Washington

Crossing Ukraine’s armored curtain to deliver people, and toilet paper

Published

2 years ago

August 28, 2022

Crossing Ukraine’s armored curtain to deliver people, and toilet paper

Remark

KAMIYANSKE, Ukraine — Oleksander hates pulling into this deserted Ukrainian village on the Dnieper River, one of many solely portals into Russian-occupied territories to the east. When he passes the final Ukrainian flag, flapping subsequent to a bombed-out gasoline station, he is aware of that he’s about to come across the primary Russian checkpoint and that the troopers will query him, test his telephone for anti-Russian memes and study his physique for army tattoos.

Typically they threaten to shoot him.

“This automobile has been hit thrice,” he stated, mentioning the patch of tape over a shrapnel gap within the door of his tattered white Ford Transit van. “Nothing good occurs while you get [inside Russian-controlled territory]. My smile fades as quickly I am going on this course.”

Oleksander — whom The Washington Submit is figuring out solely by his first title to guard him from Russian scrutiny — is without doubt one of the few Ukrainians who spend time on either side of the road separating enemy armies. He’s amongst only a handful of couriers keen to cross the militarized armored curtain, passing back-and-forth by means of this rigorously managed no man’s land with tense cooperation from troops on either side.

Making the journey two or thrice a month, they dodge shell craters on this battered two-lane street and navigate the army bureaucracies of two armies. Sometimes, their runs carry households out of the occupied areas and convey meals, mail, prescriptions and, inevitably, bathroom paper for the folks residing underneath enemy management.

“It’s arduous to seek out bathroom paper, and the worth has doubled,” stated Serhii, one other driver who commonly makes the journey between his condominium close to Mariupol, which is in Russian arms, and town of Zaporizhzhia in free Ukraine.

Like Oleksander, Serhii is just not being recognized by his full title. Though his crossings have gotten simpler in latest months — he estimates he has made the journey at the very least 100 occasions since Mariupol fell to the Russians — he nonetheless feels a chill when he remembers the time Russian troopers pulled him at rifle level from his van. The journeys could have grow to be extra routine with a few of the Russians recognizing him, however the hazard is all the time there.

“When guys with weapons don’t such as you, they get ugly,” he stated. “My spouse worries about me each minute that I’m gone.”

The Russians typically make him dump contemporary tomatoes and different produce he’s making an attempt to carry out for farmers on the opposite aspect. And currently, they’ve been turning away vans of shopper items into Russian-held areas.

“They do something they need, any time,” stated Rafik Sultanov, one other driver who had been turned away that morning with a van full of bathroom paper and laundry detergent donated by assist teams. “We’re at their mercy.”

The entire drivers have been at a staging space on the Ukrainian-controlled aspect of Kamiyanske on Saturday, ready for permission from Ukrainian officers to hold on to the parking zone in Zaporizhzhia, the place the households they’ve introduced out will search for rides to Dnipro, Kyiv or wherever they hope to seek out shelter.

This small, war-ravaged outpost is without doubt one of the solely authorized crossing factors alongside the 1,500-mile entrance line separating Ukrainian and Russian forces. The realm is off limits to the general public due to frequent shelling, illustrated by a rocket fuselage embedded within the pavement close to the village middle. The Submit was allowed to make a short go to to the village, the place neither aspect maintains a troop presence, with permission from Ukrainian officers.

A prepare trip again to Ukraine: Worry, tears and a romance

Most of these crossing listed here are households fleeing from areas held by the invading Russian forces. In all, greater than 306,000 Ukrainians have fled occupied territories, in accordance with authorities officers, by means of this and different crossing factors once they have been working.

At this final remaining gateway, site visitors has spiked in latest weeks, regardless that vacationers typically must sleep of their autos for as much as every week earlier than getting permission to move by means of the string of Russian checkpoints resulting in this demilitarized zone with Kamiyanske at its middle.

1000’s of households have poured out of the Russian aspect as preventing has raged across the close by Zaporizhzhia nuclear energy plant underneath Russian management, elevating the specter of a cataclysm at Europe’s largest atomic power facility.

However an growing variety of households are heading the opposite means.

As autos sure for Ukrainian-held territory waited on one aspect of the street, a unfastened convoy of vans and vehicles rushed by within the different course, all heading into the rolling Russian-controlled fields seen past the village. Inside minutes, they’d be in enemy arms.

A few of the autos have been frequent crossers like Serhii and Oleksander. However many have been households who had fled beforehand and have been now able to take their possibilities underneath Russian rule to reclaim their homes and property.

“Every little thing we personal is there,” stated Kateryna, who fled the embattled metropolis of Lysychansk on April 5 when Russian shelling triggered a fireplace on her block. “We needed to depart with nothing, we have been barefoot, and now winter is coming. Every little thing we now have is in Lysychansk.”

Kateryna, who is just not being totally recognized for her security, was amongst tons of of Ukrainians ready in an unpaved parking zone on the Ukrainian aspect of the village for permission to depart to depart for the Russian-held aspect.

She and the others who have been paying about $150 for a circuitous journey in a van to Lysychansk by means of Russian-held areas had been ready at this registration level for about 24 hours. Others had been tenting within the spot for greater than 5 days.

Oleksander has been caught steadily, too, ready for permission to proceed. However for him, any delay has the advantage of giving him extra time along with his household. They way back evacuated from his hometown of Berestove inside Russian-held territory. He waits with them at an condominium in Dnipro, simply greater than an hour away, till he will get a telephone name telling him he can start his run again into Russian-controlled territory.

Sometimes, he hundreds his van with donated items which have grow to be scarce or unaffordable in Russian-occupied areas — sugar, pasta, bathroom paper, diapers. The exiled management of his city additionally sends packages for residents again residence, giving Oleksander telephone numbers to name for choose up when he arrives. He collects parcels and mail on request, and retailers for the spare carburetor and shocks that somebody wants at residence.

He feels helpful, however he hates going again underneath Russian management, he stated, the place troopers demand to see passports. Typically those that object disappear. He would depart the occupied space, besides he is aware of the Russians would take over his condominium. And his mom, who’s in a wheelchair, is just too outdated to maneuver.

“She would by no means make it this far,” he stated within the vibrant roadside solar of the village that serves as an airlock between warring factions.

And so he plies forwards and backwards, dividing his time between the elements of Ukraine managed by Ukrainians and the elements managed by the enemy. However saving his smile for one aspect solely.

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Washington

What Gonzaga’s Mark Few said after win vs. Washington State

Published

4 hours ago

January 12, 2025

Press Room

What Gonzaga’s Mark Few said after win vs. Washington State

The Gonzaga men’s basketball team pulled away from Washington State for an 88-75 victory in the first meeting between the in-state rivals in over a decade.

Graham Ike led the way with 21 points on 8-for-11 from the field, Nolan Hickman added 19 points and the Bulldogs (14-4, 5-0 WCC) earned their fifth straight win to open league play by putting the Cougars (13-5, 3-2 WCC) away early in the second half. After ending the first half on an 8-2 scoring run, the Zags came out of the second half with a sense of urgency on both ends, sparking a 15-5 scoring run to make it a double-digit margin.

Here’s what Gonzaga head coach Mark Few had to say after the game.

On what he told the team at halftime that led to the strong start to the second half:

“I just told them, ‘hey, we’re in a we’re in a battle. It’s a great game. Both teams are competing really hard, and we’re at our best when we’re in attack mode.’ And they did a great job of taking the message and I thought we really went out and turned defense into offense, and we knew that was going to be a big key for us. [The Cougars] are hard to guard, they’re big and they’re physical, and [WSU coach David Riley] does a really lot of nice stuff on on offense that exploits mismatches. But our guys battled tonight, so I was really proud of them.”

On the team’s performance while Ryan Nembhard was on the bench for the final 9 minutes of the first half:

“They played great. I told them that in the locker room that that was huge. We haven’t really had to do that all year. And this guy [Nolan Hickman] stepped up. He was amazing tonight. I mean, seven boards … defensively in there, battling in the post. I mean, he did a lot of stuff that, as I said, he’s now, he set a high standard, so kind of be counting on that moving forward, but he and Dusty [Stromer] both really helped during that stretch and [Khalif Battle] and obviously having Ben [Gregg] and then Graham was rock solid all night.”

On the team’s effort on the defensive end of the floor in the second half:

“I thought our effort and our making plays, I thought it was definitely up there [with the best of the season], and just the physicality that it took. Because, again, they’re so much bigger than us at several of those spots. And again, you just don’t see the post-up thing like this, where your guards are getting constantly posted. But so in that way, we fought, we were physical and kind of had to navigate our way through a lot of different actions. There’s staggers and some curls and some switches and all that. For the most part, we did pretty good.”

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Washington

Washington Nationals Agree to Terms With Former All-Star Reliever

Published

12 hours ago

January 11, 2025

Press Room

Washington Nationals Agree to Terms With Former All-Star Reliever

The Washington Nationals have continued to invest into the pitching staff with another free agency move on Saturday.

Shared on social media, the Nationals announced that they had agreed to terms with relief pitcher Jorge Lopez on a one-year contract. That deal will be worth $3 million plus incentives per Jon Heyman.

This is the third pitcher that Washington has signed this offseason, with Michael Soroka brought in as a free agent and Trevor Williams receiving a new deal to say.

They also added another reliever, Evan Reifert, as a Rule 5 draft pick from the Tampa Bay Rays.

Lopez made headlines last year with his infamous exit from the New York Mets. He caused a stir after a loss when he referred to himself as ‘the worst teammate on the worst team in baseball.’

For a lot of players, that might spell an end to the season. The fastball-heavy reliever was able to bounce back. He was released and then signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs.

The 31-year-old came back from controversy as strong as ever, posting a 2.03 ERA over the final 26.2 innings of work.

With the loss of Kyle Finnegan, Lopez makes sense as a potential replacement at closer. He does have some closing experience, but has not been his main role for much of his career.

That season, 2022, was the year he made his first and only All-Star team.

He is a ground ball machine that loves to force bad contact. Keeping him in a situational role could also be a smart idea, given that he struggles against lefties.

No matter how he is used, this is another good signal that the Nationals don’t want to throw any season away.

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Washington

Michigan basketball vs. Washington prediction: Can U-M stay undefeated in Big Ten?

Published

22 hours ago

January 11, 2025

Press Room

Michigan basketball vs. Washington prediction: Can U-M stay undefeated in Big Ten?

For Michigan basketball, the recent West Coast trip went about as well as hoped.

The No. 24 Wolverines (12-3, 4-0 Big Ten) picked up a pair of double-digit wins against the Big Ten’s Los Angeles-based teams — topping USC, 85-74, last Saturday and then defeating No. 21 UCLA, 94-75, Tuesday night as wildfires raged a few miles away — and now return home looking to make it three consecutive wins against league newcomers, welcoming Washington (10-6, 1-4) to Ann Arbor on Sunday afternoon (2 p.m., Big Ten Network).

The Huskies’ first trip to the Midwest hasn’t started well; they were dog-walked by Michigan State in East Lansing, 88-54, on Thursday. U-W trailed by 29 points at the half (42-13) and by more than 40 points in the second half (82-41 with less than five minutes to play) in an utter annihilation.

After two tight wins in conference play — by three points over Wisconsin and two over Iowa — U-M has won four games in a row by double digits and could make it five straight, with one of the bottom teams in the Big Ten coming to town.

Great Osobor with not-so-great help

U-Dub forward Great Osobor made headlines this offseason when he transferred from Utah State to Washington (following head coach Danny Sprinkle) for a then-record NIL deal worth $2 million.

Apparently, money doesn’t buy wins, because while Osobor has been decent, it hasn’t been nearly enough for the Huskies.

The senior leads the Huskies in scoring (13.8 points per game) and rebounding (8.4) but his efficiency has taken a large drop, as he has shot just 45% from the floor on 3s after hitting at least 57.7% in each of his first three college seasons. Some of that might be attributable to his increased 3-point tries — after attempting just 18 3s (and making four, for a 22.2% success rate) in his first 104 games, he has 14 3-point tries in 16 games this season (with only two makes, a 15.3% rate). More concerning is his 2-point shooting percentage: After hitting 59.1% last season, he’s at 47.7% inside the arc this season.

He has scored in double figures in 11 games with the Huskies, though much of his success came in a weak nonconference schedule. Though he put up 20 points and 14 rebounds vs. Maryland, he had just nine points and three boards vs. USC and a combined 15 points and eight rebounds vs. Illinois and MSU.

Sophomore guard Tyler Harris (Portland) is next at 12.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game while freshman point guard Zoom Diallo, a top-50 recruit according to 247 Sports’ composite rankings, averages 10.8 points per contest for Sprinkle’s team.

Overall, U-Dub is simply not up to Big Ten standard. On defense, the Huskies are No. 7 nationally in limiting 3-pointers (28%) and No. 69 in efficiency (99.9), per KenPom, but on offense, the Huskies are No. 149 in efficiency (107.4), No. 201 in 2-point shooting (50.1%) and No. 240 on 3s (32%).

Depth on display

The Wolverines, meanwhile, continue to flex their depth and balance with each passing game.

Michigan just defeated UCLA by 19 on the road and did so by scoring 94 points (the most a Mick Cronin team has ever allowed at home) without perhaps its most proven guard: Roddy Gayle Jr. (knee bruise) missed Tuesday’s game vs. the Bruins. U-M coach Dusty May said then it was too early to say if he’d play Sunday.

“Long-term health is priority No. 1 for us,” May said. “But I would say he’ll be back relatively soon.”

Gayle is one of five U-M players scoring in double figures for May in his first season in Ann Arbor. After putting up a career-high 36 points vs. the Bruins, center Vlad Goldin now leads the Wolverines at 15.8 points per game. Point guard Tre Donaldson (13.1 points) is next while Danny Wolf, Goldin’s frontcourt partner, averages a double-double at 12.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.

All three had standout games on the trip; Wolf started the L.A. double-dip becoming just the third NCAA player in more than 20 years with at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and six blocks, and Donaldson made a career-high four 3-pointers vs. USC, then topped it with six vs. UCLA.

And then there’s Gayle (12.4 points) and Nimari Burnett (10.5 points), who are both shooting better than 50% from the floor. Every starter has led the team in scoring at least once this season, a major reason U-M leads the country in 2-point shooting (62%) and effective field goal percentage (60.2%).

“I mean numbers don’t lie,” Donaldson said. “We’re shooting over 60% inside the arc, I mean just continuing to do that. We got big guys out here … with Danny doing what he does in and out. It’s hard to guard. Nobody’s seen nothing like that before.”

Prediction for Michigan basketball vs. Washington

The Wolverines’ outlook is worlds away from a year ago, when it was often U-M on the wrong side of the talent and coaching ledger. U-M is better than Washington in every facet. As long as the Wolverines don’t have a horrendous shooting night, or commit an egregious number of turnovers (they’re 16th nationally, at 15.2 per game), they just have too much talent and depth for U-Dub to slow down. The pick: U-M 88, Washington 68.

Tony Garcia is the Michigan Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.

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