NBA: Celtics coach Brad Stevens quashes Indiana rumors

Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens said he's flattered his name is being linked with the vacant job at Indiana, but reiterated he's staying put.

Speculation has grown that the 44-year-old Stevens would return to his home state to coach the Hoosiers since Indiana fired Archie Miller on Monday.

"I said it the other day: I'm not (considering it)," Stevens said Friday. 

"And I tried to say it as clearly as I could and also make sure that people understand that that place to me is special. Because I don't want to make it sound like it's not. But, like I said the other day, I'm so grateful to this organization, and to the people here, and for all that they've done for us."

Stevens built his coaching reputation at Butler. He led the Indianapolis school to five NCAA Tournaments in six seasons, including two Final Fours. The Bulldogs lost to Duke, 61-59, in the 2010 title game and to UConn the following year.

His Butler teams were 166-49.

The Celtics hired Stevens before the 2013-14 season, and he has a 338-267 regular season record in the NBA. The Celtics have made the playoffs each of the past six seasons, twice advancing to the Eastern Conference finals.

Hampered by injuries and COVID-19 disruptions, the Celtics are 20-21 and in eighth place in the Eastern Conference.

"I love coming to work every day. I love this area," Stevens said of Boston. "People have been great to us. My family is so happy. And, at the same time, home is home. And that's why I wanted to make sure everybody understood that means a lot."

The Hoosiers will be looking to make a home-run hire. Once among the NCAA's elite programs, Indiana hasn't made the NCAA Tournament since 2016. They finished the 2020-21 season with a 12-15 overall record, going 7-12 in the Big Ten.

Other rumored candidates include Chris Beard of Texas Tech, Scott Drew of Baylor and John Beilein, formerly the coach of Michigan.

-reuters-

Gay mayor from 'Rust Belt' America launches presidential bid

SOUTH BEND - Pete Buttigieg, the gay, liberal mayor of a small American city in the conservative bastion of Indiana, officially launched his presidential bid Sunday, joining a crowded field of Democrats vying for their party's nomination in 2020.

The 37-year-old Rhodes scholar and Afghanistan war veteran is the two-term mayor of his hometown of South Bend -- a left-leaning bubble in America's so-called "Rust Belt" region, where the decline of industries such as steel and automobile manufacturing has hurt local economies.

Voters in states such as Michigan and Wisconsin helped hand Republican US President Donald Trump his victory in the 2016 election. 

Buttigieg, who is credited with helping turn South Bend around, has couched himself as a can-do reformer who can speak to voters across the political spectrum. The message has helped catapult him from relative obscurity to becoming one of the leading Democrats in the crowded presidential race. 

"My name is Pete Buttigieg. They call me 'Mayor Pete.' I'm a proud son of South Bend, Indiana, and I am running for president of the United States!" he told a jubilant crowd of supporters at a former assembly plant turned high-tech hub in South Bend.

"That's why I am here, to tell a different story than 'Make America Great Again'" he added, referring to Trump's campaign slogan. "This time it's not just about winning an election. It's about winning an era."

The official launch -- in which Buttigieg touched upon a number of liberal talking points such as racial justice, voting rights and health care reform, as well as his faith and marriage to Chasten Buttigieg -- is expected to give his surprisingly strong campaign an additional boost. 

Campaign staffers said they have been caught by surprise by the speed with which the mayor has generated nationwide political support, and are still staffing up the campaign. Buttigieg had no speech writer to help him prepare his remarks. 

'NEW GENERATION'

So many people showed up for the launch event that a large crowd was left outside in the rain to watch on a large video screen. Buttigieg braved the elements and thanked the crowd moments before making his official announcement indoors. 

"He represents a new generation of Democratic leadership. We love his vision," said Jenn Watts, 35, while her three-year-old daughter sat on her shoulders. 

They were in the cavernous event space in the former plant of defunct automaker Studebaker waiting more than two hours to see Buttigieg speak. 

"As a young mom with a young daughter, he represents what I want my daughter to see in leadership in this country," Watts added. 

In the three months since he declared an exploratory committee to test a presidential run, Buttigieg has raised $7 million, more than most other candidates, and jumped to third place in the latest polls of voters in Iowa and New Hampshire -- the earliest states to vote in next year's primary elections.

The popular mayor who speaks eight languages and plays classical piano has been the focus of countless news stories and profiles.

The fascination has been in no small part due to his background: he would be the youngest, first openly gay, first millennial and first mayor to become president. 

But Buttigieg must still overcome the perception that his youth and thin resume as mayor of a town of just 100,000 leaves him lacking the experience necessary for the presidency. 

"I recognize the audacity of doing this as a Midwestern millennial mayor," Buttigieg said. "But the moment we live in compels us to act."

Drew Corbin, a 24-year-old college student clutching four campaign T-shirts he had purchased for friends and wearing a campaign cap, said he still had not fully committed to the candidate. 

"There's a lot of candidates. I don't want to make up my mind so soon, almost a year before the primaries," Corbin said. "But he's definitely my favorite right now."

'DESTINED FOR NATIONAL POLITICS'

Buttigieg's launch at Studebaker called to mind the plant's closure in 1963 that was still reverberating in the city in 2011 when he was elected mayor. 

He set out to tear down decaying, abandoned homes and restore the blighted Studebaker complex to make it suitable for new high-tech companies.

In an unlikely feat, the city has reversed decades of population decline and attracted new businesses and development, with the mayor's popularity growing in the process.

"His appeal, for many people in South Bend, is his ability to look forward and to focus on better days ahead," South Bend-based political science professor Elizabeth Bennion of Indiana University told AFP.

"Once people looked at his resume and heard him speak, many started talking about the fact that he was destined for national politics."

nov/oh

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Clinton, Trump notch early wins in US polls

NEW YORK - Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump locked up their first state wins Tuesday as polling stations closed in the eastern United States, with the world waiting anxiously to see who will head to the White House.

Some 200 million Americans were asked to make a historic choice -- between electing the nation's first woman president, or handing the reins of power to a billionaire populist who has upended US politics with his improbable outsider campaign.

With voting over in a handful of states and Americans queueing to cast their ballots farther west, television networks called Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia for the Republican Trump, and Vermont for the veteran Democrat.

None of these early results were a surprise and all eyes were fixed on key swing states like Florida or Pennsylvania that will likely decide the result of the long, bruising contest for the right to lead the world's biggest economy.

Clinton went into the day with a slim opinion poll lead and a more obvious route to winning the key states that will decide the electoral college.

But at the venue where Trump will hold his planned victory party in New York, supporters were upbeat, expressing confidence that he would stage a major political upset.

"We feel very good about where we are right now, about the turnout numbers we're seeing in record numbers in the areas we need," said John Fredericks, Trump's Virginia state chairman.

From crowded Manhattan to Virginia horse country to balmy California, long lines snaked into the streets outside polling stations.

"Hillary, she has a history," said Charmaine Smith, 50, a retail manager as she cast her ballot in Harlem. "All Trump has is the bullying."

An hour's drive north, a crowd of admirers chanted "Madam President" as Clinton and her husband Bill, the former president, voted near their home in Chappaqua, before emerging to shake hands and chat with the crowd.

"So many people are counting on the outcome of this election, what it means for our country," the 69-year-old secretary of state said. "And I'll do the very best I can if I'm fortunate enough to win today."

An exit poll by CNN however found that only four in 10 voters were optimistic that incumbent president Barack Obama's successor would do any better than he has during his two terms in office.

'DON'T LET UP'

Trump, 70, cast his ballot alongside his wife Melania in a Manhattan school gymnasium.

"Right now it's looking very good," he told reporters -- paying no heed to protesters who welcomed him with chants of "New York hates you!"

But as the clock ticked down towards the close of polling, the Republican issued a last-minute appeal to voters, especially in Florida -- without which his path to the presidency is slim at best.

"Don't let up, keep getting out to vote - this election is FAR FROM OVER! We are doing well but there is much time left. GO FLORIDA!" Trump tweeted -- looking to garner 11th hour votes.

MARATHON CAMPAIGN

The 2016 race was the most bruising in modern memory.

Obama's election eight years ago as the nation's first black president had raised hopes of uniting Americans, but the current contest has only highlighted the country's divisions -- and the fact that voters are not necessarily happy with their options.

Exit polls by ABC News and NBC News found that both Clinton and Trump are seen as untrustworthy by majorities of voters, while most find Trump's temperament unpresidential.

Most voters told ABC that the economy was the most important issue or them, but were evenly divided on which candidate would handle it better, so the final result may come down to turnout.

The exit polls, and reports coming in from polling stations around the country, suggested that Latino turnout was high and that this would favor Clinton over the anti-immigration candidate, Trump.

Trump's campaign spooked world markets seeking stability after the recent global slowdown, but stocks rose for a second straight day Tuesday on the expectation that Clinton will prevail.

At the closing bell, the S&P 500 closed up 0.4 percent.

'LA SENORA'

A polling average by tracker site RealClearPolitics gave Clinton a 3.3-percentage point national lead, but Trump had the advantage in several of the swing states that he must conquer to pull off an upset.

Early voting has shown particular enthusiasm among Hispanic voters, an increasingly influential voting bloc whose strong turnout could shape Tuesday's results.

In the heavily Latino neighborhood of East Los Angeles, Mexican-Americans Margarito Salinas, 88, and friend Guadalupe Cobian, 64 said their choice was an easy one.

"That guy is a Nazi," Salinas said of Trump. "My vote is for La Senora."

Clinton conducted six radio interviews in the lull after casting her ballot, when candidates suddenly have hours of downtime following a non-stop campaign that ended in the early hours of Tuesday.

She has urged citizens to vote for a more "big-hearted" America.

"I hope to be remembered as someone who began to help heal our country, to overcome the divide, the very unfortunate feeling that a lot of people have that this election was very much filled with nastiness and negativity," she told WOKQ.

NEVADA LEGAL CHALLENGE
Trump pressed his message with voters who feel left behind by globalization and social change, wrapping up with a flourish in Michigan after midnight and predicting a historic upset.

"Today the American working class is going to strike back, finally," he said.

Even then, questions remain. Trump has repeatedly claimed Democrats and the media are seeking to rig the race and said last month that he may not accept the result if he thinks voting is unfair.

Asked at his polling place whether he would concede if networks call the election for Clinton, Trump said: "We'll see what happens."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

US East Coast braces for 'historic' blizzard on Monday

A swath of the U.S. East Coast from Philadelphia to New York City to Maine was bracing for a potentially historic blizzard on Monday that is expected to dump as much as 3 feet (90 cm) of snow and snarl transportation for tens of millions of people.

The National Weather Service on Sunday issued a blizzard warning for the northern section of the East Coast from Monday afternoon until Tuesday, placing states from New Jersey to Indiana under winter storm watches and advisories. Airlines were already canceling hundreds of flights ahead of the storm.

"This could be the biggest snowstorm in the history of this city," New York Mayor Bill de Blasio told a news conference, saying snowfall could reach up to 3 feet.

De Blasio told residents of America's financial capital and most populous city to stay off the roads and to "prepare for something worse than we have seen before."

The biggest snowfall on record in New York City was the storm of Feb. 11-12, 2006, that dropped 26.9 inches (68 cm), according to the city's Office of Emergency Management.

The NWS called the approaching system a "crippling and potentially historic blizzard," with many areas along the East Coast expected to see between 12 to 24 inches (30-60 cm) of snow. The New York City area could be the hardest hit from the storm with lashing winds and snowfall of 30 inches (76 cm) or more in some suburbs.

Delta said on Sunday it was canceling 600 flights because of the blizzard warning for the East Coast. Southwest Airlines said it had canceled about 20 flights and American Airlines had so far canceled a handful.

Cities along the heavily populated East Coast had snowplows and trucks to dispense road salt on standby. Stores have seen a rush of shoppers stocking up on essentials.

"People have been coming in since this morning, buying rock salt and shovels," said Michael Harris, who works at Ace Hardware in Wading River, New York.

The Philadelphia Streets Department said on its Facebook page that crews were preparing for a "messy Monday morning commute." The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation told travelers to postpone travel if necessary and carry emergency kits if they do go out.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation will have its entire fleet of snowplows, including 12 loader-mounted snowblowers, prepared to deploy, the governor's office said.

The NWS expects as much as 8 inches (20 cm) of snow for western Maryland and southern Pennsylvania, while parts of New Jersey through eastern Massachusetts may get 6 to 12 inches (15-30 cm) of snow by Tuesday morning.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Shooting at US university leaves one dead

CHICAGO - A shooting on a US university campus left one person dead and a suspect in custody Tuesday in what police described as a targeted attack.

Police provided few details as to why the gunman opened fire in a classroom at Purdue University in the midwestern state of Indiana, however they said they believe he knew his victim.

"There's a lot of investigation on hand," Purdue university police chief John Cox told reporters.

Police did not release the name of the male student who was killed or of the suspect who was swiftly arrested.

The university reported that the shooting took place in the electrical engineering building at noon Tuesday.

The sprawling campus in West Lafayette, Indiana serves nearly 40,000 students. Purdue employs more than 15,000 faculty and staff members.

"Today's shooting at Purdue University is a tragedy, and our heartfelt condolences go out to the family of the victim and to everyone in the Purdue community," Indiana Governor Mike Pence said in a statement.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

27 dead, one town 'gone' as tornadoes rip central US

CHICAGO - Rescue workers searched for survivors Saturday after more than six dozen tornadoes tore across the central United States, killing at least 27 people and wiping out whole communities.

Trucks and trees were tossed aside like candy Friday as deadly funnel clouds descended on five states.

The images were surreal: a school bus smashed through a brick home, trucks thrown into lakes, stately brick homes reduced to rubble and wooden ones smashed into kindling, mobile homes flipped like tin cans.

The death toll in Indiana reached 13 late Friday, officials said.

"Early reports indicate the heaviest damage is concentrated in southeastern Indiana including substantial damage in Henryville in Clark County, Marysville in Clark County, and Pekin and New Pekin in Washington County," the state Joint Information Center said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the Kentucky Department of Public Health has confirmed a total of 12 fatalities.

A total of 13 tornadoes passed through that state on Friday, according to the Kentucky Emergency Management agency.

Two more deaths were reported by authorities in the neighboring state of Ohio.

Fire stations, schools and jails were among the buildings torn apart and a rescue squad car in Kentucky was flipped over and trapped under live power lines.

"I am constantly amazed by both the unpredictability and the ferocity of what Mother Nature can unleash when she chooses to," Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels told CNN.

"We've learned to be pretty humble out here about the way in which we mere mortals can prepare no matter how hard we try."

The latest wave of storms comes after a string of twisters killed 13 people earlier in the week.

The National Weather Service had received 83 reports of tornadoes in eight states by Friday evening, bringing the week's total to 133, though not all were confirmed.

More could be on their way as a "particularly dangerous" tornado watch was set to continue until early Saturday in four states in a massive storm that also carried golf-ball sized hail.

Officials in Clark County, Indiana were scrambling to deal with widespread damage from the storm after roads were blocked by fallen trees and debris, and power and phone lines were knocked out.

The hardest hit included the town of Marysville, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) from Louisville, Kentucky, which for all practical purposes has ceased to exist, officials said. "That's the information we have, that Marysville is no longer," US Senator Dan Coats of Indiana said in an interview with CNN.

The high school in Henryville suffered "quite a bit of damage," but luckily all the children were evacuated safely and only minor injuries -- some cuts and scrapes -- were reported, Major Chuck Adams, the sheriff department spokesman, told AFP.

Alabama's Madison county was also badly hit, with the weather service reporting "people trapped in rubble with injuries," houses destroyed, trees ripped from the ground a power lines down.

Six injuries were reported after 100 homes were damaged in Cleveland, Tennessee, the weather service said, and injuries were also reported in the town of New Pekin, Indiana.

This latest outbreak of twisters comes as people were still picking through rubble left behind by a series of twisters which struck six states on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The town of Harrisburg, Illinois was the hardest hit after it was ripped apart by a deadly twister that stayed on the ground for miles Wednesday, killing at least six people and injuring more than 100.

Some 545 people were killed by tornadoes in 2011, which was the deadliest tornado season since 1936 and the third worst on record, according to the national weather service.

source: interaksyon.com