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Chicago Cubs need to ‘loosen their belts’ to keep Cody Bellinger, says agent Scott Boras

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:14 GMT

The Chicago Cubs are expected to face plenty of competition if they want to bring outfielder Cody Bellinger back on a long-term deal.The organization knows that is the reality after Bellinger’s standout year in Chicago where enjoyed his time and regained his status as a middle-of-the-order threat.“Obviously, in the years prior to coming to the Cubs, he had a partial performance due to just lack of strength — he had surgery, broken leg, all those things,” his agent Scott Boras said Wednesday at the MLB general managers meetings. “But I think it’s pretty evident that when you have youth, you’re 28, you’re a rare free agent, you have a lot of options.”And then Boras added a trademark quip: “But when he came to Chicago he just feasted on major-league pitching. I think Chicago got the comforts of a full Belli so they’re gonna have to loosen their belts to keep Bellinger.”The Cubs did make a qualifying offer of $20.3 ...

Blinken arrives in Seoul for talks focused on North Korea and its military cooperation with Russia

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:14 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, suspected North Korean cooperation with Russia in its war on Ukraine and concerns about China’s growing aggressiveness are topping U .S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s agenda as he visits South Korea.Blinken was in Seoul on Thursday for talks with South Korea’s leadership following a G7 foreign ministers meeting in Japan on Wednesday in which the group previewed much of what he will discuss.The G7 “strongly condemned” North Korea’s ballistic missile tests as well as its alleged arms transfers to Russia, which are both in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions against the North.Even before Blinken’s arrival, North Korea’s official news agency, the Korean Central News Agency, condemned the visit as well as one by U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who travels to Seoul next week, describing them as “warmongers” bringing a “new war cloud” to Asia.Tensions between the Koreas are at their highest poin...

Shortage of early childhood educators forces Toronto child care centre to close

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:14 GMT

A shortage of early childhood educators is forcing an infant care centre in a Toronto neighbourhood to close its doors in the new year.The Toronto High Park YMCA Child Care Centre says starting in January 2024 they will not be able to continue offering infant care at its Dundas Street location. The organization says it has been working hard to recruit early childhood educators, however, there is a sector-wide shortage at play.“It is symbolic of a larger challenge, not only at our YMCA at High Park but our YMCAs across Toronto and I would argue many childcares across the province,” said Jamison Steeve, the chief strategy officer of YMCA GTA.“There’s a human resource shortage in childcare, there’s a lack of ECEs to provide the care that we really need and value for our youngest learners. …this is the canary in the coal mine.”The non-profit says it has been advocating for a workforce strategy to address some of the recruitment challenges child care p...

5 Republican candidates spar at debate, while Trump holds a rally nearby

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:14 GMT

Five candidates sparred with one another at a whittled-down third Republican presidential debate in Miami while front-runner Donald Trump held his own event a short drive away.What to knowWhat to watch during the Republican debateTrump looks to upstage the debate with a rally targeting South Florida’s Cuban communityGOP presidential candidates unified on Israel but divided on ChinaRamaswamy hints at conspiracy theory when talking about BidenRamaswamy’s final comments onstage at the third presidential debate hinted at far-flung conspiracy theories believed by some far-right Americans, including the idea that Joe Biden isn’t the real president.“End this farce that Joe Biden is going to be your nominee. We know he’s not even the president of the United States,” he said.He went on to suggest that Biden is a placeholder for Democrats to put someone else into the candidacy, mentioning former first lady Michelle Obama and California Gov. Gavin Newsom.Fact check on Ohio's new abortion amend...

Although mold is gone, classes for Hays County elementary school not resuming until Monday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:14 GMT

HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- Although Hays Consolidated Independent School District said the mold is gone inside Hemphill Elementary School, classes will not resume until Monday, the district said Wednesday.In an update to Hemphill parents Wednesday, the district said it would take the remainder of the week "until the school is ready for students." Hays County elementary school closed for one week due to mold discovery Last week, mold was discovered in 13 classrooms, and classes were originally supposed to start back on Thursday. Now that the mold is gone, staff is working to finish up plumbing work and moving furniture back to nearly every classroom on the campus, according to the district.Hays CISD said it will continue offering meal services for students until then.

Minnesota school districts largely see referendum success statewide

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:14 GMT

Minnesota school districts won approval for more than $1.46 billion worth of building projects Tuesday with the passage of 66 percent of bond referendums on the ballot.Larger districts were the big winners, including South Washington School District, where voters approved an estimated $251 million in referendum asks and tech levy, and Stillwater Area School District, where voters said “yes” to a $174.8 million ask.About 15 districts — mostly in small towns and rural parts of the state — failed in their bids, said Greg Abbott, communications director for the Minnesota School Boards Association.In the Russell-Tyler-Ruthton district in southwest Minnesota, a $15 million question for classroom additions and a gym addition and fitness room failed by just 16 votes, 508 to 492, he said.“You’ve got to look at the property tax base,” Abbott said. “If you have a good tax base, a bond referendum probably doesn’t impact your tax statement as much as if you’re in a little town and yo...

Washington County jury convicts man of tax crimes, swindling short-term renters

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:14 GMT

A Washington County man who ran a short-term rental business at his properties for weddings and other gatherings has been found guilty of swindling customers and tax-related crimes.Jurors deliberated for about four hours Friday before convicting 56-year-old Karl Evald Auleciems of all 16 charges against him: eight counts of failing to pay or collect or remit sales tax between February 2018 and February 2020, six counts of filing a false or fraudulent return between October 2015 and February 2020 and two counts of theft by swindle for failing to return to customers damage deposits between December 2018 and October 2019.The four-day trial was heard before Washington County District Judge Douglas Meslow, who set sentencing for Dec. 15.The Washington County attorney’s office originally charged Auleciems in August 2021 with 74 counts of alleged tax-related violations and one count of theft by swindle. The charges were reduced to 16 at the time of trial in “consideration of presumptive co...

East Greenbush CSD and Altria vaping litigation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:14 GMT

EAST GREENBUSH, N.Y. (NEWS10) -The East Greenbush Central School District is said to have their board members vote on a partial settlement of vaping litigation on November 8. The resolution is between the district and tobacco company Altria.In their resolution, law firms representing East Greenbush CSD are asking for no less than $6,182 as they say vaping has become more widespread in recent years. The litigation blames Altria and its line of products. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Doctor Jim Saperstone with Community Care Pediatrics agrees with the school. "They manipulated, we all feel, by flavoring these products to attract teenagers."The CDC reports that tobacco use from 2022 to 2023 is down from 16.5% to 12.6% in high schoolers but did have a slight uptick from 1.5% to 2.5% in middle schoolers. They also say of these products, e-cigarettes are the most common, and almost nine out of every ten vapes are flavored. Americ...

Nonprofit, FedEx partner to hand out winter coats to St. Louis school kids

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:14 GMT

ST. LOUIS – Despite the recent warm weather, we know winter weather is around the corner, and major corporations are stepping up to help children in need."We all do our business job day-to-day, but we all recognize that there are more important things," Andrew Moehleah, FedEx’s regional sales manager for St. Louis, said.FedEx partnered with the national nonprofit Operation Warm to hand out 400 coats to children at Buder Elementary School."Connect children in underserved communities to the basic needs they need to thrive," Kylie O’Donoghue, senior manager of Operation Warm, said.Operation Warm provides winter coats and shoes to 18,000 kids across the country, thanks to its partnership with the transportation and logistics giant.

Kiszla: How Steph Curry and Nikola Jokic redefined what it means to be basketball superheroes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:14 GMT

Nikola Jokic and Steph Curry are twin sons of an immaculate conception by basketball gods that got crazy and messed with conventional wisdom.What makes Curry and Jokic so special, said Nuggets coach Michael Malone, is how the Warriors point guard and Nuggets center are two old souls that have invented ways to disrupt the game with innovation capable of leaving everybody else in the NBA dumbfounded by their brilliance.“You see certain players that are throwback players, guys that could play in any era,” Malone said. “I think Steph and Nikola are two great examples of that.”In an early season game that didn’t require a custom-painted court or the contrivance of a made-for-TV tournament to be special, Jokic and Curry worked their magic on Wednesday night during a game between Denver and Golden State, with the four MVP trophies won between them as proof that maybe it’s time we redefine the meaning of athletic brilliance.Warriors coach Steve Kerr declared: “You’re talking about two of th...