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Marcus Stroman continues to show he’s one of the best pitchers in MLB. Soon, the Chicago Cubs will face a tough decision.

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 05:55:05 GMT

Every start Marcus Stroman makes further complicates a tough decision that awaits the Chicago Cubs next month.The Cubs ended their four-game losing streak Friday night against the San Francisco Giants with a 3-2 victory behind Stroman’s major-league best 12th quality start and Nico Hoerner’s clutch two-run single off the bench in the seventh.“He knows what he wants to do, doesn’t give in, stubborn to what he does well,” manager David Ross said of Stroman. "Every time he takes the bump, and even in the big moments when he knows we need a ‘W,’ he’s really calm out there and continues to perform.”Stroman’s consistency goes back to last season. In his last 21 starts, dating to Aug. 30, the right-hander has allowed two runs or fewer in 17 of his those outings, owning a 2.33 ERA for the lowest ERA in the majors in that span (min. 20 starts).He went 22 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run, which ended in the thi...

Jersey harness racing legend talks Nuggets star Nikola Jokic’s passion for horse racing

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 05:55:05 GMT

It was late April, toward the end of a season that could easily end in a Nuggets championship, and Denver just completed a back-to-back set against the Knicks and Nets. The next game was in Washington D.C., but apparently Nikola Jokic first needed to scratch an itch.So according to a friend and fellow horse-racing enthusiast, Jokic called a superstar audible on the team’s travel plans.“They were taking the train to Washington and he made them wait three more hours so he could work with horses,” Tim Tetrick told the Daily News. “I joked to him, ‘So you’re like Dennis Rodman. You got to get your fix.’”As Tetrick understands well, Jokic’s cravings aren’t nearly as destructive as Rodman’s famous Vegas escapades involving booze and Carmen Electra. Jokic, increasingly recognized as the best basketball player on the planet, is hooked on horses. Specifically, race horses.The passion led to a connection with Tetrick, 41, a Hal...

Iran police shooting at car to stop thief killed his 9-year-old son, authorities say

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 05:55:05 GMT

Dubai, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A boy was shot and killed by police after his father stole a car in the southwestern Khuzestan province and drove off with him, Iranian authorities said.Ruhollah Bigdeli, chief of police in Shushtar County, said — via Iran’s official police website — that several officers tried to stop the “stolen vehicle by shooting at it.” The boy died on the spot. Police said they issued the man several warnings before they started shooting, adding that he had a criminal record, including car theft and drug smuggling.The Iranian Jamaran news website identified the boy as 9-year-old Morteza Delf Zaregani. They spoke to the father who accused the police of not issuing any warning before shooting.Morteza’s photo was shared on social media, with people expressing sorrow for his death.In November, 9-year-old Kian Pirfalak, was killed in a shooting that his mother blamed on security forces. Pirfalak was shot and killed while passing with his parents throug...

CP NewsAlert: Canada to send more weapons to Ukraine, Trudeau says on trip to Kyiv

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 05:55:05 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada is committing another $500 million to help Ukraine’s military fight back against Russia’s invasion, including by sending more weapons.More coming.The Canadian Press

One of 2 giant ducks in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor deflates

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 05:55:05 GMT

HONG KONG (AP) — One of the two giant inflatable ducks floating in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor deflated on Saturday, just a day after they were unveiled to revelers. Crowds of residents and tourists flocked in the scorching heat to the promenade near the government headquarters in Admiralty to snap photos of the ducks by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman. But many who arrived in the afternoon only found one duck intact, with the other reduced to a puddle of yellow plastic. Organizers said their staff found one of the ducks was overstretched due to the hot weather and rising air pressure. “It was decided that the air needed to be immediately released by loosening the seams to avoid any potential risk,” they wrote in a post on social media. They said the duck would be transferred back to the shipyard for repair. The two 18-meter (59-feet) -tall yellow ducks resemble the bath toys. In 2013, one of Hofman’s ducks was displayed in the city and sparked a frenzy. But that duck was...

Sainted & Tainted: A lot of Saints on that rainy day in May

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 05:55:05 GMT

SaintedThere were a lot of Saints at the St. Paul Saints baseball game on Friday, May 5.After a few innings, the skies opened up and it started to rain heavily. I hurriedly paid for my beer, got my rain poncho on and scrambled for cover. The game was eventually called for rain. Just as I got home, my cell phone rang and it was Gina with the Saints. She said that two Saintly boys approximately 12 years old had found my soaking wet coin purse with my driver’s license, debit card, and cash and turned it in. Because I’m a season ticket holder, Gina immediately recognized my name, found my phone number, and called.Saintly Gina waited for me at the gate while I drove to CHS Field to retrieve my purse. Unfortunately, I don’t know the identity of the Saintly boys but, hopefully, they (or their parents) will see this Sainted column and my big THANK YOU to them and Gina! I love the Saints and my Saintly community.Anne Hunt, St. Paul SaintedLast month I was out shopping at the Turns...

Here are the 10 bills Gov. Jared Polis vetoed this year

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 05:55:05 GMT

Gov. Jared Polis vetoed 10 bills this year, more than year of his governorship. They covered a wide range of policy topics, from gambling to driver’s licenses.Some were contentious. Others were relative minnows that passed the legislature with little acknowledgement. None will become law.Here are those 10 bills and why Polis rejected them.WolvesBrought by a group of Western Slope legislators, SB23-256 would’ve delayed the reintroduction of gray wolves until the state receives a specific federal authorization. That process is already underway, and critics worried that the bill, if signed into law, would further delay it.Polis agreed and said the bill risked undermining the will of the voters, who approved wolf reintroduction in 2020.ClemencyThe sponsors of HB23-1214 hoped to standardize the process for inmates who apply for executive clemency. The bill would’ve put specific processes into statute and required more transparency to those awaiting updates on their case...

Lifeguard shortage keeps Denver-area swimming pools closed as summer season begins

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 05:55:05 GMT

The summer season is about to sizzle and the lifeguard pool in the metro area is in need of a big splash: Lifeguards are in demand.In Wheat Ridge, a current lack of lifeguards means two indoor pools will remain closed as the city courts applicants by offering bonuses and becoming creative in getting the word out  — “Dive in, become a Lifeguard!”Wheat Ridge police on May 30 took to the pool and Twitter in an effort to help the city attract lifeguards. Officers, in uniform, not swimwear, described the lack of lifeguards as “desperate.”Things are getting desperate at the Wheat Ridge Rec Center… they need ACTUAL lifeguards, stat! The shortage means pool closures (really) and cops with floaties (kidding). Apply here: https://t.co/f7llu7mpqc pic.twitter.com/0UsAMLWNcH— Wheat Ridge Police (@WheatRidgePD) May 30, 2023“We’re having problems recruiting, as is most everyone in our region,” said Amanda Harrison, a Wheat Ridge spokesperson.An...

Gov. Jared Polis vetoed more legislation this year than ever before. Legislators fear a new normal

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 05:55:05 GMT

Gov. Jared Polis vetoed 10 bills this year, the most of his five-year tenure and most by a Colorado governor since Bill Owens rejected 44 bills in 2006.The bills cover a range of policy issues: Polis’ red veto stamp blotted out bills concerning tipping, housing, the introduction of gray wolves, gambling and concert tickets. He rejected a study of the drug war and a bill to standardize how inmates apply for clemency.Though some vetoes seemed to favor business interests and others rejected progressive policies, there was no clear ideological thread connecting the rejected legislation, legislators and lobbyists said. Four of the 10 had Republican co-sponsors. Polis also signed 473 bills into law this year, according to his office, meaning he green-lit nearly 98% of the legislation sent to his desk since the legislature convened in early January (one other bill became law without his signature). He told the Denver Post on Friday that he had individual policy issues with the bills ...

Editorial: Focus more on California and less on Florida, governor

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 05:55:05 GMT

Perhaps no one in California history is as skilled as Gov. Gavin Newsom at capturing the political spotlight.If only he was as good at governing in Sacramento. It’s something for voters to remember as the governor boosts his national profile for a possible run at the presidency in the years ahead.The governor made national news again Thursday when he called for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would embed gun restrictions popular in California and other states nationwide. In a tweet and a campaign-style video, Newsom proposed a 28th Amendment that would raise the minimum age to purchase any gun to 21, install universal background checks on all gun transfers, impose a “reasonable” waiting period for gun buyers to pick up their weapon, and ban the civilian purchase of assault weapons.It was all a part of his ongoing campaign to point out the differences between his progressive approach to governing California and red states’ conservative style of gove...