At this Westminster, King Charles is the spaniel sort
Britain’s King Charles III was crowned Saturday at Westminster Abbey
2023-05-09 02:52
What to know about the 2023 Westminster Dog Show
The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show will name its winner on Tuesday. Read on for more about where to watch it, how the dogs are judged and which dogs are in the running for best in show.
2023-05-09 02:48
Biden to Seek Rules for Airline Benefits to Stranded Travelers
President Joe Biden announced the federal government is drafting new rules that could require airlines to provide meals,
2023-05-09 02:46
Abortion pill case to be heard by conservative, anti-abortion panel
By Brendan Pierson and Jacqueline Thomsen A case brought by anti-abortion groups seeking to ban the abortion pill
2023-05-09 02:27
What's the Kennection? #61
All five answers to the questions below have something in common. Can you figure it out?
2023-05-09 01:51
Simulation suggests 2020 census missed many noncitizens
A number of noncitizens appear to have been missed in the 2020 census
2023-05-09 01:45
Virgin to launch commercial spaceflights in June
Space tourism company Virgin Galactic announced Monday that it is resuming flights with a mission this month, its first in nearly two years, and the...
2023-05-09 00:55
The Frenchie becomes a favorite — and a dog-show contender
French bulldogs are ranked as the United States’ favorite dog breed, yet none has ever won the nation’s pre-eminent dog show
2023-05-09 00:48
Simulation suggests 2020 census missed fifth of noncitizens
A number of noncitizens appear to have been missed in the 2020 census
2023-05-09 00:29
'Picasso sculptor' exhibiition opens in Malaga
An exhibition of sculptures by Picasso, who is better known for his Cubist and surrealist works, opens on Tuesday in the legendary Spanish...
2023-05-09 00:17
Where are Mercedes and Ferrari? Frankly, you don’t want to hear the answer
A running joke, visible in front of the cameras, is playing out between Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso this season. After Verstappen only qualified ninth for Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix, second-placed Alonso predicted – in a routine which would be laughable if it wasn’t so accurate – that the Red Bull would slingshot past him by lap 25. In similar circumstances three races back in Saudi Arabia, wily double world champion Alonso was near-enough spot-on with the same prophecy. Except this time, it didn’t take Verstappen that long. By lap 15, Verstappen had overtaken seven sitting ducks to reach the rear of team-mate Sergio Perez. Eking out the maximum performance in his set of hard tyres, the Dutchman was in prime position to overtake Perez by the time he pitted for mediums on lap 46. Two rounds of the circuit later, Verstappen stormed clear of Perez’s valiant defence to take a statement victory. That, plus the fastest lap, handed the championship leader a perfect 26-point day. His gap to Perez is now 14 points. Aston Martin’s Alonso, in third, is 44 points behind Verstappen – the closest challenger outside the Red Bull behemoth. But it is the Constructors’ Standings which really tells the tale of this one-sided bloodbath right now. Red Bull, on 224 points out of a possible 235, are 122 points ahead of Aston Martin, a surprise success story. Mercedes and Ferrari – giants of Formula 1, the supposed title challengers – are 128 and 146 points behind Red Bull respectively. We have had just five grand prix weekends. Five. Christian Horner, gleaming under the Florida sun after a fourth Red Bull one-two in five races, simply could not help himself: “We’ve never, ever had a start like this. We’re wondering: where are the others? We’ve made a normal step over the winter. “Where did Ferrari and Mercedes go?” The gap between the RB19 and the rest is truly staggering. Excluding the Australian Grand Prix which concluded under the safety car, the amassed gap between the RB19 and the next-best car is over 1 minute and 45 seconds. 106.8 seconds, to be precise, in just four grand prix. In Miami, the gap was 26.3 seconds, still less than the 38.6 second Red Bull advantage at the season-opener in Bahrain. RED BULL’S ADVANTAGE OVER THE NEXT-BEST CAR Bahrain: 36.6 seconds Saudi Arabia: 20.7 seconds Australia: 0.1 seconds Azerbaijan: 21.2 seconds Miami: 26.3 seconds In short, Mercedes and Ferrari have never been further away from the front in the hybrid era. Last year, in what proved to be a season of double world championship glory for Red Bull, Charles Leclerc was at least winning races and challenging at the start of the campaign. By the end of 2022, Mercedes seemed to have, finally, unlocked their unique package with a one-two finish in Brazil. Yet on Sunday, Leclerc was grappling with Haas’ and Alpines in the midfield on his way to seventh. Lewis Hamilton – who only qualified 13th-fastest – had to make a late surge to leap up to P6. Perhaps the most amusing moment in the closing laps was George Russell, in a state of bewildered shock running in fourth, asking his engineer: “Who is the car ahead of Fernando on track? We’re that close to Perez?!” A simple response squashed any hope. It was simply a lapped car. “No, sorry. It’s Sargeant on track.” Ever since admitting to needing to rip up their current car philosophy in Bahrain, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has referred to the next race in Imola as a potential season benchmark, with a new upgrade highly-anticipated. Yet while Hamilton insisted he needs a “one-second upgrade”, Wolff downplayed expectations. “I don’t think we’ll get there and suddenly we’re half a second faster and in the middle of a fight,” he remarked, after a weekend in Miami when he also described the W14 car as a “nasty piece of work” and “poisonous.” Ferrari, meanwhile, do have a car capable of challenging on a Saturday, as Leclerc showed in the last race in Baku with two pole positions. Yet the contrast to raceday – a reminder to the Scuderia: when the points are won – is perplexing to all those in scarlet red. “Once again today, the significant difference between the SF-23’s performance level in qualifying and the race was clear to see,” a baffled Fred Vasseur, team principal, said. Two weeks’ time in Imola will see Ferrari’s famed legion of fans, the tifosi, turn up in their thousands. What Ferrari greets them, however, remains to be seen. Upgrades are coming for both. Mercedes – and the wider F1 fanbase, truth be told – are pinning their season hopes on this upcoming renovation. Ferrari have new parts coming too, amid a scratching of heads in Maranello. Horner did point out that Red Bull’s penalty for breaking the 2021 cost cap will affect them as the season progresses. Even more reason, he says, to get “fresh air” between Red Bull and the chasing pack right now. But he need not worry. The gap already looks near-insurmountable with 18 races to go. The title fight looks likely to be played out between his men – and even then with a now-undisputed favourite. Keep those fingers and toes crossed for Imola. Maybe the upgrades can miraculously narrow the top-tier playing field. The competitiveness of this season may just hinge on it. Read More ‘Nasty piece of work’: Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes slammed by Toto Wolff Max Verstappen claims Miami boos are due to his success: ‘They don’t like who wins’ Max Verstappen sends chilling message to rivals after Miami win: ‘I always feel unbeatable’ George Russell takes aim at ‘distracting’ razzmatazz before Miami Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton would be taking gamble by leaving Mercedes, says former rival
2023-05-08 23:49
Surprise loss from Tyson, then a surprise cut to its outlook
Tyson Foods suffered a surprise loss in the second quarter, something not since 2009, and it's cutting its sales forecast due to the cost of plant closures and layoffs
2023-05-08 23:45