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Column: The White Sox are moving — eventually. And Christopher Morel’s value to the Cubs. Highlights from a sleepy winter meetings.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:54:34 GMT

The loudest noise at the 2023 MLB winter meetings came on Day 1 when a Japanese reporter fell asleep on his laptop in the media room and snored at a decibel level rivaling a heavy metal band in a small club.With no blockbuster trades or mega signings to announce during the meetings — the Juan Soto deal came to light late Wednesday night — baseball had to resort to other news, including the Hall of Fame election of manager Jim Leyland, to keep the annual three-day meetings from being a complete snoozefest.Even an incident of Cubs President Jed Hoyer snapping at USA Today reporter Bob Nightengale over a social media post drew media attention back in Chicago, showing how times have changed. Executives snapping at reporters is a story as old as the game itself. Only in this age is it considered newsworthy enough to be dissected on sports-talk radio.So nothing much happened, and a ton of media had to have something to write and talk about after spending money to come to the G...

Miyazaki’s ‘The Boy and the Heron’ tops box office

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:54:34 GMT

NEW YORK — For the first time in Hayao Miyazaki’s decades-spanning career, the 82-year-old Japanese anime master is No. 1 at the North American box office. Miyazaki’s latest enchantment, “The Boy and the Heron,” debuted with $12.8 million, according to studio estimates.“The Boy and the Heron,” the long-awaited animated fantasy from the director of “Spirited Away,” “My Neighbor Totoro” and other cherished anime classics, is only the third anime to ever top the box office in U.S. and Canadian theaters and the first original anime to do so. The film, which is playing in both subtitled and dubbed versions, is also the first fully foreign film to land atop the domestic box office this year.Though Miyazaki’s movies have often been enormous hits in Japan and Asia, they’ve traditionally made less of a mark in North American cinemas. The director’s previous best performer was his last movie, 2013’s “The...

Petrochemical giant’s salt mine ruptures in northeastern Brazil. Officials warn of collapse

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:54:34 GMT

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A mine belonging to Brazilian petrochemical giant Braskem ruptured Sunday in the northeastern coastal city of Maceio, the city’s civil defense authority said.Video the authority distributed shows a sudden murky bubbling of the water in the Mundau lagoon in the city’s Mutange neighborhood, reflecting the mine’s rupture.The area had previously been evacuated and there were was no risk to any people, it said in a statement. A press officer said officials were still assessing the rupture and would soon provide further information. The development came as no surprise to residents and local authorities. Braskem’s 40 years of rock salt mining in Maceio has prompted the displacement of tens of thousands of people, hollowing out communities, and on Nov. 28 the company alerted authorities of the imminent risk the mine would collapse. Land around the mine has been steadily sinking ever since, falling a total of 2.35 meters (7.7 feet) as of Sunday morning...

Fire breaks out in an encampment of landless workers in Brazil’s Amazon, killing 9

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:54:34 GMT

At least nine people were killed in Brazil’s Amazonian state of Para on Saturday night when a discharge of high-voltage electricity sparked a fire in an encampment of landless workers.The cause of the discharge was faulty installation of internet wiring, according to a statement from the rural landless workers movement in Para. Three of the company’s employees were killed instantly and a fire raged through the shacks, killing at least six more, the statement said. Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva dispatched the minister for agrarian development and family agriculture to the municipality of Paraupebas to support affected families. On X, formerly Twitter, Lula also expressed his solidarity for those who perished and were injured. “We are working to advance in the the restart of agrarian reform, with the identification of available public lands, in order to, after years of paralysis, give work and production opportunities to rural families,” he wrote. Asso...

Sudan’s generals agree to meet in efforts to end their devastating war, a regional bloc says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:54:34 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — Sudan’s warring generals agreed to hold a face-to-face meeting as part of efforts to establish a cease-fire and initiate political talks to end the country’s devastating war, an African regional bloc said Sunday.Sudan slipped into chaos after soaring tensions between military chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan and Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, exploded into open fighting in mid-April in the capital, Khartoum, and elsewhere across the country.The country has been in turmoil for several years, ever since a popular uprising forced the removal of longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019. The short-lived transition to democracy was derailed when the two generals joined forces to lead a military coup in Oct. 2021. After they fell out, war followed 18 months later. The conflict has wrecked the country and killed up to 9,000 people by October, according to the United Nations. However, activists and doctors’ groups say the real toll...

Chicago police issue warning after 3 parked cars stolen in Gage Park

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:54:34 GMT

CHICAGO — Chicago police have issued a warning after three parked cars were stolen this month in Gage Park.According to an alert from Chicago police, the cars were parked and were discovered missing the same or next day. Driver dies after being hit head-on by alleged intoxicated driver in Wheeling The cars were stolen at the following times and locations, police said.Around 5 a.m. on Dec. 2 in the 5200 block of South Francisco AvenueBetween 4 p.m. and 7:30 a.m. on Dec. 4-5 in the 5200 block of South Sacramento AvenueAround 11:25 p.m. on Dec. 4 in the 5100 block of South Rockwell StreetPolice didn't release any information about the possible suspect.People are reminded to secure vehicle doors and windows, don't leave your keys in your car or your car unattended, and be aware of any suspicious people.Additional resources, including anti-theft steering wheel locks for Kia and Hyundai owners and special, traceable markings etching into catalytic converters are available to police dist...

Former Titans tight end Frank Wycheck dies, family says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:54:34 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) - Former Tennessee Titan Frank Wycheck, known for his role in the "Music City Miracle," has died at the age of 52.Wycheck's family confirmed his death in a statement, saying he died Saturday, Dec. 9 after he appeared to have fallen in his Chattanooga home and hit his head. He was found unresponsive that afternoon.The former tight end recently moved to Chattanooga to be closer to his family. He leaves behind two adult daughters and three grandchildren, his family said.Per Wycheck's wishes, the family plans to work with experts in ongoing brain injury and CTE research. Funeral services have not been made at this time. Grocery clerk dies after customer impales him with a golf club: Minneapolis police "The Wycheck family appreciates the love and support they’ve received, but asks the public to please respect their privacy during this difficult time," the family statement said. Wycheck was drafted in the sixth round of the 1993 NFL Draft by Washington after pla...

Beware of iPhone 'one twelve' social media trend

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:54:34 GMT

DALLAS (KDAF) — Social media posts telling iPhone users to say "one twelve" to Siri are causing a frenzy online. The trend is blowing up on TikTok, with many users not knowing what to expect until after falling for the prank. What happens is the user says "one twelve," triggering Siri to initiate a 911 call, with the AI assistant saying, "Calling emergency services on speaker."The user then sees a pop-up on their phone, alerting them that emergency services will be called after a countdown from 3, meaning the user has three seconds before the call is placed. What happens when you say "Siri, one twelve." (KDAF)According to FindLaw, calling 911 when there is no crime or "suspicious activity" is illegal. For example, in Texas, it is considered a Class A misdemeanor and can result in up to a year in jail with a maximum $4,000 fine, according to Texas Defense Firm. Early trailer for ‘Grand Theft Auto 6’ follows leaks The Federal Communications Commission states, "Using 911 for non-eme...

6 Texas metros where a teacher's salary goes the furthest: analysis

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:54:34 GMT

(NEXSTAR) -- Many teachers across the U.S. continue to face low wages, but in some metropolitan areas, an educator’s salary can stretch further than in others.The projected average national salary for public school teachers for the 2022-23 school year is $68,469, according to the National Education Association (NEA), the largest teachers’ union in the country. When adjusted for inflation, the average has declined by 6.4% over the past decade, the NEA said in its annual Rankings and Estimates report. The most and least lucrative college majors in Texas In McAllen, educators have the highest purchasing power compared to teachers in other cities, based on data analyzed by the personal finance firm MoneyGeek.The average annual salary in the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission metro area is $73,153 – but after accounting for taxes and the cost of living, the adjusted take-home pay comes to $68,271. Again, that’s still higher than elsewhere in the country, according to MoneyGeek's report, which ra...

Gophers add FIU defensive tackle Jordan Guerad from transfer portal

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:54:34 GMT

The Gophers football program will stay older and more experienced in the middle of its defense next season with the transfer commitment from defensive tackle Jordan Guerad on Sunday.Minnesota is coming off success in the NCAA transfer portal with defensive lineman Kyler Baugh, who joined the Gophers in January 2022 from FCS-level Houston Baptist, but the two-year starter is at the end of his run at the U.Enter Guerad, a Florida International (FIU) player named a Conference USA first-team selection in 2023 season.Guerad, who appears to have two years of eligibility remaining, had transfer offers from South Carolina, Louisville and Kansas State in the past week.Guerad, who is listed a 6-foot-3, 295-pounds, posted a team-best grade of 83.3, according to Pro Football Focus. He recorded 26 pressures and had steady grade improvement in his three seasons at FIU. He posted 38 total tackles, two sacks, five more tackles for lost yards and one forced fumble in 616 snaps for 4-8 FIU last seaso...