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Biden will give the State of the Union address March 7 in a 'moment of great challenge' for the US

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:14 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will give his annual State of the Union address on March 7. In a letter sent to the White House on Saturday, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., extended the formal invitation for Biden to speak to a joint session of Congress. Johnson said he was inviting Biden “in this moment of great challenge for our country.” On X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, Biden accepted. “Looking forward to it, Mr. Speaker,” the president said. This will be the first State of the Union for Johnson as speaker, who traditionally sits behind the president and to his left during the address to Congress. This year's speech will offer an opportunity for Biden to detail his broader vision and policy priorities as he campaigns for reelection in November.Notably, Biden's address is scheduled for after a pair of critical deadlines to avert a government shutdown.Funding for federal agencies that oversee programs for veterans, and on transportation, housing, ...

Why ACL tears happen more often to female athletes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:14 GMT

Austin (KXAN) — The University of Texas women's basketball team suffered a tough loss last week when key player Rori Harmon tore her ACL during practice, taking her out for the rest of the season. Research suggests the injury is happening more and more to female athletes. Texas point guard Rori Harmon out for season with ACL tear in right knee Harmon issued a statement through the university's announcement about her injury."I'm grateful for the support of my teammates and coaching staff during this difficult time. I also want to thank our medical staff at Texas for taking care of me. I'm heartbroken that I won't be able to play with my teammates this season, but I'm going to support them and be the best teammate I can be. We have big goals for this season and those are not going to change. We are going to come into the gym every day and work hard to achieve those goals. We have the best fans and will play hard for them and for each other."Rori Harmon, University of Texas women's b...

Wild rally late, push Marc-Andre Fleury into tie for second play on career wins list

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:14 GMT

COLUMBUS, Ohio — All but dead with under 2 minutes to play, the Wild rallied to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets in overtime, 4-3, and push Marc-Andre Fleury into a tie for second place in career wins by a goaltender.Matt Boldy scored twice, Marcus Johansson tied the game with 1:32 remaining in regulation and Marco Rossie scored in the three-on-three overtime as the Wild snapped a four-game losing streak.Fleury stopped 25 shots for his 551st career win, tying Patrick Roy for the second most all time by an NHL goalie. And he worked overtime for it.Leaving the ice for an extra attacker with Minnesota trailing and less than 2 minutes remaining, Marc-Andre Fleury did an about face and raced back to the net.Columbus center Justin Danforth had gained control of the puck and was racing toward the empty net for what would have been the game-sealing goal when Fleury dove in front of the crease and disrupt his shot.Seconds later, Marcus Johansson scored the tying goal when his backhander trickl...

Gophers football: Star safety signee Koi Perich wins MVP of All-American Bowl

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:14 GMT

Koi Perich showed why the safety from Esko, Minn., was so coveted in the 2024 recruiting class on Saturday.The four-star recruit, who signed with the Gophers over Ohio State and many others, made an interception, blocked a punt and won MVP honors at the All-American Bowl in San Antonio.Perich also broke up two passes and had a tackle for lost yards for the West team in its 31-28 win over the East squad in the premier annual showcase game for high school players.Perich, the top-ranked player from the state of Minnesota, showed great range and athleticism in the middle of the field to adjust to a deep pass and make a diving interception.4 S and Minnesota commit Koi Perich, the Class of 2024's No. 1 player in Minnesota, with the INT near the goal line to halt a drive in the All-American Bowl pic.twitter.com/vslkoFDU8Q— 247Sports (@247Sports) January 6, 2024 Perich was joined by two other Gophers signees in the all-star game: offensive lineman Brett Carroll of Olathe, Kan...

Keeler: Avalanche still goaltender (or two) away from another Stanley Cup

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:14 GMT

If Ivan Prosvetov hoists a Stanley Cup in Burgundy & Blue, I’ll shave my head. And my chest. Not necessarily in that order.“We’ll see, we’ll talk about that,” coach Jared Bednar told reporters Saturday when asked about his goaltending options after the Avalanche’s hair-pulling, maddening 8-4 matinee loss to the Florida Panthers, the defending Cup runners-up.“We’re in a stretch (where) there (are) no easy games coming up. There (are) no easy games, period. But especially the stretch we’re in, like that’s only two (down) of the top opponents we’re going to face. We’ve got another four straight with the top opponents of the league. So (Alexandar Georgiev’s) played nine in a row, played in (Saturday’s) game, (which) makes it 10. So we’ll see.”We’ve seen enough, Coach.Bednar’s Avs have now given up at least eight goals in a home game twice since Nov. 11. That’s already as...

Grandfather killed by stolen vehicle suspects in South Los Angeles

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:14 GMT

Loved ones are grieving after a grandfather was struck and killed by stolen vehicle suspects as they sped through the streets of South Los Angeles. Family and friends of the victim, Alberto Castaneda, 72, are devastated as the suspects remain at large. "I never thought I was going to be here doing this interview,” said Martha Correa, the victim’s daughter. "He died alone and he was just thrown. He died right there [on the street].”On Jan. 3, Alberto was using the crosswalk at the intersection of West Adams Boulevard and Main Street at around 6:30 p.m.As he crosses the street, suddenly, a speeding vehicle plows directly into Alberto, knocking him to the ground before driving away. Alberto Castaneda in a family photo.Alberto Castaneda, 72, worked as a sewing machine operator in L.A.'s Fashion District. (Castaneda Family)Stolen vehicle suspects seen fleeing the destroyed car while holding a balloon typically used for inhaling nitrous oxide on Jan. 3, 2024. Photos of the scene wher...

Sharks’ skid continues as slow start proves fatal in loss to Toronto Maple Leafs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:14 GMT

SAN JOSE – The toughest part for the San Jose Sharks right now isn’t that they’re on an 11-game losing streak.It’s that this is already their second such skid of the season, and they’re not even halfway through the year.The Sharks fell behind by two goals after two periods and were unable to recover in what became a 4-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday before an announced sellout crowd of 17,435 at SAP Center.The Sharks (9-28-3) allowed a power play goal to Mitch Marner in the first period and an even-strength marker to Calle Jarnkrok near the end of the second that turned into the game-winner.Mikael Granlund scored for San Jose with 8:03 left in regulation time to cut Toronto’s lead to 3-1, but William Nylander scored his second goal of the third period with 3:32 to go to seal the Maple Leafs win, as ex-Sharks goalie Martin Jones made 23 saves.Goalie Mackenzie Blackwood had another solid performance with 30 saves, although there were hiccups. Marner’s shot from near the ...

Johnson’s 26 lead Southern Illinois over Illinois State 71-64

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:14 GMT

NORMAL, Ill. (AP) — Xavier Johnson’s 26 points helped Southern Illinois defeat Illinois State 71-64 on Saturday night.Johnson also contributed five rebounds and nine assists for the Salukis (11-4, 3-1 Missouri Valley Conference). Trent Brown scored 20 points while going 7 of 10 (6 for 7 from 3-point range). Jarrett Hensley shot 2 of 3 from the field and 4 for 4 from the foul line to finish with nine points, while adding three blocks.The Redbirds (8-7, 2-2) were led by Myles Foster, who posted 17 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Kendall Lewis added 16 points and eight rebounds for Illinois State. In addition, Dalton Banks finished with 11 points.___The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.Source

McCollum scores 15 as No. 11 Oklahoma tops Iowa State 71-63

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:14 GMT

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Javian McCollum had 15 points and five assists, and No. 11 Oklahoma defeated Iowa State 71-63 on Saturday in the Big 12 opener for both teams.Milos Uzan scored 12 points, Le’Tre Darthard scored 11 and Sam Godwin added 10 points and six rebounds for the Sooners (13-1).Otega Oweh, Oklahoma’s top scorer for the season, didn’t make a field goal. But he scored seven of his eight points on free throws in the final 4:39 to help the Sooners win the kind of close game that often escaped their grasp last season.“I just think it’s a completely different team than last year,” Uzan said. “We’ve got a lot of older guys that have been in situations like this before. Last year we struggled closing out games. So I think for us to close this game, was a big, big jump for us.”Oklahoma coach Porter Moser liked the way his team gutted out the victory. The Sooners had averaged 82.5 points for the season, but they won this one with grit and toughness instead of explo...

Virginia cake pop maker battles state regulators for right to post pics on Instagram

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:14 GMT

Just before Thanksgiving, Richmond-area cake pop maker Kelly Phillips spent a Friday night preparing a batch to sell at a holiday market featuring local handmade goods. On her KP’s Kake Pops Facebook page, she posted a photo of her kitchen counter filled with a colorful assortment of cake pops with flavors like Death by Chocolate, Creamsicle and Red Velvet Blondie.“What can I say… I like to party and lead a thrilling life!” she joked about her self-described side hustle.She had no idea her cake pops were about to land her on the wrong side of the law.On Dec. 1, a food safety official informed her she was operating her cake pop venture without a necessary permit from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Failure to rectify the situation, the official said, could lead to a misdemeanor charge.“My first thought was a curse word,” Phillips, 40, said in an interview. “It was just devastation. I was like why is this happening.”The cake pop kerfuffle spotlights the f...