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MLB Notes: Could Verdugo and Wong’s breakout change narrative of Mookie Betts trade?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:34 GMT

The Mookie Betts trade was controversial from the moment the deal was struck, and four years later the move remains a sore subject among Red Sox fans writ large.Already a league MVP and a World Series champion at the time of the deal, Betts could have become the face of the franchise and finished what will likely wind up being a Hall of Fame career in Boston. Red Sox fans were left wondering what could have been as Betts thrived in Los Angeles, and the fact the club went on to finish last in two out of three years only added insult to injury.The Red Sox were never going to get comparable value back in the short-term, but the way things are trending there’s a chance the trade could eventually be viewed as worthwhile.Alex Verdugo, the primary return in the Betts deal, has been a regular starter for the Red Sox ever since his arrival in 2020. His first three seasons in Boston could be best summed up as “good, not great,” but now he appears to have made the leap and is...

20 Indonesian trafficking victims freed in Myanmar

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:34 GMT

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian officials said Sunday they freed 20 of their nationals who were trafficked to Myanmar as part of a cyber scam, amid an increase in human trafficking cases in Southeast Asia.Indonesia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement that its embassy in Yangon with help from local networks had managed to release the victims from Myawaddy township and brought them to the Thai border on Saturday.The Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok will work closely with Thai authorities to repatriate the victims to Indonesia, the statement said. Myawaddy is in eastern Kayin state along the Thai border and is the site of an armed conflict between Myanmar’s military and ethnic Karen rebels.Fake recruiters had offered the Indonesians high-paying jobs in Thailand but instead trafficked them to Myawaddy, about 567 kilometers (352 miles) south of Naypyidaw, the capital, to perform cyber scams for crypto websites or apps, said Judha Nugraha, an official in Indonesia’s Foreign A...

Michigan faces pushback with gun red flag law set to pass

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:34 GMT

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Karen Kobylik knew her daughter should not have a gun. She had repeatedly called the police since her daughter turned 21, pleading with them to take her firearms because of the risk she posed to herself and others. “They said we can’t take any guns away from her because we cannot step on her Second Amendment right,” Kobylik told The Associated Press. “I was like, ‘I’m a mother telling you that this kid’s got a mental issue that is not currently being addressed.’”Kobylik’s daughter, Ruby Taverner, shot and killed her brother and boyfriend before taking her own life in the early morning of May 8 last year. Kobylik believes all three lives could have been saved had red flag laws, also known as extreme risk protection orders, existed in Michigan that would have allowed police to remove her daughter’s guns and prevented her from purchasing more. Now Michigan is poised to become the 20th state — and the first in nearly three years — to pass a red flag law. It w...

To improve kids’ mental health, some schools start later

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:34 GMT

DREXEL HILL, Pa. (AP) — In the hours before he’s due at Upper Darby High School, senior Khalid Doulat has time to say prayers, help his mother or prepare for track practice. It’s a welcome shift from last year for him and thousands of students at the school, which pushed its start time back by more than two hours — from a 7:30 a.m. start time to 9:45 a.m. One goal for the change: to ease strains on students that were more visible than ever coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I’ll be honest, I’ve been much happier in the mornings,” Doulat said. “I’ve been more positive, and I’ve come to school smiling more rather than, you know, grudging out of bed and stuff like that at 7:30.”The idea of later school start times, pushed by many over the years as a way to help adolescents get more sleep, is getting a new look as a way to address the mental health crisis affecting teens across the U.S. For some schools, the pandemic allowed experimentation to try new schedules. Upper Dar...

For far-right activist, lawsuit becomes one-sided standoff

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:34 GMT

EMMETT, Idaho (AP) — A far-right activist best known for his showdowns with federal and state law enforcement officials in Oregon and Nevada is now waging a one-sided standoff of a different kind after refusing to comply with court orders in an Idaho defamation lawsuit.The lawsuit by St. Luke’s Regional Health was filed more than a year ago, accusing Ammon Bundy and his close associate Diego Rodriguez of making defamatory statements against the hospital and its employees after Rodriguez’s infant grandson was temporarily removed from his family and taken to St. Luke’s amid concerns for his health. Since then, Bundy has ignored court orders related to the lawsuit, filed trespassing complaints against people hired to deliver legal paperwork, and called on scores of his followers to camp at his home for protection when he learned he might be arrested on a warrant for a misdemeanor charge of contempt of court.“We can build a defense system from here … This is what...

Orange County woman fighting for life after vehicle crashes into home

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:34 GMT

A woman is fighting for her life on Saturday after being struck by a hit-and-run driver who crashed through an apartment building in Santa Ana.The woman was identified as 32-year-old Ayoleone Bufkin, a Fullerton resident. Bufkin has undergone multiple surgeries since the devastating crash.“It’s so hard to even put into words,” said Roland Gonzalez, Bufkin’s father. “It’s just unfathomable. She’s such a good girl. She’s with her family and her partner just minding her own business and something like this happens.”On Monday, officers responded to an apartment complex on the 1600 block of Memory Lane around 10:20 p.m., according to the Santa Ana Police Department.When police arrived, they discovered a minivan driver had slammed into the first-floor apartment while Bufkin was relaxing on the couch. The impact left the woman pinned underneath the vehicle.Paramedics extricated Bufkin and rushed her to the UC Irvine Medical Center where she remains on Saturday night, fighting for her life....

Sterling win at UFC 288 may send Cejudo back to retirement

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:34 GMT

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Aljamain Sterling survived a late takedown that sent a packed crowd into a frenzy and held on to his 135-pound championship with a split decision victory against Henry Cejudo in the main event of UFC 288 on Saturday night.The 33-year-old Sterling won his ninth straight fight and spoiled Cejudo’s comeback after a three-year retirement. Sterling was immediately confronted inside the cage by challenger Sean O’Malley and the two fighters instantly needed to be separated.Sterling (23-3) launched into a profanity-laced tirade against O’Malley and was booed out of Prudential Center by 17,559 fans that paid to watch Cejudo tried to turn back the clock. Cejudo, the only person to win an Olympic gold medal and a UFC title, held the bantamweight crown when he abruptly retired in May 2020 after he successfully defended the championship against Dominick Cruz. “I hate losing but it’s also been three years,” Cejudo said.Cejudo said he was a “little confused” a...

White powers Whitecaps to 3-2 victory over Minnesota United

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:34 GMT

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Brian White scored two goals to help the Vancouver Whitecaps earn a 3-2 victory over Minnesota United on Saturday night.White gave Vancouver (3-2-5) an early lead when he took a pass from Andrés Cubas and scored in the 17th minute.Defender Michael Boxall pulled Minnesota United (3-4-3) even when he scored unassisted in the 33rd minute to tie the match at halftime.The Whitecaps grabbed the lead for good on back-to-back goals by White and Simon Becher. Ranko Veselinovic earned an assist on White’s second netter of the night and fourth of the season — in the 52nd minute. Ryan Gauld had an assist in the 56th minute on Becher’s fifth goal in four appearances this season. Becher subbed in and scored in his first two matches and had two goals in his first start.Sang Bin Jeong picked up his first career goal in his fifth appearance and fourth start for Minnesota United, capping the scoring in the 65th minute with an assist from Robin Lod.Vancou...

Eovaldi throws 8 scoreless innings, Rangers beat Angels 10-1

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:34 GMT

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Nathan Eovaldi threw eight scoreless innings and the Texas Rangers defeated the Los Angeles Angels 10-1 on Saturday night.Eovaldi (4-2) followed up a complete game shutout against the New York Yankees last Saturday by taking his scoreless streak to 20 innings. He allowed five hits and two walks, helping the Rangers snap a four-game road losing streak. “He gave us what we needed,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy said. “He’s such a competitor.”Eovaldi is the first Ranger to post consecutive starts of at least eight scoreless innings since Martin Perez in 2014. Although Eovaldi was up for the challenge of trying to become the first pitcher in the majors with consecutive complete game shutouts since Mike Montgomery did it for Seattle in June 2015, Bochy overruled him, in part because Texas piled on seven runs in the ninth.“I felt like I had gas left in the tank,” Eovaldi said. “I mean, I would have loved to go back out there and finish the game, but anytime we can score...

Satellite images show tankers Iran seized off Bandar Abbas

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:34 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Satellite images analyzed Sunday by The Associated Press show two oil tankers recently seized by Iran off the coast of one of its key port cities on the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The photos from Planet Labs PBC showed the Advantage Sweet and the Niovi anchored just south of Bandar Abbas near a naval base in the port city in Iran’s Hormozgan province Saturday. Their capture represents just the latest ship seizure conducted by Iran amid tensions with the West over its rapidly advancing nuclear program, though it appears the two ships may have been taken for different reasons. Iran seized the Marshall Islands-flagged Advantage Sweet, staffed by 23 Indians and one Russian, on April 27 as it traveled in the Gulf of Oman. Tehran claimed the vessel had struck another ship, though tracking data for the Advantage Sweet showed no erratic behavior on its trip. Iran has made claims in the past over ship seizures to cover for the vessels being taken to ...