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Write stuff: Scribes make tentative deal on strike

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:08 GMT

LOS ANGELES — The union representing screenwriters reached a tentative agreement with Hollywood studios to end a historic strike after nearly five months, raising hopes that a crippling shutdown of movie and television filming could be near an end.The governing boards of the two branches of the Writers Guild of America are likely to vote on the contract Tuesday. With their approval, writers will then vote on the deal, and the strike can officially end. Network shows including NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” could return to the air within days.Details of the agreement have not yet been made public or even shared with the writers themselves because the contract language is being finalized. But the WGA said in an email to members that the deal was “exceptional – with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership.”The pact “was made possible by the enduring solidarity of WGA members and extraordinary su...

Bruins announce roster for Sabres game on Tuesday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:08 GMT

The Bruins announced the roster the roster for Tuesday’s preseason game in Buffalo and it will be Milan Lucic’s first time in uniform since re-signing with the B’s in the summer.John Beecher, who had a strong game in the B’s 3-0 win over the New York Rangers on Sunday in the preseason opener, will be back in the lineup as he vies for the fourth line center slot. Mason Lohrei, the B’s top defense prospect will make his preseason debut. Danton Heinen and Alex Chiasson, two veterans in camp on tryout agreements, will get their first chance to push for a roster spot.BRUINS ROSTER AT BUFFALO ON TUESDAY (7 pm)Forwards: John Beecher, Jesper Boqvist, Alex Chiasson, John Farinacci, Danton Heinen, Trevor Kuntar, Jakub Lauko, Milan Lucic, Marc McLaughlin, Jayson Megna, Georgii Merkulov, Oskar Steen, Luke ToporowskiDefensemen: Frederic Brunet, Brandon Carlo, Jackson Edward, Matt Grzelcyk, Mason Lohrei, Ryan Mast, Ian MitchellGoaltenders: Michael DiPietro, Kyle Keyser

Orioles top prospect Jackson Holliday named Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:08 GMT

Just over a year ago, a baby-faced, 18-year-old Jackson Holliday was terrorizing high school pitchers in his hometown of Stillwater, Oklahoma. Flash forward to Monday and Holliday is still a teenager and he’s still terrorizing opposing pitchers — only now they’re professionals. The 19-year-old has put together an outstanding 2023 season and has reached Triple-A, where the average pitcher is 27 years old.For his standout season, Holliday was named Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year, becoming the second straight Oriole with the accolade after Gunnar Henderson, another left-handed-hitting infielder drafted by Baltimore out of high school, won the award in 2022. Henderson is now the favorite to win the American League Rookie of the Year.Holliday won Baseball America’s 2022 High School Player of the Year and, with Monday’s honor, joined former Minnesota Twins Joe Mauer and Byron Buxton and Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. as the only pla...

From Mississippi to pro ball: 2023 first-rounder Jacob Gonzalez makes the leap with the Chicago White Sox

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:08 GMT

Jacob Gonzalez had a full day on Sept. 16 at Guaranteed Rate Field.The shortstop met with Chicago White Sox manager Pedro Grifol, threw a ceremonial first pitch before the team’s game against the Minnesota Twins and even swung by the gift shop.The 2023 first-round MLB draft pick toured the ballpark he’s aiming to call the home after beginning his professional baseball journey.Gonzalez appeared in 34 games with the Arizona Complex League White Sox (four contests) and Class A Kannapolis (30) this season.“It was a lot of fun,” Gonzalez said. “Coming from college to the minors, it’s nice to be done with school and focus on baseball every day. I like playing every day. It’s a change of pace obviously because in college, you only play four times a week. Having games every day is fun, being able to compete every day.”The Sox selected Gonzalez with the No. 15 pick of the MLB draft out of Mississippi on July 9. The Sox announced terms on a deal...

Trump argues First Amendment protects him from ‘insurrection’ cases aimed at keeping him off ballot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:08 GMT

By NICHOLAS RICCARDI (Associated Press)DENVER (AP) — Attorneys for former President Donald Trump argue that an attempt to bar him from the 2024 ballot under a rarely used “insurrection” clause of the Constitution should be dismissed as a violation of his freedom of speech.The lawyers made the argument in a filing posted Monday by a Colorado court in one of the most significant of a series of challenges to Trump’s candidacy under the Civil War-era clause in the 14th Amendment. The challenges rest on Trump’s attempts to overturn his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden and his role leading up to the violent Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.“At no time do Petitioners argue that President Trump did anything other than engage in either speaking or refusing to speak for their argument that he engaged in the purported insurrection,” wrote attorney Geoffrey Blue.Trump also will argue that the clause doesn’t apply to him because “the F...

Haunted Houses in San Diego to visit this Halloween

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:08 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- With the return of crisp autumn air, grim grinning ghosts have returned to revel in the Halloween season, bringing with them plenty of spooky experiences to San Diego County for thrill seekers to enjoy.From haunted houses to immersive spooky carnivals, there are plenty of ways for fear-enthusiasts to feel the adrenaline rush of a bone-chilling scare.Kick off the Halloween season right at one of these San Diego spook-filled events worthy for you to face your fears. Where to find pumpkin patches in San Diego County Here's a round-up of spooky experiences across the county:SeaWorld Howl-O-ScreamThe spooky carnival returns to SeaWorld with the annual Howl-O-Scream event. Get a nighttime thrill with angry haunts in scare zones, houses of horrors and more. Delicious cocktails, beer and spirits will also be available to quench your thirst while watching electric live shows.When: Sept. 29 through Oct. 31Where: 500 SeaWorld Dr., San Diego, CA 92109Admission: Starting at $41.99...

Trump stops by a gun shop, resuming in-person campaigning after a weekend leveling treason claims

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:08 GMT

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump stopped by a gun shop and toured a boat building facility in South Carolina Monday, ramping up his in-person campaign after a weekend online threatening the media, making multiple accusations of treason and urging congressional Republicans to go ahead and shut down the government.He also claimed he could design a better fighter jet than the military.The Republican presidential front-runner, who has spent far less time on the campaign trail than his leading rivals, began his trip to small-town Summerville with a meet-and-greet with volunteers at a local campaign office and a visit to a local gun store, where he admired a Glock handgun and posed for photos.Spokesman Steven Cheung posted that the former president, who is currently under federal indictment, had purchased the weapon during his visit to Palmetto State Armory, but later deleted the post on the social media site X, formerly Twitter, and clarified that Trump, “says he wa...

Video shows California deputy slamming 16-year-old girl to the ground outside football game

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:08 GMT

VICTORVILLE, Calif. (AP) — A viral video shows a Southern California sheriff’s deputy slamming a teenage girl to the ground during a fight outside a Friday night high school football game, a use of force her mother says sent the 16-year-old to the hospital with injuries to her head and spine.The altercation prompted a protest Sunday at the San Bernardino County sheriff’s substation in Victorville, about 65 miles (105 kilometers) northeast of downtown Los Angeles. The video, recorded on a bystander’s cellphone, shows the 16-year-old girl at first struggling with one San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputy. Another approaches her from behind and grabs her around her torso. That deputy lifts her up off the ground and slams her backwards to the pavement. The footage shows the teen’s head and back hitting the ground hard as her legs fly up into the air.The department’s news release said the deputy “pulled the female away causing her to land on the ground.”The sheriff’s d...

Monday night’s $785M Powerball jackpot is ninth largest lottery prize. Odds of winning are miserable

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:08 GMT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The ninth-largest lottery jackpot will be on the line Monday night when numbers are drawn for a $785 million Powerball prize.The payout has grown so large because it has been building for more than two months, since a player in California matched all six numbers on July 19 and won $1.08 billion. That’s 28 consecutive drawings without a big winner.That winless streak is due to the miserable odds of winning the Powerball jackpot, at 1 in 292.2 million. It’s those long, long odds that result in such large top prizes, as they cause the jackpot to roll over week after week.The jackpot is the ninth-largest in the world, behind top prizes in the Powerball and Mega Millions games that all topped $1 billion. The biggest jackpot was a $2.04 billion Powerball prize won in November 2022 in California.Although the game highlights the $785 million prize, that is for a winner who is paid through an annuity over 30 years. Winners almost always choose the cash pay...

Energy stocks help lift S&P/TSX composite, U.S. stock markets also up

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:08 GMT

TORONTO — Strength in energy stocks helped Canada’s main stock index close slightly higher Monday, while U.S. stock markets also ended up to start the week.Gains in oil and gas stocks, however, were offset by losses in financials, telecoms and utilities to leave the S&P/TSX composite index up only 20.64 points on the day at 19,800.61.“There’s a lot of mixed messaging in today’s market,” said Stephen Duench, vice-president and portfolio manager for AGF Investments Inc.High bond yields continue to weigh on markets, amid increasing signs that interest rates will remain higher for longer.Last week, the U.S. Federal Reserve left its key interest rate unchanged, but signalled it could hike one more time this year and halved its projections for cuts next year. The news helped set Wall St. on its worst week in six months.U.S. markets were mixed during the trading day Monday but managed to make gains. The Dow Jones industrial average ended up 43.04 points at 34,006.88. The S&P ...