MLB standings ordered by hard hit rate: Struggling Cardinals still cracking bats
The Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals are at opposite ends of the MLB standings, but both teams are cracking bats at the plate.The Aug. 1 trade deadline is just over a week away, which means every team is keeping an especially close eye on the MLB standings. While some teams sit comfortably...
1970-01-01 08:00
White House sets up new pandemic preparedness office
The Biden administration will centre White House efforts to address threats of various transmissible diseases, pathogens and other biological agents in a new permanent office headed by a member of the National Security Council (NSC). The White House announced the creation of the Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy (OPPR) on Friday. OPPR will be “charged with leading, coordinating, and implementing actions related to preparedness for, and response to, known and unknown biological threats or pathogens that could lead to a pandemic or to significant public health-related disruptions in the United States”, according to a handout. The new office will shift the White House’s Covid reponse efforts from a standalone team to a broader group that will include experts working on a number of different potential “public health-related disruptions”, including new variants of the influenza (common flu) virus. “Under President Biden’s leadership, the Administration has taken significant steps to ensure all individuals have continued access to lifesaving protections such as vaccines, treatments, and tests, and that the nation is well prepared to manage the risks of COVID-19 or other causes of potential pandemics in the future,” a White House statement read. The office’s inaugural director will be Major General (retired) Paul Friedrichs, special assistant to President Biden and the Senior Director for Global Health Security and Biodefense on the National Security Council. The new office comes three months after Mr Biden formally ended the national emergency declaration over the pandemic. More than 1.1 million Americans have died from Covid since it first emerged in the US in early 2020. Mr Biden lobbied Congress against passing the resolution to end the national emergency but nevertheless signed the bipartisan piece of legislation when it hit his desk in April. The president had previously declared the Covid pandemic “over” in 2022, telling CBS’s 60 Minutes: “We still have a problem with Covid. We're still doing a lot of work on it. But the pandemic is over. If you notice, no one's wearing masks.” Read More The fight over Alabama's congressional redistricting now shifts back to federal court DeSantis downplays Jan. 6, says it wasn't an insurrection but a 'protest' that 'ended up devolving' Biden names CIA Director William Burns to his Cabinet
1970-01-01 08:00
MLB Rumors: Nolan Arenado trade condition, Padres open for business, AL East trade tactics
MLB Rumors: Padres ready to shop stars barring unforeseen turnaroundAs the trade deadline approaches, the buyer and seller markets are starting to become more distinct. Let's take a look at a team from the NL West, shall we?The San Diego Padres currently sit in fourth place with a 48-52 r...
1970-01-01 08:00
Jack Smith has contacted Georgia Governor Brian Kemp over Trump’s effort to overturn 2020 election
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has given insight into the possible scope of special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation of Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The Republican governor - who survived a Trump-backed attempt to oust him from office last year - told USA Today on Sunday that Mr Smith’s office had contacted him. However it is unclear what stage Mr Smith’s investigation has reached or whether Mr Kemp’s office had provided, or agreed to provide, evidence or testimony. “Our office has been contacted by Jack Smith’s office,” the governor’s spokesman said. Mr Kemp’s office declined to comment further when contacted byThe Independent. News of Mr Smith’s communications with Mr Kemp comes a week after his office reportedly delivered a target letter to Mr Trump’s legal team, a sign that charges are being prepared. The Department of Justice (DoJ) has indicated that the twice-impeached, twice-indicted former president is central to its investigation into the January 6 attack on the US Capitol and the broader effort by the Trump campaign to overturn the election. Mr Trump, who is running for re-election in 2024, announced the arrival of that letter on his Truth Social social media platform two days after he supposedly received it. “On Sunday night, while I was with my family...HORRIFYING NEWS for our country was given to me by my attorneys,” he wrote. “Deranged Jack Smith...sent a letter (again, it was Sunday night!) stating that I am a TARGET of the January 6th Grand Jury investigation, and giving me a very short 4 days to report to the Grand Jury, which almost always means an Arrest and Indictment.” The Independent reported, citing sources familiar with the matter, that the letter delivered to Mr Trump informed him that the DoJ is considering charging him with conspiracy to defraud the United States; obstruction of an official proceeding and deprivation of civil rights under colour of law. It set a deadline of midnight on Thursday for Mr Trump to report to the grand jury and declare whether he would testify or offer his own evidence during the pre-trial stage of the investigation. Sources have also told The Independent that an indictment could come anytime, now that deadline has passed. Mr Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election were far from limited to Georgia. His campaign is known to have supported slates of false electors in other states where Mr Trump lost to Joe Biden including Arizona and Wisconsin. For weeks Mr Smith and the DoJ have been largely silent about the status of the Jan 6 investigation which has already led to the conviction of hundreds of rioters. If Mr Trump faces trial, it would almost certainly take place during the 2024 election cycle. A separate trial of the former president, involving the alleged illegal retention of classified materials and presidential records, is set to take place next spring. Read More Nervous Republicans turn to New Hampshire in hopes of stopping Trump The fight over Alabama's congressional redistricting now shifts back to federal court Capitol riot defendant gets probation after rare setback for prosecutors at Oath Keepers trial DeSantis defends Florida curriculum that suggests slaves benefited from forced labour Florida man pleads guilty over Jan 6 riot as state’s governor Ron DeSantis insists there was no insurrection Trump legal team tries again to block Georgia election interference grand jury probe
1970-01-01 08:00
Chevron Posts $6 Billion Quarterly Earnings, Beating Estimates
Chevron Corp. reported second-quarter earnings of $6.01 billion, beating analyst estimates. The figures, while down 48% from the
1970-01-01 08:00
US Economic Soft Landing Hinges on Fed’s Tolerance of Inflation
Rising hopes of a soft landing for the US economy likely hinge on the Federal Reserve’s willingness to
1970-01-01 08:00
Brian Harman's dominating Open win came as a surprise... except to himself
Brian Harman, one of golf's ultimate grinders, breaks through with his first major title at the 151st Open ChampionshipThe 151st Open champion is a diminutive 36-year-old Georgian who enjoys hunting and riding his tractor. Brian Harman was far from a favorite at the start of this week at Ro...
1970-01-01 08:00
Fulham reject £50m West Ham offer for Joao Palhinha
Fulham have rejected a £50m bid from West Ham United for star midfielder Joao Palhinha.
1970-01-01 08:00
Ryder Cup 2023: Zach Johnson hints at Brian Harman being on US team
Brian Harman was dominant in winning The Open Championship and US Ryder Cup Team captain Zach Johnson hinted at Harman's spot on the team in Rome.There's no better time to become a first-time major champion than in a Ryder Cup year. And newly minted winner of The Open Championship Bria...
1970-01-01 08:00
MLB Rumors: Phillies top trade target coming from division rival?
The Philadelphia Phillies could look to an unexpected place for outfield help at the MLB trade deadline.The Philadelphia Phillies are 52-46, within striking distance of a wildcard spot in the National League. Now with little over a week until the Aug. 1 MLB Trade Deadline, the Phillies are expec...
1970-01-01 08:00
Spanish Right Set to Oust Sanchez With Slim Majority, Poll Shows
Spanish conservative leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo won the most seats in Sunday’s election and is on track to
1970-01-01 08:00
Movie theater assault victim speaks out after seat dispute turned violent
A 63-year-old moviegoer who was assaulted after asking a couple to move from his reserved seats revealed how the younger attacker “just went to town on me.” The victim, who has not been identified, reserved VIP tickets with his wife for a movie on 10 July at the AMC Pompano Beach 18 theater. He arrived to find another man and woman sitting in the seats and asked them to move. “This guy just kept staring at me instead of getting up,” the victim told NBC6 on Friday. “I said to the people at this point, who didn’t apologize or say thank you, I said, ‘You guys can just keep the seats.’ “As I’m walking away, he said ‘Go run to your wife little boy.’ So I turned around and I said, ‘You know, I’m not the one who’s being a little boy, you took my seats and you didn’t apologize or you didn’t say thank you and I let you keep them.’” “He jumped up, he wanted to fight me, he backed me up, I fell over the stairs and as soon as I fell down the stairs, it was like a boxer being against the ropes, this guy just went to town on me,” the victim said. He told the station that he “couldn’t even get a defensive shot in.” “It happened so fast,” he said. “He basically sucker-punched me, is what he did.” The victim is a disabled veteran and suffered a broken nose and needed stitches at a local hospital, the station reported. “I didnt think anybody would be stupid enough to actually start a fight like that in the movies,” the victim said. Broward Sheriff’s Office Violent Crimes Unit detectives have released video of the attack. “In the heated moment, the victim loses his balance and falls down the steps,” the office said in an accompanying release. “The subject is seen standing above the 63-year-old victim repeatedly punching him in the face until witnesses rushed to the victim’s aid and pulled the subject off him. “The subject and the adult female left the theater.” Authorities have appealed to the public for help in identifying the couple. Read More Man attacked at movie theatre for asking couple to move out of his seat Boy charged over serious assault in Dublin Family of award winning artist paralysed in random NYC subway shove attack speak out Woman jailed for killing fellow hospital patient, 83, in unprovoked attack Barbie doubles Oppenheimer’s earnings in box office previews
1970-01-01 08:00
