Storm

When United States President Donald Trump unveiled his steep “reciprocal” tariffs on dozens of countries in April, economists issued warnings of catastrophic economic harm.

So far, their fears have not materialised.

The US economy – the single biggest driver of global growth – has defied expectations across numerous metrics, with inflation staying low, employment and consumer spending remaining robust, and the stock market reaching record highs.

Still, even if the limited fallout from Trump’s tariffs has taken some analysts by surprise, economists warn that the US and global economies may just be experiencing the calm before the storm.

Dozens of US trade partners, including close allies such as South Korea and Japan, are facing tariffs of 25 percent to 40 percent unless they seal trade deals with the Trump administration by an August 1 deadline.

“When you start to see tariffs at 20 or more, you reach a point where firms may stop importing altogether,” Joseph Foudy, an economics professor at the New York University Stern School of Business, told Al Jazeera.

“Firms simply postpone major decisions, delay hiring, and economic activity declines,” Foudy added.

“The uncertainty around trade in that sense is as costly as the actual tariff rates.”

Even countries that are able to hammer out a deal in time are likely to face significantly higher duties.

Trump’s preliminary agreements with Vietnam and China, announced in May and early July, respectively, stipulate minimum tariff rates of 20 percent and 30 percent.

On Friday, the Financial Times reported that Trump was pushing for a tariff of 15-20 percent on the European Union, which is the US’s single largest trading partner and is facing a 30 percent duty from August 1, in any deal reached with the bloc.

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, has warned that Trump’s mooted 30 percent tariff would “disrupt essential transatlantic supply chains, to the detriment of businesses, consumers and patients on both sides of the Atlantic”.

‘Harm growth’

“In my view, the few tariff agreements that have been reached represent nontrivial changes in US trade policy and so will harm growth, so even if much less extreme than threatened, will matter,” Steven Durlauf, a professor of economics at the University of Chicago, told Al Jazeera.

Economists widely agree that the impact of tariffs implemented so far has not been fully felt, as many businesses built up their stockpiles of inventories in advance to mitigate rising costs.

Under the existing measures – including a baseline 10 percent duty on nearly all countries, and higher levies on cars and steel – the effective average US tariff rate currently stands at 16.6 percent, with the rate set to rise 20.6 percent from August 1, according to The Budget Lab at Yale Department of Economics.

Even if Trump does not sharply hike tariffs on August 1, economists expect inflation to rise at least somewhat in the coming months, with higher prices in turn likely to drag on growth.

In an analysis published last month, BBVA Research estimated that even the current level of US tariffs could reduce global gross domestic product (GDP) by 0.5 of a percentage point in the short term, and by more than 2 percentage points over the medium term.

“It is too soon to expect big effects on prices in the US, as there was a large increase in exports to the US in anticipation of higher tariffs, and firms are waiting to see where things will end up in terms of tariffs that affect them. So, not surprising, we have seen limited effects so far,” Bernard Hoekman, director of Global Economics at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy, told Al Jazeera.

“But if the US does what it has indicated it wants to do – raise average tariffs to the 20-30 percent level – there will be a much larger impact.”

Trump and his allies have repeatedly dismissed economists’ warnings about his tariffs, pointing to the steady stream of positive data to make the case that the economic consensus is flawed.

“The Fake News and the so-called ‘Experts’ were wrong again,” Trump wrote on Truth Social in response to a recent report from his Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) that found prices of imported goods fell by 0.1 percent from December to May.

“Tariffs are making our Country ‘BOOM.’”

The CEA report’s methodology drew criticism from some economic analysts, with the National Taxpayers Union saying it failed to take account of stockpiling by importers and covered a period that was “way too short to draw any definitive conclusions”.

Despite the strong headline figures on the US economy, economists have also pointed to warning signs in the data.

In a note last week, Wells Fargo economists Tim Quinlan and Shannon Grein pointed out that discretionary spending on services in the US fell 0.3 percent in the year up to May, indicating potential economic storm clouds ahead.

“That is admittedly a modest decline, but what makes it scary is that in 60+ years, this measure has only declined either during or immediately after recessions,” Quinlan and Grein said.

Durlauf, the University of Chicago professor, said the Trump administration had little cause to see the relative health of the economy up until now as a vindication of its economic plans.

“First, there is widespread belief that tariff threats will not be realised in actual agreements. Second, the effects of tariffs on prices and output take some time to work through the system,” Durlauf said.

“There is no sense that the absence of large effects on real activity and inflation, so far, in any way vindicate claims of the Trump administration.”

“I’m going to give you everything you want,” President Trump told disaster-stricken residents and local officials. “I’m going to give you more than any president would have ever given you.”

That was in January, in Los Angeles, in the wake of the catastrophic Palisades and Eaton fires. If Trump could express such magnanimity in California, typically the blue-state butt of his partisan jabs and threats, imagine what he’ll tell red-state Texans on Friday when he visits the flood-ravaged Hill Country, where the usually easy-going Guadalupe River turned mass killer on the Fourth of July.

He’s sure to promise that the federal government will spare no expense. (Note: California is still waiting.) But words are cheap, especially for the truth-challenged Trump. Even as the president, playing Daddy Warbucks, promises money in the moment, he must be held to account for his administration’s continued mindless axing of federal funds and government-wide expertise (a process greenlighted on Tuesday by the ever-accommodating Supreme Court) — and not least in gutting essential agencies that forecast weather, warn of storms and then help Americans recover from disasters.

Trump isn’t to blame for the deaths and destruction in Texas. But raising questions about the effect of his, and the now-disfavored Elon Musk’s, reckless rampage through government offices isn’t “depraved and despicable,” as White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt fulminated on Monday. It’s merely holding the government to account, which is, to be sure, a foreign concept to a president accustomed to impunity. (Leavitt’s protestations are particularly rich considering that Trump falsely blamed then-President Biden after Hurricane Helene during last year’s campaign, and initially suggested on Sunday that the Texas tragedy was somehow a “Biden set-up.”)

For a decade now, Trump has exploited Americans’ disdain of government, even when he’s at the head of it. But Americans don’t like government until they need it, and they expect it to keep them safe in the meantime. Because Trump is taking Musk’s chainsaw to federal agencies, with the acquiescence of Congress’ Republican majorities, he should be on the defensive from here on out for every emergency, crisis and tragedy that might have been prevented or at least mitigated by federal action.

Most of Trump’s proposed and attempted cuts have yet to take effect. Some — say, cutbacks in public health and scientific research programs — might not be fully felt for years. Yet even if administration reductions, eliminations and layoffs aren’t culpable this time, in this tragedy, what about the next? Because there will be a next time.

Consider: Climate change is demonstrably turbocharging the number and intensity of severe storms, yet Trump’s budget calls for closing the National Severe Storms Laboratory, which has pioneered forecasting technology for years.

It’s way past time to ignore the familiar post-catastrophe mantra that people inappropriately politicize calamity by raising questions, proposing remedies and, yes, laying blame: Only thoughts and prayers allowed. We’ve heard it in recent days not only from the likes of Leavitt, but also from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and his fellow Republican, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who inserted further cuts to weather forecasting funds as part of the One Big Ugly Bill that Trump signed into law on the Fourth, as Texans dealt with the flood nightmare.

The victims deserve more. We all do.

For months since Trump took office and began his slashing spree on Day 1 with his executive orders, critics and experts have predicted that his actions could boomerang, in particular when it comes to weather-related threats, such as the hurricane season underway.

Just to cite one example: Back in April, Rep. Zoe Lofgren of San Jose, the senior Democrat on the House committee that oversees the National Weather Service, complained (presciently?), “Chaotic and illegal firings, coercions to resign, reductions in force, and a general obsession with destroying the morale of dedicated public servants have left the National Weather Service’s work force so strained they cannot carry out their duties as they once did.”

So when we have a natural disaster like that in Texas, where survivors lament inadequate warnings, why should Lofgren or anyone else keep quiet and just think and pray? It’s political, but it’s proper as well that Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York asked for an investigation of whether staffing shortfalls at the weather service contributed to the Texas flood’s death toll. A Republican, Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran, cited Texas’ plight at a Senate hearing on Wednesday to complain that Trump’s federal hiring freeze has also left his state and others short of meteorologists, and without 24/7 coverage when tornadoes ripped through Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas in May.

Early evidence and anecdotes suggest that federal forecasters did their job in warning Texans of flooding hours in advance. But years of penny-pinching and antitax zeal at the local and state levels, especially, meant that the region — known as “flash flood alley” — had no system in place to adequately transmit the warnings to rural residents in the dead of night.

Yet the feds — Trump mainly — still have much to answer for. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which includes the National Weather Service, was among the earliest targets of his misnamed Department of Government Efficiency. Trump said he wants to phase out the Federal Emergency Management Agency completely.

Months before the storm, a union official representing staff of the weather service, Tom Fahy, told the New York Times that its offices nationwide were “struggling to maintain operations” amid what the agency acknowledged as “severe shortages” of meteorologists and other employees. After the storm, Fahy said that vacancies at the two offices overseeing the Texas Hill Country were roughly double what they were when Trump took office. The longtime “warning coordination meteorologist” for the Hill Country in April announced that he was “sad” to prematurely end his career amid the administration cutbacks and early-retirement offers.

A local media outlet lamented the man’s departure: “The importance of experience” in the job he’d held “cannot be understated.” Abbott is being defensive, as he should be. “Who’s to blame?” the three-term governor snapped at a reporter on Tuesday. “That’s the word choice of losers.” Expect more such vituperation when the Guv greets his friend, the president, on Friday — from both men — should anyone suggest they bear any blame.

Losers? If the word fits…

@Jackiekcalmes
@jackiecalmes.bsky.social
@jkcalmes

A JOCKEY banned from racing for his role in the ‘biggest race-fixing storm ever’ was beaten by a 40-1 outsider on his first ride back in 14 years.

Greg Fairley beat William Buick to the Champion Apprentice title in 2007 and looked all set for superstardom in the saddle.

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He would go onto Group 1 glory and massive prize money earnings of £2.8million on the track over a few short years, banging in 381 winners in Britain alone.

But his career looked done and dusted in 2011 when he was hit with a colossal ban for two of the most serious rules breaches.

He was found guilty of riding a horse to lose – ‘failing to obtain the best possible placing’ – and passing on inside information for reward.

A total of 11 people were sanctioned by the BHA for what at the time was called the ‘largest race-fixing ring ever exposed in British racing history’.

Fairley and fellow jockey Paul Doe were warned off for a dozen years, while two owners were banned for 14 for betting on their horses to lose, ‘corrupting’ jockeys in the process.

Fairley last rode 14 years ago but, having served his time and been regranted a licence by the BHA, he made his comeback at Ayr on Monday.

Scottish trainer Iain Jardine gave Fairley, who in his own words ran away’ back home to Scotland to run a tree surgery business before the BHA announced his ban, the ride on 4-1 Superior Council.

The six-year-old gelding, who had finished first and second on his two most recent starts, had been backed into as short as 3-1 before drifting slightly before the off.

But despite jumping well from the stalls he found little in the 6f race and finished eighth pf 16.

Former Amo Racing jockey Kevin Stott was on the winner – two-time Grand National champ Lucinda Russell’s 40-1 South Road.

In a statement written before his return, Fairley addressed his past ban and said it’s all now behind him as he focuses on winning again.

Fairley wrote: “Fifteen years ago I chose a path that was wrong and paid a justifiably significant price for my poor decisions.

“I’m incredibly grateful to the licencing committee of the BHA for giving me a second chance.

“I would also like to thank Sandy Thomson, Iain Jardine and Charlie and Mark Johnston who have all been very supportive.”

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July 6 (UPI) — Tropical Storm Chantal dumped heavy rain on South Carolina early Sunday before weakening to a depression as it came ashore.

The third named storm of the year, Chantal came ashore near Litchfield, S.C., about 3 a.m. before being downgraded. The National Weather Service said the center of the storm was hard to determine as it began to diffuse after arriving onshore.

Winds peaked at 60 mph before coming ashore, the National Hurricane Center said. The storm had moved inland about 80 miles west of Wilmington, N.C., moving north at about 9 mph. Its sustained winds, however, had fallen off to about 35 mph.

Flash flooding remained a concern and prompted local areas to take precautions as forecasters predicted that as much as four inches of rain could drench the region into the day Monday.

“1-3 inches of rain has already fallen in isolated locations across Eastern NC,” the Newport/Morehead City office of the NWS said in a social media post. “Expect 1-1.5 additional inches through Monday, with locally higher amounts of 3+ possible. This could lead to localized flash flooding.”

Heavy rain forced the closure of some lanes of Interstate 95 as it moved inland, forcing travelers to take alternate routes to reach their destinations.

The storm prompted isolated tornado threats, but the storm was not expected to threaten North Carolina’s popular Outer Banks area. The risk is, however, high for a dangerous rip current across eastern North Carolina through Sunday night.

July 5 (UPI) — Tropical Storm Chantal formed in the Atlantic on Saturday morning and is projected to reach South Carolina and North Carolina on Sunday, the National Hurricane Center said.

Chantal, the third named storm of the season, will be the first system to impact the United States this Atlantic hurricane season, which began June 1.

“As tropical cyclones go, this storm will be relatively minor and short-lived,” Frank Strait, severe weather liaison with the South Carolina State Climate Office, told the Island Packet.

In the 2 p.m. EDT update, Chantal had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and was traveling northward at 3 mph. In the 11 a.m. update, the winds were 40 mph.

The storm became a tropical depression Friday night off the coasts of Northeast Florida and Georgia.

Chantal was about 105 miles south-southeast of Charleston, S.C., and about 185 miles south-southwest of Wilmington, N.C.

A tropical storm warning is in effect for the South Santee River, S.C., to Surf City, N.C. A tropical storm watch goes from Edisto Beach to South Santee River.

Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 105 miles east of the center.

“Chantal has barely moved since last night, but a motion to the north-northwest is expected to begin soon,” NHC forecasters said. “The main steering features appear to be a mid- to upper-level low over the Gulf and a narrow mid-level ridge across the mid-Atlantic region.”

Some strengthening is expected before Chantal reaches the coast, NHC said.

A turn to the northeast is forecast by Sunday night, NHC said. On the forecast track, the center of Chantal is expected to move across South Carolina’s coast Sunday morning.

Chantal is expected to produce heavy rainfall in the Carolinas through Monday with 2 to 4 inches and local amounts of 6 inches. NHC said these rains could cause flash flooding

“The combination of storm surge and tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline,” NHC said.

Storm surge is forecast at 1-3 feet from South Santee River to Surf City and 1-2 feet from Edisto Beach to South Santee River.

Also, isolated tornadoes are possible Saturday night into Sunday along South Carolina’s eastern coast and much of North Carolina, NHC said.

“This was a classic example of homegrown development, by which a tropical storm formed close to the southeast Atlantic coast and in an area where it is typical for July,” AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva said.

Andrea and Barry, the first two named systems of the Atlantic hurricane season, have dissipated.

June 29 (UPI) — Tropical Storm Barry was nearing the eastern Gulf Coast of Mexico on Sunday evening, and was expected to bring heavy rains and flash flooding to the North American nation over the next few days.

Barry was located about 60 miles southeast of Tampico, on Mexico’s eastern coast, in the Gulf of Mexico, with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph, the National Hurricane Center said in its 7 p.m. CDT update.

It was moving northwest at 8 mph and was on track to make landfall in the next few hours, before moving inland over eastern Mexico Sunday night.

A tropical storm warning is in effect for the Gulf Coast of Mexico from Boca de Catan southward to Tecolutla.

It is not expected to intensify much more before making landfall, and weakening is forecast to begin shortly after it moves inland, according to a NHC discussion on the storm.

“The primary impact with Barry remains heavy rainfall and flash flooding for the upslope areas of eastern Mexico,” the NHC said.

Between 3 and 6 inches of rainfall are expected with isolated maximum totals of 10 inches across the Mexican states of Veracruz, San Luis Potosi and Tamaulipas through Monday, the forecasters said.

“This rainfall may produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain,” it said.

Tropical Storm Barry is the second named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is forecasting between 13 and 19 total named storms for this year.

June 19 (UPI) — Hurricane Erick made landfall in southern Mexico with powerful winds Thursday morning, but has been downgraded to a tropical storm and is expected to dissipate during the overnight hours.

The National Hurricane Center on Thursday afternoon reported Erick had moved over the Mexican state of Guerrero along the country’s Pacific coast, about 35 miles north-northeast of Acapulco.

A tropical storm warning is in effect from Punta Maldonado to Tecpan de Galeana, with sustained winds of around 50 mph and flooding rains.

The storm system is moving northwesterly at about 12 mph, according to the NHC.

“This general motion is expected to continue through tonight,” NHC forecasters said. “The center of Erick is forecast to move over southern and southwestern Mexico until it dissipates tonight.”

Tropical-storm-force winds will extend up to 45 miles outward from the eye of the storm for a few more hours before dissipating.

Erick is expected to drop 6 to 8 more inches of rain across Guerrero and Oaxaca, but totals could reach as high as 16 inches.

The storm could also produce dangerous flooding and mudslides, particularly in steeper areas.

Up to 6 inches of rain may also fall across the states of Colima, Jalisco and Michoacan.

The storm surge is considered likely to produce coastal flooding along portions of southern Mexico, but is expected to gradually subside through the night.

Swells generated by the tropical storm will continue to affect coastal areas along southern Mexico.

“These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions,” NHC forecasters said.

Erick neared landfall along the western coast of Mexico as a Category 4 hurricane earlier Thursday, with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph. It had first become a hurricane on Wednesday morning.

Erick is the fifth named storm in the Pacific this year. No storms have formed in the Atlantic yet.

The Eastern Pacific hurricane season runs from May 15 to Nov. 30, while the Atlantic season is from June 1 to Nov. 30.

The United States National Hurricane Center has warned of the risk of ‘life-threatening flooding and mudslides’.

Hurricane Erick has become an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm, hours before it is expected to pummel Mexico’s Pacific coastline, the United States National Hurricane Center (NHC) has said.

In its latest bulletin, the meteorological centre said Erick could grow even more powerful before making landfall in the eastern part of Guerrero state and the western part of Oaxaca state on Thursday morning.

The major storm, which is travelling to the northwest at a rate of 15km/h (nine mph), will unleash destructive winds, flash floods and a dangerous storm surge, forecasters have predicted.

As it neared Mexico, the NHC reported that the hurricane’s maximum sustained winds had increased to about 230km/h (145mph), putting it within the Category 4 wind speed range of 209-251km/h (130-156mph).

The NHC warned that Erick could unleash up to 16 inches (40cm) of rain on Oaxaca and Guerrero, bringing the risk of “life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain”.

The Mexican states of Chiapas, Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco could also be hit by up to 6 inches of rainfall, the Miami-based centre added.

Late on Wednesday, Erick’s projected path was revised, as it is headed closer to the resort city of Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca. A hurricane warning is in place for the entire coastal area between Acapulco and Puerto Angel.

Mexican authorities have scrambled to prepare residents and tourists ahead of Erick’s arrival. In a video message on Wednesday night, President Claudia Sheinbaum urged people to stay at home or move to shelters if they were in low-lying areas.

Some 2,000 temporary shelters have been set up in the states of Chiapas, Guerrero and Oaxaca to house those who have to leave their homes.

Meanwhile, Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado said that schools in her state would stay closed, and that fishing and tourism operators had been told to make their boats storm ready.

Residents in the Guerrero resort of Acapulco were among those steeling themselves for Erick’s landfall.

The city of almost one million people was devastated in October 2023 by Hurricane Otis, which killed at least 52 people and destroyed many homes and businesses.

Carlos Ozuna Romero, 51, lost his restaurant at the edge of an Acapulco beach in the 2023 hurricane. On Wednesday, he oversaw workers as they stored tables and chairs in preparation for the new storm.

“Authorities’ warnings fill us with fear and obviously make us remember everything we’ve already been through,” he said.

Elsewhere in the city, Veronica Gomez, a 40-year-old shipping company worker, suggested the city was much better prepared this time. “Now it’s not going to catch us by surprise,” she said.

Erick is likely to rapidly weaken as it reaches the mountains, and it is predicted to dissipate on Thursday night or early Friday, according to the NHC.

If one word sums up the Sparks’ season so far, it’s hardship. Injuries continue to mount, and Kelsey Plum, their primary scorer and star, has joined the growing list of sidelined players.

Plum’s absence was sorely felt as what began as a valiant effort by the Sparks — keeping pace with the visiting Storm through the first half — quickly unraveled into a 98-67 blowout loss Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena.

Already down two key starters — Plum and Odyssey Sims — the Sparks were forced to piece together a new starting lineup on short notice. Dearica Hamby, Rickea Jackson, Azurá Stevens, Sarah Ashlee Barker and newly acquired Shey Peddy marked the Sparks’ fifth different starting five this season.

“We obviously missed [Plum],” coach Lynne Roberts said. “We missed Odyssey. We missed Julie [Allemand]. Those are our three lead guards, and none of them are here.”

Plum was out with a leg injury, Sims for personal reasons and Allemand is with the Belgium national team for the European basketball championship. Plum’s absence was the most felt — she is averaging career highs in points (20.9), assists (5.6), rebounds (2.9) and steals (1.7) so far this season.

Peddy, signed to a hardship contract, joined the team just before Saturday’s loss to the Minnesota Lynx. Since then, she has had just one practice under her belt before stepping in to replace Plum at point guard.

Also signed under a hardship exception, Grace Berger flew in late Monday and joined the team just hours before the game. Berger went scoreless in16 minutes.

“I thought Shey and Grace did a good job,” Roberts said. “They did what they could, but it’s hard to execute stuff that they’ve had little time to digest. It’s not anyone’s fault. That’s just the reality.”

Running the offense through their anchor, Hamby, the Sparks (4-9) held their own through the first 20 minutes, refusing to waver. They trailed 47-37 by halftime.

Hamby finished with a season-low eight points and grabbed seven rebounds.

But the resilience was short-lived. As the game wore on, cracks in the offense widened. Careless passes led to a flurry of turnovers.

Seattle’s Gabby Williams set the tone early with six steals in the first half. She finished with eight, along with 11 points and seven assists. The Storm scored 31 points off 24 Sparks turnovers, with 24 of those points coming on fast breaks.

A 14–5 run — led by former Sparks star Nneka Ogwumike — gave Seattle (7-5) a 62–42 lead with 5:37 left in the third. Ogwumike scored 10 of her 26 points in the quarter.

“In the second half, we couldn’t get a stop,” Roberts said. “We’ve got to be able to defend. We can’t give up 98 points and expect to beat anybody.”

Stevens echoed her coach’s sentiment: “Obviously, we have key people out, but we have enough to still execute and get things done. And it starts defensively.”

Several Sparks starters — including Hamby, Jackson and Stevens — remained in the game late into the fourth, but the deficit had long grown insurmountable, with the team trailing by as many as 30 points. Jackson led the Sparks with 17 points, while Stevens finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

The news of Plum’s absence came as a surprise just after practice on Monday, with the Sparks ruling her out because of a lower leg injury.

Dominique Malonga, the 2025 first-round draft pick subsequently chosen as part of the three-team trade for Plum, finished with seven points in 12 minutes for Seattle.

It’s still unclear when Plum sustained the injury, though it presumably happened during Saturday’s loss to the Lynx. She underwent imaging the next day, but the team says the results offered little clarity.

Even more uncertain is her return timeline. It’s unclear if she will play Saturday against Minnesota. Roberts said Plum is “tuned in to her body — she’ll know when she’s ready to go.”

Through the first 12 games of the season, only Atlanta Dream star Rhyne Howard is averaging more minutes per game than Plum’s 36.

“I still believe strongly in this group, and we’re not even close to full strength,” Roberts said. “We have Kelsey Plum, Odyssey Sims, Julie Allemand, Rae Burrell and Cameron Brink all out. And when we’re going into the season, we’re thinking, Plum, Sims, Allemand, Burrell and Brink are all going to be huge parts. So we cannot lose perspective.”

But a prolonged absence for Plum could spell serious trouble for a team already reeling.

The UK government has issued a new travel warning against all travel to parts of Mexico as Tropical Storm Erick has taken shape off the southern coast of the country

A fresh UK government travel warning has been issued for parts of Mexico due to Tropical Storm Erick which is forecast to develop into a hurricane by the afternoon of June 18th.

Erick is currently south-east of Punta Maldonado in Mexico and is expected to intensify into a hurricane with forecasters warning it could make landfall on Mexico’s Pacific coast.

Heavy rain is forecast to affect Guerrero, Oaxaca, Chiapas, and southern Veracruz, and a hurricane watch has been issued for the Pacific coast.

Forecasters said Erick was moving west-north-east at 12 miles per hour and will move closer to Mexico’s coastline by late Wednesday with maximum sustained winds of 40 miles per hour being reported on Tuesday.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) warned Britons that their travel insurance could be rendered invalid if they fail to adhere to the advice issued.

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The FCDO’s website issued the following warning:

“Tropical Storm Erick is expected to make landfall on the pacific coast on 17 June with heavy rains affecting Guerrero, Oaxaca, Chiapas and the south of Veracruz.

“It is expected to gain strength and become a Category 2 hurricane by the afternoon of 18 June affecting an area along the southern pacific coast from Puerto Angel in Oaxaca to Punta Maldonado in Guerrero.”

The FCDO has warned: “You should closely monitor local and international weather updates from the US National Hurricane Center and follow the advice of local authorities and your tour operator, including any evacuation orders.”, reports the Express.

“See the tropical cyclones page for advice about how to prepare for travel during hurricane season and what to do ahead of a storm.

“In the aftermath of a hurricane, there can be flooding, high winds and continued rainfall.”

A previous warning states:

“The hurricane season in Mexico normally runs from June to November and can affect the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. Tropical storms and hurricanes cause floods, landslides and disruption to local services, including transport networks.

“After a hurricane there can still be continued flooding, high winds and rainfall. Monitor local and international weather updates from the US National Hurricane Center and follow the advice of local authorities and your tour operator, including evacuation orders.”

OMAHA, Neb. — UCLA head coach John Savage walked out of the dugout and to freshman pitcher Wylan Moss. The righty sat down the first two batters he faced Tuesday morning but stepped into trouble with a walk and a base hit. When Moss’s first pitch to LSU’s Steven Milam didn’t catch the strike zone, Savage wanted to give the righty encouragement.

Milam singled to continue the two-out rally. It was the first of four Tigers two-out RBIs on Tuesday, fifth of the game. LSU went 7-for-15 with two outs. It didn’t matter if it was Moss or one of the seven other Bruins pitchers that faced LSU. Even reliable closer Easton Hawk gave up a final RBI in the bottom of the eighth, preventing UCLA from building momentum from a scrappy eighth inning.

“Just seemed like we were swimming upstream a little bit most of the game,” Savage said.

LSU leapfrogged UCLA’s three-run first inning by scoring four, giving the Tigers an early lead on Monday night. They maintained that lead for 15 hours as storms rolled over Charles Schwab Field, forcing the game to continue Tuesday morning. LSU scored two when play resumed in the fourth. UCLA scrapped together an eighth-inning rally until Phoenix Call, the potential tying run, grounded out to shortstop, dooming the Bruins to a 9-5 loss in the Men’s College World Series. The Bruins now face Arkansas and possible elimination at 4 p.m. PDT Tuesday. The game will air on ESPN.

“We put up three and then they put up four. Then they come out and do a good job with two outs in the fourth, and they got two there,” Savage said. “And it seemed like we were just trailing a little bit from the mound, mostly.”

None of the eight pitchers used in the loss recorded more than six outs. Landon Stump allowed five runs in two-plus innings before Chris Grothues ended the third inning going into the weather delay. Moss only pitched two outs. Sophomore Cal Randall came in to provide 1.2 innings of one-hit relief. Ian May, Jack O’Connor, August Souza and Hawk combined to throw under three innings, allowing three hits, two runs and two walks.

“They were competing. Just some days you have it better than others,” said Cashel Dugger, who caught all eight pitchers. “We’re in the World Series. They’re giving it their all. Just some days you don’t have it as good as others.”

UCLA sophomore pitcher Cal Randall delivers the ball from the mound during a Men’s College World Series game against LSU on Tuesday, July 17, 2025. The Bruins lost the game that started Monday night and resumed Tuesday following a weather delay.

(Mac Brown / UCLA Athletics)

The Bruins’ bats struggled to answer the call. Collectively, UCLA lead-off batter went 1-for-11 (.091) in the game. The Bruins went 2 of 10 with two outs, 4 of 14 with runners on base. Dugger was one of three Bruins with two hits, joining Mulivai Levu and AJ Salgado.

At the core of UCLA’s offensive struggles is standout shortstop Roch Cholowsky. While his sacrifice bunt against Murray State on Saturday started a rally, he’s still without a hit in the College World Series after going 0-for-5 against LSU. He hadn’t done that since early March against UConn. Cholowsky is now hitless in his last 12 at bats.

He popped out in foul territory to start the eighth inning, where UCLA made it’s last stand. Payton Brennan scored Levu on a fielder’s choice and Blake Balsz sent an RBI single up the middle to give the Bruins momentum. Dugger then walked to load the bases. LSU brought in sophomore righty Chase Shores to face Phoenix Call, the tying run. Call swung at the first pitch, a dribbler to the shortstop. The rally ended with a flip to second.

“We had some opportunities, but at the end of the day I just thought they were the better team today,” Savage said. “So we’ve got to regroup and focus on Arkansas now.”

The Bruins dodged bad Big Ten weather all season. Now they will play their first doubleheader of the season in the College World Series. Awaiting them in the elimination game is a team riding the emotional high of a 19-strikeout no-hitter on Monday.

SAN DIEGO — Dave Roberts wasn’t pretending to be calm. He was calm.

None of this was new to him, the depleted starting rotation, the fatigued bullpen, the division rivals within striking distance.

Under similar circumstances in past seasons, Roberts pointed out, “We’ve gotten to the other side.”

The Dodgers won a World Series like this last year. They have won the National League West in 12 of the last 13 seasons.

They usually reach “the other side.”

So rather than panic, Roberts waits. He waits for the end of a particularly difficult 26-game stretch, and when Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell can pitch again.

Roberts won’t say this publicly, but the Dodgers just have to tread water until they are whole.

They claimed a 5-2 victory over the San Diego Padres on Wednesday to win for the second time in their three-game series at Petco Park, preserving their lead in the NL West.

The Dodgers host the second-place San Francisco Giants in a three-game series that starts Friday and the third-place Padres in a four-game series that opens Monday, after which their schedule will become noticeably softer.

Their remaining opponents before the All-Star break: the Washington Nationals, Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox, Houston Astros and Milwaukee Brewers. The post-All-Star Game schedule is extremely manageable as well.

Provided a couple of their starting pitchers return as anticipated, the Dodgers should be able to not just win their division but also secure a top-two seed in the NL, which would give them a first-round bye in the playoffs. As it is, the Dodgers are 41-27, only ½ game behind the Chicago Cubs, the league’s current No. 2 team.

Dodgers players have taken on Roberts’ understated confidence and make-do-with-what-you-have approach, which explains how the team has survived a 19-game stretch in which every opponent had a winning record. The Dodgers were 10-9 in those games.

“Character,” Roberts said.

Roberts specifically pointed to Teoscar Hernández, who broke out of a slump Wednesday to hit a key three-run home run; to Freddie Freeman, who he revealed is now dealing with a quadriceps injury in addition to his ankle problems; to Mookie Betts, who has continued to play high-level shortstop while playing with a broken toe.

“Guys are not running from the middle part of the season, the stretch we’re going through,” Roberts said. “We’re just finding ways to win.”

Teoscar Hernández circles the bases after his three-run homer.

(Derrick Tuskan / Associated Press)

The series win against the Padres was also a credit to Roberts’ ability, and willingness, to play the long game.

With Tony Gonsolin put on the injured list last week, the Dodgers were forced to schedule two bullpen games in San Diego. By punting on the first and refraining from using any of his go-to relievers in a loss, Roberts ensured his team would be positioned to win the series finale.

Again, this was nothing new, as Roberts basically forfeited games in both the NL Championship Series and World Series last year with the remainder of the series in mind.

Roberts elected to send opener Ben Casparius back to the mound to pitch a fourth inning on Wednesday rather than replace him with Jack Dreyer, whom Roberts has grown to trust. The extra inning made a difference. Lou Trivino pitched to the bottom of the Padres’ lineup in the fifth inning, allowing Roberts to deploy Dreyer against the heart of the order in the sixth.

When Michael Kopech walked the bases loaded in the seventh inning, Roberts responded with the necessary degree of urgency rather than allow the recently activated Kopech to try to pitch his way out of trouble. Roberts summoned Anthony Banda, who retired Luis Arráez and Manny Machado to maintain the Dodgers’ 4-2 advantage.

“The bullpen has certainly been used and pushed,” Roberts said. “I just think it speaks to the character.”

And it says something about the manager as well.

Roberts is now in his 10th season as the manager of the Dodgers. He has managed 1,426 games for them in the regular season and another 100 in the postseason. At this point, there’s not much he hasn’t seen, including what the team is dealing with now.

Thousands of desperate Palestinians stormed a UN World Food Programme warehouse in central Gaza on Wednesday, taking bags of flour after nearly three months of an Israeli blockade. The WFP said initial reports indicated that two people had died and several more were injured in the incident.

Although easyJet has not announced the cancellation of any flights yet, there is potential for considerable disruption involving UK flights. EasyJet is scheduled to run services from the UK to Milan, Naples, Catania and Caserta tomorrow

Passengers have been told to expect a ‘perfect storm’ of disruption when three separate strikes coincide to potentially cause travel chaos this week.

EasyJet customers travelling to or from Italy tomorrow may face a triple-whammy of disruption, starting with the airline’s air crew going on strike. The budget airline’s flight attendants belonging to European trade union USB Lavoro Privato are set to walk out tomorrow, potentially resulting in widespread disruption to the airline’s services tomorrow.

Although easyJet has not announced the cancellation of any flights yet, there is potential for considerable disruption involving UK flights. EasyJet is scheduled to run services from the UK to Milan, Naples, Catania and Caserta tomorrow.

However, the budget airline has told the Mirror that is does not expect any disruption to its schedule.

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There are two other strikes taking place tomorrow that may impact travellers. Taxi services in cities including Rome, Naples and Turin may be significantly limited due to a series of strikes by local drivers.

Workers at Swissport an airport ground services and handling company that lists easyJet, British Airways, TUI and Wizz among its customers, are set to walkout, also on Wednesday. All strikes are set to take place between 1pm and 5pm CET (12pm and 4pm UK time).

While easyJet staff plan to strike nationally, the airports most likely to be affected by the handler strikes include two of Milan’s major air hubs, Malpensa and Linate airports.

Anton Radchenko, CEO at air passenger rights experts AirAdvisor, said: “Strikes by easyJet staff and workers from one of the airline’s key handling partners could present a perfect storm of disruption for passengers planning to fly with the company on the 28th.

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“These strikes represent the fourth wave of easyJet staff strikes in 2025 already, with staff previously walking out in February, March and April this year – and four sets of strikes in four months suggests that discontent from the airline’s workers could be a theme that continues throughout the year.

“While easyJet can’t be blamed for Swissport staff striking on the same day – the two strikes combining gives the airline a real headache to try and navigate, as Swissport works with easyJet on airport operations. As these strikes specifically involve easyJet staff, you may be due compensation of up to £520 if your flight is cancelled. This is because that disruption to journeys caused by airline staff taking industrial action is viewed as within its control, i.e. they could have prevented the strikes from happening through negotiations.

“Likewise, if your easyJet flight is delayed by over three hours as a result of the strikes, you may be due compensation for the inconvenience. If your flight is moved to the day after you were originally due to travel, easyJet will be responsible for putting you up in overnight accommodation.

“As well as Wednesday 28th, it’s possible that easyJet services in the days that follow will be affected. If your journey is disrupted, keep evidence like SMS or email notifications from the airline as evidence, and use a free compensation calculator to establish what you may be owed.”

A spokesperson for easyJet said: “There is no impact expected to our flying programme tomorrow.”

Some Israelis chant, ‘Death to Arabs’ and ‘May your village burn,’ as they march through Jerusalem’s Old City.

Right-wing Israelis in Jerusalem have stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and a United Nations facility for Palestinian refugees as an annual march took place marking Israel’s conquest of the eastern part of the city.

Some Israelis chanted, “Death to Arabs” and “May your village burn,” as they marched through the alleyways of Jerusalem’s Old City on Monday, going through the Muslim quarter to mark “Jerusalem Day”, which commemorates the Israeli occupation and annexation of East Jerusalem after the 1967 war.

Thousands of heavily armed police and border police were dispatched in advance because settlers regularly assault, attack and harass Palestinians and shops in the Muslim quarter. The settlers live in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem in settlements and outposts, which are illegal under international law.

Groups of young people, some carrying Israeli flags, were seen on Monday confronting Palestinian shopkeepers, passers-by and schoolchildren as well as Israeli rights activists and police, at times spitting on people, lobbing insults and trying to force their way into houses.

Police detained at least two youths, according to AFP journalists at the scene.

A small group of those rallying, including an Israeli member of parliament, stormed a compound in East Jerusalem belonging to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA.

Israel has banned the agency from working in occupied Palestinian territory and in Israel, impacting the life-saving work that it has been carrying out for more than 70 years in areas that include the besieged and bombarded Gaza Strip.

UNRWA West Bank coordinator Roland Friedrich said about a dozen Israeli protesters, including Yulia Malinovsky, one of the legislators behind an Israeli law that banned UNRWA, entered the compound, climbing its main gate in view of Israeli police.

Last year’s procession, held during the first year of Israel’s assault on Gaza, saw ultranationalist Israelis attack a Palestinian journalist in the Old City and call for violence against Palestinians. And four years ago, the march contributed to the outbreak of an 11-day war in Gaza.

Earlier on Monday, Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, and other politicians were among more than 2,000 Israelis who stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and surrounding areas.

Ben-Gvir released a video on his X account from the site – Islam’s third holiest – saying he “prayed for victory in the war, for the return of all our hostages, and for the success of the newly-appointed head of the Shin Bet – Major General David Zini”.

Negev and Galilee Minister Yitzhak Vaserlauf and Knesset member Yitzhak Kreuzer were among those accompanying the ultranationalist minister.

Backed by armed police, Ben-Gvir has carried out similar provocative moves in the compound before, often at sensitive junctures in Israel’s war on Gaza, to advocate for increased military pressure and to block all humanitarian aid entering Gaza.

The Jerusalem Waqf – the Islamic authority that oversees the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, known to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary) – decried the storming of the compound by Ben-Gvir and other members of the Israeli Knesset and called for a halt to all “provocative activities” in the area.

Under the management of the Jordan-appointed Waqf, only Muslims are allowed to pray at the compound.

Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim said the march is aimed at asserting Israeli dominance over the city.

“Videos show Israeli citizens inside the Old City of Jerusalem attacking Palestinian shops and throwing objects at them,” Ibrahim said, reporting from Doha, Qatar as Al Jazeera has been banned from reporting in Israel and occupied East Jerusalem.

“This is again a reminder that no one has immunity.”