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Column: Chicago Cubs can make a playoff push even if Marcus Stroman doesn’t return from his mysterious rib injury

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:52 GMT

In any other year, Marcus Stroman’s potential season-ending rib cartilage fracture would’ve had Chicago Cubs fans crying, “Why us?”But this has been a season unlike any other in recent Cubs history, a roller-coaster ride that no one could’ve seen coming back in spring training. They buried themselves on June 8 in Anaheim, Calif., falling 10 games under .500, only to bounce back into contention in the National League Central and wild-card race.Though the Cubs were only three games over .500 entering Wednesday’s City Series finale against the White Sox, which the Cubs won 4-3 on a three-run, walk-off home run by Christopher Morel, the atmosphere in Wrigleyville matched the giddiness of the summer of 2015, the turning point of Theo Epstein’s vaunted rebuild.So if anyone is worried the possible absence of Stroman for the final seven weeks of the season has spoiled the Cubs’ chances of making a postseason run, they mostly have kept their th...

Abortion drug will remain available in Massachusetts, governor says

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:52 GMT

Even if a ruling by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals sharply curtailing access to the most commonly used abortion drug were allowed to go forward, it would not impact Massachusetts residents, according to the governor.A three-judge panel partially overturned the ruling of a Texas-based federal judge banning mifepristone but nevertheless rolled back recent decisions by the Food and Drug Administration aimed at making the drug easier for patients to access.The court’s ruling is currently stayed due to intervention by the Supreme Court, which in April ordered that drug remain available for use until all appeals are exhausted.Even if it stands, the governor says patients in Massachusetts will continue to have access to medication abortion.“No court ruling will change the fact that medication abortion remains safe, legal and accessible in Massachusetts,” Healey told the Herald through a spokesperson on Thursday.The decision by the New Orleans-based appeals court would end the availabil...

Patriots-Packers joint practices Day 2: Mac Jones shines, Ezekiel Elliott ramps up, defense fights

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:52 GMT

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Over a day of fighting, brouhahas and post-play pushing and shoving, the Patriots delivered their hardest punch with a pass.Four plays into his two-minute drill, Mac Jones was perfect Thursday against the Packers’ starting, snarling defense. He took a shotgun snap at midfield with more than a minute to go, bounced in the pocket and glanced left. Go time.Jones calmly uncorked a bomb down the sideline for DeVante Parker, who had pulled away from Green Bay cornerback Rasul Douglas. On Wednesday, Douglas had tortured Jones by nearing picking him off twice in team periods. Now, it was time for payback.Parker cradled Jones’ pass in stride and inside the 5-yard line, then crossed the goal line as the Patriots’ sideline exploded. Everything else fell away. The fights, the ejections and any prior mental mistakes or missteps. Jones had driven a dagger into the heart of Green Bay’s defense to cap the offense’s best practice of training camp.This ...

Trump support among Republicans generally unshaken by indictments

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:52 GMT

If the polling is any guide, there are not many cracks showing in the wall of support Donald Trump has built.Though a Fox News poll of more than 1,000 registered voters released Wednesday evening shows support for the 45th President down 3 points in the last month, polling averages show the former commander-in-chief continues to maintain a nearly 40-point lead over the next conservative contender and majority support among right-leaning voters.“President Donald Trump continues to dominate in polling of Republican primary voters,” his campaign said in a Thursday statement. “The only real race going on right now in the Republican primary is that for second place.”In second place, both according to the recent FOX poll and polling averages is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The former Navy officer seemed to be closing the gap in the race going into winter and spring — even topping Trump by 2 points in a March CNN survey — until his numbers fell from the mid-thirties into the teens.Businessma...

Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers made his presence known in chippy joint practice with Packers

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:52 GMT

GREEN BAY, Wisc. — Thursday’s session between the Patriots and Packers never reached the level of a melee, but there were six or seven skirmishes during the practice.Those scraps eventually led to Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings’ ejection for leveling Green Bay rookie linebacker Keshawn Banks in retaliation for a hit on rookie defensive end Keion White.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Patriots-Packers joint practices Day 2: Mac Jones shines, Ezekiel Elliott ramps up, defense fights New England Patriots | Jahlani Tavai urges fans to support Hawaii after Patriots lend help New England Patriots | Patriots encouraged by early returns on Ezekiel Elliott signing New England Patriots | Patriots extra points: Robert Kraft denied Hall of Fame entry again, when will he get in? New England Patriots | Patriots-Packers joint practices Day 1: Ezekiel Elliott debuts, offense hobbled by 13 sacks in Green Ba...

Brush fire in Potrero increases to 400 acres, prompts evacuations

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:52 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A brush fire burning in the Potrero community prompted evacuations Thursday afternoon.The fire broke out near Coyote Holler Road and Round Potrero Road, Cal Fire San Diego said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. By 3:20 p.m., the fire, dubbed the "Coyote Fire," had grown to 200 acres and was burning at a moderate rate of spread, fire officials said. As of 5:12 p.m., the fire doubled in size to 400 acres.Structures on Yerba Santa Road were also threatened. Hilary upgraded to hurricane: What does this mean for San Diego? An evacuation order was in place for residents living within the shaded area of the below map:Evacuation map (County of San Diego)For updated evacuation information, visit San Diego County Emergency Site.A temporary evacuation point has been set up at Mountain Empire High School's parking lot at 3305 Buckman Springs Road in Pine Valley.Potrero Elementary School was also evacuated out of an abundance of caution, the San Diego County Office of Edu...

Authorities charge 9 current and former California police officers in corruption case

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:52 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Nine current or former Northern California police officers were charged Thursday in a federal corruption investigation that found evidence they committed civil rights violations and fraud in an effort to get a pay raise and lied on reports to cover up use of excessive force, U.S. authorities said.Ismail J. Ramsey, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California, filed four indictments that outlined charges including wire fraud, deprivation of rights under color of law, conspiracy against rights, and conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids. Nine police officers and one community service officer are named in the charges, though only two are charged in multiple indictments.The investigation centered on the departments in Antioch and Pittsburg, two cities in the San Francisco Bay Area. Only three of the officers remain employed by the departments and were not on active duty, officials said. Arrest warrants were served Thursday in California, Texas and Hawai...

Hilary grows into major hurricane in Pacific off Mexico and could bring heavy rain to US Southwest

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:52 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Hurricane Hilary strengthened into a major storm Thursday evening off Mexico’s Pacific coast, and it could bring heavy rain to the southwestern U.S. by the weekend.The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Hilary’s maximum sustained winds had risen to 120 mph (195 kph), making it a Category 3 hurricane. The storm was expected to grow into a Category 4 hurricane Friday while on a projected path that threatened landfall on the central Baja California peninsula by Sunday or possibly keep just offshore while heading for Southern California.Hilary was centered about 445 miles (715 kilometers) south of Los Cabos on the southern tip of the Baja peninsula. It was moving west-northwest at 14 mph (22 kph), but was expected to take a more northward heading in the coming days.The hurricane center said that as Hilary moves onto or brushes the Baja pensinsula, it could possibly survive briefly as a tropical storm or tropical depression and cross the U.S. border.No tropical ...

CP NewsAlert: Evacuations ordered for hundreds more properties in West Kelowna, B.C.

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:52 GMT

Wildfire evacuation orders have been expanded to hundreds more properties that are being threatened by a blaze near the City of West Kelowna, with thousands of others placed on alert.Central Okanagan Emergency Operations ordered the evacuations of 763 more properties late Thursday, increasing the total to 831.More coming.Brieanna Charlebois, The Canadian Press

Connecticut kitten mystery solved, police say: Cat found in stolen, crashed car belongs to a suspect

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:52 GMT

MERIDEN, Conn. (AP) — Police who found a kitten in a stolen car say they have located the animal’s owner: A juvenile suspect who fled and was arrested after the car crashed. The Meriden Police Department said on its Facebook page Thursday that the gray-and-white male cat has been returned to the suspect’s mother. The department said the youth said nothing to officers about the pet, which was found under a seat. Instead, police were led to the owner by someone who responded to the department’s Facebook post earlier this week looking for the animal’s owner. In the meantime, a number of people contacted authorities looking to adopt the cat, police said. Police said they found the feline while searching for evidence after the stolen vehicle collided with a patrol car during an Aug. 10 chase. Officers were pursuing the vehicle on suspicion that it had been used in armed robberies in several nearby communities hours earlier. After the crash, six suspects fled but w...