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ORLANDO, Fla. – One person suffered minor burns after a possible lightning strike in Orlando on Monday afternoon, according to city officials.
According to a news release, fire crews responded to a “possible nearby lightning strike,” but the exact location of the incident wasn’t given.
A city of Orlando spokesperson said the “worker” appeared to have minor burns, but no entry or exit wounds.
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The patient was transported to a hospital, but their condition wasn’t stated in the release.
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| 2023-07-31T23:27:02
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“Jay Leno’s Garage” has featured a wide variety of cars, but this 1923 McFarlan Model 154 Knickerbocker Cabriolet is truly one of a kind.
The car is part of California’s Nethercutt Collection, and Vice President Cameron Richards believes it’s the only surviving example.
Originally based in Connersville, Indiana, McFarlan was a carriage builder that moved into car production, but it focused more on luxury than volume, building only 600 cars per year between 1910 and 1928.
McFarlan didn’t do things in half measures. The Model 154 weighs 5,200 pounds and, behind its Rolls-Royce-like grille, sits a 572-cubic-inch inline-6 with 18 spark plugs and four valves per cylinder. Those valves are arrayed on either side of the combustion chambers in a T-head arrangement, which was preferred at the time because of low quality gasoline, Leno explains in the video. The T-head eased cooling, lessening the chance of detonation.
All of those valves and spark plugs generated 120 hp, which is channeled to the rear wheels through a 3-speed manual transmission with a modern H-pattern shifter.
This car was owned by Roscoe Conkling “Fatty” Arbuckle, a famous comedian in the period, and sports a fold-out canopy and director’s chair so the star could relax during rest stops. The driver was less fortunate. Arbuckle’s Model 154 has a popular body style for the period, with a covered rear compartment but an open cockpit.
While forgotten today, the McFarlan was once considered an American rival to Rolls-Royce, Richards notes. Leno agrees with that, comparing the car from Indiana to a Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost. Unlike Rolls-Royce though, McFarlan didn’t survive. The firm went bankrupt and was eventually bought by Auburn, another ill-fated Indiana automaker.
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| 2023-07-31T23:27:04
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The last known Volkswagen Type 2 Schulwagen, a version used to train dealership staff, has resurfaced after 43 years.
Owned by collector Lind Bjornsen, the restored Schulwagen made its public debut last month in Huntington Beach, California, on International VW Bus Day. The event celebrated the Type 2, also known as the Microbus, and marked the U.S. debut of the iconic van’s spiritual (and electric) successor—the Volkswagen ID.Buzz.
The Schulwagen, German for “school vehicle,” came about after VW terminated its contract with U.S. importer Max Hoffman and set up its own U.S. division, Volkswagen of America (now part of Volkswagen Group of America).
Taking over U.S. sales operations meant setting up a dealer network, which VW representatives Will Van De Camp and Geoffrey Lange started doing in 1954. The following year they had VW send over three service tech trainers and a pair of Type 2 vans to travel to dealerships and train staff to work on Beetles and Microbuses. Based on the Type 2 Kombi model, the Schulwagen fleet eventually totaled 14 vehicles costing more than $5,000 each—making them the most expensive VW models at the time.
This Schulwagen sat in an Ohio barn for 43 years, according to VW. It was purchased by Bjornsen, who removed 10 layers of paint to find the original Volkswagen of America lettering which, along with some unique equipment like a rear workbench, proved the van’s provenance. The factory subsequently confirmed that the barn find was delivered to VW of America in January 1955. The van was then restored to original condition over the course of five months.
Americans will have to wait a bit longer for a new VW Bus. The ID.Buzz is scheduled to arrive here next year as a 2025 model. It will bring with it three rows of seats, a larger battery pack, and a more powerful electric motor than the versions already on sale in other markets. This high-end version of the electric VW Bus probably won’t be used for dealer training, but it will have something in common with the Schulwagen. With an expected price of about $65,000, it will also be among the most expensive Volkswagens currently on sale.
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- VW taps Xpeng for EV platforms
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| 2023-07-31T23:27:05
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LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – The school year is getting off to a special start for four Central Florida public school teachers who are receiving free classroom makeovers.
The renovations were put in place through Addition Financial Credit Union’s Renovate to Educate Contest.
For the fifth year, the credit union selected one teacher each from Orange, Seminole, Osceola, and Lake counties to receive roughly $3,500 in renovations per classroom.
The program invited teachers to apply for the makeover by submitting an essay about their visions for a dream classroom.
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On Monday, the first reveal happened at Nicole Sanservino’s classroom at Gray Middle School. She worked with Kylie Shortt, a recent graduate of Seminole State College’s Interior Design Program, to make her vision a reality.
“This was a great opportunity, not only for me as a design student but also just to give back to the community,” Shortt said. “I think all of the changes are just going to make these students feel more welcomed and at home and comfortable.”
Sanservino is a teacher of ESE students and wanted to have a design that would cater to their special needs.
Changes included more relaxing lighting, sensory stations, a Disney-focused design, and several special touches like an affirmation area for students.
“I’m tearful because my dreams came to life,” Sanservino said. “My students’ dreams came to life and I know that we’re going to be able to become a family in this classroom.”
Another classroom reveal is scheduled to happen Tuesday at Riverside Elementary School in Orlando. The two final reveals for this school year will happen on Wednesday at Poinciana High School and at Seminole High School 9th Grade Center.
For additional details about Addition Financial Credit Union’s Renovate to Educate Program, visit the credit union’s website.
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https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/07/31/my-students-dreams-came-to-life-teachers-surprised-with-classroom-makeovers/
| 2023-07-31T23:27:08
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HELSINKI (AP) — Denmark’s foreign minister said Sunday the government will seek to make it illegal to desecrate the Quran or other religious holy books in front of foreign embassies in the Nordic country.
Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said in an interview with the Danish public broadcaster DR that the burning of holy scriptures “only serves the purpose of creating division in a world that actually needs unity.”
“That is why we have decided in the government that we will look at how, in very special situations, we can put an end to mockery of other countries, which is in direct conflict with Danish interests and the safety of the Danes,” he said.
A recent string of public Quran desecrations by a handful of anti-Islam activists in Denmark and neighboring Sweden have sparked angry demonstrations in Muslim countries.
Løkke Rasmussen said the Cabinet of Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is determined to find “a legal tool” to prohibit such acts without compromising freedom of expression, but he acknowledged that would not be easy.
“There must be room for religious criticism, and we have no thoughts of reintroducing a blasphemy clause,” he told DR. “But when you stand up in front of a foreign embassy and burn a Quran or burn the Torah scroll in front of the Israeli embassy, it serves no other purpose than to mock.”
His comments followed a statement issued late Sunday by the Danish government saying freedom of expression is one of the most important values in Danish society.
But, it added, the descreation of the Muslim holy book in Denmark has resulted in the nation being viewed in many places around the world “as a country that facilitates insult and denigration of the cultures, religions, and traditions of other countries.”
The government repeated its condemnation of such descecrations, say they are “deeply offensive and reckless acts committed by few individuals” and “do not represent the values the Danish society is built on.”
In Sweden, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Sunday on Instagram that his government is analyzing the legal situation regarding desecration of the Quran and other holy books, given the animosity such acts are stirring up against Sweden.
“We are in the most serious security policy situation since the Second World War,” Kristersson said.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation has called an emergency remote meeting Monday to discuss the Quran burnings in Sweden and Denmark.
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ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A strained network contract negotiation between United Healthcare and Orlando Health could mean a loss of coverage for scores of patients.
In an update earlier this month, insurance company United Healthcare announced that Orlando Health had delivered a proposal on June 30, which asked for a 24% price hike over the next year for its hospitals.
The update also states that the average cost of inpatient services at Orlando Health’s hospitals is higher than that of any other Central Florida health system affiliated with United Healthcare’s network.
United Healthcare said that it agreed to terms on Medicare and Medicaid, so the company proposed to Orlando Health to finalize the two contracts, meaning that those enrolled in either plan would continue to have access to Orlando Health.
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However, Orlando Health refused the proposal, “presumably because it hopes the potential disruption in care for these members will pressure us to give into the price hikes it’s seeking,” representatives from the company stated.
“Orlando Health is putting its most vulnerable patients in the middle of this negotiation, presumably in an attempt to pressure us to accept its demands for a 24% rate increase, potentially creating unnecessary and completely avoidable disruption in access to care for more than 30,000 Medicare Advantage and Medicaid members,” a statement from United Healthcare reads.
Should Orlando Health leave the company’s network, United Healthcare explained that customers enrolled in the Group Retiree PPO plan may still receive care from an Orlando Health physician or facility as an out-of-network provider if they are a Medicare-approved provider that accepts the plan. In that case, their share of the cost will be the same as though they were part of the network, United Healthcare added.
“Our goal is to reach an agreement without any disruption to the families we serve,” United Healthcare’s website reads. “We urge Orlando Health to join us at the negotiating table with a reasonable proposal that’s affordable and sustainable for the residents and businesses we serve throughout Central Florida.”
Orlando Health told News 6 that it was still working with United Healthcare to “negotiate a fair agreement.”
“As of today, critical elements remain open and a contract has not yet been reached. As caregivers of the community, Orlando Health is working tirelessly with patients and families to ensure their medical needs are met through continuity of care provisions. Orlando Health asks UHC to join us in putting patients first in ensuring continuity of care provisions are accommodating of all patients under the care of Orlando Health clinicians,” a statement from Orlando Health states.
The current contract agreement is set to expire after Monday.
In the case that a new agreement isn’t reached, United Healthcare is urging its customers to visit its website for information on next steps, including details about alternative healthcare facilities in the company’s network. You can find that information by clicking here.
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| 2023-07-31T23:27:14
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Memphis police on Monday said officers shot a suspect after he attempted to enter a Jewish school with a gun and fired shots after he couldn't get into the building.
Assistant Police Chief Don Crowe said the suspect, whose identity has not been released, approached Margolin Hebrew Academy-Feinstone Yeshiva of the South around 12:20 p.m. He fired several shots and then left in a maroon truck.
“Thankfully, that school had a great safety procedure and process in place and avoided anyone being harmed or injured at that scene,” Crowe said.
Officers soon found the suspect's vehicle “shortly after that,” Crowe said, adding that officers then shot the suspect after he exited the truck with a firearm in hand. The suspect was sent to a hospital, where he is in critical condition.
It was not immediately clear if school was in session.
When asked if law enforcement believe the shooting was a hate crime, Crowe said officers were still on the scene and collecting information.
“It's way too early for that. Again, we're very early in this investigation,” Crowe said.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigations is now handling the case.
Oscar Gomez said two of his teenage children were outside their house when the man was shot in their neighborhood. They told him about the shooting when he arrived home from work, he said.
“They heard the shooting, and they threw themselves on the floor trying to protect themselves,” said Gomez, 39.
U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, whose district includes Memphis, said in a statement that he was “shocked” to hear about the incident at the school and noted that acts of “violent antisemitism” are on the rise across the country.
Monday's shooting comes nearly four months after a shooter opened fire at a private Christian school in Nashville and killed six people, including three nine-year-old children. That tragedy has sparked closer scrutiny of Tennessee's relaxed gun laws and renewed calls to strengthen security at both public and private schools across the state.
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Kimberlee Kruesi contributed to this report from Nashville, Tennessee
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| 2023-07-31T23:27:20
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Chris Buescher was already in good position to qualify for NASCAR’s playoffs.
Now, even something remarkable over the last four races of the regular season won’t keep him out.
Buescher pulled away on a restart with three laps to go to win at Richmond Raceway on Sunday and snag one of the final spots in NASCAR’s playoff field.
Buescher led 88 laps and was ahead by nearly 6 seconds when a caution came out with under 10 laps to go. That erased his lead over Virginia native Denny Hamlin, who was booed by his hometown crowd before the race.
But Hamlin got a poor final restart and Buescher easily pulled away for his first Cup Series win of the season, third of his career.
“I knew that last restart was going to be tough, but I knew we had the speed in this thing,” Buescher said.
He and RFK Racing teammate Brad Keselowski led a combined 190 of the 400 laps in their Fords. Keselowski, now a part owner of the team, led 102 laps on the 0.75-mile oval.
Buescher started 26th and had to drive through the field for the win that locked him into the 16-driver playoff field. Buescher became the 13th race winner this year and there are three playoff spots up for grabs over the next month.
It was the 139th Cup win for primary team owner Jack Roush, second since Keselowski joined the ownership group.
Ford now has 723 wins in NASCAR’s top Cup Series.
“Everybody at RFK Racing who has worked so hard to get us to this point,” said Buescher.
Hamlin, winner last week at Pocono, finished second in a Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. Kyle Busch was third in a Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, followed by the Fords of Joey Logano from Team Penske and Ryan Preece of Stewart-Haas Racing.
“One win is good, but you get three or four or five and then you feel a lot better,” Keselowski said. “It sure beats not having any at all, but we want to keep going. It’s nice to have one car locked in the playoffs. We need to get both cars locked in the playoffs. We have a good points gap, but we want wins and this is where we need to be.”
Keselowski, despite being winless this season, is still mathematically in contention for the playoffs.
The race was slowed just three times by caution flags, with the final yellow sending the leaders to pit road for four tires with eight laps to go. When the green flag was shown again, Buescher used the inside line to pull away for his third career victory.
Hamlin’s bid for the victory ended on the second lap of the final sprint when he drove in too deep in the first turn and slid up the track. He finished 0.549-seconds behind Buescher.
“I got a bad restart,” Hamlin said. “I had to recover too much ground from what I lost on the front stretch. Almost got to the outside, and then in turn four, almost got to the outside again, and then in turn one, I was like ‘I’m just going to ship it in there and try to get to the outside one more time’ and I just carried way too much speed and locked up the left front tires.”
LARSON-HAMLIN
Kyle Larson, angered last week when Hamlin caused him to hit the wall while leading while Hamlin went on to win, was running a few laps down when he nudged Hamlin out of the way with 70 laps to go during Sunday’s race.
Larson, who won at Richmond in April, finished 19th.
“I think he was having a frustrating day,” Hamlin said. “It’s all good.”
SCORCHER
With temperatures in the mid-80s, it was about 15 degrees cooler than Saturday, when the temperature approached 100 and the heat index was at least 105.
Nevertheless, points leader Martin Truex Jr. still struggled.
“It was definitely really, really hot,” he said. “It felt longer than 400 laps. I’ll be honest, when we got to the end of stage two —– I thought there was no way. I thought that was the checkered flag. It just felt really, really long.”
Truex finished seventh.
CLEAN RACE
All 36 cars that started the race were still running at the end.
UP NEXT
The series moves to Michigan where Kevin Harvick, winless so far in this his final season, is the defending champion.
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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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ATLANTA – A judge on Monday rejected an attempt by former President Donald Trump to keep a Georgia district attorney from prosecuting him and from using certain evidence gathered in her investigation into potential illegal meddling in the 2020 election in the state.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney didn't mince words in his nine-page ruling, which said Trump lacked the legal grounds to bring the challenge before any indictment has been filed in the case. Any harm alleged by Trump and by Cathy Latham, a Republican fake elector from Georgia who had joined his motion, is “either insufficient or else speculative and unrealized,” the judge wrote.
The alleged harms “are insufficient because, while being the subject (or even target) of a highly publicized criminal investigation is likely an unwelcome and unpleasant experience, no court ever has held that that status alone provides a basis for the courts to interfere with or halt the investigation,” McBurney wrote.
In a caustic footnote, seemingly nodding to Trump's status as the dominant frontrunner for the 2024 Republican nomination for president despite having been indicted twice already, the judge added: “And for some, being the subject of a criminal investigation can, à la Rumpelstiltskin, be turned into golden political capital, making it seem more providential than problematic.”
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, an elected Democrat, has strongly suggested that she is likely to seek charges in the case in the coming weeks. While she has not directly said she plans to seek charges against the Republican former president, she has repeatedly said no one is above the law.
Monday's ruling came in response to a motion filed in March by Trump's Georgia-based legal team that said a special grand jury seated to help Willis investigate “involved a constant lack of clarity as to the law, inconsistent applications of basic constitutional protections for individuals being brought before it, and a prosecutor’s office that was found to have an actual conflict, yet continued to pursue the investigation.”
The special grand jury did not have the power to indict, but it did issue subpoenas and heard from some 75 witnesses while meeting from May to December last year and issued a final report with recommendations for Willis.
Trump attorney Drew Findling did not immediately respond Monday to text and voicemail messages seeking comment.
Latham was one of 16 Georgia Republicans who met at the state Capitol in December 2020 and signed a certificate declaring falsely that Trump had won the presidential election and declaring themselves the state’s “duly elected and qualified” electors. Willis last year informed them that they were targets of her investigation, though some have since reached immunity deals with her team.
McBurney said there are no grounds to disqualify Willis from pursuing her investigation and likely prosecution, saying she had not acted improperly.
“The drumbeat from the District Attorney has been neither partisan (in the political sense) nor personal, in marked and refreshing contrast to the stream of personal invective flowing from one of the movants,” he wrote, no doubt referring to Trump.
Trump's attorneys several weeks ago took another stab at barring Willis from prosecuting him and getting the special grand jury's report tossed out with twin filings against Willis and McBurney in Fulton County Superior Court and the Georgia Supreme Court. Explaining this extraordinary action, they cited the fact that McBurney had yet to rule on their earlier motion and Willis' indication that she would soon seek charges in the case.
The state Supreme Court unanimously declined to intervene, dismissing the petition.
A judge from neighboring Cobb County was assigned to consider the other petition after the chief judge of the Fulton County Superior Court recused himself and the other judges on that bench from hearing the matter involving McBurney. He has set a hearing for Aug. 10.
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ATLANTA (AP) — Matt Olson says it’s no mystery why he’s leading the majors in RBIs.
In Atlanta’s powerful lineup, Olson is often hitting with runners on base.
Olson drove in five runs with two homers, including a two-run shot in the eighth, and the Braves beat the Milwaukee Brewers 8-6 on Sunday to cap their sweep of the high-scoring series.
Olson has 35 homers, tops in the NL, and 88 RBIs. The Braves scored 29 runs in the three-game sweep in the matchup of NL contenders.
“There’s always dudes on base,” Olson said. “I feel like I’m rarely taking at-bats with the bases empty.”
The only player in the majors with more homers than Olson is Shohei Ohtani, with 39. Ohtani will bring the Los Angeles Angels into Atlanta for a series beginning Monday night.
With the sweep, the Braves won five of six against the Brewers in the last two weeks, including two of three in Milwaukee on July 21-23.
“You know you’re probably not shutting them out,” said Brewers left fielder Christian Yelich, who homered and drove in two runs.
Yelich said a “back-and-forth game” is likely against Atlanta. Sure enough, the Brewers lost despite holding leads of 1-0, 3-2 and 6-5.
“To keep roaring back, it’s a testament to how tough these guys are,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.
Atlanta (67-36) leads the NL East by 11 1/2 games over Miami. Milwaukee’s loss coupled with Cincinnati’s win at the Dodgers dropped the Brewers (57-49) into second in the NL Central.
Orlando Arcia led off the eighth with a double to left against Milwaukee’s Joel Payamps (4-2). With one out, Olson’s tiebreaking 35th homer landed in the Atlanta bullpen in right-center.
Payamps entered with a string of 17 consecutive scoreless appearances. He had allowed just seven hits in his last 18 innings.
Kirby Yates (5-0) pitched a scoreless eighth for the win. Raisel Iglesias earned his 20th save by striking out the side in the ninth.
Olson’s three-run homer lifted the Braves to a 5-3 lead in the third. He drove in Ronald Acuña Jr., who singled and stole second, and Austin Riley, who walked.
Collin McHugh blew the 5-3 lead by giving up three runs in the sixth. William Contreras doubled in two runs for Milwaukee.
Atlanta’s Marcell Ozuna tied the game at 6 with his homer off Hoby Milner.
Riley continued his power surge for Atlanta by hitting his eighth homer in the last 11 games in the first, giving him 24 on the year. The two-run shot off Colin Rea carried 463 feet to left-center.
Rea allowed five runs in five innings.
Carlos Santana, acquired from Pittsburgh on Saturday, hit his first homer with the Brewers in the third. The liner over the right-field wall gave Milwaukee a 3-2 lead. Yelich led off the third with his 16th homer.
TRADE
Atlanta added veteran infielder Nicky Lopez in a trade with the Kansas City Royals. The Braves sent left-hander Taylor Hearn to Kansas City for the 28-year-old Lopez, who can play shortstop, second base and third.
ROOKIE RETURNS
Atlanta rookie AJ Smith-Shawver, recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett before the game, allowed three runs and four hits in five innings.
“He’s got a great way about him,” Snitker said of the 20-year-old right-hander. “There’s no panic in him. … There’s tremendous upside for him as he figures things out.”
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Thanks to Riley’s homer, the Braves have scored 109 first-inning runs, the most in the majors by any team in any inning. The Texas Rangers’ 90 fourth-inning runs are second on the list.
“We come in ready to swing and ready to do damage,” Ozuna said.
TRAINING ROOM
Brewers: LHP Wade Miley (left elbow) will come off the 15-day injured list to start Wednesday night at Washington. … RHP Brandon Woodruff (right shoulder) will pitch for Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday. … RHP Julio Teheran (right hip impingement) was placed on the 15-day IL. RHP Peter Strzelecki was recalled from Nashville.
UP NEXT
Brewers: RHP Corbin Burnes (9-6, 3.46 ERA) is scheduled to pitch Monday night’s opener of a three-game series at Washington against RHP Jake Irvin (3-5, 4.96 ERA).
Braves: Atlanta opens an interleague series against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night. Braves RHP Charlie Morton (10-8, 3.57 ERA) faces RHP Griffin Canning (6-4, 4.46 ERA). Morton is 4-1 with a 3.83 ERA in 10 career starts against the Angels.
——
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP–Sports
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PHOENIX – The Arizona Diamondbacks have solidified the back of their bullpen ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline, acquiring closer Paul Sewald from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for infielder Josh Rojas, outfielder Dominic Canzone and minor leaguer Ryan Bliss.
The teams announced the deal on Monday.
The D-backs opted to be buyers at the trade deadline despite a 7-16 record in July that's caused their overall record to slide to 56-50. They started Monday four games behind the Dodgers in the NL West and one game back from the final spot of a crowded NL wild-card race.
Sewald has been a mainstay at the back of Seattle’s bullpen for the past three seasons.
He has a career-high 21 saves this season in 45 appearances, after recording 20 saves in 2022 and 11 in 2021. In his three seasons with Seattle, Sewald has an 18-8 record and 2.88 ERA in 172 games.
“Gonna miss this place," Sewald said. "It was an amazing three years and changed my life, changed my career — personally, professionally. I owe a lot to the people here and feel like I gave them everything I had for three years and it’s going to be tough.
"But the Diamondbacks traded for me which meant they wanted me more and I’m excited to get to Arizona and do what I can.”
Arizona's bullpen has struggled of late, with a rotating cast of closers like Scott McGough, Andrew Chafin and Miguel Castro. Sewald's arrival should give the Diamondbacks some certainty on who will handle the ninth inning.
For Seattle, it’s a similar move to two seasons ago when the Mariners dealt then-closer Kendall Graveman to Houston at the deadline in exchange for utilityman Abraham Toro and reliever Joe Smith. At that time, the Mariners were nine game over .500 and ended the season 90-72, barely missing out on a wild-card spot.
This season, the Mariners have been mired in mediocrity hovering around .500 for most of the season, never climbing more than three games above the .500 mark at any point. They started Monday 5½ games back in the AL West and 4½ games behind in the wild-card race.
“It’s a good baseball trade, but it’s one that hurts just because of our relationship with Paul and what Paul’s meant to us," Mariners manager Scott Servais said.
Servais added that the Mariners aren't necessarily waving the white flag after adding two players — Rojas and Canzone — who are already in the big leagues.
“Players never want to see a guy like (Sewald) walk out the door,” Servais said. "But you have to wait and see what comes in the door. There’s a lot of ways of improving your team and giving your team a better chance maybe to make a run at the playoffs and hopefully the guys we acquired can come in and help us.”
Rojas — a Phoenix-area native — was a mainstay for the Diamondbacks in 2021 and 2022, but has struggled this season. He's got a .252 career batting average and 22 homers. A change of scenery might be good for the versatile player, who has spent time at third base, second base, shortstop and even the outfield, but admitted it was tough to leave home.
“It's been an awesome experience being able to play at home, in front of my friends and family,” Rojas said. “So that's definitely going to be missed.”
Canzone recently made his big-league debut and has a .237 average with a homer and eight RBIs in 41 plate appearances. Bliss was batting .358 with 12 homers at Double-A Amarillo. He was drafted in the second round out of Auburn in 2021.
The D-backs and Mariners just completed a three-game series at Chase Field, with Seattle winning two of the three games.
The deal was first reported by The Arizona Republic.
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AP Baseball Writer Janie McCauley in San Francisco and AP Sports Writer Tim Booth in Seattle contributed to this report.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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| 2023-07-31T23:27:33
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sparked by the young guy and the old man, the Cincinnati Reds took over sole possession of first place in the NL Central.
Elly De La Cruz, the 21-year-old sensation, and Joey Votto, who turns 40 in September, helped the Reds rout the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-0 on Sunday. They won home and road series against the NL West-leading Dodgers this season.
“It’s big-time for us,” winning pitcher Graham Ashcraft said. “It keeps us going and gives us that edge to keep fighting.”
De La Cruz hit a two-run homer and went 4 for 5 in his third game of the season with four hits. He also scored twice as the Reds rapped out 14 hits in handing the Dodgers their worst loss since a 15-0 defeat to San Francisco on June 17.
De La Cruz broke out of the struggles he’s had since the All-Star break, while Votto shook off his offensive funk with a two-run shot. Votto went 2 for 5 with three RBIs.
“He knows how to come out of those slumps. He gives us ideas and tips on how we can get out of there too,” De La Cruz said. “He helps me and if there’s something I can help him out with, I’ll tell him, too.”
Votto respects the equanimity shown by his much younger teammates.
“During the rough spells, these guys have been the exact same people every day,” he said. “It’s a very young team. The energy is consistent. That’s the really charming part about it. Every single day from spring training, the optimism has been there.”
Ashcraft (6-7) scattered five hits over six innings and struck out two.
The Dodgers hit into three double plays on Friday and three more Sunday. They managed just two hits in a 3-2 loss Saturday. They didn’t get a runner past second base over the final five innings in the finale.
Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas made his first career pitching appearance in the ninth. He nearly hit Votto before the designated hitter answered with an RBI double that made it 9-0. Rojas then hit Christian Encarnacion-Strand.
Dodgers starter Michael Grove (2-3) got hit hard over the first three innings. Three pitches into the game, the Reds led 1-0 on TJ Friedl’s RBI double. Friedl scored on a throwing error by center fielder James Outman, and Matt McLain hustled home on Spencer Steer’s groundout to third.
“Too many pitches to hit with guys on base. I got to shore that up,” Grove said. “My attack plan wasn’t great early and I just got put on defense to start with and had to adjust. I got punished cause I was leaving pitches over the plate.”
De La Cruz’s solo shot traveled 411 feet into the right-field pavilion with two outs in the second. It was De La Cruz’s seventh homer.
McLain hit his 11th homer into the Dodgers bullpen in left leading off the third. Votto’s 418-foot shot into the Reds bullpen in right field scored Jake Fraley, who singled, and extended the lead to 7-0.
Votto was robbed of a potential second homer on Outman’s leaping catch at the top of the wall in right-center in the fifth.
The Reds led 8-0 on Friedl’s RBI double with two outs in the sixth.
Grove gave up eight runs and 10 hits in six innings. The rookie right-hander struck out a career-best 10 and walked one on a career-high 96 pitches.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Reds: INF Jonathan India went on the IL with left heel pain.
Dodgers: DH J.D. Martinez left after the first inning with left hamstring tightness. … C Will Smith left the game in the top of the fourth with a left elbow contusion after getting hit by a pitch. X-rays were negative. … OF Mookie Betts (right ankle soreness) was out of the lineup for the second straight day. He got hurt in the batter’s box trying to avoid a pitch on Friday, but is expected back Tuesday. … LHP Julio Urías is having his next start pushed back a couple days while he deals with a nail issue. … LHP Clayton Kershaw (shoulder) played catch.
UP NEXT
Reds: LHP Andrew Abbott (6-2, 1.90 ERA) starts Monday night in the opener of a four-game series at the Chicago Cubs.
Dodgers: RHP Lance Lynn (6-9, 6.47 ERA) makes his Dodgers debut Tuesday in an interleague series opener against Oakland.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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| 2023-07-31T23:27:34
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Add Mark Jackson to the list of ESPN reporters and commentators who have been laid off over the past five weeks.
Jackson was let go on Monday with two years remaining on his contract. With Jeff Van Gundy also being laid off in late June, ESPN is expected to replace them with Doris Burke and Doc Rivers, two people close to the move told The Associated Press.
They spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they aren’t at liberty to publicly discuss personnel moves.
Burke and Rivers would join Mike Breen on ESPN and ABC's top NBA broadcast crew.
Burke would be the first woman to serve as a game analyst for the NBA Finals on television. She has called the finals on ESPN Radio since 2020 and has been an analyst on ESPN's NBA games since 2017.
Rivers, who was fired as coach of the Philadelphia 76ers in May, called games on ESPN during the 2003-04 season.
Jackson first joined ESPN in 2006 before leaving in 2011 to take the head coaching job with the Golden State Warriors. He returned to the network in May 2014 after being fired by the Warriors.
Van Gundy had been the network’s top NBA analyst since 2007 and recently called a record 17th NBA Finals. Breen, Van Gundy and Jackson called 15 finals together.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
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| 2023-07-31T23:27:39
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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings have given outside linebacker Danielle Hunter a hefty pay raise, paving the way for the team’s best pass rusher to participate in practice after a months-long contract stalemate.
The Vikings announced Sunday on their website that they reached a new deal with Hunter, the three-time Pro Bowl pick with 71 sacks who will turn 29 in three months.
Hunter reported to training camp last week on schedule after skipping the offseason program and mandatory minicamp, but he has yet to join his teammates on the field. Head coach Kevin O’Connell said Saturday that Hunter has been “in the building” and that they’ve been in “daily dialogue” about his physical and mental preparation.
“Danielle Hunter is a very special player, and as soon as we can get him out here, you guys will see him out here,” O’Connell said.
Hunter’s previous contract called for a $4.9 million base salary. According to NFL Network, he’ll make $17 million guaranteed this year with an opportunity to earn an additional $3 million in incentives. Hunter will still hit the free agent market after the season, unless he and the team strike a deal on an extension in the meantime.
Hunter’s presence will be vital for a Vikings defense that has been one of the NFL’s worst over the past three years. They allowed the second-most yards and the fourth-most points in the league in 2022, despite decent production by their primary edge rushers. Hunter had 10 1/2 sacks, Za’Darius Smith had 10 sacks and backups D.J. Wonnum and Patrick Jones had four sacks apiece.
Smith was since traded to Cleveland in a cost-cutting move, leaving Hunter as the only proven pass rusher on the roster. Marcus Davenport was signed as a free agent to push for a starting spot, but this remains one of the biggest questions surrounding the team this season.
“I think Danielle’s a phenomenal player,” said defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who was hired to replace the fired Ed Donatell. “I look forward to working with him.”
Under Donatell, Hunter often found himself as a standup rusher in a three-point stance. The Vikings with Flores are aiming to get back to turning Hunter loose with his hand in the ground more often.
“Veteran players, they’ve seen a lot of defense, coverages, fronts, stunts. I think terminology will probably be the one thing that’s a little bit different, maybe, but some of it, there’s some crossover from some things he’s heard in the past so I don’t think it’ll take long for him to get up to speed,” Flores said. “At the end of the day, we’re telling him to go get the quarterback. There’s really not much to that. So I think he’ll be just fine.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
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| 2023-07-31T23:27:40
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA is listening for any peep from Voyager 2 after losing contact with the spacecraft billions of miles away.
Hurtling ever deeper into interstellar space, Voyager 2 has been out of touch ever since flight controllers accidentally sent a wrong command more than a week ago that tilted its antenna away from Earth. The spacecraft's antenna shifted a mere 2%, but it was enough to cut communications.
Although it’s considered a long shot, NASA said Monday that its huge dish antenna in Canberra, Australia, is on the lookout for any stray signals from Voyager 2, currently more than 12 billion miles (19 billion kilometers) distant. It takes more than 18 hours for a signal to reach Earth from so far away.
In the coming week, the Canberra antenna — part of NASA's Deep Space Network — also will bombard Voyager 2’s vicinity with the correct command, in hopes it hits its mark, according to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which manages the Voyager missions.
Otherwise, NASA will have to wait until October for an automatic spacecraft reset that should restore communication, according to officials.
Voyager 2 was launched in 1977 to explore the outer planets, just a couple weeks ahead of its identical twin, Voyager 1.
Still in touch with Earth, Voyager 1 is now nearly 15 billion miles (24 billion kilometers) away, making it humanity's most distant spacecraft.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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| 2023-07-31T23:27:46
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First Federal Foundation donates $60k-plus
The First Federal Foundation will donate more than $60,000 to 16 non-profit organizations and charities in the Magic and Treasure valleys through its 2023 summer grant program, the bank announced last week.
The funding during this application period marks a record amount, pushing the Foundation’s giving since its inception in 2003 to more than $1.3 million, according to a news release.
“The Foundation’s impact on our local communities and, Idaho overall, has been really rewarding to see,” First Federal Bank President and CEO Jason A. Meyerhoeffer said in a news release. “We are proud of the Foundation’s work and its role in helping to further the Bank’s community-centric mindset and approach.”
The 2023 summer grant recipients include the Murtaugh and Cassia County school districts, Jerome Little Tigers, Magic Valley Humanitarian Center, Jerome Senior Center, Twin Falls Historical Society, the Buhl High School softball team, Sage Women’s Center, Buhl Rotary Club, the Hagerman Bike Trail and Magic Valley Symphony.
People are also reading…
U of I reports $57.5M in gifts for FY2023
The University of Idaho reported $57.5 million in gifts during fiscal year 2023, which ended June 30, the school announced in a Monday news release.
All 2023 gifts will count toward the university’s “Brave. Bold. Unstoppable” campaign, which has now raised more than $394 million of its $500 million goal by Dec. 31, 2025.
“We are deeply grateful for the donors and alumni whose support is amplifying our impact throughout Idaho and beyond our borders,” President Scott Green said in the release. “Every gift makes a difference in our mission to serve the people, industries and communities across our state.”
The 2023 donations will be allocated according to the donors’ wishes: $22.9 million for student scholarships and programs; $27.5 million for faculty, research and programs; and $7.1 million to facilities and other areas to address the specific health, educational, legal and other vital needs of communities throughout Idaho.
Also:
- Idaho is ranked No. 10 for best health care, according to a study released Monday by the personal-finance website WalletHub. The 2023 Best & Worst States for Health Care study accounted for 44 measures of cost, accessibility and outcomes. Minnesota was No. 1, followed by Iowa, Rhode Island, North Dakota and Utah. West Virginia was last.
- Motorcycle deaths have increased by 15% in Idaho since 2020, according to a new study from QuoteWizard, a LendingTree company and one of the country’s major online insurance marketplaces.
–Times-News
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| 2023-07-31T23:27:57
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LOS ANGELES — (AP) — Angus Cloud, the actor who starred as the drug dealer Fezco “Fez” O'Neill on the HBO series “Euphoria,” has died. He was 25.
Cloud's publicist, Cait Bailey, said Cloud died Monday at his family home in Oakland, California. No cause of death was given.
In a statement, Cloud's family said goodbye to “an artist, a friend, a brother and a son.
“Last week he buried his father and intensely struggled with this loss,” the family said. “The only comfort we have is knowing Angus is now reunited with his dad, who was his best friend. Angus was open about his battle with mental health and we hope that his passing can be a reminder to others that they are not alone and should not fight this on their own in silence.”
“We hope the world remembers him for his humor, laughter and love for everyone,” his family added.
Cloud hadn’t acted before he was cast in “Euphoria.” He was walking down the street in New York when casting scout Eléonore Hendricks noticed him. Cloud was resistant at first, suspecting a scam. Then casting director Jennifer Venditti met with him and series creator Sam Levinson eventually made him a co-star in the series alongside Zendaya for its first two seasons.
To some, Cloud seemed so natural as Fez that they suspected he was identical to the character — a notion that Cloud pushed back against.
“It does bother me when people are like, ‘It must be so easy! You get to go in and be yourself.’ I’m like, ‘Why don’t you go and do that?’ It’s not that simple," Cloud told Variety. "I brought a lot to the character. You can believe what you want. It ain’t got nothing to do with me.”
The part made Cloud the breakout star of one the buzziest shows in television. He had a supporting role in his first film, “The Line,” a college drama starring Alex Wolff and John Malkovich that premiered earlier this year at the Tribeca Festival. Cloud was recently cast to co-star in “Scream 6.” He's also made cameos in music videos for Juice WRLD, Becky G and Karol G.
The third season of “Euphoria” hasn't yet begun filming.
“We are incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of Angus Cloud,” HBO said in a statement. “He was immensely talented and a beloved part of the HBO and ‘Euphoria’ family. We extend our deepest condolences to his friends and family during this difficult time.”
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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Chief Photographer Drew Nash shares some of his strongest work from July 2023. Check out the caption notes for a closer look at why he selected the image or how it was made.
By clicking on the note you can find the original story or gallery where the image ran.
Nash can be reached for questions and comments at dnash@magicvalley.com or 208 735-3251. Follow the Times-News Instagram account @magicvalleytn for more.
Mychel Matthews is the managing editor at the Times-News. Contact Matthews at mmatthews@magicvalley.com or 208-735-3233.
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https://magicvalley.com/photojournalist-drew-nash-shares-his-favorites-from-july/article_b2ea14a8-2fdb-11ee-992a-3744e8d168a0.html
| 2023-07-31T23:28:04
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Add Mark Jackson to the list of ESPN reporters and commentators who have been laid off over the past five weeks.
Jackson was let go on Monday with two years remaining on his contract. With Jeff Van Gundy also being laid off in late June, ESPN is expected to replace them with Doris Burke and Doc Rivers, two people close to the move told The Associated Press.
They spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they aren’t at liberty to publicly discuss personnel moves.
Burke and Rivers would join Mike Breen on ESPN and ABC's top NBA broadcast crew.
Burke would be the first woman to serve as a game analyst for the NBA Finals on television. She has called the finals on ESPN Radio since 2020 and has been an analyst on ESPN's NBA games since 2017.
Rivers, who was fired as coach of the Philadelphia 76ers in May, called games on ESPN during the 2003-04 season.
Jackson first joined ESPN in 2006 before leaving in 2011 to take the head coaching job with the Golden State Warriors. He returned to the network in May 2014 after being fired by the Warriors.
Van Gundy had been the network's top NBA analyst since 2007 and recently called a record 17th NBA Finals. Breen, Van Gundy and Jackson called 15 finals together.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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| 2023-07-31T23:28:06
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“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” “The Lost Flowers of Alice Hunt” with Sigourney Weaver and Quavo's album “Rocket Power” are among the new television, movies, music and games headed to a device near you
Among the offerings worth your time as selected by The Associated Press' entertainment journalists are "Mixtape," a Paramount+ documentary celebrating hip-hop, and the return of the acclaimed comedy "Reservation Dogs" for its third and final season on FX on Hulu.
NEW MOVIES TO STREAM
— James Gunn's "Guardians of the Galaxy" reaches an appropriately sincere, satirical and cornball finale in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3." The film, one of the few non-"Barbie" or "Oppenheimer" summer hits, arrives Wednesday on Disney+ having already grossed $844 million in worldwide ticket sales. Gunn's underdog superhero trilogy culminates with a tale focused on a backstory for Rocket, Bradley Cooper's wise-cracking raccoon, and a showdown with a supervillain (Chukwudi Iwuji) hellbent on repopulating Earth with a "perfect" species. In my review, I praised the conviction of Gunn's soupy sci-fi spectacle, writing: "Whatever this sweet, surreal sci-fi shamble is that Gunn has created, everyone here seems to believe ardently in it."
— "Oppenheimer" isn't the only movie around returning to Los Alamos. Steve James, the acclaimed documentarian of "Hoop Dreams," in "A Compassionate Spy" details the story of physicist Ted Hall, a brilliant 18-year-old Harvard student when he was recruited to work on the Manhattan Project and went on to pass nuclear information to the Soviets. He confessed in 1998, a year before his death. Hall, one of several scientists to leak information from the atom bomb project, maintained he did it for the good of humanity and to prevent a nuclear monopoly. "A Compassionate Spy" debuts Friday, Aug. 4 on video-on-demand and in theaters.
— "Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb," a documentary of the decades-long collaboration between the "Power Broker" author and his revered editor is a stirring and affection portrait of two literary giants. The film, directed by the editor's daughter, Lizzie Gottlieb, will begin streaming Tuesday on the Criterion Channel, just weeks after the death of Gottlieb, who edited novels by Toni Morrison, John Cheever, Joseph Heller and many others. In my review of the film, I wrote: "Civil wars over semicolons and heated debate over the word 'looms' would not, on the face of it, seem like the stuff of a gripping big-screen movie. But make no mistake about it, 'Turn Every Page'... is as much a rock 'em, sock 'em clash of heavyweights as found in any blockbuster."
NEW MUSIC TO STREAM
— Quavo will release "Rocket Power," his first album since fellow Migos member Takeoff was shot and killed outside a bowling alley in November 2022. Quavo introduced the new LP with a trailer that features a massive CGI rocket preparing to launch into space. In a statement, he shared: "Through the process of healing I've learned to turn tragedy into triumph. I had to dig deep into my purpose and find the power to keep striving." This summer, Quavo and Future shared a new song, "Turn Your Clic Up," which followed recent singles "Greatness" and "Honey Bun." Shortly before his death, Quavo and Takeoff had shared their joint LP, "Only Built for Infinity Links."
— Rick Springfield, whose hits include "Human Touch," and, of course, "Jessie's Girl," is putting out his 21st album, "Automatic." Written and produced by Springfield, the collection features 20 new songs. "My goal was solid three-minute tunes with the biggest hooks I could come up with," he said in a news release. Springfield previewed his sound by releasing the title track and "She Walks With the Angels." The album is dedicated to Matty Spindel, a friend and soundman of 25 years who died in 2022. Springfield will be hitting the road this summer on the I Want My '80s Tour.
— AP Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy
NEW SERIES TO STREAM
— Hip-hop is markings its 50th anniversary and Paramount+ will stream a documentary called "Mixtape" beginning Tuesday. The film explores how before the hip-hop genre had radio play, streaming or social media, its songs were often shared via mixtapes. Lil Wayne, DJ Khaled, Fat Joe, 2 Chainz, Big Boi and KRS-One are just a few of the artists featured in the doc about mixtape culture.
— The half-hour critically acclaimed comedy "Reservation Dogs" returns for its third and final season on Wednesday on FX on Hulu. The series follows four Indigenous teens who, when we first meet them in season one, are reeling from the death of their friend Daniel. Daniel's dream was to leave rural Oklahoma for California. The group decides the best way to honor Daniel is by fulfilling his goal and traveling to this magical state he was enamored with. To get there, they'll steal and scheme but it's not an easy road. In this new season, they've made it to California but don't have the means to return home. Now that the friends have achieved Daniel's wish, they also must decide what to do next with their own lives. The Indigenous representation in "Reservation Dogs" also extends behind-the-camera with each of its writers, directors and crew.
— Netflix's popular British rom-com drama series "Heartstopper," starring Joe Locke and Kit Connor returns for its second season on Wednesday. Locke and Connor play Charlie and Nick, two high school schoolmates who fell in love in season one. The series has been praised for its portrayal of LGTBQ+ characters.
— Sigourney Weaver and Alycia Debnam-Carey co-star in "The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart" for Prime Video. The story is based on a novel of the same name by Holly Ringland. Debnam-Carey plays Alice, who as a young girl, moved in with her grandmother June – played by Weaver – after a family tragedy. June is a flower farmer and teaches Alice how flowers can be used as a form of self-expression. The story spans two decades and follows Alice into adulthood. The series debuts Friday, Aug. 4 on the streamer.
NEW VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY
— Dungeons & Dragons has seen a boom in popularity over the last few years, with a hit movie, live-streamed games and a major supporting role on "Stranger Things." But it's been a while since we've gotten a true D&D video game. That drought ends with Baldur's Gate 3. You begin as just some poor sap with an evil parasite stuck in your brain, but once you round up the typical gang of wizards, brawlers, clerics and rogues, the fate of D&D's sprawling Forgotten Realms is in your hands. Developer Larian Studios, best known for the terrific Divinity: Original Sin, has shown it has the chops to create stirring role-playing adventures, and has promised that this one could take up to 200 hours to fully explore. You can pick up your sword or wand Thursday on PC, or hold out for the PlayStation 5 version in September.
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Catch up on AP's entertainment coverage here: https://apnews.com/entertainment.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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APOLLO, Pa. — A group of kayakers spotted an alligator along the Kiski River on Saturday, and crews spent part of Monday searching for it after multiple reports of sightings over the weekend.
Jim Cibik, his wife, and friends were kayaking Saturday on the Kiski River when they heard shouting.
“We thought we heard them yelling ‘alligator’ and we just looked at each other and kinda laughed and said yeah they’re probably - whatever - trying to scare the girls,” Cibik told Channel 11′s Andrew Havranek on the phone Monday.
Those shouts, and alligator were real!
Cibik’s friend snapped a few pictures, but they continued on -- warning others.
“We said ‘hey guys! There’s an alligator about a mile up the road,” Cibik recalled telling two people lounging on a rock. “They just kind of looked at us and laughed, thought we were probably joking. But we said we’re serious and kept on floating.”
Despite the gator sighting, Karen Luffe and her daughter, Delores, hit the water in kayaks Monday.
“It doesn’t scare me at all,” Luffe said. “The potential of seeing it? Yeah, I’m kind of excited.”
The gator was spotted a few times over the weekend. Local emergency crews spent part of Monday looking for it.
“It’s like finding a needle in a haystack,” said Ken Kaminski, President of the Roaring Run Trail. “With this river and as swift as it is, it could be down river toward Freeport right now. Who knows?”
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boating Commission doesn’t work with non-native species but will help if needed.
They say this was most likely someone’s pet.
“The biggest cost is that animal has been left out in a cruel environment that is unnatural to it and things typically don’t end well for those animals,” said Mike Parker, communications director.
It hasn’t stopped people from coming to the river to walk, bike, or kayak -- even if they’re a little nervous
“What would go through your mind if you saw that alligator while you were walking today?” Havranek asked a young boy out for a walk with his family.
“Uh, I have no idea. I’d probably run and scream,” he said.
Experts told Channel 11 if you see that alligator in the water or on the banks of the river, do not approach it and call 911.
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| 2023-07-31T23:28:19
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There’s a big push to get maternal mortality rates down in Pittsburgh.
They are going up nationwide and they’re higher than in other developed, industrial countries.
Dr. Arun Jeyabalan, maternal fetal medicine doctor and Division Director of Maternal Fetal Medicine High Risk Obstetrics at UPMC Magee Women’s Hospital said there are several reasons for the higher rates: women are getting pregnant at an older age, the obesity epidemic, COVID-19, and a lot of women that would have been advised not to get pregnant, are.
Jennifer Morabeto of Glassport is sharing her high-risk pregnancy story, to shed light on the heart resources available to pregnant women around greater Pittsburgh.
“For us to both be alive after everything we went through and still be here it really is a miracle,” Morabeto said.
On April 29, 2021, Morabeto woke up in the middle of the night with chest pain. When it didn’t go away after a few hours, she went to the hospital where doctors confirmed she had a heart attack and three blocked arteries.
“Literally five months after that, despite all preventable measures, I found out I was pregnant at 40 years old,” Jennifer said.
“Pregnancy is actually a big stress on the heart,” Dr. Jeyabalan said. “The volume of blood in a woman’s blood vessels goes up and the work that heart does increases pretty significantly in pregnancy.”
Having a prior heart attack, plus high blood pressure and diabetes, put Jennifer in a very high-risk category for pregnancy.
“Our conversations continued then as: ‘how do we best get you and baby... to the end of this pregnancy in the safest way possible?’” said Dr. Katie Berlacher, cardiologist and Director of the Women’s Heart Center in the UPMC Magee Women’s Heart Program.
She and Dr. Jeyabalan worked together to manage Jennifer’s pregnancy.
They’re seeing more women, together, through the Cardio-Obstetrics program, part of the UPMC Magee Women’s Heart Program. Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes and contributors to maternal mortality, noted Dr. Berlacher.
“It was a hard pregnancy not only because of the symptoms because you’re scared,” Morabeto said.
Doctors adjusted her medicine, watched her blood pressure closely, monitored Jennifer’s diabetes and gave her more frequent ultrasounds.
But at 29 weeks, Jennifer’s preeclampsia was affecting her brain, so doctors made the decision to deliver the baby early.
March 4, 2022, Finley was born prematurely, weighing 2 lbs 8 oz.
The ventilator helped keep her alive for many of the 83 days she spent in the NICU. She was just barely bigger than a water bottle.
“As much as I fought for those 29 weeks, she fought for the 83 days after and it was really amazing to see,” Morabeto said.
And now?
“She’s a good, normal, healthy baby,” Morabeto said. “And I’m good. I have good days and bad days. As far as my heart.”
Morabeto’s preeclampsia during pregnancy puts her at increased risk for heart attacks, strokes, and high blood pressure— so she continues to see Dr. Berlacher, her cardiologist, through the Bridges Clinic. It carries high-risk women from pregnancy through the rest of their lives. Since it started in 2019, the clinic has seen 400 women.
“An interdisciplinary clinic like this, where you have two specialists seeing you at the same time to answer questions about pregnancy and plan for the future, it really decreases the risks of future heart attack, stroke, and heart failure,” Dr. Berlacher said.
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| 2023-07-31T23:28:25
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PITTSBURGH — Since the beginning of the 2023 season, the Pittsburgh Pirates and Roansy Contreras noticed some concerns about the 23-year-old pitcher.
As the season continued, something was up with Contreras.
Call it a lack of confidence or whatever you want, but something was up with the right-handed Dominican-native. After his last appearance on July 5, the Pirates sent Contreras down to the minor leagues the next day.
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https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/pirates-gm-ben-cherington-gives-contreras-update/Y5WH22OQTJBXLMQEEL3M7W6OOU/
| 2023-07-31T23:28:32
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PITTSBUGH — The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium announced its male red panda, Kovu, died.
In a Facebook post, the zoo said Kovu, 9, died on Sunday evening. Two days before this, he was displaying “unusual behavior, including trouble walking.” He was taken to the zoo’s veterinary hospital for treatment, but declined quickly.
“Kovu was ‘Mr. Cool’ from the beginning; he was one of the most confident and friendly animals at the Zoo,” said Lead Keeper Ray Bamrick.
Kovu has been at the zoo since 2015. Zoo officials say he charmed millions of people over the years — especially those who got to feed him grapes during Wild Encounters.
“Kovu was here as a representative for his endangered wild cousins. He did such a wonderful job of raising excitement, awareness, and compassion,” Bamrick said.
The zoo says Kovu will be missed by staff and visitors alike.
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| 2023-07-31T23:28:38
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LATROBE, Pa. — The Steelers hosting five players, including four running backs for tryouts on Monday. Those running backs included Greg Bell, Stevie Scott, John Lovett, and ZaQuandre White. Pittsburgh hosted long snapper Bradley Robinson for a workout as well in addition to those three running backs.
White played with the USFL champions, the Birmingham Stallions, with running backs C.J. Marable and Ricky Person. He racked up 128 yards and 2 touchdowns in the season on 29 attempts. He added 81 receiving yards and another receiving touchdown to that resume during the championship run with the Stallions.
Read the full story from our partners at Sports Now Group Pittsburgh here.
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| 2023-07-31T23:28:39
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LATROBE, Pa. — Steelers rookie running back Alfonzo Graham is dealing with a right shoulder injury and it will cost him the rest of the 2023 season. He missed practice on Sunday, sporting a sling on his right shoulder, and seemingly did not look like he was going to suit up. Well, on Monday, Graham tweeted that he suffered a torn labrum and would miss the 2023 season.
“When you come out of a storm you won’t be the same person you walked in …Suffered a Torn labrum in my shoulder I promise the Comeback will be Amazing The talent I have is amazing God just wasn’t ready for the world see yet See y’all in 2024 stay prayed up,” Graham said.
Read the full story from our partners at Sports Now Group Pittsburgh here.
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| 2023-07-31T23:28:46
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Damar Hamlin was admittedly a bit nervous when he stepped onto the Buffalo Bills’ practice field on Monday.
But by the end of the practice, Hamlin’s first with pads at training camp, things were back to normal — which is something that, after his terrifying collapse during a game earlier this year, felt like it may never come.
"It feels amazing," Hamlin said, via ESPN. "It's a roller coaster of emotions. I was kind of all over the place, just kind of being back for the first time. But God don't make no mistakes. I'm on God's timing. As much as the NFL is on schedule and camp starts this day, this is all God's timing."
Back in pads. 🫶@HamlinIsland | #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/yzmUq4Jz8y
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) July 31, 2023
Hamlin was hit in the chest and went into cardiac arrest during the Bills' game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 2. His heart stopped and he lost consciousness while emergency personnel tended to him. He was down for about 15 minutes in what was a terrifying scene before he was transported to a local hospital.
Remarkably, Hamlin was released from the hospital nine days later. He was cleared for activities a few months after that, and he participated in the team's OTAs in June without any issues.
He was fully cleared for training camp officially last week. Though his participation on Monday was expected, it still marked a huge milestone in his recovery. Hamlin's parents, his little brother and his agent were all in attendance on Monday to watch practice, too.
"I pretty much lost my life playing this sport. So, to come back and do it all over again, it's all over the place," Hamlin said, via ESPN. "I'm rooted in my faith. I'm rooted in the love that I receive from my family, my teammates and the love all around the world. That keeps me going. And I've got goals that I still want to achieve within this game."
Hamlin, 25, had 91 total tackles last season, his first as a starter after the Bills took him in the sixth round of the 2021 draft. The Bills will open their preseason slate on Aug. 12 against the Indianapolis Colts. They will then travel to the New York Jets for their regular season opener almost a month later. Those are the final two milestones Hamlin has left before his return to the NFL is complete.
Though he said he was a bit scared “here and there,” and he knows that feeling won’t go away completely until after he retires, Hamlin is just trying to embrace the moment. After all, he’s playing football again and finding a way to make a very public impact at the same time
"My dad has been preaching like, just trying to make everything as normal as possible, but, as far as my situation, it's a unique situation. And I have to, I will live with that forever. I'll sit with that forever," Hamlin said, via ESPN.
"I wish I could do this process under a rock ... just to myself and pop out whenever I felt like I was super, super duper, you know, ready to be a Pro Bowler. But I think it's power in being out here every day and doing my process in front of the world, and I always wanted to stand for something bigger than myself. It was my goal my whole life."
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https://www.wpxi.com/news/national/bills-damar-hamlin/CYKJCNREQ6OSM4UD3M5RKJR76E/
| 2023-07-31T23:28:53
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One month after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Biden administration's student debt forgiveness plan, the White House rolled out a new website to push an initiative aimed at helping borrowers.
The Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan expands options for low-income borrowers and was first reported by CNN on Sunday afternoon. The Biden administration has attempted to find alternatives to reduce student loan debt to fulfill a campaign promise after an initial plan to relieve up to $20,000 in student loans for millions of borrowers was struck down in late June.
"The SAVE plan will cut payments on undergraduate loans in half compared to other [income-driven repayment (IDR)], ensure that borrowers never see their balance grow as long as they keep up with their required payments, and protect more of a borrower's income for basic needs," the Department of Education said in a statement about the new program.
Student loan repayments are set to begin again in October. They were paused in spring 2020 as part of the COVID-19 relief package and extended by both former President Donald Trump and Biden via executive actions.
What’s in the plan
While the new plan doesn’t fully go into effect until July 1, 2024, the Department of Education is enabling some benefits before student loan borrowers have to begin making repayments this fall that were paused due to the pandemic. If they sign up for the plan this summer, they could see changes to their bill by then.
The SAVE plan will dramatically increase the number of borrowers who can qualify for $0 monthly payments on their loans, offering further assistance to one million borrowers, the Department of Education estimates. Borrowers making less than $15 an hour will qualify for $0 payments, and those aren’t eligible will still save at least $1,000 a year on payments, compared to the existing Revised Pay-As-You-Earn (REPAYE) plan.
Under the new SAVE proposal, any loan interest not covered by a borrower’s monthly payment will not be charged by the Department of Education so that the overall loan won’t increase just because of unpaid interest.
A married borrower now won’t have to include their spouses income, as previously required under REPAYE, even if they filed taxes separately.
One of the biggest changes to come next July is that borrowers who qualify will be required to pay only 5% of their discretionary income, versus 10% under the current REPAYE plan. And some borrowers could see their remaining debt forgiven if they made the equivalent of 10 years of payment and their principal balance was $12,000 or less.
Similar income-driven repayment plans like SAVE have been created by the Department of Education, but none have been threatened by successful legal challenges.
Earlier this month, the Department of Education announced it was forgiving $39 billion in student loan debt. The plan targeted those who had been in repayment for 20-25 years, helping approximately 800,000 Americans.
The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania estimates the SAVE plan will have a net cost of about $475 billion over 10 years. Biden's student loan forgiveness program struck down by the Supreme Court was expected to cost around $400 billion. Natalia Abrams, president and CEO of the Student Debt Crisis Center, told Yahoo News that 45 million Americans owe a collective $1.7 trillion of federal loan debt.
How to enroll
The beta version of the website for the program is available at https://studentaid.gov/idr/. Filling out an application takes an average of 10 minutes, according to DOE. While the forms need to be recertified annually, borrowers can opt in so it's done automatically.
The beta website will be fully launched in August and anyone who enrolls before then won’t need to enroll again. Borrowers who are already enrolled in the REPAYE program will be switched automatically to the SAVE plan.
The previous White House attempt
Last August, Biden announced his plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student loan debt for millions of Americans, an attempt to fulfill a campaign promise and appease some top Democrats who had been outspoken on the issue, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York. Republicans protested the plan, with some saying it was a handout to the wealthy and others saying it would hurt military recruiting. Polling, however, showed plurality support among Americans for the plan.
After several Republican-led states brought suit against the plan, the Supreme Court, in a 6-3 ruling, voted to strike it down, leaving 26 million Americans who had applied for the student loan relief out of luck.
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| 2023-07-31T23:28:59
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What's going on in Indianapolis? The Colts appeared to be headed toward the signature problem of the 2023 offseason: figuring out how to handle an elite running back that's close to hitting free agency. The Giants and Raiders spent the summer going back and forth with their star running backs before failing to land on a long-term agreement. The Colts are hitting this cycle a little early, especially considering that Jonathan Taylor's contract isn't up until the end of the season.
Unlike those other teams, the Colts have an extra variable to account for in really any major decision they make — the wholly unpredictable nature of team owner Jim Irsay. All NFL owners will make their presence known from time to time, but Irsay is in a class of his own when it comes to how he chooses to express how he feels.
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Taylor's desire to have a long-term contract is not a particularly new phenomenon, but Irsay's response to it made it seem like a question of existential importance. First, Irsay took a shot at "bad faith" running back complaints on Twitter last week. Then, after Taylor's agent responded, Irsay said, according to James Boyd of The Athletic:
“If I die tonight and Jonathan Taylor is out of the league, no one’s gonna miss us. The league goes on. We know that. The National Football (League) rolls on. It doesn’t matter who comes and who goes, and it’s a privilege to be a part of it.”
Huh? What?!
Of course, Taylor and his camp have been turned off by how Irsay has responded to all of this, with Taylor requesting a trade from the Colts. That's the most logical part in all of this — Irsay's lack of tact in this situation has fractured a relationship that was going to be integral for the immediate future. Irsay has made his thoughts known on the running back debate and the collective bargaining agreement via social media, but it is fair to wonder if moving in this direction is in the best interest of the franchise.
It's not like the Colts are in a position where they'll be footing a huge bill at quarterback any time soon. They just drafted Anthony Richardson fourth overall a few months ago, putting them five years away from a potential massive deal. Having a player like Taylor in the backfield certainly would help maximize Richardson's seemingly unlimited potential as he acclimates to the NFL. Would paying Taylor a contract that nets him a little more than a franchise tag ($10.1 million) on an annual basis really hinder what the Colts are trying to accomplish here?
Regardless of how they’ve evaluated Taylor’s contributions to this team and his future with them, there has to be a better way to go about this situation than how Irsay is handling it. It’s a bit early to have a bridge burned, but that seems to be what has happened here.
There’s also the uncomfortable truth that Taylor doesn’t have much recourse here as he attempts to fix this situation with the Colts. He can’t hold out from training camp without incurring a $50,000-a-day fine, which probably would not be in his best financial interests. He can do a hold-in, which the Colts may or may not respect, but at some point he’s probably going to have to show up to work and play for the Colts this season — and probably soon.
Maybe the Colts can rework the final year of his deal, but they aren’t really under any obligation to do so and it seems unlikely that they'll be the first side to offer a resolution to this given how hostile Irsay has been publicly. The Colts find themselves in a sticky situation with arguably the best player on their entire roster, and it was entirely avoidable.
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| 2023-07-31T23:29:06
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Patriots coach Bill Belichick said quarterback Mac Jones had a “good offseason” and will compete with backups Bailey Zappe and Trace McSorley during an interview Tuesday on SiriusXM Radio.
“(Jones) was one of our offseason award winners. First in, last out of the building,” Belichick said. “Really does a good job of knowing, being on top of everything we’re doing so he can lead from the quarterback position, in terms of play-calling and those types of things.”
Belichick continued with his answer about the team’s quarterbacks room by highlighting Zappe’s growth and the addition of McSorley, who started his career with the Ravens and Cardinals.
“Zappe’s way ahead of where he was last year, Pat (Kirwan), you talked about that; rookie going into his second year. And it’s been good to work with (Trace) McSorley. He has a little bit of game experience, little bit of NFL experience but is still a young player. So, we’ll see how those guys do when the real football starts, the pads come on, there’s a little bit more pass rush and so forth,” Belichick added.
“But they can all run the offense efficiently, they’re all smart. They all handle what we do so everyone else can operate efficiently. So we’ll give them a chance to compete and see how it goes.”
Through five training camp practices, Jones has taken all of the starting reps. He’s completed 33 of 60 passes and thrown two interceptions during competitive team drills, while Zappe has gone 32-of-56 working against the second-string defense. Zappe threw his first and only pick in Sunday’s practice at veteran safety Jalen Mills.
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https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/31/bill-belichick-mac-jones-had-a-good-offseason-patriots-qbs-will-compete-in-training-camp/
| 2023-07-31T23:29:12
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Ravens inside linebacker Patrick Queen admitted Monday that he was upset. So were those around him.
Three months ago, the Ravens spent a third-round pick on Clemson inside linebacker — and his potential replacement — Trenton Simpson, after which Queen tweeted, “Sheesh.” Three days later, the Ravens declined to pick up Queen’s fifth-year option, making him a free agent after this season.
Yet, through the first week of training camp, Queen, who is in the final year of his rookie contract, has shifted his mindset. He’s been a steady if not impressive performer chasing down screens, being active in the middle of the field and being focused.
“Everything is good and settled right now,” Queen said Monday after practice at the team’s facility in Owings Mills. “I’m not focused on the contract. I’m just looking to play ball.
“At the end of the day, I get to go out here and play football and make my mark at what I want it to be. I’m not stressed on anything, [I’m] just going out there having fun with my teammates, having fun with my coaches and just playing ball.”
In other words, the 23-year-old who the Ravens drafted 28th overall in 2020 has figured out that the best way for him to get the long-term, big-money deal he desires is to let his actions on the field do the talking.
If he plays like he did last year, that shouldn’t be a problem.
Queen broke out last season, posting career highs in tackles (117, also a team-high), sacks (five), pass breakups (six) and interceptions (two). He’s also shown steady improvement through each of his first three years, with his Pro Football Focus grade climbing from 29.7 his rookie season, to 43.5 in 2021, to 70 in 2022.
But he’s also struggled mightily at times, especially in coverage and most notably two years ago when he lost his inside linebacker spot and was moved to the weak side, playing about five fewer snaps per game.
Then, Roquan Smith arrived from the Chicago Bears via trade eight games into last season, and with the All-Pro inside linebacker next to him, Queen began to flourish. In their second game together, Queen posted a season-high 12 tackles in a win over the Carolina Panthers. Two weeks later, he had eight against the Denver Broncos.
In the nine regular-season games after Smith became a Raven, Queen graded out at 80 or better by Pro Football Focus in four of them. In the eight games before the Smith trade, he only did so twice.
With Smith and Queen anchoring the middle, the Ravens’ defense, particularly against the run, was stellar. Last season, Baltimore ranked third in the NFL in rushing yards (1,566) and yards per carry (3.9) allowed.
Now entering his fourth year and settled into his position, Queen also feels a certain degree of comfort that he lacked early on in the NFL.
“Switching positions from college to the league, playing mike [middle linebacker] is a very difficult task, and being able to switch from my first year midway through my second and learn a whole new position was a challenge itself,” he said. “But I found a common ground in which I needed to be prepared for knowing both positions.
“When I was first learning mike, I was just learning my position and that’s what really messed me up was not knowing both positions that would’ve helped me. There would’ve been a whole lot less mess-ups. That’s helped me now. Now that I know both positions, it’s way easier. I’m just able to take my time and play football.”
Unsurprisingly, Ravens coach John Harbaugh has a high standard for Queen this year.
“My expectations for Patrick are to have a stellar season and it’s only been affirmed by the way he’s practiced, the way he’s carried himself,” Harbaugh said. “He’s in a contract year and sometimes guys get distracted and he has not been distracted at all. He’s been locked in on the mission ahead and you appreciate that. It’s showing up in the way he’s playing every day.”
Baltimore Ravens Insider
The same might also be said about Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins, also in the final year of his rookie contract. But Dobbins, who has been disgruntled over likewise not having an extension in place, hasn’t been practicing and instead remains on the physically unable to perform list. Harbaugh doesn’t know when he’ll be back.
The situation is one Queen can empathize with, even if he took a different tack.
“I think everybody’s situation is different,” Queen said. “J.K.’s been hurt before. I think he’s seen how scary that side can be, so I think he has his own perspective on things. I have my own perspective on things. At the end of the day, you’ve got to respect our decisions. Everybody on the outside has views of how we should feel, how we should do things, but at the end of the day he’s been in this situation before so I could see where he’s coming from.”
As for his own situation, it’s still possible the Ravens could sign Queen to an extension, though that seems unlikely after signing Smith to a five-year extension worth $100 million earlier this year. They could also trade him before or during the season, but that also seems unlikely given Harbaugh’s expectation and Queen’s role on one of the league’s best defenses.
But Queen isn’t worrying about any of that or his contract.
“Everybody around me was pissed, I was pissed myself, but at the end of the day I get to go out here and play football in the National Football League and not too many people get to do that,” he said of his initial feelings after the Ravens declined his fifth-year option earlier this year.
“I definitely haven’t gotten close to the surface of the player I can be,” Queen said. “Everybody here knows it, I think people around the league know it. That’s why I’m out here just trying to get better, trying to compete, trying to master my craft and when I do that, I think the whole league is going to be on notice.”
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https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/bs-sp-ravens-linebacker-patrick-queen-training-camp-20230731-azv5uqon2vcj5l7hv4xpi3vz6i-story.html
| 2023-07-31T23:29:12
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. — (AP) — Memphis police on Monday said officers shot a suspect after he attempted to enter a Jewish school with a gun and fired shots after he couldn't get into the building.
Assistant Police Chief Don Crowe said the suspect, whose identity has not been released, approached Margolin Hebrew Academy-Feinstone Yeshiva of the South around 12:20 p.m. He fired several shots and then left in a maroon truck.
“Thankfully, that school had a great safety procedure and process in place and avoided anyone being harmed or injured at that scene,” Crowe said.
Officers soon found the suspect's vehicle “shortly after that,” Crowe said, adding that officers then shot the suspect after he exited the truck with a firearm in hand. The suspect was sent to a hospital, where he is in critical condition.
It was not immediately clear if school was in session.
When asked if law enforcement believe the shooting was a hate crime, Crowe said officers were still on the scene and collecting information.
“It's way too early for that. Again, we're very early in this investigation,” Crowe said.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigations is now handling the case.
Oscar Gomez said two of his teenage children were outside their house when the man was shot in their neighborhood. They told him about the shooting when he arrived home from work, he said.
“They heard the shooting, and they threw themselves on the floor trying to protect themselves,” said Gomez, 39.
U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, whose district includes Memphis, said in a statement that he was “shocked” to hear about the incident at the school and noted that acts of “violent antisemitism” are on the rise across the country.
Monday's shooting comes nearly four months after a shooter opened fire at a private Christian school in Nashville and killed six people, including three nine-year-old children. That tragedy has sparked closer scrutiny of Tennessee's relaxed gun laws and renewed calls to strengthen security at both public and private schools across the state.
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Kimberlee Kruesi contributed to this report from Nashville, Tennessee
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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By JOHN WAWROW (AP Sports Writer)
PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) — Of the thousands of emotions — trepidation among them — running through Damar Hamlin’s head Monday while pulling on his pads for practice for the first time at training camp, the one that ultimately won out was joy.
For everything the Buffalo Bills safety has overcome in seven months since going into cardiac arrest during a game and needing to be resuscitated on the field, Hamlin leaned on his faith in God and himself, along with the support from his family and teammates, to take another step toward resuming his playing career.
“This is just a another milestone on the journey — might be one of the biggest ones,” Hamlin said after practice.
“I made the choice to play. But I’m processing a thousand emotions. I’m not afraid to say that it crosses my mind of being a little scared here and there,” he added. “My faith is stronger than any fear. That’s what I want to preach up here. And that’s the message I want to spread on to the world that as long as your faith is stronger than your fear, you can get through anything.”
Though Hamlin was cleared to resume practicing in mid-April, he did so wearing a helmet and shorts with his teammates through their spring sessions and first four days of training camp, as mandated by NFL rules. The magnitude of the Bills’ first day in pads wasn’t lost on Hamlin, given it marked the first time he was in full uniform since collapsing on the field in Cincinnati on Jan. 2 after making what appeared to be a routine tackle of Bengals receiver Tee Higgins.
“It’s a superblessed space. To be able to do what I love again,” Hamlin said. “Just trying to keep everything as normal as possible.”
The normality of football struck him about an hour into practice when Hamlin took the field for the first time during a team red-zone running drill in which tackling was still not allowed.
On his second play, Hamlin showed no hesitation when bursting toward Damien Harris and wrapping him up with both arms.
Hamlin’s biggest contact came on the final play of practice, when he avoided a block to work his way into the backfield and help a teammate stop tight end Quintin Morris for what would have been a loss.
“That first little moment of contact, that was just letting me know. I felt alive, man. I felt like I’m here,” Hamlin said with a wide grin. “So it felt good. It was just that moment of: ‘All right, let’s settle in and let’s just take one play at a time. Let’s just keep going.’”
The 25-year-old from the Pittsburgh area is entering his third NFL season. Selected by Buffalo in the sixth round of the 2021 draft out of Pitt, he opened last season as a backup before starting 13 games after Micah Hyde sustained a season-ending neck injury.
This year, Hamlin is competing with offseason free agent addition Taylor Rapp for a backup role behind Hyde and Jordan Poyer. As for Hamlin’s next hurdle, it’ll come Aug. 12, when the Bills open their preseason schedule at home against Indianapolis.
Rapp, who spent his first four NFL seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, might be new to Buffalo but is impressed with how Hamlin has handled himself.
“How far he’s come and what he’s able to come back from late last season and just seeing how he goes about himself and attacks the rehab at the facility is nothing short of inspiring,” Rapp said.
A day earlier, coach Sean McDermott said he was walking a fine line by treating Hamlin much like any other player while keeping in mind what he’s gone through.
“I think awareness is important, right? You’ve got X amount of guys out here and then you have Damar in there as well and trying to make it as a normal as possible,” McDermott said. “We’re going to support him through this, and to this point he’s done a phenomenal job.”
Before practice, Hamlin played catch with his younger brother, Damir. During the stretching period, the team’s head trainer, Nate Breske, went over to shake Hamlin’s hand. Following his news conference, Hamlin wandered over to a large group of fans to sign autographs.
Hamlin’s influence is evident on the training camp grounds, where fans can receive CPR training at an American Heart Association tent. With his Chasing M’s Foundation, Hamlin made stops in Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati to promote CPR training and hand out free automated external defibrillators to sports organizations.
And he received a stunning reminder of what had happened to him just before training camp began when NBA star LeBron James’ son, Bronny, went into cardiac arrest during a basketball workout at Southern California last week. He has since been released from the hospital.
“It put everything back in perspective for me,” said Hamlin, who reached out to the James family after they supported him during his recovery. “I wanted to let him know I’ll be there for whatever he needs in his journey as far as his recovery and getting back to his sport, if that’s what he chooses to do.”
Hamlin made his choice and is sticking with football for as long and far as it takes him.
“Some of these emotions will never leave. Whenever everybody’s not paying attention to me no more, I’ll still be processing these emotions myself,” he said.
“I kind of look at it like a challenge,” Hamlin added. “Not too many people get this level of overcoming something and being able to stand for so many good things. … It’s a blessed space, and it’s a bunch of opportunity in there as well, if you choose to look at it that way.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll was giddy, greeting his quarterback with an emphatic high-five and slap on the helmet after Daniel Jones connected with his tight end on a long touchdown pass during the team portion of practice on Monday.
But this time, it wasn’t prized tight end trade acquisition Darren Waller stealing the targets and the headlines. Rather, it was second-year tight end Daniel Bellinger who found the end zone twice.
While this performance is likely not indicative of a major role in 2023, Bellinger’s emergence on Monday, in many ways, epitomizes the mindset and desired approach for the Giants’ offense in 2023. As wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins and safety Jason Pinnock both put it: “It’s pick your poison.”
Before opponents are forced to pick who they focus on trying to slow down this group, though, Daboll will have to make some choices himself, as the Giants currently have upwards of 10 legitimate wide receivers battling for roster spots.
“It really is what training camp is for,” Daboll said of the ongoing competition among wideouts. “That’s why we’re out here. I think everybody deserves an opportunity. Those that deserve the opportunity should get the opportunity. And then what they make of it is up to them.”
Perhaps overshadowed by the ceremonious return of Saquon Barkley and the impressive showings from Waller, this wide receiver corps features a unique, non-traditional mix of size, or lack thereof, and positional versatility. And although the pecking order remains up in the air, it's clear that New York will not be adhering to its "Giants" epithet in 2023.
Seven of the Giants' wide receivers, Wan’Dale Robinson, Sterling Shepard, Parris Campbell, Jamison Crowder, Cole Beasley, Jaydon Mickens and Kalil Pimpleton, are listed at 6 feet or shorter, with each known for their short-area quickness and thus having primarily played in the slot previously.
The rest of the unit includes 2023 third-round pick Jalin Hyatt, Darius Slayton, Isaiah Hodgins, Jeff Smith, Collin Johnson, David Sills and Bryce Ford-Wheaton, all of whom bring some size and field-stretching ability.
A closer look at the new guy — Giants 3rd round pick Jalin Hyatt: pic.twitter.com/JVSZhbaduQ
— Brian Paget (@BrianPaget_) July 31, 2023
Aside from Beasley and Crowder, though, this group is almost entirely unproven and somewhat injury prone. Shepard and Robinson are still working their way back from last year’s ACL injuries, while Campbell, who New York invested in this offseason, has had his growth stunted by injuries to this point. While this could lead to questions come September, for now, the openness of the depth chart is serving as motivation.
“It’s a competitive room,” said Hodgins, who broke out for eight catches for 105 yards and a touchdown in the Giants’ playoff win over the Minnesota Vikings. “You want to be able to sit here and know that you gotta work day in and day out because you got people all around you who can make plays, and I feel like that’s what I love about our room.”
The wild card, of course, is Waller, who has also struggled to stay on the field in the past but could serve as a hybrid, unicorn-type tight end due to his rare combination of size and speed.
“Every other safety or DB who’s probably 5-foot-11 has to probably take two whole strides for his one,” Pinnock said of the Giants new tight end. “You’re playing catch up really the whole time.”
Can confirm that Darren Waller looks (and moves) a lot more like a WR than a TE: pic.twitter.com/vp7eQthP5O
— Brian Paget (@BrianPaget_) July 31, 2023
For the Giants pass-catchers, the reality that comes with having a plethora of comparable targets in the running for meaningful snaps is that there likely will be less opportunities, as snap counts are likely to vary depending on the opponent and game plan. But in 2023, the Giants have bigger aspirations than just individual accolades, and thus they are embracing the committee approach.
“I think we have a lot of unselfish guys on our team that are able to take on that role and understand that every day you may not have five catches,” Hodgins said. “You just have to be ready for when it does come your way.”
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ATLANTA — (AP) — A judge on Monday rejected an attempt by former President Donald Trump to keep a Georgia district attorney from prosecuting him and from using certain evidence gathered in her investigation into potential illegal meddling in the 2020 election in the state.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney didn't mince words in his nine-page ruling, which said Trump lacked the legal grounds to bring the challenge before any indictment has been filed in the case. Any harm alleged by Trump and by Cathy Latham, a Republican fake elector from Georgia who had joined his motion, is "either insufficient or else speculative and unrealized," the judge wrote.
The alleged harms “are insufficient because, while being the subject (or even target) of a highly publicized criminal investigation is likely an unwelcome and unpleasant experience, no court ever has held that that status alone provides a basis for the courts to interfere with or halt the investigation,” McBurney wrote.
In a caustic footnote, seemingly nodding to Trump's status as the dominant frontrunner for the 2024 Republican nomination for president despite having been indicted twice already, the judge added: “And for some, being the subject of a criminal investigation can, à la Rumpelstiltskin, be turned into golden political capital, making it seem more providential than problematic.”
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, an elected Democrat, has strongly suggested that she is likely to seek charges in the case in the coming weeks. While she has not directly said she plans to seek charges against the Republican former president, she has repeatedly said no one is above the law.
Monday's ruling came in response to a motion filed in March by Trump's Georgia-based legal team that said a special grand jury seated to help Willis investigate "involved a constant lack of clarity as to the law, inconsistent applications of basic constitutional protections for individuals being brought before it, and a prosecutor's office that was found to have an actual conflict, yet continued to pursue the investigation."
The special grand jury did not have the power to indict, but it did issue subpoenas and heard from some 75 witnesses while meeting from May to December last year and issued a final report with recommendations for Willis.
Trump attorney Drew Findling did not immediately respond Monday to text and voicemail messages seeking comment.
Latham was one of 16 Georgia Republicans who met at the state Capitol in December 2020 and signed a certificate declaring falsely that Trump had won the presidential election and declaring themselves the state's "duly elected and qualified" electors. Willis last year informed them that they were targets of her investigation, though some have since reached immunity deals with her team.
McBurney said there are no grounds to disqualify Willis from pursuing her investigation and likely prosecution, saying she had not acted improperly.
“The drumbeat from the District Attorney has been neither partisan (in the political sense) nor personal, in marked and refreshing contrast to the stream of personal invective flowing from one of the movants,” he wrote, no doubt referring to Trump.
Trump's attorneys several weeks ago took another stab at barring Willis from prosecuting him and getting the special grand jury's report tossed out with twin filings against Willis and McBurney in Fulton County Superior Court and the Georgia Supreme Court. Explaining this extraordinary action, they cited the fact that McBurney had yet to rule on their earlier motion and Willis' indication that she would soon seek charges in the case.
The state Supreme Court unanimously declined to intervene, dismissing the petition.
A judge from neighboring Cobb County was assigned to consider the other petition after the chief judge of the Fulton County Superior Court recused himself and the other judges on that bench from hearing the matter involving McBurney. He has set a hearing for Aug. 10.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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| 2023-07-31T23:29:26
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Actor Angus Cloud, who played drug dealer Fezco “Fez” O’Neill on the HBO series “Euphoria,” has died, his family said Monday. He was 25.
“It is with the heaviest heart that we had to say goodbye to an incredible human today. As an artist, a friend, a brother and a son, Angus was special to all of us in so many ways,” his family said in a statement obtained by Variety and CNN. “Last week he buried his father and intensely struggled with this loss. The only comfort we have is knowing Angus is now reunited with his dad, who was his best friend. Angus was open about his battle with mental health and we hope that his passing can be a reminder to others that they are not alone and should not fight this on their own in silence.”
TMZ was the first outlet to report the actor’s death. No cause of death was given, E! Online reported.
Cloud was a main character on “Euphoria,” the Emmy Award-winning teen drama series, during the show’s first two seasons in 2019 and 2020, Variety reported.
Angus Cloud, the actor best known for playing the drug dealer Fezco “Fez” O’Neill on HBO’s “Euphoria,” has died at 25 years old.https://t.co/G0Xb4pNAzC pic.twitter.com/ZybnpvYQCK
— Variety (@Variety) July 31, 2023
Other acting credits included the films “North Hollywood” (2021) and “The Line” (2023), the entertainment news website reported.
Cloud was recently cast opposite Melissa Berrera in a new horror movie at Universal Pictures from “Scream 6″ directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett.
“We are incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of Angus Cloud,” HBO said in a statement. “He was immensely talented and a beloved part of the HBO and Euphoria family. We extend our deepest condolences to his friends and family during this difficult time.”
©2023 Cox Media Group
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Celebrities reacted with shock and sadness on Monday after learning about the death of actor Paul Reubens, best known for his comedy character “Pee-wee Herman.”
Reubens, 70, died Sunday. The star of the children’s television series “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” had kept his health issues a secret, with representatives reporting on the actor’s official Instagram page that he had been battling cancer.
Tim Burton, who directed the 1985 film “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure,” shared a photo of himself and Reubens on Instagram, writing that he was “shocked and saddened.”
“He was a great artist,” Burton wrote. “I’ll miss him.”
Late-night television host Jimmy Kimmel called Reubens “a brilliant and original comedian who made kids laugh and their parents laugh at the same time.”
“He never forgot a birthday and shared his genuine delight for silliness with everyone he met,” Kimmel wrote. My family and I will miss him.”
Paul Reubens was like no one else - a brilliant and original comedian who made kids and their parents laugh at the same time. He never forgot a birthday and shared his genuine delight for silliness with everyone he met. My family and I will miss him.
— Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) July 31, 2023
Former late-night television host Conan O’Brien said that Reubens’ “surreal comedy and unrelenting kindness were a gift to us all.”
“No tweet can capture the magic, generosity, artistry, and devout silliness of Paul Reubens,” O’Brien wrote.
No tweet can capture the magic, generosity, artistry, and devout silliness of Paul Reubens. Everyone I know received countless nonsensical memes from Paul on their birthday, and I mean EVERYONE. His surreal comedy and unrelenting kindness were a gift to us all. Damn, this hurts.
— Conan O'Brien (@ConanOBrien) July 31, 2023
“Tough news here,” comedian and actor Dane Cook tweeted.
“Paul Reubens was such a gifted performer and a nice person. He brought so much joy to people over the years as Pee Wee, my sister and I loved that character,” Cook wrote. “I was privileged to work with him in a film and he was as great in real life as he was on screen.”
Paul Reubens was a gifted performer and a nice person. He brought so much joy to people over the years as Pee Wee, my sister and I loved that character. I was privileged to work with him in a film and he was as great in real life as he was on screen. Tough news here.
— Dane Cook (@DaneCook) July 31, 2023
Actress Sara Gilbert called Reubens “the kindest and most generous of spirit,” according to AV Club.
“You always made me feel so loved and special,” she wrote. “I hope to be half the friend you were. You are missed. Love you forever, Peewee.”
Actor Mark Hamill thanked Reubens for “the lifetime of laughter.”
“I have always felt a huge amount of love and respect from my friends, fans and supporters. I have loved you all so much and enjoyed making art for you.”- Paul Reubens
— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) July 31, 2023
We loved you right back, Paul... & can't thank you enough for the lifetime of laughter!#RIP pic.twitter.com/u7Ycx0SbTw
Cher posted a line from William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” to honor Reubens, KTLA-TV reported.
“Goodnight sweet prince,” the singer-actress wrote. “May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”
Director Paul Feig called Reubens’ death “a huge loss” for comedy.
“This is devastating. Truly heartbreaking,” Feig tweeted. Paul was such a comedy genius. From his Letterman appearances to his TV shows and movies, he was so original and hilarious. And such a sweet man too. This is a huge loss for comedy. Thanks for all the laughs, Paul.”
This is devastating. Truly heartbreaking. Paul was such a comedy genius. From his Letterman appearances to his TV shows and movies, he was so original and hilarious. And such a sweet man too. This is a huge loss for comedy. Thanks for all the laughs, Paul. https://t.co/l76VIXHl50
— Paul Feig (@paulfeig) July 31, 2023
Other celebrities also weighed in with their thoughts and memories of Reubens.
Aw man… Pee-wee Herman has ridden off to heaven. RIP Paul Reubens. Thank you for giving us Pee-wee. You made yours truly a fan and you were one of the nice guys. #BePeace
— Carl Weathers (@TheCarlWeathers) July 31, 2023
Paul and I first met in 1973 at Cal Arts. We remained friends for the next 50 years. Not day to day. Just the kind of friend that you can text out of nowhere or have a 3 hour lunch with. And don't get me started on the birthday texts-he sent them ALL DAY. I feel sick. pic.twitter.com/GEX9oXuiG1
— Laraine Newman (@larainenewman) July 31, 2023
Love you so much, Paul. One in all time. Thank you for my career & your forever friendship all these years & for teaching us what a true original is. ♥️♥️💔 #PaulReubens #PeeWeeHerman ♥️ pic.twitter.com/GMcBaEgWix
— natasha lyonne (@nlyonne) July 31, 2023
Paul, u will always be my hero. Thank u for your endless love and support all these years. I'll always cherish our times together and I'll ALWAYS be missin u my brother. Til we meet again, I love you Paul. 🙏🏾💕 Say hi to my dad for me pic.twitter.com/1hyQD9js88
— The Chosen One (@KiDCuDi) July 31, 2023
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By David Matthews, New York Daily News
“Euphoria” star Angus Cloud has died. He was 25.
The actor, who played Fezco on the HBO series, died at his family’s home in Oakland, Calif., according to TMZ.
“It is with the heaviest heart that we had to say goodbye to an incredible human today. As an artist, a friend, a brother and a son, Angus was special to all of us in so many ways,” the family told the gossip site.
The family’s statement did not reveal how Cloud died, but said he had “intensely struggled” since the recent death of his father. The actor posted a photo of his father with the caption “miss u breh” two weeks ago on Instagram.
“The only comfort we have is knowing Angus is now reunited with his dad, who was his best friend,” the statement added.
“We hope the world remembers him for his humor, laughter and love for everyone. We ask for privacy at this time as we are still processing this devastating loss.”
Cloud made his acting debut as a drug dealer in “Euphoria” and also appeared in the films “North Hollywood” and “The Line.” He also appeared in music videos for artists like Juice WRLD and Becky G & Karol G.
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Exxon Mobil Corp. is in talks with Tesla Inc., Ford Motor Co., Volkswagen AG and other automakers about supplying them with lithium as the oil giant works to build a business around the crucial battery metal, according to people familiar with the matter.
Exxon is one of several oil and gas companies seeking to expand into lithium production to take advantage of surging demand for use in electric-vehicle batteries, and as a way of diversifying beyond fossil fuels. The talks with potential customers are still early stage, and the company has yet to lay out its plans for potential lithium operations. However, the discussions are the latest sign of Exxon’s growing interest in the lithium business.
The company has also had conversations with battery giants Samsung and SK On Co., the people said, asking not to be named because the information is private. Exxon, SK On and Volkswagen declined to comment. Tesla, Ford and Samsung didn’t reply to messages seeking comment.
The world will need nearly 60 new lithium mines and plants to feed the growing demand for the shift away from fossil fuels, according to researcher Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, and more lithium will be required in 2030 than was mined between 2015 and 2022.
Chevron Corp., Occidental Petroleum Corp. and SLB, the world’s biggest oil-services provider, have all said they’re considering or actively exploring opportunities in the metal.
Exxon, which has set a goal of extracting 100,000 tons of lithium per year, is exploring a 10-acre site in Arkansas and recently began drilling wells there, but has yet to decide if it wants to produce it on its own or partner with others, according to one of the people.
Albemarle Corp. is among the lithium producers Exxon is talks with, the people said. The chemicals company said in a statement that, “given Albemarle’s leadership role in the market, people routinely want to speak with us — especially when looking at potential resources.”
Exxon has touted the “natural synergy” between lithium extraction and the company’s expertise in producing oil and gas. The firm has said it’s exploring extracting lithium from underground saltwater in a process that would be cheaper and more environmentally friendly than traditional mining.
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By EVENS SANON & MICHAEL CASEY (The Associated Press)
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Chants of “freedom” echoed through the streets outside an aid facility in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, on Monday where just days earlier an American nurse and her daughter were kidnapped by armed men.
Hundreds of Haitians marched through the gang-ravaged zone, bursting with anger at the abduction, which has become a symbol of the worsening violence plaguing the Caribbean nation.
New Hampshire woman Alix Dorsainvil had been working as a community nurse for the religious and humanitarian aid group El Roi Haiti when she and her daughter were taken from its campus on Thursday, the organization said. She is the wife of its founder, Sandro Dorsainvil.
Witnesses told the Associated Press that Dorsainvil was working in her organization’s small brick clinic when a group of armed men burst in and seized her. Lormina Louima, a patient waiting for a check-up, said one man pulled out his gun and told her to relax.
“When I saw the gun, I was so scared,” Louima said. “I said, ‘I don’t want to see this, let me go.’”
Other members of the community said the unidentified men asked for $1 million in ransom, something that’s become standard as Haiti’s gangs turn to slews of kidnappings to line their pockets and bleed the country dry. Hundreds have been kidnapping in Haiti this year alone, figures from the local nonprofit Center for Analysis and Research in Human Rights show.
Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, gangs have taken over much of Port-au-Prince, killing, raping and sowing terror in communities already suffering endemic poverty.
The same day that Dorsainvil and her daughter were taken, the U.S. State Department issued a “do not travel advisory” for Haiti and ordered nonemergency personnel to leave amid growing security concerns. In its advisory, the State Department said that “kidnapping is widespread, and victims regularly include U.S. citizens.”
The violence has stirred anger among Haitians, who say they simply just want to live in peace.
Protesters, largely from the area around El Roi Haiti’s campus, which includes a medical clinic, a school and more, echoed that call as they walked through the sweltering streets wielding cardboard signs written in Creole in red paint.
“She is doing good work in the community, free her,” read one.
Among the protesters was Jean Ronald, a local resident who said the community has significantly benefitted from the care provided by El Roi Haiti.
Such groups are often the only institutions in areas far beyond the reach of the law, but have increasingly had to shut down operations as violence has deepened. The closures often leave thousands of vulnerable families without access to basic services like healthcare or education.
Earlier this month, Doctors Without Borders announced it was suspending services in one of its hospitals because some 20 armed men burst into an operating room and snatched a patient.
As the protesters walked through the area where Dorsainvil was taken, the streets were eerily quiet. The doors to the clinic where she worked were shut, the small brick building empty. Ronald and others in the area worried the latest kidnapping may mean the clinic won’t reopen.
“If they leave, everything (the aid group’s programs) will shut down,” the Haitian worried. “The money they are asking for, we don’t have it.”
Shortly after, protests dispersed.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller refused to confirm Monday whether the abductors had made any demands, or to answer other questions.
“I will say we are aware of the reports that two US citizens were kidnapped in Haiti. Obviously, the safety and security of American citizens overseas is our highest priority. We are in regular contact with the Haitian authorities. We’ll continue to work with them and our US government interagency partners, but because it’s an ongoing law enforcement investigation, there’s not more detail I can offer,” Miller wrote in a statement Monday.
In a video for the El Roi Haiti website, Alix Dorsainvil describes Haitians as “resilient people.”
“They’re full of joy, and life and love. I’m so blessed to know so many amazing Haitians,” she says.
Dorsainvil graduated from Regis College in Weston, Massachusetts, which has a program to support nursing education in Haiti. Before that, she went to Cornerstone Christian Academy in Ossipee, New Hampshire which offers pre-K through eighth grade education.
“Pray that God would keep her safe, be with her through this trial, and deliver her from her captors,” the school said on its Facebook page.
Dorsainvil’s father, Steven Comeau, reached in New Hampshire, said he could not talk.
El Roi Haiti celebrated the nurse’s work in a statement over the weekend.
“Alix is a deeply compassionate and loving person who considers Haiti her home and the Haitian people her friends and family,” El Roi president and co-founder Jason Brown said in the statement. “Alix has worked tirelessly as our school and community nurse to bring relief to those who are suffering as she loves and serves the people of Haiti in the name of Jesus.”
Earlier this month, the National Human Rights Defense Network issued a report warning about an upsurge in killings and kidnappings and the U.N. Security Council met to discuss Haiti’s worsening situation.
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AP reporters Megan Janetsky in Mexico City and Pierre Richard Luxama in Port-au-Prince contributed to this story.
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| 2023-07-31T23:29:42
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Javon Freeman-Liberty stole the show for the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Summer League.
The Bulls came into Las Vegas with different priorities: scouting Dalen Terry’s growth and measuring up the potential of draft pick Julian Phillips and two-way rookie Adama Sanogo. But instead, all eyes were on Freeman-Liberty, a second-year guard out of DePaul who led the Bulls with 21.2 points per game.
Freeman-Liberty was the best shooter on the court for the Bulls, shooting 49.3% and finishing 12-for-26 on 3-pointers. His performance against the Sacramento Kings was a top highlight as he logged 28 points, six assists and zero turnovers in 31 minutes.
Freeman-Liberty was among the top five of summer league players in shooting percentage (49.3%), field goals (35) and scoring (106 points). He scored 24 on 8-for-16 shooting Saturday in the Bulls’ 90-85 victory against the Washington Wizards in their summer league finale. The Bulls finished 3-2
Freeman-Liberty looked set to step into a larger role for the Windy City Bulls this season following the departure of 2023 G- League MVP Carlik Jones, whose contract was converted to the Bulls roster at the end of last season. But is all this enough for Freeman-Liberty to earn a first-team contract?
It’s an unlikely track — but it’s the primary goal for a Chicago native hoping to make the roster of his hometown team.
A product of Young, Freeman-Liberty played his first two years of college at Valparaiso before transferring to DePaul. After going undrafted in 2022, Freeman-Liberty came off the bench for 11 of 17 appearances with the Windy City Bulls last season. But he made the most of that court time, averaging 18.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists on 49.8% shooting.
The most compelling aspect of Freeman-Liberty’s game is the way he attacks the rim — hard. He brings sharp downhill vision and a lack of hesitation, a crucial combination for any guard to get to the rim. Decisiveness has been a fatal flaw for young Bulls counterparts, such as Dalen Terry and Patrick Williams, but it didn’t seem to be a concern for Freeman-Liberty in Las Vegas.
The caveat, of course, is the circumstance. Summer league is an imperfect gauge of a player’s potential. The defense is less hardy, the opposition less experienced. Top draft picks such as Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson sat out the latter half of the tournament’s opening round, further reducing the level of competition even among the younger stars.
On paper Freeman-Liberty looks to be a viable guard option, but his best stats have been posted against a lower tier of competition.
Freeman-Liberty’s future is affected by another factor: Will the Bulls even need another guard?
As the roster stands, the main priority is securing more size at center and forward. But the Bulls also need to shore up the secondary rotation guard spots. At the end of the season, the goal for that position was clear: re-sign Ayo Dosunmu, who entered restricted free agency.
Dosunmu is another high-motor hometown standout with hefty NBA experience, and his $5.2 million qualifying offer is still a relatively inexpensive deal for a secondary guard.
The Bulls re-signed Coby White while swapping Jevon Carter for Patrick Beverley at guard and Torrey Craig for Derrick Jones Jr. at power forward. If they bring back Dosunmu and Jones, the Bulls will have only be two spots left, both of which will likely need to be focused on bulking up their rim protection and size in the paint.
Like Jones before him, the best option for Freeman-Liberty is likely a two-way contract. The Bulls have used only one of their three two-way contracts so far to sign Sanogo. And a two-way contract benefits the development of a player such as Freeman-Liberty, who could use a high volume of minutes in the G League to keep progressing while mixing in more frequently in practices with the first team.
Regardless of where he lands within the Bulls system, Freeman-Liberty clearly used summer league in the way it was intended — to prove he deserves a shot at the next level.
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| 2023-07-31T23:29:49
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PHOENIX — (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks have solidified the back of their bullpen ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline, acquiring closer Paul Sewald from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for infielder Josh Rojas, outfielder Dominic Canzone and minor leaguer Ryan Bliss.
The teams announced the deal on Monday.
The D-backs opted to be buyers at the trade deadline despite a 7-16 record in July that's caused their overall record to slide to 56-50. They started Monday four games behind the Dodgers in the NL West and one game back from the final spot of a crowded NL wild-card race.
Sewald has been a mainstay at the back of Seattle’s bullpen for the past three seasons.
He has a career-high 21 saves this season in 45 appearances, after recording 20 saves in 2022 and 11 in 2021. In his three seasons with Seattle, Sewald has an 18-8 record and 2.88 ERA in 172 games.
“Gonna miss this place," Sewald said. "It was an amazing three years and changed my life, changed my career — personally, professionally. I owe a lot to the people here and feel like I gave them everything I had for three years and it’s going to be tough.
"But the Diamondbacks traded for me which meant they wanted me more and I’m excited to get to Arizona and do what I can.”
Arizona's bullpen has struggled of late, with a rotating cast of closers like Scott McGough, Andrew Chafin and Miguel Castro. Sewald's arrival should give the Diamondbacks some certainty on who will handle the ninth inning.
For Seattle, it’s a similar move to two seasons ago when the Mariners dealt then-closer Kendall Graveman to Houston at the deadline in exchange for utilityman Abraham Toro and reliever Joe Smith. At that time, the Mariners were nine game over .500 and ended the season 90-72, barely missing out on a wild-card spot.
This season, the Mariners have been mired in mediocrity hovering around .500 for most of the season, never climbing more than three games above the .500 mark at any point. They started Monday 5½ games back in the AL West and 4½ games behind in the wild-card race.
“It’s a good baseball trade, but it’s one that hurts just because of our relationship with Paul and what Paul’s meant to us," Mariners manager Scott Servais said.
Servais added that the Mariners aren't necessarily waving the white flag after adding two players — Rojas and Canzone — who are already in the big leagues.
“Players never want to see a guy like (Sewald) walk out the door,” Servais said. "But you have to wait and see what comes in the door. There’s a lot of ways of improving your team and giving your team a better chance maybe to make a run at the playoffs and hopefully the guys we acquired can come in and help us.”
Rojas — a Phoenix-area native — was a mainstay for the Diamondbacks in 2021 and 2022, but has struggled this season. He's got a .252 career batting average and 22 homers. A change of scenery might be good for the versatile player, who has spent time at third base, second base, shortstop and even the outfield, but admitted it was tough to leave home.
“It's been an awesome experience being able to play at home, in front of my friends and family,” Rojas said. “So that's definitely going to be missed.”
Canzone recently made his big-league debut and has a .237 average with a homer and eight RBIs in 41 plate appearances. Bliss was batting .358 with 12 homers at Double-A Amarillo. He was drafted in the second round out of Auburn in 2021.
The D-backs and Mariners just completed a three-game series at Chase Field, with Seattle winning two of the three games.
The deal was first reported by The Arizona Republic.
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AP Baseball Writer Janie McCauley in San Francisco and AP Sports Writer Tim Booth in Seattle contributed to this report.
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Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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Navigate the crowded entryway into the Under Armour House at Fayette each summer Sunday and you find the gym morphing into a living, breathing Baltimore hoops museum.
Games tip off at 11 a.m., only to later ignore sunset and run well into the night. Fans pack in, hovering over the court’s out-of-bounds lines. Smiles radiate in this sacred space, known locally as the Melo Center, when fans confidently name players past and present.
“Watch out for him in this next game,” they’ll advise, like you’re being ushered into the next exhibition.
It’s an environment unique to summer basketball. It’s the Brunson League.
“This atmosphere is like no other,” said Quinn Cook, a DeMatha Catholic High School graduate and two-time NBA champion. “No disrespect to any other league, but you can’t get this nowhere else. You got pros, you got local legends and All-Americans coming up. [Fans] are on the floor, they can talk trash and yell at you. They hug you; they scream at you. I love it. This is my favorite part of the summer.”
This is the 10th gathering of the Brunson League, Baltimore’s summer Pro-Am basketball circuit where the love for basketball cultivates a free annual community reunion.
The league was founded by commissioner Sean Brunson, a Forest Park High and Morgan State graduate. He can still see the moment summer basketball stole his heart, still hear the relentless trash talk, still smell the humid, musty air of Washington’s Dunbar High gym, where for decades crowds filled in for a glimpse of the action.
Brunson was 7 years old on this particular day in 1995, there with his dad to check out the Urban Coalition Summer League. He remembers longtime Orlando Magic guard Nick Anderson eliciting a buzz throughout the gym. “Not too much,” he clarified.
While that game continued, in walked Curt and Charles Smith, two legendary D.C. players whose mere presence pulled the audience’s attention off the hardwood. Behind the brothers, in strutted their scheduled opponents: “Baltimore’s Finest,” headlined by Sam Cassell, Kurk Lee, Donta Bright and Keith Booth. The cheers climbed another octave.
Lee has been the UA House athletic director for 18 years and still gets goose bumps recalling the Urban Coalition’s intoxicating nature. He remembers walking through those doors hearing bellows of “The Baltimore team is here!”
“So it’s not even about NBA guys. It’s about those homegrown folks,” Brunson said. “That stuck with me ever since.”
‘Knew it was gonna be special’
Brunson never played college or pro ball. His own career was largely spent on Forest Park’s bench. But he set out to bring the feeling of the Urban Coalition to a new generation in a city that has long been bereft of national basketball prominence.
Teams initially formed with Brunson’s co-workers while he served as a Nike sales associate. Friends who played at junior colleges joined next. They recruited Division I connections who persuaded one or two overseas pros to come play.
Baltimore Junior Academy housed the first few tournaments. Then there were stints at Carver High School, Baltimore City Community College, St. Frances Academy and Digital Harbor High before the event landed at the UA House — a ceremonial passing of the torch from Lee after the Carmelo Anthony Pro-Am turned Kurk Lee Pro-Am was discontinued in 2020.
Establishing a professional feel was the surefire recipe for Brunson to separate from other organized runs around the city.
He was a five-tool player those early years: managing the website, organizing the schedule, handling the custom jerseys, tracking stats and even suiting up for Team Swoosh. One game, he’d sit at the scorer’s table manning the book; the next he’d check in to play. Then it was right back to the table, still sweating through a jersey with his name inscribed across the front.
The summer Pro-Am, which now fields 18 teams from 30-plus applications, struck its true ascension with the inclusion of NBA veteran Will Barton, an East Baltimore native who led Lake Clifton to a 28-0 record and 2009 state championship.
Barton inquired about the Brunson League schedule in the comments section of a 2016 Instagram post. “Who you coming to see?” Brunson asked. “See?” Barton scoffed, “I’m coming to play!” Brunson wasn’t confident he’d ever actually show. Shortly thereafter, Brunson unassumingly stopped by St. Frances. He noticed campers everywhere wearing “WB5″ shirts. “Oh, that’s Will Barton’s camp,” he realized. This was his shot. Even when the NBA player doubled down on his intention to play, Brunson remained skeptical.
“A couple months later, he sends me a DM,” Brunson said. “He was like, ‘Yo, just so you know, I’m not just gonna play, I’m putting a team together.’ It took off from there. That was 2017 he put his team in for the first time.”
Any lingering doubt Brunson had about Barton’s commitment to uplifting his hometown Pro-Am washed away in March 2019. Barton, then with the Denver Nuggets, walked basketball’s red carpet, the pregame tunnel, repping his black-with-white-trim Brunson League jersey, elevating the league to a national stage.
“Knew it was gonna be special,” Barton commented on Brunson’s Instagram. “We shared the same vision of putting bmore basketball on the map and having a top pro am in the country in bmore.”
Homegrown folks
This isn’t the glam of Los Angeles’ Drew League, running for 50 summers. Nor is it the long-standing concrete jungle reputation of Dyckman in New York. But what Brunson has created in Baltimore is meaningful, with familiar faces packing the UA House each week as if their calendars have a recurring reservation for hoops.
“My whole thing is just giving the guys a safe haven and competitive place to play,” Lee said. “Baltimore loves basketball. That’s why the Brunson League is so crowded every Sunday. And it’s not just local Baltimore teams, but D.C. teams, a Virginia team and surrounding county teams.”
In an opening night matchup that featured Baltimoreans versus a D.C.-filled roster, one fan heckled, “Y’all come up [Interstate] 295, you got to show us something!” Another chimed in, “You from Baltimore, you don’t shake hands during the game!”
From the players to the coaches, fans and even videographers, these proving grounds present the best kind of hostile environment. One East Baltimore native who hasn’t missed a summer of the Brunson League noted the stakes: “This is where you get your name known in Baltimore.”
Kam Taylor offered a reminder in the early afternoon slot, having his way as a three-level scorer for Team Game Results (aka the Kamaliers, a tribute to Taylor’s dominance). The DeMatha Catholic and Seton Hill graduate who spends 10 months of the year overseas craves the Brunson League’s grittiness, where “people are ready to go at your neck.”
The league’s most distinguished throat striker is Team District Sports’ Jimmie Jenkins. He’s the reigning Most Valuable Player, and they say nobody scores and talks trash as well as he does. Terry Hosley is a close second with Circle of My Brothers, elevating his game from former Parkville star to one-on-one artist.
Opening night’s prime-time matchup had a familiar feel for Brunson.
Cook settled into the coach’s chair while New Orleans Pelicans forward Naji Marshall commandeered the reins for Team Levels. He evoked an Anderson at Urban Coalition-esque buzz, but the packed gym rode with the Baltimore team. This time, replace Cassell and Lee with Davon Usher and Aquille Carr — there was certainly chatter when those two entered the gym.
Usher, from South Baltimore, is one of the top players to come out of Digital Harbor, later playing overseas. Here, his picturesque lefty jumper is the main attraction.
Alongside Usher is Carr, the 5-foot-6 phenom dubbed “The Crime Stopper” via Patterson High. Legend has it Carr’s high school games, which were frequently moved to Morgan State’s gym, drew such large crowds that his on-court mastery single-handedly reduced Baltimore’s crime rates. Fans still beg for Carr highlights.
As Brunson said, it’s about the homegrown folks.
“I’m not a former NBA or overseas guy,” Brunson said. “I’m just a guy that had an idea and these guys bought into it. And it gets bigger and bigger every year. … [Baltimore basketball] feels forgotten at times. It feels good to bring it back to the forefront.”
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If it’s not a fire sale and it’s not a liquidation, then what, exactly is it?
Billy Eppler has a habit of using corporate jargon when he speaks to the media. He’s not the first professional sports executive to do so and he’s not the last. But the one thing Eppler didn’t clearly communicate was a timeline.
In the short term, we know the Mets don’t plan to contend for pennants in 2024. That much was made clear when Max Scherzer waived his no-trade clause to go to the Texas Rangers on Saturday night. The veteran ace made it clear only one night prior that he wanted to play for a contender and he saw a path to contention with the Mets.
The plans changed and the Mets decided to shift their priority to the farm system, which is necessary. But communicating a timeline is important. Fans want to know when the team believes a window of contention will open. They have a right to know this as well as people who spend money on season tickets, parking fees and concessions.
Just 24 hours before the trade deadline, that answer is unclear.
“We want to have a product that we feel good about and people can feel good about,” Eppler said Sunday at Citi Field. “We don’t want to endure long stretches of being bad. We want to invest in the major league team. And when the circumstances are what the circumstances are, we want to be opportunistic. That’s ultimately what we’re after. And in some cases, we want to invest where the greatest returns are. That’s kind of been a mission for how we try to think about allocating resources.”
Mets fans are used to enduring long stretches of bad baseball. Each year, the fanbase has renewed hope for a competitive team only to see the season unravel by the summer. There haven’t many sustained periods of good play in franchise history, which is why this season stings more than others.
The payroll, the star power — this was supposed to be the year.
But if the fans can’t say “maybe next year” right now, then when will they be able to?
Eppler may soon communicate that. He said they aren’t “punting” 2024, but if the club moves right-hander Justin Verlander, that would indicate that the club doesn’t see itself as a playoff contender next year.
Of course, that could change during the offseason. The Mets could land someone like left-hander Julio Urias to replace Verlander and Scherzer. Eppler confirmed that the club will be using free agency to bridge the gap between now and the time period when the pipeline is flowing.
“Free agency is not the market that we want to rely on to build a championship team, it’s the market that we want to use to enhance the team that we have,” Eppler said. “But we would rather go to that market for opportunities beyond necessity, and so we’re not there yet. That’s going to take a little time. We’re still going to have to invest through free agency.”
The priority is getting younger and getting deeper throughout all minor league levels. Urias certainly would help the big league team get younger. The two trades the Mets have already made deepened the farm system. Eppler could continue this path using Verlander, outfielder Tommy Pham and even two relievers who are signed through next season in left-hander Brooks Raley and right-hander Adam Ottavino. Eppler said his asking prices are high right now and with Raley and Ottavino signed through 2024, they would net high returns if the Mets made them available.
So here’s another word the Mets could use right now: Retool. Or even reset.
If the Mets stock up on young talent right now and make moves in free agency this winter, they could have a lean 2024 to build up to a successful 2025 and beyond. If it’s not a rebuild or a teardown, which typically tend to be long-term projects, then call it a retool or a reset, something that indicates a 2-3 year process instead of a five-year one.
But call it something. Communicate it to the fans in whatever language necessary because the supporters of the team deserve to know what direction it’s going and when the road will end.
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By DAVID KLEPPER (Associated Press)
WASHINGTON (AP) — X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has threatened to sue a group of independent researchers whose research documented an increase in hate speech on the site since it was purchased last year by Elon Musk.
An attorney representing the social media site wrote to the Center for Countering Digital Hate on July 20 threatening legal action over the nonprofit’s research into hate speech and content moderation. The letter alleged that CCDH’s research publications seem intended “to harm Twitter’s business by driving advertisers away from the platform with incendiary claims.”
Musk is a self-professed free speech absolutist who has welcomed back white supremacists and election deniers to the platform, which he renamed X earlier this month. But the billionaire has at times proven sensitive about critical speech directed at him or his companies.
The center is a nonprofit with offices in the U.S. and United Kingdom. It regularly publishes reports on hate speech, extremism or harmful behavior on social media platforms like X, TikTok or Facebook.
The organization has published several reports critical of Musk’s leadership, detailing an increase in anti-LGBTQ hate speech as well as climate misinformation since his purchase. The letter from X’s attorney cited one specific report from June that found the platform failed to remove neo-Nazi and anti-LGBTQ content from verified users that violated the platform’s rules.
In the letter, attorney Alex Spiro questioned the expertise of the researchers and accused the center of trying to harm X’s reputation. The letter also suggested, without evidence, that the center received funds from some of X’s competitors, even though the center has also published critical reports about TikTok, Facebook and other large platforms.
“CCDH intends to harm Twitter’s business by driving advertisers away from the platform with incendiary claims,” Spiro wrote, using the platform’s former name.
Imran Ahmed, the center’s founder and CEO, told the AP on Monday that his group has never received a similar response from any tech company, despite a history of studying the relationship between social media, hate speech and extremism. He said that typically, the targets of the center’s criticism have responded by defending their work or promising to address any problems that have been identified.
Ahmed said he worried X’s response to the center’s work could have a chilling effect if it frightens other researchers away from studying the platform. He said he also worried that other industries could take note of the strategy.
“This is an unprecedented escalation by a social media company against independent researchers. Musk has just declared open war,” Ahmed told the Associated Press. “If Musk succeeds in silencing us other researchers will be next in line.”
Messages left with Spiro and X were not immediately returned Monday.
It’s not the first time that Musk has fired back at critics. Last year, he suspended the accounts of several journalists who covered his takeover of Twitter. Another user was suspended for using publicly available flight data to track Musk’s private plane; Musk had initially pledged to keep the user on the platform but later changed his mind, citing his personal safety. He also threatened to sue the user before allowing him back on the platform under certain restrictions.
He initially had promised that he would allow any speech on his platform that wasn’t illegal. “I hope that even my worst critics remain on Twitter, because that is what free speech means,” Musk wrote in a tweet last year.
X’s recent threat of a lawsuit prompted concern from U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who said the billionaire was trying to use the threat of legal action to punish a nonprofit group trying to hold a powerful social media platform accountable.
“Instead of attacking them, he should be attacking the increasingly disturbing content on Twitter,” Schiff said in a statement.
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In the city that popularized “The Process” in the NBA, the Orioles displayed Monday night the continued success of their rebuild.
Dean Kremer, acquired in the 2018 trade that sent Manny Machado to the Los Angeles Dodgers, pitched brilliantly. Jordan Westburg, selected in the first round of the 2020 MLB draft, hit his first career home run. And, most pivotally, Colton Cowser — picked in the first round of the 2021 draft — hit a ninth-inning double to score 2019 second-round selection Gunnar Henderson.
The Orioles beat the Phillies, 3-2, improving to an American League-best 62-38 and moving 2 1/2 games ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East.
In the 2010s, the Philadelphia 76ers became known for their emphasis on rebuilding when the pro basketball team suffered through several losing seasons while they collected draft picks. They have now put together six straight playoff appearances — although they’ve yet to reach the conference finals in that span.
The Orioles similarly endured several losing seasons, but currently sit as the second-best club in all of Major League Baseball with a bright future ahead. It’s been a season full of wins like Monday’s: narrow and nerve-wracking, but all the more impressive.
An announced sellout crowd of 44,043 at Citizens Bank Park, including many Orioles fans, was loud throughout — loud enough that Kremer said he had trouble hearing his PitchCom device at times. The throng rose to its feet in the tense final minutes as the Orioles threw Bryce Harper out at the plate in the eighth inning, keeping the game tied, and then scored in the ninth to take home a series-opening win.
Kremer allowed five runs in his previous outing but was exceptional Monday. He completed seven innings, allowing just one run on three hits and two walks, striking out three. He did not get the win but has now pitched seven innings in three of his past six starts.
Westburg gave the Orioles an early lead with a homer down the right field line in the second inning. The 24-year-old had hit 60 career minor league homers, but Monday marked his first in the big leagues: Before Monday, his most recent home run came June 23 for Triple-A Norfolk.
He waited awhile for that homer, he said.
“This is something I’ve always dreamed about doing,” Westburg said of his first month in the majors. “I couldn’t be happier to be a part of this club, I couldn’t be happier to be part of a winning club and I’m just trying to play my role right now.”
Ryan Mountcastle then became the second Oriole to break an extended homer drought. After the first baseman missed a month after experiencing vertigo, he hit his first home run since May 24, blasting one over the center field fence for his 12th of the season.
Those were the only runs the Orioles mustered against Phillies starter Cristopher Sánchez, who allowed four hits in seven innings.
“We had two good swings against him and that was Westburg and Mountcastle with homers,” manager Brandon Hyde said.
After Kremer’s seven sharp innings, the reliable All-Star duo of Yennier Cano and Félix Bautista would typically take over as Baltimore held a 2-1 lead. However, after pitching four of the previous five days, the two were unavailable, so Danny Coulombe instead toed the rubber in the eighth inning.
He got key outs on a double play, but left two runners on as Bryan Baker came on in relief. Nick Castellanos then hit a 3-2 pitch to center field, scoring a run that tied the game, but Baltimore’s defense limited the damage.
Cowser relayed a throw to shortstop Jorge Mateo, who threw to catcher James McCann — starting in place of a resting Adley Rutschman — to narrowly tag out Harper at home and keep the game knotted at 2.
Cowser didn’t start the game, entering in the third inning in place of Aaron Hicks, who suffered a left hamstring injury, but also had the game’s biggest hit in addition to starting its biggest defensive play. After Henderson drew a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch, Cowser’s clutch hit down the left field line against reliever Craig Kimbrel eluded a diving Kyle Schwarber, scoring the decisive run.
It marked the second time in the past week that Cowser has driven in a game-winning run (he hit a key sacrifice fly against Tampa Bay on Thursday). In a postgame interview, teammates doused Cowser with water and creamer.
The drama wasn’t over after the eighth, though, as the Phillies put two on base with Cionel Pérez on the mound in the ninth. But Pérez, in Bautista’s stead, got Johan Rojas to ground into a fielder’s choice, earning his first save of the season and giving the rebuilt Orioles another gritty win, their eighth in 11 games since the All-Star break.
“I feel like we’ve played quite a bit of these types of games,” Hyde said, “so our guys are used to kind of craziness in the last few innings.”
Despite struggles, Hyde ‘believes’ in Fujinami’s stuff
Shintaro Fujinami has not impressed in his two outings since the Orioles acquired the right-hander last week, allowing three runs in 1 2/3 innings and struggling with his control. But Hyde said before Monday’s game that, based upon his last 10 games in Oakland, the Japan native has “some of the best stuff there is in the major leagues.”
It’s unclear at this point, Hyde said, what Fujinami’s role will be going forward. Fujinami didn’t appear in Monday’s game against the Phillies, but Hyde said he “believes in his stuff, a lot.”
“He’s going to help us in the last two months of the year,” he said.
Orioles at Phillies
Tuesday, 6:40 p.m.
TV: MASN2
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
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| 2023-07-31T23:30:20
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https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/31/orioles-edge-phillies-3-2-behind-colton-cowsers-ninth-inning-double-jordan-westburg-hits-first-career-home-run-3/
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By JANIE HAR (Associated Press)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — DNA from a bloody knife and video footage are crucial pieces of evidence against a tech consultant charged with murder in the stabbing death of Cash App founder Bob Lee, who was found bleeding on a deserted San Francisco street in April, prosecutors argued Monday.
The San Francisco prosecutor’s office began laying out its case against Nima Momeni, 38, at a preliminary hearing in which a judge will decide if there’s enough evidence to go to trial.
Prosecutors say Momeni planned the attack, drove Lee to a secluded spot and stabbed him three times after a dispute related to Momeni’s younger sister.
They have not spelled out a motive, but previously offered a timeline in a case that has drawn outsized media attention, partly due to Lee’s status in the tech world. Lee created Cash App, a mobile payment service, and was the chief product officer of the cryptocurrency MobileCoin.
Momeni, who has been in jail since his arrest April 13, has pleaded not guilty. He faces 26 years to life if convicted.
The arrest came more than a week after Lee, 43, was found in a deserted part of downtown San Francisco early April 4. He later died at a hospital.
On Monday morning, Assistant District Attorney Omid Talai introduced evidence, including photos of a knife that prosecutors say Momeni used to stab Lee, a trail of blood left by Lee as he staggered for help, and video footage showing the two men leave Momeni’s sister’s condo building before the stabbing.
Talai said at a May hearing that the weapon was part of a unique kitchen set belonging to his sister and that analysis showed Momeni’s DNA on the weapon’s handle and Lee’s DNA on the bloody blade. Police recovered a knife with a 4-inch (10-centimeter) blade at the scene.
Saam Zangeneh, one of Momeni’s lawyers, suggested to reporters Monday during a break that the investigation conducted by the San Francisco police was far from thorough.
He questioned why the rubber handle of the knife was tested for only DNA and not fingerprints. SFPD crime scene investigator Rosalyn Check said that it is difficult to get prints off rubber.
“When you want to see if someone’s touching something, you do fingerprint analysis, right?” he said. “And they weren’t done on the handle, which is the most important, relevant portion of who, if any, was handling that item.”
Zangeneh has yet to elaborate on the defendant’s version of events.
Momeni brought in Zangeneh and Bradford Cohen, both based in Florida. His first attorney, Paula Canny, withdrew in late May, citing a conflict of interest that she declined to disclose.
At prosecutors’ urging, Momeni has been held without bail. In arguing for release pending trial, Canny said that Momeni was not a flight risk and would not leave the two people he loves most, his sister and mother. She said Momeni needs to fight the charges or face deportation to Iran, a country that his mother fled when the children were younger to escape a violent husband.
An unnamed friend of Lee told homicide investigators they had been hanging out and drinking with Momeni’s sister the day before the stabbing, prosecutors said in their motion to deny bail.
The friend said Momeni later questioned Lee about whether his sister was doing drugs or otherwise engaging in inappropriate behavior and Lee said she had not.
Surveillance video showed Lee later entering the posh Millennium Tower downtown, where Momeni’s sister Khazar lives with her husband, prominent San Francisco plastic surgeon Dino Elyassnia. Video footage then showed Lee and Momeni leaving the building together shortly after 2 a.m. and driving off in Momeni’s car.
Lee was found shortly after 2:30 a.m. in the Rincon Hill neighborhood, which has tech offices and condominiums but little activity in the early morning hours.
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https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/31/san-francisco-prosecutors-lay-out-murder-case-against-consultant-in-death-of-cash-apps-bob-lee/
| 2023-07-31T23:30:26
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https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/31/san-francisco-prosecutors-lay-out-murder-case-against-consultant-in-death-of-cash-apps-bob-lee/
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By Lucia Kassai and Rachel Graham, Bloomberg News
Record-breaking summer heat is forcing fuelmakers to cut back operations, just as dwindling supplies are causing gasoline prices to surge around the world.
The hottest-ever June and July prompted refiners to curtail oil processing by at least 2% globally as long stretches of triple-digit heat posed a threat to operations, according to Vikas Dwivedi, a global oil and gas strategist for Macquarie Group.
Excessive heat, associated with deferred maintenance in the past, has spurred an unusual number of refinery breakdowns this year, when fuel stockpiles are already low. This has in part propelled gasoline prices in the U.S. to the highest level since November. High-temperature forecasts into August could keep U.S. gasoline makers from running all out for the last stretch of the summer driving season, dimming hopes for relief at the pump.
U.S. refineries are struggling to return to the peak utilization rate of 95.8% seen in early June. Since May, at least four facilities reported fires while other seven had to take units down due to power outages and unplanned repairs, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. “The ability to cool the tower overhead can become a constraint at high ambient temperatures,” Dwivedi said in a report.
Cooling capacity issues have also dogged European refineries struggling to process lighter crudes in the aftermath of supply cuts from Saudi Arabia and Russia. French refiner TotalEnergies SE and Italian fuelmaker Saras SPA recently lamented the dampening impact of baking temperatures. “Refineries do not like hot weather,” TotalEnergies SE CEO Patrick Pouyanne said on an earnings call.
A continued contraction of the manufacturing sector has also led European refiners to hold back.
In July, global fuelmakers processed 82.5 million barrels of oil daily, down from an earlier estimate of 84 million barrels, Macquarie data show. Refineries may still hit the target in August or early September as new plants in Asia and the Middle East ramp up, according to Dwivedi. But this last attempt to boost fuel production in the final weeks of the summer may be cut short by the upcoming fall turnaround season.
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©2023 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/31/scorching-summer-heat-is-curbing-gasoline-output-and-adding-pain-at-the-pump/
| 2023-07-31T23:30:32
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https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/31/scorching-summer-heat-is-curbing-gasoline-output-and-adding-pain-at-the-pump/
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While much of the shark focus is centered on great whites along Cape Cod this time of year, another shark species has been making waves in recent years off of Nantucket.
Sandbar sharks, after the local population was decimated decades ago because of overfishing, are now all over the Nantucket coast — and a researcher at the New England Aquarium has tagged more than 120 sandbar sharks in the area.
Caroline Collatos, a PhD student and shark researcher at the New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, has been catching, tagging and releasing sandbar sharks off of Nantucket for the last three years.
“We’re starting to see a potential rebound now with sandbar sharks,” Collatos recently told the Herald, noting that there weren’t nearly as many sandbar sharks in the water when growing up in the 1990s.
The local shark population had been wiped out because of overfishing for their large dorsal fin, which was highly desired for shark soup.
Then in 2008, sandbar sharks were protected in state and federal waters — leading to the gradual population rebound in recent years.
The 120-plus sandbar sharks that Collatos has tagged are mostly adult females, measuring up to 6.5 feet. Many of the sharks are found very close to shore.
“I also find it interesting about their preference for certain areas over others,” Collatos said. “I’m trying to figure out if that’s more impacted by predators or prey.”
The researchers catch the sandbar sharks by luring them with a piece of bluefish on a hook. The scientists then tag the shark, measure the animal, remove the hook, and let the shark swim away.
Collatos’ goal is to gather data using acoustic telemetry about the annual presence, habitat use, and migration patterns of the local shark population.
It’s a long-term study to better understand the behavior and trends among the sharks there each year.
“Part of the larger goal of this research program is promoting management and conservation with accurate, scientific-based information,” Collatos said.
New England Aquarium’s shark research team around the world is tagging and monitoring various species, ranging from nurse sharks and oceanic white tip sharks to bull sharks, sand tigers, sandbar, and white sharks.
There are more than 500 species of sharks in the world, and scientists in the Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life have tagged more than 40 different species and related animals in the wild, many
of them in New England waters.
Those who would like to donate to Collatos’ shark research can email her at ccollatos@neaq.org. People can also donate to the Aquarium by visiting www.neaq.org/engage/support.
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https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/31/sharks-along-nantucket-a-researcher-has-tagged-100-plus-sharks-there-as-population-rebounds/
| 2023-07-31T23:30:38
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https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/31/sharks-along-nantucket-a-researcher-has-tagged-100-plus-sharks-there-as-population-rebounds/
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NORMAL — The westbound lane of Beaufort Street between West Vernon Avenue and School Street will be closed to traffic beginning at 6 a.m. Tuesday for pavement repairs.
Town officials said the lane reduction is expected to be completed by 2 p.m. on Friday, August 4, weather permitting.
A lane reduction on West North Street between South Fell Avenue and Broadway is also planned to begin at 4 a.m. Tuesday for pavement repairs.
The lane is expected to reopen at 3 p.m. Tuesday, weather permitting.
Drivers are asked to use caution when traveling in these areas.
For more information, contact Public Works Assistant Supervisor Eric Murphy at 309-454-9738.
Don't miss Tuesday's Full Sturgeon Supermoon, our 2nd Supermoon in a row
July 3 - Full Buck Supermoon
7:39 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time
Named for when the new antlers of buck deer push out from their foreheads in coatings of velvety fur. It was also often called the Full Thunder Moon, thunderstorms being now most frequent.
This will be the first of four consecutive supermoons of the year. Expect a slightly larger and brighter full moon in the sky.
August 1 - Full Sturgeon Supermoon
2:31 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time
This moon honors when this large fish of the Great Lakes and other major bodies of water, like Lake Champlain, where they are most readily caught.
This is the second of four consecutive full moons of the year. Look for a slightly brighter and larger full moon in the sky.
August 30 - The Blue Supermoon
9:35 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time
The saying "once in a blue moon" means a rare occurrence in folklore. However, it predates the current use of the term, which indicates two full moons within a month.
"The term Blue Moon is believed to have originated in 1883 after the eruption of Krakatoa. The volcano put so much dust in the atmosphere that the Moon actually looked blue in color. This was so unusual that the term 'once in a Blue Moon' was coined," according to David Williams of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
A blue moon occurs once every 2.5 years, on average.
This will also be the third consecutive supermoon of four, and the biggest of them all.
The moon will be 222,043 miles away from the Earth, besting the other supermoon from up to 4,000 miles. Still, there won't be a noticeable difference between the Blue Supermoon and the others
September 29 - Full Harvest Supermoon
5:57 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time
Traditionally, this name goes to the full moon that occurs closest to the fall equinox, which falls this year on Sept. 22. This year's Harvest Moon comes unusually early.
October 28 - Full Hunter Blood Moon
5:57 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time
With the leaves falling and the deer fattened, this is the time to hunt. Since the fields have been reaped, hunters can ride over the stubble, and can more easily see the fox and other animals.
This will be the only full moon with a partial lunar eclipse visible to at least part of the United States. Those in New England, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Washington D.C. eastern Virginia and eastern North Carolina will see part of the moon shaded brownish red that evening.
You can find start and end times for the eclipse at your location using this link.
November 27 - Full Beaver Moon
4:16 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time
At this point of the year, it was time to set beaver traps before the swamps freeze to ensure a supply of warm winter furs. Another interpretation suggests that the name Beaver Moon comes from the fact that the beavers are now active in their preparation for winter.
December 26 - Full Cold Moon
10:33 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time
December is when the winter cold fastens its grip on the Northern Hemisphere. Sometimes this moon is referred to as the Long Nights Moon, and the nights are their longest. The moon is above the horizon a long time. On occasion, this moon was also called the Moon before Yule.
The calendar, the earth or the heavens? Three ways to define the seasons
2023 FULL MOONS THAT HAVE OCCURRED
Jan. 6 - Full Wolf Moon
6:08 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time
Amid the zero-degree cold and deep snows of midwinter, the wolf packs howled hungrily outside villages. It was also known as the Old Moon or the Moon after Yule. In some tribes this was the Full Snow Moon; most applied that name to the next moon.
Febraury 5 - Full Snow Moon
1:29 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time
March 7 - Full Worm Moon
7:40 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time
In this month the ground softens and earthworm casts reappear, inviting the return of the robins. Some more northern tribes knew this as the Full Crow Moon, when the cawing of crows signals the end of winter.
It's also known as the Full Crust Moon because the snow cover becomes crusted from thawing by day and freezing at night.
April 6 - Full Pink Moon
12:34 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time
The grass pink or wild ground phlox is one of the earliest widespread flowers of the spring.
In 2022, this is also the Paschal Full Moon; the first full moon after the spring equinox on March 20. The first Sunday following the Paschal Moon is Easter Sunday, which indeed will be observed the very next day on Sunday, April 17.
May 5 - Full Flower Moon
1:34 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time
The term full flower moon is derived from how Flowers are abundant everywhere by this time of year. This moon was also known as the Full Corn Planting Moon.
June 3 - Full Strawberry Moon
11:42 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time
Strawberry picking season peaks during this month; Europeans called this the Rose Moon.
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https://pantagraph.com/news/local/lane-reductions-planned-in-normal/article_2859f03c-2faf-11ee-be80-8b02e49fb0ed.html
| 2023-07-31T23:30:41
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https://pantagraph.com/news/local/lane-reductions-planned-in-normal/article_2859f03c-2faf-11ee-be80-8b02e49fb0ed.html
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(KRON) – Angus Cloud, the actor best known for his role in the HBO series “Euphoria,” has been found dead at his family’s home in Oakland, according to his publicist, Cait Bailey.
In a statement sent to TMZ, the first outlet to report the death, Cloud’s family confirmed his passing:
“It is with the heaviest heart that we had to say goodbye to an incredible human today. As an artist, a friend, a brother and a son, Angus was special to all of us in so many ways,” the statement read. “Last week he buried his father and intensely struggled with this loss. The only comfort we have is knowing Angus is now reunited with his dad, who was his best friend. Angus was open about his battle with mental health and we hope that his passing can be a reminder to others that they are not alone and should not fight this on their own in silence.”
Variety also reported the actor’s death, citing his family.
A statement from HBO Monday read:
We are incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of Angus Cloud. He was immensely talented and a beloved part of the HBO and Euphoria family. We extend our deepest condolences to his friends and family during this difficult time.
Cloud hadn’t acted before he was cast in “Euphoria.” He was walking down the street in New York when casting director Jennifer Venditti noticed him. Series creator Sam Levinson made him the co-star of the series alongside Zendaya for its first two seasons.
The part made Cloud the breakout star of one the buzziest shows in television.
Cloud starred as Fezco on 16 episodes of the HBO show in addition to appearances in “North Hollywood,” “The Perfect Women” and music videos with Becky G and Juice WRLD.
He was recently cast to co-star in “Scream 6.”
Cloud was born in Oakland according to his IMDB page.
He was 25 years old. No cause of death was given
If you or anyone you know are struggling, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by phone, chat or text.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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https://www.fox16.com/entertainment-news/euphoria-actor-angus-cloud-found-dead-at-25/
| 2023-07-31T23:30:43
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The Senate plans to produce and tackle its own gun safety bill in the fall after lawmakers return from their August recess, Senate President Karen Spilka told the Herald on Monday.
A House omnibus gun bill has found itself jammed up in a procedural dispute with the Senate since it was first introduced in late June. And with House Speaker Ronald Mariano backing off a push to get that bill passed before August, Spilka said her branch “will be working over the summer and into the fall on a Senate version of a gun safety bill.”
“[We] plan on doing that in the fall. We had planned on that in the beginning and we continue to plan on that,” Spilka said in a phone interview. “I’m looking forward to having hearings on all the gun bills and working with the senators on putting together a very strong gun safety bill.”
The Ashland Democrat said she is “proud” of Massachusetts’ gun laws.
“But I believe that we can improve and it’s important for us to stay ahead and be a leader in the nation on gun safety,” she said.
Spilka did not say what a Senate gun safety proposal could look like but the House bill bans carrying firearms in most public places without express permission and targets the rise of ghost guns.
The House bill also establishes an “enhanced tracing system” to track guns used during a crime, modernizes firearms registration systems, and makes firearms data available to academics and policymakers, among other things.
Spilka also pointed to early education and care reform as a topic the Senate could cover once lawmakers are back from their month-long break.
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https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/31/spilka-senate-plans-to-tackle-gun-safety-in-the-fall-as-house-push-stalls/
| 2023-07-31T23:30:44
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https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/31/spilka-senate-plans-to-tackle-gun-safety-in-the-fall-as-house-push-stalls/
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SAVOY — As Sen. Dick Durbin reached the podium, located outside on a patch of grass just south of Curtis Road, a southbound Amtrak train whisked by on the nearby railroad tracks that run parallel to U.S. 45.
"I want to thank my staff for timing this just perfectly," Durbin joked.
The cameo appearance of the country's national passenger rail service was fitting as Durbin, along with U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Springfield, state and local officials, welcomed U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to Central and Southern Illinois on Monday to highlight federal infrastructure investments.
Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana and a onetime presidential candidate before he was tapped for President Joe Biden's cabinet, made two stops in the Champaign area before he was set to attend an event in East St. Louis later in the evening.
In Savoy, Buttigieg highlighted a recent $22.6 million federal grant for a grade separation project on Curtis Road just east of U.S. 45. The long-awaited project will raise the tracks 15 feet and lower the road five feet to create a new underpass at what's currently a major bottleneck.
"Everywhere I go, especially in smaller and midsize communities, but even in our biggest cities, there are these railroad crossings," Buttigieg said. "Everybody knows about them, they're a community headache, they're a quality of life issue and they're a safety concern."
"And when we can act to improve the signaling or the safety around a crossing, or even better, as in this case, to eliminate it entirely, we know that's going to be a win for the community," he said.
The Savoy project was one of 162 across the country to receive a combined $2.2 billion through RAISE, a competitive grant program funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed by Biden in 2021.
The law also funded the Railroad Crossing Elimination Program, a $570 million initiative that will address more than 400 at-grade crossings in an initial round of funding that was announce announced in early June.
Receiving $16 million from that batch of federal dollars was the Brush College grade separation project in Decatur, an $83 million initiative that will create an overpass to carry traffic over Faries Parkway and the Norfolk Southern Railroad tracks in the city's industrial corridor.
The tracks are notorious for traffic jams caused by trains working in and around the Archer Daniels Midland Co. plant and the Midwest Inland Port.
Federal funds from other U.S. Department of Transportation programs have aided in Springfield's ambitious rail project, which aims to alleviate rail congestion in the city's downtown area by consolidating train traffic from Third Street to 10th Street and through building a series of overpasses and underpasses along the corridor.
Through these funds, Buttigieg said the country was on the cusp of an "infrastructure decade," a nod to the running joke that "infrastructure week" became during former President Donald Trump's administration.
Illinois has experienced an infrastructure boom of sorts in recent years. In 2019, lawmakers approved Rebuild Illinois, the largest capital construction program in state history.
The most recent version of the program, which is updated annually, would invest nearly $41 billion into the state's transportation infrastructure over the next six years. State funding for the program largely comes from the motor fuel tax. But Illinois has also been able to leverage more federal dollars.
In a brief interview with Lee Enterprises, Buttigieg said "there is no question that Illinois benefits from being a state whose leadership has put their money where their mouth is in terms of the importance of infrastructure."
"Not only does that mean a lot of projects are being done with state dollars, but it means there's more likely to be a state match to help win federal dollars. And that local alignment is important too," Buttigieg said.
Buttigieg was also asked by reporters about a recent Washington Post report that revealed Illinois to be one of 38 states that shifted a combined $755 million from two programs focused on tackling carbon emissions and protecting roads from climate change into general purpose highway construction accounts. Illinois, according to the report, shifted more than $39 million.
Buttigieg noted that "the law as written provides a lot of flexibility for states, even in programs that have a specific intent." He suggested that the funding could be balanced out in later years "as a project or set of projects that's more aligned with the intent of the program becomes shovel ready."
"So I don't want to prejudge based on what any one state is doing," Buttigieg said. "But what I will say is we urge all of the states to do everything they can to meet the desired goal of these programs."
Buttigieg also addressed the February train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, which exposed gaps in federal safety regulations. The train carrying hazardous chemicals passed through Central Illinois just one day before it went off the rails, forcing thousands to evacuate.
"Well, they've taken some steps and I think there's more work to do," Buttigieg said of Norfolk Southern. "Look, there needs to be a deep overhaul in terms of safety culture across this country. And part of that is the responsibility of the administration to make sure investments are happening, like this one, to make every part of our railroad network safer."
After the event, Buttigieg greeted some of those gathered and did a handful of quick media interviews before heading to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for a "fireside" chat with engineering students and faculty.
Buttigieg, Budzinski and Durbin were then set to travel to East St. Louis to tour a rail management facility operated by MetroLink, the mass transit system serving Greater St. Louis.
Buttigieg last visited Central Illinois in February 2022, when he toured Heartland Community College's advanced training academy in Bloomington. The facility is designed to train students in the manufacture, diagnosis, service and repair of electric vehicles.
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https://pantagraph.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/in-central-illinois-stop-buttigieg-calls-rail-projects-a-win-for-region/article_a6c214fa-2fe5-11ee-a2ab-074c9fbc43cd.html
| 2023-07-31T23:30:47
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https://pantagraph.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/in-central-illinois-stop-buttigieg-calls-rail-projects-a-win-for-region/article_a6c214fa-2fe5-11ee-a2ab-074c9fbc43cd.html
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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The theater group, The 24 Hour Plays Little Rock is bearing it all for the sake of charity Monday.
A collaboration of actors, playwrights, directors etc. are putting together 6 different plays in the course of 24 hours so they can raise money for the March 31 tornado victims.
The performance is set to take place at the Arkansas Repertory Theater, Monday night at 7pm.
Wyatt Hamilton, a producer and production manager for the showcase, said it’s a quick turnover for plays but it’s for a good cause.
“We have six playwrights, six directors, and 24 actors who are all getting together to create six brand new 10-minute plays in the course of 24 hours,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton says they began to write the plays around 7 p.m. Sunday night and gave the actors the scripts for the plays the following morning.
“At 6 a.m. Monday, the actors had six brand new plays, we printed those off handed to the actors at 8 a.m.,” Hamilton said.
Actor and producer Ashlie Atkinson says the time crunch of putting together a whole show in 24 hours is anything but normal.
“Nobody in their right mind does this, learns a play much less conceives a cast, writes and rehearses a play in 24 hours which is what kind of makes it so fun,” Atkinson said.
Atkinson said that the process can also be exciting.
“I’m sort of to that point where I feel great, or maybe that’s delusional,” Atkinson stated.
Hamilton said that they were in the process of choosing which charity to give all the proceeds to when the unthinkable happened.
“On March 31, we got our answer when the tornadoes hit and we knew people that needed help,” Hamilton said.
The 24 Hour Plays Little Rock partnered with the American Red Cross hoping to raise 10,000 dollars to go towards Arkansas Tornado Relief, however Hamilton says if they don’t reach that number then the proceeds will go towards regional tornado relief.
“We know it won’t fix everything about our donation, but we hope it will give some breathing room to people who still have tarps on their roofs or don’t have homes anymore,” Atkinson said.
With the help of many sponsors and the Arkansas Repertory Theater for letting them use the space for free, Hamilton says they have sold out with over 300 tickets for the performance.
He added that he hopes it will change people’s lives and they can continue to do these types of performances in the future.
“We really hope we can do it for years to come,” Hamilton said.
Anyone who wants to donate to The 24 Hour Plays can visit them online.
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https://www.fox16.com/entertainment-news/the-24-hour-plays-little-rock-aims-to-help-tornado-victims/
| 2023-07-31T23:30:49
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https://www.fox16.com/entertainment-news/the-24-hour-plays-little-rock-aims-to-help-tornado-victims/
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The state will spend about $1.5 million in federal grant funds to support summer and fall violence prevention programs which a group of community partners, state public safety officials, District Attorneys, and police say actually work to keep kids off the streets and out of trouble.
Seated alongside Gov. Maura Healey, Executive Office of Public Safety and Security Secretary Terrence Reidy kicked off a roundtable discussion at the Boys & Girls Club of Worcester on Monday, engaging more than two dozen leaders in public safety and youth engagement on the importance and efficacy of the state’s Safer Communities Initiative.
“It’s made a difference, it really has,” Reidy said. “You are going to see how well spent this money is.”
The Initiative, according to the governor’s office, takes an “innovative approach” to tackling violence by allowing District Attorney’s Offices to apply for grant funds of which half must be aimed toward community based violence prevention and diversion programs. The remaining funds are used for law enforcement and prosecution.
The governor’s office says that last year’s round of grants, between July and December, were used to remove “95 illegally possessed firearms from Massachusetts communities” and resulted in the seizure of nearly 10 pounds of heroin and fentanyl, more than six pounds of cocaine and crack, and nearly nine pounds of marijuana.
“I think it’s important to understand that while there are a number of causal factors that impact violent crime, violent crime rates, and crime reduction statistics, what we have learned is that at the very least the statistical information supports the value and success of these grant funded initiatives,” State Police Col. Jack Mawn said.
Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early, Jr. pointed out that the money goes toward programs like those presented by the Boys & Girls Club, programs which he said are shown to help prevent violence and protect kids.
“To so many of those kids, the trauma they see on the streets is horrible, but here they are smiling,” he said.
The grant funds can help cover the cost of services for working families who may have nowhere else to send their children during the day, Early said, but nevertheless need help providing direction to at risk kids.
As if to prove Early’s point, after the roundtable concluded a smiling child of perhaps twelve walked down the hallway of the Boys & Girls Club with a triangle-cut sandwich balanced precariously on a disposable plate held in one hand and a wrapped piece of green-apple candy in the other.
He made it just past the lobby before he was stopped by a staff member who asked if he knew where he was meant to be. He smiled wider, bit the candy and used what was left to point toward the playground.
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https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/31/state-awards-1-5-million-in-federal-funds-for-safer-communities-initiative/
| 2023-07-31T23:30:50
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LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Hip-hop superstar Cardi B drew attention on social media over a video showing her lashing out during a Las Vegas performance after someone threw a drink at her while she was onstage.
Video circulated online over the weekend after a TikTok user posted footage of the incident at Drai’s Beachclub on the Las Vegas Strip.
The clip shows the hip-hop performer onstage during the event when someone in the audience hurls liquid, splashing the rapper. Cardi B can be seen retaliating by throwing her microphone into the audience in the direction from which the liquid was launched.
According to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, a woman came into a police station on Sunday to report a “battery.” She told officers that she had been struck by an item thrown from the stage on Saturday. Police said the incident had been documented, but no arrest or citations had been issued.
It’s unclear if that woman, who has not been identified, threw the drink at Cardi B.
The event made waves on social media as many excoriated the person who threw the liquid. They compared the situation to similar events that have happened in recent weeks: Bebe Rexha suffered a black eye after being struck by a cellphone, country singer Kelsea Ballerini was hit in the face by a bracelet, rapper Sexyy Red ended a show early when fans refused to stop throwing water bottles on stage, a fan threw their mother’s ashes at Pink while she was performing, Ava Max was slapped while performing in Los Angeles, and Harry Styles was hit in the eye with an object during a Houston performance.
Others noted humorously that although Cardi B had thrown her microphone, her song “Bodak Yellow” – and her recorded vocals – continued uninterrupted.
“The song didn’t stop. Y’all listening to an iPad,” said one X (formerly known as Twitter) user.
There was no indication if charges would be filed in the Cardi B incident.
Cardi B recently completed 15 days of community service in New York after pleading guilty to multiple charges filed against her following a 2018 fight at a strip club in Queens.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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| 2023-07-31T23:30:51
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TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida is seeing a rise in leprosy cases that could mean the disease has become endemic in the Sunshine State, according to a letter published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The letter, which was published in mid-July, said while leprosy is historically uncommon in the United States, cases more than doubled in the South over the last 10 years.
Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s Disease, is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae and is characterized by discolored patches of skin, ulcers, lumps and damage to the nerves.
The CDC said if untreated, the disease can progress to paralysis, blindness, the loss of one’s eyebrows, physical disfigurement, and even the “shortening of toes and fingers due to reabsorption.”
The Florida Department of Health said the disease first appeared in the state in 1921. The National Hansen’s Disease Program found that 159 cases of leprosy were reported in 2020. Florida was at the top of the list of states with the most new cases.
According to the Florida Health Charts, the state had 26 reported cases in 2019, 27 in 2020, and 14 in 2021.
“Central Florida, in particular, accounted for 81% of cases reported in Florida and almost one-fifth of nationally reported cases,” the letter said. “Whereas leprosy in the United States previously affected persons who had immigrated from leprosy-endemic areas, [about] 34% of new case-patients during 2015–2020 appeared to have locally acquired the disease.”
A disease becomes endemic when it occurs regularly within a certain community or area.
The CDC letter said multiple cases showed no sign of animal-to-human transmission or “traditionally known risk factors.”
One patient, a 54-year-old man in Central Florida, was treated at a dermatology clinic for a progressive rash caused by leprosy.
When asked, the man said he had lived in Central Florida his whole life, did not travel domestically or internationally, had no exposure to armadillos (which can carry the disease), had no contact with immigrants with endemic leprosy, and had no connection to someone with the disease.
Experts said there was some support for the theory that an increase in migration from other countries to the United States may have caused the disease to enter non-endemic areas. However, while leprosy cases are increasing in the U.S., the rate of new cases in people born outside of the U.S. had been on a decline since 2002.
“This information suggests that leprosy has become an endemic disease process in Florida, warranting further research into other methods of [local] transmission,” the letter said.
In the state of Florida, medical practitioners must report leprosy by the next business day so contact tracing can be done and reduce further infections.
“In our case, contact tracing was done by the National Hansen’s Disease Program and revealed no associated risk factors, including travel, zoonotic exposure, occupational association, or personal contacts,” the letter said. “The absence of traditional risk factors in many recent cases of leprosy in Florida, coupled with the high proportion of residents, like our patient, who spend a great deal of time outdoors, supports the investigation into environmental reservoirs as a potential source of transmission.”
The CDC said travel to Florida must now be considered when conducting contact tracing for leprosy in any state.
Leprosy, when contracted, can be treated by a combination of different antibiotics to prevent it from developing resistance to the medication, according to the CDC. Leprosy can be cured after one or two years of treatment.
However, even when cured, any nerve damage and disfigurement caused by the disease will be permanent.
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A trio of top House Republicans are demanding that the Department of Justice (DOJ) hand over information pertaining to Hunter Biden’s plea deal, which has been on hold for days after a judge raised concerns about the agreement.
GOP lawmakers have railed for weeks against the plea agreement, calling it a “sweetheart deal” and arguing Hunter Biden was given preferential treatment because he is the son of President Biden.
The three Republicans escalated those attacks in a Monday letter, asking Attorney General Merrick Garland to answer a list of questions and provide documents and communications about Hunter Biden’s “unusual” plea agreement — the first request from Congress parsing the particulars of the deal.
“The Department’s unusual plea and pretrial diversion agreements with Mr. Biden raise serious concerns — especially when combined with recent whistleblower allegations—that the Department has provided preferential treatment toward Mr. Biden in the course of its investigation and proposed resolution of his alleged criminal conduct,” the letter reads.
Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.) all signed the letter. The House GOP for months has been investigating the Biden family’s foreign business dealings and its associates. Lawmakers have previously made requests regarding the investigation into Hunter Biden led by U.S. attorney for Delaware David Weiss.
The Hill reached out to the DOJ for comment.
Hunter Biden’s plea deal was put on hold last week after the judge overseeing the case questioned the parameters of the agreement. As part of the deal, Biden was expected to plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of willful failure to pay income taxes. He also reached a diversion agreement relating to an unlawful possession of a weapon charge.
U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika, a Trump appointee, raised concerns about the setup of the two-part deal and the scope of Biden’s immunity, and she ultimately gave both parties more time to explain why the deal — which she has to greenlight — should be accepted.
The three House Republicans pointed to some of Noreika’s concerns in their letter, including provisions in the pretrial diversion agreement that would shield Hunter Biden from future criminal charges on the gun charge or other federal charges within the scope of the agreement.
“Taken individually, each of the provisions discussed above raises serious concerns about how the Department has handled this matter. But when considered together, the provisions appear to be even more troubling,” the GOP chairmen wrote.
They claimed the Justice Department “shifted a broad immunity provision, which benefits Mr. Biden, from the plea agreement to the pretrial diversion agreement apparently to prevent the District Court from being able to scrutinize and reject that immunity provision.”
“And then, the Department has benefitted Mr. Biden by giving up its unilateral ability to bring charges against him if it concludes that he has breached the pretrial diversion agreement. Instead, it has placed upon itself the burden of getting the District Court’s permission to bring charges even though the District Court normally has no role in policing a pretrial diversion agreement in that manner,” they continued. “So, the District Court is apparently removed from the equation when it helps Mr. Biden and inserted into the equation when it helps Mr. Biden.”
The trio of Republicans also voiced concerns about the DOJ saying the investigations into Hunter Biden are “ongoing,” arguing it is an effort to shield the DOJ from congressional oversight. Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) raised a similar claim last month.
“How can Hunter Biden plead guilty, no jail time, and the DOJ say there’s still an investigation, try to withhold information to the House? That’s unacceptable and will not stand,” McCarthy told reporters at the time.
The committee chairmen are asking Garland to provide information on other pretrial diversion agreements similar to Biden’s, in addition to “a generalized description of the nature of the Department’s ongoing investigation(s) concerning Hunter Biden.”
The letter from Jordan, Comer and Smith came the same day lawmakers heard testimony from former Hunter Biden business associate Devon Archer behind closed doors. Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) told reporters Archer said Hunter Biden included President Biden on a number of phone calls that presumably included business associates, a detail that Republicans will likely use in their attempts to link the president to his son’s business dealings.
Goldman said the testimony did not prove President Biden was involved in his son’s business dealings. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), however, said he thought Archer’s testimony “implicate[s] the president.”
That testimony came nearly two weeks after two IRS whistleblowers testified publicly, claiming that authorities slow-walked the case into Hunter Biden. The two whistleblowers previously spoke to the Ways and Means Committee behind closed doors, and those transcripts were released shortly after Hunter Biden’s plea agreement was announced.
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| 2023-07-31T23:30:52
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Former Orlando Magic forward Bol Bol posted career-highs in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots as a promising seven-footer with guard-like skills last season.
Yet when it was time for the market to dictate his worth in contract negotiations, the 24-year-old Bol settled on a one-year veteran’s minimum deal with the Phoenix Suns worth just $2.165 million.
Such is the state of affairs for NBA players who don’t classify as franchise cornerstones but are looking to be paid fair market value in salary under the league’s new collective bargaining agreement.
While NBA teams dedicate an average of two-thirds of this season’s $136M salary cap to the top-three players on their roster, the league’s middle class suddenly finds itself squeezed thin.
Of the approximate $3.8B in player salaries signed away this summer, $2.5B, or 64%, is split among just 19 players, ranging from Boston’s Jaylen Brown — who just signed the richest contract in NBA history — to both Houston’s Dillon Brooks and Indiana’s Bruce Brown, each set to earn more than $20M annually.
Elsewhere in the NBA, however, quality veteran players with a history of production find themselves unemployed, and many of those who secured a job did so by taking a pay cut.
Malik Beasley, for example, averaged close to 13 points per game last season for both the Los Angeles Lakers and Utah Jazz but opted to sign a one-year deal at the veteran’s minimum with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Former Knicks point guard Dennis Smith Jr. enjoyed a resurgent season with the Charlotte Hornets last year but ultimately signed a one-year, minimum deal with the Brooklyn Nets.
Yuta Watanabe shot 44.4% from downtown for the Nets last season but also took the veteran’s minimum to join the Phoenix Suns.
Approximately one out of every three NBA deals signed this summer were at the veteran’s minimum.
And while some continued a longtime trend of taking a pay cut to join a championship contender, others faced the NBA’s newest harsh reality: In a league generating more revenue than ever before, the new CBA significantly benefits face-of-the-franchise level players but leaves little for the remaining players on a team’s roster.
A month into free agency, notable impact players Will Barton, Kelly Oubre Jr., T.J. Warren, Terrence Ross and Christian Wood have yet to strike a deal. If they do, it will likely be at or near the minimum as most teams have already allocated their cap space and cap exceptions elsewhere.
It’s a situation longtime NBA role player Austin Rivers addressed on a recent episode of The Ringer podcast.
Rivers signed a three-year, $35.4M deal in 2016 but played on veteran’s minimum contracts every season thereafter. After playing last season on a minimum deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Rivers remains an unrestricted free agent garnering little interest on the market.
“Don’t even get me f—– started on that deal [the CBA] that we’ve got going ‘cause it’s top-heavy,” Rivers said in the July 21 show. “That’s why you see all these teams right now: You either make $50M or $2M. It’s the most lopsided contract. It’s a joke bro. I can’t tell you how any mid-level guys are signing for vet’s minimum around the NBA. It’s laughable.”
It’s a natural response by front offices, however, now that they’ve been met with the terms of the new CBA, terms that levy stiff penalties upon teams whose payroll far exceeds the luxury tax threshold.
The new CBA implements a second apron that sent teams into a salary-shedding frenzy this offseason. The Nets, for example, traded both Joe Harris and Patty Mills for no players in return to dump the combined $27M in salary this summer.
That’s because the second apron removes almost all roster-building flexibility. The Suns are the league’s most prominent example: Phoenix has committed $550M in guaranteed salary to Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and Deandre Ayton over the next three seasons. As second apron offenders, the Suns were unable to use the mid-level exception this season and were forced to fill out the roster with veteran’s minimum contracts.
Without a trade involving one of those four players, minimum contracts will be the only mechanism to sign free agents available to the Suns.
Phoenix will also have its 2031 first-round draft pick frozen, and if it remains a second apron offender in two of the four seasons after this one, that pick will automatically be moved to the end of the first-round draft order.
The new CBA also implemented a luxury tax multiplier set to kick-in for the 2025-26 season. The new tax multiplier reduces the tax rate for teams in the first two tax brackets but virtually triples the tax rate for teams in higher tax brackets.
It effectively deters teams from re-signing players who aren’t franchise cornerstones — while also giving those players fewer options to sign lucrative contracts elsewhere in the NBA.
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By The Associated Press
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” “The Lost Flowers of Alice Hunt” with Sigourney Weaver and Quavo’s album “Rocket Power” are among the new television, movies, music and games headed to a device near you
Among the offerings worth your time as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists are “Mixtape,” a Paramount+ documentary celebrating hip-hop, and the return of the acclaimed comedy “Reservation Dogs” for its third and final season on FX on Hulu.
NEW MOVIES TO STREAM
— James Gunn’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” reaches an appropriately sincere, satirical and cornball finale in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.” The film, one of the few non-“Barbie” or “Oppenheimer” summer hits, arrives Wednesday on Disney+ having already grossed $844 million in worldwide ticket sales. Gunn’s underdog superhero trilogy culminates with a tale focused on a backstory for Rocket, Bradley Cooper’s wise-cracking raccoon, and a showdown with a supervillain (Chukwudi Iwuji) hellbent on repopulating Earth with a “perfect” species. In my review, I praised the conviction of Gunn’s soupy sci-fi spectacle, writing: “Whatever this sweet, surreal sci-fi shamble is that Gunn has created, everyone here seems to believe ardently in it.”
— “Oppenheimer” isn’t the only movie around returning to Los Alamos. Steve James, the acclaimed documentarian of “Hoop Dreams,” in “A Compassionate Spy” details the story of physicist Ted Hall, a brilliant 18-year-old Harvard student when he was recruited to work on the Manhattan Project and went on to pass nuclear information to the Soviets. He confessed in 1998, a year before his death. Hall, one of several scientists to leak information from the atom bomb project, maintained he did it for the good of humanity and to prevent a nuclear monopoly. “A Compassionate Spy” debuts Friday, Aug. 4 on video-on-demand and in theaters.
— “Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb,” a documentary of the decades-long collaboration between the “Power Broker” author and his revered editor is a stirring and affection portrait of two literary giants. The film, directed by the editor’s daughter, Lizzie Gottlieb, will begin streaming Tuesday on the Criterion Channel, just weeks after the death of Gottlieb, who edited novels by Toni Morrison, John Cheever, Joseph Heller and many others. In my review of the film, I wrote: “Civil wars over semicolons and heated debate over the word ‘looms’ would not, on the face of it, seem like the stuff of a gripping big-screen movie. But make no mistake about it, ‘Turn Every Page’… is as much a rock ’em, sock ’em clash of heavyweights as found in any blockbuster.”
— AP Film Writer Jake Coyle
NEW MUSIC TO STREAM
— Quavo will release “Rocket Power,” his first album since fellow Migos member Takeoff was shot and killed outside a bowling alley in November 2022. Quavo introduced the new LP with a trailer that features a massive CGI rocket preparing to launch into space. In a statement, he shared: “Through the process of healing I’ve learned to turn tragedy into triumph. I had to dig deep into my purpose and find the power to keep striving.” This summer, Quavo and Future shared a new song, “Turn Your Clic Up,” which followed recent singles “Greatness” and “Honey Bun.” Shortly before his death, Quavo and Takeoff had shared their joint LP, “Only Built for Infinity Links.”
— Rick Springfield, whose hits include “Human Touch,” and, of course, “Jessie’s Girl,” is putting out his 21st album, “Automatic.” Written and produced by Springfield, the collection features 20 new songs. “My goal was solid three-minute tunes with the biggest hooks I could come up with,” he said in a news release. Springfield previewed his sound by releasing the title track and “She Walks With the Angels.” The album is dedicated to Matty Spindel, a friend and soundman of 25 years who died in 2022. Springfield will be hitting the road this summer on the I Want My ’80s Tour.
— AP Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy
NEW SERIES TO STREAM
— Hip-hop is markings its 50th anniversary and Paramount+ will stream a documentary called “Mixtape” beginning Tuesday. The film explores how before the hip-hop genre had radio play, streaming or social media, its songs were often shared via mixtapes. Lil Wayne, DJ Khaled, Fat Joe, 2 Chainz, Big Boi and KRS-One are just a few of the artists featured in the doc about mixtape culture.
— The half-hour critically acclaimed comedy “Reservation Dogs” returns for its third and final season on Wednesday on FX on Hulu. The series follows four Indigenous teens who, when we first meet them in season one, are reeling from the death of their friend Daniel. Daniel’s dream was to leave rural Oklahoma for California. The group decides the best way to honor Daniel is by fulfilling his goal and traveling to this magical state he was enamored with. To get there, they’ll steal and scheme but it’s not an easy road. In this new season, they’ve made it to California but don’t have the means to return home. Now that the friends have achieved Daniel’s wish, they also must decide what to do next with their own lives. The Indigenous representation in “Reservation Dogs” also extends behind-the-camera with each of its writers, directors and crew.
— Netflix’s popular British rom-com drama series “Heartstopper,” starring Joe Locke and Kit Connor returns for its second season on Wednesday. Locke and Connor play Charlie and Nick, two high school schoolmates who fell in love in season one. The series has been praised for its portrayal of LGTBQ+ characters.
— Sigourney Weaver and Alycia Debnam-Carey co-star in “The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart” for Prime Video. The story is based on a novel of the same name by Holly Ringland. Debnam-Carey plays Alice, who as a young girl, moved in with her grandmother June – played by Weaver – after a family tragedy. June is a flower farmer and teaches Alice how flowers can be used as a form of self-expression. The story spans two decades and follows Alice into adulthood. The series debuts Friday, Aug. 4 on the streamer.
— Alicia Rancilio
NEW VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY
— Dungeons & Dragons has seen a boom in popularity over the last few years, with a hit movie, live-streamed games and a major supporting role on “Stranger Things.” But it’s been a while since we’ve gotten a true D&D video game. That drought ends with Baldur’s Gate 3. You begin as just some poor sap with an evil parasite stuck in your brain, but once you round up the typical gang of wizards, brawlers, clerics and rogues, the fate of D&D’s sprawling Forgotten Realms is in your hands. Developer Larian Studios, best known for the terrific Divinity: Original Sin, has shown it has the chops to create stirring role-playing adventures, and has promised that this one could take up to 200 hours to fully explore. You can pick up your sword or wand Thursday on PC, or hold out for the PlayStation 5 version in September.
— Lou Kesten
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Catch up on AP’s entertainment coverage here: https://apnews.com/entertainment.
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| 2023-07-31T23:31:02
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Former President Trump’s dominance of the GOP field was underscored by a new poll released Monday.
The New York Times/Siena College poll showed Trump leading his closest rival for the nomination, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, by a massive 37 points.
In the poll, Trump drew 54 percent support and DeSantis 17 percent. No other candidate registered higher than 3 percent support.
The poll was far from an outlier. Trump has maintained a lead of roughly 30 points over DeSantis in national polling averages for some time. There is no convincing evidence that any other contender is acquiring real momentum.
Given that Trump is showing such strength even while he has been indicted in two criminal cases, the question arises as to whether he is all but inevitable as the GOP nominee.
Here are the main arguments for and against that idea.
Trump is the inevitable nominee because…
His support looks rock-solid
Trump’s biggest political asset has been clear for years. His base voters are avid in their support and near-impervious to any negative information about him.
It’s more than seven years since then-candidate Trump told a crowd in Iowa, “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose any voters, OK?”
Today, he stands accused of obstruction of justice and a series of other serious offenses in the Mar-a-Lago documents case. He is also charged with falsifying business records in a separate New York case.
Among Republicans, it hasn’t mattered.
In the New York Times poll, 71 percent of potential Republican primary voters said the GOP needed “to stand behind Trump” amid his charges, whereas only 22 percent argued there was no obligation to do so.
The exact same share — 71 percent — asserted that Trump was innocent of any “serious federal crimes.”
A general election would be a very different matter. But, within the GOP, there is every reason to think Trump has a lock on enough voters to carry him to the nomination.
His main rival is doing very poorly
DeSantis’s weakness has been a bigger surprise than Trump’s strength so far.
The Florida governor launched his campaign May 24 with a Twitter Spaces event marred by technical glitches. It was a sign of things to come.
DeSantis’s poll ratings have eroded over the two months-plus of his campaign to date. The national polling average maintained by data site FiveThirtyEight showed him drawing roughly 21 percent support on the day of his launch. He is now at roughly 16 percent.
The polling slide has been accompanied by broader campaign troubles. A recent series of staffing cuts has reduced his team by about one-third.
DeSantis’s backers publicly evince confidence that they are building a campaign for the long haul and that it will all come right in the end. The governor laid out an economic agenda in a New Hampshire speech Monday.
But as of today, DeSantis has seriously underperformed.
That’s very good news for Trump.
GOP voters don’t buy the argument that Trump is unelectable
Trump-skeptical GOP insiders coalesce around one central argument — that the former president would be a weak general election candidate, likely losing a winnable election.
As evidence they cite the 2020 election, when Trump lost the popular vote by more than 7 million votes to President Biden; his false claims of election fraud and the way they fueled the Capitol Riot of Jan. 6, 2021; his many legal challenges; and his low poll ratings among the general public.
In an Economist/YouGov poll released last week, Trump was seen favorably by 40 percent of the general public, and unfavorably by 57 percent. Self-professed independent voters broke against him on that question by almost 2-to-1.
But the GOP primary electorate, by and large, just doesn’t buy it. They believe Trump can defy the polls and pundits again, just as he did when defeating Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016.
The New York Times poll asked Republican voters whether Trump or DeSantis was better “able to beat Joe Biden.”
Fifty-eight percent went for Trump compared to 28 percent for DeSantis.
Unless those figures change drastically, it’s tough to see how Trump loses the nomination battle.
Trump is not the inevitable nominee because….
The campaign has barely begun
Today’s intense media coverage of every step of every campaign tends to lead to sweeping predications.
Many of those forecasts might seem premature.
The Iowa caucuses are more than five months away — an eternity in politics. The Republican National Convention, at which the nominee will be formally crowned, is almost a year away.
For the moment, Trump likely accrues some benefit from his near-universal name recognition.
In another Economist/YouGov poll earlier this month, the proportion of Republicans who said they didn’t know enough to express an opinion of a particular candidate stood at 9 percent for DeSantis, 21 percent for former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and 27 percent for former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley.
That gives those candidates room to grow, at least in theory, in a way that isn’t true for Trump.
Trump’s rivals could also hold out hope of game-changing moments during debate season, which is soon to begin. The first clash is set for Aug. 23 in Milwaukee.
Early polls are misleading
Trump’s rivals emphasize that predictions based on early polls in previous years were wrong.
That’s true — sort of. But it’s not quite so hard-and-fast a rule as the Trump skeptics claim.
In fact, in two of the last three contested Republican presidential primaries, the eventual winner was already leading the RealClearPolitics average at this point.
Trump had just burst into the lead in 2016, never to surrender it; and in 2012, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney had already established a lead, which he would lose and regain. Romney is now a senator representing Utah.
The sole exception came in 2008, when Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) was in third place and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was leading the field. McCain went on to claim the nomination and Giuliani’s campaign sputtered into oblivion.
It’s not just a matter of polls. Campaigns can sometimes shift on a dime, as happened for the Democrats in 2020.
Then, Biden looked like a busted flush after trailing in fourth in Iowa and fifth in New Hampshire. A win in South Carolina — and a collective quiver of fear among moderate Democrats over the possibility of nominating Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) — delivered the nomination to Biden.
Trump’s legal problems are getting worse
Even if Trump’s support has remained solid so far, it may not be destined to remain so.
What happens when the GOP has to focus fully on whether to nominate a candidate who could be convicted of serious offenses by the time Election Day rolls around?
Trump’s trial in the Mar-a-Lago matter has been set for May 20 next year.
Then there is the likelihood of Trump’s other troubles deepening.
An indictment is widely expected soon over Jan. 6. Trump himself wrote on Truth Social on Monday that he expected an indictment “any day now.”
In Georgia, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) is wrapping up her probe into attempts by Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election results in that state. Decisions on charges are expected in the next few weeks.
Every one of those cases, regardless of the verdicts, will put unflattering details of Trump’s behavior back in the spotlight — and could, perhaps, give some Republican voters second thoughts about nominating him.
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Angus Cloud, breakout star of ‘Euphoria,’ is dead at 25
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Angus Cloud, the actor who starred as the drug dealer Fezco “Fez” O’Neill on the HBO series “Euphoria,” has died. He was 25.
Cloud’s publicist, Cait Bailey, said Cloud died Monday at his family home in Oakland, California. No cause of death was given.
In a statement, Cloud’s family said goodbye to “an artist, a friend, a brother and a son.
“Last week he buried his father and intensely struggled with this loss,” the family said. “The only comfort we have is knowing Angus is now reunited with his dad, who was his best friend. Angus was open about his battle with mental health and we hope that his passing can be a reminder to others that they are not alone and should not fight this on their own in silence.”
“We hope the world remembers him for his humor, laughter and love for everyone,” his family added.
Cloud hadn’t acted before he was cast in “Euphoria.” He was walking down the street in New York when casting scout Eléonore Hendricks noticed him. Cloud was resistant at first, suspecting a scam. Then casting director Jennifer Venditti met with him and series creator Sam Levinson eventually made him a co-star in the series alongside Zendaya for its first two seasons.
To some, Cloud seemed so natural as Fez that they suspected he was identical to the character — a notion that Cloud pushed back against.
“It does bother me when people are like, ‘It must be so easy! You get to go in and be yourself.’ I’m like, ‘Why don’t you go and do that?’ It’s not that simple,” Cloud told Variety. “I brought a lot to the character. You can believe what you want. It ain’t got nothing to do with me.”
The part made Cloud the breakout star of one the buzziest shows in television. He had a supporting role in his first film, “The Line,” a college drama starring Alex Wolff and John Malkovich that premiered earlier this year at the Tribeca Festival. Cloud was recently cast to co-star in “Scream 6.” He’s also made cameos in music videos for Juice WRLD, Becky G and Karol G.
The third season of “Euphoria” hasn’t yet begun filming.
“We are incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of Angus Cloud,” HBO said in a statement. “He was immensely talented and a beloved part of the HBO and ‘Euphoria’ family. We extend our deepest condolences to his friends and family during this difficult time.”
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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| 2023-07-31T23:31:06
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WREG) — A man was shot by police after investigators say he fired shots outside a Jewish school in Memphis, Tennessee, on Monday.
Police said the man, who has not yet been identified, was trying to get into the Margolin Hebrew Academy before fleeing the scene in a maroon pickup truck with California tags.
Officers spotted the vehicle in the Berclair area and initiated a traffic stop. Memphis Police said the man got out of the pickup truck with a gun in his hand and was shot by an officer.
The suspect was taken to Regional One in critical condition. No other injuries were reported.
The Margolin Hebrew Academy confirmed no one at the school was injured during the incident.
“We can confirm that no one has been hurt in any way, and everyone is now safe, thank G-d. Please look out for further communication with additional information to come. In the meantime, our campus is completely closed. We thank you for your understanding,” the academy said in a statement.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is now investigating the situation.
Memphis-Shelby County Schools said all of their schools were on a precautionary lockdown as police investigated the situation.
Assistant Police Chief Don Crowe commended the Hebrew academy for their safety procedures and Memphis officers for finding the suspect so quickly.
“Today is a great example of very vigilant officers trying to protect the city. I personally believe that we have avoided a tragedy. I believe the suspect was going to harm somebody before the day was over,” he said.
MPD Chief CJ Davis also recognized the officers for their actions.
“I am proud of the vigilant and quick response of MPD officers who mitigated a potential mass shooting situation today. Many thanks to our neighboring jurisdictions for also providing critical information to stop the suspect’s actions,” she said.
Police said they cannot determine if the shooting at the Hebrew academy was a hate crime at this time.
Congressman Steve Cohen released a statement in response to the incident saying, “I am shocked to know of this senseless incident and relieved at report that no one at the school was injured. Antisemitism is on the rise in this country. I am saddened that an apparent act of violent antisemitism has come to Memphis. We all need to be on our guard against antisemitism and white nationalism.”
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| 2023-07-31T23:31:09
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Anson-Jones Elementary partners with AVID, prepares students for college
Anson-Jones Elementary School has partner with AVID, an organization that provides school’s with lessons, resources, support so that children are ready for college by the time they graduate
BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) - Summer is winding down and many students will resume in the next few weeks, but this fall students at Anson-Jones Elementary will be get a head start on their college plans thanks to a new partnership.
Anson-Jones Elementary School has partnered with AVID, an organization that provides schools with lessons, resources and support so children are ready for college by the time they graduate. Middle schools and high schools within Bryan ISD have already been participating in AVID as an elective, but Anson-Jones is the first elementary school in the district to offer it school wide for students K-4.
Through the partnership with AVID, teachers will begin researching AVID strategies and then teach them to their students, Anson-Jones Principal Alma Velez said.
“They will teach effective writing strategies, effective inquiry strategies, effective collaboration, that’s one of the focuses for our campus, organization strategies that are needed to be prepared for college and career readiness, and of course reading strategies,” Velez. “A lot of this is what we’ve already been doing only now we’re going to be delving deeper into the specific strategies as they relate to AVID.”
She noted that it’s never too early for children to start thinking about and planning for college.
“It’s most important to start young, so that our students can start setting those goals to achieve long term success,” Velez said.
This program will also make college more accessible to students.
“We do have a high population of low economically disadvantaged students that this could potentially be the last round of first generation college students is what our hopes are,” Velez said.
The AVID program is something Velez said they want to work not only for the children at Anson-Jones, but eventually across the entire district.
“I really just want my families and my students to be exposed, to know what options are out there and to be able to begin as early as kindergarten, to begin making those dreams come true, become a reality,” Velez said. “That’s ultimately my goal for my community here.”
One main focus of the program; organization. That program will require binders, zipper pouches, dividers and sheet protectors, but that goes beyond the standard school supply list, Tami Glenn, Anson-Jones kindergarten teacher said.
“We are actually asking our community to help us out and we know our community is amazing,” Glenn said. “They step up and they show up for our kids.”
Glenn said these supplies will be distributed to each student and are essential to successfully implement AVID on it’s campus.
“Our kids have an amazing opportunity, they come to school eager to learn and we don’t want something as simple as supplies to hinder that learning and to not allow them to utilize AVID to its fullest,” Glenn said. “At the end of the day it’s all about our students and getting them where they need to be and closing that opportunity gap.”
Donations of any new or gently used supplies can be dropped off at the school Monday - Friday during regular school hours. There is also an Amazon wish list that can be found at this link. Those interested can also call an AVID site member to pick up the items.
Copyright 2023 KBTX. All rights reserved.
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WREG) — A man was shot by police after investigators say he fired shots outside the Margolin Hebrew Academy on White Station Road Monday afternoon.
Police said the man was trying to get into the school and fled the scene in a maroon RAM pickup truck with California tags.
Memphis-Shelby County Schools said all of their schools were on a precautionary lockdown as police investigated the situation.
This photo was shared with educators warning them to be on the lookout for the man. WREG has chosen not to show his face so we don’t give him publicity.
Officers spotted the suspect’s vehicle in the area of McCory and Gary in Berclair and initiated a traffic stop. MPD said the man got out of the pickup truck with a gun in his hand and was shot by an officer.
The suspect was taken to Regional One in critical condition. No other injuries were reported.
The Margolin Hebrew Academy confirmed no one at the school was injured during the incident.
“We can confirm that no one has been hurt in any way, and everyone is now safe, thank G-d. Please look out for further communication with additional information to come. In the meantime, our campus is completely closed. We thank you for your understanding,” the academy said in a statement.
Parents who came to the school said they were alerted by the school about the incident.
Rob and Gila Golder have two young children who attend the school and live nearby. They told WREG they have been happy about the security measures taken, including a fence that surrounds the property, on-going training, and recent active shooter training.
“The security both at this school and across this Jewish community is very, very tight, it’s very coordinated, there is a security committee that meets, we have all kinds of grants to support the security of all our Jewish institutions. I know that it has been and continues to remain a priority for the community,” said Gila.
Due to the high level of security, they can only think perhaps the accused shooter made it close enough due to on-going construction happening. MPD has not said if that is the case and no possible motive has been released.
Police have also not identified the suspect but Congressman Steve Cohen (D-Memphis) said in a statement that the suspect was Jewish himself and a former student at the school.
“We have recently learned that the shooter at the Margolin Hebrew Academy was himself Jewish and a former student at the school. I am pleased the academy had effective security and that the police acted quickly to protect students,” Cohen said.
Assistant Police Chief Don Crowe also praised the Hebrew academy for their safety procedures and officers for finding the suspect so quickly.
“Today is a great example of very vigilant officers trying to protect the city. I personally believe that we have avoided a tragedy. I believe the suspect was going to harm somebody before the day was over,” he said.
MPD Chief CJ Davis recognized the officers for their actions as well.
“I am proud of the vigilant and quick response of MPD officers who mitigated a potential mass shooting situation today. Many thanks to our neighboring jurisdictions for also providing critical information to stop the suspect’s actions,” she said.
MSCS interim superintendent Toni Williams showed her support for the school, saying, “The entire MSCS family wraps its arms around the Margolin Hebrew Academy family. Your alertness amidst the unimaginable was heroic. We stand united in combatting gun violence and keeping our students and staff safe.”
This is the second shooting outside a Memphis school in less than a week. A security guard at Freedom Preparatory Academy was shot on July 25. Senate minority leader Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis) urges lawmakers to enact reforms to stop future gun violence.
“With the new school year approaching, this is the second shooting at a school campus in Memphis in less than a week. No family and no community should have to live in constant fear that gun violence may claim the lives of their children or loved ones,” Akbari said in a statement. “We are not helpless against this epidemic of gun violence. We can enact reforms that stop future gun violence. Now, it’s more urgent than ever that lawmakers come together during our special session to give police the tools they need prevent shootings from happening in the first place.”
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is now investigating the situation.
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A North Bergen teen trying to sell a pair of sneakers was beaten and held against his will Sunday evening in an armed robbery by a pair of men who wanted much more.
The 17-year-old arranged the sale of the sneakers for $300 online and scheduled a pickup at his home, but when got into the buyers’ vehicle at 5:20 p.m. to complete the transaction, the driver took off, North Bergen police Capt. David Dowd said.
What followed was a 30-minute ordeal that ended with him being dragged half a block when his sweatshirt got stuck in the car door when he finally was released.
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Be Remarkable: RV Park manager praised for always going above and beyond to help others
Barbara Berry is ready to help day or night, weekdays or weekends.
BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) - In a world where good help can be hard to find, the Aggieland RV Park community has discovered a true gem in their property manager, Barbara Berry. Known for always going above and beyond her duties, Barbara has become the heart and soul of the park, earning her the Be Remarkable award this week.
Berry, 71, has been the park manager at Aggieland RV Park, nestled along Highway 6 near Highway 21 in Bryan, for the past year. Her journey to this role began three years ago when she moved to the area, and the opportunity to oversee the park came knocking last year. Excited by the prospect, Barbara eagerly embraced the position, driven by her love for talking to people and her passion for building a tight-knit community.
“The people out here, they are long-term residents, and they are like family,” Barbara shared with a beaming smile. “Everybody helps each other. It’s like one big family.”
Those who know Barbara and have experienced her selflessness know that she is the glue that keeps the Aggieland RV Park community together. No matter the time or day, weekday or weekend, Barbara is always there to lend a helping hand. Her commitment to her residents and her work ethic is truly remarkable.
One of the park’s residents, Ladell McGee, was the one who nominated Barbara for the Be Remarkable award. “Barbara goes above and beyond to do everything for everybody in the neighborhood,” Ladell stated. “She even works on her days off, taking phone calls after hours and making sure everyone receives their mail or packages, even if it’s as late as 9 or 10 o’clock at night. She truly goes the extra mile.”
For Barbara, her dedication to her work is deeply rooted in her upbringing. “I think it comes mainly from my mother because that’s the way she was,” Barbara humbly explained. “If something needs to be done, you do it. You don’t ask questions, you don’t hesitate, you just go do it. That’s the way I was raised.”
This is why KBTX and Daniel Stark Injury Lawyers are proud to present Barbara Berry with this week’s Be Remarkable award.
If you have someone you want to nominate for our Be Remarkable campaign click here!
Copyright 2023 KBTX. All rights reserved.
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| 2023-07-31T23:31:18
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ar. (KNWA/KFTA) – The Arkansas football team is gearing up for fall camp which officially begins on Friday.
This whole week, the Pig Trail Nation team is answering what you want to know leading into Fall Camp about this year’s team.
On Monday, Alyssa Orange, Mike Irwin and Courtney Mims discuss if KJ will take more snaps under center this season and if the new coordinator hires are better or worse than the previous ones.
You can see the full discussion in the video above.
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| 2023-07-31T23:31:21
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Grab your cowboy hats and boots because country music is taking over Atlantic City this summer.
TidalWave Music Festival will take place on the beaches of Atlantic City from Aug. 11-13.
Some of the music industry’s biggest country artists will perform, such as Thomas Rhett, Jason Aldean and Brooks & Dunn.
The star power does not stop there. Country music fans can also expect to see popular artists, like Jelly Roll, Dustin Lynch, Megan Moroney, Cole Swindell and Dylan Scott, hit the live stage.
This will be the second annual TidalWave Music Festival after the first was held in summer 2022.
If you wanna submerse yourself in all things country, here is how you can attend the festival.
Where can I buy TidalWave Music Festival Tickets?
You can buy tickets for TidalWave Music Festival on the official festival website.
Music festival fans can also look on secondary market websites, such as StubHub, MegaSeats, Vivid Seats, TicketNetwork and TicketCity.
First-time Vivid Seats users can save $20 on ticket orders over $200 with promo code NJ20 at checkout.
A complete list of the lineup for the TidalWave Music Festival is here.
More upcoming music festivals in 2023
The TidalWave Music Festival is not the only music festival happening in 2023.
Here is a list of upcoming tours that you won’t want to miss.
RELATED STORIES ABOUT LIVE EVENTS:
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The biggest N.J. music festivals in 2023: Headliners, dates, ticket info
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Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.
Nicole Iuzzolino can be reached at niuzzolino@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips.
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| 2023-07-31T23:31:23
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City of Bryan approves indoor facility for Texas A&M Tennis
BRYAN, Texas – The City of Bryan in conjunction with Texas A&M University approved on Monday the landmark construction of a new multipurpose indoor tennis facility that will serve as the indoor home of the Aggie men’s and women’s tennis programs.
Currently the only school in the SEC without an indoor tennis facility, the addition of the multipurpose facility makes Texas A&M a more viable option to host conference, NCAA and national events like the ITA National Team Indoor Championships. The complex will give Aggie student-athletes the opportunity to train for indoor competition while at A&M and for their professional careers. Additionally, the facility will allow outdoor matches impacted by inclement weather to continue as scheduled. The project is expected to be completed 24 months after the signing of the agreement by all parties.
The 65,000-square-foot facility will feature six courts that meet NCAA and United States Tennis Association standards and will be located in Travis Bryan Midtown Park, just over three miles from the Mitchell Tennis Center.
Both the men’s and women’s tennis programs have asserted themselves as national powers and league juggernauts over the last decade. Since A&M’s arrival into the SEC, the men’s program has amassed four conference titles and the women’s squad has won three, all within the last two seasons. Between the two, they have combined for 13 Sweet 16 appearances, five Elite Eights and two national semifinal berths.
Director of Athletics Ross Bjork Statement
“I want to thank the Bryan City Council and Mayor Gutierrez for their vision and support in approving the agreement to build a brand-new indoor tennis and multipurpose complex at Midtown Park that will serve our entire community and especially our Texas A&M tennis programs. We appreciate the innovative and collaborative approach the City of Bryan staff has taken with this project and for creating a win-win situation that will have long lasting benefits across Aggieland.
The development of Midtown Park as a major destination and the proximity to the Mitchell Tennis Center made this a perfect place to create an indoor tennis complex. We started this conversation back in early 2021 and I want to commend and give a big thanks to the former Mayor of Bryan, Andrew Nelson, for his vision to start this process and create the momentum to get this project finalized. We appreciate the support of the Texas A&M Administration for supporting this initiative and look forward to creating many championship opportunities for Aggie tennis in this first-class facility.”
City of Bryan Mayor Bobby Gutierrez Statement
“The indoor tennis and multipurpose facility will complement our Legends Event Center, that has already exceeded our performance and usage expectations. The facility will expand our local recreation and national sports tourism capabilities as well as be an indoor tennis home for our phenomenal partner, Texas A&M.”
Men’s Tennis Head Coach Steve Denton Statement
“It was with tremendous excitement that I heard the news about our indoor tennis facility. I want to, first of all, thank Ross Bjork and all those involved at Texas A&M for their leadership in ensuring the success of our tennis student-athletes and our tennis programs for many years to come. Since its inception, this project has always been a joint venture between the City of Bryan and Texas A&M. I want to thank Mayor Bobby Gutierrez and all those involved at the City of Bryan who had a hand in making this day come to fruition. This indoor facility will not only serve Texas A&M and all of our athletes, but all the tennis players in the Brazos Valley and beyond. Today, the sport of tennis got a huge win!”
Women’s Tennis Head Coach Mark Weaver Statement
“I would like to thank Mayor Gutierrez and our administration at Texas A&M for their leadership in the process of bringing indoor tennis to the City of Bryan and Aggieland. This will ultimately help our team with our practices, scheduling of matches and preparing for the national indoor championships. This will be a wonderful addition to the great product that we already have in place with our women’s tennis team at Texas A&M.”
Follow the AggiesFor complete coverage of Texas A&M Athletics, be sure to follow the Aggies on social media at @12thMan (X/Twitter), @12thman (Instagram & Threads) and @AggieAthletics (Facebook) or visit the official home of Texas A&M Athletics at 12thMan.com.
Copyright 2023 KBTX. All rights reserved.
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OVERNIGHT: It stays warm this evening with temps near 90°F till 8pm, then 80s for the rest of the night. After midnight, temps lower to the 70s with a light easterly wind.
TUESDAY: A few showers and storms will pass through northeast and possibly central Arkansas by Tuesday afternoon. High temps will reach the mid 90s, with it feeling more like the low triple digits.
WHAT’S NEXT: High heat & humidity stick around through the week, with triple digits temps likely Thursday & Friday. It will feel as hot as 110°F to 115°F by the end of the work week. Slight relief comes by the end of the weekend Sunday.
STAY INFORMED
Download the Arkansas Storm Team app
To make sure you are staying up-to-date with the forecast, download the Arkansas Storm Team app to get updates anywhere at any time.
To watch the latest video updates from the Arkansas Storm Team, you can check them out here.
The Arkansas Storm Team is a collaboration of two stations to bring you the largest weather team in the state when covering Arkansas weather.
Follow the Arkansas Storm Team
Be alerted as soon as severe weather coverage begins by downloading the Arkansas Storm Team app from the App Store or on Google Play.
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| 2023-07-31T23:31:27
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Thanks to Tom Moran’s recent column, “The pushback against charges of racism in the State Police,” for shedding light on these claims about this force.
Among the matters cited by Moran was a newly released independent report that found evidence that Black and Latino drivers are still being stopped, subjected to automobile searches, and arrested more often than white motorists, despite federal oversight of such practices for more than a decade ending in 2009.
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| 2023-07-31T23:31:29
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CSHS Senior receives $10,000 scholarship
Elizabeth Morton is being recognized for her work with the yearbook.
Published: Jul. 31, 2023 at 5:30 PM CDT|Updated: 1 hour ago
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) - Balfour’s scholarship program that recognizes high school seniors who make an extraordinary contribution to their school’s yearbook recognized College Station High School’s Elizabeth Morton as one of their 10 recipients.
The scholarship is worth $10,000 and aims to support students who are exceeding in the world of journalism.
Copyright 2023 KBTX. All rights reserved.
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The New York Yankees, led by Aaron Judge, face the Tampa Bay Rays in an MLB regular season game on Monday, July 31, 2023 (7/31/23) at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York.
HOW TO WATCH (LOCAL): Local fans can watch the game for free via a trial of DirecTV Stream, which carries YES Network (New York) and Bally Sports Sun (Florida).
BUY YANKEES TICKETS: STUBHUB, VIVID SEATS, TICKETSMARTER
Here’s what you need to know:
What: MLB regular season
Who: Yankees vs. Rays
When: Monday, July 31, 2023
Where: Yankee Stadium
Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV: YES Network (New York) and Bally Sports Sun (Florida)
Channel finder: Verizon Fios, Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, Cox, DIRECTV, Dish, Hulu, fuboTV, Sling.
Live stream: DirecTV Stream (free trial)
A recent AP Story on the Yankees:
BALTIMORE (AP) — Aaron Judge is giving the New York Yankees an immediate boost — at a time when their front office has some tough decisions to make.
Judge homered and singled twice in his second game back from the injured list and the Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-3 on Saturday night. Giancarlo Stanton and Kyle Higashioka went deep as well for New York, which is still 3 1/2 games behind Toronto and Houston for the last two wild cards in the American League.
That’s a tricky spot with Tuesday’s trade deadline approaching.
“We’ve had years where we stick with who we got. We’ve had years where we get some bullpen arms, starters, a big bat,” Judge said. “It comes down to us doing our job on the field and then letting them take care of the rest. We’ll see what happens.”
The Yankees knocked out struggling Orioles starter Tyler Wells (7-6) in the third inning. In the sixth, Isiah Kiner-Falefa capped a 10-pitch at-bat with a three-run double to make it 8-3.
Judge has three walks and three hits in nine plate appearances since returning Friday from the toe injury that kept him out since early June.
Ryan Mountcastle homered for the Orioles, but Clarke Schmidt (7-6) made it through five tough innings and the New York bullpen took it from there.
The Orioles remained 1 1/2 games ahead of Tampa Bay atop the AL East.
Judge walked three times Friday night, but the Yankees lost that game 1-0 on a ninth-inning homer by Baltimore’s Anthony Santander. New York’s offense was relentless a night later.
Stanton’s first-inning drive easily cleared the big wall in left field at Camden Yards. Mountcastle tied it in the second, and Baltimore went ahead 2-1 on an RBI infield single by Ramón Urías. That lead was short-lived.
Judge hit a two-run shot — 442 feet to center field — in the third. Then Gleyber Torres added a sacrifice fly an inning later.
Santander made it 4-3 with an RBI groundout in the fifth, but New York broke the game open in the sixth. Cole Irvin allowed a leadoff homer by Higashioka — his third hit of the night — and then one-out singles to Judge, Stanton and Anthony Rizzo.
Bryan Baker came in and struck out DJ LeMahieu, but after fouling off five pitches, Kiner-Falefa cleared the bases with a line drive to left.
“One of the best at-bats of the season right there,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
Wells entered the game with a major league-leading WHIP of 0.99, but he allowed three runs, three hits and three walks in 2 2/3 innings. In three starts since the All-Star break, he’s lasted just nine innings total.
“I think we’re going to be talking about a lot of things here coming up,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “Obviously, we’re in a weird week. He’s had tough times his last few starts. I think there are going to be discussions going on.”
Boone said he’s leaning toward giving Judge a day off in the series finale Sunday night. The Yankees are in a stretch of 13 games in 13 days.
“I kind of look at it as, hopefully he’s in a position to start nine or 10 of them,” Boone said. “Forget the toe. He hasn’t come close to playing games for almost two months. As much as I want him in there, we’ve got to be smart here a little bit, especially in this run.”
DIFFERENT ORDER
The Orioles used catcher Adley Rutschman in the leadoff spot because of his ability to get on base. He was hit by a pitch, walked and scored a run.
UP NEXT
New York’s Luis Severino (2-4) starts Sunday night against Baltimore’s Dean Kremer (10-4). It’s the final game of the season series, which is tied 6-all.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.
Cayden Steele may be reached at CSteele@njadvancemedia.com
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Roof maintenance scheduled today will ready your home for the winter months
BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) - Josh Schulte of Schulte Roofing says getting a professional to assist with roof maintenance is important during the summer months, and will also prepare you for the winter months.
Schulte shared what the roof maintenance includes.
“That’s a program that we started to help people. A lot of people don’t like to get up on their own roofs. You know, it’s kind of scary. It’s hot, especially right now. And so that’s something we provide,” said Schulte. “We can blow out gutters, clean off skylights, clean solar panels, repair whatever needs to be repaired, or inspect what needs [repair].”
This service is something that Schulte and his team offer the customers here locally in the Brazos Valley.
“You know, we go through seasons, we have hot times, like right now, and we have cold times and rainy times. So your roof is what protects your home. And homes also move, and buildings move. Any type of structure will move. And a lot of times that can cause damage to your roof,” said Schulte. ”So it’s important that you have somebody come and inspect it every once in a while to see what’s going on and how it’s performing.”
Schulte says that as the technician is on the rooftop cleaning, they are also keeping an eye out for potential roofing issues. This way if a repair needs to be made, the client could plan for it.
Call Schulte Roofing today to schedule your roof maintenance appointment at 1-800-FOR-ROOF.
You can also visit their website for more information.
Copyright 2023 KBTX. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kbtx.com/2023/07/31/roof-maintenance-scheduled-today-will-ready-your-home-winter-months/
| 2023-07-31T23:31:37
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NEW YORK — Whether the Yankees make a trade before Tuesday’s deadline or not, they’re adding a few assets back from the injured list.
Aaron Judge returned from the IL on Friday, providing an immediate impact in Baltimore. Rehabbing pitchers Nestor Cortes and Jonathan Loáisiga are both on the mend, expected to return from arm injuries within the first few weeks of August.
Josh Donaldson wants to be in that same category as well.
Less than two weeks after being transferred to the 60-day injured list with a tear in his right calf, the third baseman took part in Monday’s pregame workout at Yankee Stadium, fielding ground balls on the infield before taking swings in batting practice.
Donaldson was moving well for an aging slugger that recently suffered a high-grade strain, the same injury that had the third baseman limping off the field multiple times earlier this month. He seemed to be taking full-strength swings in the batting cage, jogging around freely on defense.
While it initially seemed like Donaldson was going to miss the rest of the season — based on the diagnosis that was given and his long-term move to the 60-day IL — the 37-year-old is striving to suit up again before the end of the year.
“I feel really good right now, compared to what the initial results were,” Donaldson told reporters after his busy afternoon on Monday.
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Donaldson isn’t eligible to be back on the active roster until midway through September. Asked about that transaction and if he tried to fight the Yankees putting him on the 60-day IL, Donaldson said he wasn’t involved in the conversation.
“I was just told that I was going on the 60,” he said. “I don’t make those decisions, but I feel good with where I’m at right now.”
Perhaps Donaldson believes that he’ll be ready long before his 60-day stint has expired? He didn’t say it explicitly, but his actions would indicate that he’s on an accelerated track.
“I think as a competitor, you want to be able to help your team as often as you can,” he said.
Donaldson had the worst season of his career this year when healthy. He hit .142 over 33 games with a .659 OPS and 32 strikeouts. Donaldson did swat 10 home runs — 10 of his 15 hits this year left the yard — and some of his advanced metrics suggest that he was unlucky on balls in play, but the third baseman was unquestionably bringing his team down when he was in the lineup. Donaldson also missed much of the first two months of the season with a significant hamstring strain.
The third baseman is expected to enter free agency this offseason. He has a mutual option in his contract with an $8 million buyout.
Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.
Max Goodman may be reached at mgoodman@njadvancemedia.com.
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https://www.nj.com/yankees/2023/07/yankees-josh-donaldson-wants-to-play-again-this-season-already-feels-really-good.html
| 2023-07-31T23:31:41
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https://www.nj.com/yankees/2023/07/yankees-josh-donaldson-wants-to-play-again-this-season-already-feels-really-good.html
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Trump attempt to derail Georgia election investigation rejected by judge
ATLANTA (AP) — A judge on Monday rejected an attempt by former President Donald Trump to keep a Georgia district attorney from prosecuting him and from using certain evidence gathered in her investigation into potential illegal meddling in the 2020 election in the state.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney didn’t mince words in his nine-page ruling, which said Trump lacked the legal grounds to bring the challenge before any indictment has been filed in the case. Any harm alleged by Trump and by Cathy Latham, a Republican fake elector from Georgia who had joined his motion, is “either insufficient or else speculative and unrealized,” the judge wrote.
The alleged harms “are insufficient because, while being the subject (or even target) of a highly publicized criminal investigation is likely an unwelcome and unpleasant experience, no court ever has held that that status alone provides a basis for the courts to interfere with or halt the investigation,” McBurney wrote.
In a caustic footnote, seemingly nodding to Trump’s status as the dominant frontrunner for the 2024 Republican nomination for president despite having been indicted twice already, the judge added: “And for some, being the subject of a criminal investigation can, à la Rumpelstiltskin, be turned into golden political capital, making it seem more providential than problematic.”
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, an elected Democrat, has strongly suggested that she is likely to seek charges in the case in the coming weeks. While she has not directly said she plans to seek charges against the Republican former president, she has repeatedly said no one is above the law.
Monday’s ruling came in response to a motion filed in March by Trump’s Georgia-based legal team that said a special grand jury seated to help Willis investigate “involved a constant lack of clarity as to the law, inconsistent applications of basic constitutional protections for individuals being brought before it, and a prosecutor’s office that was found to have an actual conflict, yet continued to pursue the investigation.”
The special grand jury did not have the power to indict, but it did issue subpoenas and heard from some 75 witnesses while meeting from May to December last year and issued a final report with recommendations for Willis.
Trump attorney Drew Findling did not immediately respond Monday to text and voicemail messages seeking comment.
Latham was one of 16 Georgia Republicans who met at the state Capitol in December 2020 and signed a certificate declaring falsely that Trump had won the presidential election and declaring themselves the state’s “duly elected and qualified” electors. Willis last year informed them that they were targets of her investigation, though some have since reached immunity deals with her team.
McBurney said there are no grounds to disqualify Willis from pursuing her investigation and likely prosecution, saying she had not acted improperly.
“The drumbeat from the District Attorney has been neither partisan (in the political sense) nor personal, in marked and refreshing contrast to the stream of personal invective flowing from one of the movants,” he wrote, no doubt referring to Trump.
Trump’s attorneys several weeks ago took another stab at barring Willis from prosecuting him and getting the special grand jury’s report tossed out with twin filings against Willis and McBurney in Fulton County Superior Court and the Georgia Supreme Court. Explaining this extraordinary action, they cited the fact that McBurney had yet to rule on their earlier motion and Willis’ indication that she would soon seek charges in the case.
The state Supreme Court unanimously declined to intervene, dismissing the petition.
A judge from neighboring Cobb County was assigned to consider the other petition after the chief judge of the Fulton County Superior Court recused himself and the other judges on that bench from hearing the matter involving McBurney. He has set a hearing for Aug. 10.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kbtx.com/2023/07/31/trump-attempt-derail-georgia-election-investigation-rejected-by-judge/
| 2023-07-31T23:31:43
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https://www.kbtx.com/2023/07/31/trump-attempt-derail-georgia-election-investigation-rejected-by-judge/
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The district attorney is asking a judge to restrict access to court documents in the high-profile Madison Brooks case, arguing an attorney for one of the defendants gave information to a local TV station in an attempt to influence the case.
But the attorney says he released the documents in response to a Fox Nation series on the case, which he said portrayed his client in a negative light and required a public response.
Brooks, a 19-year-old LSU sophomore, was fatally hit by a vehicle in January. Before her death, she was raped in a car after a night of drinking at the now-closed Reggie's bar in Tigerland, according to prosecutors.
Four people were arrested: Desmond Carter, 17, and Kaivon Washington, 19, who are accused of raping Brooks, and Casen Carver, 19, and Everett Lee, 29, are accused of sitting in the front seat while it happened; court documents indicate Lee was arrested, but has not yet been charged.
Last week, WBRZ published a report citing documents from the Brooks case that indicated an autopsy found no internal DNA from the suspects, though it did find unspecified genetic material from one of them on her genital area. The report questioned whether prosecutors' case was "flawed."
In his motion to restrict access to the documents, District Attorney Hillar Moore identified Joe Long, an attorney representing Carver, as the person who "leaked" screenshots of the documents — a DNA report, autopsy report and an East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office police report — to WBRZ. The motion says access to the documents was limited and the DA's office was able to track the documents back to Long.
Prosecutors have revoked access to the discovery files and Moore is asking District Judge Gail Horne Ray, who is presiding over the cases, to "restrict disclosure" of records in the case. He wants a lockdown on evidence until the judge grants a protective order that bars unauthorized parties from accessing the court documents.
The motion currently would apply only to Carver's case, but Moore said he anticipates a discussion in court of whether it would apply to other defendants as well.
Moore fumed over piecemeal release of portions of the state's evidence against the defendants. In the motion, he said it was "done with the intention and knowledge" and that it had a likelihood of "materially prejudicing" the case.
Long said he's made no secret to prosecutors that he released the DNA evidence and autopsy reports in "direct response" to a Nancy Grace report, Left for Dead: The Case of Madison Brooks. The multi-episode report chronicling the case began airing on the Fox Nation streaming platform on July 17 and featured interviews from Brooks' mother, Ashley Baustert, and her attorney, Kerry J. Miller.
Long called the series a "national hit piece." He said there was no protective order in place at the time barring him from disclosing the information, and argued attorney ethics allowed him to respond publicly to protect his client.
"My sharing information with the media was a direct response to the adverse publicity that was put out by Brooks' mother and their civil lawyer," he said. "The Rules of Professional Conduct allow me to respond and that's why I did that."
This story has been updated to more accurately describe what the district attorney is asking a judge to do.
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https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/courts/da-asks-judge-to-stop-leaks-in-madison-brooks-case-attorney-cites-nancy-grace-hit/article_1cec0efa-2fce-11ee-96b1-63999200e775.html
| 2023-07-31T23:32:20
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Trump attempt to derail Georgia election investigation rejected by judge
ATLANTA (AP) — A judge on Monday rejected an attempt by former President Donald Trump to keep a Georgia district attorney from prosecuting him and from using certain evidence gathered in her investigation into potential illegal meddling in the 2020 election in the state.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney didn’t mince words in his nine-page ruling, which said Trump lacked the legal grounds to bring the challenge before any indictment has been filed in the case. Any harm alleged by Trump and by Cathy Latham, a Republican fake elector from Georgia who had joined his motion, is “either insufficient or else speculative and unrealized,” the judge wrote.
The alleged harms “are insufficient because, while being the subject (or even target) of a highly publicized criminal investigation is likely an unwelcome and unpleasant experience, no court ever has held that that status alone provides a basis for the courts to interfere with or halt the investigation,” McBurney wrote.
In a caustic footnote, seemingly nodding to Trump’s status as the dominant frontrunner for the 2024 Republican nomination for president despite having been indicted twice already, the judge added: “And for some, being the subject of a criminal investigation can, à la Rumpelstiltskin, be turned into golden political capital, making it seem more providential than problematic.”
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, an elected Democrat, has strongly suggested that she is likely to seek charges in the case in the coming weeks. While she has not directly said she plans to seek charges against the Republican former president, she has repeatedly said no one is above the law.
Monday’s ruling came in response to a motion filed in March by Trump’s Georgia-based legal team that said a special grand jury seated to help Willis investigate “involved a constant lack of clarity as to the law, inconsistent applications of basic constitutional protections for individuals being brought before it, and a prosecutor’s office that was found to have an actual conflict, yet continued to pursue the investigation.”
The special grand jury did not have the power to indict, but it did issue subpoenas and heard from some 75 witnesses while meeting from May to December last year and issued a final report with recommendations for Willis.
Trump attorney Drew Findling did not immediately respond Monday to text and voicemail messages seeking comment.
Latham was one of 16 Georgia Republicans who met at the state Capitol in December 2020 and signed a certificate declaring falsely that Trump had won the presidential election and declaring themselves the state’s “duly elected and qualified” electors. Willis last year informed them that they were targets of her investigation, though some have since reached immunity deals with her team.
McBurney said there are no grounds to disqualify Willis from pursuing her investigation and likely prosecution, saying she had not acted improperly.
“The drumbeat from the District Attorney has been neither partisan (in the political sense) nor personal, in marked and refreshing contrast to the stream of personal invective flowing from one of the movants,” he wrote, no doubt referring to Trump.
Trump’s attorneys several weeks ago took another stab at barring Willis from prosecuting him and getting the special grand jury’s report tossed out with twin filings against Willis and McBurney in Fulton County Superior Court and the Georgia Supreme Court. Explaining this extraordinary action, they cited the fact that McBurney had yet to rule on their earlier motion and Willis’ indication that she would soon seek charges in the case.
The state Supreme Court unanimously declined to intervene, dismissing the petition.
A judge from neighboring Cobb County was assigned to consider the other petition after the chief judge of the Fulton County Superior Court recused himself and the other judges on that bench from hearing the matter involving McBurney. He has set a hearing for Aug. 10.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wlbt.com/2023/07/31/trump-attempt-derail-georgia-election-investigation-rejected-by-judge/
| 2023-07-31T23:32:20
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https://www.wlbt.com/2023/07/31/trump-attempt-derail-georgia-election-investigation-rejected-by-judge/
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Angus Cloud, breakout star of ‘Euphoria,’ is dead at 25
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Angus Cloud, the actor who starred as the drug dealer Fezco “Fez” O’Neill on the HBO series “Euphoria,” has died. He was 25.
Cloud’s publicist, Cait Bailey, said Cloud died Monday at his family home in Oakland, California. No cause of death was given.
In a statement, Cloud’s family said goodbye to “an artist, a friend, a brother and a son.
“Last week he buried his father and intensely struggled with this loss,” the family said. “The only comfort we have is knowing Angus is now reunited with his dad, who was his best friend. Angus was open about his battle with mental health and we hope that his passing can be a reminder to others that they are not alone and should not fight this on their own in silence.”
“We hope the world remembers him for his humor, laughter and love for everyone,” his family added.
Cloud hadn’t acted before he was cast in “Euphoria.” He was walking down the street in New York when casting scout Eléonore Hendricks noticed him. Cloud was resistant at first, suspecting a scam. Then casting director Jennifer Venditti met with him and series creator Sam Levinson eventually made him a co-star in the series alongside Zendaya for its first two seasons.
To some, Cloud seemed so natural as Fez that they suspected he was identical to the character — a notion that Cloud pushed back against.
“It does bother me when people are like, ‘It must be so easy! You get to go in and be yourself.’ I’m like, ‘Why don’t you go and do that?’ It’s not that simple,” Cloud told Variety. “I brought a lot to the character. You can believe what you want. It ain’t got nothing to do with me.”
The part made Cloud the breakout star of one the buzziest shows in television. He had a supporting role in his first film, “The Line,” a college drama starring Alex Wolff and John Malkovich that premiered earlier this year at the Tribeca Festival. Cloud was recently cast to co-star in “Scream 6.” He’s also made cameos in music videos for Juice WRLD, Becky G and Karol G.
The third season of “Euphoria” hasn’t yet begun filming.
“We are incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of Angus Cloud,” HBO said in a statement. “He was immensely talented and a beloved part of the HBO and ‘Euphoria’ family. We extend our deepest condolences to his friends and family during this difficult time.”
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wagmtv.com/2023/07/31/angus-cloud-breakout-star-euphoria-is-dead-25/
| 2023-07-31T23:32:20
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https://www.wagmtv.com/2023/07/31/angus-cloud-breakout-star-euphoria-is-dead-25/
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For its first 17 years, a state registry to track people found guilty of violence against peace officers had only 10 names because multiple state agencies did not implement processes to ensure the registry included the names of all applicable offenders until late last year, a state audit found.
But with changes already made, and more possibly to come, the registry has grown to 144 registrants in 44 parishes across the state.
Released Monday, the report by Louisiana Legislative Auditor Mike Waguespack reviewed state and local agencies’ implementation of the Violence Against Peace Officers (VAPO) registry, which was introduced by the legislature in 2005 and requires anyone who commits violence against a peace officer — a term that generally refers to state and local law enforcement officers across different agencies — be added to the registry for 10 years.
In 2019, the registry was expanded to include people convicted of terrorism-related offenses.
Under the law, State Police are required to establish and maintain a central registry of VAPO offenders, provide their information to all Louisiana law enforcement agencies who request it, establish an alert flag on offenders’ criminal history records and mail a verification form to the offender on the anniversary date of that person’s initial registration.
The DOC is supposed to inform offenders of their duty to register and transmit their information to State Police within five days to be included on the registry, while local law enforcement agencies are required to record VAPO offenders’ fingerprints when they register and forward their information within the same time frame to State Police.
Although the Louisiana Sheriff’s Association told auditors it had advised sheriff’s offices around the state of changes to the VAPO legislation in August 2019, the report says many of those agencies told auditors they were not aware of the registry initially and “only began complying with the VAPO statutes in the fall of 2022 after being contacted by LSP or DOC.” Police departments whom auditors spoke to were unaware of the registry completely.
The report goes on to say that even though the law went into effect in June 2005, and State Police developed internal procedures to maintain the registry five years later, the agency did not implement a formal process for, or proactively work with, state and local entities to submit offenders’ information until September 2022.
Because of this, the registry included the names of only 10 people until August that same year.
In a July 7 letter responding to the audit report, DOC representatives said the agency faced "several challenges" in identifying VAPO offenders who should be added to the registry. They noted the system DOC uses is not user-friendly, so the staff had to manually determine which offenders had convictions for VAPO-related offenses by individually reviewing each offender’s records.
The department told auditors the process was difficult and time-consuming. To remedy the issue, DOC and other stakeholders suggested that an individual’s VAPO status be determined and documented using a check box at the time of their sentencing in order to make the process more efficient, similar to the process currently used to identify sex offenders.
Auditors flagged the recommendation in the report as a “matter for legislative consideration.”
Since September 2022, the department said, DOC staff have used the agency’s system that tracks incarcerated individuals to review offender data from the last decade and identify VAPO offenders to submit to State Police for the registry.
In their letter response dated July 10, representatives for State Police said the agency agreed with the report's findings, adding that the agency is "working diligently with the Department of Corrections and sheriff's departments across the state to ensure that the registry is as accurate as possible under the current law."
State Police also asked the Louisiana Legislature to consider the DOC's suggestion of including the requirement of registration during sentencing.
"This would immediately, upon sentencing, inform the offender of his/her registration obligation and would also ensure these offenders will not slip through the cracks," the agency said.
The audit report says that since earlier this year, State Police has begun manually entering registered VAPO offenders’ information into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) Violent Persons File, which delivers an alert message to law enforcement officers any time they run an individual’s name through a system that queries against the NCIC files.
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https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/crime_police/louisiana-registry-tracks-violence-against-law-officers/article_56502c52-2fe3-11ee-bdb6-876fb44ecf73.html
| 2023-07-31T23:32:26
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https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/crime_police/louisiana-registry-tracks-violence-against-law-officers/article_56502c52-2fe3-11ee-bdb6-876fb44ecf73.html
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A Shower or Two Tomorrow, with Below Average Temperatures Lasting into the Weekend
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine (WAGM) - Good evening everyone and happy Monday. Today ended up being more of a gloomy day compared to what I was expecting at the end of last week. The cold front making its way through the region today had more of a punch keeping us under cloudy skies and steady showers well into the afternoon hours for some spots. Things have tapered off for the most part this evening, but we’re not out of the woods in terms of shower chances just yet. Another weak disturbance is expected to pass through during the afternoon hours tomorrow, bringing more isolated shower chances to the forecast. Showers taper off, with skies clearing out once again tomorrow night, setting us up for more sunshine and slightly warmer temperatures for the middle of the work week.
Going hour by hour through the rest of this evening shows skies clearing out, resulting in cooler temperatures overnight and into tomorrow morning. Clear skies to start the day tomorrow will result in warmer temperatures during the morning hours, before cloud cover returns by the afternoon. Low temperatures tonight are expected to cool off into the upper 40s and lower 50s for most places. Temperatures continue to cool off thanks to clear skies and light northwesterly winds, working together to allow for radiational cooling across the county.
Tomorrow starts off with more sunshine. It overall will be a better day compared to today, however that doesn’t mean shower chances in the forecast are non-existent. Cloud cover is expected to return during the afternoon hours, with a few bubble-up showers and downpours expected. These showers will be more isolated in nature compared to today, meaning not everyone has the chance to see a shower like today. Showers will quickly taper off tomorrow evening, with skies clearing out and more sunshine expected to start the day Wednesday. High temperatures tomorrow will be a bit warmer than today thanks to more sunshine. High temperatures are expected to climb into the upper 60s and even a few lower 70s during the late afternoon. The warming trend continues into Wednesday, after another round of chilly overnight lows tomorrow night.
For more details on the forecast, make sure to check out this evening’s Weather on the Web Video Forecast attached to this article. Have a great evening!
Copyright 2023 WAGM. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wagmtv.com/2023/07/31/shower-or-two-tomorrow-with-below-average-temperatures-lasting-into-weekend/
| 2023-07-31T23:32:27
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Livingston Parish officials and the developer of a planned 2,000-lot subdivision near Denham Springs have settled a zoning lawsuit, smoothing the way for the construction to go forward while imposing some limits favored by opponents of the controversial new neighborhood.
The agreement nullifies the zoning law in the district of the parish where developer Ascension Properties Inc. proposes building Deer Run on 4-H Club Road while sparing regulations elsewhere in the parish — and leaving some public officials wondering if the settlement serves the parish well.
The case has become a flashpoint in Livingston Parish, where concerns about traffic and flooding have led to contentious fights over development during crowded council meetings.
In May, the subdivision's developer sued in U.S. District Court, claiming the parish council did not follow certain laws in setting new zoning rules for one of its districts and was unfairly targeting Deer Run.
The settlement reduces the density of the proposed subdivision, adds a traffic safety feature to Deer Run and — most significantly — voids the District 5 zoning map where the project is slated to be built, at last answering the federal question of whether the district's zoning was lawful.
"Overall," said Livingston Parish President Layton Ricks in a Monday statement, "the parish can claim a big victory in this agreement."
But District 5 Councilwoman Erin Sandefur said she believes the consent judgement, which found her district's zoning was enacted unlawfully, could derail zoning for the entire parish. She also said she fears a recently passed moratorium on newly proposed subdivisions could be endangered.
"We cannot allow zoning for the entire parish to be voided, nor can we allow the moratorium to be erased," she said.
Sandefur, who had voted against settling the lawsuit in a recent meeting, has filed a motion to have the judgement rescinded.
"The lawsuit resolved through a settlement and a corresponding federal court judgment — to which a majority of the Parish Council representatives consented," said Tom Easterly, attorney for Ascension Properties. "The judgment is consistent with the position we originally took back in April."
Christopher Moody, the parish attorney, said he was "happy" the lawsuit was settled "on terms favorable to the Parish." The development, though approved under old regulations, will be required to meet the "more strenuous standards" of the new parish ordinance, including better drainage, lower density and traffic controls, Moody said.
"I know certain neighbors won't be happy, but this is an excellent result for the Parish," he continued. "We can now concentrate on passing a bullet-proof zoning ordinance."
After the parish council passed a slew of zoning categories in 2021, members began to finalize their zoning maps, district by district. The process had been relatively quiet until Sandefur proposed and passed her district's zoning map — the same district where Deer Run would be located.
Deer Run has animated area residents, with many pressuring the parish to block the subdivision, arguing it could dramatically worsen traffic, infrastructure problems and school overcrowding.
Following a legal threat, Ascension Properties filed a lawsuit in federal court alleging the council arbitrarily targeted Deer Run in the changes it made to existing zoning rules.
District 5 residents, who took their own legal action against the development, later won a tenuous victory in court, requiring the Deer Run developer to follow certain building restrictions. The question of whether the entire district zoning process was illegally enacted remained uncertain.
The settlement
Last week, in a heated meeting, the council voted 5-4 to allow the parish attorney to resolve the lawsuit. It was revealed the council members had been sent the latest draft of the settlement just a few hours before the meeting began.
The agreement, as described by the parish government in a press release, includes a reduction in the number of Deer Run lots and the addition of a fourth entrance/exit to improve traffic safety. Additionally, the developer will construct 155 owned condos instead of 400 apartments.
Ascension Properties also agreed to dismiss all council members from the lawsuit, to waive damages and attorney fees and to agree that the permit and approved plan will expire in two years if not completed.
Critically, the settlement rescinds the zoning map for District 5 specifically, not the rest of the parish, according to officials.
“We closed a case that our lawyer, the District Attorney and the Council’s hand-picked zoning expert told us we could not win,” said Ricks, the parish president. "The Council’s own zoning expert said the zoning ordinance, as passed, cannot be enforced and would need to be completely rescinded and re-initiated from the beginning."
The consent judgement, signed Friday by U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick, declares the District 5 zoning ordinance "was enacted in an unlawful manner" and is unenforceable.
"Both the allegations in the lawsuit and the resulting judgment are unique to the zoning ordinance for District 5 and the corresponding map," said Easterly, the developers' attorney. "The judgment does not affect any other zoning ordinance, zoning map, or zoning decision. Regardless of what anyone says, the judgment only affects one ordinance for one district of the parish."
The parish-wide development moratorium, if enacted by the 15-day deadline, will not apply to the Deer Run property, per the settlement.
Just last week, the parish council passed a 12-month development moratorium specifically targeting large subdivisions and multi-family projects while allowing commercial construction to move forward.
Unexpectedly, the settlement also included stipulations for another subdivision under Ascension Properties' development: Valere subdivision, planned for French Settlement.
The developer agreed to reduce Valere’s density from more than 600 fifty-foot lots to a total of eight one-acre lots, and 119 two-acre lots — a move Ricks called “huge.”
The fallout
The response to the settlement among council members was mixed.
“I think it’s a win-win for everybody," said District 2 Councilman Garry "Frog" Talbert. "Deer Run has hamstrung the parish for a long time."
District 7 Councilman Tracy Girlinghouse called it "a very fair deal" despite the fact that he believes some council members "weaponized zoning" and improperly "used it as a sword," leading to some doubting the validity of their ordinances.
"I think in the end it was a good settlement," he said. "I’m satisfied with it. Do I like it? No, but I’m satisfied it."
But District 4 Councilman John Wascom said he rejected the settlement because he didn't have time to look over the full document before the vote.
"Had we deferred until next meeting, I think the settlement would have failed," he said. "I feel some that voted for it may have voted differently after reading the 50-page settlement."
District 6 Councilman Gerlad McMorris, who was the deciding vote in favor of settling, said he feels "sick" over the decision he felt he legally had to make as advised. McMorris said he thinks he was "played by all sides and...became the fall guy."
"I decided I needed to protect myself, my council members, Livingston Parish and the home town where I grew up and still live," he said. "The Lord knows I followed the guidance of him and the legal advisors we, the council, and tax payers hired."
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| 2023-07-31T23:32:31
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Heavy rain, lightning and thunderstorms led to the National Weather Service has issuing a severe thunderstorm warning for most of the southern half of East Baton Rouge Parish Monday afternoon.
The Entergy outage map said over 17,000 customers were without power in East Baton Rouge Parish as of 5 p.m. Monday.
Neighborhoods hit by the outages include Sherwood Forest and parts of Inniswold.
Fire department officials reported "numerous trees down on homes," two vehicles struck by lightning, a tree that caught fire after it landed on electric wires and other havoc.
A person was badly injured when a structure collapsed off South Choctaw Drive, WBRZ reported.
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| 2023-07-31T23:32:32
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Trump attempt to derail Georgia election investigation rejected by judge
ATLANTA (AP) — A judge on Monday rejected an attempt by former President Donald Trump to keep a Georgia district attorney from prosecuting him and from using certain evidence gathered in her investigation into potential illegal meddling in the 2020 election in the state.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney didn’t mince words in his nine-page ruling, which said Trump lacked the legal grounds to bring the challenge before any indictment has been filed in the case. Any harm alleged by Trump and by Cathy Latham, a Republican fake elector from Georgia who had joined his motion, is “either insufficient or else speculative and unrealized,” the judge wrote.
The alleged harms “are insufficient because, while being the subject (or even target) of a highly publicized criminal investigation is likely an unwelcome and unpleasant experience, no court ever has held that that status alone provides a basis for the courts to interfere with or halt the investigation,” McBurney wrote.
In a caustic footnote, seemingly nodding to Trump’s status as the dominant frontrunner for the 2024 Republican nomination for president despite having been indicted twice already, the judge added: “And for some, being the subject of a criminal investigation can, à la Rumpelstiltskin, be turned into golden political capital, making it seem more providential than problematic.”
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, an elected Democrat, has strongly suggested that she is likely to seek charges in the case in the coming weeks. While she has not directly said she plans to seek charges against the Republican former president, she has repeatedly said no one is above the law.
Monday’s ruling came in response to a motion filed in March by Trump’s Georgia-based legal team that said a special grand jury seated to help Willis investigate “involved a constant lack of clarity as to the law, inconsistent applications of basic constitutional protections for individuals being brought before it, and a prosecutor’s office that was found to have an actual conflict, yet continued to pursue the investigation.”
The special grand jury did not have the power to indict, but it did issue subpoenas and heard from some 75 witnesses while meeting from May to December last year and issued a final report with recommendations for Willis.
Trump attorney Drew Findling did not immediately respond Monday to text and voicemail messages seeking comment.
Latham was one of 16 Georgia Republicans who met at the state Capitol in December 2020 and signed a certificate declaring falsely that Trump had won the presidential election and declaring themselves the state’s “duly elected and qualified” electors. Willis last year informed them that they were targets of her investigation, though some have since reached immunity deals with her team.
McBurney said there are no grounds to disqualify Willis from pursuing her investigation and likely prosecution, saying she had not acted improperly.
“The drumbeat from the District Attorney has been neither partisan (in the political sense) nor personal, in marked and refreshing contrast to the stream of personal invective flowing from one of the movants,” he wrote, no doubt referring to Trump.
Trump’s attorneys several weeks ago took another stab at barring Willis from prosecuting him and getting the special grand jury’s report tossed out with twin filings against Willis and McBurney in Fulton County Superior Court and the Georgia Supreme Court. Explaining this extraordinary action, they cited the fact that McBurney had yet to rule on their earlier motion and Willis’ indication that she would soon seek charges in the case.
The state Supreme Court unanimously declined to intervene, dismissing the petition.
A judge from neighboring Cobb County was assigned to consider the other petition after the chief judge of the Fulton County Superior Court recused himself and the other judges on that bench from hearing the matter involving McBurney. He has set a hearing for Aug. 10.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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| 2023-07-31T23:32:34
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UMFK Announces New Class For Athletic Hall Of Fame
Fort Kent, Maine (WAGM) - The University of Maine at Fort Kent will honor three inductees into the UMFK Hall of Fame Class of 2023.
UMFK will honor Odean Irons, class of 2018, Samantha Carrapellucci, class of 2017, and Brianna Krystek, class of 2017. According to UMFK, each individual “had a big impact on Bengal athletics as an athlete and has contributed to their communities since.”
The guidelines for this honor state that nominees must have been athletes who played and graduated from UMFK and must have made “outstanding contributions to UMFK athletics”. The nominees will only be eligible 5 years after graduation. The winners are chosen by a selection committee, who is made up of the Director of Athletics, Director of Alumni Affairs, UMFK Sports Information Director, alumni, all Athletics Head Coaches, a student athlete appointed by the coaches, a faculty athletics representative, and a faculty member.
Here is some information on the Inductees
Odean Irons: During his time at UMFK, he excelled as a men’s soccer player. He played a pivotal role in securing the USCAA National Championship in both 2015 and 2016. Recognized for his outstanding skills, he was named a USCAA All-American for three consecutive years (2015-2017) and earned a spot on the USCAA All-Academic Team in 2017. As a Midfielder/Utility player, he achieved 26 career goals and 25 career assists in 88 games, all of which he started. His contributions were duly acknowledged with the UMFK Most Valuable Teammate award in 2016, the UMFK Coaches Award in 2017, and the prestigious UMFK Terry Drown Scholastic Achievement Award in 2018.
Brianna Krystek: Attended UMFK from 2015 to 2017. Krystek is a multiple first team All-American for the volleyball team, she made 2 USCAA National Tournament Appearances, in 2015 and 2016. She finished her career with 781 career kills the most in school history, with 443 kills coming in one season which is also the most for one season, as well as 893.5 points which is also the most in school history
Samantha Carrapellucci: From 2012 to 2016, she was a remarkable four-year dual-sport athlete hailing from Fort Kent. As a homegrown talent, she achieved tremendous success during her time at the university. A standout in both women’s soccer and women’s basketball, she led her soccer team to three national championships and served as a team captain. In addition to her soccer achievements, she played a pivotal role in the women’s basketball team, scoring over 1000 points throughout her career.
For the fourteenth year running, UMFK will honor these individuals at an Induction Dinner and Ceremony on September 23, 2023.
Copyright 2023 WAGM. All rights reserved.
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| 2023-07-31T23:32:40
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Deal strengthens Bain's global ML, cloud, data & app engineering capabilities
BOSTON, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Bain & Company today announced that it has acquired Max Kelsen's consulting and managed services divisions (collectively referred to as "Max Kelsen Consulting"), a provider of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) solutions, to offer enhanced ML and AI capabilities to clients across the globe.
Based in Australia and founded in 2015, Max Kelsen Consulting's team of full stack ML engineers deliver ML systems, AI-powered applications, and advisory services for clients. Now, as one unified and integrated team under Bain's Advanced Analytics Group (AAG), Max Kelsen Consulting and Bain will together help enterprises develop and operationalize high-impact AI and ML enabled use cases.
"We are delighted to welcome the Max Kelsen Consulting team to Bain, and to bring their industry-leading machine learning expertise to bear to deliver even more powerful solutions to our clients," said Roy Singh, global head of Bain's Advanced Analytics Group. "We are seeing growing demand from clients for AI-related services and engineering capabilities that will enable them to be early movers in shaping how this generational shift in technology could transform their respective industries."
"We are very excited about the quality of the Max Kelsen Consulting team and the innovative work they have done for clients in Australia and globally. This acquisition will strengthen the suite of AI and ML capabilities we offer to our clients regionally and globally," said Richard Fleming, leader of Bain's Advanced Analytics Group in Asia Pacific.
Max Kelsen has worked with Australian and global companies to build and deploy ML solutions including real-time prediction, forecasting, computer vision, industrial control optimization, robotics and more, as well as working with clients to establish best practice operational machine learning (MLOps) capabilities. The company has served a wide range of clients, including Fortune 500 companies, and has partnered with market-leading cloud providers, such as Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform. While Max Kelsen applies its ML and AI expertise across industries, such as mining, financial services and retail, the company has particularly deep experience serving the healthcare & life sciences sector.
"We are excited to join Bain at a time when businesses are starting to navigate the disruptions brought on by generative AI," said Nicholas Therkelsen-Terry, co-founder and CEO of Max Kelsen. "In a rapidly evolving business climate, companies that understand how to use these tools to their advantage will come out on top. By joining Bain, we are thrilled to be working with an even larger pool of global clients and supporting Bain to strengthen their global ML capabilities."
Max Kelsen also operates a products division (SAVI Surgical and PROPeL Health AI) and a research division, which are not part of the acquisition by Bain.
Media contacts
To arrange an interview or for any questions, please contact:
Bain & Company:
Ann Lee (Singapore) — Email: ann.lee@bain.com
Navigate Communication:
Peter Witts (Sydney) – peter@navigatecommunication.com.au; +61 477 274 412
About Bain & Company
Bain & Company is a global consultancy that helps the world's most ambitious change makers define the future.
Across 65 cities in 40 countries, we work alongside our clients as one team with a shared ambition to achieve extraordinary results, outperform the competition, and redefine industries. We complement our tailored, integrated expertise with a vibrant ecosystem of digital innovators to deliver better, faster, and more enduring outcomes. Our 10-year commitment to invest more than $1 billion in pro bono services brings our talent, expertise, and insight to organizations tackling today's urgent challenges in education, racial equity, social justice, economic development, and the environment. We earned a platinum rating from EcoVadis, the leading platform for environmental, social, and ethical performance ratings for global supply chains, putting us in the top 1% of all companies. Since our founding in 1973, we have measured our success by the success of our clients, and we proudly maintain the highest level of client advocacy in the industry.
About Max Kelsen
Founded in Brisbane in 2015, Max Kelsen is one of Australia's leading Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) solutions businesses. The company delivers innovation, directly linked to the generation of business value and competitive advantage to customers in Australia and globally, including Fortune 500 companies. Max Kelsen is also dedicated to reinvesting our expertise and profits to solve the challenges of humankind, focusing on Cancer Genomics, AI Safety, and Quantum Computing.
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https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/bain-amp-company-acquires-max-kelsens-consulting-managed-services-divisions-bring-enhanced-machine-learning-ai-services-clients-globally/
| 2023-07-31T23:32:46
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Results Show an Alternative Twice as Effective Compared to Antidepressant Medications
LONDON, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Flow Neuroscience, the creators of the Flow tDCS headset that provides at-home non-invasive brain stimulation to treat depression, today announced the results of its FDA pivotal clinical trial. The trial results show that the Flow headset was twice as effective as the most commonly-prescribed antidepressants in the treatment of depression.*
In July 2022, Flow received FDA Breakthrough Device Designation, demonstrating the innovative nature of the platform and the significant advantages it offers over existing approved or cleared alternatives. It was the first medical device in the category to achieve this status. Flow is now being reviewed for full FDA approval, which would make this device available as an at-home treatment option in the U.S.
In a study of patients in the US and the UK, the largest-ever clinical trial of its kind, 56% of the participants using the Flow tDCS headset were relieved of all depressive symptoms within 10 weeks**. Daily use of Flow was confirmed to be safe with minimal side effects.
Flow has already been granted regulatory approval in Europe where it is available over the counter via Flow's website and in major UK pharmacies. More than 12,000 people and 100 clinics/hospitals in Europe use Flow today, including NHS partnerships.
Preliminary results include:
- The trial sites at the University of Texas and the University of East London measured the effectiveness and safety of the tDCS headset designed by Flow Neuroscience.
- 173 patients were taken through the at-home treatment program, completely remotely and with minimal supervision, over a 10-week period. This was the largest ever US/UK tDCS study for the treatment of depression.
- 56% of patients in the treatment group went into remission (complete relief from depression symptoms), and 62% had a clinical response (more than 50% improvement in depressive symptoms.)**
- The study showed that participants had greater than three times higher odds of getting substantially better if they got the active treatment vs if they got placebo/sham stimulation, approximately double the average effect size witnessed in the trials for the 21 best-selling antidepressants reviewed by the FDA.
- No major side effects were reported from the treatment group.
Flow's study results come at a time when depression is at an all-time high among U.S. adults, but with nearly half of Americans in 2021 reporting they did not seek help for clinical-level mental health issues, citing an increased desire for self-help options. The Flow tDCS headset and treatment is conveniently administered at home five times a week, creating an effective, safe, and accessible treatment option for depression.
How Flow works:
- The Flow headset uses a brain-stimulation technique called tDCS to target the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which is the area of the brain associated with depression.
- Depression is associated with lowered activity in the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC). This area of the brain helps regulate mood, and focus, and can even impact sleep and appetite. When this area of the brain has lower activity, these functions are affected.
- By delivering a weak electrical current (2 mA) to the DLPFC via electrodes placed on the forehead, activity increases in this part of the brain. This addresses what some researchers believe is one of the physical causes of depression.
- Since Flow can target specific brain areas involved in depression directly, users experience little to no side effects compared to antidepressants.
Allan Young (Chair of Mood Disorders, Director of Centre for Affective Disorders in the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience at King's College London) said: "These exciting and encouraging new data raise the prospect of a real advance in the treatment of depression. Major depression is undertreated throughout the world, and all of the currently widely used treatment modalities have significant limitations. The nature of this treatment, being both effective and well tolerated, means that it is a treatment which may be widely adopted and should be a helpful intervention for many people suffering from major depression."
Azhar Zafar (GPA Director of Research, NHS GP, and Senior Lecturer at the University of Buckingham) said: "These findings are incredibly promising and align with the valuable insights gained from utilizing Flow in primary care. Flow has gained significant popularity among our NHS patients, and a considerable number of them willingly opt for Flow when presented with the choice for the treatment of depression with or without pharmacotherapy. This positive reception speaks volumes about the effectiveness and patient satisfaction associated with Flow."
Flow Neuroscience co-founder Daniel Månsson said: "Depression is one of the most common mood disorders, and unfortunately, it is also one of the hardest to treat. Our core mission was to create a treatment that is effective and accessible to as many people as possible in their own homes, with little to no side effects. The results of this clinical trial show how effective this treatment has become and how breakthroughs are still possible in the treatment of depression."
Corey Keller (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University) said: 'These results show clear separation of active and sham treatment arms in a large, multisite, randomized controlled trial for at-home low-intensity brain stimulation for depression. Flow's novel brain stimulation approach could offer valuable opportunities for individuals to manage their depression from home effectively, signaling a very promising development in mental health treatment.'
Visit www.flowneuroscience.com to find out more information about Flow's first at-home depression treatment.
Key Stats about Flow Neuroscience:
- 12,000+ real-world users in UK and Europe
- Live in 100+ clinics and hospitals in UK and Europe
- 8 million minutes of stimulation using the Flow headset and over 260,000 stimulation sessions
- Flow attracts users from all ages and walks of life, with over one-third of users above 50 years of age
More About Flow Neuroscience
Founded in 2016, Flow Neuroscience's mission is to develop new ways to combat mental health issues with science and technology. The Flow headset is a medication-free treatment for depression, the leading cause of disability in the world. It combines a brain stimulation wearable and an app-based therapy program to create a new effective, safe, and affordable way to treat depression, at home. The Flow headset offers a treatment you can take with you from your home to your office to your everyday. On average, the majority of Flow headset users see significant improvements within 4 to 6 weeks of treatment.
Notes to Editors:
*Based on a comparison of odds ratios, a standardized way of comparing clinical trials and a form of measurement for the difference in effect between treatment and placebo. The study showed that participants had greater than three times higher odds of getting substantially better if they got the active treatment vs if they got placebo/sham stimulation, approximately double the average effect size witnessed in the trials for the 21 best-selling antidepressants reviewed by the FDA.
**Measured by the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). The trial was also measured by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-17), and results demonstrated 45% clinical remission and 55% had an improvement of at least 50%.
Media Contact: flowneuroscience@greenbrier.partners
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SOURCE Flow
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| 2023-07-31T23:32:53
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(NewsNation) — As in decades past, the question of whether aliens exist continues to captivate Americans. Following Wednesday’s widely-watched Congressional hearing on UAPs and UFOs, people flocked to social media — many proclaiming the government confirmed aliens exist.
But that’s not actually what happened at the hearing. While witnesses and lawmakers discussed the issue of UFOs, the government has not issued any official confirmation of alien life and what was said at the hearing, by witnesses and even a lawmaker, remains unverified.
As lawmakers continue to probe the issue, join NewsNation’s Brian Entin at 9 p.m. ET Sunday night for a two-hour special report on the hearing, including analysis from UFO experts. Find out how to tune in to NewsNation on your local channel lineup.
Here’s what we do (and don’t) know after the hearing:
- Whistleblower David Grusch largely recounted second-hand testimony and provided no evidence to support his claims. Grusch is a former member of the UAP Task Force.
- Former Navy Commander and pilot David Fravor recounted a first-hand experience with the so-called Tic Tac UFO but said he was never briefed on the object or its potential origins.
- Former Navy pilot Ryan Graves, who founded the Americans for Safe Aerospace, also recounted an encounter he had with an object he described as a black sphere floating inside a clear cube. Graves indicated such encounters were extremely common among pilots. There was no evidence presented to support this claim.
- While lawmakers seemed largely accepting of the witness testimony, only Rep. Matt Gaetz, R.-Fla., said he had seen any evidence of alien life firsthand.
- Grusch was unable to answer a number of inquiries regarding specific evidence or proof in an open setting, though he indicated he would be willing to say more in a secure, classified briefing.
- All three witnesses agreed these unidentified objects constituted a potential national security threat.
- Official government bodies, including the White House, Pentagon, and NASA have all stated they have no reason to believe unexplained objects are extraterrestrial in nature.
- National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby said after the hearing there are “no hard and fast” answers to the question but that the administration is taking it seriously.
This wasn’t the first time the U.S. government undertook investigations to address the question of UFOs, nor is it the first time the official response was that there was nothing “alien” going on.
However, at the heart of Grusch’s whistleblower complaint is his claim that the government, specifically the Department of Defense, is operating programs to retrieve material from crashes that are extraterrestrial in nature and are keeping those programs secret from the public while also operating without appropriate Congressional oversight.
Grusch spoke exclusively to NewsNation regarding his experiences, which he said include the U.S. government recovering the “non-human” pilots of downed craft.
In light of his claims, lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee have vowed to continue to hold more hearings, including classified briefings where Grusch could speak more freely. Members have also vowed to seek the power to subpoena documents and images that Grusch says back up his claims.
Lawmakers have also called for a centralized reporting system for both military and civilian reports of UFOs, to better analyze and understand the possible threat.
There is also the possibility of the creation of a new committee to specifically investigate UAPs/UFOs. It’s not entirely clear how Congress could compel the DoD or military to release information on any secret programs, should they exist, though, in the past, lawmakers have attempted to work UFO reporting into funding requirements for the Pentagon.
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LOS ANGELES AUTO SHOW® 2023 REGISTRATION OPENS FOR MEDIA AND INDUSTRY DAY AT AUTOMOBILITY LA® ON NOVEMBER 16
AutoMobility LA is the global Media Day and Industry Gathering taking place at the LA Convention Center prior to the show's public opening
LOS ANGELES, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Los Angeles Auto Show®, the leading automotive and lifestyle in-person event, will open registration tomorrow for AutoMobility LA®; its annual preview day for both media and industry professionals.
Scheduled for November 16 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, the LA Auto Show's press and B2B gathering is an opportunity for the global community and key decision makers to convene in Southern California for the latest debuts, product announcements, networking opportunities and more.
The 2023 LA Auto Show will continue to highlight the latest innovations in electrification, as well as exhibits and festivities that span California's automotive lifestyle and legacy of car culture. Visitors will have an opportunity to experience both indoor and outdoor driving tracks, which provide visitors with unparalleled access to comparison shop the latest offerings from major manufacturers.
Registration opens tomorrow on August 1 and is complimentary for accredited and approved media. Industry attendees will be offered an "early bird" registration fee of $75 through October 15. After that date, the full registration fee of $150 will apply to all approved industry registrants. Registration is accessible at automobilityla.com/register.
Taking place in the nation's foremost zero-emissions vehicle market, AutoMobility LA is the preeminent destination for media, automotive and tech companies, influencers, and policymakers to discuss and experience the latest in transportation innovation.
Celebrating its 116th year, LA Auto Show remains as influential to the North American automotive industry as any time in its history. At the center of the largest car-buying market in North America for both gas-powered and electric vehicles, LA Auto Show and AutoMobility LA offer vital perspective and foresight into how the rest of the country and the global market will soon look.
"Given the growing influence of electrification, the LA Auto Show will be the ultimate destination for car buyers looking to compare models and test-drive," said LA Auto Show President, Terri Toennies. "We'll also have the latest gas-powered vehicles as well as a fascinating array of special exhibits and attractions that highlight Southern California's impact on the global automotive landscape."
More comprehensive details pertaining to vehicle unveilings, manufacturer participation and significant announcements will follow. To learn more about AutoMobility LA, to book accommodations with the show's partner hotels, and for information about media and industry credentials, please visit: AutoMobilityLA.com.
Following AutoMobility LA, the 2023 LA Auto Show opens its doors for ten days from Friday, November 17 through Sunday, November 26 to welcome hundreds of thousands of consumers to comparison shop, test drive the latest vehicles, and immerse themselves in Southern California's largest annual car culture showcase. For information about the LA Auto Show and ticket purchases, please visit LAAutoShow.com.
About the Los Angeles Auto Show (LA Auto Show®)
Founded in 1907, the Los Angeles Auto Show (LA Auto Show®) is widely recognized as one of the most influential shows globally. Reflective of its location, the show celebrates the love affair Angelenos have with their cars and offers a global platform to industry technology and innovation, synonymous with California.
The show runs for 10 full days over the Thanksgiving period and is a must-attend destination for many industry influencers, car enthusiasts and families wanting to enjoy a day out over the holiday season. Held annually at the Los Angeles Convention Center, the LA Auto Show contributes several-hundred-million dollars to the local economy, stimulates the local job market, and is the number one revenue generator for the LA Convention Center.
Taking place on November 16, AutoMobility LA media and industry days will include a range of groundbreaking industry announcements and reveals. Doors open to the public November 17-26. LA Auto Show is owned and operated by ANSA Productions. To receive the latest show news and information, follow the LA Auto Show on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn and sign up for alerts at laautoshow.com.
For press inquiries, email media@laautoshow.com.
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| 2023-07-31T23:33:00
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Live call and webcast will occur on August 1 at 9:00 a.m. ET
SANTA MONICA, Calif., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- TrueCar, Inc., (NASDAQ:TRUE) today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2023 in a stockholder letter, which is available HERE and on the TrueCar investor relations website at ir.truecar.com.
The company will host a call to discuss its second quarter results on Tuesday, August 1 at 9:00 a.m. ET/6:00 a.m. PT. A live webcast of the call will be available through TrueCar's Investor Relations website and the link below.
TrueCar Second Quarter 2023 Live Call and Webcast Details:
An archived version of the call will also be available upon completion on the Investor Relations section of TrueCar's website at ir.truecar.com.
TrueCar has used and intends to continue to use its Investor Relations website (ir.truecar.com), LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter as means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with our disclosure obligations under Regulation FD.
About TrueCar
TrueCar is a leading automotive digital marketplace that lets auto buyers and sellers connect to our nationwide network of Certified Dealers. With access to an expansive inventory provided by our Certified Dealers, we are building the industry's most personalized and efficient auto shopping experience as we seek to bring more of the process online. Consumers who visit our marketplace will find a suite of vehicle discovery tools, price ratings and market context on new, used and Certified Pre-Owned vehicles. When they are ready, shoppers in TrueCar's marketplace can connect with a Certified Dealer in our network, who shares our belief that truth, transparency and fairness are the foundation of a great auto shopping experience. As part of our marketplace, TrueCar powers auto-buying programs for over 250 leading brands, including AARP, Sam's Club, Navy Federal Credit Union and American Express.
TrueCar Investor Relations:
investors@truecar.com
TrueCar Public Relations:
Sara Morgan
Senior PR Manager
pr@truecar.com
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SOURCE TrueCar.com
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| 2023-07-31T23:33:07
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SÃO PAULO, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Zenvia Inc. (NASDAQ: ZENV), the leading cloud-based CX platform in Latin America empowering companies to transform their customer journeys, today announced that its fiscal 2023 second quarter and first half results will be released after the market close on Wednesday August 16, 2023.
Zenvia's senior management team will host a webcast to discuss the financial and operating results on Thursday, August 17, 2023, at 10:00 am ET. To access the webcast presentation, click here.
Additional information regarding Zenvia, including a replay of the webcast when available, can be found at https://investors.zenvia.com.
Contacts
About ZENVIA
ZENVIA is driven by the purpose of empowering companies to create unique experiences for end-consumers through its unified CX SaaS end-to-end platform. ZENVIA empowers companies to transform their existing customer experience from non-scalable, physical and impersonal interactions into highly scalable, digital-first and hyper-contextualized experiences across the customer journey. ZENVIA's unified end-to-end CX SaaS platform provides a combination of (i) SaaS focused on campaigns, sales teams, customer service and engagement, (ii) tools, such as software application programming interfaces, or APIs, chatbots, single customer views, journey designers, documents composer and authentication and (iii) channels, such as SMS, Voice, WhatsApp, Instagram and Webchat. Its comprehensive platform assists customers across multiple use cases, including marketing campaigns, customer acquisition, customer onboarding, warnings, customer services, fraud control, cross-selling and customer retention, among others. ZENVIA's shares are traded on Nasdaq, under the ticker ZENV.
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https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/zenvia-sets-agenda-2023-second-quarter-results/
| 2023-07-31T23:33:14
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https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/zenvia-sets-agenda-2023-second-quarter-results/
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Pablo Reyes Player Prop Bets: Red Sox vs. Mariners - July 31
Published: Jul. 31, 2023 at 6:26 PM EDT|Updated: 1 hour ago
The Boston Red Sox and Pablo Reyes, who went 0-for-1 last time out, battle George Kirby and the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park, Monday at 9:40 PM ET.
In his most recent game he had a hitless showing (0-for-1) against the Giants.
Pablo Reyes Game Info & Props vs. the Mariners
- Game Day: Monday, July 31, 2023
- Game Time: 9:40 PM ET
- Stadium: T-Mobile Park
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
- Mariners Starter: George Kirby
- TV Channel: ROOT Sports NW
- Hits Prop: Over/under 0.5 hits (Over odds: -128)
- Home Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 home runs (Over odds: +875)
- RBI Prop: Over/under 0.5 RBI (Over odds: +310)
- Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 runs (Over odds: +220)
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Explore More About This Game
Pablo Reyes At The Plate
- Reyes is batting .299 with four doubles and four walks.
- Reyes has reached base via a hit in 13 games this year (of 23 played), and had multiple hits in seven of those games.
- He has not gone deep in his 23 games this season.
- In five games this season (21.7%), Reyes has picked up an RBI, including two games with multiple runs batted in.
- In six games this year (26.1%), he has scored, including multiple runs twice.
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Pablo Reyes Home/Away Batting Splits
Mariners Pitching Rankings
- The 9.2 strikeouts per nine innings compiled by the Mariners pitching staff ranks seventh in the league.
- The Mariners have the fifth-ranked team ERA across all league pitching staffs (3.84).
- Mariners pitchers combine to allow 115 home runs (1.1 per game), the seventh-fewest in the league.
- Kirby (9-8 with a 3.49 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 123 2/3 innings pitched) looks for his 10th win when he makes the start for the Mariners, his 21st of the season.
- His last time out came on Tuesday against the Minnesota Twins, when the righty threw four innings, surrendering five earned runs while allowing seven hits.
- Among pitchers who qualify in MLB action this season, the 25-year-old ranks 20th in ERA (3.49), eighth in WHIP (1.075), and 39th in K/9 (8.2).
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wagmtv.com/sports/betting/2023/07/31/pablo-reyes-mlb-player-prop-bets/
| 2023-07-31T23:33:20
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https://www.wagmtv.com/sports/betting/2023/07/31/pablo-reyes-mlb-player-prop-bets/
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Angus Cloud, breakout star of ‘Euphoria,’ is dead at 25
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Angus Cloud, the actor who starred as the drug dealer Fezco “Fez” O’Neill on the HBO series “Euphoria,” has died. He was 25.
Cloud’s publicist, Cait Bailey, said Cloud died Monday at his family home in Oakland, California. No cause of death was given.
In a statement, Cloud’s family said goodbye to “an artist, a friend, a brother and a son.
“Last week he buried his father and intensely struggled with this loss,” the family said. “The only comfort we have is knowing Angus is now reunited with his dad, who was his best friend. Angus was open about his battle with mental health and we hope that his passing can be a reminder to others that they are not alone and should not fight this on their own in silence.”
“We hope the world remembers him for his humor, laughter and love for everyone,” his family added.
Cloud hadn’t acted before he was cast in “Euphoria.” He was walking down the street in New York when casting scout Eléonore Hendricks noticed him. Cloud was resistant at first, suspecting a scam. Then casting director Jennifer Venditti met with him and series creator Sam Levinson eventually made him a co-star in the series alongside Zendaya for its first two seasons.
To some, Cloud seemed so natural as Fez that they suspected he was identical to the character — a notion that Cloud pushed back against.
“It does bother me when people are like, ‘It must be so easy! You get to go in and be yourself.’ I’m like, ‘Why don’t you go and do that?’ It’s not that simple,” Cloud told Variety. “I brought a lot to the character. You can believe what you want. It ain’t got nothing to do with me.”
The part made Cloud the breakout star of one the buzziest shows in television. He had a supporting role in his first film, “The Line,” a college drama starring Alex Wolff and John Malkovich that premiered earlier this year at the Tribeca Festival. Cloud was recently cast to co-star in “Scream 6.” He’s also made cameos in music videos for Juice WRLD, Becky G and Karol G.
The third season of “Euphoria” hasn’t yet begun filming.
“We are incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of Angus Cloud,” HBO said in a statement. “He was immensely talented and a beloved part of the HBO and ‘Euphoria’ family. We extend our deepest condolences to his friends and family during this difficult time.”
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kalb.com/2023/07/31/angus-cloud-breakout-star-euphoria-is-dead-25/
| 2023-07-31T23:33:43
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https://www.kalb.com/2023/07/31/angus-cloud-breakout-star-euphoria-is-dead-25/
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Keng Xiong’s Gateway Technical College journey is a first in many ways.
It’s also something that he feels will carry him a long time into his career.
Keng is one of the first two recipients of the SC Johnson STEM Scholarship to earn a degree. The program pays for tuition, fees, books and supplies for students to earn a degree in one of several science, engineering or information technology-related fields at Gateway Technical College, and then the program financially assists students as they complete a four-year degree at an area institution.
This also marks the first stop on Keng’s postsecondary education journey. He’s earned an Information Technology—Cybersecurity Specialist associate degree and will soon transfer to a four-year college where he plans to earn a Computer Science bachelor’s degree.
The SC Johnson STEM Scholars Pathway program started with its first cohort two years ago. Keng, in high school at that time, decided to check out the scholarship and feels today that it was a great decision because of the impact it had on his finances and education.
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“I wasn’t sure about it at first, but was pushed in the right direction by the right people, and I came to realize it was way more than I expected,” says Keng. “Initially, I was thinking, ‘it’s a technical school, there’s nothing crazy about it.’
“Once I came and realized the amount of hands-on experience you get, the number of students in each class and how interactive and knowledgeable all the instructors are, my mind was really changed on technical colleges. They are a great place to get an education.”
Keng has already applied what he’s learned in the workplace at a position at an area company.
“What was amazing to me was what I was learning in class, I could apply in the workplace,” says Keng. “It was almost one-to-one – exactly what we did in class, I did at work. Me realizing and seeing that in person, to use the skills I learned at college now in my work, it gave me a great feeling.”
Keng says he also benefited from being able to take online courses because they allowed him the flexibility to work while earning his degree.
“I could work in the morning and take classes in the afternoon,” says Keng. “My main focus was college, but at the same time, it was also working. I was able to get these two very important things – experience and a degree.
“I think Gateway has really set me apart from others who are graduating and others who are my age just because I was able to do both at the same time.”
Keng says he is grateful to SC Johnson and to be a part of the scholarship program that’s had such an impact on his life and education. So, what does he tell others about the scholarship?
“I like to catch them off guard and say my tuition at Gateway is completely covered, I didn’t pay anything for it,” says Keng. “That reels them in first. Then, I explain that on top of that, I get $7,500 from SC Johnson when I transfer to a four-year college, plus the college matches it, so that’s $15,000 total.
“I am just so glad I decided to be a part of this great opportunity.”
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https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/fueled-by-scholarship-and-gateway-training-graduate-enters-dream-career/article_2c23d3a8-2d94-11ee-bcdf-3b6efda5281f.html
| 2023-07-31T23:33:43
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https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/fueled-by-scholarship-and-gateway-training-graduate-enters-dream-career/article_2c23d3a8-2d94-11ee-bcdf-3b6efda5281f.html
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Suspect arrested for burglary on MacArthur Drive
Published: Jul. 31, 2023 at 5:19 PM CDT|Updated: 1 hour ago
ALEXANDRIA, La. (KALB) - The Alexandria Police Department has made an arrest for a burglary that occurred on MacArthur Drive on July 30.
APD said Roses Express was broken into shortly after midnight, as witnessed by a citizen in the area. When APD arrived, the suspect fled the scene on foot. The suspect was chased down and apprehended underneath a residence on Levin Street.
Willie Moore, 55, of Alexandria, has been charged with simple burglary, resisting an officer and the injuring/killing of a police animal. He was booked into the Rapides Parish Detention Center. Bond is set at $4,000.
The investigation is ongoing.
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Copyright 2023 KALB. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kalb.com/2023/07/31/suspect-arrested-burglary-macarthur-drive/
| 2023-07-31T23:33:44
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https://www.kalb.com/2023/07/31/suspect-arrested-burglary-macarthur-drive/
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Trump attempt to derail Georgia election investigation rejected by judge
ATLANTA (AP) — A judge on Monday rejected an attempt by former President Donald Trump to keep a Georgia district attorney from prosecuting him and from using certain evidence gathered in her investigation into potential illegal meddling in the 2020 election in the state.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney didn’t mince words in his nine-page ruling, which said Trump lacked the legal grounds to bring the challenge before any indictment has been filed in the case. Any harm alleged by Trump and by Cathy Latham, a Republican fake elector from Georgia who had joined his motion, is “either insufficient or else speculative and unrealized,” the judge wrote.
The alleged harms “are insufficient because, while being the subject (or even target) of a highly publicized criminal investigation is likely an unwelcome and unpleasant experience, no court ever has held that that status alone provides a basis for the courts to interfere with or halt the investigation,” McBurney wrote.
In a caustic footnote, seemingly nodding to Trump’s status as the dominant frontrunner for the 2024 Republican nomination for president despite having been indicted twice already, the judge added: “And for some, being the subject of a criminal investigation can, à la Rumpelstiltskin, be turned into golden political capital, making it seem more providential than problematic.”
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, an elected Democrat, has strongly suggested that she is likely to seek charges in the case in the coming weeks. While she has not directly said she plans to seek charges against the Republican former president, she has repeatedly said no one is above the law.
Monday’s ruling came in response to a motion filed in March by Trump’s Georgia-based legal team that said a special grand jury seated to help Willis investigate “involved a constant lack of clarity as to the law, inconsistent applications of basic constitutional protections for individuals being brought before it, and a prosecutor’s office that was found to have an actual conflict, yet continued to pursue the investigation.”
The special grand jury did not have the power to indict, but it did issue subpoenas and heard from some 75 witnesses while meeting from May to December last year and issued a final report with recommendations for Willis.
Trump attorney Drew Findling did not immediately respond Monday to text and voicemail messages seeking comment.
Latham was one of 16 Georgia Republicans who met at the state Capitol in December 2020 and signed a certificate declaring falsely that Trump had won the presidential election and declaring themselves the state’s “duly elected and qualified” electors. Willis last year informed them that they were targets of her investigation, though some have since reached immunity deals with her team.
McBurney said there are no grounds to disqualify Willis from pursuing her investigation and likely prosecution, saying she had not acted improperly.
“The drumbeat from the District Attorney has been neither partisan (in the political sense) nor personal, in marked and refreshing contrast to the stream of personal invective flowing from one of the movants,” he wrote, no doubt referring to Trump.
Trump’s attorneys several weeks ago took another stab at barring Willis from prosecuting him and getting the special grand jury’s report tossed out with twin filings against Willis and McBurney in Fulton County Superior Court and the Georgia Supreme Court. Explaining this extraordinary action, they cited the fact that McBurney had yet to rule on their earlier motion and Willis’ indication that she would soon seek charges in the case.
The state Supreme Court unanimously declined to intervene, dismissing the petition.
A judge from neighboring Cobb County was assigned to consider the other petition after the chief judge of the Fulton County Superior Court recused himself and the other judges on that bench from hearing the matter involving McBurney. He has set a hearing for Aug. 10.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kalb.com/2023/07/31/trump-attempt-derail-georgia-election-investigation-rejected-by-judge/
| 2023-07-31T23:33:47
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https://www.kalb.com/2023/07/31/trump-attempt-derail-georgia-election-investigation-rejected-by-judge/
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Google announced that Android phone users should expect to get unknown tracker alerts like iPhone users get when there is a tracker they don't know about near them.
The technology has already been a tool for iPhone users, who are alerted when a device like an Apple AirTag is tracking them.
SEE MORE: How to clear cookies from your smartphone
The move is a product of cooperative work done between Google and Apple and was announced at at 2023 Google conference. While the alerts will work only with AirTags at first, there are talks with other tracker companies like Tile and Chipolo to widen the field on which trackers will also be included.
Google said in a press release that users will be able to tap on the notification and learn more about the tracker and view it on a map. There will also be a feature to select "play sound" to make the tracker play a noise so users can find it.
Google said there will also be a manual scan feature to allow users to press a button and scan their surroundings for trackers even before they receive any notifications.
New find my device features are also expected to be unveiled and available on Android by this summer, the company said.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com
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https://www.kxlf.com/airtag-tracking-can-now-be-detected-by-android-phones
| 2023-07-31T23:34:03
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https://www.kxlf.com/airtag-tracking-can-now-be-detected-by-android-phones
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President Joe Biden has decided to keep U.S. Space Command headquarters in Colorado, overturning a last-ditch decision by the Trump administration to move it to Alabama and ending months of politically fueled debate, according to senior U.S. officials.
The officials said Biden was convinced by the head of Space Command, Gen. James Dickinson, who argued that moving his headquarters now would jeopardize military readiness. Dickinson's view, however, was in contrast to Air Force leadership, who studied the issue at length and determined that relocating to Huntsville, Alabama, was the right move.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the decision ahead of the announcement. The president, they said, believes that keeping the command in Colorado Springs would avoid a disruption in readiness that the move would cause, particularly as the U.S. races to compete with China in space. And they said Biden firmly believes that maintaining stability will help the military be better able to respond in space over the next decade.
Biden's decision is sure to enrage Alabama lawmakers and fuel accusations that abortion politics played a role in the choice. The location debate has become entangled in the ongoing battle between Alabama Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville and the Defense Department over the move to provide travel for troops seeking reproductive health care. Tuberville opposed the policy is blocking hundreds of military promotions in protest.
Formally created in August 2019, the command was temporarily based in Colorado, and Air Force and Space Force leaders initially recommended it stay there. In the final days of his presidency Donald Trump decided it should be based in Huntsville.
The change triggered a number of reviews.
SEE MORE: U.S. Space Command Is Reestablished After 17 Years
Proponents of keeping the command in Colorado have argued that moving it to Huntsville and creating a new headquarters would set back its progress at a time it needs to move quickly to be positioned to match China’s military space rise. And Colorado Springs is also home to the Air Force Academy, which now graduates Space Force guardians, and more than 24 military space missions, including three Space Force bases.
Huntsville, however, scored higher than Colorado Springs in a Government Accountability Office assessment of potential locations and has long been a home to some of earliest missiles used in the nation’s space programs, including the Saturn V rocket. It is home to the Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command.According to officials, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, who ordered his own review of the matter, leaned toward Huntsville, while Dickinson was staunchly in favor of staying put.
The officials said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin presented both options to Biden.
U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama responded to the Biden administration's move, saying in a statement, “Over two and a half years ago, the Air Force chose Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville for the headquarters of Space Command over 59 other cities on the basis of 21 different criteria. As soon as Joe Biden took office, he paused movement on that decision and inserted politics into what had been a fair and objective competition—not because the facts had changed, but because the political party of the sitting President had changed."
The statement said, "The Biden Administration has been talking a lot about readiness over the past few months, but no Administration has done more to damage our military readiness in my lifetime. They’ve politicized our military, destroyed our recruiting, misused our tax dollars for their extremist social agenda, and now they are putting Space Command headquarters in a location that didn’t even make the top three. They are doing this at a time when space is only becoming more important for national security."
Tuberville said, "It is also shameful that the Administration waited until Congress had gone into recess and already passed next year’s defense budget before announcing this decision."
"This decision to bypass the three most qualified sites looks like blatant patronage politics, and it sets a dangerous precedent that military bases are now to be used as rewards for political supporters rather than for our security," the statement read.
"There remain serious questions as to whether the Air Force illegally used taxpayer dollars to upgrade facilities in Colorado Springs. I hope that House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers will continue his investigation into that matter. This is absolutely not over. I will continue to fight this as long as it takes to bring Space Command where it would be best served - Huntsville, Alabama. Today’s disastrous mistake just adds to the long string of bad decisions that this compromised president has made."
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com
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https://www.kxlf.com/biden-to-keep-space-command-in-colorado-won-t-move-to-alabama
| 2023-07-31T23:34:09
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https://www.kxlf.com/biden-to-keep-space-command-in-colorado-won-t-move-to-alabama
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Angus Cloud, an actor best known for his role as the drug dealer Fezco "Fez" O'Neill in HBO's "Euphoria, has died at the age of 25.
In a statement to The Associated Press, the 25-year-old's publicist said he died at his family's home in Oakland, California. It said the family had to say goodbye to "an artist, a friend, a brother and a son."
Cloud had buried his father last week and intensely struggled with the loss, the family said, though they did not give an exact cause of death.
"The only comfort we have is knowing Angus is now reunited with his dad, who was his best friend," the statement said. "Angus was open about his battle with mental health and we hope that his passing can be a reminder to others that they are not alone and should not fight this on their own in silence."
In a post on X, an account for "Euphoria" said, "He was immensely talented and a beloved part of the HBO and Euphoria family. We extend our deepest condolences to his friends and family during this difficult time."
Cloud was scouted by a "Euphoria" casting associate while walking down the street in New York, where he had been working at a restaurant at the time.
He went on to star in the show's first two seasons and has had film and music video roles. He was finishing up three film projects at the time of his death.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com
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https://www.kxlf.com/euphoria-star-angus-cloud-dead-at-25
| 2023-07-31T23:34:15
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https://www.kxlf.com/euphoria-star-angus-cloud-dead-at-25
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