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Giants’ and Bears’ rebuilds take different trajectories with Chicago No. 1 pick blockbuster trade

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 09:00:39 GMT

Ryan Poles was a finalist for the Giants’ GM job a year ago and got hired by the Chicago Bears. Joe Schoen interviewed for the Bears’ GM vacancy and landed the Giants gig.Schoen’s Giants surprisingly made the playoffs in year one, gave incumbent quarterback Daniel Jones a four-year, $160 million extension, and now hold the No. 25 pick in April’s draft.Poles’ Bears sold off pieces and slipped to the NFL’s worst record in 2022, landed the No. 1 pick, but still saw some promise in incumbent quarterback Justin Fields — a player selected by the previous Chicago regime after a 2021 draft-day trade-up with the old Giants guard.On Friday night, Poles traded the No. 1 pick in this year’s NFL Draft to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for a boatload of assets: the No. 9 overall pick, No. 61 in the second, a 2024 first-rounder, a 2025 second-rounder and stud wide receiver D.J. Moore.The Panthers, with GM Scott Fitterer and new head coach Frank Re...

Knicks’ Jalen Brunson ruled out Saturday against the Clippers with sore foot

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 09:00:39 GMT

Jalen Brunson’s injury is now officially a concern.The Knicks point guard was ruled out of Saturday’s matinee against the Clippers because of a “sore foot,” the same ailment that kept him out of the second half in Thursday’s loss to the Kings.Brunson had missed two previous games this week with the sore left foot, and it wasn’t a good sign that his return in Sacramento lasted just 19 minutes. The point guard moved and played well in the 122-117 loss to the King while dropping 19 points.But he was also in clear discomfort and spotted limping to the locker room with trainer Anthony Goenaga. The Knicks are in the middle of a Western Conference trip with back-to-back games this weekend against the Clippers and Lakers.“When you’re dealing with a bruised foot like that, it’ll feel great when you have a little time off – which Brunson has had,” TNT analyst Stan Van Gundy, a longtime coach who is close with Thibodeau, said du...

Chicago Bears trade the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft to the Carolinas Panthers. Here’s what they got in return.

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 09:00:39 GMT

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles finally found the deal he was looking for.The No. 1 pick the Bears collected for finishing last season with a 3-14 record now belongs to the Carolina Panthers. In a headline-grabbing trade Friday, Poles agreed to send the top selection in April’s draft to GM Scott Fitterer in exchange for the No. 9 pick, the No. 61 pick, a first-round pick in 2024, a second-round pick in 2025 and wide receiver D.J. Moore, a source confirmed.ESPN and NFL Network first reported the news, which was not yet official Friday night.It had long been the Bears’ preference to trade the No. 1 pick instead of using it to draft a quarterback. Poles said multiple times since January that the Bears’ plan was to stick with quarterback Justin Fields, leaving only a small opening to change his mind if he was “blown away” by a quarterback prospect.With the Bears staying with Fields, conversations on the trade front escalated when the league scoutin...

3 takeaways from Chicago White Sox camp, including starter Lucas Giolito adjusting well to the pitch clock

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 09:00:39 GMT

With Yoán Moncada away for the World Baseball Classic, Bryan Ramos has been one of the options at third base for the White Sox.Ramos continued his impressive spring, hitting a two-run homer in Friday’s 4-3 victory against the Cubs in a Cactus League game at Sloan Park.Ramos, who turns 21 on Sunday, is 7-for-17 (.412) with the homer and five RBIs in 10 games this spring. Added to the 40-man roster in November, Ramos had a combined .266/.338/.455 slash line with 22 home runs and 86 RBIs in 120 games between Class A Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham in 2022.Designated hitter Yasmani Grandal had two doubles and one RBI Friday while catcher Seby Zavala went 1-for-3, homering in the eighth.In a roster move announced Friday afternoon, the Sox optioned pitcher Nicholas Padilla to Triple-A Charlotte. Here are three more takeaways from White Sox camp.1. Lucas Giolito clicked with the quick pace.Lucas Giolito is enjoying working with a pitch clock more than he even imagined.R...

Margaritaville Hotel coming to San Diego this summer

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 09:00:39 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Vacationers -- or even staycationers -- will soon be able to experience the vibe of paradise in downtown San Diego.A guest room at the Margaritaville Hotel San Diego Gaslamp Quarter. (Katie Elicker)Margaritaville Resorts & Hotels, which has several locations worldwide, announced on its website that it is opening another hotel this July right in the heart of the Gaslamp Quarter."Our 235 guest rooms combine the luxuries of a high-end hotel with the comforts of home. Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, we offer a range of room types and suites to suit every need," the hotel said. "Premium features including rainfall showers and plush bedding will elevate your experience." Slice of heaven: San Diego-area shop has best pie in CA, according to Yelp A rendering of the rooftop pool at Margaritaville Hotel San Diego Gaslamp Quarter. (Katie Elicker)Guests looking to relax will be able to head up to the hotel's rooftop for hand-crafted cocktails and frozen con...

Atmospheric river floods California towns, brings rain, snow

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 09:00:39 GMT

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (AP) — More than 9,000 California residents were under evacuation orders Friday as a new atmospheric river brought heavy rain, thunderstorms and strong winds, swelling rivers and creeks and flooding several major highways and small rural communities.In Santa Cruz County, a creek bloated by rain destroyed a portion of Main Street in Soquel, a town of 10,000 people, isolating several neighborhoods. Crews were working to remove trees and other debris and find a way for people to cross the creek, county officials said. County authorities asked the town’s residents to stay indoors. Heather Wingfield, a teacher who runs a small urban farm with her husband in Soquel, said she and her neighbors were, for the time being, trapped in their homes as Bates Creek rushed through what was once Main Street.“It’s horrible,” she said. “Hopefully no one has a medical emergency.”Wingfield said her neighbors’ water infrastructure was also washed out, but that her family’s well wo...

Texas women sued for wrongful death after aiding in abortion

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 09:00:39 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Three women in Texas are being sued for wrongful death by a man who claims they helped his now-ex-wife obtain medication for an abortion. It’s another test of state-enforced bans since the U.S. Supreme court overturned the Roe v. Wade decision. In a lawsuit filed late Thursday in Galveston County, Marcus Silva alleges assisting in a self-administered abortion is tantamount to aiding a murder. Silva is seeking $1 million in damages.The woman who took the medication in July — weeks after the Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to abortion that had been in place since 1973 — is not named in the lawsuit. Texas law protects women who get an abortion from being held liable.Abortion rights groups condemned the lawsuit, calling it an intimidation tactic.“This is an outrageous attempt to scare people from getting abortion care and intimidate those who support their friends, family, and community in their time of need,” Autumn Katz, a lawyer wit...

Michael Cohen to testify Monday in Trump hush-money probe

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 09:00:39 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump’s former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen is scheduled to testify Monday before a Manhattan grand jury investigating hush-money payments made on the former president’s behalf, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. They were not authorized to speak publicly about grand jury proceedings and did so on condition of anonymity.Cohen is a key witness in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s investigation and his testimony is coming at a critical time, as prosecutors close in on a decision on whether to seek charges against Trump. Prosecutors sometimes save their most important witnesses until the end stages of a grand jury investigation.Cohen has been meeting regularly with Manhattan prosecutors in recent weeks, including a day-long session Friday to prepare for his appearance before the grand jury, which has been hearing evidence in the matter since January.Cohen declined to comment to reporters as he left the meeting, saying h...

New Heritage Minutes are coming with stories of diverse communities

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 09:00:39 GMT

Much loved and often parodied, Heritage Minutes could themselves be called a Canadian classic. But since their revival in 2012, the makers of the 60-second sagas have been working to make them more reflective of all communities that call this country home.“For a very long time, Canadian history was really only told through the eyes of specific groups of people — the people who are running the country,” says Anthony Wilson-Smith, President and CEO of Historica Canada, the charitable organization behind the videos.“The people at kind of ground level are the ones who are just as interesting and often shape [history] — a Black civil rights pioneer, Indigenous people who were here before anybody else … our goal is that every Canadian should be able to see themselves reflected in a [Heritage Minute].”He adds that they’re making efforts to ensure representation both in concept and execution.“The company that is producing for us has to h...

MPP Vincent Ke resigns from Ontario PC caucus

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 09:00:39 GMT

Vincent Ke, an MPP representing Don Valley North, has resigned from Ontario’s Progressive Conservative Party.This follows a report by Global News that Ke was allegedly involved with Chinese interference in at least two instances. Ke is alleged to have served as a financial intermediary for the Chinese communist party.In a statement, Ke refuted the allegations, calling them false and defamatory, but acknowledged he didn’t want to be a distraction.“I will be stepping away from the PC Caucus in order to dedicate my time to clearing my name and representing my constituents,” Ke said.pic.twitter.com/g75IvKqsAP— Vincent Ke – MPP (@vincentkempp) March 11, 2023Premier Doug Ford says that while the allegations against Ke are not proven, “they are serious and deserve his full and undivided attention.”“As a result, and out of an abundance of caution, Mr. Ke offered to step away from the Ontario PC caucus to sit as an independent. The Premie...