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No longer ‘gun shy,’ Willie Calhoun makes his case for the Yankees’ roster

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:21 GMT

TAMPA — After a few injury-plagued and unproductive seasons, Willie Calhoun knew he needed to hit the ground running this spring.The Yankees’ non-roster invitee typically gets off to a slow start in camp, but that wasn’t an option if he wanted to make the Bombers’ Opening Day lineup. So Calhoun began his offseason swinging program a month earlier than usual this past winter.“I kind of wanted to just get back to my old self,” the corner outfielder told The Daily News. “I was banged up a lot the last three years, and it was my first offseason where I could really focus on being healthy and making sure that I put myself in a good position offensively to get back to where I want to be. Because I know I can provide a lot of value.”Calhoun has flexed some of that value over 38 plate appearances this spring, taking a .344 average, .947 OPS, two doubles, one home run, three RBI and six walks into Monday’s off day. Per Baseball Reference&...

Lonzo Ball undergoes rare cartilage transplant in his left knee — beginning another recovery process for the Chicago Bulls guard

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:21 GMT

Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball underwent a cartilage transplant in his left knee Monday, a rare procedure that could decide the fate of his return to the court.This was the third surgery on Ball’s left knee in the last 14 months. Uncertainty has shrouded every step of Ball’s recovery since the injury occurred in January 2022, but this procedure throws Ball’s future into completely unprecedented territory.Cartilage transplants are rare in professional sports. The procedure is relatively new, designed as a step down from a full knee replacement to maintain the integrity of the knee joint. No NBA player has undergone a cartilage transplant and returned to the court.Coach Billy Donovan said Ball’s doctors were optimistic after the procedure Monday. But with no clear timetable or standard of success to look toward, the Bulls don’t know what to expect from the next stage of Ball’s recovery.“There’s nothing that’s out there that s...

As Heat’s Kyle Lowry turns 37, will it require more than the mind being willing?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:21 GMT

The connective tissue was back. As were the late minutes.The question now for the Miami Heat is whether fourth-quarter Kyle Lowry again will be a staple for Erik Spoelstra.Not only did Lowry settle the Heat during Sunday’s fourth-quarter turnaround against the Detroit Pistons, but he played all 12 minutes of the period.For a player who remains out of the starting lineup as a means to limit his time as he works back from a 15-game absence due to knee pain, Sunday was a double breakthrough.A night earlier, three games into his comeback, the veteran point guard was held out of the Saturday loss to the Chicago Bulls, on the first night of the back-to-back set. Fourth-quarter mayhem and misery ensued for the Heat.“He’s so disruptive defensively and his versatility I think is probably his most underrated aspect of a 6-foot point guard in this league that he can guard one through four,” Spoelstra said of Lowry’s late contribution in Detroit. “You can put...

TikTok updates content rulebook as pressure from West builds

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:21 GMT

LONDON (AP) — TikTok on Tuesday rolled out updated rules and standards for content and users as it faces increasing pressure from Western authorities over concerns that material on the popular Chinese-owned video-sharing app could be used to push false information.The company released a reorganized set of community guidelines that include eight principles to guide content moderation decisions. “These principles are based on our commitment to uphold human rights and aligned with international legal frameworks,” said Julie de Bailliencourt, TikTok’s global head of product policy. She said TikTok strives to be fair, protect human dignity and balance freedom of expression with preventing harm. The Chinese-owned app has come under fire in the U.S., Europe and Asia-Pacific, where a growing number of governments have banned TikTok from devices used for official business over worries it poses risks to cybersecurity and data privacy or could be used to push pro-Beijin...

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band coming to San Diego

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:21 GMT

SAN DIEGO — San Diego will be "Dancing in the Dark" later this year when Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band come to town.The iconic singer and his legendary band will play at Pechanga Arena on Dec. 2 as part of their 2023 world tour. The San Diego stop was one of two new dates added to the group's international tour Tuesday, with the other new show being in Foxborough, MA on Aug. 26.Tickets for the San Diego show go on sale this Friday at 10 a.m. PT via AXS and can be purchased here. Ticket prices will range from $59.50 to $399.50 before taxes and fees, according to the presale website. Red Hot Chili Peppers to perform at Snapdragon Stadium as part of 2023 world tour According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, this will be the first time that Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band have performed in San Diego since Sept. 2, 1981, when they held a show at the then-called San Diego Sports Arena, which is now known as Pechanga Arena.The international tour kicked off on Feb. 1 with...

Roads closed around San Diego County as crews prepare for more flooding

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:21 GMT

SAN DIEGO — Several roads are closed around San Diego County as crews anticipate heavy flooding.The closures come as another atmospheric river has made its way to the San Diego region, bringing heavy rainfall and strong winds to the area Tuesday morning.The following Mission Valley roads surrounding the San Diego River were closed as of 9 p.m. Monday, according to the City of San Diego Twitter:Southbound Qualcomm Way at Rio San Diego DriveNorthbound Mission Center Road between Hazard Center Drive and Camino De La ReinaSouthbound Ward Road at Camino Del Rio NCamino Del Este between Station Village Drive and Camino De La ReinaWestbound Camino De La Reina at Camino De La SiestaEastbound Camino De La Reina, west of Avenida Del RioSan Diego Mission Road between Fairmount Avenue and Caminito YucatanCountywide, a list of updated road closures can be found on the Department of Public Works Twitter page. The following roads were closed by the County of San Diego DPW as of 9:15 a.m. Tuesday:...

Gwyneth Paltrow’s trial over Utah ski collision begins

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:21 GMT

PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — Gwyneth Paltrow appeared in court in Utah on Tuesday morning in a lawsuit filed by a retired optometrist who said that the actor-turned-lifestyle influencer violently crashed into him in 2016 while skiing at one of the most upscale ski resorts in the United States.Terry Sanderson, 76, said Paltrow was cruising down the slopes so recklessly that they collided, leaving him on the ground as she and her entourage continued their descent down Deer Valley Resort, a skiers-only mountain known for its groomed runs, après-ski champagne yurts and posh clientele.“Gwyneth Paltrow skied out of control,” Sanderson’s attorneys claim in the lawsuit, “knocking him down hard, knocking him out, and causing a brain injury, four broken ribs and other serious injuries. Paltrow got up, turned and skied away, leaving Sanderson stunned, lying in the snow, seriously injured.”In a case that has lasted years, Sanderson is suing Paltrow for $300,000 — claiming that the a...

UN chief’s call for ambition on climate gets muted response

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:21 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Senior government officials at a climate meeting in Copenhagen gave a muted response Tuesday to calls from the head of the United Nations for countries to show greater ambition when it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres urged rich countries Monday to bring forward their target for achieving net zero emissions as close as possible to 2040, and for emerging economies to aim for a date as close as possible to 2050. This would be a significant shifting of the goal posts: the United States and the European Union are currently aiming for net zero by 2050, while China is targeting 2060 and India has set a deadline of 2070.Guterres’ call came in a video message responding to a new report by the U.N.’s top climate science panel which found that the world is still far off track if it wants to cap global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) compared to pre-industrial times, as agreed in the 2015 Paris accord. ...

Yellen says bank situation stabilizing, different from 2008

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:21 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen projected calm on Tuesday after recent regional bank collapses but told a gathering of bankers that additional rescue arrangements “could be warranted” if any new failures at smaller institutions jeopardize financial stability.Yellen, who made her remarks at the American Bankers Association, said that overall “the situation is stabilizing.”“And the U.S. banking system remains sound,” Yellen said, drawing clear differences between recent events and the 2008 financial meltdown, which triggered trillions of dollars of financial losses globally.“This is different from 2008,” she said. “2008 was a solvency crisis, rather what we’re seeing now is contagious bank runs.”Yellen’s remarks come after a series of troubling bank developments this month.Silicon Valley Bank, based in Santa Clara, California, failed on March 10 after depositors rushed to withdraw money amid anxiety over the bank’s health. It was the sec...

Tennessee law prevents local bans on natural gas stoves

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:21 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Republican Gov. Bill Lee has signed legislation that says local governments can’t ban gas stoves, even though no current city in Tennessee is currently pursuing such actions. The legislation was introduced amid fears from earlier this year that the Biden administration was considering a nationwide ban on gas stoves due to growing health concerns over the appliances. While the White House has said President Joe Biden would not support a ban, a Consumer Product Safety Commission official sparked suspicion when he said “any option is on the table” when it came to regulating gas stoves.Under the legislation Lee approved last week, local governments cannot regulate the “type of source of energy” delivered to customers for utility service connection or appliances. The legislation went into effect immediately after receiving strong support inside the GOP-dominated Tennessee Statehouse. “There’s been some conversation at the federal level at looking at disconti...