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PRAGUE (AP) — Tens of thousands of protesters from the far right and far left joined forces to rally against the country’s pro-Western Czech government in the capital on Saturday.
Police estimated that the crowd at Prague’s central Wenceslas Square numbered around 70,000.
Some of the groups represented at the demonstration included the major anti-migrant populist Freedom and Direct Democracy party and the Communist Party.
The protesters demanded the resignation of the current coalition government led by conservative Prime Minister Petr Fiala, criticizing it for a number of issues, including its Western-oriented policies.
They condemned the government for its support of the sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine and accused it of not being able to tackle soaring energy prices. The demonstrators also criticized NATO, and the European Union and the 27-nation bloc’s plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions and reach climate neutrality. The country belong to both organizations.
Fiala said everyone has a right to demonstrate, but said those protesting are expressing pro-Russia views “that are not in the interest of the Czech Republic and our citizens.”
The Czech Republic firmly supports Ukraine in its battle against Russia’s invasion and has donated arms, including heavy weapons, to the Ukrainian armed forces.
The government is planning to call an emergency meeting of EU countries next week to seek a united approach to the energy crisis. The Czech Republic currently holds the bloc’s rotating presidency.
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https://www.ktalnews.com/news/business/ap-tens-of-thousands-protest-against-czech-government/
| 2022-09-21T11:56:36Z
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ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan upped his rhetoric against Greece on Saturday, threatening to “come down suddenly one night.”
Erdogan has previously used that phrase to hint at looming military operations into Syria and Iraq against Kurdish militants that Turkey deems existential threats. He made good on that threat several times.
Speaking at an aerial technology festival in Samsun where Turkey showcased the prototype of an unmanned fighter jet, Erdogan lashed out at neighboring Greece amid political and military tensions.
Turkey has accused Greece of using Russian-made S-300 missile systems in Crete to lock onto Turkish jets in August. Ankara has also said Greek F-16s harassed Turkish jets by putting them under a radar lock during a NATO mission over the eastern Mediterranean. Turkey is submitting complaints with NATO. Athens has also accused Turkey of violating its airspace.
Although both NATO members, Turkey and Greece have decades-old disputes over an array of issues, including territorial claims in the Aegean Sea and disagreements over the airspace there. The friction has brought them to the brink of war three times in the last half-century.
Turkey claims Greece is violating international agreements by militarizing islands in the Aegean Sea.
“You occupying the islands doesn’t bind us,” Erdogan said Saturday. “When the time comes, we’ll do what’s necessary. As we say, we may come down suddenly one night.”
He added: “Look at history, if you go further, the price will be heavy.”
“We have one sentence to Greece: Don’t forget Izmir,” Erdogan said, in a reference to a crushing defeat of occupying Greek forces in the western city by the Turkish military in 1922.
Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis held rare talks over lunch in Istanbul in March but that positive trend diminished soon after. In May, Erdogan said he would no longer speak with Mitsotakis after the Greek premier visited Washington where he pushed to acquire F-35 stealth fighter jets while lobbying against Turkey’s attempts to upgrade its F-16 fleet.
Erdogan said in July that Turkey didn’t have interest in war with Greece, but said the country should stop violating Turkish airspace.
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https://www.ktalnews.com/news/business/ap-turkish-leader-erdogan-ups-rhetoric-on-greece-amid-tensions/
| 2022-09-21T11:56:44Z
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MARION COUNTY, Texas (KTAL/KMSS) – Multiple shots were fired at a Marion County Judge’s car after she pulled into the wrong driveway and attempted to leave.
In a statement, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said that Judge Lena Pope was in a rural part of the county headed to Smith Bockmon Road to make an inquest. Pope mistakenly drove into the wrong driveway on September 2 around 7 p.m.
When Pope realized that she had entered the wrong driveway, she started to leave, and as she did, her car was shot multiple times by Joseph Faulk.
The shots shattered her driver’s side back window, and the rear window. Judge Pope was not harmed and was able to drive away. She contacted the sheriff’s office, and deputies found six additional bullet holes during an inspection of her vehicle.
When officers arrived at the shooting location, Faulk was there; an investigation led to his arrest. He is in the Marion County Jail, where he will be arraigned on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon/ third felony and deadly conduct / third felony.
Deputies also arrested Leska Pendly, who was at the location with Faulk, for an outstanding warrant.
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https://www.ktalnews.com/news/crime/marion-county-judges-car-shot-multiple-times-in-rural-east-texas-as-she-drives-away-man-arrested/
| 2022-09-21T11:56:58Z
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SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – LSU Shreveport raised $13.7 million with the help of generous donors contributing through the LSUS foundation that will enhance on-campus infrastructure and academic programs.
Three years ago, LSU campuses across the state came together to embark on an ambitious campaign effort. The Fierce for the Future Campaign raised a total of $1.5 billion, with each campus contributing a large sum.
“Fierce for the Future was really an umbrella campaign. It had themes tied to the strategic plan,” LSU Shreveport Chancellor Larry Clark said.
The money raised by each campus will go directly toward enhancing student and faculty resources.
Clark explains one of these gifts to the campus will include a Cyber Collaborative immersive learning experience. The state-of-the-art equipment will give students the tools to understand real-world cybersecurity threats.
“We do have a focus area in cybersecurity among other areas in computer science. And what we’re going to be building with the security operations center will be studying the attacks that come every day against our computer system, but working the modeling,” said Clark.
Chancellor Clark shared that AEP SWEPCO also provided a sizable donation.
The state donated a little over $2 million dollars with the hope of sharing this knowledge across campuses.
The Spring Street Historical Museum was also gifted to the campus as a donation through the campaign. The university was gifted the museum during the pandemic but has not met its full potential since the transfer. Chancellor Clark explains the plans for the museum this year.
“We have this year with Dr. Cheryl White overseeing, we have seven academic internships that are being done with the Spring Street Museum. That’s exciting. That’s taking us beyond the classroom,” explained Clark.
Campus infrastructure will also benefit, Chancellor Clark describes the entrance to the administration building without a sidewalk, but the campaign funds helped complete the Callaway Gardens as a welcoming scene for prospective students and guests.
The athletics department will also gain a few perks. The development of a new boat house will go near the baseball facility to support the LSUS bass fishing team.
“That was a set of gifts that came and creates that boathouse and makes that possible so again, none of these things, they come in and they help or a catalyst for other things that can happen,” said Clark.
According to Clark state funding barely makes a dent in the campuses annual budget, he says “We get around 10 and a half maybe 11 million dollars from the state on a 66 million dollar budget.”
Clark says the university is working out the details of its next campaign they hope can provide scholarship opportunities for students.
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https://www.ktalnews.com/news/local-news/lsu-shreveport-fierce-for-the-future-campaign-raises-13-7m-for-cybersecurity-infrastructure-and-more/
| 2022-09-21T11:57:13Z
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(The Hill/NEXSTAR) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said rape victims in the state can prevent pregnancies by using emergency contraception pills such as Plan B, The Dallas Morning News reported Friday.
In Texas, abortions are banned. There are no exceptions for rape or incest.
Late last month, a so-called “trigger law” went into effect following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade earlier this year. The trigger law makes it a felony to perform an abortion in the state, with narrow exceptions when the pregnant person’s life is at risk.
“We want to support those victims, but also those victims can access health care immediately, as well as to report it,” Abbott told The Dallas Morning News and KXAS-TV’s “Lone Star Politics” in a segment obtained by the Morning News that will air on Sunday.
“By accessing health care immediately, they can get the Plan B pill that can prevent a pregnancy from occurring in the first place,” he added.
Plan B is an oral contraceptive that is taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex or a “contraceptive accident” to prevent pregnancy, according to the product’s website. The pill prevents an egg from being released from the ovary to prohibit fertilization.
The Republican governor also told “Lone Star Politics” that reporting a rape to law enforcement “will ensure that the rapist will be arrested and prosecuted.”
However, very few rape cases result in an arrest. While there were 13,327 reported rapes in Texas in 2020, there were only 1,828 arrests for rape, according to the state’s department of public safety.
Abbott’s Democratic opponent Beto O’Rourke responded to the governor’s statement on Twitter on Friday night, saying “We are going to end Greg Abbott’s career on November 8 and the women of Texas are going to lead the way.”
The Texas governor made national headlines just shy of a year ago for comments made after the implementation of State Bill 8, which was at that time the most restrictive abortion bill in the U.S. Under SB 8 — now superseded by the trigger law — abortions were banned after about six weeks, which is earlier than many people even realize they are pregnant.
During a press conference on the bill, Abbott was asked whether or not the bill was cruel to victims of rape. Abbott responded that the bill still gave victims six weeks to get an abortion, so it does not force victims to have their assaulter’s child.
Instead, Abbott posed a different solution to the issue of rape, saying, “Let’s be clear: rape is a crime. And Texas will work tirelessly to make sure that we eliminate all rapists from the streets of Texas by aggressively going out and arresting them and prosecuting them and getting them off the streets.”
The comments were widely panned by detractors and advocates for victims of sexual violence.
Abbott, who has served as Texas governor since 2015, will face O’Rourke in November’s election. The former state representative has been a fierce critic of Abbott’s policies, particularly his handling of the state’s electrical management and gun regulations in the wake of the deadly mass shooting in Uvalde.
In recent months, Abbott has focused much of his attention on migrants at the Texas-Mexico border, which has included headline-grabbing bussing of migrants to sanctuary cities like Washington, D.C. and Chicago.
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https://www.ktalnews.com/news/politics/texas-gov-abbott-rape-victims-can-prevent-pregnancy-by-taking-plan-b/
| 2022-09-21T11:57:20Z
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BOSTON (AP) — Hackers stole personal data including Social Security numbers, addresses and account numbers of home mortgage holders at KeyBank, the bank reports, in the breach of a third-party vendor that serves multiple corporate clients.
The hackers obtained the information on July 5 after breaking into computers at the insurance services provider Overby-Seawell Company, according to a letter that Cleveland-based KeyBank sent to affected residential mortgage customers.
KeyBank, which operates in 15 states and has close to $200 billion in assets, would not say how many of its customers were affected or answer any other questions about the breach. In a statement, it said it was notified of the data theft on Aug. 4 and KeyBank systems and operations were unaffected.
Overby-Seawell did not respond to phone messages and emails sent to executives seeking comment. In the statement sent Friday to The Associated Press, KeyBank said Kennesaw, Georgia-based Overby-Seawell “suffered a cybersecurity incident that compromised data of its corporate clients.” It did not elaborate.
According to its website, Overby-Seawell’s customers include banks, credit unions, mortgage servicers, finance companies and property investors. Its products include a tracking system for real-time insurance monitoring that can be integrated with other financial industry software platforms.
It is a subsidiary of the Breckenridge Group, also of Kennesaw.
In an Aug. 26 letter shared with the AP by an affected mortgage-holder, KeyBank said the information acquired in the Overby-Seawell breach related to their mortgage includes their name, address, mortgage account number and the first eight digits of their nine-digit Social Security number.
That’s plenty of information for identity thieves to commit serious fraud.
“We take this matter very seriously and have notified all affected individuals,” KeyBank said in the letter.
KeyBank said Overby-Seawell had notified law enforcement and was investigating the breach with the help of third-party cybersecurity experts. It encouraged the mortgage holder to sign up for free fraud monitoring.
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https://www.ktalnews.com/news/tech-news/ap-keybank-hackers-of-third-party-provider-stole-customer-data/
| 2022-09-21T11:57:28Z
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CANADA (WJW) – A TikTok social media influencer and beauty queen from Canada has died after a skydiving accident in Innisfil, Ontario.
The woman, identified as 21-year-old Tanya Pardazi by CTV News in Toronto, succumbed to injuries sustained during the accident on the evening of Saturday, Aug. 27.
Skydive Toronto, a skydiving operator which organized the jump, posted a statement to its Facebook page about the death of a “solo student skydiver” earlier this week.
“The skydiver released a quickly rotating main parachute at a low altitude without the time/altitude required for the reverse parachute to inflate,” the statement read.
Skydive Toronto said it was cooperating with the South Simcoe Police Department’s investigation.
“The jumper was a welcomed recent addition to the skydiving community and will be missed amongst the student’s new friends and fellow jumpers of Skydive Toronto Inc.,” the company wrote. “The team at Skydive Toronto Inc. has been profoundly affected by this accident as they have refined their student training program for over 50 years.”
The 21-year-old was transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead, police said.
Pardazi was a student at the University of Toronto, where she was studying philosophy, CTV reported. Friends told the outlet she was previously a semi-finalist in the Miss Canada pageant.
Pardazi also had roughly 95,000 followers on TikTok, where she often posted about philosophy and thought experiments.
“I literally cannot believe she’s gone,” one follower wrote. “I’ve never met her but she’s been a huge inspiration for me.”
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https://www.ktalnews.com/news/tiktok-influencer-21-dies-in-skydiving-accident/
| 2022-09-21T11:57:34Z
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MADISON, Wis. (WFRV) — On Thursday, police checked the IDs of 143 people at a bar in Madison, Wisconsin. Only six were of age.
Police with the Madison Police Department were conducting “proactive enforcement” in downtown Madison on Sept. 1, visiting bars in the neighborhood and checking to see if the venues were enforcing liquor laws, police wrote in an incident report.
At one of the bars, officers cited 137 people for underage drinking or having false IDs. They did not name the bar, but noted that it was located within the 600 block of Main Street.
“MPD is actively working with the establishment on this investigation, and they will not be named at this time until further steps are taken to determine the bar’s role in the matter,” police wrote.
Officers added that more citations are “likely.”
In the incident report, police also noted that bars in the Madison area are encouraged to partake in the department’s safety training seminars.
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https://www.ktalnews.com/news/u-s-world/137-people-cited-for-underage-drinking-at-wisconsin-bar/
| 2022-09-21T11:57:41Z
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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Seventeen states with vehicle emission standards tied to rules established in California face weighty decisions on whether to follow that state’s strictest-in-the nation new rules that require all new cars, pickups and SUVs to be electric or hydrogen powered by 2035.
Under the Clean Air Act, states must abide by the federal government’s standard vehicle emissions standards unless they at least partially opt to follow California’s stricter requirements.
Among them, Washington, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon and Vermont are expected to adopt California’s ban on new gasoline-fueled vehicles. Colorado and Pennsylvania are among the states that probably won’t. The legal ground is a bit murkier in Minnesota, where the state’s “Clean Cars” rule has been a political minefield and the subject of a legal fight. Meanwhile, Republicans are rebelling in Virginia.
The Minnesota Auto Dealers Association says its reading of state and federal law is that the new California rules kick in automatically in the state, and it’s making that case in court as it tries to block them.
“The technology is such that the vehicles just don’t perform that well in cold weather,” said Scott Lambert, the trade group’s president. “We don’t all live in southern California.”
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency officials say the state would have to launch an entirely new rulemaking process to adopt California’s changes. And in court filings and legislative hearings, they’ve said they are not planning to do that now.
“We are not California. Minnesota has its own plan,” Gov. Tim Walz said in a statement. He called Minnesota’s program “a smart way to increase, rather than decrease, options for consumers. Our priority is to lower costs and increase choices so Minnesotans can drive whatever vehicle suits them.”
Oregon regulators are taking public comments through Sept. 7 on whether to adopt the new California standards. Colorado regulators, who adopted California’s older rules, won’t follow California’s new ones, the administration of Democratic Gov. Jared Polis said.
“While the governor shares the goal of rapidly moving towards electric vehicles, he is skeptical about requiring 100% of cars sold to be electric by a certain date as technology is rapidly changing,” the Colorado Energy Office said in a statement.
Regulators in Pennsylvania, which only partially adopted California’s older standards, said they won’t automatically follow its new rules. Under Democratic Governor Tom Wolf, Pennsylvania started the regulatory process last year to fully conform with California’s rules, but abandoned it.
Virginia had been on a path to adopting California’s rules under legislation that passed last year when Democrats were in full control of Virginia’s government. But Republicans who control the House of Delegates and GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin say they’ll push to unlink their state.
Minnesota’s auto dealers are trying to make their state’s current rules — and the possibility that they could tighten to incorporate California’s new restrictions — an issue for the fall elections. Control of the Legislature and governor’s office are up for grabs, and the dealers hope to persuade the 2023 Legislature to roll back the regulations unless they win in court first, Lambert said.
The MPCA, with Walz’s support, adopted California’s existing standards through administrative rulemaking last year amid a bitter fight with Republican lawmakers who were upset that the Legislature was cut out of the decision. Legislators even tried unsuccessfully to withhold funding from Minnesota’s environmental agencies. One casualty was Laura Bishop, who resigned as MPCA commissioner after it became apparent that she lacked the votes in the GOP-controlled Senate to win confirmation.
Walz and his administration have framed Minnesota’s Clean Cars rule as a fairly painless way to increase the availability of electric vehicles and help the state meet its greenhouse gas reduction goals. The rule seeks to increase the offerings of battery-powered and hybrid vehicles starting with the 2025 model year by requiring manufacturers to comply with California standards currently in force for low- and zero-emission vehicles.
Lambert said the state’s auto dealers don’t oppose electric vehicles. They currently make up 2.3% of new vehicle sales in Minnesota and he expects consumer interest to continue to grow. But the reduced range of battery-powered vehicles in cold weather makes them less attractive in northern tier states, he said. Minnesota’s rules already threaten to saddle dealers with more electric vehicles than their customers will buy, he said, and adopting the California ban would make things worse.
Under federal law, by Lambert’s reading, states have to either adopt California’s rules in full or follow less stringent federal emission standards. He said they can’t pick and choose from parts of each. And that effectively means there’s a “ban on the books” in Minnesota for sales of new conventionally fueled vehicles starting with the 2035 model year, he said.
Lambert’s association was already fighting Minnesota’s existing Clean Car rules in the Minnesota Court of Appeals, and its petition foresaw that California would make the changes it announced late last month. A key issue in whether “any future amendments to the incorporated California regulations automatically become part of Minnesota rules,” as the dealers argue.
The MPCA’s attorneys assert that they don’t, and have asked the court to dismiss the challenge. MPCA Commissioner Katrina Kessler has made similar arguments for months, including before a skeptical state Senate committee last March.
Aaron Klemz, chief strategy officer for the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, which will be filing its own arguments against the dealers in court, acknowledged that the legal landscape is confusing. And he said it’s not clear whether his group will eventually call for Minnesota to follow California’s new ban.
“We haven’t done enough analysis of the California rule to know if we’re going to push for its adoption in Minnesota,” Klemz said. He noted that other issues are coming into play, including incentives for electric vehicles in the Inflation Reduction Act that President Joe Biden recently signed, and the stated intentions by some of the major automakers to go all-electric.
___
Associated Press reporters Jim Anderson in Denver; Gillian Flaccus in Portland, Oregon; and Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, contributed to this story.
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https://www.ktalnews.com/news/u-s-world/ap-17-states-weigh-adopting-californias-electric-car-mandate/
| 2022-09-21T11:57:49Z
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BETHESDA, Md., Sept. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Rise Counseling is pleased to announce the opening of their new virtual counseling Practice in Bethesda, Maryland. Founder Mikela Hallmark, LPC is looking forward to having the practice offer therapy for high achievers to the Bethesda area. Hallmark commented "We built a great office in Atlanta, GA and realized that many working professionals want quality counselors who are available for virtual appointments. With their busy lives, they enjoy being able to avoid the traffic, and fit sessions in when it's convenient for them.' We've launched the website, and now we're recruiting talented counselors to join our team.
The addition of the new virtual location will allow Rise Counseling Bethesda to bring their therapeutic services to more people in need of support. They offer individual counseling, couples counseling, as well as anxiety therapy. 'We're pretty passionate about helping high achievers get the support they need to reduce anxiety and increase sense of connectedness, and this virtual office allows us to expand our reach', said Hallmark.
The Rise Counseling Bethesda virtual therapy practice is now hiring therapists and will soon be accepting new clients.
What makes Rise Counseling Bethesda unique, is it is 100% virtual. This means therapists and clients will meet through a video call platform, instead of in person in an office. Since the pandemic, it seems many practitioners have moved to online services to some capacity. Hallmark added 'Many working professionals have let us know that they value the convenience that our virtual offices provide.'
More people continue to seek treatment for mental health conditions, especially depression and anxiety, since the pandemic. Hallmark shared 'we've definitely seen many people struggling with anxiety and trauma as a result of what the world went through in the last few years.' Fortunately, Telehealth and Teletherapy has been shown to be just as effective as in-person therapy.
Mikela Hallmark is excited to bring online therapy for high achievers to Bethesda. She stated 'This is our passion. We love giving people access to quality counseling that helps improve their lives and relationships.'
To schedule Bethesda Anxiety therapy, please visit www.risecounselingbethesdaanddc.com/ for convenient online booking.
View original content:
SOURCE Rise Counseling
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https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/09/21/new-virtual-counseling-practice-bethesda-md/
| 2022-09-21T11:57:52Z
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MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Somali state media and residents say the extremist group al-Shabab killed at least 20 people and burned seven vehicles transporting food in the Hiran region Saturday morning, and the government’s drought envoy called it “devastating” for communities in the grip of a severe drought.
Residents said the attack was in retaliation for a local mobilization against the al-Qaida-affiliated group that holds significant parts of central and southern Somalia. The extremist group’s presence complicates an already challenging response to the drought that has killed thousands of people. Some areas are on the brink of famine.
Drought envoy Abdirahman Abdishakur noted that al-Shabab also had blown up wells for water in Hiran in recent days.
“The victims were drivers and passengers transporting food supplies from Beletweyne to Mahas and a total of seven trucks carrying food and vehicles used by the passengers were set ablaze,” resident Hassan Abdulle told The Associated Press by phone.
The attack came a day after government forces destroyed landmines that al-Shabab had planted on the busy road connecting Beletweyne and Mataban with the intent to target travelers.
Al-Shabab confirmed the attack and claimed to have killed 20 locally mobilized militia members.
The Somali government has condemned the “barbaric” attack and reiterated its support for local mobilization against the extremist group.
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https://www.ktalnews.com/news/u-s-world/ap-al-shabab-extremists-kill-at-least-20-travelers-in-somalia/
| 2022-09-21T11:58:05Z
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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Every day for the past two weeks, the routine was the same: Argentina’s powerful Vice President Cristina Fernández was met by a crowd of feverish supporters who wanted to touch their leader. And every day she obliged and approached them.
But on Thursday the routine pressing of the flesh took a sinister turn when a man in the sea of supporters pointed a handgun inches from the vice president’s face and pulled the trigger with a distinct click.
The loaded .38-caliber semiautomatic weapon evidently jammed, and the suspect was arrested. Now the apparent assassination attempt is raising questions about whether the most influential woman in Argentine politics for the past two decades should change her relationship with the many loyal followers who constantly seek a handshake or autograph.
“Cristina was cornered,” said Silvana Venegas, a 43-year-old woman who witnessed the event. “She was easy prey, very easy.”
For a few minutes afterward, Fernández continued signing autographs and waving. Her security detail seized the gunman but did not remove her from the area.
Argentina media have reported that Fernández told the investigating judge she was unaware a gun had been pointed at her until she got inside her apartment. She also confirmed speculation that when she appeared to duck, she was actually crouching to pick up a book that had fallen to the ground.
Jorge Vidal, a public security expert who used to work for the Buenos Aires city government, said the security response to the incident was “far from being a professional performance.”
While security teams must do as they are told by those they guard, he said, “politicians must understand that not all the hands that are stretched out to touch or greet them are to caress or shake.”
No politician awakens more passion in Argentina than Fernández, 69, who is revered by some for her left-leaning social welfare policies and reviled by others as corrupt and power-hungry, and she has long derived political strength from her closeness to the crowds that venerate her.
Supporters compare her to Eva Perón, the wife of Juan Domingo Perón, a military officer elected president in 1946. As First Lady, Perón espoused women’s rights and was known as a benefactor of the poor. After her early death in 1952, she became enshrined in Argentina’s national mythology.
Outpourings of devotion to Fernández have intensified recently after a prosecutor sought to send her to prison for 12 years over corruption allegations involving public works while she was president from 2007 to 2015.
Fernández and her backers say the case is an act of political revenge, and the front of her apartment building in the downtown Buenos Aires neighborhood of Recoleta has become a sanctuary for hundreds of followers outraged by the accusations against her.
As she left and returned each day, she clasped the hands of men and women who shouted “Cristina, I love you!” She also signed dozens of copies of her political autobiography, titled “Sinceramente,” or Spanish for “sincerely.”
A young man who was in the crowd Thursday night said he was right in front of Fernández when the handgun emerged.
“I tell Cristina that I loved her, and she caresses me. I see an arm sticking out … with a gun,” the man, who was identified only as Javier for security reasons, told reporters Friday after giving his account to the investigating judge.
The only previous incident occurred last Saturday, when tension developed between Fernández followers and police who sought to remove them due to neighbors’ complaints.
The vice president complained about the treatment of her supporters and accused Buenos Aires Mayor Horacio Rodríguez Larreta of keeping her under siege, and security around the building was soon relaxed.
“We noticed that there were fewer police officers. I saw two from the federal (police). It was full of people,” Venegas said.
Javier, the young witness, declared in court that he and other supporters detained the suspect, not the police.
“I grab him, and also others,” he said.
The vice president has not spoken publicly since the incident. Some friends and political allies have been able to see her.
“Cristina is shocked, shocked,” said Sen. Oscar Parrilli, who is close to the vice president. “She is fine, luckily, because she has her spirit and her temper intact.”
The attempted shooting shook Argentina, a country that has a history of political violence but has not seen a similar attack since democracy was restored in 1983 after years of dictatorship.
President Alberto Fernández, who is not related to the vice president, has said that the weapon was loaded with five bullets and that for “a reason not yet technically confirmed, it was not fired.”
The suspect has been identified as Fernando André Sabag Montiel, a 35-year-old street vendor from Brazil who has lived in Argentina since 1998 and has no prior criminal record. He was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. Authorities have shed no light on a possible motive and are investigating whether the gunman acted alone or as part of a larger plot.
The day after the incident, Fernandez’ supporters demonstrated throughout the country under the slogan “Everybody with Cristina.”
Buenos Aires’ central Plaza de Mayo filled with people of all ages brandishing handwritten signs with messages such as “Always with Cristina, the people do not forget” and “Cristina is of the people and no one touches her.”
At her home, meanwhile, dozens of federal agents stood guard.
Fernández emerged and approached a group of supporters to greet them, then got into a car to go to an unknown destination.
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| 2022-09-21T11:58:12Z
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Officials on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border searched for more victims Saturday after at least nine migrants died while trying to cross the rain-swollen Rio Grande, a dangerous border-crossing attempt in an area where the river level had risen by more than 2 feet in a single day.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Mexican officials discovered the victims near Eagle Pass, Texas, on Thursday, following days of heavy rains. U.S. officials recovered six bodies, while Mexican teams recovered three, according to a CBP statement. It is one of the deadliest drownings on the U.S.-Mexico border in recent history.
The river, which was a little more than 3 feet (90 centimeters) deep at the start of the week, reached more than 5 feet (1.5 meters) on Thursday, and the water was flowing five times faster than usual, according to the National Weather Service.
The CBP said U.S. crews rescued 37 others from the river and detained 16 more, while Mexican officials took 39 migrants into custody.
CBP did not say what country or countries the migrants were from and did not provide any additional information on rescue and search operations. Local agencies in Texas that were involved have not responded to requests for information.
Among the bodies recovered from the river by Mexican authorities was a man and a pregnant woman, although their nationalities were unknown, said Francisco Contreras, a member of Civil Protection in the Mexican border state of Coahuila. No details were released about the third body found.
The Border Patrol’s Del Rio sector, which includes Eagle Pass, is fast becoming the busiest corridor for illegal crossings. Agents stopped migrants nearly 50,000 times in the sector in July, with Rio Grande Valley a distant second at about 35,000. Eagle Pass is about 140 miles (225 kilometers) southwest of San Antonio.
Chief Patrol Agent Jason Owens of the Del Rio sector said that despite dangerous currents from recent rainfall, Border Patrol agents in the sector continue to encounter groups as large as 100 or 200 people trying to cross the Rio Grande each day.
“In an effort to prevent further loss of life, we are asking everyone to please avoid crossing illegally,” Owens said in a statement.
Among the reasons the area has become popular for migrants in recent years is that it is not as strongly controlled by cartels and is perceived to be somewhat safer, said Stephanie Leutert, director of Central America and Mexico Policy Initiative at the University of Texas’ Center for International Security and Law.
“It might be a different price. It might be seen as safer. It might keep you out of cities that are notoriously dangerous,” Leutert said. “Those cities (in the Del Rio sector) definitely have had a reputation as being safer than say, Nueva Laredo.”
The area draws migrants from dozens of countries, many of them families with young children. About six of 10 stops in the Del Rio sector in July were migrants from Venezuela, Cuba or Nicaragua. The region also has been a popular crossing point for migrants from Haiti, thousands of whom have been stuck in border towns since 2016, when the Obama administration abruptly halted a policy that initially allowed them in on humanitarian grounds.
The sector, which extends 245 miles (395 kilometers) along the Río Grande, has been especially dangerous because river currents can be deceptively fast and change quickly. Crossing the river can be challenging even for strong swimmers.
“There are places when the water levels are down where you could wade across, but when the river is up it’s extremely dangerous, especially if you’re carrying kids or trying to help someone who is not a strong swimmer,” Leutert said.
In a news release last month, CBP said it had discovered bodies of more than 200 dead migrants in the sector from October through July.
This year is on track to break last year’s record for the most deaths on the U.S.-Mexico border since 2014, when the U.N. International Organization for Migration began keeping record. The organization has tallied more than 4,000 deaths on the border since 2014, based on news reports and other sources, including 728 last year and 412 during the first seven months of this year, often from dehydration or drowning. June was the fourth-deadliest month on record, with 138 fatalities.
The Border Patrol has not released official tallies since 2020.
In June, 53 migrants were found dead or dying in a tractor-trailer on a back road in San Antonio in the deadliest documented tragedy to claim the lives of migrants smuggled across the border from Mexico.
“The whole journey speaks to the desperation of people,” Leutert said. “They know that crossing the river is dangerous. They know that hiking through ranchland is dangerous. They know that crossing Mexico as a foreigner is dangerous. But they’re willing to do this because what they’re leaving behind is, to them, a worse possibility than facing risk and trying for a better opportunity in the U.S.”
Some of the busiest crossings on the border — including Eagle Pass and Yuma, Arizona — were relatively quiet two years ago and now largely draw migrants from outside Mexico and Central America’s ‘Northern Triangle’ countries of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Mexico has agreed to take migrants from the ‘Northern Triangle’ countries, as well as its own nationals, if they are expelled from the United States under Title 42, the pandemic rule in effect since March 2020 that denies rights to seek asylum on grounds of preventing the spread of COVID-19.
People from other countries are likely to be released into the United States on humanitarian parole or with notices to appear in immigration court because the U.S. has difficulty flying them home due to costs, strained diplomatic relations or other considerations. In the Border Patrol’s Del Rio sector, which includes Eagle Pass, only one of every four stops in July were processed under the pandemic rule, compared to about half across the rest of the border, according to government figures.
Venezuelans were by far the most common nationality encountered by Border Patrol agents in the Del Rio sector in July, accounting for 14,120 of 49,563 stops, or nearly three in 10. They were followed by Cubans, who were stopped 10,275 times, and then by Mexicans, Hondurans, Nicaraguans and Colombians, in that order.
As more people crossed into South Texas in the 2010s, Brooks County became a death trap for many migrants who tried walking around a Border Patrol highway checkpoint in the town of Falfurrias, about 70 miles (110 kilometers) north of the border. Smugglers dropped them off before the checkpoint and made arrangements to pick them up on the other side, but some perished on the way from dehydration.
The Baboquivari Mountains in Arizona and ranches in Texas’ Brooks County still draw Border Patrol agents and grief-stricken families hoping to rescue migrants or, if not, find corpses, but the deceptively strong currents around the Texas towns of Eagle Pass and Del Rio have become increasingly dangerous as the area has become one of the most popular spots to enter the United States illegally.
Not all victims are migrants. In April this year, the body of a Texas guardsman was recovered from the Rio Grande. He had jumped in to try to help a migrant who was struggling in the water.
___
Spagat reported from San Diego and Murphy reported from Oklahoma City. Associated Press writers Terry Wallace in Dallas and Fabiola Sanchez in Mexico City contributed.
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| 2022-09-21T11:58:20Z
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BRUSSELS (AP) — A British con artist who is the subject of a Netflix documentary has been arrested in Belgium after fleeing from neighboring France, where he had injured two police officers, authorities said
Robert Hendy-Freegard, 51, was expected to appear before a Belgian judge on Saturday, a day after he was arrested on a highway in Groot-Bijgaarden, east of Brussels, Belgian federal police said.
Hendy-Freegard had been on the run since last week, when he hit two officers with his car as he was fleeing a police raid at his home in the village of Vidaillat in central France.
Gilles Blondeau, spokesperson for the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Halle-Vilvorde disctrict, said Saturday that “about a week ago, the person in question was supposed to undergo a checkup by the police and he fled. He also hit two policemen, one of whom was very seriously injured.”
France had issued a European arrest warrant. The country’s prosecutors have open an investigation for “attempted murder” on police officers.
Blondeau said Hendy-Freegard had been located through the license plate on his vehicle.
“The East Flanders road police were able to intercept the man in Groot-Bijgaarden, and it turned out that it was indeed this person and the wanted vehicle,” he said.
Netflix streaming service released a documentary this year called “The Puppet Master: Hunting the Ultimate Conman” about the life of Hendy-Freegard. In the 1990s and the early 2000s, the con artist ruined numerous lives while posing as an undercover MI5 agent in Europe. He spent 10 years emotionally manipulating his victims into giving him their money, their trust and eventually their freedom by running away with him, according to Netflix.
Arrested in 2002, Hendy-Freegard was convicted of kidnapping, theft and deception and sentenced to life in prison in 2005 in the United Kingdom. He appealed against the kidnapping conviction and got his sentenced reduced to nine years. He was released from prison in 2009.
According to the Netflix documentary, he was living in recent years in France, where he was breeding dogs.
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| 2022-09-21T11:58:27Z
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SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Chileans resoundingly rejected a new constitution to replace a charter imposed by the dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet 41 years ago, dealing a stinging setback to President Gabriel Boric who argued the document would have ushered in a new progressive era.
With 99% of the votes counted in Sunday’s plebiscite, the rejection camp had 61.9% support compared to 38.1% for approval amid heavy turnout with long lines at polling states. Voting was mandatory.
The approval camp conceded defeat, with its spokesman Vlado Mirosevic saying: “We recognize this result and we listen with humility to what the Chilean people have expressed.”
Boric, who had lobbied hard for the new document, said the results made it evident the Chilean people “were not satisfied with the constitutional proposal that the convention presented to Chile.”
Most Chileans favor changing the dictatorship-era constitution and Boric made it clear the process to amend it would not end with Sunday’s vote. He said it was necessary for leaders to “work with more determination, more dialogue, more respect” to reach a new proposed charter “that unites us as a country.”
The rejection was widely expected in this country of 19 million as months of pre-election polling showed that Chileans had grown wary of the proposed charter that was written by a constituent assembly in which a majority of delegates were not affiliated with a political party.
Carlos Salinas, a spokesman for the Citizens’ House for Rejection, said the majority of Chileans saw rejection as “a path of hope.”
“We want to tell the government of President Gabriel Boric… that ‘today you must be the president of all Chileans and together we must move forward,” he said.
Despite the broad expectations of defeat for the proposed new charter, no analyst or pollster had predicted such a large margin for the rejection camp, showing how Chileans were not ready to support a charter that would have been one of the most progressive in the world and would have fundamentally changed the South American country.
The proposed document was the first in the world to be written by a convention split equally between male and female delegates, but critics said it was too long, lacked clarity and went too far in some of its measures, which included characterizing Chile as a plurinational state, establishing autonomous Indigenous territories, and prioritizing the environment and gender parity.
“The constitution that was written now leans too far to one side and does not have the vision of all Chileans,” Roberto Briones, 41, said after voting in Chile’s capital of Santiago. “We all want a new constitution, but it needs to have a better structure.”
But others had fervently hoped it would pass.
Italo Hernández, 50, said he backed the changes as he exited the polling station in the National Stadium in Chile’s capital of Santiago. “We have to leave behind Pinochet’s constitution that only favored people with money.”
Hernández said it was “very symbolic and very emotional” to be voting at a stadium that had been used as a detention and torture site during the military dictatorship.
The result deals a major blow to Boric, who at 36 is Chile’s youngest-ever president. He had tied his fortunes so closely to the new document that analysts said it was likely some voters saw the plebiscite as a referendum on his government at a time when his approval ratings have been plunging since he took office in March.
What happens now amounts to a big question mark. Chilean political leaders of all stripes agree the constitution that dates from the country’s 1973-1990 dictatorship must change. The process that will be chosen to write up a new proposal still has to be determined and will likely be the subject of hard-fought negotiations between the country’s political leadership.
Boric has called on the heads of all political parties for a meeting tomorrow to determine the path forward.
The vote marked the climax of a three-year process that began when the country once seen as a paragon of stability in the region exploded in student-led street protests in 2019. The unrest was sparked by a hike in public transportation prices, but it quickly expanded into broader demands for greater equality and more social protections.
The following year, just under 80% of Chileans voted in favor of changing the country’s constitution. Then in 2021, they elected delegates to a constitutional convention.
The 388-article proposed charter, besides focusing on social issues and the environment, also introduced rights to free education, health care and housing. It would have established autonomous Indigenous territories and recognized a parallel justice system in those areas, although lawmakers would decide how far-reaching that would be.
In contrast, the current constitution is a market-friendly document that favors the private sector over the state in aspects like education, pensions and health care. It also makes no reference to the country’s Indigenous population, which makes up almost 13% of the population.
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| 2022-09-21T11:58:35Z
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WEED, Calif. (AP) — Her home destroyed, dog missing, and 10-year relationship with her boyfriend recently ended – all Naomi Vogelsang could do on Saturday was sit outside of a Northern California wildfire evacuation center with $20 in her pocket, waiting for a ride to the casino.
“It can’t be any worse,” she said.
Vogelsang is one of thousands of people displaced this week by California’s latest inferno, this time in the small community of Weed about 280 miles (451 kilometers) northeast of San Francisco. Most visitors know this town as a novelty, a place to stop while traveling on Interstate 5 and buy an ironic T-shirt.
But for the people who live here, the past few years have introduced another worry in a world full of them: Dark skies, swirling ash and flames that race so quickly they leave little time for escape.
This time it was a blaze known as the Mill Fire. Flames raced from Roseburg Forest Products, which makes wood products, into the Lincoln Heights neighborhood where a significant number of homes burned and residents had to flee for their lives on Friday afternoon. The blaze spread to more than 6.6 square miles (17 square kilometers) by Saturday evening and was 25% contained.
After fleeing the blaze, 63-year-old Judy Christenson remembered a similar escape 40 years ago when, as a young parent, she had to rush her children out of a burning home. Last summer, a wildfire forced her to evacuate and leave her pets behind. Now, Christenson says she leaves harnesses on her pets all the time so she can grab them at a moment’s notice and leave.
“Whenever this happens, I get really bad,” Christenson said from the front seat of a car at an evacuation center in Yreka as Felix, her orange cat, napped in the backseat. “I can’t think straight.”
Nestled in the shadow of Mt. Shasta — a 14,000-foot (4,267.2-meter) volcano that is the second-highest peak in the Cascade Range — Weed is no stranger to wildfires.
Strong winds in the area that fan flames drew the town’s founder for a very different reason. Abner Weed, a Civil War soldier who is said to have witnessed the Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s surrender before moving to California, chose to put a sawmill there because the wind would dry out the timber, according to Bob West, a lifelong resident who co-owns Ellie’s Espresso and Bakery, a coffee and sandwich shop that contains some historical items of the town’s past.
The winds make Weed and the surrounding area a perilous place for wildfires, whipping small flames into a frenzy. Weed has seen three major fires since 2014, a period of extreme drought that has prompted the largest and most destructive fires in California history.
That drought persists as California heads into what traditionally is the worst of the fire season. Scientists say climate change has made the West warmer and drier over the last three decades and will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive.
Dominique Mathes, 37, said he’s had some close calls with wildfires since he has lived in Weed. But he’s not interested in leaving.
“It’s a beautiful place,” he said. “Everybody has risks everywhere, like Florida’s got hurricanes and floods, Louisiana has got tornadoes and all that stuff. So, it happens everywhere. Unfortunately here, it’s fires.”
Evacuation orders were quickly put in effect Friday for 7,500 people – including West, who is 53 and has lived in Weed since he was a 1-year-old. He had never had to evacuate for a fire, but now he’s had to do it twice.
“It’s way worse than it used to be,” he said. “It affects our community because people leave because they don’t want to rebuild.”
Cal Fire Siskiyou Unit Chief Phil Anzo said crews worked all day and night to protect structures in Weed and in a subdivision to the east known as Carrick Addition. He said about 100 structures were destroyed.
Two people were brought to Mercy Medical Center Mount Shasta. One was in stable condition and the other was transferred to UC Davis Medical Center, which has a burn unit.
“There’s a lot at stake on that Mill Fire,” Anzo said. “There’s a lot of communities, a lot of homes there.”
Evacuees and firefighters quickly filled up local hotels while others rushed to stay with family and friends outside of the evacuation zone.
Vogelsang was not as fortunate. She said she slept on a bench in Weed until she could get a ride to the evacuation center. She said she’s spent most of the time crying about Bella, her 10-year-old English bulldog who — despite her best efforts — would not follow her out of the fire and is lost.
“My dog was my everything,” she said. “I just feel like I lost everything that mattered.”
___
Associated Press journalist Stefanie Dazio contributed from Los Angeles.
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| 2022-09-21T11:58:42Z
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MOSCOW (AP) — Russians who came for a last look at former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev on Saturday mourned both the man and his policies that gave them hope. President Vladimir Putin claimed to be too busy to attend.
Gorbachev, who died Tuesday at age 91, launched drastic reforms that helped end the Cold War. But he also precipitated the breakup of the Soviet Union, which Putin had called the 20th century’s “greatest geopolitical catastrophe.”
The farewell viewing of his body in an ostentatious hall near the Kremlin was shadowed by the awareness that the openness Gorbachev championed has been stifled under Putin.
“I want to thank him for my childhood of freedom, which we don’t have today,” said mourner Ilya, a financial services worker in his early 30s who declined to give his last name.
“I am a son of perestroika,” he said, using the Russian word for Gorbachev’s reform, or reconstruction, initiatives.
“I’d like us to have more people like him in our history,” said another mourner, Yulia Prividennaya. “We need such politicians to settle the situation in the world when it’s on the verge of World War III.”
After the viewing, Gorbachev’s body was buried next to his wife Raisa in Novodevichy cemetery, where many prominent Russians lie, including the post-Soviet country’s first president, Boris Yeltsin, whose struggle for power with Gorbachev sped up the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The procession that carried the coffin into the cemetery was led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dmitry Muratov, editor of the Novaya Gazeta newspaper, Russia’s last major Kremlin-critical news outlet before it suspended operations in March. Gorbachev used funds from his own Nobel prize to help start the paper.
The Kremlin refusal to formally declare a state funeral reflected its uneasiness about the legacy of Gorbachev, who has been venerated worldwide for bringing down the Iron Curtain but reviled by many at home for the Soviet collapse and the ensuing economic meltdown that plunged millions into poverty.
On Thursday, Putin privately laid flowers at Gorbachev’s coffin at a Moscow hospital where he died. The Kremlin said the president’s busy schedule would prevent him from attending the funeral.
Asked what specific business would keep Putin busy on Saturday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the president was scheduled to have a series of working meetings, an international phone call and needs to prepare for a business forum in Russia’s Far East that he’s due to attend next week.
Gorbachev’s body was displayed for public viewing at the Pillar Hall of the House of the Unions, an opulent 18th-century mansion near the Kremlin that has served as the venue for state funerals since Soviet times.
Mourners passed by Gorbachev’s open casket flanked by honorary guards, laying flowers as solemn music played. Gorbachev’s daughter, Irina, and his two granddaughters sat beside the coffin.
The grand, chandeliered hall lined by columns hosted balls for the nobility under the czars and served as a venue for high-level meetings and congresses along with state funerals during Soviet times. Upon entering the building, mourners saw honor guards flanking a large photo of Gorbachev standing with a broad smile, a reminder of the cheerful vigor he brought to the Soviet leadership after a series of dour, ailing predecessors.
The turnout was large enough that the viewing was extended for two more hours beyond the stated two hours.
Despite the choice of the prestigious site for the farewell ceremony, the Kremlin stopped short of calling it a state funeral, with Peskov saying the ceremony will have “elements” of one, such as honorary guards, and the government’s assistance in organizing it. He wouldn’t describe how it will differ from a full-fledged state funeral.
Saturday’s ceremony had all the trappings befitting a state funeral except the name, including the national flag draping Gorbachev’s coffin. with goose-stepping guards firing shots in the air and a small band playing the Russian anthem, which uses the same melody as the Soviet anthem.
But officially declaring a state funeral for Gorbachev would have obliged Putin to attend it and would have required Moscow to invite foreign leaders, something that it was apparently reluctant to do amid soaring tensions with the West after Russia sent troops to Ukraine.
Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russia’s Security Council chaired by Putin who served as Russia’s president in 2008-2012, showed up at the farewell ceremony. He then released a post on a messaging app channel, referring to the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union and accusing the U.S. and its allies of trying to engineer Russia’s breakup, a policy he described as a “chess game with Death.”
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who often has been critical of the Western sanctions against Russia, was the only foreign leader who attended the farewell on Saturday. The U.S., British, German and other Western ambassadors also attended.
The relatively modest ceremony contrasted with a lavish 2007 state funeral given to Yeltsin, who anointed Putin as his preferred successor and set the stage for him to win the presidency by stepping down.
Grigory Yavlinsky, the leader of the liberal Yabloko party who worked on economic reform plans under Gorbachev, hailed him for “offering people an opportunity to say what they thought – something that Russia never had before.”
Putin has avoided explicit personal criticism of Gorbachev, but has repeatedly blamed him for failing to secure written commitments from the West that would rule out NATO’s expansion eastward. The issue has marred Russia-West relations for decades and fomented tensions that exploded when the Russian leader sent troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24.
In a carefully phrased letter of condolence released Wednesday avoiding explicit praise or criticism, Putin described Gorbachev as a man who left “an enormous impact on the course of world history.”
“He led the country during difficult and dramatic changes, amid large-scale foreign policy, economic and society challenges,” Putin said. “He deeply realized that reforms were necessary and tried to offer his solutions for the acute problems.”
The Kremlin’s ambivalence about Gorbachev was reflected in state television broadcasts, which described his worldwide acclaim and grand expectations generated by his reforms, but held him responsible for plunging the country into political turmoil and economic woes and failing to properly defend the country’s interests in talks with the West.
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More AP stories on Mikhail Gorbachev here: https://apnews.com/hub/mikhail-gorbachev
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| 2022-09-21T11:58:50Z
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Mikhail Gorbachev was laid to rest Saturday in Moscow’s Novodevichy Cemetery next to his wife, Raisa, with whom he shared the world stage in a visibly close and loving marriage that was unprecedented for a Soviet leader.
“They were a true pair. She was a part of him, almost always at his side,” then Chancellor Helmut Kohl of Germany said at Raisa’s funeral in 1999, where Gorbachev wept openly. “Much of what he achieved is simply unimaginable without his wife.”
Gorbachev’s very public devotion to his family broke the stuffy mold of previous Soviet leaders, just as his openness to political reform did.
“He loved a woman more than his work. I think he wouldn’t have been able to embrace her if his hands were stained with blood,” wrote Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov, editor of Russia’s leading independent newspaper, Novaya Gazeta. Co-owned by Gorbachev, it was forced to shut under official pressure after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
“We should always remember,” Muratov continued, “he loved a woman more than his work, he placed human rights above the state and he valued peaceful skies more than personal power.”
Gorbachev’s open attachment to his family also stands in stark contrast to the secrecy that surrounds the private life of Russia’s current leader, President Vladimir Putin.
For her part, Raisa Gorbacheva cut a bold figure for Soviet first ladies — more visible, with a direct way of speaking, a polished manner and fashionable clothes. A sociologist by training, she had met Mikhail at a Moscow university where they both studied.
“One day we took each other by the hand and went for a walk in the evening. And we walked like that for our whole life,” Gorbachev told Vogue magazine in 2013. Raisa accompanied him on his travels, and they discussed policy and politics together.
Her confident demeanor and prominent public role didn’t sit well with many Russians, who had also soured on Gorbachev and blamed his policies for the subsequent breakup of the Soviet Union. The couple won sympathy, however, in 1999, when it was revealed that Raisa was dying of leukemia. Her husband spoke daily with television reporters, and the sometimes lofty-sounding politician of old was suddenly seen as an emotional, grieving family man.
For more than two decades after she was gone, Gorbachev kept Raisa’s memory alive and embraced his status as a lonely widower.
He released a CD of seven romantic songs, “Songs for Raisa,” in 2009 on which he sang along with well-known Russian musician and guitarist Andrei Makarevich. Sales went to the charities Raisa had founded. A few years later, he published a book dedicated to her, “Alone with Myself.”
Their marriage even became the subject of a popular play in Moscow in 2021, “Gorbachev.” Its point was one noteworthy for Russia: that the country’s leader was a human being who prioritized family, friends and personal obligations. One scene recounted a key moment in Gorbachev’s career when he returned to Moscow after the failed communist coup against him in 1991. Raisa had had a stroke, and instead of immediately stepping back onto the political stage, he went to the hospital to be with her.
“I was not married to the country — Russia or the Soviet Union,” Gorbachev wrote in his memoirs. “I was married to my wife, and that night I went with her to the hospital.”
At the Moscow cemetery, a life-size statue of Raisa has stood for many years now over the grave intended for them both.
The Gorbachevs had a daughter, Irina, two granddaughters and a great-granddaughter. Despite his attachment to family, Gorbachev lived out his life in Russia while they live in Germany.
Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a businessman in the early post-Soviet days who now lives in exile in London, tweeted this week that one of Gorbachev’s great strengths was his ability to wash away “awe of the person on the throne,” and that his attention to family was part of that.
“With this he changed my life. And also by his attitude toward Raisa Maximovna — a second important lesson,” Khodorkovsky said, using Gorbacheva’s patronymic. “He went to her. Rest in peace.”
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| 2022-09-21T11:58:57Z
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THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency are used to risky missions — from the radioactive aftermath of the Fukushima disaster in Japan to the politically charged Iranian nuclear program. But their deployment amid the war in Ukraine to Zaporizhzhia takes the threat to a new level and underscores the lengths to which the organization will go in attempts to avert a potentially catastrophic nuclear disaster.
The 6-month war sparked by Russia’s invasion of its western neighbor is forcing international organizations, not just the IAEA, to deploy teams during active hostilities in their efforts to impose order around Ukraine’s nuclear power plants, pursue accountability for war crimes and identify the dead.
“This is not the first time that an IAEA team has gone into a situation of armed hostilities,” said Tariq Rauf, the organization’s former head of verification and security, noting that the IAEA sent inspectors to Iraq in 2003 and to former Soviet Republic Georgia during fighting. “But this situation in Zaporizhzhia, I think it’s the most serious situation where the IAEA has sent people in ever, so it’s unprecedented.”
The IAEA’s Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi highlighted the risks Thursday when he led a team to the sprawling plant in southern Ukraine.
“There were moments when fire was obvious — heavy machine guns, artillery, mortars at two or three times were really very concerning, I would say, for all of us,” he said of his team’s journey through an active war zone to reach the plant.
Speaking to reporters after leaving colleagues inside, he said the agency was “not moving” from the plant from now on, and vowed a “continued presence” of agency experts.
But it remains to be seen what exactly the organization can accomplish.
“The IAEA cannot force a country to implement or enforce nuclear safety and security standards,” Rauf said in a telephone interview. “They can only advise and then it is up to … the state itself,” specifically the national nuclear regulator. In Ukraine, that is further complicated by the Russian occupation of the power station.
The IAEA is not the only international organization seeking to locate staff permanently in Ukraine amid the ongoing war.
International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan has visited Ukraine three times, set up an office in the country and sent investigators into a conflict zone to gather evidence amid widespread reports of atrocities. National governments including the Netherlands have sent expert investigators to help the court.
Khan told a United Nations meeting in April: “This is a time when we need to mobilize the law and send it into battle, not on the side of Ukraine against the Russian Federation or on the side of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, but on the side of humanity to protect, to preserve, to shield people … who have certain basic rights.”
The International Commission on Missing Persons, which uses a high-tech laboratory in The Hague to assist countries attempting to identify bodies, has already sent three missions to Ukraine and set up an office there.
Grossi, an Argentine diplomat, was previously a high-ranking official at the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, an organization that, after he had left, also was forced to send inspectors to conflicts.
In April 2018, an OPCW team sent to collect evidence of a suspected chlorine attack in Douma, Syria, was forced to wait in a hotel for days because of security concerns in the town, which was at the time under the protection of Russian military police.
When a U.N. security team visited Douma, gunmen shot at them and detonated an explosive, further delaying the OPCW’s fact-finding mission.
The IAEA’s biggest operation to monitor any country’s nuclear program is Iran, where it has been the key arbiter in determining the size, scope and aspects of Tehran’s program during the decades of tensions over it. Since Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, the IAEA has had surveillance cameras and physical inspections at Iranian sites, even as questions persist over Iran’s military nuclear program, which the agency said ended in 2003.
But that monitoring hasn’t been easy. Since then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the deal in 2018, Iran has stopped the IAEA from accessing footage from its surveillance cameras. Other online monitoring devices have been affected as well.
In 2019, Iran alleged an IAEA inspector tested positive for suspected traces of explosive nitrates while trying to visit Iran’s underground Natanz nuclear facility. The IAEA strongly disputed Iran’s description of the incident, as did the U.S.
Another risky and challenging mission was in the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster in Japan. About two weeks after the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami that caused reactor meltdowns and hydrogen explosions at reactor buildings, IAEA sent experts to monitor radiation, sample soil and check food safety, but they largely stayed outside of the plant. They returned later in full hazmat suits, masks, gloves and helmets to inspect the remains of the stricken Fukushima Daiichi plant.
The situation in Zaporizhzhia, with Russia and Ukraine trading accusations of shelling the area, has the potential to be just as devastating.
“Any time a nuclear power plant is in the middle of armed hostilities, shelling on its territory and nearby creates unacceptable risks,” Rauf said. “So, you know, any misfired shell could hit one of the reactors or disable some system that can lead to much bigger consequences.”
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Associated Press writers Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed.
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Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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MILWAUKEE (AP) — A man was killed by Milwaukee officers after he led them on a chase into a busy downtown bar district, then got out of his vehicle and opened fire on them, police said.
One bystander, a 22-year-old Hudson woman, was hit by gunfire in the Friday night shootout, police said. Authorities said they did not immediately know if she was shot by police or by the man; police said her injuries were not life-threatening and she was treated at a local hospital. No officers were hit by gunfire.
Police said the 47-year-old Milwaukee man was wanted in a homicide and police had spotted him in a vehicle and tried to stop him at about 11 p.m. Friday when he fled. When the chase ended downtown, police said, the man got out of his vehicle and “fired several shots at officers.” Several officers shot back, killing him, police said.
A video circulating on social media shows at least five police cars chasing a pickup truck before multiple shots are heard. In another video, multiple people can be seen standing on the sidewalk as police cars drive by with lights and sirens, then they scatter as gunshots ring out.
Police have not released the names of the man or the injured bystander, who they say was not involved. Police said the man’s firearm was recovered, but they did not release details about what kind of firearm it was.
The eight officers involved have been placed on administrative duty, as is routine in police shootings. The officers range in age from 22 to 47, and have varying levels of experience, ranging from more than three years to more than 12 years with Milwaukee Police Department.
The Oak Creek Police Department is leading the investigation and said Saturday that they had no additional details to release, citing the ongoing investigation. The Milwaukee Police Department referred questions to the medical examiner and to Oak Creek police.
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| 2022-09-21T11:59:12Z
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — When Juliana Macedo do Nascimento signed up for an Obama-era program to shield immigrants who came to the country as young children from deportation, she enrolled at California State University, Los Angeles, transitioning from jobs in housekeeping, child care, auto repair and a construction company.
Now, a decade later at age 36, graduate studies at Princeton University are behind her and she works in Washington as deputy director of advocacy for United We Dream, a national group.
“Dreamers” like Macedo do Nascimento, long a symbol of immigrant youth, are increasingly easing into middle age as eligibility requirements have been frozen since 2012, when the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program was introduced.
The oldest recipients were in their early 30s when DACA began and are in their early 40s today. At the same time, fewer people turning 16 can meet a requirement to have been in the United States continuously since June 2007.
The average age of a DACA recipient was 28.2 years in March, up from 23.8 in September 2017, according to the Migration Policy Institute. About 40% are 30 or older, according to fwd.us, a group that supports DACA.
As fewer are eligible and new enrollments have been closed since July 2021 under court order, the number of DACA recipients fell to just above 600,000 at the end of March, according to government figures.
Beneficiaries have become homeowners and married. Many have U.S. citizen children.
“DACA is not for young people,” Macedo do Nascimento said. “They’re not even eligible for it anymore. We are well into middle age.”
Born out of President Barack Obama’s frustration with Congress’ failure to reach an agreement on immigration reform, DACA was meant to be a temporary solution and many saw it as imperfect from the start. Immigration advocates were disappointed the policy didn’t include a pathway to citizenship and warned the program’s need to be renewed every two years would leave many feeling in limbo. Opponents, including many Republicans, saw the policy a legal overreach on Obama’s part and criticized it as rewarding people who hadn’t followed immigration law.
In a move intended to insulate DACA from legal challenge, the Biden administration released a 453-page rule on Aug. 24 that sticks closely to DACA as it was introduced in 2012. It codified DACA as a regulation by subjecting it to potential changes after extensive public comment.
DACA advocates welcomed the regulation but were disappointed that age eligibility was unchanged.
The rule was “a missed opportunity,” said Karen Tumlin, an attorney and director of Justice Action Center. DACA, she said, was “locked in time, like a fossil preserved in amber.”
The administration weighed expanding age eligibility but decided against it, said Ur Jaddou, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which administers the program.
“The president told us, ‘How do we preserve and fortify DACA? How do we ensure the security of the program and how best to do that?’ and this was the determination that was made after a lot of thought and careful consideration,” Jaddou said Monday in Los Angeles.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which is considering a challenge to DACA from Texas and eight other states, asked both sides to explain how the new rule affects the program’s legal standing.
Texas, in a court filing Thursday, said the rule can’t save DACA. The states conceded that it’s similar to the 2012 memo that created the program but that they “share many of the same defects.”
The executive branch has “neither the authority to decide the major questions that DACA addresses, nor the power to confer substantive immigration benefits,” the states wrote.
The Justice Department argued the new rule — “substantively identical” to the original program — renders moot the argument that the administration failed to follow federal rule-making procedures.
DACA has been closed to new enrollees since July 2021 while the case winds its way through the New Orleans-based appeals court but two-year renewals are allowed.
Uncertainty surrounding DACA has caused anxiety and frustration among aging recipients.
Pamela Chomba, 32, arrived with her family from Peru at age 11 and settled in New Jersey. She worries about losing her job and missing mortgage payments if DACA is ruled illegal. She put off becoming a mother because she doesn’t know if she can stay in the U.S. and doesn’t want to be a “burden” on her children.
“We’re people with lives and plans, and we really just want to make sure that we can feel safe,” said Chomba, director of state immigration campaigns for fwd.us.
Macedo do Nascimento was 14 when she arrived with her family from Brazil in 2001. She has not seen a brother who returned to Brazil just before DACA was announced in 10 years. International travel under DACA is highly restricted.
Like Biden and many DACA advocates, she believes legislation is the answer.
“Congress is the ultimate solution here,” she said. “(Both parties) keep passing the ball between each other.
The uncertainty has affected her, the eldest of three siblings.
“The fear of being deported has come back,” Macedo do Nascimento said, because “you never know when this policy is going to end.”
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Sainz reported from Memphis, Tennessee.
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| 2022-09-21T11:59:19Z
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ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan appealed Saturday to the international community for an “immense humanitarian response” to unprecedented flooding that has left at least 1,265 people dead. The request came even as planes carried supplies to the impoverished country across a humanitarian air bridge.
Federal planning minister Ahsan Iqbal called for an “immense humanitarian response for 33 million people” affected by monsoon rains that triggered devastating floods. International attention to Pakistan’s plight has increased as the number of fatalities and homeless have risen. According to initial government estimates, the rain and flooding have caused $10 billion in damage.
“The scale of devastation is massive and requires an immense humanitarian response for 33 million people. For this I appeal to my fellow Pakistanis, Pakistan expatriates and the international community to help Pakistan in this hour of need,” he said at a news conference.
Multiple officials and experts have blamed the unusual monsoon rains and flooding on climate change, including U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who earlier this week called on the world to stop “sleepwalking” through the deadly crisis. He will visit Pakistan on Sept. 9 to tour flood-hit areas and meet with officials.
Earlier this week, the United Nations and Pakistan jointly issued an appeal for $160 million in emergency funding to help the millions of people affected by the floods, which have damaged over 1 million homes.
Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority in its latest report Saturday counted 57 more deaths from flood-affected areas. That brought the total death toll since monsoon rains began in mid-June to 1,265, including 441 children.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s earlier appeal for aid got a quick response from the international community, which sent planes loaded with relief goods. A French aircraft carrying relief goods landed in Islamabad on Saturday and was received by Minister for National Health Services Abdul Qadir Patel.
That French plane’s arrival followed the ninth flight from the United Arab Emirates and the first from Uzbekistan. Those flights were the latest to land in Islamabad overnight.
Patel said the relief goods sent by France included medicine and large dewatering pumps to reduce water levels. He said France has also sent a team of doctors and experts.
Pakistan has established a National Flood Response and Coordination Center to distribute the arriving aid among the affected population. Iqbal is supervising the army-led center.
The minister said rains this monsoon season have lashed most areas of Baluchistan and Sindh provinces as well as parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces. The Gilgit-Baltistan territory was also affected. The torrential rains and subsequent flash floods caused massive damage to infrastructure, roads, electricity and communications networks.
Iqbal said the government is working to bring normalcy back to the country as soon as possible but that the Pakistani government can’t do it alone.
Maj. Gen Zafar Iqbal, head of the flood response center and no relation to the planning minister, said in the news conference that over the last four days, 29 planes loaded with relief goods arrived in Pakistan from Turkey, the UAE, China, Qatar, Uzbekistan, Jordan, Turkmenistan and other countries.
Military spokesman Maj. Gen Iftikhar Babar said rescuers supported by the military were continuing rescue and relief operations. He said army aviation, air force and navy troops were using boats and helicopters to evacuate people from remote regions and to deliver aid.
Babar said the army has established 147 relief camps sheltering and feeding more than 50,000 displaced people while 250 medical camps have provided help to 83,000 people so far.
Health officials have expressed concern about the spread of water borne diseases among the homeless people living in relief camps and in tents alongside roads.
Lt. Gen. Akhtar Nawaz, head of the disaster management authority, said areas of the country expected to receive 15% to 20% additional rains this year actually received in excess of 400% more. Collectively, the country has seen 190% more rain this monsoon season.
The U.S. military’s Central Command has said it will send an assessment team to Islamabad to see what support it can provide. The United States announced $30 million worth of aid for the flood victims earlier this week.
Two members Congress, Sheila Jackson and Tom Suzy, were expected to arrive in Pakistan on Sunday to visit the flood affected areas and meet officials.
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| 2022-09-21T11:59:27Z
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RIPLEY, Miss. (AP) — An airport worker who knew how to take off but not land stole a small airplane Saturday and threatened to crash it into a Walmart, circling for five hours over unnerved Mississippians before ending the flight safely in a soybean field where police arrested him.
Cory Wayne Patterson, 29, was uninjured after the rough landing shortly after posting a goodbye message to his parents and sister on Facebook, authorities said at a news conference. The message said he “never actually wanted to hurt anyone.”
After an anxious morning of watching the plane’s meandering path overhead, Tupelo Mayor Todd Jordan called the resolution “the best case scenario.”
No one was injured.
Patterson was employed fueling planes at the Tupelo Regional Airport, giving him access to the twin-engine Beechcraft King Air C90A, police Chief John Quaka said.
It was not immediately known why, shortly after 5 a.m., the 10-year Tupelo Aviation employee took off in the fully fueled plane. Fifteen minutes later, Patterson called a Lee County 911 dispatcher to say he planned to crash the plane into a Tupelo Walmart, Quaka said. Officers evacuated people from the Walmart and a nearby convenience store.
“This is more likely a crime of opportunity,” said Quaka, adding that the airport’s tower is not staffed until 6 a.m.
Police negotiators were able to make contact during the flight and convince Patterson to land, but he didn’t know how. He was coached by a private pilot into nearly landing at the Tupelo airport but he aborted the attempt at the last minute and resumed the flight, authorities said.
A negotiator re-established contact around 10 a.m., and learned Patterson had landed in a field and was uninjured, Quaka said. The plane landed near Ripley, Mississippi, about about 85 miles (140 kilometers) southeast of Memphis, Tennessee, and about 45 miles (70 kilometers) northwest of Tupelo.
“There’s damage but believe it or not, the aircraft is intact,” the chief told reporters.
Patterson, whose Facebook page said he is from Shannon, was charged with grand larceny and making terroristic threats. Quaka said federal authorities also could bring charges. Police said Patterson is not believed to be a licensed pilot but has some flight instruction.
Jordan said Patterson contacted family members during the flight. The mayor said he hopes Patterson “will get the help he needs.”
“Sorry everyone. Never wanted to actually hurt anyone. I love my parents and sister this isn’t your fault. Goodbye,” read Patterson’s Facebook message posted at about 9:30 a.m.
Peter Goelz, former managing director at the National Transportation Safety Board, said the vulnerability of small airports, which cater to small planes and corporate jets, has worried security experts for years.
“If you’ve got a trained pilot who can get in and grab a business jet, you’ve got a pretty lethal weapon there,” he said.
Ripley resident Roxanne Ward told The Associated Press she had been tracking the plane online and went to her father-in-law’s house with plans to go into the basement for safety. She said she heard the thud as the plane hit the ground on her father-in-law’s property.
She and others got onto four-wheelers to ride over.
“As soon as it crashed, police were there and waiting,” said Ward, who watched from a distance. “Police coaxed him out. They yelled at him, ‘Arms in the air.’” She said the pilot got out of the plane without resisting police.
Michael Canders, director of the Aviation Center at Farmingdale State College in New York, called the incident “a wake-up call” for general aviation airports and their staff.
The Transportation Security Administration requires annual training emphasizing a “see something, say something” approach to try and prevent a scenario like what police believe occurred in Tupelo — an employee with access to aircraft, Canders said.
“This very thing is discussed in the course, the potential for somebody gaining access and intent on damage,” he said. “It’s dependent on all of those who work at an airport. If you see someone you don’t recognize or some unusual activity, you’re supposed to report that.”
An online flight tracking service showed the plane’s swirling path through the sky early Saturday.
Leslie Criss, a magazine editor who lives in Tupelo, woke up early and was watching the situation on TV and social media. Several of her friends were outside watching the plane circle overhead.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in this town,” Criss told AP. “It’s a scary way to wake up on a Saturday morning.”
Goelz said the FAA and Department of Homeland Security would likely examine the incident and issue guidance focused on tightening up security, a potentially costly prospect.
“For an airport like Tupelo, for them to crank up security for Saturday morning at 5 a.m., when their tower doesn’t open until 6 — that’s expensive,’’ Goelz said. “They’re not going to have the funds unless the feds are going to provide it.’’
The airplane drama unfolded as tens of thousands of college football fans were headed to north Mississippi for Saturday football games at the University of Mississippi in Oxford and Mississippi State University in Starkville. Tupelo is between those two cities.
Jane and Daniel Alsup stood out in their front yard near where the plane landed and watched it circle low over the pine and oak trees.
“He left for a while, then we heard him come back. Just a few seconds later, we heard a big old ‘flump’ and he landed out in the soybean field,” Jane Alsup said.
Daniel Alsup said the plane landed on the other side of some trees, so they did not see it hit the ground.
“This was the best place it could have happened,” he said of the rural landing site.
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Wagster Pettus reported from Jackson, Mississippi. Associated Press writers Michael Balsamo in New York, Kathleen Foody in Chicago and Paul Wiseman in Martinsburg, West Virginia, contributed to this report.
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| 2022-09-21T11:59:34Z
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WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Ewa Jaworska has been a teacher since 2008 and loves working with young people. But the low pay is leaving her demoralized. She even has to buy her own teaching materials sometimes, and is disheartened by the government using schools to promote conservative ideas which she sees as backward.
Like many other Polish teachers she is considering a career change.
“I keep hoping that the situation might still change,” said the 44-year-old, who teaches in a Warsaw high school. “But unfortunately it is changing for the worse, so only time will tell if this year will be my last.”
Problems are mounting in schools in Poland, with a teacher shortage growing worse and many educators and parents fearing that the educational system is being used to indoctrinate young people into the ruling party’s conservative and nationalistic vision.
It’s very much the same in Hungary. Black-clad teachers in Budapest carried black umbrellas to protest stagnant wages and heavy workloads on the first day of school Thursday. Teachers’ union PSZ said young teachers earn a “humiliating” monthly after-tax salary of just 500 euros (dollars) that has prompted many to walk away.
Thousands of people marched in solidarity with teachers on Friday in Budapest, voicing the view that the teachers’ low compensation is linked to the authoritarian direction of Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government.
“Free country, free education!” they shouted,
Teacher shortages could hardly come at a worse time, with both countries trying to integrate Ukrainian refugees. It’s particularly challenging for Poland, where hundreds of thousands of school-aged Ukrainian refugees now live.
Nearly 200,000 Ukrainian students, most of whom do not speak Polish, already entered Polish schools after the war began on Feb. 24. The education minister has said the overall number of Ukrainian students could triple this coming school year, depending on how the war unfolds.
Andrzej Wyrozembski, the principal of the high school in Warsaw’s Zoliborz district where Jaworska works, has set up two classes for 50 Ukrainians in his school. He said his Ukrainian students who arrived in the spring are quickly learning Polish, a related Slavic language. The real difficulty is finding teachers, particularly for physics, chemistry, computer science, and even for Polish.
Across central Europe, government wages haven’t kept pace with the private sector, leaving teachers, nurses and others with far less purchasing power.
The situation is expected to grow worse as many teachers near retirement and ever fewer young people choose the poorly paid profession, especially when inflation has exploded to 16% in Poland and nearly 14% in Hungary.
According to the Polish teachers’ union, schools in the country are short 20,000 teachers. Hungary, with a much smaller population, has a 16,000-teacher shortage.
“We don’t have young teachers,” said Slawomir Broniarz, the president of the Polish Teachers’ Trade Union, or ZNP, citing the starting salary of 3,400 zlotys ($720) pre-tax as the key reason.
Polish Education Minister Przemyslaw Czarnek has disputed the figures, saying teacher vacancies were closer to 13,000, adding it isn’t a huge number in proportion to the 700,000 teachers nationwide. He accuses the union and political opposition of exaggerating the problem.
Many educators strongly oppose the conservative ideology of the nationalist government and Czarnek himself, viewing him as a Catholic fundamentalist. His appointment in 2020 sparked protests because he had said LGBTQ people aren’t equal to “normal people” and that a woman’s main role is to have children.
Criticism has recently focused on a new school textbook on contemporary history. It has a section on ideologies that presents liberalism and feminism alongside Nazism. A section interpreted as denouncing in-vitro fertilization was so controversial that it was removed.
In Hungary, Erzsebet Nagy, a committee member of the Democratic Union of Hungarian Teachers, said teachers have been leaving the profession “in droves.”
“Young people aren’t coming into the profession, and very few of those who earn a teaching certificate from high school or university go on to teach,” said Nagy. “Even if they do, most of them leave within two years.”
Hungarian unions have also complained about the centralization of the country’s education system. Curriculums, textbooks and all decision-making are controlled by a central body formed in 2012 by Hungary’s nationalist government.
“Our professional autonomy is continually being eliminated,” said Nagy. “We have no freedom to choose textbooks. There are only two to choose from in each subject and both are of terrible quality. They’ve blocked the possibility for a free intellectual life.”
Worried about their children’s futures, families are rejecting the public schools. New private schools are opening but they still can’t meet the demand.
Polish architect Piotr Polatynski was ready to take a second job just to pay private school tuition for his fourth-grade daughter. But as a new school year began this week, a lack of places in private schools forced him and his wife to send her back to a public neighborhood school, which they feel isn’t providing the kind of education his daughter deserves.
He still hopes a spot might still open up somewhere as he fumes over the state of the education system.
“We don’t believe that the current government is capable of making changes that would encourage young people to enter the teaching profession and bring any kind of meaningful energy to this whole system,” he said.
___
Spike reported from Budapest. Bela Szandelszky contributed from Budapest.
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| 2022-09-21T11:59:49Z
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The leading provider of enterprise water management solutions adds three senior executives as it continues its mission to cut water waste and carbon emissions in buildings
NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- WINT Water Intelligence, a leader in cutting-edge water management and leak-prevention solutions for construction, commercial, residential and industrial applications, announces the strategic expansion of its leadership team to support the company's continuing growth to execute on its mission to help organizations reduce water waste, carbon emissions and the environmental footprint of buildings.
As part of its ongoing effort to equip companies with innovative tools to address the global water crisis and climate change, WINT has named Gil Briman chief operating officer. He is joined by Josh Edwards, WINT's new vice president of North American sales, and Deborah Margalit, the company's new vice president of marketing.
As COO, Briman will support the company in leading and scaling its growth and global business operations as he oversees customer delivery, customer success and support.
"I am thrilled to join WINT at a time of exciting, accelerated growth, with the company focused on scaling to serve the needs of its growing client base," Briman said. "As the global water crisis and climate change grow more urgent every day, WINT is best positioned to meet the fast-growing demand for solutions that address the major issues related to water waste and damage in the built environment."
Briman has over 25 years of experience leading global software and hardware technology companies. Before joining WINT, he served as CEO of Solcon and Briefcam. Prior to that, he was the regional vice president of Asia Pacific for Mellanox (later acquired by Nvidia), and vice president and general manager of a large division at Amdocs.
With more than 15 years of experience in software sales and sales management, Edwards emphasizes strategy, sales execution and maximizing value. Within the last seven years, Edwards' sales teams have been part of two successful exits in the environmental, health and safety software industry.
Margalit has more than 18 years of experience in marketing, investor relations and general management at telcos and high-tech companies. Before joining WINT, she co-founded Tydex, a service company providing marketing services to startups, and served as part-time CMO in two B2B SaaS startups, MyPRM and TimeTonic. Previously, Margalit worked for 10 years at Perion Networks, where she held several management positions, including general manager of Smilebox, an online self-service creative platform.
"Gil brings an extensive track record of operational excellence and powerful strategic vision, and we are excited to have him on board," Geva said. "Operations is a key role for the company as we grow to meet the needs of customers who need solutions for the growing challenges of water waste and water-related damages. Josh is already implementing his sales execution experience as he builds a state-of-the-art sales organization to drive revenue and reach new markets, and Deborah's wealth of business and technology experience give her the unique ability to build a brand that supports our expanding sales reach."
The built environment has been identified as a major contributor to the global water shortage crisis, with more than 25% of the water going into buildings wasted through inefficiency, equipment failure and human behavior. Water waste additionally serves as a significant source of carbon emissions. WINT uses AI and machine learning to conduct real-time water-flow analysis to identify leaks, cut waste and risk, and reduce carbon emissions.
For more information about WINT, visit https://wint.ai.
About WINT
WINT is dedicated to helping businesses reduce their environmental footprint by prevent the hazards, costs, waste and environmental impact associated with water leaks and waste. Utilizing the power of artificial intelligence and IoT technology, WINT provides a solution for commercial facilities, construction sites and industrial manufacturers looking to cut water waste, reduce carbon emissions and eliminate the impact of water-leak disasters. WINT has been recognized by Fast Company and CB Insights as one of the world's most innovative AI companies and has won multiple awards including "Next Big things in Tech" and Insurance Times' claims prevention technology award. For more information about WINT, visit https://wint.ai.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Heather Ripley
Ripley PR
(865) 977-1973
hripley@ripleypr.com
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ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP) — The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog said Saturday that the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine was disconnected to its last external power line but was still able to run electricity through a reserve line amid sustained shelling in the area.
International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi said in a statement that the agency’s experts, who arrived at Zaporizhzhia on Thursday, were told by senior Ukrainian staff that the fourth and last operational line was down. The three others were lost earlier during the conflict.
But the IAEA experts learned that the reserve line linking the facility to a nearby thermal power plant was delivering the electricity the plant generates to the external grid, the statement said. The same reserve line can also provide backup power to the plant if needed, it added.
“We already have a better understanding of the functionality of the reserve power line in connecting the facility to the grid,” Grossi said. “This is crucial information in assessing the overall situation there.”
In addition, the plant’s management informed the IAEA that one reactor was disconnected Saturday afternoon because of grid restrictions. Another reactor is still operating and producing electricity both for cooling and other essential safety functions at the site and for households, factories and others through the grid, the statement said.
The Zaporizhzhia facility, which is Europe’s largest nuclear plant, has been held by Russian forces since early March, but its Ukrainian staff are continuing to operate it.
The Russian-appointed city administration in Enerhodar, where the Zaporizhzhia plant is located, blamed an alleged Ukrainian shelling attack on Saturday morning for destroying a key power line.
“The provision of electricity to the territories controlled by Ukraine has been suspended due to technical difficulties,” the municipal administration said in a post on its official Telegram channel. It wasn’t clear whether electricity from the plant was still reaching Russian-held areas.
Vladimir Rogov, a member of the Kremlin-appointed regional administration said on Telegram that a shell had struck an area between two reactors. His claims couldn’t be immediately verified.
Over the past several weeks, Ukraine and Russia have traded blame over shelling at and near the plant, while also accusing each other of attempts to derail the visit by IAEA experts, whose mission is meant to help secure the site. Grossi said their presence at the site is “a game changer.”
Russia’s Defense Ministry said that Ukrainian troops launched another attempt to seize the plant late Friday, despite the presence of the IAEA monitors, sending 42 boats with 250 special forces personnel and foreign “mercenaries” to attempt a landing on the bank of the nearby Kakhovka reservoir.
The ministry said that four Russian fighter jets and two helicopter gunships destroyed about 20 boats and the others turned back. It added that the Russian artillery struck the Ukrainian-controlled right bank of the Dnieper River to target the retreating landing party.
The ministry claimed that the Russian military killed 47 troops, including 10 “mercenaries” and wounded 23. The Russian claims couldn’t be independently verified.
The plant has repeatedly suffered complete disconnection from Ukraine’s power grid since last week, with the country’s nuclear energy operator Enerhoatom blaming mortar shelling and fires near the site.
Local Ukrainian authorities accused Moscow of pounding two cities that overlook the plant across the Dnieper river with rockets, also an accusation they have made repeatedly over the past weeks.
In Zorya, a small village about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the Zaporizhzhia plant, residents on Friday could hear the sound of explosions in the area.
It’s not the shelling that scared them the most, but the risk of a radioactive leak in the plant.
“The power plant, yes, this is the scariest,” said Natalia Stokoz, a mother of three. “Because the kids and adults will be affected, and it’s scary if the nuclear power plant is blown up.”
Oleksandr Pasko, a 31-year-old farmer, said “there is anxiety because we are quite close.” Pasko said that the Russian shelling has intensified in recent weeks.
During the first weeks of the war, authorities gave iodine tablets and masks to people living near the plant in case of radiation exposure.
Recently, they’ve also distributed iodine pills in Zaporizhzhia city, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the plant.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered to take the role of “facilitator” on the issue of the Zaporizhzhia plant, in a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, according to a statement from the Turkish presidency.
The Ukrainian military on Saturday morning reported that Russian forces overnight pressed their stalled advance in the country’s industrial east, while also trying to hold on to areas captured in Ukraine’s northeast and south, including in the Kherson region cited as the target of Kyiv’s recent counteroffensive.
It added that Ukrainian forces repelled around a half-dozen Russian attacks across the Donetsk region, including near two cities singled out as key targets of Moscow’s grinding effort to capture the rest of the province. The Donetsk region is one of two that make up Ukraine’s industrial heartland of the Donbas, alongside Luhansk, which was overrun by Russian troops in early July.
Separately, the British military confirmed in its regular update Saturday morning that Ukrainian forces were conducting “renewed offensive operations” in the south of Ukraine, advancing along a broad front west of the Dnieper and focusing on three axes within the Russian-occupied Kherson region.
“The operation has limited immediate objectives, but Ukraine’s forces have likely achieved a degree of tactical surprise; exploiting poor logistics, administration and leadership in the Russian armed forces,” the U.K. defense ministry tweeted.
Russian shelling killed an 8-year-old child and wounded at least four others in a southern Ukrainian town close to the Kherson region, Ukrainian officials said.
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Joanna Kozlowska reported from London.
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Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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A library where Rosa Parks, John Lewis and other civil rights leaders forged strategies that would change the world is mired in controversy over who gets to tell its story.
On one side are preservationists who want to turn the Highlander Folk School library into a historic site. On the other, political organizers say Highlander never stopped pursuing social justice and should recover the building as a stolen part of its legacy.
Enraged by race-mixing at the Highlander Folk School in the 1950s, Tennessee officials confiscated the property and auctioned it off in pieces in a vain attempt at stifling the civil rights movement. The library is one of the few remaining campus buildings.
But Highlander as an institution never really closed — it just moved locations. It lives on today as the Highlander Research and Education Center, whose leaders are rallying opposition to listing the library in the National Register of Historic Places, saying they were frozen out of the process.
David Currey, a board member at the Tennessee Preservation Trust, has managed the library’s restoration since the trust bought the site in 2014, saving it from redevelopment. He said his goal has always been to preserve the site so that visitors can learn about the momentous events that happened there in the first half of the 20th Century. There would be few books or movies if stories could only be told by those directly involved, he said, and “Nobody owns the past.”
“It’s a myth that they are best suited to tell our history,” said Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson, Highlander’s first Black co-director. “People who made that history are still alive.”
A letter Highlander sent to the historic registry says the Trust is not fit to serve as stewards, stoking racial tension over a place that promoted a shared struggle for interracial harmony.
“Approving the nomination of the Highlander Folk School Library in its current form will allow an elite, white-led institution to coopt and control the historical narrative of a site most significant for its work with Black, multiracial, poor and working-class communities,” states the letter, which also accuses trust members of having glorified the Confederacy.
Currey, who is white, frames the issue much differently. He says the trust stepped in to preserve the property when no one else would, and plans to celebrate Highlander’s past accomplishments.
“Our cause from the start has been an honorable endeavor to recognize and pay tribute to the history and legacy of the early 20th century’s social justice movements in Tennessee, including labor struggles and Civil Rights, and its leaders,” Currey wrote in an email to the AP.
Founded in the 1930s as a center for union organizing, the school in Monteagle, Tenn., counted first lady Eleanor Roosevelt among its early supporters. Protest music was integral to its work, with Woody Guthrie leading singalongs to inspire future demonstrations, and Pete Seeger workshopping “We Shall Overcome” into an anthem sung by activists ever since.
Highlander’s co-founder and longtime leader, Myles Horton, a white man, created a space almost unique in the Jim Crow South, where activists white and Black could build and strengthen alliances.
Parks attended a Highlander workshop a few months before refusing to move to the back of a segregated city bus in Montgomery, Alabama. “It was one of the few times in my life up to that point when I did not feel hostility from white people,” she wrote in her autobiography.
Lewis had a similar experience, long before he became a civil rights icon and congressman. Highlander “was the first time in my life that I saw black people and white people not just sitting down together at long tables for shared meals, but also cleaning up together afterward, doing the dishes together, gathering together late into the night in deep discussion,” he wrote in a memoir.
The school’s success made it a target — labeled communist, investigated by the FBI and raided by the state of Tennessee, which eventually revoked its charter. Original buildings were destroyed. The library was converted to a single-family home.
But Highlander didn’t disappear — it just moved three hours northeast to New Market, Tenn., near Knoxville.
“The property was stolen from us because it was bringing Black and white people together to preserve democracy,” Henderson said. “The land should be repatriated, back to the Highlander Folk School, which is now the Highlander Research and Education Center.”
The trust has spent seven years restoring the library to its original form. Local Grundy County donors contributed most of the funding, but Currey said he’s also spent thousands of his own dollars. His vision is to spin off a nonprofit, separate from the trust, that would own and operate the library as both a historic site and community resource, and Highlander could run a program explaining its ongoing justice and education work.
Henderson said she’s grateful the trust stepped in when the center couldn’t afford to, but she doesn’t see the old Folk School as separate from Highlander now, which is celebrating 90 years of organizing with a homecoming later this month. She said the center recently offered to buy the library from the trust, but got no definitive answer.
“If there’s going to be a transfer, why wouldn’t it be to Highlander?” Co-director Allyn Maxfield-Steele asked. If Highlander controlled the building, it would develop a plan for its use together with “folks on the ground in Grundy County,” he said.
Currey still hopes the trust and center can work together to promote the legacy of a building both organizations see as incredibly important.
Getting listed in the National Registry would open up new sources of funding in a state that doesn’t provide tax incentives for historic preservation, Currey said. He worries that the controversy over Highlander will make preservationists less likely to take on a similar project in the future.
“It’s already so difficult in Tennessee to save some of our historic resources,” Currey said. “This may be one of the most high-profile civil rights sites — as John Lewis told me — in the nation.”
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COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka’s ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who returned home after seven weeks in exile following protests over economic hardships, could face legal action over forced disappearances of activists now that he has been stripped of constitutional immunity, a lawyer said Saturday.
Rajapaksa flew to Colombo around midnight Friday from Thailand and was escorted under military guard to his new home in the capital.
He has no pending court cases because he was protected by constitutional immunity as president. A corruption case against him during his time as a top defense official was withdrawn soon after he was elected in 2019.
However, Rajapaksa will be served a summons next week to appear at the Supreme Court, where his immunity from testifying on the forced disappearance of two young political activists is challenged, said lawyer Nuwan Bopage, who represents the victims’ families. He said Rajapaksa fled the country when he was about to be served a summons in July.
The disappearances took place 12 years ago soon after the end of the country’s long civil war when Rajapaksa was a powerful official at the Defense Ministry under the presidency of his older brother.
At the time, Rajapaksa was accused of overseeing abduction squads that whisked away rebel suspects, critical journalists and activists, many of them never to be seen again. He has previously denied any wrongdoing.
Rajapaksa escaped from his official residence when tens of thousands of people, angry over economic hardships when the country slipped into bankruptcy and faced unprecedented shortages of basic supplies, stormed the building on July 9. Days later, he, his wife and two bodyguards flew about a military plane to the Maldives. A day later he went to Singapore, and later Thailand.
Sri Lanka has run out of dollars for imports of key supplies, causing an acute shortage of essentials like food items, fuel and critical medicine.
The foreign currency shortage has led the country to default on its foreign loans. Sri Lanka’s total foreign debt exceeds $ 51 billion of which $ 28 billion must be repaid by 2027.
The International Monetary Fund on Thursday agreed to provide Sri Lanka $ 2.9 billion over four years, subject to management approval that will come only if the island nation’s creditors give assurances on debt restructuring.
Economic difficulties led to monthslong street protests, which eventually led to the collapse of the once-powerful Rajapaksa family that had controlled the affairs of the country for the most part of the last two decades. Before Rajapaksa resigned after fleeing, his older brother stepped down as prime minister and three other close family members quit their Cabinet positions.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who took over from Rajapaksa, has since cracked down on protests and dismantled their main camp opposite the president’s office.
Some protesters said they were not opposed to his return as long as he faces justice.
“Whether he is president or not, he is a citizen of Sri Lanka and he has the right to live in this country,” said Wijaya Nanda Chandradeva, a retired government employee who had voted for Rajapaksa and then participated in protests to oust him. He said Rajapaksa should be given necessary protection if there is a threat to his safety.
“I reject him because we elected him and he proved himself to be unsuitable,” said Chandradeva.
Bhavani Fonseka of the Center for Policy Alternatives, an independent think tank, said although Rajapaska is not going to be seen favorably, “the anger we saw in July has diminished. But there are still many questions about his role in the economic crisis and the call for accountability is still there.”
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Pathi reported from New Delhi.
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HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Opposition politicians languishing in prison. Journalists and government critics harassed and arrested. Public meetings banned.
Zimbabwe’s general election is several months away but many opposition figures say they are already battling intense government repression similar to the iron-fisted rule of Robert Mugabe, the former president who died in 2019.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government is responding with force to opposition to his rule, stoked by worsening economic conditions including inflation at more than 250% and the emergence of a popular new party.
Among those suffering from the government’s dragnet is opposition member of parliament Job Sikhala, who has been detained in the harsh Chikurubi prison near the capital, Harare, for close to three months on accusations of inciting violence.
The fiery 50-year-old Sikhala has been arrested more than 65 times in his two-decade political career but has never been convicted of any crime, say his lawyers.
Most recently Sikhala was arrested in June with more than two dozen other activists of the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change, known as the CCC, and accused of fanning violence after skirmishes with ruling party supporters. Repeated attempts to get bail for him and the others have failed.
“The reason they have not been given bail is because they (prosecutors) know they will not get convicted. The idea is to make them serve,” said lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa.
“They know they don’t have the evidence to prove the cases,” said Mtetwa, saying the government’s legal tactics are “lawfare” to weaken political opponents.
Criticism of Mnangagwa’s government has been stoked by Zimbabwe’s inflation, currently estimated to be one of the world’s highest and rising numbers of people pushed into informal trade such as street vending. More than two-thirds of Zimbabweans eke out a living in the informal sector, one of the highest rates in the world, according to the IMF.
Few of Zimbabwe’s poor believe the recent introduction of gold coins as legal tender will improve their day-to-day hardships.
The CCC party, launched in January and led by Nelson Chamisa, 44, has attracted considerable attention and followers. In response, police in Harare and other cities have been banning the party’s meetings, as well as gatherings of civic organizations and church groups perceived as government critics.
Dozens of people — including opposition supporters, political activists, journalists, church leaders, trade union members and student leaders — have been arrested and appear in court on various charges that legal experts say are harassment.
Mnangagwa’s strategy to stay in power appears to be to use the police, military, and security forces to keep the opposition in turmoil until elections are held next year, say analysts.
“The current environment has worrying indicators of the possibility of yet another violent and contested electoral period,” noted the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum in a statement in August.
Zimbabwe is facing “a breakdown in the rule of law and constitutionalism; overt militarization of government, security sector brutality, political polarization, exclusion and violence, shrinking civic space and widespread human rights violations,” said the group.
In recent weeks Mnangagwa has called for peace while at the same time lambasting the opposition and accusing it of being sponsored by Western powers.
It’s similar to the ways of Mugabe, who in his 37 years in power used harsh repression against all opposition. Although Mugabe was forced to resign in 2017, the same party remains in power.
ZANU-PF fought a bitter and bloody war throughout the 1970s, with backing from China, against the white-minority regime of Rhodesia. The guerilla movement won elections in 1980 and has ruled the country ever since, with a strong distrust of the West and multiparty politics.
“The complexities of Zimbabwe politics remain one where there was never a genuine transformation of the liberation movement of ZANU-PF into a political party suiting democratic dictates of the 21st century,” said Alexander Rusero, a Harare-based academic and political commentator.
“Liberation politics is informed by skepticism and binary characterization of citizens as either friends or enemies,” he said. “ZANU-PF continues to classify opposition parties and civil society activists as stooges of the West. It will continue to use its power to crush them, just like what happened during Mugabe’s time.”
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(NerdWallet) – The cost of an abortion — generally less than $750 in the U.S., according to Planned Parenthood — has not changed a great deal in recent years. However, access to abortions has been radically trimmed since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, opening the door to state-level restrictions on the procedure.
Residents of at least 26 states now have no or severely limited legal access to abortion services, as of August 2022. Those who choose to travel to another state for the medical procedure will have to take on additional costs, while medication abortion (which now accounts for more than half of all abortions) is likely to continue to grow as an option.
What is an abortion?
An abortion is a medical procedure that ends a pregnancy. The vast majority of abortions — 92.7% in 2019 — are performed within the first 13 weeks of pregnancy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
There are two kinds of abortions: surgical (or procedural) abortions and medication abortions. A surgical abortion is a safe, effective medical procedure, and most people who get surgical abortions can resume normal activities the next day. A medication abortion, commonly referred to as “the abortion pill,” is another safe, effective form of abortion in which two different pills are administered to end the pregnancy.
Since the Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade in June and ended federal protections for abortion, a person’s ability to get an abortion can vary widely based on how many weeks they’ve been pregnant and where they live. You can use this state-by-state guide on abortion access to determine what health care is accessible in your area.
How much does a surgical abortion cost?
While the average cost of a surgical abortion is generally less than $750, the exact cost can vary, depending in part on how long a person has been pregnant at the time of abortion.
According to a report from the University of California, San Francisco, the national median costs for an abortion in 2021 were:
- $625 for a first-trimester procedural abortion.
- $775 for a second-semester procedural abortion.
How much does an abortion pill cost?
Costs for a medication abortion can vary depending on the length of pregnancy, your insurance, and where the pills are bought or administered.
The national median cost for a medication abortion was $568 in 2021, according to UCSF. Depending on where you live, you can receive the abortion pill — again, a term that’s actually referring to two pills — at a health clinic, doctor’s office or Planned Parenthood. During the pandemic, it became possible to be prescribed medication abortion following a telehealth visit. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the pill for use up to 10 weeks into pregnancy.
States that have restricted abortion access have targeted both surgical and medication abortion, so availability of both methods is affected. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has said his department will fight state bans on the use of mifepristone, one of the two components in most medication abortions, so continued access to this form of abortion remains contested.
Does insurance cover abortions?
That’s a tricky question to answer, as circumstances are changing almost daily. In some states, insurance still technically offers coverage for what’s become an illegal procedure. In other states, abortion is legal, but certain health insurance plans are barred from covering the procedure.
Here’s what we do know:
- Per federal law, no health insurance plan is required to cover abortion.
- No federal funds can be used to pay for abortions, with the exception of abortions following rape, incest or life endangerment.
- All states are technically required to cover abortions that meet those federal exceptions.
Private insurance plans and employer-based insurance plans typically include abortion coverage. Some of these plans cover abortion only in cases of rape, incest or life endangerment. And if abortion is illegal in a given state, then insurance coverage is a moot point.
Here’s some state-by-state information on abortion coverage:
- In 26 states, health insurance plans sold through the public marketplace are banned from offering abortion coverage. All but two states — Louisiana and Tennessee — have exceptions for abortions resulting from rape, incest or life endangerment.
- In 10 states — Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Utah — no insurance plan, public or private, is allowed to cover abortion, with limited exceptions for rape, incest or to save the pregnant person’s life.
- Meanwhile, eight states — California, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon and Washington — require private insurance plans to provide abortion coverage.
- And in four states — California, New York, Oregon and Washington — all state-regulated health care plans, including plans on the Affordable Care Act marketplace, are required to cover abortion.
Where are abortions available?
In the months since federal protections for abortion were ended, some states have made efforts to protect the right to abortion, while others have sought to ban access to abortion in almost all instances. It’s a situation that’s changing day by day.
The American Civil Liberties Union, a nonprofit organization, is regularly updating its state-by-state abortion availability map.
The following information is updated as of August 2022.
Abortion is legal and accessible in these states, meaning there aren’t any state-level restrictions against the procedure: California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Washington.
Abortion laws are in flux in these states: Alaska, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Virginia.
And these states either have total bans on abortion or make it extremely difficult to obtain an abortion: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
Can I travel to get an abortion?
You can cross state lines to obtain an abortion. As it stands right now, there aren’t any laws against doing so.
However, some states have attempted to ban people from traveling for an abortion. Experts predict that more states could break from convention and start punishing people for going to another state to do something that’s illegal in their own state.
Before traveling to get an abortion, consider seeking legal advice regarding your state’s abortion laws. The American Bar Association offers free, confidential legal advice from lawyers volunteering to answer questions online.
If you decide to travel for an abortion, don’t forget to budget for all the potential costs associated with the trip. Some expenses to plan for include lodging, gas, food, child care, pet sitting, time off work and bus or plane tickets.
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Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement Expected in Q2 2023
VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Trilogy Metals Inc. (TSX: TMQ) (NYSE: TMQ) ("Trilogy" or the "Company") is providing an update on the Ambler Access Project ("AAP") – the proposed 211-mile, industrial-use-only road from the Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects ("UKMP") to the Dalton Highway.
The United States Bureau of Land Management ("USBLM") has published in the Federal Register a Notice of Intent ("NOI") that it will prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement ("SEIS") for the proposed Ambler Mining District Industrial Access Road. The NOI indicates that:
- The USBLM will accept comments related to the SEIS for 45 days so that the USBLM can determine which, if any, additional impacts and resources related to identified deficiencies should be more thoroughly assessed to facilitate integrating the USBLM's National Environmental Policy Act ("NEPA") analysis with its ongoing Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act Section 810 and National Historic Preservation Act Section 106 processes;
- Input by Alaska Native Tribes and Corporations will continue to be of critical importance and that USBLM will continue to consult with these entities under applicable guidance; and
- Preparation of the SEIS in compliance with NEPA will additionally help the USBLM to fulfill its obligations under applicable law.
The USBLM has said it anticipates publishing a Draft SEIS during the second quarter of 2023, after which it will accept public comments on the Draft SEIS.
Tony Giardini, President and CEO of Trilogy, commented, "While we welcome the clarified timeline of the SEIS, we continue to urge the United States Department of the Interior (the "DOI") to move expeditiously through its work to reinstate the Joint Record of Decision ("JROD"). The industrial-use-only access road is not only important for future development of our projects, it is also expected to bring many benefits to remote Alaskan communities where improved infrastructure can significantly reduce the cost of living. We are confident that subsistence use of the land will be appropriately considered and protected during the development of the road and the UKMP. The Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects will bring significant positive benefits, including high-paying, stable jobs and increased security of US domestic production of metals."
Ely Cyrus, President of the Native Village of Kiana, commented, "The Native Village of Kiana had discussed the proposed project in the past, and we recognized the high potential for employment and educational opportunities for our tribal members. Mining has provided our villages with infrastructure and opportunities for decades in part due to the Red Dog mine. Our tribal members and community have received millions of dollars of project funding in the past few years through the Northwest Arctic Borough Village Improvement Fund (VIF program) which is funded through natural resource proceeds. Projects include a new community building, and heavy equipment for road construction and maintenance. The USBLM did not choose to visit our community, as we would have welcomed the opportunity to share with them the positive benefits of responsible natural resource development."
On July 23, 2020, the Company announced that the USBLM had issued the JROD and the FEIS for the AAP. Subsequently, a Section 404 Permit, which is governed by the Clean Water Act was issued by the United States Army Corp. of Engineers ("USACE") to the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority ("AIDEA").
The five-year permitting process for the AAP was carried out by AIDEA in an exhaustive, extensive, and robust manner with considerable outreach and accommodation to affected communities and other parties. According to AIDEA, during the scoping period (which was extended from 90 days to over 330 days), the USBLM held 15 public hearings in 13 communities and received more than 7,200 written comments. Subsequently, after a draft Environmental Impact Statement ("EIS") was released in August 2019, the USBLM held an additional 18 hearings in rural communities, hearings in two hub communities (Anchorage and Fairbanks), and a hearing in Washington, D.C. The USBLM received an additional 29,000 written comments to the draft EIS which were scrutinized and incorporated into the FEIS. AIDEA reiterated that the development and production of the FEIS and JROD, which have cost almost $5 million to date, comprised of extraordinarily high-quality and comprehensive analysis.
Lawsuits were filed shortly thereafter by a coalition of national and environmental non-government organizations in response to the issuance of the JROD for the Ambler Access Project. Subsequently NANA Regional Corporation, Inc., AIDEA, Ambler Metals LLC (Trilogy's joint venture with South32 Limited) and the State of Alaska applied for and were granted intervenor status.
In a letter to Anchorage Daily News on May 7, 2022, Fred Sun, Tribal President and Chair of the Native Village of Shungnak, and Johnetta Horner, Tribal President of the Native Village of Kobuk, stated, "We represent two of the federally-recognized tribes from Northwest Alaska. The proposed Ambler Access Project will cross our traditional homelands. We believe responsible development on, or near, these lands can provide benefits to our people. The project has the potential to provide jobs, allow road access to deliver fuel and other supplies which are currently flown in at great expense to our people, and fund essential government services in our extremely remote region of the Arctic."
In May 2022, the United States District Court (the "Court") granted the DOI motion for voluntary remand without vacatur of the previously-issued JROD that authorized a right-of-way across federally managed lands. Judge Gleason ruled that the Court shall retain jurisdiction over this matter, and that the DOI is to file a status report with the Court within 60 days from the date of the order and every 60 days thereafter. In addition, any party involved in the action may move for a status conference upon a showing of good cause. In June 2022, the Court denied the plaintiffs' motion to reconsider the Court's May 17th remand order.
The DOI had indicated that the remand would allow them to supplement deficiencies in its analysis of impacts to subsistence uses under ANILCA Section 810 and their consultation with Tribes pursuant to NHPA Section 106.27.
NANA issued a press release on May 19, 2022 stating NANA is not in favor of the remand but applauds the Court's decision not to vacate the JROD. The JROD and the processes it lays out ensure that communities along the proposed road corridor will have a strong voice in how any road project would move forward. The JROD is supported broadly in northwest Alaska, including by NANA, Maniilaq Association, 11 federally recognized Tribes in the NANA region, as well as the Northwest Arctic Borough and Northwest Arctic Borough School District.
For more information on the NOI, please go to NOI document.
Trilogy Metals Inc. is a metal exploration and development company that holds a 50 percent interest in Ambler Metals LLC which has a 100 percent interest in the Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects ("UKMP") in Northwestern Alaska. On December 19, 2019, South32, a globally diversified mining and metals company, exercised its option to form a 50/50 joint venture with Trilogy. The UKMP is located within the Ambler Mining District, one of the richest and most-prospective known copper-dominant districts in the world. It hosts world-class polymetallic volcanogenic massive sulphide ("VMS") deposits that contain copper, zinc, lead, gold and silver, and carbonate replacement deposits that have been found to host high-grade copper and cobalt mineralization. Exploration efforts have been focused on two deposits in the Ambler Mining District – the Arctic VMS deposit and the Bornite carbonate replacement deposit. Both deposits are located within a land package that spans approximately 181,387 hectares. Ambler Metals has an agreement with NANA Regional Corporation, Inc., an Alaska Native Corporation that provides a framework for the exploration and potential development of the Ambler Mining District in cooperation with local communities. Trilogy's vision is to develop the Ambler Mining District into a premier North American copper producer while protecting and respecting subsistence livelihoods.
This press release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, including, without limitation, statements relating to the permitting and construction of the AAP, the timing and benefits of the AAP and the merits of the UKMP are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include the uncertainties involving whether the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority will build the AAP; the results of the additional supplemental work on the FEIS resulting from the voluntary remand; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; success of exploration activities, permitting timelines, requirements for additional capital, government regulation of mining operations, environmental risks, prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies and services, uncertainties involved in the interpretation of drilling results and geological tests, unexpected cost increases and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended November 30, 2021 filed with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and in other Company reports and documents filed with applicable securities regulatory authorities from time to time. The Company's forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements or beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law.
View original content:
SOURCE Trilogy Metals Inc.
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(NEXSTAR) – Jeep owners throughout North America — and increasingly, throughout the world — are playing a game right under the rest of our noses. It’s called “ducking,” or “Jeep ducking,” and it’s just as silly as it sounds.
The trend, described as a “global movement” by Jeep’s parent company Stellantis, was started by Jeep enthusiast Allison Parliament on July 4, 2020. It was on that day — “Duck Day,” as she calls it — that she placed a tiny rubber duckie on the hood of a fellow Jeep owner’s vehicle, in an attempt to brighten a stranger’s afternoon amid the dreary early months of the pandemic.
Parliament, who was born in Canada and maintains dual Canadian and American citizenship, had just driven back from Alabama to Ontario to stay with her family during the pandemic. But she was greeted with hostility in the first few weeks back, all because of the Alabama license plates on her car. During one of her first stops in Canada, a motorist at a gas station even assaulted her physically, believing she was defying COVID protocols.
“I wasn’t feeling very safe, and we weren’t leaving the house a whole lot,” Parliament told Nexstar.
On July 4, 2020, she and her cousins had ventured out to a shop in Bancroft, Ontario. On a whim, she purchased a bag of rubber ducks, intending to hide them around their house for fun. But once she was back in the parking lot, she had a better idea.
She wrote, “Have a great day. Hope this makes you smile” on one of the ducks (along with a hashtag reading #DuckDuckJeep) and dropped it on a Jeep she spotted near the store. To her surprise, a “big burly guy” walked up to the car and started laughing. He told her he planned to return the favor to another Jeep owner, and suggested she share the idea on social media.
Parliament took his advice and started a Facebook group the same afternoon. Within days, she had 10,000 members.
“It just went nuts,” Parliament said.
Today, Parliament estimates there are a half-million members of various “Jeep-ducking” Facebook groups, many of whom share photos of the Jeeps they’ve “ducked” (i.e., decorated with rubber duckies) in parking lots across the world.
Parliament, too, has racked up 80,000 miles on her car (and another 7,000 on a Sahara loaned to her by Jeep) attending “ducking” group events in both the U.S. and Canada over the last few years. During that time, she’s “ducked” at least 26,822 other Jeeps, by her own account, and she’s been “ducked” herself 18 times “in the wild.”
At gatherings and events, however, she and the other attendees have fun “ducking” each other’s cars hundreds of times over.
“I save them all,” she said, noting that she has thousands of ducks spread between her office, her grandmother’s house and her car, a Jeep Sahara she refers to as the “Quack Attack.”
Jeep, of course, has taken notice of Parliaments efforts, as has BFGoodrich Tires, the latter of which is even hosting a sweepstakes based on her “Duck Duck Jeep movement.” BFGoodrich has also pledged to donate 10 cents for every contest entry to Parliament’s “Ducking for Teachers” charity, which helps provide much-needed supplies for teachers in struggling school districts.
At the moment, Parliament intends to keep on duckin’ for the foreseeable future. She’ll next be traveling to the Duck Duck Jeep Invasion event in Bremen, Alabama, scheduled for Oct. 14 – 16.
“I’m getting to meet so many of our duckers,” she said. “It’s amazing to see the amount of people we’ve brought in, and brought together.”
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| 2022-09-21T12:00:35Z
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(KTLA) – A mobile home suddenly stopped moving in the middle of a California street this week, impacting traffic and forcing police to look for the drivers who abandoned the damaged structure in the road.
Police in Hemet began getting reports of the traffic hazard on Wednesday morning, and arrived to find a double-wide mobile home abandoned near an intersection.
The structure had been atop a motorhome-towed trailer that experienced “a catastrophic mechanic failure, which appeared to originate from the [axle],” the Hemet Police Department wrote in a news release posted to Facebook.
Witnesses said the driver of the motorhome, as well as the driver of a Toyota pickup truck that was assisting with the move, had temporarily stopped after the accident, and helped to direct traffic around the mobile home. They then got back into their respective vehicles and left the scene, witnesses told police.
Police were able to identify the drivers after learning the original site of the mobile home. The two motorists were located in Homeland, where it was determined that they “knowingly abandoned the mobile home trailer once it became immobile.”
Police say the suspects may be ordered to repay the city for costs associated with removing the mobile home.
“There’s definitely a house arrest joke here somewhere,” the Hemet Police Department joked on Facebook.
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(NewsNation) — A pilot in a plane circling over Tupelo, Mississippi, on Saturday morning — and who allegedly told police he would to crash into a Walmart — landed the aircraft “intact” in a field a few hours later, according to local authorities.
Tupelo Police Chief John Quaka said at a press conference that Cory Wayne Patterson stole a Beechcraft King Air C90A from the Tupelo Regional Airport, took off early Saturday, called 911 and then threatened to crash the aircraft.
Negotiators spoke to Patterson and convinced him not carry out the threat and to land at the airport. Patterson did not have the experience to land and another pilot attempted to coach him through it.
A negotiator re-established contact, and the plane landed safely.
Benton County Sheriff Dispatcher Connie Strickland said the suspect was in law enforcement custody, according to the Associated Press.
Patterson faces charges including grand larceny and making a terrorist threat, according to police. He did not have a pilot’s license, but did work at Tupelo Aviation and had some flight training.
An online flight tracking service showed the plane meandering in the sky before landing.
Citizens were asked to avoid the area during the incident in an abundance of caution.
In a post on social media, police said that the Walmart and a nearby convenience store had been evacuated.
Gov. Tate Reeves tweeted Saturday a thank-you to law enforcement in addition to the news that the plane was “down” and no one was injured.
“Thank you most of all to local, state, and federal law enforcement who managed this situation with extreme professionalism,” Reeves tweeted.
Multiple federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, were involved in the investigation and are working to discern a motive.
Quaka said Patterson, on his Facebook page, posted what was in essence a goodbye message at about 9:30 a.m.
“Sorry everyone. Never wanted to actually hurt anyone. I love my parents and sister this isn’t your fault. Goodbye,” the message read.
Tupelo Mayor Todd Jordan said he hopes Patterson “will get the help he needs” and didn’t intend to hurt himself or others in the hours after the initial threat.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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| 2022-09-21T12:00:58Z
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(NEXSTAR) – The pilot of a plane circling in the skies over Mississippi on Saturday morning — and who reportedly threatened to crash it into a Walmart in Tupelo — has landed the aircraft in Ashland.
The pilot is also alive, Nexstar’s WREG reported.
The pilot, who was believed to be operating a Beechcraft plane, had been flying over Tupelo as early as 5 a.m. CT, according to calls made to the Tupelo Police Department. A witness who shared video to Twitter said the aircraft had been “flying in circles” over the city.
The pilot subsequently contacted police, informing them of intentions to crash into the Walmart on West Main Street, authorities said. The TPD was talking to the pilot directly, the two parties engaging in “negotiations,” a representative for Lee County’s 9-1-1 emergency response team told Nexstar.
The Walmart, located on West Main Street, was evacuated, as were the surrounding stores.
Police also asked the public to avoid the area near the Walmart entirely.
“Citizens are asked to avoid that area until an all clear is given. With the mobility of an airplane of that type the danger zone is much larger than even Tupelo,” the TPD wrote on Facebook.
In a statement provided to Nexstar, Walmart confirmed the evacuation of the Tupelo location, as well as the company’s cooperation in the investigation.
The pilot later flew north of Tupelo, over Benton and Union City counties, the Tupelo police department said.
“Local, State and Federal Authorities are continuing to monitor this dangerous situation,” the department wrote.
By approximately 10:30, the plane had landed in a field in Ashland, Mississippi. There were no injuries, according to Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves.
The pilot was also in custody, a member of the Benton County Sheriff’s Office told Axios.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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| 2022-09-21T12:01:05Z
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(The Hill) – Among the material allegedly seized from former President Trump’s home were numerous empty folders that once contained classified information or intel designated to be returned to the military, renewing questions over fallout from the potential mishandling of records and if they have since been recovered.
In an inventory from the Justice Department unsealed by a judge Friday, the government detailed that interspersed with Trump’s personal belongings were 48 empty folders with classified banners as well as another 42 empty folders that were labeled “return to staff secretary/military aide,” according to the filing.
The majority were found in Trump’s office, rather than the storage room at Mar-a-Lago.
It’s not clear if the materials the folders once housed are elsewhere in the boxes of recovered evidence, but experts say the suite of questions the detail raises argues in favor of allowing the Justice Department to continue its investigation, even as Trump seeks to stall its progress.
“The ideal scenario that would describe this is that the empty folders are actually for the records that are somewhere else in the boxes — that someone just didn’t keep them in the folder in the way they were supposed to, so they’re not actually out there in the wild somewhere,” said Kel McClanahan, executive director of National Security Counselors, a nonprofit law firm specializing in national security law.
“The least optimistic scenario is that they are nowhere to be found because they are already with someone else.”
The inventory list was given to U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon shortly before she heard arguments from Trump’s legal team asking to stall the FBI investigation so that a third-party special master could review the evidence to protect what they claim could be privileged material. The DOJ has argued such a move is unnecessary as its own team of staff not assigned to the case has already reviewed the evidence for privileged material.
Beyond the empty folders, the Friday inventory details in broad strokes the other types of documents that were found within Trump’s office among the tranche of more than 100 recovered classified records: three documents marked confidential, 17 documents marked secret and seven documents marked top-secret.
Larry Pfeiffer, who previously served as senior director of the White House Situation Room and was chief of staff at the CIA, said the system for tracking classified documents should allow investigators to account for what information should be in the folders and determine if it is still on site.
But he expressed concern that the fact that they even ended up at Mar-a-Lago could mean proper record-keeping — even with career national security staffers on hand at the White House — may not have been taken seriously.
“To me, it sounds like there was either a horrific systemic breakdown in those processes … or those people just felt completely intimidated by Trump and the people around him. Or there were people who were completely operating around the system — that documents were flowing in and out of the Oval and up into the residence without ever going through this tracking process,” Pfeiffer told The Hill.
“I think it’s possible it was a mistake. I think it’s possible they were folders that were holding the documents that were already found. But I worry it could have been folders that had other documents in them and now the mystery is where are the other documents? And that’s the scary part.”
That includes the materials that expressly directed they be returned to the military.
“Anything that was in the folder should have been returned. The folder being there suggests it wasn’t,” Pfeiffer said.
The inventory list notes that the records were found mixed with clothes, books and other personal effects as well as some 10,000 presidential records that likely should be maintained by the National Archives.
That they were kept with Trump’s belongings — and in some cases, in his office — could be an important detail for the DOJ, one they alluded to in their filing. The department noted that “all evidence — including the nature and manner in which they were stored” — will inform their investigation.
“The co-mingling of all this stuff shows that there was no care taken with these records at a few different points in the process because at least one of two things happened to lead to this scenario,” McClanahan, the national security lawyer, said.
“No 1., while he was in office he or his staff haphazardly mixed all this classified and unclassified material together in boxes, showing that they weren’t handling it properly in the office. Or two, after he got home, he started rooting through the boxes and putting things in and taking things out, which would show that there was clear awareness and involvement of the classified nature of this material. I think that it’s probably going to be a mix of the two,” he added.
The confusion around the documents also adds another dimension to the special master case. Cannon noted she would weigh whether to allow the intelligence community to continue its review of the potential national security implications tied to the mishandling of material, including how to protect sources and methods. The review is being led by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).
“I don’t think finding empty folders gives it any more urgency than it already deserves. The fact that some of the most sensitive documents in our government were sitting around in storage rooms at a golf resort in Florida, intermingled with a bunch of other stuff, that clearly people [without clearances] could have physical access to … is frightening,” Pfeiffer said.
“The urgency is there regardless of whether there were empty folders found or not. And so therefore, having a special master now potentially put a halt to the damage assessment/risk assessment that the ODNI is doing, that would be further delay that we shouldn’t have to put up with.”
Others warn there’s no good way to block the Justice Department’s work while allowing the intelligence community to conduct its own assessment about the potential fallout.
“The FBI’s investigation and the Intelligence Community (IC) assessments are inextricably intertwined from a counterintelligence perspective,” Brian Greer, a former CIA attorney, told The Hill by email.
“To assess the risks, it’s important for the IC to know who accessed a given document, and they can only get that from the FBI. But if the court prohibits the FBI from accessing certain classified documents because they might be subject to an executive privilege claim, that process will break down.”
Cannon declined to make an immediate ruling on the matter when each side presented their arguments Thursday, but McClanahan said if she grants Trump’s request it could ultimately backfire for a former president who often insists he has been treated unfairly: McClanahan noted a special master could easily decide the FBI did not obtain any materials that should be protected by either attorney-client or executive privileges, as Trump is asserting.
“He won’t be able to say, ‘the DOJ privilege review team wrongfully decided it.’ He’s going to have to say, ‘the DOJ privilege review team, and the subject matter expert that I asked for, and a federal judge wrongfully decided it,’” McClanahan said.
“And in an area like this where there’s not a whole lot of room for him to be right — that’s a very risky move.”
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| 2022-09-21T12:01:13Z
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(The Conversation) – One in three people in need of abortion will consider doing something on their own to end the pregnancy if they are unable to get an abortion at a clinic. These are the findings of a study I recently published after surveying over 700 people seeking abortions in three states across the U.S.: Illinois, California and New Mexico.
The one-in-three figure is even higher among those who have a difficult time affording the cost of their abortion, have no health insurance or are seeking an abortion because of concerns about their own physical or mental health.
These findings offer a clear snapshot of what lies ahead as states move to ban abortion outright or severely restrict access.
Why it matters
Research over the past two decades has shown that pregnant people who face obstacles to getting to an abortion clinic or who have a desire for a more natural or private abortion experience will try to end a pregnancy on their own. This might include turning to self-sourced abortion pills, alcohol or drugs, herbs or physical methods.
My own research in 2017 found that 7% of U.S. women of reproductive age will use one of these methods in their lifetime to try to end a pregnancy outside of the formal health care system.
What has changed recently – and dramatically – is access to clinic-based abortion. With the Supreme Court’s decision overturning federal protections on abortion access, as of Aug. 30, 2022, 14 states have already implemented bans on abortion; an additional 12 are projected to do so in the coming months.
These restricted-abortion states are home to just over one-half of U.S. women of reproductive age. Putting these numbers together with data on who seeks abortion in the U.S., researchers estimate that over 100,000 pregnant people per year will soon face insurmountable travel distances to their nearest abortion provider and be unable to get an abortion at a clinic.
If people do as they project in our study, around 33,000 pregnant people per year will consider doing something on their own to end a pregnancy.
What still isn’t known
One yet unanswered question is how many of those in need of abortion and unable to get to a clinic will be able to end a pregnancy on their own with a safe and effective method such as the FDA-approved medications mifepristone and misoprostol, or misoprostol alone – versus how many will turn to other, likely less effective, methods with potentially harmful outcomes.
Researchers now have clear evidence that telehealth and mail-order models enabling access to medication abortion without the need for an in-person visit with a health care provider – models accelerated in part by the COVID-19 pandemic – are safe, effective and satisfactory to patients.
However, these models will remain out of reach for some. This is especially true for those who are further along in their pregnancy, cannot afford the cost, live in one of the 19 states that ban telehealth provision of medication abortion or don’t have a safe place to receive and use the pills.
What is also unknown is how many pregnant people will face legal repercussions for doing something to try to end a pregnancy. Although public support for criminalizing a pregnant person for self-managing an abortion is low, state legislators are actively proposing such policies. Between 2000 and 2020, more than 61 people were investigated or arrested for such attempts.
What’s next
In the coming months, my colleagues and I will document the magnitude of any increase in self-managed abortion by repeating a nationally representative survey that we fielded in 2017 and 2021.
Our research underscores that even when abortion is restricted, people will move forward with abortion on their own. Having access to abortion pills is critical so that when people need to self-manage an abortion, the health, medical and advocacy community is supporting them to do so safely and effectively.
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| 2022-09-21T12:01:21Z
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of people signed petitions this year backing proposed ballot initiatives to expand voting access, ensure abortion rights and legalize recreational marijuana in Arizona, Arkansas and Michigan.
Yet voters might not get a say because Republican officials or judges have blocked the proposals from the November elections, citing flawed wording, procedural shortcomings or insufficient petition signatures.
At the same time, Republican lawmakers in Arkansas and Arizona have placed constitutional amendments on the ballot proposing to make it harder to approve citizen initiatives in the future.
The Republican pushback against the initiative process is part of a several-year trend that gained steam as Democratic-aligned groups have increasingly used petitions to force public votes on issues that Republican-led legislatures have opposed. In reliably Republican Missouri, for example, voters have approved initiatives to expand Medicaid, raise the minimum wage and legalize medical marijuana. An initiative seeking to allow recreational pot is facing a court challenge from an anti-drug activist aiming to knock it off the November ballot.
Some Democrats contend Republicans are subverting the will of the people by making the ballot initiative process more difficult.
“What is happening now is just a web of technicalities to thwart the process in states where voters are using the people’s tool to make an immediate positive change in their lives,” said Chris Melody Fields Figueredo, executive director of the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, which has worked with progressive groups sponsoring the blocked initiatives.
“That is not the way our democracy should work,” she added
Republicans who have thrown up hurdles to initiative petitions contend they are protecting the integrity of the lawmaking process against well-funded interest groups trying to bend state policies in their favor.
“I think the Legislature is a much purer way to get things done and it represents the people much better, rather than having this jungle where you just throw it on the ballot,” said South Dakota state Rep. Tim Goodwin, who has perennially targeted the initiative process with restrictions.
About half the states allow citizen initiatives, in which petition signers can bypass a legislature to place proposed laws or constitutional changes directly before voters. But executive or judicial officials often still have some role in the process, typically by certifying that the ballot wording is clear and accurate and that petition circulators gathered enough valid signatures of registered voters.
In Michigan this past week, two Republican members of the bipartisan Board of State Canvassers blocked initiatives to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution and expand opportunities for voting. Each measure had significantly more than the required 425,000 signatures. But GOP board members said the voting measure had unclear wording and the abortion measure was flawed because of spacing problems that scrunched some words together.
Supporters have appealed both decisions to the Michigan Supreme Court, which consists of a majority of Democratic-appointed judges.
The Arkansas Supreme Court, whose justices run in nonpartisan elections, is weighing an appeal of an August decision blocking an initiative that would legalize recreational marijuana for adults.
The State Board of Election Commissioners, which has just one Democrat among its many Republicans, determined that the ballot title was misleading because it failed to mention it would repeal potency limits in an existing medical marijuana provision. Because the deadline has passed to certify initiative titles, the Supreme Court has allowed the measure on the general election ballot while it decides whether the votes will be counted.
A lawsuit by initiative supporters contends a 2019 law passed by the Republican-led Legislature violates the Arkansas Constitution by allowing the board to reject ballot titles.
“The (initiative) process in Arkansas has gotten consistently harder each cycle, as the Legislature adds more and more requirements,” said Steve Lancaster, a lawyer for Responsible Growth Arkansas, which is sponsoring the marijuana amendment.
It would get even harder if voters support a legislatively referred amendment on the November ballot that would require a 60% vote to approve citizen-initiated ballot measures or future constitutional amendments.
In Arizona, the primarily Republican-appointed Supreme Court recently blocked a proposed constitutional amendment that would have extended early voting and limited lobbyist gifts to lawmakers. The measure also would have specifically prohibited the Legislature from overturning the results of presidential elections, which some Republicans had explored after then- President Donald Trump’s loss in 2020.
After a lower court initially ruled the measure could appear on the November ballot, Arizona’s high court instructed the judge to reconsider. Then it upheld a subsequent ruling throwing out enough petition signatures to prevent the initiative from qualifying for the ballot.
Still on the ballot are several other amendments referred by Arizona’s Republican-led Legislature. Those measures would limit initiatives to a single subject, require a 60% supermajority to approve tax proposals and expand the Legislature’s authority to change voter-approved initiatives.
Those proposals come after Arizona Republicans have spent the past decade enacting laws making it more difficult to get citizen initiatives on the ballot. State laws now require petition sheets to be precisely printed and ban the use of a copy machine to create new ones. Other laws require paid circulators to include their registration number on each petition sheet, get it notarized and check a box saying they were paid.
“The effect is to make it much harder, much more expensive to get the signatures to put one of these propositions on the ballot,” said Terry Goddard, a Democrat who served as the state’s attorney general from 2003 through 2011.
After years of trying, Goddard finally succeeded this year in getting an initiative on the ballot that would require nonprofit groups that spend large amounts on elections to reveal their donors.
Earlier this summer, South Dakota voters defeated a measure that would have made it harder to pass initiatives on taxes and spending. The proposal from the Republican-led Legislature would have required a 60% vote to raise taxes or spend over a certain amount of money. Voters rejected the measure by 67%.
“This just seems like a way to suppress voters. honestly,” Joshua Matzner, a Democrat, said after voting against it.
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Associated Press writers Bob Christie in Phoenix and Stephen Groves in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, contributed to this report.
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Follow AP for full coverage of the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections and on Twitter, https://twitter.com/ap_politics
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WASHINGTON (AP) — It was the setting for “National Treasure,” the movie in which Nicolas Cage’s character tries to steal the Declaration of Independence. It has long been among the most trafficked tourist destinations in the nation’s capital.
But what the National Archives and Records Administration has never been — until now — is the locus of a criminal investigation of a former president.
Yet that’s exactly where the agency finds itself after sending a referral to the FBI stating that 15 boxes recovered from former President Donald Trump’s Florida home in January contained dozens of documents with classified markings.
“I don’t think Donald Trump has politicized the National Archives,” said Tim Naftali, the first director of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum. “I think what Donald Trump did was cross red lines that civil servants had to respond to.”
Those government workers operate out of the public eye, behind the marble façade of the Archives building in downtown Washington. It’s there, beyond the Hollywood plotlines, where a crucial component of the federal bureaucracy resides, with dozens of employees acting as the custodians of American history, preserving records that range from the mundane to the monumental.
A closer look at the National Archives, its history and how it ended up in the middle of a political maelstrom:
A MASSIVE COLLECTION
The mission of the National Archives, which was founded by Congress in 1934, sounds straightforward: to be the nation’s record-keeper. It’s a daunting task that has only grown more complex over time.
While the Archives safeguards precious national documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, that’s only the public face of their sprawling collection, which spans 13 billion pages of text and 10 million maps, charts and drawings, as well as tens of millions of photographs, films and other records.
In addition to its work in Washington, the Archives oversees 13 presidential libraries and 14 regional archives across the country.
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ARCHIVIST FOR A NATION
The Archivist of the United States is responsible for running the agency. The last-Senate confirmed leader was David Ferriero, who stepped down in April after serving 12 years under three presidents.
Ferriero recalled in an April interview with The Washington Post how he watched from the windows of the Archives building on Jan. 6, 2021, as the crowd of Trump supporters marched past on their way to breach the Capitol. He called it the worst day of his life.
More than a year later he decided to retire, in part, because of fears about the nation’s political trajectory.
“It’s important to me, that this administration replace me,” he told the Post. “I’m concerned about what’s going to happen in 2024. I don’t want it left to … the unknowns of the presidential election.”
His deputy, Debra Steidel Wall, is serving as the acting archivist while President Joe Biden’s nominee, Colleen Joy Shogan, awaits a Senate confirmation process this fall. The archivist serves in the role until deciding to retire.
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‘NO SUCH THINGS AS MEMENTOS’
The Archives serves as the final resting spot for the work of every White House.
After the Watergate scandal and Nixon’s resignation, Congress passed a law in 1978 to ensure that all presidential records — written, electronic material created by the president, the vice president, or any other member of the executive branch in an official capacity — are preserved and turned over to the Archives at the end of an administration. The law states that a president’s records are not his or her own, but are the property of the federal government and must be treated as such.
When a new administration begins, White House staff receive a brochure on the law and step-by-step instructions on how to preserve records. The preservation requirements cover a wide range of items, including presents and letters from foreign leaders. “There are no such things as mementos,” said Lee White, the executive director of the National Coalition for History.
In addition, the law requires that even while in office, the president or any member of that administration must first seek the advice of the archivist before destroying any record, a practice Trump and his aides reportedly ignored throughout his four years in office.
“Everything he writes down is essentially a presidential record. It’s not his property,” White said. “It is so basic to the whole concept of why the Presidential Records Act was created.”
“At noon on Inauguration Day, the custody transfers to the archivist. Period. There is no maybe. It’s the law,” he added.
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AN UNPRECEDENTED DECISION
The rules of the Presidential Records Act are central to the FBI’s investigation of Trump.
After Trump left office, the Archives discovered that records from his White House were missing. What followed was a yearlong back-and-forth between the Archives’ legal counsel and Trump’s lawyers that resulted in the voluntary return of 15 boxes of presidential records. Upon opening the boxes, the agency discovered that 14 of them contained classified documents and information.
Recognizing a potential crime, the agency made the unprecedented decision to refer the matter to the Justice Department. That move culminated in the search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in August. FBI agents recovered more than 100 classified records, including some that were stashed in the former president’s office among personal items.
Since the Aug. 8 search, the Archives and its employees have been bombarded with threats and accusations. The acting archivist in an email to the agency’s staff noted their work is nonpartisan and urged them to hold steadfast to their mission.
“The National Archives has been the focus of intense scrutiny for months, this week especially, with many people ascribing political motivation to our actions,” Wall wrote in an Aug. 24 letter. “NARA has received messages from the public accusing us of corruption and conspiring against the former President, or congratulating NARA for ‘bringing him down.’”
“Neither is accurate or welcome,” she added.
Wall has worked for more than three decades at the Archives, starting as an archivist trainee and advancing to second in line. She said in her letter that despite the political storm surrounding the agency, staff must continue their work “without favor or fear, in the service of our democracy.”
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AN ARCHIVIST CONFIRMATION BATTLE?
Five days before the Mar-a-Lago search, Biden announced he was nominating Shogan, an executive at the White House Historical Association who previously spent a decade working at the Library of Congress, as the next archivist.
Nominees for the post are typically confirmed without controversy or fanfare. But that’s unlikely this time.
Shogan faces a charged confirmation process as Republicans demand answers about the Justice Department’s investigation and the Archives’ role in facilitating it. A confirmation hearing this fall has not yet been scheduled but could end up being unusually contentious.
Republicans in the House and Senate have pushed for more information about how the Archives made the decision to refer Trump’s case to federal investigators.
Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, the top Republican on the House Oversight and Reform Committee, sent a letter Thursday demanding that the Archives’ watchdog provide documents and communications about the case.
“Transparency is particularly important in the post-pandemic era when Americans are lacking trust in our institutions,” Comer wrote.
So far, the National Archives has denied requests from both Democrats and Republicans on the committees that oversee the agency, instead referring them to the Justice Department where the investigation is now unfolding.
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More on Donald Trump at https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump
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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly wasted little time after a decisive victory in Kansas for abortion rights before sending out a national fundraising email warning that access to the procedure would be “on the chopping block” if her party did not win in the November elections.
But her message to voters at large as she heads into the fall campaign is dramatically different, even as Democrats in other states stress abortion access as an issue.
A few days after her abortion-related fundraising email, Kelly’s team suggested she would be focusing her reelection campaign on the state’s now-healthy finances, robust funding for public schools and high-profile promises by businesses to create jobs.
Democrats are split over whether it’s the best strategy in a tough race against Republican Derek Schmidt, the three-term state attorney general. Kelly still has to win over some independents and moderate Republicans in her solidly red state, and although abortion access can attract centrist voters and drive turnout, it’s the economy — and the pinch at the grocery store from inflation — that remains a big concern for them.
“She needs to pull people from all kinds of areas,” said Joan Wagnon, a former Topeka mayor, state lawmaker and Kansas Democratic Party chair. While Kelly can use abortion as an issue to her advantage, Wagnon said, “I don’t think it’s the centerpiece of her campaign.”
Voters on Aug. 2 overwhelmingly rejected a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution that would have removed protections for abortion rights. It was the first state referendum on abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June.
Kelly’s approach heading into the general election contrasts with how Democratic Govs. Tony Evers in Wisconsin and Gretchen Whitmer in Michigan have made support for abortion rights central to their reelection campaigns. In Ohio, Democratic nominee Nan Whaley is stressing the issue in her race against anti-abortion Republican Gov. Mike DeWine.
Some Democrats think Kelly is missing an opportunity if she doesn’t follow suit.
“The only way you inspire young voters, which is who Laura Kelly needs, is to make them feel like you understand the issues that they care about right now,” said Christopher Reeves, a suburban Kansas City activist, consultant and former Democratic National Committee member. “And the issue that they care about, especially young women voters, is abortion.”
In winning her first term in 2018 by about 5 percentage points, Kelly wooed independent and moderate Republican voters by pitching herself as a commonsense, bipartisan leader.
But she also was running in a good year for Democrats — they regained a U.S. House majority — and against conservative Kris Kobach, who advocated for tough immigration policies as a major supporter of then-President Donald Trump.
Kelly’s stance on abortion rights brought Stephan Simmons, a 25-year-old higher education recruiter, firmly into her camp for November. Once a conservative Republican turned unaffiliated voter, he became a Democrat shortly before the Aug. 2 election.
He made sure he returned to Kansas City from a business trip in time to drive to his hometown of Wichita to vote in person. Along the way, he picked up a friend, Hunter Picard, so that Picard could vote in Rose Hill, southeast of Wichita. Picard, a 25-year-old chemist working in Lawrence, is unaffiliated.
Both said they thought of their sisters before voting against the proposed amendment. But Picard said he hasn’t decided how he will vote in the governor’s race in November.
Mandi Hunter, a 46-year-old real estate attorney from the Kansas City suburb of Leawood, is a self-described GOP moderate who voted against the proposed constitutional amendment. She, too, said she is undecided about her vote in November, though she noted that there will be more than just abortion on the ballot.
“They can’t ignore the other issues,” Hunter said.
Some Republicans believe voters will remain far more focused on the economy than abortion. Kelly is campaigning as if she agrees, staging a “Prosperity on the Plains” tour to promote her administration’s business development efforts.
Kelly campaign spokesperson, Madison Andrus, pivoted to economic and education issues when asked for more details about the governor’s position on abortion. The campaign would not say whether Kelly wants more abortion access than what is allowed now, with the state banning most abortions at the 22nd week of pregnancy and imposing other requirements such as a 24-hour waiting period.
Kelly’s staff didn’t make the governor available to discuss her campaign but provided a statement on her behalf to The Associated Press.
“The August 2 vote shows that Kansans want their government focused on things like the economy and schools — and not intervening in private medical decisions. Now that voters have spoken clearly, Governor Kelly will remain focused on bringing both parties together to get results — a balanced budget, cutting taxes, fully funding schools, and attracting new businesses to the state,” said campaign spokesperson Lauren Fitzgerald.
Schmidt, who backed the proposed constitutional change, said in a postelection statement that he has never “advocated for a ban” on abortion. He said he supports allowing abortions to save a woman’s life, in cases of rape and incest and when a fetus has a condition “that makes it impossible to survive outside the womb.”
On Thursday, Schmidt said the outcome of the referendum has to be “respected” and that if elected governor, he would focus on enforcing abortion laws already on the books.
Some political operatives and pollsters argue for reading the Kansas vote narrowly, as opposition to a ban or a near-total ban rather than unconditional support for abortion in any circumstance.
An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll in July found that while a majority of people in the United States wanted Congress to pass a law guaranteeing access to abortion nationwide, only one-third said a state generally should allow abortions at 24 weeks. A little more than half would allow abortions at 15 weeks.
Charles Franklin, director of Marquette University’s Law School Poll, said Democrats should be running against severe abortion restrictions. “The challenge is,” he said, “how do you do that without seeming to be for unlimited abortion rights?”
Pat McPherron, a GOP pollster from Oklahoma City who works for U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., said he expects abortion to fade as an issue.
“It’s one that voters think has been asked and answered,” he said. “Voters move on.”
Abortion rights supporters acknowledged that they’re still trying to figure out how to keep their voters energized until November.
“Frankly, it’s our job to make sure they don’t move on,” said Susan Osborne, one of the leaders of Women for Kansas, a nonpartisan advocacy group that opposed the proposed amendment. “This was the beginning of the journey for us.”
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Associated Press writers Sara Burnett in Chicago and Hannah Fingerhut in Washington contributed to this report.
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Follow John Hanna on Twitter: https://twitter.com/apjdhanna
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Follow AP for full coverage of the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections and on Twitter, https://twitter.com/ap_politics
Follow AP’s coverage of abortion at https://apnews.com/hub/abortion
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This story has been corrected to reflect that Schmidt, at a campaign event Thursday, did not specifically address whether he would advocate for tougher abortion restrictions if elected governor.
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(The Conversation) – When President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act in August 2022, he called it the “largest investment ever” to fight climate change. He also said it would lead to the creation of well-paying union jobs to help “reduce emissions across every sector of our economy.” These jobs are also known as “clean energy jobs,” and the number of these jobs is expected to increase in the coming years as a result of the act’s US$369 billion investment in energy security and climate change.
Here, Shaun Dougherty, an expert in career and technical education, answers five questions about clean energy jobs, their expected growth and what kind of education a person needs to get one.
1. What is a ‘clean energy’ job?
In general, the term applies to any job that is related to producing goods and delivering services focused on conserving or protecting natural resources, or reducing their use.
So, there are jobs in manufacturing equipment for solar panel and wind turbine components. There are also sales jobs in solar energy – that is, selling solar panels to homeowners and landlords – as well as in installation, maintenance and repair in both the solar and wind industries. There is also growing demand for environmental engineers and scientists, whose jobs include helping to design solar panels and wind turbines and determine where they are placed.
2. How many green jobs will be created in the next few years?
About 9 million clean energy jobs will be created over the next decade, according to an analysis from the Political Economy Research Institute at UMass Amherst.
The federal government has also projected strong growth in clean energy jobs in the coming decade. Many of these jobs are expected expected to be as installers and technicians for both solar and wind energy. For instance, there is a projected 68% increase in wind turbine service technician jobs, and a projected 52% increase in solar panel installation jobs over the next decade. However, the growth in the actual number of such jobs will be relatively small: 4,700 and 6,100, respectively.
There is also a growing need for environmental scientists and specialists, who use their knowledge of science to protect the environment and people’s health. The federal government projects there will be 7,300 new jobs in these fields over the next decade.
3. How much do these jobs pay?
Clean energy jobs pay at least $2 more per hour – or nearly 10% more – than the national average of $23.86 per hour.
Estimates from the Department of Labor show that across occupations, clean energy jobs pay well. For example, solar installers could make about $47,000 per year, wind turbine technicians about $52,000 annually and engineers nearly $100,000.
4. What kind of education do you need to get a green job?
Not a whole lot beyond high school. Solar installation jobs usually require only a high school diploma. Turbine technicians need more advanced training, but that’s usually a certificate that can be earned at a technical or community college. The highest-paying jobs as environmental scientists or engineers, however, require a two- or four-year college degree.
Also, college isn’t the only way to get a clean energy job. You can get a clean energy job through Job Corps, a federal program that works with young people who have had difficulty getting an education or employment. Research shows Job Corps, at least historically, boosts earnings for the young people it serves.
It might be difficult, however, to get the kind of technical education you need from your local high school. It also depends on where you live.
5. Where’s the best place to live to get a green job?
Right now, there are more green jobs in the places that are set up to supply renewable energy and that have created incentives to build the infrastructure for clean energy. For solar, this means famously sunny places like California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Texas, Florida and Colorado. It also includes states that have created incentives to increase the potential for clean energy use, such as North Carolina, New York and Massachusetts. Texas is top for wind energy employment, but other Plains states, like the Dakotas, also fare well.
A recent report from the Brookings Institution – a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, D.C. – highlighted where it is cheapest to produce wind and solar energy. This includes areas where there a lot of jobs in nonrenewable energies, as opposed to clean energy.
This is a hopeful sign. It suggests that clean energy jobs may be coming to areas that might otherwise lose out as the country moves toward greater reliance on renewable energy.
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(NEXSTAR) – The fight to reduce emissions may be coming into your kitchen. Los Angeles, Seattle, New York, and other progressive cities have already moved to ban most gas appliances in any new homes or apartments.
The logic behind the ban comes down to two main factors: the environment and health.
According to the Environmental Protection Administration, the vast majority of greenhouse gas emissions in residential and commercial settings — about 79% — comes from natural gas use, like combustion in gas heaters and gas ranges. Switching to electric appliances, much like switching to electric cars, can put a significant dent in those emissions.
“Cooking over a natural gas flame is probably the most intimate connection with climate change that we never think about,” Drew Michanowicz, a visiting scientist at Harvard’s public health school, told The Hill in June.
But burning gas in the home doesn’t just pollute city skies, it also pollutes the air in your kitchen. NPR used an air monitor to measure the harmful gas nitrogen dioxide in a kitchen with a gas stove and oven on at the same time, as if they were cooking dinner. After 12 minutes, the journalist found the nitrogen dioxide levels were 60% higher than levels recommended by the World Health Organization.
Research has found the harmful particles emitted by gas stoves can cause asthma and other respiratory issues, especially in children.
Could your city be next?
Gas companies and lobbyists are also responding with ad campaigns reminding people of their attachment to gas stoves — the gas appliance most often highlighted as desirable in real estate listings, too.
“I’d say the industry has put decades of effort and resources into fine-tuning their messaging to the American public, and they do it well,” Mejia Cunningham, with the National Resources Defense Council, said in an interview with CNN.
While switching from gas appliances to electric is an effective way to curb emissions, some states are making bans like those in Los Angeles or New York City an impossibility.
Twenty state governments have passed “preemption laws” that prevent cities within the state from implementing natural gas bans, according to CNN. Basically every Southern state has such a law in place, as do places like Utah, Ohio and Iowa.
Those states’ efforts to prevent gas appliance bans is at odds with the federal plan announced earlier this year to offer funding to states, tribes and territories that retrofit homes to be more energy efficient.
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Halloween makeup ideas you can do at home
The Addams Family’s deadpan daughter Wednesday is getting her own Netflix show, “Wednesday,” starring Jenna Ortega as the iconic goth teenager. With her famous braided pigtails, prim black costume and minimal makeup, the most difficult part of being Wednesday Addams for Halloween will be mastering her deadly stare. Wednesday isn’t the only popular Halloween look trending this year — here’s what you need to pull off her look and other Halloween favorites.
What you need for Halloween makeup looks
How do Wednesday Addams makeup
Wednesday’s look isn’t as dramatic as her equally iconic mother Morticia, but it’s high-impact and easy to create. Fill in your brows with black pomade or eyebrow pencil and use a mauve or gray eye shadow to accentuate your crease and under-eye area. Depending on how grim you want to go, you can wear either nude or black lipstick. Complete the look with a braided black costume wig.
Wednesday Addams makeup products
Benefit Cosmetics Precisely, My Brow Pencil Waterproof Eyebrow Definer
Available in 12 shades, including two black tones, this eyebrow pencil offers up to 12 hours of waterproof color and definition. It features a twist-up ultrafine-tipped pencil and an attached spoolie to distribute color evenly.
Sold by Ulta Beauty, Sephora and Amazon
Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain Liquid Lipstick in Night Bird
Long-lasting and budget-friendly, this black liquid lipstick goes on smoothly for thorough yet comfortable color coverage. It’s formulated with avocado oil to prevent drying and cracking.
Sold by Sephora
How to do vampire makeup
Create this spooky Halloween classic look by doing a smokey eye with shades of black and gray. Blend out a red eye shadow in your crease to add depth. Add a smear of red liquid lipstick “blood” near your mouth and two dots on your neck. Take this look up a level with red contacts and dramatic brows.
What you need for vampire makeup
Danessa Myricks Beauty Colorfix Eye, Cheek and Lip Cream Pigment In Primary Red
This award-winning multipurpose cream can be blended out as part of a smoky eye or swept onto lips as classic true-red lipstick. It can even be used to create a sharp, dramatic red eyeliner wing. It’s long-wearing — up to 24 hours — and a little goes a long way.
Sold by Sephora
Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick in Pioneer
Your bloodthirsty makeup accents won’t budge thanks to the long-lasting staying power of this liquid lipstick. The arrowhead-shaped brush makes application easy and precise, and the vibrant shade of classic red will get plenty of use the rest of the year.
Sold by Ulta Beauty and Amazon
How to do black cat makeup
This look is classic for a reason: it’s easy to pull off, and you only need a couple of products. Fill in the underside of your nose with black liquid eyeliner, then use the same eyeliner to draw on whiskers or even tiger stripes. For extra realism, contour your nose and draw lines with softer black eyeliner to create the shape of a cat nose. Finish the look with a cat-eye wing and your favorite lipstick and you’re ready to prowl.
What you need for black cat makeup
KVD Beauty Super Pomade Vegan Eye Liner, Shadow and Brow Pigment in Graphite
Creamy and highly pigmented, this waterproof product can act as eyeliner, brow filler and eye shadow. For Halloween cat makeup, use this black shade to draw on a feline nose and whiskers.
Sold by Ulta Beauty and Sephora
Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner
This cult-favorite liquid eyeliner pen features a user-friendly felt tip for thin or bold lines. It comes in seven satin-finish shades. It’s waterproof, transfer-proof and smudge-proof. It’s also ophthalmologist-tested and safe for contact lens wearers.
Sold by Amazon, Sephora and Ulta Beauty
How to do fairy makeup
If you’re feeling more magical than scary this Halloween, a fairy costume lets you play with the beautiful colors in your makeup drawer that may not get much use the rest of the year. Start with a sparkly cut crease and add a corresponding colorful lipstick. Add even more magical sparkle with a shimmery highlighter, feathery eyelashes, or face jewels.
What you need for fairy makeup
Nyx Professional Makeup Ultimate Shadow Palette in Brights
The bright rainbow hues in this palette offer vivid color payoff for a range of fairy-inspired looks. The palette includes 16 matte and metallic shades that easily blend into a rainbow of looks.
Sold by Amazon and Ulta Beauty
Dior Diorshow Waterproof Mascara in Catwalk Blue
Transform your eyelashes from the everyday into the magical with this bright blue, waterproof mascara. Its large, fluffy brush helps lift and separate eyelashes with the buildable formula for dramatic, clump-free volume.
Sold by Sephora
How to do scarecrow makeup
With just one eyeliner pencil and your favorite fall eye shadow palette, it’s easy to create a Halloween scarecrow look. Use brown or orange eye shadow to create the illusion of fabric patches over your nose and one eye, then use a brown or black eye pencil to outline the patches with stitches. Draw smiling stitch lines on either side of your face and over your lips. Finish with your favorite fall lipstick.
What you need for scarecrow makeup
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil in Whiskey
This creamy, matte brown pencil is easy to use to sketch on scarecrow stitches. The formula applies soft and smooth, but it won’t budge once it’s set. Moisturizing ingredients such as vitamin E, jojoba oil and cottonseed oil make this eye pencil comfortable to wear.
Sold by Ulta Beauty, Sephora and Amazon
Tarte Tartelette Toasted eye shadow Palette
Featuring a warm mix of 12 mattes and shimmers, this palette is perfect for all your Halloween and fall looks. Amazonian clay in the eye shadow formula makes each color smooth, creamy and long-wearing.
Sold by Ulta Beauty, Amazon and Sephora
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Laura Duerr writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved.
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Best budget mantel decorations for fall
The Christmas holiday season isn’t the only time to decorate your mantle with festive adornments. As fall rolls around, vibrant colors and autumn holidays provide ample opportunities to turn your mantel into a showpiece. With things like garlands, lights, fall leaves and pumpkins, there are numerous ways to decorate for fall without breaking your budget. To help you with your mantel decor plans, here’s a guide with tips and affordable product recommendations.
Affordable options for a fall mantel
Some of the best ways to decorate a mantel for autumn include inexpensive items. Here are a few tips to give yours a beautiful seasonal look without spending a lot of money.
Include natural items
When you think of fall, pumpkins, gourds, acorns and leaves come to mind. These natural items are fun to decorate with and can usually be found at local stores and farmer’s markets. If you prefer reusable items, artificial options are available. Regardless of which you choose, these small autumn items look great perched individually or arranged in display baskets on a mantel.
Fall flowers add a nice accent, but they don’t last. However, dried flowers often last for many seasons. Placing a bouquet in a vase among other fall decor is an appealing touch.
Keep the colors seasonal
Traditional fall colors are bold yet warm and include orange, yellow, gold, red, burgundy and brown. Of course, black is a must if you want a Halloween look. Keep these colors in mind when choosing decorations for your mantel to create a design that fits the season.
Adorn it with garland
Just like garland is available with tinsel for the Christmas season, you can find it with an autumn theme. A fall garland typically features faux leaves adorned with items like faux pine cones, acorns, gourds and pumpkins. Some garlands even have lighting so you can accomplish two decorative tasks at once.
Add illumination
Just like lights make Christmas decorations pop, they also give a mantel inviting appeal. You can make your decor glow easily by adding candles, string lights or garland with lights. Additionally, decorative pieces with fall or Halloween themes that have LED lights are available.
Create a fall holiday theme
If you love Halloween and Thanksgiving, it’s easy to give your fall mantel a bit of holiday flair by adding a fun decorative piece. Pumpkins, witches, turkeys and other holiday characters and symbols are available.
Best affordable mantel decorations for fall
Geefuun Maple Leaves Lighted Garland
In addition to fall leaves, this garland includes battery-powered lights to illuminate your mantel. They have steady and flashing settings so you can create a look you love. You’ll get four strands per pack for a total of more than 39 feet.
Sold by Amazon
Celebrate Together Fall Woven Pumpkin Basket
This pumpkin basket will look right in style for the fall when filled with items like acorns, leaves and gourds. The woven material has an orange hue that’s perfect for the season.
Sold by Kohl’s
One Holiday Way Artificial Gourds
You can certainly use real gourds to decorate your autumn mantel, but artificial gourds will last for years. This set includes 12 realistic gourds that are difficult to distinguish from real ones.
Sold by Amazon
The Holiday Aisle Halloween Ceramic Tree
Not all decorative trees are for Christmas. This adorable ceramic tree has purple and orange lights with a Halloween theme. At 9 inches tall, it will stand out on your Halloween mantel.
Sold by Wayfair
National Tree Company Harvest Accessories Garland with Maples and Pumpkins
The maple leaves, pumpkins, gourds and vibrant orange colors of this garland will pop on your mantel. Combine it with real gourds and pumpkins for a gorgeous look.
Sold by Home Depot and Amazon
Turnmeon 24-inch Lighted Maple Trees, Two-pack
You’ll get two lighted maple trees for an affordable price, so you can place one on both ends of your mantel and combine them with other decorative pieces. The built-in LED lights are powered by batteries, so you can use them even if your mantel isn’t close to an electrical outlet.
Sold by Amazon
JennyGems Grateful Thankful Blessed Wood Block Signs
With a heartfelt message of thankfulness, these wood blocks are ideal for decorating a mantel for Thanksgiving. They also feature fall colors, so you can display them throughout the season.
Sold by Amazon
Yankee Candle Apple Pumpkin Large Jar Candle
Yankee candles are known for their delightful scents and long burn times. Because it smells like apples and pumpkins, this jar candle is made for autumn. It will burn for as long as 110 hours.
Northern Lights Autumn Harvest 12-inch Taper Candles
If you love to change the taper candles on your mantel to fit the season, this pack of six is made for fall thanks to the rich colors. The 12-inch length creates an elegant appearance.
Sold by Amazon
HBotanicsWeddings Autumn Terracotta Preserved Flowers
These real flowers have the colors of fall and look beautiful in a vase on a mantel. They are dried and arranged by hand, so each bouquet is unique.
Sold by Etsy
National Tree Company LED Ceramic Pumpkin
Whether you are decorating your mantel for Halloween, Thanksgiving or the entire fall season, the National Tree Company lighted ceramic pumpkin makes a nice addition. The glossy finish and intricate details give it a high-end look even though it’s affordable. It’s powered by batteries for easy operation.
Sold by Amazon and Home Depot
NaturalCozy Five-piece Small Round Woven Basket Set
Small baskets look pretty on a mantel when they are stuffed with fall items like gourds, nuts, dried flowers and more. There are five in this set, so you can decorate in numerous ways.
Sold by Amazon
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HOBART, Australia (AP) — About 230 whales have been stranded on Tasmania’s west coast, just days after 14 sperm whales were found beached on an island off the southeastern coast.
The pod stranded on Ocean Beach appears to be pilot whales and at least half are presumed to still be alive, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania said Wednesday.
A team from the Marine Conservation Program was assembling whale rescue gear and heading to the area, the department said.
A resident told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. that the whales were visible near the entrance to Macquarie Harbour and described the stranding as a “massive event.”
David Midson, general manager of the West Coast Council, urged people to stay clear.
“Whales are a protected species, even once deceased, and it is an offense to interfere with a carcass,” the environment department said.
Griffith University marine scientist Olaf Meynecke said it’s unusual for sperm whales to wash ashore. He said that warmer temperatures could also be changing the ocean currents and moving the whales’ traditional food.
“They will be going to different areas and searching for different food sources,” Meynecke said. “When they do this, they are not in the best physical condition because they might be starving so this can lead them to take more risks and maybe go closer to shore.”
Fourteen sperm whales were discovered Monday afternoon on King Island, part of the state of Tasmania in the Bass Strait between Melbourne and Tasmania’s northern coast. The department said it is not unusual for sperm whales to be sighted in Tasmania.
The pilot whale is notorious for stranding in mass numbers, for reasons that are not entirely understood.
Two years ago, about 470 long-finned pilot whales were found beached on sandbars off Tasmania’s west coast in the largest mass-stranding on record in Australia. After a weeklong effort, 111 of those whales were rescued but the rest died.
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ATLANTA (AP) — Stetson Bennett and the Georgia defense picked up where they left off in last year’s national championship game, even with a bunch of their former teammates now playing in the NFL.
Bennett threw for 368 yards and accounted for three touchdowns, a revamped defense didn’t miss a beat, and the No. 3 Bulldogs looked very much like a champion intent on repeating with a 49-3 rout of No. 11 Oregon on Saturday.
Bennett completed 25-of-31 passes with two touchdowns and ran for another score in the season opener before calling it a day in the third quarter. By that point, Georgia led 42-3 and had thoroughly ruined the debut of Oregon coach Dan Lanning.
Georgia really opened it up on offense, throwing 37 times for 439 yards.
“I think when you watch what they did today, if you’re watching from home, you’re saying, ‘Man, I’d love to come play in that offense,'” coach Kirby Smart said.
After spending the last three years as Georgia’s co-defensive coordinator, Lanning got a look at his former team from the opposing sideline in a game played before a predominantly red-clad crowd at the home of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons.
He saw just how far the Ducks have to go.
“That locker room is hurting a little bit,” Lanning said. “But they’re ready to grow.”
Bennett, the former walk-on who led a storybook run to Georgia’s first national title since 1980, returned for a sixth college season with a firm grip on the starting job after battling for playing time most of his career.
Bennett was the offensive MVP of both Georgia victories in last year’s College Football Playoff.
He started his final season with a career high for passing yards.
“It’s always good to go in being the guy,” Bennett said. “It was pretty cool.”
He guided the Bulldogs to the end zone on all six possessions he played. He ran for a 1-yard score and tossed TD passes of 4 yards to Ladd McConkey — spinning away from a pass rusher who appeared to have him corralled — and 18 yards to Adonai Mitchell.
There were some questions about the Georgia defense, which had five players off the 2021 unit selected in the first round of the NFL draft.
Any doubts were quickly put to rest by a swarming group that looked very much like last year’s defense for the ages, making life miserable for new Oregon quarterback Bo Nix.
“One of our mottos is, ‘No one in our end zone,'” said Christopher Smith, who had one of Georgia’s two interceptions.
Nix transferred to Eugene after starting at Auburn the last three seasons. He immediately found himself facing a team he lost to three times while playing in the SEC.
Make it 0-4.
Nix’s frustration was evident when he buried his helmet in his hands after a false-start penalty.
Georgia’s day was epitomized by a short pass to Darnell Washington that turned into a big gain when the 6-foot-7, 270-pound tight end shrugged off one defender hitting him high and hurdled another who tried to bring him down low.
QUITE A DEBUT
Freshman Malaki Starks looks like one of the new stars of the Georgia defense.
He made a brilliant interception while falling backward at the Georgia 8 and wound up leading the team with eight tackles.
NIX IN GREEN
Despite his poor showing, Nix has a solid grasp on the Oregon quarterback job.
Nix completed 21 of 37 for just 173 yards, and his second interception — the one picked off by Smith — was an especially poor decision.
“He forced a throw he didn’t need to force,” Lanning said. “Bo knows that.”
Even though he didn’t name a stating quarterback leading up to the game, Lanning never considered giving someone else a shot.
Nix is still No. 1 on the depth chart.
“He’s our quarterback,” Lanning said. “He did a a good job handling some adverse situations. Now he’s got to figure out how he can improve.”
THE TAKEAWAY
Oregon: Lanning clearly has a lot of work to do to bring the Ducks up to a truly elite level. While there’s no shame in losing to a team such as Georgia, Oregon expected to be much more competitive in their new coach’s first game.
Georgia: The Bulldogs are off and rolling in defense of their national championship. They weren’t threatened at all by perhaps the toughest team on their schedule until a Nov. 19 game at Kentucky.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
The Bulldogs are more than worthy of their No. 3 ranking. Smart has built a program that reloads rather than rebuilds.
Oregon is sure to tumble in The Associated Press poll. But at least every game from here on out looks much easier than facing the Bulldogs.
UP NEXT
Oregon: Home opener next Saturday against FCS school Eastern Washington.
Georgia: While this seemed like a home game for Georgia, its actual home opener is next Saturday against FCS opponent Sanford.
___
Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at https://twitter.com/pnewberry1963
___
More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/ap_top25. Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://bit.ly/3pqZVaF
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| 2022-09-21T12:02:37Z
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(KTLA) — Rising interest rates coupled with crippling inflation has sent more Americans into debt using credit cards to pay for everyday necessities.
Credit card debt in the U.S. has surged over the past year as more Americans borrow money to keep spending. And with interest rates set to go up again, it might be even harder to break free of that crushing debt.
Swiping plastic has become more enticing than ever as high inflation digs deep into Americans’ pockets.
Many people are having to use credit to pay for everyday essentials such as groceries and gas — necessities that have gone up in cost much faster than average earnings.
Budgeting is also becoming critical as people buy what they need, not what they want.
According to LendingTree, an online lending marketplace, the typical consumer has racked up more than $6,500 in credit card debt.
Matt Schulz, LendingTree’s chief credit analyst, says it’s not the worst it’s ever been, but it’s on the way there. He says current conditions are leading to a troubling trend.
“The average rate on a new credit card offer today is a little over 21%, it’s as high as it’s ever been and the really unfortunate thing is that it’s only going to keep going higher,” Schults said.
Record high inflation has about two-thirds of consumers scaling back on discretionary spending. That’s hurting electronic and clothing retailers.
Growing debt could soon impact many credit scores, cutting into those able to qualify for cars or homes. This comes as home prices are starting to decrease, but mortgage rates are rising, with a 30-year fixed rate, now above 6%.
Cody Rice-Velasquez is a normal consumer who has recently tackled credit card debt.
“I don’t want to get back in that hole because we were paying about a thousand dollars a month in interest,” Rice Velasquez said.
So as more Americans are swiping that card, what’s the best way to break the cycle of debt? Experts say it’s important to have an emergency fund.
“Have a little bit of extra savings on hand so you don’t have to pull out the credit card the next time you have a flat tire or you have to take the dog to the vet,” Schultz said.
If you are taking out multiple credit cards, it’s critical that you keep a close eye on your balance and pay them off as soon as possible.
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| 2022-09-21T12:02:42Z
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CLEVELAND (AP) — With one bold, unexpected move, the Cleveland Cavaliers raised their profile in the Eastern Conference considerably.
They’re back in the title hunt.
The Cavs made official Saturday their acquisition of three-time All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell in a trade with Utah, and can start figuring out ways to best integrate his talents into their young core.
Considered outsiders to land the dynamic player for much of this offseason, the Cavs swooped in and put together a package that the Jazz, which had offers from several other teams, couldn’t resist.
Cleveland sent guard Collin Sexton, forward Lauri Markkanen and rookie guard Ochai Agbaji to Utah along with unprotected first-round draft picks in 2025, 2027 and 2029. The teams will also swap their first-round drafting rights in 2026 and 2028.
Sexton, who was a restricted free agent, signed a four-year, $72 million deal as part of the package, his agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports told the Associated Press on Thursday.
In adding Mitchell, the Cavs have, at the very least, entered the conversation to contend in the overloaded East, where Boston, Brooklyn, Miami, Milwaukee and Philadelphia are all considered championship-worthy.
“The acquisition of Donovan Mitchell presented us with an incredible opportunity to bring one of the NBA’s most dynamic young All-Stars to Cleveland,” said Koby Altman, the Cavaliers’ president of basketball operations. “Already a special and proven talent at just 25-years-old, Donovan brings a competitive mentality that organically fits with the core group of this team.
“We are excited to see the impact that someone of Donovan’s caliber can bring to the Cavaliers with his ability to score the basketball, but also make plays for his teammates.”
For Utah, the massive roster teardown continues. The Mitchell trade is the second major one this summer. Utah also dealt All-Star center and defensive force Rudy Gobert to Minnesota in July for a slew of draft picks.
It wasn’t long ago that the Mitchell-Gobert tandem made the Jazz a team to fear in the Western Conference. Now, Utah is starting over with a new coach and at least 13 first-round picks over the next seven years.
In Cleveland, which had a 22-win team two years ago, the rebuild is complete for a franchise that got accustomed to winning when LeBron James was around. Mitchell may have been the missing piece.
The 25-year-old gives Cleveland the type of megastar it takes to win it all. A fearless driver, explosive scorer and creator, Mitchell is a give-me-the-ball-in-crunch-time player who raises his game and his teammates’ game.
He also could be the elder statesman in a projected starting lineup with All-Star point guard Darius Garland (22 years old), All-Star center Jarrett Allen (24), forward Evan Mobley (21) and Isaac Okoro (21).
While the Cavs improved their win total by 22 games last season and qualified for the play-in game, their major deficiency was not having someone who could get consistently score and a stagnating offense.
The Cavs tried to address the situation by trading for small forward Caris LeVert at the deadline in February. However, he was slowed by injury and struggled to fit in to coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s system.
Mitchell has averaged 23.9 points in his five pro seasons and will play alongside Garland, who improved across the board in his third year. It’s a smaller backcourt — both Mitchell and Garland are listed at 6-foot-1 — so there could be some defensive issues, but with Allen and Mobley on patrol, the Cavs do have proven rim protection.
Cleveland hasn’t made the playoffs since James left for a second time in 2018, ending the Cavs’ four-year run to the Finals. They’ve been patient in putting things in place to take another shot at a title.
Mitchell gets them closer to one.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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| 2022-09-21T12:02:45Z
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BOLTON, Mass. (AP) — Talor Gooch had a 5-under 65 on a day of low scoring and most players wearing shorts, building a one-shot lead Saturday over newcomer Joaquin Niemann after two rounds of the LIV Golf Invitational-Boston.
Gooch was among the first players to sign up with the Saudi-funded league and has finished in the top 10 in all three of the series.
He was at 12-under 198 and will start the third and final round Sunday on the first hole with Niemann and Dustin Johnson (63).
Johnson also has finished in the top 10 in all three LIV Golf events.
“I’ve been playing solid I feel like every week. Each round I’ve felt like I’m doing the right things. Eventually it’s all going to come together,” said Johnson, whose last victory was the Saudi International in February 2021. “The game is definitely in good form, and I like the direction it’s heading in.“
The most improved award goes to Sihwan Kim. He opened with an 87 in the first round, including a 10 on the 16th hole. Saturday was a different story. Kim was 24 shots better with a 63 to match the low round of the day.
Even with such low scoring at The International, most of the contenders felt as though they could have gone lower. Gooch missed a 5-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th and had to settle for a one-shot lead.
“There’s some more meat on the bone out there,” Gooch said. “You don’t take good rounds for granted but you also aren’t satisfied. You know you can go get some more juice out of the squeeze, so hopefully we can do that tomorrow.”
Niemann, the 23-year-old from Chile, signed with LIV Golf this week after completing the Tour Championship in Atlanta. He will try to join Henrik Stenson (New Jersey) and Charl Schwartzel (London) as players winning their first LIV event.
Another newcomer, British Open champion Cameron Smith, had an eagle on the par-5 closing hole for the second straight day. This one only kept him in the game. That eagle allowed him to break par at 69 and left him five shots behind.
Players were allowed to wear shorts, though not everyone did. And not everyone will.
Johnson rarely wore shorts on the PGA Tour when they were allowed in pro-am. He got the message too late, and said he didn’t want to switch in the middle of the tournament. So he plans to be pants again Sunday.
“I’m sure in Bangkok and Jeddah we’ll all be in shorts,” Johnson said, referring to LIV Golf Invitational events in Asia later in the year.
Phil Mickelson ended his streak of nine consecutive rounds in LIV Golf — and 13 overall including the U.S. Open and British Open — without breaking 70. He shot a 68 on Saturday and was tied for 39th in the 48-man field.
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More AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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| 2022-09-21T12:02:59Z
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson felt disrespected when he wasn’t named to any preseason all-Southeastern Conference team.
Jefferson’s opening week performance could earn more attention for the player who had the SEC’s second-best touchdown-to-interception ratio last year and was the leading returning rusher at the position in the conference..
Jefferson threw for 223 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another 62 yards and a score to lead No. 19 Arkansas to a 31-24 win over No. 23 Cincinnati on Saturday.
“Seems to me like when the game gets a little tighter, a little closer, when he’s really got to take over the game, he’s got the knack to do it,” Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said. “Seemed to me like most every time we need him to win the game, he makes some kind of play.
Jefferson established himself as escape-artist of sorts last year, his 240-pound frame proving difficult to take down. Little changed there as most of his yards on the ground came after contact against Cincinnati. Through the air, he built a rapport with tight end Trey Knox who caught two of the three touchdown tosses, including one that was quite literally a toss: a jump-pass from five yards to give Arkansas a 14-0 lead at halftime.
Cincinnati’s Ben Bryant, a transfer from Eastern Michigan, ultimately threw for more yards passing (325) and just one fewer touchdown, but an interception at the Arkansas 20 turned into a Razorbacks score on the next possession.
The pick was one of several mistakes the Bearcats made. Four of Cincinnati’s first-half drives ended in Arkansas territory, but the interception halted one and Ryan Coe missed two field goals, including one from 25 yards, as well.
Cincinnati had pulled within a touchdown on Bryant’s throw to Nick Mardner halfway through the third quarter and then recovered a Jefferson fumble inside his own 10 on the ensuing play. The Bearcats started three yards from the end zone, but four penalties later, including two for delay of game, they managed just a 25-yard field goal.
Arkansas followed with a 32-yard field three minutes later and Jefferson threw his third touchdown on the possession that followed, a 32-yarder to Knox, to rebuild the lead to 14 points.
Knox, a senior, was a starting wide receiver his freshman year and had 28 catches and three touchdowns, but had just seven catches his sophomore season in Pittman’s debut 2020 season. He moved to tight end and caught 20 balls as a junior last season. Saturday he had six catches for 75 yards and two touchdowns.
“He’s worked hard at tight end and he believes he’s a tight end. He is. He’s a good one,” Pittman said. “Coming off the field on his second TD and went down their side and I said ‘You happy you moved to tight end?’ Those are special moments because you never know if it’s going to work out.”
The game was Arkansas’ first Top 25 matchup at home since 2016.
The Razorbacks were 9-4 last season, their best finish since 2011 .
“When Cincinnati was put on the schedule I was saying ‘why?’ to be honest with you,” Pittman said. “Am I tickled to death that we’re 1-0 and we beat Cincinnati? Yes. I don’t want to play them. We’ve already played them once. That’s plenty.”
THE PORTAL GIVETH
Most of Arkansas’ big plays not involving Knox and Jefferson came from players picked up via the transfer portal. Domineck (Georgia Tech) and Drew Sanders (Alabama) had sacks. Dwight McGlothern (LSU) had Arkansas’ interception. Matt Landers (Toledo) started and caught three passes for 43 yards while Haselwood (Oklahoma) had three grabs for 42 yards and the score.
BEAT UP
Cincinnati’s rally came in large part because of the passing game. Bryant took advantage of Arkansas losing starting nickel Myles Slusher and starting safety Jalen Catalon late in the second quarter and early in the second half.
The Bearcats’ first touchdown came immediately after Catalon, a preseason first-team All-SEC selection and former freshman All-American, left the game.
Pittman said Slusher should be OK going forward, but he was less sure about Catalon. He did not disclose either injury.
THE TAKEAWAY
Arkansas’ offense, with Jefferson at quarterback, is SEC worthy. The defense struggled in the second half after losing two starters from the secondary.
Cincinnati had the talent to win the game, but its mistakes were too plentiful against a quality opponent.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Arkansas should find itself comfortably still ranked ahead of its SEC opener next week.
Cincinnati is likely to fall out of the Top 25 despite a fair showing.
UP NEXT
Arkansas opens SEC play against South Carolina at home in Week 2. The game will be South Carolina’s first in Fayetteville since 2013.
Cincinnati will host FCS opponent Kennesaw State at Nippert Stadium.
___
More AP college football:
https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25. Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25
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| 2022-09-21T12:03:07Z
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SYLVANIA, Ohio (AP) — Lucy Li played with a lead for the first time on the LPGA Tour and the 19-year-old was up to the task Saturday, recovering from a sluggish start for a 4-under 67 and a one-shot lead in the Dana Open.
Li was 2 over through seven holes and quickly fading from the picture at Highland Meadows when she responded with five birdies over the next 10 holes to regain the lead and set up a final round filled with possibilities.
Lexi Thompson ran off three straight birdies late in the round for a 65, while Caroline Masson of Germany also had a 65. They were one shot behind.
Six other players were three shots back, including Lydia Ko, a two-time tournament winner who had the low round of the day at 64.
“I was probably a little nervous. It wasn’t anything crazy, but haven’t felt nervous in a long time,” Li said. “Actually making those bogeys might have helped a little, just getting that out of the way and knowing that I could just freewheel it out there a little.”
Li was at 14-under 199, and the final group offers a pair of prodigies.
Thompson was 12 when she first qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles. Seven years later, Li broke her record when she qualified for the 2014 Women’s Open at Pinehurst No. 2.
“It’ll be great,” Thompson said. “I played with her a little bit — not so much out here. But I think everybody knows how amazing of a player she is. Just speaks wonders to the amount of work that she’s put into her game, just the amount of talent she has.”
Li recalls playing a practice round with Thompson in the ‘14 Women’s Open.
“She outdrove me by like 60 yards. She probably still outdrives me by 20 yards,” Li said. “I haven’t spent that much time on the LPGA, so I haven’t really gotten to know her that well. She’s a lot — quite a bit older than me.”
Thompson is 27.
This week already has felt like a bonus for the California teen. Li secured her LPGA Tour card for next year with two wins and a runner-up finish on the Epson Tour, which offers LPGA cards to its leading 10 players.
Li received a sponsor’s invitation in Canada last week and tied for ninth in the CP Women’s Open, which got her into the field in Ohio. Now she has a chance to win and join the LPGA Tour for its final two months of the season.
But it will require navigating through a traffic jam of key players, a list that includes four major champions. Also in the mix is Nasa Hataoka, the defending champion, who had a 67 and was part of the big group at 11-under 202.
Equally daunting is Ko, who won at Highland Meadows in 2014 and 2016 and had a great chance in 2020 until a bogey on the par-5 closing hole.
Ko started on the back nine and after a bogey on the 11th, she holed out for eagle on No. 12 and ran off a series of birdies. She had a chance to go even lower on her final hole, the reachable par-4 ninth. But her chip from right of the green didn’t get up the hill, she chipped strong and missed the par putt.
“They moved the tee forward a little on 12 and I was just, ‘Hit driver off the tee.’ I only a gap wedge,” she said. “It’s not the greatest finish. … I did what I needed to do.”
For Thompson, the No. 7 player in the women’s world ranking, it’s another chance to end more than three years without winning.
“I go into every tournament wanting to win. Yeah, it has not worked out the way I want it to in a few events, but that’s golf,” Thompson said. “I think you never lose; you’re always learning. There is always something to build on and learn from those days.
“It’s golf. I mean, it’s a crazy game. It can be with you one day and not the next.”
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More AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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| 2022-09-21T12:03:22Z
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NEW YORK (AP) — Rafael Nadal’s nose was just fine. So was his tennis. No stitches or even a bandage, 48 hours after he drew blood by accidentally smacking himself with his racket — and not a trace of trouble, as usual, against Richard Gasquet.
Nadal improved to 18-0 against Gasquet across their careers and ran his head-to-head set streak to 34 in a row by winning their third-round matchup at the U.S. Open 6-0, 6-1, 7-5 on Saturday night.
After No. 2 seed Nadal grabbed the initial nine games, Gasquet finally claimed one 70 minutes in. When a 97 mph serve drew a netted return from the 22-time Grand Slam champion, Gasquet raised both arms as the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd feted him with a standing ovation.
Things reverted to form from there between the two 36-year-olds for the remainder of that set, with Nadal’s groundstroke power and placement too much for Gasquet, who used to be a top-10 player but is now ranked 91st.
Only in the third set did Gasquet make things more competitive, getting to 5-all, before Nadal take the last two games to improve to 22-0 in Grand Slam matches in 2022.
Next for Nadal comes a matchup on Monday against No. 22 Frances Tiafoe, an American who reached the fourth round at Flushing Meadows for the third year in a row. Nadal is 2-0 against Tiafoe.
“Now I believe I can beat him. … I’m definitely going to come after him,” said the 24-year-old Tiafoe, who is from Maryland.
The key?
“Match his intensity from the first point to the last,” Tiafoe said after getting past No. 14 Diego Schwartzman 7-6 (7), 6-4, 6-4. “You can’t really have any dips. He takes advantage of it.”
Nadal won the Australian Open in January and the French Open in June, then got to the semifinals at Wimbledon before pulling out of the grass-court tournament because of a torn abdominal muscle.
Before coming to New York in pursuit of a fifth championship at Flushing Meadows, Nadal tweaked his service motion to ease the strain on his midsection, lowering his toss so as not to reach as far on the swing. The adjustment has not hurt his effectiveness.
And neither did the bizarre mishap in a second-round victory over Fabio Fognini on Thursday, when Nadal’s racket bounced off the court and up into the bridge of his nose on a backhand follow-through. He was left bloodied and dizzy and worried he’d broken his nose.
“A little bit bgger than usual, but it’s OK,” he said with a smile after eliminating Gasquet. “The nose is still there.”
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More AP coverage of U.S. Open tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/us-open-tennis-championships and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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| 2022-09-21T12:03:30Z
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MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Mario Cristobal ran through the smoke alongside the Miami Hurricanes as they entered the field, grabbed his headset and gave someone on the sideline a hug.
It was the first of many celebratory moments in Cristobal’s debut game as Miami’s coach.
Henry Parrish rushed for 108 yards and three touchdowns, Tyler Van Dyke passed for two more scores and No. 16 Miami started its season by topping Bethune-Cookman 70-13 on Saturday. Miami rushed for seven touchdowns on the day, piled up 582 yards of offense and turned three takeaways into touchdowns.
“The goal was to be 1-0 by 7:15 tonight,” Cristobal said. “And that was achieved. … We did what we had to do.”
Thaddeus Franklin rushed for two scores, while Devon Perry and Terrell Walden II also ran for touchdowns for the Hurricanes (1-0).
Gilbert Frierson had an interception return for a score, while Xavier Restrepo and Michael Redding III caught the TD passes from Van Dyke — who completed 13 of 16 passes for 193 yards. Jake Garcia completed all eight of his passes for the Hurricanes in relief.
“Amazing to start the season like that,” Frierson said.
For Bethune-Cookman (0-1), Que’Shawn Byrd caught a 34-yard touchdown pass from Jalon Jones.
“It gives us a measuring stick for our football team,” Bethune-Cookman coach Terry Sims said. “When you play a team the caliber of the University of Miami, you have no choice but to play at your best. Our guys, I thought went out and they fought.”
It was Cristobal’s 12th season-opener at Miami — he had five as a player, including his redshirt year, then three as a graduate assistant and three more as a full-fledged assistant.
But this was the first, of what Miami expects to be many, with him in charge of the operation.
“The energy was through the roof,” Restrepo said. “Coach Cristobal, he carries the entire team on his shoulders.”
There was much to like: Van Dyke’s passes were crisp, Parrish stepped up to lead an injury-depleted running back corps, Frierson had the return touchdown, Key’Shawn Smith had three kickoff returns for 184 yards — barely stepping out 17 yards from the end zone on what would have been a return score — and the Hurricanes blocked a field goal.
There also were things that will jump off the film and needs to be corrected, such as Bethune-Cookman getting seven plays of at least 20 yards, two of those being passes that wound up going for gains of 44 and 48. And a red-zone fumble also bothered Cristobal, though he blamed himself for the particulars that went wrong on that play.
“Overall, I thought we played relatively hard,” Cristobal said.
THE TAKEAWAY
Bethune-Cookman: All six games have ended up as easy Miami wins — average margin 42 points — but the Wildcats can feel good about this. They scored first in four of those six matchups, the latest entry on that list coming when they converted a third-and-23 on Saturday’s opening drive on the way to a field goal.
Miami: There were clearly not 56,795 people in the stands Saturday — Hard Rock Stadium holds about 65,000 for football — but that was the announced number of tickets distributed. It was the fourth-highest attendance figure for a Miami home opener since the Hurricanes moved into the Miami Dolphins’ stadium 15 years ago.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Miami should remain ranked and probably won’t deviate far from the current No. 16 spot. It’ll be the 159th time (out of a possible 183) that the poll will include Miami during Cristobal’s years with the Hurricanes as a player, graduate assistant, assistant coach and now head coach.
FOR OPENERS
Miami improved to 65-32-1 all-time in openers, starting with the 1926 season when the Hurricanes fielded only a freshman team. But it’s only the second time in the last five years that Miami has started 1-0, after losses to LSU in 2018, Florida in 2019 and Alabama last year. The Hurricanes opened 2020 with a win over UAB.
UP NEXT
Bethune-Cookman: Host South Carolina State on Sept. 10. South Carolina State led the Wildcats 42-7 last year, but needed an onside kick recovery to seal a 42-35 win.
Miami: Host Southern Miss on Sept. 10, the first meeting between the schools. The Hurricanes will be seeking what would be just their seventh 2-0 start in the last 18 seasons.
___
More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25. Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25.
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| 2022-09-21T12:03:37Z
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — With its vaunted offense bogged down, No. 2 Ohio State leaned on its revamped defense in a top-five opener against a former Buckeye that tested its toughness.
C.J. Stroud threw two touchdown passes and Ohio State shut out No. 5 Notre Dame over the final 42 minutes in a gritty 21-10 victory on Saturday night.
“The story of the night was the defense, to turn around and play the way they did after what’s been said about them in the offseason, questioning their toughness, and play the way they did against the No. 5 team in the country … I thought the energy was off the charts for the defense tonight,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said.
The first regular-season meeting of the storied programs since 1996 was a homecoming for first-year Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman. The former Buckeyes linebacker has made a meteoric rise to lead the Fighting Irish at the age of 36.
Freeman is 0-2 as a head coach after losing a bowl game just weeks after being named Brian Kelly’s successor.
The Irish hung with the high-scoring Buckeyes for most of three quarters, frustrating Heisman Trophy finalist Stroud and putting together a couple of first-half scoring drives.
“We battled for 2 1/2 quarters, but then they scored with 17 seconds left in the third and we didn’t respond,” Freeman said.
Ohio State’s defense, too generous against the run last season, put the clamps on the Irish and new starting quarterback Tyler Buchner in the second half.
“We were called soft all last year and we had to sit there and just eat,” Ohio State defensive back Lathan Ransom said.
Day turned over his defensive staff in the offseason, bringing in Jim Knowles from Oklahoma State to be coordinator.
How quickly the Buckeyes would pick up a scheme that is considered more complicated and multiple than the one they have been running was an open question.
Looked good in Game 1. The Irish managed just 253 yards and punted on their last six possessions. Tommy Eichenberg had two of Ohio State’s three sacks.
“We got a lot to prove. And everyone just played extremely confident, too,” Eichenberg said.
The Irish D could only hold up for so long.
On a third-and-long, Notre Dame brought multiple blitzers and Ohio State gave Stroud plenty of time to find Xavier Johnson open down the vacated deep middle for a 24-yard score. That put the Buckeyes up 14-10 with 17 seconds left in the third quarter.
On its next drive, Ohio State asserted itself. The Buckeyes went 95 yards on 14 plays, killing seven minutes off the clock and making it 21-10 on a 1-yard surge by Miyan Williams.
Williams ran for 84 yards on 14 carries and TreVeyon Henderson had 91 on 15 attempts.
Ohio State led the nation in scoring and yards per play last season, but for much of the night it was a slog for Stroud. And Day seemed thrilled to see his team endure.
“We wanted to be known as something other than talented,” Day said.
Playing mostly without star receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who took a hard hit on the first series, Stroud threw for 223 yards, including a 31-yard TD to Emeka Egbuka to make it 7-3 in the first quarter.
But that was it for the Buckeyes in the first half.
Buchner and the Irish responded with a long drive capped by Audric Etime’s 1-yard touchdown leap in the second quarter to put the Irish up 10-7.
That’s how it went to the half. Things could not have gone much better for Freeman to that point in his return to Ohio Stadium, but it turned out that was as good as it would get.
TAKEAWAY
Notre Dame: Buchner completed his first eight passes and then went 2 for 10 the rest of the way. The Irish got creative and made some big catches in the first half to move the ball but ran out of answers.
“Ohio State’s a really talented team, they’re defense is awesome and you can’t give the ball back to their offense, so when it wasn’t clicking in the second half, it killed us,” Buchner said.
Ohio State: Smith-Njigba, last seen setting Rose Bowl records, finished with two catches for 3 yards. The Buckeyes boast receiver room filled with blue-chippers, but it was Johnson, a fifth-year senior and former walk-on, who caught the go-ahead touchdown.
Johnson followed up his first career touchdown with a big tackle on the ensuing kickoff.
“He’s kind of a throwback player,” Day said. “And for him to come in and play in that moment in this game right here, I just couldn’t be happier for him. Because it shows you that good things happen to good people who work hard.”
STAR STUDDED
Ohio State honored its 2002 national championship during a quick on-the-field ceremony in the first half with former coach Jim Tressel and dozens of former players, including Maurice Clarett.
Tressel reluctantly was hoisted on to the shoulders of two former players and the crowd roared.
The first game in the 100th season of Ohio Stadium drew 106,549 fans and attracted LeBron James and his son, Bronny, to the Ohio State sideline. With the NFL season a week away, former Buckeyes Justin Fields and Chase Young were among a host of active professional players in attendance, too.
NEXT UP
Notre Dame: The first home game for Freeman is next week against Marshall.
Ohio State: Arkansas State visits the Buckeyes.
___
Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at http://www.appodcasts.com
___
More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25. Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25
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| 2022-09-21T12:03:44Z
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Standing in the tunnel and waiting to run into the raucous Swamp for the first time, Florida coach Billy Napier turned to an assistant and summed up the moment.
“Can you believe they pay us to do this?” he said.
It seemed like money well spent after the Gators delivered their biggest season-opening victory in more than 50 years.
Anthony Richardson ran for three scores in his second career start, including a 2-yard scamper with 1:25 remaining, and Florida upset seventh-ranked Utah 29-26 on Saturday night to get the Napier era off to a rousing start.
Richardson was the best player on the field most of the night. He really showed up down the stretch, although fifth-year linebacker Amari Burney was the one who sealed the victory for the rebuilding Gators. Burney intercepted Cam Rising’s second-down pass into the end zone with 17 seconds remaining.
“Someone had to make a play, It happened to be me,” Burney said.
That set off a wild celebration for many of the 90,799 in attendance — the 10th most at home in school history. Richardson took a knee from there, and the Gators rushed the field to revel in their 33rd consecutive victory in home season openers. That’s the longest current streak in the nation.
“This group’s got a lot of fight in them,” said Napier, who replaced fired coach Dan Mullen in November. “They’ve got a little bit different edge to them.”
Richardson ran 11 times for 106 yards and was never stopped for a loss. He completed 17 of 24 passes for 168 yards and played turnover-free football.
“He’s going to get his (NFL payday),” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. “He’s 6-4, 230 and runs like a 4.3. He’s a terrific player.”
Richardson’s best play? He had an electrifying 2-point conversion early in the fourth quarter that put the Gators up 22-19. He juked former Florida teammate Mohamoud Diabate with a pump fake and then sprinted right by fellow Utah linebacker Lander Barton before throwing a strike to Ja’Quavion Fraziers in the back of the end zone.
Utah answered and briefly took the lead, but Richardson responded. He moved the chains with a third-down throw and again with a fourth-down run, both of which set up his game winner.
“Just trying to make something happen. Glad it worked,” Richardson said.
Rising moved the Utes in position to steal one on the road for a team that entered the season with its highest preseason ranking in school history. But Rising’s last pass was his most important — or costly — of the night.
“It wasn’t Cam’s best throw,” Whittingham said. “I’m sure he’d like that back, but he played great.”
Rising completed 22 of 32 passes for 216 yards, with a touchdown and the turnover. He also ran for 91 more.
Tavion Thomas had 115 yards rushing and a score for Utah, which caught a break when it rained about two hours before kickoff and erased whatever advantage Florida had with sweltering summer heat and humidity.
GAME CHANGERS
The difference was Florida’s success and Utah’s failure in the red zone. The Gators scored touchdowns on all three trips into the 20-yard line. The Utes had the late turnover and were stuffed on consecutive downs at the goal line to open the third quarter.
Utah also settled for two first-half field goals, one from 43 yards and another from 31.
THE TAKEAWAY
Utah: The defending Pac-12 champions showed resiliency on the road, battling back to take the lead in the fourth quarter. Despite the loss, the Utes have enough talent and experience to be a factor in the chase for the College Football Playoff.
Florida: The Gators don’t look like they’ll in rebuilding mode for long. Napier’s recruiting has jumped in the last two months and a game like this could do wonders to help him close the gap on Southeastern Conference heavyweights Alabama and Georgia.
“There’s a lot of good energy in the locker room right now,” Richardson said.
MILLION DOLLAR HANDSHAKE
Napier showed a bit of modern-day coaching nuance in the first half when he left his team during a timeout to offer millionaire booster Hugh Hathcock a handshake and a partial hug. Hathcock is one of the program’s top donors.
Hathcock, who owns Velocity Automotive Solutions, gave the University Athletic Association a $12.6 million gift in April. Some of the money will be used to renovate Florida’s aging basketball practice facility and some is sure to help the football program. The Gators plan to name a suite tower at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and its basketball complex after Hathcock.
UP NEXT
Utah: hosts Southern Utah next Saturday. The in-state teams played once previously, with the Utes winning 24-0 in 2016.
Florida: continues its tough opening stretch when it hosts No. 20 Kentucky to being SEC play next Saturday night.
___
More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/ap_top25. Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://bit.ly/3pqZVaF
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| 2022-09-21T12:03:51Z
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NEW YORK (AP) — Mets ace Max Scherzer realized something was off. So rather than push through, he smartly pulled himself out.
Scherzer exited with left side fatigue after five sharp innings and 67 pitches Saturday night and NL East-leading New York lost to the Washington Nationals 7-1.
Scherzer is confident he’ll make his next start as scheduled.
“Nothing tightened up — I just had general fatigue overall on my left side,” Scherzer said. “That’s where you can run into injury, is when you’re pitching through fatigue. So that was the reason to come out.”
Scherzer, who missed almost seven weeks earlier this season with a left oblique strain, had his fastball clocked as high as 96 mph. Despite dealing with fatigue that began in the fourth inning, he retired his final seven batters before heading straight to the tunnel leading to the Mets’ clubhouse following the fifth.
“This was a precautionary move given the history of the oblique here,” Scherzer said. “Was there a scenario where I could go out there and pitch the sixth and be OK? Yeah. That could have happened. But if I went out there in the sixth and I got hurt, there’s no way I could come in here and look the guys in the face and say I made the right decision.”
Scherzer attempted to complete the sixth inning with the left oblique injury against the St. Louis Cardinals on May 18 but left in the middle of a two-out at-bat against Albert Pujols. The 47-day absence was the longest IL stint of his career.
“Just couldn’t take any risk, especially where the calendar’s at,” Scherzer said. “There’s not a lot of time to re-ramp back up. So I think that played just as much of an important factor in coming out after five.”
Scherzer was already scheduled to make his next start on six days of rest due to the Mets’ off-day Thursday. He’s scheduled to pitch against the Miami Marlins on Friday night.
“Get some days off and I should be feeling good here pretty soon,” Scherzer said.
The three-time Cy Young Award winner, making his third attempt at earning the 200th win of his career, allowed three hits, including Luis Garcia’s homer with one out in the first. He walked one and struck out five.
“He’s very frank about what he was feeling and we reacted to what a really good pitcher that knows himself said,” Mets manager Buck Showalter said. “Been able to have that communication all year and it’s worked out pretty well. Tonight, I think, was a good example of that.”
The five innings pitched tied a season low for Scherzer.
Lane Thomas hit a tiebreaking solo homer with one out in the eighth off Adam Ottavino (5-3) for the last-place Nationals.
Garcia also doubled twice, then singled in a five-run ninth.
Patrick Corbin (6-17), who leads the majors in losses and has the highest ERA (6.28) among qualified pitchers, earned his second straight win. He gave up three hits, including Eduardo Escobar’s homer in the third, and walked one with five strikeouts in seven innings.
Corbin threw a first-pitch strike to 17 of the 25 batters he faced, including 13 of the final 16.
“That’s what made him effective — strike one, strike one,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “Attacked the hitters. He was awesome today.”
Corbin is 2-1 with a 2.96 ERA in four starts since being skipped once in the rotation in early August.
“I think getting away from going out there every fifth day for a start (to) just kind of relax or just get a little time to think about some things was the biggest thing,” Corbin said. “Feeling good and just looking forward to the rest of my starts.”
Thomas and Josh Palacios each had an RBI single in the ninth and CJ Abrams hit a two-run single.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Nationals: DH Nelson Cruz (right knee contusion), who fouled a ball off his knee Friday and left after two at-bats, felt better Saturday and was available off the bench.
Mets: RHP Trevor May (undisclosed) was placed on the IL. The Mets recalled RHP Bryce Montes de Oca from Triple-A Syracuse. Montes de Oca made his big league debut by recording the final two outs in the ninth. … RHP Tylor Megill (shoulder strain) is scheduled to make his second one-inning rehab appearance for Double-A Binghamton on Sunday. … LHP Joey Lucchesi (Tommy John surgery) threw two scoreless innings Saturday in his fourth rehab appearance for Single-A St. Lucie. Like Megill, Lucchesi is rehabbing as a reliever in hopes he can contribute out of the bullpen.
UP NEXT
Nationals: RHP Erick Fedde (5-9, 5.29 ERA) is 0-4 with a 7.11 ERA over his last seven starts dating to June 27.
Mets: RHP Carlos Carrasco (13-5, 3.92 ERA) is expected to be activated from the injured list. Carrasco, who suffered a left oblique strain against the Atlanta Braves on Aug. 15, threw 55 pitches in a simulated game last Monday.
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More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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| 2022-09-21T12:03:59Z
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IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s defense came up with two second-half safeties, and the Hawkeyes opened the season with a 7-3 win over South Dakota State on Saturday.
Neither team could do much offensively. Iowa finished with 166 yards of offense, while South Dakota State had 120. The two teams combined for more punts (21) than first downs (16).
“Obviously a very unusual scoring line,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. “You’ve got 3 (in the first quarter), 2 (in the third quarter), 2 in the fourth. I’ve never been around a game like that. But we’ll take it today.”
Iowa ranked seventh nationally with four defensive touchdowns last season, so the Hawkeyes are used to getting points from that side of the ball. And they needed them on a day when the offense struggled.
“The standard’s been set,” said linebacker Jack Campbell, who recorded one of the safeties and finished with 12 tackles.
The first safety came after Iowa’s Tory Taylor had his punt downed at the South Dakota State 1-yard line in the third quarter. One play later, Campbell grabbed running back Isaiah Davis after he took the handoff and brought him down one yard short of getting out of the end zone.
The second safety came in the fourth, when Iowa’s Joe Evans sacked quarterback Mark Gronowski in the end zone on a second-and-11 play.
“We’re trying to score as much as we can on the defensive side, however we can do it” said Iowa safety Quinn Schulte.
The Hawkeyes kept South Dakota State pinned in its own territory for most of the game. Ten of Taylor’s punts were downed inside the Jackrabbits’ 20-yard line, including one at the 2 and the one at the 1.
“Tory did a great job,” Ferentz said. “I don’t think if I’ve ever seen a punter so involved in a game either.”
Taylor averaged 47.9 yards per punt.
“Field position was really tough for us,” South Dakota State coach John Stiegelmeier said. “It’s tough to go out there and mentally think we’ve got to go 98 yards against this defense.”
Iowa took a 3-0 lead in the first quarter on Aaron Blom’s 46-yard field goal. The only points for South Dakota State came on Hunter Dustman’s 44-yard field goal with 20 seconds left before halftime.
Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras completed 11 of 25 passes for 109 yards. Leshon Williams had 72 rushing yards.
Gronowski was 10 of 26 passing for 87 yards. Davis had 18 carries for 50 yards.
INJURY REPORT
Iowa was without three offensive starters — wide receivers Keagan Johnson and Nico Ragaini, and running back Gavin Williams. All three missed time in preseason camp because of undisclosed injuries. Starting linebacker Jestin Jacobs left the game in the second quarter with an injury and did not return.
South Dakota State tight end Tucker Kraft, a second-team Associated Press FCS All-American last season, was injured after catching a pass in the first quarter and did not return.
THE TAKEAWAY
Iowa had one of the worst offenses in the nation last year despite a 10-win season, finishing 99th in scoring offense and 121st in total offense. Petras’ struggles led to plenty of boos from the sellout crowd at Kinnick Stadium, and with in-state rival Iowa State coming in next Saturday, there will be plenty of questions for Ferentz to answer. “I’ve still got a lot of confidence in him,” Ferentz said. “I think the noise on the outside is probably a lot louder than it is on the inside.”
South Dakota State, which fell to 2-10 all time against FBS teams, struggled to move the ball against Iowa’s defense, which was one of the best in the nation last season.
UP NEXT
South Dakota State: Hosts UC Davis next Saturday.
Iowa: Hosts Iowa State next Saturday.
___
More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/ap_top25. Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://bit.ly/3pqZVaF
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| 2022-09-21T12:04:06Z
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KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Sophia Smith scored a pair of first-half goals and the U.S. women’s national team defeated Nigeria 4-0 Saturday as both teams prepare for next summer’s World Cup.
The United States has a 70-game unbeaten streak on American soil — 63 wins and seven draws.
The two teams face off again Tuesday in Washington, D.C.
Smith outmaneuvered a defender and scored from distance in the 14th minute. Lindsey Horan made it 2-0 in the 26th minute with a goal to the far post off an assist from Smith, who added a second goal in first-half stoppage time.
Alex Morgan converted on a penalty kick in the 52nd minute after Mallory Pugh was fouled in the box.
Smith, who plays for the Portland Thorns of the National Women’s Soccer League, leads the national team with nine goals this year.
Smith, just 22, is developing different aspects of her game, U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski said.
“(Her) individual movements are very good. But then her movements off of Alex Morgan were very precise. We saw a couple of good connections with Alex, a couple of good connections with the players that were around,” Andonovski said. “So she’s becoming not just individually a very good player but she’s also bringing other players in the game and helps them look better on the field.”
The United States qualified for the World Cup at the CONCACAF W Championship in July. The team won the tournament title to also secure a berth in the 2024 Olympics.
The U.S. has won the last two World Cups and has four titles overall.
Nigeria, one of the most successful women’s teams in Africa, qualified for the 2023 World Cup by advancing to the semifinals of the Africa Cup of Nations in July. The Super Falcons finished fourth in the tournament.
Nigeria has advanced to every World Cup since the tournament started in 1991. Currently the team is coached by Randy Waldrum, former coach of the NWSL’s Houston Dash.
Following Tuesday’s rematch against Nigeria, the United States heads to Europe to play England at Wembley Stadium on Oct. 7.
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More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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| 2022-09-21T12:04:22Z
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The Connecticut Sun are finally returning home after spending almost two weeks on the road.
The Sun will host the Chicago Sky for the next two games of their WNBA playoffs semifinal series, which is tied 1-1. Game 3 is Sunday and the fourth game is Tuesday.
Connecticut went to Dallas in the first round and beat the Wings in the decisive Game 3 to advance to the semifinals. Instead of coming home, the Sun flew to Chicago to get ready for the series with the Sky. Connecticut won the opener before falling 85-77 in Wednesday’s Game 2.
Now, the team has had a chance to sleep in their own beds and will play in front of their home fans Sunday.
“It’s a huge game, opportunity for us.” Sun head coach Curt Miller said. “We understand what Game 3s look like around our league.”
For the Sun to be successful, they’ll have to figure out a way to slow down Candace Parker, who has been dominant on both ends of the court during the first two games of the series — averaging 20.5 points, 11 rebounds, 4.5 blocks and 2.5 steals.
“She’s had so many different great games. Even when she’s having less stats, she’s still doing so many great things on the court like being a great leader,” Chicago’s Emma Meesseman said of Parker. “I don’t think there’s enough words. I think that’s your job to find them.
“To just describe what she’s been doing on the court, she’s everywhere. Defense, offense. Off-court, she has been very vocal. I’m happy to be with her in this series because going against her is not fun, I think.”
Here are a few other storylines for Game 3:
AWARD WINNER
Brionna Jones was honored as the league’s Sixth Player of the Year on Thursday. She received 53 of 56 votes from a national media panel. Chicago forward Azura Stevens got two votes and Washington’s Myisha Hines-Allen the other one. Jones came off the bench in 29 of the Sun’s 36 games and averaged 13.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals.
TURNNG BACK TIME
Parker knows how difficult it is to win a championship — she got her first title in 2016 with Los Angeles and won her second with Chicago last season.
“It took me nine years to get to the Finals,” she said. “You have an opportunity. This team has an opportunity so we can’t not seize the opportunity. If we’re not going to do it, let’s not do it because they’re just way better than us. And so let’s go out and just play basketball. And I think that’s the way that we lead is that we just have to have the right mindset coming in and we have to be the ones that set the tone.”
The 36-year-old forward is trying to lead the Sky to a repeat — something that hasn’t been done in 20 years. She scoffed at the idea that she’s playing better now than when she was younger.
“I don’t think so,” Parker said after the Game 2 win. “I think younger CP in the playoffs was more dominant. But I think just mentally understanding moments and things that I didn’t understand when I was fighting to get to the Finals or fighting to win in the playoffs.”
___
AP freelance writer Gavin Good contributed to this report.
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More WNBA playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-playoffs and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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| 2022-09-21T12:04:29Z
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HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Texans will host the Uvalde high school football team and wear “Uvalde Strong” decals on their helmets when they open the season Sept. 11 against Indianapolis.
A contingent from the team, including coach Lovie Smith and linebackers Christian Kirksey and Kamu Grugier-Hill, visited Uvalde on Thursday night and surprised the team with new uniforms provided by Nike during a team dinner.
“It was just special to see the smiles on their faces because we know this city was impacted drastically,” Kirksey said in a television interview. “Being a leader and not just being a football player but being somebody that can be an extra shoulder to lean on, it definitely warmed something in my heart… (and) we’re just going to be here with the city and let them know that we support them in every way and we’re going to be here for them.”
This is part of the team’s continuing support for the community. The Texans donated $400,000 to the Robb Elementary School memorial fund after 19 children and two teachers were killed in a shooting there in May.
During the visit, the Texans also announced that they were joining with grocery store chain H-E-B to pay for the high school team to travel to the opener and take in the NFL game from a suite.
Kirksey and Grugier-Hill showed the team the decal on a Texans helmet during an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
“You guys will be with us, and we’ll be with you,” Grugier-Hill told them while holding the helmet. “Words can’t even describe or help anything you’ve been through, so we can only try to empathize (with) you guys and be there for you guys.”
The visit continued Friday when team owners Cal and Hannah McNair joined members of the organization in town and the team hosted football camps and clinics for hundreds of children before attending Uvalde’s home opener.
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More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
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| 2022-09-21T12:04:37Z
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ZANDVOORT, Netherlands (AP) — Max Verstappen produced a brilliant final lap to take pole position for Sunday’s Dutch Grand Prix just ahead of Charles Leclerc.
The Red Bull driver edged Leclerc’s Ferrari by just .021 seconds on Saturday to huge roars from Verstappen’s Orange Army of fans.
But the session was interrupted earlier when a flare was thrown onto the track. Governing body FIA said the culprit was removed from the stands by security.
“It’s just very silly to do. I mean, to hold flares it’s nice but there’s a limit to how much. But to throw it on the track is just stupid,” Verstappen said. “Just don’t do that, it’s no good for anyone. You get thrown out so you can’t see the race and for us the session is stopped because it’s dangerous when there’s stuff on the track.”
The widespread use of flares from Verstappen’s fans has been a concern at some races, particularly at the Red Bull Ring in Austria in July and at last weekend’s Belgian GP — both packed with Verstappen supporters.
Leclerc and his Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. also condemned throwing flares on track.
“It’s dangerous, so don’t do these type of things. It’s good that there was a reaction (from) the security guys,” Leclerc said. “Obviously if a car is passing at that time it can create unnecessary risks so hopefully it won’t happen again.”
Sainz, who qualified in third, said there should be better control over when flares are used.
“It’s also important to let the fans know when it’s possible to use the flares and when it’s not. It was good that on the in-lap when Max took pole they used them, but not use them in the middle of the race or Lap 1 when we’re in the middle of fights,” Sainz said. “At 300 kph (186 miles per hour) with these cars you don’t want any kind of distraction from smoke. Hopefully the organization can do a good job in warning when it’s the time to use them, and when it’s not.”
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton was fourth with Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez qualifying in fifth.
Leclerc had the leading time and went even faster on his final run to pressure Verstappen. But a brilliant middle sector helped the Dutchman clinch his fourth pole of the season.
“It was a special qualifying, especially after yesterday which was tough.” Verstappen said. “We had to change the car.”
Moments after Verstappen crossed the line, Perez spun off the track to bring a yellow flag for the closing seconds.
A jubilant Verstappen was lifted up in the air rather easily by Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven as the orange hordes cheered Verstappen’s second straight pole here.
“Yeah, I am enjoying it,” Verstappen said. “It’s just great to see the atmosphere, everyone’s having fun, enjoying themselves.”
Verstappen was quickest in the first qualifying run, known as Q1, just ahead of Hamilton.
Four-time F1 champion Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin) and Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) were among the five drivers eliminated. Vettel looked good for Q2 but went wide into gravel near the end of his final run.
“There was dust on the track, which I collected with the left side,” Vettel said. “There’s not much I could have done differently.”
The red flag came out at the start of Q2 after the flare was thrown and the session was halted for several minutes. But Alex Albon, the only driver on track at that point, also complained about “tons of pigeons” around the circuit located next to the beach.
Sainz topped Q2 from the competitive Mercedes of George Russell, but two-time F1 champion Fernando Alonso fluffed his last run and went out.
Russell starts from sixth on the grid ahead of Lando Norris (McLaren) and Mick Schumacher (Haas).
Verstappen won here last year, in front of Dutch King Willem-Alexander and his legions of orange-clad fans at the seaside track outside Amsterdam.
Leclerc led Saturday’s third and final practice by just .066 seconds from Russell and .161 ahead of Verstappen.
Leclerc is hopeful Ferrari can get “up close” to Verstappen in Sunday’s race while Sainz thinks Mercedes “are going to be as quick” as Ferrari.
After struggling in Belgium on the long Spa track, Mercedes looked far more comfortable on the high-banking Zandvoort track, where a gearbox failure limited Verstappen to seven laps in Friday’s first practice. He placed eighth in the second run.
Victory on Sunday would be a fourth straight for Verstappen and 10th of the season — his tally from last year — and push him closer to a second straight world title.
He leads Perez by 93 points and Leclerc by 98 with the Italian GP coming up next at Monza and only six races after that.
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More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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| 2022-09-21T12:04:52Z
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GENEVA (AP) — Organizers of the World Cup in Qatar have finalized a policy to serve beer with alcohol to soccer fans at stadiums and fan zones in the Muslim-majority country.
FIFA said Saturday fans will be allowed to buy Budweiser beer with alcohol within the eight stadium compounds — though not at concourse concession stands — before and after games, and during evenings only at the official “Fan Festival.” That is being held in a downtown Doha park.
Game tickets promising access to Champagnes, wine, liquor and beer for hospitality clients at Qatari stadiums have been on sale since February 2021 as part of corporate packages offering “premium beverages.”
The beer policy affecting most fans was announced just 11 weeks before the first game and finally fulfills an expectation since Qatar campaigned 12 years ago to be the first World Cup host in the Middle East.
Budweiser has been the exclusive World Cup beer brand since 1986 and parent company AB InBev renewed its deal through 2022 with FIFA in a 2011 signing after Qatar was confirmed as host.
FIFA said Saturday that Budweiser with alcohol will be sold “within the stadium perimeter prior to kickoff and after the final whistle.”
“Inside the stadium bowl ticket holders will have access to non-alcoholic Budweiser Zero,” soccer’s world body said. “At the FIFA Fan Festival, Budweiser will be available to purchase from 6.30 p.m.”
Qatar’s organizing committee and AB InBev declined comment Saturday on the issue.
Alcohol is more available in Qatar than some Middle East states though it is served only in hotel restaurants and bars that have licenses. It is illegal to consume it elsewhere.
Still, Qatar has had to relax its regulation of alcohol for the 29-day tournament starting Nov. 20. It is expected to attract more than 1 million visitors including fans from 31 other nations to the tiny Emirate.
Qatar has tested its alcohol policies at games soccer including the 2019 Club World Cup that featured Europe’s then-champion Liverpool, South American champion Flamengo and Mexican club Monterrey.
Qatar is not the first World Cup host to ease its stance on alcohol. Before the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, pressure from FIFA led local lawmakers to pass a special bill exempting the tournament from a ban on selling alcohol at stadiums.
Qatar beat four rival bids, including the United States, to win a World Cup hosting contest where candidates were expected to respect FIFA’s deals with commercial partners.
At the time of the FIFA hosting vote in 2010, those World Cup deals included MATCH Hospitality selling corporate packages and AB InBev. Both firms re-upped with FIFA one year later.
“It is important to remember,” MATCH Hospitality executive chairman Jaime Byrom told The Associated Press in a recent interview, “that the entire bid process of the FIFA World Cup is designed to deliver the kind of World Cup experience that all fans from around the world have a reason to expect and to look forward to.”
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More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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| 2022-09-21T12:05:15Z
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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Bryce Young’s five touchdown passes were nothing all that new for Alabama’s Heisman Trophy winner.
That 63-yard sprint down the left sideline and other big runs presented a seldom seen side of his game.
Young didn’t just throw for those touchdowns — all in the first half — he even ran for 100 yards and a score in No. 1 Alabama’s 55-0 opening victory over Utah State on Saturday night.
It was, he said, a “cool” and “interesting” experience.
“I just try to do whatever is best for this team, whatever the defense gives us,” Young said. “That’s definitely interesting. It definitely wasn’t something I was planning. For me, it’s just taking whatever the defense gives us.
“Today that was just what was available. It’s cool.”
The Crimson Tide began their quest for national title redemption with a not unexpected start-to-finish domination of the six-touchdown underdog Aggies (1-1). Less anticipated: Young’s runs.
Known primarily as a passer with a penchant for scrambling and buying time, Young flashed his running ability more than he ever did last season, including a 63-yarder down the left sideline.
He also spread the ball around to Alabama’s new set of playmakers, with two touchdown passes to both Georgia transfer Jermaine Burton and Traeshon Holden and some handoffs to Jahmyr Gibbs.
Young ran five times after netting zero yards thanks to sacks last season with a previous long run of 16 yards. He also completed 18 of 28 passes for 195 yards before exiting one drive into the second half following his TD run.
“I see Bryce do that on the regular, so it wasn’t really new to me,” Alabama safety Brian Branch said. “Just watching him be himself out there is truly amazing. Playing with a Heisman winner, I can’t describe it.”
Gibbs, a much talked about transfer from Georgia Tech, flashed his speed with a 58-yard run on the first play after the half. He finished with 93 yards on nine rushes.
His backup, Jase McClellan, caught a pair of TD passes.
Alabama outgained the Aggies 559-136 in total yards.
“It is what it is, and I’ve seen people in the SEC come here and get treated exactly the same way,” Utah State coach Blake Anderson said. “We’re not built that way. We’re a long ways from being able to play that game physically and match up. Maybe we’ll never be able to.”
THE TAKEAWAY
Utah State, which finished last season ranked, had won two straight games against Power 5 teams and started off strong with a 23-yard gain. Then the offense stalled and the defense was overwhelmed by Young & Co. The Aggies couldn’t turn a late blocked punt into points.
Alabama: Spent the offseason stewing over a loss to Georgia in the national championship game and came in as the favorite to win the national title, according to FanDuel sportsbook. Then Alabama did pretty much what it wanted to against a mismatched opponent. The Tide put some new playmakers on display after losing receivers Jameson Williams and John Metchie III and tailback Brian Robinson Jr.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Alabama didn’t do anything to diminish its status as the team to beat, but No. 3 Georgia and No. 2 Ohio State got the chance to make much bigger statements. The Bulldogs beat 11th-ranked Oregon 49-3. The Buckeyes topped No. 5 Notre Dame, 21-10.
SIDELINED Louisville transfer wide receiver Tyler Harrell had a walking boot on his right foot and didn’t dress for the game. Tight end Cameron Latu also missed the game with a knee injury.
CHANNELING SABAN
Saban emphasized it wasn’t a perfect performance and there’s plenty of room for improvement. His players echoed that sentiment.
“It was good, but we still have stuff to work on,” Branch said. “It’s not like we played a perfect game.”
Added Saban: “No disrespect to Utah State — their players played hard, they’ve got a good little team. But we’re going to play teams that are much more physical and aggressive and talented than what they are, so we’re going to have to do things correctly.”
UP NEXT
Utah State hosts Weber State on Sept. 10.
Alabama visits a Texas team led by former Tide offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian.
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More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25 Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25
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| 2022-09-21T12:05:22Z
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The coverage of rain around the ArkLaTex has decreased Saturday. It appears that the threat of rain will remain rather low for the rest of the Labor Day weekend. Rain will increase by the middle of next week and could stick around through next weekend.
Rain chances remain but look low: Radar shows that much more of the ArkLaTex has been dry today with a mix of sunshine and clouds. Futurecast shows that the spotty showers and thunderstorms that have developed today will likely end quickly Saturday evening. Expect a partly cloudy sky Saturday night with warm and humid conditions. We will again see a mix of sunshine and clouds both Sunday and Monday. The rain Sunday will be very isolated in nature as most of the area will stay totally dry. We will likely see a small uptick in rain coverage during Labor Day.
How much weekend rain? Futurecast shows that rainfall totals will likely not be as high as they have been recently for most of the area. From now through Labor Day rainfall totals for most of the area will be below 1/10”. It is possible that we could see a few isolated areas pick up around ½” of rain.
Less rain means more heat: Since we will probably see less rain and more sunshine mixing in with the clouds for the next few days, temperatures will be a touch on the hot side. Lows Sunday morning will likely settle into the low to middle 70s over most of the area. Daytime highs Sunday will soar into the upper 80s to lower 90s. We will see similar temperatures on Labor Day.
Ten-day rain? The chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms will increase from Wednesday through Saturday. We will likely not have a total washout on any particular day, but the coverage of the rain that we do see will be a bit higher. Models show that most of the area is in line to receive around an inch of rain during the next ten days with isolated heavier totals possible.
Tropical Storm Earl: Tropical Storm Earl formed in the Atlantic yesterday and is currently moving towards the northwest. This storm will likely take a sharp turn to the northeast in the next several days keeping it threatening the Gulf of Mexico or the East Coast.
Get daily forecasts and exclusive severe weather details on storms as they approach your area by downloading the Arklatex Weather Authority app now available in the App Store and Google Play
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| 2022-09-21T12:05:46Z
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Long before Bugatti made the 16-cylinder engine its calling card, Cadillac launched V-16-powered cars in a bid to outdo other luxury automakers. A prime example is this 1930 Cadillac V-16 452A, which recently appeared on an episode of “Jay Leno’s Garage.” The car comes from California’s Nethercutt Collection, and is presented here by Cameron Richards, the collection’s vice president.
To keep the V-16 secret, Cadillac initially let slip that it was developing a V-12 to match Packard. So it must have been quite a surprise when the General Motors luxury division unleashed this massive engine on the public. Still, Marmon actually beat Cadillac to the punch, launching its own 16-cylinder engine a few weeks before Cadillac, Leno says in the episode.
The overhead-valve engine displaces 7.4 liters but only develops about 180 hp. While that didn’t match the high-end Duesenbergs, it was still a very respectable figure for the time because there really was no replacement for displacement. The car’s massive torque allowed it to pull away in any of its three gears, according to Leno, though the big engine needs a “firehose” to supply all the fuel it needs.
This specific car has the earlier body style, thought to be from 1928 to 1929, married to the 1930 Cadillac chassis and engine. The customer wanted a V-16 Cadillac with a dual-cowl phaeton body as quickly as possible, and the new body wasn’t ready yet.
Not many people could have afforded this car when new. It cost $6,500 at a time when mass-market cars sold for a few hundred bucks. With the U.S. in the midst of the Great Depression, the launch wasn’t exactly well-timed.
The V-16 was more about effortless acceleration than raw speed, Leno says. These Cadillacs weren’t as fast as contemporary Duesenbergs, but their generous torque almost makes the driving experience comparable to modern electric cars, he says. The smooth-running V-16 also offered a more refined experience than most cars of the period.
The car weighs well over 7,000 lb, but it’s easy to drive with an easy-to-use clutch and great brakes, according to Richards.
Cadillac continued making V-16 cars for about a decade, but eventually went back to slightly more sensible V-8 engines. Looking to recapture the brand’s glory days, GM unveiled the Cadillac Sixteen concept in 2003, but that never made it to production.
Toward the end of the video, Jay gets the chance to drive the car. He remarks that it’s incredibly smooth and quiet, and that the manual steering is much better than other old cars.
Watch the full video and revisit a time when a V-16 powered Cadillac to the front of the luxury-car class.
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- Princess Diana’s 1985 Ford Escort RS Turbo S1 sold at auction for $846K
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| 2022-09-21T12:05:53Z
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Round 15 of the 2022 Formula 1 World Championship takes place this weekend at the Netherlands’ Circuit Zandvoort, a historic site located among the dunes of the country’s North Sea coast.
The Dutch Grand Prix returned to the F1 calendar in 2021 after more than three decades, and proved to be a hit, not least because of the tricky nature of Circuit Zandvoort. The circuit is popular for its significant changes in altitude and banked corners, which add to the theater.
The track measures a short 2.64 miles in length, and because of its proximity to the sea, strong onshore winds tend to upset the handling of the cars while also covering the track in sand, making grip an issue. It’s also narrow and twisty, so overtaking is not straightforward. This means decent qualifying is vital.
The straights aren’t long, so power units take a breather here. Many of the corners are flowing, so tires don’t wear as much as at other tracks. Pirelli has nominated its C1 compound as the White hard, C2 as the Yellow medium, and C3 as the Red soft choices for the teams to use.
Cars tend to run a high-downforce setup. In fact, only the races in Hungary and Monaco see higher downforce setups. The track has two Drag Reduction System (DRS) zones, between turns 10 and 11 and on the main straight, where drivers can adjust their cars’ aerodynamics to make them slipperier for overtaking.
The weather forecast calls for clear conditions during both Saturday’s qualifying session and Sunday’s race.
Mercedes-Benz AMG’s George Russell was the fastest after an initial practice session on Friday, edging out teammate Lewis Hamilton. Meanwhile, local favorite and reigning world champion Max Verstappen was the fastest early on, but his Red Bull came to a stop while on the track with a suspected gearbox issue.
Going into the weekend, Verstappen leads the 2022 Drivers’ Championship with 284 points. Fellow Red Bull driver Sergio Perez is second with 191 points, and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc is third with 186 points. In the Constructors’ Championship, Red Bull leads with 475 points, versus the 357 of Ferrari and 316 of Mercedes. Last year’s winner of the Dutch Grand Prix was Verstappen driving for Red Bull.
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- Farm to asphalt: Bridgestone creates tires with desert shrubs
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| 2022-09-21T12:06:01Z
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It’s been almost a year since the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 was revealed, but new information is still coming to light about the car.
The latest tidbit is the car’s top speed, which has been confirmed as 195 mph by Tadge Juechter, executive chief engineer for the Corvette line.
Juechter made the announcement while speaking during last month’s 2022 Corvettes at Carlisle, albeit with the disclaimer he and his team haven’t actually arrived at an official top speed for the car, Corvette Blogger reported.
There have been faster Corvettes before, like the 755-hp C7 ZR1 which was clocked at 212 mph, and Juechter acknowledged this with the comment the C8 Z06 isn’t a “numbers car,” and that the focus of development was on delivering a car that is the “most pure expression of track and driver capability.”
Separately, Josh Holder, chief engineer for the Corvette, told Corvette Blogger at the same event the Z06’s top speed would be reduced to 189 mph if fitted with the car’s available Z07 high-downforce package that adds a huge rear wing. The result: 734 lb of downforce at 186 mph and up to 1.22 g on the skid pad. More than likely, Chevy will add the package if it plans to set official lap times for popular racetracks, such as Germany’s Nürburgring.
The Z06’s 0-60-mph time is 2.6 seconds and the quarter-mile ET is 10.6 seconds at 130 mph.
The Z06 is powered by a unique 5.5-liter V-8 that boasts a flat-plane crank design, dual overhead cams, dry-sump lubrication, and an output of 670 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque, or the highest output of any production naturally aspirated V-8. The engine is mated to the same 8-speed dual-clutch automatic found in the Corvette Stingray, but with a shorter 5.56 final drive ratio for improved acceleration. Power goes only to the rear wheels.
Order books opened in July, at which time prices were set at $106,395 for the coupe and $113,895 for the convertible. The Z07 package will cost an additional $8,995.
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| 2022-09-21T12:06:08Z
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The 2023 Infiniti QX60 three-row SUV carries over mostly unchanged except for a $1,350 price hike, Infiniti disclosed Thursday. Redesigned for 2022, the brand’s bestseller now costs $50,395, including an $1,195 destination fee.
Infiniti also for 2023 is throwing in Premium Care, its complimentary scheduled maintenance plan which covers service items such as oil changes and tire rotations, in addition to its 4-year/60,000-mile basic warranty. Premium Care lasts for three years or for a mileage that varies by model; in the case of the QX60, it’s 30,000 miles.
A wireless smartphone charging pad is also standard on all four grades of the well-equipped crossover SUV. Every QX60 is powered by a 3.5-liter V-6 with a 9-speed automatic transmission driving the front wheels. All-wheel drive is available across the lineup—in most cases for an extra $2,000.
The base Pure model comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic sunroof, heated front seats, a 12.3-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay (Android Auto requires a cord), and the newly standard wireless smartphone charger. Standard safety features include emergency braking front and rear, blind-spot monitors, automatic high beams, and lane-departure warnings.
The Luxe grade costs $56,445, which is also a $1,350 increase. It sizes up to 20-inch wheels, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a surround-view camera system, metallic trim, and adaptive cruise control that can restart after a 30-second stop without driver intervention.
The $59,795 Sensory trim adds a leather-wrapped steering wheel, massaging front seats, heated rear seats, ash wood trim, a hands-free liftgate, and a Bose 17-speaker sound system.
Pricing gets wonky on the top Autograph trim. The $63,795 price is an increase of $1,250 over last year, but AWD costs $2,900 instead of $2,000—effectively giving the AWD version a $2,150 price hike. It has all the Infiniti’s finest, including a black roof, quilted semi-aniline leather upholstery, second-row captain’s chairs, and a 10.8-inch head-up display.
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| 2022-09-21T12:06:16Z
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The Alfa Romeo Formula 1 team has launched its own docuseries.
On Thursday, the first episode went live on YouTube, and it’s a worthwhile 8:47.00 of any F1 fan’s time.
Titled “Beyond the Visible,” the five-episode series will provide a behind the scenes look at the team throughout the 2022 F1 season, according to an Alfa press release. So it’s kind of a compressed version of Netflix’s “Drive to Survive,” focusing specifically on Alfa.
The first episode, called “Before We Hit the Ground,” is introductory, explaining the structure of team. The Alfa F1 team is actually the Swiss Sauber team, but it’s used Alfa branding since 2015, dropping Sauber from its official name in 2018. Part of that arrangement is a close relationship with Ferrari, which has seen Alfa field Ferrari-associated drivers and use the Scuderia’s power units.
“They (Sauber) are leaders in engineering, in aerodynamics, and design. Sauber is building the car,” Alejandro Mesonaro, Chief Designer for Alfa Romeo, says in the video. “But at Centro Stile (the location of Alfa’s headquarters) we bring this legendary brand to life. We design a livery that meets and the legacy that embodies the passion of Alfa Romeo. Our style meets their engineering and the result is always beyond.”
The video details that 500 people work on a team, and they are backed by an automotive brand. A new car is built every year, and the process starts in the wind tunnel. The aero team works with race engineering and vehicle dynamics to get the most out of a car. The drivers use a simulator at the factory to learn the help develop the car and learn the racetracks. The team is always developing the car, and if they stand still, they fall behind, says Axel Kruse, CEO of Sauber Technologies and operations director of Sauber Motorsport.
The deal between Alfa and Sauber will come to an end after the 2023 season, however. Alfa announced this just hours after Audi said it plans to enter F1 in 2026, feeding speculation that the German manufacturer will partner with the Swiss squad.
Alfa does have a long history in Grand Prix racing, stretching back to the prewar years before the current F1 championship existed. Nino Farina and Juan Manuel Fangio won the first two F1 driver championships driving Alfas, in 1950 and 1951, respectively. Alfa returned to F1 in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but with lackluster results.
The current Alfa Romeo F1 driver lineup consists of rookie Zhou Guanyu, the first Chinese driver in F1, and Valtteri Bottas, who left the Mercedes-AMG team after the 2021 season, making way for George Russell. The team currently sits sixth in the constructor standings with 51 points. Bottas is 10th in the driver standings with 46 points, while Zhou is 17th with five points.
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| 2022-09-21T12:06:23Z
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Earlier this week, Toyota announced a $5.6 billion investment plan to produce batteries for fully electric vehicles in Japan and the U.S.
That includes a $2.5 billion expansion of a North Carolina battery factory barely under construction, adding capacity for EV batteries and very likely suggesting a future commitment to U.S.-built electric vehicles.
While earlier in the week, Toyota only named “Toyota plants and property,” as being part of the initial investment on the Japan side, a report from Automotive News adds much more detail. It suggests that Toyota does indeed see EVs as a profound, permanent shift.
Toyota has said that it plans 30 new EVs globally by 2030, but it’s held its cards close on what kind of sales volume that means. In the U.S., where its only battery electric model is the BZ4X crossover, it’s projected that 85% of vehicles by the end of the decade will still have an engine under the hood.
According to AN, the company’s Shimoyama engine plant and Myochi powertrain factory will get upgrades for battery production, with that production managed by Prime Planet Energy & Solutions, which is Toyota’s joint venture with Panasonic.
Rather than build new joint-venture plants, as GM is doing in its Ultium Cells LLC venture with LG, Toyota is following an approach that’s ultimately more stable to the workforce.
The report also sums that up until May, Toyota’s global EV capacity was only 6 gigawatt-hours—and that included hybrids. But Toyota now plans 280 gigawatt-hours by the end of the decade, and with this round of expanded global EV battery capacity Toyota will have access to 46 gigawatt-hours once the upgrades are complete.
Toyota’s approach in Japan sounds a bit like what Volkswagen is doing in its home Germany. VW is repurposing its Salzgitter engine plant for pilot battery cell production and battery activities, while it’s building an adjacent 40-gigawatt-hour PowerCo battery factory with more jobs than the original plant. That’s just one of at least six VW factories in Europe and a total capacity of 240 gigawatt-hours by 2030, so it’s at a different level of commitment to EVs, however.
Although Toyota’s commitment remains a fraction of that, its shift of engine plants to battery plants also suggests the Japanese automaker will start moving more rapidly with the evolution of the industry.
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- Toyota’s accelerated battery plan suggests future US-built EVs
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| 2022-09-21T12:06:31Z
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General Motors will offer buyouts to U.S. Buick dealers who don’t want to make investments related to the brand’s all-electric transition, the head of Buick said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal published Friday.
All of Buick’s roughly 2,000 dealerships will be given an opportunity to take a buyout, Global Buick boss Duncan Aldred said in the interview. That would mean giving up the franchise and no longer selling Buicks, but most dealers also sell other GM brands, the Journal noted, adding that Aldred was scheduled to outline this plan at a virtual dealer meeting Friday.
“Not everyone necessarily wants to make that journey, depending on where they’re located or the level of expenditure that the transition will demand,” Aldred said in the interview. “So if they want to exit the Buick franchise, then we will give them monetary assistance to do so.”
Aldred did not say how many Buick dealers are expected to take the buyout. A similar program for Cadillac begun in 2020 and completed last year reduced the luxury brand’s dealer network by about one-third, to approximately 560 dealers. The average buyout was around $200,000 but ranged into seven figures, GM said at the time.
Many Cadillac dealers that took the buyout were in rural areas, where EV sales are expected to remain low, GM said at the time. Shifting to all-EV sales also requires dealers to invest in charging hardware and additional staff training, while limiting potential revenue from regular maintenance, which EVs require less of than internal-combustion vehicles.
Both Buick and Cadillac plan to sell only electric vehicles by 2030. Buick doesn’t currently sell any EVs in the U.S., but will release its first U.S.-market EV in 2024. All forthcoming Buick EVs will use the Electra name plus an alphanumeric suffix to denote size and body style, and will share Ultium battery packs and motors with EVs from other GM brands.
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| 2022-09-21T12:06:39Z
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California last week enshrined its 2035 ban on sales of new gasoline vehicles that don’t plug in. And now this week it’s telling the relatively few EV drivers in the state to hold off on plugging in during the afternoons.
On Thursday afternoon, leading into the Labor Day long weekend, the state’s Independent System Operator (ISO) sent out a Flex Alert notice, indicating it called for a day of “voluntary electric conservation” on Friday—the third consecutive day this week, and a day that many EV drivers had expected to use a full charge on the way out for the long weekend.
The Flex Alert conservation actions suggest that Californians charge electric vehicles before 4 p.m. That’s a situation only feasible for those who work at home, for instance, or those who have workplace charging.
EV sales have skyrocketed in California, and it cracked 15% EV sales by the end the second quarter of 2022, buoyed by Tesla registrations. But gasoline vehicles will remain in use for decades and the fleet turns over slowly. According to data from the Department of Energy and Experian, updated in June 2022, California leads the nation in current EV registrations, with about 563,000 EVs in its fleet. California has about 30 million registered vehicles, so even in the Golden State less than 2% of vehicles are fully electric.
There was no particular outage or technical reason for the alert, the California operator explained—simply that it’s hot, and electricity demand is up due to air conditioning use.
In broader guidance, the operator suggested that during the period Thursday, from 4-9 p.m., consumers are urged to set their thermostats to 78 degrees or higher, minimize appliance use, and turn off unnecessary lights. Sunset Thursday in Los Angeles was at 7:19 p.m.
“They should also avoid charging electric vehicles while the Flex Alert is in effect,” it summed, introducing the idea of outages. “Reducing energy use during a Flex Alert can help stabilize the power grid during tight supply conditions and prevent further emergency measures, including rotating power outages.”
The optics aren’t so great. If California wants to ramp up the number of EVs in its fleet, how will the grid handle next year’s heat waves?
Smart charging is part of that answer, and many utilities offer Time of Use rates that help incentivize EV owners to charge at a time of the day advantageous to the grid and a greater use of renewables. But as California accelerates its shift to EVs it will take more than that. A 2020 report suggested that the state’s energy demand could rise about 25% overall, requiring massive grid upgrades, if all of its passenger vehicles were fully electric.
This isn’t the first time the ISO has issued these requests. For instance, it issued several Flex Alerts during a June 2021 heat wave.
In June this year, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) suggested that a sustained California drought would increase the carbon footprint of the state’s electricity used to charge EVs—because a cut in California’s hydropower generating capacity will nudge in more carbon-intensive sources for a greater amount of the mix. The state’s grid has shown some progress this year, however; in April it was briefly powered entirely by renewable energy.
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- 2022 is the year of the 300-mile EV, EPA data highlights
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| 2022-09-21T12:06:46Z
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Lotus is planning to expand beyond the world of lightweight sports cars by launching its first SUV, an electric performance offering known as the Eletre, which we first saw in March.
The market launch isn’t scheduled until sometime in 2023, so it’s not surprising that Lotus is still testing prototypes, including at Germany’s Nürburgring racetrack where this video was taken. It shows the SUV being tested hard, perhaps in preparation for an attempt at a record lap time.
The fastest SUV around the ‘Ring is the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT, which needed just 7:38.93 to complete a lap. The fastest EV is another Porsche, the Taycan Turbo S sedan, which managed a 7:33.35 lap time.
Lotus has yet to divulge full specs on the Eletre but the SUV is expected to be more powerful than both Porsches. What we can confirm is that the entry-level model will come with a dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain good for at least 600 hp. Even this entry-level model will deliver 0-60 mph times of less than three seconds and a top speed of 161 mph. However, a three-motor powertrain with more than 900 hp is expected and could potentially set new records at the ‘Ring.
The Eletre is based on a modular EV platform called Electric Premium Architecture. Measuring 200.9 inches long, the Eletre is longer than a Range Rover and close in length to some full-size luxury sedans. Lotus hasn’t said how much the Eletre weighs, but it’s rumored the target curb weight is around 4,400 lb, or close to 1,000 lb lighter than an Audi E-Tron or Tesla Model X. That’s with a 100-plus-kwh battery that Lotus estimates will deliver more than 300 miles of range.
Although the Eletre starts sales in 2023, timing for the U.S. hasn’t been announced. An arrival for the 2024 model year is expected, however. Production will be handled at a newly constructed plant in Wuhan, China, making this the first Lotus to be built outside of the U.K. Lotus will also build a four-door coupe and a smaller crossover at the Chinese plant, starting in 2023 and 2025, respectively, while production of sports cars will remain at the company’s home in Hethel, England.
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- BMW XM super SUV likely revealed in patent drawings
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| 2022-09-21T12:06:53Z
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EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) — What should have been a shipment of baby wipes turned out to be a load of cocaine, the largest uncovered at a Laredo port of entry in two decades, border officials said.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the cocaine arrived in a trailer last Friday, Aug. 26, at the Colombia-Solidarity Bridge in Laredo, Texas, where a drug-sniffing dog alerted officers to 1,935 packages containing 1,533 pounds of the drug.
With an estimated street value of $11.8 million, Randy Howe, director of CBP’s Laredo Office of Field Operations, called it a “colossal, record setting seizure. Largest Cocaine bust in 20 years!”
On Thursday morning, less than a week later, Howe tweeted that border officers had seized nearly $8 million worth of cocaine — about 1,000 pounds — in two separate busts at the Laredo World Trade Port of Entry.
That afternoon, Howe tweeted about another significant seizure: 545 pounds of cocaine. Estimated street value: $4.5 million.
The cocaine seized on Thursday came in three shipments of furniture, steel rolls and plastic ethylene sheets.
“Officers assigned to CBP cargo facilities ensure effective border security by preventing and countering the flow of suspected narcotics entering the country,” said Port Director Alberto Flores, Laredo Port of Entry.
CBP seized the cocaine disguised as baby wipes. Special agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the seizure.
Though the first 10 months of the current fiscal year, which started Oct. 1, 2021, border officers in the Laredo Sector had seized 6,500 pounds of cocaine at ports of entry. Officers confiscated about 8,600 pounds of cocaine during the previous fiscal year.
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| 2022-09-21T12:07:08Z
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(KTAL/KMSS) – Tears were shed as Louisiana woman hears late son’s heart beating thanks to the 14-year-old donor recipient he saved.
In Metairie, Louisiana, on May 14 as a woman heard the heart of her late son beating in the chest of the 14-year-old boy who received it.
Footage recorded by Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency shows Maria Peters Clark, whose 25-year-old son, Nicholas, was killed in a car accident in September 2020, meeting Jean Paul Marceaux and his family for the first time.
Clark embraces Marceaux, calling him “handsome” before placing a stethoscope on his chest and exclaiming, “Oh my gosh, it’s so strong” upon hearing his heartbeat.
Jean Paul’s mother, Candace Chauvin-Armstrong, posted about the reunion on Facebook, writing: “Today was one of the most beautiful days of my life!!!!!”
The September 2020 transplant was Marceaux’s second. He developed cardiomyopathy after contracting a virus as an infant. He underwent his first heart transplant at age 2, but about a decade later, that heart began to fail, according to Chauvin-Armstrong.
Credit: LOPA | @lopamakinglifehappen via Storyful
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| 2022-09-21T12:07:16Z
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NEW YORK (AP) — Barbara Ehrenreich, the author, activist and self-described “myth buster” who in such notable works as “Nickel and Dimed” and “Bait and Switch” challenged conventional thinking about class, religion and the very idea of an American dream, has died at age 81.
Ehrenreich died Thursday morning in Alexandria, Virginia, according to her son, the author and journalist Ben Ehrenreich. She had recently suffered a stroke.
“She was, she made clear, ready to go,” Ben Ehrenreich tweeted Friday. “She was never much for thoughts and prayers, but you can honor her memory by loving one another, and by fighting like hell.”
She was born Barbara Alexander in Butte, Montana, and raised in a household of union supporters, where family rules included “never cross a picket line and never vote Republican.” She studied physics as an undergraduate at Reed College, and received a PhD in immunology at Rockefeller University. Starting in the 1970s, she worked as a teacher and researchers and became increasingly active in the feminist movement, from writing pamphlets to appearing at conferences around the country. She also co-wrote a book on student activism, “Long March, Short Spring,” with her then-husband, John Ehrenreich.
A prolific author who regularly turned out books and newspaper and magazine articles, Ehrenreich honed an accessible prose style that brought her a wide readership for otherwise unsettling and unsentimental ideas. She disdained individualism, organized religion, unregulated economics and what Norman Vincent Peale famously called “the power of positive thinking.”
A proponent of liberal causes from unions to abortion rights, Ehrenreich often drew upon her own experiences to communicate her ideas. The birth of her daughter Rosa helped inspired her to become a feminist, she later explained, because she was appalled at the hospital’s treatment of patients. Her battle with breast cancer years ago inspired her 2009 book “Bright-Sided,” in which she recalled the bland platitudes and assurances of well wishers and probed the American insistence — a religion, she called it — on optimism, to the point of ignoring the country’s many troubles.
“We need to brace ourselves for a struggle against terrifying obstacles, both of our own making and imposed by the natural world. And the first step is to recover from the mass delusion that is positive thinking,” she wrote.
“Positive thinking has made itself useful as an apology for the crueler aspects of the market economy. If optimism is the key to material success, and if you can achieve an optimistic outlook through the discipline of positive thinking, then there is no excuse for failure. The flip side of positivity is thus a harsh insistence on personal responsibility.”
For “Nickel and Dimed,” one of her best known books, she worked in minimum wage jobs so she could learn firsthand the struggles of the working poor, whom she called “the major philanthropists of our society.”
“They neglect their own children so that the children of others will be cared for; they live in substandard housing so that other homes will be shiny and perfect; they endure privation so that inflation will be low and stock prices high,” she wrote. “To be a member of the working poor is to be an anonymous donor, a nameless benefactor, to everyone.”
Ehrenreich wrote for The New York Times, The Nation, Vogue and many other publications, and her other books included “The Worst Years of Our Lives: Irreverent Notes from a Decade of Greed,” “Blood Rites: Origins and History of the Passions of War” and “Fear of Falling: The Inner Life of the Middle Class.”
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| 2022-09-21T12:07:24Z
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jane Fonda said on social media Friday that she has cancer.
“So, my dear friends, I have something personal I want to share. I’ve been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and have started chemo treatments,” the 84-year-old actor wrote in an Instagram post.
“This is a very treatable cancer,” she added, “so I feel very lucky.”
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a cancer that begins in the white blood cells and affects parts of the body’s immune system.
Fonda acknowledged that unlike many, she is privileged to have insurance, and access to the best doctors and care.
“Almost every family in America has had to deal with cancer at one time or another and far too many don’t have access to the quality health care I am receiving and this is not right,” she said.
Fonda said she has begun a six-month course of chemotherapy, is handling the treatments well, and will not let it interfere with her climate activism.
Fonda has dealt with cancer before. She had a tumor removed from her breast in 2010, and has also had skin cancer.
Part of a legendary Hollywood family, Fonda gained fame for both her acting and her activism starting in the late 1960s.
She won Oscars for her performances in 1971’s “Klute” and 1978’s “Coming Home.”
She has also starred in the films “Barbarella” and “9 to 5,” and in the Netflix series “Grace and Frankie.”
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| 2022-09-21T12:07:32Z
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LONDON (AP) — Queen Elizabeth II will skip the Braemar Gathering, a popular Highland Games event, as she struggles with issues getting around.
The 96-year-old monarch previously decided to formally appoint Britain’s new prime minister on Tuesday at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where she is vacationing, rather than return to London for the traditional ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
Her eldest son and heir Prince Charles, who normally accompanies the monarch to the gathering, will attend. British media reported Friday that the decision was made for the comfort of the monarch, who has struggled with what the palace describes as “mobility issues’’ since last year.
Elizabeth has spent much of the past two years at Windsor Castle, west of London, where she took refuge during the pandemic. She has kept working throughout this period, although most of her tasks have been carried out virtually, including meetings with ambassadors, health workers and schoolchildren.
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| 2022-09-21T12:07:39Z
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Amazon Studios has launched “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” a series is based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s writings which take place long before “Lord of the Rings” and “Hobbit” films and books.
It’s a television production of epic proportions, with an estimated price tag of $465 million for its first eight episodes, with plans for a 50-part story arc.
In recent weeks the cast and producers have revealed some of the behind-the-scenes challenges that went into bringing the second age of Tolkien’s Middle-earth to screens.
IS THE SHOW JUST FOR HARDCARE TOLKIEN FANS?
“I don’t think anyone needs to do any homework. Of course, having a prior knowledge of the lore and the world will only enhance the experience. But I think you can go into it as a complete new fan of Tolkien and Tolkien’s world.” — Charlie Vickers, who plays Halbrand, a human shipwreck survivor.
“I’m really hoping that we’re going to bring some new fans to this kind of work in this world building in this sort of world. I think that it’s quite diverse. There are obviously families and kids and things like that who would love it. But equally people like me that love fantasy and still read it and go and see the movies and films and whatever — I think that will appeal as well.” — Sara Zwangobani, who plays the harfoot Marigold Brandyfoot.
WHAT TO EXPECT
“I feel the main character for me in Tolkien’s work is Middle-earth itself. If we can get that, then the characters will make sense and come from there. I really hope that then there will be something for everyone because the main bit is being immersed in another land.” — Morfydd Clark, who plays elven commander Galadriel.
“There is great evil in Tolkien and there is in this show. But we felt that it was important that even evil sort of had a point of view. We thought that was that was true to him. The first line in the show is ‘Nothing is evil in the beginning.’” — Patrick McKay, a showrunner and executive producer.
“There’s fear matched with bravery. And I think we live in a world now where society and external forces can sometimes dim that instinct, that fiery instinct to just to just do, which we idealistically rely on for ourselves.” — Sophia Nomvete, who plays a dwarven princess.
“Definitely I feel the weight of expectation on my character because he’s obviously been portrayed in the films and people have an idea of who he is already. But this is set thousands of years before that, at a point where, you know, we’re exploring his, well, my character’s beginnings, understanding his relationships with his family, his friends, his place in the world, and what he really wants to do.” — Maxim Baldry, who plays Isildur, the human leader who obtains an all-powerful ring.
ON TRANSFORMING INTO A MIDDLE-EARTH CHARACTER
“Two-and-a-half hours in the makeup chair every day. And I sang songs with my fellow actors, Megan Richards, Markella Kavenagh. I talked to my great team. Sometimes I just thought about my character and what I was going to do for the day. Actually, we had a lot of fun in the makeup chair. Two-and-a-half hours sounds like a long time, but actually we had a great time, So, it was like no time passed.” — Sara Zwangobani, on the time it took makeup and prosthetic artists to transform into harfoot Marigold Brandyfoot.
“Three hours to put it on, and 45 to take it off. So, it is a big part of the day. It really was. And I became very good friends with the makeup artist and the prosthetics artist, as well.” — Owain Arthur, on the time it took makeup and prosthetic artists to transform him into King Durin IV.
“This is an iconic, necessary, revolutionary moment and I am very proud to fly the flag for generations to come in a franchise of this scale.” — Black actor Sophia Nomvete who plays the dwarf princess Disa.
“I think when people talk about the budget of the series, one thing that I keep saying is that I don’t think people want a budget version of this story. You do not want to see sort of pieces of things falling off sets and costumes that look like rentals. I think you need the resources to tell a story of this scale.” — Cynthia Addai-Robinson, who plays the queen-regent of Númenor.
WHISKING AWAY TO ANOTHER, ISOLATED, WORLD
“We filmed during a pandemic, a global pandemic. It was difficult because we were away from loved ones for almost two years and our support systems. But what that did is it sort of forced us to to lean on each other. And that is is a bonding experience like no other.” — Nazanin Boniadi, who plays a human healer and single-mother.
“It was difficult, yes. But we also had the particular privilege to be working. At one point, we were the only show that was shooting in the world — our colleagues had their shows paused and even canceled. The world was indoors and we were still able to go to set every day. That was also a fire that fueled our our performances. I think for everyone this became more than a show. It was our lives and it was a letter and a testament letter of love to all the fans and everyone else in the world that was indoors.” — Ismael Cruz Córdova, who plays an elf soldier.
“From the very first moment, I think even from the audition stage, we’re not really meant to kind of share anything. So I remember when I got cast, and I got cast in the middle of lockdown, and I couldn’t tell anyone. And then I left the country and I didn’t tell anyone where I was going because I thought, ’Well, if I tell them where, they’re going to know, they’re going to know exactly what it is.” — Cynthia Addai-Robinson, who plays the queen-regent of Númenor.
HONORING TOLKIEN
“Those who both love Tolkien and who are passionate about Tolkien and have read every single little every ounce of work that they possibly is by Tolkien — I hope that they respond to it and connect to it for sure. But I also do hope that there are kids that haven’t been introduced yet and that, you know, maybe they will be inspired to go back to the books and rediscover them or discover them for the first time.” — Markella Kavenagh, who plays a young harfoot girl.
“Obviously, it will be compared with inevitably other current fantasy shows and particularly the (Peter) Jackson movies. But the world is very different and we’ve started out with some brand new characters, some characters from Tolkien that have never been played before or never featured in a live-action TV show. I think because it is a brand new thing, it’s more exciting than worrying.” — Charles Edwards, who plays Celebrimbor.
“I think we are not the mothers. We are but midwives or doulas at best. This is Tolkien’s baby and this is his world. And we’ve just seen it as our responsibility to hopefully bring it into being in a fresh, new way. If people feel his voice and his themes and his tones in the show even a little bit, we’ll just be thrilled. So we can’t wait for people to watch.” — Patrick McKay, showrunner and executive producer.
WHAT ABOUT THAT OTHER BIG FANTASY SHOW?
“Obviously, it will be compared with inevitably other current fantasy shows and particularly the (Peter) Jackson movies. But the world is very different and we’ve started out with some brand new characters, some characters from Tolkien that have never been played before or never featured in a live-action TV show. I think because it is a brand new thing, it’s more exciting than worrying.” — Charles Edwards, who plays Celebrimbor.
“I think when you look at a genre like fantasy, you can use the biggest stories to tell things that are very relatable. People want to get lost in the stories and they want to feel things and you need a big, big canvas to be able to do that. I’m a huge ‘Game of Thrones’ fan. I’m going to be watching ‘House of the Dragon.’ I have a friend on ‘House of the Dragon.’ I think this idea of having to choose one or the other — you can watch both. You can watch more. I will be watching more. So, if you’re a fan of genre, this is this is an incredible time.” — Cynthia Addai-Robinson, who plays the queen-regent of Númenor.
___ Associated Press reporters Mike Cidoni Lennox in Los Angeles, Krysta Fauria in San Diego, Berenice Bautista in Mexico City and Mark Kennedy in New York compiled material for this story.
___
For more AP entertainment news, go to https://apnews.com/hub/entertainment
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| 2022-09-21T12:07:47Z
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VENICE, Italy (AP) — Timothée Chalamet was feeling cut off from the world in the early days of the pandemic. Then Luca Guadagnino, whom Chalamet saw as a father figure while filming “Call Me By Your Name,” called with a new possible project. It would be another young romance set in the 1980s. But instead of Italy they’d be going to the American Midwest. And they’d be cannibals.
The film, “Bones and All” is having its world premiere Friday night at the Venice Film Festival, where it is among the competition titles. Chalamet and Guadagnino gathered before the premiere to discuss the film with the cast.
It’s a significant departure for the Italian director of films like “A Bigger Splash” and “I Am Love,” marking the first time Guadagnino has made an American film — something he’s wanted to do for some time. Then his longtime collaborator, screenwriter David Kajganich, came to him with an adaptation of Camille DeAngelis’ young adult novel and he saw in it an opportunity to make a film about identity and outcasts.
“I was dying to work with Luca again and tell a story that was grounded,” said Chalamet, who took a break from filming “Dune 2” to appear in Venice. Swarms of fans gathered around the docks of the Hotel Excelsior to get a glimpse of the star, who even stopped to pose for a few selfies.
In “Bones and All,” Chalamet did more than just act: He helped take his character Lee from an “alpha jock” to a “broken soul,” which he said was very attractive to him, and got a producing credit on the film as well.
“Luca is fatherly with me and guided me in that process this time,” he said. “I can’t say that I was helpful organizing schedules or anything like that. But it’s something I want to continue doing.”
Chalamet’s character is a supporting part to the film’s lead Maren, who is coming to terms with her unsavory urges. She’s played by “Waves” actor Taylor Russell, a newcomer to the Guadagnino family of regulars like Michael Stuhlbarg, as a creepy cannibal they meet on the road, and Chloë Sevigny.
“It’s Taylor’s movie, she does an incredible job carrying it,” Chalamet said.
The discussion of their characters, and the loneliness they feel in the world, led both to think about what it means to be young at the moment.
“Can’t imagine what it is to grow up with the onslaught of social media,” Chalamet said. “I think it’s tough to be alive now. I think societal collapse is in the air. It smells like it. And without being pretentious, I hope that’s why these movies matter, because the role of the artist is to shine a light on what’s going on.”
Russell added that, “It’s so scary. The hope is that you can find your own compass within all of it.”
The film also features a new score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, whom Guadagnino challenged to “find the sound of a road trip” and “the sound of the American landscape.” And it’s full of 1980s music from Joy Division, New Order and even KISS, which were chosen from a box of cassette tapes that Kajganich found from when he was a teenager.
“The ones that either made me smile or cry made it in the script,” Kajganich said.
“Bones and All” opens in North American theaters on Nov. 23.
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Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ldbahr
___
For more on the Venice Film Festival, visit: www.apnews.com/VeniceFilmFestival
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| 2022-09-21T12:07:54Z
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NEW YORK (AP) — Lea Michele was 21 when she first saw “Funny Girl.” She was starring on Broadway in “Spring Awakening,” but all was not well in her personal life.
“I had just gone through a horrible breakup,” she recalls. “I didn’t care what was happening for me in my career. I was so heartbroken and I couldn’t believe that I had to pick myself up and go on stage every night.”
Michael Mayer, her “Spring Awakening” director, noticed a forlorn Michele and prescribed a special theater cure: a big dose of Barbra Streisand as vaudeville comedian Fanny Brice in the movie musical “Funny Girl.” It was the story of a woman refusing to let a man drag her down.
That did the trick: “I fell in love with it. And I fell in love with the story and I fell in love with the music. And, of course, Barbra.” Michele would go on to star in “Glee,” where she would sing songs from “Funny Girl” and also serenaded Streisand at a tribute with a “Funny Girl” song.
Michele, now 36, finds herself stepping into the role Streisand made famous by taking over the role of Fanny from Beanie Feldstein in the show’s first revival on Broadway, with Mayer again her director. It’s a dream come true, but it has also created waves.
The high-profile casting change rocked the Broadway community this summer, with Feldstein leaving early after Michele was announced, giving the impression that things backstage were strained at best. Michele noted that one actor replacing another on Broadway is nothing new.
“People leave shows and people come into shows. I think that the media is really drawn to drama and especially pitting women against each other, which I think is so unfortunate,” said Michele. “All I can say for me is how grateful I am to have been accepted with such open arms into what I know has been a lot of just different changes.”
Michele praised Feldstein — “I think that Beanie was fantastic” — as well as her understudy, Julie Benko, who will play Thursday performances — and threw herself into rehearsals. For someone who knows the musical so intimately, even Michele was stunned to realize how much work she needs to do.
“I think that I had potentially an expectation that I would just come into this and everything would be super-easy,” she said. “But then there are also other parts of it where I had to take the car and break it down completely and take out all the nuts and bolts and then look at everything, which is extremely scary because you’re like, ‘Wait a second, I have to go on in two weeks. How am I going to put this car all the way back together now and then drive it high speed across the country?’”
Fanny, to be fair, is one of musical theater’s more difficult roles to cast, needing both a set of pipes, some physical comedy skills and a spunky charm, perhaps why it has taken so long to revive it on theater’s biggest stage since Streisand starred in it on Broadway in 1964 and then won an Oscar in the 1968 film version. It has the songs “People” and “Don’t Rain on My Parade.”
“I’ve always wanted to play this role. But I know that I couldn’t have played it at any other point in my entire life. I think that it’s the experiences. It’s what I’ve been through in my life,” said Michele, citing marriage and motherhood as deepening her approach.
Broadway veteran Ramin Karimloo, who plays Brice’s love interest in “Funny Girl,” worked with Feldstein and said Michele brings a different Fanny to the show — not better, just different.
“It just feels like embarrassment of riches. I had one version and now I’ve got this version,” he said. “There’s a new injection of life and a different life coming in. And so I get excited for that.”
Michele making her debut on Tuesday isn’t the only casting change. Four-time Tony Award nominee Tovah Feldshuh will replace Emmy-winner Jane Lynch as Fanny’s mother.
It’s a remarkable full-circle moment for Feldshuh, too, since she she recalls watching Streisand live in the role on Broadway in 1964. “I think that Fanny Brice is the greatest role ever written for a woman in the American musical theater,” she said.
“This is Lea’s karma,” added Feldshuh. “This has been marinating in her ever since ‘Glee’ and the rollercoaster ride that the show took, for better or for worse — for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health — it did never stop. And it has come through a different tunnel now. And hopefully the audiences will continue to enjoy it.”
The replacement is another step toward respectability for Michele after former “Glee” castmates in 2020 accused the actor of behavior that was interpreted as racist and bullying. While unable to recall any specific incident, Michele blamed her privilege and “immaturity.”
Another person cheering on the Broadway changes is Jared Grimes, who earned a Tony Award nomination as a featured actor in a musical. He said he has watched as Michele “grabbed the role by the horns.”
“It was as if I was watching someone who had been preparing for this role in this project her entire life. It was very instinctive. It was really captivating to watch,” he said. “She left no meat on the bone.
“I was just like, ‘OK, cool. We’re bringing in some heavyweights and it’s time to just have more fun in a different way.’”
___
Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits
___
For more AP entertainment news, go to https://apnews.com/hub/entertainment
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After nearly 60 years on NBC stations, the residents of Salem are heading to streaming.
Starting Monday, Sept. 12, new episodes of “Days of our Lives” will air exclusively on the Peacock streaming service.
This move by NBC means that the show will no longer be interrupted due to breaking news or weather coverage and means fans can watch the show on their schedule.
Here are the things you need to know about the big switch.
WHERE CAN I WATCH THE SHOW?
The show will now be available only on Peacock, which can be accessed through the Peacock app on smart TVs and connected devices like a Fire TV, Roku and AppleTV. The show can also be watched at PeacockTV.com.
WHEN CAN I WATCH THE SHOW?
New episodes of the show will be available weekdays starting at 5 a.m., Central Time.
WHAT WILL IT COST FOR ME TO GET PEACOCK?
There are multiple tiers for Peacock subscribers.
- Free – This will let you watch the new daily episodes, plus up to 100 past episodes.
- $4.99 per month – This will let you watch the new daily episodes, ALL past episodes and exclusive shows like “Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem.”
- $9.99 per month – This will let you watch the new and ALL past episodes and the exclusive shows all ad-free!
For a limited time to welcome new Days viewers, Peacock is lowering the price for the $4.99 point to just $1.99 per month, or you can save more by paying $19.99 for one year. This offer is could through the month of September.
IS THIS CHANGING THE SHOW?
In addition to being able to watch the show at any time after 5 a.m., the move to Peacock will mean fewer commercials in the show (or none for viewers on the ad-free tier), which would allow episodes to have more content than what is in current episodes. Also, the shows would not be pre-empted for news or sports programming, which happened 16 times last year.
WHAT WILL BE ON KARK INSTEAD OF DAYS?
Starting September 12, viewers on KARK will see NBC News Daily, a new show from NBC News with the latest on the events happening around the country and around the world. The show will be anchored by award-winning journalists including Kate Snow, Aaron Gilchrist, Vicky Nguyen and Morgan Radford.
WHAT IF I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS?
A toll-free Days of our Lives customer care line has been set up to answer your questions. Just click here from your phone to call 855-597-1827 and get more information about the move.
You can also go the PeacockTV.com/Help to use the Live Chat to find more information about the switch.
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| 2022-09-21T12:08:17Z
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TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Longtime actress and activist Jane Fonda announced Friday that she has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in a post on Instagram.
Fonda said she has begun chemotherapy to treat the cancer, but it won’t slow her down.
“I’m doing chemo for 6 months and am handling the treatments quite well and, believe me, I will not let any of this interfere with my climate activism,” Fonda wrote.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a cancer that spreads through the lymphatic system in “a non-orderly manner,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The cancer becomes more common among older patients.
According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the overall five-year survival rate for American adults is 73%.
Despite her diagnosis, Fonda said she is lucky to have the resources to fight the disease the best way possible.
“I realize, and it’s painful, that I am privileged in this,” she said. “Almost every family in America has had to deal with cancer at one time or another and far too many don’t have access to the quality health care I am receiving and this is not right. We also need to be talking much more not just about cures but about causes so we can eliminate them.”
The 84-year-old actress also said the diagnosis has taught her the importance of community.
“Of growing and deepening one’s community so that we are not alone,” she said. “And the cancer, along with my age — almost 85 — definitely teaches the importance of adapting to new realities.”
Fonda is one of Hollywood’s long-working actors, with her first role dating back to 1960’s “Tall Story.” Since then, Fonda has received numerous acting honors, including two Academy Awards for Best Actress. Her first win was for 1971’s “Klute,” followed by her second in 1978 for “Coming Home.” Altogether, Fonda has been Oscar-nominated seven times.
Until April, the political activist (and former exercise video mogul) starred in Netflix’s sitcom “Grace and Frankie,” opposite fellow Hollywood veteran Lily Tomlin.
Fonda’s Friday statement also came with a political message, with the actor writing: “The midterms are looming, and they are beyond consequential so you can count on me to be right there together with you as we grow our army of climate champions.”
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DAINGERFIELD, Texas (KETK) – Two East Texas women received a Lifesaving Award from the Texas Department of Public Safety for their efforts in saving the life of a baby.
DPS announced on Wednesday that Tina Cooper and Mayla Honeycutt, who work for the driver license division in Daingerfield were selected for this honor. In September of 2021, the two women were coming back from a training class in Texarkana when they saw an SUV stopped in the median of I-30.
A man was trying to flag down drivers for help and there was a woman carrying a baby in distress. Cooper and Honeycutt parked their car and started to help the woman.
They noticed the infant was unresponsive, so Cooper dialed 911 and Honeycutt started performing CPR. The women later switched positions and Cooper conducted mouth sweeps. The infant was then able to start breathing.
Cooper tried to keep the baby’s airway open and used a suction bulb to do this. Officials said paramedics later made it to the scene and helped the infant.
He was flown to a children’s hospital and officials said they believed he was going to make a full recovery.
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John Wherry will wait until later in the fall to consider getting an updated COVID-19 booster. The University of Pennsylvania immunologist knows it’s too soon after his shot late this summer, especially since he’s not at high risk from the virus.
It’s the kind of calculation many Americans will face as booster shots that target currently circulating omicron strains become available to a population with widely varying risks and levels of immunity.
Here are some things to know:
HOW ARE THE NEW BOOSTERS DIFFERENT?
They’re combination or “bivalent” shots that contain half the original vaccine that’s been used since December 2020 and half protection against today’s dominant omicron versions, BA.4 and BA.5. It’s the first update to COVID-19 vaccines ever cleared by the Food and Drug Administration.
WHO’S ELIGIBLE?
Updated shots made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech are authorized for anyone 12 and older, and rival Moderna’s version is for adults. They’re to be used as a booster for anyone who’s already had their primary vaccination series — using shots from any U.S.-cleared company — and regardless of how many boosters they’ve already gotten.
IF I JUST GOT ONE OF THE ORIGINAL BOOSTERS, SHOULD I GET THE NEW KIND RIGHT AWAY?
No. The FDA set the minimum wait time at two months. But advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it’s better to wait longer. Some advise at least three months, another said someone who’s not at high risk might wait as long as six months.
“If you wait a little more time, you get a better immunologic response,” said CDC adviser Dr. Sarah Long of Drexel University.
That’s because someone who recently got a booster already has more virus-fighting antibodies in their bloodstream. Antibodies gradually wane over time, and another shot too soon won’t offer much extra benefit, explained Wherry, who wasn’t involved with the government’s decision-making.
WHAT IF I RECENTLY RECOVERED FROM COVID-19?
It’s still important to get vaccinated even if you’ve already been infected — but timing matters here, too.
The CDC has long told people to defer vaccination until they’ve recovered but also that people may consider waiting for three months after recovering to get a vaccination. And several CDC advisers say waiting the three months is important, both for potentially more benefit from the shot and to reduce chances of a rare side effect, heart inflammation, that sometimes affects teen boys and young men.
HOW MUCH BENEFIT WILL THE NEW BOOSTERS OFFER?
That’s not clear, because tests of this exact recipe have only just begun in people.
The FDA cleared the new boosters based in large part on human studies of a similarly tweaked vaccine that’s just been recommended by regulators in Europe. Those tweaked shots target an earlier omicron strain, BA.1, that circulated last winter, and studies found they revved up people’s virus-fighting antibodies.
With that earlier omicron version now replaced by BA.4 and BA.5, the FDA ordered an additional tweak to the shots — and tests in mice showed they spark an equally good immune response.
There’s no way to know if antibodies produced by an omicron-matched booster might last longer than a few months. But a booster also is supposed to strengthen immune system memory, adding to protection against serious illness from the ever-mutating virus.
HOW DO WE KNOW THEY’RE SAFE?
The basic ingredients used in both omicron-targeting updated vaccines are the same. Testing by Pfizer and Moderna of their BA.1-targeted versions proved safe in human studies and CDC’s advisers concluded the additional small recipe change should be no different.
Flu vaccines are updated every year without human trials.
CAN I GET A NEW COVID-19 BOOSTER AND A FLU SHOT AT THE SAME TIME?
Yes, one in each arm.
WHAT IF I WANT TO WAIT?
People at high risk from COVID-19 are encouraged to get the new booster when they’re due. After all, BA.5 still is spreading widely and hospitalization rates in older adults have increased since spring.
Most Americans eligible for an updated booster have gone at least six months since their last shot, according to the CDC — plenty of time that another shot should trigger a good immune response.
But the original formula still offers good protection against severe illness and death, especially after that all-important first booster. So it’s not uncommon for younger and healthier people to time boosters to take advantage of a shot’s temporary jump in protection against even a mild infection, like Wherry did.
A healthy 51-year-old, Wherry said he postponed the second booster recommended for his age for seven months, until late summer — just before an international trip that he knew would increase his risk from unmasked crowds.
With the updated boosters now rolling out, he plans to evaluate in four or five months — when presumably his antibody level starts waning and he’s planning holiday gatherings, whether he’d benefit from another shot.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal health regulators remain unconvinced about the benefits of a closely watched experimental drug for the debilitating illness known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, even as they prepare to give its drugmaker a rare second opportunity to make a public case for the treatment.
Amylyx Pharmaceuticals’ experimental drug has become a rallying cause for patients with the deadly neurodegenerative disease, their families and members of Congress who are pushing the FDA to approve the drug.
But regulators said Friday that the drugmaker’s new analyses are not “sufficiently independent or persuasive” to establish effectiveness. The agency posted its review ahead of a Wednesday meeting of its outside advisers, who will vote on whether to recommend approval.
In March, the same panel of neurological experts voted 6-4 that the company’s data failed to show a convincing benefit for ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. It’s extremely rare for the FDA to call a second review meeting after its advisers have already voted.
The FDA will ask the panel to review several new statistical analyses, which the company says strengthen the case that its drug prolongs life and delays hospitalization and other severe complications. The FDA says the experts can take into account “the unmet need in ALS,” the disease’s seriousness and other factors specific to the terminal diseases.
Elsewhere in its review the FDA detailed the flexibility it can apply to drug approval decisions, particularly for deadly diseases, which suggests “there is a chance that the FDA is still looking for a way to approve the product,” SVB analyst Marc Goodman wrote in a note to investors. He gives Amylyx a 50% chance of approval.
ALS destroys nerve cells needed to walk, talk, swallow and — eventually — breathe. There is no cure and most people die within three to five years.
The FDA’s review reflects some of the biggest questions facing the agency, including: How strict should it be in enforcing approval standards for drugs against rare, fatal diseases? And how much weight, if any, should be given to outside appeals from patients, advocates and their political allies?
Typically, FDA approval requires two large studies or one study with a “very persuasive” effect on survival.
Amylyx’s data comes from one small, mid-stage trial that showed some benefit in slowing the disease, but which was marred by missing data, implementation errors and other problems, according to FDA reviewers.
Amylyx says follow-up data gathered after the study concluded shows the drug extended life. When the company followed patients who continued taking the drug, they survived about 10 months longer than patients who never took the drug, according to a new company analysis.
But FDA said Friday the new approach “suffers from the same interpretability challenges” as Amylyx’s initial study and that the new analysis “is not independent data.”
The FDA does not publicly explain its rationale for holding meetings. But some outside analysts believe the agency is hoping that more external input will strengthen its hand when it renders its final decision, expected by the end of the month.
Amylyx’s drug is a combination of two older drug ingredients: a prescription medication for liver disorders and a dietary supplement associated with traditional Chinese medicine. The Cambridge, Massachusetts, company has patented the combination and says the chemicals work together to shield cells from premature death. Its co-founders first hit upon the combination as Brown University students.
Some ALS patients already take both pills. FDA approval would likely compel insurers to cover the treatment.
The FDA will hear again from patients and advocacy groups, such as I AM ALS, which has lobbied the FDA and Congress for more than two years to make the drug available. The group’s founder, Brian Wallach, said ALS patients, physicians and researchers believe that the company’s data warrants approval.
“Patients do their homework— we know this isn’t going to cure us,” said Wallach, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2017 and spoke through an interpreter. “But we also know it might keep us here until the next drug comes along and that one might be a cure.”
Wallach currently takes the part of Amylyx’s treatment that is available as a dietary supplement.
Despite the negative FDA review, there are several outside developments that could tip the FDA toward approval.
In June, Canadian regulators approved the drug for ALS patients, the first country to do so. That decision puts FDA regulators in a “precarious position,” says bioethicist Holly Fernandez-Lynch.
“They typically like to be out ahead when making approval decisions,” said Fernandez-Lynch, who teaches at the University of Pennsylvania. “They like to make the argument that they are not a barrier to patients accessing things that might help them.”
Shares of Amylyx fell more than 23% to close at $18 in trading Friday.
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Follow Matthew Perrone on Twitter: @AP_FDAwriter
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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| 2022-09-21T12:08:47Z
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Former President Trump on Saturday will hold his first rally since the FBI searched his home in Florida.
Trump is ostensibly heading to Pennsylvania to help boost support for the teetering campaigns of Senate candidate Mehmet Oz and gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano, both of whom he backed in their Republican primary races.
But Trump is expected to unleash on President Biden, the Department of Justice and the FBI in a speech that will take place two days after Biden described Trump and his movement as an urgent threat to democracy.
Here are five things to watch:
How Trump addresses the FBI search
Saturday’s event in Wilkes-Barre will be Trump’s first political rally since FBI agents searched his Mar-a-Lago estate on Aug. 8.
The former president has addressed the search at length on Truth Social, his fledgling social media platform, but he has yet to speak about it in front of throngs of energized supporters, where Trump tends to use his most bombastic and incendiary rhetoric.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) in filings has laid out how it spent months unsuccessfully trying to get sensitive government documents back from Trump after he left office, culminating in the August search. A redacted affidavit indicated that the government received 15 boxes from Mar-a-Lago with dozens of documents marked “secret” or “top secret,” raising concerns that additional highly sensitive materials were still at the residence and prompting the search.
The legal battle over Trump’s retention of government materials is still playing out in court as his team seeks to draw out the government’s investigation.
But Trump on Saturday is likely to whip his supporters into a frenzy, railing against the politicization of the FBI and DOJ and arguing he is the victim of a political witch hunt intended to discourage him from running for president in 2024.
How Trump responds to Biden warning he’s a threat to democracy
Trump will travel to a city just outside Biden’s hometown of Scranton two days after the president spoke in Philadelphia and described the former president’s political movement as a grave threat to American democracy.
“Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic,” Biden said in Philadelphia on Thursday, clarifying on Friday that he was not saying all Trump voters posed a threat to the country.
Biden highlighted Trump’s proclivity for casting doubt on election results, elevating conspiracy theories and attacking law enforcement, most recently over the search of his Mar-a-Lago estate.
Trump is likely to hit back at Biden when he takes the stage on Saturday night, according to one official close to the former president, framing the president’s remarks as a divisive attack on millions of Trump voters.
“Someone should explain to Joe Biden, slowly but passionately, that MAGA means, as powerfully as mere words can get, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump posted on Truth Social after Biden’s speech. “If he doesn’t want to Make America Great Again, which through words, action, and thought, he doesn’t, then he certainly should not be representing the United States of America!”
The expected back-and-forth between Biden and Trump underscores the degree to which the White House is trying to make the midterms a referendum on the former president as he backs candidates like Oz and Mastriano, the latter of whom has repeatedly cast doubt on the 2020 election results.
It also serves as a preview of a potential 2024 presidential race as Trump mulls another bid and Biden indicates he will seek reelection.
A Wall Street Journal poll released Thursday found Biden leading Trump by 6 percentage points in a hypothetical rematch of the 2020 election.
Trump looks to boost Oz and Mastriano
The primary purpose of Saturday’s rally is for Trump to boost the candidacies of Oz and Mastriano, as polls show both trailing their Democratic rivals.
Oz in particular has struggled to gain traction since Trump’s endorsement helped propel him to victory in a competitive primary over David McCormick, who had the support of other Trump administration officials.
A FiveThirtyEight average of polls showed Democrat Lt. Gov. John Fetterman leading Oz by 8 points, 48 to 40, and the nonpartisan Cook Political Report last week moved the race from “toss-up” to “lean Democrat.”
Fetterman has spent limited time on the campaign trail in recent weeks as he recovers from a stroke he suffered just before the primary, something the Oz campaign has seized on. But Oz has struggled to win over voters given his loose ties to Pennsylvania, and a boost from Trump could be critical to help close the gap.
Mastriano, meanwhile, has fully embraced Trump’s rhetoric about the 2020 election and other policies backed by the former president. Trump’s appearance on Saturday is certain to further solidify support for Mastriano among the base, but it remains to be seen if he can win over enough moderate voters to defeat Democratic rival Josh Shapiro.
A poll last week from Emerson College Polling shows Shapiro, the state’s attorney general, with a 47-44 lead over Mastriano, with 6 percent of respondents undecided.
Trump kicks off his general election push
Trump was active in the primaries, endorsing candidates and joining them in person before primary days, but Saturday will mark the former president’s first general election rally of the 2022 midterm cycle.
Sources in Trump’s orbit indicated he is likely to travel to battleground states in the two months remaining before Election Day, and particularly states with races involving his endorsed candidates that are likely to be competitive, like North Carolina, Michigan and Georgia.
Senate races in Arizona, Georgia and Pennsylvania, in particular, could help determine control of the Senate for the next two years, and each features candidates endorsed by Trump.
The former president remains very popular among Republicans, and GOP leaders will rely on him to help boost turnout.
One potential issue, however, is that Republicans have tended to underperform in elections where Trump himself is not on the ballot, such as the 2018 midterms and recent special House elections won by Democrats. Republicans hope that an active Trump in the next two months will lead to high turnout.
One former Trump campaign adviser also noted that how the former president’s preferred candidates fare could be a major factor in how easily Trump is able to clear the GOP field ahead of a 2024 primary. If several of his candidates lose and his influence appears to be diminished, it could embolden other Republicans interested in seeking the presidency, the official reasoned.
Rally underscores Pennsylvania’s importance
The presence of both Trump and Biden in Pennsylvania within days of each other reinforces the political importance of the Keystone State.
Trump’s rally on Saturday is being sandwiched by two visits from Biden. The president was in Philadelphia on Thursday for his speech about democracy, and he will travel Monday to Pittsburgh to mark Labor Day. Trump may also return to the state for another rally for Oz and Mastriano before November’s elections.
Pennsylvania was pivotal in deciding the presidency in 2016 and 2020, it will be a potential turning point in control of the Senate in 2022 and it will likely be a fierce battleground in 2024.
Biden carried Pennsylvania by roughly 80,000 votes, but the state was a major target of attacks from Trump and his allies after it took days to finish counting votes and determine the winner.
Given the state’s rules about when it starts counting mail ballots and other forms of early voting, a close race could provide another opening for Trump and his supporters to levy baseless claims of fraud should his preferred candidates lose.
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| 2022-09-21T12:08:54Z
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President Biden’s prime-time speech on Thursday evening is being met with scorn by some pundits on cable news over its tone and the staging that accompanied it.
The speech, during which Biden framed the wing of the Republican Party loyal to former President Trump as a threat to democracy, served as a scathing rebuke of the ongoing political influence of his predecessor, which Democrats hope will energize voters ahead of this fall’s midterm elections.
Made against a dark-red backdrop in Philadelphia with a pair of Marines standing behind the president as he spoke, the speech also portrayed Republicans who are loyal to Trump over the GOP establishment as aiming to take the country “backward.”
“Not every Republican, not even a majority of Republicans, are MAGA Republicans. Not every Republican embraces their extreme ideology,” Biden said during his remarks. “But there’s no question that the Republican Party today is dominated, driven and intimidated by Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans. And that is a threat to this country.”
Immediately after the speech and during the day Friday, cable news and Twitter was buzzing with critics hammering the president for what they said was the political tone of his remarks and the staging used in Philadelphia.
“This was an inappropriate speech,” said Ari Fleischer, a former aide to President George W. Bush and now a Fox News contributor. “This was a campaign speech, and the U.S. Marine Corps has some explaining to do. How did they get used? Why were two Marines used in the background of that shot?”
On CNN’s morning program, “New Day,” host Brianna Keilar spoke with veteran Allison Jaslow, who argued Democrats politicized two Marines staged in the background of Biden’s televised address.
“Somebody made the decision to put those Marines in the shot,” Jaslow said. “And the reality is those Marines didn’t have a choice.”
On Friday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre defended the administration’s decision to use the Marines in the shot.
“The presence of the Marines at the speech was intended to demonstrate the deep and abiding respect the president has for these service members to these ideals and the unique role our independent military plays in defending our democracy no matter which party is in power. Again, no matter which party is in power,” Jean-Pierre said.
In terms of the substance of the speech, some on the political left felt Biden’s speech did not go far enough in calling out Republicans who have backed Trump’s false claims of election fraud and other statements and policies on race, immigration and other cultural issues.
“I don’t know who the ‘It’s not all Republicans, just MAGA Republicans’ [is] for,” said liberal pundit Elie Mystal during an appearance Thursday night on MSNBC. “I’m sure there are some white supremacists who will vote with white supremacists, who don’t think they are white supremacists who are happy Biden didn’t call them a white supremacist.”
Biden attempted to clarify his comments about Republicans more generally again on Friday.
“I don’t consider any Trump supporter to be a threat to the country,” Biden said. “I do think anyone who calls for the use of violence, fails to condemn violence when it’s used, refuses to acknowledge an election has been won, insists upon changing the way in which we rule and count votes, that is a threat to democracy.”
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| 2022-09-21T12:09:02Z
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The White House on Friday defended the presence of U.S. Marines at President Biden’s speech in Philadelphia the previous evening, arguing their positioning during the prime-time speech was to demonstrate the president’s respect for service members.
“The presence of the Marines at the speech was intended to demonstrate the deep and abiding respect the president has for these service members to these ideals and the unique role our independent military plays in defending our democracy no matter which party is in power,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.
Marines were stationed behind the president as he spoke on Thursday, drawing scrutiny over the use of the military during a speech centered around blasting former President Trump and warning that the former president and Republicans aligned with him are “a threat to this country.”
“Whatever you think of this speech, the military is supposed to be apolitical. Positioning Marines in uniform behind President Biden for a political speech flies in the face of that. It’s wrong when Democrats do it. It’s wrong when Republicans do it,” tweeted CNN anchor Brianna Keilar, whose husband is in the military.
White House officials have pushed back against criticism that the speech was overly political in nature.
“The president gave an important speech last night, a critical speech at an inflection point, and our democracy, our values, our values that our men and women who protect us every day and fight for every day believe in as well,” Jean-Pierre said Friday.
The White House spokeswoman maintained that “it’s not abnormal” to have military members during presidential speeches, pointing to Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush as previous presidents who also had service members on hand for speeches.
“It is not abnormal, it is actually normal, for presidents from either side of the aisle to give speeches in front of members of the military,” she said. “It is not an unusual sight, it is not an unusual event to have happened.”
Jean-Pierre reiterated the White House’s argument that Biden was simply recognizing the urgency of the issue in his remarks.
“Standing up for democracy is not political,” she said Friday.
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| 2022-09-21T12:09:17Z
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(Loving Living Local)- New Owner of SportsPlex by Iron Fist shares about what’s new in the gym.
Chris Lafitte, owner of SportsPlex took some time to show host, Susan Kirton around the improvements and changes he has made to the gym since purchasing it. Lafitte lists off recent improvements including new equipment, a new air conditioning system, and remodeling of the bathrooms. But what Lafitte seems most excited about is the new day care for the children of clients. “That’s huge, that’s a big deal. Parents love to work out but they have no place to put their kids. Makes it great for the whole community, ” Lafitte stated.
Lafitte discussed services that are currently offered and the new staff he has coming in. SportsPlex offers personal training by experienced trainers including Lafitte, himself, who has been a personal trainer for 20 years and a newly hired female trainer who is a bodybuilder. Lafitte also boasts that he has a new Zumba instructor and yoga instructor coming in to start classes. Lafitte says that SportsPlex is a well-rounded fitness center for every age group and every style.
SportsPlex also offers a wide range of dietary needs while working out including a juice bar, food, and snacks for both pre-workout and postworkout. “In case you don’t have time to eat something healthier, instead of fast food,” Lafitte explained.
SportsPlex is located at 2369 Airline Drive, suite 600 in Bossier City. You can contact the gym at (318) 550-5378 or reach out on their Facebook or Instagram pages.
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| 2022-09-21T12:09:24Z
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(Loving Living Local)- Carrie Ann, owner of The Grove shares about the vendors and items you can expect to see this weekend.
The Grove is a fresh new, fabulous, funky multi-vendor boutique in downtown Shreveport. On their opening weekend in July, The Grove featured 26 vendors, and more have come on board since. The Grove is a unique shopping experience with several stalls occupied by different artists and sellers but with the convenience of only one check out.
The spacious 8,000 square foot open warehouse space is divided into stalls beautifully and creatively with painted wood pallets. Walking through, you see a plethora of merchandise ranging from home accessories, jewelry, fashion, baby goods, and even holiday decor.
Carrie Ann, says they are not done growing yet! There are about twelve vendor spaces left and she is looking for talented artists, local potters, and maybe even a few artificial florists.
However, The Grove does have unique business hours and they are not open every day. Carrie Ann explains that they will be open the first Friday weekend and the third weekend of every month. In addition to the fresh and fun shopping experience, shoppers can also enjoy themed nights on the first Friday of each month. September’s theme is “The 80’s”, following the resounding success of their “70’s” themed grand opening in July.
The Grove is located at 107 Spring Street in downtown Shreveport, directly across from the Convention Center Parking Garage. Follow The Grove on Facebook to keep up with each month’s themed Friday. You can also reach out through email at Thegroveshreveport@gmail.com or call (318) 404-7293.
Photos from DowntownShreveport.com
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| 2022-09-21T12:09:32Z
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(The Hill) — The prevalence of sexual assaults in the U.S. military is only getting worse, with service members expressing limited confidence in the system to bring perpetrators to justice, according to the Pentagon’s latest annual report on the issue, released Thursday.
The Department of Defense (DOD) report on sexual assault found that reports of such assaults in the ranks rose significantly in 2021, about 13 percent over the previous year.
What’s more, 8.4 percent of female service members had unwanted sexual contact in 2021, the highest rate since the department began tracking figures in 2006. For men, it was at 1.5 percent, the second-highest figure since 2006.
The data is a stark reminder that despite efforts by the Pentagon to address the long-standing problem, curtailing sexual assaults in the military has so far evaded officials.
“These numbers are tragic and extremely disappointing,” Elizabeth Foster, the DOD’s director of force resiliency, told reporters ahead of the document’s release.
“On an individual level, it is devastating to conceptualize that these numbers mean that over 35,000 service members’ lives and careers were irrevocably changed by these crimes.”
Overall, out of nearly 35,900 incidents that the department estimated to have occurred, there were 8,866 sexual assault reports filed from Oct. 1, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2021. That adds up to less than a quarter of suspected incidents being reported.
The spike was largely driven by the Army, where reports of sexual assault increased 25.6 percent from fiscal year 2020 to fiscal year 2021.
The Navy, meanwhile, experienced a 9.2 percent increase of reported sexual assaults, while the Air Force and the Marines each had a roughly 2 percent increase.
Unsurprisingly, confidence in the military’s response to sexual assault is waning, with only 39 percent of female service members saying they trust those in their chain of command to “treat them with dignity and respect” after an incident, compared with 66 percent in 2018.
For male troops during the same time period, only 63 percent were confident they would be treated well after reporting an assault, down from 82 percent in 2018.
The lack of confidence is likely linked to a drop in prosecutions for sexual assault. In 2021, only 42 percent of the 1,974 cases that ended in discipline saw court-martial proceedings.
That’s a far cry from 2013, when military services started court-martial proceedings for 71 percent of 1,187 cases.
The dismal findings have some lawmakers calling for more changes at the DOD.
Though language was included in the most recently passed National Defense Authorization Act to overhaul the military justice system — taking most decisions on whether to prosecute cases of rape and sexual assault away from military commanders — that’s not enough, according to Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.).
Speier, the chairwoman of the House Armed Services military personnel subpanel, called the results “disturbing” and announced that she would hold a hearing in the coming weeks “to get more answers,” according to a statement from her office.
“The watchful eye of Congress is needed to ensure that military leadership is held to account and any additional changes deemed necessary to address this national embarrassment and crisis are made,” she said in the statement. “If we fail to do so, we risk further erosion of the confidence of our troops and further undermining of DoD’s struggling recruitment and retention efforts.”
For its part, Pentagon leadership is trying to be proactive in combating sexual assaults in the military services.
Even prior to the start of his tenure, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin pledged to combat sexual assault and harassment in the ranks.
During his confirmation hearing in January 2021, the retired general said he would “fight hard to stamp out” the issue, which he has called a “scourge” within the military.
In pursuit of that goal, Austin directed an Independent Review Commission to give the DOD recommendations on how to address the problem. The commission came back with 80 recommendations, all of which the Pentagon adopted into a plan in September 2021.
And on Thursday the Pentagon chief sent a DOD-wide memo calling on officials to “redouble efforts to address sexual assault in the military,” Foster said.
The effort will include “fielding a new full time and specialized prevention workforce to get to the left of these incidents and stop these crimes before they occur,” she added.
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| 2022-09-21T12:09:40Z
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(WJBF) — The dream of buying a home is growing further and further out of reach for millennials due to low inventory and a widening gap between wages and the affordability of housing, including rentals.
Analysts believe the housing and rental market are starting to cool, but all of the data shows it may not be enough to make housing affordable enough for millennials, whether they rent or buy.
Stagnant Wages and Buying Power
Livable wages haven’t risen much in decades for most average Americans. Wages reportedly only grew six percent since 2014 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
A Pew Research Center study, however, shows that the rich got richer while the poor remained poor. The top 90th percentile of Americans saw their wages increase while everyone else remained the same. Since 2000, those on top have seen their wages grow more than 15 percent, or making five times what a lower income American would make. Those on the bottom barely saw a three percent increase in their wages in 22 years.
The National Low Income Housing Coalition says that renters need to earn an average of $21.25 an hour to afford a modest one-bedroom apartment, which isn’t good news if you’re making anything less than that. Georgia’s bare minimum wage currently sits at $5.15 an hour and has for decades (though most employers are subject to the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act and the current federal minimum wage which is $7.25 an hour).
While wages for Americans are larger than they were 50 years ago, data shows the buying power has largely remained the same. So despite Americans making more money, the rising cost of everything for several decades has widened the gap in affordability, and now a dollar doesn’t stretch as far as it once did.
Rising Rents and Lack of Housing
While hourly wages have failed to keep up with rent, Zillow shows the median price for rentals has more than quadrupled since 2014. Data shows millennials are most affected by this.
Data compiled by Filterbuy shows that even before a recent skyrocket in rent prices, “the gap between what a typical rental costs and what the typical worker can afford based on their income has been growing.”
The COVID-19 pandemic was not kind to renters. In addition, rising costs and inflation as the nation tries to rebound from a shutdown at the beginning of the pandemic has priced millennial homebuyers further out of homeownership. Rising mortgage interest rates and lack of housing inventory has caused millennial renters to compete with families for rental units who can’t for one reason or another buy or afford to buy a home.
ApartmentList says that despite millennials being “the nation’s largest generation,” they have the lowest homeownership rate and the “pressure trickles down into the rental market.” The price of rent has gone up nearly 18 percent since the start of the pandemic, and the “rapid growth in rent prices is a key contributor to overall inflation.”
In 79 of the largest 100 cities in the U.S, rent costs are up month-over-month.
Unaffordable Housing and Factors
With homeownership out of reach for most millennials and Generation Z adults, studies show that homeownership is now less important to both generations than their predecessors.
A December 2021 survey from ApartmentList shows that only 34 percent of millennials considered homeownership important for their personal success, and Gen Z even less than that at 23 percent. This was compared to the 41 percent for Gen X, 45 percent for baby boomers, and 43 percent for the silent generation.
And affordability remains the biggest issue for millennials. ApartmentList found that more than 70 percent of millennials surveyed said they can’t afford to buy a home right now, and nearly 80 percent of those said that not being able to afford to buy a home will mean they will be renting forever.
The National Association of Realtors says the median home price in July 2022 was $403,800, up nearly 11 percent since the same time last year when the median price was $364,600 and has seen year-over-year increases every month since 2012.
Data also shows that millennials have the least amount of savings to afford a down payment on a home. More than two-thirds surveyed, or 66 percent, have no savings for a down payment. This was compared to only 16 percent who had more than $10,000 and only 18 percent who had less than $10,000.
Another factor, according to CNBC, that rising student loan debt can also be factored into millennials’ inability to afford homeownership because it directly affects their ability to save.
Unaffordable Cities and Metros
Some of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas had the largest gap in rent-to-income which makes it even more impossible for millennials to even afford to rent a 1-bedroom apartment.
CNBC found that eight areas were the least affordable for millennials, including Los Angeles, Miami, San Diego, Orlando, San Francisco, New York City, San Jose, and Riverside, California. The majority of cities where millennials are unable to afford rent are along the west coast and in coastal areas.
Other areas where there was a large renter wage gap include Nashville, Denver, Seattle, Sacramento, Tampa, Boston, and Portland.
Georgia and South Carolina
Despite a rise in rental prices, the millennial rent-to-income ratio in Georgia and South Carolina is still not terribly bad compared to other parts of the country.
The millennial renter wage gap is larger in Georgia than it is in South Carolina. The largest metro wage gap is in the Atlanta area, meanwhile Augusta is on the lower end of the scale.
We must preface, though, the chart below uses data from two years ago when the U.S. Census Bureau conducted the 2020 Census and released their 5-year estimates. It hasn’t taken into consideration inflation and rising rental costs since then.
Nearly 25 percent of millennials in Augusta in 2020 were renting with their median wage being $28,000. In order to afford a modest 1-bedroom apartment in Augusta in 2020, you would have only needed roughly $30,000 a year. The median price for a 1-bedroom apartment in Augusta in 2020 was $765.
Of course, the rising cost of rent and inflation means millennials need more than what is estimated in order to just afford a basic apartment here in Augusta. According to Rent.com, the average rent in Augusta has not surprisingly surpassed the five-year estimate put in place by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2020.
Currently as of August 2022, the average cost of a 1-bedroom apartment in Augusta is $1,022, up 8 percent since 2021. The rent in Augusta is anywhere between $969 for a studio and $1,249 for a 3-bedroom apartment on average.
But, as evident by historical data, it’s likely the median wage hasn’t increased much, if at all, in the last two years.
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| 2022-09-21T12:09:47Z
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Along with highly classified government documents, the FBI agents who searched former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate found dozens of empty folders marked classified but with nothing inside and no explanation of what might have been there, according to a more detailed inventory of the seized material made public on Friday.
The agents also found more than 10,000 other government documents kept by Trump with no classification marked.
The inventory compiled by the Justice Department reveals in general terms the contents of 33 boxes and containers taken from Trump’s office and a storage room at Mar-a-Lago during the Aug. 8 search. Though the inventory does not describe the content of the documents, it shows the extent to which classified information — including material at the top-secret level — was stashed in boxes at the home and mixed among newspapers, magazines, clothing and other personal items.
And the empty folders raise the question of whether the government has recovered all of the classified papers that Trump kept after leaving the White House.
The inventory makes clear for the first time the volume of unclassified government documents at the home even though presidential records were to have been turned over to the National Archives and Records Administration. The Archives had tried unsuccessfully for months to secure their return from Trump and then contacted the FBI after locating classified information in a batch of 15 boxes it received in January.
The Justice Department has said there was no secure space at Mar-a-Lago for sensitive government secrets, and has opened a criminal investigation focused on their retention there and on what it says were efforts in the past several months to obstruct the probe. It is also investigating potential violations of a law that criminalizes the mutilation or concealment of government records, classified or not.
Lawyers for Trump did not immediately return an email seeking comment Friday. Trump spokesman Taylor Budowich asserted that the FBI search was a “SMASH AND GRAB” — though the Justice Department had received court-authorized permission to search specific locations in the home.
The inventory was released as the Justice Department undertakes its criminal investigation, as intelligence agencies assess any risk to national security caused by mishandling of classified information and as a judge weighs whether to appoint a special master — essentially an outside legal expert — to review the records.
The inventory had been filed earlier under seal, but the Justice Department had said that given the “extraordinary circumstances,” it did not object to making it public. Trump himself has previously called for the disclosure of documents related to the search. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon said on Thursday that she planned to unseal the inventory and did so on Friday.
All told, the inventory shows, the FBI seized more than 100 documents with classification markings in August, including 18 marked top secret, 54 secret and 31 confidential. The FBI had identified 184 documents marked as classified in 15 boxes recovered by the Archives in January, and received additional classified documents in a single Redweld envelope during a June visit to Mar-a-Lago.
The Justice Department has said that it searched the property in August after developing evidence that documents were likely “concealed and removed” from the storage room as part of an effort to obstruct its probe.
The court filings have not offered an explanation for why Trump had kept the classified documents, and why he and his representatives did not return them when requested.
The inventory shows that 48 empty folders with classified banners were taken either from the storage room or office, along with additional empty folders labeled as “Return to Staff Secretary” or military aide.
It is not clear from the inventory list what might have happened to any of the documents that apparently had been inside.
Separately Friday, the Justice Department said in a court filing that it had reviewed the records seized during the recent search and had segregated those with classified markings to ensure that they were being stored according to proper protocol and procedure.
“The seized materials will continue to be used to further the government’s investigation, and the investigative team will continue to use and evaluate the seized materials as it takes further investigative steps, such as through additional witness interviews and grand jury practice,” the department said.
It added that “additional evidence pertaining to the seized items,” including the manner in which they were stored, “will inform the government’s investigation.”
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More on Donald Trump-related investigations: https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump
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Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP
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| 2022-09-21T12:09:54Z
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA aimed for a Saturday launch of its new moon rocket, after fixing fuel leaks and working around a bad engine sensor that foiled the first try.
The inaugural flight of the 322-foot (98-meter) rocket — the most powerful ever built by NASA — was delayed late in the countdown Monday. The Kennedy Space Center clocks started ticking again as managers expressed confidence in their plan and forecasters gave favorable weather odds.
Atop the rocket is a crew capsule with three test dummies that will fly around the moon and back over the course of six weeks — NASA’s first such attempt since the Apollo program 50 years ago. NASA wants to wring out the spacecraft before strapping in astronauts on the next planned flight in two years.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said he’s more confident going into this second launch attempt, given everything engineers learned from the first try.
So is astronaut Jessica Meir, who’s on NASA’s short list for one of the initial moon crews.
“We’re all excited for this to go, but the most important thing is that we go when we’re ready and we get it right, because the next missions will have humans on board. Maybe me, maybe my friends,” Meir told The Associated Press on Friday.
The engineers in charge of the Space Launch System rocket insisted Thursday evening that all four of the rocket’s main engines were good and that a faulty temperature sensor caused one of them to appear as though it were too warm Monday. The engines need to match the minus-420 degrees Fahrenheit (minus-250 degrees Celsius) of the liquid hydrogen fuel at liftoff, otherwise they could be damaged and shut down in flight.
“We have convinced ourselves without a shadow of a doubt that we have good-quality liquid hydrogen going through the engines,” said John Honeycutt, the rocket’s program manager.
Once fueling begins Saturday morning, the launch team will perform another engine test — this time earlier in the countdown. Even if that suspect sensor indicates the one engine is too warm, other sensors can be relied on to ensure everything is working correctly and to halt the countdown if there’s a problem, Honeycutt told reporters.
NASA could not perform that kind of engine test during dress rehearsals earlier this year because of leaking fuel. More fuel leaks cropped up Monday; technicians found some loose connections and tightened them.
The engine-temperature situation adds to the flight’s risk, as does another problem that cropped up Monday: cracks in the foam insulation of the rocket. If any foam pieces break off at liftoff, they could strike the strap-on boosters and damage them. Engineers consider the likelihood of that happening low and have accepted these slight additional risks.
“This is an extremely complicated machine and system. Millions of parts,” NASA’s chief, Nelson, told the AP. “There are, in fact, risks. But are those risks acceptable? I leave that to the experts. My role is to remind them you don’t take any chances that are not acceptable risk.”
The $4.1 billion test flight is NASA’s first step in sending astronauts around the moon in 2024 and landing them on the surface in 2025. Astronauts last walked on the moon in 1972.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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| 2022-09-21T12:10:02Z
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Stocks gave up an early rally and closed lower Friday, marking their third losing week in a row and extending Wall Street’s late-summer slump.
Major stock indexes initially climbed broadly following the government’s latest job market report, which showed employers slowed their hiring in August. The report put traders in a buying mood, stoking cautious optimism that the Federal Reserve may not need to raise interest rates as aggressively in its ongoing bid to tame inflation.
But the market reversed course by mid-afternoon, shedding all its gains. That left the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average 1.1% lower. The Nasdaq composite fell 1.3%.
“The jobs report today was nice, but it was not enough to obviously sustain the rally,” said Ross Mayfield, investment strategist at Baird. “The bar to clear is ‘does this change the trajectory of the Fed?’ And I don’t know that this report is enough to say yes.”
In recent weeks, the market has wiped out much of the gains it made in July and early August as traders worried that the Fed would not let up anytime soon on raising interest rates to bring down the highest inflation in decades.
The latest jobs data appeared to give traders some hope that a key driver of inflation is cooling. On Friday, the Labor Department reported that the U.S. economy added 315,000 jobs last month, down from 526,000 in July and below the average gain of the previous three months. The unemployment rate also rose to 3.7% from 3.5% in July.
Average hourly pay jumped 5.2% last month from a year earlier, but slowed slightly from July to August. That’s a welcome sign in the inflation fight, as businesses typically pass the cost of higher wages on to their customers through higher prices.
”Today’s jobs report was a step in the right direction, in that the pace of job and wage growth stabilized,” said Matt Peron, director of Research at Janus Henderson Investors. “However, we reiterate our caution that we are not out of the woods just yet, as stubbornly high wage gains could keep the Fed on an aggressive path.”
The Fed has already raised interest rates four times this year and is expected to raise short-term rates by another 0.75 percentage points at its next meeting later this month, according to CME Group. Following the jobs report, expectations for that three-quarter percentage point hike fell to 56% from 75% on Thursday.
Market watchers such as David Kelly, chief global strategist at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, said they still expect the central bank to raise rates later this month by another 0.75 percentage points.
Signs of some slack in the labor market as well as more welcome news on falling gas prices “increase the odds that the economy could gradually return to milder inflation over the course of the next year without falling into recession,” Kelly said.
Stocks entered a skid last week after Chair Jerome Powell said the Fed needs to keep rates elevated enough “for some time” to slow the economy.
“The Fed is not going to be swayed by one or two pieces of data, and they are steadfast about getting inflation down,” Mayfield said. “They need a really broad and long body of evidence before they’re going to pivot because the last thing they want is to quit too early.”
The latest jobs data comes a day after the Labor Department reported unemployment claims fell last week in another sign of a strong job market. It said earlier this week there were two jobs for every unemployed person in July.
The Fed will also get to review upcoming reports on consumer prices and inflation at the wholesale level, among other economic reports, before its next interest rate policy meeting.
Friday’s afternoon market reversal followed an announcement by Russian state-run energy giant Gazprom that a halt in natural gas supply through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany may be prolonged. The company cited the need for urgent maintenance work on the pipeline. On Wednesday, Gazprom completely halted the flow of gas through the pipeline and said the stoppage would last for three days.
Treasury yields, which have been rising along with expectations for higher interest rates, fell broadly. The yield on the 10-year Treasury, which influences interest rates on mortgages and other loans, slipped to 3.20% from 3.26% late Thursday. The two-year Treasury yield, which tends to track expectations for Fed action, fell to 3.40% from 3.52%.
U.S. stock markets will be closed Monday for the Labor Day holiday.
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| 2022-09-21T12:10:09Z
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WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation’s job market last month delivered what the Federal Reserve and nervous investors had been hoping for: A Goldilocks-style hiring report.
Job growth was solid — not too hot, not too cold. And more Americans began looking for work, which could ease worker shortages over time and defuse some of the inflationary pressures that the Fed has made its No. 1 mission.
Employers added 315,000 jobs, roughly what economists had expected, down from an average 487,000 a month over the past year. The unemployment rate reached 3.7%, its highest level since February. But it rose for a healthy reason: Hundreds of thousands of people returned to the job market, and some didn’t find work right away, which boosted the government’s count of unemployed people.
The American economy has been a puzzle this year. Economic growth fell the first half of 2022, which, by some informal definitions, signals a recession.
But the job market is still surprisingly robust. Businesses remain desperate to find workers. They’ve posted more than 11 million job openings, meaning there are nearly two job vacancies, on average, for every unemployed American.
And inflation, which began to accelerate alarmingly in the spring of last year, remains close to a 40-year high. That’s a sign that consumers’ appetite for goods and services is still strong enough to allow businesses to raise prices.
The relentless rise in consumer prices has forced the Fed to raise interest rates aggressively to try to slow hiring and wage increases and drive down inflation. It’s aiming to pull off a so-called soft landing — raising borrowing costs enough to slow growth and curb inflation without tipping the United States into a recession.
So far, so good.
“Today’s report answers the persistent recession question, at least for today: We are not in a recession,’’ said AnnElizabeth Konkel, senior economist at the Indeed Hiring Lab. “The U.S. labor market remains strong with employers adding jobs and labor supply coming back online… The sun is still shining on the U.S. labor market.’’
Here are five takeaways from the August jobs report:
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MAKING THE FED’S TASK EASIER
Friday’s report from the government suggests that the Fed may find it a little easier to bring the economy in for a soft landing. Key to that daunting task is seeing hiring ease a bit — enough, anyway, to reduce the pressure on employers to raise pay. When they hand out raises, businesses typically increase prices for their customers to offset their higher labor costs, thereby feeding inflation.
Not only did August’s job creation decelerate from July’s breakneck pace — 526,000 added jobs — but the Labor Department also revised down its earlier estimate of the gains for June and July by a combined 107,000. In addition, average hourly pay rose just 0.3% last month from July, the lowest month-to-month gain since April.
“If the Fed were to design the (jobs) report, this is the kind of report they would have designed,’’ said Megan Greene, chief economist at the Kroll Institute.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell has made it clear — notably at a hawkish speech last week in Jackson Hole, Wyoming — that the central bank expects to impose further large rate hikes to try to tame inflation. And he warned that the Fed’s continued tightening of credit will cause pain for many households and businesses as it slows the economy and potentially lead to job losses. The Fed has raised its benchmark short-term interest rate four times this year, including by a hefty three-quarters of a percentage point in both June and July.
Investors are anxiously anticipating what the Fed will do when it next meets Sept. 20-21.
“The slower pace of payroll gains in August, together with a big rebound in the labor force, and the more modest increase in wages, would seem to favor a smaller (half-point) rate hike from the Fed,’’ said Michael Pearce, senior U.S. economist at Capital Economics.
Still, Fed policymakers will be watching to see whether inflation decelerated last month. One major barometer will be the government’s report on consumer prices for August, to be issued Sept. 13.
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HUH? HIGHER UNEMPLOYMENT IS GOOD NEWS?
Normally, an uptick the joblessness would be sobering news, even cause for worry. Not now.
The unemployment rate rose last month to 3.7% from 3.5%, which had tied a 50-year low. But the increase in August was welcome: The number of Americans either working or looking for work surged by 786,000 in August, the biggest one-month jump since January. And their share of the population — the so-called labor force participation rate — rose to 62.4% last month, its highest level since March.
To be counted as unemployed, people have to be actively seeking a job. So when they stay on the sidelines, as many have since COVID-19 struck, their absence from the labor force means they don’t show up as unemployed. And the jobless rate can look artificially low.
Last month, the number of Americans who told the Labor Department they had jobs rose by 442,000. And the number who said they were unemployed also rose, by 344,000. That suggests that many people who started looking for a job didn’t find one right away.
“The labor participation rate went up, and I would love to see that number continue to climb even if that means a 3.7%, 3.8%, 3.9% unemployment rate,’’ said Labor Secretary Marty Walsh. “You have potentially 11 million open jobs. Having more people entering the workforce is good for the economy.’’
The idea is that the more Americans there are who are looking for work, the less pressure there is on employers to raise wages to attract applicants, increase prices and contribute to inflation.
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BROAD JOB GAINS
Last month’s jobs gains were spread broadly across industries. Retailers added 44,000. Healthcare gained 48,000, including nearly 15,000 at hospitals.
Factories added 22,000 jobs despite a slowing global economy, a consumer shift away from manufactured goods and toward services like restaurant meals and a stronger dollar that makes U.S.-made goods pricier overseas.
But hiring in leisure and hospitality slowed sharply in August — to 31,000, including just 18,000 at bars and restaurants. Both gains were the weakest since December 2020.
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FEWER HOURS
The average workweek slipped slightly last month to 34.5 hours. Those figures haven’t changed much this year even as employers have complained about a worker shortage.
So why aren’t they assigning more hours to the workers they have on hand?
Labor Secretary Walsh suspects that employees, especially in high-paying occupations, are more conscious of striking a balance between their work and their personal lives and balk at putting in ever more hours on the job. Employers are wary, having seen “people quitting their jobs because their work-life balance was off,’’ Walsh suggested.
An increase in employees working from home, or splitting time between home and the workplace, may also limit the number of hours worked.
In the leisure and hospitality business, which includes restaurants and hotels, average hours worked peaked in April 2021 and has fallen more or less steadily since then. Thomas Feltmate, senior economist at TD Economics, said the drop might reflect a “softening in consumer demand in recent months for discretionary recreational services.’’
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BLACK UNEMPLOYMENT
An increase in the unemployment rate of Black Americans last month couldn’t be explained by an influx into the labor force.
The number of Black people working or looking for work fell by 51,000. And their labor participation rate dipped from 62% in July to 61.8% last month, the lowest point since December. The number of Black Americans reporting that they had jobs fell by 131,000 last month. And the number saying they were unemployed rose by 79,000.
The Black jobless rate rose from 6% in July to 6.4% in August, the highest level since February.
It isn’t entirely clear what caused the uptick in Black unemployment, the second straight increase. The Labor Department’s racial breakdown of employment numbers can be volatile from month to month. But the number of Black Americans in the labor force — and their participation rate — has now dropped for three straight months.
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| 2022-09-21T12:10:16Z
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FRANKFURT (AP) — Hundreds of Lufthansa flights were canceled Friday as pilots staged a one-day strike to press their demands for better pay and conditions at Germany’s biggest carrier.
The airline said about 800 flights were grounded at its two biggest hubs, Frankfurt and Munich, due to the walkout. More than 100,000 passengers would be affected, it said.
Lufthansa said it had offered a one-off increase of 900 euros ($900), amounting to a 5% increase for senior pilots and an 18% increase for those starting the profession.
The pilots union Vereinigung Cockpit had called for a 5.5% raise this year and an automatic above-inflation increase in 2023. In addition, pilots are seeking a new pay and holiday structure that the airline said would increase its staffing costs by about 40%, or some 900 million euros over two years.
Strikes are a common tactic in labor disputes in Germany, where powerful unions have traditionally ensured good conditions for workers.
Germany has seen the highest inflation in decades this year amid a steep rise in energy prices.
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| 2022-09-21T12:10:31Z
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BERLIN (AP) — Europe’s energy crisis loomed larger Friday after Russian energy giant Gazprom said it couldn’t resume the supply of natural gas through a major pipeline to Germany for now. The company cited what it said was a need for urgent maintenance work to repair key components — in an announcement made just hours before it had been due to restart deliveries.
The Russian state-run energy company had shut down the Nord Stream 1 pipeline on Wednesday for what it said would be three days of maintenance.
It said in a social media post Friday evening that it had identified “malfunctions” of a turbine and added that the pipeline would not work unless those were eliminated.
The move was the latest development in a saga in which Gazprom has advanced technical problems as the reason for reducing gas flows through Nord Stream 1 — explanations that German officials have rejected as a cover for a political power play following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
European utilities have scrambled to find additional supply during the summer months to get ready for the winter’s heating demands, buying expensive liquefied gas that comes by ship, while additional supplies have come by pipeline from Norway and Azerbaijan.
Fears of a winter shortage have eased somewhat as storage has progressed, but a complete cutoff could present Europe with serious difficulties, analysts say. The European Union needs to step up efforts to reduce gas consumption, said energy policy expert Simone Tagliapietra at the Bruegel think tank in Brussels.
The continuing interruptions from Gazprom mean that “a winter with zero Russian gas is the central scenario for Europe.” he said. “There is only one way to prepare for that: reducing gas and electricity demand.”
Gazprom said it had identified oil leaks from four turbines at the Portovaya compressor station at the Russian end of the pipeline, including the sole operational one. It claimed to have received warnings from Russia’s industrial safety watchdog that the leaks “do not allow for safe, trouble-free operation of the gas turbine engine.”
“In connection with this, it is necessary to take appropriate measures and suspend further operation of the … gas compressor unit in connection with the identified gross (safety) violations,” the company said.
Gazprom started cutting supplies through Nord Stream 1 in mid-June, blaming delays to the delivery of a turbine that had been sent to Canada for repair. Canada has since allowed the turbine’s delivery to Germany, which has said that nothing stands in the way of it being sent to Russia other than Russia saying it wants the part.
In recent weeks, Nord Stream 1 has been running at only 20% of capacity.
Germany’s Siemens Energy, which manufactured the turbines, said following Gazprom’s announcement that “such a finding is not a technical reason for stopping operation.”
“Such leakages do not usually affect the operation of a turbine and can be sealed on site,” it said in a statement. It added that this “is a routine procedure during maintenance work” and that type of leakage didn’t result in operations being shut down in the past.
Siemens Energy said it wasn’t currently contracted for maintenance work, but was standing by. “Irrespective of this, we have already pointed out several times that there are enough additional turbines available at the Portovaya compressor station for Nord Stream 1 to operate,” it added.
Russia, which before the reductions started accounted for a bit more than a third of Germany’s gas supplies, has also reduced the flow of gas to other European countries which have sided with Ukraine in the war.
Natural gas is used to power industry, heat homes and offices, and generate electricity. Increasing the amount in reserve has been a key focus of the German government since Russia invaded Ukraine, to avoid rationing for industry as demand rises in the winter.
Germany’s storage facilities are now over 84% full.
The head of Germany’s network regulatory agency, Klaus Mueller, tweeted that the Russian decision to keep Nord Stream 1 switched off for now increases the significance of new liquefied natural gas terminals that Germany plans to start running this winter, gas storage and “significant needs to save” gas.
It is “good that Germany is now better prepared, but now it comes down to everyone,” Mueller added.
Germany’s Economy Ministry said it had “taken note” of Gazprom’s latest announcement and wouldn’t comment on it directly, but added that “we have already seen Russia’s unreliability in recent weeks” and continued efforts to reduce the country’s reliance on Russian energy imports.
“Of course these are difficult times but we will continue to strengthen provisions consistently,” the ministry said in a statement. “Great efforts are still needed but we are on a good path to coping with the situation.”
The European Union has just reached its goal of filling its gas storage to 80%, ahead of a Nov. 1 deadline, despite Russian supply cutbacks.
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Kozlowska contributed from London. David McHugh in Frankfurt, Germany also contributed to this story.
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Follow all of AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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| 2022-09-21T12:10:38Z
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WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s employers added a healthy number of jobs last month, yet slowed their hiring enough to potentially help the Federal Reserve in its fight to reduce raging inflation.
The economy gained 315,000 jobs in August, a still-solid figure that pointed to an economy that remains resilient despite rising interest rates, high inflation and sluggish consumer spending. Friday’s report from the government also showed that the unemployment rate rose to 3.7%, up from a half-century low of 3.5%. Yet that increase was also an encouraging sign: It reflected a long-awaited rise in the number of Americans who are looking for work.
“It’s a very positive report and still holds open the possibility for a soft landing,” said Ellen Gaske, an economist at PGIM Fixed Income, referring to the Fed’s goal of slowing the economy enough to cool inflation without going so far as to cause a recession.
Prices are rising at nearly the fastest pace in 40 years, which has handed congressional Republicans a hammer to use against Democrats in the fall congressional elections. Texas Republican Rep. Kevin Brady noted Friday that rising wages aren’t keeping up with inflation, leaving Americans with “shrinking paychecks.”
The White House has pushed back, claiming credit for what it calls evidence that the economy remains on firm footing.
“Jobs are up, wages are up, people are back to work and we’re seeing some signs that inflation may be, may be … beginning to ease,” President Joe Biden said Friday.
Inflation did fall to an 8.5% annual rate in July from 9.1% in June, mostly as gas prices steadily dropped. Prices at the pump fell to $3.81 a gallon Friday from a peak of $5.02 in mid-June. But inflation has declined in the past only to jump higher again, and few economists are willing to declare yet that it has peaked.
The August hiring gain was down from 526,000 jobs that were added in July, and it fell below the average increase of the previous three months. Wage growth weakened a bit last month, too, which could also serve the Fed’s inflation fight. Average hourly pay rose 0.3% from the previous month, the smallest gain since April. Businesses typically pass the cost of higher wages on to their customers through higher prices, thereby fueling inflation.
Gaske suggested that the figures could allow the Fed to raise its benchmark short-term interest rate by a half-percentage point at its next meeting later this month, rather than by three-quarters of a point, as many Wall Street traders and some economists have expected. Either size increase would exceed the Fed’s typical hike of a quarter of a percentage point. When the Fed increases its rate, it leads over time to higher rates on mortgages, auto loans and business borrowing and can weaken the economy.
The Fed is rapidly raising rates to try to cool the economy and reduce inflation. Some economists fear, though, that the Fed is tightening credit so aggressively that it will eventually tip the economy into recession.
Most industries added workers last month, with the biggest increases in professional and business services, which gained 68,000 jobs. That sector includes architects, engineers and some tech workers. Health care added 61,500 jobs, retailers 44,000.
Some companies, particularly in technology, have announced layoffs in recent months. On Wednesday, Snap, the parent company of the social media platform Snapchat, said it would cut 20% of its staff. The fitness equipment maker Peloton, the stock trading app Robinhood and the online furniture Wayfair have also said they are laying off workers. Bed, Bath & Beyond says it will close 150 stores and slash its workforce by 20%.
Yet with unemployment still very low and many businesses desperate to find workers, people who have been laid off are still finding plentiful opportunities elsewhere. One eager employer is TruBlue Total House Care, which does home renovations and repairs, with a focus on making homes safer for senior citizens.
Sean Fitzgerald, president of TruBlue, based in Cincinnati, said all its 87 locations have posted job openings. The number of people applying has risen recently, he said — a welcome sign for a company that has been short-staffed since soon after COVID-19 struck in the spring of 2020.
“We have far more demand than we do employees,” Fitzgerald said. “Our biggest hurdle continues to be getting enough qualified employees hired.”
To help retain its workers, TruBlue in some cases is lending company vehicles to employees and paying for gas.
Fitzgerald said a slowdown in home building, one consequence of the Fed’s rate hikes, has likely cost some construction workers their jobs, making it a bit easier for his company to hire.
Becky Frankiewicz, president of the staffing firm Manpower Group North America, said that laid-off workers, particularly in technology, are being quickly rehired. Software development, she said, is the second-most in-demand skill, behind nursing. The job market is the “eye of the economic hurricane,” she said, with hiring resilient despite the turmoil created by weaker growth and high inflation.
But Frankiewicz said she is starting to see some early signs that employers are dialing back: Job postings at Manpower were down 6% in August from a month ago. Wage growth has also started to plateau.
Mathieu Stevenson, CEO of Snagajob, an hourly hiring platform, said his firm has also seen a small decline in job postings, though hiring is still strong. Some employers, after being short-staffed for so long, appear to have figured out how to get by with fewer workers, he said — a trend that could slow future job gains.
“People are less panicked by the understaffing, because they’ve just gotten so accustomed to operating with it,” Stevenson said. “And so they’re much less aggressive about how hard they’re trying to hire.”
Recent data has painted a somewhat conflicting picture of the economy. The broadest measure of the economy’s output — gross domestic product — has shrunk for two straight quarters, meeting one informal definition of a recession. Yet another measure, focused on incomes, indicates the economy expanded in the first half of the year, albeit slowly.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell, in a high-profile speech last week, made clear that the central bank was prepared to continue raising short-term interest rates and to keep them elevated to keep fighting inflation. Powell warned that the Fed’s inflation fight would likely cause pain for Americans in the form of a weaker economy and job losses.
The Fed chair also said the job market was “clearly out of balance,” with demand for workers “substantially exceeding” the available supply. Friday’s jobs figures and a report earlier this week that showed the number of job openings rose in July suggest that the Fed’s rate hikes so far haven’t restored much balance.
There are roughly two advertised job openings for every unemployed worker.
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https://www.ktalnews.com/news/business/ap-us-hiring-slowed-in-august-as-employers-add-315000-jobs/
| 2022-09-21T12:10:45Z
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ktalnews.com
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https://www.ktalnews.com/news/business/ap-us-hiring-slowed-in-august-as-employers-add-315000-jobs/
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