Media Today

[Rick Plant]

Italy floods: thousands flee after six months of ‘apocalyptic’ rain in a day

Flooding in northern Italy has forced more than ten thousand people to flee their homes.

At least 13 people have been killed as 21 rivers burst their banks in the Emilia Romagna region.

There have been hundreds of landslides and dozens of towns and villages have been flooded by days of heavy rain. 

Many areas have been cut off and the death toll is expected to rise.

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[Rick Plant]

Jim Brown, one of the greatest professional and college football players of all time, has died. He was 87.



His wife, Monique, announced Brown's death in an Instagram post Friday afternoon. She said Brown "passed peacefully" Thursday night in their home in Los Angeles.

"To the world he was an activist, actor, and football star," the post stated. "To our family he was a loving and wonderful husband, father, and grandfather. Our hearts are broken..."

In 2020, Brown was selected to the NFL 100 all-time team and also was ranked as the No. 1 all-time player on the College Football 150 list to celebrate those sports' anniversaries. He was named the greatest football player ever by the Sporting News in 2002.

Brown, who was selected in the first round of the 1957 draft, played nine seasons for the Cleveland Browns (1957-65) and led the league in rushing eight of those years. He rushed for 12,312 yards and averaged 5.2 yards per carry over his career. He also was named a Pro Bowler every year he played. He led the Browns to the league championship game three times, winning the title in 1964, and was named MVP three times.

He ran for at least 100 yards in 58 of his 118 regular-season games, never missing a game. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards in seven seasons, including 1,527 yards in one 12-game season and 1,863 in a 14-game season.

Brown also worked to empower the Black community during the Civil Rights Movement. In June 1967, Brown organized "The Cleveland Summit," a meeting of the nation's top Black athletes, including Bill Russell and Lew Alcindor -- who later became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar -- to support boxer Muhammad Ali's fight against serving in Vietnam. In later years, Brown worked to curb gang violence in Los Angeles and in 1988 founded Amer-I-Can, a program to help disadvantaged inner-city youth and ex-convicts.

Brown also advocated for modern athletes to be more involved in the Black community.

In a statement, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell called Brown a "gifted athlete" who "became a forerunner and role model for athletes being involved in social initiatives outside their sports."

"It's impossible to describe the profound love and and gratitude we feel for having the opportunity to be a small piece of Jim's incredible life and legacy," the Browns said in a statement. "We mourn his passing, but celebrate the indelible light he brought to the world.

"Our hearts are with Jim's family, loved ones, and all those he impacted along the way."

Brown retired at 30, at the top of his career. He was filming the movie "The Dirty Dozen" during the offseason in 1966, and production went long because of bad weather. Browns owner Art Modell threatened to suspend Brown's pay if he didn't report to training camp on time. Brown opted to retire, saying he wanted to focus on his movie career and social issues.

Since his retirement, no Browns player has worn his No. 32, and a statue of him went up outside of FirstEnergy Stadium in 2016.

"It's a great moment," Brown said when the statue was unveiled, "because I feel it throughout my body, particularly in my heart and mind."

Current Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam called Brown "a true icon" for the NFL.

"He was certainly the greatest to ever put on a Browns uniform and arguably one of the greatest players in NFL history," a statement released Friday read. "Jim was one of the reasons the Browns have such a tremendous fan base today. So many people grew up watching him just dominate every time he stepped onto the football field but his countless accolades on the field only tell a small part of his story."

Brown lettered in four sports (football, lacrosse, basketball and track) during his college career at Syracuse, and he is also considered one of the greatest lacrosse players of all time, once scoring five goals in one half of a collegiate all-star game.

At Syracuse, Brown also served as the place-kicker during one game against Colgate in 1956, scoring an NCAA single-game record with 43 points on six touchdowns and seven extra points. That same season, he led the nation in rushing touchdowns. In 1955, he led the nation in kickoff return average. Overall, he rushed for 2,091 yards and scored 26 TDs for the Orange.

"When Jim Brown's name was announced in a room, other Hall of Famers stood and applauded him," Pro Football Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said in a statement. "His persona has stood the test of time -- a fearless and dominant football player. Jim will always be remembered as one of pro football's greatest individuals."

Brown was involved in several off-the-field incidents, especially shortly after he retired.

He was arrested a half-dozen times, mostly on charges of hitting women. He was once fined and spent a day in jail after beating up a golfing partner. He was charged with rape, sexual battery and assault in 1985 (the charges were later dropped). The next year he was arrested for allegedly beating his fiancée. In 1999, Brown was acquitted of domestic threats against his wife but convicted of smashing the window of her car and spent time in jail when he refused to attend domestic violence counseling.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/37685864/all-great-running-back-jim-brown-dies-87

[Rick Plant]

Andy Rourke: The Smiths bassist dies aged 59
https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-65644596

Sam Zell, billionaire real estate investor, dies at 81
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/sam-zell-billionaire-real-estate-investor-dies-at-81

[Rick Plant]

Jim Brown Highlights (Final Version)

The greatest runningback in NFL history. Has a strong case to being the best football player ever. Definitely one of the greatest athletes ever, running under 4.5 second 40 yard dash along with playing football at the weight of 230 lbs. Brown ran for over 12,000 yards and 106 touchdowns in only nine seasons. Jim was notable for never missing a game, making the Pro Bowl every year of his career, and was a 8x All Pro along with being elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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[Rick Plant]

DUI suspect accused of killing bride on wedding day sued along with 'bar hopping' businesses



A newlywed widower whose bride died in a golf-cart crash after the couple's wedding reception last month has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the alleged drunken driver charged in her death.

The suit, filed Wednesday in South Carolina's Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Common Pleas by Aric Hutchinson and two other people hurt in the crash, names more than a half dozen defendants including Jamie Lee Komoroski, who police arrested in connection to the April 28th death of Samantha Miller 34.

Miller, from Charlotte, North Carolina, was killed in the Folly Beach crash in Charleston County.

Three other of Miller's family members, including Hutchinson, suffered major injuries in the two-vehicle late evening crash.

The lawsuit also names five local businesses as defendants and claims Komoroski, 25, had been "bar hopping" the day of the wreck, which according to an arrest affidavit, involved a rented Toyota Camry slamming into the golf cart.

In addition to wrongful death, the 28-page suit also accuses the defendants of gross negligence, reckless hiring, supervision and training as well as "negligent infliction of emotional distress."

'Noticeably and visibly intoxicated'

A responding Folly Beach police officer, who found the victims on the ground at the scene, said the driver of the Camry smelled strongly of alcohol and admitted to drinking "one beer and a drink with tequila about an hour ago."

“Despite being noticeably and visibly intoxicated at each of these establishments,” the lawsuit reads, “Jaime Komoroski continued to be served, provided, and/or allowed to consume alcohol in each of them.”

"This case is about keeping our community safe from drunk drivers, and an important part of that effort is making sure the establishments we entrust with liquor licenses live up to their responsibility to serve alcohol responsibly," the family's Charleston-based attorney Danny Dalton said.

The plaintiffs ask for a jury trial and seek punitive damages among other costs in connection to the case.

Just married

Earlier this month, Folly Beach Public Safety Department Chief Andrew Gilreath told USA TODAY Hutchinson and Miller were married just hours before the 10:15 p.m. wreck.

Police said data retrieved from Komoroski’s rental car show she was driving 65 mph and briefly hit the brakes before she slammed into the golf cart.

Komoroski, who is from Charleston, refused a sobriety and a breath test, according to her arrest affidavit. She was arrested and medical personnel drew a blood sample from her.

According to additional court papers, when her blood was drawn her Blood Alcohol Content was 0.261, more than three times the legal limit to drive.

She faces charges including reckless vehicular homicide and driving under the influence causing great bodily injury and is due in court next month for a hearing, court records show.

Komoroski's attorney could not immediately be reached by USA TODAY.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/05/17/drunk-driving-suspect-killed-bride-wedding-day-sued/70228723007/



Bride killed after suspected drunk driver crashes into golf cart hours after wedding

A bride was killed and her groom seriously injured when a suspected drunk driver crashed into their golf cart just hours after their wedding. A 25-year-old suspect has been arrested and charged with DUI and reckless homicide.

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Groom speaks out after bride killed in DUI golf cart crash hours after wedding

A South Carolina groom whose bride was killed on their wedding day by an alleged drunk driver is sharing his story for the first time.

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[Rick Plant]

Formidable asteroid to hurl past Earth Sunday, 4 others approaching this weekend



An asteroid by the name of 2023 JK is expected to zip past Earth on Sunday, missing our planet by just a little more than a million miles.

According to NASA, 2023 JK is roughly the size of a commercial jet. Or, as The Jerusalem Post measures it, the length of 18 adult male Pacific walruses. Laying in a row. Heads and tusks down.

Also passing by on Sunday, and clocking in at roughly the same size as 2023 JK, will be asteroid JD4. It’ll miss the Earth by nearly twice the distance of 2023 JK.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is forecasting a busy weekend in space, starting with a bus-sized asteroid buzzing within 2.82 million miles of the Blue Marble Saturday. The same day, the airplane-sized 2023 JL2 meteor is expected to zip by, while 23-foot-wide HG11 will make its closest approach at 2.8 million miles.

JK 2023′s passing may be a close call in comparison to the other floating rocks, but New Yorkers needn’t change their weekend plans. For the sake of perspective, the moon comes within 240,000 miles of Earth. On rare occasions when asteroids do visit Earth, usually not much happens.

“About once a year, an automobile-sized asteroid hits Earth’s atmosphere, creates an impressive fireball, and burns up before reaching the surface,” according to NASA.

But about 65 million years ago, a mountain-sized asteroid did take out the dinosaurs and most of the rest of life on Earth.

© New York Daily News




Volcanic ash from Popocatepetl temporarily shuts down Mexico City airports

Mexico City’s two main airports temporarily resumed operations after shutting down for a few hours due to ash spewing from Popocatepetl volcano, located 45 miles southeast of the country’s capital



MEXICO CITY -- Mexico City's two main airports temporarily shut down operations on Saturday due to ash spewing from Popocatepetl volcano, located 45 miles (72 kilometers) southeast of the country's capital.

The city's Benito Juarez International airport suspended operations at 4:25 a.m. local time. It resumed operations at 10 a.m., after removing volcanic ashes, checking the runways and verifying favorable wind conditions, the airport said on Twitter.

The new Felipe Angeles airport, located north of Mexico City and operated by the military, shut down operations around 6 a.m., and service was suspended for five hours.

Volcanic ashes are especially dangerous for aviation, not only because they reduce visibility but because they can act as an abrasive, damaging an aircraft's wings and fuselage.

The Popocatepetl rumbled to life again this week, belching out towering clouds of ash that forced 11 villages to cancel school sessions.

The explosions registered in the early hours of Saturday were more intense, but authorities — who keep a close eye on the active volcano — are maintaining the threat at an intermediate level.

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/volcanic-ash-popocatepetl-temporarily-shuts-mexico-city-airports-99482658

[Rick Plant]

What's going on in the media today.


At least 12 people dead after crowd crush at football stadium in El Salvador
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/may/21/el-salvador-crowd-crush-cuscatlan-stadium

Toxins from gut damage fat cells and drive weight gain, study suggests
Research sheds light on how endotoxins play role in increasing risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/may/21/toxins-from-gut-damage-fat-cells-and-drive-weight-gain-study-suggests

Green Bay Packers Trade Report Enrages Former Quarterback Aaron Rodgers
https://wisportsheroics.com/green-bay-packers-trade-davante-adams-aaron-rodgers-enrage/

Star Wide Receiver Confirms Suspicion Aaron Rodgers Was A Reason He Left The Green Bay Packers
https://wisportsheroics.com/davante-adams-aaron-rodgers-green-bay-packers-why-traded/

Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat 4th Qtr Full Highlights | May 21 | NBA Playoffs 2022-23

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