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Fetuses can react to taste, smell while inside the womb, study says
Researchers from Durham University in the United Kingdom have the first photo evidence showing fetuses reacting to taste and smell while inside the womb.
While previous studies have suggested a fetus can taste and smell in utero, the evidence was based only on outcomes post-birth, according to a Durham University news release.
This recent study, published in the journal Psychological Science on Sept. 21, captured 4D ultrasound scans that show fetuses reacting to different flavored capsules given to the mothers.
Choose: The kale pill or the carrot pill
Approximately 100 pregnant women were given either a kale capsule or a carrot capsule, which was about the size of a standard vitamin, according to Jacqueline Blissett, a co-author of the study.
But why kale and carrot? Blissett explained that the goal of the study was to test responses to vegetable flavors that were more or less liked with different flavor profiles. Researchers believed kale and carrot fit those descriptions well.
Responses: Laugh or cry
4D ultrasound scan showing before and after result after pregnant woman ingests kale capsule. (Beyza Ustun, Nadja Reissland, Judith Covey, Benoist Schaal, and Jacqueline Blissett via Storyful)
After a pregnant woman ingested either the kale or carrot capsule, it took about 30 minutes to see results, according to Blissett.
Each participant in the study would wait about 20 minutes after swallowing a capsule before they were given an ultrasound.
Before and after image showing a fetus after its mother ingests a carrot capsule. (Beyza Ustun, Nadja Reissland, Judith Covey, Benoist Schaal, and Jacqueline Blissett via Storyful)
The fetuses exposed to the carrot capsule showed a more "laughter-face" expression, and the ones exposed to the kale capsules showed a more "crying-face" expression, according to researchers.
To be fair, most people cry if forced to eat kale.
How does a fetus taste and smell in amniotic fluid?
While in utero, a fetus both breathes in and drinks the amniotic fluid it’s floating in. So while it does get much of its nutrients through its umbilical cord, it also "eats" its amniotic fluid to help practice swallowing and digestion.
"In human fetuses, taste buds develop anatomically at 8 weeks’ gestation and can detect tastants from 14 weeks’ gestation," according to the study.
When a pregnant woman eats or drinks something, those flavor profiles have the potential to disseminate into the amniotic fluid. So whatever the mom can taste, the fetus could also taste or smell — at least that’s what the study is hypothesizing.
But how do you smell a liquid while in liquid?
A fetus’ olfactory sensory neurons usually develop within 24 weeks of gestation, the study said.
Odors in the amniotic fluid can still reach a fetus’ smell receptors as it breathes the liquid in and out, according to Blissett.
What’s next?
Researchers believe the results of this study show what a pregnant woman eats could potentially map out a child’s taste preference after birth "and potentially have implications for establishing healthy eating habits."
A follow-up study is already underway with the same group of women and their newborn babies to see if the influence of flavors they experienced in the womb impacts how they accept other types of foods and flavors post-birth.
Storyful contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles. | https://www.fox29.com/news/fetuses-can-react-to-taste-smell-while-inside-the-womb-study-says | 2022-09-24T02:23:12 | en | 0.936066 |
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Friday evening's drawing of the New York Lottery's "Pick 10" game were:
02-03-04-13-14-17-21-28-29-42-50-52-53-54-57-59-60-63-64-78
(two, three, four, thirteen, fourteen, seventeen, twenty-one, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, forty-two, fifty, fifty-two, fifty-three, fifty-four, fifty-seven, fifty-nine, sixty, sixty-three, sixty-four, seventy-eight) | https://www.myjournalcourier.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-10-game-17463398.php | 2022-09-24T02:23:16 | en | 0.826497 |
HOUSTON (AP) — A NASA researcher and Texas A&M University professor pleaded guilty to charges related to hiding his ties to a university created by the Chinese government while accepting federal grant money.
Zhengdong Cheng pleaded guilty to two counts — violation of NASA regulations and falsifying official documents — during a hearing in Houston federal court on Thursday.
Cheng’s conviction was part of a program called the China Initiative, which was first started under the Trump administration. But in February, the Justice Department abandoned the program after complaints it chilled academic collaboration and contributed to anti-Asian bias. The department had also endured high-profile setbacks in individual prosecutions, resulting in the dismissal of multiple criminal cases against academic researchers in the last year. The Justice Department said it planned to impose a higher bar for such prosecutions.
Cheng had originally been charged with wire fraud, conspiracy and false statements when he was arrested in August 2020. But he pleaded guilty to the new charges as part of an agreement with federal prosecutors.
U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen sentenced Cheng to the time he had already served during his pretrial incarceration — about 13 months.
Cheng also agreed to pay restitution of $86,876 and pay a fine of $20,000.
Philip Hilder, Cheng’s attorney said the professor was “relieved that this unfortunate chapter of his life is behind.”
But Hilder was critical of the China Initiative program, saying while its original purpose was “to fight economic espionage … that was not the case in his matter.”
“The China Initiative … has now been phased out as a Justice Department priority. The overall mission stays the same, to ferret out economic espionage, but the focus is to target wrongdoers by their deeds and not by their ethnicity,” Hilder said.
Prosecutors accused Cheng, who was hired by Texas A&M in 2004, of concealing his work in China even as his team of researchers received nearly $750,000 in grant money for space research. NASA is restricted from using funds for any collaboration or coordination with China, Chinese institutions or any Chinese-owned company.
But, prosecutors say, Cheng violated those restrictions by maintaining multiple undisclosed associations with China, including serving as director of a soft matter institute at a technology university in Guangdong, China, that was established by China’s Ministry of Education.
“Texas A&M and the Texas A&M System take security very seriously, and we constantly are on the look-out for vulnerabilities, especially when national security is involved,” John Sharp, chancellor of the Texas A&M System, said in a statement Friday. “We will continue to work with our federal partners to keep our intellectual property secure and out of the hands of foreign governments who seek to do us harm.”
Cheng was fired from Texas A&M shortly after his arrest. Texas A&M is located about 90 miles (145 kilometers) northwest of Houston.
Hilder said Cheng loves academia but is evaluating his options on what he does next.
“He’s a proud, loyal United States citizen and he looks forward to getting back to being a productive member of our society,” Hilder said.
In a tweet Friday, FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge James Smith said his agency “prioritizes investigating threats to academia as part of our commitment to preventing intellectual property theft at U.S. research institutions and companies.”
In February, Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen told reporters he believed the initiative was prompted by genuine national security concerns. He said he did not believe investigators had targeted professors on the basis of ethnicity, but he also said he had to be responsive to concerns he heard, including from Asian American groups.
___
Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter at https://twitter.com/juanlozano70 | https://www.krqe.com/news/national/ap-professor-nasa-researcher-pleads-guilty-in-china-ties-case/ | 2022-09-24T02:23:16 | en | 0.980277 |
Police: 18-year-old male extremely critical after he was shot multiple times in Kensington
KENSINGTON - An 18-year-old male is in extremely critical condition after he was shot multiple times in Kensington.
Officials say 25th District officers responded to the 3300 block of North Front Street Friday night, about 8 p.m., on the report of a shooting.
When they arrived on scene, they found the young man suffering with gunshots throughout his body.
Police rushed him to Temple University Hospital where he was placed in extremely critical condition.
Police are actively investigating the shooting and were able to recover a weapon.
___
Tips can be submitted by calling 215-686-TIPS (8477) or texting PPD TIP (773847). Tips can also be submitted anonymously online, here. All tips are confidential.
Click here to find resources for victims of violence in Philadelphia. | https://www.fox29.com/news/police-18-year-old-male-extremely-critical-after-he-was-shot-multiple-times-in-kensington | 2022-09-24T02:23:18 | en | 0.971993 |
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — An attempted robbery of an armored car in Oakland on Friday left one person dead and two others injured, including a Brink's employee, police said.
Reports of a shooting sent officers to a parking lot outside an auto parts store at about 2 p.m., where they found two people with gunshot wounds, police said.
One died at the scene and the other, a Brink's employee, was taken to a local hospital in stable condition, Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong said.
A third person — an innocent bystander who was struck by gunfire — went separately to a hospital, police said.
Witnesses told KTVU-TV that they heard as many as 20 gunshots.
Authorities said a white car with several people inside was involved in the shooting.
“We are looking for information and video related to that vehicle and to those individuals in that vehicle. We’re trying to identify them as well,” Armstrong said.
He said the FBI is involved in the investigation.
Brink’s told KPIX-TV that the company was working with law enforcement and didn’t have any information to share.
It was the sixth deadly shooting in Oakland this week and the 92nd homicide of the year. Armstrong asked the public to come forward with information to help solve the recent killings.
“We also ask the community to continue to get rid of the guns that continue to plague our community,” the chief said. | https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/1-killed-2-wounded-in-California-Brink-s-truck-17463449.php | 2022-09-24T02:23:23 | en | 0.987203 |
Review: ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ should’ve worried more
CHICAGO - It’s not a spoiler to say there’s a mystery at the heart of "Don’t Worry Darling." This psychological thriller begs you to question what’s actually going on with dazzling housewife Alice Chambers (Florence Pugh) and her doting husband Jack (Harry Styles) who live a picture-perfect, party-forward life in a mid-century suburban oasis known as Victory. "Stay here, where it’s safe" is the one directive given to the women of Victory, as their husbands drive off each morning to work on the "development of progressive materials" under the leadership of the community’s cultish founder Frank (Chris Pine).
Except Jack won’t tell Alice what the "Victory Project" actually does; she sometimes cracks open eggs only to find them empty; and a former friend is in the throes of a nervous breakdown about the very nature of reality. Clearly all isn’t right in the state of Denmark — or Victory, California.
RELATED: ‘Monarch’ recap: FOX’s juicy new country music soap opera is here
"Don’t Worry Darling" works well enough as a pure premise, if only because director/co-star Olivia Wilde clearly relishes the chance to go full-tilt arthouse visionary after the success of her more grounded debut feature, the excellent teen buddy comedy "Booksmart." The trouble is that once the answers are finally revealed, they’re so underbaked and poorly explored that they wind up coming across as confusing at best and downright silly at worst. Suddenly all that time spent teasing out what’s actually going on at Victory just feels wasted. Dressed up like a feminist commentary with something important to say, "Don’t Worry Darling" ultimately winds up feeling as empty as one of Alice’s eggshells.
FLORENCE PUGH as Alice in New Line Cinema’s "DON’T WORRY DARLING," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
"Don’t Worry Darling": An unequal double act
Of course, "Don’t Worry Darling" certainly isn’t alone in the "pretty but empty" vein of psychological thriller filmmaking. In fact, it shares a lot in common with Edgar Wright’s recent swinging-sixities thriller "Last Night in Soho," which similarly struggled to balance its stylish visuals with meaningful feminist storytelling. But "Don’t Worry Darling" is perhaps even more of a cultural curio because a) it’s the first big launch of Harry Styles as a leading man and b) its press tour has been filled with seemingly non-stop drama (much of it related to Styles himself).
HARRY STYLES as Jack in New Line Cinema’s "DON’T WORRY DARLING," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
Unfortunately, Styles is one of the film’s biggest problems — not because he’s an uncharismatic screen presence (the man has magnetism to spare), but because he’s disastrously miscast in this role. As written, Jack is a figure of complex duality; a man who in some ways prioritizes his wife’s pleasure and autonomy, and in other ways seems to seek to control her. In order for the tension of the film to work, Jack’s alluring exterior needs to have at least the potential for cruelty behind it. But in Styles’ hands he never feels like more than an innocent puppy dog playing dress-up.
WATCH FREE ON TUBI: "Harry Styles: My World" — get the app
That leaves it to Pugh to carry the film, and it’s a testament to her talents that she nearly does. Like Styles, Pugh has an inherently magnetic screen presence, even when Alice is just goofing off at a cocktail party. But Pugh also has the skill to project layers of complexity behind Alice’s glamorous housewife exterior. As happy as Alice is to spend her days cooking and cleaning or gossiping by the pool, she also has a steely resolve when it comes to investigating the inconsistencies Victory would clearly prefer she ignore. Pugh’s captivating performance as a determined woman on the edge remains a much-needed anchor as the film slowly starts to capsize.
"Don’t Worry Darling": All frosting, no cake
FLORENCE PUGH as Alice in New Line Cinema’s "DON’T WORRY DARLING," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
For a while, at least, that downward spiral is fun to watch. Visually speaking, Wilde’s richly saturated film is filled with striking imagery, like Pugh shrouding her head in plastic wrap or a sliding wall slowly pinning her to a window as she cleans. In the end, however, "Don’t Worry Darling" winds up feeling more like a collection of cool music video visuals than a cohesive film. Like its oppressive wall-to-wall score, "Darling" just plays the same notes over and over again, teasing its mystery from the very beginning yet withholding any real answers until it’s too late to actually explore their impact.
WATCH FREE ON TUBI: Florence Pugh’s dazzling breakthrough performance in "Lady Macbeth" — get the app
What’s left is all style and no substance, which wouldn’t be such a problem if the movie weren’t also seemingly so convinced that it has something important to say. The themes of "Don’t Worry Darling" revolve around patriarchy and power — not just in terms of mid-century conventionality but as it relates to contemporary life too. When does a paradise become a prison, and how do we gain the perspective to see which one we’re in? Who can be trusted in a society that rewards loyalty to patriarchal structures above all else? And what do men really want from the women they marry?
OLIVIA WILDE as Bunny in New Line Cinema’s "DON’T WORRY DARLING," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
They’re questions that might’ve felt revolutionary in, say, 1975 — the year "The Stepford Wives" (an obvious influence on Wilde’s film) was released. But in 2022 they come across as simplistic and totally lacking in nuance. In the end, "Don’t Worry Darling" is underwritten, unevenly acted and over-directed. Maybe if it had spent more time on its answers than its mysteries, this "Twilight Zone"-esque tale could’ve explored new angles on its familiar themes. As is, "Don’t Worry Darling" just feels stuck in the past.
Grade: C
(L-R) FLORENCE PUGH as Alice and HARRY STYLES as Jack in New Line Cinema’s "DON’T WORRY DARLING," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
Rated R. 122 minutes. Dir: Olivia Wilde. Featuring: Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Chris Pine, Olivia Wilde, Gemma Chan, KiKi Layne, Nick Kroll, Kate Berlant, Sydney Chandler.
Make it a double feature with "The Stepford Wives," streaming free on Tubi
The Stepford Wives (1975): Even if you’ve never seen this 1970s horror cult classic (or the much-maligned 2004 Nicole Kidman remake), you’re probably familiar with its central premise: A picture-perfect suburban community where all the wives are docile and subservient. New-to-town photographer Joanna Eberhart (Katharine Ross) is our entry point to the mysterious town of Stepford and its titular wives. And what she finds there offers a pointed message about the pitfalls of patriarchy. (And yes, skip the remake.) Rated PG. 114 minutes. Dir: Bryan Forbes. Featuring: Katharine Ross, Paula Prentiss, Peter Masterson, Tina Louise, Franklin Cover.
"The Stepford Wives" is streaming free on Tubi — get the app
How to watch "Don’t Worry Darling"
"Don’t Worry Darling" debuts in theaters nationwide on Sept. 23. It is not currently available to stream.
About the writer: Caroline Siede is a film and TV critic in Chicago, where the cold never bothers her anyway. A member of the Chicago Film Critics Association, she spent four years lovingly analyzing the romantic comedy genre one film at a time in her column When Romance Met Comedy for The A.V. Club. She also co-hosts the movie podcast, Role Calling, and shares her pop culture opinions on Twitter (@carolinesiede).
About Tubi: Tubi has more than 40,000 movies and television series from over 250 content partners, including every major studio, in addition to the largest offering of free live local and national news channels in streaming. The platform gives fans of entertainment, news and sports an easy way to discover new content that is available completely free.
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Tubi and this television station are both owned by the FOX Corporation. | https://www.fox29.com/news/review-dont-worry-darling-harry-styles-florence-pugh-miss-flo-olivia-wilde | 2022-09-24T02:23:24 | en | 0.934377 |
In some Tampa Bay-area schools, students use foam rollers and vibrating spheres to massage their muscles as they work toward goals for strength and flexibility. It’s all part of a new physical education curriculum from quarterback Tom Brady, whose vision for healthy living is fueling a fitness empire.
The arrangement with schools in Pinellas County, Florida, marks a foray into education for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers superstar and his methods — including some that have been criticized as pseudoscience.
Physical education experts have raised questions about the approach’s suitability for school-age children. But the program — and its connection with the seven-time Super Bowl champion — has stirred student interest in fitness and nutrition, others say.
“My legs are lot more loose, and they’re not so heavy on me,” said Antoine James, an eighth-grader. “It really helps.”
A pilot project has embedded parts of the program in gym and health courses in 10 middle and high schools in the 96,000-student district. The TB12 Foundation, the charitable arm of Brady’s fitness business, is picking up the tab to train district staff and provide them with equipment.
The marketing boost for TB12, of course, is free.
Adults who embrace the “TB12 Method,” as Brady described it in a 2017 book, can meet with a trainer for $200 an hour at one of his company’s training centers. His product line includes a plant-based protein powder, electrolytes and vibrating rollers that sell for $160.
“I’m sure one of the benefits is to help students get better exercise habits and physical fitness habits,” said Karen Rommelfanger, an adjunct professor of neurology and psychiatry at Emory University. “But does it also start to enroll another generation of consumers for their product?”
In Pinellas County, the plan is to expand to the rest of its middle and high schools next year. If all goes well, Brady’s foundation is looking to use the program as a model for other districts.
“Today we kind of focus on a little bit older client for the most part,” said Grant Shriver, president and CEO at TB12, where the average client is around 40. “This just kind of gives us a little bit of a vision of how we could go approach just more people.”
The TB12 Foundation’s first partnership in education started in 2020 with Brockton Public Schools in Massachusetts, where Brady played for the New England Patriots. TB12 took a dozen of the district’s athletes to its training center free of charge. That effort later expanded to Malden Public Schools, also in the Boston area.
“I grew up where you lifted heavy weights and, you know, you gauge strength by how much you could bench press and how much you can squat. And this is completely different,” said Brockton Public Schools Athletic Director Kevin Karo. His district is now contracting to use some of the TB12 staff as strength and conditioning coaches for student-athletes.
Most of Brady’s advice is fairly mainstream, including an emphasis on a positive attitude, good nutrition and adequate sleep. But some of his guidance has faced skepticism. He famously attributed his propensity not to sunburn to his high water intake in his book. His trainer, Alex Guerrero, was investigated before joining Brady by the Federal Trade Commission over unsubstantiated claims that a supplement he promoted could cure concussions.
Brady, 45, describes his approach as a departure from the lift-heavy gym culture. He endorses instead exercise bands and something he calls “pliability,” which includes an emphasis on flexibility and massage.
“I feel like everything I’ve learned over the course of 23 years in football has and will allow me to continue to help people in different ways,” Brady said Thursday. “I think starting young is really important, educating people on what works as opposed to the way things have always been.”
Sports trainers have been moving toward a model that includes a mixture of strength training, flexibility and balance exercises, said Mike Fantigrassi, the senior director of product development for the National Academy of Sports Medicine, which certifies trainers. But he said he had concerns with the word “pliability” being taught in schools as though it was scientifically proven.
“It’s a term that they made up,” he said. “Some of this stuff is not rooted in good science. And if you’re bringing a curriculum into schools, I believe it should be rooted in good science.”
Brady is one of the world’s greatest athletes but does not have expertise in teaching children, said Terri Drain, a past president of the Society of Health and Physical Educators.
“I just am a little bit alarmed that a school district the size of this one would grab onto this celebrity program,” said Drain, who runs a nonprofit that provides professional development for health and physical education teachers.
On the diet front, Brady advises against foods in the nightshade family like peppers, tomatoes and eggplants because of inflammation concerns. Experts like Eric Rimm say a lot of Brady’s diet guidance is extreme and not backed by a “huge science base.”
Still, Rimm, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, said there could be benefits.
“If you’re getting rid of the average eighth grade American’s diet and shifting to what he eats, yeah, that’s a lot healthier,” he said. “That’s fantastic.”
One upside is the Brady name makes students perk up in class, said Allison Swank, an eighth grade wellness teacher and a track coach in Pinellas County.
“They definitely know who he is and it’s exciting for them to be able to relate what we’re going to be doing to his program,” she said.
In pilot classes, students take baseline assessments to evaluate areas like their strength, conditioning and flexibility. They then set goals to pursue for improvement, said pre-K-12 health and physical education specialist Ashley Grimes.
She said districts around the county have reached out, asking what the program is about and if it’s something they could do, too.
The program doesn’t use Brady’s book as a textbook, stressed Ben Wieder, a member of the Pinellas Education Foundation, who uses TB12 himself and approached the foundation about bringing the program to the district.
“Tom Brady eats avocado ice cream. Like, we don’t teach eating avocado ice cream,” Wieder said. Most of the science-backed elements of the curriculum are in line with Florida education standards, he said. “I think if you were to go through the book. you’re probably talking 90, 95% of the content is universally accepted.”
___
Associated Press reporter Rob Maaddi contributed from Tampa, Fla.
___
The Associated Press education team receives support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | https://www.krqe.com/news/national/ap-tom-bradys-tb12-method-is-in-schools-experts-have-doubts/ | 2022-09-24T02:23:24 | en | 0.971233 |
GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) — Grants Pass police killed a resident this week while chasing a suspect from a city park into a neighborhood after a suspicious-activity call, according to Oregon State Police.
Police responded to the call around 8 p.m. Monday and came upon a suspect, who fled on foot into a nearby neighborhood, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.
During the pursuit and search that followed, police say an officer encountered an armed resident and shot him. Oregon State Police identified the resident as Mark Barrett Caldwell, 46.
Police said they are still searching for the “initial male suspect who fled."
The unidentified officer who shot Caldwell was put on administrative leave, and Oregon State Police are investigating.
Caldwell was taken to Rogue Valley Medical Center in Medford, where he died Thursday, police said. | https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/Cops-shoot-kill-Grants-Pass-resident-during-17463426.php | 2022-09-24T02:23:29 | en | 0.973969 |
SAN FRANCISCO (KXAN) — Actor Matthew McConaughey is again hinting at a future political career. The Oscar-winner talked about his presidential aspirations at a conference in San Francisco earlier this week, SFGATE reported.
McConaughey was a featured speaker at Dreamforce, an annual tech conference by Salesforce. SFGATE wrote that the actor spoke to Salesforce co-CEO Marc Benioff while there, and though McConaughey didn’t make any specifications on the possibility of running for president, he did say he’d consider it in the future and he’d “be arrogant not to.”
This isn’t the first time he’s teased at a political career. Previously, however, it’s been on a smaller scale. McConaughey considered running for governor of Texas, but ultimately announced in November 2021 that he wouldn’t take the path of politics “at the moment.”
He hasn’t been shy to make political commentary either.
Over the summer, he visited Washington, D.C. to talk with lawmakers about gun legislation following the Robb Elementary School shooting that killed 19 children in his hometown of Uvalde, Texas.
He also spoke with Kara Swisher in a 40-minute-long interview on “Sway”, a New York Times Opinion podcast, about Texas’ political landscape and his thoughts on pursuing a career in politics.
McConaughey said at Dreamscape that if presidential candidacy is in his future, it would be because “it chose him,” according to SFGATE.
“If that happened to me I would be pulled into it. If I’m living right, which I’m trying to, we get pulled into things… it’s inevitable. I didn’t choose it, it chose me,” McConaughey said according to SFGATE. | https://www.krqe.com/news/national/matthew-mcconaughey-teases-future-presidential-run/ | 2022-09-24T02:23:31 | en | 0.969081 |
CHESTERFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — A Detroit radio news anchor died Friday in a domestic dispute that left four other people hospitalized, the man's radio station and authorities said.
Jim Matthews, the overnight news anchor at WWJ-AM for about seven years, died in the attack, the station reported.
Chesterfield Township Public Safety Director Brian Bassett said a 35-year-old woman had been stabbed multiple times, a 10-year-old boy was found tied up in a closet with trauma to his head, and a 5-year-old girl also was injured.
The woman was in critical but stable condition; her daughter was in stable condition; and the boy was in critical condition, Bassett said.
Witnesses described the woman holding a small child running from the house “covered in blood,” Bassett said.
Inside the home, police found Matthews dead and the boy bound in a closet with blunt force trauma injuries. When they searched, they found a 54-year-old man who was overdosing and had self-inflicted wounds in the basement. He was in stable condition.
It wasn't clear how Matthews died. Bassett said a gun was not involved.
Matthews was the father of the two injured children, a co-worker said. | https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/Detroit-radio-anchor-killed-in-attack-4-others-17463392.php | 2022-09-24T02:23:35 | en | 0.990177 |
PHOENIX (AP) — A federal judge has rejected an effort by Arizona Republican Party Chair Kelli Ward and her husband to block a subpoena of their phone records issued by the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
The ruling from U.S. District Judge Diane Humetewa issued late Thursday said none of the reasons the Wards cited for blocking the congressional demand passed legal muster. She noted that Congress is generally immune from lawsuits, and none of the exemptions applied to the Wards’ case.
Their attorneys appealed the decision to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday. Ward did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and a request for comment from the committee was also not immediately returned.
The House committee is seeking phone records from just before the November 2020 election to Jan. 31, 2021. That would include a period where Ward was pushing for former President Donald Trump’s election defeat to be overturned and while Congress was set to certify the results.
Kelli Ward and Michael Ward were presidential electors who would have voted for Trump in the Electoral College had he won Arizona. Both signed a document falsely claiming they were Arizona’s true electors, despite Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in the state.
The Wards argued the subpoena should be quashed because it violated their First Amendment rights, violated House rules and exceeded the authority of the Jan. 6 committee. Humetewa rejected each argument in turn, and noted that the federal appeals court in Washington has rejected similar arguments raised by Trump during his unsuccessful effort to block a committee subpoena. The U.S. Supreme Court let those rulings stand.
Ward and her husband, who are both physicians, also argued that turning over their phone records could compromise the private health information of their patients. But Humetewa said the records are being sought from a phone provider not covered by health care privacy laws. She did encourage the Wards and congressional investigators to discuss how to protect any patient information that might be revealed.
Kelli Ward is a staunch Trump ally who has aggressively promoted the false claim that the election was stolen from him. In the days after the election, she pressured Republicans on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to investigate unsupported claims of fraud before election results were certified, according to text messages released by the county. | https://www.krqe.com/news/politics/ap-arizona-gop-chairs-try-to-quash-jan-6-panel-subpoena-fails/ | 2022-09-24T02:23:37 | en | 0.980256 |
WHL
All Times Local
Western Conference
B.C. Division
U.S. Division
Eastern Conference
East Division
Central Division
Note: Two points for a team winning in overtime or shootout; the team losing in overtime or shootout receives one which is registered in the OTL or SOL columns.
Friday's results
Red Deer at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Calgary at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Moose Jaw at Regina, 7 p.m.
Saskatoon at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Portland at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Tri-City at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Spokane at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
Seattle at Vancouver, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday's games
Winnipeg at Brandon, 7 p.m.
Prince Albert at Saskatoon, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Tri-City at Prince George, 6 p.m.
Regina at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Lethbridge at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
Swift Current at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Spokane at Victoria, 6:05 p.m.
Vancouver at Everett, 6:05 p.m.
Portland at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Wednesday's games
Winnipeg at Prince Albert, 7 p.m. | https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/HKO-WHL-Standings-17463391.php | 2022-09-24T02:23:41 | en | 0.90563 |
WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s a Washington mystery that no one seems able to unravel. The Supreme Court apparently still hasn’t found the person who leaked a draft of the court’s major abortion decision earlier this year.
In a television interview airing this weekend, retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, who left the court in June when the justices began their summer break, says he hasn’t heard that the person’s identity has been determined.
Breyer, 84, was speaking with CNN anchor Chris Wallace. According to a transcript provided by the network, Wallace asked about the leak, which happened in May: “Within 24 hours the chief justice ordered an investigation of the leaker. Have they found him or her?”
“Not to my knowledge, but … I’m not privy to it,” Breyer responds. Wallace presses: “So in those months since, the chief justice never said, ‘Hey, we got our man or woman?’”
“To my knowledge, no,” again responded Breyer, who despite being retired maintains an office at the Supreme Court. The interview is to air Sunday on “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?”
Other justices have also suggested recently that the identity of the leaker remains unknown to the court. At a conference in Colorado this month Justice Neil Gorsuch said it is “terribly important” to identify the leaker and he is expecting a report on the progress of the investigation, “I hope soon.” Justice Elena Kagan also said recently she does not know if the investigation Roberts ordered has determined the source of the leak.
Breyer, a liberal appointed to the court by President Bill Clinton, also spoke on a range of other topics with Wallace.
He was a about Virginia Thomas, a conservative activist and the wife of Justice Clarence Thomas, and her involvement in helping former President Donald Trump try to overturn his election defeat. Thomas has faced criticism for texting with White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and contacting lawmakers in Arizona and Wisconsin in the weeks after the election. She recently agreed to participate in a voluntary interview with the House panel investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection.
“I strongly believe that women who are wise, including wives of Supreme Court justices, have to make the decisions about how to lead their lives, careers, what kind of career etc., for themselves. So on this sort of issue, I understand where you’re going, but I’m not going there. … I’m not going to criticize Ginni Thomas, whom I like. I’m not going to criticize Clarence whom I like. And there we are,” Breyer said.
Breyer, who watched his liberal colleague Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg opt not to retire when President Barack Obama could have named a like-minded replacement, said he would miss being on the court but that it was time to leave. Ginsburg died near the end of former President Donald Trump’s term, and he named the conservative Justice Amy Coney Barret to replace her. Barrett was confirmed just days before the presidential election that ousted Trump from office.
“I’ve done this for a long time. Other people should have a chance. The world does change. And we don’t know, frankly, what would happen, if I just stayed there and stayed there. How long would I have to stay there? … I owe loyalty to the court, which means don’t muck things up. Do things in a regular order,” Breyer said. | https://www.krqe.com/news/politics/ap-breyer-supreme-court-leaker-still-appears-to-be-a-mystery/ | 2022-09-24T02:23:44 | en | 0.973476 |
WHL
All Times Local
Western Conference
B.C. Division
U.S. Division
Eastern Conference
East Division
Central Division
Note: Two points for a team winning in overtime or shootout; the team losing in overtime or shootout receives one which is registered in the OTL or SOL columns.
Friday's results
Red Deer at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Calgary at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Moose Jaw at Regina, 7 p.m.
Saskatoon at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Portland at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Tri-City at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Spokane at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
Seattle at Vancouver, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday's games
Winnipeg at Brandon, 7 p.m.
Prince Albert at Saskatoon, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Tri-City at Prince George, 6 p.m.
Regina at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Lethbridge at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
Swift Current at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Spokane at Victoria, 6:05 p.m.
Vancouver at Everett, 6:05 p.m.
Portland at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Wednesday's games
Winnipeg at Prince Albert, 7 p.m. | https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/HKO-WHL-Standings-17463422.php | 2022-09-24T02:23:48 | en | 0.90563 |
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — In-person voting for the midterm elections opened Friday in Minnesota, South Dakota, Virginia and Wyoming, kicking off a six-week sprint to Election Day in a landscape that has changed much since the pandemic drove a shift to mail balloting in the 2020 presidential contest.
Twenty people voted in the first hour as Minneapolis opened its early voting center, taking advantage of generous rules that election officials credit with making Minnesota a perennial leader in voter turnout. First in when the doors opened was Conrad Zbikowski, a 29-year-old communications and digital consultant who said he has voted early since at least 2017.
“I like to vote early because you never know what might happen on Election Day,” said Zbikowski, displaying his civic pride with a T-shirt that bore the sailboat logo of the City of Lakes. “You might get sick, you might get COVID, you might get in a car crash, there’s many things that can happen. But what you do have control over is being able to vote early and getting that ballot in.”
The start of in-person voting comes as the nation continues to grapple with the fallout from nearly two years of false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from former President Donald Trump due to widespread fraud and manipulation of voting machines. Those conspiracy theories, promoted by a constellation of Trump allies in the campaign, on social media and at conferences held across the country, have taken a toll on public confidence in U.S. elections.
They’ve also led to tightening of rules that govern mail ballots in several Republican-led states as well as an exodus of experienced election workers, who have faced an onslaught of harassment and threats since the 2020 election.
But nearly two years since that election, no evidence has emerged to suggest widespread fraud or manipulation while reviews in state after state have upheld the results showing President Joe Biden won.
Saturday also is the deadline by which election officials must send ballots to their military and overseas voters. North Carolina started mailing out absentee ballots Sept. 9.
Early in-person voting is offered in 46 states and the District of Columbia, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. States may use different ways to describe it, with some calling it in-person absentee voting or advanced voting. In some cases, it mirrors Election Day voting with polling locations equipped with poll workers and voting machines. Elsewhere, it involves voters requesting, completing and submitting an absentee ballot in person at their local election office.
Early voting periods vary by state, with some offering as few as three days and others extending to 46 days. The average is 23 days, according to the conference of legislatures.
This year, voting will unfold in a much different environment than two years ago, when the coronavirus prompted a major increase in the use of mail ballots as voters sought to avoid crowded polling places. States adopted policies to promote mail voting, with a few states opting to send mail ballots to all registered voters and others expanding the use of drop boxes.
While some have made those changes permanent, others have rolled back them back. For instance, Georgia will have fewer drop boxes this year and has added ID requirements to mail ballots under legislation pushed by Republican state lawmakers.
In Wyoming, a steady stream of voters filed into the lone early polling place in Cheyenne, which offered a refuge from winds that toppled a “Vote Here” sign. About 60 people had voted there by midday, Laramie County Clerk Debra Lee said.
“It’s less people and we don’t have to worry,” said one early voter, Brent Dolence of Cheyenne. “Things move faster and you don’t have to wait so much.”
Unlike elsewhere in the U.S., poll workers in Laramie County haven’t been subjected to threats and harassment, Lee said, but they’ve received plenty of questions from voters about machines and the county’s lone ballot drop box.
“They’re really looking at things and asking questions,” Lee said. “In a good way. You know, wanting information. They’re curious.”
Minnesota’s ballot includes races for governor and other statewide offices, with control of the Legislature at stake, too.
Zbikowski declined to say for whom he voted. But he said he doesn’t take the right to vote for granted, given that his family came to America from Russia when it didn’t have free elections. As a part-time poll worker — he was off-duty Friday— he said he’s seen Minnesota’s safeguards firsthand and has full confidence in the integrity of the process.
Other early voters included first-timers Ronald Johnson and his wife, Judith Weyl, who voted on Election Day in 2020. They both said they voted a straight Democratic ticket.
“It just feels like this election is so important, life is so busy, I just wanted to have closure on this as quickly as possible,” Johnson said.
Johnson, a 74-year-old mental health counselor, said he wanted to support candidates who will preserve a Minnesota election system that he said has integrity.
He said he “absolutely” supports the state’s chief elections officer, Secretary of State Steve Simon, over GOP challenger Kim Crockett, who has called the 2020 election a “train wreck” and has advocated for a return to voting mostly on Election Day. Simon, in contrast, calls the 2020 election “fundamentally fair, honest, accurate and secure,” and defends the changes that he oversaw to make voting safer in the pandemic.
“We really care about protecting democracy,” said Weyl, 73.
Aaron Bommarito, a 48-year-old teacher who also said he voted a straight Democratic ticket, said he has no concerns about his votes being counted properly and has “absolute confidence in the system.” He said voting early was a spur-of-the moment decision. He just happened to be driving by the voting center and seized the moment.
“I dropped my two kids off at school, and the ‘Vote Here’ sign was the next thing I saw,” he said.
___
Cassidy reported from Atlanta. Associated Press reporter Mead Gruver contributed to this story from Cheyenne, Wyoming. | https://www.krqe.com/news/politics/ap-in-person-voting-starts-in-minnesota-3-other-early-states/ | 2022-09-24T02:23:52 | en | 0.976147 |
WHL
All Times Local
Western Conference
B.C. Division
U.S. Division
Eastern Conference
East Division
Central Division
Note: Two points for a team winning in overtime or shootout; the team losing in overtime or shootout receives one which is registered in the OTL or SOL columns.
Friday's results
Red Deer at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Calgary at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Moose Jaw at Regina, 7 p.m.
Saskatoon at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Portland at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Tri-City at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Spokane at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
Seattle at Vancouver, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday's games
Winnipeg at Brandon, 7 p.m.
Prince Albert at Saskatoon, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Tri-City at Prince George, 6 p.m.
Regina at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Lethbridge at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
Swift Current at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Spokane at Victoria, 6:05 p.m.
Vancouver at Everett, 6:05 p.m.
Portland at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Wednesday's games
Winnipeg at Prince Albert, 7 p.m. | https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/HKO-WHL-Standings-17463456.php | 2022-09-24T02:23:54 | en | 0.90563 |
WASHINGTON (AP) — First lady Jill Biden paid tribute Friday to Jacqueline Kennedy, a predecessor 60 years ago, for her pivotal role in preventing the teardown of historic buildings on iconic Lafayette Square near the White House.
Biden helped the White House Historical Association, an organization that Kennedy helped spearhead, unveil a medallion of the former first lady, designed by American artist Chas Fagan in front of the association’s office on the square.
The wife of President John F. Kennedy is widely credited with ushering in an emphasis on historic preservation at the White House during her 1,036 days as first lady. She played a critical role in saving some of Lafayette Square’s buildings from the wrecking ball.
The square, just north of the White House, over the years has become a gathering place for protesters, from suffragists in the early 20th century to Vietnam demonstrators in the 1960s to Americans speaking out for policing reform in 2020.
In quieter daily times, it is a city oasis for tourists and for office workers on lunch breaks.
The bas relief of Kennedy sits in a new garden at the front of the association’s office, known as Decatur House. It includes one of her best-known quotations: “The White House belongs to the American people.”
Jill Biden, the wife of President Joe Biden, said Kennedy worked to save the park and surrounding historic townhouses “because we all deserve to experience our rich history, the full, complex and beautiful story of who we are.”
“Together, we are opening the doors of the people’s house wider and wider to welcome all those who are part of this nation,” she said.
Jacqueline Kennedy was an outspoken and effective critic of a plan in the early 1960s for a massive new modern office building to be constructed on the square. The project would have led to several 19th century row houses bordering the park being razed.
Her husband and the Commission on Fine Arts in 1961 agreed on a design for the new office building, but a local civic group, known as the Committee of 100 on the Federal City, staunchly opposed the idea.
The activists argued that the new office building should be located behind the 19th century row houses, and that two taller and more recent office buildings should be demolished. Members of the committee presented their plan to the president, published their views in the newspaper, and even corresponded with Jacqueline Kennedy’s mother, according to the National Park Service.
The first lady let her husband know that she wasn’t a fan of what was being proposed for the square, writing that it would be “the most unsuitable, violently modern building which would be a jarring note on the square.”
Her husband listened.
In 1962, President Kennedy hired the architect John Carl Warnecke to find a better solution. Warnecke began with a historical study of the square, paying more attention to context than previous architects, according to the National Park Service.
In the end, the new federal offices were built behind the historic row houses on the square, and in 1970 Lafayette Square was designated as a National Historic Landmark District. | https://www.krqe.com/news/politics/ap-jill-biden-honors-jacqueline-kennedys-preservation-legacy/ | 2022-09-24T02:23:59 | en | 0.973562 |
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is responding to a reported shooting in the College Gardens neighborhood.
Police say the incident happened in the 1900 block of Kings Road.
Police are expected to give an update regarding the situation at 10:45 p.m.
Watch live below. | https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/crime/jso-responding-to-reported-shooting-in-college-garderns-area/77-d1e79e86-d5ba-430c-9716-0aadc95a98d7 | 2022-09-24T02:24:00 | en | 0.942236 |
TOKYO (AP) — Tropical Depression Talas unleashed fierce rainfall Saturday in parts of Japan, setting off landslides, halting trains and killing a man after he crashed his car into a pond.
Police said the man who drove into a pond in central Japan's Shizuoka prefecture was rushed to a hospital but died.
In another part of Shizuoka, a road collapsed from the heavy rainfall, and rescue efforts were underway, they said. Japanese media reports said one man managed to crawl out of a truck that got stuck but another man was missing.
Separately, three people were injured in a mudslide in Shizuoka, according to a prefectural police spokesperson.
Rivers swelled in Shizuoka's Hamamatsu city, where video shared on social media showed cars wading through watery streets. News footage showed an underground passage for pedestrians at a train station flooded with muddy water. Because trains stopped temporarily, about 1,000 people were stranded at an arena in Shizuoka where a concert was held Friday night.
The storm is the latest to batter Japan after typhoons have caused several deaths and damage in recent weeks.
Talas was headed toward Tokyo and hammering a wide area around the capital with heavy showers. Landslide warnings were issued along the storm’s path.
___
Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter at https://twitter.com/yurikageyama | https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/Storm-hammers-Japan-with-rain-man-dies-driving-17463407.php | 2022-09-24T02:24:06 | en | 0.977111 |
WASHINGTON (AP) — An Iowa man was convicted Friday of charges that he led a crowd of rioters in chasing a U.S. Capitol police officer up a staircase and accosting other officers guarding the Senate, one of the most harrowing scenes of the mob’s attack that day.
A federal jury deliberated for roughly four hours before convicting Douglas Jensen of felony charges that he obstructed Congress from certifying the Electoral College vote on Jan. 6, 2021, and that he assaulted or interfered with police officers during the siege.
Jensen was convicted on all counts, including a charge that he engaged in disorderly conduct inside the Capitol while carrying a folding knife in his pocket.
During the trial’s closing arguments, a prosecutor accused Jensen of “weaponizing” rioters by taking the lead in chasing Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman up a staircase. A reporter’s video of the confrontation went viral.
“The defendant wasn’t just leading the mob. He was weaponizing it,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Hava Mirell told jurors. “He knew he had the numbers, and he was willing to use them.”
Jensen, a construction worker from Des Moines, Iowa, was wearing a T-shirt with a large “Q” expressing his adherence to the QAnon conspiracy theory. One of the most memorable images from the Jan. 6 attack captured Jensen with his arms extended as he confronted a line of police officers near the Senate chambers.
“Go arrest the vice president,” Jensen told one of the officers, according to prosecutors.
QAnon has centered on the baseless belief that former President Donald Trump was secretly fighting a Satan-worshipping cabal of “deep state” enemies, prominent Democrats and Hollywood elites. Jensen believed the conspiracy theory’s apocalyptic prophesy that “The Storm” was coming and would usher in mass arrests and executions of Trump’s foes, including Vice President Mike Pence.
Pence was presiding over the Senate on Jan. 6 as a joint session of Congress was convened to certify President Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral victory. Before the riot, Trump and his allies spread the falsehood that Pence somehow could have overturned the election results.
After scaling the outer walls of the Capitol, Jensen climbed through a broken window to enter the building. Prosecutors said Jensen learned from a friend’s text message that Pence was about to certify the election results.
“That’s all about to change,” Jensen replied.
Jensen didn’t testify at his trial, which started Tuesday. Goodman was a key witness for prosecutors.
Before running upstairs, Goodman approached Jensen and other rioters with his hand on his gun. Fearing for his life, Goodman retreated upstairs and found backup from other officers guarding an entrance to the Senate, where senators were being evacuated, according to prosecutors.
At least 880 people have been charged with Capitol riot-related federal crimes. About 400 of them have pleaded guilty. Juries have convicted eight Capitol riot defendants after trials. None of the defendants who had jury trials was acquitted of any charges.
Sentences for the rioters have ranged from probation for low-level misdemeanor offenses to 10 years in prison for a man who used a metal flagpole to assault an officer. | https://www.krqe.com/news/politics/ap-jurors-deliberating-in-qanon-followers-capitol-riot-trial/ | 2022-09-24T02:24:06 | en | 0.976752 |
The woman killed earlier this week in the Moncrief area of Jacksonville has been identified by members of her family, according to a community organization.
MAD DADS Jacksonville Chapter says that Gabrielle Bolton died as a result of the incident. The group says her mother wanted to identify the 18-year-old in order to share with the community that her daughter's life mattered.
"I would love for her name and graduation picture to be shown, so people know she was a person," she tells MAAD DADS.
"A good girl who was in the process of going into the military and actually wanted to go to school to be a prosecutor or DA. She was extremely intelligent ... in advanced classes (and) served in ROTC and a top student."
Police say Isaiah Jamal Greene, 18, has been charged with second-degree murder as a result of the crime.
New details obtained by First Coast News paint a grim image of what actually happened Monday afternoon.
Around 1 p.m., the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office says it responded to a scene on Moncrief Road where JFRD had located a woman who was dead.
A police report said that the woman suffered trauma to her head and that noticeable foul play was involved.
Jacksonville Fire and Rescue said an unknown man ran from the scene on foot, according to the report. Investigators say they later identified that person as Green, who lives at the residence.
A police report indicates that a witness told police that Green called her around 7:30 a.m. and stated, “she’s lying and cheating on me” and “I didn’t mean to do it”.
Police say a search warrant was executed, and the victim was found in a back bedroom, the report said. Medical examiners at the scene said the victim's injuries revealed signs of trauma. | https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/crime/woman-killed-in-moncrief-was-recent-grad-with-military-aspirations-mom-tells-maad-dads/77-43394fb1-c9be-463a-b85b-4cb6aebdbd55 | 2022-09-24T02:24:07 | en | 0.987312 |
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Longtime Florida official Peter Antonacci, who was most recently tapped to run the state's new elections' crime unit, died Friday. He was 74.
The governor's office confirmed Antonacci's death in a statement but didn't mention a cause.
"He (Antonacci) was a dedicated, tenacious, and assiduous public servant, lawyer, and respected professional – a friend to all in the State of Florida," Gov. Ron DeSantis said in the statement.
Antonacci became the head of Florida's newly created Office of Election Crimes and Security in July. The office was created as part of a voting law package approved by the GOP-controlled Legislature earlier this year. The unit reviews fraud allegations and conducts preliminary investigations, with the law requiring the governor to appoint a group of special officers from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to pursue alleged violations.
Besides his most recent position, Antonacci had a decades-long resume in state government serving under Democrats and Republicans. He was appointed to various positions by Govs. Bob Graham, Jeb Bush, Charlie Crist, Rick Scott and Ron DeSantis and served as deputy attorney general under Democratic Attorney General Bob Butterworth from 1991-1997. His positions included statewide prosecutor, CEO of Enterprise Florida, a member of the Ethics Commission and executive director of the South Florida Water Management District.
Sen. Rick Scott, who appointed Antonacci to several position during his two terms as governor before running for the U.S. Senate, said Antonacci was a dedicated public servant and a devoted family man.
"Pete was a proud Floridian, raised in Hialeah, and devoted decades of his life to serving Florida families as a prosecutor, master of the law and leader," Scott said in a statement.
Former Republican Gov. Charlie Crist, who is running for governor again this fall as a Democrat, praised Antonacci's ability to work with both parties for the good of the state.
"Peter Antonacci was a dedicated and respected public servant with a long history of working with members from both sides of the aisle to better Florida," Crist said in a statement.
DeSantis, an ascendant Republican and potential 2024 presidential candidate, pushed the state legislature to create the election police unit to address voter fraud concerns that have proliferated in the GOP following former President Donald Trump's false claims that his reelection was stolen.
Voter fraud is rare, typically occurs in isolated instances and is generally detected. An Associated Press investigation of the 2020 presidential election found fewer than 475 potential cases of voter fraud out of 25.5 million ballots cast in the six states where Trump and his allies disputed his loss to Democratic President Joe Biden. DeSantis has previously praised Florida for carrying out a smooth election in 2020.
Preexisting state law had allowed the governor to appoint officers to investigate violations of election law but did not require him to do so. | https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/regional/florida/peter-antonacci-dies-at-74/77-a4174d1c-ce98-4cc5-8033-30ca1dec7656 | 2022-09-24T02:24:13 | en | 0.981322 |
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The Republican candidate for Michigan governor on Friday compared Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s policies to the 2020 plot to kidnap the Democratic incumbent, remarks that Democrats criticized as making light of a serious and dangerous crime.
Tudor Dixon referred to the kidnapping plot at two separate events.
“Sad thing is, Gretchen will tie your hands, put a gun to your head and ask if you’re ready to talk,” Dixon told a crowd at an event in Troy while speaking about the need to cut business regulations. “For someone so worried about being kidnapped, Gretchen Whitmer sure is good at taking business hostage.”
At an event later Friday, Dixon referenced an appearance Whitmer made with President Joe Biden at the Detroit Auto Show.
“I’ll tell you the look on her face, she was like: ‘Oh my gosh this is happening. I’d rather be kidnapped by the FBI,’” Dixon said.
Two men were convicted last month of plotting to kidnap Whitmer because they were angry about pandemic-related restrictions she imposed. Prosecutors said they were part of a group who conspired to abduct Whitmer at her vacation home and to blow up a bridge to disrupt police so they wouldn’t be caught. The FBI said it broke up the plot before it could occur.
The jury’s conviction came in a second trial against the two men, Barry Croft Jr. and Adam Fox. At an earlier trial, the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict, while two other men were acquitted. Their lawyers argued the men were big talkers who were set up by the FBI and said there was no actual plot.
The Democratic Governors Association called Dixon’s comments “utterly disqualifying for the role of Michigan governor,” while Whitmer’s campaign criticized Dixon for “dangerous rhetoric.”
“Threats of violence are no laughing matter, and the fact that Dixon spent the day making joke after joke about it shows that she is absolutely unfit to serve in public office,” Whitmer campaign spokeswoman Maeve Coyle tweeted.
Dixon was endorsed by former President Donald Trump during the GOP primary and is now trailing Whitmer in fundraising and support. She campaigned Friday with Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr., who called the conspiracy to kidnap Whitmer “the fake kidnap plot orchestrated by the FBI.”
Dixon criticized the media for not reporting on what she called attacks against her during Biden’s recent visit, saying he “called me all kinds of names and put my life in danger.”
___
Burnett reported from Chicago. ___
Joey Cappelletti is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. | https://www.krqe.com/news/politics/ap-michigan-governor-hopeful-makes-light-of-whitmer-kidnap-plot/ | 2022-09-24T02:24:12 | en | 0.978526 |
HOLLAND, Ohio (AP) — Republican J.R. Majewski insisted Friday that he would stay in the race for a competitive northwest Ohio congressional seat after The Associated Press reported earlier this week that he misrepresented key elements of his Air Force service.
“I flew into combat zones often, specifically in Afghanistan, and I served my country proud,” Majewski said at a news conference.
The comments came amid growing fallout for Majewski, who repeatedly said he deployed to Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks, but instead served a six-month stint loading and unloading planes while based in Qatar, according to records obtained by the AP through a public records request.
The House Republican campaign arm on Thursday cancelled nearly $1 million in advertising that it had planned to spend on Majewski’s behalf, a sign that the GOP was effectively giving up hope of unseating longtime Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur in a district that was recently redrawn to favor Republicans. Meanwhile, advocates for veterans questioned why Majewski has declined to offer proof, or even describe forays he made into Afghanistan.
Throughout his campaign, Majewski has repeatedly said he was a combat veteran who served a tour of duty under “tough” circumstances in Afghanistan, where by his account he once went over 40 days without a shower due to a lack of running water.
His latest remarks amounted to a far less robust description of what he says he did in the country. Majewski previously said he was deployed to the country, a term which refers to orders assigning servicemembers to a specific base or location.
On Friday he said his service involved flying in and out of Afghanistan from Qatar, but declined to offer additional details or proof because he said it was “classified.”
While based in Qatar, Majewski would land at other air bases to transfer military passengers, medics and supplies, his campaign previously said. The campaign did not answer repeated and direct questions from the AP before the story was published Wednesday about whether he was ever in Afghanistan.
They also gave no indication that he couldn’t discuss his service because it was “classified,” as Majewski said.
“I was in multiple bases in Afghanistan and the time frame is clear, in 2002,” Majewski said Friday. “We flew in and out of the area of responsibility multiple times. It’s almost impossible for me to tell you where I was and on what day. That’s why my orders are listed as a classified location.”
Experts contacted by the AP say it is possible that Majewski may have entered the country. They also say Majewski is well positioned to prove it, though Majewski’s campaign declined to do so Friday.
“It was hardly a secret that we were operating in Afghanistan,” said Don Christensen, a retired colonel and former military judge who once served as the Air Force’s chief prosecutor. “It would be pretty easy for him to find a supervisor or coworker that could verify if he was actually there. His (enlisted performance report) would have been signed by his supervisor most likely. That person would know if this was true.”
Scott Taylor, a former Navy SEAL sniper and Republican who represented Virginia in Congress, said he doesn’t understand why Majewski’s campaign refused to explain whether or not he ever went to Afghanistan earlier this week.
“Is it possible he went on some night flight to Afghanistan to drop off supplies? Yes it is possible,” said Taylor, who was injured in a combat operation in Ramadi, Iraq, and had to be evacuated. “But again, he should have answered those questions right away.”
The experts said the discussion about whether he did or did not enter Afghanistan also obscures the broader picture: Majewski for months has presented himself as a combat veteran who deployed to Afghanistan, descriptors that indicate he came under hostile fire while stationed in the country.
The term “combat veteran” can evoke images of soldiers storming a beachhead or finding refuge during a firefight. But under the laws and regulations of the U.S. government, facing live fire has little to do with someone earning the title.
During the Persian Gulf War, then-President George H.W. Bush designated, for the first time, countries used as combat support areas as combat zones despite the low risk of American service members ever facing hostilities. That helped veterans receive a favorable tax status. Qatar, which is now home to the largest U.S. air base in the Middle East, was among the countries that received the designation under Bush’s executive order — a status that remains in effect today.
Majewski’s campaign previously said he calls himself a combat veteran because the place he operated out of — Qatar — is recognized as a combat zone. His military records state he has not received a combat medal.
“Everybody plays a role. But you have to be proud of what your contribution was and not try to step on someone else’s,” said Taylor, the former congressman and Navy SEAL. “Barring him giving some evidence and filing a petition to get a combat ribbon, he’s not a combat veteran.”
Majewski’s campaign has released several documents on social media that they say either back up his claims or refute parts of the AP’s story. None of them address whether or not he was in Afghanistan.
One document from February 2003, when he was still enlisted in the Air Force, indicated Majewski was eligible to reenlist. However, the AP reported that when Majewski was discharged several months later, his paperwork indicated he was “considered but not selected for reenlistment.”
He also claimed that he provided the AP with a picture that shows him in Afghanistan. The picture, which is also on his campaign website, shows a group in fatigues who are inside what appears to be a shelter, but does not include any indicators of where it was taken. | https://www.krqe.com/news/politics/ap-ohio-republican-stays-in-campaign-amid-scrutiny-of-service/ | 2022-09-24T02:24:20 | en | 0.985991 |
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia’s secretary of state on Friday announced plans to replace election equipment in one county following “unauthorized access” to the equipment that happened two months after the 2020 election.
A computer forensics team hired by allies of then-President Donald Trump traveled to Coffee County, about 200 miles (320 kilometers) southeast of Atlanta, on Jan. 7, 2021. A company representative has said they made complete copies of the election management system server and other election system components. Later that month, two men who have been involved in efforts to discredit the 2020 election results also spent hours inside the elections office with access to the equipment.
Trump and his supporters pushed false claims about certain voting machines after he lost his bid for reelection. Authorities have said there was no evidence of widespread problems with voting equipment.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said an investigation into the unauthorized access to the equipment by former Coffee County election officials continues.
“Anyone who broke the law should be punished to its full extent,” Raffensperger said in a news release. “But the current election officials in Coffee County have to move forward with the 2022 election, and they should be able to do so without this distraction.”
Footage from security cameras shows “former election officials in Coffee County permitting access by unauthorized individuals to equipment that under Georgia law should have been secured,” the release said. The footage was produced in response to subpoenas issued by plaintiffs in a long-running lawsuit against state election officials that claims the state’s touchscreen voting machines aren’t secure.
The county’s election management server and central scanner workstation were previously replaced in June 2021, officials have said. The county will receive 100 new touchscreen voting machines, 100 printers, 10 precinct scanners, 21 tablets used to check in voters and new flash cards and thumb drives to be installed and tested before early voting begins next month.
Marilyn Marks, executive director of the Coalition for Good Governance, a plaintiff in the voting machine lawsuit, said the election management server and central scanner workstation should also be replaced. She said that’s because they were used with the other potentially contaminated equipment in elections since their replacement last year.
Separately, election officials in the state’s most populous county, in and around Atlanta, said Friday that they had fired a worker after learning that “personally identifiable information was shared with an individual outside the organization,” news outlets reported.
“The individual responsible for the incident no longer works with Fulton County,” the county said in a news release. “Fulton County is committed to the safety and security of all citizens and employees. Each individual affected by this incident will be notified and will receive credit monitoring services.” | https://www.krqe.com/news/politics/ap-voting-equipment-to-be-replaced-after-unauthorized-access/ | 2022-09-24T02:24:27 | en | 0.975885 |
PREP FOOTBALL=
CLASS 1A=
¶ Happy 56, Lubbock Home School Titans 4
¶ Whitharral 102, Throckmorton 52
PRIVATE SCHOOLS=
¶ Rockwall Heritage 66, Dallas Fairhill 0
OTHER=
¶ Austin Hill Country def. Giddings State School , forfeit
¶ Menard def. Valor South Austin , forfeit
¶ SA Jubilee 60, SA Brooks 47
POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS=
Mount Calm vs. Apple Springs, ccd.
Welch Dawson vs. Hart, ccd.
___
Some high school football scores provided by Scorestream.com, https://scorestream.com/ | https://www.myjournalcourier.com/sports/article/Friday-s-Scores-17463410.php | 2022-09-24T02:24:31 | en | 0.748403 |
WASHINGTON (AP) — American tech firms will be allowed to expand their business in Iran, where most internet access has been cut off in response to anti-government protests, the Treasury Department said Friday.
Iran has been cracking down on demonstrators protesting the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of its morality police. Iranian state TV suggests that as many as 26 protesters and police have been killed since violence erupted over the weekend.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the move will help counter the government’s surveillance efforts.
“It is clear that the Iranian government is afraid of its own people,” Blinken said in an emailed statement. “Mahsa Amini is senselessly, tragically dead, and now the government is violently suppressing peaceful protesters rightly angry about her loss.”
The morality police detained Amini last week, saying she didn’t properly cover her hair with the Islamic headscarf, known as the hijab. Amini collapsed at a police station and died three days later.
U.S. sanctions were imposed Thursday on the morality police and leaders of other law enforcement agencies.
The Treasury Department said an updated general license issued Friday authorizes tech firms to offer more social media and collaboration platforms, video conferencing and cloud-based services.
The updated license also removes the condition that communications be “personal,” which Treasury said was burdening companies with the need to verify the purpose of the communications.
“As courageous Iranians take to the streets to protest the death of Mahsa Amini, the United States is redoubling its support for the free flow of information to the Iranian people,” Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said in a statement.
“With these changes, we are helping the Iranian people be better equipped to counter the government’s efforts to surveil and censor them.”
The United Nations has called for an investigation into Amini’s death.
Amir Rashidi, an exiled Iranian who is director of internet security and digital rights at Miaan Group, said lifting restrictions will help Iranians bypass censorship.
“Also it’s going to provide Iranians with safety and security,” he said. “When you can have your data outside the country Iranian security services cannot unlawfully access your data because your data is protected by international law outside Iran.”
In 2014, Treasury’s sanctions arm issued a license authorizing exports of software and services to Iran that would allow the free exchange of communication over the internet, with the intent to foster the free flow of information to Iranian citizens.
Even so, U.S. firms have been reluctant to do business in Iran, due to fears of violating existing sanctions and other laws that impose penalties.
On Monday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted that his satellite internet firm Starlink would seek permission to operate in Iran. National security adviser Jake Sullivan said it was up to Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control to decide on Starlink’s next steps.
The White House said the move, along with a recent increase in sanctions, does not affect the administration’s plans to reenter the Iran nuclear deal.
“We have concerns, we do, with Iran,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, but pursuing the Iran deal “is the best way for us to address the nuclear problem.”
___
Associated Press writer Frank Bajak contributed to this report from Boston. | https://www.krqe.com/news/technology/ap-us-allows-tech-firms-to-boost-internet-access-in-iran/ | 2022-09-24T02:24:35 | en | 0.960778 |
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MIAMI (AP) — Braxton Garrett pitched six effective innings in his first major league start in a month, and the Miami Marlins beat the Washington Nationals 5-2 on Friday night.
Garrett allowed one run — Lane Thomas’ leadoff homer in the first — and five hits. The left-hander struck out six and walked none.
Garrett (3-6) was recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville earlier in the day. It was his first appearance with Miami since he threw six scoreless innings against Atlanta on Aug. 14.
Garrett Cooper and Jon Berti each doubled and singled for the Marlins. Berti also stole his NL-leading 37th base.
Nationals starter Josiah Gray plunked Bryan De La Cruz with the bases loaded, snapping a 1-1 tie in the sixth. Charles Leblanc followed with an RBI single, and Miguel Rojas grounded into a double play that scored JJ Bleday from third.
Bleday’s sacrifice fly in the seventh padded Miami's lead, but Washington got one back on Joey Meneses’ run-scoring double in the eighth.
Dylan Floro handled the ninth for his sixth save.
Gray (7-10) gave up four runs and eight hits in six innings. He remains winless since July 6.
Thomas drove Garrett's second pitch over the wall in left for his 17th homer.
Miami answered in the bottom half on Cooper’s RBI double. Gray avoided additional trouble by striking out Nick Fortes and Bleday and retiring De La Cruz on a groundout.
PROSPECTS RECOGNIZED
The Marlins honored infielder Yiddi Cappe and right-hander Eury Pérez with their minor league player and pitcher of the year awards. The 20-year-old Cappe hit .290 with nine homers and 40 RBIs at Single-A Jupiter. The 19-year-old Pérez struck out 110 in 77 innings at Double-A Pensacola.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Nationals: LHP Patrick Corbin (back spasms) threw from 90 feet. Corbin exited after 12 pitches and didn’t complete the first inning in his last start at Atlanta on Tuesday. ... LHP MacKenzie Gore (left elbow inflammation) will have his second rehab start with Triple-A Rochester on Monday.
Marlins: Placed INF Joey Wendle (left hamstring tendinitis) on the 10-day injured list. ... LHP Trevor Rogers (left lat strain) was placed on the 15-day IL.
UP NEXT
Erik Fedde (6-10, 5.29 ERA) will start the second game of the series for the Nationals on Saturday. The Marlins will go with Sandy Alcantara (13-8, 2.37 ERA), one of the leading contenders for the NL Cy Young Award. | https://www.myjournalcourier.com/sports/article/Garrett-throws-6-strong-innings-Marlins-beat-17463434.php | 2022-09-24T02:24:37 | en | 0.940027 |
Orioles fourth. Adley Rutschman homers to center field. Ryan Mountcastle grounds out to shortstop, Jeremy Pena to Yuli Gurriel. Anthony Santander grounds out to shallow infield to Jose Urquidy. Gunnar Henderson strikes out swinging.
1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 left on. Orioles 1, Astros 0.
Orioles seventh. Jesus Aguilar singles to shallow right field. Austin Hays singles to shallow center field. Kyle Stowers to third. Terrin Vavra singles to left field. Austin Hays to second. Kyle Stowers scores. Jorge Mateo reaches on a sacrifice bunt to shallow infield. Terrin Vavra to second. Austin Hays to third. Throwing error by Hector Neris. Cedric Mullins singles to shallow center field. Jorge Mateo to second. Terrin Vavra scores. Austin Hays scores. Adley Rutschman doubles to deep left field. Cedric Mullins scores. Ryan Mountcastle singles to left center field. Adley Rutschman scores. Anthony Santander flies out to right center field to Trey Mancini. Gunnar Henderson grounds out to shallow infield, Jeremy Pena to Yuli Gurriel.
5 runs, 6 hits, 1 error, 1 left on. Orioles 6, Astros 0. | https://www.myjournalcourier.com/sports/article/Houston-Baltimore-Runs-17463452.php | 2022-09-24T02:24:43 | en | 0.733986 |
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — An approaching storm threatens to delay NASA’s next launch attempt for its new moon rocket, already grounded for weeks by fuel leaks.
A tropical depression in the southern Caribbean is moving toward Florida and could become a major hurricane.
Managers on Friday declared that the rocket is now ready to blast off on its first test flight, after overcoming more hydrogen leaks during a fueling test earlier in the week. It will be the first time a crew capsule orbits the moon in 50 years; the spacecraft will carry mannequins but no astronauts.
Teams will keep monitoring the forecast and decide no later than Saturday whether to not only delay the test flight, but haul the rocket off the pad and back to the hangar. It’s unclear when the next launch attempt would be — whether October or even November — if the rocket must seek shelter indoors.
The preference is to remain at the launch pad and try for a Tuesday liftoff, “but there are still some uncertainties in the forecast,” said NASA’s Tom Whitmeyer, deputy associate administrator for exploration systems.
It takes three days of preparations to get the rocket back into Kennedy Space Center’s mammoth Vehicle Assembly Building, a 4-mile (6.4-kilometer) trip lasting several hours.
“I don’t think we’re cutting it close,” Whitmeyer told reporters. “We’re just taking it a step at a time.”
The 322-foot (98-meter) rocket can withstand gusts of 85 mph (137 kph) at the pad, but only 46 mph (74 kph) once it’s on the move.
This would be the third launch attempt for the Space Launch System rocket, the most powerful ever built by NASA. Fuel leaks and other technical problems scrapped the first two tries, in late August and early September.
Although hydrogen fuel seeped past newly installed seals during Wednesday’s dress rehearsal, the launch team got the leakage down to acceptable levels by slowing the flow and reducing the pressure in the lines. That gave the launch team the confidence to proceed with a Tuesday launch attempt, officials said.
Managers said that the 30-year space shuttle program also saw plenty of hydrogen fuel leaks and hurricane-related rollbacks. The moon rocket’s main engines are actually upgraded versions of what flew on shuttles.
Also, the Space Force has extended the certification of on-board batteries that are part of the flight safety system — at least through the beginning of October.
NASA has just two chances to launch the rocket — Tuesday and Oct. 2 — before a two-week blackout period begins. The next launch period would open Oct. 17.
Astronauts would climb aboard for the second test flight around the moon in 2024. The third mission, targeted for 2025, would see a pair of astronauts landing on the moon.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | https://www.krqe.com/news/top-stories/ap-approaching-storm-may-delay-launch-try-for-nasa-moon-rocket/ | 2022-09-24T02:24:42 | en | 0.942051 |
NEW YORK (AP) — New York’s attorney general says her three-year investigation of former President Donald Trump uncovered potential crimes in the way he ran his real estate empire, including allegations of bank and insurance fraud.
So why isn’t Trump being prosecuted?
Attorney General Letitia James didn’t seek to slap handcuffs on the Republican this week, as some of his critics hoped. Instead, she announced a civil lawsuit seeking $250 million and his permanent banishment from doing business in the state.
Like many things involving the law and Trump, the reasons James, a Democrat, opted for a lawsuit rather than a prosecution are complicated.
For one, even if she did want to prosecute Trump, she doesn’t have jurisdiction under state law to bring a criminal case against him or any of the lawsuit’s other defendants, including the Trump Organization and his three eldest children, Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric Trump.
In New York, the state attorney general’s office is only allowed to prosecute a limited range of offenses on its own, like bid rigging and payroll violations.
Otherwise, the office must partner with a county district attorney on a prosecution — as James’ office did with the Manhattan district attorney’s office in a case against Trump’s longtime finance chief — or obtain what’s known as a criminal referral from the governor or a state agency that has jurisdiction over the alleged wrongdoing.
Even then, mounting a criminal fraud case is far more challenging than a civil lawsuit.
In a criminal case, prosecutors would have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Trump intended to commit a crime. In the lawsuit — if it goes to trial — jurors would only need to be persuaded it was more likely than not that wrongdoing occurred.
Filing a civil lawsuit while letting others sort out potential criminal violations is a sound strategy, legal experts said, allowing James to seek remedies other than prison time.
It allows the attorney general to avoid the kind of internal debate about criminal charges that fractured the Manhattan district attorney’s parallel investigation into Trump earlier this year.
No former U.S. president has ever been charged with a crime.
The prospect of Trump, 76, behind bars as a result of a criminal prosecution could give juries pause, make judges more careful and make winning more difficult, said University of Richmond law professor Carl Tobias.
“Even for Trump, people don’t like him, but do they want to put him away?” Tobias said. “What would it take? What kind of punishment would be appropriate? So it’s just all around more difficult.”
A civil case, given its lower burden of proof standard, is “a lot easier to assemble … and probably win,” Tobias said.
Trump, a Republican who’s laying the groundwork for another presidential run in 2024, has derided James as “a fraud who campaigned on a ‘get Trump’ platform.’”
In an interview Wednesday night with Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity, Trump suggested that his company had protected itself against possible fraud allegations by warning banks and potential business partners not to trust the information in its financial disclosures.
“We have a disclaimer right on the front,” Trump said. “‘You’re at your own risk.’ … ‘Be careful because it may not be accurate. It may be way off.’ … ‘Get your own people. Use your own appraisers. Use your own lawyers. Don’t rely on us.’”
James said at a news conference Wednesday that her office was referring its findings to the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan and the Internal Revenue Service, and would share evidence of possible state law violations with the Manhattan district attorney’s office, if requested.
The U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan said it was aware of James’ referral of potential criminal violations, but otherwise declined comment. The Internal Revenue Service’s criminal investigation division said it “doesn’t confirm the existence of investigations until court documents are publicly available.”
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said his probe of Trump was “active and ongoing.”
The former prosecutor who had been leading Bragg’s investigation, Mark Pomerantz, resigned in February because he felt the office should be moving more quickly to bring criminal charges against Trump.
In a resignation letter, Pomerantz wrote that he believes the former president is “guilty of numerous felony violations.”
He said he had told Bragg there was “evidence sufficient to establish Mr. Trump’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt” of many of the same allegations that now appear in James’ lawsuit — including that Trump falsified financial statements to secure loans and burnish his image as a wealthy businessman.
If there’s no settlement agreement, James’ lawsuit against Trump could take years to play out and might not be resolved before the 2024 presidential election.
A fraud lawsuit James filed against the National Rifle Association recently entered its third year, slowed by legal wrangling and the powerful gun advocacy group’s attempts to get the case thrown out. No trial date has been set.
Drawn out legal proceedings could hurt Trump’s business by making lenders and potential partners reluctant to cut deals. But, if history is any guide, it’s not likely to be a crushing blow. Against the odds, and despite no shortage of legal battles in recent years, the company has been able to get new loans and raise money.
In February, the Trump Organization got a $100 million from a California bank to refinance commercial and retail space in its Trump Tower headquarters. That deal was struck just three days after Trump’s long-time accountants, Mazurs, disavowed a decade of financial statements it had helped prepare — a serious blow to his business reputation.
That big loan also came after the Trump Organization had already been indicted on fraud charges by the Manhattan district attorney’s office for allegedly helping executives evade taxes. That case is scheduled to go to trial next month.
Another recent victory for Trump as his legal troubles mount: Selling his Washington D.C. hotel for $375 million, far more than expected.
Several lending experts said the new loan show why much of Trump’s business is insulated from his political and legal storms: What matters most in real estate is the cash thrown off by rent and the collateral of the buildings — not the reputation of the owner.
__
Associated Press reporters Larry Neumeister, Bobby Caina Calvan and Jill Colvin in New York and Fatima Hussein in Washington contributed to this report.
__
On Twitter, follow Michael Sisak at twitter.com/mikesisak and Bernard Condon at twitter.com/bernardfcondon | https://www.krqe.com/news/top-stories/ap-top-headlines/ap-ny-probe-found-potential-crimes-why-isnt-trump-in-cuffs/ | 2022-09-24T02:24:50 | en | 0.97221 |
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BALTIMORE (AP) — Dean Kremer pitched a four-hitter, Adley Rutschman homered and the Baltimore Orioles kept themselves squarely in the playoff hunt by defeating the Houston Astros 6-0 Friday night.
Baltimore started the day trailing Seattle by four games in the race for the third and final AL wild-card spot. It’s been an uplifting season for a team that went 52-110 last year, although the Orioles will need to remain hot and get some help to reach the postseason for the first time since 2016.
Kremer (8-5) walked two, struck out six and did not allow a runner past second base in his first career complete game. Last season, the 26-year-old righty was 0-7 for Baltimore.
It was the third straight impressive performance by an Orioles starter, following Jordan Lyles’ three-hitter against Detroit and Kyle Bradish pitching into the ninth inning of a shutout against AL West-leading Houston on Thursday night.
Baltimore has 15 shutouts this season — its most since 1992 — including three against the Astros.
Rutschman's 12th home run staked the Orioles to a 1-0 lead against José Urquidy (13-8). Baltimore pulled away with a five-run seventh against the Houston bullpen.
Houston (99-53) has already clinched the division and is on pace to enter the postseason with the best record in the AL. The Astros need eight more wins to match the franchise single-season record, set in 2019.
In spite of their success this season, the Astros are 1-4 against Baltimore and have been outscored 14-4.
Urquidy gave up one run and three hits in 5 1/3 innings. He left with two on in the sixth, and Baltimore eventually loaded the bases with two outs against Bryan Abreu.
Gunnar Henderson then hit a sharp grounder that third baseman Alex Bregman snagged with a backhand pickup while shifted into the hole. His off-balance throw was on time, keeping the score 1-0.
But the Orioles broke it open in the seventh against Hector Neris, getting a two-run single from Cedric Mullins and an RBI single from Rutschman in the pivotal inning.
Houston's Jose Altuve led off the game by hitting a sharp grounder inside the third base line that rolled into the left-field corner. He was cut down trying to stretch it into a triple, and the Astros got only one runner to second base the rest of the way.
DENIED
Astros manager Dusty Baker still need one more victory to join Sparky Anderson, Tony La Russa and Whitey Herzog as the only managers in big league history to win 100 games in a single season in both the AL and NL.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Astros: Altuve returned to action after missing Thursday night's game with a sore left elbow, an injury that occurred when he was hit by a pitch Wednesday against Tampa Bay. “What Altuve wants, Altuve gets, and he wants to play,” Baker said. ... OF Kyle Tucker was given the night off.
Orioles: RHP Tyler Wells was placed on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation and appears done for the season. Wells gave up five runs in three innings against Detroit on Monday, then complained of a sore shoulder on Tuesday. RHP Spenser Watkins was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk and will be used initially in long relief. ... INF Ramón Urías was scratched from the starting lineup with neck and back spasms.
UP NEXT
Astros: RHP Framber Valdez (16-5, 2.57 ERA) starts Saturday night against the Orioles. He is 6-1 with a 1.78 ERA in his last seven outings.
Orioles: RHP Mike Baumann (1-3, 4.29) makes his third career start
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.myjournalcourier.com/sports/article/Kremer-tosses-4-hitter-Rutschman-HR-Orioles-17463451.php | 2022-09-24T02:24:56 | en | 0.966579 |
CAGUAS, Puerto Rico (AP) — A growing number of businesses, including grocery stores and gas stations, are temporarily closing across Puerto Rico as power outages caused by Hurricane Fiona drag on in the U.S. territory, sparking concern about the availability of fuel and basic goods.
Hand-written signs warning of closures have been popping up more frequently, eliciting sighs and groans from customers on an island where nearly 60% of 1.47 million clients still do not have power five days after the storm hit.
Betty Merced, a retiree who lives in the southern coastal city of Salinas, said she has spent several days looking for diesel to fill up her generator to no avail. She uses a sleep apnea machine and cannot risk going without it.
“There are a lot of people with a lot of needs,” she said. “If there is no diesel, we’re going to be very much in harm’s way.”
Merced said she would travel to the nearby town of Santa Isabel on Friday, and if she doesn’t find diesel there, she will drive more than an hour to the northern city of Caguas, where at least one convenience store had a “No gas” sign on its door Thursday evening.
“I didn’t think we were going to be so many days without power,” she said.
Gasoline also was unavailable in Salinas after all gas stations shut down Wednesday, said community leader Wanda Ríos Colorado.
“When I saw that, my stomach almost turned,” she said, adding that it gave her flashbacks of Hurricane Maria, a Category 4 storm that hit Puerto Rico in September 2017, resulting in nearly 3,000 deaths and sparking severe shortages of fuel, food, water and cash.
People also have struggled to get their prescriptions as some pharmacies temporarily close.
Puerto Rico’s Department of Consumer Affairs said there is no shortage of fuel, but rather a disruption to the system as a result of flooding, landslides and an island-wide power outage caused by Fiona when it slammed into Puerto Rico’s southwestern corner Sunday as a Category 1 storm.
Some fuel stations were unable to reopen or could not be refilled in the storm’s early aftermath, officials said.
Consumer Affairs Secretary Edan Rivera sought to temper concerns, saying that “there is no basis to talk about a fuel shortage in Puerto Rico.” He added that his agency also has found sufficient supplies of basic goods.
On Friday, Gov. Pedro Pierluisi of Puerto Rico activated the National Guard to help distribute diesel fuel to hospitals and supermarkets. The force is also supplying generators used to operate potable water plants and telecommunications towers.
On Thursday evening, Rivera announced that crews finally restored power to a gasoline distribution terminal in the southeastern town of Yabucoa that had been operating at a third of its capacity because it was running on a generator.
Rivera said this would speed up distribution of fuel across the island because the terminal could now operate 24 hours a day until the island recovers from the storm.
He said there is 14 days’ worth of regular gasoline, 25 for diesel and 11 for premium.
“There’s a peak in demand in the most affected areas, but it has been normalizing as trucks arrive,” he said.
Rivera added that some wholesalers have taken measures to prevent retailers from hoarding fuel.
“Some will say they have received less product, but it’s not that they’re getting less. They asked for a lot, and to err on the side of caution, they’re not being given everything they ask for,” he said.
Rivera also noted that a container ship carrying 300,000 barrels of diesel would arrive Friday and the product would be distributed starting Saturday.
Meanwhile, Puerto Rico’s Water and Sewer Authority said that of the 956,000 customers out of 1.32 million who have had water service restored since Fiona, more than 400,000 clients have water thanks to generators that depend on diesel.
Government officials said they expected to restore power by Friday in areas that were not severely affected by the storm, although they have not said when people living in storm-ravaged areas might have electricity.
U.S. President Joe Biden pledged Thursday to help Puerto Rico recover from Fiona, saying, “We are with you, we are not going to walk away.”
He recently approved an emergency disaster declaration and a major disaster declaration, which would free up more federal assistance to those affected by the hurricane. Biden also announced 100% federal funding for debris removal, search and rescue efforts, power and water restoration and shelter and food for one month.
“We’ll do everything we can to meet the urgent needs you have,” he said. “And we know they’re real, and they’re significant.”
___
Associated Press journalist Maricarmen Rivera Sánchez contributed to this report. | https://www.krqe.com/news/top-stories/ap-top-headlines/ap-post-fiona-fuel-disruptions-spark-fear-in-puerto-rico/ | 2022-09-24T02:24:58 | en | 0.977 |
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez, a leading candidate for the AL Rookie of the Year award, was put on the 10-day injured list Friday because of a lower back strain.
The move came with Seattle holding the third and final wild-card spot, a half-game behind Tampa Bay and four games ahead of Baltimore. Outfielder Taylor Trammell was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma.
Rodriguez left Thursday’s win at Oakland in the first inning after experiencing back tightness. The 21-year-old leads rookies in home runs (27), runs scored (81), and total bases (251), and is second in RBIs (73) and stolen bases (25). He was the only rookie to be chosen an All-Star this season.
Rodriguez was replaced in center field by Jarred Kelenic for Seattle's game at Kansas City. Third baseman J.P. Crawford took Rodriguez’s accustomed leadoff spot in the batting order.
“I was anticipating more of (Kelenic’s) reps would come on the corners, but with Julio out now, he’ll be playing in center field,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “We’re going to let him run with it.”
Trammell has played 41 games for Seattle this year, batting .208 with four home runs and 10 RBIs. He was hitting .333 with five homers and 12 RBIs in 22 games for Tacoma.
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More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.myjournalcourier.com/sports/article/Mariners-rookie-OF-Rodriguez-on-10-day-IL-with-17463375.php | 2022-09-24T02:25:02 | en | 0.959509 |
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A bargain hunter who went to an estate sale in Maine to find a KitchenAid mixer, a bookshelf or vintage clothing walked away with a 700-year-old treasure.
Instead of a kitchen appliance, Will Sideri stumbled upon a framed document hanging on a wall. It had elaborate script in Latin, along with musical notes and gold flourishes. A sticker said 1285 AD. Based on what he’d seen in a manuscripts class at Colby College, the document looked downright medieval.
And it was a bargain at $75.
Academics confirmed the parchment was from The Beauvais Missal, used in the Beauvais Cathedral in France, and dated to the late 13th century. It was used about 700 years ago in Roman Catholic worship, they said.
An expert on manuscripts said the document, first reported by the Maine Monitor, could be worth as much as $10,000.
After spying the unusual manuscript, Sideri contacted his former Colby College professor, who was familiar with it because there’s another page in the college collection. The professor reached out to another academic who’d researched the document. They quickly confirmed the authenticity.
The parchment was part of a prayer book and priests’ liturgy, said Lisa Fagin Davis, executive director of the Medieval Academy of America and a professor of manuscript studies at Simmons University in Boston.
The full missal was once owned by William Randolph Hearst, the newspaper publisher, before being sold in the 1940s and, much to the consternation of today’s academics, was divvied up into individual pages, she said.
The practice was common in the early 20th century. “Thousands of unique manuscripts were destroyed and scattered this way,” Davis said.
Davis has painstakingly researched The Beauvais Missal, and has tracked down more than 100 individual pages across the country. All told, the missal numbered 309 pages in its original form.
The page purchased by Sideri is of particular interest to scholars.
It’s a treasure both because of its age and condition, which is far better than the other page in the Colby collection, said Megan Cook, Sideri’s former professor, who teaches medieval literature at Colby.
The parchment is worth upward of $10,000, according to Davis. But Sideri said he has no intention of selling it.
He said he likes the history and beauty of the parchment — and the story of how he stumbled upon it.
“This is something at the end of the day that I know is cool,” he said. “I didn’t buy this expecting to sell it.”
___
Follow David Sharp on Twitter: @David_Sharp_AP | https://www.krqe.com/news/weird/ap-bargain-hunter-scores-700-year-old-medieval-times-document/ | 2022-09-24T02:25:05 | en | 0.977021 |
Nationals first. Lane Thomas homers to left field. Cesar Hernandez strikes out swinging. Joey Meneses strikes out swinging. Luke Voit called out on strikes.
1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 left on. Nationals 1, Marlins 0.
Marlins first. Jon Berti doubles to deep left field. Brian Anderson hit by pitch. Garrett Cooper doubles. Brian Anderson to third. Jon Berti scores. Nick Fortes strikes out swinging. JJ Bleday strikes out swinging. Bryan De La Cruz grounds out to shortstop, Cesar Hernandez to Joey Meneses.
1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 left on. Nationals 1, Marlins 1.
Marlins sixth. Garrett Cooper singles to left center field. Nick Fortes singles to second base. Garrett Cooper to second. JJ Bleday walks. Nick Fortes to second. Garrett Cooper to third. Bryan De La Cruz hit by pitch. JJ Bleday to second. Nick Fortes to third. Garrett Cooper scores. Charles Leblanc singles to shallow center field. Bryan De La Cruz to second. JJ Bleday to third. Nick Fortes scores. Miguel Rojas grounds out to shallow infield. Charles Leblanc out at second. Bryan De La Cruz to third. JJ Bleday scores. Jordan Groshans lines out to deep right field to Lane Thomas.
3 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. Marlins 4, Nationals 1.
Marlins seventh. Jon Berti grounds out to second base, Luis Garcia to Joey Meneses. Brian Anderson reaches on error. Throwing error by Cesar Hernandez. Garrett Cooper walks. Brian Anderson to second. Nick Fortes walks. Garrett Cooper to second. Brian Anderson to third. JJ Bleday out on a sacrifice fly to deep left field to Alex Call. Brian Anderson scores. Bryan De La Cruz reaches on a fielder's choice to shortstop. Nick Fortes out at second.
1 run, 0 hits, 1 error, 3 left on. Marlins 5, Nationals 1.
Nationals eighth. CJ Abrams doubles to deep right field. Lane Thomas grounds out to shortstop, Miguel Rojas to Charles Leblanc. Cesar Hernandez strikes out swinging. Joey Meneses doubles. CJ Abrams scores. Luke Voit strikes out swinging.
1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. Marlins 5, Nationals 2. | https://www.myjournalcourier.com/sports/article/Washington-Miami-Runs-17463421.php | 2022-09-24T02:25:08 | en | 0.766067 |
BEVERLY, Mass. (AP) — A gray seal that wandered into a Massachusetts pond and evaded authorities’ attempts to capture him turned himself in Friday after waddling up to the local police station.
The gray seal first appeared earlier this month in Shoe Pond in the city of Beverly, northeast of Boston. The animal is believed to have traveled to the pond from the sea via a river and drainage pipes.
The seal quickly became a local attraction and was even named “Shoebert” after his chosen pond.
Firefighters and wildlife experts used boats and giant nets in an effort to capture the wily animal Thursday, but gave up after several fruitless hours. Early Friday morning, however, Shoebert left the pond, crossed a parking lot and appeared outside the side door of the local police station looking, according to a police statement, “for some help.”
The seal was quickly corralled by a team of wildlife experts, firefighters and the police department’s “entire midnight shift,” according to a Facebook post from the Beverly Police Department.
“Shoebert appeared to be in good health and was a little sassy in the early morning hours,” the department noted.
The seal was transported to Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Connecticut, where aquarium staff will perform a medical exam before releasing him back into the wild, Sarah Callan, manager of the aquarium’s animal rescue program, wrote in an email.
“He is acting like a typical, feisty, 4-year-old gray seal,” Callan added. “We are planning to release him in a quiet, remote location near other seals.” | https://www.krqe.com/news/weird/ap-wily-seal-that-cruised-to-pond-surrenders-at-police-station/ | 2022-09-24T02:25:12 | en | 0.976856 |
WFO PHOENIX Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, September 23, 2022
_____
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Phoenix AZ
557 PM MST Fri Sep 23 2022
...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 815 PM MST/815 PM
PDT/ THIS EVENING FOR WEST CENTRAL YUMA, SOUTHERN LA PAZ AND EASTERN
IMPERIAL COUNTIES...
At 557 PM MST /557 PM PDT/, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms
produced heavy rain across the warned area. Up to 2 inches of rain
have fallen. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.
HAZARD...Life threatening flash flooding. Thunderstorms producing
flash flooding.
SOURCE...Radar.
IMPACT...Life threatening flash flooding of creeks and streams,
urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses.
Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
Martinez Lake and Yuma Proving Ground.
This includes the following streams and drainages...
McAllister Wash, Colorado River, Indian Wash, Castle Dome Wash,
Yuma Wash, Angeles Wash, Los and West Fork Yuma Wash.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood
deaths occur in vehicles.
_____
Copyright 2022 AccuWeather | https://www.myjournalcourier.com/weather/article/CA-WFO-PHOENIX-Warnings-Watches-and-Advisories-17463390.php | 2022-09-24T02:25:14 | en | 0.837378 |
COLOGNE, Germany (AP) — For 90 years, Engelbert Schlechtrimen’s family has been baking wheat rolls, rye bread and chocolate cakes in this western German city. Next month, they will turn off the ovens for good, because they can no longer afford rising energy prices resulting from Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Schlechtrimen’s grandparents founded the bakery in Cologne before World War II. The 58-year-old took over the business 28 years ago from his father and turned it into an organic store that uses traditional recipes and bans chemical additives in the bakehouse.
Still, even these innovations won’t save him from closing down the family business — consisting of a bakery and two stores that employ 35 people — after almost a century. It’s one victim of a European energy crisis driven by Russia’s cutbacks of natural gas, used to heat homes, generate electricity and power factories.
The resulting hikes in energy and power prices have squeezed businesses already struggling with a rise in other costs as inflation rises.
“For some time now, we have been juggling several crises at the same time: job vacancies, lack of personnel, closures due to the coronavirus pandemic, extreme increases in raw material costs, and now the explosion of energy costs and the further increase in personnel costs,” Schlechtrimen said this week.
He pointed to the costs of materials going up 50%. And “now, there is also the energy cost crisis. So far, we have only seen an increase of around 70%, because we heat the furnaces with diesel oil. A fourfold increase in price is to be feared.”
Schlechtrimen tried to save energy wherever possible — but that wasn’t enough to make up for growing expenses.
He also raised the prices of his products to cover his spiking costs, but customers, who also are tightening belts as inflation rises, stayed away and turned to discounters selling industrially manufactured baked goods for less money.
Eventually, the Cologne baker had to concede that he’s no longer making enough profit to sustain his business.
Schlechtrimen isn’t the only baker struggling to make a living in Germany these days. Small, family-owned bakeries across the country are having a hard time covering their costs.
“Many businesses in the bakery trade are worried about how they are going to get through the next few months. They are facing a cost tsunami,” said Friedemann Berg, managing director of the German Bakers’ Confederation.
“We would like to see a financial bailout for our bakeries, with the federal government providing aid to help our businesses effectively, quickly and unbureaucratically,” Berg said.
The German government this month announced an additional 65 billion-euro investment in a new round of measures aimed at easing the sting of inflation and high energy prices for consumers.
But for people like Schlechtrimen, the aid may be coming too late.
___
Kirsten Grieshaber and Pietro de Cristofaro contributed to this report from Berlin. | https://www.krqe.com/news/world/ap-after-90-years-german-bakery-to-close-as-energy-costs-soar/ | 2022-09-24T02:25:19 | en | 0.963914 |
WFO PHOENIX Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, September 23, 2022
_____
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Phoenix AZ
623 PM PDT Fri Sep 23 2022
...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING
FOR RIVERSIDE COUNTY...
At 623 PM PDT, thunderstorms produced heavy rain of up to 2 inches.
Flash flooding is already occurring as CHP reported rocks and debris
on Highway 95 north of Blythe.
HAZARD...Life threatening flash flooding. Thunderstorms producing
flash flooding.
SOURCE...Law enforcement reported.
IMPACT...Life threatening flash flooding of creeks and streams,
urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses.
Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
mainly rural areas of far eastern Riverside County
This includes the following highways...
CA Route 95 between mile markers 16 and 25.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood
deaths occur in vehicles.
In hilly terrain there are hundreds of low water crossings which are
potentially dangerous in heavy rain. Do not attempt to cross flooded
roads. Find an alternate route.
_____
Copyright 2022 AccuWeather | https://www.myjournalcourier.com/weather/article/CA-WFO-PHOENIX-Warnings-Watches-and-Advisories-17463411.php | 2022-09-24T02:25:21 | en | 0.894245 |
NEW YORK (AP) — Sudan’s ruling military general, who mounted a coup nearly a year ago, said he will not run in future elections for a civilian-led government but offered no timeline on when a vote might happen in order for him to relinquish power.
Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan spoke with The Associated Press on Thursday on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly’s high-level leaders’ meeting. It marked nearly one year after the coup upended the Arabic-speaking African nation’s short-lived transition to democracy after three decades of repressive rule by strongman Omar al-Bashir.
Asked if he would consider running in future elections, Burhan replied: “I don’t think so.” When pressed further, he said: “I do not have a desire to put myself forward (as a candidate) nor do I want to continue in this work.”
Underpinning last year’s coup were tensions that had been building between supporters of military rule and those who support civilian rule, with both sides frustrated by the country’s worsening economic conditions.
Sudan has been mired in political turmoil for over three years. Its economy has teetered and inflation was expected to hit a staggering 245% this year, according to the International Monetary Fund.
Since the coup last October, pro-democracy protesters have marched through the streets demanding the generals hand over power to civilians. They’ve denounced Burhan’s takeover, which occurred when the military dissolved the transitional government of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok as well as the Sovereign Council, a power-sharing body of military officers and civilians that had been ruling Sudan since late 2019.
Troops have opened fire at protesters, killing some of the marchers and detaining hundreds. While no police or security forces have been convicted in the deaths, Burhan said around five or six are under investigation.
“No one killed protesters in the way that’s being depicted,” he said. “Protesters clashed with police, and the police dealt with them according to the law to protect public property.”
Burhan said that once an elected government is in place, the armed forces would be another institution of that government rather than retain a higher status.
During the interview, Burhan said he wouldn’t run in future elections. But he stopped short of giving a date for when elections will be held, despite previously saying a vote could be held in July 2023. Instead, he said the gridlock lies with political groups that need to agree on a date for the vote. He insisted the military had no role in that discussion.
“We are talking about political participation and widening that participation, whether that is Hamdok or someone else, this person will not succeed without a wide base to rule Sudan,” Burhan said. “The only authority to rule is through elections, with no one imposing their will on another.”
He also brushed aside strains within his own transitional government, denying there were any disagreements with the deputy chief of Sudan’s ruling military council, Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known by his nickname Hamedti. Local media over the past weeks reported disputes between the two generals. Dagalo has also acknowledged the failure of the October military takeover.
In February 2020, Burhan met with then-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Uganda, in a major diplomatic breakthrough that paved the way for Sudan to normalize ties with Israel. The meeting was part of a series of U.S.-brokered deals between Israel and four Arab countries.
Israel and Sudan have since crafted security and intelligence relationships that have seen officials exchange meetings repeatedly in unannounced trips.
Asked if he, as Sudan’s leader, would visit Israel, he said: “The basis of relations is reconciliation. Therefore, if an invitation was presented and there is the means for this, I will go.”
Amid the political upheaval, millions of Sudanese are suffering from high prices and a currency that’s dropped dramatically in value against the dollar. The ruling military leader blamed countries and institutions, which he did not name, for being behind Sudan’s deteriorating economic situation.
Sudan is in the midst of a deepening food crisis caused by ‘a cocktail of factors,’ according to the country’s World Food Program representative, Eddie Rowe, who spoke at a U.N. news conference on Friday.
Sudan has seen two years of poor harvests, a summer of devastating flooding and is struggling to access vital grain imports from eastern Europe following the war in Ukraine. In response to October’s coup, many major UN donors have withdrawn funding from the country.
To help ease Sudan’s crisis, Rowe called for lasting peace, a reliable government, and further international aid and support.
Following the coup, the Biden administration suspended $700 million in financial assistance intended to support Sudan’s transition to a fully civilian government. The State Department said the full aid package, which may have included other aid beyond the $700 million, had been put on “pause” pending a review of developments in Khartoum.
There are those “who promised to provide assistance to Sudan, but they did not honor their promises,” Burhan said. “There was much support from those external actors but regretfully this assistance ceased for political purposes.”
___
Aya Batrawy, an AP journalist based in Dubai, is on assignment covering the U.N. General Assembly. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ayaelb and for more AP coverage of the U.N. General Assembly, visit https://apnews.com/hub/united-nations-general-assembly | https://www.krqe.com/news/world/ap-ap-interview-sudan-ruling-general-wont-run-in-elections/ | 2022-09-24T02:25:27 | en | 0.972911 |
WFO NEW YORK CITY Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, September 25, 2022
_____
RIP CURRENT STATEMENT
Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service New York NY
942 PM EDT Fri Sep 23 2022
...HIGH SURF ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM EDT SATURDAY...
...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...For the High Surf Advisory, large breaking waves of 7 to
11 feet tonight in the surf zone, subsiding to 5 to 8 ft
Saturday morning. For the High Rip Current Risk, dangerous rip
currents.
* WHERE...Kings (Brooklyn), Southwest Suffolk, Southeast
Suffolk, Southern Queens and Southern Nassau Counties.
* WHEN...For the High Surf Advisory, until 11 AM EDT Saturday.
For the High Rip Current Risk, through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Large breaking waves will result in widespread beach
flooding, areas of dune base erosion, localized washovers,
dangerous swimming and surfing conditions. Life- threatening rip
currents are likely for all people entering the surf zone.
Anyone visiting the beaches should stay out of the surf. Rip
currents can sweep even the best swimmers away from shore into
deeper water.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Inexperienced swimmers should remain out of the water due to
dangerous surf conditions.
If you enter the surf zone, always have a flotation device with
you and swim near a lifeguard. If caught in a rip current, relax
and float, and do not swim against the current. If able, swim in
a direction following the shoreline. If unable to escape, face
the shore and yell or wave for help.
_____
Copyright 2022 AccuWeather | https://www.myjournalcourier.com/weather/article/NY-WFO-NEW-YORK-CITY-Warnings-Watches-and-17463433.php | 2022-09-24T02:25:27 | en | 0.885484 |
WFO MIDLAND/ODESSA Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, September 24, 2022
_____
FLOOD WARNING
Flood Statement
National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX
813 PM CDT Fri Sep 23 2022
...The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in Texas...
Rio Grande at Presidio International Bridge affecting Presidio
County.
...The Flood Warning is cancelled for the following rivers in
Texas...
Rio Grande below Presidio 5SE affecting Presidio County.
.Elevated flows on the Rio Conchos are resulting in minor flooding
on the Rio Grande at the Presidio International Bridge.
For the Rio Grande...including Presidio International Bridge...Minor
flooding is forecast.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood
deaths occur in vehicles.
Please report observed flooding to local emergency services or law
enforcement and request they pass this information to the National
Weather Service when you can do so safely.
Additional information is available at www.weather.gov.
The next statement will be issued Saturday morning.
...FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE...
* WHAT...Minor flooding is occurring and minor flooding is forecast.
* WHERE...Rio Grande at Presidio International Bridge.
* WHEN...Until further notice.
* IMPACTS...At 12.0 feet (3.7 meters), the river reaches bankfull,
after which the flood plain between the levees begins to flood.
No damage is expected.
At 15.5 feet (4.7 meters), the river reaches minor flood stage,
and flooding between the levees occurs. No damage to structures
is expected.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- At 7:15 PM CDT Friday the stage was 17.1 feet (5.2 meters).
- Recent Activity...The maximum river stage in the 24 hours
ending at 7:15 PM CDT Friday was 17.4 feet (5.3 meters).
- Forecast...The river is expected to remain steady above flood
stage at 17.0 feet (5.2 meters).
- Flood stage is 15.5 feet (4.7 meters).
- Flood History...This crest compares to a previous crest of
18.9 feet (5.8 meters) on 09/03/2022.
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
Below are the latest river stages and forecasts (feet):
Fld Observed Sat Sat Sat Sat
Location Stg Stg Day/Time 1am 7am 1pm 7pm
Rio Grande
Presidio Internation 15.5 17.1 Fri 7pm 17.0 17.0 17.0 17.0
Below are the latest river stages and forecasts (meters):
Presidio Internation 4.7 5.2 Fri 7pm 5.2 5.2 5.2 5.2
...FLOOD WARNING IS CANCELLED...
The Flood Warning is cancelled for
the Rio Grande below Presidio 5SE.
- At 7:15 PM CDT Friday the stage was 8.4 feet (2.6 meters).
- Forecast...The river is expected to remain steady below flood
stage at 8.4 feet (2.6 meters).
Fld Observed Sat Sat Sat Sat
Location Stg Stg Day/Time 1am 7am 1pm 7pm
Presidio 5SE 9.0 8.4 Fri 7pm 8.4 8.3 8.3 8.3
Presidio 5SE 2.7 2.6 Fri 7pm 2.6 2.5 2.5 2.5
_____
Copyright 2022 AccuWeather | https://www.myjournalcourier.com/weather/article/TX-WFO-MIDLAND-ODESSA-Warnings-Watches-and-17463402.php | 2022-09-24T02:25:33 | en | 0.881161 |
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KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A car bomb went off Friday as worshippers were leaving a Kabul mosque, killing at least seven people and wounding 41, including several children, a Taliban official said.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing, the latest in a steady stream of attacks since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan just over a year ago.
A column of black smoke rose into the sky and shots rang out several minutes after the explosion near the mosque, located in a high-profile diplomatic neighborhood of the Afghan capital.
A Taliban-appointed Interior Ministry spokesman, Abdul Nafi Takor, said the vehicle with explosives was parked by the roadside near the mosque and detonated as worshippers were coming out after Friday prayers. He added that an investigation was underway, with police at the site.
“Many people were martyred or wounded,” said Mohammad Basir, an eyewitness. “I don’t know if there were explosives placed on the roadside or if it was a car bomb, but there was an explosion, and all the people were in a bad situation.”
Another eyewitness, Allah Noor, said the blast was very strong.
“I came out and had crossed the street when an explosion happened,” he said. “Right after the explosion, people nervously started evacuating wounded victims to hospital.”
The Italian Emergency Hospital, one of Kabul’s clinics that treated the victims, said it received 14 casualties from the site, with four dead on arrival.
Khalid Zadran, a spokesman for the Kabul police chief, said worshippers were intentionally targeted as they were leaving the Wazir Akbar Khan Mosque.
“Targeting mosques and worshippers is an unforgivable crime, the nation should cooperate with the regime in eliminating criminals,” said Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.
The Islamic State group — a top rival of the Taliban since their takeover in Afghanistan just over a year ago — has previously targeted mosques and worshippers, and especially members of Afghanistan’s minority Shiites in attacks.
The United Nations mission in Kabul tweeted that the bombing was another “bitter reminder of ongoing insecurity and terrorist activity in Afghanistan.”
“Our thoughts are with the families of those killed, wishing speedy recovery to the injured,” added the mission, known as UNAMA.
___
Faiez reported from Islamabad. | https://www.krqe.com/news/world/ap-blast-heard-near-mosque-in-downtown-kabul/ | 2022-09-24T02:25:33 | en | 0.984424 |
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LONDON (AP) — Hilary Mantel, the Booker Prize-winning author who turned Tudor power politics into page-turning fiction in the acclaimed “Wolf Hall” trilogy of historical novels, has died, her publisher said Friday. She was 70.
Mantel died “suddenly yet peacefully” on Thursday surrounded by close family and friends after suffering a stroke, publisher HarperCollins said.
Mantel is credited with reenergizing historical fiction with “Wolf Hall” and two sequels about the 16th-century English powerbroker Thomas Cromwell, right-hand man to King Henry VIII — and in Mantel’s hands, the charismatic antihero of a bloody, high-stakes political drama.
The publisher said Mantel was “one of the greatest English novelists of this century.”
“Her beloved works are considered modern classics. She will be greatly missed,” it said in a statement.
Author J.K. Rowling tweeted: “We’ve lost a genius.” Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said it is “impossible to overstate the significance of the literary legacy Hilary Mantel leaves behind.”
Mantel won the prestigious Booker Prize for fiction twice, for “Wolf Hall” in 2009 and its sequel “Bring Up the Bodies” in 2012. Both were adapted for the stage and television.
The trilogy’s final instalment, “The Mirror and the Light,” was published in 2020.
Nicholas Pearson, Mantel’s longtime editor, said her death was “devastating.”
“Only last month I sat with her on a sunny afternoon in Devon, while she talked excitedly about the new novel she had embarked on,” he said. “That we won’t have the pleasure of any more of her words is unbearable. What we do have is a body of work that will be read for generations.”
Born in Derbyshire in central England in 1952, Mantel attended a convent school, then studied at the London School of Economics and Sheffield University. She worked as a social worker at a geriatric hospital, an experience she drew on for her first two novels, “Every Day Is Mother’s Day,” published in 1985, and “Vacant Possession,” which followed the next year.
In the 1970s and 1980s she lived in Botswana and Saudi Arabia with her husband, Gerald McEwen, a geologist. She drew on her time in Saudi Arabia for the 1988 novel “Eight Months on Ghazzah Street.”
Mantel had been a published novelist for almost 25 years when her first book about Cromwell made her a literary superstar. Before “Wolf Hall,” she was the critically acclaimed but modestly selling author of novels on subjects ranging from the French Revolution (“A Place of Greater Safety”) to the life of a psychic medium (“Beyond Black”).
“For most of my career I wrote about odd and marginal people,” Mantel said in 2017. “They were psychic. Or religious. Or institutionalized. Or social workers. Or French. My readers were a small and select band, until I decided to march on to the middle ground of English history and plant a flag.”
Mantel turned Cromwell, a shadowy Tudor political fixer, into a compelling, complex literary hero, by turns thoughtful and thuggish.
A self-made man who rose from poverty to power, Cromwell was an architect of the Reformation who helped King Henry VIII realize his desire to divorce Catherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn — and later, to be rid of Boleyn so he could marry Jane Seymour, the third of what would be Henry’s six wives.
The Vatican’s refusal to annul Henry’s first marriage led the monarch to reject the authority of the pope and install himself as head of the Church of England.
The dramatic period saw England transformed from a Roman Catholic to a Protestant nation, from medieval kingdom to emerging modern state, and it has inspired countless books, films and television series, from “A Man for All Seasons” to “The Tudors.”
But Mantel managed to make the well-known story exciting and suspenseful.
“I’m very keen on the idea that a historical novel should be written pointing forward,” she told The Associated Press in 2009. “Remember that the people you are following didn’t know the end of their own story. So they were going forward day by day, pushed and jostled by circumstances, doing the best they could, but walking in the dark, essentially.”
Mantel also turned a sharp eye to Britain’s modern-day royalty. A 2013 lecture in which she described the former Kate Middleton, wife of Prince William, as a “shop-window mannequin, with no personality of her own” drew the ire of the British tabloid press.
Mantel said she wasn’t talking about the duchess herself but rather describing a view of Kate constructed by the press and public opinion. The author nonetheless received criticism from then-Prime Minister David Cameron, among others.
Right-wing commentators also took issue with a short story entitled “The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher,” which imagined an attack on the former Conservative leader. It was published in 2014, the same year Queen Elizabeth II made Mantel a dame, the female equivalent of a knight.
Mantel remained politically outspoken. An opponent of Brexit, she said in 2021 that she hoped to gain Irish citizenship and become “a European again.”
In addition to her fiction, Mantel wrote a 2003 memoir, “Giving Up the Ghost,” that chronicled years of ill-health, including long-undiagnosed endometriosis, surgery for which left her infertile.
She once said the years of illness wrecked her dream of becoming a lawyer but made her a writer.
Mantel’s literary agent, Bill Hamilton, said the author had dealt “stoically” with chronic health problems.
“We will miss her immeasurably, but as a shining light for writers and readers she leaves an extraordinary legacy,” he said.
Mantel is survived by her husband. | https://www.krqe.com/news/world/ap-british-author-of-wolf-hall-saga-hilary-mantel-dies-at-70/ | 2022-09-24T02:25:41 | en | 0.977301 |
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ROME (AP) — Italians will vote on Sunday in what is being billed as a crucial election as Europe reels from the repercussions of Russia’s war in Ukraine. For the first time in Italy since the end of World War II, the election could propel a far-right leader into the premiership.
Soaring energy costs and quickly climbing prices for staples like bread — the consequences of Russia’s invasion of breadbasket Ukraine — have pummeled many Italian families and businesses.
Against that bleak backdrop, Giorgia Meloni and her Brothers of Italy party — with neo-fascist roots and an agenda of God, homeland and Christian identity — appear to be the front-runners in Italy’s parliamentary election.
They could be a test case for whether hard-right sentiment is gaining more traction in the 27-nation European Union. Recently, a right-wing party in Sweden surged in popularity by capitalizing on peoples’ fears about crime.
No single party in Italy stands much chance of winning enough seats to govern alone, but right-wing and right-leaning centrists forged a campaign pact that could secure Meloni a parliamentary majority and propel her into power. Her main alliance partner is right-wing League party leader Matteo Salvini, who blames crime on migrants and has long been a staunch ideological booster of right-wing governments in Hungary and Poland.
“Elections in the middle of a war, in the midst of an energy crisis and the dawn of what is likely to be an economic crisis … almost by definition are crucial elections,” said Nathalie Tocci, director of Rome-based think tank the International Affairs Institute.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who ordered Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, is gambling that “Europe will break” under the weight of economic and energy problems brought on by the war, Tocci told The Associated Press.
Salvini, who draws his voter base from business owners in Italy’s north, has donned pro-Putin T-shirts in the past. Salvini has also questioned the wisdom of maintaining Western economic sanctions against Russia, saying they could hurt Italy’s economic interests too much.
The publication of polls was halted 15 days before Sunday’s vote, but before then they indicated Meloni’s party would be the biggest vote-getter, just ahead of the center-left Democratic Party headed by former Premier Enrico Letta.
The campaign alliance linking Meloni to Salvini and former Premier Silvio Berlusconi confers a clear advantage over Letta under Italy’s complex system of divvying up seats in Parliament.
Letta had hoped in vain for a campaign alliance with the left-leaning populist 5-Star Movement, the largest party in the outgoing legislature.
While it is a fraught moment for Europe, Sunday’s election could see modern Italy’s lowest-ever turnout. The last election, in 2018, saw record-low turnout of 73%. Pollster Lorenzo Pregliasco says this time the percentage could drop to as low as 66%.
Pregliasco, who heads the YouTrend polling company, says Italy’s last three different governing coalitions since the last election have left Italians “disaffected, disappointed. They don’t see their vote as something that matters.”
The outgoing government is headed by former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi. In early 2021, Italy’s president tapped Draghi to form a unity government after the collapse of the second ruling coalition of 5-Star leader Giuseppe Conte.
In what Pregliasco called an “apparent paradox,” polls indicate that “most Italians like Draghi and think his government did a good job.” Yet Meloni, the sole major party leader to refuse to join Draghi’s coalition, is polling the strongest.
As Tocci put it, Meloni’s party is so popular “simply because it’s the new kid on the block.”
Draghi has said he doesn’t want another term.
To Meloni’s annoyance, criticism still dogs her that she hasn’t made an unambiguous break with her party’s roots in a neo-fascist movement founded by nostalgists for dictator Benito Mussolini after his regime’s disastrous role in World War II. During the campaign, she declared that she is “no danger to democracy.”
Some political analysts say worries about the fascist question aren’t their main concern.
“I am afraid of incompetence, not the fascist threat,″ said Roberto D’Alimonte, a political science professor at LUISS, a private university in Rome. ”She has not governed anything.”
Meloni served as youth minister in Berlusconi’s last government, which ended a decade ago.
Instead, her main right-wing coalition partner is worth worrying about, D’Alimonte told The AP.
“Salvini will be the troublemaker, not Meloni,″ he said. “It is not Meloni calling for the end of sanctions against Russia. It is Salvini. It is not Meloni calling for more debt or more deficit. It is Salvini.”
But recent incidents have fed worries about Brothers of Italy.
A Brothers of Italy candidate in Sicily was suspended by his party after he posted phrases on social media showing appreciation for Hitler. Separately, a brother of one of Meloni’s co-founders was spotted giving what appeared to be the fascist salute at a funeral for a relative. The brother denied that was what he was doing.
For years, the right wing has crusaded against unbridled immigration, after hundreds of thousands of migrants reached Italy’s shores aboard smugglers’ boats or vessels that rescued them in the Mediterranean Sea. Both Meloni and Salvini have thundered against what they see as an invasion of foreigners not sharing what they call Italy’s “Christian” character.
Letta, who wants to facilitate citizenship for children of legal immigrants, has, too, played the fear card. In his party’s campaign, ads on buses, half the image depicts a serious-looking Letta with his one-word motto, “Choose,” with the other half featuring an ominous-looking image of Putin. Salvini and Berlusconi have both expressed admiration for the Russian leader. Meloni backs supplying arms so Ukraine can defend itself.
With energy bills as much as 10 times higher than a year ago, how to save workers’ jobs ranks high among Italian voters’ worries.
But perhaps with the exception of Salvini, who wants to revisit Italy’s closed nuclear power plants, candidates haven’t distinguished themselves in proposing solutions to the energy crisis. Nearly all are pushing for a EU cap on gas prices.
The perils of climate change haven’t loomed large in the Italian campaign. Italy’s tiny Greens party, a campaign partner of Letta, is forecast to capture barely a few seats in Parliament.
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Colleen Barry reported from Milan. Sabrina Sergi contributed to this report from Rome. | https://www.krqe.com/news/world/ap-crucial-vote-could-move-italy-to-right-many-might-boycott/ | 2022-09-24T02:25:48 | en | 0.957828 |
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PARIS (AP) — France’s parliamentary speaker released the first public accounting of complaints to a special unit aimed at fighting sexual harassment and other misconduct, after several cases involving French lawmakers accused of abuse prompted public outrage.
Yaël Braun-Pivet, the first female speaker of France’s National Assembly, said on public radio France-Info on Thursday that 40 cases of inappropriate behavior in the legislature — including sexual or moral harassment — have been registered since January 2021.
The anti-harassment unit, set up in 2020, is part and parcel of gradual but growing efforts to tackle sexual and sexist abuse in French society. Independent and specialized medics and lawyers provide support to people working in France’s lower house, from lawmakers to deputy assistants or staff.
Under French law, if the situations that have been reported may constitute a crime, it must be reported to prosecutors. One case from last year went through that procedure, Braun-Pivet said.
Internal sanctions can also be imposed, she said, though she didn’t specify what happened in each case.
“It was important to have a special unit to handle these situations,” she said, insisting that there is no code of silence around such abuse in Parliament, and urging victims to speak out.
The new figures were unveiled amid a scandal that has rocked the National Assembly’s left-wing opposition: Prominent far-left legislator Adrien Quatennens recently acknowledged slapping his wife, and influential three-time presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon initially defended him.
Quatennens stepped down from his role as party coordinator; Melenchon came under criticism within their leftist camp for not upholding pledges to defend women’s rights and fight sexist violence.
Another prominent figure of the left, lawmaker Julien Bayou was “suspended from his role” as co-president of the Greens party group at the National Assembly on Tuesday, after a former partner accused him of psychological abuse in a complaint to the party’s anti-harassment unit. Bayou hasn’t commented on the accusation, and the party will rule in the coming week about his future role. An internal investigation by the party is underway.
Braun-Pivet stated that it was a lawmaker’s “personal choice” to resign if they are accused of wrongdoing, but the law doesn’t force them to step down.
Former French minister Damien Abad had to step down from the government after being accused of rape by two women. The case helped galvanize a movement aimed at exposing sexual misconduct in French politics. Abad, also a member of parliament, denied the allegations. Prosecutors opened a preliminary investigation into the accusations.
Braun-Pivet spoke about her own experience at the National Assembly where she was first elected in 2017 and was the target of sexist behavior, including inappropriate “remarks” and “small noises.”
But she is hopeful that things will gradually change. She noted that women make up 37% of lawmakers in the National Assembly — down from 39% five years ago but up from 12% a generation ago — and five of the six vice presidents of the National Assembly are now women.
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Sylvie Corbet contributed to this report. | https://www.krqe.com/news/world/ap-french-parliament-takes-on-sexual-misconduct-amid-scandals/ | 2022-09-24T02:25:56 | en | 0.971825 |
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UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Every September, the New York City police barricades go up around U.N. headquarters in midtown Manhattan, demarcating a temporary multinational fiefdom and inadvertently annexing peripheral businesses and residence towers.
“Oh, it’s terrible,” Hillary Lee, the owner of Belleclaire Cleaners, softly moans when asked how business fares during the U.N. General Assembly’s high-level meeting.
Her dry-cleaning-and-tailoring shop is tantalizingly close to the outside world, just steps beyond the gates. Despite the proximity, she often finds herself wheeling a laundry-laden cart for blocks to deliver it to customers who aren’t permitted to idle on the pavement on the other side.
“It’s their work; it’s my work,” says Lee, who has owned the shop for four years and doesn’t hold a grudge over the security.
“But the problem is, a lot of my customers, they are really very angry. Very, very angry, they are,” she adds, jokingly mimicking their frustrations.
Residents are advised to carry identification cards and bills bearing their name and address to get past the NYPD booths. The friction at the checkpoints tends to ease as the week wears on and officers and denizens alike become familiar to one another.
“It’s a balance we strike each year because our plans are focused on minimizing, as much as possible, the impact all of this will have on New Yorkers,” NYPD Chief of Department Kenneth Corey said at a press conference last week.
Lee says she does end up adding a few U.N. visitors to her clientele, but she’s not inclined to make money off them. She lets them pay what they want; fixing the hem on a pant leg might normally cost $8-10, but she’ll take $5.
The week may be painful, but the visitors are nice, she says: “I try to help.”
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Follow Mallika Sen on Twitter at https://twitter.com/mallikavsen. For more coverage of the U.N. General Assembly, visit https://apnews.com/hub/united-nations-general-assembly | https://www.krqe.com/news/world/ap-glimpses-threading-the-needle-at-the-un-perimeters-edge/ | 2022-09-24T02:26:03 | en | 0.951133 |
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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian counterprotesters gathered across the country on Friday in a show of support for authorities after nearly a week of anti-government protests and unrest over the death of a young woman who was being held by the morality police.
Thousands attended a rally in the capital, Tehran, where they waved Iranian flags, and similar demonstrations were held in other cities. The government claimed the demonstrations of support were spontaneous. Similar rallies have been held during past periods of widespread protests.
The pro-government demonstrators chanted against America and Israel, according to state media, reflecting the official line that blames the latest unrest on hostile foreign countries.
State TV suggested late on Friday that the death toll from this week’s unrest could be as high as 35, raising an earlier estimate of 26. Anti-government protesters and security forces have clashed in several major cities in the most severe political violence since 2019, when rights groups say hundreds were killed amid demonstrations against a hike in state-controlled gasoline prices.
Iran has also disrupted internet access and tightened restrictions on popular platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp, which can be used to organize rallies.
In response, the U.S. Treasury Department said it would allow American tech firms to expand their business in Iran to boost internet access for the Iranian people. Iran is under heavy U.S. and international sanctions.
A state TV newswoman said late Friday that 35 protesters and policemen had been killed since the protests erupted last Saturday after the funeral of the 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, without elaborating. She said official statistics would be released later, but authorities have not provided a full accounting of deaths and injuries during past unrest.
A tally by The Associated Press, based on statements from state-run and semiofficial media, shows that at least 11 people have been killed. Most recently, the deputy governor of Qazvin, Abolhasan Kabiri, said that a citizen and paramilitary officer had been killed there.
The crisis unfolding in Iran began as a public outpouring of anger over the the death of Amini, a young woman who was arrested by the morality police in Tehran last week for allegedly wearing her Islamic headscarf too loosely. The police said she died of a heart attack and was not mistreated, but her family has cast doubt on that account.
Amini’s death has sparked sharp condemnation from Western countries and the United Nations. Iranians across at least 13 cities from the capital, Tehran, to Amini’s northwest Kurdish hometown of Saqez have poured into the streets, voicing pent-up anger over social and political repression.
“The death has tapped into broader antigovernment sentiment in the Islamic Republic and especially the frustration of women,” wrote political risk firm Eurasia Group. It noted that Iran’s hard-liners have intensified their crackdown on women’s clothing over the past year since former judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi became president.
“The prospect of the leadership offering concessions to Iranian women is minimal,” it said. “In the cold calculus of Iranian leaders, the protests have likely gone far enough and a more forceful response is required to quell the unrest.”
Raisi condemned the protests as he arrived back in Iran after addressing the United Nations General Assembly earlier this week.
“We have announced many times that if anyone has a fair comment, we will listen to it. But anarchy? Disturbing national security? The security of people? No one will succumb to this,” he said.
Videos on social media show protesters in Tehran torching a police car and confronting officers. Others show gunfire ringing out as protesters bolt from riot police, shouting: “They are shooting at people! Oh my God, they’re killing people!”
In the northwestern city of Neyshabur, protesters cheered over an overturned police car. Footage from Tehran and Mashhad shows women waving their obligatory headscarves, known as hijab, in the air like flags while chanting, “Freedom!”
Separately, hackers have targeted a number of government websites in recent days, taking some of them down at least briefly. On Friday, hackers interrupted Iran’s Channel 3 on a popular streaming website and played videos in support of the protests. Normal programming was restored a couple of minutes later.
The protests have grown into an open challenge to the theocracy established after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The chants have been scathing, with some chanting “Death to the dictator!” and “Mullahs must be gone!”
Local officials have announced the arrest of dozens of protesters. Hasan Hosseinpour, deputy police chief in the northern Gilan province, reported 211 people detained there on Thursday. The government of the western Hamadan province said 58 demonstrators had been arrested.
The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday that at least 10 reporters have been arrested since the start of the protests, many of them during late night raids on their homes by security forces who did not identify themselves.
London-based watchdog Amnesty International has accused security forces of beating protesters with batons and firing metal pellets at close range. Videos show police and paramilitary officers using live fire, tear gas and water cannons to disperse demonstrators.
Iran has grappled with waves of protests in the recent past, mainly over a long-running economic crisis exacerbated by American sanctions linked to its nuclear program. In November 2019, the country saw the deadliest violence since the revolution, as protests erupted over gas price hikes.
Economic hardship remains a major source of anger today as the prices of basic necessities soar and the Iranian currency declines in value.
The Biden administration and European allies have been working to revive the 2015 nuclear accord, in which Iran curbed its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief, but the talks have stalled for months.
The Eurasia Group said the protests make any immediate return to the agreement less likely, as Iran’s government will be more hesitant to make concessions at a time of domestic unrest and the United States will be reluctant to sign a deal as Iran violently cracks down on dissent. | https://www.krqe.com/news/world/ap-iran-state-tv-suggests-at-least-26-dead-from-protests/ | 2022-09-24T02:26:09 | en | 0.971859 |
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ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan has deployed thousands of additional doctors and paramedics in the country’s worst flood-hit province to contain the spread of diseases that have killed over 300 people among the flood victims, officials said Friday.
Some of the doctors who refused to work in Sindh province have been fired by the government, according to the provincial health department there. Floods have killed 724 people, including 311 children and 133 women in the province since July.
The monsoon rains and flooding, which many experts say are fueled by climate change, have affected 33 million people, caused at least 1,596 deaths and damaged 2 million homes across Pakistan.
About half a million flood survivors are homeless, living in tents and makeshift structures.
In the past two months, Pakistan sent nearly 10,000 additional doctors, nurses and other medical staff to serve survivors at health facilities and at medical camps across Sindh province.
About 18,000 doctors and nearly 38,000 paramedics are treating survivors in the province, according to data from the health department.
Floods have damaged more than 1,000 health facilities in Sindh, forcing survivors to travel to other areas to seek medical help.
Waterborne and other diseases in the past two months have killed 334 flood victims.
The death toll prompted the World Health Organization last week to raise the alarm about a “second disaster,” with doctors on the ground racing to battle outbreaks.
Some floodwaters in Pakistan have receded, but many districts in Sindh are still submerged, and displaced people living in tents and makeshift camps face the threat of gastrointestinal infections, dengue fever and malaria, which are on the rise at relief camps.
The devastation has led the United Nations to consider sending more money than it committed during its flash appeal for $160 million to support Pakistan’s flood response.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who is in New York, will speak at the U.N. General Assembly on Friday to seek more help from the international community.
On Wednesday, Julien Harneis, the U.N. resident coordinator in Pakistan, said: “The humanitarian situation remains dire in flood-affected areas of Pakistan, with widespread damage to physical infrastructure and ongoing harm to people and livestock.
Outbreaks of diarrhea, typhoid and malaria are increasing rapidly, he said, as millions of people sleep in temporary shelters or in the open in close proximity to stagnating water.
Over 134,000 cases of diarrhea and 44,000 cases of malaria were reported in the hardest hit area of Sindh this past week. | https://www.krqe.com/news/world/ap-pakistan-deploys-more-doctors-to-fight-diseases-after-floods/ | 2022-09-24T02:26:17 | en | 0.960069 |
NEW YORK (AP) — Frustrated, anxious but also a tad hopeful, young activists staged a coordinated “global climate strike” Friday to highlight the effects of global warming and demand more aid for poor countries hit by wild weather.
In New York, as leaders of developing disaster-struck nations pleaded their cases at the United Nations, more than a thousand protesters, many of them skipping school, marched through the streets to tell their leaders they were sick of inaction on climate.
“The oceans are rising and so are we,” they chanted. Protesters also took to the streets in Jakarta, Tokyo, Rome, Berlin and Montreal carrying banners and posters with slogans such as, “It’s not too late.”
“It’s one thing to worry about the future, and it’s another to get out there and do something about it,” said 16-year-old Lucia Dec-Prat at the protest in New York. “I honestly feel that the adults aren’t listening.”
Dinah Landsman, 17, said every day she asks herself about what kind of future she’ll have as she grows up because of climate change. Her generation has to act, she said.
“No one else is going to do it,” said Landsman, also in New York. “It’s us who have the most at stake.”
The protests follow warnings from scientists that countries aren’t doing enough to meet the 2015 Paris climate accord’s top-line target of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) this century compared to preindustrial times.
Michael Taft, a 27-year-old graduate student in New York, said “a lot of kids here are scared about what the next 20 years are going to look like for them.”
But Taft said he still has hope. He looks around at those listening to the speakers and said they aren’t like past generations. They aren’t looking to become finance majors and make lots of money.
“They’re all here because they’re motivated to make change,” Taft said. “And probably one of the people here or in another climate rally in a different country is going to be the person that has a massive role in change and fixing this.”
The demonstrations were organized by the Fridays for Future movement that took its cue from activist Greta Thunberg, who began protesting alone outside the Swedish parliament in 2018.
“We’re striking all over the world because the governments in charge are still doing too little for climate justice,” said Darya Sotoodeh, a spokesperson for the group’s chapter in Germany.
“People all over the world are suffering from this crisis, and it’s going to get worse if we don’t act on time,” she said.
Police said some 20,000 people attended the rally in Berlin, which featured calls for the German government to establish a 100-billion-euro fund for tackling climate change.
In Rome, some 5,000 young people turned out for a march that ended near the Colosseum.
One placard read: “The climate is changing. Why aren’t we?” Students highlighted among their priorities the need to rethink Italy’s transport policies. The country’s ratio of cars to inhabitant is one of the highest in Europe.
In Italy’s election campaign, which wraps up on Friday evening ahead of the Sept. 25 vote for Parliament, climate change policies didn’t figure heavily at candidates’ rallies.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told world leaders this week that the fossil fuel industry, which is responsible for a large share of planet-warming gases, is “feasting on hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies and windfall profits while household budgets shrink and our planet burns.”
Guterres urged rich countries to tax the profits of energy companies and redirect the funds to both “countries suffering loss and damage caused by the climate crisis” and those struggling with the rising cost of living.
Demands for poor nations to receive greater financial help to cope with global warming, including the destruction already wrought by deadly weather events such as the floods in Pakistan, have grown louder in the run-up to this year’s U.N. climate summit.
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Jordans reported from Berlin. Pietro de Cristofaro in Berlin and Frances D’Emilio in Rome contributed to this report.
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Follow AP’s climate coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment | https://www.krqe.com/news/world/ap-protesters-fear-climate-change-impacts-demand-aid-for-poor/ | 2022-09-24T02:26:24 | en | 0.962628 |
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ISTANBUL (AP) — Military-aged men fled Russia in droves Friday, filling planes and causing traffic jams at border crossings to avoid being rounded up to fight in Ukraine following the Kremlin’s partial military mobilization.
Queues stretching for 10 kilometers (6 miles) formed on a road leading to the southern border with Georgia, according to Yandex Maps, a Russian online map service.
The lines of cars were so long at the border with Kazakhstan that some people abandoned their vehicles and proceeded on foot — just as some Ukrainians did after Russia invaded their country on Feb. 24.
Meanwhile, dozens of flights out of Russia — with tickets sold at sky-high prices — carried men to international destinations such as Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Serbia, where Russians don’t need visas.
Among those who reached Turkey was a 41-year-old who landed in Istanbul with a suitcase and a backpack and plans to start a new life in Israel.
“I’m against this war, and I’m not going to be a part of it. I’m not going to be a murderer. I’m not going to kill people,” said the man, who identified himself only as Yevgeny to avoid potential retribution against his family left behind in Russia.
He referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “war criminal.”
Yevgeny decided to flee after Putin announced a partial military call-up on Wednesday. The total number of reservists involved could be as high as 300,000.
Some Russian men also fled to neighboring Belarus, Russia’s close ally. But that carried risk.
The Nasha Niva newspaper, one of the oldest independent newspapers in Belarus, reported that Belarusian security services were ordered to track down Russians fleeing from the draft, find them in hotels and rented apartments and report them to Russian authorities.
Russian authorities tried to calm an anxious public about the draft.
Legislators introduced a bill Friday that would suspend or reduce loan payments for Russians called up for duty. News outlets emphasized that draftees would have the same status as professional soldiers and be paid the same, and that their civilian jobs would be held for them.
The Defense Ministry said that many people who work in high tech, communications or finance will be exempt from the call-up “to ensure the operations’’ of those fields, the Tass news agency reported.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the fact that Russians were leaving their country to avoid conscription shows that the war in Ukraine is “unpopular.”
“What Putin is doing — he is not coming from a place of strength,” Jean-Pierre told reporters. “He is coming from a place of weakness.”
The exodus unfolded as a Kremlin-orchestrated referendum got underway seeking to make occupied regions of Ukraine part of Russia. Kyiv and the West condemned it as a rigged election whose result was preordained by Moscow.
German government officials voiced a desire to help Russian men deserting military service, and they called for a European solution.
“Those who bravely stand up to Putin’s regime and thereby put themselves in great danger can apply for asylum in Germany on the grounds of political persecution,” the spokesman for German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said.
The spokesman, Maximilian Kall, said deserters and those refusing to be drafted would receive refugee status in Germany if they are at risk of serious repression, though every case is examined individually.
But they would first have to make it to Germany, which has no land border with Russia, and like other European Union countries has become far more difficult for Russians to travel to.
The EU banned direct flights between its 27 member states and Russia after the attack on Ukraine, and recently agreed to limit issuing Schengen visas, which allow free movement across much of Europe.
Four out of five EU countries that border Russia — Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Poland — also recently decided to turn away Russian tourists.
Some European officials view fleeing Russians as potential security risks. They hope that by not opening their borders, it will increase pressure against Putin at home.
Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics said Thursday that many of those fleeing “were fine with killing Ukrainians. They did not protest then. It is not right to consider them as conscientious objectors.”
The one EU country that is still accepting Russians with Schengen visas is Finland, which has a 1,340-kilometer (830-mile) border with Russia.
Finland border guards said Friday that the number of people entering from Russia has climbed sharply, with media reporting a 107% increase compared with last week.
At Vaalimaa, one of the busiest crossings on the border, the line of waiting cars stretched for half a kilometer (a third of a mile), the Finnish Border Guard said.
Finnish broadcaster MTV carried interviews with Russian men who had just crossed into Finland at the Virolahti border crossing, including with a man named Yuri from Moscow who said that no “sane person” wants to go to war.
A Russian man from St. Petersburg, Andrei Balakirov, said he had been mentally prepared to leave Russia for half a year but put it off until the mobilization.
“I think it’s a really bad thing,” he said.
Valery, a man from Samara who was heading to Spain, agreed, calling the mobilization “a great tragedy.”
“It’s hard to describe what’s happening. I feel sorry for those who are forced to fight against their will. I’ve heard stories that people have been given these orders right in the streets — scary.”
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Associated Press writers Frank Jordans in Berlin; Vanessa Gera in Warsaw, Poland; Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark; and Zeynep Bilginsoy in Istanbul contributed. | https://www.krqe.com/news/world/ap-russian-men-join-exodus-fearing-call-up-to-fight-in-ukraine/ | 2022-09-24T02:26:30 | en | 0.971389 |
Social Security benefits forecast revised for 2023 as inflation eases
The record 2023 Social Security benefits increase could be lower than previously expected as inflation eases, according to a new forecast from The Senior Citizens League.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI), a measure of inflation, rose 8.3% annually in August, a slight improvement from 8.5% in July, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) said. This marked the second consecutive month of decreases to the annual inflation rate.
The latest CPI data showed that the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) could be 8.7% for 2023, according to The Senior Citizens League. This is down from the group's forecast last month when it said benefits could increase by as much as 9.6% next year. But while this increase is lower than previously forecasted, it will still be the highest increase ever received by most Social Security beneficiaries alive today, the group said.
Last year, Social Security benefits rose by 5.9%. If benefits increase by 8.7% in 2023, it will be the highest increase since 1981, when high inflation pushed COLA to 11.2%, according to the Social Security Administration (SSA).
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INFLATION IMPROVES SLIGHTLY IN AUGUST FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE MONTH — WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOU
Average Social Security increase for seniors
A COLA increase of 8.7% next year means the average Social Security recipient would receive $1,656 in monthly benefits and would see an increase of $144.10 per month, according to The Senior Citizens League. In order to see what your exact increase would be, retirees can multiply their current check amounts by .087.
The SSA will likely announce 2023’s Social Security increase in mid-October, after the release of September’s inflation data. The new benefit amount will take effect in January 2023.
"COLAs are intended to help maintain the buying power of Social Security benefits when prices rise," The Senior Citizens League said in its forecast. "They are a permanent increase that will gradually boost the total Social Security income that individuals will receive over the course of their retirement. Without a COLA that adequately keeps pace with inflation, Social Security benefits purchase less and less over time, and that can create hardships especially as older Americans live longer lives in retirement."
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AMERICANS COUNTER CONSUMER PRODUCT 'SHRINKFLATION' WITH NEW SPENDING HABITS, SURVEY SAYS
More Americans changing their spending habits as inflation surges
As inflation remains near its 40-year high, many Americans have begun to cope by changing their spending habits, according to a recent survey from Morning Consult. Many consumers also said that they have noticed the product size of their purchases is shrinking, in a phenomenon dubbed "shrinkflation."
The survey said 54% of Americans have seen, read or heard something about shrinkflation, and 64% are worried about it. About 48% of Americans said they bought a different brand when confronted with shrinkflation, and 49% said they chose a generic product instead, according to Morning Consult.
Although inflation improved over the past two months, it remains at levels not seen since the 1980s. The Federal Reserve has continued to raise interest rates in order to combat rising inflation, but there are discussions on how these actions could potentially impact the U.S. economy.
If you are struggling with rising costs and are looking to reduce your expenses, you could consider using a personal loan to help pay down debt at a lower interest rate. Contact Credible to speak to a loan expert and see if this is the right option for you.
Have a finance-related question, but don't know who to ask? Email The Credible Money Expert at moneyexpert@credible.com and your question might be answered by Credible in our Money Expert column. | https://www.fox5dc.com/money/social-security-2023-benefits-forecast-inflation | 2022-09-24T02:26:34 | en | 0.962461 |
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MADRID (AP) — Spain’s Socialist-led coalition government is planning a temporary higher tax rate on the richest 1% of the country from next year, in addition to its windfall taxes on large energy companies and banks.
“We are proposing a redistribution of the effort, among those who have the most, to fund the welfare state, which is everybody’s,” Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said in a speech Friday.
Finance Minister María Jesús Montero says the measure targets only millionaires. The expected increase in tax revenue will be used to alleviate hardship brought by higher prices for energy and food, she says. The annual inflation rate climbed to 10.5% in Spain last month.
The exact increase and scope of the tax measure are still being worked out, the government says.
The Socialists’ junior coalition partner, Unidas Podemos (United We Can), is pushing for the new tax to permanent.
The current top rate of income tax, for those earning more than 300,000 euros ($293,000) a year, is 47%. The highest capital gains tax is 26%.
However, regional governments have some leeway on taxation, and some of them run by the conservative Popular Party — the country’s main opposition party — have been cutting taxes, saying that step will spur growth.
A debate and vote by lawmakers on the government’s proposed windfall tax on companies is expected in the coming weeks. | https://www.krqe.com/news/world/ap-spain-plans-tax-hike-for-millionaires-to-help-those-in-need/ | 2022-09-24T02:26:37 | en | 0.965668 |
Police investigate burglary and attempted rape in Silver Spring
SILVER SPRING, Md. - Police in Montgomery County are investigating a burglary and an attempted rape after a woman was attacked in her own apartment.
Around 10:30 Friday morning, a woman was going into her Northampton Drive apartment in Silver Spring when a man attacked her from behind.
Officers say after a struggle, the suspect sexually assaulted the victim.
Investigators told FOX 5 that the suspect took off when the victim screamed.
Police are asking anyone with information to call them. | https://www.fox5dc.com/news/police-investigate-burglary-and-attempted-rape-in-silver-spring | 2022-09-24T02:26:40 | en | 0.968903 |
ARIDA BORDER CROSSING, Lebanon (AP) — At least 77 people were killed when a boat carrying migrants from Lebanon sank off Syria this week, the country’s health minister said Friday, amid fears the death toll could be far higher.
The incident was deadliest so far as a surging number of Lebanese, Syrians, and Palestinians have been trying to flee crisis-hit Lebanon by sea for a better future in Europe. Tens of thousands have lost their jobs while the Lebanese pound has dropped more than 90% in value, eradicating the purchasing power of thousands of families that now live in extreme poverty.
Syrian authorities said victims’ relatives have started crossing from Lebanon into Syria to help identify their loved ones and retrieve their bodies. The vessel left Lebanon on Tuesday and news of what happened first started to emerge on Thursday afternoon. The boat was carrying Syrian, Lebanese and Palestinians.
Syrian state-run TV quoted Health Minister Mohammed Hassan Ghabbash as saying 20 people were rescued and were being treated at al-Basel hospital in Syria’s coastal city of Tartus. He added that medical authorities have been on alert since Thursday afternoon to help in the search operations.
An official at al-Basel, speaking on condition of anonymity under regulations, told The Associated Press that eight of those rescued were in intensive care. The official also confirmed the 77 deaths. There were conflicting reports on how many people were on board the vessel when it sank, with some saying at least 120. Details about the ship, such as its size and capacity, were also not clear.
Lebanese Transport Minister Ali Hamie said the survivors included 12 Syrians, five Lebanese and three Palestinians. Eight bodies have been brought back to Lebanon early Friday, according to Lebanese Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi.
After sunset Friday, bodies of more victims, including two Palestinians, were brought to Lebanon. They were taken in seven ambulances and headed south from the Arida border crossing toward the northern city of Tripoli.
Syrian state media said authorities handed over the bodies of nine Lebanese and two Palestinians to the Lebanese Red Cross at the Arida border crossing.
Palestinian Salim Khalaf, whose relative is missing in the disaster, spoke at the border crossing. The migrants, he said, had no choice but to take the dangerous trip to escape misery in Lebanon.
“Letting the fish just eat us is better than living here,” he said of Lebanon. Then, speaking about those who perished, Khalaf added: “They reached a point where they want to die at sea.”
Earlier in the day, Tartus governor Abdul-Halim Khalil told the pro-government Sham FM Radio that the search was underway for more bodies off his country’s coast. Khalil said the boat sank on Wednesday.
Syria’s state news agency, SANA, quoted a port official as saying that 31 bodies were washed ashore while the rest were picked up by Syrian boats in a search operation that started Thursday evening.
Wissam Tellawi, one of the survivors being treated at al-Basel, lost two daughters. His wife and two sons are still missing. The bodies of his daughters, Mae and Maya, were brought to Lebanon early Friday and buried in their northern hometown of Qarqaf.
“He told me by telephone, ‘I am fine’ but the children are lost,” said Tellawi’s father, who identified himself as Abu Mahmoud. The father told the local Al-Jadeed TV that his son gave smugglers the family’s apartment in return for taking him and his family to Europe.
In the aftermath of the disaster, the Lebanese army said troops stormed Friday the homes of several suspected smugglers, detaining four in the northern city of Tripoli, Lebanon’s second-largest and most impoverished. Three others were detained in the nearby village of Deir Ammar.
The military said the suspects were involved in smuggling of migrants by sea while others were planning to buy boats for the same reason.
Lebanon,— with a population of 6 million, including 1 million Syrian refugees, has been in the grips of a severe economic meltdown since late 2019 that has pulled over three-quarters of the population into poverty.
For years, it was a country that received refugees from Mideast wars and conflicts but the economic crisis, rooted in decades of corruption and mismanagement, has changed that dramatically.
Prices have been skyrocketing as a result of hyperinflation, forcing many to sell their belongings to pay for smugglers to take them to Europe as the migration intensified in recent months.
In April, a boat carrying dozens of Lebanese, Syrians and Palestinians trying to migrate by sea to Italy went down more than 5 kilometers (3 miles) from Tripoli, following a confrontation with the Lebanese navy. Dozens were killed in the incident.
On Wednesday, Lebanese officials said naval forces rescued a boat carrying 55 migrants after it faced technical problems about 11 kilometers (7 miles) off the coast of the northern region of Akkar. It said those rescued included two pregnant women and two children.
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Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus and Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report. | https://www.krqe.com/news/world/ap-syrian-official-says-60-dead-after-migrant-boat-sinks/ | 2022-09-24T02:26:43 | en | 0.983913 |
Another Prince George's County police officer indicted on theft and misconduct charges
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. - A Prince George's County police officer was indicted Friday on charges of theft and misconduct in office.
The involved officer is Corporal Travis Fowble.
His own department shared the news and said that Fowble, who is currently suspended, is accused of conducting unauthorized activities while on duty.
His police powers were initially suspended in February 2022.
The allegations stem from incidents dating back to 2018.
14 Prince George's County police officers indicted for misconduct in office
Prince George’s County Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division brought the case to the State’s Attorney’s Office for consideration of criminal charges.
Fowble joined the PGPD in 1998 and was most recently assigned to the Bureau of Investigation and Forensic Science.
Last month, the Prince George's County State's Attorney Office charged 13 current Prince George’s County police officers and one retired county police officer with misconduct in office, along with felony and misdemeanor theft scheme. | https://www.fox5dc.com/news/prince-georges-county-police-officer-indicted-on-theft-and-misconduct-charges | 2022-09-24T02:26:46 | en | 0.961285 |
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Flooding likely worsened by climate change has submerged one-third of Pakistan’s territory and left 33 million of its people scrambling to survive, according to Pakistan’s prime minister, who says he came to the United Nations this year to tell the world that “tomorrow, this tragedy can fall on some other country.”
In a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press, Shahbaz Sharif exhorted world leaders gathered for their annual meeting at the General Assembly to stand together and raise resources “to build resilient infrastructure, to build adaptation, so that our future generations are saved.”
The initial estimate of losses to the economy as a result of the three-month flooding disaster is $30 billion, Sharif said, and he asked U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday to hold a donors’ conference quickly. The U.N. chief agreed, Sharif said.
“Thousands of kilometers of roads have been smashed, washed away — railway bridges, railway track, communications, underpasses, transport. All this requires funds,” Sharif said. “We need funds to provide livelihood to our people.”
Sharif, the brother of ousted former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, took office in April after a week of turmoil in Pakistan. He replaced Imran Khan, a cricket star turned politician who was one of the country’s highest-profile leaders of the past generation and retains broad influence. Khan was ousted in a no-confidence vote after 3½ years in office.
While climate change likely increased rainfall by up to 50% late last month in two southern Pakistan provinces, global warming wasn’t the biggest cause of the country’s catastrophic flooding, according to a new scientific analysis. Pakistan’s overall vulnerability, including people living in harm’s way, was the chief factor.
But human-caused climate change “also plays a really important role here,” study senior author Friederike Otto, a climate scientist at Imperial College of London. said earlier this month.
Whatever the case, Sharif said the impact on his country is immense. More than 1,600 people have died, including hundreds of children. Crops on 4 million acres have been washed away. Millions of houses have been damaged or completely destroyed, and life savings have disappeared in the devastating floods triggered by monsoon rains.
Framing Pakistan as a victim of climate change worsened by other nations’ actions, Sharif said Pakistan is responsible for less than 1% of the carbon emissions that cause global warming. “We are,” the prime minister said, “a victim of something we have nothing to do with.”
He echoed the sentiments Friday afternoon when addressing fellow leaders at the General Assembly, telling them that other places were next. “One thing is very clear,” he said. “What happened in Pakistan will not stay in Pakistan.”
MONEY AND FOOD
Even before the floods began in mid-June, Pakistan was facing serious challenges from grain shortages and skyrocketing crude oil prices sparked mainly by Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine and the war that has followed. Sharif said skyrocketing prices have put the import of oil “beyond our capacity,” and — with the damage and destruction from the massive flooding — solutions have become “extremely difficult.”
Pakistan may have to import about a million tons of wheat because of the destruction of farmland. He said it could come from Russia, but the country is open to other offers. The country also needs fertilizer because factories involved in their production are closed.
Sharif said the country has “a very robust, transparent mechanism already in place” to ensure that all aid items are delivered to people in need. In addition, he said, “I will ensure third-party audit of every penny through international well-reputed companies.”
The Pakistani leader said he met top officials from the International Monetary Fund and World Bank and appealed for a moratorium on loan repayments and deferment of other conditions until the flood situation improves.
“They sounded very supportive,” Sharif said, but he stressed that a delay “can spell huge consequences” — both for the economy and for the Pakistani people.
RELATIONS WITH NEIGHBORS
One dimension of grain purchases taps into one of Pakistan’s most existential issues — its relationship with neighboring India.
Would Pakistan consider buying grain from India if needed? Sharif said that notion is impeded by “a legal bottleneck” — Kashmir, the Himalayan territory claimed by both countries but divided between them. It has been at the center of two of the four wars India has fought with Pakistan and China.
“India is a neighbor, and Pakistan would very much like to live like a peaceful neighbor with India,” Sharif said. “But that has certain prerequisites. India has to understand that unless and until the burning issue of Kashmir is resolved through peaceful talks … like peaceful neighbors, with the sincerity of purpose, we will not be able to live in peace.”
“And that is a great shame and embarrassment,” he said. “Because in this day and age, we need our resources to feed our people, to educate them, to provide job opportunities, to provide health opportunities. India can’t afford to spend money on buying ammunition and defense equipment. Nor can Pakistan.”
On the other side of Pakistan, to the west, sits Afghanistan — a place that shares geography, strategic interests and much ethnic heritage with Sharif’s nation. Sharif said its Taliban rulers, who have been in power for a year, have “a golden opportunity to ensure peace and progress” for the people by adhering to the Doha Agreement, which the nation’s previous, more internationally minded government signed in February 2020 with former U.S. president Donald Trump’s administration.
The Taliban should provide equal opportunities including education through college for girls, job opportunities for women, respect for human rights, and for that Afghan assets should be unfrozen, the prime minister said.
The Doha Agreement called for the United States to withdraw its forces, which current President Joe Biden did in a chaotic pullout as the Taliban were taking over the country in August 2021. The pact stipulated commitments the Taliban were expected to make to prevent terrorism, including obligations to renounce al-Qaida and prevent Afghan soil from being used to plot attacks on the U.S. or its allies as it was before 9/11.
If the Taliban signed the agreement, Sharif said, “they must respect it.”
“This is what law-abiding, peace-loving international community, including myself, expect from them,” he said. “And let’s work together in that direction.”
US-PAKISTANI RELATIONS
Relations between Pakistan and the United States have vacillated between strong and tenuous for more than a generation. After 9/11, the two were allies against extremism even as, many asserted, elements within Pakistan’s army and government were encouraging it.
Today, former prime minister Khan’s anti-American rhetoric of recent years has fueled anger at the United States in Pakistan and created some setbacks in ties.
In the interview, Sharif said his government wants “good, warm relations” with the United States and wants to work with Biden to “remove any kind of misunderstanding and confusion.”
In careful language that reflected his efforts to balance international and domestic constituencies, he sought to distance himself from Khan’s approach — and to reaffirm and restore the kind of ties that he said the people he represents would want.
“What the previous government did, in this behalf, was most uncalled for, was detrimental to Pakistan’s sovereign interests,” Sharif said. “It was definitely not in line with what ordinary Pakistanis would believe and expect.”
___
Edith M. Lederer is chief U.N. correspondent for The Associated Press and has been covering international affairs for more than half a century. For more AP coverage of the U.N. General Assembly, visit (https://apnews.com/hub/united-nations-general-assembly.)(https://apnews.com/hub/united-nations-general-assembly.) | https://www.krqe.com/news/world/ap-the-ap-interview-pakistani-leader-details-flood-devastation/ | 2022-09-24T02:26:49 | en | 0.971066 |
ISTANBUL (AP) — The 25-year-old translator by day and trans drag performer by night felt overwhelming panic and anxiety when several thousand demonstrators gathered and marched Sunday in Turkey to demand a ban on what they consider gay propaganda and to outlaw LGBTQ organizations.
The Big Family Gathering march in the conservative heart of Istanbul attracted parents with children, nationalists, hard-line Islamists and conspiracy theorists. Turkey’s media watchdog gave the event the government’s blessing by including a promotional video that called LGBTQ people a “virus” in its list of public service announcements for broadcasters.
“We need to make all our defense against this LGBT. We need to get rid of it,” said construction worker Mehmet Yalcin, 21, who attended the event wearing a black headband printed with Islam’s testimony of faith. “We are sick of and truly uncomfortable that our children are being encouraged and pulled to this.”
Seeing images from the gathering terrified Willie Ray, the drag performer who identifies as nonbinary, and Willie Ray’s mother, who was in tears after talking to her child. The fear wasn’t misplaced. The Europe branch of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association ranked Turkey second to last, ahead of only Azerbaijan, in its most recent 49-country legal equality index, saying LGBTQ people endured “countless hate crimes.”
“I feel like I can be publicly lynched,” Willie Ray said, describing the daily sense of dread that comes with living in Istanbul. The performer recalls leaving a nightclub still in makeup on New Year’s Eve and hurrying to get to a taxi as strangers on the street called out slurs and “tried to hunt me, basically.”
Sunday’s march was the biggest anti-LGBTQ demonstration of its kind in Turkey, where civil rights for a community more commonly referred to here as LGBTI+ — lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and other gender identities and sexual orientations — have been under assault in the years since an estimated 100,000 people celebrated Pride in Istanbul in 2014.
In a visible sign of the shift, the anti-LGBTQ march went ahead without any police interference. Conversely, LGBTQ groups have had their freedom to assemble severely curtailed since 2015, with officials citing both security and morality grounds.
Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the Pride march planned for that year. Government officials have since banned the event. Activists have tried to gather anyway, and more than 370 people were detained in Istanbul in June.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s views also have grown more stridently anti-LGBTQ over time. Before the 2002 election that brought the Justice and Development Party (AKP) he co-founded to power, a younger Erdogan said at a televised campaign event that he found mistreatment of gay people inhumane and legal protections for them in Turkey a “must.”
“And now, 20 years into this, you have an entirely different president that seems to be mobilizing based on these dehumanizing, criminal approaches to the LGBTQ movement itself,” said Mine Eder, a political science professor at Bogazici University in Istanbul.
Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu has called LGBTQ people “perverts.” In 2020, Erdogan defended the head of religious affairs after he claimed homosexuality “brings disease and causes the generation to decay.” While championing his long-held belief that the identities of women are rooted in motherhood and family, the Turkish leader last year urged people to dismiss what “lesbians schmesbians” say.
Turkey also withdrew from a European treaty protecting women against violence, after lobbying from conservative groups that claimed the treaty promoted homosexuality.
The country could become more unwelcoming for the LGBTQ community. The Unity in Ideas and Struggle Platform, the organizer of Sunday’s event, said it plans to push for a law that would ban the alleged LGBTQ “propaganda” that the group maintains is pervasive on Netflix and social media, as well as in arts and sports.
The platform’s website states it also favors a ban on LGBTQ organizations.
“We are a Muslim country and we say no to this. Our statesmen and the other parties should all support this,” said Betul Colak, who attended Sunday’s gathering wearing a scarf with the Turkish flag.
Haunted by “the feeling that you can be attacked anytime,” Willie Ray thinks it would be a “total catastrophe” if a ban on the LGBTQ organizations that provide visibility, psychological support and safe spaces were enacted.
Eder, the professor, said it would be “simply illegal” to close down LGBTQ civil society based on ideological, Islamic and conservative norms — even if Turkey’s norms have indeed shifted to “using violent language, violent strategies and legalizing them.”
The Social Policy, Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Studies Association, a nongovernmental LGBTQ advocacy and outreach organization in Istanbul commonly known as SPoD, is among the LGBTQ groups that stopped posting their addresses online after receiving threatening calls.
“It’s easy for a maniac to try and hurt us after all the hate speech from state officials,” said SPoD lobbyist Ogulcan Yediveren, 27. “But these security concerns, this atmosphere of fear, doesn’t stop us from work and instead reminds us every time how much we need to work.”
Gay activist Umut Rojda Yildirim, who works as SPoD’s lawyer, thinks the anti-LGBTQ sentiments on view Sunday aren’t dominant across Turkish society, but that the minority expressing them seem “louder when they have government funds, when they’re supported by the government watchdog.”
“You can just shut down an office, but I’m not going to disappear. My other colleagues aren’t going to disappear. We’ll be here no matter what,” Yildirim said.
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This story has been corrected to show that the name of the nongovernmental organization is the Social Policy, Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Studies Association, not the the Social Policies, Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Studies Association. | https://www.krqe.com/news/world/ap-turkey-anti-lgbtq-display-reflects-nations-political-shift/ | 2022-09-24T02:26:55 | en | 0.961381 |
LONDON (AP) — The United Kingdom’s new government outlined plans Friday to cut taxes and boost spending in an effort to bolster the faltering economy, but the high-risk moves sparked concerns that increased public borrowing will worsen a cost-of-living crisis and sent the British pound on its biggest one-day drop in 2 1/2 years.
Treasury chief Kwasi Kwarteng announced sweeping tax cuts that he said would boost economic growth and generate increased revenue without introducing corresponding spending reductions. He also said previously announced plans to cap soaring energy bills for homes and businesses would be financed through borrowing.
Kwarteng offered few details on the costs of the program or its impact on the government’s own targets for reducing deficits and borrowing, but one independent analysis expected it to cost taxpayers 190 billion pounds ($207 billion) this fiscal year.
It triggered the pound’s biggest drop against the U.S. dollar since March 18, 2020, when then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the first nationwide lockdown to control the spread of COVID-19. The British currency fell more than 3% to as low as $1.0899 in afternoon trading in London, from 1.1255 on Thursday.
Investors are concerned that government lacks a “coherent policy” at a time when the economy is facing “immense inflationary pressures,” said Susannah Streeter, senior investment and markets analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown.
“I think Kwasi Kwarteng really set off fireworks with his budget,″ Streeter told The Associated Press. “It was much bigger and bolder than expected. But the real concern on financial markets is that these widespread tax cuts are unfunded, they’re going to add to the government’s debt burden.″
Prime Minister Liz Truss, who took office less than three weeks ago, is racing to combat inflation at a nearly 40-year high of 9.9% and head off a prolonged recession. Facing a general election in two years, she needs to deliver results quickly.
The government’s program offers immediate help for homes and businesses struggling with soaring energy costs while betting that lower taxes and reduced red tape will spur economic growth and increase tax revenue in coming years.
“We need a new approach for a new era, focused on growth,” Kwarteng told lawmakers in the House of Commons.
But opponents accuse the government of dodging scrutiny by rolling out a major shift in economic policy without the normal analysis from the independent Office for Budget Responsibility. Kwarteng said the office would publish a full economic and fiscal forecast before the end of the year.
The opposition Labour Party attacked the plan for favoring the interests of business over working people and failing to provide any figures on its impact on government fiscal targets.
“It is a budget without figures, a menu without prices,’’ said Rachel Reeves, Labour’s spokeswoman on Treasury issues. “What has the chancellor got to hide?”
The British economy has foundered for the past three months as Truss’ center-right Conservative Party staged an internal contest to replace Johnson, who stepped down after a series of scandals.
That left the country with a caretaker government unable to introduce new policies to shield consumers from soaring energy prices, which are fueling inflation and curbing economic growth. The Bank of England on Thursday forecast that gross domestic product would shrink for a second consecutive quarter in the three months ending Sept. 30, an informal definition of recession.
Since taking office, Truss announced plans to cap energy prices for both consumers and business that are expected to cost taxpayers more than 150 billion pounds ($166 billion).
Inspired by Margaret Thatcher’s small-state, free-market economics, she is also pressing ahead with her campaign promise to boost economic growth by cutting taxes and reducing red tape. This will benefit everyone, she argues, by spurring investment, creating jobs and generating more tax revenue.
The so-called mini-budget unveiled Friday reverses many of the initiatives announced by Johnson and his Conservative predecessors, who have led Britain for the past 12 years.
For example, Kwarteng announced that he was canceling an increase in national insurance taxes that Johnson introduced in May to boost spending on health and social care. Kwarteng said the government would maintain the expected level of funding for the National Health Service — but he didn’t say how.
Kwarteng also said the government would cut the basic rate of income tax to 19% next year from 20%. The top rate will drop to 40% from 45%. In addition, he canceled a planned 6 percentage point increase in the corporate tax rate, leaving it at 19%.
“This was the biggest tax-cutting event since 1972, it is not very mini,” said Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, an independent think tank that scrutinizes government spending. “It is half a century since we have seen tax cuts announced on this scale.”
Truss declared this week that she was ready to make “unpopular decisions” such as removing a cap on bankers’ bonuses to attract jobs and investment.
On Friday, Kwarteng announced new “investment zones” across England where the government will offer tax cuts for businesses and help create jobs. He also said the government would accelerate dozens of major new infrastructure projects, including in transportation, telecommunications and energy.
Truss’ overall program runs counter to the views of many Conservatives, who believe the government shouldn’t rack up huge debts that taxpayers will eventually have to pay.
Reeves, of the Labour Party, criticized the government for expecting taxpayers to foot the bill, rather than increasing a tax on the windfall profits of energy producers benefiting from the jump in oil and natural gas prices triggered by Russia’s war in Ukraine.
While Kwarteng denied that the government was gambling on a “dash for growth,” many economists said it was taking a huge risk by allowing borrowing to balloon while the economy is weak and inflation is high.
The IFS has estimated that Truss’ policies will push borrowing to 190 billion pounds this fiscal year, compared with the 99 billion pounds that the Office for Budget Responsibility forecast in March. While borrowing is expected to decline over the next four years, it will remain above the previous forecast throughout the period, the IFS said.
As a result, government debt will rise to about 94% of GDP by the 2026-27 fiscal year, compared with the March OBR forecast of 81%, the IFS said.
To offset that increase, the government’s policies would have to achieve an additional 0.7% increase in economic output every year for the next five years, according to the IFS.
“If the government were to achieve this feat and get that extra growth, it would be either a stroke of extraordinarily good luck or a huge policy success,” Isabel Stockton, an IFS economist, said Thursday. | https://www.krqe.com/news/world/ap-uk-treasury-chief-to-set-out-tax-slashing-emergency-budget/ | 2022-09-24T02:27:02 | en | 0.966609 |
Trombone Champ has just arrived on PC adding very positive reviews among users and viral moments.
We recently told you in 3DJuegos about the launch of Rocksmith Plus, a proposal especially recommended among guitar lovers. But vibrating the strings is not the only way to make music that we have in video games, we can also play the trombone in great challenges with Trombone Champ, a proposal that after being released on PC this month has gone viral on networks.
Presented as the world’s first video game starring the brass instrument, Trombone Champ invites users to follow the rhythm, and even get out of it, throughout 20 themes (includes hymns, marches, classical pieces, electronics, folk classics) each one more challenging, as the PC Gamer colleagues explain that after a few games with the title they have given a good example of how difficult it can be to hit all the notes on very popular topics.
For example, a video clip of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 being played has been widely shared on social media in recent hours. Despite the good judgment of the journalist, the truth is that the result was more fun than satisfactory.
We don’t know where the success of his proposal will go, but after the publication of the PC Gamer video he managed to add a peak of more than 1,000 concurrent users on Steam. For their part, those responsible have a clear roadmap where the arrival of new content is guaranteed, which will make it difficult for users to resist giving a video game a chance that can be theirs for just 12.49 euros.
By the way, and completely changing genre, for a few days now the great Metal: Hellsinger, where music is the protagonist, is also available.
3D Games Discord
More about: Trombone Champ. | https://thenewstrace.com/its-not-guitar-hero-but-this-beethoven-trombone-playing-video-game-is-as-challenging-as-it-is-fun/254464/ | 2022-09-24T02:27:05 | en | 0.963609 |
GENEVA (AP) — A team of experts commissioned by the U.N.’s top human rights body to look into rights violations in Ukraine said Friday its initial investigation turned up evidence of war crimes in the country following Russia’s invasion nearly seven months ago.
The experts from the Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, mandated by Human Rights Council earlier this year, have so far focused on four regions — Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv and Sumy.
Presenting their most extensive findings so far, they cited testimonies by former detainees of beatings, electric shocks and forced nudity in Russian detention facilities, and expressed grave concerns about executions the team was working to document in the four regions.
“Based on the evidence gathered by the commission, it has concluded that war crimes have been committed in Ukraine,” Erik Mose, the commission’s chairman, told the Human Rights Council.
Commission member Pablo de Greiff told reporters the team had “found two instances of ill-treatment of Russian Federation soldiers by Ukrainian soldiers. … We have found obviously significantly larger numbers of incidences that amount to war crimes on the part of the Russian Federation.”
During a 10-day June trip to Ukraine, the team visited Bucha, a city outside Kyiv where Ukrainian authorities found mass graves and bodies strewn in the streets after Russian forces pulled out in late March.
“We were struck by the large number of executions in the areas that we visited. The commission is currently investigating such deaths in 16 towns and settlements,” Mose said. He didn’t specify who or which side in the war allegedly committed the killings.
The findings echo reports by news outlets and others of the destruction, death and despair in Ukraine since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion on Feb. 24.
The commission’s work could ultimately contribute to the work of International Criminal Court prosecutors who could bring charges over war crimes in Ukraine, although it remains uncertain whether Russia or other alleged perpetrators will ever face justice.
France’s Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said the commission’s report “is simply a (confirmation), if there were any doubts, that crimes have been committed in Ukraine by occupying forces, crimes, atrocities, rapes, deportations and torture.”
“We’ve been helping the Ukrainian authorities and the international justice to document these evidences because justice must be done through the appropriate channels,” including the International Criminal Court, she said.
Speaking at a news conference on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Colonna added that France will be sending another expert team in the coming days to help in the documentation.
Anton Korynevych, ambassador-at-large for Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry, joined envoys from a number of Western countries who spoke out against Moscow’s war in the wake of the commission’s presentation. Russia’s delegation boycotted the council meeting.
Korynevych, speaking by video, called for the creation of a special tribunal that would have jurisdiction “over the crime of aggression against Ukraine” and investigate senior Russian political and military leaders who were allegedly responsible.
He said said accountability was crucial for rights violations and atrocities linked to Russia’s “aggression.” But Korynevych also highlighted how the war’s impact has rippled through the world and “put numerous countries on the verge of hunger, exacerbated extreme poverty, created the threat of nuclear catastrophe unseen before” and harmed the livelihoods of millions of people.
Commission investigators visited 27 towns and settlements, as well as graves and detention and torture centers; interviewed more than 150 victims and witnesses; and met with advocacy groups and government officials, Mose said.
He said an unspecified number of Russian soldiers were found to have committed crimes of sexual or gender-based violence – with victims ranging in age from 4 to 82 years old.
The commission plans to gradually expand its investigation, with areas of interest including allegations of filtration camps for people being detained or deported, the forced transfer of people, and allegations of expedited adoption of children.
“The evidence of Russia’s atrocities becomes more horrifying by the day, most recently with the uncovering of mass graves in Izium, where the bodies show signs of torture,” Michele Taylor, the U.S. ambassador to the rights council, said, referring to a Kharkiv regional city that Ukrainian forces recaptured in recent weeks.
Taylor urged the commissioners to continue to “examine the growing evidence of Russia’s filtration operations, forced deportations and disappearances.”
She referred to “numerous sources” that indicated Russian authorities have interrogated, detained and/or forcibly deported between 900,000 and 1.6 million Ukrainian citizens, and reports that children were being deported from Ukraine and placed in Russian orphanages for adoption.
A handful of Russia’s allies took to the defense of Moscow.
Ina Vasileuskaya, the deputy permanent representative of Belarus to the U.N. in Geneva, said Russia’s invasion aim was to protect Russian speakers in Ukraine.
“Biased discussions in the Human Rights Council only accusing Russia are a dead end,” she said.
Vasileuskaya said her country was not a party to the conflict, although Belarus was one of the places Russian forces gathered before invading Ukraine.
___
Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine | https://www.krqe.com/news/world/ap-un-rights-experts-cite-signs-of-war-crimes-in-ukraine/ | 2022-09-24T02:27:09 | en | 0.958907 |
Techland has made the decision to move the Bloody Ties DLC to November to better polish the content.
Those who enjoyed Dying Light 2 earlier this year are looking forward to the extra content that Techland He has been preparing for months. However, the long-awaited story DLC Bloody Ties it was delayed after being initially planned for June, and now it is changing its date again.
Bloody Ties will arrive on November 10And it is that, as they have announced through the social networks game Officials, the DLC is delayed until November 10, the date on which it will end up arriving on PC and consoles after being set for October 13. As explained by those responsible, this one-month delay allows them to have more time to polish the game and eliminate errors.
With the June mod, the studio compensated players with free content during that period in exchange for losing the expansion for that month, but now it doesn’t seem like that. Despite this, players are invited to answer their questions next Friday in a chat with the developers through Discord.
Last week, Dying Light 2 added its second free chapter on the platforms it’s available on, but those who want to expand the story with Bloody Ties will have to wait a little longer. This DLC, of which we already know its approximate duration, will have new missions, characters and weaponsputting us in front of more fights against infected to the detriment of confrontations against human enemies.
More about: Dying Light 2, Dying Light 2: Bloody Ties, DLC, Expansion, Techland, and Delay. | https://thenewstrace.com/the-dying-light-2-expansion-is-delayed-again-with-a-new-date-but-without-compensation/254462/ | 2022-09-24T02:27:11 | en | 0.977346 |
Name Robert Lamm
Best known for The songs I have written…and the band I have helped to shape (Chicago).
Current city Depends on what day it is…band tours six months each year.
Really want to be in Ocean water, with my wife, looking at coral reefs while they are still alive.
Excited about The release of Born For This Momentnew Chicago album (July 15).
My current music collection has a lot of Film soundtracks and Brazilian music.
And a little bit of carefully selected Broadway music (i.e. The Band’s Visit, Promises, Promises, and Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic).
Preferred format CDs/downloads.
5 Albums I Can’t Live Without:
1
Berimbau, Paula Morelenbaum
This album was produced by Celso Fonseca, Leo Gandelman, Antonio Pinto, Jacques Morelenbaum, Bossacucanova, Luiz Brasil, and others. Their contributions are invaluable, and the music, arrangements, and production are slick, sleek, and sophisticated.
So inspiring to hear classic bossa nova songs treated in a modern way. Most of these songs are well-loved, familiar, remain recognizable within these “electronica” elements.
2
Paris, Je T’aime Soundtrack, Various Artists
I’m always transported to Paris when this music plays. It’s a mixed bag, a musical melting pot, (as is Paris itself). There are beautiful vocal performances by Elisabeth Anais, Feist, and more.
The film is a series of vignettes. I am a romantic. I feel as if I recognize every locale. It’s perfect.
3
Koop Islands, Koop
This jazzy album, so exceedingly inventive in the vein of sampling, remixing, arrangement, and performance, especially the voice of Yukimi Nagano. I am impressed by the skill and artistry required to find, or create, and edit bits of music, resulting in completely natural tracks. Yukimi can be heard on many “chill” albums, especially with her band Little Dragon.
4
What’s Going On, Marvin Gaye
I have played this album many, many times, in many different locations, over the years.
It is an inspiring work of art, filled with emotion. It sets the bar very high to make music so uplifting and groovy!
5
From Left to Right, Bill Evans
Every choice of song is perfection. This album displays an incredible sensitivity of a pianist who swings hard, on most every other recording. Often a first call guest, or session pianist, his playing style was singularly identifiable.
I’ve read Evans biography [by Peter Pettinger] twice…the title still chokes me up: Bill Evans: How My Heart Sings. I know the feeling. | https://www.spin.com/2022/09/5-albums-i-cant-live-without-robert-lamm-of-chicago/ | 2022-09-24T02:27:15 | en | 0.924226 |
NEW YORK (AP) — The Biden administration on Friday ramped up its diplomatic efforts to press China to end provocative actions against Taiwan and warned it about any active support for Russia in its war against Ukraine.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken made both cases in a meeting with his Chinese counterpart on Friday in a meeting on the sidelines of the annual U.N. General Assembly in New York, according to U.S. officials. The session was one of the few that Blinken kept on his schedule after the death of his father on Thursday.
The officials wouldn’t describe the Chinese response, but said Foreign Minister Wang Yi was receptive to the messages and that the two men discussed the need “to maintain open lines of communication and responsibly manage the U.S.-China relationship, especially during times of tension.”
The talks between Blinken and Wang come amid a period of intense tensions on both issues and ahead of an expected meeting in November between Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping. Biden’s recent comments about Taiwan and China’s tacit support for the war in Ukraine are just two of the latest irritants in relations between Washington and Beijing.
State Department spokesman Ned Price said Blinken had affirmed to Wang the administration’s commitment to “maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait” despite Biden’s assertion earlier this week that the U.S. would send troops to defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion.
China regards the self-governed island of Taiwan as its sovereign territory, has not ruled out force to reunify it with the mainland and has in recent months stepped up military activity in the area. That activity is at least partially in response to high-level U.S. congressional visits to Taipei, including by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and stepped-up American arms sales.
Blinken “stressed that preserving peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is critical to regional and global security and prosperity,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement. It added that the U.S. remains committed to its “one-China policy” which does not support Taiwanese independence.
On Russia, U.S. officials said Blinken underscored the damage that would be done to the Sino-U.S. relationship should Beijing take a more active role in supporting the war in Ukraine. U.S. officials have said they are cautiously optimistic about recent comments from Chinese leaders about their concerns over the war and its consequences, and Blinken wanted to drive the point home.
Blinken “highlighted the implications if the PRC were to provide support to Moscow’s invasion of a sovereign state,” Price said in the statement. “PRC” refers to China’s formal name, the People’s Republic of China.
The U.S,-China relationship has become increasingly fraught in recent years over multiple issues, including the persecution of Muslims and ethnic minorities in China’s western Xinjiang region, clampdowns on dissent in Tibet and Hong Kong, aggressive Chinese actions in the South China Sea and against Taiwan, and the handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Nonetheless, Price said the U.S. continues to be “open to cooperating with the PRC where our interests intersect.” One area the U.S. hopes to continue coordination is on climate change.
___
For more AP coverage of the U.N. General Assembly, visit https://apnews.com/hub/united-nations-general-assembly | https://www.krqe.com/news/world/ap-us-steps-up-diplomatic-efforts-with-china-on-taiwan-russia/ | 2022-09-24T02:27:17 | en | 0.959069 |
In February 2010, Patti Smith played a benefit concert for the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless. While the sold-out show would’ve been a great moment for the organization on its own, it ended up as the beginning of something much bigger.
At that show, a man named Dem Hopkins danced the night away before winning a signed poster and meet and greet with Smith herself. But Hopkins was more than just a fan having a good time. He had previously run a well-known Chicago punk club called Oz, and he felt a strong connection with the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, as he had once lived on the streets himself.
On the following Monday, Hopkins called Michael Nameche, the coalition’s Director of Development with an interesting proposition. He wanted to hold another benefit show headlined by a reunited Naked Raygun. But what Hopkins couldn’t have possibly known was that as he was pitching Nameche on the idea, Nameche was actively wearing a Naked Raygun t-shirt and had always loved the Chicago punk legends.
One thing led to another, and eventually Nameche and Hopkins ended up sitting down with “Riot” Mike Petryshyn about how the Naked Raygun show could tie into the rapidly expanding festival that Petryshyn helmed every September, Riot Fest. After a lengthy chat about mutual connections (mostly involving Naked Raygun), the benefit became the official preview night for that year’s festival.
In the end, that show ended up raising less than $5000 for the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, but it launched a relationship between the coalition and Riot Fest that has grown and endured to this day. The coalition became the official charity of Riot Fest and has made an appearance at the event every year since, often hosting raffles, auctions and other fundraising measures to support the work they do in aiding with the homeless crisis in Illinois.
SPIN IMPACT sat down with Nameche at this year’s Riot Fest to learn more about the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, its mission, and its long-tenured run at the country’s premier punk rock festival.
SPIN: How would you explain the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless to someone who’s never heard of it before?
Michael Nameche: The coalition is a great organization, and we’ve been around since 1980. I like to say that supporting the coalition is like supporting three organizations in one, because we are an advocacy organization — not a direct service organization. You could put somebody up in a temporary shelter or you can feed somebody at a soup kitchen, but that’s not going to change their situation overall. We need systemic change. I’m not suggesting that we don’t also need immediate services, but the coalition is taking three distinct approaches to the larger picture. We have a public policy team, a community organizing team and a legal team. We’re there on the frontlines fighting for increased funding. We’re trying to block policies that are written on the backs of people experiencing extreme poverty, while trying to lift up and help legislators craft policies that will actually remove barriers. We’re building power within communities, so that people who feel disenfranchised can get involved and use their voice to educate and inform people about what’s really going on.
At the center of our organization, we have these grassroots leaders. These are people that are experiencing homelessness or have recently experienced homelessness, and they are there at every table where we’re making decisions about the policies that we’re going to go after. This involves access to healthcare, access to education, criminal justice reform, you name it. The other thing about advocacy is that you have to be patient and you have to play the long game. We worked on prostitution in the state of Illinois for over a decade until we got it removed as a felony for the sex worker. Now it’s no longer a blot on their record, should they want to leave the sex trade — which many of them do. But that didn’t happen overnight. We’ve been involved in some of our current campaigns for 4 or 5 years, but we just keep working on them. Sometimes we’re in the room where decisions are being made, and sometimes we’re outside in the street with signs and megaphones — and sometimes we’re applying both strategies.
The other thing is that we don’t accept government money, and we never have. If we’re advocating for increased funding for a policy change, it’s not because we want a raise or we’re worried about keeping our lights on. Our money comes from private individuals and foundations, so our analysis of what’s working and what’s not working is independent and objective. I like to say we have no permanent enemies and no permanent allies. You could be a republican, you could be an independent, you could be a democrat, you could be an alien that comes down from another planet. If you have something that we deem is going to help people in extreme poverty, we are going to work with you for it. Then if you say something the next day that we think “Nope, that doesn’t work.” We’re going to tell you that right then.
How have you seen your work and your mission change since the pandemic?
We were very fortunate because we could continue to advocate from our own homes, but we also recognized that what it exposed was the reality that we all knew already — which is that so many people are just a couple of paychecks away from a dire situation. You had people who were initially deemed the frontline workers — people working at grocery stores, dock workers, cashiers — working minimum wage jobs, and suddenly they miss a couple of paychecks and the system is forced to react to it. You have eviction moratoriums and things like that. It drove home to a lot of people that this is a broken system. Wages are too low and housing is too expensive. These are the things that we’ve been focused on for decades.
We created one of the first mutual aid funds in Chicago, where people could access a $500 contribution just by filling out the application on your phone or calling us up. It would take you less than 10 minutes, and you didn’t have to produce any evidence. You could just say “This is why I need this money.” We opened up the application, and within three days, we had 6,000 applications and only enough money to help like 500 households. We subsequently opened up wave after wave after wave, and every single time, we would reach the limit immediately. This last wave opened up on September 1, and it took us four hours — so the pain is still there.
Nothing has really changed because of the pandemic, but it’s just been exposed. We made changes like getting mobile hotspots for homeless youth, because when everything went remote, we were like “OK, well, what are you going to do about families that don’t have Wi-Fi at home?” You can’t leave kids behind, so we got laptops and hotspots for kids. We worked with the city on some hotel openings and porta potties, but those were just stopgaps. We tried to get more involved in some measures that were just like “OK, this is important right now,” but our main objectives didn’t change.
How can people who are interested in supporting the coalition help?
Well, politics are local. We’re called the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, so we do citywide advocacy — but we also do statewide acts. We’ve been statewide for decades, but “the Illinois Coalition for the Homeless” doesn’t really roll off the tongue. Chicago and Illinois residents can get involved just by visiting our website. signing up, and taking the actions that we ask for. A lot of them are just informing your representatives about your feelings on the policies that are in play. These policies — like an anti-panhandling ordinance — might not affect your life, but it has a major effect on somebody who’s just trying to get money to buy medication or eat. That’s being criminalized on a city-by-city level, not a national level, so getting involved is critical.
I’m the fundraising guy, so I obviously want people to donate, but I really just want them to learn about the problem. I think learning the scope of the problem is the biggest thing, because people see the person on the highway exit and they think that’s homelessness. But there’s a much broader demographic — families, children in school, people working two or three jobs and still couchsurfing or staying in hotels — that you might never know about. Then there’s the underlying problem that there’s another subgroup of people who are at risk and might be only a paycheck or two away. That’s why we have to advocate for higher wages, lower housing prices and those kinds of policies. It’s about getting involved in politics at the policy level, which some people find very interesting, but most of us just want to live our lives and have the problem be fixed for us.
You skipped the usual raffle here at Riot Fest this year, so what’s your plan to raise money and awareness for the coalition this time around?
We got a bunch of guitars signed by bands this weekend, so we’ll probably hold an auction the month that Riot Fest announces the 2023 lineup. It’ll be something where people can bid online and in person, and the money raised will go to the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless and Douglass Park community groups. It’s a unique way for fans to connect with their favorite bands. You can bid on something, and if you win it, you’ll probably treasure it for a lifetime. It won’t be like just buying it on eBay, because, as it hangs on your wall, you’ll know you did a good thing. | https://www.spin.com/2022/09/chicago-coalition-homeless-riot-fest/ | 2022-09-24T02:27:21 | en | 0.974735 |
What’s the best Melt Cosmetics product?
Melt Cosmetics is a beauty brand founded by Lora Arellano and Dana Bomar in 2012. The founders have a history of working in the retail and makeup industry, so they create products that let people express themselves through vibrant, bold, highly pigmented color palettes. If you’re looking to add something with a pop to your makeup collection, the Melt Cosmetics Gemini Eyeshadow Palette 1 is sublime.
What to know before you buy a Melt Cosmetics product
Eye color
The hues of eyeshadow work best with different eye colors. For the best look, pick a color that flatters your skin and your eye color.
If you have:
- Blue eyes: Warm hues such as oranges, reds and cool pinks look best.
- Green eyes: Mauve, peach and earthy tones give the best appearance.
- Brown or gray eyes: These are neutral eye colors that suit either warm or cool tones.
If you’re not sure what colors go best with your eyes, check out a color wheel. The colors that are opposite each other on the wheel are complementary and can be paired together.
Lip color
For a shade of lipstick that is flattering, pick a color two shades darker than your natural lip color. The best way to do this is by applying your lipstick only on your lower lip and comparing it to your upper lip. Another thing to note is that dark colors and matte lipsticks make the lips appear thinner, while lighter shades and glosses make them seem fuller.
Skin undertones
- Cool undertones: This means you have a bluish hue to your skin. Lipsticks with purple or blue undertones, such as cherry red lipsticks, will best suit you.
- Warm undertones: These are indicated by golden or yellow hues. The best lipsticks to go with this are terracotta colors or bold red shades.
- Neutral undertones: If you have neutral undertones, your skin has a good balance of cool and warm undertones, so both cool and warm shades of lipstick flatter you.
While these are all guides, your preferences should always be considered because it is best to pick what suits your style and feels good to you.
Makeup brush
Using the right makeup brush during application helps you get the most out of your makeup product. For eyeshadow application, pick a brush that is dense and has a tip just a little smaller than your eyelids. Lip brushes should have finer tips, while blush and powder brushes should be well rounded with soft, fine bristles.
Cruelty-free
Melt Cosmetics is a cruelty-free brand and does not sell its products in any stores that require animal testing. Additionally, most Melt products are vegan and are clearly labeled on their ingredients tabs.
What to look for in a quality Melt Cosmetics product
Good pigmentation
Melt Cosmetics products are highly pigmented and easily visible when applied on your skin. Whether they are lipsticks, eyeshadows or blush palettes, you get rich hues ranging from bright colors to deep metallics, opaques or true matte shades.
Texture
The texture of a makeup product determines how easily it can be applied. A chalky, inconsistent texture will leave your skin feeling tacky and heavy. Melt Cosmetics products come in smooth and silky textures that sit well on the skin and blend easily, whether they’re powdered like eyeshadow or cream-based like a cream blush.
Long-lasting
When applied properly, Melt Cosmetics products can last for up to eight hours on the skin. They don’t lose their vibrancy and work well for extended wear. If you are layering your products, you can use a primer as a base before application to ensure that the makeup doesn’t cake and lasts even longer.
How much you can expect to spend on a Melt Cosmetics product
Melt Cosmetics cost about $16-$100, depending on the product and size.
Melt Cosmetics product FAQ
Where are Melt Cosmetics products made?
A. The products are made both in the U.S. and other parts of the world, such as Italy and Germany.
Do Melt Cosmetics products use talc?
A. Yes, some contain talc. You can always see a full list of ingredients on the product label.
Is Melt Cosmetics an indie brand?
A. Though Melt Cosmetics was founded as an indie brand, its popularity over the years has made it more available and mainstream.
What’s the best Melt Cosmetics product to buy?
Top Melt Cosmetics product
Melt Cosmetics Gemini Eyeshadow Palette 1
What you need to know: This eyeshadow palette has 10 colors in a pressed-powder formula.
What you’ll love: The colors are versatile and range from warm neutrals to cool tones, with eight of them having a matte finish. The palette comes in beautiful, sleek packaging with a modern touch.
What you should consider: The powder-pressed formula may lead to higher chances of the eyeshadow breaking if not handled properly.
Where to buy: Sold by Sephora
Top Melt Cosmetics product for the money
Melt Cosmetics Liquid Lipstick
What you need to know: This vegan liquid lipstick has a matte finish.
What you’ll love: This lightweight lipstick offers a wide range of colors that stay highly pigmented with extended wear. You can layer it to achieve a preferred shade or mix and match colors to your taste.
What you should consider: Some people find the applicator difficult to use.
Where to buy: Sold by Sephora
Worth checking out
Melt Cosmetics Cream Blushlight
What you need to know: This is a cream-based blush with soft pink hues.
What you’ll love: Its multiuse formula lets you apply it to your cheeks and lips, creating a consistent glow for your overall look. It comes in six shades to let you choose what is most flattering to your skin or the makeup look you’re going for.
What you should consider: It may lose its dewiness after extended wear and retains a powdery finish.
Where to buy: Sold by Sephora
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Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.krqe.com/reviews/br/beauty-personal-care-br/face-makeup-br/best-melt-cosmetics-product/ | 2022-09-24T02:27:23 | en | 0.918853 |
Sleater-Kinney has revealed full details of a previously announced 25th anniversary covers collection in tribute to its beloved album Dig Me Out. The aptly named Dig Me In: A Dig Me Out Covers Album will be released Oct. 21 and is led by Courtney Barnett’s rendition of “Words and Guitar.”
Also featured on the album are St. Vincent, Wilco, Margo Price, TV On The Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe, Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires, Low and The Linda Lindas. 25% of net proceeds from the Dig Me In will go to the SMYRC (Sexual & Gender Minority Resource Center).
“The artists who appear on Dig Me In have not so much covered the 13 original songs, but reinterpreted and reimagined them,” the group says. “Through added layers or the subtraction of guitars and drums, they provide a new way into the songs. Fresh rage, joy, pain, reclamation, slyness, and longing. Other interpretations slow down or stretch out the songs, trading urgency for contemplation, weariness or even a hint of ease.”
Here is the track list for Dig Me In: A Dig Me Out Covers Album:
“Dig Me Out,” St. Vincent
“One More Hour,” Wilco
“Turn It On,” Margo Price
“The Drama You’ve Been Craving,” Tunde Adebimpe
“Heart Factory,” Self Esteem
“Words and Guitar,” Courtney Barnett
“It’s Enough,” Black Belt Eagle Scout
“Little Babies,” The Linda Lindas
“Not What You Want,” Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires
“Buy Her Candy,” Tyler Cole
“Things You Say,” Big Joanie
“Dance Song ’97,” Low
“Jenny,” NNAMDÏ | https://www.spin.com/2022/09/courtney-barnett-sleater-kinney-covers/ | 2022-09-24T02:27:27 | en | 0.884017 |
What’s the best 8K TV?
TVs have come a long way since the bulky black-and-white boxes families gathered around in the mid-’50s. First color, then flat screens, then new ways of producing images. TVs became thinner and lighter, and display resolutions kept improving.
In less time than most analysts predicted, the first true 8K TV was unveiled in 2013. If you want to watch content at the highest and clearest resolution possible, the Samsung 85-Inch Neo QLED 8K is an excellent choice.
What to know before you buy an 8K TV
Content will be a challenge
A large display that produces stunning visuals is excellent, but the TV can only do so at its full potential if 8K content is available. That is the biggest stumbling block today, as there simply isn’t enough content to justify 8K resolution.
It’s a contentious issue, especially for early adopters, and while the TV can upscale 4K content to 8K, it’s still 4K at its heart. The only way you can view anything is when the content was filmed in 8K, or the broadcast or streaming is in 8K. That creates two problems in the creation process: filming and post-production of 8K footage are incredibly expensive, and you’ll need an ultrafast internet connection to stream it.
With only a very small percentage of streaming users having both the right TV and connection, it simply isn’t worth it for the streaming platforms. No streaming services currently offer content in native 8K. Some YouTube channels provide 8K videos, but most are only technical demonstrations.
If you play video games on a console, you might want to get an 8K TV for the increase in quality. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. As with films, no video games are currently coded in 8K resolution, so you’ll get no benefit from such a TV. And while Sony’s PlayStation 5 and Microsoft’s Xbox Series X can output in 8K, the functionality will only be unlocked with future updates.
8K vs. 4K
To understand why 8K content is so rare, it’s important to know how it differs from its nearest resolution, 4K. The most common resolution is 1080p, which has 1,920 by 1,080 pixels. A step up from that is 4K, which has 3,840 by 2,160 pixels. The term 4K comes from the resolution of digital cinema, but in TVs, it’s technically ultra high definition.
A TV with an 8K resolution has twice the number of pixels as a 4K in each direction, measuring 7,680 pixels horizontally and 4,320 pixels vertically. In total, an 8K TV has over 33 million pixels, compared to the 8.2 million pixels of 4K and 2 million pixels of 1080p.
What to look for in a quality 8K TV
Sturdy base vs. wall mountable
Typically, the entry-level dimensions of 8K TVs are larger than those of other resolutions and coupled with their expensive cost, they need to be sturdy on their feet. A good-quality 8K TV has a solid base or a wide-set stand to prevent it from toppling.
The better solution, though, is to mount the set on a wall. Look for a TV that’s compatible with the mounting system of the Video Electronics Standards Association. VESA is a universal specification that ensures the bracket perfectly fits on the TV’s backplate.
Several input connections
If you splurge on an 8K TV, there’s a good chance you have a home theater system or some gaming consoles. Nobody wants to struggle with cables when switching playback mediums, so a good-quality TV has multiple input connections, such as the 8K-capable HDMI 2.1, an optical audio port, multiple USB ports to charge devices and a DisplayPort.
Smart functions and voice assistance
Amazing visuals are one thing, but it’s better when you can automate actions through your TV. A good-quality 8K TV has a Wi-Fi receiver and smart functions so you can stream content through built-in apps. If the TV is compatible with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, you can use your voice to control other smart gadgets in your home.
How much you can expect to spend on an 8K TV
The price largely depends on its manufacturer, size and additional features. An entry-level 65-inch TV costs $1,500-$2,000, while a large display from a top-tier maker costs $2,000-$2,500.
8K TV FAQ
Can the human eye even see 8K resolution?
A. Technically, it can, but it’s a complex issue. Beyond a certain viewing distance, it’s almost impossible for the human eye to differentiate between individual 4K and 8K pixels.
What is the best viewing distance for an 8K TV?
A. It’s difficult to determine, as it depends on the size of the TV. Sony, one of the world’s largest electronics manufacturers, recommends a minimum viewing distance of 1.5 times the TV’s vertical measurement. For example, the viewing distance for a 55-inch TV is 3.2 feet, while the minimum distance for an 85-inch TV is about 5.2 feet.
What’s the best 8K TV to buy?
Top 8K TV
What you need to know: This TV has striking visual clarity using Samsung’s quantum matrix technology of hyper-focused light cells.
What you’ll love: The incorporated multi-layered neural networks can upscale any content to an 8K resolution. The TV’s built-in speakers have dynamic object tracking to follow the on-screen action sound, and it’s compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
What you should consider: With a price tag of nearly $5,000, it could be well beyond the reach of many.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top 8K TV for the money
TCL 65-Inch 6-Series 8K QLED TV
What you need to know: To deliver the best possible visuals, this TV uses TCL’s AiPQ Engine to enhance content intelligently.
What you’ll love: The internal mini-LED technology creates uniform brightness and contrast across the screen by tweaking up to 240 individual zones. It has an Ethernet port, three HDMI inputs, optical audio and one USB port.
What you should consider: Some users said the construction isn’t as sturdy as expected.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
Hisense 75-Inch 8K Premium Quantum Dot QLED TV
What you need to know: With a native refresh rate of 120 hertz, the visuals are smoother with no motion blurring.
What you’ll love: It incorporates Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos to create a theater experience, and through the AI Picture Optimization, it can upscale any content to 8K. It has two HDMI 2.1 ports, and two regular HDMI connections and comes with a voice-controlled Roku remote.
What you should consider: Some users said it doesn’t support Apple AirPlay as the stand-alone Roku boxes do.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Charlie Fripp writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.krqe.com/reviews/br/electronics-br/tv-video-br/best-8k-tv/ | 2022-09-24T02:27:29 | en | 0.918631 |
Grateful Dead spinoff group Dead & Company are calling it quits.
In an Instagram post on Friday, the band, which features John Mayer, Bob Weir, and other former Dead players, said that next summer’s run will be their last.
“As we put the finishing touches on booking venues, and understanding that word travels fast, we wanted to be the first to let you know that Dead & Company will be hitting the road next summer for what will be our final tour,” the statement said. “Stay tuned for a full list of dates for what will surely be an exciting, celebratory, and heartfelt last run of shows.”
Dead & Company formed in 2015 following the Grateful Dead’s final shows at Chicago’s Soldier Field. The group didn’t include Dead bassist Phil Lesh, who continued with his solo career. Since then, the band has been playing arenas, amphitheaters and stadiums in the summers (and sometimes fall and winter) ever since. The group played Dead songs and covers, and never recorded any music together (that has been released)
Also Read
Dead & Company Plot 2022 Summer Tour
In January, the group will host their Playing in the Sand festival in Riviera Cancun, Mexico.
Last year, we took in the band’s three-night stand over Halloween weekend at the Hollywood Bowl. Here’s our recap of what took place. | https://www.spin.com/2022/09/dead-and-company-final-tour/ | 2022-09-24T02:27:34 | en | 0.956682 |
Everything you need to know about the Apple Watch Ultra
The Apple Watch already has earned a reputation for being a lifesaving device. Today, however, the company released its all-new model: the Apple Watch Ultra. This rugged device is possibly the most important thing to happen to watches since quartz. Here’s what you need to know about this revolutionary new smartwatch.
In this article: Apple Watch Ultra, Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch SE
Who is the new Apple Watch Ultra for?
While the new Apple Watch Ultra can be used by anyone, it was designed from the ground up with adventurers, explorers and extreme athletes in mind. The features this watch offers cater to the individual using it in extreme conditions, such as trekking across a mountain or diving deep into the sea.
What’s new on Apple Watch Ultra?
There are an overwhelming amount of new features and upgrades on this watch. To give you a glimpse at the biggest changes, here are some highlights:
Rugged design
The Apple Watch Ultra case is made of aerospace-grade titanium that surrounds the flat sapphire front crystal to protect the edges from impacts. It’s designed to endure extreme environments and hold up when performing the most vigorous physical activities.
Biggest, brightest display yet
The Ultra has the biggest and brightest Apple Watch face ever. The always-on display is bright enough to be clearly seen in the midday sun. Night mode is optimized for low-light conditions and glows in a vivid red, while the time dial can be switched to a live compass to make sure you know precisely where you’re going.
Action button
The customizable action button in international orange can be set to perform a variety of functions. Its purpose is to give the user quick physical control when it may be needed the most.
Emergency features
Besides the built-in compass, the Apple Watch Ultra has a Backtrack feature that ensures no matter how far off the beaten path you wander, you’ll always have precise directions on how to get back to home base. If you ever need to get someone’s attention, the built-in emergency siren can be heard up to 600 feet away. Like other Apple Watches, the Ultra can automatically contact emergency services if it detects a fall or crash.
Additional speaker and mics
If you ever need to make a call from your watch, the three-microphone array and adaptive algorithm picks the best mic and filters out background noise for optimal voice clarity. The dual-speaker system dramatically improves the watch’s audio.
Enhanced GPS performance
The advanced, dual-frequency GPS has a custom positioning algorithm that gives athletes accurate distance information no matter what type of environment they’re in.
Activity-unique bands
Depending on where you’ll wear your new Apple Watch, it comes with one of three rugged bands. The Trail Loop is for the endurance athlete who needs something light yet durable. The Alpine Loop is for the rugged adventurer who needs a corrosion-resistant band that won’t break in even the most extreme conditions. The Ocean band is for water sports.
Built-in depth gauge and more
When the Ultra goes underwater, with the help of Huish Outdoors, the watch automatically turns into a certified dive computer that’s suitable for scuba diving and freediving down to 40 meters.
Only-cellular models
Since the Apple Watch Ultra needs to work no matter where you happen to be, all models are cellular. This means the watch does not need to be connected to your phone to function.
Extended battery life
With all the extra features the Ultra has, it would seem the battery life would decrease. Not at all. In fact, this watch boasts up to 36 hours of operation on a single charge. In the near future, with the coming low-power mode, you can get up to 60 hours per charge.
How much does the Apple Watch Ultra cost?
All models of the Apple Watch Ultra cost $799 and are available on Amazon.
Other all-new Apple Watches
If you like Apple Watches but don’t need the rugged design of the Ultra model, the Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS and cellular), the Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS), the Apple Watch SE (GPS and cellular) and the Apple Watch SE (GPS) were also just released this month.
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Allen Foster writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.krqe.com/reviews/br/electronics-br/wearable-technology-br/apple-watch-ultra-releases-today-heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-apples-new-rugged-watch/ | 2022-09-24T02:27:35 | en | 0.923368 |
Next Tuesday, the second Taylor Hawkins tribute concert will take place at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. Today, the final group of special guests was revealed, and it’s a strong cast of musicians. Soundgarden’s Matt Cameron and Kim Thayil, Danny Carey of Tool, Tommy Lee, The Darkness singer Justin Hawkins, The Pretty Reckless’ Taylor Momsen, and Kesha will be taking the stage next week.
Kesha and Hawkins performed at the Hawkins tribute show that took place earlier this month at London’s Wembley Stadium.
Doors for the show will open at 5 pm PST and it is scheduled to kick off at 7 pm PST.
See the full lineup below:
Unlike the London show, there will not be a livestream available. | https://www.spin.com/2022/09/matt-cameron-kim-thayil-kesha-taylor-momsen-and-more-added-to-taylor-hawkins-tribute-lineup/ | 2022-09-24T02:27:40 | en | 0.895961 |
Which cat arthritis pain medications are best?
Cats with arthritis are often less mobile than those without the condition. This is mainly because arthritis causes pain in the joints. Luckily, there are prescription pain medications you can give to your pet to alleviate the symptoms of arthritis. One of the best ones is Onsior Tablets for Cats. Before getting medication, consult a veterinarian to ensure it’s the right option for your feline friend.
What to know before you buy cat arthritis pain medications
What is arthritis?
Similar to humans and dogs, cats can also develop arthritis. Also called osteoarthritis, this is a degenerative disease that occurs in the joints and starts to worsen over time. It’s typically associated with aging and can affect 70% to 80% of cats that are at least 12 years old, according to PetMD.
As cats get older, the cartilage surrounding their joints starts to deteriorate. This causes the bones to start grinding into one another uncomfortably or painfully. It also leads to inflammation and stiffness. The most commonly affected joints are the:
- Hips
- Spine
- Elbows
Signs your cat might have arthritis
Cats are often good at hiding when they’re in pain, which makes it difficult to tell when they have a health issue. However, here are a few signs that your pet could have arthritis:
- A previously active cat hesitates when it comes to jumping, running or playing.
- It starts to complain or seems to be in pain when you pick it up.
- A litter box-trained cat now eliminates outside the litter box. This is common when the sides of the box are too high and the feline has trouble getting in or out of it.
- It avoids grooming itself or seems to have trouble reaching areas that were previously accessible.
- Other normal behaviors start to change, especially those associated with mobility or activity.
Cause of arthritis in cats
Besides aging, there are several possible reasons why cats develop arthritis, such as:
- Genetics
- Direct physical trauma (e.g., falling from up high)
- Certain diseases or infections (e.g., joint infection, eroded cartilage)
- Torn or injured ligament
- Obesity
Since the exact cause or causes can vary, it’s important to speak with a veterinarian if you think your pet has arthritis. They can assess your cat and diagnose whether it has the condition or something else.
Prescription vs. nonprescription medication
Most pain medications that treat arthritis in cats require a prescription. However, there are a few over-the-counter options you could consider, including:
- Chondroitin or glucosamine: This supplement can support bone and cartilage health.
- Omega-3 fatty acids: These supplements could reduce joint inflammation, alleviate pain and boost mobility.
- CBD — some treats and supplements for cats use cannabidiol and could help with pain.
Over-the-counter options are usually less effective than prescription medications. Consult with a trained veterinarian before giving your pet anything to make sure it’s safe for them.
What to look for in quality cat arthritis pain medications
Form
Cat arthritis pain medication usually comes in the following forms:
- Tablet: Capsules or tablets are common. Some cats ingest them when mixed in with their food. If you have a pickier cat, hide the medication in a moldable treat and give it to it that way.
- Liquid: For cats that refuse to swallow tablets, liquid medication is another option. Mix it into your pet’s wet food or use a dropper to administer it directly into your cat’s mouth.
- Injections: If your cat has severe arthritis or refuses to take medication, take it to the veterinarian for routine injections.
Type
There are many types of pain medication for cats with arthritis, including:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as Onsior, can help reduce inflammation and alleviate pain.
- Gabapentin helps with chronic pain, reduces anxiety and helps prevent seizures in cats. It can also be used in conjunction with certain NSAIDs.
- Corticosteroids and opioids for cats with severe arthritis.
Remember, most of these medications require a prescription from a veterinarian. Once you choose one, it’s typically a good idea to stick with one rather than switch between them. Follow the advice or instructions your veterinarian gives for the best results.
Side effects
Pain medication for cats could result in certain side effects or complications, such as:
- Decreased energy levels
- Vomiting
- Changes in eating or drinking
- Frequent or painful urination
- Discoloration or yellowing of the eyes or gums
Some medications, such as NSAIDs, could cause long-term problems to the heart, stomach, kidneys, intestines or other organs. Keep an eye out for any radical or concerning changes in your cat’s behavior, coat or skin once it’s on medication.
Quantity and dosage
Medications come in different quantities, depending on the form. Tablets, for example, often come in a 30- or 60-day supply. Most types of medication are not meant for long-term use, so expect a limited amount.
The dosage depends on the veterinarian’s recommendation. This could be a specific number of tablets each day. Or it could be a certain amount of milligrams for liquid medication.
Make sure you follow the instructions on the prescription or container carefully. If you notice minimal improvement or side effects, speak with your veterinarian immediately.
Alternative forms of treatment
If the pain medication isn’t working, or if you’d rather not go that route yet, here are a few alternatives:
- Over-the-counter arthritis supplements for pain, such as omega-3s and Dasuquin
- Weight loss for cats with obesity
- Warm or cold compresses
- Laser therapy
- Physical therapy
- Surgery
How much you can expect to spend on cat arthritis pain medications
This depends on the type, quantity and dosage. For tablets, expect to spend around $0.10-$0.20 each. A bottle of liquid medication costs $10-$20, on average.
Cat arthritis pain medications FAQ
Can cats take pain medication meant for humans?
A. No. Giving your pet medication meant for humans could result in health problems, such as kidney or liver damage, blood clots and other health complications.
Is there a cure for arthritis in cats?
A. Unfortunately, no. If your pet has arthritis, speak with your veterinarian about the best way of improving its quality of life. Also, make the environment easier for your cat to maneuver by adding things such as steps so it can get around. Use a litter box with low sides, too.
When should a cat take arthritis medication?
A. In most cases, the best time to give a cat medication is before they eat. Check the instructions on the container, though, as some painkillers should be given at different times.
What are the best cat arthritis pain medications to buy?
Top cat arthritis pain medication
What you need to know: This prescription nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication can help reduce inflammation, alleviate pain and improve mobility.
What you’ll love: It’s meant for older cats that weigh at least 5.5 pounds. It comes with three 6-milligram tablets.
What you should consider: It requires a prescription and is not a long-term solution.
Where to buy: Sold by Chewy
Top cat arthritis pain medication for the money
Dexamethasone (Generic) Tablets For Dogs And Cats
What you need to know: These generic tablets can reduce inflammation, swelling and other symptoms related to inflammatory conditions.
What you’ll love: Besides helping with inflammation, it can also ease pain and improve your pet’s mobility. It comes in different dosages, such as 0.5, 0.75, 1.5 and 4 milligrams.
What you should consider: It requires a prescription, which Chewy can verify and fill.
Where to buy: Sold by Chewy
Worth checking out
Prednisolone (Generic) Oral Solution
What you need to know: For cats that refuse to take solid medications, this liquid solution is a great alternative.
What you’ll love: It helps with pain and inflammation, which can improve your pet’s mobility. It can also be used to soothe other conditions, such as breathing problems and allergies. The medication is also fast-acting.
What you should consider: It comes in cherry and raspberry flavors, which can put off some cats.
Where to buy: Sold by Chewy
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Angela Watson writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.krqe.com/reviews/br/pets-br/health-br/best-cat-arthritis-pain-medication/ | 2022-09-24T02:27:42 | en | 0.92713 |
The honorary first pitch at major-league baseball games has been thrown by presidents, politicians and Hollywood stars, and now … Papa Emeritus of costumed Swedish hard rock band Ghost.
Emeritus, in his usual spooky black-and-white mask, tossed the pitch before last night’s Chicago White Sox vs. Cleveland Guardians game at the Windy City’s Guaranteed Rate Field. No children or pets were harmed (and though it wasn’t a strike, it wasn’t too far off, either), and the Guardians defeated the home team 4-2 to extend their lead in the American League Central division.
Ghost is on tour in North America in support of its spring album Impera, which topped three different Billboard charts upon its release. The band’s next show is tonight (Sept. 23) in Green Bay, Wisc. | https://www.spin.com/2022/09/papa-emeritus-first-pitch/ | 2022-09-24T02:27:46 | en | 0.954684 |
Is rowing becoming a mainstream workout?
Peloton has taken aggressive efforts to hold its position as one of the top fitness companies in the world. Besides expanding its rental program and officially selling both apparel and gear on Amazon, Peloton announced its first rowing machine, the Peloton Row. While it won’t be released until December, the Peloton Row is already available for preorder.
Why isn’t rowing more popular?
For most people, walking is their primary method of getting around. It’s natural and easy to do. Riding a bike is also something many people have done since childhood. Rowing, however, is an activity that most would need to learn how to do in order for it to be beneficial. You can do more harm than good trying to row with poor form. Since it isn’t a natural, intuitive activity like walking, running or biking, rowing tends to get overlooked as an exercise.
Is rowing good for you?
When executed with proper form, rowing is one of the best exercises you can do. It’s a full-body workout that engages all the major muscle groups with every stroke. It’s also a low-impact exercise that’s great for your heart. In fact, one of the best ways to gauge your overall fitness is to do a 2,000-meter row for time. If you’re serious about fitness, rowing should be at least part of your workout regimen.
What features will the Peloton Row have?
Peloton Row will have all the interactive features you’ve come to expect from the company, such as great music, motivational workouts, exercising at your own level and smooth, quiet operation. However, it will also teach form, so you can get the most out of each and every workout while diminishing your chance of injury, and it has a swivel screen so you can hop off the machine to perform other exercises without missing a beat. And, possibly best of all, it folds up flat against a wall for storage, making it a good fit for nearly any home or apartment.
How much does the Peloton Row cost?
The Peloton Row starts at $3,195 and requires an additional $44/month subscription for a Peloton All-Access Membership.
Other bestselling rowing machines you can get right now
If the high-end Peloton is out of your budget or you don’t want to wait until 2023 to start getting fit, here are some more affordable rowing machines you can get right now:
Arguably one of the best rowing machines available, the Hydrow uses a patented electromagnetic drag technology to mimic the feel of rowing out on the water. With a paid membership, you have access to a library of over 4,000 workouts.
Sold by Hydrow.com
The ergonomic design of this resistance machine helps with proper hip and spine alignment. The 22-inch screen features scenic waterway workouts from around the world. The unit folds for storage.
Sold by Dick’s Sporting Goods
NordicTrack offers real-time coach controls that allow trainers to auto-adjust your machine’s digital resistance to get the most out of each session. Users can also control manual air resistance to increase workout intensity as desired.
Sold by NordicTrack
Sunny Health & Fitness Row-N-Ride Trainer
For something a little different, this Row-N-Ride machine turns your exercise vertical, so you can add a little gravity to the mix. It creates a hybrid workout that’s part rowing, part squats so you can get in an intense session while reducing the pressure on your knees.
Sold by Amazon
LifeSpan RW1000 Indoor Rowing Machine
The LifeSpan RW1000 is a smooth-operating, ultra-quiet rower with five levels of resistance. The streamlined console shows distance, time, calories, stroke count and strokes per minute, and the unit folds up for convenient storage.
Sold by Amazon
This magnetic rower has an aluminum beam with ball-bearing rollers for smooth and quiet operation. It offers eight levels of magnetic resistance and has pivoting footplates for a wider range of motion.
Sold by Dick’s Sporting Goods
Sunny Health & Fitness Rowing Machine
If budget is your primary concern, this entry-level rower is a solid choice. The elastic cord provides dual-directional resistance and has four levels of tension. The console displays all the essential stats to gauge the effectiveness of each workout.
Sold by Amazon
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Allen Foster writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.krqe.com/reviews/br/sports-fitness-br/fitness-equipment-br/with-news-of-peloton-rows-release-these-best-selling-more-affordable-row-machines-are-worth-a-look/ | 2022-09-24T02:27:50 | en | 0.93732 |
Music isn’t just a plug-and-play affair to Brooklyn indie duo Toledo — it’s a bond deeper than songwriting.
That brotherhood defines the duo’s debut LP, How It Ends (out today on Grand Jury Music), which blends modern indie rock stylings with ‘90s adult contemporary flourishes and the gloomy musings of Elliott Smith.
Toledo sprang from the passion of childhood friends Dan Álvarez de Toledo and Jordan Dunn-Pilz, who grew up busking in the coastal town of Newburyport, Mass., and developed an ironclad relationship through music. “That’s how our hustler mentality started,” Dunn-Pilz said. The late ‘20s duo are still hustling — they also operate a Brooklyn recording studio.
Over cold beers (and one comically large tropical drink) at a Brooklyn tiki bar, the duo spoke to SPIN about the new record, woven with themes that actually aren’t leisurely or all that much fun.
How It Ends goes long on fraught family relationships – between Dunn-Pilz and his father, and between each of the duo’s parents in their own right. Each couple divorced before the two met, an impact felt in the songwriting: “A lot of the ways we talk about those things is through the music,” Dunn-Pilz said.
Take “Flake,” which is as disarming as the best Phoebe Bridgers tracks. Sonically, it’s often light and airy, but takes on generational trauma with the biting lyric “I fucking hate your guts right now.”
“Every song we write is about ourselves,” Toledo said. “A lot of it is about the things that we take from our parents and our family – the things that we absorb and how it affects the way we act.”
The duo play off each other as well in person as they do on the album, often finishing each other’s sentences. The links are everywhere: The album’s lead track, “Soda Can,” even serves as a thank you from Dunn-Pilz to Toledo’s mom for acting as a surrogate parent, another sign of a connection deeper than music.
After meeting, the two played in multiple bands (including an early three-piece Toledo), experimenting with self-described styles ranging from freestyle hip-hop to Jason Mraz-esque guitar to Two Door Cinema Club-inspired indie pop. They juggled college in different states (Dunn-Pliz at Ithaca College, Toledo at the Berklee College of Music) with the theatrical background of Dunn-Pilz, who toured nationally at one point with the musical RENT.
Once they moved to Brooklyn, Toledo took shape in earnest — their 2021 single “Sunday Funday” currently boasts more than 8 million Spotify streams.
How It Ends reflects the group themselves – constantly in motion. “We’re still figuring out the Toledo sound,” Toledo said. “But it’s getting there.”
Fittingly, the LP swerves significantly from demos they initially sent to record labels. The two completed an entire album pre-pandemic before scrapping most of it for a fresh approach, one that took them to upstate New York cabins to record with friends like singer-songwriter Melina Duterte of Jay Som.
Toledo are certainly still plotting what’s next, whether that takes a more pop-oriented approach or flips the act entirely on its head.
“We don’t want to do the same thing again, ever,” Dunn-Pilz said. “It has to keep us interested.” | https://www.spin.com/2022/09/toledo-how-it-ends-interview/ | 2022-09-24T02:27:52 | en | 0.959729 |
One of the first things Brad Keselowski did before buying into Jack Roush’s race team was check the years remaining on the contract for Chris Buescher, the driver he was inheriting with his purchase.
He was pleased to learn that Buescher was locked down. But it wasn’t long enough, in Keselowski’s mind.
“I kind of felt like he was a hidden free agent gem that wasn’t being scouted properly and felt that way for a handful of years,” Keselowski said. “The first thing, it was literally the first thing I did when I signed the papers … was putting an offer in front of him to give him a contract extension.
“I thought he was somebody we could build around and get results.”
Buescher picked up the first win for rebranded RFK Racing last week at Bristol Motor Speedway, and the first win for a Roush car in a points-paying race since since Daytona in 2017. Buescher and Keselowski both won a pair of qualifying races at Daytona in February.
It also marked the first time in this format of NASCAR’s playoffs that drivers who are not eligible for the championship swept the three races of the first round. Now Buescher, a native of Prosper, Texas, returns to his home state hoping to again play the spoiler.
The second round of the playoffs open Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway, where Buescher and Keselowski finished eighth and ninth in May in the exhibition All-Star race. Buescher is thrilled to be part of an energized race team.
“I’ve had really good teammates through the years at different organizations at the Cup level, but nobody that’s put in the amount of effort as Brad Keselowski,” Buescher said. “He’s very passionate about it. He puts in the work and the time and the effort to be able to make this thing successful, and we’ve seen it this year.
“For Brad to come over in the ownership role and have that faith in me early on meant a lot to me. That’s a pretty big pat on the back when we haven’t always had the results to show for it.”
TEXAS TOO TOUGH
Texas Motor Speedway has been in the playoff rotation since 2005, and typically two annual stops for the Cup Series.
Texas swapped its spring race for the All-Star race the last two seasons, but the All-Star race will be at North Wilkesboro in North Carolina next season and Texas will have just one Cup race for the first time since 2005.
The demise of the speedway can be linked to a 2017 repaving and reconfiguration in Turns 1 and 2 that reduced the banking from 24 to 20 degrees. Passing became extremely difficult and NASCAR has been seeking solutions to improve the on-track product.
“I don’t like the racetrack and think they kind of ruined it. Texas, I just don’t enjoy very much,” said 2020 NASCAR champion Chase Elliott.
The race is concerning for the remaining 12 drivers in the playoff field because the second round has so many variables. Texas has been a difficult track for teams, next up is Talladega Superspeedway and then the field will be trimmed by four at The Roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
“With the unknowns of Talladega and the Roval, we’re looking at Texas as a place we can go run up front, try to maximize our points and be in contention for the win,” Denny Hamlin said. “Passing was very difficult in the All-Star race though, so I expect that to be the case like it has been for the last few years at Texas.
“Qualifying up front and having a smooth day on the track and on pit road are going to be key for us to have a shot.”
ODDS AND ENDS
Chase Elliott cycled back to the points lead as the playoff field was reset for the second round. Austin Cindric is ranked last in the 12-driver field. … Christopher Bell is seventh in the standings but the Joe Gibbs Racing driver was the only contender in the first round to score three top-five finishes. He was the points leader before the reset and the only driver to clinch a berth in the second round ahead of Bristol. … Kyle Larson is the FanDuel favorite to win Sunday at Texas.
___
More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.krqe.com/sports/ap-buescher-looks-to-be-playoff-spoiler-at-home-track-texas/ | 2022-09-24T02:27:56 | en | 0.974386 |
BOSTON (AP) — The reigning Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics suspended coach Ime Udoka after a months-long investigation by an outside law firm that found multiple violations of team policies but did not point to a larger cultural problem of sexual misconduct, owner Wyc Grousbeck said Friday.
“We go to great lengths … to run the organization with the central core value of respect and freedom in the workplace from harassment or any unwelcome attention,” Grousbeck said at a news conference. “This feels very much, to me, like one of a kind. That’s my personal belief. But I’ll have to verify that.”
Neither Grousbeck nor president of basketball operations Brad Stevens would elaborate on the specifics of the violations or the private report that was delivered to the team two days ago. But a person with knowledge of the matter, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the details were not made public, told The Associated Press that it involved an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the organization.
Udoka’s multiple violations involved one woman, a Celtics spokesman said Friday. No one else in the organization is facing discipline, Grousbeck said, adding that the team will be vigilant to make sure that Udoka’s actions aren’t a signal that there is a larger problem.
“I personally don’t believe that they’re a deeper signal,” Grousbeck said. “But we will be — I will be, personally — talking to members of the organization to make sure that that’s the case.”
A first-year coach who is three months removed from a trip to the NBA Finals, Udoka was suspended less than a week before training camp was to open for a team considered among the favorites to win it all this season. Assistant Joe Mazzulla was elevated to interim coach through June 30, 2023; the Celtics say they have not decided about Udoka’s future beyond then.
Stevens grew emotional when discussing the effect the scandal has had on the team — especially the women who were singled out on social media as possibly being involved. The team reached out to employees to offer support.
“We have a lot of talented women in our organization. I thought yesterday was really hard on them,” Stevens said. “Nobody can control Twitter speculation, rampant (expletive), but I do think that we as an organization have a responsibility to make sure we’re there to support them now. Because a lot of people were dragged unfairly into that.”
Grousbeck said the team learned of the problem earlier this summer and immediately brought in an outside law firm to investigate. After receiving the report, Grousbeck met with Udoka and he expressed “acceptance and appreciation for how this has been handled.”
Grousbeck would not say whether the suspension was unpaid but confirmed that it comes with a “significant financial penalty.” A year-long suspension is uncommon but not unprecedented for a professional sports coach, but the lack of public detail about Udoka’s behavior has led some — including Celtics Hall of Famer Paul Pierce — to question whether it was too severe.
Grousbeck disagreed, and noted that Udoka accepted the punishment and apologized.
“I personally feel that this is well-warranted and appropriate, backed by substantial research and evidence and facts,” the owner said. “It was clear that something substantial needed to be done. And it was.”
Mazzulla, 34, led West Virginia to a victory in the 2007 NIT tournament and an upset over ninth-ranked Duke in the next year’s NCAA’s. His only head coaching experience was a two-year stint from 2017-19 at Division II Fairmount in West Virginia.
“Joe’s going to be in charge. It’s not easy timing for him or the rest of the staff, but he’s an exceptionally sharp and talented person,” said Stevens, who added that he gave no serious thought to stepping back onto the bench himself. “This will be an unbelievable challenge, but I’m really confident in the team and the coaching staff that’s going to take the court on Tuesday. It’s not what we expected to happen, but I’m very confident in them.”
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AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds in Miami contributed to this report.
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More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.krqe.com/sports/ap-celtics-udoka-suspended-for-multiple-policy-violations/ | 2022-09-24T02:28:02 | en | 0.973797 |
The governing body for Formula One on Friday said IndyCar star Colton Herta will not be granted the Super License the American needs to join the F1 grid next season.
“The FIA confirms that an enquiry was made via the appropriate channels that led to the FIA confirming that the driver Colton Herta does not have the required number of points to be granted an FIA Super Licence,” the FIA said in a statement.
The FIA decision was not a surprise.
Red Bull was interested in the 22-year-old Californian and considering giving Herta a seat at AlphaTauri, its junior team. AlphaTauri has already said that Pierre Gasly will return next season and Yuki Tsunoda received a contract extension earlier this week.
However, AlphaTauri has acknowledged it would release Gasly, who is apparently wanted at Alpine, but only if it had a compelling driver such as Herta to put in the car. F1 has not had an American on the grid since Alexander Rossi in 2015, but Herta did not particularly want the FIA to make an exception to the licensing system to get him a seat.
At issue is how the FIA rates IndyCar, a series it does not govern. The points it awards to IndyCar drivers rank somewhere between F2 and F3, the two junior feeder series into F1.
IndyCar drivers have criticized the system in defense of Herta and the intense, close racing of their own highly competitive series. Herta has won seven IndyCar races, is the youngest winner in series history and has four starts in the Indianapolis 500. He qualified on the front row in 2021 and finished a career-best eighth in 2020.
Rossi, who has spent the last four seasons as Herta’s teammate at Andretti Autosport, lashed out this week because “I’m so sick and tired of this back and forth” regarding the licensing.
“The whole premise of it was to keep people from buying their way into F1 and allowing talent to be the motivating factor,” Rossi wrote on social media. “That’s great. We all agree Colton has the talent and capability to be in F1. That’s also great and he should get that opportunity if it’s offered to him. Period.
“Motorsport still remains as the most high profile sport in the world where money can outweigh talent. What is disappointing and in my opinion, the fundamental problem, is that the sporting element so often took a backseat to the business side that here had to be a method put in place in order for certain teams to stop taking drivers solely based on their financial backing.”
Rossi added those decisions “whether out of greed or necessity, is what cost Colton the opportunity to make the decision for himself as to if he wanted to alter career paths and race in F1. Not points on a license.”
The system favors drivers who compete in FIA-sanctioned series. For example, Linus Lundqvist earned his Super License by winning the Indy Lights championship.
Lundqvist’s required points come via the 15 he earned for the Lights title, 10 points for finishing third in Lights last year and his 2020 victory in the FIA-governed Formula Regional Americas Championship, which earned him 18 points.
That gave the 23-year-old Swede a total of 43 points, three more than needed for the license.
Herta, meanwhile, ended the IndyCar season with 32 points. He can still earn a Super License by picking up one point for any free practice sessions he runs this year; McLaren holds his F1 rights and could put him in a car. Herta could also potentially run in an FIA-sanctioned winter series to pick up some points.
Michael Andretti, who has petitioned the FIA to expand its grid to add two cars for him to launch a team, said he never bothered to explore potential replacements for Herta on the IndyCar team because he was confident the Super License request would be rejected.
Andretti has been met by severe resistance from existing F1 teams and even F1 itself in his hope to add an 11th team. Andretti could still get on the grid by purchasing an existing team and he’d like to build his program around Herta, who is under contract in IndyCar to Andretti through 2023.
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More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.krqe.com/sports/ap-fia-denies-colton-herta-the-license-needed-to-race-in-f1/ | 2022-09-24T02:28:09 | en | 0.976967 |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Fans looking to watch Aaron Judge’s pursuit of the AL home run record or Albert Pujols chase 700 homers live Friday night will need to it via streaming.
Apple TV+ has exclusive coverage of both games as part of its “Friday Night Baseball” package. The games were selected and announced in early August.
When games air nationally, it also means other networks can’t do live cut-ins. ESPN and MLB Network did that earlier in the week when games were only available on the team’s regional networks.
Fans can access both games Friday night on Apple TV+ for free and without the need for a subscription. The Apple TV app is on all Apple devices and can also be accessed on smart TVs, gaming consoles, and cable boxes.
This is the first season of Apple’s deal with Major League Baseball, which is part of a trend of leagues partnering with streaming platforms for a package of games.
Judge is at 60 homers as the New York Yankees host the Boston Red Sox. His next homer would tie him with Roger Maris for the AL record. Maris hit 61 for the Yankees in 1961.
Pujols’ St. Louis Cardinals visit the Los Angeles Dodgers. Pujols needs two to become the fourth player to reach the 700 home run milestone, but has not gone deep in his last six games.
Pujols played most of last season with the Dodgers after being released by the Los Angeles Angels. Of the 12 homers he hit for the Dodgers last season, eight came at Dodger Stadium.
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More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.krqe.com/sports/ap-games-involving-judge-pujols-only-available-on-apple-tv/ | 2022-09-24T02:28:15 | en | 0.964302 |
With the World Cup approaching and final roster decisions looming, U.S. soccer players gave a dismal performance in a 2-0 exhibition loss to Japan on Friday in Düsseldorf, Germany.
Daichi Kamada scored following Weston McKennie’s giveaway in the 24th minute and Kaoru Mitoma added a goal in the 88th.
In their next-to-last World Cup warmup, the Americans failed to put a single shot on goal, getting outshot 16-4 — including 8-0 in efforts on target.
“Obviously really disappointing,” goalkeeper Matt Turner said. “I just kind of wish that we had a little more fight about us from the start. I think we hurt ourselves in a lot of ways.”
The U.S. has one win, five losses and four draws in its last 10 road games and just one goal in its last five away matches. U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter said subpar performances were “almost across the board.”
“We need to play with personality. We need to play relaxed. We need to play with intensity,” Berhalter said. “When we do these things, we’re a really good team, but when we don’t, we’re an average team.”
Berhalter plans to announce his 26-man World Cup roster on Nov. 9 and has said 15-20% of the spots were undecided.
“There are certainly positions and players who are probably a little tense,” defender Walker Zimmerman said. “They know that they have one or two games, one or two opportunities to show that they can make a difference in Qatar.”
American star Christian Pulisic did not dress because of an unspecified injury that Berhalter called “a knock.” The 14th-ranked Americans already were without Tim Weah, Yunus Musah, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson and Zack Steffen due to injuries, and Miles Robinson will miss the World Cup because of a torn Achilles.
A series of defensive breakdowns put pressure on Turner, who has played just one match this season for Arsenal. He made a pair of diving saves in the second half, on Junya Ito in the 55th and Kamada in the 65th.
Kamada scored after McKennie received the ball from Tyler Adams and underhit a backpass. Hidemasa Morita played the ball to an open Kamada, who beat Turner to the far post from about 12 yards for his sixth international goal.
“It was pretty sloppy from all of us — myself, yeah, Weston in moments,” Adams said.
No. 24 Japan initially was called for offside, but the goal was awarded after a video review determined Kamada was played onside by Zimmerman.
Mitoma scored his fifth international goal, turning around second-half sub Reggie Cannon and bending the ball around Zimmerman to beat Turner to the far post with a right-foot shot from just inside the penalty area.
“That second goal comes from a lot of frustration of things just not really working for us,” Turner said. “We give the ball away and we kind of all just drop our heads and we don’t react. And they were having joy on the ball and running freely at us.”
Jesús Ferreira had the best U.S. chance in the seventh minute, putting an short-range open header over the crossbar from a Sergiño Dest cross.
The U.S. has one last exhibition, against 53rd-ranked Saudi Arabia on Tuesday at Murcia, Spain. Berhalter said it was too soon to determine whether Pulisic will be available.
Back in the World Cup after missing the 2018 tournament, the Americans open in Qatar against No. 19 Wales on Nov. 21, play fifth-ranked England four days later and close the first round against No. 22 Iran on Nov. 29.
Players’ shouts to each other were audible during a match played before a crowd of 5,149 in 54,600-capacity Merkur Spiel-Arena.
Gio Reyna and Dest started despite having not played 90-minute matches for their clubs this season. Reyna, fit following a leg injury that wrecked his 2021-22 season, had not started for the U.S. in a year. He wore the No. 21 of his father, former U.S. captain Claudio Reyna.
Josh Sargent, Jordan Morris, Cannon and Mark McKenzie entered to start the second half in place of Ferreira, Reyna, Dest and Aaron Long.
“We’re a young team and we’re going to have to go through some tough moments here and there,” Turner said. “Hopefully we can right a lot of our wrongs and ride a nice wave going into Qatar.”
JAPAN
Preparing for its seventh straight World Cup, Japan plays No. 44 Ecuador on Tuesday in Düsseldorf and 43rd-ranked Canada on Nov. 17 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Japan opens against No. 11 Germany on Nov. 23, meets 34th-ranked Costa Rica four days later and closes group play against No. 6 Spain on Dec. 1.
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More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.krqe.com/sports/ap-lackluster-us-loses-to-japan-2-0-in-world-cup-warmup/ | 2022-09-24T02:28:21 | en | 0.974742 |
LONDON (AP) — A protester lit a portion of the court and his arm on fire during a match at the Laver Cup tennis event Friday, hours before Roger Federer was scheduled to play for the final time before retiring.
The episode briefly delayed the action at the start of the second set of Stefanos Tsitsipas’ 6-2, 6-1 victory for Team Europe over Diego Schwartzman of Team World at the O2 Arena.
The activist, carrying a lighter and wearing a white T-shirt with a message about private jets, made his way onto the black court and sat down near the net. The person eventually was carried away by security guards.
“It came out of nowhere. … I never had an incident like this happen on court,” Tsitsipas, the runner-up at the 2021 French Open, said afterward. “I hope he’s all right.”
Tsitsipas spoke to the chair umpire to make sure it would be safe to continue to play and asked that a mark left on the court be cleaned up.
The protester “has been arrested and the situation is being handled by the police,” Laver Cup organizers said in a statement.
Federer, a 20-time Grand Slam champion, was slated to compete hours later Friday, teaming up with longtime rival Rafael Nadal in a doubles match.
The 41-year-old Federer hasn’t played an official match since Wimbledon in July 2021 and is ending his playing career after a series of operations on his right knee.
There have been other instances of high-profile tennis matches being interrupted in recent years, including during the 2009 final at Roland Roland Garros, when a man went up to Federer and tried to put a hat on his head.
At this year’s French Open, in June, a protester wearing a T-shirt with the message “We have 1028 days left” interrupted the men’s semifinal between Casper Ruud and 2014 U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic by attaching herself to the net with metal wires and glue and kneeling on the court.
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More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.krqe.com/sports/ap-laver-cup-protester-sets-court-arm-on-fire-delays-match/ | 2022-09-24T02:28:27 | en | 0.97272 |
GENEVA (AP) — Marijuana use will remain banned at sports events after the World Anti-Doping Agency on Friday resisted calls to change its status on the list of prohibited substances.
The agency was asked to review the status of THC — the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis — after the case of United States sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson, who did not go to the Tokyo Olympics last year. She served a one-month ban after testing positive at the national trials meet where she won the 100 meters. The sprinter said she had smoked marijuana as a way of coping with her mother’s death.
In a separate decision, the opiate tramadol will now be banned when athletes are competing from January 2024, the WADA executive committee decided at a meeting in Sydney, Australia.
Athletes who use cannabis were consulted by WADA-appointed experts whose conclusions included that it was “against the spirit of sport,” the agency said.
Positive tests for THC at races and events, though not in training, can therefore continue to trigger bans as short as one month.
The debate “is not straightforward,” WADA director general Olivier Niggli acknowledged Friday.
“WADA is also mindful that the few requests for THC’s removal from the Prohibited List are not supported by the experts’ thorough review,” he said. “We are also conscious that the laws of many countries — as well as broad international regulatory laws and policies — support maintaining cannabis on the List at this time.”
WADA also noted the high threshold level to register a positive test for THC which is “consistent with a significantly impaired athlete or a frequent user.”
Tramadol has been an issue in cycling which outlawed its use at races starting in 2019.
After the Tour de France in July, Nairo Quintana was disqualified from sixth place when two samples showed traces of the synthetic painkiller. He was not banned and is challenging his disqualification at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
“Tramadol abuse, with its dose-dependent risks of physical dependence, opiate addiction and overdoses in the general population, is of concern and has led to it being a controlled drug in many countries,” WADA said.
The in-competition ban will be enforced in January 2024 giving time to educate athletes and team doctors and “address the safe use of tramadol for clinical purposes,” WADA said.
The International Cycling Union’s medical rules state “commonly reported adverse side effects of tramadol are dizziness, drowsiness and loss of attention, which are incompatible with competitive cycling and endanger other competitors.”
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More AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.krqe.com/sports/ap-marijuana-stays-on-doping-banned-list-opiate-tramadol-added/ | 2022-09-24T02:28:34 | en | 0.974623 |
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez, a leading candidate for the AL Rookie of the Year award, was put on the 10-day injured list Friday because of a lower back strain.
The move came with Seattle holding the third and final wild-card spot, a half-game behind Tampa Bay and four games ahead of Baltimore. Outfielder Taylor Trammell was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma.
Rodriguez left Thursday’s win at Oakland in the first inning after experiencing back tightness. The 21-year-old leads rookies in home runs (27), runs scored (81), and total bases (251), and is second in RBIs (73) and stolen bases (25). He was the only rookie to be chosen an All-Star this season.
Rodriguez was replaced in center field by Jarred Kelenic for Seattle’s game at Kansas City. Third baseman J.P. Crawford took Rodriguez’s accustomed leadoff spot in the batting order.
“I was anticipating more of (Kelenic’s) reps would come on the corners, but with Julio out now, he’ll be playing in center field,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “We’re going to let him run with it.”
Trammell has played 41 games for Seattle this year, batting .208 with four home runs and 10 RBIs. He was hitting .333 with five homers and 12 RBIs in 22 games for Tacoma.
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More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.krqe.com/sports/ap-mariners-rookie-of-rodriguez-on-10-day-il-with-back-strain/ | 2022-09-24T02:28:41 | en | 0.959955 |
LONDON (AP) — This day, this match, had to come, of course, for Roger Federer, and for tennis, just as it inevitably must for every athlete in every sport.
Federer bid adieu Friday night with one last contest before he heads into retirement at age 41 after a superlative career that spanned nearly a quarter-century and included 20 Grand Slam titles and a statesman’s role. He wrapped up his days as a professional player with a loss in doubles alongside his longtime rival Rafael Nadal for Team Europe in the Laver Cup against Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock of Team World.
The truth is that the victors, the statistics and the score (OK, for the record it was 4-6, 7-6 (2), 11-9) did not matter, and were all so entirely beside the point. The occasion was, after all, about the farewell itself. Or, better, the farewells, plural: Federer’s to tennis, to the fans, to his competitors and colleagues. And, naturally, each of those entities’ farewells to Federer.
“It’s been a perfect journey,” Federer said. “I would do it all over again.”
When the match and, with it, his time in professional tennis ended, Federer hugged Nadal, then Tiafoe and Sock. And then Federer began crying. There were plenty of tears to go around; Nadal wiped his own away, too.
“When Roger leaves the tour, an important part of my life is leaving, too,” said Nadal, 36, who used the words “sad” and “unforgettable” to describe the occasion.
As cascades of clapping and yells of affection came from the stands, Federer put his hands on his hips, his chest heaving. Then he mouthed, “Thank you,” while applauding right back toward the spectators who had chanted, “Let’s go, Roger! Let’s go!” during the concluding moments of a match that lasted more than two hours and ended at about 12:30 a.m.
His wife, Mirka, their four children — twin girls and twin boys — and Federer’s parents joined him on the court afterward for embraces and, yes, more bawling. Members of both teams joined together to hoist Federer up in the air.
“It’s been a wonderful day. I told the guys I’m happy; I’m not sad,” Federer said. “I enjoyed tying my shoes one more time. Everything was the last time.”
The Swiss star announced last week that the three-day team event, which was founded by his management company, would be his final event before retirement, then made clear the doubles outing would be the last match. His surgically repaired right knee — the last of three operations came shortly after a loss in the Wimbledon quarterfinals in July 2021, which will go down as his official exit in singles — is in no shape to allow him to continue.
“For me, just personally, (it was) sad in the first moment, when I came to the conclusion it’s the best decision,” Federer said in an interview with The Associated Press this week about his emotions when realizing it was time to go. “I kind of held it in at first, then fought it off. But I could feel the pain.”
He had said he wanted this to feel more like a party than a funeral, and the crowd obliged, rising for a loud and lengthy standing ovation when Federer and Nadal — each wearing a white bandanna, blue shirt and white shorts — emerged together from a tunnel leading out to the black court for the last match on Day 1 at the O2 Arena. They remained on their feet for nearly 10 minutes, through the pre-match warmup, holding aloft phone cameras to capture the moment.
They came ready to roar for him, some with Swiss flags, some with homemade signs (“Idol Forever” read one), and they made themselves heard with a wall of sound when Federer delivered a forehand volley winner on the match’s second point. Similar reactions arrived merely at the chair umpire’s announcement before the third game of “Roger Federer to serve,” and again when he closed that game with a 117 mph service winner.
“Obviously had 99.9% of the crowd against us. But it was super fun to just be a part of that match. I think we are going to be forever grateful to be a part of the GOAT’s final match,” Sock said, using the acronym for “Greatest of All-Time.”
Doubles requires far less movement and court coverage, of course, so the stress on Federer’s knee was limited Friday.
“Honestly,” he said, acknowledging that leading into the match there were the sorts of nerves he’d get before a Grand Slam final, “I was so surprised how well I was able to play tonight.”
He showed touches of his old flair, to be sure, and of rust, as to be expected.
There were a couple of early forehands that sailed several feet too long. There also was a forehand that slid right between Sock and Tiafoe and seemed too good to be true — and, it turned out, was: The ball traveled through a gap below the net tape and so the point was taken away from Federer and Nadal.
Although this match amounted to, essentially, a glorified exhibition, all four doubles participants played as if they wanted to win. That was clear when Sock, a three-time major champion in doubles who is 29, leaped and screamed after one particularly terrific volley or when Tiafoe, 24, sent a couple of shots right at Federer and Nadal.
There were moments of levity.
Federer and Nadal were able to laugh after a bit of confusion over which should go for a ball on a point they lost. After Nadal somehow flicked one back-to-the-net shot around the post, only for it to land barely wide, Tiafoe, a semifinalist at the U.S. Open, crossed over to extend a hand with congratulations for the effort.
In the first set, the older duo couldn’t quite hear each other between points, so Federer trotted from the net back to the baseline to consult with Nadal, then pointed to his ear to signal what the issue was.
Before Federer began winning Grand Slam titles in 2003, the men’s mark for most major tennis championships was 14 by Pete Sampras. Federer blew past that, accumulating eight at Wimbledon, six at the Australian Open, five at the U.S. Open and one at the French Open, setting a new standard that Nadal, now with 22, and Novak Djokovic, with 21, equaled, then surpassed, as part of a golden era for the sport.
Surely, there are those who would have found it particularly apt to see Federer finish across the net from Nadal, often an on-court nemesis but eventually an off-court friend. Maybe it could have taken place about 15 miles away at Centre Court of the All England Club, say, or in Court Philippe Chatrier at Roland Garros, or Rod Laver Arena at Melbourne Park, or even Arthur Ashe Stadium, the centerpiece of the U.S. Open, the lone Grand Slam tournament at which they never faced off, somehow.
Perhaps they could have provided everyone with one final installment of a head-to-head matchup as memorable as any in the long history of their sport — or, indeed, any other.
Roger vs. Rafa — just one name apiece required — belongs up there with McEnroe vs. Borg (as it happens, the two Laver Cup team captains, John and Bjorn), Evert vs. Navratilova, Sampras vs. Agassi, Ali vs. Frazier, Magic vs. Bird, Brady vs. Manning, and so on.
Over the years, Federer and Nadal showed off individual greatness and compelling contrasts across their 40 matches, 14 at Grand Slam tournaments, nine in major finals: righty vs. lefty, attacker vs. grinder, seeming effortlessness vs. relentless intensity.
And yet, there was an unmistakable element of poetry with these two men who challenged each other and elevated each other performing as partners, slapping palms and sharing smiles.
This goodbye follows that of Serena Williams, the owner of 23 major singles championships, at the U.S. Open three weeks ago after a third-round loss. It leaves questions about the future of a game he and she dominated, and transcended, for decades.
One key difference: Each time Williams took the court in New York, the looming question was how long her stay would endure — a “win or this is it” prospect.
Friday WAS it for Federer, no matter the result.
“All the players will miss him,” said Casper Ruud, who beat Sock in singles 6-4, 5-7, 10-7.
The day’s other results, which left Team Europe and Team World tied at 2-2: Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated Diego Schwartzman 6-2, 6-1 in a match interrupted briefly when an environmental protester lit a portion of the court and his own arm on fire, and Alex de Minaur got past Andy Murray 5-7, 6-3, 10-7.
Due to begin playing shortly after the end of Murray’s loss, Federer and Nadal first provided him with some coaching tips, then watched part of that one on TV together in a room at the arena, waiting for their turn. When Federer and Nadal were in action, it was Djokovic’s turn to suggest strategy.
The last hurrah came after a total of 103 career singles trophies and 1,251 wins in singles matches for Federer, both second only to Jimmy Connors in the Open era, which began in 1968.
At the height of his powers, Federer appeared in a record 10 consecutive Grand Slam finals, winning eight, from 2005-07. Extend that to 2010, and he reached 18 of 19 major finals.
More than those numbers, folks will remember the powerful forehand, the one-handed backhand, the flawless footwork, the spectacularly effective serve and eagerness to get to the net, the willingness to reinvent aspects of his game and — the part of which he’s proudest — the unusual longevity. Beyond the elegance and effectiveness while wielding a racket, Federer’s persona made him an ambassador for tennis, someone whose immense popularity helped attract fans.
“This is not the end-end, you know. Life goes on. I’m healthy, I’m happy, everything’s great,” Federer said, “and this is just a moment in time.”
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More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.krqe.com/sports/ap-roger-federer-bids-farewell-in-last-match-before-retirement/ | 2022-09-24T02:28:47 | en | 0.971481 |
SYDNEY (AP) — Nirra Fields scored 17 points and Shay Colley added 11 to help Canada beat France 59-45 on Friday in the women’s basketball World Cup.
The victory moved Canada (2-0) into the driver’s seat as the only unbeaten team left in its group.
“It’s great for us,” Canada guard Kia Nurse said. “Great momentum moving forward. The first game against Serbia it showed what we can do, a great team win. To do that again with everyone contributing is huge.”
In other games Friday, the U.S. routed Puerto Rico 106-42; China beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 98-51; Serbia defeated Japan 69-64 and Belgium topped South Korea 84-61. Australia routed Mali 118-58.
Canada led 20-17 with 3 minutes left in the second quarter before going on a 17-0 run spanning the half to take control of the game. Colley had the final six points of the spurt.
France trailed by 20 to start the fourth quarter, but used a 10-1 run to get back within 11, but could get no closer.
Gabby Williams, who had 23 points in the opening win over Australia, finished with 13 to lead France.
SERBIA 69, JAPAN 64
Jovana Nogic scored 13 points to lead five players in double figures for Serbia in a win over Japan.
Yvonne Anderson and Kristina Topuzovic each added 12 points for Serbia (1-1), which used a 24-9 first quarter to take an early lead on the Tokyo Olympic silver medalists.
Japan (1-1) battled back to get within 58-52 on Stephanie Mawuli free throw early in the fourth quarter before Nogic hit a jumper and Ivana Raca two free throws to restore a double-digit lead with 6:45 left. Japan cut its deficit to 67-62 with 33 seconds left, but Mawuli committed an offensive foul.
Anderson converted two free throws eight seconds later that sealed the win.
AUSTRALIA 118, MALI 58
Ezi Magbegor scored 15 points to lead seven players in double figures for Australia in the rout of Mali.
The African nation jumped out to a 10-2 lead before coach Sandy Brondello inserted Lauren Jackson into the lineup. The Opals (1-1) then reeled off the next 17 points, including five by Jackson, to start a 33-2 run that blew open the game.
Australia fell one point short of tying their highest scoring output.
The game came on the 16th anniversary of the Opals lone gold medal when they beat Russia in the final of the 2006 championship in Brazil.
Djeneba N’Diaye scored 15 for Mali, which is still looking to win its first World Cup contest since 2010.
CHINA 98, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA 51
Han Xu scored 18 points and Li Meng added 17 to help China stay unbeaten with a rout of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
After a tight first quarter that saw China (2-0) only leading 26-21, the Asian nation took control using an 11-2 run to start the second. Han scored the final two points of the burst. By the time half rolled around, China was up 50-31.
The Chinese team outscored Bosnia and Herzegovina 48-20 in the second half.
Connecticut Sun star Jonquel Jones led Bosnia and Herzegovina with 17 points and nine rebounds. It’s her first time playing in the World Cup with the team. Jones said afterwards she had a long trip from Connecticut after the WNBA Finals to get to Australia. She flew from Connecticut to Atlanta to Los Angeles to Fiji to Sydney.
“I’m tired, it was a lot of travel once the championship was over,” she said.
UNITED STATES 106, PUERTO RICO 42
Shakira Austin scored 19 points, Kahleah Copper added 16 and the United States played suffocating defense to rout Puerto Rico.
Alyssa Thomas added 11 points and six steals for the Americans (2-0), who forced Puerto Rico into 21 turnovers.
The U.S. jumped out to a 27-11 lead after one quarter as Thomas had 10 points and five steals in the opening 10 minutes. The Americans contested nearly every shot Puerto Rico took and forced nine turnovers. The U.S. kept the pressure on in the second, holding Puerto Rico without a point for nearly the first five minutes of the period and led 54-21 at the half.
Mya Hollingshed led Puerto Rico (1-1) with 10 points.
BELGIUM 84, SOUTH KOREA 61
Hind Ben Abdelkader scored 17 points and Julie Vanloo added 14 to help Belgium to its first win of the tournament, beating South Korea.
Julie Allemand added 13 points and eight assists for the Belgian Cats (1-1), who lost to the U.S. in their opener.
Belgium led 9-8 early in the first quarter before closing the quarter with a 17-4 run. The Belgian Cats extended the advantage to 20 at the half and never looked back.
Leeseul Kang scored 11 points to lead South Korea (0-2).
___
More AP women’s basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.krqe.com/sports/ap-serbia-beats-olympic-silver-medalist-japan-in-world-cup/ | 2022-09-24T02:28:54 | en | 0.94525 |
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spanish soccer is in turmoil after 15 players on the women’s national team pulled out of the squad saying their coach has “significantly” affected their “emotional state” and their health.
Late Thursday, the federation announced that the 15 players had sent identical letters by email, citing coach Jorge Vilda as the reason for the problems.
On Friday, the email sent by the players was published by local media. The federation confirmed to The Associated Press that the email was genuine and the names of the 15 players, which did not include Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas.
The email did not explicitly demand for Vilda to be fired. It said “the general situation on the Spanish national team generated by recent events, events which (the federation) is aware of, is greatly affecting my emotional state and therefore my health.”
“Due to this, I presently do not consider myself to be a available for our national team and therefore ask to not be called up until this situation changes.”
The email adds the player’s “full commitment to the team in the past, present and future.”
The list of players includes the team’s third captain, Patri Guijarro, goalkeeper Sandra Paños and attacking midfielder Aitana Bonmatí.
Earlier this month, Guijarro appeared at a news conference alongside the team’s first captain, Irene Paredes, and striker Jennifer Hermoso to explain their troubles with Vilda. Neither Paredes nor Hermoso are among the 15 who have asked to leave the team.
At that news conference, Paredes said the players had never asked for Vilda to be fired, but she said they were not happy with the results of the team that made it to the quarterfinals of the European Championship in July before losing to eventual champion England 2-1.
“It is a complicated moment,” Paredes said. “We are an ambitious team and we want to get better and win. We believe that various internal aspects (of the team) must improve.”
Guijarro then said “there is a generalized discontentment among the team for what we went through at the end of the Eurocup. We thought that we had a group that could win titles. We think that and feel that way. After the Eurocup, the group sent that message to our coach.”
Vilda also spoke about the fracture among the team during the European Championship, which was played in England.
“The atmosphere on the team has always been good,” Vilda said. “In the first 15 days of the Europcup (camp) the atmosphere was positive. Then the games started and something changed. We were in a soccer paradise, and I hope that we can get back there in the future. We have a team of good players, and we are just one step away from being a great team.”
At that news conference, none of the players mentioned their emotional health. That has led to speculation in Spanish media that there may be something more behind the decision than just disappointing results.
Ana Álvarez, the head of women’s soccer at the Spanish soccer federation, defended the professionalism of Vilda.
While saying she does not question the emotional distress of the players, Álvarez said there had been no reports of verbal or sexist abuse similar to the ones that have been leveled by former players against Vilda’s predecessor, Ignacio Quereda, who Vilda replaced in 2015.
Quereda resigned after his players publicly demanded the federation get rid of him because of what they called his poor preparation for the 2015 World Cup. Former players later accused him of using sexist and homophobic language to abuse them psychologically during his nearly three decades in charge.
“Nothing like that has ever occurred (under Vilda),” Álvarez told Cadena SER radio late Thursday. “All of us are professionals and there has never been anything to taint that. Nothing of what you could be thinking has happened. That would be very serious.”
The Spanish soccer federation has said that the players will not be allowed to return until they “ask for forgiveness.”
Spain is scheduled to host friendlies against Sweden on Oct. 7 and the United States on Oct. 11. Vilda is expected to announced his squad for those games next week.
Álvarez said the federation will call up younger and less experienced players to complete its squad if needed.
“The federation comes first,” she said.
___
More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.krqe.com/sports/ap-spanish-womens-soccer-in-turmoil-after-player-revolt/ | 2022-09-24T02:29:02 | en | 0.98536 |
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Max Homa never felt more energized over a big putt on a Friday, perhaps because he never had so many people who shared in the celebration.
This is why making the Presidents Cup was the top of his wish list this year, and his latest afternoon heroics at Quail Hollow exceeded expectations.
The final fourballs match was all square with two holes to play, the green surrounded by American players and caddies, captains and their red carts. Homa stepped toward the hole and slammed his fist when he made a 12-foot birdie putt for a 1-up lead.
And then it got even better. Taylor Pendrith was clutch with a 15-foot birdie putt as the Internationals tried to scratch out a third tie. Homa stepped up and delivered again with another 12-foot birdie putt for the win.
The matches felt closer. The outcome was not. Homa’s big putts at the end allowed the Americans to win another session by a 4-1 margin, stretching the lead to 8-2.
“It was pretty surreal,” said Homa, who improved to 2-0 in his debut. “The atmosphere out there is insane. There’s so many people you can feel them on the back of your neck.”
Quail Hollow was packed with 40,000 fans on a gorgeous autumn day, with former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush among those at the course.
In five matches that covered 87 holes, the players combined for 67 birdies and three eagles, and three matches went the distance.
All the International team could manage were two halves. What it faces now is a task even more monumental against a U.S. team that looks well on its way to a ninth straight win in this lopsided affair.
“We feel like we’ve played some pretty good golf, some solid golf tee-to-green, particularly the last couple of days,” International captain Trevor Immelman said. “But we have absolutely been out-putted. No doubt about it.”
He was with that final match as Homa and Billy Horschel dropped key putts down the stretch. And when Pendrith dropped his birdie on the last and it look like he and Corey Conners might escape with a half-point, Homa was just as clutch.
“I was nervous as could be over that putt, but it was fun,” Homa said. “I was telling my wife, when we talk about things money can’t buy, money cannot buy that feeling. And that was something that I will remember forever, and I will tell anybody who ever wants to hear about it how that felt.”
For the second straight time on home soil, the powerful American team goes into a double session on Saturday with a mathematical chance to win the cup.
There are four matches of foursomes and fourballs, and the Americans would have to win seven of them and halve the other to clinch the cup. That sounds unlikely, except for who they have and how they’re playing.
The International teams led in one match — Mito Pereira and Christiaan Bezuidenhout, for a total of five holes — that ended in a halve with Cameron Young and Kevin Kisner.
Over two days and 10 matches, International teams have had a lead for only 10 of the 170 holes that have been played.
The 12 Americans are among the top 25 in the world and most of the are playing like it. The International team was cobbled together at the last minute with more defections to Saudi-funded LIV Golf run by Greg Norman, a former Presidents Cup captain.
Norman sent out a tweet wishing the International team well, accompanied by a photo of the team from its lone win in 1998. “Outside of all this angst — golf is golf, competition is competition; something every golfer thrives on.”
One of replies was from Immelman: “LOL.”
“I pretty much say it exactly as I’m thinking it,” Immelman said. “What I said was exactly what I was doing when I read that tweet. I was laughing out loud.”
The strength of the American team came from a pair of dynamic partnerships. Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele were 5-up at the turn and easily held on for a 3-and-2 win over Hideki Matsuyama and Tom Kim.
Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas improved to 6-2 as a team in Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup matches, leading from the fourth hole in a 2-and-1 victory over the Australian pair of Adam Scott and Cameron Davis.
As usual, Spieth and Thomas were far from dull.
They were 2 up with five holes to play when Thomas hit 6-iron that came inches away from an ace on the par-3 14th over water to a back pin for birdie. And right when it looked as though the International side might get closer, Spieth was up to his tricks.
His approach on the 15th was headed for the stream when it hit the rocks and caromed over the green into the rough. He chipped 15 feet by, and then made the putt to halve the hole.
The Spieth-Thomas and Cantlay-Schauffele teams, formed as much by friendship as their games, are 2-0 this week and are tough to beat no matter whom the International team sends out against them.
The passion came from the Presidents Cup rookies.
Horschel hasn’t played for his country since the 2007 Walker Cup and said he felt like vomiting for three hours ahead of his match. For Homa, it was the second straight day he was in the final match, and both made it to the 18th green with a big audience outside and inside the ropes.
“It’s surreal to have 10 of the best golfers I’ve ever seen in my life watching you and you’ve got to help them,” Homa said. “It’s a heavy weight. But it’s also really fun.”
___
More AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.krqe.com/sports/ap-us-survives-close-matches-to-double-lead-in-presidents-cup/ | 2022-09-24T02:29:09 | en | 0.980623 |
VATICAN CITY (AP) — A plain white helmet like the pope’s skullcap.
The Holy See’s crossed keys seal stamped on his white and yellow jersey over his heart.
Dutch-born cyclist Rien Schuurhuis will carry an enormous sense of duty when he races for the Vatican in Sunday’s road race at the cycling world championships in Wollongong, Australia — marking a first in the city-state’s increasing use of sports as an instrument of dialogue, peace and solidarity.
“It’s an incredible honor,” Schuurhuis told The Associated Press in a phone interview from Australia on Friday. “I think the real emotion is still yet to come when I’m standing there at the start line.
“This is a great first step in the direction of what the pope believes in achieving through sports (with) inclusiveness and fraternity,” Schuurhuis added. “Everyone on the sports field — or on the roads in this case — is equal, no matter their backgrounds, religion or age.”
Vatican athletes have recently participated as non-scoring competitors in the Games of the Small States of Europe — open to nations with fewer than 1 million people — and the Mediterranean Games.
The cycling worlds mark the first time that a Vatican athlete will compete as a regular scoring competitor, after the International Cycling Union recognized the Holy See as its 200th member last year.
“As Pope Francis said when he met with a group of riders in 2019, the beautiful thing about cycling is that when you drop behind because you’ve fallen or because you punctured your tire, your teammates slow down and help you catch up with the main pack,” said Athletica Vaticana president Giampaolo Mattei, who oversees the team. “That’s something that should carry over to life in general.”
The 40-year-old Schuurhuis qualified for the team because he is married to Australia’s ambassador to the Vatican, Chiara Porro.
He holds Dutch and Australian passports but athletically now represents the Vatican.
“I was able to ride a bike before I could walk” Schuurhuis said about growing up in the cycling-crazy Netherlands.
Schuurhuis previously raced on the UCI’s Continental Circuit, one level below the elite World Tour.
“He’s a good cyclist. That’s a high level,” said Valerio Agnoli, Schuurhuis’ volunteer coach and a former teammate of Grand Tour winners Ivan Basso and Vincenzo Nibali.
Schuurhuis, whose day job is now running a company that supplies materials for 3D printers, trains on Rome’s traffic-clogged roads. He sometimes heads out to the Alban Hills, where the pope’s traditional summer residence is at Castel Gandolfo.
Besides a recent photo opp, Schuurhuis doesn’t really ride inside the Vatican.
“I think I did it once with my son,” he said. “But it’s not really allowed to go through St. Peter’s Square. So I think we were told off by the police.”
Schuurhuis doesn’t expect to come close to winning. His main goal is to spread the pope’s message.
Like when he participated in a church event with Indigenous Australians on Friday, or when Belgian standout Wout van Aert sought him out during training a day earlier.
“When people see that very special white and yellow jersey it makes them curious,” Agnoli said.
Agnoli noted how cycling takes place on open roads, passes by people’s homes and isn’t restricted to paying ticketholders inside a stadium or arena.
“That’s the great thing about cycling,” Agnoli said. “I was chosen by the Vatican for this job because my role as a cyclist was that of a team helper. I helped teammates win the Giro d’Italia and the Spanish Vuelta.”
In another example of the values held within cycling, Mattei pointed to how Gino Bartali, the 1938 Tour de France winner who smuggled forged documents inside his bicycle frame to help rescue Jews during Germany’s occupation of Italy in World War II, is currently being considered for beatification by the Vatican, the first step to possible sainthood.
Vatican officials would like to one day field a team in the Olympics.
“To go to the Olympics would require creating an Olympic committee and being recognized by the International Olympic Committee,” Mattei said. “That takes time.”
Competing in a world championships, however, is a big step toward Olympic participation.
So will the pope be watching Schuurhuis on TV?
“The time difference presents a problem,” Mattei said, noting that the race in Australia starts at 2:15 a.m. Vatican time and that Pope Francis is traveling to the southern Italian city of Matera on Sunday. “But maybe he’ll watch a replay.”
___
More AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
___
Andrew Dampf is at https://twitter.com/AndrewDampf | https://www.krqe.com/sports/ap-vatican-cyclist-spreading-the-popes-message-at-worlds/ | 2022-09-24T02:29:15 | en | 0.953957 |
JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP)The LPGA and financial giant Mizuho Americas have announced a new tournament will be played in New Jersey next year at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City.
The 72-hole tournament will be called the Mizuho Americas Open and take place May 29- June 4. The event will have a purse of $2.75 million.
Michelle Wie West will serve as the tournament host at an event that will include 24 juniors competing in their own tournament at the same time.
The Mizuho Americas Open will be the first time Liberty National welcomes the LPGA Tour, after hosting several world-class events, including the Presidents Cup and multiple PGA Tour playoff stops.
The addition of the tournament means New Jersey will be the site of four events associated with the LPGA. The others are Cognizant Founders Cup at Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton from May 10-14 and the ShopRite LPGA Classic in Galloway Township from June 10-12. The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship will be played this year at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield from June 21-25.
Wie West, who has stopped playing a full schedule, gives the LPGA two players who host tournaments next year. Annika Sorenstam will be host of an event in Florida.
”When I announced that I was stepping away from competitive golf earlier this season, my goal was to continue to live by the LPGA mantra to `Act Like a Founder,’ and to leave the game in a better place than I found it,” Wie West said. ”I am so proud to host this groundbreaking event and partner with a company that sees the value in supporting women’s golf.”
The Mizuho Americas Open will have a 120-player field. The American Junior Golf Association will have an AJGA Invitational for 24 players. It’s the first time the AJGA and the LPGA will play an event concurrently.
The multi-year agreement with the LPGA, New York-headquartered Mizuho Americas and Liberty National is the global bank’s first entry into sports sponsorship in the United States.
”The Mizuho Americas Open is a purpose-driven partnership that aligns our shared values of opportunity, equity, and advancing the next generation of talent,” said Shuji Matsuura, Chairman & CEO, Mizuho Americas.
—
More AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports | https://www.krqe.com/sports/golf-lpga/lpga-adds-event-at-liberty-national-in-new-jersey-in-2023/ | 2022-09-24T02:29:23 | en | 0.947131 |
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