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☆ Biomechanics trainer helped improve my 'disaster' serve, says Sabalenka
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Aryna Sabalenka credited her biomechanics trainer in helping her improve her powerful but erratic serve after she moved into the quarter-finals of the Australian Open for the first time on Monday. Even when my serve was a disaster, I worked a lot on my serve. I kept trying, kept believing, kept changing. Before I wouldn't be really open for that. "Actually, even when my serve was working, it wasn't really right...

☆ Rublev rolls on, Pliskova through to last 16 at Australian Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 21, 2023 Britain's Dan Evans reacts during his third round match against Russia's Andrey Rublev REUTERS/Hannah MckayMELBOURNE, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Fifth seed Andrey Rublev avoided a third round banana skin in the form of Briton Dan Evans at the Australian Open on Saturday after former world number one Karolina Pliskova sailed into the last 16 of the women's tournament. Red-headed Russian Rublev has found Evans a handful in the past but swept aside the 25th seed 6-4 6-2 6-3 with 60 winners on a glorious afternoon at Melbourne Park. A quarter-finalist two years ago, Rublev had unleashed on the chair umpire in his previous match after being warned for an audible obscenity. Unseeded Croatian Donna Vekic joined Bencic in the last 16 with a 6-2 6-2 win over Spain's Nuria Parrizas Diaz. After a lengthy medical time-out, the 19-year-old returned to complete an impressive 6-4 6-2 7-6(5) win over the Frenchman.

☆ Hamstrung Djokovic, exhausted Murray look to soldier on at Australian Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Rohith Nair | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The injury has clearly taken its toll on the 35-year-old Serbian, who dropped a set in the second round. "My situation with my injury is not ideal," said Djokovic, who took a medical timeout during his four-set win over French qualifier Enzo Couacaud. So I'm going to keep going. I'm going to try to play and compete with, of course, a great player Dimitrov." But one player who has defied belief in advancing to the third round is three-times Grand Slam champion Andy Murray.

☆ Swiatek the favourite as Melbourne Park set for new champion
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MELBOURNE, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Iga Swiatek is the strong favourite to land her fourth Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, but the picture is considerably less clear if the world number one fails to live up to her top seeding. DIFFERENT PROPOSITIONSwiatek was thrashed 6-4 6-1 by Danielle Collins at Melbourne Park last year in her first hardcourt Grand Slam semi-final, and the American looms this year in the last 16 if the seedings hold. Charismatic American teenager Coco Gauff would be a popular champion, not least in the Australian Open marketing department. Last year's French Open finalist is in form, having opened the season with the title at the Auckland Open. Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina's big serve gives her a chance of a second Grand Slam title, while world number four Caroline Garcia is enjoying a late-career renaissance and won the WTA Finals on hardcourt last year.

☆ House Republicans voted to gut the House Ethics Committee, and George Santos said it was 'fantastic'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

House Republicans voted on Monday to hobble the Office of Congressional Ethics. George Santos, facing multiple investigations and ethics complaints, called the changes "fantastic." The Office of Congressional Ethics, first established in 2008, is a quasi-independent body tasked with investigating allegations of misconduct against members of Congress. It then makes a determination as to whether those allegations are worth investigating further, at which point it makes a referral to the House Ethics Committee, which is evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats. In 2017, House Republicans voted in conference to subsume the office under the House Ethics Committee, effectively neutering it.

☆ WTA roundup: Belinda Bencic, Danielle Collins cruise in Adelaide
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

January 9 - Belinda Bencic of Switzerland and Danielle Collins were among those to win their first-round matches at the Adelaide International on Monday in Australia. 8 seed, beat Garbine Muguruza of Spain 6-3, 6-4 in 79 minutes. Collins, the American 10th seed, handled Karolina Pliskova of Czech Republic in 76 minutes. Hobart InternationalFourth seed Sloane Stephens lost her first-round match to fellow American Lauren Davis 6-2, 6-2 in Hobart, Australia. 1 seed Marie Bouzkova of Czech Republic beat Jaqueline Cristian of Romania 7-6 (2), 6-3.

Relentlessly rising rents, eight consecutive interest rate hikes, surging living costs and devastating natural disasters in the past few years have inflamed what was already among the world's least affordable rental markets. In Demographia's International Housing Affordability report this year, Sydney ranked the world's second-least affordable market, behind only Hong Kong. Australia's worst floods on record in the east of the country earlier this year destroyed homes and forced about 40,000 people to evacuate, adding to the housing crisis. SEEKING SOLUTIONSProperty owners say rising costs are forcing them to raise rents. Trina Jones from Homelessness New South Wales said for the move to be successful, homes need to be representative of social and affordable housing, and not aimed at making profits.

There have been 53 reports of tornadoes since early Tuesday morning in seven states, including three confirmed whirlwinds in Louisiana that killed three people. Reports came in from Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida. Typically, reports are made by citizens or law enforcement who spot the tornadoes or areas of damage. St. Charles Parish President Matthew Jewell said 55 structures were damaged during the storms, 21 of which have been deemed uninhabitable. One family had their home destroyed in Wayne, about 50 miles southeast of Oklahoma City, NBC Montana reported.

☆ At least 5 tornadoes confirmed in Texas as storms roll through southwestern US and blizzard conditions mount in the northern Plains
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Amir Vera Jason Hanna Monica Garrett | Amir Vera | Jason Hanna | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

More than 18 million people from Texas to Mississippi are under threat of severe storms Tuesday, including tornadoes. In Mississippi, the Meridian Public School District – which serves over 4,900 students – announced they will be closed Wednesday due to the threat of severe weather. The Lawrence County and McComb School Districts also announced they were closing Wednesday due to the threat of severe weather. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency also noted the severe weather expected in the state and asked residents to prepare. “With severe weather expected throughout Mississippi tonight and tomorrow, please review your severe weather preparedness checklist to make sure you are ready for the storms,” the agency said in a message on Twitter.

☆ 'The White Lotus': The show's most cringeworthy moments
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

(“White Lotus” and “Enlightened” are from HBO, which like CNN is part of the same parent company, Warner Bros. Tanya usurps a boat ride to NOT spread her mother’s ashesJennifer Coolidge (center) in 'The White Lotus' Season 1. Valentina gives Isabella a lavish (and hideous) brooch as a giftSabrina Impacciatore (L) and Eleonora Romandini in 'The White Lotus' Season 2. With White Lotus Sicily manager Valentina (Sabrina Impacciatore), White has beautifully constructed a driven and capable employer who nonetheless has quite a huge blindspot. Kai gets caught stealingKekoa Scott Kekumano in 'The White Lotus' Season 1.

☆ Australian woman speaks out after a man — who she alleges broke into her home, raped her, and sent an apology text for doing 'the most heinous thing possible' — was found not guilty
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Isabella Zavarise | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Lyndon Montgomery was found not guilty of breaking into Holly Harris' home and raping her. "I just refuse to accept that this is the reality for women and it's devastating for other women who have been raped or allegedly raped," she told Insider. Her memory after this, she told Insider, isn't as clear. Harris told Insider her memory is limited after this point but that she remembered Montgomery on top of her in her bed. Submitted by Holly HarrisLyndon Montgomery's text message to Holly Harris.

☆ Switzerland beat Australia to win first Billie Jean King Cup title
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The teams also clashed in the semi-finals of last year's event in Prague, where Teichmann overcame Sanders and Bencic defeated Tomljanovic before Switzerland went on to finish runners-up to Russia. Seven-times winners Australia had beaten hosts Britain in the semi-final and were seeking their first title since 1974. Australia had replaced the Russian team in this year's competition after the country was banned from defending its Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup titles following its Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine. Switzerland became the 12th different country to win the tournament, formerly known as the Fed Cup, and the first new champions since Italy in 2006. "You saw how many close points there were, who knows why we win some and lose some.

☆ Swiss beat Canada, Czechs trounce Americans to reach BJK Cup semi-finals
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Rory Carroll | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Golubic hit back to beat former U.S. Open champion Bianca Andreescu 2-6 6-3 6-4 before Bencic beat Leylah Fernandez 6-0 7-5 to give last year's runners-up an unassailable lead. Friday's clash between the Swiss and the Canadians was effectively a group decider after both teams beat Italy. Golubic replaced Jil Teichmann and initially the switch appeared to be backfiring for the Swiss as Andreescu ran away with the opening set. Bencic then came out all guns blazing against Fernandez to race through the opening set, but the Canadian dug deep in an absorbing second set before Bencic wrapped up victory. Gauff never quite found her form in the second set, putting up 19 unforced errors as a near-flawless Siniakova never faced a break and roared with triumph after closing the affair 7-6(1) 6-1 for the 2018 champions.

☆ Bencic leads Switzerland past Italy, Slovakia beat Belgium
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 9 (Reuters) - Belinda Bencic led Switzerland to victory over Italy in their opening Billie Jean King Cup tie on Wednesday while Slovakia bounced back from a tough loss to Australia to defeat Belgium and get their campaign back on track. Earlier, Viktoria Kuzmova and Anna Karolina Schmiedlova won their singles ties to help secure a 2-1 victory over Belgium in their final Group B tie. Schmiedlova sealed the tie for Slovakia in a tenacious 5-7 6-2 6-3 win over Maryna Zanevska before the doubles pairing of Elise Mertens and Kirsten Flipkens got Belgium on the board with a crushing 6-0 6-3 win over Kuzmova and Mihalikova. The United States will take on Poland in Group D while Spain face Kazakhstan in Group C later on Wednesday. Reporting by Hritika Sharma in Bengaluru Editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ So you won the lottery. What now?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN Business —So, you won the lottery. Before you broadcast your sudden windfall to the world, and even before you contact lottery officials, you’ll be wise to surround yourself with a team of lawyers and financial advisers. Make copies of both sides of your lottery ticket, and then lock it up somewhere only you can access it. But there’s one big piece of the lottery puzzle that you can’t farm out to lawyers, and that’s your mental health. “The curse of the lottery losers is very real,” Andrew Stoltmann, a lawyer who has represented lottery winners, told CNBC.

☆ Emma Raducanu's former coach says he left because of 'red flags'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Dmitry Tursunov says he decided to stop coaching Emma Raducanu at the end of his trial period with the tennis star because of “red flags” that he could not ignore. Tursunov is now working with Olympic champion Belinda Bencic but says that was not the reason he left Raducanu. “We didn’t agree on the terms and there were some red flags that just couldn’t be ignored. “First of all, she’s absolutely great, she’s a hard worker and she doesn’t think or act like she’s a superstar,” he added. “Of course, it’s hard to say that and it’s hard for people to understand how it is possible because she already won the US Open.

☆ Tursunov opted against working with Raducanu due to 'red flags'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 27 (Reuters) - Dmitry Tursunov said he decided not to continue coaching Emma Raducanu at the end of a trial period with the former U.S. Open champion as they could not agree terms and there were "red flags" he could not ignore. Raducanu won the U.S. Open title in 2021 but has since fallen to 76th in the WTA rankings. The 19-year-old Briton has been without a full-time coach since splitting with German Torben Beltz in April and spent some time this year working with Tursunov. The Russian left Raducanu's camp at the end of their trial period and is now coaching Olympic champion Belinda Bencic. We didn't agree on the terms and there were some red flags that just couldn't be ignored," he told tennismajors.com in an interview published on Wednesday.

Cast member Jennifer Coolidge attends a premiere for season 2 of the television series The White Lotus in Los Angeles, California, U.S. October 20, 2022. REUTERS/Mario AnzuoniLOS ANGELES, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Jennifer Coolidge returns to "The White Lotus" to play Tanya McQuoid for Season 2 of the HBO Max series created by Mike White, and she’s ready for fans to meet a new side of her character. “And they’re really funny too.”The characters this season must face unique conflicts that audiences haven’t seen in this series yet, he said. “I think this season it’s “White Lotus” on aphrodisiacs. Last season was a lot about money and power, and this season is much more about sex, sexual politics, sexual jealousy, men and women and monogamy, adultery, and all those sexier topics.”Season 2 of "The White Lotus" premieres on October 30, 2022 on HBO Max.

☆ Gauff, Garcia into WTA Finals after Sabalenka defeat in Guadalajara
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Tennis - WTA 1000 - Guadalajara Open - Guadalajara, Mexico - October 19, 2022 Coco Gauff of the U.S. in action during her second round match against Italy's Elisabetta Cocciaretto REUTERS/Henry RomeroOct 19 (Reuters) - Coco Gauff and Caroline Garcia qualified for the eight-player WTA Finals after Aryna Sabalenka lost to Liudmila Samsonova in the Guadalajara Open second round on Wednesday. The WTA Finals featuring the world's top eight players start on Oct. 31. Despite the loss, Sabalenka has not been eliminated from making the elite eight, according to the WTA. Fifth seed Gauff was not at her best but was still good enough to see off Italy's Elisabetta Cocciaretto 7-6(1) 6-3. Danielle Collins and Jelena Ostapenko, who both have an outside shot of making the WTA Finals, won their second round matches on Wednesday, while other hopefuls including Madison Keys, Belinda Bencic and top seed Paula Badosa play later.

Venerable Scottish actor Robbie Coltrane, best known as the dragon-loving half-giant Hagrid from the "Harry Potter" film franchise, died on Friday, his managers said. "We are hugely saddened to hear of the passing of the magnificent Robbie Coltrane who played Hagrid with such kindness, heart and humour in the Harry Potter films," the “Harry Potter” film franchise said in statement. Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid in the "Harry Potter" series. He was an incredible actor and a lovely man.”And fellow “Harry Potter” actor James Phelps, who played one of the Weasely twins, recalled being a fresh-faced 14-year-old, nervous on first day on the set in September 2020. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said "Ftiz" was one her favorite TV characters and called Coltrane a "Scottish entertainment legend."

☆ Harry Potter actor Robbie Coltrane dies aged 72
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Actor Robbie Coltrane talks during a media preview of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter-Diagon Alley at the Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida June 19, 2014. REUTERS/David Manning/FilesLONDON, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Robbie Coltrane, the larger-than-life Scottish actor who played Hagrid in the Harry Potter films, died on Friday at the age of 72, his agent said. Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling led the tributes on Twitter, writing: "I'll never know anyone remotely like Robbie again. "Robbie Coltrane, Scottish entertainment legend - you will be hugely missed," she wrote. British actor and broadcaster Stephen Fry - who narrated the British version of the Harry Potter audio books - wrote that he had met Coltrane almost exactly 40 years ago.

☆ Kenya's drought wipes out 2% of the world's rarest zebras
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-05 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The Grevy Zebra, the world’s rarest of the zebra species, has been the worst hit species by the drought. “If the approaching rainy season fails, Grevy’s zebra face a very serious threat of starvation,” she said. “Since June, we have lost 58 Grevy’s zebra and mortality cases are rising as the drought intensifies.”Even the most drought-resistant animals are impacted. The Grevy’s Zebra Trust says it is helping endangered species survive the drought through supplementary feeding. The Grevy's Zebra Trust provides supplementary hay to help endangered Grevy's zebra survive the drought crisis in Northern Kenya.

☆ Trump ally Mike Lindell being investigated in connection with alleged Colorado election security breach
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON — Mike Lindell, the My Pillow Inc chief executive and ally to former President Donald Trump, is under U.S. federal investigation for identity theft and for conspiring to damage a protected computer connected to a suspected voting equipment security breach in Colorado. Investigations into election claimsThe FBI in August 2021 confirmed it had opened a criminal investigation into a suspected security breach of voting equipment in the western Colorado county of Mesa. The equipment at issue in the election security breach investigation were furnished by Dominion Voting Systems, which has sued Trump allies and conservative television networks over baseless claims the company’s products were used to rig the election against Trump. Peters, her deputy Belinda Knisley and former elections manager Sandra Brown were indicted on state criminal charges this year in connection with the election security breach. Peters, Knisley and Brown are all named as subjects in the Justice Department’s criminal investigation, according to the warrant, along with several others.

read moreLindell is the latest person to be swept into federal criminal investigations surrounding Trump and his allies over their failed efforts to overturn the 2020 election results based on false claims of voter fraud. INVESTIGATIONS INTO ELECTION CLAIMSThe FBI in August 2021 confirmed it had opened a criminal investigation into a suspected security breach of voting equipment in the western Colorado county of Mesa. The equipment at issue in the election security breach investigation were furnished by Dominion Voting Systems, which has sued Trump allies and conservative television networks over baseless claims the company's products were used to rig the election against Trump. Peters, her deputy Belinda Knisley and former elections manager Sandra Brown were indicted on state criminal charges this year in connection with the election security breach. Peters, Knisley and Brown are all named as subjects in the Justice Department's criminal investigation, according to the warrant, along with several others.

☆ Homeowners still want space to quarantine and take Zoom calls, even though the worst of the pandemic is over. 3 real-estate experts explain the trends they're seeing.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-02 | by ( Abigail Bassett | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Quarantine spaces, flexible rooms, and accessory dwelling units (ADUs), are hot trends right now. The lower level matched exactly the kind of space Trevett was looking to build out. Additional data from the NAHB shows that demand for things like flexible living spaces, dedicated office or Zoom spaces, outdoor spaces, laundry rooms, and home technology has risen during the pandemic. Adding more living space separate from the main home has also become more important for families considering the needs of aging parents and boomerang kids. "Having a dedicated quarantine space gives me a sense of relief," Trevett said.

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