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Protecting against floods, or a government-mandated retreat from the shore? New Jersey rules debated None - New Jersey officials are defending proposed building rules designed to limit damage from future storms and steadily rising seas in coastal areas Protecting against floods, or a government-mandated retreat from the shore? New Jersey rules debated TOMS RIVER, N.J. -- New Jersey officials are defending proposed building rules designed to limit damage from future storms and steadily rising seas in coastal areas, countering criticism that the state aims to force people away from the Jersey Shore by making it harder and more expensive to build or rebuild there. Lawmakers from both parties held a hearing Thursday in Toms River, one of the hardest-hit communities by Superstorm Sandy, to discuss the state's Protecting Against Climate Threats initiative and respond to criticism of the proposal from business interests. Mandated by an 2020 executive order from Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, the proposed rules are designed to account for rising seas and a changing climate in making land use decisions near the ocean, bays and rivers in an effort to limit damage from future storms. The rules would extend the jurisdiction of flood control measures further inland, require buildings to be constructed five feet (1.5 meters) higher off the ground than current rules call for, and require elevating roadways in flood-prone areas. They are to be published soon in the New Jersey Register, and subject to public comment before taking effect later this year. Other states and cities are considering or doing similar climate-based updates to development rules or acquisition of flood-prone properties, including North Carolina, Massachusetts, Fort Worth, Texas, and Nashville, Tennessee. Nick Angarone, New Jersey's chief resilience officer, said proposed rules are necessary to “be clear-eyed about what is happening right before us.” He said New Jersey ranks third in the nation in flooding claims paid by the federal government at $5.8 billion since 1978. Angarone and others cited a Rutgers University study projecting that sea levels in New Jersey will rise by 2.1 feet (65 centimeters) by 2050 and 5.1 feet (1.5 meters) by the end of the century. By that time, he said, there is a 50% chance that Atlantic City will experience so-called “sunny-day flooding” every day. The New Jersey Business and Industry Association pushed back hard against the rules and the study upon which they are based, warning that the initiative is the start of a much-debated “managed retreat” from the shoreline that some scientists say needs to happen but that is anathema to many business groups. "It will significantly harm the economy of our shore and river communities, and is premised on the policy that people and businesses should be forced to retreat from the coast,” said Ray Cantor, an official with the group and a former advisor to the Department of Environmental Protection under Republican Gov. Chris Christie. “We do believe that we need to consider sea level rise in our planning efforts," he said. “However, this rule is based on flawed scientific assumptions and will force a retreat from the Jersey Shore and coastal communities.” Rutgers defended its projections as consistent with 2021 sea-level projections for Atlantic City of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, “a trusted, highly credible, heavily reviewed source of information for climate change.” Cantor claimed the new rules will create “no-build zones” in parts of the shore where it will simply be too costly and onerous to comply with the new requirements. State officials vehemently denied that claim, saying the rules aim only to lessen the amount of damage from future storms that residents and businesses must deal with. They created a website aimed at “myths” about the new rules, making clear that nothing would prevent the rebuilding of storm-damaged structures and that there would not be any “no-build zones." Tim Dillingham, executive director of the American Littoral Society, said governments should start discouraging new construction in areas that repeatedly flood. “We need to stop developing highly vulnerable areas,” he said. “We ought to take steps to keep those people out of harm's way.” Under its Blue Acres buyout program, New Jersey acquired and demolished hundreds of homes in areas along rivers and bays that repeatedly flood. But it has yet to buy a single home along the ocean. Sen. Bob Smith, who chaired the hearing, said the measures called for by the proposed rules “are not a retreat." He called opposition from the Business and Industry Association “silly.” The association appeared unfazed by the criticism; it hired an advertising plane to fly a banner up and down the oceanfront on Thursday with words for the governor: “Don't Force A Shore Retreat.” ___ Follow Wayne Parry on X at www.twitter.com/WayneParryAC
Fiery North Dakota derailment was latest crash to involve weak tank cars the NTSB wants replaced None - The fiery North Dakota derailment that burned for days early last month was the latest train crash to involve flawed tank cars the National Transportation Safety board has been trying to get off the tracks for decades The fiery North Dakota derailment that burned for days early last month was the latest train crash to involve the flawed tank cars that the National Transportation Safety Board has been trying to get off the tracks for decades. The NTSB said in a preliminary report released Thursday that the July 5 train crash near the small town of Bondulac, North Dakota, caused an estimated $3.6 million damage to the CPKC railroad tracks and equipment. But the agency didn't offer many hints about what caused the derailment that happened in the early morning hours that day. CPKC railroad officials are prohibited from answering questions about the derailment while NTSB is investigating. The NTSB highlighted the fact that some of the 17 tank cars carrying hazardous materials that derailed were DOT-111 tank cars that have demonstrated time and again that they are prone to rupturing in a train crash. The agency has been recommending eliminating the use of those cars for hazardous materials at least since the 1990s because of their history of problems, and Congress did mandate that they be replaced for hauling flammable liquids by 2029. But even then they could continue to be used for other hazardous materials. Officials at the Federal Railroad Administration have said it might be possible to move up that deadline by a year, but probably not much more than that because tank car manufacturers don't have the capacity to do it sooner. There is also a significant cost for the chemical and leasing companies that own them to replacing a tank car. The NTSB said it will be doing a detailed damage assessment on the DOT-111 tank cars and the more robust newer models of tank cars that were involved in this crash as part of its investigation over the next year or more. Recently, investigators highlighted the way those tank cars worsened the disastrous Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, last year when they ruptured and spilled butyl acrylate, fueling a massive fire that prompted officials to needlessly blow open five tank cars of vinyl chloride to prevent a feared explosion. In the North Dakota crash, it was fortunate that few people lived nearby. Only two homes were voluntarily evacuated for two days while crews put out the fires and dealt with the methanol and anhydrous ammonia that spilled. A dozen of the other cars that derailed were carrying plastic pellets. No injuries were reported in the derailment itself. The NTSB said an emergency brake application was done on the train before it derailed, but it didn't say whether the two-person crew did that or whether the brakes were triggered automatically. The 151-car train was going about 45 mph (73 kph) when it derailed — which was below the 50 mph (80 kph) speed limit for it since it was carrying a number of hazardous materials cars.
Apple breaks out of recent sales slump as it gears up to make its leap into the AI craze None - Apple breaks out of recent sales slump as it gears up to make its leap into the AI craze Apple snapped out of a prolonged sales slump during its most recent quarter as the trendsetting company prepares to launch into the artificial intelligence craze with an arsenal of new technology that’s expected to juice demand for its next iPhone. The fiscal third-quarter results announced Thursday covered an April-June period that’s typically a sluggish stretch for Apple as its loyal customer bases awaits the next version of the iPhone that’s traditionally unveiled shortly after Labor Day. Even so, Apple boosted its sales from a year ago — a welcome reversal of fortune on the heels of five consecutive quarters of year-over-year revenue declines. This time around, Apple’s revenue rose 5% from a year to $85.78 billion — a figure that exceeded analysts’ projections. The Cupertino, California, company earned $21.45 billion, or $1.40 per share, an 8% increase from the same time last year. The profit also topped analyst forecasts. Apple's shares rose slightly in extended trading after the report came out. Sales of the iPhone — Apple’s marquee product — remained on a downward slope though, dipping 1% from last year to $39.3 billon. That decrease wasn’t as bad as the January-March period when iPhone sales plummeted 10% from last year, and now the product appears headed toward a major upswing. That’s because Apple is planning to roll out a variety of artificial intelligence features that are supposed to make its virtual assistant Siri smarter and also perform a variety of helpful and fun tasks, including helping to draft texts and even creating unique emojis on demand. The AI tools will be included in a free software update expected in the autumn, but most of the features will only work on iPhones with a special chip that so far has only been available on two premium models Apple released last year. The next model, the iPhone 16, is expected to be equipped with the AI chip — a factor that analysts believe will spur consumers who have been holding on to their older devices to splurge on upgrades so they can take advantage of the new features. That expectation is the main reason why Apple’s stock price has surged 13% since the company previewed its AI tools in early June — a run-up that has created about $400 billion in shareholder wealth so far.
CBS names Dickerson, DuBois as co-anchors of the "CBS Evening News," replacing Norah O'Donnell None - CBS News has moved fast to reconfigure the “CBS Evening News” after announcing the exit of Norah O'Donnell as anchor of the third-rated newscast earlier this week John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois will co-anchor the “CBS Evening News” following the departure of Norah O'Donnell later this year, the network said Thursday. Dickerson is a former host of “Face the Nation” and “CBS This Morning” for the network. The former Time magazine White House correspondent has been anchoring a nightly newscast for CBS' streaming service most recently. DuBois, a veteran anchor for CBS' local affiliate in New York City, has also contributed reporting to various CBS newscasts. The storied newscast, which Walter Cronkite, Dan Rather and Katie Couric have anchored, has been third in the ratings to ABC's “World News Tonight” and NBC's "Nightly News” for years. O'Donnell, who is becoming a special correspondent focusing on big interviews for CBS, didn't move the needle. Bill Owens, executive producer of CBS News' most successful broadcast, “60 Minutes,” will also become supervisor of the evening news, said Wendy McMahon, president and CEO of CBS News and Stations. Owens appointed veteran “60 Minutes” hand Guy Campanile as executive producer of the evening news. The Washington-based Margaret Brennan, moderator of “Face the Nation,” will lead the broadcast's coverage of political and foreign affairs. The evening news, which broadcast from a Washington studio to accommodate O'Donnell, will move back to New York, CBS said. The newscast also named Lonnie Quinn as its chief weather forecaster.
Apple emerged from a recent sales slump in its latest quarter, setting the stage for its upcoming launch into AI None - Apple emerged from a recent sales slump in its latest quarter, setting the stage for its upcoming launch into AI Apple emerged from a recent sales slump in its latest quarter, setting the stage for its upcoming launch into AI
Intel to lay off more than 15% of its workforce as it cuts costs to try to turn its business around None - Chipmaker Intel Corp. is cutting 15% of its massive workforce as it tries to turn its business around to compete with more successful rivals like Nvidia and AMD Intel to lay off more than 15% of its workforce as it cuts costs to try to turn its business around Chipmaker Intel Corp. is cutting 15% of its massive workforce — about 15,000 jobs — as it tries to turn its business around to compete with more successful rivals like Nvidia and AMD. In a memo to staff, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger said Thursday the company plans to save $10 billion in 2025. “Simply put, we must align our cost structure with our new operating model and fundamentally change the way we operate,” he wrote in the memo published to Intel’s website. “Our revenues have not grown as expected – and we’ve yet to fully benefit from powerful trends, like AI. Our costs are too high, our margins are too low.” The job cuts come in the heels of a disappointing quarter and forecast for the iconic chip maker founded in 1968 at the start of the PC revolution. Next week, Gelsinger wrote, Intel will announce an “enhanced retirement offering” for eligible employees and offer an application program for voluntary departures. Intel had 124,800 employees as of the end of 2023 according to a regulatory filing. “These decisions have challenged me to my core, and this is the hardest thing I’ve done in my career,” he said. The bulk of the layoffs are expected to be completed this year. The Santa Clara, California-based company is also suspending its stock dividend as part of a broader plan to cut costs. Intel reported a loss for its second quarter along with a small revenue decline, and it forecast third-quarter revenues below Wall Street's expectations. The company posted a loss of $1.6 billion, or 38 cents per share, in the April-June period. That's down from a profit of $1.5 billion, or 35 cents per share, a year earlier. Adjusted earnings excluding special items were 2 cents per share. Revenue slid 1% to $12.8 billion from $12.9 billion. Analysts, on average, were expecting earnings of 10 cents per share on revenue of $12.9 billion, according to a poll by FactSet. “Intel’s announcement of a significant cost-cutting plan including layoffs may bolster its near-term financials, but this move alone is insufficient to redefine its position in the evolving chip market," said eMarketer analyst Jacob Bourne. “The company faces a critical juncture as it leverages U.S. investment in domestic manufacturing and the surging global demand for AI chips to establish itself in chip fabrication.” In March, President Joe Biden celebrated an agreement to provide Intel with up to $8.5 billion in direct funding and $11 billion in loans for computer chip plants around the country, talking up the investment in the political battleground state of Arizona and calling it a way of “bringing the future back to America.” In September 2022, Biden praised Intel as a job creator with its plans to open a new plant near Columbus, Ohio. The president praised them for plans to “build a workforce of the future” for the $20 billion project, which he said would generate 7,000 construction jobs and 3,000 full-time jobs set to pay an average of $135,000 a year. Shares plunged 18% to $23.82 in after-hours trading — Associated Press Writer Josh Boak contributed from Washington.
How major US stock indexes fared Thursday, 8/1/2024 None - U.S. stocks tumbled after weak data raised worries the Federal Reserve may have missed its window to cut interest rates before undercutting the economy’s growth How major US stock indexes fared Thursday, 8/1/2024 The Associated Press By The Associated Press U.S. stocks tumbled after weak data raised worries the Federal Reserve may have missed its window to cut interest rates before undercutting the economy’s growth. The S & P 500 sank 1.4% Thursday after a report showed U.S. manufacturing activity is still shrinking. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.2%, and the Nasdaq composite dropped 2.3%. The action was even stronger in the bond market, where the yield on the 10-year Treasury sank below 4% after data showed more U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week. Wall Street’s losses would have been worse if not for a strong profit report from Meta Platforms. On Thursday: The S & P 500 fell 75.62 points, or 1.4%, to 5,446.68. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 494.82 points, or 1.2%, to 40,347.97. The Nasdaq composite fell 405.25 points, or 2.3%, to 17,194.15. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 68.32 points, or 3%, to 2,186.16. For the week: The S & P 500 is down 12.42 points, or 0.2%. The Dow is down 241.37 points, or 0.6%. The Nasdaq is down 163.74 points, or 0.9%. The Russell 2000 is down 73.91 points, or 3.3%. For the year: The S & P 500 is up 676.85 points, or 14.2%. The Dow is up 2,658.43 points, or 7.1%. The Nasdaq is up 2,182.79 points, or 14.5%. The Russell 2000 is up 159.09 points, or 7.8%.
Kamala Harris must defend immigration if she wants to be president None - As Democrats have coalesced around Vice President Kamala Harris as their presidential nominee, Republicans have, in turn, coalesced around their main issue to attack: immigration. President Joe Biden had struggled to respond to immigration criticism. Harris can do better, and she should start by doing the one thing that Biden failed to do: defending immigrants. Biden’s strategy was simply to ignore immigration. When pressed, he’d say, “They should all be going back.” During his debate with former President Donald Trump, he touted his recent “total ban” on asylum. It’s no surprise that with both parties’ nominees arguing in favor of restriction, more voters are shifting to the Trump position. But elevating the Trump position hurt Biden and will hurt Harris. If voters want Trump policies, they will elect Trump. At this point, it’s worse than wasted breath to talk about how Biden’s team tried to deport as many people as it could. Defending immigrants would be the most unexpected way to turn the tide in her favor. Trump’s efforts to demonize immigrants work when his opponents don’t bother countering his attacks. The only speech Trump knows how to give is: “Immigrants are coming over the border to kill you.” But the facts about crime are devastating to Trump: When he was president, homicides spiked in the second half of 2020, and as immigrants have come in under the Biden administration, the violent crime and homicide rates have fallen by historic amounts. Do immigrants deserve any credit? Probably! Immigrants commit fewer serious crimes that put them in prison, including fewer criminal homicides, than U.S.-born Americans. At the same time, by buying vacant homes and starting businesses at higher rates, they revitalize distressed neighborhoods hollowed out by pandemic-induced population loss. This indirectly lowers the crime rate. Harris should ask Trump directly: So why do you want less safe, shrinking communities with higher crime rates? Trump would no doubt also say, as he did during his convention speech, that the Biden immigration surge has brought “poverty” and “destruction to communities all across our land.” Harris should be ready. Destruction? The Congressional Budget Office finds that the surge will boost the economy by $7 trillion and reduce the federal debt by nearly $1 trillion by 2034. With America’s aging population, the country is millions of workers short of what Social Security needs for revenues to meet expenses by 2034, and the Social Security trustees say immigration will help close the gap. The Federal Reserve chair believes that new immigrants most likely helped stave off a recession by increasing economic growth. Again, Harris should ask Trump: Why do you want a smaller economy with more debt? Why do you want to undermine Social Security? Do you want a recession? Defending immigrants would be the most unexpected way to turn the tide in Harris’ favor. Trump hates to talk about immigration as an economic phenomenon partly because, as a business owner who has hired undocumented workers, he knows that it is beneficial. Instead, he would deflect to something else, like fentanyl trafficking. Once again, Harris has the facts: U.S. citizens are 89% of fentanyl traffickers, and when did fentanyl overdoses spike? In 2020, under Trump, when the border was supposedly closed. According to recent academic research, immigration is associated with fewer overdose deaths. This is most likely because immigrants are much less likely to be consumers of dangerous drugs, so they overdose much less than other people. Trump’s efforts to demonize immigrants work when his opponents don’t bother countering his attacks. Harris doesn’t have to lead with immigration. But she can’t simply let Trump spew lies about immigrants for hours and expect it not to hurt her chances. This confrontational approach may seem too risky politically, but it’s worth remembering that Joe Biden campaigned in 2020 against Trump’s harsh policies, and he won. In the general election debate, he criticized Trump for deporting asylum-seekers to “squalor.” His reversal hasn’t helped him. It has only validated Trump’s criticisms. Democrats’ instincts are right in one respect: Americans really don’t like chaos. Harris shouldn’t defend lawlessness. Instead, she should tout how the administration is quietly rebuilding the legal immigration system devastated by four years of President Trump and creating new legal ways for people to come, reducing illegal immigration. Much more work must be done to fix the system, but Harris can credibly say she wants people to come lawfully. How exactly does Trump think people should come? Well, Trump’s record shows that he only slashed legal immigration. He didn’t reduce illegal immigration. That’s the only answer that matters. Harris needs to see that Biden’s defensiveness about immigration failed badly. She must start from a position of strength. Immigrants — legal and illegal — are helping America solve its biggest challenges. Force Trump to explain why that’s bad. He can’t, but so far, he has never had to. Now is Harris’ chance to change that.
Kamala Harris has MAGA world freaking out about demons and the apocalypse None - It’s always the end of the world for the Make America Great Again movement. Ever since Donald Trump’s escalator ride in 2015, there’s been zero nuance to the MAGA message. “Only I can fix it,” the leader roared to thunderous applause upon accepting the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. But especially since Vice President Kamala Harris became the likely Democratic nominee, MAGA messaging has gone from overwrought and hyperbolic to absolutely hysterical and apocalyptic. Trump’s most prominent boosters have been speaking of an imminent totalitarian government, end times and literal biblical demons. Trumpists wave off any and all criticism as unworthy of discussion, bad-faith accusations from minds afflicted with Trump Derangement Syndrome. And yet, deranged is the only appropriate descriptor of the rhetoric emanating from MAGA land’s loudest megaphones. It’s Trump and some of his closest allies and most prominent boosters who have been speaking of an imminent totalitarian government, end times and literal biblical demons. These people include podcasters with massive, fiercely dedicated audiences. Titans of industry. Religious extremists with political ambitions and close ties to Trump world. And the richest man in the world. In just the past week, popular MAGA pundits warned that Harris is “Hitler and Stalin combined but times 200,” and also a “commie” who will choose a running mate who supports “allowing men to beat up women in the Olympics.” They also expressed outrage over the opening ceremony at the Paris Olympics as the end of “Western civilization,” and singled out one woman on a Zoom fundraiser call for Harris’ campaign as another harbinger of end times. Then there was the billionaire Trump supporter who finally freed himself from the burden of pretending he’s not MAGA, Elon Musk, bringing back one of his favorite apocalyptic buzzwords, “extinctionist,” to describe Harris. (And because he’s a serious adult, he called her “Shamala.”) Musk once generally reserved that term for environmentalists — or really anyone concerned about climate change. But he’s since expanded the definition to anything that involves the mysterious and horror-movie-sounding “woke mind virus.” In 2023, Musk told Joe Rogan, “It’s essentially the extinctionists. It is that they’re propagating the extinction of humanity and civilization.” It’s hard to argue what’s “most disturbing” among these deranged comments from very angry people, but a worthy contender came from Lance Wallnau, the influential Christian nationalist who has the ears of both Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson. He likened the first Black and Indian woman to be nominated for president by a major party to Jezebel — a spirit with demonic powers. In case he wasn’t driving the point home with just the name, Wallnau clarified that Harris represents “the spirit of Jezebel … in a way that’ll be even much more ominous than Hillary because she’ll bring a racial component and she’s younger.” There’s only one with politically influential figures using this election season to prophesize about Jezebels and explicitly making it about race and gender. The MAGA right hasn’t cornered the market on ridiculous and irresponsible hyperbole in politics. Left, right and center are all capable of taking liberties with facts, hyping the fear factor and exaggerating the stakes. But of all American political tribes, there’s only one with politically influential figures using this election season to prophesize about Jezebels and explicitly making it about race and gender. Or literally warning of the imminent end of the world because of a Marxist conspiracy to smuggle totalitarianism on an unsuspecting public through environmentalism. This was once the content you’d find on the furthest, most ridiculous fringes of the AM radio dial. And they are what remains of the brain trust of the MAGA movement. Then-President Donald Trump and Elon Musk at the White House on Jan. 23, 2017. Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP file The first Trump presidency — right up to his attempt to overturn the 2020 election and ultimate incitement of a riot at the Capitol — was consistent in the fact that the only people who stayed until the end were the true believers. Anyone with a modicum of independence was jettisoned, forever. The aforementioned MAGA influencers are worthy of ridicule, sure, but they’re more worthy of thoughtful, diligent scrutiny, because they’d be guiding forces of what might pass for principles in a second Trump administration.
Why a silver medal is as good as gold for Sha'Carri Richardson None - It wasn’t the result she wanted, but it was far better than three years ago. Sha’Carri Richardson won silver in the women’s 100 meters at the Paris Olympics on Saturday, bested by Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred. In the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Richardson, who’d been suspended after testing positive for the active ingredient in marijuana, didn’t run at all. She looked nervous as she walked to the start line before the medal race, and in both the semis and finals she did not get good starts. Richardson came into these Olympics as both the reigning world champion and the fastest in the world this year after a 10.71-second performance in the U.S. Olympic trials in June. But she looked uncharacteristically nervous as she walked to the start line before the medal race, and in both the semis and finals she did not get good starts. It cost her against Alfred, the powerful 23-year-old who won three NCAA titles in her final year at Texas in 2023. Alfred, who won the first-ever Olympic medal for her Caribbean island, got a fantastic start out of the blocks and never gave up her lead; her time was 10.72 seconds. Richardson was runner-up in 10.87 seconds, and fellow American Melissa Jefferson won bronze in 10.92 seconds. Also the winner of this year’s 60-meter world championship, Alfred broke the stranglehold Jamaica had on the women’s 100-meter gold medal; over the previous four Olympic Games, either Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce or Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica had won the 100-meter. Thompson-Herah was not at these Games due to an injury, while Fraser-Pryce scratched from her semifinal, though it was unclear why she did. Even without the gold, medaling in Paris was the triumphant culmination of three years of turmoil and growth for Richardson, the petite powerhouse who had once been written off by some as a flash in the pan but found serenity in her personal life and, with it, rediscovered her stride on the track. For all of the success Richardson had last year at worlds in Budapest — winning gold in the 100-meter in a championship-record time of 10.65 seconds, anchoring the U.S. women to gold in the 4x100-meter relay and claiming bronze in the 200 meters in a lifetime best of 21.92 seconds — the Olympics is where track-and-field legends are made. She’ll have to wait a bit longer for that ultimate crown. And so will the United States. It will be at least four more years until an American woman sprinter wins Olympic gold in the 100. Gail Devers was the last to do so, in 1996. That year was also the last time two American women were on the podium until Richardson and Jefferson earned silver and bronze Saturday. Still, Richardson has reason to celebrate. Over the last three years, she seems to have undergone a great deal of growth, personally, professionally and even spiritually. Richardson burst onto the global track scene in 2019, when she won the NCAA women’s 100-meter title as a freshman at Louisiana State University in 10.75 seconds, her long, platinum-blond wig contrasting with her all-black uniform. Her time was not only the NCAA record, but it made her the ninth-fastest woman ever and marked the under-20 world record. While her stellar prep career at Dallas’ Carter High made her a hot commodity on the college recruiting circuit, becoming just the third freshman to win the women’s title changed everything for Richardson on the track. She immediately signed a sponsorship deal with Nike and was anointed the future of American sprinting, all at just 19 years old. It would be a lot for anyone. Richardson has reason to celebrate. Over the last three years, she seems to have undergone a great deal of growth, personally, professionally and even spiritually. And it didn’t take long for reality to set in: Just a couple of weeks after her star turn at the NCAAs, Richardson made her professional debut at 2019’s Prefontaine Classic. She finished fourth. That July, she was last in the 100-meter final at the U.S. track and field championship. Like everyone’s, her 2020 season was cut short by Covid, and the International Olympic Committee made the decision to push the Tokyo Games by a year. After lowering her all-time best early in 2021, Richardson came into the Olympic trials in great form and seemed to fulfill her promise when she blazed — in a fiery orange wig, natch — to the win in 10.86 seconds. Just as quickly as glory came, it was gone. Richardson tested positive for cannabis after the race and received a one-month suspension from the World Anti-Doping Agency that kept her out of the Olympics. She revealed that she’d used marijuana during the trials after finding out via a reporter she didn’t know that her biological mother, whom she’d long been estranged from, had died. The punishment set off a global discussion about whether it was past time for WADA to take marijuana off its banned substances list, whether the suspension was an overreaction given the circumstances, or whether Richardson had no one to blame but herself for breaking an established rule. And in the middle of the storm was a young woman trying to process it all. In an interview with NBC’s “TODAY” show shortly after her suspension was announced, Richardson said, “I apologize for the fact that I didn’t even know how to control my emotions or deal with my emotions during that time.” Her struggles continued for much of 2022, when she didn’t even make the finals for the U.S. championships, which is where the team for worlds was decided. I found my peace back on the track and I’m not letting anything or anybody take that anymore. sha'carri richardson Sometime after that embarrassing result, Richardson seemingly decided it was time for a change. She’s been smiling ever since. She opened 2023 with a wind-aided 10.57 seconds at a meet in Florida, and a few weeks later at the Diamond League meet in Doha, Qatar, she beat a stacked field in 10.76 seconds. She showed up at the start line without colorful hair, without waist beads, without much of the flash she’d been known for. Her impeccable, ornate fingernails remained, but the pared-down look was the first sign that something was different. “I found my peace back on the track and I’m not letting anything or anybody take that anymore,” she told a reporter after the run, concluding with “peace, love and light.” Around that same time, she indicated in a video on her YouTube channel that returning to her faith had helped her a great deal, and she also debuted what would become her motto for the year: “I’m not back, I’m better.” In 2023, finally competing in a global meet, Richardson stunned with her winning time of 10.65 seconds, a world championships record. Though she threw her arms up in celebration as she crossed the finish line, when the scoreboard flashed that she’d officially won, Richardson looked to be in disbelief for a few moments, her hands over her mouth. But once it set in, she began running all over, jumping and skipping and squealing with delight. Her celebration on Saturday was far more muted, but Sha’Carri Richardson was still smiling. The road to redemption isn’t always paved with gold. Sometimes it’s paved with silver.
Sha'carri Richardson wins silver behind St. Lucia's Julien Alfred in women's 100-meter None - Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred sprinted to the gold in the Olympic 100-meter race on Saturday, with Sha’Carri Richardson taking silver and her fellow American Melissa Jefferson nabbing bronze. Alfred crossed the finish line in 10.72 seconds to win Saint Lucia’s first-ever Olympic medal. Richardson came in behind her at 10.87 seconds and Jefferson at 10.92 seconds. It is both Richardson’s and Jefferson’s first-ever Olympic medal as well. Although the U.S. had high hopes for a gold from Richardson, who was the reigning 100-meter world champion coming into the race, her second-place win Saturday was nevertheless a triumphant Olympic comeback. Three years ago, the 24-year-old was suspended from the sport for a month after testing positive for THC, which prevented her from participating in the Tokyo Olympics (THC is not a performance-enhancing drug, but it is a prohibited substance in the Games). Richardson won her opening-round heat on Friday. She came in second in the 100-meter semifinal earlier on Saturday, also behind Alfred.
Jimmy Carter, 99, is holding out to vote for Kamala Harris, his grandson says None - Former President Jimmy Carter, who is in hospice care and is less than two months away from his 100th birthday, is holding out to vote for Kamala Harris for president, his grandson Jason Carter told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. His son Chip Carter had asked if he was trying to make it to his 100th birthday, according to Jason Carter, a former Georgia state senator. The nonagenarian then told his son, “I’m only trying to make it to vote for Kamala Harris,” his grandson said. Carter entered hospice care at his Georgia home in February 2023. He is the oldest living and longest-lived former president in U.S. history. He will turn 100 years old on Oct. 1, and early voting in Georgia begins on Oct. 15. Carter has had less frosty relations with Donald Trump relative to his fellow former Democratic presidents. He has criticized some of Trump’s behaviors while also defending him from the media in the past. However, in 2019, he suggested that the Republican was an illegitimate president, saying, “Trump didn’t actually win the election in 2016. He lost the election and he was put into office because the Russians interfered on his behalf.” Meanwhile, Trump has made references to the 99-year-old in his attacks on President Joe Biden. During a campaign speech in January, Trump brought up former first lady Rosalynn Carter’s funeral (which his wife attended but he did not) saying, “It was beautiful. Jimmy Carter was there. I thought to myself, ‘Jimmy Carter is happy now, because he will go down as a brilliant president by comparison to Joe Biden.’”
HBO’s Elizabeth Taylor doc chronicles the birth of modern celebrity None - Two years after igniting a global scandal of such seismic proportions it was said to have knocked NASA’s first orbit of the Earth off the front pages, 32-year-old Elizabeth Taylor sat down with Life magazine’s Richard Meryman to tell her side of the story. The 40 hours of audio recordings from these interviews constitute the bulk of HBO Max’s new documentary “Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes,” which brings the late actress’s story to life in her own words. The documentary humanizes the two-time Oscar winner, exhibiting her personality, humor and the obstacles she faced both personally and professionally as she scaled the behemoth of midcentury Hollywood misogyny. In doing so, the film paints a three-dimensional picture of the complex woman behind the eight marriages, bewitching eyes and incessant gossip headlines that later dominated the Elizabeth Taylor mystique. Taylor’s public image was artificially imposed on her for years by the Hollywood studio system, which manufactured her into a ‘sex symbol’ as young as 16. For many years, this half-mythical caricature of Taylor distracted from the transformative impact she had on society and culture. Only recently, for example, has she been given credit — including by the likes of Katy Perry and Kim Kardashian — for inventing the prototype of the modern celebrity. In the podcast series “Elizabeth the First,” Perry labels Taylor the “first true influencer” for pioneering the concept of a public figure as their own brand long before it was fashionable. Taylor debuts this shrewd understanding of her “public” versus “private” self throughout the tapes, creating distance from what she calls “Elizabeth Taylor, the commodity.” Refusing to apologize or justify herself, she instead muses over her so-called “immoral” reputation with stone-cold detachment. “There is a private Elizabeth,” she tells Meryman. “The other Elizabeth, the famous one, really has no depth or meaning to me. It is a commodity that makes money.” Elizabeth Taylor. The Elizabeth Taylor Estate / HBO Her cynicism is understandable. As the tapes reveal, Taylor’s public image was artificially imposed on her for years by the Hollywood studio system, which manufactured her into a “sex symbol” as young as 16, while also confining her to low-paying, often low-quality pictures. “I was forced to do things that I hated,” she tells Meryman. “I was given such s---- that you should choke on.” But over time, “a kind of rebellion started within me,” Taylor recalls. After her seven-year contract ended, the then-30-year-old was free to choose her own films and set her price tag. “I was quite the businesswoman,” she laughs, recounting how she became the first actress to negotiate a $1 million salary ($10 million today) for what she called the “ridiculous” idea of casting her as Cleopatra. Taylor shows a sense of humor, and at times outright contempt, for the production, which overthrew two dynasties of Fox leadership, gutted directors’ careers, ended two marriages, nearly bankrupted Twentieth Century Fox (at a staggering $450 million in today’s dollars), launched an FBI investigation and even damaged U.S. foreign relations abroad, according to damning remarks immortalized in the U.S. Congressional Record. At the same time, the tumultuous production marked a transformative moment in Taylor’s career, when she began to use her fame and notoriety as a weapon against the patriarchal culture that had long dictated and profited off her image. A colorized image of Elizabeth Taylor spinning a lasso on the set of the 1956 film “Giant.” Frank Worth / HBO After years of genuflecting before patronizing executives, producers and directors — whom she bitterly recalls dismissing her as a “movie star, not an actress” — the then-four-times-married mother of three discovered she could beat them at their own game. By leaving what she reveals to be an unhappy and at times abusive marriage to Eddie Fisher and having a very public affair — and worse still, refusing to apologize for it — Taylor took a gamble with the public that paid off. Whether by accident or design, Taylor’s “breaking of conventions,” as she described her and Richard Burton’s affair, coincided with a slow-rolling spirit of rebellion taking place across America in the 1960s. She not only rose from the ashes of moral indignation unscathed, but also saw her notoriety skyrocket to levels never seen before, and possibly since. It could be argued that there are two Hollywood’s: one before Elizabeth Taylor and one after. During and after the film, Taylor’s private life garnered such ferocious public interest that an entire industry — the paparazzi — stepped in to satisfy the demand. While Taylor resents their intrusive presence in the tapes, they also, inadvertently, helped further liberate her from the overbearing grip of the studio, inviting the public in to make their own decisions about her. By tearing down the barrier between the star and the public, Taylor’s act of “rebellion” not only weakened one of the few levers of power the studio regime still wielded, but also allowed her to engineer a new playbook for modern stardom entirely from scratch. In it, she portrayed a version of herself to the public that didn’t conceal her flaws, but embraced them. Elizabeth Taylor. The Elizabeth Taylor Estate / HBO It could be argued that there are two Hollywoods: one before Elizabeth Taylor and one after. Today, fans want and expect truth, vulnerability and controversy from celebrities. Scandals are no longer liabilities, but assets. From Taylor Swift to Kim Kardashian, there is no such thing as either a “perfect” star or a “private” one. In giving celebrities the power to be themselves, Taylor’s model transformed the public into consumers of their public lives, rather than just observers, in a way that forever altered what it means to be famous. While it’s arguable whether this new model has been good or bad, the documentary is a fascinating reminder of where the debate over the private lives of public figures first began. Taylor’s greatest legacy was bringing honesty and candor to stardom in a way that forever transformed the relationship between celebrities and the public — and freed Hollywood stars to be, for better or worse, themselves. By using her fame to push boundaries, Taylor chipped away at the oppressive outerwear of an antiquated, patriarchal system, exposing its vulnerabilities and at the same time bringing contentious issues to the forefront of public awareness throughout her career. By giving new context to a woman who was, in many ways, too modern for her time, the film cements Taylor’s legacy not as a sex symbol, but as the trailblazing actress, feminist, philanthropist, entrepreneur and activist who played a central role in shaping the world of fame as we know it today.
Judge tees up dismissal of Giuliani bankruptcy, opening door for creditors to collect None - A judge approved a deal to dismiss Rudy Giuliani’s bankruptcy on Friday, which will bring an end to a case that has for months frustrated his creditors and, at times, even the judge. The dismissal of Giuliani’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy will mean his creditors can soon begin to go after his assets to recover some of the money they’re owed. That includes Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, two Georgia election workers whom Giuliani defamed over the 2020 election and to whom he owes nearly $150 million in a civil judgment. A former lawyer for Donald Trump, Giuliani filed for bankruptcy in December 2023 after being handed the verdict in Freeman and Moss’ defamation case. His seeking bankruptcy protections meant that the Georgia women could not begin to collect on the judgment, and it froze proceedings in the other civil lawsuits against him (he has denied any wrongdoing in those cases). But the disgraced lawyer’s bankruptcy bogged down in what his creditors characterized as his stonewalling and lack of cooperation. Giuliani’s lawyers eventually requested that his bankruptcy be converted to Chapter 7 so that his assets could be liquidated, then later proposed the case be dismissed entirely. New York Bankruptcy Judge Sean Lane agreed in mid-July to dismiss Giuliani’s bankruptcy, but afterward threatened to reverse that decision because of Giuliani’s failure to pay roughly $400,000 in administrative expenses — which Giuliani claimed he did not have the ability to pay. On Wednesday, Giuliani came to an agreement with his creditors to pay $100,000 of that sum now, and then settle the remainder of those expenses when he sells his penthouse apartment in New York or his Florida condo. The $100,000 is due one business day after the Friday ruling, after which his bankruptcy case will officially be dismissed, NBC News reported. Giuliani’s spokesperson, Ted Goodman, did not respond to NBC News’ request for comment. Attorneys for Freeman and Moss also did not respond.
Faulkner stuns in gold medal win in women's road race None - U.S. cyclist Kristen Faulkner surprised everyone when she won the women's road race at the 2024 Paris Games with a time of 3:49:23. Marianne Vos edged out Lotte Kopecky for silver. Chloe Dygert's crash impacted the race. Watch the 2024 Paris Olympics on NBC and streaming on Peacock, July 26 - Aug 11.Aug. 4, 2024
Boxer Lin Yu-ting thanks fans and aims for gold despite gender questions None - Boxer Lin Yu-ting thanks fans and aims for gold despite gender questions Lin Yu-ting, representing Chinese Taipei, said she is aiming for gold and thanked fans after she won the quarterfinal featherweight event against Bulgaria's Svetlana Staneva, putting her in a position to medal. Lin has faced scrutiny throughout the 2024 Games after a 2023 disqualification based on tests that called her gender into question.Aug. 4, 2024
Highlights from Novak Djokovic's gold medal match in Paris None - Novak Djokovic of Serbia won his first Olympic gold medal on Sunday after he defeated Carlos Alcaraz of Spain in straight sets. Djokovic didn't drop one set during his time at the Olympic tournament.Aug. 4, 2024
History for Saint Lucia, Julien Alfred wins first medal None - Julien Alfred made history for St. Lucia in the women's 100m, upsetting Sha'Carri Richardson for the gold to win the first ever Olympic medal for Saint Lucia.Aug. 4, 2024
Team USA sweeps more medals in gymnastics, swimming, track and more None - Team USA sweeps more medals in gymnastics, swimming, track and more Simone Biles has done it again – winning gold today along with swimmer Katie Ledecky. On the track, Sha’Carri Richardson took silver in the 100-meter dash. NBC News’ Keir Simmons wraps all the day’s events and shows you the stunning comeback for a Belgian cyclist.Aug. 4, 2024
Team USA gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik’s rise to Olympic fame None - Team USA gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik won another bronze medal today. He’s shot to fame over the past week, becoming known as “pommel horse guy” and going viral for his Rubik’s cube skills and eyeglasses. NBC News’ Stephanie Gosk has more with the breakout star.Aug. 3, 2024