Home

Storm Elias fills homes with mud in central Greece

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 09:31:20 GMT

By Petros Giannakouris and Derek Gatopolous | Associated PressVOLOS, Greece — A second powerful storm in less than a month hammered parts of central Greece on Thursday, sweeping away roads, smashing bridges and flooding thousands of homes.The storm — called Elias — caused extensive flooding in the central city of Volos and left hundreds stranded in nearby mountain villages. The fire service carried out multiple rescues and evacuations, authorities said.Rescuers were also searching a mountainous area for the pilot of a private helicopter that went missing in the bad weather.“All of Volos has turned into a lake,” Volos Mayor Achilleas Beos told state television. “People’s lives are in danger. Even I remained trapped, and 80% of the city is without power. … I don’t know where God found so much water. It’s like the story of Noah’s Ark.”Bad weather earlier this month struck the same area, killing 16 people, and causing more than 2 billion e...

No Fleet Week? What will happen if Congress’ funding dispute starts shutting down the federal government

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 09:31:20 GMT

Fleet Week without the Blue Angels? Food aid running dry for impoverished mothers? Tax return processing on hold? Longer lines and flight delays at airports?Those are some of the ways a federal government shutdown as early as Sunday could be felt in the Bay Area and around the country as Congress’ periodic game of chicken over spending approaches a critical end-of-September deadline with no deal in sight.While talks are expected to go down to the wire Saturday night, a shutdown could be felt the next day around the Bay Area, with further impacts mounting the longer the dispute drags on. Among potential impacts:Fleet WeekThe White House said if there’s a shutdown, all active-duty military personnel and many law enforcement officers would remain at work, but receive no pay until appropriated funds are available.But a Navy spokesman said nonessential events like Fleet Week performances would become casualties — no Blue Angels, ship tours or military band performances ...

Diamondbacks delay clinching playoff berth as Vaughn, Moncada homer for White Sox in 3-1 win

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 09:31:20 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks delayed clinching an NL wild card berth, losing to the White Sox 3-1 on Thursday as Andrew Vaughn and Yoán Moncada homered for Chicago.Arizona (84-75) is in position for the second NL wild card and its first postseason appearance since 2017. The Diamondbacks entered two games ahead of the Chicago Cubs and Miami, who were tied for the third and final spot. Arizona would have clinched Thursday with both a win and a Cubs loss at Atlanta.“Like I’ve been saying, we have to win every baseball game that we play in and we didn’t do that today, so there’s some frustration,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “We have to be better. We have to be better in all areas. We had some opportunities early and I felt like if we had scored some early runs it might have been a different story.”Each team had three hits, and Arizona went 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position.Tanner Banks (1-4), the second of five Chicago pitchers, threw a ...

Tennessee Titans eager to bounce back from ugly loss hosting Joe Burrow, Bengals

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 09:31:20 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans are about to find out if an ugly loss can help them play better.Not only were the Titans held to their fewest total yards in a game in 49 years, Tennessee also has lost nine of 10 games overall, including two of three to start this season. Making it worse? Three pass plays accounted for 76 of those 94 total yards in the 27-3 loss to Cleveland.Now the Titans are home Sunday, hosting Cincinnati (1-2) with the Bengals having won three straight and four of the past five against their old AFC Central rivals. The most painful loss came in January 2022 when the Titans blew the AFC’s No. 1 seed, losing to Cincinnati en route to a Super Bowl berth. Three-time Pro Bowl running back Derrick Henry remains confident that the Titans have plenty of time to get back on track. “We definitely don’t want to go out there and lose,” Henry said. “But sometimes adversity strikes earlier than other times. So just staying focused on what we want to do...

Judge sentences a woman who investigators say burned a Wyoming abortion clinic to 5 years in prison

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 09:31:20 GMT

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — An abortion opponent who broke into and burned what was to be Wyoming’s first full-service abortion clinic in at least a decade, delaying its opening by almost a year, was sentenced Thursday to five years in prison and three years probation.Lorna Roxanne Green faced up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine after pleading guilty in July to setting the fire at Wellspring Health Access in Casper. She expressed regret and took full responsibility for the arson at the plea hearing. The five-year sentence is the mandatory minimum. She also has been ordered to pay restitution in an amount to be determined at a later date. Green told investigators she opposed abortion and that anxiety and nightmares about the clinic caused her to burn it.The May 2022 fire happened weeks before the clinic was to open. Extensive damage to the building being remodeled for the clinic kept it from opening for almost a year.Green admitted to breaking in, pouring gasoline around the insid...

Japan trumps Samoa again to stay in Rugby World Cup quarterfinals hunt

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 09:31:20 GMT

TOULOUSE, France (AP) — Japan teamwork trumped Samoa individual power and won their Rugby World Cup match by a surprisingly comfortable 28-22 on Thursday.With Argentina expected to earn a bonus-point win against Chile on Saturday, Japan’s last Pool D match with the Pumas next week will be a winner-takes-all fight for a quarterfinal spot.Samoa’s bid for a first quarterfinal since 1995 was terminated, and its second straight defeat advanced idle pool leader England to the quarterfinals.The Japanese reached the quarters for the first time at their home World Cup in 2019 but their form and results this year suggested they were way off the pace to challenge again. But they were patient and smart and disciplined at Stadium de Toulouse, and Samoa was not.A late converted try gave Samoa 90-odd seconds to pull off a miracle comeback. They forced a lineout on halfway but the throw-in was stolen and Japan beat Samoa for a third Rugby World Cup in a row.Fullback Lomano Lemeki, playi...

With new rules, MLB to draw more than 70 million fans, highest attendance since 2017

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 09:31:20 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — More than 70 million fans will attend Major League Baseball games for the first time in six years, a post-pandemic rebound for a sport that instituted its biggest on-field changes in decades.A pitch clock to speed play — game times are down 24 minutes to 2:40 for nine-inning games — limits on defensive shifts to increase offense, new social spaces at ballparks and technology innovations to speed entry have factored into a 9.2% rise in average attendance to 29,176. Expanding the playoffs to 12 teams, which began last year, led to more than half the teams remaining in mathematical contention.“Getting back above 70 million is an accomplishment for us,” baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said Wednesday. “I think it’s the playoff format, balanced schedule, the rule changes this year in terms of the product, the stuff clubs have done locally in terms seating options.”Still, the average attendance remains below the record high of 32,785 in 2007 and MLB hasn’t reached 30,000 ...

Roma’s problems increase with 4-1 loss at promoted Genoa in Serie A

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 09:31:20 GMT

MILAN (AP) — Roma’s problems increased Thursday as it was humiliated 4-1 at promoted Genoa in Serie A.Mateo Retegui scored again for Genoa and there were also goals for Albert Guðmundsson, Morten Thorsby and Junior Messias in the team’s first home win of the season.Bryan Cristante scored Roma’s sole goal and Jose Mourinho’s side has just one win in its opening six league matches to leave it 16th in the table with just five points. Genoa has two points more after its first home win of the season.The whole Roma team and Mourinho gathered in front of the traveling fans at the end of the match.Roma had a poor start to the season but had thought it had turned things around with a 7-0 win over Empoli, although it followed that up with a 1-1 draw at Torino.However, it got off to the worst possible start when Guðmundsson fired Genoa in front in the fifth minute.Cristante headed Roma level in the 22nd but Retegui restored Genoa’s lead with a delightful team goal on the stroke of halfti...

BlackBerry: Fiscal Q2 Earnings Snapshot

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 09:31:20 GMT

WATERLOO, Ontario (AP) — WATERLOO, Ontario (AP) — BlackBerry Ltd. (BB) on Thursday reported a loss of $42 million in its fiscal second quarter.The Waterloo, Ontario-based company said it had a loss of 7 cents per share. Losses, adjusted for one-time gains and costs, came to 4 cents per share.The cybersecurity software and services company posted revenue of $132 million in the period.In the final minutes of trading on Thursday, the company’s shares hit $4.76. A year ago, they were trading at $4.99._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on BB at https://www.zacks.com/ap/BBSource

Police in Portland, Oregon, are investigating nearly a dozen fentanyl overdoses involving children

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 09:31:20 GMT

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Nearly a dozen children, including a 1-year-old, have overdosed on fentanyl since June in Portland, Oregon, its police bureau said Thursday, intensifying alarm in a city like so many others that has struggled to address the deadliest overdose crisis in U.S. history.Police said 10 minors have overdosed since June and that fentanyl is suspected in all but one of the cases. Half of the incidents were fatal. A 1-year-old, 2-year-old, 5-year-old and two 15-year-olds are among the dead, the Portland Police Bureau said in a news release.A growing number of children are dying of fentanyl overdoses across the country amid an escalating opioid crisis that last year claimed nearly 80,000 lives, according to federal data. In the past month, a 2-year-old with a significant amount of fentanyl in her system died at her home south of Seattle, a 1-year-old died of a suspected fentanyl overdose at a day care in New York City and a 15-month-old in California died after being expo...