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In the newest English-language Bible translation to hit bookshelves, e-readers and online sites, Jesus is no longer the “Son of Man.”
The Tennessean religion reporter Bob Smietana tours the text, pointing out notable changes in the freshly published Common English Bible start in the beginning. Except that “In the beginning…” is gone, too. This Bible begins, “When God began to create the heavens and the earth…”
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And Adam is simply lower case “human” until Eve comes along in Genesis 2:23
The human said, “This one finally is bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh. She will be called a woman because from a man she was taken.”
Like every Bible translation that comes down the pike, the folks behind this — a coalition of Protestant denominational publishing houses owned by the United Methodist Church, one of the nation’s largest denominations, and the Disciples of Christ, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., Episcopal Church, and the United Church of Christ — want to make holy writ more accessible.
Accessibility is one of those umbrella terms that can cover a lot of ground. It’s more than just dropping words that have lost their original meaning like the New American Bible, the Catholic Bible that booted out “booty” since “treasure” was not what came to mind. It can also include “inclusive language” that bumps out gender pronouns wherever possible and political sensitivities such as swapping of terms like “foreigner” for “immigrant.”
Paul Franklyn, associate publisher of the Common English Bible tells Smietana,
There are a number of translations available for conservative churches. This is trying to make a bridge between conservatives, moderates and liberals.
Smietana had some fun with this with a quiz testing Bible mavens on five top texts including the King James Version, the Common English Bible, the New Revised Standard Version; the New International Version and the English Standard Version.
Of course, King James intended his majestic Bible to unify English-speaking believers. That didn’t work for him 400 years ago. And in new translations theology and poetry often take a beating — depending on your spiritual perspective.
DO YOU THINK… there can be one English language Bible for all? Should there be?
Casey Anthony was acquitted of murdering her daughter, but scores of Facebook posts still hound her.
facebook.com
facebook.com Casey Anthony is a growing phenomenon on social media, especially Facebook. Pages rant about her character and complain about the justice system.
Thousands of members of the social networking site have set up Casey Anthony pages to criticize her, curse at her and even follow her when she is released Sunday.
Some pages are memorials to Caylee Anthony, 2, who disappeared in June 2008. A month later, the child’s grandmother reported her missing; her body was found in December. On July 5, a jury found Casey Anthony not guilty of killing her.
By late Monday afternoon, 16,265 people had pledged to “Wear Purple for Caylee Anthony’s Birthday” onAug. 9.
At change.org, more than 1.1 million people have signed a petition calling for passage of “Caylee’s Law,” which would make it a felony to fail to report a child’s disappearance within 24 hours.
The Anthony story has taken off on Facebook and other sites because they give people an immediate outlet for their emotions, says Alicia Cardenas, who is a court-appointed advocate for children in Brownsville, Texas.
“The level of emotions with this case is so high because it dealt with a child,” she says. “People need to take action now.”
Most of the Facebook pages target Casey Anthony:
•”Where is Casey Anthony Today? Don’t let her slip into hiding!!!” one says. More than 500 people agreed, by clicking “like,” that people should report the date, time and place of any Casey Anthony sighting. “She can run but she cannot hide,” the page says.
•More than 1,000 people “liked” the page “Black Ribbons For Caylee,” which urges tying black ribbons around trees in Florida, especially near the Orlando courthouse and where jurors and defense lawyers would see them, as well as “anywhere Casey might go.”
•”I hate Casey Anthony” had almost 37,000 likes. A poster identified as Gayle Rose wrote on the page, “What goes around ALWAYS COMES AROUND To you Casey Anthony.”
•”Casey Anthony deserves to die” had more than 1,100 likes.
Anthony’s lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Other pages target the jurors:
•Two pages have more than 12,000 likes: “Casey Anthony is a murderer no matter what 12 idiots say” and “The 12 jurors in the Casey Anthony Trial are an Embarrassment to America.”
•”The JURY Failed Caylee” had almost 10,000 likes.
At least five Facebook pages support Anthony. “Support Casey Anthony” has more than 5,000 likes.
Florida state Rep. Scott Plakon, a Republican, says he got “more than a couple hundred e-mails” demanding action after the Anthony verdict. He responded with a bill that would require parents or caretakers to report a child 12 or younger missing within 48 hours and to report discovery of a corpse within two hours.
It would make it a felony to knowingly mislead authorities. Anthony was convicted of four counts of misleading investigators, but the crimes were misdemeanors.
“The idea behind this law is that if we ever run into another mother like Casey Anthony, she won’t just walk out with a slap on the wrist,” Plakon says. “She’ll walk out a felon.”
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President Obama vowed Monday to hold meetings with congressional leaders every day until they hammer out a deal to raise the government’s $14.3 trillion debt ceiling while reducing federal debt in the years ahead.
“If not now, when?” Obama said repeatedly during a White House news conference.
Obama said that he would not sign any 30-, 60- or 90-day “temporary” debt ceiling agreement and that he would continue pushing for the biggest package possible.
“It”s not going to get any easier,” Obama said. “It’s going to get harder.”
As the president prepared for a 2 p.m. meeting with Democratic and Republican lawmakers, he continued to put pressure on the GOP to compromise on the issue of government revenue. “I don’t see a path to a deal if they don’t budge,” he said.
House Speaker John Boehner and other Republicans say the obstacle is Obama and his insistence on tax hikes that, they said, would kill jobs and would not pass the GOP-run House.
Some highlights from the news conference:
11:13 a.m. — Running late, Obama makes an opening statement on the debt talks and immediately makes news: “We’re gonna meet every single day until we get this resolved.”
Obama says the government won’t default but says the parties are far apart on many issues. He says he told Republicans that now is the time to take on the nation’s debt problem. “If not now, when?” Obama asks.
Obama says he will continue pursuing “the largest possible deal,” despite opposition from Republicans on taxes and Democrats on program cuts.
“We’re gonna resolve this in a serious way,” he says.
The parties will meet today at 2 p.m.
11:19 a.m. — First question is from Ben Feller of AP: What happens if Republicans continue to oppose taxes? Or pass a temporary extension on the debt ceiling?
Obama says that he will veto any temporary bill and that it’s time to “pull off the Band-Aid” on debt reduction — “eat our peas.”
Obama says he doesn’t want to raise taxes but only to end tax loopholes and other breaks that benefit the wealthy — and those wouldn’t take effect for at least a few years.
Referring to Republicans, Obama said, “I don’t see a path to do a deal if they won’t budge, period.”
11:25 a.m. — Chip Reid of CBS News asks Obama if he’s done a good enough job convincing the public that a potential “crisis” is at hand over the debt ceiling.
Obama says he doesn’t expect the public to follow “the ins and outs” of fiscal policy. But “some of the professional politicians know better,” and it is “irresponsible” for them to oppose an increase in the debt ceiling.
11:32 a.m. — Our own Richard Wolf of USA TODAY asks Obama to be more specific about his plans for a “balanced” package of budget cuts and taxes and for Social Security.
Obama says that if Social Security is included in a final package, it would be designed to strengthen the program — how he might do that, he doesn’t say.
As for balancing the plan, Obama says he is willing to move toward the Republicans on budget cuts — but only if they give on providing more government revenue by ending certain tax breaks. He says he wants to “raise revenues” to help reduce debt and preserve essential programs.
11:36 a.m. — Sam Stein of The Huffington Post asks: Is it a good idea to cut the budget when unemployment is at 9.2%? He follows up on Social Security.
Obama cites “political constraints” — namely, a Republican-run House of Representatives. He cites efforts to forge tax cuts to help put money in workers’ pockets. He notes that, even if the parties reach a debt deal, government is probably still going to have to help stimulate jobs. Doing something about the federal debt should encourage business owners to hire more, he says.
As for Social Security, Obama cites the political difficulty of changing entitlement programs.
11:43 a.m. — Lesley Clark of McClatchy asks if Obama is reaching out to the business community.
“I have spoken extensively to business leaders,” Obama says. He says they want the debt ceiling issue resolved but are leery about getting into the political fray. He wishes more would speak out.
“We are going to get this done by Aug. 2,” Obama says.
11:45 a.m. — George Condon of National Journal asks Obama if he thinks House Speaker John Boehner can deliver enough House Republican votes for any package.
“That’s a question for the speaker,” Obama says.”Not a question for me.”
He adds that Boehner is a “good man” who “wants to do right by the country” — which may or may not help the speaker with his Tea Party caucus.
11:47 a.m. — April Ryan of American Urban Radio asks Obama to define “shared sacrifice.”
Obama says he’s looking out for families struggling in a tough economy — they should not bear a disproportionate burden of reducing the federal debt.
We’re out at 11:54 a.m.
See photos of: Barack Obama
President Obama and Republican congressional leaders are back behind closed doors today after a series of public statements defending their positions on debt reduction and assailing the views of the others.
Before calling the meeting to order at 2 p.m., Obama predicted that Democrats and Republicans would come to an agreement to raise the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling while reducing the federal debt moving forward — and if they don’t, the Republicans would be largely at fault.
“I do not see a path to a deal if they don’t budge, period,” Obama said at his White House news conference this morning. “I mean, if the basic proposition is it’s my way or the highway, then we’re probably not going to get something done because we’ve got divided government.”
Before leaving Capitol Hill, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said negotiators could find common ground — but not if Obama and the Democrats insist on job destroying tax hikes.
“The American people cannot accept — and the House will not pass — a bill that raises taxes on job creators,” Boehner said.
Democratic congressional leaders attended today’s White House negotiating session, the second in two days — and the second in a daily series until an agreement is reached, the president said at his news conference.
Obama said he is not proposing tax hikes, but rather eliminating loopholes and breaks for wealthy Americans who don’t need the help.
“I have bent over backwards to work with the Republicans to try to come up with a formulation that doesn’t require them to vote sometime in the next month to increase taxes,” Obama said.
The president said he wants a debt reduction deal that is “balanced” between budget cuts and new government revenue and that places burdens on the wealthy as well as the middle class.
An agreement also requires “some work on our side,” Obama said, saying most Democrats “would prefer not to have to do anything” on the entitlement spending involved with Social Security and Medicare.
Boehner said Republicans are willing to support increasing the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling in exchange for budget cuts, and “adding tax increases to the equation doesn’t balance anything.”
The speaker questioned Democrats’ seriousness about “fundamental entitlement reform.”
“It takes two to tango,” Boehner said. ” And they’re not there yet.”
To be continued — for the foreseeable future.
See photos of: Barack Obama
Tea Party groups want to turn the upcoming debt limit vote into a repeat of the health care town-hall-style forums of the summer of 2009, packing district offices and community meetings in targeted congressional districts.
By Brendan Smialowski, Getty Images
By Brendan Smialowski, Getty Images Members of the Tea Party and other activists gathered at the “Remember In November” Rally last year. Tea Party activists are now targeting Democrats in a push against a debt-limit increase.
Tea Party activists will be going after 21 Democrats — mostly moderate-to-conservative members in swing districts, organizers say. They also said they would go after Republicans but did not name them.
The effort begins noon Thursday, as Tea Party supporters plan to show up at local congressional offices urging members to vote against any debt-limit increase unless it holds the line on taxes and includes a balanced-budget amendment.
“We’re trying to make sure guys on the fence know that they’d rather talk to us now than see us at a town-hall meeting in August,” said Adam Brandon of FreedomWorks, a Tea Party umbrella organization coordinating the effort.
The “August Action” strategy is a repeat of the Tea Party’s use of congressional town-hall-style forums on the Affordable Care Act health care proposal in 2009. Then, newly emerging Tea Party groups protested, heckled and quizzed their members of Congress on the health care bill, turning the usually sleepy meetings into rancorous made-for-TV moments.
FreedomWorks sent kits to local activists Monday with talking points and other suggestions: “Make sure that a Tea Partier is the first person to the microphone at town-hall meetings,” the memo said. “Cheer good answers and boo bad answers to show where we stand on the issues.”
Most members of Congress on the list, such as Rep. Jason Altmire, D-Pa., already voted against a bill in May that would have increased the total amount the government can borrow to $16.7 trillion from $14.3 trillion — but without spending cuts.
“A ‘clean’ bill wasn’t going to work for him,” said Altmire spokesman Richard Carbo. “And that’s where he is right now. We can’t comment on anything beyond that, because we don’t know what we’ll be voting on.”
Indeed, of the 21 Democrats on the FreedomWorks list, only Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., voted for the “clean” debt increase in May, which failed 97-318. That vote saw 236 Republicans and 82 Democrats vote against an increase, hoping to force negotiations on other budget-balancing measures.
President Obama and congressional leaders are in the midst of those talks, trying to work out a deal by an Aug. 2 deadline.
Another Democrat the Tea Party will call on this summer is Rep. Bill Owens, D-N.Y. He has voted against a debt-limit increase three times, but he also recognizes that “clearly the country can’t default on its debt,” spokesman Sean Magers said.
“We have a reasonable, level-headed constituency that is looking for people to just get along and do what’s best for the country,” Magers said. “Yelling and screaming at a town hall is not going to get the country where it needs to be.”
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Good morning from The Oval. On this day in 1984, Democratic presidential candidate Walter Mondale named the first woman to a national party ticket, picking Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate; the pair lost in November to Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.
It’s a day of contrasts for President Obama, who honors military courage before resuming high-level budget talks with congressional Republicans.
This afternoon, Obama awards the Medal of Honor to Sergeant First Class Leroy Arthur Petry, who lost a hand protecting two comrades in Afghanistan by tossing away a live grenade. Petry is the second living, active service member to receive the Medal of Honor for actions in Iraq or Afghanistan.
After that, Obama meets for a third straight day with congressional leaders on efforts to raise the government’s $14.3 trillion debt ceiling while cutting government spending. As USA TODAY’s Richard Wolf reports, the president and the Republicans appeared to emerge from Monday’s meeting even further apart of the issue of taxes.
Obama, who is urging Republicans to end tax loopholes as part of a debt cut deal, is trying to find the political center. The Republicans, meanwhile, say Obama is seeking tax increases that would slow the economy and prevent job growth.
In other news:
The next election will feature high-dollar “SuperPACs” that could tilt elections for Congress and even the presidency, reports USA TODAY’s Fredreka Schouten.
First lady Michelle Obama and some predecessors will attend today’s funeral for Betty Ford.
The half-brother of Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai is assassinated.
Supporters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad storm the U.S. embassy in Damascus.
And there are reports that Britain’s defunct tabloid The News of the World sought personal information on a prime minister and members of royalty.
We’re only interested in the public side of life here at The Oval, so please join us as we report on the budget talks, the Medal of Honor ceremony, and other presidential happenings. And thank you.
See photos of: Barack Obama, Afghanistan, Ronald Reagan, Michelle Obama, Hamid Karzai, George H.W. Bush
Washington likes to work right up to the deadline, but when it comes to the ongoing debt ceiling talks it’s hard to know when the deadline is.
The Treasury Department talks about Aug. 2. But that’s the day it would actually bump up against the nation’s $14.3 trillion ceiling, and would be unable to borrow more money to pay the government’s bill, risking a default with very bad consequences for the financial system.
But before Congress can approve an increase in the debt ceiling, Obama and party leaders must first reach an agreement — then write legislation — then get it passed by both the House and the Senate — and then reconcile any differences between the chambers.
That’s going to take some time. That’s some members of Congress say the real deadline is July 22, a week from Friday.
And that’s why, when a reporter asked President Obama on Sunday if the parties could get something done within the next ten days, Obama replied: “We need to.”
At his news conference yesterday, Obama said he would not accept a temporary, 30-day or 60-day increase of the debt ceiling, but will instead pursue a deal to reduce the debt via budget cuts and new government revenues by closing tax loopholes.
And he’ll be meeting with congressional leaders every day until a debt is reached.
“My hope is, is that as a consequence of negotiations that take place today, tomorrow, the next day and through next weekend, if necessary, that we’re going to come up with a plan that solves our short-term debt and deficit problems, avoids default, stabilizes the economy, and proves to the American people that we can actually get things done in this country and in this town,” Obama said.
Congressional Republicans, who also have talked about doing a deal well in advance of Aug. 2, say they want to raise the debt ceiling and reduce the debt overall going forward — but through budget cuts. They said Obama is seeking tax hikes that will slow economic growth and kill jobs.
The Republican-run House “can only pass a debt limit bill that includes spending cuts larger than the hike in the debt limit, as well as real restraints on future spending,” said House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.
Boehner also said he hopes “we can work our way through this.”
The parties try again today during a 3:45 p.m. meeting at the White House — and the clock is ticking, whenever the real deadline is.
See photos of: Barack Obama
PHOENIX It was perhaps the ultimate father-son moment.
By Jeff Gross, Getty Images
By Jeff Gross, Getty Images It took 12 home runs in the final round for the Yankees’ Robinson Cano to win the 2011 home run derby.
Just like they’d done countless times with no one else watching, former major league pitcher Jose Cano threw batting practice to his son. Only this time there was a stadium full of cheering fans and more watching on television.
But Robinson Cano of the New York Yankees wasn’t thinking about pressure or winning the All-Star Home Run Derby. He just took a powerful swing at each ball his father threw him.
Cano connected on a final round-record 12 home runs to take home the trophy before 44,820 at Chase Field.
“It’s a dream come true,” Cano said. “It’s something I’m going to have in my mind and in my heart.”
The competition came down to a pair of traditional rivals, with first baseman Adrian Gonzalez representing the Boston Red Sox. The two American League East rivals easily outdistanced the rest of the field with 20 total home runs in the first two rounds.
With his father, a former major league pitcher, on the mound, Cano needed to set a championship-round record with 12 homers to defeat Gonzalez.
Cano tied things up with a blast off the Home Run Derby tote board above the swimming pool in right-center field. He followed it with another blast along almost the same line to win the title with three outs to spare.
“It’s a memory you can bring home and share with your family, said Cano, who brought not only his mother and father with him but several other family members as well. “Not only now, but when you retire, you can look up and say, ‘Wow, I was good back in the day.’”
It was also special because Cano was able to share the spotlight with his father, who played one season (1989) with the Houston Astros. “He asked me to throw it inside and low, and I said that’s how I throw to you the whole year. That will be easy for me,” Jose Cano said.
Gonzalez had homered on eight of his first 11 swings in the final round, with his fifth home run splashing into the swimming pool in right-center field.
He finished with 11 in the finals.
AL captain David Ortiz of the Red Sox and National League captain Prince Fielder of the Milwauke Brewers secured the final two spots in the semifinals by out-homering the St. Louis Cardinals’ Matt Holliday in a swing-off after they all hit five out in the first round.
That result meant that the four to advance to the semifinal round were all left-handed hitters, while the four right-handed batters in the competition were eliminated early.
The final tote board showed Ortiz’s AL sluggers finishing with a 76-19 margin against their NL counterparts.
In the second round, a fan trying to catch a ball hit by Fielder found himself dangling over a pool deck roughly 20 feet below after being caught by his brother and a friend.
A fan at a Texas Rangers game died last week while trying to catch a ball thrown into the stands.
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PHOENIX – This one’s for the wife, who wouldn’t let her husband quit.
By Eric Risberg, AP
By Eric Risberg, AP The Giants’ Ryan Vogelsong went 1,760 days without a Major League job. Now he’s an All-Star.
But first, let’s travel back exactly one year, in the strange journey of Ryan Vogelsong.
It is the All-Star break, 2010, and these are hard days. Vogelsong has been with wife Nicole at the hospital, after his father-in-law suffers a heart attack. Then, his minor league team releases him.
He has not pitched in the major leagues in four years, since a few uneventful seasons with San Francisco and Pittsburgh, when he went 10-22. He has spent three years in Japan as a Hanshin Tiger and Orix Buffalo, because nobody would give him a job here. He is about to turn 33.
Now he’s not even wanted by the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Even worse, they are the Class AAA affiliate of the Phillies team he once rooted for, growing up outside Philadelphia. A childhood friend has told him to get lost. In September, Salt Lake, the Los Angeles Angels’ Class AAA team, would cut him, too.
They call that the bottom.
One year later, Ryan Vogelsong sits in a hotel ballroom during a press session. He is an All-Star pitcher for the San Francisco Giants. He is the baseball equivalent of a lottery winner.
“Crazy, huh?” he begins. “Never in a million years did I think I’d be sitting in this room. Maybe on that side (with the media).
“It’s like a dream. It’s like I’m waiting for myself to wake up.”
Or as teammate Tim Lincecum mentions, “I don’t think there’s a guy here who has been through more of a weird road.”
–
According to the number crunchers at Elias, the last man to spend four years away from the majors and then make the All-Star team his first season back was Mickey Harris. Might not ring a bell. He pitched for the Boston Red Sox in 1946.
So Vogelsong’s a rare bird. Surely, there were moments in those 1,760 days without a major league job when he wondered if he was finished.
“Quite a few times,” he said. “More than I like to remember.”
But this is a tale of refusing to take no for an answer. Ryan Vogelsong? Well, him too. But we were talking more of Nicole.
“It’s been hard on her. I mainly dragged her across the world,” he said. “She’s the optimist and I’m the realist. I was ready to talk about (quitting). She wasn’t. She’s never ready to talk about it. When we went to Japan, our biggest fights were because she thought I was selling myself short.”
So he kept at it, impressed the Giants this spring, got a shot in the rotation when Barry Zito went down, and now he’s 6-1 with a shiny 2.17 earned run average. What might the wife have to say about all this?
“Nothing.” he said. “She smiles because she knows she was right.
“She cried for a good bit when I told her I made the All-Star team. She cried last night when we got here. She’s just a crier.”
–
The Japanese media crowded around Vogelsong Monday to find out how someone gets from Orix to the National League All-Star roster.
“I don’t think it’s one thing, it’s a whole bunch of things,” he was saying, crediting this sudden blossoming to improved confidence and concentration as much as anything. “Everything that I’ve been through has helped me to get better.”
How about a start one day against the beloved Phillies who cut him? “I think I’m going to let that one alone.”
There must be a message in his story; something for anyone out there wondering if his chance will ever come, perhaps arguing with his wife about it.
“It’s as simple as don’t ever give up,” he said. “I came into this game and people told me that you don’t stop playing until they kick you out and take your uniform. That’s what I was going to do, and now here I sit.”
Several players passed on this event for one reason or another, but it’d be a hard sell getting Ryan Vogelsong to take the All-Star Game for granted. Nicole Vogelsong, even harder.
Posted
PHOENIX Josh Hamilton says there will be a time and place to meet the family of Shannon Stone, the 39-year-old Brownwood, Texas, firefighter who fell to his death Thursday reaching for a ball Hamilton tossed his way for his 6-year-old son at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
By Ronald Martinez, Getty Images
By Ronald Martinez, Getty Images Hamilton said his Christian faith, which helped him overcome alcohol and drug addiction, has buoyed him and his family this week in the wake of the tragedy at Rangers Ballpark.
Monday’s funeral was neither that time nor place.
“I didn’t know Mr. Stone. I don’t know his family,” Hamilton said Monday, a day before he starts in left field for the American League in the All-Star Game. “I don’t feel it’s my place to be in an intimate setting such as that.
“But when I feel like the time is right and enough time has passed, I’ll definitely reach out and talk to his wife and little boy.”
Hundreds of family members, friends and law enforcement personnel attended the memorial service at First United Methodist Church in Brownwood.
Hamilton said his Christian faith, which helped him overcome alcohol and drug addiction to become one of baseball’s brightest stars, has buoyed him and his family this week. He said his family continues to pray for the Stone family.
“This is life,” Hamilton said. “There are tragedies, things that happen that you have no control over and you don’t understand them. One of them is standing in front of your maker.
“Maybe I was a little more prepared to handle a situation like this. Still, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt and affect you. It was just a random act of kindness that turned tragic.”
Texas teammate Michael Young thinks Hamilton will be OK.
“I think Josh is in a good place right now — or as good a place as we could have hoped for,” Young said. “I think he’s put this in the hands of a higher power and really relied on his faith.
“It’s been a very tough week for Josh and everybody else. The last couple games, baseball was kind of on the back burner. We were far more concerned about a family, a son and a wife.”
Hamilton, who has 11 homers and has batted .346 during the Rangers’ current seven-game winning streak, says he’s looking forward to the All-Star game, despite the difficult week.
“I’d be lying to you if I said I hadn’t thought about what happened since it happened,” said Hamilton, who was voted into the All-Star lineup by fans and will bat fifth and play center field.
Said Rangers and AL manager Ron Washington, “Josh is handling everything with class, which he always does.”
Hamilton said the tragedy can’t help but influence him and Major League Baseball to reconsider items being sent into the stands as souvenirs.
“This is going to impact and make a difference,” he said. “Where are you tossing it to? How far up? … We take it for granted. When something like this happens, the cautionary (aspect) needs to stay with you every day after that.”
Young, however, doesn’t think Hamilton will stop interacting with fans or that the practice of tossing souvenirs to the crowd will cease.
“I think (Hamilton) recognizes it was an accident,” Young said. “We still want to have that interaction with our fans. It was just an accident — a tragic accident.”
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If this didn’t involve Rupert Murdoch, his sensational-obsessed headline writers likely would be having a field day with the aging media mogul’s growing misfortunes.
By Adrian Dennis, AFP/Getty Images
By Adrian Dennis, AFP/Getty Images A demonstrator dressed in a Rupert Murdoch mask controls puppets of British leaders at a protest Friday.
Murdoch Meltdown!
Sordid Shenanigans!!
Hack Attack Fallout!!!
But what initially began with allegations that Murdoch’s British News of the World had illegally hacked scores of Brits’ phone messages has widened from a sordid tabloid tale involving a murdered British teen to a burgeoning scandal with broad political, criminal, ethical and business ramifications for Murdoch’s far-flung News Corp.
The $33 billion media empire’s holdings include U.S.-based Fox TV, film studio 20th Century Fox, publishing giant HarperCollins, The Wall Street Journal and the New York Post.
News Corp., founded in 1922, is a media company that operates in the United States, the
Newspapers
• United States — Dow Jones Newswires, The Wall Street Journal, New York Post; The Daily, an electronic magazine designed for the iPad and other tablets
• United Kingdom — The Times, The Sunday Times, The Sun
• Australia — 146 papers, including The Australian; The Daily Telegraph, in Sydney; Herald Sun, in Melbourne
Broadcast television
• Produces shows, such as Bones, Glee, The Simpsons, Modern Family
• Owns and operates 27 TV stations, including two each in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago
• Owns Fox Broadcasting Company, which has 203 affiliates and broadcasts American Idol,National Football League and Major League Baseball games and NASCAR
Cable television
• Channels include Fox News, Fox Sports Net, FX, Speed, National Geographic
Movies
• Owns Twentieth Century Fox and Fox Searchlight Pictures
Film and TV library
• Owns rights to top-grossing films, such Avatar, Titanic and the Star Wars series
• TV programs include 24, Boston Legal, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, M*A*S*H, Hill Street Blues, Ally McBeal, In Living Color, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Books
• Owns HarperCollins, which published such best-sellers as Going Rogue by Sarah Palin; Game Change by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin; The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver; and Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Digital
• Owns IGN Entertainment
Source: Standard Poor’s Capital IQ
Murdoch, 80, folded News of the World on Sunday in what trade journals such as Advertising Age said was an effort to placate British regulators and advertisers upset by the hacking incidents. The incidents include accessing phone messages of 13-year-old kipnap and murder victim Milly Dowler, and those of families of 9/11 victims and British soldiers killed in Afghanistan. Prime Minister David Cameron’s former communications chief, Andy Coulson, was arrested last week in connection with alleged payoffs to police when he was editor of News of the World.
Fresh allegations of attempted phone hacking against Britain’s royal family (including Prince Charles), paying British police for tips and illegally accessing medical and financial records of former prime minister Gordon Brown and family members by Murdoch’s The Sun and The Sunday Times newspapers have caused more damage. That includes the possible unraveling of News Corp.’s planned $12.4 billion acquisition of a 61% stake in British Sky Broadcasting, the United Kingdom’s largest pay-TV broadcaster.
News Corp. currently owns a 39% stake in BSkyB and already was running into political opposition in Britain’s Parliament over the News of the World scandal. A regulatory review could take six months and allow the scandal to fade, but Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has asked Murdoch to reconsider the bid.
Two News Corp. spokespersons didn’t return calls Monday. But the company said in a statement that it would investigate new allegations that its papers had hacked the medical records of Brown’s son, Fraser. In 2006, The Sun revealed that the seriously ill, 4-year-old Fraser Brown had cystic fibrosis.
Fraser’s mother, Sarah, tweeted her reaction about the revelations Monday: “So sad to learn all I am about my family’s privacy — it is very personal and really hurtful if all true.”
Londoners are accustomed to the sensational headlines of British tabloids, but many are shocked at reports that Fraser Brown’s medical records had been hacked.
“It’s absolutely appalling,” says Tamsin Kemmiss, 52, a secondary school teacher. “The sublime arrogance of Murdoch being able to just fly in here, keep Rebekah Brooks at her post, shut down the paper. It’s all just appalling.”
Rebekah Brooks, CEO of U.K. subsidiary News International, edited News of the World when some of the hacking occurred. She has denied knowledge of any wrongdoing, and Murdoch has stood by her.
Other Londoners aren’t surprised at the developments, given the salaciousness of the British tabloids.
“They call it the gutter press for a reason,” says Nicholas Thompsell, a senior partner at a London law firm. “It was bad, yes, but I think the media attention on it is out of line with its importance. People are starving, being murdered, and all we’ve read about for (two weeks) is this.”
Some believe billionaire Murdoch was due for some comeuppance.
“I think Murdoch had it coming,” cab driver Jim Roach says. “Working-class people are glad this is happening to him. How can a man who doesn’t live in this country own 40% of the media here? It’s wrong.”
Stock takes a dive
Investors aren’t liking what they’ve been reading or hearing.
On Wall Street, News Corp. shares sank 7% to $16.10 Monday and have lost nearly 16% from their 52-week high. Monday’s plunge reflects investor concerns that “reputational damage” could spill over to other News Corp. properties, says Standard Poor’s analyst Tuna Amobi.
News of the World accounted for less than 1% of News Corp. revenue and earnings. But Jeffrey Logsdon of BMO Capital markets says investors are worried the allegations could lead to wider questions .
For the stock market, “it’s a mystery why this newspaper would go to these lengths to get this story,” Logsdon says. “For investors, that makes everything mysterious. Is this localized, regionalized or globalized? No one knows.”
Amobi, who rates the News Corp. as a buy, thinks investors are overacting and that the company’s global operations are sound. “Right now, the sell-off seems overdone,” he says.
Major investors, such as Saudi Prince Al Waleed bin Talal, whose Kingdom Holding’s 7% stake is News Corp.’s largest non-family shareholder, told the Financial Times that he still backs Murdoch.
But on Monday, other News Corp. shareholders, including Amalgamated Bank and several municipal and union pension funds, filed an amended claim against News Corp. in Delaware court, accusing the company’s board of directors of failing to exercise oversight and take action since news of the hackings surfaced. (An earlier complaint challenged New Corp.’s acquisition of Shine Group Ltd., a film and TV producer that provided a $250 million windfall for Murdoch’s daughter, Elizabeth.)
“News Corp.’s behavior has become an egregious collection of nepotism and corporate governance failures, with a board completely unwilling to provide even the slightest level of adult supervision,” says co-lead counsel Jay Eisenhofer. “The result has been a piling on of questionable deals, a waste of corporate resources, a starring role in a blockbuster scandal and a gigantic public relations disaster.”
‘Tabloids set the agenda’
The British scandal has its underpinnings in an ultra-competitive market for eyeballs and readers.
Stephen Ward, director of the Center for Journalism Ethics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, saw how the British tabloids operate when he spent five years in London as a correspondent for The Canadian Press.
“There are some very good journalists over there, but there’s more public tolerance for the British tabloid, anything-goes culture of news,” he says. “The tabloids set the agenda.”
Nothing in North America compares to British tabloid tactics — yet. “Our media, in tone and characteristics, are moving toward a British/Euro model, becoming increasingly competitive and more ideological and partisan” as revenue and resources decline, Ward says.
Phone hacking is illegal in the USA, and goes against journalism ethics. Such an incident occurred in 1998, when TheCincinnati Enquirer — which like USA TODAY is owned by Gannett — paid a multimillion-dollar settlement and was forced to retract a report on Chiquita Brands International after a reporter hacked into thousands of corporate voice messages.
“This is a classic example of what happens when you do dishonest things and how it can undermine your story,” says Kelly McBride, who teaches ethics at the Poynter Institute, a journalism think tank.
“While there are lots of problems in newsrooms, I’ve never heard of systemic eavesdropping or hacking,” McBride says. “We don’t have a tabloid or media property that consistently gets scoops on all the big sensational stories. The National Enquirer gets an occasional scoop on a really sensational story, but when they do, it’s because they’re damn persistent.”
Ryan Chittum, a former Wall Street Journal reporter who is deputy editor of the Columbia Journalism Review‘s online critique of financial journalism, says the scandal will affect Murdoch’s reputation and the credibility of other News Corp. properties, including TheWall Street Journal and Fox News.
“When you think of how powerful Murdoch is here and in the UK … it’s like a Wizard of Oz moment: Pull back the curtain and it’s just this pathetic little dude. This is the kind of thing that can take a company down, and it might even take Rupert Murdoch down.”
Crisis management specialist Robbie Vorhaus says it’s too early to determine what impact the scandal will have on Murdoch’s U.S. interests, which include TV broadcasting rights to pro football and baseball games.
“When something like this happens, everything is up for observation and conjecture. For now, reputationally, the scandal doesn’t touch News Corp. in the U.S. beyond negative association,” Vorhaus says.
“However, if like a wildfire, an unlikely spark of any scandal jumps the pond, it could be an unrecoverable crisis.”
Contributing: Daniela Deane in London, the Associated Press
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SAN FRANCISCO The bustling social-networking neighborhood just got more crowded.
Katango
Katango Katango — on iPhone, iPad, iPod and the Web — organizes its members into groups based on their interests, topics and backgrounds.
Katango joins the fray Tuesday just days after Google threw down the gauntlet with its social-networking play, Google+, only to be countered by new video calling on Facebook that expands the social experience.
Katango — on iPhone, iPad, iPod and the Web — organizes its members into groups based on their interests, topics and backgrounds. Facebook Groups and Google Circles do the same but require users to manually join groups. “We think it is a valid way to chop larger social graphics into pieces, based on interests and topics,” says Yee Lee, Katango’s vice president of product.
The arrival of Katango highlights the virtual land rush by companies to draw consumers to social networks in hopes of reaping billions in potential revenue. A resurgent online display-advertising market in the U.S. is expected to reach nearly $15 billion in 2012, compared with $12.3 billion this year, eMarketer says. Display ads, different from search ads, appear on websites as banners and in other forms.
“The ascent of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and others has successfully made the case for social media,” social-media analyst Greg Sterling says. “It would be negligent not to include a social strategy in one’s start-up plan.”
Facebook, with 750 million users, would appear to have nothing to worry about for now.
Besides Google+, there are few real threats to Facebook unless you count a handful of start-ups (Altly and Formspring) and some niche social networks (Strava, a fitness social network, and CrimeDex, for law enforcement). But the sheer volume of players — add StumbleUpon, Foursquare, Path and Instagram to the list — shows that others see opportunity.
“It’s certainly our first attempt that spans all of Google,” Google engineer Vic Gundotra says of Google+. “It’s a social circle. We don’t believe it’s a social network.”
“They’re jabs at the models,” Google’s Gundotra says, denying that Google+ is aimed entirely at Facebook.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who declined to comment on Google+ during a press conference last week, said the next phase of social networks will be dictated by how consumers use applications and how they interact with one another.
But when is it all too much for consumers trying to juggle multiple social-networking services, asks Ray Wang, CEO of Constellation Research. “My question is how many can one person handle?” he says. “My point of view is one for work and one personal.”
“I’m having enough trouble trying to juggle Facebook, Google+, Twitter and LinkedIn,” says Lorita Ba Vannah, 33, of Brookline, Mass. “I like (Google+), but it’s hard to judge since it’s such a small subset of my Facebook universe.”
Contributing: Scott Martin
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If financial turmoil and longer lifespans hadn’t complicated retirement planning enough, aging Americans now are worrying about having enough money in their later years to handle their families’ needs, too.
By John Zich, USA TODAY
By John Zich, USA TODAY Multi-generational households are on the rise, according to a Pew Reseach Center study.
Half of Americans who are age 55 and older now expect to provide financial assistance to family members, and 70% think they’ll need to help adult children, according to a study to be released today by SunAmerica Financial Group and Age Wave, which specializes in aging issues.
The findings show a reversal from the past, when adults expected their children to take care of them during their golden years.
“When the word ‘childcare’ first emerged, we didn’t imagine it lasting 50 years, but now, when you’re 85 years old, you may still be providing care to your 50-year-old child,” says Ken Dychtwald, founder of Age Wave. “If all of a sudden you’ve got to divert a fair chunk of what you’ve been saving to look after children and grandchildren, that could change everything.”
More than half of working parents, 59%, are already providing or have provided financial support to adult children, ages 18 to 39, who are no longer in school, says a poll by the non-profit National Endowment for Financial Education.
“Parents were generally willing to provide support, says Ted Beck, CEO of NEFE. “But among those, 7% have delayed retirement, and 26% have taken out debt to do so — and that is a big red flag.”
In the new retirement world, more families are also moving in together. Multi-generational families had bottomed around 1980, but since then, extended family households have started to rise, according to a Pew Research Center study that looked at households from 1940 to 2008.
“There was a big increase, particularly in the last couple of years, among 25-to-34-year-olds,” says Pew’s Jeffrey Passel. “That is where we’d expect to see new people buying their first homes, but it is that group that is doubling up more.”
That’s just one of many factors causing older Americans to reset their retirement goals. The SunAmerica study compared post-recession adults with a survey it had conducted of the same age group 10 years ago. Today, 54% of adults 55 and older call retirement a new chapter in their lives, vs. 38% in 2001. Less often do they consider retirement as a time for rest and relaxation.
“Their intention now is to retire at age 69 rather than 64″ as it was a decade ago, says Jay Wintrob, SunAmerica CEO. “Now, two thirds of them say that their ideal retirement involves remaining productive, and they equate that with work.”
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Here’s an anomaly: The bigger, more-powerful V-6 engine in the Chrysler 200 convertible has a better government fuel-economy rating than the smaller four-cylinder engine.
The 175-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder (standard engine, no extra charge) is rated 18 mpg in town, 29 mpg on the highway and 22 mpg in combined driving.
The 283-hp, 3.6-liter V-6 ($1,795 option that also includes other features) is 19/29/22.
The weight of the convertible’s extra bracing and gear makes the four-cylinder work harder — enough to lose by 1 mpg vs. the V-6 in the Environmental Protection Administration’s city test cycle. But in the lighter 200 sedan the two engine still are equal in EPA rating.
Chrysler says the four might do a little better in certain conditions. “If you drove back-to-back over identical drive cycles without a lot of stop-and-go or heavy use of the air conditioner, you’d see better fuel economy with the four-cylinder” than the V-6, says Ben Winter, engineer over developing the company’s small cars and minivans.
You won’t want to hear this: There is a 4-cylinder version of the 200 convertible with a higher 20/29/23 mpg rating that’s cheaper, too — but you can’t have it.
Fleet only (read “rental cars”) says Chrysler. The fleet car mates the four-clinder to the four-speed automatic used when 200 was the Sebring, instead of today’s six-speed. It also has “lower content,” Chrysler says, meaning fewer weight-adding features.
While unusual, the 200 convertible mileage disconnect isn’t unique. In the 2007-09 Toyota Tundra pickup, for example, the 4.7-liter V-8 was rated 14/17/15 and the 5.7-liter was 14/18/16.
So what have we learned, class? That “conventional wisdom” isn’t always wise. Manual transmissions, we’ve long come to see, no longer always get better mpg than automatics, and now, small engines don’t necessarily get better mpg than bigger engines. Automatics and bigger engines often carry price premiums, though, that have to be balanced against fuel savings, if you’re bringing a green-eyshade attitude to the purchase.
You won’t want to hear this: A cheaper, higher-mpg version of the 200 convertible is available, and you can’t have it.
See photos of: Chrysler LLC
SYDNEY Australia’s liquor industry launched a voluntary program to label its products with health warnings Tuesday, possibly to pre-empt future criticism that it is contributing to excessive drinking that is part of the national culture.
Rick Rycroft, AP
Rick Rycroft, AP A small label with a health warning is displayed on an alcohol bottle in Sydney, Australia, July 12, 2011.
About 80% of alcohol sold in the country — beer, wine and spirits — will carry the warnings, primarily aimed at teenagers and pregnant women, said Trish Worth of DrinkWise Australia, a group funded by the alcohol industry.
The group, founded in 2005, aims to overturn the traditionally benign view that Australians have had of drinking, even among teenagers. According to DrinkWise, the average Australian starts drinking alcohol at 15 ½ years of age and more than a quarter of 14-19 year olds are putting themselves at risk of harm at least once a month.
“We see physically mature teenagers and assume that their brains are mature, but they are not,” Worth told reporters. “We have to challenge ideas that are so traditional and historic in Australia.”
The first few products with warning labels are already in stores but most others will introduce them gradually over the next few months, she said.
The three principal messages are “Kids and Alcohol Don’t Mix,” “It is Safest Not to Drink While Pregnant,” and “Is Your Drinking Harming Yourself or Others?”
The voluntary move comes ahead of an expected government decision later this year to make warnings mandatory in Australia, similar to some 14 other countries including the U.S.
Australia’s culture of drinking goes back to 1788 when the first settlers — British convicts and their jailers — landed in the country after an eight-month voyage. They celebrated the end of their ordeal with a raucous booze-fueled party that established a time-honored tradition.
Former Prime Minister Robert Hawke once held the Guinness World Record for downing two and a half pints of beer in 11 seconds, and former cricket legend David Boon is best known for a 1989 flight from Sydney to London during which he drank 52 beers.
Binge drinking is a problem especially during the so-called “Schoolies Week,” marking graduation from high school and often associated with turning 18, the legal age for drinking. Binge drinking often leads to fights, drink driving and unwanted sex.
Ian Hickie, executive director at the Brain and Mind Research Institute at the University of Sydney, said alcohol disrupts brain development, which is at its most intense between age 12 and 20.
But “our teenagers think they are bulletproof,” he said. “What is sad in Australia is that the campaign against alcohol is being led by police. We need to have a wider discussion in the community. … The DrinkWise campaign might precipitate a discussion.”
According to government statistics, the proportion of people drinking at high risk level has increased from 8.2% in 1995 to 13.4% in 2004-2005, when the last National Health Survey was conducted. The increase has been greater for women.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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•While Fox shows the MLB All-Star Game (tonight, 8 ET/PT), ESPN counters with a repeat run of the sports-based Friday Night Lights (8 ET/PT) — the wonderful NBC/DirecTV series about a Texas high school football team.
By Bill Records, NBC
By Bill Records, NBC Kyle Chandler plays Coach Eric Taylor in “Friday Night Lights.”
But you don’t have to be interested in football to appreciate this terrific show, which is one of the best TV depictions ever of the realities of life in a small, struggling, sports-crazy town.
Lights was never any less than a good show — but it was never quite as good in its later seasons as it was in its first. If you’ve never seen it, do yourself a favor and catch it now.
•When David Lean’s 1962 masterpiece Lawrence of Arabia (TCM, 8 ET/5 PT) first began running on TV, the standard critical response was that no television could do this visually stunning movie justice — it had to be seen on the big screen.
Obviously, that’s still the best way to view it, but thanks to advances in HDTV technology, home viewing is now an acceptable alternative for many people.
On any screen, the acting is superb (Peter O’Toole and Omar Sharif star), and the film is incredibly exciting (even if the history is, perhaps, a bit shaky).
CALENDAR NOTCH
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Breed: Hippogriff (a mythical half-mare, half-griffin)
First appearance: Hagrid introduces the fiercly loyal Buckbeak to the Hogwarts crew in his Care of Magical Creatures class in the Prisoner of Azkaban. When Buckbeak slashes Malfoy’s arm after he insults him, the creature is sentenced to death.
Defining moment: Harry, Ron and Hermione go back in time to save wrongly imprisoned Sirius Black, who escapes to safety on Buckbeak’s back.
In Deathly Hallows: Buckbeak, who has been loyal to Hagrid and Harry since the beginning, leads the Hogwarts’ Thestrals against Voldemort’s giants in the epic Battle of Hogwarts.
Washington likes to work right up to the deadline, but when it comes to the ongoing debt ceiling talks it’s hard to know when the deadline is.
The Treasury Department talks about Aug. 2. But that’s the day it would actually bump up against the nation’s $14.3 trillion ceiling, and would be unable to borrow more money to pay the government’s bill, risking a default with very bad consequences for the financial system.
But before Congress can approve an increase in the debt ceiling, Obama and party leaders must first reach an agreement — then write legislation — then get it passed by both the House and the Senate — and then reconcile any differences between the chambers.
That’s going to take some time. That’s some members of Congress say the real deadline is July 22, a week from Friday.
And that’s why, when a reporter asked President Obama on Sunday if the parties could get something done within the next ten days, Obama replied: “We need to.”
At his news conference yesterday, Obama said he would not accept a temporary, 30-day or 60-day increase of the debt ceiling, but will instead pursue a deal to reduce the debt via budget cuts and new government revenues by closing tax loopholes.
And he’ll be meeting with congressional leaders every day until a debt is reached.
“My hope is, is that as a consequence of negotiations that take place today, tomorrow, the next day and through next weekend, if necessary, that we’re going to come up with a plan that solves our short-term debt and deficit problems, avoids default, stabilizes the economy, and proves to the American people that we can actually get things done in this country and in this town,” Obama said.
Congressional Republicans, who also have talked about doing a deal well in advance of Aug. 2, say they want to raise the debt ceiling and reduce the debt overall going forward — but through budget cuts. They said Obama is seeking tax hikes that will slow economic growth and kill jobs.
The Republican-run House “can only pass a debt limit bill that includes spending cuts larger than the hike in the debt limit, as well as real restraints on future spending,” said House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.
Boehner also said he hopes “we can work our way through this.”
The parties try again today during a 3:45 p.m. meeting at the White House — and the clock is ticking, whenever the real deadline is.
See photos of: Barack Obama
WASHINGTON President Obama and congressional Republicans emerged from closed meetings further apart Monday as they struggled to reach a deal on cutting future budget deficits, despite a White House suggestion that it could accept slowly raising the eligibility age for Medicare to 67.
By Nicholas Kamm, AFP/Getty Images
By Nicholas Kamm, AFP/Getty Images President Obama warns of dire consequences if a debt deal is not reached.
Facing an Aug. 2 deadline to work out a deal that would cut trillions of dollars from budget deficits while raising the nation’s $14.3 trillion borrowing limit, Obama and GOP leaders left their latest closed-door White House session with nothing to show for their talks. Another session will be held today.
Before Monday’s meeting, Obama vowed during a news conference to seek “the largest possible deal” to cut deficits. But he said the onus is on Republicans to compromise as much as he and his fellow Democrats already have.
According to a senior administration official who was not authorized to speak publicly about the private negotiations, Obama has proposed slowly raising the eligibility age for Medicare, incrementally through 2036. No decisions were made, and Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi issued a statement after the meeting saying she opposes cuts to the “pillars of economic and health security.”
A Republican aide familiar with the talks, who also was not authorized to speak about the closely held details and discussions, said House Speaker John Boehner bristled during Monday’s meeting at the notion that it would be easy for Republicans, who oppose any tax increases, to cut spending on programs for the elderly and poor.
According to the aide, Obama noted that House Republicans in April voted to dramatically trim entitlements, when they approved a blueprint proposed by Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis. The Senate, which is controlled by Democrats, later rejected Ryan’s budget plan.
sWith a 10-year, roughly $4 trillion plan that he’s floating already tilted 4-to-1 in favor of spending cuts, Obama tried Monday to blame intransigence on taxes among rank-and-file Republicans for the stalemate.
“I don’t see a path to a deal if they don’t budge, period,” the president said.
Boehner responded to Obama before their talks were to resume by again refusing to consider tax increases and complaining that the White House isn’t serious about cutting government benefit programs.
Obama said he would meet “every single day” with leaders of both parties in an effort to work out a deal to cut trillions of dollars from budget deficits while raising the borrowing limit. Without a deal by Aug. 2, the government faces a first-ever default on its obligations.
The president said he would not sign a short-term package that merely extended borrowing authority for a period of months.
“This is the United States of America. We don’t manage our affairs in three-month increments,” Obama said.
Negotiations resumed Monday at the White House following a rare Sunday night session in which Obama argued for a major deal. On Sunday, Boehner said only a $2.4 trillion deal was possible, and Democratic leaders vowed to protect the middle class, Medicare and Social Security.
The “big deal” would end President George W. Bush‘s tax cuts for individuals earning above $200,000 and couples earning above $250,000, beginning in 2013. It also would end special-interest tax breaks for oil and gas companies, hedge funds, private jet owners and others, in exchange for lower income tax rates.
“Now is the time to deal with these issues,” Obama said. “If not now, when?”
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DRESDEN, Germany Anybody out there notice a lot of extra ringing, buzzing and beeping in the air during the last 24 hours?
By Marcio Jose Sanchez, AP
By Marcio Jose Sanchez, AP Abby Wambach, left, and goalkeeper Hope Solo celebrate winning the quarterfinal match against Brazil at the World Cup on July 10 in Dresden.
Oh, that was just America’s soccer heroines corresponding with their growing number of fans.
“Blow-ing up,” Shannon Boxx said Monday about the voice messages and e-mails she’s gotten on her cell phone since the U.S. delivered a miracle finish to beat Brazil in a high-drama World Cup quarterfinal Sunday.
“It’s been so fun,” Boxx, a veteran midfielder, added. “I turned the phone back on after the game, and right away I had about 30 e-mails, a couple of texts. I don’t do Twitter, but the young ones all have Twitter and they’ve been getting tweets from the most random people, which is very cool.
“It makes you appreciate the people back home supporting you. We’re kind of building. You’re hearing, ‘I never watched a soccer game before, but now I’m watching.’”
Some of the random fans congratulating the players on Twitter: basketball’s LeBron James, football’s Aaron Rodgers and Hollywood’s Tom Hanks.
“That’s pretty cool,” Boxx said. “It’s fun to hear that these big names back home that you watch and idolize are watching women’s soccer.”
Midfielder Heather O’Reilly said her Twitter followers almost tripled overnight. “I think this game has really got people talking,” she said.
The U.S. won 5-3 on penalty kicks after a 2-2 tie that was highlighted by an Abby Wambach goal with about a minute left in overtime.
O’Reilly, a New Jersey native, got a kick out of news that U.S. highlights were shown on the big screen at Yankee Stadium. “That’s unbelievable,” she said. “It’s amazing that it’s getting outside the soccer world. I think soccer people were following us. Now the general sports fan is picking up on how special this team is and how special that game was.”
“Somebody,” she added, chuckling, “said that Derek Jeter’s Sports Illustrated cover might get bumped for this win.”
The U.S. women play France in a semifinal Wednesday.
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SANDWICH, England For all the conversation about golf’s big names and grand courses, it is the unexpected winner who is likely to be most associated with one specific championship, one unique place, one extraordinary week in a career.
By Dave Martin, AP
By Dave Martin, AP Ben Curtis celebrates after winning the British Open in 2003. Curtis was the first golfer in 90 years to win in his first major appearance.
Ben Curtis arrived at that spot just this week. He came to Royal St. George’s a bit apologetic, and more than a little tired. The two were related.
“I just got here and just got acclimated a little bit with the course and the grounds again … and I’m sure on Thursday, I’ll be a bit more excited and a bit more fired up and ready to go.”
It was in 2003 that Curtis, 396th in the world golf rankings, won the Open Championship in his first appearance in a major, becoming the first man since Francis Ouimet in the 1913 U.S. Open to win in his major debut. He has since won two more times on the PGA Tour and had a strong year in 2008 with five top-10 finishes, including a tie for second at the PGA Championship, and a berth on the victorious U.S. Ryder Cup team.
But nothing he has done since can compare to what he did then, and now that the British Open has come back to Royal St. George’s for the first time in eight years, Curtis, 34, comes with it — the course and the champion joined once again on the world stage.
If only he could recapture how he felt approaching that week in 2003, the lack of expectations, the pure joy of playing in his first major.
“I was just coming over to have fun,” he said. “I wasn’t really worrying about the golf. I had great form coming in. I was playing well in some events leading up to it. … But as far as expectations, really the only goal I had was to play four days and to see what it was like to play … it was my first major, just to see what it was like and just to enjoy it. I said, ‘This is the last time I might play in it.’ I didn’t know it was one of 30 more to come.”
As the week wore on, Curtis’ confidence built. The night before the final round, his wife, Candace, asked him how he thought he’d do Sunday.
“I just kind of looked at her and said, ‘I’m going to win.’ I mean, it wasn’t cocky or anything, I just felt comfortable. I wasn’t nervous or anything like that. I was just having fun with what I was doing and just really took to playing the links golf that I’d never played before, and until this day, every time I come over I get excited and enjoy playing them.”
After he held off Thomas Bjorn and Vijay Singh to win by a stroke, the magnitude of what he had just done didn’t hit for quite some time.
“I think when I got in the car,” he said. “You know, once you win, you get the trophy and you say a few words and then you walk around the 18th green for a little while and take some pictures, and then you come in here (to the media center) and you do this and you go out there and do a few more. I remember it was almost dark when I left here. We didn’t even go back to the place we were staying. I don’t even know what happened to our luggage or anything. … We got in the car and Candace was kind of quiet, and I said, ‘What’s the matter?’ She said, ‘You won’t believe the zoo that’s going on back home.’ It really didn’t sink in until I got off the plane in Cleveland. The flight was from Gatwick to Cleveland, and we came down the escalator in the baggage claim and there were thousands of people down there. That’s when it really hit that this was a lot bigger deal than I thought it was.”
Curtis is eight years removed from the newness of that victory. Not that that’s all bad. In 2003, he and his wife stayed in an apartment that he said was no bigger than the dais he was sitting on Monday at his news conference.
This year, befitting the returning champion he is, they upgraded to a house where the rent for the week reaches five figures.
“We’ve got the whole compound this year,” Curtis said. “We went from the outhouse to the mansion.”
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CASTLE ROCK, Colo. (AP) Police charged three parents — including the town prosecutor — with third-degree assault and disorderly conduct after a brawl during a youth baseball tournament put a player in a hospital, a city official said Monday.
The fight involved at least six adults during a game for 12-year-olds, and police were still trying to sort out what triggered the brawl and who was involved, KUSA-TV reported.
The defendants insisted they were trying to protect their children from attack.
“It’s really unfortunate for the kids that play,” said police Lt. Tim Gorman. “You’re taking the whole fun part of it out.”
Andrew Lee Carlson, his wife, Shannon Carlson, and Christy Ausmus, a prosecutor contracted by the town of Castle Rock, were charged after the June 26 melee, town spokeswoman Kim Mutchler told The Associated Press.
Shannon Carlson and her son said they were trying to dispute an umpire’s call when the fight erupted, according to a police report. Ausmus and her own son also were at the scene in a pavilion near a ballfield.
The boys got into a dispute, and Ausmus claimed Andrew Carlson attacked her son from behind, put him in a chokehold and punched him. Ausmus said the boy, 16, eventually was hospitalized with a concussion.
“I hit (Carlson) as hard as I could, as many times as I could, to get him off my kid,” Ausmus said. “He suffers constant headaches still from the concussion.”
Carlson insisted he was defending his own 15-year-old son from Ausmus’ son.
“This kid is assaulting my son and I pulled him off,” Carlson said. “Then this lady just started attacking me. She attacked me and started punching me three or four times in the face. Then she went after my wife, punched her, pushed her over a bench.”
“It’s a sad day for youth baseball,” Carlson said.
Castle Rock is about 30 miles south of Denver.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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PHOENIX The world’s greatest collection of baseball players is supposed to be on the field today in the 82nd All-Star Game at Chase Field, but with the rash of recent dropouts, there might be more stars lying on beaches with their families.
By Michael Chow, The Arizona Republic
By Michael Chow, The Arizona Republic Diamondbacks catcher Miguel Montero, right, with Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, replaced injured Phillies third baseman Placido Polanco on the National League All-Star roster.
There was more talk during Monday’s workout about the absence of icons Derek Jeter and Albert Pujols than those actually playing, fueling debate about whether baseball needs to re-examine the game process. If it continues to determine home-field advantage in the World Series, shouldn’t the game be decided by the best players?
“An event like this isn’t quite the same when you’re missing a guy like Derek,” said Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun, unable to play because of a strained calf. “It’s just weird not having Derek and Albert here. Those two guys have been the face of our game.”
Pujols, a three-time National League MVP, badly wanted to play in the game after coming off the disabled list last week. But NL manager Bruce Bochy said no one told him of Pujols’ wishes, and he had already picked Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Miguel Montero as an injury replacement.
Jeter, who Saturday became the first New York Yankee to reach 3,000 hits, said he needed time off to rest; he returned July 4 from a calf injury. He is one of 16 selected who will not play, with six pitchers disqualified after pitching Sunday.
“I’m disappointed in players, without injury, who would decide not to come,” Diamondbacks President Derrick Hall said. “It’s something, as an industry, that we need to find a solution for.”
It’s unfair and inaccurate, said Michael Weiner, executive director of the players association, to think players are blasé about the game.
“It’s just unfortunate we’ve had guys named to the team that are unable to play,” Weiner said.
Said Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz, “Every player wants to be here, so if they’re not, there’s a good reason for it.”
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DRESDEN, Germany They screamed and hugged.
By Jens Meyer, AP
By Jens Meyer, AP U.S. players celebrate after beating Brazil in a penalty shootout 5-3 in the World Cup quarterfinals on July 10 in Dresden, Germany.
They laughed and cried.
Then they went to a late dinner with family and friends, hit the sack in the wee hours and woke up working on their game faces.
The U.S. women’s soccer players, heroic in an incredible, emotional comeback victory in a World Cup quarterfinal against Brazil on Sunday, were ready to get back to business on Monday.
“We had a great night last night and really reflected on the game and how great it was,” midfielder Heather O’Reilly said. “But this morning, you can already see a different mentality. It’s like, ‘Let’s move on. Let’s get it done.’
“We’re not satisfied at all yet.”
Next up: a semifinal Wednesday against France in Moenchengladbach.
France, ranked seventh in the world, is in the World Cup semifinals for the first time and is led by forwards Marie-Laure Delie and Gaetane Thiney, who have two goals apiece.
What is the likelihood that the U.S. team, coming off such an emotional high and physically demanding effort, will come up flat against France?
“I don’t think there are any fears of that with this group,” O’Reilly said. “I think we’re a lot to deal with right now. I think we’ve got a lot in our corner.”
They do. They have a hot goalkeeper in Hope Solo, a rejuvenated scorer in Abby Wambach and, in their gritty performance against Brazil, another example that they will fight and not give up until the last whistle.
They also have the motivation that Germany and Brazil, their two most feared opponents coming into the tournament, have been eliminated.
But they also know that France has played surprisingly well and that the French women, even though they also had to go to penalty kicks in their quarterfinal victory against England, have one more day to recover than the U.S. team.
Recovery is a sometimes overlooked factor in tournament soccer. For the U.S. players, how they recover Monday and Tuesday is crucial.
“Every hour counts,” O’Reilly said. “But we have a fitness coach (Dawn Scott) who has really encouraged us, even outside the World Cup, about recovery strategies. It’s part of our culture now — ice baths, massage, wearing these very, very, very tight compression pants.
“We’re just doing anything and everything to get our legs back, and it’s been working. I think that showed in the game.”
Added midfielder Carli Lloyd: “We’ll do everything possible to get our legs recovered. It is a little bit of an advantage to France. But they also went into overtime. It’s not really about how many days. It’s about how fast you can recover. I think we are going to recover faster and I think we’ll be ready to go.
“And even if your legs are a little bit tired, you’re just going to dig deeper. We’ll get that rest after the final.”
The Americans, seeking to win their first World Cup since 1999, will be without center back Rachel Buehler against France. She must sit out a game after getting a red card for jostling Marta in the box midway through the second half .
U.S. coach Pia Sundhage can go a couple of different ways with her lineup. One of them would be to move left back Amy LePeilbet to center back, her more natural position, and start Stephanie Cox at left back.
Buehler said she didn’t think she had fouled Marta and was shocked to receive the red card.
“I’ve never been red-carded before,” said Buehler, nicknamed “Buehldozer” for her hard tackles. “I thought it was a fair jostle. I really didn’t think I was doing anything too bad. I thought I was playing fair.”
O’Reilly, one of Buehler’s best friends, said, “I’m bummed for her. But she’s been great. She was so thrilled last night. It will be tough to replace her.”
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PHOENIX (AP) Keith Carmickle and his friends had already caught three balls during Major League Baseball’s Home Run Derby Monday night and wanted more.
By Michael Chow, AP
By Michael Chow, AP Fans hold the legs of Keith Carmickle as he nearly falls over a railing trying to catch a ball during the MLB Home Run Derby Monday,
He nearly got a lot more: a headfirst fall to a pool deck about 20 feet below.
Chasing a home run hit by Milwaukee’s Prince Fielder, Carmickle was saved from a long fall when his brother and a friend grabbed him around the legs and arms, then pulled him back as he dangled above the deck area behind the pool in right field at Chase Field.
His near miss came the same day as the memorial service for Shannon Stone, a 39-year-old fan who died last Thursday while trying to catch a ball thrown into the stands at a Texas Rangers home game.
“I thought: I’ve lived a good life,” Carmickle said about dangling.
Seated in a small section of seats above the right-field fence, Carmickle, of Kingman, and his group had already grabbed home-run balls by Robinson Cano and Adrian Gonzalez and were looking to add another to their collection when Fielder came up in the second round of the derby.
Trying to snare a towering shot by Fielder, Carmickle stepped up onto a metal table about 18 inches wide and reached down to catch the ball. It hit a wall several feet below Carmickle. His momentum carried him forward, headfirst over a short railing at the back of the table.
Carmickle was headed for a hard landing when his friend, Aaron Nelson, grabbed his legs and his brother, Kraig, grabbed him around the arms. Carmickle dangled briefly over a deck were a couple of cameras were positioned behind Chase Field’s pool before being pulled back up to his seat as the crowd above and below gasped.
“He tried to catch it, I grabbed his legs and his brother grabbed his arms,” said Nelson, who, along with Kraig Carmickle, is from Chandler. “So when he went over the ledge, we pulled him back. He wasn’t going down, I was holding on.”
The Carmickles and Nelson gathered themselves after the near fall and let out a few shouts before breaking into high-fives. They relived the moment with a few of the fans around them, then again as they looked at photos taken by an Arizona Republic photographer, who had shots from behind of Carmickle on the table, then falling.
The trio spoke with security personnel a few minutes later and were allowed to remain in the game, with Carmickle putting his arm around a security guard who told him to be careful before he walked back to his seat.
“I stepped up on the table, I missed the ball by 2 or 3 feet and went over,” he said. “We caught three balls and I told the guys I was going to go for the cycle. Dude, they were really holding onto me.”
Fielder didn’t notice the close call and continued his turn in the derby.
“I didn’t see it,” he said. “We don’t need any of that.”
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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The prospect of a revised NFL collective bargaining agreement appears closer to reality as owners and players haggle over the vexing issue of compensation for first-round draft picks. The two sides holed up Monday in New York to expedite resolution of the four-month lockout in order to preserve the 2011 regular season and perhaps the entire preseason.
By Mark J. Terrill, AP
By Mark J. Terrill, AP Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton could end up with a lot less than last year’s No. 1 pick Sam Bradford, if the rookie wage scale changes.)
In an ideal scenario, the owners might be able to ratify a deal at their July 21 meeting in Atlanta. That would allow the first preseason game Aug. 7 between the Chicago Bears and the St. Louis Rams to avoid cancellation, in all likelihood.
Negotiations are scheduled to continue this week in an effort to save the entire 2011 season, including each team’s four preseason games. Those games remain important sources of income for owners, representing 20% of ticket revenue.
That a labor agreement could be signed before any games were canceled doesn’t surprise Gary Roberts, dean of sports law at Indiana University.
“This was absolutely predictable,” said Roberts, an NFL Network legal analyst who forecast almost a year ago that the NFL labor tussle would end in August. “Neither side was going to let the season go — everyone is making too much money. It would have been insanity for either side to throw away this $9.5 billion pot. This was a script written a year ago. There is nothing surprising or exciting about any of this.”
While the two factions have not agreed on much since the lockout began in March, they appear to be in accord on one thing — a rookie salary structure that eliminates enormous guaranteed contracts for top draft selections.
A year ago, the Rams gave quarterback Sam Bradford, the No. 1 overall selection, $50 million in guarantees, a record sum. Representatives for the owners and players have exchanged various proposals in hopes of reaching agreement on the rookie pay issue.
One example, according to an ESPN report citing people familiar with the negotiations: A No. 1 overall draft pick would earn $34 million in five years, including a team option for the fifth season. In the current system, that number could be $78 million through six seasons.
This year’s top draft pick, Auburn quarterback Cam Newton, could see a drastic reduction in guaranteed money when he signs with the Carolina Panthers. ESPN reported that the players have agreed to slice rookie money by as much as 50% as long as rookies can become free agents after four seasons. Owners want to wrap up players for five seasons with one exception relating to quarterbacks, the network said.
“There has to be a trade-off if the owners are pushing on (less) guaranteed money,” agent Joe Linta said. “Players need less onerous restrictions on the length of their contracts. The bottom line is that the owners cannot have it both ways.”
ESPN also reported that a document called “The Transition Rules” specifies an orderly procession for teams once the lockout ends. One of the most important provisions is the time frame for making free agents eligible to sign, which the network reported as July 28.
The chief obstacle — division of $9 billion-plus in revenue — appears settled with the sides in virtual agreement on the players receiving 48% of gross proceeds initially.
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PHOENIX Boston Red Sox first baseman Adrian Gonzalez spent the season’s first half soaking in the nightly sellout crowds at Fenway Park, the incessant buzz walking along Boylston Street and the news media horde almost always awaiting a quick sound bite.
By Winslow Townson, AP
By Winslow Townson, AP Adrian Gonzalez (right) is greeted by David Ortiz after hitting one of his 17 home runs this season.
But it wasn’t until he boarded a private flight Sunday night, surrounded by All-Star teammates, that reality smacked Gonzalez across the face.
“I can say things are different now,” Gonzalez says, breaking into a slow grin. “Real different.”
He might have been a perennial All-Star when playing for the San Diego Padres, reaching the game in each of the previous three seasons, but now that Gonzalez has been embraced by the ubiquitous Red Sox nation and is putting up eye-popping numbers, he’s America’s star.
“He’s on the big stage now,” Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia says, “and everyone in the world is seeing what kind of player he is.”
Gonzalez leads the major leagues with a .354 average, 77 RBI, 29 doubles and 214 total bases. He has amassed 128 hits, the most at the All-Star break by any player in Red Sox history.
Monday, he seized his chance on the national stage, putting on a power clinic in baseball’s Home Run Derby by swatting 30 balls over the Chase Field fence, finishing runner-up to the New York Yankees’ Robinson Cano.
“Everybody is just going crazy over him in Boston,” says Hall of Fame pitcher Dennis Eckersley, a TBS and New England Sports Network analyst. “I mean, people heard about him in San Diego, but you just didn’t see him. Now that people are seeing him, it’s like, ‘Wow. Where did this guy come from?’”
The Red Sox also have difficulty believing what they’re seeing, as Gonzalez, 29, is helping transform them into the most powerful offensive machine in the game.
“Nobody really paid attention to him until he came over here,” outfielder Josh Reddick says. “I mean, you heard the name but didn’t really know how good he is.
“We sure realize it now. I mean, when he’s at the plate, everybody in the dugout stops and watches him. You figure it’s either going to be a double or a home run. When he makes an out, you’re almost shocked.
“If he had spent his whole career here, he might already have a few MVPs and Triple Crowns.”
Gonzalez has neither — yet. He finished fourth in National League MVP voting last season.
If Gonzalez needed a subtle reminder how his life has changed, he says the journey to Phoenix jolted his senses. He traveled with his wife, Betsy, on a plane chartered by teammates Josh Beckett and David Ortiz. They landed at a private airport in Scottsdale where a stretch limo was waiting to take them to their Biltmore hotel.
“He went from planes, trains, boats and automobiles when he was with the Padres,” says John Boggs, Gonzalez’s agent, “to traveling in luxury. He’s loving it.”
Two years ago, Gonzalez and then-Padres teammate Heath Bell took a circuitous route to St. Louis, site of the All-Star Game. It included a red-eye flight, a three-leg journey through Las Vegas and Indianapolis, a missed connection and a minivan they drove the final 250 miles.
They took turns driving, stopped at Steak ‘n Shake for breakfast and sang to keep awake.
“It was an experience,” Gonzalez says, without the hint of a smile, “to say the least.”
When you play for the powerful Red Sox, those low-budget, coupon-clipping days are over.
“Hey, when you’re hitting .350 in the American League East,” Pedroia says, “they may be bringing the All-Star Game to you.”
Numbers tell the story
The Red Sox envisioned greatness when they sent three top prospects to the Padres for Gonzalez in December, and he agreed to a seven-year, $154 million contract. They haven’t been disappointed.
Over the last four years, he averaged .284, 105 RBI and 311 total bases. He might have those numbers by the end of July.
“I think he’s surprised everybody,” third baseman Kevin Youkilis says. “If anybody would have said, ‘Oh yeah, we expected this out of him,’ you’d be out of your mind. Nobody expected him to hit .350.”
Instead of wilting in the spotlight, playing on one of the biggest stages in America, Gonzalez has thrived.
“In the AL East, if you don’t figure it out quick,” DH Ortiz says, “they’ll eat you up. Well, he’s eating them up. He loves the big stage. And he worries about winning more than anybody I’ve ever seen.
“This is one of the best moves the Red Sox have made in years. This kid is the perfect player to build your organization around. He’s everything you’d want in a ballplayer.
“The only thing I say to him now is, ‘Dude, what took you so long to come over?’”
You hit for big numbers in San Diego, and a nation yawns, most of it asleep by the time the West Coast games end. You put up big numbers in Boston or New York, and you’re immortalized.
“The atmosphere here is so great,” Gonzalez says. “You just feed off that energy in the stadium. There’s such an adrenaline boost.
“But you kind of need that here. The games are 3½ to four hours long. In the National League, the game was over and I was already home.”
Gonzalez keeps his focus
If Gonzalez wanted, he could be the next biggest thing in Boston to New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Boggs says his phone rings incessantly with marketing and endorsement opportunities. But except for a doughnut commercial here, a banking and sunglasses sponsorship there, Gonzalez wants nothing to interfere with baseball.
“I just want to show up at the ballpark at the same time every day,” Gonzalez says, “and not be worn down by the off-the-field stuff.”
Gonzalez’s vision is as narrow as the Ted Williams Tunnel. He and Betsy live in a condo within walking distance of Fenway Park, in the heart of Boston. Yet when it comes to sightseeing, Dunkin’ Donuts may be his highlight. He has yet to step into Faneuil Hall or visit Bunker Hill or Paul Revere‘s house — all Revolutionary War landmarks.
“We don’t go out,” he says. “I go from my condo to the ballpark. From the ballpark to my condo. That’s it.”
Gonzalez’s idea of a perfect day is spending the morning with Betsy, attending a chapel worship group in the afternoon, winning the game while going 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI, hitting the weight room and being home for a late-night meal with his wife.
“I’m kind of a simple guy,” he says. “People talk about pressure and those kinds of things or distractions here. That’s not going to happen.
“My focus has always been on God, it’s never been on baseball. Pressure is when your emphasis is on pleasing somebody. My only goal every day is to please God.
“That doesn’t change what team you’re with.”
Yes, but it can change the team, as Gonzalez is proving.
No one has benefited more from Gonzalez’s presence than Ortiz. This is Ortiz’s best season since 2007, when Manny Ramirez was around. Ortiz is hitting .304 with 19 home runs and 53 RBI.
“I love talking to him, just as I did Manny,” Ortiz says. “He’s one of the smartest hitters I’ve ever been around. He has so many thoughts about hitting, it’s ridiculous.”
Says hitting coach Dave Magadan: “He’s very baseball smart, but we’re not asking him to split the atom. We’re just asking him to get big hits in key situations.
“He’s got so much confidence, he’s not afraid of anything.”
Gonzalez, who studies pitchers warming up in the bullpen, scoffs when it comes to the pressure of playing in Boston. He calls the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry little more than media hype. He has 10 RBI at Yankee Stadium this season.
“He was actually much easier to pitch to in San Diego,” says Yankees All-Star catcher Russell Martin, who spent the last five years with the Los Angeles Dodgers. “You just pitched around him, because there was nobody around him. You can’t pitch around him now.”
Says Red Sox pitcher John Lackey: “To me, there was only one way to pitch to Adrian. Look to see who’s in the on-deck circle.”
The only one not in awe is Gonzalez. Ask him about his RBI total, and he says it’s easy when there’s always runners on base. He ignores the fact he’s hitting .369 with runners in scoring position. Bring up the fact he’s running away with the batting title, and he credits his teammates for wearing down pitching staffs and playing home games at Fenway, one of the game’s friendliest hitter parks. He’s hitting .383 at home with a 1.042 OPS (on-base-plus-slugging percentage).
“I told him he’s making a mistake,” Youkilis says. “Everyone’s going to expect him to hit .350 every year. He’s set the bar too high.
“Then again, with the way he’s hitting, maybe we don’t know what that bar is.”
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WASHINGTON The U.S. trade deficit surged in May to the highest level in more than two and a half years, driven upward by a big increase in oil imports.
Danny Johnston, AP
Danny Johnston, AP Gas station manager Joseph Sublett changes a sign reflecting lower prices on June 22, 2011 in Little Rock, Ark.
The Commerce Department said Tuesday that the deficit increased 15.1% to $50.2 billion in May. That’s the largest imbalance since October 2008.
Exports declined 0.5% to $174.9 billion. Imports rose 2.6% to $225.1 billion. Oil prices have fallen since early May, so the effect of higher prices should ease some in the coming months.
The deficit with China jumped to $25 billion, the largest monthly gap since November. The deficit with Japan fell 26.4% to $2.6 billion. Japanese imports shrank further because of supply-chain disruptions caused by the March earthquake and tsunami.
Economists say Japan is starting to rebound from the crisis and a parts shortage that followed those disasters is beginning to dissipate. As a result, Japan’s factories should increase shipments to the United States over the next few months.
American companies depend on component parts supplied from Japan. The supply-chain disruptions have slowed production at U.S. factories, particularly among those companies that make autos and electronics.
Manufacturing has been one of the strongest areas of the U.S. economy in the two years since the recession officially ended. Sales in foreign markets have been helped by increased demand and a weaker dollar, which makes U.S. goods cheaper overseas and imported goods more expensive.
Last year, the U.S. deficit with China hit $273 billion. It’s the largest deficit the United States has ever had with any country. The huge trade gap between the two countries has prompted many companies and members of Congress to criticize China for manipulating its current to gain a trade advantage. U.S. manufacturers contend that China is keeping its currency undervalued against the dollar by as much as 40%.
The Obama administration has been pressuring China to allow its currency to rise at a faster rate against the dollar. But in May, the administration declined to cite China as a currency manipulator. Such a designation could eventually lead to U.S. economic sanctions against China.
The Chinese government says it has been allowing its currency to rise in value against the dollar for more than a year. But Beijing says it must do so gradually to avoid adverse consequences to the Chinese economy.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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