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Lionel Messi and Aitana Bonmati favorites to win Ballon d’Or awards

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:48 GMT

PARIS, France (AP) — Lionel Messi is the favorite to win a record-extending eighth Ballon d’Or in Paris on Monday.The Argentine great fulfilled his life’s ambition by leading his country to the World Cup title in Qatar last year to win the one major trophy that had eluded him in his storied career.Spain’s Aitana Bonmati is the favorite for the women’s award after leading her country to victory at the Women’s World Cup in August.Now with MLS team Inter Miami, Messi has already picked up his first silverware in the U.S. by inspiring the team to victory in the Leagues Cup.Despite leaving top level European soccer behind when moving from Paris Saint-Germain at the end of last season, he is still tipped to beat Manchester City forward Erling Haaland to the sport’s biggest individual prize.Haaland led City to a treble of trophies last season – the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup titles – scoring 52 goals.But it is Messi who is favored to lift the ...

Historic Flagler Playhouse theater ravaged by massive fire

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:48 GMT

FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. (WSVN) — A fire engulfed the historic Flagler County Playhouse Theater on Sunday night, leaving firefighters with a fierce battle against intense smoke and heavy flames. The efforts of the firefighters ultimately prevailed as they managed to extinguish the blaze. Flagler County Fire Rescue teams even had to call for backup from local units.No injuries have been reported in this incident. The Flagler Playhouse has served the county with performing arts stage productions since 1978.

Biker survives high-speed crash and big rig run-in in Daytona Beach

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:48 GMT

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) – A Daytona Beach biker recently shared a video of a terrifying crash that left him thankful to be on the road to recovery. The rider, who goes by the username Street Demon PC, was traveling at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour, weaving through traffic when he collided with a truck and was subsequently run over by a big rig. He posted the footage of his ride on his social media where he said, “My accident from about four months ago. I call it an accident, but it was clearly my fault. Too much confidence for too little skill.” Despite sustaining serious injuries, including a collapsed lung, broken ribs, and two fractured spine disks, the Daytona Beach resident is determined to get back on his bike, but this time around with greater caution.

UK’s top civil servant said Boris Johnson ‘cannot lead’ as COVID pandemic raged, WhatsApps show

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:48 GMT

LONDON — Britain’s most senior civil servant sent a damning message to Boris Johnson’s chief of staff at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, saying the then-prime minister “cannot lead” and accusing him of changing position “every day.”In an excruciating 2020 WhatsApp message read out at the U.K.’s official COVID inquiry on Monday, Simon Case — whom Johnson brought in as Cabinet secretary and who still serves in that post — told Dominic Cummings he was “at the end of my tether.”Case said of Johnson: “He changes strategic direction every day.” The Cabinet secretary — who is currently on medical leave from the British government — accused the then-prime minister of veering between a “fear” of the virus returning and a “let it rip” mode in which the U.K. was “pathetic” and “needs a cold shower.”Case added: “He cannot lead and we cannot support him in leading with ...

Police were sent to Maine gunman’s home weeks before massacres amid concern he ‘is going to snap and commit a mass shooting’

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:48 GMT

Sagadahoc County, Maine (CNN) — The Maine National Guard asked local police to check on the reservist who killed 18 people after a soldier became concerned he would “snap and commit a mass shooting,” according to information shared with CNN.Officers from the Sagadahoc County and Kennebec County Sheriff’s Offices responded and tried to contact Robert Card on September 16, less than six weeks before Wednesday’s massacres in a bowling alley and a bar, documents say, according to a law enforcement source.The information obtained by CNN describes how the Sagadahoc County sergeant called for backup, tried without success to talk to the reservist and then received disturbing details from the Maine National Guard and the shooter’s family.The responding sergeant from the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office was told “when [he] answers the door at his trailer, in the past he usually does so with a handgun in hand out of view from the person outside,” according to the source famili...

Southwest Airlines says it expects to be fined for last winter’s meltdown

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:48 GMT

New York (CNN) — Southwest Airlines is bracing itself for a fine from the US government for last year’s operational meltdown over Christmas that canceled 16,700 flights and left two million passengers stranded.The carrier said that it “could be subject to fines and/or penalties resulting from investigations by the Department of Transportation,” in a regulatory filing Monday, adding that it’s “currently not able to estimate” how much the fine could be.Southwest said it was notified last week by the US DOT because the agency had determined that it had “failed to provide adequate customer service assistance, prompt flight status notifications, and proper and prompt refunds,” making a penalty “warranted.”Last December, a winter storm barreled through the US and disrupted thousands of flights. Although many airlines were able recover relatively quickly, Southwest Airlines didn’t return to normal operations for several days. Crewmembers were left stranded because they ...

GM and the UAW come to tentative agreement to possibly end strike

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:48 GMT

New York (CNN) — General Motors and the United Auto Workers union have come to a tentative agreement, according to a source familiar with the negotiations, just two days after the union expanded the strike at America’s largest automaker.Neither the union nor GM would confirm the tentative deal. But this could bring an end to the union’s unprecedented strike against all three of the nation’s unionized automakers.Terms of the deal are not yet known, but it is expected to be along the lines of the deals already announced at Ford and Stellantis, including an immediate 11% raise in the top hourly wage rate, additional pay hikes totaling another 14% during the four-and-a-half years of the contract, as well as a return of the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) meant to protect workers from rising prices. When the COLA and guaranteed pay increases are combined together, they could lift members’ pay more than 30% over the life of the contract.Less senior workers not already at the top pay...

Eyedrops from CVS, Rite Aid and others carry possible infection risk, FDA says

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:48 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health regulators are warning consumers not to use more than two dozen varieties of over-the-counter eyedrops because of the risk of infections that could lead to blindness.The Food and Drug Administration advisory applies to lubricating drops sold by six companies, including CVS Health, Target, Rite Aid and Cardinal Health. Consumers should stop using the products immediately and avoid purchasing any that remain on pharmacy and store shelves, the FDA said in a statement Friday.The agency asked the companies to recall their products last week, because FDA inspectors found unsanitary conditions and bacteria at the facility producing the drops. The FDA did not disclose the location of the factory or when it was inspected.No injuries related to the products had been reported at the time of the announcement, but the FDA encouraged doctors and patients to submit cases through the agency’s online reporting system.Earlier this year, federal officials link...

Mike Preston: Cardinals defense showed the blueprint of how to slow Ravens QB Lamar Jackson | COMMENTARY

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:48 GMT

The Arizona Cardinals talked privately this past week about how they had a few new wrinkles for Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.Oh, they did.Unfortunately for the Cardinals, they didn’t have enough offense in a 31-24 loss to the Ravens at State Farm Stadium on Sunday, but they showed again the best way to attack Jackson and company.We’ve seen it before. The Los Angeles Chargers showed it in 2018. Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel showed it in the 2019 playoffs. You have to keep Jackson contained in the pocket and make him beat you with his arm.Arizona was successful because they confused Jackson with different looks and coverages. Sometimes Arizona rushed only three and dropped eight, and other times they stayed with a four-man rush and had seven in the passing lanes.It doesn’t sound like anything new, but it was different than what the Cardinals had shown in previous games. If you slow Jackson, then the Ravens’ offense comes to a crawl. Baltimore certainly...

Source: Josh Uche is Patriots’ most likely trade candidate ahead of deadline

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:48 GMT

If the Patriots make a deal by the NFL trade deadline on Tuesday at 4 p.m., the most likely player to be moved is outside linebacker Josh Uche, sources said Monday.Teams have called the Patriots about most of their impending unrestricted free agents, per a source. A source said last week it’s “definitely possible” that the Patriots make one trade. Anything more than that would be a surprise.Uche has missed the Patriots’ last two games. He was listed on the injury report with knee and ankle ailments ahead of Week 7 and ankle and toe injuries ahead of Week 8.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Source: Patriots WR Kendrick Bourne suffers torn ACL, out for the season New England Patriots | Bill Belichick would like to see equal protection for Patriots players New England Patriots | Callahan: Robert Kraft should command Patriots to sell at NFL trade deadline New England Patriots | How JuJu Smith-Schuste...