Jake Burger and Gavin Sheets both homered for the second straight win for the Chicago White Sox as they defeated the Cleveland Guardians 7-2. White Sox Andrew Vaughn also homered while Mike Clevinger allowed two runs and six hits with four walks and five strikeouts to beat Cleveland for the first time. Clevinger spent his first four full seasons with Cleveland, then was traded to San Diego during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign.
The Oakland Athletics could temporarily move to Las Vegas and play at their Triple-A affiliate's venue, Las Vegas Ballpark, while waiting for their new stadium to be built in Sin City. The team's lease at Oakland Coliseum runs until 2024, but A's President Dave Kaval has said he would like to break ground next year and move into a new Las Vegas stadium by 2027. The A's are asking for almost $400m in public support from the Nevada Legislature, which could vote on a proposal this week. The A's play to capacity crowds of 8,695 fans per game, the only franchise in MLB pulling fewer than 10,000 per game.
An 8-year-old girl from Panama has died whilst in border patrol custody, making it the second death in two weeks of a child in custody from Latin America. The girl was undergoing “a medical emergency” and was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead on Wednesday. The Border Patrol’s parent agency, US Customs and Border Protection, has been struggling with overcrowding in its facilities, driven by a significant increase in migrants and asylum seekers ahead of the expiry last week of a key regulation on immigration related to COVID-19.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is failing to detain inadmissible aliens despite technological alternatives to detention (ATDs) having been put in place, according to a memorandum published yesterday by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS). ICE has contracted with BI Incorporated to run the ISAP monitoring programme, which is the largest in terms of numbers of enrolled aliens and budget. ICE uses three types of technology to keep track of aliens who are in removal proceedings and enrolled in the ISAP. The most contentious is that some participants are fitted with ankle monitors by the company BI, which cost $2.75 a day.
Alternatively, SmartLink costs $1 a day and VoiceID costs 18 cents a day per user. ICE estimates that ATD costs $8 per participant per day, with average detention costs estimated at $150 per day. However, the report highlights that, despite the advantages of ATDs in terms of costs and compliance, the scheme is not leading to deportation, with around 79% of ATD participants having been released before their immigration cases were concluded.
Incoming president Biden is said to have released at most 25k inadmissible aliens at any one time.
Illegal fentanyl has significantly contributed to overdose deaths and remains a concern. Derek Maltz, a veteran of the Drug Enforcement Administration, stated that the Chinese began manufacturing and selling illegal fentanyl to Americans in 2012, and Mexican cartels became involved in tangibly propagating it wider in 2014. Synthetic opioids are viewed as particularly lethal because the drugs are frequently devised in illict and unsanitary conditions and they are substantially more powerful than naturally occurring opioids such as heroin. Fentanyl has predominantly been marketed to individuals who use heroin, but it has also been added to various other street drugs, including cocaine and methamphetamine, as well as counterfeit pills that are thought to be legitimate medication. Fentanyl has also been mixed with marijuana in counterfeit counterfeit pills, known as "M30s".
Additionally, fentanyl has been sold through illegal online marketplaces. Some well-designed marketplaces can sometimes be reached only through the dark web, necessitating the use of specific software or settings, such as the Tor browser and a VPN, to mask users’ identities and locations. Cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin, are frequently used to buy and sell fentanyl on these forums. When illicit prescriptions are shipped to a location in the mail, it is frequently mixed with other drugs to avoid detection.
For Maltz, efforts combatting the illicit fentanyl crisis should include both diplomatic discussion and regulatory reform to stimulate cooperation between China and the United States. By supporting less incursion in Afghanistan’s opiate trade, the United States can concentrate on decreasing Mexican cartels’ illicit drug trades profit margins. Additionally, opioid messaging must be revamped in order to reach a historically non-addicted, younger audience.
The Victoria Barracks on Petrie Terrace in Brisbane should be repurposed as an arts centre with boutique hotels and training centres, according to internal advice from the Australian Defence Department. The barracks date back to 1863, but have been of little use to the modern defence force and are reportedly falling into disrepair. The heritage-listed site is thought to present a significant redevelopment opportunity for the city. Several other sites, including the Herston Quarters redevelopment in Queensland and San Diego’s former Naval Training Centre, have been considered by defence officials when assessing options for the barracks.
San Diego State University has found no wrongdoing by former football player and Buffalo Bills punter Matt Araiza in an alleged gang rape at an off-campus party in October 2021. The San Diego District Attorney had previously decided not to press criminal charges against Araiza, who was released by the Bills in August, days after a woman filed a lawsuit against Araiza and two other former SDSU players. SDSU has also stated that none of the former students named in the civil suit are the subject of a current investigation, although it has reserved the right to "reinstate" an investigation if there are new developments. In December, Deputy District Attorney Trisha Amador stated that she had concluded, based on witness statements, that Araiza "wasn't even at the party anymore" when the alleged gang rape could have occurred, and that he was not visible in any of the videos that were recovered. The civil case against Araiza remains active.
San Diego Padres player Manny Machado has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a hairline fracture in his left hand, prompted by a pitch he was hit with on Monday. The injury has been backdated to Tuesday and it is possible Machado will return for the team's meeting against the New York Yankees next weekend. The Padres, starring a familiar cast of superstar players, are currently struggling and have lost nine of their last 11 games, leading them to rest in fourth place in NL West.
California governor, Gavin Newsom has pledged to speed up permits and approvals for hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of construction projects throughout the state, including a pair of large water ambitious projects. The first project would construct a giant tunnel to carry water beneath Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to drier and more populous Southern California. The other would be a large new reservoir that could store more water during deluges to support farmers. Environmentalists have sued to block the tunnel project arguing that it would threaten species of fish, including salmon. Newsom is also working on fast-tracking solar, wind and battery power storage, transit and regional rail, road maintenance, wildlife crossings, semiconductor plants, and bridge projects.
The mother of an 8-year-old girl who died in Border Patrol custody said Friday that agents repeatedly ignored pleas to hospitalize her medically fragile daughter as she felt pain in her bones, struggled to breathe and was unable to walk. Agents said her daughter’s diagnosis of influenza did not require hospital care, Mabel Alvarez Benedicks said in an emotional phone interview. They knew the girl had a history of heart problems and sickle cell anemia. The girl died Wednesday on what her mother said was the family’s ninth day in Border Patrol custody.
Boston Red Sox defeated the San Diego Padres 6-1 on Friday night, with Rafael Devers hitting two home runs for the visitors. Devers hit his solo homer to right field in the second inning so hard that he stumbled back a few steps before starting his trot. He followed that up with a three-run homer in the third, almost reaching the base of the batter’s eye in straightaway center field. Both of Devers' home runs came off Blake Snell, who allowed six runs and five hits in just four innings. The Padres were playing in front of their home crowd but continued to struggle, managing only one hit, Fernando Tatis Jr.'s leadoff home run in the third inning, off James Paxton, who pitched six innings for the Red Sox. This was the Padres' 10th loss in 12 games, and they were met with boos from the home crowd at the end of the game.
The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-0, with Mookie Betts hitting a three-run homer, and Tony Gonsolin combining with four relievers on a two-hitter. Gonsolin, who is continuing his comeback from a spring training ankle injury, allowed just one hit and two walks in five innings. The win leaves the Dodgers with 75 home runs in the season, tied with Atlanta for most in the NL. Will Smith later added a run-scoring single after Freddie Freeman had doubled for a 5-0 lead.
US cities with military bases risk economic damage in debt ceiling fight
CNN
23-05-20 14:00
US cities with large military bases could experience a significant economic fallout if the US defaults on its debt within two weeks, which would mean the government would be unable to meet its financial obligations. Over a sixth of government spending is dedicated to national defence, which encompasses salaries to federal workers and payments to social security recipients. If the country is unable to pay its national defence bills, cities with large military bases would potentially experience missed payments and rising debt, as well as a significant pullback in spending, which would cut local businesses’ bottom lines.
The New York Yankees have cut underperforming outfielder Aaron Hicks to make room for outfielder Greg Allen, who was acquired in a trade with Boston. Hicks was designated for assignment, having hit just .188 with a home run and five RBIs in 28 games this season. The 33-year-old agreed to a $70m, seven-year contract with the Yankees in February 2019, having been traded to the club from Minnesota in November 2015. Allen is joining the Yankees for the second time, having appeared in 15 games with the team in 2021 and played for four other teams in his six years in the majors.
US border officials have rejected accusations from the mother of an eight-year-old Honduran girl, who died in custody this month, that the girl received inadequate care. The girl had heart problems and sickle cell anaemia and had been diagnosed with influenza. Her mother said agents failed to hospitalise her when she stated that she could not breathe and felt pain in her bones. The girl died on her ninth day in Border Patrol custody, with people supposed to be held for up to 72 hours under normal circumstances.
Phil Mickelson celebrated his 100th cut at a major as a result of his performance at the 105th US PGA Championship. The 52-year-old would not have made the cut without the help of an alert rules official who saved him at least one shot. Although Mickelson was 10 shots off the pace, with 56 players in between, he did not concede on making a run. However, he double-bogeyed the second after missing the green and then followed it up with bogeys on the sixth, ninth, and 16th. Regardless, Mickelson has proved to be a capable warm-up act for the leaders during the competition.
The Boston Red Sox beat the San Diego Padres 4-2, winning their fourth straight game behind a three-run homer from Emmanuel Valdez and a strong pitching performance from Chris Sale. The 34-year-old lefty allowed just three hits, two of them home runs, over seven innings, striking out eight and walking one. Sale has now allowed just one run in his last 17 innings and has gone six-plus innings in each of his last four starts, with 27 strikeouts in his past three. The Padres continue to struggle at the plate, having lost 11 of their last 13 games. Despite the loss, Fernando Tatis Jr. hit his seventh home run of the season with a 440-foot shot into the second deck in left field. Boston twice successfully challenged out calls on the base paths, with both runners eventually scoring. The Red Sox will go for the sweep against the Padres in their next game, with RHP Corey Kluber taking the mound.
The Florida Panthers defeated the Carolina Hurricanes in overtime to take a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven series in the NHL's Stanley Cup Playoffs. In NBA action, the Denver Nuggets defeated the Los Angeles Clippers to take a commanding 3-0 lead in their best-of-seven series. In Major League Baseball, the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in extra innings, while the Miami Marlins defeated the San Francisco Giants 1-0. In MLS action, Vancouver beat Seattle 2-0, while the New York Red Bulls defeated Montreal 2-1. The Colorado Mammoth won their Conference Finals series against the Calgary Roughnecks in the NLL Playoffs.
The Washington Nationals defeated the Detroit Tigers 6-4, equalling their season-high 18 hits. Nick Maton had a homer and a single for the Tigers, who fell behind 6-1 in the third inning. Detroit failed to take advantage of eight walks and went 3 for 16 with runners in scoring position, stranding 11 runners. Joey Wentz (1-4) allowed six runs and a season-high 10 hits in two-plus innings. Riley Adams hit a solo homer and Ildemaro Vargas hit his first home run since last August. Josiah Gray (4-5) allowed only one run and three hits over five innings but matched his career high with six walks.
The San Diego Padres beat the Boston Red Sox 7-0 on May 30, with Rougned Odor hitting a bases-clearing double in the first inning. Michael Wacha threw six strong innings. The Padres have struggled to hit this season despite having an MLB-high payroll and two assistant hitting coaches. The Padres have plummeted since beating the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 5, when they were third in the NL West. Going into May 30's game, they were eight-and-a-half games back in fourth place. Boston's Corey Kluber struggled from the start, throwing two walks to load the bases with no outs in the first, and eventually giving up Odor's double to right. Kluber was retired after three innings. San Diego came in hitting an MLB-low .191 with runners in scoring position. Meanwhile, the Boston Red Sox released RHP Ryan Brasier, who was designated for assignment on May 24.
