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Russell Wilson and Broncos’ rebuilt O-line faces a stiff test from Commanders’ dominant D-line

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:02 GMT

DENVER (AP) — Sean Payton’s blueprints for a rebuild by the Denver Broncos and a rebound by Russell Wilson this year began with a $139 million offensive line commitment in free agency to land guard Ben Powers and right tackle Mike McGlinchey.The return of left tackle Garett Bolles from a broken leg that sidelined him most of last season and the continued growth of center Lloyd Cushenberry III and guard Quinn Meinerz are also crucial for Denver to snap out of its persistent spiral.Those upgrades face a stiff test Sunday when the Broncos (0-1) host the Washington Commanders (1-0), whose stout defensive line features arguably the top tackle tandem in the NFL in Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne, along with edge rushers Montez Sweat and Chase Young.“I want us to be the most dominant group on the field — like every game,” Payne said during training camp. “We’ve got the capability to do that. … We’ve got all the pieces we need to just take over games, dominate and jus...

Washington Mystics heading home between WNBA playoff games against New York

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:02 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The Washington Mystics can spend a few nights at home between games of their WNBA playoff series with the New York Liberty because of the expanded time between postseason games this season.Washington plays New York on Friday night in the opener of their best-of-three series. Game 2 isn’t until Tuesday night, so the Mystics will bus home after the opener and won’t return to New York until Monday. “It was a lot of nights to be here trapped in a hotel when you can get to go home and have a couple nights at home,” Mystics coach Eric Thibault said after shootaround Friday. “That was just the thought behind it. We have people that like being in their own beds. Myself included.”The Mystics are the only playoff team in the first round that could easily head home between contests. Chicago plays in Las Vegas, Minnesota at Connecticut and Atlanta at Dallas. The three road teams would have to fly back and forth.“It’s a lot of days to be here. We can get h...

Shot put champ Ryan Crouser is on the mend from blood clots, will compete at the Pre Classic

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:02 GMT

Shot put world champion Ryan Crouser measures progress at the moment not so much by distance but by the decreasing size of the two blood clots in his left leg.In that regard, everything is trending in the right direction for the 30-year-old who was diagnosed with the clots just before his win at world championships last month. His medication has been working and shrinking the clots, along with improving the flow rate around them.This weekend, Crouser closes the book on a season that’s seen him unveil a modernized shot-put style — dubbed the “ Crouser Slide ” — break his own world record, go through his health scare and win a world title in Budapest, Hungary, in spite of the blood clots.Just one more meet, the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, as part of the Diamond League final, and it’s straight into vacation mode. Soon, Crouser will be on a boat in Mexico and reeling in marlin with his fly-fishing rod.He may even squeeze in some fishing before he competes Sunday a...

White House says Biden is focused on his job in the wake of his son’s indictment

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:02 GMT

(CNN) — President Joe Biden remains focused on his job – including preparing for next week’s United Nations meetings – after his son was indicted on gun charges, according to US national security adviser Jake Sullivan.“You don’t have to take it from me,” Sullivan said. “You heard directly from the president that he’s focused on delivering for the American people.”He said in meetings Friday, Biden did not appear distracted following the indictment of his son by special counsel David Weiss in connection with a gun he purchased in 2018.Instead, he said the president appeared focused on domestic and foreign policy issues.“That’s true in terms of what he’s trying to get done here at home. And it’s definitely true in terms of what he’s trying to deliver in the way of security at the UN General Assembly in supporting Ukraine and moving forward,” Sullivan said. “So that’s what he’s focused on. That’s where his mindset is.”In this morning’s Presidential Dai...

Revolution making a push to the MLS Cup playoffs at Colorado

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:02 GMT

New England Revolution interim head coach Clint Peay does not intend to modify the style and structure of the team that Bruce built.Former Revolution head coach and sporting director Bruce Arena, who resigned last Saturday under the cloud of an MLS investigation, has his fingerprints all over the team Peay inherited on Tuesday night.“At the end of the day, tactically, we don’t want to change the DNA of the group,” said Peay, who spent the last four seasons as head coach of Revolution II. “We want to try to remain true to that with minor tweaks that we feel we will make us successful moving forward.”Peay’s situation is dramatically different than what most interim coaches experience when they take over a professional soccer team late in the season. The Revolution are in second place in the Eastern Conference with seven games remaining and the next two on the road.Peay will be calling the shots in his first MLS match when the Revolution (13-5-9) engage the Colorado Rapids (3-13-10) on...

Popular Chicago Cubs bar becomes latest burglary target

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:02 GMT

The beloved Wrigleyville tavern Nisei Lounge became the most recent target in a series of bar and restaurant break-ins after a person removed a window and ransacked the bar early on Friday morning, tavern management said.Pat Odon, Nisei Lounge’s director of beer and baseball operations, said someone removed a pane of glass, took cash and “totally tossed the back area looking for money and valuables” around 7 a.m. Friday.The bar was closed and no employees were on the premises at the time, staff and management said.The bar, an iconic hangout for Cubs fans at 3439 N. Sheffield Ave., has started keeping less cash on hand and leaving its cash registers open in what Odon said was a response to a string of restaurant and bar burglaries throughout the summer.A bar near Odon’s home was robbed last week in the early morning hours, he said. Earlier this month, a string of break-ins, including one at an open establishment, made the rounds on group messages among bartend...

Hurricane Lee’s high winds, rains and waves are approaching New England and eastern Canada

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:02 GMT

By DAVID SHARP, ROBERT F. BUTAKY and PATRICK WHITTLE (Associated Press)BAR HARBOR, Maine (AP) — New England harbors and fishing villages were being emptied of boats — and some were becoming ghost towns — as commercial fishermen and recreational boaters scrambled Friday to make final preparations for the arrival of Hurricane Lee, a storm threatening to bring tropical-storm-force winds across a swath of land and sea hundreds of miles (kilometers) wide.Hundreds of out-of-state utility workers poured into Maine amid fears of widespread power outages because of a combination of heavy winds and rain-saturated soil in the nation’s most heavily wooded state.Lee remained a hurricane with 80 mph (128 kph) winds at 2 p.m. EDT Friday as it headed to New England and eastern Canada with 20-foot (6-meter) ocean swells, strong winds and rain. Forecasters said there would be winds topping 40 mph (64 kph) across an area spanning more than 400 miles (643 kilometers) ahead of la...

Lucas: Right-to-shelter law needs to go

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:02 GMT

Democrat Gov. Maura Healy is lucky she reigns in a one-party state.Otherwise, she would have been quickly taken to tasks over her handling of the disruptive and costly illegal immigrant invasion of Massachusetts.But she gets a pass because there are no Republicans of any state-wide stature around anymore to take her on over the issues. The GOP in Massachusetts has been wiped out.Yes, Healey’s predecessor former Gov. Charlie Baker was a Republican, if in name only. But he governed like Democrat, which is why the Democrats loved him.And Democrats can rest assured that Baker voted for Healey over GOP conservative Geoff Diehl in the 2022 gubernatorial election.Not only was Diehl defeated, but the Democrats went on to win all six of the state’s constitutional offices and maintain its overwhelming control of the Massachusetts Legislature.The few Republicans who survived in the House and the Senate are those who go along with the Democrats anyway.So, there is no opposition and no noteworth...

Most reality TV cast and crew aren’t unionized. Will that change?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:02 GMT

Nina Metz | Chicago TribuneThe unions representing Hollywood actors and writers have been on strike for months over better pay and working conditions. This week, Marvel VFX workers voted to unionize for similar reasons. Is it time for reality TV cast and crew to follow suit?The ongoing work stoppage has prompted network television to rely on reality programming more than usual, with “Big Brother” as one example. Though it typically airs over the summer, this season CBS is extending it into November, making it the longest season in the show’s history.With high viewer ratings but smaller budgets than their scripted counterparts, it’s inevitable that the conversation about what constitutes a fair workplace environment has expanded to reality television.For nearly a quarter century, Andy Dehnart has been the preeminent journalist covering unscripted TV at his site Reality Blurred. In a recent column, he makes a persuasive case that workers both in front of and behind the camera are in n...

Frolic in Las Vegas’ fabulous Pool District this fall

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:02 GMT

Laurie Baratti | TravelPulse (TNS)Given the relentless heat waves that have affected much of the U.S. this summer, it’s pretty reasonable to expect that a so-called Indian summer will follow in temperate regions like the southwest. Which is why autumn just might be the perfect time to enjoy the last of the year’s idyllic days spent at the swimming pool in places like Las Vegas.Sitting right at the heart of the Las Vegas Strip, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas’ pool scene is perfect for discerning travelers seeking to make the most of their stays. Its stylish and socially vibrant Pool District offers a distinctive set of aquatic playgrounds where guests can enjoy everything from a refreshing dip to some relaxation in the sun, or gathering socially for great food and drink.A distinguishing element of cabana and daybed reservations at The Cosmopolitan is that, rather than paying a traditional rental fee, guests commit to a built-in food and beverage minimum for the day they’re reserving t...