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☆ The Rays Are Better Than Everyone. At Everything.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Tyler Kepner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays had just won again Tuesday night, but their architect was flustered by a small crack in the foundation. Erik Neander, the Rays’ president of baseball operations, wondered if any available veterans were lined up to start in the minors the next day. Anderson had pitched for a month in the Rays’ farm system last summer — and, most important, was lined up to start a morning game in Omaha in about 12 hours. The Rays made the requisite phone calls, got Anderson for cash considerations — “Maybe a dollar,” Neander said — and booked him on a 7 a.m. flight on Wednesday. That night, naturally, Anderson pitched three scoreless innings against Pittsburgh for his first career save in the majors.

☆ Apollo to take aerospace supplier Arconic private in $5.2 billion deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Pratyush Thakur | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 4 (Reuters) - Arconic Corp (ARNC.N) has agreed to be bought by Apollo Global Management Inc (APO.N) in a take-private deal valued at about $5.2 billion, the U.S. aerospace supplier said on Thursday. Apollo will pay $30 for each Arconic share held, representing a premium of 35.6% as of close on Feb. 27, a day before reports of deal talks emerged. The company, which supplies to Boeing Co (BA.N), had rebuffed an almost $10 billion offer from Apollo in 2018. Two years later, the company split into two publicly traded firms, Arconic Corp and Howmet Aerospace Inc (HWM.N). Arconic retained rolled products, aluminum extrusions, and building and construction systems business, while the engine products, fastening systems and forged wheels businesses were spun off to Howmet.

☆ MLB roundup: Dodgers stun Phillies on walk-off slam
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +13 min

Brandon Drury also hit a homer for the Angels, who won for the sixth time in their last eight games. Starter Seth Lugo (3-2) held the Reds to one run on seven hits over six innings to earn the win. Pfaadt, a touted pitching prospect, went 4 2/3 innings and allowed nine hits -- four of which were home runs -- and seven runs. Texas starter Andrew Heaney allowed six runs on four hits in 4 2/3 innings, with four walks and five strikeouts. Losing pitcher Eric Lauer (3-3) allowed four runs -- all unearned -- on four hits and struck out six in 4 2/3 innings.

☆ Buffett set for 59th shareholder marathon as big questions loom
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/2] Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett walks through the exhibit hall as shareholders gather to hear from the billionaire investor at Berkshire Hathaway Inc's annual shareholder meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S., May 4, 2019. Tens of thousands of people are flocking to Omaha, Nebraska this weekend for the extravaganza that Buffett, 92, calls "Woodstock for Capitalists." Buffett and Munger are due to answer five hours of shareholder questions at the meeting. "We believe in constructive engagement and dialogue, whether it's Warren Buffett or another company," Frerichs said in an interview. Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in Omaha, Nebraska; Editing by Will Dunham and Megan DaviesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Kraft Heinz Reports First-Quarter Sales Lifted by Higher Prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Dean Seal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Kraft Heinz, maker of Kool-Aid and Jell-O, raised prices last year in a response to more expensive commodities and supply-chain challenges. Photo: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg NewsKraft Heinz ’s higher prices once again lifted its revenue but ate into sales volumes during the most recently completed quarter as sticker shock sets in for grocery shoppers. The Pittsburgh-based maker of Kool-Aid and Jell-O said revenue climbed 7.3% to $6.49 billion in the first three months of the year, driven by higher costs for consumers that offset a decline in volumes and unfavorable foreign currency fluctuations. Analysts had been expecting $6.39 billion, according to FactSet.

☆ MLB roundup: AJ Pollock's HR ends no-no as Mariners edge A's
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +11 min

Mariners starter Bryce Miller, in his major league debut, gave up a run on two hits and no walks with 10 strikeouts. The Reds snapped a run of seven straight losses to the Padres and a streak of nine straight losses in San Diego. Jon Gray allowed four runs on eight hits with one walk and two strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings. The right-hander lasted five innings, allowing three runs on seven hits with no walks and six strikeouts. Keegan Thompson (1-2) was charged with three runs on four hits in one-third of an inning to take the loss.

John Barber, who was chair of 1,700-lawyer Lewis Brisbois' employment practice, said as many as 140 lawyers could eventually join the new firm, Barber Ranen. He said about 60 Lewis Brisbois lawyers are slated to join as partners. Los Angeles-founded Lewis Brisbois did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. A 32-lawyer cybersecurity group left Lewis Brisbois to join Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete in several cities in January. Read More:Partner group leaves Lewis Brisbois to launch new law firm44-member Lewis Brisbois cybersecurity team jumps to Constangy firmOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Can Artistry Be Built Into a Machine?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Oliver Whang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

One day recently, on a table in Jean Oh’s lab in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, a robot arm was busy at a canvas. Her doctoral student, Peter Schaldenbrand, stood alongside. In recent years, Mr. Schaldenbrand has led an effort to bridge the sim-to-real gap between sophisticated image-generation programs like Stable Diffusion and physical works of art like drawings and paintings. This has mainly been manifest in the project known as FRIDA, the latest iteration of which was rhythmically whirring away in a corner of the lab. The process of moving from language prompts to pixelated images to brushstrokes can be complicated, as the robot must account for “the noise of the real world,” Dr. Oh said.

☆ MLB roundup: White Sox surge past Rays, snap 10-game skid
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +12 min

[1/6] Apr 30, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox first baseman Andrew Vaughn (25) watches his game-winning three-run home run against the Tampa Bay Rays during the ninth inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. Christian Bethancourt added a solo homer and two RBIs. Orioles 5, Tigers 3Adam Frazier and Jorge Mateo hit solo home runs and visiting Baltimore continued its dominance of Detroit. Evan Phillips closed out the ninth inning to earn his third save. Reliever Zack Thompson (1-2) allowed two runs on one hit and two walks while retiring just two batters.

☆ MLB roundup: Padres prevail in offensive showcase in Mexico City
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +14 min

Trent Grisham hit a two-run double to increase the Padres' lead to 14-11 in the eighth. Machado had three hits with three RBIs and four runs, while Thairo Estrada had four hits and three RBIs for the Giants. Andujar went 2-for-3 with three RBIs, while Connor Joe went 1-for-4 with a solo homer and two runs for Pittsburgh. Patrick Corbin (1-4) gave up three runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and a walk in 5 1/3 innings. Nationals starter Chad Kuhl (0-2) allowed eight runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and four walks in just 3 2/3 innings.

☆ His 1960 Corvette Is At Home in a Public Brooklyn Garage
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( A.J. Baime | Photographs Nate Palmer For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Jan Hyde , 82, a retired real-estate investment banker and consultant, on his 1960 Chevrolet Corvette, as told to A.J. If I had to argue one reason why the Chevrolet Corvette exists on this planet, it would be racing. When I was growing up in Pittsburgh, there was a wealthy Gulf Oil executive named Grady Davis who started a Corvette racing team around 1961. He had two noteworthy drivers: a Washington, D.C.-based racer named Dr. Dick Thompson (they called him “The Flying Dentist”) and a guy named Don Yenko , who owned a Chevrolet dealership outside my hometown called Yenko Chevrolet.

☆ What’s next for troubled First Republic Bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —First Republic Bank is still an independent bank. The FDIC had already done so with two other similar sized banks just last month — Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank — when runs on those banks by their customers left the lenders unable to cover customers’ demands for withdrawals. Nervous major depositorsThe financial report showed depositors had withdrawn about 41% of their money from the bank during the first quarter. In its earnings statement, the bank said insured deposits declined moderately during the quarter and have remained stable from the end of last month through April 21. So when customers lose confidence in a bank and rush to withdrawal their money, what is known as a “run on the bank,” it can cause even an otherwise profitable bank to fail.

☆ Comstock Act: The 150-year-old chastity law that may be the next big fight over abortion
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Tierney Sneed | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

“Comstock is really the backdoor way to remove access to abortion across the whole country,” said Greer Donley, a University of Pittsburgh Law School professor who specializes in abortion law. Severino argued that, at least when it comes to the Comstock Act’s prohibitions on mailing abortion pills, Congress is well within its powers to regulate those shipments. Several towns, some in New Mexico and elsewhere, have passed local ordinances that cite the Comstock Act and prohibit business within those jurisdictions from shipping or receiving items used for abortions in the mail, as covered by the Comstock Act. The lawsuits in New Mexico state court that those ordinances have prompted may provide for another opportunity for courts to elaborate on what the Comstock Act means. The Supreme Court, in the emergency order it issued last week, did not say anything about the Comstock Act.

☆ MLB roundup: Gerrit Cole to 5-0 as Yanks win despite Aaron Judge injury
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

DJ LeMahieu and Gleyber Torres hit back-to-back homers in a three-run second off Texas starter Andrew Heaney (2-2). The Yankees won their second straight in a game that Aaron Judge exited in the fourth inning due to right hip discomfort. Webb was charged with two runs on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings; he walked one and struck out seven. Phillies 1, Mariners 0Kody Clemens delivered an RBI single in the second inning for the only run of the game as host Philadelphia defeated Seattle. Velazquez then hit the second pitch he saw from Lugo 404 feet into the seats in left center.

☆ Teen bans on the rise: malls, theme parks, and even a Chick-fil-A are requiring chaperones to stop rowdy minors
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Avery Hartmans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Shopping malls, theme parks, and a Chick-fil-A restaurant are starting to require chaperones for teenagers. Curfews for teens are nothing new — they first popped up at malls in the 1980s and 1990s. Southern California's Knott's Berry Farm announced in April that it was instituting a stricter policy in response to "increasing incidents of unruly and inappropriate behavior," the theme park said. Visitors pose for photos at Knott's Berry Farm. Jae C. Hong/APKnott's Berry Farm isn't alone in cracking down on unsupervised teenage visitors recently.

☆ MLB roundup: Zac Gallen extends scoreless run in D-backs' win
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +11 min

Arizona's Emmanuel Rivera had an RBI single among his two hits and scored a run. Evan Longoria also had an RBI single for the Diamondbacks, who won two of the three games in the series after losing four of their previous five contests. Padres 5, Cubs 3Fernando Tatis Jr. ripped a two-run single in the seventh inning to give San Diego the lead for good in its win in Chicago. Tatis added an insurance run with an RBI single in the ninth. Rodolfo Castro added a two-run single, and Bryan Reynolds, Andrew McCutchen and Ji Hwan Bae each had an RBI single for the Pirates.

NFL Draft coverage will be provided by ESPN, ABC, and NFL Network on TV, and you can also live stream coverage on the free ad-supported NFL Channel. How to watch the NFL Draft in the USYou can watch the NFL Draft on multiple TV channels, including ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network. In addition, the NFL is also providing free streaming coverage of the NFL Draft through the NFL Channel on the NFL app. A VPN will let you watch the NFL Channel's free live stream of the NFL Draft no matter where you are, while also giving you a more secure internet connection. ET NFL Channel, ABC, ESPN, NFL Network2023 NFL Draft first-round orderWhile there are 32 NFL teams, only 31 picks will be made in the first round.

☆ N.F.L. Draft Picks 2023: All the Results From the First Round
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( The New York Times | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Dallas CowboysMazi Smith, DT, Michigan27. Philadelphia EaglesNolan Smith, edge, Georgia31. Kansas City ChiefsFelix Anudike-Uzomah, edge, Kansas StateNotes: The Miami Dolphins forfeited their first-round pick. The Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers traded away their first-round picks. When the second round begins on Friday, Pittsburgh will have the first pick, followed by Arizona, Detroit, Indianapolis and the Los Angeles Rams.

☆ MLB roundup: Astros drop Rays to 14-1 at home
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +13 min

Andrew McCutchen hit a three-run homer, Ke'Bryan Hayes a two-run double and Carlos Santana and Austin Hedges an RBI single apiece for the Pirates. Texas built a six-run lead before Nick Senzel put Cincinnati on the scoreboard with an RBI single in the seventh inning. Ruiz's homer and Joey Meneses' RBI single in the third against Jose Butto (0-1) provided an early cushion for Gray. The Brewers got single runs in the third and fourth, then pulled within 4-3 when Rowdy Tellez opened the sixth with his eighth homer. With two outs during Chicago's four-run eighth, Gomes lined an RBI single to right field for his fifth career four-hit game.

In May 2019, the trio bought the abandoned school, Bowtie High, for $100,000 and converted it into a 31-unit apartment building. Wig, Colucci, and Spanovich found a different bank and secured a $2 million mortgage, which they pay down at $12,129/month. In total, renovating the old school cost $3.3 million, an amount that the partners are still shocked by. Leasing started in October 2021 before renovations were even completedLeasing at Bowtie High started in October 2021, and within six months, the former high school had reached 100% occupancy. Bedrooms have a lot of natural light thanks to the old high school's large windows.

☆ Tree of Life Synagogue Massacre Trial Set to Begin in Pittsburgh
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Kris Maher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Tree of Life synagogue was the site of the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history. Photo: Gene J. Puskar/Associated PressPITTSBURGH— Carol Black has honored the memory of her brother who was killed in the Tree of Life synagogue attack by taking on roles he once performed at services and by attending Pitt football games in the seat he had occupied for 35 seasons beside hers. The three congregations that lost 11 members 4½ years ago in the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history have largely grieved and tried to heal in private, supporting one another even as they joined the widening community of people scarred by mass shootings.

☆ Science Proves the 4-Day Workweek Prevents Burnout, Helps Productivity
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Shubham Agarwal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

At the time, back in 2018, a New Zealand firm had just wrapped up a landmark trial to test the efficacy of a four-day workweek. A lot of the benefits of the four-day workweek come down to a simple, everyday activity: sleep. A lot of the benefits of the four-day workweek come down to a simple, everyday activity: sleep. Less time, more productiveThough the four-day workweek may seem like a recent phenomenon, it's been decades in the making. But for now, the four-day workweek certainly has the potential to be a far-reaching antidote to pressing workplace concerns such as mass resignations and the burnout crisis.

[1/2] Police officers guard the Tree of Life synagogue following Saturday's shooting at the synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S., October 28, 2018. REUTERS/Aaron JosefczykApril 24 (Reuters) - The man accused of opening fire and killing 11 worshippers in a Pittsburgh synagogue in the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history faces a potential death sentence at the end of a federal trial that begins on Monday with jury selection. Robert Bowers, 50, is accused of dozens of charges, including 11 counts of hate crimes resulting in death, in a massacre that unfolded at Pittsburgh's Tree of Life synagogue on Oct. 27, 2018. In seeking the death penalty, federal prosecutors will try to prove aggravating factors in their case against Bowers, including that he substantially planned the attack and that he targeted vulnerable victims. Federal authorities said Bowers entered the synagogue in the city’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood where many residents are Jewish, armed with multiple firearms.

CNN —They say good things come to those who wait, and Drew Maggi has been waiting a long time for his major league call-up. The third baseman for the Altoona Curve – the Pittsburgh Pirates’ AAA affiliate – was drafted by the Pirates in the 15th round of the 2010 MLB draft but never played a big league game. Understandably, Maggi was pumped after spending his entire 13-year career in the minor leagues and celebrated alongside his teammates upon receiving the news. There were a lot of ups and downs, a lot of different people, injuries, a lot of stuff happens. So, being here, it feels right.”Maggi had most recently been playing with the Altoona Curve, the Pittsburgh Pirates' AAA affiliate.

☆ What to Know as the Tree of Life Massacre Trial Begins
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Campbell Robertson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

On the morning of Oct. 27, 2018, a gunman walked into the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh and killed 11 people who had gathered to worship, the deadliest antisemitic attack in the nation’s history. On Monday, more than four years later, the trial of the man accused of the massacre will begin with jury selection. The trial will take place in two phases, the first concerning guilt and the second on the penalty. Here’s what to know as the Tree of Life trial begins:Who were the victims? The Tree of Life congregation, founded in Pittsburgh more than 150 years ago, and the smaller New Light congregation are both conservative; the third congregation, Dor Hadash, is Reconstructionist, a progressive movement within Judaism.

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