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2017年9月30日星期六
Timberwolves-Lakers Twi-lights: Shabazz Muhammad leads in preseason-opening win
Miss out on any of the action from the Minnesota Timberwolves' 108-99 win over the Los Angeles Lakers?
We've got you covered.
Check out all the best clips from the preseason-opening win, including some of Shabazz Muhammad's game-leading 22 points and Taj Gibson's reaction after an impressive 18-point, nine-rebound debut with the Wolves:
#TWolves' Thibs on team's focus before first preseason game http://pic.twitter.com/tWfcrbV2qS
— FOX Sports North (@fsnorth) October 1, 2017
. @Teague0 knocks down a 3 for an early #TWolves lead! Watch @Timberwolves now on @FSnorth PLUS, #FOXSportsGO: https://t.co/rYGurxCRJJhttp://pic.twitter.com/1QMt5kZ7VT
— FOX Sports North (@fsnorth) October 1, 2017
. @KarlTowns gets the AND1 -- Watch @Timberwolves now on @FSnorth PLUS, #FOXSportsGO: https://t.co/rYGurxCRJJhttp://pic.twitter.com/dWV3uzeLjF
— FOX Sports North (@fsnorth) October 1, 2017
#TWolves lead 61-52 at the half. @ShabazzMuhammad: 'We already seem like we're gellin' http://pic.twitter.com/pnGA4KuRAl
— FOX Sports North (@fsnorth) October 1, 2017
. @KarlTowns gets 2nd-half scoring started with easy 3. Watch @Timberwolves now on @FSnorth PLUS, #FOXSportsGO: https://t.co/rYGurxCRJJhttp://pic.twitter.com/MoYmHDHOG3
— FOX Sports North (@fsnorth) October 1, 2017
Aaron Brooks takes a piece of Tyler Ennis' tear-away jersey! Watch @Timberwolves now on @FSnorth PLUS, #FOXSportsGO: https://t.co/rYGurxCRJJhttp://pic.twitter.com/O3MATP3tQT
— FOX Sports North (@fsnorth) October 1, 2017
. @ShabazzMuhammad shows deft hands and what a finish! Watch @Timberwolves now on @FSnorth PLUS, #FOXSportsGO: https://t.co/rYGurxCRJJhttp://pic.twitter.com/RkVbglQBUR
— FOX Sports North (@fsnorth) October 1, 2017
#TWolves' @TajGibson22 on preseason-opening win: 'We were having fun early but we gotta keep up the defense' http://pic.twitter.com/cTEn8Wl5OX
— FOX Sports North (@fsnorth) October 1, 2017
O.J. Simpson 'progressing toward his release,' Nevada official says
He wasn't eluding tacklers or running through airports, like in his NFL and TV-pitchman heyday.
But apparently O.J. Simpson was on the move Saturday in preparation for his release from prison on parole – possibly as soon as Monday.
Nevada Department of Corrections public inmate records provided no information about Simpson's custody status or location Saturday, which prisons spokeswoman Brooke Keast said usually indicates an inmate is being transported while in custody.
Locations are withheld for security reasons, she said.
"He is still in our custody, at least until (Sunday)," Keast said. "The department is progressing toward his release as soon as possible."
Simpson's attorney, Malcolm LaVergne, said he wouldn't confirm his client's location. He said that when he last spoke with Simpson, he was still at Lovelock Correctional Center in northern Nevada.
When Simpson arrives at a prison facility, the department's public website will reflect his location, Keast said.
Nevada Parole and Probation Capt. Shawn Arruti, who is involved in Simpson's release, did not immediately respond to telephone and email messages.
Keast said this week that plans called for Simpson to be transferred to High Desert State Prison outside Las Vegas to be freed as early as Monday -- the first business day after Simpson becomes eligible for parole Sunday. She said releases normally aren't handled on weekends.
The former football hero, TV and movie actor, advertising pitchman and celebrity criminal defendant, now 70, has served nine years in prison for a 2007 armed robbery involving two sports memorabilia dealers in a Las Vegas hotel room.
He maintained he led five men into the confrontation to retrieve personal items and family mementoes stolen following his acquittal in 1995 of murder charges in the 1994 slayings of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. He was found civilly liable for the slayings in 1997 and ordered to pay the victims' families $33.5 million.
Simpson was sentenced in Nevada to up to 33 years, but was granted parole in July. Once released, he'll be subject to supervision by the state Division of Parole and Probation through September 2022.
High Desert State Prison is located in Indian Springs, about 45 miles northwest of Las Vegas. It is the main processing center for inmates from southern Nevada, where Simpson was convicted.
A close Simpson friend, Tom Scotto, has offered to have Simpson live with him in Naples, Florida. Such a move would require an agreement between parole departments in Nevada and Florida.
Scotto didn't immediately respond Saturday to messages.
Florida had not received transfer paperwork from Nevada as of Friday, and Florida's attorney general said this week she doesn't want prison officials to let Simpson live in the state.
Attorney LaVergne, however, had a different view.
"He's going to Florida," LaVergne said Friday. "There's no doubt he's going to Florida."
Gallo hits HRs 40, 41 to lift Rangers over A's 8-4
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- Joey Gallo wore a big grin as he rounded the bases during his 40th home run of the season.
Normally stoic after his homers, Gallo couldn't help himself.
"I didn't really care at the moment, I was like screw it," Gallo said. "It was a great moment for me. It was building up and everything."
One inning later, Gallo added No. 41 for good measure, helping the Texas Rangers beat the Oakland Athletics 8-4 on Saturday night.
"It's like a kid having fun at the ballyard," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "Then to follow it up with 41 is pretty incredible."
Gallo had a two-run homer in the second inning and a solo shot in the third, becoming the sixth Ranger to hit 40 homers in a season and the first since Josh Hamilton had 43 in 2010. Gallo ranks fifth in the majors in home runs. He also walked twice and scored on a single by Rougned Odor in the seventh.
Andrew Cashner (11-11) limited Oakland to five hits and two runs in six innings. He finished his season with a 3.40 ERA, good for ninth in the AL.
A soon-to-be free agent, it could have been the native Texan's final game with the Rangers.
"It felt great, it was kind of one of those moments where you soak it in and try and go out there and do the best you can," he said.
Gallo gave Cashner an early lead when he homered on a 1-1 pitch from Daniel Gossett (4-11) that hit the batter's eye in straightaway center.
Texas tacked on two more runs in the second when Odor and Jared Hoying had back-to-back doubles and Delino DeShields singled, knocking out Gossett after 1 2/3 innings.
"I wasn't able to slow the game down and make my pitches. It sped up on me, I lost track of the plan," Gossett said.
Oakland cut the lead to 5-2 in the sixth on a double by Khris Davis and an RBI groundout from Matt Chapman.
Texas added two more runs in the sixth when Willie Calhoun had an RBI single and then scored on a double from Elvis Andrus.
Matt Joyce hit a solo homer for Oakland in the eighth and Marcus Semein homered in the ninth.
HELPING OUT
Oakland RHP Kendall Graveman made his final start on Sept. 27 against Seattle, but he's still helping out his teammates during the series against Texas and has been volunteering his time as a clubhouse assistant.
"He seems to be enjoying himself with it," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "And actually you have to almost take a double take when you walk by him, because he actually looks like he fits in pretty well doing it. The guys are getting a kick out of it."
MAXWELL KNEELS AGAIN
Bruce Maxwell took to a knee in the Oakland bullpen during the national anthem. The catcher was warming up Gossett and out of view from many fans, but was still booed by a handful of attendees.
Maxwell has been the only major league baseball player to kneel for the anthem, a movement started by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick to protest police treatment of blacks. Mawell was booed before each plate appearance Saturday.
TRAINERS ROOM
Rangers: Rangers manager Jeff Banister said 3B Adrian Beltre (strained hamstring) could make an appearance Sunday -- possibly as a pinch hitter -- so fans could see and honor the player to close out the season.
UP NEXT
Athletics: RHP Daniel Mengden (2-2) will make his fourth start since getting recalled from Triple-A Nashville on Sept. 5.
Rangers: LHP Cole Hamels (12-5) will close out the season for Texas and looking to rebound from a loss against the Houston Astros on Sept. 26.
Rudolph lifts No 15 Oklahoma State over Texas Tech 41-34
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) -- Quarterback Mason Rudolph ran 16 yards for the go-ahead touchdown in the final two minutes and No. 15 Oklahoma State beat Texas Tech 41-34 on Saturday night.
Rudolph's second rushing score after halftime followed three first-half TD tosses as the Cowboys (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) bounced back from a home loss to ninth-ranked TCU and avoided a second early conference loss in their pursuit of the revived Big 12 championship game.
Oklahoma State held the Red Raiders (3-1, 0-1) to 384 yards, about 200 yards below the third-best average in the county coming in, and stopped Texas Tech after Matt Ammendola missed an 18-yard field goal that would have given the Cowboys the lead with 5:30 remaining.
Rudolph led Oklahoma State's 79-yard drive to the decisive score. Marcell Ateman made a jump-ball catch over Octavious Morgan for 26 yards on third down. Two plays later, Rudolph faked a handoff and ran untouched to the right corner of the end zone with 1:12 remaining.
Nic Shimonek completed a 25-yard pass to Antoine Wesley at midfield before four straight incompletions that clinched the win for the Cowboys.
DaMarcus Fields returned an interception 97 yards for Texas Tech's first points, and Justin Stockton and Desmond Nisby had consecutive 1-yard runs to get the Red Raiders even at 34.
Justice Hill had a career-high 164 yards rushing for the Cowboys along with a 5-yard scoring catch. James Washington had nine catches for 127 yards and a score and now leads the nation with 627 yards receiving. Ateman had 114 yards receiving.
Rudolph was 27 of 38 for 376 yards, with first-half TD tosses to Washington, Hill and Jalen McCleskey. His first rushing score was an 8-yarder on the opening drive of the third quarter.
Shimonek was 29 of 46 for 330 yards with one touchdown and just his second interception of the season.
THE TAKEAWAY
Oklahoma State: There could be room to climb in the poll with No. 12 Virginia Tech's loss to Clemson. It's not the situation the team wanted to be in approaching the midway point of the season, but it's better than the alternative -- a second straight loss after peaking at No. 6.
Texas Tech: The Red Raiders twice settled for field goals with first downs inside the Oklahoma State 5. Those eight lost points loomed large in a seven-point loss.
UP NEXT
Oklahoma State: Winless Baylor on Oct. 14 after an open week.
Texas Tech: After three of four at home, it's time for three of four on the road. The first is at Kansas on Saturday.
O.J. Simpson case inspires Nevada Republican's bid to change state law
Nevada's parole board says it didn't consider O.J. Simpson's 1989 conviction for misdemeanor spousal abuse when it granted him parole in July because it wasn't listed in the federal clearinghouse of FBI crime data. Simpson is pictured reacting to news that he was granted parole, in Lovelock, Nev., July 20, 2017. (Jason Bean/The Reno Gazette-Journal via Associated Press)
Media reports indicate that O.J. Simpson may be released on parole from a Nevada prison as soon as Monday.
But if a Nevada Republican's proposal becomes law, getting sprung early despite a history of domestic violence will be more difficult for the state's inmates in the future.
Assemblywoman Lisa Krasner, R-Reno, says the fact that Simpson may soon walk free early after his conviction in a 2007 robbery case shouldn't have been possible because of his 1989 conviction in California for misdemeanor spousal abuse.
So Krasner is out to fix the problem. She recently proposed a bill that would require Nevada parole boards to consider an inmate's history of domestic violence when they determine if the inmate should be granted an early release.
"This won't affect O.J. Simpson, but it will affect future people who are trying to get out on parole," Krasner said at a news conference last week.
Krasner was joined at the news conference by women's rights attorney Gloria Allred.
"As I watched the hearing and heard the board conclude that Mr. Simpson was 'at low risk to reoffend' and should be granted parole, I immediately felt that the law in Nevada should be changed," Allred told reporters.
Allred said she sought Krasner's help because the Republican has a history of working on behalf of crime victims.
Nevada's parole board didn't consider Simpson's 1989 conviction for misdemeanor spousal abuse when it granted him parole in July because the case wasn't listed in the national clearinghouse of FBI crime data, said David Smith, the board's hearing officer.
He said it was impossible to know whether the decision to grant parole to Simpson might have been different if the board had considered the abuse conviction.
Police reported they arrived at Simpson's Los Angeles home on New Year's Day 1989 to find his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson screaming, "He's going to kill me!" Officers said she had a cut lip, swollen and blackened left eye and cheek, and a handprint on her neck.
After O.J. Simpson was granted parole in Nevada, "I immediately felt that the law in Nevada should be changed," attorney Gloria Allred said last week. Allred is pictured in Los Angeles, Aug. 22, 2013. (Getty Images)
Krasner's Nevada measure would require those seeking parole to sign a sworn statement that all information they provide to the parole board is true. If Simpson was required to testify under such conditions, he couldn't have told the commissioners he had "spent a conflict-free life," Allred said.
Liz Martinez, a spokeswoman for Los Angeles County Superior Court, confirmed last week that Simpson's spousal abuse conviction was not expunged and remained unsealed in a court database. Under California law, pleading no contest is considered a conviction.
The FBI, which maintains the electronic clearinghouse, said submissions by local law enforcement are "primarily voluntary, not compulsory."
Because laws differ among states about what information should be provided, "information can sometimes be missing from a person's record maintained by the FBI," said Stephen Fischer, a spokesman for the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services Division.
Malcolm LaVergne, Simpson's lawyer in Las Vegas, downplayed the abuse case as "more in the nature of a traffic ticket than a serious crime." He noted that it was handled in municipal court, without Simpson present.
"The fact that Simpson was not present at the plea hearing is critical to understanding just how lightly this situation was treated, whatever your position is on Simpson or issues of domestic abuse," LaVergne said in an email.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
The Latest: Activists await ballots in banned Catalonia vote
BARCELONA, Spain – The Latest on Catalonia's plans to hold a referendum Sunday on breaking away from Spain (all times local):
6.25 a.m.
Some of the Catalans who are defying court orders to vote in a disputed referendum on their region's secession from Spain say they want to send a strong message of displeasure with central authorities.
Activist Augsti Gil says there were no ballots or ballot boxes in Barcelona's Joan Fuster high school where more than a hundred people have joined another hundred who spent the night occupying the designated polling station.
Gil says they expect materials to arrive Sunday morning ahead of the 9 a.m. opening of polls.
Joaquim Bosch, a 73 year-old retiree at Princep de Viana high school, where a crowd of 20 people was growing says he is uneasy about a possible police response to the crowds.
Bosch says: "I have come to vote to defend the rights of my country, which is Catalonia."
Catalans assemble in polling stations defying police orders
BARCELONA, Spain – Crowds are growing in Barcelona and towns across Catalonia at dozens of schools and other facilities designated as polling stations for a disputed referendum on the northeastern region's secession from Spain.
People began arriving before dawn to join parents, children and activists who have occupied the buildings, defying a judge's order to vacate before Sunday's polling is supposed to begin.
The country's Constitutional Court has suspended the referendum and the Spanish government says it's illegal. Regional separatist leaders have pledged to hold it anyway and called on 5.3 million eligible voters to show up for casting a ballot.
Separatist groups also told people to hold activities in schools over the weekend to dodge the orders to vacate. Police have been ordered to avoid the use of force.
In hurricane-hit Puerto Rico, a stunning silence
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – I was stunned as I walked through the darkened and humid arrivals terminal at San Juan's International Airport two days after Hurricane Maria blasted its way across Puerto Rico.
It was quiet. No military air traffic control units on the tarmac directing planeloads of aid supplies, no bustling command center sending convoys of trucks to hard-hit areas. No mountains of relief goods stacked and ready to be deployed where needed.
There were a couple of airport employees mopping the still-damp floors of the terminal, the only sign of life in the vast space.
A Federal Emergency Management Agency guy stood at the curb smoking a cigarette as I came out looking for my ride, and we struck up a conversation. The man who gave his name as John said he and a crew from FEMA had been pre-positioned at the Intercontinental Hotel before the storm.
He told me they had spent the night moving from room to room as the ferocious winds tore chunks off the building. They ended up in the stairwell, which he said "was like a waterfall, the water gushing down the stairs like class 5 rapids."
"Where," I asked, "is the cavalry?" ''This is it," he replied, pointing to several dozen National Guard pilots and support people, along with several dozen local and federal officials milling around the Forward Operations Base near the civilian terminal of the airport.
I covered Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the Haiti earthquake of 2010, among many natural disasters over the course of 30 years in journalism.
Disasters on the scale of Hurricane Maria are usually marked by the inspiring sight of thousands of military and federal emergency personnel flooding into the affected area.
Navy ships offshore, dozens of helicopters and cargo planes flying overhead, military convoys heading into affected areas with supplies and repair crews.
The only traffic on the still flooded highways that Friday consisted of civilians looking for gas, food, water or loved ones in the wake of the storm.
Twenty-thousand troops were sent into New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina flooded the city and surrounding areas. Thousands of foreign aid workers rushed into Haiti after the earthquake there leveled Port-Au-Prince, the capital. Within three days of that quake, the U.S. had dispatched some half-dozen ships and 5,500 soldiers and Marines.
In San Juan on Sept. 22, the only sign of relief efforts were beleaguered Puerto Rican government employees struggling to address the multitude of problems confronting the devastated island, while coping with their own losses from the storm.
In outlying areas, residents were left to fend for themselves, clearing roads, helping neighbors, sifting through the debris of their homes.
On a trip to the Guajataca Reservoir, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) north of San Juan, we came across a 25-year-old resident who refused to leave even though the Puerto Rico government declared an emergency evacuation, fearing the dam was about to burst and flood as many as 70,000 residents downstream.
She was pregnant and due to give birth in two days, but said she wasn't leaving because there "was nowhere to go." Her husband said they were better off in their damaged home, than relying on government help. "There is no government," he said, "here I have my family and neighbors to help me."
The bottlenecks appeared to be easing by this weekend, with thousands of Puerto Ricans finally getting water and food rations, even if help was yet to reach many on the island of 3.4 million people.
Military trucks carrying water bottles and other supplies began to reach even some remote parts of Puerto Rico and federal officials insisted more gains were coming soon.
The U.S. Navy hospital ship Comfort has been dispatched to the island and the Trump administration has named a three-star Army general to oversee military relief efforts.
Gov. Ricard Rossello blamed some of the problems on difficulties in getting aid shipments out of seaports and airports that were knocked out of commission in the storm, and then distributing the supplies on debris-strewn streets.
As I departed on Wednesday, lines of desperate people trying to leave the island clogged the sweltering airport terminal. But at least the long-awaited aid flights appeared to be landing, a sign of hope things might start getting a little better for those left behind.
Reports: Marilyn Manson injured during New York concert
Singer Marilyn Manson arrives on the red carpet for the Echo Music Awards ceremony in Berlin, March 22, 2012. (Reuters)
Rocker Marilyn Manson's concert in New York City was abruptly ended Saturday night after he was struck by a stage prop, media reports said.
The severity of Manson's injuries was not immediately known, Rolling Stone reported, but a source told Variety that Manson "should be fine."
"Manson suffered an injury towards the end of his incredible NYC show. He is being treated at a local hospital," a spokesperson for the performer told Rolling Stone.
The incident happened less than an hour into the show at the Hammerstein Ballroom, the report said.
According to Rolling Stone, Manson made his way toward the back of the stage, where a prop featuring two giant pistols suddenly fell forward onto him.
Variety reported that the band was playing a cover of the Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)." The band kept playing until they noticed that Manson was not getting up, the report said.
Manson's concert tour began this week. It was unclear whether any upcoming shows will be postponed.
The Latest: Schools warn flutes could be tainted with semen
FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. – The Latest on schools warning about flutes tainted with body fluids (all times local):
8:45 p.m.
A California school district is warning parents that some students may have received flutes tainted with semen from a music teacher.
The Orange County Register says the Saugus Union School District notified parents Saturday about a state and federal investigation into handmade flutes that were handed out to youngsters in some classrooms by a music teacher and performer associated with the nonprofit group Flutes Across the World.
A message left for the group's founder wasn't immediately returned Saturday night.
Several other Southern California school districts also are warning parents about a state and federal investigation into the flutes.
Officials with the Fullerton district say fourth- through sixth-grade students at two schools took part in the program.
According to KNBC-TV , the Los Angeles Unified School District says the flutes may have been distributed to students in as many as 13 Southern California districts.
___
5:02 p.m.
California school districts are warning that some youngsters may have received flutes tainted with body fluids.
The Orange County Register says at least three districts — Fountain Valley, Newport Mesa and Capistrano — notified parents about the situation this week.
Fountain Valley's superintendent told parents that in June an independent music enrichment contractor gave fifth-grade students flutes that "potentially" were contaminated with unspecified body fluids.
The Register says the independent contractor worked in several Southern California school districts.
The flutes were made of plastic pipe and wine corks and could be colorfully decorated.
No arrests have been made but state and federal officials are investigating.
Some districts asked parents to preserve evidence by putting the flutes in sealed paper bags.
Nikita Kucherov collects 3 points, game-winning goal in OT as Lightning beat Predators
LIGHTNING 3, PREDATORS 2, OT
In Nashville, Nikita Kucherov scored 1:02 into overtime to lift Tampa Bay to the win.
Kucherov also assisted on Alex Killorn's two goals. Killorn opened the scoring at 5:49 of the first period, and then added another one at 13:51 of the second.
Andrei Vasilevskiy made 26 saves for the Lightning.
Miikka Salomaki and Colton Sissons scored for Nashville, and Pekka Rinne had 32 stops.
Wild top Stars to end preseason with momentum
ST. PAUL, Minn -- Devan Dubnyk made 27 saves to lead the Minnesota Wild to a 5-1 victory over the Dallas Stars in their final preseason game.
Eric Staal had two goals and an assist for Minnesota, and Charlie Coyle finished with a goal and an assist. Marcus Foligno and Mikko Koivu also scored.
Jason Spezza scored for Dallas, and Ben Bishop made 19 stops.
Up next, the Wild travel to Detroit to take on the Red Wings on Thursday.
UCF racks up 603 yards of offense in dominating win over Memphis
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- McKenzie Milton threw for three touchdowns, Adrian Killins Jr. accounted for two more scores and UCF beat Memphis 40-13 Saturday night in the American Athletic Conference opener for both teams.
Killins' first touchdown, a 96-yard run, was the longest play from scrimmage in conference history.
Milton was 19-of-31 passing for 253 yards and had 88 yards rushing on 11 carries. Killins finished with five receptions for 64 yards and a score and added nine carries for 115 yards.
Taj McGowan's 1-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-goal capped a 17-play, 92-yard drive to open the game for UCF (3-0) but, after the Knights failed to convert the PAT, Memphis took a 7-6 lead when Patrick Taylor scored on a 2-yard run with 5:15 left in the first quarter.
Matthew Wright's 28-yard field goal made it 9-7 midway through the second quarter and provided the first of 34-straight UCF points.
Riley Ferguson passed for 321 yards and a touchdown but threw three interceptions and lost a fumble for Memphis (3-1). The Tigers came in averaging 43 points per game.
The Knights finished with 603 total yards, including 350 rushing.
National Flag-raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square marks National Day
A national flag-raising ceremony is held at the Tian'anmen Square in Beijing, Oct 1, 2017. People from across the country gathered at the square to watch the national flag-raising ceremony on the morning, marking the 68th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
Marlins jump all over Braves early en route to blowout victory
MIAMI (AP) -- Giancarlo Stanton remained at 59 home runs after failing to hit one in the Miami Marlins 10-2 win over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday night.
Stanton had one hit in five at-bats and an RBI. He has one more game to become the first player to hit 60 home runs in a season since 2001 when Barry Bonds hit 73 and Sammy Sosa hit 64. There have been five players in history to hit at least 60 in a season.
Miami's Dee Gordon had three hits giving him 200 for the season and also stole two bases -- including his 60th of the season. It is the fifth time in Marlins' history a player has recorded at least 200 hits in a season and the second time by Gordon.
Derek Dietrich homered and drove in three runs, Miguel Rojas had four hits, Brian Anderson added three hits, and Odrisamer Despaigne (2-3) pitched seven innings and allowed two runs for the Marlins.
Braves' starter Lucas Sims (3-6) allowed six runs in two innings allowing every position player he faced to reach base except for Stanton, who grounded out twice.
Trump tweets NFL players should stand for national anthem Sunday
President Donald Trump restated his call for NFL players to stand during the playing of the "Star-Spangled Banner" ahead of this weekend's games, tweeting Saturday night that it was "very important" and calling on players to "Respect our Flag and our Country!"
Trump's message was part of a series of Tweets, many of which defended the administration's response to hurricane damage in Puerto Rico.
Protesting during the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner" began last season when Colin Kaepernick, then a quarterback with the San Francisco 49ers, declined to stand as a way to bring attention to police treatment of blacks and to social injustice.
During a wide-ranging speech at a political rally in Alabama on Sept. 22, Trump called for NFL owners to fire players who engaged in such a protest. In the days that followed the president issued a series of tweets reiterating his views and calling for a boycott of games by fans.
Criticism from players, owners and fans -- and some praise -- greeted Trump's remarks. The controversy boiled for days and briefly overshadowed other issues facing the Trump presidency, including the failure of congressional Republicans to repeal and replace the nation's health care law, the primary loss in Alabama of Trump's favored candidate, a turbulent hurricane season and the back-and-forth between the U.S. and North Korea over missiles and nuclear weapons.
Relatively few players had demonstrated before Trump's remarks. Last Sunday, more than 100 NFL players sat, knelt or raised their fists in defiance during the national anthem.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Body of missing Virginia teen found behind North Carolina church
Ashanti Billie's body was found Friday morning behind a North Carolina church (FBI)
Federal investigators announced Saturday that a body found behind a North Carolina church has been identified as a Virginia teenager who disappeared earlier this month.
Ashanti Billie, 19, was reported missing Sept. 18 after she failed to show up for work at a sandwich shop on the Navy's Joint Expeditionary Base -- Little Creek in Norfolk, Va.
Video released by the FBI earlier this week showed Billie driving her car onto the base. Her car was later seen leaving the base, but it was not clear who was behind the wheel.
Investigators say Billie's cell phone was discovered in a trash bin near the base. Her abandoned car was located on a nearby beach.
Billie's body was found Friday morning behind the East Stonewall AME Zion Church in Charlotte. Authorities say a man cutting grass at the church smelled a strange odor and discovered the remains when he went to investigate.
Investigators search the area where Ashanti Billie's body was found Friday morning in Charlotte. (Brandon Smith/Fox 26 WJZY)
"To the person or persons that decided that they wanted to take our baby away from us, away from everyone who loved her, you are a coward," Ashanti's mother, Brandy Billie, told reporters. "You don't deserve to breathe the air that she breathed."
Authorities have not released a cause of death or if they know how the teen ended up in North Carolina. The matter is being investigated by the FBI offices in Norfolk and Charlotte, Norfolk Police, Virginia Beach Police, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
Love shows none for Sun Devils in Stanford win
STANFORD, Calif. -- Bryce Love rushed for a school-record 301 yards and three touchdowns, quarterback K.J. Costello passed for one score and Stanford beat Arizona State 34-24 on Saturday.
Love entered the day leading the nation in rushing and padded his total with another big day on the ground. Stanford's junior running back had scoring runs of 61, 43 and 59 yards. He has 1,088 yards overall this season, the third player since 2004 to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in his team's first five games.
"I'm not saying he's the best one that's been through here, I'm not starting that argument," Stanford coach David Shaw said. "But at the same time I've never seen anything like what happened today. That was unbelievable."
Costello, who came off the bench to lead Stanford past UCLA a week ago after starter Keller Chryst was injured, completed 15 of 24 passes for 173 yards as the Cardinal (3-2, 2-1 Pac-12) won consecutive games for the first time this season.
Stop us if you've heard this before. But you haven't. So we'll go on.
HarryFrench-Love for the TD! #Trickerationhttp://pic.twitter.com/SMSEoinQDl
Sun Devil Football (@FootballASU) September 30, 2017
Stanford also got a lift from its defense which forced two turnovers and held Arizona State to seven points in the second half, one week after the Sun Devils rallied to upset then-No. 24 Oregon.
Demario Richard rushed for 80 yards and two touchdowns for the Sun Devils (2-3, 1-1). Quarterback Manny Wilkins passed for 181 yards but was intercepted twice, ending his school-record streak of 192 attempts without one.
"I played poorly," Wilkins said. "I've got to put us in a better position to score. I made some poor decisions."
Arizona State trailed by double digits most of the second half but pulled within 31-24 following Richard's second touchdown, a 2-yard run, with 8:02 remaining.
TOUCHDOWN, DEVILS!
This one ain't over yet! Demario Richard finds the end zone for the second time today. #GoDevils
31-24, Stanford http://pic.twitter.com/wUY1yPDzux
Sun Devil Football (@FootballASU) September 30, 2017
Love, who broke Christian McCaffrey's year-old record of 284 yards, helped Stanford secure the win with a series of clock-draining runs that set up Jet Toner's 22-yard field goal.
"That's one of the biggest things I try to work on, trying to be physical between the tackles," Love said. "And make sure that every run that I have is efficient."
TAKEAWAY
The Sun Devils couldn't build off the momentum they gained by beating Oregon and missed a chance to secure their spot atop the Pac-12 South standings. Todd Graham's group did a good job rushing straight at the heart of Stanford's defense in the first half but got away from it in the second half when they had to play catch-up. The turnovers didn't help but didn't hurt as much as the defense's inability to slow down Love.
UP NEXT
Arizona State: The Sun Devils return home and will have a week off before hosting No. 6 Washington on Oct. 14.
Stanford: The Cardinal go back on the road to play at No. 20 Utah on Saturday.
Body of missing Virginia teen found behind North Carolina church
Ashanti Billie's body was found Friday morning behind a North Carolina church (FBI)
Federal investigators announced Saturday that a body found behind a North Carolina church has been identified as a Virginia teenager who disappeared earlier this month.
Ashanti Billie, 19, was reported missing Sept. 18 after she failed to show up for work at a sandwich shop on the Navy's Joint Expeditionary Base -- Little Creek in Norfolk, Va.
Video released by the FBI earlier this week showed Billie driving her car onto the base. Her car was later seen leaving the base, but it was not clear who was behind the wheel.
Investigators say Billie's cell phone was discovered in a trash bin near the base. Her abandoned car was located on a nearby beach.
Billie's body was found Friday morning behind the East Stonewall AME Zion Church in Charlotte. Authorities say a man cutting grass at the church smelled a strange odor and discovered the remains when he went to investigate.
Investigators search the area where Ashanti Billie's body was found Friday morning in Charlotte. (Brandon Smith/Fox 26 WJZY)
"To the person or persons that decided that they wanted to take our baby away from us, away from everyone who loved her, you are a coward," Ashanti's mother, Brandy Billie, told reporters. "You don't deserve to breathe the air that she breathed."
Authorities have not released a cause of death or if they know how the teen ended up in North Carolina. The matter is being investigated by the FBI offices in Norfolk and Charlotte, Norfolk Police, Virginia Beach Police, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
Authorities: Body of missing Maine priest believed found
SPRINGFIELD, Maine – Authorities believe they have found the body of an elderly, retired priest who has been missing for more than two months.
The Maine Warden Service says a man clearing trails near a lake Saturday afternoon found a car that belonged to Clement Thibodeau, of Caribou, stuck near a remote road south of Springfield, Maine.
Game wardens later found the remains of a body nearby. The medical examiner's office will make a positive identification. Foul play is not suspected.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland says Thibodeau was a pastor at Notre Dame Church in Waterville from 1980 to 1987.
Thibodeau disappeared July 15 from a restaurant and might have been experiencing dementia-like symptoms.
Authorities said Saturday he was 82-years-old.
Arson suspect jailed in blaze that gutted Alabama church
TALLADEGA, Ala. – A suspect was being held on an arson charge Saturday in a fire that destroyed a small rural church in Talladega County, Alabama.
Donald Clay Warren, 31, of Talladega, faces a charge of second-degree arson in the blaze, which was deliberately set, according to the Alabama Department of Insurance State Fire Marshal's Office.
Al.com reports authorities responded about 8:15 p.m. Wednesday to a fire that gutted the Welcome Springs Baptist Church, a single-story cement block structure in a wooded area between Sycamore and Sylacauga, Alabama.
An investigation is ongoing; authorities haven't said what led to the arrest of Warren, who is being held at the county jail on $50,000 bond.
National Day celebrated across China
Farmers "draw" China's national flag and the Arabic numeral "68" with 6,800 red carp on a river in Wuyuan county, Jiangxi province, on Sept 28, 2017.
Brewers eliminated with late loss to Cardinals
ST. LOUIS -- The Milwaukee Brewers were eliminated from playoff contention Saturday when they squandered a six-run lead in a 7-6 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, handing baseball's final postseason spot to the Colorado Rockies.
Brewers reliever Anthony Swarzak gave up a two-run single to Stephen Piscotty that tied it in the eighth inning and a go-ahead single to Harrison Bader. Milwaukee tried to rally and save its season in the bottom half, but Brett Phillips struck out with a runner on second to end it.
Milwaukee's loss clinched the second NL wild card for Colorado, which will play at NL West rival Arizona in the wild-card game Wednesday.
The Brewers began the day needing to win their last two regular-season games in St. Louis while the Rockies dropped their final two at home to the Los Angeles Dodgers to force a tiebreaker Monday.
California schools warn flutes could be tainted with fluids
FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. – California school districts are warning that some youngsters may have received flutes tainted with body fluids.
The Orange County Register says at least three districts — Fountain Valley, Newport Mesa and Capistrano — notified parents about the situation this week.
Fountain Valley's superintendent told parents that in June an independent music enrichment contractor gave fifth-grade students flutes that "potentially" were contaminated with unspecified body fluids.
The Register says the independent contractor worked in several Southern California school districts.
The flutes were made of plastic pipe and wine corks and could be colorfully decorated.
No arrests have been made but state and federal officials are investigating.
Some districts asked parents to preserve evidence by putting the flutes in sealed paper bags.
Air France plane forced to land in Canada with engine damage
GOOSE BAY, Newfoundland – Air France says a passenger flight to California from Paris was forced to land in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador following "serious damage" to one of the plane's four engines.
The airline says the plane landed safely Saturday afternoon after being diverted to Goose Bay airport as a precaution.
Passengers on board the aircraft tweeted photos and video of the plane flying through the clouds with a damaged engine.
Passenger Pamela Adams says passengers heard a tremendous bang and felt a whiplash movement before the plane seemed to right itself.
The plane landed in Canada 90 minutes later.
Tom Price's ouster complicates Republicans' latest health care push
HHS Secretary Tom Price resigns: Timeline of events
Here's a timeline of the events that led Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price to resign over the 10 days since it was revealed that he used private charter and military planes for work-related travel that cost taxpayers nearly $1 million.
The exit of Tom Price as the U.S. health secretary has many wondering if Republicans will be able to deliver on their promise to repeal and replace ObamaCare.
The Republican Party as of late has struggled to advance its health care agenda even though they have control of the White House and both chambers of Congress.
Price's exit on Friday amid investigations into his use of costly charter flights for official travel at taxpayer expense seems to be the latest self-inflicted blow.
Regaining momentum to replace former President Obama's law will be more difficult now that Trump administration must now also find his replacement.
"I think health care is a dead letter through the next election," said Joe Antos, a policy expert with the business-oriented American Enterprise Institute.
Price — who Trump concluded had become a distraction — had been on the rocks with the president since before the travel flap. A former Republican congressman from Georgia, he proved less helpful than expected on the health care fight. Price played a supporting role while Vice President Mike Pence took the lead, especially with the Senate.
The health secretary's departure — the latest in a list that now includes Trump's chief of staff, national security adviser, press secretary and two communications directors — is also unlikely to end what has been a steady drip of revelations about potentially inappropriate travel on the part of Cabinet members.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has come under fire for requesting a government aircraft to use on his honeymoon, while Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said he'd taken three charter flights while in office, including a $12,375 late-night trip from Las Vegas to his home state of Montana in June. The Environmental Protection Agency's inspector general has opened an inquiry into Administrator Scott Pruitt's frequent taxpayer-funded travel on commercial planes.
The House Oversight and Government Reform committee has launched a government-wide investigation of top political appointees' travel.
Trump ran on a pledge to "drain the swamp" in Washington and has taken pride in his efforts to reduce federal spending and negotiate better deals on behalf of American taxpayers.
In a memo Friday, White House budget director Mick Mulvaney said all travel on government-owned, rented, leased or chartered aircraft will now have to be approved by the president's chief of staff, John Kelly. That gives more oversight power to a man who has tried to impose order and structure on what has been a chaotic White House.
On health care, the task of installing another secretary at the Health and Human Services department won't be easy.
The nominee will have to run the gauntlet of Senate confirmation. The already contentious process will be more challenging as Democrats shift from playing defense to offense on health care, heartened by the survival of the Affordable Care Act and polls showing support for the government's leading role in health care.
And HHS is not the only department that needs a leader. Trump has yet to pick a permanent replacement for Kelly, who left his previous job running the Department of Homeland Security in July.
Two potential candidates for health secretary already hold senior Senate-confirmed posts at HHS, which could be a plus for the White House.
Seema Verma leads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which runs major insurance programs. Scott Gottlieb heads the Food and Drug Administration, which has regulatory authority across pharmaceuticals and consumer products.
Verma is a protege of Pence, who played a major role in negotiations with Congress this year on the futile "Obamacare" repeal effort.
Verma is seen as a talented policy expert, but she's still relatively new to the ways of Washington. Gottlieb is a veteran, but he may prefer the FDA and its clearly defined mission to the quicksand of health care policy.
Also mentioned is Louisiana GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy, co-author of the last Republican health care bill that failed to advance. Cassidy would probably win confirmation easily, but his prospects in the Senate appear bright, and he may not want to depart for a Cabinet post in a tumultuous administration.
Another potential candidate is Florida's Republican Gov. Rick Scott, a former hospital executive who is term-limited after 2018. But Scott is expected to mount a Senate campaign against Democratic incumbent Sen. Bill Nelson next year, and he may have ambitions and interests beyond health care.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
James Blackman throws late TD to help lift FSU past Wake Forest for 1st win
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) -- James Blackman shook off a struggle-filled day to connect with Auden Tate on a 40-yard touchdown throw with 53 seconds left, helping Florida State rally past Wake Forest 26-19 on Saturday for its first win.
Blackman -- the freshman pressed into a starting role due to injury earlier this year -- had thrown for just 81 yards entering that final drive for the Seminoles (1-2, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference). But after the FSU defense forced a three-and-out, Blackman was perfect with the downfield shot to Auden.
Blackman had another big fourth-quarter throw, a 43-yarder down the left sideline to Keith Gavin on a third-and-20. That ultimately set up Ricky Aguayo's 35-yard kick to tie it at 19 with 6:20 left.
Wake Forest (4-1, 1-1) had a final chance to tie, but John Wolford's desperation heave to the end zone for Scotty Washington fell incomplete to end it.
THE TAKEAWAY
FSU: The Seminoles closed a tough first month, from the crushing opener against top-ranked Alabama that included a season-ending injury to starting quarterback Deondre Francois to an altered schedule following Hurricane Irma that had limited them to just two games. But the preseason No. 3-ranked team and ACC favorite is headed into October with a desperately needed win -- one that maybe can help the Seminoles regain their shaky footing.
Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons were trying to reach 5-0 for the first time since its unexpected ACC championship run in 2006. Their defensive front gave FSU fits, but the Demon Deacons struggled to run the ball and just made too many mistakes -- most notably losing two turnovers after committing just one through the first four games and giving up a big kickoff return to set up FSU's first touchdown.
UP NEXT
FSU: The Seminoles host No. 14 Miami on Oct. 7 in a game rescheduled due to Hurricane Irma.
Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons visit second-ranked and reigning national champion Clemson on Oct. 7.
China to open wider, share development opportunities: Premier
China will open wider to create and share development opportunities with other countries, Premier Li Keqiang said here Saturday.
President Xi meets US secretary of state
President Xi Jinping met with visiting US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Saturday, discussing US President Donald Trump's state visit to China later this year.
Beijing's first joint ownership housing scheme lottery opens
A total of 427 from more than 12,000 eligible families in Beijing were chosen Saturday in a lottery system allowing them to purchase the city's first joint ownership homes.
19th CPC National Congress delegates feature more workers, women
Compared with the delegates to the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), more CPC members from frontline production and women have been elected as delegates to the 19th congress.
'Let's Make A Deal' host Monty Hall dead at 96
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Monty Hall, the legendary host of "Let's Make a Deal," has died.Florida nanny found dead, person of interest sought
Scott Edward Nelson, left, was seen using an ATM card belonging to Jennifer Fulford, who was found dead Saturday. (Winter Park Police)
The body of a missing Florida woman has been found and police have identified a person of interest in her disappearance, authorities said Saturday.
Jennifer Lynn Fulford, 56, was last seen leaving a Winter Park dental office Wednesday morning. Winter Park Police Chief Michael Deal told reporters that Scott Edward Nelson, 53, was caught on surveillance footage using Fulford's ATM card in photos released by police Thursday.
Orlando Crimeline is offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information that leads police to Nelson.
"This is not something that happens in the city of Winter Park," Deal said at Saturday's press conference.
Fulford's husband, Robert, wrote on Facebook that his Jennifer's purse was found on the floor of a house where she worked as nanny. Fulford's employer called police Wednesday when she failed to pick up his child as scheduled.
On Thursday, police recovered Fulford's Hyundai SUV. Investigators said they had found "valuable evidence" in the vehicle, but declined to elaborate.
Robert Fulford described his wife as a "very trusting and caring person, and I feel like someone took advantage of that."
"It's unbelievable that something like that could happen to someone that just exhibits joy all the time," he told Fox 35 Orlando Friday.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Winter Park Police Detective Paul Foster at 407-599-3274 or Crimeline at 407-423-TIPS (8477).
Holiday season: Breathtaking scenery, a simple lifestyle in Altay
The eight-day National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays are here. Let's present some of the beautiful scenery you may want to see and the simple and unadorned lifestyle you may want to know about in Altay prefecture, a remote and sparsely populated part of the China's far northwestern Xinjiang region.
China reiterates prudent, neutral monetary policy
China's central bank reiterated Saturday that it will implement a prudent and neutral monetary policy while keeping liquidity basically stable.
Chinese premier meets new foreign ambassadors ahead of national day
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with 40 new ambassadors to China on Saturday, ahead of the 68th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
Tsinghua graduate sets up cultural institute in Hebei
A graduate of Tsinghua University sets up an academy institute in Yi county, Hebei province for cultural spread.
Beijing railway police hold anti-terror drill
Beijing railway police held an anti-terror drill Saturday, ahead of the week-long National Day holiday and the upcoming 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.
Tibet opens air ambulance center
An emergency rescue center was established in Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region Saturday, marking the first two air ambulances for civil use in the region.
Man accused of vandalizing greens at 4 Trump golf courses
BEDMINSTER, N.J. – Authorities in New Jersey say a Hawaii man stands accused of defacing the greens at four golf courses that President Donald Trump owns in New Jersey and New York.
Somerset County prosecutors say 61-year-old Clifford Tillotson, of Kaneohe, is charged with criminal mischief.
Tillotson allegedly used some sort of chemical to write various comments critical of the Trump administration on nine putting greens at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, on or around Sept. 11. The damage was estimated at more than $10,000.
Tillotson also is charged in New York with defacing Trump golf courses in Ferry Point, Hudson Valley and Westchester.
It wasn't known Saturday if Tillotson has retained an attorney.
WATCH: Welsh rugby player bitten by lion in South Africa
Welsh rugby player Scott Baldwin was forced to miss a match in South Africa after he was bitten by a lion. (REUTERS)
A Welsh international rugby player was forced to sit out a match in South Africa after he was bitten by a lion.
Scott Baldwin was in the African nation this weekend because his Swansea-based Pro 14 league club Ospreys were scheduled to play the South African team, the Cheetahs, on Friday.
However, a stop at a local wildlife reserve the day before to a damper on his plans.
A video shared on Twitter shows Baldwin and other team members visiting a pair of lions when at one point he reaches through metal bars to pet one of them. As he strokes the animal on the head as it lays on the ground, it suddenly snapped up and grabbed his hand.
The 29-year-old, who is heard crying out, quickly pulls his arm away before a warned is heard telling a colleague to get first aid kit.
Baldwin, who was taken to a local hospital to get stitches, apologized to Ospreys fans for having to miss the match before joking about the incident.
"Should of know he wouldn't be impressed with me stroking his lioness before introducing myself to him first," he joked on Twitter after the incident.
Ospreys coach Steve Tandy told reporters said it was pretty "stupid" of Baldwin to have put his hand on the lion and is "pretty lucky."
"When you put your hand in a fence where there is a lion, then you will get bitten," he said, according to Sky News. "I don't know what sort of wildlife show Scott has been watching where you can pat a lion on the head as if it's a kitten."
He continued: "It's probably one of the silliest things I've even been involved in, but thankfully he is OK and hopefully he will be back up and running in the next couple of weeks."
Baldwin was released Saturday and is expected to travel with the team as planned.
Cheetahs beat Ospreys 44-25 on Friday.
At least 25 hurt at French soccer stadium after barrier collapse
Medics tend to wounded Lille supporters following a barrier collapse during a French League One soccer match between Amiens and Lille in Amiens, northern France Saturday. (AP Photo)
At least 25 French soccer fans were injured, four of them seriously, after a barrier collapsed during a match Saturday.
The incident occurred in a section housing visiting Lille OSC fans at the Stade de la Licorne in Amiens, about 70 miles north of Paris.
Somme prefect Philippe De Mester said of the injured fans "their life is not in danger."
"We are thinking strongly and primarily of our supporters," Lille CEO Marc Ingla wrote in a series of tweets. "Lille has the right to examine the security conditions offered to our supporters by Amiens and its stadium. Lille hopes that those responsible for this accident are swiftly identified, for the club's supporters and the victims. And so that this never happens again."
Fode Ballo-Toure had just struck the opening score of the French league match in the 15th minute when he ran over to the Lille fans behind the goal to celebrate. As fans surged forward, the fence collapsed under their weight. Fans tumbled onto the pitch and the match was immediately halted.
Most were able to get back into the stand, but several remained on the ground and were treated for injuries.
After more than half an hour the match was abandoned.
Amiens' Stade de la Licorne is being refurbished but De Mester insisted the painting and roofing work had nothing to do with the collapse.
He added there was a security inspection of the venue before the game.
"Football should be a celebration and the police had warned us that 200 very worked-up ultras were in the stand reserved for Lille fans," Amiens president Bernard Joanni said. "And they threw themselves in a disorderly fashion -- more than 500 people -- onto this barrier which was in a perfect state ... imagine 500 people trying to get on the pitch. The league officials need to strongly think about travelling fans."
Ingla reacted strongly to Joanni's apparent attempt to blame Lille's supporters.
"The Amiens president's comments appear irresponsible and disgraceful in this dramatic context," he tweeted. "Our supporters are irreproachable and professional football demands the best organization. We hope that the French league identifies those responsible."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
JetBlue and Samuel Adams partner for Oktoberfest-inspired flight
What a way to see the high skies. (iStock)
Samuel Adams is teaming up with JetBlue to pioneer "FlytoberFest."
In celebration of October's Great American Beer Festival, the beloved brewing company is hosting a special in-flight beer tasting aboard an October 5 flight from New York to Denver.
Samuel Adams founder and president, Jim Koch, will join passengers on the once-in-a-lifetime journey, according to Fortune.
More from TravelPulse:
The lucky guests will sample the brand's popular OctoberFest seasonal brew along with two other special beers 30,000 feet above the ground. They'll also receive a gift bag full of goodies, including a Samuel Adams tasting paddle, opener and OctoberFest hat.
The four-plus hour-long flight is scheduled to depart John F. Kennedy International Airport around 8:22 p.m. ET. on October 5.
Samuel Adams said beer lovers can book a seat now, but the special discount ended September 15. The total fare costs $157 per person, including all taxes and fees.
The offer can only be booked by calling into the JetBlue Business Desk (888-538-2583) and selecting "Option 3."
Once in Denver, travelers will be able to experience one of the world's best destinations for craft beer.
The Great American Beer Festival runs October 5-7 in Denver. The three-day event features countless craft breweries from all across the country as well as thousands of unique beers. This year's event is already sold out but, fortunately, the Mile High City is home to dozens of breweries.
Police hunt person of interest in Florida nanny disappearance
An unidentified person of interest, left, was seen using an ATM card belonging to missing nanny Jennifer Fulford, right. (Winter Park Police)
Authorities in Florida said Saturday they have found "valuable evidence" from the car of a woman who vanished earlier this week.
Jennifer Lynn Fulford, 56, was last seen leaving a Winter Park dental office Wednesday morning. Her husband, Robert, wrote on Facebook that his wife's purse was found on the floor of a house where she worked as nanny. Fulford's employer called police when she failed to pick up his child as scheduled.
On Thursday, police recovered Fulford's Hyundai SUV and released surveillance video of a man using her ATM card. Orlando Crimeline is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads police to the man.
"We have a lot of leads," Winter Park Police Chief Michael Deal told Fox 35 Orlando. "We are doing canvases of neighborhoods and businesses looking for information, leads, video."
Robert Fulford described his wife as a "very trusting and caring person, and I feel like someone took advantage of that."
"It's unbelievable that something like that could happen to someone that just exhibits joy all the time," he added.
Anyone with information about Fulford's case is asked to contact Winter Park Police Detective Paul Foster at 407-599-3274 or Crimeline at 407-423-TIPS (8477).
Mormon leader reaffirms faith's opposition to gay marriage
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir performs during the morning session of the two-day Mormon church conference (AP)
SALT LAKE CITY – A top Mormon leader reaffirmed the religion's opposition to same-sex marriage on Saturday during a church conference — and reminded followers watching around the world that children should be raised in families led by a married man and woman no matter what becomes the norm in a "declining world."
The speech by Dallin H. Oaks, a member of a top governing body called the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, followed a push in recent years by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to uphold theological opposition to gay marriage amid widespread social acceptance while trying to foster an empathetic stance toward LGBT people.
The Mormon church is one of many conservative faith groups navigating the challenges that arise from trying to strike the right balance.
"We have witnessed a rapid and increasing public acceptance of cohabitation without marriage and same-sex marriage. The corresponding media advocacy, education, and even occupational requirements pose difficult challenges for Latter-day Saints," Oaks said. "We must try to balance the competing demands of following the gospel law in our personal lives and teachings even as we seek to show love for all."
Oaks acknowledged that this belief can put Mormons at odds with family and friends and doesn't match current laws, including the recent legalization of gay marriage in the United States. But he told the nearly 16-million members watching around the world that the religion's 1995 document detailing the doctrine — "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" — isn't' a policy statement that will be changed.
After the Utah-based Mormon church received backlash in 2008 for helping lead the fight for California's Proposition 8 constitutional ban on gay marriage, religious leaders spent several years carefully developing a more empathetic LGBT tone.
That was interrupted in 2015 when the church adopted new rules banning children living with gay parents from being baptized until age 18 and clarifying that people in same-sex relationships are apostates. That policy drew harsh criticism from gay church members and their supporters who considered it a major setback from recent progress.
A year ago, church leaders updated a website created in 2012 to let members know that that attraction to people of the same sex is not a sin or a measure of their faithfulness and may never go away. But the church reminded members that having gay sex violates fundamental doctrinal beliefs that will not change.
Oaks on Saturday reiterated a church belief that children should be raised in heterosexual married households, not by gay parents or couples who live together but aren't married. He lamented that fewer children in the United States aren't raised in what the religion considers the ideal households.
People attend the morning session of the two-day Mormon church conference Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) (Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
"Even as we must live with the marriage laws and other traditions of a declining world, those who strive for exaltation must make personal choices in family life according to the Lord's way whenever that differs from the world's way," Oaks said.
Brittany Krallis Stapf, a lifelong Mormon who lives near Spokane, Washington, with her husband and sons, was among church members who were disappointed in Oaks' speech. In a phone interview, Krallis, 36, said she's teaching her sons, ages 12 and 9, to be inclusive and loving to everyone and stick up for LGBT members.
"My heart was pounding. It is very difficult to hear an apostle give a speech you feel contradicts the message you're trying to teach your children," Krallis said.
She said she knows many Mormons from her generation who share her hope that church leaders will eventually soften on the issue.
"Social change comes first," Krallis said. "At times, it's followed in the church."
The twice-yearly conference is preceding without church President Thomas S. Monson, 90, who is dealing with ailing health. It's the first time in more than a half century that Monson hasn't spoken at the conferences. Before becoming church president in 2008, he served on the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles starting in 1963.
Monson has scaled back conference participation in recent years, and in May, church officials said that he was no longer going regularly to meetings at church offices because of limitations related to his age.
Church presidents serve until they die.
Monson is the first church president since 1994 not to attend and make at least one speech, but prior to that, it was fairly common for presidents to miss conference toward the end of their lives.
Dieter F. Uchtdorf, one of Monson's top two counselors, said Monson was watching from his home. "President Monson, we love you very much," Uchtdorf said.
Also missing will be Robert D. Hales, a top leader who was hospitalized in recent days. Hales, 85, has been a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles since 1994.
Church leaders use the conference to deliver spiritual guidance to members and sometimes announce church news.
Jeffrey R. Holland, a member the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said he hears too often from Mormons that they feel like they don't measure up. He warned that the pursuit of Christ-like perfection shouldn't lead to ulcers, bulimia, depression or lowered self-esteem.
"Brothers and sisters, except for Jesus, there have been no flawless performances on this earthly journey we are pursuing, so while in mortality let's strive for steady improvement without obsessing over what behavioral scientists call "toxic perfectionism,'" Holland said. "We should not demean and vilify ourselves, as if beating up on ourselves is somehow going to make us the person God wants us to become."
Spain shuts down Catalonia independence vote technology as tensions rise
People wave Spanish flags while demonstrating against Catalonia's planned referendum on secession in front of a building decorated with pro-independence banners in Barcelona Saturday (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Spain's foreign minister vowed Saturday that a planned independence referendum in Catalonia would not take place as the Madrid government sought to dismantle the vote's IT systems.
In an interview with Sky News, Alfonso Dastis said there are "no voting premises, no ballot papers [and] no authorities to check the authenticity of the result."
Spain's Interior Ministry said police had sealed off "most" of the region's 2,315 polling stations and disabled software being used in the referendum. Enric Millo, the highest-ranking Spanish official in the northeastern region, said parents and students were occupying at least 163 schools that were to be used as polling places by mid-Saturday, when about 1,000 more still needed to be checked. In a later update, the ministry didn't provide a new figure but only said "some" schools remained occupied.
Police have set a deadline of 6 a.m. Sunday for the activists to vacate the schools, a move designed to voting from taking place, since the polls are supposed to open three hours later. Some parents decided to send their children home and girded for pre-dawn confrontations with police.
The regional police force has been ordered not to use force in vacating the schools but Millo said anyone remaining after 6 a.m. will need to be removed.
"I trust in the common sense of Catalans and that people will operate with prudence," he said.
Spain's Constitutional Court suspended the independence vote more than three weeks ago and the national government calls it illegal. Police have been ordered to stop ballots from being cast on Sunday and have been cracking down for days, confiscating millions of ballots and posters.
Catalonia's defiant regional government is pressing ahead anyway, urging the region's 5.3 million voters to make their voices heard.
Spain's foreign minister dismissed the planned vote as anti-democratic, saying it runs "counter to the goals and ideals" of the European Union.
"What they are pushing is not democracy. It is a mockery of democracy, a travesty of democracy," Dastis told The Associated Press in an interview.
He accused some pro-independence groups of "adopting Nazi-like attitudes by pointing at people that are against that referendum and encouraging others to harass them."
In the Spanish capital of Madrid Saturday, thousands marched to protest the separatists' attempt to break up their nation and demanded that Catalan leaders be sent to jail. In Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, thousands more also took to the streets to urge their prosperous region to stay united with Spain.
Authorities have already confiscated 10 million paper ballots in the last few days -- which will make it much more difficult for Catalan officials to carry out an effective vote. Millo said the Spanish government would tolerate ad hoc voting in the streets but that those results could not be considered valid.
"They can always put a makeshift table in the street with some buckets and put papers in," he said. "But what Catalan authorities have promised, an effective referendum with legal basis and binding, is something that won't happen."
At the Congres-Indians school in Barcelona, designated as a polling place, activist Quim Roy said he would be sending his two daughters home before the deadline out of concerns about possible violence. He said other parents planned to do the same.
"Who knows what will happen if the Guardia Civil comes?" Roy said, referring to the Spanish national guard.
He said he would not resort to violence but will not leave the building voluntarily.
"If they tell me I can't be in a public school to exercise my democratic rights, they will have to take me out of here. I won't resist, but they will have to carry me out," he said.
Organizers set up a range of activities in the schools -- including yoga sessions, games, film screenings and picnics -- to keep spirits high as the historic confrontation with Spain's central government unfolds.
Roy said there were no ballot boxes or ballots yet at the school but he was not worried about that.
"They will appear," he said with a shrug.
At the La Sagrera primary school in Barcelona, parent Saverio Trioni said 20 parents and children slept over on Friday but "we expect way more tonight. The plan is 100 at least." They are holding a music festival to keep everyone occupied.
Trioni said, however, that "we will leave if ordered to."
A pro-independence grassroots group admitted that Sunday's vote could be in jeopardy unless more schools were kept open to hold it. Open Schools spokesman Ramon Font told the AP he did not have an exact number on how many schools were being occupied but felt it was more than the number stated by police.
"If the number of schools kept open does not rise, then the ability to exercise our right to self-determination will be in serious jeopardy. It will be very difficult to vote," Font said.
In Madrid, thousands of people rallied Saturday in a central plaza to protest the Catalan independence vote, angry and fearful that it could divide Spain. Some shouted "Long live Spain!" and "Puigdemont to jail!"
Catalan regional President Carles Puigdemont, who openly favors breaking away from Spain, is among those promoting the independence vote.
In Barcelona, Francisco Morales, a 69-year-old retiree, said he was marching Saturday to defend the unity of Spain against the "lies" of Catalan separatists. Morales and his wife were among thousands protesting the independence referendum.
"We don't want division. It's been enough lies telling people that they can't be Catalans and Spanish at the same time," Morales said. "The politicians supporting independence are bending the law to tear this country apart."
Some anti-vote protesters scaled the windows of Barcelona's city hall and tore a banner calling for "More Democracy" that the municipal government had hung in response to efforts to halt the vote.
Dozens of similar protests calling for the nation's unity popped up in other Spanish cities in the first large grassroots response to the Catalan independence bid.
The main civic group behind Catalonia's push for independence said -- given the concentrated efforts by Spain to block the vote -- that a turnout of 1 million voters, less than a fifth of the electorate, should be considered an "overwhelming success."
Jordi Sanchez, president of the Catalan National Assembly, told reporters that police actions in Catalonia may make a large turnout difficult.
Catalan authorities had hoped previously for a larger turnout than the 2.3 million people who voted in a mock referendum in 2014 in which 80 percent favored independence.
The Catalan government has pledged to declare independence from Spain within 48 hours of Sunday's vote if the `yes' side wins, no matter what the turnout is.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Owl stuck in truck survives highway trip, released to wild
WILMINGTON, Mass. – An owl that was hit by a truck last spring and traveled from Massachusetts to New Hampshire wedged between the truck cab and trailer is ready to hunt crawfish and moles again.
The bird's wings and tail feathers were shattered and it showed signs of head trauma after the bird was discovered by the truck driver and turned over to an owl rehabilitator in Edding, New Hampshire.
Jane Kelly helped care for the owl over the last six months and said the bird, named Trucker, was released Saturday in Wilmington, Massachusetts, where the mishap originally occurred.
Kelly said the owl was ready to take flight and head home.
New Hampshire Fish and Game conservation officer Chris McKee said it's a miracle the owl survived the ordeal.
Trump slams mayor in Puerto Rico, then praises other officials over recovery effort
President Trump on Saturday defended his administration's hurricane recovery effort in Puerto Rico and questioned the leadership of San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz who is criticizing the president's effort to get supplies, electricity and other relief to the U.S. island.
But after facing criticism over his attacks of the mayor, Trump tweeted praise for several other officials involved in the recovery, including the governors of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. He also praised Puerto's Rico's representative in Congress.
"We must all be united in offering assistance to everyone suffering in Puerto Rico and elsewhere in the wake of this terrible disaster," the president tweeted.
He called out three government officials for praise.
"The Governor of Puerto Rico, Ricardo Rossello, is a great guy and leader who is really working hard," Trump said. "Thank you Ricky!"
"Just spoke to Governor Kenneth Mapp of the U.S. Virgin Islands who stated that #FEMA and Military are doing a GREAT job! Thank you Governor!" the president said.
He also tweeted: "Congresswoman Jennifer Gonzalez-Colon of Puerto Rico has been wonderful to deal with and a great representative of the people. Thank you!"
Earlier Saturday, the president singled out Cruz for criticism, accusing her of "poor leadership."
"Such poor leadership ability by the Mayor of San Juan, and others in Puerto Rico, who are not able to get their workers to help," Trump said in a series of tweets. "They want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort. 10,000 Federal workers now on Island doing a fantastic job."
Cruz, in response, said later Saturday morning that she'll "continue to do whatever I have to do" to get federal hurricane assistance.
"I will continue to do whatever I have to do, say whatever I have to say, compliment the people I need to compliment and call out the people I need to call out," she told MSNBC. "I am not going to be distracted by small comments, by politics, by petty issues. This is one goal and it's to save lives."
Cruz also argued that Lt. General Jeffrey Buchanan, appointed Thursday to lead the administration's response on the U.S. island, says he will need more troops and equipment.
"So, who am I?" she asked. "I'm just a little mayor from the capital city of San Juan. This is a three star general telling the world right now he does not have the appropriate means and tools to take care of the situation."
Trump also tweeted Saturday: "The Mayor of San Juan, who was very complimentary only a few days ago, has now been told by the Democrats that you must be nasty to Trump."
Trump pledged Friday to spare no effort to help Puerto Ricans recover from Hurricane Maria's ruinous aftermath even as Cruz accused the administration of "killing us with the inefficiency."
Cruz said later Friday that she wanted to "make sure somebody is in charge that is up to the task of saving lives," while the president asserted that U.S. officials and emergency personnel are working all-out against daunting odds, with "incredible" results.
Trump also tweeted: "The military and first responders, despite no electric, roads, phones etc., have done an amazing job. Puerto Rico was totally destroyed," and, "Fake News CNN and NBC are going out of their way to disparage our great First Responders as a way to "get Trump." Not fair to FR or effort!"
Among the first to criticize Trump's tweets Saturday was Broadway actor and "Hamilton" creator Lin-Manuel Miranda."You're going straight to hell, @realDonaldTrump," Miranda, a multi-million-dollar Hillary Clinton fundraiser, tweeted.
Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello, a Democrat, has said the administration is being responsive to the island's needs and on Saturday appeared to try to deflect questions about Cruz's comments.
He suggested the Trump-Cruz issue was to his "side" and said his message is that he's "here to help" and collaborate with the federal government on resources.
On Friday, Rossello said Trump has responded to his requests after the island was clipped by Hurricane Irma, then struck by Maria.
He also said the Federal Emergency Management Agency and its director, Brock Long, have essentially been in contact with him "all of the time.
Trump's acting homeland security secretary, Elaine Duke, visited the island Friday, surveying the landscape by helicopter in an hour-long tour, driving past still-flooded streets, twisted billboards and roofs with gaping holes, and offering encouragement to some of the 10,000 emergency personnel she says the U.S. government has on the ground.
On Thursday, the U.S. military named Buchanan to oversee the response effort.
Trump is expected to survey the damage Tuesday.
Duke tried, too, to move on from the remarks she made a day earlier in which she called the federal relief effort a "good-news story." But on that front, she ran into winds as fierce as Maria.
"We are dying, and you are killing us with the inefficiency," Cruz said in a news conference. "I am begging, begging anyone that can hear us, to save us from dying."
Thousands more Puerto Ricans got water and rationed food Friday as an aid bottleneck began to ease. By now, telecommunications are back for about 30 percent of the island, nearly half of the supermarkets have reopened at least for reduced hours and about 60 percent of the gas stations are pumping.
But many remain desperate for necessities, most urgently water, long after the Sept. 20 hurricane.
Trump said Puerto Rico is "totally unable" to handle the catastrophe on its own. "They are working so hard, but there's nothing left," he said. "It's been wiped out." He said the government is "fully engaged in the disaster and the response and recovery effort."
Trump said he was not aware of Duke's "good-news" remark.
"I haven't heard what she said," he told reporters. "I can tell you this: We have done an incredible job considering there's absolutely nothing to work with."
Yet even in voicing solidarity and sympathy with Puerto Rico, he drew attention again to the island's pre-hurricane debt burden and infrastructure woes, leaving doubt how far Washington will go to make the U.S. territory whole.
"Ultimately the government of Puerto Rico will have to work with us to determine how this massive rebuilding effort -- it will end up being one of the biggest ever -- will be funded and organized, and what we will do with the tremendous amount of existing debt already on the island," he said. "We will not rest, however, until the people of Puerto Rico are safe."
Earlier he tweeted: "The fact is that Puerto Rico has been destroyed by two hurricanes. Big decisions will have to be made as to the cost of its rebuilding!"
Speaking to the press, and taking no questions, Duke said neither she nor Trump will rest until displaced Puerto Ricans are back home, schools, hospitals and clean water are back and the island's economy is moving again. Duke said she is aware people are suffering and "clearly the situation in Puerto Rico after the devastating hurricane is not satisfactory."
Trump weighed in on his way to New Jersey for the weekend.
He praised his emergency management director, Brock Long, for doing a "fantastic job," pointed out that Duke is serving in an acting capacity and said "she's working very hard."
Duke said before leaving Washington that the federal relief effort was a "good-news story" because of "our ability to reach people and the limited number of deaths."
"Let me clarify," she said Friday upon her arrival in San Juan. She said she meant "it was good news that people of Puerto Rico and many public servants of the United States are working together."
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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