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Column: All eyes are on manager David Ross in the Chicago Cubs’ stretch run

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 05:18:39 GMT

For a guy who participated in “Dancing With the Stars,” Chicago Cubs manager David Ross has no real feel for Hollywood endings.Making his major-league debut off the bench Monday night at Coors Field in Colorado, top prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong came to the plate with a runner on first and no outs in the ninth inning, after the Cubs had taken a one-run lead over the Rockies.Cubs fans, who could recall Willson Contreras and Christopher Morel homering in their first major-league at-bats, were hoping for some similar heroics from the most hyped rookie since Kris Bryant, hitting in the hitter-friendly ballpark.Then Crow-Armstrong laid down a sacrifice bunt. The Cubs failed to score an insurance run but escaped with a one-run win. Crow-Armstrong would have to wait another day to show us what the hype is all about. Ross presumably slept well.These final 17 games will be about whether the Cubs can avoid the agitating offensive shutdowns that have cropped up from time to time, in...

Lightning struck: Apple shifts to USB-C with iPhone 15

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 05:18:39 GMT

CUPERTINO, Calif.  — Apple on Tuesday unveiled its next generation of iPhones and announced it will drop its proprietary Lightning charger port for the more widely used USB-C in the new model and going ahead.In addition, the line up boasts better cameras, faster processors, and a price hike for the fanciest model.The showcase at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, Calif., comes as the company tries to reverse a mild slump that has seen its sales drop from last year in three consecutive quarters. The malaise is a key reason Apple’s stock price has dipped by nearly 10% since mid-July, dropping the company’s market value below the $3 trillion threshold it reached for the first time earlier this summer.Investors apparently were not impressed with what Apple rolled out Tuesday. The company’s shares were down by nearly 2% during afternoon trading.As has been case with Apple and other smartphone makers, the four types of iPhone 15 models aren’t making any major...

Speaker McCarthy directs the House to open an impeachment inquiry into President Biden

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 05:18:39 GMT

By LISA MASCARO and FARNOUSH AMIRI (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Tuesday he is directing the House to open an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden over his family’s business dealings, launching historic proceedings ahead of the 2024 election.McCarthy said that House investigations so far “paint a picture of a culture of corruption” around the Biden family as Republicans probe the business dealings of the president’s son, Hunter Biden, from before the Democratic president took office. “These are allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption, and they warrant further investigation by the House of Representatives,” McCarthy, R-Calif., said outside the speaker’s office at the Capitol.McCarthy said that’s why he was directing the House led by the Oversight Committee “to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.”The announcement comes as the Republican ...

More than 5,300 are feared dead, thousands more are missing as eastern Libya is devastated by floods

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 05:18:39 GMT

By SAMY MAGDY (Associated Press)CAIRO (AP) — Emergency workers uncovered more than 1,500 bodies in the wreckage of Libya’s eastern city of Derna on Tuesday, and it was feared the toll could spiral with 10,000 people reported still missing after floodwaters smashed through dams and washed away entire neighborhoods of the city.The death toll in Derna alone has exceeded 5,300, the state-run news agency quoted Mohammed Abu-Lamousha, a spokesman for the east Libya interior ministry, as saying Tuesday. Derna’s ambulance authority earlier put the toll at 2,300. The startling death and devastation wreaked by Mediterranean storm Daniel pointed to the storm’s intensity, but also the vulnerability of a nation torn apart by chaos for more than a decade. The country is divided by rival governments, one in the east, the other in the west, and the result has been neglect of infrastructure in many areas.Outside help was only just starting to reach Derna on Tuesday, more than...

Board of Supervisors unanimously pass county child-care pilot program

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 05:18:39 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a new pilot program on Tuesday that aims to address the county's child care crisis.The program, which was introduced Monday ahead of the board meeting, focuses on increasing access to the service by supporting providers through funding for licensing and training. It would also help develop new centers in "service deserts," according to the proposal.For county workers, the pilot program will also introduce a new emergency "flex" system, allowing them up to three paid days off in case they cannot get child care on any given day. Housing costs are nearly half of new San Diego teachers’ salaries: report These initiatives would be funded by half of the the $2 million the county received from the federal American Rescue Plan Act for child-care purposes.County Supervisors Vice Chair Terra Lawson-Remer and Chairwoman Nora Vargas proposed the pilot program to help combat what they describe as a dire crisis facing the San Diego regi...

VIDEO: Dolphins swim through bioluminescent waters in Orange County

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 05:18:39 GMT

(KSWB) -- Bioluminescent waves continue to stun along the Southern California coastline, drawing dozens out to the beach at night in an attempt to spot the electric blue spectacle.However, passengers on a Newport Beach boat got a special treat Monday night, as they caught a rare glimpse of dolphins swimming through the glowing waters. A video of the dolphins can be found in the player above.The iridescent waves are connected with a phenomenon called a "red tide," according to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. What’s causing California’s ocean waves to glow? A red tide describes a build-up or bloom of microscopic organisms that are similar to plankton. These organisms are called Lingulodinium polyedra.By day, these organisms display a reddish-brown color, creating an intensified red color in the water, hence the name "red tide." By night, waves -- or other things moving in the water like a dolphin -- agitate the plankton, prompting a chemical reaction that causes them to e...

How San Diego's 'kissing statue' became a fixture on the downtown waterfront

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 05:18:39 GMT

SAN DIEGO – Whether you’re from here or just visiting, San Diego’s eye-catching statue replicating the iconic World War II-era photograph of a lip-locked sailor and a nurse is something everyone knows.The 25-foot installation – known as “Embracing Peace” – is one of the most recognizable ornaments of the San Diego bayfront, placed right next to the USS Midway. Hundreds of people visit the spot every day -- many stopping by just to snap a picture recreating in the pose.“There is (likely) no more photographed spot,” said Allan Tait, program manager for the Parks and Recreation Department. “It’s iconic, because it’s (this) colossal sculpture … It’s become recognizable with San Diego.”With its nearly two decade-long presence at the Embarcadero, many locals at one point or another might have wondered how the sculpture depicting a famous moment that took place in New York City become an enduring emblem of America's Finest City. How artists transformed the Spanish Village in Balboa Park...

Nordstrom Rack opening new location in San Diego

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 05:18:39 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Get ready shoppers! A new Nordstrom Rack location is coming to San Diego next year.The Seattle-based fashion retailer Nordstrom, Inc. announced the plans for the new 26,000 square-foot location on Tuesday. The new store will be opening in Clairemont Town Square, joining other stores like Burlington, TJ Maxx, Ulta Beauty, Reading Cinemas and Vons. It is anticipated to open in fall 2024."Clairemont Town Square is a community favorite for shopping, dining and socializing. The exciting addition of Nordstrom Rack to our already diverse collection of retailers will offer visitors an even more vibrant and complete experience," said Taylor Pham, vice president of the Merlone Geier Partners, owners of the shopping center. How San Diego’s ‘kissing statue’ became a fixture on the downtown waterfront Nordstrom Rack is the off-price retail division of Nordstrom, Inc., offering customers discounts of up to 70% on apparel, accessories, beauty, home and shoes from many...

King of Morocco visits earthquake patients at Marrakech, kissing one on head and donating blood

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 05:18:39 GMT

MARRAKECH, Morocco (AP) — Morocco’s king showed solidarity with his suffering nation Tuesday as it counts the dead from a powerful earthquake, visiting some of the injured at a hospital not far from the epicenter and rolling up a sleeve to donate his royal blood. King Mohammed VI inspected the hospital bearing his name in the city of Marrakech, where he inquired about the recovery services and care being provided for those injured in the Friday night temblor and the conditions of survivors, the official MAP news agency said.A video shows the king — whose public appearances are normally limited to special occasions — at the bedside of several patients, bending over a young boy to bestow a kiss on his head and at the side of an older man. In a surprising gesture, the bespectacled monarch was seen seated in a chair, coat off, suspenders showing, and shirt-sleeve rolled up, with his arm at the ready to donate blood. Blood donations have become a national gesture of solidarity, with Moro...

Ukrainian pilots could be flying F-16s in three months, Air National Guard head says

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 05:18:39 GMT

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. (AP) — The U.S. could have the first Ukrainian pilots trained on F-16 fighter jets before the end of the year, though it will be longer than that before they are flying combat missions, the director of the U.S. Air National Guard said Tuesday.The Ukrainian pilots are expected to arrive at Morris Air National Guard Base in Tucson, Arizona, by October. Those aviators are being evaluated for English language skills right now, and depending on their proficiency and previous fighter jet experience, they could complete the U.S. training within three months, Lt. Gen. Michael Loh, director of the U.S. Air National Guard, said at the annual Air Force Association convention in National Harbor, Maryland.“As soon as they’re given a go-ahead, they’ll be coming over and they’ll start their training immediately,” Loh said.To meet the quick training timeframe, Tucson will likely shift some of its other international pilot training commitments to move Ukraine to the front of the...