Instead of a 10-race mini-season with 12 drivers, the Chase now has 16 drivers with three elimination rounds and points reset after every three races, leaving four drivers on equal footing for the season finale at Homestead. Drivers advance through each round either with a win in that round or by points. “This is not a Chase,” said Dale Earnhardt Jr. crew chief Steve Letarte. “This is not even going to resemble a Chase....

They just don’t know. MORE: Earnhardt anxious to begin | Which country should your driver represent? | Gordon ready | Harvick changes Instead of a 10-race mini-season with 12 drivers, the Chase now has 16 drivers with three elimination rounds and points reset after every three races, leaving four drivers on equal footing for the season finale at Homestead. Drivers advance through each round either with a win in that round or by points....

The new survey of 1,115 adults in the U.S. aged 18 and older, conducted by the Marist Poll in partnership with NPR and PBS NewsHour, said 50 percent of Americans “express concern about the possibility of a new wave of the coronavirus.” The poll was conducted by phone from June 22 to 29. It had a margin of error of ±3.7 percentage points. Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, stated on Thursday: “Barring another wave of COVID-19, Americans are focused on the economic recovery, getting back to work, and having their lives return to normal....

According to The Charlotte Observer, attorneys for convicted murderer Daniel Green have long argued that Green was not present when James Jordan died during a carjacking and now have the evidence to challenge the case. MORE: Notable sports deaths of 2016 The lawyers claim that Green was in a different location when the elder Jordan died, but he did help get rid of the body and drive Jordan’s car, making him an accessory after the crime, not a murderer....

But while McCourt is plainly disquieted, he is not surprised. Since the publication of his memoir in 1996, he has been besieged by such ironies. First off, his tender account of childhood poverty has sold millions (2.3 million copies in the United States) and made millions ($1 million for the film rights alone). The book won a Pulitzer Prize and lifted McCourt from the pleasant life of a retired high-school English teacher to the klieg-lit summits of celebrity....

“The S1 Hoonitron combines a lot of what Audi was already famous for in the nineteen-eighties,” Block said. “For instance, the car’s spectacular aerodynamics have now been translated into a totally modern form. I think it’s cool that the Audi designers have been inspired by their own past and uniquely transferred the car’s technologies and appearance into the present.” The custom Audi S1 E-tron Quattro has two electric motors, all-wheel drive and a carbon fiber chassis....

NJ.com reports that the referendums were placed on the ballot amidst increasing concerns about teen and youth suicide, which are at their highest point since the 1990s. In 2017, 100 suicides were reported among the 15- to 24-year-old age group. “Over the last five years, I have seen more mental health issues—anxiety, depression—than in the previous 25 years,” said Metuchen superintendent Vincent Caputo. Metuchen’s referendum passed with 54 percent of the vote and is expected to generate an additional $700,000 of revenue for the city, which comes out to around $133 for an average taxpayer....

“I was looking for an opportunity to be involved with very good people that have a passion and energy level that was very high,” McLellan said at a news conference Tuesday after being named the Oilers’ head coach. “I think that I discovered this group has that desire to work towards success.” MORE: Gentille: 4 reasons Babcock should choose Buffalo | Flyers hire UND’s Dave Hakstol | Must-see WCF photos...

Along with his colleagues, Michael Chuong, MD, study author and a board-certified radiation oncologist with the Miami Cancer Institute, studied 35 pancreas cancer patients who received a treatment called stereotactic magnetic resonance guided adaptive radiation therapy (SMART). The clinical trial evaluated patients who were not candidates for pancreas tumor removal surgery, who had already received some chemotherapy upfront, and whose cancer had not yet spread to other parts of the body....

The study was conducted by researchers at the Department of Pediatrics and Department of Environmental Medicine at New York University’s School of Medicine. During the study, the team of researchers looked for two common kinds of microplastics, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polycarbonate (PC) in stool samples. Out of the ten adults and six infants, the team found at least one type of microplastic in all of the fecal samples, but the researchers found 10 times the amount in the infant samples than the adult samples....

They’re the best hopes for thwarting Republican attempts to disenfranchise minority voters—voters largely responsible for Joe Biden winning and Republicans losing the Senate. Both would bind the states, as opposed to depending on court battles in each state, to protect the voting rights of minorities. But can they be enacted? And if they can, would the Supreme Court strike them down like it struck down the core of the 1965 Voting Rights Act (VRA)?...

He stood at a podium. Reporters, via an internet service called WebEx, logged in from their home offices and guestrooms and the like, and asked the sorts of questions that often are asked about coaches taking over failing programs. MORE: NCAA NIL rules, explained Forbes, though, because he is taking over in the middle of a pandemic, faces challenges that are unique to the circumstance. Most notably: The Demon Deacons’ best returning player, 7-0 center Olivier Sarr, announced he is entering the NCAA transfer portal, joining Jahcobi Neath, Ismael Massoud and Ody Oguama, and Forbes does not want them to leave....

Some think the introduction of VAR at the highest level of football is something that has been long overdue, while others claim that its use is too premature – with the potential to disrupt the flow of the game. Regardless of views, VAR is to be used at the sport’s showcase event this summer in Russia, and Goal takes a look at all the details of how it will work, as well its regulations – including retrospective punishment....

According to data updated on Tuesday, New York has reported the highest number of COVID-19 patients in the country, along with 321,192 positive cases for the virus and more than 19,600 deaths. After measuring several metrics—salaries, job openings, aging population projections, overtime restrictions and more—WalletHub found Oregon was the best state for nurses to work, with Washington and New Mexico not far behind. Though each state’s ability to support health care workers responding to the virus was considered, an expert with WalletHub said that was just one of 22 variables factored into the study’s final results....

A weekly tracking survey from the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy found that 29 percent of households in NYC reported at least one person had lost their job. Of those households, 41 percent were of the Latinx/Hispanic community, 34 percent were making less than $50,000 annually, and 32 percent had no college degree. By comparison, 24 percent of Caucasian and Asian survey respondents and 15 percent of African Americans reported a household job loss....

New York mayor Bill de Blasio signed a law before the game that banned smokeless tobacco use in all New York City sports and recreational areas that issue tickets. New York joins San Francisco, Boston and Los Angeles in implementing such laws, though none of those cities have yet to host a game this MLB season. MORE: Teams’ best opening day performances | Bill Maher calls Bryce Harper a douchebag...

Announced on Friday, the decision came after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) informed New York officials that it would no longer permit residents to enroll (or re-enroll) in its Global Entry program, which provides fast-track security screening at airports for paying members. “What they’re now doing to make political hay, to advance their political argument, is they take the Department of Homeland Security in an abuse of power [and] a hyper-politicalized use of government,” Cuomo said at a press conference Friday....

title: “New York Is Talking…” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-28” author: “William Schmelzer”