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ASK IRA: Will Heat’s Spoelstra relent, turn to Oladipo as Herro replacement?

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:27:02 GMT

Q: Victor Oladipo absolutely needs to be in the rotation next game. At the minimum, his defense against Jrue Holiday will help immensely. There is no reason why Duncan Robinson should be playing over him – JRod.A: It certainly was interesting that Victor Oladipo did not sniff the court after Tyler Herro was hurt in Sunday’s victory. But I also would not overstate Duncan Robinson’s role, considering he ultimately played just 6:26, most of it as Erik Spoelstra was attempting to wrap his mind around a rotation without Tyler. What the loss of Tyler does is limit the Heat’s shot creation. That is one thing that Tyler does as well as arguably anyone on the roster. You’re not going to get that from Duncan or Caleb Martin or Max Strus. You might get that from Vic, which leads to the next question . . .Q: Everything Victor Oladipo does on defense is canceled out by his terrible offense. You never know what he’s gonna do and he kills the momentum every time...

Ravens draft preview: Adding juice at edge rusher might be worth the squeeze

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:27:02 GMT

The calendar has officially flipped to April, which can only mean one thing: It’s time to get ready for the NFL draft.The first round begins April 27 in Kansas City, but until then, the Ravens have plenty to figure out. Most notably, their contract stalemate with star quarterback Lamar Jackson, who has requested a trade while under the $32.4 million nonexclusive franchise tag. If he gets his wish, the Ravens’ draft could look a lot different.Baltimore owns five picks: Nos. 22 (first round), 86 (third round), 124 (fourth round), 157 (fifth round) and 199 (sixth round). A blockbuster deal for Jackson would significantly increase the size of that haul, but the Ravens are guaranteed at least one additional first-rounder this year if Jackson signs an offer with another team before the draft and Baltimore declines to match it.As we get closer to the draft, The Baltimore Sun will examine which players at each position of need (quarterback, wide receiver, cornerback, defensive l...

Lucas: Dems choice of Chicago recalls a divided America

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:27:02 GMT

I love the smell of tear gas in the morning.That is a line, in a dark sense of humor, I used to repeat to myself following the anti-Vietnam War riots at the Democrat Party convention in Chicago in 1968.This is a Patriot’s Day lookback at that convention.Tear gas fumes were everywhere during the weeklong, nightmarish clashes between the mobilized anti-Vietnam war demonstrators and the Chicago cops. The smell and fumes were in your clothes, in your hair, in the hotel lobby and in the hotel room you woke up in.While this event will be the twelfth time the party will meet in Chicago, none of the gatherings were or will be as memorable as 1968.The 1968 Chicago convention was marked by a major anti-Vietnam War protest, demonstrations and riots that the tough and equally riotous Chicago cops beat back with tear gas and long clubs.The line, in a flashback, came back to me upon hearing that the Democrats will return to Chicago in August to re-nominate President Joe Biden for a second term—if...

Australian charged over reports to suspected Chinese spies

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:27:02 GMT

SYDNEY (AP) — Two suspected Chinese spies gave a Sydney businessman envelopes of cash for information about subjects including a government deal with the United States and Britain to build a fleet of Australian nuclear-powered submarines, prosecutors told a court on Monday.The businessman, Alexander Csergo, was refused bail when he appeared by video link from prison in Sydney’s Downing Center Local Court charged with one count of reckless foreign interference.The charge, included in laws against covert foreign interference and espionage that angered China when they were legislated in 2018, carries a maximum 15-year prison sentence.He is accused of accepting money from two suspected Chinese spies he knew by the names Ken and Evelyn in exchange for handwritten reports on Australian defense, economic and national security arrangements since 2021 while he worked in Shanghai, where he owns a communications and technology infrastructure consultancy business.The subjects included the AUKUS...

House where King planned Alabama marches moving to Michigan

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:27:02 GMT

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — A lot was happening in March 1965 in the bungalow in Selma, Alabama, that then-4-year-old Jawana Jackson called home, and much of it involved her “Uncle Martin.”There were late-night visitors, phone calls and meetings at the house that was a safe haven for the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders as they planned the Selma to Montgomery marches calling for Black voting rights.The role the Jackson House played was integral to the Civil Rights Movement, so Jackson contacted the The Henry Ford Museum near Detroit about a year ago to ask if it would take over the preservation of the Jackson House and its legacy.“It became increasingly clearer to me that the house belonged to the world, and quite frankly, The Henry Ford was the place that I always felt in my heart that it needed to be,” she told The Associated Press last week from her home in Pensacola, Florida.Starting this year, the Jackson House will be dismantled piece-by-piece and trucked ...

Injuries to NBA stars Giannis, Ja dim start of postseason

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:27:02 GMT

Anthony Davis scared Los Angeles Lakers fans by grabbing at his right shoulder and saying he couldn’t move his arm. Luckily for the Lakers, Davis rebounded from a stinger and returned for the start of the third quarter. Yet injuries over the span of a couple hours Sunday sidelined two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, two-time All-Star Ja Morant and Tyler Herro, keeping them from finishing their playoff openers. Injuries to some of the NBA’s top stars has dimmed the start of this postseason with title hopes possibly fading just as quickly depending on how bad they’re hurt. “We’ll monitor him and see how he does, see how he wakes up, how he feels,” Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer said of Antetokounmpo.Both Antetokounmpo and the Memphis Grizzlies’ Morant were hurt on drives to the basket where each landed awkwardly. Antetokounmpo came down hard on his backside after being fouled by Miami’s Kevin Love. The Bucks’ forward got up slowly with 4...

NHL playoffs: Eichel, Hughes among the top players to watch

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:27:02 GMT

The NHL playoffs are going on without Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin for the first time since their rookie year in 2006, but that doesn’t mean the chase for the Stanley Cup isn’t packed with star power.Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche are trying to go back to back. Connor McDavid is hell-bent on winning his first championship with the Edmonton Oilers.And there are a handful of players in the postseason as professionals for the first time. New Jersey’s Jack Hughes and Vegas’ Jack Eichel are ready to make an impact at the time hockey matters the most.Here are the top players to watch:CONNOR MCDAVIDThe league leader in goals and points and a shoo-in for the Hart Trophy as MVP, McDavid has done just about everything a player can in the regular season and repeatedly said he doesn’t care about individual honors.“Connor McDavid definitively is better than anybody in the league,” former goaltender and current ESPN analyst Kevin Weekes said.McDavid carried Edmon...

Clarence Thomas claimed income from defunct real estate firm: report says

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:27:02 GMT

(The Hill) - Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has claimed on financial disclosure documents that his family received hundreds of thousands in income from a now-defunct real estate firm, according to a new report from the Washington Post.The Post reports that Thomas said the income came from Ginger, Ltd., Partnership, a real estate firm launched by his wife, Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, and her family, that was shut down in 2006. A new firm was opened under the name Ginger Holdings, LLC, according to the report, but Thomas continued to claim income from the unused firm. The Post notes that the discrepancy could be a mere error, but it comes as Thomas faces scrutiny for his finances as he serves on the nation’s highest court. A ProPublica report earlier this month said a Republican mega-donor paid for Thomas to take part in various luxury vacations over two decades, which the justice did not disclose. A subsequent report found that Thomas also didn’t disclose a 2014 re...

'The Super Mario Bros. Movie' tops the box office again

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:27:02 GMT

“The Super Mario Bros. Movie" scored the best second weekend ever for an animated movie in North American theaters with $87 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday. The family-friendly Universal release dropped a slim 41% from its record-making opening weekend.With $94 million from international showings, “Mario's” global total now stands at a staggering $678 million, surpassing “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” to become biggest film of 2023 in just two weekends.“There are not enough adjectives to describe the enormity of this box office performance,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comsore. Tornado alley is expanding — and scientists don’t know why For most blockbusters, second weekends are usually down by about 60%, making “Mario's” 41% drop especially noteworthy. According to Comscore, only a handful of films that opened over $100 million have had less of a fall, including “Shrek 2,” “Frozen 2,” 2002's “Spider-Man," “The Force...

Four arrested after traffic stop in Queensbury

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:27:02 GMT

QUEENSBURY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A traffic stop led to four people being arrested on drug-related charges Sunday night in Queensbury, according to the Warren County Sheriff's Office. Thomas Clum (48, Queensbury), Pamelyn Demar (47, Queensbury), Daniel Santana (36, South Glens Falls), and Chantelle Joubert (31, Corinth) each face charges. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! On Sunday, around 10:58 p.m., the Warren County Sheriff's Office pulled over a car at the intersection of West Mountain Road and Hillside Drive in Queensbury. Deputies say the car failed to stop at a stop sign and crossed over double yellow lines. Police identified Clum as the driver and said they saw drug paraphernalia in plain view. Following an investigation, deputies say they found a large quantity of cocaine, Xanax pills, and other drug paraphernalia with drug residue. Deputies investigating fatal Hebron shooting Santana and Joubert Charges:Fifth-degree ...