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Column: Chicago Cubs are in a May funk — and the degree of difficulty will only increase in the next 28 games

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:48:32 GMT

It’s too late to fret over what happened to the Chicago Cubs over the last month.The damage is done.They morphed from a team that looked like it might exceed expectations to one that looks remarkably similar to the 2022 group that was out of contention by June and winning meaningless games in the second half. All that goodwill built up in spring training and at the start of the season quickly has gone to waste.What happens over the next month if the Cubs don’t come out of their extended slump could have ramifications that last well beyond 2023, making this a crucial juncture.By the time they’re in London to play the St. Louis Cardinals on June 24-25, they could be back in contention — or back in sell mode for the final month before the trade deadline.What’s it going to be, Cubs?This is a team built to compete now, or so we were told by the marketing campaign: #NextStartsHere. Poor ratings on Marquee Sports Network last year and the lowest attendance at ...

No debt ceiling agreement, but Biden and McCarthy call White House talks productive

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:48:32 GMT

By LISA MASCARO, STEPHEN GROVES and ZEKE MILLER (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy both said they had a productive debt ceiling discussion late Monday at the White House, but there was no agreement as negotiators strained to raise the nation’s borrowing limit in time to avert a potentially chaotic federal default. It’s a crucial moment for the Democratic president and the Republican speaker, just 10 days before a looming deadline to raise the debt limit. As soon as June 1, Treasury Secretary Janel Yellen said in a letter to Congress, “it is highly likely” the government will be unable to pay all the nation’s bills. Such an unprecedented default would be financially damaging for many Americans and others around the world relying on U.S. stability, sending shockwaves through the global economy.Each side praised the other’s seriousness, but basic differences remained. They are at odds over h...

Militants attack Pakistan oil plant near Afghan border, kill 6 troops and guards, police say

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:48:32 GMT

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Dozens of militants attacked an oil and gas plant on Tuesday in Pakistan’s remote northwest, near the border with Afghanistan, killing four security troops and two private guards, officials said.Oil production was temporarily suspended following the attack on the oil and gas extraction facility run by a multinational European company, MOL Pakistan Oil and Gas, in Hangu, a restive district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.The company said the attackers never reached the facility itself but fought with the troops and guards outside. “Production from the wells has been temporarily shut down by remote access and the wells are now secured,” the company said in a statement.The attack triggered an intense shootout, according to the local police chief, Sawab Khan. He said a wide search was underway to apprehend the attackers, who fled the scene.Blame is likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban, known as t...

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi cheered by 20,000 fans at Sydney stadium

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:48:32 GMT

SYDNEY (AP) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was welcomed by around 20,000 cheering fans, many chanting “Modi,” at a Sydney stadium on Tuesday during his second visit to Australia as his country’s leader.Modi shared the stage with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who compared the reception by the primarily Indian crowd at Qudos Bank Arena to a concert by U.S. rock star Bruce Springsteen at the same venue.“The last time I saw someone on the stage here was Bruce Springsteen and he didn’t get the welcome that Prime Minister Modi has got,” Albanese told the capacity crowd.“Prime Minister Modi is the Boss,” Albanese added, using Springsteen’s nickname.Modi told the audience he expected trade between the two countries will double in the next five years.“Our positive cooperation is growing in areas like climate action, disaster management, strategic technologies, reliable supply chain, education and health security,” Modi said.“It hasn’t grown through diplomacy. The ...

8 tips for parents and teens on social media use – from the U.S. surgeon general

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:48:32 GMT

Dr. Vivek Murthy, the U.S. surgeon general, is calling for “immediate action” by tech companies and lawmakers to protect kids’ and adolescents’ mental health on social media. But after years of middling and insufficient action by both social media platforms and policymakers, parents and young people still bear most of the burden in navigating the fast-changing, often harmful world of secretive algorithms, addictive apps and extreme and inappropriate content found on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.So what can parents and young people do now? The surgeon general has some tips. “Our children and adolescents don’t have the luxury of waiting years until we know the full extent of social media’s impact,” Murthy said in an advisory released on Tuesday. “Their childhoods and development are happening now.”TIPS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE— Reach out for help: If you or someone you know is being negatively affected by social media, reach out to a trusted friend or adu...

Prosecutors will seek mental health facility for suspect in Danish mall shooting that killed 3

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:48:32 GMT

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Danish prosecutors said Tuesday they will ask for a 23-year-old man to be detained in a secure mental health facility if he is convicted of murder and attempted murder over a mall shooting in which three people died.Danish authorities have ruled out terrorism in the July 3, 2022, shooting in the huge Field’s shopping center on the outskirts of Copenhagen.The suspected gunman, who cannot be named due to a court order, was detained 13 minutes after the shooting began and apparently selected his victims at random. When the trial starts June 12, the prosecution will not seek a prison sentence but will request that he is placed in mental health facility “without a set time limit.”Two 17-year-olds and a 47-year-old Russian man were killed in the shooting. The suspect has been charged with murder and numerous counts of attempted murder for, among other actions, shooting into a crowd of about 20 people. No one was injured in the crowd.A nearby concert by former On...

Pink Floyd showcases its ‘Dark Side’ as immersive exhibit rolls into Toronto

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:48:32 GMT

TORONTO — An immersive journey through the mind-bending history of Pink Floyd is headed to Toronto this summer.Organizers say after a successful run in several global cities, “The Pink Floyd Exhibition: Their Mortal Remains” will land at the Canadian National Exhibition’s Better Living Centre on June 16 with an open-ended run through the season.The 20,000-square-foot exhibit promises a chronological audio-visual experience that starts in the British band’s early underground days before moving on to their monumental albums “The Wall” and “The Dark Side of the Moon,” which marked its 50th anniversary earlier this year.More than 350 artifacts and objects collected from Pink Floyd’s career will be on display, including handwritten lyrics, musical instruments and items from the personal collections of band members.There’s also an array of jaw-dropping original stage props which the band once took on tour, including a giant infla...

Russia fights alleged incursion from Ukraine for second day, reports more drone attacks

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:48:32 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian troops and security forces fought for a second day Tuesday against an alleged cross-border raid that Moscow blamed on Ukrainian military saboteurs but which Kyiv portrayed as an uprising against the Kremlin by Russian partisans.Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region on the Ukraine border, said forces continued to sweep the rural area around the town of Graivoron, where the alleged attack on Monday took place. Twelve civilians were wounded in the attack, he said, and an older woman died during the evacuation.Gladkov urged residents of the area who evacuated to stay put and not come back to their homes just yet. “We will let you know immediately … when it is safe,” Gladkov said. “Security agencies are carrying out all the necessary actions. We’re waiting for the counterterrorism operation to be over.”It was impossible to independently verify who was behind the attack or what its aims were. Disinformation has been one of the weapons...

Kenneth Law to appear in court for bail hearing in sodium nitrite case today

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:48:32 GMT

A 57-year-old Mississauga, Ont., man accused of selling a lethal substance to people at risk of killing themselves is scheduled to appear in court today.Peel Regional Police arrested Kenneth Law earlier this month and charged him with two counts of counselling or aiding suicide after investigating two recent deaths in the area.Law is accused of using several websites to market and sell sodium nitrite.While the substance is commonly used to cure meats, Ontario’s Office of the Chief Coroner says it can be deadly, as 37 people have died from sodium nitrite over the past five years.Police say their investigation has revealed at least 1,200 packages were allegedly sent to 40 countries.Law appeared briefly in a Brampton, Ont., court last Monday, where his case was put over.

Millennial Money: How to pick a socially responsible bank

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:48:32 GMT

It has never been easier to open a bank account, especially with the spread of online services, but there has also never been so much choice about where to put your money. If you’re overwhelmed by your banking options, think about your ability to shape social change with your money. Now is a great time to consider becoming a customer at a socially responsible bank.WHAT IS A SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE BANK?Corporate social responsibility is the self-regulation that businesses do to help promote a positive impact on environmental or social issues, such as racial equity.In the banking industry, social responsibility refers to the ways banks can reduce harm or create opportunities for good. For an eco-conscious bank or credit union, that might mean it doesn’t invest in oil pipelines, deforestation or fossil fuels, or it might invest in alternative energy, plant trees or buy carbon offsets. Other banks or credit unions might be committed to equity goals by providing financial literacy programs...