Today in History: July 29, USS Forrestal accident

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Today is Monday, July 29, the 211th day of 2024. There are 155 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On July 29, 1967, an accidental rocket launch on the deck of the supercarrier USS Forrestal in the Gulf of Tonkin resulted in a fire and explosions that killed 134 service members.

Also on this date:

In 1836, the newly-completed Arc de Triomphe was inaugurated in Paris.

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In 1858, the United States and Japan signed the Harris Treaty, formalizing diplomatic relations and trading rights between the two countries.

In 1890, artist Vincent van Gogh, 37, died of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound in Auvers-sur-Oise, France.

In 1914, transcontinental telephone service in the U.S. became operational with the first test conversation between New York and San Francisco.

In 1921, Adolf Hitler became the leader of the National Socialist German Workers’ (Nazi) Party.

In 1954, the first volume of JRR Tolkien’s novel “The Lord of the Rings” (“The Fellowship of the Ring”) was published.

In 1957, the International Atomic Energy Agency was established.

In 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act, creating NASA.

In 1981, Britain’s Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer in a glittering ceremony at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. (They divorced in 1996.)

In 1986, a federal jury in New York found that the National Football League had committed an antitrust violation against the rival United States Football League, but the jury ordered the NFL to pay token damages of just three dollars.

In 1994, abortion opponent Paul Hill shot and killed Dr. John Bayard Britton and Britton’s escort, James H. Barrett, outside the Ladies Center clinic in Pensacola, Florida.

In 1999, a former day trader, apparently upset over stock losses, opened fire in two Atlanta brokerage offices, killing nine people and wounding 13 before shooting himself; authorities said Mark O. Barton had also killed his wife and two children.

In 2016, former suburban Chicago police officer Drew Peterson was given an additional 40 years in prison for trying to hire someone to kill the prosecutor who put him behind bars for killing his third wife.

In 2021, American Sunisa Lee won the gold medal in women’s all-around gymnastics at the Tokyo Games; she was the fifth straight American woman to claim the Olympic title in the event.

Today’s Birthdays:

Former Sen. Nancy Kassebaum-Baker is 92.
Former Sen. Elizabeth H. Dole is 88.
Artist Jenny Holzer is 74.
Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns is 71.
Style guru Tim Gunn is 71.
Rock singer-musician Geddy Lee (Rush) is 71.
Rock singer Patti Scialfa (Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band) is 71.
Actor Alexandra Paul is 61.
Country singer Martina McBride is 58.
Actor Wil Wheaton is 52.
R&B singer Wanya Morris (Boyz II Men) is 51.
Actor Stephen Dorff is 51.
Actor Josh Radnor is 50.
Hip-hop DJ/music producer Danger Mouse is 47.
NFL quarterback Dak Prescott is 31.

Venezuela’s Maduro and opposition are locked in standoff as both claim victory in presidential vote

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CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela’s opposition and President Nicolas Maduro’s government were locked in a high-stakes standoff after each side claimed victory in a presidential vote that millions in the long-suffering nation saw as their best shot to end 25 years of single-party rule.

Several foreign governments, including the U.S., held off recognizing the results of Sunday’s election, and officials delayed the release of detailed vote tallies after proclaiming Maduro the winner with 51% of the vote, to 44% for retired diplomat Edmundo González.

“Venezuelans and the entire world know what happened,” González said.

On the streets of Caracas, a mix of anger, tears and loud pot banging greeted the announcement of results by the Maduro-controlled National Electoral Council.

“This isn’t possible,” said Ayari Padrón, wiping away tears. “This is a humiliation.”

The election will have ripple effects throughout the Americas, with government opponents and supporters alike signaling their interest in joining the exodus of 7.7 million Venezuelans who have already left their crisis-plagued home for opportunities abroad should Maduro win another six-year term.

Venezuela sits atop the world’s largest proven oil reserves, and once boasted Latin America’s most advanced economy. But it entered into a free fall after Maduro took the helm. Plummeting oil prices, widespread shortages of basic goods and hyperinflation that soared past 130,000% led first to social unrest and then mass emigration.

Economic sanctions from the U.S. seeking to force Maduro from power after his 2018 reelection — which the U.S. and dozens of other countries condemned as illegitimate — only deepened the crisis.

Voters lined up before dawn to cast ballots Sunday, boosting the opposition’s hopes it was about to break Maduro’s grip on power.

The official results came as a shock to opposition members who had celebrated, online and outside a few voting centers, what they believed was a landslide victory for González.

“I’m so happy,” said Merling Fernández, a 31-year-old bank employee, as a representative for the opposition campaign walked out of one voting center in a working class neighborhood of Caracas to announce results showing González more than doubled Maduro’s vote count. Dozens standing nearby erupted in an impromptu rendition of the national anthem.

“This is the path toward a new Venezuela,” added Fernández, holding back tears. “We are all tired of this yoke.”

Gabriel Boric, the leftist leader of Chile, called the results “difficult to believe,” while U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington had “serious concerns” that they didn’t reflect the voting — or the will of the people.

Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said the margin of González’s victory was “overwhelming,” based on voting tallies the campaign received from representatives stationed at about 40% of ballot boxes.

Authorities delayed releasing the results from each of the 30,000 polling booths nationwide, promising only to do so in the “coming hours,” hampering attempts to verify the results.

González was the unlikeliest of opposition standard bearers. The 74-year-old was unknown until he was tapped in April as a last-minute stand in for opposition powerhouse Machado, who was blocked by the Maduro-controlled supreme court from running for any office for 15 years.

The delay in announcing a winner — which came six hours after polls were supposed to close — indicated a deep debate inside the government about how to proceed after Maduro’s opponents came out early in the evening all but claiming victory.

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After finally claiming to have won, Maduro accused unidentified foreign enemies of trying to hack the voting system.

“This is not the first time that they have tried to violate the peace of the republic,” he said to a few hundred supporters at the presidential palace. He provided no evidence to back the claim but promised “justice” for those who try to stir violence in Venezuela.

Authorities set Sunday’s election to coincide with what would have been the 70th birthday of former President Hugo Chávez, the revered leftist firebrand who died of cancer in 2013, leaving his Bolivarian revolution in the hands of Maduro. But Maduro and his United Socialist Party of Venezuela are more unpopular than ever among many voters who blame his policies for crushing wages, spurring hunger, crippling the oil industry and separating families due to migration.

The president’s pitch this election was one of economic security, which he tried to sell with stories of entrepreneurship and references to a stable currency exchange and lower inflation rates. The International Monetary Fund forecasts the economy will grow 4% this year — one of the fastest in Latin America — after having shrunk 71% from 2012 to 2020.

But most Venezuelans have not seen any improvement in their quality of life. Many earn under $200 a month, which means families struggle to afford essential items. Some work second and third jobs. A basket of basic staples — sufficient to feed a family of four for a month — costs an estimated $385.

The opposition managed to line up behind a single candidate after years of intraparty divisions and election boycotts that torpedoed their ambitions to topple the ruling party.

Machado was blocked by the Maduro-controlled supreme court from running for any office for 15 years. A former lawmaker, she swept the opposition’s October primary with over 90% of the vote. After she was blocked from joining the presidential race, she chose a college professor as her substitute on the ballot, but the National Electoral Council also barred her from registering. That’s when González, a political newcomer, was chosen.

The opposition has tried to seize on the huge inequalities arising from the crisis, during which Venezuelans abandoned their country’s currency, the bolivar, for the U.S. dollar.

González and Machado focused much of their campaigning on Venezuela’s vast hinterland, where the economic activity seen in Caracas in recent years didn’t materialize. They promised a government that would create sufficient jobs to attract Venezuelans living abroad to return home and reunite with their families.

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Associated Press writer Fabiola Sánchez contributed to this report.

Paris Olympics: Here’s what’s on TV on Monday

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Here is the Paris Olympics TV schedule for Monday, July 29, 2024.

Highlights include the U.S. women’s water polo team vs. Spain (7 p.m., USA), the U.S. women’s basketball team vs. Japan (2:45 p.m., USA) and in swimming, the women’s 400 meter IM (2:30 p.m., NBC).

Monday, July 29

ARCHERY

1 p.m. EST

USA — Men’s Team: Bronze, Gold Finals

BADMINTON

4 a.m. EST

E! — Group Play: Singles, Doubles

BASKETBALL

2:45 p.m. EST

USA — Women’s Group C: USA vs. Japan

3 p.m. EST

UNIVERSO — Baloncesto

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

2 a.m. EST

USA — Pool Play

3 a.m. EST

USA — Pool Play

6 a.m. EST

TELEMUNDO — Voleibol de Playa y Clavados

6:15 a.m. EST

E! — Pool Play

10 a.m. EST

E! — Pool Play

1 p.m. EST

E! — Pool Play

4 p.m. EST

NBC — Pool Play

5 p.m. EST

USA — Pool Play

CANOEING

11 a.m. EST

E! — Slalom: Men’s Canoe Semi, Final

8 p.m. EST

USA — Slalom: Men’s Canoe Semi, Final

CYCLING

8:45 a.m. EST

USA — Men’s Mountain Bike

DIVING

5 a.m. EST

E! — Diving, Rowing

6 a.m. EST

TELEMUNDO — Voleibol de Playa y Clavados

11 p.m. EST

NBC — Primetime in Paris (July 29)

EQUESTRIAN

7 a.m. EST

E! — Eventing: Jumping Team, Individual

9 p.m. EST

USA — Eventing: Jumping

FENCING

12:15 p.m. EST

E! — Women’s Sabre & Men’s Foil Eliminations

5 p.m. EST

E! — Women’s Sabre & Men’s Foil Bronze/Gold Finals

FIELD HOCKEY

7 a.m. EST

USA — Women’s Pool B: Spain vs. USA

GOLF

6 a.m. EST

GOLF — Golf Central – Paris Preview

GYMNASTICS

Noon p.m. EST

UNIVERSO — Gimnasia Artística y Natación

11 p.m. EST

NBC — Primetime in Paris (July 29)

HANDBALL

6 p.m. EST

USA — Men’s Group Play

ROWING

5 a.m. EST

E! — Diving, Rowing

1:45 p.m. EST

USA — Rowing, Shooting

RUGBY

9:30 a.m. EST

USA — Water Polo, Rugby

3:15 p.m. EST

E! — Women’s Quarterfinals

SHOOTING

1 p.m. EST

USA — Men’s Team: Bronze, Gold Finals

1:45 p.m. EST

USA — Rowing, Shooting

SOCCER

Midnight EST

USA — Women’s Group B: USA vs. Germany

SWIMMING

5 a.m. EST

USA — Heats: Men’s 800m Free & more

10 a.m. EST

TELEMUNDO — Natación y Voleibol

Noon EST

UNIVERSO — Gimnasia Artística y Natación

2:30 p.m. EST

NBC — Finals: Women’s 400m IM & more

11 p.m. EST

NBC — Primetime in Paris (July 29)

TABLE TENNIS

4 a.m. EST

USA — M&W Singles: Round of 64

VOLLEYBALL

10 a.m. EST

TELEMUNDO — Natación y Voleibol

11 a.m. EST

USA — Women’s Pool Play

5 p.m. EST

NBC — Women’s Pool Play

11 p.m. EST

USA — Women’s Pool Play

WATER POLO

9:30 a.m. EST

USA — Water Polo, Rugby

2 p.m. EST

E! — Women’s Group: Hungary vs. Canada

7 p.m. EST

USA — Women’s Pool B: Spain vs. USA

What to watch at the Paris Olympics on Monday, July 29

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Monday’s slate for the Paris Olympics includes a blockbuster tennis match, a handful of the world’s biggest basketball stars, a couple of compelling swimming finals and a gymnastics showdown. Here’s a guide of what to look out for:

Nadal faces Djokovic at Roland Garros

The biggest highlight of the Roland Garros schedule is Rafael Nadal taking on Novak Djokovic in the second match of the day on Court Philippe Chatrier. It is the 60th meeting of the longtime tennis rivals, more than any other two men have played against each other in the sport’s Open era, which began in 1968.

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Djokovic, a 37-year-old from Serbia, has 24 Grand Slam titles, making him the only man in tennis history with more than Nadal’s 22.

Cheered on by an adoring crowd, Nadal beat Marton Fucsovics of Hungary 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 in the first round Sunday. Nadal made a last-minute decision to remain in the singles bracket, a day after he won in doubles and said he wasn’t sure if he would participate in both events.

Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff also play on Monday.

China and Japan set up for exciting final in men’s gymnastics

The men’s gymnastics team final starts at 5:30 p.m. CEST (11:30 a.m. EST). China and Japan rolled through qualifying on Saturday. China is the favorite to win its fourth Olympic team title after posting a total of 263.028 at qualifying. Japan is a seven-time Olympic champion and finished second at 260.594. Japan’s Daiki Hashimoto will defend his all-around title.

The Japanese won silver in Tokyo in 2021, while China took bronze. Defending champion Russia is ineligible due to the war in Ukraine.

Team USA women’s basketball begins quest for 8th straight gold

The U.S. women’s basketball team opens its pursuit of a record eighth straight gold medal. Team USA will face Japan at 9 p.m. CEST (3 p.m. EST) at Pierre Mauroy Stadium. The U.S. women are on a 55-game Olympic winning streak; they haven’t lost since 1992 in Barcelona. Japan took silver in Tokyo after losing to the U.S. 90-75.

United States’ Breanna Stewart, left, drives around Germany’s Leonie Fiebich during a women’s exhibition basketball game between the United States and Germany at the O2 Arena in London, Tuesday, July 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

The U.S. team is led by two-time WNBA MVPs A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. Five-time Olympic gold medalist Diana Taurasi returns for her sixth Games.

Also, host France will take on Canada at 5:15 p.m. CEST (11:15 a.m. EST).

Swimming heats up

The women’s 400-meter individual medley final begins at 8:30 p.m. CEST (2:30 p.m. EST) at Paris La Defense Arena. Canada’s Summer McIntosh is a favorite after lowering her own world record (4:24.38) at the Canadian Olympic trials in May. Qualifying heats start at 11 a.m. CEST (5 a.m. EST).

Summer McIntosh, of Canada, competes during a heat in the women’s 400-meter freestyle at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Nanterre, France. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

McIntosh also will compete in the women’s 200 freestyle at 9:41 p.m. CEST (3:41 p.m. EST), the last swimming final of the night. McIntosh won her country’s first medal of the Paris Olympics when she beat out the U.S.’s Katie Ledecky for silver in the 400 freestyle Saturday night.

For the men, the 200-freestyle final starts at 8:40 p.m. CEST (2:40 p.m. EST), followed by the men’s 100 backstroke final at 9:19 p.m. CEST (3:19 p.m. EST).

Other finals around the Olympics

Britain’s Tom Daley will attempt to defend his men’s 10-meter synchronized diving title with partner Noah Williams. Competition is set to begin at 11:00 a.m. CEST (5 a.m. EST) at the Aquatics Centre.