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3 takeaways from the Chicago Cubs’ sloppy series loss to the Colorado Rockies, setting up a big weekend in Arizona

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:00:29 GMT

At long last the Chicago Cubs get to enjoy another off day, and the timing couldn’t be much better.A dismal outcome against the worst team in the National League again lessens the margin for error with 15 games remaining.With their 7-3 loss Wednesday, the Cubs dropped their second consecutive series and have lost five of seven games. The Cubs (78-69) finished their stretch of 27 games in 27 days going 16-11.“These guys are at the back end and grinding with everything they have, giving us everything they’ve got,” manager David Ross said. “Some things didn’t show up that we’re normally better at this series. But we’re at the back end of the season. … Keep the big picture at hand. We’ve got a nice off day tomorrow and got Arizona ahead of us, so (we’re) looking forward to that series. Should be a good one.”1. Bad time for one of their worst series of the season.Pick an area of the game and the Cubs gave the Rockies...

Orioles’ offense quiet again in 1-0 loss to Cardinals, leaving AL East lead at 2 entering Rays series

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:00:29 GMT

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde has often praised his players for their focus on the game in front of them. He took the same approach himself during Wednesday’s pregame media session.Peppered with questions about his team’s massive upcoming series with the Tampa Bay Rays, Hyde’s answer began with a reminder the Orioles first had to play one more game against the St. Louis Cardinals.“First and foremost is tonight, honestly,” Hyde said. “We need to take care of tonight. We need to play our best baseball and score some runs.”They did neither, losing 1-0 to the St. Louis Cardinals as their lead on the Rays atop the American League East fell to two games before the foes face off four times this weekend.One of three top 20 prospects Baltimore sent to St. Louis last month to acquire starter Jack Flaherty, Cardinals left-hander Drew Rom did not allow a hit until Jorge Mateo’s two-out infield single in the fifth and finished with 5 1/3 scoreless i...

Red Sox/Yankees postpone again, will play another doubleheader Thursday

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:00:29 GMT

For the second time this series (and third time this season), a Red Sox/Yankees game has been postponed due to heavy rain.Wednesday night’s contest will now be the first game of a doubleheader, at 1:35 p.m. on Thursday. Monday tickets will be honored for that game only.Thursday’s originally scheduled game will be played at its original time, 7:15 p.m.Tanner Houck will start Game 1, Game 2’s starter is TBD. Michael King and Clarke Schmidt will take the mound for the Yankees.The Red Sox are 8-3 against the Yankees this season, and have dropped the first two games of this four-game set.

Kim Jong Un’s trip to Russia provides window into unique North Korean and Russian media coverage

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:00:29 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — The world is largely relying on North Korean and Russian media for information about the unusual train journey of leader Kim Jong Un to meet with President Vladimir Putin at a space facility. While news gathering is, to varying degrees, constrained by both authoritarian governments, the coverage by the countries’ respective media this week is providing a window into the neighbors’ unique news environments and how the summit is being presented to people in North Korea and Russia.The coverage shown to North Koreans is meant, like all media efforts there, to reflect the government’s propaganda needs. The country’s reporters have no higher aim than glorifying Kim for Koreans and the world.But Kim’s trip to Russia, where foreign and local media have more access and leeway than in Pyongyang, has challenged how the North Korean media portray one of Kim’s most important diplomatic moves in years.There are no independent television channels left in Russia since...

Wave of teacher absences forcing Vegas-area school closures deemed an illegal strike, judge finds

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:00:29 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A judge on Wednesday ordered a teachers union to put an end to teacher absences that have forced Las Vegas-area school closures and that she said are “very clearly a strike,” amid a contract battle in a state where it is illegal for public employees to walk off the job.Since Sept. 1, unexpected staff shortages have led eight schools to cancel classes for the day and two others to combine classes, according to the Clark County School District, the largest in Nevada and the fifth-largest in the nation with about 295,000 students. One school had 87% of its teachers call in sick on the same day.“The idea that this can be ignored, that these are sick call-outs, and that they are actually due to someone being sick is preposterous,” Clark County District Judge Crystal Eller said in a hearing. If the union fails to stop the strike, penalties could include a fine of up to $50,000, as well as jail time or termination for striking members and union leaders.The Clark County Edu...

A crane has collapsed at a China bridge construction project, killing 6 people

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:00:29 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — A tower crane collapsed at a bridge construction project in southwest China, killing six people and injuring five others, authorities said.The collapse happened Wednesday in Jianyang city during work to build an expressway bridge over the Tuo River, the city’s transportation bureau said in a short statement posted on its social media account.Jianyang is in Sichuan province near Chengdu, the provincial capital. An investigation into the cause of the collapse was underway.The Associated Press

Brazilian Indigenous women use fashion to showcase their claim to rights and the demarcation of land

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:00:29 GMT

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Indigenous women in Brazil’s capital Brasilia showcased their creations during a fashion event as part of the Third March of Indigenous Women to claim women’s rights and the demarcation of Indigenous lands.Under a huge white marquee, models in headdresses, necklaces and traditional attire strutted along a catwalk lined with green foliage to the cheers of a couple of hundred onlookers, many of whom had their smartphones out to share the event on social networks.Kajina Maneira da Costa, from the Nukini people in Acre state, near the border with Peru, said she was nervous before taking to the stage, but was proud to be representing her people.“There still exists a lot of prejudice. It’s not normal to see an Indigenous fashion show,” the 19-year-old said.Kitted out in a bright yellow dress and headdress, Célia Xakriabá, a federal lawmaker from the south-eastern state of Minas Gerais, said on stage that the event was about “decolonizing fashion.”“Today we showed t...

Father of imprisoned reporter Evan Gershkovich calls on world leaders to urge Russia to free him

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:00:29 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The father of imprisoned Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich called on world leaders meeting at the United Nations next week to stand up for freedom of the press and urge Russia to release him.Mikhail Gershkovich came to U.N. headquarters with his wife and daughter at the invitation of U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield on Wednesday to spotlight his son’s nearly six months in a Russian prison on charges of espionage, which the Journal’s lawyers call “patently false.”Their appearance came a day after the paper’s lawyers asked the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to urgently issue an opinion that Evan has been arbitrarily detained by Russia on the false charges. The request says “Russia has failed to produce a shred of evidence in support of its accusations” since the 31-year-old journalist was arrested on March 29 on a reporting trip to the city of Yekaterinburg, almost 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) east of Moscow.Mikhail Gershkovi...

Family tied up, held at gunpoint during alleged home robbery in California

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:00:29 GMT

(KTLA) — A family in Orange County, California was held at gunpoint earlier this week by four armed robbers who allegedly broke into their home, used a stun gun on one of the victims, tied them up, and demanded to know where they kept their valuables, authorities announced Tuesday.  Officers with the Westminster Police Department responded to the 8900 block of Pebble Beach Circle on Sept. 11 around 10:40 p.m. after a woman called 911 and whispered that she needed help.  When police arrived at the residence, they spotted four male suspects armed with handguns running from the home.  One of the suspects, now identified as 29-year-old Banning resident Danny Sommay, was taken into custody outside the residence after throwing his firearm over a brick wall. The gun, a 9mm handgun, was recovered and found to be loaded and had been reported stolen, a Westminster Police news release stated.  K-9 Yoda helps catch escaped Pennsylvania inmate Inside the home, police found five victi...

Silver Alert discontinued for 75-year-old woman in San Antonio

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:00:29 GMT

SAN ANTONIO (KXAN) -- A Silver Alert was discontinued shortly before 7 p.m. Wednesday for a 75-year-old woman.The woman was previously last seen Monday in San Antonio, and the Silver Alert was then discontinued Wednesday.No other details were released after the alert was discontinued.