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Chicago Cubs players who competed at big-time college programs decry conference realignment: ‘It’s just a shame’

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:32 GMT

When Nick Madrigal was evaluating his options to play baseball collegiately, he weighed two parameters heavily.He wanted to stay close to home in Elk Grove, Calif., and the opportunity to play against some of the top talent in the country within the conference. Oregon State and the Pac-12 became the perfect fit for the Chicago Cubs infielder.Those factors similarity influenced second baseman Nico Hoerner during his recruitment process that led the Oakland, Calif., native to Stanford.The Pac-12 historically has served as a pipeline to Major League Baseball as a dominant conference. Five of the top six schools to produce MLB players are in the Pac-12, according to Baseball Reference. Stanford ranks fourth.Conference realignment moves within the last month sparked by lucrative football TV deals carry massive implications beyond the gridiron. Nonrevenue collegiate sports and athletes in the Pac-12 will take a brunt of the fallout.“It’s just a shame and something that doesn&#...

NFL Notes: Could this Patriots’ pass rush be the best of the Bill Belichick era?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:32 GMT

Over the spring, two of the Patriots’ three top draft picks created an unexpected buzz.In non-padded practices, first-round corner Christian Gonzalez draped himself all over his wide receiver teammates in non-padded drills. Marte Mapu flew around at linebacker and safety, making plays at both spots. The silent outlier, second-round defensive lineman Keion White, took a little longer to draw notice.Now, White is the headliner. A 6-foot-5, 290-pound menace who rag-dolls veteran O-lineman, hunts quarterbacks and runs with running backs wheeling out of the backfield. Who is this alien?White is a terrifying combination of strong, explosive and punishing. During Thursday’s joint practice, he stripped a Packers player of his helmet in the middle of a scrum and flung it skyward like he was excitedly ripping wrapping paper off a gift. White later rushed alongside outside linebackers Matt Judon and Josh Uche and defensive tackle Christian Barmore as part of the defense that stoppe...

Women’s World Cup Live Updates: Alex Greenwood bloodied in collision with Salma Paralluelo

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:32 GMT

SYDNEY (AP) — Live updates from the Women’s World Cup final between England and Spain:___Spain teenage star Salma Paralluelo was given a yellow card following a collision with England defender Alex Greenwood late in the second half.The two collided and Greenwood appeared to be knocked in the head by a high knee from Paralluelo to her head. The knock drew blood and a lengthy stoppage as England brought a clean uniform onto the field for Greenwood to change into. She resumed the game with a huge white bandage wrapped around her head. Spain leads 1-0 with a first-half goal.___England goalkeeper Mary Earps stopped Spain from taking a commanding lead in the Women’s World Cup final when she saved a Jenni Hermoso penalty kick. Hermoso’s attempt in the 69th minute came after Keira Walsh was called for a handball violation. The penalty was called after a VAR review. Spain holds a 1-0 lead after Olga Carmona scored in the 29th minute. ___England has picked up its play in the secon...

Pope Francis calls for peaceful end to the Niger crisis

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:32 GMT

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis expressed hope Sunday for a peaceful solution to the crisis in Niger following the military coup in the West African nation. The pontiff told the faithful in St. Peter’s Square that he is following events with concern, joining an appeal “for peace in the country and stability in the Sahel region.” He called on the international community “to find a peaceful solution as soon as possible, for the good of all.”Mutinous soldiers overthrew Niger’s democratically elected president last month, and have quickly entrenched themselves in power, rebuffing most dialogue efforts. President Mohamed Bazoum, his wife and son have been kept under house arrest in the capital.Talks this weekend between Niger’s new military regime and a delegation from the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, have reportedly yielded little progress. The Associated Press

Zelenskyy vows retaliation for Chernihiv attack that killed seven people and wounded almost 150

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:32 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday vowed stern retaliation for a Russian missile strike in the center of the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv that killed seven people and wounded almost 150 others the day before. “I am sure our soldiers will respond to Russia for this terrorist attack. Respond tangibly,” Zelenskyy said in a video address published in the early hours of Sunday at the end of a visit to Sweden, his first foreign trip since attending a NATO summit in Lithuania last month.He identified a 6-year-old girl named Sofia as among the dead in the attack and confirmed that the wounded included 15 children.The governor of the Chernihiv region, Vyacheslav Chaus, said Sunday that the total number of people confirmed to have been wounded had risen to 148.Further east, Russian forces shelled the city of Kupiansk on Sunday morning, seriously wounding a man, according to Kharkiv regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov.Zelenskyy arrived in the Netherlands o...

Egyptian journalist detained following mysterious plane coverage, his employer says

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:32 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — Egyptian authorities detained a journalist working for a fact-checking platform following its coverage of a plane that was seized in Zambia along with its suspicions cargo after making a stop in Cairo, the outlet said.Security forces arrested Karim Asaad Saturday from his home in al-Shorouk neighborhood in eastern Cairo, the platform, Matsda2sh, or Don’t Believe, said in a statement.The platform accused security forces of assaulting Asaad’s wife and threatening their child while detaining the journalist. Asaad’s whereabouts remained unknown, it added.There was no immediate comment from the government.The platform said security forces asked Asaad about its extensive coverage of a mysterious plane intercepted in Zambia earlier this month after making a stop in Cairo.Zambian authorities said they found over $5 million in cash and more than 100 kilograms of suspected gold mixed with zinc, copper, and nickel on board the aircraft.Zambian authorities said six Egyptians were d...

Planting roots: Quebec cemetery turns former golf course into forest for the deceased

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:32 GMT

SAINTE-SOPHIE, Que. — At a new ecological cemetery north of Montreal, there are no gravestones or plaques. Instead, people locate burial sites with the help of a cellphone app.Cemetery Forêt de la Seconde Vie opened in Ste-Sophie, Que., on Aug. 7 with the goal of transforming a 232,000-square-metre ex-golf course into a dense forest. It plants trees along the former fairways and greens to mark the burial sites of cremated remains, a process it calls “planting roots.”Visitors can use the cemetery’s application to find their loved one’s tree. Once there, they’re asked to scan the surrounding landscape with their cellphone camera until a virtual chest pops up on screen, revealing digital memorabilia within: photos, videos and even recipes belonging to the deceased.The cemetery claims to be the first in North America to be an official forest producer, a certification that in Quebec involves consulting a registered forest engineer to develop a land managemen...

Feds need to turbocharge construction innovation to get homes built faster: experts

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:32 GMT

OTTAWA — Canada’s national housing agency has warned that millions of homes must be built within less than a decade to balance the housing market, but even it seems doubtful that its own target is achievable.The current pace of housing starts is not just lagging.It’s headed in the wrong direction. Last year, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. said 5.8 million homes would need to be built by 2030 to restore housing affordability for Canadians. The current pace of building only puts the country on track to construct 2.3 millions homes by then. And the CMHC said on Wednesday that the annual pace of housing construction starts fell 10 per cent in July when compared with June, when they had posted their strongest showing so far this year.The seasonally adjusted annual rate of housing starts in July came in at 254,966 units, compared with 283,498 the month before.The CMHC’s deputy chief economist Aled ab Iorwerth said that while the corporation is still working on upd...

Housing crisis to take centre stage at Liberal cabinet retreat in Charlottetown

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:32 GMT

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to deliver a new mission for his cabinet at a three-day retreat in Charlottetown this week, in a bid to restore Canadians’ sense of economic security and their confidence in his government. It is a very different cabinet from the one that last sat in the House of Commons, following a major shuffle in July. Seven of the 38 ministers were replaced entirely and 19 were given new files.The housing affordability crisis will take on new levels of importance for the government, with a specific focus on younger Canadians whose early adult years have been dominated by the disruptions of COVID-19 and whose dream of even being able to afford to rent their own home is marred by rising costs.No big policy announcements are expected following the retreat, but ministers will be briefed by national experts on housing and youth with a view to guiding federal decision-making this fall.Those decisions could include negotiating a national housing acco...

2 found dead in Manor after shots-fired call

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:32 GMT

If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or a suicidal crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. Crisis counselors are available 24/7.MANOR, Texas (KXAN) —  Two people were found dead after officers with the Manor Police Department responded to a shots-fired call overnight at a home in the 12000 block of Riparian Road.MPD said officers responded to the call at 11:59 p.m. Saturday.Police said when officers arrived, a woman was found outside with “obvious trauma to her body.” MPD said she was later pronounced dead.Officials said officers at the scene worked to evacuate the home due to a potentially armed suspect inside. With the assistance of deputies with the Travis County Sheriff’s Office, officers entered the home.Inside, MPD said a man was found with an apparent gunshot wound, and he was later pronounced dead. Officials said no one else inside the home was injured.According to police, victim services coordinated with family members to take custody of...