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Chicago Tribune
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Eastern Michigan-bound Aidan Nohava doubles to fuel Brother Rice's sectional rally. A green light? ‘I've got you.'
Brother Rice's Aidan Nohava lit up when he saw the coach's sign giving him the green light. The senior first baseman played out the range of scenarios in his head with a runner in scoring position, especially with Illinois State recruit Jackson Natanek following him in the batting order. 'I just wanted to put the ball in play and get the runner over or score him in the best case,' said Nohava, who's committed to Eastern Michigan. 'I knew Jackson was right behind me. 'We looked at each other and we each said that I've got you and you got me.' It all added up to success Wednesday afternoon as Nohava nailed a game-tying double and then scored on Natanek's single as the Crusaders walked off a 2-1 win over Oak Park-River Forest in a Class 4A Reavis Sectional semifinal at Triton College in River Grove. Sophomore pitcher Brady Cunningham led off the seventh inning with a double for top-seeded Brother Rice (34-3), which advanced to play at 11 a.m. Saturday for the sectional title against Catholic League rival Mount Carmel (25-13), a 6-1 semifinal winner over Nazareth. The Crusaders' quest for a third state appearance in four years appeared in peril when they trailed 1-0 heading into their final at-bat, but coach Sean McBride wasn't playing the percentages. He allowed Nohava to let loose. 'We're playing to win and Aidan's our cleanup hitter for a reason,' McBride said of giving him that go-ahead. 'I thought he had two really good swings earlier in the game and just missed. 'He's a senior. He's been through this. I knew he'd get a good barrel on the ball.' True to form, Nohava drilled a second-pitch fastball down the left field line. 'They threw me fastballs all days and everything was inside,' he said. 'I knew they weren't going to switch from that. The previous pitch was also a fastball, so I knew exactly where it was.' Natanek, who earned the win with three strikeouts in an inning of relief, typically starts next to Nohava at second base. 'We've been playing in the infield together since my sophomore year and I knew he would pick me up there,' Natanek said. 'He's the best teammate you could ask for. 'He'd pick me up at 3 o'clock in the morning if necessary. I'd trust my life with him.' Two years ago as a sophomore, Nohava also was a starter as Brother Rice reached the state championship game. No moment is ever too big. 'All of the seniors have played in a game like this,' he said. 'Sophomore year in the supersectional, we had a one-run game. I try to have as much fun as I can. 'Baseball is a tough game. I just want to win for my team and for the guys behind me.' Nohava, who's hitting .316, has totaled 31 hits, five homers and 32 RBIs. An only child, he picked up the game when his parents started him in youth baseball. 'My parents put me around great people who helped me get good at the game,' he said. 'I realized then that the game was a lot of fun, I was good at it and just wanted to keep rolling.' His favorite activity outside of baseball is fishing. It fits his quiet nature but also determination. 'Growing up, I never had battles with siblings, so I just had to learn how to be competitive and get good at stuff,' Nohava said. 'I started watching YouTube videos about fishing. 'I just felt like it was something I wanted to do. I was out yesterday and caught a couple of fish.' Now, he has another memory that will last forever. 'This is one of the most important wins I've ever been a part of,' Nohava said. 'This could be my last pitch, my last game. I'm a captain, and (Wednesday) is going to sit heavy with me.'
Newsweek
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Catholic League Tells Washington to Adopt Church's Law
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Catholic League President William A. Donohue has written to Washington state Senator Noel Frame, urging the state to "follow Canon law" on assisted dying. The letter followed Frame's suggestion that the church could "change their rules" to allow priests to disclose any allegations of child abuse heard during confession to the relevant authorities. Newsweek contacted the Catholic League and the state senator for comment on Thursday via email outside regular office hours. Why It Matters Earlier this month, the state of Washington passed a law requiring clergy to report any suspected child abuse they learn of during confession, a requirement they were previously exempt from for religious reasons. In response, the Archdiocese of Seattle said, "Catholic clergy may not violate the seal of confession—or they will be excommunicated from the Church." What To Know On Tuesday, the Catholic League published the letter Donohue sent to Frame under the title "Washington State Should Adopt Canon Law." In his letter, Donohue cited an interview Frame did with NPR's Dave Miller earlier this month, in which she suggested church law could be amended to match state law. "I am reminded that Canon law has changed many times over the years in the Catholic faith and there's nothing to say they cannot change their rules to allow the reporting of real time abuse and neglect of children. That is within their power to change and I think they should so," Frame said. Donohue wrote in response: "Funny thing is I feel the same way about your state legalizing assisted suicide. Except I would recommend that state law follow Canon law. We the Catholic Church have a theological purpose that is to protect the vulnerable from assisted suicide and that is why state legislators should choose to follow Canon law to protect such persons, as we do not want to be complicit in killing them." The sun rising behind a stone cross atop the historic Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The sun rising behind a stone cross atop the historic Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Robert Alexander/GETTY The Catholic League president added: "I am reminded that state law has changed many times over the years in secular society and there's nothing to say they cannot change their rules to follow Canon law and put an end to assisted suicide. That is within their power to change and I think they should do so." The Washington Death With Dignity Act became law in 2008, allowing "some terminally ill patients" in the state to ask for "lethal doses of medication" from health care providers. In April 2023, then-Governor Jay Inslee approved a law that sought to reduce the wait time between when a patient asked for life-ending treatment and when they received it. Frame also told NPR, "We the state of Washington have a secular legislative purpose that is to protect children from abuse and neglect and if faith communities choose through their rules not to protect children from abuse and neglect, we the state are choosing not to be complicit in that choice by their rules." Donohue responded in his letter: "You do not cite one instance where any child has ever suffered abuse or neglect, in any state, because a priest chooses not to disclose what he has learned in the confessional. That's largely because molesters tend not to be the kind of persons who like to 'fess up.' In other words, your bill is only tangentially related to this issue." What People Are Saying Anthea Butler, the chair of the department of Religious Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, previously told Newsweek: "This is about 'the seal of the confessional.' That is, the rule that when a priest hears a confession, it cannot be shared. If it is shared, it's breaking Canon Law. A priest can be excommunicated for breaking the seal of the confessional. "The situation, which the Trump administration is looking at, is interesting because there has always been this collision between the law of the local, state and national level and some aspects of canon law. Think about this not only on this level, but in issues of other types of transgressions, like murder. Terrible situation, but for the priest, they are subject to canon law." The Washington State Catholic Conference, which represents five Catholic bishops, previously told Newsweek: "The Catholic Church in Washington supported adding clergy as mandatory reporters. We have required clergy to report since at least 2002. The church has made several policy changes over the decades to ensure abuse survivors are supported, prevention is emphasized and suspected abuse is reported. We asked for a limited exception for the time a priest is engaged in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, an exception the majority of states with clergy reporting laws have granted. "The state telling the church to change its centuries of practice in the Sacrament of Reconciliation is exactly the type of government intrusion in religion that the First Amendment protects against. It also ignores the current practices and policies of the church that are successfully helping to prevent abuse and ensure reasonable suspicions of abuse are reported to proper authorities. There are many ways to accomplish the states' goal, which we share, of protecting children, that do not require the state to trample on our rights." What Happens Next The Washington law, which is set to go into effect on July 27, has highlighted the national conversation about the boundaries between church and state. The Justice Department has launched a civil rights investigation into whether the legislation violates the First Amendment right to religious freedom.
Daily Mail
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Bill Maher defends Marjorie Taylor Greene for saying Catholic bishops are 'controlled by Satan'
Bill Maher defended Marjorie Taylor Greene for a statement she made suggesting Catholic bishops were 'controlled by Satan' as he railed against hypocrites in politics lacking principles. The MAGA firebrand had made the remark in a statement responding to Phil Donohue and The Catholic League demanding she be censured for a tweet she sent out after Pope Francis died. 'Today there were major shifts in global leaderships. Evil is being defeated by the hand of God,' she wrote. In a statement responding to demands that she be censured by Congress, she made a statement explaining she was merely criticizing Vatican and Catholic leadership, which she claimed was 'controlled by Satan.' 'It's the church leadership I was referring to when I invoked the devil,' she said, saying she stopped going to mass because she felt she couldn't protect her children from pedophiles. 'Just so we're clear, bishops, when I said 'controlled by Satan,' I wasn't talking about the Catholic Church. I was talking about you.' Liberal comic Maher - a longtime critic of all religions - made a rare effort to defend the Congresswoman in his 'New Rules' segment on Real Time Friday where he decried people shifting their politics based on whoever's espousing their ideas. He cited Democrats who no longer liked Elon Musk or bought Teslas and Republicans who suddenly loved them, as well as liberals who went against reopening schools post-COVID because Donald Trump said it should happen. Maher even went as far as pointing out pro-'Make America Healthy Again' conservatives were once infuriated by Michelle Obama's attempts to improve nutrition standards. When it came to Greene, Maher admitted they were forming an unlikely alliance. 'Now, it would be easy to just make fun of Marjorie Taylor Greene and since this is week 16 of our show and I'm already tired... I think I will.' The comic pointed out Greene's past statements such as 'Jewish space lasers' and once demanding answers from Joe Biden about something on the nonexistent date of June 31. 'So, not a genius,' quipped Maher, before turning to her statement about the Catholic Church, comparing it to the infamous live television performance of singer Sinead O'Connor decades earlier. 'She was talking about the child abuse that's gone on for a thousand years, which is basically the same thing that Sinead O'Connor said in 1992 when she went on SNL and tore up a picture of the Pope.' He pointed out that many liberals and non-religious people thought that it was great the Irish singer made that shocking statement. 'So don't be a hypocrite and that's the challenge, to not automatically rush to the opposite view point, based solely on who said it.' O'Connor, who shot to stardom across the world in 1990 with her heartrending cover of Prince's Nothing Compares 2 U, was performing on Saturday Night Live on October 1992 when she pulled the stunt. The then 26-year-old singer performed an a cappella rendition of Bob Marley's 'War' to bring attention to the issue of child abuse. The artist sang the final refrain 'And we know we shall win/As we are confident in the victory/Of good over evil,' then held up a picture of Pope John Paul II and tore it to pieces right in front of the single camera. O'Connor exclaimed 'fight the real enemy!' while staring down the barrel of the camera before blowing out the surrounding candles on stage and walked off. She had reportedly told NBC, who hosted the show, that she would hold up a picture of a starving child and make a plea to protect the world's most vulnerable kids. However, the singer instead replaced the photograph in order to protest the ongoing issue of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, long before such allegations were widely reported. The performer recalled in her 2021 memoir, Rememberings, the eerie silence she was greeted with after walking off stage: 'When I walk backstage, literally not a human being is in sight' she wrote. 'All doors have closed. Everyone has vanished. Including my own manager, who locks himself in his room for three days and unplugs his phone.' The network was inundated with complaints and calls for days about the broadcast. SNL's show creator Lorne Michaels allowed O'Connor back on stage at the end of the program to wave goodnight to the audience. He later added that O'Connor's action was 'the bravest possible thing she could do.' However, the following week SNL distanced itself from the act by having host Joe Pesci reassemble the photograph and tell the audience that had he been present he would have given the singer 'such a smack'. Several weeks later O'Connor once more sang an a capella version of 'War', this time on stage at Madison Square Garden in New York during a tribute concert to commemorate Bob Dylan's 30th year in music. She was met by a mixture of cheers and boos, but fellow performer Kris Kristofferson emerged from the wings to say 'Don't let the b******s' get you down.' O'Connor faced considerable backlash in the months after her SNL performance. There were protests, death threats, cancelled gigs and even a bulldozer used to flatten a pile of her records in Times Square. Several years later, in 1999, O'Connor caused uproar in Ireland when she became a priestess of the breakaway Latin Tridentine Church - a position that was not recognized by the mainstream Catholic Church. For many years, she called for a full investigation into the extent of the church's role in concealing child abuse by clergy.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How Long Island HS tennis player overcame tough times to become team's star
Manhasset tennis player Max Golubenko was down on the sport the summer after his sophomore year. 'I played six or seven tournaments, and in all of them I won only like one or two rounds against, like, lower-rated opponents,' he told The Post. 'I was playing almost every day of the week, and I was just not getting far.' Advertisement Rather than giving up, however, Golubenko, originally of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, doubled down to sharpen his game. Manhasset tennis player Max Golubenko has a 13-0 record heading into the Nassau County tournament this weekend at Eisenhower Park. Manhasset Athletics 'I really started adding in the fitness element and my game changed,' said Golubenko, who loves tennis so much he wrote about it on a supplemental college essay. Now, as a senior, he's at the top of the Long Island leaderboards, boasting a 13-0 record heading into the Nassau County tournament this weekend at Eisenhower Park. 'I knew that the hard work would pay off,' he said. 'Through those dry streaks and those hard times, they built me to the level that I'm at today. I'm happy and proud of myself … my family is convinced I'm going pro one day.' Advertisement Golubenko, who overcame a back injury heading into 12th grade, took third in last year's tournament, which qualified him for states. Max Golubenko Manhasset Athletics Nevertheless, this year, the Trinity College-bound athlete says it's win or bust at Eisenhower. 'Last time I was up against opponents physically stronger than me who were playing much longer than me,' said Golubenko, who got serious about tennis at age 13 after moving to the suburbs. 'It was just a starting point … and this is my senior year, so I'm all in.' The rematch of Long Island's holy war did not disappoint. The Friars of Saint Anthony's High School defeated the Chaminade Flyers 16-12 to capture the boys lacrosse team's sixth consecutive Catholic League championship, all of which were played against their arch rival since 2019. Chaminade, which beat St. Anthony's 11-10 in the regular season, took a 10-6 lead into the half, but a 7-1 third-quarter run by the Friars put it out of reach.
Daily Mail
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Pale and frail Kathy Griffin sparks health fears while spotted hiking in Malibu after hysterectomy
Kathy Griffin has endured all kinds of hell. A recent sighting of the firebrand comedienne walking in her Malibu neighborhood suggests her many professional, mental health and medical crises have taken a toll on her appearance. Griffin, 64, looked almost unrecognizable when spotted for the first time since undergoing a hysterectomy in early April to treat a pre-cancerous condition. Although she seemed to have her energy back post-surgery while logging her steps with a female companion, her gray pallor was almost as startling as what appeared to be the bloody, severed head of Donald Trump she posed with in a notorious 2017 satire that nearly tanked her career. Contrasting with the jarring paleness of her skin, her signature bright red hair fell loose around her shoulders while it seemed her hairline was receding, and she had either a scalp condition or bald spot. Known for her biting humor and criticism of Republicans, the Catholic League and celebrity culture, Griffin has opened up about her history of health struggles, starting with a binge eating disorder as a teen. Her appearance was drastically different from her last sighting. Griffin's signature fiery-red hair had drastically receded and thinned out, while her face looked gaunt She also has spoken out about her long string of cosmetic procedures ranging from a breast augmentation, nose job and lip tattoo to a botched LASIK surgery in 2003 that partially blinded one of her eyes and complications from a 1999 liposuction that nearly killed her. She also has struggled with her mental health, especially since a photo of her holding what looked like Trump's hacked-off head triggered heavy pushback starting in 2017. Trump, tweeting about the image at the time, wrote, 'Kathy Griffin should be ashamed of herself. My children, especially my 11-year-old son, Barron, are having a hard time with this. Sick!' Donald Trump Jr. told Good Morning America that 'She deserves everything that's coming to her.' Griffin, along with her then-elderly mother and dying sister, received death threats during the biggest controversy of her controversial career. The Trump administration placed her on its no-fly list and its Justice Department spent at least two months investigating whether the photo she posed for constituted a conspiracy to assassinate the president. Nothing became of that probe, at least legally. Even Trump weighed in to express his disgust, saying she 'should be ashamed of herself' and how it negatively affected his family, particularly his son Barron who was 11 at the time Still, the image caused her career to nosedive, at least temporarily. Talk shows and theaters canceled her appearances, and CNN ended her annual stint co-hosting its New Years Eve show with Anderson Cooper from 2009 to 2017. 'I wasn't canceled,' she told the New York Times. 'I was erased.' Griffin ended up apologizing for the Trump effigy, posting on Twitter that, 'I went way too far. The image is too disturbing. I understand how it offends people, it wasn't funny, I get it.' She financed and produced 'Kathy Griffin: A Hell of a Story,' a 2019 documentary about the Trump photo and how it changed her life. Meanwhile, her anxiety and chronic back pain triggered a pill addiction, which spiraled into severe depression and an attempt to end her life in 2020. Then in 2021, she was diagnosed with lung cancer, even though she never smoked. A surgery to remove half of her left lung damaged her vocal cords, causing her to undergo at least one more operation to improve her ability to speak. Griffin came forward on social media in 2023 to say that her cancer fight and years of Trump backlash contributed to extreme post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and caused severe anxiety attacks that at times had her writhing in bed for eight hours. She talked about the ordeal in a video posted to her TikTok account. She said at the time that she managed her anxiety partly by pushing herself to do daily tasks such as feeding her dog or taking walks. Griffin took small, but brisk steps on her recent trek in Malibu wearing a gray top, black leggings and designer purse. Such details are the kind of fodder she has used in her brand of caustic comedy aimed at everyone from Barbara Walters to the Octomom to Jesus Christ. Raised in Oak Park, a suburb of Chicago, Kathleen Mary Griffin attended acting school and launched her acting and comedy career in Los Angeles in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Her supporting role on the Brooke Shields sitcom Suddenly Susan and starring role in Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List — winner of two Emmys for Outstanding Reality Show — marked her big breaks on TV. She was a regular on late night talk shows, has performed in 20 stand-up comedy specials on HBO, Comedy Central and Bravo, and has appeared in 45 movies. Griffin finalized her divorce from marketing executive Randy Bick in January after four years of marriage.
