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Moderna seeks to be 1st with COVID shots for littlest kids

cincylink — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 05:18:46 +0000

Moderna on Thursday asked U.S. regulators to authorize low doses of its COVID-19 vaccine for children younger than 6, a long-awaited move toward potentially opening shots for millions of tots by summer.Frustrated families are waiting impatiently for a chance to protect the nation’s littlest kids as all around them people shed masks and other public health precautions -- even though highly contagious coronavirus mutants continue to spread.Moderna submitted data to the Food and Drug Administration that it hopes will prove two low-dose shots can protect babies, toddlers and preschoolers -- albeit not as effectively during the omicron surge as earlier in the pandemic.“There is an important unmet medical need here with these youngest kids,” Dr. Paul Burton, Moderna's chief medical officer, told The Associated Press. Two kid-size shots “will safely protect them. I think it is likely that over time they will need additional doses. But we're working on that.”Now, only children ages 5 or older can be vaccinated in the U.S., using rival Pfizer’s vaccine, leaving 18 million younger tots unprotected.Moderna's vaccine isn't the only one in the race. Pfizer is soon expected to announce if three of its even smaller-dose shots work for the littlest kids, months after the disappointing discovery that two doses weren’t quite strong enough.Whether it’s one company’s shots or both, FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks said the agency will “move quickly without sacrificing our standards” in deciding if tot-sized doses are safe and effective.While questions are swirling about what's taking so long, Marks pointedly told lawmakers this week that the FDA can't evaluate a product until a manufacturer completes its application. FDA will publicly debate the evidence with its scientific advisers before making a decision, and Marks said multiple meetings would be set to cover several expected applications. “It’s critically important that we have the proper evaluation so that parents will have trust in any vaccines that we authorize,” Marks told a Senate committee.If FDA clears vaccinations for the littlest, next the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would have to recommend who needs them -- all tots or just those at higher risk from COVID-19.Many parents are desperate for whichever vaccine gets to the scientific finish line first.“We’ve been kind of left behind as everybody else moves on,” said Meagan Dunphy-Daly, a Duke University marine biologist whose 6-year-old daughter is vaccinated -- but whose 3-year-old and 18-month-old sons are part of Pfizer’s trial.The family continues to mask and take other precautions until it’s clear if the boys got real vaccine or dummy shots. If it turns out they weren't protected in the Pfizer study and Moderna's shots are cleared first, Dunphy-Daly said she'd seek them for her sons.“I will feel such a sense of relief when I know my boys are vaccinated and that the risk of them getting a serious infection is so low,” she said.Some parents even have urged the government to let families choose shots before all the evidence is in.“This strain of COVID feels almost impossible to dodge," Dana Walker, a mother of an 8-month-old, tearfully told a CDC meeting last week. “Cut red tape and allow parents to protect their kids.”The FDA will face some complex questions.In a study of kids ages 6 months through 5 years, two Moderna shots — each a quarter of the regular dose — triggered high levels of virus-fighting antibodies, the same amount proven to protect young adults, Burton said. There were no serious side effects, and the shots triggered fewer fevers than other routine vaccinations.But the vaccine proved between about 40% and 50% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 during the trial. Burton blamed the omicron variant's ability to partially evade vaccine immunity, noting that unboosted adults showed similarly less effectiveness against milder omicron infections. While no children became severely ill during the study, he said high antibody levels are a proxy for protection against more serious illness — and the company will test a child booster dose.Another issue: So far in the U.S., Moderna's vaccine is restricted to adults. Other countries have expanded the shot to kids as young as 6. But months ago the FDA cited concern about a rare side effect, heart inflammation, in teen boys, and it hasn't ruled on Moderna's earlier pediatric applications.Burton said the FDA may consider its vaccine for children of all ages — but also might open it first to the youngest kids who have no other option. He said safety data from millions of older children given Moderna vaccinations abroad should help reassure parents.While COVID-19 generally isn’t as dangerous in youngsters as adults, some do become severely ill or even die. About 475 children younger than 5 have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic’s start, according to the CDC, and child hospitalizations soared at omicron's peak.Yet it’s not clear how many parents intend to vaccinate the youngest kids. Less than a third of children ages 5 to 11 have had two vaccinations, and 58% of those ages 12 to 17.___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.

Frustrated families are waiting impatiently for a chance to protect the nation’s littlest kids as all around them people shed masks and other public health precautions -- even though highly contagious coronavirus mutants continue to spread.

Moderna submitted data to the Food and Drug Administration that it hopes will prove two low-dose shots can protect babies, toddlers and preschoolers -- albeit not as effectively during the omicron surge as earlier in the pandemic.

“There is an important unmet medical need here with these youngest kids,” Dr. Paul Burton, Moderna's chief medical officer, told The Associated Press. Two kid-size shots “will safely protect them. I think it is likely that over time they will need additional doses. But we're working on that.”

Now, only children ages 5 or older can be vaccinated in the U.S., using rival Pfizer’s vaccine, leaving 18 million younger tots unprotected.

Moderna's vaccine isn't the only one in the race. Pfizer is soon expected to announce if three of its even smaller-dose shots work for the littlest kids, months after the disappointing discovery that two doses weren’t quite strong enough.

Whether it’s one company’s shots or both, FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks said the agency will “move quickly without sacrificing our standards” in deciding if tot-sized doses are safe and effective.

While questions are swirling about what's taking so long, Marks pointedly told lawmakers this week that the FDA can't evaluate a product until a manufacturer completes its application. FDA will publicly debate the evidence with its scientific advisers before making a decision, and Marks said multiple meetings would be set to cover several expected applications.

“It’s critically important that we have the proper evaluation so that parents will have trust in any vaccines that we authorize,” Marks told a Senate committee.

If FDA clears vaccinations for the littlest, next the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would have to recommend who needs them -- all tots or just those at higher risk from COVID-19.

Many parents are desperate for whichever vaccine gets to the scientific finish line first.

“We’ve been kind of left behind as everybody else moves on,” said Meagan Dunphy-Daly, a Duke University marine biologist whose 6-year-old daughter is vaccinated -- but whose 3-year-old and 18-month-old sons are part of Pfizer’s trial.

The family continues to mask and take other precautions until it’s clear if the boys got real vaccine or dummy shots. If it turns out they weren't protected in the Pfizer study and Moderna's shots are cleared first, Dunphy-Daly said she'd seek them for her sons.

“I will feel such a sense of relief when I know my boys are vaccinated and that the risk of them getting a serious infection is so low,” she said.

Some parents even have urged the government to let families choose shots before all the evidence is in.

“This strain of COVID feels almost impossible to dodge," Dana Walker, a mother of an 8-month-old, tearfully told a CDC meeting last week. “Cut red tape and allow parents to protect their kids.”

The FDA will face some complex questions.

In a study of kids ages 6 months through 5 years, two Moderna shots — each a quarter of the regular dose — triggered high levels of virus-fighting antibodies, the same amount proven to protect young adults, Burton said. There were no serious side effects, and the shots triggered fewer fevers than other routine vaccinations.

But the vaccine proved between about 40% and 50% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 during the trial. Burton blamed the omicron variant's ability to partially evade vaccine immunity, noting that unboosted adults showed similarly less effectiveness against milder omicron infections. While no children became severely ill during the study, he said high antibody levels are a proxy for protection against more serious illness — and the company will test a child booster dose.

Another issue: So far in the U.S., Moderna's vaccine is restricted to adults. Other countries have expanded the shot to kids as young as 6. But months ago the FDA cited concern about a rare side effect, heart inflammation, in teen boys, and it hasn't ruled on Moderna's earlier pediatric applications.

Burton said the FDA may consider its vaccine for children of all ages — but also might open it first to the youngest kids who have no other option. He said safety data from millions of older children given Moderna vaccinations abroad should help reassure parents.

While COVID-19 generally isn’t as dangerous in youngsters as adults, some do become severely ill or even die. About 475 children younger than 5 have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic’s start, according to the CDC, and child hospitalizations soared at omicron's peak.

Yet it’s not clear how many parents intend to vaccinate the youngest kids. Less than a third of children ages 5 to 11 have had two vaccinations, and 58% of those ages 12 to 17.

___

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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Historic Massachusetts Victorian home built in 1800s destroyed by fire

cincylink — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 05:10:18 +0000

Firefighters in Northbridge, Massachusetts, battled a multi-alarm blaze that destroyed a historic home constructed in the 1800s. The fire broke out before 4 p.m. Friday in the home on Lindwood Avenue in Northbridge. Someone passing by the historic home built by the owners of the town's mill back in the 1800s spotted flames coming from the building and called 911. Video from the scene showed flames shooting from the top floors of the Victorian-style home.Neighbors told WCVB the home was once a restaurant and bed & breakfast. One firefighter was injured when a piece of the ceiling collapsed, injuring their shoulder. Officials said the house was a total loss. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

NORTHBRIDGE, Mass. —

Firefighters in Northbridge, Massachusetts, battled a multi-alarm blaze that destroyed a historic home constructed in the 1800s.

The fire broke out before 4 p.m. Friday in the home on Lindwood Avenue in Northbridge.

Someone passing by the historic home built by the owners of the town's mill back in the 1800s spotted flames coming from the building and called 911.

Video from the scene showed flames shooting from the top floors of the Victorian-style home.

Neighbors told WCVB the home was once a restaurant and bed & breakfast.

One firefighter was injured when a piece of the ceiling collapsed, injuring their shoulder.

Officials said the house was a total loss. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

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You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Fire chief says one firefighter hurt her shoulder when the ceiling collapsed, she's expected to be OK.

The house is a total loss -- saying cause of the fire remains under investigation. #wcvb https://t.co/hnyPsWFMBF

— Emily Maher (@EmilyMaherTV) April 30, 2022

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National Recording Archive announces 2022 list of recordings

cincylink — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 10:18:18 +0000

Every year the National Recording Archives adds 25 recordings to be saved for posterity. The National Recording Archive has featured everything from presidential speeches to historic moments to the very first audio recording.This year there is another diverse list, including some you might have thought had been in there for years.The 1999 single that made a former singer from Menudo a star – Living la Vida Loca by Ricky Martin – has been cited as a way other artists from Shakira to Paulina Rubio made the jump to mainstream. It joins the list this year.For every small town girl living in a lonely world... the Bay Area band founded by former members of Santana – Journey – just now made it into the archive with "Don't Stop Believing." The song is so iconic the show "The Sopranos" chose it to end their run on TV. Interestingly enough, the phrase "don't stop believing" doesn't even show up until more than three minutes into the song.One of the most historic moments in baseball – when Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's all-time home run record – is in there from the radio call of his historic moment.With bright red hair, an audacious blues attitude, and a bottleneck guitar, Bonnie Raitt's album "Nick of Time" was called one of the thousand and one albums you must hear before you die by Billboard Magazine. That's one reason it was added to the 2022 list.Speaking of guitar greats, when guitarist Ry Cooder and Producer Nick Gold went to Havana, Cuba, to record an all-star ensemble of musicians who paved the way for Cuban rhythms, they adopted the name the "Buena Vista Social Club." It's a name taken from a popular club in Havana where most of they had played. The documentary is in the US Film Archive, the registry felt it was only fitting to add the soundtrack.The attacks on Washington, D.C., New York and Pennsylvania on Sept. 11, 2001, are in with the public radio broadcasts by WNYC in New York.The groundbreaking group The Wu Tang Clan, whose members would go on to create a myriad of record labels, influence multiple generations of artists and become a force in the hip hop world, get in with their album "Enter the Wu Tang Clan."One you might wonder "why wasn't this in here before?" It's a tune where you've all sung along in the car and tried to do the Fandango...Queen's epic musical journey "Bohemian Rhapsody" gets its due this year as well.The entire list of recordings is below:“Harlem Strut” — James P. Johnson (1921)Franklin D. Roosevelt: Complete Presidential Speeches (1933-1945)“Walking the Floor Over You” — Ernest Tubb (1941) (single)“On a Note of Triumph” (May 8, 1945)“Jesus Gave Me Water” — The Soul Stirrers (1950) (single)“Ellington at Newport” — Duke Ellington (1956) (album)“We Insist! Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite” — Max Roach (1960) (album)“The Christmas Song” — Nat King Cole (1961) (single)“Tonight’s the Night” — The Shirelles (1961) (album) “Moon River” — Andy Williams (1962) (single) “In C” — Terry Riley (1968) (album) “It’s a Small World” — The Disneyland Boys Choir (1964) (single) “Reach Out, I’ll Be There” — The Four Tops (1966) (single) Hank Aaron’s 715th Career Home Run (April 8, 1974) “Bohemian Rhapsody” — Queen (1975) (single) “Don’t Stop Believin’” — Journey (1981) (single) “Canciones de Mi Padre” — Linda Ronstadt (1987) (album) “Nick of Time” — Bonnie Raitt (1989) (album) “The Low End Theory” — A Tribe Called Quest (1991) (album) “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)” — Wu-Tang Clan (1993) (album) “Buena Vista Social Club” (1997) (album) “Livin’ La Vida Loca” — Ricky Martin (1999) (single) “Songs in A Minor” — Alicia Keys (2001) (album) WNYC broadcasts for the day of 9/11 (Sept. 11, 2001) “WTF with Marc Maron” (Guest: Robin Williams) (April 26, 2010)

This year there is another diverse list, including some you might have thought had been in there for years.

The 1999 single that made a former singer from Menudo a star – Living la Vida Loca by Ricky Martin – has been cited as a way other artists from Shakira to Paulina Rubio made the jump to mainstream. It joins the list this year.

For every small town girl living in a lonely world... the Bay Area band founded by former members of Santana – Journey – just now made it into the archive with "Don't Stop Believing." The song is so iconic the show "The Sopranos" chose it to end their run on TV. Interestingly enough, the phrase "don't stop believing" doesn't even show up until more than three minutes into the song.

One of the most historic moments in baseball – when Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's all-time home run record – is in there from the radio call of his historic moment.

With bright red hair, an audacious blues attitude, and a bottleneck guitar, Bonnie Raitt's album "Nick of Time" was called one of the thousand and one albums you must hear before you die by Billboard Magazine. That's one reason it was added to the 2022 list.

Speaking of guitar greats, when guitarist Ry Cooder and Producer Nick Gold went to Havana, Cuba, to record an all-star ensemble of musicians who paved the way for Cuban rhythms, they adopted the name the "Buena Vista Social Club." It's a name taken from a popular club in Havana where most of they had played. The documentary is in the US Film Archive, the registry felt it was only fitting to add the soundtrack.

The attacks on Washington, D.C., New York and Pennsylvania on Sept. 11, 2001, are in with the public radio broadcasts by WNYC in New York.

The groundbreaking group The Wu Tang Clan, whose members would go on to create a myriad of record labels, influence multiple generations of artists and become a force in the hip hop world, get in with their album "Enter the Wu Tang Clan."

One you might wonder "why wasn't this in here before?" It's a tune where you've all sung along in the car and tried to do the Fandango...Queen's epic musical journey "Bohemian Rhapsody" gets its due this year as well.

The entire list of recordings is below:

“Harlem Strut” — James P. Johnson (1921)
Franklin D. Roosevelt: Complete Presidential Speeches (1933-1945)
“Walking the Floor Over You” — Ernest Tubb (1941) (single)
“On a Note of Triumph” (May 8, 1945)
“Jesus Gave Me Water” — The Soul Stirrers (1950) (single)
“Ellington at Newport” — Duke Ellington (1956) (album)
“We Insist! Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite” — Max Roach (1960) (album)
“The Christmas Song” — Nat King Cole (1961) (single)
“Tonight’s the Night” — The Shirelles (1961) (album)
“Moon River” — Andy Williams (1962) (single)
“In C” — Terry Riley (1968) (album)
“It’s a Small World” — The Disneyland Boys Choir (1964) (single)
“Reach Out, I’ll Be There” — The Four Tops (1966) (single)
Hank Aaron’s 715th Career Home Run (April 8, 1974)
“Bohemian Rhapsody” — Queen (1975) (single)
“Don’t Stop Believin’” — Journey (1981) (single)
“Canciones de Mi Padre” — Linda Ronstadt (1987) (album)
“Nick of Time” — Bonnie Raitt (1989) (album)
“The Low End Theory” — A Tribe Called Quest (1991) (album)
“Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)” — Wu-Tang Clan (1993) (album)
“Buena Vista Social Club” (1997) (album)
“Livin’ La Vida Loca” — Ricky Martin (1999) (single)
“Songs in A Minor” — Alicia Keys (2001) (album)
WNYC broadcasts for the day of 9/11 (Sept. 11, 2001)
“WTF with Marc Maron” (Guest: Robin Williams) (April 26, 2010)

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It’s finally time to start spring planting in southeast Wisconsin

cincylink — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 10:08:12 +0000

The weather forecast around the country this week is giving people hope that they can finally begin spring planting. "Mark Baden on Friday said it's time to plant, so everybody came in Saturday said 'It's time to plant. Mark Baden said so last night,'" said Karen Matt, co-owner of Plant Land, located in Milwaukee.Lisa Laabs, a Wisconsin resident, and her family joined dozens of others Sunday at Plant Land as they made their way through the garden center, letting their eyes be their guide."I love the tradition of things starting to warm up and us starting to get ready for that summer weather," Laabs said. "They all get their pots at home and they get to pick out their own colors, and we take time to plant them together." With the temperatures starting to climb, many are eager to get fill their gardens, but patience is key.Matt, another shopper, told WISN that not all vegetables can thrive in these current temperatures."A few more weeks for sure would be tomato plants, pepper plants and eggplant. Cucumber, melon, squash that's at the end of the month," Matt said.But there are things you can plant. "Anything in the cold crop Brussels sprouts, broccoli, lettuces, cabbages, kohlrabi, beans peas," Matt said.Matt shared the recipe for a bountiful harvest: good soil, plenty of sunshine, water and some tender loving care. "All of us each have one of our own pots. Then we all plant them, and it looks so beautiful when we put it together," Sarah Laabs said.Matt advises to wait to plant greenhouse vegetables until nighttime temperatures are consistently 55 degrees or warmer.

The weather forecast around the country this week is giving people hope that they can finally begin spring planting.

"Mark Baden on [sister station WISN] Friday said it's time to plant, so everybody came in Saturday said 'It's time to plant. Mark Baden said so last night,'" said Karen Matt, co-owner of Plant Land, located in Milwaukee.

Lisa Laabs, a Wisconsin resident, and her family joined dozens of others Sunday at Plant Land as they made their way through the garden center, letting their eyes be their guide.

"I love the tradition of things starting to warm up and us starting to get ready for that summer weather," Laabs said. "They all get their pots at home and they get to pick out their own colors, and we take time to plant them together."

With the temperatures starting to climb, many are eager to get fill their gardens, but patience is key.

Matt, another shopper, told WISN that not all vegetables can thrive in these current temperatures.

"A few more weeks for sure would be tomato plants, pepper plants and eggplant. Cucumber, melon, squash that's at the end of the month," Matt said.

But there are things you can plant.

"Anything in the cold crop Brussels sprouts, broccoli, lettuces, cabbages, kohlrabi, beans peas," Matt said.

Matt shared the recipe for a bountiful harvest: good soil, plenty of sunshine, water and some tender loving care.

"All of us each have one of our own pots. Then we all plant them, and it looks so beautiful when we put it together," Sarah Laabs said.

Matt advises to wait to plant greenhouse vegetables until nighttime temperatures are consistently 55 degrees or warmer.

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Tom Brady to become lead NFL analyst when football career ends

cincylink — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 09:50:34 +0000

NFL quarterback Tom Brady will become an NFL analyst when his playing career is over.The seven-time Super Bowl champion has agreed to join FOX Sports as its lead analyst, the network announced Tuesday."Over the course of this long-term agreement, Tom will not only call our biggest NFL games with Kevin Burkhardt, but will also serve as an ambassador for us, particularly with respect to client and promotional initiatives," Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch said. "We are delighted that Tom has committed to joining the Fox team and wish him all the best during this upcoming season."Two months ago, in a shocking turn of events, Brady announced he is returning for his 23rd season less than two months after announcing his retirement from football.Brady, 44, announced via social media that he will be looking to take care of "unfinished business" with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season."These past two months I've realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands. That time will come. But it’s not now. I love my teammates, and I love my supportive family. They make it all possible. I’m coming back for my 23rd season in Tampa," Brady wrote.The seven-time Super Bowl champion and five-time Super Bowl Most Valuable Player will be entering his third season with the Buccaneers after playing the first 20 years of his career with the Patriots, who drafted him with the 199th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft.On Feb. 1, Brady announced on social media that he would no longer be making the "competitive commitment" needed to play at a high level in the National Football League.Brady's emotional statement specifically mentioned family, the league, his fans, the Buccaneers and others who played a role in his historic career. Notably, coach Bill Belichick, the Kraft family and the words "Patriots" and "retirement" were not mentioned in the statement."I have the greatest respect for Tom personally and always will," Patriots owner Robert Kraft wrote in a statement. "His humility, coupled with his drive and ambition, truly made him special. I will always feel a close bond to him and will always consider him an extension of my immediate family."Brady won his first championship over 20 years ago in just his second NFL season, as he led the Patriots to an upset over the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI on Feb. 3, 2002.He then led New England to back-to-back titles during the 2003 and 2004 seasons. In the process, the Patriots set an NFL record by winning 21 straight games between Week 5 of the 2003 season and Week 8 of the 2004 campaign.After a decade, Brady and the Patriots won three titles in a five-season span from 2014 to 2018. He led two incredible Super Bowl comebacks against the Seattle Seahawks (Feb. 1, 2015) and the Atlanta Falcons (Feb. 5, 2017), the latter of which marked the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history.Brady's final championship with the Patriots came against the Rams, who relocated to Los Angeles, in Super Bowl LIII on Feb. 3, 2019.TB12 left New England in free agency after the 2019 season and joined the Buccaneers in March 2020. Former Patriots star tight end Rob Gronkowski teamed up with Brady in Tampa and they were both instrumental in leading the Bucs' 31-9 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs that season. Brady claimed his fifth Super Bowl MVP trophy in the process.Brady's final season ended with a heartbreaking loss to the Rams in the divisional round of the playoffs last weekend.Patriots fans did get a chance to show their appreciation to Brady this season when he and the Buccaneers visited New England in Week 4. Tampa Bay won 19-17 at Gillette Stadium.In his illustrious career, Brady has earned three NFL regular-season MVP awards (2007, 2010, 2017) and earned his record 15th Pro Bowl selection this season. In 2021, he led the NFL with 43 touchdown passes and a career-high 5,316 passing yards.Brady is the NFL's all-time leader in passing yards (84,250), passing touchdowns (624) and completions (7,263). He also holds multiple all-time playoff records, including 13,049 passing yards and 86 passing touchdowns in postseason play.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. —

NFL quarterback Tom Brady will become an NFL analyst when his playing career is over.

The seven-time Super Bowl champion has agreed to join FOX Sports as its lead analyst, the network announced Tuesday.

"Over the course of this long-term agreement, Tom will not only call our biggest NFL games with Kevin Burkhardt, but will also serve as an ambassador for us, particularly with respect to client and promotional initiatives," Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch said. "We are delighted that Tom has committed to joining the Fox team and wish him all the best during this upcoming season."

Two months ago, in a shocking turn of events, Brady announced he is returning for his 23rd season less than two months after announcing his retirement from football.

Brady, 44, announced via social media that he will be looking to take care of "unfinished business" with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season.

"These past two months I've realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands. That time will come. But it’s not now. I love my teammates, and I love my supportive family. They make it all possible. I’m coming back for my 23rd season in Tampa," Brady wrote.

The seven-time Super Bowl champion and five-time Super Bowl Most Valuable Player will be entering his third season with the Buccaneers after playing the first 20 years of his career with the Patriots, who drafted him with the 199th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft.

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You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

These past two months I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands. That time will come. But it’s not now. I love my teammates, and I love my supportive family. They make it all possible. I’m coming back for my 23rd season in Tampa. Unfinished business LFG pic.twitter.com/U0yhRKVKVm

— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) March 13, 2022

On Feb. 1, Brady announced on social media that he would no longer be making the "competitive commitment" needed to play at a high level in the National Football League.

Brady's emotional statement specifically mentioned family, the league, his fans, the Buccaneers and others who played a role in his historic career. Notably, coach Bill Belichick, the Kraft family and the words "Patriots" and "retirement" were not mentioned in the statement.

"I have the greatest respect for Tom personally and always will," Patriots owner Robert Kraft wrote in a statement. "His humility, coupled with his drive and ambition, truly made him special. I will always feel a close bond to him and will always consider him an extension of my immediate family."

Brady won his first championship over 20 years ago in just his second NFL season, as he led the Patriots to an upset over the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI on Feb. 3, 2002.

He then led New England to back-to-back titles during the 2003 and 2004 seasons. In the process, the Patriots set an NFL record by winning 21 straight games between Week 5 of the 2003 season and Week 8 of the 2004 campaign.

After a decade, Brady and the Patriots won three titles in a five-season span from 2014 to 2018. He led two incredible Super Bowl comebacks against the Seattle Seahawks (Feb. 1, 2015) and the Atlanta Falcons (Feb. 5, 2017), the latter of which marked the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history.

Brady's final championship with the Patriots came against the Rams, who relocated to Los Angeles, in Super Bowl LIII on Feb. 3, 2019.

TB12 left New England in free agency after the 2019 season and joined the Buccaneers in March 2020. Former Patriots star tight end Rob Gronkowski teamed up with Brady in Tampa and they were both instrumental in leading the Bucs' 31-9 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs that season. Brady claimed his fifth Super Bowl MVP trophy in the process.

Brady's final season ended with a heartbreaking loss to the Rams in the divisional round of the playoffs last weekend.

Patriots fans did get a chance to show their appreciation to Brady this season when he and the Buccaneers visited New England in Week 4. Tampa Bay won 19-17 at Gillette Stadium.

In his illustrious career, Brady has earned three NFL regular-season MVP awards (2007, 2010, 2017) and earned his record 15th Pro Bowl selection this season. In 2021, he led the NFL with 43 touchdown passes and a career-high 5,316 passing yards.

Brady is the NFL's all-time leader in passing yards (84,250), passing touchdowns (624) and completions (7,263). He also holds multiple all-time playoff records, including 13,049 passing yards and 86 passing touchdowns in postseason play.

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Contentious GOP races take center stage in Nebraska, West Virginia

cincylink — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 09:50:14 +0000

Jim Pillen, a hog farm owner and veterinarian, won Nebraska’s crowded Republican primary for governor on Tuesday over a candidate endorsed by Donald Trump, dealing the former president his first loss of the midterm election season.Pillen defeated eight challengers, including Charles Herbster, a Trump-backed businessman accused late in the campaign of groping young women, and Brett Lindstrom, a state senator and Omaha financial adviser who was generally viewed as a more moderate choice.The results were a setback for Trump after a decisive win in last week’s Ohio Republican Senate primary for his candidate, JD Vance. The former president has released hundreds of endorsements in races across the country, all in an effort to reshape the GOP and lift his loyalists into office. Herbster’s loss raises the stakes on other high-profile races this month in Pennsylvania and Georgia, where Trump has also intervened in campaigns.Pillen will be a strong favorite in November’s general election against his Democratic opponent, state Sen. Carol Blood, in the Republican-majority state. Nebraska hasn’t elected a Democrat as governor since 1994.Pillen was endorsed by many top GOP leaders in the state, including Gov. Pete Ricketts, former Gov. Kay Orr, and renowned former University of Nebraska football coach and congressman Tom Osborne. Ricketts, the incumbent, was prevented by term limit laws from running again.In Nebraska, the allegations against Herbster, a longtime supporter of Trump’s, didn’t stop the former president from holding a rally with him earlier this month.“I really think he’s going to do just a fantastic job, and if I didn’t feel that, I wouldn’t be here,” Trump said at the rally at a racetrack outside Omaha.In a story last month, the Nebraska Examiner interviewed six women who claimed Herbster had groped their buttocks, outside of their clothes, during political events or beauty pageants. A seventh woman said Herbster once cornered her privately and kissed her forcibly.One of the accusers, Republican state Sen. Julie Slama, said Herbster reached up her skirt and touched her inappropriately at the Douglas County Republican Party’s annual Elephant Remembers dinner in 2019. The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they choose to come forward publicly, as Slama has done.Herbster filed a defamation lawsuit against Slama, saying she falsely accused him in an effort to derail his campaign. Slama responded with a countersuit against Herbster, alleging sexual battery.Herbster has suggested in television ads that Pillen and Ricketts conspired with Slama to falsely accuse him of sexual assault — allegations the three deny.Some voters said the allegations didn’t dissuade them from backing Herbster.As she voted at an elementary school in northwest Omaha on Tuesday, Joann Kotan said she was “upset by the stories, but I don’t know if I believe them.” Ultimately, the 74-year-old said she voted for Herbster “because President Trump recommended him.”Lindstrom has faced a barrage of attacks as well, with third-party television ads funded by Ricketts that portray him as too liberal for the conservative state. One digitally altered ad shows Lindstrom standing in front of a rainbow flag with a coronavirus mask superimposed over his face. A mail ad notes that Lindstrom was endorsed by U.S. Rep. Brad Ashford, a moderate Republican-turned-Democrat who died last month of brain cancer.But Devon Leesley said he backed the 41-year-old Lindstrom because “it’s time to hand over the politics to the next generation.” Pillen and Herbster are both in their 60s.The 45-year-old Leesley, who lives in Omaha, said he didn’t pay much attention to the various endorsements in the race.“I don’t trust any politician talking about any other politician. It’s all dirt,” he said. “We would never vote for anybody if we listened to their opponent.”Carol Bruning, 59, of Omaha, said she went into Election Day debating between Pillen and Lindstrom, but went with Pillen because of his age and experience. She said she liked that Ricketts and former football coach and congressman Tom Osborne endorsed Pillen. The fact that Trump endorsed Herbster may have even been a little bit of a turn off at this point even though Bruning said she voted for Trump.The allegations against Herbster weren’t much of a factor.“You don’t know what to believe. That’s the hard part,” Bruning said.Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen, a Republican, predicted that 35% of registered voters will cast ballots in the primary, the highest percentage since 2006, based on what he’s seen so far.Nebraska Republicans and Democrats also picked their candidates for the seat previously held by Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, who resigned from office and ended his reelection bid in March after he was convicted of federal corruption charges.State Sen. Mike Flood, a former speaker of the Nebraska Legislature, won the Republican nomination, while state Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks won the Democratic nod. Flood will enter the race as a strong favorite in the Republican-heavy 1st Congressional District, which includes Lincoln, small towns and a large swath of eastern Nebraska farmland.Despite Trump’s loss in the Nebraska governor’s race, his influence proved decisive in West Virginia, which also held primary elections Tuesday. In a race pitting two Republican incumbents against each other, Trump’s candidate, Rep. Alex Mooney, defeated Rep. David McKinley, who had angered Trump by voting for President Joe Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure package and the creation of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

OMAHA, Neb. —

Pillen defeated eight challengers, including Charles Herbster, a Trump-backed businessman accused late in the campaign of groping young women, and Brett Lindstrom, a state senator and Omaha financial adviser who was generally viewed as a more moderate choice.

The results were a setback for Trump after a decisive win in last week’s Ohio Republican Senate primary for his candidate, JD Vance. The former president has released hundreds of endorsements in races across the country, all in an effort to reshape the GOP and lift his loyalists into office. Herbster’s loss raises the stakes on other high-profile races this month in Pennsylvania and Georgia, where Trump has also intervened in campaigns.

Pillen will be a strong favorite in November’s general election against his Democratic opponent, state Sen. Carol Blood, in the Republican-majority state. Nebraska hasn’t elected a Democrat as governor since 1994.

Pillen was endorsed by many top GOP leaders in the state, including Gov. Pete Ricketts, former Gov. Kay Orr, and renowned former University of Nebraska football coach and congressman Tom Osborne. Ricketts, the incumbent, was prevented by term limit laws from running again.

In Nebraska, the allegations against Herbster, a longtime supporter of Trump’s, didn’t stop the former president from holding a rally with him earlier this month.

“I really think he’s going to do just a fantastic job, and if I didn’t feel that, I wouldn’t be here,” Trump said at the rally at a racetrack outside Omaha.

In a story last month, the Nebraska Examiner interviewed six women who claimed Herbster had groped their buttocks, outside of their clothes, during political events or beauty pageants. A seventh woman said Herbster once cornered her privately and kissed her forcibly.

One of the accusers, Republican state Sen. Julie Slama, said Herbster reached up her skirt and touched her inappropriately at the Douglas County Republican Party’s annual Elephant Remembers dinner in 2019. The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they choose to come forward publicly, as Slama has done.

Herbster filed a defamation lawsuit against Slama, saying she falsely accused him in an effort to derail his campaign. Slama responded with a countersuit against Herbster, alleging sexual battery.

Herbster has suggested in television ads that Pillen and Ricketts conspired with Slama to falsely accuse him of sexual assault — allegations the three deny.

Some voters said the allegations didn’t dissuade them from backing Herbster.

As she voted at an elementary school in northwest Omaha on Tuesday, Joann Kotan said she was “upset by the stories, but I don’t know if I believe them.” Ultimately, the 74-year-old said she voted for Herbster “because President Trump recommended him.”

Lindstrom has faced a barrage of attacks as well, with third-party television ads funded by Ricketts that portray him as too liberal for the conservative state. One digitally altered ad shows Lindstrom standing in front of a rainbow flag with a coronavirus mask superimposed over his face. A mail ad notes that Lindstrom was endorsed by U.S. Rep. Brad Ashford, a moderate Republican-turned-Democrat who died last month of brain cancer.

But Devon Leesley said he backed the 41-year-old Lindstrom because “it’s time to hand over the politics to the next generation.” Pillen and Herbster are both in their 60s.

The 45-year-old Leesley, who lives in Omaha, said he didn’t pay much attention to the various endorsements in the race.

“I don’t trust any politician talking about any other politician. It’s all dirt,” he said. “We would never vote for anybody if we listened to their opponent.”

Carol Bruning, 59, of Omaha, said she went into Election Day debating between Pillen and Lindstrom, but went with Pillen because of his age and experience. She said she liked that Ricketts and former football coach and congressman Tom Osborne endorsed Pillen. The fact that Trump endorsed Herbster may have even been a little bit of a turn off at this point even though Bruning said she voted for Trump.

The allegations against Herbster weren’t much of a factor.

“You don’t know what to believe. That’s the hard part,” Bruning said.

Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen, a Republican, predicted that 35% of registered voters will cast ballots in the primary, the highest percentage since 2006, based on what he’s seen so far.

Nebraska Republicans and Democrats also picked their candidates for the seat previously held by Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, who resigned from office and ended his reelection bid in March after he was convicted of federal corruption charges.

State Sen. Mike Flood, a former speaker of the Nebraska Legislature, won the Republican nomination, while state Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks won the Democratic nod. Flood will enter the race as a strong favorite in the Republican-heavy 1st Congressional District, which includes Lincoln, small towns and a large swath of eastern Nebraska farmland.

Despite Trump’s loss in the Nebraska governor’s race, his influence proved decisive in West Virginia, which also held primary elections Tuesday. In a race pitting two Republican incumbents against each other, Trump’s candidate, Rep. Alex Mooney, defeated Rep. David McKinley, who had angered Trump by voting for President Joe Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure package and the creation of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

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Biden sees bigger role for US farms due to Ukraine war

cincylink — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 09:50:02 +0000

President Joe Biden wants to put a spotlight on the spike in food prices from Russia's invasion of Ukraine when he travels to an Illinois farm to emphasize how U.S. agricultural exports can relieve the financial pressures being felt worldwide.The war in Ukraine has disrupted the supply of that country's wheat to global markets, while also triggering higher costs for oil, natural gas and fertilizer. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said its food price index in April jumped nearly 30% from a year ago, though the index did decline slightly on a monthly basis. Americans are also bearing some pain as food prices are up 8.8% from a year ago, the most since May 1981.The trip to Illinois on Wednesday is an opportunity for Biden to tackle two distinct challenges that are shaping his presidency. First, his approval has been dogged by high inflation and his visit will coincide with the release of the May consumer price index, which economists say should show a declining rate of inflation for the first time since August.But much more broadly, it's an opportunity to reinforce America's distinct role in helping to alleviate the challenges caused by the war in Ukraine. The trip follows a similar pattern as Biden's recent visit to an Alabama weapons factory highlighted the anti-tank Javelin missiles provided by the U.S. to Ukraine."He's going to talk about the support we need to continue to give to farmers to help continue to produce more and more domestically," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday. "Just as we are providing weapons, we are going to work on doing what we can to support farmers to provide more wheat and other food around the world."The president noted in remarks Tuesday about inflation that Ukraine has 20 million metric tons of wheat and corn in storage that the U.S. and its allies are trying to help ship out of the country. This would help to address some supply issues, though challenges could persist.Several House Democrats, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi, met with Biden on Tuesday after having visited Ukraine. They warned that the food shortage meant the consequences of the war started by Russian President Vladimir Putin would extend well beyond Ukrainian borders to some of the world's poorest nations."It's going to result in a hunger crisis, much worse than anybody anticipated," Massachusetts Rep. Jim McGovern following the White House meeting.An analysis this month for the center-right American Enterprise Institute by Joseph Glauber and David Laborde noted that countries in the Middle East and North Africa are most likely to suffer from the higher prices caused by grain shortages.There are limits to how much wheat the U.S. can produce to offset any shortages. The Agriculture Department estimated in March that 47.4 million acres of wheat were planted this year, an increase of just 1% from 2021. This would be the fifth-lowest amount of acres dedicated to wheat in records that go back to 1919.Biden will be traveling with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to Illinois. After the president speaks at the farm, he will go to Chicago to speak at a convention for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

WASHINGTON —

The war in Ukraine has disrupted the supply of that country's wheat to global markets, while also triggering higher costs for oil, natural gas and fertilizer. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said its food price index in April jumped nearly 30% from a year ago, though the index did decline slightly on a monthly basis. Americans are also bearing some pain as food prices are up 8.8% from a year ago, the most since May 1981.

The trip to Illinois on Wednesday is an opportunity for Biden to tackle two distinct challenges that are shaping his presidency. First, his approval has been dogged by high inflation and his visit will coincide with the release of the May consumer price index, which economists say should show a declining rate of inflation for the first time since August.

But much more broadly, it's an opportunity to reinforce America's distinct role in helping to alleviate the challenges caused by the war in Ukraine. The trip follows a similar pattern as Biden's recent visit to an Alabama weapons factory highlighted the anti-tank Javelin missiles provided by the U.S. to Ukraine.

"He's going to talk about the support we need to continue to give to farmers to help continue to produce more and more domestically," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday. "Just as we are providing weapons, we are going to work on doing what we can to support farmers to provide more wheat and other food around the world."

The president noted in remarks Tuesday about inflation that Ukraine has 20 million metric tons of wheat and corn in storage that the U.S. and its allies are trying to help ship out of the country. This would help to address some supply issues, though challenges could persist.

Several House Democrats, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi, met with Biden on Tuesday after having visited Ukraine. They warned that the food shortage meant the consequences of the war started by Russian President Vladimir Putin would extend well beyond Ukrainian borders to some of the world's poorest nations.

"It's going to result in a hunger crisis, much worse than anybody anticipated," Massachusetts Rep. Jim McGovern following the White House meeting.

An analysis this month for the center-right American Enterprise Institute by Joseph Glauber and David Laborde noted that countries in the Middle East and North Africa are most likely to suffer from the higher prices caused by grain shortages.

There are limits to how much wheat the U.S. can produce to offset any shortages. The Agriculture Department estimated in March that 47.4 million acres of wheat were planted this year, an increase of just 1% from 2021. This would be the fifth-lowest amount of acres dedicated to wheat in records that go back to 1919.

Biden will be traveling with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to Illinois. After the president speaks at the farm, he will go to Chicago to speak at a convention for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

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Biden co-hosting 2nd COVID summit as world’s resolve falters

cincylink — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 09:46:23 +0000

President Joe Biden will appeal for a renewed international commitment to attacking COVID-19 as he convenes a second virtual summit on the pandemic and marks 1 million deaths in the United States.“As a nation, we must not grow numb to such sorrow," Biden said in a statement. "To heal, we must remember. We must remain vigilant against this pandemic and do everything we can to save as many lives as possible.”The president called on Congress to provide more funding for testing, vaccines and treatments, something lawmakers have been unwilling to deliver so far.The lack of funding — Biden has requested another $22.5 billion of what he calls critically needed money — is a reflection of faltering resolve at home that jeopardizes the global response to the pandemic.Eight months after he used the first such summit to announce an ambitious pledge to donate 1.2 billion vaccine doses to the world, the urgency of the U.S. and other nations to respond has waned.Momentum on vaccinations and treatments has faded even as more infectious variants rise and billions of people across the globe remain unprotected.The White House said Biden will address the opening of the virtual summit Thursday morning with prerecorded remarks and will make the case that addressing COVID-19 “must remain an international priority.” The U.S. is co-hosting the summit along with Germany, Indonesia, Senegal and Belize.The U.S. has shipped nearly 540 million vaccine doses to more than 110 countries and territories, according to the State Department — by far more than any other donor nation.After the delivery of more than 1 billion vaccines to the developing world, the problem is no longer that there aren’t enough shots but a lack of logistical support to get doses into arms. According to government data, more than 680 million donated vaccine doses have been left unused in developing countries because they were set to expire soon and couldn’t be administered quickly enough. As of March, 32 poorer countries had used fewer than half of the COVID-19 vaccines they were sent.U.S. assistance to promote and facilitate vaccinations overseas dried up earlier this year, and Biden has requested about $5 billion for the effort through the rest of the year.“We have tens of millions of unclaimed doses because countries lack the resources to build out their cold chains, which basically is the refrigeration systems; to fight disinformation; and to hire vaccinators,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said this week. She added that the summit is “going to be an opportunity to elevate the fact that we need additional funding to continue to be a part of this effort around the world.”“We’re going to continue to fight for more funding here,” Psaki said. “But we will continue to press other countries to do more to help the world make progress as well.”Congress has balked at the price tag for COVID-19 relief and has thus far refused to take up the package because of political opposition to the impending end of pandemic-era migration restrictions at the U.S.-Mexico border. Even after a consensus for virus funding briefly emerged in March, lawmakers decided to strip out the global aid funding and solely focus the assistance on shoring up U.S. supplies of vaccine booster shots and therapeutics.Biden has warned that without Congress acting, the U.S. could lose out on access to the next generation of vaccines and treatments, and that the nation won't have enough supply of booster doses or the antiviral drug Paxlovid for later this year. He's also sounding the alarm that more variants will spring up if the U.S. and the world don't do more to contain the virus globally.“To beat the pandemic here, we need to beat it everywhere,” Biden said last September during the first global summit.The virus has killed more than 995,000 people in the U.S. and at least 6.2 million people globally, according to figures kept by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.Demand for COVID-19 vaccines has dropped in some countries as infections and deaths have declined globally in recent months, particularly as the omicron variant has proved to be less severe than earlier versions of the disease. For the first time since it was created, the U.N.-backed COVAX effort has “enough supply to enable countries to meet their national vaccination targets,” according to vaccines alliance Gavi CEO Dr. Seth Berkley, which fronts COVAX.Still, despite more than 65% of the world’s population receiving at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, fewer than 16% of people in poor countries have been immunized. It is highly unlikely countries will hit the World Health Organization target of vaccinating 70% of all people by June.In countries including Cameroon, Uganda and the Ivory Coast, officials have struggled to get enough refrigerators to transport vaccines, send enough syringes for mass campaigns and get enough health workers to inject the shots. Experts also point out that more than half of the health workers needed to administer the vaccines in poorer countries are either underpaid or not paid at all.Donating more vaccines, critics say, would miss the point entirely.“It’s like donating a bunch of fire trucks to countries that are on fire, but they have no water,” said Ritu Sharma, a vice president at the charity CARE, which has helped immunize people in more than 30 countries, including India, South Sudan and Bangladesh.“We can’t be giving countries all these vaccines but no way to use them,” she said, adding that the same infrastructure that got the shots administered in the U.S. is now needed elsewhere. “We had to tackle this problem in the U.S., so why are we not now using that knowledge to get vaccines into the people who need them most?”Sharma said greater investment was needed to counter vaccine hesitancy in developing countries where there are entrenched beliefs about the potential dangers of Western-made medicines.“Leaders must agree to pursue a coherent strategy to end the pandemic instead of a fragmented approach that will extend the lifespan of this crisis,” said Gayle Smith, CEO of The ONE Campaign.GAVI’s Berkley also said that countries are increasingly asking for the pricier messenger RNA vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna, which are not as easily available as the AstraZeneca vaccine, which made up the bulk of COVAX’s supply last year.The emergence of variants like delta and omicron have led many countries to switch to mRNA vaccines, which seem to provide more protection and are in greater demand globally than traditionally made vaccines like AstraZeneca, Novavax or those made by China and Russia.___Cheng reported from London.

WASHINGTON —

President Joe Biden will appeal for a renewed international commitment to attacking COVID-19 as he convenes a second virtual summit on the pandemic and marks 1 million deaths in the United States.

“As a nation, we must not grow numb to such sorrow," Biden said in a statement. "To heal, we must remember. We must remain vigilant against this pandemic and do everything we can to save as many lives as possible.”

The president called on Congress to provide more funding for testing, vaccines and treatments, something lawmakers have been unwilling to deliver so far.

The lack of funding — Biden has requested another $22.5 billion of what he calls critically needed money — is a reflection of faltering resolve at home that jeopardizes the global response to the pandemic.

Eight months after he used the first such summit to announce an ambitious pledge to donate 1.2 billion vaccine doses to the world, the urgency of the U.S. and other nations to respond has waned.

Momentum on vaccinations and treatments has faded even as more infectious variants rise and billions of people across the globe remain unprotected.

The White House said Biden will address the opening of the virtual summit Thursday morning with prerecorded remarks and will make the case that addressing COVID-19 “must remain an international priority.” The U.S. is co-hosting the summit along with Germany, Indonesia, Senegal and Belize.

The U.S. has shipped nearly 540 million vaccine doses to more than 110 countries and territories, according to the State Department — by far more than any other donor nation.

After the delivery of more than 1 billion vaccines to the developing world, the problem is no longer that there aren’t enough shots but a lack of logistical support to get doses into arms. According to government data, more than 680 million donated vaccine doses have been left unused in developing countries because they were set to expire soon and couldn’t be administered quickly enough. As of March, 32 poorer countries had used fewer than half of the COVID-19 vaccines they were sent.

U.S. assistance to promote and facilitate vaccinations overseas dried up earlier this year, and Biden has requested about $5 billion for the effort through the rest of the year.

“We have tens of millions of unclaimed doses because countries lack the resources to build out their cold chains, which basically is the refrigeration systems; to fight disinformation; and to hire vaccinators,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said this week. She added that the summit is “going to be an opportunity to elevate the fact that we need additional funding to continue to be a part of this effort around the world.”

“We’re going to continue to fight for more funding here,” Psaki said. “But we will continue to press other countries to do more to help the world make progress as well.”

Congress has balked at the price tag for COVID-19 relief and has thus far refused to take up the package because of political opposition to the impending end of pandemic-era migration restrictions at the U.S.-Mexico border. Even after a consensus for virus funding briefly emerged in March, lawmakers decided to strip out the global aid funding and solely focus the assistance on shoring up U.S. supplies of vaccine booster shots and therapeutics.

Biden has warned that without Congress acting, the U.S. could lose out on access to the next generation of vaccines and treatments, and that the nation won't have enough supply of booster doses or the antiviral drug Paxlovid for later this year. He's also sounding the alarm that more variants will spring up if the U.S. and the world don't do more to contain the virus globally.

“To beat the pandemic here, we need to beat it everywhere,” Biden said last September during the first global summit.

The virus has killed more than 995,000 people in the U.S. and at least 6.2 million people globally, according to figures kept by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.

Demand for COVID-19 vaccines has dropped in some countries as infections and deaths have declined globally in recent months, particularly as the omicron variant has proved to be less severe than earlier versions of the disease. For the first time since it was created, the U.N.-backed COVAX effort has “enough supply to enable countries to meet their national vaccination targets,” according to vaccines alliance Gavi CEO Dr. Seth Berkley, which fronts COVAX.

Still, despite more than 65% of the world’s population receiving at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, fewer than 16% of people in poor countries have been immunized. It is highly unlikely countries will hit the World Health Organization target of vaccinating 70% of all people by June.

In countries including Cameroon, Uganda and the Ivory Coast, officials have struggled to get enough refrigerators to transport vaccines, send enough syringes for mass campaigns and get enough health workers to inject the shots. Experts also point out that more than half of the health workers needed to administer the vaccines in poorer countries are either underpaid or not paid at all.

Donating more vaccines, critics say, would miss the point entirely.

“It’s like donating a bunch of fire trucks to countries that are on fire, but they have no water,” said Ritu Sharma, a vice president at the charity CARE, which has helped immunize people in more than 30 countries, including India, South Sudan and Bangladesh.

“We can’t be giving countries all these vaccines but no way to use them,” she said, adding that the same infrastructure that got the shots administered in the U.S. is now needed elsewhere. “We had to tackle this problem in the U.S., so why are we not now using that knowledge to get vaccines into the people who need them most?”

Sharma said greater investment was needed to counter vaccine hesitancy in developing countries where there are entrenched beliefs about the potential dangers of Western-made medicines.

“Leaders must agree to pursue a coherent strategy to end the pandemic instead of a fragmented approach that will extend the lifespan of this crisis,” said Gayle Smith, CEO of The ONE Campaign.

GAVI’s Berkley also said that countries are increasingly asking for the pricier messenger RNA vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna, which are not as easily available as the AstraZeneca vaccine, which made up the bulk of COVAX’s supply last year.

The emergence of variants like delta and omicron have led many countries to switch to mRNA vaccines, which seem to provide more protection and are in greater demand globally than traditionally made vaccines like AstraZeneca, Novavax or those made by China and Russia.

___

Cheng reported from London.

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Why Finland, Sweden joining NATO will be big deal

cincylink — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 09:38:59 +0000

It's likely to be the quickest NATO enlargement ever — and one that would redraw Europe's security map. Finnish leaders announced Thursday their belief that Finland should join the world's biggest military organization because of Russia's war in Ukraine. Sweden could soon follow suit.Should they apply for membership, the move would have far-reaching ramifications for Northern Europe and trans-Atlantic security.No doubt, it will also anger their large neighbor Russia, which blames, at least in part, its war in Ukraine on NATO's continued expansion closer to its borders. It's unclear how Russian President Vladimir Putin might retaliate. The Kremlin said Thursday that it certainly won't improve European security.The following is a brief look at what Finland and Sweden's membership in the 30-country NATO alliance could mean, with the Nordic partners expected to announce their intention to join within days.Finland and SwedenNot neutral like Switzerland, Finland and Sweden traditionally think of themselves as militarily "nonaligned." But Russia's war in Ukraine and Putin's apparent desire to establish a Moscow-centered "sphere of influence" has shaken their security notions to the core. Just days after he ordered the Feb. 24 invasion, public opinion shifted dramatically. Support in Finland for NATO membership has hovered around 20-30% for years. It now stands at over 70%. The two are NATO's closest partners but maintaining good ties with Russia has been an important part of their foreign policy, particularly for Finland. Now they hope for security support from NATO states — primarily the United States — in case Moscow retaliates. Britain pledged on Wednesday to come to their aid. The Nordic regionNATO membership for the two, joining regional neighbors Denmark, Norway and Iceland, would formalize their joint security and defense work in ways that their Nordic Defense Cooperation pact hasn't. NORDEFCO, as it's known, focuses on cooperation. Working within NATO means putting forces under joint command. Accession would tighten the strategic Nordic grip on the Baltic Sea — Russia's maritime point of access to the city of St. Petersburg and its Kaliningrad exclave.Finland and Sweden also join them, along with Iceland, at the heart of the triangle formed with the North Atlantic and maritime areas in the Arctic, to where Russia projects its military might from the northern Kola Peninsula. Integrated NATO military planning will become a lot simpler, making the region easier to defend.NATOFinland and Sweden are NATO's closest partners. They contribute to the alliance's operations and air policing. Most importantly, they already meet NATO's membership criteria, on functioning democracies, good neighborly relations, clear borders and armed forces that are in lock-step with the allies. After the invasion, they formally boosted information exchanges with NATO and sit in on every meeting on war issues. Both are modernizing their armed forces and investing in new equipment. Finland is purchasing dozens of high-end F-35 warplanes. Sweden has top-quality fighter jets, the Gripen. Finland says it's already hit NATO's defense spending guideline of 2% of gross domestic product. Sweden, too, is ramping up its military budget and expects to reach the target by 2028. The NATO average was estimated at 1.6% last year.RussiaPutin has demanded that NATO stop expanding and in his May 9 speech blamed the West for the war. But public opinion in Finland and Sweden suggests that he has driven them into NATO's arms. If Finland joins, it would double the length of the alliance's border with Russia, adding a further 830 miles for Moscow to defend. Putin has promised a "military, technical" response if they join. But many troops from Russia's western district near Finland were sent to Ukraine, and those units suffered heavy casualties, Western military officers say. So far, Moscow is doing nothing obvious to dissuade the two — apart perhaps from a couple of incidents where Russian planes entered their airspace. The Kremlin said Thursday that its response could depend on how close NATO infrastructure moves toward Russia's borders.Some at NATO worry that the Russians might deploy nuclear weapons or more hypersonic missiles to the Kaliningrad exclave, across the Baltic Sea wedged between allies Poland and Lithuania.___Karl Ritter in Stockholm, and Jari Tanner in Helsinki, contributed to this report.

BRUSSELS —

Should they apply for membership, the move would have far-reaching ramifications for Northern Europe and trans-Atlantic security.

No doubt, it will also anger their large neighbor Russia, which blames, at least in part, its war in Ukraine on NATO's continued expansion closer to its borders. It's unclear how Russian President Vladimir Putin might retaliate. The Kremlin said Thursday that it certainly won't improve European security.

The following is a brief look at what Finland and Sweden's membership in the 30-country NATO alliance could mean, with the Nordic partners expected to announce their intention to join within days.

Finland and Sweden

Not neutral like Switzerland, Finland and Sweden traditionally think of themselves as militarily "nonaligned."

But Russia's war in Ukraine and Putin's apparent desire to establish a Moscow-centered "sphere of influence" has shaken their security notions to the core. Just days after he ordered the Feb. 24 invasion, public opinion shifted dramatically.

Support in Finland for NATO membership has hovered around 20-30% for years. It now stands at over 70%. The two are NATO's closest partners but maintaining good ties with Russia has been an important part of their foreign policy, particularly for Finland.

Now they hope for security support from NATO states — primarily the United States — in case Moscow retaliates. Britain pledged on Wednesday to come to their aid.

The Nordic region

NATO membership for the two, joining regional neighbors Denmark, Norway and Iceland, would formalize their joint security and defense work in ways that their Nordic Defense Cooperation pact hasn't.

NORDEFCO, as it's known, focuses on cooperation. Working within NATO means putting forces under joint command.

Frank Augstein

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, left, and Finland’s President Sauli Niinisto arrive to meet the media, at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland, Wednesday, May 11, 2022.

Accession would tighten the strategic Nordic grip on the Baltic Sea — Russia's maritime point of access to the city of St. Petersburg and its Kaliningrad exclave.

Finland and Sweden also join them, along with Iceland, at the heart of the triangle formed with the North Atlantic and maritime areas in the Arctic, to where Russia projects its military might from the northern Kola Peninsula. Integrated NATO military planning will become a lot simpler, making the region easier to defend.

NATO

Finland and Sweden are NATO's closest partners. They contribute to the alliance's operations and air policing.

Most importantly, they already meet NATO's membership criteria, on functioning democracies, good neighborly relations, clear borders and armed forces that are in lock-step with the allies. After the invasion, they formally boosted information exchanges with NATO and sit in on every meeting on war issues.

Both are modernizing their armed forces and investing in new equipment. Finland is purchasing dozens of high-end F-35 warplanes. Sweden has top-quality fighter jets, the Gripen.

Finland says it's already hit NATO's defense spending guideline of 2% of gross domestic product. Sweden, too, is ramping up its military budget and expects to reach the target by 2028. The NATO average was estimated at 1.6% last year.

Russia

Putin has demanded that NATO stop expanding and in his May 9 speech blamed the West for the war.

But public opinion in Finland and Sweden suggests that he has driven them into NATO's arms.

If Finland joins, it would double the length of the alliance's border with Russia, adding a further 830 miles for Moscow to defend.

Putin has promised a "military, technical" response if they join. But many troops from Russia's western district near Finland were sent to Ukraine, and those units suffered heavy casualties, Western military officers say.

So far, Moscow is doing nothing obvious to dissuade the two — apart perhaps from a couple of incidents where Russian planes entered their airspace. The Kremlin said Thursday that its response could depend on how close NATO infrastructure moves toward Russia's borders.

Some at NATO worry that the Russians might deploy nuclear weapons or more hypersonic missiles to the Kaliningrad exclave, across the Baltic Sea wedged between allies Poland and Lithuania.

___

Karl Ritter in Stockholm, and Jari Tanner in Helsinki, contributed to this report.

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Why people hated shopping carts when they first came out

cincylink — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 09:27:30 +0000

We live in a world shaped by shopping carts. The ubiquitous, unloved contraptions are a key feature of the U.S. economy. (Yes, really.)The birth of shopping carts in the early 20th century helped usher in an era of mass consumption and enabled grocery stores and brands to expand their products -- without customers worrying about how they would get stuff to their car.To attract shoppers' attention and stimulate their senses while they pushed around carts, brands started to add cartoon characters on boxes, bright packaging and catchy logos with exclamation points.Carts also spurred the rise of impulse buying, said Andrew Warnes, a professor of American literature at the University of Leeds in England and the author of "How the Shopping Cart Explains Global Consumerism.""The shopping cart is what permitted this rapid flitting from object to object," Warnes said in an email. "It gave people a wheeled receptacle into which they could cast their choices and move on to the next one."But early on, customers were wary of shopping carts, much to the surprise of the man who is responsible for making them an object of everyday life."I thought it would be an immediate success," Sylvan Goldman, an Oklahoma grocery store owner who is considered the father of the modern shopping cart, said in a 1977 television interview. "I was so enthused about the cart."On the first day they appeared in his stores, Goldman expected long lines of customers waiting to use them. "There were people shopping. Not a one was using a cart."Women would say, 'No, we have pushed enough baby buggies around -- we are not going to push carts in stores,'" Goldman recalled in a 1972 letter. Men thought the carts would make them look weak."Men customers would say, 'With my big arms I can carry my baskets, I am not pushing one of those things,'" he said.The arrival of supermarketsThe adoption of shopping carts came just as supermarkets burst onto the scene in America.Prior to supermarkets, shoppers would go to their local grocery store and a clerk would fill their orders over the counter or they would call them in for delivery.But self-service supermarkets, which were first developed by Piggly Wiggly in Memphis in 1916 and allowed shoppers to pick items off shelves themselves, began replacing this model.In the ensuing decades, as more Americans started driving, larger supermarkets with parking lots began opening in new suburbs.Yet despite shoppers having cars with trunks and new refrigerators at home to keep food fresh for longer, they were still carrying baskets as they browsed around stores and were unlikely to stock up."You start with self service with a basket. By the time people start driving cars, you want to buy more than you carry," said historian Susan Strasser, author of "Satisfaction Guaranteed: The Making of the American Mass Market." A grocery chain in Texas offered carts in the early 1900s, but they didn't gain traction, in part because baskets were considered aristocratic."There was a kind of embarrassment about asking customers to push carts around," Warnes said.A folding chair on wheelsGoldman, a supermarket pioneer in Oklahoma with Standard Food Markets and Humpty Dumpty stores, saw that customers would stop shopping once their basket was full or became too heavy.His first solution was to direct store clerks to offer a second basket to customers and hold the full one at the checkout counter.Then, in 1936, Goldman came up with an idea for a rolling cart. With the help of a handyman, he attached wheels to a folding chair and put a basket on top.He also believed that offering shoppers a cart would lead them to buy more, increasing sales for the company."If there were some way we could give that customer two baskets to shop with and still have one hand free to shop we could do considerably more business," he later recalled.Goldman started the Folding Basket Carrier Co. (today called Unarco, owned partly by Berkshire Hathaway) and placed an ad in a local newspaper alerting customers to his new invention."Can you imagine wending your way through a spacious food market without having to carry a cumbersome shopping basket on your arm?" the ad read.But few shoppers took to the carts at first.To convince customers to use them, Goldman hired people to walk around the store with shopping carts and fill them up.Customers began following these shills' example and soon all of Goldman's stores were equipped with carts. He soon started selling carts to other supermarkets for $6 or $7.Store managers at first were reluctant to buy the carts because they worried children would damage them or get into accidents.Goldman allayed these concerns by making promotional films demonstrating the proper way to use the carts. A few years later, he introduced a cart with a child seat.The biggest change to the cart came in 1946, when Orla Watson in Kansas City patented the "telescope cart" -- allowing them to slide together in horizontal stacks to alleviate the storage dilemma.Watson claimed that each of the new carts required only one-fifth as much space as Goldman's folding carts.In response, Goldman patented a similar telescoping version of his own, the Nest Kart. "No more basket carrier parking problem," an ad for Goldman's Nest Karts read.Goldman and Watson got in a legal fight over the patent, but they reached an agreement in which Goldman won the right to license the telescoping version of the cart.Leaving the storeThe shopping cart's basic design hasn't changed much since then. Seatbelts were added to the child seats in the 1960s, although that hasn't prevented thousands of shopping cart accidents involving children each year."It's difficult to improve upon it as a design," Warnes said. "The metal is durable. The mesh system is transparent. The child seat is a brilliant solution for shopping with a small child. It's stackable so it's really easy for transporting"Perhaps the biggest development for shopping carts in later decades is how they wound up outside of stores.Carts were often found abandoned in back alleys, rivers and forests, leading lawmakers around the country to start imposing regulations and fines on businesses whose carts strayed from their stores. There's even a book, "The Stray Shopping Carts of Eastern North America: A Guide to Field Identification," dedicated to the odd places carts wind up.They appeared as logos on e-commerce websites and in artwork by street artist Banksy.Carts also became a symbol of urban blight and poverty, often used by homeless people to store and transport their belongings."It has a huge role among the poor. It is the locus of all their possessions," said John Lienhard, a professor emeritus of mechanical engineering and history at the University of Houston who dedicated an episode of his public radio show "The Engines of Our Ingenuity" to shopping carts."That says something about the role of the shopping cart in our lives."

We live in a world shaped by shopping carts. The ubiquitous, unloved contraptions are a key feature of the U.S. economy. (Yes, really.)

The birth of shopping carts in the early 20th century helped usher in an era of mass consumption and enabled grocery stores and brands to expand their products -- without customers worrying about how they would get stuff to their car.

To attract shoppers' attention and stimulate their senses while they pushed around carts, brands started to add cartoon characters on boxes, bright packaging and catchy logos with exclamation points.

Carts also spurred the rise of impulse buying, said Andrew Warnes, a professor of American literature at the University of Leeds in England and the author of "How the Shopping Cart Explains Global Consumerism."

"The shopping cart is what permitted this rapid flitting from object to object," Warnes said in an email. "It gave people a wheeled receptacle into which they could cast their choices and move on to the next one."

But early on, customers were wary of shopping carts, much to the surprise of the man who is responsible for making them an object of everyday life.

"I thought it would be an immediate success," Sylvan Goldman, an Oklahoma grocery store owner who is considered the father of the modern shopping cart, said in a 1977 television interview. "I was so enthused about the cart."

On the first day they appeared in his stores, Goldman expected long lines of customers waiting to use them. "There were people shopping. Not a one was using a cart."

Women would say, 'No, we have pushed enough baby buggies around -- we are not going to push carts in stores,'" Goldman recalled in a 1972 letter. Men thought the carts would make them look weak.

"Men customers would say, 'With my big arms I can carry my baskets, I am not pushing one of those things,'" he said.

The arrival of supermarkets

The adoption of shopping carts came just as supermarkets burst onto the scene in America.

Prior to supermarkets, shoppers would go to their local grocery store and a clerk would fill their orders over the counter or they would call them in for delivery.

But self-service supermarkets, which were first developed by Piggly Wiggly in Memphis in 1916 and allowed shoppers to pick items off shelves themselves, began replacing this model.

In the ensuing decades, as more Americans started driving, larger supermarkets with parking lots began opening in new suburbs.

Yet despite shoppers having cars with trunks and new refrigerators at home to keep food fresh for longer, they were still carrying baskets as they browsed around stores and were unlikely to stock up.

"You start with self service with a basket. By the time people start driving cars, you want to buy more than you carry," said historian Susan Strasser, author of "Satisfaction Guaranteed: The Making of the American Mass Market."

A grocery chain in Texas offered carts in the early 1900s, but they didn't gain traction, in part because baskets were considered aristocratic.

"There was a kind of embarrassment about asking customers to push carts around," Warnes said.

A folding chair on wheels

Goldman, a supermarket pioneer in Oklahoma with Standard Food Markets and Humpty Dumpty stores, saw that customers would stop shopping once their basket was full or became too heavy.

His first solution was to direct store clerks to offer a second basket to customers and hold the full one at the checkout counter.

Then, in 1936, Goldman came up with an idea for a rolling cart. With the help of a handyman, he attached wheels to a folding chair and put a basket on top.

He also believed that offering shoppers a cart would lead them to buy more, increasing sales for the company.

"If there were some way we could give that customer two baskets to shop with and still have one hand free to shop we could do considerably more business," he later recalled.

Goldman started the Folding Basket Carrier Co. (today called Unarco, owned partly by Berkshire Hathaway) and placed an ad in a local newspaper alerting customers to his new invention.

"Can you imagine wending your way through a spacious food market without having to carry a cumbersome shopping basket on your arm?" the ad read.

But few shoppers took to the carts at first.

To convince customers to use them, Goldman hired people to walk around the store with shopping carts and fill them up.

Customers began following these shills' example and soon all of Goldman's stores were equipped with carts. He soon started selling carts to other supermarkets for $6 or $7.

Store managers at first were reluctant to buy the carts because they worried children would damage them or get into accidents.

Goldman allayed these concerns by making promotional films demonstrating the proper way to use the carts. A few years later, he introduced a cart with a child seat.

The biggest change to the cart came in 1946, when Orla Watson in Kansas City patented the "telescope cart" -- allowing them to slide together in horizontal stacks to alleviate the storage dilemma.

Watson claimed that each of the new carts required only one-fifth as much space as Goldman's folding carts.

In response, Goldman patented a similar telescoping version of his own, the Nest Kart. "No more basket carrier parking problem," an ad for Goldman's Nest Karts read.

Goldman and Watson got in a legal fight over the patent, but they reached an agreement in which Goldman won the right to license the telescoping version of the cart.

Leaving the store

The shopping cart's basic design hasn't changed much since then. Seatbelts were added to the child seats in the 1960s, although that hasn't prevented thousands of shopping cart accidents involving children each year.

"It's difficult to improve upon it as a design," Warnes said. "The metal is durable. The mesh system is transparent. The child seat is a brilliant solution for shopping with a small child. It's stackable so it's really easy for transporting"

Perhaps the biggest development for shopping carts in later decades is how they wound up outside of stores.

Carts were often found abandoned in back alleys, rivers and forests, leading lawmakers around the country to start imposing regulations and fines on businesses whose carts strayed from their stores. There's even a book, "The Stray Shopping Carts of Eastern North America: A Guide to Field Identification," dedicated to the odd places carts wind up.

They appeared as logos on e-commerce websites and in artwork by street artist Banksy.

Carts also became a symbol of urban blight and poverty, often used by homeless people to store and transport their belongings.

"It has a huge role among the poor. It is the locus of all their possessions," said John Lienhard, a professor emeritus of mechanical engineering and history at the University of Houston who dedicated an episode of his public radio show "The Engines of Our Ingenuity" to shopping carts.

"That says something about the role of the shopping cart in our lives."

Source link

In Buffalo, Biden mourns victims, says ‘evil will not win’

cincylink — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 08:48:22 +0000

President Joe Biden on Tuesday condemned the poison of white supremacy and said the nation must “reject the lie” of the racist “replacement theory” espoused by the shooter who killed 10 Black people in Buffalo.Speaking to victims' families, local officials and first responders, Biden said America's diversity is its strength, and warned that the nation must not be be distorted by a “hateful minority.”“The American experiment in democracy is in danger like it hasn’t been in my lifetime,” Biden said. “It’s in danger this hour. Hate and fear being given too much oxygen by those who pretend to love America but who don’t understand America.”He declared: “In America, evil will not win, I promise you. Hate will not prevail, white supremacy will not have the last word.”Biden's emotional remarks came after he and first lady Jill Biden paid their respects at a makeshift memorial of blossoms, candles and messages of condolence outside the Tops supermarket, where on Saturday a young man armed with an assault rifle targeted Black people in the deadliest racist attack in the U.S. since Biden took office.In Buffalo, the president was confronting anew the forces of hatred he frequently says called him back to seek the White House.“Jill and I have come to stand with you, and to the families, we have come to grieve with you," Biden said. He added: “Now’s the time for people of all races, from every background, to speak up as a majority and American and reject white supremacy.”Replacement theory is a racist ideology, which has moved from white nationalist circles to mainstream, that alleges white people and their influence are being intentionally “replaced” by people of color.“It’s important for him to show up for the families and the community and express his condolences,” said Derrick Johnson, the president of the NAACP. “But we’re more concerned with preventing this from happening in the future.”It’s unclear how Biden will try to do that. Proposals for new gun restrictions have routinely been blocked by Republicans, and racist rhetoric espoused on the fringes of the nation’s politics has only grown louder.Asked about gun legislation, Biden said at the airport, “It’s going to be very difficult. ... I’m not going to give up trying.”Biden's condemnation of white supremacy is a message he has delivered several times since he became the first president to specifically address it in an inaugural speech, calling it “domestic terrorism that we must confront.” However, such beliefs remain an entrenched threat at a time when his administration has been focused on addressing the pandemic, inflation and the war in Ukraine.In his remarks Tuesday, Biden paid tribute to each of the 10 people who lost their lives, describing them as model citizens, beacons of their community and deeply committed to family.Three more people were wounded. Nearly all the victims were Black, including all of those who died.The shooter's hateful writings echoed those of the white supremacists who marched with torches in 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia, a scene that Biden said inspired his decision to run against President Donald Trump in 2020 and that drove him to join what he calls the “battle for the soul of America."Payton Gendron, 18, was arrested at the supermarket and charged with murder. He has pleaded not guilty.Before the shooting, Gendron is reported to have posted online a screed overflowing with racism and antisemitism. The writer of the document described himself as a supporter of Dylann Roof, who killed nine Black parishioners at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015, and Brenton Tarrant, who targeted mosques in New Zealand in 2019.Investigators are looking at Gendron's connection to what's known as the “great replacement" theory, which baselessly claims white people are being intentionally overrun by other races through immigration or higher birth rates.“I condemn those who spread the lie for power, political gain and for profit,” Biden said, stopping short of naming those he believes responsible for perpetuating it.The claims are often interwoven with antisemitism, with Jews identified as the culprits. During the 2017 “Unite the Right” march in Charlottesville, the white supremacists chanted “Jews will not replace us."“These actions we’ve seen, these hate-filled attacks, represent the views of a hateful minority," Biden said.“We have to refuse to live in a country where black people going about a weekly grocery shopping can be gunned down by weapons of war deployed in a racist cause,” he added. “We have to refuse live in a country where fear and lies are packaged for power and for profit.”In the years since Charlottesville, replacement theory has moved from the online fringe to mainstream right-wing politics. A third of U.S. adults believe there is “a group of people in this country who are trying to replace native-born Americans with immigrants who agree with their political views,” according to a poll conducted in December by The Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.Video below: Buffalo not politics, but 'need to uproot evil,' White House saysTucker Carlson, the prominent Fox News host, accuses Democrats of orchestrating mass migration to consolidate their power.“The country is being stolen from American citizens," he said Aug. 23, 2021. He repeated the same theme a month later, saying that “this policy is called the great replacement, the replacement of legacy Americans with more obedient people from faraway countries.”Carlson's show routinely receives the highest ratings in cable news, and he responded to the furor Monday night by accusing liberals of trying to silence their opponents.“So because a mentally ill teenager murdered strangers, you cannot be allowed to express your political beliefs out loud,” he said.His commentary reflects how this conspiratorial view of immigration has spread through the Republican Party ahead of this year's midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress.Facebook advertisements posted last year by the campaign committee of Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said Democrats want a “PERMANENT ELECTION INSURRECTION” by granting amnesty to illegal immigrants. The plan would "overthrow our current electorate and create a permanent liberal majority in Washington.”Alex DeGrasse, a senior adviser to Stefanik’s campaign, said Monday she “has never advocated for any racist position or made a racist statement." He criticized “sickening and false reporting” about her advertisements.Stefanik is the third-ranking leader of the House Republican caucus, replacing Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., who angered the party with her denunciations of Trump after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.Cheney, in a tweet on Monday, said the caucus' leadership “has enabled white nationalism, white supremacy, and anti-Semitism. History has taught us that what begins with words ends in far worse.”Replacement theory rhetoric has also rippled through Republican primary campaigns.Although Biden has not spoken directly about replacement theory, his warnings about racism remain a fixture of his public speeches.Three days before the Buffalo shooting, at a Democratic fundraiser in Chicago, Biden said, "I really do think we’re still in the battle for the soul of America.”___Associated Press writer Karen Matthews in New York contributed to this report.

Speaking to victims' families, local officials and first responders, Biden said America's diversity is its strength, and warned that the nation must not be be distorted by a “hateful minority.”

“The American experiment in democracy is in danger like it hasn’t been in my lifetime,” Biden said. “It’s in danger this hour. Hate and fear being given too much oxygen by those who pretend to love America but who don’t understand America.”

He declared: “In America, evil will not win, I promise you. Hate will not prevail, white supremacy will not have the last word.”

Biden's emotional remarks came after he and first lady Jill Biden paid their respects at a makeshift memorial of blossoms, candles and messages of condolence outside the Tops supermarket, where on Saturday a young man armed with an assault rifle targeted Black people in the deadliest racist attack in the U.S. since Biden took office.

In Buffalo, the president was confronting anew the forces of hatred he frequently says called him back to seek the White House.

“Jill and I have come to stand with you, and to the families, we have come to grieve with you," Biden said. He added: “Now’s the time for people of all races, from every background, to speak up as a majority and American and reject white supremacy.”

Replacement theory is a racist ideology, which has moved from white nationalist circles to mainstream, that alleges white people and their influence are being intentionally “replaced” by people of color.

“It’s important for him to show up for the families and the community and express his condolences,” said Derrick Johnson, the president of the NAACP. “But we’re more concerned with preventing this from happening in the future.”

It’s unclear how Biden will try to do that. Proposals for new gun restrictions have routinely been blocked by Republicans, and racist rhetoric espoused on the fringes of the nation’s politics has only grown louder.

Asked about gun legislation, Biden said at the airport, “It’s going to be very difficult. ... I’m not going to give up trying.”

Biden's condemnation of white supremacy is a message he has delivered several times since he became the first president to specifically address it in an inaugural speech, calling it “domestic terrorism that we must confront.” However, such beliefs remain an entrenched threat at a time when his administration has been focused on addressing the pandemic, inflation and the war in Ukraine.

In his remarks Tuesday, Biden paid tribute to each of the 10 people who lost their lives, describing them as model citizens, beacons of their community and deeply committed to family.

Three more people were wounded. Nearly all the victims were Black, including all of those who died.

The shooter's hateful writings echoed those of the white supremacists who marched with torches in 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia, a scene that Biden said inspired his decision to run against President Donald Trump in 2020 and that drove him to join what he calls the “battle for the soul of America."

Payton Gendron, 18, was arrested at the supermarket and charged with murder. He has pleaded not guilty.

Before the shooting, Gendron is reported to have posted online a screed overflowing with racism and antisemitism. The writer of the document described himself as a supporter of Dylann Roof, who killed nine Black parishioners at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015, and Brenton Tarrant, who targeted mosques in New Zealand in 2019.

Investigators are looking at Gendron's connection to what's known as the “great replacement" theory, which baselessly claims white people are being intentionally overrun by other races through immigration or higher birth rates.

“I condemn those who spread the lie for power, political gain and for profit,” Biden said, stopping short of naming those he believes responsible for perpetuating it.

The claims are often interwoven with antisemitism, with Jews identified as the culprits. During the 2017 “Unite the Right” march in Charlottesville, the white supremacists chanted “Jews will not replace us."

“These actions we’ve seen, these hate-filled attacks, represent the views of a hateful minority," Biden said.

“We have to refuse to live in a country where black people going about a weekly grocery shopping can be gunned down by weapons of war deployed in a racist cause,” he added. “We have to refuse live in a country where fear and lies are packaged for power and for profit.”

In the years since Charlottesville, replacement theory has moved from the online fringe to mainstream right-wing politics. A third of U.S. adults believe there is “a group of people in this country who are trying to replace native-born Americans with immigrants who agree with their political views,” according to a poll conducted in December by The Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Video below: Buffalo not politics, but 'need to uproot evil,' White House says

Tucker Carlson, the prominent Fox News host, accuses Democrats of orchestrating mass migration to consolidate their power.

“The country is being stolen from American citizens," he said Aug. 23, 2021. He repeated the same theme a month later, saying that “this policy is called the great replacement, the replacement of legacy Americans with more obedient people from faraway countries.”

Carlson's show routinely receives the highest ratings in cable news, and he responded to the furor Monday night by accusing liberals of trying to silence their opponents.

“So because a mentally ill teenager murdered strangers, you cannot be allowed to express your political beliefs out loud,” he said.

His commentary reflects how this conspiratorial view of immigration has spread through the Republican Party ahead of this year's midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress.

Facebook advertisements posted last year by the campaign committee of Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said Democrats want a “PERMANENT ELECTION INSURRECTION” by granting amnesty to illegal immigrants. The plan would "overthrow our current electorate and create a permanent liberal majority in Washington.”

Alex DeGrasse, a senior adviser to Stefanik’s campaign, said Monday she “has never advocated for any racist position or made a racist statement." He criticized “sickening and false reporting” about her advertisements.

Stefanik is the third-ranking leader of the House Republican caucus, replacing Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., who angered the party with her denunciations of Trump after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

Cheney, in a tweet on Monday, said the caucus' leadership “has enabled white nationalism, white supremacy, and anti-Semitism. History has taught us that what begins with words ends in far worse.”

Replacement theory rhetoric has also rippled through Republican primary campaigns.

Although Biden has not spoken directly about replacement theory, his warnings about racism remain a fixture of his public speeches.

Three days before the Buffalo shooting, at a Democratic fundraiser in Chicago, Biden said, "I really do think we’re still in the battle for the soul of America.”

___

Associated Press writer Karen Matthews in New York contributed to this report.

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First unseeded player wins Wimbledon women’s championship

cincylink — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 08:20:06 +0000

Marketa Vondrousova came to the All England Club a year ago unable to play tennis at all. She had a cast on her surgically repaired left wrist, so her visit was limited to sightseeing around London with her sister and cheering for a friend who was competing at Wimbledon.This trip was a lot more memorable: She is leaving as a Grand Slam champion.Vondrousova became the first unseeded woman to win Wimbledon on Saturday, coming back in each set for a 6-4, 6-4 victory over 2022 runner-up Ons Jabeur in the final.“When I was coming back, I didn’t know what’s going to happen, if I can play at that level again,” said Vondrousova, a 24-year-old left-hander from the Czech Republic who was the runner-up at the 2019 French Open on clay as a teenager and a silver medalist at the Tokyo Olympics on hard courts two years ago. “On grass, I didn’t play well before. I think it was the most impossible Grand Slam for me to win, so I didn’t even think of it. When we came, I was just like, ‘Try to win a couple of matches.’ Now this happened. It's crazy.”After being sidelined from April to October, she finished last season ranked just 99th. She was 42nd when she arrived at Wimbledon and was the first unseeded woman to even reach the final at the All England Club in 60 years — the last, 1963 runner-up Billie Jean King, was seated in the front row of the Royal Box on Saturday alongside Kate, the Princess of Wales.Following the match, King greeted Vondrousova with a hug and told her: “First unseeded ever. I love it.”Centre Court's retractable roof was closed for the final, shielding everyone from the wind that topped 20 mph (30 kph) outside, and that allowed Vondrousova's smooth strokes to repeatedly find the intended mark. She also liked that she didn't have to worry about any gusts or the sun or anything else while playing — a reminder of days practicing at indoor courts during winters in Prague.“I always play good indoors,” Vondrousova said. “I was like, ‘Yeah, maybe that’s going to help me.’”On this afternoon, she trailed in each set but collected the last four games of the first, then the last three games of the second as Jabeur fell to 0-3 in major finals.The 28-year-old from Tunisia is the only Arab woman and only North African woman to make it that far in singles at any Grand Slam tournament.“You cannot force things," the sixth-seeded Jabeur said. "It wasn’t meant to be.”She lost to Elena Rybakina 12 months ago at the All England Club and to No. 1 Iga Swiatek at the U.S. Open last September.“I think this is the most painful loss of my career,” Jabeur said Saturday, pausing to wipe away tears.Vondrousova’s surge to her Slam title was hard to envision at the start of this fortnight.She was 1-4 in previous appearances on Wimbledon's grass, only once making it as far as the second round, before going 7-0 on a run that included wins against five seeded foes.One key was that Jabeur, who acknowledged feeling tension and pressure, kept making mistakes: She finished with 31 unforced errors; Vondrousova made merely 13.That helped Vondrousova overcome deficits of 4-2 in the first set and 3-1 and 4-3 in the second. One she went ahead in each, the crowd's support for the popular Jabeur, nicknamed the Minister of Happiness for her demeanor on and off the court, would only rise, applause and shouts ricocheting off the cover atop the arena.Staying steady down the stretch, Vondrousova broke to lead 5-4 and served for the match. She was soon up 40-love — and that's when the enormity of the moment hit her.“I couldn’t breathe,” Vondrousova said. “I just was thinking to myself: ‘Just be over.’”When she ended the match by reaching to put away a volley, she tumbled to the grass, then laid on her back and put her hands over her visor and face, the happiest she’s ever been on the surface.She climbed into the stands to share hugs with her husband, who had been home on cat-sitting duty until going to England to watch the final in person. Vondrousova joked that his tears of joy at match's end were the most emotion he's shown in the eight years they've been together; their first wedding anniversary is Sunday.Vondrousova has other plans for her first full day as a major title winner, too: She and her coach agreed to get tattoos if she won the trophy.

This trip was a lot more memorable: She is leaving as a Grand Slam champion.

Vondrousova became the first unseeded woman to win Wimbledon on Saturday, coming back in each set for a 6-4, 6-4 victory over 2022 runner-up Ons Jabeur in the final.

“When I was coming back, I didn’t know what’s going to happen, if I can play at that level again,” said Vondrousova, a 24-year-old left-hander from the Czech Republic who was the runner-up at the 2019 French Open on clay as a teenager and a silver medalist at the Tokyo Olympics on hard courts two years ago. “On grass, I didn’t play well before. I think it was the most impossible Grand Slam for me to win, so I didn’t even think of it. When we came, I was just like, ‘Try to win a couple of matches.’ Now this happened. It's crazy.”

KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH

Czech Republic’s Marketa Vondrousova lays on the court as she reacts after beating Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur to win the final of the women’s singles on day thirteen of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Saturday, July 15, 2023.

After being sidelined from April to October, she finished last season ranked just 99th. She was 42nd when she arrived at Wimbledon and was the first unseeded woman to even reach the final at the All England Club in 60 years — the last, 1963 runner-up Billie Jean King, was seated in the front row of the Royal Box on Saturday alongside Kate, the Princess of Wales.

Following the match, King greeted Vondrousova with a hug and told her: “First unseeded ever. I love it.”

Centre Court's retractable roof was closed for the final, shielding everyone from the wind that topped 20 mph (30 kph) outside, and that allowed Vondrousova's smooth strokes to repeatedly find the intended mark. She also liked that she didn't have to worry about any gusts or the sun or anything else while playing — a reminder of days practicing at indoor courts during winters in Prague.

“I always play good indoors,” Vondrousova said. “I was like, ‘Yeah, maybe that’s going to help me.’”

On this afternoon, she trailed in each set but collected the last four games of the first, then the last three games of the second as Jabeur fell to 0-3 in major finals.

The 28-year-old from Tunisia is the only Arab woman and only North African woman to make it that far in singles at any Grand Slam tournament.

“You cannot force things," the sixth-seeded Jabeur said. "It wasn’t meant to be.”

She lost to Elena Rybakina 12 months ago at the All England Club and to No. 1 Iga Swiatek at the U.S. Open last September.

“I think this is the most painful loss of my career,” Jabeur said Saturday, pausing to wipe away tears.

Vondrousova’s surge to her Slam title was hard to envision at the start of this fortnight.

She was 1-4 in previous appearances on Wimbledon's grass, only once making it as far as the second round, before going 7-0 on a run that included wins against five seeded foes.

One key was that Jabeur, who acknowledged feeling tension and pressure, kept making mistakes: She finished with 31 unforced errors; Vondrousova made merely 13.

That helped Vondrousova overcome deficits of 4-2 in the first set and 3-1 and 4-3 in the second. One she went ahead in each, the crowd's support for the popular Jabeur, nicknamed the Minister of Happiness for her demeanor on and off the court, would only rise, applause and shouts ricocheting off the cover atop the arena.

Staying steady down the stretch, Vondrousova broke to lead 5-4 and served for the match. She was soon up 40-love — and that's when the enormity of the moment hit her.

“I couldn’t breathe,” Vondrousova said. “I just was thinking to myself: ‘Just be over.’”

When she ended the match by reaching to put away a volley, she tumbled to the grass, then laid on her back and put her hands over her visor and face, the happiest she’s ever been on the surface.

She climbed into the stands to share hugs with her husband, who had been home on cat-sitting duty until going to England to watch the final in person. Vondrousova joked that his tears of joy at match's end were the most emotion he's shown in the eight years they've been together; their first wedding anniversary is Sunday.

Vondrousova has other plans for her first full day as a major title winner, too: She and her coach agreed to get tattoos if she won the trophy.

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What to watch for in this week’s primary

cincylink — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 04:11:23 +0000

Voters in a trio of Southern states will head to the polls Tuesday to cast their ballots in the midterm primary elections.Alabama, Arkansas and Georgia take their turn this week selecting their candidates for November’s general election. Plus, Texas and Minnesota host a handful of runoff elections. While the Democrats will appear on the ballot in all of the states, it's the GOP that will headline the night, featuring a number of races that will certainly shine a light on the future of the party.A former White House press secretary, a football legend and a few hard-pressed incumbents take center stage Tuesday night.Here's what to watch for:Huckabee Sanders poised for Arkansas governorship?Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary for former President Donald Trump from 2017 to 2019, is the runaway favorite to become the next governor of Arkansas.Sanders, whose father, Mike Huckabee, served as governor for 10 years, is facing one long-shot challenger in Francis "Doc" Washburn, a fiery radio personality and podcaster from Little Rock. The 39-year-old Sanders boasts endorsements from Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence, Sen. Tom Cotton, a long list of state officials and musician Kid Rock. The latest polling shows her up nearly 60 points on Washburn.Chris Jones, a nuclear physicist and ordained minister, is the leading candidate for the Democratic nomination.The other notable race in Arkansas is the GOP primary for U.S. Senate. Sen. John Boozman, who has held the seat since 2011, is seeking reelection.Also riding a Trump endorsement, Boozman is facing an aggressive challenge from his right by former NFL player Jake Bequette, however, polling shows the incumbent safely in the lead. Jan Morgan, who’s been endorsed by former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, conservative political consultant Roger Stone and musician Ted Nugent, is also vying for the nomination.Jack Foster, Natalie James and Dan Whitfield will duke it out for the Democratic nomination.Heisman Trophy winner leads pack, sitting governor under attackSen. Raphael Warnock has only been in the U.S. Senate for just over a year, defeating former Sen. Kelly Loeffler in a runoff election in January 2021.He will be back on the ballot in 2022, though he's basically running unopposed in the primary. Tamara Johnson-Shealey is the only challenger.It's the GOP primary that will attract the most eyes. Six Republicans are contending for the Republican nod, including top candidates Herschel Walker, a former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL star, and Gary Black, the current Georgia agriculture commissioner. Walker, who has endorsements from Trump, former Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, currently holds a sizable lead over Black in polling — 55% according to the latest aggregation.The GOP race for governor will also garner some attention, as Gov. Brian Kemp tries to fend off former Sen. David Perdue.Kemp, who has served as governor since 2019, boasts endorsements from Pence, former President George W. Bush and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.Meanwhile, Trump is in Perdue's corner, as well as former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.The latest aggregation of polling shows Kemp in the lead by roughly 23 points. But a late surge by Perdue could make Tuesday night interesting.What will be less interesting is the Democratic primary, which features one candidate — Stacey Abrams. Abrams is expected to give whoever is the GOP's nominee a run for their money come November, testing whether Georgia will remain a blue state after flipping in the 2020 presidential election.Alabama may be headed for multiple runoffsThe biggest draw Tuesday night in Alabama is the three-person race for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate.Katie Britt, a lawyer and former chief of staff for Sen. Richard Shelby, who is vacating the seat, has emerged as the leader of the pack.Britt, who is attempting to become Alabama's first female senator, overtook Rep. Mo Brooks in polling earlier this year. It's been a fall from grace for Brooks, who, on top of losing his lead in polling, also lost his endorsement from Trump in March after Brooks started falling behind. Trump has slammed Brooks for not being strong enough in backing the unfounded claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged.Additionally, Brooks had endorsements rescinded by former Senior Advisor Stephen Miller and Michael Flynn.Meanwhile, Britt enjoys a deep bench of endorsements from state officials as well as Sens. Joni Ernst and Lindsey Graham. Rounding out the three-person race is U.S. Army pilot and businessman Mike Durant, who remains within earshot with endorsements from Flynn, Ted Nugent and former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.Important to remember is that Alabama is a runoff state for its primary elections, so if no candidate reaches the 50% threshold, the top two will face off again on June 21.Will Boyd, Brandaun Dean and Lanny Jackson will battle for the Democratic nomination.Also on the ballot Tuesday is the governor's race. Gov. Kay Ivey holds a steady lead in polling, but she will face a challenge reaching that 50% threshold with two strong candidates nipping at her heels — former Ambassador to Slovenia Lynda Blanchard and businessman Tim James, who is the son of former Gov. Fob James.Activist and educator Yolanda Flowers is the presumed front runner for the Democratic nod.Reproductive rights on the ballot in conesequential Texas runoffDemocratic Rep. Henry Cuellar is being pushed to the brink of being unseated by progressive challenger Jessica Cisneros. This is the second cycle in a row Cisneros has run against Cuellar, falling 51.8% to 48.2% in 2020.Reproductive rights has become a top issue in this race as Cuellar has come under fire for his anti-abortion stance — which is especially poignant now with Roe v. Wade's future uncertain.Moderates and the Democratic establishment have stood by Cuellar, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn.On the other side, Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Katie Porter and numerous labor unions are backing Cisneros. During the first round of voting on March 3, Cuellar edged out Cisneros 48.7% to 46.6%. But things are quite different this time around. First, it's head-to-head, so there won't be a third candidate to dilute the vote count. And second, this election is taking place after the Supreme Court draft opinion leaked indicating Roe v. Wade may be overturned. The outcome of this race could signal a changing of the guard within the Democratic Party, or it could be a doubling-down on the same old. Either way, every Democrat in Congress will be watching.

Voters in a trio of Southern states will head to the polls Tuesday to cast their ballots in the midterm primary elections.

Alabama, Arkansas and Georgia take their turn this week selecting their candidates for November’s general election. Plus, Texas and Minnesota host a handful of runoff elections.

While the Democrats will appear on the ballot in all of the states, it's the GOP that will headline the night, featuring a number of races that will certainly shine a light on the future of the party.

A former White House press secretary, a football legend and a few hard-pressed incumbents take center stage Tuesday night.

Here's what to watch for:

Huckabee Sanders poised for Arkansas governorship?

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary for former President Donald Trump from 2017 to 2019, is the runaway favorite to become the next governor of Arkansas.

Sanders, whose father, Mike Huckabee, served as governor for 10 years, is facing one long-shot challenger in Francis "Doc" Washburn, a fiery radio personality and podcaster from Little Rock.

The 39-year-old Sanders boasts endorsements from Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence, Sen. Tom Cotton, a long list of state officials and musician Kid Rock. The latest polling shows her up nearly 60 points on Washburn.

Chris Jones, a nuclear physicist and ordained minister, is the leading candidate for the Democratic nomination.

The other notable race in Arkansas is the GOP primary for U.S. Senate. Sen. John Boozman, who has held the seat since 2011, is seeking reelection.

Also riding a Trump endorsement, Boozman is facing an aggressive challenge from his right by former NFL player Jake Bequette, however, polling shows the incumbent safely in the lead. Jan Morgan, who’s been endorsed by former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, conservative political consultant Roger Stone and musician Ted Nugent, is also vying for the nomination.

Jack Foster, Natalie James and Dan Whitfield will duke it out for the Democratic nomination.

Heisman Trophy winner leads pack, sitting governor under attack

Sen. Raphael Warnock has only been in the U.S. Senate for just over a year, defeating former Sen. Kelly Loeffler in a runoff election in January 2021.

He will be back on the ballot in 2022, though he's basically running unopposed in the primary. Tamara Johnson-Shealey is the only challenger.

It's the GOP primary that will attract the most eyes. Six Republicans are contending for the Republican nod, including top candidates Herschel Walker, a former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL star, and Gary Black, the current Georgia agriculture commissioner.

Walker, who has endorsements from Trump, former Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, currently holds a sizable lead over Black in polling — 55% according to the latest aggregation.

The GOP race for governor will also garner some attention, as Gov. Brian Kemp tries to fend off former Sen. David Perdue.

Kemp, who has served as governor since 2019, boasts endorsements from Pence, former President George W. Bush and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

Meanwhile, Trump is in Perdue's corner, as well as former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

The latest aggregation of polling shows Kemp in the lead by roughly 23 points. But a late surge by Perdue could make Tuesday night interesting.

What will be less interesting is the Democratic primary, which features one candidate — Stacey Abrams.

Abrams is expected to give whoever is the GOP's nominee a run for their money come November, testing whether Georgia will remain a blue state after flipping in the 2020 presidential election.

Alabama may be headed for multiple runoffs

The biggest draw Tuesday night in Alabama is the three-person race for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate.

Katie Britt, a lawyer and former chief of staff for Sen. Richard Shelby, who is vacating the seat, has emerged as the leader of the pack.

Britt, who is attempting to become Alabama's first female senator, overtook Rep. Mo Brooks in polling earlier this year.

It's been a fall from grace for Brooks, who, on top of losing his lead in polling, also lost his endorsement from Trump in March after Brooks started falling behind. Trump has slammed Brooks for not being strong enough in backing the unfounded claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged.

Additionally, Brooks had endorsements rescinded by former Senior Advisor Stephen Miller and Michael Flynn.

Meanwhile, Britt enjoys a deep bench of endorsements from state officials as well as Sens. Joni Ernst and Lindsey Graham.

Rounding out the three-person race is U.S. Army pilot and businessman Mike Durant, who remains within earshot with endorsements from Flynn, Ted Nugent and former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.

Important to remember is that Alabama is a runoff state for its primary elections, so if no candidate reaches the 50% threshold, the top two will face off again on June 21.

Will Boyd, Brandaun Dean and Lanny Jackson will battle for the Democratic nomination.

Also on the ballot Tuesday is the governor's race. Gov. Kay Ivey holds a steady lead in polling, but she will face a challenge reaching that 50% threshold with two strong candidates nipping at her heels — former Ambassador to Slovenia Lynda Blanchard and businessman Tim James, who is the son of former Gov. Fob James.

Activist and educator Yolanda Flowers is the presumed front runner for the Democratic nod.

Reproductive rights on the ballot in conesequential Texas runoff

Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar is being pushed to the brink of being unseated by progressive challenger Jessica Cisneros.

This is the second cycle in a row Cisneros has run against Cuellar, falling 51.8% to 48.2% in 2020.

Reproductive rights has become a top issue in this race as Cuellar has come under fire for his anti-abortion stance — which is especially poignant now with Roe v. Wade's future uncertain.

Moderates and the Democratic establishment have stood by Cuellar, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn.

On the other side, Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Katie Porter and numerous labor unions are backing Cisneros.

During the first round of voting on March 3, Cuellar edged out Cisneros 48.7% to 46.6%. But things are quite different this time around. First, it's head-to-head, so there won't be a third candidate to dilute the vote count. And second, this election is taking place after the Supreme Court draft opinion leaked indicating Roe v. Wade may be overturned.

The outcome of this race could signal a changing of the guard within the Democratic Party, or it could be a doubling-down on the same old. Either way, every Democrat in Congress will be watching.

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6 steps you can take to quit smoking and live a healthier life

cincylink — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 01:51:36 +0000

Cigarette smoking is very addictive and can have long-term, adverse health effects. But there is hope for those who want to quit thanks to innovative apps, helplines and proven coping strategies.In 2019, more than 30.8 million Americans smoked, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That was almost 12.5% of Americans 18 and older.Smoking is also the No. 1 leading cause of preventable death in the United States, accounting for nearly 1 in 5 deaths.Cigarettes have chemicals that can make this addiction particularly insidious. When they enter the lungs, they can cause harmful effects like bronchitis, said Jonathan Bricker, professor in the public health sciences division at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center at the University of Washington in Seattle.Over time, smoking can eventually lead to lung cancer, which has less than an 18% survival rate within 5 years of diagnosis.Fortunately, lung cancer can be prevented if you stop smoking and learn to "stay quit," said Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos, director of the Tobacco Treatment Clinic at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland.Here are six actions you can take to help you or a loved one quit smoking and enjoy a healthier life:1. Focus on how to 'stay quit' The goal should not be to quit smoking; rather, it should be on how to "stay quit," Galiatsatos said. He said he's had patients who say they've quit many times, but that they've not been able to permanently stop.He recommends people break up their larger goal of quitting into smaller goals.For example, learn your different triggers that could make you want to smoke. That way, you can be mindful and find solutions for those actions.2. Make each time you quit a learning experienceMost people who smoke quit eight to 12 times, because of the addictiveness of cigarettes, before they successfully quit for good, Bricker said.Because relapse is so common, Bricker tells his patients to find a lesson they can take from each experience."People will say things like, 'I learned how powerful these cravings are, or I learned how seeing my friend smoke was a big trigger for me, or I learned that stress in my life was a big trigger,' " Bricker said.Patients should approach quitting from the viewpoint that the more things they learn from their relapses, the greater their chance is of quitting permanently, he said.3. Use phone lines and apps for supportSupport groups for people who want to quit smoking are dwindling, so Bricker recommended calling a quitting help line to get outside assistance.The CDC funds a tobacco cessation hotline, 1-800-QUIT-NOW (784-8669), which is free to US residents in all states, plus the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico. Your call goes automatically the quit line in your state or territory.Callers are connected to coaches who help smokers create a plan to quit and give them advice when facing withdrawals and cravings.Currently, state cessation hotlines only reach about 1% of people who smoke, which the CDC largely attributes to the lack of funding to promote the service.Bricker's team at Fred Hutch helped to create the app iCanQuit, which was supported by a grant from the US National Institutes of Health.The app focuses on acceptance and commitment therapy, which encourages people to accept their emotions and thoughts instead of pushing them away. The tool also offers resources for quitting and handling cravings when they arise, Bricker said.RELATED: Apps that help you acknowledge your smoking triggers work better, study shows4. Speak to your medical providerPeople who want to quit smoking can talk to their medical provider to come up with a treatment plan filled with multiple strategies, Galiatsatos said.Doctors can prescribe medication to curb cigarette cravings and make them more manageable, he said. It's a short-term solution to help train your brain to not crave cigarettes as strongly, Bricker added.The medications doctors provide will depend on your specific situation, Bricker said. The prescriptions tend to be minimal at first then escalate depending on the severity of the addiction.5. Support people addicted to smokingGaliatsatos said he's never come across a patient who doesn't already know that smoking is bad, so he recommends avoiding that argument when appealing to a love one who smokes."If you are really serious about helping your loved one quit, you have to approach it as pro-smoker and anti-smoking," he said.When trying to help someone who smokes, make it clear that you are approaching the situation with no stigma or judgment, Galiatsatos said.Once trust is established, he recommends friends and family members offer to help smokers find resources on how to quit smoking.Medical providers should also be supportive of their patients who smoke, Galiatsatos said.If patients feel judged by their doctors for smoking, they might just lie about it. And that doesn't help anyone, he said.Even when patients don't feel motivated to quit smoking that day, it's important to outline the different treatment options so they have the resources later.6. Address the root cause of the issueMany times when people smoke, it's to cope with some underlying issue in their lives such as stress or anxiety, Galiatsatos said. When they face those emotions while quitting, it's instinctive for them to turn to cigarettes."If you've always relied on cigarettes to be that coping mechanism, and you don't have a replacement, that's all we're going to see," he said.To combat this challenge, Galiatsatos recommended that people who are trying to quit smoking go to behavioral counseling. They will be able to better identify why they smoked and work to find healthier ways of processing those emotions.Why is smoking so addictive anyway?Cigarettes are filled with chemicals such as nicotine, which are chemically enhanced to drive that addiction, said Galiatsatos.The chemically enhanced nicotine closely resembles the common neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which helps control muscle movement and other brain functions. When the nicotine fits into the acetylcholine receptors, your body releases dopamine, the "feel-good" brain chemical. When the dopamine goes away, people begin craving another cigarette."I always tell people this is the most insidious addictive molecule known to man because it doesn't just overdose you," said Galiatsatos, who is also a volunteer medical spokesperson for the American Lung Association.It rewires the smoker's brain over years and years, and "by the time someone realizes it's robbing them of their health, it's incredibly hard to break that addiction."Despite the daunting effort it takes, never forget -- it is possible to overcome this addiction and enjoy better health.

Cigarette smoking is very addictive and can have long-term, adverse health effects. But there is hope for those who want to quit thanks to innovative apps, helplines and proven coping strategies.

In 2019, more than 30.8 million Americans smoked, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That was almost 12.5% of Americans 18 and older.

Smoking is also the No. 1 leading cause of preventable death in the United States, accounting for nearly 1 in 5 deaths.

Cigarettes have chemicals that can make this addiction particularly insidious. When they enter the lungs, they can cause harmful effects like bronchitis, said Jonathan Bricker, professor in the public health sciences division at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Over time, smoking can eventually lead to lung cancer, which has less than an 18% survival rate within 5 years of diagnosis.

Fortunately, lung cancer can be prevented if you stop smoking and learn to "stay quit," said Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos, director of the Tobacco Treatment Clinic at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland.

Here are six actions you can take to help you or a loved one quit smoking and enjoy a healthier life:

1. Focus on how to 'stay quit'

The goal should not be to quit smoking; rather, it should be on how to "stay quit," Galiatsatos said. He said he's had patients who say they've quit many times, but that they've not been able to permanently stop.

He recommends people break up their larger goal of quitting into smaller goals.

For example, learn your different triggers that could make you want to smoke. That way, you can be mindful and find solutions for those actions.

2. Make each time you quit a learning experience

Most people who smoke quit eight to 12 times, because of the addictiveness of cigarettes, before they successfully quit for good, Bricker said.

Because relapse is so common, Bricker tells his patients to find a lesson they can take from each experience.

JOHANNES EISELE

Cigarettes are so hard to quit because the chemicals in them can rewire your brain over time.

"People will say things like, 'I learned how powerful these cravings are, or I learned how seeing my friend smoke was a big trigger for me, or I learned that stress in my life was a big trigger,' " Bricker said.

Patients should approach quitting from the viewpoint that the more things they learn from their relapses, the greater their chance is of quitting permanently, he said.

3. Use phone lines and apps for support

Support groups for people who want to quit smoking are dwindling, so Bricker recommended calling a quitting help line to get outside assistance.

The CDC funds a tobacco cessation hotline, 1-800-QUIT-NOW (784-8669), which is free to US residents in all states, plus the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico. Your call goes automatically the quit line in your state or territory.

Callers are connected to coaches who help smokers create a plan to quit and give them advice when facing withdrawals and cravings.

Currently, state cessation hotlines only reach about 1% of people who smoke, which the CDC largely attributes to the lack of funding to promote the service.

Bricker's team at Fred Hutch helped to create the app iCanQuit, which was supported by a grant from the US National Institutes of Health.

The app focuses on acceptance and commitment therapy, which encourages people to accept their emotions and thoughts instead of pushing them away. The tool also offers resources for quitting and handling cravings when they arise, Bricker said.

4. Speak to your medical provider

People who want to quit smoking can talk to their medical provider to come up with a treatment plan filled with multiple strategies, Galiatsatos said.

Doctors can prescribe medication to curb cigarette cravings and make them more manageable, he said. It's a short-term solution to help train your brain to not crave cigarettes as strongly, Bricker added.

The medications doctors provide will depend on your specific situation, Bricker said. The prescriptions tend to be minimal at first then escalate depending on the severity of the addiction.

5. Support people addicted to smoking

Galiatsatos said he's never come across a patient who doesn't already know that smoking is bad, so he recommends avoiding that argument when appealing to a love one who smokes.

"If you are really serious about helping your loved one quit, you have to approach it as pro-smoker and anti-smoking," he said.

When trying to help someone who smokes, make it clear that you are approaching the situation with no stigma or judgment, Galiatsatos said.

Once trust is established, he recommends friends and family members offer to help smokers find resources on how to quit smoking.

Medical providers should also be supportive of their patients who smoke, Galiatsatos said.

If patients feel judged by their doctors for smoking, they might just lie about it. And that doesn't help anyone, he said.

Even when patients don't feel motivated to quit smoking that day, it's important to outline the different treatment options so they have the resources later.

6. Address the root cause of the issue

Many times when people smoke, it's to cope with some underlying issue in their lives such as stress or anxiety, Galiatsatos said. When they face those emotions while quitting, it's instinctive for them to turn to cigarettes.

"If you've always relied on cigarettes to be that coping mechanism, and you don't have a replacement, that's all we're going to see," he said.

To combat this challenge, Galiatsatos recommended that people who are trying to quit smoking go to behavioral counseling. They will be able to better identify why they smoked and work to find healthier ways of processing those emotions.

Why is smoking so addictive anyway?

Cigarettes are filled with chemicals such as nicotine, which are chemically enhanced to drive that addiction, said Galiatsatos.

The chemically enhanced nicotine closely resembles the common neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which helps control muscle movement and other brain functions.

When the nicotine fits into the acetylcholine receptors, your body releases dopamine, the "feel-good" brain chemical. When the dopamine goes away, people begin craving another cigarette.

"I always tell people this is the most insidious addictive molecule known to man because it doesn't just overdose you," said Galiatsatos, who is also a volunteer medical spokesperson for the American Lung Association.

It rewires the smoker's brain over years and years, and "by the time someone realizes it's robbing them of their health, it's incredibly hard to break that addiction."

Despite the daunting effort it takes, never forget -- it is possible to overcome this addiction and enjoy better health.

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Long Island serial killings suspect in custody, AP source says

cincylink — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 01:30:54 +0000

A Long Island architect was charged Friday with murder in the deaths of three of the 11 victims in a long-unsolved string of killings known as the Gilgo Beach murders after detectives pursuing a new lead say they matched DNA from a pizza he ate to genetic material found on the women’s remains.Rex Heuermann, who has lived for decades across a bay from where the remains were found, is charged with killing Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello. He is also considered the prime suspect in the death of a fourth woman whose body was bound and hidden in thick underbrush along a remote beach highway, authorities said.Investigators have said over the years that it's unlikely one person killed all 11 victims.Heuermann, 59, was arrested late Thursday amid a renewed investigation that first identified him as a suspect in March 2022, when detectives linked him to a pickup truck that a witness reported seeing when one of the victims disappeared in 2010.In March, detectives tailing Heuermann recovered his DNA from pizza crust in a box that he discarded in a Manhattan trash can and matched it to a hair found on a restraint used in the killings, authorities said.Heuermann’s lawyer entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf Friday in state court in Riverhead. Judge Richard Ambro ordered him jailed without bail, citing “the extreme depravity” of his alleged conduct.Video above: Who is Gilgo Beach murder suspect Rex Heuermann?Heuermann’s lawyer, Michael Brown, said they just learned about the charges Friday morning. Speaking to reporters after the arraignment, he said Heuermann told him: “I didn't do this.”Heuermann, wearing khaki pants and a gray collared shirt, did not speak in court.Heuermann lives in Massapequa Park, a community just north of South Oyster Bay and the sandy stretch known as Gilgo Beach where the remains were found in 2010 and 2011. Most of the victims were young women who had been sex workers. Their deaths long stumped investigators, a mystery that fueled immense public attention and led to a 2020 Netflix film, “Lost Girls.”Determining who killed them, and why, vexed a slew of seasoned homicide detectives through several changes in police leadership. Last year an interagency task force was formed with investigators from the FBI, as well as state and local police departments, aimed at solving the case."Ladies and gentlemen, Rex Heuermann is a demon that walks among us — a predator that ruined families," Suffolk County police Commissioner Rodney Harrison said. “If not for the members of this task force, he would still be out on the streets today.”After connecting Heuermann to the pickup, prosecutors said, investigators were able to link him to other evidence, including burner cellphones used to arrange meetings with the slain women, and taunting calls that a person claiming to be the killer made to one of Barthelemy’s relatives using her cellphone after she disappeared in 2009.In recent months, Heuermann sought to keep tabs on the probe and “searched obsessively” on the internet for facts about the Gilgo Beach killings, including the names of women he’s accused of killing, as well as podcasts and documentaries about the case, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.Tierney said authorities moved to charge Heuermann now with three of the killings “out of concern for this defendant fleeing and the danger to the community.” They are continuing to work toward charging him in the death of a fourth victim, Maureen Brainard-Barnes.Video below: Family of Megan Waterman speaks out after suspected serial killer arrestedUntil his arrest, Heuermann continued to use burner phones, patronize sex workers and search the internet for sadistic materials, including sexually exploitative images of children, Tierney said. He also has permits for 92 guns, the prosecutor said.“This is a day that is a long time in coming, and hopefully a day that will bring peace to this community and to the families — peace that has been long overdue,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said during an unrelated appearance on Long Island.The arrest came as a shock and a relief to some of the victims' relatives.“I never thought they’d find this person,” Barthelemy's cousin, Amy Brotz, said.Law enforcement personnel converged Friday morning on Heuermann's home, a small red house about 40 miles east of midtown Manhattan. Dozens of residents mingled alongside police and media, watching as a half-dozen investigators, some in protective suits, conferred outside the front porch, which was in disrepair, its roof propped up by 2-by-4s.The home, where Heuermann has lived since childhood, belonged to a family that had long kept to themselves, neighbors said, noting that the dilapidated property seemed out of place among rows of single-family homes and well-kept lawns.Barry Auslander said the man who lived in the house commuted by train to New York City each morning, wearing a suit and tie and carrying a briefcase.“It was weird. He looked like a businessman,” Auslander said. “But his house is a dump.”Heuermann, married with a daughter and a stepson, is a licensed architect with a Manhattan-based firm that, according to its website, has done store buildouts and other renovations for major retailers, offices and apartments.“We’re happy to see that they’re finally active, the police, in accomplishing something. Let’s wait and see what it all leads to,” said John Ray, the attorney for the families of two other women whose remains were found, Shannan Gilbert and Jessica Taylor.Gilbert's disappearance in 2010 triggered the hunt that exposed the larger mystery. A 24-year-old sex worker, she vanished after leaving a client’s house on foot in the seafront community of Oak Beach, disappearing into the marsh.Months later, a police officer and his cadaver dog were looking for her body in the thicket along nearby Ocean Parkway when they happened upon the remains of a different woman. Within days, three other bodies were found, all within a short walk of one another.By spring 2011, that number had climbed to 10 sets of human remains — those of eight women, one man and one toddler. Some were later linked to dismembered body parts found elsewhere on Long Island, making for a puzzling crime scene that stretched from a park near the New York City limits to a resort community on Fire Island and out to far eastern Long Island.Gilbert’s body was found in December 2011, about 3 miles east of where the other 10 sets were discovered.___Balsamo reported from Washington. Associated Press contributors include Jennifer Peltz, Bobby Caina Calvan, Michael R. Sisak and researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York and Sarah Brumfield in Silver Spring, Maryland.

RIVERHEAD, N.Y. —

Rex Heuermann, who has lived for decades across a bay from where the remains were found, is charged with killing Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello. He is also considered the prime suspect in the death of a fourth woman whose body was bound and hidden in thick underbrush along a remote beach highway, authorities said.

Investigators have said over the years that it's unlikely one person killed all 11 victims.

Heuermann, 59, was arrested late Thursday amid a renewed investigation that first identified him as a suspect in March 2022, when detectives linked him to a pickup truck that a witness reported seeing when one of the victims disappeared in 2010.

In March, detectives tailing Heuermann recovered his DNA from pizza crust in a box that he discarded in a Manhattan trash can and matched it to a hair found on a restraint used in the killings, authorities said.

Heuermann’s lawyer entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf Friday in state court in Riverhead. Judge Richard Ambro ordered him jailed without bail, citing “the extreme depravity” of his alleged conduct.

Video above: Who is Gilgo Beach murder suspect Rex Heuermann?

Heuermann’s lawyer, Michael Brown, said they just learned about the charges Friday morning. Speaking to reporters after the arraignment, he said Heuermann told him: “I didn't do this.”

Heuermann, wearing khaki pants and a gray collared shirt, did not speak in court.

Heuermann lives in Massapequa Park, a community just north of South Oyster Bay and the sandy stretch known as Gilgo Beach where the remains were found in 2010 and 2011. Most of the victims were young women who had been sex workers. Their deaths long stumped investigators, a mystery that fueled immense public attention and led to a 2020 Netflix film, “Lost Girls.”

Determining who killed them, and why, vexed a slew of seasoned homicide detectives through several changes in police leadership. Last year an interagency task force was formed with investigators from the FBI, as well as state and local police departments, aimed at solving the case.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Rex Heuermann is a demon that walks among us — a predator that ruined families," Suffolk County police Commissioner Rodney Harrison said. “If not for the members of this task force, he would still be out on the streets today.”

After connecting Heuermann to the pickup, prosecutors said, investigators were able to link him to other evidence, including burner cellphones used to arrange meetings with the slain women, and taunting calls that a person claiming to be the killer made to one of Barthelemy’s relatives using her cellphone after she disappeared in 2009.

In recent months, Heuermann sought to keep tabs on the probe and “searched obsessively” on the internet for facts about the Gilgo Beach killings, including the names of women he’s accused of killing, as well as podcasts and documentaries about the case, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.

Tierney said authorities moved to charge Heuermann now with three of the killings “out of concern for this defendant fleeing and the danger to the community.” They are continuing to work toward charging him in the death of a fourth victim, Maureen Brainard-Barnes.

Video below: Family of Megan Waterman speaks out after suspected serial killer arrested

Until his arrest, Heuermann continued to use burner phones, patronize sex workers and search the internet for sadistic materials, including sexually exploitative images of children, Tierney said. He also has permits for 92 guns, the prosecutor said.

“This is a day that is a long time in coming, and hopefully a day that will bring peace to this community and to the families — peace that has been long overdue,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said during an unrelated appearance on Long Island.

The arrest came as a shock and a relief to some of the victims' relatives.

“I never thought they’d find this person,” Barthelemy's cousin, Amy Brotz, said.

Law enforcement personnel converged Friday morning on Heuermann's home, a small red house about 40 miles east of midtown Manhattan. Dozens of residents mingled alongside police and media, watching as a half-dozen investigators, some in protective suits, conferred outside the front porch, which was in disrepair, its roof propped up by 2-by-4s.

The home, where Heuermann has lived since childhood, belonged to a family that had long kept to themselves, neighbors said, noting that the dilapidated property seemed out of place among rows of single-family homes and well-kept lawns.

AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez

Crime laboratory officers arrive to the house where a suspect has been taken into custody on New York’s Long Island in connection with a long-unsolved string of killings, known as the Gilgo Beach murders, Friday, July 14, 2023, in Massapequa Park, N.Y.

Barry Auslander said the man who lived in the house commuted by train to New York City each morning, wearing a suit and tie and carrying a briefcase.

“It was weird. He looked like a businessman,” Auslander said. “But his house is a dump.”

Heuermann, married with a daughter and a stepson, is a licensed architect with a Manhattan-based firm that, according to its website, has done store buildouts and other renovations for major retailers, offices and apartments.

“We’re happy to see that they’re finally active, the police, in accomplishing something. Let’s wait and see what it all leads to,” said John Ray, the attorney for the families of two other women whose remains were found, Shannan Gilbert and Jessica Taylor.

APJohn Ray Law via AP

Jessica Taylor

Gilbert's disappearance in 2010 triggered the hunt that exposed the larger mystery. A 24-year-old sex worker, she vanished after leaving a client’s house on foot in the seafront community of Oak Beach, disappearing into the marsh.

Months later, a police officer and his cadaver dog were looking for her body in the thicket along nearby Ocean Parkway when they happened upon the remains of a different woman. Within days, three other bodies were found, all within a short walk of one another.

APJohn Ray Law via AP

Shannan Gilbert

By spring 2011, that number had climbed to 10 sets of human remains — those of eight women, one man and one toddler. Some were later linked to dismembered body parts found elsewhere on Long Island, making for a puzzling crime scene that stretched from a park near the New York City limits to a resort community on Fire Island and out to far eastern Long Island.

Gilbert’s body was found in December 2011, about 3 miles east of where the other 10 sets were discovered.

___

Balsamo reported from Washington. Associated Press contributors include Jennifer Peltz, Bobby Caina Calvan, Michael R. Sisak and researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York and Sarah Brumfield in Silver Spring, Maryland.

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North Dakota officer killed in shooting that also left suspect dead

cincylink — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 01:27:30 +0000

One police officer died and two others were critically injured after a suspect began shooting on a busy street in Fargo, North Dakota, on Friday afternoon, police said.Officers returning fire killed the suspect during the shooting that occurred before 3 p.m. A civilian also was seriously wounded, police said in a late-night statement that provided no details on a possible motive.The Fargo Police Department said the investigation is ongoing and withheld the identities of the officers and the suspect pending notification of their families.North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley said the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation was working with federal, state and local law enforcement in response to a “shooting incident” but provided no details.Fargo police will provide more details during a press conference scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Fargo City Hall, said Gregg Schildberger, the city's chief communications officer.“We sincerely are asking for your patience and our community’s patience and understanding as the Fargo Police Department works through this incident,” Schildberger said Friday evening.“This is very difficult on all of us," Schildberger said. "We appreciate all the messages from the community that have been given to us in support of our officers.”Sanford Medical Center Fargo spokesperson Paul Heinert said in an email that the hospital received patients stemming from the shooting and updates on their conditions would come from the Fargo police.Multiple witnesses said a man opened fire on the police officers before other officers shot him. Shortly afterward, officers converged on a residential area about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) away and evacuated residents while gathering what they said was evidence related to the shooting.Witnesses reported seeing and hearing gunshots in the area. Shannon Nichole told KFGO Radio she was driving at the time.“I saw the traffic stop and as soon as I drove, shots were fired and I saw the cops go down,” Nichole said. “My airbag went off and the bullet went through my driver’s door.”A man grabbed her and said they needed to get out of the area, Nichole said.Chenoa Peterson told The Associated Press that she was driving with her 22-year-old daughter when a man pulled out a gun and began firing at police: “He proceeds to aim it and you just hear the bullets go off, and I’m like, ‘Oh, my God! He’s shooting!’”Peterson’s first instinct was to pull over and try to help, but having her daughter there convinced her to leave. “It’s weird knowing that if you were 10 seconds earlier you could have been in that,” she said.Surveillance video provided by Fargo resident Allison Carlson captured the rapid sounds of gunfire.Bo Thi was working alone at a nail salon near the shooting scene when she heard what sounded like fireworks or a motorcycle backfiring. She said gunshots didn’t cross her mind at the time.Police and other agencies across the region posted sympathies for Fargo police on Facebook.“Thinking of our brothers and sisters in Fargo,” a post from the South Dakota Fraternal Order of Police said.The Glenwood Fire Department in Minnesota posted, “Please keep the blue lights shining to show our support of not only our local law enforcement, but also those affected by todays events!”___Ballentine reported from Columbia, Missouri. Associated Press writers Lisa Baumann in Bellingham, Washington, and Alina Hartounian in Phoenix contributed to this report.

One police officer died and two others were critically injured after a suspect began shooting on a busy street in Fargo, North Dakota, on Friday afternoon, police said.

Officers returning fire killed the suspect during the shooting that occurred before 3 p.m. A civilian also was seriously wounded, police said in a late-night statement that provided no details on a possible motive.

The Fargo Police Department said the investigation is ongoing and withheld the identities of the officers and the suspect pending notification of their families.

North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley said the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation was working with federal, state and local law enforcement in response to a “shooting incident” but provided no details.

Fargo police will provide more details during a press conference scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Fargo City Hall, said Gregg Schildberger, the city's chief communications officer.

“We sincerely are asking for your patience and our community’s patience and understanding as the Fargo Police Department works through this incident,” Schildberger said Friday evening.

“This is very difficult on all of us," Schildberger said. "We appreciate all the messages from the community that have been given to us in support of our officers.”

Sanford Medical Center Fargo spokesperson Paul Heinert said in an email that the hospital received patients stemming from the shooting and updates on their conditions would come from the Fargo police.

Multiple witnesses said a man opened fire on the police officers before other officers shot him. Shortly afterward, officers converged on a residential area about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) away and evacuated residents while gathering what they said was evidence related to the shooting.

Witnesses reported seeing and hearing gunshots in the area. Shannon Nichole told KFGO Radio she was driving at the time.

“I saw the traffic stop and as soon as I drove, shots were fired and I saw the cops go down,” Nichole said. “My airbag went off and the bullet went through my driver’s door.”

A man grabbed her and said they needed to get out of the area, Nichole said.

Chenoa Peterson told The Associated Press that she was driving with her 22-year-old daughter when a man pulled out a gun and began firing at police: “He proceeds to aim it and you just hear the bullets go off, and I’m like, ‘Oh, my God! He’s shooting!’”

Peterson’s first instinct was to pull over and try to help, but having her daughter there convinced her to leave. “It’s weird knowing that if you were 10 seconds earlier you could have been in that,” she said.

Surveillance video provided by Fargo resident Allison Carlson captured the rapid sounds of gunfire.

Bo Thi was working alone at a nail salon near the shooting scene when she heard what sounded like fireworks or a motorcycle backfiring. She said gunshots didn’t cross her mind at the time.

Police and other agencies across the region posted sympathies for Fargo police on Facebook.

“Thinking of our brothers and sisters in Fargo,” a post from the South Dakota Fraternal Order of Police said.

The Glenwood Fire Department in Minnesota posted, “Please keep the blue lights shining to show our support of not only our local law enforcement, but also those affected by todays events!”

___

Ballentine reported from Columbia, Missouri. Associated Press writers Lisa Baumann in Bellingham, Washington, and Alina Hartounian in Phoenix contributed to this report.

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National coverage of June 7 primary night

cincylink — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 10:28:32 +0000

Tuesday, June 7, is the busiest day of the 2022 primary season, as seven states head to the polls.Voters in California, New Jersey, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Dakota, Montana and Iowa are deciding which candidates will face off in November's general election.Here are live updates of results, breaking news and emerging storylines from races in all seven states:2:00 a.m. ETDemocrat Rudy Salas advances to November general election in California's 22nd Congressional District.1:30 a.m. ETSan Francisco residents voted Tuesday to recall progressive District Attorney Chesa Boudin following a heated campaign that captivated the country and bitterly divided Democrats over crime, policing and public safety reform in the famously liberal city.1:15 a.m. ETDemocrat Jay Chen advances to November general election in California's 45th Congressional District.12:45 a.m. ETRepublican U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo of Mississippi was forced into a runoff Tuesday after a congressional ethics watchdog raised questions about his campaign spending and he faced his largest-ever field of primary challengers.12:10 a.m. ETIn a highly-anticipated vote, San Francisco has ousted progressive District Attorney Chesa Boudin in a heated recall that divided Democrats over crime.12:00 a.m. ETThe AP is reporting that Republican Brian Dahle will advance to November's general election for California governor to face Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.Video below: CA Secretary of State explains why some races won’t be called Tuesday night11:50 p.m. ETBob Healey has been declared the winner of the Republican primary for U.S. House in New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District.In California's 8th Congressional District, Democrat John Garamendi will advance to November's general election.11:40 p.m. ETDemocratic Rep. Scott Peters will advance to November's general election in California's 50th Congressional District, according to the AP. As will Republican Rep. Darrell Issa in California's 48th Congressional District, Democratic Rep. Sara Jacobs in the 51st Congressional District and Democratic Rep. Julia Brownley in the 26th Congressional District. Tim Alexander has also won the Democratic nomination for U.S. House in New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District.11:15 p.m. ETThe AP has officially called two of the more expected results of the night.California Gov. Gavin Newsom has secured a spot on the ballot in November's general election.The embattled Democratic politician, who fought off a recall attempt in 2021, does not know his opponent yet, but early results indicate it could be Republican Brian Dahle, though it's too early to call.Video below: California Voters talk about what issues matter to themAdditionally, Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla has also advanced to November. Padilla, who was appointed by Newsom to fill the seat vacated by Vice President Kamala Harris, is still awaiting his opponent as well. Early returns point to Republican Mark Meuser snagging that second spot. 11:00 p.m. ETPolls have closed in the final state of the night: California.10:45 p.m. ETThe AP has called a slew of House races across the country.Thomas Kean Jr. has won the Republican nomination for U.S. House in New Jersey's 7th Congressional District, setting up a November match-up with vulnerable Rep. Tom Malinowski, who is seen as a top target by the GOP in 2022.Also, Zach Nunn has secured the Republican nomination for U.S. House in Iowa's 3rd Congressional District, Susan Kiley won the Republican nomination in New Jersey's 6th Congressional District, Rep. Matt Rosendale won the Republican primary in Montana's newly created 2nd Congressional District and Rep. Dusty Johnson will once again be the Republican nominee for U.S. House in South Dakota.Video below: Zach Nunn 'honored' to win GOP primary 10:35 p.m. ETIncumbent GOP Rep. Steve Palazzo is headed to a primary runoff in Mississippi's 4th Congressional District.Recently, Palazzo has been in hot water after the Office of Congressional Ethics reported in 2020 that there was “substantial reason to believe” the six-term congressman had misused campaign funds for personal expenses.Right now, Palazzo's runoff opponent — which will take place on June 28 — is unknown. Only a few hundred votes currently separate challengers Mike Ezell and Clay Wagner.10:15 p.m. ETThe AP is reporting that Michael Franken has won the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Iowa, nabbing the opportunity to face Sen. Chuck Grassley.Video below: Franken wins Democratic nomination for U.S. SenateFranken defeated former U.S. Rep. Abby Finkenauer, who earlier in the race was seen as the frontrunner for the nomination. Now, Franken is hoping to convince Iowans it is time to move on from the 88-year-old Grassley and tap into the state's moderate reputation.10:00 p.m. ETPolls have closed in Montana.A flurry of races were also called at 10 p.m., including David Pinckney for Republican nominee in New Jersey's 10th Congressional District, Gabriel Vasquez for Democratic nominee in New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District, Johnny DuPree for Democratic nominee in Mississippi's 4th Congressional District and Rep. Jeff Van Drew for Republican nominee in New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District.Additionally, Robert Menendez is the winner of the Democratic primary for the U.S. House in New Jersey's 8th Congressional District. Menendez is the son of current U.S. Sen. Robert Menedez. 9:40 p.m. ETMark Ronchetti, a former television meteorologist, has secured the Republican nomination for governor of New Mexico, according to the AP.Ronchetti, a former candidate for Senate who lost to Sen. Ben Ray Luján in 2020, will face Democratic incumbent Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who ran unopposed in her party's primary.Video player above: Mark Ronchetti declared winner of Republican governor's racePlus, two more races have been called in New Jersey — Claire Gustafson and Christopher Smith will be the Republican nominees for the state's 1st and 4th districts, respectively. Gustafson will face and look to unseat Rep. Donald Norcross, who won the Democratic nomination earlier in the night. 9:30 p.m. ETFacing his first primary challenge since 1980, Sen. Chuck Grassley has won the Republican nomination, staving off state Sen. Jim Carlin.The 88-year-old Grassley is looking to lock up his eighth term as senator in Iowa.Video below: Grassley defeats Jim Carlin for shot at 8th Senate termAlso, Donald Payne Jr. is the winner of the Democratic nomination for U.S. House in New Jersey's 10th Congressional District, according to the AP.9:20 p.m. ETTwo GOP heavyweights in South Dakota have been declared early primary winners by the AP: Sen. John Thune and Gov. Kristi Noem.Both incumbents had to stave off challenges from opponents on their political right, highlighting the emerging energy of the far-right activist wing of the Republican party.Also, in Mississippi, House stalwart and Jan. 6 committee chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson has won the Democratic nomination in Mississippi's 2nd Congressional District.Thompson's seat is believed to be safe in November's general election.9:10 p.m. ETRep. Trent Kelly is the winner of the Republican primary for the U.S. House in Mississippi's 1st Congressional District, according to the AP.Kelly defeated Mark Strauss, a former Libertarian candidate in Mississippi's 2nd Congressional District.Additionally, the AP is reporting that Dianne Black has won the Democratic nomination in Mississippi's 1st Congressional District.Kelly and Black will face in November's general election.9:00 p.m. ETThe polls have closed in Iowa, New Mexico and South Dakota. 8:55 p.m. ETThe AP is reporting that Rep. Andy Kim has won the Democratic nomination for U.S. House in New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District.The two-term congressman's district stretches from the suburbs right outside Philadelphia to the Jersey Shore, and, according to Politico, is likely to lean Democratic in the general election.8:45 p.m. ETThe second race of the night to be called by AP is the Democratic primary in New Jersey's 1st Congressional District, which goes to incumbent Rep. Donald Norcross.Norcross has held the seat since 2014.8:30 p.m. ETTom Malinowski wins the Democratic nomination for U.S. House in New Jersey's 7th Congressional District, according to the Associated Press.Malinowski's seat is being heavily targeted by the GOP in November. The two-term congressman won by less than a point in 2020, and with redistricting, the district has become redder in 2022.The favorite to be his opponent in the general election is Thomas Kean Jr., the former minority leader of the state senate, who is backed by GOP stalwarts like former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.8:00 p.m. ETThe first polls of the night have closed in New Jersey and Mississippi. All four of Mississippi's House seats were on the ballot Tuesday night, while New Jersey voters were picking candidates for 12 seats.

Tuesday, June 7, is the busiest day of the 2022 primary season, as seven states head to the polls.

Voters in California, New Jersey, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Dakota, Montana and Iowa are deciding which candidates will face off in November's general election.

Here are live updates of results, breaking news and emerging storylines from races in all seven states:

2:00 a.m. ET

Democrat Rudy Salas advances to November general election in California's 22nd Congressional District.

1:30 a.m. ET

San Francisco residents voted Tuesday to recall progressive District Attorney Chesa Boudin following a heated campaign that captivated the country and bitterly divided Democrats over crime, policing and public safety reform in the famously liberal city.

1:15 a.m. ET

Democrat Jay Chen advances to November general election in California's 45th Congressional District.

12:45 a.m. ET

Republican U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo of Mississippi was forced into a runoff Tuesday after a congressional ethics watchdog raised questions about his campaign spending and he faced his largest-ever field of primary challengers.

12:10 a.m. ET

In a highly-anticipated vote, San Francisco has ousted progressive District Attorney Chesa Boudin in a heated recall that divided Democrats over crime.

12:00 a.m. ET

The AP is reporting that Republican Brian Dahle will advance to November's general election for California governor to face Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Video below: CA Secretary of State explains why some races won’t be called Tuesday night

11:50 p.m. ET

Bob Healey has been declared the winner of the Republican primary for U.S. House in New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District.

In California's 8th Congressional District, Democrat John Garamendi will advance to November's general election.

11:40 p.m. ET

Democratic Rep. Scott Peters will advance to November's general election in California's 50th Congressional District, according to the AP. As will Republican Rep. Darrell Issa in California's 48th Congressional District, Democratic Rep. Sara Jacobs in the 51st Congressional District and Democratic Rep. Julia Brownley in the 26th Congressional District.

Tim Alexander has also won the Democratic nomination for U.S. House in New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District.

11:15 p.m. ET

The AP has officially called two of the more expected results of the night.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has secured a spot on the ballot in November's general election.

The embattled Democratic politician, who fought off a recall attempt in 2021, does not know his opponent yet, but early results indicate it could be Republican Brian Dahle, though it's too early to call.

Video below: California Voters talk about what issues matter to them

Additionally, Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla has also advanced to November. Padilla, who was appointed by Newsom to fill the seat vacated by Vice President Kamala Harris, is still awaiting his opponent as well. Early returns point to Republican Mark Meuser snagging that second spot.

11:00 p.m. ET

Polls have closed in the final state of the night: California.

10:45 p.m. ET

The AP has called a slew of House races across the country.

Thomas Kean Jr. has won the Republican nomination for U.S. House in New Jersey's 7th Congressional District, setting up a November match-up with vulnerable Rep. Tom Malinowski, who is seen as a top target by the GOP in 2022.

Also, Zach Nunn has secured the Republican nomination for U.S. House in Iowa's 3rd Congressional District, Susan Kiley won the Republican nomination in New Jersey's 6th Congressional District, Rep. Matt Rosendale won the Republican primary in Montana's newly created 2nd Congressional District and Rep. Dusty Johnson will once again be the Republican nominee for U.S. House in South Dakota.

Video below: Zach Nunn 'honored' to win GOP primary

10:35 p.m. ET

Incumbent GOP Rep. Steve Palazzo is headed to a primary runoff in Mississippi's 4th Congressional District.

Recently, Palazzo has been in hot water after the Office of Congressional Ethics reported in 2020 that there was “substantial reason to believe” the six-term congressman had misused campaign funds for personal expenses.

Right now, Palazzo's runoff opponent — which will take place on June 28 — is unknown. Only a few hundred votes currently separate challengers Mike Ezell and Clay Wagner.

10:15 p.m. ET

The AP is reporting that Michael Franken has won the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Iowa, nabbing the opportunity to face Sen. Chuck Grassley.

Video below: Franken wins Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate

Franken defeated former U.S. Rep. Abby Finkenauer, who earlier in the race was seen as the frontrunner for the nomination.

Now, Franken is hoping to convince Iowans it is time to move on from the 88-year-old Grassley and tap into the state's moderate reputation.

10:00 p.m. ET

Polls have closed in Montana.

A flurry of races were also called at 10 p.m., including David Pinckney for Republican nominee in New Jersey's 10th Congressional District, Gabriel Vasquez for Democratic nominee in New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District, Johnny DuPree for Democratic nominee in Mississippi's 4th Congressional District and Rep. Jeff Van Drew for Republican nominee in New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District.

Additionally, Robert Menendez is the winner of the Democratic primary for the U.S. House in New Jersey's 8th Congressional District.

Menendez is the son of current U.S. Sen. Robert Menedez.

9:40 p.m. ET

Mark Ronchetti, a former television meteorologist, has secured the Republican nomination for governor of New Mexico, according to the AP.

Ronchetti, a former candidate for Senate who lost to Sen. Ben Ray Luján in 2020, will face Democratic incumbent Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who ran unopposed in her party's primary.

Video player above: Mark Ronchetti declared winner of Republican governor's race

Plus, two more races have been called in New Jersey — Claire Gustafson and Christopher Smith will be the Republican nominees for the state's 1st and 4th districts, respectively.

Gustafson will face and look to unseat Rep. Donald Norcross, who won the Democratic nomination earlier in the night.

9:30 p.m. ET

Facing his first primary challenge since 1980, Sen. Chuck Grassley has won the Republican nomination, staving off state Sen. Jim Carlin.

The 88-year-old Grassley is looking to lock up his eighth term as senator in Iowa.

Video below: Grassley defeats Jim Carlin for shot at 8th Senate term

Also, Donald Payne Jr. is the winner of the Democratic nomination for U.S. House in New Jersey's 10th Congressional District, according to the AP.

9:20 p.m. ET

Two GOP heavyweights in South Dakota have been declared early primary winners by the AP: Sen. John Thune and Gov. Kristi Noem.

Both incumbents had to stave off challenges from opponents on their political right, highlighting the emerging energy of the far-right activist wing of the Republican party.

Also, in Mississippi, House stalwart and Jan. 6 committee chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson has won the Democratic nomination in Mississippi's 2nd Congressional District.

Thompson's seat is believed to be safe in November's general election.

9:10 p.m. ET

Rep. Trent Kelly is the winner of the Republican primary for the U.S. House in Mississippi's 1st Congressional District, according to the AP.

Kelly defeated Mark Strauss, a former Libertarian candidate in Mississippi's 2nd Congressional District.

Additionally, the AP is reporting that Dianne Black has won the Democratic nomination in Mississippi's 1st Congressional District.

Kelly and Black will face in November's general election.

9:00 p.m. ET

The polls have closed in Iowa, New Mexico and South Dakota.

8:55 p.m. ET

The AP is reporting that Rep. Andy Kim has won the Democratic nomination for U.S. House in New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District.

The two-term congressman's district stretches from the suburbs right outside Philadelphia to the Jersey Shore, and, according to Politico, is likely to lean Democratic in the general election.

8:45 p.m. ET

The second race of the night to be called by AP is the Democratic primary in New Jersey's 1st Congressional District, which goes to incumbent Rep. Donald Norcross.

Norcross has held the seat since 2014.

8:30 p.m. ET

Tom Malinowski wins the Democratic nomination for U.S. House in New Jersey's 7th Congressional District, according to the Associated Press.

Malinowski's seat is being heavily targeted by the GOP in November. The two-term congressman won by less than a point in 2020, and with redistricting, the district has become redder in 2022.

The favorite to be his opponent in the general election is Thomas Kean Jr., the former minority leader of the state senate, who is backed by GOP stalwarts like former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

8:00 p.m. ET

The first polls of the night have closed in New Jersey and Mississippi.

All four of Mississippi's House seats were on the ballot Tuesday night, while New Jersey voters were picking candidates for 12 seats.

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Dog who saved owner in Northern California mountain lion attack dies

cincylink — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 10:28:13 +0000

UNDER INVESTIGATION. FISH AND WILDLIFE STAFF ARE HO PING TO TRACK DOWN A MOUNTAIN LION. THEY SAY ATTACKED A WOMAN AND HER DOG WHILE THEYER WE ON A WALK WILDLIFE OFFICERSAY S IT HAPPENED IN TRINITY COUNTY MONDAY ANGLO HIGHWAY 299 NEAR BIG BAR AND FISH AND WILDLIFE OFFICIALS. SAY THE WOMAN AND HER DOG WERE ON A PATH WHEN THE MOUNTAIN LION SWIPED AT HER SHOULDER HER DOG GOT INTO A FIGHT WITH THE MOUNTAIN. IR,ON THE WOMAN FLAGGED A PASSERBY WHO ENDED UP HITTING THE MOUNTAIN LION WITH A PVC PIPE UNTIL THE DOG WAS LET GO NOW THE DOG WAS TAKEN TO THE VET. THE WOMAN SUFFERED BITE WOUNDS SCRATCH. BRUISES AND ABRASIONS. SHE’S EXPECTED TO RECOVER FISH AND WILDLIFE SAYS DNA WILL BE TAKEN FROM THE VICTIMS AND THE DOGS WOUND

Dog who saved owner in Northern California mountain lion attack dies

The story of Eva — a Belgian shepherd who protected her owner from a mountain lion attack last month — drew attention from media outlets across the nation and prompted an outpouring of emotional and financial support from readers.Unfortunately, those who donated to help save the dog were in for a heartbreaking update this morning. Over the last several days, Eva's condition deteriorated, and yesterday she slipped into a coma."We said goodbye," owner Erin Wilson wrote on the GoFundMe page this morning announcing her passing. "We love you Eva."Wilson, 24, an avid outdoorsman, had been on a short walk with Eva in mid-May off Highway 299 in Trinity County, some 300 miles north of San Francisco when the mountain lion attacked Wilson. Responding to Wilson's call for help, Eva had turned the predator's attention on herself, and the cat locked its jaws over the 2-year-old dog's head, refusing to let go."The woman attempted to throw rocks, tug, pull, and even attempted to gouge the eyes out of the lion, to no avail," California Department of Fish and Wildlife Capt. Patrick Foy wrote in an email.Desperate to free her dog, Wilson flagged down passing motorist Sharon Houston, and using pepper spray and a piece of a PVC pipe, the two women managed to fight off the mountain lion. Wilson rushed Eva to the hospital, where the dog received care for her grave injuries, including two skull fractures, a punctured sinus cavity and severe damage to her left eye. Readers moved by Eva's story donated more than $30,000 to help with the dog's treatmentOver the last several weeks, Eva appeared to be recovering. According to a GoFundMe post on May 18, she was walking and climbing into her humans' laps, playing outside and eating soft foods. "There was pep in her step," Wilson wrote.But on June 5, the dog began having seizures and experiencing inflammation in her brain, and yesterday while being treated at UC Davis Veterinary Hospital, she slipped into a coma. If the inflammation had come down, the dog could have been operated on, Wilson wrote. But a CT scan revealed that the situation was grim, and ultimately the dog succumbed to her injuries."Goodbye my beautiful sweet girl," Wilson posted on Eva's Instagram page. "You are my world, my light, my best friend. The world is a much darker place."CDFW searched for the mountain lion for a week, but came up empty, Foy wrote in an email. It has not been seen since the attack.

Unfortunately, those who donated to help save the dog were in for a heartbreaking update this morning. Over the last several days, Eva's condition deteriorated, and yesterday she slipped into a coma.

"We said goodbye," owner Erin Wilson wrote on the GoFundMe page this morning announcing her passing. "We love you Eva."

Wilson, 24, an avid outdoorsman, had been on a short walk with Eva in mid-May off Highway 299 in Trinity County, some 300 miles north of San Francisco when the mountain lion attacked Wilson. Responding to Wilson's call for help, Eva had turned the predator's attention on herself, and the cat locked its jaws over the 2-year-old dog's head, refusing to let go.

"The woman attempted to throw rocks, tug, pull, and even attempted to gouge the eyes out of the lion, to no avail," California Department of Fish and Wildlife Capt. Patrick Foy wrote in an email.

Desperate to free her dog, Wilson flagged down passing motorist Sharon Houston, and using pepper spray and a piece of a PVC pipe, the two women managed to fight off the mountain lion. Wilson rushed Eva to the hospital, where the dog received care for her grave injuries, including two skull fractures, a punctured sinus cavity and severe damage to her left eye. Readers moved by Eva's story donated more than $30,000 to help with the dog's treatment

Over the last several weeks, Eva appeared to be recovering. According to a GoFundMe post on May 18, she was walking and climbing into her humans' laps, playing outside and eating soft foods. "There was pep in her step," Wilson wrote.

But on June 5, the dog began having seizures and experiencing inflammation in her brain, and yesterday while being treated at UC Davis Veterinary Hospital, she slipped into a coma. If the inflammation had come down, the dog could have been operated on, Wilson wrote. But a CT scan revealed that the situation was grim, and ultimately the dog succumbed to her injuries.

"Goodbye my beautiful sweet girl," Wilson posted on Eva's Instagram page. "You are my world, my light, my best friend. The world is a much darker place."

CDFW searched for the mountain lion for a week, but came up empty, Foy wrote in an email. It has not been seen since the attack.

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Rudy Giuliani faces ethics charges over Trump election role

cincylink — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 10:06:32 +0000

Rudy Giuliani, one of Donald Trump's primary lawyers during the then-president's failed efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, must now answer to professional ethics charges, the latest career slap after law license suspensions in New York and the District of Columbia. The Office of Disciplinary Counsel, the disciplinary branch of the District of Columbia Bar, filed the charges against the former federal prosecutor and New York mayor alleging that he promoted unsubstantiated voter fraud claims in Pennsylvania. The action was filed June 6 and became public Friday.At issue are claims Giuliani made in supporting a Trump campaign lawsuit seeking to overturn the election results in Pennsylvania. That suit, which sought to invalidate as many as 1.5 million mail-in ballots, was dismissed by courts. The counsel's office said Giuliani's conduct violated Pennsylvania Rules of Professional Conduct "in that he brought a proceeding and asserted issues therein without a non-frivolous basis in law and fact for doing so" and "that he engaged in conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice." The counsel asked that the D.C. Court of Appeals Board on Professional Responsibility take up the matter. Giuliani has 20 days to respond, according to the filing. An attempt Saturday to reach a lawyer for Giuliani was unsuccessful. The step is the latest against Giuliani for his role in Trump's debunked claims that the 2020 presidential election was fraudulent.Last June, an appeals court suspended him from practicing law in New York because he made false statements while trying to get courts to overturn Trump's loss. An attorney disciplinary committee had asked the court to suspend his license on the grounds that he had violated professional conduct rules as he promoted theories that the election was stolen through fraud. The D.C. Bar temporarily suspended him last July although the practical implication of that action is questionable, given that Giuliani's law license in Washington has been inactive since 2002. News of the counsel's action follows the first public hearing by the House committee investigating the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. Giuliani met for hours with the committee last month.

WASHINGTON —

The Office of Disciplinary Counsel, the disciplinary branch of the District of Columbia Bar, filed the charges against the former federal prosecutor and New York mayor alleging that he promoted unsubstantiated voter fraud claims in Pennsylvania. The action was filed June 6 and became public Friday.

At issue are claims Giuliani made in supporting a Trump campaign lawsuit seeking to overturn the election results in Pennsylvania. That suit, which sought to invalidate as many as 1.5 million mail-in ballots, was dismissed by courts.

The counsel's office said Giuliani's conduct violated Pennsylvania Rules of Professional Conduct "in that he brought a proceeding and asserted issues therein without a non-frivolous basis in law and fact for doing so" and "that he engaged in conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice."

The counsel asked that the D.C. Court of Appeals Board on Professional Responsibility take up the matter. Giuliani has 20 days to respond, according to the filing. An attempt Saturday to reach a lawyer for Giuliani was unsuccessful.

The step is the latest against Giuliani for his role in Trump's debunked claims that the 2020 presidential election was fraudulent.

Last June, an appeals court suspended him from practicing law in New York because he made false statements while trying to get courts to overturn Trump's loss. An attorney disciplinary committee had asked the court to suspend his license on the grounds that he had violated professional conduct rules as he promoted theories that the election was stolen through fraud.

The D.C. Bar temporarily suspended him last July although the practical implication of that action is questionable, given that Giuliani's law license in Washington has been inactive since 2002.

News of the counsel's action follows the first public hearing by the House committee investigating the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. Giuliani met for hours with the committee last month.

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A migrant caravan of almost seven thousand people in southern Mexico has been dissolved

cincylink — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 10:06:30 +0000

Mexican immigration authorities have dissolved a caravan of almost 7,000 people that had departed the southern city of Tapachula and was headed to Mexico City, according to a statement released on Saturday by the Mexican National Institute of Migration (INM).The migrants were given a migratory document that accredits their regular stay in Mexico, according to the INM.Mexico's immigration authority held talks with spokespeople for the caravan and representatives from Central America, Venezuela, Haiti, and other countries.The INM said, "with the agreements reached thanks to our talks, migrants are prevented from being victims of criminals who are dedicated to human trafficking or traffickers who expose the migrants to unsafe conditions."Many of the migrants are from Venezuela, and many of them are families with children. There are at least three different groups divided among the cities of Huixtla, Mapastepec, and Escuintla in the Mexican state of Chiapas. A large number of them are still waiting to process migration documents to continue their journey to the U.S.The Human Rights Watch released a report on June 6, stating that migrants and asylum-seekers who enter Mexico through its southern border face abuses and struggle to obtain protection or legal status.Most migrants and asylum-seekers said they do not attempt to request protection at an official border crossing, fearing agents from the INM would deport them, according to the HRW report.Some migrants and asylum-seekers told the HRW that "they sought protection at the border and were turned away by INM agents or security guards. Many said INM agents dissuaded them from seeking refugee status in Mexico and pressured them to accept voluntary returns to their countries."

The migrants were given a migratory document that accredits their regular stay in Mexico, according to the INM.

Mexico's immigration authority held talks with spokespeople for the caravan and representatives from Central America, Venezuela, Haiti, and other countries.

The INM said, "with the agreements reached thanks to our talks, migrants are prevented from being victims of criminals who are dedicated to human trafficking or traffickers who expose the migrants to unsafe conditions."

Many of the migrants are from Venezuela, and many of them are families with children. There are at least three different groups divided among the cities of Huixtla, Mapastepec, and Escuintla in the Mexican state of Chiapas. A large number of them are still waiting to process migration documents to continue their journey to the U.S.

The Human Rights Watch released a report on June 6, stating that migrants and asylum-seekers who enter Mexico through its southern border face abuses and struggle to obtain protection or legal status.

Most migrants and asylum-seekers said they do not attempt to request protection at an official border crossing, fearing agents from the INM would deport them, according to the HRW report.

Some migrants and asylum-seekers told the HRW that "they sought protection at the border and were turned away by INM agents or security guards. Many said INM agents dissuaded them from seeking refugee status in Mexico and pressured them to accept voluntary returns to their countries."

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National coverage of primary night in 4 states

cincylink — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 09:37:33 +0000

Live Updates: National coverage of primary night in 4 states

mcnd – Cincy Link

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Long Island serial killings suspect in custody, AP source says

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Dog who saved owner in Northern California mountain lion attack dies

Rudy Giuliani faces ethics charges over Trump election role

A migrant caravan of almost seven thousand people in southern Mexico has been dissolved

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