Phoenix, AZ

MVLA vs Slammers FC HB Køge 3-2

At the 2010 age group, Saturday’s action featured a thrilling battle between two of the elite teams in California as MVLA took on Slammers FC HB Køge. Both sides came into the game looking to follow up a pair of shutout victories from Friday’s games.

Slammers got off to a quick start, scoring two goals in the first half and taking that 2-0 lead into halftime. MVLA responded with a brilliant second half rally though.

McKenna Whitham got the rally started from the penalty spot to cut the Slammers lead in half, before adding on an assist to help MVLA draw level. MVLA then grabbed the lead when a dazzling cross into the box found the back of the net to put them on top 3-2 and complete the impressive come from behind win.

“Somehow we just always fight back. MVLA is special like that. We don’t stop and we just keep grinding,” said Whitham.

Not only was MVLA resilient, but despite falling behind early, Whitham thought MVLA was solid throughout the course of the game. The defense continued to play well even when they were behind and the opportunities they created offensively helped spur the comeback.

“Our defense was really good,” Whitham said. “We played strong, physical, and had lots of opportunities.”

MVLA has had a strong year in the NorCal Conference and currently has a 12-0 record in conference play. Whitham believes the opportunity to come to Phoenix and play against some of the other elite teams from around the country is a great opportunity, and will only help her team as they move forward in the season.

“It’s really cool that we play all these amazing teams,” Whitham said. “We come out here and play these strong SoCal teams and all these other teams from out of the state. I just think it’s a great opportunity to play against those teams and it makes us stronger.”

As they go into the last day of games, Whitham expects another strong challenge, but believes her and her teammates will be ready to try to finish the weekend undefeated.

“They’re going to come at us hard and we’re going to be ready,” Whitham said.

LAFC So Cal vs Pleasanton Rage 2-0

In the 08 age group, LAFC So Cal fired home two second half goals in a hard fought win over Pleasanton Rage.

The scoring opened up in the second half after both sides battled back and forth through a defensive first half. In the second half though, LAFC fired home a penalty to take a 1-0 lead. Later in the half, Gianna Sandoval doubled the LAFC lead after receiving an excellent pass to set her up for the finish.

LAFC held onto that 2-0 lead the rest of the way to come away with the victory.

“I thought our team’s performance was very brave and courageous to cover a lot of ground against a team that plays diagonal, direct, and across channels,” said Head Coach Mario Merino.

While Merino praised the effort of his whole team throughout the game, he noted how strong Sandoval’s performance was and how she was one of the difference makers in the game.

“She was in there, she made a few plays and she was able to look for the goal,” Merino said.

“We did a good job playing as a team and getting offensive attacks,” Sandoval said.

While the offensive success in the second half was great for LAFC, Merino really emphasized how proud he was of the way his team found a way to grind out a win over a tough opponent.

“For our team, I’m very proud of just digging down deep and grinding it out, listening to one another, playing for one another, and covering one another, so great teamwork.”

Most Americans are woefully underprepared for retirement. Based on analysis of Federal Reserve data by the accounting firm PwC, the typical American between the ages of 55 and 64 has just $120,000 in a retirement savings account. Though the vast majority of retirees supplement their savings with Social Security income, the average monthly Social Security payment is only $1,694 – not nearly enough to cover typical living expenses, let alone luxuries like travel and dining out.

Partially as a result, the number of Americans working past retirement age is rising fast. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that more than 26% Americans between ages 65 to 74 were still working in 2020, and that share is projected to hit 32% by 2030. In 1995, about 17.5% of Americans that age were working, and the percentage was even lower before that.

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For those who do not want to work past age 65 and still be financially secure, there is a certain amount of money they can expect to need. This amount should account for expenditures throughout retirement and can come from retirement savings or other sources of income.

According to the Consumer Expenditure Survey from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the typical retirement-age American spent $52,141 in 2021. Adjusting this figure for average state-level cost of living, inflation, and average life expectancy at age 65 – plus a 15% financial cushion – Arizona residents can reasonably expect to spend, on average, $1,282,839 over the course of their retirement starting at age 65, the 22nd highest amount of all states.

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It is important to note that this figure does not reflect a retirement savings target, as investment and interest income, pension plans, and Social Security can each supplement retirement savings.

All data used for the calculations in this story are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, and the National Center for Health Statistics. For each year of life beyond age 65, we added 2% of annual expenditures to account for inflation, based on the Federal Reserve’s target inflation rate. Click here to read our full methodology.

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This story was originally published by 24/7 Wall St., a news organization that produces real-time business commentary and data-driven reporting for state and local markets across the country.

Last June, the average price of a gallon of gasoline in the United States exceeded $5 for the first time in the nation’s history. The two biggest causes were the gradual end of the pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, resulting in Western nations imposing embargoes on Russian oil, with the U.S. banning Russian oil entirely in March 2022.

Since then, gas prices have fallen back down, but remain well above any pre-pandemic monthly average going back more than five years. Depending on the state, the average amount Americans are paying at the pump varies from a little over $3 to nearly $5. That variance is largely the result of different transportation and refining costs and, of course, taxes.

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While the federal government levies a tax of 18.4 cents on every gallon of gas sold in the United States, each state adds on its own excise tax on top of that. State-imposed gas taxes and fees can account for anywhere from 2.3% of the total cost of gas to 16.5%, depending on where you live.

In Arizona, gasoline is taxed at a rate of 18 cents per gallon, tied as the fourth lowest among states. With a gallon of gas costing an average of $4.42 in Arizona in mid-April 2023, state gas taxes account for about 4.1% of the total cost of fuel.

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Based on data from the Federal Highway Administration, fuel consumption was around 708 gallons per licensed driver in 2021, meaning the typical motorist spent an estimated $127 in state gas taxes alone that year.

Data on average state gas taxes as of April 2023 from business tax compliance platform IGEN. State gas taxes do not include the federal gas tax of 18.4 cents per gallon. Supplemental data on the average price of regular gas by state came from AAA and is current as of April 11, 2023. Data on motor fuel consumption and the number of licensed drivers used to calculate annual motor fuel consumption per licensed driver by state came from the Federal Highway Administration and is for 2021.

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This story was originally published by 24/7 Wall St., a news organization that produces real-time business commentary and data-driven reporting for state and local markets across the country.

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) -- If you’re driving to California soon, it will actually cost you less money to fill up your gas tank if you live in Maricopa County.

According to AAA, gas in Maricopa County is currently higher than in Los Angeles County, San Diego County, and Santa Barbara County. Right now, AAA says gas in the Phoenix area is averaging $5.02 a gallon, even more than some Hawaiian islands like Oahu or Maui.

Click/tap here to find the cheapest gas prices in your neighborhood

“It really comes down to a product of bad timing. There are some refinery problems, refinery maintenance happening in Texas and New Mexico that really hurt a lot of the supply side regionally here in Arizona, and also at the same time OPEC made the decision to cut part of their supply to the global oil market,” Julian Paredes with AAA said.

As we get into summer, more Arizonans take road trips so demand goes up. On top of that, the summer gas blend is more expensive than winter fuel.

We asked Paredes if prices would stay in the $5+ range or go up even higher. He says “typically prices stick around throughout all summer.”

“It’s certainly possible to see gas prices at this level for the next few months. Hopefully, we won’t, there’s a lot of different factors that go into that, but $5 gas for the next few weeks is definitely possible,” he added.

The average for Arizona is $4.69, more than $1 above the current national average of $3.66 a gallon.

Late Monday morning, Rep. Ruben Gallego sent a letter to President Biden asking him to use his power to address the rising cost of fuel.

“Arizona families should not be forced to pay more than a dollar a gallon over the national average for gas,” said Gallego. “It’s even more outrageous that at some gas stations, there are no options left but expensive Premium gas. Our state shouldn’t be punished unfairly for the actions of a few major oil companies. We need the Administration to address these issues and lower costs.”

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Murray scores 34, Nuggets beat Suns 125-107 in Game 1

By PAT GRAHAM - AP Sports Writer

Game Recap

DENVER (AP) Jamal Murray kept imploring the crowd to get louder and louder with each trip down the floor.

As if the Nuggets point guard even needed to. His play was already rocking the arena.

Murray scored 34 points, hitting six of Denver's 16 3-pointers, and the Nuggets sprinted past the Phoenix Suns 125-107 on Saturday night in Game 1 of their second-round series.

"He’s a bad man,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said.

Any response to that adulation?

“Thanks?” Murray said. “Appreciate it. ... I’m just playing my game. ... I’m doing whatever it takes to win."

And maybe show a nation that doesn't always get to watch the Nuggets - you know, because they're usually on so late - what the players have known all season: They're talented and worthy of their top seed in the Western Conference. They don't mind if the Suns, as the fourth seed, are the trendy pick to beat them, either.

“We’re going to keep doing what we’re doing, keep proving everybody wrong," Murray said.

Reigning back-to-back NBA MVP Nikola Jokic had 24 points and 19 rebounds, while Aaron Gordon finished with 23 points. But this was the Murray Show, where he went 6 of 10 from 3-point land and frequently exhorted for more noise from the already raucous crowd.

“Let’s be honest, some of the shots he hit tonight I don’t think anybody could have stopped him,” Suns coach Monty Williams said.

Kevin Durant scored 29 points and grabbed 14 boards for the Suns, with Devin Booker adding 27 points and Chris Paul 11. Booker averaged 37.2 points in a first-round series win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

"I thought that they were just more physical, played with more force,” Williams said. “We’ve got to regroup and do a much better job of playing with pace on offense.”

Game 2 is Monday night in Denver.

This is a different sort of playoff series than two years ago, when the Suns swept the Nuggets in the second round. Back then, Denver was without Murray after he tore his ACL.

Now healthy, Murray is flashing his 2020 form inside the NBA bubble that helped Denver advance to the Western Conference finals.

“Jamal just continues to add to the legend of playoff Jamal,” Malone said.

Murray had the play of the night when he stole a pass, split defenders Paul and Durant at top speed and knocked in a layup high off the glass. It brought the capacity crowd to its feet.

The dynamic point guard was far from done energizing the fans, hitting a 3-pointer with just under 7 minutes remaining. He implored them for more noise, even holding a hand to his ear.

Leading 106-95 with 7:40 remaining, the Nuggets went on a 14-0 run to put away the game. Denver led by as much as 25 and improved to 38-7 at home through the regular season and playoffs.

Durant cut off a question about whether he was surprised by the Nuggets.

Because he's not.

“They’re the No. 1 seed for a reason. They got a two-time MVP. They've got a deep team. I’m not surprised,” Durant said. “We've got our work cut out for us.”

The difference was the 3-point line, where the Nuggets outscored the Suns by a 48-21 margin. That and turnovers, where the Suns had 16, including seven by Durant.

“I’ve got to be way more careful with the ball,” Durant said. "I've to look to either shoot the ball or make the correct pass. ... I dang got near half our turnovers. We’ll be fine. I think we've just got to play with confidence, shoot with confidence and see what happens next game.”

TIP-INS

Suns: Williams used his challenge early - with 55.4 seconds left in the first quarter - when Booker was called for a charge on a made a basket. It paid off as the call was overturned and Booker awarded a free throw, which he made. ... Deandre Ayton scored 14 points. ... Durant has 4,730 playoff points to move closer to passing Karl Malone (4,761) seventh place on the NBA’s postseason points leaderboard.

Nuggets: Malone called a timeout 32 seconds into the second half to settle his team down. Malone said the conversation was simple: “Wake up,” he recounted. ... Bruce Brown had 14 points.

PAUL PRAISE

As Paul approaches his 38th birthday next week, Malone said the one thing that hasn't changed over the years is Paul's elite competitiveness.

“He’ll be 55 years old, playing in a rec league back in North Carolina, and he’s going to be the same guy,” Malone said. “The guy hates to lose, ultra-competitive and one of the greatest leaders I’ve ever been around. ... No matter what stage of his career, he still finds a way to impact winning at a high level.”

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports