Tag Archives: pulls

Sports

Nick Kyrgios pulls out of Tokyo Olympics citing empty stadiums and injury

Leave a comment

Games organisers announced on Thursday that Tokyo venues for the pandemic-delayed event will not host spectators due to the city’s coronavirus state of emergency.

The new state of emergency for the capital will run from July 12 to August 22 — covering the 16 days of the embattled Games in its entirety.

In a statement posted on Twitter, Kyrgios wrote: “It’s a decision I didn’t make lightly. It’s been my dream to represent Australia at the Olympics and I know I may never get that opportunity again.

“But I also know myself. The thought of playing in front of empty stadiums just doesn’t sit right with me. It never has.”

READ: Six years after his grandmother passed away, Nick Kyrgios grapples with demons

There are a total of 42 venues listed on the Tokyo 2020 website. Twenty-five are in Tokyo and the rest are in seven other prefectures.

However, three prefectures near Tokyo — Chiba, Kanagawa and Saitama — will not have spectators at Olympic competition venues, according to Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto.

Miyagi, Fukushima, and Shizuoka prefectures have decided that venues can be filled to 50% of capacity with a maximum of 10,000 spectators, added Hashimoto.

‘I need to get my body right’

Kyrgios was originally named in the 11-member Australian Olympics tennis team, comprising six men and five women, at the end of June.

The 26-year-old, though, had already cast doubts about his participation at the Games after he retired with an abdominal injury during his Wimbledon third-round match with Felix Auger-Aliassime on Saturday.

“I wouldn’t want to take the opportunity away from a healthy Aussie athlete ready to represent the country,” Krygios added.

“I will also take all the time I need to get my body right.”

Read original article here

US

Chico woman in Montana killed after bear pulls her from tent

Leave a comment

A grizzly bear pulled a woman from her tent in the middle of the night and killed her before fellow campers could use bear spray to force the bruin out of the area, Montana wildlife officials said Wednesday.Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials released more information about the attack that killed Leah Davis Lokan, 65, of Chico, California. She was participating in a long-distance bicycling trip and had stopped in the western Montana town of Ovando on Monday night. A helicopter search for the bear has been unsuccessful. The bear had awakened the woman and two others who were camping near the post office about 3 a.m. Tuesday, officials said. The bear then ran away.The campers removed food from their tents, secured it and went back to sleep, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials said.The approximately 400-pound bear was captured by a video camera at a business about a block away from the post office about 15 minutes later, wildlife officials said.Less than an hour later, two people in a tent near the victim’s were awakened by sounds of the attack. They sprayed the bear with bear spray, and it ran away. The 911 call was made at 4:14 a.m., Powell County Sheriff Gavin Roselles said.The bear is also believed to have entered a chicken coop in town, killing and eating several chickens. “At this point, our best chance for catching this bear will be culvert traps set in the area near the chicken coop where the bear killed and ate several chickens,” said Randy Arnold, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks regional supervisor in MissoulaThe bear will be killed if it is found, said Greg Lemon, a spokesperson for Fish, Wildlife and Parks.Investigators have obtained DNA from the bear at the scene of the attack and will be able to compare it with any bruin they are able to trap, the agency said.Ovando, about 60 miles northwest of Helena, is a community of fewer than 100 people at the edge of the sprawling Bob Marshall wilderness.Grizzly bears have run into increasing conflict with humans in the Northern Rockies over the past decade as the federally protected animals expanded into new areas and the number of people living and recreating in the region grew. That has spurred calls from elected officials in Montana and neighboring Wyoming and Idaho to lift protections so the animals could be hunted.North of Ovando lies an expanse of forests and mountains including Glacier National Park that stretches to Canada and is home to an estimated 1,000 grizzlies. It’s the largest concentration of the bruins in the contiguous U.S. Fatal attacks are rare in the region. There have been three in the last 20 years, including Tuesday’s mauling, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.In 2001, a hunter was killed by a grizzly with two cubs while he was gutting an elk at a wildlife management area west of Ovando. The three animals were shot and killed by wildlife officials days later.Over the past 20 years, there have been eight fatal maulings of people by grizzlies from a separate population of about 700 bears in and around Yellowstone National Park. In April, a backcountry guide was killed by a grizzly bear while fishing along the park’s border in southwestern Montana. Bears that attack people are not always killed if the mauling resulted from a surprise encounter or the bear was defending its young. But the bear involved in Tuesday’s death is considered a public safety threat because of the circumstances of the attack, Lemon said.

HELENA, Mont. —

A grizzly bear pulled a woman from her tent in the middle of the night and killed her before fellow campers could use bear spray to force the bruin out of the area, Montana wildlife officials said Wednesday.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials released more information about the attack that killed Leah Davis Lokan, 65, of Chico, California. She was participating in a long-distance bicycling trip and had stopped in the western Montana town of Ovando on Monday night. A helicopter search for the bear has been unsuccessful.

The bear had awakened the woman and two others who were camping near the post office about 3 a.m. Tuesday, officials said. The bear then ran away.

The campers removed food from their tents, secured it and went back to sleep, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials said.

The approximately 400-pound bear was captured by a video camera at a business about a block away from the post office about 15 minutes later, wildlife officials said.

Less than an hour later, two people in a tent near the victim’s were awakened by sounds of the attack. They sprayed the bear with bear spray, and it ran away. The 911 call was made at 4:14 a.m., Powell County Sheriff Gavin Roselles said.

The bear is also believed to have entered a chicken coop in town, killing and eating several chickens.

“At this point, our best chance for catching this bear will be culvert traps set in the area near the chicken coop where the bear killed and ate several chickens,” said Randy Arnold, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks regional supervisor in Missoula

The bear will be killed if it is found, said Greg Lemon, a spokesperson for Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Investigators have obtained DNA from the bear at the scene of the attack and will be able to compare it with any bruin they are able to trap, the agency said.

Ovando, about 60 miles northwest of Helena, is a community of fewer than 100 people at the edge of the sprawling Bob Marshall wilderness.

Grizzly bears have run into increasing conflict with humans in the Northern Rockies over the past decade as the federally protected animals expanded into new areas and the number of people living and recreating in the region grew. That has spurred calls from elected officials in Montana and neighboring Wyoming and Idaho to lift protections so the animals could be hunted.

North of Ovando lies an expanse of forests and mountains including Glacier National Park that stretches to Canada and is home to an estimated 1,000 grizzlies. It’s the largest concentration of the bruins in the contiguous U.S.

Fatal attacks are rare in the region. There have been three in the last 20 years, including Tuesday’s mauling, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

In 2001, a hunter was killed by a grizzly with two cubs while he was gutting an elk at a wildlife management area west of Ovando. The three animals were shot and killed by wildlife officials days later.

Over the past 20 years, there have been eight fatal maulings of people by grizzlies from a separate population of about 700 bears in and around Yellowstone National Park. In April, a backcountry guide was killed by a grizzly bear while fishing along the park’s border in southwestern Montana.

Bears that attack people are not always killed if the mauling resulted from a surprise encounter or the bear was defending its young. But the bear involved in Tuesday’s death is considered a public safety threat because of the circumstances of the attack, Lemon said.

Read original article here

Science

NASA Mars helicopter pulls off ‘most nerve-wracking flight since Flight 1’

Leave a comment

Ingenuity saw its own shadow during its ninth flight.


NASA/JPL-Caltech

When NASA sent the Ingenuity helicopter to Mars, it was gamble. Now it’s pushing its limits, flying fast and reaching new heights. NASA announced on Monday Ingenuity successfully completed its ninth and “most challenging” flight yet.

NASA’s goal was to go big with a daring “high-speed flight across unfriendly terrain” that would take the rotorcraft far from its robotic buddy, the Perseverance rover.

Instead of merely hopping ahead of the the rover, the helicopter took a shortcut over a sandy area, setting records for distance, air time and speed in the process. It hit a speed of 16 feet (5 meters) per second and flew for 166.4 seconds while snapping images of the landscape below.

The terrain below presented some new challenges for the helicopter’s navigation system, which was designed to deal with fairly flat ground. Ingenuity had to make sense of “high slopes and undulations” and its team was concerned that the machine might accidentally land in a treacherous area. NASA described it as “the most nerve-wracking flight since Flight 1.”

NASA’s announcement Monday seems to indicate the chopper handled itself well. While the flight was risky, it made sense for what was always considered a high-risk, high-reward technology experiment.

Ingenuity has already overcome a variety of potential obstacles, from a software glitch to an in-flight anomaly. 

“A successful flight would be a powerful demonstration of the capability that an aerial vehicle (and only an aerial vehicle) can bring to bear in the context of Mars exploration – traveling quickly across otherwise untraversable terrain while scouting for interesting science targets,” NASA said. 

Follow CNET’s 2021 Space Calendar to stay up to date with all the latest space news this year. You can even add it to your own Google Calendar.     



Read original article here

Entertainment

NBC Pulls Ultimate Slip ‘N Slide from Schedule After Diarrhea Outbreak

Leave a comment

NBC is running from its reality show “Ultimate Slip ‘N Slide” … after a bunch of folks on the crew experienced explosive runs themselves.

The network put the show on ice after members of the production staff experienced diarrhea … apparently from some sort of parasite called Giardia.

The show was being shot in the San Fernando Valley and almost reached the finish line with 1 week of production left, but it was too much. After multiple crew members got sick, production was indefinitely shut down.

Neither of the hosts — Bobby Moynihan and Ron Funches — came down with the runs.

An environmental lab tested the water used in the competition, along with restrooms and other facilities, and initially results came back negative, but they got a positive result last month. So, with 7 weeks in the can (sorry) and one week left to go, the door was slammed shut … this according to PEOPLE.

The show was set to premiere August 8 after the closing ceremony of the Olympic Summer Games.

Did someone say this show is the s***?

Read original article here

US

Al Qaeda promises ‘war on all fronts’ against America as Biden pulls out of Afghanistan

Leave a comment

His name and that of his terrorist network, al Qaeda, came to define an era of US reaction and retribution dwarfing any previous counter-terrorism policy.

America’s “war on terror” is about to enter a new phase as President Joe Biden prepares to withdraw all US forces from Afghanistan by the 20th anniversary of 9/11, but now al Qaeda claims its war with America is far from over.

In an exclusive interview with CNN conducted through intermediaries, two al Qaeda operatives tell CNN that “war against the US will be continuing on all other fronts unless they are expelled from the rest of the Islamic world.”

In the past al Qaeda has rarely responded to questions, choosing instead to hide behind its own self-serving propaganda, dodging even the most distant scrutiny. It’s unclear why the group has chosen to do so now.

Terrorism analyst Paul Cruickshank, editor-in-chief of West Point’s CTC Sentinel, who reviewed al Qaeda’s answers, says it is possible “they feel buoyed by the Biden administration’s decision to pull out troops from Afghanistan, but they may also be seeking to deflect attention from the many recent losses.”

America’s longest war will end

Today, the terror group that once roared to world attention is reduced to a whimper, but it is far from dead. And now says it’s planning a comeback after US forces leave Afghanistan, by partnering once again with the Taliban.

In its response to CNN, two members of al Qaeda’s subcontinent broadcast branch heap praise on the Taliban for keeping the fight against America alive. “Thanks to Afghans for the protection of comrades-in-arms, many such jihadi fronts have been successfully operating in different parts of the Islamic world for a long time,” the spokesperson says.

By September 11 this year, America’s longest war that aimed to neutralize the terror group will formally end, with President Biden declaring, “Bin laden is dead and al Qaeda is degraded, in Afghanistan. And it’s time to end the forever war.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken agreed, telling ABC’s “This Week” earlier this month: “We went to Afghanistan 20 years ago, and we went because we were attacked on 9/11, and we went to take on those who had attacked us on 9/11, and to make sure that Afghanistan would not again become a haven for terrorism directed at the United States or any of our allies and partners,” Blinken said. “And we achieved the objectives that we set out to achieve.”

What made the exit possible is America’s February 2020 deal with the Afghan Taliban in which the group promised to cut the ties with al Qaeda that caused the US to invade Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks.

Through journalistic intermediaries, CNN stringer Saleem Mehsud reached out to al Qaeda for its reaction to Biden’s move to pull out troops from Afghanistan, and rather than ignore him as it has done so many times in the past, representatives answered.

Their reply suggests the Taliban is being less than honest with Biden’s administration, and that the US troop drawdown could be based on a sham.

CNN has reached out to the Taliban for comment on its relationship with al Qaeda, but it has not responded, rendering al Qaeda’s response to CNN a significant insight to what may happen after US troops pull out.

Peter Bergen, CNN terrorism expert and author of several books on Osama Bin Laden, read al Qaeda’s reply to CNN and judged it “genuine.”

Bergen points to another part of al Qaeda’s response highlighting continuing ties with the Taliban, in which it said: “At the same time TTP [Pakistani Taliban] and AQ have relations of Islamic brotherhood which was and still intact and same is the case with the Afghan Taliban.”

He notes, “This confirms what the UN has been saying that, ‘the Taliban regularly consulted’ with al Qaeda during its negotiations with the United States while guaranteeing that they ‘would honor their historical ties’ with the terrorist group.”

Somewhat ambiguously, al Qaeda also claims no interest in using Afghanistan itself as a launch pad for future attacks because it no longer needs it. “It did not need Afghanistan and there is no such intention in the future,” the group says. However, as Cruickshank points out, “a statement of intent from an anonymous operative is hardly binding on the group.”

Terror group eclipsed by ISIS

In its reply to CNN al Qaeda declares Afghanistan its victory. “The Americans are now defeated,” and draw a parallel to the Soviet Union’s withdrawal three decades ago from the country and its subsequent collapse: “The US war in Afghanistan played key role in hitting US economy.”

That line echoes the rhetoric of bin Laden himself, who promoted the oversimplified idea that the Soviets bankrupted themselves in Afghanistan. The cost of the US wars on terror has reached into the trillions, but the 9/11 attacks did not bring on US economic collapse. Al Qaeda admits the toll the war has taken on them, saying it sent “most” al Qaeda central fighters to Syria where “some of them have been martyred in recent years.”

It also admits that bin Laden’s death at the hands of Seal Team 6 did weaken al Qaeda, allowing the more nihilistic Islamists, ISIS (Daesh), to become established. “They benefited from the martyrdom of Sheikh Osama, Sheikh Atiyahullah, Sheikh Abu Yahya Al-Libi (may God have mercy on them) and many others.”

In recent years ISIS’s atrocities and attacks it inspired in Europe have all but eclipsed al Qaeda. But the latter presents this as a “tactical silence,” claiming it is not “broken” and is instead “fighting a long war” with “different stages.”

Al Qaeda’s current leader, the less charismatic Ayman al-Zawahiri, lives a near virtual existence and is heard from only in rare propaganda releases. However, the group still sees itself as a lead for other jihadists. Franchises of Al Qaeda operate in Yemen, Syria, Somalia and northern Africa, among other places.
In the reply to CNN about its role in Pakistan and Afghanistan, it claims to have “masterminded” the 2009 attack killing seven CIA operatives at their base near Khowst in Afghanistan. It said that at the time the Pakistani Taliban, the TTP, which was also known to be involved in the attack, was the junior partner and “was in its learning stages, many mistakes were made by them.”

Bergen says, “This fits with the [bin Laden] documents in Abbottabad in which AQ leaders treat TTP as a junior partner who they can boss around (even though AQ is a tiny organization and the TTP a large one, relatively speaking).”

Biden appears to be aware of the potential for Taliban duplicity and al Qaeda’s spread, saying in his speech to Congress on Wednesday that “we will maintain an over-the-horizon capability to suppress future threats to the homeland.”

“But make no mistake — the terrorist threat has evolved beyond Afghanistan since 2001 and we will remain vigilant against threats to the United States, wherever they come from. Al Qaeda and ISIS are in Yemen, Syria, Somalia, and other places in Africa and the Middle East and beyond.”

Afghanistan could be free for al Qaeda again

Today al Qaeda appears proud of its influence over the TTP. “Now the organization of Pakistani Taliban and their leadership not only moving forward in the light of Sharia but also making better decisions based on past experiences and recent successes have been made possible by the same unity and adherence to Sharia and Wisdom.”

It’s unclear if this is a reference to the TTP’s first major assault in several years in which it struck a hotel where the Chinese ambassador was reported to be staying in Quetta last week. Pakistani security officials tell CNN that China’s ambassador was not the target, but even so it highlights that al Qaeda is regaining strength.

If the Taliban is as close to al Qaeda as that group claims, and the UN assesses, then AQ’s 2,000-word communication with CNN implies that rather being ceasefire partners with the US, the Taliban is as close to abetting al Qaeda in war against America as it ever was.

Al Qaeda is making clear the country that was once its base to plan the deadliest-ever attack on American soil is free for it to use again. “The United States is not a problem for our Afghan brothers, but due to the sacrifices in the Afghan war, the Americans are now defeated. Whether Republicans or Democrats — both have made final decision to pull out from the Afghan war.”

If the Taliban keeps its promises to Biden, then all this is just al Qaeda propaganda, but if it doesn’t, all bets about the future threat it poses are off.

This story has been updated.

Read original article here

Business

MLB pulls All-Star game from Atlanta over new voting law – WSB-TV Channel 2

Leave a comment

ATLANTA — Major League Baseball has announced that the All-Star game and MLB Draft is being pulled out of Atlanta.

“Over the last week, we have engaged in thoughtful conversations with Clubs, former and current players, the Players Association, and The Players Alliance, among others, to listen to their views. I have decided that the best way to demonstrate our values as a sport is by relocating this year’s All-Star Game and MLB Draft,” MLB commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. said in a statement.

Stay with WSBTV.com and tune into Channel 2 Action News starting RIGHT NOW for the latest on this developing story.

The new law makes ballot drop boxes an official part of Georgia election law and replaces signature matches on absentee ballots with a voter ID.

Critics, however, contend the new law is more about voter suppression than election integrity, especially the law preventing people from providing food and water to voters within 150 feet of polling places.

[READ: President Biden ‘strongly supports’ moving MLB All-Star game out of Atlanta]

“Major League Baseball fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box. In 2020, MLB became the first professional sports league to join the non-partisan Civic Alliance to help build a future in which everyone participates in shaping the United States. We proudly used our platform to encourage baseball fans and communities throughout our country to perform their civic duty and actively participate in the voting process. Fair access to voting continues to have our game’s unwavering support,” the statement continued.

The Braves released a statement Friday afternoon saying they were disappointed by the decision.

“The Atlanta Braves are deeply disappointed by the decision of Major League Baseball to move its’ 2021 All Star Game.

“This was neither our decision, nor our recommendation and we are saddened that fans will not be able to see this event in our city. The Braves organization will continue to stress the importance of equal voting opportunities and we had hoped our city could use this event as a platform to enhance the discussion. Our city has always been known as a uniter in divided times and we will miss the opportunity to address issues that are important to our community.

“Unfortunately, businesses, employees, and fans in Georgia are the victims of this decision. We will continue to support the community legacy projects which have been planned and are in process.”

From the moment Gov. Brian Kemp signed SB 202, Georgia’s new elections law has drawn withering criticism.

[READ: EXPLAINER: What does Georgia’s new GOP election law do?]

In a statement today, Kemp said:

“Today, Major League Baseball caved to fear, political opportunism, and liberal lies. Georgians – and all Americans – should fully understand what the MLB’s knee-jerk decision means: cancel culture and woke political activists are coming for every aspect of your life, sports included. If the left doesn’t agree with you, facts and the truth do not matter.

“This attack on our state is the direct result of repeated lies from Joe Biden and Stacey Abrams about a bill that expands access to the ballot box and ensures the integrity of our elections. I will not back down. Georgians will not be bullied. We will continue to stand up for secure, accessible, fair elections. Earlier today, I spoke with the leadership of the Atlanta Braves who informed me they do not support the MLB’s decision.”

Earlier this week, the chief executives of Delta Air Lines and Coca-Cola have come out against the bill.

The law has even drawn criticism from President Joe Biden.

In an interview with ESPN’s Sage Steele, Biden said he would “strongly support” moving the MLB All-Star game out of Atlanta because of the new law.

“I think today’s professional athletes are acting incredibly responsibly,” Biden said. “I would strongly support them doing that. People look to them. They’re leaders. Look at what’s happened with the NBA, as well.”

[READ: Tyler Perry urges DOJ to look into Georgia’s new election law]

Shortly after the announcement, reaction started pouring in from the metro’s lawmakers.

“Just as elections have consequences, so do the actions of those who are elected. Unfortunately, the removal of the @MLB All Star game from GA is likely the 1st of many dominoes to fall, until the unnecessary barriers put in place to restrict access to the ballot box are removed,” Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms tweeted.

Sen. Raphael Warnock released at statement saying:

“Businesses and organizations have great power in their voices and ability to push for change, and I respect the decision of the players to speak out against this unjust law. It is not the people of Georgia or the workers of Georgia who crafted this law, it is politicians seeking to retain power at the expense of Georgians’ voices. And today’s decision by MLB is the unfortunate consequence of these politicians’ actions.

“It is my hope that businesses, athletes, and entertainers can protest this law not by leaving Georgia but by coming here and fighting voter suppression head on, and hand-in-hand with the community. Additionally, the urgency to pass federal voter protection laws grows every day, and I will continue to be a leader in that fight.”

“Stacey Abrams’ leftist lies have stolen the All-Star Game from Georgia. This decision is not only economically harmful, it also robs Georgians of a special celebration of our national pastime free of politics. But Georgia will not be bullied by socialists and their sympathizers. We will continue to stand for accessible, secure elections that are free and fair. And we will continue to speak truth despite extortion and intimidation,” Georgia House Speaker David Ralston said in a statement.

Stacey Abrams released the following statement:

“Republicans who passed and defended Senate Bill 202 did so knowing the economic risks to our state. They prioritized making it harder for people of color to vote over the economic well-being of all Georgians.

Like many Georgians, I am disappointed that the MLB is relocating the All-Star game; however, I commend the players, owners and League commissioner for speaking out. I urge others in positions of leadership to do so as well. As I have stated, I respect boycotts, although I don’t want to see Georgia families hurt by lost events and jobs. Georgians targeted by voter suppression will be hurt as opportunities go to other states. We should not abandon the victims of GOP malice and lies – we must stand together.

Georgia Republicans must renounce the terrible damage they have caused to our voting system and the harm they have inflicted on our economy. Our corporate community must get off the sidelines as full partners in this fight, acknowledging that the provisions of SB 202 do not expand voting rights. They restrict those rights, affecting employees and consumers alike. And leaders must publicly support the voting rights provisions in the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to mitigate the harm being done in Georgia and other states.

As other events, productions and businesses weigh whether to patronize Georgia, I urge those who can to come and speak out, and I urge those who are here to stay and fight, to stay and vote. We need you. Please go to stopjimcrow2.com to find out how you can join the fight for voting rights in Georgia and around the country.”

Rep. Buddy Carter called MLB pathetic:

“The MLB is absolutely pathetic. The organization has completely caved to the lies of the Left and America’s pastime has now become a political tool for the liberal mob. Let’s be clear – Georgia will be losing potentially hundreds of millions of dollars because Democrats, including the President of the United States, have been spreading lies about Georgia’s Election Integrity Act. Georgians have a deep love for the sport, but this move from the MLB is an attack on both our state and on free and fair elections. Georgians can fight back with their pocketbooks just as I’ll be fighting back in Congress.”

“We all have a responsibility to live our values. This is our civil rights moment, and there are not two sides to this issue. Everyone deserves free and fair access to the ballot box. I am proud the Major League Baseball Players’ Union made their voices heard in support of voting rights,” Rep. Nikema Williams said.

“The @MLB needs to stop listening to their corporate communist sponsors and remember the little guys who buy their tickets. The same people who are now saying they are done with professional sports. Keep the politics off the field and stop ruining everything!” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said in a tweet.



Read original article here

US

Jill Biden pulls off April Fools’ Day prank on media, staff

Leave a comment

Call it “treat” the press.

First lady Jill Biden played an April Fools’ prank on members of the media on a flight back to Washington from California, dressing up as a flight attendant who passed out ice cream bars.

Biden, wearing a short black wig and a “Jasmine” name tag, went unnoticed during meal service.

“April Fools,” she said when she returned without the wig, according to a pool report.

The report says members of the media were fooled — but so were members of the first lady’s staff.

Biden, who met with farm workers and visited a vaccination site in Central California during this week’s trip, enjoys pranks. In her memoir, she recounted that when her husband was vice president, she hid in an overhead bin on Air Force Two and surprised someone looking to stow luggage, according to The Associated Press.

Others in past administrations have played April Fools’ Day jokes.

As first lady, Barbara Bush wore a strawberry blonde wig to a Gridiron dinner on April 1, 1989. It was a spoof to poke fun at all the attention paid to her looks and white hair, UPI reported. The dinner is attended by political leaders, journalists and media executives.

In 2013 when Barack Obama was president, the White House told the public to tune in for a special message from the president.

“Hail to the Chief” played, but 9-year-old Robby Novak — known as “Kid President” — rose behind the podium and told people they’d been fooled.

Phil Helsel

Phil Helsel is a reporter for NBC News.



Read original article here

Sports

Duke pulls out of ACC Tournament, NCAA tourney streak ends

Leave a comment

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Duke arrived at the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament hoping to make an unprecedented run to extend its long NCAA Tournament streak.

Instead, the Blue Devils abruptly had to pull out of the tournament and end its season due to a positive COVID-19 test and the resulting quarantining and contact tracing.

The ACC announced that the Blue Devils’ quarterfinal game against No. 15 Florida State for Thursday night has been canceled. And athletics director Kevin White said Duke’s season is over, ending the Blue Devils’ streak of 24 consecutive NCAA appearances that began in 1996.

In a statement, White said the positive test for someone within the program came after Wednesday’s win against Louisville, the Blue Devils’ second win in as many days in Greensboro. Before this, there had been no positive tests all season for a player or coach, he said.

“Since last March when the pandemic started, we have listened to our medical experts and always put safety at the forefront of any determinations regarding competition,” White said. “As a result, this will end our 2020-21 season. We wish every team still playing college basketball good health and the very best during the next few weeks.”

The Blue Devils (13-11, 9-9 ACC) failed to live up to their lofty standards, but coach Mike Krzyzewski said he loved this young team and was honored to coach it.

“We have not asked more of any team in our history, and they deserve enormous credit for handling everything like the outstanding young men they are,” Krzyzewski said in a statement. “I feel deeply for our players, who have done a terrific job all season in taking care of each other and the team.

“I am extremely proud of their collective attitudes and effort, which could not have been stronger.”

With Duke withdrawing, the Seminoles advanced to the ACC Tournament semifinals to play the North Carolina-Virginia Tech winner.

“I just think that preparing yourself for the unexpected is what we’ve been trying to do all year long,” FSU coach Leonard Hamilton said. “It’s unfortunate that we won’t be able to play this game today. But we have to deal with it in a mature way and just be glad that no one’s put at risk.”

Additionally, Louisville released a statement Thursday saying its tests came back negative following the Duke game and didn’t anticipate any concerns with contact tracing.

“Our group is tested daily and on a path to have the requisite consecutive days of negative tests to be able to compete in the NCAA Tournament,” the school said.

With Duke’s season over, this will mark the first time since 1976 that both the Blue Devils and another basketball blueblood — Kentucky — won’t be in the NCAAs. The Wildcats lost their Southeastern Conference Tournament opener to Mississippi State on Thursday, ensuring that program’s first losing season since 1988-89.

Duke hadn’t missed the NCAA Tournament since the 1994-95 season when Krzyzewski stepped away from coaching following complications from back surgery. Assistant Pete Gaudet took over, with that team finishing 13-18 a year after Duke had played in the NCAA title game.

Before that, Krzyzewski had missed the tournament at Duke only in his first three seasons, when he went a combined 38-47 and faced growing pressure to turn things around as Triangle neighbors North Carolina (1982) and North Carolina State (1983) both won NCAA championships.

The first tournament bid came in 1984 and Duke went on to win 37 games while reaching an NCAA final two years later. That was the first in a remarkable run of seven Final Fours in nine years that included championships in 1991 and 1992. Krzyzewski’s teams went on to claim three more titles in 2001, 2010 and 2015.

This year opened with some of the same expectations despite a young roster lacking the same NBA-ready talent of recent years with names like Zion Williamson and Jayson Tatum.

The Blue Devils started the year at No. 9 in the AP Top 25 but was unranked by mid-January for the first time in nearly five years. They lacked the typically rowdy homecourt edge in a fan-less Cameron Indoor Stadium and saw top freshman Jalen Johnson depart the team in February to prepare for the NBA draft.

After a lopsided loss at rival North Carolina, the Blue Devils knew they likely needed to win the ACC Tournament to extend the NCAA streak, even though no team has won five games in five days at the tournament. They opened with a lopsided win against Boston College then beat Louisville in Wednesday’s quarterfinals after losing both regular-season meetings.

All along, Krzyzewski said focused more on developing a young group than past successes.

“This will pay off at some time if you stay with it,” Krzyzewski said after a February loss to Notre Dame. “It did in ’82 and ’83, it did in ’95-96, and it did in 2006. There are times in our program where you learned to appreciate the winning that has come at such a high level and how tough losing is.

“And we as a program need to keep learning that and keep appreciating what it takes to takes to win. You don’t do that by not working hard or trying to get better. And that’s what we’re going to do.”

___

For more AP college basketball coverage: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and http://twitter.com/AP_Top25



Read original article here

Business

OpenSea collector ‘pulls the rug’ on NFTs to highlight arbitrary value

Leave a comment

A crypto artist known as “Neitherconfirm” recently listed 26 nonfungible tokens, or NFTs, for sale on OpenSea’s digital marketplace. Things took an unexpected turn earlier Tuesday, however, after the artist changed the images associated with each token from computer-generated portraits into photos of literal carpets.

It’s a knowing comment on a DeFi token exit scam known as a ‘rugpull’ where a little known token suddenly collapses when liquidity disappears, metaphorically pulling the rug out from under victims’ feet.

The art pieces, which originally featured people and animal faces in a seemingly stained-glass style, are now nothing more than an expensive metaphor for why you can’t trust the store-of-value proposition of any asset that maintains an aspect of centralized control.

“All discussions about the value of NFTs are meaningless as long as the token is not inseparable from the artwork itself,” said Neitherconfirm. “What is the meaning of creating an unforgeable token on a highly secured network if somebody can alter, relink or destroy your possession? As long as the value of your artwork is reliable on a central service you do not own anything.”

The current price disparity between the artist’s seemingly similar rugs seems to lend some validity to their claims. At the time of publication, the top bid on many of the NFTs is for under $1.00, while one (which currently has no offers) is listed for an astonishing $139 quadrillion — or around 80,000 times the market capitalization of the entire crypto space. Neitherconfirm has since implied that they have received more offers on their rugs than they did on the original portraits.

Though the artist’s identity is unknown, they stated on Twitter that their full-time job is “making sculptural art” under a top-selling artist that regularly sells pieces for more than $10 million. It is unclear if Neitherconfirm created unique computer-generated rug images to prove their point or simply found pictures of carpets online and turned them into NFTs.

The crypto space is currently experiencing a massive boom in the quantity and value of nonfungible tokens. While crypto artists were auctioning their works for up to $130,000 late last year, 2021 has seen NFT prices inflate to once-unfathomable amounts. Back in February, the owner of an NFT created by Mike Winkelmann, also known as Beeple, resold the piece on Nifty Gateway for a record-breaking $6.6 million.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey recently jumped in on the action as well, auctioning off tokenized ownership of the first-ever tweet. He has promised to convert any proceeds into Bitcoin (BTC) and donate them to nonprofit organization GiveDirectly’s Africa Response. At the time of publication, the highest offer on the tokenized tweet is $2.5 million.

“Right now the appeal of NFTs is the status of owning one,” said MyEtherWallet founder and CEO Kosala Hemachandra. “NFTs are hot in the same way lambo’s are hot to Bitcoin purists. I think this current version of non-fungible tokens will continue to evolve into bigger and broader use cases.”

However, Neitherconfirm claimed that pieces of art are “only a store of monetary value if they possess artistic value” as well as subjective beauty:

“Certainly a token can bring a huge benefit for moving rightful ownership, especially for digital art. Without any doubt there is revolutionary value in distributing ownership. Just the token itself is not the artwork — it certainly can be, but this is a different story.”

The artist noted in a pinned tweet that they will donate 51% of all profits from the rug-pull NFT series to charity.

Cointelegraph reached out to Neitherconfirm for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.



Read original article here

Sports

Sac Republic FC president steps down after investor pulls out of expansion deal

Leave a comment

Ben Gumpert, the president of Sacramento Republic FC, announced Monday that he is stepping down. The announcement comes after Mayor Darrell Steinberg said Friday that the city’s lead investor for the Major League Soccer expansion has pulled away from his commitment. MLS in a statement said the investor is citing COVID-19 as a reason for withdrawing.”After over four years of life-changing learnings, challenges, tears, laughs, smiles, setbacks, celebrations, and foundational friendships, today I announce that I will be stepping down from my role as President & COO of Sacramento Republic FC,” a statement from Gumpert reads in part. “I do so with a heavy heart, but also one full of immense pride for all that we have accomplished together. I do so knowing that no matter where I go or what new opportunities lie ahead, I will always be a part of Republic FC,” his statement continues. Gumpert said he has agreed to stay on as an adviser and that he is “still confident that a first-class investor will emerge who recognizes the potential of this club and city, and that MLS remains in Sacramento’s future.”Steinberg told KCRA 3 on Monday that Gumpert was a great partner for the city and “our work is now done.” “He has tremendous respect throughout the country, throughout the league and in our community for taking this fledgling, inspired effort and building it,” Steinberg said. “And of course our work is not done. And Ben’s work is not done. I’m not giving away anything here, but all I can say is I’m gonna do all I can to keep Ben Gumpert in this community and engaged — and fully engaged — in our continuing effort to bring Major League Soccer to Sacramento. We are far from done here.”| Video Below| City officials, leaders remain hopeful after main investor pulls from Sacramento MLS expansion

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

Ben Gumpert, the president of Sacramento Republic FC, announced Monday that he is stepping down.

The announcement comes after Mayor Darrell Steinberg said Friday that the city’s lead investor for the Major League Soccer expansion has pulled away from his commitment. MLS in a statement said the investor is citing COVID-19 as a reason for withdrawing.

“After over four years of life-changing learnings, challenges, tears, laughs, smiles, setbacks, celebrations, and foundational friendships, today I announce that I will be stepping down from my role as President & COO of Sacramento Republic FC,” a statement from Gumpert reads in part.

“I do so with a heavy heart, but also one full of immense pride for all that we have accomplished together. I do so knowing that no matter where I go or what new opportunities lie ahead, I will always be a part of Republic FC,” his statement continues.

Gumpert said he has agreed to stay on as an adviser and that he is “still confident that a first-class investor will emerge who recognizes the potential of this club and city, and that MLS remains in Sacramento’s future.”

This content is imported from Twitter.
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.

Steinberg told KCRA 3 on Monday that Gumpert was a great partner for the city and “our work is now done.”

“He has tremendous respect throughout the country, throughout the league and in our community for taking this fledgling, inspired effort and building it,” Steinberg said. “And of course our work is not done. And Ben’s work is not done. I’m not giving away anything here, but all I can say is I’m gonna do all I can to keep Ben Gumpert in this community and engaged — and fully engaged — in our continuing effort to bring Major League Soccer to Sacramento. We are far from done here.”

| Video Below| City officials, leaders remain hopeful after main investor pulls from Sacramento MLS expansion

Read original article here