CORONAVIRUS UPDATES… The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. has reached 35,330,873 and the nation’s death toll stands at 614,785, according to figures released last night by Johns Hopkins University… The daily case average has jumped 45.3 percent in the last week to more than 84,000 and is now more than seven times higher than it was six weeks ago. All but three states are now reporting high or substantial community transmission. The delta variant now accounts for 93 percent of all sequenced cases in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
MEXICO SUES U.S. GUN COMPANIES… The government of Mexico yesterday filed a lawsuit against 10 major U.S. gun companies, accusing them of facilitating the illegal flow of weapons across the southern border. The suit claims that more than 2.5 million American guns have illegally crossed into Mexico over the past decade, with 70 percent of the guns traced back to the U.S. The plaintiffs say U.S. gunmakers design weapons that explicitly appeal to Mexican crime groups.
WESTERN WILDFIRES… A fast-moving wildfire burned homes and forced thousands of evacuations in Northern California yesterday. The River Fire burned 1,400 acres in Placer and Nevada counties. Fewer than 100 miles north, the three-week-old Dixie Fire as grown to 274,139 acres and is nw the seventh largest fire in state history. In Oregon, the Bootleg Fire has grown to 413,765 acres with 84-percent containment.
FIRST RESPONDERS TO BE HONORED… House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on yesterday signed a bill to award Congressional Gold Medals to police who responded to the January 6 attacks on the U.S. Capitol. Pelosi was joined by fellow House Democrats, Jennifer Wexton of Virginia and Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton of Washington, D.C., at a bill-enrollment ceremony. The House passed its version of the measure on June 15.
10 DEAD IN TEXAS CRASH… Authorities say at leas 10 people were killed yesterday when an overloaded van carrying 29 migrants crashed on a remote South Texas highway. The crash on U.S. 281 in Encino, Texas, injured 20 others. The van, which was designed to hold 15 passengers, slammed into a metal utility pole and a stop sign as it tried to turn. The driver was among the dead.
ENTERTAINMENT
CHARLIE WATTS EXPECTED TO SIT OUT STONES TOUR… The Rolling Stones announced yesterday that drummer Charlie Watts probably won’t be with the band on its upcoming U.S. tour. The 80-year-old Watts reportedly needs time to recover from an unspecified medical procedure. The Stones’ No Filter tour resumes September 26 in St. Louis.
MEL BROOKS MEMOIR SET FOR RELEASE… Mel Brooks’ memoir “All About Me! My Remarkable Life in Show Business” is set for release on November 30, according to publisher Ballantine Books. The 95-year-old Brooks grew up in Brooklyn during the Depression, served in the military during World War II and launched his career as a teenage comedian in the Catskills. His career produced the comedy films “Young Frankenstein” and “Blazing Saddles,” the TV show “Get Smart” and the Tony-winning Broadway play “The Producers,” which also earned him an Oscar for Best Screenplay.
SPORTS
MLB SCOREBOARD…
NATIONAL LEAGUE
MILWAUKEE 4 – Pittsburgh 2… Rowdy Tellez belted a three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning to power the Brewers past the Pirates. Eduard Escobar went 3-for-4 with an RBI single.
Philadelphia 9 – WASHINGTON 5… The Phillies rolled past the Nationals after spotting them an early three-run run lead. Rhys Hoskins doubled home a go-ahead run to cap a four-run top of the third inning and homered with a runner aboard in the fifth.
N.Y. Mets 5 – MIAMI 3… Javier Baez led of the top of the eighth inning with a go-ahead homer and the Mets added an insurance run to put away the Marlins. New York scored three times in the third on infield grounders.
Atlanta 7 – ST. LOUIS 4… The Braves came from three runs down to top the Cardinals. Joc Pederson slugged a two-run double during a three-run top of the eighth inning. Adam Duval homered with a runner aboard and Jorge Soler smacked a solo shot for Atlanta.
Chi. Cubs 3 – COLORADO 2… Patrick Wisdom’s bases-clearing double in the top of the fifth inning provided all the offense the Cubs needed in a come-from-behind win over the Rockies. Alec Mills (5-4) overcame a tough start to pitch six solid innings.
San Francisco 7 – ARIZONA 1… Donovan Solano homered and singled home a pair of runs in leading the Giants past the Diamondbacks. Alex Dickerson slugged a three-run homer. Kevin Gausman (10-5) allowed a run on five hits over six innings.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
TAMPA BAY 4 – Seattle 3… Mike Zunino’s solo homer in the bottom of the sixth inning proved to be decisive in the Rays’ win over the Mariners. Josh Fleming (9-5) gave up two runs on five hits over five innings.
N.Y. YANKEES 10 – Baltimore 3… Giancarlo Stanton stroked a three-run double to highlight a five-run bottom of the seventh inning and the Yankees rolled past the Orioles. D.J. LeMahieu had three hits and knocked in four runs. Anthony Rizzo homered with the bases empty.
TORONTO 8 – Cleveland 6… The Blue Jays built an 8-0 lead after three innings and held on at the end to down the Indians. George Springer homered and double home two runs. Steven Matz (9-6) scattered six hits over six scoreless innings.
Boston 4 – DETROIT 1… Eduardo Rodriguez (8-6) pitched two-hit ball and fanned 10 over five scoreless innings and the Red Sox cruised past the Tigers. Kiké Hernández hit a two-run homer and Boston got solo blasts from J.D. Martinez and Jarren Duran.
L.A. Angels 2 – TEXAS 1… Angels starter Shohei Ohtani (6-1) held the Rangers to a run on four hits over six innings in outdueling counterpart Kolby Allard (2-10). Jack Mayfield homered for L.A.
Kansas City 9 – CHI. WHITE SOX 1… Ryan O’Hearn lifted a sacrifice fly and hit a two-run homer for the Royals in their romp over the White Sox. Salvador Perez hit a two-run homer and Michael A. Taylor also went deep. Carlos Hernández (3-1) allowed a run on two hits over five innings.
INTERLEAGUE
CINCINNATI 6 – Minnesota 5… The Reds withstood a late rally to top the Twins. Tyler Stephenson singled home a run and homered. Jonathan India had three hits, including an RBI single. Luis Castillo (6-10) gave up a run on six hits over six innings.
OAKLAND 5 – San Diego 4 (10 innings)… Matt Olson’s two-run double in the bottom of the 10th inning lifted the Athletics over the Padres. Matt Chapman and Yan Gomes produced run-scoring singles in the ninth. Jed Lowrie homered.
L.A. DODGERS 7 – Houston 5… Max Scherzer (9-4) held the Astros to two runs on five hits and struck out 10 over seven innings in an impressive debut for the Dodgers. Mookie Betts hit a pair of solo homers. Will Smith got things going with a three-run homer in the first. AJ Pollock homered with a runner aboard.
TODAY’S MLB SCHEDULE…
NATIONAL LEAGUE
the N.Y. Mets (Rich Hill, 6-4) are at Miami (TBA)..
Colorado (German Marquez, 9-8) hosts the Chi. Cubs (Jake Arrieta, 5-10)…
San Francisco (Alex Wood, 9-3) is at Arizona (Merrill Kelly, 7-8)…
Washington (Joe Ross, 5-9) hosts Philadelphia (Aaron Nola, 7-6)…
Pittsburgh (Wil Crowe, 3-5) is at Cincinnati (Sonny Gray, 3-6)…
St. Louis (Wade LeBlanc, 0-1) hosts Atlanta (Touki Toussaint, 1-2)
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Boston (Martin Perez, 7-7) is at Detroit (Tarik Skubal, 6-10)…
Texas (Spencer Howard, 0-2) hosts the L.A. Angels (Dylan Bundy, 1-8)…
Seattle (Tyler Anderson, 0-0) is at the N.Y. Yankees (Nestor Cortes, 0-0)…
Toronto (Ross Stripling, 4-6) hosts Cleveland (Triston McKenzie, 1-4)…
Kansas City (Daniel Lynch, 1-3) is at the Chi. White Sox (Dallas Keuchel, 7-4)…
Houston (Framber Valdez, 7-2) hosts Minnesota (Griffin Jax, 1-1)
OLYMPIC HIGHLIGHTS… THE U.S. men’s basketball team downed Australia 97-78 and advanced to Saturday’s gold-medal game. The Americans trailed by as many as 13 points in the first half.