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Chicago Cubs aren’t taking a star-or-bust approach: ‘Winning the offseason is probably more a curse than blessing’

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:35:12 GMT

If the Chicago Cubs want to add a star player after falling one win short of the postseason, they have a variety of options to pursue in the coming weeks.A big-market team such as the Cubs should be involved when top players reach free agency or are available in a trade. Those pursuits ultimately could end with the Cubs failing to acquire an elite player this offseason, however, for a team that needs much more reliable production in key spots.Shohei Ohtani’s hush-hush courtship continued Wednesday, the final day of the winter meetings. The Cubs remain among the teams in the mix for the superstar. Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto is expected to fetch a long-term deal worth more than $200 million as part of a pitching market that features National League Cy Young winner Blake Snell, standout reliever Josh Hader and lefty starters Jordan Montgomery and Eduardo Rodriguez, while outfielder Cody Bellinger remains the best slugger on the market behind Ohtani. Third baseman Ma...

Waltham police officer, utility worker killed after wild crash

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:35:12 GMT

A Waltham police officer and National Grid worker have died from injuries they suffered when a suspect crashed into them while working a construction detail, according to officials.Two other utility workers were injured in the crash on Totten Pond Road, Wednesday evening, officials said.After crashing into the officer and utility workers at the detail site, the suspect stole a Waltham police cruiser and fled the scene before crashing, Massachusetts State Police said in a social media post around 6:40 p.m.“The suspect was then apprehended after a foot pursuit and is currently in custody,” the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office said in a statement. “This is a very active investigation and updates will be provided as they become available.”No other information has been released on the victims and suspect.The utility workers were taken to a hospital after the crash, National Grid said. “Our thoughts are with the crew members, their families and loved ones,” the company said in a state...

GOP presidential hopefuls target Nikki Haley more than Trump, and other moments from the debate

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:35:12 GMT

By STEVE PEOPLES and NICHOLAS RICCARDI (Associated Press)With the Iowa caucuses rapidly approaching, a shrinking field of Republican White House hopefuls gathered Wednesday in Alabama for the fourth presidential debate. As usual, former President Donald Trump, who is dominating the GOP primary, didn’t appear. Instead, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie continued their effort to gain a sliver of the spotlight in the race.Here are some takeaways from the final primary debate of 2023.The front-runner in the Republican primary has no end of vulnerabilities. He faces 91 criminal charges and just the night before repeatedly refused to rule out abusing power if he returns to office. But, as has been the pattern, Trump was ignored during much of the debate. There was one great exception in the second hour, when the moderators asked Christie about Trump. The onetime New Jersey governor...

Former FOX 5 reporter battles rare cancer

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:35:12 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- After 35 proton cancer treatments, Jeff McAdam is technically cured of cancer, but not cancer free. The 39-year-old former FOX 5 reporter was diagnosed with a cervical chordoma, a dangerous cancer threatening his mobility and his life. “You’ve got this really rare one in a million-type cancer inside your body,” McAdam said.  The expert researcher launched into searching for the best possible course of action, traveling the nation for the top doctors and treatments, ironically finding the most cutting-edge technology in the San Diego area.“Think about all the days we've traveled, the places we’ve gone, but the peace of mind that it gave us too… and ultimately we ended up right here in San Diego, I think it says a lot about what San Diego has to offer, some of the very best medical technology, medical teams in the country, if not the world,” McAdam said.    Man arrested after San Diego school mass shooting threat The California Proton Cancer The...

San Diego area among California cities expected to see home sales rebound next year

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:35:12 GMT

With mortgage rates finally easing, many California cities are expected to see home sales rebound significantly next year, according to a new forecast from Realtor.com.Five metro areas are predicted to see double-digit, year-over-year sales growth in 2024.They are Oxnard-Thousand Oaks (18%), Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario (13.8%), Bakersfield (13.4%), San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad (11%) and Sacramento (10.3%). Home sales in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area are predicted to climb 9.2% after seeing declining sales for two years, analysts at Realtor are forecasting. You can still find homes well below $500K in these California counties The online real estate listing service, which is certainly hoping for a turnaround, ranked the top 100 metro areas on two factors: expected single-family home sales growth and anticipated growth in median home prices. In all six of those California markets, prices are expected to climb to more than 40% of the 2017-19 average, according to Realtor."Am...

National security advisers of US, South Korea and Japan will meet to discuss North Korean threat

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:35:12 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The national security advisers of the United States, South Korea and Japan will meet in Seoul this week to discuss North Korea’s growing military threat and other regional security issues as they continue to promote trilateral cooperation in Asia.South Korea’s presidential office said its national security office director, Cho Tae-yong, will host a three-way meeting in Seoul on Saturday with U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Japanese National Security Secretariat Secretary General Takeo Akiba for in-depth discussions on North Korea and other matters related to security, technology, and trade. Cho will also hold bilateral meetings with Sullivan and Akiba on Friday.White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the meetings will be driven by a “robust agenda of discussions of regional issues of mutual concerns, particularly in the security environment” as the countries continue to build on an August summit between their lead...

Man identified in two assaults against women, including a 15-year-old

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:35:12 GMT

Police are searching for a 30-year-old man in connection with two separate assaults in the city’s west end earlier this summer.Investigators say just before 4 p.m. on July 13 a man grabbed a 15-year-old girl’s backpack in the area of Dufferin Street and Bloor Street West. When the girl turned around, the man punched her in the face and fled.The girl suffered serious but non-life threatening injuries.The following day, about two kilometres away at Bloor Street West and Bathurst Street, a 34-year-old woman was walking with her child when the same man began yelling at her and pushed her aside. As the woman attempted to confront him, he flashed a knife underneath his shirt.Police have identified the man as 30-year-old Anthony Nguyen. Anyone with information is asked to contact police.

Helicopter carrying 5 senior Guyana military officials is missing near tense border with Venezuela

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:35:12 GMT

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — A military helicopter carrying seven people vanished Wednesday near Guyana’s border with Venezuela, with authorities saying there was bad weather in the area and stressing there was no indication it may have been hit by hostile fire as tensions escalate between the countries.Two crew members aboard the helicopter were taking five senior officers on an inspection of troops guarding a border area that Venezuela claims as its own, according to Army Chief Brig. Gen. Omar Khan.Venezuelan troops with heavy equipment and machinery have been amassing on the border in recent weeks, leading to speculation of an imminent invasion. Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali told The Associated Press earlier Wednesday that he was taking all necessary steps to defend his country.Khan told reporters late Wednesday that Guyana’s Defense Force lost contact with the brand new Bell 412 EPI aircraft after it took off from Olive Creek settlement in western Guyana following a refueling stop....

Drew Peterson attorney tries, fails to sell 'tell all' documentary

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:35:12 GMT

It’s been 18 months since Drew Peterson’s former attorney told WGN Investigates he wanted to commit the Cardinal Sin of the legal profession and break attorney-client privilege by revealing what happened to two of his former client’s four wives. Since then Joel Brodsky has been gagged by the courts, reportedly faced financial hardship and seen his own efforts to sell the story devolve into a lawsuit.WGN Investigates reviewed records from a federal lawsuit filed by Brodsky against an entertainment lawyer who was working with a production company on a documentary about the Peterson case. The contract, a copy of which was filed in the lawsuit, shows Brodsky agreed to collaborate on a documentary, including providing “information regarding Stacy Peterson including her current whereabouts” in exchange for a guaranteed payment of $55,000 plus a one-third share of producer proceeds if the project was sold. Court filings also include emails in which Brodsky is said to have “financial diffic...

Haley demands social media companies 'show us their algorithms'

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:35:12 GMT

Watch the full fourth Republican presidential debate only on NewsNation. View our Voter Guide to find all the information you need to make an informed choice at the polls. Not sure how to find us on your TV? Use our ChannelFinder and download our app to get fact-based, unbiased news for all America.  (NewsNation) — Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley defended her position on social media during the fourth GOP debate after her GOP rivals said Haley's proposal would be a "massive expansion of government." "What I said was social media companies need to show us their algorithms. I also said there are millions of bots on social media right now. They are foreign, they are Chinese, they are Iranian," Haley said. Last month, Haley partially walked back her proposed requirement that social media companies ban people from posting anonymously online for national security reasons.She has also previously backed a ban on TikTok, saying teenagers "will understand" the need for a ban on th...