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A 5,000-mile-wide blob of seaweed is headed for Florida, threatening tourism across the Caribbean

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:42 GMT

(CNN) — A gargantuan mass of seaweed that formed in the Atlantic Ocean is headed for the shores of Florida and other coastlines throughout the Gulf of Mexico, threatening to dump smelly and potentially dangerous heaps across beaches and put a big damper on tourist season.The seaweed, a variety called sargassum, has long formed large blooms in the Atlantic, and scientists have been tracking massive accumulations since 2011. But this year’s sargassum mass could be the largest on record — spanning more than 5,000 miles from the coast of Africa to the Gulf of Mexico.The blob is currently pushing west and will pass through the Caribbean and up into the Gulf of Mexico during the summer, with the seaweed expected to become prevalent on beaches in Florida around July, according to Dr. Brian Lapointe, a researcher at Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute.Lapointe said this year’s sargassum bloom began to form early and doub...

Dolphins bringing in interior O-line depth, competition with former Jets lineman

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:42 GMT

The wait is over for the Miami Dolphins to bring in an outside free agent for offensive line depth and competition.They agreed to terms with former New York Jets lineman Dan Feeney on Thursday morning, according to a league source. The Dolphins are also bringing back offensive tackle Geron Christian after the team brought him on board late last season.Feeney can make a push to play at left guard or replace Michael Deiter, who remains a free agent, as backup center behind Connor Williams. Liam Eichenberg, the Dolphins’ 2021 second-round pick, was the starting left guard last season, and Robert Jones filled in serviceably when Eichenberg was injured with a knee ailment. Practice-squad guard Lester Cotton also started the playoff loss at the Buffalo Bills when Miami dealt with multiple injuries on the line.Feeney, who has 64 career starts, has mostly been a reserve for the Jets the past two years but has started in spot duty. He also contributes on special teams. Before going to ...

Patriots reportedly hosting 3 free-agent veterans on visits Thursday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:42 GMT

The Patriots are hosting Rams safety Taylor Rapp on a free-agent visit Thursday, according to ESPN.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Source: Patriots signing veteran RB James Robinson to 2-year deal New England Patriots | The Patriots’ risk and reward of replacing Jakobi Meyers with JuJu Smith-Schuster New England Patriots | Source: Patriots expected to sign Chiefs WR JuJu Smith-Schuster New England Patriots | Patriots move to retain restricted free agent OT Yodny Cajutse on 1-year deal New England Patriots | Patriots reportedly signing veteran OT Riley Reiff, expect him to start Rapp, 26, has made 48 career starts, including some at free safety where the Pats just lost Devin McCourty to retirement. The 6-foot-0, 208-pounder has six interceptions over the last two seasons and brings some positional versatility. Last year, he recorded 92 tackles, six pass deflections and two picks.Rapp entered ...

Source: Patriots re-signing LB Mack Wilson to 1-year deal

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:42 GMT

The Patriots are re-signing linebacker Mack Wilson to a 1-year deal, according to a source.Wilson can earn up to $2.2 million, per the NFL Network.Wilson returns after starting three of 17 games in his first season with the Patriots. He totaled 36 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Wilson saw his defensive role diminish as the year progressed, however, taking zero defensive snaps over the last five weeks.Wilson continued to contribute on special teams, but lost his role as the team’s lone linebacker in packages with six defensive backs to defensive captain Ja’Whaun Bentley. The 25-year-old is the Pats’ most athletic linebacker, who is believed to have more upside than he’s shown through four NFL seasons.Last week, the Patriots re-signed veteran Raekwon McMillan and extended fellow linebacker Jahlani Tavai midseason. With Wilson returning, the Pats will have their entire linebacking corps intact heading into training camp this summer.

ASK IRA: Is Heat’s Oladipo too much sizzle when Spoelstra is seeking stability?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:42 GMT

Q: The fact is — it’s an important part of the season and Victor Oladipo is a liability on both ends. The Heat are better off with him on the bench when the game/season is on the line . – P.M.T.A: What Victor Oladipo has shown this season is the ability to produce the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. At this point, especially from his supporting cast, Erik Spoelstra seemingly is seeking something closer to stability. In last season’s playoffs, Victor appeared content to play as a complementary piece. This season, amid his comeback, he has been trying to do more to the degree that, at times, he tries to do too much. The consistency of Gabe Vincent and Kyle Lowry appears to be the play at the moment. No, not nearly as flashy as Victor, but also not as harrowing.Q: Hopefully this Gabe Vincent experiment ends soon – Paolo.A: At this point, it’s more about Kyle Lowry than Gabe Vincent when it comes to who starts at point guard. But Kyle wonR...

Westbound SR-78 closure to last into weekend for emergency sinkhole repairs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:42 GMT

OCEANSIDE, Calif. -- The westbound lanes of State Route 78 in Oceanside are closed Thursday for emergency repairs to a sinkhole that formed after heavy flooding.All lanes are expected to be closed until Saturday, according to Caltrans.Drivers will be detoured to the College Blvd./ Vista Way off-ramp, then go west on Vista Way and then to the SR-78 on-ramp at El Camino Real.The California Department of Transportation says they are working with local partners to address the flooding issue on SR-78 from College Boulevard to El Camino Real. The agency is working to temporarily repair a gaping hole underneath two lanes on westbound SR-78 to make it safe for drivers. However, the agency said they are waiting for a permanent fix.On Wednesday, SR-78 westbound was initially reduced to one lane. Recent rainstorms caused undermining of the shoulder, according to Caltrans. The agency said a metal pipe culvert underneath the freeway is collapsing, leading to a dip in the road of two lanes. The t...

Motorcyclist killed in crash on I-805 identified

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:42 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A motorcyclist who was killed Sunday after crashing on Interstate 805 has been identified by authorities.According to the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office, 23-year-old Marcel Herrra was driving a motorcycle northbound on Interstate 805 when the rear of his vehicle began to wobble as it approached the southbound State Route 15 undercrossing. These San Diego County roads are closed due to inclement weather conditions Officials say Herrra was ejected from the motorcycle over the center divider and landed in an embankment. The medical examiner's office said responding paramedics pronounced his death at the scene. His cause of death was listed as multiple blunt force injuries. Herrra resided in the city of Tijuana, Mexico, according to officials.No other vehicles were involved in this incident.

Poland to be 1st NATO member to give Ukraine fighter jets

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:42 GMT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s president said Thursday that his country plans to give Ukraine around a dozen MiG-29 fighter jets, which would make it the first NATO member to fulfill the Ukrainian government’s increasingly urgent requests for warplanes.President Andrzej Duda said Poland would hand over four of the Soviet-made warplanes “within the next few days” and that the rest needed servicing and would be supplied later. The Polish word he used to describe their number can mean between 11 and 19.“They are in the last years of their functioning but they are in good working condition,” Duda said of the aircraft.Duda did not say whether other countries would be making the same move, although Slovakia has said it would send its disused MiGs to Ukraine.On Wednesday, Polish government spokesman Piotr Mueller said some other countries with MiGs also had pledged them to Kyiv, but he did not name them.While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pleaded for Western supporters ...

Scholz voices concern on Israel overhaul as Netanyahu visits

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:42 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz voiced concern about the Israeli government’s planned overhaul of the country’s judicial system as he hosted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, offering praise for efforts by Israel’s president to seek a “broad basic consensus.”Netanyahu met with German leaders in Berlin the day after Israeli President Isaac Herzog unveiled a compromise proposal for overhauling the legal system, an approach that Netanyahu rejected.Lower-level German officials already had voiced concern about the Israeli government’s plan, which would allow parliament to overturn Supreme Court decisions and give Netanyahu’s parliamentary coalition the final say over all judicial appointments. Germany is a close ally of Israel in Europe and has tended to refrain from strong public criticism of its government.“As close friends of Israel with shared democratic values, we are following this debate very closely, and I cannot hide the fac...

Stephen Sondheim’s last musical finds a New York City stage

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:42 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The late Stephen Sondheim’s last stage musical — an adaptation of two films by Spanish surrealist director Luis Buñuel — will be given an off-Broadway stage this year, offering theatergoers a chance to see a new work by musical theater’s most venerated composer. “Here We Are” — once known as “Square One” — will begin performances this September at The Shed’s Griffin Theater with a book by David Ives, best known for the play “Venus in Fur.” Joe Mantello, who helmed “Wicked” and Sondheim’s “Assassins,” will direct.The show — based on the films “The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie” and “The Exterminating Angel” — was initially workshopped in 2016 with plans for a production at The Public Theater, which did not happen.The two source films have a connective tissue: In “The Exterminating Angel,” a group of guests arrive for a dinner party and cannot leave, while “The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie” is about guests who constantly arrive for dinner but...