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The Final Drive: A look at the closing weeks of Pac-12 football

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:11:29 GMT

The final football season for the Pac-12 with its current membership is coming to a thrilling conclusion.Four teams still have hopes of advancing to the conference title game in Las Vegas on Dec. 1, while Washington and Oregon still have hopes of getting the Pac-12 its first College Football Playoff berth since 2016.Even though there is plenty of excitement on the field, there remain some who are sad about the breakup of the conference, along with the end of traditional rivalries The Associated Press is taking a look at the final weeks through the eyes of players, coaches, broadcasters and longtime fans.Erickson: “It’s sad, and I think it’s ridiculous, to be very honest”As the former coach at both Oregon State and Washington State, Dennis Erickson has strong feelings about the demise of the Pac-12 as we know it.“To me it’s sad, and I think it’s ridiculous, to be very honest. This whole move is about money. We’ve got all these school presidents talking about being togethe...

Washington Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsburg dominates first-ever NWSL Skills Challenge

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:11:29 GMT

With the sun setting in San Diego, California, on Nov. 10, Washington Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury had enough of the shenanigans.At the first-ever Skills Challenge event by the National Women’s Soccer League, Kingsbury watched as event ‘officials’ lost count of the score to help the opposing Western conference team catch up during the crossbar event.As soon as the opposition officially tied the proceedings, Kingsbury called the game: launching an over-40-yard blast toward the goal post. Once the ball clanged off the post and smacked the pitch, the rest of the Eastern Conference team erupted into celebration around the goalkeeper.“I came to win, so that was very gratifying,” Kingsbury said. “Especially after they lost count, so I was like, ‘OK, I’ll show them. Time to end this right now.'”The Spirit’s captain was the star of the Skills Challenge, stopping three of four shooters in the shootout challenge before capping ...

Las Vegas Grand Prix offer of a $200 discount doesn’t go far

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:11:29 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Las Vegas Grand Prix officials took steps to mend relations with Formula One fans who were angered or disappointed about not getting what they paid for Thursday night by offering those with single-event tickets a $200 discount at the official gift shop.Two problems.The offer doesn’t apply to the majority of fans who purchased three-day passes. And the $200 gesture doesn’t go far — at all.There are a number of ways, though, to take advantage of the $200.Someone could spend it all on one item, such as a quarter-zip racing team pullover, but that doesn’t cover the roughly 8% Nevada sales tax. For a little more bang for the buck, consider a $160 racing team sweatshirt and a $40 Las Vegas Grand Prix baseball cap, though again the tax would be on the consumer.The merchandise tent is split into the more expensive team merch on the right side and the bargain-bin-by-comparison general Las Vegas Grand Prix items on the left.So to make $200 go the furthest, c...

Una estación de esquí italiana cerrada por el cambio climático planea reabrir con nieve artificial. No todo el mundo está contento

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:11:29 GMT

(CNN) — Pocas cosas hacen mejor los italianos que soñar a lo grande contra viento y marea. Por ejemplo, el plan multimillonario que se lleva preparando desde los años 90 para construir el puente colgante más largo del mundo sobre el estrecho de Mesina, en el corazón de la tierra de la mafia. O la existencia misma de la ciudad de Venecia, construida sobre un sistema de lagunas que ahora está mejor protegido de los fenómenos meteorológicos extremos gracias a unas compuertas mecánicas que tardaron más de 20 años en realizarse.Ahora, los planes para construir unas instalaciones de esquí multimillonarias en una montaña sin nieve del norte de Italia pueden resultar igual de desafiantes.Se trata del monte San Primo, un precioso promontorio de 1.682 metros de altitud desde el que se divisa gran parte del paisaje del extremo norte del lago de Como. La pintoresca ciudad empedrada de Bellagio, en su base, es conocida como la “perla” del lago por su belleza, que ha atraído a c...

5 times Biden’s off-the-cuff remarks have landed him in diplomatic hot water

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:11:29 GMT

President Joe Biden is known for his loose, off-the-cuff comments. Many have been inconsequential gaffes — an awkward turn of phrase or a moment of embarrassing honesty about his personal life.Then there are times when Biden has said the quiet part out loud, including on key foreign policy matters. His blunt remarks have prompted pushback from world leaders and attempts to correct the record from State Department and White House officials.Since becoming president, Biden has repeatedly revealed his inner thinking on sensitive matters of diplomacy and national security, even on issues where his advisers and appointees attempt to maintain strict messaging discipline. He has seldom actually contradicted official policy, but his comments give observers insights into the worries latent in his administration’s relationships with Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Northern Ireland.The White House and State Department did not return POLITICO’s requests for comment.Here are a few of the times B...

Taylor Swift mourns fan who died before concert in Brazil

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:11:29 GMT

A Taylor Swift fan died Friday night before an “Eras Tour” show in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the singer said on Instagram Stories.“I can’t believe I’m writing these words but it is with a shattered heart that I say we lost a fan earlier tonight before my show,” Swift said. “I can’t even tell you how devastated I am by this. There’s very little information I have other than the fact that she was so incredibly beautiful and far too young.”The circumstances surrounding the death are unclear.Friday marked Swift’s first show in Rio de Janeiro, which is experiencing high temperatures, according to Brazil’s National Institute of Meteorology.“I’m not going to be able to speak about this from stage because I feel overwhelmed by grief when I even try to talk about it,” Swift said. “I want to say now I feel this loss d...

Suspicious death investigation underway after man found fatally shot in Manchester, NH

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:11:29 GMT

Authorities have launched a suspicious death investigation after a man was found shot early Saturday morning in Manchester, New Hampshire, officials said.Officers were called to a reported motor vehicle crash in the area of 61 Lowell St. around 1 a.m. and then returned to the area an hour later for a reported shooting and found a man suffering from apparent gunshot wounds, according to Manchester police. He was taken to Elliott Hospital, where he later died. His name has not been released.The exact circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation. No additional information was immediately available.This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

UK Treasury chief signals tax cuts and a squeeze on welfare benefits are on the way

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:11:29 GMT

LONDON (AP) — U.K. Treasury chief Jeremy Hunt says the government can afford to lower some taxes now that inflation is falling, but that any cuts will come along with a squeeze on welfare benefits.British media have reported that there will be relief for businesses and wealthy property-owners in Hunt’s autumn budget statement on Wednesday.Hunt told Saturday’s Daily Telegraph newspaper that the British economy had “turned the corner.” He said that “there is a path to reducing the tax burden, and a Conservative government will take that path.”“Without preempting the decisions that the prime minister and I make, this is an autumn statement for growth. It’s a turning point for the economy,” Hunt said.But he cautioned to broadcasters on Saturday that “there’s no easy way to reduce the tax burden. What we need to do is take difficult decisions to reform the welfare state.”Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative government has struggled for the past year to bolster an economy burde...

Man dead after late-night shooting in Richmond Hill

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:11:29 GMT

A man is dead following an overnight shooting in Richmond Hill.York region police say they were called to the area of York Boulevard and East Beaver Creek Road just north of Highway 7 for reports of a shooting just before 11:30 p.m Friday.When they arrived they found a man suffering from gunshot wounds in the parking lot of a restaurant which is part of the entertainment complex.The victim was taken to a trauma centre in life-threatening condition where he was later pronounced dead. Police say they believe this to be a targeted shooting and they were searching for at least two suspects but did not have any immediate descriptions.

First group of wounded Palestinian children from Israel-Hamas war arrives in United Arab Emirates

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:11:29 GMT

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The first planeload of Palestinian children wounded in the Israel-Hamas war raging in the Gaza Strip reached the United Arab Emirates on Saturday, part of a pledged relief effort by the country to aid 1,000 children. The group of 15 people, including children and their family members, made it across the Gaza Strip’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt on Friday. They then took a flight from the Egyptian city of El-Arish to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE.Young children lay asleep on their moms’ laps as the plane finally landed at Abu Dhabi International Airport. Some of the seats of the plane were removed to make room for the most critically wounded children, who needed to lie on stretchers. Some of the young had bandaged arms and legs. Others sat quietly next to their parents or relatives. Some traveled alone. The mood was somber and quiet inside the plane. Many of the mothers said they were exhausted.Twelve-year-old Amr Jandieh, hi...