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RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin get into dustup during win vs Cavs: ‘It probably happens more than people realize’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:50 GMT

A dustup on the Knicks bench between RJ Barrett and Obi Toppin had to be separated by Tom Thibodeau, who downplayed the incident as a normal product of competitive spirit.“The cameras are everywhere. It probably happens more than people realize,” Thibodeau said. “Heat of the moment. It dissipated immediately. If there’s a flare-up, go talk to each other. When they walked out together [on the court], I knew they were fine. And just move on. Win the game. When everyone wants to win, sometimes there’s a difference of opinion. Just put the team first and that’s what they did.”TV cameras caught the tense exchange between teammates during a third-quarter timeout.  It appeared Barrett was angered by something Toppin said and stood up to go at his teammate. Barrett was pulled away from the scene by assistant coach Johnnie Bryant.Toppin and Barrett posed for pictures together in the locker room postgame to demonstrate it was water under the brid...

Dear Abby: Ghosted by GF, then tragedy strikes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:50 GMT

Dear Abby: My first long-term girlfriend ghosted me. She died soon afterward, and I’m left with a gaping lack of closure. I’m 19. We had dated for four years and we were best friends. We didn’t live together, but planned to in the coming months. I intended to marry her.One day out of the blue, she cut me off. She had been acting depressed, but convinced me she was fine when I (gingerly) confronted her about it. She ghosted me the next day. She blocked me, changed her number and refused to speak to me when I showed up at her house. Everything to my knowledge had been fine between us.Weeks later, she had a terrible accident at work, and died in the hospital. I learned about it only afterward, from her mother. Her parents have denied me access to her room, to some shared personal and sentimental belongings and wouldn’t let me adopt her pets, which were sent to the pound. Most painful for me, they asked that I not come to her funeral. Her family believes that bec...

Security cameras capture person vandalizing menorah outside SDSU Chabad House

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:50 GMT

SAN DIEGO — Security cameras captured someone vandalizing a menorah outside the Chabad House near San Diego State University.The footage shows one person shaking the menorah until it begins to break. The incident happened sometime early Sunday morning."This time I think is really the worst out of all the incidents. The individual who did this came with rage and intention to destroy and hurt a symbol of peace and light," Rabbi Chalom Boudjnah said.Boudjnah said he believes the vandalism was deliberate.When a similar incident happened less than two years ago, it was also caught on camera. San Diego jury awards $46M to paralyzed jiu-jitsu student The Rabbi said after that incident the menorah was rebuilt and he started working with the university on a task force to combat anti-Semitism."The past two-and-a-half years, we had three anti-Semitic incidents, with the menorah being torn down," the rabbi said.The now-destroyed menorah cost about $7,000. The Chabad House has received an est...

Clark, Iowa end perfect South Carolina season in Final Four

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:50 GMT

DALLAS (AP) — Caitlin Clark overwhelmed the reigning champions with another sensational game, scoring 41 points to help Iowa spoil South Carolina’s perfect season with a 77-73 victory on Friday night in the Final Four.The spectacular junior guard set a record for the highest-scoring semifinal game and became the first women’s player to post back-to-back 40-point performances in the NCAA Tournament. She now has the Hawkeyes in a spot they’ve never been in before — one victory away from a national championship.“We had nothing to lose. I have all the confidence in the world in this group, and they believe right back in me, and that’s all you need,” Clark said. ““All we do is believe in one another and we love each other to death, and that’s what a true team is. If you want an example of a team, that’s what this is.”They’ll have to beat another SEC team to do that as Iowa (31-6) will face LSU in the title game on Sunday afternoon. The Tigers beat Virginia T...

Intensity and insults rise as lawmakers debate debt ceiling

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:50 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fights over increasing the nation’s borrowing authority have been contentious in Congress, yet follow a familiar pattern: Time and again, lawmakers found a way to step back from the brink before markets began to panic and the nation risked a dangerous default on its debt.But this year’s fight has a different feel, some lawmakers say.A new Republican majority in the House is itching for a spending showdown, and determined not to yield. They blame what they view as excessive federal spending for higher food and gasoline prices and the growing national debt. Led by Speaker Kevin McCarthy, they have ruled out passing a “clean” debt ceiling increase even as the White House insists such legislation be passed without conditions. It’s an impasse that shows no signs of easing ahead of this summer’s deadline for action.“Very worried. Very worried,” was how Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., a close McCarthy ally, described his outlook. “And frankly, I don’t see how we get there a...

Trump indictment ends decades of perceived invincibility

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:50 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — When Donald Trump steps before a judge next week to be arraigned in a New York courtroom, it will not only mark the first time a former U.S. president has faced criminal charges. It will also represent a reckoning for a man long nicknamed “Teflon Don,” who until now has managed to skirt serious legal jeopardy despite 40 years of legal scrutiny. Trump, who is the early frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, is expected to turn himself in Tuesday. He faces charges including at least one felony offense related to hush money payments to women during his 2016 campaign. Like any other person facing trial, he will be booked, fingerprinted and photographed before being given the chance to enter a plea.The spectacle that is sure to unfold will mark an unprecedented moment in American history that will demonstrate once again how dramatically Trump — who already held the distinction of being the first president to be impeached twice — has upended democratic nor...

Harris seeks billions for climate resilience in Africa

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:50 GMT

LUSAKA, Zambia (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris is pushing for $7 billion in private-sector investments to help Africa prepare for the effects of climate change.The announcement comes as she wraps up her weeklong trip to the continent on Saturday. Harris plans to visit a farm outside Lusaka where workers are using new techniques and technology to grow more produce, part of her effort to demonstrate ways to secure food supplies despite global warming.“The United States is committed to these types of innovative solutions to support climate adaptation, mitigation and resilience,” she said Friday during a press conference with Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema.The $7 billion announcement is the biggest-ticket item that Harris has unveiled during her trip, but more work will be needed to follow through.For example, African Parks, a nonprofit group, has committed to raise $1.25 billion over the next 7 years in order to expand its conservation program. Another organization, One Acre ...

Kyle Freeland, Charlie Blackmon carry Rockies to win over Padres

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:50 GMT

SAN DIEGO — K-Free was filthy, Chuck got Nazty again, and the Rox are 2-0.Translation: Left-hander Kyle Freeland pitched six shutout innings, Charlie Blackmon broke a career-long drought with a two-run homer and the Rockies beat the Padres, 4-1, Friday night at Petco Park.The Padres are projected as World Series darlings by many baseball pundits, while the Rockies are projected to be a 100-loss team, but it’s the Rockies who took the first two games of the series to begin the season.Freeland, who pitched for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, allowed just three hits, struck out one and walked one. He wasn’t overpowering but he did what he does best — mixing his pitches, keeping hitters off-balance and getting weak contact.Freeland also turned in a “Tuloesque” web gem to rob Austin Nola of a cheap leadoff hit in the fifth. Nola nubbed a ball down the third-base line but Freeland scooped up the ball and made a jump throw worthy of former Rockie...

“Biggest win of the year”: Valley Christian shuts out No. 1 Mitty in baseball

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:50 GMT

SAN JOSE — For the most part, Friday’s showdown between No. 1-ranked Archbishop Mitty and No. 3 Valley Christian was just what you’d expect from two of the best teams in the Bay Area: a clean game, two pitchers putting up zeroes, flawless defense and solid execution of fundamentals.Both sides were waiting for one big hit and Valley Christian got it from senior shortstop PJ Mountzouridis, who sent a high fastball from Mitty standout left-hander Luka Pintar over the fence in left-center in the fourth inning to break up a scoreless battle.And then after Mitty coach Brian Yocke went to his bullpen in the seventh inning, Mountzouridis drilled a two-run single to provide some breathing room. He came around to score on a single by Quinten Marsh, his second hit of the game, for the final run in Valley Christian’s 4-0 victory at Mitty.“A very big win, the biggest win of the year,” Mountzouridis said.High school baseball: Valley Christian PJ Mountzouridis (...

Warriors rally past Spurs with fourth-quarter surge

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:50 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — Two days after overcoming a 20-point deficit to stun the New Orleans Pelicans, the Warriors faltered early again Friday night, but overcame the slow, sloppy start against the San Antonio Spurs to pull out a 130-115 victory. Stephen Curry scored 33 points, Klay Thompson had 31 and Jordan Poole added another 27 off the bench to lead Golden State to its fifth win in six games.The Spurs’ fate has already been decided. They join the Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons as having the best lottery odds to land the No. 1 overall pick of the upcoming draft and presumably French phenomen Victor Wembanyama. But Friday was still a high-stakes game for the Warriors, who are trying to maintain their spot outside the play-in tournament in the Western Conference standings. The Warriors turned the ball over five times in the first five minutes of the game, and the Spurs jumped ahead by as many as nine points in the opening quarter. San Antonio led for most of the second qu...