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FILE PHOTO: A Scandinavian SAS airline passenger plane flies near the air traffic control tower after taking off from Charles de Gaulle International Airport in Roissy, near Paris, August 21, 2013. REUTERS/Charles Platiau/File Photo
April 24, 2019
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Scandinavian airline SAS is offering travelers concerned about a possible strike by pilots the chance to reschedule flights for the April 26-29 period to another date free of charge.
The Swedish, Danish and Norwegian pilot unions’ joint SAS branch said this month they would go on strike on April 26 if there was no agreement on wages and terms by then, after an earlier talks round of talks broke down.
SAS said on its website the offer concerned flights operated by SAS but not those operated by its partners as they would not affected by the potential strike.
SAS employs around 1,500 pilots across its home markets of Sweden, Denmark and Norway.
National mediators in the three countries have since last week tried to broker a deal between delegations of the two parties but without success so far.
(Reporting by Anna Ringstrom; Editing by Edmund Blair)
Source: OANN
Apr 23, 2019; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo (44) hits a two run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports
April 24, 2019
Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez each homered, Jose Quintana registered his third straight quality start, and the Chicago Cubs coasted to a 7-2 win over the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night.
Willson Contreras added a three-run double for Chicago, which won for the sixth time in seven games.
Quintana (3-1) held the Dodgers to two runs on four hits in seven innings. The left-hander walked two and struck out seven, and he pushed his streak to 16 scoreless innings over two-plus starts before he allowed a run in the third.
Justin Turner and Chris Taylor drove in one run apiece for the Dodgers, who have lost two of three since posting a six-game winning streak. Los Angeles starter Kenta Maeda (3-2) surrendered six runs on seven hits in four innings.
Mets 9, Phillies 0
Zack Wheeler did it all for host New York, striking out 11 over seven scoreless innings and also hitting a home run and driving in three runs during a win over Philadelphia.
Wheeler (2-2) allowed five hits and walked none in his best start of the season. He struck out seven in a row between the second and fourth innings.
At the plate, Wheeler snapped a scoreless tie with a two-run double off opposing starter Zach Eflin (2-3) in the second inning. In the fourth, Wheeler extended the Mets’ lead to 4-0 by homering on the first pitch he saw from Eflin.
Cardinals 4, Brewers 3
Yadier Molina had three hits and two RBIs to help host St. Louis earn a win against Milwaukee, which got two solo home runs from Travis Shaw.
Paul DeJong led off the eighth inning with a solo home run off Milwaukee reliever Alex Wilson (1-1) to break a 2-2 tie. After a one-out Jose Martinez walk, Molina hit an RBI double to make it 4-2.
Cardinals right-hander Daniel Ponce de Leon was called up from Triple-A Memphis to start in place of Michael Wacha (knee) and went five innings, allowing one run and two hits with seven strikeouts and three walks.
Yankees 7, Angels 5
Luke Voit hit two home runs, and Brett Gardner finished a home run short of the cycle as New York beat Los Angeles in Anaheim, Calif., the fifth straight win for the Yankees and the eighth loss in nine games for the Angels.
Gardner, who went 4-for-5, came to the plate in the eighth inning needing that home run to become just the fifth Yankee in the last 70 years to hit for the cycle (Mickey Mantle, Bobby Murcer, Tony Fernandez and Melky Cabrera).
Gardner hit a line drive to right field, where Kole Calhoun made a diving attempt. Calhoun was able to snag the ball on a short-hop, holding Gardner to a single and perhaps preventing him from attempting to make history with an inside-the-park homer to complete the cycle.
Rays 5, Royals 2
Host Tampa Bay chased Kansas City starter Homer Bailey four batters — and four runs — into the second inning, and the Rays extended their winning streak over Kansas City to 10 games.
The Rays have the best record in baseball at 16-8, while the Royals, who lost for the fifth straight time, have the worst record at 7-17. It was just the fourth time this season, however, that the Royals did not hold a lead at some point in the game.
Jalen Beeks (1-0) picked up the win with a season-high 4 2/3 innings. He gave up just two hits and struck out seven while giving up two hits and no runs. Emilio Pagan, who picked up his first major league save Monday, recorded his second save with a scoreless ninth. Bailey (2-2) took the loss.
Diamondbacks 2, Pirates 1
Jarrod Dyson went 2-for-3 with a walk and avoided a tag at home for the go-ahead run in the sixth inning Monday as Arizona topped host Pittsburgh.
Arizona is 6-2 on its road trip, which includes two more games against the Pirates. The Diamondbacks have won eight straight games at Pittsburgh. Overall, Arizona has won seven of nine.
The Diamondbacks, who spotted Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead, came back from a deficit to beat the Pirates for the second night in a row. Pittsburgh has lost three straight for the first time this year.
Athletics 11, Rangers 5
Josh Phegley and Marcus Semien each had two-run doubles in a six-run fourth inning, sending host Oakland past Texas.
Stephen Piscotty had a triple and three singles as part of a 14-hit Oakland attack that eased the burden on pitcher Frankie Montas (4-1), who won his third straight start. Piscotty scored three times.
The teams traded single runs in each of the first two innings before the A’s broke a 2-2 tie by sending 11 batters to the plate in the fourth, the first nine against Lance Lynn (2-2). The Rangers starter allowed eight runs on nine hits in 3 1/3 innings.
Padres 6, Mariners 3
Franmil Reyes drove in three runs with a pair of homers, and Austin Hedges ricocheted a two-run homer off the glove of Seattle center fielder Mallex Smith as host San Diego won the opener of a two-game series.
The loss was only the third for Seattle in 14 road games this season and marked the first time this year that the Mariners failed to score at least five runs in a road game.
Reyes capped a three-run San Diego second inning with a two-run, 402-foot shot to left-center off Mariners starter Erik Swanson (0-2). He capped the second multi-homer game of his career with a two-out shot to left-center to give the Padres a 4-2 lead in the sixth.
Giants 7, Blue Jays 6
Joe Panik, Evan Longoria, Brandon Belt and Pablo Sandoval hit home runs as San Francisco found some offense while opening a brief two-game interleague series at Toronto.
Kevin Pillar added an RBI single in his return to Toronto, helping the Giants put together consecutive victories on the road for the first time this season. Pillar was traded from the Blue Jays to the Giants on April 2.
Toronto made things interesting in the eighth inning when Rowdy Tellez hit his first career grand slam to bring the Blue Jays within a run, but the Giants’ bullpen closed out the victory.
Tigers 7, Red Sox 4 (Game 1)
Josh Harrison hit a go-ahead two-run double in the eighth, Matthew Boyd pitched seven solid innings, and Detroit downed host Boston in the first game of a day-night doubleheader.
Boyd (2-1) allowed three runs on three hits. Ronny Rodriguez had three hits, including a homer, two runs and two RBIs for Detroit. Grayson Greiner also homered and drove in two runs.
Xander Bogaerts hit a pair of solo homers for Boston. Mookie Betts drove in the Red Sox’s two other runs.
Tigers 4, Red Sox 2 (Game 2)
Brandon Dixon had three hits, including a three-run double, and Spencer Turnbull walked a tightrope over five innings to earn his first major league win as Detroit wrapped up a doubleheader sweep at Boston.
The Tigers won for the fourth time in five games since a five-game losing streak. Turnbull (1-2) went five scoreless innings, working around three hits, four walks and two hit batters.
The Red Sox got on the board on a Xander Bogaerts RBI single in the seventh, and rookie Michael Chavis blasted a pitch over the Green Monster in left for his first career home run to lead off the eighth and make it 3-2.
Marlins 3, Indians 1
Pablo Lopez allowed one run on two hits in 6 1/3 innings as Miami defeated host Cleveland.
Jorge Alfaro belted his team-high fourth homer to lead off the fifth inning, and Curtis Granderson added an RBI double for the Marlins, who have won three of their last four games on the heels of losing 13 of 15.
Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco left after four innings with left knee discomfort. Carrasco was covering first base in the fourth when he was injured following an awkward dive for an off-target throw from Carlos Santana.
Nationals 6, Rockies 3
Victor Robles hit a three-run double in the third inning, and Patrick Corbin made another quality start as Washington beat Colorado in Denver.
The Nationals got two big but painful insurance runs in the top of the ninth when Juan Soto, after fouling a 3-1 pitch off his right leg, walked with the bases loaded to make it 5-3. Howie Kendrick was then hit by a pitch from reliever DJ Johnson to make it 6-3.
Corbin (2-0), who allowed just two hits in his last start, gave up three runs (two earned) on five hits in six innings. He struck out six and walked one. Corbin has made five quality starts in a row.
Astros 10, Twins 4
Alex Bregman followed a two-run single in the fifth inning with a sacrifice fly in the seventh that sparked host Houston to a comeback win over Minnesota.
The Astros snapped a three-game losing skid behind Bregman, Tyler White (2-for-2 with a walk and two runs), and left-hander Wade Miley, who retired 17 of the final 18 batters he faced following a rocky first inning. Houston trailed 3-0 four batters into the game.
Bregman capped the Astros’ three-run fifth inning with a two-out single to left field off Twins right-hander Michael Pineda, driving home White and George Springer (2-for-3 with two walks, two runs and two RBIs) and pushing Houston to a 4-3 lead.
Reds 7, Braves 6
Home runs by Yasiel Puig and Tucker Barnhart helped jolt life into the sleepy Cincinnati lineup in a win over visiting Atlanta.
The seven runs were the second most scored this season by the Reds — last in the National League in hitting — and their biggest offensive outburst since they scored 14 against the Marlins on April 9. Puig was 2-for-4 with a homer, a run and three RBIs. The Reds have won four of their past five.
Atlanta’s Freddie Freeman, who had a hit, has reached base in all 22 games to start the season. It’s the longest season-opening on-base streak for Freeman and 15 short of the franchise record set by Eddie Mathews in 1961. However, Freeman grounded out with a runner on third to end the game.
Orioles 9, White Sox 1
Chris Davis, Dwight Smith Jr., Joey Rickard and Renato Nunez hit homers for host Baltimore in an easy win over Chicago.
The long balls, all off Chicago starter Ivan Nova (0-3), produced eight of Baltimore’s nine runs.
Andrew Cashner (4-1) gave the Orioles one of their best efforts from a starter this season. The right-hander surrendered just one run on five hits in seven innings, striking out five with one walk.
–Field Level Media
Source: OANN
FILE PHOTO: The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, April 16, 2019. REUTERS/Staff
April 24, 2019
(Reuters) – European shares pulled back from eight-month highs on Wednesday as worries over China putting policy-easing measures on hold offset upbeat earnings in the region from Credit Suisse and SAP.
The pan-regional STOXX 600 index was down 0.1 percent by 0732 GMT. The benchmark index has notched gains in the past eight consecutive sessions, with a trend of rebounding from a weaker open.
Asian shares were also weak despite the S&P 500 hitting an all-time closing high overnight on boosts to earnings, as investors worried over Beijing slowing the pace of policy easing for the world’s second-largest economy. [MKTS/GLOB]
Germany’s DAX eked out a gain ahead of the country’s Ifo business climate data, due at 0800 GMT, while all other major regional bourses were in the red.
Auto stocks dropped 1 percent, led by Renault after its Japanese partner Nissan Motor Co slashed its full-year profit forecast to its lowest in nearly a decade due to weakness in the United States.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said European Union tariffs facing motorcycle manufacturer Harley Davidson Inc were “unfair” and vowed to reciprocate, but gave no other details.
Online gaming company Kindred Group plc landed at the bottom of STOXX 600 after profits for the first-quarter were significantly impacted by a new local license in Sweden.
The oil and gas sector pulled back after a 2 percent jump in the prior session on the back of higher crude prices.
Kicking off the first-quarter balance sheet assessment for banks in the region, Swiss lender Credit Suisse rose 3 percent after posting a surprise profit and saying it was cautiously optimistic about the second-quarter following a challenging start to the year.
Results from Credit Suisse will be followed by those from UBS Group AG and Barclays on Thursday and Deutsche Bank on Friday.
Top performers on STOXX 600 was payments company Wirecard and business software company SAP which also kept the Germany’s DAX afloat.
Wirecard jumped 8 percent after a Bloomberg report said Japan’s Softbank was looking to invest about 900 million euros ($1 billion) to pick up a minority stake in the company.
SAP climbed 6 percent and drove tech sector 1.9 percent higher as the company set ambitious new mid-term targets to boost profit margins after reporting a first-quarter operating loss that chiefly resulted from a restructuring charge.
Healthcare stocks got a boost from Novartis’ gains as the Swiss drugmaker raised its 2019 guidance after a first-quarter earnings and sales beat.
Swedish truckmaker AB Volvo rose after reporting a better-than expected first-quarter operating profit on the back of stronger pricing and easing supply chain constraints.
(Reporting by Medha Singh and Agamoni Ghosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Catherine Evans)
Source: OANN
FILE PHOTO: An abortion rights activist holds up a sign as marchers take part in the 46th annual March for Life in Washington, U.S., January 18, 2019. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
April 24, 2019
(Reuters) – A federal judge in the U.S. state of Oregon will block a move by the Trump administration to cut off federal money to family planning clinics that offer abortion or refer women to abortion providers, activists and media reports said late on Tuesday.
President Donald Trump’s new Title X rule, set to take effect in May, would halt government funds for Planned Parenthood clinics that subsidize birth control for low-income women, and other clinics that provide abortions.
Critics say the plan is aimed at fulfilling Trump’s campaign pledge to defund Planned Parenthood, an organization that provides abortions and other health services for women.
Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the American Medical Association, along with several other parties, sued in federal court in Oregon to halt the new rule.
U.S. District Judge Michael McShane said late on Tuesday that he will grant a preliminary injunction against the new federal restrictions, the Oregonian newspaper reported.
It was unclear when the ruling would be made formal and how wide-sweeping it would be.
The plaintiffs had sought a national injunction, but Judge McShane said he is reluctant to set national health care policy, the newspaper reported.
The U.S. Justice Department, which opposed the injunction in court, asked that it only apply to the plaintiffs in this case, the Oregonian said.
McShane said from the bench that the so-called “gag rule” would prevent doctors from doing their jobs, media reports said.
The U.S. Justice Department was not available for comment on Wednesday.
Congress provided $286 million in Title X grants in 2017 to Planned Parenthood and other health centers to provide birth control, screening for diseases and cancer, and other reproductive counseling to low-income women.
The funding cannot be used for abortions, but abortion opponents have long complained that the money subsidizes Planned Parenthood itself.
The American Medical Association applauded the proposed injunction.
“Judge McShane got it exactly right when he called the new Title X rule a ‘ham-fisted’ approach to health care,” AMA President Barbara McAneny said in a statement.
“The judge repeatedly asked how the new gag rule would improve health outcomes. The government was unable to answer,” she added.
Leana Wen, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, called it a victory for patients and doctors.
But she added in a statement “this relief is preliminary and we will continue to fight the Trump-Pence administration in court and in Congress to ensure our patients’ health.”
Similar legal challenges are pending in other federal courts, including one brought by California, according to media reports.
(Reporting by Rich McKay; editing by Darren Schuettler)
Source: OANN
Apr 23, 2019; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) celebrates with forward Tobias Harris (33) and forward Jonathon Simmons (17) against the Brooklyn Nets during the third quarter in game five of the first round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
April 24, 2019
Joel Embiid collected 23 points and 13 rebounds as the Philadelphia 76ers cruised to a wire-to-wire, 122-100 victory over the visiting Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday and closed out their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series in five games.
The 76ers advanced to the conference semifinals for the second straight season. They next will face the second-seeded Toronto Raptors in the first postseason meeting between the teams since the 2001 East semifinals, a series the 76ers won in seven en route to their most recent NBA Finals appearance.
Philadelphia posted its third double-digit win of the series, but unlike the wins in Games 2 and 3, when the 76ers pulled away after halftime, the dominating tone was established early.
Embiid scored 10 points as the 76ers scored the game’s first 14 points. The Nets went 0-for-8 on the first 14 possessions before scoring, and the 76ers held a 25-3 lead late in the first and a 32-15 edge after the opening quarter.
Raptors 115, Magic 96
Kyle Lowry scored Toronto’s first nine points as part of a game-opening, 12-1 flurry to propel the Raptors to a blowout win over visiting Orlando and a 4-1 win in an Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.
With a chance to wrap up the best-of-seven set at home, the Raptors wasted no time taking charge. Lowry hit four field goals — including a 3-pointer — in his early burst, and Kawhi Leonard added a three-point play as Toronto went up by 11 before the game was three minutes old.
Leonard finished with 27 points and Pascal Siakam scored 24 for the Raptors, who had never previously won four straight games in the same playoff series. D.J. Augustin scored a team-high 15 points for the Magic.
Nuggets 108, Spurs 90
Jamal Murray had 23 points and seven assists, and host Denver beat San Antonio in Game 5 of a Western Conference playoff series.
The Nuggets lead the series 3-2 heading into Game 6 at San Antonio on Thursday night. Game 7, if necessary, would be played Saturday in Denver.
Nikola Jokic amassed 16 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, Will Barton scored 17 points off the bench, and Gary Harris had 15 points for Denver. LaMarcus Aldridge had 17 points and 10 rebounds, and DeMar DeRozan also scored 17 for the Spurs, who lost a second game in a row.
–Field Level Media
Source: OANN
People participate in a mass funeral in Negombo, three days after a string of suicide bomb attacks on churches and luxury hotels across the island on Easter Sunday, in Sri Lanka April 24, 2019. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
April 24, 2019
By Sanjeev Miglani
COLOMBO (Reuters) – Sri Lankan police said on Wednesday they had detained 18 more people for questioning over the Easter Sunday attacks on churches and hotels, claimed by the Islamic State group, as the death toll climbed again to 359.
The extremist Islamic State group made its claim after Sri Lankan officials said the suicide bombings in Sri Lanka were carried out in retaliation for attacks on two mosques in New Zealand that killed 50 people in March.
Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said the death toll had risen to 359 from 321 overnight, with about 500 people wounded, but did not give a breakdown of casualties from the three churches and four hotels hit by the bombers.
Islamic State said through its AMAQ news agency the assaults in Sri Lanka were carried out by seven attackers but gave no evidence to support its claim of responsibility. If true, it would be one of the worst attacks carried out by the group outside Iraq and Syria.
Junior minister for defense Ruwan Wijewardene told parliament on Tuesday two Sri Lankan Islamist groups – the National Thawheed Jama’ut and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim – were responsible for the blasts, which went off during Easter services and as hotels served breakfast.
Police continued searching homes across the Indian Ocean island nation overnight, leading to the detention of 18 more people. That brings the number of people taken in for questioning to close to 60, including one Syrian.
The overnight raids included areas near the Gothic-style St Sebastian church in Negombo, north of the capital, where scores were killed on Sunday, a police spokesman said. An unspecified number of people were detained in western Sri Lanka, the scene of Muslim riots in 2014.
“Search operations are going on everywhere, there is tight checking of Muslim areas,” a security source said.
The Easter Sunday bombings shattered the relative calm that has existed in Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka since a civil war against mostly Hindu, ethnic Tamil separatists ended 10 years ago, and raised fears of a return to sectarian violence.
Sri Lanka’s 22 million people include minority Christians, Muslims and Hindus. Until now, Christians had largely managed to avoid the worst of the island’s conflict and communal tensions.
The attacks have already foreshadowed a shake-up of Sri Lankan security forces, with President Maithripala Sirisena saying on Tuesday night he planned to change some of his defense chiefs after criticism that intelligence warnings of an Easter attack were ignored.
Three sources told Reuters that Sri Lankan intelligence officials had been warned by India hours before the blasts that attacks by Islamists were imminent. It was not clear what action, if any, was taken.
Most of those killed and wounded were Sri Lankans, although government officials said 38 foreigners were also killed. That included British, U.S., Australian, Turkish, Indian, Chinese, Danish, Dutch and Portuguese nationals.
The U.N. Children’s Fund said 45 children were among the dead.
Junior defense minister Wijewardene said investigators believed revenge for the March 15 mosque attacks in the New Zealand city of Christchurch was the motive but did not elaborate. The attacks during Friday prayers in Christchurch were carried out by a lone gunman.
The Sri Lankan government has imposed emergency law and an overnight curfew. It said it has also blocked online messaging services to stop the spread of inflammatory rumors that it feared could incite communal clashes.
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation is assisting with investigations.
(Reporting by Sanjeev Miglani; Editing by Paul Tait)
Source: OANN
FILE PHOTO: 2017 Kids Choice Sport Awards – Show – Los Angeles, California, U.S., 13/07/2017 – NFL football player Odell Beckham Jr. accepts the Hands of Gold Award. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
April 24, 2019
Arizona coach Kliff Kingsbury told reporters Tuesday that the team has yet to finalize its plans for the top overall pick in the draft, which starts Thursday.
“We’re still working through it,” Kingsbury said after his team’s first practice of the year at a voluntary minicamp. “I wouldn’t say the hay is in the barn.”
Quarterback Josh Rosen, who is widely believed to be on the trade block as the Cardinals consider Kyler Murray with the top pick, has been a full participant during the offseason program despite rampant rumors. Kingsbury said he “couldn’t be more impressed” with Rosen, whom the Cardinals traded up to draft 10th overall last year.
–Odell Beckham Jr. is happy as with the Cleveland Browns and glad to have left behind the New York Giants, according to a Twitter rant, seemingly set off by a user who called him a “cancer” with the Giants.
“Ask any one of my teammates of who I was as a teammates and a man and a person…. yes I’m cancer to a place that’s ok wit losing because I want to win that BADDD. Ur absolutely correct !” wrote Beckham, who was traded by the Giants in March, one season into a five-year, $95 million contract extension he signed last August.
–Philadelphia defensive end Chris Long told USA Today he is uncertain about whether he will return for a 12th NFL season in 2019.
“From the looks of things they’re going to make it hard for me in my favorite city,” Long said.
After seeing media speculation that the Eagles have asked him to take a pay cut, Long responded on Twitter, indicating his decision is related to how much playing time the team can offer him.
–The Seattle Seahawks agreed to trade franchise-tagged defensive end Frank Clark to the Kansas City Chiefs for a 2019 first-round pick, a 2020 second-round pick and a swap of 2019 third-round picks, according to multiple reports.
Clark, who must pass a physical for the trade to become official, has also agreed in principle with the Chiefs on a five-year, $105.5 million contract with $63.5 million guaranteed, according to multiple reports.
–Although Josh Gordon is still suspended indefinitely by the NFL, the wide receiver signed his restricted free agent tender with New England, according to multiple media reports.
By signing the contract tender, Gordon ensures that if he becomes eligible to play at any point this coming season, it will be with the Patriots. The 28-year-old is set to earn up to $2,025,000 on the one-year deal, but only if he plays all 16 games.
–The Pittsburgh Steelers are working to finalize a contract extension with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger before the draft begins Thursday, ESPN reported.
According to the report, the sides have been in discussions since the regular season ended and are making progress.
–Veteran kicker Robbie Gould informed the San Francisco 49ers he won’t negotiate a long-term contract with the team and wants to be traded, he told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Gould’s agent, Brian Mackler, said that if Gould decides to play with the 49ers this fall, he would hold out throughout training camp and report just before the season opens on Sept. 8. San Francisco put the franchise tag on Gould in February.
–The Los Angeles Rams exercised quarterback Jared Goff’s fifth-year option, putting him under contract through 2020.
The option, which is guaranteed only for injury, will pay Goff an estimated $22.8 million. He is set to make $4.3 million in base salary in 2019, part of a rookie contract worth $27.9 million over the first four seasons.
–The Los Angeles Chargers picked up the fifth-year option on defensive end Joey Bosa, according to multiple reports.
Bosa, 23, was the Chargers’ first-round pick — No. 3 overall — in the 2016 draft.
–The Baltimore Ravens exercised left tackle Ronnie Stanley’s fifth-year option, putting him under contract through 2020.
The option, which is guaranteed for injury only, will be worth around $13 million in 2020. Stanley’s rookie contract was worth $13.1 million over the first four seasons, including a $3.2 million salary for 2019.
–Longtime Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart signed a one-day contract to retire as a member of his old team, ending an 11-year NFL career.
“Thank you @panthers for 10 amazing seasons and bringing me to this place that I now call home,” Stewart said, according to the team’s Twitter account. “Keep Pounding!!!”
–Two videos that allegedly show New England owner Robert Kraft participating in illegal acts at Florida massage parlor will not be released to the public yet.
Palm Beach County Judge Leonard Hanser agreed with a request made by Kraft’s defense team to keep the videos sealed, at least for now. In his decision, he wrote “making these images public, at this time, seriously jeopardizes Defendant’s fundamental right to a fair and impartial jury.”
–Field Level Media
Source: OANN
FILE PHOTO: Golf – Masters – Augusta National Golf Club – Augusta, Georgia, U.S. – April 14, 2019 – Jason Day of Australia on the 2nd hole during final round play. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
April 24, 2019
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Former world number one Jason Day is determined to bring a more positive mindset to the Presidents Cup in Melbourne this year after struggling to produce his best for the Internationals team in four consecutive losses to the United States.
The Australian has reaped only seven points from his 20 matches in the biennial team tournament and is still bothered by his 2015 performance in South Korea where he claimed only a half-point as the Internationals were pipped 15.5 – 14.5.
In line to qualify for his fifth Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne in December, Day said he needed to “pick up the slack” as a now senior member of a team looking to break a seven-tournament losing streak.
“I’m the first one to put my hand up in regards to that because unfortunately, it has to start at the top, and I’ve made mistakes with regards to not mentally being there,” he told reporters at the Zurich Classic.
“You can obviously see my results in Korea and I wasn’t mentally there unfortunately with regards to being there for the team when I needed, performing for the team.
“That was one Presidents Cup that we had a very good opportunity to win, and sometimes you have to look at leadership and ask the questions why, and for me, I made the mistake and I need to understand we’ve got 11 other guys on the team that are trying just as hard or trying even harder than myself, so I’ve got to pick the slack up, too.”
Day will partner countryman Adam Scott at the PGA Tour’s Zurich Classic, one of a number of prospective Internationals pairings teeing off at the team-based tournament under the watch of captain Ernie Els.
Scott is not one of the top 10-ranked Internationals players who secure an automatic berth in the team but the former Masters champion is highly likely to be a captain’s pick due to his depth of experience at Royal Melbourne.
Day and Scott, who have both carried the world number one ranking and each won majors, have only been paired once in four Presidents Cups — in 2015 when they halved a four-ball match against Phil Mickelson and Zach Johnson.
Scott hoped they would rekindle that partnership at Royal Melbourne.
“I think we’re a hell of a team,” he said.
“I’ve tried to push for it to happen more often, but there are a lot of different opinions and things to happen.
“You know, you have to play as a team member and do what’s best for the team, but I would definitely push for this pairing, certainly in Australia. I think it’s very formidable.”
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
Source: OANN
FILE PHOTO: A Tesla logo is seen in Los Angeles, California U.S. January 12, 2018. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo
April 24, 2019
(Reuters) – Tesla Inc, struggling with delay in delivery of its higher-priced Model S and X luxury cars, said on Tuesday it will bring back lower-priced options for those cars and roll out upgrades to improve their driving range and re-charging speed.
The company, striving to improve margins and post a profit later this year, has laid off workers including about half of the team hired to deliver cars in the United States, and said it would close stores to lower costs.
Tesla has since said it will keep higher-volume stores open, while announcing a 3 percent price increase on some models.
The upgrades include a new drivetrain design and a new adaptive suspension system, increasing each vehicle’s driving range, the company said in a blog post https://www.tesla.com/blog/longest-range-electric-vehicle-now-goes-even-farther ahead of its first-quarter results on Wednesday.
With the upgrades, the long-range version of Model S and X can now travel 370 miles (595.5 km) and 325 miles, respectively, on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency cycle.
The lower-priced options, or the ‘standard range’ versions, of Model X and Model S were available for purchase on Tesla’s website after Tuesday’s announcement for $83,000 and $78,000, respectively. Estimated delivery of both cars was set for May.
Earlier in April, Tesla reported fewer-than-expected vehicle deliveries in the first quarter, with figures for the Model S sedans and Model X SUVs more-than-halving compared with the preceding quarter.
The Silicon Valley carmaker has faced a range of challenges over the past year as one of the leaders in electric vehicle technology sought to ramp up production, deliveries and sales of the Model 3 sedan seen as crucial to its long-term profitability.
(Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Bengaluru; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier)
Source: OANN
A U.S. judge in Oregon said Tuesday he intends to at least partially block a rule change by President Donald Trump’s administration that could cut off federal funding for providers who refer patients for an abortion, though the scope of his decision remains to be seen.
U.S. District Judge Michael McShane made the comments after more than three hours of arguments in a lawsuit brought by 20 states and the District of Columbia, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported . The states say the rule change, due to take effect May 3, is a transparent attack on Planned Parenthood and a violation of the Affordable Care Act, which prohibits “unreasonable barriers to the ability of individuals to obtain appropriate medical care.”
“At the heart of these rules is an arrogant assumption that the government is better suited to direct women’s health care than their providers,” Oregon Public Broadcasting quoted the judge as saying.
McShane said he needs more time to decide whether he will issue a national injunction or a more limited one blocking the policy from taking effect. The judge said he’s reluctant to set national health care policy and would describe the scope of his injunction in a written opinion soon.
“We will need to see what the final ruling says,” Oregon Justice Department spokeswoman Kristina Edmunson said in an email. “We are pleased with the decision.”
Under the new policy, health care providers that receive federal funding would be barred from referring patients for an abortion. Programs that receive the money would also have to be in a separate physical space from facilities where abortion is performed.
The rule change announced early this year concerns Title X, a family planning program created in 1970 which serves roughly 4 million low-income Americans every year. Clinics that receive money under Title X provide a wide array of services, including birth control and screening for diabetes, sexually transmitted diseases and cancer.
Abortion is a legal medical procedure, but federal laws prohibit the use of taxpayer funds to pay for abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the woman. Religious conservatives and abortion opponents have long complained that Title X has been used to indirectly subsidize abortion providers.
“Title X grant funds are a true safety net for low income individuals and those who would not be able to access care, due to a lack of insurance or other barriers,” Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum told the judge. “Put simply, this is an attempt to politicize what has been a successful, non-political public health program for 50 years.”
U.S. Justice Department lawyer Andrew M. Bernie said there was nothing in the administrative record to suggest the change was politically motivated.
But the judge was not swayed. McShane suggested it would be “insane” for a man to go to his doctor seeking a vasectomy, only to be referred to a fertility clinic.
Several other lawsuits have also challenged the new policy. California and Washington have sued separately; arguments in the latter case are scheduled for Thursday in U.S. District Court in Yakima.
Source: NewsMax Politics
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