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Rays or Rangers: Who should the Orioles prefer to face in the ALDS?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:01:30 GMT

According to one metric, the two best teams in the American League are playing in the wild-card round this week. The winner will play the Orioles in the best-of-five American League Division Series beginning Saturday.While Tampa Bay and Texas ended the regular season with records worse than the Orioles’ mark of 101-61, the Rays (99-63) and Rangers (90-72) sport run differentials much better than Baltimore’s.The Orioles are tied with the Houston Astros for the circuit’s third-best run differential at plus-129, while the Rangers rank second at plus-165 behind the Rays’ plus-195. Those totals produce Pythagorean records, an estimate based solely on run differential, of 94-68 for Baltimore, 96-66 for Texas and 100-62 for Tampa Bay.Of course, run differentials and a formula named after a Greek mathematician don’t decide ballgames. The Orioles went 8-5 against the Rays this season, failing to lose a series to their AL East foe, and 3-3 versus the Rangers...

What we know (and don’t know) about the Orioles’ stadium lease situation

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:01:30 GMT

Orioles fans cheered Thursday night when the club announced in a videoboard message that the team had agreed with the State of Maryland on a deal to keep the club O’s in Baltimore for the long term. The current stadium lease extension is set to expire Dec. 31.No details were provided at the game. On Friday, representatives of the club and Gov. Wes Moore said they had signed a “memorandum of understanding,” containing a series of agreed-upon terms as a precursor to a lease.The agreement was hailed by elected officials, fans and others. But questions remained about what the document proposes, when an actual lease might be signed, and why it has taken years to arrive at this point.Here are 10 questions and answers about the lease situation:What did the parties actually sign?It’s a nonbinding “memorandum of understanding” that is not a lease but could be a significant step toward one. The MOU says it outlines “key components” of th...

Patriots-Cowboys film review: Bill Belichick’s fingerprints all over latest blowout loss

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:01:30 GMT

You can say this much for the most lopsided Patriots loss of the Bill Belichick era, a regular-season calamity.At least it was sobering.Sunday’s 38-3 thumping at Dallas delivered a stinging clarity for the Patriots. It spoke directly to the reality of their coaching, quarterback play and roster construction.Turns out, Mac Jones is largely the same passer he’s always been. He remains a pocket-bound point guard with mediocre arm strength, plus accuracy and a sweet tooth for dumbfounding decisions. Jones made three costly decisions Sunday, two of which led to Dallas touchdowns.The Patriots know Jones is a quarterback who cannot elevate an offense by himself but can thrive when comfortable. He was harassed and hurried Sunday. They lost.Elsewhere, the Pats’ lost their only Pro Bowl-caliber defender to injury, their weapons backfired and their suspect offensive line depth was exposed — again. More than a third of the Patriots’ rushes were stopped at or behind the l...

US Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas is carjacked by three armed attackers about a mile from the Capitol

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:01:30 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar was carjacked by three armed attackers but was unharmed, the Texas Democrat’s office said.Cuellar’s chief of staff Jacob Hochberg released a statement Monday night saying: “As Congressman Cuellar was parking his car this evening, 3 armed assailants approached the Congressman and stole his vehicle. Luckily, he was not harmed and is working with local law enforcement.”Hochberg said police recovered Cuellar’s vehicle.The Washington Post reported that the robbery happened in Washington’s Navy Yard area, about a mile from the U.S. Capitol.Monday’s carjacking was the second assault on a member of Congress in the District of Columbia this year. In February, Democratic Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota was assaulted in her apartment building, suffering bruises while escaping serious injury. Her chief of staff said the attack did not appear to be politically motivated.In June, Kendrid Khalil Hamlin pleaded guilty in that case to charges...

Federal judges to hear input on proposed new congressional lines in Alabama

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:01:30 GMT

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — A three-judge panel was preparing to approve new congressional districts for Alabama after ruling that state lawmakers flouted their finding the state should have a second district where Black voters are the majority of the electorate or close to it.The court will hear input Tuesday on three plans proposed by a court-appointed special master as it prepares to select a plan for use in the 2024 congressional elections. The three-judge panel is overseeing the drawing of new lines after ruling Alabama — which is 27% Black — should have more than one district with a substantial percentage of Black voters.The three proposals under consideration all create a second district where Black voters comprise a majority of the voting age population or close to it — something state lawmakers did not do when they drew lines this summer. Richard Allen, the court-appointed special master, wrote that all three proposals follow the court’s instruction to create a second district ...

Neighbourly Pharmacy signs deal with largest shareholder to go private

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:01:30 GMT

TORONTO — Neighbourly Pharmacy Inc. has signed an agreement to be taken private by its largest shareholder in a deal that values the company at about $916 million.Under the letter of intent, Persistence Capital Partners (PCP) has offered to pay $20.50 per share in cash for the stake in the company it does not already own.Shares in Neighbourly, which owns a network of community pharmacies across Canada, closed down 44 cents at $12.12 on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Monday.The company says the offer, which will require shareholder approval, also represents a premium of about 21 per cent to the company’s May 2021 initial public offering price of $17 per share.PCP already owns about 22.4 million Neighbourly shares or a 50.2 per cent stake in the company.PCP managing partner Stuart Elman says Neighbourly, as a private company, will have more flexibility and resources to pursue its strategic vision to advance the role that independent pharmacies can play in Canada. “We are co...

Donald Trump is returning to court as his fraud trial gets down to business after a fiery first day

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:01:30 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — After a fiery first day of opening statements, lawyers in Donald Trump’s business fraud trial in New York will move on Tuesday to the more plodding task of going through years of his financial documents in what’s expected to be a weekslong fight over whether they constitute proof of fraud.An accountant who prepared Trump’s financial statements for years is expected to be back on the witness stand for a second day.Trump, who spent a full day Monday as an angry spectator at the civil trial, said he’ll be back at the defense table.“See you in Court on Tuesday morning!” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.The trial is the culmination of a lawsuit in which New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, has accused the Republican former president of deceiving banks, insurers and others for years by giving them papers that misstated the value of his assets.Judge Arthur Engoron delivered an early victory to James last week, ruling that Trump com...

Czechs reintroduce random checks on the border with Slovakia to prevent illegal migration

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:01:30 GMT

PRAGUE (AP) — The Czech Republic announced on Tuesday it will reintroduce random checks along its border with neighboring Slovakia to stem a flow of migrants. The Interior Ministry said the measure will become effective on Wednesday and should be in place for at least 10 days.Interior Minister Vit Rakusan said the checks “will help us effectively fight the groups of human smugglers.”Rakusan said the step was closely coordinated with neighboring countries, including Poland, which decided to launch similar checks at its border with Slovakia. He said the controls should not seriously limit traffic across the border.Police said they were planning to deploy 130 officers who will operate along the entire border, not just at official border crossings.Slovak Prime Minister Ludovit Odor criticized the Czech move, saying it’s necessary to find a Europe-wide solution to the problem of migrants. He said the government will react to the Czech move possibly on Wednesday.Germany announced last wee...

Millennial Money: 4 ways married couples can use tax breaks to build wealth

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:01:30 GMT

“Two is better than one” is an old adage that translates to finances, too. Two incomes can go much further than one, especially between married couples.People who say “I do” also have access to various tax breaks that can give them a financial edge when it comes to building wealth. For instance, married couples filing their taxes jointly get a standard deduction of $27,700 in 2023, while single filers get a $13,850 deduction.How can married couples act on the many tax breaks they have access to and use them to build wealth? Two certified public accountants share a few strategies for couples to consider.STRATEGY 1: INVESTINGWhen married couples get a tax deduction or tax credit, there’s an opportunity to invest that extra money. There are a string of ways to invest the money, but couples could benefit from investing in themselves, says Sheneya Wilson, a CPA and founder of Fola Financial in the Bronx in New York City. Couples may choose to use their tax savings to invest in courses th...

Fatal crash closes stretch of Hwy. 401 near Pearson Airport

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:01:30 GMT

A man is dead and a stretch of Highway 401 is shut down during the Tuesday morning rush due to a serious crash near Pearson Airport.The two-vehicle collision occurred in the westbound collector lanes of the highway west of Highway 427.One person was rushed to hospital without vital signs. Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) confirm a 64-year-old man from Toronto was pronounced dead at the hospital.Police tell CityNews they believe a medical episode may have caused the crash.No other injuries were reported.The westbound 401 collector lanes are closed from the 427 to approaching Dixie Road for the crash investigation.Fatal collision: WB #Hwy401/Renforth. 64-year-old man from Toronto pronounced deceased at hospital. All WB collector lanes blocked for investigation. ^ks pic.twitter.com/dIeiMIPaVb— OPP Highway Safety Division (@OPP_HSD) October 3, 2023