Phillies turn to pending free agent Aaron Nola to pitch them past Arizona and into World Series

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:13:07 GMT

Phillies turn to pending free agent Aaron Nola to pitch them past Arizona and into World Series PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Aaron Nola takes the ball in Game 6 of the NL Championship Series with a couple of familiar questions swirling around him. Can he pitch the Phillies one win closer to a World Series title?If not, might this be his last start in a Philadelphia uniform?The answer to the first query is an easy one — a resounding yes. Nola is 3-0 in the postseason — including seven shutout innings in the NL wild-card clincher against Miami — with a 0.96 ERA. He has allowed two runs in 18 2/3 innings, struck out 19 and walked two.With a second straight trip to the World Series at stake, Nola gets the call Monday night against Arizona in the NLCS.Now, as for his last start with the Phillies… If he wins Monday, he’s sure to pitch again. But Nola knows each postseason outing has the potential of serving as his last one with the Phillies as he nears the end of his five-year contract.The 30-year-old Nola is eligible for free agency after the World Series because his agent and t...

Picturing the Past: Stafford public schools create murals to highlight local history

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:13:07 GMT

Picturing the Past: Stafford public schools create murals to highlight local history Brenda Edwards loved the idea of telling lesser-known, but still important, stories about Stafford County history.In particular, she wanted to let people know there was more to Stafford’s history than being George Washington’s boyhood home.“All we hear about is Ferry Farm,” Edwards said.A three-way partnership among the Stafford Museum and Cultural Center, Stafford County Public Schools and the Stafford Education Foundation allowed Edwards to highlight those stories at Rodney Thompson Middle School.After receiving a grant through the education foundation, Edwards, Rodney Thompson’s art teacher at the time, spent a week and a half during the summer of 2021 painting a 17-by-7-foot mural that captures local history. She hoped it would compel students and parents to learn more about their surroundings.Edwards talked to local historians and did research to make the mural as accurate as possible. The mural is on display in the school’s main hallway so people can see it as soon as they ent...

Aurora Police investigating deadly shooting as homicide

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:13:07 GMT

Aurora Police investigating deadly shooting as homicide DENVER (KDVR) -- Police in Aurora said a person of interest was "detained for questioning" in a shooting that left a man dead Sunday afternoon.The shooting occurred in the 24600 block of East Applewood Drive around 12:45 p.m.One man was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. Police later released an update saying the victim, a 38-year-old man, died from his injuries at the hospital.Police said the person of interest, a 19-year-old, was known to the victim and that there was no threat to the general public.The investigation was ongoing as of Sunday evening, according to police.

Woman hospitalized after shooting in Brickell

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:13:07 GMT

Woman hospitalized after shooting in Brickell Police are investigating a shooting in Miami’s Brickell section that sent a woman to the hospital.City of Miami Police units responded to the scene if the incident along the 1200 block of South Miami Avenue, at around 5 a.m., Sunday.Officers arrived to find the victim suffering from at least one gunshot wound.Paramedics transported the woman, who is in her 20s, to Ryder Trauma Center for treatment. As of Sunday night, her condition is unknown.Detectives are attempting to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting.If you have any information that could help police, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.

Christopher Bell punches ticket to NASCAR championship race; wins rollercoaster race at Homestead

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:13:07 GMT

Christopher Bell punches ticket to NASCAR championship race; wins rollercoaster race at Homestead HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) — Christopher Bell wasn’t thinking of winning the race.Balance issues with his Toyota caused him to fall to 22nd after Stage 2 on Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. But Bell took advantage of a late caution in Stage 3 and stormed from behind for his second win of the season.“I can’t even say I was thinking of a win at any point in the day except maybe the last 10 laps,” Bell said.Bell took the lead with 15 laps to go and held off Ryan Blaney for a win that locked him into next month’s NASCAR Championship finale.Bell, who entered the race below the playoff cutline, will compete in his second straight championship race. He beat Blaney by 1.651 seconds Sunday and only led 26 of 267 laps in a chaotic race in which three playoff drivers did not finish.“Today was a whirlwind for sure,” said Bell, who drives the No. 20 for Joe Gibbs Racing. “To be able to overcome and to be in that bad of a spot … it was just incredible that difference a couple...

House remains paralyzed with no end in sight for speakership battle after Jordan’s exit

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:13:07 GMT

House remains paralyzed with no end in sight for speakership battle after Jordan’s exit (CNN) — There is still no end in sight for the high-stakes speakership battle after House Republicans ousted Kevin McCarthy more than two weeks ago.The search is on for a new GOP speaker nominee after Rep. Jim Jordan on Friday became the latest exit from the race, and it’s already shaping up to be a crowded candidate field.Frustrations and divisions have only intensified within the conference as Republicans search for a way to resolve the impasse. That, along with the GOP’s narrow majority, has made it increasingly unclear whether any candidate will be able to secure the 217 votes needed to win the gavel on the House floor.The House, meanwhile, remains in a state of paralysis as Republicans struggle to coalesce around a speaker candidate, with the chamber effectively frozen amid the threat of a government shutdown next month and conflict unfolding abroad.House Republicans are expected to hold a candidate forum Monday evening and more candidates are likely to throw their names i...

Ravens blow out Lions, 38-6, behind Lamar Jackson’s big day and stifling defense

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:13:07 GMT

Ravens blow out Lions, 38-6, behind Lamar Jackson’s big day and stifling defense The last time the Ravens played the Detroit Lions, they needed a record-setting field goal in the final seconds to pull out a dramatic victory. The only drama this time was how many touchdowns Baltimore would score.A week after struggling to find the end zone and kicking six field goals, the Ravens (5-2) scored a touchdown on each of their first four possessions and never looked back en route to a 38-6 blowout of Detroit (5-2).Lamar Jackson completed 21 of 27 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 36 yards and another score. Unlike last week in London, where the Ravens were just 1-for-6 on scoring touchdowns from the red zone, Baltimore had little trouble finishing off one drive after another against the Lions.The Ravens’ 28-point halftime lead matched the largest in a home game in franchise history, and it tied for the third-biggest halftime lead overall in team history.Baltimore came into the game having outscored opponents 41-6 in the first quarter this se...

Hundreds of pro-Palestine marchers rally at Copley Square

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:13:07 GMT

Hundreds of pro-Palestine marchers rally at Copley Square Copley Square and the streets of Back Bay flooded with hundreds of pro-Palestine protestors Sunday in a “Stop the Genocide” rally calling for people around the world to see and demand an end to the loss of Palestinian lives.“I am haunted by the same questions and thoughts every day: Are you still alive?” said a young female Palestinian speaker at the rally, talking about her fears for her family in Gaza. “Do you have food? Do you have water? Where are you sleeping today? Will you be alive tomorrow?”As the death toll sky-rockets two weeks into the brutal Israel-Hamas war, the demonstration in Boston on Sunday mirrored many similar large-scale pro-Palestine rallies around the world, including a crowd estimated at 100,000 in London on Saturday.According to the Health Ministry in Gaza, over 4,300 Palestinians have been killed in the region since the war began. Over 1,400 people have been killed in Israel, according to the Israeli government.People at ...

‘Soldier Field was off the chain’: Chicago Bears rookie QB Tyson Bagent reflects on his storybook day — and a big win for his team

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:13:07 GMT

‘Soldier Field was off the chain’: Chicago Bears rookie QB Tyson Bagent reflects on his storybook day — and a big win for his team If the magnitude of the moment ever hit Tyson Bagent — a small-town kid from West Virginia making his first NFL start for the Chicago Bears — the 23-year-old quarterback seemed far more appreciative than overwhelmed on Sunday.That was true leading up to the game. It was true during the Bears’ impressive 30-12 trouncing of the Las Vegas Raiders at Soldier Field. And it was true for 11 minutes afterward when the undrafted rookie from Division II Shepherd University came to his postgame news conference and attempted to describe the entire experience.Nervous?“Uh, yeah,” Bagent confirmed. “Yeah.”Until he wasn’t.“I feel like I settled in after the first snap. But really, I feel like I feel really nervous the entire week until we get on the field pregame. And then it usually goes away.”That’s when Bagent’s confidence typically kicks in, an infectious quality embedded in his DNA.“I feel like I’ve played like...

Callahan: Patriots scored a throwback win in home upset of Bills

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:13:07 GMT

Callahan: Patriots scored a throwback win in home upset of Bills FOXBORO — Moments after his induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame, Mike Vrabel preached to a choir of a few hundred.The indoor ceremony was joyous and populated by ex-teammates, coaches and fans all happy to see him and ride shotgun on a two-hour drive down memory lane.Piece of cake.But during his halftime speech Sunday, standing atop a makeshift stage over the Gillette Stadium field, Vrabel addressed an unsettled crowd of thousands; a mix of fans disappointed and displeased at the Patriots’ 1-5 start after decades of dominance.So during his two minutes at the mic, Vrabel did not bask in past glory. He recognized the moment, and his audience for what they were and decided to stump for his old team.“I want to thank the fans that made playing in this stadium unbelievably special. … I also don’t want you to take this organization for granted,” Vrabel said. “Enjoy it. It’s not like this everywhere.”Essentially, Vrabel called on fans to believe as t...