It was 3 a.m. and southern Beirut was under the heaviest bombardment in nearly 20 years. A CNN team drove past a sea of ​​people camped on sidewalks, mostly on the boardwalk that encircles the coast in the still-pristine western parts of the city.

These were displaced people from neighborhoods that were attacked by Israeli warplanes. Some were chatting on the side of the road, some were sleeping on benches and on the ground. Women cradled sleeping babies and toddlers. Children wandered the streets in their pajamas and weaved aimlessly through double-parked cars.

On the city’s commercial Hamra Street, a crowd outside an abandoned building forced traffic to a near standstill. A man tore down the iron gate, allowing a flood of displaced people to take refuge. A new wave of arrivals was approaching. Visibly exhausted women got out of the cars and dragged their children, blankets and mattresses.

Most people carried little more than the clothes on their backs as they ran away in search of safety. Many tried to put on a brave face, fear hidden beneath the thin facade of bravery. “We’re fine! I’m sure our home is fine. There is nothing to worry about,” a woman in her early 60s said to a group of people around her.

It was a sleepless night in the Lebanese capital. The streets were busier than usual in the early hours of Saturday morning. Restaurants and cafes were open, serving food and coffee, while television screens showed images of the explosions lighting up the night sky just a few kilometers away.

As we drove around the city in our car, the Israeli military issued new evacuation orders for residents of parts of southern Beirut that had not yet been attacked. One of the neighborhoods listed was Bourj el Barajneh, a densely populated area that includes a Palestinian refugee camp and is home to many poorer migrants. Less than 30 minutes later, Israeli forces began attacks there.

It is unclear whether many of these residents managed to get out in time. Meanwhile, the people of Beirut wait to see what has become of their homes, their city and their civilians.

Billionaire Pistons owner Tom Gores has closed a deal to acquire 27% of the Chargers, according to sources. The deal faces final approval from NFL owners next month.

If completed, the sale will resolve a long-standing dispute between current Chargers limited partner Dea Spanos Berberian and her three siblings, including principal owner Dean Spanos. Dea Spanos Berberian will completely relinquish her position in the team. Gores would become one of the largest non-owner family shareholders in an NFL team.

The deal does not provide a path for Gores to majority control of the team, a condition that made previous attempts to strike a deal significantly more difficult. Previous advanced talks with Clearlake Capital Group co-founders Behdad Eghbali and Jose E. Feliciano collapsed late last year, in part because of control issues.

The exact terms of the contract are not known. Forbes, Sportico and CNBC’s public estimates of the Chargers’ valuation range from $5.1 billion to $5.83 billion. However, according to Forbes and CNBC, the team is estimated to carry about $816 million in debt, and non-controlling minority stakes are typically discounted.

A representative for the Chargers declined to comment. Gores also declined to comment.

A source close to Gores said his minority position with the Chargers will not distract from his goals with the Pistons.

Gores’ acquisition includes the entire 15% that Spanos Berberian owns individually, as well as its 9% stake in a family foundation that owns 36% of the team. Additionally, Gores is acquiring 1% each from Dean Spanos, Michael Spanos and Alexis Spanos Ruhl. If this deal closes, each Spanos will individually own 24% and Gores will own 27%.

In 2021, Spanos Berberian filed a petition asking an L.A. Superior Court judge to force a sale of the team, saying mismanagement by Dean Spanos had led to insoluble debts, which in turn threatened the family’s fortunes. She later abandoned her attempt to force a sale of the entire team and instead focused on exiting her own stake.

Gores, who is worth $11.8 billion according to Bloomberg, founded Los Angeles-based Platinum Equity in 1995. Assets under management are currently approximately $48 billion.

In 2011, Gores paid $325 million for the Pistons in a deal that included The Palace of Auburn Hills and DTE Energy Music Theater. The team was most recently valued by Forbes at $3.08 billion.

As a minority shareholder in the Chargers, Gores would have no formal say in league or team governance. But his wealth, L.A. base of operations and connections appear to be in high demand among other owners and league executives, giving him considerable informal influence throughout the NFL, a rarity among limited partners.

The deal comes just weeks after the NFL approved three private equity funds and a consortium of funds to buy up to 10% of NFL clubs. Gores’ Platinum Equity is not part of the NFL’s PE program.

The NFL Finance Committee heard a detailed presentation of the Gores transaction earlier this week. It is expected to be on the agenda for the final decision when NFL owners meet in Atlanta on October 15-16.

Crack crisis

The space agency is increasingly concerned about leaks in a tunnel connecting the Russian segment of the International Space Station to a docking port, according to a new report from NASA’s inspector general.

Worse, officials still aren’t entirely sure what’s causing it.

“Persistent cracks and air leaks in the service module transfer tunnel pose a major safety risk,” the report said. “And NASA and Roscosmos are working together to investigate and repair the cracks and leaks, determine the root cause, and monitor the station for new leaks.”

In April, NASA “detected an increase in leakage to its highest level ever,” releasing 3.7 pounds of atmosphere daily, a massive increase compared to just under 1 pound in February Ars Technica Reports.

“Although the root cause of the leak remains unknown, both agencies have narrowed their focus to internal and external welds,” the report said.

Fixing the problem could be a difficult one because of the “supply chain issues” that NASA’s contractors are struggling with, a problem that could make maintaining ISS operations even more difficult before the agency officially decommissions them in 2030 goes into operation.

Close the hatch

In June, NASA upgraded the cracking problem to the highest level of concern in its “risk matrix.” Ars Technica reported at the time.

If the leaks persist, NASA and Roscosmos could be forced to permanently close the hatch to the affected tunnel, which would prevent astronauts from using any of the station’s four docking ports.

“According to NASA, Roscosmos is confident that they will be able to monitor and close the service module hatch before the leak rate reaches an unsustainable level,” the inspector general report said. “However, NASA and Roscosmos have not reached agreement on the point at which the leak rate becomes unsustainable.”

This is an unpleasant realization given the space station’s already limited shelf life. In 2030, NASA plans to get help from SpaceX to deorbit the station and allow it to crash into the Pacific Ocean. As Ars points out that NASA and Russia have not yet agreed to continue operations after 2028.

Another option would be to make changes to the station to extend its lifespan beyond 2030, which the inspector general said would “require significant funding” and “require acceptance of increased risk due to its components and aging structures.”

More about leaks: Russia confirms small but growing leak in space station

No. 7 Miami overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit and got help from a controversial last-second decision to earn a 38-34 victory over Virginia Tech on Friday at Hard Rock Stadium. The Hurricanes had to sweat out a late scare after Virginia Tech quarterback Kyron Drones threw what appeared to be a 30-yard touchdown pass to receiver Da’Quan Felton on the final play of the game. However, upon further review, the play was overturned, giving the Hurricanes the victory.

Hurricanes quarterback Cameron Ward accounted for five total touchdowns and led a late touchdown drive with less than two minutes remaining that gave the Hurricanes their first lead since the first quarter.

Ward, considered one of the early favorites to win the Heisman Trophy after transferring from Washington State this offseason, finished 24 of 38 for 343 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 57 yards and another score on the ground .

Miami had to overcome some early difficulties to win its first ACC conference opener in four years. The Hurricanes turned the ball over on their first offensive possession and had an opportunity to extend their early lead to double digits before Ward threw an interception deep into Virginia Tech territory.

Keep it locked here as CBS Sports has you covered with live updates, highlights and analysis as Miami takes on Virginia Tech on Friday night.

BLACKSBURG, Va. (WDBJ) – “When you have a guy with skills who also works hard and is also competitive, I think there’s no limit to his potential on the football field,” Blacksburg football coach Zack Leonard said.

Blacksburg running back Jaxon Keys helped the Bruins win against Rockbridge County last Friday.

The sophomore reached the end zone not just once or twice, but five times.

“That was the most touchdowns I’ve ever scored in a game,” Keys said. “That was really something big for me and it was a lot of fun.”

“Honestly, I saw what I know about Jackson. His potential is endless. He runs the ball hard. He’s an energetic guy. He finishes runs physically. And I think the biggest difference was that our offense was able to execute really, really well. And honestly, we adjusted our scheme a little bit, and they still executed it very, very well. And if you give a guy like that space, he’s going to do good things,” Leonard said.

Football is in Keys’ blood.

Not only was his father a Bruin himself, but he also played college ball as a running back at Virginia Tech.

“It’s pretty cool to play here because my dad held records,” Keys said. “He still holds records at the school, so it’s like I’m trying to live up to his legacy and build his legacy.”

The list doesn’t end here.

Keys’ stepfather helped Blacksburg to a state championship, and his older brother and cousin also played in blue and yellow.

Even Keys’ mother said he was born to run.

They initially got Keys into football, but quickly realized his competitive spirit was a better fit for flag football. After that the rest is history.

“I love playing football because of my teammates, my friends and my family. I do that for them a lot,” Keys said.

And with his senior years still ahead of him, the future looks bright for this generation of Bruins.

“If you know who you have and I know Jaxon Keys. I know he is a great young man. I know he is a hard worker and a talented young man. You know, everything else is just part of the process because we know where it can go. I know he’s hungry. This will drive him even more and he will always want more success. So as long as he channels that to continue to be a positive leader, a positive role model for our team and continue to run harder as this season goes on. You know, our season starts this week, even though we’re already four weeks old, and the competition is increasing. We are excited to see how he will perform in this situation,” said Leonard.

Copyright 2024 WDBJ. All rights reserved.

John Cena in a car-themed movie sounds like a good fit to us

If you were like me as a child, you might have played with Matchbox cars, pushing these tiny model creations across the carpet and imagining what it would be like to drive them in real life. There will soon be a film about her, starring John Cena.

The film Matchbox Cars follows the phenomenal success of another film from Mattel’s extensive toy range: Barbie. This film became the biggest box office hit of 2023, grossing almost $1.5 billion worldwide. The film received nine Golden Globe nominations and eight Academy Award nominations, winning two and one, respectively.

The Matchbox line of die-cast toys was invented by automotive enthusiast Jack Odell in 1953 and thanks to Apple Original Films a film about it is being brought to life. It will join several other Mattel toy films in the works, including one about Hot Wheels and even Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots.

Read: John Cena’s Daily Driver is a Honda Civic Type R

The Matchbox film will be produced by David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger and Robbie Brenner, while Sam Hargrave, the man behind it, will direct extraction And Extraction IIwith Chris Hemsworth.

However, no details regarding the film’s plot have been released Cena looks like a great addition to the film. The professional wrestler and actor has been a car enthusiast his entire life and still owns the 1989 Jeep Wrangler that he purchased with his first-ever WWE salary. He also owned a stripped-down Ultima Evolution, a Superlite Ford GT replica, a Radical race car, a 1970 Plymouth Superbird, a black Lamborghini Countach and several American muscle cars. He drives a 2024 Honda Civic Type R every day.

While there is no official word on the Matchbox movie’s release date, the announcement is fresh and filming hasn’t even started yet. So it looks like we’ll have to wait a while before we see Cena zooming around in miniature form.

The University of Wisconsin Board of Regents voted unanimously Friday to fire a communications professor who wanted to keep his job after he was fired as chancellor of one of the system’s campuses for producing pornographic films.

Joe Gow, who served as UW-La Crosse’s chancellor for nearly 17 years, argued last week that he should retain a teaching position on campus. But the university’s lawyers argued that he behaved unethically, violated the terms of his employment contract, damaged the university’s reputation and compromised its mission.

The regents met in closed session Friday morning before publicly voting to fire Gow. There was no public discussion before the board vote.

Gow said he is considering filing a lawsuit to keep his teaching job. He did not immediately respond to a message Friday morning.

Gow has been on paid leave from his faculty position since the regents fired him as chancellor in 2023, shortly after university leadership became aware of the videos posted on pornographic websites.

The case has drawn national attention both for the salaciousness of a high-ranking university official making and speaking publicly about pornographic films and for the questions it raises about free speech rights.

Gow argued that his videos and two e-books that he and his wife Carmen published about their experiences in adult films were protected by the First Amendment. The university’s attorney argued that Gow’s videos themselves were legal, but that they were not protected by his employment contract.

Zach Greenberg, an attorney with the free speech advocacy group Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, called the regents’ decision “a major blow to academic freedom and the right to free expression.”

“FIRE has said time and time again: Public universities cannot sacrifice the First Amendment to protect their reputations,” Greenberg said. “We are disappointed that the UW has caved to donors and politicians by alienating a tenured professor.”

Republican lawmakers already view Wisconsin’s university system as a liberal incubator. Last year they forced the company to scale back its diversity initiatives. System President Jay Rothman has tried to avoid further angering conservatives as he seeks approval for an $855 million increase in the next state budget.

Gow’s hope of teaching in the classroom again was rejected by his department head, Linda Dickmeyer. She said that because Gow had not taught in 20 years, he would be assigned general education courses, but she declined to allow him to return to teaching in any capacity.

Gow was criticized in 2018 for inviting porn actress Nina Hartley to speak on campus. She received $5,000 from tuition fees for her performance. The university said he came up with the idea of ​​bringing her to campus after filming a pornographic video with her.

Gow and his wife’s e-books were written under the pseudonyms “Monogamy with Benefits: How Porn Enhances Our Relationships” and “Married with Benefits – Our Real Adventures in the Adult Industry.” But they also star in a YouTube channel called “Sexy Healthy Cooking,” in which the couple cooks meals with porn actors.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – An Apopka homeowner is struggling to receive calls from his home insurance company after his roof was torn off by strong winds during Hurricane Helene.

▶ WATCH CHANNEL 9’S EYEWITNESS NEWS

“Heard something that sounded like a freight train. The next thing we know when we look out the window is parts of the roof flying off,” Lynn said.

Lynn said he has been calling his insurance company continually since the roof was torn off the house around 7:30 p.m. but has received no response.

Read: Channel 9 brings you the impact of Hurricane Helene in Florida

“I thank God none of us in my family were hurt,” said Fred Lynn, homeowner.

Lynn said he has lived in his home for over 50 years and had never suffered damage from a storm, tornado or previous hurricanes until the wind damage from Hurricane Helene.

WFTV walked through Lynn’s front and back yard to survey the damage and debris and noted that Lynn’s home was the only one in the neighborhood that was hit.

Read: AAA offers safety and insurance tips to help those injured by Helene

Insurance experts said during hurricane season, CTAs are ready for homeowner claims and the first thing a homeowner should do in the event of a loss is to call insurers and contact them electronically.

“The quickest way is to submit your claim online or electronically. There is either an 800 number on your home insurance policy or you should call,” said Thomas Cotton, president of Hugh Cotton Insurance.

According to Citizen’s Insurance, Florida’s largest insurer, claims reports will be few and far between in the first two days after Helene.

“What people are figuring out now is what kind of wind deductible they have. They’re now finding out that if they don’t have flood insurance, they don’t have flood insurance,” Cotton said.

Read: Aftermath of Helene: Waste collection services will resume in these counties

Given the state’s insurance crisis after past hurricanes devastated the state and litigation over roof damage, homeowners across the state are feeling the pressure of rising insurance premiums and are now faced with the challenge of obtaining compensation for damages.

“Florida’s homeowner market is largely domestic. Most of our airlines are Florida-only airlines,” Cotton said.

The hesitation to make contact now increases the stress of recovering from the storm’s destruction. Thanks to a local roofing company and neighbors, he is now forced to install several large tarps on his roof until he receives a call for an expert to assess the damage.

Lynn said since he called early and is still waiting in limbo, he fears the wait for help will only get longer for people who haven’t called their insurance companies about the damage.

“I don’t think it should be that hard to get something done,” Lynn said.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

©2024 Cox Media Group

The impacts of Hurricane Helene’s rain and winds are causing damage throughout East Tennessee.

The steady rain of a typical storm first began to penetrate East Tennessee this week, then the outer bands of Hurricane Helene blew into the southern Appalachians. Now the remnants of the storm have made their way here, bringing the winds that caused damage across much of Florida and Georgia.

“Fallen trees and power lines are expected to cause power outages. Turn back, don’t drown,” warned experts at the National Weather Service office in Morristown.

Schools are closed and football games are canceled.

MILWAUKEE – The Mets still have everything on the line in the regular season and nothing for the Brewers, but you wouldn’t have known that until Friday’s game.

Perhaps the Mets’ biggest upset was an angry Carlos Mendoza barking at plate umpire Ramon De Jesus before and after the manager was ejected for protesting a so-called third strike on Francisco Alvarez in the fourth inning.

The Mets were flat-footed in every way for the second straight game, and that was even before Alvarez grabbed his lower back after sliding into third base in the seventh inning and had to leave.

The catcher, who was diagnosed with back spasms, needed help from his teammates to walk from the dugout to the clubhouse.

The Mets’ total disaster night ended with an 8-4 loss at American Family Field, leaving them tied for the NL’s second wild card with Atlanta.

Arizona, also in the running for a wild card, played a later game in San Diego after even starting the day with the Mets.

Francisco Lindor returned to the lineup after missing the last eight games with lower back tightness and reached base three times – he was 2-for-4 with a walk – but the shortstop appeared unsteady at times and committed a throwing error, which resulted in an unearned throw run.

The Brewers, seeded No. 3 for the postseason, jumped on Sean Manaea from the start and continued to add runs.

In his worst start in the second half, Manaea lasted just 3 2/3 innings, giving up six runs, one unearned, on seven hits and two walks with one strikeout.

The start was his shortest since August 10 in Seattle and the five earned runs allowed were his most since July 19 in Miami.