Latest news with #May
Los Angeles Times
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Far from their best, Dodgers find a way to beat Royals and move into MLB wins lead
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Dave Roberts has a high bar for his $400 million baseball team. Sure, the Dodgers entered Friday winners of 13 of their 17, tied for the best overall record in baseball, and leading the National League West by six games. Sure, they already have one guaranteed All-Star in Shohei Ohtani, and seven other finalists who advanced to the second stage of fan voting that will begin next week. But, in the eyes of their manager, 'I still just don't believe we're playing our best baseball,' Roberts said Friday afternoon. 'I don't think we've played complete baseball for a stretch.' On Friday night, the Dodgers still weren't at their best. Dustin May managed just four innings in a four-run start. The lineup produced only four total hits. Teoscar Hernández made a defensive blunder in the outfield. And the bullpen danced in and out of trouble down the stretch. But right now, amid this soft portion of the team's schedule, flawed performances have often still been enough. And in Friday's 5-4 win over the badly slumping Kansas City Royals, that once again proved to be the case. For all the Dodgers' shortcomings, they did just enough to compensate in a series opener at Kauffman Stadium. May gave up a run in the first after letting three straight batters reach with two outs … but not before Ohtani opened the scoring with a leadoff blast. Hernández let a hard-hit but very-much-catchable line drive get over his head in right field in the third, fueling a three-run Royals rally that was punctuated by Bobby Witt Jr.'s two-run blast … but that was sandwiched by a two-run Max Muncy homer in the second, and a game-tying triple from Ohtani in the fifth. Mookie Betts eventually put the Dodgers in front one at-bat after Ohtani's triple, singling him home to give the Dodgers a 5-4 lead. And though May's high pitch count forced him to exit after early, a worn-down Dodgers bullpen patched together five scoreless frames, escaping their biggest jam in the ninth when closer Tanner Scott induced a game-ending double-play with the bases loaded. It wasn't pretty, but it was still enough to move the Dodgers into sole possession of the best record in the majors at 52-31. That extended stretch of dominance is still eluding them. But for now, they're finding ways to win anyway.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Surprising jobs data shows economy in flux
Surprising jobs data shows economy in flux originally appeared on TheStreet. It's been one "strong job market report" after another. Investors continue dancing to that beat, as we stare down a record high for the S&P 500. 💵💰💰💵 Mr. Market is brushing off any wobble in weekly unemployment claims as mostly seasonal noise. Peel back the curtain, however, and the continuing claims paint a more mixed story about a fragile economic state. The latest jobless claims update drives that point home and could shake the economy. Over the past few months, weekly jobless claims in the U.S. have fallen in a pattern that gives off mixed signals. In early April, initial claims nudged up to 223,000 in the week ending April 5. This represents a modest rise of 4,000, but economists expected the number to remain flat. Businesses were already feeling the heat due to the threat of new tariffs, and March hiring numbers were underwhelming. Just 228,000 jobs were added, with unemployment ticking up to 4.2%.A few weeks later, in late April, things got shakier. Claims rose by 18,000 to 241,000, the highest they'd been in a couple of months. Sure, spring breaks played a part, but beneath the surface, you had corporate America feeling the squeeze from tariffs. May brought its mix of highs and lows as well. Things picked up strongly, with claims dropping by 13,000 to 228,000. By mid-month, filings hovered around 229,000, but by May 24, claims shot up to 240,000, the biggest weekly spike in over a year. It wasn't just about the seasonal hires this time, though. More on Markets: Housing market update spells more trouble Why Thursday's market bell might echo in history Wall Street veteran analyst who predicted stock market rally resets forecast Layoffs were starting to impact areas like transportation and hospitality, once considered safe from recession talk. And June's data felt more like walking a tightrope. The month kicked off with claims climbing to 248,000, and up until last week, the four-week average crept up to 245,500, the highest it's been in nearly two years. That was all before today's update, adding a new twist to the story. For the week ending June 21, initial jobless claims dropped to 236,000, 10,000 lower than the week before and below the 244,000 forecast. That comes with a catch, though, as last week's numbers were quietly revised to 246,000 — a soft win, at best. Meanwhile, continuing claims surged by 37,000 to 1.974 million, the highest since late clearly indicates that more folks are stuck on benefits significantly longer than expected, clipping away at their disposable incomes. Unadjusted state filings dropped 4% to 227,080, again mostly in line with last year once you factor out seasonal noise. Moreover, with the insured unemployment rate at 1.2%, things continue to look bleak for those already out of work. Nevertheless, it seems the markets are shrugging off those darker themes. S&P 500 futures briefly popped to 6,171 earlier today, topping the prior intraday record of 6,166. Hence, Mr. Market's still buying the corporate resilience story, even as the jobless rolls tell a more cautionary jobs data shows economy in flux first appeared on TheStreet on Jun 26, 2025 This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
CBC
a day ago
- Business
- CBC
Canada's GDP shrank by 0.1% in April
Business ·Breaking Advance estimate for May shows similar decline in activity Canada's economy shrank by 0.1 per cent on a monthly basis in April, Statistics Canada said on Friday, with the data agency's advance estimate for May showing a similar decline in activity.
HKFP
a day ago
- Politics
- HKFP
Hong Kong gov't slams top US diplomat in city over ‘biased remarks' about national security law, Jimmy Lai
The Hong Kong government has slammed the top US diplomat in the city for making 'untrue and biased remarks' about the Beijing-imposed national security law and jailed media mogul Jimmy Lai. The government said in a statement issued late Thursday night that it strongly condemned remarks made by outgoing Consul General of the US to Hong Kong, Gregory May. Authorities accused him of smearing the national security law and its work to safeguard national security. May, who will assume a new role as deputy head at the US embassy in Beijing next week, on Thursday said he was concerned about the treatment of Lai as well as 'other political prisoners.' '[US] President [Donald] Trump himself has mentioned Jimmy Lai several times now, and he is very concerned about the fate of Mr Lai,' May told reporters after delivering a speech at a US Independence Day reception at The Murray hotel in Admiralty. 'There are many other people, unfortunately, in Hong Kong who are in jail for [the] peaceful expression of political views, for putting things on the internet,' he added. In response, Hong Kong authorities said it 'strongly urges US politicians to immediately stop interfering' in the city's affairs. 'The suggestion that persons or organisations with certain backgrounds should be immune from legal sanctions for their illegal acts and activities… is totally contrary to the spirit of the rule of law,' the government wrote. Lai has pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiring to collude with foreign forces under the national security law as well as a third charge of conspiring to publish 'seditious' materials under a colonial-era legislation. He has been in custody since December 2020. The departing consul general also criticised what he called 'transnational repression,' referring to Hong Kong police issuing arrest warrants and bounties on overseas pro-democracy activists. One of the activists, Joey Siu, has US citizenship. 'It's very disappointing to see, over my three years here, attempts by Hong Kong authorities to enforce the national security law within the borders of the United States against US persons,' May said. 'This is attempts to restrict the free speech of people in the United States and unfortunately, we're seeing Hong Kong authorities go after the family members of these overseas activists, and that's a very disturbing,' he added. The Hong Kong government rejected May's criticism, saying in its statement that people should not comment on Lai's ongoing proceedings. It also defended human rights protection in the national security law, saying that defendants were entitled to a fair trial. It added that extraterritorial effect for the city's security laws 'fully aligns with the principles of international law, international practice and common practice adopted in various countries and regions.' Beijing inserted national security legislation directly into Hong Kong's mini-constitution in June 2020 following a year of pro-democracy protests and unrest. It criminalised subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts – broadly defined to include disruption to transport and other infrastructure. The move gave police sweeping new powers and led to hundreds of arrests amid new legal precedents, while dozens of civil society groups disappeared. The authorities say it restored stability and peace to the city, rejecting criticism from trade partners, the UN and NGOs.
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Be a good teammate: Steven May's unfiltered feedback is wearing thin at Melbourne
May's subsequent poor game against Port Adelaide, when his opponent Mitch Georgiades kicked seven goals, means the focus is now on May. Externally, his actions were defended and excused – by Gawn most of all – although Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin admitted he had to sit the pair down after they had addressed it themselves and that he also raised the issue with the group. 'We are always going to be all good. I have got a lot of respect for him, and he has respect for me,' Gawn told Triple M the next day. According to competition sources who wished to remain anonymous to speak freely, some of May's teammates are looking hard at the senior coach to ensure the star defender is kept to the same level of accountability for his on-field actions as everyone else, particularly after entering the season with so much talk about connection and love. Two competition sources, who preferred to remain anonymous, said what happened on the field in the fortnight before the bye should have been a reality check for May, who politely declined an interview for this article. Many are watching how good a teammate he can be as his team's season hangs in the balance, and as he takes on the opponent the Suns nabbed with the draft pick they received in the May trade – Ben King. The veteran's approach is also a challenge for Goodwin as he looks to shift the on-field dynamic. It's hard to imagine the Brisbane Lions, Collingwood, Geelong or Hawthorn copping any ill-timed feedback to their skipper when they were at their best. Former Demons coach and Sydney premiership coach Paul Roos said while he had no sense of the scenario involving May, a general principle always applied. Loading 'My philosophy has always been to set standards and then everyone adheres to them. If you have any other philosophy it becomes way more complicated; players can lose trust in the coaches, lose trust in each other if you are not holding everyone to the same standards,' Roos said. May has won a premiership, been twice All-Australian, and finished top 10 in the best and fairest in all but his first season at Melbourne. The strong, ultra-competitive backman has won his team games with his intercept marking, penetrating kicking and ability to dominate the best key forwards. Only 13 other players have averaged more intercept marks and intercept possessions over the past decade. May's overall numbers in 2025 remain reasonable, albeit less consistent game to game. The Demons' defensive ranking, in terms of points against, is the worst it's been since 2019. Brisbane Lions premiership star and Brownlow medallist Jason Akermanis eventually wore out his welcome at the Lions, his direct, outspoken and often brutally honest approach harder to bear as the team slipped out of premiership contention. By the end of 2006 he had left for the Bulldogs. May has enough credits in the bank to keep him some way from the tipping point 'Aker' reached, but such experiences are salutary lessons for players who push the boundaries. Many who know May well admire him for the way he has carved out such a good career, and are defensive of him. They know he can be good company off the field and at his best is warm, friendly and articulate when making his point. But they also know his forthright views can be tiring. Another competition source who wanted to remain anonymous said May's frustrations were probably boiling to the surface as age had robbed him of just an inch of his closing speed, with the plantar fasciitis issues that hampered him in the pre-season and the first five games compounding those issues. The same person said May's major post-bye objective should be to be a good teammate, develop key defender Daniel Turner and support emerging players such as premiership teammate Jake Bowey, Blake Howes, Caleb Windsor and Judd McVee. Roos said that didn't mean playing without passion, or avoiding hard conversations if required. Nor did it mean coaches needed to quell demonstrative personalities. 'People say there are no characters in the game but when we are talking about standards we are saying what is acceptable and what is not acceptable for our 44 players, and then we reward and challenge,' Roos said. 'Individuality, mucking around at training or having a good time [is fine],' Roos said. 'There are always characters in footy. Then no matter whether it is the straightest guy on your list or the most wayward you try to treat them the same way.' Loading May, a talented golfer who has also trained as a pilot, is not silly. He has provided great service to Melbourne, but on-field outbursts that he is capable of can be exhausting and less easy to tolerate when form dips. He returns to his old backyard on the Gold Coast with his own backyard needing some attention.
