farah Diaz-Tello, senior counsel and legal director at If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice.
News of Herrera’s arrest on Thursday raised alarms for abortion rights advocates, and sparked people to gather in protest outside the jail where she was being held on $500,000 bond. Her March 30 indictment alleges she “intentionally and knowingly” caused the death of “an individual ... by a self-induced abortion” in early January.
Authorities have not described what exactly Herrera allegedly did, and it wasn’t clear if she was accused of giving herself an abortion or assisting in someone else’s self-induced abortion.
An attorney for Herrera, who was released from jail Saturday after posting bond, did not immediately return a call from The Associated Press.
Starr County District Attorney Gocha Allen Ramirez said in a Sunday statement that he would file the motion to dismiss the charge, saying, “it is clear that Ms. Herrera cannot and should not be prosecuted for the allegation against her.”
But he did not explain why the case was presented to a grand jury, nor did he reply Monday to an email from AP seeking additional information. A woman who answered the phone at his office said Sunday’s statement was “the only thing he’s going to say on the subject” and hung up before identifying herself.
“These were choices that did not have to be made because losing a pregnancy or ending a pregnancy or self-managing an abortion is not a crime in the state of Texas,” Diaz-Tello said.
Texas last year passed a law known as Senate Bill 8, or SB8, that bans abortions after roughly six weeks of pregnancy. The law leaves enforcement to private citizens who can sue doctors or anyone who helps a woman get an abortion.
Another new Texas law prohibits doctors and clinics from prescribing abortion-inducing medications after seven weeks and prohibits the delivery of the pills by mail.
Neither law authorizes any action against the woman who ends her pregnancy, Diaz-Tello said.
“The problem is, though, when you have this heightened situation of suspicion and fear and the chilling effect that this all creates, that is going to make it much more likely that health care providers are going to improperly err on the side of reporting — err on the side of violating their patient’s confidentiality and bringing in law enforcement,” Diaz-Tello said.
Diaz-Tello said actions taken by the hospital and law enforcement in this case could lead women to be fearful of seeking health care after an abortion.
Joanna Grossman, professor at Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law in Dallas, said SB8 could be “indirectly playing a lot of roles here.” For one, there has been an increase since SB8 in women going online to get abortion pills, she said.
Also, she said, the law sends a message “that there’s just a war on abortion.”
“It certainly changed access but it’s also I think just changed the whole context in which people evaluate abortion care,” Grossman said.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/murder-charge-over-self-induced-abortion-dismissed-texas/ | 2022-04-14T01:01:08 | 1 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/murder-charge-over-self-induced-abortion-dismissed-texas/ |
Newborn surrendered to hospital staff under ‘safe haven’ law
GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina/Gray News) – A newborn was handed over to officials in South Carolina under protection of the state’s Safe Haven for Abandoned Babies Act.
The Greenwood County Department of Social Services is caring for the baby, who was given to medical professionals at Self Regional Medical Center.
According to social services, the baby boy was born April 8 weighing 6 pounds and 3 ounces.
The child was turned over to hospital staff two days after he was born. Social services officials said the baby will be placed in a foster home.
South Carolina’s Safe Haven for Abandoned Babies Act, also known as Daniel’s Law, allows a mother to surrender her unharmed newborn baby at a designated location without punishment. Babies up to 60 days old can be surrendered under this law.
“Daniel’s Law is intended to save babies,” the website of the South Carolina Department of Social Services reads. “It is not intended to hurt or punish anyone. It provides a safe option for mother and baby.”
Copyright 2022 WHNS via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/newborn-surrendered-hospital-staff-under-safe-haven-law/ | 2022-04-14T01:01:16 | 1 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/newborn-surrendered-hospital-staff-under-safe-haven-law/ |
Oklahoma governor signs bill to make abortion illegal
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill into law on Tuesday that makes it a felony to perform an abortion, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, as part of an aggressive push in Republican-led states across the country to scale back abortion rights.
The bill, which takes effect 90 days after the Legislature adjourns next month, makes an exception only for an abortion performed to save the life of the mother. Abortion rights advocates say the bill signed by the GOP governor is certain to face a legal challenge.
Its passage comes as the conservative U.S. Supreme Court considers ratcheting back abortion rights that have been in place for nearly 50 years.
“We want to outlaw abortion in the state of Oklahoma,” Stitt said during a signing ceremony for the bill, flanked by anti-abortion lawmakers, clergy and students. “I promised Oklahomans that I would sign every pro-life bill that hits my desk, and that’s what we’re doing here today.”
Under the bill, anyone convicted of performing an abortion would face up to 10 years in prison and a $100,000 fine. It does not authorize criminal charges against a woman for receiving an abortion.
Sen. Nathan Dahm, a Broken Arrow Republican now running for Congress who wrote the bill, called it the “strongest pro-life legislation in the country right now, which effectively eliminates abortion in Oklahoma.”
Dahm said the bill would apply to any physicians in Oklahoma who dispense abortion medication to women, which accounted for about 64% of all abortions performed in Oklahoma in 2020, the most recent year for which statistics were available. There is no enforcement mechanism in the bill for women who order abortion medication online from out-of-state suppliers. Oklahoma lawmakers passed a bill last year to prevent women from ordering abortion medication online, but that measure was blocked by the Oklahoma Supreme Court.
Abortion rights advocates say the bill is clearly unconstitutional, and similar laws approved recently in Arkansas and Alabama have been blocked by federal courts.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki released a statement Tuesday describing the bill as an “unconstitutional attack on women’s rights.”
“Protecting the right recognized in Roe v. Wade continues to be a priority for the Biden-Harris Administration, and we call on Congress to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would shut down these attacks and codify this long-recognized, constitutional right,” Psaki said.
Although similar anti-abortion bills approved by the Oklahoma Legislature in recent years have been stopped as unconstitutional, anti-abortion lawmakers have been buoyed by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to allow new Texas abortion restrictions to remain in place.
The new Texas law, the most restrictive anti-abortion law to take effect in the U.S. in decades, leaves enforcement up to private citizens, who are entitled to collect what critics call a “bounty” of $10,000 if they bring a successful lawsuit against a provider or anyone who helps a patient obtain an abortion.
“The U.S. Supreme Court’s failure to stop Texas from nullifying the constitutional right to abortion has emboldened other states to do the same,” Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the New York-based Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a statement. “We’ve sued the state of Oklahoma ten times in the last decade to protect abortion access and we will challenge this law as well to stop this travesty from ever taking effect.”
Several states, including Oklahoma, are pursuing legislation similar to the Texas law this year.
The Texas law bans abortion after roughly six weeks of pregnancy and makes no exceptions in cases of rape or incest. Abortions in Texas have plummeted by about 50% since the law took effect, while the number of Texans going to clinics out of state and requesting abortion pills online has gone up. If the Oklahoma bill were allowed to take effect, women from Texas seeking abortions would be forced to travel further distances to Democratic-led states like Colorado and New Mexico, which have recently passed laws to protect abortion access.
One of the Texas-style Oklahoma bills that is one vote away from the governor’s desk would ban abortions from the moment of conception and would take effect immediately upon the governor’s signature.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority also has indicated they would uphold a Mississippi law that bans abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy and allow states to ban abortion much earlier. The court may even overturn the nationwide right to abortion that has existed for nearly 50 years.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/oklahoma-governor-signs-bill-make-abortion-illegal/ | 2022-04-14T01:01:23 | 1 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/oklahoma-governor-signs-bill-make-abortion-illegal/ |
Paradiso Mexican Restaurant shows appreciation for Fargo firefighters
FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) -The Paradiso Mexican Restaurant in Fargo is now back open after a fire tore through it last month causing roughly $150,000 in damage.
Now the restaurant is showing gratitude for the first responders that helped save it.
“It felt like my home was on fire. I was there 41 years,” said Becky Cote, the manager and long-time employee of Paradiso.
Cote says it was difficult watching the business go up in flames.
“It was pretty surreal, is the word,” she said.
As the fire was happening, a list of concerns began circulating through her mind.
“I thought what if the restaurant was severely damaged. What if it burns down? Are we going to rebuild? What is everybody going to do about jobs,” she questioned.
These are no longer worries thanks to Fargo firefighters.
To show their appreciation, Cote and the Paradiso Restaurant family treated about 30 of these first responders to a special meal.
“It’s a great surprise. We don’t expect anything when we go to these runs. It’s a nice surprise to have somebody bring in something for us,” said Captain Matt Brand of the Fargo Fire Department.
Brand was one of the many firefighters that responded to the call.
He says although they were just doing their job, there is a sense of pride knowing another business was saved.
“Anytime we can make a difference, that’s our job,” he said. “Our job is to make a difference in the community. Any time we can save businesses or homes, it goes a long way.”
Cote says everyone at Paradiso will be forever grateful.
She hopes their effort to give back inspires others to show their appreciation for first responders.
“I don’t know if people realize, they saved our restaurant basically,” she said. ”I think we should thank our police and firefighters every day.”
Copyright 2022 KVLY. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/paradiso-mexican-restaurant-shows-appreciation-fargo-firefighters/ | 2022-04-14T01:01:33 | 1 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/paradiso-mexican-restaurant-shows-appreciation-fargo-firefighters/ |
Russia’s war worsens fertilizer crunch, risking food supplies
KIAMBU COUNTY, Kenya (AP) — Monica Kariuki is about ready to give up on farming. What is driving her off her 10 acres of land outside Nairobi isn’t bad weather, pests or blight — the traditional agricultural curses — but fertilizer: It costs too much.
Despite thousands of miles separating her from the battlefields of Ukraine, Kariuki and her cabbage, corn and spinach farm are indirect victims of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion. The war has pushed up the price of natural gas, a key ingredient in fertilizer, and has led to severe sanctions against Russia, a major exporter of fertilizer.
Kariuki used to spend 20,000 Kenyan shillings, or about $175, to fertilize her entire farm. Now, she would need to spend five times as much. Continuing to work the land, she said, would yield nothing but losses.
“I cannot continue with the farming business. I am quitting farming to try something else,’’ she said.
Higher fertilizer prices are making the world’s food supply more expensive and less abundant, as farmers skimp on nutrients for their crops and get lower yields. While the ripples will be felt by grocery shoppers in wealthy countries, the squeeze on food supplies will land hardest on families in poorer countries. It could hardly come at a worse time: The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said last week that its world food-price index in March reached the highest level since it started in 1990.
The fertilizer crunch threatens to further limit worldwide food supplies, already constrained by the disruption of crucial grain shipments from Ukraine and Russia. The loss of those affordable supplies of wheat, barley and other grains raises the prospect of food shortages and political instability in Middle Eastern, African and some Asian countries where millions rely on subsidized bread and cheap noodles.
“Food prices will skyrocket because farmers will have to make profit, so what happens to consumers?’’ said Uche Anyanwu, an agricultural expert at the University of Nigeria.
The aid group Action Aid warns that families in the Horn of Africa are already being driven “to the brink of survival.’’
The U.N. says Russia is the world’s No. 1 exporter of nitrogen fertilizer and No. 2 in phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. Its ally Belarus, also contending with Western sanctions, is another major fertilizer producer.
Many developing countries — including Mongolia, Honduras, Cameroon, Ghana, Senegal, Mexico and Guatemala — rely on Russia for at least a fifth of their imports.
The conflict also has driven up the already-exorbitant price of natural gas, used to make nitrogen fertilizer. The result: European energy prices so high that some fertilizer companies “have closed their businesses and stopped operating their plants,’’ said David Laborde, a researcher at the International Food Policy Research Institute.
For corn and cabbage farmer Jackson Koeth, 55, of Eldoret in western Kenya, the conflict in Ukraine was distant and puzzling until he had to decide whether to go ahead with the planting season. Fertilizer prices had doubled from last year.
Koeth said he decided to keep planting but only on half the acreage of years past. Yet he doubts he can make a profit with fertilizer so costly.
Greek farmer Dimitris Filis, who grows olives, oranges and lemons, said “you have to search to find’' ammonia nitrate and that the cost of fertilizing a 10-hectare (25-acre) olive grove has doubled to 560 euros ($310). While selling his wares at an Athens farm market, he said most farmers plan to skip fertilizing their olive and orange groves this year.
“Many people will not use fertilizers at all, and this as a result, lowers the quality of the production and the production itself, and slowly, slowly at one point, they won’t be able to farm their land because there will be no income,’’ Filis said.
In China, the price of potash — potassium-rich salt used as fertilizer — is up 86% from a year earlier. Nitrogen fertilizer prices have climbed 39% and phosphorus fertilizer is up 10%.
In the eastern Chinese city of Tai’an, the manager of a 35-family cooperative that raises wheat and corn said fertilizer prices have jumped 40% since the start of the year.
“We can hardly make any money,” said the manager, who would give only his surname, Zhao.
Terry Farms, which grows produce on 2,100 acres largely in Ventura, California, has seen prices of some fertilizer formulations double; others are up 20%. Shifting fertilizers is risky, vice president William Terry said, because cheaper versions might not give “the crop what it needs as a food source.’’
As the growing season approaches in Maine, potato farmers are grappling with a 70% to 100% increase in fertilizer prices from last year, depending on the blend.
“I think it’s going to be a pretty expensive crop, no matter what you’re putting in the ground, from fertilizer to fuel, labor, electrical and everything else,” said Donald Flannery, executive director of the Maine Potato Board.
In Prudentopolis, a town in Brazil’s Parana state, farmer Edimilson Rickli showed off a warehouse that would normally be packed with fertilizer bags but has only enough to last a few more weeks. He’s worried that, with the war in Ukraine showing no sign of letting up, he’ll have to go without fertilizer when he plants wheat, barley and oats next month.
“The question is: Where Brazil is going to buy more fertilizer from?” he said. “We have to find other markets.’’
Other countries are hoping to help fill the gaps. Nigeria, for example, opened Africa’s largest fertilizer factory last month, and the $2.5 billion plant has already shipped fertilizer to the United States, Brazil, India and Mexico.
India, meanwhile, is seeking more fertilizer imports from Israel, Oman, Canada and Saudi Arabia to make up for lost shipments from Russia and Belarus.
“If the supply shortage gets worse, we will produce less,” said Kishor Rungta of the nonprofit Fertiliser Association of India. “That’s why we need to look for options to get more fertilizers in the country.”
Agricultural firms are providing support for farmers, especially in Africa where poverty often limits access to vital farm inputs. In Kenya, Apollo Agriculture is helping farmers get fertilizer and access to finance.
“Some farmers are skipping the planting season and others are going into some other ventures such as buying goats to cope,” said Benjamin Njenga, co-founder of the firm. “So these support services go a long way for them.”
Governments are helping, too. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced last month that it was issuing $250 million in grants to support U.S. fertilizer production. The Swiss government has released part of its nitrogen fertilizer reserves.
Still, there’s no easy answer to the double whammy of higher fertilizer prices and limited supplies. The next 12 to 18 months, food researcher LaBorde said, “will be difficult.’’
The market already was “super, super tight” before the war, said Kathy Mathers of the Fertilizer Institute trade group.
“Unfortunately, in many cases, growers are just happy to get fertilizer at all,’’ she said.
___
Asadu reported from Lagos, Nigeria, and Wiseman from Washington. Contributing to this story were: Tatiana Pollastri in Sao Paulo, Brazil; Debora Alvares in Brasilia, Brazil; Sheikh Saaliq in New Delhi; Lefteris Pitarakis in Athens; Jamey Keaten in Geneva; Joe McDonald and Yu Bing in Beijing; Lisa Rathke in Marshfield, Vermont; Dave Kolpack in Fargo, North Dakota; Kathia Martínez in Panama City; Christoph Noelting in Frankfurt; Fabiola Sánchez in Mexico City; Veselin Toshkov in Sofia, Bulgaria; Tarik El-Barakah in Rabat, Morocco; Tassanee Vejpongsa and Elaine Kurtenbach in Bangkok; Ilan Ben Zion in Jerusalem; Edie Lederer at the United Nations; and Aya Batrawy in Dubai.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/russias-war-worsens-fertilizer-crunch-risking-food-supplies/ | 2022-04-14T01:01:40 | 1 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/russias-war-worsens-fertilizer-crunch-risking-food-supplies/ |
School resource officer saves choking student
IREDELL COUNTY, N.C. (WBTV/Gray News) - A school resource officer jumped into action last week when a student began choking on a piece of candy, WBTV reports.
A video obtained by the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office shows Deputy Alan Josey attending to a student at North Iredell Middle School after she showed signs of respiratory distress.
“Deputy Josey acted quickly, determined the student was choking, and performed the lifesaving Heimlich maneuver, thus dislodging a piece of candy,” the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post.
Another student also attempted to help the girl before Josey arrived on the scene.
Before becoming a police officer, Josey spent eight years in the U.S. Army Reserve as a combat medic.
“Deputy Josey’s quick actions certainly abated a tragedy and allowed a young girl the opportunity to return home to her family,” the sheriff’s office said.
Copyright 2022 WBTV via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/school-resource-officer-saves-choking-student/ | 2022-04-14T01:01:47 | 1 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/school-resource-officer-saves-choking-student/ |
Shooting challenges downtown Sacramento’s rebuilding efforts
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The mass shooting that police say was a gun battle between rival gangs that left six dead and 12 wounded earlier this month shook the downtown core of California’s capital — and created another challenge for a city trying to redefine itself as a destination for more than just government workers.
In recent years, downtown Sacramento has benefited from billions of dollars of development but has been rattled by rising crime, protests resulting in property damage and an economic drubbing caused by the pandemic. Now, the city is reeling from the aftermath of the April 3 shooting, when at least five gunmen fired 100 shots as people left bars and nightclubs.
The violence just blocks from the Capitol highlights the successes and challenges many U.S. urban centers are facing as struggles with crime and homelessness persist despite revitalization efforts.
Though Sacramento is home to more than 500,000 people, it’s considered sleepy by California standards. The derisive nickname “Cowtown” grew out of its agricultural roots.
Today, downtown is at the center of the city’s efforts to become an entertainment and food destination. Local officials have worked to rebrand the city as “America’s Farm to Fork Capital,” a nod to a large number of well-regarded restaurants that get ingredients from the region’s many farms.
A major part of the revitalization is a six-block strip of K Street anchored by a renovated convention center and the Golden 1 Center, home to the NBA’s Sacramento Kings and a regular stop for major concert tours. The shooting happened on a block that’s home to high-end nightclubs but also dotted by vacant buildings that once housed coffee shops and restaurants.
Police have made two arrests connected to the shootings, but no one has been charged with homicide. The violence “came at a really pivotal moment for downtown,” said Sacramento City Councilwoman Katie Valenzuela, who represents the area.
“It’s causing me to sort of reflect on where we go from here — and as a city, not just as downtown,” she said.
A century ago, K Street was a bustling, diverse center of activity. But the strip struggled as people moved into the suburbs — giving way to decades of failed revival efforts, including the construction of a mall in the late 1960s and the launch of a light rail commuter line in the 1980s.
A fresh wave of investment came to the area about a decade ago, with new businesses opening on K Street as part of an effort to revive downtown after the financial crisis. The Golden 1 Center’s 2016 opening sought to build on that, helping generate $6.7 billion in nearby investment and spurring the opening of 150 new businesses, according to the Downtown Sacramento Partnership business group.
Then the pandemic hit, sending many of downtown’s 100,000 workers home and forcing some businesses closed. Now about 45,000 people work downtown daily, according to the partnership.
As employment fell, crime rose. Aggravated assaults, burglaries and vandalism were up in 2020 and 2021 compared to the five previous years for a roughly 100-square block area that includes the Capitol and the arena, according to Sacramento police crime data.
The city’s central hub has also served as the epicenter for protests focusing on racial justice and police misconduct. Protesters in 2018 shut down a downtown freeway entrance and blocked fans from entering the arena after Sacramento police shot and killed a young Black man. Then demonstrations in 2020 over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis swept the city. Many downtown properties were vandalized and some were ransacked.
“We’ve had a lot of different realities kind of hit downtown in different waves,” said Dion Dwyer, director of public space services for business partnership.
Now Sacramento is among the ranks of cities recovering from recent mass shootings. Since 2017, there have been 133 mass shootings in the U.S., according to a database compiled by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University.
Dayton, Ohio, in 2019 was shaken when a gunman killed nine people and wounded 17 just after midnight at a bar in the main entertainment district for the city of 140,000. Sandy Gudorf, president of the Downtown Dayton Partnership, said officials mounted an “intentional strategy to reclaim the district” after the shooting.
Within three weeks of the violence, there was a free performance by Dave Chappelle, who lives outside the city. The community rallied to support local businesses, but it took time for people to feel comfortable returning to nightlife. The pandemic hit just as that activity was rebounding, Gudorf said.
“In people’s minds and hearts they knew that this did not define who we are. It was an incident, it was a tragic incident where we lost lives and people were inured,” she said. “I think it just took time to process all of that.”
Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg repeatedly said people should continue to feel comfortable going downtown.
“It’s not one or the other” when it comes to enjoying the city’s entertainment offerings and feeling safe,” he said last week.
Rachel Muro, a manager at the locally owned Capital Books several storefronts away from the shooting, said downtown has problems like any city but that people should not avoid it. The bookstore’s owners recently opened a board game cafe just around the corner.
“We believe in this part of town enough to continue to help make it thrive,” Muro said.
Elsewhere on the block, the area’s troubles are obvious, with many office and restaurant spaces vacant. Homelessness downtown and elsewhere in Sacramento has been a vexing problem.
Last week the City Council voted to place a measure on the November ballot requiring the city build to more shelter beds and ban encampments on public land. Valenzuela, the councilwoman, opposed the plan and said it was inappropriate to debate that proposal so soon after the tragedy.
Crystal Sanchez, president of the Sacramento Homeless Union, said homeless people live downtown because the area has street lighting and lots of activity and plenty of alcoves near businesses where they can shelter.
“People are here because there are coves for protection,” Sanchez said.
At a brewery a few blocks from the shooting site, co-workers enjoying a drink reflected on whether the shooting changed their view of the city.
Braden Kolb, who was at a downtown bar for a friend’s 30th birthday the night before the shooting, said he patronizes downtown about once a month and that the shooting “is not going to change my behavior.”
But his friend Jason Slieter said the incident made him wonder if Sacramento is the right place to raise his family, saying he felt a sense of heaviness downtown when coming to work after the six people were killed.
“It definitely felt like something had changed,” he said.
__
Associated Press journalists Adam Beam in Sacramento and Camille Fassett in Oakland contributed.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/shooting-challenges-downtown-sacramentos-rebuilding-efforts/ | 2022-04-14T01:01:55 | 1 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/shooting-challenges-downtown-sacramentos-rebuilding-efforts/ |
Sneezing more? It could be snow mold
MOORHEAD, MINN. (Valley News Live) - If you find yourself sneezing more this spring, you might blame the gray patches in your yard. As the snow melts and the ground thaws, those gray spider-web-looking patches have started popping up across lawns in the Red River Valley.
In the winter, when grass stays covered by snow for months at a time, the snowpack becomes a breeding ground for gray snow mold. Unfortunately, once a yard is infected with the fungal disease there is no cure.
According to NDSU Extension Horticulturist Esther E. McGinnis, the best way to help a snow mold infected lawn is by lightly raking the matted-up turfgrass. In an online article, McGinnis said raking allows more air circulation. If your yard is muddy McGinnis suggests holding off on raking until the ground is drier.
She goes on to say the best time to prevent snow mold is in autumn before the first snowfall. McGinnis said when mowing a lawn for the last cut of the season, make sure the grass is no taller than 2 inches. Taller grass is more likely to be matted down and infected by the fungus.
If snow mold becomes an annual problem, McGinnis said to make sure you aren’t fertilizing too late in the year. She suggests aiming for early September.
Copyright 2022 KVLY. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/sneezing-more-it-could-be-snow-mold/ | 2022-04-14T01:02:02 | 0 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/sneezing-more-it-could-be-snow-mold/ |
Target announces dates for its car seat trade-in recycling program
(Gray News) - Target has announced when people can trade in their old, expired or damaged car seats for a discount on new items.
The retailer announced its next car seat trade-in promotion will take place from April 18-30.
People can bring the car seats to a Target location, and in return, they can claim a 20% discount online or on the Target app toward a car seat, stroller or other baby items.
The coupon is valid through May 14.
The materials from the car seats traded in are recycled, and Target has received 1.7 million of them since 2016.
Target works with Waste Management to recycle the items. The retail giant said it has recycled 25.4 million pounds of car seat materials since the promotion began.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/target-announces-dates-its-car-seat-trade-in-recycling-program/ | 2022-04-14T01:02:09 | 1 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/target-announces-dates-its-car-seat-trade-in-recycling-program/ |
Umpire recovering after being punched in the face at kids’ softball game
LAUREL, Miss. (WLBT/Gray News) – An umpire in Mississippi is recovering after being punched in the face following a softball game for 12-year-old children.
According to WLBT, Kristie Moore was filling in for an umpire who got sick. She has been calling games for 10 years.
During the game, the coach asked one of the athlete’s mothers to leave the game for excessive cursing. Instead of going home, the woman is accused of waiting to confront Moore after the game, punching her and then running away.
The mother, Kiara Thomas, was arrested and charged with simple assault.
Moore said some parents are out of control and make it harder and harder for umpires to do their jobs.
“It’s ridiculous,” she said. “The verbal abuse. And even now, the physical abuse now, at this point, and enough is enough.”
Moore, who finds umpires for tournaments in Mississippi, said it is difficult to find people willing to officiate the games.
“No one wants to listen to the verbal abuse and run the risk of what happened to me happening to them,” Moore explained.
Moore said most umpires do the job because they love the game and the kids, not for the money as they get paid $40 a game at most.
A bill was introduced in the legislature earlier this year that would make assaulting a referee or umpire a felony as aggravated assault. That bill, however, died on the calendar.
Moore said she hopes that, after this, lawmakers will take a second look.
Copyright 2022 WLBT via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/umpire-recovering-after-being-punched-face-kids-softball-game/ | 2022-04-14T01:02:17 | 1 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/umpire-recovering-after-being-punched-face-kids-softball-game/ |
VIDEO: Officer injured after metal luggage rack goes through patrol car’s windshield
MESA, Ariz. (KNXV) - A detective in Arizona is recovering after a scary incident over the weekend while he was behind the wheel.
Part of a metal luggage rack went through Mesa Police Department Det. Nick Cureton’s patrol car’s windshield as he was driving on the highway.
“I saw the item coming through the windshield and didn’t really have a lot of time to react,” Cureton said.
The officer said he didn’t know what item initially came through his windshield, but the piece of metal sent glass flying into his eyes.
“It hit me in the ribs as it ended up wedging itself between my left arm and my ribs,” Cureton said.
The luggage rack ended up bruising Cureton, who said he had to bring his car to a stop during the incident immediately.
“I tried to slow my car down as best as I could. After a while came to a complete stop, I threw my lights on, put my car in park, took a couple of deep breaths and then just tried to figure out if that item had actually gone into me or was just resting alongside me,” Cureton said.
Officials with Arizona’s Department of Transportation report debris on the roads is a problem and something the team continues to combat.
“It is so important for safety’s sake to ensure that any large items you’re hauling somewhere are safely secured and strapped to your vehicle,” said Ryan Harding, with ADOT.
Representatives with Arizona’s Department of Public Safety said driving with an unsecured load is illegal, and drivers can face citations and hefty fines.
According to the department, more than 300 drivers have been cited each year for failing to secure their load over the last three years, but nearly 150 yearly collisions have still occurred.
“It comes to those questions: ‘Would I feel safe driving behind my vehicle as it is, or would I be nervous?’” Harding said.
Cureton said he was taken to the hospital after last week’s incident, but he is recovering and hopes his story can help prevent future issues.
“I think it’s definitely a responsibility of all the drivers that are going to be out there to make sure that they secure whatever is in their vehicles to try and stop this from happening,” Cureton said.
Copyright 2022 KNXV via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/video-officer-injured-after-metal-luggage-rack-goes-through-patrol-cars-windshield/ | 2022-04-14T01:02:24 | 0 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/video-officer-injured-after-metal-luggage-rack-goes-through-patrol-cars-windshield/ |
Which industries get the most (and least) time off?
(Timetastic/Stacker) - Most private industry workers in the United States receive paid time off, but it is not required under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Timetastic used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, last updated in September 2021, to illustrate which industries offer the best access to paid vacation time. We’ve ranked industries according to the percentage of workers who have access to paid vacations, with ties broken by the number of days off a person receives after working in the industry for a year.
Data is available for workers who have consolidated leave plans (CLP), which are blanket time-off policies that do not distinguish between vacation, illness, or personal business days, and those who do not.
Nationwide, about three-quarters of all private industry workers receive paid time off, or PTO. Two weeks is the average offering for companies with CLP. More full-time workers get paid-time-off than part-time workers: 46% and 35%, respectively.
Larger companies tend to be more generous. At companies with 500 workers or more, 92% of workers have access to paid vacations. That compares to 71% at smaller companies of up to 49 employees.
Union members were also found to get 26.6% more vacation time than nonunion workers as more PTO is typically negotiated when settling union contracts.
Companies such as Netflix have even turned to an entirely different model: unlimited PTO. This gives employees the opportunity to take time off at will within reason.
But with U.S. workers already leaving 4.6 vacation days unused in 2021 on average, unlimited PTO may result in employees taking even less time off than average.
#10. Leisure and hospitality
- Workers with access to PTO: 43%
- Average PTO after 1 year: 9 days (CLP) 6 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 5 years: 13 days (CLP), 9 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 10 years: 15 days (CLP), 12 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 20 years: 16 days (CLP), 12 days (no consolidated leave)
The leisure and hospitality industry—made up of hotel clerks, restaurant cooks, casino workers, and a host of other positions—was hit exceptionally hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The American Hotel and Lodging Association found it lost as many jobs as government, health services, construction, retail, manufacturing, and education combined.
While workers in this industry tend to accrue more PTO after being with a company for more than a year, the turnover rate works against employees here: BLS data shows turnover in the hospitality industry hovers as high as 80% annually. versus 10%-15% across all industries.
The unemployment rate for this industry in February 2022 was 6.6%, compared to the national jobless rate of 3.8%.
#9. Trade, transportation, and utilities
- Workers with access to PTO: 81%
- Average PTO after 1 year: 11 days (CLP), 7 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 5 years: 16 days (CLP), 12 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 10 years: 19 days (CLP), 15 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 20 years: 23 days (CLP), 18 days (no consolidated leave)
The trade, transportation, and utilities industry is large and varied, from jobs in lumber yards to hauling cargo. Paid leave—which includes vacation time, holidays, sick leave, and personal leave—can cost employers up to 8.5% of a workers’ total compensation.
In Texas, these jobs contributed nearly 20% of the state’s GDP in 2016, at $317.3 billion; making trade, transportation, and utilities among the highest-grossing in the state.
#8. Professional and business services
- Workers with access to PTO: 81%
- Average PTO after 1 year: 14 days (CLP), 10 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 5 years: 18 days (CLP), 13 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 10 years: 20 days (CLP), 16 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 20 years: 22 days (CLP), 18 days (no consolidated leave)
Paid vacations are available to the vast number of employees in this field, which include advertising, law, accounting firms, architecture companies, management consulting companies, and others.
Americans often don’t always take the time they are entitled to. Some 70% of owners of small businesses, in particular, do not view holidays as a time to take away from work. According to the U.S. Travel Association, U.S. workers left 4.6 days unused in 2021, and 5.6 days unused in 2020, which contributed largely to burnout.
A 2016 Harvard Business Review article cited a study finding that for the first time more than half of Americans did not take all of their vacations. The article also noted workers who used more than 10 of their days off had a 65.4% chance of getting a raise or a bonus.
#7. Construction
- Workers with access to PTO: 82%
- Average PTO after 1 year: 8 days (CLP), 7 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 5 years: 11 days (CLP), 10 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 10 years: 13 days (CLP), 12 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 20 years: 14 days (CLP), 13 days (no consolidated leave)
Some construction companies have over the last decade moved away from the traditional way they allot time off, with separate categories for paid vacation, personal days and sick leave. They have instead adopted what is known as a PTO benefit. Vacation time, personal days, and sick leave are rolled into one plan for a consolidated-leave plan model.
Construction officials have largely been against other changes in paid leave. When former President Barack Obama signed an executive order in 2015 requiring federal contractors and subcontractors to provide up to seven days for sickness or other uses, the Associated General Contractors of America objected, citing long periods of layoffs because of weather and other variables in the industry.
#6. Education and health services
- Workers with access to PTO: 82%
- Average PTO after 1 year: 16 days (CLP), 10 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 5 years: 20 days (CLP), 14 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 10 years: 23 days (CLP), 16 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 20 years: 25 days (CLP), 17 days (no consolidated leave)
On average, teachers have about 12 days for sick time or personal leave during the school year. Amid COVID-19, however, teachers across the country are running out of sick days and a federal requirement that schools offer paid time off for COVID-19 illness or exposure has expired.
Similarly, many nurses, doctors, and other health professionals across the country have been under enormous stress during the pandemic. Adding to the pressure for some, they have recently been told to take sick leave or personal days if they test positive for COVID-19.
#5. Real estate and rental and leasing
- Workers with access to PTO: 86%
- Average PTO after 1 year: 12 days (CLP), 10 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 5 years: 15 days (CLP), 14 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 10 years: 17 days (CLP), 16 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 20 years: 18 days (CLP), 17 days (no consolidated leave)
With about 106,500 real estate brokerage firms in the country, a competitive benefits package with paid time off can help companies recruit and retain employees.
Brokers can classify their real estate salespeople as either employees or independent contractors, and those independent contractors have far more flexibility to take time away from the office. Independent contractors, not bound to rules and regulations of the company or companies they’re signed onto, are able to more freely create their own hours and schedules. Other companies in this category are primarily in the business of renting or leasing properties or goods or in related services.
#4. Information
- Workers with access to PTO: 90%
- Average PTO after 1 year: 17 days (CLP), 11 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 5 years: 22 days (CLP), 15 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 10 years: 25 days (CLP), 17 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 20 years: 27 days (CLP), 20 days (no consolidated leave)
Netflix, Oracle, LinkedIn, and Twitter are all companies in the information business sector—and all offer unlimited vacation days. The open vacation policy was originated by Netflix, whose CEO Reed Hastings says he takes at least six weeks each year. He attributes employee loyalty at the company in large part to Netflix’s generous vacation and parental leave policies.
Workplace management software company Kronos (now merged with Ultimate Software to become UKG) began an unlimited or open vacation policy in 2016. In a Harvard Business Review article, its CEO Aron Ain said changes in technology led professionals at every level to work after business hours. He added that vacation policies clearly delineating between time off and vacation seemed antiquated.
#3. Manufacturing
- Workers with access to PTO: 95%
- Average PTO after 1 year: 11 days (CLP), 8 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 5 years: 15 days (CLP), 12 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 10 years: 18 days (CLP), 15 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 20 years: 21 days (CLP), 18 days (no consolidated leave)
Among all non-agricultural workers, manufacturing’s share of U.S. employment peaked during World War II to 38% but cratered from 32% in 1955 to 8% in 2019 just prior to the advent of COVID-19. The sheer number of manufacturing employees hit an all-time high in the 1970s with around 20 million workers. Many of these jobs have since become automated or been shipped overseas.
The Congressional Research Service in 2017 warned the industry’s wages and benefits were under pressure from cost-cutting, plant closures, and the loss of jobs to other countries. The manufacturing industry was not spared from the Great Resignation, leading employers to rethink hiring incentives in a post-COVID-19 employment landscape.
#2. Financial activities
- Workers with access to PTO: 95%
- Average PTO after 1 year: 17 days (CLP), 12 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 5 years: 21 days (CLP), 15 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 10 years: 24 days (CLP), 17 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 20 years: 26 days (CLP), 19 days (no consolidated leave)
The financial services sector is key to the country’s security, but it faces a number of risks, including cyberattacks, says the federal Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency.
Professional services network Deloitte predicted a pivotal opportunity for financial services in 2022, pointing to banking, capital markets, financial services firms, and others to lead the industry’s future. Deloitte urged the industry to invest in talent while rethinking the workplace, and paid time off plans may be a place to begin.
#1. Insurance carriers
- Workers with access to PTO: 97%
- Average PTO after 1 year: 17 days (CLP), 11 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 5 years: 22 days (CLP), 15 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 10 years: 24 days (CLP), 17 days (no consolidated leave)
- Average PTO after 20 years: 27 days (CLP), 19 days (no consolidated leave)
Some 2.9 million people worked in the U.S. insurance industry in 2020, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The largest number of those, 1.7 million, worked for insurance companies.
Research from Deloitte found that despite concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic, the industry expects rapid growth in 2022 as the demand for insurance increases. With 97% of these workers having access to PTO, competitive benefits packages will need to be more comprehensive than in other industries.
This story originally appeared on Timetastic and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
Copyright 2022 Stacker via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/which-industries-get-most-least-time-off/ | 2022-04-14T01:02:31 | 0 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/which-industries-get-most-least-time-off/ |
Yelp to cover travel expenses for workers seeking abortions
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Yelp will cover the travel expenses of employees who must travel out of state for abortions, joining the ranks of major employers trying to help workers affected by new restrictions in Texas and other states.
The benefit announced Tuesday covers all 4,000 employees at the online review service, but seems most likely to have its biggest immediate impact on its 200 workers in Texas, which has passed a law banning abortions within the state after six weeks of pregnancy.
“We’ve long been a strong advocate for equality in the workplace, and believe that gender equality cannot be achieved if women’s healthcare rights are restricted,” said Miriam Warren, Yelp’s chief diversity officer.
Other states, including Oklahoma, are also are clamping down on abortions, prompting Yelp, based in San Francisco, and several other companies to draw up policies aimed at helping their workers get reproductive health care in other states.
Last month Citigroup, based in New York, disclosed plans to cover the travel expenses of any of its more than 220,000 employees, thousands of whom work in Texas, who travel to another state for an abortion.
The two largest U.S. ride-hailing services, Uber and Lyft, last year announced they will pay the legal fees for drivers who could get sued under the new Texas law for transporting a passenger to an appointment for an abortion.
The policies expose companies to potential backlash from those who support abortion restrictions, but they could be an advantage for employers with a footprint in states like Texas in an increasingly competitive job market.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/yelp-cover-travel-expenses-workers-seeking-abortions/ | 2022-04-14T01:02:37 | 0 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/04/12/yelp-cover-travel-expenses-workers-seeking-abortions/ |
VIDEO: 68-year-old woman rescued after her car plunges off cliff
Published: Apr. 13, 2022 at 6:47 PM CDT|Updated: 1 hour ago
LOS ANGELES (KABC) - A woman in Southern California was rescued Wednesday morning after her car went over the side of a cliff in Griffith Park.
According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, rescuers were called to assist a 68-year-old woman whose car went off the side of the road at about 7:20 a.m.
The extent of her injuries was not immediately known but she was airlifted from the scene in a helicopter for medical attention, according to emergency crews.
Police did not immediately release the details on how the woman’s car ended up at the bottom of the hill.
Copyright 2022 KABC via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.1011now.com/2022/04/13/video-68-year-old-woman-rescued-after-her-car-plunges-off-cliff/ | 2022-04-14T01:07:58 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/2022/04/13/video-68-year-old-woman-rescued-after-her-car-plunges-off-cliff/ |
Frank returns to pitching rotation for BYU series
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - Senior right-hander Koty Frank is scheduled to return to Nebraska’s pitching rotation for the Huskers’ upcoming series against BYU. Frank has a 2-0 record with a 4.02 ERA and 33 strikeouts. He was unavailable last weekend and did not play.
Nebraska welcomes BYU to Lincoln for a four-game series on Thursday-Saturday, April 14-16 at Hawks Field. First pitch between the Huskers and Cougars is set for 6:35 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams will play a doubleheader on Friday with a seven-inning game at 2:05 p.m., followed by a nine-inning game. First pitch in Saturday’s series finale is scheduled for 11:05 a.m. This weekend’s series can be seen on B1G+. Fans can also listen to Greg Sharpe and Ben McLaughlin call all the action on the Huskers Radio Network. All four games will be carried on KLIN (1400 AM) in Lincoln and KXSP (590 AM) in Omaha. Every game this season can be heard for free on Huskers.com and the Official Nebraska Huskers App for both iOS and Android devices.
Copyright 2022 KOLN. All rights reserved. | https://www.1011now.com/2022/04/14/frank-returns-pitching-rotation-byu-series/ | 2022-04-14T01:08:07 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/2022/04/14/frank-returns-pitching-rotation-byu-series/ |
Huskers add All-American Crockett
Nebraska Head Coach Brett Balak announced the signing of 2021 PING NJCAA All-America men’s golfer Harry Crockett on Wednesday, April 13, as the newest addition to an impressive Husker recruiting class. The sixth signee for the 2022-23 season, Crockett was the 2021 NJCAA Division I runner-up as a freshman at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College. Not only did the current sophomore help the Blue Dragons to their first-ever NJCAA men’s golf championship, he was also a member of the 24-player All-Nicklaus Team recognizing the top players across all divisions of men’s college golf in 2020-21. He was also a finalist for the Mickelson Most Outstanding Freshman of the Year award.
”We are thrilled that Harry is going to be a Husker,” Balak said. “He is one of the best junior college golfers in the country. He has a great feel for the game and he is extremely consistent in both his preparation and performance. He has accomplished a lot of great things in his two seasons at junior college, but we are confident that his best golf is still in front of him. We can’t wait to get him to Nebraska.”
Originally from Oxted, England, Crockett was the NJCAA District III/Region VI champion, while claiming first-team All-Region VI and first-team All-Jayhawk Conference honors in 2020-21. He produced a 71.6 stroke average as a freshman, including 17 rounds under par.He has continued to play outstanding golf at Hutchinson CC this season.
Crockett is coming off an individual tournament title at the Jayhawk Conference No. 2 on Tuesday, finishing with a three-round total of 198 (-15) that included a second-round 62 (-9) in on Monday. His five-stroke victory on the 6,671-yard layout at the Crestview Country Club in Wichita helped Hutchinson to the team title.Crockett added a 10th-place individual finish at the NJCAA National Preview in Odessa, Texas, in November.
Crockett will be joined by fellow Husker signees Nicholas Canales (Texas), Quinn Yost (New Mexico), Davis Johnson (Minnesota), Evan McDermott (Michigan) and Grant Jabenis (Nebraska) on the 2022-23 Big Red roster.
Copyright 2022 KOLN. All rights reserved. | https://www.1011now.com/2022/04/14/huskers-add-all-american-crockett/ | 2022-04-14T01:08:13 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/2022/04/14/huskers-add-all-american-crockett/ |
Kentucky lawmakers override governor’s veto of abortion ban
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — New abortion restrictions passed by Republican lawmakers over the Democratic governor’s veto will force the only two abortion clinics in Kentucky to stop providing the procedures for women, at least temporarily, while the new law is challenged in court, abortion-rights activists said Wednesday.
The law will draw immediate federal lawsuits, and attorneys for the clinics will seek a ruling to block the measure to allow the clinics to resume abortions while the case is litigated, the activists said. The two abortion clinics in Kentucky are in Louisville, the state’s largest city.
Immediately after the GOP-led legislature finished overriding Gov. Andy Beshear’s vetoes, the activists said the clinics will be unable to comply with the new restrictions because the state hasn’t set up a now-mandated regulatory process. The measure takes effect immediately.
“Because the law is impossible to comply with, it amounts to a de facto abortion ban, thus violating patients’ federal right to abortion under Roe v. Wade,” abortion-rights groups said in a news release.
Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union will file suit challenging the measure, the release said.
The chants of abortion-rights supporters echoed through Kentucky’s Capitol as the legislature swept aside the governor’s veto. The bill calls for regulating the dispensing of abortion pills, but the state hasn’t yet set up the registration process, the groups said. It would require women to be examined in person by a doctor before receiving the medication.
That section of the bill is part of a nationwide push by anti-abortion groups to limit the ability of physicians to prescribe abortion pills by telemedicine, and comes in response to the increased use of pills rather than surgery to terminate early pregnancies.
About half of all abortions performed in Kentucky are the result of medication procedures.
The measure also requires new reporting requirements that violate patient privacy, the abortion-rights groups said.
Another key part of the bill bans abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Kentucky law currently bans abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
The proposed 15-week ban is modeled after a Mississippi law the Supreme Court is considering in a case that could dramatically limit abortion rights. By taking the preemptive action, the bill’s supporters say Kentucky’s stricter ban would be in place if the Mississippi law is upheld.
About two dozen abortion-rights supporters chanted “bans off our bodies” at the bottom of the stairs leading to the Kentucky House chamber earlier Wednesday as the lawmakers debated the abortion measure. Lawmakers on both sides of the debate mentioned the demonstrators, whose voices could be heard in the chamber as the emotional debate continued.
“It absolutely makes me sick to have to listen to what’s going on out there,” Republican Rep. Norma Kirk-McCormick said.
The House overrode Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto on a 76-21 vote. That sent the measure to the Senate for the final vote. Republicans have supermajorities in both chambers. The demonstrators moved to the other side of the Capitol Wednesday evening and chanted as the Senate debated the measure. The Senate overrode the veto on a 31-6 vote.
Opponents also condemned the bill for failing to exclude pregnancies caused by rape or incest.
“Those are violent crimes,” Democratic Rep. Rachel Roberts said. “This bill forces those women to be violated again.”
In pushing for the override, Kirk-McCormick said: “The abortion of a baby is plain wrong. And I pray that God would have mercy on anyone that would take the life of a child. There’s no mercy for that baby in abortion.”
The strict limits on abortion weren’t the only social issues legislation taken up by Republican lawmakers during the frenzied veto session. They also used their lopsided majorities to finish overriding a Beshear veto of their effort to ban transgender athletes from participating in sports. The override votes won by wide margins in both chambers over the objections of opponents.
“This bill is discrimination in search of children,” Democratic Rep. Josie Raymond said.
The measure would bar transgender girls and women from playing on sports teams matching their gender identity from sixth grade through college. Supporters say it would ensure girls and women compete against other “biological females.”
“The athlete wants a fair playing field,” Republican Sen. Donald Douglas said. “They don’t care about all this other social stuff.”
Republican-led states increasingly have adopted such prohibitions on transgender girls or women, though the culture war-related bans have been challenged in several states as violations of federal law. Opponents of the Kentucky measure predicted the measure also will end up in court.
“The fight won’t stop here,” said Chris Hartman, executive director of the Fairness Campaign.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.1011now.com/2022/04/14/kentucky-lawmakers-override-governors-veto-abortion-ban/ | 2022-04-14T01:08:19 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/2022/04/14/kentucky-lawmakers-override-governors-veto-abortion-ban/ |
'Anger inside of him': Peoria judge sentences man to 50 years in prison for fatal stabbing
PEORIA — A Peoria judge wondered if the man seated before him Wednesday awaiting sentencing for murder was a modern incarnation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
On the one hand, Peoria County Circuit Judge John Vespa said that if Micha Gordon was on trial for being a bad person, he'd acquit, based upon testimony and letters from family and friends.
But then the judge noted the stabbing of Rolando Westbrook, who was found dead Aug. 24, 2021, in the 700 block of Northeast Jefferson Street.
That, the judge said, showed the other side of Gordon. The judged also mentioned a savage beating at Taft Homes where Gordon "stomped" on a person's head and the time he got violent with a clerk at a gas station.
For Westbrook's death, Gordon was sentenced to 50 years in prison. He will have to serve 100% of that sentence. His attorney, Kevin Lowe, indicated an appeal was in the works.
"It's clear that he's got anger inside of him and if it hasn't gotten out by now, then I don't know if it will," Vespa said, noting he had little hope for Gordon's rehabilitation and feared for the safety of Peoria if he was back on the street.
Previously:Confusion on a jury form briefly leads to switched verdict in murder trial
Gordon, for his part, maintained he acted in self-defense, that he was fearful of Westbrook. He repeatedly turned to Westbrook's family and said he was sorry, that he hated to see another person die.
"Two families have been affected and two people have been affected," he said. "I hate this, but I have a right to defend myself. I have a right to go where I want to go in the United States and not be attacked from behind."
Prosecutors Donna Cruz and Deb Shelby argued the opposite, that it was Gordon who was the aggressor. Vespa agreed. The judge replayed several videos that he said showed Gordon chasing after Westbrook.
"Anyone who looks at those videos and thinks that he was being followed needs to have their heads examined," the judge said.
More:Murder or self-defense? Peoria jury must decide who to believe once men weren't on camera
The two men had been partying separately but near each other in Taft Homes that night. Gordon and Westbrook got into an argument.
Shelby said at trial and during the sentencing that Westbrook tried to defuse the situation by leaving and walked out of the complex and toward Jefferson Street.
At some point on Jefferson and out of the range of surveillance cameras, the two men fought. In January, a jury found Gordon, 56, guilty of murder. | https://www.pjstar.com/story/news/crime/2022/04/13/peoria-man-sentenced-to-50-years-in-deadly-stabbing/7305720001/ | 2022-04-14T01:11:14 | 1 | https://www.pjstar.com/story/news/crime/2022/04/13/peoria-man-sentenced-to-50-years-in-deadly-stabbing/7305720001/ |
BLOOMINGTON — A man was flown to a hospital after he was shot late Tuesday by a person he told police he got into a verbal exchange with while driving.
Officers found the 39-year-old wounded in his lower leg while responding about 7:54 p.m. to the 1400 block of North Woodburn Avenue, said Bloomington police Capt. Ryan Pedigo.
The man told police he had been driving a Ford F-150 south on Woodburn Avenue when the suspected shooter drove up behind him quickly in a dark car. The man said he then stopped his truck in the roadway and exited, and the other driver stopped in front of him.
The man told police he spoke with the male driver, who was still seated in the car, until that person drew a handgun and fired once, shooting him in his leg. he said the man then fled westbound onto 17th Street.
The man was transported to IU Health Bloomington Hospital and later airlifted to an Indianapolis hospital for treatment of his injury.
Police asked anyone who may know more to contact Detective Jeff Rodgers at 812-349-3318. | https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/crime/man-shot-flown-to-hospital-after-verbal-exchange-with-driver-bloomington-police | 2022-04-14T01:14:19 | 1 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/crime/man-shot-flown-to-hospital-after-verbal-exchange-with-driver-bloomington-police |
INDIANAPOLIS — It is a vision some six years in the making for a community leader on the far east side. The Ross Center will open this weekend just off the corner of East 42nd Street and Post Road.
“So many different things is going to be coming out of this little seed is gonna blossom,” Ross Foundation founder and CEO, Dee Ross said.
Hope is at the foundation of the center on the Northeast side.
“If you don’t have hope, you don’t have anything,” Whit’ney McTush said. McTush is a member of The Ross Center’s steering committee.
In the days ahead of Saturday’s grand opening, Ross, his team and volunteers were readying the space. The building used to be a daycare.
“I want people to say 'how can I play a role in being a part of this',” Ross said.
The community center is meant for the entire neighborhood — kids, adults and seniors — with a holistic approach focus on mental health, tackling violence and building a sense of community.
Dee said The Ross Center will offer:
- Mental Health and Trauma Counseling
- Vegan Pop-up Restaurant
- Public Library
- Creative Art Room
- Music Studio
- Computers, Copier and Printer
- Community Room for neighborhood meetings
- Home Literacy Courses
- Entrepreneurship Classes
- Zumba and Yoga Classes
- Small Event Space Rental
- After-school lunch program
- Community Garden
- Cooking/ Farming Classes
- Public WiFi
- Touch Screen Resource Map
Shelley Covington recently started teaching health and wellness classes at the center.
“To have something like this be birth in the area that seems to be destined for doom and destruction is a very good positive not only for the area but for the people in the area and the city as a whole,” Covington said.
McTush has known Ross for years. The project for her is personal as well. She was raised on the east side and recently moved back with her kids.
“At this point we kind of have nothing," McTush said. "Everything is being taken away from us, so it means a new start for the community."
The past year for Ross has been one of triumph. He went through the loss of his brother. He also survived a house fire that took his dog and everything he owned. This all the while working with the community to build The Ross Center.
“Even when I’m going through life, I don’t want it to impact my community," Ross said. "I didn’t get in it to satisfy me. I got in it to take care of my community."
The Ross Center will officially open at noon on Saturday. Following the grand opening, the Ross Foundation will host its annual Easter Egg Drop. That is at 1 p.m. behind the center.
“Ultimately, it’s about restoring hope to a hopeless community — restoring mindsets and identity," Ross said. "Letting them know that they matter, they’re seen and we’re going to make sure that we’re going to come out surviving and put in the position to thrive." | https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/northeast-side-community-center-opens-this-week | 2022-04-14T01:14:25 | 1 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/northeast-side-community-center-opens-this-week |
The home improvement brand Lowe's has announced an initiative to train and retain employees and provide "debt-free education" to more than 300,000 employees the company said in a statement on Wednesday.
The program has Lowe's partnering up with Guild, an education platform that "upskills" workers to "unlock opportunity for America's workforce through education." The Denver-based company manages education assistance benefits for those looking to work in a trade role.
Lowe's is offering 50 academic programs at 23 universities and other learning providers in its initiative including historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs), Lowe's said in a statement.
Janice Dupré, Lowe's executive vice president of human resources said, "We actively listen to our associates to identify how we can help them in the many facets of their lives. This debt-free education offering is one of the many ways we're working to help our associates reach their career potential while knocking down traditional barriers that often make it difficult for them to obtain a degree."
The program benefits are available to eligible part-time and full-time employees.
Lowe's has also introduced what the company is calling a digital-first initiative called Generation T which the company describes as a "movement aimed at rebuilding the skilled trades by changing people’s perception. Using unique digital storytelling, compelling social media and an innovative online jobs platform to help connect prospects and businesses."
In a video on the project landing page for its website a presenter offers up a spoken-word piece with some powerful lines about contributing to a plethora of jobs in the U.S., not just some of the most prominently promoted career areas heard about most often. In the video he says, "Craftsmanship is a calling, What if the 'they-sayers' were so worried about making it in society, they forgot to value the hands that make the society?...there's work to be done, are you ready?" | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/lowes-announces-debt-free-education-initiative-promotes-trade-school-with-modern-perspective | 2022-04-14T01:14:31 | 1 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/lowes-announces-debt-free-education-initiative-promotes-trade-school-with-modern-perspective |
As a new season of major league baseball gets underway, new technology is reshaping the traditional way that pitches are delivered to home plate.
"It's only been working for a week and we've seen 22 teams use it so far. So, out of 30, it's been great," John Hankins said.
Craig Filicetti and John Hankins are the creators of the PitchCom Communication System, which is an electronic device that allows catchers to communicate to pitchers without having to use traditional hand signals. Signals, that teams have historically tried to steal from one another in order to warn their batters what pitch was coming, such as the Houston Astros did during the 2017 World Series.
"After the sign stealing scandal broke in November 2019, I wanted to do something that would eliminate sign stealing, improve the pace of play, but yet, be acceptable to the players and also the fans," Hankins said.
So how does this work? The system includes a wristband device worn by the catcher with a handful of buttons, including nine pitch options. Think "slider high outside" or "knuckleball low middle."
Instead of hand signaling the pitcher what to throw, the catcher pushes one of the buttons. A verbal message is transmitted to the pitcher wearing a lightweight receiver in his hat. The catcher and up to three other players can also be wearing receivers and hear the message described by some as a whisper.
"With this, you can select the pitch, you can select the location, and you can also do the running game if you want to," Filicetti said. "So there's a lot of flexibility there."
And each receiver can be set to a different language.
"It can do any language you want," Filicetti continued. "You can have it in Japanese, you can have Korean. And then any number of players on the field could have this on and whatever the pitch is, they will all hear simultaneously in their own language."
After testing in lower leagues last season, major league baseball gave teams the green light to use the device for this season.
"Each team currently has 10 receivers and three transmitters and a charging box, which is actually a very special charging box we provided," Hankins said.
While the device is not mandatory, many players and coaches have taken to it quickly.
"It's pretty surreal when I turn the TV on and I see the piece that was probably built, it was definitely built in my shop, you know? And I see it there on the field and they're using it and then, hear them talking about it afterward. It's a very good feeling," Filicetti said.
And it's not just pro teams that are taking interest in the device.
"We know that there's a lot of other baseball organizations that are having trouble with sign stealing," Hankins said. "Colleges, high schools, travel ball. Believe it or not, we've got been contacted by teams even 10 and under! We are currently exploring designing a low-cost alternative for them."
So, as your favorite teams step up to bat this season, glance down at the catcher's wrist for a look at this device in action.
Newsy is the nation’s only free 24/7 national news network. You can find Newsy using your TV’s digital antenna or stream for free. See all the ways you can watch Newsy here. | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/mlb-to-allow-technology-to-combat-sign-stealing-during-regular-season | 2022-04-14T01:14:37 | 1 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/mlb-to-allow-technology-to-combat-sign-stealing-during-regular-season |
INDIANAPOLIS — Less than 2,000 feet from I-465, an Indianapolis woman is enjoying her little patch of nature.
Cindy Kelly says she has seen animals ranging from squirrels to coyotes behind her Nora home. She has put up a Ring camera in the backyard to capture some of these going-ons.
“We both have Ring cameras, so we both share our ring doorbell stuff and whatever animals you see or whatever you come across,” said Alex Moss, Kelly’s niece.
Near the end of March, a leash of foxes took up residence in the back of Kelly’s yard. At first, Kelly wasn’t quite sure what to think about the foxes.
The foxes dug up underneath her shed and the kits teethed on a board, leaving a chunk missing. Still, Kelly and Moss enjoyed watching the little family.
“We’ve tracked other animals, but not this closely like we haven’t set up a trail camera like this before,” said Moss.
Kelly was left with some questions, however. So she took to Reddit to figure out if there was any harm of letting the family live in her backyard. We reached out to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to answer some of her questions.
Geriann Albers is a furbearer biologist for the DNR. She tracks 12 species in Indiana, including foxes. She says red foxes, like the ones in Kelly’s backyard, are actually quite common in urban areas.
“There’s a lot of food in urban areas for something like a red fox because they primarily eat things like mice and squirrels and rabbits,” said Albers. “They also eat things like fruits and nuts, so all of those things are things we have in abundance in urban areas, so they do quite well.”
Albers says the home range for red foxes cover usually one to two square miles in urban areas. While raising their kits, they will find a den in their home range to keep them safe.
In most cases, Albers says people shouldn’t experience any issues with a fox living in their area. Still, there are a few common-sense steps people can take to make sure their risk of a negative encounter is as low as possible.
“That’s a few things like making sure you’re not leaving food out unintentionally for foxes,” said Albers. “Don’t leave pet food out all night, so the foxes might be lured into your yard. Pick up any fruit from fruit trees. Make sure your garbage cans are lidded because they will raid garbage cans now and then.”
Albers also said people might want to check on their pets if they know a fox is in their area. While they tend to avoid areas where pets are outside regularly, there is always a risk of an encounter between animals.”
“Mother foxes will protect their young and may perceive cats and dogs as a threat even if they don’t intend to be, or even perceive some cats as food,” said Albers. “So keeping pets a safe distance away and giving them their space is a good practice.”
People should avoid putting out food or toys for the foxes, as that could lead to problems down the road, like foxes associating food and toys with people. Moss says they don’t plan on getting closer to the foxes than necessary.
“We don’t get close to him ’cause we don’t want to hurt them or scare them away,” said Moss. “They like this area, so that’s good and we’d love to see them stay.”
Albers says red foxes don’t tend to stay in one place for long. Albers says red foxes switch dens a couple of times during the rearing season, so they usually only spend anywhere from six to eight weeks at any one den before moving on.
Still, if someone wants to get rid of a fox that set up a den in their yard, Albers says there is some things they can try. This includes playing a radio station at night by the den to scare them off.
Once they are gone, Albers recommends blocking off the hole they were using and removing any food sources from the yard.
Moss says they don’t have any plans, for now, to scare off the foxes, but might put some protection up after they leave to protect Kelly’s shed. She says they have enjoyed watching this little piece of nature.
“It just kind of brings our attention to see like how much wildlife is around us,” said Moss.
If anyone wants to learn more about red foxes, they can do so on the Indiana DNR website. | https://fox59.com/news/indianapolis-woman-captures-fox-family-on-backyard-camera/ | 2022-04-14T01:14:43 | 0 | https://fox59.com/news/indianapolis-woman-captures-fox-family-on-backyard-camera/ |
In anticipation of a new Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine, President Joe Biden on Wednesday approved an $800 million package of military assistance, including additional helicopters and the first provision of American artillery.
Ukraine will also receive armored personnel carriers, armored Humvees, naval drone vessels used in coastal defense, and gear and equipment used to protect soldiers in chemical, biological, nuclear and radiological attacks.
"This new package of assistance will contain many of the highly effective weapons systems we have already provided and new capabilities tailored to the wider assault we expect Russia to launch in eastern Ukraine," President Biden said in a statement.
"The steady supply of weapons the United States and its allies and partners have provided to Ukraine has been critical in sustaining its fight against the Russian invasion," President Biden added. "It has helped ensure that (Russia President Vladimir) Putin failed in his initial war aims to conquer and control Ukraine. We cannot rest now."
President Biden announced the aid after a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It is the latest in a series of U.S. security assistance packages valued at a combined $2.6 billion that has been committed to Ukraine since Russia invaded on Feb. 24. The weaponry and support material have played an important role in Ukraine's successful defense thus far.
President Biden is under pressure from members of both parties in Congress to expand and accelerate U.S. aid. Robert Gates, a former CIA director and defense secretary, said Wednesday he believes the administration needs to push hard for weapon donations by NATO members in Eastern Europe, whose arsenals include Soviet-era tanks and other weaponry and equipment that could help Ukraine immediately.
"The United States ought to be acting, how do we mobilize the equipment and how do we get it into Ukraine and into the hands of the Ukrainians," Gates said in an online forum sponsored by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
"It's critically important and critically urgent, and we ought to be sort of ransacking the arsenals of those states, and I think they would be cooperative, particularly" if they are given assurances that the Pentagon will provide American replacements for the donated weapons.
The Pentagon said the $800 million packages announced by President Biden include weapons and equipment that will require some training for a Ukrainian military not fully accustomed to American military technology. U.S. and allied forces had been present inside Ukraine to provide training for eight years before pulling out in advance of Russia's latest invasion.
The new arms package includes 18 of the U.S. Army's 155mm howitzers and 40,000 artillery rounds, two air surveillance radars, 300 Switchblade "kamikaze" armed drones, and 500 Javelin missiles designed to knock out tanks and other armor. Also included are 10 counter-artillery radars used to track incoming artillery and other projectiles to determine their point of origin for counter-attacks.
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said delivery of the material will be expedited, but he offered no specific timetable.
"This list came directly out of multiple conversations with Ukrainians in the last few days as we began to see the Russians now start to reprioritize the Donbas fight," he said, referring to Russia's shift from a failed offensive in Ukraine's north aimed at Kyiv, the capital, to a force buildup in the country's eastern Donbas region, where Russian-backed separatists have been fighting since 2014.
Ukrainian military personnel will need training on the radars as well as the howitzers and the Switchblade drones, Kirby said. He said the training may be done by U.S. soldiers in Europe and the arrangements are being worked out.
"These are not highly complex systems," Kirby said, and so extensive training will not likely be required.
Among the other items in the package are 11 Soviet-era Mi-17 helicopters that the United States had planned to provide to Afghanistan before President Biden last year decided to fully withdraw from the country. They are transport helicopters that also can function in an attack role. The Pentagon previously had sent five Mi-17s to Ukraine, Kirby said.
Newsy is the nation’s only free 24/7 national news network. You can find Newsy using your TV’s digital antenna or stream for free. See all the ways you can watch Newsy here. | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/president-biden-approves-800m-in-artillery-and-helicopters-for-ukraine | 2022-04-14T01:14:43 | 1 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/president-biden-approves-800m-in-artillery-and-helicopters-for-ukraine |
What if you could do your part to end the war in Ukraine — one phone call at a time?
It helps if, like Paulius Senūta, you speak Russian.
“I wanted to know about how much you know about what’s happening in Ukraine," Senūta said.
He and a group of friends in Lithuania created the “Call Russia” project last month to chip away at Kremlin propaganda.
“In a country like Russia where everything is banned, paradoxically, you get phone numbers of people online so we can download them and we can call them," Senūta said.
After downloading 40 million Russian numbers, he and his friends coded this new website.
A yellow button on the home page generates a random phone number of a Russian citizen.
Using the platform, Russian-speaking volunteers worldwide have already made over 125,000 calls.
NEWSY'S BEN SCHAMISSO: How can I counter Russian propaganda on my own? How do you recommend people go about those calls?
PAULIUS SENŪTA: What you should do is to try to tell people about the humanitarian catastrophe that's happening in Ukraine — people dying, children dying, cities just been demolished. They are human beings. They have human sympathies.
Evidence of atrocities committed by Russian troops in Ukraine is shocking the world. But at home, most Russians know little about it.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has criminalized any dissent or independent reporting about the war. It’s a crime to call the war a war. The Kremlin and state media call it a “special military operation.”
A Russian TV host said it's called this, "...when the main objective is peace. We don’t attack residential buildings; we don’t bomb peaceful civilians. We are forcing peace in Ukraine.”
Researchers estimate that two-thirds of Russians approve of Putin’s actions in Ukraine.
But Senūta says if they knew the full story, they would be less supportive.
“When Germans lost the war and the German population discovered what Nazis were doing, they were appalled," Senūta said. "They couldn't believe it, right? Because again, they didn't know. The narrative was twisted and so forth. Exactly same thing here.”
You never know what you get when you call a random number, but according to Senūta, 25% of all volunteer calls have been quality conversations. However, one Russian woman recently told him she was Putin’s daughter.
“And she's like, ‘Daddy, there's this crazy Lithuanian calling, come here,'" Senūta said. "And I'm like, ‘Madam, why are you doing this? You know, I just want to talk with you about what is happening in Ukraine.' But she doesn't care about it, like ‘Daddy, daddy, daddy, come see the Lithuanian!’ So yes, that was a really freaky call.”
Freaky calls aside, Senūta says he and other volunteers are learning invaluable lessons about how to change brainwashed minds.
“We can't go the way like you've been wrong all your life, and I think we need to feed truth in packages," Senūta said. "You set up a mechanism that starts working by itself, where over a period of time, people will change their minds."
That’s what keeps Senūta going — the belief that even though it’s a long shot, changing enough Russians’ minds about the war could help stop it.
Newsy is the nation’s only free 24/7 national news network. You can find Newsy using your TV’s digital antenna or stream for free. See all the ways you can watch Newsy here. | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/project-is-countering-kremlin-propaganda-one-phone-call-at-a-time | 2022-04-14T01:14:49 | 0 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/project-is-countering-kremlin-propaganda-one-phone-call-at-a-time |
Humans see medical advancements each day, but in Tampa, Florida, cutting-edge technology is meeting with veterinary medicine to help save a vulnerable species.
Perched in her home at ZooTampa, you can hardly tell anything was wrong with Crescent, a 25-year-old Great Indian Hornbill.
But on her casque, the top portion of her beak and the helmet-like structure on top of her head is a sign of the efforts of a cross-section of engineers, medical experts, and veterinarians using 3D-printing technology.
"It is not something in veterinary medicine we frequently get to do," said Dr. Kendra Baker, an associate veterinarian at ZooTampa. "The amount of people that we spoke to that we talked to helped us to make this plan the most successful that it could be for Crescent is just fabulous."
Baker said a lesion on Crescent's casque was confirmed as squamous cell carcinoma, which is a common skin cancer form in humans but often fatal in hornbills. The cancer could have grown, eaten into her beak and not allowed her to eat, Baker said.
"After learning about a bird in Singapore that had had a similar lesion and they corrected it by removing it and then replacing the beak with a prosthetic we decided that would probably have the best outcome for her," said Baker.
So the team turned to medical experts at the University of South Florida Health and Tampa General Hospital. The scientists, who are experts in radiology and 3D clinical applications, work with human patients by day on things like patient education, pre-operative planning and creating custom devices and treatments. But in their volunteer time, they've been known to help out a few animals.
"Oh my goodness we have worked with I know more than 50 different species already from sea turtles to wallabies to baby sloths to manatees," said Summer Decker, Ph.D., the director of 3D clinical applications for USF Health and Tampa General Hospital in the Department of Radiology.
But the hornbill is a first.
Decker said they've only heard of a 3D prosthetic being created for a hornbill "one other time in the whole world."
The teams first got a scan of Crescent and her head.
"The cancer aspect is there," said Jonathan Ford, Ph.D., the technical director of the division of 3D clinical applications in the department of radiology at USF Health and Tampa General Hospital, pointing to a red highlighted area on the scan.
They were able to model the anatomy and cancer, then plan and print a surgical cutting guide to help remove the tumor as well as the prosthetic to fit over the part of the casque to be removed.
"For the bird we had to take into account where on the anatomy it was going to be," said Ford. "Because on the back of the head it isn't going to be impacted and used in feedings so we didn't have to worry about bite forces. So we were allowed to use a material that was able to be approved and not be rejected by the bird's tissue and be lasting long life. Also, it had to be able to survive being out in the elements."
The teams collaborated with Formlabs, which donated a new material in development called BioMed White Resin.
"This was a biocompatible photo-reactive resin. So it actually forms as a liquid form and a UV laser shoots underneath and makes that geometry solid," said Ford.
In a statement to Newsy, Formlabs' director of medical market development Gaurav Manchanda said, "Formlabs' 3D printers and BioMed materials are used to deliver precision healthcare, and clinical literature has shown improved outcomes when patient-specific prosthetics, medical devices, and surgical guides have been used with human patients. We're thrilled that our technology was also able to bring these same benefits to Crescent, who also uncovered a unique, unexpected benefit that warmed the hearts of everyone involved."
Decker explained the initiative called 'One World,' which is about working with vets on human medical technology. "I feel like we contributed a little to that being able to take this technology which is the cutting edge of human medicine and apply that to vet medicine it really puts that in their hands and they can do things they haven't been able to do before," Decker said.
The prognosis for Crescent is good. She even turned the prosthetic piece yellow, as she does for the rest of her beak.
"So, effectively, that shows us she's preening appropriately, she's showing natural behaviors which is great, her vocalizations are normal, she's holding her head normally, so everything turned out fantastic and we're very excited about it," said Baker.
The effort to help Crescent is also part of a conservation effort. She's considered middle age for her species and the International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the birds as 'vulnerable' with a decreasing population, with threats like hunting and deforestation.
"We don't have very many females of breeding age in zoological institutions to help with repopulation efforts so the fact that we have one now that has those extra 25 years left in her life is fantastic for the species as well," said Baker.
Crescent is described as a favorite of people at the zoo.
"She has a presence about her she's very majestic and when people see [her] here because of her presence it inspires conservation," said Baker.
"When things are really tense and the world is kind of crazy, to hear all these people putting stuff aside to work together it just kind of restores your hope in humanity.
Also seeing that bird fly in its enclosure and watching her be okay just makes me really happy," said Decker.
Newsy is the nation’s only free 24/7 national news network. You can find Newsy using your TV’s digital antenna or stream for free. See all the ways you can watch Newsy here. | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/scientists-create-prosthetic-for-vulnerable-bird-with-3d-printers | 2022-04-14T01:14:56 | 0 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/scientists-create-prosthetic-for-vulnerable-bird-with-3d-printers |
Two tornados, severe thunderstorms leave path of damage across Northwest Louisiana
A line of tornado-producing thunderstorms left a path of destruction across Northwest Louisiana Tuesday night.
The National Weather Service has confirmed two tornados in the area. An EF1 touched down in Benton, producing wind speeds up to 110 miles per hour. An EF0 was confirmed to have touched down in the area of Youree Drive in Shreveport near the LSUS campus.
Riddle, his wife Ginny and their three children — 17, 8 and 4 — were home at the time.
"We got the alert on the phones that the tornado was coming," he explained. "It got really loud, and the house started shaking."
Riddle put his wife and children into the bathtub with a mattress over their heads. "I stayed outside because I couldn't fit."
He heard glass break and a loud boom that sounded like a train coming through.
The Riddles were unharmed.
Weather radio:Shreveport NWS says weather radio working. Here's what to do if it goes out again
At Plantation Trace Mobile Home Park, a large pine tree fell on a home.
As crews worked to clear the debris, it was unclear whether the home was occupied.
Several schools in Caddo and Bossier Parishes were closed Wednesday due to widespread power outages caused by the storm.
The Bossier Parish courthouse was also closed.
As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, more than 34,000 SWEPCO customers were without power. Outages temporarily caused NWS to lose signal to weather radios.
At the peak, about 65,000 customers were without power.
The hardest-hit areas include Shreveport, Bossier City and Haughton, as well as Longview and Gladewater in East Texas. | https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/local/2022/04/14/two-tornados-severe-thunderstorms-leave-path-damage-across-northwest-louisiana/7303754001/ | 2022-04-14T01:19:41 | 1 | https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/local/2022/04/14/two-tornados-severe-thunderstorms-leave-path-damage-across-northwest-louisiana/7303754001/ |
VIDEO: 68-year-old woman rescued after her car plunges off cliff
Published: Apr. 13, 2022 at 7:47 PM EDT|Updated: 1 hours ago
LOS ANGELES (KABC) - A woman in Southern California was rescued Wednesday morning after her car went over the side of a cliff in Griffith Park.
According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, rescuers were called to assist a 68-year-old woman whose car went off the side of the road at about 7:20 a.m.
The extent of her injuries was not immediately known but she was airlifted from the scene in a helicopter for medical attention, according to emergency crews.
Police did not immediately release the details on how the woman’s car ended up at the bottom of the hill.
Copyright 2022 KABC via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wagmtv.com/2022/04/13/video-68-year-old-woman-rescued-after-her-car-plunges-off-cliff/ | 2022-04-14T01:23:46 | 0 | https://www.wagmtv.com/2022/04/13/video-68-year-old-woman-rescued-after-her-car-plunges-off-cliff/ |
Kentucky lawmakers override governor’s veto of abortion ban
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — New abortion restrictions passed by Republican lawmakers over the Democratic governor’s veto will force the only two abortion clinics in Kentucky to stop providing the procedures for women, at least temporarily, while the new law is challenged in court, abortion-rights activists said Wednesday.
The law will draw immediate federal lawsuits, and attorneys for the clinics will seek a ruling to block the measure to allow the clinics to resume abortions while the case is litigated, the activists said. The two abortion clinics in Kentucky are in Louisville, the state’s largest city.
Immediately after the GOP-led legislature finished overriding Gov. Andy Beshear’s vetoes, the activists said the clinics will be unable to comply with the new restrictions because the state hasn’t set up a now-mandated regulatory process. The measure takes effect immediately.
“Because the law is impossible to comply with, it amounts to a de facto abortion ban, thus violating patients’ federal right to abortion under Roe v. Wade,” abortion-rights groups said in a news release.
Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union will file suit challenging the measure, the release said.
The chants of abortion-rights supporters echoed through Kentucky’s Capitol as the legislature swept aside the governor’s veto. The bill calls for regulating the dispensing of abortion pills, but the state hasn’t yet set up the registration process, the groups said. It would require women to be examined in person by a doctor before receiving the medication.
That section of the bill is part of a nationwide push by anti-abortion groups to limit the ability of physicians to prescribe abortion pills by telemedicine, and comes in response to the increased use of pills rather than surgery to terminate early pregnancies.
About half of all abortions performed in Kentucky are the result of medication procedures.
The measure also requires new reporting requirements that violate patient privacy, the abortion-rights groups said.
Another key part of the bill bans abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Kentucky law currently bans abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
The proposed 15-week ban is modeled after a Mississippi law the Supreme Court is considering in a case that could dramatically limit abortion rights. By taking the preemptive action, the bill’s supporters say Kentucky’s stricter ban would be in place if the Mississippi law is upheld.
About two dozen abortion-rights supporters chanted “bans off our bodies” at the bottom of the stairs leading to the Kentucky House chamber earlier Wednesday as the lawmakers debated the abortion measure. Lawmakers on both sides of the debate mentioned the demonstrators, whose voices could be heard in the chamber as the emotional debate continued.
“It absolutely makes me sick to have to listen to what’s going on out there,” Republican Rep. Norma Kirk-McCormick said.
The House overrode Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto on a 76-21 vote. That sent the measure to the Senate for the final vote. Republicans have supermajorities in both chambers. The demonstrators moved to the other side of the Capitol Wednesday evening and chanted as the Senate debated the measure. The Senate overrode the veto on a 31-6 vote.
Opponents also condemned the bill for failing to exclude pregnancies caused by rape or incest.
“Those are violent crimes,” Democratic Rep. Rachel Roberts said. “This bill forces those women to be violated again.”
In pushing for the override, Kirk-McCormick said: “The abortion of a baby is plain wrong. And I pray that God would have mercy on anyone that would take the life of a child. There’s no mercy for that baby in abortion.”
The strict limits on abortion weren’t the only social issues legislation taken up by Republican lawmakers during the frenzied veto session. They also used their lopsided majorities to finish overriding a Beshear veto of their effort to ban transgender athletes from participating in sports. The override votes won by wide margins in both chambers over the objections of opponents.
“This bill is discrimination in search of children,” Democratic Rep. Josie Raymond said.
The measure would bar transgender girls and women from playing on sports teams matching their gender identity from sixth grade through college. Supporters say it would ensure girls and women compete against other “biological females.”
“The athlete wants a fair playing field,” Republican Sen. Donald Douglas said. “They don’t care about all this other social stuff.”
Republican-led states increasingly have adopted such prohibitions on transgender girls or women, though the culture war-related bans have been challenged in several states as violations of federal law. Opponents of the Kentucky measure predicted the measure also will end up in court.
“The fight won’t stop here,” said Chris Hartman, executive director of the Fairness Campaign.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wagmtv.com/2022/04/14/kentucky-lawmakers-override-governors-veto-abortion-ban/ | 2022-04-14T01:23:56 | 1 | https://www.wagmtv.com/2022/04/14/kentucky-lawmakers-override-governors-veto-abortion-ban/ |
BALTIMORE — A Baltimore City Police officer was involved in a car wreck Wednesday evening in Southwest Baltimore.
A car attempted to turn left onto Old Frederick Road, in front of the patrol car, and the officer lost control and crashed off the side of the road.
Police said the patrol car struck another car, then a pole and caught fire.
The officer was taken to the hospital but is expected to be OK. | https://www.wmar2news.com/news/local-news/baltimore-city-police-officer-involved-in-crash-strikes-pole-car-catches-fire | 2022-04-14T01:24:00 | 1 | https://www.wmar2news.com/news/local-news/baltimore-city-police-officer-involved-in-crash-strikes-pole-car-catches-fire |
The home improvement brand Lowe's has announced an initiative to train and retain employees and provide "debt-free education" to more than 300,000 employees the company said in a statement on Wednesday.
The program has Lowe's partnering up with Guild, an education platform that "upskills" workers to "unlock opportunity for America's workforce through education." The Denver-based company manages education assistance benefits for those looking to work in a trade role.
Lowe's is offering 50 academic programs at 23 universities and other learning providers in its initiative including historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs), Lowe's said in a statement.
Janice Dupré, Lowe's executive vice president of human resources said, "We actively listen to our associates to identify how we can help them in the many facets of their lives. This debt-free education offering is one of the many ways we're working to help our associates reach their career potential while knocking down traditional barriers that often make it difficult for them to obtain a degree."
The program benefits are available to eligible part-time and full-time employees.
Lowe's has also introduced what the company is calling a digital-first initiative called Generation T which the company describes as a "movement aimed at rebuilding the skilled trades by changing people’s perception. Using unique digital storytelling, compelling social media and an innovative online jobs platform to help connect prospects and businesses."
In a video on the project landing page for its website a presenter offers up a spoken-word piece with some powerful lines about contributing to a plethora of jobs in the U.S., not just some of the most prominently promoted career areas heard about most often. In the video he says, "Craftsmanship is a calling, What if the 'they-sayers' were so worried about making it in society, they forgot to value the hands that make the society?...there's work to be done, are you ready?" | https://www.wmar2news.com/news/national/lowes-announces-debt-free-education-initiative-promotes-trade-school-with-modern-perspective | 2022-04-14T01:24:07 | 1 | https://www.wmar2news.com/news/national/lowes-announces-debt-free-education-initiative-promotes-trade-school-with-modern-perspective |
As a new season of major league baseball gets underway, new technology is reshaping the traditional way that pitches are delivered to home plate.
"It's only been working for a week and we've seen 22 teams use it so far. So, out of 30, it's been great," John Hankins said.
Craig Filicetti and John Hankins are the creators of the PitchCom Communication System, which is an electronic device that allows catchers to communicate to pitchers without having to use traditional hand signals. Signals, that teams have historically tried to steal from one another in order to warn their batters what pitch was coming, such as the Houston Astros did during the 2017 World Series.
"After the sign stealing scandal broke in November 2019, I wanted to do something that would eliminate sign stealing, improve the pace of play, but yet, be acceptable to the players and also the fans," Hankins said.
So how does this work? The system includes a wristband device worn by the catcher with a handful of buttons, including nine pitch options. Think "slider high outside" or "knuckleball low middle."
Instead of hand signaling the pitcher what to throw, the catcher pushes one of the buttons. A verbal message is transmitted to the pitcher wearing a lightweight receiver in his hat. The catcher and up to three other players can also be wearing receivers and hear the message described by some as a whisper.
"With this, you can select the pitch, you can select the location, and you can also do the running game if you want to," Filicetti said. "So there's a lot of flexibility there."
And each receiver can be set to a different language.
"It can do any language you want," Filicetti continued. "You can have it in Japanese, you can have Korean. And then any number of players on the field could have this on and whatever the pitch is, they will all hear simultaneously in their own language."
After testing in lower leagues last season, major league baseball gave teams the green light to use the device for this season.
"Each team currently has 10 receivers and three transmitters and a charging box, which is actually a very special charging box we provided," Hankins said.
While the device is not mandatory, many players and coaches have taken to it quickly.
"It's pretty surreal when I turn the TV on and I see the piece that was probably built, it was definitely built in my shop, you know? And I see it there on the field and they're using it and then, hear them talking about it afterward. It's a very good feeling," Filicetti said.
And it's not just pro teams that are taking interest in the device.
"We know that there's a lot of other baseball organizations that are having trouble with sign stealing," Hankins said. "Colleges, high schools, travel ball. Believe it or not, we've got been contacted by teams even 10 and under! We are currently exploring designing a low-cost alternative for them."
So, as your favorite teams step up to bat this season, glance down at the catcher's wrist for a look at this device in action.
Newsy is the nation’s only free 24/7 national news network. You can find Newsy using your TV’s digital antenna or stream for free. See all the ways you can watch Newsy here. | https://www.wmar2news.com/news/national/mlb-to-allow-technology-to-combat-sign-stealing-during-regular-season | 2022-04-14T01:24:13 | 1 | https://www.wmar2news.com/news/national/mlb-to-allow-technology-to-combat-sign-stealing-during-regular-season |
(UNITED NATIONS) — A U.N. task force is warning in a new report that Russia’s war against Ukraine threatens to devastate the economies of many developing countries that are now facing even higher food and energy costs and increasingly difficult financial conditions.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres launched the report Wednesday stressing that the war is “supercharging” a crisis in food, energy and finance in poorer countries that were already struggling to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and a lack of access to adequate funding for their economic recovery.
Rebeca Grynspan, secretary-general of the U.N. agency promoting trade and development who coordinated the task force, said 107 countries have “severe exposure” to at least one dimension of the food, energy and finance crisis and 69 countries are severely exposed to all three and face “very difficult financial conditions with no fiscal space, and with no external financing to cushion the blow.”
The report urges countries to ensure a steady flow of food and energy through open markets, and it calls on international financial institutions to do everything possible to ensure more liquidity immediately. | https://www.wmar2news.com/news/national/russia-ukraine-conflict/un-warns-107-countries-have-severe-exposure-to-consequences-of-ukraine-war | 2022-04-14T01:24:19 | 0 | https://www.wmar2news.com/news/national/russia-ukraine-conflict/un-warns-107-countries-have-severe-exposure-to-consequences-of-ukraine-war |
LAREDO, Texas (Border Report) – Texas is scaling back truck inspections at its shared border crossing with the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon after both governors signed a memorandum of understanding to improve border security.
But Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said the enhanced inspections would continue at all other border crossings leading to his state until he gets assurances from Mexican leaders they will step up security measures.
Those inspections conducted by the Texas Department of Public safety so far have revealed safety violations – from faulty brakes to bad tires – in one in four trucks checked. Those trucks have been taken off Texas roads, he said.
“As per the agreement today […] DPS can return to its previous practice of random checks, in this bridge from Nuevo Leon to Texas, effective immediately. It will remain this way as long as Nuevo Leon abides by this agreement,” Abbott said at a news conference with Nuevo Leon Gov. Samuel Garcia.
Garcia promised to increase police presence along the small stretch of border that Nuevo Leon and Texas share.
“We have begun a series of checkpoints on our border, on our river to make sure our 14 kilometers with Texas will be continuously patrolled by our police,” Garcia said.
Abbott said his office has received calls from the governors of Chihuahua, Coahuila and Tamaulipas and that he’s looking forward to working with them “to achieve results.”
“Until those agreements are reached with those states, DPS will continue to inspect (trucks) in every state except Nuevo Leon,” Abbott said.
On Wednesday, truck traffic remained halted in Pharr, Texas, where truckers in Reynosa on Monday formed a blockade in retaliation for the extensive inspections and that led U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials to shut down the bridge.
Delays at that bridge average 20 hours and caused trailers full of food to spoil and used costly diesel fuel, business owners and trucking experts told Border Report.
Responding to widespread criticism that the truck checks have created delays up and down the Texas border that are adding to supply chain woes in North America, Abbott deflected the blame to the Biden administration.
“I understand businesses’ concern, but I also know well the frustration of my fellow Texans and fellow Americans caused by the Biden administration not securing the border,” he said. “The only way to relieve a clogged border is to call President Biden and tell him to maintain the Title 42 expulsion policy.”
Laredo Mayor Peter Saenz called the agreement a “bold move” and said he was hopeful the governor of Tamaulipas, which borders his city, would reach a similar agreement because the city shares several bridges with that northern Mexico state.
The Tamaulipas border is bigger and will require a much bigger commitment to beef up police border patrols on the Mexican side.
After Abbott’s news conference, truck traffic appeared to be moving more steadily through Columbia bridge.
Garcia said his state plans on building a new bridge connecting Nuevo Leon and Laredo and to make this a booming truck traffic corridor, adding that that’s why he acted quickly to act on this memorandum of understanding.
Border Report’s Julian Resendiz contributed to this report. | https://www.cenlanow.com/border-report-tour/texas-gov-greg-abbott-scales-back-border-inspections-with-nuevo-leon-state/ | 2022-04-14T01:37:03 | 0 | https://www.cenlanow.com/border-report-tour/texas-gov-greg-abbott-scales-back-border-inspections-with-nuevo-leon-state/ |
MIAMI (AP) — Police in Miami arrested a 41-year-old woman in the deaths of her two children, aged 3 and 5, after officers responded to repeated hang-up 911 calls from her apartment where they found their tied-up bodies.
Police say Odette Lysse Joassaint told officers, “Come get them, I don’t want them anymore” when they arrived at the apartment Tuesday night.
The officers found the 3-year-old boy and 5-year-old girl on a bed, where their arms, legs and neck were tied up.
They tried to resuscitate the children until a Miami Fire Rescue crew arrived and pronounced them dead.
The woman has been charged with two counts of murder. | https://www.cenlanow.com/crime/2-dead-kids-found-in-miami-apartment-after-911-hang-ups-mother-arrested/ | 2022-04-14T01:37:10 | 1 | https://www.cenlanow.com/crime/2-dead-kids-found-in-miami-apartment-after-911-hang-ups-mother-arrested/ |
(KTLA) – A 50-year-old Los Angeles man who appeared in “Game of Thrones” was arrested last week after detectives said he was engaging in “online sexually explicit communication” with a minor victim who lived in another state. Now, investigators are looking for other possible victims.
Joseph Gatt of Los Angeles was arrested on Wednesday, April 6, after authorities served a search warrant at his home in Beverly Grove.
LAPD’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force began investigating Gatt after they received a tip that he was engaged in sexually explicit communication with the minor victim.
Gatt also had an outstanding felony warrant for a similar crime involving communication with a minor, police said.
Investigators are now looking for any additional victims who may not have been contacted.
Gatt, who was born and raised in London, played Thenn Warg in “Game of Thrones,” according to his IMDB page. Other acting credits include the live-action “Dumbo,” “Star Trek Into the Darkness” and “Thor.”
Anyone with information about this case or any other alleged victims is encouraged to contact detective Denos Amarantos at 562-624-4027. You can also submit an anonymous tip at lacrimestoppers.org.
If you have knowledge or suspicion about someone making inappropriate contact with a minor, or if you know of child sexual abuse material online, you are urged to contact local law enforcement or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678. | https://www.cenlanow.com/crime/game-of-thrones-actor-arrested-on-suspicion-of-sex-crimes-against-child-lapd/ | 2022-04-14T01:37:17 | 1 | https://www.cenlanow.com/crime/game-of-thrones-actor-arrested-on-suspicion-of-sex-crimes-against-child-lapd/ |
MONROE, La. (KTVE/KARD) — On Tuesday, April 12, 2022, around 8:21 PM, Monroe Police was dispatched to the 1400 block of South Grand Street in reference to a disturbance. Officers made contact with juvenile victims who advised a Black female waived a firearm during a verbal altercation.
According to police, the suspect yelled, “I don’t care if they kids or not, I’ll shoot them!” at the victims. Officers made contact with the suspect who was identified as 33-year-old Terri Morrison.
According to Morrison, she was in an argument with the victims and went into her residence to get her black 9mm Taurus. She also advised officers that she waved the firearm while yelling at the victim to scare them.
Morrison was placed under arrest and transported to the Ouachita Correctional Center. She was charged with Aggravated Assault with a Firearm. | https://www.cenlanow.com/crime/i-dont-care-if-they-kids-or-not-ill-shoot-them-monroe-woman-behind-bars-after-threatening-juveniles-with-handgun/ | 2022-04-14T01:37:23 | 0 | https://www.cenlanow.com/crime/i-dont-care-if-they-kids-or-not-ill-shoot-them-monroe-woman-behind-bars-after-threatening-juveniles-with-handgun/ |
NEW YORK (PIX11) — Police arrested the suspected Brooklyn subway shooter Wednesday, the day after he allegedly opened fire on a train, shooting 10 people, officials said.
Frank R. James, 62, had been identified as a person of interest on Tuesday and then upgraded to a suspect in the case. He was captured in Manhattan. James faces up to life in prison if he’s convicted, prosecutors said. He’s being charged federally on a terrorism offense.
“We got him, we got him,” Mayor Eric Adams said.
James was stopped on the street after a CrimeStoppers tip, NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said. He was taken into custody around 1:40 p.m. Hundreds of NYPD officers worked “doggedly” to find him. He’s since been taken to an NYPD precinct.
“We were able to shrink his world quickly,” she said. “There was nowhere left for him to run.”
Police had zeroed in on James because of a U-Haul key left at the scene of the shooting. James had rented the U-Haul, which was found in Brooklyn hours after the attack, police said.
James was spotted in a McDonald’s at East 6th Street and First Avenue, police said. Officers headed there after the CrimeStoppers tip. James wasn’t there, so the officers searched the area. They found him nearby at St. Marks Place and First Avenue.
Now that he’s in custody, James is being charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York. He’s being charged with one count of violating 18 U.S.C. 1992(a)(7), which prohibits terrorist and other violent attacks against mass transportation systems, U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said.
“Yesterday was a dark day for all of us,” Peace said. “But the bright spots of the incredible heroism of our fellow New Yorkers helping each other in a time of crisis, the quick response by our first responders, and the hard work by all of our law enforcement partners that has been ongoing truly shines bright.”
James allegedly put on a gas mask on a northbound N train just before 8:25 a.m. Tuesday, then pulled out two canisters and opened fire as smoke filled the train, police said. Seven men and three women were shot. James allegedly fired 33 times.
Here’s what we know about James:
- James posted social media videos decrying the U.S. as a racist place awash in violence and recounting his struggle with mental illness. His profanity-laden videos are replete with violent language and bigoted comments, some against other Black people
- The gun James allegedly used was purchased at a pawn shop — a licensed firearms dealer — in the Columbus, Ohio, area in 2011, a law enforcement official who wasn’t authorized to discuss the investigation said on condition of anonymity
- James has ties to Philadelphia and Wisconsin
- Investigators believe James drove up from Philadelphia on Monday and have reviewed surveillance video showing a man matching his physical description coming out of the van early Tuesday morning
- Police described the suspected gunman as being around 5 feet, 5 inches tall. The man weighs around 175-200 pounds. He was last seen wearing a gas mask and a construction vest. Police initially said the vest was green, but later officials said it was orange. The man also had on a gray, hooded sweatshirt.
- He was arrested multiple times from 1992-1998, including multiple times in New York and three times in New Jersey | https://www.cenlanow.com/crime/suspected-brooklyn-subway-shooter-frank-james-arrested-nypd/ | 2022-04-14T01:37:29 | 0 | https://www.cenlanow.com/crime/suspected-brooklyn-subway-shooter-frank-james-arrested-nypd/ |
(STACKER) – Audiences have been enraptured by cinema since 1895 when Auguste and Louis Lumière used a cinematograph machine to project moving images onto a screen. Naturally, movies have come a long way since the early days of 50-second reels, resulting in a rich variety of styles—many of which are easily streamed right from home. Meanwhile, every cinematic era has put forth its respective slate of timeless masterpieces.
The best movies arguably represent the pinnacle of artistic achievement in the modern era and that makes them worth celebrating over and over again. To explore the 100 best films of all time, Stacker analyzed IMDb ratings and Metascores to create a unique score equally weighting the two. Only English-language movies released in the U.S. were considered for the list. Additionally, each movie needed at least 20,000 votes on IMDb, and if the movie didn’t have a Metascore, it was not included.
Why most movies age poorly while a choice few seem to get even better over time boils down to auteurism. The greater the creative stamp a filmmaker can put on their work, the better the chances are the work will appreciate over time.
A noticeable trend in the forthcoming list is that many of the movies don’t take place within their respective periods. Depicting the past or the future—or a separate world altogether—is often a safer bet than depicting the present reality.
Great films usually deliver the goods on multiple fronts. That means everything from the writing to the music to the acting is memorable, if not downright iconic. At the end of the day, of course, there is no one solitary answer as to what makes a great movie—just like there is no one type of great film.
Counting down from #100, here are the best movies of all time.
1 / 100AMLF
#100. Amadeus (1984)
– Director: Milos Forman
– Stacker score: 89.1
– Metascore: 88
– IMDb user rating: 8.3
– Runtime: 160 minutes
This 1984 biopic chronicles the life of Amadeus Mozart, namely through the eyes of his bitter contemporary Antonio Salieri. Striving for authenticity, director Milos Forman shot the film using only natural light—arguably taking some cues from Stanley Kubrick, who did the same when making “Barry Lyndon.” Tom Hulce went above and beyond to prepare for his role as the famous composer, including practicing piano for four to five hours a day before filming began. The work paid off: “Amadeus” netted eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
2 / 100Summit Entertainment
#99. The Hurt Locker (2008)
– Director: Kathryn Bigelow
– Stacker score: 89.1
– Metascore: 95
– IMDb user rating: 7.6
– Runtime: 131 minutes
Kathryn Bigelow’s career hit a second stride with the release of her gripping Iraq War drama, “The Hurt Locker.” The film follows a bomb disposal team from one job to the next. Instead of traditional character development, the story coasts by on a wave of sustained and almost unbearable tension. It won six Academy Awards, making Bigelow the first woman in history to win for Best Director.
3 / 100Warner Bros.
#98. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
– Director: George Miller
– Stacker score: 89.1
– Metascore: 90
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Runtime: 120 minutes
Director George Miller resurrected his classic “Mad Max” franchise in 2015, with Tom Hardy taking on the lead role, formerly played by Mel Gibson. However, most fans would argue it’s Charlize Theron’s Furiosa who steals the show in this dazzling adventure movie, which sees her and Mad Max escaping the clutches of an evil warlord. As one might expect, the explosive action goes down in a post-apocalyptic wasteland inhabited by all sorts of depraved humans. The film took home six of the 10 Academy Awards for which it was nominated.
4 / 100Paramount Pictures
#97. The Truman Show (1998)
– Director: Peter Weir
– Stacker score: 89.1
– Metascore: 90
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Runtime: 103 minutes
A film that only gets more prescient with time, 1998’s “The Truman Show” takes place in a completely fabricated town where cameras lurk behind every corner and every citizen is an actor or actress. Every citizen, that is, except Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey), the unwitting subject of a 24-hour reality show. As Truman catches on to the truth behind his existence, his cozy reality begins to collapse around him. Meanwhile, a megalomaniac named Christof (Ed Harris) pulls all the strings from above. Proving just how poignant the movie was and remains, a psychological condition known as the Truman Show Delusion is named for a delusion in which individuals believe they are being filmed and that the world around them is a set of sorts.
The film received three Oscar nominations, including for Best Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen.
5 / 100Pixar Animation Studios
#96. Finding Nemo (2003)
– Directors: Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich
– Stacker score: 89.1
– Metascore: 90
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Runtime: 100 minutes
Given Pixar’s masterful grip on storytelling and computer animation alike, it’s no surprise that the studio dominates when it comes to the best films of the 21st century. One of its most celebrated efforts is this 2003 adventure, in which a clownfish named Marlin navigates a perilous undersea terrain to find his missing son, Nemo. Until “The Incredibles 2” came along in 2018, this was Pixar’s highest worldwide grossing film to date. The animated flick was so successful it spawned a spin-off sequel, “Finding Dory,” in June 2016. A third installment, “Finding Marlin,” is slated for 2026.
6 / 100Strong Heart/Demme Production
#95. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
– Director: Jonathan Demme
– Stacker score: 89.1
– Metascore: 85
– IMDb user rating: 8.6
– Runtime: 118 minutes
This 1991 crime drama wasn’t the first to put Hannibal Lecter up on the big screen, but it was certainly the most impactful. Playing the iconic sadist to lizard-like perfection was actor Anthony Hopkins, who engages in a battle of wits with FBI Agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) as he helps her track down a serial killer named Buffalo Bill. The film was followed by a sequel, a prequel, a TV show, and even an 8-bit video game-style short film. What’s more, it is one of the few films to win five Academy Awards in all the major categories including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
7 / 100Warner Bros
#94. The Circus (1928)
– Director: Charles Chaplin
– Stacker score: 89.6
– Metascore: 90
– IMDb user rating: 8.2
– Runtime: 72 minutes
Charlie Chaplin bridged slapstick comedy with tender melancholy in “The Circus.” Chaplin’s role was as the “Little Tramp,” a drifter who gets hired as a clown when he accidentally runs into the middle of a circus performance while trying to evade police officers. As a clown, Little Tramp is only funny when he’s not trying to be and suffers from an ill-fated infatuation with a bareback rider. The movie won an Academy Award at the first presentation ceremony of the awards in 1929 for “Versatility and genius in writing, acting, directing, and producing.” In spite of this achievement, the process of filming was the worst in Chaplin’s career. He was in the process of divorcing Lita Grey as her lawyers dragged Chaplin’s name through the mud and sought to acquire his studio assets, forcing an eight-month pause in production.
8 / 100Walter Wanger Productions
#93. Stagecoach (1939)
– Director: John Ford
– Stacker score: 89.6
– Metascore: 93
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Runtime: 96 minutes
“Stagecoach” goes down in history as the film featuring John Wayne in his breakthrough role as the Ringo Kid. The storyline follows a ragtag group of characters aboard the Overboard stagecoach en route from Arizona Territory to New Mexico while the threat of outlaws—or an Apache attack—waits around every bend. The film walked away with the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Thomas Mitchell and Best Music (Scoring).
9 / 100Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
#92. The Producers (1967)
– Director: Mel Brooks
– Stacker score: 89.6
– Metascore: 96
– IMDb user rating: 7.6
– Runtime: 88 minutes
Putting show business in its crosshairs, this scathing satire follows two scheming producers as they plot the biggest Broadway flop of all time. The name of that flop is “Springtime for Hitler: A Gay Romp with Adolf and Eva at Berchtesgaden” and it’s every bit as offensive as one might expect. Even so, the film is regarded as a cult classic today. And what’s more, the movie earned Brooks his sole Academy Award, for Best Original Screenplay.
10 / 100Columbia Pictures
#91. Little Women (2019)
– Director: Greta Gerwig
– Stacker score: 89.6
– Metascore: 91
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Runtime: 135 minutes
Greta Gerwig’s sophomore directorial effort cemented her status as a veritable auteur, making her 2020 Oscars snub that much harder to swallow. Her take on Louisa May Alcott’s seminal novel is the last and arguably the best in a long line of big-screen adaptations. Actors Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, and Eliza Scanlen play the March sisters and lead a talented cast. At the British Academy Film Awards, however, the movie took home a win for Best Costume Design.
11 / 100Paramount Pictures
#90. Days of Heaven (1978)
– Director: Terrence Malick
– Stacker score: 89.6
– Metascore: 93
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Runtime: 94 minutes
Set during the turn of the 20th century, “Days of Heaven” follows a romantic couple named Bill and Abby as they take up employment on a Texas farm where they pretend to be siblings. When it’s discovered that the landowner has feelings for Abby, the couple tries to exploit those feelings for personal gain. Featuring lush cinematography and sparse dialogue, the movie cemented director Terrence Malick’s status as a visual maestro, albeit one of an elusive nature. True to his mysterious persona, Malick went on a 20-year hiatus after this film was released. The film was chosen for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2007.
12 / 100The Samuel Goldwyn Company
#89. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
– Director: William Wyler
– Stacker score: 89.6
– Metascore: 92
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Runtime: 170 minutes
In this harrowing 1946 drama, three soldiers struggle to reintegrate into society after returning home from serving in World War II. “The Best Years of Our Lives” was directed by William Wyler, a former Air Force major whose previous war film, “Mrs. Miniver,” is held in similarly high regard. Despite the grim and depressing tone, “The Best Years of Our Lives” was the biggest box office success since 1939’s “Gone With the Wind.” The picture was also one of the first 25 films selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 1989.
13 / 100Pathé Renn Productions
#88. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
– Director: Julian Schnabel
– Stacker score: 89.6
– Metascore: 92
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Runtime: 112 minutes
Julian Schnabel was best-known as an acclaimed painter before he transitioned into film, resulting in this French biographical drama. It tells the true story of magazine editor Jean-Dominique Bauby, who suffers from “locked-in syndrome.” Interweaving memory and reality, the movie glides along at its own unique and compelling pace. The movie was nominated for four Oscars, including Best Director and Best Film Editing.
14 / 100Horizon Pictures
#87. On the Waterfront (1954)
– Director: Elia Kazan
– Stacker score: 89.6
– Metascore: 91
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Runtime: 108 minutes
“On the Waterfront” is a black and white crime drama starring Marlon Brando as Terry Malloy, a dockworker whose brother (Rod Steiger) works closely with their corrupted dockers’ union boss (Lee J. Cobb). Throughout the movie, pressure builds as Malloy seeks to find his own footing and voice—and stand up to the crooked overlord. The film won eight Oscars and four Golden Globes. Additionally, the movie was chosen for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 1989.
15 / 100Jalem Productions
#86. Cool Hand Luke (1967)
– Director: Stuart Rosenberg
– Stacker score: 89.6
– Metascore: 91
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Runtime: 127 minutes
In this 1967 drama, Paul Newman plays a laid-back inmate who routinely clashes with his overseers in a rural prison. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards, winning George Kennedy the trophy for Best Supporting Actor. Ex-convict Donn Pearce authored the book upon which the film was based and co-wrote the screenplay. Despite his involvement, Pearce expressed disappointment in the finished product.
16 / 100Jack Rollins & Charles H. Joffe Productions
#85. Annie Hall (1977)
– Director: Woody Allen
– Stacker score: 89.6
– Metascore: 92
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Runtime: 93 minutes
Woody Allen’s “Annie Hall” remains one of his most groundbreaking achievements, namely for its unconventional style. Allen breaks the fourth wall, incorporates animation, reads minds, time jumps, and employs a variety of comedic devices, all while telling a relatively simple love story. Not only was the movie influential as a work of art, but the title character (played by Diane Keaton) became something of a fashion icon. The United States Library of Congress in 1992 selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry.
17 / 100Asia Union Film & Entertainment Ltd.
#84. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
– Director: Ang Lee
– Stacker score: 89.6
– Metascore: 94
– IMDb user rating: 7.8
– Runtime: 120 minutes
Ang Lee returned to his Taiwanese roots to direct this Mandarin Chinese martial arts masterpiece, which follows two 19th-century warriors as they pursue a missing sword. One of the top-grossing foreign-language films of all time, it helped pave the way for a string of highbrow martial arts-themed movies. The film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Original Score. A far less successful sequel debuted on Netflix in 2016.
18 / 100Regency Enterprises
#83. L.A. Confidential (1997)
– Director: Curtis Hanson
– Stacker score: 89.6
– Metascore: 90
– IMDb user rating: 8.2
– Runtime: 138 minutes
Adapted from James Ellroy’s brilliant pulp novel, this 1997 crime drama takes place in 1950s Los Angeles and follows three police officers as they investigate a horrific murder. As the probe deepens, the officers come up against a tide of corruption, the source of which hits closer to home than they ever could have imagined. Included in the star-studded cast are Russell Crowe, Kim Basinger, Kevin Spacey, Guy Pearce, and James Cromwell. The movie earned nine Academy Award nominations (including for Best Picture), winning two: Best Supporting Actress (Kim Basinger) and Best Adapted Screenplay.
19 / 100Columbia Pictures
#82. The Social Network (2010)
– Director: David Fincher
– Stacker score: 89.6
– Metascore: 95
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Runtime: 120 minutes
One of Harvard’s most anti-social misfits (played by Jesse Eisenberg) goes on to create the world’s most influential social platform in this blockbuster drama. While the story is more or less based on fact, it’s impossible to ignore screenwriter Aaron Sorkin’s imprint in virtually every scene. That’s not to mention David Fincher’s dark cinematic style and the iconic score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, both of which infuse the story with palpably sinister overtones. “The Social Network” earned eight nominations at the Academy Awards, including for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor for Jesse Eisenberg, bringing home three trophies at the ceremony.
20 / 100Paramount Vantage
#81. No Country for Old Men (2007)
– Directors: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
– Stacker score: 89.6
– Metascore: 91
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Runtime: 122 minutes
Filmmaking duo the Coen brothers didn’t let the dense prose of Cormac McCarthy inhibit them from faithfully adapting “No Country for Old Men.” In the 2007 film, a man (Josh Brolin) comes upon $2 million in missing drug money and soon finds himself being hunted by a ruthless killer (Javier Bardem). For the most part, the movie stays true to the source material, while terrific performances bring every character even further to life. “No Country for Old Men” won four Oscars at the 80th Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
21 / 100Focus Features
#80. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
– Director: Michel Gondry
– Stacker score: 89.6
– Metascore: 89
– IMDb user rating: 8.3
– Runtime: 108 minutes
All the broken hearts out there can relate to this surrealist film from director Michel Gondry and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman. It takes place in a society that seems quite similar to modern-day America, with perhaps a single exception: there’s a medical procedure that will erase ex-lovers from one’s memory. After Joel (Jim Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet) suffer a bad breakup, they decide to undergo the procedure, only to discover that love still finds a way. The beloved film took home the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and earned Winslet a Best Actress Oscar nomination.
22 / 100Universal Pictures
#79. Back to the Future (1985)
– Director: Robert Zemeckis
– Stacker score: 89.6
– Metascore: 87
– IMDb user rating: 8.5
– Runtime: 116 minutes
Few adventure films have held up with the same panache as 1985’s “Back to the Future,” which delivers one iconic scene after another. Featuring a downright twisted premise, the movie follows young Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) as he journeys into the past, only to end up as the object of his future mother’s affection. Suddenly, Marty finds himself playing matchmaker between his two teenage parents, with his own existence hanging in the balance. Two sequels and an animated TV series followed. The cult classic ’80s film was also adapted into a stage production in 2020 titled “Back to the Future: The Musical.”
23 / 100ABC Entertainment
#78. Nashville (1975)
– Director: Robert Altman
– Stacker score: 90.1
– Metascore: 96
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Runtime: 160 minutes
“Nashville” brings together a group of people deeply embedded in Nashville’s gospel and country music scene through a series of unpredictable events in the lead-up to a political convention. The film received an Oscar and a Golden Globe for Best Original Song. In 1992, the film was chosen for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.
24 / 100Columbia Pictures Corporation
#77. The Last Picture Show (1971)
– Director: Peter Bogdanovich
– Stacker score: 90.1
– Metascore: 93
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Runtime: 118 minutes
Set in a withering West Texas town circa 1951, this brilliant drama from Peter Bogdanovich chronicles a group of high school students as they fool around, grapple with various emotions, and try to figure out what the future has in store. Winner of two Academy Awards, the film offers a bleak but utterly empathetic portrait of teenage life, and one that still resonates decades later. In 1990, Bogdanovich directed a follow-up, “Texasville,” to relatively little fanfare. The Library of Congress chose the film for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 1998.
25 / 100Universal Pictures
#76. Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
– Director: Alfred Hitchcock
– Stacker score: 90.1
– Metascore: 94
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Runtime: 108 minutes
This psychological thriller film noir from the master of suspense follows Charlie Newton (Teresa Wright) as she discovers her Uncle Charles (Joseph Cotten) is wanted for murder. Alfred Hitchcock, known for making cameos in his films, appears during minute 16 aboard a train to Santa Rosa, playing a game of bridge. Additionally, in 1991, the film was picked for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
26 / 100M.C. Productions
#75. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
– Director: John Frankenheimer
– Stacker score: 90.1
– Metascore: 94
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Runtime: 126 minutes
Fearing its political premise—about a former prisoner-of-war soldier who’s brainwashed into becoming an assassin—was far too controversial, the upper echelon over at United Artists were initially reluctant to finance this harrowing thriller. In fact, it took a personal plea from President John F. Kennedy himself, on behalf of star Frank Sinatra, to get “The Manchurian Candidate” approved. Alas, the project went forward and resulted in one of the best films of all time. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actress (Angela Lansbury) and Best Editing.
27 / 100C.V. Whitney Pictures
#74. The Searchers (1956)
– Director: John Ford
– Stacker score: 90.1
– Metascore: 94
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Runtime: 119 minutes
The influence of “The Searchers” on all cinema that came after it is felt throughout the Western genre and virtually every other genre as well, from sci-fi’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” to psychological thriller “Taxi Driver.” Set during the Texas-Indian Wars, the plot follows a Civil War veteran (John Wayne) as he spends years trying to find his kidnapped niece (Natalie Wood). In the years since “The Searchers” debuted, the problematic, racist views of its characters have been widely discussed by critics and fellow filmmakers. Quentin Tarantino famously said of John Ford, “I hate him,” and Roger Ebert asked rhetorically, “Is the film intended to endorse their attitudes, or to dramatize and regret them?”
28 / 100Warner Bros.
#73. My Fair Lady (1964)
– Director: George Cukor
– Stacker score: 90.1
– Metascore: 95
– IMDb user rating: 7.8
– Runtime: 170 minutes
“My Fair Lady” is a classic take on Bernard Shaw’s 1918 play “Pygmalion,” but certainly not the last. Other classic films about “project women” men try to shape into more acceptable members of society include “Pretty Woman,” “Educating Rita,” and, of course, “She’s All That.” While “My Fair Lady” features an unforgettable performance by Audrey Hepburn, the actress’ singing was dubbed over by soprano Marni Nixon. The movie went on to become the second highest-grossing film of 1964 and won eight Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director.
29 / 100Walt Disney Studios
#72. Pinocchio (1940)
– Directors: Norman Ferguson, T. Hee, Wilfred Jackson, Jack Kinney, Hamilton Luske, Bill Roberts, Ben Sharpsteen
– Stacker score: 90.1
– Metascore: 99
– IMDb user rating: 7.4
– Runtime: 88 minutes
With an upcoming live-action remake in the works, now is the perfect time to revisit this original Disney classic. The studio’s second full-length animated effort, “Pinocchio” was something of a financial disappointment upon its initial debut. Even so, the movie was one of the earliest animated features to win a major Oscar, including Best Music, Original Score and Best Music, Original Song. Thanks to theatrical re-releases and home video rentals and sales, the film eventually grossed more than $100 million.
30 / 100Esperanto Filmoj
#71. Roma (2018)
– Director: Alfonso Cuarón
– Stacker score: 90.1
– Metascore: 96
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Runtime: 135 minutes
Alfonso Cuarón drew on his own experiences growing up to paint a stunning, emotional portrait of a family’s live-in housekeeper. “Roma” took home three Oscars and captured 10 of the 15 Ariel Awards (Mexico’s Academy Awards) it was nominated for. In America, the film made a groundbreaking impression, garnering a whopping 10 nominations for the 91st Academy Awards, winning three trophies.
31 / 100Faliro House Productions
#70. Before Midnight (2013)
– Director: Richard Linklater
– Stacker score: 90.1
– Metascore: 94
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Runtime: 109 minutes
Richard Linklater’s “Before” trilogy goes out on a high note—or does it?—with this 2013 film, which picks things up nine years after the events of “Before Sunset.” Now, Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) are living together as a married couple with two twin daughters, though cracks are starting to show in their relationship. Like its predecessors, the film retains a loose narrative and covers a spectrum of both philosophical and humanistic themes. The film earned a myriad of accolades from various organizations, including nominations at the Golden Globe Awards and Academy Awards.
32 / 100A24
#69. Moonlight (2016)
– Director: Barry Jenkins
– Stacker score: 90.1
– Metascore: 99
– IMDb user rating: 7.4
– Runtime: 111 minutes
Divided into three segments, this prescient drama follows young Chiron (Ashton Sanders) on his path to self-discovery. Brought to life with vivid color and precision, the story grapples with themes of poverty and identity. “Moonlight” won three Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Mahershala Ali made history as the first Muslim to win an acting Oscar.
33 / 100Hemdale
#68. Platoon (1986)
– Director: Oliver Stone
– Stacker score: 90.1
– Metascore: 92
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Runtime: 120 minutes
Loosely inspired by his own experiences, Oliver Stone wrote and directed this award-winning Vietnam War film in which a young soldier named Chris (Charlie Sheen) encounters brutal conflict on every conceivable front. In addition to fighting a largely unseen enemy, Chris must also grapple with the ongoing showdown between two of his commanding officers. That’s not to mention the psychological battle Chris fights from within. The film was nominated for eight Oscars at the 59th Academy Awards, winning four including Best Picture and Best Director.
34 / 100Summit Entertainment
#67. La La Land (2016)
– Director: Damien Chazelle
– Stacker score: 90.1
– Metascore: 93
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Runtime: 128 minutes
Modernizing the traditional musical, “La La Land” takes place in the city of dreams, and tells the story of two aspiring artists, one a musician (Ryan Gosling) and the other an actress (Emma Stone). Kicking the film off on a high note is a six-minute song-and-dance number that goes down in the middle of freeway traffic. Filming the scene took two days and involved stitching three consecutive shots together to create what appeared to be a single take. Among the movie’s 14 Academy Award nominations, Stone took home the Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal in the film, and Damien Chazelle for Best Director, making him the youngest winner at 32.
35 / 100Ealing Studios
#66. Dunkirk (2017)
– Director: Christopher Nolan
– Stacker score: 90.1
– Metascore: 94
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Runtime: 106 minutes
Depicting the evacuation of Allied forces from the French seaport of Dunkirk, this 2017 war film throws viewers into the action during its opening scene and never lets up throughout the entire 106-minute runtime. Like most films based on true stories, this one came under fire for omitting key details of the actual event. However, one might argue Nolan was striving for an authentic sense of atmosphere over historical accuracy. To that end: mission accomplished. What’s more, the film, which was nominated for eight Academy Awards, took home trophies for Best Sound Editing, Best Film Editing, and Best Sound Mixing at the 2018 ceremony.
36 / 100Bold Films
#65. Whiplash (2014)
– Director: Damien Chazelle
– Stacker score: 90.1
– Metascore: 88
– IMDb user rating: 8.5
– Runtime: 106 minutes
True to its name, the debut film from Damien Chazelle came at audiences hard and fast in 2014, earning heaps of acclaim and no shortage of awards. It tells the story of a jazz student named Andrew (Miles Teller) who endures physical and psychological torture under the tutelage of an abusive instructor (J. K. Simmons). To secure funding for the project, Chazelle first shot “Whiplash” as a short film, which won the Short Film Jury Award at Sundance. Needless to say, funding was quickly secured soon after. Against a production budget of $3.3 million, the film grossed $49 million.
37 / 100Warner Bros.
#64. Gravity (2013)
– Director: Alfonso Cuarón
– Stacker score: 90.1
– Metascore: 96
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Runtime: 91 minutes
Alfonso Cuarón and his team invented new technology to create “Gravity,” a 3D adventure about two astronauts (Sandra Bullock and George Clooney) fighting for survival in space. Approximately 80% of the movie is the result of photo-realistic CG. It was a massive success both at the box office and during awards season. Among its accolades include seven Academy Awards and six BAFTA Awards.
38 / 100Twentieth Century-Fox Productions
#63. Alien (1979)
– Director: Ridley Scott
– Stacker score: 90.1
– Metascore: 89
– IMDb user rating: 8.4
– Runtime: 117 minutes
The sparring between warrant officer Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and the Alien spawned a franchise that’s included three sequels, two crossover films, and three prequels (“Alien: Awakening” is a long-gestating follow-up prequel). The otherworldly genesis tale—and all its associated hijinks—has all the ingredients for a riveting, sci-fi action saga. In 2002, the movie was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.
39 / 100Walt Disney Pictures
#62. The Lion King (1994)
– Directors: Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff
– Stacker score: 90.1
– Metascore: 88
– IMDb user rating: 8.5
– Runtime: 88 minutes
Critics and audiences might be tepid on the recent live-action remake of “The Lion King,” but pretty much everyone loved the animated original. Set in the Pride Lands of Africa, it takes animal interplay to Shakespearean heights. The award-winning songs and score represent some of the best music ever committed to celluloid. The classic animated feature received two Academy Awards for its accomplishments in music as well as the Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy Golden Globe Award.
40 / 100Castle Rock Entertainment
#61. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
– Director: Frank Darabont
– Stacker score: 90.1
– Metascore: 80
– IMDb user rating: 9.3
– Runtime: 142 minutes
Even decades after its release, “The Shawshank Redemption” still holds a top spot on IMDb’s list of Highest Rated Titles. Here on Stacker’s list, it doesn’t necessarily fare as well, but that’s not to say the film is anything short of spectacular. Based on a novella by Stephen King, it tells the story of Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), a banker convicted of his wife’s murder who grapples with decades of prison life starting in the mid-1940s. Helping him cope is a fellow inmate named Red (Morgan Freeman). In 2015, the United States Library of Congress chose the film for preservation in the National Film Registry.
41 / 100Warner Brothers/Seven Arts
#60. The Wild Bunch (1969)
– Director: Sam Peckinpah
– Stacker score: 90.6
– Metascore: 95
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Runtime: 135 minutes
All-stars Ernest Borgnine, William Holden, and Robert Ryan deliver stunning performances as outlaws past their prime in this timeless Western that was nominated for two Oscars. The film about men trying to contend with the ever-evolving world around them caused a stir for its raw depictions of survival and what was then considered gratuitous violence. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards, including Best Original Score and Best Original Screenplay.
42 / 100Walt Disney Productions
#59. Fantasia (1940)
– Directors: James Algar, Samuel Armstrong, Ford Beebe Jr., Norman Ferguson, David Hand, Jim Handley, T. Hee, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield, Ben Sharpsteen
– Stacker score: 90.6
– Metascore: 96
– IMDb user rating: 7.8
– Runtime: 125 minutes
Walt Disney’s bold, psychedelic fantasy adventure “Fantasia” goes down in history as the wildest Disney film to date. The movie’s eight animated parts are set to a classical musical score conducted by Leopold Stokowski; the film utilized the work of more than 1,000 artists and techs to create more than 500 characters. In 1990, “Fantasia” was chosen for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
43 / 100Heyday Films, Netflix
#58. Marriage Story (2019)
– Director: Noah Baumbach
– Stacker score: 90.6
– Metascore: 93
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Runtime: 137 minutes
Laura Dern took home an Oscar for her role in this acclaimed Netflix drama, which chronicles the divorce between two show-business professionals (Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson). Despite his own divorce from actress Jennifer Jason Leigh, director Noah Baumbach attests that the film isn’t autobiographical. Nevertheless, its most harrowing scenes feel like they’re ripped straight out of real life. “Marriage Story” received six nominations at the 92nd Academy Awards, seeing Dern win the honor for Best Supporting Actress.
44 / 100Amazon Studios
#57. Manchester by the Sea (2016)
– Director: Kenneth Lonergan
– Stacker score: 90.6
– Metascore: 96
– IMDb user rating: 7.8
– Runtime: 137 minutes
Dramas don’t get much more somber than this one from acclaimed writer/director Kenneth Lonergan. In the film, a brooding handyman (Casey Affleck) is given guardianship over his 16-year-old nephew and thereby forced to confront some traumatic demons from his own past. Michelle Williams co-stars and turns in one of her finest performances. The film took home two Academy Awards, including one for Affleck, who took home Best Actor, as well as Best Original Screenplay.
45 / 100Tribeca Productions
#56. The Irishman (2019)
– Director: Martin Scorsese
– Stacker score: 90.6
– Metascore: 94
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Runtime: 209 minutes
Scorsese’s sprawling saga finds the director confronting themes of mortality and regret. In stark contrast to works like “Goodfellas” or “Casino,” it eschews over-stylization in favor of a meditative and occasionally depressing tone. Audiences are still divided as to whether the film’s expensive de-aging techniques worked to its benefit or detriment. The film earned a whopping 10 nominations at the Academy Awards, although it failed to take any home.
46 / 100Paramount Pictures
#55. Chinatown (1974)
– Director: Roman Polanski
– Stacker score: 90.6
– Metascore: 92
– IMDb user rating: 8.2
– Runtime: 130 minutes
This noir-ish thriller takes place in 1937 and centers on a private investigator J.J. “Jake” Gittes (Jack Nicholson), who gets embroiled in a vicious scheme involving Los Angeles’ water supply. Frequently pointed to as an absolute masterclass in filmmaking, the movie delivers taut writing, exceptional acting, and an ending that goes straight to the bone. Faye Dunaway and John Huston co-star. Despite garnering an impressive 11 Oscar nominations, the film only took home one, for Best Original Screenplay.
47 / 100Participant Media
#54. Spotlight (2015)
– Director: Tom McCarthy
– Stacker score: 90.6
– Metascore: 93
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Runtime: 129 minutes
In this award-winning drama, Boston Globe reporters uncover a child abuse scandal involving the local Catholic Archdiocese. Not only is the film based on a true story, but a number of real-life Boston Globe journalists were on hand as consultants. Reportedly, Walter Robinson even said of his on-screen counterpart, “If Michael Keaton robbed a bank, the police would quickly have me in handcuffs.” The film received six Academy Award nominations, stealing away with Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.
48 / 100New Line Cinema
#53. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
– Director: Peter Jackson
– Stacker score: 90.6
– Metascore: 87
– IMDb user rating: 8.7
– Runtime: 179 minutes
Next to the “Star Wars” saga, Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy (and the subsequent “Hobbit” prequels) endures as one of the most celebrated franchises of all time. In this 2002 installment, Frodo and Sam continue their journey to Mordor, in hopes of destroying an all-powerful ring. Joining them for the trip is a shifty creature named Gollum, who has plans of his own. The movie garnered six nominations at the 75th Academy Awards, winning for Best Sound Editing and Best Visual Effects.
49 / 100Warner Bros.
#52. The Dark Knight (2008)
– Director: Christopher Nolan
– Stacker score: 90.6
– Metascore: 84
– IMDb user rating: 9.0
– Runtime: 152 minutes
More than just the gold standard of comic book adaptations, “The Dark Knight” holds the #4 spot on the list of IMDb’s Highest Rated Titles. As the second film in Christopher Nolan’s heralded “Dark Knight” trilogy, it sees Christian Bale returning as the caped crusader and squaring off against Heath Ledger’s Joker. According to legend, Ledger drew inspiration from bands like The Sex Pistols and movies like “A Clockwork Orange” while preparing for the role. Among its eight Oscar nominations, “The Dark Knight” took home the awards for Best Sound Editing and Best Supporting Actor (posthumously awarded to Ledger).
50 / 100Archive Photos // Getty Images
#51. Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
– Director: Otto Preminger
– Stacker score: 91.1
– Metascore: 95
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Runtime: 161 minutes
Otto Preminger’s epic courtroom drama follows lawyer Paul Biegler (James Stewart) as he tries to clear Army Lt. Manion (Ben Gazzara) for the murder of an innkeeper Manion’s wife (Lee Remick) said raped her. In 2012, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. The film is based on the 1958 book by the same name, written by Michigan Supreme Court Justice John D. Voelker (pen name: Robert Traver), which is a fictionalized account of the real-life trial.
51 / 100Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
#50. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
– Director: George Cukor
– Stacker score: 91.1
– Metascore: 96
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Runtime: 112 minutes
Starring Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, and James Stewart, this 1940 classic takes place days before socialite Tracy Lord (Hepburn) is set to remarry a stuffed-shirt millionaire. Things seem to be running smoothly enough until Lord’s ex-husband (Grant) and a reporter (Stewart) enter the picture and respectively express feelings for her. What ensues is an Old Hollywood romantic comedy of the highest order. The film took home two of the six Academy Awards for which it was nominated, including James Stewart for Best Actor and Donald Ogden Stewart for Best Adapted Screenplay.
52 / 100Paramount Pictures
#49. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
– Director: John Ford
– Stacker score: 91.1
– Metascore: 94
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Runtime: 123 minutes
Director John Ford and actor John Wayne collaborated on several celebrated movies, including this one from 1962. In the film, a senator (James Stewart) returns to the town where he once famously shot a man named Liberty Valance. Or did he? As he recounts the tale, it’s revealed that a gunslinger named Tom Doniphon (John Wayne) might be the story’s true hero. “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2007.
53 / 100Liberty Films
#48. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
– Director: Frank Capra
– Stacker score: 91.1
– Metascore: 89
– IMDb user rating: 8.6
– Runtime: 130 minutes
This 1946 classic might make for ideal holiday viewing, but the truth is there’s never a wrong time to watch it. Directed by Frank Capra and starring James Stewart, “It’s a Wonderful Life” shows a businessman (Stewart) what life would have been like had he never existed. To think, the movie itself wouldn’t exist had a frustrated writer named Philip Van Doren Stern not sent his rejected short story out as a Christmas card to all his friends and loved ones. The classic earned five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture.
54 / 100DisCina
#47. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
– Directors: Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise
– Stacker score: 91.1
– Metascore: 95
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Runtime: 84 minutes
The live-action remake of “Beauty and the Beast” might have raked in a large sum at the box office, but it’s the 1991 animated version that holds up as a bona fide work of art. Released by Disney amid a major comeback, the film tells a tale as old as time. It’s about a young prince who’s doomed to exist as a beast unless he can earn the love of his captive and thereby reverse the spell. It’s a charming movie, provided one doesn’t think too hard about the somewhat disturbing implications. The film made history when it became the first animated film to be nominated for the Oscar for Best Picture at the 64th Academy Awards.
55 / 100Paramount Vantage
#46. There Will Be Blood (2007)
– Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
– Stacker score: 91.1
– Metascore: 93
– IMDb user rating: 8.2
– Runtime: 158 minutes
Loosely inspired by an Upton Sinclair novel, this Paul Thomas Anderson drama follows oilman Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) as he rises to power at the turn of the century. One of the few things getting in Plainview’s way is a local pastor named Eli, played brilliantly by Paul Dano. As the two figures clash repeatedly, the film itself becomes a gripping study of ambition and exploitation. The film took home two of the eight Oscars for which it was nominated, including Best Actor and Best Cinematography.
56 / 100Walt Disney Pictures
#45. Toy Story 3 (2010)
– Director: Lee Unkrich
– Stacker score: 91.1
– Metascore: 92
– IMDb user rating: 8.3
– Runtime: 103 minutes
Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) and the gang are back for the third installment in the “Toy Story” franchise. This time around, Andy is college-bound, and hence a little too old to play with toys. Following his negligence, the toys end up at a local daycare center, where the children are ruthless, and an evil bear named Lotso runs the show at night. Years after earning $1.067 billion worldwide, “Toy Story 3” was followed by the 2019 sequel, “Toy Story 4,” which grossed $1.073 billion.
57 / 100Warner Bros.
#44. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
– Directors: Michael Curtiz, William Keighley
– Stacker score: 91.7
– Metascore: 97
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Runtime: 102 minutes
The story of Robin Hood has been adapted for the big screen multiple times since the dawn of cinema, but it’s this 1938 version that ranks as the best one, according to fans and critics alike. Famously starring Errol Flynn in the title role, the movie sees Robin Hood leading the resistance against an oppressive king. Not only was the film a massive success upon its initial release, but it raked in even more cash after being re-released in technicolor 10 years later. In 1995, the movie was selected for preservation by the National Film Registry.
58 / 100Twentieth Century Fox
#43. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
– Director: John Ford
– Stacker score: 91.7
– Metascore: 96
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Runtime: 129 minutes
Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by John Steinbeck, this 1940 drama takes place in California’s Dust Bowl at the height of the Great Depression and chronicles the struggles of an impoverished family. In spite of its bleak themes, the movie was both a financial and critical success, winning two Academy Awards. Inspired by the film, famous folk singer Woody Guthrie penned his iconic song “The Ballad of Tom Joad.” Widely regarded as one of the greatest films of all time, the movie was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry in 1989.
59 / 100Charles K. Feldman Group
#42. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
– Director: Elia Kazan
– Stacker score: 91.7
– Metascore: 96
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Runtime: 122 minutes
A renowned play by Tennessee Williams leaped onto the big screen in 1951, with Elia Kazan helming, and Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh tackling the respective lead roles. In the film, a troubled woman named Blanche DuBois (Leigh) moves in with her sister Stella (Kim Hunter), only to find herself at odds with Stella’s brutish husband, Stanley (Brando). This is one of only two films in history to win three Academy Awards for acting. Additionally, the blockbuster, which banked in an estimated $4.25 million at the box office, also garnered Brando his fourth consecutive Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
60 / 100Warner Bros.
#41. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
– Director: John Huston
– Stacker score: 91.7
– Metascore: 96
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Runtime: 100 minutes
From the acclaimed novel by Dashiell Hammett came this classic film noir, in which hard-boiled private eye Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) outmaneuvers cunning criminals and duplicitous dames while hunting for a priceless statuette. Warner Bros. released two previous versions in the years leading up to this celebrated film, one of them being a comedic misfire. Proving just how legendary this third version remains, a 45-pound prop statuette used in the film sold at auction in 2013 for a whopping $4 million. The Bogart starrer also earned three Academy Award nominations, including for Best Picture.
61 / 100William Castle Productions
#40. Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
– Director: Roman Polanski
– Stacker score: 91.7
– Metascore: 96
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Runtime: 137 minutes
A true exercise in terror, this 1968 film stars Mia Farrow as Rosemary, a woman who goes to sleep one night and wakes up pregnant the next day. As many sinister events unfold around her, Rosemary realizes her feverish nightmare on the night in question wasn’t a nightmare after all and that she might be carrying the spawn of Satan himself. Making the creepy premise that much creepier is some haunting theme music from Krzysztof Komeda. In 2014, the cult horror classic was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
62 / 100Kettledrum Films
#39. Inside Out (2015)
– Directors: Pete Docter, Ronnie Del Carmen
– Stacker score: 91.7
– Metascore: 94
– IMDb user rating: 8.2
– Runtime: 95 minutes
Representing yet another home run from Pixar, this 2015 animated feature primarily takes place within the mind of a young girl named Riley. After Riley’s family moves to a new city, she suffers a range of emotions, each personified by a specific character. As Riley seeks mental balance in her new surroundings, her emotions embark on a harrowing journey of epic proportion. Featured in the film are the voices of comedic talents like Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Mindy Kaling, and Lewis Black. The film became the seventh highest-grossing film of 2015, raking in $858.8 million worldwide.
63 / 100Pixar Animation Studios
#38. Ratatouille (2007)
– Directors: Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava
– Stacker score: 91.7
– Metascore: 96
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Runtime: 111 minutes
In this animated flick from Pixar, an epicurean rat named Remy ends up inside the kitchen of a once-famous French restaurant, where he puts his culinary skills to work. Rather than risk exposure, Remy hides inside the hat of a bumbling kitchen employee named Alfredo Linguini and controls Linguini’s movements by pulling on his hair. Thanks to their teamwork, the French restaurant re-attains its status as a veritable dining destination. But will Remy and Linguini’s cuisine impress the harshest critic in France? Watch to find out. The Disney classic took home the Oscar for Best Animated Feature at the 80th Academy Awards.
64 / 100Lucasfilm
#37. Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)
– Director: George Lucas
– Stacker score: 91.7
– Metascore: 90
– IMDb user rating: 8.6
– Runtime: 121 minutes
The biggest franchise in cinematic history started with this groundbreaking space epic, which introduced audiences to Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Darth Vader. Inspired by everything from Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” to the works of philosopher Joseph Campbell, George Lucas unleashed a fully realized world and one that’s still unfolding by way of new installments. Ultimately, this is a franchise so impactful that there might one day be an actual Millennium Falcon flying through space, if only because some genius “Star Wars” fan made it happen. The film selected by the U.S. Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1989.
65 / 100The Mirisch Corporation
#36. The Apartment (1960)
– Director: Billy Wilder
– Stacker score: 92.2
– Metascore: 94
– IMDb user rating: 8.3
– Runtime: 125 minutes
Billy Wilder’s classic rom-com follows the odd world of insurance worker C.C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon), who lets executives at his firm use his apartment for extramarital affairs as a means to move up in the company. All doesn’t go as planned when Baxter’s manager Mr. Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray) brings home the elevator girl from work (Shirley MacLaine) for whom Baxter has feelings of his own. During filming, Wilder only gave MacLaine 40 pages of the script so she wouldn’t find out how the story ended. The film was nominated for 10 awards at the 33rd Academy Awards, winning five, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay.
66 / 100Regency Enterprises
#35. 12 Years a Slave (2013)
– Director: Steve McQueen
– Stacker score: 92.2
– Metascore: 96
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Runtime: 134 minutes
Based on the 1853 memoir by Solomon Northup, this 2013 drama tells the true story of a free Black man (Chiwetel Ejiofor) from the north who’s abducted and sold into slavery down south. Over the following 12 years, Northup and his peers suffer unspeakable torment and abuse at the hands of a sadistic enslaver (Michael Fassbender). The gripping film won three Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Lupita Nyong’o also had her breakthrough performance in the period drama, winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
67 / 100Columbia Pictures Corporation
#34. Taxi Driver (1976)
– Director: Martin Scorsese
– Stacker score: 92.2
– Metascore: 94
– IMDb user rating: 8.3
– Runtime: 114 minutes
One of Martin Scorsese’s earliest masterpieces, this 1976 film follows a mentally unbalanced taxi driver named Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro), whose pent up disgust with New York City slowly devolves into violence. Co-starring as a 12-year-old prostitute is Jodie Foster in one of her most challenging roles. According to legend, screenwriter Paul Schrader made numerous revisions to Foster’s character after meeting an underage prostitute in real life. In 1994, the film was chosen for preservation in the National Film Registry.
68 / 100Warner Bros.
#33. Goodfellas (1990)
– Director: Martin Scorsese
– Stacker score: 92.2
– Metascore: 90
– IMDb user rating: 8.7
– Runtime: 146 minutes
Few movies are more quotable or compulsively watchable than 1990’s “Goodfellas,” which chronicles the rise and fall of Henry Hill (played by Ray Liotta), a criminal with close ties to the Italian-American mafia. Between the deft camerawork, the brilliant acting, the gripping violence, and the iconic soundtrack, the movie is quite simply a gift that keeps on giving, revealing new details with every viewing. A number of actors in the film would later appear in HBO’s hit show “The Sopranos,” and that’s no coincidence. After all, “The Sopranos” creator David Chase did once refer to “Goodfellas” as his Koran. The film was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, earning Joe Pesci the award for Best Supporting Actor.
69 / 100DreamWorks
#32. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
– Director: Steven Spielberg
– Stacker score: 92.2
– Metascore: 91
– IMDb user rating: 8.6
– Runtime: 169 minutes
Featuring one of the most memorable battle scenes in movie history, “Saving Private Ryan” follows Capt. Miller (Tom Hanks) and his squad as they track down a paratrooper named Private Ryan (Matt Damon) before Ryan’s mother loses her last son to World War II. Director Steven Spielberg decided to helm the film as a tribute to his own father, who served in the U.S. Army and Signal Corps during WWII. The movie won five Academy Awards, including Best Director. In addition, in 2014, the film was also selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
70 / 100Paramount Pictures
#31. Double Indemnity (1944)
– Director: Billy Wilder
– Stacker score: 92.7
– Metascore: 95
– IMDb user rating: 8.3
– Runtime: 107 minutes
In this 1944 film noir from Billy Wilder, an insurance salesman (Fred MacMurray) is lured into a murderous plot by a gorgeous femme fatale (Barbara Stanwyck). While accomplished mystery author Raymond Chandler helped write the screenplay and even has a secret cameo in the film, the movie itself is based on a book by James M. Cain. Another one of Cain’s novels, “The Postman Always Rings Twice,” featured a similar premise and was adapted twice for the big screen. Despite being nominated for seven Academy Awards, it didn’t win any.
71 / 100Selznick International Pictures
#30. Gone with the Wind (1939)
– Directors: Victor Fleming, George Cukor, Sam Wood
– Stacker score: 92.7
– Metascore: 97
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Runtime: 238 minutes
Sagas don’t get much more sweeping than this four-hour epic from 1939. Based on Margaret Mitchell’s equally voluminous novel, “Gone with the Wind” depicts the ongoing struggles of an eccentric woman named Scarlett O’Hara (Vivien Leigh), as she encounters hardship and romance during the Civil War and subsequent Reconstruction era. Meanwhile, getting the film made in the first place was its own sweeping saga. Specifically, the studio went through numerous directors, writers, and actors before arriving at the final product. The classic film walked away with 10 of the 13 awards for which it was nominated at the 12th Academy Awards.
72 / 100Zoetrope Studios
#29. Apocalypse Now (1979)
– Director: Francis Ford Coppola
– Stacker score: 92.7
– Metascore: 94
– IMDb user rating: 8.4
– Runtime: 147 minutes
Putting a surrealist spin on a classic Joseph Conrad novel, this 1979 film takes place during the Vietnam War and sends Capt. Willard (Martin Sheen) into the deepest regions of the Cambodian jungle. His mission? To find and assassinate a crazed colonel named Kurtz (Marlon Brando), who’s become the overlord to a jungle tribe. To get the film made, director Francis Ford Coppola put up several million dollars of his own money and underwent all sorts of medical trauma during the shoot. The effort paid off, as the movie endures as a genuine masterpiece. The original was nominated for eight Academy Awards at the 52nd Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director (Coppola). What’s more, decades after its initial release, Coppola rolled out an expanded version, also known as “Apocalypse Now Redux.”
73 / 100Pixar Animation Studios
#28. Toy Story (1995)
– Director: John Lasseter
– Stacker score: 92.7
– Metascore: 95
– IMDb user rating: 8.3
– Runtime: 81 minutes
If the current era of computer animation kicked off with a single film, that film is 1995’s “Toy Story,” about a bunch of toys who spring to life when their owners aren’t looking. Firing on every cylinder, the movie immediately made Woody and Buzz Lightyear two household names. The film also made Pixar a veritable force to be reckoned with. In 2005, the U.S. Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry.
74 / 100Paul Gregory Productions
#27. The Night of the Hunter (1955)
– Director: Charles Laughton
– Stacker score: 93.2
– Metascore: 99
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Runtime: 92 minutes
Renowned film critic Pauline Kael called this 1955 thriller “one of the most frightening movies ever made.” While modern audiences might not necessarily agree, they can still find plenty to relish when watching “Night of the Hunter,” a truly off-kilter work that stars Robert Mitchum as crazed religious fanatic Harry Powell. Following the clues left behind by his former prison cellmate, Powell finagles his way into the life of a widow and her two children, taking every conceivable measure to find out where they’re hiding $10,000 in cash. Revered as one of the greatest films of all time, “The Night of the Hunter” was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 1992.
75 / 100RKO Radio Pictures
#26. Notorious (1946)
– Director: Alfred Hitchcock
– Stacker score: 93.2
– Metascore: 100
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Runtime: 102 minutes
Indelible stars Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant shine bright in “Notorious,” a lauded Alfred Hitchcock film that centers on a government agent (Grant) who sends the daughter of a German war criminal (Bergman) to go undercover and spy on a group of Nazis in South America—one of whom had (and may still have) feelings for her. She agrees because of her feelings for the agent, setting off a visually stunning, high-stakes love story as only Hitchcock can do. Additionally, in 2006, the picture was chosen for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
76 / 100Universal International Pictures
#25. Touch of Evil (1958)
– Director: Orson Welles
– Stacker score: 93.2
– Metascore: 99
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Runtime: 95 minutes
The name Orson Welles might be most synonymous with 1941’s “Citizen Kane,” but this 1958 effort is similarly phenomenal. After opening with one of the most famous tracking shots in history, the film dives into the story of scandal, corruption, and murder in a small Mexican border town. Starring as Police Capt. Hank Quinlan is Welles himself, who later claimed this was the most fun he’d ever had making a picture. Among the film’s accolades, ”Touch of Evil“ would go on to receive the International Critics Prize.
77 / 100Ashton Productions
#24. Some Like It Hot (1959)
– Director: Billy Wilder
– Stacker score: 93.2
– Metascore: 97
– IMDb user rating: 8.2
– Runtime: 121 minutes
In this 1959 comedy, two male musicians (Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon) dress up as women and join an all-women band, as they simultaneously evade murderous mobsters. Still adjusting to their new personas, the men befriend singer and ukulele-player Sugar Kane Kowalczyk, played by Marilyn Monroe. While Monroe’s performance is nowadays the stuff of legend, she was reportedly difficult to work with during the shoot, frequently showing up late and forgetting her lines. “Some Like It Hot” earned six Academy Award nominations, including Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Director, taking home Best Costume Design.
78 / 100IFC Productions
#23. Boyhood (2014)
– Director: Richard Linklater
– Stacker score: 93.2
– Metascore: 100
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Runtime: 165 minutes
A film quite unlike any other, 2014’s “Boyhood” chronicles the life of its protagonist, Mason (Ellar Coltrane), over the course of 12 years. What truly distinguishes the work, however, is the fact that director Richard Linklater actually took 12 years to make it, meaning Mason’s development authentically unfolds before the viewer’s eyes. Like so many Linklater films, this one relies on the humanistic strength of its characters to get its point across, as opposed to adhering to a strict narrative. Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke co-star. The movie was nominated for six Academy Awards, winning Best Supporting Actress for Arquette.
79 / 100FortyFour Studios
#22. WALL·E (2008)
– Director: Andrew Stanton
– Stacker score: 93.2
– Metascore: 95
– IMDb user rating: 8.4
– Runtime: 98 minutes
Set in the distant (or not too distant) future, “WALL·E” represents one of Pixar’s most ambitious projects, and features virtually no dialogue for the first 20 minutes. It follows the adventures of its title character, a lovable robot who’s tasked with wading through garbage on an uninhabitable Earth. After boarding a spaceship, WALL·E discovers what humans have been up to since they destroyed the planet. And what is that, one might ask? Eating and watching TV, mostly. The beloved animated film took home a slew of notable awards, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film, the Hugo Award for Best Long Form Dramatic Presentation, and the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
80 / 100Warner Bros.
#21. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
– Director: John Huston
– Stacker score: 93.8
– Metascore: 98
– IMDb user rating: 8.2
– Runtime: 126 minutes
The ultimate exercise in greed-based paranoia, this 1948 film stars Humphrey Bogart as Fred Dobbs, a down-on-his-luck thief who uncovers a fortune in gold with the help of two men. Soon enough, Dobbs suspects the others are conspiring against him, with his subsequent actions eventually leading to his demise. The movie won three Academy Awards, including two for writer/director John Huston, and later provided the framework for a classic episode of “The Simpsons.” In 1990, the film was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
81 / 100Twentieth Century Fox
#20. All About Eve (1950)
– Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
– Stacker score: 93.8
– Metascore: 98
– IMDb user rating: 8.2
– Runtime: 138 minutes
In this 1950 drama, an obsessive actress (Anne Baxter) climbs her way to the top of a theater company by ruthlessly manipulating her supposed idol (Bette Davis). Written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, “All About Eve” cynically—albeit accurately—portrays show business as a cruel and unforgiving industry, especially to actresses of a certain age. The film was nominated for 14 Academy Awards (winning six of them), which ties it with “Titanic” and “La La Land” for the most Oscar nominations in Hollywood history. “All About Eve” became one of the first 50 movies chosen for preservation in the U.S. Library of Congress’ National Film Registry.
82 / 100Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
#19. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
– Directors: Victor Fleming, George Cukor, Mervyn LeRoy, Norman Taurog, Richard Thorpe, King Vidor
– Stacker score: 93.8
– Metascore: 100
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Runtime: 102 minutes
Essential viewing among children of all ages, this 1939 film tells the story of Dorothy (Judy Garland), a farm girl who gets knocked out during a tornado and wakes up in the magical world of Oz. With the help of a lion, a scarecrow, and a tin man, Dorothy and her dog Toto search for the wonderful wizard in the hope he can send her home. Along the way, she famously incurs the wrath of a wicked witch. The picture was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, claiming trophies in two categories: Best Original Song and Best Original Score.
83 / 100Paramount Pictures
#18. The Godfather: Part II (1974)
– Director: Francis Ford Coppola
– Stacker score: 93.8
– Metascore: 90
– IMDb user rating: 9.0
– Runtime: 202 minutes
Continuing “The Godfather” saga to rapturous acclaim (and six Academy Awards), this 1974 sequel finds Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) squaring off against a sea of troubles while trying to expand and legitimize his empire. Also depicted is a young Vito Corleone (Robert De Niro), who journeys to the United States from Italy in the early 1900s and ascends to power after murdering the local don. After De Niro won an Academy Award for his performance, he and Marlon Brando became the only two actors in history to win an Oscar for their portrayal of the same character. The sequel was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 1993.
84 / 100New Line Cinema
#17. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
– Director: Peter Jackson
– Stacker score: 93.8
– Metascore: 92
– IMDb user rating: 8.8
– Runtime: 178 minutes
Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy kicked off in 2001 with this celebrated installment. After coming into possession of a powerful ring, a hobbit named Frodo (Elijah Wood) and his companions set out to destroy the relic before it ends up in the wrong hands. Hot on their tail is a range of murderous creatures, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on the all-powerful ring. At the 74th Academy Awards, the film was nominated for 13 awards, winning four: Best Cinematography, Best Makeup, Best Original Score and Best Visual Effects.
85 / 100Norma Productions
#16. Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
– Director: Alexander Mackendrick
– Stacker score: 94.3
– Metascore: 100
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Runtime: 96 minutes
Some of the best films take a little time to catch on with audiences, eventually obtaining masterpiece status. Such was the case with 1957’s “Sweet Smell of Success,” which underperformed upon its initial release, but has since earned itself a very loyal following. Converging multiple genres such as drama and noir, the movie centers on an unscrupulous Broadway columnist named J.J. Hunsecker (Burt Lancaster), who goes to great lengths to destroy his sister’s relationship with a jazz musician. The film spawned a musical, titled “Sweet Smell of Success: The Musical,” in 2002.
86 / 100Charles Chaplin Productions
#15. Modern Times (1936)
– Director: Charles Chaplin
– Stacker score: 94.3
– Metascore: 96
– IMDb user rating: 8.5
– Runtime: 87 minutes
Charlie Chaplin reprised his role as The Tramp for this 1936 masterpiece, which stuck to silent-era traditions despite being made in the age of talkies. In the film, The Tramp struggles to make ends meet in a highly industrialized world, famously slithering his way through the gears of a machine during one of the era’s most epochal scenes. Chaplin was reportedly inspired to make the film after talking about machinery and technology with Mahatma Gandhi. “Modern Times” was one of the earliest films chosen by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 1989.
87 / 100Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
#14. North by Northwest (1959)
– Director: Alfred Hitchcock
– Stacker score: 94.3
– Metascore: 98
– IMDb user rating: 8.3
– Runtime: 136 minutes
No list of great films is complete without Alfred Hitchcock, and this 1959 thriller finds the famous director at the top of his game. The movie stars Cary Grant as a New York ad executive, who gets caught up in the world of international espionage after being mistaken for a notorious spy. What follows is an epic struggle for survival, which culminates with a deadly showdown on Mount Rushmore. Regarded as one of the greatest films of all time, “North by Northwest” garnered three Academy Award nominations.
88 / 100Columbia Pictures Corporation
#13. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
– Director: Stanley Kubrick
– Stacker score: 94.3
– Metascore: 97
– IMDb user rating: 8.4
– Runtime: 95 minutes
Acclaimed director Stanley Kubrick enters the list with 1964’s “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb,” a movie that puts the “dark” in dark comedy. In the film, a series of miscommunications lead to a nuclear showdown between the world’s most powerful nations. As intentionally ridiculous the movie is, an early version of the script was even more so, with aliens watching the whole fiasco from space. The film garnered four Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Director.
89 / 100Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
#12. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
– Directors: Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly
– Stacker score: 94.8
– Metascore: 99
– IMDb user rating: 8.3
– Runtime: 103 minutes
Arguably the most celebrated musical of all time, “Singin’ in the Rain” takes place during the rise of talkies and finds the members of a production company struggling to adapt. Not only did Gene Kelly star, co-direct, and choreograph the film, but he performed a song-and-dance number with a temperature of 103 degrees Fahrenheit. Debbie Reynolds co-stars in her breakthrough role as Kathy Selden. In 1989, the movie became one of the first 25 films selected by the United States Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry.
90 / 100Shamley Productions
#11. Psycho (1960)
– Director: Alfred Hitchcock
– Stacker score: 94.8
– Metascore: 97
– IMDb user rating: 8.5
– Runtime: 109 minutes
Far more than a heralded thriller, 1960’s “Psycho” paved the way for the modern slasher genre, and furthermore upended various mainstream conventions. In telling the story of a murderous hotel owner, Alfred Hitchcock relied on everything from quick cuts to gripping music to a shape-shifting narrative, thereby delivering a completely new cinematic experience. To this day, the famous shower scene is among the most important sequences in movie history. The film was also nominated for four Oscars, and won Janet Leigh the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress.
91 / 100Alfred J. Hitchcock Productions
#10. Vertigo (1958)
– Director: Alfred Hitchcock
– Stacker score: 95.3
– Metascore: 100
– IMDb user rating: 8.3
– Runtime: 128 minutes
Nothing is as it seems in “Vertigo,” an Alfred Hitchcock classic based on Boileau-Narcejac’s 1954 novel “D’entre les morts” (“From Among the Dead”). In the film, a former police detective (James Stewart) is hired to trail a friend’s wife (Kim Novak) who’s been acting strangely and may be at risk of harming herself. The otherwise mundane gig goes haywire as the P.I. becomes obsessed with the woman and Hitchcock shares his most revelatory, personal production of his career. The classic Hitchcock film was preserved in the U.S. National Film Registry in 1989.
92 / 100RKO Radio Pictures
#9. Citizen Kane (1941)
– Director: Orson Welles
– Stacker score: 95.3
– Metascore: 100
– IMDb user rating: 8.3
– Runtime: 119 minutes
Here’s a movie so great that when something else is likewise terrific, that thing is often referred to as the “Citizen Kane” of its respective arena. Accordingly, this 1941 film—which depicts the ambitious rise of newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles)—has only gotten better with age. It might no longer retain the #1 spot on lists of the greatest films, including this one, but ask the right cinephile, and they will likely assert “Citizen Kane” is still the best movie of them all. Despite garnering nine Academy Awards, the film only walked away with one, for Best Original Screenplay.
93 / 100Universal Pictures
#8. Schindler’s List (1993)
– Director: Steven Spielberg
– Stacker score: 95.3
– Metascore: 94
– IMDb user rating: 8.9
– Runtime: 195 minutes
While Steven Spielberg was no stranger to serious fare by the early 1990s, he nevertheless caught audiences by surprise when he released this award-winning drama. It tells the true story of Oskar Schindler, a German industrialist who ultimately saved 1,100 Jewish lives during the Holocaust. Spielberg forewent a salary when making the film, and donated the profits to a charitable foundation. The movie was nominated for twelve Academy Awards, winning seven, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
94 / 100New Line Cinema
#7. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
– Director: Peter Jackson
– Stacker score: 95.3
– Metascore: 94
– IMDb user rating: 8.9
– Runtime: 201 minutes
In the final installment of Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, the forces of good and evil do battle over the fate of Middle Earth, while Frodo reaches the last leg of his journey. Not only did the film earn over a billion dollars at the box office, but it won 11 Academy Awards out of 11 nominations, giving it the highest perfect score in Oscar history. It also tied with “Ben-Hur” and “Titanic” for the film with the most Oscar wins.
95 / 100Miramax
#6. Pulp Fiction (1994)
– Director: Quentin Tarantino
– Stacker score: 95.3
– Metascore: 94
– IMDb user rating: 8.9
– Runtime: 154 minutes
Quentin Tarantino’s second directorial effort arguably remains his most quintessential work. Interweaving three violent stories—while simultaneously paying homage to a host of influences—“Pulp Fiction” is quite simply the stuff that great cinema is made of. Speaking of influences, the hit film was happy to pay it forward, inspiring a wave of upcoming auteurs. In 2013, “Pulp Fiction” was chosen for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
96 / 100Charles Chaplin Productions
#5. City Lights (1931)
– Director: Charles Chaplin
– Stacker score: 95.8
– Metascore: 99
– IMDb user rating: 8.5
– Runtime: 87 minutes
Sticking to his well-established roots, Chaplin released this primarily silent film three years into the talkie era. Rife with signature pantomime, it follows The Tramp (Chaplin) as he resorts to various extremes while trying to make a buck. It all paves the way for one of cinema’s most unforgettable final scenes, during which the story’s underlying pathos is laid bare. Hailed as being one of the greatest and most inspiring films, “City Lights” went on to be preserved in the United States National Film Registry in 1991.
97 / 100Alfred J. Hitchcock Productions
#4. Rear Window (1954)
– Director: Alfred Hitchcock
– Stacker score: 95.8
– Metascore: 100
– IMDb user rating: 8.4
– Runtime: 112 minutes
In addition to striking the perfect balance of intrigue and suspense, this 1954 Hitchcock film endures through its perennial relatability. After all, who hasn’t wondered what his or her neighbor might be up to behind closed doors? In “Rear Window,” the answer is potentially murder. Or is a wheelchair-bound James Stewart simply letting his paranoia get the best of him? To say anything more is to spoil the fun of watching this classic for the first time. The movie earned four Academy Award nominations, including Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.
98 / 100Warner Bros.
#3. Casablanca (1942)
– Director: Michael Curtiz
– Stacker score: 96.4
– Metascore: 100
– IMDb user rating: 8.5
– Runtime: 102 minutes
This 1942 masterwork takes place in the Moroccan town of Casablanca, where jaded nightclub owner Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) helps refugees flee to America to evade Nazi capture. After Blaine’s former flame (Ingrid Bergman) and her husband show up seeking his help, he finds himself entering a world of trouble. Most cinephiles would argue “Casablanca” is the result of a perfect screenplay, yet when that very same screenplay was passed around under a different name in the 1980s, professional readers chastised it for having “too much dialog” and “not enough sex.” Nevertheless, the original script—and subsequent film—was about as close to perfect as a movie could get for its time. What’s more, the film claimed three of the eight Oscars for which it was nominated, including Best Director and Best Screenplay.
99 / 100Orion-Nova Productions
#2. 12 Angry Men (1957)
– Director: Sidney Lumet
– Stacker score: 96.4
– Metascore: 96
– IMDb user rating: 8.9
– Runtime: 96 minutes
Snagging the #2 slot is this taut 1957 drama from Sidney Lumet, in which 12 (angry) jurors determine the fate of a suspected murderer. What starts as an open-and-shut case becomes something far more complex, as a lone holdout convinces the others that the defendant might not be guilty after all. As the debate unfolds, each juror’s own respective prejudices bubble to surface, with all the action taking place inside the jury room. In 2007, the film was chosen for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
100 / 100Paramount Pictures
#1. The Godfather (1972)
– Director: Francis Ford Coppola
– Stacker score: 100
– Metascore: 100
– IMDb user rating: 9.2
– Runtime: 175 minutes
Stanley Kubrick himself used to reluctantly theorize that “The Godfather” was the greatest movie ever made, and most audiences and critics agree. Chronicling the exploits of the Corleone crime family, this 1972 masterpiece delivers everything one could ask for in a film, fusing elements of drama, violence, and suspense to absolute perfection. Indeed, there’s virtually no aspect of “The Godfather” that doesn’t remain iconic to this day, hence its status as the best movie of all time. The film had a huge turnout at the 45th Academy Awards, winning Best Picture, Best Actor (Marlon Brando), and Best Adapted Screenplay. | https://www.cenlanow.com/entertainment-news/100-best-movies-of-all-time/ | 2022-04-14T01:37:35 | 0 | https://www.cenlanow.com/entertainment-news/100-best-movies-of-all-time/ |
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The rapper who vowed to pay for Tyre Sampson’s funeral after the teen fell to his death from a drop tower ride in Florida, was using the boy for clout and did not follow through on the promise, Sampson’s family said.
The rapper, YK Osiris, whose real name is Osiris Williams, told TMZ he felt compelled to pay for the teen’s funeral, and would like to be in attendance if invited.
“Outside of music, I have a big heart and things like that, you know,” Williams said. “I know they was waiting on the amusement park to do their thing and whatever, but things gotta happen quicker.”
He also posted screenshots that appear to show a $15,000 donation to a GoFundMe set up by Sampson’s mother.
But Sampson’s family says Williams is lying and the receipt was fake, according to News 4.
“Thas [sic] photoshopped.. he clout chasin point blank period,” Sampson’s brother said on Facebook. “That’s the correct GoFundMe but that transaction does not exist. The top donation is $500 not $15000.”
“The services were covered and it was beautiful. That’s all that matters,” he added.
Williams explained it could take a couple business days for the donation to go through.
“Why me? I’m not even that type of person fr. I will never play around like that NEVER,” the rapper said, according to the news station.
Williams, who is signed to Def Jam Recordings, has a history of being behind on payments, according to the report.
“He has owed money to Lil Baby, French Montana and Drake and paid off his Drake debt by serenading him a live rendition of ‘Worth It’,” the report said.
Sampson, 14, fell 430 feet to his death from the Free Fall attraction at Orlando’s ICON Park on March 24.
The teen weighed over 300, while the maximum weight for the ride was 286 pounds, according to its manual. His harness “was still in a down and locked position when the ride stopped,” the accident report said.
The ride remains closed as the investigation into Sampson’s death continues. | https://www.cenlanow.com/entertainment-news/florida-rapper-lied-about-covering-fall-victims-funeral-costs-family-says/ | 2022-04-14T01:37:43 | 0 | https://www.cenlanow.com/entertainment-news/florida-rapper-lied-about-covering-fall-victims-funeral-costs-family-says/ |
NEW YORK (NewsNation) — John Hinckley Jr., the man who attempted to assassinate U.S. President Ronald Reagan on March 30, 1981, in Washington, is playing a sold-out concert in Brooklyn this summer. Hinckley plays guitar and sings.
Hinckley tweeted, “I’m very excited about my upcoming show. Ticket sales are good. July 8, Market Hotel in Brooklyn NY.”
Tickets for the show, at the hotel at 1140 Myrtle Ave. in Bushwick, were going for $20 but recently sold out, according to the website.
“You’re not gonna find this man on a Grammy stage anytime soon,” entertainment attorney Domenic Romano said Tuesday night during an appearance on NewsNatinon’s “Banfield.”
“The federal judge ruled that he’s a low risk for violence, not a high-risk to society, and so finally, the restrictions are coming off, as of June, and so he’ll be allowed to live his life,” Romano added.
Hinckley seriously injured Reagan, as well as three others, but was found not guilty by reason of insanity.
Hinckley was released from psychiatric care in 2016 and later started focusing on a music career.
His YouTube channel, which he started posting videos to in 2020, has more than 26,000 subscribers. | https://www.cenlanow.com/entertainment-news/president-reagans-would-be-assassin-to-play-sold-out-ny-concert/ | 2022-04-14T01:37:49 | 1 | https://www.cenlanow.com/entertainment-news/president-reagans-would-be-assassin-to-play-sold-out-ny-concert/ |
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The Food and Drug Administration and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have issued warning letters to two websites for illegally selling Schedule II stimulants, such as Adderall, without prescriptions, the FDA said Tuesday.
The warning letters were issued to Kubapharm.com and Premiumlightssupplier.com on March 30. The companies have 15 business days to respond to the warning.
Adderall is a prescription drug used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy. The drug is a combination of amphetamine and dextroamphetamine, two central nervous stimulants that improve attention span and focus.
Adderall was approved by the FDA in 1996.
The FDA says consumers who buy prescription drugs from unsafe online pharmacies may put their health at risk because the products may be counterfeit, contaminated, expired or otherwise harmful.
“This action underscores the FDA’s commitment to use all available regulatory and compliance tools to stop online businesses illegally selling potentially harmful drug products to consumers,” said FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, M.D. “The illegal sale of prescription drug stimulants online puts Americans at risk and contributes to potential abuse, misuse and overdose.
“These particular types of online pharmacies also undermine our efforts to help consumers safely purchase legitimate prescription medicines over the internet,” he said. “FDA will continue partnering with DEA in an effort to safeguard public health and protect consumers who need access to these important medicines.” | https://www.cenlanow.com/health-2/fda-warns-of-websites-selling-adderall-without-prescriptions/ | 2022-04-14T01:37:55 | 0 | https://www.cenlanow.com/health-2/fda-warns-of-websites-selling-adderall-without-prescriptions/ |
(NEXSTAR) – Comedian and actor Gilbert Gottfried’s cause of death was revealed to be recurrent ventricular tachycardia, according to friend and publicist Glenn Schwartz.
Gottfried, 67, died earlier this week after a battle with a “long illness,” his family said on Tuesday. Schwartz later specified Gottfried’s cause of death as recurrent ventricular tachycardia, a condition caused by a rare type of muscular dystrophy.
“Beloved and iconic comedian Gilbert Gottfried passed away at 2:35 p.m. ET on April 12, 2022 from Recurrent Ventricular Tachycardia due to Myotonic Dystrophy type II,” Schwartz shared in an emailed statement provided to Nexstar.
Myotonic dystrophy type 2 (or type II) is considered a rare disease characterized by “progressive muscle wasting and weakness,” according to the National Institutes of Health. An inherited condition, Myotonic dystrophy type 2 usually develops in a patient’s 20s or 30s, and is said to be less severe than myotonic dystrophy type 1, which can be present at birth and is generally associated with a shortened lifespan.
Those with myotonic dystrophy type 2 may experience muscle pain, weakness, prolonged muscle contractions and slurred speech, among other symptoms. A less common symptom is “abnormalities of the electrical signals that control the heartbeat (cardiac conduction defects),” the NIH writes.
Ventricular tachycardia, meanwhile, is a type of arrhythmia marked by “irregular electrical signals in the lower chambers of the heart,” according to the Mayo Clinic. Patients with ventricular tachycardia may experience heart rates of over 100 beats per minute, and can experience episodes of lightheadedness or shortness of breath. In severe cases, it may lead to loss of consciousness or cardiac arrest.
Both emergency and non-emergency forms of treatment for ventricular tachycardia are available: the former include CPR, defibrillation and medication, while the latter includes medication, implantable defibrillator devices, or a procedure known as catheter ablation, which destroys the bit of muscle tissue responsible for the arrhythmia, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Schwartz did not say when Gottfriend was diagnosed with either condition.
Gottfried’s death follows that of friends and fellow comedians Norm MacDonald, Bob Saget and Louie Anderson.
“Gilbert’s brand of humor was brash, shocking and frequently offensive, but the man behind the jokes was anything but,” said Frank Santopadre, the co-host of Gottfried’s “Amazing Colossal Podcast,” in a statement shared to Nexstar by Schwartz. “Those who loved and him were fortunate enough to share his orbit knew a person who was sweet, sensitive, surprisingly shy and filled with a childlike sense of playfulness and wonder. He’ll be dearly missed by family, friends, fans and comedy lovers the world over. To quote Gilbert himself, ‘Too soon!’” | https://www.cenlanow.com/health-2/gilbert-gottfrieds-cause-of-death-what-is-ventricular-tachycardia/ | 2022-04-14T01:38:02 | 1 | https://www.cenlanow.com/health-2/gilbert-gottfrieds-cause-of-death-what-is-ventricular-tachycardia/ |
NEWCASTLE upon TYNE, England, (StudyFinds.org) – Tumble dryers are as bad as washing machines for spewing out plastic, scientists are warning. According to a recent study, dryers release microfibers into the air at comparable levels to those that go down the drain during the same load.
The findings are based on experiments involving over 1,200 garments under typical conditions.
“By measuring microfibers released during the whole laundering process we found microfibre loss through domestic drying is a huge concern,” says lead author Dr. Kelly Sheridan, of Northumbria University in England, per South West News Service. “Ours is the first study that has simultaneously quantified microfibers released from clothing during washing alongside that released when the clothing is then tumble dried.”
Wildlife ingest these microfibers as they float in the air, settle on the land and get washed into rivers. Eventually, they end up on our dinner plates as they enter the food chain. The particles also absorb harmful chemicals that leach out into the systems of any person or animal that breathes them in.
Polyester and other artificial fibers do not break down and remain in the environment for a very long time. The international team urged manufacturers to install filter that slashes numbers that get out. The air used in tumble drying passes through a duct, or tube, and is vented directly outdoors. Thousands of tons of air pollution could be reduced by the use of fabric conditioners, tumble dryer sheets and smaller pores in lint filters that trap more particles.
Washing laundry sheds up to a million tons of microfibers annually worldwide, posing potential risks to aquatic ecosystems. Minuscule fragments of clothing are blown out through air vents on tumble dryers also spurring a threat to human health. They have been found in ocean-caught fish, beer, and even placentas of unborn babies. Lab experiments suggest they damage cells.
The research provides convincing reasons to hang-dry clothes and use energy-intensive dryers sparingly — if ever.
“We measured the volume of microfibers released during washing, as well as those captured in lint filters when tumble dried,” says Sheridan. “Our study found domestic dryers produce comparable quantities of microfibers that could be released to the air as we already see going into our water systems from a standard washing cycle. While many microfibers can be captured in lint filters during drying, if the pore size is too large, a significant amount will be released into the air, comparable to the amount released down the drain in washing.”
Tests on 10 polyester and 10 cotton T-shirts found domestic dryers produce far more microfibers than washing. Many are captured in filters, but amounts that get into the atmosphere are similar to those that get into rivers from washing.
“It’s critical to our understanding of the impact of microfibers on human health and the environment that all the potential pathways for microfiber release, including air, are assessed. Airborne fibers are just as concerning as those present in wastewater,” adds Sheridan.
Synthetic materials, such as polyester, are the worst as they biodegrade much more slowly than cotton or wool.
“The recent rises in energy costs have led us all to think carefully about the financial impact of using dryers, but few are aware of their impact on particulate air pollution,” says co-author Dr. Neil Lant, of Procter and Gamble, in a statement. “These latest findings are a call to action for the appliance industry to improve the efficiency of fiber filtration systems in vented dryers and drive the conversion to condenser dryers with no airborne fiber release, especially super energy-efficient heat pump dryers. While we know people in different parts of the world and in different types of households may choose alternative ways to dry their clothing, our findings relate to the impacts of vented tumble drying. Further research would be needed to assess the impacts of other drying methods.”
The U.S. consumer giant has been working with experts at Northumbria for over five years. About 700,000 microfibers from acrylic and polyester clothes are shed during washing in every cycle.
“We’re very pleased with the results from this latest study with Northumbria University, showing how products like liquid fabric softener or dryer sheets can reduce airborne fiber pollution from dryers,” adds Jerry Porter, vice president of research and development at P&G. “This and the other findings from the research will help us partner with the textile and appliance industries to identify long-term solutions to this complex problem.”
The study is published in the journal PLOS One.
South West News Service writer Mark Waghorn contributed to this report. | https://www.cenlanow.com/health-2/tumble-dryers-release-harmful-microfibers-into-air-putting-wildlife-and-environment-at-risk/ | 2022-04-14T01:38:09 | 1 | https://www.cenlanow.com/health-2/tumble-dryers-release-harmful-microfibers-into-air-putting-wildlife-and-environment-at-risk/ |
NEW YORK (PIX11) — Police took Frank R. James, the 62-year-old alleged shooter in a Brooklyn subway attack that left 10 people wounded by gunfire and more than a dozen others injured, into custody on Wednesday, sources said.
Though Mayor Eric Adams announced James had been upgraded from a person of interest in the case to a suspect, the NYPD have not yet provided an update on the change in their investigation from Tuesday. The NYPD was set to share new details on the shooting at 2 p.m.
Police had zeroed in on James because of a U-Haul key left at the scene of the shooting. James had rented the U-Haul, which was found in Brooklyn hours after the attack.
Here are five things we know about James:
- James posted social media videos decrying the U.S. as a racist place awash in violence and recounting his struggle with mental illness. His profanity-laden videos are replete with violent language and bigoted comments, some against other Black people
- The gun James allegedly used was purchased at a pawn shop — a licensed firearms dealer — in the Columbus, Ohio, area in 2011, a law enforcement official who wasn’t authorized to discuss the investigation said on condition of anonymity
- James has ties to Philadelphia and Wisconsin
- Investigators believe James drove up from Philadelphia on Monday and have reviewed surveillance video showing a man matching his physical description coming out of the van early Tuesday morning
- Police described the suspected gunman as being around 5 feet, 5 inches tall. The man weighs around 175-200 pounds. He was last seen wearing a gas mask and a construction vest. Police initially said the vest was green, but later officials said it was orange. The man also had on a gray, hooded sweatshirt.
Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). | https://www.cenlanow.com/national/5-things-we-know-about-frank-r-james-as-police-provide-subway-attack-update/ | 2022-04-14T01:38:16 | 1 | https://www.cenlanow.com/national/5-things-we-know-about-frank-r-james-as-police-provide-subway-attack-update/ |
HUDSON, Fla. (WFLA) — Mike Keech says he was humiliated when a server asked him to leave a Florida restaurant because his service dog was not allowed.
Keech, who is blind, says he showed the server at Overtime Sports Bar & Grill a certification card that explains the Americans with Disabilities Act, but he was still asked to go.
“The bartender came from around the bar and said, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t serve you,’ before we even tried to order,” Keech recalled. “And I said, ‘That’s not right.’ This dog is protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act.”
The law prohibits discrimination based on disability. The law defines a disability as “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.”
Keech, who was there with his stepson and dog, Nicco, said, “I don’t have to take this. I just wanted a hamburger with mushrooms and a couple of Budweisers — that’s it.”
Cindy Smith, the bar and grill’s owner, said she wasn’t there that day, but her server called her. She takes responsibility for making the decision to ask the group to leave but says she didn’t realize Keech was blind.
Smith says she’s cracking down on support animals, not service animals.
“In the past week, someone came in saying they had a service dog and it almost bit a customer,” Smith said. “We have dogs trying to sit in their laps, sitting on stools, trying to eat off their plates, and it’s a little difficult in recognizing what’s legitimate and not legitimate.”
Smith apologized and said Keech and Nicco are welcome back and that she’ll give Keech a burger and beer on the house.
In the meantime, she said she’s training staff to tell the difference between a service dog and a support dog.
Keech said he accepts the apology but doesn’t believe that anyone would mistake his dog for a support animal.
“I’m walking with my white cane, which is standard for the blind, and I’ve got the dog, which has the harness with, ‘Please do not pet me, I’m working,'” Keech said. “I’m wearing sunglasses and a hat in the building. What do you think?” | https://www.cenlanow.com/national/blind-man-and-service-dog-kicked-out-of-florida-restaurant/ | 2022-04-14T01:38:22 | 0 | https://www.cenlanow.com/national/blind-man-and-service-dog-kicked-out-of-florida-restaurant/ |
DEAR ABBY: My adult granddaughter, “Kaia,” is in a relationship with “Jenny.” Jenny’s stepmom doesn’t believe in gay marriage or homosexuality. I’m having a hard time dealing with the fact that Jenny’s family doesn’t accept Kaia or allow her in their home. Kaia is excluded from all holidays and family functions.
I don’t know what to do or say to her about this. They are getting married in two months, and Jenny’s family is still shunning her. How do I deal with these “holy rollers” who use the church as a reason to hate my granddaughter? I don’t want to die knowing she’ll have a miserable life ahead of her. Please help me.
— SUPPORTIVE IN CALIFORNIA
DEAR SUPPORTIVE: If Jenny’s family are truly good Christians, they may not dislike your granddaughter. They may be following a misguided directive to love the “sinner” but hate the “sin.” I cannot advise strongly enough that Kaia and Jenny discuss the ramifications of that family’s stance BEFORE they marry. I am surprised Jenny would attend family gatherings from which Kaia is excluded. If this continues after the marriage, it could damage their relationship. A counselor at the nearest LGBTQ center would be helpful in facilitating this discussion.
Be as supportive to your granddaughter and Jenny as you can so they know you’re always in their corner. Encourage them to cultivate their own “chosen family” as they move into their future.
.
DEAR ABBY: My husband, “Jonah,” comes from a large family. They are rude people who live in a small, rural town, and they don’t like outsiders. Jonah and I have been together 15 years (married for eight), and I have never been invited to his mother’s home or some of his siblings’ homes.
We love to entertain, so they attend our holiday parties, where they literally walk in without greeting me. They eat all our food and leave without saying goodbye or even helping with the cleanup. It’s “pack behavior.” They do this all together.
I have reached the point that I no longer want to host these events. I feel uncomfortable in my own home. Jonah and I have started cutting back on the number of parties we host, and now they are making rude comments about it. My husband acknowledges that they’re a bunch of miserable, rude people, but that doesn’t help the situation.
I don’t want anything to do with them, and I don’t want to be forced to keep inviting a bunch of ungrateful individuals who don’t have even the courtesy to speak to me. How can I make Jonah understand how I feel? Please help.
— ANNOYED IN NEW JERSEY
DEAR ANNOYED: If you have expressed to your husband what you have written in your letter, he DOES understand, but doesn’t want to acknowledge it. The way his family has treated you is deplorable. If you don’t wish to entertain them, let your husband buy and prepare the food and do the cleanup with no help from them afterward, while you go and do something alone or with people whose company you enjoy. He can also visit his relatives without you if he wishes.
. | https://www.unionleader.com/news/human_interest/dear-abby-accepting-grandma-irked-by-intolerance-of-others/article_f17f8170-ebf5-5d22-89a7-d5f1282350f4.html | 2022-04-14T01:38:24 | 0 | https://www.unionleader.com/news/human_interest/dear-abby-accepting-grandma-irked-by-intolerance-of-others/article_f17f8170-ebf5-5d22-89a7-d5f1282350f4.html |
WASHINGTON, D.C. (The Hill) — A bus carrying migrants from Texas arrived in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday morning after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) last week announced plans to send them from his state’s southern border to the nation’s capital.
Fox News anchor John Roberts tweeted a picture of the bus parked outside the building that houses the network’s bureau on Capitol Hill and that of several other news outlets on Wednesday morning.
Abbott said during a press conference last week the migrants would be voluntarily sent to Washington so that President Biden could “immediately address the needs of the people that they are allowing to come across our border.”
Abbott also ordered the state to charter flights to transport migrants to the nation’s capital after they have been processed by the Department of Homeland Security, The Texas Tribune reported.
The Biden administration earlier this month rescinded Title 42, a Trump-era immigration rule that prevented people seeking asylum from getting an immediate hearing if they were coming from a country with a communicable disease, such as the coronavirus. Title 42’s recension is effective May 23.
The White House last week dismissed Abbott’s plans to send migrants to Washington as a “publicity stunt.”
“I’m not aware of what authority the governor would be doing that under,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters. “I think it’s pretty clear this is a publicity stunt. His own office admits that a migrant would need to voluntarily be transported, and he can’t compel them to because, again, enforcement of our country’s immigration laws lies with the federal government, not a state.”
In a statement on Wednesday, Psaki slammed Abbott’s immigration policies, saying his “unnecessary and redundant inspections of trucks transiting ports of entry between Texas and Mexico are causing significant disruptions to the food and automobile supply chains, delaying manufacturing, impacting jobs, and raising prices for families in Texas and across the country.”
“Local businesses and trade associations are calling on Governor Abbott to reverse this decision because trucks are facing lengthy delays exceeding 5 hours at some border crossings and commercial traffic has dropped by as much as 60%,” Psaki said. “The continuous flow of legitimate trade and travel and CBP’s [Customs and Border Protection] ability to do its job should not be obstructed. Governor Abbott’s actions are impacting people’s jobs, and the livelihoods of hardworking American families.”
Abbott is facing reelection in a solid red state and is likely to face Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke in the fall election for governor.
“If Abbott focused on solutions instead of stunts, then Texas could have made some real progress on the issue over the last seven years,” O’Rourke said last week. | https://www.cenlanow.com/national/bus-with-migrants-sent-by-texas-governor-arrives-in-dc/ | 2022-04-14T01:38:28 | 1 | https://www.cenlanow.com/national/bus-with-migrants-sent-by-texas-governor-arrives-in-dc/ |
DEAR HELOISE: I just read your column about poor customer service — so sad but so true! After 40 years in sales and marketing for a large chemical company, I now teach a class to aspiring entrepreneurs. As you might know, 95% of all new businesses fail within the first five years, and the major reason they fail is poor service. New business owners are all fired up about making their business grow and do many things correctly at first, but then they begin the slow decline, forgetting what made them successful for the first four years. Nobody wants to actually talk to customers anymore!
I tell people in my classes, if you want to separate yourselves from your competition, simply give better customer service. Customers will forgive an egg that wasn’t cooked properly, but they always remember the owner or manager who ignored their complaint. Keep up the good work.
— Ken, D., via email
Removing wax from candle holders
DEAR HELOISE: I just figured out how to remove the leftover wax in candles that come in glass containers. I pour boiling water into a Pyrex-type bowl then set the candle in the water. After a few minutes, the wax becomes loose. Then I carefully pull out the wax and wipe the inside of the container with paper towels while still warm until all residual wax is removed. Voila! You now have a small vase, votive candle holder or container for something else. I run it through the dishwasher to remove any residual wax smears.
— Diana Craft, Dallas
Recycling plastic newspaper bags
DEAR HELOISE: A person reported recently that she used the plastic bag her newspaper was delivered in to pick up after her dog. I have taken the idea one step further. I don’t have a dog, but a friend does. I save my plastic bags from newspaper deliveries and put them in an empty tissue box. When it is full, I give it to my friend. So I’m now recycling the plastic bags and my tissue boxes.
— Vicki M., Fort Wayne, Ind.
Warranty surprise
DEAR HELOISE: A few months ago I noticed that two outdoor chairs that I bought (along with a small table) were coming unwoven. I couldn’t remember how old they were, but since they were barely used, I felt they should still look new. I wound up phoning the online supplier, and they directed me to the manufacturer. I was amazed to learn they had an “out of warranty” department! I emailed them and sent pictures of the chairs. In short order I received two new chairs and was treated like royalty. I wonder how many retailers will make good on their merchandise after the warranty is up? It’s worth a try.
— Nancy, The Villages, Fla. | https://www.unionleader.com/news/human_interest/hints-from-heloise-customer-service/article_0989d462-4e64-5ce1-aa68-9bac12bd8131.html | 2022-04-14T01:38:30 | 1 | https://www.unionleader.com/news/human_interest/hints-from-heloise-customer-service/article_0989d462-4e64-5ce1-aa68-9bac12bd8131.html |
Warning: This article contains video that shows the moments leading up to Patrick Lyoya’s death. Viewer discretion is advised.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Promising transparency and a thorough investigation, police in Grand Rapids, Michigan, released video Wednesday that shows an officer pulling over Patrick Lyoya and a long struggle between the two that ends with the officer shooting and killing Lyoya.
The shooting happened the morning of April 4 on the city’s southeast side. GRPD previously said Lyoya, 26, tried to run away from an officer because he was worried about being arrested, after which there was a “lengthy fight.”
Grand Rapids Police Department showed four videos: from a dashboard camera, a body camera, a doorbell camera and a cellphone. The video blurred the faces of bystanders but not Lyoya’s face, nor the face of the officer.
GRPD says it has nine source videos, including four from the doorbell camera. Its release of video shortened some of those sources so as not to include the aftermath of the shooting, which the department said “was done to expedite their public release in the interest of transparency.”
Opening the city’s Wednesday afternoon press conference, City Manager Mark Washington called it a “sad day for our city, our state and our country.”
WOOD is not using video showing the moment of death. You can watch the full GRPD press conference with the full video on the city’s YouTube channel.
Dashboard camera and body camera video shows that the officer pulled Lyoya over after realizing that the plate on the car he was driving didn’t match the vehicle. As soon as he stopped Lyoya, Lyoya got out of the car.
The officer told him to get back in the car, but Lyoya didn’t. The officer asked him if he had a license. Lyoya seemed confused. The officer asked if he spoke English and Lyoya said he did.
When Lyoya stepped away, the officer grabbed him. A long struggle ensued.
The officer drew a stun gun and its deployment can be heard in the video, GRPD Chief Eric Winstrom says though the stungun was fired twice, neither shot hit Lyoya.
The bodycam video also shows Lyoya grab for the stun gun. Winstrom said the officer and Lyoya appeared to struggle over the weapon for about 90 seconds.
In the video, the officer can be heard repeatedly telling Lyoya to let go of the stun gun.
The cellphone video also shows the officer pull his gun. Once more, he tells Lyoya to let go of the stungun. Moments later, a single shot is fired.
Winstrom said Lyoya was shot in the head. He noted he did not have the full autopsy report, which is not yet done.
The video shows the officer backing away from Lyoya and reporting the shooting over his radio.
Chief Winstrom noted that the investigation is still in its early stages and investigators’ understanding of what happened may still change. He also said that at this point, he is not prepared to make a determination about whether the officer was justified or followed department policy. The only conclusion he would make was that he “view(s) it as a tragedy.”
Winstrom has only been the police chief in Grand Rapids for 37 days. Washington said Winstrom is an expert in the use of force and noted he is also an attorney, so he is positioned to “find answers, identify accountability and propose improvements.”
“We acknowledge that this is a necessary process. But the city has embraced to ask the tough questions and answer those questions and operate with full transparency and accountability to ensure that justice prevails,” Washington said.
Michigan State Police is investigating the shooting, which is standard procedure anytime a local officer uses deadly force. The agency said Monday it hopes to get its investigation to the Kent County prosecutor by the end of the week, though that’s not set in stone. The prosecutor does not expect to reach a decision about whether the officer was justified in his use of force or whether charges are appropriate this week.
“Following the Grand Rapids Police Department’s release of video related to the April 4 officer-involved shooting of Mr. Patrick Lyoya, I once again ask the community for patience in this matter. The Michigan State Police independent investigation into the incident is not complete. This is an extremely critical incident, and one that everyone involved in the investigation is taking very seriously. The Michigan State Police are doing everything they can to complete the investigation in a timely manner, however it takes time to carefully gather the evidence. We do not have all of the evidence for review. I don’t have an opportunity to review a case until I have all the evidence.
“To provide context, the Kent County Sheriff’s Department is investigating an incident from March 31, 2022, where a homeowner reportedly shot and killed an intruder. That incident occurred days before this one, yet we have not received the reports from that investigation. I offer this incident to demonstrate, a thorough investigations take time, we are asking that the appropriate time be given here.
“It is important to note, while the videos released today are an important piece of evidence, they are not all of the evidence. Our office has never made, and will not make, a decision based on partial evidence. By law, we are required to review all available evidence before we consider whether charges should be filed, and if so, what appropriate charges should be. This careful consideration of all evidence is a very important step in our criminal justice system.
“Once the Michigan State Police turn over the evidence to our office, we will begin a thorough review. That process will include review of all witness statements and all video that pertains to this incident, including body-worn camera video, in-car video, and any home video that may be available. In addition, as in any case involving a death, we will review the autopsy and toxicology reports, radio traffic, and reports from the crime scene.
“As I have said in a previous statement, I have one goal – the pursuit of truth – and I am committed to that. We must follow legal and ethical guidelines to ensure the integrity of this process. We cannot do anything until the investigation is complete, and we have all the information we need to make an informed decision. This will take time and I once again ask for the community’s patience.”
Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker
Brandon Davis, the director of the city Office of Oversight and Public Accountability, said at the press conference that his agency is keeping an eye on the internal investigation from GRPD. He promised a post-action inquiry from OPA that would look at what happened and how GRPD responded.
“However, right now, the most important thing for my office to do is to monitor this investigation to ensure that there is truth and accountability,” Davis said.
Davis stressed that neither the city nor GRPD have any authority to decide whether charges are appropriate in the case. He said that is the responsibility of MSP and the prosecutor.
Autopsy report
In a statement early Wednesday afternoon, Kent County Medical Examiner Dr. Stephen Cohle said that he conducted Lyoya’s autopsy April 4 but the report was not yet available to the public. The medical examiner is awaiting toxicology and tissue test results. Cohle said those results can take 60 days, though he has asked for a rush. Even once those results are back, the full autopsy report won’t be released until after the police investigation is finished.
“This is the standard operating procedure to ensure the integrity of the investigative process,” Cohle stated.
He added that his office is still holding Lyoya’s body pending instructions from the family on whether to release it to a funeral home or an independent agency if the family requests its own autopsy.
“My office understands that the families we work with are grieving,” Cohle’s statement said. “We strive to ensure every family is treated with dignity and respect and is supported with compassion and honest information to help them make appropriate arrangements. I have personally spoken with Mr. Lyoya’s father (via interpreter), and my office stands ready to assist him with the release of his son’s body when the family has reached a decision on the arrangements.”
Preparation for protests
In anticipation of demonstrations over the next few days and this weekend, Washington said in a statement that he “fully support(s) our residents exercising their First Amendment rights” and also that he was working with organizers to make sure those protests happen “in a safe and productive manner.”
“Due to the focus of the protest being on our police department, we have taken some precautionary measures around that facility to facilitate continued access and uninterrupted operations,” Washington’s statement continued, referencing the concrete barriers topped with chain-link fence installed around GRPD headquarters Tuesday. “This not only secures the facility but ensures we’re able to provide public safety continuity of service for the entire community. I understand these precautions may be alarming to some, I can assure you that we have no current indication of an imminent threat.”
He added that the city “does not anticipate any threats to people or property in the downtown area.”
“Following (the) video release, we will continue to prioritize the safety of our community and provide additional direction if necessary,” the statement concluded.
Temporary chain-link fences were also put up around the Kent County Courthouse downtown.
A couple of businesses down the street from GRPD headquarters have boarded up their windows.
In a statement released to News 8 Wednesday morning, Lyoya’s family called for the community to avoid protests for the time being.
“No protests at this time. We don’t want violence out there. We want to avoid any violence.”
Lyoya family
Family attorney calls for officer’s firing
The attorney for Lyoya’s family, Ben Crump, who also represented the families of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, will hold a press conference Thursday afternoon addressing the footage.
In a Wednesday statement, civil rights attorney Crump said the officer used excessive force.
“Patrick Lyoya immigrated to the United States from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to pursue the American Dream and provide a better and safer life for himself and his family,” Crump said in his statement. “Instead, what found him was a fatal bullet to the back of the head, delivered by an officer of the Grand Rapids Police Department. The video clearly shows that this was an unnecessary, excessive, and fatal use of force against an unarmed Black man who was confused by the encounter and terrified for his life. It should be noted that Patrick never used violence against this officer even though the officer used violence against him in several instances for what was a misdemeanor traffic stop.”
Jimmy Barwan, also an immigrant from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, said he had been friends with Lyoya for 14 years and treated him like a brother. He wondered why the officer drew his gun.
“They got somebody on the ground; they got somebody on the ground already sleeping. Why couldn’t you just handcuff him or something,” Barwan told News 8 after watching the video. “Yes, I understand there was a Taser and I know all that stuff, but why not use any other legal force, you could’ve called for backup, anything… Why shoot him? Why kill him?” he continued. “What did he do to deserve that? And he was unarmed, no gun.”
He said he was overwhelmed by grief.
The mismatched license plate for which Lyoya was stopped is not a felony. The police chief said that to his knowledge, the only weapons on scene were the officer’s Taser and the officer’s firearm, though he qualified that by saying he didn’t have all the information that Michigan State Police have. Winstrom said he didn’t know why the officer made the stop alone.
Asked why the officer didn’t simply let Lyoya go rather than fighting him, the chief said he didn’t have the answer to that question because the shooting is not GRPD’s case.
News 8’s Kyle Mitchell, Jacqueline Francis, Whitney Burney, Susan Samples and Joe LaFurgey contributed to this report. | https://www.cenlanow.com/national/michigan-police-release-video-of-officer-shooting-man-during-traffic-stop/ | 2022-04-14T01:38:35 | 0 | https://www.cenlanow.com/national/michigan-police-release-video-of-officer-shooting-man-during-traffic-stop/ |
The Democratic Party moved Wednesday to change the order of its presidential primary contest, but the state Democratic Party is confident New Hampshire will keep its “first-in-the-nation” primary.
The Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws committee voted Wednesday to toss out the traditional order of state presidential primary nomination contests. Instead, state parties will have to make their cases to the DNC as to why they deserve an early primary.
“I am confident that New Hampshire will keep its first-in-the-nation primary,” said New Hampshire Democratic Party Executive Director Troy Price. “Folks shouldn’t be worried.”
For decades, New Hampshire’s presidential primary has followed only the Iowa caucuses in the quadrennial presidential nomination calendar. The early primary means that presidential campaigns set up shop in New Hampshire as early as two years before the primary election, hiring dozens of young people from all over the country to staff the campaigns, run events and recruit local backers.
For the time between the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, the Granite State becomes the center of the political universe, with national media, well-known politicians and political junkies descending on the state.
In recent years, Democratic activists in other states have questioned why Iowa and New Hampshire — two states that are less diverse than the nation as a whole — should play such a key role in nominating presidential candidates.
Price said the Democratic National Committee has reevaluated the primary calendar before, and New Hampshire has kept its prime spot. And, he said, opening up the order of the nomination contest does not mean New Hampshire will lose out.
“Look at the criteria they put forward,” Price said. The DNC’s Rules and Bylaws committee will be looking at diversity not just in racial and ethnic terms, Price said, but geographic and economic diversity, too.
States will have to make the case that they have held successful nomination contests in the past. Unlike the shambolic Iowa caucuses of 2020, New Hampshire’s primaries have never had any major snafus.
And, Price said the committee wants early primary contests in competitive states.
“And New Hampshire is about as purple of a state as you can find,” Price said.
Though New Hampshire’s primary has not picked the candidate who has gone on to win the Democratic nomination since 2004, Price said the contest, fought in smaller events with an emphasis on face-to-face interaction with voters — makes candidates stronger.
"New Hampshire has held the First In The Nation primary for over 100 years, and that's not going to change," Sen Maggie Hassan said in a tweet. "We've defended our primary before and we will do it again.
The Republican Party has not made any changes to its presidential nomination calendar.
But Steve Duprey, a Republican who for decades held leading roles in the party and helped make the case for the New Hampshire primary, said he was concerned about the DNC’s move.
“It is a definite threat, and our New Hampshire Democratic Party leaders will need to deliver for NH,” Duprey said. “I view it as a very serious threat.”
Republican National Committeeman Chris Ager said he did not see the Republican National Committee moving to change New Hampshire's place in the Republican primary order, saying he believed the RNC valued smaller states and retail politics. And, he said, New Hampshire has pulled off the high-stakes early primary election for many years.
"The French gave the Statue of Liberty to the United States of America, but New York has been a great steward for a long time," Ager said.
"We're a good steward of the first in the nation primary. If it ain't broke, don't fix it." | https://www.unionleader.com/news/politics/national/democratic-party-rule-change-means-nh-will-have-to-apply-for-prime-primary-spot/article_5b7365b9-c69e-5606-aa87-1ec7e68c0065.html | 2022-04-14T01:38:36 | 0 | https://www.unionleader.com/news/politics/national/democratic-party-rule-change-means-nh-will-have-to-apply-for-prime-primary-spot/article_5b7365b9-c69e-5606-aa87-1ec7e68c0065.html |
NATCHEZ, Miss. (WJTV) – A fisherman in Mississippi set a new record for the largest blue catfish ever caught in the state.
Eugene Cronley, of Brandon, caught the 131-pound fish on April 7, from the Mississippi River near Natchez, according to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks (MDWFP). The department certified his record Monday.
Cronley told the MDWFP he wrestled with the catfish for about 40 minutes before reeling it in. “It truly is the fish of a lifetime,” he said, according to a Facebook post from MDWFP.
In reeling in the monster catfish, Cronley “shattered” a longstanding rod-and-reel record set 13 years ago in 2009, when a Mississippi angler caught a 95-pound blue catfish in the same area. Cronley’s fish also outweighed the largest blue catfish ever caught in the state — 101 pounds, caught in 1997 — rod-and-reel or not.
Blue catfish are native to the Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, and Rio Grande river basins, but have been stocked in other freshwaters for fishing purposes, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In some areas, like the Chesapeake Bay, the catfish are considered an invasive species.
Blue catfish typically grow to a length of two feet or less, but can — in rarer cases — exceed 5 feet and 100 pounds, the NOAA says.
Cronley’s record, however, does not appear to hold water outside of Mississippi: The NOAA says a specimen once caught near the border of North Carolina and Virginia weighed 143 pounds. | https://www.cenlanow.com/national/mississippi-man-shatters-record-for-largest-blue-catfish-fish-of-a-lifetime/ | 2022-04-14T01:38:41 | 1 | https://www.cenlanow.com/national/mississippi-man-shatters-record-for-largest-blue-catfish-fish-of-a-lifetime/ |
CONCORD — Despite plenty of political rhetoric bemoaning soaring prices at the pump, the State House campaign to suspend the state’s tax on unleaded and diesel fuel ran out of gas Wednesday.
For the second time in three weeks, a Republican legislative leader tossed in the towel on the idea and as an alternative unveiled a plan to deliver property tax relief to residents.
Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley, R-Wolfeboro, proposed — and the Senate Ways and Means Committee unanimously endorsed — his fallback plan for the state to pick up 7.5% of retirement costs for local and county teacher and public safety retirees for one year.
Bradley said there wasn’t enough time to reach a consensus on how to make this law by May 1, the ideal starting point.
“I have been somebody who always recognizes that if it’s fourth-and-20, in all circumstances, you punt the ball and try to later get into the end zone in a different way,” Bradley said.
The Senate will take up this retiree subsidy idea next Thursday as an add-on to a House-passed bill to cut the tax on corporate profits from 7.6% to 7.5% (HB 1221).
During an interview, Bradley said there were political and logistical problems with the gas tax plan, a favorite of Gov. Chris Sununu, who has been lobbying GOP lawmakers on it for a month.
“I think it’s really going to be difficult to get this done in any form,” Bradley said. “We heard the House had problems getting the votes for it, we already had bipartisan opposition in the Senate, and wholesalers were telling us there were obstacles to making this this happen.”
Last month, House budget writers floated ideas to help motorists, but neither got out of committee.
Sununu isn’t giving up
Despite these setbacks, Sununu insisted he’s not giving up, as governors and legislators in 20 states promote their own temporary state gas tax cuts.
“In the face of unchecked inflation coming from Washington, we have an opportunity to deliver meaningful financial relief for every New Hampshire family and the best way to do that is through a gas tax suspension. I am still hopeful the Legislature finds a way to get this done,” Sununu said in a statement.
Bradley said the one-time state retirement subsidy would give communities $28 million, which was close to the value of suspending the gas tax.
“I would argue while it’s not the immediate reduction in gasoline prices at the pump, the fact we are fast-tracking this to get this to affect property tax bills in the fall will be extremely helpful,” Bradley said.
Senate GOP leaders said this was in addition to $109 million in other property tax relief bills the Senate has advanced in 2022, including $67 million for road and bridge work and $24 million in grants for targeted school districts
“We strongly encourage local officials to use these one-time funds for tax relief for families struggling with record-setting inflation, rather than increasing spending,” said Ways and Means Chairman Bob Giuda, R-Warren.
This pitch came even as a different Senate committee took testimony on a separate House-passed bill (HB 1417) for the state to permanently give towns and counties this 7.5% support for spending on retirees.
State Rep. and retired firefighter Michael O’Brien, D-Nashua, took up this cause after the death of its sponsor, House Democratic Leader Renny Cushing.
Last month, the bill overcame the strong opposition of GOP leaders to pass, 186-159, in the House.
O’Brien said the state first covered 40% of these costs back in 1967, dropped it to 35% years later and then eliminated it outright in 2011 at the height of the great recession.
“It is better than nothing and any money is welcome, but this was a compact the state made with the communities and counties and they should be honoring it,” O’Brien said. “We’ll keep pursuing this as a permanent commitment.”
Relief to be revisited
Bradley said the 2023 Legislature will determine if this retirement subsidy should last past a single year when it crafts the next two-year state budget.
Senate Democrats questioned how this would lower property taxes since officials in most cities and towns already have finished their budgets.
“Today’s slapdash effort by Senate Republicans was not only a weaker version of the good work done by Representative Cushing, but an abdication of the democratic process in the name of political gain,” said Sen. Lou D’Allesandro, D-Manchester.
Senate President and U.S. Senate GOP hopeful Chuck Morse of Salem went back-and-forth on the gas tax idea after calling a proposal by U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., for a federal gas tax holiday through 2022 a “phony gimmick.”
After initially supporting the concept, Morse suggested last Monday he was wavering again, saying, “But I think we heard the concerns from the public, and I’ve always had doubts about this.”
A Hassan campaign spokesman said Morse was following the lead of GOP leaders in the U.S. Senate.
“Just as Mitch McConnell’s Senate Republicans blocked a gas tax holiday, Senate President Morse played a central role in opposing this critical effort to bring down prices in New Hampshire,” Kevin Donohoe said. “Granite Staters will not forget that at a time of sky-high gas prices, Senate President Morse prevented a common sense, bipartisan proposal to lower costs.” | https://www.unionleader.com/news/politics/state/senate-gop-bails-on-gas-tax-cut-offers-one-time-tax-relief/article_4c2cb6cb-95fc-5225-aeaf-87781bd19a93.html | 2022-04-14T01:38:42 | 0 | https://www.unionleader.com/news/politics/state/senate-gop-bails-on-gas-tax-cut-offers-one-time-tax-relief/article_4c2cb6cb-95fc-5225-aeaf-87781bd19a93.html |
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Crews are working to contain the Nogal Canyon Fire in the Lincoln National Forest, on April 12. According to officials, the fire started around 1:25 p.m. It remains 0% contained.
Multiple resources with the Forestry Division, Lincoln County, United States Forest Service, local fire departments are working to contain the fire. According to NM fire 10 structures have been lost, including homes, and many remain threatened.
Evacuations are in place for all of Nogal Canyon up to NM Highway 37. An evacuation center is set up at Carrizozo School, 800 D Ave in Carrizozo. Livestock can be taken to the Capitan Fairgrounds in Capitan.
- Start Date: April 12, 1:25 p.m.
- Location: The Nogal Canyon fire is located 8 miles east of Capitan in Lincoln County.
- Containment: 0%
- Size: 400 acres
- Structures Threatened: Homes, outbuildings
- Structures: 10 structures lost or damaged
- Evacuations: All of Nogal Canyon is under immediate evacuation notice
- Cause: Downed Power lines
- Total Personnel: Lincoln County and US Forest Service firefighting resources
- Area Vegetation: Grass, Pinon Juniper, and Ponderosa Pine
- Ownership(s): Private and USFS | https://www.cenlanow.com/national/nogal-canyon-fire-0-contained-400-acres-burned/ | 2022-04-14T01:38:47 | 1 | https://www.cenlanow.com/national/nogal-canyon-fire-0-contained-400-acres-burned/ |
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LSU Baseball head coach Jay Johnson is impressed with the hostile environments his squad travels to in SEC play.
“It feels like Rocky IV,” Johnson said, ahead of a road trip to play against the Arkansas Razorbacks. “You know, when Rocky goes to Russia and fights Drago — I’m sure Arkansas will be the same way.”
“It fires me up,” Johnson continued about the road venues in the Southeastern Conference. “I think it’s awesome, it’s one of the reasons I came here.”
For the full quote, see the video below… | https://www.cenlanow.com/sports/geaux-nation/lsu-head-coach-on-opposing-sec-stadiums-it-feels-like-rocky-iv/ | 2022-04-14T01:38:54 | 1 | https://www.cenlanow.com/sports/geaux-nation/lsu-head-coach-on-opposing-sec-stadiums-it-feels-like-rocky-iv/ |
From left, Staff Sgt. Joseph Wyner, Tech. Sgt. Michael Strempfer, Staff Sgt. David Fostier and Capt. Patrick Randall of New Hampshire National Guard’s “Team Alpha” blaze through a pistol match during the 51st Winston P. Wilson Pistol and Rifle Championships on March 31 at Camp Robinson, Ark. Two, four-man squads of NHNG soldiers and airmen competed against shooters from around the world during the weeklong event. The group placed ninth out of 31 qualifying teams.
CAMP ROBINSON, Ark. — Two squads of New Hampshire National Guard marksmen finished in the top 20 at the 51st Winston P. Wilson Pistol and Rifle Championships from March 26-31 at Camp Robinson, Ark.
After blazing through thousands of rounds of ammo, Team Alpha placed ninth out of 47 teams, New Hampshire’s best finish since 2015. Team Bravo finished 20th.
“I’m proud of the teams’ progress,” said Staff Sgt. Joseph Wyner, state marksmanship coordinator and Alpha Team captain. “To have both teams place in the top 20, I couldn’t be happier.”
Wyner was New Hampshire’s top shot, placing 28th out of 190 competitors.
Staff Sgt. David Fostier also made a strong showing for Team Alpha and “legged” in the Excellence-In-Competition rifle match. His score of 177 placed him in the top 10% of all participants. Shooters like Fostier who tally enough leg points at official matches can eventually earn distinguished shooting badges.
The annual marksmanship event, one of the largest in the world, featured U.S. and international military competitors. They engaged pistol and rifle targets at ranges up to 30 and 600 yards respectively. There was a total of 18 timed matches.
The competition was both physically and mentally challenging, said Staff Sgt. Connor Cunio, Team Bravo captain. He placed 54th overall.
“You learn the ability to overcome adversity under highly tense moments, ensuring your mental game is on point and correcting on the fly when things go awry,” he said.
Capt. Patrick Randall, reigning New Hampshire TAG Match champion, was pleased with the showing of both squads, a mix of NHNG soldiers and airmen. He finished 49th as a member of Team Alpha.
“I think we represented New Hampshire to our capabilities this year,” Randall said. “Our eight competitors overall shot very well.”
Wyner, however, isn’t satisfied. “The goal this year was to finish top 10, which we achieved,” he said. “Next year it’s to podium. We can do better. We will do better.” | https://www.unionleader.com/news/veterans/nh-national-guard-marksmen-finish-in-national-top-20/article_eb8ef9d0-c1a9-5f7d-b3cf-ce85c72ebc91.html | 2022-04-14T01:38:54 | 0 | https://www.unionleader.com/news/veterans/nh-national-guard-marksmen-finish-in-national-top-20/article_eb8ef9d0-c1a9-5f7d-b3cf-ce85c72ebc91.html |
Baton Rouge, La. – LSU Soccer Head Coach Sian Hudson announced the hiring of assistant coach Tiffany Hansen on Wednesday morning (April 13). Hansen will also lead recruiting efforts as LSU’s recruiting coordinator.
Hansen, a proven recruiter with multiple top 20 recruiting classes, comes to Baton Rouge after spending the last seven seasons as the assistant coach at the University of Michigan. This fall will be Hansen’s 15th season as a Division I assistant coach, and she will work directly with LSU’s goalkeepers. She put together the No. 6 recruiting class in all of the country in 2017, which paid dividends in Michigan’s success the last five seasons.
“I’m thrilled to be adding someone of Tiffany’s character, qualities and proven track record to our program,” Hudson said. “Tiffany not only brings a wealth of experience, recruiting some of the top athletes in the country during her time at Michigan, but has also demonstrated the capability to nurture talent into some of the best performers in the country. Her eye for talent, ability to connect with people, and recruit at a high level will continue to elevate our program on a national level.
“Tiffany is a relentless worker and someone who is always striving to provide the absolute best product she can for her athletes. Her time working with some of the best coaches in the women’s game, as well as the U.S. National team programs, will bring an added element to our staff and student-athletes. We are so happy that Tiffany is joining the Tiger ranks and have no doubt she will add to the culture of excellence we are building at LSU.”
“I’d like to sincerely thank Sian Hudson, Dan Gaston, and Miriam Segar for this incredible opportunity to join LSU Athletics and their women’s soccer team,” Hansen stated. “The vision, the resources, the culture, and the game model are all in place for LSU to become a destination for top talent, and I’m extremely thrilled to be coming on board to be a part of it.
“Additionally, I’m looking forward to meeting the current student-athletes on the team and building relationships with them. I wouldn’t be where I’m at right now professionally or personally without my time in Ann Arbor and I can’t thank the University of Michigan and Head Coach Jen Klein enough for allowing me to grow into who I am today. This is the best next step for me, and I cannot wait to get to work. It’s an exciting time to be a Tiger!”
Hansen has spent the last seven years on staff at Michigan while heading up the recruiting efforts for the Wolverines. Hansen helped Michigan have immense success as the Wolverines advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2015, 2019, and 2021. The Wolverines had a record of 18-4-3 in 2021 and advanced the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament.
Hansen’s traits have worn off on Michigan goalkeepers as four of the seven best defensive seasons in Michigan history for goals conceded have come with Hansen in charge. The Wolverines only conceded 14 goals in 2020, 18 in 2021, 18 in 2017, and 20 in 2015. Hansen helped Michigan rack up 12 shutouts in 2021, the second most ever in single season history for the program.
Recent Michigan graduate and goalkeeping standout Hillary Beall, the top rated goalkeeper in the nation when she inked with Michigan as a prep, tallied a total of 76 career appearances for the Wolverines from 2017 to 2021. She tallied a total of 6,855 minutes in net while only allowing 72 goals against for a career GAA of 0.945. The 0.945 GAA matched the second lowest average in program history at Michigan. Beall was a two-time United Soccer Coaches all-region honoree and a three-time All-Big Ten performer. Beall recently signed a professional contract with Racing Louisville FC.
Two of Hansen’s other keepers at Michigan, Sarah Jackson (2015-17) and Megan Hinz (2014-17), also ranked in the top five of career GAA at Michigan with average goal conceded marks of 0.94 and 0.97, respectively. Jackson was an All-Big Ten performer as well and was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week twice during her career.
Hansen is heavily involved in the U.S. Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program. She’s served as the US Soccer ID Center Staff Coach for players in the state of Michigan and the Central Region in the past while also serving as a US Soccer Scout for the youth national team.
Before making the jump to Michigan, Hansen was the goalkeeper coach, lead recruiter, and camp director at the University of Dayton. She helped the Flyers to two Atlantic 10 Conference tournament championships in 2011 and 2014, and the regular season title in 2013; Dayton went to the NCAA Tournament twice while Hansen was on staff. During the 2013 season, she mentored freshman goalkeeper Liz James to the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team while she also was awarded with the NSCAA National Player of the Week honors twice.
Hansen’s coaching career began at Bowling Green from 2008-10. During her tenure as coach, Bowling Green registered 23 shutouts including a program record 14 in 2008. Hansen’s goalkeeper, Alexa Arsenault, was named to the All-MAC First Team after notching a record of 12-6-4 on the season with a GAA of 0.68.
Hansen’s collegiate playing career started at Louisville in 2004 before she transferred to Bowling Green for her final two seasons of eligibility. She helped BGSU set a then program record of 10 shutouts during the 2006 season and served as the team captain of the squad in 2007 during her senior season.
Hansen has experience working with US Soccer at the Youth Level as she served as an assistant with both the U17 and U18 WNT, while also working as a scout for US Soccer across the country. She earned the distinction of being one of 15 coaches selected to the inaugural edition of the NSCAA 30 Under 30 program which identifies the top 30 up and coming coaches in the profession while on the coaching staff at the University of Dayton.
A native of Lexington, Ohio, Hansen is a two-time graduate from Bowling Green. She first graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in dietetics in 2008. She then earned her Master’s degree in food and nutrition in 2010 while serving as assistant coach.
(Press release via LSU Athletics) | https://www.cenlanow.com/sports/geaux-nation/lsu-womens-soccer-hires-tiffany-hansen-as-assistant-coach/ | 2022-04-14T01:39:00 | 0 | https://www.cenlanow.com/sports/geaux-nation/lsu-womens-soccer-hires-tiffany-hansen-as-assistant-coach/ |
COMEDY
Kevin Nealon shares the laughs at the Music Hall, 28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, at 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $32. Info: themusichall.org or 603-436-2400
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Corey Rodrigues’ takes the stage at The Rex, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $25. Info: 603-668-5588 or rextheatre.org
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Frank Santos Jr., comedy hypnotist, is doing standup at 5 and 8 p.m. Saturday at the Showroom, 20 Commercial St., Keene. Tickets are $25. Info: thecolonial.org or 603-352-2033
EXHIBIT
The Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester, presents the work of Iranian surrealistic painter Arghavan Khosravi through Sept. 5. The exhibit opens during an Art After Work event from 5 to 8 p.m. today. Khosravi will talk about themes of exile, suppression and empowerment at 2 p.m. Saturday. Info: currier.org or 603-669-6144
STAGE
Seven Stages Shakespeare Company’s opens ”Pericles” at 7 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Wentworth-Gardner Historic House Association, 50 Mechanic St., Portsmouth. Tickets: $23 or a pay-what-you-will option. Info: 7stagesshakespeare.org
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Dance performances are set for 7:30 p.m. today and Friday and 3 and 8:30 p.m. Saturday at the Redfern Arts Center in Keene. Faculty premieres plus an after-show Q&A are planned. Tickets are $5-$15. Livestream option is available. Info: keene.edu/arts/redfern or 603-358-2168
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A Journey to the White Mountains in Words and Music, with Howard Mansfield and Ben Cosgrove, is at 7:30 p.m. today at the Bank of New Hampshire Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord. Tickets are $24. Info: ccanh.com or 603-225-1111
FESTIVAL
The 32nd annual Discover Wild New Hampshire Day runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, 11 Hazen Drive, Concord. There will be educational exhibits, animal displays and demos. Kids can try out archery, casting and fly-ting. Info: wildlife.state.nh.us
MUSIC
Three Dog Night concert is at 8 p.m. Friday at the Colonial, 609 Main St., Laconia. Tickets are $59-$99. Info: Info: 800-657-8774 or coloniallaconia.com
Gary Puckett and the Union Gap visit the Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester, at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $29-$49. Info: palacetheatre.org or 603-668-5588
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Jake Shimabukuro plays Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A. St., Derry, at 8 p.m. today. Tickets are $30-$50. Info: tupelomusichall.com or 603-437-5100
Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening is at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, 169 Ocean Blvd., Hampton, at 8 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $49-$59. Info: 603-929-4100 or casinoballroom.com
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Tragedy: All Metal Tribute to the Bee Gees and Beyond takes the stage at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Rochester Opera House. Tickets: $22 to $26. Info: rochesteroperahouse.com or 603-335-1992
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Dancing Madly Backwards plays the Governor’s Inn, 78 Wakefield St., Rochester, at 7 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $5. Info: governorsinn.com or 603-332-0107
FILM
Hopkins Center for the Arts at Dartmouth presents screenings of “Maxibel” at 7 p.m. today, “The Souvenir Part II” at 7 p.m. Friday, “Oscar Shorts: Documentary” at 7 p.m. Sunday and “Cyrano” at 4 p.m. Sunday. Info: hop.dartmouth.edu
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”Othello,” a silent film adaptation of Shakepeare’s tragedy, screens with live music at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton. Donation of $10 is suggested. Info: wiltontownhalltheatre.com or call 603-654-3456
FOOD
The Assumption Greek Orthodox Church Ladies Philoptochos Society’s Easter bake sale runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the church, 111 Island Pond Road, Manchester. Info: 603-623-2045 | https://www.unionleader.com/nh/arts_and_ent/around-nh-laugh-with-kevin-nealon-go-wild-with-fish-game-in-concord-and-hear/article_c09ff02b-a548-5f1d-91ab-6054a479c313.html | 2022-04-14T01:39:00 | 1 | https://www.unionleader.com/nh/arts_and_ent/around-nh-laugh-with-kevin-nealon-go-wild-with-fish-game-in-concord-and-hear/article_c09ff02b-a548-5f1d-91ab-6054a479c313.html |
{Video courtesy: the New Orleans Pelicans}
NEW ORLEANS — Head Coach Willie Green spoke with local media Tuesday afternoon about the New Orleans Pelicans play-in matchup with the San Antonio Spurs Wednesday night at the Smoothie King Center.
This will be the fifth meeting between the teams this season but at a point in the season where the Pelicans have little to lose and everything to gain.
“It’s extremely valuable for all of us. For a young group, myself as a young coach. For a new coach having these experiences. Even coming down the stretch having meaningful games. We are looking forward to it. The guys have earned this opportunity. They’ve earned the right to have an extended season, a play-in game. We look forward to hosting it at home,” says New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green.
Green says that Zion Williamson will not be playing in Wednesday night’s play-in game.
Forward Brandon Ingram has missed the last three game and is listed as “probable” but told reporters at practice Tuesday that he expects to play.
“Mentally I feel good. Physically I feel good. it’s going to be an exciting task for us tomorrow.,” says Ingram.
Reporter: “So you expect to play tomorrow?”
“Yeah. For sure,” responded Ingram.
Brandon Ingram has played in 55 games this season.
The Pelicans are 29-26 with him in the lineup.
Wednesday’s play-in game will tip-off at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday night.
Winner will play the Los Angeles Clippers Friday night for the 8 seed.
Loser goes home. | https://www.cenlanow.com/sports/watch-willie-green-previews-pelicans-play-in-matchup-with-the-san-antonio-spurs/ | 2022-04-14T01:39:06 | 1 | https://www.cenlanow.com/sports/watch-willie-green-previews-pelicans-play-in-matchup-with-the-san-antonio-spurs/ |
NOTHING WELCOMES SPRING here in the Granite State quite like the bleats, chirps, squeals and giggles at Strawbery Banke Museum’s grounds.
“Baby Animals: Heritage Breeds at the Banke” is a lesson in agricultural history, only way cuter.
Recently-born lambs, piglets, chicks, calves, ducklings and rabbits — and their moms — will visit the Portsmouth museum, where such heirloom breeds would have been familiar to coastal New England communities as far back as the 17th century.
The nine-day event is a popular seasonal draw. Between 7,000 and 8,000 visitors came through the gate each year from 2016 through 2019. The collaboration between the museum and various farms was put on hold in 2020 and 2021, but it’s making a return.
You’ll be able to check out the latest crop of baby animals from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily from Saturday, April 23, through Sunday, May 1.
One of the participating farms is Tiny Hill Farm in Milton Mills. One peek at Larissa Mullen’s images on the farm’s Facebook page are enough to unleash a case of the warm fuzzies. A Nigerian Dwarf dairy goat baby named Floppy (her registered name is Tiny Hill Love is PowPowerful, for obvious reasons) stands on a table atop a pink blanket, her tongue poking out of her mouth as she peers into the camera lens.
Mullen, who has operated the farm for about 14 years and hosts visitors by appointment, says litters usually range from one to five babies, with two or three being the most common.
“They take about three years to get to full size. They are about knee-height when full grown, the same as a golden retriever or lab. They’re stocky and weigh about 60 to 70 pounds,” she says.
This is a hectic time on many animal farms. Amy Gentile, who jokes she’s practically been living in the barn with all the baby animals making their entrances, has about 40 Gloucestershire Old Spot piglets, along with their mamas, snuffling around the property right now. That’s not including the 25 head of cattle and various poultry.
“We’re very fortunate to be able to raise our kids around the animals,” she says of sons Sawyer, 12, and Elias, 9.
She’s bringing a sow named Polly, and her litter of eight piglets, to the “Baby Animals” event.
“Any interest we can raise for this awesome breed, we love to do that. Old Spots deserve all the press they can get,” she says of the threatened breed. “People really just adore the piglets.”
Guest curator Peter Cook has been overseeing the annual “Baby Animals” event since its inception. It’s a chance for people to learn about heritage breed preservation, while invariably doing a lot of “oooh-ing” and “awww-ing” along the way. (It’s the humans who do most of the giggling.)
“We are pulling in animals from five states, some of (those breeds) with less than 500 left on the planet,” Cook said. “This is really rare genetic material, and many are near to extinction.”
Cook, a lifelong historian who lives on the mid-18th-century Tare Shirt Farm in Berwick, Maine, serves up snippets of facts about fiber arts as well as modern efforts to protect heritage breeds, all mixed with funny one-liners and personal asides.
Technically retired from teaching and museum work, Cook never misses a chance to share his field of expertise.
“I’ve been a museum curmudgeon for 45 years,” he says. “I love meeting with the public. People come up to me (during “Baby Animals”) and tug on my sleeve and say, ‘You know … this kind of museum works for the whole family – my 2-year-old, teenager and extended family.”
Visitors aren’t permitted to touch the animals for safety reasons, but they’ll take away interesting tidbits about the heritage breeds.
While a “modern cow like a Holstein is a milk factory,” there are characteristics of interest in older breeds, too, Cook says. “Some of the animals are parasite-resistant, some handle heat well, and some breeds can convert inferior vegetation, like weeds, into protein.” | https://www.unionleader.com/nh/arts_and_ent/baby-animals-its-like-a-lesson-in-historical-agricultural-only-way-cuter/article_c334af13-19e9-5d94-a02b-435ebe2a1f6a.html | 2022-04-14T01:39:07 | 1 | https://www.unionleader.com/nh/arts_and_ent/baby-animals-its-like-a-lesson-in-historical-agricultural-only-way-cuter/article_c334af13-19e9-5d94-a02b-435ebe2a1f6a.html |
LACOMBE, La. (WGNO) — A man is dead after witnesses say he fell off a bridge while crabbing on Wednesday morning.
Around 11 a.m., the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office recovered an unidentified man’s body from a canal near the area of Lake Road in Lacombe.
Witnesses say the man was on a bridge in the area around 10:30 when the sound of a splash alerted them that the man had fallen into the water. They immediately called 911.
The STPSO Marine Division located the man’s body about 40 feet from where he fell in the canal.
The body has since been transported to the St. Tammany Parish Coroner’s Office for identification and determining a cause of death.
This is a developing story with updates to come as more information becomes available. Check back to WGNO.com for the latest. | https://www.cenlanow.com/state-news/crabbers-body-recovered-from-lacombe-area-canal-stpso-reports/ | 2022-04-14T01:39:12 | 1 | https://www.cenlanow.com/state-news/crabbers-body-recovered-from-lacombe-area-canal-stpso-reports/ |
It’s no coincidence that Marshall Charloff’s original song “Minneapolis Sound” conjures visions of the funky music legend who in the 1980s topped music charts and starred in a little movie called “Purple Rain.”
Charloff since 2011 has been lead singer of the Purple Xperience, and he considers the ground-breaking Prince, who died at 57 in 2016, an early mentor and influence.
Like the legendary artist, Charloff is a charismatic mix of musical skill, bravado and coy mystique.
“The playfulness, that’s part of my personality. The cockiness has become part of my personality, so it’s pretty easy, to be honest with you. I do have a blast,” Charloff said of interpreting the late music icon’s catalog in shows around the world. “If you asked me that question back in 2011, I’d have a different answer, but keep in mind this is 12 years later.”
Charloff is also a solo recording artist, and he and his Purple Xperience bandmates like to add their own interpretive flair to Prince’s music. Still, there are certain signature guitar riffs, vocal elements and fashion choices they faithfully reproduce for longtime Prince fans.
Purple Xperience’s current tour includes two New Hampshire dates: Friday at 8 p.m. at Rochester Opera House and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Colonial Performing Arts Center in Keene.
Charloff’s own introduction to Prince came in their native Minnesota. “I was a teenager growing up in Minneapolis when Prince broke with 1979’s ‘I Wanna Be Your Lover.’ It was hard not to be a Prince fan in the world, let alone a kid in Minneapolis.”
At the time Charloff was in a jam band with a guy who claimed he was related to Prince.
“I didn’t believe it was Prince’s cousin at first, because everyone was lying at the time. It was like, ‘I know Prince’s hygienist. I know Prince’s accountant’s brother ... It was that kind of a thing. Prince was the biggest star in the world in the mid ‘80s.”
But then Charloff was invited to hang out in the studio with Prince and with his family.
“(Prince) kind of took this mentorship role over a little project I was doing at the time. That led me to all kinds of things, including meeting Dr. Fink, the keyboard player for The Revolution who wound up being the co-founder of Purple Xperience,” Charloff said.
Charloff also teamed up with Pepe Williams, a key figure in Prince’s early career, on an album in the 94 East days. Williams and Charloff went on to perform at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame benefit concert in 2009.
Prince’s death added a sense of poignancy to Charloff’s portrayal.
“About a month after Prince’s passing, there was a little bit of heaviness, but there was also more purpose. What had been just an opportunity to get out there and perform this great music with these great musicians and audiences that adored this music turned into carrying on a legacy and memory.”
Some people invariably break out in tears during his rendition of “Purple Rain,” that melancholy anthem that fueled an iconic album and movie. but Charloff now a resident of Austin, Texas, said Purple Xperience’s shows are 100% celebration six years after Prince’s untimely passing.
After Prince’s half-sister Sharon Nelson mentioned Charloff on Twitter, she reached out about attending one of Purple Xperience’s shows in Minneapolis, and after the show approached Charloff about collaborating on a new song. “Colours,” co-written by the pair, is on Charloff’s album “Unperfect.” It’s tinged with that ethereal, psychedelic side of the Minneapolis sound.
Charloff, who also performs in one-man Purple Piano shows, says going from the growl of lower registers to the lilting or piercing upper registers is familiar territory. “The range is just my vocal range, and it’s different every night. I’ll take all sorts of liberties. I’m composing all night long.
“A lot of that is live shared experience. Are they boring or are they with me? Are they screaming? That’s going to determine what I’ll do. Everyone’s action affects the energy of the other.”
He jokes about the ubiquitous guy who comes into the theater a bit guarded and not knowing what to expect.
“There’s a little bit of a proving ground. When you see the guy with his arms folded – I love that. That’s fine, go ahead and fold your arms. Stare at me like a deer in headlights because you don’t know what to do yet.”
That’s when Charloff begins ticking off the seconds.
“It’s almost like there’s a pacing. There’s a moment in the show where it’s like, ‘Three, two, one …” That’s a little game that’s in my head, where I know I’m going to win you over.”
He’s got plenty of experience on the stage with him. The band includes lead guitarist Tracey Blake, who played with New Power Generation, Sons of Almighty featuring members of NPG, Tracey Blake Project, and Westside; bassist Ron Long (Christina Aguilera, The Backstreet Boys and 98°); drummer Ron Caron (Rembrandts, Tina and the B sides, and The Melismatics as well as work with John L. Larry Blackman of Cameo, and Spike Lee); keyboardist Cory Eischen (New Power Generation, Prince’s protégé group: Mazarati, Soul Asylum’s Dave Pirner and Dan Wilson from Semisonic).
If you go
The Purple Xperience
Where: Rochester Opera House, 31 Wakefield St.
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Tickets: $38-$42
Info: rochesteroperahouse.com or 603-335-1992
Where: The Colonial Performing Arts Center, 95 Main St., Keene
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Tickets: $33-$43
Info: thecolonial.org or 603-352-2033 | https://www.unionleader.com/nh/arts_and_ent/marshall-charloff-brings-a-prince-esque-funk-to-purple-xperience-shows-in-nh/article_bfad047c-a107-5741-8639-be604e618bf8.html | 2022-04-14T01:39:13 | 1 | https://www.unionleader.com/nh/arts_and_ent/marshall-charloff-brings-a-prince-esque-funk-to-purple-xperience-shows-in-nh/article_bfad047c-a107-5741-8639-be604e618bf8.html |
BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – The Louisiana Legislature is trying to take some power away from the governor with a bill that would allow lawmakers to vote to end an emergency declaration.
Rep. Larry Frieman’s bill would allow the House and Senate to vote to end parts of an emergency order. This comes after many shared their frustrations with the limitations that came with the public health orders during the pandemic.
“In the future, if this happens again we just want to make sure that the decisions that are being made are correct and that there is a way to check and balance those decisions by the legislative branch,” said Rep. Frieman.
A similar bill was vetoed by the governor last year. Some raised an issue with that bill for fear of losing out on federal funding if they were to repeal an entire emergency order.
Frieman altered the language of the bill this time around so the vote would repeal only parts of an emergency order, like a mask mandate for example. This would prevent the loss of any federal funding. Frieman hopes with focusing the language in the bill to repeal parts of an emergency order will make it more likely to be voted on again.
Part of why the governor has the ability to make the emergency orders is due to it being delegated to him by the legislature. Some believe the legislature would not be able to convene in a timely manner to make such a vote in an emergency situation.
Rep. Frieman said it is all about checks and balances of the three branches of government.
An amendment by Rep. John Stefanski changed it so it would take a vote of both the House and the Senate to undo an order, instead of just one that was outlined in the bill. If passed, the bill would not take effect until 2024 so it would not affect the current administration.
The bill passed out of committee and heads to the full House. | https://www.cenlanow.com/state-news/lawmakers-look-to-remove-some-emergency-order-power-from-governor/ | 2022-04-14T01:39:18 | 1 | https://www.cenlanow.com/state-news/lawmakers-look-to-remove-some-emergency-order-power-from-governor/ |
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NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)— The new Canopy by Hilton is a historic renovation of the former Oil and Gas Building built in 1959, located near the French Quarter is now open and ready for guests.
The Canopy is a 176-room, 14-story hotel whose building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. Its use of glass, steel, and geometry in a skyscraper has been transformed into this new hotel.
In addition to the rooms, there is a restaurant and bar. The hotel’s restaurant is called, “Ginger Roux” and it is a Creole and Cantonese-inspired concept. Chef Jonathan Hostetler will serve up featured dishes like crawfish boil fried rice, lemongrass BBQ shrimp, gumbo dumplings, General Tso’s alligator, and much more. The bar is called “The Herbalist” and will feature exotic cocktails.
The Canopy is located at 100 Tulane Avenue.
For more information, click HERE. | https://www.cenlanow.com/state-news/new-canopy-by-hilton-hotel-opens-with-unique-restaurant-and-bar/ | 2022-04-14T01:39:24 | 1 | https://www.cenlanow.com/state-news/new-canopy-by-hilton-hotel-opens-with-unique-restaurant-and-bar/ |
Outdoor dining — and concrete barriers — will return to downtown Nashua over the objections of dozens of business owners and residents.
The ordinance permits the barriers for the next three years. Unlike the past two years, all the barriers will be painted the same brick-red color.
The ordinance passed 11-4 Tuesday night.
Plans have been scaled back, with fewer barriers and the restoration of two parking spaces in front of 100 Main St. To ease traffic flow, some of the barriers will not return.
The issue sparked much debate in the Gate City for weeks, fueled by hundreds of emails both for and against sent to aldermen and a task force.
Those in favor said the expanded outdoor dining brought a vibrancy to downtown. Those opposed cited traffic congestion, limited public safety access and lack of convenient parking.
During the meeting, Mayor Jim Donchess said a restaurant will need to ask for permission from their landlord before the barriers are placed.
“We cannot put up barriers and have no tables,” he said. “We are not going to do that.”
The city will work with all the interested restaurants before any of the barriers go up, he said.
The biggest debate revolved around whether San Francisco Kitchen at 133 Main St. could use one or two parking spots. The board voted 11-4 to allow two spots as part of an amendment. An agreement will likely have to be reached with Wingate Pharmacy, which wants a parking space out front.
Beauview Avenue resident Joanne St. John said the downtown is evolving.
“Now we are used to being like France or having outdoor dining when we didn’t used to do that,” she said.
Fawn Lane resident Matthew Gouthro spoke against the plan, pointing to gridlock, reduced parking and safety hazards. He called the plan “a pie-in-the-sky boondoggle.”
Some residents asked why restaurants were not being charged for their expanded outdoor dining space, as in other New Hampshire cities.
Alderman Melbourne Moran said he will expect some sort of fee schedule to be planned for the second and third years of the ordinance.
The outdoor dining will not include as many signs or orange barrels, said Tim Cummings, economic development director, in an email to the Union Leader last week. Barriers on Main Street just before Canal Street will not be included because of traffic.
“There will be additional parking spaces particularly on the westerly side of Main Street between Factory Street and Water Street,” he wrote.
He said it’s tough to say how many were in favor or opposed.
“There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ with this issue,” he wrote. “It really is a question of what type of downtown does a community want.” | https://www.unionleader.com/nh/food/expanded-outdoor-dining-to-return-to-downtown-nashua----with-a-few-changes/article_14cf0132-d684-5f09-924e-acd1ffd2fc89.html | 2022-04-14T01:39:25 | 1 | https://www.unionleader.com/nh/food/expanded-outdoor-dining-to-return-to-downtown-nashua----with-a-few-changes/article_14cf0132-d684-5f09-924e-acd1ffd2fc89.html |