Home

Diamondbacks bring 3-game win streak into game against the Cubs

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:03:34 GMT

Arizona Diamondbacks (74-68, second in the NL West) vs. Chicago Cubs (76-66, second in the NL Central)Chicago; Saturday, 2:20 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Diamondbacks: Merrill Kelly (11-6, 3.34 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 159 strikeouts); Cubs: Justin Steele (16-3, 2.90 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 153 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Cubs -141, Diamondbacks +120; over/under is 7 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Arizona Diamondbacks are looking to build upon a three-game win streak with a victory over the Chicago Cubs.Chicago has a 40-33 record in home games and a 76-66 record overall. Cubs hitters have a collective .328 on-base percentage, the ninth-best percentage in MLB play.Arizona has a 36-33 record in road games and a 74-68 record overall. The Diamondbacks have the fifth-ranked team slugging percentage in the NL at .418.The matchup Saturday is the third time these teams meet this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Cody Bellinger ranks third on the Cubs with 49 extra base hits (24 doubles, a triple and 24 home runs). S...

With sexism in Spanish soccer being scrutinized, female players strike for higher league wages

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:03:34 GMT

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — First, Spain’s Women’s World Cup winners said they would no longer play for their country as they fight sexism in the nation’s soccer federation. Now, Spain’s women’s league players are on strike and calling for what they call a dignified minimum wage.The Liga F — Spain’s women’s league — was supposed to kick off its second season on Friday, but instead its players are striking for the first two rounds of games.The strike comes with the nation immersed in the scandal caused by soccer federation president Luis Rubiales when he kissed a Spain player on the lips without her consent during the Aug. 20 awards ceremony in Sydney, Australia after Spain had beaten England in the final.Rubiales’ conduct caused outrage in Spain. It also has drawn attention away from the greatest achievement in the history of Spanish women’s soccer, which has undergone spectacular growth over the last decade but still is fighting for a pay raise that, if granted, would...

Putin hopes for closer ties with North Korea in message to Kim Jong Un

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:03:34 GMT

Russian President Vladimir Putin is calling for Russia and North Korea to intensify their ties amid rumors that he could meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the coming days.“I am convinced that thanks to our joint efforts we will continue to strengthen … bilateral ties on all fronts,” Putin said in a letter addressed to Kim on Friday, quoted by AFP and North-Korean media. The message came as North Korea celebrated the 75th anniversary of its foundation with a parade in Pyongyang which was reportedly attended by Russian and Chinese representatives.A U.S. official earlier this week said that Kim may travel to Russia to meet Putin by the end of September as Russia is looking for military equipment for its invasion of Ukraine. The North Korean leader might travel for 20 hours in a luxury armored train. U.S. intelligence gatherings have indicated that Russia and North Korea are in talks on arms supplies, with Russian officials repeatedly visiting North Kor...

Powerful quake in Morocco kills more than 800 people and damages historic buildings in Marrakech

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:03:34 GMT

MARRAKECH, Morocco (AP) — A rare, powerful earthquake struck Morocco late Friday night, killing more than 800 people and damaging buildings from villages in the Atlas Mountains to the historic city of Marrakech. The toll was expected to rise as rescuers struggled to reach the remote areas hit hardest.People woken by the quake ran into the streets in terror and disbelief. State television showed people clustered in the streets of Marrakech late at night, afraid to go back inside buildings that might still be unstable. A man said he was visiting a nearby apartment when dishes and wall hangings began raining down, and people were knocked off their feet and chairs. A woman described fleeing her house after an “intense vibration.’’ A man holding a child said he was jarred awake in bed by the shaking. Emergency workers looked for survivors in the rubble of buildings, their reflective yellow vests glowing in the dark. A hole gaped in the side of a home, and a car was nearly buried by the c...

Word Game: Sept. 9, 2023

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:03:34 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — DEMERIT (DEMERIT: dih-MER-it: A fault or defect.)Average mark 34 wordsTime limit 45 minutesCan you find 44 or more words in DEMERIT? The list will be published Monday.YESTERDAY’S WORD — NORMALLY nary norm normal only oral orally rally rayon roam roan roll roman royal mall manly manor many marl mayor moan molar molly moral morally moray morn myna alloy ally anomy army llano loam loamy loan loran lorn loyal yarnTo purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last!RULES OF THE GAME:1. Words must be of four or more letters.2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible.4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.Contact Word Game creator...

Horoscopes Sept. 9, 2023: Adam Sandler, bold moves are the path to fulfillment

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:03:34 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Michelle Williams, 43; Eric Stonestreet, 52; Adam Sandler, 57; Hugh Grant, 63.Happy Birthday: Choose what you want by using your intelligence, following your heart and initiating the changes necessary to turn your ideas into something tangible. Let mistakes remind you what not to do and you’ll easily sail through any dilemma. Let your discipline and honesty be guides that carry you to perfection and the outcome you deserve. Bold moves are the path to fulfillment. Your numbers are 8, 14, 23, 28, 32, 35, 43.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Take a break. Spend quality time with someone you love. Don’t feel obligated to indulge to keep others happy. Do what feels right. It’s up to you to take responsibility for your happiness. An image update will boost your morale. 2 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Limit your intake and spending. Too much of anything will compromise you. Use your intelligence to figure out the best way forward. An opportunity is...

Ask Amy: She stiffed my kid for the cat-sitting, then sent a nasty note

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:03:34 GMT

Dear Amy: My 13-year-old daughter did a cat-sitting job for a neighbor and friend of ours, finishing on the first of the month.She sent a text to the cat’s owner on the last day, saying thanks for letting her pet-sit and that she enjoyed it. We never heard anything back.Five days later, I sent a text saying thanks for letting my kid pet-sit, and asking politely when she would get paid.Cat Owner said, “I’ll pay you on the 10th as I prefer to pay in cash and give feedback in person, is that OK? Or I could do Venmo, but only if you need that.” I agreed to payment on the 10th.On the 10th, Cat Owner texted saying, “I am too exhausted and have no cash so can’t do payment today. Can we do another day? Or if you urgently need money, I can do Venmo but prefer not to.”I responded, “Sure, we can do another day. Which day is good?” There was no response to this.On the 14th, I texted, “Hey, Cat Owner, just checking in on that payment for Anni...

Harriette Cole: Our hometown is talking. How can I help her without getting sullied by scandal?

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:03:34 GMT

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have a friend who has been involved in a bit of controversy in our hometown.I haven’t lived there for decades. She moved back recently, and because of what happened, people are talking badly about her.Related ArticlesAdvice | Harriette Cole: My neighbor won’t listen to what I’m saying about the dog Advice | Harriette Cole: Should I commit to working with this intense woman? Advice | Harriette Cole: Someone is threatening me online, and I think I know who it is Advice | Harriette Cole: I was drinking with new friends, and I regret telling this story Advice | Harriette Cole: My hobby scares my girlfriend, but she doesn’t like to be left out I feel for her. While it seems like she did do what people are accusing her of, she still deserves support. I want to be there for her, but I do not want to get in the middle of politics in our town. How can I manage this?—...

Inside the Lefty Congressional Delegation to Latin America

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:03:34 GMT

The U.S. and Venezuela are in talks to further relax sanctions in exchange for a free and fair election next year. This week on Deconstructed, Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, joins Ryan Grim to discuss the recent trip he, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and other progressive Democrats took to Latin America, visiting with leaders and discussing the impact of past and present U.S. policies in the region — and how to rectify them. Casar discusses the U.S. role in dirty wars throughout the region, the urgency in establishing new relations with Latin America, and impact of policies on the region today.Transcript coming soon.The post Inside the Lefty Congressional Delegation to Latin America appeared first on The Intercept.

How parents can discern between real numbers and anecdotal stories of COVID in classrooms

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:03:34 GMT

Kids are back in the classroom. Though, across the D.C. region, some classrooms are already seeing empty desks because kids are home sick with COVID-19.But for all the stories you might hear from parents and teachers, the true numbers are harder to track than they used to be.That’s because the dashboards that used to provide up-to-date information on COVID-19 infections down to the ZIP code don’t do that anymore. To confirm the reports, some parts of the region track the virus through monitoring stations in sewage wastewater.“Probably the best picture we have these days is that wastewater monitoring that’s going on,” said Dr. Donald Milton, a professor of environmental and occupational health at the University of Maryland School of Public Health. “It’s happening in D.C. Not so much in the rest of Maryland.”Montgomery County is the only county in Maryland tracking COVID-19 in wastewater. Virginia still does it too.“That’s go...