Latest news with #Kurtz
South Wales Argus
10 hours ago
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
Senedd members lambast bluetongue response as 'total chaos'
Samuel Kurtz, who is from a farming family, expressed deep concern about the Welsh Government's handling of the disease, saying it 'falls far short of what farmers deserve'. The Conservatives' economy secretary said Senedd members received no briefing from the deputy first minister nor the chief veterinary office on the science behind the decision. Mr Kurtz warned: 'There has been no economic impact assessment despite the far-reaching consequences for our rural community. 'And perhaps most troubling of all, the decision was issued via a written statement on a Thursday afternoon – just after the Senedd week had ended, ensuring no scrutiny, no questions and no answers until today.' He told the Senedd: 'We all understand the importance of protecting Welsh livestock from bluetongue but the measures imposed are not only excessive, they're unworkable.' 'Requiring pre-movement testing for all live imports, even vaccinated animals, might look reasonable on paper but – in the real world of Welsh farming – it's chaos." He put the cost of vaccinating all livestock in Wales at £32m – £6 a cow and £3 for every sheep or goat – placing a 'staggering financial' burden on a struggling industry. During a statement on the Welsh Government's approach to bluetongue on June 17, deputy first minister Huw Irranca-Davies said policy will be kept under regular review.
South Wales Guardian
11 hours ago
- Politics
- South Wales Guardian
Senedd members lambast bluetongue response as 'total chaos'
Samuel Kurtz, who is from a farming family, expressed deep concern about the Welsh Government's handling of the disease, saying it 'falls far short of what farmers deserve'. The Conservatives' economy secretary said Senedd members received no briefing from the deputy first minister nor the chief veterinary office on the science behind the decision. Mr Kurtz warned: 'There has been no economic impact assessment despite the far-reaching consequences for our rural community. 'And perhaps most troubling of all, the decision was issued via a written statement on a Thursday afternoon – just after the Senedd week had ended, ensuring no scrutiny, no questions and no answers until today.' He told the Senedd: 'We all understand the importance of protecting Welsh livestock from bluetongue but the measures imposed are not only excessive, they're unworkable.' 'Requiring pre-movement testing for all live imports, even vaccinated animals, might look reasonable on paper but – in the real world of Welsh farming – it's chaos." He put the cost of vaccinating all livestock in Wales at £32m – £6 a cow and £3 for every sheep or goat – placing a 'staggering financial' burden on a struggling industry. During a statement on the Welsh Government's approach to bluetongue on June 17, deputy first minister Huw Irranca-Davies said policy will be kept under regular review.
Fox Sports
3 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Last Night in Baseball: Giancarlo Stanton is (Also) Back
There is always baseball happening — almost too much baseball for one person to handle themselves. That's why we're here to help, though, by sifting through the previous days' games, and figuring out what you missed, but shouldn't have. Here are all the best moments from last night in Major League Baseball: Stanton is back, too! Shohei Ohtani — understandably — sucked up all the attention with his return to the mound on Monday night, especially since it was something of a surprise. His was not the only long-awaited return, however, as the Yankees finally got slugger Giancarlo Stanton back in their lineup. Stanton hadn't played at all in 2025, and began the year on the 60-day IL thanks to what he himself deemed to be " severe " tennis elbow in both arms. Epicondylitis is the actual term for the problem, and it was supposedly due to "bat adjustments" Stanton had made in 2024 — the extent of the injuries was enough that Stanton had to receive multiple rounds of platelet-rich plasma injections to help solve the issue. He's back now, however, and got right to work: Stanton went 2-for-4 with a double while serving as the Yankees' designated hitter. That was the high point of the night for New York, however, as the Angels would end up winning 1-0 in extra innings. Sure, Aaron Judge became the first player to reach 100 hits on the season, too, but like with Stanton it didn't end up leading to any runs. Next time, boys. What a catch by Neto Of course, it didn't help the Yankees that Zach Neto decided to make a play like this one. What should have been a looping ball hit to the outfield for an easy Paul Goldschmidt hit instead became a highlight reel play. From the moment of contact to the ball ending up in Neto's glove measured less than two seconds. He saw and heard the ball hit the bat, turned to give chase, then contorted his body just right to snag that would-be hit out of the air, all in that short time. Professional baseball players are something else. Somehow, this wasn't the most impressive defensive play of the evening. But we'll get to that one soon enough. A's walk it off on Kurtz's shot The Astros and A's had a pitching duel going, despite both starters exiting after just five innings. Ryan Gusto limited the A's to one run over his five, allowing just three hits and a single walk in that time, while Mitch Spence gave up far more hits (seven) and struck out far fewer batters (two), but allowed the one run all the same. The bullpens took over, with both blanking the other… until they did not. In the bottom of the ninth, Bryan Abreu came in, walked Brent Rooker, and then gave up a home run to Nick Kurtz without even recording an out. His seventh homer of the year was gone off of the bat, and Kurtz knew it — hence that serious bat flip. Kurtz is a rookie, and not just that, he was the A's first-round pick in 2024. The 22-year-old has struggled a bit, as is expected for someone who shot through the minors that quickly, but the power is very real and is also why he's managed a 107 OPS+ through 34 games despite a sub-.300 on-base percentage. The A's present doesn't look so good. The A's might have a fascinating future, though, if players like Kurtz develop like they should. What an even better catch by Guillorme Remember that time, mere moments ago, when you were told there was an even better defensive play than Zach Neto's on Monday? Well, here you go, courtesy the Astros' Luis Guillorme: Guillorme's body looked like it was full of regret as he stood back up and trudged to third from the outfield, but you can't deny that the catch itself was a beaut. He kept going back and back, and called off Mauricio Dubon on a play that wasn't quite the third baseman's and also wasn't quite the left fielder's, and then suddenly shifted to his right to make the shocking catch in no man's land. Absurd at every step, but especially that last one. Ohtani is back doing what only Ohtani can Shohei Ohtani served as the opener for the Dodgers against the Padres on Monday, marking his first time back on the mound since August of 2023, when he was lifted early with what would eventually turn out to be a tear in his ulnar collateral ligament. Back from an extended rehab that saw him win an MVP award as a hitter alone in 2024, Ohtani threw one inning against San Diego, allowing a run and a couple of two-strike hits. Ohtani, also for the first time since August of 2023, was able to make up for any mistakes made on the mound at the plate. As he did in the third inning, when he lifted a 91 mph pitch into center field to tie the game up, 1-1, undoing the run he'd allowed himself. As MLB noted , Ohtani was the first National League player to serve as both the starting pitcher and the leadoff hitter since 1953, when Alvin Dark did so for the Giants, and just the third since 1900 (Jim Jones, Giants). If the Dodgers had lost in some embarrassing way, we'd even be able to bring up Tungsten Arm O'Doyle again, but this Los Angeles team is a little different than Ohtani's previous one. Anthony's first MLB homer The Red Sox don't have Rafael Devers' imposing bat in the middle of their lineup anymore, so the kids are going to have to pick up the slack if they're to keep chasing down a wild card spot. Rookie Roman Anthony apparently got the memo, and went yard for the first time in his (very short) MLB career: Anthony has now played in seven games for the Red Sox, and it hasn't gone all that well to this point. He's batting .095/.174/.286 in 23 plate appearances, with just two hits. One of those hits is a homer, however, and the other a double. The power is there, but there's a lot more for the 21-year-old to work on, as well. Considering Anthony was the top prospect in MLB, not just in the Red Sox system, there's plenty of reason to believe that he'll be able to figure out these issues with time. And he'll have to, considering the Devers-shaped void in the Boston lineup. Monday night was a good start, at least. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience Giancarlo Stanton New York Yankees Major League Baseball recommended Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Astros shuffle rotation, ride momentum into series opener vs. A's
The Houston Astros are a season-best 11 games over .500 after stringing together five straight victories but an unexpected rotation shakeup on Monday presents a new challenge. Right-hander Lance McCullers (1-2, 4.91 ERA) was placed on the injury list with a sprained right foot, sparing the Athletics another outing against the right-hander, who fanned 12 A's in his May 28 start. Houston hopes the momentum built with consecutive walk-off wins carries over when it opens a four-game series against the Athletics on Monday night at West Sacramento, Calif. The Astros swept a three-game set against the visiting Minnesota Twins in style, winning 3-2 on Saturday thanks to a run in the ninth and 2-1 on Sunday after Mauricio Dubon hit a walk-off single to the left-field wall in the 10th inning. "These guys don't quit," Houston manager Joe Espada said. "They fight until the end. I'm not surprised by their fight, but when you see it and you feel the energy in that dugout, it's incredible." The Astros have outscored opponents 29-11 during the five-game winning streak and have opened a 4 1/2-game lead over the Seattle Mariners in the American League West. Houston has been hot with 15 wins in its last 20 games. That success helps in late-game situations, according to Dubon. "That's the mentality we have here now, and it's a great group of guys," Dubon said. "If the other guy doesn't do it, the guy behind him is going to do it. The guy that comes in late, he's going to do it. We try to pass the baton a little bit." The Athletics are in last place in the AL West, 13 games behind the Astros. But the Athletics are coming off a three-game road sweep of the Kansas City Royals after losing 24 of their previous 28 games. The A's allowed just six runs in the series. "I think we're playing better baseball," Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said. "The bullpen now is starting to gain some confidence. They are starting to settle in." Rookie Nick Kurtz hit a tie-breaking homer in the ninth inning of Sunday's game as the Athletics prevailed 3-2. Kurtz was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 draft and returned early last week from the injured list due to a left hip flexor strain. Kurtz was just 2-for-17 with six strikeouts in his first four games after returning before going 2-for-4 on Sunday. His homer was off veteran reliever Carlos Estevez and it set up Mason Miller for his 14th save. "There's not a lot of times when one pitch or one play makes a whole game," Kurtz said. "But to come up there and take the lead with a guy like (Miller), who is going to close the door, it felt really good." Houston named Ryan Gusto the starter in place of McCullers, who had been scheduled to make his eighth start of the season for Houston. McCullers, 31, lost to the Chicago White Sox in his last turn when he gave up four runs and four hits over five innings. Gusto, 26, is 4-3 with a 4.56 ERA in 15 games (nine starts) this season and has been hit hard of late. He posted a 6.45 ERA in his last 22 1/3 innings with 32 hits and 16 walks in those seven games (five starts). The Athletics were expected to start right-hander Mitch Spence (2-1, 3.67), giving him a third straight start following 22 consecutive relief appearances. He has given up one run and six hits over 10 innings in the two starts. On Tuesday, he blanked the Los Angeles Angels on three hits over five innings in a no-decision. Spence, 27, struck out three in 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief against Houston on May 27. Overall, he has a 3.86 ERA in three appearances (one start) versus the Astros. --Field Level Media
Western Telegraph
12-06-2025
- Health
- Western Telegraph
Kurtz renews wildlife cull call over rise in bTB breakdowns
In the 12 months to March 2025, a record 13,174 animals were slaughtered in Wales due to bovine TB, an increase of 17.7% compared with 11,194 in the previous year. There were also 619 new incidents during the same period, a 2% increase from 607 in the prior 12 months. In a letter to the Deputy First Minister, Mr Kurtz referenced the latest data from Lincolnshire, where a five-year culling programme has seen TB prevalence in badgers fall from 24% to just 4%. Natural England has confirmed further culls will take place in ten more areas from this September. The intervention follows mounting frustration across Wales' agricultural communities, particularly in long-standing TB hotspot areas like Pembrokeshire, where confidence in the Welsh Government's eradication strategy is at an all-time low. Mr Kurtz, who has helped push forward the Pembrokeshire Project, a science-led local initiative to tackle the disease, said it was time for the Welsh Government to take a more honest, holistic and pragmatic approach. He said: 'Farmers are being pushed to the brink, financially and emotionally. The ongoing toll of bovine TB is devastating, not just for businesses, but for the mental wellbeing of entire families and communities. 'Welsh Government must be willing to look at all the evidence, including the clear impact that targeted wildlife control is having in parts of England. It cannot keep asking farmers to suffer while ruling out potentially effective tools. Mr Kurtz also criticised the Welsh Labour Party's 2021 manifesto, which pledged to 'forbid' a badger cull, a word he described as 'ideological and absolute,' showing a refusal to engage with evolving science or the real-world impact on farming families. 'To use the word 'forbid' in a manifesto is extraordinary. It suggests that no matter what evidence emerges, the decision is made. That's not a science-led approach, that's politics getting in the way of progress.'
