CORONAVIRUS UPDATES… The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. has reached 35,440,488 and the nation’s death toll stands at 615,320, according to figures released last night by Johns Hopkins University… A report released yesterday by Moderna found that booster shots of the biotechnology company’s COVID-19 vaccine appear to be effective against the Delta variant. The report also found that Moderna’s two-dose vaccine regimen is effective for at least several months.
ZERO-EMISSION GOAL… Half of all mew cars, trucks and SUVs sold in the U.S. will be zero-emission vehicles by 2030, according to a goal established by the White House yesterday. The effort had begun as part of the Paris Climate Agreement, which the U.S. rejoined under the Biden administration. Automakers General Motors, Ford, Toyota, Honda, Volkswagen and Stellantis have announced their support of the goal.
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TARGETS PHOENIX IN INVESTIGATION… The Justice Department has opened a pattern-or-practice investigation into city of Phoenix and the Phoenix Police Department. Investigators want to know whether the police department retaliates against people for using their First Amendment rights, unlawfully takes or destroys the belongings of the homeless and uses unacceptable levels of force. The review will also take into account department policies, training and internal affairs processes. According to Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, the investigation follows a review of court files, media reports and citizen complaints.
INFRASTRUCTURE BILL WOULD ADD $256M TO DEFICIT… The bipartisan infrastructure bill making its way through the Senate would add $256 billion to the federal deficit over the next decade, according to an estimate released yesterday by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The CBO said that over the next 10 years, the legislation would decrease direct spending by $110 billion, boost revenues by $50 billion and increase discretionary spending by $415 billion. Earlier this week, the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation said the infrastructure bill’s revenue provisions will raise $51 billion over 10 years.
UNION LEADER RICHARD TRUMKA DIES… AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka has died of undisclosed causes, the organization announced yesterday. He was 72. Trumka was elected president of the nation’s largest and most powerful labor union in 2009 after serving as secretary-treasurer. The union represents some 12.5 million workers.
ENTERTAINMENT
‘THE TOMORROW WAR’ TOPS STREAMING CHART… “The Tomorrow War” remains atop Nielsen’s movie streaming chart for a second week of play on Prime Video. The film followed Netflix’s “Manifest” and “Virgin River” as the most watched subscription video on demand title. “Luca” and “Black Widow” finished second and third, respectively, on the streaming chart.
ELLEN BURSTYN RETURNS TO ‘ORGANIZED CRIME’… NBC announced yesterday that Ellen Burstyn will reprise her role as Elliot Stabler’s (Chris Meloni) mother, Bernadette, in the second season of “Law & Order: Organized Crime.” Burstyn won an Emmy for playing the character in a 2008 episode of “Law & Order: SVU.” The second season of “Organized Crime” will be divided into three eight-episode story arcs as Stabler and his colleagues on the organized crime task force take on three major cases.
SPORTS
MLB SCOREBOARD…
NATIONAL LEAGUE
MIAMI 4 – N.Y. Mets 2… Lewis Brinson doubled home two runs to cap a three-run bottom of the eighth inning that carried the Marlins past the Mets. Jorge Alfaro singled home the tying run.
COLORADO 6 – Chi. Cubs 5… Trevor Story homered twice and knocked in three runs to power the Rockies past the Cubs. Connor Joe and Sam Hilliard also went deep.
San Francisco 5 – ARIZONA 4 (10 innings)… The Giants came from four runs down in the ninth inning to upend the Diamondbacks. LaMonte Wade singled home two runs to cap a four-run ninth. Kris Bryant doubled home Tommy La Stella with the go-ahead run in the 10th.
Philadelphia 7 – WASHINGTON 6… J.T. Realmuto and Rhys Hoskins produced two-run doubles during a four-run top of the ninth inning and the Phillies held off the Nationals. Bryce Harper homered for Philadelphia.
CINCINNATI 7 – Pittsburgh 4… The Reds did all their scoring in their first two at-bats and cruised past the Pirates. Eugenio Suarez and Joey Votto slugged three-run homers during a six-run bottom of the second inning.
Atlanta 8 – ST. LOUIS 4… Austin Riley’s two-run homer sparked a six-run top of the eighth inning that pushed the Braves past the Cardinals. The other four runs came on bases-loaded walks. Joc Pederson also went deep for Atlanta.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
DETROIT 8 – Boston 1… Tarik Skubal (7-10) pitched five-hit ball over five scoreless innings and the Tigers breezed past the Red Sox. Robbie Grossman homered to lead off the bottom of the first inning. Victor Reyes had a couple of hits, including a two-run triple, and three RBIs.
L.A. Angels 5 – TEXAS 0… Dylan Bundy (2-8) limited the Rangers to three hits over 6-1/3 innings and three relievers completed the shutout. Adam Eaton homered and Jose Iglesias singled home two runs for the Angels.
N.Y. YANKEES 5 – Seattle 3… Joey Gallo’s three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning sent the Yankees past the Mariners. Gallo was 3-for-4 on the night and scored twice.
TORONTO 3 – Cleveland 0… Ross Stripling (5-6) pitched three-hit ball over six innings and got help from three Blue Jays relievers in the shutout. Bo Bichette smacked his 20th homer with a runner aboard and singled home a run to account for Toronto’s offense.
Minnesota 5 – HOUSTON 3… Griffin Jax (2-1) held the Astros to a run on three hits over 5-1/3 innings in the Twins’ victory. Andrelton Simmons drove in two runs for Minnesota.
Kansas City 3 – CHI. WHITE SOX 2… Daniel Lynch (2-3) allowed just a run on four hits over five innings in outdueling counterpart Dallas Keuchel (7-5) and the Royals edged the White Sox. Emmanuel Rivera doubled home two runs in the top of the first inning and homered to lead off the fourth for Kansas City.
TODAY’S MLB SCHEDULE…
NATIONAL LEAGUE
N.Y. Mets (Marcus Stroman, 7-10) are at Philadelphia (Kyle Gibson, 1-0)…
Cincinnati (Wade Miley, 8-4) hosts Pittsburgh (JT Brubaker, 4-10)…
Washington (Erick Fedde, 4-7) is at Atlanta (Kyle Muller, 2-3)…
Milwaukee (Corbin Burnes, 6-4) hosts San Francisco (Logan Webb, 5-3)…
Miami (Sandy Alcantara, 6-9) is at Colorado (German Marquez, 9-8)…
San Diego (Ryan Weathers, 4-3) hosts Arizona (Caleb Smith, 1-8)
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Seattle (Marco Gonzales, 3-5) is at the N.Y. Yankees (TBA)…
Baltimore (John Means, 5-3) hosts Tampa Bay (Ryan Yarbrough, 6-4)…
Boston (Nathan Eovaldi, 9-6) is at Toronto (Alek Manoah, 3-1)…
Cleveland (Cal Quantrill, 2-2) hosts Detroit (Matt Manning, 2-4)…
Minnesota (Bailey Ober, 1-1) is at Houston (Zack Greinke, 10-3)…
Oakland (Chris Bassitt, 11-3) hosts Texas (Mike Foltynewicz, 2-10)
INTERLEAGUE
the Chi. White Sox (Lance Lynn, 10-3) are at the Chi. Cubs (Kyle Hendricks, 13-4)…
St. Louis (Kwang Hyun Kim, 6-6) hosts Kansas City (Mike Minor, 8-9)…
the L.A. Angels (Patrick Sandoval, 3-5) are at the L.A. Dodgers (David Price, 4-1)
MLB NEWS… Former Houston Astros pitcher J.R. Richard, whose career was cut short in 1980 by a stroke, died yesterday of undisclosed causes. He was 71. During his 10 seasons with the Astros, the imposing right-hander went 107-71 with a 3.15 ERA and was a two-time NL strikeout champion. His 313 strikeouts in 1979 stood as the team’s single-season record until Gerrit Cole surpassed it in 2019.
OLYMPIC HIGHLIGHTS… April Ross and Alix Klineman beat Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy of Australia 21-15, 21-16 to win gold in beach volleyball… The U.S. women’s basketball team defeated Serbia 79-59 and advanced to the gold medal game… The U.S. women’s volleyball team is also heading to the final after downing Serbia with a 25-19, 25-15, 25-23.
Bob Sarber 