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Blue Jays hit five home runs, beat Red Sox 7-3 in crucial series opener

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:22 GMT

As far as early August series go, this weekend’s showdown between the Red Sox and Blue Jays is as big as it gets. The two division rivals have been jockeying for position in the American League Wild Card hunt for months, and whoever comes out on top here at Fenway could set the tone for the race going forward.Unfortunately for the Red Sox, the Blue Jays wasted no time making sure they struck first.Toronto hit the ball all over the yard in Friday night’s series opener, powering five home runs — including one on the first pitch of the game — to beat the Red Sox 7-3.Though it was only Toronto’s first win over Boston in eight tries this season, it came at a particularly crucial time, giving the Blue Jays three games of separation in the Wild Card standings. No matter what happens the rest of the weekend, the Blue Jays are guaranteed to leave Boston on Sunday in playoff position.Making his first start since Tuesday’s trade deadline, James Paxton got hammered early...

Patriots training camp Day 10: Tyquan Thornton returns, kicking battle continues during in-stadium practice

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:22 GMT

FOXBORO — Ten days, nine practices, another well-earned rest.The Patriots headed into their second break of training camp late Friday night after holding their annual in-stadium practice before season ticket holders and Foxboro residents. After initial warmups and drills, players were divided into Blue and White teams. Wearing shorts and shells, they engaged in a non-competitive game simulation run mostly at three-quarters speed to prepare for the feel and timing of a regular-season game.No drive was run entirely at full speed. Even the punt and field goal tries didn’t feature a live rush, and the special teams were the most competitive moments of the night.Elsewhere, Tyquan Thornton returned to full participation, a longtime captain was curiously absent and the rookie class keeps turning heads.Here are the Herald’s complete practice observations.AttendanceNon-participants: OT Trent Brown, OLB Matthew Judon, OL Cole Strange, RB/WR Ty Montgomery, ST Matthew Slater, DB Bra...

Patriots’ Jack Jones breaks silence on arrest, departure from practice

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:22 GMT

FOXBORO — Patriots cornerback Jack Jones spoke to reporters Friday for the first time since he was arrested on felony gun charges for allegedly carrying two loaded firearms into Logan Airport in June.It wasn’t Jones’ only recent incident. The 25-year-old cornerback also abruptly left practice without medical attention Thursday. Twenty minutes after Jones left the field following a pass breakup over wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, he returned to the sideline and took a knee for the remainder of practice. It’s unclear what caused Jones to leave practice and whether he was ejected or chose to leave on his own.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Patriots, LB Matt Judon agree to reworked contract with more guaranteed money New England Patriots | Christian Gonzalez learning from ‘heavyweight’ matchup in Patriots training camp New England Patriots | Patriots coaches respond to Jack Jones leaving Thursday pract...

Road closures, more TTC and increased police presence for Saturday’s Grand Parade

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:22 GMT

The streets along Toronto’s lakefront will come alive with the music and costumes of the Caribbean Carnival’s Grand Parade on Saturday. That means several road closures and diversions will be in place for most of the day.The parade is set to leave Exhibition Place at 8 a.m., travelling along Princes’ Boulevard to British Columbia Drive and onto westbound Lake Shore Boulevard. From there the estimated 10,000 masqueraders and performers will go west before turning south at Jameson Avenue, moving east on Lake Shore Boulevard before turning back towards Exhibition Place via Canada Boulevard, where the judging will take place. 2023 Caribbean Carnival Grand Parade route. CITYNEWSThe accommodate the parade the following road closures will be in place until 8 a.m. Sunday: Lake Shore Boulevard West from Bathurst Street to Colborne Lodge DriveStrachan Avenue from Fleet Street to Lake Shore Boulevard WestJameson Avenue from Springhurst Avenue to Lake Shore Boulevard WestDunn ...

Mexico City arrests neighboring state’s attorney general, who accuses ex-soccer star of corruption

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:22 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Prosecutors from Mexico City took the extreme and unusual step of getting marines to accompany them across state lines and arrest Uriel Carmona, the attorney general of the neighboring state of Morelos, and spirit him back to the capital.The scene Friday in Cuernavaca, the capital of Morelos state, was like a soap opera, involving dozens of heavily armed agents, political scandals, a former national soccer star and drug traffickers. One of Carmona’s staff went live on Facebook to film the arrest.Mexico City prosecutors said Carmona was arrested on charges of obstructing the investigation into the 2022 killing of a Mexico City woman whose body was found dumped just over the state line in Morelos. But Carmona says he is the victim of a political conspiracy involving former soccer star Cuauhtémoc Blanco, who is currently the governor of Morelos state. Carmona said President Andrés Manuel López Obrador ordered his arrest because Carmona was investigating Blanco’...

A judge has ruled Texas’ abortion ban is too restrictive for women with pregnancy complications

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:22 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A Texas judge ruled Friday that the state’s abortion ban has proven too restrictive for women with serious pregnancy complications and must allow exceptions without doctors fearing the threat of criminal charges. The ruling is the first to undercut Texas’ law since it took effect in 2022 and delivers a major victory to abortion rights supporters, who see the case as a potential blueprint to weaken restrictions elsewhere that Republican-led states have rushed to implement. The challenge is believed to be the first in the U.S. brought by women who have been denied abortions since the Supreme Court last year overturned Roe v. Wade, which for nearly 50 years had affirmed the constitutional right to an abortion. The immediate impact of State District Judge Jessica Mangrum’s decision was unclear in Texas, where all abortion clinics have shuttered in the past year. During two days of emotional testimony in an Austin courtroom, women gave wrenching accounts of learning ...

Trump boasts at Alabama fundraiser that he needs ‘one more indictment to close out this election’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:22 GMT

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump, fresh off his third appearance in court as a criminal defendant, delivered a speech full of defiance and bluster on Friday night, insulting prosecutors and declaring that the charges he faces only help his 2024 presidential campaign. “Any time they file an indictment, we go way up in the polls,” Trump said at a Republican Party dinner in Alabama. “We need one more indictment to close out this election. One more indictment, and this election is closed out. Nobody has even a chance.”Trump pleaded not guilty on Thursday to crimes related to his efforts to overturn the results of his 2020 election loss. Although it’s his third criminal indictment this year, this case is the most serious, with the federal government he once ran charging him with orchestrating a scheme to block the peaceful transfer of power.But Trump was characteristically unapologetic as he took the stage Friday night to Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless ...

Big Ten grabs Oregon, Washington; Big 12 completes Pac-12 raid with Arizona, Arizona State and Utah

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:22 GMT

The Big 12 announced Friday night it is adding Arizona, Arizona State and Utah as members next year, completing its raid of the Pac-12.The latest blow to the Pac-12, came just hours after the Big Ten welcomed Oregon and Washington to grow its new West Coast wing next year. A little more than a year ago, Southern California and UCLA announced they were joining the Big Ten in 2024. With the Ducks and Huskies, too, the Big Ten will be an 18-team conference.The Big 12 has been targeting the Pac-12’s so-called Four Corner state schools for months, with Colorado making the jump last week.The additions of the Arizona schools and Utah give the Big 12 16 schools, stretching from Florida to Arizona.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows belowDealing a combination of crushing blows to the Pac-12, the Big Ten announced Friday it will accept Oregon and Washington as new members next August, and the Big 12 was poised to complete its raid of the beleaguered conference on the We...

Person in connection with dancer’s stabbing death at Brooklyn gas station is in custody, police say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:22 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Police have a person in custody in connection with the death of O’Shae Sibley, a gay man who was fatally stabbed after a confrontation between a group of friends dancing to a Beyoncé song and several young men who taunted them, authorities said Friday.The New York City Police Department declined to immediately identify the person or say what criminal charges they would face, if any, describing them only as a “person of interest.”Sibley, a 28-year-old professional dancer, died July 29 after being stabbed in the torso at a Brooklyn gas station. His death outraged New York City’s LGBTQ+ community and drew tributes from celebrities including Beyoncé and Spike Lee.Sibley was at a Mobil station with friends getting gas, listening to music and dancing shirtless on a hot night when they were heckled by a group of young men. One witness, Summy Ullah, said in interviews that the men complained that their behavior offended them as Muslims.Security camera video showed the two gr...

Scouting body asks South Korea to cut Jamboree short as heat wave prompts exodus of British scouts

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:40:22 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The world scouting body urged South Korea to cut short the World Scout Jamboree as thousands of British scouts began leaving the coastal campsite Saturday because of a punishing heat wave.Hundreds of participants have been treated for heat-related ailments since the Jamboree began Wednesday at the site in the coastal town of Buan as South Korea grapples with one of its hottest summers in years. The World Organization of the Scout Movement said it asked South Korean organizers to “consider alternative options to end the event earlier than scheduled and support the participants until they depart for their home countries.”Should organizers decide to proceed, there needs to be stronger assurances “they will do everything possible to address the issues caused by the heat wave by adding additional resources,” the body said in a statement.“We continue to call on the host and the Korean government to honor their commitments to mobilize additional financial and huma...