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Lucas: Come on Biden, hit the Houthis hard!

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:46:46 GMT

Joe Biden ought to put Kamala Harris in charge of standing up to Yemen.It will show that he is not going to be pushed around by the Houthis anymore.And we are not talking about Hootie and the Blowfish, either.We are talking about real ragtag Houthis in Yemen who, backed and trained by Iran, are bombarding commercial ships in the Red Sea that are bound for Israel. Iran supplies the missiles and drones they are firing.Joe Biden looks at the event, confused and helpless.Were he to give the assignment to Harris, the vice president would deal with the Houthis the way she demolished the Mexican cartels after Biden named her border czar. (Yeah. Right.)Still, she could not do worse than all the other government officials Biden has sent to the Mideast to cope with the fallout from the Israeli war against Hamas in Gaza.Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and National Security advisor Jake Sullivan have met with everybody in the region — Benjamin Netanyahu in I...

Starr: Dodgers “fully throttle” Red Sox with $325 million Yamamoto contract

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:46:46 GMT

The promise of a “full throttle” Red Sox offseason, already an unrealistic dream, was officially broken on Thursday night, when Jack Curry of YES Network broke the news that the Los Angeles Dodgers had won the Yoshinobu Yamamoto sweepstakes.It’s the latest in a string of enormous, historic offseason transactions by the Dodgers, and the latest in a long line of Red Sox disappointments.Yamamoto completes an Orion’s belt of shining new stars; already in the last two weeks, the Dodgers gave Shohei Ohtani a record $700 million while also trading for and extending Rays star Tyler Glasnow.According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, Yamamoto’s is a 12-year, $325 million deal. There’s no deferred money, a $50 million signing bonus and player opt-outs after the ’29 and ’31 seasons. The Dodgers must also pay a $50.6 million posting fee to Yamamoto’s Nippon Professional Baseball team, the Orix Buffaloes. It’s not only unprecedented for the posti...

3 suspects in stabbing of off-duty officer during Best Buy theft in custody, 1 at large

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:46:46 GMT

Police say three of four suspects in the stabbing of an off-duty police officer at a Scarborough Best Buy store earlier this month are now in custody facing charges, with a fourth suspect still at large.The first arrest came in dramatic fashion on Wednesday when police say they spotted one of the suspects driving a stolen U-Haul truck in the Danforth and Warden Avenues area. Officers tried to make an arrest, but the suspect allegedly abducted a citizen at gunpoint and took off in the U-Haul, sparking a long pursuit that resulted in numerous crashes through parts of the GTA. The abduction victim managed to jump out of the vehicle at one point and was unharmed.Police vehicles finally cornered the suspect, making a daring daylight arrest near Church and Carlton Streets in downtown Toronto.Emergency Task Force officers arrested the driver of a U-Haul truck near Church and Carlton streets in downtown Toronto on Dec. 20, 2023. CITYNEWS/David MisenerJim Dimce Kaluzovski, 47, of Keswick, wa...

REVIEW: The Iron Claw soars as tragically as it can

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:46:46 GMT

Wrestling is a unique art. It’s a mixture of performance and pain, cheesy acting and serious injury. The sport’s beginnings were nowhere near as popular as it has become nowadays, although it’s always had ardent fans. But one family made the art into a superstardom, and they sacrificed themselves in the process.Harris Dickinson, Jeremy Allen White, and Zac Efron in the Iron Claw, courtesy of Elevation Pictures.The Iron Claw is a biopic about that family, and their contributions to wrestling and kayfabe. Fritz Von Erich (played by Holt McCallany from Mindhunter) is a wrestler who couldn’t quite become a superstar, so he raised his sons to to do that instead. Kevin (played by Zac Efron from High School Musical) is the oldest, Kerry (played by Jeremy Allen White from the Bear) is the strongest, David (played by Harris Dickinson from Triangle of Sadness) plays the crowd the best, and Mike (played by Stanley Simons from Superior) is the youngest. The brothers love...

At a church rectory in Boston, Haitian migrants place their hopes on hard work and helping hands

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:46:46 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — When Ernseau Admettre decided to leave Haiti and head north with his young family in tow, very little was guaranteed.But the situation in his homeland, beset by poverty and gang violence, had grown so dire that a risky passage to and then across the United States’ southern border offered a kind of hope he said he could never find by staying put.Admettre discovered Boston through the internet and set his sights on Massachusetts, and the trip took the family through several countries including the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Mexico. “We’re going through a very tragic moment in our country. We have no safety. We cannot definitely have all our needs met in Haiti,” Admettre said through a translator Friday. “Leaving Haiti was the best solution to survive.”The Admettres — Ernseau, 43; his wife, Jimene, 36: and their children Elionai, 6, and Gabyana, 2 months — eventually arrived at the Boston International Airport right as winter temperatures were settling ...

Man killed in shooting outside Wheaton pub after apparent argument

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:46:46 GMT

WHEATON, Ill. — An apparent argument at a popular pub in unincorporated Wheaton on Friday morning ended in a shooting that left one man dead.The DuPage County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) said they responded to a shooting at Rosie O Reilly's Pub, 0N131 Gary Ave., just before 8:45 a.m. on Friday. Witnesses described what seemed like an argument happening inside the pub, which eventually resulted in a fatality.A spokesperson for the DCSO confirmed the homicide, but the identity of the man who died is being withheld, with an autopsy pending from the DuPage County Coroner's Office.Earlier Friday, Rosie O Reilly's owner John Dwyer confirmed to WGN that a man died in the incident. SkyCam 9 also captured images of the aftermath, including spent shell casings scattered across the pavement and deck behind Rosie O Reilly's.The victim was evidently well-known to the owners and patrons of the pub. Described as a friendly guy, WGN was told he leaves behind two children, with another on the way.Dwyer...

The Chicago Masters of the Pizza Toss

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:46:46 GMT

CHICAGO — From deep dish to tavern style, Chicago is known as one of the country's premiere pizza cities with over 500 restaurants sprawled across the city."Chicago scene offers some amazing choices," said Executive Chef Fabio Viviani of the Bar Siena in West Loop. "From New York Style to Italian style, to Napoleon style. There is every pizza for every mood. Every day of the week. You can find in Chicago."Most bustling pizza businesses say speed is key to delivering the dish, but there are two primary methods to preparing the dough.  A press machine is the modern tool used for speed and to stretch the dough into a uniform thickness. Hand tossing is the traditional way of preparing pizza that has been around for thousands of years. "Pizza is really near and dear to everyone's heart," said Jason Hedin, Executive Chef at The Florentine. "No matter what culture you come from, there is some sort of take on pizza."When it comes to the art of pizza-making, Jaime Gamez, owner of Big G's Piz...

CPD: Man wanted in connection with deadly West Side shooting

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:46:46 GMT

CHICAGO — Police are asking for the public's help as officers search for a man wanted in connection with a fatal shooting on the city's West Side. According to Chicago police, a search is underway for 44-year-old Kenneth Brown, a man who police say is linked to the deadly shooting of a 34-year-old woman in the 500 block of North Long Avenue, in Austin, on Dec. 13.  Architecture & Design Film Festival returns to Chicago in 2024 Officers say there is an active warrant out for Brown's arrest and Area Four detectives are seeking help in their search. Brown stands 6-foot-3 and weighs around 200 pounds and authorities warn anyone who may come into contact with him not to approach, as he is considered armed and dangerous. Anyone who recognizes Brown or comes into contact with him is advised to call 911 immediately. Naperville man sentenced to 10 years for attempted murder of wife Authorities are asking anyone with information about Brown to contact Area Four Detective Joz...

MLB rule changes: shortened pitch clock, widened runner's lane

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:46:46 GMT

Major League Baseball's 11-man competition committee adopted a number of rule changes Thursday, which included widening the runner's lane going to first base, while also shortening the pitch clock in different situations.When it comes to the new pitch clock rule, the time limit for pitchers to deliver a pitch while runners are on base will be shortened from 20 seconds down to 18, in an effort to continue to speed up games, as evidenced by the implementation of the pitch clock last season.According to MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince, the strategy behind shortening the pitch clock even more from last season was backed by the idea to get the seven-ish minutes back that accumulated at the end of games from April to September.Average game length by month in 2023:April — 2:37May — 2:38June — 2:39July — 2:41August — 2:41September — 2:44The new runner’s lane overrides a rule that has existed since the National League mandated in 1882 that runners must be within the 3-foot box on the foul side...

Black leaders call on UT Austin ahead of Sugar Bowl to stop playing 'Eyes of Texas'

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:46:46 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Ahead of the Jan 1. Sugar Bowl, where the Texas Longhorns will face off against the Washington Huskies, some Black leaders have once again called upon the University of Texas to stop playing “The Eyes of Texas,” which they say is racially offensive. The Texas NAACP and the Texas Legislative Black Caucus sent a press advisory Thursday saying, “This song should not be given a national audience.” MORE: Texas NAACP, students file federal civil rights complaint over UT-Austin’s ‘Eyes of Texas’ “On January 1, 2024, much of the nation will be focused on [UT] and the two games that will take place that day. There will be many in attendance from schools and affiliations who are not with the University of Texas, and many persons watching television who will be supporting other college teams,” the press advisory read.“[The University] should not play or utilize this racist song in any way at the game or as part of any official festivities regarding the College Football P...