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Best gift for kids who love Draculaura from Monster High
Since their debut from Mattel in 2010, the scary cool students of Monster High have been gracing our screens with their gothic fashion sense and thrilling adventures. From the bustling howlways to the spooky catacombs, Ghoulfriends and Mansters alike have enthralled fans even more with the introduction of an exclusive doll line inspired by the most popular characters from the series, like teen vampire Draculaura.
With her retro hairstyles, vibrant costumes and fashion accessories, Draculaura has become a staple of the series thanks to her kind heart and sense of humor and has further inspired other themed merchandise like games, dolls, play sets, books and more.
Things to consider before buying a Draculaura gift
Play sets
Ghouls at home can embrace their own inner monster with their beast friends from the series with play sets modeled after different scenes from the show and spinoffs. Usually highly detailed, each one includes one to two mini monster figures based on one of the main characters, interchangeable outfits, set decorations and themed accessories. If you collect other available Monster High dolls and play sets, you can build out bigger sets and add more doll accessories.
Dolls
Fans won’t be able to contain their excitement once they get their claws on the brand’s wide selection of Monster High dolls, similar to Mattel’s Barbie collection. You can choose from themes such as a day at the beach, sweet 16, ski trip, prom night and many more. Some sets have other accessories sold separately that expand the original set.
Other figures made in partnership with Mattel from brands like Funko are usually dressed in their signature outfit from the original series, albeit with a few creative liberties taken with the character design. The majority of dolls are not able to stand on their own and require a doll stand if you plan on putting them on display; however, most can be posed in various positions.
Costumes
Whether your kid enjoys dressing up for Halloween or cosplaying, the various Monster High costumes are sure to bring out their inner monster. Most costumes are made from a combination of polyester and spandex and feature sizes from small to large in both children and adult sizes. Due to the quality of the material used, hand washing each costume in cold water and air drying is best. Outside of clothing pieces, you can also explore the brand’s character-based wig and accessory collections.
Activity books
Coloring books are great to give fans who love coloring and can’t contain their excitement for arts and crafts. Many editions contain over 30 illustrations of high-quality pictures that feature several characters from the series. Pages are printed on separate, bleed-proof 8.5 by 11-inch sheets, with some book versions containing illustrations at a variety of difficulty levels ranging from easy to advanced.
Games
Fans can choose from either app-based games or video games inspired by the series. Some allow players to play as the newest ghoul at Monster High as they interact with Twyla and Frankie, while others let players dress up in fashionable outfits inspired by fan favorites from the show. Similar to other mystery board games, players can control a real-life figure as they move through a digital clue board that can be solved by the revelation of clues, hidden objects and puzzles.
Accessories
Character-themed cosmetic beauty sets can contain a combination of stick-on body jewels, press-on nails, nail polishes, mascara, fake eyelashes, lip gloss and eyeshadow palettes, body shimmer and other accessories. They’re great to give beauty enthusiasts who are also lovers of the show. If your gift recipient isn’t into makeup, a good alternative would be a ghoulish vinyl carrying case that can hold their favorite Monster High dolls or sock collection and pajama set that features the most popular Ghoulfriends from the series.
Collections
There are boxed book sets and DVD collections available that feature Draculaura, Frankie, Clawdeen, Cleo, Ghoulia and Lagoona in all kinds of misadventures, including participating in the Roller Maze championship and other extra-scare-icular activities, going on dates with crush-worthy guys and attending creepy cool school dances. Some book collections follow a singular storyline from each one rather than featuring stories in an episodic format.
Top gifts for kids who love Draculaura
Best costume gift
Rubie’s Monster High Draculaura Costume
Your child can now dress up as Monster High’s favorite vegan vampire, Draculaura. Made from polyester, this costume set comes with Draculaura’s signature shirt and bright pink vest. Sizes include children’s small (size 4-6), medium (size 8-10) and large (size 12). Hand wash in cold water and let each piece air dry to prevent shrinkage.
Sold by Amazon
Best wig gift
Whether your kid is dressing up for a costume party or just for fun, a Draculaura costume isn’t complete without the inclusion of the vampire’s pink highlighted pigtails. Made out of polyester fibers, this wig can be styled and brushed so that it blends with the wearer’s actual hair and it holds up well, even with long-term use.
Sold by Amazon
Best Funko doll gift
Funko Monster High Draculaura Rock Candy Figure
This super-cute stylized collectible figure from the popular doll brand Funko is designed with the brand’s Rock Candy features. The figure sports a creative take on Draculaura’s signature outfit, standing at 5.5 inches tall and coming in its very own window display box.
Sold by Amazon
Best building set gift
Mega Bloks Draculaura’s Vamptastic Room Building Set
This play set features a buildable bedroom that comes with other accessory items such as a makeup chair, lipstick, shelves and a coffin that opens up, as well as an extremely detailed and posable Draculaura mini figure. Once you spin the coffin, it turns around to reveal Count Fabulous, Draculaura’s pet bat.
Sold by Amazon
Best doll play set gift
Monster High Monster Family Vampire Kitchen Play Set
Featuring both the infamous Dracula and his adopted daughter Draculaura, this play set includes a variety of kitchen accessories like a mixer, pots, pans, a menu and different food items. A complete stovetop set comes with an oven, a sink and refrigerator as well as two chairs for the dolls to sit in. Most items have working features that add to the imagination of playtime.
Sold by Amazon
Best festive gift
Hallmark Monster High Draculaura Ornament
This extremely detailed Christmas ornament debuted in 2016 and has since become quite a collector’s item due to its rarity and use of unparalleled artistry. Featuring Draculaura in her flared sweetheart dress from her Sweet 1600 episode, this ornament measures 5 by 3.1 by 2.6 inches and weighs just 1.6 ounces.
Sold by Amazon
Best novelty gift
Monster High Vinyl Chase Draculaura Figure
Draculaura is now available in new fangtastic vinyl form that features her typical gothic fashion sense and other amazing unique character details. The doll can be posed into different dynamic positions that help capture Draculaura’s unique personality. Measuring 4.5 by 3 by 5 inches and weighing just 4.6 ounces, this doll is easy to carry around or place on shelves without weighing them down.
Sold by Amazon
Best doll gift
Monster High Party Hair Draculaura Doll
Enjoy some hair-raising fun with this Draculaura doll set that comes with different colored highlight streaks and over 30 hair accessories, including iconic accessories from the series such as flowers, bats, cobwebs and wings. Fans can easily clip in different vibrant hair extensions that can then be braided, twisted or combed into unique hair styles, whether it’s a wickedly tall beehive or gore-geous ponytail.
Sold by Amazon
Best app-based gift
Monster High Apptivity Finders Creepers Draculaura Figure
Draculaura can be brought to life in a brand-new digital world with this active touch figurine that can be moved throughout a virtual playboard on any tablet. The Monster High Apptivity Finders Creepers app needs to be downloaded from the app store first before users can unravel clues, collect hidden objects and solve puzzles with the entire Ghoulfriend gang.
Sold by Amazon
Best collector item gift
Monster High 13 Wishes Haunt The Casbah Draculaura Doll
Based on the character designs from the frightfully fun movie “Monster High: 13 Wishes,” this Draculaura doll looks hauntingly beautiful in a genie-inspired outfit adorned with golden accessories. She comes packaged with a mini hair brush, doll stand and lantern accessory. The doll itself is fully articulated and can be posed in many different ways while playing or when on display.
Sold by Amazon
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Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.news10.com/reviews/br/toys-games-br/dolls-dollhouses-br/10-gifts-for-kids-who-love-draculaura-from-monster-high/ | 2022-10-27T11:54:48 | en | 0.924249 |
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Why kids love Among Us
Has your child been saying the word “sus” in public and constantly talking about plots and betrayal? Among Us is a free-to-play game available on all platforms that casts players as crew aboard a failing spaceship where an alien is posing as one of the crewmates. The goal of the game is for the crew to either finish repairs without being killed or to correctly vote which member is the impostor.
Since the game went viral last year, kids from elementary school to high school have been seeking out Among Us merchandise. You can help your child rescue the ship from the aliens and impress their friends with this red Among Us plushie.
What to know before buying Among Us products for kids
Among Us is a social game where players have to talk with other people. To ensure your child gets the most out of playing, make sure they have the console or PC they need to connect and play games with their friends. A headset with a microphone is also useful so they can easily debate with the others to discover the traitor.
What you need to know about Among Us
In-game content
Among Us is a free-to-play game, but the developers make money through the availability of in-game purchases. These are all cosmetic in nature, allowing players to change their appearance and equip different pets to best express themselves. Allowing your kids occasional in-game purchases could diminish their temptation to buy in-game content under your nose.
Online community
Among Us is a game built around communication and deception. Sometimes tensions run high, and players throw around accusations left and right. You need to pay attention to your child when they play and listen to the things they’re saying and hearing. The more conscientious you are of your child’s in-game interactions, the better you’ll be able to monitor them and keep them from picking up toxic traits.
What’s the best Among Us products for kids to buy?
Most affordable
Among Us 100-Piece Sticker Set
What you need to know: This is a diverse 100-pack sticker collection.
What you’ll love: All of these stickers are different and feature fun references that your kids will love. The stickers are vinyl, so they’re durable and waterproof. They’re perfect for laptops and water bottles.
What you should consider: Set ground rules before giving them to young children. These stickers are good quality, so they hold their stickiness well.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Best value
What you need to know: A super soft plushie, this red crew member has inspired memes all over the internet.
What you’ll love: This high-quality plushie is made of 100% cotton, on top of being a meme your kid can laugh about with their friends. It’s cute and huggable.
What you should consider: It arrives vacuum sealed but fluffs up once removed from the packaging.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Most popular
Set of 12 Customizable Among Us Figurines
What you need to know: This set of 12 figurines perfect for kids that like to play pretend.
What you’ll love: This set is made of nontoxic and eco-friendly PVC material. Each of these figurines can split apart to mimic the animation that occurs when a player is killed. They also have interchangeable parts so that you can personalize them.
What you should consider: There are some small parts that could be easily misplaced.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Best for school
What you need to know: This leakproof lunchbox is sure to start conversations in the cafeteria.
What you’ll love: Besides having an Among Us design that may help your child make friends with kids who have similar interests, this lunch bag has a freezable gel liner that keeps food cold up to three times longer than any other lunch box on the market.
What you should consider: Some customers noted it’s on the smaller side for a lunch bag.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Most comfortable
What you need to know: This T-shirt and short set is perfect for the summer.
What you’ll love: The design of these clothes look just like stills from the game, which will delight your child. The set features crew from the game on the front with the tagline “there is one impostor among us.”
What you should consider: The shirt runs big, so it’s best to size down.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Best stocking stuffer
What you need to know: This set of 28 skin-safe tattoos perfect for stockings or goodie bags.
What you’ll love: This set includes two tattoos of each design, all crew members and images from the game. The tattoos are waterproof and last about a week.
What you should consider: Although these are temporary, they are difficult to scrub off.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Best for safety
What you need to know: A pack of five reusable masks will help keep your child safe and happy.
What you’ll love: There are five different Among Us designs included in this set, all printed on lightweight, breathable, durable masks. The masks are adjustable and machine washable.
What you should consider: It has two layers of fabric, so it may keep the face warm.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Which “Howl’s Moving Castle” product is best?
“Howl’s Moving Castle” was originally released in 1986 as a fantasy novel for children, but the 2004 Studio Ghibli film adaptation brought the story to broader audiences. If the “Howl’s Moving Castle” fan in your life has an upcoming birthday or celebration, you can’t go wrong with a gift related to the movie or book. Luckily, you’ll find plenty of options available, from shirts and jewelry to toys and games, so there’s something for everyone.
Which characters from “Howl’s Moving Castle” are most popular?
If you’ve never watched “Howl’s Moving Castle” yourself, you might be wondering which characters are the most popular. Howl and Sophie are the two main characters, so anything featuring these characters is a great choice. The fire demon Calcifer is also a fan-favorite.
Best “Howl’s Moving Castle” products
Howl’s Moving Castle Blueprint T-Shirt
Looking for “Howl’s Moving Castle” merch? This T-shirt features a stylized blueprint of the moving castle from which the book and movie take their names. It’s a great design that’s a subtle nod to the film and will appeal to a wide range of fans. The shirt is made from 100% cotton and feels soft to the touch. It comes in unisex sizing, with options from small to 3XL.
Sold by Amazon
NovelTeaTins Calcifer’s Hearty Tea Blend
If you’re purchasing a gift for someone who loves tea just as much as they love “Howl’s Moving Castle,” this is a terrific choice. This tea is inspired by Calcifer and comes in a sturdy metal tin with fun artwork. The blend is a mixture of aged high-caffeine black tea and raspberry pieces and is a high-quality, great tasting tea.
Sold by Etsy
Ensky Howl’s Moving Castle Finished Washing Jigsaw Puzzle
A 1,000-piece jigsaw features the moving castle on laundry day, with all the finished washing hung out on the line to dry. Not only does this jigsaw depict a beautiful scene, it’s challenging enough to keep true puzzle fans interested.
Sold by Amazon
Quqco Calcifer Howl’s Moving Castle Enamel Pin
This adorable enamel pin features Calcifer cooking a skillet full of eggs and bacon. It makes a perfect small gift as a token of appreciation or a stocking stuffer. It’s high quality and made from durable materials.
Sold by Etsy
Youtang Howl’s Moving Castle Engraved Wood Musical Box
This exquisite music box has a painting from “Howl’s Moving Castle.” It is not battery-operated and comes with a handle that needs to be rotated. The outer box is made of engraved wood.
Sold by Amazon
Howl’s Moving Castle Cosplay Howl Costume Earrings and Necklace
These replicas of Howl’s necklace and earrings from the film make a great gift for anyone intending to dress up as Howl, though they’re also suitable for everyday wear. The set contains a necklace and a pair of earrings.
Sold by Amazon
This gorgeous poster illustrates Sophie and Howl standing in a meadow with the moving castle in the background. Printed on museum grade archival paper using archival inks, you won’t need to worry about it fading any time soon. It comes in a range of sizes from a compact 5 by 8 inches to an impressive 24 by 36 inches.
Sold by Etsy
KnickKnackNatalie Custom Sophie Funko
Fans of “Howl’s Moving Castle” and Funko toys will love this customized Funko figure that’s adapted to look like Sophie. It features Sophie in the iconic dress she wears in the film, holding a tiny Calcifer in her hand. It comes with a custom-made box and is a great addition to a Funko collection.
Sold by Etsy
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Gifts for Death Note fans
Death Note is a beloved manga and anime series considered a must-watch for any anime fan. The series addresses complex themes, such as control, morality and the power of intellect. It’s had a massive influence on other anime and manga. It offers an exploration of moral philosophy, combined with plenty of action and adventure.
The Death Note fan in your life will be delighted to receive some great Death Note merch, collectibles and decor. Due to its acclaim and cult following, there’s no shortage of Death Note products to choose from when shopping for a fan—including yourself!
The best Death Note products for fans
Death Note: The Complete Series Blu-Ray
If you have a Death Note fan in your life who doesn’t yet own the complete anime series, you can be sure they’ll be thrilled to receive it as a gift. Created by the studio Madhouse and directed by Tetsuro Araki, this classic, must-watch 37 episode series stands as one of the most popular anime of all time. In addition to episodes, this Blu-Ray version includes extra content like behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with the anime’s creators.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Death Note Complete Box Set: Volumes 1-13 Premium Manga
If the Death Note fan in your life is more of a manga person, this complete box set is the ideal gift. Death Note is written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. This box set also features interviews with Death Note’s creators.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
The Shinigami (or “God of Death”) Ryuk is a main character in Death Note, responsible for dropping the eponymous Death Note that Light would use in his mission to rid the world of evil. This tee is a stylish and versatile tribute to the oddly lovable Shiniagmi. The Death Note fan in your life is sure to enjoy wearing this fun shirt.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Ripple Junction Death Note How to Use It Adult T-Shirt
Another iconic symbol from the Death Note series is the Death Note itself. The “How to Use It” text flashes across the scene in early episodes of the anime, and the stringent rules for harnessing its power are a major plot device throughout the series. This comfortable tee is lightweight, with a soft feel and durable graphic decal.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Funko Pop! Death Note Ryuk Action Figure
The Shinigami Ryuk looks most adorable in chibi figurine form. Ryuk’s interesting appearance is immortalized in this vaulted and rare figurine. If you’re buying a gift for a serious anime fan, it’s likely they’re already working on a collection of these collectible anime figures and will be glad to add to it.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Funko Pop! Death Note L Action Figure
L is a fan-favorite genius character in Death Note with a love of sweets and a uniform of bare feet, a long sleeve tee, and jeans. Fans love L’s idiosyncratic ways and his disheveled appearance. The Death Note fan in your life is sure to be thrilled when they receive this adorable and rare Funko Pop! figure.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
This replica of the strange black notebook that started it all is sure to be a hit with Death Note fans. It includes a neat feather pen and adorable charm necklace.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
LookHUMAN I Take a Potato Chip And Eat It White 15 Ounce Ceramic Coffee Mug
This mug illustrates a Death Note scene so humorous and iconic it’s become its own meme. Think eating a potato chip can’t possibly be that dramatic? The creators of Death Note have proven otherwise, and among the many legendary scenes in Death Note, the potato chip scene remains one of the most brilliant. You can be sure the Death Note lover in your life will laugh out loud at this stellar find.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Know a Death Note fan who loves to cosplay? Dressing up as Misa Amane is a surefire way to stun at an anime convention. Paired with a wig, stockings, gloves and clunky boots, this dress will instantly transform you into Death Note’s famous model and love interest.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Poster Stop Death Note Manga/Anime Light vs. L Poster
This poster is great for the Death Note fan whose decor is all about their fandoms. This poster immortalizes the long, thrilling chess-like battle of intellects between Light and L under the amused eye of Ryuk. This high-quality print with a glossy finish looks great framed or simply tacked to the wall.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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What started last summer with the enthusiastic unveiling of a plan for a 12-team College Football Playoff has come to a halt with the winter news that expansion will not happen until at least 2026.
The CFP is set to remain a four-team format through the 2025 season after the administrators who manage the postseason failed to agree on a plan to expand before the current contracts run out.
“I’m disappointed we couldn't get something in place,” American Athletic Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco told The Associated Press on Friday. “Time was running out. The disappointment also stems from the fact that I think we will eventually get there and I think 12-team is still the most likely scenario.”
The CFP management committee, comprised of 10 conference commissioners and Notre Dame’s athletic director, met by video conference earlier this week.
Aresco, who released a letter Monday detailing the obstacles to expansion, said the purpose of the call was to determine if anyone's position had changed.
“Positions hadn’t changed. So at that point, I guess the implications were clear,” he said.
Unable to break an impasse, the commissioners decided to abandon efforts to implement a 12-team format for the 2024 season and recommended staying with the current model to the presidents who oversee the playoff.
The Board of Managers accepted the recommendation Thursday and directed the commissioners to continue discussions on a new format to go into effect for the 2026 season.
“Even though the outcome did not lead to a recommendation for an early expansion before the end of the current 12-year contract, the discussions have been helpful and informative," CFP Executive Director Bill Hancock said in statement Friday. “I am sure they will serve as a useful guide for the Board of Managers and for the Management Committee as we determine what the playoff will look like beginning in the 2026-2027 season.”
The decision to shelve early expansion comes as no surprise. The commissioners left their last in-person meetings in early January gridlocked and unable to produce the unanimous consensus needed to move forward with a 12-team proposal they had been haggling over since June.
The presidents did not fully close the door on early expansion after that meeting, but hope for an agreement was clearly fading.
A few days after the meetings in Indianapolis, Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner Jim Phillips took the strongest public stance yet against early expansion, saying a new CFP format should not be a priority with so much uncertainty throughout college sports.
On Friday, the commissioners finally signaled they have given up on on trying to implement expansion for the final two years of the CFP’s 12-year deal with ESPN — a failure that will cost the conferences an estimated $450 million in additional revenue.
Now they will focus their attention on building a new model for beyond the 2026 season when there are no agreements in place.
The road to expansion appeared to be much smoother eight months ago, when the CFP publicly unveiled the 12-team plan. Even with details still be worked out, there was hope agreement could be reached by the fall and a new format could be in place by the 2024 season.
About a month later, it was revealed the Southeastern Conference was in talks with Texas and Oklahoma to leave the Big 12 and join the powerhouse league that has produced 12 of the last 17 national champions.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey had been part of the four-person subcommittee that worked on the 12-team proposal for more than two years. The plan called for the field to be comprised of the six highest ranked conference champions in FBS and six at-large teams determined by selection committee rankings.
Relatively new commissioners in the Big Ten, Pac-12 and ACC, already leery of a process that started before they were involved with the CFP, became even more disillusioned after the SEC’s expansion plan became public.
Since then the process has stalled, despite more than half a dozen in-person meetings with the commissioners. All agree the playoff should expand, but they disagree on how and when.
Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren has said he favors automatic bids for the champions of the Power Five leagues, instead of the six best champs regardless of conference. The commissioners of the non-Power Five conferences, the so-called Group of Five, are against that — with Aresco the most vocal opponent.
Phillips continued to push for a smaller expansion to eight, if any at all.
Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff said his conference, which has only placed a team in two of eight playoffs, supports any number of formats involving eight or 12 teams. But he was asking for the Rose Bowl to retain its traditional New Year’s Day time slot in a new format and the most of the others were not on board.
Meanwhile, the majority of the group remained steadfast in support of the initial 12-team proposal crafted by Sankey, Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby, Mountain West Commissioner Craig Thompson and Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick.
Sankey has said the SEC already made a concession by agreeing to expand from a playoff format in which the conference has never failed to place at least one team. But he acknowledged that allowing more teams to participate could boost interest in the sport nationally.
Sankey made clear: The choices for the remainder of the current agreement were 12 teams or four.
Despite the potential benefits to expanding early, four it is.
___
Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at http://www.appodcasts.com
___
More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25. Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25 | https://www.lakecountystar.com/sports/article/CFP-to-remain-4-teams-through-25-after-expansion-16929826.php | 2022-02-18T17:38:06 | en | 0.971334 |
The College Football Playoff is set to remain a four-team format through the 2025 season after the administrators who manage the postseason failed to agree on a plan to expand before the current contracts run out.
The CFP management committee, comprised of 10 conference commissioners and Notre Dame’s athletic director, met by video conference earlier this week, Executive Director Bill Hancock said Friday in a statement.
Unable to break an impasse, the commissioners decided to abandon efforts to implement a new 12-team format for the 2024 season and recommended staying with the current model to the presidents who oversee the playoff.
The Board of Managers accepted the recommendation and directed the commissioners to continue discussions on a new format to go into effect for the 2026 season.
“Even though the outcome did not lead to a recommendation for an early expansion before the end of the current 12-year contract, the discussions have been helpful and informative," Hancock said. “I am sure they will serve as a useful guide for the Board of Managers and for the Management Committee as we determine what the playoff will look like beginning in the 2026-2027 season.”
The decision to shelve early expansion comes as no surprise. The commissioners left their last in-person meetings in early January gridlocked and unable to produce the unanimous consensus needed to move forward with a 12-team proposal they had been haggling over since June.
The presidents did not fully close the door on early expansion after that meeting, but hope for an agreement was clearly fading.
A few days after the meetings in Indianapolis, Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner Jim Phillips took the strongest public stance yet against early expansion, saying a new CFP format should not be a priority with so much uncertainty throughout college sports.
On Friday, the commissioners finally signaled they have given up on on trying to implement expansion for the final two years of the CFP’s 12-year deal with ESPN — a failure that will cost the conferences an estimated $450 million in additional revenue.
Now they will focus their attention on building a new model for beyond the 2026 season when there are no agreements in place.
The road to expansion appeared to be much smoother eight months ago, when CFP unveiled the 12-team plan. Even with details still be worked out, there was optimism that a new format could be implemented by the 2024 season.
About a month later, it was revealed the Southeastern Conference was in talks with Texas and Oklahoma to leave the Big 12 and join the powerhouse league that has produced 12 of the last 17 national champions.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey had been part of the four-person subcommittee that worked on the 12-team proposal for more than two years. The plan called for the field to be comprised of the six highest ranked conference champions in FBS and six at-large teams determined by selection committee rankings.
Relatively new commissioners in the Big Ten, Pac-12 and ACC, already leery of a process that started before they were involved with the CFP, became even more disillusioned after the SEC’s expansion plan became public.
Since then the process has stalled, despite more than half a dozen in-person meetings with the commissioners. All agree the playoff should expand, but they disagree on how and when.
Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren has said he favors automatic bids for the champions of the Power Five leagues, instead of the six best champs regardless of conference. The commissioners of the non-Power Five conferences, the so-called Group of Five, are against that — with American Athletic Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco the most vocal opponent.
Phillips continued to push for a smaller expansion to eight, if any at all.
Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff said his conference, which has only placed a team in two of eight playoffs, supports any number of expansion formats involving eight or 12 teams. But he was asking for the Rose Bowl to retain its traditional New Year’s Day time slot in a new format and the most of the others were not on board.
Meanwhile, most of the others remained steadfast in their support of the initial 12-team proposal crafted by Sankey, Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby, Mountain West Commissioner Craig Thompson and Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick.
Sankey has said the SEC already made a concession by agreeing to expand from a playoff format in which the conference has never failed to place at least one team. But he said allowing greater participation would help boost the sport nationally.
Sankey made clear: The choices for the remainder of the current agreement were 12 teams or four.
Despite the potential benefits to expanding early, four it is.
___
Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at http://www.appodcasts.com
___
More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25. Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25 | https://www.expressnews.com/sports/article/CFP-to-remain-4-teams-through-25-after-expansion-16929826.php | 2022-02-18T17:38:13 | en | 0.968011 |
As the United States warns the world of the serious possibility, and consequences, of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, its own past botched invasion of Iraq continues to hang around its neck.
On at least two occasions, President Joe Biden’s administration officials have had to answer questions about why anyone should trust what the United States is saying about Russia when its intelligence to justify war in Iraq was fabricated.
And on Thursday, a top official had to address the elephant head on, in front of the international community.
On Feb. 3, State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters that the United States had information that Russia was “planning to stage fabricated attacks by Ukrainian military or intelligence forces as a pretext for a further invasion of Ukraine.”
A reporter sounded a skeptical note, pressing Price on the evidence to back up his comments, saying, “I remember [weapons of mass destruction] in Iraq. … So where is the declassified information other than you coming out here and saying it?”
A week later, a reporter similarly asked national security adviser Jake Sullivan whether the administration should show more underlying evidence to prove Russia’s escalation, considering that “this is a country that went through Iraq.”
“In the situation in Iraq, intelligence was used and deployed from this very podium to start a war. We are trying to stop a war, to prevent a war, to avert a war,” Sullivan replied. “And all we can do is come here before you in good faith and share everything that we know to the best of our ability, while protecting sources and methods so we continue to get the access to intelligence we need.”
Sullivan further said that in 2003, the intelligence was about whether Saddam Hussein secretly had weapons of mass destruction, a “hidden thing, stuff that couldn’t be seen.”
“Today, we are talking about more than 100,000 Russian troops amassed along the Ukrainian border, with every capacity out there in the open for people to see. It’s all over social media. It’s all over your news sites,” he added.
There isn’t really much comparison between the U.S. involvement in Iraq and Ukraine, as national security experts acknowledge. But the fact that it keeps coming up nevertheless shows how much the 2003 invasion lingers, and how much it battered U.S. credibility.
“There’s no doubt that Iraq did unfathomable damage to America’s reputation and trustworthiness,” said Max Bergmann, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress who focuses on Russia.
The comparison is present enough that on Thursday, in his remarks to the United Nations Security Council, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken addressed it. It was the same place where Colin Powell, then President George W. Bush’s secretary of state, laid out his inaccurate presentation making the case for war with Iraq almost exactly 19 years ago.
“Now, I am mindful that some have called into question our information, recalling previous instances where intelligence ultimately did not bear out,” Blinken said. “But let me be clear: I am here today, not to start a war, but to prevent one. The information I’ve presented here is validated by what we’ve seen unfolding in plain sight before our eyes for months.”
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, told HuffPost that Iraq and Ukraine are “apples and oranges.”
“We’ve had more than one view, having met with people from the Baltic [countries] to Great Britain,” she said Thursday. “It’s not like it’s just us who has this intelligence.”
Biden has said he does not plan to send U.S. troops to Ukraine, although he has approved training Ukrainian troops and transferring weapons to the country. And he has warned the American public that they may feel some economic pain at home, including higher gas prices.
On Thursday morning, Biden gave some of his strongest comments on the likelihood of a Russian invasion into Ukraine, saying he believed it could come “within the next several days.”
“Comparisons to the present between this crisis and Iraq need to get things straight,” Bergmann said. “This time it is the United States, which is desperate to avoid a catastrophic conflict, while it is Russia that is threatening to conduct a disastrous war of choice to invade Ukraine.” | https://www.huffpost.com/entry/iraq-biden-ukraine-russia_n_620fbb8be4b0f2c343f3b515 | 2022-02-18T17:40:36 | en | 0.970748 |
Police began arresting protesters Friday in a bid to break the three-week, traffic-snarling siege of Canada‘s capital by hundreds of truckers angry over the country’s COVID-19 restrictions.
Officers were seen going door to door along a line of trucks, campers and other vehicles parked on Ottawa’s snow-covered streets.
Some protesters surrendered and were taken into custody, police said. Some were led away in handcuffs. One person being taken away carried a sign that read “Mandate Freedom.” Many of the truckers remained defiant.
“Freedom was never free,” said trucker Kevin Homaund, of Montreal. “So what if they put the handcuffs on us and they put us in jail?” Police made their first move to end the occupation late Thursday with the arrest of two key protest leaders.
They also sealed off much of the downtown area to outsiders to prevent them from coming to the aid of the self-styled Freedom Convoy protesters.
The capital represented the movement’s last stronghold after three weeks of demonstrations and blockades that shut down border crossings into the US, caused economic damage to both countries and created a political crisis for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
They also shook Canada’s reputation for civility, with some foes of the unrest blaming the influence of the United States.
Over the past weeks, authorities had hesitated to move against many of the protesters around the country, in part for fear of violence. The demonstrations have drawn right-wing extremists and veterans, some of them armed.
With police and the government facing accusations that they let the protests gain strength and spread, Trudeau on Monday invoked Canada’s Emergencies Act, giving law enforcement extraordinary authority to declare the blockades illegal, tow away trucks, arrest the drivers, suspend their licenses and freeze their bank accounts.
Ottawa police made it clear on Thursday they were preparing to end the protest and remove the more than 300 trucks, with the city’s interim police chief warning: “Action is imminent.” The operation Friday in Ottawa began in the morning with police methodically arresting protesters a few blocks from Parliament Hill, the heart of protest zone, where trucks were parked shoulder to shoulder. Some officers carried automatic weapons and wore tactical unit uniforms.
Not long after the arrests began, at least one big rig pulled away near the front of Parliament.
But despite warnings to leave posted by police on social media, a few protesters danced in the streets to the Beastie Boys anthem ”(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)” and Bob Marley’s “Get Up, Stand Up,” while shouting, “Freedom!” The two protest leaders under arrest were due in court Friday. Among the charges: mischief and obstructing police.
The bumper-to-bumper occupation infuriated many Ottawa residents, who complained of being harassed and intimidated on the streets and obtained a court injunction to stop the truckers’ incessant honking of their horns.
The demonstrations around the country by protesters in trucks, tractors and motor homes initially focused on Canada’s vaccine requirement for truckers entering the country but soon morphed into a broad attack on COVID-19 precautions and Trudeau’s government.
The biggest border blockade, at the Ambassador Bridge between Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, disrupted the flow of auto parts between the two countries and forced the industry to curtail production.
Authorities lifted the siege last weekend after arresting dozens of protesters. The final border blockade, in Manitoba, across from North Dakota, ended peacefully on Wednesday. The protests have been cheered on and received donations from conservatives in the US.
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards. | https://indianexpress.com/article/world/canadian-police-start-arresting-protesters-ottawa-7780445/ | 2022-02-18T17:43:02 | en | 0.960781 |
A recent lab study suggested that the BA.2 subvariant of the Omicron coronavirus variant may possess certain features that not only make it more transmissible, but also more capable of causing severe disease.
This comes at a time when several countries are lifting measures put in place to contain the Omicron variant as the recent wave of infections driven by it appears to be waning.
The study, that is yet to be peer reviewed, was recently posted on the preprint repository BioRxiv.
Contrary to the findings of the study, the World Health Organisation on Thursday noted that while the BA.2 sub-variant is more transmissible than BA.1, there is no difference in severity. “Among all sub-variants, BA.2 is more transmissible than BA.1. However, there is no difference in terms of severity,” Maria Van Kerkhova, COVID-19 Technical Lead at WHO said in a video.
The BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron has spread rapidly in countries including Denmark, Philippines, South Africa and the United Kingdom in the past few weeks. While the sub-variant follows the initial spread of the BA.1 sub-variant of Omicron, it has now started outcompeting BA.1, suggesting more transmissibility, according to researchers.
The study, conducted by a team of researchers at the University of Tokyo, found that similar to BA.1, BA.2 subvariant of Omicron appears to largely escape the immunity induced by COVID-19 vaccines.
“Neutralisation experiments show that the vaccine-induced humoral immunity fails to function against BA.2 like BA.1,” the authors of the study said.
The study also said that even though BA.2 is considered an Omicron variant, its genomic sequence is much different from BA.1, suggesting that the virological characteristics of BA.2 differ from that of BA.1
According to WHO, the BA.2 sub-variant now accounts for roughly one in five new Omicron cases recorded across the world.
(With PTI inputs)
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards. | https://indianexpress.com/article/world/omicron-sub-variant-ba-2-appears-capable-of-causing-severe-illness-says-new-study-7780221/ | 2022-02-18T17:43:08 | en | 0.959254 |
Millions of people in the UK were urged to cancel travel plans and stay indoors Friday as the second major storm this week prompted warnings of high winds and flying debris across northern Europe.
Britain’s weather service said Storm Eunice, known as Storm Zeynep in Germany, was likely to cause significant disruption and dangerous conditions, with gusts that may exceed 90 miles per hour in highly exposed coastal areas. The Met Office later said a 122 mph gust was recorded on the Isle of Wight, provisionally the strongest ever recorded in England.
Authorities in the UK took the unusual step of issuing “red warnings” indicating a danger to life for parts of southwest England between 7 am and noon and for southeast England and London from 10 am until 3 pm. A lower level amber warning for gusts up to 80 mph covers the whole of England from 5 am to 9 pm.
Eunice is the second named storm to hit Europe in two days, with the first storm killing at least five people in Germany and Poland.
Peter Inness, a meteorologist at the University of Reading in England, attributed the storms to an unusually strong jet stream over the eastern Atlantic Ocean, with winds close to 200 mph at high altitudes.
“A strong jet stream like this can act like a production line for storms, generating a new storm every day or two,” Inness said.
“There have been many occasions in the recent past when two or more damaging storms have passed across the UK and other parts of Europe in the space of a few days.”
Even as Britain prepared for the brunt of the storm, Eunice was already disrupting travel across southern England and Wales with many train services interrupted and numerous flights cancelled.
A number of tourist attractions in England, including the London Eye, Legoland and Warwick Castle, closed ahead of the storm, as did the Royal Parks. Sections of the 02 Arena roof ripped off in the storm.
“I urge all Londoners to stay at home, do not take risks, and do not travel unless it is absolutely essential,” Mayor Sadiq Khan said.
The UK government is set to hold a meeting of its COBRA emergency committee to discuss the storm. The Army is on ?high readiness stand-by to respond if needed, Home Office Minister Damian Hinds told Sky News.
The Environment Agency has issued 10 severe flood warnings, another indicator of life-threatening weather conditions.
“After the impacts from Storm Dudley for many on Wednesday, Storm Eunice will bring damaging gusts in what could be one of the most impactful storms to affect southern and central parts of the UK for a few years,” said Paul Gundersen, the Met Office’s chief meteorologist.
The red warning areas indicate a significant danger to life as extremely strong winds provide the potential for damage to structures and flying debris.
The storm is expected to hit northern Germany on Friday afternoon and sweep eastward overnight. A flood warning was issued for Germany’s North Sea coast on Friday.
Meteorologists warned Friday’s storm could cause more damage than the earlier weather system, which triggered accidents that killed at least three people, toppled trees and damaged roofs and railroad tracks.
Germany’s biggest rail operator, Deutsche Bahn, is cancelling all train connections in the north of the country Friday due to the storm.
“Safety first,” it said on its website.
The Dutch weather institute issued its highest warning, code red, for coastal regions of the Netherlands and code orange for much of the rest of the country as the storm bore down on the low-lying nation.
The country’s rail company said it would halt all trains nationwide from 2 pm.
The airline KLM cancelled dozens of flights at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport.
At Scheveningen beach in The Hague, authorities built walls sand to protect beachfront bars from the storm, even as dozens of surfers braved the weather in search of storm-driven waves.
The Dutch soccer association postponed all professional and amateur matches scheduled for Friday.
Storm Eunice has produced heightened concern because it has the potential to produce a “sting jet,” a small area of intense winds that may exceed 100 mph.
One example of such a phenomenon occurred during what’s known as the Great Storm of 1987, which killed 18 people and knocked down 15 million trees across the UK, according to the Met Office.
Liz Bentley, chief executive of the Royal Meteorological Society, described the phenomenon as being akin to a scorpion in the sky.
“It’s often referred to as a sting-jet because it’s like it’s the sting in the tail as the storm moves through,” she said. “Other people have almost depicted like a curling scorpions tail in the cloud … And that’s usually the bit where the strong winds are right on the tip of that curl of cloud.”
Train operators across Britain urged passengers to avoid travelling on Friday and many services shut down.
British Airways warned of delays at London’s Heathrow Airport because the weather has reduced the rate at which aircraft are permitted to land.
The government highway agency said high-sided vehicles and other “vulnerable” vehicles such as caravans and motorbikes could be blown over so should avoid bridges and viaducts.
Friederike Otto, a climate scientist at Imperial College London who is part of World Weather Attribution, which investigates the link between extreme weather and global warming, said there is no evidence climate change is leading to more violent storms in Europe.
But she said the damage caused by such storms has increased because rainfall has become more intense as a result of human-caused climate change.
“And the second thing is that sea levels have risen. This means that storm floods, which also occurs during such storms, is higher and therefore leads to greater damage than there would be without climate change.”
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards. | https://indianexpress.com/article/world/storm-eunice-uk-people-warning-7780461/ | 2022-02-18T17:43:14 | en | 0.968587 |
Former beauty queen Manushi Chhillar, who is all geared up to make her Bollywood debut as the leading lady in Akshay Kumar starrer 'Prithviraj', has been taking the social media world by storm with her hot and bold photos.
With an impressive following of over 5.8 million, Manushi sure is one of the debutantes to look out for in the coming year.
But even before she has set foot in the film industry, Manushi is making sure she wins the hearts of her fans. How? Well, what about some stunning beach vacay photos to do the trick?
Giving her fans major beach vacay goals, Manushi Chhillar recently dropped some insanely hot photos of herself flaunting her bikini body in a red monokini and a sexy red bikini.
Enjoying some sun, sand and beach, Manushi can be seen 'baywatching' in the picturesque Maldives as she strikes a sultry pose.
Check out Manushi's photos here:
Not just in swimwear, Manushi also shared photos in casual outfits in which she slayed it like a queen.
Manushi even shared some photos which featured her sister Dewangana, her brother-in-law Tejeshwar Singh and also her little brother Dalmitra.
Take a look here:
On the work front, Akshay Kumar and Manushi Chhillar starrer 'Prithviraj' is set to hit theatres on January 21, 2022. In the period drama helmed by Chandraprakash Dwivedi, Manushi Chhillar will play Sanyogita while Akshay will essay the warrior king who fought valiantly against Muhammad Ghori. | https://www.dnaindia.com/bollywood/report-akshay-kumar-s-prithviraj-co-star-manushi-chhillar-flaunts-her-sexy-body-in-tiny-red-bikini-viral-photos-2919246 | 2022-02-18T17:43:51 | en | 0.949235 |
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By EDNA TARIGAN
Associated Press
JAKARTA (AP) — Finance leaders of the world’s biggest economies called Friday for a cautious and well coordinated approach to navigating recoveries from the pandemic.
Finance ministers and top central bankers of the Group of 20 industrial nations agreed on a need to minimize the impact of moves by the U.S. and other countries to combat inflation by raising interest rates and unwinding other measures to buffer economies from repeated waves of coronavirus outbreaks, said Indonesian central bank Gov. Perry Warjiyo.
“We agreed that in order to support the global financial system we need a well coordinated and well considered normalization policy,” Warjiyo told reporters in an online news conference.
“This is important so that these policies have minimum impact on global financial markets and on developing countries.”
Meetings like the one held Thursday and Friday in Jakarta lay the groundwork for a summit of G-20 leaders later in the year.
As of Friday evening, the leaders had not yet released their communique. But Indonesian officials indicated that much of what was discussed was carried over from last year’s talks: global tax policies, climate financing and funding for improved public health.
In opening the meetings, Indonesian President Joko Widodo urged that countries cooperate to support the global recovery and avoid tensions like those in Ukraine.
“The pandemic is far from over, and the global economy is struggling,” Widodo said.
Financial leaders are treading a precarious path between raising costs of borrowing to cool inflation and alleviating the damage from the pandemic.
The U.S. Federal Reserve is pulling back on massive support for markets and businesses, preparing to raise interest rates as soon as next month to cool inflation that jumped to 7.5% in January — the highest rate in 40 years.
Consumer prices rose to a record 5.1% in the 19 countries that use the euro last month and to a nearly 30-year high in the United Kingdom.
Indonesia’s central bank has also moved to curb inflation. But some other economies have yet to bounce back from the havoc caused by the pandemic.
Officials attended the G-20 meetings both in person and online, given troubles with travel and quarantines due to outbreaks mostly of the omicron variant of coronavirus, that are plaguing many countries.
Host Indonesia is among many countries in Southeast Asia that have endured severe waves of infections, though vaccinations have helped quell the worst of outbreaks.
The world’s 10th largest economy, it is located in the fastest growing region — at least before the pandemic swept the world, disrupting business and travel while killing nearly 6 million people.
___
AP Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach in Bangkok contributed to this report.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/ap-news/2022/02/18/g20-finance-leaders-urge-care-in-unwinding-pandemic-support-2/ | 2022-02-18T17:45:29 | en | 0.955038 |
By TOM KRISHER
AP Auto Writer
DETROIT (AP) — Prices of new and used automobiles are staggeringly high, and that’s partly responsible for strong earnings last year by AutoNation, the country’s largest dealership group.
Mike Manley, CEO of the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, company, said used-vehicle prices are starting to ease a bit, but he doesn’t think new-vehicle supplies will improve much until the second half of this year.
New vehicles are scarce and prices are high because a global computer-chip shortage has forced all automakers to limit production.
Manley, whose appointment was announced in September, previously was head of the Americas region for Stellantis, formerly Fiat Chrysler.
AutoNation has over 300 store sites nationwide and made $1.37 billion in net income last year, up 260% from 2020.
Manley talked in an interview Thursday with The Associated Press. Questions are edited for length and clarity.
Q: AutoNation reported that used vehicle revenue was up 55% last quarter. Yet used vehicles were in short supply. Is the increase due to rising prices?
A: Our (sales) volume in used was up 21%, so you can see it’s a combination of volume, but also pricing. We did continue to see, through the fourth quarter, increases in terms of used-car pricing. I think that’s started to moderate particularly in cars two years and younger. So we’re seeing that moderation, which will, in my opinion, continue through this year.
Q: Edmunds.com had the average used-vehicle price at over $29,000 in January. If you’re buying your first car, or your car gets totaled and you need to replace it but don’t have a lot of money, is their any relief in sight?
A: Anyone who is adding to their fleet, or first time in, is picking up the brunt of that. I do think you are going to see improvements in inventory at that level. They’re buying kind of a $20,000 used vehicle. From my point of view, if we do see an improvement in new-car supply in the second quarter and the third and fourth quarters, that mitigation we’re seeing on younger new vehicles will filter down. It will take some time. So I think you are going to begin to see good quality vehicles returning to market in areas that will attract those types of buyers.
Q: So if I want this $20,000 used car, should I wait?
A: It is very beneficial for people to say, “Listen, this is the type of car that I’m looking for,” because we now have a system to make sure we track those things. These cars are rare. They’re not unicorns. Obviously, the demand is higher than the supply, but there is supply. My recommendation is to come down to one of the dealerships. We’ll be transparent when we see something coming in.
Q: Is the supply of new cars improving?
A: It’s not better. We’re not going to see an improvement in inventory levels in the first or second quarter, in my opinion. I think what we may see is some improvement in supply in the second. But the vast majority of that now is pre-sold. It will take into the third and fourth quarter where I think we are going to begin to see some rebuilding of inventory.
Q: Will we ever get back to huge supplies of new cars, big discounts and lower prices?
A: The question is how do they moderate, if at all, going forward? For me, it’s going to very much depend on how embedded are the learnings in the industry about keeping the balance between inventory and demand. Unfortunately, the pandemic, and none of us like that, but we’ve got that once-in-a-lifetime reset button. Now it’s down to: Are we going to make sure we take advantage of it, keep that discipline going forward? I think we are, because there’s enough embedded intelligence in the OEMs (automakers) and then the large dealer groups to say we really need to keep this balance going. It’s actually not a bad thing selling at MSRP (sticker price), is it?
Q: Will people still be able to haggle with dealers?
A: I don’t think we are going to return to the pre-pandemic 2017, 2018 (profit) margins, that were really driven down by a significant amount of inventory. What’s important really is your total cost of ownership. What you might get is a much better balance between what you’re paying on the front end and the residual you get when you come to trade or sell the vehicle.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/ap-news/2022/02/18/qa-autonation-ceo-sees-vehicle-prices-moderating-this-year-3/ | 2022-02-18T17:45:36 | en | 0.97061 |
The Associated Press
Stocks are off to a weak start on Wall Street Friday and are headed for their second weekly loss in a row after another bout of turbulence shook markets. The S&P 500 gave up an early gain and was down 0.2% as investors keep an eye on the latest developments in Ukraine, where Russia has been amassing troops on the border, as well as more corporate earnings reports. This week investors also received the latest confirmation from the Federal Reserve that it intends to move decisively to fight inflation with higher interest rates. Roku dropped 21% after issuing a weak forecast. Bond yields fell.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
BANGKOK (AP) — World shares were mixed on Friday as investors watched developments in the Ukraine after the U.S. warned of a high risk of a Russian invasion.
Benchmarks rose in London, Paris and Shanghai but fell in Hong Kong and Tokyo. Oil prices fell and U.S. futures were higher.
The U.S. has issued some of its starkest, most detailed warnings yet about how a Russian invasion of Ukraine might unfold, and its Western allies went on high alert for any attempts by the Kremlin to create a false pretext for a new war in Europe.
Russia is thought to have some 150,000 military forces near Ukraine’s borders and NATO allies have questioned Moscow’s assertions it was pulling back troops from exercises that had fueled fears of an attack.
The crisis has hung over markets for weeks, raising volatility. Russia is a major energy producer and if it were to invade Ukraine, other governments could respond with economic sanctions that would disrupt energy supplies.
“We’ll likely enter the weekend with more questions than answers on the Russia-Ukraine tensions, with the diplomatic game set to extend well into next week and likely beyond,” Francesco Pesole of ING said in a commentary.
Britain’s FTSE 100 rose 0.3% on Friday to 7,559.56. Germany’s DAX was up 0.3%, at 15,308.32 and the CAC 40 in Paris gained 0.6% to 6,991.04. On Wall Street, the future for the S&P 500 jumped 0.7% while the Dow future added 0.6%.
Japan reported Friday that its core inflation rate, excluding volatile energy and food costs, rose 0.2% in January, way below the decades-high figures seen in most major economies and far short of the Bank of Japan’s 2% target.
Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index lost 0.4% to 27,122.07, while the Hang Seng in Hong Kong gave up 1.9% to 24,327.71. The Kospi in Seoul was almost unchanged at 2,744.52. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 declined 1% to 7,221.70.
The Shanghai Composite index rose 0.7% to 3,490.76.
On Thursday, the S&P 500 fell 2.1%, its biggest drop in two weeks, the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 1.8% and the Nasdaq composite slid 2.9%. The losses wiped out the major indexes’ weekly gains.
Bond yields fell and dragged banks lower. By early Friday, the yield on the 10-year Treasury was at 1.98%, down from 2.04% late Wednesday.
The tensions over Ukraine add to investors’ jitters over the Federal Reserve’s plan to raise interest rates to fight doggedly rising inflation, which has spiked to a 40-year high.
Companies have been dealing with supply chain problems and higher costs by raising prices on finished goods for consumers. Many have also warned investors that inflation will sap their profits, sales and overall operations.
In other trading Friday, U.S. benchmark crude lost 65 cents to $91.11 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It fell 2% on Thursday, while the price of natural gas fell 4.9%.
Brent crude, the international pricing standard, lost 57 cents to $92.40 per barrel.
The U.S. dollar rose to 115.19 Japanese yen from 114.93 yen. The euro rose to $1.1378 from $1.1365.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/ap-news/2022/02/18/stocks-open-lower-headed-for-second-straight-weekly-loss-2/ | 2022-02-18T17:45:43 | en | 0.956495 |
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
© 2022 Good Karma Brands Milwaukee, LLC. | https://wtmj.com/entertainment/2022/02/18/ap-top-entertainment-news-at-707-a-m-est/ | 2022-02-18T17:45:49 | en | 0.82511 |
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
© 2022 Good Karma Brands Milwaukee, LLC. | https://wtmj.com/entertainment/2022/02/18/ap-top-entertainment-news-at-756-a-m-est/ | 2022-02-18T17:45:55 | en | 0.82511 |
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
© 2022 Good Karma Brands Milwaukee, LLC. | https://wtmj.com/entertainment/2022/02/18/ap-top-entertainment-news-at-759-a-m-est-10/ | 2022-02-18T17:46:01 | en | 0.82511 |
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
© 2022 Good Karma Brands Milwaukee, LLC. | https://wtmj.com/entertainment/2022/02/18/ap-top-entertainment-news-at-809-a-m-est-4/ | 2022-02-18T17:46:08 | en | 0.82511 |
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
© 2022 Good Karma Brands Milwaukee, LLC. | https://wtmj.com/entertainment/2022/02/18/ap-top-entertainment-news-at-908-a-m-est-3/ | 2022-02-18T17:46:15 | en | 0.82511 |
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
© 2022 Good Karma Brands Milwaukee, LLC. | https://wtmj.com/entertainment/2022/02/18/ap-top-entertainment-news-at-917-a-m-est-4/ | 2022-02-18T17:46:21 | en | 0.82511 |
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Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
© 2022 Good Karma Brands Milwaukee, LLC. | https://wtmj.com/entertainment/2022/02/18/ap-top-entertainment-news-at-923-a-m-est-2/ | 2022-02-18T17:46:27 | en | 0.82511 |
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Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
© 2022 Good Karma Brands Milwaukee, LLC. | https://wtmj.com/entertainment/2022/02/18/ap-top-entertainment-news-at-938-a-m-est-4/ | 2022-02-18T17:46:34 | en | 0.82511 |
NEW YORK (AP) — Chelsea Clinton has a lot of publishing plans — for her own books, and for books by others.
The Penguin Young Readers imprint Philomel Books announced Friday that Clinton has a new picture story, “Welcome to the Big Kids Club: What Every Older Sibling Needs to Know!”, coming Sept. 13. The book is illustrated by Tania de Regil.
At the same time, she will launch and provide introductions for a nonfiction chapter book series for kids ages 6-9, “Save The …”, about animal conservation.
“’Welcome to the Big Kids Club’ is a reflection of conversations I’ve had with my kids and so many other kids about what it means to have a baby in the family,” Clinton, the mother of three, said in a statement.
“I couldn’t be more excited about this book and the newest ‘Save The’ series. My hope is that young readers and their families will enjoy and learn as much from the books in this series as I have, whether about whale sharks, frogs or more animals that could disappear if we don’t all work together to save them.”
The “Save The” series will begin in September with three books: Sarah L. Thompson’s “Save the … Elephants,” Christine Taylor-Butler’s “Save the … Tigers” and Anita Sanchez’s “Save the … Whale Sharks.”
Clinton, the daughter of former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, has previously written such bestsellers as “She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World” and “She Persisted Around the World: 13 Women Who Changed History.” She has a picture book coming out March 1, “She Persisted in Science: Brilliant Women Who Made a Difference,” with illustrations by Alexandra Bolger.
___
This story corrects the headline to show that Chelsea Clinton is launching a book series, not an imprint.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/entertainment/2022/02/18/chelsea-clinton-to-launch-childrens-book-series-this-fall/ | 2022-02-18T17:46:40 | en | 0.945277 |
LONDON (AP) — Lawyers for Prince Harry told a court hearing on Friday that the British royal is unwilling to bring his children to his homeland because it is not safe.
Harry has launched a legal challenge to the U.K. government’s refusal to let him personally pay for police protection when he comes to Britain.
His legal team says Harry wants to bring his children — Archie, who is almost 3, and 8-month-old Lilibet — to visit his home country from the U.S. but that is too risky without police protection.
Senior members of Britain’s royal family are given taxpayer-funded police protection, but Harry lost that when he and his wife Meghan stepped down as working royals and moved to the United States in 2020. The couple said their decision was due to what they described as unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British media.
Harry, also known as the Duke of Sussex, wants to be able to pay for the protection, saying his private security team in the U.S. doesn’t have adequate jurisdiction abroad or access to U.K. intelligence information.
The British government has said it is inappropriate to comment on legal proceedings.
During a hearing at the High Court in London, Harry’s lawyer Shaheed Fatima said the duke “does not feel safe when he is in the U.K. given the security arrangements applied to him.”
“It goes without saying that he does want to come back to see family and friends and to continue to support the charities that are so close to his heart,” she said. “Most of all, this is and always will be, his home.”
Harry, who lives in Santa Barbara, California, did not attend Friday’s preliminary hearing, which considered requests by both sides in the case for some parts of court documents to be kept private.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/entertainment/2022/02/18/prince-harry-lawyers-say-he-feels-unsafe-bringing-kids-to-uk-3/ | 2022-02-18T17:46:46 | en | 0.982462 |
LONDON (AP) — Lawyers for Prince Harry told a court hearing on Friday that the British royal is unwilling to bring his children to his homeland because it is not safe.
Harry has launched a legal challenge to the U.K. government’s refusal to let him personally pay for police protection when he comes to Britain.
His legal team says Harry wants to bring his children — Archie, who is almost 3, and 8-month-old Lilibet — to visit his home country from the United States but thinks it would be too risky without police protection.
Harry, who lives in Santa Barbara, California, with the children and his wife, Megan, did not attend Friday’s preliminary hearing. The court considered requests by both sides in the case for parts of some legal documents to be kept private.
Senior members of Britain’s royal family are given taxpayer-funded police protection, but Harry lost that when he and Meghan stepped down as working royals and moved to the United States in 2020. The couple said their decision was due to what they described as unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British media.
Harry, also known as the Duke of Sussex, wants to be able to pay for the protection, saying his private security team in the U.S. doesn’t have adequate jurisdiction abroad or access to U.K. intelligence information.
During a hearing at the High Court in London, Harry’s lawyer, Shaheed Fatima, said the prince “does not feel safe when he is in the U.K. given the security arrangements applied to him.”
“It goes without saying that he does want to come back to see family and friends and to continue to support the charities that are so close to his heart,” she said. “Most of all, this is and always will be, his home.”
A lawyer representing the British government, Robert Palmer, called Harry’s claim “unarguable and unmeritorious.”
Palmer said in a written submission that Harry’s offer to pay for police security was irrelevant because “personal protective security by the police is not available on a privately financed basis.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/entertainment/2022/02/18/prince-harry-lawyers-say-he-feels-unsafe-bringing-kids-to-uk-4/ | 2022-02-18T17:46:53 | en | 0.980718 |
LONDON (AP) — Artworks by Pablo Picasso, Mark Rothko and Andy Warhol and other modern masters are going up for auction in a sale ordered by a U.S. court as part of a billionaire couple’s acrimonious divorce.
Sotheby’s auction house announced Friday that it will offer 30 works from the Macklowe Collection on May 16 in New York.
The works belonged to property developer Harry Macklowe and his wife Linda, who spent 40 years assembling a collection by some of the 20th century’s greatest artists, displaying many of them in their grand apartment in New York’s Plaza building.
After they split in 2016, a judge ordered the collection sold as part of the divorce settlement. The pieces getting auctioned off in May together are valued at hundreds of millions of dollars.
Sculptures by Picasso, Alberto Giacometti and Jeff Koons are also among the works on offer in the sale, the second from the Macklowe Collection. The first sale of 35 artworks in November netted $676 million — the highest-ever total for a Sotheby’s auction.
The November sale included a multicolored Rothko canvas, “No. 7,” that sold for $82.4 million, Jackson Pollock’s “Number 17,” which went for $61 million and Warhol’s “Sixteen Jackies,” which fetched almost $34 million.
A public display of works from the May sale is planned at Sotheby’s in London from Tuesday until March 2. The items then are scheduled to go on tour to Palm Beach, Taipei, Hong Kong, Shanghai and New York ahead of the auction.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/entertainment/2022/02/18/sothebys-selling-art-treasures-from-divorced-couples-trove-2/ | 2022-02-18T17:46:59 | en | 0.946307 |
An exciting announcement from the Milwaukee Admirals on Friday. Read their full press release below:
Nothing says tradition in Wisconsin quite like the Fish Fry. With a history dating back well over a century, everyone has opinion on the fish fry: which type of fish is best, potato pancakes or fries, rye or wheat bread, and so much more.
Here at the Admirals we know something about tradition, too, and appreciate the extraordinary passion that people show for the fish fry and Admirals hockey, but maybe not at the same time.
That is until now.
Because on March 11th and 12th the Admirals will stop being the Admirals and become the Milwaukee Fish Fry. This transformation is capped by these astonishing jerseys that the team will wear during the games. They feature the Milwaukee Fish Fry Crest, which features a walleye being lured by fries, on a red-and-white plaid pattern similar to the table cloths that adorn the tables of the best fish fry establishments in the area.
For both of those games there will naturally be fish fries available at Panther Arena concession stands and there will be significant Milwaukee Fish Fry merchandise available for purchase.
We have also joined forces with some of the best Fish Fries in the area on a joint ticket package. For $35 fans will receive a ticket to one of the Fish Fry games and a voucher good for a Fish Fry at Buck Bradley’s, Major Goolsby’s, Saz’s and Steny’s.
As for the jerseys, they will be up for silent auction online beginning March 9 and running through 7:30 pm on March 12. The money raised will be donated to the Admirals Power Play Foundation, the team’s charitable arm.
Both the Fish Fry logo and jerseys were designed by Dozella Graphics of Hartford, WI.
For more information or to purchase Fish Fry Ticket packages fans should visit www.milwaukeefishfry.net. | https://wtmj.com/homepage-showcase/2022/02/18/admirals-to-become-milwaukee-fish-fry-for-weekend-in-march/ | 2022-02-18T17:47:06 | en | 0.953994 |
Wisconsin’s Morning News host Gene Mueller will retire on Friday, February 25th.
To honor the Milwaukee icon, we are celebrating Gene week!
Former TMJ4 news anchor Mike Jacobs called into the show Friday to tell Mueller all about retirement.
“You’re gonna love it, I can tell!” said Jacobs. “You are gonna have so much fun being able to sleep late, first of all. And then just kind of do what you want to do and not have to do things you don’t want to do.”
Mueller and Jacobs worked alongside eachother back when Mueller was on WKTI.
“I really enjoyed working with you, it was a pleasure. Thanks so much for everything you did for both WTMJ Radio and also the community. Honestly, you are a legend there and you’ve done so much for all. Thank you so much.”
For much more from Jacobs, click in the player above. | https://wtmj.com/homepage-showcase/2022/02/18/mike-jacobs-to-gene-mueller-youre-gonna-love-retirement/ | 2022-02-18T17:47:12 | en | 0.973346 |
If you watch the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday night, you might hear a voice that you recognize in the arena.
Bucks in-game hostess, and 101.7 The Truth morning host Melanie Ricks is in Cleveland serving as the All-Star Game emcee.
She’s proud to represent Milwaukee on an international stage.
“It’s not just from our entertainment,” Melanie told Wisconsin’s Morning News on 620 WTMJ. “DJ Shawna is also going to be doing Sunday night, and then obviously, the AntetokounBros and Khris Middleton. Milwaukee is in the building this weekend, for sure.”
The All-Star Game is just one part of an action-packed weekend.
Melanie landed an invite to an exclusive party in “The Land” through her friend, Cavaliers in-game host Ahmaad Crump.
“Oh, we’re going to Shaq’s party.”
Follow Melanie on Twitter @melaniebricks for coverage throughout the weekend.
The NBA All-Star Game tips off at 7 o’clock on Sunday night.
You can listen on 94.5 ESPN. | https://wtmj.com/homepage-showcase/2022/02/18/ricks-represents-milwaukee-on-nba-all-star-weekend/ | 2022-02-18T17:47:18 | en | 0.901133 |
Many Wisconsin farmers harvested their 2021 crops amid an ongoing drought and it’s looking more and more as though dry conditions will color the upcoming spring planting season.
What does that mean for state agriculture and for consumers?
Pam Jahnke, Farm Director at Midwest Farm Report Radio Network, joined Wisconsin’s Morning News for the latest.
“In Wisconsin, we’re all paying super attention to the weather. Right now the advice from agriculture is tap your brakes a little bit and let’s wait and see what April, May, and June bring.”
Listen to the full interview in the player above. | https://wtmj.com/homepage-showcase/2022/02/18/wisconsin-farmers-growing-concerned-about-lack-of-moisture/ | 2022-02-18T17:47:24 | en | 0.936185 |
By PAUL J. WEBER
Associated Press
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — As the right to an abortion in the U.S. hangs in doubt, one thing seemed clear at the outset of 2022: the issue would tower over America’s midterm elections.
But in Texas — of all places — that hasn’t been the case going into the nation’s first primary.
Airwaves are not swamped with campaign ads focused on abortion access. Candidates spend more time talking about COVID-19, immigration and the reliability of the power grid. Some rallies and events come and go without even a mention of Texas having the most restrictive abortion law in the country on the books for months now.
“It’s almost like we’ve become numb,” said Democrat Ann Johnson, a state representative in Houston.
With early voting already underway for the March 1 primary, the absence of abortion at the forefront of Texas races amounts to an abrupt swing from last fall, when the law banning abortions after roughly six weeks of pregnancy took effect and made headlines across the country. Republican lawmakers in other states rushed to propose copycat measures, and in the White House, President Joe Biden slammed the law as unleashing “constitutional chaos.”
The change has disappointed abortion rights supporters who suspect that months of court defeats has taken a toll on their side at a time when a full press is still needed. Others worry that some candidates, particularly Democrats, still don’t know how to effectively campaign on abortion even after the tumult of last fall.
“It’s a community issue, it’s a public health issue and I think to not talk about it is like super blind,” said Amy Hagstrom Miller, president of Whole Woman’s Health, which operates four clinics in Texas.
It shows that both Democratic and Republican candidates alike in Texas have concluded other issues are currently higher priorities for voters in the primary — the economy, schools and health care chief among them.
Many believe the abortion issue will return to the spotlight in the general election campaign, when candidates are facing the opposing party rather than like-minded competitors from their own, and after the Supreme Court decides whether to weaken the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling that guarantees the right to an abortion. The court’s decision on a key abortion case is expected by June.
But as the 2022 campaign begins, the Texas race has revealed cracks between the practical impact of the Texas law on abortion rights and the politics of the issue. Recent data confirmed that in the first month after the restrictions took effect, abortions in Texas fell by 60%.
Outside San Antonio this month, a forum of candidates for a seat in the Texas House — where the law known as Senate Bill 8 overwhelmingly passed a year ago — drew a crowd of more than 100 people in mostly rural Kendall County.
None of the candidates on stage talked about it, and no one in the audience asked.
“There was 45 minutes there that it could have come up, and it didn’t,” said Laura Bray, who chairs the local Democratic Party.
In her county, where President Donald Trump won 3-to-1 in 2020, Bray said Democrats purposefully avoid discussing abortion so they don’t turn off Republican voters they’re trying to win over.
What campaigns in Texas have been most emphasizing aligns with national surveys: although Democratic voters increasingly support protecting reproductive rights, a range of issues from the economy to gun control still rank higher, according to a December poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
Across the country, Democrats have promised to make abortion a cornerstone of the midterm elections, saying the issue can energize their base at a time when their narrow majorities in Congress are at risk. The conventional wisdom is that abortion is more of a motivating issue for Republicans. But even Gov. Greg Abbott’s early campaign for a third term has also not heavily promoted his signing of the law, which appeared to go even too far for other GOP states where copycat measures have stalled.
“Abortion has never been one of the top issues for most voters,” GOP pollster Whit Ayres said. “It’s always overwhelmed by, in this day and age, the pandemic and the economy.”
Polling shows relatively few Americans want to see Roe overturned. The Texas law in particular, Ayres says, is “very problematic” over leaving enforcement solely up to lawsuits filed by private citizens who can collect $10,000 or more — what critics have slammed as a bounty.
“I can’t imagine many Republicans lining up behind that,” he said.
To be sure, the issue has not been an afterthought in all Texas races. One of the biggest surrounds Democrat U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, one of the most conservative members of his party, who has voted to oppose abortion access. He is again in a fight against progressive challenger Jessica Cisneros.
NARAL, one of the nation’s largest abortion rights groups, has deployed staff into the district in hopes of delivering what would be a major victory for advocates to start the 2022 election cycle.
But Cisneros, an immigration attorney who puts health care and raising the minimum wage as two of her biggest issues, said she doesn’t know whether her position on abortion rights can swing the race.
“We’re not a single-issue campaign,” she said during a break between knocking on doors in the South Texas district that stretches more than 150 miles from San Antonio to the border. “When we’re talking to voters it’s not just that one thing.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/abortion-recedes-from-spotlight-in-texas-primary-election/ | 2022-02-18T17:47:30 | en | 0.965844 |
By GRAHAM DUNBAR
AP Sports Writer
BEIJING (AP) — IOC President Thomas Bach joined the global bandwagon of support for Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva on Friday, criticizing her entourage and questioning whether 15-year-old athletes should be put under such pressure at the Olympics.
His tone surprised Olympic observers — accustomed to hearing Bach defend Russian athletes despite the massive 2014 doping scandal — and drew a quick rebuke from Moscow.
Valieva’s emotional breakdown after a mistake-strewn skate and unforgiving questioning by her coach made millions of viewers cringe, especially after a week-long drama over her positive drug test. Bach said he felt the same way, spending much of his news conference taking rare swipes at Russia.
“I was very, very disturbed yesterday when I watched the competition on TV,” Bach said at an Olympics that began with Vladimir Putin sitting in the VIP section at the opening ceremony despite a Russian troop buildup near the Ukraine border.
Bach had direct criticism of Valieva’s entourage, saying they showed “a tremendous coldness, it was chilling to see this.”
The IOC leader did not mention Eteri Tutberidze, though he clearly targeted the preeminent coach of Russia’s dominant women’s figure skating program.
Bach’s words got him into a testy exchange with a Russian reporter. Later, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Bach “does not like the toughness of our coaches, but everyone knows that in elite sports, the coach’s toughness is key to the students’ victories.”
The endless Olympic story of unethical behavior by Russian sports officials is casting a shadow over a fifth straight Games in Bach’s nine years as president. Many critics of the IOC say Valieva’s doping scandal is a direct result of Russia flouting the rules for decades without real punishment from the IOC.
Olympic sports have lived through a decade of Russian doping and cover-ups after the home team was caught cheating at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, a personal project of Putin. Through much of that time, the IOC and Bach made excuses for lighter punishments than expected.
Even in Beijing, Russia is technically banned from its third straight Games, but hundreds of Russian athletes are competing in their traditional colors with “Russian Olympic Committee” uniforms and flags. And they are winning medals — more than any country other than Norway.
The Bach-led IOC has consistently tried to keep Russia in the Games, citing the need to let a new generation of “clean athletes” compete as one reason not to ban Russia outright.
“This lack of leadership perpetuates athletes abuse and exposes the lack of oversight,” Rob Koehler of the Global Athlete activist group said Friday.
Global reaction to the Russian teenage skaters’ tears after the women’s figure skating results seemed to change the IOC’s tone. Anna Shcherbakova won gold, Alexandra Trusova won silver, and Valieva stumbled out of the medals into fourth.
Trusova and Valieva sobbed as the scores were read, Trusova talked about retiring at 17 and viewers around the world questioned how youngsters could be put under such pressure.
Athlete mental health and safeguarding young women in sports are key responsibilities for sports bodies, and Bach had to react.
His attack on the entourage did not address the larger culture that has helped Tutberidze flourish, even as her athletes retire in their teens and suffer serious injuries. She is the International Skating Union’s coach of the year and the most powerful figure in Russian skating.
Bach also lamented the ruling in Beijing that let Valieva skate, pending the full doping investigation. Over the years, Bach has defended decisions and rulings that allowed Russian athletes continue to compete.
“The IOC always points blame at everyone else and never accepts accountability,” Koehler said.
Perhaps the most striking response to Valieva’s plight came from Bach’s home country of Germany. Katarina Witt, the last woman to win figure skating gold at two different Olympics, was tearful as she commentated on the event.
“It is so irresponsible what was done here,” said Witt, who grew up as a skating phenom in authoritarian East Germany before winning Olympic gold in 1984 and ’88. “The whole world was watching and then she broke. She is 15. She’s a child.”
“There was a political pressure placed on her. I wish someone like her mother or someone responsible would have taken her out of there,” Witt said.
A regular criticism of the IOC under Bach is that it has been indulgent of Russia and too close to Putin, who is set to join Olympic sports bodies in May for part of a week-long conference in Ekaterinburg.
Minutes after Bach’s comments about Valieva’s team, a journalist wearing a Russian Olympic Committee team jacket questioned the IOC.
Did Bach, he asked, feel partly responsible for “media chaos” around Valieva that included “hate speeches … bullying of a 15-year-old … political propaganda?”
An untypically confrontational Bach replied with “the ones who have administered this drug in her body, these are the ones who are guilty.”
Bach generally withholds comments from ongoing investigations. On Friday, he directly contradicted Valieva’s lawyers’ arguments that the sample was accidentally contaminated by her grandfather’s heart medication.
Russian anti-doping officials are responsible for the doping case, but IOC and World Anti-Doping Agency officials have said they will also investigate. Whatever the findings, expect appeals and counter investigations that stretch out for months.
___
James Ellingworth in Beijing and Dasha Litvinova in Moscow contributed to this report
___
More AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/winter-olympics and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/after-skating-debacle-bach-takes-rare-shots-at-russians-3/ | 2022-02-18T17:47:37 | en | 0.967867 |
By GRAHAM DUNBAR
AP Sports Writer
BEIJING (AP) — IOC President Thomas Bach joined the global bandwagon of support for Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva Friday, criticizing her entourage and questioning whether 15-year-old athletes should be put under such pressure at the Olympics.
His tone surprised Olympic observers – accustomed to hearing Bach defend Russian athletes despite the massive 2014 doping scandal – and drew a quick rebuke from Moscow.
Valieva’s emotional breakdown after a mistake-strewn skate and unforgiving questioning by her coach made millions of viewers cringe, especially after a week-long drama over her positive drug test. Bach said he felt the same way, spending much of his news conference taking rare swipes at Russia.
“I was very, very disturbed yesterday when I watched the competition on TV,” Bach said at an Olympics that began with Vladimir Putin sitting in the VIP section at the opening ceremony despite a Russian troop buildup near the Ukraine border.
Bach had direct criticism of Valieva’s entourage, saying they showed “a tremendous coldness, it was chilling to see this.”
The IOC leader did not mention Eteri Tutberidze, though he clearly targeted the preeminent coach of Russia’s dominant women’s figure skating program.
Bach’s words got him into a testy exchange with a Russian reporter. Later, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Bach “does not like the toughness of our coaches, but everyone knows that in elite sports the coach’s toughness is key to the students’ victories.”
The endless Olympic story of unethical behavior by Russian sports officials is casting a shadow over a fifth straight Games in Bach’s nine years as president. Many critics of the IOC say Valieva’s doping scandal is a direct result of Russia flouting the rules for decades without real punishment from the IOC.
Olympic sports have lived through a decade of Russian doping and cover-ups after the home team was caught cheating at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, a personal project of Putin. Through much of that time, the IOC and Bach made excuses for lighter than expected punishments.
Even in Beijing, Russia is technically banned from its third straight Games, but hundreds of Russian athletes are competing in their traditional colors with “Russian Olympic Committee” uniforms and flags. And they are winning medals – more than any country other than Norway.
The Bach-led IOC has consistently tried to keep Russia in the Games, citing the need to let a new generation of “clean athletes” compete as one reason not to ban Russia outright.
“This lack of leadership perpetuates athletes abuse and exposes the lack of oversight,” Rob Koehler of the Global Athlete activist group said Friday.
Global reaction to the Russian teenage skaters’ tears after the women’s figure skating results seemed to change the IOC’s tone. Anna Shcherbakova won gold, Alexandra Trusova won silver, and Valieva stumbled out of the medals into fourth.
Trusova and Valieva sobbed as the scores were read, Trusova talked about retiring at 17 and viewers around the world questioned how youngsters could be put under such pressure.
Athlete mental health and safeguarding young women in sports are key responsibilities for sports bodies, and Bach had to react.
His attack on the entourage did not address the larger culture that has helped Tutberidze flourish, even as her athletes retire in their teens and suffer serious injuries. She is the International Skating Union’s coach of the year and the most powerful figure in Russian skating.
Bach also lamented the ruling in Beijing that let Valieva skate, pending the full doping investigation. Over the years, Bach has defended decisions and rulings that allowed Russian athletes continue to compete.
“The IOC always points blame at everyone else and never accepts accountability,” Koehler said.
Perhaps the most striking response to Valieva’s plight came from Bach’s home country of Germany. Katarina Witt, the last woman to win figure skating gold at two different Olympics, was tearful as she commentated on the event.
“It is so irresponsible what was done here,” said Witt who grew up as a skating phenom in authoritarian East Germany before winning Olympic gold in 1984 and ’88. “The whole world was watching and then she broke. She is 15. She’s a child.”
“There was a political pressure placed on her. I wish someone like her mother or someone responsible would have taken her out of there,” Witt said.
A regular criticism of the IOC under Bach is that it has been indulgent of Russia and too close to Putin, who is set to join Olympic sports bodies in May for part of a week-long conference in Ekaterinburg.
Minutes after Bach’s comments about Valieva’s team, a journalist wearing a Russian Olympic Committee team jacket questioned the IOC.
Did Bach, he asked, feel partly responsible for “media chaos” around Valieva that included “hate speeches … bullying of a 15-year-old … political propaganda.”
An untypically confrontational Bach replied with “the ones who have administered this drug in her body, these are the ones who are guilty.”
Bach generally withholds comments from ongoing investigations. On Friday, he directly contradicted Valieva’s lawyers’ arguments that the sample was accidentally contaminated by her grandfather’s heart medication.
Russian anti-doping officials are responsible for the doping case, but IOC and World Anti-Doping Agency officials have said they will also investigate. Whatever the findings, expect appeals and counter investigations that stretch out for months.
___
James Ellingworth in Beijing and Dasha Litvinova in Moscow contributed to this report
___
More AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/winter-olympics and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/after-skating-debacle-bach-takes-rare-shots-at-russians/ | 2022-02-18T17:47:43 | en | 0.968216 |
By HILLEL ITALIE
AP National Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — The founder of Audible Inc., a leading force in the booming audiobook industry, will be honored in May at PEN America’s annual gala.
Don Katz has been named the literary and human rights organization’s Business Visionary Honoree for “his transformative contributions to the world of literature and audio storytelling.”
Katz founded Audible in 1995 and guided it through a time of extraordinary growth and change, with digital technology helping audiobooks become one of publishing’s most profitable and imaginative formats. Audible, purchased by Amazon.com in 2008, is both a top distributor and producer of audio works, including audio-only releases by Robert Caro, Yo-Yo Ma and James Taylor.
The 70-year-old Katz is also an award-winning author and journalist whose “Home Fires: An Intimate Portrait of One Middle-Class Family in Postwar America” was nominated for a National Book Critics Circle Award in 1992.
“Don Katz’s unwavering devotion to the written and spoken word has revolutionized the form that merges them,” PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel said in a statement Friday. “The breadth of voices to which Audible has provided a platform, and the ease and immediacy with which its inventions have allowed listeners to access works both canonical and obscure, unite Don’s vision with PEN America and our tireless protection of expression from powers that seek to hide it away from view and out of earshot.”
The PEN gala is scheduled to be held in person on May 23 at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Audible helps sponsor another PEN prize — the PEN/Audible Literary Service Award, given last year to Henry Louis Gates Jr.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/audible-founder-don-katz-to-be-honored-by-pen-america/ | 2022-02-18T17:47:49 | en | 0.944971 |
By BEN FOX, ANITA SNOW and ELLIOT SPAGAT
Associated Press
YUMA, Ariz. (AP) — One agent protested that he didn’t join the Border Patrol to look after children in custody. Another asked why a policy to make asylum-seekers wait in Mexico for court hearings wasn’t being used more. And one turned his back on the senior officials who had come to listen.
Unsurprisingly for anyone who’s been tracking migration along the United States’ southern border, the recent showdown happened in Yuma, Arizona, where encounters with migrants illegally crossing into the country from Mexico jumped more than 20-fold in December from a year earlier.
Discontent among the ranks is only one of the challenges Chris Magnus faces as the new leader of the United States’ largest law enforcement agency. Magnus, who was sworn in this month as commissioner of the Border Patrol’s parent agency, Customs and Border Protection, also faces persistent allegations that his agency is mistreating migrants, failing to recruit more women and is at the mercy of a broken asylum system.
Magnus might seem like an unconventional pick. When he was the police chief in Tucson, Arizona, he rejected federal grants to collaborate on border security with the agency he now leads and kept a distance from Border Patrol leaders in a region where thousands of agents are assigned.
In his first interview as commissioner, Magnus acknowledged morale problems and outlined some initial steps meant to fix them. He had no simple answer to address migration flows.
“There have always been periods of migrant surges into this country for different reasons, at different times,” he said last week. “But I don’t think anybody disputes that the numbers are high right now and that we have to work as many different strategies as possible to deal with those high numbers.”
Magnus noted the growing number of migrants who from countries outside of Mexico and Central America, a trend that has been especially strong in Yuma.
Under a public health order known as Title 42 that was designed to limit spread of COVID-19, Mexico takes back migrants from the U.S. who are from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras or El Salvador and are denied a chance to seek asylum. Other nationalities are eligible for expulsion, but the U.S. often won’t fly them home due to the expense or strained diplomatic relations with their home countries. Instead, they are often quickly released in the U.S. to pursue asylum.
“There’s a lot of frustration,” said Rafael Rivera, president of the National Border Patrol Council Local 2595, a union that represents agents in the patrol’s Yuma sector, which has seen a huge increase in such migrants. “They feel like there’s no consequences, that we have an open border.”
The number of migrant encounters on the U.S.-Mexico border totaled nearly 154,000 in January, a 15% decline from December, following three months of increases, according to court records in a suit filed by the state of Texas challenging Biden administration immigration policy. Just over half of the people encountered were quickly expelled under the public health order.
In December, U.S. officials stopped Venezuelans at the border nearly 25,000 times, which was more than double September’s count and more than a hundred times the roughly 200 they made in December 2020. Venezuelans trailed only Mexicans in the number stopped at the U.S. border in December.
In the Yuma sector, which stretches from California’s Imperial Sand Dunes to western Arizona’s desert and rocky mountain ranges, Venezuelans were stopped nearly 10 times more than Mexicans in December. Colombians, Indians, Cubans and Haitians also outnumbered Mexicans.
Mexico began requiring visas for Venezuelans on Jan. 21, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas noted during his contentious Jan. 26 meeting with Yuma agents, according to a recording leaked to the website Townhall, which publishes conservative viewpoints. He said the U.S. was pressing Mexico to accept more nationalities under Title 42 authority and to increase immigration enforcement within its own borders.
Magnus, who reports to Mayorkas, told the AP that migration flows are “increasingly complex” and that the U.S. was “doing our best to build and take advantage of relationships with these different countries that migrants are coming from.”
Although President Joe Biden faces many of the same challenges as his predecessors, Donald Trump visited the border often, spent massively on enforcement and got an early endorsement from the agents’ union in 2016.
As a Biden appointee and an outsider who had a chilly relationship with Border Patrol leaders in Tucson, Magnus might struggle winning over agents.
Roy Villareal, chief of the Border Patrol’s Tucson sector from early 2019 until late 2020, said he sought an introductory meeting with Magnus, who was then Tucson’s police chief, but that he never heard back, calling their lack of interaction “a telling sign.” Villareal could recall speaking to Magnus only three times during their overlapping tenures — each one a courtesy call from Magnus to inform him that Tucson police were about to arrest one of his agents.
“He’s the wrong person for the Border Patrol,” said Villareal, who retired after 32 years in the agency. “His knowledge and understanding of border enforcement just isn’t there. … Agents will challenge him.”
Others consider Magnus a good fit.
“He is very respected among his colleagues,” said Gil Kerlikowske, a former Seattle police chief whose focus on use of force rankled some agents when he held Magnus’ job from 2014 to 2017. “Chris’ background on holding people accountable is pretty extensive.”
Magnus, 61, was born and raised in Lansing, Michigan, where he served stints as an emergency dispatcher, paramedic, sheriff’s deputy and police captain. He was police chief in Fargo, North Dakota, and Richmond, California, before he took the job in Tucson in January 2016. In that latest role, he took orders from elected leaders in the liberal city of more than 500,000 people.
In Tucson, Magnus created a program to steer people away from drugs, worked with nonprofits helping homeless people and overhauled the department’s use-of-force policy. He openly criticized Trump policies for making migrants more reluctant to share information about crimes with police.
CBP critics in Tucson give Magnus mixed reviews. Vicki Gaubeca, of the Southern Border Communities Coalition, said he championed “some very progressive policies,” but that the Border Patrol needs a visionary who will change what she calls a deep-seated “culture of impunity.”
In his final weeks as police chief, Magnus called for the firing of an off-duty officer who shot and killed a suspected shoplifter in a motorized wheelchair, saying it was “a clear violation of department policy.” The officer left the department last month.
And in 2020, Magnus offered to resign over an in-custody death that the department failed to make public for two months, but the city manager asked him to stay.
One longstanding issue Magnus faces is allegations of agents using excessive force. Agents have been involved in an increasing number of use-of-force incidents and there have been more fatalities involving Border Patrol agents, though the number of encounters surged at an even higher rate.
Magnus said the use of force is a “very serious concern” and that he believes the overwhelming majority of agents act responsibly. He also defended specialized teams that collect evidence in incidents that might involve agents’ excessive use of force. Democratic congressional leaders have expressed serious concerns about the Critical Incident Teams, which some activists allege are shadowy cover-up operations.
“This is really not unusual in most police agencies,” Magnus told the AP. “There’s absolutely no reason why trained investigators in the field can’t be gathering this kind of critical evidence.”
___
Fox reported from Washington and Snow reported from Phoenix.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/border-agency-chief-faces-challenges-from-within-and-outside-2/ | 2022-02-18T17:47:55 | en | 0.971046 |
By ROB GILLIES, WILSON RING and ROBERT BUMSTED
Associated Press
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Canada’s House of Commons canceled its work on Friday amid rapidly increasingly signs police were about to begin breaking up the three-week protest by hundreds of truckers angry over the country’s COVID-19 restrictions.
Ottawa police made it clear on Thursday they were preparing to end the siege near Parliament Hill and remove the more than 300 trucks. The city’s interim police chief warned that “action is imminent.”
Police arrested two protest leaders late Thursday.
House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota warned lawmakers on Friday to “stay away from the downtown core until further notice” because of an expected police operation.
Lawmakers had been able to work uninterrupted for the last three weeks despite the protests outside by the self-styled Freedom Convoy.
The capital represented the movement’s last stronghold after three weeks of demonstrations and blockades that shut down border crossings into the U.S and caused a political crisis for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The protests also have shaken Canada’s reputation for civility and inspired similar convoys in France, New Zealand and the Netherlands.
Trudeau on Monday invoked Canada’s Emergencies Act, empowering law enforcement authorities to declare the blockades illegal, tow away trucks, arrest the drivers, freeze their bank accounts and suspend their licenses.
The protesters around the country in trucks, tractors and motor homes initially focused on Canada’s vaccine requirement for truckers entering the country. But the movement soon morphed into a broad attack on COVID-19 precautions and Trudeau’s government.
___
Gillies reported from Toronto.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/canadian-parliament-cancels-as-police-vow-to-end-protest/ | 2022-02-18T17:48:01 | en | 0.933875 |
By ROB GILLIES, WILSON RING and ROBERT BUMSTED
Associated Press
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Police began arresting protesters Friday in a bid to break the three-week, traffic-snarling siege of Canada’s capital by hundreds of truckers angry over the country’s COVID-19 restrictions.
Officers were seen going door to door along a line of trucks, campers and other vehicles parked on Ottawa’s snow-covered streets.
Some protesters surrendered and were taken into custody, police said. Some were led away in handcuffs. One person being taken away carried a sign that read “Mandate Freedom.”
Many of the truckers remained defiant.
“Freedom was never free,” said trucker Kevin Homaund, of Montreal. “So what if they put the handcuffs on us and they put us in jail?”
Police made their first move to end the occupation late Thursday with the arrest of two key protest leaders. They also sealed off much of the downtown area to outsiders to prevent them from coming to the aid of the self-styled Freedom Convoy protesters.
The capital represented the movement’s last stronghold after three weeks of demonstrations and blockades that shut down border crossings into the U.S., caused economic damage to both countries and created a political crisis for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. They also shook Canada’s reputation for civility, with some foes of the unrest blaming the influence of the United States.
Over the past weeks, authorities had hesitated to move against many of the protesters around the country, in part for fear of violence. The demonstrations have drawn right-wing extremists and veterans, some of them armed.
With police and the government facing accusations that they let the protests gain strength and spread, Trudeau on Monday invoked Canada’s Emergencies Act, giving law enforcement extraordinary authority to declare the blockades illegal, tow away trucks, arrest the drivers, suspend their licenses and freeze their bank accounts.
Ottawa police made it clear on Thursday they were preparing to end the protest and remove the more than 300 trucks, with the city’s interim police chief warning: “Action is imminent.”
The operation Friday in Ottawa began in the morning with police methodically arresting protesters a few blocks from Parliament Hill, the heart of protest zone, where trucks were parked shoulder to shoulder. Some officers carried automatic weapons and wore tactical unit uniforms.
The two protest leaders under arrest were due in court Friday. Among the charges: mischief and obstructing police.
The bumper-to-bumper occupation infuriated many Ottawa residents, who complained of being harassed and intimidated on the streets and obtained a court injunction to stop the truckers’ incessant honking of their horns.
The demonstrations around the country by protesters in trucks, tractors and motor homes initially focused on Canada’s vaccine requirement for truckers entering the country but soon morphed into a broad attack on COVID-19 precautions and Trudeau’s government.
The biggest border blockade, at the Ambassador Bridge between Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, disrupted the flow of auto parts between the two countries and forced the industry to curtail production. Authorities lifted the siege last weekend after arresting dozens of protesters.
The final border blockade, in Manitoba, across from North Dakota, ended peacefully on Wednesday.
The protests have been cheered on and received donations from conservatives in the U.S.
___
Gillies reported from Toronto.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/canadian-police-start-arresting-protesters-in-ottawa-2/ | 2022-02-18T17:48:09 | en | 0.959152 |
By ROB GILLIES, WILSON RING and ROBERT BUMSTED
Associated Press
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Police began arresting protesters Friday in a bid to break the three-week, traffic-snarling siege of Canada’s capital by hundreds of truckers angry over the country’s COVID-19 restrictions.
Officers were seen going door to door along a line of trucks, campers and other vehicles parked on Ottawa’s snow-covered streets.
Some protesters surrendered and were taken into custody, police said. Some were led away in handcuffs. One person being taken away carried a sign that read “Mandate Freedom.”
Many of the truckers remained defiant.
“Freedom was never free,” said trucker Kevin Homaund, of Montreal. “So what if they put the handcuffs on us and they put us in jail?”
Police made their first move to end the occupation late Thursday with the arrest of two key protest leaders. They also sealed off much of the downtown area to outsiders to prevent them from coming to the aid of the self-styled Freedom Convoy protesters.
The capital represented the movement’s last stronghold after three weeks of demonstrations and blockades that shut down border crossings into the U.S., caused economic damage to both countries and created a political crisis for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. They also shook Canada’s reputation for civility, with some foes of the unrest blaming the influence of the United States.
Over the past weeks, authorities had hesitated to move against many of the protesters around the country, in part for fear of violence. The demonstrations have drawn right-wing extremists and veterans, some of them armed.
With police and the government facing accusations that they let the protests gain strength and spread, Trudeau on Monday invoked Canada’s Emergencies Act, giving law enforcement extraordinary authority to declare the blockades illegal, tow away trucks, arrest the drivers, suspend their licenses and freeze their bank accounts.
Ottawa police made it clear on Thursday they were preparing to end the protest and remove the more than 300 trucks, with the city’s interim police chief warning: “Action is imminent.”
The operation Friday in Ottawa began in the morning with police methodically arresting protesters a few blocks from Parliament Hill, the heart of protest zone, where trucks were parked shoulder to shoulder. Some officers carried automatic weapons and wore tactical unit uniforms.
The two protest leaders under arrest were due in court Friday. Among the charges: mischief and obstructing police.
The bumper-to-bumper occupation infuriated many Ottawa residents, who complained of being harassed and intimidated on the streets and obtained a court injunction to stop the truckers’ incessant honking of their horns.
The demonstrations around the country by protesters in trucks, tractors and motor homes initially focused on Canada’s vaccine requirement for truckers entering the country but soon morphed into a broad attack on COVID-19 precautions and Trudeau’s government.
The biggest border blockade, at the Ambassador Bridge between Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, disrupted the flow of auto parts between the two countries and forced the industry to curtail production. Authorities lifted the siege last weekend after arresting dozens of protesters.
The final border blockade, in Manitoba, across from North Dakota, ended peacefully on Wednesday.
The protests have been cheered on and received donations from conservatives in the U.S.
___
Gillies reported from Toronto.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/canadian-police-start-arresting-protesters-in-ottawa-3/ | 2022-02-18T17:48:16 | en | 0.959152 |
Dr. Edith Bracho-Sanchez is a primary care pediatrician, director of pediatric telemedicine and assistant professor of pediatrics at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. She is also a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
(CNN)Infants and toddlers should be screened more for developmental delays, according to updated US guidelines released last week.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics updated the checklists of developmental milestones used to monitor infant and young children's development in an effort to give parents and pediatricians clearer benchmarks that will make it easier to identify developmental delays early.
A group made up of eight experts in different areas of child development reviewed and updated the checklists, which are used around the country, for the first time since their 2004 release as part of the CDC's developmental surveillance campaign, "Learn the Signs. Act Early."
The checklists, familiar to many parents as part of regular checkups at the pediatrician's office, previously used 50th percentile milestones, meaning only half of children were expected to achieve the milestone at a given age. The revised checklists will now inquire about milestones 75% or more of children can be expected to achieve at a given age, eliminating unnecessary confusion and alarm while ensuring children who need additional evaluation and resources are properly identified.
"The earlier a child is identified with a developmental delay the better, as treatment as well as learning interventions can begin," said Dr. Paul H. Lipkin, a member of the AAP Section on Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics and Council on Children with Disabilities, who assisted with the revisions, in a news release.
"At the same time, we don't want to cause unnecessary confusion for families or professionals. Revising the guidelines with expertise and data from clinicians in the field accomplishes these goals," Lipkin said.
Additional changes to the guidelines include the following:
• Adding checklists for children at ages 15 and 30 months so that there is now a checklist for every checkup visit from 2 months to 5 years of age
• Identifying additional social and emotional milestones children should meet (including smiling on their own to get your attention at 4 months old)
• Removing vague language like "may" or "begins" when referring to certain milestones
• Removing duplicate milestones
• Providing new, open-ended questions to use in discussions between parents and pediatricians. One example: Is there anything that your child does or does not do that concerns you?
• Revising and expanding tips and activities to promote kids' development
The CDC's free Milestone Tracker App incorporates the checklists with the aim of helping parents track developments in the play, learning, speaking and movement of children up to 5 years old. The app alerts parents to missed milestones with a prompt to talk to their pediatrician about any concerns.
Child development expert Dr. Jenny Radesky said, while she's pleased to see the changes, parents should keep in mind that milestones are not everything.
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"They are ways that we try to figure out which children might have a developmental delay," said Radesky, a developmental behavioral pediatrician at the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, via email.
Parents should also trust their own knowledge about their kids, Radesky added, including what brings them joy, what overstimulates them, and when parents feel most connected to their children. "These aspects of parent-child relationship are not measured through milestones, but are crucial to children's mental wellbeing," she said. | https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/18/health/developmental-milestones-children-guidelines-wellness/index.html | 2022-02-18T17:48:20 | en | 0.959726 |
By ROB GILLIES, WILSON RING and ROBERT BUMSTED
Associated Press
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Police began arresting protesters Friday in a bid to break the three-week, traffic-snarling siege of Canada’s capital by hundreds of truckers angry over the country’s COVID-19 restrictions.
Officers, some carrying automatic weapons and wearing tactical unit uniforms, were seen going door to door along a line of trucks, campers and other vehicles parked on Ottawa’s snow-covered streets.
Some protesters surrendered and were taken into custody, police said. Some were seen being led away in handcuffs. One person being led away was carrying a sign that read “Mandate Freedom.”
Police made their first move to end the occupation late Thursday with the arrest of two key protest leaders. They also sealed off much of the downtown area to outsiders to prevent them from coming to the aid of the self-styled Freedom Convoy protesters.
The capital represented the movement’s last stronghold after three weeks of demonstrations and blockades that shut down border crossings into the U.S., caused economic damage to both countries and created a political crisis for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Over the past weeks, authorities had hesitated to move against many of the protesters around the country, in part for fear of violence. The demonstrations have drawn right-wing extremists and veterans, some of them armed.
With police and the government facing accusations that they let the protests gain strength and spread, Trudeau on Monday invoked Canada’s Emergencies Act, empowering law enforcement authorities to declare the blockades illegal, tow away trucks, arrest the drivers, suspend their licenses and freeze their bank accounts.
Ottawa police made it clear on Thursday they were preparing to end the protest and remove the more than 300 trucks, with Ottawa’s interim police chief warning: “Action is imminent.”
The two protest leaders arrested late Thursday were due in court Friday. Among the charges: mischief and obstructing police.
The bumper-to-bumper occupation around Parliament Hill infuriated many Ottawa residents, who complained of being harassed and intimidated on the streets.
The demonstrations around the country by protesters in trucks, tractors and motor homes initially focused on Canada’s vaccine requirement for truckers entering the country but soon morphed into a broad attack on COVID-19 precautions and Trudeau’s government.
The biggest border blockade at the Ambassador Bridge between Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, disrupted the flow of auto parts between the two countries and forced the industry to curtail production. Authorities lifted the siege last weekend after arresting dozens of protesters.
The final blockade, in Manitoba, ended peacefully on Wednesday.
The protests have been cheered on and received donations from conservatives in the U.S.
___
Gillies reported from Toronto.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/canadian-police-start-arresting-protesters-in-ottawa/ | 2022-02-18T17:48:22 | en | 0.959151 |
By The Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Lincoln Center will honor Cate Blanchett with its 47th Chaplin Award at the arts organization’s annual fundraising gala.
Film at Lincoln Center announced the award for Blanchett on Friday. It will be presented to her on April 25 at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall.
“We are thrilled to welcome Cate Blanchett back to Film at Lincoln Center, where three of her films have previously screened as part of the New York Film Festival,” said Lesli Klainberg, executive director of Film at Lincoln Center, in a statement. “Ms. Blanchett’s career includes extraordinary performances in films ranging from small independent efforts to major studio franchises and with some of the most renowned directors of our time. It is our privilege to dedicate an evening of celebration to her, and add one more accolade to her many well-deserved awards.”
The previous Chaplin Award Gala, which honored Spike Lee, was postponed more than a year by the pandemic and was ultimately held last September. The Chaplin Award has been given out since 1972 and previous recipients include Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder, Elizabeth Taylor, Martin Scorsese, Meryl Streep and Sidney Poitier.
Blanchett, a two-time Academy Award winner for her performances in “Blue Jasmine” and “The Aviator,” recently co-starred in Guillermo del Toro’s “Nightmare Alley” and Adam McKay’s “Don’t Look Up.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/cate-blanchet-to-receive-lincoln-centers-47th-chaplin-award/ | 2022-02-18T17:48:28 | en | 0.949318 |
Teenage figure skater Kamila Valieva has become one of the faces of Beijing 2022, but as the Winter Olympics nears its conclusion the spotlight is likely to remain on the 15-year-old and her entourage for the forerseeable future.
A blame game has already broken out between the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) over the drugs test controversy surrounding Valieva, who completed her competition run at the Winter Olympics on Thursday.
The 15-year-old finished in fourth place in the women’s individual figure skating event on Thursday, leaving the ice in tears after falling and faltering during jumps in her routine, despite having previously been the favorite to take gold.
Before being cleared to take part in the women’s individual figure skating competition, Valieva was suspended by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) on February 8, although the body lifted her suspension the next day following a hearing.
WADA, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Skating Union (ISU) then subsequently filed an appeal against the lifting of the ban.
Kamila Valieva: What happens next?
However, CAS cleared Valieva for competition, saying she would suffer “irreparable harm” if not allowed to compete, citing the “exceptional circumstances” of her being a minor.
Given the pressures she was facing, many commentators have questioned why she was cleared to skate, with former US Olympic figure skater Polina Edmunds saying it was “devastating that she was put in this situation.”
CAS published a 41-page document on Thursday outlining its reasons for allowing Valieva to compete, notably blaming WADA for the way events had unfolded in the teenager’s case.
“It is unfortunate that this episode occurred to mar this Athlete’s, and other Athletes’, Olympic Winter Games experience,” said CAS.
“This has been the result of the relevant anti-doping bodies to ensure timely analysis of pre-Games samples, and failing to ensure that pending cases are resolved before the Olympic Winter Games commence.”
In a sample taken in December, prior to the Olympics, Valieva tested positive for the banned heart medication trimetazidine, a drug commonly used to treat angina and which experts say can enhance endurance by increasing blood flow to the heart.
However, the result was only analyzed and reported to RUSADA in February. Valieva was then suspended the day after she led the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) to gold in the figure skating team event on February 7 when she became the first woman to land a quadruple jump in a Winter Olympic Games.
RUSADA did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment.
“Had that all been accomplished on time and in conformity with the time limits recommended by WADA in its International Standards for Laboratories, then a decision on the merits of Ms Valieva’s case and her status could have been made well before the Games started, and before her competition experience and that of other athletes was affected adversely,” said CAS.
Chair of the IOC Disciplinary Commission, Denis Oswald, told reporters on Tuesday that Valieva had blamed her positive drug test on a mix-up with her grandfather’s drugs, as he uses trimetazidine for his heart condition.
On Friday, WADA responded to the CAS report, saying the court had ignored “the clear and unambiguous terms of the 2021 World Anti-Doping Code (Code) regarding the criteria for lifting a mandatory provisional suspension” by allowing Valieva to compete.
WADA said the “re-writing of the Code” to make exceptions for protected persons including minors “risks undermining the integrity of sporting competition and the confidence of athletes that they are competing on a level playing field.”
The Anti-Doping Code underwent three rounds of consultation with anti-doping stakeholders and athletes before being “unanimously adopted” in November 2019, according to WADA’s statement.
“It is surprising and of serious concern to WADA that a CAS Panel would see fit to depart from the clear terms of the Code,” said WADA, adding that the ruling in Valieva’s case “sets a dangerous precedent.”
WADA also questioned why RUSADA didn’t “flag the high-priority nature” of Valieva’s test to the laboratory involved, despite being informed that a Covid-19 outbreak among staff was causing delays in testing samples.
Global Athlete, an athlete-led group working for change across the sporting world, called Valieva’s positive drug test “evidence of abuse of a minor,” adding that it was “unacceptable” for a 15-year-old to be subject to “grave physical and psychological risks.”
The IOC announced after the initial outbreak of the scandal that there would be no medal ceremony for the team event until the doping investigation was concluded and it was decided whether the ROC would keep their gold medal.
WADA has said it will be investigating the 15-year-old’s entourage – the adults responsible for her skating and welfare.
CNN has reached out to the ROC for comment from Valieva’s coach Eteri Tutberidze and ROC team doctor Filipp Shvetsky but has not received a response.
“These (past few) days have been very difficult for me,” Valieva told Russia’s Channel One earlier this week, after training. “It’s as if I don’t have any emotions left. I am happy, but at the same time, I am emotionally tired.”
CNN’s Ben Morse, Jack Bantock, Selina Wang, Sandi Sidhu, Teele Rebane and Helen Regan contributed to this report. | https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/18/sport/olympics-beijing-kamila-valieva-russia-skating-doping-spt-intl/index.html | 2022-02-18T17:48:32 | en | 0.971432 |
By The Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Lincoln Center will honor Cate Blanchett with its 47th Chaplin Award at the arts organization’s annual fundraising gala.
Film at Lincoln Center announced the award for Blanchett on Friday. It will be presented to her on April 25 at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall.
“We are thrilled to welcome Cate Blanchett back to Film at Lincoln Center, where three of her films have previously screened as part of the New York Film Festival,” said Lesli Klainberg, executive director of Film at Lincoln Center, in a statement. “Ms. Blanchett’s career includes extraordinary performances in films ranging from small independent efforts to major studio franchises and with some of the most renowned directors of our time. It is our privilege to dedicate an evening of celebration to her, and add one more accolade to her many well-deserved awards.”
The previous Chaplin Award Gala, which honored Spike Lee, was postponed more than a year by the pandemic and was ultimately held last September. The Chaplin Award has been given out since 1972 and previous recipients include Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder, Elizabeth Taylor, Martin Scorsese, Meryl Streep and Sidney Poitier.
Blanchett, a two-time Academy Award winner for her performances in “Blue Jasmine” and “The Aviator,” recently co-starred in Guillermo del Toro’s “Nightmare Alley” and Adam McKay’s “Don’t Look Up.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/cate-blanchett-to-receive-film-at-lincoln-center-award/ | 2022-02-18T17:48:34 | en | 0.949318 |
NEW YORK (AP) — Chelsea Clinton has a lot of publishing plans — for her own books, and for books by others.
The Penguin Young Readers imprint Philomel Books announced Friday that Clinton has a new picture story, “Welcome to the Big Kids Club: What Every Older Sibling Needs to Know!”, coming Sept. 13. The book is illustrated by Tania de Regil.
At the same time, she will launch and provide introductions for a nonfiction chapter book series for kids ages 6-9, “Save The …”, about animal conservation.
“’Welcome to the Big Kids Club’ is a reflection of conversations I’ve had with my kids and so many other kids about what it means to have a baby in the family,” Clinton, the mother of three, said in a statement.
“I couldn’t be more excited about this book and the newest ‘Save The’ series. My hope is that young readers and their families will enjoy and learn as much from the books in this series as I have, whether about whale sharks, frogs or more animals that could disappear if we don’t all work together to save them.”
The “Save The” series will begin in September with three books: Sarah L. Thompson’s “Save the … Elephants,” Christine Taylor-Butler’s “Save the … Tigers” and Anita Sanchez’s “Save the … Whale Sharks.”
Clinton, the daughter of former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, has previously written such bestsellers as “She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World” and “She Persisted Around the World: 13 Women Who Changed History.” She has a picture book coming out March 1, “She Persisted in Science: Brilliant Women Who Made a Difference,” with illustrations by Alexandra Bolger.
___
This story corrects the headline to show that Chelsea Clinton is launching a book series, not an imprint.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/chelsea-clinton-to-launch-childrens-book-series-this-fall-2/ | 2022-02-18T17:48:35 | en | 0.945277 |
Photographs of the British royal family captured by members of the public will go on display alongside the work of world-renowned photographers in London next month, at a new exhibition that promises to examine the evolution of the family’s “image across three centuries.”
The Life Through A Royal Lens exhibition will include iconic photographs of Queen Elizabeth, the Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Diana, as well as several images that will provide “a glimpse of the Royal Family off duty,” according to a press release from organizer Historic Royal Palaces.
Amateur photographers were asked to dust off their photo albums and share their photographs of official royal engagements in January, and the final images have now been selected to feature in the exhibition at Kensington Palace. They will sit alongside shots by professionals including Norman Parkinson, Annie Leibovitz and Cecil Beaton.
Historic Royal Palaces, the independent charity that cares for Kensington Palace, said in a press release that the exhibition “will explore the British Royal Family’s enduring relationship with the camera; from the reign of Queen Victoria right through to the present day.”
“From the stiff formality of the Victorian era, through the high glamour of Cecil Beaton’s photographs of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to the relaxed informality of the digital age, for almost 200 years the medium of photography has created an unprecedented intimacy between Sovereign and subjects,” the charity continued.
Nearly 1,000 images were submitted from people around the world who were keen to share their encounters with royal family members, with photographs ranging from royal walkabouts in the 1950s to the traditional Christmas day service at Sandringham, the Queen’s private residence in Norfolk.
Curators from Historic Royal Palaces and a guest judge from royal jewelers Garrard, who have partnered up for the exhibition, chose 50 photographs to feature on a revolving digital display, with some of the winning images revealed ahead of the official opening.
Among the shots is a candid photograph of the Queen and her late husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, smiling while watching the Badminton Horse Trials in Spring 1980, captured by a woman named Elizabeth from California, who was studying in Britain at the time.
“My boyfriend and I were two American teenagers studying in London. We were hitchhiking outside of Bath and were picked up by a couple going to the horse trials, and they ended up taking us with them! It was 42 years ago and still one of the best days of my life,” Elizabeth said, according to the press release.
A photograph of the Queen in Windsor in 2008 was shot by Mike, from the British town of Maidenhead, who said he had traveled with his sister to watch the arrival of then French President Nicolas Sarkozy on a state visit, hoping to “catch a glimpse” of the monarch.
“The town was decorated with many flags. As we waited in the crowd on High Street in Windsor, the Queen drove past us heading for Eton & Windsor Riverside Station to greet the President. I’d like to say that the image I captured was a result of my careful planning, but as is the case on such occasions it was pure serendipity that I caught Her Majesty with the Union Flag reflected in the car window,” Mike said.
Paul, from the city of Leeds in northern England, captured a more recent moment between the Duke of Cambridge and naturalist and veteran broadcaster Sir David Attenborough in 2019, who appear to be sharing a joke.
“They were sat on a stage, listening to speeches. They just looked at each other and just laughed!” Paul said.
Other moments caught on camera by members of the public include the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall taking shade under a parasol during a carriage ride at the Sandringham Flower Show in 2019, as well as a striking black and white image of Diana, Princess of Wales, during a royal engagement, the press release said.
The exhibition will also include several images captured by royals themselves, including well-known photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones – later Lord Snowdon and husband of Princess Margaret – who took the “iconic photograph of Princess Margaret wearing the Poltimore Tiara” in the bathtub at their home in Kensington Palace.
The bathtub photograph illustrates how the work of Lord Snowdon “brought a different, sometimes rebellious, fashionable and more informal side to the family’s public image,” the press release said.
ano
“Ever since Queen Victoria and Prince Albert first embraced the revolutionary new technology of photography, the medium has shaped how the world views the British monarchy. It has allowed the Royal Family to offer fascinating insights into their life and work, transforming the royal image and creating an unprecedented relationship between crown and subjects,” Claudia Acott Williams, curator at Historic Royal Palaces, said, according to a press release.
The exhibition opens at Kensington Palace on March 4. | https://www.cnn.com/style/article/fans-photos-royals-exhibit-kensington-palace-intl-scli-gbr/index.html | 2022-02-18T17:48:38 | en | 0.970801 |
NEW YORK (AP) — Chelsea Clinton has a lot of publishing plans — for her own books, and for books by others.
The Penguin Young Readers imprint Philomel Books announced Friday that Clinton has a new picture story, “Welcome to the Big Kids Club: What Every Older Sibling Needs to Know!”, coming Sept. 13. The book is illustrated by Tania de Regil.
At the same time, she will launch and provide introductions for a nonfiction chapter book series for kids ages 6-9, “Save The …”, about animal conservation.
“’Welcome to the Big Kids Club’ is a reflection of conversations I’ve had with my kids and so many other kids about what it means to have a baby in the family,” Clinton, the mother of three, said in a statement.
“I couldn’t be more excited about this book and the newest ‘Save The’ series. My hope is that young readers and their families will enjoy and learn as much from the books in this series as I have, whether about whale sharks, frogs or more animals that could disappear if we don’t all work together to save them.”
The ‘Save The’ series will begin in September with three books: Sarah L. Thompson’s “Save the … Elephants,” Christine Taylor-Butler’s “Save the … Tigers” and Anita Sanchez’s “Save the … Whale Sharks.”
Clinton, the daughter of former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, has previously written such bestsellers as “She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World” and “She Persisted Around the World: 13 Women Who Changed History.” She has a picture book coming out March 1, “She Persisted in Science: Brilliant Women Who Made a Difference,” with illustrations by Alexandra Bolger.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/chelsea-clinton-to-launch-nonfiction-book-imprint-this-fall-3/ | 2022-02-18T17:48:41 | en | 0.946913 |
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — In a story published Feb. 17, 2022, about indictments involving Austin, Texas, police officers, The Associated Press erroneously reported the name of the Austin Police Association president. He is Ken Casaday, not Ken Cassidy.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/correction-racial-injustice-protests-texas-story/ | 2022-02-18T17:48:47 | en | 0.889015 |
By AMY FORLITI
Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The former suburban Minneapolis police officer who said she confused her handgun for her Taser when she killed Daunte Wright will be sentenced Friday for manslaughter.
Kim Potter was convicted in December of both first-degree and second-degree manslaughter in the April 11 killing of Wright, a 20-year-old Black motorist. She’ll be sentenced only on the most serious charge of first-degree manslaughter, which carries a presumptive penalty of just over seven years in prison.
Prosecutors have said the presumptive sentence is proper, while the defense is asking for a lesser sentence, including one of probation only.
Potter is expected to make a statement at her sentencing hearing before Judge Regina Chu, and her attorneys also plan to read statements from others who support her. The state is planning to present victim-impact statements, in which victims and family members can talk about how Wright’s death affected them.
Wright was killed after Brooklyn Center officers pulled him over for having expired license tags and an air freshener hanging from his rearview mirror. The shooting, which came in the midst of Derek Chauvin’s trial on murder charges in George Floyd’s killing, sparked several days of demonstrations outside the Brooklyn Center police station marked by tear gas and clashes between protesters and police.
Evidence at Potter’s trial showed officers learned he had an outstanding warrant for a weapons possession charge and they tried to arrest him when he pulled away. Video showed Potter shouted several times that she was going to tase Wright, but she had her gun in her hand and fired one shot into his chest.
For someone with no criminal history, such as Potter, the state sentencing guidelines for first-degree manslaughter call for a penalty ranging from slightly more than six years to about 8 1/2 years in prison, with the presumptive sentence being just over seven years.
Prosecutors initially argued that aggravating factors warranted a sentence above the guideline range. They said Potter abused her authority as an officer and that her actions caused a greater-than-normal danger to others.
There is no indication in the court record that they have formally withdrawn that argument, but in a new document they say the presumptive sentence is proper and “takes into account the main elements of the conviction: the death of Daunte Wright and Defendant’s recklessness.”
Defense attorneys, in seeking a lighter sentence, have argued that Wright was the aggressor and that he would be alive if he had obeyed commands. Their argument for probation said she has no prior record, is remorseful, has had an exemplary career and has the support of family and friends. They also said her risk of committing the same crime again is low because she is no longer a police officer, and they said she would do well on probation.
Prosecutor Matt Frank disagreed, but wrote that if the court finds prison isn’t warranted, Potter should get 10 years of probation and be required to spend a year in jail, speak to law enforcement about the dangers of weapons confusion, and speak to Wright’s family about their loss if they want her to do so.
Frank also disagreed with defense arguments that Potter should be given a sentence that goes below the guideline range. If the court finds that Potter’s case is less serious than the typical first-degree manslaughter case, he wrote, the court should issue a sentence between four and slightly over seven years, the presumptive sentences for second-degree and first-degree manslaughter.
In Minnesota, it’s presumed that inmates who show good behavior will serve two-thirds of their sentence in prison and the rest on supervised release, commonly known as parole. That means if Potter gets the roughly seven-year presumptive sentence, she would serve about four years and nine months in custody, with the rest on parole.
Potter has been at the state’s women’s prison in Shakopee since the guilty verdict.
___
The story been updated to correct on one reference that Potter faces sentencing for first-degree manslaughter, not first-degree murder.
___
Find the AP’s full coverage of the Daunte Wright case: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-daunte-wright
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/ex-cop-who-killed-daunte-wright-to-learn-sentence-2/ | 2022-02-18T17:48:53 | en | 0.976014 |
By AMY FORLITI
Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The former suburban Minneapolis police officer who said she confused her handgun for her Taser when she killed Daunte Wright will be sentenced Friday for manslaughter.
Kim Potter was convicted in December of first- and second-degree manslaughter in the April 11 killing of Wright, a 20-year-old Black motorist. She’ll be sentenced only on the most serious charge of first-degree manslaughter, which carries a presumptive penalty of just over seven years in prison.
Prosecutors have said the presumptive sentence is proper, while the defense has asked for a lesser sentence, including one of probation only.
Potter is expected to make a statement at her sentencing hearing before Judge Regina Chu, and her attorneys also plan to read statements from her supporters. Wright’s parents, siblings and the mother of his child are planning to make victim-impact statements, according to court filings in the case.
Wright was killed after Brooklyn Center officers pulled him over for having expired license tags and an air freshener hanging from his rearview mirror. The shooting, which came in the midst of Derek Chauvin’s trial on murder charges in George Floyd’s killing, sparked several days of demonstrations outside the Brooklyn Center police station marked by tear gas and clashes between protesters and police.
Evidence at Potter’s trial showed officers learned he had an outstanding warrant for a weapons possession charge and they tried to arrest him when he pulled away. Video showed Potter shouted several times that she was going to tase Wright, but she had her gun in her hand and fired one shot into his chest.
For someone with no criminal history, such as Potter, the state sentencing guidelines for first-degree manslaughter call for a penalty ranging from slightly more than six years to about 8 1/2 years in prison, with the presumptive sentence being just over seven years.
Prosecutors initially argued that aggravating factors warranted a sentence above the guideline range. They said Potter abused her authority as an officer and that her actions caused a greater-than-normal danger to others.
There is no indication in the court record that they have formally withdrawn that argument, but in a new document they say the presumptive sentence is proper and “takes into account the main elements of the conviction: the death of Daunte Wright and Defendant’s recklessness.”
Defense attorneys, in seeking a lighter sentence, have argued that Wright was the aggressor and that he would be alive if he had obeyed commands. Their argument for probation said she has no prior record, is remorseful, has had an exemplary career and has the support of family and friends. They also said her risk of committing the same crime again is low because she is no longer a police officer, and they said she would do well on probation.
Prosecutor Matt Frank disagreed, but wrote that if the court finds prison isn’t warranted, Potter should get 10 years of probation and be required to spend a year in jail, speak to law enforcement about the dangers of weapons confusion, and speak to Wright’s family about their loss if they want her to do so.
Frank also disagreed with defense arguments that Potter should be given a sentence that goes below the guideline range. If the court finds that Potter’s case is less serious than the typical first-degree manslaughter case, he wrote, the court should issue a sentence between four and slightly over seven years, the presumptive sentences for second-degree and first-degree manslaughter.
In Minnesota, it’s presumed that inmates who show good behavior will serve two-thirds of their sentence in prison and the rest on supervised release, commonly known as parole. That means if Potter gets the roughly seven-year presumptive sentence, she would serve about four years and nine months in custody, with the rest on parole.
Potter has been at the state’s women’s prison in Shakopee since the guilty verdict.
___
The story been corrected to show Potter faces sentencing for first-degree manslaughter, not first-degree murder.
___
Find the AP’s full coverage of the Daunte Wright case: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-daunte-wright
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/ex-minneapolis-cop-who-shot-daunte-wright-to-learn-sentence/ | 2022-02-18T17:48:55 | en | 0.976138 |
Here's some good news for young students and freshers who are looking for a job because the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced internships for its annual summer internship programme that will begin in April 2022.
Any student or freshers who have studied or is willing to pursue higher studies in finance, economics, law, banking, are eligible to apply till December 31.
RBI will hire a total of 125 interns for its summer placements. Selected candidates will be given a stipend of Rs 20,000. The RBI is not responsible for students' airfare and accommodation.
Eligibility:
- Domestic students: Any student who is pursuing a 5-year integrated course or a postgraduate in management, commerce, statistics, law, economics, banking, finance, econometrics can apply.
Students who are pursuing a full three-year professional degree can also apply for the summer internship.
- Foreign students: Any students pursuing future studies in finance, banking, economics, management, law, etc are eligible to apply.
Shortlisted students will be interviewed across RBi offices in January or February 2022. The final result will be announced in the month of February or March 2022.
Here's how you can apply:
Interested students can apply for the following summer internship through the official website.
Foreign students can apply by filling the application form and mailing it to this address - The Chief General Manager Reserve Bank of India Human Resource Management Department (Training & Development Division), Central Office, 21st Floor, Central Office Building, Shahid Bhagat Singh Road, Mumbai – 400 001
Notably, the advance copy can be e-mailed to cgminchrmd@rbi.org.in. | https://www.dnaindia.com/education/report-rbi-recruitment-2022-125-applications-invited-for-internships-eligibility-salary-sarkari-naukri-job-alerts-2919290 | 2022-02-18T17:49:02 | en | 0.951594 |
By RENATA BRITO
Associated Press
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — A French woman accused Greek authorities Friday of forcing her and other migrants back across the border into Turkey, violating her rights both as a person fleeing persecution and as a European citizen.
In court documents seen by The Associated Press, the 32-year-old woman, who has Turkish as well as French citizenship, claims she and her husband were trying to flee Turkey to escape prison sentences that were politically motivated.
They crossed the Evros River by boat into Greece on the way to France, where the woman was born and raised. But she says Greek officials mistreated her and turned her back; she is now in prison in Turkey. From her cell, the woman, who asked to remain anonymous for her safety, filed a lawsuit against Greece on Friday at the European Court of Human Rights.
While so-called “pushbacks” of migrants have become increasingly common despite violating European and international law, experts say the French woman’s story appears to be the first such case brought to court involving a European citizen.
“We have moved from allegations to it being a public secret that pushbacks are engaged in by the Greek authorities on a regular basis,” said Hanne Beirens, director of Migration Policy Institute Europe. “This would be quite a unique case…Because it would show how indiscriminately the Greek authorities are acting and how it affects people from all backgrounds.”
For years, journalists, lawyers and human rights organizations have documented pushbacks by Greece of migrants and refugees across sea or land borders, denying them the right to asylum procedures. Under the principle of non-refoulement in European and international human rights law, people cannot be returned to a country where they would face torture, punishment or harm.
Greek authorities did not respond to multiple requests for comment sent by the AP to the Ministry of Migration and Asylum, the Ministry of Citizen Protection and the Greek Embassy in Paris. However, Greece released a statement Thursday evening after a joint media investigation alleged a separate pushback involving two asylum-seekers later found dead on the Aegean coast.
“Greece protects the external borders of the European Union, in full compliance with international law and in full respect of the charter of fundamental rights,” Greek Migration and Asylum Minister Notis Mitarachi said,
At least 21 migrants have died on the land border between Turkey and Greece so far this year according to the International Organization for Migration’s Missing Migrants Project.
The United Nations agency issued a statement Friday saying it was “alarmed by mounting migrant deaths and continuous reports of pushbacks at the European Union (EU) border between Greece and Turkey.”
“Such actions are not in line with and oppose States’ commitments and obligations under international and regional law, such as the violation of the principle of non-refoulement,” the IOM statement said.
The French woman’s story is laid out in court statements from her, her husband and her sister, including illustrations she did from prison. The AP also drew on interviews in Paris with the sister and one of the woman’s lawyers; documents including her French passport, French national ID and French marriage papers; emails, call logs, and screen shots of texts and GPS data the woman shared in real time with a lawyer.
Born in France to Turkish parents, the woman left France in 2013 to pursue undergraduate studies in Turkey. In April 2018, she and her now-husband were among dozens of students rounded up and accused of belonging to the “Fethullahist Terror Organization” or FETO. The couple deny all accusations.
At the time, Turkey had launched a massive crackdown against followers of U.S.-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen, after a failed military coup in 2016. The government designated the network as a terrorist organization and sentenced close to 5,000 people to prison, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.
The French woman was detained for 11 days but released on parole. A few months later, she was sentenced to more than six years in prison, which she appealed. In June last year, her prison sentence and her husband’s were confirmed by the Supreme Court. They ultimately decided to flee, selling the family jewelry to pay smugglers to get to Greece.
The woman’s family trusted that once she stepped foot in Greece, a European Union country and part of the Schengen area, Europe’s visa-free travel zone, she would be safe. As the couple crossed Greece’s eastern border on the morning of Oct. 19, 2021, her family anxiously awaited news from their home 90 km outside Paris. They followed the woman’s movements on a real-time location tracking app.
At 9:38 a.m., the woman sent a text message on What’sApp: “We have passed.”
Her family proceeded to contact both French and Greek authorities, saying the couple needed help.
“They are victims of persecution by the current Turkish government,” read their email, which they followed up with phone calls. “We are VERY VERY worried for them!”
Shortly after, Greek officials stopped the couple, the lawsuit alleges. After they presented her French ID, a copy of her French passport and the French family booklet that proved their marriage, the officers asked them to kneel. They then took the couple’s telephones, power bank, clothes and food and cut their shoelaces, according to the statement.
The woman says they were taken in the back of a truck to a “closed box” inside a gated area and kept there for hours with other migrants, some from Afghanistan who were barefoot. She says officers slapped one of them.
Meanwhile, in France, her family had lost contact with her and was getting increasingly worried. Her sisters scrambled to call and email both Greek and French authorities.
After they shared their concern that their sister would be returned to Turkey, an official at the Greek embassy in Paris sent a text message in French: “Since she has a French passport, there is no problem(…)Calm down. There is no danger in Greece.”
The man confirmed to the AP that he had been in contact with the woman’s family but said he was not authorized to speak to the press. Requests for comment to the Greek embassy in Paris were not answered. The woman’s family say they also exchanged several phone calls with the French consulate in Thessaloniki, and sent an email with the woman’s last known location and a copy of her passport.
After being detained for several hours, the migrants were rounded up onto a truck and taken to the Evros river, the woman says. They were made to board an inflatable boat without life vests.
“We continued to beg them not to send us back, explaining to them I was French and that we were persecuted in Turkey,” she says in her statement.
She spoke to officials in French and English, to no avail. They were caught by Turkish soldiers on the other side and taken to a police station, she says. The next day, they were in prison.
“We are totally disappointed with Greek authorities,” her sister told the AP in Paris, asking to remain anonymous to protect her safety. “We didn’t think they would return a persecuted person back to the persecutor.”
“We are equally disappointed with French authorities because we were abandoned,” she said.
Since then, she said, her family has written countless letters to French and European Union lawmakers and officials, and even to French President Emmanuel Macron, asking for help. The French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs told the AP in a written statement that officials in Paris, Greece and Turkey “had maintained a close relationship with (the woman’s) family from the moment they were alerted to her situation.”
They said they are also seeking a consular visit to the woman in prison in Turkey. There, she told her sister, she has been stripped naked for searches three times. In the first prison she was taken to, she said, she shared a cell with mice.
Catherine Briddick, a lecturer in International Human Rights and Refugee Law at Oxford University, said the woman’s case “shows the absurdity of Fortress Europe.”
“(It) should give pause to European citizens everywhere to think about what these policies are doing to us, as well as to the people we’re trying to keep out,” she said.
Omer Shatz, a lawyer representing the French woman along with Violeta Moreno-Lax and Francesco Gatta, argues their client was a victim of increasing racial discrimination at the borders of Europe.
“She was really begging to them, showing them her (French) IDs and travel documents but was ignored,” said Shatz, legal director of Front-Lex, which challenges EU migration policies. “Why? Because the way she looks. Probably Muslim, probably looking like a refugee, probably not white.”
Migration has been brought to the center stage of the French presidential campaign, with both Macron and his opponents on the right and far-right taking ever stronger stances against irregular crossings. European countries have spent billions on surveillance technology at their borders, despite growing accusations of human rights violations.
A European Commission spokesperson said it doesn’t comment on ongoing legal proceedings but is “concerned about any reports of pushbacks and mistreatment….Efficient border management must be firmly rooted in the respect of human dignity and the principle of non-refoulement.” The French woman’s family says they received a similar response to a letter they sent the commission.
“The EU, unfortunately, has declared that Greece was the shield of Europe…it frees the Greek authorities from many constraints,” said Francois Crepeau, a professor at McGill University in Canada and a former UN special rapporteur on the human rights of migrants. While in public many European officials will condemn pushbacks as illegal, he said, “in fact, they’re quite happy that Greece is doing the dirty job for everyone else.”
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AP journalists Theodora Tongas in Athens, Greece and Elaine Ganley in Paris, contributed to this report.
___
Follow AP’s global migration coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/migration
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/from-turkish-jail-french-woman-accuses-greece-of-pushback-2/ | 2022-02-18T17:49:01 | en | 0.980514 |
By CHINEDU ASADU
Associated Press
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — A prolonged fuel shortage in Nigeria, Africa’s top crude oil producer, has provoked growing frustration and many citizens are demanding government action.
Authorities blamed the scarcity of fuel on the withdrawal of adulterated gasoline which the West African nation’s national oil company said was found to have been imported by four oil marketers.
In the aftermath, the oil regulator has been unable to sustain distribution to retail outlets nationwide.
Across Nigerian cities on Friday, lines spilled from gas stations into major roads as motorists spent hours and nights waiting to fuel their cars.
“I slept with mosquitoes (at the station) … because there was no other option,” said Chijioke Ngene, a taxi driver and father of six who said he spent 14 hours through the night until he could buy fuel from a gas station in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
Gasoline shortages are common in Nigeria even though it is one of Africa’s top crude oil producers, pumping an average of 1.27 million barrels per day in November, according to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Nigeria’s oil exports contributed more than 7% to its economic growth rate of 3.4% in 2021, the statistics agency reported this week.
But the country still depends on imported fuel as a result of under-performing refineries. Past fuel shortage crises have been caused by several factors including frequent strikes and the hoarding of the commodity by marketers in response to government policies.
The Nigerian government has said a “major investigation to unravel everything” has been launched to resolve the latest crisis.
Nigerians are groaning over the fuel shortage. Car owners are spending more time at filling stations than on the road, transport fares have skyrocketed and workers are finding it increasingly difficult to get to their offices.
Some operators are making fast money as they sell gasoline to desperate car owners for almost triple the original pump price.
In Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city, and Abuja the public transport systems are being overstretched with fewer vehicles able to ferry commuters.
“Bolt (a ride-hailing platform) charged me Naira 5,000 ($12) this morning as fare to the office this morning from the usual Naira 2,000 ($5) I used to pay,” said Enitan Omolola who works as a sales clerk in Lagos. Many are unable to afford the increasing fares and have to struggle for seats in the public buses or walk long distances to work at best.
A national workers’ union is threatening to strike, increasing pressure to resolve the crisis. The main opposition party has also asked Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, who is also the nation’s petroleum minister, to resign that post.
Though the state-run Nigerian National Petroleum Company has said it has 1 billion liters of gas in stock and another 2.3 billion liters scheduled for delivery before the end of the month, its managing director, Mele Kyari, admitted in a meeting with Nigerian lawmakers that the fuel shortage “is completely unavoidable (and) we didn’t see it coming.”
The company has directed gas stations under its control to begin 24-hour sales though analysts argue the measure is not sustainable and not enough.
Gas station workers are also finding it difficult to cope with the surge in demand. Asked about the impact of working all night and into the next afternoon at one of the gas stations in Abuja, Eniola Ossai, an attendant, responded with a smirk: “What do you want us to do? It’s a serious situation,” he said.
Okorie Ikechukwu, 35, is one of the hundreds of taxi drivers operating in Abuja whose earnings have continued to drop as a result of the crisis. From earning Naira 7,000 ($17) a day, he now returns home to his family of three after the day’s work with between Naira 2,000 ($5) and Naira 3,000 ($7) he said, spending less time working and more time at gas stations.
“It has been terrible,” he said of the impact of the crisis on his business. “It is only God that is sustaining us. I am begging the government to help us.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/frustration-grows-in-nigeria-at-continuing-fuel-shortage/ | 2022-02-18T17:49:08 | en | 0.97105 |
By EDNA TARIGAN
Associated Press
JAKARTA (AP) — Finance leaders of the world’s biggest economies called Friday for a cautious and well coordinated approach to navigating recoveries from the pandemic.
Finance ministers and top central bankers of the Group of 20 industrial nations agreed on a need to minimize the impact of moves by the U.S. and other countries to combat inflation by raising interest rates and unwinding other measures to buffer economies from repeated waves of coronavirus outbreaks, said Indonesian central bank Gov. Perry Warjiyo.
“We agreed that in order to support the global financial system we need a well coordinated and well considered normalization policy,” Warjiyo told reporters in an online news conference.
“This is important so that these policies have minimum impact on global financial markets and on developing countries.”
Meetings like the one held Thursday and Friday in Jakarta lay the groundwork for a summit of G-20 leaders later in the year.
As of Friday evening, the leaders had not yet released their communique. But Indonesian officials indicated that much of what was discussed was carried over from last year’s talks: global tax policies, climate financing and funding for improved public health.
In opening the meetings, Indonesian President Joko Widodo urged that countries cooperate to support the global recovery and avoid tensions like those in Ukraine.
“The pandemic is far from over, and the global economy is struggling,” Widodo said.
Financial leaders are treading a precarious path between raising costs of borrowing to cool inflation and alleviating the damage from the pandemic.
The U.S. Federal Reserve is pulling back on massive support for markets and businesses, preparing to raise interest rates as soon as next month to cool inflation that jumped to 7.5% in January — the highest rate in 40 years.
Consumer prices rose to a record 5.1% in the 19 countries that use the euro last month and to a nearly 30-year high in the United Kingdom.
Indonesia’s central bank has also moved to curb inflation. But some other economies have yet to bounce back from the havoc caused by the pandemic.
Officials attended the G-20 meetings both in person and online, given troubles with travel and quarantines due to outbreaks mostly of the omicron variant of coronavirus, that are plaguing many countries.
Host Indonesia is among many countries in Southeast Asia that have endured severe waves of infections, though vaccinations have helped quell the worst of outbreaks.
The world’s 10th largest economy, it is located in the fastest growing region — at least before the pandemic swept the world, disrupting business and travel while killing nearly 6 million people.
___
AP Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach in Bangkok contributed to this report.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/g20-finance-leaders-urge-care-in-unwinding-pandemic-support/ | 2022-02-18T17:49:15 | en | 0.955038 |
By COSTAS KANTOURIS, DEREK GATOPOULOS and COLLEEN BARRY
Associated Press
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Scores of passengers and crew have been rescued from a fire that engulfed an Italy-bound ferry with 290 people on board near the Greek island of Corfu, authorities said Friday. Coast guard officials said two truck drivers were stranded on the burning vessel awaiting a helicopter rescue, adding that a full check of passenger and crew member lists was expected to take several hours.
The rescued passengers were being transported to Corfu, where one crew member and three passengers were hospitalized with breathing difficulties.
“This is a difficult operation and we must remain cautious. The final accounting of the people on board will take place on Corfu when everyone rescued is assembled there,” Greek Deputy Minister for Shipping Costas Katsafados told state-run ERT television.
The predawn fire broke out in the Ionian Sea on the Italy-flagged Euroferry Olympia three hours after it left the port of Igoumenitsa in northwest Greece for the Italian port of Brindisi. Greek authorities said 239 passengers and 51 crew members on board, adding that the vessel was transporting more than 153 trucks and 32 cars.
The 183-meter (600-foot) ferry, built in 1995, is operated by the Grimaldi Group, based in Naples, Italy. It was traveling near the small Greek island of Ereikousa, 15 kilometers north of Corfu, when the fire started. Helicopter video released by the Greek coast guard showed thick smoke billowing from the vessel hours after the rescue started.
Greek truck driver Giorgos Parlantzas, one of the rescued passengers, recounted what took place on the Euroferry Olympia. “I was sleeping in my cabin when they came to alert us. I grabbed my ID and headed for the deck where people were being assembled. It must have been about 3:00 or 4:00 a.m. And we were put onto boats,” Parlantzas told the AP, speaking by telephone after arriving in Corfu.
Six boats from Greece’s coast guard and navy participated in the rescue effort along with four helicopters, an Italian customs inspection boat and several passing vessels, senior coast guard official Nikos Lagadianos said.
Rescued passengers, many wrapped in foil blankets, arrived in Corfu aboard the Italian inspection vessel and were being taken to an assembly area where paramedics were carrying out first aid checks, local officials said. Italy’s customs agency said 243 people were rescued by its vessel.
___
Kantouris reported from Thessaloniki, Greece and Barry from Milan, Italy
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/greece-2-drivers-trapped-on-burning-ferry-scores-rescued/ | 2022-02-18T17:49:22 | en | 0.975588 |
By COSTAS KANTOURIS, DEREK GATOPOULOS and COLLEEN BARRY
Associated Press
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Firefighters and rescuers raced to free two truck drivers still trapped in a burning ferry off northwestern Greece Friday after most of the nearly 300 people on board were evacuated, while authorities said another 11 people were reported missing.
The coast guard said 278 passengers and crew had been rescued from a fire that engulfed the Italy-bound Euroferry Olympia with 291 people on board near the Greek island of Corfu.
Officials said two truck drivers were stranded on the burning vessel awaiting a helicopter rescue that required assistance from Fire Department special forces due to the thick smoke that continued to billow out of the vessel.
The cause of the blaze was unclear. The Italy-based ferry company said it started in a hold where vehicles were parked.
“This is a difficult operation and we must remain cautious. The final accounting of the people on board will take place on Corfu when everyone rescued is assembled there,” Greek Deputy Minister for Shipping Costas Katsafados told state-run ERT television.
The rescued passengers were transported to Corfu where 10 people were hospitalized. None were in serious condition and most had breathing difficulties.
The predawn fire broke out in the Ionian Sea on the Italy-flagged Euroferry Olympia three hours after it left the port of Igoumenitsa in northwest Greece for the Italian port of Brindisi. Greek authorities said 239 passengers and 51 crew members on board, adding that the vessel was transporting more than 153 trucks and 32 cars.
The 183-meter (600-foot) ferry, built in 1995, is operated by the Grimaldi Group, based in Naples, Italy. It was traveling near the small Greek island of Ereikousa, 15 kilometers north of Corfu, when the fire started. Helicopter video released by the Greek coast guard showed thick smoke billowing from the vessel hours after the rescue started.
Greek truck driver Giorgos Parlantzas, one of the rescued passengers, recounted what took place on the Euroferry Olympia.
“I was sleeping in my cabin when they came to alert us. I grabbed my ID and headed for the deck where people were being assembled. It must have been about 3:00 or 4:00 a.m. And we were put onto boats,” Parlantzas told the AP, speaking by telephone after arriving in Corfu.
Six boats from Greece’s coast guard and navy participated in the rescue effort along with four helicopters, an Italian customs inspection boat and several passing vessels, senior coast guard official Nikos Lagadianos said.
A coast guard vessel from nearby Albania was also assisting, along with several firefighting vessels and privately-chartered boats.
Rescued passengers, many wrapped in foil blankets, arrived in Corfu aboard the Italian inspection vessel and were being taken to an assembly area where paramedics were carrying out first aid checks, local officials said.
Italy’s customs agency said 243 people were rescued by its vessel.
___
Kantouris reported from Thessaloniki, Greece and Barry from Milan, Italy
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/greece-2-trapped-in-burning-ferry-11-others-missing-2/ | 2022-02-18T17:49:28 | en | 0.979727 |
By COSTAS KANTOURIS, DEREK GATOPOULOS and COLLEEN BARRY
Associated Press
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek authorities say firefighters and rescue specialists are racing to try and free two truck drivers stranded inside a burning ferry off western Greece, while 11 others have been reported missing.
The coast guard said Friday 278 passengers and crew had been rescued from a fire that engulfed the Italy-bound ferry Euroferry Olympia with 291 people on board near the Greek island of Corfu.
Officials said two truck drivers were stranded on the burning vessel awaiting a helicopter rescue that required assistance from Fire Department special forces due to the thick smoke that continued to billow out of the vessel.
The rescued passengers were transported to Corfu where 10 people were hospitalized. None were in serious condition and most had breathing difficulties.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Scores of passengers and crew have been rescued from a fire that engulfed an Italy-bound ferry with 290 people on board near the Greek island of Corfu, authorities said Friday.
Coast guard officials said two truck drivers were stranded on the burning vessel awaiting a helicopter rescue, adding that a full check of passenger and crew member lists was expected to take several hours.
The rescued passengers were being transported to Corfu, where one crew member and three passengers were hospitalized with breathing difficulties.
“This is a difficult operation and we must remain cautious. The final accounting of the people on board will take place on Corfu when everyone rescued is assembled there,” Greek Deputy Minister for Shipping Costas Katsafados told state-run ERT television.
The predawn fire broke out in the Ionian Sea on the Italy-flagged Euroferry Olympia three hours after it left the port of Igoumenitsa in northwest Greece for the Italian port of Brindisi. Greek authorities said 239 passengers and 51 crew members on board, adding that the vessel was transporting more than 153 trucks and 32 cars.
The 183-meter (600-foot) ferry, built in 1995, is operated by the Grimaldi Group, based in Naples, Italy. It was traveling near the small Greek island of Ereikousa, 15 kilometers north of Corfu, when the fire started. Helicopter video released by the Greek coast guard showed thick smoke billowing from the vessel hours after the rescue started.
Greek truck driver Giorgos Parlantzas, one of the rescued passengers, recounted what took place on the Euroferry Olympia. “I was sleeping in my cabin when they came to alert us. I grabbed my ID and headed for the deck where people were being assembled. It must have been about 3:00 or 4:00 a.m. And we were put onto boats,” Parlantzas told the AP, speaking by telephone after arriving in Corfu.
Six boats from Greece’s coast guard and navy participated in the rescue effort along with four helicopters, an Italian customs inspection boat and several passing vessels, senior coast guard official Nikos Lagadianos said.
Rescued passengers, many wrapped in foil blankets, arrived in Corfu aboard the Italian inspection vessel and were being taken to an assembly area where paramedics were carrying out first aid checks, local officials said. Italy’s customs agency said 243 people were rescued by its vessel.
___
Kantouris reported from Thessaloniki, Greece and Barry from Milan, Italy
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/greece-2-trapped-in-burning-ferry-11-others-missing/ | 2022-02-18T17:49:34 | en | 0.977141 |
The San Francisco 49ers announced on Tuesday that they have signed LB Bruce Davis and LB Brandon Long. The team also announced that LB Martail Burnett was waived/injured.
Davis (6-3, 252) originally entered the league as a third round draft pick (88th overall) by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2008 NFL Draft. He played in five games for the Steelers in 2008. Davis was released at the end of training camp in 2009 and was signed to the New England Patriots practice squad in October 2009, where he spent the remainder of the season. He was waived by the Patriots in May 2010, and was claimed off waivers by the Denver Broncos on June 1. The Broncos released Davis on July 27.
Davis, a 24-year old native of Los Angeles, CA, starred collegiately at UCLA where he ranks second in school history with 29.5 career sacks. He was a two-time All-American and All-Pac 10 selection.
Long (6-3, 254), originally signed with the 49ers on April 30, 2010, and was released on June 18.
Long, a 23-year old from Canton, OH, tallied 68 tackles in four seasons at Michigan State, including 11.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks, in 43 career games. As a senior in 2008, Long was named honorable mention All-Big Ten by the media and had a career-high 39 tackles, including 5.5 sacks.
Long will wear jersey No. 49 and Davis will wear No. 47. | https://www.49ers.com/news/49ers-sign-lbs-davis-and-long-2579747 | 2022-02-18T17:49:39 | en | 0.991185 |
BERLIN (AP) — Germany has crossed over the peak of new daily infections with the omicron variant of COVID-19, the country’s health minister said on Friday.
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said government measures to curb infection numbers have been effective, but he warned against relaxing the public health rules too hastily.
“We are not really in safe waters,” he told reporters in Berlin.
Lauterbach, an epidemiologist by training, noted that as many as 12% of people over age 60 in Germany are still unvaccinated. That share is three to four times higher than that of unvaccinated, vulnerable population groups in comparable countries.
Germany has been slower than many of its neighbors to relax pandemic restrictions. Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the country’s 16 state governors agreed Wednesday on a three-step plan to end most of the country’s COVID-19 rules by March 20.
Lauterbach defended the cautious approach, saying that “if we open too quickly, then the case numbers will rise again.”
He also said a general vaccine mandate was still necessary, noting that new or existing variants of the virus could lead to a fresh wave of infections in the fall that could put a severe strain on the health system.
Lauterbach urged opposition lawmakers not to block compulsory vaccination proposals over party politicking. Parliament is expected to hold a free vote on the issue, but the opposition Union bloc has increasingly moved away from backing the idea in recent weeks.
Germany’s disease control agency on Friday reported 220,048 newly confirmed daily cases of COVID-19 and 264 additional deaths.
The Robert Koch Institute said almost a quarter of Germany’s entire population – nearly 20 million people – has not been vaccinated. The figure includes about 4 million children under age 5 for whom COVID-19 vaccines have not yet been authorized, the institute said.
Germany announced Friday that it was taking almost 20 countries off its list of high-risk areas, including Britain, India, Spain and the United States. The move will make it easier for some travelers coming from those countries to enter Germany.
Previously, people who weren’t deemed to be fully vaccinated had to quarantine for at least five days upon arrival.
___
Follow AP’s pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/health-minister-germany-has-crossed-omicron-peak-2/ | 2022-02-18T17:49:40 | en | 0.965213 |
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We use cookies to personalize content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media. See details. | https://www.tayyar.org/News/Lebanon/461397/_guid=461397 | 2022-02-18T17:49:46 | en | 0.94178 |
By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press
TOKYO (AP) — A team of experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency visited the site at Japan’s wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant where more than a million tons of treated radioactive waste water are to be released into the ocean, as they seek to determine how to make the decades-long project safe.
Japan has sought the IAEA’s assistance to ensure the release meets international safety standards and to gain the understanding of neighboring countries that have sharply criticized the plan.
The water is being stored in about 1,000 tanks at the damaged plant which must be removed so that facilities can be built for its decommissioning, plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings says. The tanks are expected to reach their capacity of 1.37 million tons later this year.
A massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011 destroyed the Fukushima plant’s cooling systems, causing the meltdown of three reactors and the release of large amounts of radiation. Water used since the accident to cool the damaged reactor cores, which remain highly radioactive, has leaked extensively.
The government and TEPCO announced plans last year to begin gradually releasing the filtered but still-contaminated water in spring 2023 after its further treatment and dilution.
The IAEA team met this week with government and TEPCO officials and visited the Fukushima plant, where they saw the site of the planned discharge and monitored the collection of water samples from tanks and other areas, it said. The samples will be analyzed at IAEA labs.
“The IAEA taskforce made significant progress in its work this week to get a better understanding of Japan’s operational and regulatory plans for the discharge of treated water,” Lydie Evrard, IAEA’s deputy director general and head of its department of nuclear safety and security, told reporters as the team finished its mission Friday.
Evrard said the role of the taskforce is to help Japan carry out the planned release safely under international standards, not to authorize or make decisions.
The water discharge plan has been fiercely opposed by fishermen, local residents and neighbors China and South Korea. Fukushima residents worry that the reputation of their agricultural and fishing products will be further tarnished by the water release.
Officials say all isotopes in the contaminated water selected for treatment can be reduced to releasable levels except for tritium, which is inseparable from the water but is harmless in small amounts. They say a gradual release of the water, diluted with seawater, into the ocean over decades is safe.
Evrard said the team witnessed early preparations at the plant for the release, including construction of equipment needed to discharge the water.
The team includes experts from 11 countries, including South Korea and China. Evrard said it plans to release a report in April on this week’s mission.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/iaea-reviews-water-release-from-damaged-japan-nuclear-plant-2/ | 2022-02-18T17:49:47 | en | 0.957656 |
BEIJING (AP) — The Latest on the Beijing Winter Olympics:
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Sui Wenjing and Han Cong of China shattered their own world record for a short program at the Beijing Games on Friday night, giving them the narrowest of leads over Russian rivals Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov heading into the free skate to decide the Olympic champion.
Sui and Han, who won the short program at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games before settling for the silver medal, scored 84.41 points to their orchestral suite from the film “Mission: Impossible 2.” That topped the record of 82.83 points that they set during the short program of the team competition earlier this month.
Tarasova and Morozov, who are coached in part by the controversial Eteri Tutberidze, also would have broken the record with their short program. Instead, the fourth-place finishers in Pyeongchang were 16-hundredths of a point behind.
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The start of the Olympic men’s curling final between Britain and Sweden has been pushed back 45 minutes to accommodate TV viewers in Europe.
The match will be played at 2:50 p.m. on Saturday, rather than 2:05 p.m. Sweden is seven hours behind Beijing, and Britain is eight hours back.
The women’s bronze medal match will take place afterward at the original start time of 8:05 p.m.
Organizers also said that the men’s victory ceremony will now take place at the Ice Cube curling venue, instead of the medals plaza. Canada beat the United States for the bronze on Friday.
___
Russian figure skating coach Eteri Tutberidze was back rink-side for the pairs competition Friday, hours after she was criticized by International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach for her callous attitude toward Kamila Valieva after the women’s free skate.
Tutberidze helps to coach the Russian pairs team of Aleksandra Boikova and Dmitrii Kozlovskii.
Valieva, the 15-year-old at the center of a doping scandal, crashed out of the women’s program without a medal Thursday night. As she exited the ice, Tutberidze was caught on camera berating her in Russian.
Bach never identified Tutberidze by name, but he did refer to Valieva’s coaches and said during his Friday news conference that there “appeared to be a tremendous coldness” and that “it was chilling to see this.”
___
Figure skater Timothy LeDuc became the first nonbinary American athlete to compete at the Winter Games, joining up with Ashley Cain-Gribble for a strong short program to open their pairs competition Friday night.
Their score of 74.13 points was a season best and put them squarely in the top 10 entering Saturday’s free skate.
The 31-year-old LeDuc came out as nonbinary last year. The term is used to describe a person who does not identify as exclusively male or female, and can also encompass agender, bigender, genderqueer and gender-fluid.
Last year, Canadian women’s soccer player Quinn became the first openly transgender and nonbinary Olympic medal winner when the team earned gold in Tokyo. Weightlifter Laurel Hubbard, skateboarder Alana Smith and cyclist Chelsea Wolfe also were among at least 186 openly LGBTQ participants during the Summer Games.
___
Elana Meyers Taylor has been picked to be a flagbearer again. And this time, she’ll be able to take the job.
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee announced Friday night that the four-time Olympian bobsledder will carry the American flag into Sunday night’s closing ceremony of the Beijing Games.
The announcement was synched to Meyers Taylor’s first run in the women’s bobsled event. As soon as she crossed the line in the first heat, the USOPC revealed that she was the flagbearer pick.
Meyers Taylor was chosen to be one of the flagbearers for the U.S. at the opening ceremony on Feb. 4 but could not participate because she was in isolation following a positive COVID-19 test. That spot went to speedskater Brittany Bowe instead, who led the U.S. delegation into the opening alongside curler John Shuster.
___
The last Alpine skiing race of the Beijing Olympics has been rescheduled for an hour earlier than planned because of strong wind in the forecast.
The mixed team parallel event is now set to start at 10 a.m. on Saturday Beijing time, instead of 11 a.m.
The wind is supposed to top 20 mph (30 kph.)
The team event involves men and women from each participating country and is the last chance for American Mikaela Shiffrin to pick up a 2022 Winter Games medal.
Only one of the 10 athletes who earned individual Alpine golds in Beijing was listed on the team rosters released Friday: Austria’s Johannes Strolz. He won the men’s combined last week and also picked up a silver in slalom on Wednesday.
There is a 16-team bracket but only 15 nations entered, so top-ranked Austria will get a first-round bye.
The first-round matchups are United States vs. Slovakia, Switzerland vs. China, Italy vs. Russia, Norway vs. Poland, France vs. Czech Republic, Germany vs. Sweden, and Slovenia vs. Canada.
___
Johannes Thingnes Boe looked like his old self again, dominating from the start and holding his composure through the four shooting stages to win the Olympic gold medal Friday in the biathlon mass start race.
The Norwegian great threw his arms in the air as he crossed the line in 38 minutes, 14.4 seconds.
Martin Ponsiluoma of Sweden only missed one target in the last shooting and left the range chasing Boe. He earned silver, 40.3 seconds behind Boe. Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen of Norway shot clean in the last shooting and took bronze, finishing 1:12.5 behind.
___
Thomas Krol has won gold in the 1,000 meters, giving the Netherlands its third straight Olympic speedskating title in the event.
Krol was timed in 1 minute, 7.92 seconds.
Laurent Dubreuil of Canada took silver. Haavard Lorentzen, the 2018 silver medalist, earned bronze.
The Netherlands earned its fifth gold medal in 12 events in Beijing with one day of competition remaining.
In 2014, Stefan Groothuis won the 1,000 and Kjeld Nuis followed with a victory in 2018.
___
Sixteen years after he won the Olympic curling gold medal, Brad Gushue is going back to Canada with bronze.
The Canadians capitalized on a missed final shot by American — and reigning Olympic champion — John Shuster in the second-to-last end that turned a one-point edge into an insurmountable 8-5 lead.
Gushue won gold in Turin in 2006. Back then, he shared a podium with Shuster, who won bronze.
This time, the Canadian skip knocked his American counterpart off of it.
The Americans took a 5-4 lead with two points in the sixth, then Canada scored two in the eighth to take the lead. With the United States holding the last-rock advantage in the ninth, Shuster tried to knock loose two Canadian rocks in the scoring area but missed.
That gave Gushue two points, with one end to go. Canada’s third-to last shot cleared all of the American rocks out of the target area, leaving no chance for the U.S. to tie the match, and Shuster immediately conceded.
___
Justine Braisaz-Bouchet moved to the front with strong, patient shooting and stayed there with her cross-country skiing to win the women’s biathlon mass start race at the Olympics.
A bitter wind affected the field as they lined up each time to shoot, but Braisaz-Bouchet only missed once in the last standing shooting and skied out of the range in first place. She held on and crossed the line carrying a French flag in 40 minutes, 18 seconds.
Norwegian teammates Tiril Eckhoff and Marte Olsbu Roeiseland missed two targets each in that last bout and left the range together, 48 seconds behind the Frenchwoman. Eckhoff chased hard and crossed the line for the silver, trailing Braisaz-Bouchet by 15.3 seconds.
Roeiseland took bronze — her fifth medal at the Beijing Games.
Roeiseland is the second biathlete, male or female, to win a medal in all four individual events at an Olympics, matching Norwegian great Ole Einar Bjoerndalen. She also won gold in the mixed relay.
___
Ryan Regez led a 1-2 finish by Switzerland in the Olympic skicross final at Genting Snow Park.
Regez grabbed the lead early and never relinquished it along a course filled with bumps, jumps and rolling terrain. He raised his arms in triumph shortly after crossing the finish line.
His teammate, 36-year-old Alex Fiva, finished with the silver medal and Russian athlete Sergey Ridzik grabbed the bronze.
As a kid, Regez always thought his future was in Alpine skiing, more specifically the downhill. When that didn’t pan out, he started an apprenticeship as a structural draftsman before discovering skicross.
It paid off in gold.
In the small final, Italian skicross racer Simone Deromedis won the heat with a little bit of flair. He was coming off the last jump and did the splits before crossing the finish line.
___
International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach has criticized Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva’s entourage for their “tremendous coldness” toward the 15-year-old skater after her mistake-filled free skate at the Beijing Olympics.
Bach says it was “chilling” to see on television. Valieva, who has been at the center of a controversy over a positive doping test, finished fourth overall despite placing first in the women’s short program earlier in the week.
The IOC president did not name Valieva’s coach, Eteri Tutberidze, who was seen on camera telling a visibly upset Valieva “Why did you let it go? Why did you stop fighting?”
Bach says “you could feel this chilling atmosphere, this distance.”
Tutberidze and other members of Valieva’s entourage will be investigated over the teenager’s positive test for a heart medication ahead of the Olympics.
Bach says the pressure on Valieva was “beyond my imagination.”
___
Eileen Gu captured gold in the women’s ski halfpipe final on a breezy and cold morning to become the first action-sports athlete to earn three medals at the same Winter Olympics.
Gu warmed up with a score of 93.25 on her first run, before going even higher and even bigger to post a 95.25 her second. For her third and final pass, and with the contest locked up, she took a nice leisurely stroll.
The standout American-born freestyle skier who represents China already possessed a gold from big air and a silver from slopestyle.
Defending Olympic champion Cassie Sharpe of Canada finished second and her teammate Rachael Karker earned the bronze. Teenager Hanna Faulhaber was the top American finisher in sixth place.
___
Germany’s Francesco Friedrich took part in the final day of four-man bobsled training at the Beijing Olympics on Friday, one day after suggesting he might skip the session.
Friedrich was the first sled down the hill on Friday for the final training session. That may have played a role in his decision to take part. Friedrich was one of the last sleds to get on the ice Thursday during four-man training and afterward the three-time Olympic champion expressed concerns about the conditions of the track.
He likely enjoyed what he saw Friday. Friedrich started the day with a run of 58.98 seconds. That was his fastest in five trips down the Yanqing Sliding Center ice in his four-man sled this week.
He’s the overwhelming favorite for gold in the four-man event that starts on Saturday.
Some top sliders did choose to skip training Friday, including Canadian teammates Justin Kripps and Chris Spring, Germany’s Christoph Hafer and Latvian veteran Oskars Kibermanis. It’s not unusual for veterans to opt out of a training session, in order to preserve their bodies and sleds for the looming two days of competition.
___
Eileen Gu posted the highest score in her first run of the women’s ski halfpipe final as she bids to become the first action-sports athlete to capture three medals at the same Winter Games.
The standout American-born freestyle skier who represents China already possesses a gold from big air and a silver from slopestyle.
On a blustery and cool day, Gu turned in a solid run and scored a 93.25 to easily lead the way. Defending Olympic champion Cassie Sharpe of Canada sits in second place after the opening run of three and her teammate Rachael Karker was in third. American teenager Hanna Faulhaber was in fourth.
The temperature hovered around 3 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 16 Celsius) with an 11 mph wind.
___
The judges who let Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva compete at the Beijing Olympics despite a positive test for a banned substance blamed anti-doping officials for a “failure to function effectively.”
The Court of Arbitration for Sport, in a newly published 41-page document explaining their decision, cited an “untenable delay” at the testing laboratory in Sweden.
It meant Valieva’s positive test for a heart medication was only revealed during the Olympics despite her urine sample arriving in Stockholm on Dec. 29. The lab’s staffing was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Her lawyers suggested she was contaminated because her grandfather uses the banned heart medication she tested positive for.
The judges’ full verdict was published early Friday, hours after the 15-year-old Valieva’s mistake-filled free skate dropped her from the lead to finish fourth in the Olympic women’s individual event.
___
The International Testing Agency says Ukrainian bobsledder Lidiia Hunko has tested positive for an anabolic steroid at the Beijing Games.
The ITA says she failed a drug test after competing Monday. She placed 20th in women’s monobob.
Hunko is the third athlete to test positive for doping at the Beijing Olympics and the second from Ukraine, after cross-country skier Valnetyna Kaminska.
All three ITA cases in Beijing have detected a steroid.
The 28-year-old Hunko placed second in the 2016 World’s Strongest Woman contest, according to her official Beijing Olympics athlete biography.
___
More AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/winter-olympics and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/olympics-live-china-pair-breaks-figure-skating-world-record-2/ | 2022-02-18T17:49:53 | en | 0.961499 |
BEIJING (AP) — The Latest on the Beijing Winter Olympics:
___
Sui Wenjing and Han Chan of China shattered their own world record for a short program at the Beijing Games on Friday night, giving them the narrowest of leads over Russian rivals Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov heading into the free skate to decide the Olympic champion.
Sui and Han, who won the short program at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games before settling for the silver medal, scored 84.41 points to their orchestral suite from the film “Mission: Impossible 2.” That topped the record of 82.83 points that they set during the short program of the team competition earlier this month.
Tarasova and Morozov, who are coached in part by the controversial Eteri Tutberidze, also would have broken the record with their short program. Instead, the fourth-place finishers in Pyeongchang were 16-hundredths of a point behind.
___
The start of the Olympic men’s curling final between Britain and Sweden has been pushed back 45 minutes to accommodate TV viewers in Europe.
The match will be played at 2:50 p.m. on Saturday, rather than 2:05 p.m. Sweden is seven hours behind Beijing, and Britain is eight hours back.
The women’s bronze medal match will take place afterward at the original start time of 8:05 p.m.
Organizers also said that the men’s victory ceremony will now take place at the Ice Cube curling venue, instead of the medals plaza. Canada beat the United States for the bronze on Friday.
___
Russian figure skating coach Eteri Tutberidze was back rink-side for the pairs competition Friday, hours after she was criticized by International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach for her callous attitude toward Kamila Valieva after the women’s free skate.
Tutberidze helps to coach the Russian pairs team of Aleksandra Boikova and Dmitrii Kozlovskii.
Valieva, the 15-year-old at the center of a doping scandal, crashed out of the women’s program without a medal Thursday night. As she exited the ice, Tutberidze was caught on camera berating her in Russian.
Bach never identified Tutberidze by name, but he did refer to Valieva’s coaches and said during his Friday news conference that there “appeared to be a tremendous coldness” and that “it was chilling to see this.”
___
Figure skater Timothy LeDuc became the first nonbinary American athlete to compete at the Winter Games, joining up with Ashley Cain-Gribble for a strong short program to open their pairs competition Friday night.
Their score of 74.13 points was a season best and put them squarely in the top 10 entering Saturday’s free skate.
The 31-year-old LeDuc came out as nonbinary last year. The term is used to describe a person who does not identify as exclusively male or female, and can also encompass agender, bigender, genderqueer and gender-fluid.
Last year, Canadian women’s soccer player Quinn became the first openly transgender and nonbinary Olympic medal winner when the team earned gold in Tokyo. Weightlifter Laurel Hubbard, skateboarder Alana Smith and cyclist Chelsea Wolfe also were among at least 186 openly LGBTQ participants during the Summer Games.
___
Elana Meyers Taylor has been picked to be a flagbearer again. And this time, she’ll be able to take the job.
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee announced Friday night that the four-time Olympian bobsledder will carry the American flag into Sunday night’s closing ceremony of the Beijing Games.
The announcement was synched to Meyers Taylor’s first run in the women’s bobsled event. As soon as she crossed the line in the first heat, the USOPC revealed that she was the flagbearer pick.
Meyers Taylor was chosen to be one of the flagbearers for the U.S. at the opening ceremony on Feb. 4 but could not participate because she was in isolation following a positive COVID-19 test. That spot went to speedskater Brittany Bowe instead, who led the U.S. delegation into the opening alongside curler John Shuster.
___
The last Alpine skiing race of the Beijing Olympics has been rescheduled for an hour earlier than planned because of strong wind in the forecast.
The mixed team parallel event is now set to start at 10 a.m. on Saturday Beijing time, instead of 11 a.m.
The wind is supposed to top 20 mph (30 kph.)
The team event involves men and women from each participating country and is the last chance for American Mikaela Shiffrin to pick up a 2022 Winter Games medal.
Only one of the 10 athletes who earned individual Alpine golds in Beijing was listed on the team rosters released Friday: Austria’s Johannes Strolz. He won the men’s combined last week and also picked up a silver in slalom on Wednesday.
There is a 16-team bracket but only 15 nations entered, so top-ranked Austria will get a first-round bye.
The first-round matchups are United States vs. Slovakia, Switzerland vs. China, Italy vs. Russia, Norway vs. Poland, France vs. Czech Republic, Germany vs. Sweden, and Slovenia vs. Canada.
___
Johannes Thingnes Boe looked like his old self again, dominating from the start and holding his composure through the four shooting stages to win the Olympic gold medal Friday in the biathlon mass start race.
The Norwegian great threw his arms in the air as he crossed the line in 38 minutes, 14.4 seconds.
Martin Ponsiluoma of Sweden only missed one target in the last shooting and left the range chasing Boe. He earned silver, 40.3 seconds behind Boe. Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen of Norway shot clean in the last shooting and took bronze, finishing 1:12.5 behind.
___
Thomas Krol has won gold in the 1,000 meters, giving the Netherlands its third straight Olympic speedskating title in the event.
Krol was timed in 1 minute, 7.92 seconds.
Laurent Dubreuil of Canada took silver. Haavard Lorentzen, the 2018 silver medalist, earned bronze.
The Netherlands earned its fifth gold medal in 12 events in Beijing with one day of competition remaining.
In 2014, Stefan Groothuis won the 1,000 and Kjeld Nuis followed with a victory in 2018.
___
Sixteen years after he won the Olympic curling gold medal, Brad Gushue is going back to Canada with bronze.
The Canadians capitalized on a missed final shot by American — and reigning Olympic champion — John Shuster in the second-to-last end that turned a one-point edge into an insurmountable 8-5 lead.
Gushue won gold in Turin in 2006. Back then, he shared a podium with Shuster, who won bronze.
This time, the Canadian skip knocked his American counterpart off of it.
The Americans took a 5-4 lead with two points in the sixth, then Canada scored two in the eighth to take the lead. With the United States holding the last-rock advantage in the ninth, Shuster tried to knock loose two Canadian rocks in the scoring area but missed.
That gave Gushue two points, with one end to go. Canada’s third-to last shot cleared all of the American rocks out of the target area, leaving no chance for the U.S. to tie the match, and Shuster immediately conceded.
___
Justine Braisaz-Bouchet moved to the front with strong, patient shooting and stayed there with her cross-country skiing to win the women’s biathlon mass start race at the Olympics.
A bitter wind affected the field as they lined up each time to shoot, but Braisaz-Bouchet only missed once in the last standing shooting and skied out of the range in first place. She held on and crossed the line carrying a French flag in 40 minutes, 18 seconds.
Norwegian teammates Tiril Eckhoff and Marte Olsbu Roeiseland missed two targets each in that last bout and left the range together, 48 seconds behind the Frenchwoman. Eckhoff chased hard and crossed the line for the silver, trailing Braisaz-Bouchet by 15.3 seconds.
Roeiseland took bronze — her fifth medal at the Beijing Games.
Roeiseland is the second biathlete, male or female, to win a medal in all four individual events at an Olympics, matching Norwegian great Ole Einar Bjoerndalen. She also won gold in the mixed relay.
___
Ryan Regez led a 1-2 finish by Switzerland in the Olympic skicross final at Genting Snow Park.
Regez grabbed the lead early and never relinquished it along a course filled with bumps, jumps and rolling terrain. He raised his arms in triumph shortly after crossing the finish line.
His teammate, 36-year-old Alex Fiva, finished with the silver medal and Russian athlete Sergey Ridzik grabbed the bronze.
As a kid, Regez always thought his future was in Alpine skiing, more specifically the downhill. When that didn’t pan out, he started an apprenticeship as a structural draftsman before discovering skicross.
It paid off in gold.
In the small final, Italian skicross racer Simone Deromedis won the heat with a little bit of flair. He was coming off the last jump and did the splits before crossing the finish line.
___
International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach has criticized Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva’s entourage for their “tremendous coldness” toward the 15-year-old skater after her mistake-filled free skate at the Beijing Olympics.
Bach says it was “chilling” to see on television. Valieva, who has been at the center of a controversy over a positive doping test, finished fourth overall despite placing first in the women’s short program earlier in the week.
The IOC president did not name Valieva’s coach, Eteri Tutberidze, who was seen on camera telling a visibly upset Valieva “Why did you let it go? Why did you stop fighting?”
Bach says “you could feel this chilling atmosphere, this distance.”
Tutberidze and other members of Valieva’s entourage will be investigated over the teenager’s positive test for a heart medication ahead of the Olympics.
Bach says the pressure on Valieva was “beyond my imagination.”
___
Eileen Gu captured gold in the women’s ski halfpipe final on a breezy and cold morning to become the first action-sports athlete to earn three medals at the same Winter Olympics.
Gu warmed up with a score of 93.25 on her first run, before going even higher and even bigger to post a 95.25 her second. For her third and final pass, and with the contest locked up, she took a nice leisurely stroll.
The standout American-born freestyle skier who represents China already possessed a gold from big air and a silver from slopestyle.
Defending Olympic champion Cassie Sharpe of Canada finished second and her teammate Rachael Karker earned the bronze. Teenager Hanna Faulhaber was the top American finisher in sixth place.
___
Germany’s Francesco Friedrich took part in the final day of four-man bobsled training at the Beijing Olympics on Friday, one day after suggesting he might skip the session.
Friedrich was the first sled down the hill on Friday for the final training session. That may have played a role in his decision to take part. Friedrich was one of the last sleds to get on the ice Thursday during four-man training and afterward the three-time Olympic champion expressed concerns about the conditions of the track.
He likely enjoyed what he saw Friday. Friedrich started the day with a run of 58.98 seconds. That was his fastest in five trips down the Yanqing Sliding Center ice in his four-man sled this week.
He’s the overwhelming favorite for gold in the four-man event that starts on Saturday.
Some top sliders did choose to skip training Friday, including Canadian teammates Justin Kripps and Chris Spring, Germany’s Christoph Hafer and Latvian veteran Oskars Kibermanis. It’s not unusual for veterans to opt out of a training session, in order to preserve their bodies and sleds for the looming two days of competition.
___
Eileen Gu posted the highest score in her first run of the women’s ski halfpipe final as she bids to become the first action-sports athlete to capture three medals at the same Winter Games.
The standout American-born freestyle skier who represents China already possesses a gold from big air and a silver from slopestyle.
On a blustery and cool day, Gu turned in a solid run and scored a 93.25 to easily lead the way. Defending Olympic champion Cassie Sharpe of Canada sits in second place after the opening run of three and her teammate Rachael Karker was in third. American teenager Hanna Faulhaber was in fourth.
The temperature hovered around 3 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 16 Celsius) with an 11 mph wind.
___
The judges who let Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva compete at the Beijing Olympics despite a positive test for a banned substance blamed anti-doping officials for a “failure to function effectively.”
The Court of Arbitration for Sport, in a newly published 41-page document explaining their decision, cited an “untenable delay” at the testing laboratory in Sweden.
It meant Valieva’s positive test for a heart medication was only revealed during the Olympics despite her urine sample arriving in Stockholm on Dec. 29. The lab’s staffing was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Her lawyers suggested she was contaminated because her grandfather uses the banned heart medication she tested positive for.
The judges’ full verdict was published early Friday, hours after the 15-year-old Valieva’s mistake-filled free skate dropped her from the lead to finish fourth in the Olympic women’s individual event.
___
The International Testing Agency says Ukrainian bobsledder Lidiia Hunko has tested positive for an anabolic steroid at the Beijing Games.
The ITA says she failed a drug test after competing Monday. She placed 20th in women’s monobob.
Hunko is the third athlete to test positive for doping at the Beijing Olympics and the second from Ukraine, after cross-country skier Valnetyna Kaminska.
All three ITA cases in Beijing have detected a steroid.
The 28-year-old Hunko placed second in the 2016 World’s Strongest Woman contest, according to her official Beijing Olympics athlete biography.
___
More AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/winter-olympics and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/olympics-live-china-pair-breaks-figure-skating-world-record/ | 2022-02-18T17:49:59 | en | 0.961478 |
BEIJING (AP) — The Latest on the Beijing Winter Olympics:
___
Figure skater Timothy LeDuc became the first nonbinary American athlete to compete at the Winter Games, joining up with Ashley Cain-Gribble for a strong short program to open their pairs competition Friday night.
Their score of 74.13 points was a season best and put them squarely in the top 10 entering Saturday’s free skate.
The 31-year-old LeDuc came out as nonbinary last year. The term is used to describe a person who does not identify as exclusively male or female, and can also encompass agender, bigender, genderqueer and gender-fluid.
Last year, Canadian women’s soccer player Quinn became the first openly transgender and nonbinary Olympic medal winner when the team earned gold in Tokyo. Weightlifter Laurel Hubbard, skateboarder Alana Smith and cyclist Chelsea Wolfe also were among at least 186 openly LGBTQ participants during the Summer Games.
___
Elana Meyers Taylor has been picked to be a flagbearer again. And this time, she’ll be able to take the job.
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee announced Friday night that the four-time Olympian bobsledder will carry the American flag into Sunday night’s closing ceremony of the Beijing Games.
The announcement was synched to Meyers Taylor’s first run in the women’s bobsled event. As soon as she crossed the line in the first heat, the USOPC revealed that she was the flagbearer pick.
Meyers Taylor was chosen to be one of the flagbearers for the U.S. at the opening ceremony on Feb. 4 but could not participate because she was in isolation following a positive COVID-19 test. That spot went to speedskater Brittany Bowe instead, who led the U.S. delegation into the opening alongside curler John Shuster.
___
The last Alpine skiing race of the Beijing Olympics has been rescheduled for an hour earlier than planned because of strong wind in the forecast.
The mixed team parallel event is now set to start at 10 a.m. on Saturday Beijing time, instead of 11 a.m.
The wind is supposed to top 20 mph (30 kph.)
The team event involves men and women from each participating country and is the last chance for American Mikaela Shiffrin to pick up a 2022 Winter Games medal.
Only one of the 10 athletes who earned individual Alpine golds in Beijing was listed on the team rosters released Friday: Austria’s Johannes Strolz. He won the men’s combined last week and also picked up a silver in slalom on Wednesday.
There is a 16-team bracket but only 15 nations entered, so top-ranked Austria will get a first-round bye.
The first-round matchups are United States vs. Slovakia, Switzerland vs. China, Italy vs. Russia, Norway vs. Poland, France vs. Czech Republic, Germany vs. Sweden, and Slovenia vs. Canada.
___
Johannes Thingnes Boe looked like his old self again, dominating from the start and holding his composure through the four shooting stages to win the Olympic gold medal Friday in the biathlon mass start race.
The Norwegian great threw his arms in the air as he crossed the line in 38 minutes, 14.4 seconds.
Martin Ponsiluoma of Sweden only missed one target in the last shooting and left the range chasing Boe. He earned silver, 40.3 seconds behind Boe. Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen of Norway shot clean in the last shooting and took bronze, finishing 1:12.5 behind.
___
Thomas Krol has won gold in the 1,000 meters, giving the Netherlands its third straight Olympic speedskating title in the event.
Krol was timed in 1 minute, 7.92 seconds.
Laurent Dubreuil of Canada took silver. Haavard Lorentzen, the 2018 silver medalist, earned bronze.
The Netherlands earned its fifth gold medal in 12 events in Beijing with one day of competition remaining.
In 2014, Stefan Groothuis won the 1,000 and Kjeld Nuis followed with a victory in 2018.
___
Sixteen years after he won the Olympic curling gold medal, Brad Gushue is going back to Canada with bronze.
The Canadians capitalized on a missed final shot by American — and reigning Olympic champion — John Shuster in the second-to-last end that turned a one-point edge into an insurmountable 8-5 lead.
Gushue won gold in Turin in 2006. Back then, he shared a podium with Shuster, who won bronze.
This time, the Canadian skip knocked his American counterpart off of it.
The Americans took a 5-4 lead with two points in the sixth, then Canada scored two in the eighth to take the lead. With the United States holding the last-rock advantage in the ninth, Shuster tried to knock loose two Canadian rocks in the scoring area but missed.
That gave Gushue two points, with one end to go. Canada’s third-to last shot cleared all of the American rocks out of the target area, leaving no chance for the U.S. to tie the match, and Shuster immediately conceded.
___
Justine Braisaz-Bouchet moved to the front with strong, patient shooting and stayed there with her cross-country skiing to win the women’s biathlon mass start race at the Olympics.
A bitter wind affected the field as they lined up each time to shoot, but Braisaz-Bouchet only missed once in the last standing shooting and skied out of the range in first place. She held on and crossed the line carrying a French flag in 40 minutes, 18 seconds.
Norwegian teammates Tiril Eckhoff and Marte Olsbu Roeiseland missed two targets each in that last bout and left the range together, 48 seconds behind the Frenchwoman. Eckhoff chased hard and crossed the line for the silver, trailing Braisaz-Bouchet by 15.3 seconds.
Roeiseland took bronze — her fifth medal at the Beijing Games.
Roeiseland is the second biathlete, male or female, to win a medal in all four individual events at an Olympics, matching Norwegian great Ole Einar Bjoerndalen. She also won gold in the mixed relay.
___
Ryan Regez led a 1-2 finish by Switzerland in the Olympic skicross final at Genting Snow Park.
Regez grabbed the lead early and never relinquished it along a course filled with bumps, jumps and rolling terrain. He raised his arms in triumph shortly after crossing the finish line.
His teammate, 36-year-old Alex Fiva, finished with the silver medal and Russian athlete Sergey Ridzik grabbed the bronze.
As a kid, Regez always thought his future was in Alpine skiing, more specifically the downhill. When that didn’t pan out, he started an apprenticeship as a structural draftsman before discovering skicross.
It paid off in gold.
In the small final, Italian skicross racer Simone Deromedis won the heat with a little bit of flair. He was coming off the last jump and did the splits before crossing the finish line.
___
International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach has criticized Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva’s entourage for their “tremendous coldness” toward the 15-year-old skater after her mistake-filled free skate at the Beijing Olympics.
Bach says it was “chilling” to see on television. Valieva, who has been at the center of a controversy over a positive doping test, finished fourth overall despite placing first in the women’s short program earlier in the week.
The IOC president did not name Valieva’s coach, Eteri Tutberidze, who was seen on camera telling a visibly upset Valieva “Why did you let it go? Why did you stop fighting?”
Bach says “you could feel this chilling atmosphere, this distance.”
Tutberidze and other members of Valieva’s entourage will be investigated over the teenager’s positive test for a heart medication ahead of the Olympics.
Bach says the pressure on Valieva was “beyond my imagination.”
___
Eileen Gu captured gold in the women’s ski halfpipe final on a breezy and cold morning to become the first action-sports athlete to earn three medals at the same Winter Olympics.
Gu warmed up with a score of 93.25 on her first run, before going even higher and even bigger to post a 95.25 her second. For her third and final pass, and with the contest locked up, she took a nice leisurely stroll.
The standout American-born freestyle skier who represents China already possessed a gold from big air and a silver from slopestyle.
Defending Olympic champion Cassie Sharpe of Canada finished second and her teammate Rachael Karker earned the bronze. Teenager Hanna Faulhaber was the top American finisher in sixth place.
___
Germany’s Francesco Friedrich took part in the final day of four-man bobsled training at the Beijing Olympics on Friday, one day after suggesting he might skip the session.
Friedrich was the first sled down the hill on Friday for the final training session. That may have played a role in his decision to take part. Friedrich was one of the last sleds to get on the ice Thursday during four-man training and afterward the three-time Olympic champion expressed concerns about the conditions of the track.
He likely enjoyed what he saw Friday. Friedrich started the day with a run of 58.98 seconds. That was his fastest in five trips down the Yanqing Sliding Center ice in his four-man sled this week.
He’s the overwhelming favorite for gold in the four-man event that starts on Saturday.
Some top sliders did choose to skip training Friday, including Canadian teammates Justin Kripps and Chris Spring, Germany’s Christoph Hafer and Latvian veteran Oskars Kibermanis. It’s not unusual for veterans to opt out of a training session, in order to preserve their bodies and sleds for the looming two days of competition.
___
Eileen Gu posted the highest score in her first run of the women’s ski halfpipe final as she bids to become the first action-sports athlete to capture three medals at the same Winter Games.
The standout American-born freestyle skier who represents China already possesses a gold from big air and a silver from slopestyle.
On a blustery and cool day, Gu turned in a solid run and scored a 93.25 to easily lead the way. Defending Olympic champion Cassie Sharpe of Canada sits in second place after the opening run of three and her teammate Rachael Karker was in third. American teenager Hanna Faulhaber was in fourth.
The temperature hovered around 3 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 16 Celsius) with an 11 mph wind.
___
The judges who let Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva compete at the Beijing Olympics despite a positive test for a banned substance blamed anti-doping officials for a “failure to function effectively.”
The Court of Arbitration for Sport, in a newly published 41-page document explaining their decision, cited an “untenable delay” at the testing laboratory in Sweden.
It meant Valieva’s positive test for a heart medication was only revealed during the Olympics despite her urine sample arriving in Stockholm on Dec. 29. The lab’s staffing was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Her lawyers suggested she was contaminated because her grandfather uses the banned heart medication she tested positive for.
The judges’ full verdict was published early Friday, hours after the 15-year-old Valieva’s mistake-filled free skate dropped her from the lead to finish fourth in the Olympic women’s individual event.
___
The International Testing Agency says Ukrainian bobsledder Lidiia Hunko has tested positive for an anabolic steroid at the Beijing Games.
The ITA says she failed a drug test after competing Monday. She placed 20th in women’s monobob.
Hunko is the third athlete to test positive for doping at the Beijing Olympics and the second from Ukraine, after cross-country skier Valnetyna Kaminska.
All three ITA cases in Beijing have detected a steroid.
The 28-year-old Hunko placed second in the 2016 World’s Strongest Woman contest, according to her official Beijing Olympics athlete biography.
___
More AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/winter-olympics and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/olympics-live-leduc-1st-nonbinary-american-in-winter-games/ | 2022-02-18T17:50:05 | en | 0.959774 |
BEIJING (AP) — The Latest on the Beijing Winter Olympics:
___
The start of the Olympic men’s curling final between Britain and Sweden has been pushed back 45 minutes to accommodate TV viewers in Europe.
The match will be played at 2:50 p.m. on Saturday, rather than 2:05 p.m. Sweden is seven hours behind Beijing, and Britain is eight hours back.
The women’s bronze medal match will take place afterward at the original start time of 8:05 p.m.
Organizers also said that the men’s victory ceremony will now take place at the Ice Cube curling venue, instead of the medals plaza. Canada beat the United States for the bronze on Friday.
___
Russian figure skating coach Eteri Tutberidze was back rink-side for the pairs competition Friday, hours after she was criticized by International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach for her callous attitude toward Kamila Valieva after the women’s free skate.
Tutberidze helps to coach the Russian pairs team of Aleksandra Boikova and Dmitrii Kozlovskii.
Valieva, the 15-year-old at the center of a doping scandal, crashed out of the women’s program without a medal Thursday night. As she exited the ice, Tutberidze was caught on camera berating her in Russian.
Bach never identified Tutberidze by name, but he did refer to Valieva’s coaches and said during his Friday news conference that there “appeared to be a tremendous coldness” and that “it was chilling to see this.”
___
Figure skater Timothy LeDuc became the first nonbinary American athlete to compete at the Winter Games, joining up with Ashley Cain-Gribble for a strong short program to open their pairs competition Friday night.
Their score of 74.13 points was a season best and put them squarely in the top 10 entering Saturday’s free skate.
The 31-year-old LeDuc came out as nonbinary last year. The term is used to describe a person who does not identify as exclusively male or female, and can also encompass agender, bigender, genderqueer and gender-fluid.
Last year, Canadian women’s soccer player Quinn became the first openly transgender and nonbinary Olympic medal winner when the team earned gold in Tokyo. Weightlifter Laurel Hubbard, skateboarder Alana Smith and cyclist Chelsea Wolfe also were among at least 186 openly LGBTQ participants during the Summer Games.
___
Elana Meyers Taylor has been picked to be a flagbearer again. And this time, she’ll be able to take the job.
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee announced Friday night that the four-time Olympian bobsledder will carry the American flag into Sunday night’s closing ceremony of the Beijing Games.
The announcement was synched to Meyers Taylor’s first run in the women’s bobsled event. As soon as she crossed the line in the first heat, the USOPC revealed that she was the flagbearer pick.
Meyers Taylor was chosen to be one of the flagbearers for the U.S. at the opening ceremony on Feb. 4 but could not participate because she was in isolation following a positive COVID-19 test. That spot went to speedskater Brittany Bowe instead, who led the U.S. delegation into the opening alongside curler John Shuster.
___
The last Alpine skiing race of the Beijing Olympics has been rescheduled for an hour earlier than planned because of strong wind in the forecast.
The mixed team parallel event is now set to start at 10 a.m. on Saturday Beijing time, instead of 11 a.m.
The wind is supposed to top 20 mph (30 kph.)
The team event involves men and women from each participating country and is the last chance for American Mikaela Shiffrin to pick up a 2022 Winter Games medal.
Only one of the 10 athletes who earned individual Alpine golds in Beijing was listed on the team rosters released Friday: Austria’s Johannes Strolz. He won the men’s combined last week and also picked up a silver in slalom on Wednesday.
There is a 16-team bracket but only 15 nations entered, so top-ranked Austria will get a first-round bye.
The first-round matchups are United States vs. Slovakia, Switzerland vs. China, Italy vs. Russia, Norway vs. Poland, France vs. Czech Republic, Germany vs. Sweden, and Slovenia vs. Canada.
___
Johannes Thingnes Boe looked like his old self again, dominating from the start and holding his composure through the four shooting stages to win the Olympic gold medal Friday in the biathlon mass start race.
The Norwegian great threw his arms in the air as he crossed the line in 38 minutes, 14.4 seconds.
Martin Ponsiluoma of Sweden only missed one target in the last shooting and left the range chasing Boe. He earned silver, 40.3 seconds behind Boe. Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen of Norway shot clean in the last shooting and took bronze, finishing 1:12.5 behind.
___
Thomas Krol has won gold in the 1,000 meters, giving the Netherlands its third straight Olympic speedskating title in the event.
Krol was timed in 1 minute, 7.92 seconds.
Laurent Dubreuil of Canada took silver. Haavard Lorentzen, the 2018 silver medalist, earned bronze.
The Netherlands earned its fifth gold medal in 12 events in Beijing with one day of competition remaining.
In 2014, Stefan Groothuis won the 1,000 and Kjeld Nuis followed with a victory in 2018.
___
Sixteen years after he won the Olympic curling gold medal, Brad Gushue is going back to Canada with bronze.
The Canadians capitalized on a missed final shot by American — and reigning Olympic champion — John Shuster in the second-to-last end that turned a one-point edge into an insurmountable 8-5 lead.
Gushue won gold in Turin in 2006. Back then, he shared a podium with Shuster, who won bronze.
This time, the Canadian skip knocked his American counterpart off of it.
The Americans took a 5-4 lead with two points in the sixth, then Canada scored two in the eighth to take the lead. With the United States holding the last-rock advantage in the ninth, Shuster tried to knock loose two Canadian rocks in the scoring area but missed.
That gave Gushue two points, with one end to go. Canada’s third-to last shot cleared all of the American rocks out of the target area, leaving no chance for the U.S. to tie the match, and Shuster immediately conceded.
___
Justine Braisaz-Bouchet moved to the front with strong, patient shooting and stayed there with her cross-country skiing to win the women’s biathlon mass start race at the Olympics.
A bitter wind affected the field as they lined up each time to shoot, but Braisaz-Bouchet only missed once in the last standing shooting and skied out of the range in first place. She held on and crossed the line carrying a French flag in 40 minutes, 18 seconds.
Norwegian teammates Tiril Eckhoff and Marte Olsbu Roeiseland missed two targets each in that last bout and left the range together, 48 seconds behind the Frenchwoman. Eckhoff chased hard and crossed the line for the silver, trailing Braisaz-Bouchet by 15.3 seconds.
Roeiseland took bronze — her fifth medal at the Beijing Games.
Roeiseland is the second biathlete, male or female, to win a medal in all four individual events at an Olympics, matching Norwegian great Ole Einar Bjoerndalen. She also won gold in the mixed relay.
___
Ryan Regez led a 1-2 finish by Switzerland in the Olympic skicross final at Genting Snow Park.
Regez grabbed the lead early and never relinquished it along a course filled with bumps, jumps and rolling terrain. He raised his arms in triumph shortly after crossing the finish line.
His teammate, 36-year-old Alex Fiva, finished with the silver medal and Russian athlete Sergey Ridzik grabbed the bronze.
As a kid, Regez always thought his future was in Alpine skiing, more specifically the downhill. When that didn’t pan out, he started an apprenticeship as a structural draftsman before discovering skicross.
It paid off in gold.
In the small final, Italian skicross racer Simone Deromedis won the heat with a little bit of flair. He was coming off the last jump and did the splits before crossing the finish line.
___
International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach has criticized Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva’s entourage for their “tremendous coldness” toward the 15-year-old skater after her mistake-filled free skate at the Beijing Olympics.
Bach says it was “chilling” to see on television. Valieva, who has been at the center of a controversy over a positive doping test, finished fourth overall despite placing first in the women’s short program earlier in the week.
The IOC president did not name Valieva’s coach, Eteri Tutberidze, who was seen on camera telling a visibly upset Valieva “Why did you let it go? Why did you stop fighting?”
Bach says “you could feel this chilling atmosphere, this distance.”
Tutberidze and other members of Valieva’s entourage will be investigated over the teenager’s positive test for a heart medication ahead of the Olympics.
Bach says the pressure on Valieva was “beyond my imagination.”
___
Eileen Gu captured gold in the women’s ski halfpipe final on a breezy and cold morning to become the first action-sports athlete to earn three medals at the same Winter Olympics.
Gu warmed up with a score of 93.25 on her first run, before going even higher and even bigger to post a 95.25 her second. For her third and final pass, and with the contest locked up, she took a nice leisurely stroll.
The standout American-born freestyle skier who represents China already possessed a gold from big air and a silver from slopestyle.
Defending Olympic champion Cassie Sharpe of Canada finished second and her teammate Rachael Karker earned the bronze. Teenager Hanna Faulhaber was the top American finisher in sixth place.
___
Germany’s Francesco Friedrich took part in the final day of four-man bobsled training at the Beijing Olympics on Friday, one day after suggesting he might skip the session.
Friedrich was the first sled down the hill on Friday for the final training session. That may have played a role in his decision to take part. Friedrich was one of the last sleds to get on the ice Thursday during four-man training and afterward the three-time Olympic champion expressed concerns about the conditions of the track.
He likely enjoyed what he saw Friday. Friedrich started the day with a run of 58.98 seconds. That was his fastest in five trips down the Yanqing Sliding Center ice in his four-man sled this week.
He’s the overwhelming favorite for gold in the four-man event that starts on Saturday.
Some top sliders did choose to skip training Friday, including Canadian teammates Justin Kripps and Chris Spring, Germany’s Christoph Hafer and Latvian veteran Oskars Kibermanis. It’s not unusual for veterans to opt out of a training session, in order to preserve their bodies and sleds for the looming two days of competition.
___
Eileen Gu posted the highest score in her first run of the women’s ski halfpipe final as she bids to become the first action-sports athlete to capture three medals at the same Winter Games.
The standout American-born freestyle skier who represents China already possesses a gold from big air and a silver from slopestyle.
On a blustery and cool day, Gu turned in a solid run and scored a 93.25 to easily lead the way. Defending Olympic champion Cassie Sharpe of Canada sits in second place after the opening run of three and her teammate Rachael Karker was in third. American teenager Hanna Faulhaber was in fourth.
The temperature hovered around 3 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 16 Celsius) with an 11 mph wind.
___
The judges who let Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva compete at the Beijing Olympics despite a positive test for a banned substance blamed anti-doping officials for a “failure to function effectively.”
The Court of Arbitration for Sport, in a newly published 41-page document explaining their decision, cited an “untenable delay” at the testing laboratory in Sweden.
It meant Valieva’s positive test for a heart medication was only revealed during the Olympics despite her urine sample arriving in Stockholm on Dec. 29. The lab’s staffing was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Her lawyers suggested she was contaminated because her grandfather uses the banned heart medication she tested positive for.
The judges’ full verdict was published early Friday, hours after the 15-year-old Valieva’s mistake-filled free skate dropped her from the lead to finish fourth in the Olympic women’s individual event.
___
The International Testing Agency says Ukrainian bobsledder Lidiia Hunko has tested positive for an anabolic steroid at the Beijing Games.
The ITA says she failed a drug test after competing Monday. She placed 20th in women’s monobob.
Hunko is the third athlete to test positive for doping at the Beijing Olympics and the second from Ukraine, after cross-country skier Valnetyna Kaminska.
All three ITA cases in Beijing have detected a steroid.
The 28-year-old Hunko placed second in the 2016 World’s Strongest Woman contest, according to her official Beijing Olympics athlete biography.
___
More AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/winter-olympics and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/olympics-live-mens-curling-final-pushed-back-for-europe-tv/ | 2022-02-18T17:50:11 | en | 0.96142 |
BEIJING (AP) — The Latest on the Beijing Winter Olympics:
___
Elana Meyers Taylor has been picked to be a flagbearer again. And this time, she’ll be able to take the job.
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee announced Friday night that the four-time Olympian bobsledder will carry the American flag into Sunday night’s closing ceremony of the Beijing Games.
The announcement was synched to Meyers Taylor’s first run in the women’s bobsled event. As soon as she crossed the line in the first heat, the USOPC revealed that she was the flagbearer pick.
Meyers Taylor was chosen to be one of the flagbearers for the U.S. at the opening ceremony on Feb. 4 but could not participate because she was in isolation following a positive COVID-19 test. That spot went to speedskater Brittany Bowe instead, who led the U.S. delegation into the opening alongside curler John Shuster.
___
The last Alpine skiing race of the Beijing Olympics has been rescheduled for an hour earlier than planned because of strong wind in the forecast.
The mixed team parallel event is now set to start at 10 a.m. on Saturday Beijing time, instead of 11 a.m.
The wind is supposed to top 20 mph (30 kph.)
The team event involves men and women from each participating country and is the last chance for American Mikaela Shiffrin to pick up a 2022 Winter Games medal.
Only one of the 10 athletes who earned individual Alpine golds in Beijing was listed on the team rosters released Friday: Austria’s Johannes Strolz. He won the men’s combined last week and also picked up a silver in slalom on Wednesday.
There is a 16-team bracket but only 15 nations entered, so top-ranked Austria will get a first-round bye.
The first-round matchups are United States vs. Slovakia, Switzerland vs. China, Italy vs. Russia, Norway vs. Poland, France vs. Czech Republic, Germany vs. Sweden, and Slovenia vs. Canada.
___
Johannes Thingnes Boe looked like his old self again, dominating from the start and holding his composure through the four shooting stages to win the Olympic gold medal Friday in the biathlon mass start race.
The Norwegian great threw his arms in the air as he crossed the line in 38 minutes, 14.4 seconds.
Martin Ponsiluoma of Sweden only missed one target in the last shooting and left the range chasing Boe. He earned silver, 40.3 seconds behind Boe. Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen of Norway shot clean in the last shooting and took bronze, finishing 1:12.5 behind.
___
Thomas Krol has won gold in the 1,000 meters, giving the Netherlands its third straight Olympic speedskating title in the event.
Krol was timed in 1 minute, 7.92 seconds.
Laurent Dubreuil of Canada took silver. Haavard Lorentzen, the 2018 silver medalist, earned bronze.
The Netherlands earned its fifth gold medal in 12 events in Beijing with one day of competition remaining.
In 2014, Stefan Groothuis won the 1,000 and Kjeld Nuis followed with a victory in 2018.
___
Sixteen years after he won the Olympic curling gold medal, Brad Gushue is going back to Canada with bronze.
The Canadians capitalized on a missed final shot by American — and reigning Olympic champion — John Shuster in the second-to-last end that turned a one-point edge into an insurmountable 8-5 lead.
Gushue won gold in Turin in 2006. Back then, he shared a podium with Shuster, who won bronze.
This time, the Canadian skip knocked his American counterpart off of it.
The Americans took a 5-4 lead with two points in the sixth, then Canada scored two in the eighth to take the lead. With the United States holding the last-rock advantage in the ninth, Shuster tried to knock loose two Canadian rocks in the scoring area but missed.
That gave Gushue two points, with one end to go. Canada’s third-to last shot cleared all of the American rocks out of the target area, leaving no chance for the U.S. to tie the match, and Shuster immediately conceded.
___
Justine Braisaz-Bouchet moved to the front with strong, patient shooting and stayed there with her cross-country skiing to win the women’s biathlon mass start race at the Olympics.
A bitter wind affected the field as they lined up each time to shoot, but Braisaz-Bouchet only missed once in the last standing shooting and skied out of the range in first place. She held on and crossed the line carrying a French flag in 40 minutes, 18 seconds.
Norwegian teammates Tiril Eckhoff and Marte Olsbu Roeiseland missed two targets each in that last bout and left the range together, 48 seconds behind the Frenchwoman. Eckhoff chased hard and crossed the line for the silver, trailing Braisaz-Bouchet by 15.3 seconds.
Roeiseland took bronze — her fifth medal at the Beijing Games.
Roeiseland is the second biathlete, male or female, to win a medal in all four individual events at an Olympics, matching Norwegian great Ole Einar Bjoerndalen. She also won gold in the mixed relay.
___
Ryan Regez led a 1-2 finish by Switzerland in the Olympic skicross final at Genting Snow Park.
Regez grabbed the lead early and never relinquished it along a course filled with bumps, jumps and rolling terrain. He raised his arms in triumph shortly after crossing the finish line.
His teammate, 36-year-old Alex Fiva, finished with the silver medal and Russian athlete Sergey Ridzik grabbed the bronze.
As a kid, Regez always thought his future was in Alpine skiing, more specifically the downhill. When that didn’t pan out, he started an apprenticeship as a structural draftsman before discovering skicross.
It paid off in gold.
In the small final, Italian skicross racer Simone Deromedis won the heat with a little bit of flair. He was coming off the last jump and did the splits before crossing the finish line.
___
International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach has criticized Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva’s entourage for their “tremendous coldness” toward the 15-year-old skater after her mistake-filled free skate at the Beijing Olympics.
Bach says it was “chilling” to see on television. Valieva, who has been at the center of a controversy over a positive doping test, finished fourth overall despite placing first in the women’s short program earlier in the week.
The IOC president did not name Valieva’s coach, Eteri Tutberidze, who was seen on camera telling a visibly upset Valieva “Why did you let it go? Why did you stop fighting?”
Bach says “you could feel this chilling atmosphere, this distance.”
Tutberidze and other members of Valieva’s entourage will be investigated over the teenager’s positive test for a heart medication ahead of the Olympics.
Bach says the pressure on Valieva was “beyond my imagination.”
___
Eileen Gu captured gold in the women’s ski halfpipe final on a breezy and cold morning to become the first action-sports athlete to earn three medals at the same Winter Olympics.
Gu warmed up with a score of 93.25 on her first run, before going even higher and even bigger to post a 95.25 her second. For her third and final pass, and with the contest locked up, she took a nice leisurely stroll.
The standout American-born freestyle skier who represents China already possessed a gold from big air and a silver from slopestyle.
Defending Olympic champion Cassie Sharpe of Canada finished second and her teammate Rachael Karker earned the bronze. Teenager Hanna Faulhaber was the top American finisher in sixth place.
___
Germany’s Francesco Friedrich took part in the final day of four-man bobsled training at the Beijing Olympics on Friday, one day after suggesting he might skip the session.
Friedrich was the first sled down the hill on Friday for the final training session. That may have played a role in his decision to take part. Friedrich was one of the last sleds to get on the ice Thursday during four-man training and afterward the three-time Olympic champion expressed concerns about the conditions of the track.
He likely enjoyed what he saw Friday. Friedrich started the day with a run of 58.98 seconds. That was his fastest in five trips down the Yanqing Sliding Center ice in his four-man sled this week.
He’s the overwhelming favorite for gold in the four-man event that starts on Saturday.
Some top sliders did choose to skip training Friday, including Canadian teammates Justin Kripps and Chris Spring, Germany’s Christoph Hafer and Latvian veteran Oskars Kibermanis. It’s not unusual for veterans to opt out of a training session, in order to preserve their bodies and sleds for the looming two days of competition.
___
Eileen Gu posted the highest score in her first run of the women’s ski halfpipe final as she bids to become the first action-sports athlete to capture three medals at the same Winter Games.
The standout American-born freestyle skier who represents China already possesses a gold from big air and a silver from slopestyle.
On a blustery and cool day, Gu turned in a solid run and scored a 93.25 to easily lead the way. Defending Olympic champion Cassie Sharpe of Canada sits in second place after the opening run of three and her teammate Rachael Karker was in third. American teenager Hanna Faulhaber was in fourth.
The temperature hovered around 3 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 16 Celsius) with an 11 mph wind.
___
The judges who let Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva compete at the Beijing Olympics despite a positive test for a banned substance blamed anti-doping officials for a “failure to function effectively.”
The Court of Arbitration for Sport, in a newly published 41-page document explaining their decision, cited an “untenable delay” at the testing laboratory in Sweden.
It meant Valieva’s positive test for a heart medication was only revealed during the Olympics despite her urine sample arriving in Stockholm on Dec. 29. The lab’s staffing was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Her lawyers suggested she was contaminated because her grandfather uses the banned heart medication she tested positive for.
The judges’ full verdict was published early Friday, hours after the 15-year-old Valieva’s mistake-filled free skate dropped her from the lead to finish fourth in the Olympic women’s individual event.
___
The International Testing Agency says Ukrainian bobsledder Lidiia Hunko has tested positive for an anabolic steroid at the Beijing Games.
The ITA says she failed a drug test after competing Monday. She placed 20th in women’s monobob.
Hunko is the third athlete to test positive for doping at the Beijing Olympics and the second from Ukraine, after cross-country skier Valnetyna Kaminska.
All three ITA cases in Beijing have detected a steroid.
The 28-year-old Hunko placed second in the 2016 World’s Strongest Woman contest, according to her official Beijing Olympics athlete biography.
___
More AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/winter-olympics and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/olympics-live-meyers-taylor-to-carry-us-flag-at-closing/ | 2022-02-18T17:50:17 | en | 0.958598 |
BEIJING (AP) — The Latest on the Beijing Winter Olympics:
___
Russian figure skating coach Eteri Tutberidze was back rink-side for the pairs competition Friday, hours after she was criticized by International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach for her callous attitude toward Kamila Valieva after the women’s free skate.
Tutberidze helps to coach the Russian pairs team of Aleksandra Boikova and Dmitrii Kozlovskii.
Valieva, the 15-year-old at the center of a doping scandal, crashed out of the women’s program without a medal Thursday night. As she exited the ice, Tutberidze was caught on camera berating her in Russian.
Bach never identified Tutberidze by name, but he did refer to Valieva’s coaches and said during his Friday news conference that there “appeared to be a tremendous coldness” and that “it was chilling to see this.”
___
Figure skater Timothy LeDuc became the first nonbinary American athlete to compete at the Winter Games, joining up with Ashley Cain-Gribble for a strong short program to open their pairs competition Friday night.
Their score of 74.13 points was a season best and put them squarely in the top 10 entering Saturday’s free skate.
The 31-year-old LeDuc came out as nonbinary last year. The term is used to describe a person who does not identify as exclusively male or female, and can also encompass agender, bigender, genderqueer and gender-fluid.
Last year, Canadian women’s soccer player Quinn became the first openly transgender and nonbinary Olympic medal winner when the team earned gold in Tokyo. Weightlifter Laurel Hubbard, skateboarder Alana Smith and cyclist Chelsea Wolfe also were among at least 186 openly LGBTQ participants during the Summer Games.
___
Elana Meyers Taylor has been picked to be a flagbearer again. And this time, she’ll be able to take the job.
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee announced Friday night that the four-time Olympian bobsledder will carry the American flag into Sunday night’s closing ceremony of the Beijing Games.
The announcement was synched to Meyers Taylor’s first run in the women’s bobsled event. As soon as she crossed the line in the first heat, the USOPC revealed that she was the flagbearer pick.
Meyers Taylor was chosen to be one of the flagbearers for the U.S. at the opening ceremony on Feb. 4 but could not participate because she was in isolation following a positive COVID-19 test. That spot went to speedskater Brittany Bowe instead, who led the U.S. delegation into the opening alongside curler John Shuster.
___
The last Alpine skiing race of the Beijing Olympics has been rescheduled for an hour earlier than planned because of strong wind in the forecast.
The mixed team parallel event is now set to start at 10 a.m. on Saturday Beijing time, instead of 11 a.m.
The wind is supposed to top 20 mph (30 kph.)
The team event involves men and women from each participating country and is the last chance for American Mikaela Shiffrin to pick up a 2022 Winter Games medal.
Only one of the 10 athletes who earned individual Alpine golds in Beijing was listed on the team rosters released Friday: Austria’s Johannes Strolz. He won the men’s combined last week and also picked up a silver in slalom on Wednesday.
There is a 16-team bracket but only 15 nations entered, so top-ranked Austria will get a first-round bye.
The first-round matchups are United States vs. Slovakia, Switzerland vs. China, Italy vs. Russia, Norway vs. Poland, France vs. Czech Republic, Germany vs. Sweden, and Slovenia vs. Canada.
___
Johannes Thingnes Boe looked like his old self again, dominating from the start and holding his composure through the four shooting stages to win the Olympic gold medal Friday in the biathlon mass start race.
The Norwegian great threw his arms in the air as he crossed the line in 38 minutes, 14.4 seconds.
Martin Ponsiluoma of Sweden only missed one target in the last shooting and left the range chasing Boe. He earned silver, 40.3 seconds behind Boe. Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen of Norway shot clean in the last shooting and took bronze, finishing 1:12.5 behind.
___
Thomas Krol has won gold in the 1,000 meters, giving the Netherlands its third straight Olympic speedskating title in the event.
Krol was timed in 1 minute, 7.92 seconds.
Laurent Dubreuil of Canada took silver. Haavard Lorentzen, the 2018 silver medalist, earned bronze.
The Netherlands earned its fifth gold medal in 12 events in Beijing with one day of competition remaining.
In 2014, Stefan Groothuis won the 1,000 and Kjeld Nuis followed with a victory in 2018.
___
Sixteen years after he won the Olympic curling gold medal, Brad Gushue is going back to Canada with bronze.
The Canadians capitalized on a missed final shot by American — and reigning Olympic champion — John Shuster in the second-to-last end that turned a one-point edge into an insurmountable 8-5 lead.
Gushue won gold in Turin in 2006. Back then, he shared a podium with Shuster, who won bronze.
This time, the Canadian skip knocked his American counterpart off of it.
The Americans took a 5-4 lead with two points in the sixth, then Canada scored two in the eighth to take the lead. With the United States holding the last-rock advantage in the ninth, Shuster tried to knock loose two Canadian rocks in the scoring area but missed.
That gave Gushue two points, with one end to go. Canada’s third-to last shot cleared all of the American rocks out of the target area, leaving no chance for the U.S. to tie the match, and Shuster immediately conceded.
___
Justine Braisaz-Bouchet moved to the front with strong, patient shooting and stayed there with her cross-country skiing to win the women’s biathlon mass start race at the Olympics.
A bitter wind affected the field as they lined up each time to shoot, but Braisaz-Bouchet only missed once in the last standing shooting and skied out of the range in first place. She held on and crossed the line carrying a French flag in 40 minutes, 18 seconds.
Norwegian teammates Tiril Eckhoff and Marte Olsbu Roeiseland missed two targets each in that last bout and left the range together, 48 seconds behind the Frenchwoman. Eckhoff chased hard and crossed the line for the silver, trailing Braisaz-Bouchet by 15.3 seconds.
Roeiseland took bronze — her fifth medal at the Beijing Games.
Roeiseland is the second biathlete, male or female, to win a medal in all four individual events at an Olympics, matching Norwegian great Ole Einar Bjoerndalen. She also won gold in the mixed relay.
___
Ryan Regez led a 1-2 finish by Switzerland in the Olympic skicross final at Genting Snow Park.
Regez grabbed the lead early and never relinquished it along a course filled with bumps, jumps and rolling terrain. He raised his arms in triumph shortly after crossing the finish line.
His teammate, 36-year-old Alex Fiva, finished with the silver medal and Russian athlete Sergey Ridzik grabbed the bronze.
As a kid, Regez always thought his future was in Alpine skiing, more specifically the downhill. When that didn’t pan out, he started an apprenticeship as a structural draftsman before discovering skicross.
It paid off in gold.
In the small final, Italian skicross racer Simone Deromedis won the heat with a little bit of flair. He was coming off the last jump and did the splits before crossing the finish line.
___
International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach has criticized Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva’s entourage for their “tremendous coldness” toward the 15-year-old skater after her mistake-filled free skate at the Beijing Olympics.
Bach says it was “chilling” to see on television. Valieva, who has been at the center of a controversy over a positive doping test, finished fourth overall despite placing first in the women’s short program earlier in the week.
The IOC president did not name Valieva’s coach, Eteri Tutberidze, who was seen on camera telling a visibly upset Valieva “Why did you let it go? Why did you stop fighting?”
Bach says “you could feel this chilling atmosphere, this distance.”
Tutberidze and other members of Valieva’s entourage will be investigated over the teenager’s positive test for a heart medication ahead of the Olympics.
Bach says the pressure on Valieva was “beyond my imagination.”
___
Eileen Gu captured gold in the women’s ski halfpipe final on a breezy and cold morning to become the first action-sports athlete to earn three medals at the same Winter Olympics.
Gu warmed up with a score of 93.25 on her first run, before going even higher and even bigger to post a 95.25 her second. For her third and final pass, and with the contest locked up, she took a nice leisurely stroll.
The standout American-born freestyle skier who represents China already possessed a gold from big air and a silver from slopestyle.
Defending Olympic champion Cassie Sharpe of Canada finished second and her teammate Rachael Karker earned the bronze. Teenager Hanna Faulhaber was the top American finisher in sixth place.
___
Germany’s Francesco Friedrich took part in the final day of four-man bobsled training at the Beijing Olympics on Friday, one day after suggesting he might skip the session.
Friedrich was the first sled down the hill on Friday for the final training session. That may have played a role in his decision to take part. Friedrich was one of the last sleds to get on the ice Thursday during four-man training and afterward the three-time Olympic champion expressed concerns about the conditions of the track.
He likely enjoyed what he saw Friday. Friedrich started the day with a run of 58.98 seconds. That was his fastest in five trips down the Yanqing Sliding Center ice in his four-man sled this week.
He’s the overwhelming favorite for gold in the four-man event that starts on Saturday.
Some top sliders did choose to skip training Friday, including Canadian teammates Justin Kripps and Chris Spring, Germany’s Christoph Hafer and Latvian veteran Oskars Kibermanis. It’s not unusual for veterans to opt out of a training session, in order to preserve their bodies and sleds for the looming two days of competition.
___
Eileen Gu posted the highest score in her first run of the women’s ski halfpipe final as she bids to become the first action-sports athlete to capture three medals at the same Winter Games.
The standout American-born freestyle skier who represents China already possesses a gold from big air and a silver from slopestyle.
On a blustery and cool day, Gu turned in a solid run and scored a 93.25 to easily lead the way. Defending Olympic champion Cassie Sharpe of Canada sits in second place after the opening run of three and her teammate Rachael Karker was in third. American teenager Hanna Faulhaber was in fourth.
The temperature hovered around 3 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 16 Celsius) with an 11 mph wind.
___
The judges who let Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva compete at the Beijing Olympics despite a positive test for a banned substance blamed anti-doping officials for a “failure to function effectively.”
The Court of Arbitration for Sport, in a newly published 41-page document explaining their decision, cited an “untenable delay” at the testing laboratory in Sweden.
It meant Valieva’s positive test for a heart medication was only revealed during the Olympics despite her urine sample arriving in Stockholm on Dec. 29. The lab’s staffing was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Her lawyers suggested she was contaminated because her grandfather uses the banned heart medication she tested positive for.
The judges’ full verdict was published early Friday, hours after the 15-year-old Valieva’s mistake-filled free skate dropped her from the lead to finish fourth in the Olympic women’s individual event.
___
The International Testing Agency says Ukrainian bobsledder Lidiia Hunko has tested positive for an anabolic steroid at the Beijing Games.
The ITA says she failed a drug test after competing Monday. She placed 20th in women’s monobob.
Hunko is the third athlete to test positive for doping at the Beijing Olympics and the second from Ukraine, after cross-country skier Valnetyna Kaminska.
All three ITA cases in Beijing have detected a steroid.
The 28-year-old Hunko placed second in the 2016 World’s Strongest Woman contest, according to her official Beijing Olympics athlete biography.
___
More AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/winter-olympics and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/olympics-live-russian-skating-coach-back-at-rink-for-pairs/ | 2022-02-18T17:50:24 | en | 0.961477 |
LONDON (AP) — Lawyers for Prince Harry told a court hearing on Friday that the British royal is unwilling to bring his children to his homeland because it is not safe.
Harry has launched a legal challenge to the U.K. government’s refusal to let him personally pay for police protection when he comes to Britain.
His legal team says Harry wants to bring his children — Archie, who is almost 3, and 8-month-old Lilibet — to visit his home country from the U.S. but that is too risky without police protection.
Senior members of Britain’s royal family are given taxpayer-funded police protection, but Harry lost that when he and his wife Meghan stepped down as working royals and moved to the United States in 2020. The couple said their decision was due to what they described as unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British media.
Harry, also known as the Duke of Sussex, wants to be able to pay for the protection, saying his private security team in the U.S. doesn’t have adequate jurisdiction abroad or access to U.K. intelligence information.
The British government has said it is inappropriate to comment on legal proceedings.
During a hearing at the High Court in London, Harry’s lawyer Shaheed Fatima said the duke “does not feel safe when he is in the U.K. given the security arrangements applied to him.”
“It goes without saying that he does want to come back to see family and friends and to continue to support the charities that are so close to his heart,” she said. “Most of all, this is and always will be, his home.”
Harry, who lives in Santa Barbara, California, did not attend Friday’s preliminary hearing, which considered requests by both sides in the case for some parts of court documents to be kept private.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/prince-harry-lawyers-say-he-feels-unsafe-bringing-kids-to-uk-2/ | 2022-02-18T17:50:30 | en | 0.982462 |
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LONDON (AP) — Lawyers for Prince Harry told a court hearing on Friday that the British royal is unwilling to bring his children to his homeland because it is not safe.
Harry has launched a legal challenge to the U.K. government’s refusal to let him personally pay for police protection when he comes to Britain.
His legal team says Harry wants to bring his children — Archie, who is almost 3, and 8-month-old Lilibet — to visit his home country from the United States but thinks it would be too risky without police protection.
Harry, who lives in Santa Barbara, California, with the children and his wife, Megan, did not attend Friday’s preliminary hearing. The court considered requests by both sides in the case for parts of some legal documents to be kept private.
Senior members of Britain’s royal family are given taxpayer-funded police protection, but Harry lost that when he and Meghan stepped down as working royals and moved to the United States in 2020. The couple said their decision was due to what they described as unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British media.
Harry, also known as the Duke of Sussex, wants to be able to pay for the protection, saying his private security team in the U.S. doesn’t have adequate jurisdiction abroad or access to U.K. intelligence information.
During a hearing at the High Court in London, Harry’s lawyer, Shaheed Fatima, said the prince “does not feel safe when he is in the U.K. given the security arrangements applied to him.”
“It goes without saying that he does want to come back to see family and friends and to continue to support the charities that are so close to his heart,” she said. “Most of all, this is and always will be, his home.”
A lawyer representing the British government, Robert Palmer, called Harry’s claim “unarguable and unmeritorious.”
Palmer said in a written submission that Harry’s offer to pay for police security was irrelevant because “personal protective security by the police is not available on a privately financed basis.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/prince-harry-lawyers-say-he-feels-unsafe-bringing-kids-to-uk-5/ | 2022-02-18T17:50:38 | en | 0.980718 |
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LONDON (AP) — Lawyers for Prince Harry told a court hearing on Friday that the British royal is unwilling to bring his children to his homeland because it is not safe.
Harry has launched a legal challenge to the U.K. government’s refusal to let him personally pay for police protection when he comes to Britain.
His legal team says Harry wants to bring his children — Archie, who is almost 3, and 8-month-old Lilibet — to visit his home country from the U.S. but that is too risky without police protection.
Senior members of Britain’s royal family are given taxpayer-funded police protection, but Harry lost that when he and his wife Meghan stepped down as working royals and moved to the United States in 2020. The couple said their decision was due to what they described as unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British media.
Harry, also known as the Duke of Sussex, wants to be able to pay for the protection, saying his private security team in the U.S. doesn’t have adequate jurisdiction abroad or access to U.K. intelligence information.
The British government has said it is inappropriate to comment on legal proceedings.
During a hearing at the High Court in London, Harry’s lawyer Shaheed Fatima said the duke “does not feel safe when he is in the U.K. given the security arrangements applied to him.”
“It goes without saying that he does want to come back to see family and friends and to continue to support the charities that are so close to his heart,” she said. “Most of all, this is and always will be, his home.”
Harry, who lives in Santa Barbara, California, did not attend Friday’s preliminary hearing, which considered requests by both sides in the case for some parts of court documents to be kept private.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/prince-harry-lawyers-say-he-feels-unsafe-bringing-kids-to-uk/ | 2022-02-18T17:50:44 | en | 0.982462 |
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By TOM KRISHER
AP Auto Writer
DETROIT (AP) — Prices of new and used automobiles are staggeringly high, and that’s partly responsible for strong earnings last year by AutoNation, the country’s largest dealership group.
Mike Manley, CEO of the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, company, said used-vehicle prices are starting to ease a bit, but he doesn’t think new-vehicle supplies will improve much until the second half of this year.
New vehicles are scarce and prices are high because a global computer-chip shortage has forced all automakers to limit production.
Manley, whose appointment was announced in September, previously was head of the Americas region for Stellantis, formerly Fiat Chrysler.
AutoNation has over 300 store sites nationwide and made $1.37 billion in net income last year, up 260% from 2020.
Manley talked in an interview Thursday with The Associated Press. Questions are edited for length and clarity.
Q: AutoNation reported that used vehicle revenue was up 55% last quarter. Yet used vehicles were in short supply. Is the increase due to rising prices?
A: Our (sales) volume in used was up 21%, so you can see it’s a combination of volume, but also pricing. We did continue to see, through the fourth quarter, increases in terms of used-car pricing. I think that’s started to moderate particularly in cars two years and younger. So we’re seeing that moderation, which will, in my opinion, continue through this year.
Q: Edmunds.com had the average used-vehicle price at over $29,000 in January. If you’re buying your first car, or your car gets totaled and you need to replace it but don’t have a lot of money, is their any relief in sight?
A: Anyone who is adding to their fleet, or first time in, is picking up the brunt of that. I do think you are going to see improvements in inventory at that level. They’re buying kind of a $20,000 used vehicle. From my point of view, if we do see an improvement in new-car supply in the second quarter and the third and fourth quarters, that mitigation we’re seeing on younger new vehicles will filter down. It will take some time. So I think you are going to begin to see good quality vehicles returning to market in areas that will attract those types of buyers.
Q: So if I want this $20,000 used car, should I wait?
A: It is very beneficial for people to say, “Listen, this is the type of car that I’m looking for,” because we now have a system to make sure we track those things. These cars are rare. They’re not unicorns. Obviously, the demand is higher than the supply, but there is supply. My recommendation is to come down to one of the dealerships. We’ll be transparent when we see something coming in.
Q: Is the supply of new cars improving?
A: It’s not better. We’re not going to see an improvement in inventory levels in the first or second quarter, in my opinion. I think what we may see is some improvement in supply in the second. But the vast majority of that now is pre-sold. It will take into the third and fourth quarter where I think we are going to begin to see some rebuilding of inventory.
Q: Will we ever get back to huge supplies of new cars, big discounts and lower prices?
A: The question is how do they moderate, if at all, going forward? For me, it’s going to very much depend on how embedded are the learnings in the industry about keeping the balance between inventory and demand. Unfortunately, the pandemic, and none of us like that, but we’ve got that once-in-a-lifetime reset button. Now it’s down to: Are we going to make sure we take advantage of it, keep that discipline going forward? I think we are, because there’s enough embedded intelligence in the OEMs (automakers) and then the large dealer groups to say we really need to keep this balance going. It’s actually not a bad thing selling at MSRP (sticker price), is it?
Q: Will people still be able to haggle with dealers?
A: I don’t think we are going to return to the pre-pandemic 2017, 2018 (profit) margins, that were really driven down by a significant amount of inventory. What’s important really is your total cost of ownership. What you might get is a much better balance between what you’re paying on the front end and the residual you get when you come to trade or sell the vehicle.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/qa-autonation-ceo-sees-vehicle-prices-moderating-this-year-4/ | 2022-02-18T17:50:52 | en | 0.97061 |
By DREW COSTLEY
AP Science Writer
The Biden administration on Friday released a screening tool to help identify disadvantaged communities long plagued by environmental hazards, but it won’t include race as a factor in deciding where to devote resources.
Administration officials told reporters that excluding race will make projects less likely to draw legal challenges and will be easier to defend, even as they acknowledged that race has been a major factor in terms of who experiences environmental injustice.
The decision was harshly challenged by members of the environmental justice community.
“It’s a major disappointment and it’s a major flaw in trying to identify those communities that have been hit hardest by pollution,” said Robert Bullard, a professor of urban planning and environmental policy at Texas Southern University in Houston and a member of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council.
President Joe Biden has made combating climate change a priority of his administration and pledged in a sweeping executive order to “deliver environmental justice in communities all across America.” The order, signed his first week in office, sets a goal that the 40% of overall benefits from climate and environment investments would go to disadvantaged communities. The tool is a key component for carrying out that so-called Justice40 Initiative.
Brenda Mallory, chair of the White House’s Council on Environmental Quality, said the tool will help direct federal investments in climate, clean energy and environmental improvements to communities “that have been left out and left behind for far too long.”
Catherine Coleman Flowers, a member of the advisory council who served on a working group that gave the Biden administration recommendations for the tool, said she agrees with the move to exclude race as an indicator.
She said that this tool is a good start that hopefully will improve with time and that it’s better than creating a tool that includes race as a factor and then gets struck down by the Supreme Court. She said “race is a factor, but race isn’t the only factor.”
“Being marginalized in others ways is a factor,” she said.
The screening tool uses 21 factors, including air pollution, health outcomes and economic status, to identify communities that are most vulnerable to environmental and economic injustice.
But the omission of race as a factor goes against a deep body of scientific research showing that race is the greatest determinant of who experiences environmental harm, environmental justice experts pointed out.
“This was a political decision,” said Sacoby Wilson, associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Health. “This was not a scientific decision or a data-driven decision.” Wilson has studied the distribution of environmental pollutants and helped develop mapping tools like the one the Council on Environmental Quality released on Friday.
This isn’t the first such tool to exist in the United States, or even in the federal government. California, Maryland, Michigan and New Jersey have had tools like this for years. And the Environmental Protection Agency has a similar tool, EJ Screen. Many of those screening tools include some information about the racial makeup of communities along with environmental and health data.
The public has 60 days to use the tool and provide feedback on it. The Council on Environmental Quality also announced Friday that the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine are working on launching a study of existing tools.
___
Follow Drew Costley on Twitter: @drewcostley.
___
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.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/race-excluded-as-wh-rolls-out-climate-justice-screening-tool-2/ | 2022-02-18T17:50:58 | en | 0.965074 |
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By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV, YURAS KARMANAU and DARLENE SUPERVILLE
Associated Press
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A separatist leader in eastern Ukraine has announced the evacuation of civilians to Russia amid soaring tensions.
Denish Pushilin, the head of the separatist government in the Donetsk region, said in a statement Friday that women, children and the elderly will be evacuated first, and that Russia has prepared the necessary facilities to accommodate them.
The move comes amid a spike in shelling across the line of contact between Ukrainian government forces and Russia-backed rebels in the region in recent days that fueled Western fears that Moscow could use it as a pretext for an invasion. The separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine erupted in 2014 and has killed over 14,000 people.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia announced massive nuclear drills while Western leaders grasped Friday for ways to avert a new war in Europe amid soaring East-West tensions, after unusually dire U.S. warnings that Moscow could order an invasion of Ukraine any day.
Immediate worries focused on the volatile front lines of eastern Ukraine, where an upsurge of recent shelling tore through the walls of a kindergarten and basic communication was disrupted. Western officials, focused on an estimated 150,000 Russian troops posted around Ukraine’s borders, fear the long-simmering conflict could provide the spark for a broader war.
The drumbeat of warnings that a larger conflict could start at any moment continued Friday after U.S. President Joe Biden warned that Washington saw no signs of a promised Russian withdrawal — but instead saw more troops moving toward the border with Ukraine.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the U.S. believes Russia could launch an attack “any time” and also said he still had seen no sign of the promised Russian pullback. He will hold a call Friday with Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
Even as Russia claimed to be pulling back troops from extensive military exercises that had sparked fears of invasion, the Kremlin sent a reminder to the world that it has one of the world’s biggest nuclear arsenals, by announcing drills of its nuclear forces for the weekend. The muscle-flexing overshadowed Russian offers this week of continued diplomacy to defuse the Ukraine crisis.
NATO allies are also flexing their might, beefing up military forces around eastern Europe, but insist the actions are purely defensive and to show unity in the face of Russian threats.
The U.S. announced the $6 billion sale of 250 tanks to Poland, a NATO member that has been occupied or attacked by Russia over past centuries. Announcing the deal, Austin said Russia’s military buildup had only reinvigorated NATO instead of cowing it, as Moscow had hoped.
Meanwhile, world leaders meeting at the Munich Security Conference warned that Europe’s security balance is under threat. Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that the situation is “calling into question the basic principles of the European peace order.”
“Even steps, millimeters toward peace are better than a big step toward war,” she said.
Moscow has denied any intention of attacking its neighbor, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov mocked the Western warning of an imminent invasion as “fakes” that “cause a smile” in remarks broadcast Friday.
Despite the Russian denials, Washington and its allies are concerned the longtime separatist conflict simmering in eastern Ukraine could provide an excuse for an invasion, though they have not provided details.
With tensions already at their highest level since the Cold War, the Russian military announced that President Vladimir Putin will monitor a sweeping exercise of the country’s nuclear forces Saturday that will involve multiple practice missile launches — a stark reminder of the country’s nuclear might amid the showdown with the West.
While the Kremlin insists it has no plans to invade, it has urged the West to keep Ukraine out of NATO and roll back alliance forces from Eastern Europe — demands roundly rejected by Western allies.
Biden planned to speak by phone Friday with trans-Atlantic leaders about the Russian military buildup and continued efforts at deterrence and diplomacy.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed some conclusions of U.S. intelligence in Thursday’s speech at the U.N. Security Council, warning that Russia could create a false pretext for an invasion with a “so-called terrorist bombing” inside Russia, a staged drone strike, “a fake, even a real attack … using chemical weapons.” He charged that invasion would open with cyberattacks, along with missile strikes and bombs across Ukraine, describing the entry of Russian troops and their advance on Kyiv, a city of nearly 3 million, and other key targets.
Despite the stark U.S. warnings, Ukrainian officials sought to project calm, with Oleksii Danilov, head of the National Security and Defense Council, saying late Thursday that there were no signs a massive Russian invasion was imminent.
“We don’t undermine the threat in any case, but the possibility of escalation is considered to be relatively low regarding large-scale invasion of Ukraine,” Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told lawmakers Friday.
Nevertheless, U.S. and European officials were on high alert for any Russian attempts at a so-called false flag operation, according to a Western official familiar with intelligence findings. Ukrainian government officials shared intelligence with allies that suggested the Russians might try to shell the areas in the Luhansk region controlled by Moscow-backed separatists on Friday morning as part of an effort to create a false reason to take military action, according to the official who was not authorized to comment publicly.
The area saw a sharp spike in shelling Thursday, with monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe reporting more than 500 explosions before the tensions eased in the evening. Ukrainian authorities and separatists traded accusations of violations of a shaky truce in the nearly 8-year-old conflict in Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland, called Donbas. The conflict erupted shortly after Russia’s 2014 annexation of the Ukrainian Crimean Peninsula and has killed 14,000.
The Ukrainian military command said shells hit a kindergarten in Stanytsia Luhanska, wounding three people, and cut power to half the town. The rebels said nearly 19 houses were damaged by Ukrainian fire.
Early Friday, separatist authorities in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions reported more shelling by Ukrainian forces along the tense line of contact and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the situation is “potentially very dangerous.”
Ukrainian officials charged that the rebels intensified the shelling in the hopes of provoking a retaliatory attack by government forces.
The Ukrainian military chief, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, said that it’s “not planning any offensive operations or shelling of civilians,” adding that “our actions are purely defensive.”
But amid the fears a wider conflict could still come, a flurry of diplomacy is expected this week.
In addition to the call between the Russian and American defense chiefs, Blinken is expected to meet his Russian counterpart next week.
Meanwhile, Putin met Friday with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to discuss the ongoing joint drills in Belarus that borders Ukraine to the north. The massive exercise involving Russian forces moved from the Far East fueled Western fears that they could use it to cut a short way to the Ukrainian capital.
___
Isachenkov reported from Moscow and Superville from Washington. Lorne Cook in Brussels, Matthew Lee and Karl Ritter in Munich, Angela Charlton in Paris, Jill Lawless in London, Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations, Frank Jordans in Berlin, Aamer Madhani and Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington, and Vanessa Gera in Warsawcontributed to this report.
___
More AP coverage of the Ukraine crisis: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/rebel-leader-in-east-ukraine-announces-civilian-evacuation/ | 2022-02-18T17:51:04 | en | 0.950678 |
By SAM METZ
Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Republican lawmakers in several states are scaling back access to government business, extending pandemic-era rules that restrict when journalists can report from the floors of state legislative chambers and, in effect, making it easier to dodge the press.
As the public returns to the corridors of state capitols, new rules approved in Iowa last month and in Utah this week critically limit reporters’ access to lawmakers, sparking an outcry from media organizations and press advocates.
“It is critical that there is some accountability with respect to those who have tremendous power, such as you,” Lauren Gustus, the executive editor of The Salt Lake Tribune, told Utah lawmakers in a committee hearing last week, where she testified against such rules.
These rule changes limit when journalists can work on the floor of the legislature where lawmakers sit, making it easier for elected officials to avoid interacting with the press, even when they take up high-profile topics like election laws, taxes and abortion.
Rules governing where journalists can work vary across the nation’s 50 statehouses. Most allow credentialed reporters to observe from the chamber floors; some allow reporters to ask questions before or after proceedings; others require they remain in press boxes or alcoves separated from lawmakers, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
In states that are now moving to change their procedures, lawmakers argue that creating formal rules allays security concerns and prevents bad actors from disrupting governance. Press advocates say the proposed rules make it more difficult for journalists to ask questions and impede the reporters’ ability to keep tabs on fast-paced statehouse action.
In Iowa, Republican leaders this year did not issue credentials to journalists to work at press benches on the state Senate floor as they had previously. They said the policy change addressed “confusion” because of changing media that now includes blogs and newsletters that identify themselves as the press.
In Utah, reporters are now being required to ask for permission each time they’d like to interview a lawmaker on the Senate floor or in certain adjacent hallways. There and in the Iowa Senate, reporters now work from a gallery high above the chambers, though they can still access the floor in the House of Representatives.
Under new rules passed through Utah’s Senate and advancing through the House, camera crews will be required to ask for permission to film in certain parts of committee rooms.
In a hearing on the rule last week, Utah lawmakers said daily press conferences and efforts to stream all proceedings online demonstrated their commitment to transparency. They said putting a clear rule on the books would help both lawmakers and the press know what’s allowed.
“The barriers of civility and discourse that have been respected in this state and this country for years and for decades are changing and they’re changing rapidly,” said Utah GOP Sen. Todd Weiler, who supported the rule change, adding that “if they are pushing the barriers, it is nice to have a rule in place.”
In Kansas, new rules from leaders in the state Senate relegate newspaper reporters to the chamber’s gallery, which has made it easier for senators to avoid reporters after sessions. In exceptional circumstances, like when the gallery is filled with other members of the public, journalists are allowed to report from the floor like the rules allowed before.
“Placing restrictions on journalists in the Senate chamber suggests there is something to hide, or that leadership is taking unwarranted and unnecessary retaliation against reporters,” former Kansas lawmaker Steve Morris wrote in an editorial in the Kansas Reflector.
Morris, who led Republicans in the Kansas Senate from 2005 to 2013, said that as a politician and a news consumer he saw the benefits of having journalists able to observe and report from a statehouse floor. When discussions draw considerable public interest, he said, people want to know how their lawmakers are reacting, which at times can mean body language like eye rolls or enthusiastic gestures.
“Reporters are our avenue to see what’s going on,” he said in an interview with The Associated Press.
“Especially when there’s something controversial,” he added. “The session adjourns and members skedaddle out of there rapidly so it’s hard for journalists to get to them, unlike when they’re on the floor they can immediately get to them.”
The new limits come in an environment of increasing attacks on the media and parallel new restrictions placed on journalists covering protests and courtroom proceedings. They also come as states and cities loosen coronavirus restrictions that have returned restaurants, sporting events and offices to pre-pandemic capacity.
Parker Higgins, the advocacy director at the Freedom of The Press Foundation, said the ways transparency and access increased during the pandemic — for example, when courtrooms allowed members of the public to hear and watch trials remotely — were being reversed.
After speaking with reporters in Kansas and Iowa, he said “most say it’s not impossible to do their jobs without floor access. But, in terms of doing your job quickly and effectively, you can’t get that from the public gallery.”
___
AP reporters Andy Tsubasa Field in Topeka, Kansas, and David Pitt in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed reporting.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/republican-lawmakers-bar-journalists-from-statehouse-floors-2/ | 2022-02-18T17:51:11 | en | 0.9549 |
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By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV
Associated Press
MOSCOW (AP) — The Russian military on Friday announced massive drills of its strategic nuclear forces, a stark reminder of the country’s nuclear might amid Western fears that Moscow might be preparing to invade Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will personally oversee Saturday’s exercise, which will involve multiple practice launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, the Defense Ministry said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin would observe the drills from the Defense Ministry’s situation room and supervise the practice missile launches himself.
The ministry said it planned the maneuvers some time ago to check the readiness of Russia’s military command and personnel, as well as the reliability of its nuclear and conventional weapons.
The war games follow U.S. President Joe Biden’s warning on Thursday that Russia could invade Ukraine within days.
Western fears focus on an estimated 150,000 Russian troops — including about 60% of Russia’s overall ground forces — concentrated near Ukraine’s borders. The Kremlin insists it has no plans to invade.
But Moscow has demanded that the U.S. and its allies keep Ukraine and other ex-Soviet nations out of NATO, not deploy weapons in Ukraine and pull back NATO forces from Eastern Europe.
Washington and its allies bluntly rejected the Russian demands, and Moscow threatened to take unspecified “military-technical measures” if the West continued to stonewall.
Russia holds massive drills of its strategic nuclear forces on an annual basis, but the maneuvers planned for Saturday pointedly involve the Black Sea Fleet. The fleet is based on the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
The Black Sea Fleet has surface warships and submarines equipped with Kalibr cruise missiles, but its doesn’t have intercontinental ballistic missiles and didn’t take part in similar previous drills of the country’s strategic forces.
In the past, Russia has held the annual strategic forces drills in the fall. U.S. officials have voiced concern that Moscow shifted the exercise to February to coincide with a possible invasion of Ukraine.
The Kremlin’s Peskov said Russia notified foreign partners about the maneuvers in advance, adding that the exercise shouldn’t cause worries in the West.
“Practice launches of ballistic missiles are part of regular training,” he said. “They are preceded by a series of notices to other nations via different channels.”
Putin met with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and invited him to watch Saturday’s maneuvers.
The authoritarian Lukashenko, who has edged closer to Moscow amid Western sanctions for his crackdown on domestic protests, has offered to host Russian nuclear weapons. in Belarus, which neighbors Ukraine to the north.
The strategic forces of both Russia and the United States include a nuclear triad of land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-based ICBMs and nuclear-capable bombers.
The exercise of Russia’s nuclear forces follows a series of sweeping drills that the Russian military held near Ukraine and in Belarus.
The Russian military said it started pulling some of troops massed near Ukraine back to their permanent bases after the drills. The U.S. and its allies questioned the claim and said that Moscow has actually moved thousands of new troops closer to Ukraine.
Moscow argued that the pullback takes time and rejected Western criticism, saying that it would deploy troops wherever it’s necessary to ensure national security.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the tension between Russia and Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/russia-to-stage-massive-nuclear-drills-amid-ukraine-standoff-3/ | 2022-02-18T17:51:17 | en | 0.948106 |
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FIDALGO ISLAND, WA — Hope is a rare term to be applied to the environment these days, but looking off into the horizon, the people who know this land best see a beautiful future in store for coastal communities both here and beyond.
Alana Quintasket and Joe Williams are members of the Swinomish tribe, whose traditions are deeply rooted in coastal life.
Digging for clams and other shellfish is a big part of their identity, as it has been for centuries, but what’s happening on their lands in western Washington is a reflection of what’s happening up, down and across coast lines nationwide.
"Our biologists, our shellfish team have been kind of documenting throughout the Puget Sound. They're noticing a definite decline in that population," said Williams.
The ocean absorbs 30% of the CO2 in the atmosphere. According to the National Ocean and Atmopheric Administration, the excess carbon in the atmosphere has not only led to warmer seas but it changes the ocean’s PH balance, making the water more acidic.
Coastal areas in the country have seen shellfish population drops as large as 85%. Nationally, if nothing changes its predicted that by the end of the century, shellfish populations nationwide will continue to drop by almost half.
"We're under apocalyptic circumstances, where it is a climate crisis and lives are at stake. As indigenous people and indigenous beings of the land, it's our responsibility to do what we can to restore the practices that have been left for us," said Quintasket.
In the face of a crisis, the Swinomish have a plan to restore the shellfish population: build the very clam gardens their ancestors did centuries ago.
In a few weeks, the Swinomish will be building a clam garden, a tough of rocks meant to be the ideal environment for clam and shellfish growth, on a section of coastline. This ancient practice can increase shellfish growth by 400%.
"It's really expanding the area where clams can grow," said Courtney Grenier, a marine ecologist with the Swinomish Tribal Community.
She says while the numbers don’t lie, scientists are still trying to figure out why the clam gardens are so successful.
"It doesn’t have to be confirmed by Western science to acknowledge there has been this technology that has been used and can still be implemented in a way that’s still in harmony with nature," she said.
The Swinomish are not only looking at this as an opportunity to combat climate change, but by making this a community project, they hope to physically reconnect generations after recent history and past tragedies have taken so much.
"Not only are we trying to get through this pandemic to make it an endemic, but we're also thinking of the fear for the climate, and for us to have something to be excited about is just something good for our people," said Quintasket.
As the project is set into motion, the Swinomish hope other coastal communities are listening and watching to see what native practices are already out there that we can use in our collective fight for our environment.
"There are plenty of teachings to help us get through this, this climate change, we just have to pay attention and be at one with our nature," said Williams. | https://www.fox13now.com/news/national-politics/the-race/native-tribe-works-to-fight-climate-change-with-native-knowledge | 2022-02-18T17:51:22 | en | 0.973162 |
FORT COLLINS, CO — On a chilly winter morning, Jim Howell lets me tag along on his morning chores.
In doing so, he’s letting me in on a little secret. His cows are fighting climate change with the two things they do best: walking and eating.
"My career over the last 30 years has convinced me for sure that all of this is doable. We can manage cattle. That enhances the biodiversity and the health of the ecosystem out here," he said.
Working with this herd is his hobby. His day job is consulting ranchers across the globe about how grazing cows in a specific way. Essentially smaller sections of land for shorter periods of time can help vegetation grow, have nutrients pushed into the ground by way of hooves, and can maximize one of the greatest carbon absorbers in nature: soil
"Doing that with cattle is kind of the surrogate for the wild animals that would have been here under a natural context," he said.
Howell's secret is really no secret at all. It’s the core of the research that goes on at Colorado State University’s Soil Carbon Solutions Center.
"These types of practices can enhance soil health and help build soil carbon," said Megan Machmuller, a research scientist at CSU.
Conventional agriculture and grazing has drifted far away from how the environment evolved to thrive and has severely lowered the carbon-absorbing power of soil. The students and staff here are researching best practices on how to reverse the damage done and revive landscapes.
"We have the opportunity to actually reverse our action and start doing regenerative practices, both in croplands and grasslands so that we can put back most of the carbon that we have lost," said Francesca Cotrufo, professor of soil ecology.
These soil samples contain carbon as well as tiny ecosystems and the work being done here measures how effective land management increases the health of the soil, which in turn, means improves the health of the environment and crops.
"Regenerative means bringing an ecological mindset into agriculture and managing those ecosystems in a way that all the components can work interactively with positive scenarios and so there is a win-win-win, wherever you see it," said Cotrufo.
From the lab to the field, researchers share what they learn with farmers and ranchers across the country.
"It gives me hope we understand the great potential for soils to serve as a climate mitigation strategy," said Machmuller.
As Howell does his part, learning from researchers and sharing knowledge, he knows that the more these practices go into play in fields across America, the better off everything – the cows, the plants, us – will be.
"We have this huge legacy load of CO2 in the atmosphere that we need to draw down off. Also, by far the most impactful way we're going to do that is by how we manage our topsoil, and that's a function of how we manage our grass plant, and how we manage our grass plant is a function of how we manage our animals," he said. "So, it's all tied together and it's definitely a part of the solution." | https://www.fox13now.com/news/national-politics/the-race/researchers-and-ranchers-working-together-to-fight-climate-change | 2022-02-18T17:51:22 | en | 0.966032 |
The BA.2 virus is a subvariant of omicron, but new evidence suggests the two are different in some aspects.
Lab experiments from Japan show that BA.2 spreads faster than omicron.
It may also cause more severe disease and is more resistant to some treatments because BA.2 is able copy itself in cells more quickly than other variants.
The study prepublished this week showed the variant can resist sotrovimab, a monoclonal antibody used against omicron.
The treatment is specifically for patients who have a mild to moderate case of COVID-19 and are at high risk of hospitalization, the World Health Organization states on its website.
Researchers in Japan found that BA.2 has dozens of gene changes that make it different from the original omicron variant.
Because of this, they said BA.2 should not be considered an omicron subvariant and it should be closely monitored.
The variant has recently spread rapidly in some countries, including Denmark, the Philippines and South Africa.
It has become a dominant strain in several Asian countries.
The CDC estimates that about 4% of adults in the U.S. have BA.2 infections. | https://www.fox13now.com/news/national/coronavirus/new-study-shows-differences-between-ba-2-variant-and-omicron | 2022-02-18T17:51:22 | en | 0.955901 |
By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV, YURAS KARMANAU and DARLENE SUPERVILLE
Associated Press
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia announced massive nuclear drills while Western leaders grasped Friday for ways to avert a new war in Europe amid soaring East-West tensions, after unusually dire U.S. warnings that Moscow could order an invasion of Ukraine any day.
Immediate worries focused on the volatile front lines of eastern Ukraine, where an upsurge of recent shelling tore through the walls of a kindergarten and basic communication was disrupted. Western officials, focused on an estimated 150,000 Russian troops posted around Ukraine’s borders, fear the long-simmering conflict could provide the spark for a broader war.
The drumbeat of warnings that a larger conflict could start at any moment continued Friday after U.S. President Joe Biden warned that Washington saw no signs of a promised Russian withdrawal — but instead saw more troops moving toward the border with Ukraine.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the U.S. believes Russia could launch an attack “any time” and also said he still had seen no sign of the promised Russian pullback. He will hold a call Friday with Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
Even as Russia claimed to be pulling back troops from extensive military exercises that had sparked fears of invasion, the Kremlin sent a reminder to the world that it has one of the world’s biggest nuclear arsenals, by announcing drills of its nuclear forces for the weekend. The muscle-flexing overshadowed Russian offers this week of continued diplomacy to defuse the Ukraine crisis.
NATO allies are also flexing their might, beefing up military forces around eastern Europe, but insist the actions are purely defensive and to show unity in the face of Russian threats.
The U.S. announced the $6 billion sale of 250 tanks to Poland, a NATO member that has been occupied or attacked by Russia over past centuries. Announcing the deal, Austin said Russia’s military buildup had only reinvigorated NATO instead of cowing it, as Moscow had hoped.
Meanwhile, world leaders meeting at the Munich Security Conference warned that Europe’s security balance is under threat. Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that the situation is “calling into question the basic principles of the European peace order.”
“Even steps, millimeters toward peace are better than a big step toward war,” she said.
Moscow has denied any intention of attacking its neighbor, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov mocked the Western warning of an imminent invasion as “fakes” that “cause a smile” in remarks broadcast Friday.
Despite the Russian denials, Washington and its allies are concerned the longtime separatist conflict simmering in eastern Ukraine could provide an excuse for an invasion, though they have not provided details.
With tensions already at their highest level since the Cold War, the Russian military announced that President Vladimir Putin will monitor a sweeping exercise of the country’s nuclear forces Saturday that will involve multiple practice missile launches — a stark reminder of the country’s nuclear might amid the showdown with the West.
While the Kremlin insists it has no plans to invade, it has urged the West to keep Ukraine out of NATO and roll back alliance forces from Eastern Europe — demands roundly rejected by Western allies.
Biden planned to speak by phone Friday with trans-Atlantic leaders about the Russian military buildup and continued efforts at deterrence and diplomacy.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed some conclusions of U.S. intelligence in Thursday’s speech at the U.N. Security Council, warning that Russia could create a false pretext for an invasion with a “so-called terrorist bombing” inside Russia, a staged drone strike, “a fake, even a real attack … using chemical weapons.” He charged that invasion would open with cyberattacks, along with missile strikes and bombs across Ukraine, describing the entry of Russian troops and their advance on Kyiv, a city of nearly 3 million, and other key targets.
Despite the stark U.S. warnings, Ukrainian officials sought to project calm, with Oleksii Danilov, head of the National Security and Defense Council, saying late Thursday that there were no signs a massive Russian invasion was imminent.
“We don’t undermine the threat in any case, but the possibility of escalation is considered to be relatively low regarding large-scale invasion of Ukraine,” Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told lawmakers Friday.
Nevertheless, U.S. and European officials were on high alert for any Russian attempts at a so-called false flag operation, according to a Western official familiar with intelligence findings. Ukrainian government officials shared intelligence with allies that suggested the Russians might try to shell the areas in the Luhansk region controlled by Moscow-backed separatists on Friday morning as part of an effort to create a false reason to take military action, according to the official who was not authorized to comment publicly.
The area saw a sharp spike in shelling Thursday, with monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe reporting more than 500 explosions before the tensions eased in the evening. Ukrainian authorities and separatists traded accusations of violations of a shaky truce in the nearly 8-year-old conflict in Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland, called Donbas. The conflict erupted shortly after Russia’s 2014 annexation of the Ukrainian Crimean Peninsula and has killed 14,000.
The Ukrainian military command said shells hit a kindergarten in Stanytsia Luhanska, wounding three people, and cut power to half the town. The rebels said nearly 19 houses were damaged by Ukrainian fire.
Early Friday, separatist authorities in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions reported more shelling by Ukrainian forces along the tense line of contact and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the situation is “potentially very dangerous.”
Ukrainian officials charged that the rebels intensified the shelling in the hopes of provoking a retaliatory attack by government forces.
The Ukrainian military chief, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, said that it’s “not planning any offensive operations or shelling of civilians,” adding that “our actions are purely defensive.”
But amid the fears a wider conflict could still come, a flurry of diplomacy is expected this week.
In addition to the call between the Russian and American defense chiefs, Blinken is expected to meet his Russian counterpart next week.
Meanwhile, Putin met Friday with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to discuss the ongoing joint drills in Belarus that borders Ukraine to the north. The massive exercise involving Russian forces moved from the Far East fueled Western fears that they could use it to cut a short way to the Ukrainian capital.
___
Isachenkov reported from Moscow and Superville from Washington. Lorne Cook in Brussels, Matthew Lee and Karl Ritter in Munich, Angela Charlton in Paris, Jill Lawless in London, Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations, Frank Jordans in Berlin, Aamer Madhani and Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington, and Vanessa Gera in Warsawcontributed to this report.
___
More AP coverage of the Ukraine crisis: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://wtmj.com/national/2022/02/18/russia-to-stage-nuclear-drills-with-ukraine-tensions-high-2/ | 2022-02-18T17:51:24 | en | 0.950454 |
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Blizzard-like conditions that swept through Illinois on Thursday resulted in the shutdown of Interstate 39 after a 100 car pileup.
According to the Illinois State Police, the interstate would be closed through Friday as they work to clean up the massive crash and retrieve those that had slid off the icy roadway on Thursday.
The Associated Press reported that crews were untangling the nine-passenger vehicles and 19 commercial vehicles.
Officials said they had not received reports of anyone being injured.
Those who were stranded were able to be taken to warming centers, state police said, the AP reported.
The storm, which recorded 40 mph wind gusts, caused other problems throughout the state.
The AP reported that more than 500 flights were canceled at both Chicago international airports after more than 4 inches of snow dropped. | https://www.fox13now.com/news/national/snowstorm-causes-massive-100-car-pileup-on-illinois-interstate | 2022-02-18T17:51:24 | en | 0.988232 |
Storm Eunice in the United Kingdom and Ireland has already proved to be deadly.
Reuters reports at least one man was killed in Ireland, after being hit by a tree.
At least three others have been sent to the hospital after being hit by debris.
Winds reached 122 miles per hour, the fastest on record in England, according to the UK Met Office.
Tens of thousands of people across the UK and Ireland were without power Friday.
The high winds have led to downed rooftops and trees, crushed cars and more than 400 canceled flights.
Trains were delayed and canceled, not only due to high winds, but also debris blowing onto railway lines.
London’s O2 arena canceled an event scheduled for Friday night after heavy winds ripped off its roof.
The building had to be evacuated and closed.
The prime minister of the UK, Boris Johnson said Thursday the Army was “on standby” to help those affected by the storm.
Storm Eunice comes as the European countries recover from Storm Dudley. | https://www.fox13now.com/news/national/storm-eunice-batters-uk-kills-man-in-ireland | 2022-02-18T17:51:27 | en | 0.984832 |
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