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Mike Lupica: The Rays know who they are while the struggling Yankees still seek an identity

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:30:00 GMT

This is what Brian Cashman said the other day, in one of the earliest State of the Yankees speech we’ve ever gotten from him, one that actually sounded more like State of the Injured List:“We got a good group of people, player-wise, staff-wise, support-staff wise. It’s a championship-caliber operation.”At which point Yankee fans probably wanted a word, thinking the team’s for-life general manager had to be talking to Hal Steinbrenner, just because he couldn’t possibly have been talking to them.The Yankees lost a game to the Rays on Friday night in St. Petersburg, and found themselves 10 games behind the Rays, at the end of the first week of May. At that point the Yankees’ record was 17-16 and they were still in last place in the AL East. On the same night the Mets won a game they badly needed, 1-0, over the Rockies, ending their night with the same record as the Yankees, with an even bigger payroll. The Mets have been injured, too. They just...

CHP seizes millions of dollars in stolen goods, dozens arrested in massive cargo theft bust

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:30:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- The California Highway Patrol is unveiling its work in a major cargo theft bust. The bust involved multiple counties throughout the state.The theft operation involved millions of dollars and dozens of arrests. CHP said the criminal ring would steal five to seven trailer loads a week. The trailers were filled with goods for stores or people. CHP is still investigating the owners of the stolen goods."We believe of this particular network and operation overload, we got the head of the snake," said Captain Charles Leonard, California Highway Patrol Investigative Unit Captain.CHP's taken down of a colossal-organized cargo theft ring is being called "Operation Overloaded.""There's really no rhyme or reason to who they are targeting. It's just if there's an opportunity they were taking it," Leonard said.CHP said it started with a tip in March 2022 from Riverside. Two task forces: the Cargo Theft Interdiction Program (CTIP) and the Organized Retail Crime (ORC) spanned their inv...

Boy, 6, dead after Murrieta crash

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:30:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A Las Vegas family was forced to do the unimaginable, saying goodbye to their 6-year-old son in San Diego who will never make it home from their family vacation.“The physical pain is nothing compared to the emotional pain that we’ve been going through,” said Moses Sanchez, father of Ian Sanchez. More sand and wider beaches coming soon to Encinitas, Solana Beach The Sanchez family was on their way home from Mexico to Las Vegas in the early hours of Monday morning. They had made it just north of San Diego County in Murrieta when they say they hit a driver suspected to be under the influence, who had already hit at least one other car and the center median ahead of them on the freeway.“We drove at night because the boys are asleep, it’s a calmer ride. Next thing you know this happened. It happened and our lives completely changed,” said Sanchez.Six-year-old Ian Sanchez suffered the worst injuries, including a brain laceration and stroke. He was airlifted to Rady Children...

1 dead, at least 6 injured at Mississippi party shooting

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:30:00 GMT

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (AP) — One person is dead and at least six other people were shot during a Cinco de Mayo party at a Mississippi restaurant late Friday night, police said.Ocean Springs Police Capt. Ryan LeMaire, in a news release, confirmed that seven people were shot at The Scratch Kitchen on Government Street. The surviving victims were transported to area hospitals for treatment, LeMaire said. The extent of their injuries was not immediately released.He identified the man killed as Chase Harmon, 19, of Pascagoula.No arrests had been made as of Saturday morning, but Lemaire said the investigation is ongoing.“We urge anyone with any information to call the Ocean Springs Police Department,” he said.The Scratch Kitchen’s owner told the Sun Herald there were about 200 people at the restaurant when the shooter ran past employees who were doing security checks at the entrance to the patio.“The person who did the shooting wasn’t a customer,” owner Brittany Alexander said. “He d...

Kentucky Derby runs into more obstacles ahead of big race

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:30:00 GMT

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The cast of characters for the 149th Kentucky Derby was rewritten again hours before the race Saturday when early favorite Forte was scratched.It was the fifth scratch from the Derby in the days leading up to the $3 million race for 3-year-olds. Five horses have died at Churchill Downs in recent days.Forte had been the early 3-1 favorite; his absence reduces the field to 18 horses for the 1 1/4-mile race.Mike Repole, co-owner of Forte, said veterinarians from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission had concerns about a bruised right front foot.Forte stumbled during a workout on Thursday, although trainer Todd Pletcher had downplayed it. He still has two horses in the race: Tapit Trice and Kingsbarns.A crowd of about 150,000 is expected to jam Churchill Downs to wager and watch the Derby. Post time is 6:57 p.m. EDT.The horse deaths included Derby contender Wild On Ice. Two of the horses were trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. He was indefinitely suspended by the track, ...

Off-duty Chicago police officer fatally shot after her shift

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:30:00 GMT

An off-duty Chicago police officer was shot and killed early Saturday as she headed home on the city’s Southside after her shift.The officer, whose name was not released, was shot about 1:42 a.m. in the city’s Avalon Park neighborhood, police said.She was found wounded by another officer who responded to an alert from the city’s gunshot detection system, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.The second officer rushed her to a hospital where she was pronounced dead. The slain officer had been with Chicago police about three years.No arrests have been made.The Associated Press

Queen or queen consort? What to know about Camilla’s title

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:30:00 GMT

Now that she has been crowned alongside her husband, King Charles III’s wife is officially known as Queen Camilla.While it sounds more official than “queen consort,” the changing of titles does not signify any practical difference in the role of the 75-year-old royal.Queen consorts do not formally share the sovereign’s powers, and dropping the “consort” part of the title does not change that. Nonetheless, the change marks a milestone in Camilla’s decadeslong road to rehabilitating her image — from someone once reviled as the other woman in Charles’ first marriage to Princess Diana, to a senior royal member largely accepted by the British public.The question of what title Camilla would hold when Charles became king has long been a subject of contention, due to sensitivity about her status as Charles’ second wife.Camilla and her first husband, Andrew Parker-Bowles, divorced in 1995, shortly after Charles gave an explosive television interview admitting his rela...

Another Friday night of storm weather

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:30:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Parts of Central Texas had another Friday night of severe weather. Storms arrived in San Saba County between 3:30 and 4 p.m. They marched across our northern and eastern counties before exiting Lee County around 1 a.m. Saturday.Most of the storm reports documented by the Storm Prediction Center were from hail 1.00" (quarter-size) to two reports of 2.50" (hen egg-size) in diameter. So far, there have been 20 reports of large hail. Hail at Lake Buchanan Courtesy: Michael and Jennifer KuhlBurnet County bore the brunt of the hail with eleven of the 20 reports. Those two reports of 2.50"-diameter hail came from these counties. The first, at 6:35, cracked a windshield 4 miles northeast of Inks Lake State Park. The second, a half hour later, was reported at Burnet Municipal Airport.1.50" hail in Burnet Courtesy: Lewis EckerA peak wind gust of 64 mph was clocked at a location 3 miles north of Point Venture. Gusts of 60 mph were reported at the airport in Cameron (Mi...

Soucheray: What was that mysterious creature outside my door?

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:30:00 GMT

Joe SoucherayA shriek. I know a shriek when I hear one, like when the property tax bill arrives in the mail or my car craters into a pothole. But those shrieks come from me.This was female.The CP was at the back door quivering and stammering, “Whhhhat is that?”I joined her at the door.“Whoa!”“What is that?” she said.It was an animal, ugly, fetal in its posture, new to me in the pantheon of urban wildlife.“Go out and check,” I said.“Me?”That never works.“It’s a possum,” I said, having absolutely no idea why that creature sprang to mind. I had never seen one in person. I’ve seen bears. Once I saw a moose standing on the gravel road near my friend Leo’s cabin up north. And here in the city, I’ve seen turkeys, fox, coyotes, deer and once, in civil twilight, I saw a creature so frightening I turned for home.I opened the door and stepped outside. I don’t know why. That’s what men do. They go outside to confront alien creatures and storms and passing fir...

Working Strategies: Getting the write stuff right

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:30:00 GMT

Amy LindgrenAre you a good writer?In my experience, most people are poor judges of their own writing. Some of the most competent writers seem keenly aware that they could be better, while others who self-describe as strong writers consistently send emails with illogical content. Not judging, mind you, just saying.Earlier this week I spent an enjoyable evening at a regional book awards ceremony, watching writers in a variety of genres collect accolades for their hard work. Seeing their genuine delight at being recognized reminded me that writers frequently toil in solitude, perhaps unaware of how much or whether they’re improving at their craft.If you’re writing for work — and especially if the writing itself isn’t your company’s product — you might be in the same boat. When writing is the product, multiple levels of checkpoints tell you how you’re doing. Editors, proofreaders, co-workers and clients are all part of the formal or informal team of critics that let you see ...