Latest news with #JulioCortez
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chet Holmgren and Oklahoma City Thunder agree on a 5-year contract extension, AP source says
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) shoots over Indiana Pacers center Tony Bradley (13) during the first half of Game 6 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren, center, holds the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy as he celebrates with his team after winning the NBA basketball championship with a Game 7 victory against the Indiana Pacers Sunday, June 22, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren, center, holds the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy as he celebrates with his team after winning the NBA basketball championship with a Game 7 victory against the Indiana Pacers Sunday, June 22, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) shoots over Indiana Pacers center Tony Bradley (13) during the first half of Game 6 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren, center, holds the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy as he celebrates with his team after winning the NBA basketball championship with a Game 7 victory against the Indiana Pacers Sunday, June 22, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Chet Holmgren has agreed on a five-year contract extension worth nearly $240 million to remain with the NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder, a person with knowledge of the deal said Wednesday. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the signing has not yet been announced. ESPN, which first reported the deal, citing agent Bill Duffy, said it could eventually be worth $250 million because of various contract escalators. Advertisement It is the second major extension for the Thunder since winning the NBA title last month. The other went to NBA MVP, NBA Finals MVP and reigning scoring champion Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who got a four-year, $285 million extension. And soon, the Thunder could extend Jalen Williams — another huge part of the title team — and lock up the entirety of their young core for years. Holmgren will make $13.7 million this coming season, the final year of his rookie deal, before his salary jumps to about $41 million for 2026-27 and the start of the extension. He was the No. 2 pick behind Orlando's Paolo Banchero in the 2022 NBA draft, then missed the entirety of what would have been his first pro season with a foot injury. He played all 82 games in 2023-24 to help the Thunder make the second round of the playoffs, then was limited to 32 games this past season after suffering a hip injury. Advertisement Holmgren was there for the entirety of the Thunder playoff run, averaging 15.2 points and 8.7 rebounds in 23 postseason games — capped by Oklahoma City holding off Indiana and winning the NBA Finals in a seven-game thriller. The way Holmgren came back from the injury is one of the stories that seemed to stick with Thunder general manager Sam Presti the most during the title run. 'They went through a fair amount of adversity during the season,' Presti said last month in his end-of-season meeting with reporters. 'In reality, a lot of that adversity forged us into the team that we were, playing different lineups and being without certain players and then getting those players back, and the selflessness and humility that the players coming back had to have in order to fit into a team that was really cooking without them. Chet is one example of that, but we had many others.' ___ AP NBA:
Toronto Sun
08-07-2025
- Climate
- Toronto Sun
Doctor fired for claiming Texas flood victims got ‘what they voted for'
People climb over debris on a bridge atop the Guadalupe River after a flash flood swept through the area Saturday, July 5, 2025, in Ingram, Texas. Photo by Julio Cortez / AP Photo A Texas pediatrician has been fired after suggesting that supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump got 'what they voted for' following the devastating floods in the state. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Dr. Christina Propst sparked outrage after she took to Facebook to share her thoughts on the deadly floods, that have left more than 100 dead, including dozens of children, as rescue and recovery efforts continue. 'May all visitors, children, non-MAGA voters and pets be safe and dry,' Propst's since-deleted post read, according to Mediate. 'Kerr County MAGA voted to gut FEMA. They deny climate change,' she continued. 'May they get what they voted for,' she added. 'Bless their hearts.' Propst's post quickly went viral after a screenshot was widely shared on social media. Her employer, Blue Fish Pediatrics, confirmed in a statement that she is 'no longer employed' there. 'As we previously mentioned in our original statement, we strongly condemn the comments that were made in that post. That post does not reflect the values, standards, or mission of Blue Fish Pediatrics,' a message on the clinic's website states. 'We do not support or condone any statement that politicizes tragedy, diminishes human dignity, or fails to clearly uphold compassion for every child and family, regardless of background or beliefs,' Blue Fish added. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. People were sickened by Propst's post. 'The ethics, humanity and empathy illustrated here is unfathomable,' one X user wrote. Another added: 'There is no room in medicine, nor in civilized society, for this kind of hate.' Dr. Christina Propst, pediatrician who was fired for social media post over Texas' flash flood. (Blue Fish Pediatrics) Blue Fish Pediatrics A third X user asked, 'How much hatred must you have in your heart to post something like this?' Conservative media personality Megyn Kelly wrote: 'Holy Lord, what a ghoul.' The initial statement from the medical clinic — which was shared on X by Dr. Sherif Zaafran, the head of the Texas Medical Board — said that Propst had been placed on leave. RECOMMENDED VIDEO 'There is no place for politicization,' he noted. 'The entire focus needs to be on looking for survivors. Any complaints we may receive will be thoroughly investigated.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. A formal investigation has not been announced. Propst's profile pages were removed from Blue Fish Pediatrics' website as well as the site for Memorial Hermann Health System, which is associated with Blue Fish. Read More Memorial Hermann also acknowledged the controversy in a statement. 'We are aware of statements made by a physician on social media and strongly condemn these statements,' the health-care system said. 'This provider is not employed by Memorial Hermann. We have zero tolerance for such rhetoric which does not reflect the mission, vision or values of our system.' Canada Crime Canada Toronto Blue Jays Sunshine Girls
Irish Examiner
07-07-2025
- Climate
- Irish Examiner
Girls camp grieves loss of 27 children and staff in Texas floods
Crews picked through mountains of debris and waded into swollen rivers in the search for victims of catastrophic flooding that killed nearly 90 people over the July Fourth weekend in Texas, including more than two dozen campers and counsellors from an all-girls Christian camp. With additional rain on the way, more flooding still threatened in saturated parts of the US state. Authorities said the death toll was sure to rise as crews looked for many people who were missing. Officials ride a boat as they arrive to assist with a recovery effort at Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas (Julio Cortez/AP) Operators of Camp Mystic, a century-old summer camp in the Texas Hill Country, said they lost 27 campers and counsellors, confirming their worst fears after a wall of water slammed into cabins built along the edge of the Guadalupe River. 'We have been in communication with local and state authorities who are tirelessly deploying extensive resources to search for our missing girls,' the camp said in a statement. Authorities later said that 10 girls and a counsellor from the camp remain missing. The raging flash floods — among the nation's worst in decades — slammed into riverside camps and homes before daybreak on Friday, pulling sleeping people out of their cabins, tents and trailers and dragging them for miles past floating tree trunks and automobiles. Some survivors were found clinging to trees. Piles of twisted trees sprinkled with mattresses, fridges, coolers and canoes now litter the riverbanks. Search-and-rescue teams used heavy equipment near Kerrville to remove large branches while volunteers covered in mud sorted through chunks of debris, piece by piece. In the Hill Country area, home to Camp Mystic and several other summer camps, searchers have found the bodies of 75 people, including 27 children, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said. Fourteen other deaths were reported in Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Tom Green and Williamson counties, according to local officials. Governor Greg Abbott said on Sunday that 41 people were unaccounted for across the state and more could be missing. Authorities vowed that one of the next steps will be investigating whether enough warnings were issued and why some camps did not evacuate or move to higher ground in areas long vulnerable to flooding. – Warnings came before the disaster On Thursday the National Weather Service advised of potential flooding and then sent out a series of flash flood warnings in the early hours of Friday before issuing flash flood emergencies — a rare step that alerts the public to imminent danger. First responders carry out search and rescue operations near the Guadalupe River in Texas (Eli Hartman/AP) Authorities and elected officials have said they did not expect such an intense downpour, the equivalent of months of rain. Kerrville city manager Dalton Rice said one of the challenges is that many camps are in places with poor mobile phone service. US President Donald Trump signed a major disaster declaration on Sunday for Kerr County and said he would likely visit on Friday. He said it was not the time to talk about whether he was still planning to phase out the Federal Emergency Management Agency and added that he does not plan to rehire any of the federal meteorologists who were fired this year as part of widespread government spending cuts. 'This was a thing that happened in seconds. Nobody expected it,' the president said. Senator Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, said recent cuts to Fema and the National Weather Service did not delay any warnings. 'There's a time to have political fights, there's a time to disagree. This is not that time,' Mr Cruz said. There will be a time to find out what could been done differently. My hope is in time we learn some lessons to implement the next time there is a flood.'
Boston Globe
07-07-2025
- Climate
- Boston Globe
What triggered the cataclysmic deluge in Texas? A meteorologist breaks down the weather behind the devastation.
Officials arrive to assist with a recovery effort at Camp Mystic along the Guadalupe River after a flash flood swept through the area. Julio Cortez/Associated Press As a meteorologist, it is very difficult to look at the science of weather when lives are lost and communities devastated. But reviewing what unfolded is essential to providing clues that could lead to better warning times and more accurate predictions going forward. You may have read that questions have been Advertisement Those issues will likely be scrutinized for some time. But for now we know of a few factors that primed the atmosphere for the devastating flooding that continues at least through Monday night. Advertisement A stalled frontal boundary provides subtle 'forcing' First, let me define a term. A stalled frontal boundary provides steady and persistent lift to produce storms over the same area, rather than a passing front that moves through. It's like a car stuck in neutral with it's engine running. It just stays in one place rather than driving down the road. In Texas, a stuck frontal boundary slowly deteriorated and lingered directly over the areas that saw the heaviest rainfall and most intense rainfall rates. Some rates reached a jaw-dropping 6 inches per hour, which is like a wall of water falling from the sky. For reference, the term 'torrential rainfall' is typically used when rainfall rates reach about 2 inches per hour. Cold and warm fronts are so-called 'forcing mechanisms' that march across the country, lifting air vertically to condense and wring out precipitation. There was no dominant weather feature present in Texas to prompt the deluge. If there had been a strong system, it would have led to a more progressive storm, one that would have been more widespread but less intense. But the setup Thursday night held a weak, rather common forcing mechanism called 'synoptic forcing,' which was all that was needed to trigger an atmosphere that was primed with copious amounts of moisture. Like throwing an ember onto a pool of gasoline, it didn't take much to erupt into flames. This weak forcing created an additional complication as well, as the stuck front allowed for storms to develop over the same spot again and again. Surface map on July 3 (left) and July 4 (right) shows a crawling stalled front fading over Central Texas. WPC Copious moisture converging from the Gulf and remnants of Tropical Storm Barry Atmospheric moisture was notably high over Central Texas, and the European forecasting model started picking up on this late Thursday night. Advertisement A strong northerly flow funneled moisture from the Gulf that was already holding remnant moisture from Tropical Storm Barry. You can see the result below — the deep purple pushing through Texas. You may ask why it didn't rain then in Oklahoma and to the north? There wasn't a lifting mechanism. That moisture stayed suspended high in the atmosphere while Central Texas remained in that unfortunate sweet spot. Copious moisture pushed through Texas over the holiday weekend. Pivotal The stalled frontal boundary was the atmospheric wedge that lifted all of this moisture above the area, resulting in a cluster of storms repeatedly dropping heavy rain. Unlike normal storms passing through the region and fizzling out, these storms regenerated on top of each other because the lifting mechanism and the fuel supply (moisture) remained uninterrupted. Just take a look at the radar loop below to see how the storms hammered the same area on the Fourth. Lots to unpack in this loop from yesterday's flood - notice how the Kerr County floods were initiated by stationary thunderstorms with torrential rainfall rates, followed by a second round as a cluster of storms to the north grew into an intense mesoscale convective system (MCS): — Tomer Burg (@burgwx) The terrain made matters worse, with rolling hills and shallow rivers and creeks prone to launch walls of water downstream in the event of extreme flooding. That is exactly what happened. A warming atmosphere over decades The atmosphere across Texas has evolved over time, growing warmer and holding much more water vapor. Remember, for every degree warmer it is, the atmosphere can hold 4 percent more water vapor. Texas has seen a dramatic increase in flooding events in recent decades and it's directly linked to a warming atmosphere, especially coming out of winter and spring. The average temperature across Texas has increased 1.6 degrees in the past 40 years during the five-month period of January to May. That means 6 percent more water vapor heading into much hotter summers and prompting more extreme and severe weather events. Advertisement The average temperature from January to May has increased by over a degree and a half over the last 40 years. NOAA Ken Mahan can be reached at
Economic Times
07-07-2025
- Climate
- Economic Times
Texas underwater: Where floodwaters are raging now, and which cities were hit the hardest?
People climb over debris on a bridge atop the Guadalupe River after a flash flood swept through the area in Ingram, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Synopsis The National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed that rainfall on July 4 reached extreme levels, with parts of Central Texas receiving up to 7 inches within a span of just three hours. A relentless convergence of thunderstorms and saturated river basins brought widespread devastation to Central Texas over the Fourth of July weekend, claiming at least 82 lives and prompting continued evacuations in flood-stricken areas. The most severe impact was seen along the Guadalupe River, where rapidly rising waters inundated towns, summer camps, and key infrastructure, marking one of the worst natural disasters the region has faced in decades. ADVERTISEMENT The National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed that rainfall reached exceptional levels on July 4, with some regions in Central Texas recording as much as 7 inches in just three hours. According to meteorological data, the Guadalupe River near Kerrville swelled from under two feet to over 34 feet in just over an hour—an extraordinary and deadly rise. Also Read | Texas Floods Miracle: Two girls found alive, clinging to a tree for over a day — 'Six miles downriver, 27 feet in air' Though Kerrville registered over 11 inches of rain across three days, other surrounding towns between San Antonio and Austin received nearly double that total, further exacerbating the situation. Officials described the flooding event as 'catastrophic,' with Sheriff Larry Leitha of Kerr County confirming the grim discovery of 59 bodies in his jurisdiction alone—including 21 children. The majority of these deaths occurred near summer camps and low-lying NWS issued a Flash Flood Emergency on Sunday for Hunt, Ingram, and Kerrville in Kerr County, where continuous rainfall and surging rivers turned streets into torrents. Among the most severely hit was Hunt, a rural community near Camp Mystic, where the river crested at nearly 30 feet following 12 to 13 inches of rainfall. Several girls from the camp remain missing as emergency crews search the Ingram, flooding of the Guadalupe River destroyed homes and critical roadways, including a key bridge on Cade Loop, while in Kerrville, the county seat, 34-foot river surges overwhelmed parks and residential neighborhoods, forcing evacuations from Louise Hays Park and adjacent homes. ADVERTISEMENT Meanwhile, although not under current emergency orders, Comfort in Kendall County and Center Point in Kerr County were among the earlier impacted towns, with Comfort recording a peak river crest of 34.76 feet—well beyond flood-stage magnitude of the rainfall has shocked both officials and residents alike. According to the NWS, some locations witnessed rates of 3–4 inches per hour. A staggering 7 inches of rain equals approximately 122 million gallons of water per square mile—enough to fill the AT&T Stadium in Arlington multiple times over when spread across 7 square miles. ADVERTISEMENT The sudden deluge caught many by surprise during early morning hours, trapping families inside homes and cabins. Camp Mystic, a girls-only Christian summer camp near Hunt, was the site of multiple fatalities. Several campers remain unaccounted for, despite ongoing efforts by emergency responders utilizing helicopters, boats, and Greg Abbott has declared a disaster across multiple counties, enabling rapid response resources to flow into affected regions. On Sunday, the governor confirmed that 41 individuals remain missing statewide, adding that the numbers may rise as further assessments are conducted. ADVERTISEMENT Additionally, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a Major Disaster Declaration for Kerr County, thereby authorizing assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to aid recovery and rescue NWS has maintained a Flood Watch for a wide swath of south-central Texas, including Bandera, Bexar, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Comal, Gillespie, Guadalupe, Hays, Kendall, Lee, Llano, Medina, Travis, and Williamson counties. However, the Flash Flood Emergency remains specific to Hunt, Ingram, and Kerrville due to the extreme river conditions. ADVERTISEMENT In its latest bulletin, NWS Austin/San Antonio warned that 'a very dangerous flash flooding event is ongoing' and that an additional 1–5 inches of rain could fall in the coming hours, posing continued threats to lives and property along the Guadalupe urged residents in low-lying areas to immediately evacuate and seek higher ground. 'Don't wait,' one official said. 'The water is rising faster than anyone can predict.'In a community gathering filled with grief and prayer, residents recounted terrifying scenes—cabins swept away, bridges collapsing, and streets turning into torrents. Amid growing frustration over limited escape routes and slow communications, search-and-rescue teams pressed on, even as muddy conditions and debris hampered their the death toll mounting and rescue operations still underway, officials have emphasized the need for patience, vigilance, and cooperation. The Texas Floods, driven by one of the heaviest rainfall events in recent memory, have affected hundreds of families, decimated infrastructure, and left entire communities in weather forecasters predict additional storms in the days ahead, the full scale of destruction and loss remains unknown. But for now, Central Texas faces a long and painful road to flooding was triggered by a rare convergence of intense thunderstorms and already-saturated river basins. Some areas received up to 7 inches of rain in just three hours, with the Guadalupe River rising from under 2 feet to over 34 feet in little more than an of the latest update, at least 82 people have died, including 21 children, with 59 fatalities confirmed in Kerr County alone, according to Sheriff Larry Leitha. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) (Catch all the US News, UK News, Canada News, International Breaking News Events, and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily International News Updates. NEXT STORY
