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Michael Desiato is “the stubborn bastard in Court 14 who insists on putting justice over everything.” Those are the words of Sara LeBlanc, the chief justice, who had the Carlo Baxter case assigned to her courtroom until the police mysteriously pulled her over on DUI charges. Now that she’s been quietly shuttled aside for rehab, the case is back in front of Michael, and she can take some comfort in his peerless reputation for fairness and fastidiousness — as much as those qualities curb the pace of justice more than she’d like. It is plainly obvious to her that Carlo is guilty of murdering Kofi Jones, and not all the judges in the building can be trusted.
“Part Eight” opens with Michael laying out his shoes, socks, and watch in tidy order, underlining a point that the show has made repeatedly. Before the hit-and-run, his reputation for doing things the right way was unimpeachable. He may be friends with a guy like Charlie, who has his connections to New Orleans’s seedier elements, but he is in every way a straight arrow. And so the ugly business of protecting his son has completely upended his conception of himself, and with Kofi’s murder and the murders of Kofi’s family members, this grand deception has resulted in a cascading set of tragedies for which he is responsible. Having to preside over his own sins is the nightmare he surely deserves.
But the effect is, nonetheless, a gut punch, to the point where Michael returns to judge’s chambers after a witness’s testimony just to catch his breath. The gods simply will not let him get away with what he’s attempting. To put it in Breaking Bad terms, his treatment of Kofi Jones was a half-measure: Rather than come clean to prevent this innocent young Black man from pleading guilty for the hit-and-run, his solution was to hire him a great lawyer. That obviously did not work, and so the injustices have ballooned to an unimaginable scale, with several people dead and with Michael now in the position to deny justice for Kofi once again for good measure. He has to do it to save his own life and his son’s life — Baxter has given him a “deadline” in the most literal sense of the term — but his soul is in peril.
It turns out that tipping the scales of justice in the Carlo Baxter case is going to take a truly astonishing amount of judicial tomfoolery, and Michael’s first step is to make sure it’s done with limited scrutiny from the press and the public. Without mentioning the pandemic by name, he warns of a vague “existential threat” that might contaminate his courtroom, so as much as it pains him to jettison the principles of transparency and accountability, he says he will only allow access to lawyers, court staff, and family members. The second, more nuanced step is to frame the evidence in such a way that the jury will have to acquit. “I’m Gregory fucking Peck in there,” he tells Jimmy Baxter, who’s alarmed by how the trial is going. “Twelve of our peers will do exactly what I want them to do.”
Those peers are going to need serious convincing, because the opening statements and early witness testimony is pointing toward guilt. It cannot be denied that Carlo killed Kofi in his cell and so his lawyer is arguing for self-defense under the logic that Kofi ran over his brother and was coming back for another Baxter, perhaps on behalf of his gang. But that argument is undercut by the physical evidence, which suggests anything but self-defense, and by testimony from the victim that landed Carlo in prison in the first place, who talks about being assaulted and curb-stomped. Even with his connections, Carlo could not wriggle out of that verdict.
For now, Michael is laying the groundwork by minimizing the gruesome nature of Kofi’s death and targeting a juror who’s already leaning strongly toward conviction. He asks the jury to “forget” the frantic call Jimmy Baxter made to his son before his arrest — which, incidentally, implicates him for providing Jimmy that information — and he keeps them from seeing the graphic photographs of Kofi’s bashed-in head, though the prosecutor, Fiona McKee (played by yet another veteran character actor, Maura Tierney), paints an effective picture in their minds. After getting a juror’s note that signals a guilty verdict, Michael quietly sets about discovering the juror’s identity and manipulates the data on her phone to make it seem like she’s seeking information about the case outside the courtroom. That’s enough to get her dismissed.
That the juror in question is a Black woman reinforces a point about racial injustice that Your Honor has been making ever since Kofi’s arrest, conviction, and murder: That even a “good,” progressive white judge like Michael Desiato will allow Black people to become collateral damage when it suits him. Much like his encounter with his blackmailer’s dementia-riddled father, Michael uses his dismissal of the juror as an opportunity to explain himself in vague terms, just to have someone understand his actions. After learning she has a daughter, Michael argues vaguely for his own absolution: “Nothing is more precious than her — not principle, not courage, not conscience.” He has the audacity to want this woman he’s wronged to let him off the hook.
Meanwhile, his own precious child is still in the wilderness, pursuing a relationship with Rocco’s sister, Fia, while putting his secret relationship with his teacher Frannie on ice. Frannie has arranged to legitimize their love by quitting her job and possibly moving to New York, where she expects him to be matriculating at NYU, but he lies and tells her the school rejected his application. Adam also slips into his father’s courtroom during a particularly gruesome piece of testimony, which further undermines Michael’s efforts to protect him. There’s a lesson here, perhaps, about children growing into young adults before their parents come to terms with it. Michael has been shielding his son from accountability, and it’s preventing Adam from squaring up to what he’s done.
At a dinner to celebrate his acceptance into NYU, Adam drops a bomb on his father: He doesn’t want to go. He wants to take a “gap year” instead. When a crestfallen Michael asks if he intends to travel, he says no. He wants to stay in New Orleans. Adam is guilty of half-measures, too, in that he’s not coming clean about his actions, but he’s not skipping town, either. In keeping him safe, his father is also keeping him from growing up.
Beignets:TV shows get away with “that clip has gone viral” moments too easily, even web-savvy ones like The Good Fight. Bernie Sanders bundled up on a folding chair in woolen mittens at the inauguration? Instant viral sensation. A clip of a local judge failing a sobriety test? That’s a stretch.
• That Mariano Rivera-signed baseball keeps making the rounds. Lee Delamere catches Eugene fiddling with it over lunch, so she takes it to Michael to see what kind of money the kid might get with it. (The internet says about $300 to $400, depending on the ball’s origins. Perhaps it’s the ball this MAGA closer used to play catch with President Trump.) Weirdly, the ball is present for the celebratory dinner for Adam but the boy never sees it.
• If you’ll recall, Frannie knows some incriminating things about Adam. Now that he’s lied to her and she’s spotting him holding hands with Fia, another threat to his freedom emerges.
BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets gained Monday after coronavirus vaccine maker AstraZeneca agreed to increase supplies to Europe amid rising worries about the disease.
Tokyo, Hong Kong and Seoul advanced. Shanghai declined after surveys showed Chinese manufacturing weakened in January.
On Friday, Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500 index lost 1.9% after GameStop, a video game vendor, and some other shares that were expected to decline were sent soaring by day traders. Other investors said hedge funds that bet against those stocks were losing money and selling other shares.
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Markets were rattled by AstraZeneca’s announcement it would supply the European Union with fewer than half the promised doses. That prompted the EU to impose export controls. On Sunday, AstraZeneca promised to increase European supplies and start delivery earlier.
“Concerns around the pandemic seemed to return in full force as vaccine distribution and efficacy issues re-emerged even with the virus spread gaining momentum,” said Mizuho Bank in a report.
The Nikkei 225 in Tokyo gained 0.9% to 27,905.26 and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong advanced 0.8% to 28,527.85. The Kospi in Seoul added 1.7% to 3,027.10.
The Shanghai Composite Index skidded 0.3% to 3,471.17 after two surveys showed growth in Chinese manufacturing decelerated in January.
A purchasing managers’ index issued by business magazine Caixin declined to 51.5 from December’s 53 on a 100-point scale on which numbers above 50 reflect activity expanding. A separate PMI by the official statistics agency showed similar weakening.
The data suggest China’s rebound “is leveling off,” said Julian Evans-Pritchard of Capital Economics in a report.
Investors have bid up stocks in expectation the rollout of coronavirus vaccines would allow global business and travel to return to normal. But that optimism has been dented by new infection spikes and disruptions in vaccine deliveries.
On Sunday, the EU announced AstraZeneca has agreed to supply 9 million additional doses of its coronavirus vaccine to Europe.
The new target of 40 million doses by the end of March is still only half what the British-Swedish company had originally aimed for before it announced a shortfall due to production problems. The EU is behind the United States in vaccinating its 450 million people.
On Wall Street, anxiety mounted over struggle between hedge funds and day traders over GameStop, AMC Entertainment and a handful of other stocks.
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The S&P 500 dropped 1.9% to 3,714.24, giving the benchmark index its biggest weekly loss since October. The S&P 500 is still up 13.6% since the end of October.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 2% to 29,982.62 and the Nasdaq composite lost 2% to 13,070.69.
Investors also are watching negotiations in Washington over President Joe Biden’s proposed $1.9 trillion economic aid package. Hopes for aid, along with the Federal Reserve’s pledge to keep low-cost credit plentiful, have carried the S&P 500 and other major indexes to record highs.
In energy markets, benchmark U.S. crude rose 18 cents to $52.38 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 14 cents on Friday to $52.20. Brent crude, the basis for pricing international oils, gained 32 cents to $55.37 per barrel in London. It advanced 35 cents the previous session to $55.88.
The dollar declined to 104.68 yen from 104.75 yen. The euro edged lower to $1.2129 from $1.2132.
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP)--N’dea Jones had 15 points and 12 rebounds to lead No. 8 Texas A&M to a 60-48 victory over No. 22 Georgia on Sunday.
The Aggies (16-1, 7-1 in SEC) added 13 points from Kayla Wells and 12 from Ciera Johnson to complement Jones’ 12th double-double of the season.
Gabby Connally had 18 points for Georgia (13-4, 5-4) and Que Morrison added 12.
A&M leaned on defense to build a 57-44 lead as Georgia missed 11-of-12 field goals. Turnovers told the tale as the Aggies scored 21 points off 18 Lady Bulldogs turnovers. The Aggies had the same number of turnovers, but Georgia scored only three points of them.
Texas A&M took control of the game in the third quarter with an 8-0 run for a 39-30 lead capped by a Jones’ jumper. Wells added a layup in the spurt with Jones scoring two layups.
The Aggies scored the last five points of the first half for a 22-22 tie as Johnson had a three-point play and added another free throw as did Aaliyah Wilson. Georgia took its biggest lead of the half on back to back 3-pointers by Morrison and Connally to make it 20-15 with 3:14 left.
POSTGAME NOTES
RECORDS & SERIES NOTES
· No. 8 Texas A&M improves to 16-1 with a 7-1 record in Southeastern Conference games.
· No. 22 Georgia drops to 13-4 with a 5-4 mark in SEC play.
· In the series between the Aggies and Lady Bulldogs, the Maroon & White improve to 9-3 and hold a 4-1 lead inside Reed Arena.
· A&M rises to 2-4 in games against the No. 22 ranked team in the Associated Press women’s basketball poll, with the only other win coming against Oregon in the 1991-92 season.
TEAM NOTES
· After beginning the game 3-of-15 from the field in the first quarter, the Aggies shot 54.1% the rest of the way.
· Texas A&M went on a 5-0 run to close the first half, tying the game at 22-22.
· A&M and Georgia exchanged blows through the first three minutes of the third quarter, but an 11-2 run starting at the 6:29 mark of the period saw A&M pull away, 42-32.
· Texas A&M is tied for first place in ranked wins this season, boasting an unblemished 6-0 record against teams in the Associated Press Top 25.
· The Maroon & White enjoyed a lead of 10-or-more for the 15th time this season.
· The scoring battle down low favored the Aggies, with A&M outscoring the Lady Bulldogs 34-12 in the paint. The 22-point differential was A&M’s second highest margin since the start of SEC play.
· The defensive effort from A&M held Georgia to 31.1% shooting with a 29.4% mark from three, while the Aggies shot 44.2% from the field.
· The Aggies outscored the Lady Bulldogs 21-3 in points off turnovers.
· Texas A&M started the game with a lineup of Aaliyah Wilson, Jordan Nixon, Kayla Wells, N’dea Jones and Ciera Johnson for the 17th-consecutive game.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
· N’dea Jones earned her trademark double-double against Georgia, hauling in 15 points and a game-high 12 rebounds to record her 12th double-double of the season and 38th of her career.
· The senior forward put up double digits in scoring for the 13th time this season and 42nd time in her career.
· Jones hauled in double-digit rebounds for the 12th time this season and 59th time in her career. She currently holds the No. 2 position on Texas A&M’s all-time rebounding list with 951 boards, only 51 shy of the Aggies’ program record currently held by Anriel Howard.
· The Lawrenceville, Georgia, was the only Aggie to play all 40 minutes of the game.
· Ciera Johnson finished with 12 points and six rebounds, recording double digits in scoring for the 14th time this season and 62nd time in her career.
· On the defensive end, the Duncanville, Texas, native single-handedly put Georgia’s leading scorer, Jenna Staiti, in foul trouble. Johnson drew seven fouls in the game and saw Staiti foul out.
· Kayla Wells finished with 13 points, going 6-of-11 from the field.
· Wells scored in double figures for the seventh time this season and 57th of her career.
· Aaliyah Wilson saw 30 minutes of game time and finished with nine points, four rebounds and a game-high three assists.
· Head Coach Gary Blair improves his all-time record to 830-331 overall with a 421-168 record since joining the Aggies in 2003-04.
2011 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP 10TH ANNIVERSARY NOTES
· At halftime of Sunday afternoon’s game, Texas A&M honored members of the 2011 NCAA Women’s Basketball National Championship team, recognizing the team’s 10th anniversary.
· 11 of the squad’s 15 members returned to Reed Arena as a part of the celebration, including key starters Sydney Carter, Sydney Colson and Tyra White.
· 2011 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player, Danielle Adams, viewed the festivities via zoom from her home in Israel during her professional season overseas.
· A&M also celebrated the Athletics and University administrators that made the 2011 championship run possible.
UP NEXT
The No. 8 Aggies remain at Reed Arena this week, as the Maroon & White play host to the LSU Tigers in the second matchup between the two programs this season. Tip is scheduled for 8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 4 with live broadcast of the game airing on SEC Network.
POSTGAME QUOTES
TEXAS A&M QUOTES
Head Coach Gary Blair
Opening Statement…
“I kept trying to be positive in the first half when we were getting great shots, but some days the shots don’t fall. That being said, when your offensive struggles do not carry over to the defensive end, you know it’s going to be ok. After shooting how we did in the first half and coming away tied at the break, I felt a whole lot better. We didn’t need to make any 3-pointers to win this game, because our defense played that well. Our team also does an excellent job of taking timely charges over the course of the game. I think we drew three or four offensive fouls, and each one of them was necessary to alter the ebb and flow of the game. Our faster pace on offense and good defense in the second half allowed us to pull away when we needed to.”
On the message at halftime to alter the flow of the game…
“I think sometimes we get frustrated when we miss a lot of shots, we weren’t rebounding on the offensive side, and we missed a wide-open transition opportunities. The message at halftime was that we needed to start scoring with contact. We’re not doing it like we need to. When we’re getting to the free-throw line, we can shoot with anybody, but we have to be able to get the and-one play. I want the basket; I don’t care about the free throw. The free throw is icing.”
On what the 2011 National Championship Celebration meant for the team…
“I appreciate our fans. Today we saw the largest attendance of the season. I thought they carried us. They wanted to honor the past, but they also wanted to enjoy what we’re doing in the present. I think that you had a lot of different types of fans in the stands today, some of which probably wanted to see us scrimmage the 2011 team, and believe me, I wouldn’t want to scrimmage against them. I was talking to [former Aggie Center] Danielle Adams just as I came off the floor. She was on Zoom in Israel, and she told me that she watched every bit of our game today. That’s how much love Aggies have for each other. They are watching us from all around the world right now, and they are proud Aggies. I want our team to realize how important it is and what an honor it is to wear the Maroon & White. That’s why we play so doggone hard. I think we gave our former Aggies a chance to see how hard we can play.”
Senior center Ciera Johnson
On only allowing 12 points in the paint...
“That was one of our goals. We knew that they wanted to get the ball inside. A lot came from [Jenna] Staiti being in foul trouble as well, so they didn’t really have their go to post presence in the paint. We did give up a few threes, but overall, taking away the paint was one of our goals today.”
On the presence of the 2011 National Championship team being there today…
“It added a sense of pride, like okay guys we need to go out here and play hard. We would be doing them a disservice if we didn’t come out here and play hard. I don’t think if we walked away from this game, even if we did win and didn’t play hard, I don’t think we could walk away happy in front of them. They have done so much for this program.”
Senior forward N’dea Jones
On what changed in the second to half…
“I just think our shots started falling more. In the first half it was kind of hard. I credit UGA [Georgia], because their defense is really good. I think it was us just trying to knock down our shots and we really looked to attack a lot more, especially to get them in foul trouble. That is what works for us and we are pretty good at the free-throw line. Our mentality was to really attack.”
On earning another ranked win…
“This one is pretty good; it sets the tone for the rest of the games. You always want to win at home, it’s really hard to win on the road in the SEC. We really needed to win this game.”
Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
(Reuters) - Online brokerage Robinhood narrowed trading limitations to eight companies from 50 on Sunday, according to an update on its blog.
Companies that are still face limitations include GameStop Corp, AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc and Blackberry Ltd, it said.
Reporting by Aishwarya Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Daniel Wallis
Robinhood is narrowing its list of restricted stocks, but will still impose limits on buying shares of heavily shorted GameStop Corp. and AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc. when trading opens Monday.
On its website, the online brokerage on Sunday adjusted its list of restricted stocks from 50 to eight: GameStop GME, AMC AMC, BlackBerry Ltd. BB, Express Inc. EXPR, Genius Brands International Inc. GNUS, Koss Corp. KOSS, Naked Brand Group NAKD and Nokia Corp. NOK.
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TOKYO -- Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg has lent her support to young climate protesters in Japan, South Korea and Vietnam to oppose the Vung Ang 2 coal-fired power plant project in Vietnam.
"Don't be silent," she said in a video message to Asian student protesters who have been making the case that the addition of a coal plant that emits greenhouse gases will have catastrophic consequences for future generations.
In Japan, a group of nine people led by Keio University student Momoko Nojo, including high school and university students as well as an entrepreneur, sent an open letter at year-end to companies backing the project.
"Prime Minister [Yoshihide] Suga has called for a net-zero society by 2050. In light of developments such as these, do you intend to cancel these plans?" the letter asks project leader Mitsubishi Corp. and such banks as the state-owned Japan Bank for International Cooperation. Suga announced the greenhouse gas target last October.
"If not, how is the Vung Ang 2 project consistent with the Paris Agreement, to which Japan and Vietnam are signatories, and the goal to limit global warming to within 1.5 degrees Celsius?" they ask.
Other project participants include Chugoku Electric Power and Japan's three biggest banks: Mizuho Financial Group, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group.
"Hi, my name is Greta Thunberg, and I am a climate and environmental activist from Sweden. And I want to send my full support to the No Coal for Our Future campaign, which aim is to stop the funding for the Vung Ang 2 power plants," Thunberg said in a video tweeted out by the Japanese arm of the Fridays for Future climate strike movement she founded.
"You are so brave and please keep it up. You have my full support, and our full support from here. And we send you the best of luck, and please never stop," said the 18-year-old activist, who made global headlines in September 2019 with a blistering speech at the United Nations, where she criticized world leaders for their inaction.
"You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. ... We are in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!" she said back then.
All companies that received the open letter had responded by the Jan. 14 deadline.
"There are daily power shortages in the capital Hanoi, even this January," Mitsubishi Corp. wrote in its response. "We have been strongly requested by the Vietnamese government to construct this plant," the trading house said, explaining that it will pursue low carbon through ammonia-mixed combustion.
Mitsubishi also promised not to be engaged in any new coal-fired power plants in the future.
JBIC noted that the project has been endorsed by Japanese and Vietnamese leaders and contributes to the U.N.'s Sustainable Development Goals by reducing areas with no electricity.
Taking part from South Korea are the Export-Import Bank of Korea, which is part of the $1.8 billion in syndicated financing, as well as Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction.
For the cash-strapped Vietnamese government, a coal-fired plant would cost less to build than a nuclear or liquified natural gas facility.
Barcelona moved up to second in La Liga after goals from Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann helped them beat Athletic Bilbao 2-1 at Camp Nou on Sunday.
Messi opened the scoring with a brilliant free kick in the 20th minute, but Athletic leveled through a Jordi Alba own goal early in the second half.
Griezmann struck the winner with 15 minutes to play, turning home an Oscar Mingueza cross as Barca stretched their unbeaten run in the league to 10 games.
Barca may not win the league this season -- they're 10 points behind leaders Atletico Madrid and have played a game more -- but, as coach Ronald Koeman said on Saturday, they're going to keep fighting. Sunday's win against Athletic was their fifth in a row in La Liga and took them ahead of Real Madrid into second on goal difference.
Messi's free kick was 650th goal for the club and came on the day sources told ESPN he will take legal action against newspaper El Mundo and whoever was behind the leaking of his potential new contract details this weekend, which revealed a four-year deal worth a maximum of €555 million.
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Barca still look frail at the back and are unable to put teams to bed. They played well in the first half, but only had one goal to show for their efforts and were soon level at the start of the second half. In the end, they were hanging on to the three points and counting down the four minutes of stoppage time.
6 -- Koeman has found a settled system in recent weeks so the only changes were in terms of personnel, with Miralem Pjanic replacing the suspended Sergio Busquets and Samuel Umtiti coming in for Clement Lenglet. The Dutch coach opted to defend the game out rather than push for a third goal.
GK Marc-Andre ter Stegen, 7 -- Had very few saves to make, but dealt with Athletic's crosses well.
DF Oscar Mingueza, 6 -- Raul Garcia got in behind him to set up the Athletic goal, but he made amends by putting the winner on a plate for Griezmann.
DF Ronald Araujo, 7 -- Almost scored in the first half, driving a shot just wide after a surging run forward. Did well at the back.
DF Samuel Umtiti, 7 -- His quality on the ball is a huge plus for this Barca side. However, he now needs to prove himself defensively over a run of games. This was his third straight appearance in the league, which is a good start.
DF Jordi Alba, 6 -- Moaned that he was pushed for the own goal, but should have defended it better.
MF Miralem Pjanic, 6 -- Forced a good save from Unai Simon with a header just before being taken off midway through the second half.
MF Frenkie de Jong, 7 -- Played deeper than recently to cover the absence of Busquets, although still found time for one great driving run forward in the first half.
MF Pedri, 7 -- The teenager's shown in recent weeks what he adds in attack; against Athletic he also showed how well he can perform his defensive duties. Tireless.
FW Ousmane Dembele, 7 -- Caused constant problems with his acceleration from a standing start and played a smart pass to Mingueza in the build-up to Griezmann's goal.
FW Antoine Griezmann, 7 -- Came close to setting up a couple of goals with passes for Messi and Pjanic before scoring the winner with a good first-time finish.
FW Lionel Messi, 8 -- Started the game well, drawing a save from Simon and chesting another half-chance onto the roof of the net. Opened the scoring with a fine free kick, his 16th goal of the season in all competitions and 650th in his career in Catalonia, and was Barca's best player on the night.
MF Sergi Roberto, 6 -- Returned to action in midfield after two months out injured.
DF Clement Lenglet, NR -- Koeman introduced the Frenchman to add an extra defender late on.
FW Martin Braithwaite, NR -- Replaced Dembele for the final few minutes.
(Reuters) - Online brokerage Robinhood narrowed trading limitations to eight companies from 50 on Sunday, according to an update on its blog.
Companies that are still face limitations include GameStop Corp, AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc and Blackberry Ltd, it said.
Reporting by Aishwarya Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Daniel Wallis
Thomas Tuchel recorded his first win as Chelsea manager after his side defeated Burnley 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
The Blues were dominant throughout, with midfielders Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho pulling the strings from the middle of the park. The breakthrough finally came in the 40th minute when Callum Hudson-Odoi picked out the overlapping run of Cesar Azpilicueta -- who fired decisively past Nick Pope. And the home side wrapped up the win in style with five minutes left after Marcos Alonso acrobatically swept his shot into the back of the net.
Positives
Chelsea dominated proceedings from start to finish. The home side seldom gave the ball away, remaining patient in possession until they were able to manoeuvre shooting opportunities. Defensively they were also impressive, with goalkeeper Edouard Mendy not tested at all in the Chelsea net. Much of the praise should go to the midfield pivot of Jorginho and Kovacic, who kept the ball ticking over beautifully.
Negatives
The one big negative for Tuchel will be the slight lack of cutting edge in the final third. Chelsea created some decent openings, but all too often the finishing was wayward, or the final ball lacked conviction. Burnley never really posed a threat going the other way, but on another occasion, the Londoners may have been punished for their inability to kill the game off earlier.
Manager rating (out of 10)
8 -- The one thing that can be said about Tuchel's new 3-4-2-1 system is that it has seemingly strengthened the backline and stemmed the flow of goals conceded. Very little, if anything, got past Thiago Silva, Antonio Rudiger or Azpilicueta, who have already formed a good understanding at the back. In addition, the deployment of attacking wing-backs gives Chelsea good width and overloads in wide areas. In fact, it was the fine overlapping run of captain Azpilicueta that led to the opening goal.
Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best, players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)
GK: Edouard Mendy, 6 -- Unlike his opposite number in the Burnley net, the keeper was barely called into action all afternoon. He did distribute the ball quite well, however.
DF: Cesar Azpilicueta, 8 -- A fine display from the captain, who scored Chelsea's opening goal. Dynamic when venturing forward, all the while remaining solid at the back.
DF: Thiago Silva, 8 -- Hardy put a foot wrong in the heart of the backline and helped nullify Burnley's potent aerial threat.
DF: Antonio Rudiger, 7 -- Calm and composed for the duration, passing the ball out from the back very nicely.
WB: Marcos Alonso, 8 -- Early on, the Spaniard looked slightly nervy in possession, which is perhaps fair enough given his recent lack of match time, but as the game wore on he appeared to grow in confidence. Took his late goal superbly well to seal the three points.
0:44
ESPN FC's Steve Nicol names the player that has been the best so far for Chelsea under Thomas Tuchel.
WB: Callum Hudson-Odoi, 8 -- A menace down the right side of the pitch. Playing as an attacking wing-back, his crossing and overall link-up play created many fine openings for his teammates, which is how Chelsea's opening goal came about.
MF: Mateo Kovacic, 8 -- Inventive and industrious in the middle of the park. Was the instigator of many Chelsea moves in the final third.
MF: Jorginho, 7 -- Assured in possession throughout, whilst also working hard for the cause. An impressive return to form.
FW: Mason Mount, 7 -- The midfielder was everywhere in his return to the starting XI. Linked up especially well with Hudson-Odoi, taking up intelligent positions in and around the box, but a lack of quality in the final third cost him.
FW: Timo Werner, 7 -- His overall play was good, but the German forward still looks devoid of confidence. Any shots he did have at goal were tame.
FW: Tammy Abraham, 6 -- A frustrating afternoon for the striker, who couldn't quite manufacture any decent chances of his own. Was replaced at half-time.
Substitutes
Christian Pulisic, 7 -- Added some zeal and pace to the Chelsea attack in the second half. Wonderfully teed up Alonso for his goal.
Reece James, 6 -- Not quite as impressive as Hudson-Odoi in the wing-back position but did provide a handful of decent crosses late on.
Kai Havertz, N/A -- Introduced with 10 minutes to go. Looked inventive on the counter and nearly played Werner clean through on goal.
Corky Lee, a photojournalist who spent five decades spotlighting the often ignored Asian and Pacific Islander American communities, has died. He was 73.
Lee died Wednesday in New York City's Queens borough of complications from COVID-19, his family said in a statement.
“His passion was to rediscover, document and champion through his images the plight of all Americans but most especially that of Asian and Pacific Islanders,” his family said.
The self-described “undisputed unofficial Asian American Photographer Laureate," Lee used his eye to pursue what he saw as “photographic justice.” Almost always sporting a camera around his neck, he was present at many seminal moments impacting Asian America over a 50-year career.
He was born Young Kwok Lee in New York City to Chinese immigrant parents. He was the first child in his family to go to college, graduating from City University of New York’s Queens College.
A self-taught freelance photographer, Lee aimed his camera lens on a slew of subjects from anti-Vietnam war protests to police brutality. Over the years, his photos appeared in the New York Times, Time magazine, the New York Post, New York Daily News, the Associated Press and Asian American outlets. Most recently, he was documenting anti-Asian racism brought on by the pandemic.
Lee was there when Asian Americans took to the streets to protest the lack of jail time for the killers of Vincent Chin. The 27-year-old Chin was beaten to death in Detroit in 1982, a time when Japan was being blamed for the U.S. auto industry’s decline. The two laid-off white autoworkers who killed Chin — who was Chinese — assumed he was Japanese. They were convicted of manslaughter but got just three years of probation.
In 2017, Lee organized a vigil outside the Nevada home of one of Chin’s attackers.
Several of Lee's photos were prominently featured in the recent PBS docu-series, “Asian Americans.” One of the series' producers and a longtime friend, Renee Tajima-Pena, met Lee 40 years ago in New York. Even back then, he seemed to be everywhere, relentlessly trying to document Asian American events or just their daily lives.
“He considered his camera to be a sword wielded against stereotypes and injustice,” Tajima-Pena said in an email. “And so Corky’s left us with a lot of ammunition, because his photos years and decades later continue to arm us and tell our story as Asian Americans through our own lens.”
He was a fixture at the Museum of Chinese in America, where some of his photos are part of the museum's permanent collection. He also showed up to photograph events big or small, said Herb Tam, the museum's curator and director of exhibitions. But Lee wasn't afraid to challenge the museum and its staff on what he thought they could do better and what stories they should feature.
“He was very demanding and rigorous as a friend of the museum. He was our toughest critic,” Tam said. “We took him seriously for sure. ... I think we’re better for it.”
An event that had an indelible influence on Lee’s desire for more Asian representation was the building of the Transcontinental Railroad. In previous interviews, Lee spoke of being in junior high and coming across a picture from the 1869 completion of the railroad in Utah. The iconic “Champagne Photo” featured almost no Chinese workers, even though they made up the majority of the labor.
In 2002, Lee gathered some of those laborers’ descendants in the same spot for a reenactment. More than a nice gesture, Lee felt the anniversary photograph was restoring Asians into the history of the country they helped build. He went on to recreate the photo on more than one anniversary.
Lee also believed in paying it forward to Asian American journalists coming after him. He was a founding member of the New York chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association. He is credited with helping raise more than $100,000 in scholarship funds through annual photo auctions.
“AAJA is heartbroken over the loss of our beloved Corky Lee, a trailblazer whose career has been instrumental to our collective understanding and appreciation of the history, triumphs and struggles of Asian America,” AAJA President Michelle Ye Hee Lee said in a statement.
A private funeral service will be held at Wah Wing Sang Funeral Home in New York.
Lee is survived by his brother John.
Even while dealing with the virus, Lee couldn't put the camera down, according to Tajima-Pena. A couple weeks before his death, he shared a picture of all the flowers he had received while hospitalized in the ICU.
“He was already a fixture during the 1970s,” she wrote, “and never stopped photographing.”
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BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) Keve Aluma scored a career-high 29 points to lead No. 20 Virginia Tech to a 65-51 win over No. 8 Virginia on Saturday night.
Aluma hit 10 of 15 shots from the floor, including two 3-pointers, to help the Hokies (13-3, 7-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) rally from a 10-point deficit in the second half. The victory snapped a four-game losing streak to the rival Cavaliers and marked the Hokies' fourth victory over a ranked team this season.
''It's significant now,'' Virginia Tech coach Mike Young said. ''But let's hit the brake. It's late January. They're not putting a crown on anybody's head in January. We've got a bunch of head-knockers to go. . Great win for us. We played a really good ball game against a really, really good team, but let's hang on. We've got a lot more to look forward to, we hope.''
Jay Huff paced Virginia (11-3, 7-1) with 13 points. The Cavaliers saw their seven-game winning streak and 15-game ACC winning streak halted.
The Hokies trailed by 10 early in the second half, and outscored Virginia 21-4 to end the game. That outburst included a 19-0 run in which Aluma scored seven points and Hunter Cattoor hit two 3-pointers.
''I think we had all seen that no one thought we were going to win this game,'' Aluma said. ''I like it when it's like that. I like it when people don't think we're going to win. That just fuels us even more.''
Cattoor finished with 15 points for Virginia Tech, which became just the third team to shoot at least 50% percent against the Cavaliers this season (22 of 44).
Kihei Clark scored 11 points for the Cavaliers, who made just one shot from the floor in the final 8:25.
''You just can't have big gaps (in the game) where you're not getting stops or being assertive enough,'' Virginia coach Tony Bennett said. ''It was too easy for them. ... There needed to be a little more assertiveness (on offense) maybe trying to touch the post or hard drives with some finishes.''
UP NEXT
Virginia: The Cavaliers play at NC State on Wednesday.
Virginia Tech: The Hokies play at Pitt on Wednesday
The former president’s fund-raising slowed significantly after the Electoral College delivered its votes to make Joseph R. Biden Jr. the 46th president.
President Donald J. Trump and the Republican Party raised $255.4 million in the eight-plus weeks following the Nov. 3 election, new federal filings show, as he sought to undermine and overturn the results with unfounded accusations of fraud.
Mr. Trump’s strongest fund-raising came in the immediate aftermath of the election, such as after major media organizations declared that Joseph R. Biden Jr. had won on Nov. 7. But even as Mr. Trump and his legal team lost case after case — in venues including the Supreme Court — his donors continued to give repeatedly. More than two million contributions flowed in to Mr. Trump, the Republican National Committee and their shared accounts from Nov. 24 through the end of the year.
The donations were made public over the weekend in a Federal Election Commission filing by WinRed, the digital platform that Republicans use to process online donations. Mr. Trump’s campaign committee, joint committees with the R.N.C., and the new political action committee he formed after the election, Save America, will all file additional disclosures on Sunday with more details on spending and fund-raising.
Mr. Trump had previously announced that he and the R.N.C. had raised $207.5 million in the first month following the election. The new records show that his fund-raising fell sharply in December compared with November, with an especially notably dip after Dec. 14, the day the Electoral College formally cast its ballots to make Mr. Biden the nation’s 46th president, and reality may have set in for some of Mr. Trump’s supporters about the futility of the efforts to overturn the result.
In the two weeks leading up to the Electoral College vote, Mr. Trump and the R.N.C. had raised an average of $2.9 million every day online; in the two weeks after, the average was $1.2 million.
In fact, Mr. Trump and the R.N.C. had raised more than $2 million online every day since the election until Dec. 14. They did not raise that much again for the rest of the year, until Dec. 31, when donations spiked at the end-of-year deadline.
The new figures capture almost all of Mr. Trump’s online fund-raising, as he stopped raising money on Jan. 6, the day on which he addressed a mob of supporters who then stormed the Capitol in a violent riot and on which Mr. Biden was formally ratified by Congress as the next president.
Following that riot, Mr. Trump essentially ceased sending fund-raising pitches to his supporters (the R.N.C. paused for about a week). His last campaign email that day began, “TODAY will be a historic day in our Nation’s history.”
Still, Mr. Trump left office with tens of millions of dollars raised for his new Save America PAC, which he can use to fund a post-presidential political operation, including travel and staffing.
But Mr. Trump still faces a wave of legal costs with a looming impeachment trial in the Senate set to begin in a little more than a week. Late on Saturday, Mr. Trump abruptly parted ways with the lead lawyer, Butch Bowers, on his impeachment defense.
In his first impeachment, the R.N.C. shouldered some of the legal expenses for Mr. Trump because he was the sitting president and the party leader. Those costs included a $196,000 payment to Alan Dershowitz, the lawyer who served as part of Mr. Trump’s defense team.
It is not clear what role the R.N.C. will play in the upcoming impeachment but the party’s coffers did benefit immensely from Mr. Trump’s aggressive fund-raising as he spread conspiracy theories about voting fraud. Some 25 percent of funds raised through Mr. Trump’s email and texting operation were earmarked for the R.N.C.
When chef Eric Sze wakes up in New York City, he often watches video clips of his friends in Taiwan singing karaoke via Instagram. “It’s always the first thing I see in the morning,” Sze, co-founder of the Taiwanese restaurant 886, told NBC Asian America. “Nothing like starting your day with a fresh dose of FOMO" — or fear of missing out.
Sze said he feels jealous watching his parents, grandparents and friends in Taiwan — where there are fewer than 1,000 total cases of coronavirus in a population of more than 23 million — going about their normal lives while the U.S. contends with lockdowns, new variants of the virus, a slower than expected rollout of vaccines and an unfathomable 400,000 lives lost.
It's a common sentiment shared by many Asian Americans watching their family members and friends in Asian countries, such as Taiwan, South Korea, Mongolia, Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia, where widespread use of masks, experience with past pandemics and government leadership that included mandatory quarantines and emergency cash payments has led to exceedingly low infection rates.
“I do think my greatest frustration is the lack of communal support as a country,” Sze said of the United States. “I get that bipartisan politics tend to divide the country, but a part of me thought humanity would always come before politics — apparently not.”
Sze, whose restaurant raised nearly $150,000 to provide 15,000 meals to hospitals and shelters during the darkest days of the pandemic in New York, said his family in Taiwan is “concerned, but not surprised” by America’s response to Covid-19: “The price of perceived freedom seems to be exponential with pandemics.”
When Las Vegas resident Carla Doan sees images of her family in Vietnam being carefree and socializing, she said it makes her yearn to live a normal maskless life in the U.S.
In Communist-led Vietnam, the public feels a shared ownership of Covid-19, according to public health experts, and overwhelmingly supported its government’s rapid response.
Despite a border wall with China and a population of 96 million, Vietnam has reported fewer than 2,000 total cases and 35 deaths during the pandemic.
Last January, the deputy prime minister ordered Vietnam’s ministries to take drastic measures to prevent the spread of the virus, such as locking down and evacuating cities, imposing travel restrictions, closing the border with China and employing a labor-intensive contact-tracing operation.
Visitors and people who were possibly exposed to the virus were sent to free quarantine centers for two weeks and the government communicated regularly with the public and sent text messages to phones telling people how to best protect themselves.
“I think the difference [between Vietnam and the U.S.] is that when their government says to do something, everyone follows the guidelines,” said Doan. “I just wish our leaders here would have done what they did.”
Doan said she’s frustrated because half of Americans appear to follow mask mandates and social distancing rules, but “because the other half isn’t willing,” it makes her feel her efforts are futile.
Her 16-month-old son wasn’t able to have a first birthday party because of the pandemic and Doan is unsure if he’ll be able to have one for his second birthday either.
Some Asian Americans knew collectivist Asian countries would manage the virus and reopen quicker than the U.S. because they value the needs of a group.
Diana Choi, who lived in South Korea as a young adult and now resides in Dallas, said South Korea succeeded in managing Covid-19 because its people are “community-focused” and not individualistic.
The hyperconnected country of 51 million benefited from fast and free testing and expansive tracing technology. South Korea also learned lessons from mistakes made during the spread of MERS in 2015.
“I knew they were going to take precautions, always wear a mask and social distance because they’re so afraid of what people would think of them if they didn’t,” said Choi. “In America, wearing a mask is politicized when it really shouldn’t be.”
When she sees family and friends in South Korea taking walks or going out to eat, Choi — who has a heart condition that makes her high-risk for Covid complications — said she is “jealous that they’re in a place where people care about other people and take precautions.”
Choi’s parents live in Gwanju, South Korea and often ask their daughter about the U.S. health care system. “They say America is kind of a laughing stock,” Choi said. “America is supposed to be the strongest country, but they see us become so divided and chaotic over a pandemic.”
She said South Korea’s system of universal health care also makes a difference.
“It [health care] isn’t a privilege over there, which was another contributing factor for them to quickly test people and get everything under control,” Choi explained. “I talk to my mom every day and they get updates if there is a Covid patient nearby. Here, we have no idea who has it and a lot of people don’t think it’s a very big issue.”
Of course not all Asian Americans are envious of what’s happening in Asian countries. While South Korea, a democratic republic, has been innovative and transparent with its citizens, authoritarian-run countries like Cambodia have been accused by human rights experts of falsifying case numbers and using the pandemic to undermine the rule of law.
In Cambodia, a nation of around 16 million people, there have been fewer than 500 infections and no deaths reported.
Some believe Cambodia’s low Covid-19 rates are because three-quarters of its population live in rural settings and spend ample time outdoors. Others say low rates of testing and the Cambodian People’s Party, led by Prime Minister Hun Sen, isn’t telling the whole story.
“The government doesn’t give true numbers,” said Sindy Barretto, who lives in Pepperell, Massachusetts, and has family in Siem Reap and Battambang, Cambodia. “The prime minister is up for election so he’s going to try to portray this image of safety and that he has everything under control.”
Barretto stays in touch with her relatives overseas through Facebook and said when she sees photos of them gathering in large groups she “feels sorry for them” that they’re not being safe.
She believes Cambodia is losing lives to Covid-19, but that the deaths are classified as being due to heat stroke or a heart attack, based on conversations Barretto has had with family members.
While Cambodia’s rates could be higher than reported, their hospitals have not been overwhelmed like in the U.S. or Europe.
Early on in the pandemic, Cambodia temporarily closed its borders to foreigners, particularly from the West, and shut down schools and entertainment venues. The country also quarantined nearly 30,000 garment workers.
While the Trump administration's handling of Covid-19 has been widely criticized by public health officials at home and abroad, President Joe Biden recently laid out a $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief package with a goal of vaccinating 150 million people and reopening schools in his first 100 days. He is also implementing a 100-day federal mask mandate and deploying FEMA and the National Guard to set up vaccine clinics throughout the country.
“People in Asia definitely laugh at America because they say that we are supposedly a first world country and now we’re dying at a faster rate than they are,” said Barretto. “I still think we’re doing a wonderful job [in the U.S.] because we’re taking precautions. If we didn’t do all this social distancing or putting on a mask, I think we’d be in worse shape. It is what it is right now.”
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HOUSTON – Houston police are investigating a major crash Saturday afternoon at a Fiesta Market in south Houston.
Officials said at least eight people were struck by the vehicle at 9420 Cullen Boulevard. Around 3 p.m., a gold SUV drove through the front windows and traveled through the store, according to HPD.
The injured people were transported to local hospitals. The youngest victim was 9 years old while the oldest was in their mid-30s.
HPD said the most significant injury suffered was a head injury and that person is expected to survive.
Jhannee Armstead was getting her nails done nearby when the crash happened and rushed over to help.
“I actually didn’t know that a car went through until someone told me but I was more focused the lady that was laying down on the ground, face down and I just saw blood all over the ground,” Armstead said.
All victims are expected to recover.
The driver is in custody and was showing signs of impairment.
“The driver was showing signs of impairment on the scene. He has since been transported, and they are conducting DWI investigation,” said Houston Police Commander Kevin Deese.
Major Auto Pedestrian Crash: A driver crashed into the Fiesta Mart at 9420 Cullen Blvd. 7 complainants were struck by the vehicle and transported to local hospitals. Suspect is in custody. Inv. is ongoing. #hounews #houtraffic CC12
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) January 30, 2021
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The people were taken to area hospitals after the driver drove the SUV into a Fiesta Mart, located in southeast Houston, the Houston Chronicle reported. One of the victims was believed to be 9 years old, the newspaper reported. The oldest person injured was in their mid-30s, KPRC reported.
Tallahassee, FL – After fighting to the bitter end to take the doubles point to start the match, the eighth-ranked Seminole women’s tennis team cruised, taking the first four singles matches and closed out ODU early with a 5-2 win. All three of the Seminoles’ (2-0) ranked singles players won in straight sets and gave FSU its second, third and game-winning fourth points.
Old Dominion (1-2) started strong in one of the day’s highlight matches as the Monarchs eighth-ranked doubles team took the first doubles match from Victoria Allen and Petra Hule, who came into the game ranked No. 7 in ITA doubles. Giulia Pairone and Emmanuelle Salas cruised in their doubles match, evening things up with a 6-3 win. That set up the battle on court three. Nandini Das and Andrea Garcia were pushed to a tie-breaker but pulled out the point for FSU with a 7-6 (7-6) victory.
“Doubles definitely got interesting,” said FSU Head Coach Jen Hyde. “The wind was a factor today. Being outside for both teams got a bit tricky but we did a good job of holding on to some things. We needed to make better decisions at pretty critical times but I think that is just going to come with more match play, where we are kind of in the heat of battle and you have to make the right decisions at the right times. That was one thing that kept it closer than it needed to be.”
Once the Noles moved into singles, the top of the lineup jumped all over ODU. Allen, ranked 106th, finished first with a 6-1, 6-2 win. Then on court one, Pairone (#27) won the featured match of the day, taking down No. 40 Holly Hutchinson 6-1, 6-2. The Seminoles then clinched the win thanks to No. 92 Das’ 6-3, 6-3 victory on court three.
“Old Dominion is a very good team. They are very talented. They’ve got a lot of really good ballplayers,” said Hyde. “I was so impressed with how we came out and got a lot of early leads up and down the courts. After such a close doubles point, things can very quickly fall a little flat and the girls came out and really got off to good starts.
“Vic did a fantastic job down on six. (Giulia), versus a Top 40 player, got a really good lead in the first set and Dre as well. I feel when you are able to respond to a tight doubles point like that and really take command of the match, we are a hard team to beat. I was really happy with the girls. They did a fantastic job competing and stayed composed. I am really proud of them.”
The Seminoles are right back at it Thursday when the 21st-ranked Gators (1-1) come to town. Florida is coming off a tight 4-3 loss to #22 UCF in Orlando. The Seminoles are on a three-game win streak versus their rivals and won the last meeting in Tallahassee when the Gators came in ranked third in the nation and the Noles cruised to a 4-1 win. Thursday’s match will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra. Doubles will begin at 4:45 p.m. and the broadcast will start with singles play at 5:30.
Due to COVID protocols, fan attendance will be limited to 116 spectators at the Scott Speicher Memorial Tennis Center. For more information on the 2021 Seminole Women’s Tennis program, please follow us on social at FSUWTennis (IG) and @FSU_WTennis (TW) and log on to Seminoles.com.
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Houston police respond to a scene.
Jay R. Jordan / Jay Jordan, StaffEight people, including a child believed to be 9 years old, were hit or wounded by debris after a SUV crashed through the front of a Fiesta Mart in Houston, police said.
The individuals, whose injuries and conditions were not immediately available, were transported to local hospitals after the driver crashed into the store at 9420 Cullen Blvd., according to Houston police.
The driver, whose identity was not released, was detained by authorities after displaying signs of impairment, KHOU-TV reported.
The person who suffered the most significant injury, to the head, was expected to survive, as was everyone else taken to hospitals.
The incident remains under investigation.
alejandro.serrano@chron.com
It is the first major art museum in New York to close within recent memory. The museum had financial challenges and has faced accusations o...
