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NFL free agency opens with Aaron Rodgers, other QBs on move

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:42:00 GMT

After a flurry of moves in the two days ahead of the official start of the NFL free agency period, Aaron Rodgers made the biggest news Wednesday by announcing his intention to play for the New York Jets.Several more players switched teams, others are staying put and a few stars, including Ezekiel Elliott, will be looking for new homes in 2023.But Rodgers is the dominant story of the offseason, and the four-time AP NFL MVP cleared things up during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on YouTube and Sirius XM a few hours before the league year started at 4 p.m. EDT.Rodgers said the Packers assured him after the season they wanted him to return, but things changed after he emerged from a five-day darkness retreat. He said he was told by people, mostly players on other teams, that the Packers shopped him around because they want to move on and make 2020 first-round draft pick Jordan Love their starting quarterback. Rodgers said he entered the retreat “90% retiring, 10% playing” but he...

Residence Dons at Queen’s University file application to unionize

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:42:00 GMT

Residence Dons at Queen’s University have signaled their intention to unionize.In a statement on March 15th, the United Steelworkers union (USW) confirmed that they have received an application from Dons at Queen’s University to join the United Steelworkers union. USW is one of the largest private sector unions in North America; with 225,000 Canadian members.According to the USW, Residence Dons cite a need to have a “meaningful say” in their conditions of work for their application. Residence Dons are hired by Queen’s University and report directly to Queen’s University Residence Life & Services. “With the increase in the responsibilities of the role, Dons are recognizing the need to have a meaningful say in their conditions of work and are turning to unions to help meet their new needs. While Dons are there to support their students – unions are there to support the Dons,” said a representative for USW District 6 in a statement on social media.“Residence Don r...

Wheelchair amputee left in the cold by hospital security guards

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:42:00 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — John Torres, whose right leg was amputated because of diabetes complications, was only wearing pajama bottoms — his top half covered with two blankets — the night his sister and her friend happened to find him shivering in a wheelchair on a curbside outside of Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center.It was Nov. 29 and temperatures in Denver fell to single digits. The morning low on Nov. 30 was 4 degrees. "It was cold, and I remember thinking to myself, if I don't go to sleep, I won't die," Torres said. Campaign launched against Kroger-Albertsons merger His sister, Gina Torres, and a friend who drove her to the hospital happened to spot Torres in the dark as they were leaving the Presbyterian/St. Luke's on their way to Saint Joseph Hospital, where they thought he had been transferred."If we wouldn't have found him, he would be dead. No doubt, he would have been dead" from exposure, Gina Torres said.Brother left in the cold after ambulance trip to hospitalIn an interv...

Abortion bills advance in committee

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:42:00 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Wednesday was another long day for lawmakers at the state Capitol. Senators heard all three bills regarding abortion care. They were unveiled last week.Abortion rights and anti-abortion advocates were speaking on the bills, with debate starting a little before noon and still going on late Wednesday night. AI child welfare tool used in Colorado may flag parents with disabilities One bill requires insurance plans from large employers to provide coverage for the total cost of abortion care without policy deductibles, copayments or coinsurance starting January 2025. It passed along party lines out of the Senate Health and Human Services committee. The bill also protects a minor's right to obtain contraception without parental consent.Bills address abortion and gender-affirming careAnother bill is focused on doctors and patients who are receiving or giving abortion and gender-affirming care in Colorado, aiming to protect them from criminal prosecution and adverse action...

MacKinnon's shootout goal gives Avs 2-1 win over Maple Leafs

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:42:00 GMT

TORONTO (AP) — Nathan MacKinnon was the only scorer in the shootout as the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1 on Wednesday night.Mikko Rantanen scored in regulation for Colorado (38-22-6), which got 18 saves from Alexandar Georgiev. ‘The story of our season’: Bednar commends team for playing through adversity Morgan Rielly scored for Toronto (40-18-9). Ilya Samsonov stopped 28 shots.After a frantic overtime in which both teams had terrific chances, MacKinnon beat Samsonov on a nice deke on the Avalanche’s second shot.Georgiev then denied Mitch Marner for Colorado, which improved to 4-4 in shootouts. Toronto dropped to 0-2 in shootouts.Coming off A 4-3 home loss to Buffalo on Monday in which Toronto held a 2-0 lead late in the second period, the Maple Leafs opened the scoring three minutes into the first when Rielly scored his third, after earlier hitting the post.The Avalanche responded on a power play later in the period, when Rantanen’s pass went in off Toro...

Mets’ Díaz hurts knee as Puerto Rico tops Dominicans in WBC

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:42:00 GMT

MIAMI (AP) — New York Mets star closer Edwin Díaz injured his right knee celebrating a win Wednesday night that advanced Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic and eliminated the Dominican Republic.Díaz was taken off the field in a wheelchair in Miami soon after pitching a perfect ninth inning to close out Puerto Rico’s 5-2 win over the Dominicans.The Mets later tweeted that Díaz injured his knee and would undergo further tests Thursday.The Puerto Rican players were jumping together in the infield when Díaz collapsed to the ground, and he quickly reached for his right leg. Díaz was in tears and did not put any weight on the leg.Díaz’s brother, Cincinnati pitcher Alexis Díaz, was also crying as Edwin was taken away. Mets teammate and Puerto Rico shortstop Francisco Lindor stood nearby with his hands on his head.Christian Vázquez homered in a four-run third inning as Puerto Rico advanced to the WBC quarterfinals to face the winner of Pool C on Saturday in Miami.It’s just ...

Poles buckle up for a bumpy election ride

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:42:00 GMT

Jamie Dettmer is the opinion editor at POLITICO Europe.WARSAW — Last month, Polish President Andrzej Duda approached opposition leader Donald Tusk to shake hands, as they gathered to hear United States President Joe Biden’s keynote speech during his second trip to Warsaw in a year.The glad-handing was understandably brief.And as September’s parliamentary elections draw closer, another handshake between the two political opponents seems unlikely, with the ruling conservative-nationalist Law and Justice party (PiS) and the opposition already at each other’s throats, squabbling over everything — including the Ukraine war.So, as PiS seeks a third straight term in office — something no party has achieved before in Poland’s democratic history — the question is whether or not this election will be more toxic than previous electoral clashes. And Poles are already wearily buckling up for a bumpy ride.PiS is hoping it can galvanize support by bragging about its forward-leaning role within the...

Gary Lineker chose to cut against the grain of power

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:42:00 GMT

Jolyon Maugham KC is the author of “Bringing Down Goliath – How Good Law Can Topple the Powerful” and the director of Good Law Project.All of us have speech, and none of it is free.All speech carries consequence, which is very often the point. Sometimes those consequences are good — you shift the dial in your direction. And sometimes the consequences are bad — others use their speech to condemn you. We all understand this — it’s inherent in all human discourse, from how we speak about others to employers’ social media guidelines.The right to free speech, of course, also has a “term of art” meaning — a distinct legal meaning. And to a lawyer, the questions are about where the right to free speech falls away. I have no right to defame you. I cannot share your confidential information — or official state secrets. If I am in a crowd, I cannot make noise, “which may cause alarm or distress” to those nearby. In Northern Ireland, I cannot blaspheme.But only the coercive power of the state ...

Macron on the brink: How French pensions revolt could wreck his presidency

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:42:00 GMT

PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron will face a moment of reckoning Thursday as lawmakers gear up for a final vote on the government’s deeply unpopular pension reform.The controversial bill, a centerpiece of Macron’s second term, has sparked weeks of nationwide protests led by trade unions and faced intense criticism from both the far left and the far right in the National Assembly.The French president wants to increase the legal age of retirement to 64 from 62 and extend contributions for a full pension in an effort to balance the accounts of France’s state pensions system — among the most generous in the world. According to projections from France’s Council of Pensions Planning, the finances of the pensions system are balanced in the short term but will go into deficit in the long term. Despite government concessions on various aspects of the bill in recent weeks, opposition to the reform remains very high, with polls saying two-thirds of French citizens oppose it....

Toxic Germanity and the battle for ‘das Auto’

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:42:00 GMT

BERLIN — Europe’s worst-kept secret is that the Germans ultimately decide everything.“I’ll never forget how all the other member states held back in anticipation, waiting to see what the Germans would do,” a senior U.K. official, recalling his time in Brussels, recently told a private dinner of MPs and other German officials in Berlin.The recollection was meant as a compliment, one the official hoped would ingratiate him with the Germans around the table.Sad thing is it worked.The second worst-kept secret in Brussels is that for all the “peace project” kumbaya, the Germans actually enjoy dominating the place. That said, even stalwart veterans of the EU bubble were hard-pressed in recent days to cite a more blatant example of toxic Germanity than Berlin’s last-minute intervention to save the internal combustion engine.To recap: Last week, EU countries were expected to rubber-stamp a package of measures aimed at ridding Europe’s roads of fuel-burning autos. Under the plan, the EU woul...