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Lynx, Reeve energized around new star duo of Napheesa Collier and Diamond Miller

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:25:36 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Lynx tried a stopgap approach to filling the void from the disassembly of their four-championship dynasty, a patchwork process that worked all right until a collapse last season left them out of the playoffs and produced the worst record in 13 seasons under head coach Cheryl Reeve.The time for a clear new direction has come, with Napheesa Collier and Diamond Miller leading the way.Collier’s return and Miller’s arrival have sparked a freshness around one of the WNBA’s model franchises and left Reeve feeling “energized and enthused” by her first training camp without anyone from the last title-winning team in 2017. The Lynx open the season on Friday against Chicago.“As ‘Phee’ grows in her skillset and Diamond improves in her skillset, yeah, that’s a pretty good combination,” Reeve said.Collier accelerated her maternity leave last year to play one last time next to Sylvia Fowles, coming back for the final four games. The Lynx use...

Rory McIlroy’s 36-foot, par-saving putt triggers 1st-round turnaround at Oak Hill

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:25:36 GMT

PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) — For much of Thursday morning and into the early afternoon, it sure appeared as if Rory McIlroy’s early exit struggles at the Masters last month were carrying over into the PGA Championship.And then, suddenly, everything changed.McIlroy’s desperation 36-foot putt for par from the fringe early on his back nine went up a hill, caught the right lip of the hole and dropped to raise both a loud cheer from the gallery and McIlroy’s spirits.By avoiding the prospect of falling to 4 over through the second hole — his 11th hole — McIlroy rallied to finish the opening round at 1-over 71, staying in the mix at Oak Hill.“It was massive. I was just hoping to get down in two and make bogey,” McIlroy said. “Depending on what happens over the next three days and what I go on to do, you know, I may look back at that shot as being the sort of turning point of the week.”At the very least, the two-time PGA Championship winner has given himself a chance to continue competing on a co...

Sheffield Wednesday pulls off biggest comeback in history of English league playoffs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:25:36 GMT

SHEFFIELD, England (AP) — Sheffield Wednesday pulled off the biggest comeback in the history of the English league playoffs to keep alive its hopes of a return to the second-tier Championship.Wednesday recovered from a 4-0 loss to Peterborough in the first leg of the third-tier League One playoff semifinal by winning the return match 5-1 after extra time, and then the penalty shootout 5-3 at Hillsborough on Thursday.No team had ever come back from a four-goal deficit from the first leg since the playoffs were introduced in 1987. The previous biggest comeback in the playoffs was from two goals behind.Wednesday scored in the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time to take the game to extra time at 4-4 on aggregate.Wednesday will play either Bolton or Barnsley in the final at Wembley Stadium on May 29.___More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsSource

2 arrested in death of Kansas 6-year-old gunned down while playing outside

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:25:36 GMT

Two suspects have been arrested in the death of a 6-year-old boy nearly two weeks after he was gunned down as he played in the yard of a Kansas home with his uncle and a 7-year-old cousin, police announced Thursday. Police said 20-year-old Lakevis Sloan and a 17-year-old were taken into custody Tuesday evening as they exited a Greyhound bus in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. They are awaiting extradition, charged with second-degree murder in the May 3 shooting death of 6-year-old Sir’Antonio Brown. Charging documents show that Sloan also is charged with aggravated child endangerment. “These arrests doesn’t take the pain away, but they bring a little comfort,” his godmother, Shyneisha Hill, said.Police, meanwhile, used the arrest to ask for help locating a third, not-yet-identified suspect.“Don’t wait any longer, because we will arrest anybody and everybody who is housing or covering for this child killer,” Det. Mark Bundy said. Police said previously that the suspects came to the K...

Voter ID bill facing Republican infighting advances out of committee

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:25:36 GMT

A legislative committee has finally advanced a bill to comply with a voter ID requirement approved by Nebraska voters last November, but with infighting among Republicans, it’s unclear whether lawmakers have time to pass the bill before the session ends early next month.The bill, introduced by Republican Sen. Julie Slama, was advanced from the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee on Wednesday after being amended to focus on photo IDs. Slama had sought more far-reaching requirements, including verification of voters’ citizenship, notarization of mail-in ballots and audits of witness signatures for mail-in ballots.The amended version would allow a wide array of photo identification voters could present at the polls, such as passports, driver’s licenses, military and tribal IDs and Nebraska college IDs. Even expired IDs would be allowed as long as they have the voter’s name and photo. Residents of hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living centers wou...

UN warns that urgent funding needed to avert catastrophic hunger in northeast Nigeria

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:25:36 GMT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — At least $396 million is urgently needed to prevent widespread hunger and malnutrition in northeastern Nigeria from turning into a “full-blown catastrophe,” the United Nations office in the West African nation said Thursday.“We are ringing the alarm bell that there are people close to or dying (of hunger) right now in the northeast,” Matthias Schmale, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Nigeria, said in the capital, Abuja, while releasing the lean season food and nutrition crisis plan.Security forces in northeastern Nigeria have been battling Islamic extremist rebels who launched an insurgency in 2009 to fight against Western education and to establish Islamic Shariah law in the region. At least 35,000 people have been killed and more than 2 million displaced as a result of the violence, according to data from U.N. agencies in Nigeria.A breakaway faction of the Boko Haram extremist group, known as the Islamic State West Africa Province, has risen to prominenc...

Debt ceiling negotiators pushing for weekend deal, but much work remains

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:25:36 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Negotiators from the White House labored Thursday over the U.S. debt limit with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s emissaries at the Capitol, grinding through head-to-head talks trying to strike a budget deal to avert a looming economic crisis.With hopes for a breakthrough as soon as this weekend, President Joe Biden and McCarthy tapped their top representatives to work out a deal after talks with a larger contingent stalled.Upbeat, McCarthy said it was important to have an “agreement in principle” by the weekend if they hope to get to a House vote next week. That would leave enough time for the Senate to act, too, ahead of a deadline as soon as June 1.“Everyone’s working hard.” McCarthy told CNN and others at the Capitol.The White House team also appeared upbeat as they entered the building, but declined comments and departed two hours later. They were expected to be back at it on Friday and into the weekend.“This does not have to be a crisis,” Vice Presid...

Severe storm threat issued for the Denver area

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:25:36 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- The National Weather Service issued a severe storm threat for Denver and surrounding areas including parts of the Front Range. "A few severe storms are possible this afternoon and evening, with large hail and wind gusts up to 70 mph. Some storms could also produce localized heavy rain, with a threat of flash flooding in the foothills portion of recent burn areas," an NWS Boulder tweet said. The Pinpoint Weather team said if clouds break in the afternoon and temperatures rise, there are good chances for thunderstorms. The NWS said those storms will move east across the foothills and the Interstate 25 corridor including Denver through 2 p.m. Around 4 p.m., a flash flood warning was issued for Boulder and Weld counties, including Firestone, Longmont and Erie. Small hail fell heavily in Longmont as seen in this Facebook video post and the photos below. Hail in Longmont (Photo credit: Ariana Sanchez)Hailstorm in Longmont (Photo credit: Ariana Sanchez)Another viewer poste...

Teen who used dad's police gun sentenced to 5 years in shootings

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:25:36 GMT

GOLDEN, Colo. (KDVR) — The teenage son of a Denver Police detective was sentenced Thursday afternoon to five years in state custody for crimes Jefferson County prosecutors say he committed with his father's service weapon.Samuel Rose, 17, pleaded guilty Thursday afternoon to five counts related to a pair of housing shootings in May 2022. The counts were possession of a handgun by a juvenile, two counts of attempted first-degree murder, second-degree assault and aggravated juvenile offender.Rose also pleaded guilty to second-degree assault after staff members at Mountain View Youth Services Center say he attacked a fellow juvenile inmate on Nov. 19. Aurora man accused of $9 million cryptocurrency theft Rose was originally charged as an adult, but under the plea deal he agreed to, he's being sentenced as a juvenile.As a result, he will stay in state juvenile custody until the age of 21. When he turns 21, there will be a hearing to determine if he gets released from state custody on ...

Fewer Colorado voters registering as Republican

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:25:36 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — A Colorado conservative stronghold voted for an independent as mayor. Voters in Colorado Springs chose the first Black man elected to lead the city, beating out Republican and former Secretary of State Wayne Williams. Yemi Mobolade won with 58% of the vote, compared to 42% of the vote going to Williams. For "Colorado Point of View" this week, the Data Desk looked into the numbers and found more voters are choosing to identify as unaffiliated. In El Paso County, nearly 228,000 voters — or 48% of the county — now identify as unaffiliated, outpacing both registered Democrats and Republicans.The county still has the greatest number of registered Republicans statewide, with more than 147,000 comprising 31% of the county’s registered voters. That number has decreased by more than 10% since 2016.What do shifting politics mean for the Republican Party?FOX31’s political analysts disagree about what these numbers and election results in Colorado Springs mean for the future of ...