U.S. Warns Americans Against International Travel Due to Virus
President Trump’s administration Thursday afternoon upgraded its warning to Americans against all international travel as the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread.The State Department has issued a new alert which urges Americans not to travel abroad under any circumstances and to return home if they are already abroad, unless they are planning to remain overseas for the foreseeable future.“The Department of State advises U.S. citizens to avoid all international travel due to the global impact of COVID-19,” the alert reads. “In countries where commercial departure options remain available, U.S. citizens who live in the United States should arrange for immediate return to the United States, unless they are prepared to remain abroad for an indefinite period. U.S. citizens who live abroad should avoid all international travel.”Before the upgraded warning, the department’s advice to U.S. citizens was to “reconsider” all international travel under a “level three” alert. The new, global “level four” warning is typically reserved for specific countries embroiled in conflict, natural disasters or where Americans face specific risks.However, the upgrade is not mandatory, and there are currently limited transportation options for international travel. The only way to ban Americans from traveling abroad would be to invalidate the use of U.S. passports, a ban that is currently in place only for North Korea.In addition, the main impact of such travel alerts is to cause insurance companies to increase customers’ premiums or to cancel travel policies for group and individual tours. Many of those had already been cancelled before the alert was raised to level three earlier this week.On a related note, the State Department has already advised Americans that many U.S. embassies and consulates around the world are operating with reduced staff and hours due to the COVID-19 outbreak, and that services for Americans who are in need of assistance are limited.
Baseball Hall of Fame cancels July inductions due to coronavirus; Jeter, Walker, Simmons, Miller to be honored in 2021 April 29, 2020 Associated Press 
Share This StoryFacebookTwitteremailPrintLinkedinRedditCOOPERSTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — Baseball Hall of Fame cancels July inductions due to coronavirus; Jeter, Walker, Simmons, Miller to be honored in 2021.,Tampa Bay Lightning advance to face Dallas Stars in Stanley Cup finals, beating New York Islanders 2-1 in OT in Game 6
AddThis Sharing ButtonsShare to FacebookFacebookShare to TwitterTwitterShare to MoreAddThisAlpena — 8 men from Northern Michigan will look to call themselves champions of the Midwest in October at the United States Tennis Associations 65+ Men’s Doubles Tournament down in Indianapolis.The group has won the past six district championships, playing competition in Northern Michigan. Last year, they went to the Midwest Championship for the first time.“There’s a spot above second that we’re looking forward to competing for this coming year and see if we can bring the championship back,” said Team North’s Donald Newport.The guys all have years and years of experience back to when they were young. They’ve kept the same team for the past six district championships.“It helps to have years under your belt, and we all have that obviously,” laughed Team North’s Gary Rasche.The guys practice at the APlex throughout the year to gear up for competitions. They play in pairs. All 8 will participate in the upcoming tournament which features teams from all over the Midwest. For the guys, it’s a chance to keep competing, stay active, and have fun.“It’s one of those sports where you can begin young and stay with it for a long, long time,” said Newport.AddThis Sharing ButtonsShare to FacebookFacebookShare to TwitterTwitterShare to MoreAddThis Tags: 65+, alpena, aplex, Donald Newport, Gary Rasche, Indianapolis, Men’s Doubles Team, MICHIGAN, Northern Michigan, Northern Michigan Tennis Association, Regionals, Sectionals, Seniors, Team North, Tennis, United States Tennis AssociationContinue ReadingPrevious The secret struggles of childhood cancerNext What’s Trending for September 25
His only nervous moment came in the third inning, when he was struck in the ankle by a comebacker off the bat of Brandon Phillips. Wood had been dealing with a minor injury to the same ankle in recent days, but expects he’ll be fine. “I put a little patch on there and hopefully it won’t be any worse tomorrow morning,” Wood said.Relievers Jim Johnson (two-thirds of an inning), Pedro Baez (one inning) and Kenley Jansen (one inning) provided a rare, stress-free ending by not allowing a run out of the bullpen. Jansen was credited with his 23rd save this season and the 129th of his career — tied for second all-time in franchise history.Lamb (0-1) pitched six innings and got the loss in his major league debut. He allowed all five runs and all were earned. He allowed eight hits, walked two and struck out seven.Hernandez, who’s started five straight games since Howie Kendrick strained his hamstring, collected three hits for the second consecutive night. Turner and Rollins had two hits apiece.In Turner’s mind, there was no question he could pick up where he left off after missing 14 games because of MRSA.“I think the biggest thing was my last three days down in Arizona,” he said. “I got to take live at-bats. When you miss time, usually the toughest adjustment is your timing at the plate. The fact that I got those three days of ABs, I probably got around 20 at-bats. I think that was big to make it a little bit more easy to transition back into it.”Dodgers manager Don Mattingly might have refrained from putting Turner in his starting lineup Thursday in part because of the unusual nature of his injury: Turner couldn’t run for more than a week.When he got back on the field, though, it was business as usual.“They put me through a gauntlet a couple days ago to make sure everything was fine,” Turner said. “After that, they didn’t want to start me to give me a day to recover from what was probably more running on that day than any day we ran in spring training.”Though Alberto Callaspo filled in capably on offense and defense in Turner’s absence, the last two days have served as a reminder of what the Dodgers were missing. The 30-year-old third baseman leads the Dodgers in batting average and slugging percentage, and would rank in the top five in the National League in both categories if he had enough at-bats to qualify. On Thursday, Justin Turner hit a line drive off the fence and scored a run for the Dodgers. It was his first major-league at-bat after spending the better part of two weeks battling a nasty skin infection known as MRSA.Turner’s 1-for-3 performance was hard to appreciate since, one, the Dodgers lost badly and, two, most of us haven’t dealt with an infected skin wound so severe that it couldn’t be stitched closed for fear of re-infection.Friday, Turner had the attention of the announced crowd of 43,407 at Dodger Stadium.With two outs and two runners on base in the fifth inning of a 1-1 game, Turner drove in Jimmy Rollins with an RBI single. The next batter, Adrian Gonzalez, crushed a three-run home run off Cincinnati Reds starter John Lamb to complete the four-run rally. The Dodgers won, 5-3. • Photos: Best images from Dodgers’ 5-3 winAn inning that started with an unsightly double play — Dodgers pitcher Alex Wood popped up a bunt attempt to the Reds’ catcher, Brayan Pena, who doubled Joc Pederson off first base — ended with four straight hits and the game-winning rally.“It’s real easy to just kind of roll over and give away that inning.” Turner said. “I think you guys talk a lot about being behind late in games, and this team’s ability to not always come back but put ourselves in position to have opportunities to come back. Same thing there. Even though we made a mistake on the bases, we get two outs, the inning’s not over. We run some hits together and end up putting up a 4-spot.”The rally made a winner out of Wood (8-7), his first victory as a Dodger in his third start since he was acquired from the Atlanta Braves just before the July 31 trade deadline. The left-hander scattered five hits and three runs over 6 1/3 innings.• Related: Nicasio lands on DL
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Triplets Roster Joe Johnson*Al Jefferson**Jannero Pargo**Chris JohnsonAlan AndersonSergio GibsonCoach: Lisa Leslie Tri-State Roster Jermaine O’Neal*Amar’e Stoudemire**Nate Robinson**Yakouba DiawaraJason RichardsonBonzi WellsCoach: Julius ErvingHow to watch the BIG3 on TV, live streamOver the course of the 11-week season, you can watch all BIG3 games on CBS and CBS Sports Network. BIG3 games will air live on Saturdays and Sundays.BIG3 league rulesGames are played on a half court.Baskets count for two and three points, with the 3-point line at the same distance as in the NBA.There are also three 4-point zones marked by circles placed 30 feet from the basket. A player can score four points if his foot is touching any part of the circle. One zone is on the midline of the court; the other two are set up 40 degrees away from the midline.The “home” team is decided by a 4-point shootout. The winner inbounds the ball to start the game. The shot clock is 14 seconds.Foul shots are worth the number of points corresponding to where the foul occurred. Fouls on 2-pointers are taken from the standard free throw line, 3-point shots from the 3-point line, and 4-point shots from the middle 4-point circle.All fouls are team fouls, so individual players can’t foul out. After a team’s fifth foul of the half, opponents are awarded two one-point free throws and possession of the ball.A team’s first technical foul results in the opposing team receiving a two-point free throw and possession. Any additional technical fouls or flagrant fouls result in two two-point free throws and possession.The first team to score 50 or more points and lead by at least two points wins the game.Halftime occurs after one team reaches 25 points.Teams get two timeouts per half (one 60-second timeout, one 30-second timeout). Unused timeouts don’t carry over.Substitutions are made during timeouts or on a dead ball.A referee must touch the ball after each score. The defense then gets three seconds to set up. The opposing team must take the ball beyond the top out-of-bounds line, and a player for that team has five seconds to pass the ball inbounds.Change of possession on defensive rebounds requires teams to take the ball out beyond the 3-point line if the ball touches the rim on a shot attempt. The ball doesn’t have to be cleared on steals or if the ball doesn’t touch the rim.A defensive rebounder who clears the ball with a pass must leave the lane and re-establish himself before his team shoots; otherwise, it’s a turnover.The normal offensive three-second rule applies, but there is no defensive three-second rule.Instant replay can be used to determine 3- and 4-point shots, out-of-bounds calls, flagrant fouls, goaltending, basket interference and clearance.All defensive strategies are allowed, including hand-checking. BIG3 basketball is back and bigger than ever for its third season.The three-on-three league, founded by legendary rapper Ice Cube and entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz, expanded from eight to 12 teams for the 2019 campaign. The BIG3 also reduced its age requirement to 27, allowing for an influx of talented players like Royce White, Greg Oden and Larry Sanders. The defending champion Power return their full roster, led by captain Corey Maggette, but four new BIG3 teams (Aliens, Bivouac, Enemies and Triplets) will be looking to make a splash this season. The road to back-to-back titles will be filled with challenges.Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the BIG3’s 2019 season, including the schedule, full rosters, rules and how to watch games live.BIG3 2019 basketball scheduleThe BIG3 2019 regular season will begin Saturday, June 22 (8 p.m. ET on CBS and 10 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network). Here’s the full schedule for the 2019 season.DateCityVenueJune 22DetroitLittle Caesars ArenaJune 23IndianapolisBankers Life FieldhouseJune 29CharlotteSpectrum CenterJune 30PhiladelphiaLiacouras CenterJuly 6BirminghamLegacy Arena at the BJCCJuly 7AtlantaState Farm ArenaJuly 13ProvidenceDunkin Donuts CenterJuly 14New YorkBarclays CenterJuly 20Kansas CitySprint CenterJuly 21Oklahoma CityChesapeake Energy ArenaAugust 3ChicagoAllstate ArenaAugust 17DallasAmerican Airlines CenterAugust 18San AntonioAT&T CenterSeptember 1Los AngelesStaples Center (championship)BIG3 2019 full rosters, list of playersThe 12 BIG3 rosters are composed primarily of retired NBA players. Each team has six players and one head coach.(*denotes captain, **denotes co-captain)3-Headed Monsters RosterRashard Lewis*Reggie Evans**Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf**Larry SandersTre SimmonsMario ChalmersCoach: Gary Payton 3’s Company RosterDerMarr Johnson*Drew Gooden**Baron Davis**Andre EmmettJason MaxiellDijon ThompsonCoach: Michael Cooper Aliens RosterAndre Owens*Kendrick Perkins**Shannon Brown**Greg OdenBrandon RushRobert VadenCoach: Nate Archibald Ball Hogs RosterBrian Scalabrine*Josh Childress**DeShawn Stevenson**Will McDonaldJermaine TaylorDusan BulutCoach: Rick Barry Bivouac Roster Josh Smith*Will Bynum**Anthony Morrow**Shawne WilliamsC.J. LeslieDion GloverCoach: Reggie Theus Enemies Roster Gilbert Arenas*Perry Jones III**Lamar Odom**Royce WhiteCraig SmithFrank RobinsonCoach: Rick Mahorn Ghost Ballers Roster Mike Bibby*Ricky Davis**Carlos Boozer**Jamario MoonAlex ScalesMike TaylorCoach: George Gervin Killer 3’s Roster Stephen Jackson*Franklin Session**Josh Powell**Donte GreeneC.J. WatsonEddy CurryCoach: Charles Oakley Power Roster Corey Maggette*Cuttino Mobley**Glen Davis**Chris AndersenQuentin RichardsonRyan GomesCoach: Nancy Lieberman Trilogy Roster Jason Terry*James White**David Hawkins**Patrick O’BryantSam YoungCarlos ArroyoCoach: Kenyon Martin
Close Forgot password? Please put in your email: Send me my password! Close message Login This blog post All blog posts Subscribe to this blog post’s comments through… RSS Feed Subscribe via email Subscribe Subscribe to this blog’s comments through… RSS Feed Subscribe via email Subscribe Follow the discussion Comments (11) Logging you in… Close Login to IntenseDebate Or create an account Username or Email: Password: Forgot login? Cancel Login Close WordPress.com Username or Email: Password: Lost your password? Cancel Login Dashboard | Edit profile | Logout Logged in as Admin Options Disable comments for this page Save Settings Sort by: Date Rating Last Activity Loading comments… You are about to flag this comment as being inappropriate. Please explain why you are flagging this comment in the text box below and submit your report. The blog admin will be notified. Thank you for your input. +3 Vote up Vote down CueballSumnernewscow 94p · 282 weeks ago Make sure to abide by the comment policies above before commenting on this site. Report Reply 0 replies · active 282 weeks ago -2 Vote up Vote down anonymous · 282 weeks ago Cue… baseball or softball? Report Reply 1 reply · active 282 weeks ago 0 Vote up Vote down Home Town Boy · 282 weeks ago I love the new policy as it has quieted down the board Report Reply 1 reply · active 282 weeks ago +1 Vote up Vote down What’s up · 282 weeks ago Hey Cue, I’m not against your new comment policy but I think you should follow it too in your news reporting. Why do you make personal attacks at Governor Brownback? You can disagree with him without making remarks calling him Alfred E Brownback. Many of us hated Sebelius for her close ties with the late term abortion “doctor” but we didn’t call her names. You also should be civil. Report Reply 2 replies · active 282 weeks ago +4 Vote up Vote down JustMe · 282 weeks ago If I go buy a flag, you want the government to say it’s theirs? You smokin crack? lol I’m not sure if you are serious in that paragraph, or just laying the sarcasm on so thick that I can’t tell. Love the picture of the baby though. It’s too bad everything offends someone out there. I think people are so thin skinned these days. Report Reply 0 replies · active 282 weeks ago 0 Vote up Vote down Larry · 282 weeks ago Talk about how the flag is to be presented, well I am not to big on it being made into a t shirt or any other type of clothing. This photo represents more what the flag is about then any other thing I have seen out there. Report Reply 0 replies · active 282 weeks ago -1 Vote up Vote down Maggie Evans · 282 weeks ago The photographer certainly has the right to use the flag as a prop in the above photo. Compliance with the Flag code is voluntary and unenforceable. But I and others also have the right to form and express an opinion about it. Freedom of speech does not mean one is immune to reactions, repercussions, and consequences of that speech. Report Reply 0 replies · active 282 weeks ago Post a new comment Enter text right here! Comment as a Guest, or login: Login to IntenseDebate Login to WordPress.com Login to Twitter Go back Tweet this comment Connected as (Logout) Email (optional) Not displayed publicly. Name Email Website (optional) Displayed next to your comments. Not displayed publicly. If you have a website, link to it here. Posting anonymously. Tweet this comment Submit Comment Subscribe to None Replies All new comments Comments by IntenseDebate Enter text right here! Reply as a Guest, or login: Login to IntenseDebate Login to WordPress.com Login to Twitter Go back Tweet this comment Connected as (Logout) Email (optional) Not displayed publicly. Name Email Website (optional) Displayed next to your comments. Not displayed publicly. If you have a website, link to it here. Posting anonymously. Tweet this comment Cancel Submit Comment Subscribe to None Replies All new comments Commentary by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — Five Cueball thoughts for Sunday, March 15, 2015…1. Nixing the school formula…Barney Fife is keeping Kansas safe from the evils of taxes and public education.If you were to make a movie about the 2015 Kansas Legislative session, would it be a murder mystery in which detectives try to determine who killed the Kansas state budget… or a situation comedy – featuring wacky Barney Fife legislators trying to figure how to refinance the state while also moving elections, prosecuting teachers, and declaring Fantasy Football an official sport?Friday, the Kansas House attempted to fix the budget gap, by passing bill S.B. 7 – which dismantles a 23-year-old finance formula for Kansas schools. It’s being called the most important bill in 20 years. Of course the legislators have only spent a week prepping and passing it.The “block grant†bill, if made into law, freezes the current funding to schools for two years while freeing up how schools can budget. The “weighted†formula for which schools get paid extra for educating “at risk†students would no longer be used.  Three of the four Sumner County representatives like Kyle Hoffman, Kasha Kelley and Paul DeGraaf, voted for the bill. Ed Trimmer voted against it. It now goes to the State Senate for which the bill will either be restructured or voted as is.There are several red flags with this bill. The biggest complaints I hear from educators, is the bill caters to the wealthy school districts. Schools such as Wellington, who have a fair share of at risk students, will be placed at a financial burden. The reality is, it costs more to educate at risk students.The second issue is it being hastily written and rammed through without proper vetting. The bill was introduced 10 days ago, heard in committee on Monday and brought to the floor of the House less than a week later.Let me do the arithmetic here. The legislature majority wants to do away with a formula that has been crafted and redrafted of 23 years of legislation in a manner of one week?Wellington School Superintendent Rick Weiss, said at Thursday’s board meeting only one superintendent in the state of Kansas has endorsed the new plan – the one running the Shawnee Mission school district. That school district by the way is in Johnson County.•••••Brownback’s vision of what the Kansas Supreme Court would look like.2. Hail to the Court…Perhaps, there is sanity someplace in Topeka. A three-judge panel is threatening to issue an order to block S.B. 7 by reopening the equality portion of the school funding lawsuit settled last year. In 2014, lawmakers were forced to allocate more money to equalize funding between districts. According to media reports, the court would block any policy changes by this year’s legislature to “protect the status quo and to assure the availability of relief.â€The judiciary branch has been the only checks and balances in Topeka as ultra conservative policies get passed through rather unchecked by Alfred E. Brownback and his Republican cronies who control the other two branches.But that power of checks and balances is in peril. Brownback continues his quest to eliminate the merit-based system for which attorney committee pick justices, so he could become supreme appointee of the Kansas State Supreme Court. He has already gotten his way with appointments to the Court of Appeals.Brownback needs two-thirds of the legislature to accomplish this. One thing about Alfred E. He may be unscrupulous, but he has effectively gotten his way.As Patrick Lowry stated in a Feb. 7 editorial of the Hays Daily News:“The separation of powers as defined in both the state and federal constitutions is a concept worth preserving. Before the people of Kansas are harmed irreparably by basically merging the three branches of government, the pending legislation needs to be scuttled. Supreme Court justices are supposed to decide matters of law and constitutionality; not be pawns in Brownback’s power grab.â€â€¢â€¢â€¢â€¢â€¢3. State tournament basketball… The Wellington High School boys basketball team made it to the state tournament for the first time in 58 years. It was a short-lived experience with the Crusaders losing to eventual state champion runner-up Basehor-Linwood in the first round.Wellington fans come in droves to state tournament in Salina.Currently, Kansas has eight classifications and many think that is way too many. I’m ambivalent on the subject.I have no problem with restructuring the classifications and dividing them into 48 team allotments – giving each classification equal number of teams. Of course, that would mean the big boys in 6A and 5A would have to give up their 32 team classification and they won’t want that. I never have really liked the split of Class 4A either.However, what difference does it really make? Fans seem to love it. The Wellington boys basketball team may have not made it to the state tournament in the old 64-team 4A format. Nevertheless, Crusader fans got to live the state tournament experience. And it was fun. It can only increase the interest of the athletes and its fan base for Brian Buchanan and Eric Adams’ programs.Why is that a bad thing?On Saturday, Class 4A Div. 1 featured two undefeated teams in both the boys and girls ranks. The cream usually rises to the top. These state tournaments may seem watered down on the surface, but in the end those deserving to win the state championship, usually win the state championship.Years ago the NCAA basketball tournament turned into a 64-team tournament and the purists were aghast. All it did was turn college basketball into a national obsession. The same can be said for Kansas state basketball tournaments. The expanded format most certainly is not hurting the game of high school basketball.•••••4. Flag debate…This picture is generating quite the controversy on Facebook. Both the photographer and the Veteran in the picture have been vilified by critics for supposedly defiling the U.S. Flag.I disagree. This picture to me is a powerful tribute to what the flag stands for — the nurturing of youth so someday they will not take for granted the freedoms of our country. It’s an excellent display of compassion and artistic expression.Nevertheless, those people offended by the picture because it does not properly present the flag, should realize the U.S. First Amendment Rights of the photographer and veteran supersedes their objections to how the U.S. Flag should be properly displayed.This brings up an old 1980s controversy when there was a push for a U.S. Constitutional amendment banning the burning of the U.S. Flag.My objection to having such an amendment then as I do now is such a constitutional amendment contradicts the freedom of speech amendment. You can’t have it one way, and then have it the other way when it comes to a pet project or an issue you care deeply for.You either have freedom of speech, or you do not.There are ways to get around the whole desecration of the flag issue. Why not allow your local city council the ability to pass an ordinance declaring the U.S. Flag city property? If someone burns or destroys it, then charge him with criminal damage to property. Heck, make it a felony and have the moron rot in jail for a few months. Loading …•••••5. Shout out of the week… There are so many shout outs to give this week. You can give a shout out to the Wellington and Caldwell basketball teams for making it to state, or you could give one to the Wellington Lions Club and middle schoolers for raising money for Ethan Higginbotham’s wheel chair (see story here.)But for me, this week’s shout out goes to Ryleigh Buck, who just represented Team USA in women’s baseball for the Pan Am Games Qualifier in the Dominican Republic. What a great honor that is for this community for a Wellington High School junior to represent our nation in a sport.Ryleigh Buck receives gold medal after playing in Pan Am qualifier last week.Follow us on Twitter.
What do you think of the picture above? I like it. It is a great example of patriotism. I don’t like it. It doesn’t properly display the U.S. Flag. I like the idea, I just think a blanket or something else should have been used. View Results
Close Forgot password? Please put in your email: Send me my password! Close message Login This blog post All blog posts Subscribe to this blog post’s comments through… RSS Feed Subscribe via email Subscribe Subscribe to this blog’s comments through… RSS Feed Subscribe via email Subscribe Follow the discussion Comments Logging you in… Close Login to IntenseDebate Or create an account Username or Email: Password: Forgot login? Cancel Login Close WordPress.com Username or Email: Password: Lost your password? Cancel Login Dashboard | Edit profile | Logout Logged in as Admin Options Disable comments for this page Save Settings You are about to flag this comment as being inappropriate. Please explain why you are flagging this comment in the text box below and submit your report. The blog admin will be notified. Thank you for your input. There are no comments posted yet. Be the first one! Post a new comment Enter text right here! Comment as a Guest, or login: Login to IntenseDebate Login to WordPress.com Login to Twitter Go back Tweet this comment Connected as (Logout) Email (optional) Not displayed publicly. Name Email Website (optional) Displayed next to your comments. Not displayed publicly. If you have a website, link to it here. Posting anonymously. Tweet this comment Submit Comment Subscribe to None Replies All new comments Comments by IntenseDebate Enter text right here! Reply as a Guest, or login: Login to IntenseDebate Login to WordPress.com Login to Twitter Go back Tweet this comment Connected as (Logout) Email (optional) Not displayed publicly. Name Email Website (optional) Displayed next to your comments. Not displayed publicly. If you have a website, link to it here. Posting anonymously. Tweet this comment Cancel Submit Comment Subscribe to None Replies All new comments Ryleigh BuckSumner Newscow report — The hits keep coming for Wellington High School senior Ryleigh Buck. She was recently named to the Kansas Softball Coaches Association 2015 All-state team.Buck was named a second team all-state infielder. She joined Morgan Stonesteet, a senior, from DeSoto; Bree Schmidt, senior, of Topeka Hayden, Kaitlyn Gemmill, senior, of Bishop Miege; Jacey Murphy, a sophomore, from Girard; and Matti Morgan, a sophomore of Paola. Buck was selected to be on the Team USA Women’s Baseball team this summer and will be playing in the Pan American Games in Toronto on July 20. She also was named Most Valuable Player in girls softball for the Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League Div. IV team.Follow us on Twitter.
“I grew up not too far from the place he died. My grandmother lived a couple blocks away from there,” El-Amin told Sporting News. “I have family that lives over there, on that side of town. It was important for me to make sure my family was OK, with me not being there to see with my own eyes they are safe. It’s a crazy time in Minneapolis right now.”MORE: LeBron James, Anthony Davis share message of unity with protestersA graduate of Hopkins High in Minnetonka, Minn., El-Amin felt compelled to do something positive as he watched what unfolded on the streets of nearly every American city last weekend, the protests that were launched in response to Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police. El-Amin is a 6-1 senior guard for the Ball State Cardinals, the leading scorer among those scheduled to return for 2020-21, prominent because of his performance and also because his father, Khalid, put the El-Amin name in the national spotlight with Connecticut’s memorable NCAA championship run in 1999.So he has arranged what he stresses will be a “peaceful protest” on the Ball State campus in Muncie, Ind., Thursday evening. The protest is to begin at 5 p.m. ET in an area between the Shaffer Tower and the David Letterman Communication and Media Building.”I felt like with the platform I have I could orchestrate a peaceful protest for the community that I’ve be a part of for the past four years and for the school that has welcomed me with open arms,” El-Amin told SN. “I just wanted to show that we’re tired of the injustice that we’ve been receiving, and we won’t sit back and be quiet about it and not speak on it. We deserve change, and we demand it.”The biggest thing I want people to take away from this is there’s a right and a wrong way to protest. And I want everybody to see with their own eyes that this is the way to protest, this is the way for our voice to be heard, for change to come.”In an ordinary year, El-Amin would be preparing for his senior season at Ball State, perhaps fresh off an NCAA Tournament appearance. As we know, 2020 has been anything but ordinary.The Cardinals finished 18-13 and first in the Mid-American Conference West Division, but the MAC Tournament was canceled along with other uncompleted conference championships and the NCAA Tournament. El-Amin recently returned to working out and playing hoops after the state of Indiana began loosening quarantine restrictions in place for roughly two months. El-Amin has a more pressing issue facing him at the moment, however. He originally intended the protest gathering to be a day earlier, but a number of recent graduates contacted and asked for a one-day delay so they could return and participate. Ball State University president Geoffrey Mearns contacted El-Amin and asked if he would be welcomed to the protest. El-Amin assured he would.”This is not just a Ball State thing, for Ball State students. This is for Muncie,” El-Amin said. “I would like the whole Muncie community to be with us on Thursday at 5. I want the whole community to come out and show their faces. I want them to know that even though all this is going on, we can still come together as one for the same goal, the same thing we’ve been looking for over hundreds of years.”El-Amin’s emphasis on the word “peaceful” — in his tweets promoting the protest and in this conversation — leads naturally to this question: How does he ensure this event remains non-violent when myriad other gatherings in the past week began calmly and, for a variety of reasons, escalated to a variety of disturbances?OFFICIAL PEACEFUL PROTESTTHIS THURSDAY AT 5pm‼️ Muncie,IN We must be heard and won’t stop until we are 💯‼️ BSU BellTower to Muncie City Hall #BlackLivesMatters— Ishh El-Amin™ (@TheNextElAmin) May 31, 2020MORE: Anthony Lynn has NFL’s strongest reaction to protests of George Floyd’s death”Me and my team collectively can continue to reiterate that this is a peaceful protest and that no violence will be taken. That’s not what this is for. That’s not what we’re here for. That’s not the intention behind any plans that we have,” El-Amin said. “But also we have been in contact with the chief of Ball State police and the chief of Muncie police for them to march with us and orchestrate everything and keep it moving in a calm fashion.”They are 110 percent fully behind us and supportive of us.”El-Amin said his entire family is still in Minneapolis: his parents, grandparents, five younger siblings between the ages of 11 and 19. He worries about their safety.”I know for certain what you hear is way scarier than what they’re showing on social media and the news,” he said. “It’s a lot deeper than what people realize when you’re actually in the city.”The violence that has occurred in his hometown and other cities has become the focus for critics of the movement, whether or not those protesting genuinely are instigating. But El-Amin said it’s not fair to suggest what has occurred has taken the message off course. Ishmael El-Amin has been around long enough to have learned the names of so many men whose memories became the foundation of the Black Lives Matter movement: Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, Freddie Gray, Walter Scott.He admits, though, the death of George Floyd a week ago struck him even closer to home. Because El-Amin knows the street where Floyd was prone, his face forced to the gutter, a police officer’s knee pressed hard against his neck for nearly nine minutes. “I understand the anger and the fire that people have because they’re frustrated,” El-Amin said. “This has been going on for hundreds of years. And we have tried so many different ways to seek change and for things to be different, and it hasn’t been. So I understand the looting and the rioting; I’m not saying it’s the right thing to do. I’m saying I understand why people have taken those actions.”I just want to encourage, and I want this peaceful protest to encourage, that we can be heard peacefully, that we don’t need to go to violence and burn things and loot and all these other things that are not going to help us in the long run.”We can’t protest for two weeks and then be done. No, this is something we have to continue to stress, and we can’t sit back and be comfortable with what the world is.”
New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith walks off the field after the second half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Monday, Oct. 7, 2013, in Atlanta. The New York Jets won 30-28. (AP Photo/David Goldman)It’s been two weeks since the Steelers took the field and lost their fourth consecutive game to open the 2013 campaign. Two weeks to stew, two weeks to think about what’s gone wrong and two week to prepare for the surprising 3-2 NY Jets.The Steelers still say they think they are in the race, that they have a chance to win enough games and they still have the talent on the team to run off a win streak. Mike Tomlin says he’s going to turn it around.After having two weeks off and facing a team coming off a short week, we’ll learn everything about this version of the black and gold and how much hear they have.Here are the keys to a Steelers victory:They can’t panic if they get down in the game. Losing is infectious and the Steelers need to stop the bleeding here. The last thing they can afford is to panic if they are losing and assume the game is over just because they haven’t won yet.They can’t try to get the whole season back with this game. If they try to do too much they’ll fail to do anything at all. They need to play to their strengths and expose the Jets weaknessesThe defense must get after Geno Smith and force him into bad throws and perhaps even intercept a ball or two. They must instill fear in the rookie quarterback and prevent him from gaining any confidence at all.LeVeon Bell must be able to run the ball against a very tenacious Jets defense. Ball control will be pivotal.Here are a Few Things to Watch:Kelvin Beachum – He’s been given the nod to start at left tackle for the now benched Mike Adams. Will he step into the role and hold it or will he be another issue on the line?Levi Brown- Sticking with the line, will the newly acquired Brown play a big role in the hopeful resurrection of the worst unit on the team? If so, what will that role be and how big will it be?Cam Heyward-Keeping with the theme of the new changes, how will Cam Heyward step in as the new starter at left defensive end replacing Ziggy Hood?The overall play of the team – Will they come out hungry or will they continue to look like one of the worst teams in the league. Having two weeks off to prep for this game means they better come out with ferocity and show they have some heart.Mike Pelaia hosts the website Steel Nation Association www.steelnationassociation.com- Covering the Steelers and helping Children’s Hospital All Day Everyday. You can e-mail him at mike@steelnationassociation.com.
Facebook22Tweet0Pin0Submitted by TOGETHER!The local nonprofit, TOGETHER!, operates a drop-in center for youth at Evergreen Village Community Center in West Olympia. As a hub for children and families to access concrete supports, bond with healthy mentors, get academic tutoring and much more, the Center serves as a lifeline for many residents.Due to limited funding, the organizations activities directed at teens are limited. The youth living in the complex are regularly exposed to crime, violence, and drug use and often lack positive adult role models. One example of this is an incident that took place on the night of Sunday, October 16. A group of 20+ teens were hanging out at a nearby park when a fight broke out. According to the police report, two knives were involved; there were multiple victims, resulting in several teens being transported to the hospital.TOGETHER! believes that now more than ever, it is crucial that we come together as a community to show youth that violence is not the answer and that we care for and support them.TOGETHER! is planning “Teen Nights” for the Center’s youth, but desperately needs support for this very needed venture. The teen nights will provide the Center’s at-risk teens with a safe, fun, and inviting space; positive role models; increased social skills; and nonviolent conflict-resolution skills. The first “Teen Night” will take place on November 18. With local business and individual support and contributions, this free event will include pizza, raffle prizes, and fun games/activities for youth 12-18.Every dollar of support helps and is greatly appreciated! To contribute you can go to https://www.gofundme.com/togetherevcc or www.thurstontogether.org. TOGETHER! appreciates those that support this cause by investing in our youth and making the world a place where all youth can thrive. If you are interested in volunteering, being a sponsor or have any questions, please contact Johnna Knoerr, Program Director at 360-493-2230 ext. 11 or jknoerr@thurstontogether.org. Please help spread the word!