Bertoletti and Sudo win Nathan’s famous power eating contest, longtime champion absent
NEW YORK (AP) — Chicago’s Patrick Bertoletti has won the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest for the first time. Bertoletti won Thursday by consuming 58 hot dogs in a close, 10-minute contest that saw the leaders change hands. Earlier, Miki Sudo of Florida won the women’s division for the 10th time. Sudo, 38, set a new women’s world record by consuming 51 hot dogs in 10 minutes. The event, held outside the flagship Nathan’s in Coney Island, Brooklyn, draws thousands of fans each year. The event’s biggest star, reigning champion Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, was absent this year because of a dispute over sponsorship.
Argentina advances to the Copa America semi-finals, beating Ecuador 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw
HOUSTON (AP) — Defending champion Argentina beat Ecuador 4-2 in a shootout to reach the Copa America semifinals after conceding an equalizing goal in added time to tie the game at 1-1. Lionel Messi hit Argentina’s first penalty off the crossbar, but goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez stopped Ecuador’s first two shots and Nicolas Otamendi beat Alexander Dominguez for the winner. Lisandro Martinez gave Argentina the lead in the 35th minute before Kevin Rodriguez scored a goal in added time. Ecuador’s Enel Valencia hit the post with a handball penalty from Rodrigo de Paul in the 60th minute.
Palestinian soccer team to play World Cup qualifiers in West Bank
The Palestinian football team is determined to host a match for a change after going further than ever in World Cup qualifiers. The Football Association has proposed hosting the third round of Asian qualifiers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and has already received support from several opponents, starting with a match against Jordan on September 10. The Palestinian team made it through the second round of continental qualifiers for the first time in history in June, but because of the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, they have played “home” matches in neighbouring Kuwait and Qatar. The last international match played in the Palestinian territories was in 2019.
30th Annual Essence Festival of Culture Kicks Off in New Orleans
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The city of New Orleans welcomed thousands of people to the 30th anniversary of the Essence Festival of Culture. The festival’s CEO says reaching this milestone wasn’t easy, but New Orleans played a big role in getting there. The magazine’s July and August issues celebrate the festival’s relationship with the city. Executives say the cover story is a love letter to the people, places and spaces of New Orleans. The festival will host free workshops every day at the Convention Center and paid evening concerts by big-name artists in the Superdome.
Hayden Springer had an eagle and a birdie to shoot 59, becoming the 14th player in PGA Tour history to shoot under 60.
SILVIS, Ill. (AP) — Hayden Springer is the 14th player in PGA Tour history to shoot under 60. Springer made an eagle from 55 yards out on the 17th hole at the John Deere Classic and finished with a birdie from 12 feet, golf’s magic number. It was his second 59 on the PGA Tour in three weeks. Cameron Young also shot 59 at the Travelers Championship. Springer will have to be content with a share of the course record at TPC Deere Run. Paul Goydos also shot 59 at the 2010 John Deere Classic. Springer’s time was the eighth under 60 in the world this year.
Mbappe warns of ‘catastrophic’ political situation in France as far-right forces approach power
HAMBURG, Germany (AP) — France soccer captain Kylian Mbappe warned that the country is in a “catastrophic” political situation as it moves closer to its first far-right government since World War II. In the first round of hastily called elections, the Rally National party won about 33 percent of the vote nationwide. The second round of parliamentary elections takes place on Sunday, and Marine Le Pen’s party could take power. Mbappe urged people to go to the polls “now more than ever” because the situation is “urgent.” “We cannot let our country fall into the hands of these people,” he said.
House Democrats are proposing a constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court’s immunity decision.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Leading Democrats in the House of Representatives are preparing to amend the Constitution in the wake of the Supreme Court’s landmark immunity decision. Rep. Joseph Morrell of New York said he wants to overturn the Supreme Court’s ruling and ensure “the president is not above the law.” It’s the most significant legislative response yet to the ruling this week by the Supreme Court’s conservative majority. Congress can begin the process of amending the Constitution with a two-thirds vote in both houses, an unlikely outcome under a divided government. Then it would need approval from three-quarters of the states. There have been 27 amendments to the U.S. Constitution so far.
Facts in focus: Trump has not been exonerated by presidential immunity, even though he claims so.
Former President Donald Trump has proclaimed “total immunity” on social media after the Supreme Court ruled that presidents have broad immunity for actions taken while in office. The ruling, however, did not absolve Trump from liability, leaving intact the long-established principle that there is no immunity for purely personal acts. However, the ruling that the president enjoys absolute immunity for core constitutional duties significantly narrows the scope of Trump’s election interference lawsuit. The ruling is a major victory for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, whose legal strategy has focused on delaying court proceedings until after the 2024 election.
Americans swim in Paris’ Seine before Olympics despite pollution concerns
PARIS (AP) — A 75-year-old American swimmer celebrated Independence Day by swimming in Paris’s Seine. He braved the murky waters to highlight the French government’s efforts to clean up the river for the Olympics. The timing was good: Hours later, local officials released data showing the river’s water quality had improved over the past week, raising hopes that it could host Olympic swimming events after all. American Joel Strutt-McClure last swam in the Seine in 1976 for a magazine cover shoot. He said he was impressed with the progress being made in cleaning up the river but still had concerns about safety.
Despite hardships caused by war, Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities are filled with flowers
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Flowers have always been linked to Ukrainian culture, but their importance has only grown since the 2022 Russian invasion. Flowers, especially sunflowers, have become symbols of both resistance and hope for the war-torn country. Ukrainians take every opportunity to cover Kiev and other cities with the flowers of the country’s vast rural areas. Flowers appear on Ukrainian banknotes, textile patterns and murals. Across the country, young men on dates and soldiers who sometimes lost limbs carry bouquets on their journeys home. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy famously carried a bouquet during a 2022 visit to a hospital for a teenage girl wounded while fleeing advancing Russian troops outside the capital, Kiev.
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