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AP PHOTOS: Glimpses of a changing Earth, as seen from above

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:50:29 GMT

Charred, drained or swamped, built up, dug out or taken apart, blue or green or turned to dust: this is the Earth as seen from above.As the world commemorates Earth Day on Saturday, the footprints of human activity are visible across the planet’s surface. The relationship between people and the natural world will have consequences for years to come.In Iraq, lakes shrivel and dry up as rain fails to fall, weather patterns altered by human-made climate change. In Florida, the opposite problem: too much water clogs roads and neighborhoods, trapping cars and stranding people, with the burning of fossil fuels again partially to blame for erratic conditions.In megacities, like the rapidly growing Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, skyscrapers shoot upwards while in Guyana excavators dig deep into the earth for deposits of gold.In California, surfers straddle waves in the ocean. In New Jersey, solar panels float in ponds, and in India, fishing nets sink into the lakes. Residents of neighborhoods in...

Mariners snap 3-game losing streak, top Cardinals 5-2

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:50:29 GMT

SEATTLE (AP) — George Kirby allowed two runs in six solid innings, Teoscar Hernández homered, doubled and scored three times, and the Seattle Mariners beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-2 on Friday night. Seattle snapped a three-game losing streak behind another excellent start from its young right-hander and a busy day at the plate from its right fielder. Hernández doubled in his first at-bat and scored on Jarred Kelenic’s soft single. Hernández followed in the fourth inning with his fourth homer of the season to center field off St. Louis starter Steven Matz.And he reached base during Seattle’s three-run sixth inning despite striking out. Hernández whiffed at Drew VerHagen’s breaking ball in the dirt, but the wild pitch eluded catcher Willson Contreras and allowed Hernández to reach, loading the bases after Julio Rodríguez and Eugenio Suarez walked earlier in the inning. AJ Pollock followed with a double to right-center field to score a pair, and Kelenic’s sacrifice fly scored Hernánd...

Gallen continues scoreless streak, D-backs top Padres 9-0

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:50:29 GMT

PHOENIX (AP) — Zac Gallen threw seven innings of two-hit ball to run his scoreless streak to 21 2/3 innings, Gabriel Moreno had three hits and three RBIs, and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the San Diego Padres 9-0 on Friday night.Gallen (3-1) retired 14 straight Padres at one point, plowing through their star-packed lineup with a mid-90s heater and pinpoint control, striking out 11 and walking none. His scoreless streak is currently the longest in the majors.Miguel Castro pitched a spotless eighth and Joe Mantiply handled the ninth.The Diamondbacks took a 1-0 lead in the fourth on Moreno’s infield single that brought home Christian Walker, who got on base with a double. Ketel Marte’s RBI double into the right-center gap pushed the margin to 2-0.Moreno broke the game open in the ninth with a two-run single that made it 5-0. Geraldo Perdomo added a two-run double as the D-backs continued to pile on in the final frame.San Diego’s Seth Lugo (2-1) gave up two runs on si...

Rural Maine town shaken by violence remembers slain friends

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:50:29 GMT

BOWDOIN, Maine (AP) — Tireless. Helpful. Deeply religious.Those were some of the ways Patti Eger’s friends remembered her Thursday in the small Maine town of Lisbon Falls, joining hands in prayer on a lawn outside a white church to say goodbye to a woman who stood alongside them to do charity work and attend services.Patti Eger was one of four people killed in a violent rampage that shook the calm Maine community.“I couldn’t believe it at first,” said Arlene Couture, a fellow member of the group. “We’re going to miss her terribly.The shootings of seven people brought the national spate of mass gunfire home to a rural community where violent crime is rare. In tiny Bowdoin, Maine, a town of rolling hills, sturdy farmhouses and only one store, the property where the four were killed has drawn friends, family members and neighbors to grieve. Police have charged Joseph Eaton, 34, with four counts of murder, and have said there could be more charges coming.Killed were Eaton’s parents, Cyn...

Mexico migrant camp tents torched across border from Texas

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:50:29 GMT

MATAMOROS, Mexico (AP) — About two dozen makeshift tents were set ablaze and destroyed at a migrant camp across the border from Texas this week, witnesses said Friday, a sign of the extreme risk that comes with being stuck in Mexico as the Biden administration increasingly relies on that country to host people fleeing poverty and violence. The fires were set Wednesday and Thursday at the sprawling camp of about 2,000 people, most of them from Venezuela, Haiti and Mexico, in Matamoros, a city near Brownsville, Texas. An advocate for migrants said they had been doused with gasoline. “The people fled as their tents were burned,” said Gladys Cañas, who runs the group Ayudandoles A Triunfar. “What they’re saying as part of their testimony is that they were told to leave from there.” There were no reports of deaths or significant injuries. But about 25 rudimentary shelters made up of plastic, tarps, branches and other materials were torched in a sparsely populated part of the camp. Many w...

How SF Giants’ game vs. New York Mets quickly turned, and when is it no longer ‘early’

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:50:29 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO – The San Francisco Giants’ deficit against the New York Mets grew from one run to four runs in a span of about a minute Friday night – and not without an inquiry from manager Gabe Kapler.Catcher Joey Bart fielded a check swing from Jeff McNeil in the fifth inning right in front of home plate, but his throw to first base went off McNeil’s back and into right field, allowing Luis Guillorme to score from second base.Kapler came out of the dugout to talk to home plate umpire Bill Miller about McNeil potentially being inside the line on his way to first base, but the discussion was brief.The next batter, Pete Alonso, took the first pitch he saw from Anthony DeSclafani over the center field wall, giving the Mets more than enough offense in what became a 7-0 win over the Giants before an announced crowd of 27,551 at Oracle Park.“I did go out there to ensure that the play was not reviewable, and then asked (Miller) if he would be willing to check with the other umpires,...

Moore’s OT power-play goal gives Kings 3-2 win over Oilers

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:50:29 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Trevor Moore scored a power-play goal at 3:24 of overtime to give the Los Angeles Kings a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series.After Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was called for high sticking at 1:44, Moore, who grew up in nearby Thousand Oaks, California, took Gabriel Villardi’s pass from behind the net and put it between the legs of Edmonton goaltender Stuart Skinner to give the Kings their second OT victory of the series.Moore’s goal was upheld following a lengthy review to determine if Villardi should have been called for high sticking before the game-winning goal.The Kings have a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series with Game 4 on Sunday night in Los Angeles.Alex Iafallo and Adrian Kempe also scored for the Kings. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 38 shots. The Kings had a pair of power-play goals and are 4 for 15 in the series.Edmonton’s Connor McDavid had the second multi-goal playoff game of h...

Jokic has triple-double, Nuggets beat T-wolves for 3-0 lead

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:50:29 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets delivered the type of disciplined performance that’s a prerequisite for lasting a long time in the NBA playoffs.The Minnesota Timberwolves sure aren’t there yet.Jokic had his seventh career triple-double in the playoffs with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists and the Nuggets beat the Timberwolves 120-111 on Friday night to take a 3-0 lead in the first-round series.“We didn’t want to give them life,” said Jokic, the two-time reigning NBA MVP who led the league with 29 triple-doubles this season. “We wanted to be the aggressor. We wanted to punch them first.”Michael Porter Jr. had 25 points and nine rebounds and Jamal Murray added 18 points and nine assists as Denver withstood another dashing game by Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards to send a loud crowd of white-shirt-wearing fans home from another frustrating postseason loss.“Proud of the group,” Nuggets coach Mike Malone said. “They handled thei...

Minnesota prohíbe las terapias de conversión para las personas gays

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:50:29 GMT

WASHINGTON DC- Los legisladores del estado de Minnesota aprobaron este viernes prohibir las terapias de conversión que buscan cambiar la orientación sexual de las personas gays, al tiempo que acordaron proteger el acceso al aborto y los derechos de las personas trans.Las medidas deben ser ahora ratificadas por el gobernador demócrata, Tim Walz.El Senado estatal, de mayoría progresista, aprobó las tres medidas, destinadas a convertir Minnesota en un “refugio” de la comunidad LGBTQ+, después de que varios estados de la región, como Dakota del Norte o Iowa, hayan prohibido el acceso a los tratamientos de cambio de género para los menores de edad. La increíble historia de Ruby Gardenia, la leyenda LGBT de la lucha libre mexicana Papa Francisco nombra a obispo de San Diego como cardenal Una de ellas, la que se refiere a los tratamientos de afirmación de género -que es como se les denomina en Estados Unidos- busca prevenir q...

Orlando area high school football coach changes include father-son, youth surge

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:50:29 GMT

Garrett Kruczek had only one name in mind when considering an offensive coordinator to join him at The Master’s Academy in Oviedo, where he was named head football coach in late March.Kruczek, 27, leads the Eagles into the start of spring practices Monday alongside former NFL quarterback and long-time coach Mike Kruczek.“It’s always been a dream of mine to coach with my dad,” Garrett said by phone Thursday afternoon. “When the opportunity arose for this job, there was no question who I wanted to run the offense.”Mike Kruczek, 70, spent the past 10 seasons as head coach at Trinity Prep. His pro and college coaching career dates to the early 1980s and includes 19 years in all at UCF after playing five seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Redskins.Trinity Prep was expected to interview candidates for its opening this week.“He’s a great mentor and senior advisor. We speak the same language when it comes to the offense,”...