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Draymond Green, Kyrie Irving among top players to watch as NBA free agency set to open

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:49 GMT

Some of the players to watch in NBA free agency, which starts Friday evening:Kyrie Irving, DallasThis one will be interesting. Irving is one of the best players in the NBA. He also tends to be a challenge, and evidently got unhappy over time at his previous stops — Cleveland, Boston and Brooklyn. It seems unlikely that Irving will want a short-term deal, but there aren’t many teams that can afford him, either.Fred VanVleet, TorontoIf Houston doesn’t land James Harden — who opted in to his $35.6 million contract with Philadelphia on Thursday as a likely prelude to a trade — then maybe the Rockets take a swing at VanVleet and throw a ton of money his way. The Raptors need to decide on a direction; the next few days will show if the plan is to win right now, or take some time to reset. What they offer VanVleet will likely tell the tale. He may be moving on.Austin Reaves, Los Angeles LakersTalk about a success story. Reaves was undrafted, averaged 7.3 points per game as a ro...

Florida agency appeals ruling blocking anti-drag show law

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:49 GMT

Days after a federal judge temporarily blocked a new Florida law targeting drag shows, the state has appealed that decision.The Florida agency that regulates businesses asked the judge who ruled against it last week to allow the law’s enforcement while its appeal is pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. The request was made Wednesday in federal court in Orlando.U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell last week granted a preliminary injunction — stopping the law from being enforced until a trial is held to determine its constitutionality — and he denied the state agency’s request to dismiss it.Attorneys for the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation asked that the injunction only apply to the business that challenged the law, saying that the judge’s injunction “sweeps beyond Plaintiff to nonparties who may wish to expose children to live obscene performances in violation of the statute.”The complaint was brought by the owner o...

Brewers shake up their infield by sending Luis Urías to minors and recalling Brice Turang

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:49 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Milwaukee Brewers infielder Luis Urías’ frustrating season took another turn Thursday when he was demoted to the minor leagues.The Brewers announced before their game with the New York Mets that Urías had been optioned to Triple-A Nashville. Rookie second baseman Brice Turang rejoined the Brewers after serving his own stint in Nashville.Urías hit .145 with a .299 on-base percentage, .236 slugging percentage, one homer and five RBIs in 20 games since returning from a hamstring injury. The 26-year-old has just three extra-base hits in 68 plate appearances.After getting 23 homers and 75 RBIs during the Brewers’ 2021 NL Central championship season, Urías hit .239 with a .335 on-base percentage, 16 homers and 47 RBIs in 119 games last year.Urías injured a hamstring in the Brewers’ opener and didn’t return until June 5. He hasn’t been able to find his rhythm at the plate.“I feel like the confidence is not where maybe it needs to be,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell sa...

Denver weather: Pinpoint Weather Alert Day for Thursday storms

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:49 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Thursday is a Pinpoint Weather Alert Day for severe storms that will be capable of producing large hail, damaging wind gusts, an isolated chance for tornadoes and heavy rain that could lead to flooding. A tornado watch was issued for Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Elbert, Jefferson, Larimer, Logan, Morgan, Washington and Weld counties until 9:00 p.m. at 1:20 p.m. by the National Weather Service.Weather tonight: Storms exit Thunderstorms will continue through the evening and will start to clear out overnight as temperatures fall to the mid-50s. As rain continues to fall on very saturated ground, there will be an isolated risk of flooding. Weather tomorrow: More showers and thunderstormsWet and cooler weather is in the forecast for Friday. Highs will reach the lower 70s, which will limit the severe risk. Looking ahead: Storm chances for weekendWarming temperatures, morning sunshine and a chance for a few afternoon thunderstorms will move in...

Major Back Bay streets to be reduced to one lane amid bike lane controversy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:49 GMT

People in Back Bay are pushing for the city to pause on a new bike lane design on Boylston Street where part of the street would change to one lane of traffic for cars.Residents have gathered at Berkeley Street Thursday to express their concerns on whether the plan will cut down on congestion, while bicyclists say the bike lane infrastructure needs to be built up. With this plan, adding bike lanes to these streets among others means some of the busiest streets in the city will be turned into one lane roads for cars.The Mayor’s Office released in a statement that Boylston will become one lane, with turning lanes and a bus lane between Ring Road and before Dartmouth Street. The single lane road turns to two through travel lanes for cars between Exeter and Dartmouth Streets with a left turn lane.Berkeley Street and Boylston Street are two of the roadways the city is looking to add these bike lanes to, turning three lanes of traffic for cars to one to expand the bike lane that bike...

Travelers encounter few delays at Logan Airport on busy travel day ahead of Fourth of July weekend

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:49 GMT

Travelers were encountering few delays at Logan Airport Thursday afternoon even as experts said many traveling out of state for Fourth of July vacations would be preparing to fly. There were few delays and cancellations, with some flights even arriving early.Among the cancellations that had taken place, the website Flight Aware showed United Airlines with the most cancellations for flights in or out of Logan Airport. Within the airport, there were few complaints.“Everybody’s on time,” said Phillip McCarty, who was at Logan to pick up his son. “Getting here and getting back is probably the toughest part,” he continued.Naomi Daniel, who flew on Thursday, said she didn’t encounter any delays. “But, at first, my flight was pretty booked so they were asking people if they wanted $300 to get on a different flight,” Daniel said. Minimal delays at Logan on Thursday came after some travelers were met with major headaches at certain US airports in recent days. A total...

Pence meets with Zelensky during Ukraine trip

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:49 GMT

(CNN) — Former Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a visit to the country, a show of support for the European nation under attack from Russia as Republicans vying for their party’s presidential nomination have been divided over America’s role in the ongoing conflict.Pence met with Zelensky at the presidential palace in Kyiv, telling the Ukrainian leader that the US will continue to stand with Ukraine “until victory is achieved but then justice is also achieved.”The former vice president made stops at three different cities and villages – Bucha, Irpin and Moschun – outside of Kyiv that had seen heavy destruction from shelling and gruesome violence against civilians under Russian occupation last year. He toured the wreckage, met with locals and laid flowers at memorials for those killed in the war.“The American people are praying with you, supporting you in Ukraine,” he told families that he met in Irpin.Pence has...

Massachusetts will again have an air quality alert due to wildfire smoke: ‘Unhealthy for sensitive groups’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:49 GMT

The smoke from the out-of-control Canadian wildfires is expected to still impact the region heading into the holiday weekend, with state environmental officials extending an air quality alert for parts of Massachusetts.The Department of Environmental Protection has issued an air quality alert on Friday for five counties in western and central Massachusetts: Worcester, Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden counties. The Canadian wildfire smoke will likely continue to influence particle pollution levels.“Air quality is expected to be unhealthy for sensitive groups,” MassDEP wrote in its alert. “Sensitive groups include people with heart or lung disease, such as asthma, older adults, children, teenagers, and people who are active outdoors. People with either lung disease or heart disease are at greater risk from exposure to air pollution.“MassDEP advises people in sensitive groups to reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion, take more breaks, do less int...

Connecticut native Ryan Preece making the grade with Stewart-Haas Racing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:49 GMT

Stability is the payoff for perseverance in the rough and tumble world of motorsports.That’s certainly been the case for NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Preece, the operator of the No. 41 IUOE Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing.Preece, 32, is a native of Berlin, Conn., who methodically worked his way up through the NASCAR hierarchy to the fringes of the Cup Series Tour.Reese’s fortunes took an upswing when he gained the confidence of upper management at SHR and took over the No. 41 from Cole Custer. That’s the closet thing to job security that an upstart driver can expect while establishing his presence on the Cup Series Tour.“Coming from where I have come from and the work I have put in and everything it takes to get to this level, it is nice to have people at the organization to have my back,” said Preece.“At the same time, we can grow and continue to build and continue to get better. I love being at SHR. It’s a place where I’m at the race shop all the time as if it were my own an...

For some Yankees fans, Domingo German’s imperfect past made his perfect game hard to root for

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:49 GMT

The pursuit of perfection often unites the baseball world.As a spotless pitcher marches toward the final outs, baseball diehards and casuals alike will turn their TVs on in hopes of witnessing history. Even those who don’t root for the team involved will lend their support, as only 24 perfect games have ever been recorded.But the 24th — twirled by the Yankees’ Domingo German in an 11-0 win over the A’s on Wednesday night — brought about more mixed reactions than the typical perfecto. Some, including Yankees fans, simply couldn’t bring themselves to root for a pitcher who, in 2019, was suspended 81 games for violating Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy.“My first thought was, ‘Oh, god, we’re gonna have to celebrate this guy for doing this,’” Stacey Gotsulias, a fan who hosts the “Locked On Yankees” podcast, told the Daily News. “So I took it as being happy that the perfect game happ...