DENVER –– The thin mountain air seemed to take its toll on Dodgers catcher Hunter Feduccia during Tuesday night’s face-off.

Or perhaps it was the infamous smash burger from lunch that turned unfriendly.

Feduccia had no choice but to exit early from his team’s thrilling 7-6 victory over the Colorado Rockies. He left the game in the bottom of the seventh inning after visibly struggling behind the plate, ultimately succumbing to nausea in the dugout.

“He’s battling a stomach virus or possibly food poisoning, something along those lines,” explained manager Dave Roberts in the post-game briefing. “He was toughing it out the whole game. Eventually, he lasted as long as he could.”

Feduccia had tirelessly been manning the catcher’s spot for the second consecutive game in this series and for the fourth time in five days. His resilience finally gave way with only one out remaining in the seventh inning. 

After catching a slider from reliever Edgardo Henriquez for a strikeout to begin the inning, Feduccia doubled over behind the plate and looked like he was about to retch. 

He quickly raced off the field and back down the dugout stairs, but left behind a trail that required a stadium worker to later mop up near the team’s third-base bench.

“He gave us a great effort,” Roberts said, after Ben Rortvedt replaced Feduccia to complete the game.

Feduccia was part of a second-straight resurgent performance from the Dodgers’ offense, drawing two early walks in their eventual series-clinching win.

The victory was also keyed by Shohei Ohtani, who followed Feduccia’s first free pass with his 30th home run of the season in the third; Freddie Freeman, Tommy Edman and Teoscar Hernández, who each had two hits and combined for three RBIs; and even Kyle Tucker, who snapped his career-worst 0-for-26 hitless streak with an RBI double in the fourth. 

Just as important, however, was a five-inning, four-run start from Eric Lauer (a passing grade at mile-high altitude) and four innings of two-run ball from the bullpen (punctuated by a four-out save from Tanner Scott).

Feduccia was crucial to that effort early, displaying his growing comfort level with the Dodgers’ big-league pitching staff.

The former unheralded prospect –– who was traded by the team at last year’s deadline, then reacquired this year to bolster the team’s banged-up catching depth –– has become the team’s primary backstop lately, starting for the ninth time in the last 14 games on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, however, he’ll get a deserved break.

“I think we’re just trying to hydrate him,” Roberts said postgame. “He’ll be down tomorrow.”

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

In Missouri, controversy swirls around a city leader following allegations from a police union that she attempted to discuss officers’ compensation during a colleague’s funeral.

On Friday, Cara Spencer, St. Louis’s mayor, joined the memorial service for Officer Kevin Bradford, aged 27, who tragically ended his life on July 26.

Inside the Kutis Funeral Home, Spencer stood with Bradford’s grieving colleagues, relatives, and friends to honor the young officer, who had been anticipating the birth of his third child.

However, Martin Garcia, leader of the St. Louis Police Officers’ Association, claimed that during the solemn gathering, Spencer initiated an ‘informal survey’ regarding officers’ wages and job benefits.

Garcia, addressing the issue via social media on Monday, emphasized, “Our department recently mourned the loss of a young officer by suicide. This tragic and alarmingly frequent issue continues to plague those in law enforcement.”

‘Unfortunately, St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer used the occasion to approach multiple young officers. These officers were there to grieve and remember their friend. 

‘What began as casual conversation quickly became an informal survey about officer pay and benefits, eventually turning into a debate over whether pensions and benefits should be exchanged for higher pay. Read that, again. Yes, Mayor Spencer chose to debate grieving police officers at a funeral,’ Garcia wrote. 

He went on to call her alleged behavior ‘callous, disrespectful, and beneath the person holding the position of Mayor.’

Spencer has since stated that the claim that she had these discussions with grieving officers is ‘deeply and dangerously inaccurate.’ 

‘Last week our community lost a new police officer, a devastating new reality for his friends, family, and the department. I attended the funeral to share my condolences and to provide a proclamation to thank him for his brave service. I was honored to speak to three young men who recently graduated from academy with the officer and was grateful for the time they shared with me,’ Spencer said in a statement shared with the Daily Mail. 

According to Spencer, during her conversation with the officers, the topic of ‘what motivated them to do this important and dangerous work’ came up. 

She then appeared to admit she had a conversation about pay, but said the context was different from what the union shared. 

‘Compensation is often part of motivation and I was grateful they shared their perspective on this matter, and humbled to hear that what motivates them most is doing excellent work,’ Spencer added. 

Spencer said she has been left ‘saddened and disappointed’ after seeing the SLPOA’s statement, and accused the union of ‘mischaracterizing these conversations and using my presence at a funeral to instigate a false narrative.’ 

‘To say our conversation was a debate about benefits is deeply and dangerously inaccurate. I apologize to the friends and family of the deceased officer that his loss is now being talked about in this way,’ she concluded. 

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Tracy told the outlet that, like Garcia, he believes the conversation Spencer had was inappropriate. 

‘A funeral should remain a sacred and solemn space to honor our officer and support his family and grieving colleagues. While I was not present for the conversations now being discussed, I have heard the concerns of our officers and take them seriously,’ he said. 

‘A funeral is not the place for conversations about compensation and benefits. The only conversation that matters most right now is how we look out for one another—within our Department and throughout our community.’ 

Tracy also noted that he wants every officer and St. Louis resident to know ‘that help is available for those in crisis.’ 

The late officer has been remembered as a devoted cop, a ‘loving father,’ and a ‘loyal friend,’ according to a GoFundMe page. 

It sadly added: ‘Most importantly, Kevin leaves behind two young children and a third child on the way.’

The Daily Mail approached Spencer, Garcia, and Tracy for comment. 

If you or someone you know needs help, please call or text the confidential 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US on 988. There is also an online chat available at 988lifelong.org. 

LAS VEGAS — During the trial in Las Vegas of the man accused of orchestrating Tupac Shakur’s murder, some of his family members exited the courtroom before prosecutors displayed images from his autopsy.

However, a few family members chose to remain and confront the grim reality of the events that befell the legendary rapper.

These unsettling images were presented during the second day of testimony in the case against Duane “Keffe D” Davis, accused of planning the tragic drive-by shooting that ended Shakur’s life in 1996.

Dr. Lisa Gavin, a forensic pathologist and medical examiner for Clark County, outlined the injuries Shakur sustained and provided insight into his cause of death. The jury first saw a photograph of a green body bag, leading into more disturbing images. Some family members who stayed averted their gaze as the photos were displayed.

Tupac’s family in the Las Vegas courtroom

Zayd Akinyela, Shakur’s cousin, chose to remain in the courtroom, expressing a desire to gain a deeper understanding of what happened.

“I feel like the details, especially for people that are close to him, honestly for me helps, helps the grief process. I think we’ve been waiting 30 years to grieve properly,” Akinyela told The Associated Press outside the courtroom. “A lot of people don’t get to grieve until they understand what happened to their loved one and how it happened.” He added, “That’s why I wanted to stay and just see for my own personal closure.”

He said he hadn’t known how many times his cousin was shot and can’t help but think of the ways the night could have played out differently.

Seeing the photos of Shakur’s body made him feel “Very angry, very angry, to say the least, very sad,” Akinyela said.

What the forensic pathologist said about the gunshots

Gavin described three bullets, one of which traveled through Shakur’s chest, including through a lung. That caused his lung to collapse and bleed, and doctors ultimately removed the damaged lung in an effort to save his life, she said.

Additional bullets damaged his intestines and other parts of his body, she said.

Jurors looked intently at the photos of Shakur’s body, which was bloated and had multiple chest wounds. The nearly full courtroom was quiet. Photos showed his tattoos and the chest tubes that were still in his body from the six days he spent in the hospital before dying.

The images were not shown in the video feed from the trial.

Gavin was not at Shakur’s autopsy but was called as an expert witness because the examiner from 30 years ago has since died.

As Gavin explained the photos, Davis sat still, looking at the screen in front of him. He occasionally whispered in his attorney’s ear.

Family members who had stepped out returned for the testimony of subsequent witnesses.

Surveillance video of a clash before the drive-by shooting

Prosecutors allege Shakur was killed to avenge Shakur’s entourage attacking Davis’ nephew Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson a few hours earlier at the MGM Grand after a Mike Tyson fight.

On Tuesday, jurors were shown the casino’s surveillance video of the clash. The camera, which panned back and forth in the MGM Grand, showed a group of people beating and kicking someone on the ground.

The video showed Shakur and his entourage moving quickly through the crowded building in the minutes after. At times, the other men had to jog to keep up with the rapper.

The surveillance footage then showed security and police arriving at the scene and talking to Anderson, who was wearing a number 13 Dan Marino Miami Dolphins jersey.

A few hours later, Shakur, riding in a black BMW with hip-hop mogul Marion “Suge” Knight, was gunned down by shots fired from a white Cadillac that had Davis, Anderson and two other men inside. Davis is not accused of pulling the trigger.

Dean O’Kelley, a former Las Vegas police officer, testified to finding several cartridges on the street at the scene, and got reports that the suspect’s vehicle was a white Cadillac, potentially occupied by four Black men.

He said he checked areas that he frequented while working in the police gang unit to look for it.

What happens next

Davis, 63, could get life in prison if he’s convicted of murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang. He has pleaded not guilty. His lawyer in the defense opening called the prosecution’s narrative “fiction.”

Lawyer Michael Sanft told jurors Davis wasn’t previously charged, despite implicating himself in interviews and his memoir, because law enforcement knew that he was “full of crap.”

Shakur, who used the stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, remains a cultural icon and is considered one of the most influential and versatile rappers of all time. He died as his popularity was peaking at age 25, and his legend has only grown in the years since.

Akinyela, Shakur’s cousin, said, “I’m very spiritual, so just seeing the body doesn’t affect me the same way as it might some people. I do believe that his spirit is still around and still lives on through his family and through his legacy.”

___

Associated Press Writer Rebecca Boone contributed from Boise, Idaho.

Tupac’s family in the Las Vegas courtroom

What the forensic pathologist said about the gunshots

Surveillance video of a clash before the drive-by shooting

‘Hostile’ witness refuses to revisit the past

Death Row security officer chronicles Bad Boy rivalry

Tupac’s legacy and memory

In Maryland, wildlife authorities are on the lookout for a beaver that recently bit a young girl at a state park. This incident marks the third such beaver encounter in the state within a time frame of less than three weeks.

The incident occurred at Seneca Creek State Park in Montgomery County, where the 10-year-old was enjoying a swim with a group when the beaver attacked her around 3:30 pm on Thursday, as reported by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

Quick-thinking camp counselors managed to detach the beaver from the girl, after which the animal retreated into the water, the DNR detailed. The girl’s injuries included three cuts on her upper leg, and she was rushed by her family to Suburban Hospital in Bethesda for medical care.

Thankfully, no further injuries have been reported.

The attack occurred at a bend in Seneca Creek near Berryville Road, close to the Potomac River. DNR closed the area, including roughly one mile of trail and river access points, until further notice while wildlife teams search for the beaver.

Other parts of Seneca Creek State Park, including the Lake Area off Clopper Road in Gaithersburg, remain open.

A separate group of people canoeing in the area also reported a beaver attempting to charge one of their boats, but no one was injured, according to DNR.

The Seneca Creek attack follows two beaver attacks at Cunningham Falls State Park in Frederick County, more than 36 miles away.

A beaver attacked a 13-year-old swimmer at Cunningham Falls on July 26. Another beaver bit a 19-year-old fisherman on the ankle in the park’s South Beach Day Use area on Aug. 5.

The fisherman took himself to Meritus Medical Center in Hagerstown, where he received treatment for rabies exposure and a tetanus shot, DNR said.

Natural Resources Police caught and euthanized the beavers involved in both Cunningham Falls attacks. Both animals later tested positive for rabies.

Following the second attack, the Maryland Park Service closed the Houck Day Use Area, the adjacent boat ramp and Big Hunting Creek above the lake while wildlife officials investigated the incidents.

DNR said the Seneca Creek attack is not considered related to the Cunningham Falls cases because of the distance between the parks and the home range and social behavior of beavers.

Health department data also show no indication of a rabies outbreak in either Frederick County or Montgomery County, according to DNR.

Beaver attacks on people are rare, the agency said, and are thought to primarily involve animals infected with rabies. Before this year’s incidents, the last recorded beaver bites in Maryland confirmed to involve rabid animals occurred in 2021 and 2015.

Beavers typically avoid conflict with people, according to DNR. The agency recommends maintaining a minimum distance of 25 yards from the animals in the wild.

The Milwaukee Brewers delivered a historic performance on Tuesday night, decimating the Seattle Mariners with a record-tying shutout score of 22-0. This overwhelming victory was powered by three-run home runs from Christian Yelich, David Hamilton, and Luis Lara, alongside a two-run blast by Jake Bauers.

This stunning win sees the Brewers (78-48) not only securing their reputation as the leading team in the major leagues but also matching their own franchise record for the total number of runs in a single game.

Few games in baseball history have witnessed shutouts of this magnitude. Since 1901, only two other teams have achieved a 22-0 victory: Pittsburgh against the Chicago Cubs on September 16, 1975, and Cleveland at the New York Yankees on August 31, 2004.

The Brewers’ scoring spree began with Jake Bauers crossing the plate in dramatic fashion. With two outs in the first inning, he doubled against Seattle’s Bryce Miller.

William Contreras then followed with a single, leading to a play at the plate where Bauers’ slide dislodged the ball from catcher Cal Raleigh’s mitt after a swift throw from left fielder Randy Arozarena, allowing Bauers to dive back and score Milwaukee’s first run.

Yelich’s homer made it 6-0 in the fifth. Hamilton went deep in the sixth to make it 9-0, and Bauers’ 22nd homer later in the inning made it 11-0.

Milwaukee scored nine times in the eighth against Mariners infielder Leo Rivas, including Lara’s homer, which was the first of his career.

Kyle Harrison (10-3), who allowed eight runs (three earned) over 4 2/3 innings in his previous start, held the Mariners to two hits in five innings. Shane Drohan worked two innings, Grant Anderson pitched the eighth and catcher Gary Sánchez completed the five-hitter, working around two hits in the ninth while throwing several pitches under 40 mph.

Hamilton’s four RBIs were a career high. Yelich and Lara also drove in four runs each, and Garrett Mitchell had four hits.

Donald Trump has revealed a new agreement between the United States and Canada that will see a halt on 50% tariffs affecting $20 billion worth of Canadian imports.

The announcement comes after Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney engaged in talks earlier on Tuesday, racing against a deadline of 12:01 am Wednesday set by Trump himself.

“I have paused the 50% tariffs against Canada, which were set to start tomorrow morning, for a three-day period. This pause is based on a new deal between Canada and the U.S., pending document finalization,” Trump shared on Truth Social.

Although specifics were not provided, Trump hinted that the agreement might revive the Keystone XL pipeline project. This pipeline had been partly constructed before President Joe Biden revoked its permit in 2021, citing environmental concerns.

“The once-shelved Keystone XL Pipeline, terminated by Sleepy Joe Biden, could spring back to life!” Trump remarked.

Trump also posted an AI image of himself digging the pipeline out of a grave that read ‘Buried by Biden.’ 

Carney did not confirm a deal but said that he and Trump had made ‘substantial progress.’ 

‘Over the last number of weeks, Canada has engaged in intensive discussions with the United States to address outstanding trade issues and deliver greater certainty and real benefits for Canadian businesses, workers, farmers and families,’ he told The Daily Mail.

‘Substantial progress has been made, although there is important work still to be done. As this work is ongoing, the United States has agreed to postpone the implementation of its 50 percent tariff on a range of Canadian goods under Section 338 of the US Tariff Act of 1930 until end of day, August 21st.’

‘While we continue this work, Canada remains focused on building a stronger, more independent, and more competitive economy at home,’ Carney added.

Trump pulled the surprise on Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in mid-July after he met the liberal leader at the World Cup final – where the two appeared chummy. 

The White House said in a fact sheet that the tariffs would go into effect in 30 days and cover ‘products ranging from wine to hockey sticks to cement.’

Carney and Trump had spoken twice by phone in the past two days about the ongoing negotiations, including another call Tuesday afternoon, Carney´s office said, underscoring the last-minute push for a deal.

‘We are negotiating,’ Carney told reporters Monday, speaking in French. 

‘The negotiations are very intense and delicate. This is not the time to talk about negotiations in public.’ 

The two countries have wrangled for decades over trade, poking each other over sore spots like Canadian softwood lumber imports and US access to Canada´s protected dairy market.

Trump’s import taxes would have hit about five percent of what Canada ships to the United States every year, including products ranging from hockey sticks to tongue depressors.

But the political impact would likely have been bigger than the economic one. 

Canada had threatened to retaliate against any new tariffs with levies of its own, aggravating a trade fight between countries that sold each other $880 billion worth of goods and services last year.

Nearly 72 percent of Canada’s goods exports last year went to the United States. 

And the Trump administration might be wary of imposing a hefty new tariff — paid by US importers who try to pass along the cost to consumers via higher prices — ahead of November’s midterm elections. 

US voters are already frustrated with the high cost of living. 

The Canadians would like relief from US tariffs on steel and aluminum as well as softwood lumber, which the US says receives unfair government subsidies. 

Trump’s approach to dealing with Canada marks an extraordinary departure from the traditionally cooperative relationship between the two countries. 

He has hit Canadian goods with tariffs — in a push to bring manufacturing back to the US — and has repeatedly made inflammatory comments about turning Canada into America’s 51st state.

The Canadian public has responded in kind. 

A petition to expel the US ambassador, a Trump ally, has collected nearly 218,000 signatures since July 21. It accuses Ambassador Pete Hoekstra of having ‘normalized’ Trump’s talk of annexing Canada, among other complaints.

Trump has made tariffs the centerpiece of his second-term economic agenda. Last year, he imposed double-digit import taxes on almost every country, justifying them by declaring the longstanding US trade deficit a national emergency. 

The Supreme Court in February ruled that he’d overstepped his authority, striking down those tariffs and setting the stage for the federal government to pay refunds to importers.

So Trump has looked for other legal authority to impose tariffs.

To hit Canada, he reached back to the Great Depression, invoking Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 to threaten 50 percent tariffs on products that account for about five percent of Canadian exports to the United States.

Nearly a century ago, with the U.S. and world economies in collapse, Congress passed the 1930 tariff law, imposing taxes on imports from around the world. 

Known as the Smoot-Hawley tariffs, named for their congressional sponsors, they are notorious among economists and historians for limiting world commerce and making the Great Depression worse.

Section 338 tariffs have never been used before.

They the president to impose tariffs of up to 50 percent on imports from countries that have discriminated against U.S. businesses. 

No investigation is required to justify the levies. Nor is there any limit on how long the tariffs can stay in place.

The US is renegotiating a North American trade pact — the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement — that Trump strong-armed America’s neighbors into accepting in his first term. 

The threat of Section 338 tariffs gives the United States leverage to seek fresh concessions from Ottawa.