Baseball icon Bob Uecker, voice of Milwaukee Brewers, dies at 90
There were, of course, dozens of iconic home run calls in baseball’s history. But his appearances on the “Tonight Show with Johnny Carson,” as an actor in the sitcom, “Mr. Belvedere,” or in commercials for his hometown Miller Brewing, made Bob Uecker famous outside of baseball.
His star turn as Cleveland Indians announcer Harry Doyle in the 1989 movie, “Major League,” was the pinnacle. He proved beyond a doubt that the man known as “Mr. Baseball” was as big a star away from the ballpark as he was behind the microphone.
Uecker, the voice of the Milwaukee Brewers since 1971, died Thursday, Jan. 16. He was 90 years old.
The team announced his death in a statement on social media. They called it “one of the most difficult days in Milwaukee Brewers history.”
The statement read in part, “Bob faced a private battle with small cell lung cancer, which he met with the strength and resilience that defined him.” The statement continued, “It is his kindness, humility, and love for family and friends that we will hold closest to our hearts.”
"It is his kindness, humility, and love for family and friends that we will hold closest to our hearts"
Uecker spent six seasons in the big leagues as a backup catcher, finishing with a .200 average and 14 homers. He won a World Series ring with St. Louis in 1964 and also played for Atlanta and Philadelphia. Joking about his career was central to his deadpan, self-deprecating humor. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as a broadcaster in 2003.
“The commercials, the films, the television series. I could never wait for everything to get over so I could get back to baseball,” Uecker said during his induction speech. “I still — and this is not sour grapes by any means — still think I should have gone in as a player (laughter). There it is, boys; the proof is in the pudding.”
The former commissioner of Major League Baseball, Bud Selig, is a Milwaukee native himself and a good friend of Uecker. He also posted a statement on social media.
“I am heartbroken with the loss of my dear lifelong friend, Bob Uecker. I can’t begin to describe how much he meant to me, let alone what this loss is for Brewers fans, the state of Wisconsin and countless others worldwide. Bob had the easiest way of making others feel at ease, share a laugh and always left people feeling a little better. Nobody was his equal,” Selig said in a statement on social media.
For Uecker, baseball was No. 1. He wanted to see the Brewers win a World Series. After their exit from the playoffs in October 2024, star outfielder Christian Yelich was emotional. He knew it could be Uecker’s last run.
“Yeah, it’s special when he’s around; you shouldn’t take it for granted. He’s the man; he means a lot to this place. Anyone who has spent any kind of time here knows how special Bob is,” Yelich said.
Shohei Ohtani’s record-breaking 50/50 ball scores $4.39M at auction
Shohei Ohtani’s historic 50th home run ball sold at auction for a record-breaking $4.39 million Tuesday, Oct. 22, despite being at the center of ongoing legal battles. The record-breaking auction comes days before Ohtani is set to play in the first game of the World Series.
The sale also came despite ongoing litigation playing out in Florida, where two different people have filed lawsuits claiming they caught the ball first. However, it ultimately ended up in the hands of the fan who put it up for auction.
Shohei Ohtani's 50/50 home run ball sold for a record-breaking $4.39 million, per @GoldinCo.
It doesn’t matter who ends up hitting a home run in the lawsuits, though. The ball will still be pitched to the anonymous person who won Tuesday’s bidding war because the auction house said “all parties” claiming ownership of the baseball agreed on the sale.
Meanwhile, Ohtani and the Dodgers are gearing up for Game 1 of the World Series against the New York Yankees on Friday, Oct. 25.
Biden to address UN assembly for last time as president
Joe Biden is set to address the United Nations General Assembly for the final time as U.S. president. And with a heavy focus on Pennsylvania, former President Donald Trump is reportedly returning to the town of his first assassination attempt. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024.
Biden to address UN assembly for last time as president
The Pentagon announced Monday, Sept. 23, it’s sending additional U.S. troops to the Middle East to supplement the roughly 40,000 already in the region as tensions continue to rise there — especially between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The Associated Press has reported Biden administration officials will also be speaking to their counterparts on the sidelines of the U.N. about ways to prevent the fighting there from escalating further.
Zelenskyy is also expected to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump while he’s visiting the U.S.
Trump, Harris focus on crucial swing state Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has long been considered a swing state when it comes to presidential elections and this year, the candidates know the importance of winning there. During a rally in Indiana, Pennsylvania Monday, former President Trump told supporters, “If we win Pennsylvania, we win the whole thing. It’s very simple.”
His visit was just the latest in a handful of visits to the crucial state in recent weeks as he looks to secure a second presidential term.
Also on Monday, sources close to the Trump campaign told media outlets he will return to Butler, Pennsylvania on Oct. 5. Butler is where a sniper fired and grazed his ear with a bullet, in the first assassination attempt on his life in July.
Since then, the Secret Service put in place tighter security protocols for candidates at rallies.
Vice President Kamala Harris is also pushing to win the Pennsylvania vote. She’ll be there again Wednesday, Sept. 25, for a campaign event in Pittsburgh. She’s also made many stops in the swing state since taking up the Democratic nomination.
In the 2020 election, Pennsylvania went to Joe Biden, a key state in helping him win the presidency. There are 19 votes at stake in the Keystone State.
Israeli strike kills nearly 500 in Lebanon in deadliest day since 2006
Nearly 500 people were killed Monday in Lebanon in the deadliest strike by Israel in nearly two decades. Lebanese authorities said Israeli warplanes struck civilian areas in the southern part of the country.
Earlier in the day, Israel had told civilians to move away from the areas, which it says are commonly used by Hezbollah for military purposes.
This comes after almost a year of war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza along Israel’s southern border. Israel is now shifting its focus to the north, where the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah has been firing rockets into Israel in support of Hamas, which is also backed by Iran.
Tuesday morning, Israel’s military said it struck “dozens” of additional targets in Lebanon. Meanwhile, Hezbollah said it fired rockets into northern Israel late Monday night.
The fighting has heightened fears of a widening war in the region.
Missouri set to execute man convicted of 1998 murder
An execution of a man found guilty of a 1998 murder is set to proceed Tuesday evening in Missouri, after the state’s supreme court and governor rejected requests to cancel the scheduled lethal injection.
A jury convicted Marcellus Williams of the stabbing death of Lisha Gayle, a social worker and former newspaper reporter, inside her suburban St. Louis home. Williams has asserted his innocence.
His lawyers argued the state supreme court should halt the proceedings due to alleged procedural errors in jury selection and alleged mishandling of the murder weapon by the prosecution. The court rejected those arguments.
Missouri Governor Mike Parson also rejected a clemency request to switch the sentence to life in prison. Williams’ lawyers still have an appeal before the U.S. Supreme Court.
As of now, though, the execution — which would be the third in the state this year — is set for 6 p.m. CST Tuesday.
Hurricane John makes landfall in Mexico as Category 3 storm
Hurricane John made landfall in Mexico late Monday as a Category 3 storm. It brought 120 miles per hour winds to Mexico’s southern Pacific coast, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
Levi’s teases a potential partnership with Beyoncé
It appears music superstar Beyoncé has a new collaboration coming out. This one would not be with another singer, but with a jeans company.
Levi’s teased what appears to be a partnership with Beyoncé in an Instagram post on Monday. The company shared an image of a woman wearing a cowboy hat and riding a horse with the caption reading “Introducing a new chapter,” seemingly referencing Beyoncé’s latest album “Cowboy Carter,” which features a song called “Levi’s Jeans.” Levi’s also tagged her Instagram account in the post.
You could say denim is having a moment lately, with fashion brands like American Eagle and Abercrombie saying the trend is growing in popularity and revitalizing sales.
Manhattan Project radioactive waste made people ill. Should the gov’t pay the medical bills?
Should the U.S. government pay for the medical bills of people who were exposed to radioactive waste created during the Manhattan Project? Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., introduced a bill to do just that after people living near a creek in his home state became ill and had to move.
Hawley wants the government to compensate people who lived near Coldwater Creek in St. Louis where waste was stored. Hawley said covered illnesses should include cancer, autoimmune disease or genetic disorders.
Mallinckrodt Chemical Co. helped process the uranium that was used to make the first atomic bomb near downtown St. Louis. An investigation by The Associated Press, The Missouri Independent and MuckRock found that the materials were transported and stored haphazardly. They even spilled out of the trucks en route to storage.
In 1949, a federal contractor left radioactive waste in steel drums along Coldwater Creek that leaked into the water.
In the 1970s, the government paid another contractor to dispose of more waste, but it was illegally dumped into a public landfill.
In 1976, a government test revealed levels of radiation in Coldwater Creek were extremely dangerous.
The report found that federal agencies knew of the risks to the area but described it as “low level” or “minimum.”
“This is their government dumping radioactive material into their water, their soil and then lying to them about it. Not even for a year or two years, but for three quarters of a century, Hawley said.
People who lived near the creek, and even swam in it, have suffered severe illness. During a recent press conference, former Coldwater Creek resident Christen Commuso cried as she described what she went through.
“In 2012, in an 11-month period, I had a total hysterectomy due to masses on my ovaries. I had an adrenal gland removed due to a tumor. I’ve had thyroid cancer,” Commuso said according to KSDK News.
Jana Elementary School, which sits right alongside Coldwater Creek, is now closed. A private scientist found that the school was contaminated while the Army Corps of Engineers said it was safe. Hawley and Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., sent a letter to Army Corps of Engineers’ Lt. Gen. Scott Spellmon calling for additional radioactive testing at all Hazelwood School District properties.
“These are parents who sent their kids to the school trusting that they’d get a great education. And what did they get instead? Exposure to radioactive contamination,” Hawley said.
The government is now working on a remediation project at Coldwater Creek that is not scheduled to be finished until 2038.
Blinken and Xi meet to improve relationship: June 19 rundown
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese President Xi Jinping met, and the Biden reelection campaign was set to ramp up this week. These stories highlight the rundown for Monday, June 19, 2023.
Blinken meets with Xi Jinping
U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met with Chinese president Xi Jinping as the two attempted to improve a deteriorating relationship between the two nations. The meeting with Xi wrapped up a two-day visit for Blinken, which included a meeting with China’s top diplomat. Blinken is the highest-level U.S. official to visit China since President Joe Biden took office.
The most recent downward spiral between the two countries first spiked in the summer of 2022, when Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) visited Taiwan. Things escalated again in February after a Chinese spy balloon was shot down over American airspace.
In May, a Chinese warship nearly slammed an American ship transiting the Taiwan Strait, and a Chinese fighter jet in the same region flew so close to a U.S. military plane it created turbulence. The goal of Blinken’s meeting with Xi, as well as the trip as a whole, was to open communication channels with China to avoid a military clash.
Biden to announce climate investment amid fundraising push
President Biden was set to visit Palo Alto, California Monday. He was expected to announce over $600 million in climate investments aimed at helping coastal communities. Most of the money will go to projects to fight rising sea levels, storm surges, and tidal hurricanes.
The Palo Alto trip will also kick off a week of campaigning in the Golden State as Biden looks to raise funds from donors in the tech and climate industries. This week alone, Biden had four fundraisers planned in the San Francisco area.
In the back half of this month, Biden’s campaign will have over 20 fundraisers involving the President, Vice President Kamala Harris, First Lady Jill Biden and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff. The re-election campaign ramp-up comes after Biden held his first campaign rally in front of a crowd of union workers over the weekend.
“There are a lot of politicians in this country who can’t say the word union. You know I’m not one of them. I’m proud to say the word. I’m proud to be the most pro-union president in American history,” Biden said.
Mass shootings taint Juneteenth weekend celebrations
23 people were shot, one fatally, at a Juneteenth celebration southwest of Chicago. The fatal shooting is one of several that occurred over the holiday weekend.
There were no initial arrests in the Willowbrook, Illinois shooting. It was just after midnight Sunday, June 18 when gunshots scattered the crowd of people.
That shooting occurred just hours after a Father’s Day celebration turned deadly on Chicago’s south side. At least two people were killed and three others injured after witnesses say someone drove by a park and started shooting.
In St. Louis, 10 teenagers were shot at a party, according to local police. One of the teens died from their injuries. Meanwhile, officials in Washington state say a fatal shooting took place there at a music festival
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a study showing homicide and suicides have becomes a leading cause of death for young Americans between 10 and 24 years old.
UPS workers set stage for largest strike since 1959
UPS workers have voted overwhelmingly to strike if no contract agreement is reached between the package delivery company and their workers union. If the strike does occur, it could be the biggest labor walkout in the U.S. since the 1950s.
On Friday, June 16, the union voted to authorize a strike by the time the current contract expires on July 31st. The union is seeking higher pay and the elimination of two-tier wages.
They are also demanding the removal of surveillance cameras from delivery trucks and more full-time opportunities. The union represents about 340,000 employees.
Nearly 100 dead after heat wave hits India
A heat wave in the world’s most populous country has killed nearly 100 people in just two regions of India alone. Temperatures have reached above 110 degrees.
Nearly half of India’s workforce is outdoors, and the strenuous labor in extreme heat have proven to be deadly. Local hospitals have been overwhelmed with hundreds and hundreds of people experiencing heat exhaustion and stroke.
Asia experienced the hottest April on record as the region continues to see excessive heat early on in the summer.
Corporations pledge to hire 13,000+ refugees
Ahead of World Refugee Day on Tuesday, June 20, some of the largest companies in the world have pledged to hire more than 13,000 refugees over the next three years.
More than 40 corporations including Amazon, Marriott and Hilton promised to either hire, train or connect 250,000 refugees to work. Among these refugees are Ukrainian women who fled in the wake of Russia’s invasion.
By the end of last year, nearly 12 million Ukrainians remained displaced after Europe’s largest movement of refugees since World War II.
Morning rundown: One year of war in Ukraine; China calls for ceasefire
Today marks one year since the Russia-Ukraine war began, and a new $2 billion support package is on its way to Ukraine from the U.S., including high-tech military equipment and ammunition. The White House has also announced new sanctions to slow Russia’s funding. This story and more highlights the daily rundown for Friday, Feb. 24, 2023.
Russia-Ukraine war marks one year
The United Nations has passed a new resolution with a 141-7 vote demanding Russia to withdraw and end its attacks on Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure.
The measure passed is more so a message of global unity backing Ukraine as it’s not enforceable in international law. The resolution also seeks to hold Russia accountable for any potential war crimes.
China calls for a ceasefire, peace talks
As the U.S. announces a new round of military aid to Ukraine, China has called for a cease-fire between Ukraine and Moscow. China unveiled a 12-point proposal today to mediate and end the conflict.
Beijing has claimed to have a neutral stance in the war, but has also touted its friendship with Russia has no limits.
China has accused western allies, including the U.S., of provoking the conflict by providing Ukraine with defense weapons.
China’s proposal urges Ukraine and Russia to reopen dialogue and resume peace talks. China officials say they will play a constructive role.
Overheated wheel bearing on derailed train
Federal investigators are releasing new details about the train derailment in Ohio earlier this month. A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board shows there were multiple warning signs before the crash happened, but the workers on the train weren’t alerted.
The report focuses on an overheated wheel bearing on the train’s 23rd car. The report says sensors along the track detected the temperature rose by 215 degrees in a span of 30 miles, but didn’t reach the temperature that would trigger any alarm until just before the disaster. That’s when the engineer hit the brakes, but the bearing failed.
Lawmakers will use this report as they look to possibly add new regulations to prevent another derailment.
43,700 fish estimated dead
The Ohio department of natural resources has also updated the number of dead fish found after the derailment. What was previously estimated to be 3,500 fish and amphibians killed has now jumped to 43,700.
Remnants of winter blast across country
Winter weather is affecting many regions of the U.S. today. The aftermath of heavy snowfall and ice storms impacting millions of people.
Seven-hundred thousand homes in Michigan were without power Friday morning after what a utility president called a historic ice storm.
Portland Oregon recorded its second heaviest snow day on record with over 10 inches. Some Minnesotans had to dig themselves out from as much as 21 inches of snow. And blizzard conditions were to blame for more than 8,000 canceled or delayed flights on Thursday.
The storm largely moved to the East, where snow and ice are supposed to taper off today, according to the National Weather Service.
Antitrust suit jeopardizes Adobe, Figma merger
The Justice Department is preparing an antitrust lawsuit to block Adobe’s $20 billion acquisition of start-up company Figma. That’s according to a Bloomberg report citing an unnamed source.
The deal was announced back in September. It would be one the largest takeovers of a software start-up. Figma is used by companies to design apps and websites. Adobe planned to use the acquisition as an opportunity to pick up technology to enhance its own existing programs in the creative cloud.
Adobe plans to close the Figma deal this year. The antitrust lawsuit could be filed as soon as next month, according to Bloomberg.
Ben the bear escapes zoo enclosure
Ben the bear was asking zoo goers at the St. Louis zoo to look the other way while he enjoyed a stroll outside of his enclosure.
The curious bear was determined to reach freedom, tearing through stainless steel clips securing his enclosure. Those clips are rated to withstand 450 pounds of resistance, but it was no problem for Ben.
This isn’t the first time Ben has been caught perusing the zoo grounds. Ben escaped just earlier this month. Both times the zoo had to tranquilize the bear to get him back into its enclosure.
The zoo is now having to consult with an advisory group to determine better methods to keep Ben in his habitat.
Missouri clinic accused of using experimental drugs on children
A whistleblower’s allegations of a Missouri transgender clinic has sparked a state-led investigation. The clinic is being accused of using experimental drugs on children.
The state attorney general confirmed a full investigation of the clinic is currently underway. Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced that his office has already received documents that support the whistleblower’s allegations. Bailey publicly released the list of accusations. The accusations include using experimental drugs on children, giving children life-altering drugs without parental consent, and distributing puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones without individually assessing the underage patients.
Bailey also said his office has evidence that the transgender clinic has been unlawfully billing state taxpayers to fund these actions.
“We have received disturbing allegations that individuals at the transgender center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital has been harming hundreds of children each year. Including by using experimental drugs on them. We take this evidence seriously and are thoroughly investigating to make sure children are not harmed by individuals who may be more concerned with a radical social agenda than the health of children,” Bailey said.
New Madrid: Midwest prepares for catastrophic earthquake
A large earthquake is bound to rock the Midwest. Experts just don’t know when. The New Madrid seismic zone is a cluster of fault lines that run through Missouri, Tennessee and Arkansas. It is the most active seismic area in the U.S., east of the Rockies. Every year, hundreds of small earthquakes occur in the zone.
“Until a brick hits you in the head, most people don’t react. And these small earthquakes don’t do a lot for increasing the awareness that this is a real threat,” James Wilkinson said. Wilkinson is the executive sirector for the Central United States Earthquake Consortium.
He says even a medium sized earthquake could impact as many as 8 states in the Central and Eastern U.S. Dr. Thomas Pratt with the United States Geological Survey, agrees.
“So, the emergency management community, I wouldn’t say they’re totally prepared for this. But they’re aware of it and they’re trying to prepare for it. It’s kind of hard to prepare for a disaster of this scale, but they’re trying,” Pratt said.
There are seismic stations across the country and world to help study activity in the zone. Experts say research and education are the best ways to prepare for a large-scale event.
“Whether it’s sheltering, transportation, there could be some evacuation issues, getting resources into the impact area. Those are all shared problems that we’re going to have to deal with. Memphis and St. Louis have invested millions of dollars, federal mitigation dollars, working through the state emergency management agency to address their risk,” Wilkinson said.
Experts advise the best thing that can be done is remember the drill: Drop, cover and hold on.
“The seconds that you’re standing there thinking about why the ground is shaking, unfortunately, things are beginning to fall,” Wilkinson said.
“I wouldn’t lose that much sleep over it because yes, you’re living near a seismic zone. And there could be a large earthquake that could cause damage and could cause injury. But we don’t know if that’s going to be tomorrow. We don’t know if it’s going to be 100 years from now. So, it’s not something I would stay awake at night dreading. But it will eventually happen,” said Pratt.
Student loan forgiveness still on hold following latest court ruling
President Joe Biden’s plan to provide student loan forgiveness for millions of Americans remained on hold following a federal appeals panel ruling. Monday’s ruling allowed for a stay on the student loan forgiveness program to continue while the court considered an effort to block the plan.
That effort is led by six states: Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Arkansas and South Carolina. Part of the states’ argument centered around the financial harm the debt cancellation would cause the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority.
This unanticipated financial downturn will prevent or delay Missouri from funding higher education at its public colleges and universities,” the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis stated. In a statement on the ruling, Attorney General Doug Peterson, R-Neb., added the ruling “recognizes that this attempt to forgive over $400 billion in student loans threatens serious harm to the economy that cannot be undone.”
“It is important to stop the Biden administration from such unlawful abuse of power,” Peterson said.
The effort from the six states initially failed, after U.S. District Judge Henry Autrey ruled the states failed to establish standing. This case is different than the recent Texas case, in which U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman ruled last week that President Biden had overstepped his authority in creating the debt relief program without congressional approval.
Following the Texas ruling, the White House stopped accepting applications for student loan forgiveness. About 26 million people had applied, and 16 million applications have been approved. However, because of court rulings, none of the relief has actually gone out.
“Courts have issued orders blocking our student debt relief program,” the Education Department said on its federal student aid website. “As a result, at this time, we are not accepting applications. We are seeking to overturn those orders. If you’ve already applied, we’ll hold your application.”
2nd Walker abortion accuser; St. Louis shooting details; Musk visits Twitter
A second accuser has come forward to claim Herschel Walker encouraged and paid for her abortion; new details have been revealed about the teenager who shot and killed two people at a St. Louis high school; and Elon Musk made a trip to Twitter’s headquarters. These stories highlight the Daily Rundown for Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022.
Second Herschel Walker abortion accuser – Just weeks after a former girlfriend of Senate candidate Herschel Walker (R-Ga.) accused him of encouraging and paying for her 2009 abortion, a second woman came forward Wednesday to accuse him of doing the same for her in 1993. The second accuser, identified only as “Jane Doe,” spoke to reporters via an audio Zoom call arranged by her lawyer. She alleged that she became pregnant during a six-year relationship with Walker while he was married to his first wife.
“I’m done with all this foolishness. This is all a lie, and I will not entertain any of it. I also did not kill JFK,” Walker said in a statement responding to the accusation. He issued a similar denial after the first accusation.
New details on St. Louis school shooter – Relatives of 19-year-old Orlando Harris, who killed a student and a teacher at a St. Louis high school earlier this week, had long been concerned about his mental health and worked with police to take a gun away from him. According to St. Louis Police Commissioner Michael Sack, that gun may have been the same one used in the shooting.
“Mental health is a difficult thing,” Sack said. “It’s hard to tell when somebody is going to be violent and act out, or if they’re just struggling, they’re depressed, and they might self-harm.”
According to Sack, when police took the gun, they gave it “to an adult who could legally possess one.” Police have begun trying to determine whether that was the gun used in the shooting, as well as how Harris, who also died in the shooting, got ahold of it.
In preparation for the deadline, the New York Stock Exchange’s website showed Twitter shares will be suspended from trading Friday. The company’s stock closed at $53.35 on the NYSE on Wednesday, slightly below Musk’s offer price.