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Ron Berler: Living with regret and former Cubs pitcher Oscar Zamora’s glove

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:53:15 GMT

Oscar Zamora was a relief pitcher for the Chicago Cubs in the mid-1970s. He wasn’t very good, to put it kindly. During his Wrigley Field tenure, Cubs fans would serenade him as he exited the game, often in mid-inning after having surrendered a blizzard of runs. Here is a sample verse, sung to the tune of the long-ago Dean Martin hit “That’s Amore.”When the pitch is so fatThat the ball hits the bat,That’s Zamora!From the press box where I sometimes sat, he seemed to accept the razzing with equanimity, as if he agreed it was deserved. I was a young reporter at the time, and after games, I’d pass him in the clubhouse as he was dressing quietly at his locker, while I sought out one or another of his more prominent teammates. Zamora pitched for the Cubs for parts of three seasons, and I can’t remember ever interviewing him for a story or even stopping to chat. He was one in that category — an interchangeable part, a minor actor who wouldn&#...

Vatican: Pope Francis goes to hospital, cancels audiences

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:53:15 GMT

By NICOLE WINFIELD (Associated Press)VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis went to a Rome hospital on Wednesday and canceled his audiences for the next two days to undergo previously scheduled tests, the Vatican said.The Vatican provided no details, including how long the 86-year-old pope would remain at Gemelli University Hospital, where he underwent surgery in 2021. But his audiences through Friday were canceled, raising questions about Francis’ participation during the Vatican’s Holy Week activities starting Sunday.“The Holy Father has been at Gemelli since this afternoon for some previously scheduled checkups,” the Vatican said in a one-line statement from spokesman Matteo Bruni.Francis appeared in relatively good form during his regularly scheduled general audience Wednesday, though he grimaced strongly while getting into and out of the “popemobile.” The purpose of the medical tests wasn’t immediately clear. Francis had part of one lun...

Meet the scouts who put Anthony Volpe on his path to pinstripes

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:53:15 GMT

“Volpe’s on deck.”Matt Hyde, a Northeast area scout for the Yankees, used to send that text to his colleagues, crosscheckers and superiors whenever Anthony Volpe stepped to the plate. The messages, which began during a tournament in Jupiter, Fla. during the Fall of Volpe’s senior year of high school, also included the name or number of whatever field his game took place on.They served as an alert: Something exciting is about to happen. Get your butts over here.“It was almost like, ‘Oh shit, here we go,’” Damon Oppenheimer, the Yankees’ director of amateur scouting, told the Daily News of the running gag. “It got to be comical actually because I was so persistent with it,” Hyde added.By this point, the Yankees were already well acquainted with their future shortstop — Volpe, 21, will start on Opening Day against the Giants — thanks in large part to Hyde, his first connection to the club.He began coaching Vo...

3 signs it’s time to break up with your car insurance company

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:53:15 GMT

Sometimes, it pays to be a loyal customer. Airline miles, loyalty reward points, anniversary freebies, the coveted platinum membership tier — all of these incentives are designed to keep you committed to your favorite brands. But loyalty is typically a one-way street when it comes to car insurance.“Insurance companies are there to make money,” says Michael DeLong, a research and advocacy associate for the nonprofit Consumer Federation of America. “They’re not your friend, despite the cute mascots they have.” DeLong advises not to hesitate to shop around for better deals because, in most cases, your insurance company isn’t loyal to you.However, only 26% of vehicle owners in the United States say they shop for car insurance at least once a year, according to a 2023 NerdWallet survey.Here are three signs it’s time to swipe left on your current car insurance company.1. When your rates go upIt’s normal to pay more for things over time — tax...

Fletcher admits affair but denies allegations in lawsuit

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:53:15 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher said Wednesday he and his wife are being sued for millions of dollars.In a statement released Wednesday, Fletcher's attorney said that a former colleague with whom Fletcher said he had consensual interactions with is attempting to obtain a significant amount of money from the couple. Fletcher is married to former Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez.His attorney, Danielle Hultenius Moore, says the allegations in the lawsuit, which were not disclosed in the statement, are false. Moore went on to claim the woman pursued her client."...Their interactions were consensual and Mr. Fletcher does not and never had authority over her employment. We will aggressively fight this issue in court and the full record will show the truth.”In his statement, Fletcher admitted he made a "terrible mistake" and violated the trust and loyalty of his marriage. His full comments on the matter can be found here. Supervisor Nathan Fletcher to seek care for ...

Cyprus gets tough on fan violence at sporting events

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:53:15 GMT

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Cyprus’ justice minister on Wednesday unveiled a host of measures to combat fan violence at sporting events, including pre-game drug and alcohol tests, increased body searches and tougher policing.The measures come days after opposing fans at a basketball playoff game between rivals Anorthosis and Apollon fought inside and outside the Tassos Papadopoulos stadium in the capital Nicosia, setting fire to public transport offices outside the venue.Justice minister Anna Koukkides-Procopiou said the government will introduce legal amendments enabling police to administer drug and alcohol tests to suspected users ahead of sporting events.Police will intensify searches of fans entering venues while bans for convicted offenders will be raised to a maximum of 10 years. A dedicated riot squad will be tasked with exclusively policing sporting and other “high-risk” events, while police inspections and oversight of travelling fans will be stepped up.Police arrested three pe...

Mexico: Despite “coup,” Castillo legal president of Peru

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:53:15 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s president said Wednesday that Peru’s ousted president, Pedro Castillo, remains “the legal and legitimate president” of that country and that he was jailed as part of a “coup.” President Andrés Manuel López Obrador also claimed Peru’s current government is “racist” and had jailed Castillo because he is indigenous. The comments were the most forceful indication yet that López Obrador doesn’t recognize current Peruvian President Dina Boluarte. “I maintain that he (Castillo) is the legal and legitimate president,” López Obrador said at his morning press briefing. “He suffered a coup.”“They won’t accept Pedro Castillo because he is from the mountains, he is indigenous,” the president said.Boluarte took office on Dec. 7 after then-President Castillo was removed by Parliament and jailed after trying to dissolve Congress to avoid a vote on his removal from office. Castillo, who was Peru’s first leader from a rural Andean background, was plagued by cor...

Saskatchewan to spend $6 million for some hip and knee surgeries in Calgary

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:53:15 GMT

REGINA — The Saskatchewan government is to spend up to $6 million to send patients to Calgary for hip and knee surgeries. An agreement made public today shows the province is to work with private provider Canadian Surgical Solutions.Health Minister Paul Merriman has said the surgeries are publicly funded but the province won’t pay for someone’s travel expenses should they go to Calgary.Merriman says contracting the Calgary facility is meant to help people get their surgeries done faster.CUPE Local 5430, Saskatchewan’s largest health-care union, says there is little evidence that paying private clinics reduces wait times. The union says the decision will worsen Saskatchewan’s plans to hire and retain health-care employees because some might decide to work for a private clinic. This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 29, 2023.The Canadian Press

Crews work to recover 3 barges that got loose on Ohio River

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:53:15 GMT

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Crews were working Wednesday to remove three remaining barges that got loose on the Ohio River, including one carrying methanol.A total of 10 barges got loose early Tuesday on the river near Louisville, the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet said. Most were recovered, but the U.S Army Corp of Engineers said three were pinned against the McAlpine Locks and Dam and the locks are closed to traffic until the barges are stabilized.One of those barges was carrying 1,400 tons of methanol and was partially submerged, Kentucky officials said.Methanol, also known as wood alcohol, is a colorless liquid that’s flammable and acutely toxic, according to the National Institutes of Health. It’s used as a solvent for paints and plastics and as an ingredient in a wide variety of products.Louisville Metro Emergency Services told news outlets they are monitoring air and water, but “there is zero evidence of a tank breach or any leaks.”The Corps said it was working clos...

Senate votes to ax 20-year-old Iraq act, reclaim war powers

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:53:15 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate voted Wednesday to repeal the resolution that gave a green light for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, a bipartisan effort to return a basic war power to Congress 20 years after an authorization many now view as a mistake.Iraqi deaths are estimated in the hundreds of thousands, and nearly 5,000 U.S. troops were killed in the war after President George W. Bush’s administration falsely claimed that Saddam Hussein was stockpiling weapons of mass destruction. “This body rushed into a war” that had massive consequences, said Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, a Democrat who has pushed for years to repeal the powers. Kaine said the 20th anniversary had “opened a reflective moment where we I think we’re moving in the right direction.” Senators voted 66-30 to repeal the 2002 measure and also the 1991 authorization that sanctioned the U.S.-led Gulf War. If passed by the House, the repeal would not be expected to affect any current military deployments. But lawmakers i...