Latest news with #Maldonado
The Hill
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hill
‘Tiger King' Joe Exotic seeking Trump pardon
Jailed reality TV star Joe Exotic is once again asking President Trump for a pardon. Netflix's 'Tiger King' star, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado, called on Trump 'to listen to the voice[s] of' Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert (Colo.) and other public figures as well as 'the millions of people around the world to make this right and allow me to go home.' Earlier this year, Boebert signaled she supported a pardon of Maldonado, who was sentenced in January 2020 to a 22-year prison sentence over a murder-for-hire plot against animal rights activist Carole Baskin. Maldonado first asked for a pardon during Trump's first term, sending a handwritten letter to the White House in September 2020. The president, at the time, said he would 'take a look.' Then, in 2021, during former President Biden's term, he asked again and found no success. Maldonado railed against Biden earlier this after the outgoing president provided blanket pardons to some of his family member. 'If I was a crack dealer, maybe if I broke in the capital [sic] or even have been related to the Bidens. I might have gotten some relief on being in prison innocent,' he said in January. He also slammed Trump this spring after the president pardoned Todd and Julie Chrisley's tax evasion and fraud charges. 'This officially shows the Justice system is still two-sided. You are either rich and connected or your poor and being trafficked by the system,' Maldonado posted on Instagram on May 27. In this week's call for a pardon, Maldonado said an appeal for a new trial was denied.
Chicago Tribune
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
New Jackson 5 mural in Miller kicks off public art expansion
Gary officials hope the unveiling of a new Jackson 5 mural in Gary's Miller neighborhood on Friday will serve as a catalyst for more public art to pop up across the city. The new mural, located on the north side of the Vogue Cleaners building at 610 S. Lake St., replaces one elsewhere on Lake Street that was removed in 2018 due to deterioration. East Chicago artist Felix 'Flex' Maldonado painted the mural. His artwork can be seen around Gary — 'We Are Gary' at the city's main library, performing arts students at West Side Leadership Academy, and he painted St. Mary of the Lake's 'The Ascension,' based on a design by Filipino artist Edgardo De Guzman — as well as Hammond, East Chicago, Crown Point and in the southeast suburbs in Illinois. In 2016, Maldonado painted a large Jackson 5 mural on a former bank building at 5th and Broadway, but it was torn down in 2020 as part of a blight elimination effort. 'The Jackson family's music helped define a generation — and it all started right here in Gary,' said Maldonado in a Gary press release. 'I wanted this new mural to feel alive, so that people can connect with the joy and pride this city feels for them. It's not just art — it's a celebration of legacy.' Gary Mayor Eddie Melton marked the occasion by announcing more public art projects over the next two years, including working with artist Ish Muhammad on three new murals that will be located around the downtown Broadway corridor. The murals will feature Gary musical icons Deniece Williams, the Jackson Family, and Vivian Carter from Vee-Jay Records. The city also plans to collaborate with Indiana University Northwest School of Arts students/alumni who will paint a series of murals that will tell the story and history of Gary and some of its most influential citizens at the former Sears Building on Broadway. The effort is following in the footsteps of the Lake Effect project that was launched in 2013 and brought around 40 artists to the Miller Beach Arts & Creative District to transform 19 walls and alleys into canvases. Local residents kept pushing for the restoration of the Jackson 5 mural, so Karren and Pat Lee initiated efforts to commission a new mural and helped fund it along with Tom and Sylvia Collins. 'Gary has always been a city of heart and soul, and we owe so much to the Jackson family for the precious cultural heritage they've given us,' said Mayor Eddie Melton in a statement. 'My administration is strongly committed to creating opportunities for public art and supporting talented artists like Felix Maldonado who bring these visions to life. This new mural will support our local businesses along Lake Street while giving visitors another compelling reason to discover Gary as the premier beachfront destination in Northwest Indiana.'
Boston Globe
24-06-2025
- Automotive
- Boston Globe
Truckers fear job loss as new English language rules take effect
'A driver who can't understand English will not drive a commercial vehicle in this country. Period,' Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said last month, while announcing enforcement guidelines that will take effect on Wednesday. Advertisement Updated US Department of Transportation procedures call for enhanced inspections to determine if commercial motor vehicle operators can reply to questions and directions in English, as well as understand highway traffic signs and electronic message boards. Truckers who learned English as a second language are concerned they may lose their jobs if they make a mistake or speak with a heavy accent while under questioning. Some have worked to improve their English fluency by taking classes, reciting scripts, and watching instructional videos. 'If it's not the language that you prefer to use daily, you may get a little nervous and you may feel, 'What if I say the wrong thing?'' said Jerry Maldonado, chairman of the board of the Laredo Motor Carriers Association, a trade association in Laredo, Texas, that represents approximately 200 trucking companies. 'It's going to be, at the end of the day, the interpretation of the officer, so that makes people nervous.' Advertisement The guidance applies to truck and bus drivers engaged in interstate commerce. It aims to improve road safety following incidents in which truck drivers' inability to read signs or speak English may have contributed to traffic deaths, the Transportation Department said. Requiring truck drivers to speak and read English isn't new, but the penalty for not meeting the proficiency standard is becoming more severe. To get a commercial driver's license, applicants must pass a written test and be able to name the parts of a bus or truck in English as they check tire inflation, tread depth, lug nuts, and coolants. The revised policy reverses guidance issued nine years ago, near the end of then-President Barack Obama's final term, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. In 2016, the agency said drivers whose English skills were to found to be lacking could receive a citation but not be prohibited from working. Before that, the penalty was getting placed on 'out-of-service status.' 'We have bridges that get hit because drivers don't understand the signs on the bridges for things like height clearance,' Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association President Todd Spencer said. In Laredo, a border city where many residents speak a mix of English and Spanish, Maldonado's association is offering free English classes on weekends to help truckers feel more confident in their ability to communicate. 'Everybody knows what a stop sign looks like,' Maldonado said. 'But if there's construction or if there is an accident five miles down the road, and they have to put up a sign — 'Caution, must exit now, road closed ahead,' and you are not able to read or understand that, that could potentially be a safety issue.' Advertisement At Driving Academy in Linden, N.J., multilingual instructors teach students how to inspect vehicle parts in their first language and then provide explanations in English, according to founder Jonathan Marques. The school created scripts so students could practice what to say if they're stopped, he said. Students are advised to watch training videos as homework, while licensed truckers can listen to English language apps instead of music when they're on the road, Marques suggested. Instructor Paul Cuartas helps students prepare, but worries that inspectors will now expect truckers and bus drivers to have perfect English. 'I'm concerned because now for all the Spanish people it's more difficult,' he said. Castillo, who moved to the US from Ecuador in 1993, said he has no problem understanding English but has been watching videos to study industry terms. 'Some words I don't understand, but I try to learn more English,' he said. Asked whether he supports the president's executive order, Castillo said he voted for Trump but doesn't agree with the president's push to deport some immigrants who haven't committed crimes. 'He makes a lot of problems, especially for Hispanic people,' Castillo said. GTR Trucking School in Detroit also has offered students ESL classes. Co-owner Al Myftiu drove a truck after moving to the US from Albania in 1993. He said he wants to create a small book of phrases that truckers need to learn. For students with a thick accent, 'I tell them, 'Slow down, speak slowly, and people can understand you, and if you don't understand something, you can ask,'' Myftiu said. Advertisement Roadside inspections can be initiated over issues such as a faulty brake light or on a routine basis, and often take place at weigh stations. The guidance directs inspectors who suspect a driver doesn't understand what they're saying to administer an English proficiency test, which includes both an interview and a highway traffic sign recognition component. In the past, some drivers used translation apps to communicate with federal inspectors. The updated policy bars the use of interpreters, smartphones, cue cards, or other aids during interviews. Several truck drivers taking a break at Flying J Travel Center in New Jersey said they support Trump's order, adding that drivers who heavily rely on translation programs probably wouldn't be able to read important signs. 'We try to ask them questions about the business just to strike a conversation, ... and they're not able to communicate with us at all,' Kassem Elkhatib, one of the drivers at Flying J, said. It's unclear how safety inspectors will decide whether a driver knows enough English to continue driving, because that portion of the instructions was redacted from the guidance distributed by Transportation Department. The department advised
San Francisco Chronicle
12-06-2025
- Health
- San Francisco Chronicle
Vaccines could get more expensive and harder to access after RFK Jr. purged a CDC panel
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. shook up a key federal vaccine advisory committee this week, ousting its sitting 17 members Monday and naming eight new individuals Wednesday, including ones known for anti-vaccine views and for spreading misinformation. The changes could potentially impact vaccine cost and availability in California and the uncertainty is making families anxious, experts say. 'I've been having several conversations every day with families who are trying to get their children vaccinated early because parents are worried that these vaccines will not be available for their children in the near future,' said Eric Ball, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics in California. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice provides vaccine recommendations to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The group's guidance doesn't just have medical implications; it also has financial consequences for people seeking vaccinations. 'Under the Affordable Care Act, if ACIP recommends a vaccine, insurance companies have to cover it,' said Dorit Reiss, a professor of law at UC College of the Law San Francisco, who specializes in vaccine-related law and policies. The federally funded Vaccines for Children program also covers recommended vaccines for uninsured and underinsured children, Reiss said. Potentially, the new ACIP members could alter recommendations, which would in turn affect coverage for vaccines. Nothing is certain, however: 'We don't know how this (newly) constituted committee will vote,' Reiss said. The advisory committee is scheduled to meet on June 25 to review scientific data and vote on vaccine recommendations. If problems do arise around vaccine access, there could be additional issues for California's immunization mandates for schools. 'How can you mandate a vaccine if people can't access it?' Reiss said. The sweeping changes to ACIP, established in 1964, are unprecedented, experts say. 'I can't even think of a time when an individual member has been removed from the committee,' said Yvonne Maldonado, a professor of global health and infectious diseases at Stanford and one of the 17 experts removed from the vaccine advisory committee this week. 'We are really in uncharted territory here, in terms of the membership changing so radically and so quickly,' Maldonado said. Maldonado explained that the existing process for evaluating vaccine safety and effectiveness is 'incredibly rigorous,' with numerous safety checkpoints. 'Vaccines are foundational to public health,' Maldonado said. 'They save millions of lives.' Reiss added that the United States has a system that allows people who experience problems due to a CDC-recommended vaccine to seek compensation from the government. This limits the liability of vaccine companies. If new advisory committee members remove current vaccine recommendations, Reiss said she is concerned 'that some manufacturers might leave the vaccine market.' In an editorial published Monday in the Wall Street Journal, Secretary Kennedy wrote that the 17 ACIP members were 'retired' because 'the committee has been plagued with persistent conflicts of interest.' Experts roundly disagreed with the claims and numerous medical organizations quickly spoke out. 'That's very telling,' said Catherine Flores, executive director of the California Immunization Coalition, a statewide nonprofit advocacy and education organization around immunizations. While past ACIP vaccine experts were thoroughly vetted, details about the process for the newly announced group aren't clear, Flores said. Flores is concerned some committee members may lack the previous ACIP members' level of expertise about vaccines. 'We are very concerned about what's next,' Flores said.
Los Angeles Times
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Dodgers Dugout: Breaking down the next opponent, the San Diego Padres
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. The Dodgers head to San Diego for a three-game series with the Padres starting tonight. Whichever team wins the season series will have an advantage when it comes to winning the division, plus it also will give them the tiebreaker advantage should the teams tie. These are the first three of 13 games against the Padres this season, so let's take a look at them. You can see all the stats on the Padres team page at CatcherElías Díaz (.224/.288/.321, 71 OPS+)Martín Maldonado (.174/.203/.267, 32 OPS+) Neither one of these guys can hit, but are solid defensively. Maldonado won a Gold Glove way back in 2017 with the Angels. However, it's players such as these two, guys who have trouble hitting, who seem to come up big against the Dodgers, dating all the way back to Brian Doyle and the 1978 World Series. Bonus facts: Díaz was named minor league catcher of the year by Baseball America in 2015. On April 18, 2014 against Pittsburgh, Maldonado hit a grounder to third. Pirates third baseman Pedro Álvarez fielded the grounder, but the cover had partially come off the baseball and was hanging off its side; Álvarez threw the ball to first but it fell apart in midair. So, Maldonado is one guy who can say he literally knocked the cover off the ball. First baseLuis Arráez (.276/.310/.397, 97 OPS+) Arráez has won three straight batting titles (2022 with Minnesota, 2023 with Miami, 2024 with the Marlins and Padres). You'll notice that despite this, he has played for three different teams. The reason is he draws no walks, has little power, and it is believed his glove is made out of cast iron. Winning three straight batting titles is nothing to sneeze at, but that's all he brings to the table. Bonus fact: In June 2023, Arráez had three five-hit games, tying the record for most five-hit games in a month held by Ty Cobb, George Sisler and Dave Winfield. Second baseJake Cronenworth (.242/.373/.403, 119 OPS+) Cronenworth is having a rebound season at the plate after a couple of off seasons, and he has always been solid with the glove. Guys such as Cronenworth usually don't get the headlines, but help you win ballgames in ways that don't always show up in the box score. Bonus fact: He hit his first career home run in 2020 off of Dustin May. Third baseManny Machado (.318/.382/.515, 150 OPS+) While, as Yogi Berra once said, 'Nobody likes Manny Machado,' the fact remains that he is a great player. Outstanding hitter, outstanding on defense. Bonus facts: Machado has a dog named Kobe, named in honor of Kobe Bryant. Baltimore Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer once said of Machado: 'He reminds me of how I think Cal Ripken Jr. would have been if he had played third base his entire career.' ShortstopXander Bogaerts (.236/.321/.324, 83 OPS+) All the power in Bogaerts' bat disappeared two years ago and hasn't come back. He has a career .447 slugging percentage, but he hasn't cracked .400 in a season since 2023. Bonus fact: Bogaerts is one of only six players in major league history to be born in Aruba. The elementary school he went to there is now named after him. Left fieldTyler Wade (.235/.326/.272, 71 OPS+)Brandon Lockridge (.224/.272/.276, 55 OPS+) Left field has been a black hole offensively for the Padres, much as it has been for the Dodgers. Jason Heyward has the most starts in left, but he's on the IL. And he wasn't hitting either. This is a prime example for when we discuss the fact that the Dodgers aren't the only good team with holes in the lineup, Bonus facts: Wade played 67 games for the Angels in 2021. Lockridge made his major league debut on my birthday, which is probably a bonus fact only interesting to me. Center fieldJackson Merrill (.299/.352/.461, 123 OPS+) Last season, Merrill finished second in rookie of the year voting, ninth in MVP voting, was an All-Star and won the Silver Slugger award. Pretty decent first year, I'd say. He's back for more of the same this season, hitting better than he did last year. He's also good with the glove. Bonus fact: Merrill is the first rookie in Padres history to make the All-Star team. Right fieldFernando Tatis Jr. (.259/.332/.461, 120 OPS+) Still one of the top players in the game, however, his numbers at the plate have declined since his return from an 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs in 2022. His OPS+ in the three seasons before: 154, 156, 166. Three seasons after: 110, 130, 120. Won a Gold Glove in 2023. Bonus fact: In 2021, Tatis became the youngest player to appear on the cover of the 'MLB: The Show' video game. Designated hitterGavin Sheets (.250/.307/.460, 112 OPS+) Sheets is second on the team in home runs (11) and leads the Padres in RBIs with 38. He sometimes plays first base, with Arráez moving to DH. Starting pitchingWe will focus on the three pitchers scheduled to start against the Dodgers. Nick Pivetta (6-2, 3.16 ERA, 127 ERA+)Dylan Cease (1-5, 4.72 ERA, 85 ERA+)Randy Vásquez (3-4, 3.69 ERA, 109 ERA+) Pivetta signed a four-year, $55-million deal in the offseason and has earned every penny so far, striking out 76 in 68 1/3 innings while giving up 51 hits and 19 walks. He spent the previous five seasons with the Red Sox. Cease is the nominal ace on the team, but hasn't pitched like one. He finished fourth in Cy Young voting last season. He has pitched into some bad luck, as his Fielding Independent Pitching ERA is 3.20. Vásquez has a good ERA, but his FIP is 5.34, meaning he has had some good luck. Traditionally, this means you can expect his ERA to go up, and Cease's to go down as the season wears on. FIP is heavily used by GM's and members of a front office's brain trust to determine how well a pitcher is really performing, so it's a good stat to know. Click on the link above to be taken to a full explanation of it. Bonus facts: Cease's paternal grandmother, Betty Cease, played pro baseball in the 1940s..... Pivetta made his major league debut in 2017 against the Dodgers.... Vásquez was included in the package the Yankees sent to the Padres to acquire Juan Soto before the 2024 season. CloserRobert Suarez (1-1, 1.84 ERA, 21 saves) Suarez leads the majors with 21 saves, has blown only two saves and has allowed zero of five inherited runners to score. Bonus fact: Suarez is a two-time Japan Series champion. The Dodgers have 14 pitchers on the IL, the Padres have five. Which is one reason for this: Rotation ERASan Diego, 3.80Dodgers, 4.29 Bullpen ERASan Diego, 3.08Dodgers, 3.94 The Dodgers outhit the Padres (5.54 runs per game to 4.10), but the Padres outpitch the Dodgers. Which side will win out in these three games? In the season? We'll find out. It will be fun to watch. Who are your top 10 Dodgers catchers of all time (including Brooklyn)? Email your list to top10catchers@ and let me know. Many of you have asked for a list of catchers to be considered. Here are the 40 strongest candidates, in alphabetical order. Rod Barajas, Austin Barnes, Roy Campanella, Gary Carter, Con Daily, Rick Dempsey, Bruce Edwards, A.J. Ellis, Tex Erwin, Duke Farrell, Joe Ferguson, Jack Fimple, Yasmani Grandal, John Grim, Tom Haller, Todd Hundley, Charles Johnson, Chad Kreuter, Ernie Krueger, Paul Lo Duca, Al López, Russell Martin, Lew McCarty, Deacon McGuire, Jack Meyers, Johnny Oates, Mickey Owen, Babe Phelps, Mike Piazza, Joe Pignatano, Tom Prince, John Roseboro, David Ross, Mike Scioscia, Norm Sherry, Duke Sims, Will Smith, Zack Taylor, Jeff Torborg, Álex Treviño, Steve Yeager. Dalton Rushing was brought up because Austin Barnes could no longer hit and was not as good as he used to be behind the plate. Rushing went two for four in his first game and two for five in his second, and it looked like they were going to have to find a way to get his bat in the lineup more often. Since then, he has gone three for 24 with 16 strikeouts. The league always adjusts to new batters. The question now is: Can Rushing adjust back? The Dodgers also have a I'm all for giving established players a chance. It worked for Max Muncy. However, I just want to throw this out there: It's time for Hyeseong Kim to play more, and Michael Conforto to play less. That concludes today's lecture. Tony Gonsolin has been put on the IL with tenderness in his pitching elbow. The good news is an MRI scan showed no structural damage. But that just adds a new name to the list of pitchers on the IL: Luis GarcíaTyler GlasnowTony GonsolinBrusdar GraterolMichael GroveEdgardo HenriquezKyle HurtEvan PhillipsRiver RyanRoki SasakiEmmet SheehanBlake SnellGavin StoneBlake Treinen The good news is Michael Kopech and Kirby Yates have come off the IL and pitched Sunday. That should be of enormous help to the bullpen. But I believe the starting rotations right now is: Yoshinobu YamamotoDustin MayClayton KershawOne of those cardboard cutouts from the 2020 season89-year-old Sandy Koufax The Dodgers need to get Glasnow and Snell healthy or the staff will be in tatters by the time the postseason rolls around. A look at how some prominent Dodgers from the last few seasons are doing with their new team (through Sunday). Click on the player name to be taken to the Baseball Reference page with all their stats. Batters Cody Bellinger, Yankees: .261/.336/.454, 250 plate appearances, 11 doubles, 2 triples, 9 homers, 35 RBIs, 121 OPS+ Michael Busch, Cubs: .276/.374/.515, 227 PA's, 11 doubles, 3 triples, 10 homers, 38 RBIs, 155 OPS+ Jason Heyward, Padres, .176/.223/.271, 95 PA's, 2 doubles, 2 homers, 12 RBIs, 38 OPS+, on the IL Gavin Lux, Reds: .277/.367/.393, 218 PA's, 14 doubles, 1 triple, 2 homers, 26 RBIs, 108 OPS+ Zach McKinstry, Tigers: .271/.358/.417, 230 PA's, 10 doubles, 5 triples, 3 homers, 19 RBIs, 120 OPS+ Joc Pederson, Rangers, .131/.269/.238, 146 PA's, 5 doubles, 1 triple, 2 homers, 6 RBIs, 49 OPS+, on the IL Keibert Ruiz, Nationals, .255/.292/.332, 219 PA's, 10 doubles, 2 homers, 22 RBIs, 80 OPS+ Corey Seager, Rangers: .239/.297/.403, 145 PA's, 4 doubles, 6 homers, 12 RBIs, 100 OPS+ Chris Taylor, Angels: .222/.300/.444, 30 PA's, 3 doubles, 1 homer, 3 RBIs, 108 OPS+ (numbers with Angels only) Justin Turner, Cubs: .211/.302/.267, 106 PA's, 2 doubles, 1 homer, 11 RBIs, 67 OPS+ Trea Turner, Phillies: .300/.353/.446, 283 PA's, 13 doubles, 2 triples, 7 homers, 30 RBIs, 122 OPS+ Miguel Vargas, White Sox: .237/.319/.421, 257 PA's, 15 doubles, 9 homers, 29 RBIs, 109 OPS+ Alex Verdugo, Braves: .250/.305/.316, 164 PA's, 10 doubles, 11 RBIs, 76 OPS+ Pitching Walker Buehler, Red Sox: 4-4, 5.18 ERA, 48.2 IP, 53 hits, 17 walks, 44 K's, 80 ERA+ Jack Flaherty, Tigers: 5-6, 3.41 ERA, 71.1 IP, 53 hits, 23 walks, 85 K's, 117 ERA+ Kenley Jansen, Angels: 1-2, 4.64 ERA, 14 saves, 21.1 IP, 20 hits, 9 walks, 19 K's, 90 ERA+ Craig Kimbrel, Braves: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 IP, 1 hit, 1 walk, 1 K, designated for assignment Kenta Maeda, Cubs: 0-0, 7.88 ERA, eight IP, nine hits, six walks, eight K's, 52 ERA+, in the minors Ryan Pepiot, Rays: 3-5, 3.20 ERA, 76 IP, 64 hits, 22 walks, 64 K's, 121 ERA+ Max Scherzer, Blue Jays: 0-0, 6.00 ERA, three IP, three hits, 0 walks, one K, 77 ERA+, on the IL Ryan Yarbrough, Yankees: 3-1, 4.17 ERA, 45.1 IP, 39 hits, 13 walks, 43 K's, 96 ERA+ Is there a player you'd like to see listed here? Email me at and let me know. Monday: Dodgers (Dustin May, 3-4, 4.09 ERA) at San Diego (Nick Pivetta, 6-2, 3.16 ERA), 6:40 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 Tuesday: Dodgers (TBD) at San Diego (Dylan Cease, 1-5, 4.72 ERA), 6:40 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 Wednesday: Dodgers (*Justin Wrobelski, 1-2, 7.20 ERA) at San Diego (Randy Vásquez, 3-4, 3.69 ERA), 1:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 *-left-handed Dodgers place starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin on the injured list Clayton Kershaw delivers exactly what the Dodgers need in win over Cardinals In 1988, Kirk Gibson scores from second on a wild pitch. Watch and listen here. Have a comment or something you'd like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
