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Contreras leads Cardinals past Cubs 3-1 in return to Wrigley

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:15:18 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — Willson Contreras had two hits and two RBIs in his return to Wrigley Field, including a tiebreaking double, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 3-1 on Monday night.St. Louis also got a strong effort from its bullpen in its second straight win after an eight-game losing streak. Génesis Cabrera (1-0), Jordan Hicks and Ryan Helsley combined for 4 2/3 innings of one-hit ball in relief of Miles Mikolas. Helsley got his fourth save.It was the Cardinals’ first win in 12 series openers. The streak of 11 straight losses in such games to begin the season was a franchise record.Contreras played for Chicago for seven seasons before departing in free agency, signing an $87.5 million, five-year contract with St. Louis in December. And the three-time All-Star seemed to enjoy the stage at the middle of one of baseball’s biggest rivalries.He waved to the cheering crowd of 30,937 after the Cubs showed a pregame tribute video. He was greeted with more applause ...

Abortion-restriction effort reintroduced in Nebraska

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:15:18 GMT

A new effort was introduced late Monday in the Nebraska Legislature to restrict abortion access in the state, less than two weeks after a bill that would have banned abortion at around six weeks of pregnancy failed to overcome a filibuster.The new plan to ban abortion at 12 weeks of pregnancy drew fervent protests from opponents who had been assured by Speaker of the Legislature Sen. John Arch that the abortion proposal was dead for the session.Drawing even more outrage was the way the measure was introduced: as an amendment to a bill that would ban gender-affirming hormone treatments and gender reassignment surgery for minors — the most controversial bill of the session that has led at least two lawmakers to filibuster every bill before the body this year.Omaha Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, who has led the filibuster effort since late February to protest the trans bill, angrily promised Monday night to ratchet up her efforts to further slow the work of the Legislature following the abor...

At this Westminster, King Charles is the spaniel sort

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:15:18 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — At Westminster Abbey, Britain’s King Charles III was crowned Saturday. At the Westminster Kennel Club dog show this week, a cavalier King Charles spaniel won’t be as lucky.The affectionate toy dogs are having a moment amid the monarchical fanfare. Over 100 King Charles spaniels marched in a parade in London Saturday to celebrate the coronation, some sporting miniature crowns, perhaps politely signaling to Pembroke Welsh corgis to move over after decades of attention as the late Queen Elizabeth II’s beloved pets. Across the pond in New York, Chester the cavalier won his breed, then got eliminated in the semifinals Monday at the Westminster show, the United States’ premier canine event. Cavalier King Charles spaniels are named not for the current sovereign but for 17th-century predecessors Charles I and especially Charles II, who was known for his fondness for wee spaniels. (A similar breed, known in the U.S. as the English toy spaniel, comes in...

Con hambre, frío y determinación: familias de migrantes se arriesgan en trenes de carga para llegar a la frontera de EE.UU.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:15:18 GMT

Ciudad Juárez, México (CNN) — El tren de carga chirrió mientras se detenía y unos cientos de personas tenían la esperanza de que iban a empezar una nueva etapa de sus vidas.Un padre de de familia, Leuman Varela, dijo a CNN que él, su esposa y sus cuatro hijos pasaron cuatro días y cuatro noches sobre el techo del tren, recorriendo cientos de kilómetros mientras huyen de su natal Venezuela.La frontera sur de EE.UU. se prepara para un aumento de inmigrantes antes de que el Título 42 expire esta semana“Esto es para valientes, esto es duro”, dijo, mientras cargaba a su hijo pequeño, Luca, sobre sus hombros. “Poner a tu familia en peligro es difícil, pero Dios ha estado con nosotros, nos ha ayudado, nos ha dado fuerzas”, añadió.Las personas que viajan sobre el techo de los trenes de carga no tienen cómo refugiarse del sol abrasador del día ni del frío brutal en la noche, mientras se dirigen hacia el norte desde el sur de México hasta las ciudades fronterizas...

Wichita State’s McKinney top pick in AU softball draft

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:15:18 GMT

Wichita State’s Sydney McKinney was the No. 1 overall pick in the Athletes Unlimited softball draft on Monday night.McKinney, a middle infielder, leads the nation in batting this season with a .527 average through Sunday’s games. She also led the nation in batting last season. McKinney heads the 14 players invited to play in Athletes Unlimited’s AUX and Championship seasons this summer. UCLA’s Megan Faraimo, Kentucky’s Kayla Kowalik and Alabama’s Montana Fouts were the next three picks. Faraimo was the 2022 Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year and led the nation with 28 wins through Sunday’s games. Kowalik, a catcher, is a two-time Southeastern Conference All-Defensive team selection. Fouts, a pitcher, led the nation in strikeouts through Sunday’s action.Other selections were Florida State’s Kathryn Sandercock, Washington’s Baylee Klingler, Arkansas’ Chenise Delce, Oklahoma State’s Kiley Naomi and Rachel Becker, Oklahoma’s Alex Storako and Haley Lee, Arizona State’s Yannira Acuna, Flori...

School district promising change after alleged anti-Semitic incident

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:15:18 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — A Cherry Creek School District parent is demanding change after an alleged anti-Semitic incident at a middle school.Rikki Mor wrote a letter to the superintendent and school board after she was told about an alleged incident involving a friend’s son, during school. Mor said it happened after students had watched a movie about the Holocaust."Some students rolled up their sleeves and, they had drawn swastikas on themselves,” she said. Mor read her letter, at Monday night’s school board meeting at Cherokee Trail High School.Mor has a daughter who attends Cherry Creek High School, which is also part of the Cherry Creek School District. Family, judge give emotional statements in Letecia Stauch trial She said she met with the superintendent earlier in the day on Monday. “We made a lot of, I think, inroads into how to make things better,” she added. One of the ways she hopes the environment gets better: through the creation of a task force, comprising administrators, pare...

Man convicted of killing corrections director fully freed

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:15:18 GMT

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A man who spent nearly three decades in prison for the 1989 killing of Oregon’s prisons director has been granted his full freedom. U.S. Magistrate Judge John V. Acosta ordered the Marion County murder indictment against Frank Gable be dismissed on Monday and prohibited the state from retrying him in the death of Oregon prison chief Michael Francke, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. “The state or any court is “BARRED from rearresting, reindicting or retrying Petitioner for the murder of Michael Francke,” Acosta wrote in a brief order. A full opinion is expected later.Gable’s sister Francine Sinnett told the newspaper she learned about the decision from her brother: “He just called and said it’s over.”“He’s ecstatic. I’m ecstatic. It’s such a load off of your soul,” she said.Gable left prison in 2019 after the judge found that the trial court made an error in excluding evidence of third-party guilt. The ruling came after multiple witnesses recanted ...

Israel kills 3 from Islamic Jihad in targeted Gaza strikes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:15:18 GMT

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel killed three senior commanders of the militant Islamic Jihad group in targeted airstrikes early Tuesday, the military said. Palestinian health officials said 12 people were killed in all, including the commanders, their wives, several of their children and others nearby.The strikes hit the top floor of an apartment building in Gaza City and a house in the southern city of Rafah. The Palestinian Health ministry said 20 people were injured, and that ambulances were continuing to evacuate people from the targeted areas.Airstrikes continued in the early hours, targeting militant training sites.In the past, Palestinian militant groups in Gaza have retaliated for such targeted killings. In anticipation of Palestinian rocket attacks in response to the airstrikes, the Israeli military advised residents of communities within 25 miles (40 kilometers) of Gaza to stay close to designated bomb shelters. The military said the three targeted men had been respons...

China exports up 8.5% in April in unexpected climb

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:15:18 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese exports grew in April by 8.5% to $295.4 billion compared with a year earlier, in spite of weakening global demand.But imports shrank at a faster pace, with the total slumping 7.9% to $205.2 billion compared to the same time last year, according to data from the General Administration of Customs. The Associated Press

Emergency declared, student missing in New Zealand floods

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:15:18 GMT

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Authorities in Auckland declared a state of emergency Tuesday as flooding again hit New Zealand’s largest city.Further north in the city of Whangārei, a high school student was missing after a school group that was exploring caves got into trouble when floodwaters hit.Fire and emergency crews said they had responded to more than 200 calls, most of them in Auckland. Many were for floodwaters entering buildings, but they had also responded to landslides, falling trees and trapped cars.Severe weather has plagued the North Island this year. In January, four people were killed when floodwaters hit Auckland. In February, 11 people died when Cyclone Gabrielle hit. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said it was a difficult time for the region.“We will get through this. We will support Auckland through it,” he told reporters. “We know that it’s tough coming on top of everything else that they’ve been dealing with, but right now my request to people ...