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GOP performs 180 pivot on early voting, mail ballots

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:50 GMT

By Christina A. Cassidy | Associated PressATLANTA — After years of criticizing mail voting and so-called ballot harvesting as ripe for fraud, Republicans at the top of the party want to change course.They are poised to launch aggressive get-out-the-vote campaigns for 2024 that employ just those strategies, attempting to match the emphasis on early voting Democrats have used for years to lock in many of their supporters well ahead of Election Day. The goal is to persuade voters who support GOP candidates that early voting techniques are secure and to make sure they are able to return their ballots in time to be counted, thus putting less pressure on Election Day turnout efforts.It marks a notable shift from the party’s rhetoric since 2020, when then-President Donald Trump was routinely sowing doubt about mail voting and encouraging his voters to wait and vote in-person on Election Day. As recently as last year, Republican activists peddling the stolen election narrative were te...

BMX star Pat Casey dies in crash at Southern California motocross park

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:50 GMT

BMX professional rider Pat Casey died in an accident Tuesday at a motocross park in San Diego County, the county medical examiner’s office confirmed.Casey, 29, crashed while riding a motorcycle at a private track known as the Slayground, in the hills above Ramona. Paramedics who were called to the park at 2:30 p.m. found him without a pulse. After resuscitation attempts failed, he was pronounced dead, the medical examiner’s report said.A California Highway Patrol spokesman told the San Diego Union-Tribune that Casey was thrown while attempting to land a jump and that the motorcycle landed on top of him.Casey, who lived in Riverside, had been a top bicycle motocross competitor since his teen years, going professional at age 16 and winning his first X Games medal at 18.In 2021, the BMX competition for a pandemic-curtailed X Games was held literally in Casey’s backyard: on the course he called the Dreamyard that he had built behind his home. He won a gold medal in the...

San Francisco couple has history of blazing trail for LGBTQ+ rights

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:50 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- For the past 10 years, John Lewis and Stuart Gaffney have lead lectures on LGBTQ +struggles and successes in Japan as well as other countries."Here in Japan, there are no laws," Lewis explained.On Feb. 12, 2004, the couple was one of first same sex couples to get married in San Francisco, when then Mayor Gavin Newsom made his landmark move. Bay Area county denies motion to fly Pride flag at county admin building "SF was a beacon that day for so many. It was radical and revolutionary," said Lewis.The couple was also one of the hundreds to see their marriage nullified when then Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger accused Newsom of overstepping his boundaries and the state filed a lawsuit wiping out same sex marriages."We lived out the moment and we lived to see a better day, full equality for all," Gaffney said.Those challenges ultimately lead to years of legal battles. Victories started to trickle in. In 2015, the United States Supreme Court historically ruled in fa...

San Francisco man charged with anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes after Castro attack

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:50 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- Hate crime charges were filed against a San Francisco man accused of throwing glass at victims in the Castro neighborhood.Muhammed Abdullah, 20, followed two men, ages 40 and 58, shouted aggressive anti-LGBTQ+ language at them, and threw a glass object that struck the 40-year-old man, according to police and prosecutors. The incident happened on the afternoon of June 5, on 18th and Hartford streets. Officers found Abdullah in Dolores Park and arrested him after a foot chase. Prosecutors charged Abdullah with assault with a deadly weapon, battery, violation of a person's civil rights, and special allegations for hate crimes.The alleged hate crime occurred while San Francisco is celebrating Pride Month and an LGBTQ+ flag is displayed at City Hall. "San Francisco is a safe haven for LGBTQ people," District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said Thursday. "Our city is proud of our diversity and for being an open and welcoming beacon to all people, especially those who have...

San Joaquin County denies motion to fly Pride flag at county admin building

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:50 GMT

(BCN) -- The commemorative Pride flag will not be flown at the County Administration Building in Stockton after a motion to do so was denied by the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. Listed on the agenda for the meeting was Supervisor Paul Canepa's recommendation to fly the Pride flag for five consecutive business days in support of Pride month. The Pride flag is a multi-colored flag that symbolizes the LGBTQ+ community. The motion was denied in a 3-2 vote with Supervisors Tom Patti and Steven Ding voting in opposition. In order for the motion to pass, a four-fifths vote was required. What happened to Frank Somerville? A timeline of events "I cannot support an alternate flag since our (American) flag represents freedom, liberty and opportunity for all," Patti said. "I think our American flag flies high and proud as is." He suggested to the board a motion to table the discussion item and not have a yes or no vote. However, Canepa said that because Pri...

Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed Scores

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:50 GMT

ThursdayAt Ullna G&CCStockholmPurse: $2 millionYardage: 6,819; Par: 72First RoundNiklas Norgaard Moller, Denmark33-32—65Yannik Paul, Germany30-35—65Trichat Cheenglab, Thailand34-32—66Louis De Jager, South Africa33-33—66Frederic Lacroix, France32-34—66Dale Whitnell, England32-34—66Angel Hidalgo, Spain32-35—67Soren Kjeldsen, Denmark34-33—67Nicolai Von Dellingshausen, Germany35-32—67Justin Walters, South Africa32-35—67Elin Arvidsson, Sweden35-33—68Olivia Cowan, Germany34-34—68Gavin Green, Malaysia36-32—68Nuria Iturrioz, Spain34-34—68Alexander Knappe, Germany38-30—68Tapio Pulkkanen, Finland34-34—68Richie Ramsay, Scotland36-32—68Carmen Alonso, Spain36-33—69Sofie Bringner, Sweden38-31—69Kristoffer Broberg, Sweden34-35—69Gabriella Cowley, England36-33—69Emma Grechi, France34-35—69Julien Guerrier, France34-35—69Leonie Harm, Germany34-35—69James Morrison, England35-34—69Renato Paratore, Italy34-35—69Antoine Rozner, France35-34—69Paul Waring, England31-38—69Matthew Baldwin, England36-34—7...

Panthers hand first-team reps over to rookie QB Bryce Young

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:50 GMT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Bryce Young’s time is now in Carolina.The Panthers have given Young the first-team reps in practice this week, a move that coach Frank Reich called the next step in the rookie quarterback’s progression.Reich anticipates Young will continue to get first-team reps “for now” as the Panthers prepare for their mandatory minicamp session next week and training camp at the end of July. Reich stopped short of naming Young the team’s starting quarterback this season, saying there is plenty of time to make that decision.“Not yet,” Reich said. “But he has shown everything you want to see. You don’t make a decision until you have to make it. We will just keep giving him the opportunity to get better and earn that starting role. So far he and a lot of guys have taken the steps needed to earn that spot, but we don’t have to make that decision yet. So we will keep chugging along.”Young, the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, took over first-team...

Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed Par Scores

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:50 GMT

ThursdayAt Ullna G&CCStockholmPurse: $2 millionYardage: 6,819; Par: 72First RoundNiklas Norgaard Moller, Denmark33-32—65-7Yannik Paul, Germany30-35—65-7Trichat Cheenglab, Thailand34-32—66-6Louis De Jager, South Africa33-33—66-6Frederic Lacroix, France32-34—66-6Dale Whitnell, England32-34—66-6Angel Hidalgo, Spain32-35—67-5Soren Kjeldsen, Denmark34-33—67-5Nicolai Von Dellingshausen, Germany35-32—67-5Justin Walters, South Africa32-35—67-5Elin Arvidsson, Sweden35-33—68-4Olivia Cowan, Germany34-34—68-4Gavin Green, Malaysia36-32—68-4Nuria Iturrioz, Spain34-34—68-4Alexander Knappe, Germany38-30—68-4Tapio Pulkkanen, Finland34-34—68-4Richie Ramsay, Scotland36-32—68-4Carmen Alonso, Spain36-33—69-3Sofie Bringner, Sweden38-31—69-3Kristoffer Broberg, Sweden34-35—69-3Gabriella Cowley, England36-33—69-3Emma Grechi, France34-35—69-3Julien Guerrier, France34-35—69-3Leonie Harm, Germany34-35—69-3James Morrison, England35-34—69-3Renato Paratore, Italy34-35—69-3Antoine Rozner, France35-34—69-3Paul ...

Swarbrick to step down as Notre Dame’s AD next year; NBC Sports’ Peter Bevacqua will take over

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:50 GMT

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Jack Swarbrick will step down as Notre Dame’s athletic director next year after a 16-year run in which he helped the school maintain the football program’s independent status amid unprecedented realignment by some of the top conferences in the nation.Notre Dame announced Thursday that NBC Sports chairman Pete Bevacqua will succeed Swarbrick. Bevacqua, a 1993 Notre Dame alumnus, will join the university July 1 as a special assistant to the president for athletics before takin over the athletic department sometime in the first quarter of 2024.“It speaks volumes about Notre Dame and Father Jenkins’ leadership that we can implement such a well-conceived succession plan and attract someone of Pete’s talent and experience,” Swarbrick said. “I have worked closely with Pete throughout his time at NBC and based on that experience, I believe he has the perfect skill set to help Notre Dame navigate the rapidly changing landscape that is college athletics today, an...

Jack Draper to miss Wimbledon because of shoulder injury

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:50 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Jack Draper will miss Wimbledon because of a shoulder injury that forced him out of the French Open.The 21-year-old British player said Thursday he needs time to recover from his latest injury setback.At Roland Garros last Monday, Draper retired from his first-round match against Tomas Martin Etcheverry while trailing by a set and 1-0.The 6-foot-4 left-hander, who is ranked 55th, had hoped to make his third appearance at the All England Club next month.“It’s clear my shoulder is going to need time and rehab to get back to where it needs to be,” Draper wrote on Instagram. “My team and I have made the difficult decision to miss the grass court season this year.”In March at Indian Wells, Draper retired from his fourth-round match against Carlos Alcaraz because of a stomach muscle injury. A hamstring injury ended Draper’s run to the third round of last year’s U.S. Open.“I guess in this sport there are so many ups and downs but this one is tough to take,” ...