Monthly Archives: May 2017

At its core, auto racing always was and always will be dangerous. Thats a fact.

Saturday nights scary crash at Kansas Speedway, where Aric Almirola plowed into Danica Patrick and Joey Logano was a sobering reminder of the laws of physics: Momentum equals mass times velocity.

In the case of Almirola, it was an object that weighed 3,450 pounds hitting another object of the same weight at a speed of around 200 miles per hour. That, by its very definition, is a violent impact.

Logano and Patrick were fortunate to be able to walk away.

Almirola was in stable condition after being airlifted from the track to a local hospital. We expect an update on the nature of injuries and his condition sometime later today.

Still, it could have been much worse.

SAFER barriers, HANS devices, and better car construction have all made the sport a lot safer in recent years. But its never going to be completely safe and no one knows that better than the drivers.

Well, I mean, its a dangerous sport, said Brad Keselowski, who finished second to race winner Martin Truex Jr. Always has been, always will be. Sometimes we forget that and maybe take for granted that you see real hard hits and people walk away, and then you see one where someone doesnt, and it puts things back into perspective just how dangerous it can be.

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But when an accident happens, the remaining drivers need to refocus and concentrate on what they are doing, which cant be easy.

During the red flag for Almirolas crash, Truex got updates from crew chief Cole Pearn and watched on the tracks big screen as safety workers extricated Almirola from his car.

When I saw him they were getting him out and he was on a stretcher, said Truex of Almirola. I just kind of put my head down and closed my eyes and gave him a few prayers to hope that he was doing good.

The bad news was the fact that Almirola was injured.

The good news is the progress that has been made in safety in recent years.

Back in the days when I worked at National Speed Sport News, Chris Economaki told me that in the 1940s and 50s, it was a given that there would be at least one fatality every week at a racetrack somewhere in America.

Its mind-boggling to think that drivers regularly getting killed was the norm, but it was. Fortunately, that isnt the case these days.

There has not been a fatality in a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race since Dale Earnhardt was killed in a last-lap crash in the 2001 Daytona 500. And NASCAR will evaluate what happened with Almirola and work on making the cars safer still.

As a driver watching that, this sport, like Brad (Keselowski) said, is dangerous, said Ryan Blaney. NASCAR has made really good safety improvements over the past 10, 15 years, and theyre always improving, so theyll look at that incident and see what they can do better to prevent that from happening ever again.

And in the meantime, best of luck for a full and speedy recovery for Almirola.

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Aric Almirola crash highlights danger, progress in NASCAR - FOXSports.com

Several dozen torch-wielding protesters gathered in Charlottesvilles Lee Park just after 9 p.m. Saturday, chanting You will not replace us, Russia is our friend and Blood and soil.

After about 10 minutes, Charlottesville police arrived at the scene following an altercation between protesters. The crowd quickly dispersed with no further incidents, according to police.

In April, Charlottesville City Council voted to sell the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee that stands in the park, but a judge earlier this month issued an injunction that prevents the city from doing so for six months.

The city's decision has drawn considerable consternation from Southern heritage groups, Republican gubernatorial candidate Corey Stewart and a number of others in Virginia and elsewhere.

Richard Spencer, a University of Virginia graduate and a white nationalist who popularized the term "alt-right," wrote about the events at the statues of Confederate Gens. Thomas Stonewall Jackson and Lee in several Twitter posts.

Right-wing blogger Jason Kessler, who led an unsuccessful attempt to oust City Councilor Wes Bellamy over an effort to remove the Lee statue, also posted about the event. Several photos posted by them appear to correspond to the scene as described by a Daily Progress reporter.

In a statement, Charlottesville Mayor Mike Signer called the event "either profoundly ignorant or was designed to instill fear in our minority populations in a way that hearkens back to the days of the KKK. Either way, as mayor of this city, I want everyone to know this: we reject this intimidation. We are a welcoming city, but such intolerance is not welcome here."

On Twitter, Del. David J. Toscano, D-Charlottesville, called the outrageous protests in Charlottesville this evening by apparent white supremacists unacceptable.

"Whoever these people were, the intolerance and hatred they seek to promote is utterly disgusting and disturbing beyond words," Erich Reimer, chairman of the Charlottesville Republican party, said in a statement. "This is a time for our community to come together on our common values of liberty, equality and justice for all, in stark contrast to them."

Police were unable to confirm exactly who or what groups were at the Lee and Jackson parks on Saturday.

In issuing an injunction blocking Charlottesville from selling the Lee statue, the judge, however, did not apply it to the citys plan to rename the Lee and Jackson parks. The city also will not be barred from initiating a master planning process to redesign the two historical districts where the parks are located.

The plan also includes a concept to build a new memorial in Jackson Park to those who were enslaved in the city.

In filing a lawsuit against the city's decision to sell the Lee statue, the plaintiffs a collection of local residents and the Virginia Division Sons of Confederate Veterans allege the citys vote to remove the statue violates a state law that protects war memorials.

The Monument Fund, a collection of the plaintiffs in the case, disavowed the demonstration and said it was not involved in it.

Elliott Harding, an attorney who is involved with the group and the litigants in the case against the city, confirmed in a text message that a statement posted from the Facebook page Save the Robert E. Lee Statue was issued by associates of The Monument Fund.

"Neither Save the Robert E. Lee Statue nor The Monument Fund were in any way involved in these events and only learned of them though media reports," the statement said.

"We remain committed to preserving the Robert E. Lee Monument in its park through the legal process in the courts because of its historic and artistic value.

"We soundly and completely reject racism, white supremacy, and any other identity based groups that preach division and hate no matter which side of the issue they happen to support."

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Torch-wielding protesters gather at Lee Park | Local | dailyprogress ... - The Daily Progress

BBC News

Julian Assange: Ecuador 'concerned' over lack of progress BBC News Ecuador has voiced concern over the "serious lack of progress" by the Swedish government in dealing with Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. It said there had been a "serious failure" by Sweden's prosecutor to complete an inquiry into sexual assault ... Ecuador concerned by 'serious lack of progress' in Assange caseRT Ecuador worried over Assange case progressYahoo7 News all 4 news articles »

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Julian Assange: Ecuador 'concerned' over lack of progress - BBC News

EMERSON, Ga. - Nic Lynch has shown off his improved game at the Nike EYBL this weekend. He has a couple Pac-12 schools vying for his commitment.

One of the more improved centers on the west in 2018 has been Seattle Preps Nic Lynch.

The 6-foot-10, 255-pound center made the move to Seattle Rotary this spring and has shown progress with his skill set and mobility. Hes getting up and down the court better, rebounding his area and scoring inside with his size and hook shot.

I feel like my game is coming along really well, Lynch said. I just switched to the EYBL this year, which has helped me a lot.

Im shooting the ball well from 15 to 17 feet. Im rebounding well against more athletic guys. I want to keep expanding my range, footwork and athleticism.

Lynch holds offers from Washington, Washington State, Columbia and Toledo, with the Huskies offer recently being reaffirmed by the new staff.

http://www.scout.com/player/201829-nic-lynch

I had one from (Lorenzo) Romar but I hadnt heard from the new staff yet, Lynch said. It felt good. They wanted coach (Mike) Hopkins to see me play first.

Its my hometown school, I watch them a lot and go to almost every game; I have season tickets. I live five minutes away from the arena and know almost everything about them.

The rising senior also knows a lot about his other local Pac-12 offer in Washington State.

Theyre in-state, Pac-12, I see them a lot on TV and theyre getting better, said Lynch.

Lynch has no favorites at this point but has an idea of when he wants to make a decision.

My options are still pretty open so well see what happens, he said. Im going to let AAU play out and then Ill take visits late August, early September at the start of the school year. Ill make a decision around that time.

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EYBL: 2018 Seattle center Nic Lynch showing progress, adding offers - Scout

MIAMI He still has a good ways to go just to raise his average to the Mendoza Line (.200), but Dansby Swanson has shown some encouraging signs recently since the Braves high-profile rookie adjusted his batting stance and worked on a more consistent approach.

Swanson had a two-out, two-strike RBI single Saturday that drove in the Braves second run in a 3-1 win against the Marlins, after collecting a single and walk in each of the previous three games.

It was a big two-strike at-bat for an RBI, a tough pitch on a hit-and-run, Braves manager Brian Snitker said. It was a great at-bat by him. Hes getting there. I mean, hes doing some things and hes fine.

Swanson entered Sundays series finale with a .169 average that still was the seventh-lowest among major league qualifiers and a .479 OPS that was the fifth-lowest. But he had raised both numbers significantly in the past few weeks, since his numbers cratered to a season-low .125 average and .341 OPS on April 21.

He reached base in 15 of 16 games since then before Sunday, totaling 12 hits and 11 walks for a .348 on-base percentage in that span.

I think the biggest thing is just consistently good at-bats now, Swanson said. I feel real clear on what Im trying to do at the plate and trying to execute as best as I can. You cant control it after you hit it. You hit it and you cant control what happens after that.

In the first weeks of the season he had one of the highest line-drive rates on the team and a paltry batting average on balls in play two signs of a player not getting many breaks to go his way.

Definitely nice to see Dansby do that, Braves catcher Tyler Flowers said of the rookie shortstops two-out RBI single Saturday. Hes done an amazing job just with his confidence throughout this season (thats been) full of remarkable bad luck. Its impressive, just the professionalism and the maturity hes shown throughout this season. So its nice to see him rewarded with something in the big situation.

Swanson had another tough-luck at-bat in his first time up Sunday a line-drive to left field in the second inning that Marlins outfielder Marcell Ozuna robbed of a hit with a running, shoe-string catch.

In his past eight games before Sunday, Swanson was 6-for-25 (.240) with four RBIs, seven walks and a .394 OBP. Not scintillating, but certainly a lot better than the first 15 games of the season.

Hes going to hang in there and keep grinding and keep playing, Snitker said. Hes going to get better for everything hes been going through its going to do nothing but make him better.

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Dansby Swanson making slow but steady progress lately - Atlanta Journal Constitution

Wisconsin Public Radio News

Nutritionist Worries New Flexible School Lunch Standards Would Roll Back Progress Wisconsin Public Radio News Former First Lady Michelle Obama's 2010 school lunch reforms required that kind of change with sweeping new standards. Schools were required to serve more fruits and vegetables, whole grains instead of refined grains, and cut back on sodium content. and more »

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Nutritionist Worries New Flexible School Lunch Standards Would Roll Back Progress - Wisconsin Public Radio News

MONTMELO, Spain (AP) Its only seventh place in qualifying, and Fernando Alonso will take it.

Take it, and cling to it, in hope that his season has hit bottom and is looking up.

Alonso had his best day behind the wheel of his trouble-prone McLaren on Saturday in qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix, finally giving his Formula One team some relief and his home Spanish fans a reason to cheer.

Alonso finished 1.9 seconds slower than pole winner Lewis Hamilton, but he defied expectations by beating out all the other teams that cant compete with Hamiltons Mercedes and challengers Ferrari and Red Bull.

Alonso called seventh place a gift, considering his previous best qualification was 12th place in Australia.

We knew we needed to put the perfect lap together, he said. Today was the one of those days when everything went well.

The two-time world champion is having the most frustrating season of his long career. Problems with the McLarens Honda engine kept him from finishing the first three races, and that only got more embarrassing when his car broke down in the formation lap of the last grand prix in Russia.

Things didnt appear close to improving back home.

Despite McLaren and Honda having two weeks to find some desperately needed fixes, Alonsos car spouted smoke and gushed fluid in a breakdown on the very first lap of practice on Friday.

That debacle came a day after Alonso gave McLaren an ultimatum of six months to give him a car with a chance of winning a championship.

So forecasts were high that the Spaniard would endure more torment come qualifying.

Instead, Alonso went from surprise to surprise, making the cut from the first session that eliminated the slowest five drivers, then surviving the second cut to reach the remaining 10 drivers for the first time this season. He topped it off by clocking a better lap than Force India pair Sergio Perez and Esteban Icon and Williams Felipe Massa.

Hamilton took note of Alonsos improvement, saying Its fantastic for McLaren and Honda to get into the top 10. It shows progress.

Alonso marked a cautiously optimistic tone about the race on Sunday, when his car will have a much tougher test of its more than questionable reliability.

Obviously, I dont have 100 percent confidence. But I am pretty sure we keep learning from the things that are happening to the car, Alonso said. I have a good feeling for tomorrow.

He spoke alongside team director Eric Boullier and Honda F1 boss Yusuke Hasegawa, both looking relieved to not have to again explain why their cars have taken a step back. The seasons start is in risk of damaging the reputation of the once proud McLaren, which has 12 driver titles and eight constructor titles to its name.

Alonsos last race win, his 32nd, came here at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in 2013 while driving for Ferrari. With its rougher surface and tricky curves, the track gives slower cars like his McLaren a fighting chance.

If his car holds up, Alonso said he will need to use every bit of his veteran wiles to keep McLaren in the points. He marked the importance of a good start in order to protect his position.

The points is the main target, he said. Seventh place maybe seems too good.

Regardless of the outcome on Sunday, Alonso will then take a break from F1 to try his luck at the Indianapolis 500.

The decision to switch competitions will mean he misses F1s Monaco GP this month, but Alonso said he had zero regrets since Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull are still out of reach.

I will race the Indy 500, one of the biggest races in the world, Alonso said. There will be six cars (in F1) that will be unbeatable for the next few races. To fight for seventh place in Monaco? No thanks.

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Alonso & McLaren's troubled F1 car finally shows progress - FOXSports.com

Jann Haworth first expected Work in Progress, a traveling exhibit currently at Brigham Young Universitys Museum of Art, to be a celebration of a woman in the White House and in turn, a changed paradigm for many women in the workplace.

The exhibit, a stencil collage of influential women throughout history, grows with each place it visits. Haworth and her daughter, fellow artist Liberty Blake, host stencil workshops at each location, where participants stencil their female heroes. Those stencils are added to successive panels, and the collage grows, theoretically in perpetuity.

Yes, the exhibit is still a celebration. But the presidential election didnt quite go as Haworth planned.

And it suddenly became a kind of, I dont know, a barricade, Haworth said of the growing collage.

Haworth, who splits her time between Sundance and Salt Lake City, is most known for the iconic cover art of The Beatles Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, on which she was a principal collaborator. She also helmed the SLC Pepper mural in Salt Lake City. The Work in Progress mural was first shown in Salt Lake City, and its had quite the life so far. Smaller copies are currently displayed in Vienna and Paris. Its been to Washington, D.C. twice once for the Womens March, another for a recent congressional commission about a possible womens history museum at the Smithsonian. Its also been to the TEDWomen 2016 conference in San Francisco, and will possibly be heading to London this summer.

Im completely shocked, Haworth said. Its been so active so quickly.

...

Blake, who specializes in collage work and arranges most of the submitted stencils, said its been hard to keep up with the pieces unexpected success. Between balancing her full-time job at Salt Lake Citys Leonardo Museum, her own personal art, her motherhood and her hobbies and the increasing attention the Work in Progress exhibit requires Blake said she cant really revel in its increasing notoriety.

What sustains her interest, she said, are the accompanying workshops. Participants come to the workshops with varying levels of expertise. Some consider themselves artists, others are noticeably uncomfortable with that label. Excusing a few ground rules, participants are free to stencil whichever notable woman they want to honor. Blake and Haworth find workable high-resolution images to stencil, and the groups get to work under their direction.

The ones that I am amazed by, and just awed by, are usually ones that are done by people who would not consider themselves artists, Blake said.

Her absolute favorite stencil was contributed by such a woman. Blake speaks in almost reverent tones when discussing it. She could hardly believe someone so untrained could have made something so striking.

And I dont know whether she realizes how amazing it is, either, Blake said. Was she really impressed and pleased, or did she think, Oh, thats doesnt look as realistic as I would have liked it to?

These workshops also create some social and artistic phenomena. Haworth mentioned the TEDWomen conference in particular.

And these crazy TED women, everything turned out red. I mean, they did all these stencils of wild colors, Haworth recalled. And its totally a different mood, that panel, than the first seven. So its really quite interesting how people watch what other people do and modify it, change it, build on it. And a group working on something together, its like a sewing circle they transfer information visually, not verbally, and they also build on what theyve seen before. So as it proceeded, people got more and more sophisticated, the way they cut the stencil, even though their skillset was no different than the people that had gone before.

...

Janalee Emmer, head of education at BYUs Museum of Art, helped coordinate the exhibits visit to BYU.

Im really fascinated to see the life that it continues to have after its here, as more venues make more panels, Emmer said. I mean, it really is such a dynamic idea. And I think the contagion for working on it is just kind of infectious. You kind of become an artist for a moment, and also a spokesperson for this woman that youre cutting out.

So, what is the exhibits future? According to Haworth, Work in Progress is only limited by its possible funding.

We dont see an end point, really, because its called Work in Progress deliberately, she said.

If the exhibit continues growing, Haworth said the panels could become a vast cyclorama. She envisions the panels becoming walls in the cyclorama, with layers of different-sized circles, and hallways displaying different womens films/animations/paintings/etc.

If Work in Progress ever reaches that pinnacle, it would probably be outside of Utah. Haworth said shed like to the piece stay in Utah, even though the exhibits initial criteria/rules embargoed portrayals of Utah women.

And the generalized womens story is very different from the Utah womens story, Haworth explained, adding that shed love for future murals to be state-specific. And wouldnt it be wonderful to have this kind of oracle in every state? I mean, I cant imagine itll happen. But I didnt think the mural would happen either.

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BYU MOA displays 'Work in Progress,' helmed by 'Sgt. Pepper's' artist - Daily Herald