On Monday, Davis helped author a great personal story — while continuing to help the Athletics’ improbable playoff push.
The A’s hosted children from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants wishes for children with critical illnesses, and players met with the kids pregame. Davis had Anthony Slocumb, a 10-year-old in remission from a cancer called Langerhans cell histiocytosis, sign his jersey.
Davis then wore the signed jersey throughout Monday night’s game against the Texas Rangers.
“I wanted to rock that. I wanted him to know that I was thinking about him,” Davis said. “He just told me I was his favorite and he was here to watch me play.”
Davis made the night more special by launching a home run off Bartolo Colon in the third inning.
“I thought about him around the bases. There’s not a better feeling than hitting a home run, so hopefully he got some excitement and joy from watching that,” Davis said.
“They’re really the stars. … He was excited. I could tell that he was just happy to be here and wanted to have some fun. It was amazing, the look on his face.”
The home run was Davis’ 37th of the season, traveling an estimated 438 feet.
“I was down there with the other kids and then two other players came down and then (Davis) came down,” Slocumb told The Associated Press of the pregame meeting.
“So, I was like, ‘You’re my favorite player’ and he was like, ‘Cool.’ I said, ‘Can you sign my jersey?’ and then he said, ‘Sure, do you want to sign mine, too?’ And I was like, ‘Sure,’ so we basically signed each other’s jerseys. That’s what happened.”
The AP described Slocumb as being “overjoyed” by the exchange.
“I thought about him around the bases.” Khris reflects on meeting Anthony, his @SFWish friend that signed his jersey before tonight’s game. pic.twitter.com/bA7T4WRsJW
“There was a lot of emotion with those kids’ situations,” Davis said. “It’s the worst situation you can be in probably. I just wanted to put a smile on his face and thought maybe it would mean something if I had my jersey signed by him, so just to know what that feels like to be in my shoes for a split second. I’m just kind of at a loss for words really.”
Davis finished 2-for-4 with a walk as the A’s rolled 9-0.
From Kevin Hart calling out Donald Trump to J-Lo being recognized for her career, here are some of the most notable moments from the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards. USA TODAY
President Trump’s supporters began threatening to boycott Kevin Hart after the comedian threw a couple jabs at the commander-in-chief during the 2018 MTV VMAs.
While presenting with “Night School” co-star Tiffany Haddish, Hart told the star-studded audience that in this venue they were “allowed to kneel,” referencing NFL players protesting during the national anthem. He continued: “You can do whatever you want, there’s no old white men to stop you.”
At the VMAs, “beefs pop off, bad language, people run to the bathroom and send out crazy tweets,” Hart said. “It’s basically like a typical day at the White House. In your face Trump, suck it.”
Hart’s jab at the president instantly set Twitter on fire, with calls for a boycott rising from the right.
Twitter user @Lord_Oil predicted Hart’s downfall: “Kevin Hart, the decline starts now. Enjoy your night of sticking it to the man. It is all downhill from here.”
Kevin Hart, the decline starts now. Enjoy your night of sticking it to the man. It is all downhill from here.
Another Twitter user chimed in: “Well Hollywood finally proved Kevin Hart is weak after all. They must have threatened his checkbook since he finally joined the ‘trash the President’ club. Sad”
Well Hollywood finally proved Kevin Hart is weak after all. They must have threatened his checkbook since he finally joined the “trash the President “ club. Sad
@BobbyJColeJr1 expressed how “disappointed” they are with Hart: “I really didn’t think you were that type of person to speak bad about our president like you did tonight very disappointed.”
I’m very disappointed in you Kevin Hart I really didn’t think you were that type of person to speak bad about our president like you did tonight very disappointed
— Bobby J Cole Jr for trump (@BobbyJColeJr1) August 21, 2018
Another disappointed viewer imply said: “@Kevin Hart BLOCKED.”
Some viewers thanked Hart for his joke. @Macnme said, “Somebody had to speak the TRUTH. FINALLY.” The Twitter user added the hashtag, #freedomsmatter.
Hart wasn’t the only celeb to get political. During his performance, the rapper Logic was joined onstage by young immigrants wearing T-shirts that read, “We are all human beings,” to protest the Trump administration’s separation of migrant children from their parents after they crossed the border illegally.
Logic, best known for the suicide prevention anthem “1-800-273-8255,” wore a T-shirt that read, “(Expletive) the wall.”
Madonna (whose 60th birthday also happened to be last Thursday) was on hand to present the award for Video of the Year at the end of the ceremony, and MTV called on the Queen of Pop to honor the late Queen of Soul during her moment onstage.
Before awarding the Moon Person statuette to Camila Cabello for the “Havana” music video, the Material Girl told a long-winded story about the early days of her career. Struggling to make it as a dancer, she took a musical theater audition with a group of French producers. “Why not?” she thought at the time. “The worst that can happen is I can go back to getting robbed, held at gunpoint, and being mistaken for a prostitute in my third-floor walk-up that was also a crack house.”
She nailed the dance portion of the audition but panicked when they asked her to produce sheet music and sing. “I had to think fast. My next meal was on the line,” she said. “Fortunately, one of my favorite albums was Lady Soul by Aretha Franklin. I blurted out, ‘You Make Me Feel!’ Silent. ‘You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman!’”
Long story short, Madonna sang the Aretha classic acapella, and the French producers called her a few weeks later to tell her she hadn’t gotten the job, but they wanted her to go to Paris to become a star, which she did. Then she said she left Paris because she felt like she hadn’t earned it yet.
She concluded the convoluted tale with a promise that, yes, the whole thing really was about Aretha and not just entirely about Madonna. “There is a connection!” she said. “Because none of this would have happened, could have happened without our Lady of Soul. She led me to where I am today. And I know she influenced so many people in this house tonight. I want to thank you, Aretha, for empowering all of us. R-E-S-P-E-C-T.”
Twitter was not amused by the pop star’s self-serving half-tribute to the late legend.
Madonna (whose 60th birthday also happened to be last Thursday) was on hand to present the award for Video of the Year at the end of the ceremony, and MTV called on the Queen of Pop to honor the late Queen of Soul during her moment onstage.
Before awarding the Moon Person statuette to Camila Cabello for the “Havana” music video, the Material Girl told a long-winded story about the early days of her career. Struggling to make it as a dancer, she took a musical theater audition with a group of French producers. “Why not?” she thought at the time. “The worst that can happen is I can go back to getting robbed, held at gunpoint, and being mistaken for a prostitute in my third-floor walk-up that was also a crack house.”
She nailed the dance portion of the audition but panicked when they asked her to produce sheet music and sing. “I had to think fast. My next meal was on the line,” she said. “Fortunately, one of my favorite albums was Lady Soul by Aretha Franklin. I blurted out, ‘You Make Me Feel!’ Silent. ‘You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman!’”
Long story short, Madonna sang the Aretha classic acapella, and the French producers called her a few weeks later to tell her she hadn’t gotten the job, but they wanted her to go to Paris to become a star, which she did. Then she said she left Paris because she felt like she hadn’t earned it yet.
She concluded the convoluted tale with a promise that, yes, the whole thing really was about Aretha and not just entirely about Madonna. “There is a connection!” she said. “Because none of this would have happened, could have happened without our Lady of Soul. She led me to where I am today. And I know she influenced so many people in this house tonight. I want to thank you, Aretha, for empowering all of us. R-E-S-P-E-C-T.”
Twitter was not amused by the pop star’s self-serving half-tribute to the late legend.
Twitter was not having Madonna’s so-called tribute to Aretha Franklin at the MTV Video Music Awards Monday.
Before presenting the award for video of the year, the singer shared a story about how Franklin “changed the course” of her life — and social media users dragged her for how much it focused on herself as opposed to the late Queen of Soul.
“I see Madonna is still upset Aretha overshadowed her birthday by dying on it, so she’s going to talk about herself as the Aretha tribute,” one user said.
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New Russian hacking attempts targeted conservative groups, Microsoft says
Microsoft says it has uncovered new Russian hacking attempts targeting U.S. political groups ahead of the midterm elections.
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Matt O’Brien, Associated Press
Published 12:31 a.m. ET Aug. 21, 2018 | Updated 12:32 a.m. ET Aug. 21, 2018
Microsoft says it has uncovered new Russian hacking attempts targeting U.S. political groups ahead of the midterm elections.
The company said Tuesday that a hacking group tied to the Russian government created fake internet domains that appeared to spoof two conservative organizations: the Hudson Institute and the International Republican Institute.
There’s no sign the hackers were successful in getting anyone to click on the fake websites. Both think-tanks said their global pro-democracy work has previously made them targets.
Microsoft obtained court approval last year allowing it to seize certain fake domains created by the hacking group, which it calls Strontium.
A similar Microsoft discovery led Missouri Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, who’s running for re-election, to reveal last month that Russian hackers tried unsuccessfully to infiltrate her Senate computer network.
Armed with an arsenal of hits, performative swagger, and show-stopping dance moves that have become synonymous with her multi-hyphenate career, pop icon Jennifer Lopez took the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards by storm with an electrifying — and golden — set during Monday night’s ceremony.
Taking the VMAs stage at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall for the first time since 2001 for a fierce, elaborately choreographed set, Lopez blazed through a powerhouse medley of standout tunes from her robust discography, including old classics “Get Right” and “My Love Don’t Cost a Thing,” as well as new hits “Ain’t Your Momma” and “Booty.”
In a mash-up reminiscent of her Vegas residency, her subway car performance for “Jenny From the Block” was also part of this 10-minute medley. Accompanied by a cadre of shimmering, sexy backup dancers, Lopez stayed true to her roots as a Fly Girl, making ample time to dance across the stage.
Ever the collaborator, she brought out two surprise guests. Rapper Ja Rule appeared on stage to perform their 2001 hit “I’m Real,” while DJ Khaled joined to close out the medley with their newest single “Dinero.”
Following the highly-anticipated performance, Shawn Mendes presented 49-year-old with this year’s Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, noting Lopez is a trailblazer, as the first Latino artist and seventh women to receive the show’s highest honor since the prize’s 1984 inauguration.
“I grew up on MTV, and this is really like a tremendous honor for me,” Lopez said during her acceptance speech. “It has been an incredible journey of dreaming my wildest dreams and then kind of watching them come true.”
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
One of Hollywood’s leading triple-threat performers, Lopez called her career an “obsession” and thought “why not?” whenever questioned about her workload. Then came along her two children with Marc Anthony, Max and Emme in 2008.
“It was through that unconditional love that my career, my whole life became clearer,” she said. “Today I stand here stronger, better than ever.”
Past recipients of the Vanguard Award include David Bowie, Kanye West, Tom Petty, and the accolade’s titular pop superstar (named for him in 1991). Madonna became the first woman to claim the prize in 1986, followed by Janet Jackson, Britney Spears, Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Pink in subsequent years.
RELATED VIDEO: VMAs by the Numbers
Ahead of notching four No. 1 singles and several high-profile videos to her belt, Lopez first transitioned from acting to music with the release of her triple-platinum debut album On the 6 in 1999. She has since released eight full-length LPs, which have sold a combined 80 million worldwide units in addition to multiple theatrical successes with global box office grosses exceeding $2.9 billion.
“Dinero,” reportedly lifted from an upcoming Spanish-language album, dropped earlier this year, peaking at No. 80 on the Billboard Hot 100 before scoring two nods at the 2018 MTV VMAs. Lopez’s next big-screen effort Second Act (which she also produced) hits theaters on Nov. 21.
“I go back to my neighborhood at times, I still have friends who live there and people my mom hangs out with, I know that slice of life so well. It’s not something I’ve become disconnected from,” Lopez previously told EW of her humble roots, which laid the foundation for her pop cultural domination later in life. “I feel no matter how much I travel and where I go, I always feel so connected to the working class I grew up in with my mom and my dad. It so affected me to see my dad working nights for 20 years… I think that’s why I work so many jobs, still. I feel like a working woman, a working girl. That’s who I am.”
Check out the full list of VMA winners here, which includes another Moon Person trophy for Lopez, who won Best Collaboration with Cardi B and DJ Khaled for “Dinero.” Check out her full acceptance speech above.
Weld County District Attorney Michael Rourke answers media questions moments after he announced Christopher Watts is facing nine felony charges. Sady Swanson, sswanson@coloradoan.com
The Colorado man accused of killing his pregnant wife and two young daughters earlier this month told police that he went into a rage and strangled his wife after witnessing her attack their children during the early morning hours of Aug. 13.
Christopher Watts, 33, of Frederick was formally charged on Monday with nine felony counts, including five counts of first-degree murder, in the deaths of Shanann Watts, 34, Bella Watts, 4, and Celeste Watts, 3.
Following the announcement of formal charges, the Weld County District Attorney’s Office requested the public release of the warrantless arrest affidavit for Christopher Watts.
The affidavit provides the most detail to date about the events that led to Christopher Watts’ Aug. 15 arrest. It paints a picture of a suspect who cooperated with a police search of his home but who for two days concealed details of the night of his family members’ deaths.
During the course of a two-day investigation following the disappearance of his wife and children, police learned that Christopher Watts was involved in an affair with a co-worker at Anadarko Petroleum, from which he was fired on Aug. 15, the day of his arrest. He told investigators that he and his wife had an emotional conversation during the early hours of Aug. 13 about his desire to separate.
Christoper Watts told police that he left the couple’s bedroom after talking to his wife and returned to see the baby monitor on Shanann Watts’ night stand. He told police that the video showed Bella “sprawled” out on her bed and Shanann actively strangling Celeste.
Watts told police that he went into a rage and strangled Shanann to death before loading the bodies of his three family members into his work truck and taking them to an oil work site. There, he said he buried his wife near two oil tanks and dumped the girls inside the tanks.
Weld County District Attorney Michael Rourke during a Monday press conference said he would not answer questions specific to the ongoing investigation of the case. Neither police nor Rourke’s office have addressed Christopher Watts’ claims.
On Friday, Christoper Watts’ defense attorney James Merson motioned the court requesting that judge Marcelo Kopcow compel a forensic pathologist to take DNA swabs of the throats of the girls’ necks.
Kopcow denied the motion, writing, “This court cannot order the prosecution and/or coroner how to conduct their investigation.”
Police were first called to the Watts’ house after a friend who had dropped Shanann Watts off at her home following a business trip to Arizona became concerned that Shanann was not answering her phone calls later in the morning of Aug. 13.
An officer seeking entrance to the Watts’ home called Christopher Watts, who said he was five minutes away and came to let the officer into his family’s home.
Once inside, officers observed that Shanann Watts’ personal effects were still in the house and that the bed in the master bedroom had been stripped of its bedding.
Christopher Watts told officers that the couple had discussed going through a separation and that Shanann told him she was going to a friend’s house that day. He told officers that he left for work at about 5:27 a.m. on Aug. 13.
The arrest affidavit says Watts told police that his wife was in bed at the time of his departure.
Officers did not find signs of foul play at the Watts’ home and began a search that ultimately involved the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and FBI.
Video surveillance from a neighbor’s home security system shows Shanann Watts being dropped off at the home before 1:48 a.m. and Christopher Watts’ truck backing up to the garage at 5:27 a.m. before leaving.
Christopher Watts initially told officers that he backed up his truck to the garage to load tools and leave for work.
During an interview with police two days later, Christopher Watts asked to speak to his father, saying he would tell the truth after doing so. At that point he claimed that his wife had strangled his children and he, in turn, strangled her before loading their bodies into the back seat of his truck and dumping them at the work site northeast of Hudson.
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Christopher Watts is scheduled for a 10 a.m. Tuesday appearance in Weld County court to hear the charges against him.
All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in court. Arrests and charges are merely accusations by law enforcement until, and unless, a suspect is convicted of a crime.
Alex Rodriguez couldn’t stop grinning watching girlfriend Jennifer Lopez crush it on stage at the MTV Video Music Awards Monday night.
Could you blame him? Lopez gave an explosive performance, churning through decades of her hits, from “Jenny from the Block” to “I’m Real,” before being awarded MTV’s Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, the show’s version of a lifetime achievement award.
A-Rod stood for what seemed like the majority of her performance, even taking video with his phone as she danced.
During Lopez’s acceptance speech, the star spoke of how her life changed when she had her twins, Max and Emme, now 10. While Emme sat with her grandmother, Max adorably sat on A-Rod’s lap as his famous mom spoke.
“It wasn’t until I had two little angels come into my life that everything changed. I knew I had to be better,” she said. “I knew I had to be stronger than I had been before. …I stand here stronger and better than ever.”
At the end of her speech, Lopez gushed over her beau of over a year, calling A-Rod her “twin soul.” She added: “My life is sweeter and better with you in it.”
“I love you,” Rodriguez mouthed to her from his seat.
England face a huge challenge to save the third Test after a century from India captain Virat Kohli on day three, the hosts need 498 runs for an unlikely victory at Trent Bridge.
Tiffany Haddish had some things to say about the messy split between Fifth Harmony and Camila Cabello at the 2018 MTV VMAs.
The actress served as a makeshift host along with Kevin Hart at the beginning of the show, and she spared no one with her monologue jabs.
After dissing celeb couples getting engaged quickly and DJ Khaled, Haddish started talking about Cabello — but in typical Haddish fashion, could barely pronounce the Cuban-Mexican singer’s name.
Still, she seems to be drawing a line in the biggest band breakup of 2016 — when Cabello left Normani Kordei, Lauren Jauregui, Dinah Jane, and Ally Brooke behind in Fifth Harmony.
“Camila Cabello is here nominated for five awards. So those of you watching at home, hi, Fifth Harmony!” Haddish joked.
Though Cabello was shown shaking her head in the audience, the jab comes after the “Havana” singer admitted feeling hurt when her old girl group simulated kicking her off the stage during their performance at the show last year.
But not to worry, Harmonizers, Nicki Minaj made sure to stand up for at least one of the other girls. After Haddish and Hart announced her as the winner of the first award of the night, Minaj took the time to put the comedian in her place.
“Don’t be coming for Fifth Harmony because Normani is That Bitch,” Minaj said about the singer, who is featured on her new album Queen.
The MTV VMAs are broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall in New York City on Monday, Aug. 20 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
(@Athletics) August 21, 2018
Angela
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