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Orioles observations on Hudson Haskin’s home run, Kyle Gibson’s strong start and more

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:48:01 GMT

One swing in a Grapefruit League game between two split-squad teams won’t change the organizational perception of a player, but Hudson Haskin took advantage of the opportunity presented to him Monday.Baltimore’s second-round pick in 2020, Haskin was perhaps the most notable exclusion when it came to prospects the Orioles brought to major league spring training as nonroster invitees. An outfielder Baseball America ranks as the organization’s No. 26 prospect, Haskin got his first opportunity to play in a big league exhibition on the home side of Monday’s split-squad contest, homering as a pinch hitter in his first at-bat.“Anytime you can get out here, big league atmosphere, is something to try not to take for granted,” Haskin said. “I was glad I was able to go out there and do something positive, help the team.”Haskin, 24, had an .821 OPS with 15 home runs last year with Double-A Bowie. The Orioles’ nonroster invitees included an o...

Celtics’ Marcus Smart fined $25,000 after scuffle with Hawks’ Trae Young

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:48:01 GMT

Marcus Smart was fined $25,000 by the NBA for “initiating an on-court altercation” with Hawks star Trae Young near the end of the Celtics’ victory in Atlanta on Saturday night.With 1:25 remaining in the fourth quarter, Smart was trailing Young on a drive into the paint when the Hawks guard inadvertently kicked him in the groin while going up for a shot. Smart, clearly thinking the contact was intentional, immediately confronted Young. The two went face to face before Smart looked like he lost his balance. He fell to the ground and brought Young with him in the scuffle.After a lengthy review, Smart and Young were assessed double technical fouls but Smart was ejected. After the game, crew chief Sean Wright explained that Smart was ejected for the “grab and take down” of Young, but that Young’s actions “did not rise to the level of an ejection.”Young made both technical free throws to cut the Celtics’ lead to six but Boston closed out a 134-125 victory to start the road trip.Smart has ...

Giants OL Nick Gates lands big payday with Washington Commanders: sources

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:48:01 GMT

Nick Gates’ three-year free agent agreement with the NFC East rival Washington Commanders isn’t surprising considering how close he was to not being a Giant last season.Gates had tears in his eyes in the Giants’ locker room early in the afternoon of Tuesday, Sept. 6. Quarterback Daniel Jones crossed the room, hugged him and said a few private words.Gates had been informed just days before the team’s Week 1 opener in Tennessee that he was going to be released.He was still rehabbing from his devastating 2021 compound leg fracture. He was being cut without ever getting the chance to prove he could still play in the NFL.In the next few hours, after some conversations, the Giants’ plans changed. The team retained Gates, eventually opened his practice window, and gave him a chance to prove he could still play.Gates played in 10 regular season games, starting eight, and played in both playoff games, helping the Giants to their first postseason appearance since...

Nets’ No. 1 defense responsible for season-swinging stretch

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:48:01 GMT

One thing has become increasingly clear about the second rendition of the 2022-23 Brooklyn Nets as they look to position themselves in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.The defense is no fluke.It’s become evident of a Nets team now in the Eastern Conference’s No. 5 seed after winning five of their last six games, including a 4-1 record in their last five road games with the final leg of a five-game trip coming in Oklahoma City against the Thunder on Tuesday.The offense may be a concern, specifically in crunch time, but the Nets will always be able to lean on their defense, and it’s largely responsible for the team’s newfound success in the aftermath of the trades that sent Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving out West.Scoring, of course, was the most glaring concern in the days immediately following the Feb. 9 NBA Trade Deadline: The Nets shipped out Irving, and then Durant, within 48 hours of one another, forfeiting two of the most feared scorers in NBA histor...

Quebec police report two pedestrians killed, nine injured after truck jumps sidewalk

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:48:01 GMT

AMQUI, Que. — Police say two men have died after a pickup truck plowed into pedestrians who were walking beside a road in the eastern Quebec town of Amqui this afternoon.A provincial police spokeswoman said nine other people were injured, including two whose injuries are considered serious.Sgt. Hélène St-Pierre said the 38-year-old driver, a local resident, turned himself in to police and was arrested under suspicion of committing a fatal hit and run.One man who died was in his 60s, and the other was in his 70s.Earlier, a witness described seeing victims spread over a distance of hundreds of metres in the town about 350 kilometres northeast of Quebec City.A spokesperson for the regional health board confirmed a code orange had been declared at the Amqui hospital, which normally indicates a disaster situation or one with a high number of casualties.This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 13, 2023.The Canadian Press

DeSantis bills on diversity, gender pass Florida committees

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:48:01 GMT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Republicans on Monday advanced two key initiatives of Gov. Ron DeSantis as he prepares for an expected presidential run — banning gender affirming care for minors and eliminating diversity programs in colleges.The proposals have cleared separate committees but must still win approval from the full House and Senate chambers.DeSantis is pursing an aggressive conservative agenda on race, gender and education ahead of his expected candidacy, continuing a stance that has made him one of the most popular Republicans in the country. The Republican supermajority in the statehouse is set to rubber stamp virtually all DeSantis’ priorities during this year’s legislative session, giving the governor a platform of policy wins that could prove popular during a GOP primary.The governor has been a leading critic of diversity, equity and inclusion programs in colleges, known as DEI, as well as Critical Race Theory, which is a way of thinking about American hist...

Police report two pedestrians killed by truck in eastern Quebec crash

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:48:01 GMT

Police say two men have died after a pickup truck plowed into pedestrians who were walking beside a road in the eastern Quebec town of Amqui.A provincial police spokeswoman said at least seven other people were injured, including two whose injuries are considered serious.She said the 38-year-old driver turned himself in to police and was arrested under suspicion of fatal hit and run.More to come.

Suspect caught in shooting that left 1 officer dead, 1 hurt

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:48:01 GMT

HERMANN, Mo. (AP) — The search for the man suspected of killing one small-town Missouri police officer and badly injuring another ended Monday after police fired tear gas into the home, and arrested the man when he came outside. The shooting happened about 9:30 p.m. Sunday at a convenience store in Hermann, a town of 2,100 residents about 80 miles (130 kilometers) west of St. Louis. Detective Sgt. Mason Griffith of the Hermann Police Department died, and Officer Adam Sullentrup, 31, was hospitalized in stable condition, authorities said.The Missouri State Highway Patrol said the shooting happened after the officers went into the convenience store to arrest 35-year-old Kenneth Lee Simpson of St. Louis County on multiple outstanding warrants. Missouri Highway Patrol Sgt. Mike Mitchell said the officers were shot in an altercation inside the store. Authorities wouldn’t say if either officer returned fire.Simpson left the store, and authorities weren’t initially sure where h...

Tennessee Senate OKs push to define ‘sex’; may risk funding

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:48:01 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Transgender people in Tennessee would be prevented from changing their driver’s licenses and birth certificates under legislation approved by Republican senators Monday.The legislation, which still must clear the House chamber, would define male and female in state law and base people’s legal gender identities on their anatomy at birth. Legislative officials have warned that enacting the bill could cost the state millions in federal funding because the definition conflicts with federal rules.According to the fiscal review, Tennessee faces a potential loss of $1.2 billion of federal education funding and $750,000 of federal grants dedicated to help women and children. Other state and local governments could also be impacted, but the review did not detail a specific amount.LGBTQ rights advocates have long argued that having a driver’s license or birth certificate match a person’s identity is not only personally important but also beneficial to avoiding ha...

Kentucky House passes tax-relief bill for bourbon industry

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:48:01 GMT

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Proposed tax relief for Kentucky’s bourbon makers was fast-tracked Monday in advancing in the state House, but local leaders living near some of the world’s best-known distilleries were in no mood to toast the industry victory.The measure aims to phase out a property tax on the value of stored bourbon barrels — a top industry priority. The phaseout would begin in 2026 and be completed by 2039.House Bill 5 cleared the House on a 59-40 vote, soon after emerging from committee. With only a few days left in this year’s 30-day legislative session, the proposal advances to the Senate, where Republicans also have a supermajority.The barrel tax — assessed only in Kentucky — hurts the state’s competitiveness and threatens to chip away at the state’s status as the bourbon industry epicenter, the bill’s supporters said.“No other manufacturer pays taxes on its goods during production,” said Eric Gregory, president of the the Kentucky Distiller...