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To prepare for World Cup, USA Basketball brought some help for practices

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:33:18 GMT

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Among the prized possessions that John Jenkins has collected in his career: a handwritten letter from former USA Basketball coach Gregg Popovich for his role on the Tokyo Olympic team, and a gold medal from those games.His medal is a replica. His effort was very real. And who knows, another shiny souvenir might be coming his way in a few weeks.As part of its preparations for big tournaments in recent years — such as the World Cup, which begins on Friday in the Philippines, Indonesia and Japan — USA Basketball has been taking a few extra players to help in practices and workouts. Jenkins, Langston Galloway and Eric Mika were the trio that got the call for this trip; they go home on Sunday, one day before the Americans leave for Manila and their World Cup run.“To have this opportunity given to me again, I’ve never been more grateful in my life than now,” Jenkins said.These aren’t some guys off the street who were brought in to be tackling dummies...

Sweden 2, Australia 0

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:33:18 GMT

Australia00—0Sweden11—2First Half_1, Sweden, Rolfo, (penalty kick), 30th minute.Second Half_2, Sweden, Asllani, (Ilestedt), 62nd.Goalies_Australia, Mackenzie Arnold, Lydia Williams, Teagan Micah; Sweden, Zecira Musovic, Jennifer Falk, Tove Enblom.Yellow Cards_Gorry, Australia, 45th+1; Rubensson, Sweden, 89th; Hurtig, Sweden, 90th+5.Referee_Cheryl Foster. Assistant Referees_Michelle O’Neill, Franca Overtoom, Marco Fritz. 4th Official_Rebecca Welch.___Source

Alexandria Restaurant Week is underway, with DC up next

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:33:18 GMT

This weekend could be the perfect time to find great dining deals in the D.C. area. Alexandria’s Restaurant Week is already underway in Virginia — and D.C.’s is coming up soon.Alexandria Restaurant Week started Thursday and runs through Sunday, Aug. 27.During the weeklong event, dozens of participating restaurants (nearly 75 to be exact) are offering prix fixe dinners for $25, $35 and $45 per person — with menus including everything from fine dining to a late-night slice of pizza.Restaurants in Old Town, Vermillion, the Chart House, Blackwell Hitch and many more have crafted special dinner menus with great deals and fun events.If dining out isn’t on the agenda this week, don’t sweat it. Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Week in D.C., sponsored by the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, follows on the heels of Alexandria from Aug. 28 through Sept. 3.Hundreds of participating restaurants will be offering lunches for $25 and dinners for $40 and $55.Shawn Townsend, th...

Scientists race to understand highly mutated coronavirus variant spotted in four countries, including the US

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:33:18 GMT

(CNN) — A highly mutated new variant of the virus that causes Covid-19 has countries on alert as scientists scramble to understand how far it has spread and how well our immunity will defend against it.The new variant, called BA.2.86 and nicknamed Pirola by variant hunters on social media, has more than 30 amino acid changes to its spike protein compared with its next closest ancestor, the BA.2 subvariant of Omicron, according to Dr. Jesse Bloom, who studies viral evolution at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle.“This makes it an evolutionary jump comparable in size to that which originally gave rise to Omicron,” Bloom posted on his lab’s website.The World Health Organization designated BA.2.86 a “variant under monitoring” on Thursday, a designation that encourages countries to track and report the sequences they find.A variant under monitoring that causes more severe disease or evades existing vaccines or treatments can be upgraded to WHO’s list of variants ...

Yoshida, Bello lead Red Sox over skidding Yankees, who drop sixth straight and fall two under .500

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:33:18 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Rookie Masataka Yoshida hit a three-run homer four batters into the game and drove in four runs, and Brayan Bello pitched six innings Friday night to lead the Boston Red Sox to an 8-3 victory over the skidding New York Yankees, who dropped two games under .500.Justin Turner singled in each of his first three at-bats and hit a pair of RBI singles. Alex Verdugo also had an RBI single to start Boston’s three-run second that followed a fielding error by New York second baseman Gleyber Torres.“Just to kind of step on the throats instantly was a good tone setter, especially to start the series,” Verdugo said.Aaron Judge hit a two-run homer in the eighth off Garrett Whitlock, but the Yankees dropped their sixth straight — their longest skid since losing seven in a row Sept. 4-10, 2021. New York also dropped two games under .500 this late in a season for the first time since it was 57-59 following an 11-6 win over the Angels on Aug. 31, 1995.“It’s frustrating and disappointi...

Adley Rutschman or Cedric Mullins: Who should be the Orioles’ leadoff hitter?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:33:18 GMT

In earlier eras, who to bat atop the Orioles’ lineup would’ve been an obvious decision.Cedric Mullins, with his speed and base stealing ability, is a prototypical leadoff hitter — the role he’s occupied for most of his career.Those traits are still valued in today’s game — especially this season with MLB’s new base runner-friendly rules — but it’s no longer a prerequisite to lead off games. Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber and San Francisco’s Lamonte Wade Jr. are both their team’s primary leadoff hitters despite below-average speed with little-to-no stolen base potential.The Orioles have joined that group of teams in recent weeks with Adley Rutschman, the club’s new leadoff hitter (for now), after he assumed the role with Mullins in the injured list. Rutschman, who leads the team with a .367 on-base percentage but has yet to steal a base this season, has led off Baltimore’s past 19 games.With Mullins ba...

Russian missile attack kills 6 in northern Ukrainian city as Zelenskyy visits NATO candidate Sweden

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:33:18 GMT

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to Sweden on Saturday, his first visit to the country since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year, while at home a missile strike in the center of a northern city killed six people and wounded dozens.The Swedish government said Zelenskyy will meet officials at Harpsund, the prime minister’s official summertime residence, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) west of Stockholm. He will also meet Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia at a palace in the area.Sweden abandoned its longstanding policy of military nonalignment to support Ukraine with weapons and other aid in the war against Russia. The government says Sweden has provided 20 billion kronor (1.7 billion euros) in military support to Ukraine, including Archer artillery units, Leopard 2 tanks, CV-90 infantry fighting vehicles, grenade launchers, anti-tank weapons, mine clearing equipment and ammunition. Sweden also applied for NATO mem...

Pedestrian struck by vehicle, suspect fled scene in Mississauga

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:33:18 GMT

One person has been taken to a trauma centre after they were struck by a vehicle in the Dundas Street West and Old Carriage Road area of Mississauga on Saturday morning.Just after midnight Peel police reported that a single vehicle struck a pedestrian.The pedestrian was taken to a trauma centre and the suspect vehicle fled the scene.Eastbound and westbound traffic on Dundas Street West is blocked off.Police advise to avoid the area.**Motor vehicle accident**-Single vehicle struck a pedestrian -Dundas street west at Old Carriage Rd #Mississauaga -pedestrian taken to trauma centre -suspect vehicle fled the scene -eastbound and westbound Dundas traffic is blocked off -Please avoid area PR230267933— Peel Regional Police (@PeelPolice) August 19, 2023

England women’s team unites fans as once ignored squad eyes nation’s first World Cup title since ’66

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:33:18 GMT

LONDON (AP) — It’s easy to understand why Gail Newsham can’t stop grinning as she prepares for England’s soccer team to play in the final of the Women’s World Cup.Newsham, 70, grew up at a time when women in England were banned from the sport — called football here — and helped lead a resurgence in the game once those restrictions were lifted. Now she’s getting ready to watch Sunday’s game against Spain on TV and hoping to see her team bring home a world championship.“I’ll be wearing my shirt, I’ll be having a sausage roll and a glass of bubbles,” Newsham said, already sporting her blue England jersey. “That’s what I’ve done every match, so I’m going to do it again on Sunday and just, you know, cheer the girls on.”She won’t be alone.When the Lionesses take to the field, they will be backed by hordes of girls rooting for their heroes, mothers and grandmothers celebrating the progress that has been made since they were denied a chance to play the game, and rabid fans — men and women —...

A raid on a Kansas newspaper likely broke the law, experts say. But which one?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:33:18 GMT

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A central Kansas police chief was not only on legally shaky ground when he ordered the raid of a weekly newspaper, experts said, but it may have been a criminal violation of civil rights, a former federal prosecutor added, saying: “I’d probably have the FBI starting to look.”Some legal experts believe the Aug. 11 raid on the Marion County Record’s offices and the home of its publisher violated a federal privacy law that protects journalists from having their newsrooms searched. Some believe it violated a Kansas law that makes it more difficult to force reporters and editors to disclose their sources or unpublished material.Part of the debate centers around Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody’s reasons for the raid. A warrant suggested that police were looking for evidence that the Record’s staff broke state laws against identity theft and computer crimes while verifying information about a local restaurant owner. But the police also seized the computer to...