WASHINGTON (AP) — First lady Jill Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin traveled Friday to Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama to highlight programs that the Pentagon and White House are rolling out to improve service members' quality of life as well as early childhood education in the military.
Biden and Austin visited a pre-kindergarten program the first lady has championed that funds universal preschool for children aged 3 and 4. The administration plans to expand it beyond military facilities and into education systems nationwide.
She said the program at Maxwell Elementary School — which provides full-day pre-kindergarten care for military children —“is part of the blueprint for making high-quality preschool available to every 3- and 4-year-old in America.”
In the on-base classroom, children identified letters, and once they did, got to feed a green paper dinosaur that Austin and Biden took turns holding. The kids also sang a song about frogs.
Austin said the Pentagon is looking at new ways to give service members more support to address higher prices for goods and housing. He has made improving troop quality of life a goal during his time as defense secretary.
To that end, the Pentagon is increasing the number of days that military families can stay in paid temporary housing when they move from base to base in response to concerns that it's been difficult to find off-base housing in competitive real estate markets. Austin also is looking at increasing the amount of money troops receive to cover uniform costs.
“We heard loud and clear that the families juggling work and raising kids need affordable child care and quality early childhood education,” Austin said.
His aim is to retain service members and show prospective recruits that the programs the Pentagon offers to support a military career, including more housing help, career assistance for spouses and pay raises.
Earlier this year, the Army, Marine Corps and Air Force reported they expect to meet recruitment goals for this budget year, but the Navy said it may fall short.
It has become more difficult for the military to recruit young people to serve. Fewer families have a direct connection to the military and more young people fall short of the fitness requirements to qualify.
First lady Jill Biden, center, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, left, watch four and five-year-olds build with blocks at a military early childhood education program at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Tara Copp)
FILE - First lady Jill Biden walks on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, July 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
President Joe Biden and Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris attend a ceremony with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown at the Pentagon in Washington, to commemorate the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Wednesday, Sept.11, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
BALTIMORE (AP) — Blake Snell struck out 12 over six innings and allowed just one hit to carry the San Francisco Giants past the faltering Baltimore Orioles 10-0 on Tuesday night.
The Orioles have lost seven of nine to fall four games behind the first-place Yankees in the AL East. Baltimore held a half-game lead on Sept. 5 before its current tailspin, during which it has been outscored 46-18.
Colton Cowser had two of the Orioles' five hits in their most lopsided shutout loss of the season.
“We've been scuffling offensively,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “We had a tough night.”
In this one, the Giants got the only run they needed when Mike Yastrzemski drove the second pitch from Orioles starter Albert Suárez (8-6) over the right-field wall. Yastrzemski added an RBI single in the second after a sacrifice fly by Brett Wisely, and Snell had no problem making the lead stand up.
“Getting runs early on, it feels good to pitch with a lead,” Snell said. “You can be more aggressive.”
Facing a Baltimore lineup without several injured starters, Snell (4-3) flashed the form that enabled him to win the 2023 NL Cy Young Award. The left-hander had at least two strikeouts in every inning but the fourth, and made up for it by striking out the side in the fifth.
“We faced one of the better pitches in the game, and we didn't swing the bats well against him,” Hyde said.
Snell struck out All-Star Gunnar Henderson three times, the last one in the sixth to culminate his 98-pitch masterpiece.
“Gunnar. Changeups. He just struggles with them," Snell said. “A lot of lefties do.”
Snell waked two, and the only hit he allowed was a solid third-inning single up the middle by Emmanuel Rivera.
“I like where I was at mentally today,” Snell said.
Since his return from the injured list on July 9 following a groin strain, Snell is 4-0 with a 1.33 ERA with 105 strikeouts in 74 1/3 innings.
“The guy's unbelievable. He's on top of it right now,” Yastrzemski said. “He's a special pitcher. It's pretty cool to see how dominant he can be.”
San Francisco turned the game into a rout with a six-run ninth against Craig Kimbrel, who long ago lost his job as Baltimore's closer due to ineffectiveness.
The Giants snapped a four-game losing streak to begin their final road trip of the season.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Giants: SS Tyler Fitzgerald returned to the starting lineup after missing three games with lower back tightness. ... INF Matt Chapman headed home to be with his wife, who was ready to give birth.
Orioles: INF Jordan Westburg (hand) took batting practice and is expected to return before the end of the regular season, general manager Mike Elias said. ... 1B Ryan Mountcastle (wrist) is working out in Florida and has a chance to return before October. ... INF Ramón Urías (ankle sprain) could come off the IL before the end of the season, Elias said. ... RHP Grayson Rodriguez (lat strain) is making progress. But Elias said, “Time and the calendar is not our friend.”
UP NEXT
Hayden Birdsong (3-5, 4.74 ERA) starts for the Giants against Dean Kremer (7-9, 4.10 ERA) on Wednesday night.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
San Francisco Giants second baseman Donovan Walton (18) dives to field a ball hit by Baltimore Orioles' Anthony Santander to make the throw to first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. for the out during the second inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Albert Suarez delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
San Francisco Giants' Grant McCray slides into first base after running through on a single line drive during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
San Francisco Giants' Grant McCray advances toward home plate to score on an RBI single hit in by Donovan Walton during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Blake Snell delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
