From not knowing what to expect to ‘superstar in the making’: Twins’ Royce Lewis impressing those around him

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:03:39 GMT

From not knowing what to expect to ‘superstar in the making’: Twins’ Royce Lewis impressing those around him CHICAGO — Royce Lewis was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 draft. He was the Twins’ top prospect as he worked his way through the farm system and the promise of his talent was cause for excitement across the organization for years.But when Lewis returned to the Twins in late May, after two anterior cruciate ligament surgeries in his right knee, there was really no way for the Twins to anticipate what he might look like. If there had been expectations, it’s safe to say he would have exceeded them by now.“I had no idea what to expect. No one had any idea what to expect,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “If anyone thinks or claims they did, they’re lying. It’s not true. He hadn’t played enough.”In addition to two years being wiped out by injury, Lewis didn’t play in a game in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the cancellation of the minor league season.Everything he’s been through makes everything he’s doing right now all the more impressive. Lewis finished t...

Broncos report card: Denver’s defense collapses, offense stagnates as big lead evaporates in home loss vs. Washington

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:03:39 GMT

Broncos report card: Denver’s defense collapses, offense stagnates as big lead evaporates in home loss vs. Washington OFFENSE — CHard to start much better than the Broncos did Sunday, scoring touchdowns on their first three drives. They ran the ball. They hit big plays in the passing game. They rolled to a 21-3 lead. At one point, they were averaging better than 12 yards per snap. Then? A Wilson fumble, a pair of three-and-outs and an interception as Washington roared back to tie the game. All of the good from the early drives turned into a stretch that featured 13 plays, a total of two net yards and a pair of turnovers. Overall, Denver’s 33-point scoring output looks a lot better on paper than it did in practice for most of Sunday. But hey, Brandon Johnson made a heck of a play on that Hail Mary, right?DEFENSE — FThe Broncos defense is off to an inauspicious start in 2023. Timely stops? Nope. Tackling? OK early on Sunday afternoon and embarrassing for most of the final three quarters. Big plays? Well, they generated more pressure in Week 2 than Week 1, but didn’t do enough around it. T...

Rookies Hunter Goodman, Brenton Doyle homer but Rockies’ five-game winning streak ends

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:03:39 GMT

Rookies Hunter Goodman, Brenton Doyle homer but Rockies’ five-game winning streak ends The Rockies’ best run of the season came to a halt with an 11-10 loss to the Giants on Sunday afternoon at Coors Field.But not before the Rockies scored four runs in the ninth to put the Giants against the ropes. The Giants held on for the victory when Taylor Rogers got Charlie Blackmon to line out weakly to second base.The Giants really won the game when their bats came out of hibernation and they sent 12 men to the plate in an eight-run sixth inning.Colorado’s loss ended its season-best five-game winning streak and prevented it from a rare four-game sweep of San Francisco.The Rockies’ highlights came in their five-run fifth inning. Rookie right fielder Hunter Goodman hit the first home run of his career, a two-run blast to left field, and rookie center fielder Brenton Doyle followed with a three-run homer to left. It was Doyle’s ninth homer of the season.The Giants, who received 5 1/3 strong innings from right-hander Sean Manaea, snapped a nine-game road lo...

Kurtenbach: Don’t forget about Deebo — Studs and Duds from the 49ers’ 30-23 win over the Rams

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:03:39 GMT

Kurtenbach: Don’t forget about Deebo — Studs and Duds from the 49ers’ 30-23 win over the Rams Unlike in Week 1, the 49ers provided plenty of fodder for both the studs and duds category in the team’s Week 2 win over the Rams.It was a choppy, chippy game, but the 49ers can’t argue with the outcome, winning 30-23 for a ninth-straight regular-season win over their rivals to the south.STUDSRB Christian McCaffreyThe heartbeat of the 49ers’ offense. The ever-versatile McCaffrey hasn’t been utilized in exotic ways yet this season, but in his more traditional running back role, he’s been marvelous, providing solid runs up the middle and breaking off big gains that break open the game.Sunday, that gain was a 51-yard first-half run.McCaffrey finished with 116 yards on 20 carries, with a touchdown to boot.WR Deebo SamuelA man amongst boys when he plays the Rams. His fourth-quarter touchdown was Samuel at his finest: in the open field, making defenders miss and running them over en route to six points.Brandon Aiyuk might be emergent and Christian McCaffrey m...

Instant analysis: 49ers rally past Rams 30-23 to start season 2-0

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:03:39 GMT

Instant analysis: 49ers rally past Rams 30-23 to start season 2-0 INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Deebo Samuel snared the ball, banged his way up the left sideline, and bounded over the goal line for a 49ers touchdown that exemplified their not-so-easy, 30-23 win Sunday.Samuel’s 11-yard catch-and-run put the 49ers ahead 27-17 in the fourth quarter, and, unlike the 2021 season’s NFC Championship Game here, that proved too much for the Rams to overcome, much to the delight of a pro-49ers crowd inside SoFi StadiumDeommodore Lenoir’s fourth-quarter interception sealed the 49ers’ victory, their ninth straight in regular-season action against the Rams. It made the 49ers 2-0 for the third time in five seasons, and next up is Thursday night in their home opener against the New York Giants.This wasn’t the cakewalk like last Sunday’s opener, when the 49ers rolled the host Pittsburgh Steelers 30-7.Then again, that’s back-to-back games with 30 points. What is their weekly potential?“It’s high,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said, “but I fe...

Contract negotiations: UAW strike puts the four-day workweek back in focus

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:03:39 GMT

Contract negotiations: UAW strike puts the four-day workweek back in focus (CNN) — When the United Auto Workers called a strike last week against General Motors, Ford and Stellantis, one of their demands focused on an idea circulating on the periphery of labor reform circles.In addition to calling for a 36% pay raise and increased job security, union members want a 32-hour, four-day workweek with no pay cuts.Proposals to shorten the workweek have gained traction in recent years, with the flexibility of pandemic-era remote work fueling many of these calls. The accelerating use of artificial intelligence in the workplace has also pushed some workers to question the necessity of a 40-hour week.Sen. Bernie Sanders has long been a vocal proponent of a shortened workweek.“We are looking at an explosion in this country of artificial intelligence and robotics. And that means that the average worker is going to be much more productive,” the Vermont Independent told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday. “The question as a nation that we have to ask ourselves is: Who is going...

Two pilots dead in Reno plane crash, racing association says

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:03:39 GMT

Two pilots dead in Reno plane crash, racing association says (FOX40.COM) -- A plane crash in Reno has left two pilots dead, according to the Reno Air Racing Association (RARA).The crash occurred around 2:15 p.m. on Sunday at the conclusion of a "T-6 Gold Race," the association said in a thread on social media. "There were no civilian injuries and we’re in the process of confirming additional details around the incident," one of the posts read. Oakland mother killed after being struck by stray bullet while asleep RARA said more information will be released when it is available, and all racing operations are currently suspended. "As we always do, we are cooperating with the National Transportation Safety Board, the FAA, and all local authorities to identify the cause of the accident and ensure that all of our pilots, spectators, and volunteers have the necessary support during this time," the organization concluded.

U.S. Helped Pakistan Get IMF Bailout With Secret Arms Deal for Ukraine, Leaked Documents Reveal

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:03:39 GMT

U.S. Helped Pakistan Get IMF Bailout With Secret Arms Deal for Ukraine, Leaked Documents Reveal Secret Pakistani arms sales to the U.S. helped to facilitate a controversial bailout from the International Monetary Fund earlier this year, according to two sources with knowledge of the arrangement, with confirmation from internal Pakistani and American government documents. The arms sales were made for the purpose of supplying the Ukrainian military — marking Pakistani involvement in a conflict it had faced U.S. pressure to take sides on.The revelation is a window into the kind of behind-the-scenes maneuvering between financial and political elites that rarely is exposed to the public, even as the public pays the price. Harsh structural policy reforms demanded by the IMF as terms for its recent bailout kicked off an ongoing round of protests in the country. Major strikes have taken place throughout Pakistan in recent weeks in response to the measures.The protests are the latest chapter in a year-and-a-half-long political crisis roiling the country. In April 2022, the Pakistani mi...

Commanders hold on to beat Broncos after Wilson's Hail Mary

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:03:39 GMT

Commanders hold on to beat Broncos after Wilson's Hail Mary DENVER (AP) — Sam Howell threw for two touchdowns and the Washington Commanders rallied from an 18-point deficit to beat the Denver Broncos 35-33 on Sunday, holding on after Russell Wilson connected with Brandon Johnson on a 50-yard Hail Mary but failed to complete the tying 2-point try.Washington cornerback Benjamin St-Juste broke up Wilson's pass to Courtland Sutton on the 2-point conversion attempt. St-Juste appeared to get away with pass interference, but no flag was thrown and the Commanders celebrated the franchise's first 2-0 start since 2011 while Sutton and his teammates argued vehemently for a foul. Broncos safety Kareem Jackson disqualified for hit in end zone Howell threw for 299 yards on on 27-of-39 passing in his first road start and led Washington to the second-biggest comeback in franchise history. Washington overcame a 21-point deficit to beat Detroit on Nov. 4, 1990.The Commanders trailed 21-3 in the second quarter. Brian Robinson Jr. ran for two scores during a ...

Denver metro among hot spots for inflation since last year

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:03:39 GMT

Denver metro among hot spots for inflation since last year (NEXSTAR) – While the latest numbers show an easing in some measures of inflation – despite a spike in gas prices – some cities have seen larger increases than others over the past year, according to Labor Department data released Wednesday.The consumer price index was up 3.7% in August over the previous year, an increase from the 3.2% annual pace in July. However, when adjusted to filter out more volatile categories such as food and energy, inflation growth actually slowed from 4.7% in July to 4.3% in August, year-over-year. Denver ranks 2nd for highest inflation This slowing of so-called "core" prices suggests that inflation is coming under control, but at a more gradual pace than the government had hoped as officials try to reach the Federal Reserve's target of 2%.“We’re getting to the stage where we’ve basically had all the low-hanging fruit in terms of disinflation,” said Blerina Uruci, an economist at T. Rowe Price. “The progress on core inflation over the coming months is g...