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Kurtenbach: Why the SF Giants need to pass on Bellinger, Chapman in free agency

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:44:39 GMT

Shohei Ohtani was everything the Giants needed.He was a middle-of-the-lineup bat with the kind of pop that could tame the right-field winds of Oracle Park.He was a top-of-the-rotation arm (in 2024, at least) who could pair with Logan Webb to give San Francisco the best 1-2 punch in the National League.He would have brought MVP credentials to a roster seeking respect and legitimacy. And man, would he have brought people out to the corner of Third and King.But Ohtani is going to sign with the Dodgers, pending a physical (we know how those can go), and the Giants are still looking for all of those things.It’s just another offseason letdown for Giants fans. And worse yet, with this free agent of all free agents, the Giants didn’t seem to be serious contenders for his services.I hear the cries for “spread the $700 million around” from the true believers.That’s a good idea in theory, but a terrible idea in reality.This is how you end up with Michael Conforto,...

Jennifer Aniston said Matthew Perry was ‘happy’ on morning he died, dismisses idea of relapse

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:44:39 GMT

In a new interview published Monday, Jennifer Aniston dismissed speculation that Matthew Perry suffered a drug relapse that led to his Oct. 28 death, saying she had been texting with her good friend the morning he died and said he sounded happy, healthy and not “struggling.”Speaking to Variety, Aniston said about her “Friends” co-star: “He was happy. He was healthy. He had quit smoking. He was getting in shape. He was happy — that’s all I know. I was literally texting with him that morning, funny Matty. He was not in pain. He wasn’t struggling. He was happy.”Perry — who was long open about his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction, his multiple relapses, stints in rehab and dire health consequences — died unexpectedly at the age 54 of an apparent drowning at his Los Angeles-area home. Los Angeles medical examiners have yet to determine what caused Perry’s death.The actor, who played the sardonic Chandler Bing on the beloved s...

Shelter-in-place issued in El Cerrito due to gas leak

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:44:39 GMT

(KRON) -- A shelter-in-place has been issued for an El Cerrito neighborhood Monday due to a gas leak, according to the El Cerrito Police Department. El Cerrito PD, fire department personnel and PG&E are currently actively working to correct the leak, police said. Workers at Oakland coffee shop at center of antisemitic graffiti incident slam owners Residents in the 600 block of Bonnie Drive are being asked to close doors and windows and shelter in place. All other are being asked to avoid the area.There is no current danger, according to police.This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

This Is Not a War Against Hamas

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:44:39 GMT

Palestinians cry beside the bodies of their family members at Nasser Hospital after Israeli airstrikes in Khan Yunis, Gaza on December 10, 2023.Photo: Belal Khaled/Anadolu via Getty ImagesThe events of the past week should obliterate any doubt that the war against the Palestinians of Gaza is a joint U.S.–Israeli operation. On Friday, as the Biden administration stood alone among the nations of the world in vetoing a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire, Secretary of State Antony Blinken was busy circumventing congressional review to ram through approval of an “emergency” sale of 13,000 tank rounds to Israel. For weeks, Blinken has been zipping across the Middle East and appearing on scores of television networks in a PR tour aimed at selling the world the notion that the White House is deeply concerned about the fate of Gaza’s 2.2 million residents. “Far too many Palestinians have been killed; far too many have suffered these past weeks, and...

Blue Bird: Fiscal Q4 Earnings Snapshot

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:44:39 GMT

MACON, Ga. (AP) — MACON, Ga. (AP) — Blue Bird Corp. (BLBD) on Monday reported fiscal fourth-quarter net income of $18.6 million, after reporting a loss in the same period a year earlier.On a per-share basis, the Macon, Georgia-based company said it had profit of 58 cents. Earnings, adjusted for stock option expense and non-recurring costs, came to 66 cents per share.The results surpassed Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of three analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 47 cents per share.The school bus maker posted revenue of $303 million in the period.For the year, the company reported net income of $23.8 million, or 74 cents per share, swinging to a profit in the period. Revenue was reported as $1.13 billion.Blue Bird expects full-year revenue in the range of $1.15 billion to $1.25 billion.Blue Bird shares have more than doubled since the beginning of the year. In the final minutes of trading on Monday, shares hit $21.81, an increase of 71% ...

Slumping Eagles still have a shot at the NFC East crown, No. 1 seed

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:44:39 GMT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Let’s look on the bright side for the Philadelphia Eagles.Yes, they’ve lost two straight games, against two of the NFC’s best teams. Yes, they’ve been sloppy. Yes, confidence has waned in Philly that the Eagles can return to the Super Bowl. Yes, the entire coaching staff is getting second-guessed.The good news is this: Through all the slop of the last two weeks, the Eagles can still win the NFC East. Oh, and the No. 1 overall seed in the conference is still in play, though they need help to get there.The Eagles followed a home blowout loss to San Francisco with a beatdown defeat at Dallas. The 33-13 loss gave the Eagles a series split with the Cowboys and put both teams at 10-3. As of Monday, the Eagles are the No. 5 seed in the NFC. Not great for a team that was 10-1 two weeks ago.The Eagles went 2-2 during a challenging stretch that included wins over Kansas City and Buffalo. The schedule just may get the Eagles back to the top spot thanks to games agains...

Justin Jefferson could play for the Vikings this week after a chest injury from a hard hit

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:44:39 GMT

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson avoided internal injury from the airborne hit he took while catching a pass that cut short his return to action and has a “good chance” to play this week, coach Kevin O’Connell said Monday.After missing seven games with a hamstring strain, Jefferson was sidelined again Sunday at Las Vegas when he went high for a 15-yard completion in the second quarter and was smacked hard from the side by Raiders safety Marcus Epps. Jefferson immediately clutched his lower back, jogged gingerly off the field for a breather and wound up in the blue medical tent for closer examination. The Vikings wound up sending him to a hospital as a precaution for further testing after what they announced as a chest injury.Jefferson, the 2022 AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year, flew home with the team after the 3-0 victory. O’Connell said Jefferson’s status is considered day to day. The Vikings play Saturday at Cincinnati.“He’...

Israeli defense chief resists pressure to halt Gaza offensive, says campaign will ‘take time’

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:44:39 GMT

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel’s defense minister on Monday pushed back against international calls to wrap up the country’s military offensive in the Gaza Strip, saying the current phase of the operation against the Hamas militant group will “take time.”Yoav Gallant, a member of Israel’s three-man war cabinet, remained unswayed by a growing chorus of criticism over the widespread damage and heavy civilian death toll caused by the two-month military campaign. The U.N. secretary-general and leading Arab states have called for an immediate cease-fire. The United States has urged Israel to reduce civilian casualties, though it has provided unwavering diplomatic and military support.Israel launched the campaign after Hamas militants stormed across its southern border on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people and kidnapping about 240 others.Two months of airstrikes, coupled with a fierce ground invasion, have resulted in the deaths of over 17,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in...

Red Wings put captain Dylan Larkin on IR after cross-check that knocked him unconscious

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:44:39 GMT

DALLAS (AP) — Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin was put on injured reserve Monday, two days after being knocked unconscious when he was cross-checked in the back of the head and neck by Ottawa’s Mathieu Joseph.The Red Wings also placed left wing J.T. Compher and center Klim Kostin on injured reserve with undisclosed injuries before their game Monday night at Dallas. Zach Aston-Reese, Jonatan Berggren and Austin Czarnik were recalled from Grand Rapids of the USHL under emergency conditions.Larkin was motionless face-down on the ice for about a minute after the hit in Detroit’s 5-1 loss on Saturday, though he was able to get up and leave with assistance.“I think it was a positive that he was able to get up and be helped off the ice rather than on the stretcher,” Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said Monday.Asked if Larkin had a concussion, Lalonde said “that’s not my category” and that the captain would be listed with an upper-body injury. Larkin will be unavailable for ...

How major US stock indexes fared Monday, 12/11/2023

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:44:39 GMT

Stocks closed higher on Wall Street ahead of the Federal Reserve’s last meeting of the year. The S&P 500 rose 0.4% Monday. The Nasdaq composite rose 0.2% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.4%. Macy’s soared 19% following reports that an investor group is launching a bid to take the storied retailer private for $5.8 billion. Markets will get updates this week on inflation at the consumer and wholesale levels before the Fed’s meeting wraps up on Wednesday. Major stock indexes are on a six-week winning streak, with the S&P 500 up 20% for the year. Treasury yields held steady. On Monday:The S&P 500 rose 18.07 points, or 0.4%, to 4,622.44The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 157.06 points, or 0.4%, to 36,404.93.The Nasdaq composite rose 28.51 points, or 0.2%, to 14,432.49.The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies rose 2.86 points, or 0.2% to 1,883.68.For the year:The S&P 500 is up 782.94 points, or 20.4%.The Dow is up 3,257.68 points, or 9.8%.The Nasdaq is up ...