Paradise News

Tag: General News

  • Steph Curry’s 41-points fuel Warriors first win over Sacramento Kings

    SACRAMENTO — Steph Curry scored 41 points, including the dagger 3-pointer in the waning seconds of a Warriors’ 122-114 win over the Sacramento Kings on Friday night at Golden 1 Center. The Warriors move to a 1-1 record.

    Curry’s 41 points were his most in a road opener since he scored 38 in 2013. He went 7-of-10 from 3 and an efficient 14-for-19 from the field. Chris Paul had 12 assists and now has 21 assists in two games with the Warriors and only two turnovers. Kevon Looney had 12 rebounds.

    The Kings took a 11-point lead in the first half on a 14-0 run when Curry went to the bench, but Golden State didn’t let the deficit spiral them. Fueled by Curry’s return, the Warriors climbed to a three-point lead by the half.

    Curry’s 51st career four-point play midway through the third quarter started to give Golden State some separation on the scoreboard. Paul, with Curry off the court and the second unit in, expanded that lead to 15 points after the third frame.

    The Warriors led by as many as 18, but turned the ball over eight times in the fourth quarter to let the Kings get back into the game.

    Source

  • Two Die In Boat Accident In Lagos

    Two teenagers have been confirmed dead after a boat capsized in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State.

    The bodies of the two female victims identified as Misturat Okunbanjo (18) and Azeezat Amoo (16), were recovered on Friday.

    Also, four other victims onboard the boat were rescued in the unfortunate incident.

    It was gathered that the passengers were en route Isawo from Olorunsogo area of the community when the incident happened.

    This was disclosed by the Deputy Director, Public Affairs of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Ololade Agboola, in a statement.

    The statement read: “The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service conducted overnight operations and successfully rescued four female adults while recovering two others in the Isawo community of the Ikorodu area of Lagos.

    “The accident was reported at 8:16 pm on Thursday, prompting the deployment of the Search and Rescue Crew from the agency. The crew collaborated with locals who were familiar with the terrain. “Despite the darkness, the search continued until late at night when it was suspended. Four of the six victims on board the capsized boat crossing from Olorunsogo to Isawo were rescued.

    “The crew resumed their efforts in the early hours of Friday to continue the search. Unfortunately, they recovered the bodies of two females, identified as Misturat Okunbanjo, 18, and Azeezat Amoo, 16. The recovery operation concluded at approximately 10:10 pm.”

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  • Fact Check: In Maine, is it harder to buy Sudafed than an AR-15? It depends

    In the days after a shooter killed at least 18 people in Lewiston, Maine, advocates of stronger gun laws decried the state’s relatively lax gun laws.

    Shannon Watts, the founder of the grassroots group Moms Demand Action, made this point in an Oct. 25 post on X.

    Watts compared the restrictions on purchasing a popular over-the-counter cold medicine and the type of semiautomatic weapon believed to be used by the suspect.

    “It is harder to buy Sudafed than an AR-15 in Maine,” Watts said, repeating the phrase five times in all capital letters.

    The comparison of Sudafed laws and gun laws did not start with Watts’ post; it has been circulating in news reports and social media for at least five years. But is it accurate?

    The answer hinges on the setting of the gun purchase. Laws that govern sales by federally licensed gun dealers are stronger than laws on sales by unlicensed dealers at gun shows or other private exchanges. 

    The rules for buying Sudafed

    The rules for buying Sudafed are tight because one of its precursor chemicals can be used in the manufacture of methamphetamine, a dangerous drug. The federal Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005 imposed new regulations for medications that contain ingredients such as pseudoephedrine, which is used to make Sudafed.

    Maine’s restrictions on Sudafed sales hew closely to this federal law. A retailer may not sell more than 3.6 grams of the active ingredient to a customer in 24 hours; that’s the equivalent to about three regular packages. Sales are capped at 9 grams over a 30-day period.

    In addition, the customer must present government-issued identification, from which the retailer must copy down the customer’s name and address, the amount of grams purchased, the date and time of the purchase, and the ID number and issuer of the card.

    Although the law doesn’t require that this information be shared with other government entities, 38 states, including Maine, use a system called the National Precursor Log Exchange to share this data, tracking 80% of pseudoephedrine transactions nationally, according to the exchange.

    The rules for buying a gun

    It’s clear, then, that purchasing Sudafed requires more safeguards than purchasing, say, a pack of gum.

    But is it more stringent than the process for buying a gun in Maine? 

    It depends on how the purchase is made.

    If a purchase happens from a federally licensed dealer, either at a brick-and-mortar store or at a gun show, the transaction will be more complicated than purchasing Sudafed.

    Buying Sudafed and a gun will both require an ID. The information of gun buyers in Maine will be accessible to law enforcement because the state is part of the National Precursor Log Exchange.

    Gun purchases from a federally licensed dealer must be reported to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and local law enforcement if one person purchases multiple handguns at the same time or within five consecutive business days.

    Gun purchases from a federally licensed dealer are easier than buying Sudafed in one way: There are no limits on the numbers of guns that can be purchased at one time, unlike time limits on Sudafed sales.

    In other ways, however, buying a gun from a licensed dealer is more complicated than buying Sudafed, said Mark Oliva, managing director of public affairs for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, an industry group. 

    It requires filling out Form 4473 from the ATF, in which prospective purchasers must attest that they are not prohibited from purchasing guns. Purchasers cannot buy a gun unless they are the intended recipient of the firearm, are not a convicted felon, a fugitive, dishonorably discharged from the U.S. military or are involuntarily committed to a mental health treatment. The completed forms must be kept permanently, including transferring them to the ATF if the seller goes out of business.

    Also, the purchaser must pass a screening by the FBI National Instant Criminal Background Check System, or NICS. About 90% of these checks are instantly approved, and the rest are typically completed within three days. 

    Although some critics say that the data in the background check system isn’t as complete as it could be, it is still a more stringent process than the one needed to buy Sudafed.

    Finally, there are restrictions on who can buy each product. 

    One is age. Under federal law, you must be 18 to buy a shotgun or a rifle and 21 to buy a handgun. (States can choose to set higher age minimums.) Maine has not set a minimum age for purchasing Sudafed, unlike such states as Alabama, Arkansas and Ohio, which have set the minimum age at 18.

    Maine law specifically bars two other categories of potential gun purchasers: people convicted of assault or other violent misdemeanors, and convicted domestic abusers. People in those categories would be able to purchase Sudafed.

    Buying from unlicensed gun dealers is easier

    Where people who support tougher gun laws have a point are on purchases that do not involve a federally licensed dealer.

    Federal law specifically rules out a required license if a person “makes occasional sales, exchanges, or purchases of firearms for the enhancement of a personal collection or for a hobby, or who sells all or part of his personal collection of firearms.”

    This can sometimes be a fuzzy distinction, but it means many gun sellers do not need a license. And if they don’t have a license, the laws for federally licensed sellers don’t apply to their sales.

    Gun shows can include either licensed dealers or private sellers. The licensed sellers need to run a background check on buyers, while the unlicensed sellers don’t.

    In Maine, “individuals who would otherwise be blocked from purchasing a weapon can go to a private seller and purchase a weapon, no questions asked,” said Chris Harris, vice president for communications for Giffords, a group that lobbies for tougher gun laws. “This is the classic ‘gun show loophole’.”

    The bottom line, Harris said, is that in Maine, “there is nothing to stop someone from buying a gun without so much as showing an ID, let alone going through a background check. That same person could not find a place to buy Sudafed without showing an ID.”

    Our ruling

    Watts said, “It is harder to buy Sudafed than an AR-15 in Maine.”

    It depends on the context. 

    In most ways, the process for buying a gun from a federally licensed dealer under federal and Maine law is more stringent than federal and state laws governing the purchase of Sudafed. The gun purchase requires attesting to the buyer’s legal ability to buy a gun on a federal form, as well as passing an instant background check. In addition, many people with criminal convictions cannot buy a gun but can buy Sudafed.

    However, if someone chooses to purchase a gun from an unlicensed seller, the process will likely be more stringent for buying Sudafed.

    We rate the statement Half True.

    RELATED: All of our fact-checks about guns



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  • Teuvo Teravainen leads Carolina Hurricanes past San Jose Sharks

    The San Jose Sharks were hoping for a response Friday after they were blown out the night before by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

    And at least from an engagement standpoint, the Sharks appeared to make some strides at PNC Arena against the Carolina Hurricanes.

    But that first win of the season remained elusive — as did finding the back of the net — as the Sharks allowed a Teuvo Teravainen hat trick in a 3-0 loss to the Hurricanes to drop their record this season to 0-7-1.

    The Sharks end their five-game road trip on Sunday against the Washington Capitals, desperate for a victory to avoid bringing this albatross back home to San Jose.

    “I don’t care where we go or when we play it, we need a win,” Sharks coach David Quinn said. “Sunday’s the next game and we’re going to get a day off (Saturday) and regroup, physically and mentally, and be ready to win a hockey game.

    “It’s going to happen. I thought we took a good step forward today and if we make the next step forward, I like our chances on Sunday.”

    The Sharks gave up a power play goal to Teravainen at the 6:10 mark of the first, and an even-strength marker to the Hurricanes forward with 4:50 before the intermission after a failed clearing attempt.

    Teravainen completed the hat trick at the 6:06 mark of the third period, a deflating goal considering the Sharks had generated some scoring chances near the end of the second period and into the third. Both Mike Hoffman and Nico Sturm hit posts with their respective shots, and San Jose also went 0-for-2 on the power play.

    Adding in their 3-1 loss to the Florida Panthers on Tuesday, and Thursday’s 6-0 throttling at the hands of the Lightning, the Sharks have given up 12 straight goals, something the franchise hasn’t experienced since Feb. 13-17, 2007.

    The Sharks have now gone 151:30 without a goal. The team record is 190:22, which took place over that time frame in 2007.

    In other words, goalie Kaapo Kahkonen had the same experience as Mackenzie Blackwood from the night before with zero run support. Kahkonen made 37 saves.

    The Sharks were furious with themselves after Thursday’s result, in which they didn’t compete hard enough and allowed too much time and space to the Lightning’s playmakers. Quinn said the Sharks weren’t trusting each other enough to be in the right places on the ice.

    “All you can do is what you’re supposed to do, and if everybody on the ice has that mentality, then all of a sudden people start trusting each other more,” Quinn said. “But unfortunately, what has crept in with us is guys are hesitant to do what they’re supposed to do because they’re not sure someone else is going to do what they should be doing.

    “When you get to that situation, things become dangerous and you get a game like we had last night. That’s what we’ve got to get away from. We’ve got to get back to playing with a certain attitude and playing with conviction and doing what we’re supposed to do through all three zones.”

    Quinn made some lineup changes Friday, as Ryan Carpenter, who spent the first four-plus years of his professional career with the Sharks organization, took the roster spot of Thomas Bordeleau. Quinn also dressed Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who had been a scratch the last two games, instead of Matt Benning, who was scratched with a minor lower-body ailment, Quinn said.

    NOTE: Injured center Mikael Granlund could be in the lineup against the Capitals, Quinn said. Granlund, who has dealt with a lower-body injury and hasn’t played since the Sharks’ Oct. 12 season-opener, had what was described as a minor setback earlier this week as he was preparing to play the Florida Panthers on Tuesday.

    But Granlund has been feeling better due to what Quinn said was a “different approach to his treatments.”

    “And they’ve worked very well,” Quinn said Friday before the game.

    Source

  • ABSU Expels 12 Students Over Illegal Possession of Firearms, Cultism

    The Abia State University Uturu has expelled at least 12 students of the institution over illegal possession of firearms while four others were suspended for stealing, cultism and examination malpractice.

    Their expulsion, according to a statement has been ratified by the University Senate.

    The statement further revealed that the management had earlier considered and approved the recommendation of the Senate Security Committee after thorough investigation for the different cases, adding that the management of the institution has zero tolerance for anomalies.

    It reads in part: The 266th Regular Senate of Abia State University Uturu (ABSU) has ratified the decision of Management to expel Twelve (12) students and suspend four (4) others for one academic session, for various offences in breach of their matriculation oaths.

    “Management had earlier considered and approved the recommendations of the Senate Security Committee after thorough investigations for the different cases involving stealing at gunpoint, cultism, illegal possession of firearms, de-marketing the University, examination malpractice and other offences against the affected students.

    “Four other students are to be given letters of warning for their involvement in alleged cases of cultism but were victims of circumstance.”

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  • Fact Check: Experts rebut claims that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are ‘adulterated’

    Vaccines contaminated with undisclosed ingredients. Manufacturers facing liability. In an Oct. 21 thread on X, entrepreneur and anti-vaccine activist Steve Kirsch made alarming allegations about mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. 

    “You can now sue the mRNA COVID vaccine manufacturers for damages and the FDA is required to take the COVID vaccines off the market,” Kirsch wrote. “Why? Adulteration. The plasmid bioactive contaminant sequences were NOT pointed out to the regulatory authorities. It’s considered adulteration.”

    In Kirsch’s fourth X post in the thread, he specifically said, “SV40 contamination” was the basis for his claim. SV40 stands for simian virus 40, a monkey virus found to cause cancerous tumors in lab animals.

    Experts say there’s no evidence to support Kirsch’s claim that the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are contaminated or contain ingredients that weren’t disclosed to regulators.

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not list details on its website about what, if anything, would constitute an adulterated vaccine, but the agency provides some information about other adulterated products. The FDA says cosmetics are adulterated if they contain “any poisonous or deleterious substance” that can make those products “injurious to users.” The FDA also says that “economically motivated adulteration” of food occurs when “someone intentionally leaves out, takes out, or substitutes a valuable ingredient or part of a food.” 

    We reached out to the FDA for comment, but did not receive a reply.

    We asked Kirsch what evidence he had to support his claim, and he responded with several links, including to a nearly two-hour video on Rumble, a website known for spreading misinformation, and another to an X thread. He also sent his Substack article, which claimed that officials admitted “the vaccine is contaminated with SV40.”

    Drug manufacturers say that noninfectious parts of the SV40 DNA sequence are used to create COVID-19 vaccines, but it’s routine and not a sign of the virus contaminating the vaccine.

    The SV40 virus “is a naturally occurring virus and the virus itself is not included in either starting materials, plasmid DNA, or in the final product of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine,” said Kit Longley, a Pfizer spokesperson. “However, specific, non-infectious parts of the SV40 sequence, which are commonly used in the pharmaceutical industry, are present in starting material used by Pfizer and BioNTech.”

    Longley said Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine was reviewed by regulatory authorities, including the FDA and the European Medicines Agency, and met safety and quality control requirements. Those authorities also approved the development and manufacturing specifications for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, Longley said, including a method for assessing residual DNA that is outlined by the World Health Organization and the FDA.

    Longley said that residual DNA quality standards are applied similarly to other vaccines.

    “Small amounts of residual DNA can be found in several approved vaccines, including influenza and hepatitis vaccines, which have been administered globally for more than 30 years,” Longley said.

    We also contacted Moderna but did not hear back. 

    Where do the contamination claims originate?

    The claims about “SV40 contamination” are linked to findings from a preprint paper that has not undergone peer review.

    An April preprint paper found elements of a DNA sequence known as an “SV40 promoter” — a part of DNA that initiates the process of making an RNA copy of a gene’s DNA sequence — in two expired Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine vials. Kevin McKernan, one of the authors of the paper, told PolitiFact in June that the whole SV40 virus was not found in the vaccines. 

    Dan Wilson, a senior associate scientist at Janssen — which also developed a COVID-19 vaccine — said that the documents Pfizer submitted to the FDA included “the full sequence of the plasmid.” Wilson hosts “Debunk the Funk with Dr. Wilson,” a YouTube show that covers science misinformation.  

    The SV40 promoter wasn’t specifically highlighted in Pfizer’s disclosures to regulators and “did not need to be,” Wilson said, “because it is a nonfunctional part of the manufacturing process and not a bioactive ingredient in the drug product.”

    Kirsch later amended his claim that the vaccine manufacturers failed to disclose the inclusion of an SV40 promoter DNA sequence in the vaccine. 

    “The SV40 promoter is found in all the vials and it was in the gene sequence that was provided to the regulators,” Kirsch wrote Oct. 21 in the thread on X. “The problem was that neither drug company ever pointed it out to the regulators.”

    Is it “adulteration”? 

    “Tiny amounts of ingredients that do not make a difference do not lead to a vaccine being declared adulterated or taken off the market,” said Dorit Reiss, a law professor at University of California Law San Francisco who specializes in vaccine policy and legal issues. 

    Reiss pointed to examples: 

    • The 2010 discovery of genetic material from a pig virus in a rotavirus vaccine didn’t result in the vaccine being taken off the market; an investigation did not find safety concerns. 

    • In 2011, people expressed concerns that Gardasil, an HPV vaccine, contained DNA fragments. The FDA reported that Gardasil contained some specific DNA fragments that were not contaminants. “The presence of these DNA fragments is expected, is not a risk to vaccine recipients, and is not a safety factor,” the FDA said. 

    But if a contaminant were found in a vaccine, the FDA would investigate and decide if it is a safety issue, Reiss said.

    Our ruling

    Kirsch said that “the FDA is required to take the COVID vaccines off the market” because they are “adulterated.”  

    Experts said there’s no evidence that the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines contain previously undisclosed contaminants. Pfizer said noninfectious SV40 sequences were part of the starting material for the Pfizer vaccine, and the FDA and other regulators approved the vaccine manufacturing process. 

    Experts also said the FDA would not be required to take vaccines off the market even if something undisclosed had been detected. The agency typically would investigate the risks before making a determination. 

    We rate this claim False. 

    PolitiFact Researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this report.



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  • Trump, daughter Ivanka set to testify in civil fraud trial

    By Jennifer Peltz | Associated Press

    NEW YORK — Donald Trump is set to testify Nov. 6 at his New York civil fraud trial, following his three eldest children to the witness stand in a case that threatens to disrupt their family’s real estate empire, state lawyers said Friday.

    It was already expected that the former president and sons Donald Jr. and Eric would testify. The timing became clear Friday, after Judge Arthur Engoron ruled that daughter Ivanka Trump also must appear, rejecting her bid to avoid testifying.

    The schedule sets up a blockbuster stretch in the trial of New York Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit. She alleges that the former president, now the Republican front-runner for 2024, overstated his wealth for years on financial statements that were given to banks, insurers and others to help secure loans and deals.

    Trump denies any wrongdoing and has called the trial a politically motivated sham. The case could strip Trump of some of his corporate holdings and marquee properties such as Trump Tower. James and Engoron are Democrats.

    Donald Trump and the two sons are defendants in the lawsuit, but the state is initially calling them to the stand before the defense begins its case. The defense can then call them again.In a surprise preview, Donald Trump ended up briefly testifying Wednesday to answer Engoron’s questions about whether an out-of-court comment was aimed at his law clerk. The judge had earlier barred participants in the trial from talking publicly about court staffers.

    Trump said his remark wasn’t about the clerk; Engoron called that testimony “not credible” and fined Trump $10,000, on top of a $5,000 fine imposed days earlier over an online post about the clerk. Trump’s lawyers paid both fines on his behalf but still might appeal them, according to a court filing Friday.

    Donald Trump Jr. is now set to testify next Wednesday, brother Eric on Thursday and sister Ivanka on Nov. 3, though her lawyers may appeal to try to block her testimony.

    An appeals court dismissed her as a defendant in the lawsuit in June, saying the claims against her were too old. Ivanka Trump announced in January 2017, ahead of her father’s inauguration, that she was stepping away from her job as an executive vice president at the family company, the Trump Organization. She soon became an unpaid senior adviser in the Trump White House. After her father’s term ended, she moved to Florida.

    Her lawyer, Bennet Moskowitz, told the judge Friday that state lawyers “just don’t have jurisdiction over her.” One of Donald Trump’s attorneys, Christopher Kise, maintained that state lawyers “just want another free-for-all on another of President Trump’s children.”

    “The idea that somehow Ms. Trump is under the control of the Trump Organization or any of the defendants, her father — anyone who has raised a daughter past the age of 13 knows that they’re not under their control,” Kise said.

    However, the state’s lawyers argued that Ivanka Trump was a key participant in some events discussed in the case and remains financially and professionally intertwined with the family business and its leaders.

    Engoron sided with the state, citing documents showing that Ivanka Trump continued to have ties to some businesses in New York and still owns Manhattan apartments.

    “Ms. Trump has clearly availed herself of the privilege of doing business in New York,” Engoron said.

    During her years at the Trump Organization, Ivanka Trump was involved in negotiating and securing financing for various properties, including a lease and loan for a Washington hotel and loans for Trump’s Doral golf resort near Miami and a Trump-owned hotel and condo skyscraper in Chicago, according to court filings.

    According to the New York attorney general’s office, Ivanka Trump retained a financial interest in the Trump Organization’s operations even after leaving for the White House, including through an interest in the now-sold Washington hotel.

    In court papers that included emails and other documents, the state lawyers said the Trump Organization and its staff also have bought insurance for Ivanka Trump and her businesses, managed her household staff and credit card bills, rented her apartment and paid her legal fees.

    In 2021 federal disclosures, she reported $2.6 million in income from Trump entities, including revenue from a vehicle known as TTT Consulting LLC. A company bookkeeper testified that TTT was set up for her and her brothers to reap a share of fees from some licensing agreements.

    Associated Press writer Michael R. Sisak contributed to this report.

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  • Uzodinma Cancels Monthly Sanitation Exercise To Enable INEC Continue Voters’ Education

    Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma has cancelled Saturday’s monthly sanitation exercise across the state.

    The governor made this pronouncement through a statement signed by the state’s commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelmba in Owerri Friday.

    He said the aim of the Saturday monthly sanitation cancellation was to enable the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to carry on with it’s voter sensitization exercise which is billed to take place on the 28th of October.

    He said: “The Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma,has approved the cancellation of the monthly sanitation exercise for tomorrow, Saturday, October 28th, 2023. This is due to the voter sensitization exercise by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)taking place the same tomorrow.

    “The cancellation Is, therefore, to enable Imo indigenes and residents to participate actively in the INEC sensitization exercise ahead of the November 11th governorship election in the state. All Imo people and residents are advised to take the exercise seriously.

    “His Excellency therefore urges all Imo people to ensure that they cooperate with INEC to ensure a hitch free and successful voter sensitization exercise.”

    The INEC voter sensitization exercise is the commission’s avenue to educate eligible voters resident in Imo State on how to cast their votes ahead of the November 11 gubernatorial election in the state.

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  • Fact Check: McDonald’s didn’t introduce blue-and-white food wrappers to support Israel, company says

    A recent video circulating social media suggests that McDonald’s has changed the color scheme of its food wrappers to support Israel amid the country’s war against Hamas. 

    “What is this?” a woman in the video says, holding what looks like a blue-and-white McDonald’s food wrapper. “What is this new packaging?”

    “It’s the McChicken wrapper,” someone who appears to be a McDonald’s employee replies. 

    “Why is it blue and white?” she says. 

    “Honestly, I don’t know,” the person says. 

    “I think you do know. This is in support of Israel,” she says, apparently referring to the country’s blue-and-white flag.

    “I mean, it was like that since a few months ago when we ran out of the regular ones,” the person says. “We’ve had that for a while now.”

    The woman then appears to speak with another employee at the restaurant. 

    “I’m just curious what’s with the new wrapping,” she says. “The blue and white.”

    That person can be heard saying that “they just changed it” and adds that they received the wrappers “maybe like last week.” 

    Posts sharing this video were flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)

    We don’t know which McDonald’s appears in the video, but we asked the company about the claim and received an emailed statement explaining that the wrapper in the video is an example of a generic wrapper that’s been used for years in some restaurants for special orders, limited-edition products, or to replace the company’s typically red-and-yellow packaging when there are shortages. 

    The generic wrappers come in a variety of colors, not just blue and white, according to the statement, and none of the colors are intended to make a political statement. 

    We found no evidence to corroborate the claim that McDonald’s has newly introduced the blue-and-white wrappers to support Israel. 

    But in April, the New York Daily News reported that the company was serving its Big Mac sauce in a blue-and-white cup, “the colors of the original Big Mac wrapper when the burger was introduced 55 years ago.” 

    We also found a 2016 Reddit post featuring blue-and-white McDonald’s wrappers. 

    We rate claims that the company changed its packaging to support Israel False.

     



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  • Klay Thompson will “savor” final year on contract with Warriors

    SACRAMENTO — It’s looking likely Klay Thompson will play this final contract year without an extension signed, and Thompson sees it as an opportunity to “savor” what could technically be his final season with the Golden State Warriors.

    “You never know what’s going to happen. I’m going to savor this as much as I can,” Thompson said. “Especially in this uniform. I was here before it was sweet, before it was four championships.”

    Thompson then pointed to his Warriors-blue practice jersey after shootaround at Golden 1 Center on Friday.

    “I was here building the foundation, so yeah I’m going to savor it,” he said. “Because everyone around the world thinks it’s sweet when they look at Warriors but it’s not always been like this, so I’m going to savor the heck out of it.”

    Thompson, 33, is entering the final season of his five-year, $189.9 million contract he signed while prepping for surgery to repair his ACL torn during the 2019 NBA Finals. Thompson returned midway through the 2022 championship season, but had been working to get back to his pre-injured condition after the ACL surgery and subsequent Achilles tear surgery.

    Thompson is in better playing shape at the outset of this season compared to last, where he didn’t participate in most of their preseason games and opted out of offseason pick-up games. He  played in every one of the Warriors’ preseason games this year and will be expected to play some defense at the power forward spot; Thompson played strong defense against Kevin Durant in the Warriors’ season opening loss on Tuesday.

    Contract extension talks have stalled, according to reports, but Thompson and the Warriors could come to an agreement at any time during the season. Thompson hopes to sideline money talk during the season, he said.

    “I don’t know, I’m focused on the daily dedication it takes to do this job,” Thompson said. “I’m not really worried about an extension right now. It will all play out. I just don’t think about it. I don’t like thinking about it.”

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