MESA, Ariz. — The back of Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong’s jersey will look a little different this year. All thanks to a friendly hoops challenge. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer likes fast-guy uniform numbers — the single digits that look sleek on the back of speedsters like Crow-Armstrong. So the football lineman-esque No. 52 Crow-Armstrong sported during his 2024 rookie season inspired the smack talk from Hoyer while the 22-year-old shot hoops with Dansby Swanson and Nicky Lopez next to the complex’s agility field before the Cubs’ first full-squad workout Feb. 14. Hoyer proposed a friendly wager:…
Author: MAK Gojar
Zoryana Smozhanyk has lived in the United States for about 17 years, calling herself a proud “Ukrainian American.” But three years after Russia invaded Ukraine, she told hundreds gathered at a rally Saturday that the Ukrainian portion of her identity is possible because of those fighting for freedom overseas. “I am a Ukrainian American because there is still a Ukraine, because we are a free and independent nation,” said Smozhanyk, co-founder of the Illinois nonprofit Ukrainian Daughters Foundation. “If Russia were to stop fighting this very second, there would be no more war. If Ukraine were to stop defending itself,…
The losing streak continues for the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls dropped their sixth consecutive game Saturday, falling to the Phoenix Suns 121-117in a matinee matchup at the United Center. They have won only one game since trading Zach LaVine three weeks ago in a long-awaited deadline move — and have only won 10 home games all season. Despite leading in the first half and tying the game in the final three minutes, the Bulls clearly have lost track of their clutch gene. They turned the ball over five times in the final eight minutes and missed five shots in clutch…
A U.S. Border Patrol agent whose killing in Vermont during a traffic stop near the Canadian border has been tied to a cultlike group was buried with full military honors Saturday at a national cemetery in Minnesota. David Maland, 44, died Jan. 20 during the stop on Interstate 91 in Conventry, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) south of the border with Canada. The driver of the stopped car is accused of opening fire on Maland and other agents, sparking a shootout that left her companion dead. Both belonged to a group called the Zizians that may be linked to six…
NEW YORK — Hundreds of thousands of federal workers have been given little more than 48 hours to explain what they accomplished over the last week, sparking confusion across key agencies as billionaire Elon Musk expands his crusade to slash the size of federal government. Musk, who serves as President Donald Trump’s cost-cutting chief, teased the extraordinary request on his social media network on Saturday. “Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump’s instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week,” Musk posted on X, which he owns. “Failure to respond will be taken…
Sean Baker’s “Anora” won best film, best director and best actor for Mikey Madison at the Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday in what could be a preview of next Sunday’s Oscars: The film about a Brooklyn sex worker and her whirlwind affair with a Russian oligarch’s son has emerged in recent weeks as an awards season front-runner. The Spirit Awards, held in a beachside tent in Santa Monica, California, is the shaggier, more irreverent sister to the Academy Awards, celebrating the best in independent film and television. Host Aidy Bryant called it “Hollywood’s third or fourth biggest night.” In accepting…
New FBI Director Kash Patel is expected to be named the acting head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, a Justice Department official said Saturday. Patel could be sworn in next week, the official said, putting Patel in charge of two of the Justice Department’s largest agencies in an unusual arrangement that raises questions about the future of the bureau that has long drawn the ire of conservatives. The Justice Department official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the move before it’s announced publicly. White House officials didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment…
Yosemite National Park employees who recently were fired by the Trump administration worry cuts will affect the experience of visitors and the welfare of wildlife that thrive in the popular vacation destination located in California’s Sierra Nevada. Yosemite is home to giant sequoia trees and a haven for myriad wildlife species. El Capitan, a 3,000-foot (914-meter) wall of sheer granite and possibly the world’s most fabled rock face, attracts climbers from around the world. Such majestic qualities also are what attracted people to work at the beloved park that is a destination for families from California and throughout the country.…
President Donald Trump said Saturday that “nobody’s ever seen anything” like his administration’s sweeping effort to fire thousands of federal employees and shrink the size of government, congratulating himself for “dominating” Washington and sending bureaucrats “packing.” Addressing an adoring crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference just outside the nation’s capital, Trump promised, “We’re going to forge a new and lasting political majority that will drive American politics for generations to come.” The president argues that voters gave him a mandate to overhaul government while cracking down on the U.S.-Mexico border and extending tax cuts that were the signature policy…
Photos from the Chicago Bulls’ 121-117 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Feb. 22, 2025, at the United Center. Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) shoots over Bulls guard Josh Giddey (3) in the first half on Feb. 22, 2025, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) Bulls guard Coby White walks off the floor after a 121-117 loss to the Suns on Feb. 22, 2025, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) loses the ball in the first half of a game against the Bulls on Feb. 22, 2025, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda/Chicago…
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has asked Congress to approve nearly $40 billion in aid to help the Los Angeles area recover from January’s devastating wildfires, which he said could become the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. Newsom sent a letter Friday asking for support from lawmakers including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), the House Appropriations Committee chair. “Los Angeles is one of the most economically productive places on the globe, but it can only rebound and flourish with support from the federal government as it recovers from this unprecedented disaster,” Newsom wrote. Estimates of…
NHL: San Jose Sharks forward Nikolai Kovalenko, though the team, says comments on Russian podcast about Ryan Warsofsky were taken out of context The San Jose Sharks new coach Coach Ryan Warsofsky gives instructions during the first day of training camp, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group) SAN JOSE – San Jose Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said he has no issues with Nikolai Kovalenko after the winger gave an interview to a Russian media outlet earlier this month in which it was initially believed that he was being critical of the first-year NHL bench boss. Recently appearing…
One of the first places Gordon Cordeiro visited when a judge ordered him released after spending 30 years in prison for a killing he always maintained he had nothing to do with was his mother’s Hawaii gravesite. In a videoconference interview with The Associated Press on Saturday, Cordeiro reflected on his first day of freedom after new DNA evidence led to the overturning of his conviction in the 1994 shooting of Timothy Blaisdell on the island of Maui. Paulette Cordeiro died in September 1994, and her son was arrested the following month. “Thanks for looking over me,” the son recalled…
NEW YORK — Cooper Flagg had 16 points in his Madison Square Garden debut and seven players scored in double figures for No. 3 Duke in a 110-67 blowout of Illinois on Saturday night. Isaiah Evans paced the Blue Devils (24-3) with 17 points off the bench, and Kon Knueppel added 15. Duke built a 23-point lead in the first half and was never threatened while setting a season scoring high. Flagg, the freshman expected to be the top pick in this year’s NBA draft, added seven rebounds and five assists in 23½ minutes. But the Blue Devils didn’t even…
Big Cottonwood Canyon, Utah • A man died Saturday after he appeared to have crashed into a tree while skiing at Solitude Mountain Resort. A 53-year-old skier from Connecticut died after apparently hitting a tree at Solitude on Saturday. Big Cottonwood Canyon, Utah • A man died Saturday after he appeared to have crashed into a tree while skiing at Solitude Mountain Resort. Unified Police said the skier was found unresponsive around 1:15 p.m. toward the bottom of Middle Slope. Members of ski patrol attempted lifesaving measures before the man died. The victim was identified as 53-year-old Daniel Negrelli of…
Students from top Chinese universities said they have deepened their patriotism and sense of duty after listening to lectures delivered by senior officials about the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. Students from top Chinese universities said they have deepened their patriotism and sense of duty after listening to lectures delivered by senior officials about the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. Students from top Chinese universities said they have deepened their patriotism and sense of duty after listening to lectures delivered by senior officials about the spirit of…
Multiple federal agencies appeared to be caught off guard by the Elon Musk-directed email from the Office of Personnel Management.
The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China has set the guideline for China’s development and renewed its commitment to an open economy, which has great significance for the world, China’s top publicity official said on Thursday. The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China has set the guideline for China’s development and renewed its commitment to an open economy, which has great significance for the world, China’s top publicity official said on Thursday. The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China has set the guideline for China’s development and renewed its commitment to an…
The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China has set the guideline for China’s development and renewed its commitment to an open economy, which has great significance for the world, China’s top publicity official said on Thursday. The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China has set the guideline for China’s development and renewed its commitment to an open economy, which has great significance for the world, China’s top publicity official said on Thursday. The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China has set the guideline for China’s development and renewed its commitment to an…
Students from top Chinese universities said they have deepened their patriotism and sense of duty after listening to lectures delivered by senior officials about the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. Students from top Chinese universities said they have deepened their patriotism and sense of duty after listening to lectures delivered by senior officials about the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. Students from top Chinese universities said they have deepened their patriotism and sense of duty after listening to lectures delivered by senior officials about the spirit of…