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Virginia hemp businesses start to see inspections and fines under new law

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:22:41 GMT

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Businesses around Virginia are beginning to face fines from state regulators who say the retailers are out of compliance with laws restricting the sales of certain hemp products.The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services began conducting inspections last month to ensure retailers were adhering to recent legislation that aimed to end the sales of intoxicating hemp-derived products.As of early August, at least seven businesses had received noncompliance letters, The Virginian-Pilot reported Saturday. Violations stemmed from both this year’s legislation and a 2022 bill that prohibited the sale of THC products in shapes that might appeal to children or that mimic trademarked brands, according to the newspaper.Among the stores facing a fine is Chesapeake Tobacco & Vape, which offered five edible hemp products that were not in compliance, according to a letter the department sent the shop July 31. The letter said the business also failed to ...

Bellingham scores twice in Real Madrid win for 3 goals in 2 games since Spain move

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:22:41 GMT

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Jude Bellingham’s double led Real Madrid’s 3-1 fightback at Almeria on Saturday, taking his tally to three goals in two games since arriving to the Spanish league.The 20-year-old England midfielder debuted for Madrid last weekend with a goal to seal victory at Athletic Bilbao in their season opener.He improved on that superb start for the 14-time European champion with his brace and an assist at Almeria to help overturn an early goal by the modest host.Vinícius Júnior added a third goal to seal the victory after he received the ball from Bellingham.Bellingham, who joined Madrid on a 130-million-euro ($142 million) move from Borussia Dortmund this summer, scored eight goals in the Bundesliga last season.Wearing the No. 5 of Madrid great Zinedine Zidane, Bellingham has immediately taken on a leading role on the field in Carlo Ancelotti’s side. The coach credited Bellingham’s character, and the experience he has already accumulated at a young age, as...

Coco Gauff upsets No. 1 Iga Swiatek to reach finals in Western & Southern Open

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:22:41 GMT

MASON, Ohio (AP) — Coco Gauff had never won a set against Iga Swiatek in seven previous meetings. On Saturday, the 19-year old beat the No. 1-ranked player in the world, 7-6, 3-6, 6-4, to advance to Sunday’s final in the Western & Southern Open.Swiatek, winner of three of the last six Grand Slam titles, survived three match points before Gauff finally finished off the upset to the delight of a large crowd that loudly supported the American.“It feels really good,” Gauff said. “It shows that I can be at that level, or compete at that level at least. I’m sure I’m going to face her many more times. I still think that I’m not even to the peak of my game.”The seventh-seeded Gauff hadn’t won more than four games in a set against Swiatek since their first meeting in Rome in 2021 until winning the tiebreaker to take the opening set on Saturday.“Today I fought to the end,” Swiatek said. “Coco, she’s a great player. This one, she deserved it more. My tan...

Jaguars beat Lions 25-7 in preseason matchup featuring backups on both teams

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:22:41 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — C.J. Beathard threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Parker Washington late in the first half and the Jacksonville Jaguars went on to beat the Detroit Lions 25-7 on Saturday.Beathard filled in for Trevor Lawrence as most of the starters for both teams watched the preseason game to avoid injuries. Beathard, a backup in his sixth NFL season, was 12 of 20 for 138 yards. He threw an interception along with the touchdown pass to Washington, a rookie receiver, that put Jacksonville ahead 12-0 at halftime.Teddy Bridgewater, meanwhile, was shaky in his Lions debut while surrounded by backups.Bridgewater, signed this month to be Jared Goff’s backup, was sacked on his first snap and completed 5 of 11 passes for just 34 yards.Detroit’s Nate Sudfeld, who threw his third interception of the preseason in the second quarter, connected with Chase Cota on a 1-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter to avoid a shutout.D’Ernest Johnson restored the Jaguars’ cushion w...

Russell Wilson expected to play first half of Broncos vs. 49ers game

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:22:41 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- The Denver Broncos are on the road again, this time in San Francisco where they will face the 49ers in week two of the NFL preseason.In week 1, the Broncos faced the Cardinals. Both teams started out slow. But Denver put up 10 points in the second quarter and held the lead until the final seconds of the game, when Arizona made a two-point conversion after a touchdown to get the win. Former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan passed over for Pro Football Hall of Fame In that Cardinals game, quarterback Russell Wilson and the rest of the starters played most of the first half but only found the end zone on one of four drives.Those starters, including Wilson, are expected to play for the first half in this week's matchup as well."My confidence doesn’t waver much," Wilson said during training camp this week. "But I think every day you learn a little bit more. You learn a little bit more about who we are, what we’re trying to do as a team. It’s all coming together. The pictur...

Hurricane Hilary downgraded to Category 2 as Mexico and California brace for catastrophic impact

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:22:41 GMT

CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico (AP) — Hurricane Hilary has been downgraded to a Category 2 storm as it heads for Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.Meteorologists expect the storm to bring “catastrophic and life-threatening flooding” to the peninsula and to the southwestern United States, where it was forecast to cross the border as a tropical storm on Sunday.The storm weakened from a Category 3 Major hurricane down to a Category 2 storm at midday Saturday and is expected to weaken further as it treks northward, officials said.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico (AP) — Hurricane Hilary headed for Mexico’s Baja California on Saturday as the U.S. National Hurricane Center predicted “catastrophic and life-threatening flooding” for the peninsula and for the southwestern United States, where it was forecast to cross the border as a tropical storm on Sunday.Officials issued an evacuati...

Union amps up support for Cleveland-Cliffs takeover of Pittsburgh-based US Steel

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:22:41 GMT

PITTSBURGH — The union representing more than 11,000 of U.S. Steel Corp.’s employees, including those at the Mon Valley Works, transferred its ability to bid for U.S. Steel to Cleveland-Cliffs on Thursday, marking a slight escalation of the union’s support for a takeover of the Pittsburgh-based steelmaker.The United Steelworkers union has exclusively supported Cleveland-Cliffs in what emerged earlier this week as a public bidding war, choosing to support the Ohio-based steelmaker because of its belief that the company would continue blast furnace operations in Western Pennsylvania and save union jobs.Cleveland-Cliffs’s CEO Lourenco Goncalves, whose company has offered $7.4 billion for its rival steelmaker, made that commitment clear in a statement Thursday night.“To the employees of U.S. Steel who are watching this all unfold: I have your back,” he said.U.S. Steel responded in a statement Friday morning that it does not need union support to sell itself.̶...

Howie Carr: How Trump is outfoxing Murdoch’s ‘news channel’ by snubbing Republican debate

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:22:41 GMT

Fox News Channel is now the Bud Light of cable television.Donald Trump ruined their phony-baloney debate with his announcement Friday afternoon that instead of going to Milwaukee, he may be doing a one-on-one sit-down Wednesday night with Tucker Carlson.Think about how that’s going to play out.Fox’s bid to escape its post-Tucker ratings plunge is now wrecked. Instead, it becomes a vice presidential debate, a sour-grapes hiss-fest, Paul Ryan’s worst nightmare.And Fox & Friends can’t even discuss it, because then they would have to mention the other T word — Tucker. And that cardinal sin gets even members of Congress banned from any future guest appearances.How embarrassing is the Trump-Tucker online interview going to be for Fox?Well, in August 2015, at this same point in the election cycle, Fox ran a GOP debate featuring Donald Trump and got an audience of 24 million.In January 2016, just before the Iowa caucuses, Trump became irritated with Fox over what he called “a wise-guy p...

Mets Notebook: Buck Showalter managing Francisco Alvarez’s workload

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:22:41 GMT

Francisco Alvarez has been one of the very few bright spots for the Mets this season. The 21-year-old’s performance has given fans a reason to keep paying attention.However, despite his age, the Mets are keeping a close eye on Alvarez’s workload behind the dish as they navigate through the remainder of the 2023 season.“We talk to our guys a lot and understanding [Alvarez’s] output on everything and knowing where a good spot for a catcher is, especially at their age,” manager Buck Showalter said after the Mets’ 7-1 win over the Cardinals Friday night.“I think sometimes, because someone’s young, they think they can play in every inning and every pitch. You don’t necessarily see things [affect them] physically. You see concentration, you see the mental and emotional part of it. You get mentally and emotionally tired more than you get physically. … He’s in a good place right now and we’re just trying to keep him [th...

Urías historic slam, Crawford’s gem lead Red Sox over imploding Cole, Yankees

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:22:41 GMT

Whenever the Red Sox play the Yankees, all eyes turn to Rafael Devers.Especially when it’s Gerrit Cole’s turn to start.Before the contest, Alex Cora offered high praise for the New York starter. “He’s one of those guys, just like (Justin) Verlander. You’re impressed and in awe with the way they keep developing. He’s one of the best contracts in baseball,” the manager told reporters. “We respect him.”Maybe so, but if Pedro Martinez once thought the Yankees were his daddy, Devers and the Red Sox truly are Cole’s. Entering the series, the 26-year-old already had seven career regular-season home runs against the Yankees ace, and on Saturday afternoon, the Red Sox wiped the floor with the Yankees, 8-1.“The at-bats were tremendous today,” Cora told reporters after his squad’s 12-hit, three-walk game.Devers wasted no time. His one-out single in the first inning was Boston’s first hit of the game. In his reg...