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Beer belly wrestling, ‘evading arrest’ obstacle course on tap for inaugural Florida Man Games

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:05:18 GMT

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. (AP) — It ain’t the Olympics, but a group of Floridians plan to host competitions themed according to the collective antics of the beer-loving, gator-possessing, rap-sheet heavy, mullet-wearing social media phenomenon known as “Florida Man.”Organizers of the “Florida Man Games” describe the competition as “the most insane athletic showdown on Earth.” The games will poke fun at Florida’s reputation for producing strange news stories involving guns, drugs, booze and reptiles — or some combination of the four.Among the contests planned for next February in St. Augustine, Florida, according to organizers, are the Evading Arrest Obstacle Course in which contestants jump over fences and through yards while being chased by real police officers; the Category 5 Cash Grab in which participants try to grab as much money in a wind-blowing booth; and the self-explanatory beer-belly wrestling.“This isn’t just a competition; it’s a one-of-a-kind Floridian spectacle!” organizers...

Macron: France to send navy ship to support Gaza hospitals

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:05:18 GMT

PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron said France is sending a navy ship to “support” hospitals in the Gaza Strip, which are struggling to function due to the lack of fuel and medical supplies.The ship is set to leave the French coastal city of Toulon “in the next 48 hours,” Macron said Wednesday as he pledged that France would be “fully involved in securing access to medicines and care” for the people in the Gaza Strip. According to French channel BFMTV, the ship is a French helicopter carrier called the Tonnerre. Speaking alongside the Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, the French president pushed back against accusations that France had “double-standards” in its approach to Israel’s war against Hamas.“International law applies to everyone and France carries the universal values of humanism,” he said in Cairo, on the second day of a whirlwind tour of the Near East, where he visited Israel, the West Bank and ...

Shuttle buses replace service for portion of Green Line’s C Branch due to ‘pantograph issue’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:05:18 GMT

Service for part of the MBTA’s Green Line was once again disrupted when a pantograph issue forced C Branch riders to switch to shuttle buses.The transportation authority said buses would replace service between Coolidge Corner and Kenmore due to a “train with a pantograph issue” at Saint Paul Street.The switch was announced nearly an hour after the MBTA said that service was delayed for 20 minutes due to a disabled train around 11:20 a.m.Wednesday’s service issue was the latest pantograph-related incident to affect the Green Line, after similar cases occurred on the Green Line Extension on Friday and another a day later by Copley station.Service was also hampered on Tuesday due to a “power problem” near Copley, affecting both the line’s B and E branches.This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest updates.https://twitter.com/MBTA/status/1717205346438008910

Chicago Bears Q&A: What would Tyson Bagent have to do to keep the starting QB job? Could they get an offer for Jaylon Johnson they couldn’t refuse?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:05:18 GMT

The Chicago Bears head to Southern California this weekend for a “Sunday Night Football” game against the Los Angeles Chargers, fresh off a dominant 30-12 home victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.Not surprisingly, after rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent’s solid performance in the win, many of the questions in Brad Biggs’ weekly Bears mailbag are about Bagent and his potential upside.Why is everyone so quick to pigeonhole Tyson Bagent as a good backup? — @kastri7xNo one whose opinion matters is pigeonholing Bagent. Maybe that’s a talking point after the rookie’s first career start in Sunday’s victory over the Raiders. But inside the building and around the league, evaluators don’t look at a player like Bagent and put him in a box or categorize him. Yes, it’s possible front-office types might look at him and say his skill set profiles as a backup, but no one puts a ceiling on a player at any position whom they don’t have m...

Mac Jones discloses ‘word of the week’ for Patriots after big win over Bills

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:05:18 GMT

FOXBORO — Patriots quarterback Mac Jones was unrecognizable in Sunday’s win over the Bills.After struggling mightily over the first six weeks of the season, including two mid-game benchings, Jones finally looked like the player who showed so much promise as a rookie in 2021.Jones really didn’t have a signature win on his resume through two-plus seasons in the NFL, and Sunday’s win represented that. It featured just his second career fourth-quarter comeback and game-winning drive and his first since 2021.It helped, of course, that the offense as a whole played much better Sunday. Jones was pressured on just seven dropbacks and was 4-of-4 for 42 yards with a touchdown on those plays. And the return of rookie slot receiver Demario Douglas gave the passing game a spark.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Bill Belichick divulges Patriots’ future plans for Malik Cunningham New England Patriots | How Patriots could fill open spot ...

Mike Johnson picks up support from Trump for House speaker as Republicans move to yet another vote

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:05:18 GMT

By LISA MASCARO, STEPHEN GROVES, FARNOUSH AMIRI and KEVIN FREKING (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — Anxious Republicans prepared to vote once more Wednesday, hopeful of electing Rep. Mike Johnson as their House speaker to unite their fractious majority and end weeks of chaos by elevating a little-known conservative to one of the highest seats of U.S. power.Johnson of Louisiana, a lower-ranked member of the House GOP leadership team, becomes the fourth Republican nominee in what has become an almost absurd cycle of political infighting since Kevin McCarthy’s ouster as GOP factions jockey for power. While not the party’s top choice for the gavel, the deeply religious and even-keeled Johnson has few foes and an important GOP backer: Donald Trump.“I think he’s gonna be a fantastic speaker,” Trump said Wednesday at the New York courthouse where the former president, who is now the Republican frontrunner for president in 2024, is on trial over charges of business fraud.Trump...

Hurricane Otis batters Acapulco before weakening over southern Mexico

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:05:18 GMT

By JOSÉ ANTONIO RIVERA and MARÍA VERZA (Associated Press)ACAPULCO, Mexico (AP) — Hurricane Otis ripped through Mexico’s southern Pacific coast early Wednesday as a powerful Category 5 storm, dousing steep mountains and leaving a trail of damage in Acapulco before weakening.Photos and video shared by local media after dawn broke in Acapulco showed the walls of buildings ripped off, flooded hotel rooms with collapsed ceilings, and rubble and downed trees lining the streets. Persistent rain and flooding made it difficult to move. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador reported in a morning press briefing that the areas of Costa Grande, Acapulco and Técpan in the state of Guerrero were all “hit hard” by Otis. He said the storm caused property damage, landslides and obstructed roads, but he had no information so far on whether Otis had claimed any lives. Communications with the area have been “completely lost,” Lópe...

Senate panel OKs Lew to be ambassador to Israel, and a final confirmation vote could come next week

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:05:18 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has approved Jacob Lew to be ambassador to Israel, moving quickly to get him in place during the country’s new war with Hamas. The panel voted 12-9 on Wednesday to move Lew’s nomination to the Senate floor for a final vote, which could come as soon as next week. All Republicans on the panel except Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul voted against him. Lew, a former treasury secretary and budget director under President Barack Obama, told the committee at his confirmation vote last week that “there is no greater mission” at this moment than to help strengthen ties between the United States and Israel. He said he would ensure Israel has what it needs to defend itself in the war, which started after brutal surprise attacks by Hamas earlier this month. He said he would also address the humanitarian crisis facing civilians in Gaza after Israeli military strikes. The Senate is moving quickly to confirm Lew, who was nominated by President Joe Bi...

Bitcoin prices have doubled this year and potentially new ways to invest may drive prices higher

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:05:18 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Bitcoin is having another moment. The world’s largest cryptocurrency soared to almost $35,000 this week, marking its highest point in nearly 18 months — and more than double the price seen at the start of 2023.The cryptocurrency rocketed from just over $5,000 each during the start of the pandemic to nearly $68,000 in November 2021, according to FactSet, during an era of massive tech growth. Prices came back down to earth during an aggressive series of rate hikes from the Federal Reserve as it battled inflation, and then the collapse of one of the biggest companies in crypto, FTX. When 2023 began, a single bitcoin could be had for less than $17,000 after losing more than 75% of its value. Investors, however, began returning in large numbers this year as inflation started to cool. And the collapse of prominent tech-focused banks actually led more investors to turn to crypto as they bailed out of positions in Silicon Valley start-ups and other more risky bets. Now...

Argentina’s third-place presidential candidate Bullrich endorses right-wing populist Milei in runoff

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:05:18 GMT

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Former Argentine presidential candidate Patricia Bullrich, who placed third in Sunday’s election, endorsed right-wing populist Javier Milei on Wednesday for next month’s runoff.Bullrich, a former security minister, received 24% of the vote, compared to 37% for Economy Minister Sergio Massa and 30% for Milei.“In the case of Javier Milei, we have differences, and that’s why we competed. We don’t overlook them. However, we are faced with the dilemma of change or the continuation of a mafia-style governance for Argentina and putting an end to the shame of the present. We have the obligation not to remain neutral,” Bullrich told a news conference.“The country needs a fundamental change,” Bullrich added, warning against a “continuation of the worst government in history.”Bullrich emphasized that she was speaking on behalf of her presidential team, including running mate Luis Petri, rather than their coalition, making clear that neither the center...