Lakers defense had no answer for Klay Thompson, Warriors onslaught
Klay Thompson was the Warriors’ driving force during a Game 2 win, with the Lakers’ defense never finding a way to slow down the offensive onslaught.
Belgium detains Iraqi accused of al-Qaeda ‘war crimes’
The suspected Iraqi immigrant is said to have belonged to an al-Qaeda cell which carried out a series of deadly bombings in Baghdad. Belgian prosecutors said the attacks killed at least 376 people.
F1’s Lewis Hamilton criticizes Florida law limiting gender identity lessons in public schools
Formula One star Lewis Hamilton defied FIA rules and spoke out about what has been dubbed “Don’t Say Gay” laws in Florida as the sport prepares for the Miami Grand Prix over the weekend.
Florida legislators passed a parental rights bill that progressives have claimed is anti-LGBTQ and have continuously pushed the narrative. The bill, officially named “Parental Rights in Education,” bans school employees or third parties from giving classroom instruction on “sexual orientation” or “gender identity” in all grades.
The opposition to the bill falsely claims it bans any discussion pertaining to being gay in the state’s schools.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Hamilton, who is from Britain, likened the legislation to the oppression seen in Saudi Arabia.
“It’s not good at all,” he said Thursday. “I stand by those within the community here. I hope they continue to stand firm and push back. I’ll have the rainbow on my helmet. It’s no different to when we were in Saudi.”
Hamilton would not go as far as urge F1 to skip races in Florida because of social policies.
“It’s not for me to decide something like that,” he said. “I did hear and have read about some of the decisions that have been made in government here and I do not agree with it and I do not support it. I really do continue to stand with the LGBTQ community and I’m wearing a rainbow flag on my helmet this weekend and I just really want to continue to support the community here and let them know I stand with them and I hope they continue to fight against it.
“It’s not the people of Miami that are making these decisions, it’s the people in government and that’s the issue,” he added. “I think, hopefully, all I can do – the sport is going to be here whether I am or not – but the least I can do is just continue to be supportive and just being here and having that on my helmet, hopefully that speaks well to the subject.”
Hamilton faces potential discipline for speaking out on social issues.
In December, the FIA updated its International Sporting Code for the 2023 season and included a new article stating that political, religious and personal statements require written approval.
“The general making and display of political, religious and personal statements or comments notably in violation of the general principle of neutrality promoted by the FIA under its Statutes, unless previously approved in writing by the FIA for International Competitions, or by the relevant ASN for National Competitions within their jurisdiction,” the new articles states.
Hamilton vowed to keep speaking out on social issues regardless of the FIA rules.
Fox News Jessica Chasmar and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Tennis star Martina Navratilova slams trans cyclist Austin Killips’ victory
Tennis great Martina Navratilova took a swing at transgender cyclist Austin Killips, who won a women’s race in New Mexico – saying “trans identified male athletes” have no place in women’s sports.
https://nypost.com/2023/05/05/martina-navratilova-slams-trans-cyclist-austin-killips-victory/
ESPN’s Jay Williams wants to stop using ‘Mount Rushmore’ term: ‘That’s our metric for success?’
Jay Williams, an NBA analyst for ESPN who starred for Duke in college, took issue with the sports world using the term “Mount Rushmore” to describe the best of the best.
Williams pushed back on Stephen A. Smith’s claim that if Stephen Curry defeated LeBron James in their playoff series this year, then the Golden State Warriors star could knock James off the NBA’s Mount Rushmore. However, he was unhappy with the Mount Rushmore verbiage mostly.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
“Can we first off just stop with the Mount Rushmore talk,” he said, via Awful Announcing. “They’re not even the four best presidents this country has ever had. Everyone in this room was not even able to vote. I just want to say that off the top. That’s our metric for success? That’s our king?”
Williams’ colleague Jalen Rose gave a similar take in August.
FLASHBACK: ‘MOUNT RUSHMORE’ TERM IS ‘OFFENSIVE’ AND SHOULD BE ‘RETIRED,’ ESPN’S JALEN ROSE SAYS
Rose went as far to say that using “Mount Rushmore” is “offensive.” He said he wanted to cancel the term because the monument was built “on top of dead bodies” of Native Americans whose land was taken from them.
“Can we retire using Mount Rushmore? That should be offensive to all of us, especially Native Americans, Indigenous people who were the first people here before Christopher Columbus,” Rose said in a video he tweeted. “That land was stolen from them when it was discovered that it contained gold.
“And 25 years later, to add insult to injury, four American presidents were put on what we call Mount Rushmore on the top of the dead bodies that is buried right underneath. So, I call for you and for myself — I’m owning this, too — let’s stop using the term Mount Rushmore when we’re talking about our favorite rappers, talking about our favorite movies, talking about our favorite players.”
Fox News’ Ryan Morik contributed to this report.
After bootstrapping for five years, Instruqt raises a €15M Series A from Blossom Capital
Netherlands-based Instruqt has a product allowing companies to more easily test how a new software would run inside their organization. After bootstrapping its way to growth, it has now raised €15 million in a Series A round led entirely by Blossom Capital.
It’s much easier to sell a software product into a company if they can see how it will run inside the organization in a live manner. So some startups have appeared where they run their SaaS product inside a sort of Sandbox, so that the client company can see how it might work, without having to be fully deployed. Instead of brow-beating buyers why they should purchase their products, the platform puts buyers in the driver’s seat to experience a product hands-on. This mean the client gets a working demo of the product, without needing to commit a lot of time and resources, or perhaps even signing a contract. That’s a much more powerful way of selling a product compared to a theoretical “demo” which might look and sound good, but may end up being a a total disaster in practice. Some examples of companies offering products in this area are Cloudshare, Skillshare and ReadyTech.
Founded in 2018, Instruqt says it is in use by companies such as RedHat, MongoDB, Datadog, and HashiCorp. They use it to build so-called “self-service demos” and free test drives for prospects.
The company is led by CEO Coert Baart alongside co-founder and CTO Adé Mochtar. Baart was previously co-founder of XebiaLabs, which was sold in 2020 to TPG Capital for an undisclosed amount.
Instruqt CEO Coert Baart said in a statement: “Having been bootstrapped since day one, it was always going to take a VC who truly understood our vision for us to take outside capital.”
“Instruqt hits the sweet spot for buyers and sellers alike when it comes to tackling the key challenges faced in all sizes and sectors of business,” added Ophelia Brown, founder and Managing Partner at Blossom Capital.
After bootstrapping for five years, Instruqt raises a €15M Series A from Blossom Capital by Mike Butcher originally published on TechCrunch
The thin line between opportunity and regret
In many ways, the current Knicks mirror the 2012-13 team, in all of the possibilities in front of them, and all of the potential disappointment.
https://nypost.com/2023/05/05/the-thin-line-between-opportunity-and-regret-for-knicks/
JPMorgan’s Dimon Will Visit China This Month
JPMorgan’s Dimon Will Visit China This Month
JPMorgan Chase & Co. CEO Jamie Dimon is expected to visit mainland China this month for the first time in four years, Reuters said, citing sources familiar with travel plans.
Dimon is set to visit China, as JPMorgan will be organizing three conferences in Shanghai’s financial center later this month, according to another source. This marks the banker’s first visit to the country since the onset of the virus pandemic in early 2020.
The three conferences, the Morgan Tech Exchange Conference, the China New Economy Forum, and the Global China Summit, will occur over three days. Dimon will attend all conferences and conduct internal and external meetings, an indication Western bankers still have some willingness to invest in China.
JPMorgan has a business presence in China. Its wholly-owned securities venture conducts securities underwriting and advisory services. Reuters noted, “The Wall Street bank acquired 100% ownership of its funds management joint venture in January.”
In 2021, Dimon regretted joking that his bank would probably outlast China’s Communist Party.
“I regret and should not have made that comment.
“I was trying to emphasize the strength and longevity of our company,” Dimon said in a statement.
After the conferences, Dimon plans to visit Hong Kong in early June, the sources added.
Dimon joins a list of elite bankers who have visited China this year. In March, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon, HSBC CEO Noel Quinn, and Standard Chartered boss Bill Winters met with Chinese officials and regulators.
Despite calls from Washington lawmakers for a decoupling between the US and China, Wall Street bankers continue with expansion plans in the world’s second-largest economy.
Tyler Durden
Fri, 05/05/2023 – 07:44
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/jpmorgans-dimon-will-visit-mainland-china-month
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott vetoes clean heat standard bill
Republican Gov. Phil Scott on Thursday vetoed a bill aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging Vermonters to move away from using fossil fuels to heat their homes.
Scott vowed last week that he would veto the Affordable Heat Act, saying that while he shares the bill’s goal, he believes the legislation would give too much authority to the unelected Public Utilities Commission and could end up punishing Vermonters who are least able to afford to switch.
“Here’s the bottom line: The risk to Vermonters and our economy throughout the state is too great; the confusion around the language and the unknowns are too numerous; and we are making real and measurable progress reducing emissions with a more thoughtful, strategic approach that is already in motion,” Scott wrote in his veto letter to lawmakers.
FACTORY FARM, WISCONSIN DOJ REACH $215K MANURE POLLUTION SETTLEMENT
He vetoed a similar bill last year, and an override failed by one vote in the House. Democratic lawmakers have a veto-proof majority in the House and Senate, but it’s unclear if all would vote to override this veto.
“The Affordable Heat Act is an essential step forward to plan for and fully understand what it will take, what it will cost and how Vermonters can benefit from more local, cleaner, and more affordable heat,” said Sen. Rebecca White, a Democrat, in a statement. “It is the Climate Solutions Caucus leadership’s hope and expectation – as the two recent and decisive House and Senate votes have demonstrated – that the majority of policy makers will continue to support taking the next hard, important step forward toward a more equitable, affordable, cleaner heat future.”
The Affordable Heat Act grew out of legislation passed in 2020 that requires Vermont to reduce greenhouse gas pollution to 26% below 2005 levels by 2025. Emissions would need to be 40% below 1990 levels by 2030 and 80% below by 2050.
House Speaker Jill Krowinski has said Scott and others were spreading misinformation about the legislation, particularly that Vermonters would be unable to afford to heat their homes.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/vermont-gov-phil-scott-vetoes-clean-heat-standard-bill
Former Philadelphia cops who opened fired at wrong car plead guilty in death of 8-year-old girl
Three fired police officers who pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges in the death of an 8-year-old girl killed when they opened fire outside a high school football game near Philadelphia are set to be sentenced Friday.
Former Sharon Hill officers Brian Devaney, Devon Smith and Sean Dolan have pleaded guilty to 10 counts each of reckless endangerment. Investigators say they could not determine which officer fired the shot that killed Fanta Bility on Aug. 27, 2021. The charge carries a maximum term of up to two years in prison in Pennsylvania.
Prosecutors contend the officers negligently fired 25 shots at a car they mistakenly thought was involved in gunfire that broke out as spectators left the football game in 2021. Devaney was not wearing a body camera, and the other two officers did not turn their cameras on, investigators found.
BALTIMORE POLICE STAFFING CRISIS HITS DIRE LEVELS, FOP BOSS AND JUDGE WARN: ‘UNDERCOVER’ DEFUNDING
Bility had attended the game at Academy Park High School with her mother and an older sister who was also shot but survived. In all, four people were hit by police bullets that sped past the car.
The handling of the case prompted outrage and protests from the Black community and others as District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer initially charged two Black teens who engaged in gunfire a block away — which prompted the police response — with the child’s death. Those charges were later dropped, and, after a grand jury investigation, the officers were instead charged with voluntary and involuntary manslaughter along with the endangerment counts.
The November plea agreements that dismissed those more serious charges came after consultations with the Bility family.
The family, who belong to a community of immigrants from West Africa, said it was important that the officers take responsibility for the girl’s death and the trauma they experienced. They have a federal lawsuit pending against the defendants and the Sharon Hill police department.
“The agony we feel constantly re-living the loss of our dear Fanta, who was just 8 years old when she was killed by Sharon Hill police officers, is impossible to describe,” the family said in a statement last year.
Lawyers for the ex-officers, who have been free on bail, initially called her death a tragedy caused by the teens who engaged in gunfire. The lawyers did not immediately return calls seeking comment Thursday.