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Neither Ansu Fati nor Pablo Torre, Betis Takes the Most Troublesome One: Goodbye Barça, Ready

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Social Security changes coming in April: Here’s what to know

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FILE – A Social Security Administration office in suburban Detroit. (Photo by: Jim West/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

There are a few changes in April that could impact certain Social Security beneficiaries.

This includes a boost for many retired public workers, stricter identity requirements, and changes to how the agency recoups accidental overpayments.

Here’s what to know:

Social Security payment increase after new law 

Big picture view:

Millions of retired teachers, firefighters, police officers, and other public workers will see a boost in their Social Security benefits following the repeal of two provisions that previously reduced payments for those receiving state or local government pensions.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced that affected retirees would receive a one-time retroactive payment by the end of March, with higher monthly payments beginning in April.

Dig deeper:

This change comes after the Social Security Fairness Act was signed into law by former President Joe Biden earlier this year. The law repealed the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO)—two policies that limited benefits for those receiving other retirement payments.

Social Security changes how it recoups overpayments

What we know:

The SSA has also changed how it will recoup overpayments. When a person has been overpaid, the law requires the SSA to seek repayment. People who are overpaid will now automatically be placed in full recovery at a rate of 100% of the Social Security payment – a change which kicked in at the end of March. 

The backstory:

In the past, under the Obama administration and the first Trump administration, common practice was to withhold the next benefit at 100% until accidentally overpaid funds were recouped. But a previous plan under the Biden administration had sought just 10% each month of funds that were overpaid to help reduce financial hardship on people with overpayments.  

The agency recently reinstated the former plan that withholds 100% of people’s benefits if they are accidentally overpaid. 

Social Security in-person requirement for some

What’s next:

Beginning April 14, the SSA is implementing stricter identity verification procedures to prevent fraud, including in-person office visits for some. The agency said some new Social Security applicants and existing recipients who want to change their direct deposit information will no longer be able to verify their identity over the phone. And those who cannot properly do so through the agency’s “my Social Security” online service will be required to visit an agency field office. 

However, this change does not apply to individuals applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Medicare, or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

Social Security April payment schedule

Timeline:

Social Security sends regular monthly payments (SSA benefits), but the date varies – generally depending on the day you were born. Social Security retirement, disability, and survivor (RSDI) beneficiaries who filed claims after May 1, 1997, are assigned either the second, third, or fourth Wednesday of the month. Those who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which is monthly payments for people with disabilities and older adults who have little or no income or resources, get paid on the 1st of the month. 

If the 1st falls on the weekend or holiday, then the payments are typically issued on the previous weekday. Those who received benefits before May 1997 also have a specific payment date.

  • SSI payment: April 1
  • SSA beneficiaries who started getting benefits before May 1997: April 3
  • Birthday between the 1st and 10th of the month: April 9 (Second Wednesday of the month)
  • Birthday between the 11th and 20th of the month: April 16 (Third Wednesday of the month
  • Birthday between the 21st and 31st of the month: April 23 (Fourth Wednesday of the month)

The Source: This story was written based on information published by the Social Security Administration. It was reported from Cincinnati, and Megan Ziegler and Austin Williams contributed. 

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5 NFL Teams That Should Target Trey Hendrickson amid Contract Frustration, Rumors

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49ers Get: Edge Trey Hendrickson, 2025 first-round pick (17th overall)

Bengals Get: 2025 first-round pick (11th overall), 2025 third-round pick (75th overall), 2025 third-round pick (100th overall)

While the San Francisco 49ers may not be undergoing a full-on rebuild this offseason, they have allowed several key contributors to walk and must now find ways to replace them.

Pass-rusher Leonard Floyd was among the departures, as he was released during the legal-contact window. The 49ers have yet to replace him and are still searching for a quality complement to edge-rusher Nick Bosa.

There was some speculation that San Francisco would try to pair Bosa with his brother, Joey, following his release from the Los Angeles Chargers. However, the elder Bosa signed with the Buffalo Bills instead, and it appears he was never particularly close to joining the 49ers.

“It didn’t sound like that got close at all, really, to happening,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said last month (h/t David Bonilla of 49ers Webzone).

The 49ers could look for their No. 2 pass-rusher in the draft—the B/R Scouting Department recently mocked Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart to San Francisco. With $40.3 million in cap space, they could also consider pivoting to Hendrickson.

San Francisco is equipped with two third-round picks—it was awarded a special compensatory selection for the external hirings of DeMeco Ryans and Ran Carthon. It could offer both selections, along with a fairly sizeable first-round jump, to Cincinnati for Hendrickson.



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Chase, Higgins deals shape Bengals’ Hendrickson decision

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PALM BEACH, Fla. — The pause between words felt even heavier as Katie Blackburn’s sentence was suspended in the Florida humidity last Tuesday.

In her session with local reporters at the NFL annual league meeting in West Palm Beach, the Cincinnati Bengals executive vice president looked for the right word to describe defensive end Trey Hendrickson’s contract situation.

But after approximately 6.08 seconds, Blackburn finally found the right word.

“Unresolved, I guess you could say,” Blackburn said.

The statement was in response to a question about the team’s big offseason expenditures. In what seemed improbable six months earlier, the team signed wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to multi-year extensions worth a combined $276 million.

That context is pivotal when analyzing how the Bengals are building for 2025 and beyond. If Cincinnati is going to get back to the Super Bowl, it will be on the strength of the three players with the biggest deals — Chase, Higgins and quarterback Joe Burrow.

“We are going to have to figure out how to work the pieces around that,” Blackburn said. “It can be done.”

There are other pressing needs for a Bengals team that enjoyed career years from its best players in 2024 but still missed the playoffs for the second straight season. But the priority for the Bengals was making sure Chase and Higgins were part of the offensive attack moving forward.

Blackburn said “there’s no question” that the calculus of re-signing two players who will occupy a fifth of the team’s cap space in 2025 meant making decisions across the roster. That includes trying to resolve the Hendrickson dilemma.

The 31-year-old edge rusher led the NFL in sacks last season with 17.5. He and Chase were the team’s first All-Pro selections since 2015. And for the second straight year, Hendrickson requested a trade in order to get a long-term contract and a pay bump.

This offseason, Cincinnati granted Hendrickson permission to seek a trade. Blackburn said Hendrickson felt strongly about exploring options as Cincinnati ran into limitations while trying to get all of the deals done this offseason.

But given what the Bengals invested in Chase and Higgins and the market for edge rushers that currently has a ceiling of $40 million a year, Blackburn was asked if it’s feasible to get something done with Hendrickson at a rate everyone can be happy with moving forward.

“I think he should be happy at certain rates that maybe he doesn’t think he’d be happy at,” the executive vice president said.

Then Blackburn took a couple of seconds to pause.

“I think some of it is on him to be happy at some point,” Blackburn said. “If he’s not, that’s what holds it up sometimes.”

Hendrickson responded to those comments by lamenting the lack of communication from the Bengals to his agent, Harold Lewis. He said he was “disappointed” in the Bengals’ stance.

The Bengals have the No. 17 pick in the draft and could address the pass rush situation via that route.

Blackburn also pointed out that Hendrickson is current still a Bengal, with his contract set to run through 2025 with a base salary of $15.8 million. Blackburn, who is the one who negotiates and signs off on the team’s biggest contracts, also said the team has great respect for Hendrickson and hopes the two sides can work something out.

But ultimately, the Bengals have firmly made their decision. For this team to get back to winning at the highest level, it will be spearheaded by Burrow and his top playmakers.

Cincinnati believes the familiarity and consistency between Burrow and his top receivers should be a major strength this season.

“We did focus on trying to keep that offensive piece together because we think that gives us an opportunity to have the best chance to win,” Blackburn said.

That approach also factored into finding a potential starting offensive guard. The team released veteran Alex Cappa and brought in Lucas Patrick in free agency. Bengals coach Zac Taylor had effusive praise for Patrick and how well he matches up against the interior defensive linemen Cincinnati faces.

But on a one-year deal worth just $2 million, even that decision was built around Burrow, Chase and Higgins.

“We went through a process with our receivers and we wanted to make sure that they got paid first and foremost,” Taylor said. “Then we worked through (the guard market) as well.”

The expectations are clear for the upcoming season. Blackburn believes the team has the ability, talent and opportunity to do well in 2025. Now it’s a matter of living up to those aspirations.

Said Blackburn: “You have to take advantage of the opportunities we have this year and get the results we want.”



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Valero Texas Open 2025 prize money: Big payday for Brian Harman; big loss for Andrew Novak

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Brian Harman won the Valero Texas Open for his first PGA Tour title since the 2023 Open Championship. With his fourth career PGA Tour win, Harman collected $1.71 million. Ryan Gerard finished second, earning $1,035,500.

The final few holes proved to be a big loss for Andrew Novak — and not just on the leaderboard. He was challenging Harman for the win but bogeyed Nos. 15, 17 and 18. Leaving his par putt short on the 72nd hole dropped him into a tie for third with Maverick McNealy, a $285,000 difference between that and a two-way tie for second (nearly half-a-million less than solo second).

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Here’s a look at the prize money distribution of the $9.5 million purse at TPC San Antonio:

POSITION

PLAYER

EARNINGS

1

Brian Harman

$1,710,000

2

Ryan Gerard

$1,035,500

T3

Maverick McNealy

$560,500

T3

Andrew Novak

$560,500

T5

Patrick Fishburn

$304,000

T5

Thorbjorn Olesen

$304,000

T5

Bud Cauley

$304,000

T5

Chan Kim

$304,000

T5

Chad Ramey

$304,000

T5

Ryo Hisatsune

$304,000

T5

Tom Hoge

$304,000

T12

Nate Lashley

$182,875

T12

Jordan Spieth

$182,875

T12

Alejandro Tosti

$182,875

T12

Henrik Norlander

$182,875

T12

Sami Valimaki

$182,875

T12

Keith Mitchell

$182,875

T18

Matt Kuchar

$113,050

T18

Cameron Young

$113,050

T18

Chandler Phillips

$113,050

T18

Doug Ghim

$113,050

T18

Corey Conners

$113,050

T18

Zach Johnson

$113,050

T18

Emiliano Grillo

$113,050

T18

Denny McCarthy

$113,050

T26

Eric Cole

$72,200

T26

J.T. Poston

$72,200

T26

Matt Wallace

$72,200

T26

Harry Hall

$72,200

T30

Daniel Berger

$62,225

T30

Rickie Fowler

$62,225

T30

Harry Higgs

$62,225

T33

Jesper Svensson

$50,666

T33

Steven Fisk

$50,666

T33

William Mouw

$50,666

T33

Ben James (a)

$0

T33

Quade Cummins

$50,666

T33

Antoine Rozner

$50,666

T33

Patrick Cantlay

$50,666

T40

Gary Woodland

$37,525

T40

Lanto Griffin

$37,525

T40

Kevin Roy

$37,525

T40

Ben Griffin

$37,525

T40

Carson Young

$37,525

T40

Sam Ryder

$37,525

T40

Francesco Molinari

$37,525

T47

Rafael Campos

$26,809

T47

Justin Rose

$26,809

T47

Aldrich Potgieter

$26,809

T47

Keegan Bradley

$26,809

T47

Adam Svensson

$26,809

T52

Matthew Riedel

$23,133

T52

Ben Martin

$23,133

T52

John Pak

$23,133

T52

Mac Meissner

$23,133

T56

Tony Finau

$22,040

T56

Camilo Villegas

$22,040

T56

Noah Goodwin

$22,040

T56

Patrick Rodgers

$22,040

T60

Brice Garnett

$21,470

T60

Beau Hossler

$21,470

T62

Erik van Rooyen

$21,090

T62

Tommy Fleetwood

$21,090

64

Peter Malnati

$20,615

65

Taylor Dickson

$20,425

66

Patton Kizzire

$20,355



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Here’s his most iconic games

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Image Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games

Current world champion and esports legend Lee ‘Faker‘ Sang-hyeok is about to hit yet another milestone, playing his 1,000th game in the LCK, according to the league’s official statistics.

Following his series against Gen.G in the opening week of the LCK Spring 2025, which became the most-watched match in LCK regular season history, the legendary mid laner will hit four digits in poetic fashion, against his old rivals KT Rolster in the famous Telecom Wars.

Before Faker hits Summoner’s Rift this upcoming Thursday, let’s relive some of his most iconic games played in the LCK.

Where It All Started – Faker’s Competitive Debut vs Ambition on Nidalee

Faker made his first appearance in professional play in 2013, going up against one of the top mid lane players at the time, CJ Blaze’s Kang ‘Ambition‘ Chan-yong. Playing for SKT T1’s secondary team, SK Telecom T1 K, Faker dominated the game from start to finish and even solo killed Ambition during the laning phase as Nidalee.

The casters were stunned: “I’ve never seen Ambition die like that,” said former LCK caster Christopher ‘MonteCristo’ Mykles after the play. A new era had begun.

God Mode Faker – LeBlanc Pentakill Against NaJin Sword, LCK Spring 2015

If pentakills are already a rare occasion in professional League of Legends, what are the odds of seeing a pentakill on LeBlanc?

Faker got it on one of his signature picks during the deciding game against NaJin Sword. While the game was quite one-sided from the start, Faker ended the game by taking his first and only official pentakill, bursting down the enemy Kalista with a swift play.

Faker’s Riven Strikes the Rift – SKT T1 vs KT, LCK Summer 2015 Finals

Speaking of swift plays, League of Legends fans from the old guard won’t forget Faker’s Riven. Often considered obsolete for professional play, the mid lane legend picked her up against KT Rolster’s Kim ‘Nagne’ Sang-moon.

Faker made an incredible, split-second dodge, quickly avoiding Cassiopeia’s ultimate during a dive, which led him to snowball the game and claim the LCK title.

The Unkillable Demon King – T1 vs KT, LCK 2023 Summer Playoffs

Even though Faker’s iconic champion is Ryze, Azir has been the one that defined him in professional play over the past ten years.

Aside from the incredible ‘Shurima Shuffles’ at crucial moments during the international stages (who can forget the play on Ruler at Worlds 2023), Faker pulled off some brilliant plays against KT Rolster in the LCK 2023 Summer Playoffs. In particular, escaping from a two-man gank by the enemies’ support and jungler — truly unkillable.

The Play that created a legend – Zed vs Ryu 1v1 Game 5

Even if you have never touched League of Legends, you probably have seen or heard of Faker’s Zed play against KT Rolster Ryu ‘Ryu’ Sang-wook.

Back in the OGN days, teams used to blind pick champions during the deciding fifth game, and both mid laners ended up choosing Zed. Despite the disadvantage, Ryu was looking to punish an overextending Faker in the mid lane… and well, the rest is history.

The Pinnacle of the Telecom Wars – SKT T1 vs KT, LCK Spring 2017

While most of Faker’s iconic matches have all been decided by one key play, the Telecom Wars during the LCK 2017 Spring Split regular season was explosive from start to finish.

Back then, 2022 world champion Kim ‘Deft’ Hyuk-kyu was playing on KT, making the series not only between the two Korean organisations, but also between two symbolic pros who used to study in the same high school.

KT, who put together a super team with the hopes of dethroning SKT T1 (who had just won back-to-back world championships), kicked off Game 3 with a substantial lead that Faker and his team recovered. After a gruelling 53-minute game, SKT T1 managed to defend their base with only the Nexus remaining, acing KT and taking the victory.





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Flooding, rising rivers continue in state

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Commonwealth communities are still facing threatening floodwaters as rivers and streams across Kentucky continue to rise following several days of rain.

Some communities have already seen its rivers crest Sunday and Monday, with the water exceeding its flood stage by multiple feet. Four deaths have been confirmed as a result of ongoing weather, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear previously said, with several regions to see worsening conditions in the next few days.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said the Ohio River is expected to crest at more than 35 feet at the upper portion of the McAlpine Locks and Dam near the Falls of the Ohio by mid-week, rivaling levels last seen in 2018. The lower portion of the dam is expected to crest at 68 feet, which could pose threats to west and southwest Louisville, officials said.

Here’s the latest information around Louisville and Kentucky.

Jefferson County Public Schools will operate on a nontraditional instruction day again Wednesday as flooding continues to impact Louisville, district officials said. 

All extracurricular activities and athletics are canceled.  

It will be the district’s third straight day of nontraditional instruction, following spring break last week. 

District spokesperson Carolyn Callahan said the flooding has rendered hundreds of JCPS bus stops unsafe and inaccessible, impacting thousands of students who attend more than 60 schools across the district.

Gov. Andy Beshear confirmed Kentucky’s fifth flood-related death Tuesday afternoon was a Bullitt County man.

Earlier Tuesday, Bullitt County Coroner Dave Billings confirmed authorities had found the body of 50-year-old James Dishon Jr. in floodwaters off Lee Booth Road and State Highway 61 in Lebanon Junction. The body was sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Louisville for an autopsy.

“This has been a tough few days,” Beshear wrote in a Facebook post. “Let’s show everyone hurting that we love them and we’re there for them.”

Bullitt County authorities are investigating after a man was found dead in a flooded area Tuesday.

James Dishon Jr., 50, was located by law enforcement agencies and first responders off Lee Booth Road and Highway 61 in Lebanon Junction, Bullitt County Coroner Dave Billings said. No cause of death has been confirmed yet, as the body is set to be examined in the State Medical Examiner’s office in Louisville.

The Courier Journal has reached the Lebanon Junction Police Department for comment.

Jeffersontown City Council approved a motion to waive permit fees for businesses requiring demolition or repairs after an EF-3 tornado struck the area Thursday.

The resolution will waive demolition fees for three months and building permits for six months to provide some financial relief for the more than 100 businesses impacted by the tornado. Louisville Emergency Management operations coordinator Amy Rose said at least 35 businesses were significantly impacted or destroyed by the tornado, with 91 others potentially impacted by interruption to operations or damages.

Total damage estimates are still being calculated, but Rose said the property value assessment for 38 of the affected businesses totaled more than $100 million.

Jeffersontown Mayor Carol Pike said the city intends to help those affected by the tornado in the Bluegrass Commerce Park recover and rebuild.

“I want them to know that we care and we need them, whether anybody believes or not,” Pike said.  “We need them, and we need this park, and they are the reason that Jeffersontown exists today.”

Rose said she has been in contact with the state about setting up a disaster recovery center inside Jefferson City Hall, which would serve as a one-stop shop for businesses to access recovery resources.

“These people are devastated over there, and they don’t know which direction to go in,” Pike said. “So we had to have something that was on the bus line and so we decided that City Hall would be the best place to be.”

Locations around Louisville are excepting storm debris and are currently operating as drop-off sites. The site locations are for tree debris and city residents only and are as follows. They will be open from 2-7 p.m. through Friday with hours slated for 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday.

  • Shawnee Park at 4501 W. Broadway.
  • Tom Sawyer Park (Enter from Tom Sawyer Drive).
  • Charlie Vettiner Park (Enter from Mary Dell Lane).
  • Highview Park (Briscoe Lane entrance).
  • Fern Creek Park at 8703 Ferndale Road.
  • Hubbards Lane Recycling Center at 595 N. Hubbards Lane. 
  • 535 Meriwether Ave.
  • Fairdale Recycling Center at 10618 W. Manslick Road.
  • Public Works Yard at 10500 Lower River Road (Enter from Bethany Lane).

Galt House Hotel officials have started processing refund requests for Thunder Over Louisville tickets and hotel rooms after the event was canceled Saturday,

The historic riverfront hotel is “working diligently to ensure that all refund requests are completed promptly and efficiently,” Chief Marketing Officer Lance George said in a statement.

“We fully understand the disappointment this causes to our community, as Thunder Over Louisville holds a special place in the hearts of many,” George said. “However, we encourage everyone to continue showing support for the Kentucky Derby Festival, which has worked tirelessly to create a series of remarkable events for the city.”

The Galt House has also extended its storm relief rate for guests impacted by floodwaters, George said. Discounted rates, which include complimentary self-parking, start at $119 before tax, the company previously announced.

“We hope this small gesture can help ease the burden on our neighbors during this difficult time,” George said.

Crews have found “extensive” flooding at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort after an initial assessment Tuesday morning following the cresting of the Kentucky River Monday.

According to a news release, flood levels at the distillery were the highest ever recorded and while floodwater levels remain too high for a detailed assessment on the impact, the damage is likely significant.

“Because Buffalo Trace Distillery has survived in its location on the Kentucky River for over 200 years, we have, unfortunately, experience in flood management and recovery,” Sazerac & Buffalo Trace Distillery CEO and President Jake Wenz said. “We initiated a preparation flood plan ahead of the surge. We were able to implement that plan late last week and are hopeful in doing so we will have mediated at least some of the damage.”

The distillery will be closed through Thursday at a minimum and additional updates will become available as damage assessments become clearer.

“Our hearts are with the rest of the community that has also been impacted by this devastation. Buffalo Trace Distillery will support relief efforts in the coming weeks to help Frankfort residents through this difficult time,” Wenz said. “We also want to say a heartfelt thank you to our dedicated team members, consumers, city and county officials, and vendor partners who have offered an incredible amount of support during this time.  And finally, please accept our regrets to our fans that planned visits to the Distillery this week.”

Tornado damage consistent with an EF-2 storm touched down in Washington County, Indiana, Wednesday night, officials with the National Weather Service in Louisville stated.

Preliminary findings were released Monday following storm surveys in the area. NWS officials also reported EF-3 damage on Ampere Drive in Jeffersontown earlier Monday. National Weather Service Meteorologist C.J. Padgett said Monday the survey team would work to determine the path of the Jeffersontown tornado in the coming days.

A survey team also visited New Albany, but said the damage from Wednesday is believed to be from straight-line winds.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg shared flooding updates Tuesday, about a day before waters are expected to crest in Kentucky’s largest city. Local officials called the floods “historic” and compared them to the ones Louisville faced in 1997.

As of Tuesday morning, water levels at the upper McAlpine locks are at 35.7. The typical water level is just 12 feet, Greenberg said.

Officials expect the water to rise at least another foot before it begins receding, with Greenberg saying this would be “a top 10 flood in Louisville’s history.”

Greenberg remained firm in the city’s decision to cancel Thunder Over Louisville, saying that Ohio River levels are still expected to be at about 30 feet on Saturday.

As Louisville reaches it’s peak water levels, the Louisville mayor encouraged the public to abide by all barricades and road closures. He also called on people to not go out into the water.

“These are not safe conditions to be in,” Greenberg said. “Please do not kayak, canoe, or boat in these floodwaters at this time. You put yourself and first responders at risk.”

Yesterday, Louisville first responders rescued dozens of people from Candlewood Suites and helped evacuate others from nearby apartments. Greenberg does not expect additional evacuations to be necessary. More flood walls have been installed at 8th and 11th streets since Monday, he added.

The city is already anticipating significant efforts needed to clean up from the floods, with crews from solid waste management to public works to first responders preparing to work overtime. Greenberg said there will be opportunities for members of the public to assist with volunteer work and that they should expect more information about how to get involved in the coming days as the waters start to recede.

Gov. Andy Beshear said Tuesday morning that so far this week, there have been 142 rescues across the commonwealth and 272 evacuations by boat, requiring the use of 87 boats. Included in the numbers are two in Frankfort and the rescue of more than 60 people from Candlewood Suites in Louisville.

“Again, the biggest concern that we have right now are cars driving through water, are people going around barricades,” he said. “When you do that, you not only put your life in danger, you put the lives of everybody who’s coming to rescue you in danger. We need people to wait this out.”

At least four people have died as a result of the flooding as of Tuesday, including the deaths of 27-year-old Lee Chandler of LaCenter and a 65-year-old from Trigg County announced Monday.

Beshear said the Kentucky River is cresting in Frankfort and is expected to recede in the coming days. Area residents should soon be able to access their homes and the pumping of water has been restored by the Frankfort Plant Board as of Monday night, officials said.

The wastewater services at the treatment plant in Frankfort are not currently operational, along with four others in the commonwealth, and 29 plants are on limited operations. Nearly 870 connections across the commonwealth remain without water with 22 utilities under limited operations.

Beshear said now that the worst of flooding has concluded in Frankfort, teams and resources will start to move west along the Ohio River in locations like Henderson and Owensboro and to the Green River. Emergency teams from Maryland are moving to Henderson and may look at starting operations in the area beginning Wednesday.

Many Kentucky roads have reopened with 457 remaining closed. Of these, 440 are near high water and 17 are closed due to rock or mudslides. Less than 2,500 customers are without power and more than 50 shelters are open to Kentuckians with 35 households sheltered currently.

Beshear said 357 members with the National Guard are offering aid with state agencies and numbers will likely to drop to about 200 by the end of Tuesday. Kentucky State Police answered 18,897 calls for service and there have been no additional reports of missing individuals.

The Kentucky Humane Society is lending a hand to various shelters across the commonwealth impacted by recent flooding.

Kentucky Humane Society spokesperson Andrea Mattingly said the organization transported 20 dogs to the East Campus shelter Monday from Franklin County Humane Society and Carroll County Animal Shelter to make room at the shelters for animals displaced during the floods. East Campus is currently acting as an “emergency hub” and is temporarily closed to the public.

The transportation on Monday follows the transportation of nearly a dozen cats to Louisville Thursday. Mattingly said Kentucky Humane Society’s KY Initiatives Director Kat Rooks received a call from Hopkins County Humane Society after the roof had been torn off their building the previous night due to tornadoes and strong winds that swept through the area. Other organizations from neighboring states and counties, as well as animal welfare groups, sent vehicles and crews to help relocate the animals.

According to a Facebook post, the Frankfort Plant Board Water Treatment Plant is operational after equipment was reconnected Monday night. While the intake pumping building is still surrounded by water, operators and other staff members helped get the location back to operation and worked overnight to fill the storage tanks.

The equipment was initially shut off Sunday night when water levels rose to a point that would impact the equipment used to pump water from the river. Customers were encouraged to limit their water usage and told services would return depending on the crest of the river.

7:20 a.m.: What’s the forecast in Louisville?

Tuesday

Sunny and mostly clear with a high near 48 and low around 30. North winds of 6 to 8 mph become light and variable.

Wednesday

Chance of precipitation is 80% with new precipitation of between a tenth and a quarter of an inch possible mainly after 2 a.m. Cloudy with a high near 59 and low of 49 and south winds of 5 to 9 mph.

Thursday

Chance of precipitation is 60% to 80% with showers likely and thunderstorms also possible after 2 p.m. and through Thursday night. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 67 and low around 43. West winds of around 8 mph.  New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, but possibly higher amounts in thunderstorms.

Friday

Cloudy with a high near 53 and a low around 36.

Saturday

Sunny skies turns mostly cloudy with a high near 59 and low of 38.





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Alabama singer cut as ‘American Idol’ closes in on Top 24

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“American Idol” called it the “Showstopper” round, and the show did stop for one Alabama contender. At least one other faces a do-or-die duet challenge coming up Monday night.

Sunday night brought the season’s second brutal Hollywood episode, one of three that will winnow the field of more than 150 down to a final 24. Those 24 will soon be seen in episodes airing from Hawaii.

Going into Sunday’s episode, we knew of two Alabamians who’d made it at least this far: Crews Wright of Samson, Ala., a 17-year-old champion of traditional country music; and Isaiah Moore, a 22-year-old, just-married worship leader from Oneonta. Two others, Janae Patterson of Birmingham and Tyler Nichols of Pell City, said on social media that their runs had ended.

At least two more, Anna McElroy of Mobile and Dawson Slade of Moulton, also made it to Hollywood, but whether they’re in the running remains unclear. At this stage in the “Idol” process, not every candidate is seen in every episode.

Sunday’s episode featured its share of standout performances, but none of the Alabama singers was featured. The end of the episode brought a twist in format that made for a bit of a roller-coaster ride.

With 62 aspiring stars waiting to learn their fate, the judges called forward a group of eight for what Richie described as “the toughest decision we are ever going to make.”

“Congratulations on your talent,” he said. “Unfortunately, I’m sorry to tell you all that your journey ends here.”

Four competitors were then called up for a classic “Idol” fake-out, in which judge Luke Bryan made it sound like they were cooked but then told them they’d made it to the final 24. The lucky few were Canaan James Hill, Gabby Samone, Zalie Windsor and Mattie Pruitt.

Then another group of eight, including Moore, were called forward.

“Every single person in this room is on a journey,” said judge Carrie Underwood. “For this chapter of your story, it’s a ‘no.’ But turn this ‘no’ into something incredible.”

Moore said on Facebook that he’d had “the GREATEST experience ever” and talked about how his Christian faith had factored into it.

Moore’s wife, Abby Grace Moore, shared some backstage photos and posted: “To say I’m one proud wife is an understatement! Isaiah Moore I am BEYOND proud of you and all that you have accomplished! I know this journey on American Idol has come to an end but I know the Lord has so much in store for you. His plan is far greater than ours! It’s been an honor to be able to stand by your side and support you! I will always be your biggest fan! I love you so much.”

The math works out to 42 competitors and 20 remaining spots in the Top 24. Wright was visible among them, and may well be the only competitor left from the Alabama contingent.

Crews Wright of Samson, Ala., right, shares the “American Idol” stage with Cam’ron Smith of Georgia. (Eric McCandless/Disney)Eric McCandless/Disney

“We’re calling this next round the head-to-head round, and it starts tonight,” said Bryan. “You get to pick someone to sing with, and you’re going to do a duet by tomorrow. Because tomorrow we’re going to pick our next 20 to be in our Top 24.”

“It’s going to be a long night,” said Underwood.

“American Idol” airs at 7 p.m. on ABC. Previously aired episodes can be seen on Hulu.



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Is Trump Having a Liz Truss Moment?

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A major Western leader announces an unorthodox economic policy, panicking the financial markets, driving down the country’s currency and fueling a blizzard of warnings about the dire long-term consequences.

President Trump did all this with his across-the-board tariffs, announced last week, but before him, there was Liz Truss, Britain’s former prime minister, with her rollout of sweeping tax cuts over 44 turbulent days in the fall of 2022.

The parallels between Mr. Trump and Ms. Truss are striking, but for one crucial difference: She was forced to rescind the tax cuts within days, and forced out of office by her own Conservative Party in little more than six weeks, the shortest tenure for a prime minister in British history.

To some analysts, that difference is a tribute to the flexibility of Britain’s parliamentary government and a salutary distinction between Britain and the United States. So far, Mr. Trump has vowed to stick with his tariffs, no matter the carnage they wreak in the markets or whether they trigger a recession, and there seems to be little anybody can do to force him to change course.

“Truss could really only damage the United Kingdom,” said Jonathan Portes, a professor of economics and public policy at Kings College London. “Ultimately, U.K. institutions, in particular Parliament and the media, were enough to ensure that the system worked.”

“Whether that is the case in the U.S. remains to be seen,” he added. “If it isn’t, the whole world will pay the price.”

Britain, which Mr. Trump hit with a tariff of 10 percent, is already acting like a country on the brink of crisis. In a bid to shore up the British auto industry, the current prime minister, Keir Starmer, announced he would relax rules for luxury carmakers like Aston-Martin and McLaren requiring them to phase out gasoline and diesel-powered cars by 2030.

Yet when Mr. Starmer was asked on Monday whether he would stick to his government’s fiscal rules that put limits on public borrowing, even in the wake of Mr. Trump’s tariffs, he invoked Ms. Truss’s misbegotten tax cuts as a cautionary example.

“Liz Truss tried an experiment with this country of putting aside fiscal rules and checks and balances,” Mr. Starmer said. “And that caused a massive impact on the lives of working people as inflation and interest rates went through the roof.”

Like Mr. Trump and his fascination with tariffs, Ms. Truss was ideologically committed to trickle-down tax policy. And like him, she was an outlier.

Her tax cuts, which she had planned to fund by increasing borrowing, were viewed skeptically by economists. She was proposing an inflationary policy at a moment when Britain and other countries were battling rising energy prices and a cost-of-living crisis. And she declined to submit her plans to scrutiny by the government’s fiscal watchdog, the Office of Budget Responsibility.

The markets responded by torpedoing shares of British companies and pushing the pound down to near parity with the American dollar. The International Monetary Fund warned of Britain’s financial instability.

As a smaller economy, Britain was more vulnerable to these gyrations than the United States. Yields on government bonds spiked under Ms. Truss, stoking fears of a credit crisis and ultimately leading to her downfall.

Yields on Treasury bills declined even as Mr. Trump’s tariffs were rolling out, reflecting the United States’ traditional status as a haven for investors and protecting the president from some of the pressure faced by Ms. Truss. Though on Monday, they, too, began to rise.

Within days, Ms. Truss withdrew the tax cuts and dismissed her chancellor of the Exchequer, Kwasi Kwarteng, a key architect of the supply-side policy. The Bank of England intervened to prop up British bonds and the market turmoil subsided. But Ms. Truss’s credibility was shattered. After senior members of her party told her she had lost their faith, she handed in her resignation.

“Like Truss, the market reaction is not just driven by the actual policy changes, damaging as they were in both cases, but by their attempt to destroy the institutions that normally constrain policy,” Professor Portes said.

For all of Ms. Truss’s missteps, some economists argue that her tax cuts could be considered less radical than Mr. Trump’s tariffs. In a different fiscal environment, her supply-side agenda would have been relatively conventional for a right-of-center government. But in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which stoked inflation and led the central bank to raise borrowing costs rapidly, the tax cuts were badly timed and poorly communicated.

“The biggest similarity is a crisis of competence,” said Kenneth Rogoff, a professor of economics at Harvard. “Liz Truss’s policies may have made sense in some other world. But they just came out of the blue, so they didn’t have any credibility.”

Professor Rogoff said Mr. Trump’s tariffs had even less credibility among economists, not least because they seem disconnected from any strategy. “Trump has not articulated where we’re going,” he said, “and it’s hard to find anyone who’s not a paid publicist for him who thinks this is a good idea.”



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Raptors guard secures place in franchise’s rookie history with new achievement

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I think I speak for many Raptors fans when I say that watching the Jamal Shead experience unfold over these last few months has been a very pleasant sight.

No rookie season is perfect, and that’s the whole purpose of transitioning from college to the pro ranks; adversity is inevitable. Shead has faced his share of challenges this season. He’s always been a hustler and a game-time competitor ready to tackle any opposition, but he has experienced some inconsistent performances while trying to carve out a solid role in the lineup.

Well, there’s nothing that signifies you’re an important piece to the Raptors, quite like Jamal Shead securing a notable accolade in his career and the franchise history books.

In the Raptors’ last outing on April 6 against the Brooklyn Nets, Shead recorded an important stat late in his rookie campaign, continuing to build on what has already been a tremendous second half of the season for the former Houston Cougar.

His shooting efficiency on the night wasn’t great, with a 27% field goal percentage, but you can’t judge Shead’s effectiveness based solely on that.

He made up for it in other ways.

Shead reached a new career-high with 12 assists in the matchup against the Nets, and his impressive team-high +31 in plus/minus serves as a reminder of how crucial the 22-year-old guard is to the Raptors’ success, even if this season hasn’t been a winning one.

Before the Nets-Raptors broadcast on Sportsnet, a graphic displayed the most assists by a rookie in Raptors history. Jamal Shead had already secured the second all-time spot with 290 assists, surpassing Jose Calderon, who had 288, and Scottie Barnes, who had 256.

Raptors rookie Jamal Shead makes history with assists

At the top of the list is former Rookie of the Year Damon Stoudamire, who holds an incredible all-time record of 653 assists from his 1995-96 campaign. Still, for Shead to etch his name among these northern greats is a remarkable achievement in its own right.

His breakout performance in the Nets game, where he set a new career high in assists, pushed him into the 300+ assists territory—he now has 302 recorded assists in his 2024-25 rookie year.

In fact, as Esfandiar Baraheni on X would note:

While the season may be winding down, Shead has the potential to add to that total as he wraps up what is already a historic run for someone small in stature but big in heart. I guess the next chapter is waiting to see if Shead’s promising rookie run earns him a spot on an All-Rookie team at the end of the season.

Regardless of what happens, the future looks bright with the assist machine Jamal Shead firmly embedded in the Raptors’ plans moving forward.





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