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Somerville 18-year-old granted NYC trip through Make-A-Wish, surprised with a party at home

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:42 GMT

An 18-year-old from Somerville living with a life-threatening blood disorder was surprised with a New York-themed party after her wish to visit New York City was granted.Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island partnered with Subaru of Wakefield to help make her dreams come true.“It’s just we usually do a going away party, but this is a welcome back party for her, and she had no idea,” said Sal Barbagallo, of Subaru of Wakefield.Sofia was recently granted her longtime wish of visiting New York but didn’t know there was going to be a special surprise waiting when she got home.“I made the most of it, and I had a lot of fun there,” Sofia said.Organizers set up a New York-themed party with some of Sofia’s favorite interests, including musical performances, a make-up station, snacks and decorations. “It’s fun, and they’re all very welcoming. It’s very warm,” Sofia said.During the party, Sofia was joined by other local Wish recipients and welcomed into the “Wish Community,” which i...

‘It meant a lot’: Jackie Robinson Museum visit leaves lasting impact on members of the Chicago White Sox

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:42 GMT

Growing up, Jackie Robinson was everything to Touki Toussaint.“The reason why I play baseball,” the Chicago White Sox pitcher told the Tribune on Tuesday afternoon at Citi Field.Toussaint jumped at the chance to visit the Jackie Robinson Museum during the team’s trip to New York.Toussaint and first-base coach Daryl Boston were among the White Sox contingent touring the museum before Tuesday’s game against the New York Mets.“It’s kind of a humbling moment, hearing some of the sounds, being able to see his uniform — from ballcap to jersey, pants and cleats,” Toussaint said. “And seeing his broad jump (distance). That’s kind of crazy. I don’t think he gets enough credit for the athlete he was.“But even the person, all he had to endure and go through. Kind of puts in perspective, we don’t really go through that much. It was definitely humbling and a good experience.”According to its website, the Jackie R...

Orioles acquire right-handed reliever Shintaro Fujinami from Athletics for minor leaguer

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:42 GMT

The Orioles are adding to their bullpen.Baltimore on Wednesday acquired right-handed reliever Shintaro Fujinami from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for Triple-A left-hander Easton Lucas, the team announced early in the evening.Fujinami, 29, is 5-8 with an 8.57 ERA in his first major league season after signing a one-year, $3.25 million deal with the Athletics this past offseason out of Japan.He features a fastball that can reach triple-digits, but command has been a concern throughout his professional career.Fujinami struggled mightily as a starter to begin the season, but the 6-foot-6 pitcher has been excellent out of the bullpen the past two months. In 18 1/3 innings since June 5, he has a 2.45 ERA and 19 strikeouts compared with six walks.Lucas, 26, has a 2.73 ERA with 37 strikeouts in 29 2/3 innings between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk this season. The Orioles acquired Lucas in December 2019 from the Miami Marlins in exchange for infielder Jonathan Villar.This story wi...

Tornado damages Pfizer plant in North Carolina as scorching heat and floods sock other parts of US

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:42 GMT

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A tornado heavily damaged a major Pfizer pharmaceutical plant in North Carolina on Wednesday, while torrential rain flooded communities in Kentucky and an area from California to South Florida endured more scorching heat. Pfizer confirmed that the large manufacturing complex was damaged by a twister that touched down shortly after midday near Rocky Mount, but said in an email that it had no reports of serious injuries. A later company statement said all employees were safely evacuated and accounted for. Parts of roofs were ripped open atop its massive buildings. The Pfizer plant stores large quantities of medicine that were tossed about, said Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone.“I’ve got reports of 50,000 pallets of medicine that are strewn across the facility and damaged through the rain and the wind,” Stone said.The plant produces anesthesia and other drugs as well as nearly 25% of all sterile injectable medications used in U.S. hospitals, Pfizer said on its...

Trimmed trees outside LA studio become flashpoint for striking Hollywood writers and actors

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:42 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A row of tightly trimmed ficus trees along a stretch of sidewalk outside Universal Studios has become a hot spot in the face-off between Hollywood studios and striking screenwriters and actors.Some members of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and Writers Guild of America unions — along with sympathetic local politicians — think the studio purposely pruned the trees in an effort to remove a source of shade for workers picketing under the hot Southern California sun. They gathered regardless on Wednesday, with one woman wearing a green wreath on her head and holding a sign depicting a full, untrimmed tree under the words “Never Forget.”“Universal, get your ducks in order. We don’t want to see any more shady nonsense because the people are watching,” said Konstantine Anthony, a SAG-AFTRA member and the Democratic mayor of nearby Burbank.Burbank’s city limits don’t include the stretch of Barham Boulevard where the trees ...

Israeli doctors hold ‘warning strike,’ caution that judicial overhaul threatens health care system

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:42 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Doctors in Israel held a two-hour strike Wednesday to protest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to overhaul the country’s judiciary.The doctors say the plan will endanger public health by granting Netanyahu and his allies greater control over the country’s health care system. Wearing scrubs and holding signs saying, “We are the wall shielding democracy,” doctors gathered outside Ichilov hospital in Tel Aviv. Medical leaders warned they will take more severe measures if Netanyahu’s government — the most right-wing in Israel’s 75-year history — moves forward with a bill to limit the judiciary’s oversight powers which could become law as soon as next week. In a letter to Netanyahu on Tuesday, Dr. Zion Hagay, chairman of Israel’s Medical Association, said the bill would lessen the judiciary’s ability to strike down inappropriate appointments to the health care system. “As someone who once served as health minister, you ar...

Several postal workers robbed in Chicago, western suburbs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:42 GMT

CHICAGO — Several postal workers across Chicago and the suburbs have been robbed over the past day.The string of crimes involve both U.S. Postal carriers and private delivery workers who were robbed at gunpoint on the West Side of Chicago and in the western suburbs. 3 people shot on Chicago’s Near West Side Just after 5 p.m. Wednesday, a postal carrier was robbed in the 2500 block of West Chicago in Ukrainian Village. It happened right in front of Valeri Abushevich's building."That's pretty scary I come out here in the front with my dog," Abushevich said. "We go for walk. If I had gone 45 minutes ago, I'm sorry for that postal worker. I hope he's ok. That's a scary thought."Also on Wednesday, two other postal carriers were robbed in Chicago: one in the 2900 block of West Belden in Logan Square and one in the 1400 block of North Cleaver in Wicker Park.On Tuesday morning in River Grove, investigators said four people tried to rob a postal carrier in the 8700 block of Richard Street....

FBI: Naperville bank robbed by 2 male suspects

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:42 GMT

NAPERVILLE, Ill. — A BMO Harris Bank was robbed in Naperville Wednesday morning, according to the FBI.Federal officials said the FBI responded to a bank robbery around 9:30 a.m. at the BMO Harris Bank found at 320 West Diehl Road.Naperville BMO Harris robbery suspects (Courtesy: FBI)According to the FBI, the two male suspects who robbed the bank fled by car and are currently at-large. FBI: 2 male suspects rob Frankfort bank, at-large One suspect is described as being a Black male, approximately six feet tall and athletic-to-thin in build who was wearing a black hoodie, black shirt, black pants and black shoes. The second suspect is described as being a Black male, under six feet tall and of medium build who was also wearing a black hoodie, black shirt, black pants and black shoes.This is the third BMO Harris Bank robbed by a pair of male suspects since June 10.No injuries have been reported in relation to the incident, according to the FBI. FBI: 2 male suspects at-large after b...

Jury awards $800K to Florida family who claimed daughter was 'disfigured' by hot McDonald's nugget

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:42 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Florida jury has awarded $800,000 in damages to a family that alleged hot chicken McNuggets left a 4-year-old girl with severe burns.The Broward County jury deliberated for just two hours over how much the family should receive, according to WTVJ. Their decision comes two months after the jury found McDonald's and the franchise owner liable for the girl's burns, but not negligent. The incident occurred in 2019 but the case didn't go to trial until May of this year. Pop-up Post Malone concert in Times Square draws massive crowd According to the lawsuit, the child was “disfigured and scarred” after a nugget got wedged between her thigh and the seatbelt. The lawsuit says the nuggets were “unreasonably and dangerously hot” and “unfit for human handling.”The parents said their daughter suffered “emotional distress” and will continue to need medical care in the future.Scott Yount, representing McDonald's, argued that the family purchased 32 McNuggets that day...

MoDOT looking for solutions after fatal car crash ends inside St. Louis home

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:42 GMT

LEMAY, Mo. – A south St. Louis County family is without a home but grateful to be alive after a car went airborne and crashed into their house along Kingston Drive.Piles of debris sit outside the home. Large sheets of plywood now cover the massive hole of the front-facing wall at 448 Kingston.A structural engineer will be out next week to assess whether the house will be torn down. A crewman at the residence on Wednesday says the damage they’ve seen both inside and out leads him to believe it’s unlikely the home will stay standing.Meanwhile, investigators with the St. Louis County Police Department say this was not an apparent speeding incident, but it could’ve been a medical emergency that caused the fatal crash.“My heart just really goes out to the victim, I can’t stop thinking about her,” said Annie Wheeler, whose home was also clipped by the airborne car.The crash happened just before 2:30 p.m. Tuesday. Footage from a doorbell camera shows the car strike the front steps of Wheel...