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Column: Pressure mounts as Chicago Cubs inch closer to a playoff spot — now 3 1/2 games out of 1st — before the trade deadline

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:39 GMT

Two moments in two days at Busch Stadium could mean the difference between the Chicago Cubs selling one or two of their biggest stars or going for broke at the trade deadline.It began when St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Miles Mikolas suffered a brain cramp and intentionally hit Ian Happ on Thursday in response to Happ accidentally hitting former teammate Willson Contreras in the head with his backswing. Had Mikolas kept his cool and not been ejected, he wouldn’t have been replaced in the first inning by Dakota Hudson, who promptly imploded in what turned into a 10-3 Cubs win.And if Cubs center fielder Mike Tauchman didn’t make a sensational, over-the-wall catch with two outs in the ninth inning Friday to rob pinch hitter Alec Burleson of a three-run home run, the Cubs would have suffered a tough, walk-off loss instead of eking out a 3-2 win.A moment of stupidity and a moment of splendor added up to two huge wins for a surging Cubs team that might not have capitalized on the...

Two people killed after shots fired blocks from University of Florida campus

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:39 GMT

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Gunshots rang out in a crowd early Sunday, killing two people in the city that is home to Florida’s flagship university, authorities said.Police officers had been conducting crowd control in downtown Gainesville, Florida, in a commercial corridor several blocks from the University of Florida campus when they heard gunshots, the police department said in a post.The post didn’t disclose how many people were shot but said two of the shooting victims later died from their injuries. Police were seeking the public’s help for any information on the shootings.The Associated Press

Russian anti-war activists hold protest after activists face entry, residence problems in Serbia

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:39 GMT

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Pro-democracy Russians in Serbia protested Sunday after two prominent anti-war activists and critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin said they faced problems with entry and residence permits in the Balkan country.Several dozen activists held banners reading “We came to live in peace” and ”I love Serbia and I want safe and happy life here,” as they gathered at a central square in Belgrade, the Serbian capital. The rally came days after Serbian police refused to extend a residency permit for Vladimir Volokhonski and weeks after another prominent activist, Peter Nikitin, spent more than one day at the Belgrade airport because of an entry ban, according to the two activists. Serbia’s authorities have cited unspecified security concerns in both cases, they said. There was no immediate response to an email request for comment from police by The Associated Press. “We are here today to protest against the pressure … Russian antiwar activists (have bee...

4 found clinging to hull of overturned boat off New Jersey rescued, taken to NJ hospital

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:39 GMT

SANDY HOOK, N.J. (AP) — Four people found clinging to the hull of an overturned boat off New Jersey were rescued and taken to a hospital, authorities said.Coast Guard officials in New York say Coast Guard crews and New York police and fire units were deployed to the area off Sandy Hook after receiving a distress call over VHF Channel 16.Petty Officer Logan Kaczmarek told the Asbury Park Press that rescue crews found a floating debris field of items from the boat. They then found the four people at about 2:15 a.m. Sunday holding onto the floating hull near the Romer Shoal Light Station about 2 1/2 nautical miles (4.6 kilometers) from the tip of Sandy Hook.Crews from Station Sandy Hook pulled two people from the water while the other two were rescued by New York fire crews. All four were taken to Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch; there was no immediate word on their condition. Coast Guard officials didn’t immediately release information about the type of vessel or the reas...

Officials say Saudi Arabia will host a Ukrainian-organized peace summit over Russia’s war in August

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:39 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia will host a Ukrainian-organized peace summit in early August seeking to find a way to start negotiations over Russia’s war on the country, officials said Sunday. The summit will be held in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, said one official, who spoke early Sunday on condition of anonymity as no authorization had been given to publicly discuss the summit. Russia was not invited, the official added. Hours later, the head of Ukraine’s presidential office, Andriy Yermak, confirmed the talks would be held in Saudi Arabia, without naming Jeddah as the location. “The Ukrainian Peace Formula contains 10 fundamental points, the implementation of which will not only ensure peace for Ukraine, but also create mechanisms to counter future conflicts in the world,” Yermak said in a statement. “We are deeply convinced that the Ukrainian peace plan should be taken as a basis, because the war is taking place on our land.” Yermak;s statement ...

Construction forces one month closure of Distillery District roadway

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:39 GMT

Construction is set to close a half-kilometre stretch of Parliament Street in the Distillery District for the next month starting on Monday. The city says critical work to replace a natural gas main in the area, which was installed in the 1950s, will see Parliament Street closed from Lake Shore Boulevard East to Front Street East. Enbridge Gas will work extended hours to complete the pipeline replacement as quickly as possible and minimize the closure period.Paid duty officers will be on hand to manage traffic and ensure access to businesses and residences in the area. The west sidewalk will remain open and the Mill Street cycle track will not be impacted by the construction. This is the final stage of the construction project that began in June 2021. The pipeline is expected to be fully in-service by the end of 2023.

Plaintiffs in voting rights case urge judges to toss Alabama’s new congressional map

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:39 GMT

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Voting rights activists are returning to court to fight Alabama’s redrawn congressional districts, saying state Republicans failed to follow federal court orders to create a district that is fair to Black voters.Plaintiffs in the high-profile redistricting case filed a written objection Friday to oppose Alabama’s new redistricting plan. They accused state Republicans of flouting a judicial mandate to create a second majority-Black district or “something quite close to it” and enacting a map that continues to discriminate against Black voters in the state. A special three-judge panel in 2022 blocked use of the the state’s existing districts and said any new congressional map should include two districts where “Black voters either comprise a voting-age majority” or something close. That panel’s decision was appealed by the state but upheld in June in a surprise ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, which concurred that having only one Black-...

Brain-eating amoeba: Will the warming climate bring more cases?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:39 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – Infections of brain-eating amoeba are on the rise — and the warming climate may only exacerbate the problem, according to one of the world’s preeminent experts on the subject.“Yes, we are experiencing warmer temperatures, and these amoeba are thermal-tolerant … so the numbers of amoeba will be higher,” explains Dr. Dennis Kyle, the head of the cellular biology department at the University of Georgia and the scholar chair of antiparasitic drug discovery with the Georgia Research Alliance.“Warmer climates means, yes, more exposure and more cases,” he added.Kyle, speaking with Nexstar, confirmed that reported cases of Naegleria fowleri infection — more commonly known as an infection of brain-eating amoeba — have “significantly increased” over the past four to five years. But he warned that increased cases cannot be linked solely to warmer waters, but rather more awareness and fewer misdiagnoses than in previous years.“There’s more recognition that these amoeba are poss...

Elderly couple bound, held at gunpoint during North Carolina home invasion; FBI investigating

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:39 GMT

DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) -- The FBI has issued arrest warrants and released disturbing details in the armed home invasion and kidnapping of an elderly North Carolina couple and the theft of more than $150,000 of their cryptocurrency in April.The incident took place at gunpoint at the couple's home the morning of April 12 after thieves allegedly posed as construction workers and forced their way into the home, according to the Durham Police Department and the FBI.According to an FBI criminal complaint obtained by Nexstar's WNCN, the incident began when two men, dressed as construction workers, came to the victims' home around 7:30 a.m. The duo claimed they would be inspecting pipes for damage and told the husband they would be "walking around the house." Armed home invaders posing as workers tied up elderly victims in Durham, stole money, police say After a few minutes, the pair knocked on the door again and the wife answered the door. The suspects, who allegedly both had guns, then pus...

Man dies at Disney resort, deputies investigating

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:39 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A man died at a Disney Resort in Orlando on Wednesday.According to the Orange County Sheriff's Office, deputies received a call around 5:30 a.m. regarding an unresponsive person at Disney's Contemporary Resort near Magic Kingdom.The man, identified as 39-year-old Jeffrey Vanden Boom of Greendale, Wisconsin, was pronounced dead on the scene.The Orange County Medical Examiner determined Vanden Boom fell from a hotel room balcony, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. The fall was ruled as accidental. Walt Disney World did not immediately respond to Nexstar's request for comment. The death remains an ongoing investigation.Last fall, an 83-year-old man died after riding the Tomorrowland Authority PeopleMover at Disney World. Authorities said he experienced a "cardiac event," and his death was "deemed natural" by medical officials. Earlier this year, a wrongful death lawsuit was filed against Disneyland, accusing park employees of laughing at a 66-year-old disable...