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Transgender woman challenges societal norms by applying to compete in Miss Venezuela pageant

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan’s enthusiasm for beauty pageants is unparalleled, and Miss Venezuela — the crown jewel of them all — may be the only event able to unite the deeply divided country. Once a year, class, race and politics are put aside as the South American nation tunes in to see who will represent Venezuela on the global stage.Behind the cheers and claps for the women vying for the coveted title is a deeply conservative society with little to no tolerance for any defiance of heteronormative standards. Sofia Salomón is ready to challenge that.The influencer and Instagram model has applied to take part in this year’s Miss Venezuela contest. If accepted, she will be the first transgender woman to participate. “I think it is a great platform to bring visibility to my community, echo the positive things, and show people the reality of transgender women,” Salomón said.With no end in sight for the protracted crisis that has pushed millions of Venezuelans into poverty and...

After fall of Roe, emboldened religious conservatives lobby to restrict abortion in Africa

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Nowhere in the world has a higher rate of unsafe abortions or unintended pregnancies than sub-Saharan Africa, where women often face scorn for becoming pregnant before marriage.Efforts to legalize and make abortions safer in Africa were shaken when the U.S. Supreme Court ended the national right to an abortion a year ago. Within days, Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio declared that his government would decriminalize abortion “at a time when sexual and reproductive health rights for women are being either overturned or threatened.”But some U.S.-based organizations active in Africa were emboldened, especially in largely Christian countries. One is Family Watch International, a nonprofit Christian conservative organization whose anti-LGBTQ+ stance, anti-abortion activities and “intense focus on Africa” led to its designation as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.In April, Family Watch International helped to develop a “family values and sovereig...

Cardinals split doubleheader with Yankees after several weather delays

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Harrison Bader had a first-inning sacrifice fly in his return to St. Louis, rookie Anthony Volpe hit a go-ahead triple as part of his fifth straight multihit game and the New York Yankees beat the Cardinals 6-2 Saturday night for a doubleheader split.St. Louis won the rain-interrupted opener 11-4 behind Paul Goldschmidt's go-ahead, three-run homer off Luis Severino in a five-run third. Jack Flaherty pitched six shutout innings, Goldschmidt had four RBIs and Nolan Gorman also homered for the Cardinals, who reached double-digit runs for the first time since May 21.Volpe has raised his average from .193 to .220 in his last six games. Isiah Kiner-Falefa had three hits in the second game as the Yankees won for the fifth time in their last seven.Lars Nootbaar homered for St. Louis, which fell to a 34-48, its worst 82-game start since 1990 Nootbar hit a first-inning homer off opener Ian Hamilton as the Yankees went with a bullpen game because of Friday's rainout.Michael Ki...

Colorado Rapids look threatening, lack finishing in 2-0 loss to St. Louis City as scoreless stretch drags to four games

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

Colorado Rapids head coach Robin Fraser saw his side put out a stronger second-half performance after a brutal first 45 minutes Saturday against Western Conference leaders, St. Louis City.His side had more possessions and six second-half corner kicks to go along with threatening passages of play. Fraser thought his team had shown enough to get back into the game.“I did feel like (a comeback) was going to happen. The energy felt right, the mentality was clearly much better, and … we got into some pretty good spots,” Fraser said.The final scoreline from the MLS’ newest stadium and expansion team: St. Louis City 2, Colorado 0, as the Rapids were kept off the scoreboard for the fourth consecutive game, and are winless in their last nine games across all competitions.“But we still don’t turn those into real, real chances,” Fraser continued. “I was smiling as you were making the comment about what I’ve said about needing to be more pre...

Rockies lose to Tigers in 10 innings on Zach McKinstry’s three-run homer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

The Rockies lived by their bullpen all night. And lived well.But the feel-good story ended in the 10th inning when the Tigers ripped right-hander Pierce Johnson for three runs en route to a 4-2 victory at Coors Field before a sellout fireworks crowd of 48,108.With ghost runner Jonathan Schoop on second to open the 10th, Eric Haase singled off Johnson, advancing Schoop to third. Up stepped Zach McKinstry, who hammered Johnson’s 1-0 fastball 400 feet and into the Rockies’ bullpen for a three-run homer.“That was a well-pitched game by both sides and it came down to a couple of pitches in the 10th,” manager Bud Black said. “They got us … they got the big hit from McKinstry.”The Rockies made some noise in the bottom of the frame against right-hander Alex Lange. Jurickson Profar drew a two-out walk and Kris Bryant delivered a broken-bat, RBI single to left to score ghost runner Coco Montes. But Lange struck out Ryan McMahon to end the game. Colora...

Video: Mother bear helps cub climb over fence in Monrovia

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

Need a hand? A driver captured a roadside surprise as a mother bear was seen helping her cub climb over a fence in Monrovia.The driver tells KTLA the two bears were spotted on a road near Monrovia Canyon Park on June 12 around 1 p.m.The video, which was posted to social media, shows a baby bear struggling to scale a wooden fence as it follows its mom.Video captures a bear cub and its mom as they climb over a wooden fence in Monrovia on June 12, 2023. (@_lissette23) Video captures bear stealing koi from backyard pond in Yucaipa After a few failed attempts, the mama bear jumps into action, daringly bending over the fence and grabbing her baby with her mouth.As she pulls the cub over the fence, the baby helps itself up with its legs before joining its mom on the other side.

Rusnák, Frei lead Sounders to 1-0 victory over Dynamo

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

SEATTLE (AP) — Albert Rusnák scored a second-half goal and Stefan Frei made it stand up with his league-leading 11th clean sheet of the season as the Seattle Sounders edged the Houston Dynamo 1-0 on Saturday night.Rusnák scored the only goal of the match when he used assists from Léo Chú and Nicolás Lodeiro in the 62nd minute to find the net for a second time this season.Frei totaled two saves for Seattle (9-7-5). Steve Clark saved four shots for Houston (8-9-3).Houston showed up at the right time for the Sounders. Seattle, which entered play with a 2-5-4 record in its previous 11 matches, are 12-0-3 all-time at home versus the Dynamo, including the playoffs. The Dynamo are 7-1-1 at home this season but just 1-8-2 on the road.The Sounders continue to struggle to score goals, finding the net a league-low 10 times since mid-April. Seattle has scored more than one goal just once in its last 14 matches and that came in a 3-3 draw with Charlotte FC.Houston returns home to host Sporting K...

McKinstry hits 3-run homer in 10th inning, Tigers beat the Rockies 4-2

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

DENVER (AP) — Zach McKinstry hit a tiebreaking, three-run homer in the 10th inning, lifting the Detroit Tigers past the Colorado Rockies 4-2 Saturday night.With Jonathan Schoop at second as the automatic runner, Eric Haase singled off Pierce Johnson (1-4) to put runners at the corners. McKinstry followed his sixth homer, a 400-foot drive over the right-center fence and into the Rockies bullpen.Kris Bryant hit a two-out RBI single in the bottom half off Alex Lange (5-2), who struck out Ryan McMahon to seal Detroit’s 21st come-from-behind win this year and deal the Rockies their first loss in three extra-inning games this season.Before a sellout crowd of 48,108 at Coors Field, six Tigers combined on a six-hitter as both teams went with bullpen games.Pete Lambert became the Rockies’ 13th starter this season, allowing two hits in three scoreless innings of his first big league start since Sept. 29, 2021, against Washington.Detroit’s Brendan White, a 24-year-old right-h...

Reign scores twice in final 10 minutes to draw with Racing Louisville

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

Elyse Bennett scored in the 87th minute to pull OL Reign into a 2-2 draw with Racing Louisville on Saturday in the National Women’s Soccer League.OL Reign trailed 2-0 until Veronica Latsko got one, heading in Bennett’s cross in the 82nd minute.In the 87th, OL Reign earned a corner kick, and Nikki Stanton sprinted from the top of the box to head in the cross. The ball bounced off the turf and Bennett flicked it backward with her head, tying the score.Wang Shuang put Louisville ahead in the 24th minute, scoring on a penalty kick after a Reign handball in the box. In the 76th minute, Paige Monaghan’s near-post shot slipped through the hands of goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce, doubling Louisville’s lead.OL Reign (7-4-3) was missing eight players, who were with their national teams preparing for the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand: Angelina (Brazil), Alana Cook (USA), Sofia Huerta (USA), Jordyn Huitema (Canada), Rose Lavelle (USA), Quinn (Canada), Megan Rapinoe (...

St Louis City keeps Rapids reeling with 2-0 victory

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis City scored two quick goals and Roman Bürki made three saves to lead St. Louis City to a 2-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids on Saturday night.Defender Tim Parker gave St. Louis City (11-7-2) the lead in the 4th minute when he used a pass from Aziel Jackson to score for a second time this season.Jared Stroud notched his fourth goal of the campaign, scoring in the 11th minute for a 2-0 lead. Samuel Adeniran and Kyle Hiebert had assists.Bürki earned his fourth clean sheet of the season for expansion St. Louis City. William Yarbrough had five saves for Colorado (2-10-8).Colorado falls to 1-5-0 in its last six road matches against first-year clubs with all five losses by shutouts. The Rapids’ only win was a 1-0 victory over Austin in 2021.St. Louis City outshot the Rapids 20-9 with a 7-3 advantage in shots on goal. St. Louis City is 12-0-1 when taking at least five shots on target and 0-8-1 when taking fewer than five shots this season.The Rapids have b...