Hurricane Milton tears through Florida, shredding roof off stadium used as shelter for first responders



Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida late Wednesday, tearing off the roof of Tropicana Field stadium in St. Petersburg, which was being used as a shelter for first responders.

Videos of the Category 3 storm's path of destruction showed section after section of the stadium's domed roof, constructed of translucent, Teflon-coated fiberglass, being shredded into pieces by the up to 101 mph wind gusts. According to the Tampa Bay Rays' 2024 media guide, the roof was built to withstand 115 mph winds.

'A crane collapse ... and roof damage.'

Footage reportedly taken by security personnel inside the facility captured pieces of the roof draped across stadium chairs and some of the thousands of empty cots set up for emergency responders.

In the days leading up to the storm, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) stated that the stadium was being used as a 10,000-person base camp to "support ongoing debris operations and post-landfall responders."

According to officials, no injuries were reported at the stadium.

The city stated, "Late Wednesday night, St. Petersburg Fire Rescue has received two critical reports of incidents in downtown St. Pete: a crane collapse at the 400 Central building construction site and roof damage at Tropicana Field. No injuries have been reported in either incident at this time."

"The public is urged to continue to shelter in place and avoid both areas until further notice."

St. Petersburg also sustained a water main break that caused two sewer plants to be taken offline and a citywide drinking water alert to be issued. The sewer plants were brought back online in the morning.

Around 9:00 a.m. local time, the city announced that crews were working on recovery efforts, including fixing traffic signals. Local officials encouraged residents to remain off the roads until first responders are able to clear fallen trees and downed power lines.

Analysts with Jeffries Group, an investment banking company, previously reported that Hurricane Milton could cause as much as $245 billion in property damages in the Tampa Bay and Fort Myers areas.

"A 1-in-100-year event is estimated by some to result in $175 billion in losses for landfall in the Tampa region, and $70 billion in losses in the Fort Myers region," they wrote.

Analysts with Morningstar DBRS, a global credit rating agency, estimated that the storm could result in up to $100 billion in insured losses.

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'This isn't a political statement': MLB players appear to reference Trump assassination attempt during home run celebrations



Players from the St. Lous Cardinals and Tampa Bay Rays appeared to be referencing the assassination attempt of Donald Trump in their on-field celebrations. The Cardinals spoke to media and were downplaying the political connection, however.

Cardinals players Lars Nootbaar, Brendan Donovan, and Nolan Gorman were all seen putting one hand over their ear and raising a fist when celebrating home runs recently, prompting questions about the connections to Trump.

Then, after outfielder Alec Burleson hit a home run, video circulated online showing him doing the same celebration as he rounded third base, with cameras then cutting to the dugout showing the rest of the team joining in.

'Definitely not a political statement. I think that’s a little off-base here.'

Veteran player and designated hitter Matt Carpenter spoke to the media about the celebrations, and seemingly downplayed any political references. However, it was also difficult to discern if Carpenter was actually being sarcastic.

"Burleson is a former college rapper," Carpenter said. "He's been carrying us at the plate. [The celebration] is the furthest thing from a political statement," he told the Athletic.

Carpenter then called it an "inside joke" and said the hand gestures were referencing a DJ.

"This isn't a political statement by any means. I don't know where that came from."

"It’s slowly catching on," Carpenter continued. "I don't know who, or the first official guy to do it on the field, but it was for sure in the first half. It picked up steam in this series, for sure."

"Definitely not a political statement. I think that’s a little off-base here," he added.

While it's hard to discern the truth from those statements, the water is less muddied when it comes to Rays shortstop Taylor Walls. When the 28-year-old hit a double against the New York Yankees, he stopped at second base and pumped his fist twice while mouthing the words, "Fight, fight."

Some alleged fans responded to social media posts by the teams with inflammatory remarks about Trump.

One fan called Walls a "Nazi," while another social media user alluded to the team being "fascist."

Looks like you need to suspend Taylor Walls. Fans will not tolerate Nazis in MLB.
— Ken Krawchuk (@DetroitBoy16) July 21, 2024

Replies on the Cardinals' latest social media post received fewer negative remarks; however, one fan called the celebrations a "fascist salute."

Loved the part where your guys all did a fascist salute as a HR celebration. Classiest team in baseball as always.
— kit 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🇵🇸 (@HelluvaBttmCrtr) July 21, 2024

Some players have made it far less of a question as to where their support lies; Washington Nationals pitcher Patrick Corbin simply posted the iconic image of Trump raising his fist in the air on his Instagram page. The only caption for the photo was the American flag.

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ESPN commentator Sarah Spain blasts 'bigoted' Tampa Bay Rays players who refused to wear Pride Month rainbow patches, rips their 'religious exemption BS'



ESPN commentator Sarah Spain on Monday blasted Tampa Bay Rays baseball players who refused to wear Pride Month rainbow patches on their uniforms as "bigoted" toward LBGTQ people and said they're full of "religious exemption BS."

What are the details?

During the "Around the Horn" segment, host Tony Reali read part of a statement from one of the players who decided against wearing the rainbow-colored patches — pitcher Jason Adam, who called it a "faith-based decision":

So it’s a hard decision. Because ultimately we all said what we want is them to know that all are welcome and loved here. But when we put it on our bodies, I think a lot of guys decided that it’s just a lifestyle that maybe — not that they look down on anybody or think differently — it’s just that maybe we don’t want to encourage it if we believe in Jesus, who’s encouraged us to live a lifestyle that would abstain from that behavior ...

The rest of Adams' statement — which Reali didn't read — added: "... just like [Jesus] encourages me as a heterosexual male to abstain from sex outside of the confines of marriage. It’s no different. It’s not judgmental. It’s not looking down. It’s just what we believe the lifestyle he’s encouraged us to live, for our good, not to withhold. But again, we love these men and women, we care about them, and we want them to feel safe and welcome here.”

What did Spain say?

When Reali asked Spain for her take on the controversy, she replied — as if reading from a prepared statement — that "Pride is about inclusion, so you don't love them, and you don't welcome them if you're not willing to wear the patch. And calling it a 'lifestyle' reveals to me that you've done not even a modicum of research or understanding on this topic. It's what tends to happen when a privileged class isn’t affected by things. This is not just about baseball. That religious exemption BS which is used in sport and otherwise also allows for people to be denied health care, jobs, apartments, children, prescriptions, all sorts of rights."

Spain followed that up with some rather hard-to-follow declarations: "And so we have to stop tiptoeing around it because we’re trying to protect people who are trying to be bigoted from asking for them to be exempt from it, when the very people that they are bigoted against are suffering the consequences."

Huh?

Reali apparently was looking for some clarification when he replied, "When you say 'trying to be bigoted'" before Spain jumped back in: "They're trying to use religious exemptions to affect the opportunities, services, available resources for people who are LGBTQ+."

She added that the Rays players are "double talking if they're saying 'you're welcome' while also saying that 'we don't encourage' or 'we disagree with it,' especially when they're devout people of every single religion that also welcome and are open to people who are born gay."

AROUND THE AROUND 6/6/22 Draymond Green's foul is a dirty foul as Warriors beat Celtics in G2youtu.be

Anything else?

Others on the left were equally incensed at the Rays' players who chose not to wear the Pride colors on their jerseys. LBGTQ sportswriter Cyd Zeigler tweeted, "Will someone please show me the Bible passage that says 'Thou shalt not wear a rainbow on thou's clothing'..." Zeigler also tweeted that "players don't get to just choose what uniform they wear. That's the point of the word 'uniform.' Welcome to sports."

Outkick opined that the "Around the Horn" program "has become the go-to ESPN show to spread woke talking points without an ounce of pushback," and that Reali "handpicked the wokest 'talents' on ESPN’s roster to make up the show’s rotation."

Leftists blast Tampa Bay Rays' players who refuse to wear LBGTQ rainbow Pride colors because of religious beliefs: 'Absolute bulls**t'



Leftists on social media are blasting baseball players from the Tampa Bay Rays who cited religious reasons for refusing to wear rainbow colors on their uniforms for the team's LBGTQ Pride Night game Saturday against the visiting Chicago White Sox.

At least five players didn't wear the colors and instead peeled off the rainbow burst logo on their jersey sleeves and wore the team's standard cap instead of the Pride cap with a rainbow-colored “TB” on the front, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

What are the details?

“Our Pride Nights continue to grow both in terms of visibility and participation,” Rays' president Matt Silverman said, according to the Times. “By doing this, we extend an invitation not just for this game but for all of our games that the LGBTQ+ community is invited, welcomed, and celebrated.”

To that end, the franchise decided to make their LBGTQ support more visible by following the lead of the San Francisco Giants and adding rainbow-colored logos to their Pride Night uniforms, the paper said.

But not all the Rays' players wanted to participate, and the team allowed them that choice, the Times said. Among the players who didn't wear the rainbow colors were pitchers Jason Adam, Jalen Beeks, Brooks Raley, Jeffrey Springs, and Ryan Thompson, the paper added.

Team officials chose Adam to speak for the group who refused the rainbow colors, and he told the Times the decision was based on religious beliefs.

“A lot of it comes down to faith, to like a faith-based decision,” Adam said, according to the paper. “So it’s a hard decision. Because ultimately we all said what we want is them to know that all are welcome and loved here. But when we put it on our bodies, I think a lot of guys decided that it’s just a lifestyle that maybe — not that they look down on anybody or think differently — it’s just that maybe we don’t want to encourage it if we believe in Jesus, who’s encouraged us to live a lifestyle that would abstain from that behavior, just like [Jesus] encourages me as a heterosexual male to abstain from sex outside of the confines of marriage. It’s no different. It’s not judgmental. It’s not looking down. It’s just what we believe the lifestyle he’s encouraged us to live, for our good, not to withhold. But again, we love these men and women, we care about them, and we want them to feel safe and welcome here.”

WFLA-TV quoted Thompson as saying “those of us who decided not to wear the patch or hat spent a couple weeks in prayer and a deep dive into Scripture on the subject at hand to come to the decision that we did.”

The station said Thompson added, “if I believe the Bible is infallible and that everlasting life is attainable, yet I bow down to public opinion in the name of tolerance, is that love? I don’t think so.”

Thompson also told WFLA that the Rays as a franchise are “completely unified” in both love for the LGBTQ community and respect for each other’s opinions, views, and values.

But veteran outfielder Kevin Kiermaier did wear the rainbow cap and logo and told the Times that "my parents taught me to love everyone as they are, go live your life, whatever your preferences are, go be you. I can’t speak for everyone who’s in here, obviously, but this is a family-friendly environment here at a big-league ball field. … We just want everyone to feel welcomed and included and cheer us on. No matter what your views on anything are.”

The paper said that during Saturday's Pride Night, the Rays included members of the LGBTQ community in pregame events, gave mini Pride flags to attendees, and made a $20,000 donation to Metro Inclusive Health, which provides diverse health and wellness services to the community.

5 Tampa Bay Rays players forgo Pride-themed jerseys, reports youtu.be

The left-wing hammer comes down

LBGTQ sportswriter Cyd Zeigler posted tweets ripping Rays' players who chose to not wear the rainbow-colored logos.

In one Zeigler wrote, "Will someone please show me the Bible passage that says 'Thou shalt not wear a rainbow on thou's clothing'..." He also said "players don't get to just choose what uniform they wear. That's the point of the word 'uniform.' Welcome to sports."

Other leftists were equally displeased:

  • "To the @RaysBaseball players refusing to wear the Pride patch referencing their beliefs In Jesus…. Absolute bulls**t," one Twitter user declared. "Jesus took in and loved thieves, adulterers, prostitutes, and criminals. Don’t you dare use Christ as a [sic] excuse for your homophobic BS. Racist frauds."
  • "Hey @RaysBaseball, why did you allow homophobic players to express their homophobia on Pride Night?" another user asked.
  • "Religious bigots are one of the worst aspects of American life and have to be condemned and fought at every turn," another user said.
  • "All day I thought those Tampa Bay Rays hats were dope without knowing it was for LGBTQ pride," another user revealed. "Those dudes who refused to wear them are lame losers. 'Faith' my ass."
  • "If your religious beliefs don’t allow you to wear a damn pride number on your jersey, [d]on’t give your fake performative bulls**t of 'we accept everyone.' [S]o Tampa Bay Rays please get f***ed with your 'wouldn’t allow it' f***ery," another user waxed poetic.
  • "Some folks need to abandon the myth that you can be against homosexuality without being against homosexuals. It's a cowardly cop-out and a failed effort to not seem like the bad guys," another user said. "The entire #LGBTQ community knows the truth: You're the bad guys."

DeSantis Gives Tampa Rays A Slap On The Wrist For Gun Control Tweets

'Inappropriate to subsidize political activism'

'Inappropriate to subsidize political activism': DeSantis speaks out after nixing funds for Tampa Bay Rays facility days after team posted anti-gun rant



Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis answered questions on Friday about his decision to veto funds for a Pasco County baseball practice facility slated to be used by the Tampa Bay Rays, saying, in part, that it's "inappropriate to subsidize political activism."

The veto garnered national headlines this week as many perceived the governor's move to be a retaliatory action against the Major League Baseball franchise. Only days before the veto, the Rays loudly pushed for new gun control legislation on social media in response to recent mass shootings in Buffalo, N.Y, and Uvalde, Texas.

DeSantis, a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment, told reporters in a press conference Friday afternoon that despite his disagreement with the organization over gun laws, he blocked government money for the facility because he fundamentally opposes public funding of sports stadiums.

"I don't support giving taxpayer dollars to professional sports stadiums, period," the governor said. "So at the end of the day, that was just the decision that was going to be made."

But then the governor offered some further clarification on his decision, indicating that the Rays' anti-gun tirade may have also played a part in the veto — a decision that will certainly land well with his base of supporters.

\u201c\u201cIt\u2019s inappropriate to ... subsidize political activism of a private corporation.\u201d\n\n\u2014 Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) defends vetoing funds for a Tampa Bay Rays practice facility after the team tweeted about gun control\u201d
— The Recount (@The Recount) 1654271789

"Now, companies are free to engage or not engage with whatever discourse they want. But, clearly, it's inappropriate to be doing tax dollars for professional sports stadiums," the governor said, adding, "It's also inappropriate to subsidize political activism of a private corporation."

"So, either way it's not appropriate," he said.

DeSantis has developed a reputation for fighting woke organizations that push their radical beliefs on Florida residents.

Earlier this year, he took action against Disney over its public opposition to the Parental Rights in Education bill, stripping the entertainment behemoth of its self-governing privileges and special tax status in the state, which it enjoyed for 55 years.

The Rays appeared to put itself directly in the governor's line of sight last week when it issued a statement demanding that Congress to pass stricter gun control legislation and announcing a $50,000 gift to Everytown for Gun Safety’s support fund.

\u201chttps://t.co/9DpyuwEzJo\u201d
— Tampa Bay Rays (@Tampa Bay Rays) 1653603821

"This cannot become normal. We cannot become numb. We cannot look the other way. We all know, if nothing changes, nothing changes," the team said.

It would also go on to live-tweet coverage of its May 26 matchup against the Yankees by posting several tweets about the impacts of gun violence.

In a tweet following news of the veto in light of the Rays' anti-gun messaging, Newsweek opinion editor Josh Hammer said, "[Ron DeSantis] is the most dynamic conservative elected official in America — the one who most clearly 'gets' our current moment — and it is not a particularly close call."

"The beauty of this move partially lies in the fact that, much like Disney with Disney World, a professional sports franchise represents a pretty fixed hard asset. It’s not the kind of thing you can easily pick up and move. So like Disney, the Rays will sit there and take it," Hammer added.

Perhaps tipping the governor's hand, DeSantis spokeswoman Christina Pushaw retweeted the Hammer's post.

Image Source: Twitter screenshot

You can watch the full segment of DeSantis' remarks in the video below starting at the 59-minute mark.

Watch Live: Gov. DeSantis speaks in Orlando www.youtube.com

Gov. DeSantis vetoes funding for new Tampa Bay Rays practice facility



Florida's new state budget will not include $35 million for a Pasco County baseball practice facility slated to be used by the Tampa Bay Rays, in what many are calling the latest move by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to punish organizations that push progressive causes.

The maverick Republican governor vetoed funds for the spring training facility on Thursday — among a slew of other items — after the Major League Baseball organization went on lengthy social media tirade about gun control last week.

DeSantis has not publicly offered his reasoning for vetoing the facility and, in fact, has a long history of opposing public funding for sports stadiums. But that hasn't stopped people from making assumptions.

Following the highly-publicized mass shootings in Buffalo, N.Y, and Uvalde, Texas, the Tampa Bay Rays issued a statement calling on Congress to pass stricter gun control legislation.

"This cannot become normal. We cannot become numb. We cannot look the other way. We all know, if nothing changes, nothing changes," the team said while announcing a $50,000 gift to Everytown for Gun Safety’s support fund.

\u201chttps://t.co/9DpyuwEzJo\u201d
— Tampa Bay Rays (@Tampa Bay Rays) 1653603821

The team would go on to join the New York Yankees in replacing its usual social media game coverage with live-tweeted facts about the impacts of gun violence.

\u201cIn lieu of game coverage and in collaboration with @Yankees, we will use our channels to offer facts about the impacts of gun violence.\n\nThe devastating events that took place in Uvalde, Buffalo and countless other communities across our nation are tragedies that are intolerable.\u201d
— Tampa Bay Rays (@Tampa Bay Rays) 1653604855


"Every day, more than 110 Americans are killed with guns, and more than 200 are shot and injured," the team tweeted, adding, "Firearms were the leading cause of death for American children and teens in 2020," among other statements.

On Thursday, DeSantis, a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment, vetoed funding for the Odessa facility. According to The Hill, the complex was "widely expected to be signed into the state’s budget."

It wouldn't be the first time that DeSantis has defended his conservative agenda against woke organizations with radical political beliefs. The governor took on Disney earlier this year after the entertainment company publicly opposed popular legislation seeking to guard children from unnecessary discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in school.

DeSantis stripped Disney of its longstanding special district status in the state, which afforded the entertainment behemoth self-governing privileges and special tax status.

TheBlaze has reached out to the governor's office seeking clarification on whether or not the Rays anti-gun rant played a factor in his decision to veto the training facility.

For now, it appears a spokeswoman for DeSantis, Christina Pushaw, may have offered a clue by curiously retweeting Newsweek editor Josh Hammer's take on the news, according to Mediate.

Image Source: Twitter screenshot