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Column: Clues for the Chicago Cubs’ late-season collapse were right in front of our eyes all along

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:00:03 GMT

Even if the Chicago Cubs had made the postseason, most agreed their season would have ended in the wild-card round.Expectations were higher than normal in early September, with a 3-1/2 game lead for a National League wild-card spot and the team on a roll with a 12-1-2 record in 15 series from July 17-Sept. 6.No one was crazy enough to think this was a World Series-caliber team, but getting in would be good enough — a small step to spread a little optimism for 2024.Then it all went wrong, spectacularly so, leading to a late-season collapse. The Cubs went 7-14 and were eliminated on the second-to-last day of the season.“It’s hard to define exactly what went wrong,” Cubs President Jed Hoyer said Tuesday before pointing to the fatigue factor, bullpen injuries, lack of clutch hitting and defensive miscues.Those were all valid factors in the slow-motion demise, but what Hoyer forgot to mention was roster construction.That would’ve meant throwing himself ...

Soccer notebook: Danvers’ Prouty ‘as good as all of them’

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:00:03 GMT

DANVERS — Soccer runs in Georgia Prouty’s blood.“We’ve had a lot of really good players,” said Danvers coach Jimmy Hinchion. “We’ve had an All-American, we’ve had a lot of All-New Englands, girls that have gone on to play Div. 1 … Georgia’s as good as all of them. She’s an extremely, extremely talented athlete.”The Boston University commit has completely taken the Northeastern Conference by storm.Her father, Doug, played at Syracuse University. Her brother Chase was a member of St. John’s Prep’s Div. 1 championship roster in 2022.Coaches began to notice that Prouty had unique talents early on. It certainly helped that her future high school mentor was teaching physical education at nearby Highlands Elementary School, where Hinchion quickly spotted the soon-to-be star.“I had her K through (fifth grade),” Hinchion laughed. “You could just see that she had athletic ability that most kids her age didn’t possess yet. Her quickness, her strength, her knowledge of spatial awareness. ...

Hamas kills 40 in unprecedented, wide-ranging incursion into Israel. Netanyahu says 'we are at war'

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:00:03 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — The ruling Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel at daybreak Saturday, firing thousands of rockets as dozens of fighters infiltrated the heavily fortified border in several locations by air, land and sea, catching the country off guard on a major holiday. Several hours after the invasion began, Hamas militants were still fighting gunbattles inside several Israeli communities in a surprising show of strength that shook the country. Israel’s national rescue service said at least 40 people have been killed and hundreds wounded, making it the deadliest attack in Israel in years.At least 561 wounded people were being treated in Israeli hospitals, including at least 77 who were in critical condition, according to an Associated Press count based on public statements and calls to hospitals.There was no official comment on casualties in Gaza, but AP reporters witnessed the funerals of 15 people who were killed and saw another ei...

Largest Hindu temple outside India in the modern era opens in New Jersey

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:00:03 GMT

ROBBINSVILLE, N.J. (AP) — If stones could talk, sing and tell stories, Yogi Trivedi believes the marble and limestone that adorn the spires, pillars and archways of the stunning Hindu temple in central New Jersey would compose a paean to the divine.The tales these stones tell are those of seva (selfless service) and bhakti (devotion), which form the core of the Swaminarayan sect, a branch of Hinduism, said Trivedi, a scholar of Hinduism at Columbia University.It took a combined total of about 4.7 million hours of work by artisans and volunteers to hand-carve about 2 million cubic feet of stone. The four varieties of marble from Italy and limestone from Bulgaria traveled first to India and then over 8,000 miles across the world to New Jersey. They were then fitted together like a giant jigsaw to create what is now touted as the largest Hindu temple outside India to be built in the modern era, standing on a 126-acre tract. It will open to the public on Monday. The largest temple compl...

No subway service on large portion of Line 1 all weekend

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:00:03 GMT

A large portion of the TTC subway system is closed this holiday weekend. There is no subway service on Line 1 between Spadina and St. Andrew stations as crews perform track work. Shuttle buses, which would normally fill the gap for any closure, are also not running along that stretch because of construction work and the expected traffic congestion along University Avenue which the TTC says would cause significant delays for customers. The TTC says service is being increased on nearby streetcar and bus routes to try and mitigate the closure. Service along most of the closure will resume by Sunday at 8 a.m., except for the stretch between Osgoode and King stations which will open at 11 a.m.Due to track work, there's no service on Line 1 between Spadina & St. Andrew stn today. No shuttle buses will run. Service will be increased on nearby surface routes. Customers requiring an accessible connection should exit at Dupont Stn & speak to staff.https://t.co/sUJIzvUKZU pic.twitt...

‘We are at war’: Hamas kills 40 in unprecedented, wide-ranging incursion into Israel

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:00:03 GMT

The ruling Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel at daybreak Saturday, firing thousands of rockets as dozens of fighters infiltrated the heavily fortified border in several locations by air, land and sea, catching the country off guard on a major holiday.Several hours after the invasion began, Hamas militants were still fighting gunbattles inside several Israeli communities in a surprising show of strength that shook the country. Israel’s national rescue service said at least 40 people have been killed and hundreds wounded, making it the deadliest attack in Israel in years.At least 561 wounded people were being treated in Israeli hospitals, including at least 77 who were in critical condition, according to an Associated Press count based on public statements and calls to hospitals.There was no official comment on casualties in Gaza, but AP reporters witnessed the funerals of 15 people who were killed and saw another eight bodies arrive ...

Man dead, another critical after wrong-way crash on DuSable Lake Shore Drive

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:00:03 GMT

CHICAGO -- A man is dead and another is in critical condition after a wrong-way, head-on crash on DuSable Lake Shore Drive Friday night. Police said the incident took place near the 2900 block of South DuSable Lake Shore Drive around 11:48 p.m. A passenger in the vehicle that was crashed into sustained blunt force of trauma t the body and was transported to University of Chicago medical Center in critical condition where he was pronounced dead shortly after. Man arrested in connection to Willowbrook Juneteenth shooting The 53-year-old man driving the vehicle that was driving on the wrong side of the road sustained injured to the body and was transported to University of Chicago Hospital in critical condition. Citations are pending and police are still investigating the incident.

Netanyahu says Israel is 'at war,' promises retaliation after Hamas launches attack

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:00:03 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — The ruling Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel at daybreak Saturday, firing thousands of rockets as dozens of fighters infiltrated the heavily fortified border in several locations by air, land and sea, catching the country off guard on a major holiday.Several hours after the invasion began, Hamas militants were still fighting gunbattles inside several Israeli communities in a surprising show of strength that shook the country. Israel’s national rescue service said at least 40 people have been killed and hundreds wounded, making it the deadliest attack in Israel in years.At least 561 wounded people were being treated in Israeli hospitals, including at least 77 who were in critical condition, according to an Associated Press count based on public statements and calls to hospitals.There was no official comment on casualties in Gaza, but AP reporters witnessed the funerals of 15 people who were killed and saw another eig...

Navigating what an ‘ethical’ bag of coffee beans means is easier said than done

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:00:03 GMT

(The Conversation) - You’re shopping for a bag of coffee beans at the grocery store. After reading about the effects of climate change and how little farmers make – typically $0.40 per cup – you figure it might be time to change your usual beans and buy something more ethical. Perusing the shelves in the coffee aisle, though, you see too many choices.First up is the red tub of Folgers “100% Colombian,” a kitchen staple – “lively with a roasted and rich finish.” On the side of the tub, you see the icon of Juan Valdez with his donkey, Conchita – a fictional mascot representing the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation.Coffee farmer Julian Pinilla uses a coffee grinder during an interview with AFP in Valle del Cauca, Colombia. Juan Restrepo/AFP via Getty ImagesNext might be Starbucks “Single-Origin Colombia.” One side of the green bag tells “the story” of the beans, describing “treacherous dirt roads” to “6,500 feet of elevation” that are “worth the jou...

A comfortable weekend

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:00:03 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A cold front moved south through overnight leaving a strong north wind. Wind gusts in excess of 20 to 25 mph are part of this morning's forecast. Wind speeds and gusts will lower during this afternoon.The cooler breeze will help keep our afternoon temperatures in the 70s. Most highs today will be in the low to mid 70s. The last time we had a daytime maximum in the 70s was 77° on April 29.A lighter north wind, a mostly clear sky and dry air will send most overnight temperatures to the 50s. There will be some mid/upper 40s in the Hill Country. The last time Austin had a low in the 50s was May 1 when the thermometer fell to 58°.Rain looks to be limited to scattered showers that could begin as early as Tuesday afternoon. A tropical storm in the eastern Pacific, Lidia, is forecast to take a turn to the northeast Monday taking it to the central west coast of Mexico late Wednesday night/early Thursday morning.The forecast issue is how much moisture from the Pacific and th...