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How Craig Breslow’s 5 years with the Chicago Cubs prepared him to take over the Boston Red Sox: ‘He left us in really good shape’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:48 GMT

When Craig Breslow joined the Chicago Cubs five years ago, he could not have envisioned his path and how his contributions with the organization would play out.His rise from director of strategic initiatives for baseball operations to assistant general manager and vice president of pitching included meeting with right-hander Jameson Taillon last offseason to recruit the free agent to sign with the Cubs.“But nonetheless there we found ourselves,” Breslow said this week at the GM meetings in Arizona. “I am grateful for those opportunities, but mostly for kind of that trust.”The Boston Red Sox hired Breslow, 43, last month as their chief baseball officer. Over the course of the hiring process, he constantly talked to president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer, both to loop him in professionally and take him up on his offer to provide insight and advice during the process. Breslow also spoke with Theo Epstein a handful of times given his success in the same role ...

Best team in NFL? Ravens not concerned with ‘irrelevant’ standings as they enter midseason on a tear.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:48 GMT

The Ravens are tied for the best record in the AFC. They have a 1 1/2 game lead in the AFC North. Their defense, by any number of metrics, is the best in the NFL. And quarterback Lamar Jackson’s career-best 71.5% completion rate leads the league.Unsurprisingly, coach John Harbaugh, who is fond of saying teams don’t win a championship during the regular season, is unstirred.Asked Monday if his team has played at an “elite” level and done so against some of the best teams in the NFL, the third-longest tenured coach in the league essentially said it doesn’t matter.“It’s really not a measuring stick against the other teams,” he said. “It’s irrelevant that way because it doesn’t matter until the end.”Still, the Ravens (7-2) have stood out through the first half of the season, most notably on defense.They are first in sacks (35), points allowed per game (13.8), points allowed per play (0.214), yards allowed per play (...

Four Patriots players who could play key roles vs. Colts in Germany

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:48 GMT

The Patriots are shorthanded in Frankfurt, Germany as they get set to take on the Colts at 9:30 a.m. ET.Wide receiver DeVante Parker (concussion), left tackle Trent Brown (personal/ankle) and cornerback J.C. Jackson (personal) did not make the trip from the United States.With those three out and many other players on the roster struggling, expect these four players to take on bigger roles.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Callahan: Bill Belichick, Patriots finding joy in Germany amid lost season New England Patriots | NFL notes: How many Patriots are guaranteed to return in 2024? Well, not many New England Patriots | Patriots-Colts preview: How Mac Jones and Bill Belichick can win in Germany New England Patriots | Patriots QB Mac Jones seems to want to throw deep more often New England Patriots | Bill Belichick keeps it light in Patriots press conference in Germany RB Rhamondre StevensonStevenson is...

Person in custody after stabbing in North york

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:48 GMT

One person is in police custody following a stabbing in North York on Saturday morning.Police were called to the scene at approximately 2:00 a.m. after a male victim was stabbed in the Yonge Street and Holmes Avenue area.The victim was transported to the hospital via emergency run with life-threatening injuries.Police have one person in custody and anyone with information is asked to call police.

Obesity drug Wegovy cut risk of serious heart problems by 20%, study finds

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:48 GMT

The popular weight-loss drug Wegovy reduced the risk of serious heart problems by 20% in a large, international study that experts say could change the way doctors treat certain heart patients.The research is the first to document that an obesity medication can not only pare pounds, but also safely prevent a heart attack, stroke or a heart-related death in people who already have heart disease — but not diabetes. The findings could shift perceptions that the new class of obesity drugs are cosmetic treatments and put pressure on health insurers to cover them.“It moves from a kind of therapy that reduces body weight to a therapy that reduces cardiovascular events,” said Dr. Michael Lincoff, the study’s lead author and a heart expert at the Cleveland Clinic.Wegovy is a high-dose version of the diabetes treatment Ozempic, which already has been shown to reduce the risk of serious heart problems in people who have diabetes. The new study looked to see if the same was true in those who do...

Iceland evacuates town and raises aviation alert as concerns rise a volcano may erupt

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:48 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Residents of a fishing town in southwestern Iceland left their homes Saturday after increasing concern about a potential volcanic eruption caused civil defense authorities to declare a state of emergency in the region.Police decided to evacuate Grindavik after recent seismic activity in the area moved south toward the town and monitoring indicated that a corridor of magma, or semi-molten rock, now extends under the community, Iceland’s Meteorological Office said. The town of 3,400 is on the Reykjanes Peninsula, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) southwest of the capital, Reykjavik.“At this stage, it is not possible to determine exactly whether and where magma might reach the surface,” the Meteorological Office said.Authorities also raised their aviation alert to orange, indicating an increased risk of a volcanic eruption. Volcanic eruptions pose a serious hazard to aviation because they can spew highly abrasive ash high into the atmosphere, where it can cause jet engines t...

Pakistani police cracking down on migrants are arresting Afghan women and children, activists claim

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:48 GMT

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistani police are arresting Afghan women and children in southern Sindh province as part of a government crackdown on undocumented migrants, activists said Saturday.More than 250,000 Afghans have left Pakistan in recent weeks as the government rounded up, arrested and kicked out foreign nationals without papers. It set an Oct. 31 deadline for undocumented migrants to leave the country voluntarily.The expulsions mostly affect Afghans, who make up the majority of foreigners living in Pakistan. Authorities maintain they are targeting all who are in the country illegally.Human rights lawyer Moniza Kakar said police in Sindh launch midnight raids on people’s homes and detain Afghan families, including women and children.Since Nov. 1, she and other activists have stationed themselves outside detention centers in Karachi to help Afghans. But they say they face challenges accessing the centers. They don’t have information about raid timings or deportation buses l...

Arson investigation underway after woman injured in fire on CTA train

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:48 GMT

CHICAGO -- An arson investigation is underway after a woman was injured in a fire on a CTA train overnight, police said.According to police, a man started a fire on a CTA rail car near the Van Buren Street station around 12:54 a.m. The man had taken off by the time officers arrived on the scene.Police said a woman suffered smoke inhalation and was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where she is reported to be in good condition. Man charged in connection with shooting outside strip club in South Loop Paramedics took away a man who appeared to have head injuries. A motorized vehicle had also fallen on the train tracks but is unclear if it was the injured man's wheelchair. Police said the fire caused minor damage to the train and a cause is still being investigated. Police have not said if the suspect is in custody and there was no additional information provided.WGN is actively following this incident and will update as more information is available.

1 officer dead, 1 officer injured after SWAT situation in south Austin

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:48 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department is responding to a SWAT situation Saturday morning in south Austin. APD confirmed there was an officer-involved shooting in the 9300 block of Bernoulli Drive. The original call time for the incident was 2:49 a.m., according to police.One officer was killed and another was injured, according to a social media post from Council Member Vanessa Fuentes. KXAN is working to find out additional details. Officers closed West Gate Boulevard between Davis Lane and Slaughter Lane, but it has since been reopened.Austin Police said a public information officer was responding, and KXAN has sent a photojournalist to the scene.This is a developing story. Check back with KXAN for updates.

Chilly air the next three days

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:48 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Temperatures more in line with late December will continue to chill the area with afternoon highs today and tomorrow reaching the lower to middle 60s.Today's normal high is 73°This Veterans Day begins with an overcast sky along with some drizzle and patchy fog. There will be a minimal chance of seeing some rain today. The thinking here is that any precipitation will be drizzle and/or mist.An upper-level low pressure trough is approaching. It will be pulling in a good supply of moisture from the Pacific Ocean. Rain chances increase tomorrow as the trough gets closer.Scattered areas of rain are in the Sunday forecast with more widespread areal coverage during the late afternoon. The trough will land in eastern New Mexico Monday keeping our rain chances high at, for now, 80%. A soggy Monday will find widespread rainRain chances decrease during late Monday night with the trough sliding across Texas. The rain will end by sunrise Tuesday after which some of the clouds wil...