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Red Sox notebook: As trade deadline approaches, Chaim Bloom expects to stay true to principles

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 13:25:56 GMT

Should the Red Sox buy or sell at next week’s trade deadline? For chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom it’s not quite that simple.After three years spent building up the club’s organizational depth, the present and future are finally beginning to converge. Despite several key injuries, the Red Sox are an MLB-best 15-5 in their last 20 games, and the club’s recent fortunes have largely been fueled by an emerging core of young standouts who could serve as the foundation of a contending club for the rest of the decade.That being said, the Red Sox are still below the playoff cutline, fourth in their division and 1.5 games back of the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Wild Card race. Even at full strength it’s not certain this year’s group is ready for primetime, at least not yet.That leaves Bloom in a tricky place. Can he reinforce his club, which has sent a clear message it deserves a chance to compete for a World Series title, without mortgagin...

House panel hits pause on Zuckerberg contempt vote

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 13:25:56 GMT

WASHINGTON — A House committee called off a vote Thursday on a recommendation that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg be held in contempt of Congress for failing to fully supply documents related to an investigation into supposed censorship by tech companies of conservatives.Rep. Jim Jordan, a Republican and chair of the Judiciary Committee, tweeted shortly before the committee was to meet that, “Based on Facebook’s newfound commitment to fully cooperate with the Committee’s investigation, the Committee has decided to hold contempt in abeyance. For now.”Jordan added that contempt is still on the table and would be used if “Facebook fails to cooperate in FULL.”If the committee had moved forward, it would have been up to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., to hold a full House vote on the contempt resolution as early as this fall, after the August recess.If the House were to hold Zuckerberg in contempt, the Justice Department would decide whether to prose...

The lesson Hollywood should learn from ‘Barbenheimer’? Let originality come through

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 13:25:56 GMT

Michael Phillips | Chicago Tribune“Barbenheimer” saved the movie universe this week by handing eager audiences an eyeful of two very different planets. Neither “Barbie” nor “Oppenheimer” was “just another,” meaning: not just another sequel to a proven, if fading, franchise. Or just another superhero, trapping in a quantum realm somewhere in a Marvel soundstage in Atlanta, looking for a decent return on the usual $300 million investment.Co-writer and director Greta Gerwig‘s triumph made $162 million in the U.S. alone from the July 21-24 weekend. That’s the biggest domestic opening ever for a non-superhero film or sequel. Oh, and Monday? Typically the dead zone? The weirdly delightful “Barbie,” a 1959-born doll’s adventures in angst and yearning, broke records for the Warner Bros. opening week-Monday box office, the studio’s previous record-holder being “The Dark Knight” (2008), directed by Christopher Nolan, who wrote and directed … “Oppenheimer.”That one made $82.4 million in its fi...

Mike Lupica: Last-place Yankees still have plenty to play for with Aaron Judge on his way back

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 13:25:56 GMT

Here is what Yankee fans saw this week in the latest edition of the Subway Series: They saw this season’s $280 million production for Yankee baseball. It happens to be about the same budget they had for “Mission Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One.” Now the Yankees move up on another reckoning, one about how this particular movie ends, and which characters survive, and that doesn’t just mean the manager but also the general manager, Brian Cashman, whom Hal Steinbrenner allowed to spend all this money on a team that currently sits in last place in the AL East.The only consolation for the Yankees, as the Trade Deadline approaches, is that they’re much better off than the Mets. The Mets’ general manager, Cashman protegee Billy Eppler, spent even more money on players this season and is now as far away from a wild card in the National League as the Yankees are from first place in East.We all hear that Cashman is going to be a buyer at the deadl...

Longtime Celtics play-by-play broadcaster Mike Gorman will call final season in 2023-24

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 13:25:56 GMT

Mike Gorman, the longtime television voice of the Celtics, will call his final season in 2023-24 season after an iconic career that spanned more than four decades and saw him cover the likes of Larry Bird, Paul Pierce and Jayson Tatum, NBC Sports Boston announced on Thursday.The 77-year-old Gorman, a native of Dorchester, has been the Celtics’ primary play-by-play broadcaster since 1981 and is currently the longest tenured play-by-play voice of any professional sports franchise in Boston. He and the late Tommy Heinsohn made up the longest running telecast duo.“Being the play-by-play voice of the iconic Boston Celtics since 1981 has been a true honor and privilege,” Gorman said in a statement. “When I started on the broadcast team 43 years ago, I could not have dreamed what an amazing journey this would be. A world-class organization like the Boston Celtics and a television partnership which evolved over the years, ultimately allowing me the opportunity to be a part of NBC Spor...

Rhamondre Stevenson, Matt Judon limited on Day 2 of Patriots training camp

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 13:25:56 GMT

FOXBORO — Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson and outside linebacker Matt Judon were limited at Thursday’s training camp practice.Stevenson was a full participant in Wednesday’s opening practice, while Judon was held out of some team periods. It’s unclear why they’re limited Thursday. The Patriots’ practice attendance was otherwise identical to Wednesday, when only three players were absent. Second-year linebacker DaMarcus Mitchell has been limited both days and remains on the Non-Football Injury list.The Pats’ complete attendance report is below.Limited: RB Rhamondre Stevenson, OLB Matt JudonNon-contact jersey: LB/S Marte MapuPUP: OL Mike OnwenuNon-football Illness: OT Calvin AndersonNon-Football Injury: DaMarcus Mitchel

Best credit cards for international travel

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 13:25:56 GMT

Holly D. Johnson | Bankrate (TNS)Credit cards can be valuable tools when you use them close to home, but they should also be an essential part of your packing list any time you travel overseas. Not only do you normally need a credit card to put down a security deposit to rent a hotel room, but you’ll likely need a credit card to rent a car, too. And if you run out of cash while on a trip, a credit card lets you charge whatever you need and pay the balance when you return home.The best credit cards for international trips also let you avoid added fees on international transactions and earn rewards for each dollar you spend. Some even offer robust travel protections that can shield you financially if your flight is delayed or your bags are lost or stolen.If you’re planning a trip overseas this year, here are some of the best cards to consider.The Platinum Card from American Express: Best for international travel overallWhy we picked it: The Platinum Card® from American Express makes i...

DUI suspected in deadly crash near border

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 13:25:56 GMT

SAN DIEGO — A man was arrested in connection to a deadly freeway crash Wednesday near the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the California Highway Patrol announced.The crash happened shortly before noon on southbound Interstate 805 near Camino De La Plaza, which is the last U.S. exit.According to CHP, the driver of a white Audi sedan was driving the wrong-way on I-805 when they crashed head-on with the driver of a blue Honda van.“Our understanding at this point is they turned around at the point of entry and came the wrong way,” CHP Sgt. Hope Maxson said.The driver of the Honda was was killed as a result of the crash. The driver of the Audi was hospitalized with major, but not life-threatening injuries, according to CHP.During the course of their investigation, officials came to believe the driver of the Audi was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash, CHP Public Information Officer Jesse Matias said. Man killed in Mira Mesa crash The driver of the Audi, identified a...

This is the most affordable housing market among San Diego metro's largest cities: report

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 13:25:56 GMT

Editor's note: This story was updated to reflect that the report is based on the largest cities inside the San Diego metro.SAN DIEGO -- Can you guess which of the largest cities in the San Diego metro has the most affordable housing market?If you don't want to spend over half of your yearly income towards homeownership, then San Diego may not be the place for you -- hypothetically speaking. Based on the average projected income of a household, median asking price, estimated mortgage cost and taxes, there's only one city among the largest cities in the San Diego metro where homebuyers will be forking out less than 50% of their income for a place to call their own. These 10 gas stations have the cheapest fuel prices in San Diego County: GasBuddy That's according to a report by real estate listing platform RealtyHop, which examined home affordability for the average American family in the 100 largest U.S. cities and their surrounding metros.Based on this report's key findings, Carlsb...

Animation master Hayao Miyazaki’s ‘The Boy and the Heron’ to open TIFF this year

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 13:25:56 GMT

Influential Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s first feature in 10 years will open this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.“The Boy and the Heron” is a hand-drawn film, written and directed by Miyazaki. The coming-of-age movie centres on a boy who loses his mother during the Second World War and embarks on a journey into a magical world.The Studio Ghibli production, which set box office records in Japan earlier this month, is the first Japanese or animated film to fill the high-profile opening-night slot at the festival. The announcement signals a departure from the longtime event that often featured stateside directors and production studios.While current SAG-AFTRA strike rules may prevent Hollywood stars from promoting their work, such rules wouldn’t affect international talents like Miyazaki or the actors in his film. Film festivals have already seen the impact of the labour action — Venicelost its buzzy opener, Luca Guadagnino’s “...