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  • What to watch over the final weekend of the 2024 presidential campaign

    What to watch over the final weekend of the 2024 presidential campaign

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    NEW YORK (AP) — The 2024 presidential contest speeds into its final weekend with Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump locked in a razor-thin contest.

    What You Need To Know

    • Harris and Trump are crisscrossing the country to rally voters in the states that matter most. They’re trying — with varying degrees of success — to stay focused on a clear and concise closing message

    • On Saturday, Trump is expected to make separate appearances in North Carolina with one eyebrow-raising stop in Virginia in between

    • Harris is expected to campaign in North Carolina and Georgia on Saturday in a sign that her team is sensing a genuine opportunity in the South. She’s planning to make multiple stops in Michigan on Sunday

    • More than 66 million people have already cast ballots in the 2024 election, which is more than one-third the total number who voted in 2020

    At this late stage in the campaign, every day matters. And while few voters might change their minds this late in a typical election, there is a sense that what happens in these final days could shift votes.

    Harris and Trump are crisscrossing the country to rally voters in the states that matter most. They’re trying — with varying degrees of success — to stay focused on a clear and concise closing message. At the same time, each side is investing massive resources to drive up turnout for the final early voting period. And in these critical days, the flow of misinformation is intensifying.

    Here’s what we’re watching on the final weekend before Election Day, which is Tuesday:

    Where will Harris and Trump be?

    You only need to look at the candidates’ schedules this weekend to know where this election will likely be decided.

    Note that schedules can and likely will change without warning. But on Saturday, Trump is expected to make separate appearances in North Carolina with one eyebrow-raising stop in Virginia in between.

    No Democratic presidential candidate has carried North Carolina since Barack Obama in 2008, although it has been decided by less than 3 points in every election since. Trump’s decision to spend Saturday there suggests Harris has a real opportunity in the state. But Trump is also trying to convey confidence by stopping in Virginia, a state that has been safely in the Democratic column since 2008.

    There is perhaps no more important swing state than Pennsylvania, where Trump is expected to campaign Sunday. But he also has another appearance scheduled for North Carolina in addition to Georgia, another Southern state that has leaned Republican for almost three decades — that is, until Joe Biden carried it by less than a half percentage point four years ago.

    Meanwhile, Harris is expected to campaign in North Carolina and Georgia on Saturday in a sign that her team is sensing a genuine opportunity in the South. She’s planning to make multiple stops in Michigan on Sunday, shifting to a Democratic-leaning state in the so-called Blue Wall where her allies believe she is vulnerable.

    Do they stay on message?

    Trump’s campaign leadership wants voters to be focused on one key question as they prepare to cast ballots, and it’s the same question he opens every rally with: Are you better off today than you were four years ago?

    Harris’ team wants voters to be thinking about another: Do they trust Trump or Harris to put the nation’s interests over their own?

    Whichever candidate can more effectively keep voters focused on their closing arguments in the coming days may ultimately win the presidency. Yet both candidates are off to a challenging start.

    Trump opens the weekend still facing the fallout from his recent New York City rally in which a comedian described Puerto Rico as a “floating pile of garbage.” Things got harder for Trump late Thursday after he raised the prospect of Republican rival Liz Cheney’s death by gunfire.

    It was exactly the kind of inflammatory comment his allies want him to avoid at this critical moment.

    Harris’ campaign, meanwhile, is still working to shift the conversation away from President Biden’s comments earlier in the week that described Trump supporters as “garbage.” The Associated Press reported late Thursday that White House press officials altered the official transcript of the call in question, drawing objections from the federal workers who document such remarks for posterity.

    The spotlight of presidential politics always burns brightly. But it will burn brightest, perhaps, this final weekend, leaving the campaigns virtually no margin for error. In what both sides believe is a true tossup election, any final-hours missteps could prove decisive.

    How will the gender gap play out?

    Trump’s graphic attack against Cheney was especially troublesome given his allies’ heightened concerns about women voters.

    Polling shows a significant gender gap in the contest, with Harris generally having a much better rating among women than Trump has. Part of that may be the result of the GOP’s fight to restrict abortion rights, which has been disastrous for Trump’s party. But Trump’s divisive leadership has also pushed women away.

    Going into the weekend, Trump allies, including conservative firebrand Charlie Kirk, are warning that far more women than men appear to be casting early ballots. While it’s impossible to know whom they’re voting for, Kirk clearly believes that’s bad news for Trump.

    Trump isn’t helping his cause. A day before his violent rhetoric about Cheney, the Republican former president made waves by insisting that he would protect women whether they “like it or not.”

    Harris, who would be the nation’s first female president, said Trump doesn’t understand women’s rights “to make decisions about their own lives, including their own bodies.”

    It remains to be seen whether the Democrat’s argument can break through on this packed weekend. But Harris’ team believes there’s still a significant chunk of persuadable voters out there. And they say the undecideds are disproportionately Republican-leaning suburban women.

    What happens with early voting?

    More than 66 million people have already cast ballots in the 2024 election, which is more than one-third the total number who voted in 2020.

    They include significantly more Republicans compared with four years ago, largely because Trump has backed off his insistence that his supporters must cast ballots in person on Election Day.

    And while early in-person voting has ended in many states, there will be a huge push for final-hours early voting in at least three key states as the campaigns work to bank as many votes as possible before Election Day.

    That includes Michigan, where in-person early voting runs through Monday. Voters in Wisconsin can vote early in-person through Sunday, although it varies by location. And in North Carolina, voters have until 3 p.m. Saturday to cast early ballots in-person.

    The early voting period officially ended Friday in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania.

    Meanwhile, questions remain about the Trump campaign’s get-out-the-vote operation, which is relying heavily on well-funded outside groups with little experience — including one group funded largely by billionaire Elon Musk that’s facing new questions about its practices.

    Harris’ campaign, by contrast, is running a more traditional get-out-the-vote operation that features more than 2,500 paid staffers and 357 offices in battleground states alone.

    Will misinformation intensify?

    Trump’s allies appear to be intensifying baseless claims about voter fraud, and some are being amplified by Trump himself. He has spent months sowing doubts about the integrity of the 2024 election in the event he loses — just as he did four years ago.

    His unfounded accusations are becoming more specific, in some cases, as wild claims begin to show up on social media.

    Earlier this week, Trump claimed on social media that York County, Pennsylvania, had “received THOUSANDS of potentially FRAUDULENT Voter Registration Forms and Mail-In Ballot Applications from a third party group.” He has also pointed to Lancaster County, which he claimed had been “caught with 2600 Fake Ballots and Forms, all written by the same person. Really bad ‘stuff.’”

    Trump was referring to investigations into potential fraud related to voter registration applications. The discovery and investigation into the applications provide evidence the system is working as it should.

    The Republican nominee has also raised baseless claims about overseas ballots and noncitizens voting, and suggested without evidence that Harris might have access to some kind of secret inside information about election results.

    Expect such claims to surge, especially on social media, in the coming days. And remember that a broad coalition of top government and industry officials, many of them Republicans, found that the 2020 election was the “most secure” in American history.

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    Associated Press

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  • Gen Z activists work to get out the youth vote for Kamala Harris

    Gen Z activists work to get out the youth vote for Kamala Harris

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    With young voters among the many constituencies that could turn the vote toward either presidential candidate, Democrats are leaning on some of its highest-profile youth advocates to get out the vote for Vice President Kamala Harris.

    What You Need To Know

    • With the election in its final days, Democrats are leaning on some of its highest-profile youth advocates to get out the vote for Vice President Kamala Harris

    • Four days before Election Day, the only Gen Z member of Congress, Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., is campaigning on college campuses and at concerts in his home state of Florida while reproductive rights advocate Deja Foxx is knocking on doors and generating content for social media in Arizona

    • A GenForward survey conducted by the University of Chicago in October found inflation was the most important issue among voters aged 18 to 26, followed by economic growth, reproductive rights, poverty, immigration and threat to American democracy

    • A Harvard Youth Poll released last week found Democratic candidate Kamala Harris leads GOP candidate Donald Trump among young voters 60% to 32%



    Four days before Election Day, the only Gen Z member of Congress, Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., is campaigning on college campuses and at concerts in his home state of Florida while reproductive rights advocate Deja Foxx is knocking on doors and generating content for social media in Arizona.

    “I always tell people Project 2025 is Florida 2024. Project 2025, we see some of this going on in the South right now,” Frost said during a press call with leading Gen Z activists Friday, including mass-shooting survivor and gun control activist David Hogg.

    Frost said a Florida law that allows people to carry concealed weapons without a permit is the reason two people were killed and another six were injured in Orlando on Halloween night.

    Hogg said Project 2025, which Democrats see as a template for a Trump presidency, would eliminate red flag laws that take guns out of the hands of those who could do harm and get rid of tools used by law enforcement that stop criminals from being able to purchase guns.

    “We need to do everything we can to prevent this Trump presidency,” Frost said, adding that the Biden-Harris administration has “been able to make big gains for young Americans from gun violence and many different issues and want to continue on that path of progress.”

    Frost is currently campaigning at the University of Central Florida, where he said students are waiting to be asked to organize, to volunteer and to vote.

    “It’s not about inviting people to your table but going to theirs,” he said. “We go to places of culture: concerts and different events to reach young people who might not care about politics.

    “At every event that we’ve been at, there’s been a pretty large contingent of students or people who have never been to a political event before,” he said. “When I speak with them about what issues brought them to the table, we hear about a lot of the issues that we hear about today: gun violence, reproductive justice, access to abortion, the climate crisis, the economy.”

    A GenForward survey conducted by the University of Chicago in October found inflation was the most important issue among voters aged 18 to 26, followed by economic growth, reproductive rights, poverty, immigration and threat to American democracy.

    A Harvard Youth Poll released last week found Democratic candidate Kamala Harris leads GOP candidate Donald Trump among young voters 60% to 32%. Harris’ support is strongest among young women, where she has a 30-point lead against Trump.

    Her lead against Trump among young voters shrinks to 9% across the seven key battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

    According to the Harvard poll, Harris is strongest on abortion rights and strengthening the working class, while Trump is perceived as stronger on the Israel-Hamas war.

    There are about 52.6 million people between the ages of 18 and 29 in the United States who make up almost 16% of the population. In 2020, about half of young voters cast ballots.

    According to the University of Florida Election Lab, of the 66.8 million voters who have cast ballots so far this election cycle, 7.6% have been 18- to 25-year-olds.

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    Susan Carpenter

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  • The time change debate continues as we ‘fall back’ to standard time this weekend

    The time change debate continues as we ‘fall back’ to standard time this weekend

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    It’s that time of the year when we set the clocks back one hour, returning us to standard time, reducing the amount of daylight in the evenings, but we gain an extra hour of sleep this weekend.

    What You Need To Know

    • Sunshine Act passed in the U.S. Senate in 2022

    • Current time change rules have been in place since 2007

    • Arizona and Hawaii remain on standard time year round


    This brings up the conversation of why we need to do the switching of the clocks twice a year. Why not just stay on daylight saving time year round or standard time for the entire year?

    However, it’s not that easy. The path to accomplish this includes federal approval.

    Why we change the clocks twice a year

    The United States began the concept of daylight saving time in 1918, during World War I, to save fuel. By advancing one hour ahead, coal-fired energy would assist the war effort rather than that hour at home.

    Standard time returned following the war and continued until World War II. After World War II, some states and even cities kept daylight saving time, creating various time zones within regions. Frustrated with no uniform time, the public pushed Congress to pass the Uniform Time Act in 1966.

    This established the time frame that daylight saving time would begin the last Sunday in April and end the last Sunday in October.

    In 1987, it extended to include the first Sunday in April and end on the last Sunday in October.

    Part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the modern daylight saving time begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.

    This current time shift began in 2007.

    Not everyone participates

    Hawaii doesn’t participate because of its location. With not much variation throughout the year between sunrise and sunset, it made little sense to switch the clocks. 

    Only the Navajo Nation in Arizona observes daylight saving time. The rest of the state exempted itself in 1968. 

    They cited the heat as their reason for opting out, adding that if they switched the clocks ahead one hour, the sun would not set until 9 p.m. in the summer, limiting nighttime activities.

    Old metal alarm clock among grass and flowers.

    Current legislation

    The Department of Transportation oversees daylight saving time and all the country’s time zones. 

    According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), Federal law refers to the Uniform Time Act, which was passed in 1966. This law allows a state to exempt itself from observing daylight saving time or staying on standard time year round. However, it does not allow a state to be on permanent daylight saving time. 

    As of 2024, at least 30 states have considered or are considering legislation or resolutions about Daylight Saving Time. 

    22 States that have introduced legislation exempting from daylight saving time and staying on standard time year-round. No federal approval will be needed if passed. 

    On the other hand, 20 states have enacted legislation or passed resolutions to provide for year-round daylight saving time, but there are a few caveats. If Congress allows the change and if the surrounding states enact the same legislation. 

    Sunshine Protection Act

    On March 15, 2022, the U.S. Senate voted unanimously in favor of the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent, meaning Americans would no longer have to change their clocks twice a year to account for the time change. 

    While the Senate passed the bill, two and a half years later, it remains stalled in the House and has not been signed into law by President Biden.

    The future

    For now, legislation to observe daylight saving time year-round remains pending.

    Other states will continue to perform case studies and collect data to see if this shift is beneficial in saving energy, helping improve health and reducing crime.

    And so we will change our clocks back one hour this Saturday night, returning to standard time and then on March 9, 2025, we will move the clocks forward one hour, switching to daylight saving time. 

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Meteorologist Stacy Lynn

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  • The time change debate continues as we ‘fall back’ to standard time this weekend

    The time change debate continues as we ‘fall back’ to standard time this weekend

    [ad_1]

    It’s that time of the year when we set the clocks back one hour, returning us to standard time, reducing the amount of daylight in the evenings, but we gain an extra hour of sleep this weekend.

    What You Need To Know

    • Sunshine Act passed in the U.S. Senate in 2022

    • Current time change rules have been in place since 2007

    • Arizona and Hawaii remain on standard time year round


    This brings up the conversation of why we need to do the switching of the clocks twice a year. Why not just stay on daylight saving time year round or standard time for the entire year?

    However, it’s not that easy. The path to accomplish this includes federal approval.

    Why we change the clocks twice a year

    The United States began the concept of daylight saving time in 1918, during World War I, to save fuel. By advancing one hour ahead, coal-fired energy would assist the war effort rather than that hour at home.

    Standard time returned following the war and continued until World War II. After World War II, some states and even cities kept daylight saving time, creating various time zones within regions. Frustrated with no uniform time, the public pushed Congress to pass the Uniform Time Act in 1966.

    This established the time frame that daylight saving time would begin the last Sunday in April and end the last Sunday in October.

    In 1987, it extended to include the first Sunday in April and end on the last Sunday in October.

    Part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the modern daylight saving time begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.

    This current time shift began in 2007.

    Not everyone participates

    Hawaii doesn’t participate because of its location. With not much variation throughout the year between sunrise and sunset, it made little sense to switch the clocks. 

    Only the Navajo Nation in Arizona observes daylight saving time. The rest of the state exempted itself in 1968. 

    They cited the heat as their reason for opting out, adding that if they switched the clocks ahead one hour, the sun would not set until 9 p.m. in the summer, limiting nighttime activities.

    Old metal alarm clock among grass and flowers.

    Current legislation

    The Department of Transportation oversees daylight saving time and all the country’s time zones. 

    According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), Federal law refers to the Uniform Time Act, which was passed in 1966. This law allows a state to exempt itself from observing daylight saving time or staying on standard time year round. However, it does not allow a state to be on permanent daylight saving time. 

    As of 2024, at least 30 states have considered or are considering legislation or resolutions about Daylight Saving Time. 

    22 States that have introduced legislation exempting from daylight saving time and staying on standard time year-round. No federal approval will be needed if passed. 

    On the other hand, 20 states have enacted legislation or passed resolutions to provide for year-round daylight saving time, but there are a few caveats. If Congress allows the change and if the surrounding states enact the same legislation. 

    Sunshine Protection Act

    On March 15, 2022, the U.S. Senate voted unanimously in favor of the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent, meaning Americans would no longer have to change their clocks twice a year to account for the time change. 

    While the Senate passed the bill, two and a half years later, it remains stalled in the House and has not been signed into law by President Biden.

    The future

    For now, legislation to observe daylight saving time year-round remains pending.

    Other states will continue to perform case studies and collect data to see if this shift is beneficial in saving energy, helping improve health and reducing crime.

    And so we will change our clocks back one hour this Saturday night, returning to standard time and then on March 9, 2025, we will move the clocks forward one hour, switching to daylight saving time. 

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Meteorologist Stacy Lynn

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  • Trump: Liz Cheney might not be such a ‘war hawk’ if she had guns pointed at her

    Trump: Liz Cheney might not be such a ‘war hawk’ if she had guns pointed at her

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    Former President Donald Trump launched another attack on former Rep. Liz Cheney late Thursday, calling the Republican former Wyoming congresswoman a “war hawk” and suggesting she might not be as willing to send troops to fight if she had guns pointed at her.

    What You Need To Know

    • Former President Donald Trump has launched another attack on former Rep. Liz Cheney, calling the Republican former Wyoming congresswoman a “war hawk” and suggesting she might not be as willing to send troops to fight if she had guns pointed at her

    • Cheney has vocally opposed Trump since the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and has endorsed his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris

    • During an event Thursday in Glendale, Arizona, the Republican presidential candidate called Cheney “deranged,” “very dumb” and “a radical war hawk”

    • He then added: “Let’s put her with the rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her. OK, let’s see how she feels about it”

    During an event in Glendale, Arizona, with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, the Republican presidential candidate was asked if it is weird to see Cheney campaign against him. Cheney has vocally opposed Trump since the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and has become a surrogate for his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.

    Trump called Cheney “a deranged person,” then added: “But the reason she couldn’t stand me is that she always wanted to go to war with people. If it were up to her we’d be in 50 different countries.”

    After calling Cheney “a very dumb individual,” he said: “She’s a radical war hawk. Let’s put her with the rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her. OK, let’s see how she feels about it. You know, when the guns are trained on her face.

    “You know they’re all war hawks when they’re sitting in Washington in a nice building saying, oh gee, well let’s send 10,000 troops right into the mouth of the enemy,” Trump said.

    After Harris’ campaign and other Trump critics on social media pounced on the quote, Trump’s campaign responded that he “was talking about how Liz Cheney wants to send America’s sons and daughters to fight in wars despite never being in a war herself.”

    Cheney responded on social media Friday morning, writing: “This is how dictators destroy free nations. They threaten those who speak against them with death. We cannot entrust our country and our freedom to a petty, vindictive, cruel, unstable man who wants to be a tyrant.”

    In an interview with MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Friday, Ian Sams, a spokesperson for the Harris campaign, said Trump is “all-consumed by his grievances, the people who he disagrees with.”

    “And now, he’s going after Liz Cheney with this dangerous, violent rhetoric,” Sams said. “I mean, think about the contrast between these two candidates. You have Donald Trump who is talking about sending a prominent Republican to the firing squad, and you have Vice President Harris talking about sending one to her Cabinet. This is the difference in this race.”

    Note: This article has been updated with Harris campaign spokesperson Iam Sams’ comments.

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    Spectrum News Staff, Associated Press

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  • How to reuse your pumpkins after Halloween

    How to reuse your pumpkins after Halloween

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    Halloween may have ended, but you can find a lot of ways to reuse your pumpkins or jack-o’-lanterns now that the trick-or-treating is done. 

    What You Need To Know

    • There are several ways to recycle your pumpkins

    • Leftover pumpkins can make tasty dishes

    • Pumpkin scraps are also an excellent fertilizer for your garden.

    Turn pumpkins into food

    You can use the leftover pumpkins to make food. You can scoop out the guts of the pumpkin and turn it into a puree.

    To make a puree, you need to cut up the pumpkin and roast the halves. After they’ve roasted, scoop out the flesh and blend it to turn into a puree.

    The puree could the be used to make pies, soups and sauces.

    (Pexels)

    You can also the roast the pumpkin seeds too after taking out the guts and rinsing them.

    Pumpkin for animals

    Leftover pumpkins can also become bird feeders.

    You just have to cut off the top third of the pumpkin, empty the cavity, fill it with bird seeds and hang it in the yard for the birds.

    Check with your local zoo. Some will take donated pumpkin scraps and use them as feed for animals.

    Composting pumpkins

    Pumpkins are also good for composting. You can use the pumpkin scraps to help fertilize your garden.

    You can even make it a game for kids to smash leftover pumpkins and use it as compost.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Spectrum News Staff, Meteorologist Keith Bryant

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  • Harris launches ad taking aim at Puerto Rico ‘garbage’ line

    Harris launches ad taking aim at Puerto Rico ‘garbage’ line

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    Four days after a comedian at Donald Trump’s rally made a joke about Puerto Rico being an “island of garbage” and set off a political firestorm, Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign seized on the racist comments in a digital ad targeting Latino voters.

    What You Need To Know

    • Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign launched a new ad targeting Latino voters after a comedian at Donald Trump’s rally made a joke about Puerto Rico being an “island of garbage”

    • The 30-second Spanish -language spot speaks directly to Puerto Ricans, saying: “We are not trash. We are more than that”
    • After showing Puerto Ricans proudly flying their flag and rallying for Harris, the ad cuts to Trump throwing paper towels to Puerto Ricans at a relief center in 2017, after Hurricane Maria devastated the U.S. territory, and closes with: “On Nov. 5, Trump will learn that some people’s trash is someone else’s treasure”

    • The ad is the latest in the fallout from the Madison Square Garden rally, which also featured crude and sexist remarks from Hinchcliffe and other speakers



    The 30-second, Spanish-language spot speaks directly to Puerto Ricans, saying, “It was supposed to be a joke. It doesn’t matter. We’ve been called worse,” the ad says as it flashes pictures of GOP candidate Donald Trump and his vice-presidential running mate, JD Vance.

    “What we really are is a group of scientists, poets, educators, stars and heroes,” the ad then says as it transitions to a montage of famous Puerto Ricans, including the global superstar Bad Bunny, who endorsed Harris following the comedian’s comment, and Major League Baseball hall-of-famer Roberto Clemente. “We are not trash. We are more than that.”

    After showing Puerto Ricans proudly flying their flag and rallying for Harris, the ad cuts to Trump throwing paper towels to Puerto Ricans at a relief center in 2017, after Hurricane Maria devastated the U.S. territory.

    “Get out,” the ad says about Trump, before cutting to various shots of Harris campaigning with Latinos — a coveted constituency she and Trump have both been targeting in their final days on the campaign trail.

    “On Nov. 5, Trump will learn that some people’s trash is someone else’s treasure,” it says before urging viewers to vote for Harris on or before Election Day.

    The ad is the latest in the fallout from the Madison Square Garden rally, which also featured crude and sexist remarks from Hinchcliffe and other speakers. 

    El Nuevo Día, the island territory’s largest newspaper, endorsed Harris in a scathing front page editorial calling the rally “a repugnant display of hate that evokes memories of the speeches of Nazism and Fascism, which aimed to eliminate minorities.” The paper’s longtime editor and parent company CEO María Luisa Ferré Rangel wrote Trump’s behavior is “erratic and narcissistic” and that the former president “suffers from psychopathic elements that he evidences by lying repeatedly.”

    “Today, the hearts of all of us who love this beautiful Garden of America, and of the world, clench with rage and pain. Puerto Ricans are a noble and peaceful people, who deeply love their island,” she wrote. “On Sunday, continuing a pattern of contempt and misinformation that Donald Trump has maintained for years against the eight million of us American citizens who are Puerto Ricans, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe insulted us during a Republican Party event by referring to Puerto Rico as” a floating island of garbage.

    “Is that what Trump and the Republican Party think about Puerto Ricans? Politics is not a joke and hiding behind a comedian is cowardly,” she added.

    Separately, in an open letter published on Monday, the Catholic archbishop of San Juan told Trump he was “dismayed and appalled” by Hinchcliffe’s remarks and said he wrote the letter demanding a personal apology from the former president after consulting with his fellow bishops in Puerto Rico. 

    “I enjoy a good joke. However, humor has its limits. It should not insult or denigrate the dignity and sacredness of people. Hinchcliffe’s remarks do not only provoke sinister laugher, but hatred,” Archbishop Roberto O. González Nieves wrote. “I call upon you, Mr. Trump, to disavow these comments as reflecting in any way your personal or political viewpoints.”

    Trump’s campaign and many Republicans disavowed the remark, but the candidate himself has yet to do so, claiming in remarks at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Tuesday that his Sunday rally was a “love fest.” At an event in the Philadelphia suburbs later on Tuesday, Trump boasted “no president has done more for Puerto Rico than I have.”

    A slew of Puerto Rican officials and celebrities have denounced Hinchcliffe and many have endorsed Harris in the days since the rally. Jennifer Lopez, one of the most famous Puerto Rican celebrities in the U.S. said she will campaign with Harris in Las Vegas Halloween night. 

    Reggaeton star Nicky Jam, who previously endorsed Trump and appeared with him at a rally, pulled his endorsement on Wednesday.

    “Never in my life did I think that one month later there would be a comedian who would criticize my country and speak poorly of my country,” Nicky Jam, whose real name is Nick Rivera Caminero, said in Spanish in a video posted to his Instagram page. “For that I withdraw my support of Donald Trump. Puerto Rico should be respected.”

    A number of other celebrities of Puerto Rican descent expressed support for Harris in the days after the rally, including music superstars Bad Bunny and Ricky Martin, former Fox News personality Geraldo Rivera and actor John Leguizamo.

    Spectrum News’ Joseph Konig and Justin Tasolides contributed to this report.

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    Susan Carpenter

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  • Dodgers beat Yankees, win 2024 World Series

    Dodgers beat Yankees, win 2024 World Series

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    NEW YORK — The Los Angeles Dodgers won their second World Series championship in five seasons, overcoming a five-run deficit with the help of three Yankees defensive miscues and rallying on sacrifice flies from Gavin Lux and Mookie Betts in the eighth inning to beat New York 7-6 in Game 5 on Wednesday night.

    What You Need To Know

    • Dave Roberts won his second championship in nine seasons as manager as the Dodgers, matching Lasorda and trailing the four of Walter Alston

    • The Dodgers won for the fourth time in 12 Series meetings with the Yankees

    • New York remained without a title since winning its record 27th in 2009

    • The Dodgers earned their eighth championship and seventh since leaving Brooklyn for Los Angeles — their first in a non-shortened season since 1988

    Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning, Alex Verdugo’s RBI single chased Jack Flaherty in the second and Giancarlo Stanton’s third-inning homer against Ryan Brasier built a 5-0 Yankees lead.

    But errors by Judge in center and Anthony Volpe at shortstop, combined with pitcher Gerrit Cole failing to cover first on Betts’ grounder, helped Los Angeles score five unearned runs in the fifth.

    After Stanton’s sixth-inning sacrifice fly put the Yankees back ahead 6-5, the Dodgers loaded the bases against loser Tommy Kahnle in the eighth before the sacrifice flies off Luke Weaver.

    Winner Blake Treinen escaped a two-on, one-out jam in the bottom half by retiring Stanton on a flyout and striking out Anthony Rizzo.

    Walker Buehler, making his first relief appearance since his rookie season in 2018, pitched a perfect ninth for his first major league save.

    “We’re obviously resilient, but there’s so much love in the clubhouse that won this game today,” Betts said. “That’s what it was. It was love, it was grit. I mean, it was just a beautiful thing. I’m just proud of us and I’m happy for us.”

    When Buehler struck out Verdugo to end the game, the Dodgers poured onto the field to celebrate between the mound and first base, capping a season in which they won 98 games and finished with the best regular-season record.

    “There’s just a lot of ways we can win baseball games,” Buehler said. “Obviously the superstars we have on our team and the discipline, it just kind of all adds up.”

    Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers’ record-setting $700 million signing and baseball’s first 50-homer, 50-steal player, went 2 for 19 with no RBIs and had one single after separating his shoulder during a stolen base attempt in Game 2.

    Freddie Freeman hit a two-run single to tie the Series record of 12 RBIs, set by Bobby Richardson over seven games in 1960. With the Dodgers one out from losing Friday’s opener, Freeman hit a game-ending grand slam reminiscent of Kirk Gibson’s homer off Oakland’s Dennis Eckersley in 1988’s Game 1 that sparked Los Angeles to the title.

    The Dodgers earned their eighth championship and seventh since leaving Brooklyn for Los Angeles — their first in a non-shortened season since 1988. They won a neutral-site World Series against Tampa Bay in 2020 after a 60-game regular season and couldn’t have a parade because of the coronavirus pandemic.

    These Dodgers of Ohtani, Freeman & Betts joined the 1955 Duke Snider and Roy Campanella Boys of Summer, the Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale era that spanned the three titles from 1959-65, the Tommy Lasorda-led groups 1981 and ’88 and the Betts and Clayton Kershaw champions of 2020.

    Dave Roberts won his second championship in nine seasons as manager as the Dodgers, matching Lasorda and trailing the four of Walter Alston. The Dodgers won for the fourth time in 12 Series meetings with the Yankees.

    New York remained without a title since winning its record 27th in 2009. The Yankees acquired Juan Soto from San Diego in December knowing he would be eligible for free agency after the 2024 Series. The 26-year-old star went 5 for 16 one RBI in the Series heading into intensely followed bidding on the open market.

    Judge finished 4 for 18 with three RBIs.

    Cole didn’t allow a hit until Kiké Hernández singled leading off the fifth. Judge, who an inning earlier made a leaping catch at the wall to deny Freeman an extra-base hit, dropped Tommy Edman’s fly to center. Shortstop Anthony Volpe then bounced a throw to third on Will Smith’s grounder, allowing the Dodgers to load the bases with no outs.

    Cole struck out Lux and Ohtani, and Betts hit a grounder to Rizzo. Cole didn’t cover first, pointing at Rizzo to run to the bag as Betts outraced the first baseman.

    Freeman followed with a two-run single and Teoscar Hernández hit a tying two-run double. Max Muncy walked before Kiké Hernández grounded into a forceout on Cole’s 48th pitch of the inning.

    “We just take advantage of every mistake they made in that inning,” Teoscar Hernández said. “We put some good at-bats together. We put the ball in play.”

    Stanton’s sixth-inning sacrifice fly off Brusdar Graterol put the Yankees ahead 6-5, but the Dodgers rallied one last time in the eighth.

    Kiké Hernández singled off Tommy Kahnle leading off. Edman followed with an infield hit and Smith walked on four pitches. Lux’s sacrifice fly off Luke Weaver tied the score. Ohtani reached on catcher’s interference and Betts followed with another sacrifice fly to give the Dodgers their first lead.

    Purchased by Guggenheim Baseball Management in 2012, the Dodgers hired Andrew Friedman from Tampa Bay to head their baseball operations two years later. He boosted the front office with a multitude of analytics and performance science staff, and ownership supplied the cash.

    Los Angeles went on an unprecedented $1.25 billion spending spree last offseason on deals with Ohtani, pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and James Paxton, and outfielder Teoscar Hernández. Much of the money was future obligations that raised the Dodgers’ deferred compensation to $915.5 million owed from 2028-44.

    Faced with injuries, the Dodgers acquired Flaherty, Edman and reliever Michael Kopech ahead of the trade deadline, and all became important cogs in the title run. The additions boosted payroll to $266 million, third behind the Mets and the Yankees, plus a projected $43 million luxury tax.

    Up next

    Los Angeles opens its spring schedule on Feb. 20 against the Chicago Cubs at Camelback Ranch, and the Yankees start the next day against Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida.

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    Associated Press

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  • Dodgers beat Yankees, win 2024 World Series

    Dodgers beat Yankees, win 2024 World Series

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    NEW YORK — The Los Angeles Dodgers won their second World Series championship in five seasons, overcoming a five-run deficit with the help of three Yankees defensive miscues and rallying on sacrifice flies from Gavin Lux and Mookie Betts in the eighth inning to beat New York 7-6 in Game 5 on Wednesday night.

    What You Need To Know

    • Dave Roberts won his second championship in nine seasons as manager as the Dodgers, matching Lasorda and trailing the four of Walter Alston

    • The Dodgers won for the fourth time in 12 Series meetings with the Yankees

    • New York remained without a title since winning its record 27th in 2009

    • The Dodgers earned their eighth championship and seventh since leaving Brooklyn for Los Angeles — their first in a non-shortened season since 1988

    Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning, Alex Verdugo’s RBI single chased Jack Flaherty in the second and Giancarlo Stanton’s third-inning homer against Ryan Brasier built a 5-0 Yankees lead.

    But errors by Judge in center and Anthony Volpe at shortstop, combined with pitcher Gerrit Cole failing to cover first on Betts’ grounder, helped Los Angeles score five unearned runs in the fifth.

    After Stanton’s sixth-inning sacrifice fly put the Yankees back ahead 6-5, the Dodgers loaded the bases against loser Tommy Kahnle in the eighth before the sacrifice flies off Luke Weaver.

    Winner Blake Treinen escaped a two-on, one-out jam in the bottom half by retiring Stanton on a flyout and striking out Anthony Rizzo.

    Walker Buehler, making his first relief appearance since his rookie season in 2018, pitched a perfect ninth for his first major league save.

    “We’re obviously resilient, but there’s so much love in the clubhouse that won this game today,” Betts said. “That’s what it was. It was love, it was grit. I mean, it was just a beautiful thing. I’m just proud of us and I’m happy for us.”

    When Buehler struck out Verdugo to end the game, the Dodgers poured onto the field to celebrate between the mound and first base, capping a season in which they won 98 games and finished with the best regular-season record.

    “There’s just a lot of ways we can win baseball games,” Buehler said. “Obviously the superstars we have on our team and the discipline, it just kind of all adds up.”

    Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers’ record-setting $700 million signing and baseball’s first 50-homer, 50-steal player, went 2 for 19 with no RBIs and had one single after separating his shoulder during a stolen base attempt in Game 2.

    Freddie Freeman hit a two-run single to tie the Series record of 12 RBIs, set by Bobby Richardson over seven games in 1960. With the Dodgers one out from losing Friday’s opener, Freeman hit a game-ending grand slam reminiscent of Kirk Gibson’s homer off Oakland’s Dennis Eckersley in 1988’s Game 1 that sparked Los Angeles to the title.

    The Dodgers earned their eighth championship and seventh since leaving Brooklyn for Los Angeles — their first in a non-shortened season since 1988. They won a neutral-site World Series against Tampa Bay in 2020 after a 60-game regular season and couldn’t have a parade because of the coronavirus pandemic.

    These Dodgers of Ohtani, Freeman & Betts joined the 1955 Duke Snider and Roy Campanella Boys of Summer, the Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale era that spanned the three titles from 1959-65, the Tommy Lasorda-led groups 1981 and ’88 and the Betts and Clayton Kershaw champions of 2020.

    Dave Roberts won his second championship in nine seasons as manager as the Dodgers, matching Lasorda and trailing the four of Walter Alston. The Dodgers won for the fourth time in 12 Series meetings with the Yankees.

    New York remained without a title since winning its record 27th in 2009. The Yankees acquired Juan Soto from San Diego in December knowing he would be eligible for free agency after the 2024 Series. The 26-year-old star went 5 for 16 one RBI in the Series heading into intensely followed bidding on the open market.

    Judge finished 4 for 18 with three RBIs.

    Cole didn’t allow a hit until Kiké Hernández singled leading off the fifth. Judge, who an inning earlier made a leaping catch at the wall to deny Freeman an extra-base hit, dropped Tommy Edman’s fly to center. Shortstop Anthony Volpe then bounced a throw to third on Will Smith’s grounder, allowing the Dodgers to load the bases with no outs.

    Cole struck out Lux and Ohtani, and Betts hit a grounder to Rizzo. Cole didn’t cover first, pointing at Rizzo to run to the bag as Betts outraced the first baseman.

    Freeman followed with a two-run single and Teoscar Hernández hit a tying two-run double. Max Muncy walked before Kiké Hernández grounded into a forceout on Cole’s 48th pitch of the inning.

    “We just take advantage of every mistake they made in that inning,” Teoscar Hernández said. “We put some good at-bats together. We put the ball in play.”

    Stanton’s sixth-inning sacrifice fly off Brusdar Graterol put the Yankees ahead 6-5, but the Dodgers rallied one last time in the eighth.

    Kiké Hernández singled off Tommy Kahnle leading off. Edman followed with an infield hit and Smith walked on four pitches. Lux’s sacrifice fly off Luke Weaver tied the score. Ohtani reached on catcher’s interference and Betts followed with another sacrifice fly to give the Dodgers their first lead.

    Purchased by Guggenheim Baseball Management in 2012, the Dodgers hired Andrew Friedman from Tampa Bay to head their baseball operations two years later. He boosted the front office with a multitude of analytics and performance science staff, and ownership supplied the cash.

    Los Angeles went on an unprecedented $1.25 billion spending spree last offseason on deals with Ohtani, pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and James Paxton, and outfielder Teoscar Hernández. Much of the money was future obligations that raised the Dodgers’ deferred compensation to $915.5 million owed from 2028-44.

    Faced with injuries, the Dodgers acquired Flaherty, Edman and reliever Michael Kopech ahead of the trade deadline, and all became important cogs in the title run. The additions boosted payroll to $266 million, third behind the Mets and the Yankees, plus a projected $43 million luxury tax.

    Up next

    Los Angeles opens its spring schedule on Feb. 20 against the Chicago Cubs at Camelback Ranch, and the Yankees start the next day against Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida.

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    Associated Press

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  • Afraid of the weather? These are the most common weather phobias

    Afraid of the weather? These are the most common weather phobias

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    A lot of us hate different types of weather. Someone from the south may hate the cold, while someone from up north might hate the heat and humidity. Those feelings are valid, but there is a difference between disliking the weather and having a genuine fear of it.

    What You Need To Know

    • A phobia is an anxiety disorder defined by an excessive fear of an object or situation

    • The best way to treat a phobia is by exposure therapy, counseling or medication

    • There are countless weather phobias, many of which stem from a prior trauma


    Weather phobias may not be common, but they’re real. People who experience these phobias can have debilitating anxiety and stress depending on what Mother Nature is throwing their way. And like other phobias, symptoms can include dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath and more.

    Ombrophobia (Fear of rain)

    Most can probably agree that rain can be a nuisance if you’ve got outdoor plans or you’re trying to go out and run some errands and want to stay dry. For an ombrophobe, rain can cause significant stress or anxiety.

    (Getty Images)

    Whether that fear stems from germs in the rain, acid rain, flooding or even more significant dangers, even a light drizzle can trigger symptoms. Ombrophobes may totally avoid going outside if there is even the slightest chance of rain, whether it be a drizzle or a downpour.

    Astraphobia (Fear of thunder and lightning)

    The fear of thunder and lightning is more likely for children and pets, although adults can be astraphobes, as well. It’s one of the most common phobias, including non-weather related ones.

    Lightning strike

    (Susan Coppock Photography)

    People with sensory processing disorders or weather-related trauma are likely to have a fear of storms. Storms can happen year round, but are most common during the summer.

    The best way to deal with the fear of thunder and lightning is being in a safe place during a thunderstorm and finding distractions when the weather gets bad.

    Lilapsophobia (Fear of tornadoes or hurricanes)

    Adjacent to astraphobia, the fear of severe weather, including tornadoes and hurricanes, is known as lilapsophobia. It’s another phobia that can be brought on by previous traumatic experiences related to a hurricane or tornado, and is more common for children.

    Tornado

    (NOAA/Amanda Hill)

    Lilapsophobes can spend a lot of time tracking the forecast if a hurricane is coming or storms have some severe tornado potential, and assume the worst of any normal rain shower or thunderstorm.

    In popular culture, the main character in the 1996 film “Twister,” Dr. Jo Harding (Helen Hunt), suffers from lilapsophobia after witnessing her father die from a tornado as a child. To fight her phobia, she follows her father’s footsteps and becomes a storm chaser (spoiler alert).

    Chionophobia (Fear of snow)

    The fear of snow isn’t exclusive to southern drivers, but for chionophobes as well. These are people who could have had a traumatic experience with snow, whether it be a snowboarding or skiing accident, or maybe a traffic accident driving in wintry weather.

    (FreeImages)

    Someone who fears the snow and lives up north or in the mountains would likely try to stay indoors throughout the winter when it’s cold out or if there is a chance of snow, and keep the curtains closed during a snow shower.

    A common fear of someone who suffers from chionophobia is getting buried in the snow or getting trapped in an avalanche. 

    Ancraophobia (Fear of wind)

    Ancraphobia is the fear of wind, whether it is a light breeze or a gust front. This is a phobia that would keep somebody inside on days there is any type of wind outside.

    (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

    Even something as simple as a wave crashing on a beach could remind someone of wind, making it a place to avoid. Traveling in mountains or higher elevations where winds are typically stronger is also a something an ancraophobe would steer clear of.

    Nephophobia (Fear of clouds)

    Have you ever laid outside in the grass, staring at the sky, trying to guess what the clouds look like? If so, you’re not a nephophobe. That is someone who has a fear of clouds.

    Clouds

    (Spectrum News/Justin Gehrts)

    Clouds can take on many forms, whether it’s a thin and wispy cirrus cloud on a pleasant day, or a bubbling cumulus cloud with the top shooting up as high as you can see before a thunderstorm.

    Nephophobia can cause someone to flee from the outside when they see clouds form in the sky, fearing something much worse is on the way. Being afraid of fair-weather clouds is much less common than storm clouds, which could be a harbinger of severe weather or a tornado. 

    Heliophobia (Fear of sunlight)

    If you’ve ever seen someone covered from head to toe in clothes on a sunny summer day, or carrying an umbrella around for shade, it’s likely for protection from the sun.

    Sun

    (FreeImages)

    A heliophobe likely wouldn’t take the risk of any sun exposure, even with those protections. Not only sunlight, but a heliophobe is probably afraid of bright, indoor light as well.

    Heliophobia can stem from the fear of getting skin cancer or aging quickly, since sunlight can lead to wrinkles.

    Thermophobia (Fear of heat)

    Thermophobia is another phobia not well suited for someone who lives in the desert or the South. It’s the fear of heat. A thermophobe could have an extreme fear of getting a heat illness, such as heat stroke or heat exhaustion, or could excessively sweat.

    (Getty Images)

    Nobody enjoys getting into their car on a hot day when it feels like the inside of an oven that can make you break a sweat in less than a minute. Not only does a thermophobe avoid hot air temperatures, but hot objects as well.

    The best way to avoid the heat? Living in cooler climates or staying inside in a cooler environment with air conditioning. 

    There are even more weather-related phobias out there, including the fear of air, humidity, fog and more. You can see the complete list here.

    If you’re a weather lover, then you probably have your own “phile.” Whether you love the snow or a thunderstorm, you can find that list here.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Meteorologist Reid Lybarger

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  • Dodgers beat Yankees, win 2024 World Series

    Dodgers beat Yankees, win 2024 World Series

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    NEW YORK — The Los Angeles Dodgers won their second World Series championship in five seasons, overcoming a five-run deficit with the help of three Yankees defensive miscues and rallying on sacrifice flies from Gavin Lux and Mookie Betts in the eighth inning to beat New York 7-6 in Game 5 on Wednesday night.

    What You Need To Know

    • Dave Roberts won his second championship in nine seasons as manager as the Dodgers, matching Lasorda and trailing the four of Walter Alston

    • The Dodgers won for the fourth time in 12 Series meetings with the Yankees

    • New York remained without a title since winning its record 27th in 2009

    • The Dodgers earned their eighth championship and seventh since leaving Brooklyn for Los Angeles — their first in a non-shortened season since 1988

    Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning, Alex Verdugo’s RBI single chased Jack Flaherty in the second and Giancarlo Stanton’s third-inning homer against Ryan Brasier built a 5-0 Yankees lead.

    But errors by Judge in center and Anthony Volpe at shortstop, combined with pitcher Gerrit Cole failing to cover first on Betts’ grounder, helped Los Angeles score five unearned runs in the fifth.

    After Stanton’s sixth-inning sacrifice fly put the Yankees back ahead 6-5, the Dodgers loaded the bases against loser Tommy Kahnle in the eighth before the sacrifice flies off Luke Weaver.

    Winner Blake Treinen escaped a two-on, one-out jam in the bottom half by retiring Stanton on a flyout and striking out Anthony Rizzo.

    Walker Buehler, making his first relief appearance since his rookie season in 2018, pitched a perfect ninth for his first major league save.

    “We’re obviously resilient, but there’s so much love in the clubhouse that won this game today,” Betts said. “That’s what it was. It was love, it was grit. I mean, it was just a beautiful thing. I’m just proud of us and I’m happy for us.”

    When Buehler struck out Verdugo to end the game, the Dodgers poured onto the field to celebrate between the mound and first base, capping a season in which they won 98 games and finished with the best regular-season record.

    “There’s just a lot of ways we can win baseball games,” Buehler said. “Obviously the superstars we have on our team and the discipline, it just kind of all adds up.”

    Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers’ record-setting $700 million signing and baseball’s first 50-homer, 50-steal player, went 2 for 19 with no RBIs and had one single after separating his shoulder during a stolen base attempt in Game 2.

    Freddie Freeman hit a two-run single to tie the Series record of 12 RBIs, set by Bobby Richardson over seven games in 1960. With the Dodgers one out from losing Friday’s opener, Freeman hit a game-ending grand slam reminiscent of Kirk Gibson’s homer off Oakland’s Dennis Eckersley in 1988’s Game 1 that sparked Los Angeles to the title.

    The Dodgers earned their eighth championship and seventh since leaving Brooklyn for Los Angeles — their first in a non-shortened season since 1988. They won a neutral-site World Series against Tampa Bay in 2020 after a 60-game regular season and couldn’t have a parade because of the coronavirus pandemic.

    These Dodgers of Ohtani, Freeman & Betts joined the 1955 Duke Snider and Roy Campanella Boys of Summer, the Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale era that spanned the three titles from 1959-65, the Tommy Lasorda-led groups 1981 and ’88 and the Betts and Clayton Kershaw champions of 2020.

    Dave Roberts won his second championship in nine seasons as manager as the Dodgers, matching Lasorda and trailing the four of Walter Alston. The Dodgers won for the fourth time in 12 Series meetings with the Yankees.

    New York remained without a title since winning its record 27th in 2009. The Yankees acquired Juan Soto from San Diego in December knowing he would be eligible for free agency after the 2024 Series. The 26-year-old star went 5 for 16 one RBI in the Series heading into intensely followed bidding on the open market.

    Judge finished 4 for 18 with three RBIs.

    Cole didn’t allow a hit until Kiké Hernández singled leading off the fifth. Judge, who an inning earlier made a leaping catch at the wall to deny Freeman an extra-base hit, dropped Tommy Edman’s fly to center. Shortstop Anthony Volpe then bounced a throw to third on Will Smith’s grounder, allowing the Dodgers to load the bases with no outs.

    Cole struck out Lux and Ohtani, and Betts hit a grounder to Rizzo. Cole didn’t cover first, pointing at Rizzo to run to the bag as Betts outraced the first baseman.

    Freeman followed with a two-run single and Teoscar Hernández hit a tying two-run double. Max Muncy walked before Kiké Hernández grounded into a forceout on Cole’s 48th pitch of the inning.

    “We just take advantage of every mistake they made in that inning,” Teoscar Hernández said. “We put some good at-bats together. We put the ball in play.”

    Stanton’s sixth-inning sacrifice fly off Brusdar Graterol put the Yankees ahead 6-5, but the Dodgers rallied one last time in the eighth.

    Kiké Hernández singled off Tommy Kahnle leading off. Edman followed with an infield hit and Smith walked on four pitches. Lux’s sacrifice fly off Luke Weaver tied the score. Ohtani reached on catcher’s interference and Betts followed with another sacrifice fly to give the Dodgers their first lead.

    Purchased by Guggenheim Baseball Management in 2012, the Dodgers hired Andrew Friedman from Tampa Bay to head their baseball operations two years later. He boosted the front office with a multitude of analytics and performance science staff, and ownership supplied the cash.

    Los Angeles went on an unprecedented $1.25 billion spending spree last offseason on deals with Ohtani, pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and James Paxton, and outfielder Teoscar Hernández. Much of the money was future obligations that raised the Dodgers’ deferred compensation to $915.5 million owed from 2028-44.

    Faced with injuries, the Dodgers acquired Flaherty, Edman and reliever Michael Kopech ahead of the trade deadline, and all became important cogs in the title run. The additions boosted payroll to $266 million, third behind the Mets and the Yankees, plus a projected $43 million luxury tax.

    Up next

    Los Angeles opens its spring schedule on Feb. 20 against the Chicago Cubs at Camelback Ranch, and the Yankees start the next day against Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida.

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    Associated Press

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  • Why Election Day is on a Tuesday in November

    Why Election Day is on a Tuesday in November

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    Election Day falls on Tuesday, Nov. 5, this year. Like every year, it’s the Tuesday following the first Monday in November. 

    There’s solid reasoning behind why Election Day follows an unusual calendar process. That’s partly related to the weather.

    What You Need To Know

    • Election Day always falls on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November

    • Early November was after the harvest, but still ahead of winter

    • Tuesday was the most convenient day for farmers to get to the polls


    While the date itself may not align conveniently to most modern-day schedules, the date wasn’t just picked at random.

    When Congress agreed to make one national election day in 1845, they selected the date centering it around the lifestyles of farmers at the time. That included considering when the growing season ended. 

    Why November?

    Like daylight saving time, much of the decision to select a date for Election Day was geared toward the farmers, since they made up the bulk of the labor population back in the day.

    Farmers spent much of the spring, summer and early fall months dedicated to their cultivating crops, leaving them little to no time to head to the polls. However, their schedules opened up again once the harvest was complete.

    (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

    Choosing an early November date seemed to be the wisest option. Not only was it after the harvest, but it also occurred before winter. This allowed many citizens to get to the polls without worrying about the bitter cold or winter storms.

    Why a Tuesday?

    Carving out time to head to the polls on Tuesday may come as a modern-day inconvenience. But that wasn’t the case back in 1845, when Congress set that day of the week as a nationwide date to vote.

    Many 19th century farmers usually spent Sundays as a day of rest and worship. After the harvesting season, they would spend Wednesday through Saturday working in the marketplace.

    With that, Mondays and Tuesdays were the only two days farmers were available to vote. Unlike today, polling centers were few and far between, leaving only one or a select few within a day’s travel by foot or animal.

    As a result, farmers used Monday for travel, leaving Tuesday the designated Election Day.

    (AP Photo/Steve Karnowski)

    Election Day sometimes falls on the first Tuesday of November, but not always is the first Tuesday of the month.

    Rather, it falls on the Tuesday following the first Monday of November.

    This was to avoid Nov. 1, which many Christians honor as All Saints’ Day. As a result, Election Day typically falls between Nov. 2 and Nov. 8.

    A change in date is up for debate

    Even though many polling facilities stay opened for long hours on Election Day, many people nowadays argue that making it to the polls is a struggle during the workweek.

    Unlike the 1800s, though, there are now options to cast early votes. Absentee and early voting are offered by nearly all states.

    During the 2020 presidential election, implementation of the mail-in ballot was credited for the uptick in voter turnout. According to census data, approximately 66.8% of eligible Americans voted, making it the highest percentage in the century. 

    In attempts to increase voter turnout, some political leaders fought for making Election Day a national holiday to accommodate more citizens’ schedules. However, Election Day itself remains unchanged.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Meteorologist Shawnie Caslin

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  • Fall brings out spooky things, including spiders

    Fall brings out spooky things, including spiders

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    They’re creepy and they’re crawly and altogether spooky. That’s why spiders are associated with Halloween. Have you ever noticed this time of the year spider webs become more prevalent?

    What You Need To Know

    • Females are the larger spiders

    • Warmer fall weather means larger spiders

    • Wolf spiders are common across the United States


    In fact, check any doorway outside and you’ll likely run into a web. I opened the door to let Boomer, the dog, out and inadvertently destroyed a web created by a spider. Several hours later, the web was repaired and intact.

    Spider facts

    The lifecycle of the arachnid begins in the spring with hatching. Spiders that survive into adulthood are big enough to spin webs by the fall.

    Webs are not only created to catch food but also for females to lay eggs. The spiders we typically see spinning those geometric webs in the fall are females.

    Some spider species are solo creatures and often travel alone, unless during mating. If you see two spiders grouped together, the larger of the two is the female.

    Male spiders provide the genetic material and once mating is complete, female spiders typically consume them.

    Warmer temperatures means larger spiders

    Some species of spiders die when the temperatures drop below freezing. However, if it’s a warm fall, these spiders have more time to eat and grow, leading to bigger spiders.

    Other spiders have evolved to survive the colder temperatures, either by seeking shelter indoors or in a pile of leaves or rocks. Once they find this spot, they will go into a state of diapause, slowing down or suspending their body processes into dormancy.

    Brown recluse

    A venomous spider commonly found in the Midwest and South-Central U.S. is called the Brown Recluse spider. The name “recluse” is fitting, as these spiders are often found hiding in unused drawers, basements, closets, garages or attics.

    Before wearing garments found in these locations, including shoes and boots, be sure to inspect them and shake them out to rid of the arachnids. This spider species is quite social, meaning there could be more hiding nearby.

    The females lay their eggs in their untidy webs, but spend little of their time in them.

    These spiders are identified by the violin shape of their heads and are usually observed running or walking around.

    If you think you have a Brown Recluse spider problem in your home, it is best to call in the professionals with a licensed exterminator. 

    Wolf spiders

    This type of spider does not behave like a typical spider. In fact, it got its name because of its ability to run down its prey like a wolf and its large appearance. They don’t spin webs to catch their food.

    The female wolf spider attaches her egg sac to herself and carries it around on the bottom of her abdomen. After the eggs hatch, she will then carry her babies on her back.

    Wolf spiders will only bite if provoked, but their bites are harmless to humans. They are common all over the United States, including Hawaii, and are found in all different habitats, including woodlands, shrublands, as well as coastal forests and even alpine meadows. They like to find warm places to hibernate so don’t be surprised to find them hiding under furniture or in the basement. 

    A Wolf spider was found in the basement. Spectrum News/Stacy Lynn

    Tips to keep spiders away

    Like any insect, these arachnids will find their way into your home by any means necessary, but this will offer you the best way to keep the majority at bay.

    • Seal any cracks or small holes
    • Seal all entryways
    • Remove webs as soon as they appear
    • Keep a clean kitchen free of food and crumbs
    • Turn off exterior lights as much as possible because lights attract bugs and bugs will attract spiders 

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Meteorologist Stacy Lynn

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  • How weather can influence voters on Election Day

    How weather can influence voters on Election Day

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    There’s a reason Election Day is on the first Tuesday of November. And it has (just about) everything to do with the weather.

    Election Day falls on the first Tuesday of November because it comes after the fall harvest and before winter’s harshest conditions typically move in.

    And weather traditionally plays at least a marginal role in determining an election’s winner and loser.

    What You Need To Know

    • Lower Election Day turnout has traditionally favored Republicans

    • Some studies even show an increase in raw votes for Republicans in lousy weather

    • Impactful rain appears likely for some parts of the U.S. in this year’s election


    Dating back to America’s first elections in the 1700s, weather has played a big role in election turnout. Day-long journeys to polling places are the reason that Election Day falls on a Tuesday, and you can probably imagine the challenges that befuddled voters trudging through horseback on mud-laden roads.

    But even with modern conveniences of electricity and cars, lousy weather still plays an outsized part in determining the winners of an election.

    And in the modern political era, lousier weather and lower voter turnout typically translates to sunnier results for Republicans.

    A rainy sky is (traditionally) a Republican’s delight

    Several studies in the modern political era point to the GOP’s advantage when bad weather goes up and turnout goes down.

    Those studies also show that Republicans are typically higher turnout voters, meaning suppressed turnout because of bad weather tends to specifically reduce the number of Democratic or Democratic-leaning voter groups.

    Why is that the case? So-called “peripheral voters,” who are less inclined to vote for a variety of reasons, tend to vote Democrat. If rain is a significant inconvenience, such as having to walk in it to a polling place because they don’t have transportation, they’ll skip voting.

    The 2007 study “The Republicans Should Pray for Rain: Weather, Turnout, and Voting in U.S. Presidential Elections” indicated that rain and snow slightly reduced turnout—and benefitted Republicans.

    “We find that, when compared to normal conditions, rain significantly reduces voter participation by a rate of just less than 1% per inch, while an inch of snowfall decreases turnout by almost 0.5%,” said the 2007 study. “Poor weather is also shown to benefit the Republican Party’s vote share.”

    That study also argued that different weather could have altered the outcomes of the 1960 and 2000 presidential elections.

    Precipitation isn’t everything

    Rain and snow get most of the attention, but another study that looked at the 2004 election explored other factors. It found that sunshine and mild temperatures lowered turnout overall. In fact, for every 10-degree rise in temperature, voting probability dropped by 0.6%.

    The study’s author speculates some people chose to enjoy the weather while they could, rather than use that time to go vote.

    That’s not always the case, though. Election Day 2020 was a beautiful day weather-wise with very little precipitation, with the exception of the Northeast and parts of the Pacific Northwest and Mountain West.

    (NOAA)

    According the to U.S. Census Bureau, the 2020 presidential election had the highest voter turnout of the 21st Century. Although, most of the surge was due to an increase in mail-in voting.

    The U.S. Census Bureau states that “in 2020, 43% of voters cast ballots by mail and another 26% voted in person before Election Day. In 2016, 21% mailed in their ballots and 19% voted in person prior to Election Day.”

    What’s the outlook for 2024?

    This year’s Election Day forecast could be more eventful than that of 2020. A sweeping cold front looks likely to bring rain, wind, and snow to some throughout the day. Let’s have a closer look.

    In the Southeast, more mild weather is in the cards for Election Day. Highs will be warm and reach into the 80s for places like Florida, the Carolinas and Tennessee. There could be some rain across the Tennessee Valley.

    As we go north, a system could pass through the Northeast Tuesday, bringing with it potential for rain, wind and even higher elevation snow.

    Election Day forecast across the country.

    Election Day forecast across the country.

    In the Midwest and Plains is likely where our front will be located on Election Day. Showers and storms will be possible from Minnesota, Kansas and as far south as Texas. Temperatures will also range wildly depending on which side of the front you’ll be located.

    Out in the West, mountain snow is possible in the Rockies. Toward the coast, more favorable weather is expected with cool, but dry conditions.

    As we get closer to the date, we will have an even better idea of the forecast so be sure to keep checking in.

    Check your local forecast here.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Spectrum News Weather Staff

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  • Robinhood launches presidential election trades

    Robinhood launches presidential election trades

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    The stock-trading app Robinhood will allow customers to bet on the outcome of November’s election.

    The so-called presidential election event contracts are launching with a small group of customers Monday, allowing them to trade based on who they think will win the 2024 presidential election.

    What You Need To Know

    • The stock-trading app Robinhood will allow customers to bet on the outcome of November’s election

    • The so-called presidential election event contracts are launching with a small group of customers Monday, allowing them to trade based on who they think will win the 2024 presidential election

    • An event contract is a forecast contract, the value of which depends on a specific event happening by a specific time; they are based on yes or no answers to a question about the event

    • For the Robinhood presidential election contract, the questions are: Will Kamala Harris win the U.S. presidential election in 2024 and Will Donald Trump win the U.S. presidential election in 2024? 


    An event contract is a forecast contract, the value of which depends on a specific event happening by a specific time. They are based on “yes” or “no” answers to a question about the event. 

    For the Robinhood presidential election contracts, the questions are: “Will Kamala Harris win the U.S. presidential election in 2024?” and “Will Donald Trump win the U.S. presidential election in 2024?” Customers can only own “yes” contracts for one candidate.

    “We’ve heard from our customers that having access to the market in real time is essential,” the company said in a statement on its website announcing the new presidential event contracts. “We believe event contracts give people a tool to engage in real-time decision-making, unlocking a new asset class that democratizes access to events as they unfold.”

    Those who trade in the presidential election contracts will receive $1 for every contract they own if their candidate is certified in January and nothing if they are not. Robinhood charges one cent per contract. 

    The Robinhood announcement comes as the presidential campaign enters its final week, with Harris and Trump neck and neck in the polls.

    Last month, a federal appeals court allowed the prediction exchange platform Kalshi to offer Congressional Control Contracts, enabling buyers to bet on which political party will control the Senate and House following next month’s election. 

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    Susan Carpenter

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  • Israeli strikes on Gaza kill at least 33, truck ramming near Tel Aviv kills 1

    Israeli strikes on Gaza kill at least 33, truck ramming near Tel Aviv kills 1

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    Israeli strikes on northern Gaza have killed at least 33 people, mostly women and children, Palestinian officials said Sunday, as Israel’s offensive in the hard-hit and isolated area entered a third week and the U.N. secretary-general called the plight of Palestinians there “unbearable.” Israel said it targeted militants.

    In a separate development, a truck rammed into a bus stop near Tel Aviv, killing one person and wounding more than 30. Israeli police said the attacker was an Arab citizen of Israel. The ramming occurred outside a military base and near the headquarters of Israel’s Mossad spy agency.

    What You Need To Know

    • Palestinian officials say Israeli strikes on northern Gaza have killed at least 33 people, mostly women and children
    • Israel’s offensive in the hard-hit and isolated north entered a third week Sunday
    • The U.N. secretary-general calls the plight of Palestinians there “unbearable”
    • In a separate development, Israeli medics say a truck rammed into a bus stop near Tel Aviv, killing one person and wounding more than 30
    • Meanwhile, Iran’s supreme leader says Israeli strikes on the country over the weekend “should not be exaggerated nor downplayed,” while stopping short of calling for retaliation. It was Israel’s first open attack on its archenemy

    Iran’s supreme leader, meanwhile, said Israeli strikes on the country on Saturday in response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack earlier this month “should not be exaggerated nor downplayed,” while stopping short of calling for retaliation. It was Israel’s first open attack on its archenemy.

    That exchange of fire has raised fears of an all-out regional war pitting Israel and the United States against Iran and its militant proxies, which include Hamas and the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, where Israel launched a ground invasion earlier this month after nearly a year of lower-level conflict.

    Two Israeli strikes killed eight people in Sidon city in southern Lebanon, with 25 wounded, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. One strike hit a residential building, according to footage taken by an Associated Press reporter.

    The Israeli military said four soldiers, including a military rabbi, were killed in fighting in southern Lebanon, without providing details. It said five other personnel were severely wounded. An explosive drone and a projectile fired from Lebanon wounded five people in Israel, authorities said.

    Netanyahu says strikes on Iran achieved Israel’s goals

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his first public comments on the strikes said “we severely harmed Iran’s defense capabilities and its ability to produce missiles that are aimed toward us.”

    Satellite images showed damage to two secretive Iranian military bases, one linked to work on nuclear weapons that Western intelligence agencies and nuclear inspectors say was discontinued in 2003, and another linked to Iran’s ballistic missile program. Iran on Sunday said a civilian had been killed, with no details. It earlier said four people with the military air defense were killed.

    Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s 85-year-old supreme leader, said “it is up to the authorities to determine how to convey the power and will of the Iranian people to the Israeli regime.” Khamenei would make any final decision on how Iran responds.

    Later Sunday, protesters disrupted a speech by Netanyahu at a nationally broadcast ceremony for victims of Hamas’ attack on southern Israel last year that sparked the war in Gaza. People shouted “Shame on you” and forced Netanyahu to stop his speech. Many Israelis blame Netanyahu for the failures that led to the’ attack and hold him responsible for not yet bringing home remaining hostages.

    An Israeli official said Mossad chief David Barnea is traveling to Qatar for cease-fire and hostage release talks. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose details.

    Truck ramming in Israel wounds dozens

    In Ramat Hasharon, northeast of Tel Aviv, the truck slammed into a bus as Israelis were returning to work after a holiday, leaving some people stuck under vehicles.

    Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service said six of the wounded were in serious condition. The Ichilov Medical Center reported that one person had died.

    Asi Aharoni, a police spokesperson, told reporters the attacker had been “neutralized,” without saying if the assailant was dead.

    Hamas and the smaller Islamic Jihad militant group praised the attack but did not claim it.

    Palestinians have carried out scores of stabbings, shootings and car-ramming attacks over the years. Tensions have soared since the war in Gaza began. Israel has carried out regular military raids into the occupied West Bank that have left hundreds dead. Most appear to have been militants killed during shootouts with Israeli forces, but Palestinians taking part in violent protests and civilian bystanders have also been killed.

    ‘Horrific circumstances’ in northern Gaza

    The Gaza Health Ministry’s emergency service said 11 women and two children were among the 22 killed in strikes late Saturday on several homes and buildings in the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya. It said another 15 were wounded. The Israeli military said it carried out a strike on militants.

    A Health Ministry official, Hussein Mohesin, said 11 people were killed in an Israeli strike on a school-turned-shelter in the Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza. The Israeli army did not immediately comment. Israel has struck a number of such shelters, often killing women and children, saying it targets militants hiding among civilians.

    Israel has waged a massive air and ground offensive in northern Gaza since early October, saying Hamas militants have regrouped there. Hundreds of people have been killed and tens of thousands of Palestinians have fled to Gaza City in the latest wave of displacement.

    Aid groups have warned of a catastrophic situation in northern Gaza, which has suffered the heaviest destruction of the war. Israel has severely limited the entry of basic humanitarian aid in recent weeks, and the three remaining hospitals in the north — one raided over the weekend — say they have been overwhelmed by waves of wounded.

    The U.N. secretary-general in a statement by his spokesperson noted “harrowing levels of death.” The International Committee of the Red Cross on Saturday described the civilian population in “horrific circumstances.”

    The war began when Hamas-led militants blew holes in Israel’s border wall and stormed into southern Israel in a surprise attack on Oct. 7, 2023. They killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250. Some 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, around a third of whom are believed to be dead.

    Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 42,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but says more than half of those killed were women and children. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.

    The offensive has devastated much of Gaza and displaced around 90% of its population of 2.3 million, often multiple times. Hundreds of thousands of people have crowded into squalid tent camps, and aid groups say hunger is rampant.

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    Associated Press

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  • Israeli strikes on Gaza kill at least 33, truck ramming near Tel Aviv kills 1

    Israeli strikes on Gaza kill at least 33, truck ramming near Tel Aviv kills 1

    [ad_1]

    Israeli strikes on northern Gaza have killed at least 33 people, mostly women and children, Palestinian officials said Sunday, as Israel’s offensive in the hard-hit and isolated area entered a third week and the U.N. secretary-general called the plight of Palestinians there “unbearable.” Israel said it targeted militants.

    In a separate development, a truck rammed into a bus stop near Tel Aviv, killing one person and wounding more than 30. Israeli police said the attacker was an Arab citizen of Israel. The ramming occurred outside a military base and near the headquarters of Israel’s Mossad spy agency.

    What You Need To Know

    • Palestinian officials say Israeli strikes on northern Gaza have killed at least 33 people, mostly women and children
    • Israel’s offensive in the hard-hit and isolated north entered a third week Sunday
    • The U.N. secretary-general calls the plight of Palestinians there “unbearable”
    • In a separate development, Israeli medics say a truck rammed into a bus stop near Tel Aviv, killing one person and wounding more than 30
    • Meanwhile, Iran’s supreme leader says Israeli strikes on the country over the weekend “should not be exaggerated nor downplayed,” while stopping short of calling for retaliation. It was Israel’s first open attack on its archenemy

    Iran’s supreme leader, meanwhile, said Israeli strikes on the country on Saturday in response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack earlier this month “should not be exaggerated nor downplayed,” while stopping short of calling for retaliation. It was Israel’s first open attack on its archenemy.

    That exchange of fire has raised fears of an all-out regional war pitting Israel and the United States against Iran and its militant proxies, which include Hamas and the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, where Israel launched a ground invasion earlier this month after nearly a year of lower-level conflict.

    Two Israeli strikes killed eight people in Sidon city in southern Lebanon, with 25 wounded, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. One strike hit a residential building, according to footage taken by an Associated Press reporter.

    The Israeli military said four soldiers, including a military rabbi, were killed in fighting in southern Lebanon, without providing details. It said five other personnel were severely wounded. An explosive drone and a projectile fired from Lebanon wounded five people in Israel, authorities said.

    Netanyahu says strikes on Iran achieved Israel’s goals

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his first public comments on the strikes said “we severely harmed Iran’s defense capabilities and its ability to produce missiles that are aimed toward us.”

    Satellite images showed damage to two secretive Iranian military bases, one linked to work on nuclear weapons that Western intelligence agencies and nuclear inspectors say was discontinued in 2003, and another linked to Iran’s ballistic missile program. Iran on Sunday said a civilian had been killed, with no details. It earlier said four people with the military air defense were killed.

    Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s 85-year-old supreme leader, said “it is up to the authorities to determine how to convey the power and will of the Iranian people to the Israeli regime.” Khamenei would make any final decision on how Iran responds.

    Later Sunday, protesters disrupted a speech by Netanyahu at a nationally broadcast ceremony for victims of Hamas’ attack on southern Israel last year that sparked the war in Gaza. People shouted “Shame on you” and forced Netanyahu to stop his speech. Many Israelis blame Netanyahu for the failures that led to the’ attack and hold him responsible for not yet bringing home remaining hostages.

    An Israeli official said Mossad chief David Barnea is traveling to Qatar for cease-fire and hostage release talks. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose details.

    Truck ramming in Israel wounds dozens

    In Ramat Hasharon, northeast of Tel Aviv, the truck slammed into a bus as Israelis were returning to work after a holiday, leaving some people stuck under vehicles.

    Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service said six of the wounded were in serious condition. The Ichilov Medical Center reported that one person had died.

    Asi Aharoni, a police spokesperson, told reporters the attacker had been “neutralized,” without saying if the assailant was dead.

    Hamas and the smaller Islamic Jihad militant group praised the attack but did not claim it.

    Palestinians have carried out scores of stabbings, shootings and car-ramming attacks over the years. Tensions have soared since the war in Gaza began. Israel has carried out regular military raids into the occupied West Bank that have left hundreds dead. Most appear to have been militants killed during shootouts with Israeli forces, but Palestinians taking part in violent protests and civilian bystanders have also been killed.

    ‘Horrific circumstances’ in northern Gaza

    The Gaza Health Ministry’s emergency service said 11 women and two children were among the 22 killed in strikes late Saturday on several homes and buildings in the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya. It said another 15 were wounded. The Israeli military said it carried out a strike on militants.

    A Health Ministry official, Hussein Mohesin, said 11 people were killed in an Israeli strike on a school-turned-shelter in the Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza. The Israeli army did not immediately comment. Israel has struck a number of such shelters, often killing women and children, saying it targets militants hiding among civilians.

    Israel has waged a massive air and ground offensive in northern Gaza since early October, saying Hamas militants have regrouped there. Hundreds of people have been killed and tens of thousands of Palestinians have fled to Gaza City in the latest wave of displacement.

    Aid groups have warned of a catastrophic situation in northern Gaza, which has suffered the heaviest destruction of the war. Israel has severely limited the entry of basic humanitarian aid in recent weeks, and the three remaining hospitals in the north — one raided over the weekend — say they have been overwhelmed by waves of wounded.

    The U.N. secretary-general in a statement by his spokesperson noted “harrowing levels of death.” The International Committee of the Red Cross on Saturday described the civilian population in “horrific circumstances.”

    The war began when Hamas-led militants blew holes in Israel’s border wall and stormed into southern Israel in a surprise attack on Oct. 7, 2023. They killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250. Some 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, around a third of whom are believed to be dead.

    Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 42,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but says more than half of those killed were women and children. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.

    The offensive has devastated much of Gaza and displaced around 90% of its population of 2.3 million, often multiple times. Hundreds of thousands of people have crowded into squalid tent camps, and aid groups say hunger is rampant.

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    Associated Press

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  • Northern Kentucky University students get immersed in vampire lore

    Northern Kentucky University students get immersed in vampire lore

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    HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. — Everyone knows the classic vampire tropes: they come out at night and want to suck your blood, etc. But you might not know the real life folklore that influence these stories.

    What You Need To Know

    • After spending some time in Romania, Northern Kentucky University English Professor Kelly Moffett wanted to share that experience with her students

    • So she came up with the idea for “Creative writing in Transylvania,”  a class that culminated with a trip to Romania

    • Students traveled through Transylvania where vampire folklore is steeped in the culture

    • Students went to the Dracula castle, studied the rituals, history and folklore of vampires and how the two are intimately intertwined


    A group of Northern Kentucky University students now do after a trip to Transylvania.

    After spending some time in Romania, NKU English Professor Kelly Moffett wanted to share that experience with her students. So she came up with the idea for “Creative writing in Transylvania,” a class that culminated with a trip to Romania. Students traveled through Transylvania, where vampire folklore is steeped in the culture.

    “Their main job was to go to Romania, and soak everything in,” Moffett said. “And they wrote some of the best writing I’ve seen in ages.”

    Upon learning about the class, Lily Hotkewicz couldn’t sign up fast enough.

    “I’ve always loved folklore and especially vampires. When I told friends and family that I was going to be going on this trip, they were like, yeah that makes sense for you,” she said. “You’re in this country that has such a rich history, and you feel the weight of that and all the stories they tell for every second that you’re there.”

    Students went to the Dracula castle, studied the rituals, history and folklore of vampires and how the two are intimately intertwined. Folklore specialist Sara Moore Wagner came to help Moffett after immersing herself in vampire folklore for a year.

    “It turned from this sort of peasant monster who represents the plague or disease, who kind of prays on families, prays on the villages, into this grand sexy, rich vampire that we have now,” Wagner said.

    While the popular Bram Stoker Dracula story is highly influential and would have people think Dracula and Vlad the Impaler are one in the same, Wagner came to learn that’s not the case, and that Vlad has plenty of his own lore in Romania.

    “He’s a very heroic figure to the Romanians. And he is and isn’t Dracula. It’s very strange that those things kind of evolve,” she said. “Bram Stoker himself had never actually been to Romania.”

    Vlad was also vicious in his own right, as Ezra Knapp, an English major who signed up for the class, learned.

    “The field of stakes. And it’s talking about how all of his enemies, he would impale on these stakes, and then not only would leave them out there as a display of power, but would have a dinner table in the middle of this field, where he would invite adversaries or people who wanted to try to ally with him,” Knapp said.

    Knapp, who wants to be a writer, said the experience was so influential, they’re applying for a scholarship to go back to Romania to teach. Knapp learned the most from just talking to Romanian students.

    “What’s their country like? What’s the political climate? What their interests? What do they like to do? It was good to just get to know someone,” Knapp said. “My writing changed when I was in the Romania trip for the better, and it now reflects that.”

    From haunted forests to ancient architecture, it was an experience not many people at their age get to have. 

    “Supposedly sometimes people go there and they never return, but luckily all of our students came back,” Moffett joked.

    And for this particular fan of vampire lore, it only enhanced her appreciation.

    “Getting to live and using that as inspiration is so much more impactful than just being told write this about this,” Hotkewicz said.

    Moffett said she just returned from another trip to Romania. Her hope is to return with another group of students.

     

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    Sam Knef

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  • Dodgers beat Yankees 6-3 in thrilling World Series opener

    Dodgers beat Yankees 6-3 in thrilling World Series opener

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    LOS ANGELES — A nail-biter all night with a Hollywood ending. Game 1 of Yankees-Dodgers certainly delivered.

    Freddie Freeman hit the first game-ending grand slam in World Series history with two outs in the 10th inning to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a 6-3 victory over the New York Yankees in a drama-filled opener Friday.

    What You Need To Know

    • Hobbled by a badly sprained ankle, Freeman homered on the first pitch he saw — an inside fastball from Nestor Cortes — and raised his bat high before beginning his trot as the sellout crowd of 52,394 roared

    • It was reminiscent of Kirk Gibson’s stunning homer that lifted Los Angeles over the Oakland Athletics in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series at Dodger Stadium — one of the most famous swings in baseball lore

    • “Might be the greatest baseball moment I’ve ever witnessed, and I’ve witnessed some great ones,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts marveled
    • Freeman, an eight-time All-Star who missed three games during the National League playoffs because of his bum ankle, didn’t have an extra-base hit this postseason until legging out a triple in the first inning Friday

    “Might be the greatest baseball moment I’ve ever witnessed, and I’ve witnessed some great ones,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts marveled.

    Hobbled by a badly sprained right ankle, Freeman homered on the first pitch he saw — a 92 mph inside fastball from Nestor Cortes — and raised his bat high before beginning his trot as the sellout crowd of 52,394 roared.

    “I cannot believe what just happened,” Roberts said. “That’s what makes the Fall Classic a classic, right, because the stars come out and superstars make big plays, get big hits, in the biggest of moments. … I’m speechless right now.”

    It was reminiscent of Kirk Gibson’s stunning homer that lifted Los Angeles over the Oakland Athletics in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series at Dodger Stadium — one of the most famous swings in baseball lore.

    Gibson, sidelined by leg injuries, came off the bench and connected against Hall of Fame closer Dennis Eckersley.

    “I played the whole game, though,” Freeman said with a smile.

    Freeman, an eight-time All-Star who missed three games during the National League playoffs because of his bum ankle, didn’t have an extra-base hit this postseason until legging out a triple in the first inning Friday.

    “Actually felt pretty good,” said Freeman, who will donate his game spikes to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. “The last six days we treated it really well. I’ve been feeling pretty good. Right when I ran out to give high-fives to my teammates, I felt pretty good, because that was the first time I ran all week. So, ankle’s good.”

    After the home run, Freeman ran over to his father.

    “I was just screaming in his face. I’m sorry, dad,” Freeman said, laughing. “He’s been there since I was a little boy, throwing batting practice to me every day. So this is a moment, it’s my dad’s moment.”

    Giancarlo Stanton launched a two-run homer for New York in this much-hyped, star-studded matchup between two of baseball’s most storied and successful franchises — the third straight World Series opener to go extra innings.

    “You can’t sit here and mope. You can’t sit here and complain. You can’t shoulda, coulda, woulda,” Yankees slugger Aaron Judge said. “It’s time to go to work. We lost this game. Learn from it. See where we can improve and go out there and win the next one.”

    In the top of the 10th, Anthony Volpe grounded into a fielder’s choice to shortstop, scoring Jazz Chisholm Jr. from third after he stole two bases, to give New York a 3-2 lead.

    The speedy Chisholm singled off winning pitcher Blake Treinen and then stole second. Following an intentional walk to Anthony Rizzo, Chisholm swiped third base uncontested as Treinen was slow to the plate with Max Muncy playing deep at third.

    Tommy Edman made a diving stop to his left on Volpe’s grounder, but couldn’t get it out of his glove initially. He tossed to second to get Rizzo out as Chisholm came flying home with the go-ahead run.

    But the Dodgers weren’t done.

    Gavin Lux walked against losing pitcher Jake Cousins with one out in the bottom of the 10th and went to second on Edman’s infield single to second. Defensive replacement Oswaldo Cabrera knocked down the ball with his glove but it leaked into the outfield.

    That brought up star slugger Shohei Ohtani, a left-handed hitter. Yankees manager Aaron Boone went to his bullpen again for Cortes, a lefty starter who hadn’t pitched since Sept. 18 because of an elbow injury.

    After missing the AL playoffs, Cortes was added to the World Series roster Friday.

    “I ran into the (batting) cage and I told the guys in the cage, this game should have been the first baseball game ever on pay-per view,” Dodgers center fielder Kiké Hernández said.

    Left fielder Alex Verdugo made a running catch in foul territory to retire Ohtani on Cortes’ first pitch. Verdugo’s momentum sent him tumbling over the low retaining wall, advancing both runners one base because by rule it became a dead ball when Verdugo wound up in the stands.

    With first base open, New York intentionally walked Mookie Betts to load the bases and set up a lefty-on-lefty matchup of Cortes against Freeman.

    “I was on time for the heater,” Freeman said.

    His drive into the right-field pavilion sent Dodgers fans into a frenzy. It was the third walk-off homer in World Series history for a team that was trailing, following Gibson’s shot and Joe Carter’s drive for the Toronto Blue Jays that won the 1993 World Series against Philadelphia.

    Nelson Cruz hit the only other game-ending grand slam in postseason history, for Texas in the 2011 American League Championship Series against Detroit.

    “That’s stuff, you’re 5 years old in the backyard right there,” Freeman said. “That’s a dream come true, but it’s only one. We’ve got three more.”

    This is the 12th time the Yankees and Dodgers are meeting in the World Series, the most frequent matchup in major league annals, but their previous October clash was 43 years ago.

    While the Dodgers are seeking their eighth title and second in five years, the Yankees are in the Fall Classic for the first time since winning No. 27 in 2009.

    The first Series with a pair of 50-home run hitters in Judge (58) and Ohtani (54) opened quietly as Gerrit Cole, the 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner, and Jack Flaherty dueled through four scoreless innings. Judge struck out swinging in his first three at-bats before hitting a single off Brusdar Graterol with two outs in the seventh.

    Ohtani was 0 for 3 before ripping a double off the right-field wall in the eighth. He raced to third on the play when second baseman Gleyber Torres mishandled Juan Soto’s throw, which became costly when Ohtani scored on a sacrifice fly by Betts that tied it 2-all.

    With two outs in the ninth, Torres sent a long drive to left-center. A fan wearing a Dodgers jersey reached over the wall and caught the ball. Umpires ruled fan interference and gave Torres a double, a call confirmed on video replay. The fan immediately left the area.

    Soto was intentionally walked before Judge popped out against Treinen to end the inning.

    The Dodgers broke through for a 1-0 lead in the fifth when Hernández tripled past Soto in right field and scored on Will Smith’s sacrifice fly.

    The Yankees answered right back in the sixth. Soto singled leading off before Judge struck out swinging for the third time. Stanton followed with a 412-foot shot to left off Flaherty for his 17th career postseason homer. Stanton grew up in the nearby San Fernando Valley, not far from Flaherty’s hometown of Burbank.

    Stanton, the ALCS MVP, connected on a knuckle-curve that hung slightly at the bottom of the strike zone. His sixth homer in 11 games this postseason came off his bat at 116.6 mph.

    After last weekend’s pennant-clinching win at Cleveland, Stanton said, “This ain’t the trophy I want. I want the next one.”

    The Yankees then loaded the bases. Chisholm singled off Anthony Banda and stole second. After Rizzo struck out, Volpe was intentionally walked. Austin Wells reached on an infield single that Edman smothered with a dive to save a run before Verdugo struck out swinging against his former team.

    Fernando Valenzuela, the 1981 NL Cy Young Award winner and Rookie of the Year who died earlier this week at age 63, was honored with a moment of silence before the game.

    Up next

    Game 2 is Saturday evening at Dodger Stadium, with Yankees LHP Carlos Rodón pitching against $325 million rookie Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

    Rodón is 1-1 with a 4.40 ERA in three starts this postseason, with 22 strikeouts over 14 1/3 innings. Yamamoto is 1-0 in three postseason starts with a 5.11 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings.

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    Associated Press

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  • Dodgers beat Yankees 6-3 in thrilling World Series opener

    Dodgers beat Yankees 6-3 in thrilling World Series opener

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    LOS ANGELES — A nail-biter all night with a Hollywood ending. Game 1 of Yankees-Dodgers certainly delivered.

    Freddie Freeman hit the first game-ending grand slam in World Series history with two outs in the 10th inning to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a 6-3 victory over the New York Yankees in a drama-filled opener Friday.

    What You Need To Know

    • Hobbled by a badly sprained ankle, Freeman homered on the first pitch he saw — an inside fastball from Nestor Cortes — and raised his bat high before beginning his trot as the sellout crowd of 52,394 roared

    • It was reminiscent of Kirk Gibson’s stunning homer that lifted Los Angeles over the Oakland Athletics in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series at Dodger Stadium — one of the most famous swings in baseball lore

    • “Might be the greatest baseball moment I’ve ever witnessed, and I’ve witnessed some great ones,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts marveled
    • Freeman, an eight-time All-Star who missed three games during the National League playoffs because of his bum ankle, didn’t have an extra-base hit this postseason until legging out a triple in the first inning Friday

    “Might be the greatest baseball moment I’ve ever witnessed, and I’ve witnessed some great ones,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts marveled.

    Hobbled by a badly sprained right ankle, Freeman homered on the first pitch he saw — a 92 mph inside fastball from Nestor Cortes — and raised his bat high before beginning his trot as the sellout crowd of 52,394 roared.

    “I cannot believe what just happened,” Roberts said. “That’s what makes the Fall Classic a classic, right, because the stars come out and superstars make big plays, get big hits, in the biggest of moments. … I’m speechless right now.”

    It was reminiscent of Kirk Gibson’s stunning homer that lifted Los Angeles over the Oakland Athletics in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series at Dodger Stadium — one of the most famous swings in baseball lore.

    Gibson, sidelined by leg injuries, came off the bench and connected against Hall of Fame closer Dennis Eckersley.

    “I played the whole game, though,” Freeman said with a smile.

    Freeman, an eight-time All-Star who missed three games during the National League playoffs because of his bum ankle, didn’t have an extra-base hit this postseason until legging out a triple in the first inning Friday.

    “Actually felt pretty good,” said Freeman, who will donate his game spikes to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. “The last six days we treated it really well. I’ve been feeling pretty good. Right when I ran out to give high-fives to my teammates, I felt pretty good, because that was the first time I ran all week. So, ankle’s good.”

    After the home run, Freeman ran over to his father.

    “I was just screaming in his face. I’m sorry, dad,” Freeman said, laughing. “He’s been there since I was a little boy, throwing batting practice to me every day. So this is a moment, it’s my dad’s moment.”

    Giancarlo Stanton launched a two-run homer for New York in this much-hyped, star-studded matchup between two of baseball’s most storied and successful franchises — the third straight World Series opener to go extra innings.

    “You can’t sit here and mope. You can’t sit here and complain. You can’t shoulda, coulda, woulda,” Yankees slugger Aaron Judge said. “It’s time to go to work. We lost this game. Learn from it. See where we can improve and go out there and win the next one.”

    In the top of the 10th, Anthony Volpe grounded into a fielder’s choice to shortstop, scoring Jazz Chisholm Jr. from third after he stole two bases, to give New York a 3-2 lead.

    The speedy Chisholm singled off winning pitcher Blake Treinen and then stole second. Following an intentional walk to Anthony Rizzo, Chisholm swiped third base uncontested as Treinen was slow to the plate with Max Muncy playing deep at third.

    Tommy Edman made a diving stop to his left on Volpe’s grounder, but couldn’t get it out of his glove initially. He tossed to second to get Rizzo out as Chisholm came flying home with the go-ahead run.

    But the Dodgers weren’t done.

    Gavin Lux walked against losing pitcher Jake Cousins with one out in the bottom of the 10th and went to second on Edman’s infield single to second. Defensive replacement Oswaldo Cabrera knocked down the ball with his glove but it leaked into the outfield.

    That brought up star slugger Shohei Ohtani, a left-handed hitter. Yankees manager Aaron Boone went to his bullpen again for Cortes, a lefty starter who hadn’t pitched since Sept. 18 because of an elbow injury.

    After missing the AL playoffs, Cortes was added to the World Series roster Friday.

    “I ran into the (batting) cage and I told the guys in the cage, this game should have been the first baseball game ever on pay-per view,” Dodgers center fielder Kiké Hernández said.

    Left fielder Alex Verdugo made a running catch in foul territory to retire Ohtani on Cortes’ first pitch. Verdugo’s momentum sent him tumbling over the low retaining wall, advancing both runners one base because by rule it became a dead ball when Verdugo wound up in the stands.

    With first base open, New York intentionally walked Mookie Betts to load the bases and set up a lefty-on-lefty matchup of Cortes against Freeman.

    “I was on time for the heater,” Freeman said.

    His drive into the right-field pavilion sent Dodgers fans into a frenzy. It was the third walk-off homer in World Series history for a team that was trailing, following Gibson’s shot and Joe Carter’s drive for the Toronto Blue Jays that won the 1993 World Series against Philadelphia.

    Nelson Cruz hit the only other game-ending grand slam in postseason history, for Texas in the 2011 American League Championship Series against Detroit.

    “That’s stuff, you’re 5 years old in the backyard right there,” Freeman said. “That’s a dream come true, but it’s only one. We’ve got three more.”

    This is the 12th time the Yankees and Dodgers are meeting in the World Series, the most frequent matchup in major league annals, but their previous October clash was 43 years ago.

    While the Dodgers are seeking their eighth title and second in five years, the Yankees are in the Fall Classic for the first time since winning No. 27 in 2009.

    The first Series with a pair of 50-home run hitters in Judge (58) and Ohtani (54) opened quietly as Gerrit Cole, the 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner, and Jack Flaherty dueled through four scoreless innings. Judge struck out swinging in his first three at-bats before hitting a single off Brusdar Graterol with two outs in the seventh.

    Ohtani was 0 for 3 before ripping a double off the right-field wall in the eighth. He raced to third on the play when second baseman Gleyber Torres mishandled Juan Soto’s throw, which became costly when Ohtani scored on a sacrifice fly by Betts that tied it 2-all.

    With two outs in the ninth, Torres sent a long drive to left-center. A fan wearing a Dodgers jersey reached over the wall and caught the ball. Umpires ruled fan interference and gave Torres a double, a call confirmed on video replay. The fan immediately left the area.

    Soto was intentionally walked before Judge popped out against Treinen to end the inning.

    The Dodgers broke through for a 1-0 lead in the fifth when Hernández tripled past Soto in right field and scored on Will Smith’s sacrifice fly.

    The Yankees answered right back in the sixth. Soto singled leading off before Judge struck out swinging for the third time. Stanton followed with a 412-foot shot to left off Flaherty for his 17th career postseason homer. Stanton grew up in the nearby San Fernando Valley, not far from Flaherty’s hometown of Burbank.

    Stanton, the ALCS MVP, connected on a knuckle-curve that hung slightly at the bottom of the strike zone. His sixth homer in 11 games this postseason came off his bat at 116.6 mph.

    After last weekend’s pennant-clinching win at Cleveland, Stanton said, “This ain’t the trophy I want. I want the next one.”

    The Yankees then loaded the bases. Chisholm singled off Anthony Banda and stole second. After Rizzo struck out, Volpe was intentionally walked. Austin Wells reached on an infield single that Edman smothered with a dive to save a run before Verdugo struck out swinging against his former team.

    Fernando Valenzuela, the 1981 NL Cy Young Award winner and Rookie of the Year who died earlier this week at age 63, was honored with a moment of silence before the game.

    Up next

    Game 2 is Saturday evening at Dodger Stadium, with Yankees LHP Carlos Rodón pitching against $325 million rookie Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

    Rodón is 1-1 with a 4.40 ERA in three starts this postseason, with 22 strikeouts over 14 1/3 innings. Yamamoto is 1-0 in three postseason starts with a 5.11 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings.

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    Associated Press

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