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Javier Assad tries to stay on roll for the Chicago Cubs — while Marcus Stroman takes the next step in his rehab

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:42:11 GMT

Good luck trying to find right-hander Javier Assad on old prospect lists.Assad hadn’t gained much attention outside the Chicago Cubs organization while in the minors because he doesn’t own the eye-catching stuff that becomes notable when a player works his way up the system.But the consistency the Cubs have seen from Assad since he slotted into the rotation Aug. 5 is why he has become so valuable as he uses the great defense behind him to produce quality outings. He entered Thursday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks with a 1.95 ERA and .212 average against in his five starts over the last month.Assad, 26, is a great organizational example of having an opportunity to help the team that signed him from Mexico as teenager get back to the postseason.“We focus so much on prospects that there’s a ton of guys down there trying to prove everyday who they are and that they’re worthy of being big leaguers and staying,” manager David Ross said Th...

Climate protester glues feet to floor, interrupting US Open semifinal between Gauff and Muchova

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:42:11 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Open semifinal between Coco Gauff and Karolina Muchova was delayed by 50 minutes because of a disruption by environmental activists in the Arthur Ashe Stadium stands on Thursday night. One protester glued his bare feet to the concrete floor.Gauff was ahead 6-4, 1-0 when play was halted early in the second set. Security guards and, later, more than a half-dozen police officers went over to confront the three protesters, who were wearing shirts that read, “End Fossil Fuels.” Two of the activists were escorted out within several minutes, but it took longer to remove the person who stuck his feet to the ground.Spectators were asked to move away to clear a path for the police, who were cheered by fans sitting near the section where the disruption happened. One of the protesters, who identified himself only as Ian, said they wanted the U.S. Open to be accountable because it has sponsors who are large corporations whose policies are contributing to global warming. ...

Bengals QB Joe Burrow becomes NFL’s highest-paid player with $275 million deal, AP source says

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:42:11 GMT

CINCINNATI (AP) — Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow became the highest-paid player in the NFL on Thursday, agreeing to a five-year, $275 million contract extension, according to a person familiar with the deal.The contract includes more than $219 million guaranteed, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because it hadn’t been announced.The deal, which will pay Burrow an average of $55 million a year, puts him ahead of other top quarterbacks in the league who signed new contracts in the offseason.Beloved and teammates and fans in Cincinnati, Burrow has reversed the fortunes of the franchise while earning a reputation as a decisive and creative leader with a knack for figuring out how to pick up yards when plays break down.Signing the 2022 Pro Bowler and 2021 AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year to an extension was a goal of the team this summer, but the deal wasn’t finalized until three days before the Bengals’ season opener at Cleveland.“This i...

Thousands of residents return to Yellowknife as wildfire evacuation order lifted

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:42:11 GMT

YELLOWKNIFE — Thousands of Yellowknife residents have returned home this week as a wildfire evacuation order was lifted.The nearby fire forced the city’s 20,000 residents out of their homes about three weeks ago.The order for the capital of the Northwest Territories, which also included the First Nation communities of Dettah and N’Dilo, was downgraded Wednesday to an evacuation alert.Officials say about 1,000 people, including 630 essential workers, had been flown back to the territorial capital by the end of Wednesday and repatriation flights continued today.At least 1,700 vehicles have also returned to the city this week, although it’s unknown how many people were travelling in each vehicle.They say about 7,000 vehicles left the city after the evacuation order came into effect on Aug. 16.There are still thousands of people from Hay River and Fort Smith, who were ordered out days before Yellowknife, that are not able to go back due to wildfires.This report by The Canadi...

New Mexico governor seeks federal agents to combat gun violence in Albuquerque

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:42:11 GMT

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The governor of New Mexico is asking the U.S. Justice Department to deploy more federal agents to the state in the aftermath of the shooting death of an 11-year-old boy outside a minor league baseball stadium.New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Thursday sent a letter U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland requesting aid in efforts to stem gun violence and human trafficking. The governor says she has repeatedly requested federal law enforcement deployments since June 2022.An 11-year-old was killed and a woman critically injured Wednesday as their vehicle was peppered with bullets in an apparent road-rage incident, as crowds departed an evening baseball game, Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina said. The governor said federal resources are needed to help curb “escalating violence and drug and human-trafficking activity that is ravaging our great state.” She also issued an emergency health order that taps into $750,000 to shore up public safety.“The nature...

Biden to use G20 summit and Vietnam visit to highlight US as trustworthy alternative to China

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:42:11 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden wants to show the world at the Group of 20 summit in India and during a stop in Vietnam that the United States and its like-minded allies are better economic and security partners than China. White House officials said Biden, who departed Thursday evening for New Delhi, will use the annual G20 gathering as an opportunity for the U.S. to highlight a proposition for developing and middle-income countries that would increase the lending power of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund by some $200 billion. That is an attempt to offer a significant, albeit smaller, alternative to China’s massive Belt and Road infrastructure initiative, which the U.S. views as a Trojan horse for China-led regional development and military expansion. Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to skip the summit, where Premier Li Qiang will represent the country.After the summit, Biden and Vietnamese General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong will meet in Hanoi and are ex...

De'Ondre White sentenced to 30 years for role in mass shooting on Sixth Street

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:42:11 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – De'Ondre White, 21, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the murder of Douglas Kantor in the Sixth Street mass shooting on June 12, 2021, according to the victim's attorney. Before deciding on a punishment for White, jurors heard from witnesses Thursday. The jury found White guilty of murder late Wednesday night. Prior to the decision, state prosecutors asked the jury to take into account the whole picture when deciding, including the 14 people injured. They argued White should serve at least 40 years in prison. Meanwhile, White’s Defense team asked for five years and no more than 20. They argued White was a good kid in a bad situation. In the end, the jury decided on 30 years late Thursday night. Sentencing testimony The state called several witnesses prior to the sentencing, including many of the people who had been shot in 2021.”Everything came crashing down,” Adriana Salazar said through tears while describing the shooting. She was out with a friend at the tim...

'Crippled or killed': Austin ER doctor talks about treating first Xylazine patients

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:42:11 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- After the Travis County Medical Examiner announced he had detected Xylazine -- a horse tranquilizer -- for the first time in people who died of overdoses, an Austin emergency room doctor is talking about his experience treating some of those patients. Dr. Daniel Walk, an emergency physician in Austin and member of the Texas Medical Association committee on emergency services and trauma, said he's already seeing Xylazine patients in his emergency room with symptoms ranging from extreme drowsiness, in the most mild cases, to cardiac arrest."I have seen multiple deaths so far, one from a mass casualty, within the past year. Unfortunately many lives have been cut short by this new drug," Walk said. Xylazine is a sedative approved for use in large animals. Though it is not approved for human use, it's being mixed into other illicit drugs. Walk said it creates a concoction that's very difficult to treat. First Xylazine-related overdose deaths reported in Travis County,...

Witnesses face intense questioning in Paxton Impeachment Trial

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:42:11 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Day three of the impeachment trial saw two key whistleblowers take the stand, sharing fears and shedding tears as they recounted their experience under suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton, who they reported to the FBI for bribery and corruption.The day opened with Rusty Hardin, the lead prosecutor for the House's impeachment team, examining witness Ryan Bangert. Bangert is a former deputy first assistant attorney general who reported Paxton to the FBI.Bangert's testimony provided a new eyewitness account of how whistleblowers believed Paxton was pressuring the office to improperly benefit Nate Paul, an Austin real estate investor and Paxton campaign donor. Bangert said Paxton was adamant the office hire outside counsel to interfere in Nate Paul's private legal troubles. BACKGROUND: Who is Nate Paul, and how is he involved with Paxton "The attorney general was insisting that we move forward with outside counsel," Bangert said. "It was clear to me that hiring ou...

Driver’s written test appointments for those without citizenship documents now available

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:42:11 GMT

Written test appointments under Minnesota’s new Driver’s License for All initiative are now available online, the state Department of Public Safety said Thursday. The initiative eliminates the need to show proof of citizenship to get a standard driver’s license in Minnesota.Although the program takes effect Oct. 1, Minnesotans can now schedule appointments for the written test for a state class D driver’s license, instruction permit or standard identification card. Although people don’t have to show proof of being in the country legally, they still must be Minnesota residents, provide proof of identification, and take the required tests.Appointments for the written test can be made online up to 30 days in advance and are required when applying for a driver’s license or ID card.“Driver’s License for All is an important step to increasing licensed, trained and insured drivers,” said Department of Vehicle Services Director Pong Xiong in a news release. “It...