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Alcaraz follows Nadal as repeat Barcelona Open champion

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:48:52 GMT

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz became the first player since Rafael Nadal to repeat as Barcelona Open champion on Sunday with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Stefanos Tsitsipas.It was the third title won this year by the 19-year-old Spaniard, and the ninth of his career. Alcaraz closed the final at the Rafa Nadal center court with a forehand winner for his fifth consecutive straight-set win at the tournament this year.The second-ranked Spaniard had not successfully defended a title in his career before Sunday. Nadal was the last player to win consecutive titles in Barcelona with three straight from 2016-18. Alcaraz will also try to defend his title at the upcoming Madrid Open.He is now 23-2 for the year. His other titles this season came at Buenos Aires and Indian Wells. Alcaraz was playing in his fourth final in five tournaments this year, winning it with 26 winners and seven unforced errors. He and Tsitsipas exchanged breaks early in the first set but Alcaraz eventually took control t...

Arsenal recovers for 2-2 draw at Wolfsburg in Women’s CL

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:48:52 GMT

WOLFSBURG, Germany (AP) — Stina Blackstenius earned Arsenal a 2-2 draw at Wolfsburg in the first leg of their Women’s Champion’s League semifinal on Sunday.Blackstenius slid in to meet Victoria Pelova’s cross for the equalizer in the 69th minute as the visitors recovered from a two-goal deficit to put themselves in a good position ahead of the second leg in London on May 1.Some 20,000 tickets were sold for Sunday’s game in Wolfsburg’s stadium.Sveindís Jane Jónsdóttir put the home team in a commanding position by scoring one goal and setting up the other for the two-time champion.The Icelandic forward played the ball through for Ewa Pajor to open the scoring in the 19th minute, then capitalized on a mistake from Arsenal defender Rafaelle to make it 2-0 in the 24th.Rafaelle was attempting a pass across goal to Jennifer Beattie but inadvertently provided the assist for Jónsdóttir. The Brazilian defender atoned by scoring Arsenal’s response from Steph Catley’s corner before ...

Bed Bath & Beyond files for bankruptcy, all stores set to close

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:48:52 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Bed Bath & Beyond — one of the original big box retailers known for its seemingly endless offerings of sheets, towels and kitchen gadgets — filed for bankruptcy protection, following years of dismal sales and losses and numerous failed turnaround plans.The beleaguered home goods chain made the filing Sunday in U.S. District Court in New Jersey and said it will start an orderly wind down of its operations, while seeking a buyer for all or some of its businesses. In the bankruptcy filing, the retailer said it anticipates closing all of its stores by June 30.For now, the company's 360 Bed Bath & Beyond stores and its 120 Buy Buy Baby sites as well as its websites will remain open to serve customers.It listed estimated assets and liabilities in the range of $1 billion to $10 billion. The move comes after the company failed to secure funds to stay afloat.In a statement, the company, based in Union, New Jersey, said it voluntarily made the filing "to implement an o...

South Florida high school football products who could get selected in the 2023 NFL draft

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:48:52 GMT

From Lamar Jackson to Joey and Nick Bosa, South Florida over the years has proven to be a hotbed for high school football talent that turns into top college standouts and, eventually, some of the most productive NFL players.The 2023 NFL draft is no different in bringing in the next crop of prospects that first made a name for themselves between Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.The next wave includes former University School and Boston College wide receiver Zay Flowers, a likely first-round pick. Others like Miami Northwestern and Pittsburgh defensive tackle Kalijah Cancey, Miami Southridge and University of Miami cornerback Tyrique Stevenson and St. Thomas Aquinas/Alabama safety Jordan Battle should hear their names called fairly early.The 2023 draft begins with the first round Thursday night, followed by Rounds 2 and 3 on Friday night and Rounds 4 through 7 Saturday.Yasir Abdullah, OLB, Louisville, Miami Carol CityWith a track background, Abdullah is one of the fastest o...

Lucas: Biden to China is ‘a gift that keeps on giving’

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:48:52 GMT

The Chinese Communists should stick to spy balloons.They are cheaper and more effective — unless they are shot down — than Chinese police stations in New York and other cities in the U.S. Why don’t we have one in Boston?And Chinese President Xi Jinping is probably grateful that President Joe Biden did not order the spy balloon shot down until it had crossed the U.S. and completed its intelligence gathering mission. But it makes little difference.If President Xi Jinping cannot use balloons to steal U.S. Intelligence, or have his own police stations in the U.S. to spy on Chinese dissidents, he will find other means.Like tapping into the bonanza of U.S. secret intelligence made available by Massachusetts Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira. And the secret intelligence gathered was cheaper than a spy balloon. In fact, it was free.If the 21-year-old Teixeira could have access to such secret intelligence, how many more Jack Teixeiras are there among the two million peop...

Headed to the beach this week? Here is the water temperature forecast

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:48:52 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- After a long-awaited warmup in San Diego, many have been flocking to the beaches to soak up the sun and take in the ocean breeze. But is it warm enough to swim?The average water temperature for spring off the coast of San Diego is 61 degrees, according to Sea Temperature Net. The site monitors water temperature in real time, collecting data on temperature changes throughout the year. Helicopter to drop larvicide across San Diego’s waterways this week As of Sunday morning, the water temperature near San Diego was recorded at 59 degrees, which Sea Temperature Net calculations show is up 4 degrees from a week ago. The data also shows Sunday's water temperature is slightly lower than the average in recent years.On this day exactly a year ago, according to Sea Temperature Net, the water temperature in San Diego was 62 degrees. Water temperature range in San Diego in April is from 55 to 66 degrees.Here's a look at water temperature changes in San Diego for the last 30 days,...

Former San Diego-based Marine sentenced for drug trafficking conspiracy

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:48:52 GMT

SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- A former active-duty Marine who "liked the fast life" will be slowing things down for the next 12 years following a lengthy prison sentence.In federal court Friday, a judge handed down a 144-month jail cell stay to Roberto Salazar II, 26, for his role in a years-long drug importation and distribution conspiracy. San Diego Border Patrol surpasses 100,000 encounters as of October Salazar, who before his arrest was stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, pleaded guilty in October 2022 to conspiring to distribute controlled substances and to importing fentanyl into the U.S. from Mexico, according to U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman's office. From heroin and methamphetamine to cocaine and fentanyl, officials say Salazar was involved in dozens of smuggling events.According to his plea agreement, Salazar recruited, managed and paid multiple drug traffickers while he was on active duty. The attorney's office said he also personally distributed controlled subst...

Police investigate discovery of man’s body north of King City

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:48:52 GMT

Police in York region are investigating the discovery of a body north of King City. Investigators say they were called to the area of Dufferin Street and 15th Sideroad after a person found a man’s body while walking their dog on a trail northwest of the Seneca College King Campus just before 8 a.m. Sunday. Police say the circumstances surrounding the man’s death have been deemed suspicious and the homicide unit has taken over the investigation. The man’s identity has not been released and the cause of death will be confirmed following a post-mortem.

Gunfire took their son at 20. Now it takes his daughter, 12

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:48:52 GMT

Janet Rice headed to the hospital Thursday night as she routinely does when tragedy befalls her community. A barrage of gunfire had injured several young people, including a 12-year-old girl struck in the head by a stray bullet.While en route, Rice’s phone rang. She pulled over.The young girl in a Connecticut hospital fighting for her life was her granddaughter — the child of the son Rice lost to gun violence more than a decade earlier.Having a son gunned down brought sorrow and despair to their family. Now a granddaughter had perished, too.The girl, Se’Cret Pierce, died Friday morning. She was 2 years old when her young father, Shane Oliver, 20, was killed in the fall of 2012 only a few miles from where his daughter was shot.“Never in a million years did I expect to respond to a call for my 12-year-old granddaughter,” Rice said in a text message Sunday, as she prepares to lay her granddaughter to rest.“I am ANGRY, HEARTBROKEN, and NUMB,” she texted.The seventh grader wa...

Russia ‘will not forgive’ US denial of journalist visas

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:48:52 GMT

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia said Sunday that the United States has denied visas to journalists who wanted to cover Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s trip to New York, and Lavrov suggested that Moscow would take strong retaliatory measures.There was no immediate comment from the U.S. State Department about the claim of refused visas. The journalists aimed to cover Lavrov’s appearance at the United Nations to mark Russia’s chairmanship of the Security Council.“A country that calls itself the strongest, smartest, free and fair country has chickened out and done something stupid by showing what its sworn assurances about protecting freedom of speech and access to information are really worth,” Lavrov said before leaving Moscow on Sunday.“Be sure that we will not forget and will not forgive,” he said.“I emphasize that we will find ways to respond to this, so that the Americans will remember for a long time not to do this,” deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said.The d...