During their six-year playoff drought, the Broncos’ offense finished 22nd, 27th, 24th, 28th, 28th and 23rd in points per game. They always played uphill, generally kicked themselves in the shins with mistakes and usually lost.

Contrast that to Thursday’s joint practice against the Dallas Cowboys.

Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, Albert Okwuegbunam and Kendall Hinton made fine catches.

Javonte Williams darted through openings in the line for what would have been first-down gains.

And the operation — center/quarterback snap exchange, penalties, etc. — was mostly clean save for the two-minute drill.

Those positives left quarterback Russell Wilson even more upbeat than normal about the state of the Broncos’ offense.

“It was a great day for us,” Wilson said after the Broncos’ 14th training camp practice. “All the work you’ve put in collectively as a group — all the early mornings, the walk-throughs at 6 a.m. and 7 a.m., all the late nights, all the communication, all the work — it really showed (Thursday), I thought.

“We were just so locked in. We had a blast.”

On a day where the air felt like a blast furnace (temperatures in the high 90s), it required a locked-in mindset. The Cowboys’ offense, led by quarterback Dak Prescott, had it on the north field. The Broncos’ offense, led by Wilson, had it on the south field.

Wilson completed his first three passes in 11-on-11 work, but coach Nathaniel Hackett emphasized the run game against the Cowboys’ 4-3 defensive front (the Broncos had spent camp going against their 3-4 defense).

The practice work was important for Wilson and the first-team offense because Saturday’s preseason opener against the Cowboys is likely to feature only the back-ups.

“I’m ready to do whatever,” Wilson said when asked if he would like to play.

Wilson played in the exhibition season every year from 2012-19. There was no preseason in ’20 and he …read more

Source:: The Denver Post

Andrew Vaughn blooped a single to right field in the third inning Thursday against the Kansas City Royals.

Seby Zavala, who began the inning with a single and advanced to second on a Luis Robert hit, got a late break on the play and only made it to third.

Still, the Chicago White Sox had the bases loaded with no outs.

It appeared that the Sox were heading toward a big inning. Instead, Royals starter Zack Greinke struck out Eloy Jiménez and José Abreu. Yasmani Grandal worked a full count before grounding out to shortstop Nicky Lopez, keeping the Sox scoreless.

It was that type of day — and trip — for the Sox.

They wasted another fantastic outing from Dylan Cease with a 5-3 loss to the Royals in front of 10,009 at Kauffman Stadium.

“We had (14) hits, had a real good effort,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said. “The guy on the mound (Greinke) has made a real good career at pitching out of that. Cease was outstanding but we got ready to play. We created the rallies, we were rallying late.

“It was the effort of the whole team. It’s tough to accept the loss but we took our shot.”

Cease allowed one run — a homer to Vinnie Pasquantino in the second inning — on three hits with eight strikeouts and two walks in six innings.

“Dylan threw phenomenal,” Vaughn said. “He’s been doing that for 14 straight starts. It stinks not to get him some runs.”

It was Cease’s 14th consecutive start allowing one or no earned runs, extending a major-league record (excluding openers).

“It was definitely a tough loss,” Cease said. “I thought I pitched pretty well, it was just one of those games. I always have the same mindset. I’m trying to limit as much as I can whether we’re …read more

Source:: The Denver Post

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Daniel Jones and the Giants offense’s two drives were characteristically up and down in Thursday night’s preseason opener against the New England Patriots.

Jones drove the Giants 68 yards in 13 plays for a field goal on the game’s opening drive. Then he was under siege by the Patriots’ pass rush on his second and final drive, after starting left tackle Andrew Thomas and left guard Shane Lemieux (toe) came out.

The plan was for Jones and the starters to play about a quarter, and that’s what they got.

On the first drive, Jones completed 3-of-6 passes for 42 yards running Brian Daboll’s offense and converted a first down with his legs on a six-yard run, as well. He delivered a pair of 17-yard completions to Darius Slayton and Collin Johnson.

The bubble screen to Slayton, with Kenny Golladay and big rookie right tackle Evan Neal out in front blocking, was a creative call by offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and good execution by the players.

Saquon Barkley touched the ball five times in 12 offensive plays, highlighted by an 8-yard catch on third-and-five to keep the drive alive. But he gained only 12 yards rushing on four carries.

And the drive ended with Jones taking a shot to the back from free blitzer Anfernee Jennings, a Patriots linebacker. His pass for Kenny Golladay on 3rd-and-6 from the New England 7-yard line fell incomplete.

So Graham Gano booted a 25-yard field goal for the early 3-0 lead.

After a quick stop by the defense, though, the second drive was a struggle with Devery Hamilton at left tackle and rookie Josh Ezeudu at left guard.

Thomas, who is returning from offseason ankle surgery, seemingly was dialed back as part of the plan. Lemieux was pulled due to an injury on the first drive.

Ezeudu, Neal, Hamilton and tight end …read more

Source:: The Denver Post

Los Angeles County public health officials reported 4,345 new cases of the coronavirus since Wednesday, bringing the total number of cases to 3,347,143 as of Thursday, Aug. 11.

Officials reported 15 more deaths linked to the coronavirus since Wednesday for a total of 32,903 deaths since tracking began.

There were eight fewer hospitalizations reported Thursday, brining the total number of people hospitalized with coronavirus to 1,098.

According to the California Department of Public Health’s vaccines dashboard, 77% of Los Angeles County is fully vaccinated.

Click here to view or download the daily tracker.

According to the California Department of Public Health’s vaccines dashboard, 77% of Los Angeles County is fully vaccinated.

Click here to view or download the vaccination tracker.

LDN-L-LA-VAX-TRACKER-081222 LDN-L-LA-TRACKER-081222

…read more

Source:: Los Angeles Daily News

IRVINE — He wanted you to laugh. To scoff. To roll your eyes.

The undersized son and grandson of NFL players, Cooper Kupp knew at age 9 he too was bound for the league.

Never mind his modest stature. Forget about the fact that he had zero college scholarship offers when his final high school game ended. Or that he eventually found a home not at a Division I powerhouse, but at Eastern Washington.

Kupp was just running a different route. Naturally.

In a post-practice chat this week, he described how his approach has evolved from 2016, when late in a record-breaking college career, he maintained: “I want to set my goals laughably high.”

Back then, he told Spokane-based television news station KREM-TV: “If people aren’t doubting you, if people aren’t saying ‘that’s ridiculous,’ then you’re not setting your goals high enough.”

How high, exactly? Super Bowl champion? Super Bowl MVP? NFL Offensive Player of the year? How about a rare receiving triple crown?

Ri·​dic·​u·​lous adj. 1 Deserving ridicule. 2 Becoming the first receiver since Steve Smith Sr. in 2005 to lead the league in regular-season catches (145), yards (1,947) and touchdown catches (16) – and the first to do it while recording a catch percentage better than 70% (75.9%, to be precise) since the league began tracking targets in 1992.

Funny, right? Hilarious, no?

But now people aren’t laughing at the prospect, they’re arguing about those achievements, getting heated on “First Take” as the debate rages: Is Cooper Kupp a top-five WR?!

For what it’s worth – and, if you’re counting at home, it was worth a $78.5 million contract extension, $75 million of which is guaranteed, more than ever before allotted to wide receiver – Kupp votes no.

His top five: Davante Adams, Justin Jefferson, Stefon Diggs, Ja’Marr Chase and Odell Beckham, Jr. “Every single one …read more

Source:: Los Angeles Daily News

John P. Angelos, the chairman and CEO of the Orioles, is decrying that his brother took what he calls “the nuclear option” of filing suit over a dispute in how to handle their father’s assets.

In several filings Wednesday in Baltimore County Circuit Court, John Angelos denied the allegations that his brother, Louis F. Angelos made about him in a lawsuit in June: that he sought to seize control of the Orioles and other assets of their father, Peter G. Angelos, as he fell ill and eventually became incapacitated in recent years.

“Lou apparently saw his father’s deteriorating condition as the perfect opportunity to take what he felt he deserved, but not what he was entitled to, under Peter’s estate plan,” according to one motion.

It goes on to accuse Louis Angelos, 53, of basing his suit on “unfounded accusations and fictitious conspiracy theories” that his brother and mother sought “to harm him and his expected inheritance from the estate of his father.

“Nothing could be further from the truth,” the motion said.

Attorneys for John Angelos and Louis Angelos did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The filings come in the wake of a suit filed earlier this week by Georgia K. Angelos, 80, the family matriarch, who has sided with her older son in the family dispute. Her suit said Louis Angelos, who had been managing his 93-year-old father’s law firm in recent years, sold the practice to himself in what amounted to financial elder abuse.

John Angelos, 55, is seeking to dismiss his brother’s claim that he and their mother fraudulently transferred some of Peter Angelos’ multimillion-dollar real estate portfolio into an entity that they controlled. Louis Angelos’ suit said this violated his father’s intention that his sons share equally in those assets.

But John Angelos’ motion argued …read more

Source:: The Denver Post

Los Angeles County next week will transition to a newly approved method of administering smaller doses of the monkeypox vaccine, a move that officials say will lead to a five-fold increase in the availability of shots locally.

Even with that increase, however, doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine will still remain extremely limited overall.

Dr. Rita Singhal, chief medical officer of the county Department of Public Health, said during an online media briefing that the county will align with the new dosing strategy authorized this week by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The new method allows the vaccine to be administered between layers of skin, in what’s called an intradermal injection. Previously, the vaccine was administered beneath the skin, in a subcutaneous injection. The intradermal method requires only roughly one-fifth the amount of vaccine required by the subcutaneous injection, authorities said.

Making the change is designed to stretch the limited of supply of the vaccine nationally, allowing smaller doses to be administered to more people.

Singhal said changing the strategy means that Los Angeles County will automatically see a five-fold increase in the number of doses it can offer. Since the vaccine is a two-dose regimen — with the shots traditionally administered 28 days apart — second doses will become more readily available, she said, and more people will likely become available for the initial shot.

She noted, however, than even with the increase in dosage availability, the county will only be able to fully vaccinated about 85,000 to 90,000 people, or roughly half the number currently seen as being at high risk.

The county to date has received roughly 43,290 doses of the vaccine, with nearly 29,000 more doses anticipated by later this month. Of the doses already received, nearly 32,000 have already been administered through various providers, and another 11,000 are likely to be administered …read more

Source:: Los Angeles Daily News

A rendering of the building at 345 N. Morgan St. that’s expected to open in September and will house investment firm Wellington Management.

Provided

Investment firm Wellington Management said Thursday it plans to move its Chicago office from the Loop to Fulton Market as it expands operations here.

Wellington signed a longterm lease for 24,000 square feet at 345 N. Morgan St., an office building expected to open next month, said the property’s developer, Sterling Bay. A Wellington spokeswoman said the move will occur in the second quarter of 2023.

The building, named for its address, is a 200,000-square-foot boutique office and retail development. It’s part of the continued construction boom in Fulton Market, Chicago’s busiest area for residential and office development.

Wellington, which manages investments for institutional clients and wealthy families, will vacate the 6,000 square feet it occupies in the Loop, at 222 W. Adams St.

In a statement provided by Sterling Bay, Wellington’s chief financial officer, Ed Steinborn, said the firm is expanding its North American footprint “while evolving our diverse workforce in a city with talented investment professionals.”

He said Wellington sees the Fulton Market location as a place to create “a collaborative employee and client-centric environment.” A Wellington spokeswoman said the firm has 35 employees in Chicago and plans to increase that to 100 in the next two to four years.

The new building, designed by Eckenhoff Saunders Architects, includes private outdoor terraces, a roof deck with sweeping views, a bar for tenants and a coworking library, among other features.

Wellington reports that it manages more than $1 trillion in assets and has more than 2,400 clients.

…read more

Source:: Chicago Sun Times

Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama participate in a ceremonial groundbreaking at the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park on Sept. 28, 2021, on the South Side.

Scott Olson/Getty

Fundraising for the Obama Presidential Foundation dipped in 2021 to $159.6 million, according to records released Thursday, which also showed the $592,905 compensation paid last year to its chief executive officer, Valerie Jarrett, who served as a top adviser in the Obama White House.

Information regarding the Obama Foundation — about its finances, programs and progress in building the Obama Center in Jackson Park — was disclosed in its annual report and Internal Revenue Service Form 990 covering the year 2021. The foundation …read more

Source:: Chicago Sun Times

By ANDREW WELSH-HUGGINS and PATRICK ORSAGOS

WILMINGTON, Ohio (AP) — An armed man clad in body armor who tried to breach the FBI’s Cincinnati office on Thursday was shot and killed by police after he fled the scene and engaged in an hourslong standoff in a rural part of the state, the Ohio State Highway Patrol said.

The confrontation came as officials warned of an increase in threats against federal agents in the days following a search of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

The man is believed to have been in Washington in the days leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and may have been present at the Capitol on the day of the attack, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the matter. The official could not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The suspect was identified as Ricky Shiffer, 42, according to the law enforcement official. He was not charged with any crimes in connection with the Jan. 6 attack, the official said. Federal investigators are examining whether Shiffer may have had ties to far-right extremist groups, including the Proud Boys, the official said.

Shiffer “attempted to breach” the visitor’s screening area at the FBI office at around 9:15 a.m., and fled when agents confronted him, according to federal authorities’ account of the incident. After fleeing onto Interstate 71, he was spotted by a trooper and fired shots as the trooper pursued him, said Lt. Nathan Dennis, a Ohio State Highway Patrol spokesperson, at a press conference.

Shiffer left the interstate north of Cincinnati and abandoned his car on rural roads, where he exchanged gunfire with police and sustained injuries, though no one else was hurt, Dennis said.

Shiffer was shot after he raised a gun toward police at around 3 p.m. Thursday, …read more

Source:: The Denver Post

Kids in Denver and six other counties in the metro area could soon benefit from billionaire Rob Walton’s purchase of the Denver Broncos.

The Metropolitan Football Stadium District, the division of the state government tasked with building and protecting taxpayers’ investment in the Broncos’ publicly owned field, will soon be distributing more than $41 million of the $4.65 billion Walton and his ownership group paid for the team, Matt Sugar, the district’s director of stadium affairs, confirmed Thursday.

The origins of that multi-million-dollar tax windfall date back to 1998. That was when the 57% of voters in what was then the six-country Denver metro area voted to approve a sales tax extension to build the stadium now known as Empower Field at Mile High.

For their roughly $300 million investment, taxpayers also got some guarantees in the stadium lease and management agreement. That included rights to 2% of the proceeds if late Broncos owner Pat Bowlen and his ownership group sold the team.

Walton’s purchase from the Bowlen Trust is now complete. Last week, the stadium district board voted unanimously to approve a share back amount of just over $41 million. 9News reported on the refund at the time.

That $41 million total is far less than 2% of $4.65 billion. As outlined in stadium district documents, the district had to do some math to calculate the total taxpayers are entitled to. Franchise debt (north of $247 million) was subtracted first as were the Bowlen group’s capital contributions over the years (another $2.4 billion.) The net profit of the sale, roughly $2.05 billion, was then subject to the 2% sharing rate.

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Source:: The Denver Post

Welcome to your Ravens watching companion. Return here throughout the game for real-time recaps and analysis. Don’t see the live blog? View it here.

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Source:: The Denver Post

A recently approved ordinance raising the minimum wage of some health care workers in the city to $25 per hour was temporarily suspended from taking effect on Thursday, Aug. 11, by the city clerk’s office after a referendum petition challenging the ordinance was filed.

Eric Garcetti signed the ordinance into law in July after it was adopted by the City Council.

The ordinance will be suspended while the city clerk’s office determines if the petition, filed Wednesday, contains a sufficient number of valid signatures — at least 40,717. If sufficient, the issue would go before voters in 2024.

The “No on the Los Angeles Unequal Pay Measure” group contends the municipal ordinance excludes workers at more than 90% of health care facilities in the city, calling the measure “inequitable and discriminatory.” The group is looking to force a referendum that would put the issue before voters.

The ordinance “requires pay increases for only some workers at some facilities, while completely excluding workers doing the exact same jobs at other providers,” according to George W. Greene, president/CEO of the Hospital Association of Southern California, which is backing the effort.

“We all agree that health care workers deserve support and recognition for the heroic work they do and hospitals go to great lengths to reward and appreciate workers. We support further conversations around fair and equitable compensation, but the deeply flawed nature of this ordinance means that — at a minimum — voters should have the final say,” he said.

“No on the Los Angeles Unequal Pay Measure” is funded primarily by the California Association of Hospitals and Health Systems.

“The past few years have taken an unimaginable toll on our healthcare workers — often putting themselves at risk to care for the sick and their families,” Garcetti said in a statement announcing the signing of the ordinance. “It …read more

Source:: Los Angeles Daily News

Player Attendance

Did not practice: Physically unable to perform list — OLB Randy Gregory (shoulder), RT Billy Turner (knee) and OL Tom Compton (back). Injuries — WR KJ Hamler (knee), WR Tyrie Cleveland (shoulder), TE Greg Dulcich (hamstring), G Netane Muti (knee), CB Ronald Darby (chest), OL Ben Braden (back) and RB Melvin Gordon (foot).

DL Eyioma Uwazurike and D.J. Jones did work after sitting out during the week.

Coach Nathaniel Hackett said Gordon has a foot contusion.

Asked if Hamler and Dulcich had setbacks this week, Hackett said: “Dulcich a little bit. KJ, we’re trying to move him in the right way. He’s further along than we ever thought.”

Rookie OLB Christopher Allen (foot) was placed on injured reserve Wednesday. Hackett said Allen did not re-injure his foot.

“I would say it was more, ‘not going to be ready (for the season)’ and a combination of things that happened throughout the team; you only get those 90 spots,” Hackett said.

Top play

A play after TE Albert Okwuegbunam made a one-handed catch, QB Russell Wilson completed the drive with a touchdown pass to WR Kendall Hinton, who was open after beating CB Kelvin Joseph.

Thumbs up

S Justin Simmons. During red zone work, Simmons intercepted QB Dak Prescott in the end zone.

The fans. An announced crowd of 6,514 sweated out 98-degree heat to watch the Cowboys and Broncos practice for two hours.

The spirit. Things were quiet on the field with the Broncos offense and Dallas defense. Not so much on the Broncos defense/Dallas offense field. Entertaining back-and-forth.

Thumbs down

CB Michael Ojemudia. Playing against Dallas’ first-team offense, it was tough sledding for Ojemudia, who was filling in for Ronald Darby. On one series, QB Dak Prescott went 4 of 4 when targeting Ojemudia (three different receivers).

Opening play call. Boo on Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett. In front of a packed crowd, he …read more

Source:: The Denver Post

US Mobile P2P Payments Forecast 

Read the original article on Business Insider

…read more

Source:: Businessinsider

The Centers for Disease Control introduced new guidelines due to ‘significantly less risk of severe illness’ from the coronavirus (Picture: Getty Images)

The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) will no longer require people exposed to the coronavirus to isolate.

The announcement on Thursday came as part of sweeping changes the CDC is making to its Covid-19 guidelines.

The agency said that due to lower COVID community levels, there was ‘significantly less risk of severe illness, hospitalization and death compared to earlier in the pandemic’.

Instead of quarantining, the CDC now recommends that exposed people wear a ‘high quality mask’ for 10 days.

Officials also recommend getting tested five days after an initial exposure.

‘We’re in a stronger place today as a nation, with more tools – like vaccination, boosters and treatments – to protect ourselves, and our communities, from severe illness from Covid-19,’ said Greta Massetti, the CDC’s chief of field epidemiology and prevention.

‘We also have a better understanding of how to protect people from being exposed to the virus, like wearing high-quality masks, testing, and improved ventilation.’

Massetti acknowledged that the pandemic is not over, but said that the new guidelines will ‘help us move to a point where Covid-19 no longer severely disrupts our daily lives’.

Additionally, the CDC is now recommending those who test positive for Covid-19 isolate for only five days.

‘You are likely most infectious during these first 5 days. Wear a high-quality mask when you must be around others at home and in public,’ the agency stated.

If fever and other symptoms subside, the CDC now says an individual can end isolation after the fifth day.

Wearing a high quality mask around others is still recommended, as well as avoiding any immunocompromised individuals or other …read more

Source:: Metro News