After 16-time champion Joey Chestnut signed with the vegan brand, the era of Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, deemed unable to compete in the beloved 4th of July event, has come to an end.

Major League Eating said in a statement Tuesday that it was “devastated to learn” of Chestnut’s betrayal: Rather than competing in the 2024 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating, “representing a competing brand that sells plant-based hot dogs. Competition.”

Although the organization has not named a competing brand, The New York Post Chestnut recently announced that it has gone into business with Impossible Foods.

Major League Eating “has made major efforts in recent months to accommodate Joey and his management team, agreeing to an appearance fee and allowing Joey to compete in a rival off-brand hot dog eating contest on Labor Day,” but they’d been unable to come to an agreement.

“We’ve operated under the same basic hot dog exclusive rules for nearly two decades,” League said. “However, Joey and his managers seem to have prioritized a new partnership with a different hot dog brand over our long-term relationship.”

In A statement Posting on social media several hours later, Chestnut said he was “flattened” by the ban, which he said he learned about from media reports.

“I want to compete in that event, celebrate America on the 4th with my fans across this great country, and I’m training to defend my title,” he said.

“To set the record straight,” the competitive eater continued, “I do not have a contract with MLE or Nathans, and they want to change the rules from last years in relation to other partners I work with.”

He thanked his fans and assured them that they will see him goofy again soon. “Be hungry!”

Chestnut, 40, won the hot dog eating contest every year from 2007 to 2014 and then again from 2016 to 2023. (Matt Stoney beat him by two dogs in 2015.) He holds the record for most franks ever swallowed in competition. , beating the belt-pasting 76 in 2021.

Major League Eating, which has hailed him as “an American hero,” hopes Chestnut can return home to the competition after no longer representing his rival.

The Nathan Tournament has been held at Coney Island in New York City every summer since 1979. In 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, an indoor arena a few miles away was held without a crowd, with only five competitors. He sat at the table. Unsurprisingly, Chestnut took home the gold with 75 hot dogs.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — More than 10,000 voting delegates gathered Tuesday for the two-day opening ceremony of the Southern Baptist Convention. Annual meetingThere should be a rethink on whether to ban churches with female pastors and how to respond to sexual abuse within churches.

About 10,553 ambassadors, known as delegates, meet in Indianapolis.

On Wednesday, they are expected to debate whether to amend their constitution to ban churches Women pastors – From lead to supporting roles. The move was given preliminary approval last year.

Early Tuesday morning, a small group of women stood outside the Indiana Convention Center in a low-key demonstration in support of women in ministry.

“I hope people know that women have equal value and can be pastors,” said Rev. Meredith Stone said, but it now works with women in various Baptist denominations.

Attendees said reactions ranged from sneers to subtle thumbs-up signs to a few shouts of loud “thank you” as hundreds of ambassadors filed in.

Along with them, Krista Brown, a long-time advocate for survivors of sexual abuse in Southern Baptist churches and critic of the religion’s resistance to reform, has recorded in a new memoir, “Baptistland.”

She said there is a direct correlation between abuse and women’s equality in ministry.

“If you crush some, it crushes many more,” he said.

While the SBC’s statement of faith states that both women and men are “gifted for service” in the church, the office of pastor is reserved for men. Some interpret it as referring only to senior pastors, but the amendment applies to women in associate roles, even if the senior pastor is male.

The SBC cannot tell its independent churches what to do, but it can decide whether they are in or out. As of 2023, it has expelled some churches that have women in pastoral positions Saddleback ChurchA California megachurch.

Politics is also a factor in marginal events. On Monday, Ex President Donald Trump The video appeared in a recorded message to attendees of an anti-abortion conservative group that gathered Monday next to the convention center. Trump urged attendees to vote.

Later Tuesday, former Vice President Mike Pence told an audience at a side event that he would “never” vote for President Joe Biden, criticizing him on the border, abortion and other policies. But Pence stopped short of endorsing his estranged one-time running mate, former President Donald Trump.

Pence has repeatedly called on GOP leadership to return to an agenda defined under former President Ronald Reagan, which he described in broad brushes as protecting prosperity, freedom, international leadership, anti-abortion and religious freedom.

Pence delivered a strong religious theme during a question-and-answer session with Brent Leatherwood, chairman of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, the SBC’s public policy agency. About 500 people attended the luncheon and gave Pence a standing ovation.

Without criticizing Trump by name, Pence criticized those who leave the issue of abortion to the states, saying that when the Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade decision, it actually turned the issue over to the states and “the American people.” Officials at every level of government were called to “advance the sanctity of life.” He compared the “states off” argument to those who sought to keep slavery a states’ rights issue in the 19th century.

Trump has repeatedly taken credit for repealing the federally guaranteed right to abortion — Roe v. Wade recommended three judges who overturned — but He opposed supporting a national abortion ban And he says he wants to leave the matter to the states.

Pence said he was proud to be part of an administration that helped put Roe “on the ash heap of history.”

He made self-deprecating jokes about “Rush Limbaugh on decaf” while hosting a mild-mannered radio show, and how Trump teased him because Pence followed the “Billy Graham rule” of not dining alone with a woman. His wife. “After what they said about me, they were attacking Mike Pence for being faithful to his wife,” Trump recalled.

On January 6, 2021, Pence said he was convinced he did the right thing in fulfilling his role in certifying Biden’s election in the face of unrest. Pence said there is nothing more un-American than the idea that one person as vice president can override the will of the electorate.

“By the grace of God we did our duty on that sad day,” he said.

Bart Barber, the Texas pastor who ended his two-year term as SBC president, told delegates Tuesday that their churches must provide a “safe place” to worship and gather.

The Abuse Reform Enforcement Task Force recently completed its work. Although it offered a curriculum to train churches on how to prevent and respond to abuse, it fell short. Order Annual meetings prior to establishing a database of offenders will help churches avoid hiring them.

Abuse survivor and advocate Megan Lively told the Ethics and Religious Freedom Commission Tuesday morning that she will raise awareness about abuse and provide resources to prevent and respond to it. He is a representative of Peace Church in Wilson, North Carolina.

Although some have advocated for reforms over the past two decades, since a 2019 report by the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News, the conference has struggled to respond to sexual abuse in its churches. It said about 380 Southern Baptist church leaders and volunteers have faced allegations of sexual misconduct over the past two decades.

The group commissioned a report from a consultancy firm, Guidepost Solutions. It decided that the Presidents of the Executive Committee of the Conference Intimidated and mistreated Survivors seeking help. This Committee handles the day-to-day operations of the Conference.

Jeff Iorg, the new chairman of the executive committee, told its members at a meeting on Monday that the committee was facing a “funding crisis” as it indemnified the guideline settlements from any legal consequences of the study. The conference is paying for legal defense against two defamation lawsuits filed by two people named in the report.

“We’ve spent more than $2 million on that compensation so far, and there’s no end in sight,” Iorg said.

___

Associated Press religion coverage is supported by AP together with With Conversation US, funded by the Lilly Endowment Inc. AP is solely responsible for this content.

TEL AVIV (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday during his latest trip to the Middle East, where the U.S.’s top diplomat endorsed the move. Armistice proposal As Israel continues to face new uncertainties Hostage rescue operation It killed many Palestinians and caused turmoil in Netanyahu’s government.

Blinken began his eighth visit to the region with no concrete public response yet to the proposal from Hamas or Israel, which he received 10 days ago. The conflict began in October By meeting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, a key negotiator of the extremist group Hamas. He then traveled to Israel to hold talks with Netanyahu and other Israeli officials.

Blinken again called on Hamas to accept the plan, which he said had broad international support.

“If you want a ceasefire, press Hamas to say ‘yes,'” he told reporters before departing Cairo, which will take him to Jordan and Qatar. Blinken said Israel accepted the plan, despite Netanyahu’s skepticism.

“I know there are people who are pessimistic about the prospects,” Blinken said, placing the blame on Hamas. “That’s understandable. Hamas continues to be extraordinarily cynical in its actions, which show that it cares not only about the welfare and security of Israelis, but also the Palestinians.

Although President Joe Biden, Blinken and other US officials praised Saturday’s rescue of four Israeli hostages, the operation left 274 Palestinian civilians and dead. The pressure for a cease-fire can be complicated By emboldening Israel and hardening Hamas’s determined struggle in the war that began with the October 7 attack on Israel.

Blinken said the plan was “the single best way” to secure a ceasefire, free the remaining hostages and improve regional security.

In his talks with El-Sissi, Blinken also discussed plans for post-conflict governance and reconstruction in Gaza.

“There has to be a plan, it has to include conservation, it has to include management, it has to include reconstruction,” Blinken said.

Netanyahu and his government have resisted calls for any “day after” plan that would prevent Israel from having some form of security presence in the region. Blinken said he would urge Israel to come up with acceptable alternatives.

“It would be great if Israel came up with its own ideas on this, and I will talk to the government about it,” he said. “But one way or another, we have to have these programs, we have to have them, and we have to be ready to go if we want to use the ceasefire.”

The three-phase plan calls for the release of more hostages and a temporary cessation of hostilities that will last until the second phase of negotiations, aimed at the release of all hostages, the “full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza” and a “permanent cessation of hostilities” is the United States’ mandate at the UN Security Council. According to the draft resolution, the third phase calls for reconstruction in Gaza.

Security Council Vote on the resolution on MondayIt welcomes the proposal and urges Hamas to accept it.

Moderna plans to file for regulatory approval for its compound jab in the U.S. this summer, and hopes it can enter the market by 2025, the company’s CEO Stephen Bancell said in an interview.

Moderna, Pfizer and Novavax have said the combination shots will simplify how people can protect themselves against respiratory viruses that typically crop up around the same time of year. The added convenience is especially important as fewer Americans are rolling up their sleeves to get vaccinated against Covid.

Bancell added that the scenarios could reduce the burden of respiratory viruses on pharmacists and the broader U.S. health care system, which are struggling with labor shortages that have stretched many workers thin.

Moderna’s messenger RNA combination shot, called MRNA-1083, contains both the company’s vaccine candidate for seasonal flu and a new, “next-generation” version of its Covid shot. Both of those experimental vaccines — mRNA-1010 and mRNA-1283 — have shown positive results in three separate phase three trials.

An ongoing late-stage trial of mRNA-1083 tested the combination in 8,000 patients.

The study compared Fluzone HD and Moderna’s currently licensed Covid shot, a combination shot with an improved flu vaccine called SpikeVax, in a group of patients 65 and older. The trial also compared Moderna’s combination jab with standard flu shots called Flurix and Spikevax in another group of participants between the ages of 50 and 64.

In both age groups, a single dose of Moderna’s combination vaccine produced “statistically significantly greater” immune responses against three strains of influenza and the covid omicron variant XBB.1.5.

Moderna said the safety of the combination shot and how well patients tolerated it were acceptable. The most common side effects are injection site pain, fatigue, muscle pain, and headache. Most of those effects were mild to moderate in severity.

Moderna is developing a combination shot targeting flu and RSV, and another vaccine targeting three respiratory viruses: Covid, flu and RSV.

Meanwhile, Pfizer and BioNTech are studying a vaccine targeting both Covid and flu in late-stage trials. Novavax is developing a compound for those viruses as well, but its Covid shot uses protein-based technology.

CNN
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Carlos Algarz won his third Grand Slam title French Open On Sunday, Alexander defeated Zverev 6-3 2-6 5-7 6-1 6-2.

With the win, Algarz, 21, became the youngest player to win a Grand Slam title on each surface, having won the US Open in 2022 and Wimbledon last year.

He came in a tense game against Zverev Court Philippe-Satrier To add to his collection of trophies, march down one of the two sets in impressive style.

In windy conditions, the Spaniard showcased his fearless brand of tennis in front of a lively Parisian crowd.

He saved several break points to hold on to lead in the deciding set and went to double break before rallying for victory in four hours and 19 minutes, sinking to the ground and pumping his fists in joy.

Algarez remains unbeaten in Grand Slam finals and is the youngest French Open winner since compatriot Rafael Nadal won the third of his 14 singles titles in 2007.

“From the first match until today (for me), the crowd has been great,” Algaraz said in his on-court interview, thanking his team and family. “I have good words for you guys for the support I’ve received not only in matches but also in practice … You’ve made this tournament so special.”

It was a tight affair after Ika Sviatek won the women’s singles title in straight sets on Saturday.

The pair traded breaks in a tense break early in the match before Algaras got the upper hand at 2-2.

He started to close out the set with a forehand winner, but from there Zverev increased his intensity and produced some very good tennis in the second set.

He had an 83% first-serve success rate in the second set as he leveled the match at double break in the 2020 US Open final, losing to Dominic Thiem in five sets en route to winning his first Grand Slam title. .

In the third set Algaras saved three break points to lead 5-2 and seemed to regain control of the match. Suddenly, however, his game dropped and Zverev roared back, winning the next five games to take the tournament lead for the first time.

The world No. 3 had to respond and did so in style. A ferocious whipping forehand put Algarez up 2-0 in the fourth set, before a well-executed drop shot set up another break of Zverev’s serve two games later.

There was an exchange of breaks either side of clinical time for Algaraz, who then held his serve to force a decider.

It was only the second time since 2005 that the men’s French Open final had gone to 5 sets, and Zverev’s string of unforced errors – including a double fault – was a sign that the pressure was starting to take its toll.

After leading by a break, Algaras had to dig themselves out of a 0-40 hole in the following game.

With the finish line in sight, a stunning backhand passing shot helped him to another break, and from there a third Grand Slam title – on hard courts, grass and now clay – was just a formality.

Zverev had his best run at the French Open in the wake of an assault case, and on Friday, a Berlin court announced that he and his former partner had agreed to a plea bargain.

Asked about the pre-final reconciliation, the world No 4 said he was “glad it’s over” but “didn’t want to ask another question about the matter again”.

He had to come from two five-set matches – against Dalen Kriegspoor and Holger Roone – in the run to the final, as well as coming back from a set down against Casper Rutt in the semi-finals.

Algaraz, in contrast, spent less time on court than his opponent despite suffering a hand injury before this year’s French Open. He improves his record to 11 wins and just one loss in five-set matches – a remarkable statistic for such a young player.

One of those marathon wins was in the semifinals against Australian Open champion and soon-to-be world No. 1 Janic Sinner, making Alcaraz the first man in the Open era to win a final and a semifinal in five sets.

He may not have been at his best throughout the final against Zverev – hitting 56 unforced errors with 52 winners – but his latest Grand Slam victory is further proof that Algaraz thrives when playing under high-stakes matches.

It was another milestone performance in a remarkable tennis career.

However, it was the Mercedes driver who finished second in F1 following his debut in Hungary in 2022.

For the first time since 1997, fans have seen such a situation.

What happens when two F1 drivers qualify at the same time?

The fourth paragraph of Article 39.4 of the FIA ​​F1 Sporting Regulations, i.e. (iv), states: “If two or more drivers set the same time during Q1, Q2 or Q3 or SQ1, SQ2 or SQ3, priority shall be given to the driver who set first”.

In other words, the driver who sets the time before the other driver is ahead.

In Canada, Russell set the fastest time, and Verstappen later matched it.

Indeed, the Briton had another shot in which he failed to advance, leading to a curious situation for him and Verstappen on laps of 1:12.000s.

This happened last time

Michael Schumacher, Jacques Villeneuve and Heinz-Harald Frentsen set the same time in the 1997 season of 1:21.072 to qualify for the European GP.

Pole position went to Villeneuve, who crossed the finish line first, and the following day he would win the world championship after a well-known dispute with Schumacher.

It was very different to F1 qualifying with the one-hour session format, so Villeneuve set his time 15 minutes ahead of Schumacher and Frentzen later than the German.

Have two F1 drivers ever tied in a race?

No, two drivers have never crossed the finish line of an F1 race.

A small gap occurred at the end of a race at the 2002 United States GP, when Ferrari achieved a one-two finish and Rubens Barrichello took the checkered flag 0.011s ahead of team-mate Schumacher.