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Column: Winds of change factor at Wrigley Field into the Chicago Cubs’ 1-0 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:48 GMT

Nico Hoerner grabbed hold of a 94-mph fastball in the first inning of Friday’s Chicago Cubs-Arizona Diamondbacks game and launched it toward the left-field bleachers at Wrigley Field.A crowd of 31,846 got on its feet in anticipation of a ”Whoomp! There it is!” moment.But Diamondbacks left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. settled in front of the ivy-covered wall and watched a 12-mph wind blowing in from the north put the ball back in play, then made a routine catch on the warning track.Whoomp, there it wasn’t.Summer’s unofficial end traditionally turns Wrigley into a pitcher’s park in September, and Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen made the place his home in a complete game, 1-0 win against the Cubs.“I definitely thought it had a chance off the bat,” Hoerner said. “But obviously with the wind blowing in, and (it being) a higher-hit ball that was hit well but not crushed. … So yeah, it’s part of playing here.”Gallen (15-7) ...

Maura Healey: Feds need to speed up work authorizations

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:48 GMT

Gov. Maura Healey insists the feds speed up migrant work authorization approvals, as she says employment will get them out of shelters sooner.In a Thursday letter to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Healey asked for a handful of regulatory changes that she said would help migrants quickly and immediately apply for work authorizations. The governor also urged the Biden administration to digitize immigration processes.“Thousands of families are living in emergency shelter in our state, with a significant rate of increase in the past several months,” Healey wrote in the letter. “Many of these new arrivals are drawn to Massachusetts for a safe haven, but arrive with neither the means nor personal connections to secure shelter and access to fundamental human necessities.”Healey said there is “historic demand” in Massachusetts for workers across all industries amid low unemployment. Tens of thousands of job openings could be filled by new arrivals, she said.“Every work...

NFL Lines: Who we like in Week 1

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:48 GMT

Gambling is legal in Massachusetts now. No one has ever wagered on NFL games here before.Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Great Pumpkin are real.Here’s the good news: If you do this sort of thing, I am here to tell you this is something I know a l’il something about. I love Barry and Bill, but I expect to crush them with this. No hard feelings, guys.Couple things … 1, do NOT trust my picks involving the Dallas Cowboys. My objectivity is suspect. 2, Week 1 games are hard to assess because we don’t know what we have yet.I’m always partial to home dogs; I’m riding 6 of them this week. The one I love the most? New England. But, I hate the Eagles, so …So here we go.BARRY: Optimism (or is that the lingering smoke from the Canadian wildfires?) hangs in the air like a Ray Guy punt.That’s right, Ray Guy. Huge fan of the Raiders growing up. But then I turned 12 and realized Jack Tatum wasn’t such a great guy. Anyway, the great thing about open...

MSTCA Cross-Country: McGrath kicks off soph campaign in big way

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:48 GMT

ATTLEBORO — Greg McGrath knew all summer that there would be two open slots at the top of the B.C. High cross country roster, and the Eagles’ sophomore made a big move Saturday to fill one of them.Racing at the MSTCA Cross Country Relays in oppressive humidity, McGrath, the winner of the Coaches Invitational freshman race last fall, tore through his 1.5-mile leg on the grassy Highland Park layout. When the smoke cleared, McGrath and teammates Owen Geagan and Colin Kurtz combined for an impressive 25-minute, 31.7-second win over the 4.6-mile course to take the freshman/sophomore event. Parker Charter had a strong race, taking second in 25:46.6 and Hopkinton was third in 26:27.1.“He was determined to train hard this summer and grab one of those two places,” said B.C. High head coach Seth Kirby of McGrath.McGrath, who was the lone freshman to qualify for the All-State 2-mile in the spring — knew the Eagles’ lineup would be very much in the battle against the oth...

Lincoln-Sudbury topples Methuen

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:48 GMT

SUDBURY – It’s not too often a football team picks off another in real game action, two days in a row.Yet, the defensive performance No. 6 Lincoln-Sudbury maintained from Friday’s storm-suspended game en route to a 24-14 nonleague win over No. 4 Methuen on Saturday morning wasn’t a normal outcome against such a dangerous offense, either.The Warriors forced five turnovers between both days and held the Rangers without a point in the first half as Lincoln-Sudbury dominated time of possession. Four of those turnovers came in the second half, pairing with Cooper Tarantino’s two touchdown passes and the offense’s 4-for-5 fourth-down conversion rate to power a season-opening signature win.“We knew we had our hands full, but our kids executed,” said L-S head coach Jim Girard. “We didn’t (make the playoffs last year) and they had a sour taste in their mouths. We knew playing against a great team in the first game of the season was going to be important for us to get off to a good star...

Ticker: Auto union rejects wage offers from Detroit companies with strike deadline days away

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:48 GMT

DETROIT — The United Auto Workers union has rejected wage and benefit offers from all three Detroit automakers, raising tensions just six days before a strike deadline for 146,000 employees.Union President Shawn Fain told workers in a Facebook Live appearance Friday that he filed proposals from Ford, General Motors and Stellantis in a wastebasket. He says the companies have yet to offer a fair contract.Automakers say they’re bargaining in good faith and want a contract that secures the future for workers and the companies. Negotiations are continuing through the weekend, but Fain warned that if there aren’t agreements by 11:59 p.m. Thursday there will be strikes against all three companies.Dutch police cleared out climate protesters blocking a highway over fossil fuel subsidiesTHE HAGUE, Netherlands — Several thousand climate activists blocked a Dutch highway on Saturday in anger at billions of euros in government subsidies for industries that use oil, coal and gas. They broke...

Photos: Crews respond to aircraft emergency near Gillespie Field

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:48 GMT

EL CAJON, Calif. -- One person was slightly injured during an aircraft emergency near Gillespie Field Saturday morning, authorities confirmed.The Heartland Fire and Rescue Department responded to the scene at Airport Drive and Magnolia Avenue around 11 a.m., fire officials told FOX 5. Police shooting involving a 16-year-old prompts road closures in Carlsbad The airplane reportedly came short of the runway and hit a fence in the area, Heartland Fire explained. Officials say two people were on board the aircraft at the time of the incident.One person was reported to have slight injuries and the other walked away uninjured. Heartland Fire says both refused transportation to a medical facility. Fire crews respond to an aircraft emergency near Gillespie Field on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. (KSWB)Fire crews respond to an aircraft emergency near Gillespie Field on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. (KSWB)Fire crews respond to an aircraft emergency near Gillespie Field on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. (KSW...

Housing costs are nearly half of new San Diego teachers' salaries: report

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:48 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Newer San Diego teachers are dishing out nearly half of their annual earnings to pay for housing, a new study finds. A report from the National Council on Teacher Quality found that renting a typical one bedroom home in the San Diego Unified School District costs 41% of a beginning teacher's salary.That conclusion is based on the average income for emerging educators in San Diego, which the think tank reports to be $50,744 per year.In fact, this San Diego school district is considered the third least affordable in the country for new teachers to afford based on this report. This comes as a one bedroom home in the city costs $2,550 monthly on average, according to Zillow. Affordable housing coming to Mission Valley along San Diego River trail This poses the question: can new San Diego teachers afford to live where they work on their salaries alone?Back in 2016, the state of California passed a law -- the Teacher Housing Act -- to allow school districts to build afforda...

A Minnesota meat processing plant that is accused of hiring minors agrees to pay $300K in penalties

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:48 GMT

MADELIA, Minn. (AP) — A meat processing company in Minnesota on Friday agreed to pay $300,000 in penalties after an investigation found it employed children as young as 13 to work in hazardous conditions, such as operating meat grinders, while they worked overnight shifts and longer hours than allowed by law. Tony Downs Food Company, based in Mankato, also agreed to obey child labor laws and hire a compliance specialist as part of a consent order with the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry.“In this case, Tony Downs has agreed to take important steps to prevent child labor violations,” department Commissioner Nicole Blissenbach said in a statement. “All employers should provide training to their employees to help recognize potential child labor violations and take steps to ensure they are not employing children in violation of state and federal laws.”The agency says the meat processing company employed at least eight children ranging from ages 14 to 17 at its plant in Madelia...

Emma Stone-led ‘Poor Things’ wins top prize at 80th Venice Film Festival

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:48 GMT

ROME (AP) — “Poor Things,” a film about Victorian-era female empowerment, won the Golden Lion on Saturday at a Venice Film Festival largely deprived of Hollywood glamour because of the writers and actors strikes.The film, starring Emma Stone, won the top prize at the 80th edition of the festival, which is often a predictor of Oscar glory. Receiving the award, director Yorgos Lanthimos said the film wouldn’t exist without Stone, who was also a producer but was not on the Lido for the festival.“This film is her, in front and behind the camera,” Lanthimos said.The film, based on Alasdair Gray’s 1992 novel of the same name, tells the tale of Bella Baxter, who is brought back to life by a scientist and, after a whirlwind learning curve, runs off with a sleazy lawyer and embarks on a series of adventures devoid of the societal judgements of the era.Other top winners on the Lido were two films shaming Europe for its migration policies.“Io Capitano,” (Me Captain) by Matteo Garrone, won the ...