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Cody Bellinger’s ‘impressive’ MVP-level season is helping fuel the Chicago Cubs’ sudden surge in the NL Central

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:11:45 GMT

Cody Bellinger couldn’t help but notice how quickly the damage he created was fixed.Within 30 minutes, he noted with a grin, the blackened-out panels on the right field video board at Wrigley Field from his second-inning home run Tuesday night against the Cincinnati Reds had been fixed.Bellinger joked “I was a little worried” the Chicago Cubs would send him the bill.The start of a new month did not cool off Bellinger, who seemingly finds different ways to show how locked in he’s been on a regular basis during an MVP-level performance this year.Bellinger on Wednesday was named the National League player of the month for June after he became the seventh Cubs player — and the first since Rick Wilkins in June 1993 — to hit at least .400 with eight or more home runs in a calendar month, according to Elias Sports Bureau.“It was impressive,” shortstop Dansby Swanson said. “Left-handed hitters have such prettier swings than right-handed ...

San Diego among best US cities for pickleball and this is why

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:11:45 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Pickleball -- a paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton and ping-pong -- has gained popularity in recent years with more players hitting courts around the country.With National Pickleball Day set for Aug. 8, lawn care service site Lawn Love has compared the 200 biggest U.S. cities to find the best areas for pickleball enthusiasts.Factors that were taken into consideration included access to pickleball courts and tournaments, the size of the pickleball community, and local interest in the sport. A "weight" was then assigned to each key factor. These San Diego spots are among the top places to play pickleball in the nation As it turns out, San Diego is among the best U.S. cities for pickleball with a ranking of 17th out of 200. America's Finest City landed itself in this spot for these reasons: San Diego is in third place for most pickleball groups, 17th place for most pickleball courts and 18th place for most pickleball facilities.Other California citi...

Man charged in random Brampton stabbing

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:11:45 GMT

A man has been charged in a random stabbing event that occurred in Brampton last week.Peel police were called to the area of Steeles Avenue and Chinguacousy Road just before 6:30 p.m. Friday, July 28, where they found a man suffering from stab wounds.Investigators said the pair got into an argument, and the victim was stabbed several times.The victim’s injuries were initially considered life-threatening, but he has since been upgraded to stable condition.On Wednesday, Blake Severin of Brampton was arrested and charged with aggravated assault.He was held for a bail hearing and attended a Brampton court.With files from John Marchesan of CityNews

Morocco’s historic Women’s World Cup performance inspires girls even if some in Arab world ignore it

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:11:45 GMT

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — The game was sparsely attended; it was midweek and the outcome wasn’t much in doubt: the Association Sportive des Forces Armees Royales, a powerhouse in women’s soccer here, ended up crushing its Moroccan women’s national professional league opponent 7-0.Regardless, one young fan in the stands was excited from the get-go.Wearing her hair in half-up pigtails and dressed in a jersey reading “Morocco” in Arabic, 5-year-old Aliae Benazzouza descended to the pitch to meet the players. A favorite of hers, Fatima Tagnaout, who plays for Morocco’s national women’s team and for the armed forces team known as ASFAR, embraced Aliae and held her hand as they posed for photos. Aliae waved at another player, calling hr name. During the game, she would make her way to the front of the stands, pressing against a rail, for a better view.“I was very happy,” Aliae said. Her mom, Souad El Khorchef, a teacher, said her daughter peppered her with kisses afterward in thanks for takin...

Air Canada passenger claims he’s out hundreds of dollars in cancellation compensation

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:11:45 GMT

Another Air Canada passenger is blasting the airline for what they feel is “terrible” customer service after having their flight suddenly cancelled.Steven Carkner claims the carrier is trying to dodge paying full compensation under Canada’s Air Passenger Bill of Rights by seemingly taking advantage of a loophole.Carkner says he was trying to fly home to Ottawa to see his family on Father’s Day when his flight from Washington, DC was cancelled at the last minute.“There was no direction about what to do or what came next, but eventually a gate agent came along and basically told us to leave the secure zone and go back to the agent at the start of the airport,” he told CityNews.An hour later, he says he received an email from Air Canada telling him he had been rebooked on a flight 38 hours later.Steven Carkner claims Air Canada is trying to dodge paying full compensation under Canada’s Air Passenger Bill of Rights by seemingly taking advantage ...

Michael Jordan’s sale of majority ownership of Hornets to Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall is finalized

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:11:45 GMT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The sale of the majority stake of the Charlotte Hornets from six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan to Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall has been finalized, the team announced Thursday.The Hornets planned to introduce Plotkin and Schnall at a news conference later in the day.Jordan, who has owned the team for the past 13 years, said in a news release that it was a “tremendous honor” to own the Hornets but didn’t give an explanation for why he sold the franchise.He will remain on as a minority owner.“I’m proud of all that the organization accomplished: the exciting on-court moments, the return of the Hornets name, Charlotte hosting the 2019 NBA All-Star Game and HSE (Hornets Sports and Entertainment) becoming a true pillar of this community,” Jordan said. “Through the years, the unwavering commitment, passion and loyalty of our Hornets fans has been incredible. As I transition into a minority ownership role, I’m thrilled to be able to pass the reins to two succ...

Passenger arrested on Delta flight after cutting himself and a flight attendant, authorities say

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:11:45 GMT

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A man aboard a Delta Air Lines jet that had just landed in New Orleans cut himself and attacked a flight attendant before being subdued by fellow passengers, a sheriff’s spokesman said.Passengers held down the 39-year-old man until deputies could board the plane and arrest him, The Times-Picayune/ The New Orleans Advocate reported, quoting Jefferson Parish sheriff’s Capt. Jason Rivarde.It wasn’t clear what motivated the violent outburst Wednesday afternoon that occurred after Delta Flight 2432 from Atlanta landed at Louis Armstrong International Airport The man used an unspecified sharp object to cut himself in the neck, then threatened a flight attendant and gave her a superficial cut, Rivarde said. He said the passenger faces charges of aggravated battery, simple battery and disturbing the peace.Another passenger on the Airbus A321 jet, Raquel Davis, said she didn’t see the outburst but heard flight attendants on the intercom first asking...

Freddie Mercury’s beloved piano, song drafts and hundreds of personal items to go on sale

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:11:45 GMT

LONDON (AP) — More than 1,400 of Freddie Mercury’s personal items, including his flamboyant stage costumes, handwritten drafts of “Bohemian Rhapsody” and the baby grand piano he used to compose Queen’s greatest hits, are going on display in a free exhibition at Sotheby’s London ahead of their sale.The vast collection of the singer’s personal belongings, which had been left to Mercury’s close friend Mary Austin, had remained undisturbed in his west London mansion for 30 years since his death in 1991.Austin, 72, said in a BBC interview in April that she has decided to sell almost all the items to “close this very special chapter in my life” and “put my affairs in order.”Among the hundreds of Mercury’s personal treasures were previously unseen working drafts of hits “Don’t Stop Me Now,” “We Are the Champions” and ”Somebody to Love.”The handwritten draft of “Bohemian Rhapsody” — which shows that Mercury experimented with naming the song “M...

Bell saw Q2 net earnings fall almost 40% as it began layoff of 1,300 workers

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:11:45 GMT

MONTREAL — BCE Inc. says its net earnings tumbled almost 40 per cent in its most recent quarter as it began laying off 1,300 workers.The Montreal-based telecommunications company’s net earnings for the second quarter amounted to $397 million or 37 cents per common share compared with $654 million or 66 cents per common share a year ago.Adjusted net earnings totalled $722 million, or 79 cents per share, compared with $791 million, or 87 cents per share, a year prior.Analysts on average had expected an adjusted profit of 80 cents per share for the period ended June 30, according to estimates compiled by financial markets data firm Refinitiv.Operating revenue ticked up to $6.06 billion from $5.86 billion a year earlier.Bell attributed its increased costs to severance expenses, a higher interest rate environment and an obligation it had to repurchase at fair value the minority interest in one of its joint venture equity investments.“Bell’s Q2 results demonstrate that our consisten...

Stock market today: Wall Street slips as its big rally cools some more

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:11:45 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are slipping Thursday as Wall Street’s red-hot rally for the year cools a bit more.The S&P 500 was 0.4% lower in morning trading and on pace for a third straight loss after hitting a 16-month high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 74 points, or 0.2%, at 35,208, as of 10:15 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.3% lower.A day earlier, U.S. stocks tumbled to their worst loss in months. While the drop came after Fitch Ratings downgraded the U.S. government’s credit rating, several analysts say they expect the move to have minimal impact on financial markets. U.S. Treasury debt is the cornerstone of the global financial system, but the downgrade by itself likely won’t push any investors to dump theirs.The big questions remain whether the economy will avoid a recession, how corporate profits will do and where interest rates are heading. Hanging over them all is whether the stock market’s big run this year was overdone, as critics suggest.Tr...